RTHK: At least 41 dead in Moscow jet blaze 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." The 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 told Interfax. Russian television showed a column of smoke towering over the plane. Other images showed the aircraft on fire as it attempted to land, then passengers leaving by a forward door. According to the Ria Novosti news agency, the plane had been headed to the far northwest city of Murmansk in Russia. It said initial indications suggested an electrical fault might have caused the fire while the plane was in the air. (AFP) ______________________________ Last updated: 2019-05-06 HKT 05:32 This story has been published on: 2019-05-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Ancient ritual bundle contained multiple psychotropic plants UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A thousand years ago, Native Americans in South America used multiple psychotropic plants -- possibly simultaneously -- to induce hallucinations and altered consciousness, according to an international team of anthropologists. "We already knew that psychotropics were important in the spiritual and religious activities of the societies of the south-central Andes, but we did not know that these people were using so many different compounds and possibly combining them together," said Jose Capriles, assistant professor of anthropology, Penn State. "This is the largest number of psychoactive substances ever found in a single archaeological assemblage from South America." The researchers were searching for ancient occupations in the dry rock shelters of the now-dry Sora River valley in southwestern Bolivia when they found a ritual bundle as part of a human burial. The bundle -- bound in a leather bag -- contained, among other things, two snuffing tablets (used to pulverize psychotropic plants into snuff), a snuffing tube (for smoking hallucinogenic plants), and a pouch constructed of three fox snouts. The team used accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the outer leather bag and found that it was about 1,000 years old. "This period in this location is associated with the disintegration of the Tiwanaku state and the emergence of regional polities," said Capriles. In addition, the team used a scalpel to obtain a tiny scraping from the interior of the fox-snout pouch and analyzed the material using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. "This method is highly sensitive and very effective for detecting the presence of minute amounts of specific compounds from very small samples," said Melanie Miller, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Otago, New Zealand, and research affiliate at the University of California, Berkeley, who was responsible for analyzing the samples. The researchers identified the presence of multiple psychoactive compounds -- cocaine, benzoylecgonine (the primary metabolite of cocaine), harmine, bufotenin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and possibly psilocin (a compound found in some mushrooms) -- from at least three different plant species (likely Erythroxylum coca, a species of Anadenanthera and Banistesteriopsis caani). The results will appear during the week of May 6 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to Capriles, the fox-snout pouch likely belonged to a shaman. "Shamans were ritual specialists who had knowledge of plants and how to use them as mechanisms to engage with supernatural beings, including venerated ancestors who were thought to exist in other realms," said Capriles. "It is possible that the shaman who owned this pouch consumed multiple different plants simultaneously to produce different effects or extend his or her hallucinations.'" Capriles noted that the co-occurrence of harmine and DMT, which are the primary ingredients of ayahuasca -- a beverage that is reported to induce hallucinations and altered consciousness -- in the pouch suggests the use of this beverage as one of the drugs in the shaman's kit. "Some scholars believe that ayahuasca has relatively recent origins, while others argue that it may have been used for centuries, or even millennia," said Capriles. "Given the presence of harmine and DMT together in the pouch we found, it is likely that this shaman ingested these simultaneously to achieve a hallucinogenic state, either through a beverage, such as ayahuasca, or through a composite snuff that contained these plants in a single mixture. This finding suggests that ayahuasca may have been used up to 1,000 years ago." Not only does the presence of numerous compounds suggest simultaneous use of drugs and earlier use of ayahuasca, in particular, but it also indicates intricate botanical knowledge by the owner of the pouch and an effort to acquire hallucinogenic plants, as the plants came from different regions of mostly tropical South America. "The presence of these compounds indicates the owner of this kit had access to at least three plants with psychoactive compounds, but potentially even four or five," said Miller. "None of the psychoactive compounds we found come from plants that grow in this area of the Andes, indicating either the presence of elaborate exchange networks or the movement of this individual across diverse environments to procure these special plants. This discovery reminds us that people in the past had extensive knowledge of these powerful plants and their potential uses, and they sought them out for their medicinal and psychoactive properties." ### Other authors on the paper include Juan Albarracin-Jordan, research associate, Universidad Mayor de San Andre?s, Bolivia; and Christine Moore, chief toxicologist at Immunalysis Corporation. The National Geographic Society Grant and the Bartolome de Las Casas Foundation supported this research. This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. No More Exams For Year 6 and Year 8 in 2020 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. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Written by: Diana West The answer may be July 24, 2016. That was when Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook, appearing on CNN, publicly debuted the "Russians helping Donald Trump" Big Lie to explain away and neutralize the publication at Wikileaks of thousands of embarassing DNC emails, especially about the party's official diss of Bernie Sanders' primary campaign. (Earlier iterations of "Putin Hates Hillary" welcome at deathofthegrownup@verizon.net.) This Big Lie depended on more mythology -- namely, that the DNC emails came to public attention through a Russian "hack," not an internal "leak" -- the assessment not of the FBI, but rather another Democratic partisan, the DNC contractor, Crowdstrike. This quickly morphed into "Putin hates Hillary." Politico, July 26, 2016 - Julia Ioffe, Michael Crowley NBC, July 27, 2016 Anonymously, NBC drops a load of pure propaganda. Russian president Vladimir Putin's admiration for Donald Trump is rivaled by his passionate hate for Hillary Clinton, adding credence to the accusations that Russia is behind the damaging Democratic Party email leaks, former U.S. officials and experts told NBC News. Putin carries a grudge against Clinton because she has publicly compared him to Hitler and expressed doubts that he has a soul. Michael McFaul, the U.S. ambassador to Russia from early 2012 to 2014 said Putin "sees some of Clinton's remarks as a personal attack against him and the way he governs his country and how he conducts his foreign policy." Like other former Obama administration Russia policy experts, McFaul said Putin-sponsored hackers were the most likely culprit in the hacking of 20,000 DNC emails that were posted last Friday by WikiLeaks. Cybersecurity experts also say mounting evidence all points in one direction.... And it doesn't stop. For example -- Los Angeles Times, August 3, 2016 - Masha Gessen on "why Putin hates Hillary." And on and on. The UK Guardian added a little spice to the Sanders angle on July 24, 2016: A lot of pointing fingers in those headlines, and all the wrong way. With Sanders directing fire at the Wasserman-Schulz and Trump -- not Hillary Clinton! -- it would seem that perhaps he already had House No. 3 picked out. Might the headline writer have sensed the various fixes that were in? It may only be my imagination but "experts telling us" Russia was behind the hack almost conveys a desperate whiff of narrative creation. In any case, the Hillary campaign, its media forces, the DOJ, the FBI, the Obama White House, Fusion GPS, the Ohrs, etc., were all at the ready ... Carine Roitfeld is a dreamer. The former Vogue Paris editor and founder of CR Fashion Book, has scratched every bare surface of fashion and is now on to her latest venture: fragrances. Today, the celebrated fashion icon debuts Carine Roitfeld Parfums, an eponymous and genderless perfume line. The inspiration behind the coveted scents continued to be a hot topic of discussion throughout the event. "Seven lovers across seven cities," announced placards across the party seven because she says it's her "lucky number," and the choice of cities are rooted in a special memory she has associated with each. The scents are called: Aurelien (Paris), George (London), Kar-wai (Hong Kong), Lawrence (Dubai), Orson (New York), Sebastian (Buenos Aires), and Vladimir (St Petesburg). Carine Roitfeld Parfums Campaign Just in February, Roitfeld teased the release of her fragrances by having 400 naked posters of her slapped across Paris. While that may come off as a provocative marketing tactic on surface, Roitfeld says it had a deeper meaning. "All the cities that inspire the scents are very important for me, as are the names of the lovers because they come from someone I respect, or the name of my father, or my first muse," she says. "There's a lot of soul in each perfume. When you create something with so much honesty, it feels almost like being naked because you're baring your soul." But that's Carine Roitfeld as a brand. In person, she maintains a sort of mysterious introversion. With Carine Roitfeld Parfums, she offers a window to her otherwise concealed personality. "Honesty," she insists is at the heart of her new venture. Although inspired by real people, the "seven lovers," Roitfeld assures, are for most part fictional. "When you create something with so much honesty, it feels almost like being naked because you're baring your soul." To translate her figments of imagination into reality, Roitfeld teamed up her son Vladimir, along with famed perfumers Aurelien Guichard, Pascal Gaurin and Yann Vasnier. Now, with Roitfeld's immersive pop-up store open through May 12 in SoHo , she talks to PAPER about each of her seven lovers, her dreams, and, of course, her fragrances. How did this perfume line come to be? Carine Roitfeld: We started about nine years ago. I decided on the idea of a perfume when I left Vogue. Perfume has always been very important for me, and it has always been my dream to have my own line, but I didn't know how to do it. So I met Tom Ford and told him about it, and he introduced me to Frederic [Pignault, VP of prestige fragrance sales at International Flavors & Fragrances], and said he could help me. Frederic had confidence in me and that's the way we started this journey. I decided to launch seven different fragrances because seven has always been my lucky number. They're inspired by lovers because behind anything I am doing there's always a story. The perfumes paint a fantasy about seven lovers from seven different cities. It's a way to remember and reminisce our love. The whole journey started with a question I had for myself a question of process. I'm not going to question why it takes two or three hours, and I try not to lie. Sometimes you're inclined to be more interesting, you don't tell the truth, but this time I was very honest. So we started off tough. Each scent has a bit of me. I know it definitely wasn't easy to work with me, as someone who knows nothing about perfume. All I had was an idea of a person, and I wanted to translate it to a smell. I didn't know what I was going to do, and I learned a lot with all of them. Yeah, you were telling me about how it's been years in the making. CR: Yes, because first of all, it's not my only job. So it takes time. "Vladimir" was finished one year ago. It took me very long to be sure. I wanted to be happy with it, and my nose is not easy to please [Laughs]. I had to learn. I tried a number of different scents to understand what I wanted and what smelled best on my skin. It was a long process. Then we had to design the bottle, find a name, do the calligraphy for the name, create the packaging. It was taking so much time. I had no idea it would end up being so big. "Classic French perfumes are not just perfumes, they're a way of thinking." Was that the toughest part of making the perfumes? Pascal: The good part, if I can just say so, is starting on the creative side of the perfume and having no idea of what actually goes behind making this creative project come about. I think if we all knew what it was... Carine: ...we wouldn't do it. Pascal: Yeah, if we knew what it took, we probably would have done it differently. I think we're very happy and that's what makes this project special. For example, we only discovered how expensive each one of those perfumes were because of the quality of the raw material used in creating each one of them. This is something we've only learned after seven years in the process. We didn't start working with a specific dollar amount because we had no idea what it was, or that we should even have one. Carine: Perfume is a strong addiction. It's how you memorize them, it's how you remember them, it's how you see them. You can remember someone for 50 years because of perfume, you know? You hate someone because you hate his or her perfume. It's why my own perfumes are very strong. It's not a cologne, it's perfume, and I want people to remember it and remember you when you wear it. It is a French tradition, too. I was raised in a country where perfume is very important. Classic French perfumes are not just perfumes, they're a way of thinking. It's part of the look. Let's talk more specifically about the perfumes you created. Carine: So let me start with "Aurelien," from Paris. It was the first one we did. Along with it, the first challenge for me was to stop wearing my own perfume the one I created, the one I was wearing for 20 years. It's a mix of YSL Opium Opens a New Window and Serge Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger. I had to stop wearing it to start wearing my own perfume. That was the first big challenge. It was the first one I decided to wear, and it was the one that would look a bit like what I was wearing, in a way. It's very personal, I don't go after commercial appeal. I hate so many scents that are very commercial. Then there's "George," my London lover. It's a combination between the Sex Pistols and The Royal Family. It's a tryst between French and English, which has always been very difficult. So let's just say, it's a difficult lover. I knew a George in Paris, it's a very popular name. It's the name of a king. It's very special. Then there's "Lawrence," from Dubai. We used oud to create this one. It is something that the country really likes. It's very, very strong. I think it's a sexual perfume. Why "Lawrence"? I think because I loved Lawrence of Arabia, Peter O'Toole with the blue eyes and the white scarf. When I first watched it, all these people, woman or man, were wearing a scarf around their face. It was my first memory, so I decided to call it "Lawrence." Carine Roitfeld Parfums Pop-Up Was there a real person behind it? Carine: There was always someone behind the perfume. "Aurelien" is the name of my muse. And when I think about UAE, I think about "Lawrence." It's like an homage to this film. King George of course was the inspiration behind "George," but it was also my uncle's name. I love this name. If I could have another son, I think maybe I would call him George. It's very beautiful in all languages. Do you have a favorite lover? Carine: I'll tell you at the end! [Laughs] Moving on to "Orson," from New York. This is dedicated to Orson Welles, who unfortunately I never met, but I loved him as an actor, director, and storyteller. The name Orson isn't very popular either, I think. You don't see a lot of Orsons today. In New York, there's Uptown and places like The Carlyle Hotel with these beautiful flowers when you come in kind of like in his films. But my lover is an artist living downtown, which is a city of its own. So, it's a complex mix of two cities. Do you have a favorite Orson Welles film? Carine: Citizen Kane. When I was young, at dinner we were not watching TV like all of you did because I'm a bit older. We were listening to radio. There was a famous radio broadcasting each night about the end of the world called War of the Worlds, and it was created by Orson Welles. People actually thought the next day would be the end of the world. There were a lot of phone calls to the radio, "We have to leave!" people would say. It was crazy. So yeah, I knew of him before I even went to movies, because of his radio program. I remember it created a big panic actually. We all trusted him. I was maybe eight years old when I listened to that with my mom and brother. I'll never forget. His voice was phenomenal. Tell me about "Kar-wai," from Hong Kong. Carine: Oh, yes! I love In the Mood for Love, like everyone, no? I was lucky to have met director [Wong] Kar-wai. So this perfume signifies my Chinese lover. This is the creation of Pascal, and I didn't know at the time, but he spent a lot of time in Hong Kong. He was working there, so he totally understands the combination between the little streets of Hong Kong and this bit of chic, that comes from the family of Kar-wai, too. It's two different worlds together. For this scent, I went for something light that is still strong, so it was another problem to solve. We needed the transparency without having something that is light and pretty. "It's very personal, I don't go after commercial appeal. I hate so many scents that are very commercial." What about "Sebastian," from Buenos Aires? Carine: I love Buenos Aires, it's a very European city. It's beautiful. This is the sweetest one, I think. We wanted a classic perfume because it holds a bit of nostalgia for me. It's very Carlos Gardel, a very strong scent. "Sebastian" I know is very this way too, it's more of the selfish lover. Pascal: It's the idea of the dance, the tango which is dear to Carine and the passion of the lover. This contrast between life and death and love and hate. The red of your lipstick, and the black. It's the tango. So it's really about the rigor of the dance and how disciplined you need to be, but at the same time you're a little bit crazy about it. Carine: So essentially, Sebastian is one of my best friends. He is not a lover, I just love his name, and him as a person. I feel like that's probably your favorite one or your least favorite one. Carine: Ah, look at you! Depending on the day, and what he did to me. [Laughs] But you're right, maybe this is my favorite one. "Vladimir," from St Petersburg takes me back to memories my father and me. This was very difficult, but it's my version. It's more difficult to bring to life, as a perfume, because it really was important in terms of the name. This perfume reminds me of a lot of things: my Russian grandma, my passion for dance, everything speaks to me. I remember visiting St Petersburg as a child and there are so many little things that stayed with me from the incense of the church to the man walking bare feet in the snow, the ballet, and all the exuberance. Even the cold. So all of that comes together to form "Vladimir." It was very difficult to find it because I really wanted my son, Vladimir, to want to wear it. That was another challenge for me, so I finally I said to him, "OK, Valdimir. I give you the baby. you have to wear it and you have to like it. You're going to work with Pascal and you're going to decide, both of you, what will be the perfect 'Vladimir.'" Carine Roitfeld Parfums Launch So are you pleased with the result, Vladimir? Vladimir: Absolutely. I'm very happy that we took our time. I was actually happy from the very beginning, Three years ago, I started working with Pascal on the creative side of perfumes, which was different for me. I was brought on to manage the business side and not the perfume side. But because this one had my name, it was such a personal blink of an eye from my mom to me that we decided for me to spend a little bit more time on it. I worked on the process with Pascal for almost three years. Is this your favorite scent? Vladimir: It's the one I wear every day. Carine: [Vladimir] can be a great business partner and have a good sense of everything, which is what's great about him. He can choose a good picture, and he can finalize a perfume. He's more than a business partner, it's a really good partnership that we have. He made my dream happen when he joined me as a companion on this journey. I'm the dreamer and he's the one behind the scenes that makes it happen, and it's a lot a lot of work to find a way to sell it, to find a distribution, to pay everyone, to find the people and the factory for the bottle. The packaging of the bottle is special too because each name is a handwritten like you would see in a letter. The perfumes come with the story behind each lover in French of course. And in English, so you know... For Americans? Carine: Yes, of course. "For me, perfume is something you have to keep a long time. It's your soul, it's your personality and you have to find the right one." I also wanted to ask if you had any favorite scent-related memories? Carine: I'm thinking about my mother wearing perfume. She died 50 years ago and I still remember it, it's a very strong smell. When I see someone wearing it, I see my Babushka immediately. It's the kind of feeling I get when I arrive at Toulon, the airport by Cannes. You can immediately smell the pine trees, even inside the airport and on the tarmac and you say, "I'm in the South of France." Smell is very important. It could be a place, it could be a person. It's very dangerous, too. You could not like someone because of the smell of the person. I don't think it's something, personally, that you can change each day. For me, perfume is something you have to keep a long time. It's your soul, it's your personality and you have to find the right one. It also doesn't have a gender, it could be for a man or a woman. My stories are about men because my fantasy is about men, but I think everyone can wear this perfume. That's it, that's my story. It's was very honest, not the kind bigger commercial brands would want. We have had to take some risks, and spend a lot of money to make it but it's a special and personal venture. I didn't change a color, a name, a scent, everything is the way I bring it. I'm a dreamer. I don't want people to think it's a joke, it's a really great perfume. Maybe I have to make another perfume for mass audience because I love to sell too, this is my dream. My big dream is to be at Walmart, you see? Vladimir: We had opportunities with big brands and licenses like Estee Lauder, but this was very personal. Carine: They wanted to change us. Vladimir: They'd say, "All the bottles shouldn't be the same," or they would want a different name, or say, "This one's too hard to pronounce." It was very important to her to have something so personal that was completely her own because this was her first solo brand. I mean, It would've been the easy way out, it would've been done... probably quicker, but you know. Aurelien The "7 Lovers" collection is priced at $285 for each 90 ML bottle, and is available to purchase exclusively through Net-a-Porter and www.carineroitfeld.com Photos courtesy of Carine Roitfeld Parfums / Launch party photos courtesy of Matteo Prandoni/BFA Their Royal Highnesses Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have officially welcomed their first royal human into the world: a healthy 7lb, 3oz boy. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they were "OVERJOYED to announce the "BIRTH of their child" via the royal Instagram this morning, and shared that Meghan and the baby are "healthy and well." Buckingham Palace later confirmed that the little guy was born at 5:26 in the morning GMT and Meghan's mom was present for the birth. Harry, who helped make the baby, gave a glowing review of the whole ordeal. He told TODAY that he is "so proud" of Meghan and that his new son "is absolutely to die for." Meghan and Harry are "still thinking about names" via TODAY. They have plenty to choose from, given all the diseased royal men in their family who need to be honored. There's rumors they'll go for a traditional Anglo dude name like James, Edward or Arthur (Telegraph has put together a roster of tall the possibilities and their odds), but Meghan and Harry are shaking up Sussex in all kinds of ways, so who knows! Maybe we'll soon be introduced to Mason or Dylan or Noah or something crazy like that. The forward-thinking royals announced in April that they'd forgo the traditional post-birth photo opp at St. Mary's Hospital in the heart of London. The decision sent the British tabloids into a hissy fit, and provides a break from (or possibly even the end of) the tradition in which the royal woman is sent immediately into hair and make-up after giving birth for a cute shot in a floral shift dress holding the royal bundle. Keira Knightly recently criticized the tradition of the royal post-birth photo opp for sanitizing and presenting childbirth for the male gaze. Instead, the first baby pics are set to arrive Wednesday. Megan and Harry's son is also the first ever British-American baby (he'll have dual citizenship once his parents register him with the American consulate) and the first biracial baby ever born into the British monarchy (CNN) just another way that Meghan Markle is dragging the crown into the 21st century. Royal babies are by definition a spectacle, but the first Black, American little royal will almost definitely attract a bigger frenzy than normal. In any case, congrats to Meghan and Harry on their first child, and on being the Beyonce of royal baby roll-outs! Good luck parenting I've heard it's pretty hard, even when not performed under the surveillance of the tabloids and the entire world. New York City just immortalized one of their greatest musical treasures with an official street sign. The legendary crew of hip-hop artists, the Wu-Tang Clan, whose members all hail from NYC now have a district named after them. On Saturday, the city designated a section of Staten Island also known to Wu- Tang fans as Shaolin in honor of their influence and contributions to music, culture, and the world. Local officials, community members, and fans gathered at Park Hill to witness the signs unveiling on the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and Targee Street. Council member Debi Rose tweeted, The Wu-Tand 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 who face economic and social challenges. She continued, Wu-Tangs story is one of inspiration, and I was proud to commemorate their story and their contributions with the highest honor the City Council can give. "I never saw this day coming," Ghostface Killah said at the event. "I knew we were some ill MCs, but I didn't know that it'd take it this far." Inspectah Deck also wrote on Instagram, "Wish momma love could see this day. Proud, humbled and amazed. Love my @wutangclan brothers. And Raekwon Da Chef also posted a video, thanking Staten Island for this great honor. The Wu-Tang legacy will now live on in New Yorks history forever. Image via Getty Three Writers Tried in Iran on "National Security" Charges 05/06/19 Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran The trial of three board members of the Iranian Writers Association (IWA) was held at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on April 27 and 28, 2019. Baktash Abtin, Reza Khandan Mahabadi, and Keyvan Bajan were charged with "propaganda against the state" and "assembly and collusion against national security" for peacefully opposing state censorship policies. A group of IWA members stood outside the courthouse in a peaceful show of solidarity, Abtin told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) on April 29. "I was sentenced to a year in prison for these charges but they were reduced to a fine on appeal," he said. "Now they have charged me with the same things for the same reasons and put me on trial again. Abtin, a poet and filmmaker, said he was charged for authoring a book he didn't write. He continued: "One of the charges is for writing a book on the IWA's 50th anniversary. It would have been an honor but unfortunately everybody knows that I had no part in writing it. At the time, I lived on Kish Island and I still live there and I wasn't around to help with the book. Attributing the book to me is an absolute lie." Limited editions of the four-volume history of the IWA never became public because they were stolen from the print shop before distribution, according to Abtin. Abtin, Mahabadi and Bajan were arrested in late January 2019 for allegedly printing declarations and internal publications opposing the censorship of art and literature in Iran. They were released on bail a few days later. Abtin told CHRI that the charge of "assembly and collusion against national security" was for statements published by the IWA, articles in the organization's internal newsletter, and holding memorial ceremonies for murdered IWA members Mohammad Mokhtari and Mohammad Jafar Pouyandeh. "Nowhere in the world is it necessary to get a permit to gather around someone's grave," he said. "But that's what we've been charged with." On April 28, Abtin posted a video on Instagram vowing not to surrender to injustice. "The security forces are putting pressure on me and my IWA friends but I want to assure you that they will never weaken our firm determination... to defend freedom of speech and thought," he said. In June 2018, Abtin was sentenced to three months of community service to be performed for the State Welfare Organization of Iran and five million tomans ($1,182 USD) for posting a photo of a man injured by police on his Instagram account. The IWA, an independent group of authors, poets, editors and translators based in Iran was formed in May 1968 to fight against state censorship. Governments before and after Iran's 1979 revolution have persecuted its members. In 1998, writer Majid Sharif, opposition politician Dariush Forouhar, his wife Parvaneh Eskandari and writers Mohammad Mokhtari and Mohammad Jafar Pouyandeh-all IWA members-were murdered in cold blood. An investigation by President Mohammad Khatami's reformist government concluded that the murders had been carried out by "rogue elements in the Intelligence Ministry," forcing the minister in charge, Ghorbanali Dorri Najafabadi, to resign. Top ministry officials Saeed Eslami (Emami), Mostafa Kazemi and Mehrdad Alikhani were also arrested, and information about the murders was leaked to the media. During a judicial inquiry, the prosecution revealed that the chain murders were part of a systematic policy to physically eliminate political and cultural dissidents inside and outside of Iran-a policy that had begun a decade earlier with the assassination of moderate opposition politician Kazemi Sami on November 23, 1988. Charity Worker Who Assisted Iran's Flood Victims Arrested in Tehran 05/06/19 Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran Charity worker Akram Nasirian was arrested by unidentified security agents in Tehran for unknown reasons, according to the Telegram channel of the Voice of Iranian Women charity organization. Nasirian, who prior to her arrest had worked in flood-impacted areas of the country, made a phone call to her family the following day and said she was being held for interrogations. "My mother Akram Nasirian was arrested on the street on Monday, April 29 [2019] and taken to Evin Prison without anyone informing us," her son Nima Mehdipour said in a video message on Instagram. He added: "For what crime have you arrested my mother? For teaching Afghan refugees to read and write and helping flood victims in the south of the country? I call on all social activists and human rights groups to work for her immediate and unconditional release. Free Akram Nasirian." The Voice of Iranian Women charity, where Nasirian is a "leading member," describes its mission as working to "reflect the struggles, defeats and achievements of women in Iranian society and strives to empower women in their quest for a better life in spite of hardships and discrimination." Nasirian volunteered as a literacy instructor with the Voice of Iranian Women, which especially focuses on educating women, child laborers and the children of Afghan refugees in Iran. The organization also financially supports Afghan refugees in obtaining state identification documents and has issued statements on social issues, including acid attacks on women accused of wearing an "improper" hijab. Nasirian is not the first person to be arrested after working in flood-impacted areas in Iran. After the country was hit by rounds of flooding in several provinces beginning in March 2019, the authorities warned citizens that they could be prosecuted for their online postings about the devastation. In April, agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) intelligence organization arrested at least 11 Arab-Iranian volunteers as they were trying to help people in the flood-stricken village of Gurieh, Khuzestan Province, Karim Dahimi, a London-based minority rights activist, told CHRI. European Deal Signatories Criticize U.S. Move On Iran Nuclear, Oil Sanctions 05/06/19 Source: RFE/RL The European Union and the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany expressed concern about the U.S. decision not to extend two waivers related to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and others regarding Tehran's oil industry. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Known commonly as the Iran Nuclear Deal or Iran Deal The EU and the three European signatories of the accord said in a joint statement on May 4 that they were troubled by the U.S. decision "not to fully renew waivers for nuclear nonproliferation projects in the framework" of the accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "The lifting of nuclear-related sanctions is an essential part of the [JCPOA]," they wrote. "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," the statement added. Statement by @HeikoMaas, @JY_LeDrian, @Jeremy_Hunt & @FedericaMog: We take note with regret and concern of the US-decision not to extend waivers with regard to trade in oil with Iran. We note with concern the more restrictive policy on nuclear non-proliferation waivers. pic.twitter.com/bVlIDzLNTu GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) May 4, 2019 The United States under then-President Barack Obama, along with Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China, signed the landmark accord with Iran in 2015 that provided Tehran with relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program. But U.S. President Donald Trump last year pulled out of the deal and began reimposing sanctions, although he granted some waivers. In withdrawing, Trump said Tehran was not living up to the "spirit" of the accord because of its support for militants in the region and for continuing to test nuclear weapons. Tehran denied the charges. Tehran and the other signatories opposed the U.S. move and said they would remain part of the deal. According to nuclear inspectors, Tehran has kept its nuclear program within the main limits imposed by the accord. Under the terms, Iran is allowed to keep 300 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 3.67 percent -- far below the level needed to build nuclear weapons. Iran was to sell off any enriched uranium above the limit on international markets in return for natural uranium. It was also allowed to store excess heavy water produced in the uranium-enrichment process in Oman. The United States on May 3 announced it would not extend two sanctions waivers regarding Iran's nuclear activities as part of efforts to force Tehran to stop producing low-enriched uranium. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would impose sanctions on anyone involved in the trade of natural for enriched uranium -- as well as in the storage of Iranian heavy water that was in excess of limits. Washington did extend five other waivers for up to 90 days related to elements of Tehran's civilian nuclear program. They allow for work to continue at the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the Fordow enrichment facility, the Arak nuclear complex, and the Tehran Research Reactor. However, it warned that sanctions could be imposed on countries if they provide assistance to expand the Bushehr facility beyond the one existing reactor. Iranian parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani on May 4 said Iran will continue to enrich uranium in accordance with the accord regardless of U.S. moves to put a stop to it. "Under the [accord], Iran can produce heavy water and this is not in violation of the agreement. Therefore, we will carry on with enrichment activity," the semiofficial news agency ISNA quoted Larijani as saying. The EU and the European powers also on May 4 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." The United States earlier in the week decided not to extend waivers granted to eight countries that allowed them to continue to do business with Iran's crucial oil-export industry. Washington is attempting to bring the country's oil exports down to zero by pressuring buyers. With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, AFP, and dpa 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. Ghana's economic future looks positive as 31 envoys have assured of their preparedness to woo top businessmen from their respective countries to invest in the country in order to expand the economy and create wealth for the people. Virtually all the ambassadors, who attended the World Meets Ghana Investors Forum and Executive Dinner Ball at the Golden Tulip Kumasi City and the Manhyia Palace, respectively, promised to use their revered positions to help boost Ghanas economy. The historic programme, which had international touch, was organized to honour the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as part of activities marking his (Otumfuos) 20 years of excellent leadership upon his ascension on the Golden Stool of Asanteman. Envoys from the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, India, Netherlands, France, Turkey, Japan, Zambia, Nigeria, Cote DIvoire and Niger, just to mention a few, were there to make the two-day, forum memorable. The programme was organized by the E ON 3 Group, headed by young Ghanaian entrepreneur, Mr. Richard Ofori Atta, affectionately known in business circles as Tom, Tom and the Manhyia Palace, the official seat of the Asante King. During the two days, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta and top businessmen from Ghana and abroad, sat under one roof as they brainstormed about what is needed to be done to help accelerate national growth, especially the business sector. Ghana Need Bridges His Excellency, Prof. Dr. Ambassador, Tal Edgars, Group Executive Chairman GBSH Consult Group Worldwide, who was the key note speaker, said Ghana is currently well positioned to develop at a lightning speed, stressing the need for the state to work to attract more investors. He also tasked leaders of the country to put more energy into marketing the business opportunities that abounds in the country to the world so that businessmen from all over the globe would travel to Ghana and invest in shovel ready opportunities that drive into the Ghanaian economy to create wealth. So far, from geographical wealth, Ghana needs to give a compelling narrative to the world, the famous public speaker, who is respected all over the world, remarked, asking Is it Ghanas time? and Are we building more walls instead of bridges. Calls for Quality FDI According to him, Progress in developing countries can be achieved without either substantial levels of protection and large amounts of direct support, but through focusing on quality Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) sand non-resident Ghanaian investment, adding, there is hope for Ghana. In this regard, the international speaker, implored countries like Ghana to focus on proper strategies that would enable to them attract FDIs so that their countries would become strong economically in order to rub shoulders equally with developed countries. Again, he also recommended for the immediate setting up of an Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) to target foreign investors and serve as a link between them and domestic economy, adding provide access to credit by reforming domestic financial markets. Prof. Dr. Ambassador Tal Edgars also suggested to Ghana to implement policies such as open markets to allow FDI inflows; reduce restrictions on FDIs and provide open, transparent and dependable conditions for all kinds of firms, whether foreign or domestic to attract FDI. Bright Future for Ghana He predicted that Ghana would soon emerge as a mighty economic force in the world in the next ten to 20 years time, saying Ghanas tax code is replete with tax concessions that considerably reduce the effective tax rate for both foreign and local firms. Just purely looking at the demographic trends and the recent policies would merit a certain allowance of belief that for the next 10-20 years, Ghana could be, and one could argue, should be, a productive, sustainable investment return economy, at a time when the rest of the world is regressing. Slams Corruption Prof. Dr. Ambassador Tal Edgars admonished Ghanaians to be patriotic by sacrificing for the state by doing away with all forms of illegal practices, notably corruption, which has the potential of drawing the country backwards from the path of growth and prosperity. Quoting from a famous Ghanaian patriotic song Yen Ara Asaase Ni, he said Whether or not this nation prospers clearly depends on the character of the citizens of the nation, warning This idea of theft and corruption in accordance with the law is what we must deal against. Prof. Dr. Ambassador Tal Edgars entreated the citizenry to love, cherish and work tirelessly to transform the country at all times, stating categorically that We must attend to Ghana in earnest, attracting applause from the crowd, which included top dignitaries. Asantehene The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, described the governments Ghana Beyond Aid policy as one of the ambitious policies that the country has adopted in recent times, calling for active support from Ghanaians and the international community for the positive programme to succeed. It is in this vein that we have welcomed the vision of the president for Ghana Beyond Aid. It is not a vision for the faint-hearted. It is bold. It is brave. But it is a vision that deserves support, not only from Ghanaians but from all her friends across the globe, the Asante King said. He noted the economy may not have performed to the optimum of expectations but even with all the shifts and turns on the political landscape, it has remained relatively resilient. It tells you that we have what it takes to break the mould of dependency and achieve the goal our leaders have set for us. Otumfuo appealed to foreign investors to do business in the manufacturing sector of the state so as to help provide jobs for the unemployed and also expand Ghanas economy, adding that the mass importation of food into the shops and shopping malls is not helping the Ghana currency so it must be checked. According to him, Ghana boasts of vast fertile lands, especially in the Sekyere Afram Plains, that can be used for farming to help the country to become the main supplier of food in the West African sub-region, assuring of his support for any genuine potential investor. Finance Minister The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, speaking during the Investors Forum, enumerated the numerous positive policies that government had implemented within its short stay in political office to improve the economy and also attract investors to do business in the country. On his part, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, highlighted the key areas that businessmen can invest in the Ashanti region and make profit in return. He said the region is fertile for all forms of businesses, especially the agricultural sector. 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 In its quest to fight against the deadly Malaria disease, Total Petroleum Ghana Limited (Total Ghana) as part of activities to commemorate this years World Malaria Day organized a series of activities for residents of Kasoa Ofaakor in the Awutu Senya East Area of the Central Region. Riding on the heels of the worldwide theme Roll back Malaria for Good, Total Ghana under the auspices of the Ghana Health Service on Tuesday 23rd April 2019 visited the Ofaakor New Market Health Centre where they distributed treated mosquito bed nets and insecticide sprays to scores of pregnant and lactating mothers at the maternity section of the center. Similarly on Thursday 25th April 2019, Total Ghana upon joining forces with the Ghana Education Service staged an edutainment program interspersed with plays, cultural displays and a quiz competition for school children from the Ofaakor cluster and Nahadatu Islamic basic schools. Speaking to Peacefmonline.com, The Corporate Social Responsibility Officer of Total Ghana, Charlotte Someah-Kwaw hinted that the Total World Malaria programs held over the past 10 years has impacted thousands of children in schools as well as pregnant and lactating mothers at several health posts and communities spanning the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern and Western Regions of the country. The companys network of service stations has also become an effective platform to expand its reach to the motoring public by distributing treated mosquito bed nets to commercial drivers and other customers. These initiatives represent Total Ghanas commitment towards social interventions in communities and to foster sustainable development. It also illustrates the companys dedication towards ensuring environmental sustainability, Charlotte Someah-Kwaw added. The program demonstrated Total Ghanas commitment towards achieving Roll Back Malaria goals in the fight against malaria. Not only can Total Ghana boast of an ISO 9001:2015 certification coupled with a retail network of more than 250 service stations across the ten regions of the country with activities spanning the Aviation, Bitumen and commercial businesses but the company has been a recognized ambassador in the fight against malaria, deploying anti-malaria programs every year in vulnerable and deprived communities to contribute to the mitigation efforts of global entities worldwide. In order to further the cause, Total Ghana intensified the awareness about malaria, its effects, and how it can be prevented by organizing a forum for its staff across the country. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The only thing which can threaten our hard-worn democracy is a deliberate and concerted political party project to consistently prosecute a war of attrition against managers of the electoral process. The so-called media silence about the Electoral Commission (EC) as alleged by the garrulous National Democratic Congress (NDC) when really there is nothing to raise red flag over only seeks to incite journalists against the election management body. Fortunately, however news judgment lies only on the bosom of journalists far away from the NDC headquarters or even the Ofosu Ampofo-run conference room where decisions are taken as to how to make Jean Mensa EC Chairperson unpopular. Doubtlessly, Ghana has come far in its democratic journey. NDC is sulking because its darling lady, Charlotte Osei, was removed from office. Indeed, the processes which went into the ouster of Charlotte Osei and her replacement were in consonance with the tenets of the Constitution. Anything outside this could have, of course, been challenged in a court of competent jurisdiction in a country where there is no dearth of persons ready to test the law it would have been foolhardy to remove the Chairperson of an entity such as EC whimsically. Perhaps being a John Mahama appointed lady so many things were expected of her in her first and last elections and subsequent ones which never came to pass anyway. In this day and age, an EC chairperson is restricted in what they can do to advance the cause of a particular party. Charlotte Osei was arrogantly ready to do the bidding of a group but under the circumstances she could not meet the expectations of her pals. It was just impossible. We saw it, we love it, we like it that infamous hubris-steeped remark said it all about a woman whose dislike for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was palpable. We are not spokespersons for the EC but the double-standards being showcased by the NDC as in criticise the EC or die in war rhetoric is irritating and should be ignored with contempt. Thankfully, Ghanaians are reading between the lines; they are no longer Ghanaians of the opaque ballot box days in local elections. We have not forgotten about the special workshop organized by the EC for the NDC only in some distant forest outside Accra when Amadu Sulley held a critical position. We also have not forgotten how the NPP suffered consistent snubs at the hands of a Charlotte Osei-headed EC. At IPAC meetings they were treated like kids by the woman who had to be obeyed. We recall how Charlotte taunted the NPP and others who favoured the replacement of the voters register. Even Akua Donkor was treated as a leader of a political party and guided to say no to a new register. NDC wanted it so and so was it. Let the NDC give a breather from their persistent haranguing. Ghanaians love their country and would not go to war because Jean Mensa has reverted to the old Coat of Arms embossed on EC logo. Ghana would not go to war because Jean Mensa is working to ensure that the IT department is resourced to deliver state-of-the-art services and not subservient to any office outside the EC headquarters. Ghana would not go to war because Jean Mensa is not abusing the independence of the EC. Ghana would not go to war because Jean Mensa is not taking orders from any political party. The NDC is only furthering a cause which is already known to Ghanaians. The leaked tape said it all. They should have tarried a while before commencing the project. It is too clear what it wants from the unproductive war of attrition against the EC. A strong EC births a virile democracy and so Ghanaians who so much love their country would not sit down for this crucial department to be the target of disgruntled politicians on the other side of the aisle. Democracy would triumph; devilish NDC would fail! Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Power Distribution Services Ghana Limited (PDS) is investing over US$580 million in Ghanas power sector within the next five years after receiving the Assets and Operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). For the next 20 years, beginning March 1, 2019, PDS Ghana Limited would be the electricity service provider in all of ECGs operational areas in the Southern Distribution Zone of Ghana the Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta, Central and the Western regions. ECGs assets would be leased to the PDS Ghana Limited, the Concessionaire, while the ECG would become an Asset Holding Company, and after the end of the Concession, all assets would be transferred back to it. The ECG Private Sector Participation (PSP) Activity is one of the key project activities that constitute the ECG Financial and Operational Turnaround (EFOT) Project, under the 498.2 million-dollar Ghana Power Compact programme. Emmanuel Wilson Jnr., Director of Communications-PNC Convenor-COYEES is asking Ghanaians to join him expose and fight against conflict of interest and the governments deliberate failure to respect the agreement terms which may lead to Ghana incurring judgement debt. In a series of revelations he intends disclosing, he had followed the ECG-PSP Transaction for the last 3 years and is so worried that some of the parties involved are threatening to quit participation in the ECG Concession and return to their country. This is because they feel tricked and betrayed. Below are questions he is asking to expose how government is doing everything to control PDS through the backdoor, and how investors are beginning to feel threatened. Document of the full 10 questions as I begin to expose how the GOVERNMENT is doing everything to CONTROL PDS THROUGH THE BACKDOOR, and how INVESTORS are beginning to FEEL THREATENED. I must state that after the publication of these 10 questions, I AM, as a Citizen of Ghana who believes in the Ghana first Agenda, going to start a series of articles which shall answer each and every one of these questions. I must state that I have keenly and quietly followed the ECG-PSP Transaction for the last 3 years and that is why I am passionately concerned and obliged to ensure that the nation Ghana and its citizens, but not a few selfish individuals, benefits. I hope that by telling my countrymen and women the answers to these questions in my subsequent articles, every reader will understand why I am enraged with happenings, and will have adequate information so to encourage you to join me in exposing those who seek to hurt all of us, by their greed. I expect also the local partners within the PDS Consortium, Santa Power, TG Energy Solutions and GTS Power to speak out. Let us do this for and in the interest of Ghana. Now here are the full questions: 1. Why was there no tariff issued by the PURC before the transfer of the operations of ECG to PDS (failure of PURC)? In answering this question, the first article will come to being and its focus will be the CP4 Letter Agreement and the Rate Setting Guidelines of the PURC; 2. To forestall the consequences of the failure of the PURC as indicated in question 1, Ghana and PDS entered into an agreement, and this should have been fulfilled by the close of March this year. The question here is why has that not happened? This shall be one of the articles and the focus will be on the harassment of bankers, harassment of Ghanaian investors, roles played by state institutions, threats of death, etc. to fellow Ghanaians, schemes to force certain financial institutions on the Consortium, etc.; 3. When the agreement which should have been fulfilled by the close of March was not fulfilled, Ghana made a new interim arrangement with PDS (level three agreement). Why has that also not been carried out within the agreed time? The answer to this question shall be another article which shall be developed making reference to the agreement document; 4. Why is it that though the agreement between Ghana and PDS guarantees the ownership arrangements, some people think that without forming a consortium out of the Ghanaian equity participating entities, there will be no safeguarding of Ghanaian ownership of PDS in a unified manner. Is this a genuine motive? What is the real motive of the many SPVs springing up Nicodemously all over the place? This will be the an Article and shall focus on answering these questions by considering the Government Support Agreement (GSA) of the concession arrangement, and a letter that the Minister for Finance wrote (27th March, 2019) to a Ghanaian lawyer, to superintend over the arm-twisting work; 5. Why are there so many conflicts of interest surrounding the ECG concession board memberships, investment drives, financing arrangements, etc? The answer to this question will review the concession project from the departures of Sefa Dede and Kwaku Sarfo till date, the bad mouthing of PDS by some of these conflicted board members, the last minute attempts to postpone transfer by 5 days, etc.; 6. The Government insisted that 51% of the shares should at all times belong to Ghanaians; though that has happened, some individuals who have not sown anything, anywhere, at any time, want to reap a harvest. Who are those individuals? Is Solomon Asamoah of GIIF willing to participate in the scheme, and what is his professional judgement about it? The focus of this article when answering this question will be the 40-page Shareholders Agreement, drafted by the Ghanaian SPV brokers and presented to the Ghanaian local investor component of PDS dated April 2019; Cabinet approval of the concession structure of 2016 and its affirmation in 2017 by the NPP administration; 7. Who are the individuals who want to, by these schemes, force themselves into the business of PDS? How are they related to this South African rich man who expects serious deals in the electricity sector of Ghana, but some people are proving to be stumbling blocks? The focus of this article will be the letter written by the SPV brokers for the signatures of the Ghanaians in the PDS consortium dated 7th February 2019, the role of Richard Came, and others; 8. Why is there a proliferation of SPVs supposed to be in the interest of Ghana but all contracted through the back door? The answer, coming as a new article will be three of the SPVs (reminding me of the Beyeeman style of history) which have either been formed or are forming, the roles of the Indian expatriate lawyer and others, etc.; 9. Why does the Ministry of Finance take forever to respond to letters from PDS on Governments stalling? Is the Government deliberately stalling, and if so, why is it happening? The answer to this question will be PDSs Material Adverse Company Effect (MACE) letter ( a requirement insisted on by the Ministry of Finance, which has been met by PDS) and the Ministry of Finances response which took forever to arrive; 10. At this stage, a final article to climax this journey shall take a peek into the greed of three individual Ghanaians, and others, at the center of most of these happenings! It must be made clear that there is not a single document, conversation, letter, etc. concerning these matters that I have not intercepted. Source: Emmanuel Wilson Jnr 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 Dr. Yaw Baah, the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has recognised the cooperation of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor, towards addressing pension-related disputes. Joined in the recognition are the Director-General of SSNIT, Dr. Ofori Tenkorang, the Chairman of the Governing Board of National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), Paul Simon Koranteng and the CEO of National Pension Regulatory Authority (NPRA), Hayford Attah Krufi. He said, They have demonstrated commitment to dialogue as a means of resolving all pension-related disputes. Organised labour, he said, has continuously engaged SSNIT on the issue of inadequate pensions for pensioners, something analysts and actuaries attribute to low salaries. These were contained in his May Day speech at the Independence Square last Wednesday in Accra. The computation of benefits, he disclosed, is fraught with challenges. This notwithstanding, he said organised labour is currently enjoying the cooperation of SSNIT to resolve them. He said, In 2017, organised labour constituted a technical committee to investigate the computation of pension benefits. The committee found that low level of pay is an important factor but another important factor, which is contributing significantly to low pensions and consequently to the high incidence of poverty and destitution among pensioners, has to do with the computation of pension benefits. However, good progress is being made in the past two years to reverse this feat, which is attributable to the cooperation from the SSNIT Board and NPRA. In the last two years, organised labour has been engaging the board and management of SSNIT and NPRA on the computation of social security benefits. Mr. President, I am very pleased to inform you that we are making good progress. The TUC boss gave the assurance that organised labour would continue to engage SSNIT and NPRA, saying, We are confident that we can resolve all disputes in the spirit of cooperation, mutual respect and social partnership. Dr. Baah asked President Akufo-Addo to correct a flawed social policy and unfold concrete plans and a roadmap for Universal Pension Coverage in Ghana in the 2020 Budget and Economic Policy Statement. He also pleaded with the president to address the payment of inadequate pension benefits, especially for pensioners on the SSNIT scheme. Currently, there are about 200,000 pensioners on the SSNIT scheme. It may surprise you to know that about a quarter of these pensioners (i.e., 50,000 pensioners) are receiving just about GH300 per month or GH10 per day. This is woefully inadequate, given the health challenges old people have to contend with on daily basis. This explains the high incidence of poverty and destitution among pensioners in Ghana, he said. SSNIT, under the chairmanship of Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor, has made strides, especially in reversing factors, which under the previous NDC administration facilitated the financial haemorrhaging of the Trusts coffers to benefit a few individuals for partisan interests. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Following Sundays fire incident at the Sekondi Office of the Stool Lands Administration and Land Valuation, NPP MP for Esikado Ketan and Minister for Railways Development, Hon Joe Ghartey has visited the scene. Accompanied by the presiding Bishop of Methodist Church - Sekondi Diocese, Right Rev. Daniel Degraft Brace the two were briefed on the situation. The Western Regional Lands Officer, Seth Owusu, noted that some of the land documents are likely to be secured by their automatic backup system. The over-100-year-old office of the Stool Lands Administration and Land Valuation caught fire around 7 am on Sunday. It took about four hours to bring the fire under control. The cause of the fire on the over 100-year-old office complex is yet to be ascertained. Mr Ghartey has however commended officers of the Ghana National Fire Service, the Navy and Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority who all assisted in putting out the fire. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghanas High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland Papa Owusu-Ankomah has advised Ghanaians resident in Norwich, UK, not to feel marginalized in governments developmental agenda. He indicated that there would be opportunities in all sectors as the countrys economy continues to expand. Papa Owusu-Ankomah, therefore, suggested to Ghanaians resident in Norwich and other parts of the UK to get involved in the transformational agenda. Over the years, your remittances have helped put up schools, beefed up the economy, but its now time for your presence to be felt on the ground, the High Commissioner stated. The outreach programme to Norwich saw him visit the offices of Anglia DNA, a state-of-the-art laboratory offering a range of scientific services in DNA, Drug & Alcohol Testing for both court-directed and private purposes, which is owned by Dr Thomas Haizel, Ghanaian. It formed part of efforts by the High Commissioner to meet Ghanaians living in major cities in the UK. He reiterated governments commitment to diversifying the economy, citing the Planting for Food and Jobs, One District, One Factory, as some of the programmes Ghanaians in the Diaspora can take advantage of. The High Commissioner reminded the Ghanaians of the forthcoming forums in Europe aimed at formulating a Diaspora Engagement Policy (DEP) to inform how government would harnesses the skills and talents of its citizens abroad. The High Commissioner was accompanied by Joyce Asamoah Koranteng, Minister Counsellor for the Commonwealth and Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Addo, Head of Trade and Investment, Adoma Dennis, Counsellor for Welfare and Consular and Dodzie Numekevor, Head of Public Affairs and Information at the High Commission. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video There is a secret, but fierce battle within the Police administration, as to who succeeds David Asante-Apeatu, as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP). Mr Asante-Appeatus two-year contract, runs out in three months, and there are reports of an intense lobbying in the corridors of power, the homes of influential family members of President Akufo-Addo, the homes of the senior power brokers of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) by senior police officers to take over from the IGP in early August. President Akufo-Addos selection list, has been narrowed to COP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, COP Ken Yeboah, COP George Alex Mensah and COP Maame Yaa T iwaa Addo-Danquah. Interestingly, all the listed officers, will retire in 2023, except COP Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, who turns 50 in August and retires in 2029. The relatively young age of Tiwaa, who is the current head of Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID), has become her Achilles heel. Her inability to find the killers of Ahmed HusseinSuale, the slain key partner of Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has become a weakness being exploited by her other competitors. Also being exploited by her colleagues, The Herald is informed, is her inability to trace and find the three kidnapped Takoradi girls and their assailant. What should have been seen as a collective responsibility, have rather become Tiwaas vulnerable points, and cleverly being exploited by her opponents. Indeed, it is suspected that the recent publication of the rescue of the kidnapped girls was a planted story, to dim her chances of become IGP by painting her as incompetent, but ambitious. In spite of these, The Heralds information is that, the race is between COP George Alex Mensah, who is the Director-General in-charge of Police Operations, COP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare and the CID boss, Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah. What is ridiculous is that, while some of the policer officers, have taken their lobbying to influential family members of President Akufo-Addo to be considered, others have engaged the services of NPP elements on social media to champion their cause, and they have had their pictures and names flooding their various social media platforms, especially Facebook. Another strange thing The Herald picked up is that, some of the officers with more years ahead of them as police officers, are unwilling to take up the position, afraid that their careers might be cut short should the NPP lose the 2020 presidential election. In this regard, some of them will rather have the current Deputy IGP James Oppong-Boanuh, who is also on a years contract, serve as head of the police administration in an acting capacity, until after the 2020 election when an NPP victory could have them stay longer in office as IGP. More To Come! Source: The Herald 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 Executive Director of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Foundation, Dr. Dominic Eduah, has met with some beneficiaries of the Foundations annual scholarship scheme at the Takoradi Technical University (TTU) in the Western Region on Monday 29th April, 2019. The maiden event of the GNPC Foundation program dubbed: Time with the Scholars", is intended to motivate students on the Foundation's scholarship scheme and encourage them to go give back to their various Communities. At the meeting, Dr. Eduah, along with the Head of Media for the Foundation, Moses Antwi Benefo and a Foundation liaison between the students and the Foundation, met with over 60 young men and women to talk about their progress in school, as well as their challenges. Dr. Eduah informed the students that a committee has been put in place to iron out the kinks in the scholarship scheme to enable it to run smoother and for payment delays to become a thing of the past. The Executive Director will, in coming months, pay a visit to the Foundations scholars in other institutions including the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Ghana (UG), University of Development Studies (UDS) and many others. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghanaian business magnate, Sir Sam Jonah, is Guest of Honor at the Third Annual FOCOS fundraising dinner on Saturday, May, 18, 2019. The event, organized by the Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS), takes place at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra from 7 pm to 10 pm. Proceeds from the event will go towards patients at FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital, who suffer from various musculoskeletal conditions and are unable to afford treatment. Typically, surgical costs for many of these major procedures average between $15,000 and $20,000, which is about 10 to 20 percent of the actual costs in places like the US. These high subsidizations are possible based on the Foundations philanthropic partners around the world, who make regular contributions towards the work of FOCOS. FOCOSs mission is to help address the growing, and often neglected burden of musculoskeletal diseases. Many people, especially children, from poor households suffer from clubfoot, spinal deformities and bowed legs. Adult patients with arthritis of the knee and hips, as well as, other infectious and rheumatic diseases also form part of the population in need of support. Sir Sam Jonah currently serves as Chancellor at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. He also chairs the following boards: Equator Exploration Ltd, Scharrig Mining, Equinox Minerals, Uramin, Moto Goldmines Ltd and Range Resources Ltd. In addition, he has occupied influential positions at the Commonwealth Africa Investment Fund (Comafin), the Advisory Council of the UN Secretary Generals Global Compact, President Olusegun Obasanjos International Investment Advisory Council on Nigeria, President Thabo Mbekis International Investment Advisory Council of South Africa as well as the Advisory Board of the London Business School. His honors include an honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree awarded jointly by the Camborne School of Mines and the University of Exeter (UK) in 1996. In June 2003, Sir Sam Jonah became the first Ghanaian to be knighted in the 21st century, when he was presented with an honorary knighthood by the Prince of Wales, in recognition of his achievements as an African businessman, a leading business executive from the Commonwealth, and an international public figure. Sponsorship packages and tickets for the Third Annual FOCOS Fundraising Dinner are now available and can be purchased online at the Eventbrite website, or in-person, at FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital in Pantang, Accra. Interested participants can mark their calendar to join Sir Sam Jonah and the friends of FOCOS to support a worthy cause to make the world stand tall. 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 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. 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. 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.gh 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 joint taskforce on illegal farming at Juaboso in the Western-North Region has uncovered 20 acres of marijuana in the Akrokosoa Forest. The taskforce, comprising of the Forestry Commission, the Military and Police, says they will set fire to the farm. According to the Deputy Forestry Manager of the area, Mr Yaw Obeng Asante, the marijuana farm was discovered by a forestry guard. He said upon arrival at the farm, the culprit who had already harvested some of the plant, had absconded. He, therefore, sounded a word of caution to those engaged in illegal farming in the forest that the law would deal decisively with such persons. Mr Asante also noted that the Commission is instituting measures to ensure that such illegal farmers do not destroy the forest. 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 Brazilian construction firm which redeveloped the Kejetia lorry terminal and also built a statue in honour of the Otumfuo says it cannot be blamed for how the image turned out. Residents of Kumasi are angry at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and Suame Municipal Chief executive Dr. Bobie Ansah for supervising what they say is a poor job on the statue built in honour of the Asante monarch. Speaking to Abusua FM, Consultant to the project said they cannot be blamed for the turn out of the sculpture because the palace was involved every step of the way. From the beginning of the project we got a green light from Manhyia before we awarded the contract to the KNUST sculpture department. Manhyia was involved in every stage until its completion. Let me tell you we couldnt have unveiled the statue if Manhyia is dissatisfied with the work, he explained. He added: Otumfuos stutue may look misrepresented to you depending on where you are picturing it from, if you stand close to it you might think it is not him but, if you stand afar you will realise that is Otumfuo. Meanwhile, the spelling mistake on the sculpture has been corrected. The error ridden one read: this Plaque was unveiled by Nana Akufo-Addo President of the republic on 2nd May,2019 to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the enstoolement of the Asantehene, Otumfio Osei Tutu II. It now reads this Plaque was unveiled by Nana Akufo-Addo President of the republic on 2nd May, 2019 to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the enstoolment of the Asantehene, Otumfio Osei II. Source: starrfmonline.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 Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, has expressed worry over the destruction of five accommodation blocks of the military at Barwah barracks in Tamale. The destruction was caused by rainstorm last week. According to him, most of the military officers whose houses got destroyed are currently on peacekeeping operation. The minister has therefore appealed to the Ministry of Defence and government to come to the aid of the affected officers. Meanwhile, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has ordered the Defence Ministry to within the next two months reconstruct the blocks. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The police have arrested eight persons belonging to the Homeland Study Group Foundation aimed at seceding from Ghana to declare Volta region as an independent state. They were arrested in Ho on Sunday in a meeting to finalise arrangements to declare independent Western Togoland on 9th May, 2019, a police statement said. The arrest was made by a team of all the intelligence agencies in Ghana, including Police and the Armed Forces, police spokesperson ASP Simon Tenkuu said in a statement. The team also seized a purported constitution of the group, and anthem prepared by these eight persons and others for their supposed country. The statement added: Activities of the group also include illegally recruiting and training young people in a militia style for them to form the core of their supposed countrys armed forces and police force. Police Administration assures the public that any person who is found culpable of wrongdoing would be dealt with according to law and is therefore urging the public to volunteer information on the group, its leaders and members to police. Persons with information may report to the nearest Police Station or call toll free on 191 or 18555, the statement added. In July 2017, the leadership of the group was arrested for allegedly inciting people to push for the independence of the Volta region so it becomes a country on its own. They were released on bail. Source: starrfmonline.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 Popular Prophet, Founder and Leader of the Glorious Word and Power Ministry International, says he knows the whereabouts of the three kidnapped girls in Takoradi in the Western region. Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah said he would only disclose the whereabouts of the girls if he is invited and forced by President Nana Akufo-Addo to disclose it. I know the whereabouts of the girls. If you dare me, just allow the President to call on me and ask me about their whereabouts and I will gladly tell him with the help of a police officer. Some things are not only papers and writing but spiritual, he said on Neat FM. The whereabouts of Priscilla Blessing Bentum, Ruth Love Quayson and 15-year-old Priscilla Koranchie, who were kidnapped several months ago by a Nigerian, Samuel Udoterg Willison, is yet to be known, as the suspect has failed to reveal their location to the police. The worrying situation has led to residents of Takoradi mounting pressure on the police including staging demonstrations to look for the girls. But, Prophet Owusu Bempah, who claims to be an authority in the spiritual realm and has made several prophecies that have come to pass, stated that the Lord has opened his eyes to see the location of the missing girls. People always disregard men of God and always attack us and so I only urge Ghanaians to give us the chance in cases like this. I know this issue has to do with the work of the police, but I can help too unless Im invited by Nana Addo, he stated. The controversial man of God revealed that a police officer in the service is capable of finding the whereabouts of the kidnapped girls but would not disclose it. I can tell you on authority that there is a police officer within the police service who is capable of helping to find where the girls are but I will not disclose his name. When this job is given to that police officer, he can do it with my help, he said. 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 Director of Communication for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lawyer Yaw Buaben Asamoah has debunked the notion going round that he has asked for the prosecution after the resignation of Rockson Bukari, the Minister of State at the Presidency. Minister of State at the Office of the President, Rockson Bukari resigned from his position, days after he was caught on a leaked tape attempting to bribe a journalist to kill a story. According to a statement from the presidency, Mr Bukari tendered in his resignation letter to President Akufo-Addo on Monday, 29th April, 2019. His decision to resign, according to the statement was in order not to allow the tape to disrupt the focus on government in delivering on its mandate. Rockson Bukari was caught on tape trying to prevent Starr FM Upper East regional correspondent from publishing a damning story against a Chinese mining company when he was the Upper East regional Minister. Mr. Bukari tried bribing the journalist with GH5,000 cash in a brown envelope and a brand new motorbike to stop the story from going public. The regional Minister was reassigned to the presidency when the story first made waves in 2018, but after it resurfaced about a week ago, Mr Bukari who failed to convince Ghanaians that he was trying to make peace and not bribe the journalist has resigned. It has however been reported that the lawmaker for Adentan Constituency Hon. Yaw Buaben Asamoah commenting on the issue purportedly said the resigned Minister of State at the Presidency should be prosecuted for the offense. Given the opportunity to confirm the allegation on Okay FMs Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Hon. Yaw Buaben Asamoah debunked it but said that his prosecution will depend on evidence that the state prosecutor can gather against him in court. The media further asked me that some people are calling for his prosecution and then I responded that it will depend on evidence that the state prosecutors can gather against him and it is not the business of the President who has accepted his resignation to order for his prosecution, he explained. He stressed that so those who protect us, if they make assessment to find evidence which they can use to prosecute him in court, I believe he [Bukari] also has every right to defend himself in court but I have heard some people say that I have asked for his prosecution. He however patted the back of Rockson Bukari for acknowledging in his resignation letter that President Akufo-Addos good heart in the fight against corruption cannot be disrupted with his mistake. I have a lot of respect for Rockson Bukari for acknowledging in his resignation letter that President Akufo-Addo is doing a good job with a good heart to lead the country and upon the admission that he has erred, going contrary to the conviction of the President in his fight against corruption," he stated. He mentioned Rockson Bukari as one of the bigwigs in the NPP who has served this country very well in many capacities; adding that he has used his life time, resources and body to serve both the party and the country and so he is not someone we should mock his downfall and make merry. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Ghanas High Commissioner to India, Lawyer Sam Pee Yalley has accused the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) regime of being responsible for the present emasculated state of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). According to him, the TUC has ceased to be the once powerful tool for development and a protection buffer for workers in the country, not because of the making of the workers, but as a result of "undue political influences". The former diplomat also alleged that the introduction of certain IMF policies, affected the efficacy and productiveness of trade union activities under the umbrella of the TUC. Contributing on Radio Golds 'Alhaji and Alhaji' weekend talk show as a panelist on the current state of trade union groups in Ghana, Sam Pee Yalley explained that the Trades Union Movement he joined in 1977 was the strongest as the unionists had the commanding power to speak for the government to listen, but the story changed when PNDC took over power. We cannot look at the present situation of event to as it were categorized the contribution of Ghanaian workers without any historical perspectivesI joined the trade union movement as a strong activist in 1977 and those were the days up to 1984, those were the days that the trade unionists speak and the government listens. I am talking about the days of Issifu Ali and Ampiagyei, LGK Okloo the current state of the TUC has not been the making of the workers but it has been undue political influences and sometimes charged activities of government, he recounted. He further claimed that when the PNDC took over first, one of the key areas of attack was the TUC; some of us who were key members of the TUC and leftists were surprised because the PNDC was supposed to be a leftist organization, so on what grounds will the PNDC attack the TUC? we met and complained that we are leftist organization and the PNDC is supposed to be a leftist organization, maybe we have not aligned ourselves properlywe said let us demonstrate to show our solidarity to the chairman of PNDC at the Gonja barracks at the Burma Camp; surprisingly when we got there, we were rather beaten; we were mercilessly beaten and our leader Issifu Ali at that time had to go on an exile....since that time, the influence of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as a power tool of development, protection buffer for the workers started dwindling," he added. Touching on the impotence of the current TUC following the introduction of IMF policy of retrenchment and restructuring in the public sector, he said the numbers of the union significantly decreased as a result of the IMF Conditionalities. As if that was not enoughI must be very frank as a statesman, sometimes you need to spill out the truth so that we correct ourselves; we brought this capitalist policies and these capitalist policies are not in consonance with the desires and aspirations of workers because as workers we act in solidarity, we act in our numbers but this structural adjustment actually reduced the numbers of the Trade Unions in the establishment, he stated. It is a pity that we find ourselves in the current state of the worker; a state where nobody is protecting workers rights, a state where workers can be dismissed and it doesnt matter and doesnt bother anybodyWorse of all, we also introduced the Workers Defense Committee as rivals to the Trade Union Movement in the workplaces; so whatever we find the Trade Union Movement now, it is as a result of historical issues, he reiterated. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Desperate attempts by some persons to link President Akufo-Addo and Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to the AGM-Aker Energy deal to explore and produce oil offshore Ghana appear to have backfired. This is because Quad Energy, the company leading a consortium partnering AGM/Aker Energy, is reportedly not linked to President Akufo-Addo and his Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta. The Minority NDC on Friday rejected a petroleum deal with AGM citing strange reasons. The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu, in debating the amendment to the AGM Petroleum Agreement, questioned the motive behind the previous NDC government setting up GNPC Explorco as a distinct entity to be funded by GNPC to own shares in oil blocks in Ghana. He insinuated that it was clear that Explorco was set up as a vehicle to acquire interest in oil blocks to be passed on to favoured people later. Checks by DAILY GUIDE seem to support this since Kyeretwei Poku, who was a board member of GNPC in 2013, was also chair of Explorco at the time, with Alex Mould as the only other director. In the AGM Petroleum Agreement of 2013, which featured AGM Gibraltar, Kyeretwei Poku signed as a witness for GNPC. MED Songhai owned by Joseph Siaw Agyepong was also a shareholder in AGM Gibraltar which owns the majority of the South DeepwaterTano (SDWT) Block. In what appears to be a clear case of conflict of interest, Kyeretwei Poku was also known as a director of MED Songhai. But Quad Energy, which is partnering AGM as local partners, says it is an indigenous Ghanaian company incorporated in April 2019, and has David Adomako, an investment banker with nearly three decades of experience in executive management, as a 100 per cent shareholder. Mr. Adomako is also a non-executive board member for Aker Energy, Norwegian oil and gas company, which exploring oil and gas at the Ghanas oil enclave in the Western Region. There have been desperate attempts to link the President and Mr. Ofori-Atta to the deal because of Joseph Babatunde Ampah, who was senior staff at Databank Financial Services established by Mr. Ofori-Atta. In trying to link the President and his Finance Minister to the deal to justify a conflict of interest situation, some propagandists have pointed out that Mr. Babatunde Ampah was a shareholder at Quad Energy and thereby fronted for the Finance Minister or the President. Interestingly, it has turned out that he (Mr. Babatunde Ampah) owns no share in Quad Energy as David Adomakoh owns all the shares. Mr. Ampah was rather invited by his uncle, Mr. Adomako, to initially to serve as second director of Quad Energy. In setting the records straight over the real owners of Quad Energy, Mr. Adomakoh, in a statement issued yesterday, said emphatically that Mr. Ampah holds no shareholding or any other beneficial interest in the company. According to the statement, in establishing Quad Energy as a 100 per cent shareholder, Mr. David Adomako invited his nephew, Babatunde Ampah, to initially serve as the second director of the company. However, this was not disclosed in the memo to Parliament during a consideration of the amended Petroleum Agreement for AGM Ghana LTD last Friday, compelling the company to set the records straight due to attempts to erroneously link other persons to the company. According to the statement, Quad Energy Limited seeks to focus on developing itself as one of the growing number of long-term oriented Ghanaian-owned businesses that continue to deepen the involvement of Ghanaians in the local oil and gas sector. It said Mr. Adomako has been invited by AGM to form a consortium of established and robust Ghanaian businesses as its local partner. The statement added that Quad Energy, by this becomes a proud partner of AGM, a company that is genuinely intent on delivering substantial value to the people of Ghana through its activity in the countrys oil and gas sector. Other Relevant Details DAILY GUIDE has gathered that AGM Ghana Ltd initially acquired the South DeepwaterTano (SDWT) oil block in September 2013 during the previous Mahama administration. That acquisition was before the Petroleum (Local Content & Local Participation) Regulations 2013 (LI2204), which makes it mandatory to have indigenous Ghanaian company hold at least 5 per cent interest in subsequent oil blocks. Until the coming of Quad Energy, AGM Ghana Limited reportedly did not have a local partner with distinct interest. And it is also understood that the parties, which formed the original 2013 Petroleum Agreement for the SDWT block, were GNPC, GNPC Explorco and AGM Petroleum Ghana Ltd. AGM Ghana Limiteds ownership structure until 2018, shows that it was wholly owned by AGM Gibraltar, an offshore company, registered under the laws of Gibraltar. Per the Petroleum Agreement of September 10, 2013, DAILY GUIDE understands that the parties to the PA were GNPC, GNPC EXPLORCO and AGM Petroleum Ghana Limited. AGM Gibraltar had its shareholders being Minexco OGG Inc (97.5%) and Med Songhai (2.5%). Med Songhai, a Ghanaian company, is wholly-owned by industrialist Joseph Siaw Agyepong of Jospong fame. Med Songhai Developers Ltd was incorporated in Ghana in September 2011, having its stated directors as Dela Ackah, Joseph Siaw Agyepong and Kyeretwie Opoku. Meanwhile, in 2018, AGM Gibraltar sold 100 per cent of its shares in AGM Ghana to Petrica Holding AS, which became the sole shareholder of AGM Ghana, thereby extinguishing the interests of both Minexco OGG and Med Songhai in the entity and the block. Med Songhai, DAILY GUIDE gathered, continues to be a shareholder in the offshore company, AGM Gibraltar, but not in AGM Ghana. Attempts to speak to Med Songhais main shareholder at press time were not successful, as calls made went unanswered. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has moved its campaign against the Electoral Commission (EC) to another level with a call on journalists to criticize the electoral body or die in the event of a war. Speaking during an event of Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) at the Koforidua Technical University last Friday, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said journalists would be the first to die should dangerous happenings at the EC lead to war. Hes of the view that the EC is preparing to rig the election in 2020 and once that is done, there is going to be war and therefore journalists should start criticizing the commission or they would be first casualties when the war finally comes. Calculated Plan The General Secretarys observation is consistent with his previous remarks about the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa. He said the attitude of Ms Mensa to the NDC in recent times is anything but good. EC Chairpersons attitude towards the NDC is borne out of the partys opposition to her appointment when it was announced, he said earlier. TEIN is an NDC students grouping and the theme for the engagement, which coincided with the celebration of the World Press Freedom Day, was: The Current State Of Ghana. Open Threats Openly querying the media, he charged journalists to be vigilant and direct their attention to the actions of the EC which, in his estimation, could plunge the country into war as Ghana prepares for the 2020 general elections. When you take a look across Africa, you can count the number of countries that have gone to war because of rough elections or dispute after elections. You have Cote dIvoire; you have Togo, Congo; name them everywhere. If you are there and you see the Electoral Commission doing the wrong things and you say that I am a media man I dont care about electoral commission and I dont participate in IPAC, I weep for you because when elections are compromised and there is conflict in the country, do you know the people who die first? the media people, he declared. War Scenario This is because whilst everybody is running away for their dear lives, it is your duty to capture pictures of people running away. When guns are being shot, it is your duty to go and see from which angle the guns are being fired and who is winning the warand you are not immune to bullets, he said. So please when issues about preparation to rig elections come out, you must take the lead to ensure that the electoral system is clean and authentic and that it can deliver the actual will of the people as expressed during voting day, he added. More Targets The NDC has widened the scope of its watch list to include the Deputy Chairperson Dr. Bossman Asare alongside other commissioners whose posture, the party scribe said must be a concern to all Ghanaians. I have never heard in any country where the chairperson of the Electoral Commission will talk to political parties and tell them that we dont owe you explanation about anything we do in this place. And yet we are sitting there as if we dont care. A large section of the media thinks they dont care and so they are interested in suppressing news about that, he stated. You are suppressing the canker that will come and hunt you in future. This is the time every Ghanaian must rise and say that if we dont have proper election arbiters we are in for trouble and that this country is not for one person. And say this state of impunity must stop and the time to stop is now, he pointed out. The NDC General Secretary also took issues with the presence of representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and civil society organizations at Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meetings, describing the development as strange. Unfolding Agenda One of the worrying segments of the leaked NDC National Chairman Ofosu-Ampofos audio recording had to do with his expression of dislike for the EC Chairperson Mrs. Mensa, and how he intends to be consistent in his campaign against her through the NDC. Observers have described the NDCs campaign against the EC as sheer bunkum. The National Chairman was captured on the tape saying were going to take her (EC boss) to the cleaners. As for the EC chair, we must wage a relentless war on this EC chair. Me, she doesnt want to see my face, Ofosu-Ampofo allegedly said at the meeting with party communicators, which took place after the Ayawaso by-election. Charlotte Oseis Angle The opposition has not been supportive of the appointment of Jean Mensa following the ouster of Charlotte Osei whose dismissal was in furtherance of a judicial process and conformity to constitutionally laid-down process. During Charlotte Oseis tenure, many Ghanaians expressed concern about her outright arrogance and abuse of the constitution-entrenched independence of the EC. She changed the logo of the EC unilaterally, an action which triggered outrage. Her response was as offensive as the action when she retorted: We saw it! We loved it! We like it! Asked how she was going to fund the changed logo, she said that was the headache of the Finance Minister, adding that the logo was changed to indicate total independence from government which many questioned. Two of Charlotte Oseis deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwaa, were also removed following recommendation by the same committee empanelled by the Chief Justice to probe them. The three EC gurus were removed on grounds of stated misbehaviour and incompetence. NDC Disapproval Since the removal from office of Charlotte Osei, the NDC has been consistent with its narrative and agenda geared towards presenting the EC, as currently constituted, in bad light. Dr. Bossman, in his reaction to the barrage of the NDC accusations against the EC, accused the opposition party of acting in a manner which is not in the interest of the country. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Commercial Court 1 Division of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Kwame Adibu has adjourned to 27 May 2019, the hearing of a case in which a leaked tape captured Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the national chairman of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), giving his blessings to party communicators to attack the Electoral Commission Chairperson and the Chairman of the National Peace Council. A Deputy Communication Officer of the party, Mr Anthony Kweku Boahen is also standing trial as the second accused person in the same matter. The decision to adjourn the case was as a result of the inability of the Attorney General to file all the relevant documents ahead of time for the trial of the accused persons to proceed. The court, on the same day, considered the notice of the particulars of the alibi filed by the counsel for Mr Boahen, Mr Aziz Bamba. Meanwhile, a member of the legal team for the accused persons, Dr Dominic Ayine, has said they anticipated an adjournment following the late filing of documents by the Attorney General. The leaked tape that surfaced a few months ago contained a voice, which the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service has identified as that of Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, inciting NDC communicators to go after the two personalities with insults. The accused persons have, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to cause harm and assault against a public officer. Source: Class News 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 Office of the Attorney General has submitted to the registry of the Accra High Court, all the documents it intends to rely on for the trial of Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and its Deputy Communications officer, Anthony Kwaku Boahen. The documents according to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Yvonne Atakora-Obuobisa include the alleged leaked tape, a transcription of it, investigation caution and charge statements of the two accused persons as well a forensic report. She told the court presided over by Justice Samuel Asiedu that they fled the documents this morning. She stated that the last of the documents was discovered last Friday which was why they had to file them today. Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo has been charged with one count of conspiracy to cause harm and two counts of assault against a public officer. Mr. Boahen, on the other hand, is facing one count of conspiracy to cause harm. They both pleaded not guilty. According to the Attorney General, the NDC gurus also incited party members to mount a relentless war on the chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa and Chairman of the National Peace Council Reverend Prof Emmanuel Asante. Meanwhile, Abdu Baasit Bamba who is lead counsel for Kwaku Boahen has told the court that he has filed a notice of particulars of alibi. The lawyer on the first day of appearance had told the court that his clients had an alibi and had nothing to do with the charge preferred against him by the court. It was the case of the lawyer that his client was nowhere near the meeting where the alleged tape was recorded. He said his client was somewhere else and they will prove that. Tony Lithur, counsel for Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo also indicated that he has an application he wishes to file. The court presided over by Justice Samuel Asiedu adjourned the matter to May 27 for the defense team to have access to the prosecution documents. The court would also take a look at the particulars of alibi on the same day. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has indicated that his government is determined to ensure that Ghanas young people acquire skills that would put them at par with their peers anywhere in the world. According to President Akufo-Addo, the 21st century is both a competitive one and the era of century of science and technology. We must educate and equip our youth with the requisite skills to enable them compete in todays world. The President stressed that today, in Ghana, I am delighted to be able to say that education in the public sector is now free from Kindergarten to Senior High School, with the adoption of my governments Free Senior High School policy. Investments in Ghanas educational system, he said, are a key priority for my government, and we have ensured that a third of our nations budget is dedicated to educating our young people. President Akufo-Addo made this known on Monday, 6th May, 2019, when he delivered an address at the inaugural inter-generational dialogue at the Kempinski Hotel, in Accra. He told the gathering that a new standards-based curriculum, which has mathematics, science, reading, writing and creativity at its core, is being rolled out from kindergarten to Class 6 in primary schools this year. All is set for the construction of 21 state-of-the-art Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Centres this year in the regions of the country. Ten Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) centres are also being built around the country to provide support for the introduction of STEM into basic education, after the completion of a successful pilot phase, he added. The President told the gathering that he mastery of digital technology by the youth must be the compelling challenge for them if, indeed, they are to survive in this competitive, technological environment. They have to survive. Technology is what helps us to make the world truly a global village, and enables once poor people to become prosperous, and scale up the value of their economic activities, he added. Inter-generational dialogue The Accra dialogue is the first of one hundred inter-generational dialogues to be held in one hundred cities across the world, to establish a platform for the youth to interact with leaders, to reach a consensus on the best approach towards developing our respective countries, to bring the views of the youth to bear on developmental issues, and to help create a better and prosperous future for us all. President Akufo-Addo was firm in his conviction that of the urgent, critical need to involve young people in decisions that affect them, adding that we cannot talk about sustainable development without the active involvement of youth. Having launched, last year, a youth competition dubbed Africa Innovates for the SDGs, which seeks to unleash the potential of the youth to contribute directly to the attainment of the SDGs, President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that he will soon award the five winners of this competition with a cash prize of the cedi equivalent of ten thousand dollars each to them help scale up their innovations towards the attainment of the SDGs. 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 Claims by the former National Organizer of National Democratic Congress, Mr. Kofi Adams, that God allowed Mr. Mahama to lose the 2016 elections in order to expose the deceptive nature of President Akufo-Addo, has been shut down by the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party. According to Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, such blasphemous analysis from Mr. Adams is an example of his perfidy- knowing very well that former President Mahamas dream to be President in 2020, would not materialize. Mr. Kofi Adams has equated the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the defeat suffered by John Mahama; noting that he would rise to victory in 2020 just like the Son of Man rose in the bible. "God himself knows why he didnt allow John Dramani Mahama to win the 2016 elections because I am sure that if he had won that election, the noise that the NPP made that they will make Accra the cleanest city in Africa, that 83 ministers under Mahama were many and so they should be reduced and I am sure by now they will still be saying Nana Addo would have used 50 ministers if Mahama had won the 2016 elections. But through change of government, we have seen Nana Addo appointing 123 ministers in government and unable to make Accra the cleanest city, he stressed. But Mr. Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi reacted to assessment by Mr. Adams and slighted him for coming up with such comparison. In Chairman Wontumis view, aside his judgement being blasphemous, Mr. Kofi Adams was talking like he drinks Mahamas urine for breakfast. Adams is only thinking about milking the state when the NDC comes to power so he says certain things without even knowing it is against God. How can you compare someone who made corruption attractive to the NDC and diverted monies meant for development into his personal account to Jesus Christ? Adams must be drinking fermented urine from Mahama, Chairman Wontumi said. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Shatta Wale has dropped hints that he is finally done with his baby mama (Shatta Michy) and there is no hope of them coming back together again as a couple. The controversial artiste says he does not see a future with the woman with whom he has a son, Majesty. On October 14, 2018, Shatta Wale, during his Reign album launch at the Fantasy Dome in Accra pulled off one of the biggest surprises of his life, when he went down his knees to propose to his longtime girlfriend Shatta Michy. After the proposal, there were reports that there was an altercation between them, forcing Shatta Michy to pack out of their home. Shortly after leaving their home, she dropped Shatta from her name now going by the name Michygh and posted on her Instastrory no one wants to be in abusive, draining relationship. In another post, she added that you have no idea how its like dealing with someone whos always looking for faults on you, they dont trust cuz they cant be trusted, insecure, the ego, false accusations, battery, threats, no compassion as I dont show him all the compassion. After grabbing the headlines with that act, the My Level hitmaker has disclosed that their love relationship has come to an end. Disclosing details of their relationship in an interview on Joy FM with George Quaye, Shatta Wale explained that you see sometimes we give certain people the chance in the industry and they become stars. My relationship with Shatta Michy was looking so nice in everybodys eyes but sometimes people should also watch me from afar and see if Im going down or Im moving up with this Shatta Michy issue, he said. I dont want to say it on radio because it will look bad but I dont like females who listen to their friends when they have to listen to their man. because there are some intelligent women when they see their man like me working hard and moving forward in life they wouldnt listen to no friend, he pointed out. You seeits her birthday today and she is having a party in a club, a woman I wanted to put in the corporate world, he added. According to him, people comment on Shatta Michys page and she tells them that people if they want to see her obituary. Ive never beaten her before, I swear my career but she tells people stuff. I dont want to say the reason why I am no more with herits her birthday and she is having it in a club I dont think Nana Aba Anamoah will have her birthday in a club maybe once upon a time she will do it. But you see the kind of level and the kind of place I wanted her to step to, she is not seeing that picture [and] she feels its about competition, he explained. For five months now I have not seen my son because she doesnt want me to see him. Rev Obofour is my witness. She left home without me sacking her from the house but she is telling people I beat her, Shatta Wale alleged. He disclosed that their son was sacked from school because Shatta Michy took him to Kumasi for a month. In spite of what has transpired between them, the dancehall artiste admitted that Shatta Michy has been so loving to me and bragged that he bought her four cars. She was living in a mansion with a pool and he feels bad that the house is so empty. Asked if he still loves her, Shatta Wale swiftly responded that he used to love her but emphasized that he does not think he will like to fix their relationship again. The way people look at me on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter that is not how I am in my home, he revealed. He swore that I cant fight a woman and that even at home he is a woman. Im called Obaa Yaa. Source: myjoyonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Nigerian media reports say Board of Trustee (BoT) of the countys Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has threatened to sanction actress Tonto Dikeh over how she is handling issues regarding her collapsed marriage. Last week, Tonto was in the news for alleging that her ex-husband (Olakunle Churchill) is weak in bed. She alleged that while they were married, Churchill had a disease called premature ejaculation. He has a sexual problem, a disease. Its called premature ejaculation. He cant stay inside a woman for more than 40 seconds. My son was the longest sex, one minute, she said. The statement was part a lot of other allegations she made against her ex-husband, whom she claimed is an internet fraudster. Prince Ifeanyi Dike, chairman of BOT, stated that Tonto Dike is exhibiting bad behaviour that we will no longer condone. What she should realise is that every marriage has its own issue. No one marriage is perfect. Issues like that are private. It is very unbecoming of her to portray us in bad light. There are so many actors who have issues with their marriages without getting the public involved. Her actions do not speak well of the industry. We are not interested in her private matters; rather we are concerned about her attitude which is rubbing off negatively on other actresses. Actions like this portray the industry as having unserious ladies. That is why men are scared of marrying actresses. Thank God that we have good examples in the industry, he stated. If she is looking for sensation, she should look for something else to use. Honestly, the Board of Trustee is not happy with her and if she continues this way, we will sanction her. We do not encourage bad behaviour, he concluded. In her response, Tonto Dikeh, who spoke through her Instagram page, labelled the chairman of the body a stupid fool who has not sanctioned actresses going to Dubai to open their mouths for old men to poop inside. I hope this fastens your sanction from your board!! Stupid fool you have not sanctioned the actresses going to Dubai to open their mouths for old men to poop inside or the ones pushing drugs!! Oga shove it up your Ass nigga. If only there was an EMOJI FOR WAKA #THANKS, she wrote. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong is back again with his controversial comment but this time around, it is about his children. According to the controversial politician, most street children are smarter than his children due to the fact that they have to work up very early in the morning to sell their wares before going to school compared to the luxury life his children are living. He also stated that he is sure if he provides financial assistance to a street child and he eventually passes away, the street child will be able to manage his finances and business efficiently than his own children. I am sharing my life experience with you to encourage you that no matter where you were born and the family you were born into, with hard work and seriousness you can change your destiny. I always tell my wife that, these street children who have to sell their wares early in the morning before they go to school are smarter than my children, Kennedy Agyapong added. Kennedy Agyapong is known to have a very large family as he once disclosed that he has 13 children with different women. He is married to Stella Wilson Agyapong and it has been confirmed that he has two children with the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo. He also has one child with the late Stacy Offei but the member of parliament likes to keep his family life out of the public eye. VIDEO- Source: ghpage.om 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 We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson bring out the easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in London, Monday, May 6, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-PA, Yui Mok Imam Ibrahim Kazerooni of the Islamic Center of America offered the invocation at Thursdays meeting of the Wayne County Commission as the commission observed the beginning of Ramadan. Imam Kazerooni left his native Iraq as a young man in the 1970s to escape after being imprisoned by the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein. He is a Martin Luther King Award honoree for his work promoting peace and is an adjunct faculty member at Wayne State University. Commissioner Sam Baydoun (D-Dearborn) introduced Imam Kazerooni. Ramadan, the holy month of prayer and fasting, was also recognized in a resolution presented by Commissioners Baydoun and Al Haidous (D-Wayne). Today more than ever, it is important to recognize that Islam stands for peace, justice, family and community and acknowledge that our Muslim brothers and sisters are critical parts of the diverse fabric that make up the Wayne County multicultural community, the resolution states. Source: Wayne County Commission Former CEO of Lynch, Jones & Ryan brokerage now works to improve the business district of Fifth Avenue in New York City. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Welcome Guest! You Are Here: This article is part of State of Health, a series examining health disparities, how they affect Michigan's children and seniors, and the innovative solutions being developed to address them. It is made possible with funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. Michigans beautiful rural areas have an ugly secret: high infant mortality and poor maternal health, fueled in part by substance abuse, lack of access to healthy food, and dwindling birthing hospitals and OB-GYNs. The root causes may be different from those in Michigan's urban communities, but the results are the same: Michigan's African-American and American Indian babies are three times likelier than white babies to die in their first year of life. Lynette Biery, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' Bureau of Family Health Services, notes that clusters of higher infant mortality are found in the Upper Peninsula, the northern Lower Peninsula, and southwest Michigan, near the Indiana border. While hard to document, anecdotal evidence also points to increasing Hispanic infant deaths among rural migrant communities due to fear when family members are undocumented. "For American Indians, Latinos, and a handful of African-Americans in the rural communities, social injustice inequities certainly top the list (of mortality causes)," Biery says. "Transportation and access to care is huge. When you live in a county that has no provider, its an hour and a half to the hospital, and you dont have a car, that sets you up for significant challenges and adverse outcomes." Biery is among a contingency of Michigan experts and practitioners devoted to reducing mother and infant deaths. Their newly launched initiative, Mother Infant Health and Equity Improvement Plan (MIHEIP), has as its vision "Zero preventable deaths. Zero disparities." "For infants, the Improvement Plan is largely about preventing preterm birth and low birth weight," she says. "We are being very focused, creating evidence-based initiatives to reduce the number of moms smoking, and were seeing payoff." Changing habits, overcoming addictions Addiction is one of the biggest challenges for Michigan's rural mothers and infants. In Michigans rural areas, more pregnant women smoke cigarettes and abuse opioids than pregnant women in urban areas. "Cigarettes are the most commonly used substance during pregnancy and are at least as powerful a contributor to infant mortality as any of the other substances," says Dr. Steven Ondersma, a professor in Wayne State University's departments of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences and obstetrics and gynecology. "If I could wave a magic wand and remove one thing from pregnancies everywhere, it would be cigarettes." Steven Ondersma. Dr. Tami Michele saw the devastating results of substance abuse during the nine years she served as medical director of the obstetrics department at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Hospital in Fremont, 25 miles northeast of Muskegon in Newaygo County. In addition to high rates of smoking among pregnant mothers, she says heroin-, opioid-, and meth-addicted babies were "common." "The attitude was 'My friends smoked or did drugs and their babies are fine,'" Michele says. "One of the hardest realities about drug use is that even if we screened every woman, there were no local resources for interventions." Newaygo County women seeking treatment had to travel to facilities in Muskegon or Grand Rapids. Considering that methadone treatment requires daily visits, the distance and transportation challenges were insurmountable for many. Another roadblock is that very few rural doctors are certified to prescribe alternative medications for opioid-addicted expectant mothers. Mandatory drug screenings or court involvement are often proposed as solutions to the issue, but Ondersma believes those approaches do more harm than good. "Conflating healthcare with a forensic approach causes women to avoid healthcare, to not tell the truth, to see healthcare as the enemy rather than where they can get help and support," he says. "We will do more good if women feel free to talk about what theyre doing so they can get help in healthcare settings." Ondersma is developing a unique app to educate women about the risks of substance abuse and the interventions available to them, designed for use during a woman's first obstetrician appointment. A friendly animated character asks the user basic screening questions and provides a motivational intervention if she screens positive. Steven Ondersma demonstrates his app. The first part of the screening asks about use of legal substances, like cigarettes. These answers will be shared with the patient's healthcare team. In the second section, the patient can choose to remain anonymous as she answers questions about illegal drug use and partner violence. "Women are traumatized when exposed to violence," Ondersma says. "(In addition to physical harm) you have the resulting stress, substance use, sleep issues, poor eating habits, and less prenatal care all the things you want dont want if you are going to have a healthy baby." Healthy eating for two Lack of access to healthy foods is another social determinant impacting rural mothers and babies. Michele saw a lot of obese expectant mothers drinking one to two liters of soda pop every day understandable when the most accessible grocery retailer is the nearby Wesco gas station. Many of Michele's patients developed gestational diabetes. "Theyd run in and get candy bars, chips, and fast food. The result was hypertension, preeclampsia, large babies, pre-term babies," she says. "High sugar makes everything more high-risk. It increases inductions and C-sections." Michele engaged a registered nurse with experience as a childbirth educator to lead successful classes for her patients beginning with their second prenatal visit. In addition to stressing the importance of good nutrition, including getting 80 to 100 grams of protein a day, the classes covered prenatal exercises, what to avoid, and what to expect during pregnancy and birth. "Poor nutrition is the basis of a lot of health issues in rural communities," Michele says. "Nutrition education needs to start at a young age and include the whole family so they provide healthy choices for their children." Increasing access to care Another factor affecting rural mothers and infants is a startling lack of adequate medical care. Because rural hospitals cannot keep up with costs, especially when many of their obstetrical populations have Medicaid, an increasing number of them have closed their labor and delivery departments. "Weve seen a steady decline in the number of birthing hospitals," says Amy Zaagman, executive director of the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health (MCMCH). "We have areas where women have to travel two and three hours to get to a hospital that does labor and delivery." Amy Zaagman. What's more, fewer OB-GYN physicians are opening practices in rural communities. While the Michigan State Loan Repayment Program has brought more than 30 new physicians into northern Michigan obstetrics practices, more incentives are needed. "(When) one OB-GYN is on call to manage laboring patients, unplanned cesareans, obstetrical and gynecological emergencies, its a big responsibility," Michele says. Many physicians would rather work in larger groups in a city, which leads to a lack of doctors in rural areas." Michele would like to see more hospitals embrace a midwifery model of birth. Countries like the Netherlands that employ such models have much better outcomes than the United States. She notes that approximately 100 women give birth at home in Newaygo County each year. "Having a good process for hospital systems to accept homebirth transfers, prenatal consultations, access to labs, ultrasounds, and collaborative health care is essential," she says. "Increasing the availability of certified nurse midwives in rural hospitals would benefit families and is a solution to cost-effective maternity care in low-resource areas." No matter what color a babys skin, being born in the United States is riskier than in 55 other countries, including Cuba, Taiwan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. But being born African-American or American Indian is downright dangerous. Whether embracing a midwifery model or advancing policies that dismantle systemic racism, changes are needed to ensure that every baby born in Michigan and the U.S. enjoys their right to pursue life, as well as liberty and happiness. A freelance writer and editor, Estelle Slootmaker is happiest writing about social justice, wellness, and the arts. She is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media, communications manager for Our Kitchen Table, and chairs The Tree Amigos, City of Wyoming Tree Commission. Her finest accomplishment is her five amazing adult children. You can contact Estelle at [email protected] or www.constellations.biz. Steven Ondersma photos by Nick Hagen. Amy Zaagman photo courtesy of Amy Zaagman. Dr. Susan VandeWoude named to the National Academy of Sciences Dr. Susan VandeWoude learned the news at Dulles Airport while returning from Washington, D.C., on April 30: She had been elected to join the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors for scientists in recognition of distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. VandeWoude, associate dean for research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, had attended an event in the nation's capital where NAS members welcomed last year's inductees, including Colorado State University Distinguished Professor Diana Wall. Vandewoude was traveling with another University Distinguished Professor and Academy member, Dr. Ed Hoover, who is her husband. VandeWoude's father, George, who was elected into the Academy in 1993, had also attended the NAS festivities. "All day, I felt like I was hit by a great big wave," VandeWoude said. "It was such an overwhelmingly strange feeling of shock and disbelief. I wasn't giddy or excited. I was speechless, which isn't typical for me." VandeWoude is the second female researcher from CSU to join the NAS, and the 12th faculty member elected to the reigning body of national thought leaders on all things scientific. (See list below.) She is also the only researcher from Colorado included among this year's inductees. Rick Miranda, provost and executive vice president at CSU, said the honor was "wonderful recognition for one of our most accomplished faculty leaders. Not only has she been a spectacular researcher and teacher, but she has also contributed significantly to the development of programs in her college and at the University. We are all delighted with this news." Women make up about 40% of this year's new Academy members. Wall said that she was thrilled to have another female scientist from CSU join the ranks of the NAS. "Sue and I are only two representatives of the high quality of women scientists at the University," she added. Research is what fulfills her A veterinarian, teacher and researcher, VandeWoude has specialized in studying conditions affecting cats, both big and small, including feline immunodeficiency virus, which can leave animals vulnerable to other infections. Her discoveries are linked to both animal and ecological concerns, and the findings shed light on the emergence and spread of viruses in the human population. VandeWoude's research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and Morris Animal Foundation. While a student at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, she spent her summers in the lab, working on projects at the NIH and Georgetown University. During her senior year, she landed a clinical rotation at the NIH and explored laboratory animal medicine. VandeWoude said that she was drawn to the concept of animal welfare and guiding the use of animals in research in a thoughtful way. She took a position at Waldorf Animal Hospital in Maryland after graduating from veterinary school, focusing on small animals. And while she enjoyed the problem-solving involved in running a clinic, VandeWoude had a strong desire to contribute to biomedical research. After completing post-doctoral training in comparative medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine -- where she participated in research that identified the agent responsible for Borna disease, which causes encephalitis in ruminants and horses-- she joined CSU in 1990. VandeWoude has worked in a variety of roles, including clinical, administrative, teaching and research activities. She served as director of Laboratory Animal Resources from 2007-11. Shortly after arriving at CSU, VandeWoude started exploring how the viruses of non-domestic or wild cats relate to the ones in domestic cats. She studied how one viral infection impacts subsequent exposures to other viruses. "If a domestic cat is exposed to a virus originating in a puma, it's more resistant to domestic cat immunodeficiency viruses," she explained. How these viruses interact informs vaccine development or other therapies that may protect the animal from clinical disease. Over the last 15 years, VandeWoude and her interdisciplinary team of scientists at both CSU and other institutions have been exploring the ecology of viruses in natural hosts. "We've been looking at how viruses in domestic cats, bobcats and pumas are transmitted between animals," she explained. "Our research has found that pumas -- also known as mountain lions or cougars -- because they're the top predator, prey on bobcats and domestic cats. They are then exposed to viruses, including feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus, which may have significant disease impacts." Until recently, VandeWoude said she thought she got her drive from her father, because he was also a scientist. "But as I got older, I realized I have a lot of my mother's fortitude and approach to being very practical," she said. "She always got everything done in the household and took care of everybody." The 'farm girl' VandeWoude grew up on a farm in Virginia, where the family relocated when her father landed A job at the National Cancer Institute in Washington. They had been living in a rural part of Long Island, New York, and VandeWoude and her three sisters weren't thrilled about moving to a city. The farm was a compromise, as all of the kids were excited about raising animals. The girls joined 4-H, raised chickens, pigs, ducks and beef cattle and, along with their mother, learned how to do and make everything from scratch. Her mother was certified to perform artificial insemination on cattle, which was ground-breaking at the time. VandeWoude pursued her undergraduate degree in chemistry at the California Institute of Technology. There, she joined "very smart kids doing science and engineering." Her nickname at Caltech was "farm girl," she recalled, with a smile. As graduation approached, she applied to graduate schools as well as veterinary and medical schools. She opted to continue her academic career in veterinary medicine, which she felt fit best with her personality. "Being a veterinarian seemed like it had a lot of career options," she said. "I thought that I was probably destined for research and could see that a veterinary education would give me a very broad comparative background." As a teacher for students in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at CSU, VandeWoude also enjoys educating students about what they can contribute to the research enterprise. "Because I run my own lab, I have a great window into what is helpful in facilitating research," she explained. "My role as associate dean for research, the way I've interpreted it, is to help people get their work done and persuade the powers that be to help with processes and funding opportunities." VandeWoude has supported programs that help with D.V.M student research training and supports the University's world-class D.V.M./Ph.D. program. She interacts frequently with the Office of the Vice President for Research, and works with associate deans in other colleges to develop integrated programs. "What drives me to do so many things is that they're very fulfilling to me," she said. "I still don't know what I'm going to do when I grow up." ### This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Duo Dominik Fuss and Jorg Leichtfried will perform jazz music in Vietnam starting a tour to Asian countries. (Photo courtesy of the embassy) Trumpeter Fuss and pianist Leichtfried will play concerts at Binh Minh Jazz Club Ha Noi on May 5 and Sax n Art Jazz Club in HCM City on May 7th. Both concerts will start at 9pm, free entry. While performing for the first time in Asia, the duo has played various venues in Europe and just recently played at the Catharge Jazz Festival in Tunisia, North Africa. Their main focus lies in exploring the borders between jazz tradition, classical and modern music just like two playing cards leaning against each other to create a stable rhythmic and interactive construct, according to the introduction of the Austrian Embassy in Hanoi. With Fuss strong sense of melody and Leichtfrieds tasteful harmonic support the concerts are expected to take the audience on a journey covering many originals as well as jazz standards. On this concert tour, which leads then on to Malaysia, these borders will open up even more, as Vietnamese artists will be invited on stage to jam and improvise together with the two renowned artists./. Ft. Lauderdale, FL -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/06/2019 --With the sun beating down and the temperature hitting 104 Fahrenheit, it is just impossible to stay indoors and perform daily chores without having the air conditioning system turned on. Now, purchasing an air conditioning unit is a significant decision that represents a considerable investment. A quality air conditioning system not only adds a level of comfort to one's home, but it also adds value. To ensure that the right system is installed in the house, one should find the right company that deals with marine air conditioning in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida daily. Beard Marine is a company that takes pride for their air conditioning and refrigeration sales and services in the Southeastern United States. They have their offices in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. However, they are also working in Savannah, Georgia. Ever since its inception in 1981, the company has been doing an incredible job by providing 24-hour dockside service. Filled with an abundant inventory, the company is ready to equip the clients with all the a/c, watermaker, and refrigeration supplies. The technicians are all factory trained and certified, and they can handle any type of Marine air conditioning in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Moreover, they can repair all major brands of air conditioning, watermaker, and refrigeration systems. All service vans are equipped with the latest recovery equipment for older and newer green refrigerants. Their commitment to the customers and integrity and excellence to their work ethics have made them an automatic choice. As a well-known firm, they strive to maintain their reputation for high-quality service by investing time and resources in advanced training for their entire staff. For more information on marine refrigeration in Hollywood and Aventura, Florida, visit http://beardmarine.com/?q=refrigeration/browse/all/all. About Beard Marine Beard Marine specializes in chilled water upgrades and refits, custom and special application refrigeration systems, as well as Sea Recovery reverse osmosis water-makers. Beard Marine offers mobile repair services on all major brands of chilled water and direct expansion air conditioning, refrigeration and reverse osmosis watermakers. Indianapolis, IN -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/06/2019 --Over 70 percent of people who need a lawyer conduct online research before making a decision. Even so, many law firms are hesitant to market their services on the Internet. Two graduates of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law hope to change that by offering attorney-led CLEs here in the Hoosier state. The next class is Friday, May 10th in Noblesville. "Many of our clients have been burned by working with marketing agencies that don't understand the legal field and don't tailor services to the needs of their firm," says Krista Duncan Black, an attorney and CEO of legal web marketing agency TwoDogBlog. "It doesn't have to be that way." Black and Noblesville resident Heather Banner Kane met as students at the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University Bloomington in the 1990s. Although taking jobs in different states after graduation, each gained experience in private practice, government legal work, and even publishing before joining forces at TwoDogBlog, where Kane serves as Production Chief. Kane enjoys combining her love of legal research and writing with her passion for helping a law firm expand its digital reach: "We love helping law firms effectively use the digital tools and outlets available as marketing trends shift that way. Including informative, accurate, well-written copy for consumer-level readers is an important part of that, making the law firm a resource for research before the hire and increasing the firm's digital visibility." "One of my favorite things to do is to show new clients the boost in their online presence. Lawyers are evidence-based, so it's always fun see their reactions," says Black. Interested attorneys can earn CLE ethics credit by registering for a Hamilton County Bar Association lunch-and-learn to be given on May 10th: "How to Help Potential Clients Find Your Law Firm Online." The class will discuss the applicability of the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct to law firm digital marketing. To learn more about TwoDog's services, visit topdoglegalmarketing.com/. About TwoDogBlog TwoDogBlog, LLC provides lawyer-driven legal web marketing for law firms nationwide, from immigration law in New York to employment law in Los Angeles. Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) According to Minister of the MoIT Tran Tuan Anh, the ministry has developed and submitted to the Prime Minister a scheme to handle international trade disputes, accelerate the implementation of key projects, and increase production capacity of sectors, with the aim of contributing to stimulating economic growth. The scheme is considered as an overall action programme of the Government to implement the CPTPP and affirm Vietnam's integration commitments to bring the most benefits to the national economy, localities and people. The MoITs Export and Import Department said Vietnams export turnover to Japan and Canada - the most potential markets within the CPTPP region - has recorded a strong surge in recent times. Vietnams export turnover to Japan in the first quarter of 2019 hit USD4.62 billion, up 6.68 percent year-on-year. Its main exports include textiles (nearly USD900 million), means of transport and spare parts (over USD630 million), machinery and equipment (USD450 million), and seafood (over USD306 million). Notably, the export of fertilizer witnessed a sudden growth in the first quarter, reaching 8,126 tonnes worth USD3.7 million, up 509 percent in volume and 1,158 percent in value compared to the same period last year. Other exports to Japan seeing strong growth in the first quarter include chemicals (70 percent); animal feed and raw materials (56.8 percent); ore and minerals (52 percent); iron and steel (49 percent); and plastic materials (43 percent). Economic experts said Vietnams exports to Japan have increased rapidly over the past time thanks to the CPTPP agreement. Japan, for the first time, has pledged to completely eliminate import taxes for a large number of Vietnamese farm and aquaculture products. On the other hand, with the two free trade agreements (FTAs) between Vietnam and Japan, and between ASEAN and Japan, a number of Vietnams aquatic exports to Japan are also removed tariff barriers. Along with Japan, two-way trade between Vietnam and Canada tripled from USD1.14 billion in 2010 to USD3.85 billion in 2018, of which Vietnam enjoyed a trade surplus of USD2.14 billion with this market. In the first three months of 2019, Vietnam's export to Canada surged 42 percent compared to the same period last year. Its main exports to the country were textiles, footwear, computers, electronic products and components, means of transport and spare parts, seafood, and furniture. According to Bui Tuan Hoan from the Department of European and American market under the MoIT, with the population of 37 million people, along with 250,000 Vietnamese Canadian people, the North American nation is a potential market for processed food enterprises of Vietnam. Canada has a fairly open policy on tropical agricultural products with import tariffs of zero percent and no technical barriers, so if Vietnam can overcome challenges related to storage and transportation, the country will have more opportunities to export more fresh fruits to this market, Hoan said. Vietnamese trade cousellor in Canada Do Thi Thu Huong said with the implementation of the CPTPP, Canadian businesses are more and more interested in the Vietnamese market and want to promote business and investment in areas of infrastructure and information technology, aviation, education, and forestry. The MoIT said the expansion of export markets is considered a long-term strategy to help Vietnamese enterprises deeply participate in the regional value chain, and improve their production capacity and competitiveness. To increase export turnover, Minister Anh recommended that businesses pay attention to abiding by regulations on barriers and trade conflicts that may occur, towards making it easier for their products to penetrate into CPTPP member countries./. Hinting at her Prime Ministerial ambitions, BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday said that she can enter the parliament from Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar constituency, "if and when needed". Addressing a poll rally here, Mayawati, while not directly saying that she was in the race to become the Prime Minister, said: "If all goes well, then I will also have to fight the election. The road to Delhi politics passes through Ambedkar Nagar." While the Ambedkar Nagar constituency came up only in 2008, Mayawati had been elected four times -- 1989, 1998, 1999, and 2004 -- from the erstwhile Akbarpur constituency. The Bahujan Samaj Party supremo also seemed happy with a giant cut-out of her at the rally venue, showing her standing outside the Parliament house and captioned "Prime Minister". Asking people to vote for her party's candidate Ritesh Pandy, Mayawati said: "These elections will see the exit of those who chant 'Namo, Namo' and the victory of those who chant 'Jai Bhim'." Mayawati, who had earlier announced that she would be staying out of the Lok Sabha elections this time, had also said that she could contest later, if required, from any seat held by her party. Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun is crowned as 10th King of the Chakri dynasty. (Photo: VNA) In his message, the Vietnamese leader expressed his belief that under the reign of the new King, the Thai people will continue to reap further achievements in building a prosperous country. He wished that the Vietnam - Thailand strategic partnership will be consolidated and developed for the benefits of the two peoples, and for peace, stability and development of the ASEAN Community as well as the Asia-Pacific and around the world. The coronation of Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn - Rama X officially began at the Grand Palace on May 4th. The ceremony, which is a mix of Buddhist religious ceremonies and Hindu Brahmin rituals, lasted until May 6th./. Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- Adult milk powder is mainly marketed for providing nutrition, such as necessary vitamins and minerals, for the adult group. Adult milk powder, targeted at the adult, provides the nutrition supplement for the group. Global leading milk powder manufacturers are actively expanding their adult milk powder business. Some leaders, like Abbott, Nestle, commonly launch specific brand for specific region. The global Adult Milk Powder market was 3890 million US$ in 2018 and is expected to 5080 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 3.4% between 2019 and 2025. Consumption of adult milk powder mainly concentrates in Europe. In 2016, the consumption volume of adult milk powder in the region reached 104385 MT, holding 28.53% market share globally. The second consumer is USA, with 18.42% share. Global consumption of Adult milk powder increased from 306127 MT in 2012 to 365880 MT in 2016 with the CAGR of 4.56%. As for adult milk powder suppliers, each supplier owns their key sales regions. Abbott places USA as their first sales place, while many suppliers from Australia and New Zealand take China as their key market. Adult milk powder suppliers should play attention on the local region consumption characteristic and provides appropriate products to consumers. Get PDF template of this report: https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/1086675/global-adult-milk-powder-market Adult milk powders offer people in various life stages with different nutritional requirements. With the improvement of life quality, more and more people lay emphasis on their health and nutrition, stimulating the demand of dairy products. This report studies the Adult Milk Powder market size (value and volume) by players, regions, product types and end industries, history data 2014-2018 and forecast data 2019-2025; This report also studies the global market competition landscape, market drivers and trends, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis. Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth Rate of Adult Milk Powder in these regions, from 2014 to 2025, covering North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam) South America (Brazil etc.) Middle East and Africa (Egypt and GCC Countries) The various contributors involved in the value chain of the product include manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, intermediaries, and customers. The key manufacturers in this market include Abbott Nestle Anlene Murray Goulburn Regilait Yili Fasska Yashily Vreugdenhil Dairy Anchor GMP Feihe Tatura Ausino Products Wondersun Able Food Sdn Bhd Mengniu Anmum Malaysia By the product type, the market is primarily split into Whole Milk Powder Skim Milk Powder By the end users/application, this report covers the following segments Age 18-35 Age 35-55 Age >55 We can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions: North America United States Canada Mexico Asia-Pacific China India Japan South Korea Australia Indonesia Singapore Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Rest of Asia-Pacific Europe Germany France UK Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe Central & South America Brazil Rest of Central & South America Middle East & Africa GCC Countries Turkey Egypt South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Get Full Report Now at USD 3,550 @ https://www.qyresearch.com/settlement/pre/f9c8442f1b5d0dbe60ff042a95983a2f,0,1,Global%20Adult%20Milk%20Powder%20Market%20Report,%20History%20and%20Forecast%202014-2025,%20Breakdown%20Data%20by%20Manufacturers,%20Key%20Regions,%20Types%20and%20Application About QYResearch QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from the huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become the brand of quality assurance in the consulting industry. Rimini, Italy -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- Rino Leo is an inspiring Italian father and a husband, who loves to cook delicious food at home for his family. Rino not a professional chef but he is very passionate about food and he also owns a popular food blog, which he has been successfully running for five years now. Moreover, he believes in eating delicious and healthy food that can prepared quickly at home by anyone. Therefore, he has recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for his upcoming cookbook that comprises of more than 100 delicious recipes that can be prepared in less than 10-20 minutes. "This is a cookbook for healthy recipes that take less than 10 to 20 minutes to cook, and besides quick recipes, the readers of this book will also be able to discover valuable nutritional tips." Said Rino Leo, while introducing his new cookbook to the Kickstarter community. According to Rino, readers will also be taught several methods of quick cooking and the author's basic philosophy is to let the readers cook and eat fast, cheap, healthy, tasty and quality food. The Kickstarter Campaign is located on the web at: www.kickstarter.com/projects/mangiconsapevolmente/hungry-but-in-a-hurry and backers from around the world can become a part of this project by making generous pledges and donations. The project offers a wide range of rewards for the supporting community and each reward comes with worldwide shipping. Furthermore, rewards depend upon the type of pledges made by the backers and more details are available on the Kickstarter campaign page of the project. About Rino Leo Rino Leo is an Italian family man, a food blogger and a healthy lifestyle advocate, who is now raising funds and support on Kickstarter for his upcoming cookbook. This healthy cookbook contains more than 100 delicious recipes that can be prepared by anyone in less than 10 to 20 minutes. Media Contact: Contact Person: Rino Leo Company: Lopriore Angela City: Rimini State: Emilia-Romagna Country: Italy Email: rinoleo1983@gmail.com Website: www.kickstarter.com/projects/mangiconsapevolmente/hungry-but-in-a-hurry Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- The report "Biodegradable Mulch Film Market by Biodegradable Plastic (TPS, AAC, Controlled Degradable Masterbatches), by Type (Starch, Starch Blended With PLA, Starch Blended With PHA), by Crop Type (Fruits & Veg, Grains, Plants) & by Region - Global Forecast to 2021", The global biodegradable mulch films market size is projected to grow from USD 35.76 Million in 2016 to USD 52.43 Million by 2021, at a CAGR of 7.95% from 2016 to 2021. The growth of biodegradable mulch films market can be attributed to the rising demand of biodegradable mulch films in greenhouse, increased applications in agriculture, and rising environmental concerns that shifted the focus of growers toward eco-friendly mulch films. Browse 142 market data Tables and 37 Figures spread through 176 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Biodegradable Mulch Film Market - Global Forecast to 2021" Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=74546369 Starch segment accounted for the largest share in the biodegradable mulch films market by type during 20162021 The starch segment in the biodegradable mulch films market is projected to have the largest share in terms of size, during the forecast period. Starch has gained high demand in the biodegradable mulch films market owing to its wide availability, low cost, and potential application in the production of biodegradable mulch films. Starch-based mulch films have become popular with starch being an inexpensive and abundant natural polymer that can produce a film structure. In addition, it also degrades into harmless products when placed in contact with soil microorganisms. High amylose content in starch helps in the formation of strong and flexible biodegradable mulch films. The high demand of thermoplastic starch in the biodegradable mulch films market can be attributed to its low cost, renewability, abundance, biodegradability, and availability from agricultural crops. Additionally, the environmental issues concerning the use of conventional synthetic polymers have shifted the focus of growers toward the adoption of biodegradable materials made from the renewable resources. This has driven the growth of thermoplastic starch in the biodegradable mulch film market. Fruits & vegetables is projected to be the fastest growing segment in the biodegradable mulch films market Fruits & vegetables segment is estimated to have the largest share in the biodegradable mulch films market in 2015 and the current trend is expected to follow during the forecast period. The market for biodegradable mulch films for the growth of fruits & vegetables is very promising as their application to these crops is convenient (due to the perennial nature of crops in most cases) and sustainable. Biodegradable mulch films improve the quality of produce and reduce fruit rot by preventing contact between fruit and soil. Significant growth for biodegradable mulch films is observed in the Asia-Pacific region Asia-Pacific has a high growth potential for biodegradable mulch films. China is among the leading countries for biodegradable mulch films as the country faces industrial growth and urbanization which have led to higher standards of living among consumers, resulting in rise in demand for food products. This in turn drives the market for biodegradable mulch films. In addition, biodegradable mulch films do not produce wastes that require disposal, and hence represent a sustainable ecological mulching alternative and wide acceptance in the region. Biodegradable mulch films have a favorable growth in this region. Get 10% FREE Customization on this Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=74546369 This report includes a study of marketing and development strategies, along with the product portfolio of leading companies. The biodegradable mulch films market is diversified and competitive, with a large number of players. The key players in the biodegradable mulch films market include BASF SE (Germany), Kingfa Sci & Tech Co Ltd (China), BioBag International AS (Norway), AEP Industries Inc. (U.S.), and RKW SE (Germany), while other players include British Polythene Industries PLC (U.K.), Armando Alvarez (Spain), Al-Pack Enterprises Ltd. (Canada), Novamont S.Pa. (Italy), and AB Rani Plast OY (Finland). In terms of insights, this research report has focused on various levels of analyses industry analysis, market rank of top players, and company profiles, which together comprise and discuss the basic views on the competitive landscape, emerging & high-growth segments of the global biodegradable mulch film market, high-growth regions, countries, and their respective regulatory policies, government initiatives, drivers, restraints, and opportunities. About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr. Rohan Markets and Markets UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com San Jose, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- XploreMR has compiled a study on cancer profiling market and published a new report titled, "Cancer Profiling Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking - Global Market Insights 2018 to 2028." The cancer profiling market report delivers intelligent and actionable insights that are derived based on thorough analysis of all the vital facets of the market. Cancer profiling market forecast derived in the report are based on exhaustive assessment such as SWOT analysis, associated industry assessment as well as mega and micro trends that hold significant influence on the growth of the cancer profiling market. To deliver a comprehensive outlook of the cancer profiling market, the report is divided into sophisticated segments that help readers to easily navigate through the report and completely fathom the cancer profiling market overview. The report is divided into a total of 17 chapters and a brief overview of all the chapters is provided below. Chapter 1 - Executive Summary Global Cancer Profiling Market The cancer profiling market report commences with the chapter of executive summary. The highlighted numbers in executive summary provides the readers with a quick yet informative look of the cancer profiling market. In addition to market summary, the chapter also covers information such as megatrends and opportunity assessment in the cancer profiling market. Chapter 2 - Market Overview In the market overview chapter, the cancer profiling market report provides information on cancer profiling definition and introduction of the cancer profiling market. The chapter also discusses scope of the cancer profiling market report. Chapter 3 - Market Dynamics In this chapter of the cancer profiling market report, study of market dynamics in terms of market drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends is provided. The assessment of the cancer profiling market is carried out for the historical period 2013-2017 and forecast period 2018-2028. The chapter also covers economic factors that influence the product demand, forecast factors and their impact analysis. Get Sample Copy Of Report @ https://www.xploremr.com/connectus/sample/1774 Chapter 4 - Key Inclusions This chapter of the cancer profiling market report delivers important market information such as regional pricing analysis by test, cancer epidemiology by region and regulatory scenario in cancer profiling market. Chapter 5 - Global Cancer Profiling Market Analysis and Forecast This chapter of the cancer profiling market report delivers information regarding market value analysis for historical and forecast period and a thorough market structure analysis for all the segments mentioned in the cancer profiling market taxonomy. Chapter 6 - North America Cancer Profiling Market Analysis The chapter provides information on the cancer profiling market performance in the North America region. The chapter begins with North America cancer profiling market outlook in terms of market forecast value analysis. Country-wise analysis of the cancer profiling market includes study of demand assessment in the Unites States and Canada. In addition, North America cancer profiling market assessment includes thorough analysis of all the market segments. Chapter 7 - Latin America Cancer Profiling Market Analysis In this chapter of the cancer profiling market report, market performance in Latin America region is provided. The regional analysis begins with Latin America cancer profiling market outlook and in the ensuing section readers can find a thorough country-wise market analysis and an exhaustive study of all the market segments of the cancer profiling market. Country-wise analysis of the Latin America cancer profiling market includes study of the market in Brazil, Mexico and Rest of LATAM. Chapter 8 - Europe Cancer Profiling Market Analysis In this chapter, readers can get information regarding cancer profiling market performance in Europe region. Country-wise analysis of the Europe cancer profiling market includes study of demand assessment in EU-4, the UK, Benelux, Nordic and rest of Europe. In addition, regional analysis also includes in-depth analysis of the cancer profiling market structure. Chapter 9 - CIS & Russia Cancer Profiling Market Analysis The regional analysis of cancer profiling market in CIS & Russia can be found in this chapter. The cancer profiling market study in CIS & Russia includes market attractive analysis, heat map analysis and impact assessment of different market forces. Chapter 10 - Japan Cancer Profiling Market Analysis and Forecast In this chapter of the cancer profiling market report, readers can find market performance in Japan. Market trends prevailing in the country are considered to derive the market performance. In addition, country's market analysis also covers impact assessment of different market forces. Chapter 11- APEJ Cancer Profiling Market Analysis and Forecast Cancer profiling market performance in APEJ region is provided in this chapter. The regional forecast is based on country-wise analysis of India, ASEAN, South Korea, ANZ and rest of APEJ. Cancer profiling market study in APEJ also covers in-depth study of market structure. Chapter 12- MEA Cancer Profiling Market Analysis and Forecast Cancer profiling market performance in Middles Ease and Africa is provided in this chapter. Regional analysis covers country-wise demand assessment in GCC countries, South Africa, Turkey and rest of MEA. A thorough analysis of the cancer profiling market structure is also covered to derive MEA cancer profiling market forecast. Chapter 13 - Global Cancer Profiling Market Value (US$ Mn) and Volume ('000 tests) Analysis, By Tests Type, 2017 This chapter of the report provides information on different test types of the cancer profiling and their market size in terms of value and volume. The analysis is carried out for historical period 2013-2017 and forecast period 2018-2028. Demand assessment of different tests includes Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Fluorescence In situ Hybridization (FISH), Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR), Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), Sanger Sequencing and Fragment Analysis. Chapter 14 - Competitive Assessment In the chapter of competitive assessment, the cancer profiling market report provides a dashboard view of all the key players in the cancer profiling market and a competitive analysis of the cancer profiling market. Chapter 15 - Company Profiles In this chapter of the company profiles, the cancer profiling market report provides information such as product offerings, product approvals, notable developments and key strategies adopted by key market players. Chapter 16 - Assumptions and Acronyms Used In this chapter of the cancer profiling market report, readers can find a comprehensive list of assumptions and acronyms used in the cancer profiling market report. Chapter 17 - Research Methodology The chapter provides information on the research methodology followed during the course of the cancer profiling market study. The section also provides primary and secondary research approaches used during the cancer profiling market research and related resources used. Get To Know Discount On This Report @ https://www.xploremr.com/connectus/check-discount/1774 Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- Cardiac Catheters are long, fine catheters that can be passed into the chambers of the heart via a vein or artery as a means of withdrawing samples of blood, measuring pressures within the heart's chambers or great vessels, or injecting contrast media. They are also called intracardiac catheters. Cardiac Catheters are offered in many variants, namely Electrophysiology Catheters, PTCA (Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty) Balloon Catheters, Guiding Catheters, Angiography Catheters, and Pulmonary Artery Catheters, etc. The second place is Europe; following USA with the production market share of 34% and the sales market share over 39%.Japan is another important market of Cardiac Catheters, enjoying 15% production market share and 11% sales market share. Get PDF template of this report: https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/1085763/global-cardiac-catheters-market Market competition is intense. Boston Scientific, Cordis (Cardinal health), Abbott, etc. are the leaders of the industry, and hold key technologies and patents, with high-end customers, have been formed in the monopoly position in the industry. However, with further expanding market, there will be more manufactures in the future. The global Cardiac Catheters market was 7190 million US$ in 2018 and is expected to 8220 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 1.7% between 2019 and 2025. This report studies the Cardiac Catheters market size (value and volume) by players, regions, product types and end industries, history data 2014-2018 and forecast data 2019-2025; This report also studies the global market competition landscape, market drivers and trends, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis. Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth Rate of Cardiac Catheters in these regions, from 2014 to 2025, covering North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam) South America (Brazil etc.) Middle East and Africa (Egypt and GCC Countries) The various contributors involved in the value chain of the product include manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, intermediaries, and customers. The key manufacturers in this market include Boston Scientific Cordis(Cardinal health) Abbott BBRAUN Medtronic Terumo Teleflex C. R. Bard Edwards Cook Merit Medical Biotronik St.Jude Medical BALT Osypka AG Japan Lifeline ACT Lepu Microport SCW Medicath By the product type, the market is primarily split into Angiography Catheters Guiding Catheters Pulmonary Artery Catheters PTCA Balloon Catheters Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) Catheters Electrophysiology Catheters By the end users/application, this report covers the following segments Diagnosis Treatment Monitor Others We can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions: North America United States Canada Mexico Asia-Pacific China India Japan South Korea Australia Indonesia Singapore Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Rest of Asia-Pacific Europe Germany France UK Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe Central & South America Brazil Rest of Central & South America Middle East & Africa GCC Countries Turkey Egypt South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa The study objectives of this report are: To study and analyze the global Cardiac Catheters market size (value & volume) by company, key regions/countries, products and application, history data from 2014 to 2018, and forecast to 2025. To understand the structure of Cardiac Catheters market by identifying its various subsegments. To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks). Focuses on the key global Cardiac Catheters manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years. To analyze the Cardiac Catheters with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market. To project the value and volume of Cardiac Catheters submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries). To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. Get Full Report Now at USD 3,550 @ https://www.qyresearch.com/settlement/pre/68d2df6f4cd426ad92bfe705796e7c96,0,1,Global%20Cardiac%20Catheters%20Market%20Report,%20History%20and%20Forecast%202014-2025,%20Breakdown%20Data%20by%20Manufacturers,%20Key%20Regions,%20Types%20and%20Application About QYResearch QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from the huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become the brand of quality assurance in the consulting industry. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- Crude sulfate turpentine (also known as sulfate wood turpentine) is a derivative product of turpentine acquired via the distillation of resin occurring in live trees, particularly pines. It is a flammable fluid which is insoluble in water but dissolves in certain solvents. Turpentine is also known as wood turpentine, oil of turpentine, and spirit of turpentine. Crude sulfate turpentine is obtained as a byproduct of the Kraft process with the help of substrates and catalysts. Crude sulfate turpentine comprises terpene hydrocarbons and miscellaneous sulfur compounds. Terpenes are an extensive and varied class of organic compounds acquired from a range of plants, especially those belonging to the Pinopsida group. Read Report Overview @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/crude-sulfate-turpentine-market.html Turpentine mainly consists of alpha-pinene and beta-pinene with smaller percentages of limonene, camphene, carene, and terpinene. Alpha-pinene and beta-pinene are isomers of pinene. Terpinenes are isomeric hydrocarbons belonging to the terpene class. Limonene, camphene, and careen are all cyclic terpenes constituting small amounts of turpentine. Crude sulfate turpentine is primarily used in the production of fragrances and flavors. Major end-use industries of crude sulfate turpentine include cosmetics and food & beverages. It is also used as a solvent during the thinning of oil-based paints and production of varnishes. It acts as a raw material in the process of organic synthesis in the chemical industry too, especially in fragrant (aromatic) chemical compounds. Crude Sulfate Turpentine Market Trends The utilization of crude sulfate turpentine by manufacturers is restricted due to the high amount of investments required in its distillation. This could act as a major restraining factor for the market. The limited retrieval of black liquor through the Kraft process is also expected to hinder the product's overall growth. Alpha-pinene is employed as anti-inflammatory agent and is a constituent of a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Beta-pinene exhibits a woody-green, pine-like scent and is mainly used as an ingredient in perfumery. Fragrances ascribed to carene include pine-like, sweet, woodsy, cedar, and pungent; and its primary sources are rosemary, cedar, and pine extract. Camphene is mainly employed in flavoring (as a food additive) and fragrance preparations. Limonene acts as the chief olfactory ingredient of citrus and is a common ingredient in cosmetic products. It is also used as a flavor agent in a few medicines and in food manufacturing as well as a solvent for cleaning purposes. Terpinene, especially alpha-terpinene, is a flavoring and perfume chemical used in the food and cosmetics industries. Request Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22250 Crude Sulfate Turpentine Market Segmentation Based on composition, the market can be segmented into the following categories: pinene, limonene, camphene, carene, terpinene, and others. In terms of application, it can be divided into the following segments: solvents, aromatic chemicals, flavoring agent, adhesives, paint thinners, printing ink, and others. Its end-user industries include cosmetics, food & beverages, health care, paints, and others. Crude Sulfate Turpentine Market: Region-wise Outlook North America dominates the overall crude sulfate turpentine market due to sectors including paints and aromatic chemicals which are prevalent in the region being major consumers of crude sulfate turpentine. The U.S. and Canada are both well-known manufacturers as well as consumers of crude sulfate turpentine. These countries also export the product to Africa and Asia Pacific. In Asia Pacific, China and India are primary consumers, propelled by the rising demand from the personal care products industry which is also likely to develop owing to the existing and ever-rising population in the region. Crude Sulfate Turpentine Market: Key Players Key players operating in the crude sulfate turpentine market include Kraton Corporation, Pine Chemical Group, Torgoviy Dom Lesokhimik, Weyerhaeuser Company, DRT, Lawter, HARTING Technology Group, and Arizona Chemical Company LLC. The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications. Selbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- The United States, China, South Korea, Japan, and Europe majorly account for the global electric powertrain production. Among these, Japan is one of the largest producers of battery packs for the electric powertrains. These countries constitute of numerous manufacturers, who have made or promised multi-billion dollars investment to develop an array of new electric models. Asia is the most popular region for the growth of electronic vehicles with China as the most significant global player. Request a sample of this premium report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1695133/?utm_source=Releasewire.com-AN Electric powertrains are recently the latest trends in the automotive industry. The rising trend of developing a low-carbon environment in an effort to prevent global warming and make the most effective use of various energy forms, has led to the development of the electric vehicles. In the automotive industry, carbon dioxide regulations are especially being overhauled in the U.S., Japan, China, and the European countries, accelerating electric vehicle technology developments to reduce future carbon emissions. Moreover, consumers are getting increasingly vulnerable to the increasing oil prices and are being attracted towards the green technologies. The Global Electric Powertrain Market is anticipated to reach USD 568.6 billion by 2026 according to a new study. The series hybrid electric powertrains are among the least used product categories in the present industry scenario. In this type, it is designed with a single path for powering the wheels. This type of powertrains operates in several modes including engine only traction, electric only traction, hybrid traction, engine traction and battery charging, battery charging and no traction, regenerative braking and hybrid battery changing. Battery electric vehicle powertrains are the most widely used product types in the present industry scenario. These are powered completely on electric energy, typically a big electric motor and a large battery pack. The mild hybrid electric powertrains are the least electrified typ of hybrid electric powertrains. MHE powertrains are considered as conventional combustion engine fitted with an outsized starter motor which is also used as generator that is typically an integrated starter generator or belted alternator starter (BAS), and oversized battery that powers the vehicle and is recharged by the motor. Electric powertrains are energy-efficient alternatives in compliance with the environment, however, also have certain limitations. Two most critical disadvantages associated with these vehicles include lead emissions from the batteries and energy storage issues concerning electrical energy. The parallel hybrid electric powertrains are designed with two parallel paths for powering the vehicle that includes the electrical and engine path. This transmission couples the generator/motor and engine that allows either both or anyone to power the wheels. PHEV operate in five modes and this product category has been gaining importance in the recent years. The global electric powertrain market is moderately competitive and consolidated on account of presence of several large-scale market players. Some of the major players operating in this market include AVL LIST GmbH, ARC CORE, ALTe Technologies, IET S.p.A., ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc., EptDyn, TM4, Jayem Automotives, BMW Motorrad International, and AllCell Technologies LLC. Table of Contents 1. Overview and Scope 1.1. Research goal & scope 1.2. Research assumptions 1.3. Research Methodology 1.3.1. Primary data sources 1.3.2. Secondary data sources 1.4. Key take-away 1.5. Stakeholders 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Market Definition 2.2. Market Segmentation 3. Electric Powertrain Market Insights 3.1. Electric powertrain industry snapshot 3.2. Electric powertrain technology outlook 3.3. Electric powertrain market dynamics 3.3.1. Electric powertrain Market driver analysis 3.3.2. Electric powertrain Market restraint/challenges analysis 3.3.3. Electric powertrain Market opportunity analysis 4. Industry analysis - Porter's five force 4.1. Bargaining power of supplier 4.2. Bargaining power of buyer 4.3. Threat of substitute 4.4. Threat of new entrant 4.5. Degree of competition 5. Electric powertrain market PEST analysis, 2017 6. Electric powertrain industry trends 7. Competitive company ranking analysis 8. Electric Powertrain Market Size and Forecast by Powertrain Type 8.1. Key Findings 8.2. BEV Powertrain 8.3. Mild Hybrid Powertrain 8.4. Series Hybrid Powertrain 8.5. Parallel Hybrid Powertrain 8.6. Series-parallel Hybrid Powertrain 9. Electric Powertrain Market Size and Forecast by Vehicle Type 9.1. Key Findings 9.2. Light Vehicles 9.3. Cars 9.4. Light Trucks 10. Electric Powertrain Market Size and Forecast by Regions Purchase Complete Report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/securecheckout/paymenta/1695133?msfpaycode=sumsf/?utm_source=Releasewire.com-AN Related Report: Global Remote Patient Monitoring Devices Market [By Product Type (Heart Rate Monitors, Heart Monitors, Blood Pressure Monitors, Sleep Apnea Monitors, Breath Monitors, Weight Monitors, Blood Glucose Monitors, Infusion Pumps, and Body Temperature Monitors) Market size & Forecast, 2018 - 2025 The Global Remote Patient Monitoring Devices Market Size is anticipated to reach over USD 1,882.75 Million by 2025 according to a new research. Remote patient monitoring technology comprises devices such as glucose meters, blood pressure monitoring system, and other portable devices that are used by patients at a remote location. Growing usage of smartphones and increasing the expansion of the smartphone applications that are linked to the monitoring devices further helps in transmitting and recording persons health-related data to the healthcare suppliers or specialists. https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1700731/ About Market Study Report Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management. Contact Us: Market Study Report LLC 4 North Main Street, Selbyville, Delaware 19975 USA Phone: 1-302-273-0910 US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150 Email:sales@marketstudyreport.com Website:https://www.marketstudyreport.com Blog: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog/ Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- The global flexographic inks market was valued at US$ 4.6 Bn in 2017 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of more than 4.0% from 2018 to 2026, according to a new research report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR) titled 'Flexographic Inks Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026.' Flexographic inks are manufactured by using various petrochemical-derived raw materials such as carbon black, mineral oils, resins, solvents, and other intermediates. Flexographic inks can be used on a wide range of substrates to obtain an excellent printing quality, irrespective of the substrate material. Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/flexographic-printing-inks-market.html Wide Usage of Flexographic Printing Technology Propels the Flexographic Inks Market Flexographic printing is one of the most important conventional printing processes. It employs flexible printing plates to print on various substrates. Historically, flexographic printing was known as aniline printing, primarily because flexographic printing presses used inks based on aniline dyes. The flexographic printing process is mostly used to print on flexible materials including corrugated boxes, paper and plastic bags, folding cartons, milk cartons, disposable cups, tags, and labels. Printing plates employed in the flexographic printing process are made of plastic, rubber, or photopolymer. This assures high flexibility and longevity. Flexographic printing plates have raised images, which are rubbed against the substrate to produce the required image on the substrate. Flexographic inks are supplied to ink rolls through the ink reservoir. These rolls further supply the ink to anilox rolls, which monitor the ink and apply the ink in a required amount to the cylinder containing flexographic plates. These plates are pressed against the substrate to produce the required image on the substrate. Stringent Environment-related Laws and Volatility in Raw Material Prices to Restrict Market Stringent regulations related to VOC emissions have forced ink manufacturers to comply with environment-related, health, and safety standards during the production of printing inks. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed the 'EPA Test Method 24' as a standard test to determine the amount of VOCs in inks. Usage of inorganic solvents and toxic metals, such as cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, and mercury, in printing inks adversely affects the environment. Volatility in crude oil prices is another key factor likely to restrict the flexographic inks market during the forecast period. Crude oil is one of the major raw materials used in the manufacture of printing inks. Crude oil prices have been fluctuating significantly for the last few years, which has adversely affected prices of flexographic inks. Request to view Sample Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=3509 Global Flexographic Inks Market Segmented based on Type, Application, Resin, and Region In terms of type, the global flexographic inks market has been segmented into water-based, solvent-based, and UV-cured. The water-based segment holds a major share of the global market, due to low prices and eco-friendly properties of water-based flexographic inks. Based on application, the market can be segmented into packaging (including flexible packaging, corrugated containers, folding cartons, tags & labels, and others) and others. Packaging is the most common application of flexographic inks. The packaging segment accounts for a major share of the global market. Flexible packaging and corrugated containers sub-segments dominate the packaging segment. These types of packaging have been increasingly adopted in medical and food & beverages industries in the last few years. In terms of resin, the global flexographic inks market has been categorized into nitrocellulose, polyamide, polyurethane, acrylic, and others. The polyurethane segment accounts for the maximum market share, closely followed by the polyamide segment. In terms of region, the global flexographic inks market has been divided into North America (the U.S. and Canada), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America), Europe (Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia & CIS, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, and Rest of Asia Pacific), and Middle East & Africa (GCC, South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa). Request to view Brochure Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=3509 Asia Pacific is expected to remain a highly attractive region of the global flexographic inks market during the forecast period. International players have increased their focus on Asia Pacific, as more than 50% the global population as well as emerging markets are present in the region. The market for flexographic inks in North America and Europe is more mature than that in Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Inorganic Growth a Key Strategy of Multinational Companies Key manufacturers of flexographic inks include Altana AG, Zeller+Gmelin GmbH & Co. KG, Flint Group, Sun Chemical Corporation, and Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co. Ltd. Inorganic growth has been a key strategy adopted by these multinational companies over the last few years. They have increased their market penetration by developing a wide network of distributors and suppliers. This has resulted in considerable competition for local players. Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- Our latest research report entitled Foodservice Disposable Market (by product type (bowls, tubs, cups, mugs, cutlery, plates, trays, containers, mugs, saucers), raw material (paper, paperboard, plastics and aluminum), end user (cafe, bistro, clubs, bars, pubs, restaurants, institutions)) provides complete and deep insights into the market dynamics and growth of food services disposable. Latest information on market risks, industry chain structure foodservice disposable cost structure and opportunities are offered in this report. The past, present and forecast market information will lead to investment feasibility by studying the essential foodservice disposable growth factors. According to the report the global foodservice disposable market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.9% over the forecast period of 2018-2024. Ask for Sample Copy of Research Report with Table of Content @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/sample-request/1208 Foodservice Disposable Market: Insights Currently, rapidly changing trends in the packaged food industry and food delivery services using internet platforms are driving the growth of foodservice disposables market worldwide. In addition, Rising demand for food disposables from different end-users including quick-service restaurants, din in restaurants, non-alcoholic beverage stores, and retail stores is likely to boost the market growth over the forecast period. However, the high cost of raw materials and transportation are likely to restrain the market growth. Moreover, increasing adoption of UV-cured inks used to print various custom designs is expected to create several opportunities for foodservice disposables market over the next few years. Ask Discount for the latest research report @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/request-discount/1208 Foodservice Disposable Market: Segmentation The report on global food services disposable market covers segments such as product type, raw material, and end user. On the basis of product type, the global food services disposable market is categorized into bowls and tubs, cups & mugs, cutlery, plates, trays and containers, mugs and saucers and other products (napkins and foil wraps). On the basis of raw material, the global food services disposable market is categorized into paper & paperboard, plastics, and aluminum. On the basis of the end, user the global food services disposable market is categorized into cafe and bistro, clubs, bars & pubs, restaurants, institutions, and foodservice providers/caterers. Foodservice Disposable Market: Competitive Landscape The report provides profiles of the companies in the global food services disposable market such as Anchor Packaging Inc., Berry Plastics Group, Inc., Dart Container Corporation, D&W Fine Pack LLC., DOpla S.p.A., Georgia-Pacific LLC., Gold Plast SpA., Huhtamaki Oyj., New WinCup Holdings, Inc. and Pactiv LLC. Browse Detailed TOC, Description, and Companies Mentioned in Report @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/food-beverage/global-food-services-disposable-market Reasons to Buy this Report: Comprehensive analysis of global as well as regional markets of the foodservice disposable. Complete coverage of all the product type and applications segments to analyze the trends, developments, and forecast of market size up to 2024. Comprehensive analysis of the companies operating in this market. The company profile includes analysis of product portfolio, revenue, SWOT analysis and the latest developments of the company. Infinium Global Research- Growth Matrix presents an analysis of the product segments and geographies that market players should focus to invest, consolidate, expand and/or diversify. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- Glass bonding adhesives is a bonding technique used to bond one glass to another and/or to various other substrates such as metals, plastics, and rubbers. These compounds are available as silicones, epoxies, polysulfides, polyurethanes, cyanoacrylates, and UV/LED curing systems. The selection of a suitable adhesive for proper bonding of glass depends upon various factors. These include load and stress at which the glass resists, and functional and technical requirement of a joint. The bonding strength depends on the chosen material such as glass/glass, glass/ metal, glass/stone, and glass/wood. Glass bonding adhesives are used in a wide range of applications in the automotive industry. For instance, they are employed to bond glass in vehicles, manufacture water tanks and optical glasses, bond window glass to frame or structure, etc. Read Report Overview @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/glass-bonding-adhesives-market.html Based on product type, the glass bonding adhesives market can be segmented into UV-curable acrylate, silicone, UV-curable epoxy, polyurethanes, and others. Silicone accounted for significant share of the glass bonding adhesives market in 2015 due to the rising demand for these adhesives in end-use industries such as transportation. High demand for glass bonding adhesives in architecture and electronics is boosting the glass bonding adhesives market. The UV-curable acrylate segment is expected to experience high growth rate due to the increase in demand for glass bonding adhesives in the architecture industry. Growth in demand for these adhesives in end-use industries such as electronics, furniture, and transportation is anticipated to boost the glass bonding adhesives market across the globe. Expansion of the electrical & electronics sector has also augmented the demand for silicone in the glass bonding adhesives market. Demand for glass bonding adhesives has also increased significantly in glass water tanks and other glass storage applications. In terms of region, the glass bonding adhesives market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of volume, Asia Pacific held the significant share of the glass bonding adhesives market in 2015. It was followed by North America and Europe. Asia Pacific is anticipated to dominate the glass bonding adhesives market during the forecast period owing to the high demand for these adhesives in emerging economies such as China, India, and Japan. Demand for glass bonding adhesives in Asia Pacific is anticipated to increase significantly in the near future, led by the increase in demand for these adhesives in end-use industries such as furniture, electronics, medical, transportation, and industrial assembly. In terms of end-use, the furniture segment is estimated to account for the prominent share of the glass bonding adhesives market during the forecast period. Increase in usage of glass bonding adhesives in electrical and electronics appliances is driving the glass bonding adhesives market. Significant industrial development is anticipated to open up new opportunities for the global glass bonding adhesives market. Economic development and rise in the number of applications are anticipated to augment the global glass bonding adhesives market in Asia Pacific. Increase in usage of glass bonding adhesives in electronics, medical, and construction end-use industries is likely to propel the global glass bonding adhesives market in the next few years. Request Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22631 Global demand for glass adhesives is projected to rise significantly in the near future, thereby offering high growth opportunities for companies operating in the glass bonding adhesive market. Rapid increase in demand in end-use applications, competitive manufacturing costs, and high economic growth rate are propelling the glass bonding adhesives market in Asia Pacific. These factors are encouraging companies to adopt expansion and R&D strategies in the region. Market players are focusing on Asia Pacific to gain higher market share. Producers of glass bonding adhesives have been compelled to adopt expansion and acquisition strategies to meet the global demand. Large numbers of producers are shifting their plants to countries such as China and India due to factors such as high demand and low raw material and labor costs. Key players operating in the global glass bonding adhesives market are Three Bond Holdings Co., Ltd, Permabond Engineering Adhesives, Bohle Group, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Sika A.G., H.B. Fuller Company, Dymax Corporation, Ashland Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, 3M Company, and KIWO. EC Chairman Ittiporn Boonprakong chaired a special meeting of the commission on May 5th to review a number of petitions related to the March 24th general election. Another meeting is set to take place on May 6 to examine all of the remaining petitions. A man casts his ballot at a polling station in Bangkok on March 24th (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) The EC has decided to officially unveiled on May 7th the names of at least 95 percent, or 333 members of parliament (MPs), elected from 350 constituencies. It was unclear when the full list would be announced, although the EC said earlier that it would release the complete results on May 9th. The party-list MPs will be announced on May 8th. In a related move, the EC has ordered a new election in Constituency 8 of Chiang Mai province on May 26th after Surapol Kiatchaiyakorn of the Pheu Thai Party, who came first in the March 24th election, was found guilty of election fraud. The new election will be held without taking new applications, meaning that Pheu Thai will lose the seat. Thailands House of Representatives consists of 500 seats, of which 350 officials are voted across constituencies and 150 others elected from the national party lists under a system of proportional representation. The ECs preliminary results with over 95 percent of votes counted showed that the Palang Pracha Rath party that supports Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha won the most popular votes nationwide, followed by the Pheu Thai party./. Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- The high purity aluminium market is marked by a handful of leading manufacturers that has sophisticated refining machinery to sustainably produce high purity aluminium. The refining technology of these manufacturers remains competitive in terms of removal of impurities such as Silicon, Iron, and Copper and reducing concentrations of alpha emitters such as Uranium and Thorium. Although aluminium element finds application in multiple industries due to its beneficial alloy properties, recent decades have witnessed the production of high purity aluminium for specific applications. High purity aluminium is highly sought after in the semiconductor industry and other applications such as electrolytic capacitor foils and electronic storage systems. According to the end users' requirement specifications, manufacturers in the high purity aluminium market deliver high purity aluminium in different forms such as foil, sheet, plate, pellet, ingots, billets, wires, rods or disks. Manufacturers also deliver high purity aluminium products for research and other commercial applications. Get Free Exclusive Sample Copy of This Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=625 With the higher level of electrical conductance, application of high purity aluminium has intensified in recent years and can be now found in every displays, memory chips, memory drives of smartphones, computers, tablets and LED screens of other devices. Exponentially rising utilization of high purity aluminium in electronics and technical applications is estimated to augur well for the growth of the high purity aluminium market. A new report available with Fact.MR, about the global high purity aluminium market, provides a comprehensive outlook of the industry trends. Sharp-eyed analysis of the changing global needs and consumption of high purity aluminium are few of the prime factors impacting the growth of the market. The recent restrictions enacted by Trump's Administrations on steel and aluminium import in the United States and its predictable influence on the global aluminium market is another important factor considered in the report analysis. With such thorough analysis, the report provides the most credible go-to forecast of the global high purity aluminium market. Derived from bauxite ore, based on purity levels, high purity aluminium finds application in multiple industries. Notable demand for the highly pure material is observed in electronics, chemical and high purity alloy sectors. Purity of high purity aluminium ranges from 99.99% to 99.999% which is also referred to as 4N to 6N. Manufacturing titans use three-layer electrolysis as well as the segregation or the fractional crystallization methods to refine aluminium. Demand from the Electronics Industry to Boost Market Growth The electronics industry has witnessed a steady growth in past decade. Currently, the industry is helmed by Asian countries including India, China, and Malaysia. Due to its intrinsic properties, the highly pure metal finds application in the manufacturing of electrolytic capacitor foils, high purity alumina (HPA), the semiconductor industry, photovoltaic cells, TFT LCD applications, decorative uses or for electronic storage systems. Its utilization becomes irreplaceable for the industry as the metal provide high electric and thermal conductance as well as low tensile strength. To address the increasing requirements of high purity aluminium, manufacturers are enhancing their capacities and personnel in metallurgy, application technology, metal purification, as well as trace analysis. As electronic industry significantly penetrates in other end-user industries, demand for stated electronics components is set to rise. Owing to this, the market for high purity aluminium is likely to witness persistent growth in future. Ask For Customized Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=625 Steady Bauxite Extraction & High Purity Aluminium Production Top global locations popular for surplus bauxite resources includes Australia, China, Brazil, Indonesia, Guinea, India, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Russia and Republic of Suriname. Individual regional analysis has reported accretive growth of bauxite extraction in the fiscal year 2017 worldwide. For instance, the Mines Ministry of Guinea reported production of 5 million tons of bauxite from one of Guinea's largest mines per year from 2019. This represents a threefold increase in bauxite production by 2020 in Western African countries. Although China reported highest bauxite export in 2017, air pollution crackdowns may influence the future alumina and bauxite demand. Amidst this scenario, steady bauxite extraction was witnessed globally and is estimated to rise in future. According to the World Bureau of Metal Statistics, world bauxite production is projected to grow at the rate of 8% annually in 2018 and 2019, and to reach 337 million tons by the end of 2019. In addition, helmed by China, world alumina production and consumption also witnessed a rise in 2017. Thus, stable bauxite extraction and growing high purity aluminium demand is likely to influence the market growth in near future. Key Company Developments in High Purity Aluminium Market Showa Denko KK (SDK), a leading Japanese chemical engineering firm has enhanced production capacities of high-purity aluminium foil in China in 2017. High purity aluminium foil is one of the most prominent materials of aluminium electrolytic capacitor. The SDK expansion is aimed at responding to the rising demand for aluminum electrolytic capacitors worldwide. Norsk Hydro, a Norwegian aluminium company that operates throughout Brazilian aluminium chain has recently announced reduction in alumina production by 50%. Alunorte which is owned by Norsk Hydro by 92.1% of shares, delivered lesser alumina to Albras due to reported residue leakage. Hence, Albras which is owned by Norsk Hydro by 51% of shares reported significant decline in production. Altech Chemicals Ltd., an Australia-based leading supplier of highly pure alumina (HPA), has applied for manufacturing license application to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority in Malaysia. The company has plans to produce HPA from kaolin clay supplied from Altech's kaolin plant based in Western Australia. To address the rising demand from end-users, industry titans are focusing on enhancing production capacities with respect to delivery of refined, reliable and defined material quality which is a prerequisite to meet intense competition in the global market. Details associated with all the highlighted trends of the high purity aluminium market are included in the report to deliver a clear industry outlook which will help the financial community in making business decisions. You can Buy This Report from Here @ https://www.factmr.com/checkout/625/S This analytical research study imparts an all-inclusive assessment on the market, while propounding historical intelligence, actionable insights, and industry-validated & statistically-upheld market forecast. Verified and suitable set of assumptions and methodology has been leveraged for developing this comprehensive study. Information and analysis on key market segments incorporated in the report has been delivered in weighted chapters. A thorough analysis has been offered by the report on Market Dynamics Market Size Market Segments Demand & Supply Trends Current Issues and Challenges Companies and Competitor Landscape Value Chain Technology Regional Segments Analyzed Include North America (U.S., Canada) Latin America (Mexico. Brazil) Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain) Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia) Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand) Japan Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa) Compilation of authentic and first-hand intelligence, insights offered in the report are based on quantitative and qualitative assessment by leading industry experts, and inputs from opinion leaders & industry participants around the value chain. Growth determinants, macroeconomic indicators, and parent market trends have been scrutinized and delivered, coupled with the market attractiveness for each market segment encompassed. Qualitative impact of growth influencers on the market segments across regions has also been mapped by the report. Highlights from the Report Elaborated scenario of the parent market Transformations in the market dynamics Detailed segmentation of the target market Historical, current and forecast market size based on value and volume Latest industry developments and trends Competition landscape Strategies adopted by the market players and product developments made Potential and niche segments, along with their regional analysis Unbiased analysis on performance of the market Up-to-date and must-have intelligence for the market players to enhance and sustain their competitiveness Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.factmr.com/report/625/high-purity-aluminium-market About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports. Contact Us FactMR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: www.factmr.com/ Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- Bedding, also known as bedclothes or bed linen, is the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for hygiene, warmth, protection of the mattress, and decorative effect. Bedding is the removable and washable portion of a human sleeping environment. Multiple sets of bedding for each bed will often be washed in rotation and/or changed seasonally to improve sleep comfort at varying room temperatures. In American English, the word bedding generally does not include the mattress, bed frame, or bed base (such as box-spring), while in British English it does. In Australian and New Zealand English, bedding is often called Manchester, in this report, we use American standards. And the Luxury Bedding. Europe was the largest revenue market with a market share of 34.22% in 2012 and 32.63% in 2017 with an increase of -1.59 %. North America and China ranked the second and third market with the market share of 26.81% and 10.80% in 2016. Luxury Bedding companies are mainly from Europe and United States, the industry concentrate rate is low. The top three companies are WestPoint, Pacific Coast and Hollander, with the revenue market share of 9.80%, 6.99% and 5.67% in 2016. The growth of the Luxury Bedding market is largely driven by downstream applications. What is more, governments of numerous countries are encouraging the adoption of new kinds of coatings as they are eco-friendly and cost-efficient. The global Luxury Bedding market was 2140 million US$ in 2018 and is expected to 2590 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 2.4% between 2019 and 2025. Get PDF template of this report: https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/1088460/global-luxury-bedding-market This report studies the Luxury Bedding market size (value and volume) by players, regions, product types and end industries, history data 2014-2018 and forecast data 2019-2025; This report also studies the global market competition landscape, market drivers and trends, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis. Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth Rate of Luxury Bedding in these regions, from 2014 to 2025, covering North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam) South America (Brazil etc.) Middle East and Africa (Egypt and GCC Countries) The various contributors involved in the value chain of the product include manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, intermediaries, and customers. The key manufacturers in this market include WestPoint Pacific Coast Hollander Sferra Frette CRANE & CANOPY Sampedro ANICHINI Luolai John Cotton DEA Yvesdelorme KAUFFMANN 1888 Mills Fabtex Remigio Pratesi Canadian Down & Feather K&R Interiors Downlite BELLINO Garnier Thiebaut Peacock Alley By the product type, the market is primarily split into Three Piece-suit Bedclothes Duvet Pillow Mattress Protectors Other Objects By the end users/application, this report covers the following segments Personal Hotel Get Complete Report in your Inbox within 24 hours: https://www.qyresearch.com/settlement/pre/ae8653acaeb79b15012efce865f72d43,0,1,Global%20Luxury%20Bedding%20Market%20Report,%20History%20and%20Forecast%202014-2025,%20Breakdown%20Data%20by%20Manufacturers,%20Key%20Regions,%20Types%20and%20Application About QYResearch QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become the brand of quality assurance in consulting industry. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- According to the new market research report "Monolithic Microwave IC (MMIC) Market by Component (Power Amplifiers, LNA, Attenuators), Material Type (GaAs, InP), Frequency Band (L, S, C), Technology (MESFET, HEMT), Application (Automotive, A&D), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2024", published by MarketsandMarkets, the overall MMIC market is expected to grow from USD 7.7 billion in 2019 to USD 12.7 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 10.6%. Factors such as the increased demand for MMICs from the flourishing smartphone industry; increasing adoption of E band to meet the growing bandwidth requirements of the space, defense, and wireless communication infrastructure sectors; and rising defense spending of countries, globally are driving the growth of the MMIC market. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=86745565 Power amplifiers segment is expected to hold the largest share of the MMIC market during the forecast period. Power amplifiers convert low-power radio frequency signals to high-power signals. These amplifiers are mostly used in transmitters of radio frequency-based communication systems for driving antennas. Most of the power amplifiers are designed taking into consideration a specific application producing a specific type of signal, signal modulation scheme, and a set of specifications such as frequency range, gain (dB), gain flatness (dB), supply voltage (VDC), power decibels (dB-milliwatt), and package type. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the increased use of power amplifiers in defense, automotive, smartphones, and wireless communication applications. Continuously growing demand for high data transfer rates in communication systems has led to an increased demand for power amplifiers. Gallium nitride segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period Gallium Nitride (GaN) is an emerging alternative for pure silicon in the field of semiconductors and electronics due to its high brightness emissions and intensities in opto-semiconductors, high-power efficiency, superior high frequency handling capacity, and flexibility to be used alongside various substrates such as silicon, sapphire, and Silicon Carbide (SiC). Gallium nitride is very hard and mechanically stable semiconductor material with a wide bandgap and high heat capacity and thermal conductivity. MMICs developed using gallium nitride offer large bandwidth, improved power density, and high efficiency to support the future cellular infrastructure such as 5G for the mobile base station transmitters. E-pHEMT segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. E-pHEMTs offer superior output power and high efficiency with bias voltages of less than +3 VDC. For commercial communication systems, E-pHEMTs offer a combination of high gain, low noise, and wide dynamic range in high-linearity MMIC applications. These transistors can economically provide superior electrical performance in Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra-high Frequency (UHF) wireless communication bands commonly associated with technologies such as GaAs MESFETs and depletion-mode pHEMTs. Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest MMIC market during the forecast period. Asia Pacific was the largest MMIC market in 2018. The major drivers for the growth of the MMIC market in Asia Pacific are the expanding cellular infrastructure in the region and the increasing number of telecom equipment shipments in countries such as China and India. Japan has been a dominant player in the global semiconductor industry since the 1960s, while the strategy of China is to develop the highest-performance products at the lowest cost, which has helped it gain a large share of the Asia Pacific MMIC market. The increased production of electronic devices in the region due to the low manufacturing cost and availability of cheap labor is another driver for the growth of the MMIC market in Asia Pacific. Rising demand for smartphones, digital televisions, automobile electronics, and electro-medical devices in Asia Pacific is expected to contribute to the growth of the MMIC market in the region. Browse in-depth TOC on "MMIC Market" 69 Tables 62 Figures 176 Pages Request Sample pages of the Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=86745565 Key players operating in the MMIC market include Analog Devices (US), NXP Semiconductor (Netherlands), MACOM (US), Qorvo (US), Skyworks Solutions (US), Broadcom (US), Infineon Technologies (Germany), Maxim Integrated (US), Mini-Circuits (US), OMMIC (France), WIN Semiconductors (Taiwan), United Monolithic Semiconductors (UMS) (France), Custom MMIC Design Services (US), Microarray Technologies (China), VectraWave (France), BeRex (South Korea), and Arralis (Ireland). About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- Subject matter experts conducting the study also take a closer look at the products at their development stage and in the pipeline to help business owners conclude on the business strategies that can lower their cost and promise great returns or profits. Strong emphasis on new launches, acquisition and mergers, collaboration, import and export status and supply chain management empowers the business evangelists, manufacturers and business owners build a robust strategy when it comes to making an investment. You Can Download Free Samples PDF Copy of Polyolefin Shrink Films Market at https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/15566 This report studies the global Polyolefin Shrink Films market status and forecast, categorizes the global Polyolefin Shrink Films market size (value & volume) by manufacturers, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top manufacturers in North America, Europe, Japan, China, and other regions (India, Southeast Asia). The major manufacturers covered in this report Allen Plastic, Zhejiang Jiuteng Package , Materials Co, Jiangyin Bairuijia Plastics Science , & Technology, Interplast, Jining Hong Xiang Packing , Material Co, Kanika Enterprises, Lucky Industries Pvt. Ltd, Dmpack Tech Co Ltd, Sechea, ADL Plast, Flexi-Pack Group, Intertape Polymer Group, Syfan, Zhejiang Zhongcheng Packing , Material Co, Dongmei Packing Material Co, Traco Manufacturing Inc, Bollore Films, Sealed Air Scope of the market The research takes a closer look at prominent factors driving the growth rate of the prominent product categories across major geography. Furthermore, the study covers a lot of the sales, gross margin, consumption capacity, spending power and customer preference across various countries. The report offers clear indications how the Polyolefin Shrink Films market is expected to witness numerous exciting opportunities in the years to come. Critical aspects including the growing requirement, demand and supply status, customer preference, distribution channels and others are presented through resources such as charts, tables, and infographics. Enquiry about report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/make-enquiry-form/15566 In market segmentation by geographical regions, the report has analysed the following regions- - North america - Europe - China - Japan - Middle east & africa - India - South america - Others Market split by Type, can be divided into: - General Type - Crosslinked Type Market split by Application, can be divided into: - Industrial Packaging - Food - Consumer Goods - Pharmaceuticals - Beverage - Others The research provides answers to the following key questions: - What is the estimated size of the Polyolefin Shrink Films market for the forecast period, 2019 - 2026? What will be the growth rate of the industry during the estimated period? - What are the prominent driving forces likely to impact the progress of the industry across different regions? - Who are the major market players occupying a strong foothold in the Polyolefin Shrink Films market? What are the winning strategies adopted by them to stay ahead in the competition? - What are the potential opportunities for the Polyolefin Shrink Films market for the forecast period, 2019 - 2026? - What are the key trends expected to shape the development of the industry over the coming years? - What are the key restraints and challenges likely to hinder the growth of the Polyolefin Shrink Films market worldwide? Purchase report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/15566 Key point from TOC Global Polyolefin Shrink Films Market Professional Survey Report 2019 1 Industry Overview of Polyolefin Shrink Films 1.1 Definition and Specifications of Polyolefin Shrink Films 1.1.1 Definition of Polyolefin Shrink Films 1.1.2 Specifications of Polyolefin Shrink Films 1.2 Classification of Polyolefin Shrink Films 1.2.1 General Type 1.2.2 Crosslinked Type 1.3 Applications of Polyolefin Shrink Films 1.3.1 Industrial Packaging 1.3.2 Food 1.3.3 Consumer Goods 1.3.4 Pharmaceuticals 1.3.5 Beverage 1.3.6 Others 1.4 Market Segment by Regions 1.4.1 North America 1.4.2 China 1.4.3 Europe 1.4.4 Southeast Asia 1.4.5 Japan 1.4.6 India 2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Polyolefin Shrink Films 2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers 2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Polyolefin Shrink Films 2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Polyolefin Shrink Films 2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Polyolefin Shrink Films Continue The latest market intelligence report on the Polyolefin Shrink Films market aims at exploring the unknown and coming up with solutions to the potential threats and challenges faced by the Polyolefin Shrink Films market for the forecast period, 2019 - 2026. View full report description with table and content@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/polyolefin-shrink-films-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-news Maharashtra, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- Latest Trends in Real-time Production Monitoring Software Market: Production Monitoring means an on-site Product Inspection performed every day of your production. An inspector scrutinizes your factory, enforcing your specifications, selecting units at random for inspection and identifying and eliminating defects. Obtain Exhaustive Insights into the Global Real-time Production Monitoring Software Market Study With 30 mins free consultation! - https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request_sample/459982 Scope of the Report: North America is expected to be the largest contributor to the production monitoring market in terms of market size, as it is a technologically advanced region. North American countries have developed infrastructure and skilled workforce, which help production monitoring solution providers offer 24/7 support and maintenance to their clients. This factor assures manufacturers to rely on production monitoring solutions and focus on increasing their operational revenues. The Key Manufacturers of Real-time Production Monitoring Software Market Covered In This Report: Capgemini, Infosys, Oracle, Hitachi, Siemens, Verizon, Emerson, Rockwell Automation, Aspen Technology, Schlumberger, IQMS, Sedapta, Softweb Solutions, Ordinal Software, Infinity Qs, Tesar, PCE Instruments, Lineview, Monnit, Coesia, RT Engineering, Cannon Automata, Intouch Monitoring, Petrodaq, Vertech, Blackbird Market segment by Type, the product can be split into On-premises Cloud Market segment by Application, split into Oil and Gas Chemical Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Energy and Power Water and Wastewater Management Food and Beverage Automotive Electronics and Semiconductors The Real-time Production Monitoring Software Market report also splits the market by region: North America (United States, Canada, Mexico) South America (Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile) Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, Korea) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy) Middle East Africa (Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran) And More. This study mainly helps understand which market segments or Region or Country they should focus in coming years to channelize their efforts and investments to maximize growth and profitability. The segmentation study equips interested parties to identify high-growth portions of the global Real-time Production Monitoring Software market and understand How the leading segments could grow during the forecast period. Click here to Get customization & check discount for the report @ https://www.reportsmonitor.com/check_discount/459982 Research objectives: Focuses on the key global Real-time Production Monitoring Software manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis, and development plans in the next few years. What end markets make good investment choices? Should my company focus on a particular Real-time Production Monitoring Software market for maximum growth? What overall trends can be discerned for the period under report? What forecasts are in store for the quarter? For the long term? What is the individual market outlook per application, per device, and per submarket? Browse the full table of contents and data tables @ https://www.reportsmonitor.com/report/459982/Real-time-Production-Monitoring-Software-Market Key Points sheathed in the Real-time Production Monitoring Software Market Report Coverage: - Among end-user industries, the industrial segment is projected to lead the Real-time Production Monitoring Software market during the forecast period. - Among types, the market segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. - Increasing demand for Real-time Production Monitoring Software market in the Asia-Pacific is the major driver for the growth of the coating equipment market in the region. - How to deal with new innovations? About Reports Monitor Reports Monitor.com is a market intelligence and consulting firm with extensive experience and knowledge of the Market Research industry. We work with the aim to reach the highest levels of customer satisfaction. Our representatives strive to understand diverse client requirements and cater to the same as the most innovative and functional solutions. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- According to the new market research report "Robot End-Effector Market by Type (Welding Guns, Grippers, Suction Cups, Tool Changers), Applications (Handling, Assembly, Welding), Industry (Automotive, Electrical & Electronics, Food & Beverages, E-Commerce), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2024", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Robot End-Effector Market is expected to grow from USD 2.6 billion in 2019 to USD 5.7 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 16.9% during the forecast period. Due to the fast-changing nature of industries today, demand for modular end-effectors is increasing. Hence, growing demand for modular end-effectors is one of the key factors driving the growth of the robot end-effector market. Another driver for the robot end-effector market includes increasing adoption of collaborative robots (Cobots) owing to their benefits and features. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=251736819 In terms of volume, welding guns to hold largest share of the robot end-effector market in 2019 The welding gun or welding torch is the most widely used robot end-effector in the industry. The use of welding guns, especially in the automotive sector, followed closely by the electrical and electronics industry, has helped welding guns retain the top spot with respect to the overall volume commissioned globally. As long as there is a thriving market for automobiles, welding guns will continue to see widespread use. Hence, the high rate of adoption of welding guns in the automotive industry is the key factor fueling the growth of the robot end-effector market for welding guns. Handling application to dominate robot end-effector market during forecast period Material handling is automated using end-effectors in 3 cases: lifting heavy objects, performing redundant and unsafe tasks on the factory floor, and improving speed and precision of handling various objects or instruments. Suction cups or vacuum grippers have the largest share of use in this application due to their advantage of handling random objects with less change in its configuration. The increasing adoption of these end-effectors for handling tasks such as pelletizing, packing, picking, and unloading in the electrical and electronics industry is the key factor contributing to the growth of the robot end-effector market for handling application. APAC to hold largest share of the robot end-effector market in 2019 APAC is expected to hold the largest share of the robot end-effector market in 2019 and is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period. Increasing investment in automation by automotive and electrical & electronics companies, especially in countries such as China, South Korea, and India, is expected to be the key driver for the market in APAC. Also, the increasing adoption of collaborative robots in industries such as wood and furniture, and metal and machinery is another key trend, which has fueled the demand for robot end-effectors in APAC. Browse in-depth TOC on "Robot End-Effector Market" 69 Tables 49 Figures 170 Pages Request Sample pages of the Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=251736819 Major players in the robot end-effector market include Zimmer Group (Germany), Schunk (Germany), Schmalz (US), Destaco (US), Robotiq (Canada), Applied Robotics (US), EMI Corp. (US), Festo (Germany), KUKA (Germany), and Soft Robotics (US). Apart from these, OnRobot (Denmark) and IPR (Germany) are few of the emerging companies in the robot end-effector market. About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- Global Market Insights, Inc. presents an extensive report on rocket propulsion market that offers qualitative information about prevailing trends and a detailed analysis of the growth trajectory of this industry. It also includes a study of the historical data and detailed statistics that will help determine the future scope of the industry in terms of commercialization opportunities. Based on end user, the rocket propulsion market is segmented into military & government and commercial. Military & government is expected to witness a remarkable growth in the global rocket propulsion industry owing to the increasing expenditure on research & development associated with space exploration systems development. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in 2017, the organization invested USD 2,860 million in exploration system development. Request for table of contents this Report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-toc/upcoming/3047 Rocket Propulsion Market is projected to grow exponentially from 2018 to 2024 due to increasing technological advancements in rockets and a higher demand for small satellites. Several organizations including the National Institute for Rocket Propulsion Systems (NIRPS) and the Indian Space Research Organization are engaged in research & development for introducing advanced technological features and efficient propulsion systems for expanding the market growth till 2024. Prominent players in the global market are emphasizing on reducing the manufacturing costs coupled with the growing number of rocket launches, thereby increasing the commercial usage of the space industry. Moreover, the increasing requirement for national security coupled with the prevention of terrorism is escalating the demand for rocket propulsion market growth over the study timeframe. Request for customization @ https://www.gminsights.com/roc/3047 Additionally, government organizations are entering into partnerships with the leading space companies for introducing technologically advanced propulsion solutions. For instance, in 2017, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) entered into a strategic partnership with SpaceX for utilizing advanced test facilities for extensively testing innovative space solutions including methane-fueled raptor rocket engine, positively influencing the industry expansion till 2024. Moreover, several space missions launched by NASA including a mission on the U.S. Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) and commercial crew program are expanding the rocket propulsion market share over the forecast time. Additionally, increased spending by government space agencies on several space projects is instigating the rocket propulsion market demand. For instance, in June 2018, the European Union granted over USD 18 billion for developing several space missions and security components including Copernicus and Galileo. Moreover, in December 2016, the UK Space Agency proposed to spend USD 1.6 billion on the European Space Agency (ESA) projects over the next five years. Browse Complete Report @ https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/rocket-propulsion-market Based on component, the rocket propulsion industry is characterized into nozzle, valve, turbo pump, propellant, combustion chamber, and motor casing. The increasing thrust offered by the propellant with a mixture of oxidizer and fuel is driving the segment growth over the projected timeframe. The requirement of high power and thrust for travel over long distances requires components that offer high precision along with improved reliability and durability, thereby supporting the industry proliferation till 2024. North America is expected to witness a significant growth in the global rocket propulsion industry owing to the high concentration of leading companies in the region. Favorable government support and increasing requirement of launching satellites for several purposes including earth observation, planetary science, and safety & security mission services are among the key factors providing a positive outlook for the industry growth. Aerojet Rocketdyne, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Orbital ATK, Antrix, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Safran, Blue Origin, NPO Energomash, IHI Corporation, Virgin Galactic, JSC Kuznetsov, Rocket Lab USA, and Roxel Group are among the key players of the global rocket propulsion market. Industry participants are entering into strategic partnerships and joint ventures with technology players for increasing their market share. Related Report:https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/aerospace-auxiliary-power-unit-market-share-by-industry-analysis-report-regional-outlook-application-development-potential-price-trend-regional-outlook-forecast-2024-2019-05-02 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: sales@gminsights.com Web: https://www.gminsights.com Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- The global thermoplastic elastomers market was valued at around US$ 16,000.0 Mn in 2017 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of more than 6.0% from 2018 to 2026, according to a new research report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR) titled 'Thermoplastic Elastomers Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026.' The global thermoplastic elastomers market is driven by rise in the demand for thermoplastic elastomers in automotive applications such as car exteriors, bumpers, wires and cables, and door trims. The thermoplastic elastomers market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a CAGR of around 7.0% during the forecast period. Characteristics of thermoplastic elastomers such as high dimensional stability, chemical inertness, vapor and gas transmission properties, and flexibility are estimated to boost the demand for these elastomers in automotive, medical, and building & construction industries during the forecast period. Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/thermoplastic-elastomers.html Rise in Utilization of Thermoplastic Elastomers in Medical Devices Thermoplastic elastomers can be customized as per the specific needs of each medical application. Medical devices are frequently exposed to a variety of liquids and fluids that reduce effectiveness of these devices. In order to avoid this, medical equipment manufacturers prefer using thermoplastic elastomer materials over latex, PVC, and phthalate-based materials. As thermoplastic elastomers are resistant to chemicals, they are expected to be used on a large scale in medical devices during the forecast period. Thermoplastic elastomers are widely used in seals, closures, caps, prosthetic cushions, tubing (drainage and peristaltic pumps), surgical positioners, anti-slip grip handles or surfaces, training models, tourniquets, dental and medical hoods, and masks. Demand for thermoplastic elastomers for use in medical devices is projected to increase in the next few years, owing to their excellent recyclability, elasticity, flexibility, and high barrier properties. Increase in Demand for Thermoplastic Elastomers in Automotive Applications Thermoplastic elastomers are largely used in the automotive industry. They are increasingly replacing conventional elastomers and standard plastics in the automobile sector, owing to their dynamic properties. Thermoplastic elastomers offer a combination of elastic and thermoplastic properties, which has led to rise in their popularity and usage in the automotive industry. Request to view Sample Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=807 Thermoplastic elastomers are widely used in bumper fascia, interior trim, skins, boots/bellows, hoses, short air ducts, body/glazing seals, airbag doors, grommets, sleeves, door sills, over-molded films, shift knobs, lamp seals, slush molding, wires and cables, and soft-touch trim panels. Hard plastics or rubber-containing PVCs are being gradually phased out by a few automakers, owing to environment-related and legislative concerns. Consequently, these hard plastics or rubber-containing PVCs are being replaced by soft-touch thermoplastic elastomers. The paradigm shift in terms of preference for thermoplastic elastomers over conventional elastomers and standard plastics among automotive OEMs is likely to drive the global thermoplastic elastomers market during the forecast period. Rise in usage of thermoplastic elastomers in automotive components led by their exceptional attributes is projected to boost the demand for thermoplastic elastomers during the forecast period. Asia Pacific Dominates Global Thermoplastic Elastomers Market Based on region, the global thermoplastic elastomers market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of value, Asia Pacific led the global thermoplastic elastomers market in 2017. China accounted for a major share of the market in the region in 2017, owing to high rate of adoption of thermoplastic elastomers in automotive OEMs. Increase in the production of automotive components in emerging markets such as China, India, Thailand, and Vietnam is driving the thermoplastic elastomers market in Asia Pacific. Increase in production capacities by existing manufacturers of medical devices in China and Japan is anticipated to boost the demand for extruded thermoplastic elastomers in the near future. Asia Pacific is a manufacturing hub of thermoplastic elastomers, accounting for more than 50% of the global production. Request to view Brochure Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=807 Availability of raw materials such as thermoplastic resins at relatively low prices is expected to drive the market in the region in the near future. Furthermore, prominent players are focusing on expanding their production facilities in the Asia Pacific region to meet the surging demand for thermoplastic elastomers from the automotive industry in the region. The thermoplastic elastomers market in North America and Europe is likely to expand at a moderate pace during the forecast period. In terms of production of thermoplastic elastomers, the U.S. is expected to gradually increase its production compared to that of China in the next few years, on account of the rising demand for thermoplastic elastomers in automotive and medical applications in the country. Key players operating in the global thermoplastic elastomers market are Exxon Mobil Corporation, Covestro, Huntsman Corporation, BASF SE, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Celenese Corporation, PolyOne Corporation, Arkema Group, SABIC, and KRATON Corporation. These players are focusing on acquisitions and strategic collaborations in order to gain market share. Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2019 -- The product screening application segment of the x-ray security screening system market holds the largest market share as they are used for the detection of illegal weapons, explosives, contraband, toxic materials and narcotics to safeguard people against any kinds of potential threats. The equipment is highly beneficial in cases where packages that cannot be unpacked for checking. X-Ray Security Screening System Market is projected to reach a revenue of over USD 3 billion by 2024. Increasing occurrences of terroristic activities across the world and government initiatives to modernize airport security systems is aiding to the large-scale adoption of the x-ray security screening system market. The occurrences of airport bombing attacks and aircraft hijackings such as the March 2017 Orly Airport attack in Paris and the attempted attack on Malaysia Airlines are inducing a high rate of panic amongst the general population. Additionally, these attacks cause damages to the infrastructure leading to major financial losses being incurred by the government. Request for Sample Copy of This Report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/505 Growth Drivers: - 1. High security risks associated terrorist attacks in the U.S. 2. Emergence of stringent security measures in Europe 3. Growing investments in Asia Pacific to develop airport infrastructure 4. Rising focus on airport upgrades in China 5. Growing construction of airports in Singapore There is a substantial increase in airport construction and modernization activities which is further propelling x-ray security screening system market demand. For instance, in September 2017, the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and its managing Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA) announced that they had initiated a USD 1.1 billion terminal modernization plan. The plan places a high focus on improving the efficiency of the security screening process by installing new technologies that can detect the presence of contraband in luggage and on travelers and aims to replace traditional security processes. Segmentation of the x-ray security screening system market by end-use indicates that the transit industry sub-segment will have the highest growth. These systems aid in identifying potential threats coming from the evaluation of suspicious packages, vehicle scanning, suspect scanning, custom searches through wall scanning to reduce disruption in the public. Make an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/505 Growing need to scan the cargos at the border checkpoints is driving the demand from transit industry, thus propelling the x-ray security screening system market over the forecast timespan. Companies in the industry offer a portfolio of configurable high-energy radiation scanning systems to keep the trade flowing smoothly. Technologies such as advanced cargo imaging and detection are developed that provides dynamic range and superior penetration views. High traveler traffic in transit locations and airport construction activities in the Asia Pacific region is a major factor aiding the x-ray security screening system market growth. Additionally, government initiatives such as the Chinese government mandated the provision of digital flat panel detector (FPD) X-ray systems in the Tier-2 rural hospitals. This trend is intensified in the European countries such as Germany where terroristic and smuggling activities have experienced a strong growth in the recent years. X-ray security screening system market players Adani Systems Inc., MinXray, Inc., L-3 Communications Security & Detection Systems, Kapri Corp, Smiths Detection, OSI Systems, Inc., Astrophysics Inc., Autoclear LLC, Scanna MSC, and Vanderlande. Browse Complete Report Summary @ https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/x-ray-security-screening-system-market-report 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. A spectacular new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows SPT-CL J0615-5746, a very massive group of galaxies located approximately 7.7 billion light-years away in the constellation Pictor. First discovered by the South Pole Telescope less than a decade ago, SPT-CL J0615-5746 is so massive that its gravity bends light like a lens, making it very useful for peering deep into the early Universe. Galaxy clusters contain thousands of galaxies of all ages, shapes and sizes. Typically, they have a mass of about one million billion times the mass of the Sun and form over billions of years as smaller groups of galaxies slowly come together. Albert Einstein predicted in his theory of general relativity that massive objects will deform the fabric of space itself. When light passes one of these objects, such as a huge galaxy cluster, its path is changed slightly. This effect, called gravitational lensing, is only visible in rare cases and only the best telescopes can observe the related phenomena. A galaxy cluster called SPT-CL J0615-5746 is one of the farthest observed to cause gravitational lensing. Among the identified background objects, there is SPT0615-JD, a galaxy that is thought to have emerged just 500 million years after the Big Bang. It is the farthest galaxy ever imaged by means of gravitational lensing. SPT0615-JD has a mass of approximately 3 billion solar masses and is less than 2,500 light-years across, half the size of the nearby Small Magellanic Cloud. The object is considered prototypical of young galaxies that emerged during the epoch shortly after the Big Bang. Just as ancient paintings can tell us about the period of history in which they were painted, so too can ancient galaxies tell us about the era of the Universe in which they existed, Hubble astronomers said. To learn about cosmological history, we explore the most distant reaches of the Universe, probing ever further out into the cosmos. The light from distant objects travels to us from so far away that it takes an immensely long time to reach us, meaning that it carries information from the past information about the time at which it was emitted. By studying such distant objects, we are continuing to fill the gaps in our picture of what the very early Universe looked like, and uncover more about how it evolved into its current state. On behalf of the Cambodian officers, Defense Ministry Secretary of State Elvan Sarat expressed his deepest sorrow at the passing of General Le Duc Anh. He recalled the former Presidents great contributions to enhancing the friendship, solidarity and multifaceted cooperation between the Vietnamese and Cambodian armies. Representatives from several ministries and the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia also paid their last respects to former President General Le Duc Anh. The same day, Russian Ambassador to Cambodia Dmitry Tsvetkov came to the Vietnamese Embassy to pay his homage to the late leader. The diplomat showed his respect to the deceased for his talent, and lauded his huge contributions to consolidating and strengthening cooperation between Vietnam and Russia in various spheres. The Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt also opened the book of condolences for former President General Le Duc Anh on May 3 and 4. Representatives from foreign embassies and diplomatic corps in Egypt, local officials and Vietnamese expats in the country came to pay tribute to the late leader. 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 declared two days of national mourning for him on May 3 and 4. A State funeral for the former President was held on May 3. Spokesperson Hang made the statement while answering reporters query regarding Chinas fishing ban on May 4. She elaborated that the ban has violated Vietnams sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago as well as the countrys legitimate rights and interests in its sea areas. It has also infringed international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), and run counter to 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, and the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of issues at sea, spokesperson Hang added. Vietnam has sufficient legal grounds and historical evidence testifying its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, and legitimate rights over its waters in conformity with the 1982 UNCLOS, the spokesperson said. Measures to preserve organism resources should be taken in line with the 1982 UNCLOS and not harm sovereign rights and jurisdiction at sea of countries concerned, she noted. The ceremony saw the presence of many local officials, representatives of political parties and Vietnams friends in the countries. Heads of many foreign diplomatic offices in Chile were also on hand. They expressed their deep condolences to Vietnam over the passing of the former President. Meanwhile, representing the Tanzanian government, Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs Palamagamba Kabudi on May 4 came to the Vietnamese Embassy in the African country to pay his last respect to the deceased. Writing in the condolences book, the minister highlighted that former President Anh had greatly contributed to the strengthening of the bilateral relations. Representatives of many foreign embassies in Tanzania also came to pay respect to former President Le Duc Anh. The two shipyards, Uljanik and 3. Maj, owned by the shipbuilder Uljanik, had been facing financial difficulties since last summer. The Croatian government was attempting to find the way to restructure the shipyards but has not been able to find an ideal solution as yet. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic recently talked with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Li assigned CSIC, one of the country's top shipbuilding industry players, to review the investment possibility. CSIC chairman Hu Wenming and a delegation of Chinese officials and professionals visited Croatia, and met with Plenkovic and Uljanik's management team. After the shipyard visit, Hu said that we will consider the investment possibilities and provide our feedback later. CSIC is set to make a decision on the investment in the coming ten days. Press Release May 6, 2019 Angara urges LGUs to take lead in providing quality public education Reelectionist Senator Sonny Angara is urging local government units (LGUs) to allocate more local resources for education and assume greater responsibility in ensuring that every student in their respective communities will have access to quality public education. "LGUs must take the lead in making sure that every child in the community completes a good public education, not only in elementary and high school but also in college," said the lawmaker, who is running under the platform "Alagang Angara." Angara said that LGUs across the country should lead in pouring in more funds to develop learning institutions that could provide students free and quality public education. He said the LGUs should think of "universal education as a wise investment with extremely large potential returns." The Harvard-educated lawmaker strongly believes that education is a great socioeconomic equalizer and that well-educated children are at the heart of healthy, productive and prosperous societies. "A good education is the most powerful tool we can give our children to help them escape poverty and lead happier, healthier and productive lives. If that is the future we want tomorrow, we must invest today," Angara said. Free public education - from kindergarten to college - is one of Angara's advocacies. He co-authored the Free College Education Law and the Free Kindergarten Law, while his father, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara, authored of the Free High School Act that ensured secondary education even for the poorest. The young Angara is also one of the authors of the proposed Student Fare Discount Act, which institutionalized and expanded the 20-percent student fare discount to include air and sea transport. The measure is now awaiting President Duterte's signature. Proof that the Angaras put premium on education, the senator studied at the London School of Economics, where he finished his undergraduate degree in International Relations. After completing his law degree at the University of the Philippines College of Law, Angara went to the Harvard Law School in the United States to earn his Master of Laws degree. "Everyone who has the desire and the ability should be able to get a college education regardless of their background and family income," Angara said. Under Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which Angara co-authored, tuition and miscellaneous fees in 112 SUCs, 78 LUCs, and all government-run technical-vocational schools nationwide are now free for all students. According to Angara, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and vice chair of the Committee on Finance, earlier disclosed that the government is spending a whopping P46 billion to implement RA 10931 this year, making it the biggest budget for free college education in Philippine history. Aside from the Free College Law budget, P1 billion was allotted in the 2019 national budget for the scholarship of poor and deserving students in private universities and colleges all over the country. Vice President Thinh held talks with the Swedish Princess shortly after a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on the afternoon of May 6. During her stay in Vietnam, Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria Ingrid Alice Desiree will make a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. She will also attend a business forum between the two countries. Crown Princess Victoria Ingrid Alice Desiree, born in 1977, is the oldest child of King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. She got married in 2010 and gave birth to two children. She studied politics and history at Yale University in the United States, before completing a course on handling conflict and building international peace. She used to work at the Swedish Embassy in the US in 1999 and at the United Nations in 2002. As one of the 17 ambassadors of the SDG Advocates, a group of eminent persons appointed to assist the campaign to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Crown Princess Victoria Ingrid Alice Desiree is mainly in charge of promoting the issues of sustainable development, ocean and fisheries policies. Sweden was the first Western country to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam in 1969 when Vietnam was struggling for national independence and reunification, and was facing extreme difficulties due to being besieged and embargoed. Sweden is an important partner of Vietnam in Europe. The country has provided Vietnam with US$3.4 billion in nonrefundable aid thus far, while two-way trade between the two sides reached more than US$1.8 billion in 2018. Currently, Sweden ranks 34th out of the 134 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 67 valid projects worth US$347 million in total. A number of well-known Swedish corporations, such as Ericson, Electrolux, IKEA and ABB, are operating effective investment and business activities in Vietnam. Press Release May 6, 2019 De Lima welcomes Senate plan for 'performance audit' of 4Ps program Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has welcomed her Senate colleagues' proposal to conduct a performance audit of the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to plug it of any loopholes and discuss other pertinent issues. De Lima, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said a Senate review of the 4Ps program can provide them with meaningful insights to make the program more effective in combatting poverty. "As its principal sponsor at the Senate, along with the co-authors of the bill and our counterparts at the House of Representatives, I deem it absolutely imperative to implement this program properly, given its committed results, the resources we have invested, and the positive impacts it has already delivered," she said in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 513. "Welcome na welcome po ang review ng 4Ps na panukala ng ating mga kasamahan sa Senado. Tunay po itong napapanahon at kapaki-pakinabang para sa lahat," she added. Sponsored and authored by De Lima, Senate Bill No. 2117 or the measure institutionalizing the 4Ps has been approved on third and final reading at the Senate last February. Its counterpart measure, House Bill (HB) No. 7773, was also approved at the House of Representatives in August 2018. Senate President Vicente Sotto III, along with Senators Panfilo Lacson and Gringo Honasan II, have earlier proposed to conduct a performance audit or review of the 4Ps program to check how its proper and effective implementation. Touted a national poverty reduction strategy and a human capital investment program, the 4Ps provides conditional cash transfer (CCT) to poor households for a maximum of seven years to improve their health, nutrition and access to education. "The enrolled copy of the 4Ps bill sent to Malacanang [c]ontains marked improvements that address key implementation issues and gaps of the program, such as making it more inclusive to farmers and fisherfolk, strengthening its livelihood and employment intervention, improved conditionalities for availment, and limiting the years of membership in the program to 7 years," De Lima explained. The lady Senator from Bicol said she hopes the performance review of the program can finally address the alleged failure of some beneficiaries of 4Ps under the CCT scheme to receive their cash grants that are supposed to assist them with their health, education and other basic needs. "The failure of those funds to reach qualified beneficiaries is a serious case of negligence that we cannot afford to have as many of our countrymen are in dire need of financial assistance," said the former justice secretary. Last year, De Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 850 which seeks to inquire into the ?1.323 billion unwithdrawn amount of the 4Ps for a period ranging from 30 to 2,190 days after payout. De Lima maintained that proper implementation of 4Ps can help improve the daily lives of qualified indigent Filipino families who perpetually suffer from inherited poverty. "Our obligation as the hands that help guide the future of our nation is to no longer allow the poor to die poor. We start at something - and we start with this," she said. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, there is a staggering 23.1 million Filipinos who are still identified as poor despite a slight decline in the country's poverty incidence for the first semester of 2018. Press Release May 6, 2019 Legarda: Green Party Launches Ten Million Trees Campaign in Laguna Luntiang Pilipinas Party-list on Monday formally launched a campaign in Calamba, Laguna to plant ten million trees in the Philippines as part of a nationwide regreening effort that would help improve the country's environment. According to Luntian first nominee Michael Ubac, "our objective is not just to win a seat in Congress so we can fight for the cause of the environment; our rallying call is also this: make the Philippines green again!" "We lose around 47,000 hectares of forest cover each year, and if we do not do anything to reverse this trend, these losses will have tragic consequences for our country's biodiversity, water security, and disaster prevention efforts," said the former journalist. The University of the Philippines and Harvard University alumnus explained that "today we only have less than a third of the forest cover we had at the turn of the 20th century." "From 21 million hectares of forests in 1900, we are now left with less than seven million hectares of forests. This cannot be allowed to be left unchecked. Only by working together, by rallying Filipinos and our leaders to this cause, will we be able to reverse the tide." Senator Loren Legarda, founder of Luntiang Pilipinas movement, said that the challenge is doable if everyone gets involved. "'Sa Bawat Punong Itanim, Buhay ang Aanihin' has been the slogan of Luntiang Pilipinas when I launched the movement in 1998, with the aim of growing trees and establishing forest parks nationwide. We wanted to show that with simple acts, such as planting a tree and letting it grow, we can all do our part in protecting the Earth and ensuring our survival," said Legarda. "The 10-million trees challenge should be easy for us because if each Filipino does his or her share, we would have a hundred million trees and thousands of thriving forest parks in our country," she added. The launching of the campaign coincided with several activities, such as a Luntian Green Rider bike ride from Batangas City to Laguna, a rally endorsing the "10 million trees challenge" with Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III and several senatorial candidates, and a tree-planting activity at the City Hall grounds. Also on hand to host the activities were Calamba Mayor Justin Marc "Timmy" Chipeco and Laguna Vice Gov. Karen Agapay. Founded in 1998 by Senator Legarda, Luntiang Pilipinas is responsible for planting and growing two million trees in 33 provinces, 28 cities, and 84 municipalities across the country. The group's platform is founded on its four pillars: regreening (forest parks, mangrove growing and gulayan sa paaralan); ecological solid waste management; coastal and marine resource management; and disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Luntiang Pilipinas is vying to be the first green party in the House of Representatives. It has been endorsed by the Senate President and Aksyon Demokratiko, the party founded by the late Sen. Raul Roco. Press Release May 6, 2019 A first in the Senate... PRIB: Sotto endorses all seven re-electionist colleagues Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III did what his predecessors were unable to do - crossed party lines and endorsed all colleagues who are seeking another six-year term in the Senate. Exactly a week before voters troop to polling precincts and cast their votes for a set of 12 senators who will form part of the 18th Congress in July, Sotto made formal his personal endorsements on all seven re-electionist candidates. "We may differ in opinion on various issues but we respect each other's perspectives all the time. That's what makes this current batch of Senate members different from the previous ones. We're all here to work for a great common cause - to be the voice of the people and ensure the independence of the institution," he said. In explaining his decision to back the candidacies of his incumbent colleagues, Sotto stressed that it was not based on party affiliation. "Our common democratic ideals are what bind us together. This is not to say that other candidates are lacking in that aspect, it's just that the past few years that I have had the chance to work with them, I have seen their dedication and sincerity in addressing the social and economic inequalities in our country. Subok ko na sila," Sotto emphasized. Sotto took the opportunity, during the national launch of the Luntian Party-list's "10 million trees challenge" held in Rizal Plaza in Calamba City, Laguna, to announce his personal line-up for the 2019 race to the Senate. "This is a big help for me," re-electionist Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, Sotto's predecessor said. "I am thankful to SP (Senate President) Sotto for his support for all re-electionists," he added. Re-electionist Senators Grace Poe and Sonny Angara, who both regarded Sotto as the current "father of the Senate", agreed that he is living up to his title where he has been the source of wisdom and stability. "If there's one person who I know will never abandon me, it is Senate President Sotto. He is like a father to me and I believe in his leadership. The endorsement fires us up to work harder and do more for the Filipinos. We are humbled and grateful," Poe said. "I am deeply honored and grateful to be endorsed by Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III under whose able leadership the Senate is admired by the public for its independence, transparency and sincerity," Angara said. "Recent surveys conducted by top survey firms have shown that the Senate is the most trusted and appreciated key government institution with Senate President Sotto consistently getting high satisfaction ratings among top government officials in the country. This leaves no doubt that his endorsement is a tremendous boost to any candidate running in the May 13 midterm elections," he added. Sotto likewise regarded the high trust and confidence of the people on the Senate, as consistently shown in various surveys, as a reason in endorsing the re-election bid of his colleagues saying that such is a manifestation of the continuing public support not only on the leadership but on members as well of the upper chamber. Re-electionist Sen. Nancy Binay also expressed her appreciation to the support shown by Sotto to her and fellow candidates in the Senate. "Nakakataba po ng puso ang pagkilala ng ating Senate President at iba pang kasamahan sa ating mga nagawa sa loob ng humigit-kumulang anim na taong panunungkulan sa Senado," she said. "Makakaasa po siya at ang sambayanan na ipagpapatuloy ko ang pagseserbisyo sa taumbayan, kung papalaring makabalik sa Senado. Patuloy po tayong magsusulong ng mga batas na mag-aangat at makakabuti sa buhay at kapakanan ng ating kapwa," Binay added. The three other re-electionists, Senators Cynthia Villar, Bam Aquino and JV Ejercito were also thankful to the move taken by the upper chamber leader. "He has (already) endorsed us (before). Nagpapasalamat tayo kay SP (Senate President) Tito Sotto. Pito po kami running for re-election," Villar said in an ambush interview while in the middle of her campaign sortie Sunday. Aquino, despite being part of the political opposition and minority bloc in the Senate, was elated to hear of the trust and confidence given to him by Sotto. "Malaking bagay po itong suporta ni TitoSen na makabalik tayo sa Senado para mas marami pang matulungan na mga kababayan natin. Mula po noon, hindi matatawaran ang kanyang suporta sa aming mga naitrabaho sa Senado gaya ng Libreng Kolehiyo," said Aquino. Ejercito said the same noting how Sotto welcomed him with open arms in the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) when he decided to leave his party, the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) late last year. "Syempre thankful tayo and very grateful. Malaking boost ito kasama ng endorsement ng El Shaddai. Alam nyo naman that politics is addition so any support or endorsement is very much welcome," he said. Since day one of the campaign period, Sotto has been vocal in expressing his full support to the re-election bid of his colleagues. He even joined the kick off rally last Feb. 13 organized by Poe in Tondo, Manila attended by Binay, Villar, Ejercito, Angara and Pimentel. Aquino failed to attend as he was in the opposition's proclamation rally in Naga City at that time. Completing Sotto's 10-man lineup are returning members Taguig City Rep. Pia Cayetano, former Sen. Manuel "Lito" Lapid and administration candidate, former special assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go. Sotto also endorsed the Luntiang Pilipinas Partylist group where his daughter, Ciara, is a second nominee. "It makes Luntian Party-list's environmental advocacy more meaningful because it comes from the third highest official in the land. The assured support of the Senate chief to Luntian Party-list will make it easier for us to enact environmental laws in the coming 18th Congress," said Luntian first nominee Michael Ubac. There have been no recent incidents in the Persian Gulf where U.S. and Iranian navies are routinely in close proximity and the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group was already bound for the Gulf a month before Bolton made his announcement. However, the tone of Bolton's declaration looked likely to escalate tensions in the region, and it comes days after the Iranian government expressed concern that Bolton and other hawks were seeking to draw the Trump administration into a new war. In a written statement, Bolton said the ships and planes were intended "to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force." "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces," the statement said. Polls are starting to look really bad for Obama. Looks like he'll have to start a war or major conflict to win. Don't put it past him! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2012 One month after Donald Trump announced that the United States now regards Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organization, the Trump Regime is sending an aircraft carrier and a bomber task force to the Middle East, a provocative gesture defended by National Security Advisor John Bolton as a necessary response to a "number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" from Iran.However, as Julian Borger notes at the Guardian , "It was unclear on Sunday night what Iranian actions Bolton was referring to." He continues:It's a tough sell that you aren't "seeking war" at the same time you're engaging in provocative military gestures and threatening to use "unrelenting force" in response to any perceived attack.Especially when the National Security Advisor has long been an advocate of that war : In 2015, Bolton penned an op-ed for thebluntly headlined: " To Stop Iran's Bomb, Bomb Iran ."Now we're meant to believe that he isn't actively seeking war, in his role as advisor to a president who once tweeted:On the day Donald Trump tweeted that, President Barack Obama's approval rating was 50%. Trump's is currently four points lower Yosary had come to the United States last March to seek asylum. In Honduras, she said, she had been raped when she was 12 and became pregnant with her son. After the family reported the attack, she said, they began receiving a series of threats. The lines between the local gang and the police and military in her city seemed increasingly blurry. As the child got older, Yosary said, her attacker started lingering near her house, and she feared her son would be kidnapped. So Yosary decided to flee with several members of her family, carrying her toddler by foot, by truck and finally by inflatable raft across the Rio Grande. After finding Border Patrol agents, she was taken to a processing station, where she was separated from the rest of her family and sent with her son to CFS' mother-and-children's home in New Jersey. [Content Note: Nativism; child abuse; sexual violence.] Last Thursday , I wrote about a 16-year-old boy who died in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, the third such death since last December, raising fresh and urgent concerns about the care that migrant children taken into U.S. custody are receiving while detained in shelters.At ProPublica, Michael Grabell has a must-read report detailing that the conditions are indeed demanding of our attention, worry, and outrage: " Pediatrician Who Treated Immigrant Children Describes Pattern of Lapses in Medical Care in Shelters ."The piece opens with a story about 15-year-old Honduran refugee Yosary, who is being detained at a "group home" in New Jersey with her 2-year-old son. She complained about symptoms for weeks before she was taken to see one of the shelter's pediatricians, at which point she was so ill from anemia, her history of which was documented in her record (but ignored), that she required hospitalization for intravenous intervention.Her pediatrician, Dr. Elana Levites-Agababa, is now blowing the whistle on the chronically neglectful system that is endangering migrant children in U.S. custody. She is very brave.The focus of the piece is on healthcare (or the lack thereof), but I also want to highlight this later passage about the details of Yosary's background, which forced her to the U.S. in the first place:Donald Trump and members of his administration and Republican members of Congress and Fox News anchors and conservative talk radio hosts routinely describe migrants and refugees as violent criminals who are crossing the border with nefarious intentions to do harm to U.S. citizens and then that demonizing stereotype gets repeated and amplified by Trump's deplorable base.But the vast majority of migrants and refugees are people who areviolent criminals and other desperate circumstances, including climate change, which are forcing them out of their homes. They are seeking safety.Yosary is a 15-year-old child with a child of her own. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. She wants to not be hurt herself.We can give her that. We should. Comvita shares fell 9.3 percent after it said honey production had been "poor overall" for the third season in a row and it now expects a net loss of around $6 million for the year. The shares recently traded at $3.80 and are down 14 percent so far this year. In late May 2016, the stock was trading at $13. "Even though production per hive for Comvita was higher than the previous year, it was a poor production season overall. This has been put down to poor weather patterns but we also believe that there is an impact in most regions, but notably Northland and East Coast, of over-crowding of Manuka sites with hives by competing beekeepers," it said. While honey production post-Christmas met the budgeted expectations on a per hive basis, honey grades were lower than expected and the MPI Manuka honey definition changes led to a large drop in value of multi-flora Manuka "by-catch". Manuka honey has a significant premium over other honey and in December 2017, the Ministry for Primary Industries finalised a scientific definition that can be used to authenticate whether or not a particular honey is New Zealand manuka honey. All honey labelled as manuka for export must be tested by an MPI-recognised laboratory to make sure it meets the new manuka honey definition. Among other things, it identifies it as either monofloral or multifloral. Comvita said the poor honey production season was "extremely disappointing" in light of the fact the company has been moving its apiary business to a more variable cost model. "Obviously we have much work to do," it said. It will look to change the direction of the business unit before the next season. "This will involve a review of our apiary business operations and under-performing assets, withdrawing from sites that have become non-viable due to overcrowding, and moving these hives to where there are large tracts of Manuka, including our own plantations, which will produce material quantities of honey over the next two to three years," it said. Comvita noted it now has greater control over sales channels and in-market pricing. With the acquisition of 100 percent of the China joint venture and by securing a direct trading relationship with the last of the major cross border e-commerce platforms into China, "we are now achieving consistent and growing monthly revenue at improved margins," it said. These relationships reduce its dependence on the so-called Daigou channels, essentially an army of informal travelling shopping agents who buy products in Australasia for sale in China. However, Comvita said benefits won't be obvious until the 2019-2020 year, reiterating that it underestimated how difficult in time and resource commitment it would be to get pricing right and build direct contractual relationships with all the major e-commerce channels into China. In February it reported a first half net loss of $2.7 million as the planned shift to more formal sales channels was taking longer than expected. (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 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 Huawei has vigorously defended its right to be part of New Zealands 5G mobile network build at the China Business Summit in Auckland this morning. And it has called on GCSB Minister Andrew Little to meet with them to discuss the issue. Andrew Bowater, Huawei NZs deputy chief executive, told delegates Huawei had a 14-year history in New Zealand, and had opened itself up to unprecedented scrutiny via the UKs intelligence and security network GCHQ. He called on the minister to talk to the company - something Little has so far refused to do. Bowater's speech is part of a strong public relations push by Huawei to regain public trust and get its network technology back into the 5G rollout, after being banned by the Government Communications Security Bureau last year. The campaign includes its quirky 5G without Huawei is like rugby without New Zealand advertising campaign and an opinion piece on Stuff this morning headlined We know the rumours, gossip and innuendo about us. Bowater said at the China summit GCHQ has said it has never found any evidence of wrongdoing from Huawei. Not one of our competitors has opened themselves up to that sort of scrutiny, nor has it been asked for. Its main competitors are Finnish company Nokia and Swedish multinational Ericsson. Bowater said Huawei had approached Little for a meeting, but had been told that was inappropriate, while the 5G process was going on. We think its appropriate to have a broader engagement. Bowater said the GCSB decision was more about geopolitics and was not the best outcome for New Zealand in terms of its technology. We are confident we could mitigate any risks. He quoted UK estimates of a 6 billion impact on the economy there if the government banned Huawei and went for a duopoly vendor situation. Similarly, the impact in New Zealand could be huge - potentially hundreds of millions, he said. Last month, the UK government formalised a ban on Huawei's involvement in the core 5G network there but left open its ability to participate in the rest of the build. Huawei argues that the part of a 5G network at risk from any potential Chinese government interference is the core, which will be supplied by US company Cisco. Huawei is only bidding to put its technology on the 5G cellsites, which are one step removed from the core. We dont play in the core - thats the brains and where the data is managed, and thats where New Zealand might get attacked," Bowater said. The GCSB told Spark that using Huawei 5G equipment would, if implemented, raise significant national security risks. Bowater said Huawei would like the opportunity to put its case directly to the government. We believe after 14 years in the market, we deserve the right to a fair trial. GCSB director general Andrew Hampton said it assesses proposals from network operators to identify potential significant risk, using a framework that's agnostic of suppliers and the country of origin for the equipment. "While I cannot comment on particular notifications as these are made to us on an in confidence basis, I am aware of ongoing commentary on the use of Huawei equipment in 5G networks," he said in a statement. Because of the nature of 5G networks - which consist of densely-packed small cell sites rather than large spread-out antennae - it's harder to isolate sensitive aspects of the network, he said. "GCSB uses information, including classified intelligence, from a wide range of sources in making our assessment of network security risk. While we have access to information from Five Eyes partners, and other sources, the decisions we make are independent, in accordance with New Zealand law, and based on our own assessment," he said. (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 The New Zealand dollar firmed after starting the day sharply weaker on US President Donald Trumps threat to raise tariffs on Chinese goods just as the two nations were nearing a trade agreement. The kiwi was trading at 66.23 US cents at 5pm, up from 66.03 at 8am but down from 66.44 in New York on Friday. The trade-weighted index rose to 72.41 points from 72.12. The trade deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No! Trump tweeted after threatening to raise tariffs currently at 10 percent on US$200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25 percent on Friday. It was only last Friday that Trump had said the two nations were nearing a deal. Not to be outdone, Chinas Vice-Premier Liu He let it be known he is considering cancelling his trip to Washington, including a 100-person delegation, which had been scheduled for Wednesday. The price action in kiwi trading today has been all about China, says Mike Shirley, a dealer at Kiwibank. After the initial sharp reaction the market had steadied. It began recovering, with many thinking they had over-reacted to Trumps tweet, only to be knocked by the Chinese reaction. Shirley says there was also a blip after Treasury forecast a slight dip in GDP relative to its previous forecasts. That was a bit of noise in that much bigger China trade story, he says. Treasury said partial indicators and weak business confidence suggest New Zealand's economic growth has been throttled back and may be lower than it forecast in the December half-year update. China is New Zealands largest trading partner and its economy has been suffering as a result of the trade war with the US. Although it has been responding to government stimulus, the economy remains fragile. The market is also awaiting monetary policy decisions by both the Reserve Bank of Australia, due tomorrow at 4.30pm, New Zealand time, and by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, due on Wednesday at 2pm. Shirley says the market pricing has the odds of an Australian rate cut shortening and is now just below 50 percent. The odds of a cut in New Zealand are just above 50 percent. The median in a Bloomberg poll of 17 economists also points to a 25 basis-point rate cut in the official cash rate to 1.50 percent on Wednesday, although many of those polled say its a line-ball call. The New Zealand dollar was trading at 94.75 Australian cents from 94.71, at 50.46 British pence from 50.24, at 59.17 euro cents from 59.14, at 73.39 Japanese yen from 73.02 and at 4.4875 Chinese yuan from 4.4463. The New Zealand two-year swap rate fell to 1.6120 percent from 1.6197 on Friday while the 10-year swap rate edged down to 2.1650 percent from 2.1875. (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 Air New Zealand has lost $100 million in the 13 years it has been flying to China, chief executive Christopher Luxon says. The cumulative loss in that time is largely because it is competing in the Chinese market with government-affiliated airlines, in a regulatory environment stacked against New Zealand, he says. China sees aviation as tools of the state," Luxon told delegates at the 2019 China Business Summit in Auckland today. "We compete with large-scale state-backed businesses that can make losses flying to New Zealand. The resulting asymmetric" competition means Chinese airlines have unfettered access to New Zealand, but we dont have the same access to China. For example, he says Air NZ has been trying for four years to double the number of slots in and out of Shanghai airport, and change the timing on them so it can position itself as a hub to take passengers from China into South America. At the moment, constraints with timetabling often meant an untenable 12-hour stopover for passengers in Auckland. Luxon was speaking at the seventh China Business Summit, organised by NZ INC and the Auckland Business Chamber. He was joined on a panel by Mainfreight managing director Don Braid and Zespri chair Bruce Cameron. All three stressed that huge growth for their company in the Chinese market was accompanied by major problems doing business in China. It has been very difficult to do business in China; an incredibly difficult journey, Luxon said. We can deploy into the US with fewer constraints and less investment and we can become profitable immediately." He said Air New Zealand would be keen on some government help with negotiations with China over the Shanghai flights issue. He also called on New Zealand to loosen transit visa requirements so it was easier for Chinese visitors coming through New Zealand. However, Luxon said the problems for Air New Zealand and other NZ companies operating in China cant be seen purely as political, solvable by governments. I argue unforced errors and naivety on Air New Zealands part, and I see a lot of that from New Zealand businesses in China. He said New Zealand companies do a lot of "wittering and whinging about why they aren't successful in the Chinese market, but we have to deal with it and work through it. Mainfreights Don Braid said a key to operating in China for his company had been owning their Chinese operations 100 percent. He said the company had been profitable from day one but for that we needed to have control of our destiny. That is in stark contrast to the experience of our biggest company, Fonterra, which has lost hundreds of millions on failed Chinese joint ventures. Braid said political and business relations between China and New Zealand were tenuous and difficult at the best of times but it was critical for the Prime Minister and key ministers to put maximum effort into the relationship. One visit a year is not enough. Zespri chair Bruce Cameron pushed the same point in terms of business-level relationships. You have to turn up - the board, executives and management have to turn up and meet people. In the past two weeks, me, the previous chair, the CEO, and the head of comms have all been in China, building existing relationships. Greater China is now Zespris largest market, growing from 2 percent of total sales when it started selling there 20 years ago, to just under 5 percent 10 years later, and more than 15 percent now. The company hopes to grow its Chinese business to 25 percent of sales in the next six years. But its taken us many years and hard knocks to get there, Cameron says. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. 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Related News: 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 Meeting with Most Venerable Thich Duc Thanh, permanent member of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)s Executive Council and head of the Executive Council of the VBS chapter in the province, the VFF leader lauded contributions made by VBS and the provincial VBS chapter to national development over the past years. He wished that with his prestige, Most Venerable Thich Duc Thanh would continue working for the great national unity and calling on monks, nuns and Buddhist followers to contribute to accomplishing socio-economic development goals. Man also asked the provincial authorities to pay further attention to religions in the locality and the restoration of local places of worship to conserve the local religious culture. Most Venerable Thich Duc Thanh vowed to urge followers to join campaigns and movements launched by the VFF while heeding social welfare and charity activities. On the occasion, Man presented gifts to the Most Venerable and Buddhist followers at the pagoda. The VFF leader also took the occasion to visit and hand over houses worth VND40 million each and gifts valued at VND300,000 each to three poor households in Huong Thuy township. Maintenance work at the countrys biggest gas field is winding up, with China Oilfield Services Boss rig expected to start decoupling from the Pohokura production platform by tomorrow. That process means production from the fields offshore wells will be stopped for about 12 days. Production from three wells that come ashore near Waitara will continue. Field operator OMV says most of the work a mix of well interventions and platform maintenance has been completed. Most of the well intervention equipment has already been demobilised from the COSL Boss rig and preparations to commence decoupling are underway. Pohokura, developed by Shell but now owned by OMV and Todd Energy, typically delivers close to 40 percent of the countrys natural gas. Two maintenance shuts last year and the latest work, which started in February, tightened gas supplies and pushed electricity prices higher when the countrys hydro dams were low last spring and again in February and March. OMV had hoped to complete the latest maintenance campaign last month. Power prices have jumped again this month as intermittent gas shuts at Pohokura have coincided with the onset of cold, still weather that has boosted demand and reduced wind generation. Wholesale electricity cost an average $152 a megawatt-hour yesterday, more than four-times that a year earlier, according to Electricity Authority data. Contact Energy last month restarted its 377 MW Taranaki Combined Cycle plant with gas contracted from operators of other less efficient plants in order to help meet demand heading into winter. It shut its own gas-fired peakers, while production from Nova Energys McKee plant and Genesis Energys dual-fuel Rankine units has also dropped since TCC resumed production, according to EnergyLink data. OMV says that, once clear of Pohokura, the Boss rig will return to Admiralty Bay in the Marlborough Sounds where it will be loaded on to a heavy lift vessel and leave New Zealand waters. (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 According to data from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, in the first four months of 2019, the number of international tourists coming to the country was estimated at nearly six million. Despite an increase of 7.6% compared to the same period in 2018, it is still a low increase, far lower than that in previous years. For example, in the first four months of 2018, the growth rate was at 29.5% compared to the same period in 2017, while the figure for the first four months period in 2017 was at 30.3%, compared to the same period in 2016. It is worth mentioning that, while Asian visitors increased strongly, the proportion of visitors from markets with high spending has tended to decrease since 2015, such as North American visitors who fell from 7.6% to 5.8 %, and European visitors down from 14.6% to 13.1%. One of the basic causes pointed out by tourism experts at the Vietnam Private Sector Economic Forum 2019 in Hanoi recently is the lack of an attractive visa policy. The story was analysed a few years ago, when international arrivals to the country showed signs of slowing down. In fact, in recent years, Vietnam has made multiple efforts to improve the openness of its visa policies, such as unilateral visa exemption for 13 nations and applying e-visas for citizens from over 80 countries. However, when compared to other countries in the region, Vietnam's visa policy is still limited by the lack of competitiveness and limited openness. While Thailand exempts visitors from nearly 60 countries from visas, Indonesia for nearly 170 countries, and the Philippines 160 countries, this number in Vietnam is only 14 countries. In tourism development, visa exemption is not a leading factor determining growth, nor does it fully represent a country's competitiveness for tourism, because this capacity depends on the level of the responsiveness of infrastructure, product quality and human resources. However, undeniably, the visa policy always has a great impact on international tourist traffic, and increasing visa openness to create a competitive advantage has been a measure adopted by many countries. Evidence is that after the Government of Vietnam decided to exempt visas for citizens from the EU, the growth in the number of visitors from the bloc has always been impressive with an average increase of more than 20% per year. Or after the Republic of Korea (RoK) applied a five-year visa to Vietnamese citizens who have a permanent residence in the big cities of Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, and not limiting the number of visits at the same time, has helped increase the number of Vietnamese guests to the RoK impressively for the past few months. According to travel experts, to attract more visitors, the first requirement is to make the destination easy to travel to. In the context of tourism being considered a "hen laying golden eggs" for many countries, most visitors will tend to choose favourable destinations with simple procedures. So, as long as the visa policy is not sufficiently clear, creating fear for tourists, it is still a "barrier" to limit tourism development. To reach the goal by 2020, Vietnam will attract 17 to 20 million international tourists, with revenue from tourism reaching US$35 billion and by 2030 tourism becoming a key economic sector, the country needs to quickly improve and innovate visa policies and expand visa exemption for key markets with high spending and long-term stays. For this market, instead of visa exemption year by year, a longer-term programme should be applied to avoid disturbance for visitors and also for tourism companies to be proactive in developing marketing strategies to attract guests. This is also a solution to restructure the tourist market in the direction of focusing on quality growth, while ensuring the stable and sustainable development of the tourism industry. In addition, experts also proposed to increase the number of visa exemption days from 15 to 30 to match the number of holidays of visitors from remote markets, as well as encouraging visitors to stay longer and spend more. Vietnam is ranked as Asia's top destination, ranked 32nd in the world in terms of quantity and attractiveness of natural and cultural resources. This means, Vietnam has the full advantage to attract tourists. The problem is how to invite visitors and retain them when coming to Vietnam. To do this, of course, it is indispensable to make visa policy play a key role. On 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, three Christian Churches and three luxury hotels in the commercial capital Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa were targeted in a series of coordinated terrorist suicide bombings.Suicide bombers targeted churches and luxury hotels across Sri Lanka killed at least 253 people and injured over 500. The following programme aired by an independent radio channel in Colombo, Neth FM, recently.Click here to WATCH THIS MUST DOCUMENTARY Lankan Muslims have backed the Governments crackdown methods against the Islamists in the wake of the Easter blasts, but the success of the efforts hinges on the narrative the Lankan Govt is able to construct by Swarn Kumar Anand The Easter Sunday fidayeen attacks in Sri Lanka are unique for three reasons. First, the island nation unlike its neighbours: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh had not seen till then any terror act by proclaimed Islamist forces. Second, the perpetrator ISIS, despite being badly battered and ousted from the land of its Caliphate just a month before, has told the world loud and clear that it still has potential to surprise new territories with its lethal action. Third, the curious selection of the island nation for the suicide blasts by ISIS, in connivance with Lankan-based National Thowheeth Jamaath, raises a pertinent question: Whether the erstwhile ethnic divide in Sri Lanka was reborn in religious radicalisation? However as there has never been any systemic discrimination against Muslims in Sri Lanka an essential ingredient for the breeding of religious radicals this question warrants special attention, also because experience shows that Islamist forces, particularly ISIS, have flourished only in those regions which are afflicted with pre-existing conflicts - sectarian, ethnic, or religious. Despite local and global Intelligence reports suggesting that National Thowheeth Jamaath and its south Indian cohorts have been in touch with ISIS for long, the choice of Sri Lanka for the revolting attacks is more to do with the peaceful island nation being a safe target for ISIS, which is desperate to stay in the reckoning for global Islamist terror leadership. ISIS, which wielded enormous control over huge area stretching from eastern Iraq to western Syria till March this year, is straining every nerve to peddle a global narrative that its loss of 88,000km territory doesnt mean that ISIS has lost its Islamist appeal for global jihad. And here it needed a solid platform to announce the same. Seen in this context, the reclusive ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made the first appearance in five years, before the global media in a video message to readily claim the responsibility for the Lankan terror attacks. He used the occasion to outline the crumbling outfits vision, calling for jehad via war of attrition, and insisting on its propaganda of robust presence in South-east Asia, including the Philippines. Baghdadi also exhorted the believers for hijrah (migration) to the Afghanistan-Pakistan region for recruitment of jihadis. The ramifications can be found in Sri Lanka Army Commander Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayakes interview to the BBC in which he claimed that some of the suicide bombers visited Kashmir and Kerala for some sorts of training or to make some more links with other foreign outfits. Maybe this explains why Sri Lanka became the sure-shot target for homeless Baghdadi, who has lost his last redoubt in Syria. Although Baghdadi claims caliphate is not bound by the geography, he is raring to gain lost ground in Iraq and Syria. ISIS already has a covert network in Iraq. Therefore, it is essential that the coalition forces should maintain its hold in the areas of ISIS caliphate till it destroys the outfits raison detre. As for Sri Lanka, the island nation needs to ensure ISIS doesnt succeed in having local franchises there. Considering the sophistication of the highly coordinated attacks all by Lankan nationals, the bigger riddle for Colombo is to unravel whether any of its citizen ever fought for ISIS outside the country, and, more specifically, to ensure, if they did, they land in prison. Although Sri Lankan Muslims have supported the Governments crackdown methods against the Islamists in the wake of the Easter bombings, the success of the efforts hinges on the narrative the Government is able to construct. Any ostentatious action against religious-cultural symbol is fraught with the danger of spawning more radicals born out of the narrative of the State operation. Therefore, the burqa (face veil) ban may be a pragmatic decision considering the facts that some of women accomplices of the suicide bombers had fled the scene in burqa for the time being till the raids and investigation are over, the ban should be lifted as soon as possible before Islamist outfits can exploit the situation with newfound purpose and energy. (The writer is Associate Editor & News Editor, The Pioneer) System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3ff0217098)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff0c87f90)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3ff0217098)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff0c87f90)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fed81d9f8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff0c87f90)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff0c87f90)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fecb3bb80)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff0c86758)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff0c86758)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fed5b9d30)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fed5a35d8)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fed5b9d30)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fed5a35d8)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fed5a9380)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fed5a35d8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fed5a35d8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fecb3c9a0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fed4939a8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fed4939a8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fed00e2a0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fecf2c210)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fed00e2a0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fecf2c210)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fed01d7c0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fecf2c210)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fecf2c210)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fecb3b448)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fecb3b1a8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fecb3b1a8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 URI researchers: Offshore wind farm increased tourism on Block Island KINGSTON, R.I. - May 6, 2019 - Researchers at the University of Rhode Island who analyzed AirBnB rental data before and after construction of the Block Island Wind Farm have found that, contrary to some concerns, the turbines have increased tourism on the island. Corey Lang, URI associate professor of environmental economics, and doctoral student Andrew Carr-Harris, said that many coastal communities that rely on tourism to sustain their economy have worried that offshore wind farms would negatively affect tourism. "It's a common argument for pushback against siting offshore wind, but there isn't a lot of empirical evidence about it one way or the other," said Lang. "There have been surveys done assessing how tourists might feel about it, based on potential images of turbines in offshore waters, but those are hypothetical." ""Some of the recent surveys suggest that people consider offshore wind farms to be an eyesore," said Carr-Harris. "People tend to think the turbines will ruin the seascape and detract from their beach experience." The researchers collected lodging data from AirBnB to examine trends in monthly revenues, occupancy rates and reservations from roughly two years before construction of the turbines to one year after construction was completed. They compared AirBnB rental trends in Block Island to those in nearby communities that are also dependent on summer vacation rentals - Narragansett, Westerly and Nantucket. The results were almost entirely positive for the peak summer months of July and August, and there were no noticeable effects during the rest of the year. During July and August following construction of the turbines, AirBnB rentals in Block Island experienced, on average, a 19 percent increase in occupancy rates and a $3490 increase in monthly revenue compared to those in Narragansett, Westerly and Nantucket. "We have multiple indicators for the tourism market, and they seem to be indicative that there was an increase in interest in visiting Block Island in the year after construction of the wind farm," said Lang. While the data didn't indicate the reason for the increase in occupancy, Lang and Carr-Harris suggest that people were curious about the wind farm and wanted to see it for themselves. "I think there has been some excitement about it. People are excited about renewable energy and sustainability, and they want to get behind it," Lang said. "So for the nation's first offshore wind farm, we believe our results indicate that it has had a positive effect on tourism." "There are other factors that could be at play, too," said Carr-Harris. "It's perceived that there is better fishing near the turbines, for instance, so more people may be coming to the island to go fishing." The researchers noted that the curiosity factor may dissipate shortly, so the positive effects on vacation rentals may not persist for long. "The long-term trajectory might be very different," Lang said. "If it's driven by curiosity, then we might expect it to go back to normal. But if there are fundamental things that have changed, like better fishing, then it's likely that some enhanced opportunities that come from renewable energy may be sustained. But that's speculation." Also, because the Block Island Wind Farm is the first of its kind in North America, it may be generating more tourism interest than will future wind farms, they said. And a small wind farm like at Block Island may not generate the negative impressions that a much larger wind farm may generate in the future. "So it's difficult to extrapolate our results to other communities," said Lang. "But it mitigates some fear that there's going to be big negatives." Lang plans to follow up this study with an investigation of perceptions of the wind farm from the perspective of those who live on Block Island year-round. "It's one thing to look at a turbine for a few days and be mesmerized by it," he said. "But to have it there constantly may be different." ### The research was published in the journal Resource and Energy Economics. Funding was provided by Rhode Island Sea Grant. This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. 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. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fed3b3650)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fed511768)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fed3b3650)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fed511768)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fed527210)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fed511768)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fed511768)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fecb3c9e8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fed4af5f0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fed4af5f0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 Volunteers are ready for the second summit on digital development from May 6 to 8 in Fuzhou, Fujian province. [Photo/FZ Evening News] FUZHOU -- In less than 10 seconds, Zhou Bin, a resident in Fuzhou city, East China's Fujian province, can access his social security and provident fund accounts on his cell phone. "In the past, you had to find different official websites for different formalities and also apply for the verification code via your cell phone every time you log in," said Zhou. But now, he said, the mobile app called "e-Fuzhou" covers almost all aspects of government services and approvals in daily life, saving the city's residents from the red tape. The leapfrog offers a glimpse of China's digital efforts to improve its governance capacity and efficiency. Startups can now complete registration procedures and obtain licenses at the self-service registration machines in the city of Pingtan without long queues and onerous paperwork. The machines, connected to the government database and supported by facial recognition technologies, help streamline the application process and reduce the required time from days to just minutes. A slew of digital technology applications, including the big data credit inquiry system, the online tax bureau, and the paperless customs clearance system, have also been developed in the province over the years. Digital technology also has its presence in law enforcement and crime prevention. Xiao An, a police robot, is now in charge of patrolling the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, a famous scenic spot in Fuzhou. The white robot, which is 1.6 meters tall and weighs 80 kg, moves at a speed of 0.4 meters per second in the designated area, almost the average walking pace of human beings. Equipped with high-definition cameras on its heads, the robot can take pictures along its routes and send the collected information in real time to the backstage, where the data is further analyzed and nearby police forces can be dispatched accordingly. The robot also provides tourists with services such as voice navigation and broadcasting lost and found notices. While the citizens are reaping rewards of e-government data sharing, China has also beefed up laws and regulations to better protect the personal information of its citizens. Tong Pingping, a government official in the city of Xiamen, said that citizen's sensitive information is encrypted and processed by computers, while officials only have access to information that would prove whether or not a person was involved in a crime. "Making sensitive data invisible would encourage departments with rich data resources to open data-sharing ports," said Tong, stressing that data security of citizen information is the top priority in e-governance. China will hold the second summit on digital development from May 6 to 8 in Fuzhou. This year's summit aims to serve as a platform for people at home and abroad to cooperate and contribute to digital China. Fuzhou, where the first summit was held, has witnessed bourgeoning development of the digital economy in the past year, attracting famous businesses such as Alibaba to invest in the city and nurturing a batch of high-quality digital companies. US-Taliban talks stumble over troop withdrawal: Taliban Doha, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2019 Talks between the Taliban and the US have become bogged down over the key issue of when foreign forces might leave Afghanistan, a Taliban spokesman told AFP on Sunday. The Taliban and US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad have met repeatedly in the Qatari capital Doha in recent months in a bid to finally end Afghanistan's gruelling war. Central to negotiations is the fundamental question of a timetable for when US and foreign forces might leave Afghanistan, after more than 17 years of conflict. While Khalilzad in February sounded an optimistic tone, suggesting a deal was within reach by July, the two foes have hit a sticking point. Before the US agrees to a withdrawal, it is demanding the Taliban put in place security guarantees, a ceasefire and other commitments. But the insurgents insist they won't do a thing until the US announces a withdrawal timeline. In an interview with AFP, Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's political spokesman in Doha, said the two sides are trying "to narrow the differences and have an agreement on a timetable which is acceptable to both sides". "That has not been achieved so far," Shaheen said. Asked if that meant nothing would move forward until America announced a withdrawal timetable, Shaheen said: "In principle, yes", adding that the issue might not be resolved in this round of talks. "If we are not able to finalise it in this round, then ... peace would be far away rather than being closer," Shaheen said. The US embassy in Kabul did not immediately comment, but Khalilzad has repeatedly stressed the troop withdrawal is only one issue in the talks. For things to progress, he says the Taliban must ensure Afghanistan is never again used as a terrorist safe haven, implement a ceasefire, and speak to Afghan representatives. Shaheen said the Taliban are ready to provide the US with the security guarantees it seeks. It was not clear if the talks were to continue Monday, the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. - Peace mega-summit - Many Afghans are aghast at the prospect of the US making a deal with the Taliban, and see the United States as desperate to leave a country that has cost it more than $1 trillion and the lives of some 2,400 troops. They fear an emboldened Taliban would try to seize power and reintroduce its extreme version of Islam, wiping out years of gains by women, the media and others. The Taliban have steadfastly refused to talk to Ghani, who they view as a US puppet, and talks thus far have cut out his government. Khalilzad has tried to reassure Afghans by meeting with representatives from across the diverse country. Thousands of tribal elders and other figures met in Kabul last week to express their red lines for a deal with the Taliban. Many in Kabul scoff at the idea the insurgents, who once stoned women to death on flimsy allegations of adultery, have adapted to more modern times. But Shaheen insisted the Taliban do "not have any problem with women's rights," though he said they would be based on "Islamic values." "We have a different culture and different values. Our values, Afghan values are different from that of Western values", he said. At the end of last week's mega-summit, President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban a ceasefire. The insurgents refused, and on Sunday launched a suicide and gunman attack at a police station in northern Afghanistan, killing at least 13 people. The attack was just the latest incident in daily violence across Afghanistan. US forces train Afghan partners on the ground and strike the Taliban from the air, sometimes killing hundreds of the insurgents in a week, in a bid to push the war to a political settlement. Negotiations between the Taliban and the US are complex, with Taliban chief negotiator Abbas Stanikzai leading a 13-member team, while Khalilzad has about two dozen officials with him. The Qatari government is also participating. Negotiations move slowly, with interactions translated back and forth into Pashto and English, while negotiators often pause to confer with higher ups. US sends naval strike group to Middle East in 'message' to Iran Washington, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2019 The United States is sending an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East in a "clear and unmistakable" message to Iran, National Security Advisor John Bolton said Sunday. "In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region," Bolton said in a statement. The deployment is aimed at sending "a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," Bolton said. "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces." The statement did not specifically state why the deployment is taking place now, but it comes during a deadly escalation between Gaza-based Palestinian militants and Israel in which the two sides have traded a barrage of rocket fire and air strikes in recent days. The deployment also comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran over the latter's nuclear program, with the US taking aim at Iranian enriched uranium exports with sanctions. Hard-won 2015 Iran nuclear deal Tehran, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2019 In a hard-won deal struck in 2015, Iran agreed to freeze its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of punishing international sanctions. But on May 8 last year, US President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the breakthrough agreement and announced he was reimposing sanctions. Here is some background on the accord: - Long road - Negotiations start in June 2013 between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany. The final deal is reached on July 14, 2015 after 21 months of tough discussions. - The aim - The goal of the deal is to render it practically impossible for Iran to build an atom bomb, while at the same time allowing it to pursue a civilian nuclear programme. As part of the agreement, Tehran pledges to reduce its nuclear capacities for several years. It agrees to slash the number of centrifuges, which can enrich uranium for nuclear fuel as well as for nuclear weapons, from more than 19,000 to 5,060 and to maintain that level for a decade. It also accepts to modify its heavy water reactor in Arak, under the control of the international community, to make it impossible to produce plutonium at the reactor for military use. The deal comes into effect on January 16, 2016. - Inspectors, sanctions relief - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is charged with regular inspections of facilities such as uranium mines and centrifuge workshops for up to 25 years. In August 2018, the IAEA says Tehran is sticking to the terms of the deal, but emphasises the importance of Iran's "timely and proactive cooperation in providing such access" to sites and locations. The accord paves the way for a partial lifting of international sanctions on Iran, opening the door to foreign investors -- French energy giant Total and carmakers PSA and Renault all strike deals. UN embargoes on the sale of conventional arms and on ballistic missiles to Iran are however maintained up to 2020 and 2023 respectively. - US exit - In October 2017, Trump refuses to certify that Iran is respecting its commitments on the agreement, but stops short of re-imposing sanctions or abandoning the deal. Trump again waives sanctions in January, but demands that European partners "fix the terrible flaws" in the accord. On May 8, he announces the United States is pulling out of the agreement and will reimpose sanctions on Iran as well as all companies with ties to the Islamic republic. On August 7, Washington reimposes the first set of "the most biting sanctions ever" -- although they are in fact simply a reimposition of sanctions in place prior to the nuclear deal. They target access to US banknotes and key industries such as cars and carpets. A second tranche of sanctions kicks in on November 5, this time targeting Iran's vital oil sector and central bank transactions. acm/eab/par/nla GROUPE PSA TOTAL Iran nuclear deal: from US exit to new sanctions Tehran, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2019 The United States unilaterally withdrew a year ago from a multi-country deal under which Iran had agreed to halt its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of biting sanctions. Here are key developments in the bitter standoff since then. - US quits - On May 8, 2018, President Donald Trump announces the US withdrawal from the 2015 pact, saying "we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement." The move heralds the reinstatement of US sanctions, in two rounds. The US warns other countries to end trade and investment in Iran and to stop buying its oil or face punitive measures. But Britain, France, Germany -- who were also parties to the deal alongside Russia and China -- insist Iran has abided by its commitments to limit its nuclear activities, and say they are determined to save the agreement. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reacts that Tehran could scrap the curbs it agreed in the deal. But he calls on the remaining parties to save the accord. - Support for Iran - Washington warns on May 21 that Tehran will be hit with the "strongest sanctions in history" unless it capitulates to further demands over its missile programme and "destabilising activities" in the Middle East. A top US official says on July 2 that Washington is determined to force Iran to change its policies by slashing its oil exports. On July 6, Tehran's five remaining partners in the nuclear accord vow to back "the continuation of Iran's exports of oil and gas". On July 16, EU countries reject American demands to isolate Tehran economically. A day later, European sources say the US has dismissed requests to spare EU firms from sanctions penalties. - War of words - On July 22, Rouhani warns the US that any conflict with Iran would be the "mother of all wars". Trump tweets that he should stop making threats "OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES". - Sanctions, again - On August 7, Washington reimposes a first set of sanctions that target Iran's access to US banknotes and key industries, including cars and carpets. Within hours, German carmaker Daimler says it is halting its activities in Iran. French energy giant Total and other major international firms follow suit. On November 5, the United States imposes the second wave of sanctions aimed at significantly reducing Iran's oil exports and cutting it off from international finance. However it lists eight countries that will be granted temporary waivers: China, India, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey. At the end of January 2019, Britain, France and Germany launch a trade mechanism known as INSTEX in a bid to bypass US sanctions on Iran and allow Tehran to keep trading with EU companies. - 'Terrorism' - On March 7 Washington accuses Iran of carrying out three missile-related launches and urges international measures. On April 2, London, Paris and Berlin call for a UN report on Iran's ballistic missile activity. On April 8, the United States designates Iran's elite military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a "foreign terrorist organisation". Tehran immediately declares Washington a "state sponsor of terrorism" and its forces in the region "terrorist groups". - No more waivers - On April 22, Trump announces his decision to cancel the sanctions exemptions on oil imports. On April 28, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warns that leaving the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty -- aimed at stopping the spread of nuclear arms -- is among its "many options" for retaliation against US sanctions. acm/eab/br/par/dv/nla DAIMLER Beijing slams US warship sail-by in South China Sea Beijing, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2019 China said US warships sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea without permission on Monday in the latest US challenge to Beijing's territorial claims in the region. The Chinese navy asked the US vessels to leave after they entered waters adjacent to Gaven and Chigua reefs in the Spratly Islands, which Beijing calls Nansha, the foreign ministry said. The move comes on top of trade tensions as President Donald Trump said Sunday he would raise tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods on Friday because talks were moving "too slowly". "The relevant actions of the US warships violated China's sovereignty and undermined peace, security and good order in the relevant sea areas," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a press briefing. "The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to the operation, Geng added, noting that the ships had entered "without permission". The US Navy regularly conducts "freedom of navigation operations" to challenge Beijing's vast claims in the sea. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the sea, including on the Spratlys. China claims nearly all of the sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Geng said the situation in the sea was "constantly stabilising" due to the "joint efforts" of Beijing and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "Under such circumstances, China urges the US to stop such provocative acts, to respect China's sovereignty and security interests, and respect the efforts of regional countries to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea," he said. "At the same time, China will continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea." 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. US-Taliban peace talks paused for first day of Ramadan Doha, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2019 Peace talks between the US and the Taliban were suspended for the beginning of Ramadan on Monday, with the two sides still grappling over the key issue of when foreign forces might leave Afghanistan. The foes have spent much of the past week in a sixth round of talks in Doha aimed at ending America's longest war, with US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad leading negotiations for Washington. A potential deal would see America agree to withdraw its troops after more than 17 years in Afghanistan, in return for the Taliban guaranteeing the country never again becomes a safe haven for terror groups, as was the case with Al-Qaeda before the September 11, 2001 attacks. The US also insists any deal includes a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, and that the Taliban participate in an "intra-Afghan dialogue" with politicians and stakeholders from across Afghanistan. Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen told AFP the talks were taking a break for the first day of the holy month of Ramadan -- when Muslims fast during the day -- but would be resumed Tuesday. He said discussions had become bogged down over the issue of when foreign forces might withdraw in return for the Taliban security guarantees. The Taliban have said there is no point even discussing a ceasefire or an intra-Afghan dialogue before the US announces a troop withdrawal, whereas America wants to see all issues addressed at once. Still, Shaheen said "some progress" had been made on the withdrawal issue and the question of Taliban security promises, but "both sides need more negotiations." Sultan Barakat, the director of the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies in Doha, also said the talks would resume Tuesday, and that they had made "good progress". - 'Month of peace' - At the end of a large peace summit in Kabul last week, President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban a ceasefire to begin on the first day of Ramadan, but the insurgents refused. Ghani on Monday reiterated his call for the Taliban to respect demands from last week's "loya jirga" summit that saw thousands of tribal elders and Afghans meet in Kabul. "Ramadan is a month of peace and reconciliation," Ghani said. "I once again call on the Taliban to pay respect to this month and the demands of the people for peace and reconciliation reflected (in the Loya Jirga)." The talks in Doha are complex, with interactions translated back and forth into Pashto and English, while negotiators often pause to confer with higher-ups. Khalilzad in February sounded an optimistic tone, suggesting a deal was within reach by July, but it is not clear how much more time is needed for the two sides to come to an agreement. Meanwhile, violence continues apace across Afghanistan. On Sunday, 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. Iran may retaliate over US nuclear pullout in days: agency Tehran, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2019 Iran may announce retaliatory moves against the United States on the one-year anniversary of the US pullout from the nuclear deal on Wednesday, the semi-official news agency ISNA reported. The US unilaterally withdrew on May 8, 2018 from the 2015 multilateral deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under which Iran agreed to halt its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of biting sanctions. Quoting what it called informed sources, ISNA said on Monday that President Hassan Rouhani was likely to announce "step-by-step plans" for "reciprocal measures" on the anniversary of the US pullout. The rest of the ISNA report was not attributed to any source. According to the agency, the measures would include the "partial and complete reduction of some of Iran's commitments and restarting part of nuclear activities halted in the framework of the JCPOA." The report said the measures would be in line with two sections of the accord. The two sections -- 26 and 36 -- open the way for Iran to cease some or all of its commitments under the deal if the United States or other parties fail to adhere to it, including the reimposition of sanctions. "This will be Iran's first step toward reacting to the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and also European countries' failure to live up to their commitments," said ISNA. European Union officials "who have just made unfulfilled promises during the last year" had been unofficially informed of the decision, the agency added. The three European parties to the deal, Britain, France and Germany, announced the establishment of a special payments system called INSTEX -- Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges -- in late January as a means to bypass renewed US sanctions. The trade mechanism meant to the save the deal, however, was dismissed by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a "bitter joke" as the difference between EU obligations and their proposals was "as far as the earth is from the sky". In a move escalating tensions, the US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Sunday that the United States was sending an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East in a "clear and unmistakable" message to Iran. The United States was also aiming to put more pressure on the Iranian economy by targeting its petrochemical sales in a new round of sanctions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The White House also ended oil purchase waivers granted to Iran's main customers -- including China, India and Turkey -- meant to cut Iran's access to its main source of foreign currency revenue as part of its campaign of "maximum pressure" against the Islamic republic. Fighting kills 26 in Syria's northwest: monitor Beirut, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2019 Clashes between Syrian regime forces and jihadists Monday killed more than 26 fighters in the country's northwest, which has seen an escalation in shelling and air strikes, a monitor said. Eleven pro-government fighters were among those killed in fierce fighting in the northern countryside of Hama province, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Fifteen jihadists, including members of Al-Qaeda's former Syrian branch, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and its ally the Turkistan Islamic Party, were also killed, the war monitor said. The fighting came as regime forces advanced on two villages and a strategic hilltop in the region, it said. State news agency SANA said Syrian troops launched "intensive operations," targeting supply lines and areas where armed groups operate in northern Hama and neighbouring Idlib. The region held by HTS has faced intensifying bombardment in the past month, prompting a new wave of displacement. On Monday, four civilians were killed in shelling and air strikes on Idlib and neighbouring areas by the Syrian government and its ally Russia, said the Observatory. An AFP photographer in Idlib saw several houses completely destroyed by recent attacks. One man who lost his wife, his daughter-in-law, and his two grandchildren during shelling overnight prepared a pickup truck to relocate surviving members of his family. "I don't know where I'm going," he told AFP. More than 140,000 civilians have been forced to flee attacks since February, Refugees International said on Monday. "It is difficult to overstate the urgency of this looming humanitarian disaster if nothing is done to protect these people," the non-governmental organisation said in a statement. Escalated attacks have hit schools and medical facilities, according to the UN. Since 28 April, at least seven healthcare facilities have reportedly been struck, including four in Hama and three in Idlib, said David Swanson of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 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. Iran dismisses US naval deployment as old news Tehran, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2019 Iran on Monday dismissed as old news a US announcement it is sending a naval strike group to the Middle East in order to deliver the Islamic republic a message, Tasnim news agency reported. US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Sunday that the United States was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force as a "clear and unmistakeable message" that it will retaliate against any attack on its interests or its allies' by Iran. "Bolton's statement is a clumsy use of an out-of-date event for psychological warfare," Iran's supreme national security council spokesman Keyvan Khosravi said, quoted by Tasnim. According to the spokesman, Iranian armed forces had observed the carrier entering the Mediterranean Sea 21 days ago. Bolton "lacks military and security understanding and his remarks are mostly meant to draw attention to himself," Khosravi added. The USS Abraham Lincoln has previously been deployed to the Gulf, including during the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. The US statement did not specifically state why the deployment was taking place now. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States had seen "escalatory actions" from Iranians and that the country would be held "accountable for attacks on American interests". Pompeo did not elaborate on the "escalatory actions" he was referring to. The deployment comes amid heightened tensions as Washington pushes forward with its campaign of "maximum pressure" against Tehran partly through punishing economic sanctions. The United States unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers a year ago and instead aimed at curbing the regional role of Iran, an arch-rival of US allies Saudi Arabia and Israel. In April, the US also declared Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards a "foreign terrorist organisation". Defense chief says US responded to 'credible threat' by Iran Washington, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2019 US defense chief Patrick Shanahan said Monday that the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Middle East came in response to a "credible threat" by Iran. The acting defense secretary tweeted that he approved the movement Sunday of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group as "a prudent repositioning of assets in response to indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces." "We call on the Iranian regime to cease all provocation. We will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests," he said. US officials have not specified the nature of the alleged threat from Iran, which has come under mounting pressure from President Donald Trump's administration. Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. 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. There are indications that there might be more attacks by IS in Sri Lanka by Col R Hariharan Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the elusive chief of the Islamic State (IS) in a rare released after five years on April 28, has claimed that the IS was responsible for carrying out Easter Sunday serial suicide blasts in Sri Lanka that left253 people dead and over 500 injured. The video said that the attacks was in retaliation for the loss of Baguz, the IS last stronghold in Syria. It said it was a small part of the response prepared by the Islamic State. Nine members of a small local radical Islamic outfit - National Towheed Jamaath (NTJ) led by Zahran Hashim - carried out the attacks targeted three churches and three luxury hotels frequented by foreign tourists. Later, the IS released a video of seven men including Hashim, thought to be the bombers, pledging allegiance to the IS. Only Hashim showed his face. Sri Lanka government was in total disarray after the Deputy Inspector General(DIG) Priyalal Dassanayaka confirmed that he had sent a letter ten days ago (April 11) information of the NTJs planned attacks received from foreign intelligence agency to the Ministry of Defence and the police. The letter based upon information received from a foreign agency warned that Zahran Hashim and a few others were planning suicide attacks or knife attacks targeting churches and the Indian high commission. President Maithripala Sirisena, who was on a private visit to Singapore when the blasts took place, returned on hearing the news. However, he denied knowledge of the intelligence reports. He accused the defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Jayasundara of failing to brief him about the threat. But President Sirisenas credibility has come under a cloud on the issue. Colombo web Daily FT quoted multiple sources with close knowledge of the inner workings of the Defence establishment saying that the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Senior DIG of Police Nilantha Jayawardana had provided detailed reports on the planned attack to the President on at least three occasions, including one on April 11. The Ministry of Defence had relayed the latest report from India on the evening of April 20 that the attack was imminent. When the last minute reports came the SIS had transmitted the warning to the IGP, who failed to alert churches about the threats according to the report. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe tried to evade his responsibility by saying that he was unaware of the warnings as he was out of the loop. He told the BBC if we had any inkling, and we had not taken action, I would have handed in my resignation. However, he did not explain what effort he made when the President excluded him from attending the National Security Council (NSC) meetings held to discuss national security. President Sirisena in a damage control mode sacked the defence secretary Fernando and appointed General SHS Kottegoda in his place. The President chaired a meeting of the NSC and declared a state of emergency after two days. The government banned the NTJ and Jamathe-i-Milathu Ibrahim Seilani (JMI) a little known organization - under the emergency regulations. Many Muslim leaders have said they had earlier warned the government about the NTJs nefarious activities many times to the authorities including the police. In the follow up operations security forces were able to round up over 150 suspected NTJ members and sympathisers. In Ampara district, NTJ leader Hashims two brothers and their 12 member family had moved in a village near Kalmunai in eastern province. Local Muslim villagers confronted them when they saw a weapon and one of the terrorists exploded a device killing all the family members, barring Hashims wife and daughter who were injured. Police have also recovered a cache of weapons and explosives. For better coordination, army, navy, air force and police within the Western province and Puttalam district have been placed under command of the Overall Operational Command, Colombo, for operational purposes. It is a tribute to Sri Lanka people that all religious leaders, particularly Cardinal Malcom Ranjith, have counseled peace and prevented a religious backlash after the attacks. The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), the apex religious body of Islamic theologians providing community leadership, has appealed to the members of the community to maintain peace and cooperate with security forces in their work. It also appealed to women members not to cover their face by wearing a niqab to facilitate easy identification. Officially face covering by women has been banned. However, in the coming months former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother and presidential aspirant Gotabaya Rajapaksa are likely to take advantage of the serious security failure of President Sirisena and PM Wickremesinghe in handling the IS threat. With the presidential poll scheduled for the year end, political turbulence is likely to increase between the President and the PM. There is a growing demand for taking action against Muslim politicians who had alleged connections with the NTJ. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran has demanded that Eastern Province Governor MLAM Hizbulla must be investigated for connections with NTJ. Similarly, SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara has alleged that Muslim Religious Affairs Minister M.H.A. Haleem had issued permits to set up 40 National Tawheed Jamaat (NTJ) dens in the Kandy District and 400 others countrywide since 2015. How the government proposes to handle the sensitive issue of minority Muslims in the coming months is the moot point. There are indications that there might be more attacks by IS in Sri Lanka. The State Intelligence Service has received information on an attack targeting the Buddhist temples by the NTJ using female bombers. According to a Reuters report, the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina Teplitz said the US believed members of the militant group blamed for Easter Sunday attacks may be at large and planning more assaults. We do believe that the terrorist threat is ongoing and there may be active plotters. Active members of the attack group that carried out the terror attacks on Easter Sunday may still be at large, Ambassador Teplitz said.We certainly have reason to believe that the active attack group has not been fully rendered inactive. We do believe that there is active planning underway, she said. Unless the government cleans up its security coordination preparedness fast, Sri Lanka can be plunged into a period of instability. Col R Hariharan, a retired MI officer, served as the head of Intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka from 1987 to 90. He is associated with the Chennai Centre for China Studies, South Asia Analysis Group and the International Law and Strategic Analysis Institute, Chennai. E-mail: haridirect@gmail.com Blog: http://col.hariharan.info For the first time since it was launched in 2011, Saints & Sinnersthe private, members-only Tatuaje club that annually sends participants exclusive cigars and other branded merchandiseis joining forces with Cigar Rights of America (CRA). With all the looming regulations that are plaguing our rights to enjoy cigars, we have decided that the only way we are going to make a change is if we, the cigar community, stand up for our rights, said Sean Casper Johnson, co-founder and co-president of Saints & Sinners, Inc., in a recent email. That said, Saints & Sinners has decided to partner up with CRA moving forward and will be donating a big portion of our membership dues to CRA so they can continue the fight to protect our rights to enjoy a product that we love. Annual membership fees have increased 17% to $175, with presumably the complete $25 increase going to CRA. This marks the first time in the clubs eight-year history that the fees wont be $150. But it also means the annual smoke kit of exclusive cigars that wont be commercially available elsewhere will grow from 15 to 17, and that each Saints & Sinners membership will include membership in CRA. In addition to cigars, Saints & Sinners members are annually shipped Tatuaje-branded merchandise (i.e., hats and shirts) and other ancillary items of interest (i.e., wine openers, poker chips, lighters, ash trays, etc.). Until it arrives, the contents of that years shipment is typically a highly anticipated mystery. Personally, Ive been a member all eight years and have never been disappointed. The 10 exclusive cigars alone are always worth it; everything else is icing on the cake. And now, if you do the math, and if you value membership in CRA, the club is a better deal. In years past, youd get 15 cigars for $150, or $10 per cigar; now you get 17 cigars for $175, or $10.29 per cigarplus CRA membership. (The cigars are almost always terrific, even if we dont write much about them here; I suspect few want to read reviews of cigars that are not commercially availablebut let me know if this is an inaccurate assumption!) Speaking of access to the invitation-only club, if youre not already a Saints & Sinners member, now is a good time to find someone who is. Membership renewals for 2019 are currently open and will run though June 15. Each member is able to invite one person to join. Cigar Rights of America is a national advocacy group that works at all levels of government to protect cigar consumers, retailers, manufacturers, and tobacco growers from regulatory threats, including smoking bans and tobacco taxes. UPDATE: Sean Casper Johnson confirms the entire $25 increase will go towards CRA. And while he prefers to not cite exactly how many Saints & Sinners members there are, he confirms there are over 1,000. Finally, with regards to the 2019 smoke kit, he says, This years kit will be extremely special. Pete [Johnson] and I selected the cigars last week and he is in Nicaragua blend testing them now. Patrick A photo credit: Saints & Sinners 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. Joseph Arkley pictured at the RSCs Swan Theatre; and, inset, as Kate in The Taming of the Shrew. Photo: Mark Williamson R18/3/19/6076 Joseph Arkley has ditched the brooding bad guys to play the role of Kate in the Royal Shakespeare Companys blistering production of The Taming Of The Shrew. Here he talks to Gill Sutherland about the gender-switched role and his career. First up, Joseph, we all need to get our heads around how the genders are working in this production. Explain please! It serves the play that Shakespeare wrote but Kate happens to be a man played by a man, so theres no cross-dressing or anything. And Petruchia is a woman played by a woman. So thats simply the switch we are making. We live in a matriarchal society in Elizabethan England. Its a play about sexual politics with some troubling bits How is framing the play in a matriarchy solving the issues in the play? I dont think we attempt to solve anything. The main thing is it's trying to shed light on the gender politics of the play through a different lens. So the reason for setting it in a fictionalised Elizabethan period as opposed to setting it modern day is we dont want to be too proscriptive, you dont want to preach at the audience in a righteous manner. Traditionally in the play you have a male figure doing certain things to a woman. So if we switch that do we still feel the same way? How do we feel about Kate at the end accepting Petruchio? Does it take us in a different direction? Were really not trying to resolve anything people can have problems with it and thats absolutely fine. Weve not tried to fix Shakespeares play at all. The gender-flipping of Shakespeares roles is sometimes viewed negatively. For example, the Daily Mail had the headline Kiss Me Kevin about this production and the insinuation that its PC hogwash. Do you have any trepidation about what you are doing? No, none, zero. The problem with the Daily Mail is that they will have a response before they see anything they will be infuriated whatever. It says more about them that theyve called it Kiss Me Kevin. The Daily Mail are probably an extreme example. But Im sure some of the RSC audience also relish traditional productions theres mutterings and moanings! I think thats absolutely fine for people to be irritated by it. But from my perspective as an actor and an audience member, particularly with Shakespeare, if you just keep repeating the same thing it just becomes a museum piece. If there is no tension between performers and audience, whats the point in doing it? Whether you hate it or enjoy it the conversation will definitely be filtering out to the bars afterwards. In the current climate it is key that talking points are raised. If we are uncomfortable with it, why are we uncomfortable? I think it will create quite a rich debate. The play is often billed as a battle of the sexes does the gender switch make it beyond that? I hope it goes beyond the sexes, thats the key point. I dont think it should just be a vehicle for talking about the gender switch. Effectively its still a messed up love story. I would hope that the audience will take that away. I hop people will be galvanised by it. Going back to you being offered the part did you know you were auditioning for the role of Kate? It was a bolt out of the blue. I was not expecting to play this role in my life! I think for a lot of actors with Shakespeare, you think at some point I would love to play such-and-such role when I got offered Kate I had no reference points in my head. Thats been massively liberating for me as a male performer. Its great that women are playing these bigger traditionally male roles, but people perhaps overlook that not all male actors want to play the aggressors all the time to be pushed to a more emotionally vulnerable place is a brilliant thing for me. How did the audition process work? Director Justin Audibert and I had worked together before. We met when I was a young actor and he was an assistant director here at the RSC. I worked with him then and then we did a production on Mojo together in about 2010 weve been pals since then. The last time I was here was in 2014 on The White Devil. What is the look and feel and how are you dressed? Its Elizabethan and the men have been infantilised by the women. We are groomed and presented as virgins. A woman can hold a gaze, but as a man you must drop your eyes its about finding those small details that women are used to experiencing. As a man its getting used to being slightly on edge in the presence of these tough women. Moving on, tell us about your route into acting. I studied politics at Nottingham University. In my first year two women across the corridor from me at our student accommodation said they were going to this thing for student theatre, and I was busy trying to finish an essay, and I thought no thats not for me then I thought OK Ill give it a go, and went for an audition, and was cast in Habeas Corpus. It was a crossroads point for me, and I ended up getting heavily involved going on to play Salieri in Amadeus. In my second year I went to Edinburgh Festival and decided Id try for drama school after university and just got into the Conservatoire in Scotland after someone dropped out. What about your folks, are they artsy/actors? No but they should have been. My dad was an engineer but did amateur dramatics; and when he does talk about theatre and the arts, hes so knowledgeable hes incredible. As I did a politics degree probably the expectation was that I would go into the civil service, but I was lucky Mum and Dad were so supportive about me becoming an actor. Who were some of your influences? If Im honest I got into acting in the first place because of TV comedy: I loved Alan Partridge, which is far away from what I do. Ive mainly had moody classical roles (including a notable Richard III at Perth Theatre). For me Steve Coogan can do no wrong. Like me hes also from Norwich, and I wanted desperately to get out of there and he came along and blew the doors off the place; and for a 14-year-old desperate to escape it was inspiring. Yes, I have met him! I saw him at Norwich Theatre Royal to do Partridge Live and I met him afterwards Ive never been so starstruck. Theres a selfie thats pride of place at my parents house: my brother and I with Coogan in the middle. Last, any future plans? Hollywood? Before this I did some filming and yes Id love to do more. I love the discipline of it and the focus. My life is in a different place now my wife, Matti Houghton, is also an actor and we have a two-year-old daughter. Id love to do it all, but we do a lot of plate-spinning with childcare. I played a lot of angry young men in my days but as an actor in my late 30s I want to open up the emotional range of the parts Im playing which is why this role has been great. How Shrewish are you? Actor Joseph Arkley takes our daft quiz Are you a feminist? Of course. Are you argumentative? Yes, when it comes to politics Im a big mouth. What was the last rant you had? With a friend, and we were talking about Jeremy Corbyn I dont think I should go any further! What makes you mad? Lack of care and generosity in our current political discourse the aggression in the current climate makes me mad, which doesnt help! Have you got a wicked tongue? Yep. I think my most recent tongue-lashing subject was David Davis [the Tory MP] after listening to him on the Today programme. I wanted to throw the radio against the wall. I plugged into Kate in a big way. Kate is misunderstood have you ever felt you have been? I have huge amounts of empathy for Kate. Her anger comes out of a vulnerable place and a craving to be loved and we can all identify with that. 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. Sacking the heart specialist View(s): One of my acquaintances a rich and prominent businessman, one of those chaps who has more rupees than sense and thinks that his money entitles him to do whatever he likes suffered a serious heart attack a few years ago. Fortunately for him he recovered, although he had to subsequently undergo a triple bypass to restore the circulation to his damaged heart. While he was recuperating I went to visit him and found him full of anger. He was placing the entire blame for this attack on his heart specialist. My doctor is useless he fumed to me I consult him regularly and pay him good money to look after me. It is his job to prevent me getting a heart attack, and now he has allowed this to happen. How can I rely on him anymore? I am going to sack him and get myself a new doctor who can do the job properly. Now his doctor also happens to be a friend of mine, so when I met him a few weeks later I asked him about his prominent patient. My heart specialist friend smiled. This man still has not realised that to look after his health and prevent adverse events he must co-operate with me rather than expect me to do everything to protect him he said. For the past several months I have been repeatedly telling him that he should stop smoking and quit drinking so much whisky, that he should lose weight and that he should take the tablets I have prescribed for his blood pressure etc. regularly. When I reminded him that I had constantly been advising him about all these things and that he never listened to me, his answer was But you did not tell me properly and stress how important it was. It is all your fault and he sacked me as his doctor. I was reminded about this story when I heard that our president has decided in the aftermath of the terrible events of Easter Sunday to sack the Police Chief and Defence secretary. The Easter Sunday bombings have left all of us in a state of shock, sadness and emotional devastation. This sort of barbarism the killing of innocent people in places of worship as well as in some of the top hotels in Colombo cannot be comprehended by normal people. But as we start recovering from these horrible acts that have instilled terror in not only our own people but also in visitors and potential visitors to our country, we start asking questions. Multiple suicide bombings that are so well co-ordinated require months of careful planning. Large quantities of military-grade explosives, bomb-making facilities and safe houses are necessary. Whatever the differences individual politicians within a government have with each other, it is the sacred duty of any government to safeguard and protect its citizens so they can live and go about their day to day activities in peace and confidence. Protecting this human right of its own citizens should take greater priority than pandering to the dictates of the UN Human Rights Council. Information freely available now confirms that Sri Lanka was warned of these terrorist attacks well before they took place, Indian intelligence sources having passed on information about a potential plot as far back as April 4. We now know that on April 11, ten days before the events, a memo signed by DIG Priyalal Dissanayake, laying out the threat and containing a list of suspects, was circulated to a range of security services and some ministries. Sadly for us, this information appears to have not been acted upon. Our president happens to be the minister of defence, commander of the armed forces and head of government. Yet he did not know (as he claims) nor knew and did not take the information seriously (as other sources claim) about this terrorist threat, and blithely went off on April 16 on a private visit to Tirumala in India to pray at the Venkateswara Hindu temple. In January 2015 we the people of Sri Lanka made a mistake. Sadly, we all have to suffer for this mistake. After this country suffered one of the worst terrorist atrocities in history, all that the president does is call for the resignations of his Defence Secretary and his Police Chief. As useless an action as the man who did not take his doctors advice seriously, suffered a massive heart attack and then dealt with the problem by sacking his doctor. Three municipalities are home to 25 per cent of all rural holiday accommodation in Malaga province, according to a report on sustainable tourism which was released by the Costa del Sol Tourist Board this week. Frigiliana heads the list, followed by Ronda and then Competa. Frigiliana offers 432 properties, Ronda 395 and Competa has 239. In terms of guests, however, the situation changes slightly. Ronda has accommodation for 4,719 people, Antequera 2,687 and Frigiliana 2,444. Together, these account for 30 per cent of the total in the province. The rural tourism sector attracted 1.1 million visitors last year, mainly from other parts of Spain, the UK, Germany and France. Tennessee-born artist Kelly Fischer will bring her latest works to the exhibition hall in Mijas from Sunday 5 to Friday 31 May. EXHIBITION Name. Street Art Solo Exhibition. Where. Mijas town hall. Avenida Virgen de la Pena 2. Mijas Pueblo. When. Sunday 5 - Friday 31 May. The centrepiece of the show, titled Street Art Solo Exhibition, will be St Bernard Pass II, a vibrant multi-coloured canvas inspired by Fischer's recent trip between Switzerland and Italy on the St Bernard Pass. Through lines and patches of colour on canvas, Fischer expresses her observations and inspirations. Upon close inspection, the viewer will notice people and buildings amid the semi-abstract markings - a consistent theme throughout Fischer's 'Street Art' series. Now based in Switzerland, the artist spends equal time at her studios in Bern and Memphis, and she maintains strong connections with both countries. Her paintings have been featured at numerous galleries and exhibitions, including Art Basel Miami Beach, the Austrian Biennale, and the Venice Biennale. Aside from art, Kelly has published 11 children's books and is the former founder and head of the English Montessori School of Bern. SUR in English caught up with the artist shortly before she arrived on the coast and she explained that her art is a reflection of her personality. At what age did you start to paint? At the age of six I took painting classes on Saturday mornings. This most definitely had an influence. Have you been influenced by other painters? Manfred Kuhnert, who is originally from East Germany but has resided in California for over 40 years, has had a tremendous influence on me. His choice of color and line is so intriguing. We became friends on one of my many trips to Laguna Beach, California. I own several of his paintings and can stare at them at length. How did you develop your style? My style is constantly evolving. It is a reflection of my personality and the constant barrage of ideas that flow from me to the canvas. To me painting starts out like a difficult puzzle that is scattered and needs to be put back together piece by piece. Organized chaos. You say, "My semi-abstract portraits tell a story of whimsical spontaneity." Can you explain what this means? Whimsical spontaneity means that my paintings are fluid and unpredictable. They are not forced or planned in advance. Why did you decide to settle in Switzerland? At 22 years of age I moved to Switzerland to study. Little did I know I would meet my wonderful husband, Robert, on my second day in Switzerland. After my studies finished, we moved to Paris, France to study French. Shortly after, we married and returned to Switzerland for my husband's work. Have you exhibited in Spain before? No, but I have signed a two-year contract with VESANIART to exhibit with them exclusively in Spain. You have exhibited in many cities around the world; which has been the most memorable? I am always honored and excited to exhibit my artwork in any city but the city that stands out the most is Miami! The energy and enthusiasm are not things I have ever felt or experienced in another city. You spend equal time in your studios in Bern and Memphis; does this have a reflection on your work? Yes, absolutely! My artwork painted in Memphis is more vibrant and looser. My artwork painted in Bern is more structured and geometrical. The color palette I choose is also more limited in Bern. The vast differences I experience in each city from light to the energy of the people helps me to balance my artwork. I need both cities to produce balanced artwork. Why did you embark on a trip to St Bernard Pass? It's on the way to the south of France where I spend a lot of time. How did this inspire your art? Travelling over the Pass has influenced my work in a tremendous way. The colors, shapes and overall feeling while travelling in this area simply were mesmerizing to my senses. You spend a lot of time in Eze Plage, France; what is the attraction to this location? At first, I simply vacationed in this area. Eventually, I received a project to paint 14 paintings for two villas in Eze Plage; Villa Paradise and Villa Panorama. The owner absolutely wanted the artwork to blend with the Mediterranean Sea and nature, and I needed to spend time there to capture the essence of the nature. What do you consider to be the highlight of your career so far? I consider every inch that I move forward a highlight. But one highlight that stands out in particular is my upcoming solo exhibition at the Swiss Consulate in New York City. After living in Switzerland for more than thirty years, to be recognized as a Swiss meant the world to me. What inspired you to write children's books? I founded and directed The English Montessori School of Bern for 18 years. While teaching, I realized that I was a natural at storytelling. I started writing stories to help the international children that I was teaching try to understand the importance of kindness and acceptance. This was not an easy task, but I did manage to publish 12 books. This post has been sponsored by Tyson Foods Inc. All thoughts and opinions are my own. A light and refreshing summer grilled flatbread with warm turkey, melted brie cheese, grilled peaches, and raspberries. This Raspberry Brie Turkey Grilled Flatbread is topped with an easy balsamic vinegar reduction. Its heating up outside and its the perfect time to grill outdoors. Grilled flatbread the ultimate way to cook a light dinner in just a few minutes. Summer is fastly approaching and that means its time to fire up the grill and host a get together with friends and family. This refreshing summer flatbread is perfect for potlucks, graduation parties, summer holidays, as well as for lunch and dinner. This time of year, I prefer to use the grill as my method of cooking. I love the chargrilled taste of bread with warm Sara Lee Premium Meats, melted brie cheese, grilled peaches, and raspberries and cant think of a better way to celebrate the warm weather outside. Summer is my favorite season and with good reason. I cant get enough fresh fruit and vegetables from the farmers market. Maybe its the cookouts with friends or picnics at the beach. Maybe its the lighter menu for lunch and dinner. One thing I know for sure is that my fridge is stocked with fresh produce and Sara Lee Premium Meats for meals that usually take 20 minutes or less to make. Grilled flatbread loaded with fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat is one of the summers must have meals. A refreshing summer meal deserves bragging rights, and this easy dish is no exception. This dish has been a favorite in my house for many, many years. Summer wouldnt be complete without a hearty flatbread full of fresh flavors and bright colors! Plus, this flatbread is incredibly easy to make. Just fire up the grill then add the cheeses, mixed greens, Sara Lee Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, and raspberries to the top of flatbread. Boil the balsamic vinegar on the stove top for a few minutes until it reduces then head outside and add the sliced peaches and prepared flatbread to the grill. Grill the bread for a few minutes then add the grilled peaches and drizzle it with the balsamic reduction. Sara Lee Premium Meats is my go-to affordable premium quality deli meat behind the deli counter. In fact, youll find a variety of their premium, high-quality cut of meats have a delicious fresh taste. I always pick up a few freshly-sliced, quality flavors to include with lunch and dinner. Plus, everything for this recipe can be purchased in one stop from your local grocer, which makes it super convenient to grab the ingredients on your way home from running errands. For other dinner recipes using Sara Lee Premium Meats, I like to make these Easy French Dip Sliders. Of course, this Cheddar Jalapeno Ham Cornbread is my favorite for summer parties, as well as these Ham and Cheese Pinwheels. For a quick lunch, I love this Greek Chicken Gyro. For delicious recipes, your whole family will love, how-to videos, meal hacks, and more and easy recipe solutions, visit the Sara Lee Premium Meats website! Grilled Flatbread is the quintessential summer meal. If youre looking to fire up the grill this summer, try this Raspberry Brie Turkey Grilled Flatbread. It features fresh fruit, vegetables, a variety of cheeses, and warm turkey. The combination is perfect for the warm weather this time of year! Raspberry Brie Turkey Grilled Flatbread A light and refreshing summer grilled flatbread with warm turkey, melted brie cheese, grilled peaches, and raspberries. This Raspberry Brie Turkey Grilled Flatbread is topped with an easy balsamic vinegar reduction. 5 from 8 votes Print l Pin l Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 4 Calories: 465 kcal Author: Jessica (swankyrecipes.com) Ingredients 8.8 oz flatbread (about 2 slices) 1/2 lb. Sara Lee Oven Roasted Turkey Breast 1 cup mixed greens 6 oz brie cheese, sliced 3 tbsp gorgonzola cheese 6 oz raspberries 2 peaches, sliced 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar Instructions Start grill. 2. Spread out flatbreads. Evenly divide Sara Lee Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, mixed greens, brie cheese, gorgonzola, and raspberries between the two pieces of flatbread. 3. Slice peaches; set aside. 4. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, pour in balsamic vinegar. Allow the vinegar to come to a boil then reduce heat slightly. Whisk mixture frequently until thick, about 7-9 minutes total. 5. Once the grill is set, add the flatbreads. Grill for a few minutes. 6. Grill peaches on each side then add to flatbread. 7. Drizzle balsamic vinegar reduction over the top of the flatbreads. 8. Slice and serve. Nutrition Calories: 465 kcal | Carbohydrates: 53 g | Protein: 26 g | Fat: 16 g | Saturated Fat: 9 g | Cholesterol: 68 mg | Sodium: 1430 mg | Potassium: 524 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 11 g | Vitamin A: 705 IU | Vitamin C: 18.4 mg | Calcium: 213 mg | Iron: 2.4 mg BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang has visited an exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of the campaign of democratic reform in Tibet. Wang, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, described the democratic reform that abolished the feudal serfdom of theocracy as the greatest, most profound and progressive social transformation in Tibet's history. Wang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said Tibet's social productivity has been greatly unleashed, people's living standards constantly improved, the fine traditional culture effectively protected and carried forward and freedom of religious belief fully guaranteed over the past 60 years, particularly since the 18th CPC National Congress. History proved that without democratic reform, the Tibetan people would not have been emancipated and the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet would not have lived a happy life, Wang noted during the recent visit. Stressing efforts to cherish the hard-earned achievements in Tibet, Wang called for the upholding of the CPC leadership, the socialist system and the system of regional ethnic autonomy. The exhibition features some 500 photos and 48 exhibits to showcase the earthshaking changes and notable economic and social achievements over the last six decades in Tibet. Since being unveiled in late March at the Museum of Tibetan Culture, the exhibition has welcomed more than 50,000 visits. It is expected to remain open through the end of December 2019. (Photo/Chinanews.com) Beijing's "night economy" is lighting up as the Chinese capital pushes to further upgrade its consumption market, after nighttime consumption proved to be a highlight during China's recently concluded four-day Labor Day holiday. Sanlitun, home to some of Beijing's most exciting places to eat, drink and party, saw a noticeable rise in visitor flow at night during the holiday. The place was crowded, especially after 8:00 pm every night, when people often had to wait outside restaurants to get a table. According to statistics released by a food court in Beijing's Shunyi district on May 5, the visitor headcount per day hit 58,800 over the Labor Day holiday, up 144.7 percent from a year ago thanks to the opening of its night market. The single-day revenue of the food court also rose 34.2 percent to 6.59 million yuan ($978,660). Statistics from Chinese local service company Eleme also indicated massive changes in Beijing's catering industry brought about by the night economy. It showed that dining times were growing later and longer. Food orders placed between 10:00 pm and 1:00 am increased, and general orders placed within this period also rose nearly 6 percent. The statistics from the Beijing Municipal Commercial Bureau also reported active consumption in business districts such as Wangfujing, Sanlitun and Qingnianlu between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am the next day. Catering consumption in these places was up 51.3 percent. Moreover, 24 shopping malls witnessed an almost 40-percent growth in visitor flow. In the 2019 government work report, Beijing proposed to stimulate another round of consumption upgrading. To promote the night economy and encourage major business districts to extend their opening hours is one pivotal method. The government will also grant maximum subsidies of 5 million yuan to food courts to lift their image and improve their general planning. Night economy has become a whole new engine that drives consumption growth. Statistics showed that business sales at night in Shanghai reached 62 percent of daytime sales, and nighttime consumption made up 55 percent of the service sector's revenue in Guangzhou. Max and his Belarusian friend Kate took pictures on the beach in Sanya (Photo by Xing Su) On May 2, the final award winner of the "When Koala Meets Panda 2018" China-Australia Short Video Contest, Max Silk, finished a week-long tour in China's Hainan province. The contest, held annually since 2017, is hosted by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Brisbane and organized by People's Daily Online Australia. With more than 100 participants taking part each year, the contest helps to promote exchange, understanding, and friendship between young people in China and Australia. Max and his Belarusian friends Kate took pictures in front of the boulders in the Worlds End (Photo by Fangfang Jiang) With more than 1 million views in just 24 hours, Australian boy Max won first prize, a trip to Hainan Island in China. During the week-long trip, Max had the opportunity to explore and experience many places such as Movie Town in Haikou, Sanya Beach, Temple of Confucius in Wenchang, World's End, Areca Valley Li Miao cultural tourism area and so on. "Hainan province is a beautiful international tourist island. Although I have visited many cities in China, the first visit to Hainan province is fresh and new to me," he said, "The beautiful natural scenery, the long Chinese history, the unique folk culture, and the deep Sino-Australian friendship left an unforgettable impression." Max and his Belarusian friends Kate experienced the culture of Miao Li (Photo by Xing Su) What made this trip even more special was the visit to the Gull Force Memorial, where Max presented flowers to two dead soldiers of the Australian Gull Force. The monument lies in a cemetery in Laoou Village, Hainan province, where two old Australian soldiers died. During the Second World War, they escaped from Japanese war camps and with the help of local Chinese villagers, fled the brutal abuse of the Japanese army, but finally passed away because of malaria. In 2003, the Chinese and Australian governments built the Gull Force Memorial to become an eternal memory of this precious piece of history. "I think Hainan is China's Hawaii, it's beautiful here," Max said. "I want to show China to the world with more short videos and encourage more young Australians to experience Chinese culture as I have." Max held flowers and took pictures with the Gull Force Memorial (Photo by Xing Su) Stay on the top of all the latest markets movements! Subscribe to The Bull free weekly newsletter to receive our best tips, offers and promotion... SUBSCRIBE label Situated in the heart of Gujarat, Ahmedabad has a rich, historic and cultural character like none other. A French traveller, Taverniere, visiting the town in the 18th century, described it as the headquarters of manufacturing, the greatest city in India and nothing inferior to Venice. Deeply rooted in tradition, Ahmedabad is known for its association with the very famous Mahatma Gandhi. Ahmedabad is home to a hundreds of temples, mosques and other pilgrim spots, depicting various forms for rich culture, art and heritage. This intriguing citys rising HNI and UHNI population has resulted in a lot of developments with respect to infrastructure and lifestyle, thus making it perfect for the launch of TAG Heuer's Alec Monopoly watch. The watch is part of the Formula 1 collection and was launched by TAG Heuer together with their retail partner The Golden Time and Luxury Time. The Golden Time is the largest watch retailer in Gujarat. Their four luxurious showrooms in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat offer an ambiance of grandeur and a lovely shopping experience. They sell over 100 national & international brands of watches, jewellery, writing instruments and lifestyle products. Alec Monopoly is the world-famous street artist who helped with the design of the new models presented to the Ahmedabad customers. The HNI and UHNI living in Ahmedabad are appreciative of the finer things in life and love indulging in luxury products including art. Keeping this in mind, The Golden Time and The Luxury Time scouted for a befitting location for this special event and hosted the same at Mangal Bag Art Gallery. As a tribute to Alec Monopoly, the gallery walls were adorned with impressive street art styled paintings. Guests witnessed a local graffiti artist who created a live painting which was quite engaging. A special contest was also organised wherein the invited guests were asked to let their creative juices flow and design a watch dial of their choice. The winners were given a special gift from the Avant Garde brand TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer An interesting point to note is that TAG Heuer selected Ahmedabad as a destination to launch this special watch in India with only 10 watches available to be sold exclusively. The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Alec Monopoly edition features a little banker called Monopi wearing a red bandana over his face and throwing green cash across the dial. Alec Monopolys instantly recognisable signature is found in the background in yellow, blue and red. The 41 mm watch is presented on a black rubber strap. It also features a unidirectional bezel with a black PVD coating that is engraved with a 60-minute scale. It was a day of high emotions on the Lower East Side Sunday, as longtime customers and vendors said goodbye to the old Essex Street Market building at 120 Essex St. The 1940 structure once described as unlovely by the New York Times, is now shuttered and will soon be demolished in favor of an eight story apartment building as part of Essex Crossing. Most of the merchants will reopen for business by Friday in a gleaming new space across the street at 88 Essex St. When we arrived at about 3 p.m., a tearful woman was walking out for the last time, lamenting the demise of a place that has meant so much to generations of Lower East Side families. She may or may not have known that the market is about to begin a new era in a larger. modernized facility across Delancey Street, or that most of the vendors will be making the move, and in some cases, expanding their operations. But for her, and many others, the Essex Street Market as shes known it is now a relic of the past. The quirky, rough-around-the edges building is a big part of what made the local institution unique. By Sunday, a few vendors had already closed their old stalls. The breakfast spot, Shopsins, served its last meal in the historic market a couple of weeks ago. Peasant Stock and Aminovas Barbershop were shuttered in advance of the move. Several stalls, of course, have been empty for months, including those once occupied by Saxelby Cheesemongers, Santa Lucia Religious Articles, Boubouki, Osaka Grub and I.M. Pastry Studio. For various reasons, they chose to opt out before the transition. One vendor who originally intended to cross Delancey Street, but then reconsidered, is Ira Stolzenberg of Tra La La Juice Bar and Rainbos Fish. A fixture in the market since 1976, hes choosing to retire. In 2016, Stolzenbergs business and life partner, Ron Budinas, passed away. Stolzenberg decided the time was right to close the business, the oldest operating stall in the market. For most vendors Sunday, feelings were mixed. They have an emotional attachment to the old building, and some of them would have been happy to stay in place indefinitely. At the same time, though, theyre excited about the brand new facility, where foot traffic will hopefully be better. The current market has suffered a slump in recent years, with several merchants going out of business. Quite a few local residents came through yesterday for a last look, snapping camera phone photos, and chatting with vendors. In 2011, local residents mounted a campaign to save the Essex Street Market building. City officials were determined, however, to knock down all four original market buildings to make way for the redevelopment of the former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area. While there was some sentiment on Community Board 3 to retain the historic structure, NYC bureaucrats argued that the existing building was too small and antiquated to serve the citys needs in the future. They cynically pitted market preservationists against affordable housing activists, suggesting that keeping the market in place would mean sacrificing affordable apartments as part of the project that would later become Essex Crossing. Community board members decided to prioritize housing and the well-being of the vendors themselves over the old building (the developers paid the vendors buildout and moving costs). The new expanded market will officially open a week from today, with an opening celebration scheduled for May 18. About 20 vendors will make the move, along with 15 new businesses. Study: AI can detect depression in a child's speech A machine learning algorithm can detect signs of anxiety and depression in the speech patterns of young children, potentially providing a fast and easy way of diagnosing conditions that are difficult to spot and often overlooked in young people, according to new research published in the Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics. Around one in five children suffer from anxiety and depression, collectively known as "internalizing disorders." But because children under the age of eight can't reliably articulate their emotional suffering, adults need to be able to infer their mental state, and recognise potential mental health problems. Waiting lists for appointments with psychologists, insurance issues, and failure to recognise the symptoms by parents all contribute to children missing out on vital treatment. "We need quick, objective tests to catch kids when they are suffering," says Ellen McGinnis, a clinical psychologist at the University of Vermont Medical Center's Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families and lead author of the study. "The majority of kids under eight are undiagnosed." Early diagnosis is critical because children respond well to treatment while their brains are still developing, but if they are left untreated they are at greater risk of substance abuse and suicide later in life. Standard diagnosis involves a 60-90 minute semi-structured interview with a trained clinician and their primary care-giver. McGinnis, along with University of Vermont biomedical engineer and study senior author Ryan McGinnis, has been looking for ways to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to make diagnosis faster and more reliable. The researchers used an adapted version of a mood induction task called the Trier-Social Stress Task, which is intended to cause feelings of stress and anxiety in the subject. A group of 71 children between the ages of three and eight were asked to improvise a three-minute story, and told that they would be judged based on how interesting it was. The researcher acting as the judge remained stern throughout the speech, and gave only neutral or negative feedback. After 90 seconds, and again with 30 seconds left, a buzzer would sound and the judge would tell them how much time was left. "The task is designed to be stressful, and to put them in the mindset that someone was judging them," says Ellen McGinnis. The children were also diagnosed using a structured clinical interview and parent questionnaire, both well-established ways of identifying internalizing disorders in children. The researchers used a machine learning algorithm to analyze statistical features of the audio recordings of each kid's story and relate them to the child's diagnosis. They found the algorithm was highly successful at diagnosing children, and that the middle phase of the recordings, between the two buzzers, was the most predictive of a diagnosis. "The algorithm was able to identify children with a diagnosis of an internalizing disorder with 80% accuracy, and in most cases that compared really well to the accuracy of the parent checklist," says Ryan McGinnis. It can also give the results much more quickly - the algorithm requires just a few seconds of processing time once the task is complete to provide a diagnosis. The algorithm identified eight different audio features of the children's speech, but three in particular stood out as highly indicative of internalizing disorders: low-pitched voices, with repeatable speech inflections and content, and a higher-pitched response to the surprising buzzer. Ellen McGinnis says these features fit well with what you might expect from someone suffering from depression. "A low-pitched voice and repeatable speech elements mirrors what we think about when we think about depression: speaking in a monotone voice, repeating what you're saying," says Ellen McGinnis. The higher-pitched response to the buzzer is also similar to the response the researchers found in their previous work, where children with internalizing disorders were found to exhibit a larger turning-away response from a fearful stimulus in a fear induction task. The voice analysis has a similar accuracy in diagnosis to the motion analysis in that earlier work, but Ryan McGinnis thinks it would be much easier to use in a clinical setting. The fear task requires a darkened room, toy snake, motion sensors attached to the child and a guide, while the voice task only needs a judge, a way to record speech and a buzzer to interrupt. "This would be more feasible to deploy," he says. Ellen McGinnis says the next step will be to develop the speech analysis algorithm into a universal screening tool for clinical use, perhaps via a smartphone app that could record and analyze results immediately. The voice analysis could also be combined with the motion analysis into a battery of technology-assisted diagnostic tools, to help identify children at risk of anxiety and depression before even their parents suspect that anything is wrong. ### Other study co-authors include Steven P. Anderau and Reed D. Gurchiek at the University of Vermont and Reed D. Gurchiek, Nestor L. Lopez-Duran, Kate Fitzgerald and Maria Muzik at the University of Michigan. This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Twenty years ago, Glashutte Original gave the perpetual calendar complication a face that is a firm feature in the Senator collection to this day. It was in 1999 that the Senator Classic Perpetual Calendar first presented the different calendar elements as elegant puristic windows instead of the previously customary circular displays. This harmonious arrangement has featured in every Perpetual Calendar model of the Senator series since. Numerous editions over two decades highlight the successful evolution of this classic from the Saxon manufactory. 1999: First model The Senator Classic Perpetual Calendar from 1999 constituted a genuine milestone for the Glashutte Original brand, combining as it did in such innovative fashion the classic aesthetic of the Senator line, launched two years earlier, with the complex mechanism of the Perpetual Calendar. This mechanism guarantees a precise display of the date, weekday and month up until the year 2100 at least, and even takes leap years into account. In theory, the model does not require manual correction until the turn of the next century. Framed by a rose gold case, complete with fluted bezel, the Senator Classic Perpetual Calendar presents its calendar displays on a silver dial. The Glashutte Original Panorama Date, the newly developed window displays for weekday and month, the convenient leap year indicator and the moon phase display are favourably arranged on the watch face alongside the hour, minute and central second hands. Clear, tidy and perfect to read from that moment on, this unmistakable design became one of the hallmarks of the Senator watches with Perpetual Calendar. Senator Classic Perpetual Calendar, 1999 Glashutte Original At the heart of the watch operated the exquisitely finished manufactory Calibre 39-50 with 48 jewels, a 40-hour power reserve, skeletonized rotor with 21 ct gold oscillation weight and swan-neck fine adjustment. In 2000 the Senator Classic Perpetual Calendar won its first "Uhr des Jahres" (Watch of the Year) award for Glashutte Original, as voted for by the public, and later went on to gain huge popularity for its stainless steel versions. Its successor in rose gold with a flat bezel was launched in 2001 under the name Senator Perpetual Calendar. 2005: New movement and strong design impulse A fundamental redesign was premiered in 2005: The automatic Calibre 100-02 took the place of the Calibre 39-50. In addition to all the calendar functions, the new model had an extended power reserve of 55 hours, a convenient reset function and a rotor that winds up both ways. This next version of the Senator Perpetual Calendar, which included a particularly advanced movement for its time, upheld the tradition of the established dial division with window displays. Its champagne-coloured face and the elaborate guilloche dial gave the timepiece a striking look. Until then and in subsequent years, the product developers at Glashutte Original changed only small details in the design of the watches. 2012: Red gold The new version of the Senator Perpetual Calendar, which was launched in 2012, had the same movement, silver dial and familiar calendar layout, but introduced a completely new look, with the case made of red gold, Roman numerals, blued pear-shaped hands and a black railroad chapter ring. Senator Perpetual Calendar, 2012 Glashutte Original 2017: Reworked design In 2017, the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar has captured this distinctive look. The bezel, which initially had a three-layered design in the 1999 original, appears notably thinner, making significantly more room for the silver-graine dial in the 42 millimetre red gold case. This change also created space for the reworked and more clearly presented leap year display to take up position below the 12 o'clock index. As an auxiliary dial with a scale of 1 to 4 and counter-clockwise rotating hands, it provides the clearest possible readability not only in the accentuated leap year. The new curved frames around the Panorama Date, the weekday and month windows and the distinctive rounded moon phase display at 8 o'clock also enhance its optical impact. The Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar is powered by the Calibre 36 that was launched the year before. The well-conceived construction of the movement guarantees stable rate behaviour and ultimate precision thanks to its silicon balance spring. A single spring barrel ensures a power reserve of at least 100 hours. As with all Senator Excellence models, Glashutte Original guarantees excellent quality of each and every watch by means of a demanding long-term test and certification. 2018: Special edition The manufactory penned its latest chapter in 2018 with a special edition of the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar, limited to just 100 watches. With its skeletonized dial, this exclusive white gold model offers further insights into the fineness of the Calibre 36-02. It masterfully draws attention to the characteristic window displays of the Perpetual Calendar and is thus a worthy representative of an era that first began 20 years ago. Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: Home Page U.S. Rep Debbie Dingell (D-12th District) met with several local and state officials May 4 to discuss the impact of the recent flooding and the plan going forward. In attendance at the meeting were mayors of several cities that were heavily impacted by the flooding, including Allen Park, Lincoln Park and Dearborn Heights. Also present were Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun, state Rep. Frank Liberati (D-Allen Park), state Sen. Marshall Bullock (D-Detroit), state Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) and Allen Park City Administrator Mark Kibby. Topics included approximately how many homes were impacted, what residents should do and future plans to address the flooding. On May 3, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Wayne County after nearly 3.65 inches of rain fell over a seven-hour period from April 30 to May 1. Dingell began the May 4 meeting by applauding the governors declaration and Wayne Countys quick response. She then explained what the state of emergency entails. First, more state resources are now available in cooperation with the local response and recovery efforts in the designated areas, she said. Second, it means the Michigan State Police will coordinate the state efforts, beyond what they have already been doing in conjunction with the local agencies. It also means that the local response and recovery plans can be activated. Dingell said FEMA is monitoring the situation and that both state police and congressional offices are speaking with FEMA officials regularly. She then outlined the process of obtaining FEMA aid from the government. Everybody from the impacted communities needs to understand that the state would like to get FEMA financial aid, but you have to hit a certain level to be able to trigger that FEMA aid, she said, pointing out that it is critical that residents report all damage to their local municipalities as soon as possible. Tadarial Sturdivant, director of Wayne County Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said his department is only looking for information regarding flood damage, but will eventually ask for more information. Right now, what were looking for is home and flood damage, he said. At some point in time, depending on what we send preliminarily, the state will assist the local agencies and the county with assessing a more detailed assessment of the property that has been damaged. Sturdivant highlighted the importance of residents taking time-stamped photographs of their damage, as well. We dont need those photographs at this time, but that will be extremely important at a later time, he said, adding that by the time the damage assessments come, the water will have receded. Sturdivant went on to explain that multi-agency resource centers would be opened in Lincoln Park and Dearborn Heights, where residents can go to get information on how to deal with flooding, help with filing insurance claims and more. The Department of Health and Human Services, American Red Cross and other state agencies will be at the MARCs to assist residents. Officials identified the centers Tuesday morning. The Lincoln Park location will be inside the Kennedy Memorial Building, 3240 Ferris St. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 8 and from 1 to 7 p.m. May 9. The other location will be inside the Dearborn Heights Justice Center, 25637 Michigan Ave. It will be open from 1 to 8 p.m. May 8. Both locations are open to all affected Wayne County residents. Appointments are not needed. (The) centers are virtual one-stop shops for residents seeking flood-related assistance, Sturdivant said. They allow us to cut through red tape for anyone who needs help in this emergency and connect them with all of the agencies that can support them. Officials from affected cities then discussed the impact the flooding has had on their communities, as well as how recovery efforts have been going. Dearborn Heights Mayor Daniel Paletko said he believed over 2,000 homes in his city had been affected by flooding. He said city officials have been working to get clean materials for residents and to find places for them to go if their homes were badly damaged. Lincoln Park Mayor Tom Karnes said he believes about 500 homes were affected in his city, with 320 of them reaching out for assistance. By the end of the day today, we will have two-man teams within or at each of those 320, he said. Allen Park Mayor Gail McLeod said some residents complained of being unable to get out of their neighborhood for several days, adding that residents had water pouring into their basements. Paletko went on to explain a potential long-term solution to the flooding problem, in which the Ecorse Creek would be widened and deepened. The plan would be carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at an estimated cost of $265 million. He said this solution would be particularly helpful to reduce the cost of flood insurance. Ninety-seven percent of the people in Dearborn Heights who are currently buying federal flood insurance would no longer have to buy flood insurance, he said. Its not a cheap bill. In fact, for many people, its like two mortgage payments. At the SIHH 2019, Panerai introduced the four pillars of its 2019 collection: Radiomir, Luminor, Luminor 2 and Submersible. The Submersible models, originally part of the Luminor collection, now spearhead the Florentine watchmakers range of diving watches. Panerai decided to give them their very own collection, and the SIHH provided an opportunity to launch the new venture with eight new divers. One of them, the Panerai Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech, comes in two versions. One is completely black, with the signature white luminescence; the other is mounted on a green military strap with matching green SuperLuminova. But thats not the main difference. Panerai is offering the thirty-three purchasers of the green limited edition PAM00961 an exclusive experience in keeping with the military spirit of this professional diving watch, and with the history of Panerai: a days training with Comsubin, the Italian Navys elite diving unit. Submersible Marine Militare Carbotech PAM979 and PAM961 (limited edition of 33)) Panerai Anyone not lucky enough or brave enough to learn survival skills from Italian commandos will nevertheless find all the same features in the unlimited black version, which earned Comsubins gold medal. The imposing 47 mm diameter case made of carbotech a composite material composed of carbon filaments, which Panerai began using in 2015 gives each piece a naturally camouflaged matt black exterior thanks to the irregular surface appearance of carbotech when machined. The Submersibles may now be diving solo, but they nevertheless continue to rely on the Luminor case, designed by Panerai at the end of the 1940s for the Italian Navy, which has the signature crown guard. Both models are fitted with a black carbon dial, which completes the camouflage motif. The unidirectional rotating bezel, which borrows its 5-minute markers from the historic Egiziano model created by Panerai for the Egyptian Army in 1956, makes it possible to calculate diving time. The watch is water resistant to a depth of 300 metres, and the sturdy rubber strap is no more sensitive to seawater than the Incabloc-equipped movement is to shocks. Submersible Marine Militare Carbotech PAM979 Panerai The movement is the automatic P.91010 calibre developed by Panerai. Its balance beats at a frequency of 28,800 vph, and its twin barrels store enough energy to guarantee accurate running for 72 hours. It has central hours and minutes, a small seconds register at 9 oclock and the date at 3 oclock. The time can be set in one-hour increments both forwards and backwards. The protective titanium caseback features an engraving of a diver, with the inscription Survival Instruments, leaving the wearer in no doubt as to the watchs credentials. In the limited edition, the caseback features an engraving of the Comsubin insignia. The Submersible Marine Militare Carbotech PAM979 and PAM961, caseback view Panerai The standard black version (PAM979) is priced at 19,100 Swiss francs, while the 33-piece limited edition (PAM961), which includes an invitation to spend a day training with Italian commandos, comes in at CHF 40,600. For thrill-seeking Paneristi on the lookout for a unique experience, Panerai has two further Submersible limited editions. The Submersible Chrono Edition Guillaume Nery (15 pieces) gives buyers a chance to explore the ocean depths in French Polynesia in the company of the free diving champion, and the 19 pieces of the Submersible Mike Horn Edition come with a voucher for a spot of Arctic adventuring with the famous explorer. IN the wake of the fall in rapid succession of Algeria and Sudan strongmen, Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Omar al-Bashir respectively, is there hope that Africa will one day be rid of tin pot dictators responsible for reducing the continent with unsurpassed mineral riches into a basket case of destitution, poverty and disease? Both fallen leaders were the remnants of Africas ugly post-colonial history that saw former liberation heroes transform into cold-blooded murderers and persecutors of their political enemies as they clung onto power past their welcome. And as fate would have it, Bouteflika and al-Bashir were toppled not by the military but by civilian insurrections that proved that peoples power was far mightier than armies and guns. In the case of Algeria, students were in the forefront of massive month-long protests while the Sudanese civilian revolution that lasted for almost four months was spearheaded by the Sudanese Professionals Association. And in both situations, the military tried to seize the moment by grabbing power once the respective presidents had been isolated but the protesters would have none of that and demanded immediate civilian rule. About a decade ago when some of the long time dictators were brought down in what was commonly referred to as the Arab Spring, the fall of Bouteflika and al-Bashir has brought new hope that finally Africa no longer has the appetite for strongmen and dictators. However, that optimism may be misplaced if the posture of the African Union (AU) in the midst of the popular uprisings in the two countries and the ensuing interregnums is anything to go by. As usual, the AU appeared to be posturing at a time when decisive leadership was needed to explicitly throw its weight behind the peoples of Algeria and Sudan. As I see it, the AU, which replaced the then post-colonial Organisation of African Unity (OAU) at the turn of the century, has found it difficult, if not impossible, to shed the image of its predecessor as an old boys club for being soft on despots and dictators. Instead of maligning and isolating dictators, the AU often rewards these leaders with the leadership of the continental body. A recent case in point being Rwandas Paul Kagame who was bequeathed the chairmanship of the AU when he should have been under censor for the atrocities he routinely visits on his political nemesis and abject record on human rights. One of the important organs of the AU, the Commission on Human Rights, is hosted by The Gambia, a country that for decades was under dictatorship whose then leadership had outlawed political opposition and trampled on peoples human rights without being censored. If the AU had hoped to convert the leadership into human rights champions then this trust was misplaced because it did nothing to entrench a culture of respect for human rights. And how could The Gambia have censured other countries which had no respect for human rights when she was the first offender, is mystifying but goes to show African tolerance for dictatorships. As we well-know dictatorships are birthed by a penchant by leaders putting themselves ahead of national imperatives manifested by wrong choices and decisions often leading to the collapse of their countries economies thus turning their populations into poverty-stricken beggars. Unlike Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, African leaders have one option and that is to get corrupted and put themselves in the Forbes list of the richest people in the world and leave their people with nothing when they should be serving their nations to put their countries in the list of the best economies in the world. Consequently, these leaders blame the sorry state of the economies of their countries, indeed Africa, on the West and former colonial powers. While that might be so, the West and former colonial masters exploit the inherent weaknesses of the African leadership collective to further their goals. How often do we hear our leaders talk about adding value instead of shipping out raw mineral resources? Often this benefits the same leaders instead of the wealth filtering down to the people. This is the story of post-colonial Africa where often the same leaders who loot their economies lend their cash-strapped governments money to get by. Looting of their countries economies is probably the single cause why post-colonial Africa fell into the hands of despots and dictators. As I see it, African leaders should be embarrassed by the wealth and lavish lifestyles they live while the majority of their people live in abject poverty and are susceptible to and ravaged by disease. As aptly expressed by Confucius; In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of. The question is where does this the Kingdom of Eswatini fit in this equation especially given the backdrop that approximately 63 per cent of the population live below the international poverty datum line that in turn ranks this country among the poverty stricken nations of the world. And, declared Aristotle, poverty is the parent of revolution and crime. While the removal of political dinosaurs in the mould of the Bouteflikas and al-Bashirs may be a welcome break from a ruinous past this nonetheless does not alter the African political landscape since new dictators are coming to the fore through amending their national constitutions to make themselves lifetime presidents. That is the situation in Uganda and Burundi with Egypt appearing to be on the brink of following the same well-trodden path. If and when this occurs the civilian populations cannot be said to be victims but complicit in nurturing and supporting dictatorships for as long as they remain quiet and complacent. Africa of the 21st Century deserves better than to be continuously saddled with self-serving leaders. NGWENYA- It will be plots galore at Mchalageni Farm situated in Ngwenya. This is because the current owners of the farm, which has been converted into a township, had been advised to sell portions of their plots to fund infrastructure development that will run into millions. The farm owners would be expected to sell pieces of the land and further construct their own shopping complex near the border gate. The farm is situated adjacent to Ngwenya Border Gate. Initially, the farm was purchased by 42 residents when its actual owner relocated to South Africa after the countrys independence. It appeared that the farm owner feared that government might confiscate the farm after the country gained its independence in 1968. Information gathered from the actual buyers of the farm, was that the capital share of the farm was E50 000 in 1971 which resulted in them parting with E1 200 each. We wanted a small piece of land for our handcraft markets near the border gate, but the farm owner advised us to purchase the whole farm because he was relocating to South Africa, said an ex-miner who was part of the project. Another resident of the farm said as time went on, they decided to convert the private farm into a township. The resident said the conversion of the farm into a township came with benefits to the residents, as it improved the value of the land which came with a high purchase price. He said in several meetings they planned to improve the infrastructure to meet the town standards. As a result, the resident stated that they requested the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to declare the farm a township in 2001. However, he said they had a challenge with the cost of infrastructure resulting in the failure of the project. The resident mentioned that they renewed the application after they found a strategy to fund the infrastructure. Asked about the strategy, the resident said the residents had agreed to contribute towards the infrastructure which includes roads, water, sewers and electricity. Stakeholders We have engaged all the relevant stakeholders; however we have not finalised the quotations. Evaluations were done and we got a provisional approval in January 2019. Since some residents have no source of income, we have advised them to sell a portion of their land so that they could get money and contribute to the infrastructure development, he said. The residents confided that some residents were reluctant to contribute to the project. He said some were complaining about where they would get the income, since they were old and unemployed. However, he said they had since advised the reluctant residents about the benefits of converting the farm into a town. He made an example that the value of the land was better once a place was declared a town. He stated that the majority of residents had plenty land within the farm. While at the farm, it was observed that the majority of residents had big portions of land. Some people had invested in flats while some kept the vacant land. As you can see, I have already demolished my four flats so that I can build proper ones. I will also demolish my houses because I have a proper plan for my land, said an optimistic resident. Isabel Dos Santos is Driving Change in Angola; Her Message is Resonating Far & Wide - 'Education will Empower Our Youth and Brighten their Futures' Isabel Dos Santos (Photo : Isabel) Sharing Work (Photo : Isabel Dos Santos) Isabel Dos Santos Twitter Feed (Photo : Isabel Dos Santos Twitter Feed) Angola is on the cusp of great change. This mineral-rich country and its talented pool of entrepreneurs is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Advertisement Nobody understands this better than Isabel Dos Santos, an Angolan to her very core. Isabel's message is one of technological innovation, education, health and wellness for the people of Angola, particularly its youth. She has been fighting the good fight for years. For Isabel, nothing takes precedence over the development of the country and its people. She has been deemed a philanthropist and an altruist, but she's really a facilitator. She works tirelessly to balance the playing field to ensure that women and children are given all the tools they need to achieve more from their lives. There are great challenges ahead for Angola. The country, like so many others, is largely patriarchal in nature, although things are changing. Women are often relegated to specific roles and duties, while men function as society's breadwinners. A strong, confident, and outspoken woman, Isabel is spearheading initiatives to fast-track Angola's evolution. Young people are embracing this message with increasing alacrity. For Isabel, Africa is a veritable hub of talent. People are hungry to learn, grow, and develop. The voices of Angola's youth are echoing the sentiments expressed by Dos Santos. It is clear that there is tremendous optimism across the board and this transcends existing frameworks. Angolans are more determined than ever to use their country's resources for the betterment of their countrymen, and not to let the global community define Africa. Planting the Seeds of Hope and Change Isabel Dos Santos is a high-powered business lady who manages multinational corporations employing thousands of people. As a power player in companies like Unitel, Sodiba, Efacec, Zap, and Candando, she understands how corporate activity impacts grassroots level society. An engineer by trade, and a do-gooder by choice, Isabel Dos Santos is someone who is deeply passionate about the people of Angola and the future of the country. She represents what so many women aspire to be: independent, educated, and successful. As a role model, Isabel believes in projects that are committed to local communities. To this end, she has facilitated the establishment of strawberry fields in the province of Huila, in Humpata. Developing local economy is the surest way to fast-track the upliftment of women in their community. Such was the resounding success of this agricultural project, that the local economy was transformed. Women now farm the strawberry fields, earn income from selling to the local market, and are able to chart their own course. The Humpata project now employs 120 women, creating multiple employment opportunities for them and their local community. As a result of this initiative which is sponsored by Isabel Dos Santos, Angola is undergoing a cultural transformation. Some have even called it a cultural shift, from a largely male-dominated economy to a more egalitarian society where everyone gets to participate in growing the economy. Entrepreneurs now have opportunities to invest their newfound income in their own ventures. This transformative change ensures that complimentary businesses will be created and additional employment opportunities will become available. From a demand and supply perspective, Angola now demands less from external producers and is able to supply more to its local community. Transformative change such as this is being felt across the board. Of course, none of this is meaningful if the people of Angola are not learning new skills in the process. On this topic, Isabel Dos Santos has proved instrumental. She is an ardent supporter of educating the youth. Empowering the next generation of Angola is near and dear to her heart, and it begins at a young age. How Will Technological Innovation Reshape the Angolan Landscape? As an electrical engineer, Isabel understands how important technological development is for a country's growth and development. One of her companies, Efacec is a driving force in the fields of engineering, energy, and mobility. One of the pet projects of this company is electric vehicles. Although Angola is the largest producer of oil on the African continent, Isabel is looking beyond that to develop alternative, sustainable, earth-friendly industries. By educating the young people of Angola and building the necessary frameworks and infrastructures, she believes that Angola too can make that quantum leap to an advanced society in double-quick time. It begins with an acceptance that change is coming, and a preparedness to advance that change in society. Education is sacrosanct. It is the tool that is needed by the youth to broaden their skill set, embrace innovation, and become the thought leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. Isabel's story is one of hard work and determination. She has given fresh impetus to the narrative and is facilitating positive change in her country. LUYENGO We are grateful for the support! Those were the words of President of Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisis nephews on their final day of their lobola ceremony. Zwakele Hlanze and his fiance Buhle Makhubu passed their heartfelt gratitude to all the people who supported them during their ceremony held at the Makhubu family situated at Luyengo over the weekend. What they said amazed them was the turn up and the prominent people of the country who graced their event when they were only counting on something small and intimate. The couple, especially thanked the royal family, the prime minister and everyone who made their day a special one. It went beyond our expectations and God being God made the day a success, narrated Makhubu. When asked when their wedding would take place, they could only say soon. What we can say is that the wedding will be soon, added Hlanze. Meanwhile, one man who was identified as Lukhele, speaking on behalf of the Makhubu family, said the couple made history in that they were able to make a whole president of a country to gather with them. The Mosisis and Hlanzes who were representing the groom appreciated the hospitality they received during the weekend, adding that they were looking forward to strengthening the relationship that now exists between the two families. Buhles bride price was 17 cattle, 15 of which were the bride price and the two others were the ones exchanged by families known as Lugege and insulamyembeti. Lukhele later advised the Hlanze family to take care of their child (Buhle) as he said she was being handed over to them fresh. Nimubona nje, emehlo akhe aphelele sicela kungamkhandzi sekaneliso linye, said Lukhele in vernacular. Before the families met for farewells, the Hlanze and Masisi family went to the Matsapha Airport to bid farewell to the President and his First Lady, Neo Masisi, who took off at 2pm yesterday. Also present during the presidents departure were Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, royalty and former Deputy Prime Minister Paul Dlamini. The Mosisis, who came all the way from Botswana, made their way back to the country yesterday after the end of the ceremony. MBABANE - There is light at the end of the tunnel for cannabis production for medicinal purposes, as the Eswatini Cannabis Association has officially been registered as a company. The registration was concluded at the Registrar of Companies under the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade. The association, at first, had difficulty in registering due to certain issues that they had to look into. One of them was the issue of the word cannabis yet Eswatini had not legalized trade in this commodity. However, this seems to be water under the bridge now, as the association has received its registration documents. This comes shortly after the Ministry of Health provided the public with a website to view the cannabis regulations regarding the legalisation of dagga for medicinal purposes. After viewing the regulations, the public will then be in a position to voice out their views and opinions, and then amendments will be made in accordance to the publics opinions. It should be noted that the association was only registered as a company and this does not mean that they have been granted a licence to deal in cannabis. Mandated According to Saladin Magagula, Chairman of Eswatini Cannabis Association, the association had been mandated by its members to proudly announce to the entire nation that Eswatini Cannabis Association was fully registered effective of May 2, 2019 by the companies Act of No: 8 of 2009. Magugula invited emaswati to join the association. The association has worked tirelessly in its formation and is inviting all emaswati who are interested, to acquire individual membership to join the association for a fee of E100, he said. Magagula also mentioned that the association was open to all forms of participation in the near future, whether it was cooperatives or companies. He cited that with effect from May 11, 2019 the association would be on tour, the first stop being Big Bend. The venue and time is yet to be concluded, he said. Magagula said the association had been proudly registered on social media platforms such as Facebook, for information gathering, and sharing news and activities, as well as WhatsApp for individuals enquiries and news activities. He highlighted that all interested members were supposed to consult administrative members and join on all social media groups mentioned above at no costs. Participate These platforms engage people from all walks of life to participate in its well-being with various inputs from various members of society, he said. He said this ranged from various countries that had shown a great interest in Eswatini and the prospects that laid ahead. The association has further engaged in offshore funding product knowledge, expertise and in-depth studies of various products, he mentioned. Magagula said for all people who sought to join the association their full names and addresses were required. MBABANE He told us that an albino must be found, killed and get the body parts which will make all of us rich. He said he was going to make muti for luck (Inhlanhla yemali). A liSwati Zion prophet has spilled the beans on how the child who had albinism was killed in the Republic of South Africa and how some of those alleged to be involved in the murder fought over her body parts. Mutilation Bongani Mgutshwa of New Heaven in the Shiselweni Region, who is now an accomplice witness in the matter, has since recorded a statement with the South African police where he narrated events leading to the murder of the minor and mutilation of her body. A local traditional healer, Mfanasibili Muthi Gamedze, who is also incriminated in the murder, has since been arrested by the Royal Eswatini Police Service and the South African Government has since filed an application for his extradition. In his statement, Mgutshwa stated how they chopped the body parts of the child with albinism. He narrated that before they parted ways, Gamedze and another accused, Thokozani Msibi, started arguing over the head. Thokozani, according to Mgutshwa, argued that they could not share the head. He alleged that he then intervened on how they could share the head. Some of the contents of his submission cannot be printed due to their explicit nature. Mgutshwa informed the police that after that, he buried the body of the child in a shallow grave. Narrating how he came to be implicated in the matter, Mgutshwa stated that he knew Msibi as his neighbour and he grew up with his younger brothers. It happened one night; I went to church as I am a member of the Zion Church. On that day, I was prophesying at the church, Msibi was impressed with my talent but he did not tell me, said Mgutshwa. Prophet He submitted that in May 2017, he received a call from Msibi, who informed him that he had a special job for him to prophesy at his place in Witbank, Republic of South Africa. He said they made an arrangement to meet and go to Witbank and they stayed together at his place known as Extension 14. He stated that in June 2017, he found out that Msibi bought another place at Extension 16 where they were to practise healing people. In December 2017, Msibi told me and other two guys, known as Thulani and Mthobisi, that we must get a person who has albinism. He told us that the body parts would make us rich, said Mgutshwa. Mgutshwa asserted that on the very same month, before he went back home (Kingdom of Eswatini), he heard Msibi and Gamedze saying they had indentified the place where the albino could be found. He said at that time, he did not know the place. Inform On March 2, 2018, Mgutshwa said he went back to Witbank at Msibis place and he did not find him. He alleged that he called him to inform him that he was around and that he was at his place. He told me to go to the middle of the consultation hut (indumba). I went there and found a bottle of Mayonnaise containing fats and something like meat. He later told me that he was coming, said the accomplice witness. House According to Mgutshwa, on the same day, Msibi eventually arrived, he found him seated outside his (Msibi) house. He went to indumba the and came back with the bottle of the mayonnaise which I previously saw in the hut. He explained to me that inside the bottle, there is a private part, breasts and fats from the albino, submitted Mgutshwa. He went on to disclose that Msibi further told him that they went to a place called Hlalanikalile where they broke in and kidnapped the child with albinism whom they later murdered. Msibi is reported to have also told Mgutshwa that the body of the albino was hidden at a place called Callinum. Mgusthwa further said: After a few days he (Msibi) called Gamedze, he told him that we are going to Callinum to get some body parts of the albino. We took three buckets with two knives and a spade. He alleged that while they were driving there, they were drinking alcoholic beverages so that they could have Dutch courage. Driving He narrated that he saw the vehicle they were driving in approaching the bush and together with Gamedze, they then alighted. The way was reportedly being led by Gamedze, who was also the one who showed them where the corpse was hidden. The corpse, according to Mgutshwa, was hidden in a shallow grave. They then told me to dig on the head and I took a spade and did as instructed. I found that the body was that of the albino and it was covered with a black plastic bag. We then began cutting off the body parts, said Mgutshwa. Hi, everyone! I'm Frances. I'm the author of Not Invisible, a lifestyle and parenting writer, and book editor. I also dabble in PR for family- and women-friendly brands. When I find time away from my busy life as all mentioned and as a wife and mom, I blog here. Welcome to my blog! It's a 15-year-old honest and safe space for working moms, mothers of boys, and feminists (I just described all of myself). Thanks for dropping by! Leading construction and energy law firm Fenwick Elliott has announced it is making significant investment in 2019 to strengthen its global ties, including relaunching the Dubai office located at Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) as its international hub. The Dubai base, located in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, currently serves UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman territories with growing opportunities across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. It was first opened in 2015 in conjunction with Ibrahim Law Firm, headed by partners Patrick Stone and Ahmed Ibrahim. While Fenwick Elliott employs 50 lawyers as a specialised construction and energy law firm, Dubai hosts a growing team of partners and associates, and with the move to make the city its main overseas base, there are imminent plans to expand further into new, larger premises, said its top official. Already amassing extensive experience in the Middle East having acted for contractors in relation to projects like Palm Jumeirah, Doha Expressway and Dubai World Central, the firm plans to capitalise on increasing demand for its services in the UAE and Saudi in particular in the next 12 to 18 months. Stone said: "Its an exciting time to be at the forefront of our Dubai operation as we look to cement our presence in the UAE and explore new opportunities further afield. We are continually investing in our business here and to make way for new faces and improved facilities, we hope to relocate into a larger space in the coming months." The announcement coincides with a recent seminar held in London, which addressed the emergence of technology in construction and its potential impact; the first in a series of thought leadership events Fenwick Elliott will be involved in this year. The Legal 500 top tier firm warned against new legislative and contractual risk issues associated with digitalisation and developing technology in the industry, such as the use of BIM, drones and 3D robotics. Chaired by senior partner Simon Tolson, the event saw a panel of experts present talks including partners Jeremy Glover and Jonathan More, senior associate Dr Stacy Sinclair, as well as Erland Rendall, founder of Atorus Consult Ltd and Wavelength chief scientific officer Dr Ben Gardner. Delegates representing a large number of the UKs major construction, engineering and property services companies, decision makers and local government influencers attended Strands ME London hotel to hear from the panel. Simon, alongside the speakers, called for the industry to modernise by embracing what is now possible in design to move from mass production of standardised components to mass customisation, while remaining vigilant to the legal issues surrounding modern methods of construction and DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) for off the peg approaches. Simon said: "Technology is a key component of engineering, construction and energy law projects we specialise in as lawyers. In the law and data management machine learning has arrived and using AI to dig deep into unstructured data is something we care a lot about conquering to help our clients get to solutions fast." "The phrase modernise or die has never been truer. We can now conduct feasibility studies and manufacture via 3D robotics for instance. Joining the dots between this big data and learning what can be achieved with the new toolkit available from analytics is the key," he stated. "In the same vein, the massive explosion in data has created data manageability challenges for companies around the world and their harnessing of cloud-based storage. Legal issues will continue to evolve with developing technology but the more we embrace it and find solutions, the more we will be able to lever from the digitally-driven world," remarked Simon. Our vision is that through establishing standardised approaches, we can improve the whole-life performance of built assets and create higher quality, cost-effective buildings that are more comfortable to live and work in, resulting in fewer disputes, he added. Ibrahim said the legal implications of technology in construction are more prevalent than ever and this applies globally. "The smarter we design and procure buildings, the more competitive we become in driving costs down and improving productivity. Were looking forward to guiding our international clients on these matters through the changing landscape ahead," he added. Fenwick Elliott has a rich history of over 30 years, consistently named in The Legal 500 and is renowned for outstanding practice and specialist expertise in the construction sector.-TradeArabia News Service The first edition of the Kuwait Energy Outlook (KEO), the first of its kind in the Gulf region, has put forward recommendations to create a more sustainable, energy-efficient and diversified economy and society in Kuwait. The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) yesterday (May 5) celebrated the successful conclusion of the publication and subsequent capacity building programme of the first edition of the report, which presents ground-breaking analysis to predict and plan for Kuwaits energy future. The inaugural KEO highlights and analyses three main challenges Kuwait is facing in ensuring prosperity for future generations: the need to diversify the countrys oil-dependent economy, stimulate efficient energy usage, and further develop renewable energy sources. The closure event celebrated the reports major achievements so far, including the successful publication of the first ever KEO, supported by a gender-balanced team working out of a dedicated space; the strengthening of institutional capacity in Kuwait through intensive training programmes supported by the UNDP and partnerships with international bodies including the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI); and the improved collaboration between Kuwaits key energy players, including the establishment of an editorial committee from seven government institutions to oversee the production of future editions. The event welcomed high-level individuals to mark the momentous occasion, including representatives from Kuwaits energy industry, Ministries and Embassies, as well as representatives of KISRs Energy and Building Research Center (EBRC), the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (GSSCPD) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which all contributed to the first edition of the KEO. Dr Samira A S Omar, director general of KISR, said: Our ambition at its founding was to be at the forefront of energy reform in the country, guiding and offering solutions to one of Kuwaits most challenging industries. Going forward, the Kuwait Energy Outlook will play an essential role in increasing collaboration between government entities on energy-related issues and upskilling Kuwaits energy professionals as we work towards creating a more sustainable Kuwait, she said. Dr Khaled Mahdi, secretary general of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (GSSCPD), 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 Kuwaits global competitiveness, benefiting generations to come. Khaled Shahwan, UNDP deputy resident representative, said: We are supporting Kuwait on its journey to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals. Through the first Energy Outlook in the region, Kuwait has taken a major step forward with regards to its socio-economic and environmental development plans. KISR has established the Kuwait Energy Policy Team, which has been tasked with the creation of future editions of the report that will likely be published every three years going forward. These Energy Outlooks will be presented at dedicated forums that will bring together international and domestic stakeholders to discuss Kuwaits energy future. In addition, special thematic reports will be released periodically that will provide in-depth analyses of specific energy issues, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Muslims in Egypt are set to start fasting on Monday to mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, the country's Islamic Dar El-Ifta announced on Sunday evening. Ramadan will start on Monday as the crescent moon, by which the start of the Islamic holy month is marked, was observed on Sunday evening, the 28th day of the month of Shaaban. The length of the months in the Islamic lunar calendar varies between 29 and 30 days, depending on the sighting of the crescent. On the and 28th day of Shaaban, the month which precedes Ramadan on the Islamic linar calendar, Muslim scholars look for the new crescent in the sky after the sun sets. If they see it, the following day marks the beginning of Ramadan; if not, then Ramadan will commence the day after. During Ramadan, the nineth month on the Islamic calendar, Muslims abstain from drinking and eating from dawn until dusk. Eid Al-Fitr, or "the feast of breaking the fast," is the three-day religious holiday marking the end of Ramadan, and is celebrated by Muslims worldwide. Search Keywords: Short link: Saudi Arabias Industrialization and Energy Services Company (Taqa) said it plans to acquire two companies in the North American oilfield services technology and manufacturing sectors by the end of the year. The announcement made today (May 6) at the industry flagship Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Texas, forms part of the companys 2021 Strategy to become a leading oilfield services and equipment (OFSE) provider. Taqa has allocated approximately $1.2 billion for new investments and acquisitions over the next three years to build-out its capabilities and footprint in oilfield services, equipment manufacturing and new technologies across the wider Mena region and North America. The company is currently in discussions to acquire two companies in North America this year, a major step in accelerating its 2021 transformation and growth strategy. These acquisitions would add specific new technologies and manufacturing capabilities to Taqas existing integrated OFSE offering. Taqa is also reviewing a number of further investment and acquisition opportunities in the wider Middle East region, as part of its goal to become a leading regional player. The oilfield services and equipment provider already has a substantial portfolio of wholly owned companies, subsidiaries and affiliates that were established in joint ventures with global leaders across several oilfield equipment and services markets, focusing on four core businesses: (1) contact drilling, (2) Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) manufacturing,(3) geophysical mapping, and (4) Taqas wholly owned FRAC and wells services company. Today, Taqa provided further details on its 2021 strategic transformation plan, which has been underway since 2017 when it acquired Canadian well services company, Sanjel. Since that time, Taqa has completed several additional investments including a 50,000-horsepower FRAC fleet that will be commissioned and fully operational later this year and the expansion of its drilling subsidiary, the Arabian Drilling Company (ADC), with the commissioning of an additional 16 onshore rigs in 2018. Most recently, Taqa also announced that ADC has agreed to acquire Schlumbergers Middle East onshore drilling rigs business in Kuwait, Oman, Iraq and Pakistan for $415 million. The transaction transforms ADC into a regional drilling leader with one of the largest rig fleets, client portfolios and geographic footprints in the Middle East. Azzam Shalabi, CEO of Taqa, said: Taqas planned investments in North America complement our Middle East expansion ambitions and are a key component of our 2021 Strategy which aims to deliver the best, most advanced integrated oilfield services and manufacturing solutions to our clients. North America is home to some of the worlds leading oilfield services companies and represents an exciting investment and expansion opportunity for Taqa. We are actively seeking to tap into the latest technology and manufacturing practices in this market, especially in the unconventional resources space, where we see significant growth opportunities. These new offerings and expertise will be brought back to our clients in the Middle East region to ensure they get access to world-class, high quality services. We look forward to announcing details on these investments and acquisitions in the very near future, he added. TradeArabia News Service More than 100 airport managers from across Oman Airs network gathered in Muscat for a three-day conference organised by Oman Air to discuss results, plans and projected targets. The theme of the conference: Airport Operations Transformation Journey, A Flight to Success, reflected appropriately the realities of airline business and the need to adapt to the new operating environment and to embrace new technology. Hosted by Saleem Amanulla, senior vice president, Ground Operations at Oman Air, the conference saw presentations from members of Oman Airs senior management team. Speakers at the conference emphasised the importance of customer service, effective communications and vigilance on security issues, while delegates also heard of plans of Oman Airs exciting fleet and network expansion programme. Speaking on this, Abdulaziz Al Raisi, chief executive officer of Oman Air, said: The airport services managers have made major contributions to the achievements of Oman Air over the last year. I would like to thank them for their efforts and commitment, and I am confident that they will continue to make a major contribution to Oman Air in the years to come. This conference has provided the opportunity to recognise the excellent work carried out, to date, listen to the views and suggestions of our front-line managers and plan effectively for the future. I look forward to working with each of our airport services managers to deliver an outstanding passenger experience for every customer. The highlight of the conference was the CEO Service Excellence Awards ceremony where exceptional individuals and stations were recognised for their outstanding contributions in the area of airport operations. - TradeArabia News Service Contributed by Sharon Butler / Brooklyn artist Beth Dary thinks about the individual bubbles in which we all live. She was settled in a new house in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit, and her home, which she had been thinking of turning into a residency program, experienced major flooding and mold damage. She and her family evacuated to New York City, where she was invited to participate in an LMCC Workspace program for artists displaced by Katrina. She told me she began to think about how we all live in bubblesboth individually and as communities. These glass pieces were originally part of a water-based public art project down in Battery Park City where they appeared to float, but cable tethers limited their movement and prevented them from crashing into one another. Everything had to be inert, but viewers couldnt be sure if the objects were real, if they were metastasizing, or if they were organic and had grown there. Did they land? Did they float? Dary contemplated the possibilities and began to think about migration: movement, resilience, and how some of us travel freely and others have limited mobility. A very thoughtful and highly skilled artist who enjoys collaboration, Dary was trained as a papermaker but learns new materials and processes as ideas take her in new directions. Artist Bio: Beth Dary holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Syracuse University and a Masters of Fine Arts from Memphis College of Art. She has participated in several artist residency programs including Yaddo, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Most recently, Darys work has been curated into exhibits at Prospect.1.5 in New Orleans, the Islip Art Museum and Art in Odd Places in New York. Darys work has been commissioned by Battery Park City in Manhattan and she has received grants from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the The Manhattan Community Arts Fund. Her work is in several private and corporate collections including the Edelman Corporation and the New Orleans Museum of Art. Beth Darys work is currently on view in Among Friends/ Enter Amigos, a project she co-organized with Patricia Fabricant and Alexandra Rutsch Brock. Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Educational Center, 107 Suffolk St, New York, New York. Through May 12, 2019. She recently had work at Project: Artspace in Particulate Matter, curated by Nancy Baker and Etty Yaniv, featuring artists Jaynie Gillman Crimmins, Beth Dary, Liz Jaff, Antonia Perez, Suzan Shutan, Nancy Baker and Etty Yaniv. Dary is in the Two Trees Cultural Space Subsidy Program and recently participated in DUMBO Open Studios. Related posts: Studio visit: Lisa McCleary Immediate, physical, emotional: Studio visit with Elise Siegel Studio visit with Barbara Takenaga Studio Visit: James Rauchman China says US claims of forced labor in Xinjiang 'fabricated' 25 Dec 2021 | 1:02 AM Beijing, Dec 24 (UNI/Sputnik) China's legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), on Friday pushed back against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act signed by US President Joe Biden into law, calling all accusations contained in the legislation "fabricated." On Thursday, Biden signed the bill banning imports of goods made with the forced labor of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tibetans, or members of other "persecuted groups" in China. see more.. Two doses of Pfizer or Moderna fail to protect against Omicron after 6 months: Scientists 25 Dec 2021 | 1:01 AM Washington, Dec 24 (UNI/Sputnik) A study by a group of scientists from the United States has found that two doses of Covid 19 vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna do not provide protection against the Omicron strain six months after the second vaccination. see more.. Montenegrin president tests positive for Covid-19 25 Dec 2021 | 12:49 AM Belgrade (Montenegro), Dec 24 (UNI/Xinhua) The President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic has tested positive for Covid-19 with mild symptoms, the president's office confirmed. see more.. China to evacuate citizens from Solomon Islands due to unrest: Reports 25 Dec 2021 | 12:48 AM Beijing, Dec 24 (UNI/Sputnik) China will organize a flight to evacuate its citizens from the Solomon Islands where large-scale protests had taken place in Honiara, the capital city, the Chinese newspaper Global Times reported. see more.. Manufacturing-Works to Continue Under New Leadership A program aimed at helping Wyoming manufacturers achieve success will continue under new leadership, according to the University of Wyoming Office of Research and Economic Development. Manufacturing-Works, a partnership of UW, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Wyoming Business Council, provides technical and business assistance to manufacturing companies across the state. Discussions are taking place among those partners regarding appointments of the permanent director and assistant director of the program, as those positions are now vacant. Recognizing the need for the services of this program, particularly at a time when manufacturing can play such an important role in growing and diversifying Wyomings economy, the university has chosen a new direction for the leadership of Manufacturing-Works, says Ed Synakowski, UWs vice president for research and economic development. Working with our partners, we are confident that we will soon have new leaders to move the program forward. Manufacturing-Works, which is part of the Wyoming Business Resource Network, has existed for more than two decades, supported by federal and state funding. It has offices in Laramie, Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan and Afton. Other components of the Wyoming Business Resource Network include the Wyoming Technology Business Center, the Wyoming Small Business Development Center, the Wyoming Technology Transfer and Research Products Center, and the Wyoming Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Manufacturing-Works promotes innovation, manufacturing and industrial competitiveness to build a stronger and more prosperous Wyoming through enhanced economic security and improved quality of life. Services to manufacturers include broad technical assistance, engineering solutions, general business assistance, marketing assistance and financial counseling. Manufacturing-Works is part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network, which has centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. MEP is administered by NIST, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. RSO Award Winners Announced at UW University of Wyoming student groups were recently recognized for their efforts during the 17th annual Recognized Student Organization (RSO) Awards of Excellence banquet. The 250-plus campus organizations provide outlets for students to become involved, make friends and network. They host hundreds of events on and off campus; attend conferences that enhance their professional development; and participate in service activities that impact the university and local community. The annual RSO Awards of Excellence banquet recognizes these groups and also student leaders for their accomplishments from the past year. The Campus Activities Center (CAC) presented awards in several categories. The winners of the awards are: -- Best RSO Poster Award: Indian Students Organization (MILAAP) for the organizations annual Diwali Night. -- Outstanding Adviser Award: Jacqueline Rickett, Wyoming Union, as Rho Lambda adviser. -- RSO Teamwork Award: Political Science Club for collaborating with many RSOs, UW partners and Wyoming businesses. -- Best New RSO Award: International Association of Drilling Contractors. In the first year of formation, the organization was recognized for taking students across the country to enhance their portfolios. -- RSO Community Service Award: Wellness Ambassadors for hosting more than 70 events to promote health and well-being, with an average reach of 165 community members. -- RSO Officer of the Year Award: Cheyennes Chris Folsom, of Spectrum. -- Sara Axelson Outstanding RSO Award: The American Institute of Chemical Engineers for demonstrating commitment, character, citizenship, community service and visibility on the UW campus. The organization also was honored for creating relationships among other colleges, professors and its national partners. For more information about the CAC, visit www.uwyo.edu/cac, like the Wyoming Union on Facebook, or add it on Snapchat @wyounion. Second UW Hackathon Scheduled This Fall The University of Wyoming will host the second annual WyoHackathon event this fall to demonstrate its commitment to blockchain technology. The WyoHackathon 2019 is Friday, Sept. 20-Sunday, Sept. 22, at UWs new $105 million Engineering Education and Research Building. The event aligns the best of both UW and Wyoming to incorporate and use new technology to add value to the states economy and educational system, according to organizers. The hackathon, and other events like it, will bolster our colleges culture of entrepreneurship, help us guide Wyomings economic development and foster innovative growth, says Michael Pishko, the dean of UWs College of Engineering and Applied Science. Caitlin Long, WyoHackathon chair, praises Wyoming blockchain efforts. Wyoming has now enacted a total of 13 blockchain-enabling laws, making it the only U.S. state to provide a comprehensive, welcoming legal framework that enables blockchain technology to flourish, both for individuals and companies, Long says. These laws enable innovation and creativity, and are meant to bring capital, jobs and revenue into Wyoming. WyoHackathon is a competitive sprint-like team event where hackers collaborate on chosen projects to solve using blockchain technologies. Teams have 48 hours to brainstorm, prototype and create solutions to business and technology challenges. Blockchain is a breakthrough database technology for storing information; and has wide-ranging uses for managing various data and records, including cryptocurrency. The concept already has made its way into many UW departments and classrooms. UW President Laurie Nichols also praises the technology. This emerging technology has great promise to boost the states economy, and our faculty and students are immersed in the exploration of its potential, Nichols says. The hackathon will shine a bright light on these efforts and those of people from across the country. Organizers of this years event hope to exceed last years attendance of more than 400 participants in its successful first year of competition. In addition, all sponsorship proceeds from the WyoHackathon will support the event and UW. Last years event was wildly successful. Its about building blockchain innovations that create economic opportunities for Wyoming, supporting the blockchain ecosystem and giving back to the community, says Rich Kopcho, WyoHackathon producer. UW is excited to host the event because it aligns with the curriculum and legislation. Registration and sponsorship and partnership opportunities are available on the website at www.wyohackathon.io. More information will be available in coming months. For inquiries, call Kopcho at (307) 223-2239 or email wyohackathon@gmail.com. For more information about WyoHackathon, go to www.wyohackathon.io; follow on Twitter; join on Telegram at https://t.me/WyoHackathon; or connect on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/wyohackathon. UW Pianist Wu Receives Sabbatical Augmentation Award Chi-Chen Wu, a University of Wyoming associate professor of piano and world-renowned pianist, is the recipient of UWs 2019 Flittie Sabbatical Augmentation Award. The award will support Wus travel and other expenses to Boston, Norway, Germany, France and Taiwan during her sabbatical in the 2019-2020 academic year. The Flittie award goes to a qualified faculty member whose two-semester sabbatical leave has the potential to enrich instruction at UW. Named for the late sociology Professor Ed Flittie, who bequeathed funds to augment sabbatical salaries, the award is made by the Faculty Development Committee of the UW Faculty Senate. Wu joined UWs faculty in 2012, and this will be her first sabbatical leave. During her time away from campus, she will be involved in an electroacoustic recording project with composer Ralf Gawlick at Boston College, then perform in concerts across the United States and Europe; record with violin Professor Gregory Maytan at the Norwegian Academy of Music, then perform in Europe; and collaborate with a string quartet in Taiwan, including a concert and lecture series. All of my sabbatical projects will enrich my classroom teaching and bring my course designs up to date to better prepare our students for the professional world of the 21st century, Wu says. My collaborations with professors and professionals in Boston, Norway, Germany and Taiwan will potentially create opportunities for cross-institution exchange programs for our students. Egypt has offered its condolences to Russian victims of a deadly plane fire at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday, which left 41 passengers dead and several others injured. The plane had taken off from the airport but then returned to make an emergency landing, with the rear part of the plane bursting into flames as it hit the runway. The Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday that the country fully supports the government and people of Russia in their ordeal and wishes the injured a speedy recovery. Search Keywords: Short link: UW Student Earns Prestigious Udall Scholarship UW student Tessa Wittman, who has been named a 2019 Udall Scholar, poses with her dog, Whiskey. (UW Photo) University of Wyoming junior Tessa Wittman, of Minneapolis, Minn., has been named a 2019 Udall Scholar, one of just 55 people to receive the award nationwide this year. Each year, the Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. Wittman is majoring in wildlife and fisheries biology and management, and environment and natural resources, with minors in honors and reclamation and restoration ecology. From the start of her academic career at UW, Tessa has set herself apart with impressive academic prowess, personal commitment to excellence, and extensive undergraduate research and service experiences, says UW Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources Associate Lecturer Maggie Bourque. She is a voracious thinker and insightful colleague, seeking to understand the depth and range of the natural world as well as the complexity of the human experience. Im grateful to all the faculty who supported Tessas Udall Scholar application from the Honors College and Haub School, as well as the departments of Zoology and Physiology, and Economics. Among her activity at UW, Wittman spent the past two summers working as a field technician for the Wyoming toad program through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wyoming toads are one of the most endangered amphibians in North America, and they are endemic to the Laramie Basin. Her personal research involves developing genetics tools that will allow researchers to tell whether a toad has been in the water with a simple water sample. In addition, Wittman works as a research assistant in the Ruckelshaus Institute on a project studying the human dimensions of sagebrush management, in partnership with the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. As part of her Udall award, Wittman will spend five days in Tucson, Ariz., at Scholar Orientation, where scholars extend their professional network, meet other scholars and alumni, and learn new skills. Receiving this scholarship is a huge honor and reinforces all of my hard work here at UW, Wittman says. I aspire to contribute to positive solutions for our biosphere, and connecting with fellow Udall Scholars is an excellent way to build a collaborative network with students and professionals who are as passionate as I am about ecosystem solutions. I am excited to join a cohort of exemplary environmental scholars as we all forge a new path in conservation. Wittman chose UW for having the most cutting-edge research, the most access to federal lands and the most field-research opportunities. On campus, she is involved in UWs Wildlife Society and serves as president of Restoration Outreach and Research Club on campus. Through that club, Wittman is working with BikeNet on land and trail restoration. Tessa has actively sought out diverse interdisciplinary experiences inside and outside the classroom that give her the foundation to grow into a future environmental leader, says UW Haub School Professor of Practice Drew Bennett. The Udall Scholarship is an explicit recognition of her talent, and we are extremely proud of her achievement. We cant wait to see all she will accomplish in her career. Leaders from American Envoy and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport celebrate the opening of the Terminal E satellite. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Homes & Villas by Marriott International is a new home rental initiative from Marriott International offering travelers access to 2,000 premium and luxury properties in exceptional destinations around the world, including 100 markets across the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met on Monday in Cairo with European Union (EU) Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica to discuss furthering cooperation between Europe and Egypt, presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady said. The meeting was attended by Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and a number of other officials. El-Sisi reiterated Egypt's readiness, in light of its current presidency of the African Union, to cooperate with the Commission of the EU via initiatives that aim at serving the development goals of the African continent in line with Agenda 2063. The president also stressed the need to utilise Egyptian expertise and European funding mechanisms to attain these development goals, especially in the economic integration domain. El-Sisi urged the implementing of more infrastructure projects in African countries to help promote investments and create more job opportunities in the continent. Mimica expressed the EUs appreciation for the strong and historical relations with Egypt, stressing the European side's reliance on Egypt's stability as a crucial element in achieving balance and maintaining peace and security in the southern Mediterranean region. Mimica also expressed the EU's readiness to promote cooperation with Egypt at various levels in light of common interest in facing the challenges in the Mediterranean region, and given Egypts importance in the region, which was recently reflected in its successful hosting of the first Arab-European Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh. Search Keywords: Short link: German Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas hailed on Monday Egypt's mediation efforts, alongside the United Nations, to reach a ceasefire deal to end three-day battles between Palestinian factions and Israel, which have left at least 23 people killed in the Gaza Strip. Minister Maas underscored the necessity of the immediate implementation of and a full adherence to the Egypt-brokered Gaza ceasefire. A Gaza truce could form a base for containing the volatile situation, the minister said, attaching great importance to implementing a deal sealed by the Palestinian and Israeli sides last March to provide Israel with the security guarantees it needs and take tangible steps to improve the living conditions in the Palestinian enclave. Maas further expressed his country's eagerness to back all overtures meant to eliminate conflicts, as well as efforts aimed at upholding the two-state solution and reaching a permanent and just peace in the Middle East. Search Keywords: Short link: If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Advertisement By WestKyStar & MCHS Staff May. 05, 2019 | MARSHALL COUNTY By WestKyStar & MCHS Staff May. 05, 2019 | 05:35 PM | MARSHALL COUNTY A Marshall County High School student has been selected to attend the Governors School for the Arts (GSA) this summer at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY, and another has been selected as an alternate for the program. Congratulations are in order for Chelsea Erbacher, a junior, and GSA alternate Karly Jones, a sophomore. Erbacher will be attending the program for Architecture + Design; Jones is an alternate for the Musical Theatre program. The GSA Summer Program offers 3 weeks of intensive instruction in nine artistic disciplines: architecture + design, creative writing, dance, drama, instrumental music, musical theatre, new media, visual art, and vocal music. Applying to the program is a feat in itself: acceptance is determined by an initial application and recommendations, followed by a final round of auditions and reviews. This year, out of over 1400 applications, 629 individuals were qualified to showcase their work in person, and 256 were selected to participate in the program. Students participating in the program are immersed in a rigorous schedule of daily seminars, master classes, lectures, hands-on workshops and field trips. While each student specializes in one art form, all students participate in structured, interdisciplinary arts experiences designed to familiarize them with the joys and challenges of specialties other than their own. Summer program participants receive full tuition, room and board. The Marshall County School District would like to commend these talented and committed young women for their achievement. We wish them every continued success in their craft, and in life. By WestKyStar & MCCH Staff May. 05, 2019 | 06:57 PM | MURRAY Plan to be Tobacco Free June 4, 5:30 - 6:30 pm Center for Health & Wellness A free one hour educational one-time session that will help those interested in overcoming tobacco use and dependence, including a customized quit plan. *Pre-Registration is Required Call 270-442-1310 to reserve your spot in the class. Class will not be held if no one registers. Exercise is Medicine Physical activity is one of the most powerful tools to reduce the risk of chronic disease. Talk to your physician and see if you could benefit from an exercise plan. If you bring a physicians referral for exercise to the Center for Health & Wellness you will join the facility with no joining fee. Call 270-762-1348 for more information. Free Screening: Stewart County Senior Center May 3, 7:30 - 9:30 am Stewart County Senior Center Glucose & Cholesterol Screening No appointment required. Free Screening: Calloway County Public Library Height, Weight, and Wait Circumference May 7, 9 - 11 am Calloway County Public Library No appointment required. Free Screening: Hickory Woods Blood Pressure & Non-fasting Glucose May 9, 10 - 11 am No appointment required. Murray-Calloway County Hospital Private Dining Room May 15, 9 - 11 am & 2 - 4 pm MCCH Private Dining Room Blood Pressure, Body Mass Index, Osteoporosis Screening, Pulmonary Function Screening, Wait Circumference, Pulse, Pulse Ox Free Screening: Hardin Public Library May 21, 10 - Noon Hardin Public Library Blood Pressure & Non-fasting Glucose Free Screening: Weaks Center May 28, 10 - 11:30 am Blood Pressure & Non-fasting Glucose Free Screening: Cadiz Library Cadiz Library Blood Pressure & Non-fasting Glucose Murray Alzheimers Caregiver Support Group Thursday, May 2, 10 am Weaks Senior Citizen Center For more information, call 270-762-1224 Bariatric Support Group Thursday, May 2, 10 - 11 am Center for Health & Wellness For more information, call Bariatric Solutions @ 270-762-1547 ALS Support Group Thursday, May 9, 6 - 7 pm MCCH Board Room For more information, call Mitzi Cathey at 270-293-1748 Bariatric Support Group Tuesday, May 14, 5 - 6 pm Center for Health & Wellness For more information, call Bariatric Solutions, at 270-762-1547 Parkinson's Support Group Tuesday, May 14, Noon Weaks' Senior Citizen Center For more information call 270-753-0929 Benton Alzheimers Care Giver Support Group Wednesday, May 1, 10 am Marshall County Public Library For more information, call 270-762-1224 Breastfeeding Support Group Thursday, May 16, 4 - 5:30 pm Center for Health & Wellness For more info call Alycia Janow 270-226-4776 National Alliance on Mental Illness Thursday, May 16, 6:30 pm MCCH Education Building (Corner of 8th and Elm) For more info call 270-748-6133 Breast Cancer Support Group Tuesday, May 28, 5:30 pm Don Sol For more info call Evelyn 270-489-2462 Dialysis Support Group o Date: Thursday, May 23, 4:30 - 5:30 pm Weak's Senior Citizen Center For more info, call Tasha Mitchell 270-759-3080 Stroke and Head Injury Support Group Monday, May 27, 5:30 - 7 pm Center for Health & Wellness For more info call Cheryl 270-293-9442 For more information on programs or free screenings available from Murray-Calloway County Hospital, and the Center for Health and Wellness, call 270-762-1348. The staff at Murray-Calloway County Hospital and the Center for Health & Wellness will be offering educational health promotion events during the month of May to community members, Wellness Center members and MCCH employees. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 05, 2019 | PADUCAH By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 05, 2019 | 11:42 AM | PADUCAH The Paducah Police Department has started a new program that will bring more officers into local schools to interact with students. Chief Brian Laird says the program is similar to the current "Watch Dog" program that allows dads to come into the classroom and interact with students during the school day, helping with homework and acting as teacher's aides. He says it's designed to allow officers to act as mentors to students, and to help educate them about safety. "They're gonna start out at Paducah Middle. That's kind of where we're testing it out at. They're gonna spend the day there and build relationships with the kids, and offer some guidance along the way." He said. Laird said fostering relationships with young people is an important aspect of community policing, which is something he says is one of the department's primary goals. He also said officers will be educating students on what to do in the event of a threat. "Our goal is to try to build the relationships to where we can prevent things like that," Laird said. "We've had some recent examples of where some people have made some threats and things like that. All those have been discussed and shared amongst friends, and then somebody wasn't afraid to to let somebody in a position of authority know what was going on. We can jump on that pretty quick and just try to prevent those." Laird said the ultimate goal is to spread the program to all Paducah schools. By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 06, 2019 | 05:50 AM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY A Paducah man is facing methamphetamine charges. The McCracken County Sheriff's Office says deputies conducted a traffic stop early Monday morning at the intersection of Hovekamp Road and Yarbro Lane. During the course of the stop, deputies determined that the passenger, 36-year-old Aaron Rich of Paducah, was in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Rich was placed under arrest and lodged in the McCracken County Regional Jail. He's charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry asserted on Monday Egypts keenness to further its relations with the European Union (EU) during a meeting with EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica in Cairo. The meeting took up means of boosting cooperation in various areas of mutual concern, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said, adding that the minister emphasised the need to deepen ties on all levels. Shoukry apprised the commissioner on the latest developments in Egypt, especially the results of the countrys ambitious economic reform programme and its vision for achieving comprehensive development, Hafez added. Shoukry stressed that the EU is Egypt's number one trade and investment partner. The officials also discussed several mutual challenges, the spokesman said, noting that Shoukry shed light on Egypt's counterterrorism efforts as well as its successful policies in dealing with irregular migration. The two officials also explored the possibility of establishing a trilateral cooperation framework that involves the African Union, Hafez said, adding that the minister told the senior EU official about Egypt's priorities during its current presidency of the African bloc. Search Keywords: Short link: Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 05, 2019 | GRAVES COUNTY By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 05, 2019 | 06:47 PM | GRAVES COUNTY Folks in Graves County have a new option to help them get to work. The Mayfield Chamber of Commerce says Graves Strategic Development, Graves County Economic Development, Mayfield Graves Tourism Commission, the City of Mayfield and the Graves County Fiscal Court have partnered with Fulton County Transit Authority to introduce a new Ride to Work program. According to a press release, the program was designed to provide a safe, affordable, and reliable option for transportation to work by purchasing a Bus Pass for $100 per month. The fee covers rides to and from any place of employment in the county, and allows residents to be picked up and dropped at their homes by appointment instead of using designated bus stops. Finding a reliable, cost-effective way for people to get to and from work is a big challenge for every community," said Ryan Drane with Graves County Economic Development. "Graves Strategic Development was very pleased to partner with FCTA to create this outside-the-box idea that will provide reliable transportation for our workforce. We believe that this plan will increase workforce attendance, improve the quality of life for those employees, and make the participating companies stronger and better positioned for future growth. Bob McNutt, Human Resources Manager at Mayfield Consumer Products, said the new service will be a big help to the company and its employees. The news that FCTA is offering the new Ride to Work Program is a breath of fresh air here at Mayfield Consumer Products. This will be a great benefit for our employees and for Mayfield and Graves County in general. We look forward to working with FCTA on more, and even better programs to make our employees lives a little more stress-free. Thank you, FCTA, for your attention to the needs of the workforce here in Graves County. McNutt said. Kenney Etherton, Executive Director of Fulton County Transit Authority, said FCTA is excited to offer this new Ride to Work program. Our mission is to provide safe and affordable transportation to the public and getting citizens to work is just as important as getting citizens to medical appointments. When I talked to the Graves Strategic Development group and local industry leaders, one top of the top issues was transportation to and from work, so those conversations inspired us to create a new, affordable program and extend our operating hours to better serve the community. If you want to know more about the program, contact the Fulton County Transit Authority at 270-472-0662. Origins Centre gets set to rock 2019 in style The Origins Centre is looking forward to a busy year of growth and new horizons. Not only is the museum opening a new wing in 2019, its also gearing up to host more public events and exhibitions, as well as monthly themed fun days to introduce children to the fascinating world of archaeology and palaeontology. Origins curator Dr Tammy Hodgskiss says the renovation of the Spirit Room, which will boast upgraded display cabinets, more interactive elements and enhanced lighting, is just the start. The bottom floor of the rock engravings wing is also being remodelled, and is expected to be launched by mid-year. Its very exciting were hoping to have as many as possible of our engraved boulders on display, about 80 in total, she says. The new wing will comprise one floor of exhibits and two floors that can be used as temporary exhibition spaces, or as venues for events and functions. This forms part of an ongoing makeover that will gradually see the museum becoming more interactive to keep pace with the times. The Origins Centre already has a number of temporary exhibitions and book launches lined up for the year. Among these is the exhibition Through the Eyes of an Archaeologist, which opens on 28 February 2019 and foregrounds the work of South African archaeologist Professor Revil Mason. As the first head of the Wits archaeology department in the 1970s, Prof Mason was instrumental in setting the foundation and standard for the practice of archaeology in South Africa. He conducted pioneering surveys and research at archaeological sites, including stone-walled Iron Age settlements in the Suikerbosrand area and iron-smelting furnaces at the Melville Koppies. Prof Mason worked tirelessly to convince officials of the need to recognise and celebrate Africas deep past, and the role that African ancestors played in the making of modern South African society. This informative and interactive exhibition is sure to inspire. There will be amazing archaeological artefacts on display from copper necklaces and iron tools to ancient preserved plant material, as well as aerial and LiDAR photographs (a surveying method that uses lasers) of ancient homesteads, and interactive exhibits where you can touch the tools and pottery the inhabitants used. You can also examine archaeological artefacts through a microscope. In February and March 2019, two free book launches will be hosted at the centre in association with Wits University Press. The first to be launched is Dress as Social Relations, in which Norwegian researcher Vibeke Maria Viestad challenges the myth of the nearly naked San Bushmen and instead looks into their manner of dress and personal adornment from an ethnographic point of view. The second book is Visionary Animal by researcher and photographer Renaud Ego, who, in the words of artist and academic Pippa Skotnes, reanimates San rock paintings through his evocative photographs and words. Plus, from 2 March 2019 and every first Saturday of the month thereafter, the Origins Centre will host #FirstSaturdays. These are childrens activity days filled with cool stuff such as hunting for dinosaur eggs, digging for ancient treasures and exploring the fascinating past through fun, and often messy, activities. Budding artists who attend the first fun day will also have their dinosaur drawings entered into the Night of 1 000 Drawings project on 30 March 2019. The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Summer (Chinese: ), the 7th term of the year, begins on May 6 and ends on May 21 this year. [Tuchong] Start of Summer signals the transition of seasons. On this day, the sun's rays reach an angle of 45 degrees to the earth. The temperature will rise quickly during this period, yet in northern China weather remains mild, not tropical. Here are five things to learn about the Start of Summer. Greeting Start of Summer The term Start of Summer was originated at the end of the Warring States Period (239BC). Since it is a crucial time for the harvest of summer crops such as wheat and canola, ancient Chinese emperors in different dynasties attached great importance to the Start of Summer. In the Zhou Dynasty (1050-221 BC), the emperor led his officials to stage a welcome rite for the Start of Summer and encouraged his residents to seize the key time to do farm work. It's said that most of the decorations were arranged in the color red, including the emperor and the officials' dress, the jade pendants, the horses and the flags, in order to show respect to the god of summer and pray for a good harvest. Checking one's weight The custom of weighing people at the Start of Summer originated from the Three Kingdoms Period (220-180) and prevails in South China today. It was believed this practice would bring health and good luck to the people weighted. After lunch on the day of Start of Summer, people would suspend a stool or basket from a beam. The young and old took turns to get weighed while the person calculating the weight would offer good wishes and auspicious words. It is said those who were weighed would stay healthy in the hot summer and those who weren't would suffer illness. Eating eggs In ancient China, people believed a round egg symbolized a happy life and eating eggs on the day of Start of Summer was a prayer for good health. They put leftover tea into boiled water together with eggs and the original "tea egg" was created. Later people improved cooking methods and added spices to the eggs to make them taste delicious. Today tea egg has become a traditional snack in China. Egg Competitions As an old Chinese saying goes "hanging an egg on children's chest can prevent them from getting summer diseases", parents will prepare boiled eggs and put them in a knitted bag before hanging them on their child's chest. When at school, children gather together to play egg competitions by colliding each other's eggs in pairs and the one whose egg is not broken wins. Take care of the heart According to Chinese traditional medicine, Start of Summer is a key time to moisten the heart. When the weather grows hotter dampness and heat can affect human health. Food rich in vitamins and cool in nature is highly recommended. Vegetables, such as cucumber, tomato, watercress and celery and fruits that include watermelon, pear and strawberry are top recommendations. (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) 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. 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. Zhang makes her debut at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City in September that year by performing The Legend of the White Snake. [For China Daily] A decade in development, Peking Opera star Zhang Huoding's adaptation of the classic Farewell My Concubine in the Cheng style is nothing short of a dream come true, Chen Nan reports. "One of my biggest dreams started more than 10 years ago, and now it's coming true," said Peking Opera star Zhang Huoding in a rehearsal room of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts on April 23. For the past year, she has been practicing and working on adapting the classic Peking Opera piece, Farewell My Concubine, from the same rehearsal room. With the collaboration of 77-year-old Peking Opera artist Gao Mukun and 78-year-old composer Wan Ruixing, Zhang's rendition of Farewell My Concubine will premiere at the Chang'an Grand Theater in Beijing on May 25. In October, the show will be staged in Shanghai. Telling the love story between Xiang Yu, a warlord of the Chu Kingdom, and his concubine, Yu Ji, the classic Peking Opera is one of the most famous pieces of the 200-year-old art form, which combines singing, dancing, martial arts and acrobatics. Adapted from the Kunqu Opera piece, Qian Jin Ji, written by Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) writer Shen Cai, Farewell My Concubine was first performed by Peking Opera masters Yang Xiaolou (1878-1938) and Shang Xiaoyun (1900-1976) in Beijing in 1918. In 1922, Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), along with Yang, performed the piece, which later became one of the most famous works in Mei's repertoire. The piece is also regarded as one of the most classic pieces of the "Mei school", the performing style he developed. Zhang Huoding (center) closes the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival with the Peking Opera piece Dream of the Boudoir in 2015. [For China Daily] Zhang was trained by Peking Opera master Zhao Rongchen and keeps up the traditions of the "Cheng school", a performing style founded by Cheng Yanqiu (1904-58)one of the four major performing styles of Peking Opera that emerged in the early 20th century. Like Mei, Cheng mastered the techniques of men playing female roles, known as nandan. The "Cheng school" is known for interpreting tragic female roles with frequent changes in rhythm. "Farewell My Concubine is well-known for being performed in the style of Mei. Now, I am adapting it to the performing style of Cheng, which is very challenging. The two styles of tones, gestures and movements are very different. There have been many occasions over the past 10 years when I considered dropping the idea of adapting the piece entirely, but the notion just lingered in my mind," says Zhang. Born in Baicheng, Northeast China's Jilin province, Zhang was introduced to traditional Chinese opera by her father, who was a performer of Pingju Opera, a traditional opera form popular in northern China. Her elder brother, Zhang Huoqian, began studying Peking Opera as a child. Zhang Huoding was trained to play qingyi"graceful female roles". Zhang Huoding fell in love with Farewell My Concubine after she was enrolled to study Peking Opera at an art school in Tianjin at the age of 15. "The loyalty and love she felt for her man really touched me," says Zhang of the role, Yu Ji. When Xiang Yu realizes that he has lost his battle and is ready to spend his last night with Yu Ji, the concubine kills herself with Xiang Yu's sword to express her faithfulness. In 1989, after graduating from the school in Tianjin, Zhang joined a military Peking Opera troupe in Beijing. From 1995 to 2008, she performed with the National Peking Opera Company. The 48-year-old now teaches at the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts in Beijing. In 2016, the academy launched a project that enabled Zhang to mentor young female Peking Opera students of the Cheng style. Zhang Huoding, one of the country's best-known Peking Opera artists. [For China Daily] Zhang Huoding says when she wanted to adapt Farewell My Concubine about 10 years ago, she invited Peking Opera artist Gao, her former colleague from the National Peking Opera Company, to play the role of Xiang Yu. "About a year ago, when I told him that the adaptation will finally come to fruition, Gao accepted the role at once. He kept his promise for 10 years," Zhang Huoding says. "Since Farewell My Concubine is a very popular work for Peking Opera audiences, we keep to the original script and only make changes to the piece based on the Cheng performing style," says Wan the composer. Wan, who started writing music in 1963, has worked with Zhang Huoding on many of her famous works, including the Peking Opera classic, The Legend of the White Snake, and the contemporary Peking Opera work, Jiang Jie. One of the most famous parts of the piece is the sword dance, which was Mei's signature creation. This is the scene where Yu Ji dances with Xiang Yu's sword on their last night before she kills herself with it. "The sword is an important element of the piece. Zhang Huoding choreographed the sword dance, which is as elaborate as it is creative," says Wan. The Peking Opera piece, Farewell My Concubine by Zhang Huoding, will close this year's Meet in Beijing Arts Festival, the capital's largest annual celebration of dance, music, drama and art. In 2015 and 2016, Zhang Huoding closed the festival with shows of The Jewelry Pouch and The Legend of the White Snake. In 2015, she also made her debut in the United States with performances at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. (Souce: China Daily) Sudanese demonstrators are expected to stage a "million-strong" march on Thursday to press for a civilian administration after talks with military rulers hit a snag. The two sides have agreed on forming a joint civilian-military council to run Sudan but are at odds over its composition. Protest leaders from the Alliance for Freedom and Change say the army is not serious about handing power to civilians, three weeks after it toppled autocratic president Omar al-Bashir. The army, which took over after Bashir's ouster on April 11, has been pushing for a 10-member council including seven military representatives and three civilians. The alliance is demanding a council made up of eight civilians and seven generals. The disagreement prompted the alliance to announce a "million-strong march on May 2 to assert our main demand, which is for civilian rule". The call has exacerbated tensions between the two sides. The military council has warned it will not allow "chaos" and urged protesters to dismantle makeshift barricades they have set up around the main protest site outside army headquarters. It also demanded protesters open roads and bridges blocked by demonstrators who have camped outside the headquarters for weeks, even after Bashir's ouster. Adding to the deepening discord, the military council said six security personnel were killed in clashes with protesters across the country on Monday. Asking for trouble As both sides in the standoff remained intransigent, they held separate news conferences on Tuesday to explain their divergent views. "The military council is not serious about handing over power to civilians," said Mohamed Naji al-Assam, a leader of the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) spearheading the protests. "The military council insists that the (joint) council should be military led with civilian representation," Assam said, adding the army had been seeking to "expand its powers daily". In an interview with AFP, Sudan's main opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi on Wednesday warned protest leaders against provoking the military. "If we provoke the... armed forces which contributed to the change, we would be asking for trouble," he said. The military council's deputy head Mohammad Hamdan Dagolo has said it is "committed to negotiations but (will allow) no chaos". Hamdan, widely knowns as Himeidti, and some of his colleagues spoke of incidents since the protests first broke out in December over the tripling of bread prices, including looting and burning of markets across Sudan. The spokesman of the military council, Lieutenant General Shamseddin al-Kabbashi, said the "armed forces must remain in the sovereign council" because of tensions facing the country. Sudan's protests took a new turn on April 6 when thousands of people began setting up a makeshift camp outside army headquarters in Khartoum, urging the military to back them in ousting Bashir. Five days later, the army took power through a transitional military council, having deposed Bashir. Since then the 10-member council of generals has resisted calls to step down and demonstrators accused them of being little different from Bashir. But in a breakthrough on Saturday, the two sides agreed to form a joint civilian-military body to pave the way for a civilian government after lengthy talks. The protesters have won support from Western governments for their demands. But a new round of talks with the military council to iron out their differences has yet to be decided. The African Union on Tuesday gave Sudan's military rulers another 60 days to hand over power to a civilian authority or face suspension, after an earlier deadline was missed. Search Keywords: Short link: Gao Fu (L), director general of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Yan Nieng (R), Shirley M. Tilghman Professor of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. [CGTN] The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) on Tuesday, elected two Chinese scientists as foreign associates "in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research". The two scientists are Gao Fu and Yan Nieng. This recognition is considered one of the highest honors a scientist or engineer can receive in the U.S. Gao is the director general of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dean of medical school of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and vice president of National Natural Science Foundation of China. His research interests include the molecular mechanism of interspecies transmission of pathogens, molecular virology, and molecular immunology. Gao received his bachelor's degree from Shanxi Agricultural University in 1983 and Ph.D. degree from University of Oxford in 2004. He was working at University of Oxford as a lecturer and doctoral supervisor from 2001 to 2004 and went back to China as director of Institute of Microbiology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) until 2008. Gao started his career at China CDC in 2011 as deputy director and became director general in 2017. Yan is a structural biologist and the Shirley M. Tilghman Professor of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. Born in 1977 in East China's Shandong Province, Yan received her bachelor's degree from China's Tsinghua University and went on to finish her Ph.D. degree at Princeton University in 2004. In 2007, Yan returned to China and started working at Tsinghua University when she was 30 as the director of the Department of Biology. She became the youngest professor and Ph.D. advisor at Tsinghua, one of the top universities in China. Among the 100 new members and 25 foreign associates, forty percent are women the most ever elected in any year to date. There are currently 2,347 active members and 487 foreign associates at NAS in total. (Source: CGTN) Members of the legal aid center at Renmin University of China offer free consultations for migrant workers in Bejing. [For China Daily] For Wang Rongpei and the other volunteers at the legal aid center of Renmin University of China in Beijing, offering their services for free is not only socially beneficial, but also a good way of improving their professional skills. Founded in 1998, the center mainly consists of graduate law students from the university who want to put what they have learned at school to practical use. The 200-plus volunteers take turns providing services part time at the Supreme People's Court and Haidian District People's Court in Beijing."Those who ask us for legal help are mainly migrant workers, older people, students and women; people who know little about the law and do not know how to seek legal help if their rights are violated," Wang said. "They feel more comfortable explaining their problems to students because it is easier to communicate with us, compared with lawyers who are legally required to provide a certain amount of free legal aid," the 24-year-old added. "We treat each complaint very seriously, and many of us will spend months on a case, preparing the necessary paperwork, doing research and seeking help from our teachers to ensure our clients get the best legal services." Last year, the center offered its services to more than 1,000 people and helped to retrieve more than 300,000 yuan ($44,500) that was owed to them. It also provided legal awareness campaigns for migrant workers and primary and secondary school students. "Sometimes, we find it hard to balance our school work with legal aid because it is very time-consuming to prepare for different cases, but most of us find it rewarding to offer help to others," Wang said. "It's not just about the clients who receive help from us. We are also gaining practical training we cannot learn at school, and that helps to prepare us to become better legal professionals when we graduate." Free creativity workshops in Wrexham as part of Age Cymru Gwanwyn Festival This article is old - Published: Monday, May 6th, 2019 Free mosaic art and poetry writing workshops are being offered to people aged 50 and above in Wrexham over the next two weeks as part of a national festival. Wales & West Housings Hightown Community Resource Centre (HCRC) will host the first of the events tomorrow to mark Age Cymrus Gwanwyn Festival. Mosaic art with Kate Buirski takes place on both Tuesday 7th and Tuesday 14th May, where participants will have the chance to create a piece of art which will go on display in the centre on Fusilier Way, Hightown. Poetry writing with Natasha is also set to take place on Tuesday 21st and Tuesday 28th May. The sessions aim to encourage people to explore the potential of personal writing for health and mental well-being, allowing them to voice their thoughts through poetry writing and recital. All four sessions run from 1pm-3pm and are free to attend, with booking essential as places are limited. HCRC Manager Annette Bryden said: Were pleased to be supporting Age Cymrus Gwanwyn Festival with this series of events delivered by local artists which Im sure will prove extremely popular. Anyone is welcome to attend and wed urge people to book as soon as possible as we expect demand for places to be high. Gwanwyn is a month-long national festival organised by Age Cymru, held across Wales in May each year to celebrate creativity in older age. Gwanwyn means spring in Welsh, and celebrates older age as a time of opportunity for renewal, growth and creativity. The aim of the festival is to offer opportunities for greater participation by older people in the arts, whether visual arts, drama, storytelling, music, literature, photography, dance or film. Age Cymrus Arts & Creativity Programmes Manager, Kelly Barr added: We are delighted to be working with Hightown Community Resource Centre to provide high quality arts activities for older people, as part of a vibrant and busy Gwanwyn Festival 2019. Participants in the workshops at HCRC must be aged 50+. To book a space on either course please contact Annette on 07969 814 442 or email Annette.bryden@wwha.co.uk For more information on activities at HCRC visit https://www.facebook.com/hightowncrc/ Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 22:58:43|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a meeting of members of the NPC Standing Committee Chairpersons' Council to study Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy in Beijing, capital of China, May 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Members of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Chairpersons' Council on Sunday studied Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. As the latest theoretical achievement and precious spiritual wealth of Chinese diplomacy, the Thought provides fundamental principles and a guide to action for the work of foreign affairs in the new era, according to a statement issued after the meeting, presided over by Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee. The statement said the diplomacy in the new era is designed, deployed and led by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. The Belt and Road cooperation has become the world's largest platform of open cooperation nowadays. The building of a community with a shared future for humanity has provided guidelines for China to deeply participate in global governance and promote the reform of the international system, according to the statement. In implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, the people's congresses should strengthen and improve their work of foreign affairs to make a greater contribution to serving national strategies and safeguarding national interests, according to the statement. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-05 23:18:57|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Members of the Royal Guard take part in the Royal Coronation in Bangkok, Thailand, May 5, 2019. Thailand's His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Sunday took a grandiose, magnificent procession to pay homage to former kings on a route lined with thousands of yellow-shirted people in Bangkok's olden quarters as part of the three-day coronation ceremonies. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) by Surasak Tumcharoen BANGKOK, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Sunday took a grandiose, magnificent procession to pay homage to former kings on a route lined with thousands of yellow-shirted people in Bangkok's olden quarters as part of the three-day coronation ceremonies. Also known as King Rama X, the 66-year-old monarch, adorned with a gilted Great Crown of Victory hat and a gilted royal dress, took the 403-meter-long procession on Sunday afternoon from the Grand Palace to three royal temples on the 6.7-km route in Rattanakosin Island area. The procession was destined for those temples where the monarch paid homage to former kings of Siam (the former name of Thailand). The monarch, who was crowned during Saturday's coronation rituals, was seated on a golden palaquin carried by soldiers in olden-fashioned golden hats and red dresses. In the royal procession were a total of 1,336 troops attached to the Royal Guards, palaces, army, navy, air force, police and students of Pre-cadet School. Striding along in the procession just below the royal palanquin were Her Majesty Queen Suthida and Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha, the monarch's eldest daughter, in black-feathered conical helmets and a red and black royal pattern. All men in the royal procession took 75 synchronized strides per minute including a band of drummers and hornblowers played six instrumentals, such as Thong Chai Chalermphol March and Rajawallop March, composed by the late His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej or King Rama IX, whom King Rama X practically succeeded since late 2016. Thousands of yellow-shirted people braved the heat of the sun and sat on both sides of the roads, including Inner Ratchadamnoen Avenue and Middle Ratchadamnoen Avenue, in Phra Nakhon's (the former name of Bangkok) inner area to view the highly-revered procession for the monarch along the route between the Grand Palace and the royal temples. The enthralled, jubilant viewers, including many who had traveled from the provinces and waited since the wee hours of Saturday, altogether shouted Long Live the King along the way. The royal procession arrived at Bovornnivet temple where the monarch paid homage to the relics of King Rama VI and King Rama IX, then at Rajabophit temple where he paid homage to the relics of King Rama VII, Queen Rambhai Barni, the late queen to King Rama VII, and King Rama IX and finally at Phra Chetuphon temple where he paid homage to the relics of King Rama I, the founder of Chakri Dynasty. The procession, originally designed for kings to see the living quarters of his subjects outside of Phra Nakhon's royal abodes and temples, returned to the Grand Palace after a four-and-a-half hours journey. On Monday, the monarch is scheduled to show up on the balcony of Sutthai Sawan Prasart Throne Hall to greet palace officials, government officials and people and receive best wishes from them. The king is also scheduled on Monday to grant an audience with diplomats attached to Thailand at Chakri Maha Prasart Throne Hall in the Grand Palace. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 01:15:05|Editor: yan Video Player Close AMMAN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Sunday warned of the consequences of the Israeli aggression against the besieged Gaza Strip, calling for an immediate end to the aggression. Jordan called for honoring the humanitarian international law, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The ministry stressed that more violence will only lead to more tension and suffering, voicing its support to efforts by Egypt and the UN to reach a truce in this regard. The ministry underlined the need for ceasing all military operations against the coastal enclave that are totally rejected and condemned, adding that the residents of Gaza suffer an unacceptable humanitarian crisis due to the siege by Israel. The Foreign Ministry emphasized that the lack of horizons for peace and the continued occupation and siege represent a serious threat to the region's security and stability. It also urged the international community to take an immediate action to end the cycle of violence and create the necessary environment to resolve the conflict based on the two-state solution that ensures the creation of an independent Palestinian state at the borders of 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 02:10:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- 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. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 02:25:34|Editor: yan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The trade between China and Iraq exceeded 30 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, with increasing cooperation between the two countries expected in various fields for the next phase, Chinese Ambassador to Iraq Zhang Tao said in an interview with an official Iraqi newspaper published on Sunday. "The volume of trade exchange between the two countries is increasing every year by 10 percent, surpassing 30 billion dollars in the past year," Zhang was quoted as saying by state-run Al-Sabah Newspaper. "China is considered the biggest trading partner of Iraq, and Iraq is the second biggest oil supplier to China, and the fourth biggest trading partner of China in the Middle East," he added. According to the Chinese ambassador, China imports about 20 billion dollars' worth of crude oil from Iraq a year, while Iraqi imports from China reach 7.9 billion dollars annually. China also contributes positively to Iraqi reconstruction in all fields, Zhang noted. "The government of China attaches great importance to participating in reconstruction, and the Chinese companies are paying great attention to training and qualifying the Iraqi cadres," he said. When asked about the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Zhang said Iraq is one of the first Arab countries to join the BRI. Proposed by China in 2013, the BRI refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa through the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road. The relations between Iraq and China have developed significantly in the past years, as the two countries established a strategic partnership in 2015, he explained. Chinese investments in Iraq are concentrated in oil explorations and infrastructure such as power plants, cement factories and water treatment stations, according to the Chinese ambassador. The security situation in Iraq has dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the Islamic State militants across the country late in 2017, paving the way for international investments to enter the country for its reconstruction. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 02:25:36|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close OTTAWA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has "messed up the clock" on getting the renegotiated NAFTA deal ratified and the deal in its current form is dead, said former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman in an interview on CTV Sunday. After nearly 14 months of negotiations, a trilateral trade pact named USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) was reached last fall. All attention has been focused on ratification given that the existing NAFTA will remain in place until its revamped version is fully ratified. However, U.S. Democrats said that the deal without changes won't have their vote, nor will they allow a vote in the U.S.Congress until Mexico changes its labor laws. In addition to these sticking points, Canada has expressed that it will not sign the deal as long as the U.S.-imposed steel and aluminum tariffs are in place. "Let me be really clear that the USTR (United States Trade Representative) and Donald Trump mishandled this from day one. Had they just quickly passed a deal in 2017, signed an agreement between the three countries ... in early 2018, he had the Congress, he had the Senate, he had the Mexican government in place, and there were no elections coming up here," Heyman said. "He could have passed it, scored a victory, and it's done. They messed up the clock. Second, they did not collaborate or communicate with unions, nor did they work with the Democrats. So now they find themselves in a position where the Democrats, and the unions in the United States have a different perspective," he said. Heyman said that Republicans have been pushing Trump to drop the tariffs, which were imposed by the U.S. last spring in the midst of NAFTA talks, citing national security concerns as their justification. "I think he's in a really bad place on this deal," Heyman said of Trump. Canada responded with its countermeasures on American steel, aluminum, and other goods. Canadian officials have already said these retaliatory measures will be lifted the minute the American dropped its tariffs. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 02:55:42|Editor: yan Video Player Close NEW YORK, May 5 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 Chinese students studying across the United States have been awarded a scholarship in recognition of their outstanding academic performance in the past year. Over the course of 10 days, five ceremonies were held in different U.S. cities, handing out the 2018 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad to 144 Chinese students. A total of 164 self-funded Chinese students studying in the United States have made the winners list, according to the Chinese consulate general in New York. One more ceremony will be held in San Francisco in mid-May to honor the remainder. The vast number of overseas students are supporters and facilitators of future China-U.S. relations, Minister of the Chinese Embassy to the United States Li Kexin told a ceremony in Washington, D.C. "It is hoped that those award winners could serve as a bridge that promotes friendship and understanding, and make fresh contributions to educational exchanges and cooperation between the two countries," Li said. 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. Since its inception, 6,415 Chinese students studying overseas have received the award. In 2018, 500 in 29 countries earned the honor, and 10 of them would be given a scholarship of 10,000 U.S. dollars each for their exceptional performance. "A great number of the award-winning students have contributed significantly to China's scientific research and teaching, either by returning to work in their home country or by developing long-term cooperative projects," said Wang Xun, a professor with the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, located in the Midwestern state of Wisconsin. Wang also heads a committee that reviews scholarship candidates from the U.S. Midwest. On April 28, 29 Chinese students studying in the U.S. Midwest received the award from Chinese Consul General in Chicago Zhao Jian. The scholarship was created for the purpose of recognizing academic excellence and encouraging recipients to serve their mother country in various ways, Wang said. Currently, around 400,000 Chinese students are studying in U.S. colleges and universities. At one of the awarding ceremonies, Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping voiced his hope that the awarded students would grow into ambassadors for China-U.S. exchanges, and work to cement the friendship between the two peoples. Zhang Youlang, a PhD student in political science at Texas A&M University, is one of the 24 award winners from the southern part of the United States. He plans to return to China after graduation. "Now China's research environment and conditions are as good as those of other countries. Research conducted in China could be world leading. Young researchers are thus quite motivated to go back to China, and contribute to the country in their own ways," he said. Palestinian leaders in the 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 in the hours after it was due to take effect, an AFP correspondent in Gaza said. Israel also lifted restrictions on civilian movements in its communities around the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip 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 the deadly Israeli war on the strip in 2014. The escalation reportedly began Saturday with massive rocket fire from Gaza, drawing waves of Israeli retaliatory strikes, and continued throughout Sunday. At least 23 Palestinians, including at least nine militants, were killed. Four Israelis were 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 its "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. Among the steps, he said, were the relaxing of limits on fishing and improvements in Gaza's electricity and fuel situation. Israeli opposition politicians -- and at least one from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own party -- criticised the agreement. Former military chief Benny Gantz, who challenged Netanyahu in Israel's April 9 general elections, called it "another capitulation to blackmail by Hamas and terrorist organisations." Brink of war Israel has fought three wars against Palestinian militants in Gaza since 2008, leaving thousands of Palestinians killed or injured, and the escalation brought them to the brink of another. The Palestinian dead included a commander for Hamas's armed wing who Israel claimed 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. Israel said its strikes were in response to Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing some 690 rockets or mortars across the border 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. At least 35 of the rockets fell in urban areas, according to the Israeli army. The army said its tanks and planes hit some 350 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, 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. It first identified the woman as the baby's mother, but the family later clarified she was the aunt. Israel strongly disputed the claim, with Conricus saying that based on intelligence 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. 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. Conricus 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 meanwhile 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. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 05:01:17|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close People attend Coolest Projects International 2019 in Dublin, Ireland, May 5, 2019. Coolest Projects International 2019, an annual event to showcase the inventions by young coders from all over the world, was held here on Sunday. Nearly 1,000 contestants from 18 countries and regions including Ireland, Britain, France, Italy, Argentina, Nigeria and Japan participated in the one-day exhibition. (Xinhua) DUBLIN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Coolest Projects International 2019, an annual event to showcase the inventions by young coders from all over the world, was held here on Sunday. Nearly 1,000 contestants from 18 countries and regions including Ireland, Britain, France, Italy, Argentina, Nigeria and Japan participated in the one-day exhibition at Royal Dublin Soceity (RDS), a building complex for large-scale events. Over 500 projects selected by the organizing committee were displayed at the spacious main hall of the RDS, which were up to the judgment of a grand jury comprising some 80 volunteers from local tech companies and organizations. A total of 32 projects were awarded with Special Prizes and Category Prizes while the Coolest Club Award of the Year went to CoderDojo Banbridge, a programming club in Northern Ireland of Britain. Each winning project was given a trophy, but no money was offered. The winning projects covered a wide range of areas ranging from inventions to address the climate change and devices to assist disabled people to education and learning apps, 3D animation and games. Evan Liu, a six-year-old Chinese boy who was born in Ireland, is one of the youngest contestants who attended the exhibition which only permits the participation of children aged below 18. A member of CoderDojo Club of Microsoft Ireland, Evan brought to the competition a racing game he invented with the guidance of his father, a native of the Chinese city of Wuhan, who currently works in Dublin for a trading company. Evan is also the only Chinese who took part in the event. "We look forward to the participation of the Chinese teams in the future," said Rachel Lavin, a communications coordinator of the Coolest Projects 2019. According to Lavin, this year's event is the largest ever organized by CoderDojo since it was first launched in 2012. CoderDojo is a global network of free, volunteer-run, community-based extra-curricular coding clubs for young people. The first CoderDojo club was established in Ireland in 2011. In the clubs young people can learn to code, build websites, create apps and games, and explore technology in an informal and creative environment. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 05:01:18|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Yan Shaofei (R), General Secretary of the China Film Association, receives an honorary award from Greek director Kostas Ferris at the Chinese Film Festival 2019 in Athens, Greece, on May 5, 2019. Athens hosts the Chinese film festival this week as part of efforts to further strengthen Sino-Greek cultural ties. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) ATHENS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Athens hosts a Chinese film festival this week as part of efforts to further strengthen Sino-Greek cultural ties. Movies can help open a new window to facilitate understanding and cooperation between the two countries and peoples, Greek and Chinese artists said during the opening event on Sunday evening. The festival which is organized by the China Film Association and the Hellenic Film Association, opened with the screening of the film "A cool fish" directed by Rao Xiaozhi, who attended the event. Each evening until May 8 the Greek audience will have the chance to see a total of four Chinese films released in 2018 and 2019. "Today Greece and China are enjoining a very good relationship and we are coming closer and closer and we are hoping that not only business ties and economic ties should flourish, but cultural ties and people to people relations will be more intensified," Chinese Ambassador to Greece Zhang Qiyue told Xinhua. China encourages such film exchanges and co-productions, because through films one can see the changes in a society and discover common values, she explained. "We are welcoming our Chinese colleagues and we are pledging to do whatever possible to make our dreams come true together," director Kostas Ferris said addressing the opening event, on behalf of the Hellenic Film Association. "I sincerely hope that in the future we will see Greek films in the Chinese film market," said on his part, Yan Shaofei, Secretary of the China Film Association, stressing that artists have a duty to help to build bridges of communication between the two countries and peoples. "I want to thank the Chinese Film Association for making my movie as the opening film for the China-Greece film festival. I am hoping the Greek audience can enjoy my film, learn about how the ordinary people live in China through this film and think about if there are also similar people living in Greece, who are struggling to live their dreams in ordinary life...I hope my film can bring people hope," Rao Xiaozhi said to Xinhua. "This Chinese opening (to the world) will be an opportunity for Greek film production. Greece provides beautiful scenery. Chinese seem to love it. It is a very interesting win-win situation," Greek director Andonis Kioukas said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 05:36:29|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Palestinians inspect the remains of a house that was damaged during Israeli airstrikes on Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, on May 5, 2019. At least 20 Palestinians, including two infants and two pregnant women, have been killed in intensive Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since Saturday evening. (Xinhua) GAZA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Ismail Haniyeh, the politburo chief of Islamic Hamas movement, said on Sunday that achieving calm in the Gaza Strip is possible "if Israel shows commitment to the ceasefire." Haniyeh said in an emailed press statement that "it is necessary to immediately start implementing the understandings to ensure better life for our people in Gaza by lifting the siege and ending the occupation of Israel." "Otherwise, the area will see more rounds of confrontations," said Haniyeh, adding that his group's response is linked with the extent of aggression. The Palestinian resistance groups' response does not aim at starting a war, but halting the aggression, protecting the Palestinian people and forcing Israel to stick to the ceasefire, he said. Over the past two days, 20 Palestinian, including two infants and two pregnant women, have been killed in the intensive Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, which are in response to the barrages of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Hamas and Islamic Jihad delegations have been holding talks in Cairo with Egyptian security intelligence officials since Thursday on restoring clam in the Gaza Strip and easing the hard living situation in the enclave. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 05:36:32|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close A fighter from forces of the UN-backed Libyan government is seen in Salah Al-Din frontline, Tripoli, Libya, May 6, 2019. Violent clashes have been going on for about a month between the east-based Libyan army and the UN-backed government in and around the capital Tripoli, as the army aims to take over the city. The conflict started in early April when the army commander Khalifa Haftar launched a military campaign to take over Tripoli, sparking a government counter campaign against the army's plans. (Xinhua/Amru Salahuddien) TRIPOLI, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Sunday called for a one-week truce in the capital Tripoli, which is witnessing ongoing clashes between the UN-backed government and the east-based army. "The UNSMIL calls for an extendable one-week humanitarian truce starting at four in the morning of the first day of Ramadan, May 6, in accordance with the spirit of this month as well as the Human Rights Convention, during which all parties pledge to halt all forms of military operations, including reconnaissance, shelling, sniper operations, and mobilization of forces," the mission said in a statement. The UNSMIL urged Libyan parties to "allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need and to ensure the freedom of movement for civilians during this truce." "The mission encourages all parties to use the truce to exchange prisoners and the bodies of the deceased and expresses its readiness to provide the necessary support in this regard," the mission added. The army, led by General Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over the capital Tripoli from the government. The fighting has so far killed nearly 400 people, injured almost 2,000 others, and forced more than 50,000 people to flee their homes. Libya has been suffering escalating violence and political division ever since the fall of the late leader Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 05:56:40|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni government forces on Sunday pushed up large military reinforcements to the war-torn southern province of al-Dhalea, where fierce fighting is taking place with the Houthi rebels, according to local government sources. A government source said on condition of anonymity that large military reinforcements of the government forces coming from the southern city of Aden, arrived in the province of al-Dhalea, located 245 km south of Sanaa. He said that the military reinforcements included hundreds of well-trained soldiers backed by dozens of different armored vehicles and tanks. Yemen's Information Minister Muammar Iryani said in a statement posted on Twitter that "according to presidential directives, military reinforcements from the Presidential Protection forces arrived in al-Dhalea to participate in strengthening the front." "The military campaign included battalions of various brigades of the Presidential Protection forces equipped with several types of medium and heavy weapons," he clarified. He pointed out that the military reinforcements "will contribute to changing the balance of the ongoing battle, and strengthen the role of the army in confronting and defeating the Houthi militia." Local residents told Xinhua that fighting heavily escalated amid intensified airstrikes conducted by the Saudi-led warplanes to support the government forces in the fighting against Houthis in different areas of al-Dhalea. On Friday, pro-government forces fought fierce battles and succeeded in regaining control over the strategic Ellal camp and the main headquarters of the special forces in Qataba district in al-Dhalea province. Intense battles between the Houthi fighters and pro-government forces are still ongoing in the northern areas of al-Dhalea province, leaving casualties on both sides, according to local officials. Last month, scores of Houthi fighters launched a series of intense armed attacks on the positions of government forces and succeeded in seizing the district of Al Husha in the west of al-Dhalea. The areas in the north and west of the government-controlled province of al-Dhalea have been witnessing continuous fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters for four years. Yemen has been plagued by a civil war since late 2014 after Houthi rebels revolted and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 07:01:47|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A house fire Sunday killed two people and injured five others in New Haven, the U.S. state of Connecticut, according to the local fire department. Firefighters found two unconscious people on the third floor of a blazing house, who later died at the hospital, according to New Haven Assistant Fire Chief Orlando Marcano. Marcano said the bulk of the fire was on the second floor of the building, with flames reaching the third, prompting some people to jump out of windows, one of whom suffered injuries. Four firefighters also sustained minor injuries, according to Marcano. The house was determined not habitable after the fire was put out, Marcano said. According to local land records, the house was built in 1910. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 07:06:50|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close A passenger plane is seen on fire during its emergency landing in Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, on May 5, 2019. Russia's Investigative Committee confirmed 37 survivors from 78 people aboard an SSJ-100 passenger plane en route to the northwestern Russian city of Murmansk that was on fire during an emergency landing in the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow Sunday. (Xinhua/Sergei) MOSCOW, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Investigative Committee confirmed Monday that 41 people were killed after an SSJ-100 passenger plane en route to the northwestern Russian city of Murmansk caught fire before an emergency landing Sunday at the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow. "41 people died," Elena Markovskaya, representative of the committee's Moscow Interregional Investigation Department for Transport, was quoted by Tass news agency as saying. The committee reported 37 survivors from the 78 people aboard the airliner in an earlier statement. 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 news agency quoted a source as saying. It was previously reported that the fire could be caused by lightening strike. The committee has opened a criminal case on violation of safety regulations for air transport and started further investigation of the accident, according to the statement. Investigators began to interview the victims, eyewitnesses, airport staff and the airline carrier, as well as others responsible for the operation of the aircraft, it said. The causes and circumstances are being verified and an explicit conclusion will be made after a comprehensive study of the data and documentation is completed, the committee said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 07:32:20|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chicago police officers participate in an annual parade to commemorate the police officers who sacrificed their lives while on duty, in Chicago, the United States, on May 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Ping) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 10:03:01|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden recently dismissed the fear that China is going to eat the United States' lunch, igniting fresh debates in Washington on its China policy. U.S. politicians seem to be caught in a back and forth debate on how to judge what a rising China means for their country. This China anxiety, which usually goes up during the U.S. presidential campaign season, can be partly explained by the complexity involved in understanding such a huge country, home to a distinctive history, culture and political system. Some may be surprised by China's rapid rise to become the world's second largest economy and its growing role in such cutting-edge technology as AI; others see the vast backward areas of the country and its much-needed development. Then there are those who talk up the fear of competition and even a China threat, solely for political gain, a poisonous approach for the healthy development of U.S.-China relations. No one can deny the fact that the main thread of China-U.S. relations since 1979 has largely been cooperation, which has brought increasing wealth and higher living standards for peoples on both sides of the Pacific. Such a relationship will evolve. China's development has brought a return of competitiveness back to the ancient country, but that does not mean its cooperative nature has ended. As Chinese President Xi Jinping repeatedly said cooperation is the best choice for both China and the United States. At the same time, competition is not the enemy of cooperation, especially regarding economic relations. The right economic competition will inevitably lead to cooperation, according to Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore. He's not alone in his thinking. Senior U.S. diplomat Charles W. Freeman Jr., stressed in an exclusive interview with Xinhua that "our competition can actually be a form of cooperation." "I'm thinking particularly of the development of science and technology," said Freeman. "Knowledge does not come from locking yourself up in a room and thinking by yourself. It comes from exchanges with other people." China has no desire to grab the United States' lunch. The world's two largest economies are fully capable of baking a big enough pie, one in which all corners of the globe can share. To be responsible major countries, the United States and China should join hands in seeking a new form of responsible cooperation and competition, or "Responsible Coopetition." Let's put an end to the antagonism, to the benefit of all. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 10:13:16|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close YANGON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar will hold a regional investment forum in Yangon, the commercial capital of Myanmar, later this week, in order to increase investment and attract more investors in the region, according to the Yangon region government on Monday. The two-day Yangon Investment Forum-2019, scheduled to be held on Friday and Saturday, will unveil the projects in the region under the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan. The forum will include speeches from senior government officials, presentations by government authorities on the investment legal framework and panel discussions focused on Myanmar's industry, finance, logistics, industrial zones, agribusiness, garments, textiles and manufacturing. Participants are arranged to make field visits to Yangon's Thilawa Special Economic Zone and Hlaingtharya Industrial Zone. According to data, in the first seven months of fiscal year 2018-19 which began in October, 2.54 billion U.S. dollars of foreign direct investment flowed into Myanmar. Currently the Yangon region accounts for 23 percent of the country's gross domestic product. AIAA announces 2019 first-place student conference winners The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced today the 2019 Regional Student Conference first-place winners. AIAA sponsors student conferences in each AIAA region for student members at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students present their research and are judged on technical content and clarity of communication by professional members from industry. The first-place winners in each category (listed below) are invited to attend and present their papers at the AIAA Foundation International Student Conference held in conjunction with the 2020 AIAA SciTech Forum in Orlando, Florida, 6-10 January. Undergraduate Category Winners Region I: Volumetric Origami-based Deployable Modular Space Structures with Tailorable Stiffness, James H. Lynch and Jordan R. Raney, University of Pennsylvania Region II: Airfoil Lift Calculation Using Wind Tunnel Wall Pressures, Sreevishnu Oruganti and Shreyas Narsipur, North Carolina State University Region III: Active Flow Control in a Compact High-Speed Inlet/Diffuser Model, Collin O'Neill, Ohio State University Region IV: Thermodynamic Calculations of Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosions (BLEVE), Joshua R. McElrath and Adonios N. Karpetis, Texas A&M University Region V: Aerodynamic Analysis and Simulation of Degraded Flight Configurations of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, Reese Fairchild, Matthew Green, and Thomas R. Yechout, United States Air Force Academy Region VI: Effects of Electric Field on Primary Electron Trajectories in Miniature Gridded Ion Thrusters, Juan-Pablo Almanza-Soto, University of California, Los Angeles Masters Category Winners Region I: Trim Analysis for an Electric Rotorcraft Utilizing a Moving Mass Control Scheme,Robert Brown, University of Maryland Region II: Design and Testing of a Fault-tolerant Space Suit, J. Sublett, Georgia Institute of Technology Region III: Lagrangian Coherent Structures in Optimal Vortex Ring Formation, Braxton N. Harter and James W. Gregory, Ohio State University Region IV: Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Analysis of Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interactions, Stephanie M. Cottier and Christopher S. Combs, University of Texas at San Antonio Region V: Simulating a Vortex-Driven Cloud Feature on Uranus, Kevin Farmer, Saint Louis University Region VI: Band Gap Optimization of Topological Waveguides, Tim Gormley, University of Washington Team Category Winners Region I: Design and Integration of a High-Powered Model Rocket - I, Kyle F. Foster, Peter D. Dohn, Colin Y. Cooper, Amanda Dings, Jacob H. Fennick, Eve M. George, Nicholas J. Lapierre, and Ty F. Moquin, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Region II: Implementation and Verification of a Versatile GN&C and Flight Software Architecture for an Active Control Launch System, Kunal S. Gangolli, Athreya Gundamraj, Wyatt Hoppa, and Shrivathsav Seshan, Georgia Institute of Technology Region III: Specialized Terrestrial Rotorcraft Explorer, T. Hutchinson, N. Marquand, J. Springer, T. Swedes, S. Tandon, and J. Zyck, Purdue University Region IV: N/A Region V: Automatic Detection of Auroral Substorms from a CubeSat Platform Using Machine Learning, Valerie Lesser, Christopher Peercy, Vishranth Siva, and Colin Sullivan, University of Colorado Boulder Region VI: Construction of Facility for Rotating Detonation Engine Research, Chinmay S. Upadhye, Andrew C. Jacob, Andrew J. Milligan, and Kevin Chau, University of Washington In addition to the competition, the conferences provide a venue for students to share AIAA experiences, participate in social activities, connect with industry professionals, and exchange ideas about current topics in aerospace engineering. Since 2018, Lockheed Martin Corporation's generous donation to the AIAA Foundation has supported the Regional Student Conferences and the International Student Conference. Funding was provided to the student branch to organize the conference as well as provide prize money for the three categories supported by the AIAA Foundation. Please visit the AIAA Regional Student Conferences website (aiaa.org/studentconferences)to learn more about the conferences or contact Rachel Dowdy at racheld@aiaa.org or 703.264.7577. ### About AIAA The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world's largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 88 countries, and 95 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, http://www. aiaa. org , or follow us on Twitter?? @AIAA. This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic Church appealed for calm and an alcohol ban Monday after clashes between Christians and Muslims in a town scarred by the Easter suicide attacks. Hundreds of security forces entered Negombo to impose a curfew after dozens of Muslim-owned shops, homes and vehicles were attacked. St. Sebastian's church in the town 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of capital Colombo was one of three churches and three hotels hit by jihadist suicide bombers on April 21 killing 257 people. "I appeal to all Catholic and Christian brothers and sisters not to hurt even a single Muslim person because they are our brothers, because they are part of our religious culture," said Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo. "Therefore please avoid hurting them and try to create a better spirit of understanding and good relations between all the communities of Sri Lanka," he said in a video message to the country. Liquor ban sought The cardinal visited Negombo, held talks with clerics at a mosque and appealed to the government to shut bars in the Catholic-dominated town known as "Little Rome", said his spokesman Father Edmund Tilakaratne. "As a temporary measure, the cardinal asked the government to order the ban on liquor sales in Negombo area," Tilakaratne told AFP. In another televised appeal, Ranjith appealed to Christians, Buddhists and Muslims to show restraint. Negombo suffered the highest death toll in the Easter Sunday attacks that were claimed by the Islamic State group. The bomb at St. Sebastian's killed more than 100 worshippers. A top police officer said two arrests were made after the latest clashes and more suspects had been identified through CCTV footage. The officer said all will be prosecuted under emergency laws approved after the Easter attacks. "At least three people were injured in the clashes," the officer told AFP. "Although we have arrested only two suspects at the moment, many more have been identified and we will go after them." The officer said an alcohol-fuelled dispute between two groups degenerated into the clashes. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a statement the government will compensate those who lost property in the night-time clashes. Unverified video circulating on social media showed mobs throwing stones at Muslim businesses, destroyed furniture inside homes, shattered windows and overturned vehicles. AFP was unable to immediately verify the footage. A few hundred extra troops and police were deployed late Sunday as authorities imposed a night-time curfew in the town. The government blocked access to WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media platforms for several hours to prevent what it called the spread of rumours and videos aimed at instigating unrest. The curfew was lifted on Monday morning and social media was working again by noon Monday. Sri Lanka's main international airport is located in the area, but police said there was no disruption. Muslims make up around 10 percent of Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka's 21 million population and Christians about 7.6 percent. Security for schools Meanwhile, public schools reopened Monday for the first time since the Easter attacks, with heavily armed police and troops guarding schools. "The attendance was poor today, but we maintain a high level of security," the top police officer said. "Most parents are adopting a wait-and-see approach and we hope attendance will be back to normal very soon." The country has been under a state of emergency since the Easter bombings. Security forces and police have been give sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects. The government has blamed the Easter bombings on a local jihadist organisation which had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 10:20:58|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Re-enactors show the medieval method of medical operation to a patient at the Medieval Mdina Festival in Mdina, Malta, on May 5, 2019. The 2019 Medieval Mdina Festival was held on May 4 and 5 in Malta's ancient capital Mdina. The streets of Mdina came alive with re-enactments of scenes from medieval period during the two-day event. (Xinhua/Yuan Yun) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 10:23:26|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close SKOPJE, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Pro-Western candidate Stevo Pendarovski has won a presidential runoff in North Macedonia, an election official said Sunday night. The incoming president is a joint candidate of the governing coalition of Social Democratic Union Party (SDSM) and Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), said Oliver Derkovski, the head of the State Election Commission (SEC). According to data on the website of the SEC, with all ballots counted, Pendarovski won the election with 51.66 percent of the vote in the second round. Meanwhile, a total of 44.73 percent of voters supported Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, a candidate backed by the main opposition VMRO-DPMNE Party, and 3.61 percent of the voters spoiled their ballots. "I will be the president of all people, reach out to the government on all important projects, but also give my observations and make suggestions, and work in the citizens' interests," Pendarovski said in a speech after his party announced the victory, adding that "You decided at these elections that we should move forward." The outcome of the elections is a cemented path toward the EU, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the developed countries, Pendarovski said, who has vowed to strive for the memberships of the organisations. Moreover, he thanked Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, the government and all the political parties who supported his candidacy, as well as his rivals Siljanovska-Davkova and Blerim Reka for their contribution to the elections. Voting in the second round of the presidential election in North Macedonia kicked off at 7:00 local time (0500 GMT) and ended at 19:00 (1700 GMT) Sunday. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 10:23:28|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close LONDON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming on Sunday urged the United States and Russia to strive to address their differences properly through constructive dialogue and observe the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. In an article published on the Financial Times website, Liu called the United States' decision to pull out of the nuclear arms treaty "wrong-headed." According to the ambassador, the INF treaty, a missile pact signed by Washington and Moscow at the end of 1987 to curb arms race, has played a positive role in maintaining relative peace in the world. Both the United States and Russia, the two countries which hold about 92 percent of the world's 14,500 nuclear warheads, recently announced their withdrawal from the treaty. "The United States even cited 'China's intermediate-range missiles' as one of its excuses, along with alleged Russian cheating," the senior diplomat said. "Such an effort to blame China is groundless and unacceptable." China is committed to peaceful development and exercises the utmost restraint in developing strategic forces, said Liu, stressing that all of its land-based short- and intermediate-range missiles are deployed within its borders. "China, unlike the United States, is publicly committed to no-first-use of nuclear weapons," he said, urging that rather than being abandoned, the INF treaty should be strengthened. "The likely redevelopment and redeployment of missiles would undermine strategic stability across the world, trigger regional tension and hamper the global cause of arms control and disarmament," the ambassador said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 10:33:30|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close MOSCOW, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday reiterated Moscow's solidarity with the people of Venezuela and support for its president Nicolas Maduro, said the Russian foreign ministry. "We reaffirmed solidarity with the friendly people of Venezuela and support for the legitimate president elected by the Venezuelan people on May 20, 2018. We welcomed the measures taken by the government of Nicolas Maduro to prevent further destabilization of the situation," Lavrov said following talks with his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza. He added that Russia is ready to keep facilitating a peaceful settlement of the Venezuela crisis and to join in possible efforts of international and regional mediators, for example the "Montevideo mechanism", which was jointly proposed by Mexico and Uruguay and backed by other countries. The Montevideo Mechanism is a four-step plan to diffuse the rising tensions between Venezuela's ruling socialist party and the U.S.-backed opposition, and promote a negotiated solution. The two foreign ministers discussed the latest situation in Venezuela and main issues of bilateral cooperation, according to the ministry. On Tuesday, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan 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. Lavrov said he would discuss the Venezuelan issue with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at their upcoming meeting scheduled for Monday in Finland. Arreaza also requested Lavrov to call on Pompeo to realize that dialogue is the only way to the settlement of the Venezuelan crisis. "I think it is necessary to bring home to the U.S. Department of State, probably during talks in Finland, that we (are) at a point when we must get back to dialogue (and) respect for international law and principles of bilateral relations," Arreaza was quoted by Tass news agency as saying. Russia and the United States have been at variance with each other over stances on Venezuela. Moscow has accused Washington of interference in Venezuela's internal affairs by supporting its opposition, while the latter criticized Russia's support for Maduro as "destabilizing" for the nation. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 10:38:43|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress, after it was reported that the House of Representatives has sent out an invitation. "Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!" Trump said in a multi-part tweet. "Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion?" Trump said in the strong-worded tweet, which also lamented the two-year-long Russia probe that was headed by Mueller and had cost 35 million dollars. Trump's remarks came after it was reported earlier in the day that the House Judiciary Committee is proposing for Mueller to testify regarding his 448-page-long report on collusion and obstruction of justice allegations. "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," David Cicilline, member of the House Judiciary Committee said in a tweet. A previous hearing in which U.S. Attorney General William Barr testified did not satisfy Democrats, with some Democratic lawmakers accusing Barr of lying to Congress. The dissatisfaction toward Barr can be traced to a four-page summary Barr released soon after receiving the Mueller report, which said the report had determined that there had been no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, and that there was insufficient proof for obstruction charges. It was reported that Mueller took issue with the summary, telling Barr in a letter that the report "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance." A few days ago, White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters that Mueller should testify "if he wants to." Uprooted trees and other things lie as others stand amid gusty winds in Puri district after Cyclone Fani hit the coastal eastern state of Odisha, India, May 3, 2019. (Xinhua/Stringer) 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| 2019-05-06 11:14:22|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn pours sacred water on the head of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to grand new title and royal medals to her in Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand on May 5, 2019. Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Sunday granted new titles to the members of the royal family after he was crowned in the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall of the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Saturday. (Xinhua/Bureau of the Royal Household) BANGKOK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Sunday granted new titles to the members of the royal family after he was crowned in the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall of the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Saturday. The King and his wife Queen Suthida arrived at the Amarindra Vinijaya Throne Hall in the Grand Palace to attend the ceremony on Sunday morning. Sunday's ceremony is part of a three-day coronation ceremony held from Saturday to Monday. The King firstly named his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as "Maha Raja," or "Great King," and named his mother Sirikit, the Queen Mother, who didn't attend the ceremony. The King bestowed new titles to his two sisters, Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Chulabhorn Walailak, his two daughters Bajrakitiyabha, Sirivannavari Nariratana and his son Dipangkorn Rasmijoti. He also granted new titles to his former wife Soamsawali, their daughter Princess Bajrakitiyabha and the two daughters of his sister Chulabhorn Walailak. During the ceremony, the King poured sacred water on the heads of every attending member of the royal family, who knelt in front of him, and gave them auspicious bael leaves tucked behind their right ears. According to Thai TV, bael trifoliate leaves stand for the triple deities of Brahmanism, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The King also bestowed royal medals to his family. The new granted titles reflect the royal family's relationship with the current King as their former titles signify their relationship with late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. King's sister Princess Sirindhorn was bestowed the highest of royal ranks by appointment--- Krom Somdej Phra, and the first verse of her new title includes the Sanskrit phrase "Kanistha Adhiraja," which respectively means "king's younger sister" and "paramount lord". The new titles of every royal family member were later published on the Royal Gazette. The King is scheduled to show up on the balcony of the Sutthai Sawan Prasart Throne Hall on Monday to greet the people and receive best wishes from them. He will also grant an audience with diplomats attached to Thailand at the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall in the Grand Palace. The King ascended to the Thai throne late 2016 after his father passed away in October 2016. According to Thai tradition, coronation ceremonies have to be held for every new king to complete the ascension to the throne. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 12:14:42|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close FUZHOU, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The second Digital China Summit opened Monday in eastern China's Fujian Province, offering a glimpse into the latest trends in digital technology that are rapidly penetrating the country's government departments and companies. Technologies from driverless vendor vehicles and facial recognition security checks to 5G networks are being used at the event in the city of Fuzhou. An official report reviewing the country's digital construction in 2018 will also be issued at the event. The summit from May 6 to 8 aims to serve as a platform for issuing China's policies on IT development and displaying the achievements and experience of e-government and the digital economy. More than 1,500 officials, company representatives and scholars are attending the event, which is co-organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Fujian provincial government. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 13:09:56|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close NEW YORK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A symposium examining the legacy of the May Fourth era was held here on Sunday in honor of the centenary of May Fourth Movement. The event, organized by the New-York based China Institute, aims to yield a new understanding of the May Forth Movement in China's modern history, and offer new perspectives on the ongoing relevance of the movement to China's present path. William Kirby, Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, delivered a keynote speech entitled "Understanding May Fourth" by reviewing such renowned scholars as Hu Shi, Cai Yuanpei, Mei Yuqi and Chen Yinque, and their pioneer roles in the May Fourth era. "We were highly influenced by Peking University's motto, which is intellectual independence. This motto has been manifesting throughout Chinese history... One of the examples was the May Fourth Movement," Ruth Jin, co-chairwoman of board of directors of Peking University Alumni Association of Greater New York, said in her opening remarks. The May Fourth Movement, which began on May 4, 1919, 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 symposium was co-hosted by the Peking University Alumni Association of Greater New York and New York University China House. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 13:20:00|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close SYDNEY, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill is set to face a vote of no confidence in his government, after a number of high-profile ministers defected from the party. According to local newspaper the Post Courier on Monday, opposition parties claimed they have the backing of 57 members of parliament, enough to gain a majority in the 111-seat parliament. The voting is expected to take place on Tuesday which will result in an immediate change of leadership if the motion carries. But despite the impending threat to O'Neill, Deputy Prime Minister Charles Abel said the government still remains intact and is ready to take on the opposition group when the parliament resumes on Tuesday. "We have the numbers. We have 60 in our camp -- 29 members of the People's National Congress and the others (from) the (coalition partners) United Resource Party, People's Progress Party, Social Democratic Party and the revamped Pangu," he said. "The numbers are fluid and the government has been put on notice. But I believe we will sustain through this period with our partners." "For now, we need to get behind each other as a team, support our coalition partners, provide the foundation and maintain stability for the government," he added. In the capital city of Port Moresby, an extra 1,000 police have been deployed to combat any instances of civil unrest. Michael Cohen, the lawyer who once vowed to "take a bullet" for President Donald Trump but now calls him a "con man," on Monday will begin serving a three-year prison sentence for arranging hush payments to two women who said they had sexual encounters with the president and lying to the U.S. Congress. Cohen, Trump's longtime former personal attorney, must report by 2 p.m. (1800 GMT) to the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of New York City. He is expected to stay at the prison's minimum security camp. Cohen's prison term completes a stunning fall for the 52-year-old native of New York's Long Island whose career was tethered to Trump as he evolved from wealthy real estate developer to reality TV personality to politician. For more than a decade, Cohen served as Trump's personal lawyer and self-described "fixer." The relationship began to sour after FBI agents raided Cohen's Rockefeller Center office and Park Avenue hotel room in April 2018 as part of an investigation that grew out of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. The information gathered in the raids contributed to a series of criminal charges against Cohen that caused his dramatic split with Trump. Cohen publicly broke with Trump in July 2018, telling ABC News he intended to put family and loyalty to his country ahead of the president. Cohen and his wife, Laura Shusterman, 49, have two adult children, Samantha and Jake. Blind loyalty In congressional testimony in February in Washington, Cohen said, "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a con man. He is a cheat." During his sentencing in December in New York, Cohen said, "My weakness can be characterized as a blind loyalty to Donald Trump, and I was weak for not having the strength to question and to refuse his demands. I have already spent years living a personal and mental incarceration." Cohen said during his sentencing he would provide as much information as he could to prosecutors about his former boss. Trump, for this part, has blasted Cohen on Twitter, calling him a "weak person" as well as a "bad lawyer and fraudster." Cohen pleaded guilty in August 2018 to violating campaign finance law, bank fraud and tax evasion in a case handled by federal prosecutors in New York. Prosecutors said Trump himself directed illegal payments orchestrated by Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal to avert a scandal shortly before the 2016 election. Cohen told the court Trump ordered a $130,000 payment to Daniels and a $150,000 payment to McDougal to keep them quiet. Trump has denied sexual relationships with the women and said he never directed Cohen to do anything illegal. Cohen also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a proposed Trump tower project in Russia that was being negotiated at the same time he was running for president. Prosecutors said Cohen provided false statements in closed-door testimony to lawmakers to create the impression the project had ended by the time the state-by-state Republican presidential nomination race began, when in fact talks had continued well beyond that point. U.S. District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan sentenced Cohen to three years in prison in both cases. "Each of the crimes involved deception and each appears to have been motivated by personal greed and ambition," Pauley said at the sentencing hearing. Cohen's prison time could be reduced by about 15 percent for good behavior. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 13:20:02|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close OMAHA, the United States, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. held its annual shareholders meeting during the past weekend in the city of Omaha in the U.S. state of Nebraska. At the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha, sitting side by side on stage, Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire, and Charlie Munger, the vice chairman answered shareholders' questions. On Berkshire's stock buybacks, Buffett said in response that "we will buy stock when we think it is trading below a conservative estimate of its intrinsic value." Berkshire bought 1.7 billion U.S. dollars of its own stock during the first quarter of 2019, according to a quarterly report released Saturday. Buffett said that the intrinsic value is not a specific point. "It's a range in my mind that will have a range or band of probably 10 percent." "We want to be sure when we repurchase stock that those people that have not sold are better off than they were before," he added. Publicly-traded companies reduce the number of their outstanding shares in order to bolster stock prices, which in turn benefits shareholders. Munger said that "I predict we will get a little more liberal in repurchasing shares." As of the end of the first quarter, Berkshire's pile of cash and cash equivalents amount to 114.2 billion dollars, up from 111.9 billion dollars at the end of the previous quarter. Answering a question about whether Berkshire should spend a large portion of its over 110 billion dollars of cash in a stock market index fund, Buffett said the idea makes sense in the future, adding that the cash pile will enable Berkshire to seize potential large investment opportunities. "They'll come in clumps and when other people don't want to allocate capital," he said. Over the past few months, the scandal-ridden packaged food giant Kraft Heinz and Wells Fargo's misdeeds have drawn the corporate community's attention. Berkshire has invested heavily in both companies. Buffett and Munger appeared to be defending Kraft Heinz, which has faced federal investigation into alleged procurement mishandlings. Buffett said it is "not at all inconceivable" that Berkshire could be partners in some transaction in the future with 3G Capital, the Brazilian-American investment firm that currently manages Kraft Heinz's day-to-day business. Berkshire teamed up with 3G in 2013 to buy H.J. Heinz, which merged with Kraft Foods in 2015 and became Kraft Heinz. Berkshire holds a 27-percent stake in the combined company. Munger said he doesn't think the problem with Kraft Heinz "was that they cut research," echoing a point made by Buffett that under 3G's management, Kraft Heinz is doing well operationally. Shareholders also raised questions concerning Wells Fargo. The bank has in recent years been engulfed in a slew of regulatory probes, which revealed that it mistreated customers with falsified accounts, excessive mortgage fees and force-placed insurance. "When you find a problem you have to do something about it, and I think that's where they probably made a mistake at Wells Fargo," Buffett said. Berkshire owns some 9 percent of Wells Fargo's shares. Wells Fargo announced on March 28 that its CEO and President, Timothy Sloan, decided to resign immediately and retire from the company on June 30. Munger offered his support for Sloan. "I wish Tim Sloan was still there," he said. Occidental Petroleum Corporation announced in a statement on April 30 that Berkshire has committed to a 10 billion-dollar preferred stock investment in the Houston, Texas-based oil company, contingent upon Occidental entering into and completing its proposed acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. Asked by a shareholder if Berkshire will engage in more such deals in the future, Buffett said yes. Occidental proposed on April 24 to acquire Anadarko for 76 dollars per share, higher than rival Chevron Corporation's initial bid for 65 dollars per share. Anadarko said in an April 29 statement that it intends to resume negotiations with Occidental, that its board of directors unanimously decided Occidental's proposal could reasonably be superior to Chevron's, and that its agreement with Chevron remains in effect. Buffett and Munger also took a question from a Chinese shareholder asking if and when Berkshire plans to set up a company in China. "We've got one now, Dairy Queen is all over in China," Munger replied. "And it's working fine." "We've done well in China," Buffett said. "We haven't done enough." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 13:25:06|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close PANAMA CITY, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Panama's electoral tribunal on Sunday night declared presidential front-runner Laurentino Cortizo, of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), the virtual winner of the presidential vote. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 13:35:18|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close HANOI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will pay an official visit to Vietnam and attend the United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak Celebrations on May 9-13, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. Vietnam and Nepal, which established diplomatic relations in 1975, are expected to bolster their bilateral ties, including such fields as economy, culture and tourism. Representatives from 112 countries and regions and the UN will attend the UN Day of Vesak, or the birth of Buddha, slated for May 12-14 at Tam Chuc pagoda in Vietnam's northern Ha Nam province, Vietnam Central Television reported on Monday. The event's theme is "Buddhist Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 13:40:20|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close HANOI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam imported nearly 1.4 million tons of fertilizers worth 396 million U.S. dollars in the first four months of this year, down 2.2 percent and 0.9 percent on-year respectively, while spending 265 million U.S. dollars importing pesticides, down 7.1 percent. In the period, China was Vietnam's largest supplier of both goods, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Monday. In April, Vietnam spent 113 million U.S. dollars into importing 400,000 tons of fertilizers, mostly urea, Ammonium Sulfate, Potassium, Diammonium Phosphate and Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium fertilizers. The country also spent 80 million U.S. dollars importing pesticides in the same month, down 1.1 percent from March. In 2018, Vietnam imported over 4.1 million tons of fertilizers valued at nearly 1.2 billion U.S. dollars, posting respective decreases of 12.8 percent and 6.8 percent on-year, mainly from China and Russia. Meanwhile, the country's import of pesticides, mainly from China, India, Germany and Thailand, decreased 2.2 percent in value against 2017, said the ministry. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 13:55:28|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close LONDON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- British forensic experts are working with the military to establish the first "body farm" in the United Kingdom in a bid to help police solve more murder cases. Details are not yet finalized, but project leaders hope to open the farm this year, science journal Nature reported recently. Body farms are research facilities where human corpses are buried in soil, left in water and hung from trees, allowing researchers to monitor the bodies as they decay without human interference. The results of the research can then be applied to crime cases and help identify murder victims and work out how they died. According to documents obtained by Nature, a site on land owned by Britain's Ministry of Defense has been selected and the facility is already under construction. British law allows people to donate their bodies for medical and scientific research. Forensic experts are looking for volunteers to donate their corpses to Britain's first body farm. Forensic scientist Chris Rogers at the University of Wolverhampton told Nature that such a facility is essential as a lack of access to human remains hampers his research, and affects how it can be used in court. "I am someone who will be interested in using it," says Rogers. Sites that allow the study of human remains have long existed in the United States and have started to appear recently in other countries including Australia and the Netherlands. Researchers argue that the facilities could provide important information to criminal investigations that can't be obtained from equivalent animal studies, but critics say that they are gruesome and that their value to research is unproven. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 14:25:45|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close HAVANA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Whether traveling from city to city, or from neighborhood to neighborhood, Cubans tend to take buses manufactured by Chinese company Yutong, which meet the needs of local people. Since the first 12 Yutong buses arrived in Cuba from China in 2005, the number has grown to more than 7,000, turning Cuba into the company's biggest overseas market. The figure does not include the 2,000 buses assembled on the island with parts provided by the company based in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan province. Chinese buses now account for some 80 percent of Cuba's transportation, and have become a familiar sight on the nation's roadways. As part of its commitment to the Cuban market, Yutong began to modify its vehicles to better satisfy local consumers. "Today, we manufacture buses according to Cuba's needs," Yin Hao, the company's sales manager in Cuba, told Xinhua. Yutong's 47-seat buses, for example, were adjusted to reduce three seats, but add more leg room and aisle space to make long trips more comfortable. "Yutong's quality products and services have won the trust of Cubans and all levels of government," said Yin. Yin's remarks were echoed by Guillermo Gonzalez, director of engineering at Cuba's Ministry of Transport, who said passengers are very satisfied with the service. "Over the years, they have been devoted to Cubanizing their products, according to the island's conditions," said Gonzalez. "Since we started working together many years ago, Yutong has provided us with buses that have been very well accepted by the passengers," said Luis Ladron de Guevara, director of passenger transport of the Ministry of Transport. More than 20 models of Yutong buses are operating in Cuba, including 40 hybrids that have slashed each unit's fossil fuel use by more than 50 percent, a valuable feature in a country with limited resources to spend on costly oil imports. In addition, an electric bus in operation here since 2017 has finished 60,000 km without power failure and with a failure rate 10 times lower than conventional diesel vehicles, leading to notable savings in maintenance and repair. Yutong has won various awards at Cuban trade fairs for quality and design, but the company is not resting on its laurels, and continues to explore new ways to enhance cooperation with Cuba. "Looking to the future, we will continue to provide our products and quality services, and also renew cooperation with the goal of improving transport in Cuba and the quality of lives of Cubans," said Yin. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 14:40:50|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close JALALABAD, Afghanistan, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Up to 35 militants, including 13 Islamic State (IS) fighters, have joined peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, provincial government said Monday. "On Sunday, 22 militants loyal to the Taliban group and 13 others affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) terrorist outfit, gave up war and joined peace process along with their arms, under the efforts of the provincial national security directorate," the government said in a statement. Earlier this week, more than 20 fighters affiliated with the IS group and scores of others from the Taliban group, including some of their leaders, have been killed in a spate of security forces' clearance operation in Tangi and Shirzad districts of the province, the statement said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 14:56:02|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close NEW YORK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Human-generated greenhouse gases and atmospheric particles were affecting global drought risk as far back as the early 20th century, according to a recent study by NASA. Researchers at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City compared the predicted model with real-world soil moisture data to try to identify the correlations between human fingerprints, a term used in the study to describe greenhouse gas emissions, and global drought patters in the 20th century. Having analyzed historical rain, temperature, soil moisture records, as well as tree ring patterns, Benjamin Cook, a lead author of the study, said "we were pretty surprised that you can see this human fingerprint, this human climate change signal, emerge in the first half of the 20th century." "Climate change is not just a future problem," said Cook, a climate scientist at GISS and Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, in a press release. "This shows it's already affecting global patterns of drought, hydroclimate, trends, variability -- it's happening now. And we expect these trends to continue, as long as we keep warming the world," he added. The researchers said the study is the first to provide historical evidence connecting human-generated emissions and drought at near-global scales. While historical drought data aligned with the study's predicted model in the first half of the 20th century, researchers also noticed a cooler and wetter period between 1950 and 1975. They believe the brief change was perhaps caused by large amounts of aerosols released into the atmosphere during the period. Before the passage of air quality laws, industry expelled vast quantities of smoke, soot, sulfur dioxide and other particles that researchers believe blocked sunlight and counteracted greenhouse gases' warming effects. After 1975, as pollution declined, global drought patterns began to trend back toward their prediction, they said. The study was published in the journal Nature last week. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 15:01:06|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close SYDNEY, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Minerals Council of Australia Chief Executive Tania Constable has highlighted the importance of an ongoing trade relationship with China, saying Australia missed an "opportunity" by not signing up to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) earlier. Constable said that the two countries needed to "work harder" on their relationship which has recently come under strain, the Australian newspaper reported on Monday. In a speech to the China Chamber of Commerce, Constable made it clear that as the single biggest purchaser of Australian minerals, China contributes a large part of the country's export income. "Today China is, without question, an important resources partner -- our export figures make that indisputable," she said. From 2017 to 2018, Australia's coal exports to China were worth 9 billion U.S. dollars and iron ore exports were less than 35 billion U.S. dollars, according to Constable. "For the minerals industry and the broader Australian community, the question is: how can our trade relationship be transformed to a business partnership of warmth, depth and trust?" Constable suggested focusing on the benefits which flow both ways from trade and cooperation, and how this can be expanded on in the future. Australia is capable of providing not only minerals like nickel, lithium and zinc, resources crucial to the next generation of technology and devices, but also the skills and capability to apply them. Constable cited the 1 trillion U.S. dollars worth of BRI projects, "internationally recognized as sustainable and meeting green standards," which Australia could assist in. "Australia could again be important to help meet Chinese aspirations," Constable said. "We have expertise in advanced resource extraction, refinery and development of resources, wind and solar (and) mine rehabilitation, water management, tailings management, environmental conservation and clean energy solutions." "This is the time for the relationship to be reset and to highlight how we can grow together as two economies." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza are seen at a press conference in Moscow on May 5, 2019. (AFP Photo) MOSCOW, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday reiterated Moscow's solidarity with the people of Venezuela and support for its president Nicolas Maduro, said the Russian foreign ministry. "We reaffirmed solidarity with the friendly people of Venezuela and support for the legitimate president elected by the Venezuelan people on May 20, 2018. We welcomed the measures taken by the government of Nicolas Maduro to prevent further destabilization of the situation," Lavrov said following talks with his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza. He added that Russia is ready to keep facilitating a peaceful settlement of the Venezuela crisis and to join in possible efforts of international and regional mediators, for example the "Montevideo mechanism", which was jointly proposed by Mexico and Uruguay and backed by other countries. The Montevideo Mechanism is a four-step plan to diffuse the rising tensions between Venezuela's ruling socialist party and the U.S.-backed opposition, and promote a negotiated solution. The two foreign ministers discussed the latest situation in Venezuela and main issues of bilateral cooperation, according to the ministry. On Tuesday, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan 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. Lavrov said he would discuss the Venezuelan issue with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at their upcoming meeting scheduled for Monday in Finland. Arreaza also requested Lavrov to call on Pompeo to realize that dialogue is the only way to the settlement of the Venezuelan crisis. "I think it is necessary to bring home to the U.S. Department of State, probably during talks in Finland, that we (are) at a point when we must get back to dialogue (and) respect for international law and principles of bilateral relations," Arreaza was quoted by Tass news agency as saying. Russia and the United States have been at variance with each other over stances on Venezuela. Moscow has accused Washington of interference in Venezuela's internal affairs by supporting its opposition, while the latter criticized Russia's support for Maduro as "destabilizing" for the nation. Egypt has signed a deal with Beijing-based automaker Foton Motor to manufacture electric buses in Egypt, the Ministry of Military Production said in a statement on Saturday. The deal will see the manufacture of 2,000 electric buses over the course of four years, with 45 percent locally sourced components, the statement added. The buses will be manufactured by a major military production ministry plant which provides armoured vehicles and armaments for Egypts armed forces. The move is part of a general drive by the ministry to work with global companies to transfer modern technologies to Egypt, including in the booming electric-vehicle industry, the ministry said. It added that Foton Motor has gifted Egypt a 180-seater electric bus for trial purposes. The number of electric vehicles on roads worldwide rose to a record high of 3.1 million in 2017, an increase of 57 percent from 2016, according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) published in May 2018. The deal between the Chinese company and Egypts Ministry of Military Production and Ministry of Trade and Industry came during a visit by a delegation of top Egyptian officials, including President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, to the Chinese capital for an international summit on Chinas Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 15:16:10|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said on Monday morning it had lifted all protective restrictions in southern Israel, amidst reported cease-fire that ended two-day deadly escalation between Israel and Gaza militants. "As of 07:00 (4 GMT), all protective restrictions in the home front will be lifted," a military spokesperson said in a statement. Following the statement, most schools and kindergartens across the south announced they will resume studies after all of the educational institutions in the area were shut down on Sunday in the wake of the abrupt violence. The Israeli government has yet to release an official statement about the cease-fire. In Gaza, Al-Aqsa TV, an official Hamas-run channel, reported that a cease-fire agreement between the armed groups in the Gaza Strip and Israel went into effect before dawn. Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper reported that the deal was brokered by Egyptian, Qatari, and United Nations officials. The agreement has appeared to end the most serious fighting between Israel and Gaza since Israel's military campaign in Gaza in 2014. The fighting included some 690 rockets fired by Gaza militants towards southern Israel, according to the army. The Iron Dome Aerial Defense System has intercepted over 240 of them. At the same time, the Israeli air force carried out massive airstrikes in Gaza, bombing buildings and militant targets throughout the besieged Palestinian enclave. At least 23 Palestinians were killed, including two pregnant women and two babies and at least nine militants, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. In Israel, four civilians were killed, at least three of them were Israeli nationals, according to official Israeli figures. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 15:36:24|Editor: ZX Video Player Close YINCHUAN, Northwest China, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The early morning of Zhongshan Park in Yinchuan, capital city of China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is ignited by the enthusiasm of sports-lovers. Lots of senior citizens are busy doing their everyday exercises including Taiji, peg-tops, singing and dancing. "There are many different ways to exercise, and people can always find one fitting for themselves. For me, I feel happy to play diabolo," 75-year-old Zhang Wancheng said. Zhang has been playing diabolo for 11 years. Unlike square-dance, badminton and many other exercises he once tried, he can play diabolo any time at any place, just by himself. Diabolo is a traditional Chinese folk game, in which one can throw and catch a spinning top by moving a cord fastened to two sticks. It requires coordination from the eyes, arms, neck and legs, and thus is beneficial for the elderly to maintain mental and physical flexibility. "Last year I went to have my driver's license checked, the officers all thumbed up after I easily finished two deep squats and an eyesight test," Zhang said. In 2014, the Yinchuan Diabolo Association was founded, and now has about 70 members including Zhang Wancheng. "I left my workplace but found another one here, and I feel fulfilled again," he said. 62-year-old Zhang Chunshan is also a diabolo-lover. When a 7-meter-long dragon made of cloth is attached to his diabolo, dancing as he moves skillfully, he becomes a "dragon trainer." "A healthy body is important for people to live a high-quality life, especially for us senior citizens in our twilight years," he said. The younger Zhang retired earlier because of a surgery, and then devoted himself to exercises in the park as playing diabolo and playing chess in the morning, and conducting body-building on the parallel bars in the afternoon have become his daily routine. "I keep exercising every day, even when it snows, I would clear up a place to stretch my body," said Zhang, adding that one has got to have some spiritual pursuit in order to make his life worth living. Playing diabolo requires more physical strength and as many senior citizens get on in years, they would like to choose some mild sports, such as Taijiquan, Taiji sword, Taiji fan, Taijirouli ball, and similar activities. Taijirouli ball requires players to always catch a bouncy ball with a matched racket while combining Taichi moves in the process, and 65-year-old Xue Chunyan has been playing it for 13 years. "It's easy to play, but hard to play well. Senior citizens have more spare time to practice different routines," Xue said. Lately, Xue noticed a positive change as more retirees joined the exercisers in the park. "They used to go home directly from the farmers market, but now many of them will come here for two-hours of exercise and then go back to prepare lunch," she said. According to her, there are about 700 members in the Yinchuan Taijirouli ball Association, and the number has been steadily increasing in recent years. "Now I want to recruit some 'younger' players, who are newly retired and more energetic, because they can learn more routines and attract more elderly people," Xue said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 15:36:28|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China has at least 30 million asthma patients and only around 5 percent have received proper treatments, experts warned ahead of the World Asthma Day that falls on Tuesday. Severe asthma attacks are mainly attributed to failing to receive standard treatments or overall healthcare, while most asthma attacks can be curbed if patients resort to such approaches, said Liu Guoliang, chief physician of the Center for Respiratory Diseases of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital. Once a patient is diagnosed with asthma, the patient should start treatment as soon as possible to reach the best curative effects, Liu said, adding that overall healthcare aims to strengthen the monitoring of the disease. Experts also asked asthma patients to wear masks and maintain regular medication during seasons of flying catkins. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 15:41:32|Editor: ZX Video Player Close KUNMING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China's southwestern Yunnan Province posted robust growth in cross-border payments and settlement of foreign exchanges in the first quarter. Cross-border revenue and expenditure was 6.87 billion U.S. dollars from January to March, up 6.86 percent year on year, the Kunming Central Sub-branch of the People's Bank of China said Sunday. Since the beginning of this year, Yunnan has seen a rapid rebound in exports, leading to a steady rise in the total volume of foreign trade. In the first quarter of this year, the total amount of foreign exchange settlements by banks in Yunnan reached 3.167 billion U.S. dollars, up 18.66 percent year on year. The figure also marks a growth for the fourth consecutive quarter. The branch forecasts further growth in the foreign exchange settlements in the second quarter. Bordering Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, Yunnan has accelerated economic and trade cooperation with southeast Asian countries in recent years. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 15:51:41|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KABUL, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At least five Taliban militants were killed in two separate premature blasts on Sunday, the Afghan government said Monday. In one incident, four militants were killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) they were planting in Gulran district of western Herat province detonated, the Presidential Information Coordination Center (Tawhid Center) said in a statement. In southern Zabul province, Taliban militants "wanted to plot a land mine in Shajoy district of Zabul province, which detonated on themselves and resulted in the killing of a mine plotter and wounding three others." Taliban militants have been using IEDs to make roadside bombs and landmines for targeting security forces, but the lethal home-made weapons also inflict casualties on civilians. On Sunday, three children were killed and two others wounded in an IED explosion in Gulran. The militant group has not made comments on the report yet. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 15:56:43|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BRUSSELS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The recent discord over intensified sanctions against Cuba is putting relations between the United States and its allies including the European Union (EU) and Canada under strain. Washington made the decision to activate the full weight of the Helms-Burton Act against Cuba last week, which authorizes U.S. nationals to file lawsuits over properties nationalized or confiscated by Cuba's government. The Helms-Burton Act, which basically punishes U.S. and foreign companies that do business with Cuba, came into force in 1996, but most U.S. administrations did not apply Title III until recently. As a proclaimed punishment for Cuba's support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the White House is openly seeking to oust from power, Washington's decision to fully activate the act has sparked backlash as it not only prohibits U.S. citizens from doing business with Cuba, but also puts the interests of other nations in the island at risk of lengthy litigation. Many countries including some U.S. allies like Canada, Spain and the EU with large investments in Cuba have condemned Washington's move to protect their own interests. The same day Title III came into force, Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, said in a statement that the bloc deeply regrets such a move by Washington. "The EU considers the extra-territorial application of unilateral restrictive measures to be contrary to international law and will draw on all appropriate measures to address the effects of the Helms-Burton Act," said the EU's top diplomat. She also warned that "this will cause unnecessary friction and undermines trust and predictability in the transatlantic partnership." On Friday, in a meeting with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated that Canada considers the U.S. move "contrary to international law," and will "defend the interests of Canadians conducting legitimate trade and investment with Cuba." The Russian Foreign Ministry also said on Friday that Washington's move in the spirit of the "Monroe Doctrine" is "overt encroachment" on the sovereignty of Cuba as well as other states including U.S. allies, and violates the norms of international law. Last month, following Washington's announcement to end the decades-old waiver of Title III, the Spanish government warned in a communique that the tightening of the economic blockade against Cuba would harm the democratization of the island, while also contravening international law. The decision to "deter and penalize" trade and investments from other countries with Cuba "undermines the interests of Spain and other European partners in Cuba, and leads to a deterioration of bilateral relations between allied countries as well as seriously harming the welfare of the Cuban population," said the communique. Referring to the intensified sanctions against Cuba as "wrong practices" and "long-arm jurisdiction," Lu Kang, spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, urged the United States in a press conference last month to lift the blockade at an early date. "It (lifting the blockade) will serve the interests of the United States, Cuba and their people, and contribute to regional stability and development," Lu said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 16:11:57|Editor: ZX Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Fifteen Chinese students studying in the western part of the United States received Chinese government scholarships for their academic excellence here on Sunday. The 2018 Chinese Government Awards for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad were presented at a ceremony held at the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles. Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Zhang Ping said that the awards, set up by the Chinese Education Ministry in 2003, aim to honor and encourage self-funded overseas Chinese students to achieve outstanding academic accomplishments. Zhang hoped the award-winning students would regard this as a motivation to achieve greater progress, and give back to society in the future. Zhang also encouraged overseas Chinese students to continue promoting China-U.S. friendship as well as bilateral exchanges and cooperation. Li Lei, one of the scholarship recipients, a Ph.D. student majoring in imaging techniques in biomedicine at California Institute of Technology (Caltech), said the award not only recognizes his scientific research accomplishment, but also encourages all overseas Chinese students to make more progress. Another award winner, Li Mengying, a postdoctoral fellow researching solar grid integration at the University of California, San Diego, told Xinhua that China has attached great importance to new energy development, which has provided a very good opportunity for her research and future career back in the motherland. Zhou Chongwu, a tutor of award-winning students and professor of electronic engineering at the University of Southern California, said the award has seen increasing influence in U.S. higher institutions, which also reveals China's growing national strength. Jiang Zhenying, a tenured professor at Barstow University, who has been serving as a scholarship judge since 2003, told Xinhua that award-winning students were not only judged for their academic performance, innovation achievements and research topics, but also their sense of social responsibility, leadership and global perspectives. This kind of award will help cultivate cross-border talents of the new generation, and boost educational exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, he added. According to official statistics, a total of 500 Chinese students studying abroad received the scholarship in 2018, including 164 studying in the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 16:11:59|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close by Dana Halawi BEIRUT, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Local economists believe that the indefinite strike announced by the central bank's employees in Lebanon last Saturday will have a big impact on people and commercial banks. "The strike of the central bank will impact clearing of checks because all transactions made by commercial banks go through Banque Du Liban (BDL)," Nassib Ghobril, economist and head of the economic research department at Byblos Bank, told Xinhua. Ghobril said that this will also impact foreign exchange operations in Lebanon. "If people want to exchange their Lebanese pounds into dollars, they won't be able to do it because this has to go through the central bank," he said. Ghobril explained that imports and exports will also be affected because letters of credits and letters of guarantees also pass by BDL. Likewise, economist at the Lebanese American University Layal Mansour told Xinhua that administrative work at the central bank will become slower. Lebanon's central bank employees announced Saturday that they have extended their two-day strike indefinitely in protest against a possible cut in their wages by the government. The announcement comes after rumors were spread in the past few days about the government's plan to remove the four additional salaries that employees at BDL are paid every year. BDL's employees argued that the government does not have the right to cut their wages because the central bank's budget is independent and has nothing to do with that of the Finance Ministry. Economists, however, denied the possibility of the Finance Ministry to assert control over the central bank. Mansour said that the central bank is an independent entity and this is why Lebanon stayed two years without a president and one year without a government but the central bank has never stopped working. Ghobril that the theory that the central bank should come under the authority of the Finance Ministry is very harmful and very bad for confidence and stability of the monetary policy. Public sector employees have been waging demonstrations in the past few days to protest a possible cut in their wages aimed at reducing the state budget's deficit. Endorsing a state budget that slashes the deficit is among the measures the government has pledged to take as part of the key financial and economic reforms recommended at last year's CEDRE Conference. To curb Lebanon's budget deficit, which has increased to over 11 percent of GDP, the cabinet will seek to reduce the deficit by 1 percent each year over the next five years by limiting government expenditures. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 16:22:08|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close CARACAS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday the Kremlin has condemned Washington's so-called campaign to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, urging the United States to cancel its "irresponsible" plans. Meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza, the senior diplomat was requested to call on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to realize that dialogue is the only solution to the Venezuelan crisis during their upcoming meeting in Finland. Many nations and international organizations have called for a peaceful settlement of the Venezuelan crisis after a failed coup attempt initiated by opposition leader Juan Guaido on April 30 and some expressed support for Maduro. "We reaffirmed solidarity with the friendly people of Venezuela and support for the legitimate president elected by the Venezuelan people on May 20, 2018," Lavrov said Sunday, adding that Russia is ready to join possible efforts of international and regional mediators like the "Montevideo mechanism," which was jointly proposed by Mexico and Uruguay and backed by other countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the coup bid, saying "those who attempt to appoint a postmodern colonial governor to Venezuela, where the people are sovereign and where the president comes through elections, should know only democratic elections determined the way to govern the country." Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obador also said that his country will adhere to its constitution and the principles of non-intervention, self-determination of the people and peaceful settlement. United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Tuesday for "maximum restrain" in Venezuela to avoid violence and restore calm, his spokesman said in a daily briefing. China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang told a press briefing last month that "the Venezuelan affairs should be determined independently by its people. The government and the opposition need to seek a political settlement through peaceful dialogue under the framework of the Constitution as soon as possible." Despite the calls for peaceful settlement, Pompeo said Wednesday that Washington will further raise costs for Cuba and Russia because of their support for Maduro -- a remark following U.S. President Donald Trump's tweets urging Cuba to cease its operations in Venezuela in a bid to save itself from "a full and complete embargo" and "highest-level sanctions." Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez tweeted in response that "I strongly reject Trump's total blockade threat." The Russian Foreign Ministry also said in a statement on the same day that Lavrov had warned of the "gravest consequences" of "aggressive steps" against Caracas in a call with Pompeo. Meanwhile, U.S. media reported that the White House has not reached a consensus on whether to engage in military intervention in Venezuela to support Guaido. Pompeo told financial news channel Fox Business on Wednesday that a peaceful solution was still desired but that "military action is possible." Moreover, as U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton has pushed for a more aggressive policy on Venezuela, he "has angered some within and outside the White House," according to a report of the Washington Post. Washington has been pursuing a policy of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation against the Venezuelan government. It recognized Guaido as the nation's "interim president" on Jan. 23, days after Maduro was inaugurated for a second term. Amid the ongoing power struggle between the ruling socialist party and the U.S.-backed right-wing opposition, ordinary Venezuelans are finding it increasingly hard to get on with their lives. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 16:37:17|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close PANAMA CITY, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Panama's electoral tribunal on Sunday night declared presidential front-runner Laurentino Cortizo, of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, the virtual winner of the presidential election after 95 percent of the votes had been counted. Cortizo won 33 percent of the vote, compared with 31 percent for the runner-up Romulo Roux of the Democratic Change party. President of the electoral tribunal of Panama Heriberto Arauz made the call to Cortizo and told him that he had won because it is considered that there was a stable advantage in his favor based on preliminary results. He also reported that the official announcement of the results is scheduled for Thursday. In his victory speech, Cortizo said he was ready with a team to take over the presidency of the country on July 1. "I have no doubt that the country needs to join forces in order to solve the great challenges we are going to face," said Cortizo at a hotel in the Panamanian capital with his family. Roux, who is only 2 percentage points behind Cortizo in the presidential election, had not acknowledged the results. He said he had found some irregularities in the district of San Miguelito in the Panamanian capital and he expected the results after a manual count of all the ballots. In Sunday's general elections, a total of 2,757,823 Panamanians were eligible to vote to elect a president and vice president as well as 71 deputies to the National Assembly, 20 to the Central American Parliament, 81 mayors and nine councilors. Next years cotton harvest could drop by 30 per cent, according to a recent report, writes Niveen Wahish Egypts cotton cultivation is now in progress, having begun in mid-March and continuing until June in some areas. However, judging by the areas planned for cultivation, the US Department of Agricultures Foreign Agricultural Service Report is forecasting a smaller crop in 2020. One of the main reasons for the decrease, according to the report, is the low price at which last seasons crop was sold. Farmers and industry are expected to decrease production to raise cotton prices, it says. A high harvest in 2019 caused supply to outstrip demand, pushing down prices to LE2,050 ($117) per quintar ($567 per bale) in March 2019, the report said. One quintar is 50kg of lint cotton. One bale is 4.8 quintars. The report estimates that the harvested area of cotton in Egypt will drop by around 30 per cent to 97,000 hectares, down from 141,000 hectares last year. This will affect the harvest, causing it to drop from 489,000 to 337,000 bales, it says. High carryover from the previous season decreased prices and discouraged farmers from planting cotton in 2019, the report says. The high carryover was due to high production in the previous season. The large harvest is attributed to the expansion of cultivated areas from 55,000 hectares in 2016-17 to 141,000 hectares last year. It was also the result of higher yields because of improved cottonseed varieties. These produced an extra two quintar of cotton per feddan, the report said. Good weather, delayed cultivation, and improved pest control also helped to boost yields. In 2018/2019, production increased by 63 per cent over quantities produced in the previous year and 190 per cent above 2016/17 production, the report shows. Farmers had expanded cotton cultivation last season encouraged by the high indicative prices announced by the government and because of restrictions on planting rice to ration water use. Egypt specialises in producing long-staple and extra-long staple (ELS) cotton, the latter used in producing fine quality cotton products. Only three per cent of total world cotton production is ELS cotton. Egypt, the US, Israel, and Turkmenistan are the only countries producing ELS, according to the report. To protect the quality of Egyptian cotton, the government applies strict rules. Every year, two months before the onset of the planting season, the minister of agriculture issues a decree identifying the cotton varieties allowed for each region. Each variety must only be grown in the specified areas. The government has also taken further steps to improve the quality of Egyptian cotton. According to the report, in early 2017 it announced a 19-step plan to reverse the cotton industrys decline, notably by taking over the production and distribution of cottonseed, which used to be handled by the private sector. The government was forced to intervene as Egyptian cottons reputation and quality had deteriorated significantly, due to the seed companies lack of effective quality-assurance systems that resulted in inferior, mixed variety output, the report said. These efforts are paying off, according to the report. The quality and physical properties of the 2018/19 cotton harvest improved significantly and are expected to improve again in 2019/20, it said. There has been increased demand for Egyptian cotton in local and international markets, and this is expected to continue in 2019/20. To ensure purity and prevent mixed variety output, the government is against the cultivation of short- or medium-staple strains in the traditional cotton-cultivation areas of the Delta and Upper Egypt, and it is initiating a research project in Shark Al-Owainat in the New Valley governorate to cultivate trials of medium and short-staple upland cotton, the report said. The government chose the area due to its remoteness and isolation from existing cotton cultivation, in order to prevent seed mixing, it said. Egyptian yarn manufacturers prefer medium- and short-staple cotton because it is often cheaper. Yarn producers can use Egyptian long-staple cotton instead of imported short- and medium-staple cotton if the prices of local cotton are more competitive than those for imported cotton, the report said. The government announces an indicative price before the cultivation season commences, though this is not a commitment to buy the crop. While the indicative price for long-staple strains ranged between LE2,700 ($154) to LE2,800 ($160) per quintar, the crop sold for around 18 per cent lower when it was harvested and farmers began to market their produce, the report said. In February this year prices dropped further to as low as LE2,050 ($117). This was partly because stocks in February 2019 were 150 per cent more than the previous season. The surplus supply added significant pressure on prices, with indications that it was now being sold at cost, the report said, adding that this experience would likely push farmers to reduce their cotton production. The lower harvest next year will likely effect imports and exports. According to the Report, imports will increase by two per cent to 510,000 bales, while exports are forecast to decrease by 24 per cent to 220,000 bales. The increased imports are attributed to an expansion in domestic processing capacity. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 May, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Balancing the cotton market Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 17:02:34|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers used satellite remote sensing data to record 40 years of human settlement changes in China, providing data support for urban planning and management. Impervious surfaces are the most significant feature of human settlements and mainly include artificial structures that eliminate water infiltration, such as roads covered with asphalt and concrete, parking lots and buildings. Timely, accurate and frequent information on impervious surfaces is critical in both social-economic and natural environment applications. However, annual maps of impervious areas in China with high spatial details are lacking. Researchers from the Department of Earth System Science at Tsinghua University and the Department of Geology and Atmospheric Sciences at Iowa State University completed the mapping of China's human settlements in 1978, and from 1985 to 2017, the researchers annually tracked changes based on remotely sensed images of impervious surfaces from a series of Landsat satellites. Rapid automatic mapping of human settlements was realized in the cloud computing platform of the Google Earth Engine. After temporal consistency testing, information on 40 years of China's settlements was finally obtained, which filled the gap of dynamic monitoring of human settlements with high spatial resolution and temporal frequency. According to the results of this study, impervious surface areas in China have grown rapidly in the past 40 years. In 2017, China's urban settlement area was about 146,000 square kilometers. The top five provinces in terms of urban expansion area were Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Hebei and Henan. Since the reform and opening up in 1978, China has experienced rapid economic development and urbanization, and its land cover types have also changed dramatically. Gong Peng, the leading researcher, said as urbanization has brought many problems and challenges, data from long-term monitoring of China's human settlements is very important in studies of socio-economic development and protection of the natural environment. "Studies on regional urban planning and management, air and water pollution, climate change and biodiversity also require human settlement data with higher spatial resolution and temporal frequency," Gong said. Gong said that with the acceleration of urbanization it is expected that the expansion trend of China's human settlement areas will continue until 2030. "As continuous monitoring is crucial, we hope the mapping can provide data support for urban planning and management and can be applied to climate change, environmental protection, energy conservation and other related fields," Gong said. In addition, the method used in this research lays a good foundation for future global-scale human settlement mapping. The research was published in the journal Science Bulletin, and the mapping data can be downloaded at no cost. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 17:17:42|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close COLOMBO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan police on Monday said a time period had been granted to the public to surrender illegal weapons after several swords, knives and sharp daggers were found from homes and places of worship during raids conducted in recent weeks. The police said in a statement that anyone possessing illegal weapons could hand it over to their nearest police station on Monday and Tuesday and urged the public to corporate. The police said that in search operations launched nationwide following the Easter explosions on April 21, police had seized several swords and other illegal weapons from homes and places of worship. Several people were arrested for possessing these weapons. Police said extensive operations would continue to hunt for explosives, weapons, terrorists, hideouts and other items. Sri Lanka has been on high alert since the Easter Sunday explosions which killed over 250 people and injured over 500. The blasts targeted three churches and luxury hotels. President Maithripala Sirisena said last week that security forces would hunt down all those involved in the attacks and every house in the island country could be checked for the safety of all Sri Lankans. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 18:23:27|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on May 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Khaled Omar) GAZA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A cease-fire agreement was reached on Monday between Israel and the Palestinian factions after three days of tensions, Palestinian officials said. Official sources told Xinhua that there was no any raid after the implementation of the cease-fire agreement. Egypt and Qatar helped mediate an end to days of military escalation between Islamic Hamas and Israel, according to the sources. On earlier Monday, Israeli army lifted protective restrictions imposed near the Gaza area during the weekend's tensions. Palestinian sources said that the new truce agreement in Gaza includes pledges by Israel to implement the agreements to ease the siege of the Gaza Strip within a week, according to UN and Egyptian guarantees. The agreement has appeared to end the most serious fighting between Israel and Gaza since Israel's military campaign in Gaza in 2014. At least 27 Palestinians were killed, including two pregnant women and two babies and at least nine militants, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. In Israel, four civilians were killed, at least three of them were Israeli nationals, according to figures released by Israel's national emergency medical service. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 18:28:33|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Zambia's Minister of Labor and Social Security Joyce Simukoko (C) poses for a group photo with Zambian workers awarded by Chinese enterprises for their outstanding performance, in Lusaka, capital of Zambia, May 5, 2019. Thirty Zambian workers engaged by Chinese enterprises have received awards for their outstanding performance. Zambia's Minister of Labor and Social Security Joyce Simukoko and Chinese Ambassador Li Jie presented the awards at an event on Sunday organized by the Association of Chinese Corporations in Zambia. (Xinhua/Peng Lijun) LUSAKA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Thirty Zambian workers engaged by Chinese enterprises have received awards for their outstanding performance. Zambia's Minister of Labor and Social Security Joyce Simukoko and Chinese Ambassador Li Jie presented the awards at an event on Sunday organized by the Association of Chinese Corporations in Zambia. The Chinese envoy commended the enterprises for awarding the local employees, saying accomplishments of the enterprises in Zambia could not be achieved without the support from the government and society. The awards will not only encourage the recipients to work even harder but will also inspire other workers, Li said. The flourishing of Chinese enterprises in Zambia has not only promoted prosperity and progress of the southern African nation's economy and society but has also become an example of mutually beneficial cooperation and common development between the two countries, he said. "Chinese corporations in Zambia have become an important driving force for economic and social development of Zambia and economic and trade exchanges between our two countries," Li said. Chinese enterprises, he said, have hired as many as 50,000 local employees, helping Zambia tackle unemployment. Zambian labor minister Simukoko, on her part, said the government appreciates efforts by the Chinese business association in fostering coexistence between the Chinese and Zambian workers regardless of cultural and customs differences. "It is gratifying to learn that workers work shoulder-to-shoulder with unity of purpose in your various companies," she said. Zambia remains thankful to the strong bond of friendship that has existed for close to 55 years with China, not only at political level but trickling down to individuals in various fields of life, Simukoko said. She urged local employees to emulate Chinese workers in their attitude toward work. Thomas Ngulube, one of the award recipients, said he was happy with the support received during his time working for China Railway Seventh Group (Zambia) Ltd. Ngulube, who studied at Hunan University in 2008 and obtained a degree in civil engineering, thanked the Chinese firm for offering him an opportunity to apply in practice what he learned for the development of Zambia. Another awardee, Richard Kasawa, an employee of the Zambia China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, said working with Chinese supervisors has helped him learn the determination they have to achieve goals. Kasawa, an electrical technician, said his supervisors encouraged him into believing that he could do anything despite the challenges he encountered in his early years. The company's desire to see its employees equipped with the required and appropriate skills to meet daily tasks has been the most motivating part of his career, Kasawa said. Jackson Phiri, another award recipient who works at China Harbor Engineering Company, said the Chinese firm has not only been a workplace but also a social university. Phiri, who obtained Chinese government scholarship to study in China, said he started a new learning career the moment he started working for the Chinese firm, adding that he has learned not only professional skills but also a lot about "the ways of good living." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 18:33:38|Editor: zh Video Player Close MOGADISHU, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Somali security forces apprehended four al-Shabab militants in an operation conducted last week in the capital, Mogadishu, officials said. Zakia Hussein Ahmed, deputy police commander, said the arrests were made in an offensive conducted in two different districts in the capital. "Our forces detained on May 1 two militants who killed Abdullahi Ali Ma'ow, a government soldier, in Waberi District," Zakia told journalists in Mogadishu on Sunday evening. "They also apprehended two other militants in Mogadishu's Heliwa District." She said that Somali forces also seized weapons like anti-tank mines and bombs that the militants intended to carry out attacks during Ramadan. Mogadishu is on high alert as police forces blocked the main roads of the capital to prevent possible militant attacks. Somali security forces, backed by African Union Mission in Somalia, chased al-Shabab militants from the capital in August 2011, but the militants are still able to conduct attacks targeting government installations, hotels, restaurants and public places. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 18:43:52|Editor: ZX Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Doctors in a hospital in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou conducted on Monday an ultrasound scan for a patient 60 km away using 5G wireless technology. During the 20-minute scan, three doctors in Guangzhou First People's Hospital operated via a 5G network a robotic arm that performed the ultrasound scan for a patient in a hospital in Guangzhou's Nansha district, and monitored the whole process through large screens in front of them. The Guangzhou branch of China Unicom, a telecommunications operator, provided technical support to the remote ultrasound scan. With the advantages of high transmission speed and low latency, 5G technology can solve the problem of time lag in audio and video online transmission, according to technicians with China Unicom. Cao Jie, president of Guangzhou First People's Hospital, said his hospital plans to promote the application of 5G technology into more medical scenarios, including distant medical consultation, distant surgery instruction and emergency response. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:04:01|Editor: zh Video Player Close BAGHDAD, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Minister of Planning Nouri Sabah al-Dulaimi said the ministry has begun preparations for the general population census scheduled for 2020, an official Iraqi newspaper said on Monday. "The Ministry of Planning has started its technical procedures ahead of the general population census scheduled for 2020, as the ministry formed a high commission for census, which will be chaired by the minister himself to run the census," the state-run al-Sabah newspaper quoted al-Dulaimi as saying. Al-Dulaimi said that he will soon visit Egypt "to learn from its experience," and his ministry is determined to conduct the census as scheduled next year in all Iraqi provinces, including the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in the north of the country, according to the newspaper. On March 6, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi chaired a meeting with the Supreme Council for Population, as was attended by officials, including the ministers of finance, planning and migration and displacement, in addition to the planning minister of Kurdistan region. During the meeting Abdul Mahdi said "the census is an important step that deserves great attention and preparations at the highest level and cooperation among all to achieve the desired success." The last census was held in 1997 in Iraq except for Kurdistan's three provinces of Sulaymaniyah, Erbil and Duhok. After 2003, the population census in Iraq has been hampered for political reasons amid intense disagreements between Baghdad and the Kurdish regional government. The ethnic Kurds consider the northern oil-rich province of Kirkuk and parts of Nineveh, Diyala and Salahudin provinces as disputed areas and want them to be incorporated into their region, a move fiercely opposed by the Arabs, Turkomans and the Baghdad government. The article 140 of Iraq's 2005 constitution calls for several steps to address the dispute over the ethically-mixed disputed areas, including census and referendum. However, problems emerged among the conflicting ethnicities, as Arabs and Turkomans accuse the Kurds of carrying out demographic change in the disputed areas, mainly in Kirkuk province, during the years after 2003. While the Kurds, on the other hand, are accusing Saddam Hussein's regime of displacing thousands of Kurds who were replaced with Arabs to make Kirkuk a predominantly Arab province in 1980s. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:04:03|Editor: ZX Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's rice exports to China had increased after the European Union (EU) imposed tariffs on rice from the kingdom, said a World Bank report released on Monday. In January, the EU imposed duties for three years on rice importing from Cambodia in a bid to curb a surge in rice imports from the kingdom and protect European producers. The EU reinstated the normal customs duties of 175 euros per ton in year one, progressively reducing it to 150 euros per ton in year two and 125 euros per ton in year three. "As a result, in February 2019, Cambodia's milled rice exports to the EU reached only 10,080 tons or a 57.8-percent month-on-month decline," the World Bank said in its Cambodia Economic Update, adding that Cambodia exported 270,000 tons, or 43 percent of total milled rice exports, to the EU market in 2018. "Overall, the decline of Cambodia's rice exports to the EU was more than offset by the increase in the country's rice exports to the Chinese market," the report said. Cambodia's rice exports to the Chinese market grew 45.6 percent, the report said, adding that as a result, Cambodia's milled rice exports managed to increase 2 percent during the first two months of 2019. The report said in 2018, Cambodia's milled rice exports to China reached 170,154 tons, or 27 percent of total milled rice exports. It added that official data show that Cambodia earned 413.5 million U.S. dollars from its milled rice exports last year. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:04:05|Editor: zh Video Player Close NIAMEY, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 55 people were killed in the explosion of a tanker truck in Niger, the interior ministry said on Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:09:09|Editor: zh Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Monday met with a United Nations country team led by UN Resident Coordinator Pauline Tamesis for an annual dialogue, the UN-Cambodia said in a statement. The dialogue is aimed at discussing key sustainable development issues, highlighted within the five-year UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), to accelerate the implementation of the Cambodia Sustainable Development Goals (CSDGs), the statement said. "In the next five years, the UN will strategically support national development priorities, as articulated in the Rectangular Strategy IV, the draft National Strategic Development Plan 2019-2023 and the Cambodia SDG Framework," Tamesis said during her remarks. This year, the dialogue focused on three main topics - social protection, data for development and the progress on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the statement said. Following the dialogue, the new UNDAF from 2019 to 2023 was co-signed by Pauline and Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, it said. The statement added that the new UNDAF focuses on five development priorities: expanding social opportunities, expanding economic opportunities, promoting sustainable living, strengthening participation and accountability, and managing urbanization. "Under the new UNDAF, the UN provides financial and technical support to the Royal Government to develop and implement plans, policies and frameworks to help prioritize issues affecting the most vulnerable," said Tamesis. World Bank Group President David Malpass toured the Investor Service Center at Egypts Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation on Saturday, accompanied by the minister, Sahar Nasr, and praised the diversity of investment opportunities available in the country. "I am very impressed by the centre and emerging companies," he said during the tour, adding that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has made major legislative reforms to facilitate investors work. The Investor Service Center includes representatives from more than 65 Egyptian entities and is responsible for issuing all licences relating to investing, and responding to investor inquiries. Malpass thanked Nasr for establishing the body, which he said "eliminates bureaucracy and simplifies the procedures for establishing new companies." He also applauded the diversity of investment opportunities in Egypt. "Egypt has great investment opportunities in small and medium enterprises alike. It has a tremendous opportunity to strengthen its economy by expanding the private sector including energy, tourism and agri-business to create more jobs and higher living standards, he said. "Egypt's success is critical for the stability of the region," Malpass added. Malpass arrived in Cairo on Saturday for a two-day visit, his first to the country since becoming president of the international organisation last month. He is scheduled to meet with government officials and MPs to discuss the progress of the Egyptian governments reform programme and the contribution of the World Bank. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:09:10|Editor: zh Video Player Close CANBERRA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Defence Force is unprepared for the new-age warfare, a former army chief has warned. Jim Molan, an outgoing senator and former Major General in the Australian Army, told News Corp Australia on Monday that neither his own Liberal Party nor the Australian Labor Party (ALP) had serious plans for the future of national security. Molan, who will lose his spot as a Liberal Party senator in the general election on May 18 as a result of factional politics, called for the appointment of a national security adviser to the prime minister and a regular national security statement to be released by the government. "What we need before ships or planes or tanks is a national security strategy," he said. "That should start by saying who we are likely to fight, how we're likely to fight them and when we're likely to need to fight." Molan was appointed chief of operations for the Multi-National Forces - Iraq (MNF-I), often referred to as the coalition forces, in 2004 and was later awarded the Legion of Merit by the U.S. government. He said that while the small insurgency-based conflicts such as that in Iraq would continue to be a problem, the Australian Defence Force is facing more serious challenges. "The government is better than Labor on defence but neither are addressing the real problem," he said. "The ADF (Australian Defence Force) is optimized for conflicts that occurred in the past but are unlikely to be the primary challenge in the future. That is great power warfare, great power conflicts." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:09:12|Editor: zh Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's exports to the European market could see an estimated decline of 654 million U.S. dollars a year if the European Union (EU) suspended the Everything But Arms (EBA) trade preferences for the country, said a World Bank's report released on Monday. The EU started in February the 18-month process that could lead to the temporary suspension of Cambodia's duty-free trading access to the EU market under the EBA scheme due to concerns over human rights and labor rights. In its Cambodia Economic Update, the World Bank said Cambodia exported products worth 4.67 billion U.S. dollars to the European market in 2018, accounting for more than one-third of Cambodia's total exports, and its main products included garments, footwear, bicycles and milled rice. If the EBA is withdrawn, tariffs on garment, footwear, and bicycle products will increase 12 percent, 16 percent and 10 percent, respectively, the report said, adding that the EU has already imposed tariffs on Cambodia's milled rice since January. "If the EBA is suspended, assuming everything else unchanged, Cambodia's exports to the EU market are estimated to decline by 654 million U.S. dollars (per year)," World Bank (Cambodia)'s Senior Economist Ly Sodeth said in a presentation during the report launching ceremony here. Neav Chanthana, deputy governor of the National Bank of Cambodia, said the government had already unveiled a number of measures, including cutting production and export costs, to support local manufacturers and exporters in case the EU striped trade preferences from Cambodia. "This is a concern, but the government has already taken measures to counteract the possible withdrawal of EBA," she told reporters after attending the report launching event. "However, we hope that they (EU) will probably not withdraw it," she said. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen announced in March that the measures had helped reduce operating costs for producers and exporters by about 400 million U.S. dollars per year. The EU is a major trading partner for Cambodia, particularly for garment and footwear sector. As a Least Developed Country, Cambodia has enjoyed exports of all products, except arms and ammunition, to the EU market with zero percent tariff since 2001. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:14:18|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, also head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, speaks at the opening ceremony of the second Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, May 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) FUZHOU, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday sounded another heartening note for its development of information technologies, as both companies and the government rush to harness the nationwide tech boom to raise efficiency, buoy public satisfaction and even tackle corruption. The second Digital China Summit opened Monday in eastern China's Fujian Province, shedding light on the latest information technologies that have penetrated the country's government, industries and society. The Chinese government has expected information technologies to nurture new economic engines and upgrade old industries as the country shunts from the high-speed economic growth to the path of high-quality development. Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in a keynote speech at the summit called for advancing the building of a digital China and smart society, stressing the role of information technology in promoting high-quality development. Huang, also head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said China's advantages in internet technology innovation, technology application and as a huge market should be transformed into advantages in developing a digital economy. The official called for achieving breakthroughs in core technologies, enhancing protection of intellectual property rights, advancing information infrastructure construction and narrowing digital gaps between urban and rural areas. A report reviewing the country's digital development in 2018 was also issued at the summit, pointing to rapid growth in sectors including electronic information manufacturing, software service, communications and big data. The report published by the Cyberspace Administration of China said the country last year recorded more than 9 trillion yuan (1.3 trillion U.S. dollars) in online retail. China's digital economy reached 31.3 trillion yuan in scale, accounting for one-third of the national GDP in 2018. Provincial-level e-government platforms have also slashed time for getting government permits by an average of 30 percent, noted the report. Trendy technologies from driverless vendor vehicles and facial recognition security checks to 5G networks are being used at the event in the city of Fuzhou. A number of tech companies are displaying their cutting-edge products including Baidu's driverless vehicles, Huawei's AI chip "Ascend" and Foxconn's "future factories." Pony Ma, CEO of China's Internet giant Tencent, said at the summit that the company, by working with Fujian police, has used its facial recognition technology to help 1,000 families find missing family members in the past two years. Hu Xiaoming, president of Ant Financial that runs the popular online payment network Alipay, said at the event that one of every four Chinese now handles government services on Alipay, making it the country's largest platform that offers access to government services. E-GOVERNMENT One of the major highlights at the summit's exhibition area are the many e-government apps, which have mushroomed across China to incorporate a wide range of government and public services. They are part of the government's efforts to cut red tape to benefit residents and businesses alike. In Fuzhou, the host city of the event, a citizen's typical day now revolves around the e-Fuzhou app, which allows users to buy bus tickets, pay tuition fees and manage social security accounts without the need of visiting government offices. A slew of digital technology applications, including the big data credit inquiry system, the online tax bureau, and the paperless customs clearance system, have also been developed in the province over the years. Dingxi, one of the least developed cities in west China's Gansu Province, has a booth displaying an online monitoring platform, which it launched last year to allow villagers to scrutinize the management of poverty-relief funds and report any signs of corruption. "We went door-to-door to teach villagers how to use mobile phones to check the subsidies they are entitled to and the sum other families actually received," said Yang Sirun, an inspector with the city's discipline inspection commission. "In the past, some wealthy families feigned poverty to claim subsistence allowances, while some officials fraudulently pocketed subsidies in the names of families that had moved away. The new platform can easily expose such 'micro corruption,'" Yang said. The official said since its launch, over 3,400 officials and residents have voluntarily turned in their illegal gains for fear of being reported. "Many hidden problems were also found during the collation of data from different departments, which proves big data's power in fighting corruption," he said. The summit from May 6 to 8 aims to serve as a platform for issuing China's policies on IT development and displaying the achievements and experience of e-government and the digital economy. More than 1,500 officials, company representatives and scholars are attending the event, which is co-organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Fujian provincial government. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:29:27|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close CANBERRA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Australia's governing Liberal Party has promised to introduce stricter vetting processes for future elections to prevent extremists being chosen as candidates. Parties from both sides of the political spectrum have disendorsed candidates for the general election on May 18, including three from the Liberal Party, over their extremist views. Liberal Party candidates Peter Killin, Jessica Whelan and Jeremy Hearn have been dumped by the party after they expressed homophobic and anti-Islam views. Josh Frydenberg, Australia's Treasurer and deputy leader of the Liberal Party, promised that state branches of the party would undertake more rigorous vetting of candidates for future elections. "There is due diligence being done," he told News Corp Australia on Monday. "We stand up for people who don't necessarily have a voice, and those views expressed by some individuals have no place in our party." The opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) has disendorsed candidates Luke Creasey over rape jokes he shared on social media in 2012 and Wayne Kurnoth over social media posts supporting an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. An ALP spokesperson refused to tell News Corp if the party would review its own vetting processes, saying that its current focus was on winning the election. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:34:31|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Jiangsu, Guangdong and Zhejiang were the top three regions in terms of aggregate financing to the real economy in the first quarter, the central bank said Monday. The aggregate financing in east China's Jiangsu Province stood at 1.17 trillion yuan (174.42 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months, ranking first among the country's provincial-level regions, according to a table posted on the website of the People's Bank of China. RMB loans totaling 665 billion yuan took the lion's share of the province's aggregate financing amount, followed by undiscounted bankers' acceptances and net financing of corporate bonds. The aggregate financing figures for south China's Guangdong province and east China's Zhejiang province hit 705.2 billion yuan and 668.3 billion yuan, respectively. China's central bank said earlier this year that it would encourage lending to the real economy by giving incentives to banks. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:39:34|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official on Monday urged central and state institutions to curb the practice of "formalities for formalities' sake" so as to alleviate burdens on primary-level authorities. Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the working committee for central and state organs, made the remarks when presiding over a meeting on the issue. Central and state institutions should be the first to take actions against the practice of "formalities for formalities' sake," Ding said. He called for thorough inspections against such practices and targeted measures to address them, stressing that unnecessary meetings and documents must be cut. Ding also demanded improved supervision over the practice of "formalities for formalities' sake" and a long-term mechanism to ensure that the measures curbing such practices are fully carried out. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:39:38|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close FARAH, Afghanistan, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 Afghan army soldiers were killed and 12 others wounded after Taliban militants attacked army defensive posts in Afghanistan's western province of Farah overnight, a provincial council official said Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 19:54:49|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BAGHDAD, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Iraq on Monday strongly condemned the ongoing Israeli airstrikes against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip, which led to the death of many civilians and the destruction of infrastructure, the Foreign Ministry said. "We condemn the escalation against our Palestinian people and call for an immediate intervention by the United Nations to put an end to it," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry also called on the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to "hold emergency sessions to discuss the repercussions of the aggression and come out with practical stances to stop the continuous aggression and the killing against our people in the Strip," according to the statement. Iraq affirms its supportive stance towards the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights and declares its readiness to provide all that would alleviate their suffering, it added. Tensions ran high since the weekend as Gaza Strip witnessed the most serious fighting with Israel since Israel's military campaign in Gaza in 2014. At least 27 Palestinians were killed, including two pregnant women and two babies and at least nine militants, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. In Israel, four civilians were killed, at least three of them were Israeli nationals, according to figures released by Israel's national emergency medical service. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 20:09:56|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close FARAH, Afghanistan, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 Afghan army soldiers were killed and 12 others wounded after Taliban militants attacked army defensive posts in western province of Farah overnight, a provincial council official said Monday. "The clashes occurred in Chaakab village of Gulistan district and two soldiers also went missing following the attack," Dadullah Qaneh told Xinhua. Qaneh said that earlier it was reported that 20 or 25 soldiers were killed in the attack, but the figure was revised down to 13. The province has been the scene of heavy clashes between security forces and Taliban for long. Fighting rages across the war-torn country and clashes between security forces and Taliban have been continuing in at least 25 out of the country's 34 provinces since April 12 when Taliban launched a yearly rebel offensive. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 20:14:59|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ANKARA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's first drillship continues drilling its second well in the Eastern Mediterranean despite objections from the United States and EU, Daily Sabah reported on Monday. The drillship "Fatih" headed to west of the island of Cyprus on Friday morning with three support vessels and a frigate from the southern port of Antalya. The report said the offshore drilling activities will continue until Sept. 3. The United States and EU expressed their concerns over the Turkish move and urged their NATO ally to suspend its drilling operations in a disputed area where both Turkey and Greek Cypriot claimed as the Exclusive Economic Zone. "This step is highly provocative and risks raising tensions in the region," the U.S. Department State spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement on Sunday. "We urge Turkish authorities to halt these operations and encourage all parties to act with restraint," he added. Federica Mogherini, the high representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, called on Turkey to reconsider exploratory drilling plans off the island of Cyprus. In a written statement released Saturday, Turkish Foreign Ministry said Turkey will carry out the drilling in line with its legal rights stemming from international law. Turkey, Greece and the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government have overlapping claims of jurisdiction for offshore oil and gas exploration in eastern Mediterranean. Ties between Ankara and Athens have strained over attempts to tap gas and oil in the disputed area. European stocks tumbled to a one-month low and German bond yields slipped back into negative territory on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on China, triggering a global rout in risky assets. In a surprise twist on Sunday, Trump said he would hike U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon, signalling a major shift. Trump had earlier cited good progress in trade talks and praised his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Global investors were caught off guard as they had been largely expecting the two sides to reach a trade agreement soon. "The market was caught on the wrong foot as everyone expected talks were heading in the right direction and almost close to finishing, said Daniel Lenz, a rates strategist at Commerzbank. This was totally out of the blue and the reaction is that we have more risk aversion today." The latest episode in the trade war comes on the back of weeks of low market volatility across asset classes and a growing swathe of tepid but steady economic data with little negative surprises lulling investors into a sense of calm. Chinese shares plunged more than 6 percent, while U.S. stock market futures fell 1.6 percent. Oil prices sank and the Chinese yuan fell to a 10-month low. MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, fell half a percent. Trump sharply escalated tensions between the world's two largest economies with tweeted comments on Sunday that trade talks with China were proceeding "too slowly", and that he would raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25 percent on Friday from 10 percent. The tweets stirred up the hitherto calm market mood arising from signs of improving economic growth in China and the United States, and from comments from Trump and other senior U.S. officials that trade talks were going well. China's foreign ministry said on Monday a delegation was preparing to go to United States for trade talks. While many market watchers including ING regard the latest episode as a negotiating tactic by Trump, investors pared their positions in risky assets after recent gains. SEA OF RED European stock markets were a sea of red while E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 slid 1.7 percent, signalling a rough open for U.S. stocks on Monday. Germany's main stock index was down 1.8 percent while a broader index of European shares declined 2 percent to its lowest level since early April. Moves were slightly exaggerated, with Japanese markets still on holidays while London markets were shut for a local holiday. Losses in equities translated into gains for bonds with benchmark government bond yields in Germany retreating to a shade below zero and not far from a 2-1/2-year low of minus 0.09 percent hit in late March. Emerging market currencies and commodity-linked currencies were the hardest hit with the Australian dollar falling half a percent against the greenback while the offshore yuan swooned nearly a percent In commodity markets, Trump's tweets sparked a plunge in oil prices. U.S. crude at one point dropped as much as 3.1 percent to a more-than-five-week low, before bouncing to $60.69 per barrel - still off 1.3 percent on the day. Brent crude LCOc1 was 1.8 percent lower at $69.59 per barrel. The selloff in risky assets burnished the lure of gold with spot gold up 0.25 percent to trade at $1,282.20 per ounce. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 20:40:19|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close OSLO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- While many advanced economies around the world are experiencing slower growth, Norway's output has continued to expand strongly, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday. As part of the IMF's yearly assessment of the Norwegian economy, an IMF delegation presented its concluding statement after more than a week of discussions on recent economic developments and Norway's economic policy with authorities, academic institutions and social partners. After growing by 2.2 percent in 2018, Norway's mainland economic activity is expected to accelerate further and rise by about 2.5 percent this year, before growth slows to 2.1 percent in 2020, according to the IMF statement. Norway's growth is supported by relatively high oil prices which are boosting investment, gains in competitiveness from the weak krone, and a robust labor market that is supporting incomes, the statement said. But downside risks cloud this positive near-term outlook as global trade tensions and uncertainty about European growth persists, it said. "I am pleased to note that the IMF delegation find Norway's economic momentum to be strong due to the conduct of fiscal policy in recent years," Norwegian Minister of Finance Siv Jensen was quoted as saying in a statement. Meanwhile, the IMF delegation said that house prices are high and warned against relaxing mortgage regulations. House prices remain overvalued, albeit less so than last year. In combination with high and increasing household debt, the housing market represents a risk to the Norwegian economy and financial stability, the delegation said. It is thus too early to loosen mortgage regulations. In addition, risks stemming from the commercial real estate market are growing and should be closely monitored, the IMF team said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 20:50:26|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a condolence message to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, over a fatal plane fire accident in Moscow on Sunday. Xi said in his message that he was shocked to learn that a passenger plane caught fire before an emergency landing at the Sheremetyevo International Airport, causing heavy casualties and property loss. On behalf of the Chinese government and people and in his own name, Xi extended deep condolences over the loss of lives and expressed sincere sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families. On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also sent a message to his counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, expressing condolences over the deaths and expressed sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families. Related: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 20:55:28|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close GHAZNI, Afghanistan, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Two Afghan police officers and about 35 Taliban militants were killed in separate clashes in the country's eastern province of Ghazni overnight, an official said Monday. A group of Taliban militants attacked police checkpoints late on Sunday night, but left 18 fighters dead in an ambush from security forces and 10 others arrested in Khak-e-Afghan district of Ghazni, provincial government spokesman, Aref Noori, told Xinhua. Two security personnel have also been killed during the one hour-long clash, the spokesman confirmed. Elsewhere, in Andar and Qarabagh districts of the province, 17 Taliban insurgents, including one Taliban local leader named Mansoor were killed, five wounded and three others including a leader arrested, Noori added. Taliban militants fighting the government have not made comments on the reports so far. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 21:05:33|Editor: yan Video Player Close The second Digital China Summit is held in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, May 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) by Xinhua Writers Yao Yuan, Zhang Yizhi and Yu Junjie FUZHOU, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday sounded another heartening note for its development of information technologies, as both companies and the government rush to harness this nationwide tech boom to raise efficiency, buoy public satisfaction and even tackle corruption. The second Digital China Summit opened Monday in eastern China's Fujian Province, shedding light on the latest information technologies that have penetrated the country's government, industries and society. The Chinese government has expected information technologies to nurture new economic engines and upgrade old industries as the country shunts from the high-speed economic growth to the path of high-quality development. Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in a keynote speech at the summit called for advancing the building of a digital China and smart society, stressing the role of information technology in promoting high-quality development. Huang, also head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said China's advantages in internet technology innovation, technology application and as a huge market should be transformed into advantages in developing a digital economy. The official called for achieving breakthroughs in core technologies, enhancing protection of intellectual property rights, advancing information infrastructure construction and narrowing digital gaps between urban and rural areas. A report reviewing the country's digital development in 2018 was also issued at the summit, pointing to rapid growth in sectors including electronic information manufacturing, software service, communications and big data. The report published by the Cyberspace Administration of China said the country last year recorded more than 9 trillion yuan (1.3 trillion U.S. dollars) in online retail. China's digital economy reached 31.3 trillion yuan in scale, accounting for one-third of the national GDP in 2018. Provincial-level e-government platforms have also slashed time for getting government permits by an average of 30 percent, noted the report. Trendy technologies from driverless vendor vehicles and facial recognition security checks to 5G networks are being used at the event in the city of Fuzhou. A number of tech companies are displaying their cutting-edge products including Baidu's driverless vehicles, Huawei's AI chip "Ascend" and Foxconn's "future factories." Pony Ma, CEO of China's Internet giant Tencent, said at the summit that the company, by working with Fujian police, has used its facial recognition technology to help 1,000 families find missing family members in the past two years. Hu Xiaoming, president of Ant Financial that runs the popular online payment network Alipay, said at the event that one of every four Chinese now handles government services on Alipay, making it the country's largest platform that offers access to government services. ByteDance, known for its short video sharing app TikTok, also demonstrated its poverty-relief project at the summit, which it said has trained 10,000 people from 505 impoverished Chinese counties and helped sell 1.94 million yuan worth of agricultural products. Information technologies have drawn more attention in recent years, particularly in China's industrial sectors, where they are credited with revving up automation in traditional factories and creating new industries. As China steps up its industrial upgrade, which will result in inefficient industries being phased out, booming e-commerce is believed to have cushioned the job market by creating a deluge of new positions from online shopping "guides" to scooter-riding couriers of take-out food. Meituan, an online food delivery platform in China, said it draws 31 percent of its riders from phased-out industries. The company has 2.7 million courier riders, boosted by China's booming online food delivery. According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), China's digital economy provided 191 million jobs last year, marking a yearly increase of 11.5 percent. E-GOVERNMENT One of the major highlights at this year's summit is the many e-government apps, which have mushroomed across China to incorporate a wide range of government and public services. They are part of the government's efforts to cut red tape to benefit residents and businesses alike. In Fuzhou, the host city of the event, a citizen's typical day now revolves around the e-Fuzhou app, which allows users to buy bus tickets, pay tuition fees and manage social security accounts without the need of visiting government offices. A slew of digital technology applications, including the big data credit inquiry system, the online tax bureau, and the paperless customs clearance system, have also been developed in the province over the years. Dingxi, one of the least developed cities in west China's Gansu Province, has a booth displaying an online monitoring platform, which it launched last year to allow villagers to scrutinize the management of poverty-relief funds and report any signs of corruption. "We went door-to-door to teach villagers how to use mobile phones to check the subsidies they are entitled to and the sum other families actually received," said Yang Sirun, an inspector with the city's discipline inspection commission. "In the past, some wealthy families feigned poverty to claim subsistence allowances, while some officials fraudulently pocketed subsidies in the names of families that had moved away. The new platform can easily expose such 'micro corruption,'" Yang said. The official said since its launch, over 3,400 officials and residents have voluntarily turned in their illegal gains for fear of being reported. "Many hidden problems were also found during the collation of data from different departments, which proves big data's power in fighting corruption," he said. The summit from May 6 to 8 aims to serve as a platform for issuing China's policies on IT development and displaying the achievements and experience of e-government and the digital economy. More than 1,500 officials, company representatives and scholars are attending the event, which is co-organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Fujian provincial government. GOING GLOBAL Among the array of mind-blowing tech innovations displayed at the summit are products tailored to overseas markets, revealing the ambitions of many Chinese digital startups to go abroad. Netdragon, a Fuzhou-based tech company, earlier this year inked a memorandum of understanding with the Egyptian government to build 265,000 Popup Classrooms in the African country in three years. The containers-turned classrooms are equipped with the latest technologies such as hologram projection, virtual reality and interactive panels. Easy to assemble and transport, they are expected to help improve education quality in less-developed areas. "In a Popup Classroom, students from even the most remotest corners of the world can enjoy the same quality of lectures as those in big cities," said Xiong Li, CEO of Netdragon. "With the aid of 5G technology and hologram projection, they can interact with teachers thousands of miles away." "All countries should benefit from technological advances, and we hope to bridge the gap in education between developing and developed countries," said Xiong. Digital companies are among the latest in the bevy of Chinese enterprises venturing abroad, with the latest hit being ByteDance, whose short video services are now available in over 150 markets and in 75 languages. Netdragon chairman Liu Dejian observed that many countries along the Belt and Road "are now very interested in China's rapid digitalization and are seeking inspiration from China's smart city construction, e-government, e-commerce and digital education." "The many solutions in China's digitalization will support other countries' development and help the world share the benefits of digital trends," he said. Tatwah Smartech, a satellite and telecom company, said they managed to provide affordable satellite communication services for cargo ships and fishing boats in seven countries in Southeast Asia. "Fishermen in these countries were basically isolated from the world in the past, but now, they are connected via phones or the internet," said Wang Zhongmin, vice president of Tatwah Smartech. "Our presence there will improve the telecommunication infrastructure and create considerable job opportunities." Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 21:05:35|Editor: zh Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China commended Iran's strict fulfillment of its obligations under the Iran Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) so far and would continue to maintain and carry out the deal with relevant parties, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday. Spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a press briefing when asked for comments about the prospect of the JCPOA and the policy of imposing maximum pressure by the United States after the U.S. government announced its decision to stop issuing sanctions waivers to any country importing oil from Iran in April. However, the European Union, France, Germany and the United Kingdom reiterated their support for the JCPOA, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. "The JCPOA is a multilateral agreement ratified by the UN Security Council, which is conducive to upholding the international nuclear non-proliferation regime as well as peace and stability in the Middle East," Geng said, stressing the deal should be implemented in a comprehensive and effective way. China firmly opposes the unilateral sanctions and so-called "long-arm jurisdiction" imposed by the United States on Iran and has reiterated many times that normal energy cooperation under international law between Iran and other countries is totally reasonable, legitimate and legal, and must be respected and protected, said the spokesperson. Geng said China commended the Iranian side's strict fulfillment of its obligations under the JCPOA so far and would work with relevant parties to maintain and carry out the deal, as well as safeguard the lawful and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 21:19:35|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Children play with pumpkins on Pumpkin Festival in Collector, half an hour's drive from Australian capital Canberra, on May 5, 2019. The Collector Village Pumpkin Festival, falling on the first Sunday in May, is in its 16th year. The Collector Village which was normally tranquil was transformed into an amusement park on Sunday, attracting visitors from big cities to slow down and enjoy idyllic life. (Xinhua/Pan Xiangyue) Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 21:15:41|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close RIGA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A first lieutenant of the Albanian armed forces died on Monday in an explosion of a wartime mine while participating in a NATO-led mission to dispose World War II explosives in Latvia, local media reported. Latvian Chief of Defense, Lieutenant General Leonids Kalnins, said at a news conference, which was called after the deadly accident, that one of the Albanian soldiers had suffered grave injuries and was being treated in the intensive care unit of a Riga hospital. The injuries of the other Albanian serviceman are less serious, he said. All drills at the Adazi military training grounds outside Riga have been suspended and an internal inquiry is under way to probe the circumstances of the accident, Lieutenant General Kalnins informed. There is no clarity at the moment about the type and age of the mine that went off in Monday's accident. "A grave incident occurred this morning in Latvia, where a mine explosion caused the death of First Lieutenant Zarife Hasanaj. Also, the Contingent Commander Klodian Tanushi and Sergeant Julian Kapaj were injured," said Albanian Chief of Defense, Brigadier General Bardhyl Kollcaku. Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis and Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics extended condolences to the family of Firs Lieutenant Hasanaj and wished speedy recovery to the injured Albanian servicemen. The Latvian officials said Latvia is extremely thankful to ally Albania for its contribution to the NATO mission. This is a very sad moment for all. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 21:20:44|Editor: zh Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday expressed its resolute opposition to a new report by the U.S. Defense Department on China's military strength, urging it to stop issuing such irresponsible reports. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a news briefing that this report, like previous ones, contains a large number of comments that contradict the facts regarding China's national defense policy, deliberately distorts China's strategic intentions, and widely disseminates the "China threat theory." "Facts have fully proved that China unswervingly sticks to a path of peaceful development and pursues a national defense policy which is purely defensive in nature," Geng said, adding that China always acts as a facilitator of world peace, a contributor to global development and a maintainer of international order. The Chinese military is firmly committed to safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will continue to work with other countries to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large, Geng said. He said China always upholds enhanced dialogue, contacts and cooperation between the two militaries to avoid misjudgement, suspicion and problems. "We urge the U.S. side to abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game thinking, objectively and rationally view China's strategic intentions and national defense building, stop issuing such irresponsible reports year after year, and do more to promote the healthy and stable development of relations between the two countries and the two militaries," said the spokesperson. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 21:30:54|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China's forex regulator said Monday that a total of 4.2 billion U.S. dollars of quotas were approved for nine Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFII) in April. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) also approved 9.7 billion yuan (1.43 billion U.S. dollars) of quotas for five Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (RQFII) last month. Up till now, the country has approved 4.74 billion U.S. dollars of quotas for 13 QFII investors this year, exceeding the total quota in 2018. China approved 24 billion U.S. dollars of quotas for 12 RQFII investors during the first four months, more than half of the total quota in 2018. China's currency, the yuan, is convertible for trade purposes under the current account, while the capital account, which covers portfolio investment and borrowing, is largely run by the state in an effort to manage capital flows in and out of the country. The QFII and RQFII programs, introduced in 2003 and 2011 respectively, allow overseas institutional investors to move money into China's capital account for investment. "China's determination of expanding opening-up and the ongoing reform measures have made China's financial market increasingly appealing to overseas investors," according to a statement on the SAFE's website. Data showed that overseas institutional investors bought a net 19.4 billion U.S. dollars of Chinese stocks and 9.5 billion U.S. dollars of Chinese bonds in the first quarter. "The SAFE will continue to support the opening-up of financial markets, meet demand from overseas investors to expand investment in the markets and attract global long-term capital to enter the country's financial markets," said the statement. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 21:41:03|Editor: ZX Video Player Close SUVA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The 18th "Chinese Bridge" Fiji regional finals, an annual Chinese proficiency competition for foreign college students, was held successfully in the Fijian capital of Suva on Monday, with the participation of 12 players from the University of the South Pacific (USP) and the Fiji National University. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the competition, Mrs. Lu Qi, wife of Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Qian Bo, expressed her hope that the Fijian students could seize opportunity to learn Chinese, become the bridge for culture exchange between China and Fiji. Akanisi Kedrayate, dean of the faculty of arts, law and education of USP, spoke highly of the competition and affirmed the outstanding contribution of the USP's Confucius Institute in Chinese teaching and cultural promotion. "With the development of bilateral relationship between China and Fiji, we have witnessed a sharp rise of the number of people who want to learn Chinese in Fiji and the South Pacific region. The USP's Confucius Institute has contributed a lot in Chinese language teaching, culture activity organizing and local community serving, which undoubtedly brings new vigor to the cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries," Akanisi Kedrayate said. Yang Hui, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the USP (CI-USP ), told Xinhua that this is a very useful competition and will encourage more students in this region to study Chinese language. "Language is an important tool for promoting mutual-understanding and enhancing friendship. The Confucius Institute is a very important platform, and we will do what we can to make good use of this platform to help enhance the cultural and educational exchanges between China and Fiji," she said. Theme of this year's competition is "One World, One Family", which means to treat people all over the world as a family and live in peace. After fierce competition, which includes three parts of Q&As, speech with the theme of "One World, One Family" and Chinese talent show, Natasha Chan, 18, won the first prize and Tania Wichham, 23, won the second prize. The two female students will fly to China to take part in the final competition. According to Yang Hui, with the support of the Chinese Embassy here, CI-USP has been organizing "Chinese Bridge" regional finals competitions in Fiji, and sent more than 12 winners to China to participate in the final competitions. All the first prize winners had also got the scholarship and studied in China. CI-USP is jointly established by Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and the University of the South Pacific. The Chinese course covers 12 island countries in the South Pacific region. So far, CI-USP has hosted six "Chinese Bridge" competitions. Egypt's ready-made garments exports have increased two percent in the first quarter of 2019 to reach $406 million compared to $397 million in the same period of 2018, the Textile Export Council said in a fresh report Sunday. The sector's exports declined 0.4 percent in March 2019 to reach $129 million compared to 130 million in the same month of 2018. The United States topped importing countries of the Egyptian ready-made garments in 2019's first quarter, recording $224 million, compared to $193 million in the same period of 2018. Exports to the UAE increased 334 percent to reach $7 million in the first three months of 2019 compared to $2 million in the same period in 2018. Canada's imports from the Egyptian textiles rose 84 percent to reach $5 million. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 21:56:12|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TOKYO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday held phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s firing of unidentified short-range projectiles off its east coast Saturday morning. According to the Japanese government, the talks were held at the request of Abe. The two leaders are believed to have shared information gathered since the incident on Saturday, according to Japanese officials. Several projectiles were launched Saturday towards the northeast from the DPRK's east coast city of Wonsan for 21 minutes, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The projectiles traveled some 70 km to 200 km into the eastern waters. The incident came after the second summit between top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and Trump ended with no agreement in late February at the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. Abe has said that he will meet with Kim unconditionally, according to local media reports, while he previously said he would hold such talks only when progress was made on the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 21:56:13|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on Monday urged African countries to instill strong leadership to tackle the risk of road traffic deaths across the African continent. The ECA made the urgent call amid the ongoing United Nations Global Road Safety Week, which is commemorated worldwide from May 6 to 12. This year's year UN Global Road Safety Week, which is being commemorated under the theme "Leadership for Road Safety," acknowledged that "stronger leadership is needed to advance road safety in countries and communities worldwide," the ECA said in a statement issued on Monday. According to figures from the ECA, the risk of a road traffic death remains three times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries, with rates highest in Africa at 26.6 per 100,000 people. "These are staggering figures, and the goal of the UN Global Road Safety Week is to generate a demand from the public for stronger leadership for road safety worldwide," an ECA statement issued on Monday read. The ECA also called for the promotion of safer infrastructure, including protected sidewalks and dedicated lanes for cyclists and motorcyclists, as well as enhanced post-crash care. Improving vehicle standards such as those that mandate electronic stability control and advanced braking were also said to necessitate strong leadership among African countries. The ECA also commended strong leadership that were taken around legislation on key risks such as speeding, drinking and driving, and failing to use seat-belts, motorcycle helmets and child restraints. According to the ECA, out of the total 1.3 million road traffic fatalities that occurred every year globally, more than half are accounted in urban areas. Quality of road infrastructure, level of law enforcement, safety of vehicles, road user behaviors and post-crash care are said to be among the issues that affect the road safety situation in Africa and beyond. The ECA, which noted that Africa having only 2 percent of the world's registered vehicles, accounts a disproportionate 16 percent of the world's road traffic deaths. Road traffic fatalities are estimated to be the fourth leading cause of death of persons aged 5 through 44 years globally including the African continent, according to the ECA. Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) also indicated that "despite progress, road traffic deaths continue to rise, with an annual 1.35 million fatalities globally." WHO also noted that road traffic injuries "are now the leading killer of children and young people aged 5-29 years." Globally, of all road traffic deaths, pedestrians and cyclists account for 26 percent and motorcycle riders and passengers account for 28 percent, according to figures from the WHO. The UN Global Road Safety Week, from May 6 to 12, mainly envisaged to provide an opportunity for civil society to generate demands for strong leadership for road safety, especially around concrete, evidence-based interventions so as to save lives, it was noted. As an awareness creation event, the global road safety week also aspires to encourage leaders to take action by showcasing examples of strong leadership for road safety within governments, international agencies, non-governmental organizations, foundations, educational institutions, as well as the general public, according to the ECA. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 21:56:15|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close COLOMBO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's leading tourism officials on Monday said that Sri Lanka Tourism would soon launch a massive global tourism promotion campaign to attract tourists back to the island country, following the terror explosions on April 21. Industry officials said despite the fact that the industry faced a large number of cancellations following the Easter attacks, they were confident to revive back within 2 to 13 months through rigorous promotional campaigns. Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Kishu Gomes told a media briefing here that countries who had suffered global terrorist attacks had managed to revive their tourism industries within a year and Sri Lanka had begun studying their forms of revival. "Currently we are studying the strategy they used to revive their tourism industries and through this, and with a strategy of our own, we are confident to launch Sri Lanka as a safe destination soon. Right now the industry is working hard to ensure the security of all travelers," Gomes said. Many hotels in Sri Lanka are currently facing less than 10 percent occupancy following the Easter attacks which killed over 250 people and injured over 500. Forty-two foreigners were among those killed in the explosions which targeted churches and luxury hotels. Gomes said that following the attacks, an average of 1,700 tourists still visited Sri Lanka per day and industry experts were currently looking at implementing long term security measures in hotels and tourist sites to ensure the safety of all tourists who visit the country. Gomes further said that 37 countries had issued travel advisories against Sri Lanka and soon, a team of tourism experts would visit all their diplomatic missions in the country and provide them the facts of the present situation. Over 2 million people in the island country depend on the tourism industry through direct and indirect jobs. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 22:01:17|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Award winner representatives and guests pose for a group photo in Canberra, Australia, May 6, 2019. A total of 55 Chinese students studying in Australia received the 2018 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad, according to Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhang Xinxin) CANBERRA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A total of 55 Chinese students studying in Australia received the 2018 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad, according to Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye on Monday. Four award winner representatives took part in a ceremony in the Chinese Embassy in Canberra on Monday evening. Ambassador Cheng encouraged students to work hard and deepen their understanding in Australia. "It is my hope that you could show the Australian people the positive image of Chinese students -- active, optimistic, healthy, talented, and boost the exchange and enhance understanding between Chinese and Australian people, especially the youths," he said. Song Yongze, a doctoral student in the Curtin University in Western Australia, said he was honored to receive the scholarship. "The award will become an incentive for me to work even harder," he said. "The development of our country greatly improved people's living standard, but there are still problems to solve which require our unremitting efforts," said Song. "Hopefully we could use what we learn here to make our country and the world a better place." 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. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 22:01:19|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close NAIROBI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Monday launched the United Nations Global Road Safety Week campaign aimed at reducing the number of deaths on the highways. Francis Meja, director general of National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), said the government has adopted innovative and home grown initiatives to minimize road accidents. "We intend to reduce road fatality to zero by the end of this year through the promotion of safe driving," said Meja. He said that 99.1 percent of deaths through road accidents are caused by human error that can be minimized through awareness campaigns. Meja said that the government intends to increase education awareness amongst pedestrians, motor cyclists and passengers as a means to boost road safety. Kenya lost 2,919 people in 2017 and an additional 3,153 in 2018 due to road accidents with the highest number being pedestrians who happen to be the most vulnerable group. "We encourage pedestrians to cross the roads at designated places to help reduce the loss of lives," said Meja. He revealed that there are plans to revalidate all driving school licenses in order to assess compliance with the traffic driving school rules. This approach, Meja said, will help weed out driving school operating without meeting the set requirements. The private cars had caused 34 percent of road accidents followed by pedal cyclists, passenger's service vehicles, commercial vehicles and unknown hit and run cars at 21 percent, 17 percent, 15 percent and four percent respectively. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 22:16:30|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) has launched an inspection on the enforcement of the Law on Employment Promotion. NPC inspection teams will be sent to six provincial-level regions from May to June, in addition to inspections carried out by entrusted local legislative authorities in 10 other regions. The inspection will focus on key aspects including the promotion of the law, the implementation of employment-first policy, the promotion of employment through business creation, vocational education and training, and assistance provided for finding jobs, fair employment, as well as employment in the countryside. The inspectors convened their first plenary meeting in Beijing Monday. The second meeting will be held in July. An inspection report will be submitted to the NPC Standing Committee in August, according to the plan. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 22:21:37|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities said on Monday they were working hard to control a further spread of dengue fever which has killed two people as confirmed cases rose from 307 in April to 1,122 by last week. "It's unfortunate that two people have been killed by the disease. Authorities are working hard to make sure that there are no more deaths and the number of cases does not rise," Ummy Mwalimu, the Minister for Health, told Xinhua in an interview. Mwalimu said most of the cases were confirmed in Dar es Salaam's municipalities of Ilala, Temeke, Kinondoni and Ubungo followed by Tanga region and one case has been reported in Singida region in central Tanzania. She said Dar es Salaam authorities have formed a special committee dealing with raising awareness of the disease, setting up laboratories and treatment to affected people. "The challenge we are facing is scarcity of facilities for testing the disease," said Mwalimu, appealing to members of the public to reinforce cleanliness in their areas, including fumigating water pools that were breeding grounds for mosquitoes. On April 11, the Deputy Minister for Health, Faustine Ndugulile, confirmed the outbreak of dengue fever with a total of 307 cases in Dar es Salaam and Tanga regions. Symptoms of dengue fever typically begin three to 14 days after infection, which may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 22:26:45|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A senior Tanzanian government official told the parliament on Monday that 4,160 public servants out of 9,900 who the government sacked in 2017 over fake academic credentials have been reinstated. Mary Mwanjelwa, the Deputy Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for Public Service and Good Governance said the 4,160 public servants were recalled after it was established that they were wrongly sacked. Mwanjelwa told the House in the capital Dodoma that the decision to recall the public servants and reinstate them on the public payroll system came after the government received complaints from them and other sources over unfair treatment when verifying the academic credentials. "We made a close follow-up over the matter, and we found that 4,160 servants were removed from the payroll system by error," said the official. "Some 3,057 civil servants out of that number were employed at the village and ward levels," Mwanjelwa said in her response to a question by Musoma Urban Member of Parliament, Vedastus Manyinyi. In April 2017, Tanzanian President John Magufuli ordered the immediate dismissal of more than 9,900 civil servants after a nationwide verification of academic credentials uncovered workers with forged school and college certificates. The crackdown on fake degree holders came after another purge launched in March 2016 discovered more than 19,700 "ghost workers" on the country's public sector payroll. Tanzania spends more than 260 million U.S. dollars per month to pay civil servants' salaries. The government believes the public wage bill was bloated, with more than 550,000 civil servants at national and local levels. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 22:31:49|Editor: yan Video Player Close TALLINN, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Estonia Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu on Monday extended condolences to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the plane crash-landing at the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow. "I would like to extend my condolences on behalf of the Estonian government and people to the families and relatives of the victims of this terrible tragedy," Reinsalu wrote in a letter. "I wish for a speedy recovery for the injured." Reinsalu was quoted as saying in a statement. Meanwhile, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid, who met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow during a working visit to Russia in April, wrote on social media "Saddened to hear about the airplane crash at Sheremetyevo Airport. My heartfelt condolences to the families of all who were affected." Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said on social media "Devastating news about the plane fire from Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. My sincere condolences to everyone affected." 41 people were killed after the passenger plane caught fire before an emergency landing Sunday at the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 22:36:54|Editor: yan Video Player Close LUSAKA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Zambia's revenue collection agency said on Monday that payment of refunds under the Value Added Tax (VAT) system has been a drain on the national treasury hence the government's decision to replace it. The government has scrapped the VAT and introduced a new tax system, the sales tax, although the decision has received resistance from stakeholders, saying it will kill industries. Stakeholders believe that the proposed nine percent sales tax on locally produced goods and 16 percent on imported products was too high. The stakeholders have also complained that the government has not explained how the tax will be implemented. But Kingsley Chanda, Commissioner-General of the Zambia Revenue Authority, said the government has been losing a lot of money through VAT refunds, according to state broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation. He said during a discussion forum on the sales tax that the government has been paying about 1.4 billion Zambian Kwacha (about 110 million U.S dollars) per month in refunds to companies and that the tax system also promoted frauds in business where firms were under-declaring goods and over-valuation of goods to demand huge refunds. Some firms, he said, were demanding double refund on the same certificates, resulting in a drain on the treasury. According to him, the introduction of the sales tax will help remedy some of the challenges, adding that every tax law was meant to contribute to the revenue collection and not work as a cost on the part of the government. Last week, Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe said the VAT system was not working for the country and that she loses sleep whenever it was time to pay companies refunds. The new law is expected to come into effect on July 1, 2019. Egypt has been trying to embrace and use the new technology, as countries around the world increasingly move toward a battery-powered car market Egypt's interior ministry has said it will grant owners of electric cars temporary licence plates and insured licences until procedures related to licensing of the vehicles are regularised. In an official statement on Monday, the interior ministry said the step comes as part of its keenness to facilitate procedures for citizens who have imported electric cars from abroad. It has called on its traffic departments to grant owners of the cars licence plates and permits under the traffic law and its bylaws until necessary regulations to permanently license the cars are put in place. Egypt has been trying to embrace and use the new technology, as countries around the world increasingly move toward a battery-powered car market. Last month, Egypt signed a deal with Beijing-based automaker Foton Motor to manufacture electric buses in the country. Egypt opened its first electric vehicle charging unit in February, 2018 on the Cairo-Suez highway; the unit is owned by Revolta Egypt, the developer of electric charging infrastructure and other electric vehicle-related projects, which was founded in 2016. Egypt has been working on a sustainable transport project as part of efforts to reduce emission levels in the country. The project is part of the sustainable development goals that the country aims to achieve by 2030. Egypt aims to boost its use of renewable energy to 22 percent by 2020 as part of efforts to achieve sustainable development. The number of electric vehicles on roads worldwide rose to a record high of 3.1 million in 2017, an increase of 57 percent from 2016, according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) published in May 2018. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 22:47:08|Editor: yan Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, May 6 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's largest union federation on Monday called on all workers and South Africans in general to come out to vote for the African National Congress (ANC) in the upcoming elections. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is throwing its full weight behind the ANC in the 2019 national and provincial elections, scheduled for May 8, COSATU national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said. "The ANC's record in government and a comparison of the ANC election manifesto with those of all the other parties make it quite clear that it is the only force that can take forward our national democratic revolution and complete the transformation of South Africa," Pamla said. Although COSATU has at times disagreed with the ANC-led government over certain issues, the government has a proud record of success in building a democratic South Africa and improving the lives of the majority, he said. COSATU, together with the South African Communist Party (SACP), has been a coalition partner with the ANC since 1994 when the ANC first came to power. At its 13th National Congress last year, COSATU, which has more than 3 million members, reaffirmed the federation's solid support for its old ally. The coalition was once on the brink of collapse due to deepening difference among the three parties, but after Cyril Ramaphosa took over Jacob Zuma as ANC president late last year, COSATU mended ties with the ANC. The SACP has also called on its members to vote for the ANC. "Our occasional differences are nothing compared to the gulf that separates us from such parties as the Democratic Alliance, which would like to put the ANC's reforms into reverse and pursue policies that would deepen rather than reduce the inequalities in our society," Pamla said, referring to the main opposition coalition. "Our task now is first and foremost to make sure that the ANC wins a comprehensive victory, nationally and in every province," he said. Trade unions, civic organizations, nongovernmental organizations and the ANC itself have to be strengthened so that they can push from below to assist the government to overcome any resistance to its policies, Pamla said. Members of Parliament and cabinet ministers have to play a leading role in transformation but they cannot do it alone, he said. Under the ANC leadership, South Africa has achieved massive advances in winning democracy and human rights and has started to improve the lives of the majority, but more needs to be done to achieve a similar improvement on the economic front, where the structure of society has changed little since the apartheid days, Pamla said. Wealth is still concentrated in the hands of a tiny rich elite who own and control the all-powerful banks and mines, while the majority still suffer from mass unemployment and poverty and far too many communities still lack the basic essentials of life, according to Pamla. "COSATU will do everything in its power to make sure not just that the ANC is victorious but that the votes it receives are repaid in real improvements to our lives," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 22:47:12|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopians on Monday held a national day of mourning to remember the living legacies of the late former president Negasso Gidada. As part of the national day of mourning, Ethiopia's flag on Monday are flown at half-mast throughout the country, as well as at Ethiopian embassies, consular offices and Ethiopian-owned ships outside the country's territory. Gidada, who was the east African country's head of state from 1995 to 2001, died at the age of 76 on April 27 while receiving medical treatment in Germany. Gidada's body, which arrived in Ethiopia on Saturday, was laid to rest on Sunday in a state funeral as senior Ethiopian government officials, including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, President Sahle-Work Zewde, family members and relatives of Gidada, as well as tens of thousands of citizens held vigil to the veteran Ethiopian politician at the Addis Ababa Millennium Hall. Among Gidada's legacy in addition to his six years of presidency role, also include his contribution as chairman of the Ethiopian Constitutional Assembly, which adopted the current Ethiopian Constitution back in 1995. The former president, who was the minister of information during Ethiopia's transitional government in the 1990s, was also a member of the Ethiopian House of People's Representatives (HoPR), the lower house of the Ethiopian parliament. President Zewde said during the funeral ceremony on Sunday that Gidada was remembered as "an honest person with immense contribution for the best of his country." "Gidada fought for the freedom and equality of Ethiopians, and to the promotion of democracy in Ethiopia towards creating a better and unified Ethiopia," Zewde added. Zewde, who hailed Gidada's patriotism and love to his country, also urged Ethiopians from all walks of life to emulate Gidada's patriotic character to the betterment of the country. A veteran politician, Gidada was a member of the Oromo Democratic Party (ODP), one of the four parties of Ethiopia's ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Front (EPRDF). Gidada stepped down from the presidency in 2001, and was succeeded by Girma Wolde-Giorgis, who died in December last year at the age of 94. Wolde-Giorgis, after serving two consecutive terms as president of Ethiopia since 2001, stepped down in 2013 and was succeeded by former President Mulatu Teshome, who resigned in October 2018. On Oct. 25, 2018, Ethiopia elected its first female president, Sahle-Work Zewde, following the resignation of Teshome. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 22:52:20|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, will convene the seventh meeting of its standing committee on June 17-19 in Beijing. The decision was made Monday at the 20th chairman and vice-chairpersons' meeting of the 13th CPPCC National Committee presided over by Wang Yang, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, according to a statement issued after the meeting. The June meeting will mainly hold discussions and make suggestions on promoting high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, according to the statement. Monday's meeting reviewed and approved in principle the CPPCC National Committee's plan for activities marking the 70th founding anniversary of the CPPCC. Wang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said commemorating the anniversary is an important political mission for the CPPCC National Committee this year. Wang called for efforts to sort out, summarize and carry on the political wisdom and practical experience accumulated over 70 years of glorious development. The commemoration should be well integrated into this year's work, said Wang, noting that political advisors should study CPPCC theories and its history, conduct self-education, build up consensus and gather momentum for forging ahead during the process. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 23:07:23|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) holds talks with Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh in Beijing, capital of China, May 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh in Beijing Monday. Noting China cherishes the traditional friendship between the two countries, Wang said the Chinese side is willing to strengthen exchanges, enhance understanding, deepen mutual trust and achieve common development with the Eritrean side. China's relations with African countries are based on non-interference in each other's internal affairs, said Wang, adding that China is ready to work with African countries including the Eritrean side to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries. Osman said Eritrea regards China as a long-term and true friend. The Eritrean side welcomes China to play an active role in promoting peace and stability of the Horn of Africa and is willing to promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields with China. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 23:27:34|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The issue of Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA) must be handled based on the one-China principle, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said Monday. Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when responding to a question on Taiwan's absence from the 72nd WHA as the registration for the event will end Monday. Taiwan's absence is totally caused by the acts of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, Ma said. Taiwan participated in the WHA from 2009 to 2016 as an observer in the name of "Chinese Taipei." This special arrangement was made through cross-Strait consultations based on mutual adherence to the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle. The DPP administration, since it came into office in May 2016, has been stubbornly adhering to the separatist position of "Taiwan independence" and refused to acknowledge the 1992 Consensus, he added. Such moves have undermined the political foundation for cross-Strait consultations and led to the absence of Taiwan from the WHA, Ma said. The mainland always highly values the health and well-being of Taiwan compatriots, Ma said, adding that it has taken many measures to promote cross-Strait cooperation and exchanges on healthcare and made proper arrangements for Taiwan to participate in global health affairs under the one-China principle. The DPP, which undermines the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations out of its own selfish motive, will surely be opposed by people from across the Strait, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 23:27:37|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) on Monday held its annual memorial ceremony here to honor 115 UN personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty. "This year, we honor 115 colleagues from 43 nations who lost their lives between January 2018 and March this year," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the ceremony held at the UN headquarters in New York. "Most were involved in peacekeeping, which faces increasingly complex and deadly challenges, and the vast majority -- 103 of those 115 -- were our African peacekeeping colleagues," he said. "This number is striking, and is a stark testament to the commitment and sacrifices of our African partners to our joint endeavors toward global peace and security," he said. "We also lost 19 civilians from agencies, funds and programs. And we remember with sadness our 21 colleagues who perished in the Ethiopian air disaster in March," the UN chief said. "On this solemn occasion, let us honor their memory by rededicating ourselves to the noble cause of promoting peace, prosperity and opportunity for every woman, man and child on the planet," he said. According to UN statistics, since the founding of the organization, more than 3,600 men and women have lost their lives in its service. From 2013 to 2017, a consistent increase in peacekeeper fatalities due to violent acts resulted in 195 deaths. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 23:32:44|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump spoke over the phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday about the situation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and bilateral trade. "Just spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan concerning North Korea (DPRK) and Trade," Trump tweeted. He called the phone call with Abe a "very good conversation," without offering more details. Trump noted late April during Abe's visit that Washington and Tokyo have a chance to reach a long-term trade deal. The two leaders, however, still disagree on the tariff issue. According to the Japanese government, the phone conversation on Monday was held at Abe's request. The two leaders are believed to have shared information gathered since the incident on Saturday, according to Japanese officials. Several projectiles were launched Saturday towards the northeast from the DPRK's east coast city of Wonsan for 21 minutes, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The projectiles traveled some 70 to 200 km into eastern waters. 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 DPRK. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 23:47:56|Editor: yan Video Player Close KAMPALA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Heads of anti-corruption agencies in Africa on Monday started their six-day meeting here to share experiences and strengthen coordination efforts in fighting the vice. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni opened the meeting dubbed the 9th Commonwealth Regional Conference for Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa, telling delegates from 16 African counties three key issues to resolve in the corruption fight. There should be thorough investigations, enforcing prosecution and getting the courts to dispense immediate justice, he said. "The battle against corruption is winnable, we just have to work together to achieve this," the president said. According to Uganda's anti-corruption agency, Inspectorate of Government, the conference provides a unique platform for sharing emerging anti-corruption best practices and country innovations in fighting the vice. The World Bank considers corruption as a major challenge to ending extreme poverty by 2030 and boosting shared prosperity for the poorest 40 percent of people in developing countries. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-06 23:52:59|Editor: yan Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodia China Journalist Association (CCJA) was formally launched here on Monday with the aim of promoting media exchange and relations between Cambodia and China. Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said the Ministry of Information fully supported the CCJA and was confident that it would play an important role in promoting relations and cooperation between the two countries. "This is a new achievement resulting from the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between Cambodia and China," he said in a speech during the CCJA launching ceremony. "I hope that the association will serve as a bridge to connect the peoples between the two countries," he added. Cambodian government Spokesman Phay Siphan congratulated the establishment of the CCJA, saying that the media has served as a mirror to reflect realities in the society and has importantly provided inputs to the government. He added that journalists have also played an important role in contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability and sustainable development. "I strongly hope that this association will contribute to the free flow of information, ethical codes, professionalism, and objectivity in order to contribute to the development of all relations between Cambodia and China," he said at the event. He was also confident that the CCJA would help the public to better understand the value of cooperation between the two countries in diplomacy, economics, culture, and other fields for mutual benefit. Zuo Wenxing, political counselor of the Chinese embassy to Cambodia, expressed her confidence that the CCJA would work actively to promote media exchange and relations between China and Cambodia. "I hope that the association will play an important role in promoting positive news about our two countries and will join hands to fight against fake news that causes negative impact on the relations between our two countries," she said. CCJA's Co-President Soy Sopheap said the association was established by a group of Cambodian and Chinese veteran journalists with the aim of promoting friendship and cooperation between the two countries. File Photo: A worker counts Chinese currency renminbi banknotes at a bank in Tancheng County of Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, April 11, 2013. (Xinhua/Zhang Chunlei) NEW YORK, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Internationalization of the Chinese currency has significantly boosted the global trading volume of currencies of emerging Asian markets (EM Asia) , a senior emerging market forex trader has said. "With further expansion of offshore renminbi (RMB) trade, the market share of EM Asia forex trading has grown significantly, which becomes a huge revenue source for major banks across the world," Kai Lin, executive director of Emerging Market Asia Forex Trading at Standard Chartered Bank, told Xinhua on Thursday. "The introduction of offshore renminbi trading by the People's Bank of China (PBoC) was a genius step for RMB internationalization," he said on the sidelines of a market update seminar jointly held here by the China General Chamber of Commerce-USA and Standard Chartered Bank. When the PBoC and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority piloted offshore renminbi trading in 2010, the daily trading volume was around 100 million U.S. dollars, yet it quickly went up to around 50 billion dollars today and contributes to a huge part of EM Asia forex trading globally, according to Lin. "I think the rise of China obviously has huge impact on all aspects, but I just focus on the forex trading part," he told participants at the seminar. But he opposes full convertibility of RMB, given the lessons from Asian financial crisis in 1997. As a veteran in forex trading market, Lin believes that the RMB has been outperforming other emerging market currencies and a majority of Group of Ten (G10) currencies over the past few months as the Chinese economy is not only under control but also shows resilience. "RMB has been trading mostly within the range between 6.70 to 6.75 dollars so far, even though there were breakthroughs on either side, it always came back to that range," said Lin. Standard Chartered forecasted at the end of last year that the RMB would end 2019 at 6.65 dollars, helped by foreign inflows. Lin warned there might be a crisis generating from Europe, rather than emerging markets, given that the Trump administration has threatened to impose a 20-percent tariff on imported cars from the European Union (EU), the lack of leadership in Europe, and the EU's end to its quantitative easing policy earlier this year, rendering the continent with few measures to deal with any crisis. "I think we have good chance to see the (RMB) basket trading back up, especially against the euro," Lin said, adding that "we don't just look at dollar against the CNH (offshore RMB), we look at the whole basket of currencies against the CNH." Minister Nasr said the ministry's top priority is buttressing micro projects in particular, because they secure jobs for women World Bank President David Malpass and Egypts Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr met on Monday with 30 women who had obtained loans for micro-sized businesses in the Upper Egypt governorate of Aswan. Malpass had arrived in Cairo on Saturday for a working visit to the country, his first to Egypt since becoming president of the international organisation last month. The executive director of Egypt's Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA) Niveen Gamea praised the World Bank's support for small and medium-sized ventures. Gamea said the World Bank had pumped $800 million into MSMEDA, to allow it to finance such projects. Minister Nasr said the ministry's top priority is buttressing micro projects in particular, because they secure jobs for women. Nasr said about 80 percent of the MSMEDAs micro-sized financing went to women. During his trip to Cairo, the World Bank president has said that there are great investment opportunities in small and medium enterprises in the country. "Egypt has great investment opportunities in small and medium enterprises alike. It has a tremendous opportunity to strengthen its economy by expanding the private sector including energy, tourism and agri-business to create more jobs and higher living standards, he said, during a visit to the new Investor Service Center on Saturday. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 00:08:11|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China will further cut the number of items requiring certification and refine the procedures through institutional innovation to improve government services and foster a more enabling business environment. The decision was made at the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday. Attendants agreed at the meeting that based on the decisions of the State Council, efforts in recent years to repeal unwarranted certification requirements and deepen the reform of government functions have produced notable results. "These are crucial steps benefiting both companies and individuals," Li said. "At a time when the economy still faces uncertainties, removing these unjustified certification requirements will help boost market vitality and improve business environment." The Sunday meeting decided to take further steps to identify unwarranted certification items for abolition and list all certification items deemed necessary. At the same time, work to establish a system of pre-commitment of qualification will be intensified to accelerate the building of a credit-based society. "The reform of developing a pre-commitment of qualification system is part and parcel of our endeavor in building a credit-based society; without a full-fledged credit-based society, our business environment cannot see significant improvement," Li said. It was decided at the meeting that the practice of pre-commitment of qualification will be piloted in 13 provinces and municipalities, including Tianjin, Liaoning, Shanghai, Guangdong, Sichuan and Shaanxi, and in five ministries, including the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ministry of Transport. Under the pilot program, upon receiving applications for administrative permits or confirmations, government departments shall notify the applicants of their certification duties in a written package. When applicants make a written pledge on their qualifications for the certification requirements and commit to bear the legal consequences for any untruthful information therein, the government departments shall process the applications without requiring for certification. In this process, efforts will also be made to enhance compliance oversight via information sharing and inter-agency checks. It was decided at the meeting to set up a database of applicants' credit information and a blacklist to penalize acts of untruthful pledging and incentivize honest and law-abiding firms. Practices tried and tested in the pilot program will be speedily promoted nationwide, as was urged at the meeting. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 00:28:22|Editor: yan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi President Barham Salih on Monday called for addressing the obstacles and problems that hinder the development of the private sector in order to build a strong economy in the country, according to a statement released by the president's office. Salih's comments came during his meeting with Abdul Razzaq al-Zuhairi, head of the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce, federation's members, and heads of chambers of commerce of Iraqi provinces at the presidential palace in Baghdad's Green Zone. He stressed the importance of strengthening the role of the private sector and involving it in the process of building and reconstruction of the country through providing investment opportunities, the statement said. "Iraq is a rich country with human capabilities and expertise as well as natural resources, which give wide horizons for the private sector," the statement quoted Salih as saying. Salih called on the Iraqi private sector "to establish positive relations with its counterparts from brotherly and friendly countries as well as to benefit from their expertise in various fields," it said. For his part, al-Zuhairi explained the activities of the provincial chambers of commerce and their contribution to the economic movement in the country, praising the president's support for the private sector to take its full role in the country's economy. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 00:38:40|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIRUT, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Monday that Syrian refugees will have to leave Lebanon due to the bad economic situation in the country, the presidency's website reported. "If the international community does not facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, Syrians will escape Lebanon through the Mediterranean Sea to other countries to run away from the deteriorating economic situation in Lebanon," the president said during his meeting at the Baabda Palace with a delegation from the British Royal College of Defense Studies. Aoun wishes that the international community should change its position by facilitating the return of Syrian refugees. The international community previously stated its support for individual refugee returns on a voluntary basis, but said it wants to see a political solution to the Syrian crisis before mass returns take place. More than 1 million Syrian refugees are registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon, while the Lebanese government estimated the true number of Syrians in the country at 1.5 million. The flow of Syrian refugees to Lebanon has weighed heavily on the country's economy. A Lebanese official said earlier this month that around 270,000 Lebanese people have lost their jobs after 384,000 Syrian refugees poured into the country's employment market. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 00:38:45|Editor: yan Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Over 774,000 South Africans who have applied to cast special vote began voting on Monday, with only a few minor incidents reported, according to the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). IEC's spokeswoman Kate Bapela said that the majority of voting stations opened on time for the voting exercise. "Among minor challenges reported by election officials included late delivery of some election material, late minute pitching of tents and non-arrival of election staff due to illness," she said. Meanwhile, a total of 452,418 special voters would be visited at home by voting officials. Home visits are provided for those voters who have infirmities or disabilities and pregnancy and who can't visit voting stations, Bapela said. Those who would not be in their voting stations or be away on the day of election on Wednesday also participated in special voting. Bapela added that the IEC has prepared and made plans for voting officials who might be absent on any voting day. She added that voters must make sure that they receive national and provincial ballots that are stamped at the back, as unstamped ballots do not count. Special vote stations open at 9 am till 5 pm. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 00:48:52|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Alessandra Cardone ROME, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The risk of migrants transmitting infectious diseases in the host population of European countries was very low, according to a study presented by the World Health Organization (WHO) here in Rome on Monday. Based on evidence provided by 13,000 health-related documents starting from 2014, the "Report on the Health of Refugees and Migrants in the WHO European Region" was the first of its kind. It was developed by the WHO in cooperation with the Italian National Institute for Health, Migration, and Poverty (INMP), and first released in Geneva in January. It considered the situation in the so-called WHO European region, which comprises 53 countries and regions. On an overall population of some 919 million people, refugees and migrants in the region accounted for 90.7 million, or almost 10 percent. According to the findings, this immigrant population could be vulnerable to communicable diseases because of lack of health care or interrupted care in their country of origin, exposure to infections and lack of care in transit, and also if living conditions in the destination country were poor. Overall, however, "there are indications that there is a very low risk of transmitting communicable diseases from the refugee and migrant population to the host population," the report specified. On tuberculosis, for example, the report found the incidence among refugees and migrants "varies from more than 90 percent to less than 1 percent reflecting the prevalence in the host country." The same was true for HIV. "A significant proportion of refugees and migrants who are HIV positive acquire infection after they have arrived in the (WHO European) Region, and they are more likely to be diagnosed later in their HIV infections," the report said. On the contrary, the migrant population could be characterized by a higher incidence of tropical and parasitic infections, which were not originated (or no more endemic) in Europe. ACQUIRING UNHEALTHY HABITS At the national presentation held at the Ministry of Health in Rome, Minister Giulia Grillo stressed the Italian average perception of the health risk related to migration was quite far from the real picture provided in the report. "The assessment of the 13,000 health files... shows there is no increase in the transmission of infectious diseases by the migrant population," Grillo told the audience. On the contrary, she added, migrants and refugees quite unexpectedly tended to develop diseases linked to unhealthy habits acquired in the host country. "Despite our (Italy's) health system ensuring assistance to everyone, those who come to live in Italy and in other countries of the WHO European region seem to acquire the risks related to the lifestyle of our territories," Grillo stressed. OVERALL LOWER MORTALITY RATES "Based on figures available in published literature, standardized mortality ratio estimates tend to be lower in refugees and migrants than in the European host population for all-cause mortality, neoplasms, mental and behavioural conditions, injuries, endocrine disorders and digestive conditions," the report stated. At the same time, the migrants' mortality risk tended to be higher "for infections, external causes, diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs and cardiovascular diseases." The experts also found out that "refugees and migrants have a higher incidence, prevalence, and mortality rate for diabetes than the host population, with higher rates seen in women than in men depending on the country of origin." Refugees were also exposed to increased rates of depression after resettlement, especially if they suffered poor socioeconomic conditions in the host country, and especially among younger generations. "Migration was found to be a risk factor for children's mental condition, and unaccompanied minors experience higher rates of depression and symptoms of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) compared with other refugee and migrant groups," the authors of the report explained. The report also said male migrants tended to "experience significantly more work-related injuries than non-migrant workers" while rates among female migrants appeared similar to those of their non-migrant counterparts. APPEAL FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE WHO regional director for Europe Piroska Ostlin described the report as "a major undertaking" and a potentially useful tool for policy-makers in the European region and beyond. "It really gives us the best scientific evidence we currently have on migration and health," she stressed. "While the report focuses on the European region, we know that migration is a global phenomenon and increasingly so... As such, the report is very much applicable also for global migration-health issues." Among various recommendations provided, the report suggested that granting cure to migrants and refugees through national healthcare systems, regardless to their legal status, was beneficial to everybody in the medium term. "Short-term cost-savings linked to limiting refugees' and migrants' access to preventive care, early diagnosis, and care... are often soon lost through the costs of emergency care and treatment for late presentation for care," it stated. At the presentation in Rome, Ostlin said: "The report shows us that we cannot achieve a breakthrough or improvement in terms of migrants' health... if we do not include them in our country's health system." "It is not only important that we cure those who are ill, but also that we keep them healthy," she added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 00:48:54|Editor: yan Video Player Close KASANE, Botswana, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Environment ministers from southern African nations on Monday called for concerted regional efforts in managing the elephant species on Monday. The meeting, a precursor to the May 7 summit, was held in Kasane, northern Botswana, and attended by ministers from Angola, the host Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The summit is expected to generate a better understanding of elephant management and associated challenges as well as come up with measures to address the challenges. It is expected that the summit will agree on actions and effective trans-boundary initiatives that will address the challenges faced in the management of elephants. Addressing the meeting on May 6, Botswana's Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism Minister, Kitso Mokaila said the region has the majority of the world's elephant population. Botswana's elephant population has increased from an estimated 55,000 in 1991 to the current 160,000. "This increase has brought associated challenges and one major challenge that is haunting us is that of human-elephant conflict," he said. While the elephant range is increasing over the years, the demand for agricultural land is equally increasing and has resulted in growing competition between people and wildlife for living space, he said. "In the process people lose lives, crops and agricultural infrastructure and this tends to reverse the government's efforts in improving the livelihoods of our communities," he said. "It would be a failure on governments' part if the state of affairs is not addressed," said Mokaila. The increase in the number of elephants has also resulted in poaching and it is a considered view that local communities should be engaged to close the loopholes for poaching, which is a threat to successful conservation, said Mokaila. "The region should speak with one voice when it comes to regional elephants in order to curb hostility from the international community at the upcoming Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference of parties," he said. "We as a region, have become victims of our own success and this calls for concerted efforts in order for us to make head way and we call upon the international community to respect our community-rooted approaches," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 00:53:58|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-five young researchers and officials from 18 African countries started a science and technology tour in China Monday in Beijing, seeking innovation inspiration from the exchange. The China InnoTour for African Young Scientists is co-sponsored by China's Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The young researchers and officials will visit Tsinghua University, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yichang High-tech Development Zone and other research institutes and cultural sites in Beijing and Hubei Province in the next nine days. "It's an honor and pleasure to be provided the opportunity to visit our partner country," said Soha Mostafa, the EU project's assistant of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt. "Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much," she said. The activity is aimed to further implement the achievements made at 2018 China Africa Cooperation Forum Beijing Summit, and promote the cooperation between China and African countries on science and technology innovation. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 00:54:00|Editor: yan Video Player Close BUDAPEST, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's ruling Fidesz party no longer supports Manfred Weber, the European People's Party (EEP) top candidate in the upcoming European Parliament elections, to be the next president of the European Commission, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told journalists here on Monday. "The Hungarian government cannot support a person to head the European Commission who said he did not want to be Commission president with the votes of Hungarians," Orban said. This, he said, amounts to "a violation of the principle of respect for voters." Orban spoke at a joint press conference with Heinz-Christian Strache, the Austrian vice chancellor. "On the basis of the campaign, it seems that the candidates for the post of European Commission president are unsuitable so far...We'll look for a proper candidate," he said. In March, the EPP suspended Fidesz indefinitely from the bloc, pending a report by a three-member committee tasked with determining if the party conforms to EPP values. The suspension entails no attendance at any party meeting; no voting rights; and no right to propose candidates for posts. The EPP, the European Parliament's main center-right group, has had trouble with Fidesz. Several EPP member parties have criticized Fidesz for not complying with the group's values and rules. Strache said that "There is a need for more solidarity and more acceptance in Europe, and we would like to be treated as equal parties, with respect to the parties within the European party family." Last week, Orban met with another anti-immigration figure of European politics: Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy prime minister and interior minister. These meetings take place as part of the political campaign ahead of the EP elections on May 26. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 00:59:07|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday it will send a team of experts to Tanzania to review a recent report on the east African nation's state of the economy. Abebe Aemro Selassie, the Director of the IMF's African Department, said the IMF experts will discuss with their Tanzanian experts on all economic reforms undertaken by the country. A statement by the Directorate of Presidential Communication at State House in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam said Selassie promised to dispatch the team of experts during talks with President John Magufuli. According to the statement, Selassie praised Magufuli for implementing grand electricity projects aimed at reducing power tariffs. Philip Mpango, the Minister for Finance and Planning, assured Tanzanians that his ministry was well prepared in giving clarifications on the state of the economy report. Palamagamba Kabudi, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, said there was no friction between Tanzania and the IMF as observed by some quarters. On April 23, Mpango denied reports that the government has blocked publication of the IMF study on the country's state of the economy. Mpango told the National Assembly in the capital Dodoma that the government and the IMF were currently engaged in consultations to see how Tanzania's inputs could be accommodated in the final report. According to procedures, the government shared its inputs over economic situation with an IMF team from November 26 to December 7 last year when the team visited the country, he told the House. Mpango said after the Executive Board of the IMF discussed the report, a member country has 14 days to discuss on the report before giving its consent for publication. He added that the IMF prepared its report but the government's inputs were not taken into consideration. "Our current talks with the IMF are to see how the final report incorporates our views," said Mpango. He said when he was in Washington, D.C. recently, he met Selassie, and told him of Tanzania's concerns. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 01:14:10|Editor: yan Video Player Close VILNIUS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Advance voting kicked off on Monday in the Lithuanian presidential elections and referendums on dual citizenship and the number of parliament members. For the first time in Lithuania, the advance voting is held for five days. The scheduled presidential elections and two referendums will be held on May 12. "The voters will have a right to cast their vote in all municipalities, the advance vote is held as of 6th May up until 10th May," the country's Central Electoral Commission (VRK) announced on Monday. The Baltic country holds an extended 5-day advance voting amid efforts to ensure active participation in two referendums that would change the country's Constitution. In one referendum, the Lithuanian citizens are voting on dual citizenship deciding whether to grant a dual citizenship to a person who becomes a citizen of other country complying with the criteria of Euro-Atlantic integration. Specific countries would be stipulated by law. In the other referendum, Lithuanians are voting whether to reduce the number of members of the country's parliament from 141 to 121. The necessary threshold to implement the Constitutional changes is more than half of registered voters casting their vote in favor of the proposals. According to VRK, the number of voters in the country's Presidential elections and two referendums is 2.47 million. In the country's presidential elections, 9 candidates are running for the President's seat. According to the latest polls, MP and the country's former Finance Minister Ingrida Simonyte is leading the race, followed by economist Gitanas Nauseda and the country's Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis. Lithuania's incumbent President Dalia Grybauskaite will leave the Office after finishing her second term. The second round of the presidential elections is scheduled for May 26 if necessary. On May 26, Lithuania also holds its elections to the European Parliament. Egypt sold $1 billion worth of one-year dollar-denominated treasury bills at an average yield of 3.897 percent on Monday, the central bank said. The auction will be settled on Tuesday when dollar T-bills worth $1.1 billion are due to mature. The average yield of those bills was 3.298 percent. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 01:24:16|Editor: yan Video Player Close SKOPJE, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The second round of North Macedonia's presidential election was calm and well run, but gaps in the legal framework remain unaddressed, international observers said in a preliminary statement here on Monday. According to Sereine Mauborgne, Special Coordinator and leader of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) short-term observer mission, the election cycle had a successful conclusion, with voters freely able to choose between distinct choices. "Sunday's increased voter turnout shows determination by the population to unite and address the challenges facing this country. It is now up to the political leadership to hear this message and undertake real reform that will replace the legal patchwork requiring constant political agreements with a coherent and sustainable electoral law," Mauborgne said. According to the international observers, North Macedonian election authorities carried out professional and impartial preparations in the second round of elections and enjoyed public confidence. International observers noted the need to address the fact that citizens whose identification documents had expired were excluded from voting. Meanwhile, Marie-Christine Dalloz, head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation stressed that some problems in the electoral process remain unaddressed. "The PACE delegation considers the need to reform the electoral code and, in general, the political system, to re-engage citizens and to ensure their active participation, regardless of ethnic origin," Dalloz said. Moreover, Dalloz stressed the need to strengthen the transparency and control of election campaign funding. The international observers expressed serious concerns over the legal framework, saying that "while the law does allow for democratic elections, the regulatory gaps already evident on issues such as campaigning, media advertising, campaign finance and voter registration remain unaddressed." The international election observation mission for the second round comprised some 170 observers from over 30 countries and regions. Some 1.8 million voters were eligible to cast their ballot in North Macedonia in Sunday's second round of presidential elections. The incoming president Stevo Pendarovski, a joint candidate of the governing coalition of Social Democratic Union Party (SDSM) and Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), won with 51.66 percent of the vote in the second round. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 01:49:32|Editor: yan Video Player Close TIRANA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Albanian leaders expressed their condolences on Monday over the death of a member of the Albanian Armed Forced, First Lieutenant Zafire Hasanaj, during a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission in Latvia. The death of Hasanaj was confirmed by the Chief of General Staff of the Albanian Armed Forces, Brigadier General Bardhyl Kollcaku, who said Hasanaj died due to the explosion of a land mine. Albanian President Ilir Meta expressed his sorrow for the incident that occurred to the Albanian contingent. Defense Minister Olta Xhacka expressed on Facebook her sorrow and said that the authorities will support the family of the deceased in this difficult moment. Some 20 members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal contingent of the Albanian Armed Forced are in Latvia to dismantle land mines left over from the Second World War, as part of a NATO Enhanced Forward Presence mission. Hasanaj, 32, lost her life on Monday at 10:10 a.m. local time. Two other officers were injured during the explosion. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 02:44:49|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOGADISHU, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. army said on Monday evening that it had killed three al-Shabab militants in a precision airstrike in southern Somalia on Sunday. The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement that Sunday's airstrike was in self-defense after al-Shabab fighters attacked Somali forces near Tortoroow. AFRICOM said the Somali forces were conducting an operation to disrupt the terrorist network in the area and to bolster local support for the government when they came under al-Shabab attack, adding that no civilians were injured or killed. Sunday's airstrike is the latest in a series of similar missions by the U.S. forces in Somalia in collaboration with Somali and African Union forces in the Horn of Africa country. The strikes have largely targeted al-Shabab figureheads based in southern Somalia where the group still maintains a strong grip in some regions. The file photo shows that UN Soldiers carry the coffins of peacekeepers from Niger during a memorial ceremony in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, June 14, 2012. Seven peacekeepers from Niger were killed in the Southwest of Cote d'Ivoire last week. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan) UNITED NATIONS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) on Monday held its annual memorial ceremony here to honor 115 UN personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty. "This year, we honor 115 colleagues from 43 nations who lost their lives between January 2018 and March this year," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the ceremony held at the UN headquarters in New York. "Most were involved in peacekeeping, which faces increasingly complex and deadly challenges, and the vast majority -- 103 of those 115 -- were our African peacekeeping colleagues," he said. "This number is striking, and is a stark testament to the commitment and sacrifices of our African partners to our joint endeavors toward global peace and security," he said. "We also lost 19 civilians from agencies, funds and programs. And we remember with sadness our 21 colleagues who perished in the Ethiopian air disaster in March," the UN chief said. "On this solemn occasion, let us honor their memory by rededicating ourselves to the noble cause of promoting peace, prosperity and opportunity for every woman, man and child on the planet," he said. According to UN statistics, since the founding of the organization, more than 3,600 men and women have lost their lives in its service. From 2013 to 2017, a consistent increase in peacekeeper fatalities due to violent acts resulted in 195 deaths. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 03:05:09|Editor: yan Video Player Close KIEV, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has replaced the top commander of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO), Ukrainian government's military operation in the country's eastern region of Donbas, the presidential press service said on Monday. Lieutenant-General Oleksandr Syrskyi took charge of the JFO, replacing Lieutenant-General Serhiy Nayev, the press service cited a presidential decree as saying. The presidential administration gave no reasons behind the replacement, but Interfax-Ukraine news agency, which cited sources in the army, said it happened due to the rotation of military officers. In April 2014, armed groups seized the cities and villages in Donbas and declared independence from Kiev. The Ukrainian government launched the "anti-terror" operation (ATO) against the insurgents. In April 2018, the government replaced the ATO, which was ruled by the State Security Service, with the army-led JFO. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 03:10:12|Editor: yan Video Player Close GENEVA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The imposition of "unilateral coercive measures" on Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran by the United States violates human rights, and the norms of international behavior, an expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said here Monday. Idriss Jazairy, the UN Special Rapporteur concerned with the negative impact of sanctions, said in a statement that the use of economic sanctions for political purposes "violates human rights and the norms of international behavior". Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 03:15:14|Editor: yan Video Player Close GENEVA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The imposition of "unilateral coercive measures" on Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran by the United States violates human rights, and the norms of international behavior, an expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said here Monday. Idriss Jazairy, the UN Special Rapporteur concerned with the negative impact of sanctions, said in a statement that the use of economic sanctions for political purposes "violates human rights and the norms of international behavior". He said that such action might precipitate man-made humanitarian catastrophes of unprecedented proportions. "Regime change through economic measures likely to lead to the denial of basic human rights and indeed possibly to starvation has never been an accepted practice of international relations," said Jazairy. "Real concerns and serious political differences between governments must never be resolved by precipitating economic and humanitarian disasters, making ordinary people pawns and hostages thereof," said the UN expert. He referred to the implementation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act -- allowing U.S. citizens to file lawsuits against Cuban entities and foreign companies over property seized and used following revolutionary leader Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Jazairy said the application of the act ignored protests by the European Union and Canada and was a direct attack on European and Canadian companies in Cuba, where they are the top foreign investors. "The resort by a major power of its dominant position in the international financial arena against its allies to cause economic hardship to the economy of sovereign States is contrary to international law, and inevitably undermines the human rights of their citizens," the Special Rapporteur said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 03:15:16|Editor: yan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel's population has exceeded 9 million, a report released on Monday by the country's Central Bureau of Statistics said. The population of the country stands at 9.02 million, increasing from 8.97 million at the end of 2018 and 8.84 million a year ago. The population of Israel was only 806,000 when the country was established in 1948, and has since grown by more than 10 times. The data showed that around 6.69 million Israelis are Jews and 1.89 million are Arabs, accounting for 74.2 percent and 20.9 percent of the total population, respectively. In addition, there are 434,000 Israelis who are non-Arab Christians or members of other religions. According to the report, 45 percent of world's Jews currently live in Israel, and 75 percent of Israel's Jews were born in the country. The data also showed that since the previous Independence Day, 188,000 babies were born in Israel. In addition, 48,000 people living in Israel are over the age of 90. The bureau estimated that Israel's population will reach 15.2 million in 2048, when Israel will celebrate its 100th Independence Day. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 03:15:17|Editor: yan Video Player Close WINDHOEK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Namibia on Monday declared a state of emergency as the southern African country was hard hit by drought. Namibia's President Hage Geingob said such declaration followed consultations with cabinet and the wider government system, under Article 26 of the Namibian Constitution. "The rain season is almost over and we did not receive good rainfall. This means that we are facing the natural disaster of drought and many will be affected by the situation," he added. Geingob said offices, ministries and agencies and all other stakeholders will be mobilized to ensure that the necessary assistance is rolled out to affected communities. "During this period, the government shall endeavor at all times to protect Namibians and their livestock from drought," he added. Namibia has endured recurrent drought conditions since 2013, affecting most parts of the country. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 03:20:21|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chair of the 14th session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) Boris Greguska on Monday urged all countries and stakeholders to tackle the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation while striking a balance between economic growth, social progress and sustainability. Speaking at the UNFF session, which is held from May 6 to 10, Greguska said that governance must be improved to integrate forest issues across sectors and implement coherent policies and programs. On behalf of Undersecretary-General Liu Zhenmin, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs Maria-Francesca Spatolisano noted that 2019 marks the second anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations strategic plan for forests. In April 2017, the UN General Assembly adopted the first ever UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030. The Strategic Plan provides a global framework for actions at all levels to sustainably manage all types of forests and trees outside forests and halt deforestation and forest degradation. At the heart of the Strategic Plan are six Global Forest Goals and 26 associated targets to be achieved by 2030, which are voluntary and universal. On Sunday night, during an event in Hollywood designed to encourage Emmy voters to nominate his Netflix film Springsteen on Broadway, Bruce starting talking about how, for seven years, he'd been experiencing writer's block when it came to creating songs that he and the band could record together. But then, he added, "About a month or so ago, I wrote almost an album's worth of material for the band...it just came out of almost nowhere. And it was good, you know." He said with a laugh, "It makes you so happy. You go, 'F***, I'm not f***ed, all right? There'll be another tour!'" Springsteen's solo album Western Stars comes out June 14. There's no word on whether or not he'll tour behind that record. There's also no timetable for an E Street Band project. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved Egyptian architect Hamdy El-Setouhy won first prize at Italys Human Heritage of the Mediterranean awards last month for a project he carried out in an Egyptian village. El-Setouhy came especially from Egypt to receive his award and gave a brief presentation on his Shazli Project. He began with the word energy, stressing that when he visited the village of El-Sheikh Shazli, where the winning project was implemented, the village has a human energy represented in children, women and the elderly; it is the energy that builds civilisations. But when he studied the village, he found that its people had abandoned the old buildings built with stone and divided into two groups. The first group was financially capable of building concrete buildings that do not meet their needs but imagine it as a way of urbanisation. The other team with poor financial capacity lives in tin and wood stalls. Hence, the idea of the project was how to add economic, social, cultural, and educational value.El-Setouhy is a consultant architect, specialised in public buildings, museums, and in the development of heritage areas. He was nominated for the award by the Egyptian Ministry of Cultures Supreme Council of Culture. The awards were organised by Habitat World and the Chamber of Industry and Trade of the Mediterranean Sea and took place on 4 April in Sardinia. Participants in the ceremony included the ambassadors to Egypt, Albania and Croatia, as well as President of the Jury and Habitat World President Annika Patregnani, President of the Organisation Committee Italo Senes, representatives of several embassies of Mediterranean countries, among others. In his speech at the event, Egypts Ambassador to Italy Hisham Badr stressed the importance of the partnership between Mediterranean countries in all fields. I am present today for this reason and am interested in Egypt's participation in the competition, where an Egyptian project won the first prize amid strong participation of 27 projects and has been judged by an international committee, he said. The ambassador referred to Egypts pioneering and civilised role throughout the ages, and linked this to the winning Egyptian project, stressing that it is a model of how to evoke the energy that exists within man, that human energy that builds civilisation. This will be surely the first step of a major collaboration with you and your associates for the benefit of humanity in the Mediterranean, the president of the Organisation Committee Senes told El-Setouhy. El-Setouhy is a lecturer at the AAST Arab Academy and the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University. He is a council member in the Society of Egyptian Architects (SEA), the founder of the Abu Simbel 50 campaign, and a founding member of the Salvation of Hassan Fathy Heritage Campaign. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 03:30:26|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Dancers of China's Suzhou Ballet Theater perform Tang Yin in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on May 7, 2019. Invited by the 26th Bydgoszcz Opera Festival, China's Suzhou Ballet Theater troupe performed its original ballet Tang Yin in Poland on Monday, giving the audiences a taste of Chinese artistic elements in ballet. (Xinhua/Zhou Nan) WARSAW, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Invited by the 26th Bydgoszcz Opera Festival, China's Suzhou Ballet Theater troupe performed its original ballet Tang Yin in Poland on Monday, giving the audiences a taste of Chinese artistic elements in ballet. Tang Yin is about the bumpy life of the protagonist Tang Yin, a talented and romantic scholar born and died in Suzhou, south of the Yangtze River, about 500 years ago in China's Ming Dynasty. This ballet applies freehand brushwork, such as the shadow on the wall, the flower beside the pillow, to strengthen its aesthetic effect. It also uses the music of Arvo Part, an Estonian composer, and combines traditional and modern dances. Li Ying, artistic director of the Suzhou Ballet Theater, said she was very pleased that the troupe is invited to perform in Poland during the Bydgoszcz Opera Festival. "It is a matter of a great significance to us, a young ballet group of 12 years," she added. "Through the performance, we try to present the oriental beauty to the audience in Europe, in the hope that the audience would like the Chinese culture," Li said. Liu Guangyuan, Chinese ambassador to Poland, said this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Poland. The visit of Suzhou Ballet Theater troupe has demonstrated the close cooperation between the two countries in the field of art. Suzhou Ballet Theater troupe is on a 12-day tour in Latvia and Poland. This is the first time that Tang Yin ballet is performed abroad. In 2015, at the invitation of the Bydgoszcz Opera Festival, the Suzhou troupe visited Poland and performed ballet Carmen. Found in 2007, Suzhou Ballet Theater is the only professional ballet troupe in Jiangsu province and the sixth in China. It aims to create original ballet, combining Chinese and western styles. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 03:35:30|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close People visit the exhibition "Romanian inventors and their contribution to the world heritage" in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), on May 6, 2019. An exhibition, which focuses on Romanian inventors' contribution to world heritage, was unveiled on Monday in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital of Sarajevo. (Xinhua/Nedim Grabovica) SARAJEVO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition, which focuses on Romanian inventors' contribution to world heritage, was unveiled on Monday in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital of Sarajevo. It was sponsored by the European Union and the Romanian Embassy in SarajevoSarajevo, and was held at the left bank of the Miljacka River in Sarajevo. Large black-and-white portraits of 26 Romanian inventors in modern times and their stories are displayed along the river, attracting pedestrians to stop and watch. Khaldoun Sinno, deputy head of the EU delegation to BiH, said in his opening speech that Romania has produced many outstanding inventors in the fields of biological engineering, chemical engineering, aerospace, automobile manufacturing, geology and medicine, making great contributions to world civilization. For example, Elisa, the first chemical engineer in the history of Europe and even the world, was born in Romania. She gained a worldwide reputation for her research of exploring mineral resources. But the inventors have long been little known to the public, and the exhibition commemorates their contributions. Dana Msnuela Constantinescu, Romania's Ambassador to BiH, told Xinhua that the inventions of these inventors played an important role in improving the quality of human life and promoting the progress of the world. Most of them studied in European countries in the learning stage, and cooperated with foreign inventors in the process of invention, demonstrating the importance of the spirit of cooperation for human progress. She also said that she hoped the exhibition would arouse young people's enthusiasm for scientific inventions. Jenan, a student at the International University of Sarajevo who just won at the Falling Walls Competition in Berlin, told Xinhua that the exhibition was special, giving him the first exposure to so many great inventors coming from Romania between the end of 19 century to 20 century. The exhibition runs until May 15. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 04:00:48|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close GAZA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement's armed wing al-Qassam Brigades released on Monday video scenes showing its militants launching barrages of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel. The group said in a video on its website that the rockets were fired into southern and central Israel, targeting the cities of Ashkelon, Ashdod and Beer Sheba. "Al-Qassam Brigades managed to avoid the interception of so-called Israeli Iron Dome by using the tactic of launching dozens of projectiles at once," the group said in the video. The group added that "the high intensity of fire and the destructive ability of the rockets that al-Qassam fired on the battle line succeeded in causing great losses and damage to the enemy." Earlier on Monday, Israel announced that on Saturday and Sunday, around 700 rockets and projectiles were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel, where four Israeli citizens were killed. Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations succeeded in mediating a truce between Israel and Gaza militant groups, which included the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, ending two days of military escalation between the two sides. Meanwhile, Hamas slammed the UN's position concerning the Israeli aerial strikes on the Gaza Strip in the last couple days, where 27 Palestinians, including pregnant women and children had been killed, Gaza medics said. "Hamas expresses its shock after the UN officials neglected the Israeli crimes against Palestinian civilians, mainly killing women and their infants as well as destroying 130 houses and civil constructions," Hamas said in a press statement. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 04:36:02|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIRUT, May 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard launched on Monday a program worth 90 million U.S. dollars for education in Lebanon, local media reported. "My Book 2" program aims to teach Lebanese students to read in different languages and to provide schools with more resources. "This program, in its first version, generated brilliant results by witnessing a 79-percent improvement in reading levels among 10,000 students," Richard was quoted as saying by the National News Agency. The remarks came during a ceremony held in cooperation with the Lebanese Education Ministry on the occasion of launching the program. Richard said that this program has also trained over 1,000 teachers to improve their teaching skills by using technology in classes. She added that the U.S. has allocated 400 million dollars to support the education of the new generations of students in Lebanon. Lebanese Education Minister Akram Chehayeb praised the U.S. government for its new donation to support "My Book 2" and its keenness to secure a great level of education for the Lebanese youths. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 04:36:03|Editor: yan Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, May 6 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday encouraged eligible voters to participate in the upcoming democratic national and provincial elections. The elections, scheduled for Wednesday, are "an important milestone in our development as a nation and it is our duty as citizens to exercise our hard-won right to determine the direction in which the country moves," Ramaphosa said. "Our vote ensures that our democracy remains vibrant and inclusive," he said. Ramaphosa and his wife, Tshepo Motsepe, will cast their votes at a primary school in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg, according to his office. In the elections, a new National Assembly and provincial legislatures in each province will be elected. The elections, the sixth since the end of apartheid in 1994, will also determine who will become the next president. Ramaphosa will lead the ruling African National Congress, with the party attempting to retain its majority status and secure Ramaphosa a full term in office as president. Ramaphosa took over after his predecessor Jacob Zuma resigned in February 2018. All safety and security measures have been put in place to create an environment for free and fair elections, the government has said. All relevant security-aligned departments within the three spheres of government are continuously working tirelessly to ensure the successful delivery of the elections, the government said. Also on Monday, the first votes of the 775,000 people registered for special votes were cast. Special votes are for the elderly, ill, people unable to get to a voting station, and those who are expected to be out of the area on Wednesday. The elections are expected to be the most contested as the ANC, which has remained dominant since 1994, faces growing rivalry from two major opposition parties -- the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The ANC could garner 53 percent of the national vote, compared with 62 percent it received in the 2014 elections, according to the latest pre-election poll undertaken by the South African Institute of Race Relations. The DA was expected to receive 24 percent of the vote, up from the 22.23 percent it received in the previous elections, while the EFF 14 percent, up from 6.35 percent. The poll found that the ANC support among black voters had declined, with the DA enjoying a marginal spike. Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, which have been controlled by the ANC since 1994, could be hung provinces, unless there is a late surge in favor of the ANC in both provinces, according to the poll. The DA would keep hold of the Western Cape, the only province controlled by the opposition, according to the poll. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 04:46:08|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Fighting continues on the outskirts of Tripoli despite the call for a Ramadan truce in Libya beginning on Monday, a UN spokesman said. "Unfortunately, the truce has so far not been observed and fighting continues on the outskirts of Tripoli," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in the capital city on Sunday called for an extendable one-week humanitarian truce starting on the first day of Ramadan, which falls on Monday, during which all parties pledge to halt all forms of military operations, Dujarric said, adding that UNSMIL renewed its call to all parties to abide by the truce. The objective is to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need and to ensure the freedom of movement of civilians, the spokesman told a regular press briefing. "Our humanitarian partners tell us that fighting continues in and around Tripoli," he said. Up to 104 civilian casualties, including 23 civilian deaths, have so far been verified by the health sector since the assault on Tripoli started a month ago, according to him. Civilians continued to be driven from their homes by the fighting, with more than 56,000 people now displaced, according to the UN Migration Agency. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said multiple conflict-affected areas remain largely inaccessible to humanitarian workers, while conditions for civilians trapped in these areas continue to deteriorate. The spokesman said most displaced people are staying in urban areas with friends or family, or in rented accommodation. There are 29 collective shelters in operation, housing close to 3,000 people. Dujarric also said that UNSMIL warned parties over the weekend to focus on combating terrorism because terrorist groups seek to exploit the fighting in and around Tripoli to expand their presence in Libya. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 04:51:10|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Monday expressed the hope that a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza will be able to hold. The latest escalation over the weekend was the worst since the 2014 conflict, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Fortunately, following a series of engagements with Egypt, Qatar, and all concerned parties, we were able to contain it." The cease-fire was based on understandings on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the livelihoods of people, with no violence at the Gaza perimeter fence, he told a regular press briefing. "It is now up to the parties to implement these understandings." If the calm is sustained, he said, there will be a possibility for discussions on longer-term arrangements to improve the situation and provide relief for the people of Gaza by easing the closures, and support for the reconciliation process, both critical to finding a political solution to the problems of Gaza, he said. UN special coordinator Nickolay Mladenov will be going to Cairo on Tuesday to continue his discussions with relevant parties, said the spokesman. In the sudden escalation over the weekend, at least 27 Palestinians and four civilians in Israel were killed, according to official figures. A cease-fire agreement was reached on Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 04:51:12|Editor: yan Video Player Close ANKARA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's top electoral body ordered Monday on the basis of irregularities a renewal of the Istanbul local elections won by the opposition, a move that could escalate political tensions in the country. After more than five hours of discussion, members of the Supreme Election Council (YSK) decided on a majority of seven to four to re-hold the elections for June 23, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) won control of the capital Ankara, and Istanbul, the biggest city and economic hub, for the first time in 25 years in local elections on March 31. The mayoral certificate of the CHP's Ekrem Imamoglu has also been cancelled by the council. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and their allies Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have called for the results in Istanbul to be annulled, citing what they say "irregularities." The rulings of the YSK are final. Initial results by the YSK have shown that the difference between candidates from CHP and AKP is around 14,000 votes. 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 and another 10 percent this year. The Turkish currency lost more than 2.5 percent against the greenback on Monday, extending its losses since the start of the year, touching the lowest level in seven months. CHP deputy chair Onursal Adiguzel said on Twitter the ruling was "neither democratic nor legitimate." The re-run showed it was "illegal to win against the AKP." His party convened an emergency meeting Monday evening. The YSK has ordered recounts across Istanbul and in its interim ruling it ordered district electoral officials to inspect their respective polling station officials. Prosecutors also launched probes into alleged irregularities, which Anadolu Agency said resulted in 43 officials being linked to the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for a 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan. The opposition dismissed the allegations as being an excuse for the government's refusal to acknowledge defeat. On Saturday, Erdogan weighed in on the issue and signaled he favors a re-run of the Istanbul elections, which he said were marred by controversy and irregularities, adding that renewing the vote would allow the YSK to "clear its name." Istanbul's new CHP mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, who was granted certificate on April 17 after days of controversy, said on Saturday that the objections were unreasonable and they could "only laugh at this." Imamoglu will now have to give away his office to an interim mayor. CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu has said the Istanbul elections had turned into a test for Turkish democracy. Erdogan had accused the opposition of supporting "terrorism" and labeled the local election a "matter of survival" for Turkey during his campaign, which was held amid growing disenchantment among voters over economic woes. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 05:26:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- French and German scientists found that the Sino-Tibetan language family, including Chinese and Burmese, originates about 7,200 years ago in North China. This language family, one of the most diverse language families with more than 400 modern languages and spoken by about 1.5 billion speakers, originates among millet farmers of the Neolithic cultures of late Cishan and early Yangshao. The findings are published on Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. During the past 10,000 years, two of the world's largest language families emerged, one in the west and one in the east of Eurasia, altogether accounting for nearly 60 percent of the world's population. While the Indo-European one in the west has been examined comprehensively, the Sino-Tibetan one remains unclear about its origin. Some researchers assumed that it arises from southwest China or northeast India around 9,000 years ago. The researchers assembled a lexical database containing core vocabulary from 50 Sino-Tibetan languages. This database includes ancient languages spoken 1,000 and more years ago, such as Old Chinese, Old Burmese, and Old Tibetan, as well as modern languages documented by field work. "We find clear evidence for seven major subgroups with a complex pattern of overlapping signals," said the paper's co-author Simon Greenhill of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. "Our estimates suggest that the ancestral language has arisen around 7,200 years ago." The most likely expansion scenario of the languages involves an initial separation between an Eastern group, from which the Chinese dialects evolved, and a Western group, which is ancestral to the rest of the Sino-Tibetan languages, according to the researchers. Another study published in the journal Nature on April 24 also confirmed that Sino-Tibetan languages originates in present-day northern China and this language family began to disperse and diversify around 5,900 years ago, a prehistory period associated with the Yangshao culture and the later Majiayao culture in the basin of Yellow River. A Palestinian inspects the remains of a house that was damaged during Israeli airstrikes on Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, on May 5, 2019. (Xinhua) GAZA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A cease-fire agreement was reached on Monday between Israel and the Palestinian factions after three days of tensions, Palestinian officials said. Official sources told Xinhua that there was no any raid after the implementation of the cease-fire agreement. Egypt and Qatar helped mediate an end to days of military escalation between Islamic Hamas and Israel, according to the sources. On earlier Monday, Israeli army lifted protective restrictions imposed near the Gaza area during the weekend's tensions. Palestinian sources said that the new truce agreement in Gaza includes pledges by Israel to implement the agreements to ease the siege of the Gaza Strip within a week, according to UN and Egyptian guarantees. The agreement has appeared to end the most serious fighting between Israel and Gaza since Israel's military campaign in Gaza in 2014. At least 27 Palestinians were killed, including two pregnant women and two babies and at least nine militants, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. In Israel, four civilians were killed, at least three of them were Israeli nationals, according to figures released by Israel's national emergency medical service. Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), urged his troops trying to take the Libyan capital of Tripoli to battle harder and teach their enemies a lesson. Haftar's message to the LNA was released in an audiotape through the LNA's Spokesman General Ahmed Ahmad al-Mesmari before the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan on Monday. It also came just hours after the United Nations called for a week-long humanitarian truce following a month of fighting for the capital that has displaced 50,000 people. The LNA, which is allied to a parallel government in the east, has not been able to breach the southern defences of the Tripoli, which is held by the internationally recognized government. "Officers and soldiers in our armed forces and the auxiliary forces, I salute you in this glorious days and urge you with your strength and determination to teach the enemy a greater and bigger lesson than the previous ones, as we've always known you to do, till we uproot it from our beloved land," Haftar said. In a statement earlier, the U.N. Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) appealed for a truce starting on Monday morning at 0400 local time to coincide with the beginning of Ramadan. "UNSMIL calls on all parties to deliver of humanitarian aid to those in need and to ensure the freedom of movement for civilians during this truce," UNSMIL said in a statement. Artillery shelling could be heard on Sunday coming from southern outskirts of the capital, where the LNA has been tying to breach defenses by Tripoli forces. *This report was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Warren Buffett (L), CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger attend the 2019 annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, the United States, May 3, 2019. (AFP Photo) WASHINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Charlie Munger has said that the problem of Boeing's 737 Max jet will be fixed well, and that he surely will fly in the jet once it returns to commercial use. Asked by Yahoo Finance Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer if he would fly with the model in the future, Munger replied: "Yes, of course. And they will fix it well." The 737 Max jets have been grounded worldwide after two deadly crashes in less than five months. It was Munger's first interview after Berkshire held its annual shareholders meeting Saturday. The Yahoo Finance interview will be aired on Thursday, but a clip was posted on its website Sunday. A 737 Max owned by Ethiopian Airlines crashed in March, killing all 157 people on board. Prior to that, a crash involving the same model happened in October to Indonesia's Lion Air, in which 189 people died. "I don't think it was really all that excusable that they made the mistake," Munger said. "That was a serious mistake." The investigation into what caused the two disasters is ongoing, and Boeing admitted that erroneous data from a sensor responsible for measuring the angle at which the wing slices through the air -- known as the Angle of Attack (AOA) -- played a role in the two tragedies. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said on April 4 that the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was activated in response to the erroneous AOA information, following a preliminary report by the Ethiopian Accident Investigation Bureau that showed the pilots had followed Boeing-recommended procedures, but could not control the flight. Munger said he views the recent failures as "an absolute lapse of being a big bureaucracy," but noted that he believes the damage to the planemaker's reputation will be limited. "Boeing probably has the best safety record in the world if you take 60 years, and this was a very unusual lapse," Munger said. "There may not be another one for 60 years." Berkshire holds stakes in major U.S. airlines including Delta, Southwest, United and American. All of them, except for Delta, have 737 Max jets. The company had no Boeing shares as of Dec. 31, 2018, according to its 13-F filing with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission submitted on February 14. Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-07 06:21:58|Editor: yan Video Player Close CAIRO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Egypt offered condolences on Monday to Russian victims of a deadly plane fire at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday, which left 41 passengers dead and several others injured. In a statement, Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that the country fully supports the government and people of Russia in their ordeal and wishes the injured a speedy recovery. Meanwhile, Al-Azhar, the highest Islamic learning institution for Egypt and the Sunni Muslim world, mourned for the victims. Al-Azhar expressed, in a statement, sincere condolences to the Russian government, people and the families of the victims, wishing the injured a speedy recovery. The plane took off from the airport but then returned to make an emergency landing, with the rear part of the plane bursting into flames as it hit the runway. At least 41 people were killed in the accident. Craciunul, cea mai iubita sarbatoare a romanilor Craciunul este cea mai vesela, mai iubita si mai asteptata dintre toate sarbatorile populare si crestinesti ale romanilor. Aceasta sarbatoare este insotita, an de an, de multe traditii si obiceiuri. In ziua de 25 decembrie crestinii sarbatoresc Nasterea Mantuitorului Iisus Hristos. Povestea nasterii [citeste mai departe] After the second round of Ukraines presidential elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin can sign a decree that would give residents of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics the right to receive Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure Russia launches passportization in occupied Ukrainian Donbas TASS After the second round of Ukraines presidential elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin can sign a decree that would give residents of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics the right to receive Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure. Passporting Operation At the end of 2018, Putin signed amendments to the federal law on citizenship of the Russian Federation agreed by the State Duma. In accordance with one of them, art. 29 of the law was added to Part 1: The President of the Russian Federation for humanitarian purposes has the right to determine the categories of foreign citizens and stateless persons who have the right to apply for admission to the citizenship of the Russian Federation in a simplified manner, as well as the procedure for their submission of relevant applications and list of documents submitted. In early January 2019, Pavlo Lysyansky, a representative of the Ukrainian Ombudsman, announced the signs of preparation for passporting residents of occupied Donbas. He claimed that the representatives of the Russian Federation in occupied Donbas started agitating people to receive Russian passports. And by the end of March, the issuance of Russian passports to residents of occupied territories was recalled again, because at the amendments to the law on citizenship of the Russian Federation officially came into effect. How would passporting take place In mid-April, Russian editions of Kommersant and RBC stated that the issue of providing residents of the so-called DPR and LPR with Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure was fully worked out, and Putin had to sign it. Donbas citizens should submit an application and an identity document (passport of one of the republics), if a person changed her surname or name, possessed foreign citizenship, conducted marriage (or divorced), gave birth to a child, the corresponding documents should be attached to the application. The documents must be submitted to the authorized territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. There, the verdict should announce no more than three months. In total, at present Russians plan to issue up to 500,000 of their passports to residents of the occupied territories of Donbas, Ukrainian edition of the Livy Bereh assures. They also claim that the militants are hinting that they can quickly arrange them with the passport of the Russian Federation as peacekeeping forces. Why does Russia need passporting of Donbas According to presidential aide Vladislav Surkov, it was Russia's duty to people speaking and thinking in Russian, who were in a very difficult situation because of the repressive actions of the Kyiv regime. At the same time, there are quite a lot of opinions in Ukraine about why the Russian Federation suddenly needed to raise the issue of certification for residents of the occupied territories of Donbas, it might be a good excuse for camouflaging of militants reinforcement. They might say that their citizens live there, they would defend them and lead send troops there openly. This option is also possible. The Russian army is still in Transnistria, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia, Yuriy Grymchak, Ukraines deputy minister on the temporarily occupied territories, said. In addition, passporting of Donbas citizens can increase the level of loyalty of the local population to the occupation and strengthen the shaky pro-Russian sentiments. The reaction of Ukrainian authorities Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said that the Ukrainian government would take all the decisions to prevent Russian passporting of Donbas. The residents of the occupied territories themselves should bear in mind that obtaining Russian citizenship would mean an automatic loss of Ukrainian one and all rights associated with it. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin urged Donbas residents not to accept Russian passports after the presidential decree on the simplified procedure for them. Read the original text at 112.ua. Commander of Joint Forces Operation in Donbas Oleksandr Syrsky 112 Agency The headquarters of the Joint Forces with the participation of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has had an important appointment General Oleksandr Syrsky became the new commander of the Joint Forces Operation. He took the position instead of Lieutenant-General Serhiy Nayev, who was appointed to the post a little over a year ago - on March 17, 2018. The replacement of the commanders was a planned one. Serhiy Nayev was the first commander after the change from the Anti-Terrorist Operation to the Joint Forces Operation, which took place on April 30, 2018. The Joint Nations was tasked with strengthening the Armed Forces of Ukraine: they were to be defensive, but also able to liberate the occupied territories. According to the law on the de-occupation of Donbas, the JFO headquarters is the only independent governing body over all power structures on the territory of Donbas. The JFO commander is subordinated to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Oleksandr Syrsky was the head of ATO's headquarters in the rank of Major-General. He was the one who received the order on the night of February 16, 2015, to ensure the exit of the formation from Debaltseve. By that time, Syrsky sector had about 4,500 Ukrainian soldiers who were facing 19,000 Russian-terrorist troops. It was immediately found out that the headquarters of the sector had no analysis and prediction of the likely actions of the enemy, so the work of the leaders of the sector on planning of further actions was situational. On the first day in Debaltseve we conducted such an assessment. It turned out that the offensive threat from Horlivka was not even evaluated, Syrsky told about the events of February 2015 and arrival in Vuhlehirsk. Under the control of Syrsky, the possible ways of crossing the river Karapulka were mined. However, the head of the sector, according to the general, did not allow to blow up all the mines, and because of that the enemy captured the passages. It was the group of Syrsky Bars formed by him, which covered the withdrawal of the Armed Forces from Debaltseve. The occupation forces used weapons forbidden by Minsk agreement Ukrainian soldier in Donbas conflict area Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Militants performed eleven armed provocations in Donbas during the past 24 hours. The illegal armed formations used weapons forbidden by Minsk agreement twice. This was reported by the Defense Ministry of Ukraine. In Donetsk region, militants shelled Ukrainian positions 7 times. The enemy attacked Avdiivka, Talakivka, Pavlopil, Lebedynske, Bohdanivka and Pyshchevyk from grenade launchers of various caliber, heavy-caliber machine gun and small arms. In Luhansk region, the occupants shelled 4 times, hitting Novozvanivka from 120 mm caliber mortars. The enemy shelled Novooleksandrivka from IFV and grenade launchers of various caliber, and attacked Krymske from anti-tank missile systems. There were no casualties among the Joint Forces military servicemen. According to the JFO headquarters, one militants was killed and another five- injured. As it was reported earlier, Ukrainian soldier Serhiy Shershak died in Donbas at the beginning of May. The man was buried on May 4, in a cemetery in his native village. From the beginning of May 4, the pro-Russian militants violated the ceasefire nine times and used weapons of prohibited calibers in Donbas conflict zone. Joint Forces commander Oleksandr Syrsky, May 2019 censor.net.ua Oleksandr Syrsky replaced Serhiy Nayev as the Commander of Joint Forces in the east of Ukraine. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko announced the decision in Chasiv Yar on Monday, May 6 on air of 112 Ukraine TV channel. According to the proposal of Defense Minister of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Viktor Muzhenko, it was decided to conduct the rotation of the leadership of the Joint Forces. Thus, I decided to support the proposal of the Ministry of Defense and appoint Lieutenant-General Oleksandr Syrskiy as the new commander of the Joint Forces, Poroshenko said. President instructed the new Joint Forces commander to skillfully apply his experience and, in coordination with the leadership of the state, ensure the liberation of the Ukrainian land and the restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty over the occupied territories. As it was reported earlier, around 24 m2 of the territory were returned to Ukraine including three settlements (Khutir Vilny, Pivdenne, Shumy) during the Joint Forces Operation, as Joint Forces Commander Serhiy Nayev said. Anti-terrorist operation was replaced with Joint Forces Operation on April 30, 2018. The vessel port visit shall last until May 9 Royal Navy Echo 'spy ship' enters Odesa Sea Port, May 6, 2019 112 Agency A multi-role reconnaissance ship of the Royal Navy, HMS Echo entered Odesa port in the frameworks of bilateral cooperation, the press-service of Ukrainian Naval Forces reports. Today, on May 6, ECHO hydrographic survey Royal Navy vessel entered Odesa Sea Port in the frameworks of bilateral cooperation, reads the message. A meeting of the commander of Ukrainian Naval Forces of Ukraines Armed Forces with the Commander of the ECHO is scheduled. The meeting shall take place on board of the foreign vessel. A friendly rugby match is also scheduled between the teams of Ukrainian Naval Forces and the ship crew of Britains ECHO. The vessel port visit shall last until May 9. A month earlier, FFH333 Toronto frigate of the Royal Canadian Navy and F81 Santa Maria frigate of the Spanish Navy entered Odesa Sea Port. Toronto and Santa Maria entered the Black Sea region as a part of the detachment of ships under the command of the flagship of F805 Evertsen frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy and Turkish F493 Gelibolu frigate which will stay in other ports of the countries of the Black Sea region. Two frigates are patrolling in the Mediterranean Sea as a part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), they entered Odesa port for three days. Volodymyr Zelensky AP I would never invent this story, says Andrey Kurkov. I wouldnt believe it is possible. We were talking about Ukraines recent presidential election which even by the standards of the countrys effervescent political culture was a showstopper. The end result saw television comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, best known for playing the role of an angry, ordinary citizen who ends up becoming president, repeat the experience in real life. Mr Zelensky will be sworn in as Ukraines actual head of state within the next month. It is like a bad taste TV story, says Mr Kurkov. It is extremely surreal. Coming from him that is quite something. A celebrated novelist, Mr Kurkov made his name with absurdist stories of black humour and scathing satire that held a mirror up to the dark turmoil of Ukraines post-independence years when the country emerged from the wreckage of the Soviet Union. One of his best-known works involves a writer struggling to make his way in post-communist society who befriends a king penguin. Our paths crossed a few times back in the 2000s in Kiev. Ukraine was in the midst of the pro-democracy Orange revolution that promised to sweep away the corruption and criminality that Mr Kurkov targeted in his writing. There was a mood of optimism; Kievs cultural scene fizzed with energy and experimentation. Much has changed since then. The 2014 Maidan revolution brought more violent political upheaval; Crimea has been seized by Russia; in eastern Ukraine, government forces battle with Moscow-backed separatists; the countrys political class is widely discredited. Meanwhile, hopes of better living standards have faded. All very fertile ground then for a different style of politics and politician even one plucked from the realms of fiction and comedy. Mr Zelenskys victory prompted a range of reactions. To some, his election is in keeping with the spirit of our times which has seen personalities from the small screen or the stage including Donald Trump and Beppe Grillo achieve political stature. Others see Mr Zelensky tapping into a deeper cultural tradition, from Pushkins Boris Godunov to Shakespeares King Lear, of the wise fool, the jester licensed to speak truth to power. Harsher judges cite his election as more evidence of Ukraines essentially flawed status, a state that at times still seems to be proving its viability and where the years since independence have been a mess of political and economic chaos, corruption and war. A lot of people think Ukraine is really just a joke, says one Russia watcher. What more fitting expression of that than to put a comedian into the presidential palace? Even worse, Mr Zelensky may be a puppet, the play thing of oligarchs and other sinister forces who backed his campaign. In a part of the world that has become a performance laboratory for the art of what the theatre director cum Kremlin eminence grise Vladislav Surkov calls political technology, such fears resonate. For Mr Kurkov two features stand out. The first is the bizarre experience of the virtual blending into the actual, of a political hologram let loose on reality; the second, the more familiar phenomenon of a protest vote, particularly by the young, is understandable, perhaps even justifiable. The question for Mr Kurkov is whether voters backed the TV president taking his script as a manifesto. If so, then Ukrainian society is really ill, he says. For now he is prepared to give Mr Zelensky and his compatriots the benefit of the doubt. Early signs that the president-elect recognises his limitations and will need to work with experienced officials point to a more measured path of reform. (Then again, his Trumpian taste for social media, where he delivers monologues and advertises for top political posts, suggests business may not be as usual.) Expectations may be limited. In his forthcoming novel, The Grey Bees, Mr Kurkov tells the story of two retired miners living in the no mans land of combat-ravaged eastern Ukraine. Their petty rivalries play out against a backdrop of wider conflict. Ultimately, Mr Kurkov says, it is the tale of ordinary folk who are essentially apolitical and just want to get on with their lives. But thats just fiction. Or is it? Original article published here. The official was granted access to the case materials on May 3 before drawing the indictment and directing to the court Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov Open source The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has finished investigating the submission of false information in e-declaration in 2015 and 2016 by Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov. This was reported by the NABU press service. The detectives of NABU have completed the investigation on entering incorrect information to the e-declaration of 2015 and 2016 by the Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov which is punished by criminal law, the message says. The official was granted access to the case materials on May 3 before drawing the indictment and directing to the court. Trukhanov is suspected of breaking law due to the absence in the declaration for 2015-2016 of information about the property of his wife. He is facing a fine of 2,500-3000 of personal exemption or public works from 150 to 200 hours or imprisonment for up to 2 years with depriving of the right to hold certain positions for up to 3 years. Odesa Mayor did not declare the apartment, two parking places, shed, cottage house, non-residential property, two cars, shares in a number of enterprises and percent in bank deposits. In total, Trukhanov failed to file income for the amount of 1,2 million dollars in 2015 declaration, and for 685,000 dollars in 2016 declaration. As it was reported earlier, Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov is suspected of violating the law due to the fact that he did not declare the property his wife owns. The NABU detectives under the guidance of the prosecutors of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office served charges on Trukhanov due to the suspect of the embezzlement through the malpractice. Moreover, three people were detained on the same criminal proceeding. The court released Trukhanov on the parole of Dmytro Golubov, the MP of Ukraine. Before this, the clashes near the court took place,38 people were detained. Qualitative oil from the JSC Mozyr has been available in the system of the pipelines of Druzhba in the direction of Ukraine Open source Ukrtransnafta company, Ukraine's national oil transit operator, claimed about its readiness to resume oil transit to the European Union. The press service of the company reports this on Facebook. Today, May 6, 2019, the telegram about readiness to renew oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline was sent via line of the control service of the JSC Ukrtransnafta, the report said. Besides, JSC Mozyr has already started to provide oil with qualitative indicators in accordance with the norm in the Druzhba pipeline system in the direction of Ukraine for its further transportation to the EU. Earlier, Ukrtransnafta company, Ukraine's national oil transit operator claimed that the oil transit from Russia has been temporarily suspended. The transit is suspended on the Mozyr-Brody pipeline, which runs from southern Belarus to western Ukraine. The Russian oil, polluted with organochlorine compounds ended up in Belarus and Ukraine; Poland refused to accept the supplies of the bad Russian oil through Druzhba pipeline. Thus, all three countries, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland temporarily stopped the admission and transit of the Russian oil. The Russian side promised to fix the problem. Air crash in Sheremetyevo Open source Two flight box recorders of the have been found and retrieved from the aircraft, along with other pieces of evidence for further investigation, TASS reports citing sources in Russias emergency services. Both black boxes were found. Their condition is yet to be defined. It will become clear whether they can be decoded shortly after unsealing, reads the message. As it was reported earlier, a burning plane conducted an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo airport, Russia. Currently 41 passengers are reported dead, 18 injured, 37 alive evacuated. 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 have caught catch fire as a result of lightning striking it. A woman with Ukrainian citizenship is injured in the air crash. She is hospitalized at the moment, all the necessary medical assistance is provided. A three day mourning is declared in Murmansk region. Russia's Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal investigation into the case, listing its avenues to address. Open source Lviv police got bomb threat reports about mining of 8 hotel. Svitlana Dobrovolska, the speaker of Lviv National Police reported that in her commentary to the 112 Ukraine TV channel. Currently, the law enforcers are inspecting 8 hotels, full evacuation of people completed, the accurate numbers are unavailable, the counting is underway. All the services are performing their duties, Dobrovolska said. She also added that the message on mining was received via email, it is now being set who has send it. Earlier today 112.international reported that Kharkiv law enforcers received bomb threat messages about 7 local hotels. The evacuation of the citizens, premises and territories inspecting are underway. Besides, on election day, April 21, law enforcement officers received many reports about "mining" of premises in different regions of the country - police searched for explosives at malls, hotels, airports, HPP due to mining threat. The majority of the reports were spotted in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions. The police officers compiled 13 administrative protocols. Poroshenko is summoned for questioning in cases of crimes against Euromaidan activists Petro Poroshenko, the current President of Ukraine Open source Ukraines Prosecutor Generals Office summons incumbent president Petro Poroshenko for questioning on May 7, Ukrainian News report citing their source in the institution. He (Poroshenko, - ed.) is summoned for tomorrow, the source says. According to the source, Poroshenko is summoned for questioning in cases of crimes against Euromaidan activists. They also expect him to sign the protocol of the interrogation in November 2016. We summoned him to sign the previous one (protocol of the interrogation in November 2016, - ed.) and to hold another one, the source noted. Serhiy Horbatyuk, the Head of Special Investigations Department of the General Prosecutors Office, confirmed the information on summoning Poroshenko for additional questioning on May 7. On Friday, November 18, 2016, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko was questioned in the case of crimes against Euromaidan activists. The interrogation took place on November 18 at the Presidential Administration, although it was initially planned that the interrogation would take place on November 29 at the premises of the Prosecutor General's Office. The interrogation lasted for six hours. According to the preliminary information, the Radio Svobodas journalist has got his leg injured Shooting in Kyiv Open source An unknown man opened fire at people in Kyivs Obolon district at 9:34 p.m. Sunday evening and left the scene on the black Mercedes. After the Siren amber alert was introduced in the city, the attacker surrendered himself to the police. The Informator reported that on their official website. According to the Informator, a group of four-five people was sitting in the Porter Pub on 34 Heroyiv Dnipra Street. One of them made 6 shots after he left the pub, took Mercedes ML with military plates and disappeared. The Siren amber alert was introduced in Kyiv at 9.34 p.m. Afterwards, the gunner surrendered himself when he came to the police office. According to the preliminary information, the Radio Svobodas journalist has got his leg injured. More than 600 rockets have been fired into Israeli territory since Saturday, while it has hit 320 targets in response in a deadly surge in violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel The death toll is mounting on both sides after three days of cross-border violence between Israel and militants on the Gaza strip - rockets and missiles from Gaza killed four civilians in Israel, and Israeli strikes killed 19 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians. The most intense clashes in years have so far left at least four Israelis and 23 Palestinians dead, BBC reports. The Israeli army says more than 600 rockets have been fired into Israeli territory since Saturday, while it has hit 320 targets in response. The rocket barrage from Gaza began on Saturday morning. Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system shot down dozens of the rockets, but a number of homes in Israeli towns and villages were hit. According to Reuters, two Palestinian officials and a TV station belonging to Hamas, Gazas Islamist rulers, said a ceasefire had been reached at 0430 a.m. (0130 GMT), 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. Parts of the international community, including the UN, have called for calm. Reports on Sunday night suggest the UN, Qatar and Egypt are trying to broker a ceasefire. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to "continue its massive strikes on terror elements" in Gaza. Israel has said its air defence has intercepted more than 150 rockets so far. Mr Netanyahu says the country's forces around the strip would be "stepped up with tank, artillery and infantry forces". As rockets continue to fall in Israel, all schools within 40km (25 miles) of the Gaza strip have been closed and some shelters have opened to the public. It began on Friday, during protests in Gaza against the blockade of the area - which Israel says is needed to stop weapons reaching militants. A Palestinian gunman shot and wounded two Israeli soldiers at the boundary fence. Israel retaliated with an air strike that killed two militants. Open source The Naftogaz of Ukraine files a complaint to the European Commission against Gazprom (the Russian Federation) for the abuses of dominance. Yuriy Vitrenko, the executive director of the company, reported this on Facebook. We have just opened the new direction in the confrontation with Gazprom we have filed the complaint to the European Commission against Gazprom for their inappropriate actions In this complaint, we analyze in detail how, thanks to the North Stream-2, the virtual reverse blocking, control over companies in the European gas market, Gazprom abuses its dominant position and restricts competition. We also explain our rights to file this complaint (although we are not a company from the European Union) and, importantly, we propose specific mechanisms for solving the problems identified in the very complaint, Vitrenko stated. Besides, according to the executive director, the complaint is a crucial one and it was prepared by the Naftogaz together with leading European experts and lawyers. If we manage to stop the anti-competitive actions of Gazprom, we will save for Ukraine revenues from gas transit. I will recall that the lack of gas transit means a loss of 4% of GDP and an economic downturn in 2020. We will also be able to ensure that imported gas in Ukraine would be cheaper, Vitrenko added. Earlier, National Joint Stock Company Naftogaz-Ukraine and Wikborg Rein Advokatfirma AS (Norway) have signed a new contract worth 14 million dollars. It stipulates that the Norwegian law company will keep on providing legal services for the Ukrainian side in the litigations between the Ukrainian and the Russian gas companies. Ex-Head of Officer Corps Center of POW Release and his defense party intend to participate in the court hearing concerning his case on May 7 Open source Ex-Head of Officer Corps Center of the POW Release Volodymyr Ruban returned to Ukraine. Valentyn Rybin, the lawyer, stated this, as Ukrainian news reported. He returned to Kyiv long ago, the lawyer said. Valentyn Rybin did not specify the accurate date when Ruban arrived from abroad. According to the lawyer, Ruban and his defense party intend to participate in the court hearing concerning his case on May 7. Earlier, Ex-Head of Officer Corps Center of the POW Release Volodymyr Ruban left Ukraine. He was released from the detention, as reported citing the Prosecutor Generals Office. Yuriy Lutsenko, Prosecutor General, claimed that he had proof that Savchenko planned an armed coup d'etat, which would have led to mass civilian casualties. In particular, according to the information of the Prosecutor General's Office, she planned to shell Kyiv with a grenade launcher. Furthermore, together with earlier detained Volodymyr Ruban she is suspected of an organization of assassination of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. On April 16, 2019, Brovarsky District Court ruled to release Volodymyr Ruban and Ukrainian MP Nadiya Savchenko. Ukraine celebrates the Infantry Day on May 6, 2019 for the first time in its history. The president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko established this day in a decree from April 19. Poroshenko congratulated the infantry soldiers on the website of the Presidential Administration: Today, for the first time on a state level we congratulate the real workmen of the war - Ukrainian infantrymen. It is they, who constitute the basis of might of the Ukraines Land Forces and the glory of Ukrainian army. It is they, who are hardened in battles with the Russian aggressor, who demonstrate daily resilience, invincible character and courage, proving there is no such force that can take down their will for victory. It is the infantry that bears the greatest burden of the war, and infantry soldiers bear the heaviest burden of hostilities and military life. The head of state also thanked the infantrymen for service. The commander of the Joint Forces Lieutenant-General Serhiy Nayev also congratulated infantry soldiers: On this day, we express our deep respect to all the soldiers of the mechanized, infantry, mountain-storming units and units of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On your shoulders lies the main burden of the struggle for freedom, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Numerous examples of courage and heroism displayed by you in the battles in the east of the country, have already become an example of loyalty and service to the Motherland, Nayev wrote. The Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak also addressed the infantrymen: This year Ukraine for the first time celebrates the professional holiday of infantrymen - people who devoted themselves to the service in the oldest and most numerous troops! The Ukrainian infantry heroically, worthily, courageously and resolutely performs the most complex combat missions in the Joint Forces Operation. I wish all the infantrymen and their families, good health, endurance, invincible power of will and spirit, Peace and Victory in Ukraines name! Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes! Glory to the Ukrainian infantrymen! the minister wrote. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin Unian Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin met with newly elected President Vladimir Zelensky and announced his resignation. Klimkin informed journalists about this on May 6, as the Interfax-Ukraine agency reported. No one will fire me because we must have a political culture. And in political culture, I think it will be right to let the new president choose those with whom he will work in such areas as foreign policy and defense. I have to offer the new president my resignation paper, and I will definitely do it. I have already said that I have my plans, including political ones It corresponds with my plans, Klimkin said. He added that a number of issues were discussed during the meeting with the Zelensky. We have discussed various issues and I believe that in areas where the principles and priorities coincide - and I am very optimistic in this - we will definitely cooperate. This applies to both future advice, if needed, as well as possible participation in the negotiations, Klimkin summed up. As it was reported earlier, Oleksandr Syrsky replaced Serhiy Nayev as the Commander of Joint Forces in the east of Ukraine. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko announced the decision in Chasiv Yar on Monday, May 6. Another statement was by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko, who sees no reason to file for the resignation but is ready for it. Rabbis of Ukraine congratulated Zelensky on the election as a new head of state and declared their support for all his peace initiatives Volodymyr Zelensky meets with Rabbis of Ukraine Zelensky's team Facebook The Ukrainian president-elect Volodymyr Zelensky during a personal meeting asked the Ukrainian Rabbis Council to support his idea of building a dialogue with the residents of the temporarily occupied territories in the east of Ukraine and the Crimea. This was reported by the press service of the president elect. I met with the representatives of different religions and cultures. Today I appeal to you to support our idea of developing a dialogue with the residents of the temporarily occupied territories in the east of Ukraine and Crimea. We consider it necessary not to lose contact with these people, because they are all Ukrainians, our fellow citizens, Zelensky said. The rabbi Pinkhas Vyshedsky, who lived for a long time in Donetsk, responded that this was the most correct and effective way. It is noted that at the meeting, among other things, there was a discussion about the fight against anti-Semitism. In particular, the participants noted that today in Ukraine this problem is not as acute as in other countries of the world. Every year more than 800 thousand pilgrims come to Ukraine; 150 Jewish righteous people are buried here. As it was reported earlier, 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. 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. Isaak Olson was two months from graduating in 2014 when he disclosed that his fiancee had given birth several months earlier... Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and co-chair of the Military Family Caucus, represents Virginia in the U.S. Senate. Military spouses are unemployed at a rate somewhere between three and five times the national average. As I travel around Virginia, military families, their advocates and the business community share with me some of the reasons for this jarring statistic. When service members are reassigned, on average every two years, their spouses often have to leave their jobs and move to new communities. Military spouse Erin Ward, for example, pursued 15 different careers over 19 moves. What if a military spouse's profession requires a license, as real estate agents, teachers and cosmetologists do? If an old license doesn't transfer to a new state, the costs to replace it -- both financial and in the time it takes -- may be too much, especially if the service member might be transferred again soon. Despite the public's desire to support the military, some military spouses are passed over for jobs because employers worry they will move again quickly. For others, the issue is affordable child care. One mother I spoke to, T.T. Robinson, told me that, once she finally found a job after months of searching, she was told the waitlist for on-base child care was eight months long. All the obstacles to finding employment lead some spouses -- like Lakesha Cole, who went through six transfers -- to start their own business. But then confusing base regulations and red tape can make entrepreneurship more difficult than it has to be. Describing the strains she and other spouses face, Lakesha once said, "Dealing with the everyday stress of being in a military family is hard enough, but being an unemployed military spouse makes matters worse." With their stories top of mind, I wrote two bills to address this problem last year. The Military Spouse Employment Act expands job opportunities for military spouses by making it easier for federal agencies to hire them and supports military spouse entrepreneurs by requiring the Defense Department to explore how bases can best facilitate their work. It also calls for the DoD to examine multiple other aspects of spousal employment -- career counseling services, education and training, professional certification, the transfer to civilian life, the obstacles that arise from frequent moves -- and consider reforms to help military families. The Jobs and Childcare for Military Families Act expands the number of child care workers on base and makes off-base child care more affordable. After months of work, a majority of the provisions from these two bills became law as part of the national defense bill last year. I'm proud to say this legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, but I'm even prouder to say that military families themselves helped write them. Spouses such as Laskesha, T.T. and Erin know these challenges first-hand; now, they are part of the solution. Often, a soldier enlists on his or her own, but makes the decision about whether to re-enlist with a family. It's on us to make sure we're doing everything we can to support these military families who sacrifice so much and ensure our service members don't have to choose between staying in the military and supporting those who support them. As the father of a Marine, a member of the Armed Services Committee, and senator for a state so closely connected to the military, working on this legislation was personal to me. Our military families are a unique link between the military and the American public. Making sure they have what they need to succeed is the least we can do to recognize and honor their sacrifice. -- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. Beyond the Structure (+ Alla de la Estructura) opened in Madrid. Presented in collaboration with Fundacion COAM, the exhibition spotlights the integration of SOMs structural engineering practice with architectural design, and explores the idea that engineers and architects practice a spatial poetry of inquiry, experimentation, and ingenuity. Opening Night As part of the opening event, SOM Partners Mark Sarkisian and Kent Jackson presented a lecture titled Beyond the Structure. The engineer and architect discussed the design philosophies behind SOMs work, as well as current projects and emerging ideas within the firms structural engineering practice. Following this, Sarkisian and SOM Director Dmitri Jajich joined a panel discussion with local architects Carlos Rubio, Jose Maria Ezquiaga, Rafael de la Hoz, and Rosa Cervera. Titled Beyond the Horizon, the panel conversation focused on the theme of cities in the future. Panelists shared insights on height and density, building with fewer materials, shape optimization, and the role of mixed-use residential developments, among other topics. Journalist Anatxu Zabalbeascoa moderated the panel. Photo Ana Amado/COAM Photo Ana Amado/COAM A Must See in Madrid First displayed in Munich in early 2016, the original concept for the exhibition was based on a special monograph published by Detail magazine in 2015. Since then, different iterations of the exhibition have been displayed in Hamburg and Cologne; in Aalborg, Denmark; at the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial; as a collateral exhibition of the 2018 Venice Biennale of Architecture; and, most recently, as a part of MEXTROPOLI in Mexico City. It will be on view in Madrid until June 20th, 2019. The centerpiece of the current exhibition in Madrid is an installation of structural models at 1:500 scale putting SOMs groundbreaking projects on display. The model lineup features some of SOMs most innovative recent work around the world, including JTI Headquarters in Geneva; Exchange House in London and Hotel Arts in Barcelona, alongside influential and pioneering projects designed throughout the firms history, including John Hancock Center (now known as 875 North Michigan Avenue), Sears Tower (now known as Willis Tower), and Burj Khalifa. Photo Ana Amado/COAM Photo Luca Orlando/SOM New to the traveling exhibition is a 5-by-5-by-3 meters timbrel vault structure. Constructed of overlapping bricks and mortar, the vaults design incorporates shape optimization to yield an ultra-light and efficient shell form. The piece exemplifies one of the exhibitions main themes: that the economy of a structure depends on how efficiently it can be constructed. The vault was made in collaboration with the University of Alcala and the Timbrel Vault Workshop and is the result of joint work developed in recent editions of the workshop. Source by SOM. Location: Rooms Gutierrez-Soto and Mercadal COAM, Calle de Hortaleza 63, Madrid, Spain Rooms Gutierrez-Soto and Mercadal COAM, Calle de Hortaleza 63, Madrid, Spain Date: April 24, 2019 June 20, 2019 April 24, 2019 June 20, 2019 Photographs: Ana Amado/COAM, Luca Orlando/SOM, Courtesy of SOM Blog Archive Dec 2021 (83) Nov 2021 (84) Oct 2021 (58) Sep 2021 (67) Aug 2021 (62) Jul 2021 (54) Jun 2021 (50) May 2021 (58) Apr 2021 (44) Mar 2021 (57) Feb 2021 (64) Jan 2021 (93) Dec 2020 (82) Nov 2020 (62) Oct 2020 (50) Sep 2020 (45) Aug 2020 (51) Jul 2020 (56) Jun 2020 (53) May 2020 (70) Apr 2020 (66) Mar 2020 (169) Feb 2020 (211) Jan 2020 (184) Dec 2019 (54) Nov 2019 (56) Oct 2019 (55) Sep 2019 (63) Aug 2019 (54) Jul 2019 (69) Jun 2019 (56) May 2019 (65) Apr 2019 (68) Mar 2019 (72) Feb 2019 (76) Jan 2019 (62) Dec 2018 (55) Nov 2018 (69) Oct 2018 (90) Sep 2018 (82) Aug 2018 (58) Jul 2018 (36) Jun 2018 (47) May 2018 (44) Apr 2018 (64) Mar 2018 (63) Feb 2018 (68) Jan 2018 (92) Dec 2017 (85) Nov 2017 (64) Oct 2017 (82) Sep 2017 (54) Aug 2017 (89) Jul 2017 (60) Jun 2017 (86) May 2017 (84) Apr 2017 (62) Mar 2017 (86) Feb 2017 (91) Jan 2017 (113) Dec 2016 (109) Nov 2016 (100) Oct 2016 (82) Sep 2016 (95) Aug 2016 (84) Jul 2016 (84) Jun 2016 (99) May 2016 (93) Apr 2016 (106) Mar 2016 (145) Feb 2016 (125) Jan 2016 (103) Dec 2015 (83) Nov 2015 (80) Oct 2015 (100) Sep 2015 (111) Aug 2015 (94) Jul 2015 (98) Jun 2015 (151) May 2015 (125) Apr 2015 (109) Mar 2015 (122) Feb 2015 (113) Jan 2015 (135) Dec 2014 (131) Nov 2014 (115) Oct 2014 (146) Sep 2014 (112) Aug 2014 (128) Jul 2014 (94) Jun 2014 (104) May 2014 (140) Apr 2014 (132) Mar 2014 (81) Feb 2014 (89) Jan 2014 (141) Dec 2013 (100) Nov 2013 (96) Oct 2013 (99) Sep 2013 (94) Aug 2013 (95) Jul 2013 (95) Jun 2013 (91) May 2013 (139) Apr 2013 (179) Mar 2013 (73) Feb 2013 (76) Jan 2013 (85) Dec 2012 (59) Nov 2012 (71) Oct 2012 (85) Sep 2012 (70) Aug 2012 (71) Jul 2012 (53) Jun 2012 (51) May 2012 (52) Apr 2012 (52) Mar 2012 (69) Feb 2012 (76) Jan 2012 (70) Dec 2011 (60) Nov 2011 (54) Oct 2011 (57) Sep 2011 (75) Aug 2011 (72) Jul 2011 (64) Jun 2011 (76) May 2011 (56) Apr 2011 (73) Mar 2011 (114) Feb 2011 (71) Jan 2011 (80) Dec 2010 (92) Nov 2010 (82) Oct 2010 (73) Sep 2010 (95) Aug 2010 (86) Jul 2010 (81) Jun 2010 (76) May 2010 (71) Apr 2010 (74) Mar 2010 (74) Feb 2010 (82) Jan 2010 (101) Dec 2009 (108) Nov 2009 (182) Oct 2009 (136) Sep 2009 (102) Aug 2009 (120) Jul 2009 (151) Jun 2009 (136) May 2009 (180) Apr 2009 (145) Mar 2009 (113) Feb 2009 (113) Jan 2009 (124) Dec 2008 (108) Nov 2008 (69) Oct 2008 (89) Sep 2008 (76) Aug 2008 (75) Jul 2008 (87) Jun 2008 (80) May 2008 (99) Apr 2008 (93) Mar 2008 (115) Feb 2008 (147) Jan 2008 (162) Dec 2007 (124) Nov 2007 (95) Oct 2007 (67) Sep 2007 (42) Aug 2007 (78) Jul 2007 (75) Jun 2007 (123) May 2007 (110) Apr 2007 (108) Mar 2007 (92) Feb 2007 (136) Jan 2007 (119) Dec 2006 (41) Nov 2006 (34) Oct 2006 (12) Sep 2006 (13) Aug 2006 (13) Jul 2006 (16) Jun 2006 (12) May 2006 (21) Apr 2006 (38) Mar 2006 (27) Feb 2006 (25) Jan 2006 (18) Editors Note: This post was updated on May 13, 2019. We caught up with Elo Life Sciences CEO Fayaz Khazi ahead of his speaking slot at Future Food-Tech in New York next month to learn more about its innovative approach to food tech. Plant-based proteins and alternative ingredients are taking the food industry by storm. Countless retailers and manufacturers are looking for ways to make quick modifications to their product offerings to answer consumer demands for products offering more protein, healthier impacts, and a reduced impact on the environment. Elo Life Systems, the food-focused subsidiary of the recently listed gene-editing group Precision Biosciences, is specifically focused on developing food crops with nutritionally-improved characteristics, starting with canola, sweeteners, and pulses for plant-based protein products. Fayaz Khazi, CEO of Elo Life Systems, is speaking at the Future Food-Tech conference in New York June 18-19. He will be sharing his thoughts on developing and scaling the next generation of plant-based protein products alongside founder and managing director of Big Idea Ventures Andrew Ive, CFO of Impossible Foods David Lee, VP of R&D for Maple Leaf Foods Jitendra Sagili, senior director of R&D for Danone North America Jonathan Gray, and Gregory Paul, Global Marketing Director, Consumer Segments, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences. The success of the Future Food-Tech and World Agri-Tech conferences speak to the amount of interest within the investment community and scientific community regarding the application of genome editing, Khazi told AgFunderNews. What we want to do ideally is to generate interest about the possibilities of using our technology, ARCUS, in novel food ingredient products and in a way to improve human health, which also improves the health of the planet. Those are our big picture ideas and through conferences like this we want to get the word out and talk about our mission. We caught up with Khazi to learn more about Elo Life Systems and Khazis view of the gene-editing space. Why focus on food? We are dedicated to improving life. At Elo and Precision, this is our mission, that we are dedicated to improving life. When we formed Elo last June, we knew we wanted to build a team that would deploy our technologies and know-how in the health and wellness space. We asked, Whats the best way to address that? We had two choices. One was to go after traits and the typical seed industry model. The other was more near and dear to us, which was to relate to consumers and the food industry. We saw that as the shortest path to making an impact on human life and to connecting the dots between what we eat and how we live. At this point, I think we have enough knowledge on how things work in plants. Whats missing is a commitment towards understanding unmet needs in the food sector and translation of knowledge to products. This is where our business model based on partner-driven innovation helps tremendously. We chose to deviate from the standard model where one invests in a trait that may or may not be valuable five years down the road because of changes in the industry or consumer preference. Instead, our collaborators define the trait or help define a new product profile which we co-develop. The food industry has been waiting for the foodtech sector to innovate and specifically in things that could help the industry address consumer demand without having to wait for a whole additional decade! In light of all the changes in the seed industry, we saw an opportunity to integrate ourselves into the food ecosystem and to help the food industry innovate faster and better. How does your technology differ from CRISPR? In very general terms, all gene-editing technologies cleave the DNA at designated sites. What part of the DNA you break, the fidelity of the break, what you insert, and how you select an editing strategy is where one can differentiate between the companies and technology platforms. The difference between CRISPR and our product-ready technology, ARCUS, is that ours is a naturally-derived system that coevolved with complex genomes whereas CRISPR comes from a simple bacterial system. Most CRISPR/Cas9 systems are constrained by its large size and a relatively complex biology. ARCUS, on the other hand is a relatively small, single component system that presents unique advantages to improve our outcomes. What are some of the products that you have created? Cargill is a great example to discuss here. Cargill decided to work with us on one of their most ambitious programs yet to significantly reduce saturated fatty acids in canola. With significant reductions, the final product could be labeled as saturate-free. This strategic collaboration fell within our mission of creating healthy outcomes for people. We are also working on improving stevia. From a supply chain perspective, it is in huge demand but there are issues with breeding and cultivation practices. The majority of stevia that is consumed in the western world comes from China and there are several documented issues associated with how it is produced. . Importantly, the current stevia supply chain is highly variable and not as reliable as the industry would like. We are working with key stakeholders in the industry to try and achieve greater predictability, consistency, and reliability through deployment of a systems approach for stevia improvement Lastly, we also initiated an effort on a program to create a zero calorie natural sweetener with watermelon. At this point, we are in talks with potential partners to ensure any product developed will be utilized by the industry and has a positive impact on peoples overall health. How do you decide where to focus? Do food company clients ask for certain improvements? At this stage, if we dont focus on specific products and issues that wont make an impact in the shortest time. We are picking the biggest problems out there and deploying 100% effort into solving those problems with our technologies. We do not pretend for a single minute that we know what consumers want and we dont want to take bets on trait A, B, or C. What usually happens is that we identify a partner who shares our vision and philosophy. Then, we identify what is essential for the partner in their product pipeline and we work on creative ideas and approaches. We try to push the envelope with that partner and what they are looking for. Sometimes we co-invest with the partner, and in most cases the partner wants to fund the project entirely in-house. We bring our proprietary technology and workflows to the table and we make generate revenues through successful product development, milestones, and/or royalty payments. How would you describe investor interest in the food-focused, gene-editing space? The investment community is highly sophisticated and they have quickly learned all the nuances of genome application including the hurdles. When we talk to investors, these are highly informed investors coming to us and they are as bullish as ever on the technologies. At this point, there is a great amount of interest, especially from the perspective of the ability to meet consumer demands in a timely manner through technology. With all the information out there on lifestyle, diseases, and health people are making better different choices and this paradigm-shifting conversation is happening at the interface of food and consumers. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing? The biggest challenge is access to the right kind of talent because the field has moved at such a rapid pace over the last five years that our training infrastructure and academic training is just not enough We typically spend an average of three-to-six months training our new hires and helping them see the complexities involved in a more translation-oriented work environment. This needs to change. 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. BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The general office of the Central Military Commission released a guideline on promoting military vocational education on Sunday. The guideline stressed the need to build a digital, open and all-encompassing system for military vocational education. The education should focus on the troops' main responsibilities and their capability to perform duties, playing a supporting role in the education of military academies and military training of the armed forces, it said. The guideline contains 26 measures put forward to standardize the main tasks and basic requirements on the promotion of such education. The guided missile cruiser Varyag, the flagship vessel of Russia's Pacific Fleet, arrives at Qingdao Port for the Joint Sea 2019 naval exercise between China and Russia in Qingdao, a port city in East China's Shandong Province, 29 April 2019. Photo: IC Chinese and Russian navies conducted on Saturday their first ever joint warship-based live-fire missile exercise, as naval vessels from both sides launched surface-to-air missiles and successfully intercepted incoming anti-ship cruise missile dummies. The exercise was part of the Joint Sea-2019 China-Russia naval drills in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, which marked a new high in coordination and trust between the two navies. The six-day drills ended on Saturday afternoon. The air defense exercise started around 12:40 pm on Saturday, when the blue team fired two anti-ship cruise missile dummies at the red team, according to a statement the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy sent to the Global Times. Upon their approaches, the PLA Navy's destroyer Harbin and Russian Navy's anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs of the red team launched a short-range surface-to-air missile each and successfully intercepted the two incoming threats. This is the first time the PLA Navy has conducted such an exercise with a foreign counterpart, the statement said. Anti-ship cruise missiles pose huge threats to warships due to factors including high speeds and low trajectories, a military expert who requires anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday, noting that intercepting them is a crucial subject in modern naval warfare. Missiles are the core weapons for warships in both offense and defense, said Wang Rui, an assistant director of the exercise, noting the drills required not only close coordination between the two navies' ships and command organs, but also mutual opening up of each other's weapon specifications, as the drills helped boost the two navies' capability to deal with naval threats together. The red team also simulated a tanker escort operation, using missiles and guns to defend against fighter bombers of the blue team, the statement said. The Joint Sea-2019 also saw successful submarine rescue exercises between the two countries' submarines and deep submergence rescue vehicles on Thursday. Du Changyu, a PLA Navy rescue team officer, told the Global Times on Friday that rescue forces are a powerful means for the Chinese Navy to go global. The submarine rescue exercises with the Russians proved the Chinese military is fully capable of shouldering its international responsibility and obligations, Du said, noting that the PLA Navy has the resolve to complete international rescue missions and is also capable of working together with other countries. Joint anti-submarine drills, main gun shooting drills and friendly competitions were also held during the exercise. RCA NashvilleChris Youngs Raised on Country World Tour is now officially underway, after a sold-out show Sunday night in Manchester, England. The Manchester crowd definitely came to party, Chris commented afterwards. The audience was unbelievable last night. This was Chriss first time headlining Manchester, though hes toured the United Kingdom four times in the past six years. Monday night, he continues on to Glasgow, Scotland before heading to Birmingham, England on Wednesday. He wraps up Thursday in London, with Lindsay Ell joining him on all the European dates. Chris kicks off the American leg of the tour May 16 in Atlanta. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Editor's note: A report the United States Department of Defense submitted to Congress on Thursday portrays China's armed forces as a threat to the world order Washington claims to have built. China Daily reporter Li Yang comments: The report, which covers a range of China's efforts to modernize its military, paints Beijing as a growing threat to not only the Asia-Pacific region but also the Arctic region and beyond. More importantly, it makes no secret of the US' intention to act if Taiwan faces a threat from Beijing. Like most of the US' so-called studies and analyses on other countries, the report pieces together carefully selected "evidence" from various sources to serve Washington's interests. No wonder the report highlights the US' Indo-Pacific strategy, whose main aim is to contain China and other countries that are not US allies. The US is reportedly planning to unveil a new version of its Indo-Pacific strategy in Singapore later this month, which will be conveniently buttressed by the report. By depicting China as a potential security threat, the US aims to compel other countries in the region to support its strategy. But in its blind pursuit of hegemony the US has ignored the intensive economic, trade and people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries in the region, including US allies, which have helped lay a solid foundation for one of the world's largest free trade areas, and fuelled some of the most robust economies. The Indo-Pacific region, which is home to more than half of the world's population and contributes to nearly half of global economic growth, has been largely peaceful and stable for decades thanks partly to China's economic and foreign policies. As such, the US should not expect its allies to sacrifice their economic development to counter a non-existent threat. By hyping up the threat posed by China's military, Pentagon can ask the US administration to increase its military budgetwhich at $716 billion this year is equal to the cumulative defense budget of other nine countries in the top 10 list. The report therefore is the US' latest excuse to further boost its military budget. By Luo Yuan Recently, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has released the 2019 China military power report, and continued to exaggerate and smear Chinas military activities. Regarding Chinese military power, the US DOD publishes a report every year, keeping rendering the China military threat theory. It aims to create a favorable environment for hostility and warning against China, and therefore seeks excuses for expanding its own military power. But how could Pentagon make such crude accusations, turning a blind eye to the fact that the US military budget for fiscal year 2019 has stretched to $716 billion, while China's is only $176.6 billion, about one-fourth of theirs for the same period. While China is decreasing the number of military personnel by 300,000, the US government will increase its number of military posts by 20,000 in 2018. Who is threatening whom? In essence, it is not China threat theory, but more like American threat theory and China being threatened theory. The report said that China is rapidly improving its military strength and seeking to narrow the gap with the US military in multiple fields. If thats the case, then it should be the right path. Because that means that the power to maintain world peace is growing, and the power to contain war is getting stronger. China has not been involved in a single war for the past 30 years, making it the only one among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. The US is particularly concerned that China is improving its anti-access/area denial(A2/AD) capabilities, as well as seeking underwater combat advantages. However, there is no such thing as anti-access or area denial in Chinas military dictionary. The similar vocabulary is anti-aggression. If you dont want denial, then please dont access. No matter where the aggressors come from, above water or underwater, the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) would shut the door upon their face. The report focused on Chinas so-called militarization actions in the South China Sea, saying that Chinas military strategy has always targeted Taiwan. Internationally, the South China Sea is known as the South China Sea, not the Western American Sea. Why does the US travel all the way to the South China Sea to show off its muscle and initiate troubles? Furthermore, the US has not even signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) . What qualifications does it have to intervene in the South China Sea issue? Besides, since the US can station troops in Hawaii, Guam, and even other countries, whats wrong with Chinas self-defense facilities on its own islands and reefs? As for the Taiwan question, it is Chinas internal affair. China has repeatedly promised that Chinese do not fight Chinese. If anyone, except Chinese people, dare to occupy Chinas treasured island, we must act in accordance with the Anti-Secession Law. As for the process of execution, its also Chinas internal affair and none of the US business. The report once again accused China of stealing cutting-edge technology in order to rapidly modernize the PLA. The claim is simply a joke in the era of globalization of knowledge. Compass, gunpowder, papermaking skill and typography were invented by ancient Chinese. Isnt the US still sharing them? Does such sharing be considered stealing? And could you still remember that China had successfully developed "Two Bombs and One Satellite", under foreign countries' strict blockade? Practice has proved that the Chinese people have sufficient wisdom and talent to create miracles that others cannot imagine. Of course, we will never have xenophobia, and instead, we respect and are open to advanced technology and experience from other countries. But if the others refuse to provide technology to China, let alone cutting-edge technology, should China have to give up the development of aircraft carrier? The US already has 11 aircraft carriers and there is really no need to fuss over Chinas first homemade aircraft carrier, which is still in trials. Disclaimer: The author is Retired Major General Luo Yuan, the executive vice president and Secretary-General of the China Strategy Culture Promotion Association.The article is extracted from an article from the Global Times and translated from Chinese into English by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. Officials and soldiers on the guided-missile frigate Huangshan (Hull 570) wave goodbye to the farewell crowds. A Chinese naval fleet consisting of the guided-missile destroyer Haikou (Hull 171) and the guided-missile frigate Huangshan (Hull 570) makes 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. HONGKONG, May 6 (ChinaMil) -- A Chinese naval fleet composed of the guided-missile destroyer Haikou (Hull 171) and the guided-missile frigate Huangshan (Hull 570), has left Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison for its home port on Sunday morning. The fleet was warmly welcomed by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the Peoples Republic of China and local residents during its stay in Hong Kong from April 30 to May 5. It is reported that the port call aimed to show the Hong Kong compatriots the achievements made by the PLA Navy in the past 70 years of construction and development. According to the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, more than 15,000 representatives from various communities and youth groups in Hong Kong have toured the ships. On Sunday, the Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks pier was filled with enthusiastic local citizens who came to see off the PLA naval fleet. Nearly 500 people from various departments attended the farewell ceremony, including officials of the HKSAR Government and central government agencies in Hong Kong, representatives of the Army, Navy and Air Force of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, as well as the representatives from various local communities and youth groups. The two ships were fully adorned with nautical flags and flags of thanks paying tribute to the farewell crowds. Ms. Tan from the New Home Association in Hong Kong told reporter that she was very excited and proud to tour the guided-missile destroyer Haikou (Hull 171). "I wish them all the best on their homebound voyage and pay regular visits to Hong Kong in the future", she added. Matthew Cheung, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said during his speech that the port call made by the fleet has great significance that it makes Hong Kong citizens, especially students and young friends, better understand the modernization of national defense construction, and provides opportunities for them to experience the mighty and civilized armed force, and inspires their sense of national identity and pride. 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 J.R. Cobb in 1978 (Tom Hill/ WireImage)James "J.R." Cobb, an original member of both The Classics IV and The Atlanta Rhythm Section, died Saturday, May 4, of a heart attack at the age of 75, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Cobb grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, where he co-founded The Classics IV in 1965. Cobb played guitar with the group and, along with producer Buddy Buie, co-wrote most of the band's songs, including the top-five hits "Stormy," "Spooky" and "Traces." J.R. eventually moved to the Atlanta area, where he played guitar with a session band known as The Candy Men. In 1972, along with other members of The Candy Men, he co-founded The Atlanta Rhythm Section, who were produced by Buie. J.R. collaborated on many of the group's songs with Buie, and the band also recorded a version of "Spooky," which reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979. Among the other ARS hits he played on: "Imaginary Lover" and "So Into You." He remained with The Atlanta Rhythm Section until 1986. Cobb also toured with the country-music supergroup The Highwaymen, which featured Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. In 1993, J.R. and The Classics IV, separately, were inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, while The Atlanta Rhythm Section was welcomed into the hall in 1996. The Atlanta Rhythm Section posted a tribute to Cobb on its Facebook page, noting that his "influence on the [band] is a lasting footprint, that is heard in everything we do, and his loss is immeasurable." Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. . . . , 23.00 31 .. 02.00 1 2022 1 2 23.00, 00.00, 01.00 02.00. ... On the other hand, he stressed his concern regarding parliamentary immunity. Last Thursday, Parliament approved the removal of Edwin Donayre from Congress and authorized his detention so he can serve a 5-year sentence ordered by the Judiciary for having stolen fuel from a military unit in Tacna region , while he served as its head in 2006. He is now a fugitive from justice. YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations informs that on May 6, as of 08:30, roads are mainly passable in Armenia. The Georgian authorities inform that the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian has offered condolences to the families of the victims of the Aeroflot Flight SU1492 crash through a telegram addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Armenian Presidents Office said. Sarkissian wished those injured speedy recovery. Aeroflot Flight SU1492 Sukhoi Superjet 100, en route from Moscow to Murmansk, attempted an emergency landing about half an hour after take-off in Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport on May 5. The plane was able to touch down only during a second attempt due to bad weather. The aircraft touched the ground very heavily and its engines burst into flames. 41 people on board died. The plane was carrying 78 people, including 5 crew members. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Ruling My Step Alliance lawmakers seek to adopt a bill on compensating students tuition fees through income tax, a legislative initiative with the purpose of encouraging work and education. My Step faction leader Lilit Makunts and lawmaker Sisak Gabrielyan briefed reported today on the initiative. Gabrielyan said it would be appropriate for the government to encourage the students if the latter are able to work simultaneously. In addition to supporting students another issue is being solved. If students desire to obtain additional education, then they can get a second degree by benefiting from the opportunity of compensating the tuition fee through income tax, Gabirelyan said. It is still unclear if this option will be available during under-graduate or post-graduate studies as stakeholder parties are currently discussing it. Lilit Makunts said they are discussing all concerns and proposals at the moment. We extremely value public discussions and proposals. Yes, there are certain concerns, and we are revising the bill by taking them into account. The employers concern was also interesting, I assume this relates to bringing the employed students to the legal arena. We automatically appeared in a situation when another issue is also being solved employed students will be documented legally, she said. Other concerns raised by experts include the possible drop in class attendance. Makunts said education is a priority sector for the ruling party and their policy is based on the following: on one hand to encourage the development of the individual, growth of professional skills, and at the same time for the government to be bound to provide certain guarantees and to support students. Makunts and Gabrielyan, the authors of the bill, expect the draft legislation to be debated by the Cabinet meeting after May 20 and that it will enter parliament in June. They want the bill to be adopted by September, the beginning of the new academic year. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Justice minister of Armenia Artak Zeynalyan received the US delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Jorgan Andrews, the ministry told Armenpress. During the meeting the minister highly appreciated the Armenian-American cooperation and stated that there is a great potential to develop the mutual partnership at all directions. Artak Zeynalyan added that Armenia is working on materializing the legitimacy resource via turning it into tangible reforms, and any support of friendly states on this path will be only useful for Armenia. The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State expressed readiness to support the Armenian government to record progress in priority directions and discussed with the minister the key role of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs on assisting the ministrys efforts aimed at fighting corruption. The meeting also touched upon the opportunities to deepen the cooperation in developing programs in the field of criminal justice field and fighting corruption. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Vardan Grigoryan, the judge who was given the case of ex-President Robert Kocharyan and other former officials, has recused himself, Arman Khachatryan Head of the Department of Protocol and PR of the Judicial Department told ARMENPRESS. Yes, the judge has disqualified himself, now the case has been handed over to the courts office to forward it to another randomly selected judge through the elecotronic system, he said, adding that he is unaware of the reasons of the recusal. Kocharyans lawyer Hovhannes Khudoyan said they didnt receive the decision and they found out about the recusal from the press. Khudoyan argues that the judge had no right to recuse himself without solving the bail issue of the defendants, while doing so required the participation of the parties. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Soldier Aganik Zoroglyan, who was wounded in Artsakh by the Azerbaijani fire on May 4, is still in critical condition, Armenias defense ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan told Armenpress. Asked whether the soldier will need a surgery or not, the spokesperson said everything will be clear when his condition stabilizes. On May 4, at 16:05, soldier Aganik Zoroglyan, born in 1998, has been wounded by the shot fired by the Azerbaijani armed forces in the line of contact. The soldier has been transported to Yerevans military hospital. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has extended condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the deadly crash landing of a passenger plane at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport. It was with deep sorrow that I learned about this tragedy that took place as a result of a planes crash landing at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport on May 5. On behalf of the Armenian people, I extend words of condolences and support to the families and friends of the victims, wishing patience, strength and resilience. I ask you to convey wishes of speedy recovery to all those injured as a result of this tragedy, the Armenian PM said, in part, in the letter. Aeroflot Flight SU1492 Sukhoi Superjet 100, en route from Moscow to Murmansk, attempted an emergency landing about half an hour after take-off in Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport on May 5. The plane was able to touch down only during a second attempt due to bad weather. The aircraft touched the ground very heavily and its engines burst into flames. 41 people on board died. The plane was carrying 78 people, including 5 crew members. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian received co-founders of Repat Armenia foundation, Executive Director Vartan Marashlyan and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Raffi Kassarjian, the Armenian Presidents Office told Armenpress. The guests introduced the President on the Foundations activities, ongoing programs and upcoming actions. They noted that repatriation and intensification of ties of our Diaspora compatriots with Armenia are the main activity directions of the Foundation. President Sarkissian expressed readiness to support the Foundations activities, highlighting their importance in terms of returning Diaspora Armenians to Armenia and connecting them with the homeland. The sides also touched upon the opportunities to implement joint programs. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ashot Hovakimyan met with Rector of the Charles University of Prague Tomas Zima, the Armenian foreign ministry told Armenpress. The meeting participants shared information on the universities of the two countries providing higher education, touched upon the activities being carried out within the frames of the cooperation agreement of the Charles University with the Yerevan State University and discussed the cooperation opportunities between the Charles University and other educational facilities of Armenia. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Vahe Mkhitaryan, chairman of the Portugal-Armenia Friendship Union, says the adoption of a statement by the Assembly (parliament) of Portugal dedicated to the memory of the 1915 Armenian Genocide victims is an important victory on the path to international recognition. This issue has never been discussed by any party in Portugal. No party has included this issue in its campaign program or has given any promises on this matter. These MPs didnt have any political interest. They voted for the memory of the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide, for standing together with the Armenian people. Now, if absolute majority of lawmakers sign any document where the genocide word is mentioned several times, we can confirm that the MPs have recorded the Genocide affirmation fact by expressing sorrow for the Armenian Genocide victims, Mkhitaryan told ARMENPRESS. On April 26, 2019, MP Rubina Berardos document on Voting to express sorrow for the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide has been included in the plenary session agenda of the parliament thanks to 18 MPs of the three most influential parties of the Portuguese parliament. Over 200 lawmakers voted in favor of the resolution. Several days before the voting the document has been presented for the MPs review, which later was adopted only with 4 abstentions, two of which were the members of Portugal-Turkey friendship group, and after the voting the Portuguese MPs paid tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims with a moment of silence. We have started the preparation works several years ago when we had meetings with the members of the parliamentary factions. During these meetings we have introduced our issues of concern, such as the opportunity to create a Portugal-Armenia parliamentary friendship group and their attitude to the possible discussion of the Armenian Genocide issue in the Assembly. From the meetings it became clear which party was more keen on reacting to these issues, and thus we continued our mission by providing necessary information to the lawmakers about the historical facts and the already existing decisions, Vahe Mkhitaryan said. He noted that the international lawyers will soon make their assessments, pointing out the legal force and consequences of this historical decision. Absolute majority of the Portuguese MPs voted in favor of this statement, and the term Armenian Genocide is mentioned in the text for several times. From legal terms we can consider that those who have signed the document agreed with this fact, and this was a historical and unprecedented event for us because such an issue has been voice in the Assembly for the first time. We highly value the Assemblys position on the Armenian Genocide and are grateful for the condolences addressed to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, Mkhitaryan said. He also informed that MP Rubina Berardo, who initiated the statement thanks to the direct efforts of the Portugal-Armenia Friendship Union, visited Armenia in 2017, the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial and got introduced on the issue of the Armenian Genocide. Rubina Berardo also visited Artsakh and was introduced on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict issue. Upon returning to Portugal, Azerbaijan has included the lawmaker in its black list, but the MP gave clarifications on her travel to the Portuguese media outlets and wrote an article about the Armenian Genocide. Interview by Norayr Shoghikyan Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Chair of the Armenian Parliamentary Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment Varazdat Karapetyan on May 6 met with the delegation led by Vice President of the Senate of the Czech Parliament Milan Stech. The delegation members are mainly the members of the Standing Commission on Rural Development, the Parliament of Armenia told Armenpress. Welcoming the guests Varazdat Karapetyan expressed confidence that the mutual visits would further strengthen the friendly relations existing between the two countries. He touched upon the Velvet revolution happened in Armenia in 2018 and noticed that years ago the Czech Republic had passed through such revolution, established effective experience of governance, and its study could be positive for Armenia. The Vice President of the Senate of the Czech Parliament Milan Stech has informed that the goal of the Standing Commission on Rural Development is the provision of the equal development of the big and small cities and communities. The sides discussed the issues of the development and enlargement of the communities, the territorial administration, the environment and agriculture, presented to each other the directions of the Committees' works, the problems existing in the spheres and actions aimed their solution. The Chairperson and the members of the Standing Commission on Rural Development of the Czech Senate has presented the programs being implemented for the development of small cities and communities, noting the Czech Republic 10,5 mln population has 6300 local self-government bodies, and the enlargement of the communities would also be effective. According to the guests, there is a problem, and however there is no enlargement process of the communities on the Czech agenda today. Varazdat Karapetyan presented to his Czech colleagues the changes being designed in the sphere of local self-government, touched upon the enlargement process of the communities, noting that its goal is the provision of the regions' development. The Committee Chair also talked about the problems existing in the spheres of agriculture and environment and evaluated the engagement of the international best experience for its settlement. He has underlined that one of the objectives of our country is the production of the ecologically clean food products and its export. Besides the clean food Armenia is concerned about regulating the environmental problems, where the mining industry and the preservation of Lake Sevan occupy great place. The Armenian and the Czech colleagues considered necessary the debate of the multi-layer problems in the future, too. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. 62 juvenile crimes have been committed in Armenia in the first quarter of 2019, while the figure was 66 in 2018, Colonel Nelly Duryan, Head of the Department For Protection of Minors Rights and Domestic Violence of Armenian Police told a press conference. Infliction of bodily injuries also dropped, by 3, however robberies grew by 4 cases. In 2018s January-March 1 juvenile misdemeanor was recorded, and in this years period 2, she said. According to the official the number of illegal possession of firearms by minors remained unchanged 5 cases. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received the delegation led by the Vice President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Milan Stech. Greeting the guests, Ararat Mirzoyan said, The Czech Republic is one of the key partners of Armenia in the EU. He added that the Armenian side is interested in further developing the existing close relations, highlighting the role of inter-parliamentary diplomacy for that. Highly appreciating the ratification by the Czech parliament the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, the head of the parliament emphasized that cooperation with the EU is among Armenias political priorities. At the request of the guests, Ararat Mirzoyan presented the processes and developments that took place in the sidelines of the velvet revolution and following it. Referring to Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the commitment of the Armenian side to solve the conflict exclusively peacefully in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs format. The President of the National Assembly of Armenia expressed gratitude to the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic for adopting a decision condemning the Armenian Genocide, hoping that soon it will be adopted also by the Senate. I am confident that what happened in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire was genocide, Milan Stech said, assuring that he will make efforts for its adoption by the Senate. The Vice President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Milan Stech invited Ararat Mirzoyan to pay a vist to the Czech Republic. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan attended the presentation of the fire engines by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at the Emergency Situations Ministry of Armenia. Japan donated 14 fire engines together with some other equipment. Ambassador of Japan to Armenia Jun Yamada and JICA representative Yukiko Ejiri were present at the ceremony. I want to express gratitude to the Government of Japan for the assistance to Armenia and technical and financial support provided to Armenia for years, ARMENPRESS reports the PM as saying. He added that JICAs support to Armenia has always been useful for the development of Armenia, particularly for the modernization of the energy system of the country and protection from natural disasters. Armenia is always interested in strengthening friendly relations and cooperation with Japan, Pashinyan said, expressing confidence that the two peoples have a lot in common. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan My observation and first-hand experience have been characterised by the uncomfortable reality that this is an industry that is controlled commercially by Australians and functioning relentlessly irrespective of Papua New Guinean decision-making and conflict-resolution. The time-rich, and I would argue more appropriate, Melanesian Way having been cast aside. The counsel to write often and write from the heart motivate my efforts to reinforce the repeated requests of the young Papua New Guinean men of the Trail guides and carriers (porters) - who are asking the industry to enforce, with strict regulation, lighter-weight 18 kg packs, uniforms, safe sleeping gear, better safety measures and increased wages. Its a question I much contemplate my unanswered pleas and the patrician-like silence of the key recipients of Papua New Guineas multi-million kina number one tourism activity. BRISBANE How to best articulate the past eight months of futile dialogue with Kokoda Trail management and subsequent non-results for welfare reform for carriers and guides of the trek tourism industry? Rashmii Amoah Bell - Can anyone effectively stand up for the Kokoda guides and carriers? What is also evident is that poor engagement with Trail communities contributes to perpetuating the challenges that mar trek tourism. Those Papua New Guineans guides, carriers, communities who contribute so much to the Trail experience are the least rewarded. Companies and trekkers do well, but not so those who contribute so much and whose livelihoods are often dependent upon Trail tourism. For change to occur in the system, these Koiari and Orokaiva people or their representatives - need to be on the inside not the outside. Indeed, it is a desire that community leaders from Isurava to Kokoda Station recently proclaimed, and not for the first time. The carriers and guides, the Papua New Guinean labour, also need to be included and their welfare assessed and acted upon. This was the key motivation for my Trail of Woe series that caused such a stir when it was published, but has so far had no concrete results. In an open letter to the Kokoda Track Authoritys interim CEO, I relayed a request from carriers and guides for them to be included in this months KTA tour operators forum in Port Moresby. They wont be. Eight months after my letter there has been zero commitment, hardly acknowledgement, to a request to include carriers and guides in dialogue. My own experience of the previous Kokoda Track Authority forum last November left me with strong feelings of frustration. I was privileged to have been invited by Adventure Kokodas Major Charlie Lynn and been there with the companys general manager and staff. I couldn't help eyeing off the ivory steam-pressed tablecloths bearing white china tea sets, glistening silver coffee urns, trays of warm pastries and mason jars of bircher muesli. But the well-stocked buffet in the corner of a plush Brisbane hotel conference room was only a backdrop to the forum (Australia-based operators only), also supported by the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority. My attendance was an opportunity to broaden my understanding of the industry, to deepen my knowledge about the roles of the agencies heavy with acronyms and, I hoped, to participate in dialogue to raise the concerns relayed in Trail of Woe. But the series, despite its wide circulation, remained an unmentioned elephant looming over a room filled by the very people it addressed, and sought responses and action from. I thought to myself that perhaps concerns conveyed by Papua New Guineans are not seen as credible, or relevant, or useful. They certainly werent seen as palatable through a white Australian lens. Two significant things struck me. First, the alphabet soup of PNG-agencies involved (KTA, TPA, CEPA and NMAG) made a lacklustre attempt at asserting their sovereignty, seeming in the thrall of Australian presence in the industry. Reform for the welfare of carriers and guides depends on the ability of Papua New Guinean decision-makers to take the lead. They didnt. Secondly, a degree of cohesion would be expected in an institution that has opted for a multi-agency management approach, but silos were what I observed. The new (but interim) KTA CEO said he had prioritised finalising all outstanding payments to Trail landowners by January 2019. His also suggested paying landowners solely with revenue from fees and permits. Undoubtedly this will be of concern to trek operators who opted to forgo these payments when leading their clients along the Trail. Fantastic was a presentation by PNGs Conservation and Environment Protection Authority about its remarkable research and comprehensive documentation of Trail biodiversity, intended as a communication tool which ideally will target trekker tourists and fill the gap in flora and fauna education along the Trail. PNGs Tourism Promotion Authority outlined a 2019 highlighted by forming partnerships with trek operators to deliver joint campaigns to promote the Trail as a tourism product. I hope this will include a move away from perpetuating conditions endured by wartime carriers as acceptable for their modern-day counterparts. The PNG National Museum and Art Gallery then stepped up with a PowerPoint presentation detailing a whirlwind of activity which had seemed to bypass consultation not only with the audience of trek operators but also with Trail communities. An image of a galvanised steel box-like structure on short stilts was introduced as a community museum, with a short verandah extension defined as a trade centre to alleviate the marginal economic participation of villagers in Trail commerce. Interpretative panel mock-ups were also introduced as works in-progress that may contribute to countering the Trails existing dismal efforts at military history and commemoration. A representative of the Australian High Commission in PNG spoke on the commitment and activities of the Kokoda Initiative, which in 2019 will apparently undertake projects including improving cooking facilities at campsites and providing training programs for carriers and guides. It was a welcome update, although familiar, given my suggestions for these very projects in the Trail of Woe series. Indiscreet were the Australian management personnel in possession of copies of the KTA interim CEOs plans which had not being made available to Papua New Guinean forum participants. Whilst another Australian spoke on behalf of five projects to be undertaken by Anzac Day 2019, but no details were shared with the forum. Then there was the muddled response to my question on the current atrocious conditions around Trail toilet facilities. What began as a comical deflection of responsibility became downright irritating as eventually they reached consensus that toilets had been a long-standing (no pun intended) concern, and still were. Most significant, however, was the manner in which the forum careened past, in a near-mute discussion, the welfare and conditions of carriers and guides. Despite numerous attempts, these backbones of the industry continue to operate without a representative body, although there have been repeated efforts to form an Association. So they werent at this forum bar one individual who had led past attempts and was a regular participant. Allocated just a few minutes, the regular outlined his plans to venture onto the Trail to meet carriers and guides, rehash the objectives of an Association and encourage their membership, and a fee. Mention was made of a corporate dinner to generate funds for the proposed Association and then he resumed his seat. Then, given a brief window, an Adventure Kokoda staff members proposal for a firm decision to be made about enforcing an 18kg pack weight limit for carriers was again brushed aside and attention turned with apparent urgency to a review of Trail airstrip evacuation procedures. Given the number of commentators, lack of clarity about priorities and absence of resolution in this forum, is it any wonder that carriers and guides have seen no movement towards enforcing welfare requirements to an ethical standard. And what progress can we expect at the forum in Port Moresby tomorrow? It seems almost certain the lack of forward movement on these critical issues will keep flowing forward into the future. And as more politicians joined the self-declared Alternative Government, they brought with them a litany of complaints about the capability of the ONeill administration Blades said the opposition Laguna Hotel camp was offering an open door for any more government MPs who wished to join their bid to remove the prime minister. Journalist Johnny Blades of Radio New Zealand reported opposition MPs as quietly confident that they had the momentum to remove ONeill as his government reels from a series of resignations. NOOSA At the weekend, even as Papua New Guineas deputy prime minister Charles Abel said the governments support remains solid, a disparate alliance of opposition forces had achieved a narrow lead in the race to gain support to oust prime minister Peter ONeill. Peter O'Neill's opponents say it's "time to stop the current leadership for the good of the nation" "We have a government that is government by one man for one man, for his benefit and the benefit of his friends, said former prime minister, Sir Mekere Morauta. The PNG that Michael Somare, Julius Chan, Paias Wingti, Rabbie Namaliu and others shaped has been changed profoundly and for worse in the last seven years by just one man. Papua New Guinea is sick and we get sicker if we don't change this man. We can fix it. We have the medicine." Morobe governor Ginson Sinou said the country had not been managed well despite the vast mineral and forestry resources available. He said this was the time to stop the current leadership for the good of the nation. Opposition leader Patrick Pruaitch said ONeill had an insatiable appetite towards funds and cash grabbing, which has been the source of discontentment among many of PNGs most prominent and notable leaders over a significant period of time. Peter ONeills full frontal and systemic reign of manipulation and deception has caught up with him and may well have significantly eroded the basis and foundation of any credibility and integrity once tied to the honourable seat of prime minister and the seats once honourable and trusted words and promises, Pruaitch said. Speaking on behalf of seven members of the Pangu Pati who defected to the opposition group, Central Governor Robert Agarobe said their stand was to change government leadership. And Vanimo-Green MP, Belden Namah, said the camp now had two-thirds of PNGs governors opposed to ONeills leadership. Bryan Kramer MP and Governor Tony Wouwou - a sudden change of allegiance All five MPs from Sandaun Province joined the camp at Port Moresbys Laguna Hotel after Sandaun governor Tony Wouwou unexpectedly backflipped having earlier in the day declared he was a diehard member of ONeills ruling Peoples National Congress. Meanwhile deputy prime minister Abel continued to crack hardy declaring, We certainly take on board all those issues that were raised by our brothers. And Im so thankful that the party and our prime minister have the understanding attitude that they have, we go forward together, we take on those issues, and as a team, we continue to respond to those issues. So, after a weekend which saw ONeills opponents gain a narrow majority of MPs, the nation awaits a parliamentary vote of no confidence at some time in the next 1o days, perhaps even as early as tomorrow. But with political loyalties in PNG notoriously fickle, this so far effective effort to change the countrys government - and perhaps its direction - probably still has a few twists and turns left in it, especially as the numbers on each side still remain so tight. This is not a story it quoted a PNG government press release verbatim without incorporating critical background on Peter ONeills role in 2011 in usurping the [Sir Michael] Somare government from office, an action which the PNG supreme court later declared to be illegal and ordered the Somare governments reinstatement. Woke up to more trash published by Papua New Guineas oldest daily newspaper and my former employer, said Rheeney, who is also a former chair of the PNG Media Council and currently an editor of the Samoa Observer. Writing on social media, Alexander Rheeney distributed yesterdays Post-Courier front page lead story favouring ONeill drawn from a government press release and said today the country deserved independent coverage. Parliament resumes today and prime minister Peter ONeill faces the biggest challenge to his leadership since 2011. AUCKLAND - A former editor of the PNG Post-Courier has condemned his old newspaper for a front page article insulting the intelligence of Papua New Guineans as tension builds over the looming vote of no confidence in the government. Alex Rheeney's Facebook post. Rheeney is "renowned for his ethical and independent brand of journalism" Please stop insulting the intelligence of Papua New Guineans with your content and start practising real journalism, which will empower rather than disempower citizens. If anyone knows who the editor of the Post-Courier is these days, get a screenshot of my post and send it to him or her. PNG has come to a critical juncture in its history, and we in the media have a responsibility to give readers, listeners and viewers independent coverage of the political developments in Port Moresby and the looming vote of no confidence. As editor of the Post-Courier, Rheeney was renowned for his ethical and independent brand of journalism. Under a staff reporters byline, the entire 14 paragraph story in the Post-Courier yesterday was a directly quoted press release. The story claimed the ONeill government was firm and ready with its coalition partners to govern for the rest of the parliamentary term, as they were mandated by the people of Papua New Guinea at the 2017 elections. ONeill was quoted as saying his government still had the support of 60 MPs in the 111-seat parliament. The prime minister praised his governments policies and accused the National Alliance Party of vigorously encouraging the behind the scenes activities to destabilise political parties in the country. Meanwhile, a seasoned analyst and commentator on PNG politics and affairs, Keith Jackson, described the looming no-confidence vote as too close to call. Jackson, who publishes the PNG Attitude blog, said that the disparate alliance of opposition forces had achieved a narrow lead in the race to gain support to oust ONeill. He said that as more politicians had joined the self-declared alternative government, they had brought with them a litany of complaints about the capability of the ONeill administration Jackson quoted former prime minister Sir Mekere Morauta as saying: We have a government that is government by one man for one man, for his benefit and the benefit of his friends. The PNG that Michael Somare, Julius Chan, Paias Wingti, Rabbie Namaliu and others shaped has been changed profoundly and for worse in the last seven years by just one man. Papua New Guinea is sick and we get sicker if we dont change this man. We can fix it. We have the medicine. Image: Supplied One of Australia's largest brick businesses Brickworks, has announced a joint venture with West Australian startup Fast Brick Robotics (FBR) to test the Hadrian X bricklaying machine. The joint venture between the two creates a business called Fastbrick Australia, replacing an earlier memorandum of understanding, and will deliver what they call a wall as a service -- where businesses pay for the Hadrian X to build a wall for them. Under the terms of the deal, Brickworks will provide blocks for the Hadrian X machine, while FBR will have exclusive rights to supply laying services to Fastbrick Australia with their Hadrian X machines. FBR CEO Mike Pivac in a statement to the ASX said they were very pleased with the joint venture. Fastbrick Australia provides FBR with an opportunity in Australia to demonstrate the capabilities of the Hadrian X with the new optimised blocks, he said. Brickworks managing director Lindsay Partridge AM said, in that same statement, he was pleased to be working with FBR and was hopeful to test the commercialisation of Wall as a Service. The deal comes reasonably soon after a previous memorandum of understanding between FBR and US construction giant Caterpillar Inc died in December last year. The Hadrian X is reported to require minimal human interaction, capable of laying up to 1,000 bricks an hour about the output of two human bricklayers for a day - with no needs for breaks. Last year, the same robot built a house in three days. In 2017 the company signed a non-binding memorandum with Saudi Arabia to potentially use the Hadrian Xs to build 50,000 in the Kingdom by 2022. About 100 robots are reported to be needed to do this. Unions and workers protest to demand better wages and increased job security in Melbourne, Australia on April 10, 2019. (Photo by Recep Sakar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Were hurtling quickly towards the federal election, which will be fought and won over some key topical issues, with cost-of-living rating high as a key concern among voters. Living costs outstrippping household incomes by 2.9 per cent over the last three years have plummeted us into the biggest fall in standards of living weve seen in three decades, according to a recent report by the ACTU. And casual workers are among those who are being hit hardest: due to the 2017 public holiday penalty rate cuts, hospitality and retail workers saw an estimated $80 million in lost pay across Easter alone, according to figures from the Australia Institutes Centre for Future Work. Its clearly unpopular with workers. So who actually supports these penalty rate cuts? While some political issues can be divisive, it appears most Australians across the political spectrum are supportive of reinstalling the penalty rates to pre-2017 levels. According to ABCs VoteCompass data, the vast majority of Greens and Labor voters wanted to see the rates reinstated, with 79 and 83 per cent agreeing that cuts to Sunday penalty rates should be reversed. The majority of One Nation voters also felt the same, with 61 per cent in favour of seeing cuts reversed. However, Liberal-National Coalition are split almost exactly down the middle, with 39 per cent agreeing and 40 per cent disagreeing that the penalty rate cuts should be reversed. Penalty rate cuts: Who wants them? (Source: ABC/VoteCompass) By area, its unsurprising that those living in wealthy electorates with a low percentage of technical and trade workers and a high concentration of white-collar professionals are least keen to see penalty cut back to where they were two years ago. Penalty rate cuts: Who wants them? (Source: ABC/VoteCompass) Only 44 per cent of voters living in the blue-ribbon seat of Curtin were supportive of reinstating penalty cuts, compared to 82 per cent of voters in the safe Labor seat of Chifley. Make your money work with Yahoo Finances daily newsletter. Sign up here and stay on top of the latest money, property and tech news. Credit: Paul HarriesThe Knot is coming to late-night TV. Slipknot will perform on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! next Friday, May 17. As it will mark the band's first performance in support of their upcoming new album, we'll likely see the debut of the Iowa metallers' new masks during the episode. The still-untitled album, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2014's .5: The Gray Chapter, is due out on August 9. Slipknot will launch a full-scale U.S. tour in support of the record July 26 in Mountain View, California. Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The birth of baby Sussex has been announced. It's a boy! Photo: Getty Baby Sussex is finally here! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram to announce the birth of their first child, a son, on May 6th at 5:26 a.m. in London, midnight in Australia, weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces. A separate statement from the royal family revealed that several key family members, including the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William and Duchess Catherine were all delighted by news of the young royals arrival. While the Duchesss mother, Doria Ragland, is staying with the couple at their Frogmore Cottage home, the announcement also included a sweet tribute to Prince Harrys late mother. The royal family confirmed that Princess Dianas siblings, sisters Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer were informed before announcing the birth to the general public. In a touching tribute, Diana's family were told of the birth ahead of the public announcement. Photo: Getty Baby Sussex is born Harry has stayed close to his mothers siblings, and even asked his aunt, Lady Jane Fellowes, to give a reading at the their May 2018 royal wedding. Lady Jane Fellowes with Doria Ragland, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in May 2018. (Image via Getty Images). This is where the royal baby sits in the line of succession. Photo: Yahoo Lifestyle After announcing their engagement in 2017, Markle noted in a televised interview just how important it was for her to get to know Princess Dianas siblings as well as her good friend, Julia Samuels. I think in being able to meet his aunts and also like Julia and just different people who were so important to his mum, Im able to, in some way, know a part of her through them and of course through him, Markle said. Its incredibly special. For more information on baby Sussex, see our article on everything we know about the royal baby. Words by Elizabeth di Filippo Got a story tip? Send it to lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Or sign up to our daily newsletter here. Jazmin Grimaldi, 27, will never inherit her father Prince Albert's place on the throne despite being his eldest child. Photo: Getty Images As the child of a reigning monarch some things in life seem certain. From palatial homes, aristocratic bloodlines and most notably the chance to one day take their place on the throne - an opulent existence seems part of the deal. But for two of Prince Albert II of Monacos offspring, the latter of these outcomes is completely out of the question, and they will always be commoners. The loophole affects the monarchs eldest children Jazmin Grimaldi, 27, and her 15-year-old half-brother Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste. This is due to both being born to women the prince never married - American Tamara Rotolo and Togo-born Nicole Coste respectively. Instead, Prince Jacques, the four-year-old son of Albert and his wife, Princess Charlene, is the heir apparent to the tiny principality south of France. Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, 15, is pictured alongside his father, Prince Albert and a family friend following his confirmation in London last year. Photo: Instagram/deliaantal The snub is due to Monacos succession laws specifying only direct and legitimate descendants of Monaco's monarch or their siblings may inherit the throne. As neither Jazmin or Alexandres mothers ever married their father, the prince, they are not in the line of succession to ever take over the throne. However, dont feel too bad for the blue-blooded duo. Both are still set to inherit a sizeable portion of Prince Alberts estimated $1billion fortune and were offered the choice to live and study near him in Monaco. This comes after initial doubts about their paternity which saw the prince request DNA tests before he adopted the role of biological father. For Jazmin, this meant a Californian childhood with her American real estate agent mother before she visited Monaco for the first time aged 11. Similarly, Alexandre grew up in France with his mother Nicole, who dated the prince for several years after they met on an Air France flight she was working on. Jazmin and Alexandre are reported to enjoy a close relationship with their father, his wife Charlene and their four-year-old twins Jacques and Gabriella. Photo: Getty Images But it took until his son was almost two years old for Prince Albert to claim paternity, despite already financially supporting the pair. Story continues Fast forward almost 15 years and both Jazmin and Alexandre are reported to enjoy a close relationship with their father and his wife Charlene and their four-year-old twins Jacques and Gabriella. Last year the prince and his eldest son enjoyed a photo op during Alexandres confirmation in London, while Jazmin, like her grandmother Grace Kelly, is an actress who regularly attends high profile events by her famous dads side. Got a story tip? Send it to lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Or sign up to our daily newsletter here. Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic Church appealed for calm and an alcohol ban Monday after clashes between Christians and Muslims in a town scarred by the Easter suicide attacks. Hundreds of security forces entered Negombo to impose a curfew after dozens of Muslim-owned shops, homes and vehicles were attacked. St. Sebastian's church in the town 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of capital Colombo was one of three churches and three hotels hit by jihadist suicide bombers on April 21 killing 257 people. "I appeal to all Catholic and Christian brothers and sisters not to hurt even a single Muslim person because they are our brothers, because they are part of our religious culture," said Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo. "Therefore please avoid hurting them and try to create a better spirit of understanding and good relations between all the communities of Sri Lanka," he said in a video message to the country. - Liquor ban sought - The cardinal visited Negombo, held talks with clerics at a mosque and appealed to the government to shut bars in the Catholic-dominated town known as "Little Rome", said his spokesman Father Edmund Tilakaratne. "As a temporary measure, the cardinal asked the government to order the ban on liquor sales in Negombo area," Tilakaratne told AFP. In another televised appeal, Ranjith appealed to Christians, Buddhists and Muslims to show restraint. Negombo suffered the highest death toll in the Easter Sunday attacks that were claimed by the Islamic State group. The bomb at St. Sebastian's killed more than 100 worshippers. A top police officer said two arrests were made after the latest clashes and more suspects had been identified through CCTV footage. The officer said all will be prosecuted under emergency laws approved after the Easter attacks. "At least three people were injured in the clashes," the officer told AFP. "Although we have arrested only two suspects at the moment, many more have been identified and we will go after them." The officer said an alcohol-fuelled dispute between two groups degenerated into the clashes. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a statement the government will compensate those who lost property in the night-time clashes. Unverified video circulating on social media showed mobs throwing stones at Muslim businesses, destroyed furniture inside homes, shattered windows and overturned vehicles. AFP was unable to immediately verify the footage. A few hundred extra troops and police were deployed late Sunday as authorities imposed a night-time curfew in the town. The government blocked access to WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media platforms for several hours to prevent what it called the spread of rumours and videos aimed at instigating unrest. The curfew was lifted on Monday morning and social media was working again by noon Monday. Sri Lanka's main international airport is located in the area, but police said there was no disruption. Muslims make up around 10 percent of Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka's 21 million population and Christians about 7.6 percent. - Security for schools - Meanwhile, public schools reopened Monday for the first time since the Easter attacks, with heavily armed police and troops guarding schools. "The attendance was poor today, but we maintain a high level of security," the top police officer said. "Most parents are adopting a wait-and-see approach and we hope attendance will be back to normal very soon." The country has been under a state of emergency since the Easter bombings. Security forces and police have been give sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects. The government has blamed the Easter bombings on a local jihadist organisation which had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Extra troops and police have been deployed to Negombo and a curfew is in effect Cat lover Sydnee Cooke thought her pet cat Marley died during an escape attempt but after a vet examined the body, she was told Marleys death was most likely very suspicious. The Canberra woman was heartbroken when she discovered the body of her favourite cat in her backyard on Thursday night, initially assuming her cat had cut herself escaping from the custom built enclosure. We thought Marley had bled to death, Ms Cooke said but decided to wait until daylight to investigate. Ms Cooke with little Marley. Source: Facebook When Ms Cooke and her mother discovered a hole cut in the wire inclosure built to allow the three family cats to explore the outdoors safely in, she immediately took Marleys body to the vet for an autopsy. The wire was a clean cut and very specific, she said. After a vet examined Marleys body, Ms Cooke was told the cause of death was suspicious and to report the death to police. Im mainly still in disbelief and shock, she told Yahoo News Australia. Ms Cooke found where the cat enclosure had been cut open. Source: Supplied Marleys injuries were contained to her lower body and not consistent with a car accident or from another animal. Her back legs were covered in cuts, her pelvis was fractured and her leg dislocated, Ms Cooke said, adding that Marley was affectionate and friendly. Its hard to imagine that someone could inflict that much damage on a helpless animal, she said. After warning her neighbours about the horrific incident, Ms Cooke posted a warning on a community noticeboard. "Im mainly still in disbelief and shock," Ms Cooke said. Source: Supplied Please keep your pets inside and secure especially in the Gordon area. Our cat was loving, sweet and wouldve never approached someone aggressively. A police investigation revealed there was no CCTV footage or witnesses to Marleys death and Ms Cooke was advised to report the incident to the RSPCA. As of Monday the RSPCA had not responded to Ms Cookes report. 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 traveller from the US has been caught trying to sneak half a kilogram of psychoactive cactus into Australia inside his luggage. The 64-year-old was busted by Australian Border Force at Sydney Airport last month after arriving on a flight from Los Angeles. He was found to have entered the country with 500 grams of the small, spineless cactus inside his check-in baggage. A traveller from the US has been caught trying to sneak half a kilogram of psychoactive cactus into Australia inside his luggage. Source: Australian Border Force The plant, containing the psychoactive alkaloid mescaline and classified as a narcotic, was seized for destruction by Border Force officials. The AFP ascertained the Peyote cactus was purchased legally in the United States and was purchased by the man due to ceremonial requirements of his native American background. Aviation Traveller Superintendent Phillip Anderson said the bust was an important detection that highlighted the role the community can play in protecting Australias border. The cactus was purchased by the man legally and due to ceremonial requirements of his native American background. Source: Australian Border Force Our airport officers work incredibly hard every day to protect Australias community from dangerous illicit substances such as these, Superintendent Anderson said. The information that led to this detection came from a member of the public who reported the suspected criminal activity through Border Watch. The incident was referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the man was informed the substance was a border controlled drug and could warrant importation offences. 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 grandparents of two children stranded with their French jihadist mother at a camp in Kurdish-held Syria are to file a lawsuit Monday at Europe's top rights court over France's refusal to allow them home, lawyers said. It is the latest challenge to the French government's opposition to returning the children of suspected jihadists in Syria or Iraq. The four-year-old girl and three-year-old boy are among the estimated 500 children of French citizens who joined the Islamic State's so-called "caliphate" before the jihadist's last Syrian redoubt was overrun in March. France has said it will consider requests for their return on a case-by-case basis only, infuriating many rights advocates and NGOs. Since March it has repatriated just five orphans and a three-year-old girl whose mother was sentenced to life in prison in Iraq. Critics say the policy exposes innocent victims of the war, many of whom have suffered serious trauma during the fighting and coalition bombardments, to inhumane living conditions and long-term psychological risks. The grandparents of the two children, whose mother had joined jihadists in Syria, will file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, eastern France, their lawyers told AFP. "By refusing to repatriate this mother and these two sick children who are wounded and in a state of extreme weakness, France is consciously and deliberately exposing them to inhumane and degrading treatment," they said in a statement. The suit will also accuse France of violating the family's right to enter the state where they are citizens -- the first time such an argument has been invoked in the case of jihadists' children, the lawyers said. They declined to name the mother to protect her identity, or confirm where the children were born and whether they held French passports. Some Western women have given to birth to children in territory previously controlled by IS, but their children have never been registered with authorities in their home countries. - 'Justice on French soil' - The two children and their mother, who is the target of an arrest warrant by a French anti-terror judge, were wounded in the battle for Baghouz, the last IS stronghold before it was taken by Kurdish-led forces in March. They are being held at the camp of Al-Hol in northeast Syria, where 73,00 people live according to the United Nations, including 12,000 foreigners. The lawyers for the family said cholera, tuberculosis and dysentery are spreading in the camp, with the children undernourished and the mother suffering from typhoid fever. The mother "has confirmed her desire to have her children repatriated... and wants to face justice on French soil," her lawyers said. But France is loathe to bring back foreign fighters or their families after suffering a wave of deadly jihadist attacks that have killed more than 250 people since 2015. After considering repatriation at the urging of Kurdish forces in Syria as well as the United States, the government decided against bringing home any men or women who joined the IS fight. So far, legal attempts beginning last year to force France to allow the return of citizens held in Syria have failed. In April, France's State Council, which rules on the legality of policies and laws, rejected several requests, saying it was a French diplomatic matter outside the council's jurisdiction. - 'Hunger and cold' - Repatriation of citizens who left to fight in Syria and Iraq is a hugely sensitive issue in Western nations, leery of taking on the legal challenges of trying to convict people for acts overseas. Britain and the United States have gone so far as to strip Islamic State proponents of citizenship. This hardline stance drew criticism in March when 19-year-old Shamima Begum lost her British citizenship after giving interviews in which she begged to return home but showed little remorse for having been an IS propagandist. Her baby Jarrah died of pneumonia less than three weeks after he was born. The burden of treating children is also daunting for Western governments, which have had to set up special services for dealing with deep psychological scars from their years in the battle zones. Many show the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, including vivid nightmares, mutism and a visceral rejection of any attachment to others. "These children have known hunger and cold. Some had already been separated from their parents, sometime to protect them from the war, and they are scared of being abandoned again," said Marie-Rose Moro, a doctor who has treated several returned families. The complaint will be filed with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, eastern France Hungary's anti-immigration Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday said former ally Manfred Weber was "unsuitable" to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as the EU commission head after Europe-wide elections this month because the German politician had insulted his country. "The candidates for commission president are all clearly unsuitable," Orban told journalists in Budapest at a joint press conference with Austria's far-right leader and vice chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache. Orban said Weber, lead candidate of the mainstream conservative European People's Party (EPP), the EU's biggest and most influential political grouping, had offended Hungarians. In March Weber told German broadcaster ZDF that he "would not accept the post" of commission president if he had to depend on votes from Fidesz, Orban's party. "Weber would have been good for us...as Commission candidate, but he announced that for him not only was there no need for Hungarian votes, but that he didn't want to become president with those votes," Orban said. "If someone insults a country, then the prime minister of that country cannot support his candidacy," he said. "We will keep looking for a suitable candidate," he added. Weber endorsed Orban before the Hungarian's third consecutive general election win last year but their relations have soured since January over an anti-EU billboard campaign launched by Budapest that attacked Juncker. Fidesz was indefinitely suspended from the EPP in March over the billboards, although Orban insists that he wants his party to remain in the grouping. Staying in the EPP depends on what direction the grouping takes after the vote, said Orban, whose election campaign has focused exclusively on pledges to "stop immigration". He has urged the EPP instead to "work with the anti-immigration forces on the right" instead of "drifting" toward cooperation with the left. - Hardliners joining hands - The firebrand Hungarian, who has become a leading figure among Europe's nationalists for his anti-immigration stance, last week hosted Matteo Salvini, the similarly hardline leader of Italy's anti-immigrant League party. As with Salvini, Orban heaped praise on Strache Monday, and said the two "agreed on all issues". "We want the same changes to happen in Europe as happened in Austria, that centre right parties cooperate with the patriotic right-wing parties," he said. Strache's far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) has been in a coalition government with the centre-right People's Party (OeVP) of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz since late 2017. Strache said he believes there is a chance that a "bloc of patriotic national parties" will gain a majority in the European Parliament after the vote. "Europe needs a strong alliance, especially if we are looking at future migration or creeping Islamisation," he said. Salvini has convened a Milan meeting of anti-EU parties for May 18, with Marine Le Pen, head of France's National Rally party, and Czech far-right leader Tomio Okamura expected to attend. Strache said his party would also be represented although Orban said Fidesz would not be there. Orban said Weber had insulted Hungary by saying he didn't need Hungarian votes or support Weber is the top candidate of the European People's Party (EPP) for the EU elections Portuguese detectives are investigating a foreign paedophile as a suspect in the abduction of Madeleine McCann, according to reports. Scotland Yard passed information to Portuguese police about the apparent kidnap suspect, who was in Portugal in May 2007, the Lisbon-based Expresso newspaper reported. The man had been investigated over alleged child sex offences at the time, according to the paper, which quoted a judicial source. The Sun has named the suspect as 48-year-old German paedophile Martin Ney. Martin Ney, a convicted paedophile, is a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Source: 7 News/ AAP Ney is serving life in prison for abducting and murdering three children. Its been reported he was in Portugal working for an evangelical church on a project for the homeless around the time Madeleine disappeared. The 48-year-old is also suspected of murdering a child in Holland in 1998 and another in France in 2004. Clarence Mitchell, a spokesman for the McCann family, told The Sun Ney fits the profile. He wore camouflage gear, carried knives and jumped out of bushes to pounce on victims, Mr Mitchell told The Sun. It is quite possible and plausible police are looking at him again but it could be someone else. Gerry and Kate McCann hold a picture in 2012 of what they believe Madeleine would have looked like then. Source: AAP Twelve years of missing Madeleine The reports come on the 12th anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance as her mother Kate attended an emotional prayer vigil at her home village in Rothley, Leicestershire, marking the occasion. Madeleine's father Gerry, a heart doctor, was reportedly in Italy on work business as Kate and her twins Sean and Amelie attended the service at a local Baptist church. The girl was three when she vanished while on holiday with her parents in Praia da Luz on the Algarve coast on May 3 2007. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said on Thursday the force was pursuing "active lines of inquiry" and has asked for more funding from the Home Office. Story continues British police launched their own investigation, Operation Grange, in 2013 after a Portuguese inquiry failed to make progress. Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, both doctors and devout Catholics, have always pledged never to give up the search for their daughter. Madeleine McCann has been missing for 12 years. Source: AAP In a statement on Friday, the 12th anniversary of her disappearance, they said: "The months and years roll by too quickly, Madeleine will be 16 this month. "It's impossible to put into words just how that makes us feel. There is comfort and reassurance though in knowing that the investigation continues and many people around the world remain vigilant. "Thank you to everyone who continues to support us and for your ongoing hope and belief." With AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have welcomed a baby boy after Meghan Markle went into labour early on Monday morning (local time). The official Sussex Royal Instagram account said their first-born son weighed 7lbs 3oz or 3.2 kilograms. The baby, seventh-in-line to the British throne, "is absolutely to die for, Prince Harry told reporters. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have welcomed a baby boy. Source: Getty Images "It was amazing, absolutely incredible. As I say, I am so incredibly proud of my wife and, as every father and parent would ever say your baby is absolutely amazing, this little baby is absolutely to die for," a smiling Prince Harry said. He said they had not yet decided on a name for the child and would make their first appearance as a family in a couple of days' time. A statement from the royal family said Meghans mother Doria Ragland was overjoyed and with the couple at Frogmore Cottage. The statement said Meghan and the baby are both doing well. It said that The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and other members of the royal family were informed of the birth and were all delighted with the news. A post on the couples Instagram account thanked the public for their shared excitement and support during the special time. Prince Harry speaks to the media after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a baby boy at Windsor Castle in Berkshire. Source: Reuters Queen Elizabeth's grandson Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, a US-born former actress, married in a lavish ceremony at the monarch's Windsor Castle home in May last year. The baby will be the eighth great grandchild of the 93-year-old queen, the world's longest-reigning monarch, and could be entitled to hold joint British and American citizenship according to nationality rules. However, the child will not automatically be a prince or a princess as any such title will have to be bestowed by the queen by issuing what is known as a letter patent. Meghan Markles pregnancy was announced in October hours after she and Prince Harry landed in Sydney as part of their royal tour. Following a day of activities in Sydney, Prince Harry then gushed about her pregnancy for the first time. Story continues It is great to be back in Australia, and especially even more so this is my wifes first visit here, so I am very excited to show her this incredible country, Prince Harry said in a speech at Admiralty House. We also genuinely couldnt think of a better place to announce the upcoming baby, be it a boy or a girl. Meghan was not following any of the royal scripts when it came to childbirth preparations. Prince Harry said he was proud of his wife Meghan Markle following the birth of their first baby. Source: Getty Unlike Prince Harrys brother Prince William and his wife Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan chose to keep the details about their baby planning private, despite or perhaps because of intense media interest in the babys arrival. The couple had not revealed where Meghan intended to give birth, so there isnt likely to be a 24/7 media stakeout outside the hospital as was the case for the births of Prince William and Kates three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Dont expect a photo of the happy family walking out of the hospital looking picture perfect hours after the birth either Prince Harry and Meghan have said they want to celebrate privately with their extended family before telling the world a baby has been born. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes orGoogle Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. When local historian David Brooks spotted toys lovingly placed on the grave of a two-year-old boy who had died 134 years ago, he put a post on social media to try and solve the mystery. The Tea Tree Gully Library community history officer was familiar with the graves in the Hope Vally Cemetery in Adelaides north-east and for years he had watched toys appear on the grave of Herbert Henry Dicker regularly. The toddler died shortly after his second birthday in 1885 from scarlet fever and after his family moved to Tasmania, the grave had become overrun with weeds so Mr Brooks was surprised that somebody was keeping the area tidy. The rare site of the toys on the grave made Mr Brooks sad, happy and curious at the same time. When local historian David Brooks spotted toys lovingly placed on the grave of a two-year-old boy who had died 134 years ago. Source: David Brooks While putting together a night tour of the cemetery Mr Brooks decided to solve the mystery that had been puzzling him for so long. He put a post on Twitter asking fellow history buffs to track down the person tending to little Herberts grave. Within hours Julie Rhodes responded to the post saying herself and a friend were responsible for the kind gesture and had no idea it had caused so much intrigue. We just thought it would be nice to take the time and attention to take care of it Ms Rhodes told Yahoo News Australia. The original Twitter post Ms Rhodes responded to. Source: Twitter/David Brooks Two and a half years ago Ms Rhodes and a friend decided to take a different path on their daily walk, when they spotted the grave covered in leaf litter and the headstone was barely readable. They decided it was in need of some attention; We thought, if it was a relative of ours, we would want somebody to do the same, she said. After the initial clean up took Ms Rhodes, her teenage daughter and friend a few hours, they took turns returning to the grave every few months to leave toys for the little boy because they thought it was just a nice thing to do, I almost lost my son when he was a baby so it hit us in the heart, she told Yahoo News. One of the many times Ms Rhodes and her friend have visited the grave and left toys and flowers. Source: Supplied by Julie Rhodes Mr Brooks said although he had many theories over the years about why someone was leaving the toys, he was not expecting the motive to be so simple and sweet. Story continues You get a sense of the person and how lovely they are, he said after meeting Ms Rhodes and her friend. The story has since gone viral online and was spotted by distance relatives of the Dicker family. Ms Rhodes told Yahoo News that she had recently received a message from Herberts distant relatives who thanked Ms Rhodes for looking after his final resting place. We have been so touched by your efforts, particularly as we all live far away in Tasmania. Thanks so much. Love Jacqui, Ann and Barbara. 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. Bloody photos have emerged from where an Australian DJ died outside a luxury Balinese villa after reportedly rushing to the rescue of one of his employees. Adam Neat, professionally known as Adam Sky, was found Sunday morning about 10am outside Kutas Hillstone Villas Resort in a pool of his own blood, Nine News reported. He was fatally injured after trying to help his friend and staffer, Zoia Lukiantceva, who had suffered multiple fractures on Saturday night, according to a post to his professional Facebook page. Bloody photos have emerged from where an Australian DJ died outside a luxury Balinese villa. Source: Nine News Detectives believed the man smashed into a glass door on his way to help, suffering deep cuts to his arm which resulted in him bleeding to death. Police said alcohol was involved, and the pair were both naked when they were found. Mr Neats family, including his father, former ABC journalist and business leader Gary Neat, arrived in Bali to arrange bringing him back to Australia. He was fatally injured after trying to help his friend and staffer, Zoia Lukiantceva (pictured), who had suffered multiple fractures. Source: Nine News His wife, Marvie, shared a photo of the couple to her Facebook page but opted not to write anything. 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, a post to the Adam Sky Facebook page read. Relatives and friends of Adam are travelling to Bali today and handling all arrangements. We ask you to respect the familiys privacy at this moment while we all come to terms with our tragic loss. Adam Neat, professionally known as Adam Sky, was found Sunday morning in a pool of blood. Source: Instagram/adamskyofficial His wife, Marvie, shared a photo of the couple to her Facebook page but opted not to write anything. Source: Facebook/Marvie Jean Neat 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 US on Monday said it planned to beef up its Arctic presence to keep Russia's and China's "aggressive behaviour" in check in the resource-rich region. "The region has become an arena of global power and competition" owing to vast reserves of oil, gas, minerals and fish stocks, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned in a speech in Rovaniemi, northern Finland. "Just because the Arctic is a place of wilderness does not mean it should become a place of lawlessness," he said. Speaking on the eve of a meeting of the eight members of the Arctic Council, Pompeo took on Beijing and Moscow. "China's pattern of aggressive behaviour elsewhere will inform how it treats the Arctic," he said. He warned against scenarios whereby nations become ensnared by debt and corruption, of low-quality investments, militarisation and uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources, all of which he said were potential effects of allowing rising Chinese influence. "Do we want the Arctic Ocean to transform into a new South China Sea, fraught with militarisation and competing territorial claims?", he said. - Northern Sea Route - While the US and Russia are members of the Arctic Council, China holds only observer status in the cooperation body. Noting that China's most northern tip was 900 miles (1,450 kilometres) from the Arctic, Pompeo swatted down Beijing's attempts to style itself as a "near Arctic state". "There are only Arctic States and Non-Arctic States. No third category exists, and claiming otherwise entitles China to exactly nothing," he said. Beijing has invested massively in the region -- almost $90 billion between 2012 and 2017, according to Pompeo -- and intends to fully benefit from the advantages of the Northern Sea Route. The shipping channel, which drastically cuts sailing times between the Pacific and Atlantic by passing north of Russia, is increasingly usable as the ice melts. China and Russia would like to make the Northern Sea Route a part of the New Silk Road project, a vast Chinese investment programme which several countries, especially the US, see as an attempt to gain control. Gao Feng, China's special representative for Arctic affairs, reacted by saying; "He said ... It's a competition of powers. OK, competition? Let's see ... who can get more friends". - 'Snow prints' - In his speech, Pompeo also denounced Russia's "provocative actions", accusing Moscow of wanting to remilitarise the region. "Russia is already leaving snow prints in the form of army boots," he said. Under President Vladimir Putin, Moscow has beefed up its military presence in the region, reopening several bases that were abandoned after the fall of the USSR. The virulence of Pompeo's remarks was noteworthy given the fact he made them just minutes before a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, amid rising US-Russian tensions over Venezuela, among other things. The two smiled and shook hands in front of the assembled media, but refused to answer questions on the nature of their talks. Pompeo later told reporters that he had spoken to Lavrov about Russian interference in US elections, telling the Russian foreign minister that "It's not appropriate. To stifle rival ambitions in the Arctic, the US is "hosting military exercises, strengthening our force presence, rebuilding our icebreaker fleet, (and) expanding Coast Guard funding," Pompeo said. At Congress' request, the Pentagon is to present a new defence strategy for the Arctic by June 1. Hundreds of US Marines already rotate through Norway to carry out cold climate training, and US planes have returned to Iceland's Keflavik airbase, which they left in 2006. Meanwhile, Pompeo also reiterated US claims to be "the world's leader in caring for the environment," saying it would take the lead in the Arctic as well. US carbon dioxide emissions are "on track to drop by nearly half by 2025, the best of any Arctic country," he said. Asked in the plane carrying him to Rovaniemi about the apparent contradiction between the US commitment to protect the Arctic and President Donald Trump's pledge to leave the Paris climate accord, Pompeo said the accord, signed in 2015, had proven its "ineffectiveness". A guard at the Russian military base on Kotelny island, beyond the Artic circle, illustrates Russia's interest in the strategic region US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (R) and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov talk to the press US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington is "strengthening our force presence" in the Arctic Sweden and Finland are two other Arctic states with a vital interest in the resource-rich region This liquid natural gas plant on the Yamal Peninsula, 2,500 km from Moscow is a joint Chinese-French-Russian energy project Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to a boy, her "over the moon" husband Prince Harry revealed to the world on Monday in a low-key announcement intended to protect their privacy. Prince Harry said that both mother and baby were "doing incredibly well" as he gave a short statement to British television news outlets, without either in sight, in front of Windsor Castle's horse stables. "I am very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a little boy early this morning -- a very healthy boy," a beaming Harry said in the video statement. "As every father and parent would ever say, your baby is absolutely amazing. "But this little thing is absolutely to die for. So I am just over the moon." Buckingham Palace said the boy, seventh in line to the throne, was born at 0526 local time (0426 GMT), weighing seven pounds and three ounces (3.26 kilograms). Meghan, who is mixed race, was an actress in the United States before marrying Harry last year at Windsor Castle. The women's rights campaigner has been hailed as a breath of fresh air in a stuffy institution. A royal spokesman did not reveal whether 34-year-old prince and Meghan, 37, opted for a home birth at their new Frogmore Cottage home on the royal family's Windsor Estate, west of London, or went to a nearby hospital. The birth in Windsor breaks with the tradition followed by Harry's brother William and his wife Kate, whose three children were all born at St Mary's Hospital in London. Harry and William were also born in the same hospital. Harry and Meghan wanted to keep the arrival of their first child "private", Buckingham Palace said last month, and the announcement was made some nine hours after the birth. That contrasts with William and Kate, whose three children -- Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1 -- were immediately shown off to the world's media. Prince Harry said Monday he expected to introduce the newborn to the nation -- and announce his name -- "in probably two days time". - Meghan's mother 'overjoyed' - Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Prince William were among the royals informed, as were the sisters and brother of Harry's late mother Diana, a royal statement said. Meghan's mother Doria Ragland is with her daughter at Frogmore Cottage and was "overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild," it said. Downing Street added to the well-wishes as news of the royal birth broke Monday afternoon in Britain. "Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the arrival of their baby boy," Prime Minister Theresa May said on Twitter. "Wishing you all the best at this happy time." The BT Tower in central London scrolled a message of congratulations, while the London Eye will later turn red, white and blue in honour of the birth. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury who married the couple last May, also shared his joy on social media. "May God bless the new family with love, health and happiness," he said. - 'Incredibly proud' - Prince Harry and Meghan revealed they were expecting their first baby in October, at the outset of a 16-day tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. Commentators believed the baby, the Queen's eighth great-grandchild, was due in late April and Britons have been on tenterhooks when the month ended without news of the birth. There was fevered speculation in recent weeks over everything from the newborn's gender and name -- to whether it will have Harry's ginger hair. The prince said the couple were still thinking about names. "The baby's a little bit overdue so we've had a little bit of time to think about it," he added. Names including Arthur, James and Albert are now hotly tipped by British bookmakers to be chosen by the couple. Prince Harry was present for the birth, describing it as "the most amazing experience I can ever possibly imagine". "How any woman can do what they do is beyond comprehension," he said. "I am so incredibly proud of my wife." Despite the understated nature of Monday's announcement, some royal enthusiasts gathered in Windsor and at Buckingham Palace, where a framed notice of the birth went on display on a ceremonial easel placed on the forecourt. "I'm very excited," Amanda told AFP. "It would have been nice if it wasn't so discreet," she added. Prince Harry said both mother and baby were doing "incredibly well" The couple's first child is seventh in line to the throne Family tree of the British royal family, after Meghan Markle gave birth to a boy on May 6, 2019. Well-wishers gathered in Windsor to celebrate the birth Britons have been on tenterhooks with royal-watchers eagerly awaiting the latest addition to the family Former Italian prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, 82, was released from hospital Monday after undergoing an operation for a bowel obstruction. "I'm fine, I had quite a fright," the billionaire told journalists as he left the San Raffaele hospital in Milan. "Many things have happened recently that made me think I had reached the end of the line, but instead I've recovered amazingly well," he said. The three-time premier was admitted last Tuesday with acute abdominal pain, forcing him to miss a rally of his Forza Italia party ahead of this month's European parliamentary elections. "I promised those who looked after me: I will campaign for the elections," he said Monday, though he added that he would limit his appearances to television, radio and newspaper interviews, rather than attending public rallies. A former crooner turned property and media magnate, Berlusconi was Italian prime minister for his centre-right Forza Italia on three occasions between 1994 and 2011. Despite his regular brushes with the law and health concerns -- including open heart surgery three years ago -- the man known as "the immortal" for his longevity in politics led the Italian right for more than two decades. Berlusconi has faced a string of charges over the so-called Rubygate scandal linked to his parties and the underaged prostitute Karima El-Mahroug, also known as "Ruby the heart-stealer". The businessman is currently on trial accused of paying a witness to give false testimony about his notoriously hedonistic parties. Berlusconi is also being investigated or prosecuted for alleged witness tampering in Milan, Sienna, Rome and Turin, each time accused of paying people to keep quiet about his so-called "bunga-bunga" parties. Forza Italia is currently in opposition, with 105 MPs in Italy's 630-seat lower house. Former Italian prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi smiles and waves as he leaves the San Raffaele hospital in Milan after an operation for a bowel obstruction A police spokesman said investigators hunting for bodies dumped by a suspected serial killer pulled a suitcase containing decomposing human remains from a toxic late. Andreas Angelides said the remains discovered Sunday in Cyprus will be examined by a coroner to determine the victim's identity. The remains of a woman were in a suitcase found at the bottom of a man-made lake a week ago. Members of the Cyprus Special Disaster Response Unit search for a suitcase in a man-made lake, near the village of Mitsero outside of the capital Nicosia, Cyprus. Source: AAP Cyprus police spokesman Andreas Angelides says investigators hunting for bodies dumped by a suspected serial killer pulled a suitcase containing decomposing human remains from a toxic lake. Source: AAP 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. A Cyprus police investigator says a man who has confessed to killing seven foreign women and girls on the island is also being investigated on additional charges of raping a foreign woman he had photographed as a model. Cyprus Special Disaster Response Unit carry a suitcase after it was retrieved from the lake near the village of Mitsero. Source: AAP Criminal Investigation Department Chief Neophytos Shailos told a Nicosia court on 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 suspect's wife at the time and told her what had happened. The court extended the suspect's detention for another eight days. A Cyprus police investigator says a man who has confessed to killing seven foreign women and girls on the island. Source: AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. President Donald Trump discussed North Korea's weapons test with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, and the latter said the two countries had agreed to coordinate their efforts to seek the North's denuclearization. Trump said the two had also talked about trade, and his only public comment on the discussion was a tweet calling it a "Very good conversation!" On Saturday, the North conducted multiple rocket launches and a tactical weapons test, raising concerns that it was escalating provocations at a time US nuclear negotiations are deadlocked. The United States seemed to seek a conciliatory tone in response, however, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying Sunday that Washington still saw "a path forward" in the denuclearization process. Abe, speaking to reporters after his phone call Monday with Trump, said their countries will seek complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula by coordinating bilateral efforts "completely." "President Trump and I agreed completely on every aspect of how we should deal with North Korea," Abe told reporters, according to the Kyodo news agency. 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 second summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in February ended abruptly with no agreement or even a joint final statement. A return to missile launches would be likely to infuriate Trump, but the North's official KCNA news agency has 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". Abe again said he was willing to meet unconditionally with Kim to resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. US President Donald Trump takes part in a bilateral meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the Oval Office of the White House on April 26 of this year Cuba's relationship with Donald Trump's administration may be worsening, but that didn't stop the island nation from welcoming more than a quarter million US visitors in the first four months of 2019. That was a 93.5 percent increase from the same period in 2018, said Michel Bernal, the commercial director at Cuba's tourism ministry. The United States remains second only to Canada -- with 624,530 visitors in the first four months of the year -- in terms of tourist numbers heading to Cuba. "Despite defamatory campaigns against Cuba, 13.5 percent of tourists that visit us say they chose the island for its safety," said Bernal. Cuba welcomed 1.93 million visitors in the first four months of the year, a seven percent increase on 2018. However, visitors from major European nations France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain were down by 10-13 percent. Tourism represents the second most important economic activity in Cuba, behind medical services. Cuba says it hopes to welcome five million visitors this year -- but Washington's ramped up sanctions against Havana last month could hurt its tourism sector. On April 17, Washington announced new restrictions on US travel and remittances to the Caribbean island nation. It also gave the green light to lawsuits in US courts against companies operating in properties seized since Cuban revolution in 1959. While Trump's predecessor Barack Obama eased restrictions against Cuba to encourage US tourism to the cash-strapped island nation, the new president has taken a more bellicose approach to Washington's Cold War enemy. Last week he threatened Cuba with "full and complete" sanctions if it doesn't end its support for Venezuela President and socialist ally Nicolas Maduro. Trump claims Cuba is providing military support to Maduro. Havana denies this, and says it only has 20,000 health professionals in the South American country. Cuba hopes to welcome five million tourists this year and things are going well so far, with a seven percent increase over the first four months compared to 2018 As Gov. Andrew Cuomo visited Lake Ontario shoreline communities and detailed what the state is doing to prepare for flooding, he called for New York representation on the International Joint Commission. Cuomo will likely get his wish, but he will have to wait for the U.S. Senate to act. President Donald Trump nominated three people, including former New York state Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, to serve on the bi-national commission that oversees shared waterways between the U.S. and Canada. If confirmed by the Senate, Corwin would be the U.S. section chair of the commission. Trump first nominated Corwin, Rob Sisson and Lance Yohe in August 2018. However, the Senate didn't consider the nominees and Trump had to renominate them in January. There has been progress in the confirmation process. In April, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced the nominations. With the committee's endorsement, the full Senate can vote on Trump's nominees. It's unknown when the Senate vote will happen. Spokespeople for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had no updates Monday when asked about the status of the nominations. Schumer, D-N.Y., announced in March that he supports Trump's International Joint Commission nominees. "I urge my colleagues in the Republican majority to put them up for committee review and then a floor vote as soon as possible," he said at the time. The commission is receiving attention because of potential flooding along Lake Ontario. Late last week, the lake was slightly below 2017 levels. Flooding in 2017 caused millions of dollars in damages along the shoreline and Trump issued a major disaster declaration. Cuomo is among those who have criticized the commission. He believes they failed to property manage water levels over the last few months. "When you get to a point where you have flooding, by definition, you have not done your job," Cuomo said Sunday in Oswego. The commission's International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board maintained high outflows at the Moses-Saunders Dam through December and into mid-January. Outflows temporarily decreased before rising again in late January. Outflows remained high for nearly two months, from February through mid-April, until the board lowered them again. Cuomo argued that the commission should've maintained high outflows. But the board lowered outflows because of conditions along the St. Lawrence River. There has been severe flooding reported in eastern Canada. While the commission oversees all boundary waterways, Cuomo believes there should be New York representation on the panel. At the press conference Sunday in Oswego, he expressed support for Corwin's nomination. "She is from western New York. She understands the issues," Cuomo said. "She is still not on the board of the IJC, and it is inexcusable." Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The state has sent more sandbags to the village of Fair Haven as Lake Ontario continues to rise. Last week, the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services said that 40,000 sandbags would be delivered to Fair Haven. An additional 25,000 sandbags have been provided since the initial announcement and 20,000 more are available at the state Department of Transportation facility. The sandbagging operation is being led by the Cayuga County Emergency Management Office and the village, according to a county news release Monday. Business owners and residents may pick up the sandbags at the village pavilion on Church Street. Residents who require assistance should call the Fair Haven clerk's office at (315) 947-5112 ext. 2. A sandbagging machine and several pumps have been sent to Cayuga County to assist with the flood response. Work crews from state prisons and the Cayuga County Jail have been filling sandbags in Fair Haven and at state DOT sites throughout central New York. As of Thursday, the lake was at 247.54 feet more than a foot and a half above the historical average and slightly below water levels at this time in 2017 when there was flooding along the shoreline. State and local officials are concerned that there will be more flooding this year. Sandbags and aqua dams temporary dams that fill with water and can prevent flooding have been deployed to other counties along the lake. Gov. Andrew Cuomo visited Niagara, Oswego and Wayne counties to discuss the state's plans to prepare for flooding. Cayuga County also advised boaters to maintain low speeds near the shoreline. The county asked boaters to "leave no wake until the water levels reduce." Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 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. Three weeks into his campaign, Francis Conole released a 2 1/2-minute video Monday explaining why he's seeking to represent central New York in Congress. The video, titled "Mission," features Conole and members of his family. There are biographical details about the Syracuse Democrat he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Iraq War and his extended family's presence in central New York. Conole's grandfather, Patrick Corbett, is the only Democrat ever elected Onondaga County sheriff. One clip in the video shows Conole standing in front of the Onondaga County Justice Center, which is named in Corbett's honor. While Conole continues to serve as a Navy reservist, he said in the video that he's running for Congress because of an "urgent mission": To fight for central New York's middle class. He offered a summary of his platform, which includes the belief that health care is a right. He wants to reduce student loan debt, advocate for clean energy and invest in infrastructure. To address those issues, though, he believes campaign finance reform is needed. He highlighted donations made by the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries to President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans. Both industries are among the largest donors to Democratic and Republican members of Congress. "I'll never take a dime of corporate PAC money ever because the only one I'll ever work for is you," Conole said in the video. Shortly after launching his congressional campaign in April, Conole announced that he would not accept donations from corporate PACs. Dana Balter, who was the Democratic nominee in 2018 and is running for Congress again in 2020, refused corporate PAC contributions when she challenged U.S. Rep. John Katko last year. Conole has emphasized his strategy of raising money from individuals, especially small donors. In the first four days of his campaign, he raised more than $100,000. There are three Democrats in the 24th district race. Along with Balter and Conole, Roger Misso is a candidate for the party's nomination. Misso, who now lives in Syracuse, grew up in Red Creek on the Cayuga-Wayne county line. Like Conole, he's a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. The candidates entered the race in April five months after the 2018 general election and 14 months before the 2020 primary election. The 24th district is a top Democratic target in next year's election. Katko, R-Camillus, is viewed by Democrats as a vulnerable incumbent. He won re-election by five percentage points over Balter in 2018. It was his closest race in three congressional campaigns. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee identified Katko as a 2020 target and added him to a "retirement watch list," despite the Republican congressman's public comments that he intends to seek a fourth term. Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Legend has it that a young girl in a white dress would roam the area of West Lake Road, near what is now the Lakeside Dog Park. It is said that motorists would stop at Manchesters Texaco gas station on the traffic circle, quite upset and claiming they saw a ghost. They said a little girl in a white dress was wandering in the road and when they stopped to help her, she had simply disappeared. Even more terrifying is that some of these unfortunate drivers had claimed to have struck her with their car. And again, when they stopped to render aid to the child, she was nowhere to be found. The sightings and stories were common in the 1960s and '70s. On the Facebook page You know youre from Auburn if I asked my fellow Auburnians if they had heard the story of the little girl in the white dress. Many said that they did, and shared their recollections. Thanks to all. I remember being told that the little girl was buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery somewhere along the fence, adjacent to Sand Beach Road. St. Josephs Cemetery covers 100 acres and there have been over 32,000 burials to date. Although I knew the general area of where the little girl's final resting place was, I didnt hold out much hope of finding her actual headstone. On a dreary winter afternoon, I set out on my journey. I had decided that I would look for the grave of a female between the ages of 6 and 12, who had died prior to 1960. I began my search with only the flimsiest of clues and a desire to unearth the story of the little girl in the white dress. I parked in the corner of the cemetery where Sand Beach Road meets the traffic circle. I was starting my search in an old section of the cemetery where many of the headstones were weather-worn and moss-covered. Names and epitaphs barely legible. I walked just a short distance when I saw the well-preserved stone of a couple named Frank and Carmella Maneri. I was drawn to this headstone because of a small oval picture of a handsome young man affixed to the top of the stone. Questions started swirling in my mind. What were things like in the era in which they had lived? Were their childhoods filled with peace, war or depression? How did the couple meet? Was the woman his high school sweetheart? Had they had any children? As I brought my thoughts back to the present, my eyes drifted down and to the left of Frank and Carmella Maneri's stone. There stood a little white headstone with the name Mary Maneri. Born 1911. Died 1918. And a picture of a beautiful little girl in a white dress. I got goosebumps and a chill ran down my spine. Could I have found the little girl from the ghost story so quickly? The photograph on Marys grave is 100 years old, but it looks like it could be from this century. She had a small round face, a boyish haircut and a darling smile. I stared at her picture and, in my mind, I asked Mary why she was wandering. And who or what was she looking for? Mary died when she was 7 years old. In 1918, there was a worldwide pandemic caused by the Spanish flu. Millions of people died. At the time of Marys death, there were about 1,000 people sick with the flu in the city of Auburn alone. Therefore, I think it would be safe to say that Mary likely succumbed to the Spanish flu. Marys father died in 1929 and her mom lived until 1962. I know nothing more about Marys parents. But I do believe that when Mary appeared and her ghost was seen by others, that she was simply here on earth searching for her recently departed mother. Mary Maneri wanted me to find her. How else can you explain the ease with which I discovered her grave? I had never been in that section of St. Josephs Cemetery before. It felt like she took me by the hand and led me right to her. Was she really the little girl in the white dress from the ghost story? Had she finally found what she was looking for? We will never know, but I havent heard tell of her in many years. Michele Simpson, of Fleming, is an ultrasound technician, mother of two and local history buff. Love 12 Funny 1 Wow 9 Sad 2 Angry 13 As a part of National Nurses Week, Auburn Community Hospital is holding multiple employee recognition events throughout the week, efforts that coincide with a new, streamlined recruiting process for nurses. While Monday was National Nurses Day, according to the American Nurses Association, the hospital is holding its nurse-specific celebration on Thursday the same day as open interviews for nursing positions. The hospital started the expedited interview and hiring process in order to fill a hiring gap that's part of a nationwide shortage of nurses, ACH Vice President of Nursing Tammy Sunderlin said. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the shortage in nursing is driven in part by a lack of teaching faculty in nursing schools, a significant portion of nurses reaching or nearing retirement age, an increased need for geriatric care as America's elderly population increases, and job stress, among other factors. To help address the problem locally, ACH started the open-invitation recruitment process based on similar practices seen in industries like engineering and programming, Nurse Recruiter Jennifer Wlad said. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Thursday, applicants can, without an appointment, interview personally with a recruiter or hiring manager over the course of approximately one hour, according to Wlad. If a candidate is qualified, they may receive a conditional job offer on the spot, and a formalized offer after completing a background check and contacting references, Wlad said. Since starting the program, the hospital has seen an approximately 50% increase in applicants, Wlad said Besides open interviews, the hospital has stepped up other recruitment efforts, Wlad said, including through career fairs at Cayuga Community College, speaking with students at Auburn High School, and other outreach programs like the MASH Camp a week-long camp that introduces students to careers in health care. Compared to other, larger hospitals in the region, Sunderlin said ACH's smaller setting offers nurses opportunities for advancement as well as a chance to connect with patients in the community they live in. In her own career, Sunderlin said she had originally planned on leaving New York after starting at ACH right out of graduation, but ended up never leaving something she credits to tight-bonds between staff members. Staff writer Ryan Franklin can be reached at (315) 282-2252 or ryan.franklin@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @RyanNYFranklin Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 As Congress was preparing to pass the controversial FOSTA/SESTA anti- sex trafficking law last year, the bill which poked a hole in the law that serves as the foundation for free communication on the internet, received high-profile backing from Facebook and its billionaire Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. Sandbergs support, seen as decisive in winning broad congressional support for the bill, according to a TechDirt report, came as a surprise to online civil liberties advocates, because FOSTA/SESTA created an exception to Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from liability for content posted by users. Without Section 230, as AVN.com has reported, internet service providers and social media platforms such as Facebook would be forced to police every post by users, to guard against material that may violate some law, or be considered defamatory. Under FOSTA/SESTA, however, Section 230 no longer protects platforms from liability in cases where third-party content is somehow connected to sex trafficking. We at Facebook support efforts to pass amended legislation in the House that would allow responsible companies to continue fighting sex trafficking while giving victims the chance to seek justice against companies that knowingly facilitate such abhorrent acts, Sandberg wrote last year, as the law, ultimately passed overwhelmingly in both the House and Senate, was under consideration in Congress But now Facebook has been forced to send lawyers to defend itself from two lawsuits brought in Houston, Texas, under the same FOSTA/SESTA law that Sandberg backed. In fact, as The Houston Chronicle reported, the lawsuits accuse Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram of facilitating the same type of abhorrent acts referenced by Sandberg in her support for the bill. Both lawsuits involve women who were underage when, they say, men who found them through the social media platforms abused and trafficked them into forced prostitution, claiming that Facebooks morally bankrupt corporate culture caused the platform to turn a blind eye to the sex trafficking activities. Human trafficking is abhorrent and is not allowed on Facebook, the company responded when the suit was first filed. We use technology to thwart this kind of abuse and we encourage people to use the reporting links found across our site so that our team of experts can review the content swiftly. But in court on Friday, Facebook lawyers would argue that Section 230 of the CDA protects the firm from being held liable for the activities of users, no matter what those activities may be. Annie McAdams, a lawyer for the women, said that thanks to FOSTA/SESTA, that protection no longer exists, saying, The CDA was never designed to protect entities that protect the rape of children. The lawsuits remain ongoing, but are likely to be appealed no matter which way the Harris County, Texas District Court decides. Photo by Voice of America/Wikimedia Commons Public Domain NEW YORK CITYIn case no one's noticed, the American public has gotten a bit more liberal in what it thinks of public nudity, even though plenty of municipalities still have laws against it. Fortunately, New York City isn't one of them, and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has teamed up with celebrated photographic artist Spencer Tunick for a nude installation in lower Manhattan to challenge the censorship of artistic nudity on Facebook and Instagram. The campaign even has its own hashtag: #WeTheNipple. "The human body has always been a central subject of art," notes NCAC's WeTheNipple page. "Its representations have evolved with technologies of expression: from cave drawings, to sculpture and painting, to photography and video. Yet leading 21st century social media platform, Instagram, the most popular platform for artists who share their work online, and its parent company, Facebook, both ban photographic representations of the nude body, while making an exception for artistic nudity in sculpture and painting... "The nudity ban prevents many artists from sharing their work online," the site continues. "It particularly harms artists whose work focuses on their own bodies, including queer and gender-nonconforming artists, and the bodies of those in their communities. Museums and galleries are constrained when even promoting exhibitions featuring nudes. To raise awareness about the range of art censored by Facebook and Instagram, artist-photographer Spencer Tunick will create a public art action this June. Hundreds of nude bodies will take a stance in the streets of New York City against social media censorship of art." The "public art action" will take place on Sunday, June 2, in the very early morning hours, somewhere in downtown Manhattan. The exact location will be revealed to those who sign up to participate. The website warns, "The entire art event will not extend beyond mid-morning. You will only be nude for a short period of time. Space is limited for this artwork so register sooner rather than later. If you are not chosen to be in this particular work, don't let it deter you from signing up for future artworks by Spencer where there are no space limitations." Those who do participate will receive a limited edition print from the installation. The event is supported by, among others, the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and several museums nationwide. To register for the NCAC/Tunick event, click here. SAN FRANCISCOThe Erotic Service Providers Legal Education and Research Project (ESPLERP), a sex worker activist group, has condemned national media organizations, including the Associated Press, ESPN, ABC, and The New York Times, for their efforts to make public the video recordings of private massages obtained during the Jupiter, Florida sting of the Orchids of Asia massage parlor, perpetrated by a local police task force, that ensnared Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots. These media organizations claim a public interest in releasing these videos. In truth, all they care about is their ratings, because sex sells. Shame on them, said Maxine Doogan of ESPLERP. They know that shaming a prominent businessman like Robert Kraft will sell papers and draw in viewers. When ratings are at stake, they simply do not care about anyone's constitutional right to privacy. I wonder how theyd feel if Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. (the owner of The New York Times) was caught up in something like this? We applaud Judge Kathleen Roberts for seeing through the police mis-representations, and ruling that the videos are inadmissible, said Claire Alwyne of ESPLERP. The police obtained the 'sneak and peek' warrant (questionably authorized under the PATRIOT Act under the guise of stopping terrorism) to film surveillance videos, by claiming trafficking was occurring when there was no such thing taking place. Detectives then spent more than six months getting massages from the alleged sex slaves before arresting them on prostitution chargesnot trafficking. And now they are trying to cover their tracks by shaming Robert Kraft. "The public would probably be more interested in seeing videos of detectives getting taxpayer-funded massages (and who knows what else) filmed during the six-month sting prior to arresting the massage parlor workers," said Domina Elle of ESPLERP. "The public deserves to see how these stings are conducted, such as how often law enforcement engages in sexual contact as a means to investigate and arrest. Media organizations should not be arguing in court for improperly obtained private videos to be made public. They should instead put more effort into avoiding repeating false and misleading statistics which are exactly what fuel these stings in the first place. And law enforcement should not be wasting time arresting adults engaged in consensual activity. ESPLERP calls on legislators in all 50 states to decriminalize sex work immediately. The Erotic Service Providers Legal, Education and Research Project (ESPLERP) is a diverse community-based coalition advancing sexual privacy rights through litigation, education, and research. Contributions to support our advocacy can be made at LitigateToEmancipate.com. Flagstaff High School students have reached the final round of the Vans Custom Culture contest, according to a social media post by Flagstaff Unified School District. The school is one of the top five in votes to win $75,000 for its art program. The contest is held annually by Vans and invites schools across the country to participate. This year, there were 500 schools participating. The other schools in the top five are from Louisville, Kentucky, Harmony, Pennsylvania, New Bedford, Massachusetts and Van Wert, Ohio. Although voting has now ended, the final winner will be announced next week. Adrian Skabelund can be reached at the office at askabelund@azdailysun.com, by phone at (928) 556-2261 or on Twitter @AdrianSkabelund. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Recently, the Jewish community in Flagstaff has fallen prey to two acts of vandalism. Not merely an act of damage to property, these crimes were characterized by swastikas painted and carved crudely throughout the buildings. The nature of such disgusting iconography makes it clear that this was a message of hatred toward the Jewish community of Flagstaff. The Masonic Lodge of Flagstaff has been a part of this town and its community since 1888, and we feel an immeasurable sense of shame and horror that such contemptible ignorance and hate should be present here. Acts and beliefs of such bigotry against members of our community are morally and personally reprehensible to our fraternity and counter to every foundational ideal of a civilized culture. These cowardly and unjustifiable acts, and the unenlightened and detestable ideology that inspired them, have no place in our town. Attacks upon and disrespect of any group of Flagstaff's citizens are an attack on all of us. We stand firmly against any attack on any religious group and against all forms of hatred and bigotry. The brethren of Flagstaff Lodge condemn this act, without reservation, as offensive to the ideals of our fraternity and to our civilization. FLAGSTAFF LODGE #7 Free and Accepted Masons Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Lets Eradicate Ramadans Religious Brownie-Point Mentality M. Bakri Musa (www.bakrimusa.com) Legend has it that the Eighth Century mystic Rabia al-Adiwayya was so upset with her fellow believers obsession with the Hereafter that one day she ranthrough the streets of Basra with a torch in one hand and a bucket of water in the other yelling, I want to burn down Heaven and douse the flames of Hell! To her, this preoccupation with heaven and hell blocks our path to Allah. We should worship Him not out of fear of His punishment or for the promise of Paradise, but for His love. We earn that through serving mankind and respecting all His creations. This fixation on the afterlife also trivializes our great faith, reducing us to boy scouts chasing religious brownie points to be cashed in at the Gates of Heaven. kemiskinan mendekati kefukuran(poverty invites impiety). This mentality makes us belittle this world and its achievements. Real success awaits us in the Hereafter. Ever wonder why Muslims are mired in abject poverty? We forget this wisdom of our forefathers (poverty invites impiety). Then there are the promised 72 virgins in Heaven to seduce those young jihadists. As Imam Tawhidi observed with contemptuous cynicism, if that were true, dont you think that those doing the advising would be the first to blow themselves up? Then there are those who think that they could plunder the nation and then cleanse their sins away by going to Mecca, or photo-op sessions of charity feeding for orphans. Lailatul qadar) would be magnified a thousand fold. Ramadan begins today and with that, heightened religious fervor. Mosques would be filled to overflowing and sermons loaded with endless reminders of the extra generosity of Allah during this blessed month. The portal to heaven remains wide open, we are told. Praying and other virtuous deeds done on the Night of Power () would be magnified a thousand fold. The consequence to this mindset is that if you travel during Ramadan in the Muslim world, be prepared for unexpected inconveniences and outright hassles. Eating establishments would be closed during the day. They assume that their customers are all Muslims, and fasting. There is little consideration for serving their non-Muslim and non-fasting clientele. Not just restaurants. Try transacting business with government agencies! Its like France in August. At least the French have the excuse of being in holiday mood. Come September they would return with renewed vigor. In Malaysia, the sluggishness remains. Productivity suffers. With that, so too safety. A school bus plunged into a ravine when I was a kid. The driver was asleep at the wheel. He was fasting; at least that was his excuse. His personal salvation came ahead of his passengers safety. As a surgeon in Malaysia, I once reprimanded a doctor during Ramadan for abandoning his patients while he was off for his Friday prayers. His salvation too came ahead of his patients. The fact that helping his patients would pave his own salvation escaped him. Serve mankind and you serve Allah. That is the mantra of the Ahmaddiya and Ismaili Muslims; they understand and practice this essence of our faith. The Ahmaddiyas built hospitals in Africa and Latin America. They recently commissioned one in Guatemala. There are not many Muslims there. The Ismailis use their tithes to build schools and universities especially for girls. The Aga Khan University in Karachi, established only a few decades ago, has the countrys finest teaching hospital and medical school, eclipsing others much older. The Islamicity Index, using criteria extracted from the Koran, measures how well nations serve their citizens. No Muslim nation is among the top twenty. Misquoting Muhammad, Jonathan Brown quotes the advice one Mufti of Al Azhar gave his countrys rulers. Bring peace, justice and prosperity to your people, and he (the Mufti) would find the hadith or Koranic verse to justify those policies. By definition those would be Syariah-compliant. Malaysian ulama have it backwards. They would be consumed first with whether those measures were Islamic even before they have been proven effective. To those ulama too, lies and stealing are Syariah-compliant if they would get a piece of the action, or their victims were non-Muslims. In his book, Jonathan Brown quotes the advice one Mufti of Al Azhar gave his countrys rulers. Bring peace, justice and prosperity to your people, and he (the Mufti) would find the hadith or Koranic verse to justify those policies. By definition those would be Syariah-compliant. Malaysian ulama have it backwards. They would be consumed first with whether those measures were Islamic even before they have been proven effective. To those ulama too, lies and stealing are Syariah-compliant if they would get a piece of the action, or their victims were non-Muslims. We should have an equivalent personal Islamicity Index, based not on such things as how often we have undertaken the Hajj or how erudite we are in reciting hadith, rather on how well we serve our friends, families, and community. khalwat(close proximity). Yet in Malaysia the screaming headlines are of corpses being snatched from grieving families (on the presumption that the deceased had converted to Islam on their deathbed), the surreptitious conversion of minors without both parents consenting (so the subsequent custody hearings could be in a Syariah rather than civil court), and most obscene of all, the contempt for personal privacy with officers of the religious department raiding hotels looking for(close proximity). On a juvenile level, those caught not fasting would be paraded around town in a hearse. Meanwhile, drug abusers, abandoned babies, HIV sufferers, and other victims of our social dysfunction cry for attention. Ameliorate those problems and you effectively defend and protect the ummah, as well as the faith. Mass demonstrations yelling Defend Islam! or God is Great! would achieve nothing except snarl up traffic. Allahs greatest gift is our precious life. We have a one-in-five-billion (number of sperms in an ejaculate) chance of being here, essentially zero. Yet here we are. We should celebrate this miracle by making the most of it. I cringe when our ulama belittle our lives in this world in their obsession with the afterlife. It would be more fruitful to regard the Day of Judgement as a concept, with heaven and hell, metaphors. Study hard in high school and your day of judgement would come soon enough, as at the end of the year when your test results come out and you could be rewarded with an overseas scholarship a youths heaven! Plunder the nation and your day of judgement too would come soon, as former Prime Minister Najib now finds out. Today he is going through hell, dragging along his family. Allah hu Alam(only Allah knows), as my village elders of yore used to say. Heed the wisdom of Rabia al Adiwayya. Eradicate this distracting religious brownie-point mentality. Instead, enhance our Islamicity Index, the personal as well as the nations. At least you would have a legacy then. As to whether you would end up in Paradise,(only Allah knows), as my village elders of yore used to say. Make your birthday special - by brewing a beer originally made on that date. For a mere 25 euros, I'll create a bespoke recipe for any day of the year you like. As well as the recipe, there's a few hundred words of text describing the beer and its historical context and an image of the original brewing record. Just click on the button below. Spoiling Mom with the Beach: Extravagant Mother's Day Packages on Oregon Coast Published 05/05/2019 at 9:13 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Oregon Coast) If you're going to spoil anyone with an Oregon coast gift, shouldnt it be Mom? (Above: Inn at Spanish Head). This year, some spots along the shoreline have some stunning packages, the kind of stuff that could make her friends envious. Here are four standouts. Pacific Citys Shorepine Rentals and Inn at Cape Kiwanda host some major fun for Mom. At Shorepine, the package includes one or two nights at one of the vacation rentals, 60 minutes of the spa treatment of her choosing at Tidepools Spa & Wellness, breakfast delivered to her vacation rental and all this (in the form of a gift card) can be specially delivered to her with flowers at her home, wrapped in a beautiful gift box. The best news: its not limited to Mothers Day weekend. The gift card and the package are valid through the end of the year. However, it does exclude some special holidays and major summer travel dates, and not all vacation rentals in their roster are part of the deal. Cost is one night $299 + taxes and fees; two-night stay just $429 + taxes and fees. See the Shorepines site for details. 33105 Cape Kiwanda Dr., Pacific City, Oregon. Book online - www.shorepinerentals.com Call to purchase your Mother's Day Gift: 503-965-5776. Down the street, the oceanfront Inn at Cape Kiwanda features a similar package that involves 60 minutes of spa time, an oceanfront stay, fresh morning pastries and coffee delivered in the morning, and the same deal where the gift certificate gets delivered to her in the mail. Cost is $299. 33105 Cape Kiwanda Dr. Pacific City, Oregon. 888-965-7001 www.InnAtCapeKiwanda.com On the central Oregon coast, Lincoln Citys Inn at Spanish Head has a few specials for mom, included one available for a limited time thats a sweet deal. Gift certificates are an excellent idea, according to the Inns Lowell Maffia-Steen. Treat her to a beach get-away or perhaps a gift certificate for the Inn's Spa Retreat Package or maybe the Beachcomber's Delight or Let's GO Shopping Packages, Steen said. The Inn at Spanish Head is hosting a major special on May 10 and 11, Friday and Saturday. You get oceanfront rooms for the full price on the first night, then the second night half off. Inn at Spanish Head, 4009 SW Highway 101, Lincoln City, Oregon. 800-452-8127. www.spanishhead.com In Cannon Beach, Elements by the Sea is the spa at the Cannon Beach Hallmark Inn. They are offering a Day at the Beach package. It starts with some time in the steam room. Enjoy an invigorating full body salt scrub then melt into our seaweed body wrap, said spa director Tammi Smith. Then off to the hydrotherapy shower to rinse away the sea and complete this package with a full body Swedish massage. Cost: 135 min $235 / couples $470. 1400 South Hemlock Street. Cannon Beach, Oregon. www.Elementsbythesea.com 503-436-0366. 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 As Nebraska state legislators prepare to discuss LB 657, which would permit the growth and cultivation of industrial hemp in Nebraska, local organizations are providing education about the history, uses and regulations of hemp. Farmers, teachers, past senators and community members gathered in the Clatonia Community Center last Friday to attend a forum led by the Great Plains Seed Company and Midwest Hemp Exchange. They first discussed how hemp and marijuana are different. While they are taxonomically the same plant, hemp contains a much smaller amount of THC, the psychoactive chemical substance in marijuana. You just look at it and you can tell the difference, Ismail Dweikat, a plant genetics professor at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, said. Hemp just grows straight up and has no smell or flavor, where if youre next to a marijuana plant it smells like skunk. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and effectively banned the possession of marijuana. To obtain a tax stamp, users had to provide details about the amount and location of their marijuana, thereby incriminating themselves in the process. Hemp also became illegal under the act. Even though hemp only has three tenths at most of a percent of THC, said Colin Fury, a member of the Midwest Hemp Exchange, Youd have to smoke a joint the size of a telephone pole to get high. In 2014, former president Barack Obama signed a farm bill that allowed industrial hemp research. Research has found that a chemical found in both marijuana and hemp known as cannabidiol, or CBD, has several medical uses. According to Harvard Health Publishing, CBD can help with a variety of health issues, including reducing or eliminating seizures in epileptic patients, can treat different types of pain including arthritis, and can aid those affected by insomnia and anxiety. In 2018, President Trump signed another farm bill that legalizes hemp and CBD on a federal level. Fury explained that states are currently working with the federal USDA to launch regulations. Kansas has already legalized hemp production. Kansans have until May 31st to send in an application in person, and until June 1 to mail it. There is a $1,000 license fee, $200 application fee and $47 Kansas Bureau of Investigation fingerprint-based criminal history record check fee. The fees are higher than a lot of other states, like Kentucky and ColoradoBut Kansas has got the ball rolling, and were hoping that theyre going to lower the fees in the upcoming session, after the USDA comes up with regulations, Fury said. Fury explained that due to soil conditions, each state will grow different varieties of hemp. However, federal guidelines state that all hemp strains must contain .3 percent THC or less to be legal for processing, harvesting and shipping. The cost to grow hemp was also discussed. The price per hemp seed has an estimated cost of a dollar each, meaning an acre of hemp would cost upwards of $1,000. The investment may be lucrative, however, as an analysis done by Brightfield Group estimates that the CBD market alone could hit $22 billion by 2022. The revenue of hemp is in part because several parts of the plant can be sold for different uses. A 2013 Forbes article noted over 25,000 products made from hemp, with other sources saying that number is now over 50,000. Alex Seyfert, a member of the Midwest Hemp Exchange, explained that there are five main parts of the plant that can be used. Seyfert explained that hemp seeds can be used in food or in vehicles, and the fibers can be used in textiles. Its also one of the strongest natural fibers known to man, Seyfert said. For an auto manufacturer, using these to press plastics to make their door panels. Audi, BMW, Mercedes all have that production of plastics that theyre using in their vehicles. Seyfert said that the hurd of the plant was used as a byproduct until recently, where it was identified as a potential material for adobe-style homes. You can mix it with lye and create walls with it, Seyfert said. These walls build homes that dont need HVAC systems. Purifies the air, its fire resistant. The nice thing about this is you can reduce the use of lumber 30, 40 percent. Even the hemps roots have several uses. According to projectcbd.org, the roots have compounds that have significant anti-inflammatory properties, and that hemp root preparations have been used to treat fever, infections, arthritis, gout and joint pain and as an aid to women during pregnancy. Or you can keep them in the ground, Seyfert said. The nice thing about the roots of hemp is they grow deep. Come fall, theyre going to decay from the inside out, allowing the ground to kind of aerate itself without having to do tilling or anything like that. It also absorbs heavy metals, it absorbs radiation, and it helps to purify the soil itself. So its been proven to be a good rotational crop. Seyfert did not mention the hemp leaves, which can also be used for medicine, as well as mulch or animal bedding. Andrew Bish, COO of Bish Enterprises and the CEO of Hemp Harvesters, said he attended the forum to discuss harvesting and planting techniques farmers interested in growing hemp would need to be aware of, as well as giving information on the status of LB 657. My brother and I actually provided the language for LB 657, and weve been working to get the bill passed so that farmers can grow hempI think its important at this stage that Nebraskans definitely reach out to their local senators and make sure that theyre aware of their position on hemp, as well as the governor and the Department of Agriculture, Bish said. LB 657 was introduced by Senator Justin Wayne of Omaha in January, and is currently on the legislative calendar to be discussed sometime this week. 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. WASHINGTON Let's clear the air about cow farts. In the climate change debate, some policymakers seem to be bovine flatulence deniers. This became apparent in the fuss over the Green New Deal put forward by some liberal Democrats. More precisely, the fuss over an information sheet by the plan's advocates. With tongue in cheek or foot in mouth, depending on whom you ask, the statement's authors said that despite the plan's proposals for strong limits on emissions over a decade, "we aren't sure that we'll be able to fully get rid of farting cows and airplanes that fast." Airplanes don't fart. But cows? Exasperated by merciless mocking from Republicans on this matter, Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan lectured the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, on the floor of the chamber last month. "The Republican majority leader said that we want to end air travel and cow farts," Stabenow said. "By the way, just for the record, cows don't fart. They belch." The Associated Press surveyed global experts on global warming on this question, as well as an author who wrote the definitive science book on gassy animals, which comes with funny pictures. ___ THE FACTS: Cows fart. That contributes to global warming. But cow burps are worse for the climate. "Cows are pretty disgusting eaters, with methane coming from both ends," said Christopher Field at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. "But most of it comes from burping." Field cited the "classic quote from the technical literature" on the topic: "Of the CH4 (methane) produced by enteric fermentation in the forestomach 95% was excreted by eructation (burp), and from CH4 produced in the hindgut 89% was found to be excreted through the breath.'" In a nutshell, belches are bad news. At Tuscia University in Viterbo, Italy, environmental scholar Giampiero Grossi said methane emitted by ruminant livestock accounts for about 5.5% of the greenhouse gasses that come from human activity. More than 70% of livestock emissions are from cattle, he said. "Ruminants are a significant source of methane," which traps more heat than carbon dioxide but doesn't last as long in the air, said Kristie Ebi, director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the University of Washington in Seattle. "The belches have to do with digesting their food" in the stomach compartments, not intestines, and that fermentation produces methane. Warming from the burning of fossil fuels is roughly 10 times to 17 times greater than warming caused by livestock burping and farting, Field said. ___ GASEOUS POLITICS For all of that, the Green New Deal does not seek to ban cows or planes as it sets ambitious targets to eliminate most greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming by 2030. The deal, introduced in the House by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York as a nonbinding resolution, not legislation, proposes massive spending on clean energy and energy efficient buildings and transit. It proposes working "collaboratively with farmers" to remove pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture "as much as is technologically feasible." "It's not to say we're going to force everybody to go vegan or anything crazy like that," Ocasio-Cortez said in a Showtime interview. Democratic leaders in Congress have largely shunned the plan, considering it politically fraught. Many Republicans are a hard sell on the reality of human-caused climate change at all and apt to be dismissive about livestock's part in it. Politicians and other nonscientists who reject mainstream climate science cite cow farts and airplane travel as "a go-to rhetorical weapon they use against having a serious discussion" about how climate change is already causing dramatic and deadly changes, such as the extreme weather of 2018, Georgia Tech climate scientist Kim Cobb said. "It's a form of mockery," said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. "They're trying to whip up their own base's opposition to any kind of action." According to the U.S. government's 2018 National Climate Assessment report: "Climate change is transforming where and how we live and presents growing challenges to human health and quality of life, the economy, and the natural systems that support us." ___ WHAT FARTS, WHAT DOESN'T? "Does It Fart?" a book by Dani Rabaiotti of the Zoological Society of London and Virginia Tech conservationist Nick Caruso, answers the question it poses about dozens of species. Millipedes fart, no doubt discreetly. Several species of herring communicate with each other that way. If you startle a zebra, says the book, it will fart with each stride as it runs away. Flatulence signals a baboon is ready to mate. For the Bolson pupfish, found in Mexico, it's fart or die. They feed on algae that make them buoyant, easy prey near the surface. Farts sink them to safety. Similarly, manatees may let loose when it's time to dive deeply. Whale farts are, of course, epic. Birds and most sea creatures don't. Clams clam up, though they've been known to throw up. The jury is out on spiders: More research is needed. From London, Rabaiotti said methane emissions from cattle are belch-focused because the gas is produced near the start of their digestive system and comes up when they regurgitate their food to chew the cud. One answer, she says: "Just cut down beef to, say, once a week or once a month and replace it with chicken or pork or options without meat. Emissions from dairy are lower per food serving than emissions from beef so cutting down dairy will reduce your carbon footprint less but it's another area where people can easily lower their emissions, particularly for people that are already vegetarian." And for the record, says this authority on the animal kingdom's ruder moments, "Yes, cows do fart." 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. Not to be outdone and now, after one day of that Senate Judiciary Committee's inquisition of Attorney General Barr, the Democratic Socialist controlled House of Representatives are joining the Ass Clown act because of their extreme dissatisfaction that the Attorney General would not sit in their hot seat to be questioned by their staff counsel.This Attorney General knows well that he must avail himself to the People's representatives for oversight, but, is wise enough to know that he is not constitutionally beholden to their hired counsel, only these duly elected representatives.All during the day, this Attorney General was called every name short of Ax Murderer by these Democratic Socialists, proving once again that these pathetic politicians can span both houses of congress to exhibit their perfected brand of Democratic Socialist Stupidity.It was very telling that the Democratic Socialists sitting on the House Judiciary Committee considered themselves incapable /unqualified to conduct their oversight responsibilities as elected representatives of their constituents.These Democratic Socialist representatives may be poor legislators, but, they are outstanding Ass Clowns Another Great Fake My email and snail mail are full of advertisements telling me how to get rich with cannabis or to us commoners "marijuana'. There is so much publicity that a lot of people think this harmful plant is now legal. It is only legal in the states that have approved its use by law. The federal government has not made the use of marijuana legal. About three years ago when John "the RINO" Boehner decided not to be Speaker of the House, the marijuana industry developed a strategy to create what they consider to be a legal industry. They hired the RINO, John Boehner, to be their leader and lobbyist. That strategy is to get states to make this evil drug legal, and in so doing intimidate the Federal Government into not enforcing their laws. With the mellowing of public opinion about the use of mind altering drugs this industry hopes the Federal courts will go away and leave them alone. Another way to say this is to divide and conquer. However, Federal Courts, when large activist groups provide support, have enforced laws on racial justice and abortion. The jury is still out on whether or not this strategy will be successful. No national group has taken a strong stand against legalizing marijuana. Such a national group could be religious or a wave of public disgust. A great many credentialed investigators and researchers state, without hesitation, that the use of marijuana, whether legal or not, is very harmful to the developing brain up to as much as the age of 27 years. They further state that marijuana is harmful to the fully developed brain. Many studies conducted by competent professionals point to increased schizophrenia, and psychotic events, impaired brain development and antisocial behavior. Recent studies indicate that continued or prolonged use is not necessary to make pathological changes in the brain. Some 14 year olds used marijuana only once or twice and developed brain changes that are known effects from marijuana use. Even in cases with pre-existing psychosis, marijuana use makes the condition worse. What about second hand smoke's effect on anyone to say nothing of mothers who smoke marijuana while pregnant.. Marijuana affects the memory, learning and emotional behavior parts of the brain. This affect is not only with the so called wiring of the brain but by enlarging or diminishing physically certain parts of the brain. There are plenty of marijuana users who steadfastly argue that marijuana use does not affect the physical or emotional brain. Even if they do not say it, I get the feeling they are using themselves as an example. The user of mind altering drugs can never use themselves as examples because their intellect has nothing to compare what their condition would have been had they not used marijuana. Most of these people should not make arguments for marijuana use and you would know why when you hear them try to make their case. The use of marijuana changes physically and electrically the juvenile brain up to the age of 27 years. Use dulls the memory in the adult brain. Tobacco, as bad as it is, does not come close to the effects of marijuana use. Society and the future of any nation that legalizes recreational narcotic drugs is at high risk. Do not buy into the notion that medical use is worth while. The number of people who are helped is very small. Can you name a medical user who has been helped or cured? There are alternative medications to marijuana, some of them as simple as aspirin. Today a lot of cannabis related chemicals are sold principally in convenience stores. We should outlaw all of those sales. It is not socially acceptable to talk about and educate our friends and acquaintances about how bad cannabis use is. One reason is that marijuana use is every where. There is virtually no family in the United States that does not have a member who is a user or is otherwise negatively impacted. The other side of the coin with law enforcement is equally clouded. Judges, lawyers, peace officers, psychologists, counselors and the mental health industry make a living, either directly or indirectly, from the illegal use of drugs. About one third of all court cases are drug related. That is a lot of money and jobs. This industry does not flourish without the assistance of some of these people. The Christian Bible teaches that our bodies are temples. As believers we are not do defile our temple. Marijuana use is so ever present that the Christian religion has not bothered to lift a finger to fight the recent legalization of marijuana. The one organization that should be leading the fight is the church. Recently there has been a great hue and cry about mental health. The rise in the number of people with mental impairment is astounding. Liberals cry and wring their hands. The gullible church goes along with them. The politicians that I know just want to find ways to get more money for these poor unfortunate people. No one asks why we suddenly have so many people needing mental health services. The answer is very clear when one reads the research on marijuana and other recreational drugs. The rise in mental heath needs is directly related to the use of marijuana and other recreational drugs. Between politicians who have relaxed the laws on drug use and churches who have turned their back we have a huge battle in front of us. Yes, politicians have passed laws protecting those who overdose when EMS services are called. None of the information gleaned from the call can be used to charge anyone involved for drug use. Churches simply do not want to talk about it in public. It is ok at Sunday school but not in public. Instead of throwing money at the bottomless pit of services to the mentally (self) impaired we need to solve the problem by stopping the use of recreational drugs. The costs in destroyed lives and money are not sustainable. Look at the cost in wrecked lives, jails, mental health services and the break up of families. The churches should be on this like bees on honey. We cannot afford any of the costs of marijuana and recreational use. Christians, stand up and be counted, or are you and your family users too. This is not about protecting our friends, neighbors and relatives who may be users. NorthWestern Energy has reached an agreement with an 150-acre Billings solar farm large enough to power 4,900 homes. Meadowlark Solar is expected to come online in 2021. The 20-megawatt project is one of several in the works for the Billings area, but the first to receive an agreement with Montanas largest monopoly utility. Developer Mark Klein said the project located off of Alkali Creek Road west of the Billings Airport would be built as a Community Renewable Energy Project, or CREP. Part of a bigger state plan for getting utilities to get a small percentage of their electricity from renewable energy projects, CREPs are a utility requirement under state law. South Dakota-based NorthWesterns obligation is for 65.4 megawatts. Meadowlark Solar gets the utility within striking distance with 10 megawatts left to add. The cost of the electricity from Meadowlark Solar wont be revealed for several weeks, but developer Klein said the privately funded $18 million projects margins are tight, and the rate should be favorable for NorthWestern customers. From the affordability standpoint, I think in terms of impact for customers, I dont think customers will be impacted negatively, Klein said. A 42-year-old woman who had been walking Saturday night on King Avenue West died after she was hit by a pickup. A crash narrative provided by the Montana Highway Patrol Sunday offers limited details on the incident. The crash took place at 11:20 p.m. on King Avenue West near its intersection with South 48th Street West. A man in his 20s from Carbon County was driving the pickup eastbound when he hit the woman, according to MHP. The victim was taken to an area hospital for treatment. Her death is the 33rd road fatality in 2019 in the state, according to MHP statistics. The driver of the pickup was not hurt. The crash remains under investigation, according to MHP. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 2 Sad 30 Angry 6 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. Scott died of hypothermia but an FBI investigation into her death remains ongoing. Earlier in the day Castro attended a march for missing and murdered indigenous women in Lame Deer on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. She said events like these are like "an eye-opener." "People who don't know about it before, they know about it now," she said. Castro said that though it hurts her to say it, she believes her daughter's death at such a young age has also grabbed the attention of many people. "It's sad to say but it kind of had to take something like this for everybody to open their eyes for something that's been happening all along." Nearby was Amber Old Horn and her 6-year-old daughter Auria. On Old Horn's mind was her sister Cheyenne Fiddler, who was killed at age 23 in a murder-suicide in Wisconsin in 2012. As Old Horn, a single mother, cared for one of her children who she says had a rare brain disorder that proved fatal, it was Fiddler who always called to see how she was doing. CASPER, Wyo. 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 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 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. SHERIDAN, Wyo. About 200 people attended church services for a 6-year-old girl who died last month in an accident with a school bus in northern Wyoming. The Sheridan Press reports that most of the people attending the services Saturday at Sheridan Wesleyan Church wore purple, which was the favorite color of Esperanza Lynn Lagunes-Aarstad. The girl died April 26 at a Colorado hospital from injuries she sustained in the accident at an elementary school in Sheridan. Next to the casket were a cross made of purple flowers, a wreath and purple balloons. Police say on April 22 Lagunes-Aarstad tried to catch her bus home from school by running alongside it while trying to get the driver's attention. She ended up being pulled under the bus Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 7 Angry 0 Bernhardt has priorities that are out of line with those of us who use these lands choosing instead to pursue an agenda in line with his former lobbying clients. He used to work for the oil, gas, and mining industries as a lobbyist and they will all have business before the Interior Department. There is no reason to believe that Bernhardt will side with the American people when these conflicts were not properly addressed by the U.S. Senate during his confirmation process. We already know a lot about what kind of Interior Secretary Bernhardt will be from his time as acting secretary. Reporting about Bernhardts former clients has revealed that since taking over as secretary, Bernhardt has taken action to directly benefit one of his former clients on more than a dozen occasions. And his old lobbying firm has seen their contracts for issues related to the Interior Department balloon by an additional $5 million since Bernhardt was nominated for this post. In addition, before being confirmed by the Senate, Bernhardt took actions that increased access to public lands for oil and gas companies, making more than 17 million acres of public lands available for lease. The much-needed extended three-year program will, in most cases, prepare students to be productive citizens in the workforce. These students are just delayed in their learning pace. Each student has great capacity to learn, acquire knowledge and apply it to their future lives. House Bill 274 would have started the process of extending the productive workforce in Montana. In the 2021 session will the vote be yes for this crucial three year (19-22 years) program? In so doing, Montana will join other states of this United States of America in caring for all citizens. As a grandma to two special-needs students in Montana, I think Montana should be the leading state, and not the last to pass this legislation. A group of University of Mary students are visiting Poland for about a week to learn about the country's education system. Seven education students and recent graduates in the Liffrig School of Education and Behavioral Sciences' Emerging Leaders Academy are taking the trip as a sort of service project and to get teaching experience in Polish classrooms. The students will visit with Polish teachers to discuss how teaching styles compare between the two countries, according to Kim Marman, chair of the university's Department of Education. "What were hoping to gain ... (are) some insights of what theyre doing with students in their classrooms that maybe we could bring back here as well," said Marman, who is joining the students on the trip. On Wednesday, the students took a nine-hour flight from Denver to Munich, Germany, and then an hour flight to Krakow, Poland. They'll be in Poland until Thursday. Marman's has ties to Poland, as her mother-in-law is from Poland. Another family member is a school administrator there, and she helped coordinate the trip. The students first flew into Krakow, one of the larger cities in Poland, and then they will go to the town of Ruda Slaska. They have a meeting with the town's mayor, and then they'll visit a primary school, a secondary school and a university. "Our students will actually be teaching in those Polish schools. Theyll be teaching American songs to some of the children and really looking at the comparison of American schools to Polish schools," Marman said. Ashley Becker, who graduated from U-Mary this spring, said last week she was excited about the opportunity to experience another culture. The trip will help her and the other students become better educators, and it will be interesting to see the different levels of education in Poland, she said. "Theyre still recovering from communism in the sense of their education, said Becker, who just got a job as a high school math teacher in Bowman. For some of the students, including Becker, this is a second trip abroad as a student. Marman said the trip is the first time U-Mary students are traveling to Poland to specifically to do work with the schools, and, after the trip, she said there will be an assessment to determine whether to do more such projects in the future. (Reach Blair Emerson at 701-250-8251 or Blair.Emerson@bismarcktribune.com) Love 0 Funny 1 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. A state program that subsidizes affordable housing projects will be funded again this fall, though not at the level supporters had hoped. North Dakota legislators approved $7.5 million for the Housing Incentive Fund, a program that has been used to help finance 2,500 rental housing units statewide since 2011. The program through the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency was not funded in 2017, when state resources were scarce. Gov. Doug Burgum proposed to bring the housing incentive back for 2019-21 and recommended $20 million in his budget address. Lawmakers considered a variety of funding levels during the session, with one proposal as high as $40 million. Jolene Kline, executive director for the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, said shes disappointed lawmakers settled at $7.5 million, but pleased the program was funded again. Well make as big a difference as we can in as many peoples lives as we can, Kline said. The program focuses on supporting affordable housing for senior citizens, low- to moderate-wage earners, people with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness. The program helps finance new housing units and improve existing housing. The Housing Finance Agency plans to solicit proposals in September and will likely be able to support about 150 rental housing units statewide, Kline said. Im almost positive that we will get good applications in September that will exceed that $7.5 million," she said. Lutheran Social Services has used Housing Incentive Fund dollars to develop seven affordable housing projects in rural communities, with most in western North Dakota. CEO Jessica Thomasson said the organization continues to see a shortage of available housing for lowest income tenants and hopes to submit another proposal this fall. Its really encouraging that the Legislature saw fit to reinvest in the tool, Thomasson said. Its been a great tool for North Dakota in creating and preserving affordable housing. The $7.5 million will come from the states general fund and will be available for housing projects statewide. The Housing Finance Agency will work with stakeholders to determine how to prioritize the funding, Kline said. Sen. Curt Kreun, R-Grand Forks, said he plans to push for additional funding in the future. Kreun was the primary sponsor of a bill that would have provided $40 million for the Housing Incentive Fund. The investment of what the state put in was multiplied several times, and it worked out real well, said Kreun, chairman of the Grand Forks Housing Authority. Well work at it again next session. (Reach Amy Dalrymple at 701-250-8267 or Amy.Dalrymple@bismarcktribune.com) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 North Dakota has seen a small swell of storytelling on screen in recent years, but none of it filmed here. The FX television series "Fargo" was shot in Calgary, Alberta. "Woman Walks Ahead," which portrayed an artist's relationship with Sitting Bill on the Standing Rock Reservation, was filmed in New Mexico. And ABC's "Blood & Oil" used mountainous Utah to portray western North Dakota's Bakken oilfield. Now a legislative study may look at what motion picture incentives could be developed for North Dakota from looking at neighboring and Midwestern states' packages for filming and the related economic impact. The study isn't mandatory. Lawmakers of Legislative Management, a powerful interim committee, will approve studies and committee structures at a meeting in late May. They have about 65 studies to review, some mandatory, some not. House Minority Leader Josh Boschee, D-Fargo, brought the proposal to the state Department of Commerce budget after some Bismarck filmmakers reached out to him to see about reviving some unsuccessful legislation for film incentives from 2013. "There might be some interest based on how it could impact tourism and local, little towns," Boschee said. Due to the lateness of the session, Boschee proposed the study, which was amended into the budget. "I thought it was interesting and something a little different," said Sen. Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks, who worked on a subcommittee that had the budget. Dave Diebel, producer for D&N Cinematics in Bismarck, said film incentives bring economic benefits to the local economy. He pointed to a commercial shoot for Hu activewear in 2016 in New Town with rapper Pharrell Williams that pumped $200,000 into the economy from a 60-person crew's lodging and catering. "That's the kind of return on your dollar, as far as incentivizing production to happen here, that I think is something we need to take advantage of more as a state," Diebel said. He also pointed to production professionals already "poised" in North Dakota, and a variety of programs at the state's universities, such as video production at Bismarck State College and the Bison Information Network at North Dakota State University. And North Dakota has its wide, open spaces and beautiful scenery, too, he added. "There's a lot of opportunity if you just foster that industry a little bit and help it along," Diebel said. Sara Otte Coleman, director of the state Tourism Division, said North Dakota offers zero incentives for filming, but does lend "support" when interested parties reach out, usually about rural scenery. Tourism staff helped production crew members of "The Revenant" scout Missouri River locations, but didn't ultimately secure filming for the 2015 survival story of frontiersman Hugh Glass, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The Tourism Division maintains a webpage for contact information for potential locations and information on the state's seasons, government structure, Indian reservations and even crop cycles. "We'll help with location scouting. We advise on permit requirements. We really try to be accessible and available; however, there are no economic incentives," Coleman said. North Dakota has waded into filmmaking before; the state-owned Bank of North Dakota financed a $3.9 million loan in 1999 for "Wooly Boys," a story of a sheep rancher and his grandson filmed in the Medora area. Actors such as Peter Fonda, Kris Kristofferson and Keith Carradine starred. But that venture was a financial flop. It's a competitive industry, Coleman said. Montana and Minnesota have offered filming incentives, she added, but Georgia and Utah offer perhaps the best packages. "If you think of it as economic development more so than marketing, I think you're going to approach it in the right way," Coleman said. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. North Dakota State Auditor Josh Gallion is seeking an attorney general opinion on language in his budget requiring legislative approval for certain types of audits. Gallion has consulted state Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem over provisions that require legislative approval for performance audits and to outsource work required by the federal government. "Both of those add some complications," Gallion told the Tribune on Monday. He said it's unclear for what audits he will have to seek approval from the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee. The auditor's office performs two-year "operational audits" of state agencies, which Gallion said are conducted under performance auditing standards. "Technically, most of our audits are performance audits," he said. Gallion said his office undertakes two or three performance audits a year, which are separate from the required two-year audits. He'll do one this year, on state-assessed fees. Another example is his 2018 review of the governor's office use of state aircraft, which raised concerns over transparency and "inappropriate" flights. The first-term Republican auditor points to the provisions as being added last-minute, late at night in the final conference committee meeting of lawmakers reviewing his new two-year budget. "We didn't even have a chance to fully digest what all of these mean, let alone have that discussion with the Legislature," Gallion said. He also said the approval for outsourcing of federally required work presents questions as agencies, such as the state-owned Bank of North Dakota and Job Service North Dakota, have components he can't cover. Seeking lawmakers' approval could delay the auditing process, Gallion added. Lawmakers' audit committee usually meets quarterly, last in October 2018. Rep. Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks, carried the auditor's office budget in the House, where it met with extensive debate in the Legislature's final days. Some House members questioned whether Gallion's authority would be nipped by needing legislative approval for performance audits. Mock said the condition came about due to structural changes in Gallion's office and a desire for more communication on the scope and costs of performance audits, which can take months. "In no way was that maneuver ever intended to be limiting of the auditor's ability," Mock said. "It was exclusively about improving communication." Gov. Doug Burgum defended his signing of the auditor's office budget in a meeting Thursday with The Bismarck Tribune editorial board when pressed about the provision, which he could have vetoed. "I completely reject the thesis that somehow we are against transparency because the Legislature wants to manage an authority that they granted the way they want to manage it," Burgum said. He pointed to Gallion's office receiving an additional $1.3 million and two more full-time local government auditors, bringing his staff to 58 full-timers, the most ever. But Gallion said those two new full-time positions are for auditing cities, counties and other local public entities. "Anybody who's saying, 'Oh, we gave them two extra positions,' yeah, but those are for a specific purpose," Gallion said. "They do not support the agency audits or performance audits." Gallion said he doesn't know lawmakers' intent in the provisions for their approval. "I believe I'm doing the work the taxpayers expect," he said. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 5 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. WASHINGTON (AP) Nearly 400 former federal prosecutors have signed onto a letter saying President Donald Trump would have been charged with obstruction of justice if he were anyone other than the president. The letter was signed by more than 370 former Justice Department prosecutors who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations. It was released Monday by Protect Democracy, an advocacy group formed two years ago that is critical of the Trump administration. The former prosecutors say special counsel Robert Mueller's report "describes several acts that satisfy all of the elements for an obstruction charge." Those actions include Trump's efforts to have Mueller fired; Trump's attempts to limit the scope of the Russia investigation; and Trump's tweets and public statements aimed at discouraging aides from cooperating with prosecutors. "In our system, every accused person is presumed innocent and it is always the government's burden to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt," the letter states. "But, to look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution runs counter to logic and our experience." Mueller examined nearly a dozen acts by the president for potential obstruction of justice. He ultimately reached no conclusion on whether Trump had criminally obstructed justice, citing in part an opinion from the department's Office of Legal Counsel that says a sitting president cannot be indicted. Attorney General William Barr and Deputy Attorney Rod Rosenstein then stepped in and determined Mueller's evidence was insufficient for an obstruction charge. Trump has used that finding to claim that the report found no obstruction. But the ex-prosecutors make clear that in their view the evidence leans heavily in the other direction. "As former federal prosecutors, we recognize that prosecuting obstruction of justice cases is critical because unchecked obstruction which allows intentional interference with criminal investigations to go unpunished puts our whole system of justice at risk," the letter states. "We believe strongly that, but for the OLC memo, the overwhelming weight of professional judgment would come down in favor of prosecution for the conduct outlined in the Mueller Report," it says. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 HORACE The regions Grand Farm autonomous farming research initiative got a big boost on April 27 when U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was on hand for its ribbon-cutting ceremony for an autonomous farming technology development project. About 75 backers of the futuristic farming project gathered at the rural Horace property after a Perdue farm policy roundtable. Perdue was flanked by a slew of North Dakota Republicans including Gov. Doug Burgum, and Sens. John Hoeven, and Kevin Cramer at its future location just east of Exit 54 on Interstate Highway 29, south of Fargo. Perdue told the Grand Farms backers that the project will be important for the noble work of feeding a growing, hungry world. Youre planting; youre planting the seed here, Perdue said. Hoeven said the initiative will bring precision agriculture to the next level. Burgum said it will show the world a path forward and show what North Dakota can do. The Grand Farm initiative is designed to address what promoters say is the pain points of farm labor shortage and lack of venture capital to develop technology. Autonomous farming means farming robotically using artificial technology, even through the grain marketing phase, promoters say. Brian Carroll is director of the project. Carroll also is director of operations at Emerging Prairie, a Fargo non-profit organization that promotes entrepreneurism through programming and networking events. The big five Carroll says project will involve unspecified millions in capital investment, and thousands of people involved, including participation from federal, state, local and private contributions. Carroll said the initiative has five strategic parts: Ecosystem: The project will build a community of interest, through networking events, identifying collaboration opportunities as well as gaps in the process. Innovation platform: This initiative will create or engage with a business accelerator company to match start-up companies with venture capital. This local, national, or international sources investments from those who can take on riskier projects for higher potential payoffs. Makerspace: This is a a kind of laboratory -- a building and some land used for hands-on creativity. Individuals, organizations, universities, corporations, or even high school students, to prototype different applications and look for different opportunities to do autonomous activities. Primarily, autonomous farming would be involved. The building is being designed and could be operational in three or four years maybe sooner if fundraising goes well. Education: The Grand Farm will study the education needed for the industry and play a part in delivering it. Young people and potential workers, perhaps displaced out of disrupted industries could upscale skills through working a code school, developed by Grand Farm, to teach specialized software development. Some training could involve internet of things, and robotic-connected devices. This will help attract people into the region to work in the industry, or retain them. Policy development: The concentration of activity can help inform policy-makers to support autonomous equipment operation in public spaces, including roads and skies. Ag tech entrepreneur Barry Batcheller of Fargo first brought up the idea at a 1 Million Cups entrepreneurial speaking event in March 2017, saying the project is capable of launching fully autonomous farm by the year 2025. Batcheller is chairman of the board for tech company Appareo Systems of Fargo, and has played key roles at other agribusinesses. A North Dakota State University engineering graduate, Batcheller has been instrumental in creating hundreds of engineering jobs in the community. Batcheller serves as a technical and marketing and business adviser for the Grand Farm project. Today, the futures all about data, Batcheller said. The information thats available today, and will be available to farmers in the future, will revolutionize the way agriculture is performed. Batcheller said the Grand Farm will complement the states unmanned aerial system development, including a drone park in Grand Forks. The state recently was allowed participation in an integration pilot program, which contemplates the integrating unmanned systems into common use. Down to earth Kevin Biffert, Horace, has donated the lease of land for Grand Farm. Biffert is president of operations of Korber Medipak Systems of NA-Fargo Automation Division. With degrees from North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton and the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, Biffert worked at 3M in Wahpeton and in 1996 founded Fargo Automation, which builds on autonomous equipment for medical device companies and pharmaceutical industry. Biffert sold Fargo Automation to German-based Korber Solutions in 2017, but still works for the company. After the sale, his family bought 45 acres of land, hoping to create a tech park. Biffert said he thinks half the land might become covered with buildings, while the rest could be used for field testing. The Bifferts have signed a lease for Korber to construct a 15,000-square foot building as a second manufacturing campus in the community. The separate Grand Farm building will include a conference room and collaborative workspace areas. The lab will be equipped with three-dimensional printers, computer numerical control milling machines, laser cutters, a machine shop and a robotics lab. Biffert also owns other land in the area, which he said could be used to simulate the movement of equipment from field-to-field, which is common in farming today and one of the unknowns for autonomous farming equipment use. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This past Saturday marked the fortieth anniversary of Margaret Thatcher taking office as the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Thatcher served as PM for nearly a decade, during which time she became, along with Ronald Reagan, one of the Wests greatest champions of free enterprise, anti-communism, and individual liberty. (Ronald Reagan called her the best man in England and she called him the second most important man in my life.) Here are five facts you should know about the late British leader. 1. Thatcher graduated from Oxford University in 1947 with a B.S. in Chemistry (specializing in X-ray crystallography), and worked as a research chemist (she helped develop soft-serve ice cream) before becoming involved in politics. Thatcher was the first Prime Minister to win three elections in a row. When she retired she was given the title of Baroness and joined the House of Lords. After her retirement from politics she served, from 1993 to 2000, as chancellor of the College of William and Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia. 2. Thatcher was brought up as a devout Methodist and remained a committed Christian until her death in April 2013. 3. Like Joseph Chamberlains umbrella and Winston Churchills cigar, Thatchers physical and metaphorical prop was her handbag. As one Conservative politician noted in 1982, She cannot see an institution without hitting it with her handbag. The term handbagging was used so often in reference to Thatchers abrasive style that the word entered the Oxford English Dictionary. 4. On October 12, 1984, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a bomb at a hotel that was hosting a Conservative Party conference with the purpose of killing Thatcher and her cabinet. While she narrowly escaped the assassination attempt, the blast killed five people and injured 31 others. In her response to the attack Thatcher said, It was an attempt to cripple Her Majestys democratically-elected Government. That is the scale of the outrage in which we have all shared, and the fact that we are gathered here nowshocked, but composed and determinedis a sign not only that this attack has failed, but that all attempts to destroy democracy by terrorism will fail. 5. Thatcher was known for having two colorful nicknames. In 1970 she became Secretary of State for Education and stopped free milk program for schoolchildren, earning her the nickname Thatcher, the Milk Snatcher. A few years later, after a speech in 1976 in which she condemned Communism, a Soviet journalist dubbed her The Iron Lady. She is said to have liked that nickname. Yahoo! JAPAN Yahoo! JAPAN Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei announced that he has changed his mind about executing people for having gay sex. "I am aware that there are many questions and misperceptions with regard to the implementation of the SPCO [Syariah Penal Code Order]," the oil-rich billionaire said in a speech. "However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident." The sultan's decision might have had something to do with the fact that businesses around the world are boycotting Brunei-owned businesses. From Reuters: Banks, including Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, Citi and Nomura, have banned staff from using [nine hotels owned by the sultanate], which include the Dorchester in London and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, while numerous organizations have canceled events. Transport for London (TfL), which is responsible for London's transport system, removed adverts promoting Brunei as a tourism destination from the city's public transport network last month. STA Travel, a global travel agency, stopped selling flights on Royal Brunei Airlines, while Virgin Australia Airlines ended an agreement that offered staff discounted tickets on the national carrier. An article in Prolific London examines the "cynical," "groveling" message posted on the Dorchester hotels' website: In what many will view as a cynical attempt to distance itself from the outrage over the new laws in Brunei, the Brunei Investment Agency posted a groveling message on its Dorchester Collection website. The unsigned message on the site's home page claims that "Inclusion, diversity and equality are the foundation of the Dorchester Collection. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination, we never have and we never will. We understand people's anger and frustration but this is a political and religious issue that we don't believe should be played in our hotels and amongst our 3,630 employees. We are deeply saddened by what's happening right now and the impact it is having on our employees, guests, partners and suppliers in particular." The company then appears to make what some might interpret as a veiled threat to other global brands: "Our values are far removed from the politics of ownership. We are aware that many other brands have ownership with similar backgrounds in this increasingly global world" it wrote, before finishing by saying they hope to welcome guests back soon. PR Week reports that most of the sultan's hotels have taken down their Twitter and Instagram accounts: The Dorchester Collection has dialed down its social media presence, with eight of its nine hotels removing their Twitter accounts, and six hotels either deleting or deactivating their Instagram accounts. Here are the hotels owned by the sultanate's Brunei Investment Agency: The Dorchester (London) 45 Park Lane (London) Coworth Park (Ascot, UK) The Beverly Hills Hotel (Los Angeles) Hotel Bel-Air (Los Angeles) Le Meurice (Paris) Hotel Plaza Athenee (Paris) Hotel Principe di Savoia (Milan) Image: Byron W.Moore/Shutterstock News / National by Staff reporter ZIMBABWE stands to lose at least 5% of its yearly exports to the United Kingdom in the case of Britain leaving the European Union without a deal, a new United Nations agency report has shown.According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, the country exported goods worth US$3 045 963 last year up from US$1 349 211 in 2017, while Zimbabwe imported US$226,18 million worth of goods, up 66,24% from the 2017 comparative of US$136,05 million.Zimbabwe's exports to the UK include diamonds, mange tout peas, black fermented tea, oranges, unmanufactured tobacco, fresh avocados, sculptures, fresh peaches, fresh nectarines, fresh raspberries and passion fruit, among others.An orderly Brexit would allow a transition period during which Britain would be allowed to renegotiate existing trade agreements while a no-deal Brexit means the UK would leave the EU with no agreements in place."A no-deal Brexit would significantly alter the market conditions in the United Kingdom both for developing and developed countries."In such a case, countries which were enjoying preference because of agreements (including other European Union countries) will find themselves in a disadvantageous position as they would then face the MFN (most favoured nation) tariffs," reads the The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report."On the other hand, countries that were facing relatively higher tariffs would benefit both because of possibly lower MFN tariffs and the fact that many competitors would be taxed at the same rate"Although it is expected that the United Kingdom will continue to provide duty-free access to LDCs (low developing countries), one concern for such countries would be the retention of competitiveness in the event of lower MFN tariffs."The UK has already stated its desire to seek replication of EU trade concessions and to pursue bilateral agreements to replace those of the EU."It is important to emphasise that while a no-deal Brexit would have immediate repercussions for many developing countries' exports, significant concerns remain even in the case of a more orderly Brexit."Ultimately, third countries' exports to the United Kingdom will depend on the stance of the trade regime that the United Kingdom will adopt both in relation to countries that currently enjoy preferences in the European Union markets and on the MFN tariffs the United Kingdom will adopt."As of now, many developing countries' exports enjoy very favourable market access conditions to the United Kingdom markets, largely because of bilateral trade agreements and because of European Union unilateral preferential schemes. Of immediate concern is whether these conditions would be carried over once Brexit is realised," the report added.Africa represents 2% of British trade activity, which amounted to $680 billion in 2018.Britain's government and parliament remain deadlocked over Brexit. Long scheduled for March 29, it was delayed last month until October 31, this year. News / National by Staff reporter Political fighting in Bikita East has seen Zanu PF youths barring MDC Alliance ward 15 councillor Samson Dzinodya from constructing a clinic in Manjovha village under Headman Nerumedzo.The ruling party youths blocked the project because the bricks Dzinodya was supposed to use were moulded using Constituency Development Funds, availed by Parliament to the late Zanu PF MP Kennedy Matimba.Dzinodya confirmed the incident, which occurred on Monday last week, and said that the youths engaged the services of two Police Internal Security Intelligence officers, Takaedza Chaneketa and Simbarashe Nyereyehama, who ordered him to stop the construction."Yes, we wanted to construct toilets before building the rest of the clinic blocks, but Zanu PF youths, which include Zanu PF ward 15 youth chair Jimmy Chimiso, Milton Paradzai and Hardlife Chabata, reported to the police that we were about to use the bricks that were made during the late Matimba's tenure," Dzinodya said."I wanted to use the 30% tranche that we are allocated by the rural council, and some locals had donated more than 600 bags for the project. The community was providing the labour and other minor services, but the issue of bricks has stalled the construction of the clinic."Our goal is to have a clinic in the ward, where people can access health services regardless of political affiliation. This is not a Zanu PF or MDC project, but something that would benefit the community as a whole."Contacted for comment, Chaneketa said he was not allowed to talk to the media and referred all the questions to police in Masvingo.Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Charity Mazula said she could not comment on the issue because she was in a meeting."I am in a meeting right now, I cannot comment at the moment. Just try to call me later," she said.MDC Alliance spokesperson Jacob Mafume said the atmosphere created by President Emmerson Mnangangwa when he openly declared that he would sabotage MDC projects gave birth to the kind of "barbaric behaviour" displayed by the Zanu PF youths in Bikita."On the issue of police officers, what they did is partisan politics, which is unconstitutional. They should not been seen meddling in politics," he said.Zanu PF Masvingo provincial spokesperson Ronald Ndava could not be reached for comment on his mobile phone. News / National by Staff reporter Zimbabwe Newspapers (Zimpapers) Group radio division staff reportedly downed tools yesterday in protest over late payments.A staffer at Diamond FM in Mutare, who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity, told NewsDay that the company was ill treating them."We are on go-slow today because our employer is paying us two weeks on after the actual pay day. Another grievance is that there is unfair treatment of independent contractors,"the source said."These are supposed to get benefits such as sick leave, medical aid and bonuses, but they have not gotten them for the last three years. There is also no salary increment."Another source said after their efforts to negotiate were turned down by the employer, they thought the only language Zimpapers bosses could understand was an industrial action.The staff said the strike had spread to Zimpapers Group's other radio stations such as Capitalk FM in Harare and Nyaminyami FM in Kariba.The Zimpapers Group is alleged to have not been spared by the "austerity for prosperity" measures which was introduced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government as staff salaries have been eroded following the devaluation of the local Real Time Gross Settlement dollar currency against its benchmark, the United States dollar.Zimpapers Group spokesperson Beatrice Tonhodzayi said they had met staff in Mutare and resolved their grievances."Our teams are at work. The stations are on air. There were some internal meetings with staff in Mutare, as is the case with any organisation in these tough times, but all is well. Like any other business, we continue to engage with staff as we move forward," she said. News / National by Staff reporter Zimbabwe accused Britain's sacked defence secretary Gavin Williamson of "imperialistic nostalgia" on Sunday after a newspaper claimed he drew up plans for a military invasion of Zimbabwe, among other countries in Africa.The Sunday Times, citing a leaked National Security Document, said Williamson "ordered military chiefs to draw up plans for intervention by the armed forces in at least five African countries, including Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt."The plans were reportedly for peacekeeping initiatives. However, Ministry of Defence officials told the paper that Williamson wanted to "find excuses to send troops".They added: "He wanted to invade Africa He made it clear that he was keen to send the troops in."Zimbabwe government spokesman Nick Mangwana said on Twitter: "This sabre-rattling sacked British Defence Secretary thinks Africa is still a place where British invasions are acceptable ways of conducting international relations? It's an embarrassment to have someone with such imperialistic nostalgia so highly placed."The Sunday Times said British Prime Minister Theresa May's trust in Williamson was undermined by his desire to send the armed forces into action, which Downing Street 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, the former defence secretary allegedly scrawled "f*** the prime minister" on the paperwork.Williamson was sacked amid claims that he leaked details of a National Security Council meeting last week about the Chinese firm Huawei.May was also informed that he had attacked her in private, saying that her diabetes made her unfit to be prime minister, it is reported.Williamson denied he had ever spoken about May's health and denounced the leak inquiry as a "shabby and discredited witch hunt". He demanded a "proper, full and impartial" investigation, adding that he was consulting his lawyers. News / National by ZimLive Former Bulawayo provincial minister Angeline Masuku declared that she too must not be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare after the Zanu-PF politburo initially turned down a request to have Misheck Velaphi Ncube declared a national hero, ZimLive reported.The politburo had initially declared Ncube a liberation war hero to be accorded a state-assisted funeral, and the party's secretary for administration Obert Mpofu had been sent to convey the message.But an emergency meeting at the party's provincial HQ at Davies Hall in Bulawayo on Friday ended with a delegation being sent to Harare to make the case to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, two officials briefed on the meeting confirmed.Ncube, who died on April 29 from diabetes at the age of 82 and was one of the pioneer ZIPRA fighters during the 1970s independence war after receiving military training in Egypt in 1962, was declared a national hero on Saturday after Mnangagwa overruled the politburo, the officials said."Masuku was quite forceful at the meeting, saying that if Ncube was not declared a national hero then she too and everyone else in the room did not deserve the honour. She said Callistus Ncube, who was buried at the National Heroes Acre also did not deserve to be there ahead of Ncube," one Zanu-PF official said."She was supported by central committee member Joseph Tshuma and others who said the denial of national hero status to Ncube reflected a skewed understanding of the liberation history, with only former ZANLA combatants considered fit for the honour."Zanu-PF politburo member, Munyaradzi Machacha, who was appointed by Mnangagwa to oversee the restructuring of the party in Bulawayo, was so alarmed by the strong objections among ex-ZAPU officials that he called Mnangagwa during the meeting to tell him that "people are angry down here."Mnangagwa said he would meet a two-member delegation that travelled to Harare to see him. He told the officials that he knew Ncube, and had sent him a personal message through Bulawayo's provincial minister Judith Ncube during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair at the end of last month after learning that he was hospitalised.Mnangagwa subsequently overruled the politburo and directed officials to declare Ncube a national hero.Speaking at the Ncube home in New Lobengula in Bulawayo on Saturday, Zanu-PF politburo member Absalom Sikhosana said: "He was involved at all levels of the liberation struggle. He was involved at all levels of the political leadership. There is no reason whatsoever for denying him that right (national hero declaration). That's the appropriate consideration befitting a man of his calibre."Ncube was the ZAPU administrator soon after independence in 1980 and was among top leaders arrested after the government allegedly discovered arms caches at a farm owned by the party.The arrests, which also saw the detention of late ZIPRA commander Lookout Masuku and current ZAPU leader Dumiso Dabengwa being charged with treason, marked the beginning of the Gukurahundi massacres.At the time of his death, Ncube was a member of the Zanu-PF national consultative assembly.Burial arrangements were yet to be announced on Sunday. News / National by ZimLive Nelson Chamisa says the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has no plan to install three vice presidents should the party come into government, insisting the current structure would only exist in the party.The MDC leader, speaking at a memorial service for the party's founding president Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera on Saturday, said the structure had been established by Tsvangirai who came from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) which has four vice presidents.Chamisa is deputised by Welshman Ncube, Morgan Komichi and Elias Mudzuri, but the constitution of Zimbabwe only has provision for two vice presidents.With the party's elective congress due to be held from 24 to 26 May this month, the MDC has come under pressure to abandon the structure which some say goes contrary to its promise of a lean government."Some ask where the vice presidents issue came from. One of the ideas Tsvangirai brought up was the three vice presidents. In the ZCTU, from whose womb the party was formed, there are four presidents; we ended at three. Some ask what does this mean? In government we won't have that, the government is supposed to be lean and mean. We'll separate the government from the party," Chamisa told thousands of people at the memorial held in Tsvangirai's village in Buhera.Chamisa vowed that post-congress, the party would take a deliberate step to deepen its cooperation with the ZCTU, whose leaders spoke at the event."The agenda started by Morgan Tsvangirai is not going to be betrayed. We remain going back to the centre, which is the ZCTU. The party was born out of the determination of the workers," he said.Tsvangirai's eldest son, Edwin, was booed off stage after saying he wanted to thank the government for providing logistical support for the successful holding of the event."I want to thank the government, I want to thank the president," Tsvangirai said before he was drowned out by the jeering crowd.He pleaded several times with the crowd to "please hear me out", before abandoning his speech entirely.Chamisa arrived at the Tsvangirai home and was escorted by police officers who cleared the path for him. The MDC leader credited the government for the gesture, saying for too long police had been used as Zanu-PF security officers."I compete with Mnangagwa, but if he does good it must be acknowledged. Police officers are not Zanu-PF, or MDC, they're there to serve Zimbabweans. Let's acknowledge what's good, and condemn what's bad," Chamisa said, however avoiding the jeering that met Edwin.The MDC leader, meanwhile, said Mnangagwa should sit down with the MDC to discuss the country's future, warning: "We want our country to move forward. If you don't want to dialogue, we'll drag you do dialogue kicking and screaming."The memorial was attended by several diplomats, including the Head of Delegation of the European Union to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen and Angolan Ambassador Pedro Hendrik Vaal Neto.Tsvangirai died from cancer at a hospital in South Africa on February 14 last year. News / National by Mandla Ndlovu Theresa May's former Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson allegedly held meetings with Ambassador Catriona Laing's husband Clive Bates in a bid to recolonise Zimbabwe.Williamson was sacked last week following a leak inquiry, was dismissed following concerns about his plans to 'invade Africa' and risk war with China.According to sources at the military intelligence department in Harare Williamson met some with Bates and some British diplomats to fund the Matabeleland Collective to create an environment for British's military invasion in Zimbabwe.The source says the plan by Laing, her husband and Williamson was that they remove Robert Mugabe and replace him with a weak candidate who will be removable.The Matabeleland Collective has been used as a conduit to endorse President Emmerson Mnangagwa while creating an animosity between him and Zimbabweans it is alleged.Sunday Times reported that May refused his request to send Royal Navy warships into Chinese waters in the South China Sea, leading the then Defence Secretary to scrawl "f*** the prime minister" on the accompanying paperwork, which was subsequently reported to Downing Street.A leaked National Security Document, seen by the Times, also suggests that Williamson drew up plans for the British Armed Forces to be sent to "at least five African countries, including Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt".The plans were reportedly for peacekeeping initiatives. However, Ministry of Defence officials told the paper that Williamson wanted to "find excuses to send troops".They added: "He wanted to invade Africa... He made it clear that he was keen to send the troops in." Opinion / Columnist A tradition of ineffectual protests Destroyers of the economy "Stupid" protestors Time to open one's eyes Those who attended or listened to the speeches delivered during Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) May Day commemorations in Dzivarasekwa, Harare, last week will testify of how the labour body's leadership is itching to stage protests against Government. The same also goes for the MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa who used the event not to express solidarity with the workers as expected but to berate President Emmerson Mnangagwa instead of spelling out his own party's policies to the workers.Most of the addresses largely sought to incite workers to protest against Government not for the workers' benefit but for the gratification of Chamisa and the ZCTU leadership which, of late, has been unashamedly making forays into the opposition politics realm at the expense of the welfare of the workers including those working for the MDC.Let us trace the source of this hysterical obsession with protests. Nearly two years before the MDC was formed, the former MDC leader, the late Morgan Tsvangirai led the destructive food riots of January 1998. This is not because he had planned the demonstrations. He merely hijacked a localised protest in Tafara where a handful of customers had refused to buy bread because of a recent price hike.Put differently, Tsvangirai used the people's plight to draw attention to himself leading to his nomination to lead the MDC when the party was formed. He achieved his personal goal but bread prices did not go down as Zimbabwe was in the throes of the painful belt-tightening period of the Economic Structural Adjustment (ESAP). It was another barren protest for Zimbabweans and a personal milestone for Tsvangirai. In street parlance one would say "vanhu vakaitiswa (people were used)."After being thoroughly trounced by former President Robert Mugabe during the 9 to 11 March 2002 presidential election Tsvangirai was no longer sitting in leadership chair comfortably as tongues were wagging over the calibre of his mettle as a leader. Remember that two years earlier he had been soundly beaten by his cousin and ZANU PF candidate, Kenneth Manyonda during the 2000 parliamentary elections in Buhera North constituency. In June 2003 he called for a face-saving protest against Mugabe and ZANU PF which he termed the Final Push.After failing to win a seat in his Buhera backyard and losing to Mugabe he, despite claiming to champion democracy, resorted to pushing ZANU PF out of power using gullible and excitable MDC members. As was to be expected, the much vaunted protest turned out to be all hot air. It was another personal and selfish project meant to calm the restive and expectant MDC rank and file members. It was another empty and hare-brained undertaking.Over the following years the MDC has held similar personal protests which were couched as meant to press Government into some concession or another to no avail. In other words, the MDC has been using protest as weapon with no results for twenty years. "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results," said the German physicist Albert Einstein. The reason: the MDC simply has no ideas beyond its default "strategy", protests.Apart from being used to drive personal agendas and vendettas by their leaders in the name of opposition politics, MDC members have been used to destroy their own economy. Opposition leaders enjoy blaming ZANU PF for the ongoing economic challenges. On 24 August 2016 MDC youths staged a demonstration in Harare. Two days later another Tsvangirai project, the National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA), staged another protest ostensibly to force Government to implement some electoral reforms.The two groups caused extensive damage to business infrastructure and huge financial losses due to wanton looting. Citizens Against Violence and Anarchy Trust (CAVAAT) filed a class action claim for $1 million at the High Court against NERA on behalf of the affected businesses and individuals in June 2017. The trust won the case in March the following year and N ERA was ordered to pay $300 000 to the affected parties.In January this year the MDC organised another protest against fuel price increases which was fronted by the ZCTU. As has become the norm whenever the MDC protests, it left a trail of destruction especially in Bulawayo and Harare. The Choppies supermarket chain lost $2.3 million in looted stock and $6.5 million in destroyed retail infrastructure. According to the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, the losses incurred by businesses topped the $300 million mark.Whenever Chamisa addresses he ineffectually attempts to paint a picture of an economic paradise if he gets into power. One wonders how he plans to build that rosy economy when he superintends over the destruction of the existing businesses. He has spoken of how he would attract foreign investors but the question is: if he is fighting foreign investors such as Choppies how can he convince others to invest in Zimbabwe? What word shall Choppies pass around about Zimbabwe? If Choppies did not know the warped minds of the drivers of the thoughtless orgy of violence it would have just closed shop and thrown hundreds of workers onto the streets.After the 1 August 2018 needless, violent and destructive protests by MDC youths against the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), Chamisa attempted to exonerate himself from the demonstration when he realised the gravity of the matter when the Commission of Inquiry into the issue summoned him to appear before it. If the youths, who were urging him on last week as he threatened further protests, did not know of Chamisa's bad habit of using and dumping them they should ask those who participated in the aforementioned protest.He sought to save his skin before his appearance before the Commission by throwing the participants under a double-diffed bus through questioning their rationale of protesting while ZEC was still collating and announcing election results as if he had not sanctioned the protest. To add salt to injury he described them as stupid. Like Tsvangirai before him, he uses for personal benefit and callously discards.It is clear that both Tsvangirai and Chamisa have been failures who use the gullible in the MDC to cover up for their leadership shortcomings by targeting Government. Both have failed get a good handle on the fact that elections are won in constituencies on the ground through sound and life-changing programmes and not by utopian promise and outright lies.Instead of being used, the youths should confront their inept leaders and ask what strategies and programmes they have in place to win elections instead of being convinced to be hatchet men in baseless political sabotage jobs. They should ask Chamisa, for example, how he failed to win last elections despite having unprecedented and unfettered access to all rural areas thanks to the new dispensation.It is now time that legislators enact laws to curb the mindless destruction of business and public infrastructure by individuals on the payroll of failed politicians who are seeking to revenge their poll losses on Government, innocent businesses and individuals. It is time that organisers of violent and destructive protests be made personally liable financially liable for all the resultant losses.It is time that organisers of violent and destructive demonstrations know that the fact that the right to protest as enshrined in the Constitution is not absolute. Law enforcement agents cannot turn a blind eye to violence and destruction of property simply because people have a right to protest. It is time that people should know that protests will not turn the country's financial fortunes overnight. If anything, protests retard the chances of an early economic recovery.It is only through engagement and applying our collective shoulder to the wheel as a nation that we can overcome our challenges and not through whipping the emotions of suffering workers for political expediency. Helen Konek enters her igloo, walking down the steps carved from ice. The 17-year-old stares ahead into the camera. She's framed by the entrance, the Arctic sun shines through the opening in the door. That moment frozen in time in February 1949 near Arviat, Nunavut is spreading across the internet after her grandson, CBC's Jordan Konek, posted it on Twitter. It took just a few days for it to be shared thousands of times by people around the world. Helen is 87 now and lives in the elders' care home in Arviat. But she still remembers the photographer and his project two generations ago. "I remember it very clearly," said Helen Konek in Inuktitut. "He followed me everywhere I went everywhere I went he was right there. We would wander around and just take many photos all the time." Richard Harrington / Library and Archives Canada / submitted by Jordan Konek Richard Harrington, a freelance photographer who had an interest in the North, took the photos of Helen while travelling in the Arctic in 1949. He made six trips to the North in the middle of the 20th century as many Inuit transitioned from life on the land to life in permanent communities. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes his Arctic series in the 1940s as "probably his best known and most moving photo essay." His work was purchased by Canada's National Archives, the Smithsonian and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Helen says she's happy her photo continues to resonate with people, 70 years later. It's the second time Jordan's shared her photo on social media and it's gone viral, though he made a mistake with her age, saying she was 27 when in fact, she was 17 at the time of the photo. "Oh my! I am so happy. That is amazing!" she said. "There were so many others [Harrington] took photos of during our very hard times. But this ... photo of me is being noticed. It's amazing to me." Helen has a deep connection with Jordan, who spent a lot of time with her growing up in Arviat. Story continues "She's one of those people who likes to get the work done, but she also cares so much about her grandchildren and her family," said Jordan, who is a journalist for CBC North in Iqaluit. Oh my! I am so happy. That is amazing! - Helen Konek "I always looked up to [my grandparents] and how they raised us and told us a lot of different things," he said. "To be hard working, being nice to people, all the things grandparents do. They were always the people we look up to. "In the Inuit culture we are always told to respect our elders and that's partly why I spent a lot of time with them." Submitted by Jordan Konek Traditional Inuit life on film When Jordan looks at that photo today, he sees traditional Inuit life before his eyes. "They've told me so many stories about being out on the land and trying to survive," he said. "I've always wanted to see what it's like out there it's something I'd really love to see." That photo, of a strong, confident Inuk woman, shows people outside the North a positive image of people in Nunavut, Jordan explained, and it's why he wanted to tweet it in the first place. "I'm glad the image went viral, because even up to today, Canadians don't know where Nunavut is. They don't know who Inuit are," he said. "It's important for Canadians to know that Inuit are here, that we are part of Canada." Because she studies ancient water on Earth, Barbara Sherwood Lollar is usually looking down, but her work is also making her look to the stars. Sherwood Lollar, an earth sciences professor at the University of Toronto, has won the prestigious Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering for her work on ancient Earth water and for advancing the search for life on other worlds. The award is handed out each year by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Humans have long wondered if we're alone in the universe. Mars has always been an appealing candidate for extraterrestrial life, but in recent years, scientists have begun to look at moons specifically, Europa, a moon around Jupiter, and Enceladus, a moon around Saturn. Why the change in direction? The maxim in the search for life has always been: follow the water. While not identical, both Europa and Enceladus are similar, in that they both have icy crusts under which astronomers believe are large bodies of water. It's also believed Enceladus may have hydrothermal vents, which are areas of heated, mineral-rich water. The moon is even spewing water vapour into space. Martin Lipman/NSERC Sherwood Lollar has been studying ancient water below the Earth's surface in mines on the Canadian Shield and around the world. Determining the chemistry of that water could be used to study moons like Europa and Enceladus. "One of the major themes of planetary science is that we use the Earth to understand processes that might be going on on other planets," Sherwood Lollar said. "And so the work we do has direct relevance for what we do when we go out to search for processes on other planets." Digging deep In 2016, she and her team of scientists found what was believed to be the oldest water on Earth, estimated to be two billion years old. The discovery earned her NSERC's John C. Polanyi Award. Probing this deep allows Sherwood Lollar and her team to find out how life could thrive in these conditions. In particular, she wants to know: "What are they living off of?" Story continues Her interest in the subject began when she was finishing high school. Scientists were just beginning to understand the nature of life in some of the deepest parts of the oceans, including around hydrothermal vents, which she found fascinating. NASA/JPL Scientists were surprised to discover that some life didn't need the process of photosynthesis to live; that the chemistry of water-rock reactions could provide the energy needed for microbes to survive. While hydrothermal vents are interesting places to study chemical processes taking place that provide habitability for life, Sherwood Lollar isn't looking there. Instead, she's concentrating on cooler regions like the Canadian Shield. This ancient rock doesn't experience shifting plates that tend to generate heat around hydrothermal vents, yet there is still chemistry taking place in the water that's under the rock. Her work could help astrobiologists and astrophysicists search for life in cooler places in the solar system, including Mars. Just last year, a team of Italian scientists published a paper that suggested there was a lake below the planet's southern polar ice cap. For many, the question this raised was whether the region was habitable. "One way of looking at Mars is that it looks like the Canadian Shield in the sense that it is all ancient, billion-year-old rock on the surface," Sherwood Lollar said. So her work here on Earth will likely be used in the search for life on Mars. NASA/JPL-Caltech Sherwood Lollar said she's immensely honoured to receive the Herzberg Medal. "We use the word humbling, but it really is the only word to describe [it]," she said. She looks forward to continuing her work, and to the search for life beyond Earth. And she's happy that we're rethinking how we find that life. "When we go to the icy planets, the ocean worlds, those places are very, very cold. But we would be wrong to think about them as geologically inactive," she said. "Anywhere where you've got gradients, between hot and cold even if it's between cold and colder you still have the potential for chemistry to be taking place. And this causes us to open our thinking a bit, to think outside the box about the nature of what can sustain habitability." People in Quyon, Que., are being urged to severely reduce their water consumption due to a "technical problem" at their water treatment plant. The Municipality of Pontiac alerted residents in the western Quebec village to the issue Sunday evening in a post on their Facebook page. "Due to a technical problem at the water treatment plant, the municipality is asking citizens to reduce to a minimum, even delay, the use of potable water," the message said. "The water is still potable but limited in quantity." The treatment plant issue comes as life in the flood-stricken community has slowly started to return to normal. Nearly 100 people forced from their homes due to a mandatory evacuation order were able to return on the weekend. The Quyon Ferry across the Ottawa River was also up and running again at 7 a.m. Sunday after being shut down because of the flood threat. The Ecolos and Bourbonnais ferries in the Ottawa-Gatineau area, however, are still not running. Pembroke waters still high In its Sunday afternoon forecast, the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board said levels on the river from Mattawa, Ont., downstream to Pembroke, Ont., will slowly rise over the next few days as water is released from reservoirs in northern Quebec. Runoff from the melting snow is causing those reservoirs to fill up rapidly, the board said. In response, the board revised its worst-case peak forecast for Pembroke to 113.45 metres slightly above the heights hit one week ago, when on April 28 water levels reached 113.38 metres. From Pontiac, Que., downstream to Montreal, river levels will continue slowly declining but will still remain high for about two weeks, the board said. Renfrew County, which surrounds Pembroke, held a flood support services afternoon at the Alice & Fraser Recreation Centre on Henan Road in Laurentian Valley Township from 12 to 5 p.m. today for property owners who want to learn more about disaster relief, the support available from the Red Cross and how public health officials can help. Story continues Stu Mills/CBC Support centres pulling back In Ottawa, the support centre in the rural west end will no longer be fully staffed 24 hours a day. The West-Carleton March Community Support Centre at the Constance and Buckham's Bay Community Centre on Len Purcell Lane has new hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., as of this evening. While staff and services will no longer be there through the night, the city said the building will still be open for people who need to shower, use the washrooms, charge devices or use Wi-Fi if they call security at the main entrance. The other two support centres in the Britannia and Cumberland areas are closed. Ottawa is still asking volunteers to take a break this weekend ahead of the upcoming cleanup. Gatineau's donation centre at the back of the Galeries Aylmer mall is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. again today, then closing as was always the plan. It, and the other donation centre at the central Les Promenades Gatineau mall, are taking non-perishable food items and personal hygiene and cleaning products. Les Promenades Gatineau's location is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today and is also accepting clothing donations. The city is asking residents not to take apart sandbag walls for now while the water is still very high just in case the weather takes a turn. It said it may be able to open some closed streets back up later today. Family copes with 2nd disaster After recovering from the September 2018 tornadoes, a family of 10 from Honduras is struggling to cope with the second natural disaster to land on their doorstep. They lost their home in Gatineau's Mont-Bleu district during the tornadoes, which sent three of them to hospital. "We lost everything," said Francisca Arana while describing the damage to their rented home. "We saw a lot of blood on the walls, on the floor, on the sofa." David Richard/CBC The housing company they rented with offered them a place on rue Riviera in Lac-Beauchamp along the Ottawa River. But as the floodwaters rose over the last two weeks, Arana and her parents decided to leave that home. "We left everything there," she said. The family arrived in Canada more than four years ago after fleeing Honduras due to security reasons. The family did not have insurance. Radio-Canada At the moment, they're living in a two-bedroom apartment. "We [will] wait for the water to come down to come home, and see if we can get things back. Otherwise we don't know what we're going to do," she said. "We know we've lost things, but we need to move on We're not lucky, but we're strong. We'll get up again." It was an open secret in Marie Gauthier's family that Aunt Tillie made moonshine. During the 1940s, there was a need for liquor in remote Waskatenau, Alta., about 100 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. Tillie Lazowski kept herself and her farm from the brink of poverty by filling the need with her still, hidden away in the bush. "She leapt right on it, an entrepreneur," Gauthier said. Since she was young, Gauthier, a retired music teacher who owns Maridon Music in Spruce Grove, has fostered an interest in the odd comings and goings of her secretive aunt. Lazowski never spoke openly of her time as a moonshiner, but the whole family knew. Shayna Hansen In the 1960s, Lazowski moved to Edmonton, but kept exactly where a secret. Until her death in the early 2000s, she always had Gauthier pick her up at a rendezvous spot near Park Memorial on 97th Street and 111th Avenue. One day, around 1980, Lazowski requested a shovel and a ride to her old place in Waskatenau, which by then had a new owner. Gauthier guessed, that like most people in the area, the farm's new owner likely had a shotgun hiding behind the door. She agreed to drive on the condition that she wouldn't exit the car and if shots were fired she was out of there, with or without her aunt. After a bunch of digging, Lazowski came back with a couple of old tobacco cans filled with cash. Gauthier isn't sure how the money the money had be made, and her aunt never said. "I think it goes back to the moonshining days," Gauthier said, adding that Lazowski avoided banks as best she could. Police suspicious Lazowski never got caught, though police had their suspicions, Gauthier said. Lazowski hid her still in the thick brush that covered the area and when a police officer came by she would "bat her eyes" at them, Gauthier said. Most often, stories of moonshiners and rum-runners in small Alberta towns involve men. Still, women involved in the illegal alcohol trade have seeped into local lore. Story continues Marie Gauthier Kim Unrau, assistant archivist at the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre in Medicine Hat, researched one of these women for a small exhibit. Molly Smith, a former American slave, sought greener pastures in Canada after emancipation, making herself a home in Medicine Hat in the early 1880s. At the time, Alberta was part of the Northwest Territories which banned the sale of alcohol. Smith would make trips down to Montana, where alcohol was legal, and smuggle the booze across the border before selling it to the men working on the Canadian Pacific Railway. From 1883 to 1885, Smith brought up liquor from her contacts in Fort Benton, Mont., hiding it in the bush before carrying it around to the various work camps near the town. According to Unrau, the story goes that Smith had a customized bustle and brazier in which she hid the contraband alcohol. "[She] would have had some good business, because they would have been the only ones doing it," she said. The Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre Archives Shayna Hansen, co-owner of Hansen Distillery in Edmonton, says her grandmother was one of a number of moonshiners in her family. Near Rimbey and Crestomere, Alta., just about anything was used, even tomato paste, to make moonshine as money was tight and alcohol expensive. The family made moonshine from 1930 until just a few years ago when the recipe was passed on to Kris Sustrik, Hansen's husband and business partner. "If it wasn't for my grandma, my grandpa and my dad, my husband probably never would have learned to moonshine, or had the interest," Hansen said. South of the border, these stories are better told. Kelli Casias, a PhD student at the University of Montana, poured through countless newspaper articles in the course of writing her thesis on female moonshiners and bootleggers in her home state. Montana and Alberta were culturally very similar back when moonshining and rum-running was a valid, though fraught, career move, Casias said. Women were rarely searched, charged or prosecuted, unless they were repeat offenders or dealt in large quantities of alcohol. "When females are bootlegging or moonshining, they really fall into two categories, Casias said. "They've been suppressed somehow and are trying to support themselves through it. "Or you have the individual that becomes a rogue," she said. A weekend event in Portugal Cove-St. Philip's brought out the Avalon's brightest students and harkened back to a time when unyoked goats wreaked havoc on its streets. "They were all over the place and they eat everything. They ate the laundry off the clotheslines, they ate the salted fish, they ate all the flowers, they ate everything they could find," said Sera Tulk, who says one of her ancestors was the official goat impounder of St. John's. Her project for the Avalon Regional Heritage Fair, which took place on Saturday at Brookside Intermediate in Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, was all about his life as the city's goatcatcher. His job was to catch all the goats who weren't wearing yokes large triangles made of sticks that hung around their necks and prevented them from slipping through gates to devour flowers, fish and garbage. Jeremy Eaton/CBC If he caught one, the owner had to fork over up to five bucks to get it back "a huge amount of money" back then, she noted. That made him rather unpopular, she said. But as far as she sees it, he was providing an important service. "I'm trying to honour him here to show that he was a hero even if everybody else said he was a villain." Danny Williams: Hero or villain? Heroes and villains from the province's past was the theme of this year's fair, an exploration that surely wouldn't be complete without a discussion about Danny Williams. "It's very controversial," said Rachel Carey, who, with partner Eva Cobb, put together a project exploring the former premier's place in the province's consciousness. They asked friends and family far and wide how Williams's legacy sat with them. "If everybody who made a mistake was a villain, then we would all be villains," Carey said. "So we found that it's really up to the person viewing it to decide." Jeremy Eaton/CBC Hairy Man to the rescue! Cian Sweeney took home the event's top prize and a cheque for $100 for his project on undisputed hero Ann Harvey who, at just 17, helped rescue 163 Irish immigrants clinging to life on a rock in the rough waters off Isle aux Morts in 1828. Story continues Anthony Germain/CBC Their ship, a Scottish brig called Despatch, was bound for Quebec when it smashed into some rocks during a storm. "A brig is short for brigantine. It's a two-masted square-rig ship. Most popular in the 18th and 19th century," the Grade 5 student said. Harvey, her father and her Newfoundland dog named Hairy Man were out fishing when they saw evidence of the wreck, he said. The three dog included worked together over the course of three days to toss ropes out to the stranded immigrants and bring them in to the Harvey punt. "They had to keep going back and forth doing this same thing, risking their lives," Sweeney said. Jeremy Eaton/CBC A hero from Cougar Flight 491 With his project on Cougar Flight 491, Grade 4 student Jayden Eddy honoured a hero from his own family: his uncle, who was on the helicopter when it crashed into the ocean 10 years ago on its way to the White Rose oil field. "I was really interested in it and I wanted to learn a lot more about it," Eddy said. "I just wanted to do it." Jeremy Eaton/CBC His project included a model of the helicopter and pictures of young Eddy with two Cougar pilots. Sadly, there aren't any pictures of Eddy with his uncle. "I didn't get to meet him, actually. I was seven months short." Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador Investigators who probed the disappearances of three men from Toronto's Gay Village explored the possibility that their main suspect had killed and cannibalized Skandaraj Navaratnam with the help of notorious killer Luka Magnotta, according to recently unsealed court documents. The Project Houston task force was launched in November 2012 after Toronto police received a tip from a confidential informant in Switzerland. The informant claimed that a Toronto-area man had mentioned the name "Skanda" to him in a lengthy conversation about "human consumption" on a member's-only cannibalism website. Now, largely unredacted warrants and production orders from Project Houston are shedding new light on the extensive investigation born out of that tip and ultimately shutdown after two years pursuing a dead-end suspect. Serial killer Bruce McArthur pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Navaratnam, the other missing men from Project Houston Abdulbasir Faizi and Majeed Kayhan and five other men in January. But in 2012, the Swiss tip led police down a grisly rabbit hole of online cannibalism fantasies and child pornography as they tried to figure out whether James Alex Brunton of Peterborough, Ont., had killed Navaratnam and if he'd had any help. Navaratnam went missing in early September 2010. While police considered his disappearance "suspicious," there had been no new evidence or leads in the case until they received the tip two years later. Armed with an email address provided by the informant, documents show investigators quickly identified Brunton. For two years, the task force investigated Brunton as a murder suspect in the disappearance of Navaratnam. Along the way, they began to look into whether Magnotta was involved as well. Canadian Press The convicted killer was arrested in June 2012 for the slaying and dismemberment of Jun Lin in Montreal. The international student's body parts were found in a suitcase outside Magnotta's apartment, in packages sent to the headquarters of political parties, two Vancouver schools, and in a Montreal park. Story continues Magnotta was in custody awaiting trial as police investigated Brunton. Through production orders police obtained almost a decade of emails and forum chat conversations between Brunton and a number of young men, some underage, where they talk about kidnapping and cannibalism. Remington's strip club connection After reviewing the communications, police noticed that from the beginning of the messages, "Brunton consistently speaks of Nathan, another cannibal" who he met at Remington's a male strip club in Toronto where "Nathan" worked as a dancer. Investigators then note in a warrant that Magnotta was a dancer at Remington's from 2001 to 2003 and that Magnotta refers to himself as "Nathan" in text messages obtained by Montreal police. The two men also lived within four minutes of each other when Magnotta stayed with his grandmother in Peterborough as a teenager. John Fraser/CBC Other circumstantial evidence from financial and medical records shows that Brunton might have paid Magnotta's rent in exchange for sexual favours. Most of this information is detailed by investigators in a September 2013 warrant to examine Magnotta's digital devices for anything else that might link him to Brunton or Navaratnam. The warrants show investigators then dug deeper into Magnotta's potential involvement in Navaratnam's murder and found three online advertisements Magnotta had posted "looking for Middle Eastern men." The ads went up in June 2010 just a few months before Navaratnam went missing. Navaratnam was born in Sri Lanka. Cabins near Bancroft, Ont. The week before Navaratnam disappeared, he visited a friend's cabin south-east of Bancroft, Ont. Cellphone records from the time of the trip place Navaratnam "in the Peterborough area both enroute and on the way home from the cabin," and cell tower pings "indicate more than just a mere 'passing through,'" according to a warrant. Brunton lived in Peterborough, and talks about having access to a cabin near Bancroft, Ont., in communications obtained by police. In the end, despite these circumstantial connections, investigators found no criminal evidence tying Brunton or Magnotta to Navaratnam, Faizi and Kayhan. Instead, Brunton pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in January 2014. There's only a brief mention of the man actually responsible for Navaratnam's death in the judicial orders obtained during Project Houston. McArthur's username and email address "silverfoxx51" was found in extracted computer data from Navaratnam and Faizi, as well as on Faizi's notepad, in September 2013. A cellphone number was also listed alongside the email address in Navaratnam's deleted email contacts. Police then identified McArthur by tying that phone number to a contact card for the landscaper from a 2005 vehicle stop. At the time of the last Project Houston warrant, police were still trying to set up an interview with McArthur as a witness in the investigation. In November 2013, McArthur was interviewed as a witness in the Project Houston investigation. At the time, McArthur admitted to knowing Navaratnam and Kayhan, but denied knowing Faizi. After the interview, police knew McArthur was linked to all three missing men who's disappearances they were investigating in Project Houston. It's unclear whether investigators did a criminal record check on McArthur at the time. If they had it would have shown that the serial killer was convicted of assault for beating a man with a metal pipe in 2001. McArthur later received a pardon for the conviction and his record was expunged. CBC News and other media outlets were in court for a year fighting to unseal information in more than 88 heavily-redacted judicial orders obtained by investigators in Project Houston and Project Prism, the investigation which eventually lead police to focus on McArthur. On Monday morning, Ontario Court Justice Cathy Mocha unsealed most of the information contained in the thousands of pages of warrants and production orders. The City of New Westminster will consider removing a statue of a judge involved in the hangings of six First Nation chiefs in the late 1860s. City councillors will hear a motion Monday that the statue be removed as part of several measures to address reconciliation with First Nations. The motion was brought by councillors Nadine Nakagawa and Chuck Puchmayr. Nakagawa, 36, says the motion is not about destroying the statue, but removing it from its place of power in front of the provincial courthouse in the city. "How we tell the story of who he was as a figure in the history of British Columbia, but also the story of the Chilcotin War and how that has affected Indigenous-settler relations until the current day," she said. Meera Bains/CBC The motion says that in 1864 Judge Matthew Begbie presided over the trial that resulted in the wrongful hangings of Chief Lhats'as, Chief Biyil, Chief Tilaghed, Chief Taqed, and Chief Chayses of the Tsilhqot'in Nation, and that in 1865, Chief Ahan was also wrongfully hanged in New Westminster. Deceived At the time, the Tsilhqot'in chiefs were at war with the Colony of British Columbia, which was called the Chilcotin War. The chiefs were deceived into meeting with government officials for the purpose of peace talks. They were instead arrested, tried and hanged. In 2014 the province apologized to the Tsilhqot'in Nation for hanging the chiefs and exonerated them. In 2018 the government of Canada also exonerated them. In November 2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went to B.C.'s Central Interior and apologized to the First Nation in a special ceremony. The motion says the Begbie statue is a symbol of "the colonial era and this grave injustice." The statue is in Begbie Square outside of the provincial courthouse in New Westminster, off Carnarvon Street. In addition to removing the statue, the motion would have the city speak with the Tsilhqot'in Nation about the history and legacy of Begbie and the effects his decisions had on its people. Story continues The motion would also have staff find an appropriate place for the statue and do consultations to find a place to tell the history of the Chilcotin War. If the statue is removed, it won't be the first time a statue of Begbie has come down. In April 2017, the Law Society of B.C. announced it would remove a statue of Begbie from its lobby as part of its efforts at reconciliation with First Nations. We can always count on the Kardashian/Jenner sisters to grab our attention at the Met Gala. And just like her daughters Kris Jenner is also out here breaking necks. The busy momager, dressed in Tommy Hilfiger, looked just as stunning as her famous daughters. Jenner arrived on the carpet in a ruched navy jumpsuit with a silver star embellishment decorating the chest. She paired the statement garment with a floor-length tulle opera coat with structured shoulders. But the most extravagant and campy element of her look? A straight blonde bob a la daughter Khloe, which she told E! was requested by her youngest daughter, Kylie Jenner. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Believe it or not, Jenner has only attended the Met Gala three times before this year. Her first appearance was for the "China: Through the Looking Glass" celebration in a red gown. For the "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" exhibit, she and boyfriend Corey Gamble matched in all-black outfits. And last year, Jenner leaned into the "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" theme while staying true to her go-to black uniform in a long-sleeve Tommy Hilfiger dress with a jewel-lined neckline. Ryan Martin (Courtesy photo) Canadian Mental Health Week is May 6-12. For more, visit www.mentalhealthweek.ca. *** Ryan Martin remembers the day he finally said the words I need help. It was March 2017. He was 22, driving back from the family cottage with two of his best friends. As they chatted back and forth, a lump formed in the back of his throat. I just wanted to cry, he said. The Guelph native funny, smart and sociable, to those who knew him, had been silently grappling with mental illness for four years and couldnt do it alone anymore. So, he burst into tears. It was unbelievably nerve-wracking, and terrifying, especially when you start crying and theyre looking at you like, What is going on? he said. I pretty much just said, Ive been in so much pain for so long, and I havent been able to tell anyone. Ive been trying to do this all on my own, but I cant. Im scared and I need your help and my familys help to get through this, because its so much bigger than me. And I cant do this alone. The three got out of the car at the side of road, and had a big hug, all three of us, he recalled. They said they were there to support me and that they loved me. That response, experts say, is exactly whats needed in such situations. But having that conversation is far from easy for anyone involved. You have to have the courage to open up, but the people supporting you have to have courage too, Martin said. Its a really hard conversation to navigate. But more of them are needed. Despite efforts like Bell Lets Talk Day to end the stigma around mental health, many of the one in five Canadians facing a mental health issue are still afraid to open up. With so many Canadians affected, its important to be able to talk about it. Not only those struggling, but the friends and family around them. Ryan Martin (Courtesy photo) And as Sarah Hamid-Balma knows, many people arent sure how to support someone battling a mental health issue. Hamid-Balma is Director of Mental Health Promotion at the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) division in British Columbia. Shes also affiliated with HeretoHelp and the BC Partners for Mental Health and Substance Use Information. Story continues One of the most common queries they receive, she says, is from friends or family members who are worried about someone but arent sure what to say or do. Another, she says, is from people who are suffering but dont think their loved ones would know how to respond. Would you know what to do if someone you cared about needed help? If youre not sure, read below to learn how to support someone whos struggling. As Martin said, your response could change their life or save their life. Key signs someone may need help While there are hundreds of types of mental illnesses and combinations of symptoms, experts say just a few key signs can help indicate if a friend or loved one is struggling with a mental health problem. The best thing to look for, said Hamid-Balma, is change in a persons physical appearance, emotions or behaviour. Dr. David Gratzer, psychiatrist with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) agrees. If somebody was very active and now theyre lying in bed all day, or if someone normally takes pride in their appearance, and now theyre suddenly looking like they havent showered recently, or maybe its a change in comments they make, or theyre talking about feeling less well or motivated, these are all indications that something is off, he said. The second thing to note, said Hamid-Balma, is time that is, how long youve seen the change occurring. Its not just a few days, she said, noting we all have ups and downs in life, but typically, our usual patterns resume after a short time. Fardous Hosseiny, National Director of Research and Public Policy at the CMHA, says its often also the onset of multiple symptoms that cue something is wrong. For instance, if someone shows signs of confused thinking, that alone may not indicate theres a bigger problem. But if a person is showing signs of confused thinking and then they also have feelings of extreme highs and lows, and then they have excessive fears, worries and anxieties, then with those three in combination, you can say, OK, there might be an issue here, he said. Hamid-Balma also says our instincts are important. We have a gut sense about people close to us that somethings not right, she said. Ryan Martin (Courtesy photo) She also says since many people are afraid to speak up, proactively approaching that person could make a big difference. We know that asking for help, or saying were having trouble coping, is really hard for a lot of people. So, we cant always wait for those words, she said. Looking back, Martin says it would have been relieving if someone had approached him. I was always so desperate to talk to someone, but I was never given that good opportunity with someone I trusted, he said. I think I would have been like, Thank God, this feels painful,. How to start the conversation and what to say In terms of how to approach someone who may be struggling, experts say to be mindful of timing that is, to try to speak with the person when they wont be interrupted, and to find a safe, private place to chat. As for what to say, Hamid-Balma emphasizes that tone is more important than the words you choose. Whats really important is how you say whatever it is. Its being non-judgemental, caring and compassionate, she said. Its letting them know youre there for them, regardless of what they tell you. Noting that many people worry their loved one will get angry if they approach him or her, she says, Its hard to be angry at a friend or family member if they come to you really compassionately, and say, You know Ive been noticing something is off, are you OK? Martin says another even less direct approach might involve simply mentioning something youve noticed and saying that youre not sure if anythings going on, but that youre there for that person if they want to talk. That way, he explained, Youre not actually saying anything is wrong, and, if that person isnt ready to open up yet, They know youre someone whos available to them and has their back. If a loved one comes to you If a friend or family member turns to you to say theyre struggling, experts emphasize, again, a few simple things can go a long way. Start by listening carefully and attentively, said Dr. Gratzer, noting that it takes a lot of courage to talk about a health problem let alone one that comes with stigma. A compassionate tone and non-judgemental attitude, again, is critical along with being empathetic. You cant tell them, Everything is going to work out, but you can say, I can see how you might feel like this, given whats going on for you. Empathy is really important when people feel very alone, when they think no one can appreciate the feelings that theyre sharing, said Hamid-Balma. Experts also say to resist the impulse to give advice or offer a solution. It can be easy to want to try to solve their problems. But we shouldnt try to be that mental health professional, she said. Dr. Gratzer also says while its tough to hear a loved one is struggling, we shouldnt dismiss or deny what the person is saying. It may be easier to believe that the person isnt actually sick with depression, and perhaps they cant get out of bed because theyve just been working too hard, he said. But its important that we pause and remember it takes courage to speak about these things and to provide support, he continued. Responding with anything less could have major consequences. Theyve taken that brave first step If the response they get back is quite negative and not very supportivethat perpetuates the stigma to them in their mind, and the person could close down even more, Hosseiny said. Which could be dangerous, he continued, since mild to moderate depression or anxiety untreated becomes more severe over time and can become a crisis. Ryan Martin (Courtesy photo) How to support your friend or loved one So, the conversation has started, youve expressed your concern, and youre genuinely letting your friend or loved one know youre there for him or her. Now what? If the person admits theyre having a tough time and are open to receiving support, Hamid-Balma says one way to help is to look up mental health resources*. That might include getting information for a distress line or a chat site, seeing if theres access to counselling through the persons school or workplace, seeking out local mental health organizations, or helping the person see their family doctor. Experts caution that while seeking professional support is crucial for someone whos struggling, as long wait lists show, mental health resources in Canada are severely lacking. As Hosseiny says, years of underfunding means that among G7 countries, Canada ranks the among the lowest when it comes to total public health spending on mental health. Despite progress in recent years, he and others stress that much more needs to be done. Promising to check in on the person regularly is also important and as Martin and Hosseiny point out, that goes beyond the common, How are you?. For instance, Martin said that on one particularly tough day, he received a text from a friend that said, Hows the day going? I was like,What is he asking about? Sometimes its just nice when people say, How have you been feeling mentally? Its just that willingness to have that conversation and make it feel normal. If you have the courage to ask that, its amazing, he said, also noting that phone or video calls can go a long way, instead of just a text message. You can also support someone by giving them hope, said Dr. Gratzer. One of the biggest myths is that people with mental illness dont really get better. But the vast majority do get better, he said. The next possible scenario is more difficult: If the person denies anything is wrong, or, theyre resistant to seeking help, experts say to continue to be supportive and let them know youre there if the person wants to talk. Because you never know, they might get to that place where they say, I really do need help now, and they know youre that person they can turn to when theyre ready, Hamid-Balma said. Another option, she continued, could be to enlist the support of someone else the person is close to.You could say, Theyre never going to listen to me, Im just their roommate, but they come to you all the time, have you noticed anything wrong? she said. If the person still refuses to address the issue, unless theyre in danger of hurting themselves, they cant be forced to get help, Hamid-Balma explained. When that happens, experts say reminding the person of others who have sought support in the past could have a real impact. In fact, Hamid-Balma says a 2017 study from the University of Ottawa showed that people were 30 per cent more likely to seek treatment if they knew of a friend or relative had also sought professional help. Ryan Martin (Courtesy photo) And, what if its a situation where the person could be in danger of harming themselves, or committing suicide? Experts say that if someone makes suicidal comments which could be phrased as wanting to escape, saying theyre better off dead, or not seeing a reason to live to try and talk with the person about how theyre feeling and how they can get help. Suicidal thoughts are a medical emergency and need to be taken seriously, said Dr. Gratzer. Experts say that while every scenario is different, if you feel a situation is urgent, it could mean that you call that persons family doctor or emergency services. At that point, whats crucial is you dont leave that step to the person whos in crisis. I think the most important thing is to speak to the person and try and engage them, said Dr. Gratzer, outlining this example conversation: -I dont want to go to the emergency department because I would wait hours.-Ill come with you. Well wait together.-I will have nothing to do at the emergency department.-Ill bring magazines.-Im scared.-Ill be right beside you. Those are the sorts of comments that can make the world of difference, Dr. Gratzer said. Its that type of conversation that Martins loved ones faced when he got back from the cottage that day. After telling his friends on the way home, Martin, who was later diagnosed with anxiety, depression and bipolar II disorder, told his parents and sister what hed been going through. Their response, he said, was exactly what he needed. Its an amazing feeling to take that leap with people you trust, and they respond with love and support, Martin said. And it was quickly needed. When Martin told his family he was having suicidal thoughts, they went with him to the hospital that night. In the waiting room, Martin sat in disbelief. Because, as soon as that happened, I realized it wasnt my problem anymorewe were all in it together, he said. You know its not just you fighting this anymore. The battle does continue, he said, But what changes is that you have people to talk to and youre not alone, he said. Hamid-Balma said thats the most important message you can send.Just being alongside them as they seek help thats the biggest gift you can give, she said. If you are crisis, please call 911. The Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS), by Crisis Services Canada, enables callers anywhere in Canada to access crisis support by phone, in French or English: toll-free 1-833-456-4566 Available 24/7 Here we reproduce news and opinion articles in the print and electronic media since October 8, 2008, about each of our 58 county grand juries. Most are about grand jury reports. Our posting of these articles does not purport to reflect the opinions of CGJA or our members. We hope that this feature is a resource to grand juries, grand jury advisors, CGJA chapters, the media, and the public. Sponsored by the California Grand Jurors' Association, www.cgja.org/ When contemplating the future from the present, it is difficult to imagine what lies ahead, despite the fact that we all plan ahead. From recent memory, I recall that finding a way to understand what our purpose is can actually help in this regard. I attended the World Science Festival again this year, and as always, it was a great opportunity to understand how rapidly things are changing, both technologically, and also scientifically, in the grand scheme of things. One of the standout sessions was on the final day of the festival, when I attended a talk given by Andy Thomas, the first Australian astronaut to go into space. His many journeys to the International Space Station, as well as his love for space exploration, captivated the audience, and me included. It was amazing to see personally recorded videos and images from his time in space, as well as his spellbinding accounts of life as an astronaut. As a space explorer, he was able to also look forward to the day when space exploration can become a viable alternative for many Australians, including young pioneering students who could one day lead the way forward in space travel. In partnership with the newly formed Australian Space Agency, young people will soon have the opportunity to see for themselves the many paths ahead in space exploration from a local Australian perspective. For many, this could also be an opportunity for aspiring astronauts to become involved in space exploration at an earlier stage in their careers, as Australia continues to be on the cutting edge of research and technology moving forward. Former astronauts such as Andy are continuing to inspire many Australians to consider becoming an astronaut as a real career opportunity, especially as scientific advances continue. Looking back on my one fascination when it comes to astronomy and science, I often wonder what could have been if I had pursued my interest in this area, especially in education. However, hindsight can often serve as a good reality check, as I probably would not have had the wherewithal to continue down the road of higher education, especially in a field as complicated as aeronautics! However, having listened to Andys aeronautical achievements, I have gained a keener understanding and appreciation for curiosity, especially when it comes to matters dealing with the future as we know it. Do we really understand how far humanity has come? Or will continue to go? Perhaps when it may end? These questions plague even the most brilliant minds; yet the thirst for that sense of accomplishment may never be quenched. It may be that we all share a similar interest in wanting to understand what the future holds; but the uncertainty of life keeps us from going beyond our own limits. Yet there are few who find a way to look beyond the hurdles, and press forward in a sense of anticipation and wonder in the pursuit of accomplishing something that matters most. By Gods grace, may we all dare to accomplish. Joseph Kolapudi is a TCK born in Australia to Indian parents, and returned from California where he was studying theology at Fuller; currently, he is working with a missions agency, continuing his love of writing by contributing to PSI. Joseph Kolapudi's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/joseph-kolapudi.html President Donald Trump boasted on Thursday that Americans are once again saying "God" and "Merry Christmas" thanks to his administration. He told religious leaders at the National Day of Prayer ceremony at the White House that his administration had made religious liberty a priority and that Americans were "proudly" coming together as 'One Nation, Under God' again. "People are so proud to be using that beautiful word, 'God,' and they're using the word 'God' again," Trump said. "And they're not hiding from it, and they're not being told to take it down. And they're not saying we can't honour God." He went on to claim that under his administration, it had become more acceptable to say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays". "When I first started campaigning, people were not allowed, or in some cases foolishly ashamed to be using in stores, 'Merry Christmas,' 'Happy Christmas.' They'd say 'Happy Holidays,'" Trump said. "That was four years ago. Take a look at your stores nowadays. It's all 'Merry Christmas' again, 'Merry Christmas' again. They're proud of it. "I always said you're going to be saying 'Merry Christmas' again and that's what's happened." Vice President Mike Pence spoke to guests about the place of prayer in the White House. "Since the founding of this nation, the American people have believed in prayer. It is the thread that runs through every era of American history," he said. "I can assure you, at a time when religious belief is often marginalized and even ridiculed, in this White House, under this president, we believe in prayer." Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein told guests that he had been "forever" changed after being wounded during a deadly synagogue shooting in California last weekend. "I should've been dead by now based on the rule of statistics. I was in the line of fire, bullets flying all the way, my fingers got blown off, but I did not stop," the rabbi said. "My life has changed forever, but it changed so I can make change, and that I can help others learn how to be strong, how to be mighty and tall. " The American Gospel Does Christianity mean Christ plus the American dream? American Gospel: Christ Alone (2018), is a film directed by Brandon Kimber in which the audience is compelled to evaluate the misrepresentation of the gospel through the perverting lens of American culture. Kimber, confronts the audience through the juxtaposition of falsehood and truth thus demonstrating the vivid eternal hope that is offered through the biblical gospel. Kimber argues that the American gospel, also referred to as the Word of Faith movement or prosperity gospel, is a gospel which elevates man and deposes God. Our generation You thought that I was altogether like you (Psalm 50, verse 21). Our society has become disillusioned by the promises encapsulated by the American Dream. The promise of happiness and fulfilment ensuing material wealth and social status has left many people empty. Society shakes their dirty fingers at God claiming that if he were good then he would make us happy. Yet, when we think that God is like us, we demean His deity. We create a false genie-like-god in our minds whose sole purpose is to give us the desires of our heart. However, the Bible is not about you nor your happiness. In fact, Christianity is about dying. Dying to self and being born again in Christ. The problem with our generation, every generation afore us, and every generation yet to come is the problem with mans heart. Christianity requires a change of heart so that we hate the sin that we once loved and love the righteousness we once hated. Selling a gospel of wealth, health and success may appeal to human nature but it will not harvest salvation. A gospel pumping out messages of prosperity exports the worst of Christianity it popularises falsehood and negates our role in sharing truth. Frauds, fakes and truth 'I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all (Galatians chapter 1, verses 6-7). In Matthew chapter 7, verses 15-23, we are called to watch out for false prophets who will come to us in sheep clothing but are inwardly ferocious wolves. Moreover, 2 Peter, chapter 2, verses 1-22, describes the characteristics of false teachers as well as describing their destruction. So how do we know who these false teachers are? God has given us His word, the Bible to guide us. Matthew chapter 7, verse 16, informs us that by their fruit you will know them. This requires us to exercise our discernment, given to us by the Holy Spirit, in evaluating if the principles our teachers share with us are indeed biblical teachings. The truth is that we all have broken, sinful hearts. None of us are good people. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Any gospel which renounces the Cross revealing our inner depravity and Christ sacrificing Himself for our redemption is not the biblical gospel. We are not to amend the Christian gospel so that it is more palatable portraying humanity in a favourable light. We are all sinners and there is nothing we alone can do to make ourselves a good person. The Gospel For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John chapter 3, verse 16). Thankfully, we have the Good News. In an outpouring of Gods abundant love for us, He sacrificed His Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sins. The Cross embodies both Gods judgement and mercy. Jesus, completely blameless, fully God and fully human, received the punishment for our sin. The great exchange. Jesus died on the Cross and rose again in order to offer us salvation freedom from the wrath of God and the gift of eternal life. Should we choose to accept it? Jessica is a Registered Nurse who is passionate about caring for children. She enjoys spending time in nature and reading a good book. Writing is her way of communicating with God, expressing creativity and processing ideas. You can view her previous articles at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/jessica-knell.html What is strangest -- and most defamatory -- is to call people "far-right", or insinuate that they are linked to the far-right because they are saddened by the fire at Notre Dame. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) "A strange though not altogether surprising thing happened in the shadow of Monday's tragedy. As many around the world watched an iconic cathedral in Paris go up in flames, others immediately set about trying to spark new fires. On both sides of the Atlantic, denizens of the far right took to social media to grind their culture-warring axes, locating in the calamity a parable for the political moment or, at least, their understanding of it." "Fox News host Tucker Carlson, a popular anchor accused by critics of openly embracing white nationalism in his broadcasts, said the Notre Dame fire was in 'some ways a metaphor for the decline of Christianity in Europe.'" "Others groused over the decades of supposed neglect looming over the site. 'Civilization only ever hangs by a thread,' right-wing British commentator Douglas Murray wrote. 'Today one of those threads seems to have frayed, perhaps snapped.'" Douglas Murray, British author, commentator and public affairs analyst, is based in London, England. His latest book, an international best-seller, is "The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam." Last month, immediately after fire had almost destroyed the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, theran a piece with the headline, "The Notre Dame fire ignites the West's far-right." The author, Ishaan Tharoor, used his piece to expand on that untimely and inaccurate claim. He wrote:Tharoor then went on to list the various people he wanted to grab at to make this prefabricated argument.He attacked Fox News host Tucker Carlson for having commented, regarding the Notre Dame fire, that it was in "some ways a metaphor for the decline of Christianity in Europe." You might agree with that or you might not, but it is not at all clear why Carlson saying this should be included in a piece claiming that the "far-right" have been ignited by the fire at Notre Dame. Unless you are willing to pretend that Carlson is "far-right". Sure enough, this is what Tharoor does, or (perhaps distantly aware of the law) tries to do. He writes:So Tharoor introduces Carlson by referencing the most defamatory and untrue statement he can think of? Because some "critics" have said it?Ordinarily this sort of thing would not be considered journalism. After all, if we all did it, it would become a race to the bottom. Once I have appointed myself a critic of Mr Tharoor's, for instance, I might decide to smear him with precisely the sort of ordure he seeks to smear over others. I might decide to make a disingenuous claim that Mr Tharoor is, for instance, a white nationalist. Then, whenever anyone else writes about him -- if they ever do -- they will be able to say, if they were as dishonest and lazy as their subject, "Ishaan Tharoor, an unpopular writer whom critics accuse of being a white nationalist..." and so on. I would not do it: honesty and decency ought to matter in journalism. But there is no reason why someone else might not do it, if these are the standards in the trade that are now acceptable.Tharoor was less subtle with his next attempted smear. He introduced Mark Steyn in an even more peculiar way. Where thewriter could have said, "New York Times Best-selling author Mark Steyn" or "syndicated journalist Mark Steyn" or any number of other things, Tharoor skipped all that and went straight for "far-right commentator Mark Steyn". Ben Shapiro got some of the same treatment for writing how terrible it was to watch the destruction of part of the "Judeo-Christian heritage". Raising the interesting question of whether it was wrong to identify Notre Dame via the Christian faith, or just wrong to lament its burning.After listing various other people, Tharoor then performed this move I did indeed write that, in the hours when it looked as if the whole of Notre Dame, structure, edifice, towers, the lot were all going to come down in one great heap of scalding rubble. I make no apology for lamenting this loss, or very near-loss as it turns out. But what a strange and vindictive way to write about the expression of such a sentiment. Those of us who noted that for years Notre Dame had been trying to raise funds for its restoration, and that restoration work was badly overdue, were not making it up. All this had long been covered in the French media. How can anyone writing about people who are lamenting decades of neglect at one of the great buildings of the world be described as "grousing", rather than say "regretting"?What is strangest -- and most defamatory -- is to call people "far-right", or insinuate that they are linked to the far-right because they are saddened by the fire at Notre Dame.It might be possible to think this article was just the dishonest and dishonourable smear-job attempted by one jobbing hack. Yet a week later, and thewas back at a similar trick. In the aftermath of the appalling Easter Sunday attacks on Christians and tourists in Sri Lanka, theran a story , "Christianity under attack? Sri Lanka church bombings stoke far-right anger in the West." According to the authors of that piece -- Adam Taylor and Rick Noack -- those attacks "which targeted a religious minority in a predominantly Buddhist country, also resonated abroad especially in Europe." On this occasion, the's journalists noted that Marine Le Pen of the National Rally party in France had sent out a tweet saying that those killed in the Easter attack had been "targeted for their faith". As they had been. This fact does not become a non-fact because Marine Le Pen has said it. Elsewhere, the authors chose to smear former Reagan administration aide Frank Gaffney for saying on his radio show of the murder of Christians, "All too often, their losses go unremarked." Once again, that comment is either markedly true or at the very least debatable. But making such a comment does not make somebody "far-right".Anyone looking at such coverage from outside journalism might marvel at it. For those who know the journalism business, however, the degradation exemplified by Tharoor, Taylor and Noack is no surprise. It is the consequence of a shrinking industry with shrinking budgets which cannot afford foreign reporters and finds itself instead paying low-grade hacks to sit in America and write about people in Europe who are tweeting about a massacre in Sri Lanka. Apart from demonstrating quite a remarkable freedom with facts and ignorance of libel laws, these "journalists" also do something else. They see the world, and the terrible actions of some terrible people in it, through a prism that is not only remarkably shallow, but strikingly narrow and parochial. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram In October 2018, Viktoria Marinova, a host for TVN, was raped and murdered near the stations studios. When CPJs Europe correspondent, Attila Mong, spoke with her colleagues and other journalists during a trip to Bulgaria last month, they said that while they dont believe the attack is linked to Marinovas work, it has highlighted the dangers and pressures for investigative reporters. Crammed in the small studio of TVN, a regional station in Ruse, north eastern Bulgaria, journalists share stories about their colleague, Viktoria Marinova. Barely six months ago, Marinova was raped and murdered not far from the station, while jogging on the banks of the Danube. Her colleagues still struggle to accept the loss, but they all agreed that Marinova, who presented mainly lifestyle shows, was not killed because of her journalism. This is just a tragic coincidence, said Ioanna Angelova, the chief editor of TVN. Marinovas closest colleagues and ex-husband, Svilen Maximov, who owns the TV station and an internet provider in the region, told me they thought that the investigation was professional, and agreed with the prosecutors assessment that it was not motivated by her work. However, some journalists said they think there were unanswered questions. [Editors note: Read more about Marinovas case here.] Their skepticism is perhaps understandable in an environment where investigative reporters are harassed, threatened, or subjected to smear campaigns, and where, according to EU polls, 70 percent of people do not trust law enforcement and the judicial system. You dont need to kill or physically attack a journalist here in order to achieve your goals, there are broader, more systemic threats to press freedom, said Boryana Dzhambazova, a freelance journalist and member of the Association of European JournalistsBulgaria. Genka Shikerova, an investigative journalist for a national privately owned station, Nova TV, said, The situation is getting so much worse, that whatever happened, we simply wanted to believe she was killed for her reporting. A vigil for TVN host Viktoria Marinova, in Sofia, in October 2018. Prosecutors ruled her murder was not related to her work, but the case highlighted the risks for Bulgarias investigative journalists. (AFP/Nikolay Doychinov) A few days before her death, Marianova hosted Detektor, which was intended to be a weekly flagship news program for TVN. The show aired just onceon September 30broadcasting an interview with Bulgarian and Romanian investigative journalists who were briefly detained by the Bulgarian police while looking into allegations of fraud involving EU funds. Viktoria was the face of the show, but the interview was my idea and I recorded it, her producer, Ivan Stefanov, said. If somebody could have been killed, that is me. I met one of the shows guestsBivol reporter Dimitar Stoyanovin a secure location in downtown Sofia, rather than at the outlets offices. The location of Bivols premises remains unknown to outsiders for security reasons, Stoyanov said. He told me that in Bulgaria, the threat of physical violence is considerably greater for local journalists and reporters like their team members, who work outside the countrys big media companies. The experiences of Georgi Ezekiev, the publisher of Zov News in Vratsa, backs up that view. His outlet published a joint investigation with Bivol in 2017 that implicated police officers in an alleged drug trafficking ring. Afterwards, he said, he and the chief editor Maria Dimitrova were threatened on social media and in text messages, and someone destroyed his car tires. One morning, I discovered that the entrance of my house was decorated as a funeral home with flowers, which was clearly a threat, he said. On November 22, 2017, Bivol published video of man who was allegedly part of the ring, telling the reporters that his former mafia bosses were planning to eliminate Ezekiev. The publisher said that police denied the allegations made in their report. There is a real threat of physical violence for journalists who dig into possible links of between organized crime, law enforcement and politics, Ezekiev said. A June 2018 statement from Bulgaria to the Council of Europes platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists said that the Vratsa district prosecutors office rejected Ezekievs and Dimitrovas complaints. In Ezekievs case, the prosecutors ruled that the messages he received could not in any way be classified as a threat, and in Dimitrovas case, the collected data does not prove that there is threat of murder the messages contain only obscene words and insults and not threats to her or her relatives lives or health. A spokesperson for the prime ministers press department did not immediately respond to CPJs emailed request for comment. Despite the risk of threats and harassment, not all investigative journalists are deterred. Sofia was abuzz during my visit with details from a joint investigation by the Bulgarian branch of the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and local non-governmental organization, the Anti-Corruption Fund. In a scandal referred to as ApartmentGate, the outlets reported on allegations that at least six politicians and civil servants with links to the ruling GERB party had bought luxury flats for below-market prices. The story resulted in Bulgarias prosecutor-general launching an official investigation, and four politicians resigning. [They all denied wrongdoing, the Financial Times reported.] Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said during a press conference on April 8 that the reports proved, We have absolutely free media. Nothing is left hidden, no matter who is involved. However, local journalists pointed out that is it easier for those working for foreign-funded outlets to take on such investigations. We have the resources and the freedom to investigate, which is not the case for most of the Bulgarian media outlets, said Ivan Bedrov, director of RFE/RLs Bulgarian service. Bedrov said that with the exception of four to five newsrooms, most lack either the freedom or the resources. Bedrov received me in their office, an apartment in a quiet street in downtown Sofia. No insignia, just come upstairs, he told me. When I asked whether they needed to remain hidden, he responded, Better to be cautious. Bedrov told me that after the story was published, they were targeted by a smear campaign in pro-government media that tried to discredit the reporting by presenting conspiracy theories that the journalists were American agents, or that Russians had infiltrated the American-funded organization to attack the Bulgarian government. When I met Polina Paunova, the investigative journalist who uncovered the scandal, however she seemed relaxed, greeting me with a broad smile. On a cafe terrace in Sofia, overlooking the presidents office and a little further up, the government building, she explained that such an investigation would have been impossible in a purely Bulgarian-funded media outlet. You need grants and independence, she said, arguing that conditions for free reporting have largely deteriorated in recent years. She said she doubted that the judiciary investigation would come to anything Finito, she said bitterly, adding that she thinks the case will soon die out as most scandals do. The ApartmentGate is a unique case and a lucky coincidence, said Konstantin Pavlov, a sociologist and researcher at Sofia University. Had it not been for European Parliamentary elections in May, local elections in autumn and the relaunch of RFE/RL, he said, the implications of the scandal could have been different. The story has quickly become too big to conceal and the government could not control anymore, said Pavlov. Big commercial stations picked up the story and even pro-government media outlets covered the political reactions, he said. However, he said, most Bulgarian media are owned by businessmen who buy outlets not as a financial investment, but to buy favors with the political elite, and journalists working for such outlets may follow their owners wishes to keep their jobs. This is an oligarchic pluralism, at best, said Pavlov. A lack of media plurality was highlighted in a 2018 report by the non-governmental organization, Union of Publishers in Bulgaria. Its White Paper on Media Freedom in Bulgaria detailed how a conglomerate that it referred to as the Peevski media empire, controls an array of national and regional newspapers, television channels, news portals, publishing house, digital television broadcast, and 80 percent of the newspaper distribution market. It is controlled by Delyan Peevski, the former head of the intelligence services and MP for the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), an opposition party that mostly support the government, as does his media empire, according to the White Paper. CPJ sent an email to Peevski for comment through the press department of the DPS and his parliamentary office, but did not immediately receive a reply. Another challenge for the independent media is smear campaigns. Ivo Prokopiev, publisher of the weekly Capital and the daily Dnevnik, is a regular target of what he and international organizations including the OSCE have described as administrative harassment: record fines for investigative reporting into financial irregularities, ramped up investigations into the publishers business dealing, and authorities freezing his assets. Rossen Bossev, an investigative journalist for Capital, told CPJ that his weekly is often qualified as fake news by pro-government newspapers, and that smear campaigns target him and his family, referring to him as an anti-Bulgarian conspirator or U.S. agent. Sometimes I feel like a most wanted criminal in the country, he said, smiling as he recalled how the police showed up one Saturday morning last year at Capitals newsroom, with a subpoena related to an ongoing defamation lawsuit. Irina Nedeva, the president of the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria, told me the that the country was experiencing the gradual return of political pressure, the type of pressures which characterized Bulgaria, during the 1990s, the early transition years from communism to democracy. A 2017 report by the association highlighted pressures from owners and advertisers, and found that 26 percent of journalists admitted to restricting their criticism toward the government and the powerful to satisfy owners. We expect that our upcoming report in 2019 will record deteriorating conditions, said Nedeva. [Reporting in Sofia, Ruse] Editors Note: This text has been updated to correct the spellings of Polina Paunova and Rossen Bossevs names. The father of a man murdered in broad daylight last summer in Carlisle is blasting a possible plea deal for the accused killer as absolutely insane. Michael Burch, 23, of Carlisle, was killed about 3:45 p.m. June 21, 2018, in a drive-by shooting while he was walking along the first block of North Penn Street in Carlisle. Craig Ryan Hines Jr., 19, of Carlisle, was arrested for the shooting in August. In February, prosecutors filed a notice of aggravating circumstances that would permit them to seek the death penalty. Quote I just dont understand why such a bad, bad person at such a young age has a possibility of walking free." - William Burch However, Michael Burch's father, William Burch, of Philadelphia, said he participated in a prearranged phone call Friday with a prosecutor from the Cumberland County District Attorneys Office, and the prosecutor asked him for his thoughts on a plea deal that would involve dropping the first-degree murder charge for a guilty plea on a third-degree murder charge. The maximum sentence for third-degree murder is 20-40 years, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Daniel Sodus. That isnt long enough, according to Burch, both in terms of justice and in ensuring a dangerous criminal does not get back on the streets. "I just dont understand why such a bad, bad person at such a young age has a possibility of walking free, he said. Burch isnt seeking the death penalty, but would like to see a first-degree murder conviction and life in prison without parole, he said. Death penalty sought in 2018 Carlisle homicide Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against the man accused of shooting and killing 23-year-old Michael Burch as he walked down the street District attorney's response Sodus said he would not discuss potential plea negotiations in the press, and no formal plea offer has been made to the defendant. However, Sodus confirmed that he spoke with William Burch on Friday as part of his due diligence in meeting with victims. Burch left the phone call before Sodus could explain details of the plea ideas he was planning to ask Burch to consider, he said. "It was a very incomplete discussion, he said. Sentinel Top Stories of 2018: A daylight fatal shooting in Carlisle A killing in broad daylight in the middle of the street shook Carlisle in June. Burch said he left the phone conversation after stating that he would not approve of the deal. His fiancee remained on the phone for Sodus to further discuss the possibility of a plea, he said, and Sodus confirmed. 'Just walking down the street' In Burchs view, the crime was especially heinous because Hines tracked his son down in broad daylight while his son was just walking down the street. "He literally searched him out to shoot and kill him," Burch said. Burch said Sodus raised the possibility that Hines would take the case to trial and be found innocent an argument Burch characterized as trying to scare me into agreeing with him. A prosecutor who does his job right ought to be able to obtain a conviction in this case, he said. "I cant see how the district attorney would think this is a reasonable offer," he said. Hines faces charges of first-degree murder, third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, prohibited possession of a firearm, person not to use or possess a firearm, firearms not to be carried without a license, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person, according to court records. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. July 9. Daniel Walmer covers public safety for The Sentinel. You can reach him by email at dwalmer@cumberlink.com or by phone at 717-218-0021. Dear Editor: I have practiced law on four continents, in state and federal courts, and have litigated in 26 Pennsylvania counties. In all of those experiences, I have never met anyone who impressed me more than Matt Smith. He has argued in front of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court twice and conducted more than 640 trials of all types jury, non-jury, civil and criminal. Its worth noting that, over the last 5 years, 83% of trials conducted in Cumberland County were criminal jury trials. Regarding civil law, Matts record is extraordinary. In private practice, Matt has worked for two law firms in Cumberland County. He has also conducted civil trials and has protected servicemembers homes and jobs, pursuant to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act. When we deployed to Iraq as part of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team in 2009, Matt was well-accustomed to going outside the wire as battlefield circulation was essential in providing practical legal advice. He served with distinction and received the Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge. When duty called again in 2018, Matt answered the call. We deployed to the Middle East for 11 months, as Task Force Spartan. We supported Operation Spartan Shield (Arabian Peninsula), Operation Inherent Resolve (Syria), and Operation Freedoms Sentinel (Afghanistan). Together, we were responsible for 50 legal personnel in 8 locations, on 5 base camps, in 4 countries, and supported Task Force soldiers in 13 countries. When lives are on the line, Matts judgment, character, and courage are relied upon without fail. These attributes are essential in a judge. Matt has been battle tested. I have known Matt for over a decade and as his former boss in Iraq, I am honored to support his candidacy for Cumberland County Common Pleas Judge. Robert G. Cameron Silver Spring Twp. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Following the order of the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, the government of Karnataka has taken the necessary steps and has issued the guidelines for the school. The government has issued guidelines to reduce the weight of schoolbags. The government of Karnataka has issued a circular to all schools government, aided and unaided to take necessary steps to ensure that the weight of a schoolbag is not more than 10% of the childs weight. What does the Circular Say? The bag of a student in Class 1 or 2 would weigh no more than 2 kg and the bag can weigh anywhere between 2 and 3 kg for students from Class 3 to 5. The prescribed weight increases progressively, with students in Class 9 and 10 allowed carrying bags in the 4-5 kg range. Further, students in Classes 1 and 2 should not be given any homework. Schools must set a timetable in advance, which will limit the number of books that have to be brought to class every day. All classwork should be kept in the school itself, either in files or books. Schools have been asked to provide some space in classrooms where students can store their notebooks and textbooks. Schools have been asked to make provisions for drinking water facilities so students dont have to carry water bottles. The third Saturday of every month would be observed as a No School Bag Day and on that day, teachers are required to engage students without any books or supplementary materials. The suggested activities on No school bag day include field visits, general knowledge clubs, art classes, indoor and outdoor games, abacus, dance classes, and debates. Further, the government has asked the management of schools to create awareness about the health hazards of lugging heavy school bags. Question: Regarding my posts about the terrible perversion of Torah and halacha that Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky has engineered with his prod... From my book Child and Domestic abuse vol II There was a very well known kiruv personality. Perhaps you could say that he was a poster ... Absolute proof that the Vaccines are an intentional Bio weapon foward this to your Doctor Inbox PATTERNS IN THE DEPLOYMENT OF TOXIC COVID ... Important!! email - yadmoshe@gmail.com The St. Francois County Sheriff's Department is searching for a man for questioning regarding allegations of parental kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child. According to the sheriff's department, Mitchell Paul Janis, 27, was reportedly involved in a domestic disturbance with the mother of his 1-year-old child, Castiel, on April 8 in Iron Mountain Lake. It was during this altercation that Janis took the child and now the sheriff's department is searching for the man. Janis is a white male and has been known to frequent the areas of Iron Mountain Lake, Park Hills, and Potosi. Three other siblings of the missing child have been placed in protective custody with the Missouri State Children's Division. If anyone has information regarding the location of Janis, they are asked to contact St. Francois County Sheriff's Deputy S. Lahay at 573-431-3131 or the Missouri State Children's Division Investigator Brown at 1-800-392-3738. Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3628, or at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 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. A training class was recently held at the Bismarck Fire Department for officers of Iron Mountain Lake for the use of Narcan when responding to an instance of overdose on opioids. Paramedic and Bismarck Fire Chief John Colwell conducted the training. Narcan is the brand name for naloxone, which is a medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist - meaning that it binds to opioid receptors and can reverse and block the effects of other opioids. For individuals who have overdosed on an opioid, the first five to 10 minutes are crucial as opioids cause respiratory depression leading to hypoxia, or lack of blood flow to the brain and vital organs. Equipping first responders, such as police officers, with Narcan increases chances of survival for someone who has overdosed on any type of opiate. Once administered, the intranasal Narcan spray can take 5 to 10 minutes to take full effect. When the antidote does take effect, overdose patients come out of a state of respiratory depression and are often times combative or violent due to the confusion caused by the lack of blood flow to the brain for an extended period of time. Patients might also be aggressive due to the fact that they are no longer high but, in fact, completely sober and likely dope sick as a result of the sudden blockage of opiates from their nervous system. Multiple doses of Narcan are sometimes required for individuals who have large amounts of an opiate in their bloodstream. Once the patient is breathing and alert again, they need to monitored and possibly given more doses due to the fact that Narcan stays in the bloodstream for only half the amount of time as the opioids they are blocking. The officers were not only trained in the use of the AccuPac Narcan delivery system, but were also trained on the laws and regulations related to the use of the counteractive medication. Missouri Overdose Rescue and Education (MORE) project distributes the Narcan packs to police and first responders and have been doing so since 2016. The primary goal of the MORE project is to reduce opioid-involved deaths in Missouri through training, education, and distribution of naloxone to first responders in rural regions of the state where ambulance response times may be longer than in urban areas. The program is funded through grant money with partnerships through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, MO-HOPE Project, Washington University in St. Louis Physicians, Missouri Institute of Mental Health, and The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA). More and more officers are beginning to utilize this program as the opioid crisis has seen a steady incline in recent years. Colwell said that they have seen very positive results stemming from this program and many lives have been saved as a result of the quick responses the program provides. Police departments participating in the program go through simple training on the use of the 4 milligram nasal spray packs. They are then issued to the packs through participating health departments. Each time an officer uses an AccuPac, they must log the details of the incident into an online system so that the effectiveness of the program can be statistically analyzed. This analysis is what determines if the program continues to receive funding. As the opioid crisis continues and with more powerful opiates like fentanyl being introduced on the streets, police departments are adopting the use of these AccuPacs and other forms of Narcan to help reduce the loss of life caused by overdoses. Most law enforcement officers in the region have received similar training. Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3628, or at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 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. Everyone eligible should be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of long-distance travel or employment. Vaccination should be voluntary but those who don't get vaccinated should be frequently tested for COVID-19 as a condition of long-distance travel and employment. Both vaccination and testing should be voluntary and not required as a condition of long-distance travel or employment. I defer to the judgment of lawmakers as long as they base their decisions on a consensus of medical professionals. Vote View Results Bangladesh: Cyclone Fani: More than 1,000 Bangladesh homes destroyed May 06,2019 | Source: BBC News More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed and entire villages submerged in the South Asian country. At least five people died and 63 were injured. With more than a million people evacuated to safety, the director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said "fear of a major disaster is mostly over". The cyclone was downgraded to a depression as it swept north-eastwards from India into Bangladesh on Saturday, but was still powerful enough to submerge dozens of villages on the low lying coast. Gusts of up to 70km/h (43mph) were registered. Houses were also destroyed in the Noakhali district, where 30 people were injured and two children killed, one aged 12 and another two years old. India also moved more than a million people to safety to avoid Cyclone Fani. A least 16 people were killed by the storm when it hit India on Friday, but officials said the loss of life could have been far worse. In 1999, a super-cyclone in the Bay of Bengal ravaged the coast of Orissa for 30 hours and killed 10,000 people. Early cyclone warning systems have since improved, giving authorities more time to evacuate people. The chief minister of Orissa said this was one of the largest evacuations in human history. 2019 BBC Myanmar: Shrimp farms threaten Myanmars remaining mangroves May 06,2019 | Source: Asia Times In Myanmar, mangroves have disappeared at an unprecedented clip. The rate of deforestation in the country is the highest in Southeast Asia, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2016. This is big news, both locally and worldwide, because mangroves are a crucial component of the fight against global warming. Scientists say it is extremely important to try to preserve mangrove forests or let degraded areas regrow, because a hectare of mangrove forest can buffer a lot more carbon than an equivalent area of tropical forest. Mangroves have a big impact on climate, because while theyre only found in tropical areas and cover around 140,000 square kilometers less than 3% the extent of the Amazon rainforest they are rated as powerhouses when it comes to carbon storage. Studies indicate that mangroves can store four times as much carbon as rainforests can, mostly in the soil beneath mangrove trees. Htay Lin, secretary of the Mangrove Service Network, an environmental organization based in Yangon, Myanmars commercial capital, estimates that only 20% of the mangroves in the Irrawaddy Delta remain. Most have been cleared for aquaculture or rice paddy fields. Those that survive are in forest and wildlife reserves near the city of Bogale. To save the remaining mangroves, the Myanmar government issued a logging ban in 2014. Despite that, illegal logging persists, as people in many areas still rely heavily on nearby forests for their livelihoods. Aside from illegal logging of mangroves for charcoal and firewood, aquaculture is a recent development that threatens mangrove ecosystems. It is the second major threat to mangrove forests in Myanmar. Tanintharyi mangrove forests Much of what remains of the countrys mangrove cover is in Tanintharyi. A visit to this region revealed that business tycoons have illegally obtained land permits to develop aquaculture in the southern province without consulting the Forestry Department for input. Villagers living nearby say aquaculture facilities have an impact on water quality and their ability to fish. But there is some positive news authorities are paying closer attention to these developments, because State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi visited the area in March and spoke to local people badly affected by these projects. Most of the waterways surrounding the islands of the Mergui archipelago in the Andaman Sea are lined with mangroves, and the one leading into the island of Kala from the east was no different. But as our speedboat rounded a corner, we came up against a large barge. Bulldozers roared in the distance. Up on the land, logged mangrove wood was stacked in piles. Some stumps of mangroves were still lodged in the parched soil. A red sign adjacent to the mangroves said, no cutting, but the no had fallen off. A few years ago, a businessman named San Maung obtained about 200 hectares of land in Kala. He bought much of the forest land from nearby villagers and razed the remaining mangrove forest. San Maung had plans to develop it into an aquaculture facility to produce shrimp to be sold to Thailand, where seafood fetches a higher price than locally. In January, a manager working in the facility said it hoped to be cultivating shrimp in 10 ponds by April or May of this year. However, such efforts are controversial: Although aquaculture can reduce overfishing in the sea, villagers complain that it also impacts where they are able to fish, and the quality of the catch. The regional parliament is asking the national government to take action against new aquaculture projects in Tanintharyi. In addition to the illegal harvesting of mangrove wood for charcoal and firewood, and clearing of mangrove forests for rice paddy fields, the development of aquaculture is yet another big driver of mangrove deforestation in Myanmar. Zaw Hein, a member of parliament and a native of Kadan, an island neighboring Kala, says aquaculture poses a bigger threat as large swaths of mangrove forest are cleared at any given time, and are not allowed to grow back.Since shrimp farming and aquaculture require salt water and mangroves grow in regions where salt water and fresh water meet opportunities for profit often conflict with ecological resources. Mangroves in other areas of Myanmar such as in the Irrawaddy Delta and western Rakhine state have been cleared for aquaculture, but the development of a shrimp farm in the southern province of Tanintharyi is new. According to Zaw Hein and villagers living in Kala, there are only two aquaculture facilities; the first was developed on his island in 2015. Questionable practices When San Maung planned to convert the existing mangrove and mountain forests into a shrimp farm, his business partners approached people in the nearby village of Masan Pa to sell their land. One of the villagers was Aye Po, 35 at the time, to whom they offered about US$6,670 for her nearly 3 hectares of rubber plantation. Aye Po asked for double that, but finally settled for about $7,100. Other villagers were also selling their land, she says, and she felt it best to follow suit. In retrospect, she says, it felt like the company bullied her. It was better to accept his offer, or risk having our land confiscated, she said. While most other villagers who had forest land or plantations in the area where the company wanted to build its aquaculture facility, nobody had ownership over the mangroves. Thats because Myanmars forestry department governs mangroves. According to Zaw Hein, the government never approved the new aquaculture project. Forestry law dictates that the department needs to give a recommendation for these types of projects, Zaw Hein said. The recommendation is made only if the project has no impacts on environmental conservation. If anyone followed the law, this type of lawless behavior would not happen, he said. Under Myanmars vacant and fallow land law, anyone occupying or using vacant, fallow, or virgin land has to apply for an official land permit, or else they face eviction or up to two years in jail. The regional government in Tanintharyi went ahead to approve such permits for companies wanting to develop the aquaculture projects without consulting with the Forestry Department, says Myint Maung, the Tanintharyi chief. Deforestation impacts Already, this mangrove deforestation for aquaculture development is impacting villagers. A man in Masan Pa, who asked not to be identified by name for fear of retaliation from the aquaculture company, makes a living from catching crabs. He used to go into the mangrove area now under development for his daily catch, but says the company will no longer allow him in. (The company in question could not be reached for comment.) We want to complain about this hardship because we have no place for crab fishing, he said. But we dont have anyone to lead or organize us for the complaint. In the nearby village of Kyunsu, an aquaculture development project led by a local tycoon named Hla Than involved the clearance of 170 hectares (420 acres) of land, some of which used to be mangrove forest. Hla Than obtained the land nearly 15 years ago under the previous military regime in Myanmar. He says he sees aquaculture as a necessity and a means to reduce overfishing from the sea, but adds that he did not formally seek approval from the national government, which would only have approved the project if the Forestry Department also gave it the green light. But it would take time, because its a complicated procedure, Hla Than said. Myint Maung says he believes there is potential for more aquaculture projects to be developed in Tanintharyi, which would put the remaining mangroves at further risk. We are thinking to impose some restrictions, he said. For example, a business or company will have to maintain or preserve at least 30% of the mangrove in their project area, or replant at least 30% of the project area on another available vacant and fallow piece of land. Scientific concerns Christoph Zockler, a coastal biodiversity specialist with the Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung for Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection in Germany, says this is the wrong way to approach these projects. Because Tanintharyi is home to the majority of Myanmars remaining mangroves, Zockler says, regional governments and officials should try to keep it that way. We want to keep them for the sake of local people, for diversity. We dont want to jeopardize that with any kind of half-hearted deals with developers, he said. Zockler and his collaborators in Myanmar, including Fauna & Flora International, are looking to create a biosphere reserve that would cover more than 300,000 hectares of land in Tanintharyi and would encompass mangroves and mudflats in many of the islands. Aquaculture has no place in that, he said. Jean Yong, a plant biochemist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, says the biodiversity of mangroves in Tanintharyi is too precious to be sacrificed for land-based aquaculture. Perhaps one way to sustainably develop aquaculture in Tanintharyi, he says, is for businesses to develop offshore aquaculture systems that do not require the loss of mangrove forests. In mid-March, after State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi visited Tanintharyi and spoke with locals, the aquaculture projects in Tanintharyi came under greater scrutiny. During her visit, Suu Kyi spoke with locals, who complained about the impacts of aquaculture on their daily lives. So members of national and regional parliaments are working to stop current government projects or take action against existing aquaculture businesses. A Minsk court has overturned the decision to deport Iranian citizen Merhdat Jamshidiyan who has spent 10 months in Belarusian prison. His case has been sent back for review. The Belarusian Department of Citizenship and Migration (OGIM) was about to extradite the man to Iran where he is highly likely to get a death sentence. The Ministry of Interior refused to give the man refugee status. Merhdat Jamshidiyan has been living in Belarus for more than 20 years and, with the exception of the last two years, he had had registration. But for the last seven years Iran has been asking to give out the man, because the state suspects of murdering his mother and brother (for the record, he was an opposition activist) in September, 2012. It should be noted that Merhdat was staying in Belarus at that moment. Until recently, the Belarusian side refused to start extradition proceedings due to lack of conclusive evidence. Even if the man is found not guilty in his homeland, he may still be executed; in Belarus, he converted to Christianity, which is considered as apostasy. For the year to date, almost 1,000 Belarusians have signed an appeal to the authorities asking not to send Merhdat to his doom. | 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 belsat.eu, Staff, May 6, 2019 In 2019, by April 30, at least 79 people have been executed in Iran. Only 22 of the cases were announced by Iranian authorities or media. There is a high possibility that more executions have been carried out far from the eyes of human rights defenders. According to the Iran Human Rights (IHR) statistic department, from January 1 to April 30, 2019, at least 79 people have been executed in Iran. During the same period of time last year, 64 people were executed in the country. At least two juvenile offenders, Mehdi Sohrabifar and Amin Sedaghat, were among the executed prisoners. Both were executed on April 25 at Shiraz Central Prison (Adel-Abad Prison). They were less than 16 at the time of the alleged rape and robbery crime. Moreover, IHR has received unconfirmed information about another juvenile execution in Ilam prison which is under further fact-check investigation. IHR announces executions only after the confirmation of two different credible sources. Last year during the same period, 3 juvenile offenders were executed. Since juvenile executions is a sensitive issue for Iranian authorities, they keep such executions secret. Therefore, there is a high chance that the number of executed juvenile offenders are also higher than reported. During the first 4 months of 2019, at least 5 prisoners have been executed for drug-related charges: On March 11, 2019, Shirmohammad Narouei, 50, and his son Younes Narouei, 20, were executed at Birjan prison. Abdollah Ghanbarzehi, 29, was executed on April 15, 2019, at Dastgerd prison in the Iranian city of Isfahan. And on April 27, prisoner Kamal Shahbakhsh was executed at Kerman central prison. Last year in the same period of time, 1 person was executed for drug offenses. Public executions were also continued in 2019. At least 7 people have been hanged publicly in from by the end of April. During the same period of time last year, 3 people were executed in Iran. And last but not least, 65 people have been executed for murder charges (qisas or retribution in kind) between January 1 and April 30, 2019. In the first 4 months of 2018, IHR reported 53 executions in Iran. Only 22 cases out of 79 have been announced by Iranian authorities or media. The rest have been confirmed by IHRs sources. Thus, the actual number could be much higher than what is reported here. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Iran Human Rights, Staff, May 5, 2019 Only a certain number of petty offenders may be given the pardon. TOKYO -- The government is considering granting amnesty to criminals in honor of new Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony in October, sources close to the matter say. If realized, it will be the country's first pardon since 1993, when then Crown Prince Naruhito married Crown Princess Masako. But only a certain number of petty offenders may be given the pardon, as the government is concerned that a large-scale amnesty can trigger criticism from the public, including crime victims. Amnesty has usually been granted upon national events as well as celebrations and funerals regarding the imperial family. After Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, died in 1989, more than 10 million people were given amnesty. The enthronement of former Emperor Akihito in 1990 led to pardons of some 2.5 million. The government did not issue pardons in the wake of Emperor Akihito's abdication on April 30, the first by a Japanese monarch in 202 years. But it is considering taking the measure in connection with the Sokuirei Seiden no gi ceremony scheduled on Oct 22, in which Emperor Naruhito will officially proclaim his enthronement, according to the sources. In Japan, a pardon can be issued under a cabinet order providing the type of crime for which it is granted. There is also a system in which individuals can file a request for a pardon with a Justice Ministry panel. Three types of pardon can be rewarded by a cabinet order -- absolving a person of the crime, reducing the punishment and restoring the rights suspended through convictions. In past cases, many were restored their civil rights that have been suspended due to election violations. Some experts say that granting pardons will serve as an incentive for offenders' rehabilitation, but others warn it is an act that could undermine the independence of the three branches of legal, administrative and judicial powers. Some critics also say the restoration of rights can be seen as equivalent to granting amnesty to political offenders, given that those who violated the election law are often rewarded in that case. | 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 A judge in Malawi has sentenced the murderer of an albino teenager to death, saying the unprecedented penalty could help end a spree of similar killings linked to the countrys general election. Willard Mikaele was told he would hang for the strangling and ritualistic dismemberment of Mphatso Pensulo, who was 19 when he was lured into his killer's house with a promise of juice and biscuits in 2017. Pensulos murder was one of at least 25 documented killings of albinos since 2014, a spree that has spread terror through Malawis 10,000-strong community and raised troubling questions about the countrys political culture. Albinos, who suffer from a genetic condition that bleaches the skin, eyes and hair white, have long been the victims of a widely held superstition that their bones and innards contain magical properties which bring luck and material wealth. But albino-rights activists believe that the trade in albino body parts is driven by politicians, who are among the few who can afford the thousands of dollars involved it takes to pay off hitmen and witchdoctors. A surge in killings was noted before Malawis last election in 2014, with another reported in recent months as the country again goes to the polls a fortnight on Tuesday. Politicians themselves privately admit the practice takes place, saying their colleagues use charms made of albino remains in the belief it will help them win their seats. There is no indication that Mr Pensulos killing was linked to politicians. His murderer was a rich businessman who had been told by a medicine man that killing an albino was a path to get rich fast, Justice Maclean Kamwambe said. The death penalty is rare and has not been carried out since 1994 but Justice Kamwambe said it was merited in order to protect the countrys albino minority. There will be times when the death sentence shall be unavoidable due to the circumstances and it should be reserved for such occasions, he told the court. The Association for People with Albinism in Malawi, the countrys leading albino activist group, did not comment on the ruling, but it has previously said that albinos will only be safe if the real masterminds behind the killings are identified and convicted. | 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 Reaction was swift and strong on both sides to Gov. Chris Sununus veto of legislation to repeal the states death penalty. The time to end the death penalty in New Hampshire is now. The overwhelming evidence is that state-sanctioned murder is not a deterrent to criminals; putting criminals to death is significantly more expensive than life in prison, and too many innocent people have been executed, or (are) exonerated just before executions, said state Sen. Martha Hennessey, D-Hanover. Life in prison without parole is the appropriate and humane form of punishment for perpetrators of the most heinous of crimes. Sununus veto came at the Michael Briggs Community Center in Manchester on Friday where he was surrounded by local and state police officers. Within a few hours of Sununus own post on Facebook, he attracted more than 500 comments, many praising the 2-term Republican for maintaining support for capital punishment. Michael Stix Addison, the convicted killer of Manchester patrolman Briggs nearly 13 years ago, is the only one on New Hampshires death row. I was 12 when officer Briggs was shot. Im supporting his memory and police officers all over this state. Im supporting my governor on his veto, said Rep. Joe Alexander, R-Goffstown. Former U.S. Sen. and past N.H. Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said while state laws cant be applied retroactively, there would be no legal way to carry out Addisons execution if repeal of the death penalty became a reality. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and state Senate have passed this bill (HB 455) by veto-proof majorities. Rep. Renny Cushing, D-Hampton, wrote his first death penalty bill 21 years ago and said he believes the Legislature will take up the override question by the end of this month. Cushing doesnt take for granted that he could be just weeks away from the dream hes had since becoming a capital punishment repeal advocate after his father was murdered at his home in 1988. Weve seen before the pressure that can be brought to bear. What I do feel good about is that in both parties this remains a deeply held vote of conscience and as long as that is the case its possible we can bring this home, Cushing said during a telephone interview. Former governor and now Sen. Jeanne Shaheen vetoed a death penalty repeal bill in 2000. At that time, however, the Legislature was much more closely split and Shaheen, a Democrat, knew lawmakers would sustain her veto. The same was true last year when Sununu vetoed an identical bill. Sununu knew that with GOP control of the Legislature at the time, there was no chance that veto was going to be overridden. Weve really built such an eclectic group. Along with progressives youve got libertarian Republicans who dont want government to have this kind of power, some conservatives who see it as just another failed government program and pro-life Republicans who oppose murder from cradle to grave for any reason, Cushing said. Senate President Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, stressed each senator will make up their own mind. While I continue to believe it is time for New Hampshire to repeal capital punishment, I have the utmost respect for my State House colleagues, the votes they have taken, and those they will cast in the future on this important matter of public policy and personal conscience, Soucy said. Rev. Jason Wells, executive director of the New Hampshire Council of Churches, was grateful at the strong support for repeal in the religious community. The Councils many member denominations are diverse in their practice of the Christian faith but are unanimous in regarding capital punishment problematic and unacceptable,? Wells said. This belief is rooted in our understanding of the sacredness of Gods gift of life. It is also rooted in the Christian commitment that God can bring redemption to any person, an opportunity which the death penalty closes off. Sununus supporters insist it remains a deterrent even in a state thats not put someone to death since 1939. Excellent move, governor. Now we should not be reluctant to use it when absolutely necessary so that it will actually be a deterrent to further senseless premeditated murders, said former state Rep. Fred Rice of Hampton. | 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 Union Leader, Staff, May 6, 2019 An accident Saturday evening in a grass seed warehouse killed a former Oregon State Police trooper at the farm he worked with his brother east of Albany. A young family member found Kirk Burkholder, 38, trapped in a forklift mast and used Burkholders cellphone to summon help, said Kent Burkholder, Kirk's brother. Burkholder was unloading a 2,000-pound bag of sheep feed into a hopper when the accident occurred at around 6 p.m. Albany Fire Department and Linn County Sheriffs personnel responded to the farm on Fry Road, where Burkholder was pronounced dead. Burkholder, a lifelong Albany resident, spent more than eight years with Oregon State Police as a senior trooper in the Fish and Wildlife Division, working primarily in Linn and Benton counties. He was a pleasure to work with, said Oregon State Police Sgt. James Halsey. He always had a great and positive attitude. Burkholder left the State Police to return to the family farm after a bout with cancer left his father, Weldon, unable to work, Kent Burkholder said. We all hated to see him go, Halsey said, but we all supported him because it was the right thing to do to go to the farm. Halsey, who was the trooper who trained Burkholder, said the men remained friends after Burkholder left the force. When Burkholders father died less than two years ago, Kirk took a larger role in the day-to-day operations on the grass seed farm, while also raising sheep and working a balancing business with his brother, Kent. The Burkholder brothers' harmonic balancing business serviced farm equipment throughout the valley, Kent Burkholder said. We had a conversation a couple weeks ago about how we complemented each outer nicely, said Kent Burkholder. We really enjoyed working together being on the same team. Kirk Burkholder's aunt Nancy Aerni remembered him as a man who carried a smile wherever he went along with a helping hand. Aerni recalled a time when Burkholder, an avid hunter, was chased up a tree by a badger during an archery hunt in eastern Oregon. Aerni added that he was quick-witted, quick to give a big hug and an 'I love you.'" He was a loving guy, Kent Burkholder said of his brother. He cared a lot about my kids and his kids he always had time for the kids. As news spread Saturday evening, farmers, friends and members of his church family gathered for hours at the family farm. its a nice tribute, knowing people care, Kent Burkholder said. "It's kind of humbling, how many people care when tough times happen. I feel fortunate to have had him as a brother for almost 39 years, said Kent. Recently Kirk Burkholder spent hours remodeling an old farmhouse using construction skills he learned after graduating from Santiam Christian High School. The Kirk Burkholder family was set to move into that home in the summer. Kirk Burkholder leaves behind his wife, Amanda, and three children, 3, 5, 7. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 103 Angry 10 There will be an increase in police presence throughout the Greater Albany Public Schools district this week after two incidents indicated a potential threat of school violence late last week and over the weekend. On Friday, according to a statement released by GAPS to parents, a written threat was found in a bathroom stall at South Albany High School. School administrators immediately reported the incident. A second incident occurred on Saturday when a comment was posted to social media suggesting a potential threat to Timber Ridge School. All threats have been investigated by law enforcement and are unsubstantiated, the statement from GAPS read. We do not believe these are viable threats but out of an abundance of caution we will have increased law enforcement presence at schools and throughout the community on Monday. Because the threats were not deemed credible, GAPS schools were open Monday. According to Albany Police Department Capt. Brad Liles, extra uniform and nonuniform personnel will be present at GAPS schools throughout the week. Both incidents are currently under investigation and it is not yet known if the two are related. A spokesman for the district said it would continue to work closely with law enforcement offered thanks to the Police Department for its assistance. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 3 Sad 0 Angry 4 The campaign for Ann Roe, who is running for Congress against Lyin' Bryan Steil has come out with the best one-liner of this cycle so far: I can't argue... 1 month ago 2020 will be a referendum on Trump, just as 2018 was. We could wind up with the most transformative president since FDR or we could wind up with just another in a long line of utterly mediocre presidents. I think any of the credible Democratic contenders would beat Trump, although Biden is the most iffy, possibly the perfect foil for Trump's brand of vile political engagement. Republicans will try downplaying Trump's personal characteristics, which most Americans find utterly abhorrent, and do their best to persuade voters that: 1- the economy is great; and 2- Trump and the GOP created an economic miracle Neither is accurate. Macro-economic indicators notwithstanding, average Americans aren't feeling a great economy in their wallets. And most of what Trump has pushed economically is just set-up for the coming economic catastrophe. Last week, writing for CNN, Zach Wolf asked the question Democrats need to start weaving into their own electoral narratives: Are you better off than you were before Trump? Wolf writes that Democratic primary voters are being offered everything from Bernie's "transformational democratic socialism to a return to normalcy," Biden's lazy excuse for the nothingness of a tired old man desperate for a last hurrah. Wolf defines a GOP economic narrative that has Trump "overseeing a strong economy, near-low unemployment, unexpectedly strong growth in the gross domestic product, a surprising lack of consequences for the trade war he's tempted with China and Europe, and a strong dollar. It's been nearly 10 years of nonstop growth for the US economy." (Obviously, most of those 10 years had nothing to do with Trump and, less obviously, he is undermining that expansion daily.) But... Corrupt Blue Dog David Scott represents a big swath of suburban Atlanta south and west of the the city, just below Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The biggest counties in the district (GA-13) are Cobb, Clayton, Douglas, Fulton, Henry and Fayette. Trump lost the first 5 and won in Fayette County. The PVI is a healthy, unassailable D+20. So what is a district like that doing with a Republican-lite Blue Dog congressman, one who has never-- and still doesn't-- even live in the district? And who has a reputation-- well-deserved-- for long being one of the Democratic Party's most corrupt public officials? David Scott's voting record has earned him a solid "F" from ProgressivePunch. People who watch closely though say he isn't really much of an ideologue. "He's just one of the most corrupt members of Congress and every lobbyist in town knows he sells his votes," said one Capitol Hill staffer who asked for anonymity in order to speak freely. "Scott votes for financial legislation that directly hurts his own voters in return for big annual payoffs from the Wall Street banking community. Some should look closely at where those funds he collects go. It's an open secret here in DC that his family walks away with an awful lot of it... On top of that-- and as if that weren't enough-- Scott is one of only the smallest handful of Democrats in Congress who endorses Republicans over his fellow Democrats and contributes to their campaigns." I've never heard Cheri Bustos or Nancy Pelosi complain about his checks to Republicans. Have you? Primary A Blue Dog ActBlue Page on the right. Any contribution is appreciated and every contribution helps get the job done. If you want a suggestion, Blue America usually requests contributions of $20.20 this cycle. This morning, David Scott drew exactly what he has earned-- a progressive primary challenger: former Cobb County Democratic Party chairman Michael Owens, a cybersecurity expert, community activist and Marine Corp veteran. Over the next few months I hope we will all get to know Michael very well and come to understand how he came to support the populist, progressive agenda espoused by leaders like Bernie, Ro Khanna, Ted Lieu, Elizabeth Warren, Barbara Lee, AOC and Pramila Jayapal. I asked him to jot down a few words in way of a guest post and introduction. If you like what he has to say, please consider helping him in his campaign to replace David Scott by clicking on theActBlue Page on the right. Any contribution is appreciated and every contribution helps get the job done. If you want a suggestion, Blue America usually requests contributions of $20.20 this cycle. A District To Flip In 2020: GA-13... From Blue Dog to True Blue -by Michael Owens I am running to represent the people of Georgia's 13th congressional district, people who deserve a Congressman who is in touch with them and will be an advocate for their needs and be a champion for their family's legitimate opportunities. We need someone who is aligned with todays Democratic Party and the grassroots organizations that continue to fuel our growth. Georgia is locked in the fight for our future. Voter suppression, veteran issues, clean air and water and lack of healthcare options have hurt my district and our state. We have been a deep red state that is on the cusp of turning purple... but it will not happen without the support of proven progressive democratic leaders. The congressman for GA-13 must be a progressive leader who will fight for more bold policies that will better the lives every American. Ive spent years fighting for principles that will improve the lives and situations for those who need it most. If I win, I will bring to this seat the opportunity to help each and every person by being an advocate and champion for healthcare, economic mobility and empowerment, job development and creation and supporting efforts to close the racial and gender wage gap while increasing the minimum wage for everyone. These are not talking points for me. As a small business owner and executive with fortune 500 companies, I have always put people first. I commit to representing the people of my district and not corporate PACs. I commit to having town halls and to live in the district I represent. I commit to holding Republicans accountable. Ive proven my leadership as a past chairman of the Cobb County Democratic Committee where I grew the organization into the largest county party in the state of Georgia. During that time, I was in the trenches leading the effort to organize thousands of volunteers to successfully flip seats from school board to U.S. Congress over the last three years. Remember the #FlipThe6th effort from a couple of years ago even before we were able to replace Karen Handel with Lucy McBath? I created 6th Congressional District Taskforce, coined that phrase and led that effort. From that time, Ive been able to build a coalition of supporters, volunteers, and activists from across the state without compromising our progressive values, ideals, or principles. Its as simple as this. I will provide a consistent, strong Democratic vote in a deep blue district where we currently have a Congressman that votes with the Trump agenda far too often. I will support progressive polities that can help move this country forward. I will not be parroting Republican and corporate lobbyist talking points and I absolutely will not be endorsing Republican candidates at home or anywhere in the country. Biden's actual campaign kickoff was on Thursday, April 25-- a fat cat-only fundraiser in the Philadelphia mansion of Comcast executive and lobbyist David Cohen, co-hosted by every crooked Democrat he could find, from establishment scumbag Ed Rendell to union-busting attorney Steven Cozen . ( $700,000 came in from these rich folks for Biden that night.) But 4 days later, Biden made his way to a Pittsburgh union hall for a Potemkin Village version of his campaign kickoff event, claiming that was the "real" start of his campaign, one that would saddle the Democratic Party with another establishment loser. He claimed to be "a union man" during his speech. Is their a union for corrupt politicians? What other union could Biden be talking about? New York Magazine, Eric Levitz noted that although Status Quo Joe is "campaigning as an old-school liberal," Writing yesterday forMagazine, Eric Levitz noted that although Status Quo Joe is "campaigning as an old-school liberal," Biden, a warrior for trade policies that ship American jobs overseas to cheap labor markets, has been no friend to working families Organized labor opposed NAFTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and Chinas admission into the World Trade Organization, all bills Biden told them to shut up about and follow his (and the plutocrats') lead. In 2016 it was Hillary's posture on those same policies that allowed Trump to "effectively used NAFTA as shorthand for the Democrats purported betrayal of its traditional working-class base. And those attacks, combined with his demagogic messaging on immigration, helped to reduce the salience of class resentment in the 2016 election, and send a critical mass of midwestern Obama voters into the GOP coalition." Thus, it makes sense that Bernie Sanders is already focusing his fire on Bidens fair trade bona fides. Casting the Democratic front-runner as a serial betrayer of industrial workers doesnt just undermine Bidens standing with a key interest group in the primary, but also challenges his claim to electability-- which, polls show, is the No. 1 quality that Democratic voters are seeking in their standard-bearer this cycle. Shortly after Biden launched his campaign at a union hall in Western Pennsylvania this week, Sanders went on CNN and assailed his rivals views on trade. When people take a look at my record versus Vice-President Bidens record, I helped lead the fight against NAFTA; he voted for NAFTA, Sanders said. I helped lead the fight against [permanent normal trade relations] with China; he voted for it. I strongly opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership; he supported it. The Vermont senator proceeded to release a video spotlighting this point, and a news release calling on his fellow Democratic candidates to embrace his trade agenda. When Biden suggested Wednesday that China was not a serious competitor to the United States, economically or geopolitically, Sanders immediately fired back, tweeting, Since the China trade deal I voted against, America has lost over 3 million manufacturing jobs. Its wrong to pretend that China isnt one of our major economic competitors. When we are in the White House we will win that competition by fixing our trade policies. Sanders is hardly alone in seeing trade as Bidens Achilles heel. As Politico notes, a wide variety of progressive activists and organizations, including some aligned with Elizabeth Warrens campaign, are mounting a similar line of attack. There are many reasons Joe Biden is the least electable Democrat our side could possibly nominate, said Adam Green, the co-founder of Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which supports Elizabeth Warren. Being seen as cozy with big corporations and loving to cut backroom deals with political insiders are two of those reasons-- and they are exactly what trade deals like the TPP represent. Thats the opposite of the outsider zeitgeist Trump tapped into in 2016 and will try to repeat in 2020. This argument appears sound enough on the merits. In current polling, Biden does look like the strongest Democratic candidate against Trump, not least because of his relatively high support among whites without college degrees. But it is true that he boasts the very same trade record-- and cozy relations with financial-industry titans-- that Trump used to mitigate the Democrats advantage among economically liberal, working-class voters. Whats more, if history is any guide, no one wants to run as a champion of the existing trade system in a Democratic presidential primary, especially those who support said system. In 2008, Obama assailed NAFTA as devastating and a big mistake. In 2016, Hillary Clinton disavowed Obamas TPP, a trade deal she had previously hailed as the gold standard in trade agreements. Ostensibly, Clinton and Obama did not adopt these positions for kicks, but rather, for electoral advantage. But this time might be different. As the Republican Partys standard-bearer has claimed the mantle of protectionism, negative partisanship has led a significant number of Democrats to embrace the opposite view. In 2009, 34 percent of Democratic voters told Pew Research that free-trade agreements had generally been a bad thing for this country; last year, that figure fell to 19 percent. Meanwhile, Trumps tariffs have spurred a backlash in several midwestern states, where agricultural interests have lost more from the presidents policies than industrial workers have gained. Its possible that these trends will reduce the potency of anti-NAFTA arguments in the Democratic primary, while the same Obama nostalgia thats propelling Bidens candidacy will take the bite out of attacks on the TPP. That said, its quite possible that Democratic voters will be responsive to a critique of Bidens trade record on electability grounds, even if they arent on substantive ones. Surveys suggest a large majority of Democrats are looking for the candidate whod be most likely to defeat Trump, not the one who best represents their own views. If Sanders can convince these voters that Bidens support of NAFTA makes him a less-than-ideal general-election candidate, then they may start viewing Uncle Joes other betrayals of core Democratic constituencies-- from consumers to African-Americans to feminists to retirees -- in a less forgiving light. Have you noticed how the prominent centrists in the race-- Biden, McKinsey Pete and Beto-- would rather talk about "values" (which you can think are anything you'd like) than about specific policies? Biden's repulsive 4 decades-long record shows what his values-- and his policies-- are, rather than his smarmy old-school campaign techniques. Democratic primary voters too scared to look at Biden's career of racism and corporatism are exactly the ones who are headed towards giving us another 4 years of Trump. The Times' Shane Goldmacher, embedded with Biden and reporting from Dubuque, noted that not on Republican voters he's hoping to woo over to his own brand of establishment status quo-ism. There I go again-- blaming the voters, not the candidates... as though all the problems in America are the fault of the people who voted for Trump, rather than Trump (and Putin and Comey and Hillary and Wasserman Schultz). But, come to think of it, isn't that exactly what the problem really is-- a poorly-educated electorate backing a fascist? Yesterday,' Shane Goldmacher, embedded with Biden and reporting from Dubuque, noted that Biden blames it all on Trump's aberrancy andon Republican voters he's hoping to woo over to his own brand of establishment status quo-ism. Biden: "Limit it to four years. History will treat this administrations time as an aberration. This is not the Republican Party... my Republican friends in the House and Senate." Goldmacher is clear, of course, that there's no disagreement among Democrats about the urgency of defeating Trump, but he claims that "Bidens singular focus on the president as the source of the nations ills, while extending an olive branch to Republicans, has exposed a significant fault line in the Democratic primary." Deeper thinkers, like Bernie and Elizabeth Warren see Trump "as a symptom of something deeper, both in a Republican Party overtaken by Trumpism and a nation cleaved by partisanship." For them, driving Trump out of the White House is the beginning, not the end. In Biden's case, there really is nothing more to his campaign than to get rid of the aberration that is Trump. So Goldmacher asks the obvious Biden/Bernie question: "Do Democrats want a bipartisan deal-maker promising a return to normalcy , or a partisan warrior offering more transformative change?" Make no mistake about it, this struggle is not just about defeating Donald Trump, Mr. Sanders declared in his own kickoff speech in Brooklyn. This struggle is about taking on the incredibly powerful institutions that control the economic and political life of this country. After more than 40 years in Washington, Mr. Biden has forged more and deeper relationships with Republicans than any other Democrat running. In the Obama White House, he was known as the McConnell whisperer for his skills in striking agreements with the often recalcitrant Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell. Mr. Biden spent decades cutting deals in the Senate. Mr. Bidens opening pitch as an electable pragmatist who can reach across the aisle has resonated with many Iowa Democrats who are desperate to end Mr. Trumps presidency. I just want to see decency again, sighed Jimmy Stumpff, who wore a Make Lies Wrong Again shirt to Mr. Bidens event in Cedar Rapids this past week. I feel Bidens our best chance to beat Trump-- by far. John Anzalone [pollster to the Blue Dogs], a Democratic pollster who has previously advised Mr. Biden, said it should be no surprise that bipartisan appeals sell, even in a party primary. Guess what, he said. Democratic primary voters agree with the fact that a Democratic president should work with Republicans to get things done. There is this narrative about Democratic primary voters that theyre all about anger and the fight, or principles, Mr. Anzalone added. But real voters know one thing: If anything is going to get done to help them, itll have to be done across party lines. On the trail, Mr. Biden has made no secret that he plans to narrow the focus to a Trump-Biden matchup. From his campaigns opening video montage, he has purposefully targeted Mr. Trump while ignoring the wider Republican Party and his own Democratic rivals, a strategy that allows him to project himself as the front-runner and direct attention to his perceived electability. It seemed no accident that Mr. Biden quickly took his deal-making case from the swing state of Pennsylvania to Dubuque County, which flipped from the Democratic column to Mr. Trump in 2016, and sits in the middle of the densest stretch of counties in the nation that made the same shift to Mr. Trump. Yet many on the left believe that Mr. Bidens nostalgia for a bygone era of comity, compromise and civility-- while appealing-- is misplaced, or even naive. They question whether historic pragmatism can even be considered pragmatic anymore in an era of norm-busting hyperpartisanship. Joe Biden knows better, said Brian Fallon, a former top spokesman for Hillary Clinton and Senator Chuck Schumer, because Joe Biden was the wingman for Barack Obama, who in his first year in his presidency had Mitch McConnell say his No. 1 objective was that Barack Obama wasnt re-elected. Mr. Fallon acknowledged the political temptation to be less partisan sounding, by condemning only Mr. Trump in an attempt to appeal to disaffected Republicans. Im not saying a candidate needs to go around preaching doom and gloom, he said. But for the good of the country-- beyond the short-term political calculus-- we need someone who is cleareyed about the situation they will be inheriting if they win the White House. Some Democratic strategists point to Mayor Pete Buttigieg as a candidate who grasps the challenges to bipartisan deal-making. While he has offered rhetorical gestures to Republicans-- casting himself as a consensus-seeking executive in a red state, Indiana-- he has embraced more radical ideas that would help Democrats bypass the opposition party, such as eliminating the filibuster and stacking the Supreme Court with additional justices. It took Ms. Warren only two days after the 2016 election to cast Mr. Trump as an outgrowth of an electorate demanding change. The final results may have divided us-- but the entire electorate embraced deep, fundamental reform of our economic system and our political system, she said then. Joe and Jesse-- does it warm your heart to see them all buddy-buddy? Mr. Bidens graciousness toward Republicans has gotten him into trouble with Democrats who see him as overly solicitous to an intransigent party. Last year, he gave a paid speech in Michigan in which he praised an endangered Republican congressman only weeks before the election. His remarks were spliced into ads for the Republican candidate, who narrowly won re-election. More recently, he said his successor, Vice President Mike Pence, was a decent guy, prompting criticism that forced him to backtrack and say that there is nothing decent about being anti-L.G.B.T.Q. rights. This week, his critics unearthed a 2015 video clip of Mr. Biden praising his own predecessor, Dick Cheney-- I think hes a decent man, Mr. Biden said. It drew widespread attention on social media, and condemnation from the left. As Mr. Biden has elevated the urgency and centrality of defeating Mr. Trump, he has sought to play down the policy differences with his Democratic rivals. We agree on basically everything, all of us running-- all 400 of us, Mr. Biden said in Dubuque. His Democratic rivals would disagree, however, and there are real ideological divides in the party. Mr. Sanders, for instance, is the chief advocate of imposing a sweeping new Medicare-for-all health care system that would guarantee coverage and end the current system of private insurance. Mr. Biden is advocating a more incremental approach: adding a public option for anyone to buy into the current Medicare system, without unwinding the existing insurance marketplace. Early polls show why Mr. Biden would want to elide any disagreements. Only 23 percent of Democrats said he had the best policy ideas in a recent poll by Quinnipiac University. But 56 percent of Democrats said he had the best chance of defeating Mr. Trump. Some Democrats say the idea of trying to predict electability and casting Mr. Trump as an aberration was tried by Mrs. Clinton in 2016-- and it failed. I feel like the party went through this and the 2016 election showed that Trumpism isnt just Donald Trump-- its the entire Republican Congress, too, said Rebecca Katz, a progressive Democratic strategist unaligned in the 2020 contest. Until there is someone in the Republican Party who can stand up to Trump, then none of them are better than Trump. Republicans aligned with Mr. Trump say that, whatever the presidents failings, he has overseen a growing economy, the appointment of a vast array of conservative judges and a huge tax cut. They note that they offer dissent when they disagree with his policies; Mr. Trump recently suffered setbacks on his desired nominations to the Federal Reserve, for example, because of Republican opposition. In a 21-candidate Democratic field, Mr. Biden, of course, is not the only candidate running as a potential healer. Senator Cory Booker has described seeking to channel our common pain into common purpose. Senator Amy Klobuchar talks up her bipartisan credentials. And Senator Michael Bennet entered the race this past week making the case for moderation as a pragmatic idealist. But Mr. Biden is, by far, the most prominent... We have to unify this country, he said. Its not just about-- the other side is not my enemy, its my opposition. And folks, weve got to take it on, weve got to take it on in a real way. This afternoon, Bernie's campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, reiterated that "This election needs to be about so much more than beating Donald Trump. It is a mistake to think that this election is simply about beating one man-- an aberration of a president-- and that everything will simply return to 'normal.' The reality is that 'normal' in our country before there was a President Trump still meant an immoral lack of healthcare, unlivable low wages, rampant corporate greed, a racist criminal justice system, and a corrupt political system. So, no. It is not enough to just defeat Donald Trump. Returning to 'normal' is not acceptable." This is pretty harsh in terms for the "back to Normalcy" candidate, Status Quo Joe Biden, who has absolutely no reason to be running for president outside of his own inflated ego. SURPRISE!! Look who doesn't want Mueller to testify publicly House Judiciary Committee member David Cicilline (D-RI) was a guest on Fox News Sunday yesterday, where he confirmed that Barr is going to wind up with a contempt citation if he continues to prevent Congress from seeing government documents relevant to Trump's treasonous activities with the Russians. The deadline is this morning (at 9AM). "Members of our committee need to see the full report and the supporting documents so we can continue to do our work, conduct oversight in a responsible and sober way." This is going right over the heads of Fox News viewers who overwhelmingly see this as a baseless anti-Trump escapade by disgruntled Democrats. A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released yesterday, shows that voters are fed up with government. They hate Trump; they hate the Democratic Party; they hate the Republican Party and they hate William Barr. The only polled figure or entity who came out above water was Robert Mueller. 31% of voters have a positive view and just 19% have a negative view-- compared to 39% with a positive view of Trump and 49% with a negative view of Trump. Mueller is up 12 and Trump is down 10. But not among the topsy-turvy Fox viewers, where people admire Trump and distrust Mueller. Robert Mueller Investigates by Nancy Ohanian Washington Post yesterday, Shtitsel, "Oy!" Republican national security expert Max Boot wrote an OpEd for theyesterday, This Nation Is At The Mercy Of A Criminal Administration , a sentiment widely shared among Democrats, but not at all among Republicans. "imagine," he suggests, "that you live in a town that has been taken over by gangsters. The mayor is a crook and so are the district attorney and police chief. You cant fight city hall. But at least you know you can turn for help to the state or federal government. Now imagine that its not a city or state that has been taken over by criminals-- its the federal government. Where do you turn for help? That is not a theoretical concern. After the release of special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs report, its our grim reality." As they might say in, "Oy!" New York Review of Books Even before Muellers probe ended, federal prosecutors in New York had implicated President Trump in ordering his lawyer, Michael Cohen, to violate federal campaign finance laws. Mueller then documented at least six ironclad incidents of obstruction of justice by Trump along with numerous instances of misconduct that, while not criminal, are definitely impeachable. The reported that two prosecutors working for Mueller said that if Trump werent president, he would have been indicted. Now the administration is obstructing attempts to bring the president to justice for obstruction of justice. William P. Barr isnt the attorney general; he is, as David Rothkopf said, the obstructor general. We now know that Mueller wrote (in Barrs description) a snitty letter objecting that Barrs deceptive summary of his work, designed to falsely exonerate Trump, threatens to undermine public confidence in the outcome of the investigations. Yet when Barr testified to Congress after receiving the Mueller letter but before releasing the Mueller report, he claimed not to know whether Mueller disagreed with his conclusions. He lied to Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) charged. But even if it could be proved that Barr committed perjury (no sure thing), who would prosecute him? Is he (or his deputy) going to appoint a special counsel to investigate himself? Unlikely. And if he did appoint a special counsel, would he heed the counsels conclusions? Also unlikely. Barrs jaw-dropping performance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday dispelled any lingering confidence in the impartial administration of justice-- the bedrock of our republic. He actually testified that if the president feels an investigation is unfounded, he does not have to sit there constitutionally and allow it to run its course. The president could terminate the proceeding and it would not be a corrupt intent because he was being falsely accused. Given that no president has ever felt justly accused of any misconduct, this means that the president is above the law. Barr is endorsing the Nixon doctrine: Well, when the president does it, that means its not illegal. The administration makes clear that this is precisely its intent with its scandalous stonewalling of Congress. Barr himself refused to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Trump is suing to prevent his accountants and financial institutions from sharing his business records with Congress, while his treasury secretary is refusing to comply with a lawful demand for his tax returns. Trump is also blocking numerous current and former officials, including former White House counsel Donald McGahn, from testifying about his misdeeds. His conduct is redolent of the third article of impeachment against President Richard M. Nixon for failing to produce papers and things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas from Congress. While conferring legal immunity upon himself, Trump is eager to weaponize the legal system against his opponents. The Mueller report documents three separate occasions when Trump demanded a Justice Department investigation of Hillary Clinton. Now, the New York Times reports, Trump and his attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani, are attempting to instigate a criminal probe of his leading 2020 opponent, Joe Biden, on what appear to be trumped-up charges of corruption. In one of the more chilling exchanges during his Senate testimony, Barr would not say whether the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that he open an investigation. If the answer were no, he would have said so. It is hard to think of any president in the past 230 years, including Nixon, who has ever sabotaged the rule of law so flagrantly or so successfully to protect his own hide. And, sadly, it is hard to imagine that anything can be done about it before Nov. 3, 2020. The House could try to compel compliance with its subpoenas, but the Justice Department will never file criminal charges, and the courts could take years to decide a civil suit. The House could vote to impeach Trump or Barr-- which they richly deserve-- but that would be a purely symbolic act and could backfire politically because Senate Republicans, like the O.J. Simpson jury, would vote to acquit regardless of the evidence. So for the next 18 months, at a minimum, this nation is at the mercy of a criminal administration. I am in despair as I have never been before about the future of our experiment in self-rule. Before Mueller filed his report, it was possible to imagine the president being brought to justice. That fantasy is no longer tenable. Instead we are left with the dismaying likelihood that the president will now feel emboldened to commit ever greater transgressions to hold onto power-- and thus delay a possible post-presidential indictment. Washington Post. Over the weekend, the editorial board of the Salt Lake Tribune quoted Federalist No. 51 by James Madison: "But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others. The provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition." For those who might find it too obtuse or abstract, the editors I suspect, though, that Fox Nation doesn't read the. Over the weekend, the editorial board of thequoted Federalist No. 51 by James Madison: "But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others. The provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition." For those who might find it too obtuse or abstract, the editors explained what they are getting at Madisons plan for the survival of popular government was nowhere to be seen last week, as Republican members of Congress put their loyalty to a president of their own party ahead of their sworn duty to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. By abandoning the role the Constitution assigns them, to jealously defend the power of their branch of government against encroachments by other branches, Republicans in Congress surrender their duty, their power and their part in defending American democracy. Ambition no longer counteracts ambition. And for what? To get themselves on the good side of a chief executive who is so clearly corrupt, engaging in obstruction, campaign and ethics violations, using the presidency as a cash cow for his personal business interests, who disrespects the separation of powers, freedom of the press, the rights of minorities and immigrants and our long-standing international alliances. Some will look at the situation and argue that the Democrats are being as partisan in their questioning of the president and his attorney general as the Republicans are in their defense of both. Maybe. But there can be no question that, at least in the matter that was before the Senate Judiciary Committee the other day, these blind squirrels have come upon a very large cache of nuts. Senate Republicans, including Utahs Mike Lee, spent the day feeding Attorney General William Barr softball questions and trying to make the case that there was nothing to see, theres no collusion and no corruption and no obstruction of justice. Time to move along. These are arguments that can only come from willful partisan ignorance of the facts as they are before us. The report from special counsel Robert Mueller laid out a litany of fishy contacts during the campaign and acts by the new president that would have been obstruction of justice if anyone had carried out the presidents orders. Or if it were considered possible, as Justice Department guidelines faithfully followed by the Mueller team says it is not, to indict a sitting president. Muellers handicap through all of this is that he is an honorable man who stands by the rule of law, operating in a city that is neither. Investigating a president through the federal grand jury system is difficult because prosecutors are used to assembling and presenting their evidence in secret and only making it public if there is an indictment-- which triggers a process in which the accused is able to defend himself. No indictment, because the president cant be indicted, means no trial. Means no chance for the president to defend himself. Means it all gets packed up and delivered to the attorney general and then, maybe, to Congress and to the American people. One bright spot in all of this-- small but important-- is the call from Utahs other senator, Mitt Romney, for Congress to hear from Mueller directly. That is exactly what should happen, and soon. It may be painful for the special counsel to publicly call out the attorney general for willfully misrepresenting-- that is, lying about-- the conclusions of his report and the underlying evidence. But Mueller can handle it. Even if the Republicans in Congress cannot. Editorial boards around the country are expressing similar sentiments-- without mention of Mike Lee or Mitt Romney. Republican senators who will have to face the voters next year in swingy states-- like Iowa (Joni Ernst), Colorado (Cory Gardner), Maine (Susan Collins), Arizona (Martha McSally), North Carolina (Thom Tillis), maybe even Georgia (David Perdue), Texas (John Cornyn) and Kentucky (McTurtle)-- don't want their Fox Nation viewers seeing these kinds of editorials in local newspapers. One more thing to consider though: Pelosi's role in refusing to impeach the criminal and treasonous Trump-- and for strictly political reasons. America deserves better than Nancy Pelosi. VPBank needs to set aside $136.65 million in reserves for bad debt. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Thu Many banks are looking to sell mortgaged assets as they prepare to buy back bad debt from the state. The asset management company of VPBank (VPBank AMC) has this week updated its list of assets to be auctioned to include many cars and land lots in Hanoi, and the northern provinces of Thai Binh and Thai Nguyen. While most cars listed are four-seaters ranging from VND190-500 million ($8,220-21,620) in value, there were also new Audi cars with a starting price of VND1.15 billion ($49,730). Real estate put up for sale in Thai Binh and Thai Nguyen provinces has a starting price of around VND300 million to over VND1 billion ($12,970 - $43,240), while some properties in central Hanoi will be auctioned off at a starting price of over VND2.5 billion ($108,110). However, for many real estate projects of high value or priced higher than market value, the bank will have to go through the auction process many times to find buyers. The latest list of properties for sale by VPBank AMC includes properties that have been unsuccessfully auctioned 5 or 6 times. "For projects that fail to sell, banks have simply not found a bargain price buyers are willing to pay," Nguyen Tri Hieu, a banking expert, told local press. Similarly, VietinBank, one of Vietnams three biggest state-owned lenders, has also announced the auction of mega-assets, including a steel ship capable of fishing far from shore, as well as a high-rise project worth VND76 billion ($1.77 million), for the eighth time. State-owned Agribank has also been auctioning collateral assets continuously in the past quarter. The assets include two rows of houses in the downtown of Ho Chi Minh City for VND69 billion ($2.98 million). The private Sacombank, meanwhile, is selling several houses in HCMC as well as 37 land deeds in the southern province of Vinh Long. Bad debt pressures According to a report by securities corporation SSI, VPBank's consolidated non-performing loans (NPL) ratio increased in 2018 to 3.21 percent from 2.89 percent in 2017. VPBank has also been planning to buy back all of the bad debt it sold to the state-owned Vietnam Asset Management Corp (VAMC) in 2013, totalling VND3.16 trillion ($136.65 million). Because the bank will have to sacrifice a portion of profits to set up bad debt reserves, it is trying to resolve as much of its overdue debts as soon as possible by liquidating assets put up as collateral. VAMC, run by the central bank, has bought a total of VND282 trillion ($12.4 billion) worth of bad debt to rescue 42 banks from either bankruptcy or net losses back in 2013, as five-year bonds. Once the bonds mature, the banks will have to buy back any bad debt VAMC has failed to recover. Vietinbanks NPL ratio had also risen from 1.13 percent in 2017 to 1.58 percent at the end of 2018, and the bank has VND13.43 trillion ($580.75 million) worth of debt it has to buy back from VAMC. It has only been able to set aside VND2.23 trillion for its bad debt reserves. As of April, Sacombank had the highest amount of debt bought by VAMC, at VND40.23 trillion ($1.74 billion. Agribank management has said that it has established reserves worth VND20 trillion ($864.86 million), enough to buy back all its bad debt at VAMC, after which the bank will go for an IPO in 2020. Vietnam had stepping up efforts to reduce the ratio of non-performing loans after years of loose lending and fast credit growth leading to a bad debt ratio of 6.3 percent in the banking system as of December 2018, according to the State Bank of Vietnam. However, the ratio is much lower than 10.08 percent at the end of 2016 and 8.61 percent as of September 2017, SBV Governor Le Minh Hung said at a meeting in January. Vietnam cannot continue to rely on low-cost labor since it faces increasing competition due to global integration, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc says. Speaking at a forum Sunday he said: "If we continue to go down the traditional low-cost labor path, we will fail. Innovation in technology to improve labor quality will be the decisive factor in the countrys development." Businesses need to offer skilled workers attractive wages and benefits since they are the leaders in the use of technology, he added. Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung said his ministry is working to improve training for workers using curriculums from Australia and Germany so that they can get internationally recognized certificates. Nguyen Duc Thanh, director of the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR), said recently that labor productivity only tripled between 1991 and 2015. With Vietnam climbing on the Industry 4.0 bandwagon, experts have warned that its low-skilled workforce could be threatened by artificial intelligence. Vietnams labor productivity is among the lowest in Southeast Asia. The General Statistics Office said it is only 1/18th of Singapores rate, 1/16th of Malaysias and 1/3 of Thailand and Chinas. Workers pick out gravel from coal at a coal port in Hanoi. Photo by Reuters/Kham The Ministry of Industry and Trade has repeated its request to export 2.5 million tons of unsold coal mined by two companies. It said they remain unsold because there is not enough demand in the domestic market for sevaral varieites of coal. The unsold coal was mined by state-owned Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (TKV) and Dong Bac Corporation, with the former accounting for two million tons. Mineral producers are required to prioritize domestic sales, and exports require express permission from the government, which seeks to prevent the depletion of natural resources and environmental harm caused by mining. The ministry had once sought permission in early April, but was directed to further consult ministries and enterprises before finalizing its Coal Export Plan for 2019. The plan had to ensure economic efficiency, meet national energy security requirements and ensure maximum coal supply for domestic needs, and exports should only be of coal varieties not consumed in the country, the government had stressed then. According to a recent report by the ministry, from now through 2030, around 2.1 million tons of coal of certain varieties are likely to be in excess of domestic requirement every year. These varieties, which can only be found in Vietnam, are also consumed in Japan and South Korea. According to the General Department of Customs, Vietnam imported 23.78 million tons of coal in 2018, mainly for electricity generation. The unsold coal produced by TKV and Dong Bac is used in steel production and are not of the varieties that Vietnam imports. Nguyen Xuan Hung, Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha and Nguyen Lam Sy are being investigated in connection with the mass disappearance of 152 tourists in Taiwan. Photo courtesy of Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security Vietnamese police have detained five locals in connection with the disappearance of 152 Vietnamese tourists in Taiwan last year. The Ministry of Public Security announced Monday that criminal investigations have been launched against four men and one woman for "organizing and/or coercing other persons to flee abroad." The crime is punishable by up to 20 years in jail under Vietnams Penal Code. Three men Tran Van Danh, 30, Nguyen Xuan Hung, 41, and Vu Nhat Tuan, 49, and a woman, Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, 35, will be held in custody pending the investigation. Vu Nhat Tuan (L) and Tran Van Danh Nguyen Lam Sy, 35, was placed under house arrest. Last March, four people, two Taiwanese and two Vietnamese, were prosecuted for forging travel documents, breaching the Employment Service Act and violating the Human Trafficking Prevention Law in the infamous case. According to National Immigration Agency data, 56 of the 152 missing Vietnamese tourists were still at large in Taiwan as of February 19. Some of the people who surrendered or were found by police have admitted that they hoped to work in Taiwan illegally. The missing tourists applied for electronic visas under the Kuan Hung visa program launched in 2015, which requires no visa fees for travelers from Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and India. The program was part of Taiwans New Southbound Policy to establish closer ties with selected nations. It also allowed simplified visa procedures for groups of five tourists or more from the six countries, as long as the tours were organized by "qualified travel agencies" recognized by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau or if they are part of company-sponsored groups. Official statistics from Taiwan Tourism Bureau showed that a total of 225,702 foreign tourists touched down in Taiwan under the visa program since 2015. Of these, 566 people have gone missing to work illegally in the territory, with Vietnamese accounting for 72 percent of the total. Part of 1.1 tons of meth seized by Ho Chi Minh City police in April 2019. Photo courtesy of HCMC police Ho Chi Minh City authorities are cracking down on drugs, especially methamphetamine, whose use is becoming rampant. The police have been ordered to search for drug users and keep a close eye on bars, hostels, dance clubs, and music festivals to prevent drug use at these places. Heroin has long been the common drug in Vietnam, mostly among older men, but the use of synthetic drugs like meth is on the rise especially among a growing class of hard-partying youth. Courts and prosecutors have been asked to throw the book at drug pushers to increase deterrence, and quickly send addicts to rehabilitation centers. The authorities said the drug scene is becoming problematic, with the city becoming a transit point for drugs thanks to its logistics and infrastructure. Criminals are becoming more professional in their methods and change storage and distribution locations frequently, they said. In March the city police made three major busts, seizing almost 900 kilograms of methamphetamine and heroin. All of them originated in the Golden Triangle, an intersection of China, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. In two of the cases they were on their way from HCMC to Taiwan and the Philippines. Last month, they seized another 1.1 tons of meth and arrested two Taiwanese men for investigation. The city has 23,000 addicts on its database, but said the actual number could be much higher. New addicts are younger and use a variety of drugs, especially meth, and their addiction is the cause of a number of recent murders and robberies, it said. On Tuesday a 29-year-old man allegedly murdered his grandmother, mother and aunt while he was high on meth. In March a 26-year-old man used meth and killed his parents and grandmother and girlfriends grandmother. Vietnam has become a key trafficking hub for narcotics around the Golden Triangle, the world's second-largest drug producing region. The country also has some of the worlds toughest drug laws. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of meth face death. Thao Chu Chang and his illegal items including 12,000 synthetic heroin pills, 180 carbine bullets, 2 kg of explosives, and his phones. Photo courtesy of Vietnam News Agency A Lao man was caught Saturday with 12,000 ecstasy pills, two kilograms of dynamite, 100 plus bullets intended for Vietnam. Thao Chu Chang was taken into custody after joint efforts by the border guards of Thanh Hoa Province and Lao authorities, Vietnam Plus reported Monday. He had 12,000 ecstasy pills, 180 carbine bullets and two kilograms of explosives when he was caught in Houaphanh Province before he could deliver them to Vietnam. The report said Chang has admitted to have bought the items in the Lao provinces Xam Neua District; and planned to smuggle them into Vietnam through Viang Xai District, 207 km west of Thanh Hoa Province. The border guards of Thanh Hoa and Lao forces are investigating the case to identify the drug syndicate and those involved before finalizing papers to hand over Thao Chu Chang and the items to Houaphanh authorities. Vietnam is a key trafficking hub for narcotics from the Golden Triangle, an intersection of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, which is the world's second largest drug producing area after the Golden Crescent in South Asia. Drug trafficking and consumption have persisted and worsened in Vietnam over the last few years, though it has some of the worlds toughest laws. Aides set up platforms before a group photo with members of U.S. and Chinese trade negotiation delegations at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, February 15, 2019. Photo by Reuters/Mark Schiefelbein Trump increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal on Sunday by saying he would hike U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. The move marked a major escalation in tensions between the worlds largest economies and a shift in tone from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had cited progress in trade talks as recently as Friday. Stock markets sank and oil prices tumbled as negotiations were thrown into doubt. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday night that China was considering canceling this weeks trade talks in Washington in light of Trumps comments, which took Chinese officials by surprise. U.S. officials did not immediately know if China would attend and the U.S. Trade Representatives Office did not immediately comment. Chinas commerce ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the editor of an influential, Chinese state-run newspaper said Liu was unlikely to go. "I think Vice Premier Liu He will very unlikely go to the U.S. this week. Let Trump raise tariffs. Lets see when trade talks can resume," Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the tabloid the Global Times, tweeted. The newspaper is published by the ruling Communist Partys Peoples Daily, but it not considered an official publication and does not speak for the government. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had described last weeks negotiations in Beijing as "productive." But a less than rosy update from United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, including details that China was pulling back from some commitments it made previously, prompted Trumps decision and jab on Twitter at Beijing, officials said. "The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!" Trump said in a tweet. Global financial markets, which had been largely pricing in expectations of a trade deal, went into a tailspin. U.S. equity futures fell more than 2 percent and stocks across trade-reliant Asia tumbled, with Chinas main indexes plunging 4 percent. Trump said tariffs on $200 billion of goods would increase to 25 percent on Friday from 10 percent, reversing a decision he made in February to keep them at the 10 percent rate after progress between the two sides. The president also said he would target a further $325 billion of Chinese goods with 25 percent tariffs "shortly," essentially targeting all products imported to the United States from China. Trump wants to keep some, if not all, of the existing tariffs on China as part of any final deal to ensure China lives up to its commitments, a White House official said on Sunday. Mindful of his 2020 re-election bid, Trump suggested the measures were not leading to price increases for U.S. consumers. "The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China," he tweeted. Tariffs on Chinese goods are actually paid to the United States by the companies importing the goods. Most of those companies are U.S.-based. American businesses, while largely supportive of Trumps crackdown on Chinas trade practices, are eager for the tariffs to be removed, not expanded. "Raising tariffs means raising taxes on millions of American families and inviting further retaliation on American farmers," said Christin Fernandez, a spokeswoman for the Retail Industry Leaders Association. Nevertheless, the presidents aggressive strategy drew rare bipartisan support from U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who urged Trump to "hang tough" in a tweet: "Dont back down. Strength is the only way to win with China." One Chinese trade expert said recent signs of resilience in both economies were breeding over-confidence. "The urgency is gone. So, its likely to see a longer trade war," the expert said, speaking on condition of anonymity citing the sensitivity of the topic. Not getting close? Trumps latest threat could be counter-productive, said Tai Hui, Asia-Pacific chief market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. "As we learnt a year ago, Beijing could be willing to walk away if the U.S. applies negotiation tactics that they dont agree with," Hui said. "That said, both sides have invested significant time and resource to come this far and are likely to want to preserve the progress achieved in recent months." As recently as Friday, Trump said talks with China were going well.. Mnuchin expressed hope last week that the Beijing and Washington rounds would lead U.S. advisers to a recommendation to Trump on whether a deal was reachable, and a White House official told Reuters that dates were being looked at for a potential meeting between Trump and Xi in June. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox News that the presidents tweet was a warning to China. "The president is, I think, issuing a warning here, that, you know, we bent over backwards earlier, we suspended the 25 percent tariff to 10 and then weve left it there. That may not be forever if the talks dont work out," he said. But Michael Pillsbury, an informal trade adviser to Trump and the director for Chinese strategy at the Hudson Institute, said Kudlows remarks downplayed the presidents intent. "I take the presidents tweet at face value. I was disappointed that Larry Kudlow downgraded it to a mere warning, which may tend to undermine American credibility as the Chinese delegation prepares its position" ahead of this weeks talks, he said. Last week, industry sources said they believed the talks were in the endgame, but the Trump administration official said aides had told the president that significant hurdles remained. The increase in U.S. tariffs on Friday will be the first move of that kind since Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods in September, coming on top of 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of goods enacted earlier last year. Negotiations about tariffs have been one of the remaining sticking points between the two sides. China wants the tariffs to be lifted, while some U.S. officials believe at least some of them should stay in place as a way to enforce any eventual deal. Rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel, in Gaza May 5, 2019. Photo by Reuters/Mohammed Salem Rockets from Gaza killed three people in an Israeli city while five Palestinian militants died on Sunday in surging cross-border fighting. 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 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, 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, 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. The air strike on his car was the first such killing of a top militant since the war five years ago. Israel had suspended such attacks in a bid to lower tensions. Sirens and explosions The sounds of sirens and explosions reverberated on both sides of the frontier, fraying nerves and keeping schools closed. 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 aimed at ending violence and easing 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 (10.5 miles) southeast of Tel Aviv. In a statement announcing that Israel would press on with its attacks, Netanyahu, who doubles as defence minister, also ordered forces around the Gaza Strip to be "stepped up with tanks, artillery and infantry". 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. Since Friday, 13 Palestinians of whom five were civilians have been killed in Gaza. They included a 14-month-old baby and the baby's aunt in an air strike, the health ministry said. Israel's military said its intelligence information showed they were killed by a misfired Palestinian rocket. A U.N. envoy said it was working with Egypt to try to end the fighting. Israeli bombings in Gaza destroyed two 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 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, whose economy has suffered years of Israeli and Egyptian blockades as well as recent foreign aid cuts and sanctions by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas's West Bank-based rival. Unemployment in Gaza 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, two years after Israel withdrew its settlers and troops from the area. The sound of sirens cut into the 1 p.m. The U.S. military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Monday. The move is seen as one that could anger Beijing at a time of tense relations between the worlds two biggest economies. The South China Sea is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which also include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and Taiwan. President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal by announcing on Sunday he would hike U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. The U.S. guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung Hoon traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, a U.S. military spokesman told Reuters. Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the Seventh Fleet, said that the "innocent passage" was "to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law." The operation was first reported by Reuters. The U.S. military has a long-standing position that its operations are carried out throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies, and that they are separate from political considerations. The operation was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijings efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate. China claims almost all of the strategic South China Sea and frequently lambastes the United States and its allies over naval operations near Chinese-occupied islands. The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan have competing claims in the region. Vietnam, which calls the waters the East Sea, has repeatedly asserted its sovereignty over the waters. China and the United States have repeatedly traded barbs in the past over what Washington says is Beijings militarization of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs. China defends its construction as necessary for self-defense and says it is the United States that is responsible for ratcheting up tensions in the region by sending warships and military planes close to islands Beijing claims. Last month, Chinas navy chief said freedom of navigation should not be used to infringe upon the rights of other countries. The freedom of navigation operation comes weeks after a major naval parade marking 70 years since the founding of the Chinese navy. The United States sent only a low level delegation to the Chinese navy anniversary events. Vestas has received a 71 MW order from VALOREM, a major player in the French wind energy market, for the Saunamaa and Suolakangas wind projects located in southern Finland. The wind parks are VALOREM's first in Finland. To maximise power production and cater for local tip height requirements, the Saunamaa project will feature a customised Vestas solution, including eight V150-4.2 MW wind turbines with a 135m hub height specifically developed for the site. The Suolakangas project comprises nine V150-4.2 MW turbines, featuring Vestas' standard towers with a hub height of 155m. Located in Finland, the sites' cold climate conditions are dealt with through Vestas' Anti-Icing-SystemTM that efficiently manages ice formation on blades during operation to maximise energy production. Targeting icing only where and when it is needed minimises the system's power consumption and maximises the effective climatic operating range. Jean-Yves Grandidier, Founder and President of VALOREM said: "We are very pleased to initiate the construction of our first Finnish wind farms. These two projects mark the beginning of a successful platform for VALOREM in the Nordics with a portfolio of more than 700 MW of assets under development with developer Megatuuli. We are happy to have found in our partnership with Vestas the right technology, especially through anti-icing, to get the most of the assets." "This order, from our valued, long-term partner VALOREM, once again underlines our ability to deliver profitable, customised wind energy solutions under merchant market conditions, offering the lowest cost of energy to the Finnish market. We thank VALROEM for choosing Vestas as partner for their market entry to Finland and look forward to maximising our customer's return on investment", says Christer Baden Hansen, Vice President Sales North & West, Vestas Northern & Central Europe. The order includes supply and commissioning of the wind turbines and a full-scope service agreement (AOM 5000) for 25 years. Deliveries are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2020, while commissioning is planned for the third quarter of 2020. About Vestas Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with 101 GW of wind turbines in 80 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and 86 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 24,600 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. Contact: Christina Schmidt Communications Partner Tel: +49 40 46778 5153 Mobile: +49 (0) 160 90141736 Email: chbut@vestas.com North Korean embassy in Madrid. ULY MARTIN (EL PAIS) The attack on the North Korean embassy in Madrid on February 22 continues to be shrouded in mystery. A man named Adrian Hong Chang has been identified as the alleged ringleader of the raid but his whereabouts are currently unknown. In an interview with EL PAIS, Hongs lawyer, Lee Wolosky, from the Boies Schiller Flexner law firm, says his client has taken the necessary measures to keep himself safe after Spanish Judge Jose de la Mata issued an international warrant for his arrest. Speaking from his office in New York, Wolosky criticized Spanish authorities for publishing the names of the suspects, who belong to Free Joseon, a mysterious group that opposes the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Wolosky argued the Spanish justice system has put the lives of the members at risk and insisted that the reports of violence from the North Korean staff cannot be trusted. Adrian Hong, alleged ringleader of attack. EL PAIS Wolosky, who offered no explanation as to how Hong became his client, is fighting to stop the dissident from being extradited to Spain, where he faces seven charges for his alleged involvement in the attack on the North Korean embassy in Madrid including breaking and entering, unlawful detention, robbery with violence and falsification of documents. We know the North Korean regime has targeted Mr Hong and that this government routinely assassinates its political opponents, even those who are in third-party countries, so we believe he has taken reasonable steps to remain safe, said Wolosky, a security expert who worked for many years with the US administration as a member of the National Security Council of the governments of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and later as Barack Obamas Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure. According to the arrest warrant issued in California, US police saw Hong at his home in Los Angeles around April 9. Another member of the group, former US marine Christopher Ahn, was arrested a few days later in the same city. The arrest warrant states that Adrian Hong arrived in Madrid on February 7 and appeared at the North Korean embassy as a businessman named Matthew Chao. He spoke with the commercial attache at the embassy, identified in the warrant by the initials Y. S. S. On February 22 at around 5pm, security cameras filmed Hong entering the embassy. According to Spanish High Court Judge Jose de la Mata, Hong took advantage of a moment of carelessness by embassy personnel to let his accomplices in. The group ran in with machetes, knives, lead bars and replica handguns, and began violently hitting the occupants, until they were overpowered and immobilized with handcuffs and cable ties. We know the North Korean regime has targeted Mr Hong and that this government routinely assassinates its political opponents Lee Wolosky, lawyer representing Adrian Hong The group stole a pair of pen drives, two computers, two hard drives (one containing security images) and a cellphone, then allegedly fled in two diplomatic cars belonging to the embassy. Hong ordered an Uber under the name of Oswaldo Trump and was dropped off near Toledo, south of Madrid. The next day he flew to Newark airport and took another Uber to New York. On February 27, Hong handed over the material the group had stolen to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI however, did not share this information with Spain until three weeks later. Spanish investigators believe the raid, which took place five days before the nuclear talks between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Vietnam, was aimed at finding sensitive information about the North Korean nuclear program. As part of the investigation, Spanish officers looked into possible links between the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and several members of Free Joseon, formerly known as Cheollima Civil Defense. Hongs lawyer, however, maintained he is not aware of any possible connection between the CIA and the raid, and insisted there is no evidence that the group used violence against embassy staff. Mr Hong has a long history defending human rights and has maintained from the beginning that he was invited to the embassy, said Wolosky, who added that the images provided by the Spanish authorities corroborate this version, given that they show the members of Free Joseon casually entering the embassy. Testimony of diplomatic staff The current accusations are based only on the statements of the North Korean agents, who are not credible. Indeed, they have an incentive to lie about why they were talking for hours with an opposition group within the embassy, said Wolosky. Hongs lawyer accused Spanish authorities of being extremely naive for basing their case on the version of North Korean agents who fear for their lives. Free Joseon does not use violence, unlike the totalitarian Kim regime Lee Wolosky, lawyer representing Adrian Hong At the end of March, sources from the Spanish investigation said that they were able to recover some of the security camera footage before it was automatically deleted, which showed the attack was extremely violent and professional. On February 27, Spanish police were alerted to the attack by the wife of a North Korean official, who injured herself jumping out of a window in the building to find help. But Wolosky argued that nothing happened inside the embassy, and that nothing was stolen. According to Hongs lawyer, Free Joseon does not use violence, unlike the totalitarian Kim regime and instead is committed to rescuing people and helping deserters. What is Free Joseon? Very little is known about Free Joseon. Jean H. Lee, who worked for five years as a delegate of the news agency AP in Pyongyang and is now the head of North Korean studies at the Wilson Center in Washington, explained that they appear to be a group of activists led by people of Korean origin, perhaps American Koreans. According to Lee, in the past the group claimed to have the support of foreign governments, specifically in the operation to save Kim Han Sol [the son of Kim Jong-uns stepbrother Kim Jong-nam] after his father was assassinated in 2017 [in Kuala Lumpur airport], but their alleged guerrilla tactics in Madrid could have forced some governments to cut ties [with the group]. Adrian Hong was relatively well known in the circle of activists fighting the regime of Kim Jong-un. He went to Yale University, founded the consultancy firm Pegasus Strategies and was the chief executive of Liberty in North Korea, an NGO that supports North Korean refugees. In recent years, he has written opinion pieces about the regime for well-known US publications such as The New York Times, Atlantic and Foreign Policy. Hong, a US resident with a Mexican passport, is now a fugitive of the Spanish government. English version by Melissa Kitson. The Catalan regional government has used a tribute to the Spanish victims of the Mauthausen Nazi concentration camp to seek support for the jailed separatist leaders who are being tried by the Spanish Supreme Court for their involvement in the 2017 independence drive. We are not happy that this act was taken advantage of to speak about politics Student Elisa Lanai The international tribute was held on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria in May 1945. Thousands of exiled Spaniards who had fought for the Republic during the Spanish Civil War were deported from France to Nazi concentration camps during World War II, most of them to Mauthausen. Speaking at the event, Gemma Domenech, the director of democratic memory at the Catalan justice department, referred to the jailed separatist leaders as political prisoners. Domenech made a specific reference to Raul Romeva, the former Catalan chief of foreign affairs who placed a commemorative plaque at the Mauthausen concentration camp two years ago, when he was still still a member of the Catalan regional government. [Raul] Romeva has spent 440 days in prison in the sad condition of a political prisoner; sad for democracy, said Domenech, speaking in front of the plaque. Romeva is currently facing charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds for his involvement in the events leading up to the illegal referendum on Catalan independence on October 1, 2017, and the unilateral declaration of independence that was passed in the regional parliament a few weeks later. Domenech wore a yellow ribbon in support of the separatist leaders even though Jewish prisoners at the Nazi camp were identified by yellow stars Acting Spanish Justice Minister Dolores Delgado was present for the tribute but left in the middle of Domenechs speech. Any act of exclusion clashes head-on with the spirit that emerged from this extermination camp, where defenders of freedom died, she said afterwards, in reference to the Catalan officials comments. Delgado argued that the separatist leaders are being tried with all democratic safeguards, adding, We are developing a new story of historical memory that leaves nobody out, so that totalitarianism will not return and universal values will be respected, without excluding anybody. Delgado insisted that the tribute went beyond nationalities. Here the human condition was denied. Here, civilization took a step backwards. Thousands of people from across Europe, many of them students, had come to Mauthausen on Sunday to pay tribute to the victims of the concentration camp on the anniversary of its liberation. Various associations had organized different activities within the Nazi camp, and according to Domenech, Delgado was not expected to attend the event organized by the Catalan government. During the commemorative act, Domenech wore a yellow ribbon a symbol of support for the jailed separatist leaders on the lapel of her jacket. The yellow ribbon was particularly jarring in the context of the Nazi concentration camp, where prisoners were forced to sew colored stars on their clothes to identify the reason for their imprisonment yellow was the color that identified Jews. Domenech was contacted by EL PAIS but refused to offer an explanation for her actions. Nearly 10,000 Spaniards were locked up in Nazi concentration camps like Mauthausen; 5,117 never made it out alive According to EL PAIS journalist Camilo S. Baquero, a spokesperson from the Catalan regional government said that acts like these also serve to demand tolerance in a wide sense, explaining that this includes freedom of expression, the right to disagreement and the educated exchange of points of view. But other Spaniards at the tribute were upset by how it was used for political purposes. We are not happy that this act was taken advantage of to speak about politics, said Elisa Lanai, a 16-year-old Spanish student from a school in Huesca, who decided to leave with her friends when the justice minister walked out. The spirit goes against Mauthausen, said Rafael Munoz, a schoolteacher from Zaragoza, while the head of the victims association Amical de Mauthausen (Friends of Mauthausen), Enric Garriga, said he too was upset by how the political situation in Catalonia was mixed up in the tribute. It was not the place or time for this, he said. But not everyone felt the same way. Jordi Pla, a 16-year-old student who visited the camp with his school, walked around with the Catalan pro-independence flag draped over his shoulders. Pla said the victims of the Nazis represented the fight against fascism and that is a little bit like our independence movement. Nearly 10,000 Spaniards were locked up in Nazi concentration camps like Mauthausen; 5,117 never made it out alive. The victims were mostly exiled Republicans who had been stripped of their Spanish nationality by the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. On April 26, the Spanish government approved a proposal by Delgado to establish May 5 in remembrance of the Spaniards who were deported and killed in Nazi concentration camps, and all other Spanish victims of the Nazi dictatorship. English version by Melissa Kitson. Carles Puigdemont (r) in a video conference on April 22. EFE Former Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont will be able to run in European elections on May 26. Three Madrid courts on Monday said that he and two other ex-government officials who fled Spain after the unilateral secession bid Toni Comin and Clara Ponsati may participate as candidates in the European Parliament election with the Lliures per Europa coalition. Spanish democracy does not deserve this kind of insult PP leader Pablo Casado The decisions contradict the Central Electoral Commission, which had banned all three from running on the basis that, having fled Spain, they were technically living abroad yet not properly registered as Spaniards residing in another country. The Madrid courts have now confirmed an earlier opinion issued on Sunday by the Supreme Court, which said that, in its view, this situation did not make the three Catalan leaders ineligible. The higher court, however, had left the final decision up to three administrative courts in Madrid. Supporters of Catalan independence hailed the decision by the Madrid courts. This is a right, and justice is being done, said Marta Vilalta, the spokeswoman for the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), another separatist party. On May 26, Catalonia will be able to choose the independence option that best represents it. They tried to silence us and push us aside, but there is no democratic wall that is more forceful or more effective than Junts per Catalunya, tweeted Puigdemonts party, which is running in EU elections under the Lliures per Europa brand. Spains conservative forces disagree with the decision, and the conservative Popular Party (PP), which is fiercely opposed to the Catalan independence drive, has said it will appeal the decision with the Constitutional Court. We consider it fraud that a person who has fled the country may run in European elections without even living in Spain. We feel that Spanish democracy does not deserve this kind of insult, said PP leader Pablo Casado. Ines Arrimadas, leader of the Catalan branch of Ciudadanos, said it is shameful that Spanish legislation, unlike the law in other European countries, allows a fugitive like Puigdemont to run in elections. JSC Ukrtransnafta as of May 2, 2019 saw a revenue loss of UAH 29.2 million (around EUR 1 million) due to the suspension of transit of Russian oil to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary since the evening of April 25, the company has told Interfax-Ukraine. "In view of the current situation, as well as taking into account the need for Russian companies to fulfill their contractual obligations, Ukrtransnafta expects that the unfulfilled oil supply plans of Russian shippers will be made up by increasing the volume of pumping in subsequent reporting periods before the end of this year." Ukrtransnafta said that oil with high chlorine content during transportation does not harm the company's pipelines, and the absence of direct damage to infrastructure today makes irrelevant the issue of such compensation. "At the same time, if Ukrtransnafta incurs any non-standard costs during the technical work related to the solution of the current situation, the customer will be compensated for such costs in accordance with the applicable contractual conditions," the company said. According to the company, the potential volume of transit oil with changed quality characteristics in the pipeline system and tank farms in the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba main oil pipeline is about 500,000 tonnes. In general, the total nominal capacity of the Ukrtransnafta's tank farms involved in oil transportation is 883,000 cubic meters, of which 257,000 cubic meters is the nominal capacity of the tank farms of the Druzhba system of the company. The action plan agreed upon by the participants of the process implies the launch of the Druzhba pipeline system to normal operation by May 20, 2019. The National Commission for Communications and Informatization Regulation (NCCR) could put first 5G mobile communications licenses up for sale in 2020, the press service of the Infrastructure Ministry has told Interfax-Ukraine, referring to Minister Volodymyr Omelyan. "Today we had a meeting with the regulator. They see a great future for 5G technology. According to them, Ukraine will be able to sell the first 5G licenses next year. This is the regulator's plan, and we strongly support it," the press service said, citing Omelyan. As reported, the State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine (Ukravtodor) together with Nokia and Vodafone Ukraine from April 25 launched a test IoT road safety system on the 21st km of the H01 highway. Testing the solutions for 5G networks in April was also announced by two other largest mobile operators in the country Kyivstar and lifecell. JSC Ukrtransnafta, the operator of the Ukrainian oil transportation system, has started paying to CJSC Belarusian Oil Company (BelOil) in a dispute over oil pumping in 2011-2012 using the Yuzhny-Brody-Mozyr pipeline and paid $1.37 million to the Belarusian company, according to an annual report of Ukrtransnafta for 2018 posted on its website. "In pursuance of the decision of the international arbitration court of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, taking into account the decision of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, the Belarusian Oil Company CJSC was paid $1.37 million," the company said in the report. As reported, BelOil in 2011-2012 was supposed to supply at least 8 million tonnes of oil (4 million tonnes per year) of Azeri Light brand at Yuzhny oil terminal for subsequent pumping of this oil to the Mozyr refinery along the Yuzhny-Brody-Mozyr route in the "pump or pay" mode. Of the planned 4 million tonnes in 2011, only 0.9 million tonnes were delivered and pumped. At the same time, the contract of compensation for quality losses was additionally signed, as BelOil supplied Azeri Light to the Yuzhny terminal, while Urals oil was pumped via the oil pipeline to Mozyr, which is a cheaper grade of oil. The international arbitration court of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on September 1, 2017 ruled to collect $7.857 million from Ukrtransnafta in favor of BelOil in the litigation over pumping of oil via the Yuzhny-Brody-Mozyr pipelines. The Supreme Court of Ukraine upheld the decision. The central business court of appeals on May 2, 2019 launched proceedings under a counterclaim of Arlan LLC, the ultimate beneficiaries of which are Ihor Kolomoisky and Hennadiy Boholiubov, against the decision of the business court of Dnipropetrovsk region dated February 13, 2019 under a claim of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) seeking to collect a mortgage, Finbalance has reported. "According to court materials, this is real estate pledged as collateral for PrivatBank's obligations on a refinancing loan: nonresidential premises in the administrative building on the ground floor with an area of 573.7 square meters and garages and warehouses of over 500 square meters not far from the center of Dnipro, owned by Arlan under the sales agreement dated September 10, 2003. In June 2018, when the business court first heard the claim of PrivatBank, the initial value of this property for sale was estimated at UAH 17.68 million. In accordance with the report of PrivatBank, as of April 1 of this year, its debt to the NBU in refinancing amounted to UAH 9.3 billion. As reported, Ukraine's government, at the recommendation of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and former shareholders of PrivatBank, the largest of which at that time were Kolomoisky and Boholiubov, on December 18, 2016 decided to nationalize PrivatBank, the largest Ukrainian financial institution at the time. Kyiv's district administrative court on April 18, 2019 recognized the nationalization of the bank as illegal based on a law suit filed by Kolomoisky. The NBU and Finance Ministry said they would appeal the ruling after publication by the court of its ruling. Both institutions said the decision to nationalize PrivatBank was correct. On April 19, 2019, Kolomoisky filed five new lawsuits against the NBU and PrivatBank to the business court of Kyiv. The first hearings will be held on May 10, May 22 and May 23. Kyiv's Court of Appeals has denied the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) the satisfaction of a complaint about the removal of seizure of the assets of companies associated with the former owner of PrivatBank, Ihor Kolomoisky. The court ruling dated April 17, 2019, posted in the single court rulings register on May 2, says the court retained the seizure of assets that were transferred as mortgage to the NBU as security for the fulfillment of PrivatBank's obligations on refinancing loans. During the trial, a representative of the NBU insisted that the seizure of these assets should be canceled, since Kyiv's Pechersky District Court in 2017 had already seized the same property and such a preventive measure is in force. In addition, the repeated seizure of assets makes it impossible to satisfy its claims at the expense of the subject of mortgage, including through the implementation of an extrajudicial method of foreclosure. Under the seizure are Borivage grain terminal, 15 land plots located in Yaremche, Polianytsia village (Ivano-Frankivsk region), where the Bukovel ski resort is located, Zhovtnevy Hotel in Dnipro, an aircraft maintenance hangar, 34 land plots in Odesa region, more than 1,000 units of railway rolling stock, as well as numerous apartments and non-residential premises. Ukrtransnafta says it is ready to resume oil transit to EU JSC Ukrtransnafta has declared it is ready to resume oil transit to the European Union, the press service of the company has reported. "Today, on May 6, 2019, a message has been sent via the dispatching service of Ukrtransnafta about its readiness to resume oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline," the company said in a press release. As reported, at 21:43 on April 25, 2019 Ukrtransnafta forcedly suspended transit of oil via the Mozyr-Brody trunk oil pipeline. Earlier, on April 19, Belneftekhim Concern announced a sharp deterioration in the quality of oil pumped through the pipeline from Russia. President-elect of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky did not directly answer questions about the future Verkhovna Rada of the current convocation at a meeting with the leaders of the parliament and representatives of factions, co-chairman of the Vidrodzhennia deputy group Viktor Bondar has said. "There were questions from deputies. Most factions were mostly interested in the dissolution issue [of the parliament], whether the electoral system will be changed, whether the president is determined to allow the parliament to work: to pass laws on the impeachment, on the abolition of deputy immunity, on temporary investigative commissions," Bondar told journalists after a meeting in parliament on Saturday. "We understood that there was no direct answer from Zelensky. He, too, is trying to figure out how the Rada will behave," said the deputy. On Saturday, Zelensky arrived at the Verkhovna Rada, where he met with representatives of factions. The next parliamentary elections should be held in October of this year. Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 11 attacks, applying weapons of infantry combat vehicles, anti-tank missile systems, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machineguns, and small arms on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas on May 5, with no casualties reported, the press centre of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) has reported. In the Skhid (East) sector, Russian occupation forces opened fire from 120mm mortars, weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, anti-tank missile systems, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms to attack the Ukrainian positions near the town of Avdiyivka, and the villages of Talakivka, Pavlopil, Lebedynske, Bohdanivka, and Pyshchevyk. In the Pivnich (North) sector, the enemy opened fire on Ukrainian positions four times: from 122mm artillery systems near the village of Novozvanivka; from the armament of infantry fighting vehicles and grenade launchers of various systems - near Novo-Oleksandrivka; twice from anti-tank missile systems near Krymske. "The Joint Forces did not sustain any casualties. Every attack was retaliated against," the press center said. According to Ukrainian intelligence, one militant was killed, another five were injured on May 5. "Since Monday midnight, Russian-led forces haven't attacked Ukrainian positions yet," the report said. Since the founding of the Council of Europe (CoE), it has achieved outstanding results in defending democratic ideals and principles, and Ukraine, which is a member, has been active in joining the formation of a common European legal space. However, the organization is in crisis as it approaches its 70th anniversary because of Russia, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has said in a statement. "May 5 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Council of Europe - a pan-European international organization that now protects the rights and freedoms of almost 800 million people in 47 member states. The Charter of the Council of Europe, signed in London on May 5, 1949, fixed the commitment of states for years to come members of the organization are the basis of every true democracy - personal and political freedoms and the rule of law." "We must sadly state that as the 70th anniversary approaches, the organization is in crisis, primarily because of Russia, its aggression against Ukraine and the direct financial blackmail of the Council of Europe in order to achieve its anti-democratic foreign policy goals," the ministry said, calling on the organization to remain to its values and principles. "Ukraine hopes that over the decades of work and testing, 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 ungrounded concessions in favor of the largest violating state of its principles and norms," the statement said. Dates of meetings in the Normandy format (France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia) haven't been determined yet, both at the level of state leaders and at the level of foreign ministers, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin has said. "Today I can confirm that we don't have any specific dates for the Normandy meetings at any level. As soon as we agree on the agenda, then we will talk about the dates," the minister told reporters in Kyiv on Monday. Klimkin noted that he is in constant contact with German and French partners, as well as with U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker. Answering the question about the impact of a possible early inauguration of President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky on the date of the meeting in the Normandy format, Klimkin said: "Regardless of the date of the inauguration, we have close contacts with our friends. The only question is which tactics Russia will choose." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has said that he had a fruitful meeting with President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky and intends to offer him his resignation. "Nobody will dismiss me, because we must have a political culture. In the framework of a political culture - and I think it would be right - to allow the new president to choose those with whom he will work in such areas as foreign policy, defense. Of course, I have to offer my resignation to the newly elected president, and I certainly will. I have already said that I have my own plans, including political ones. This is in line with my plans," he told reporters in Kyiv on Monday. The minister noted that he had "a very good meeting" with Zelensky. "We discussed various issues. And I believe that if principles and priorities coincide - and I am very optimistic about this - we will certainly work. This applies to future councils, if they are needed, and also possible participation in the negotiations," Klimkin said. Lutsenko: now I don't see any moral or legal bases for submitting resignation letter, but ready for it Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko has said that he still does not see the reasons for his resignation, but he is ready to leave his post. "It's hard for me to work, but I'm working honestly. At the moment I don't see any legal or moral grounds to write a letter of resignation," Lutsenko told journalists in Kyiv on Monday. Do not make the same mistakes as my predecessors, take care of the army Poroshenko to Zelensky Outgoing Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called on President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky to properly take care of Ukraine's Armed Forces. "I ask my successor as president not to repeat the mistakes of my predecessors and to properly take care of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, because a strong army will protect Ukraine under any circumstances. I believe that with joint efforts we will be able to return peace to the whole territory of the Ukrainian state," Poroshenko said at a meeting with military personnel of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) on Monday in Donetsk region. The commander-in-chief also thanked the servicemen for their valorous service. "My assistants counted that in five years I made almost 40 trips to eastern Ukraine, 25 of them to the contact line. This visit today, probably, is my last as president," Poroshenko said. President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting with Rabbis from across Ukraine has asked them to support his initiative to develop a dialogue with residents of Russia-occupied territories in Donbas and Crimea. "I have met with representatives of various religions and cultures. And today I appeal to you to support our idea of fostering dialogue with residents of Russia-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine and Crimea. We don't want to lose touch with these people, because all of them are Ukrainians, our fellow citizens," Zelensky said. Zelensky's press service said the president-elect on Monday met with representatives of the Council of Rabbis of Ukraine, including Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and Dnipropetrovsk region Shmuel Kaminetsky (central Ukraine); Chief Rabbi of Kharkiv and Kharkiv region, Moshe Moskovitz (eastern Ukraine), Chief Rabbi of Odesa and southern Ukraine Abraham Wolf, Chief Rabbi of Zhytomyr and western Ukraine Shlomo Wilhelm; Donbas Chief Rabbi Pinchas Vyshetsky, and Chief Rabbi of Ukraine and Kyiv Moshe Reuven Azman. Chief Rabbi of Donbas Vyshetsky, who lived in Donetsk for a long time, said the proposed initiative is correct and will be effective. "Even a little light drives away a lot of darkness. There are three main factors for the success of your government: justice, honesty, and peace. Never do what you do not want to be done to you. That is the main rule," he noted. Participants of the meeting discussed the fight against anti-Semitism. They said today this problem is not acute as in other countries of the world. Every year more than 800,000 pilgrims come to Ukraine where 150 Jewish religious leaders were buried. "There are now at least half a million Jews in Ukraine, people for whom Ukraine is their native land, which they love. And we dream that life in Ukraine should be decent and happy for all people. There is no contradiction in being Jewish and being a patriot of Ukraine," Rabbi Kaminetsky said. Guests at the meeting presented Zelensky with an exclusive edition of the Torah. As reported, on April 30, Zelensky met with head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius, Honorary Patriarch of Kyiv and All Russia-Ukraine Filaret and Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) Metropolitan Onufriy. On May 2, Zelensky met with the spiritual leaders of Ukraine's Muslim community. A village in southern Iran has been evacuated after a fire broke out at the Ahvaz-Omidieh oil pipeline in the vicinity of the village on Monday May 6. The fire broke out while workers were doing some maintenance work on pipeline, Mehr news agency reported. The fire started following a leakage after a loader blade pierced the line and it went out of control in less than an hour. It is not clear if the fire has been controlled in early evening local time. The local governor of Omidieh, 125 km southeast of Ahvaz, told reporters that Salehabad village has been evacuated to prevent casualties. Ahvaz is the capital of Iran's oil-producing Khuzestan province. A gas pipeline explosion on March 14 in the same area claimed 4 lives. The area also sustained heavy flooding in early April. Although this was an accident, sabotage along the pipeline is not uncommon in this volatile area. MOSCOW -- Russian authorities said 41 people were killed when a passenger jet burst into flames in an emergency landing at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport, and that the pilot said problems started when the aircraft was struck by lightning. The Sukhoi Superjet SSJ100 operated by national airline Aeroflot was carrying 73 passengers and five crew members when it touched down and sped along a runway on May 5, with huge flames and black smoke pouring from its fuselage. Speaking to journalists, Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh said 41 people were killed and that their bodies have been recovered. He said 33 passengers and four crew members survived the crash, adding that six of the survivors were in serious condition. Earlier reports said one crew member and at least two children were said to be among the dead. A passenger who survived said there was "no way out" for people in the rear of the plane. Ditrikh said Russia saw no reason to ground the SSJ100 after the Sheremetyevo crash. Meanwhile, Russia's Investigative Committee said both flight recorders had been recovered from the plane. Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said investigators were looking into three main possible causes of the disaster: insufficiently skilled pilots, air-traffic controllers, and technicians who examined the aircraft; a faulty plane, and bad weather. A criminal case has been opened into the crash, the committee said earlier. The aircraft took off from Sheremetyevo airport bound for the northern Russian city of Murmansk, but was forced to turn back due to unspecified "technical reasons," according to Aeroflot. The company said that the plane's engines caught fire on the runway of the airport after making an emergency landing -- not in midair as initially reported. In an audio recording posted by Russian media outlets, a man identified as the pilot, Denis Yevdokimov, said the plane was struck by lightning, causing problems with systems on board and interrupting communications with the ground. Yevdokimov said that the return and landing was conducted by the book but that the jet caught fire after it hit the ground. Footage of the crash-landing appeared to show the plane bouncing several times after first touching down. Passengers were also quoted as saying that the jet was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. Storms were passing through the Moscow area at the time. Flightradar24 tracking service showed that the aircraft, Flight SU-1492, circled twice around Moscow and landed after about 45 minutes n the air. Interfax news agency reported that the plane failed in its first attempt to land because it was still traveling at high speed, and then its automated equipment failed on the second approach, forcing the pilot into a hard landing. Videos on social media show passengers plunging down the plane's inflatable evacuation slides and running across the airport's tarmac and grass, some with their luggage in hand, to escape the burning aircraft. "We started to land and everything happened immediately, instantaneously," survivor Maria Sitnikova told Russian media outlet Snob. "There was one very powerful blow -- my eyes nearly popped out -- then a second one, a little softer, a third, and then smoke and everything started to burn," said Sitnikova, who said she was in row 10. She said she saw no panicked stampede when passengers were exiting the plane -- "only smoke" -- but that it seemed people in seats toward the rear had little chance of survival. "I was asking everybody but we didn't see anyone from the tail among the survivors. They had no way out," Sitnikova said. Aeroflot said the crew "did everything to save the passengers," who it said were evacuated in 55 seconds, and that a commission has been established "to investigate the causes and circumstances of the incident." It also published a list of 33 survivors who had been identified. The plane's manufacturer, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, said the aircraft had received maintenance last month. The pilot had some 1,400 hours of experience flying the plane, according to Aeroflot. A number of flights have been diverted from Sheremetyevo to other airports following the crash. President Vladimir Putin had offered his condolences to the families of the victims, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Three days of mourning have been declared in the Murmansk region. This is the second fatal accident involving the SSJ100, which is widely used in Russia. In 2012, a demonstration flight in Indonesia struck a mountain, killing all 45 people on board. However, the Emergency Situations Ministry said on May 6 that it did not plan to ground the SSJ100 after the Sheremetyevo crash, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti. Moscow has three major international airports, the largest and busiest being Domodedovo, located southeast of Moscow, followed by Sheremetyevo, to the capital's northwest, and Vnukovo, southwest of the city. In a separate incident on May 6, a Boeing 737 skidded off the runway while landing in Norilsk, in northern Russia, a source in the airport services told Interfax news agency. The source said initial indications were that there were no casualties. With reporting by TASS, AFP, AP, Reuters, RIA Novosti, Snob, and Interfax Iran is about to partially resume parts of its nuclear program that were suspended within the frameworks of the 2015 nuclear agreement with the world powers, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iranian stat TV on Monday May 6 quoted "an official close to the JCPOA Supervisory Board" as having said that although the activities to be resumed are covered under articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA, "Iran is not planning to withdraw from the nuclear deal at the time being." The two articles are about partial or total suspension of implementation of JCPOA, and informing the United Nations organization of the other parties' lack of commitment to the agreement. The unnamed "informed source" told the Iranian State TV, "President Hassan Rouhani will announce on live TV the measures Iran is going to take in reaction to the United States' withdrawal from the JCPOA," which took place in May 2018. The measure announced on Monday may be Iran's official response to the US Pull-out almost a year after President Donald Trump announced his country's withdrawal from JCPOA. Rouhani's speech might coincide with the anniversary of the United States' unilateral pull-out from the nuclear agreement, May 8. The JCPOA Supervisory Board, is a body set up in June 2016 to address Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's concerns about possible reneging on the deal by the United States. At the time, Khamenei termed the board "the Islamic Republic's hitting hand" in case America violates the terms of the nuclear agreement. The board consists of President Hassan Rouhani, Majles Speaker Ali Larijani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, then Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, Supreme National Security Council Chief Ali Shamkhani, former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and Khamenei's Foreign Policy Adviser Ali Akbar Velayati. It has been at times criticized by hardliners for inaction in the face of what they called violation of JCPOA by America. The informed source talking to Iranian TV's newsroom, said that Tehran has informed EU officials of its new decision, adding that during the past year, EU officials did not take any practical step to help Iran and have simply offered promises which have not been met yet. Iranian experts will meet with the representatives of UK, France, Germany, in Brussels on May 7. Iran's official news agency IRNA reported that the meeting will discuss several issues including the U.S. sanctions against Iran, the non-renewal of U.S. waivers and non-renewal of exemptions about nuclear cooperation with Iran. Iran also brought up the issue of economic cooperation with Europe based on the European financial mechanism (INSTEX) to help Iran with its international trade and banking in spite of US sanctions. Despite European promises the trade mechanism has not been operationalized yet. Iran had vowed to make its final decision about JCPOA within a few weeks of the U.S. pull-out, but during the past year it was waiting to see what happens to Europe's promise about a financial mechanism. Even before that Khamenei has threatened to shred the JCPOA into pieces if the United States does not fulfil its commitments based on the agreement. Home-made vodka has killed at least one and poisoned 45 others in Poldasht, in West Azerbaijan Province, northwest Iran. Reports from Iran say so far 11 of those poisoned have been taken to the hospital in serious conditions. Poisoning by bootleg booze has been on the rise in recent month in various parts of Iran. Legal production of alcoholic beverages and liquor, as well as its consumption by Muslims was banned 40 years ago after the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran. An Iranian official told IRNA that since March at least 127 people have been poisoned by bootleg vodka in Western Azarbaijan Province alone and 10 have died. Meanwhile, in the neighboring Eastern Azarbaijan Province, 238 people have been poisoned by the deadly home-made drink and another 10 lost their lives during the past month. According to the Iranian official news agency (IRNA) poorly distilled vodka particularly affects victims' livers, kidneys and eyes. The report says 3 men have been arrested for selling the killer booze. There is no hygienic supervision on the production of alcoholic drinks as drinking and drink making have been criminalized by Iran's Islamic laws. Muslims caught making or drinking alcoholic drinks are lashed. Recently, a former reformist official, Mostafa Tajzadeh called on the government to re-consider laws regarding alcoholic drinks as the government's anti-alcohol policy has failed. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 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 6, 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 6 Trend: A delegation led by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus, First Deputy Minister of Defense Major General Oleg Belokonev has arrived in Azerbaijan, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijans Defense Ministry May 6. The Belarusian delegation is visiting at the invitation of Azerbaijans First Deputy Defense Minister, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Colonel General Najmaddin Sadikov. The delegation will hold a number of meetings May 6. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Ilhama Isabalayeva Trend: Today, Azerbaijan and the US have close partnership relations, Hikmet Hajiyev, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, told Trend News Agency in Interview with Sahil Karimli. Commenting on the Azerbaijan-US relations, he said, "High-level mutual visits play a big role in the development of these relations. Speaking about a relatively recent period, Hajiyev first noted US Presidential National Security Adviser John Boltons visit to Azerbaijan. "During the visit, Bolton had broad discussions with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Hajiyev added. Afterwards, these contacts also continued. Telephone conversations were held. The official representatives of the US Department of State visited Azerbaijan. The visits of the representatives of the US Department of Defense and other similar official visits can be stressed." Azerbaijan appreciates the US support rendered during the first years of the state independence, he said. "The US support in the exploration of our hydrocarbon resources and their supply to the international markets contributed to strengthening Azerbaijans sovereignty during that period, he said. Today, bilateral high-level visits and development of a political dialogue have great importance for the Azerbaijan-US relations. We appreciate US President Donald Trumps support for the Southern Gas Corridor project. Thanks to the US support, this project is being implemented in accordance with the planned schedule. Hajiyev stressed that the development of bilateral trade and economic relations with the US is one of Azerbaijans priorities. "A bilateral meeting is planned to be held within the intergovernmental commission soon, he said. Azerbaijani representatives have visited the US, and new visits are being considered." Hajiyev emphasized that in relations between the two countries, cooperation in the field of security is particularly noteworthy. "Our countries closely cooperate in this sphere, he said. Azerbaijan is an important ally and partner of the US in the fight against terrorism. After the September 11 attacks, Azerbaijani great leader Heydar Aliyev made a statement declaring the country's airspace open for operations within the fight against terrorism. Today, US aircraft use Azerbaijans territory for transit purposes. The US appreciates Azerbaijans support." Hajiyev added that the positive dynamics of cooperation can be observed both bilaterally and multilaterally. "There are prospects and opportunities for attracting even bigger US investors to the non-oil sector, he said. Our US colleagues highly praise the fact that Azerbaijan has the biggest civil air fleet in the region. Most of the orders for national civil air fleet are carried out through Boeing company. Tens of thousands of new jobs were created in the US thanks to the orders of Azerbaijan Airlines through this company. The US companies are directly involved in creating satellites for Azerbaijan, he added. Thus, bilateral cooperation is mutually beneficial and serves the interests of both countries." Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. "Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I was deeply saddened by the news of heavy casualties as a passenger plane made an emergency landing at the Sheremetyevo airport. On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my deepest condolences to you, the families and loved ones of those who died, and the whole people of Russia, and wish the injured the swiftest possible recovery." Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 Trend: On May 2, PwC Azerbaijan was the Premium Sponsor of the "AHK-Impuls" event organized by the German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce (AHK Azerbaijan) for its member companies at Hyatt Meeting & Conference Centre. Otabek Sidikov, Head of Risk Assurance Services at PwC Azerbaijan, delivered a speech on Three Lines of Defence for Efficient Governance, highlighting how to make governance more efficient and secure. Following the speech, Otabek Sidikov responded to several questions from AHK members. The Country Manager of the World Bank for Azerbaijan, Mr. Naveed Hassan Naqvi also delivered a speech on Economic Prospects for Azerbaijan as the honorary guest speaker of the event. At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems of our clients. We achieve this by offering client centric solutions in tax, legal, assurance and advisory from strategy through execution. Over 140 professionals from 6 countries working in PwC Azerbaijan share their thinking, values, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice for our clients. We are a network of firms in 158 countries with more than 250,930 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com/az Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Matanat Nasibova - Trend: Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) students met with the representatives of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan and discussed a range of issues pertaining to ecology, environment protection, environmental volunteering and cooperation with students. BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov welcomed students and the Ministry representatives and pointed out that environment issues are always considered and awareness oriented events are continuously hosted by the Higher School. Rector mentioned the current worldwide anti-plastic campaign and stressed that plastic products lead to an environmental misbalance and, while particularly emphasizing that petroleum and chemical industry is excessively causing detrimental effects on the environment, encouraged the perspective engineers to protect ecology and seriously consider the industrys environmental dimensions. Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Novruz Guliyev informed students about the scope of activities carried out by the ministry in the area of ecology. Given the priority of launching an environmental volunteering initiative, the ministry intends to convene a series of meetings with students from various universities. He pointed out that students are a young and leading power and their role in raising awareness about the volunteering initiative is evident. While wrapping up the meeting, Novruz Guliyev informed about the events planned for engaging environmental volunteers, which include various trips to national (protection) parks and forests, and environmental clean-up tours. He addressed students by expressing his hope for an active participation of students from all universities, particularly from BHOS, in the upcoming undertakings, and called for cooperation. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: Iran should engage in talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other parties to the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) for the production of 20-percent modern nuclear fuel, said Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, chairman of National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iranian Parliament, Trend reports via Mehr News Agency. The US aim at imposing new nuclear-related sanctions is to force Iran into quitting its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and leaving the NPT, so that Irans case would fall under the Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter, he said. He stressed that Iran should avoid taking a hardline stance on the JCPOA. Iran needs to increase its level of uranium enrichment to over 20 percent within the framework of the JCPOA and according to the IAEAs statute, without taking a hardline stance in this regard, Falahatpisheh added. He said such an approach had once gathered the world to the negotiating table with Iran, which resulted in the signing of the nuclear deal in 2015. The US announced its withdrawal from the JCPOA between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany) in May 2018, and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year, making exceptions for 8 countries to be able to continue purchasing oil from Iran for a period of 6 months. The 6-month exemption period ended in early May of this year. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Sara Israfilbayova Trend: The EU can provide financial support to Azerbaijan as part of the Trans-European Transport Network, EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas told Trend. He noted that a part of this network goes via Azerbaijan, adding that the country is primarily very well placed. "The EU has a strategy and it also has a policy and instruments to support the parts of those transportation corridors, especially in the Eastern Partnership countries, including Georgia and Azerbaijan," he said. "Last year the EU issued the new connectivity strategy and basically EU-Asia connectivity strategy. Azerbaijan is a middle of that," he noted. The ambassador also mentioned the importance of the Lapis Lazuli transport and transit corridor, a part of which also passes through Azerbaijan, adding that it is a project that connects the Central Asia with Further East, China and Afghanistan. According to the project of Lapis Lazuli, railway lines and highways will connect the city of Turgundi (Afghan province of Herat) with Ashgabat first and then with the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi. The corridor will continue to Baku, then through Tbilisi to Ankara with branches in Poti and Batumi, and then from Ankara to Istanbul. The project budget, which aims to facilitate transit logistics and simplify customs procedures in the region, is estimated at $2 billion. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 6 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: The Turkmen open joint-stock company Khazar Balyk held talks with the OPEC Fund for International Development and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (under the IDB), Trend reports with reference to the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan (UIET). There was a discussion of the prospects for cooperation in the implementation of investment projects, the report said. It was earlier reported that the Turkmen open joint-stock company Khazar Balyk, which is a member of the UIET, plans to organize a fishing farm in the Karakum desert. At the second stage, it is planned to build industrial incubators for breeding various types of fish, refrigeration units for storing the fish and sorting the finished fish products. About 25 species of fish live in the artificial lake "Altyn Asyr". The first phase of the fishing farm construction project was commissioned in 2009. This project is estimated at several billion US dollars. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Fakhri Vakilov Trend: From January to March 2019, the largest sellers of gold were Uzbekistan with 6.2 tons of this precious metal sold, Mongolia - 3.4 tons, and Tajikistan - 1 ton, Trend reports with reference to the latest report by the World Gold Council. The leader in the purchases of gold was Russia. In the first quarter of this year, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation purchased 55.3 tons of gold bringing the volume of gold reserves to 2,168.3 tons. In the report, this tendency is associated with Russia's intention to reduce its dependence on the US dollar in the case of the introduction of new sanctions. Furthermore, during this period, large volumes of gold were acquired by the Central Banks of Turkey (40.1 tons), China (33 tons), Kazakhstan (11.2 tons), Ecuador (10.6 tons), Qatar (9.4 tons), India (8.4 tons) and Colombia (6.1 tons). In total, in 1Q2019, the national banks of the countries world-wide acquired 145.5 tons of gold, which is a record over the past six years and 68 percent more than in the same period last year. According to the report, last year 6.4 tons of gold were extracted in Tajikistan, which became a record volume for the country. As reported by the Ministry of Industry, all gold produced in the country is acquired by the National Bank of Tajikistan. Uzbekistan is ready to increase gold exports to 80 tons in 2019, which is 10 tons more than in the previous year. As was reported earlier, in the next five years, the country intends to increase gold reserves by 474 tons worth $18.7 billion at the expense of geological exploration. This year the increase in gold reserves is expected to reach 89.7 tons. In 2020-2024, the country plans to invest about $230 million in the search, evaluation and exploration of new deposits. Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 Trend: Kazakhstan now exports 113 types of products to China, Trend reports referring to kazpravda.kz "The export includes 16 types of livestock products, 16 types of crop products and 81 types of processed products. The obvious leaders among exported goods are wheat, vegetable oil, oil seeds, flour, soy and fish. Last year, Kazakhstan exported mutton and honey for the first time," reads the news report. "The increase in export is due to 13 added types of veterinary and phytosanitary certificates that were agreed on in the last three years. The dynamics of Kazakhstans export continue to increase. In 2015 the volume of export to China totaled 111 million tenge, in 2016 it amounted to 134 million tenge, in 2017 it stood at 180 million tenge and in 2018 it equaled to 250 million tenge," the report says. "Total volume of Kazakh export manufacture increased by 12.9 percent in January-February of 2019, compared to the same period of 2018 and amounts to $610.2 million." Kazakhstan mainly exports products of agribusiness to Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Tajikistan and China. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Ankara, Baku and Moscow will sign a memorandum of understanding on the development of cargo transportation along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, a source in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Turkey told Trend. The source noted that the signing of the memorandum will take place May 6 in Ankara between the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Turkey, the Russian Railways OJSC and the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC. On October 30, 2017, a solemn ceremony on the occasion of the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held at the Baku International Sea Trade Port. The BTK railway is built according to the Azerbaijani-Georgian-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. At the initial stage, the volume of freight traffic will reach 6.5 million tons of cargo, and up to one million passengers will be transported through this railway. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 Trend: Kazakhstan and Mongolia agreed on cooperation expansion in the spheres of veterinary, as well as food and nutrition security, Trend reports via the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan. In May 2019 the visit of representatives of Kazakhstans veterinary service to Mongolia to discuss the necessary joint action to provide the veterinary and food and nutrition security is planned. Within the framework of the visit of the Kazakh specialists it is planned to monitor Mongolias epizootic situation on especially dangerous and transboundary diseases of animals, as well as the acquaintance with the network of laboratories and discussion on cooperation on diagnosing diseases of horses, the report said. Currently, there is a prohibition by Kazakhstans veterinary service on import of live animals and livestock products from Mongolia to Kazakhstan that didnt undergo the thermal treatment due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, classical swine fever and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Aysham Rustamova - Trend: Azerbaijan's Garadagh Metal Constructions Plant plans to produce 35,000-40,000 tons of metal constructions this year, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Plant Rufat Sujayev told Trend. He said that the monthly production volume at the plant is about 3,000-5,000 tons. Sujayev noted that the work to improve product quality is underway, and new technologies to be used. "We want to be competitive in quality and price, and reduce imports," he added. Having said that the plant intends to start export to other countries, Sujayev added, "We are trying to export our products to the countries of Central Asia such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, because the logistics costs there are low. The plant continues to participate in foreign tenders, and we plan to take part in tenders in Syria, Iraq and Kuwait." However, in January-April this year, the products were not exported, as the plant met the needs of the domestic market, he said. Garadagh Metal Constructions Plant located in the Garadagh district in Baku is engaged in the production of metal structures for the construction of industrial enterprises, business centers, warehouses, plants, factories, shopping malls and big markets. The plant, which currently employs 750 people, opened in 2012. Its production area covers 23,000 square meters. The plant participated in the construction of many large facilities in the country including, among others, Baku Olympic Stadium, the building of the State Oil Fund, an agricultural park in Shamkir region, various livestock farms and enterprises. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 Trend: The realization of some 58 projects in 10 various spheres is foreseen within the framework of the new joint program of Kazakhstan and South Korea called Fresh Wind, Trend reports citing finprom.kz. "During 2018, the total volume of gross inflow of direct foreign investments from South Korea to Kazakhstan equaled to $478.9 billion, which is 3.4 percent less than in the previous year. In 2017, the total volume of investments amounted to $495.5 million with an annual increase of 36.2 percent," reads the message. "Since year 2005 when the sum of investments amounted to $58 million, an annual gross inflow of South Korean investments increased 8.3 times," the report says. "In 2018, direct foreign investments became the main tool of South Korean investors; they equaled to $1.3 billion (annual decrease by 6.3 percent). Thus, some 78.8 percent of Kazakhstans liabilities before South Korean investors account for direct foreign investments. Portfolio investments account for $1.5 billion or 0.1 percent (annual decrease by 12.4 percent). The percentage of other investments equal to $360.9 billion or 21.2 percent (annual increase of 93.1 percent)," the statement said. "In 2019, Kazakhstan and South Korea have signed new economic cooperation program for 2019-22 entitled "Fresh wind". It aims at mutual cooperation and realization of 58 projects in various sectors including transport and logistics, construction, infrastructural development, mining and metallurgy, trade, energy, innovation and ICT, agriculture, finance, health care, culture, tourism and education," reads the message. Last year, the percentage of Kazakhstans liabilities before Korean investors increased in the professional, scientific and technical spheres and amounted to 43.3 percent of the total volume ($739.2 million). It is followed by construction industry which stood at 14.2 percent ($241.4 million) and spheres such as education, health care, social services, art, entertainment and recreation, which amounted to 1.8 percent ($30.1 million). Out of all 40 projects in the portfolio of Kazakhstan-Korea Innovative Industrial projects, 19 projects worth $1.9 billion were already implemented, six projects worth $2.1 billion are in the process of realization. Another 15 promising projects worth $3.2 billion wll be implemented as a part of the "Fresh wind" program. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Matanat Nasibova Trend: The Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan is promoting a social project entitled Know yourself, Sakina Babayeva, Head of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan, told Trend on May 6. The project is worth 60,000 manats, she said. "The project is aimed at teaching rural entrepreneurs computer programs and improving their level of education in general. Babayeva added, Presently, the project is being implemented in Tovuz district. in its framework, training and special courses with the participation of members of the Association are being held." She stressed that the project to be carried out till late 2019 will also cover other districts of the country till late 2019. The Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan was established with the support of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan in October 2017. Over 143,000 women are engaged in business in Azerbaijan, according to the statistics. (1.7 AZN = 1 USD on May 6) Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: A fire broke out on May 6 in the Omidiyeh-Ahvaz oil pipeline located in Irans southwestern Khuzestan Province, Director General of Disaster Management Department of Khuzestan Province Kiamars Hajizadeh told IRNA, Trend reports. According to Hajizadeh, the fire was caused by a bulldozer hitting the 42-inch pipeline during repair works. Hajizadeh added that the population of the village of Salehabad, located not far from where the fire broke out, was evacuated for security reasons. "The situation is currently under control. The oil pipeline has been shut down and the oil remaining in the pipeline is being burned," he said. Hajizadeh also said that the fire brigade officers were on the scene and that the fire was extinguished. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Sara Israfilbayova - Trend: Since May 1, 2019, Azerbaijan commenced supplying electricity to Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, Trend reports referring to Azerenergy OJSC. Azerenergy was among the winning companies participating in the auction to supply electricity to Greece and Bulgaria. Azerenergy also supplies electricity to Iran, Russia, Turkey and Georgia. The volume of electricity the company exported in 2018 amounted to 1.41 billion kilowatt-hours. In January-March 2019, Azerbaijan exported 891.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. Azerenergy has over 30 power plants. The total generation capacity of the plants exceeds 6,000 megawatts, which makes it possible to generate about 24 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IsrafilbekovaS Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Fakhri Vakilov- Trend: Uzbekistan and Russia can sign a contract to build a nuclear power plant in Central Asian country before the end of 2019, Trend reports via Uzbek media. "We have a approved schedule, in accordance with which, the EPC contract will be signed before the end of this year," General Director of the Agency for the Development of Nuclear Energy of Uzbekistan Jurabek Mirzamamudov said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a press conference in Tashkent on May 2 said that the site for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan with the participation of the Russian Federation had already been determined following the results of bilateral talks. The joint project of the Uzbek side and Rosatom involves the construction of a nuclear power plant, consisting of two modern units with a capacity of 1.2 GW each. It is planned to launch this strategic power facility until 2028. The nuclear power plant will not only provide Uzbekistan with uninterrupted power, but also send for export part of the electricity produced. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Fakhri Vakilov Trend: The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has published new exchange rates, which will be effective from May 7, Trend reports with reference to the Central Bank. Monday data demonstrates that the US dollar rose slightly compared to last week, and the euro made a big jump. The American currency added 3.4 soums, making 8448.89 soums. The European currency has risen in price for 47.73 soums and now stands at 9462.76 soums. The central bank can influence the level of demand and supply of foreign currency through monetary policy by containing growth in the money supply and increasing the attractiveness of assets in national currency. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 Trend: A meeting with a delegation led by Oleg Belozerov, Director General of Russian Railways OJSC, was held at Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, Trend reports on May 6, referring to the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC on May 6. Before the meeting, the members of the delegation visited the Alley of Honor, where they laid a wreath and flowers at the graves of Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyev and prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva. During the meeting at the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, the Chairman Javid Gurbanov informed the guests about Azerbaijans transport and logistics potential and international transport corridors. While speaking about the North-South International Transport Corridor, Gurbanov stressed that this corridor not only will expand trade and economic relations among Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia, but will also play an important role in the development of other regional countries that will carry out export-import operations along this route, by increasing trade turnover. Then discussions on the further expansion of bilateral cooperation ties were held. Following the meeting, a memorandum on the development of cooperation between the railways of Azerbaijan and Russia was signed. The document was signed by Gurbanov and Belozerov. The memorandum is aimed at implementing the coordinated policy for the development and operation of the Eurasian international transport corridors, as well as expanding foreign economic relations and ensuring optimal transport conditions for transit traffic. The sides intend to develop comprehensive cooperation in the railway sector, including the transport and transit potential of national railway companies through the joint implementation of measures that will contribute to the growth of freight traffic via the Iran-Azerbaijan-Russia-Europe routes within the western route of the North-South International Transport Corridor and the Russia-Azerbaijan-Turkey route by using the infrastructure of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. Russian Railways OJSC and Azerbaijan Railways CJSC have agreed to jointly attract additional cargo for transportation via container trains through the western route of the North-South corridor and other routes. Moreover, the companies' efforts will be focused on the development of transit traffic in the East-West-East direction, primarily the transit traffic between Azerbaijan and China through Russia, as well as transit traffic between China and other countries through Russia and Azerbaijan. The work is planned to be carried out to optimize border and customs procedures, including e-data interchange and e-preliminary information to reduce the time of cargo delivery. It is also planned to coordinate the development of the cross-border infrastructure of the Samur-Yalama border crossing to increase its capacity, taking into account the promising traffic volumes along the North-South transport corridor and other routes. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: A cruise port in Istanbul, the construction of which is expected to start this year, will be able to simultaneously receive at least five cruise ships, Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Ersoy said, Trend reports with reference to Turkish media. He said that the construction of the cruise port in Istanbul would help to increase the number of tourists visiting Turkey. The minister noted that the cruise port in Istanbul would be built in the Yenikapi district on the coast of the Sea of Marmara. Ersoy noted that the construction of the cruise port in Istanbul would be completed in 2021, while he did not announce the launch date of construction and the cost of the project. Earlier, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey told Trend that Turkey intends to increase the number of foreign tourists to 70 million people by 2023. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 6 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: There are plans to hold the sixth Annual Bilateral Consultations between Turkmenistan and the US in Washington, D.C., in autumn 2019, Trend reports with reference to the US Embassy in Ashgabat. The Annual Bilateral Consultations are a regular mechanism to discuss the full range of issues in the US Turkmenistan relationship and to strengthen collaboration between the two nations. It is noted that Mark Moody, director of the Office of Central Asian Affairs of the US Department of States Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, has recently held meetings with Turkmenistan officials to assess progress by both parties on identified issues of mutual interest. The delegation discussed cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, including social, educational, and cultural cooperation, as well as human rights issues. The two sides also discussed regional issues, including the C5+1 dialogue framework and their mutual interests in Afghanistan. Turkmenistan and the US have made good progress since our last Annual Bilateral Consultations in October, and we would like to see that progress continue up to the next consultations, Moody said. The diplomatic relations of the two countries were established on Feb. 19, 1992. The legal base consists of 59 documents, 53 of which are interstate and intergovernmental, and 6 are interdepartmental ones. Turkmenistan cooperates with the US in the oil and gas, as well as chemical industries, computer technology, agriculture, transport, logistics and energy sphere. Such companies as Boeing, General Electric, John Deere, Microsoft, Caterpillar, Coca-Cola and others are represented in the Turkmen market. In 2008, the US-Turkmenistan Business Council was formed. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 6 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: From April 29 to May 5, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan discussed in Urgench city the issues of delimitation and demarcation of the common state border, Trend reports with reference to the Uzbek Foreign Ministry. The talks were held in the format of a joint Uzbek-Turkmen intergovernmental commission. The parties reviewed the results of the joint field topographic and geodetic work at the state border and summarized the land balance preliminary calculation and prepared a draft of the demarcation at certain sections of the state border, the report said. The meeting participants also discussed the matter of aerial photography to prepare demarcation maps. Following the meeting, heads of the delegations Tulkin Abdullayev and Mamed Mamedov signed the relevant protocol. It was reported in November 2017 that the Turkmen parliament ratified the agreement on the area of the point of junction of the state borders of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The document itself was signed Nov. 10 in Samarkand city at the level of foreign ministers of the three states. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: It is expected that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will announce Iran's step-by-step program on taking measures in response to the withdrawal of the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during a live television program on May 8, 2019, an official close to the JCPOA Supervisory Board told ISNA, Trend reports. According to the official, the measures are within the scope of Articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA. He added that the issue of Iran's withdrawal from the nuclear issue was not being put forward yet. "It is Iran's first step to react to the resumption of some of the nuclear activities that had been suspended within the framework of the nuclear deal, to the reduction of some of Iran's obligations, the withdrawal of the US from the nuclear deal, and the failure of European countries to fulfill their obligations," he said. The JCPOA, signed between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, UK, Russia, China, France and Germany), was put in force in January 2016. The US announced its withdrawal from the deal In May 2018 and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. Under Article 26 of the JCPOA, The U.S. Administration [] will refrain from imposing new nuclear-related sanctions. Iran has stated that it will treat such a re-introduction or re-imposition of the sanctions [], or such an imposition of new nuclear-related sanctions, as grounds to cease performing its commitments under this JCPOA in whole or in part. Under Article 36 of the JCPOA, If Iran believed that any or all of the E3/EU+3 [i.e. the P5+1 group] were not meeting their commitments under this JCPOA, Iran could refer the issue to the Joint Commission for resolution. The U.S. military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Monday, a move that could anger Beijing at a time of tense relations between the worlds two biggest economies, reports Trend citing to Reuters The South China Sea is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which also include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and Taiwan. President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal by announcing on Sunday he would hike U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. The U.S. guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung Hoon traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, a U.S. military spokesman told Reuters. Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the Seventh Fleet, said that the innocent passage was to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law. The operation was first reported by Reuters. The U.S. military has a long-standing position that its operations are carried out throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies, and that they are separate from political considerations. The operation was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijings efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate. China claims almost all of the strategic South China Sea and frequently lambastes the United States and its allies over naval operations near Chinese-occupied islands. Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan have competing claims in the region. China and the United States have repeatedly traded barbs in the past over what Washington says is Beijings militarization of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs. China defends its construction as necessary for self-defense and says it is the United States that is responsible for ratcheting up tensions in the region by sending warships and military planes close to islands Beijing claims. Last month, Chinas navy chief said freedom of navigation should not be used to infringe upon the rights of other countries. The freedom of navigation operation comes weeks after a major naval parade marking 70 years since the founding of the Chinese navy. The United States sent only a low level delegation to the Chinese navy anniversary events. Even with a decisive election victory for South Africas ruling party this week, the countrys President Cyril Ramaphosa could still struggle to push through the tough reforms needed to galvanize Africas most developed economy, say analysts and some party insiders, reports Trend with reference to Reuters The former union leader turned business tycoon has promised to introduce major economic reforms and extend a crackdown on corruption if his African National Congress (ANC) party is returned to power in Wednesdays national election. Ramaphosas allies say a result close to 60 percent in this weeks parliamentary vote, which some opinion polls suggest could be possible, would strengthen his hand to deliver on those pledges. But some analysts and ANC party insiders are skeptical that Ramaphosa would make much progress with reforms, even with a clear election victory. They cite his tenuous grip over the partys decision-making bodies, where former comrades in the struggle against the brutal apartheid regime are at each others throats in a high-stakes battle for power and wealth. Ramaphosa needs a united ANC to achieve his agenda, but he doesnt have that, said a veteran ANC politician who did not wish to be identified discussing internal rivalries. His enemies are going nowhere. Ralph Mathekga, a political analyst and author of a book on Ramaphosa, echoed the view. Theres a herd mentality that if Ramaphosa gets a strong majority for the ANC, it will somehow strengthen him. Thats not the case, he said. Ramaphosa disputes that his hands will be tied if he is returned to power. At a campaign event last week in Johannesburg he said there would be a step-change in the pace of reform and that the economy was ready for lift off. Our government is now going to open up the valves of our economy and give our people an opportunity, he said. Ramaphosa became leader of the ANC in December 2017 after narrowly defeating a faction allied with his scandal-plagued predecessor Jacob Zuma. This will be Ramaphosas first national election since taking over as head of state in February 2018, after roughly four years as Zumas deputy. The president is under pressure to address gaping racial disparities in income and wealth that persist 25 years after the end of white minority rule. He also wants to reverse a slide in support for the ANC, which has governed South Africa since 1994 but in recent years has lost support in major cities like the financial and political capitals of Johannesburg and Pretoria. In the 15 months since he took office, Ramaphosa has been forced into uneasy compromises in key policy areas like land reform and fixing struggling state power firm Eskom, opposition politicians say. Ramaphosa has vowed to accelerate the redistribution of land to the black majority, endorsing an opposition bill to amend the constitution to make expropriation without compensation easier. But he also has offered assurances that investments and food security would not be threatened. In doing so, he satisfied neither radical left-wing nor business-friendly factions within his governing alliance and the opposition. On Eskom, the president has promised trade unions that there will be no layoffs as part of a turnaround plan, even though company management and energy experts say the utilitys bloated workforce is one of its biggest problems. Getting land reform right and repairing Eskom will be critical to restoring investor confidence in an economy where growth has slowed to a trickle due to a toxic mix of corruption scandals and regulatory upheaval during Zumas tenure. If you see progress in the clean-up of state-owned enterprises like Eskom that would mean that big headache that investors have would fade away, said Tilmann Kolb, analyst at the financial services firm UBS Global Wealth Management. ANC OPPONENTS A key challenge for the president is the opposition he faces within his own party, sources in the ANC say. A close Zuma ally, Ace Magashule, is in charge of the day-to-day running of the party. And, while some senior party figures previously aligned with Zuma have shifted their support to Ramaphosa, he still has to spend time managing opponents within the ANC, sources say. The ANCs list of parliamentary candidates contains many hardliners who are opposed to Ramaphosas reformist agenda and could frustrate his initiatives in parliament. Ramaphosa has to choose all but two members of his next cabinet from his partys parliamentary caucus. While analysts expect him to appoint close confidants to key posts like finance minister and foreign minister, he may have to hand lesser posts to opponents he wishes to bring onside. Within the ANC you adopt an inclusive approach. You are obviously sensitive to the fact that you could be accused of just appointing your own supporters, said one ANC executive member aligned with Ramaphosa. A challenge to Ramaphosas leadership could emerge at the next party conference in 2022 or even before if his enemies can muster enough support. Ramaphosa convinced the party leadership to instruct Zuma to resign last year, and Zuma did the same to his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki. NO GROWTH SURGE Ramaphosas ability to bring about change during his time in office has been limited, according to analysts and opposition politicians. Ramaphosa has pledged to bail out Eskom and restructure it. He has established judicial inquiries that have exposed corruption during Zumas time in office. Zuma denies he was at fault. But the president has not generated the economic growth that some experts predicted and he targeted when campaigning for ANC leader. Investors want to see efforts to overhaul rigid labor laws and cut red tape. But analysts say that could be difficult, as Ramaphosa needs to appease the trade union federation COSATU, a close ANC ally that favors a strong role for the state in the economy. We dont see strong structural reforms even after elections, said John Morris, a Bank of America Merrill Lynch strategist. Ramaphosa could also face pressure to appease more radical elements in his party who would like to see the ANC pursue wealth redistribution aggressively, particularly following a rise in support for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a far-left opposition party. The EFF backs populist policies like nationalizing mines policies which have spooked investors. Ramaphosas allies scoff at the idea that the EFF could force Ramaphosas hand on policy. They say the president is playing a long game and that the corruption inquiries he has set up will take out his enemies in the ANC. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to talk by telephone on Monday and discuss projectiles fired by North Korea, national broadcaster NHK said, reports Trend with reference to Reuters North Korea fired several unidentified short-range projectiles into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, prompting the South to urge its communist neighbor to stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean peninsula. The chairman of Apple supplier Foxconn said on Monday he wanted Beijing to recognize the existence of Taiwan, as he outlined his plans to be the peacemaker between China, the United States and the self-ruled island Beijing sees as its own, reports Trend referring to Reuters Billionaire Terry Gou, who said last month he would run for president of Taiwan in 2020, met U.S. President Donald Trump last week to discuss the status of the Taiwan companys planned investment in Wisconsin. I told Trump specifically that Im here to be a peacemaker, Gou told a news conference in the capital, Taipei, adding that he had met Trump in an effort to improve his private relationship and not as a campaigner. But he told Trump of his desire to forge a mutually-beneficial peace and improved commercial links, he added. This peace involves the United States, China and Taiwan, not just Taiwan and China, he added. The U.S is involved. The United States and China are in the middle of a bruising trade dispute, with Trump threatening on Sunday to raise U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and soon target hundreds of billions more. Using Taiwans official name, Gou said, Wed like to ask Beijing to recognize and acknowledge the existence of the Republic of China. Gou said he would like to have talks with Beijing on a mutually equal basis to boost economic development for both China and Taiwan. Beijing regards the island as a breakaway province, part of one China, and has not renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. The United States acknowledges that China takes the position that there is one China and that Taiwan is part of it. But it is also Taiwans biggest ally and arms supplier and is duty-bound by law to help the island defend itself. Gou also hit back at critics whom he described as trying to make me (out as) red by saying that I will be held hostage, over Foxconns investments in China. The trade spat between China and the United States might end soon, Gou said, but the broader tensions between them could drag on longer. The United States has also been pressing allies to limit the role of Chinese telecom equipment makers, such as Huawei Technologies, over concerns their gear could be used by Beijing for spying. Huawei says such concerns are baseless. Foxconn has pledged to create 13,000 jobs and build a $10-billion campus in Wisconsin, but has not met early hiring targets and has said it has been reconsidering its plans. Gou said the investment is intended to help the United States reshape its technology supply chain. Last month, he told Reuters he planned to step down from the worlds largest contract manufacturer to make way for younger talent to move up its ranks. A board meeting is to be held on Friday, Gou added, but declined to comment on questions over his succession plan. China on Monday dismissed a suggestion that it would talk with the United States and Russia about a new accord limiting nuclear arms, saying it would not take part in any trilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations, reports Trend with reference to Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed on Friday the possibility of the new accord that could eventually include China in what would be a major deal between the globes top three atomic powers. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that the countrys nuclear forces were at the lowest level of its national security needs, and that they could not be compared to the United States and Russia. China opposes any country talking out of turn about China on the issue of arms control, and will not take part in any trilateral negotiations on a nuclear disarmament agreement, Geng told a daily news briefing, when asked about Trumps remarks. China has always advocated the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, Geng added. China believes that countries with the largest nuclear arsenals have a special responsibility when it comes to nuclear disarmament and should continue to further reduce nuclear weapons in a verifiable and irreversible manner, creating conditions for other countries to participate, he said. The 2011 New START treaty, the only U.S.-Russia arms control pact limiting deployed strategic nuclear weapons, expires in February 2021 but can be extended for five years if both sides agree. Without the agreement, it could be harder to gauge each others intentions, arms control advocates say. Warren Buffett said on Monday that a trade war between the United States and China would be bad for the whole world., reports Trend citing to Reuters Buffett spoke after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that he will raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent beginning on Friday, and shortly slap a 25 percent tariff on $325 billion of Chinese goods that have not been taxed. Major stock markets fell worldwide on Monday in response to the presidents tweet, which was a rational response, Buffett said on CNBC television. His conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc owns or invests in many companies that do business in China, including Apple Inc in which it has a more than $50 billion stake. If we actually have a trade war it will be bad for the whole world, Buffett said. With some people in negotiations, the best technique is to act half-crazy. A full-scale trade war would be bad for everything Berkshire owns, Buffett added, though the probability it might happen is low. Buffett said tough talk ahead of negotiations was understandable, but that it was ineffective to shake your fist first and then shake your finger later on. He added that Trumps threat raises the stakes for Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Youre talking about two personalities who are very much used to getting their way in politics, and talking about how they will be perceived in their own country in terms of their behavior, he said. It gets very complicated. Buffett said the trade dispute has already had an effect on Berkshires BNSF railroad. Last week, Jim Weber, the chief executive officer of Berkshires Brooks Running unit, said in an interview that his company was ending most of its shoe production in China and moving it to Vietnam because of tariff concerns. Buffett nonetheless said the problems will not affect how Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire operates. We will buy the same stocks today that we were buying last week, he said. Berkshire ended March with $191.8 billion of equity investments. It also owns more than 90 companies including energy and utility companies, the Geico auto insurer and the Dairy Queen ice cream chain. BP Plc on Monday announced new production units in the Gulf of Mexico, enhancing its standing as the largest producer there at a time when rival global oil majors are scrambling to expand vast U.S. onshore shale drilling, reports Trend citing to Reuters Britain-based BP will add two new subsea production units about two miles (3.2 km) south of its existing giant Thunder Horse platform, with two wells added in the near term and eight total wells planned, the company said on Monday. BP did not disclose the cost of the investment. The investment runs against current industry trends that emphasize spending on shale, which has propelled U.S. production to more than 12 million barrels a day (bpd), making it the largest producer in the world. U.S. offshore production accounts for 1.8 million bpd, but has grown more slowly. Like its rivals, BP has completed a massive onshore acquisition, buying BHP Billitons onshore assets for $10.5 billion to improve its shale position. That new investment has not detracted from the companys plans for the Gulf. People familiar with BPs investment decisions told Reuters that the Gulfs vast oil reservoirs and increasingly affordable platforms make the formation a good hedge against the risks of shale, where industrys per-well productivity has dropped by 14 percent from its 2016 high. Among deepwater basins, the Gulf of Mexicos reliable regulatory climate makes the region particularly attractive, analysts say. BP said it plans to increase its Gulf production to about 400,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) by the mid 2020s. Thats about a fifth of the regions total production. The companys Gulf production has already increased more than 60 percent from 2013 to more than 300,000 boed. Those big fields keep on giving, Starlee Sykes, the companys president for operations in the region, told Reuters. NEW SEISMIC IMAGING CAPABILITY The new development at Thunder Horse will add 50,000 gross boed of production, with first oil expected in 2021. Thats more crude from a single project than the total Permian production BP acquired as part of the deal with BHP Billiton. BP used new seismic imaging capabilities to identify an additional 1 billion barrels of oil in place at the Thunder Horse field. One of the significant advantages of deepwater or offshore wells relative to onshore U.S. wells is their high productivity, said Emeka Emembolu, BPs Gulf of Mexico vice president for reservoir development. On average, Deepwater Gulf of Mexico wells produce around 5,000 barrels of oil per day. Some offshore wells have production rates starting at 30,000 barrels per day, he said. Thats compared with an average of just 650 barrels a day for Permian wells, according to U.S. Energy Department statistics. Offshore developments traditionally require hefty upfront investment, but improved recovery technologies have reduced project costs. BP has reduced its per-barrel costs to $40 a barrel or less on par with wells in the best shale formations. Growth in onshore oil can only provide 15-20% of what the market needs year-on-year in terms of volume growth, so thats why you see continued activity in the Gulf of Mexico, in offshore Brazil, and new basins popping up, said Andrew Slaughter, executive director, Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions. Still, in the United States shale has overshadowed the Gulf. Chevron Corp and Occidental Petroleum Corp are locked in a battle for Anadarko Petroleum Corp, with both touting onshore and liquefied natural gas assets as key attractions of the deal, rather than Anadarkos Gulf platforms. Anadarko produces roughly 140,000 bpd from the Gulf. Separately, Exxon Mobil Corp has started a sale process to identify a buyer for 45,000 bpd of Gulf production interests and Royal Dutch Shell agreed to sell a production platform last month. BP has maintained a position in each of the five largest Gulf fields, and it also is one of the few of late bidding on areas not adjacent to existing properties in the Gulf. The rest - mostly the majors and a few niche regionally-focused independent companies - have centered their exploration around acreage next to existing platforms. The United States and European Union have expressed deep concern over Turkeys plans for offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by Cyprus as its exclusive economic zone, adding to tensions between Ankara and its Western allies, reports Trend with reference to Reuters The statements at the weekend came after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said we are starting drilling in the region. Turkey and the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government have overlapping claims of jurisdiction for offshore oil and gas research in the eastern Mediterranean, a region thought to be rich in natural gas. The United States is deeply concerned by Turkeys announced intentions to begin offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by the Republic of Cyprus as its Exclusive Economic Zone, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on Sunday. This step is highly provocative and risks raising tensions in the region. We urge Turkish authorities to halt these operations and encourage all parties to act with restraint. Cavusoglu said that Turkish seismic research vessel Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa was continuing work in the region. We will conduct drilling in areas of Turkeys continental shelf and we are starting our drilling work at points identified by Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa, he said in northern Cyprus on Saturday. The Cyprus foreign ministry said it strongly condemns Turkeys drilling operations within its exclusive economic zone. This provocative action by Turkey constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus, it said on Saturday. Turkeys foreign ministry said on Monday that Ankara was defending Cypriot Turks rights and would continue to do so as long as it said Greek Cypriots excluded them from decision-making and carried out unilateral hydrocarbon activities. The USA making a call to Turkey...is an approach which is neither constructive nor in line with international law, it said, adding that it was unacceptable for third parties to literally put themselves in the place of international courts. URGENT EU CALL The U.S. statement followed similarly worded comments on Saturday by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who expressed grave concern about Turkeys intentions. 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. Any escalation between Turkey and the United States could put more pressure on relations already strained on several fronts, including missile defense and military operations in Syria. Cavusoglu said in February that Turkey would soon begin drilling for oil and gas near Cyprus. Ankara launched its first drill ship in October off the coast of Turkeys southern Antalya province. The ship was located 70 km (45 miles) off the west coast of Cyprus on Monday, Refinitiv Eikon shipping data shows. Breakaway north Cyprus, which is supported by Turkey, says that any offshore wealth also belongs to them, as partners in the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960. The island was divided in 1974 after a Turkish invasion triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. Countless peacemaking endeavors have failed and offshore resources have increasingly complicated peace negotiations. Advance voting kicked off on Monday in the Lithuanian presidential elections and referendums on dual citizenship and the number of parliament members, Trend reports citing Xinhua. For the first time in Lithuania, the advance voting is held for five days. The scheduled presidential elections and two referendums will be held on May 12. "The voters will have a right to cast their vote in all municipalities, the advance vote is held as of 6th May up until 10th May," the country's Central Electoral Commission (VRK) announced on Monday. The Baltic country holds an extended 5-day advance voting amid efforts to ensure active participation in two referendums that would change the country's Constitution. In one referendum, the Lithuanian citizens are voting on dual citizenship deciding whether to grant a dual citizenship to a person who becomes a citizen of other country complying with the criteria of Euro-Atlantic integration. Specific countries would be stipulated by law. In the other referendum, Lithuanians are voting whether to reduce the number of members of the country's parliament from 141 to 121. The necessary threshold to implement the Constitutional changes is more than half of registered voters casting their vote in favor of the proposals. According to VRK, the number of voters in the country's Presidential elections and two referendums is 2.47 million. In the country's presidential elections, 9 candidates are running for the President's seat. According to the latest polls, MP and the country's former Finance Minister Ingrida Simonyte is leading the race, followed by economist Gitanas Nauseda and the country's Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis. Lithuania's incumbent President Dalia Grybauskaite will leave the Office after finishing her second term. The second round of the presidential elections is scheduled for May 26 if necessary. On May 26, Lithuania also holds its elections to the European Parliament. Qatar pledged 480 million dollars in support of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, Qatars Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday, Trend reports citing Reuters. Qatar allocated 300 million dollars in grants and loans to support the Palestinian Authoritys budget for the health and education sectors. The other 180 million dollars will go to urgent rescue and humanitarian support, as well as supporting the United Nations programs in Palestine, and to support the electricity services to ensure various sectors of the Palestinian people have access to them. Morocco's navy coast guards have rescued 151 illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan African nations in the Mediterranean, the Moroccan army said on Sunday, Trend reports citing Sputnik. 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. The Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan on Monday appointed a new chief justice, the TMC said in a statement, Trend reports citing Xinhua. "The TMC Chairman Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan issued a decision appointing Abbas Ali Babikir as chief justice to replace Abdul-Majeed Idris, who had been relieved from the post," the statement said. The reshuffle in the judicial system appeared to meet one of the top demands by the Sudanese protesters who have been in a sit-in in front of the army's headquarters in Khartoum since April 6. The TMC is tasked with running the country's affairs following the downfall of former President Omar al-Bashir's regime. North Macedonias pro-Western candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, won a run-off presidential vote after a campaign dominated by divisions over a change to the countrys name that was agreed to mollify Greece and open the way for EU and NATO membership, Trend reports with reference to Reuters. The State Election Commission results based on 99.5 percent the votes counted showed 51.7 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 44.7 percent of the votes. The two finished neck-and-neck in the first round of voting two weeks ago. The victory puts more wind into the sails of the ruling coalition, which expects to get a date to start EU accession talks in June and become the 30th NATO member state next year. The victory of this concept brings a future for the republic of North Macedonia and its our ticket to Europe, Pendarovski told reporters after the election results were announced. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev congratulated Pendarovski and said, As of today no one can stand in the way of progress. We showed we are ready for Europe. Johannes Hahn, the European Union Commissioner in charge of enlargement, also had warm words. North Macedonia can count on the EUs continued support for its EU accession perspective, thus responding to the strong European aspirations of its people, Hahn tweeted. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: April 2019 marked two years since since the moment of making the decision for Turkey to move from a parliamentary form to a presidential form of government and the Turkish authorities believe that New Turkey was established that month. Until recently there was such an opinion that in economic terms, New Turkey was becoming a more powerful country, however, unfortunately, the economic pressure on Turkey forced Ankara to assess the current situation in a more realistic way. Moreover, today Turkeys main problem is connected with the economic sphere and the actual collapse of the national currency. So, in early 2018 the official exchange rate was $1 - 3.7625 Turkish liras, while by early 2019 - 5.3279 Turkish liras. According to the Central Bank of Turkey, presently, the official exchange rate is $1 -5.9709 Turkish liras. However, the policy of the ruling Justice and Development Party, pursued during the last 16-17 years, allowed achieving significant success in many spheres, which earlier Turkey could only dream of. At the same time, it turned out that the ruling party has recently lost a number of important politicians such as Abdullah Gul, Ahmet Davutoglu, Ali Babacan, Bulent Arinc. Members of the ruling party unofficially accused these party members of treason. According to the Turkish media, a new party headed by ex-minister of economic affairs and ex-foreign minister Ali Babacan is being created in Turkey. Reportedly, Ahmet Davutoglu, Abdullah Gul, Bulent Arinc will join this political movement. Davutoglu denied this information. According to some sources, there are serious disagreements between Davutoglu and Gul. At the same time, President Erdogans appeal to the party members gives the reason to think that the creation of a new political party in Turkey is a matter of time. In particular, in one of his recent appeals to the party members, Erdogan said that "you may be lured by new tempting offers, do not give in." The abovementioned people have not been actively involved in politics for many years. But it is not a secret that in the ranks of the ruling party there is still sympathy for these people, including Ali Babacan, who can hardly be called a strong diplomat as a foreign minister, but at the same time he was one of the most powerful figures in the economic sphere. So what will happen if a new political party headed by Ali Babacan is created in Turkey? Before answering this question, it should be stressed that so far, there is no leader in Turkey who could compete with Erdogan in terms of charisma and political experience. But in case of creating a new party, it is not ruled out that this political movement will be able to gain a great percentage of votes and a number of members of the ruling party, as well as other parties, will join the new movement. Despite the Turkish authorities officially reject the holding of snap parliamentary election, it is not ruled out that snap parliamentary election will be held in Turkey till 2020. The creation of a new party in Turkey may completely change the political balance in the country. According to some analysts, this may greatly change the current situation, by contributing to the creation of completely new Turkey. It is still very difficult to predict future changes in Turkey, but today there are signs of the first great changes. One of them was Erdogans calls for the creation of "Turkish Alliance" (Turkiye Ittifak). Almost all political parties of the country, and in particular the Republican Peoples Party, may join it. The only exception is the Peoples' Democratic Party, which was not invited to participate in the Alliance. According to a number of political experts, the ruling party needs such an alliance to apply to the International Monetary Fund to obtain a loan to get out of a difficult economic situation. Taking into account the current economic situation in the country, as well as the US pressure, Turkeys politics will face four tense years until 2023. --- Rufiz Hafizoglu, deputy editor-in-chief of Trend. Follow him on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have started direct bilateral talks in Ankara, Trend reports with reference to Turkish media. It is reported that Ankaras buying Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems is the main topic of discussions. During the meeting, regional issues are also expected to be discussed. Earlier, Turkeys Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar said that the US offered Turkey more favorable terms to purchase Patriot missile defense systems. Akar noted that Ankara is considering this proposal from Washington. He also added that the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems do not pose a threat to NATO and the US, which is well understood in Washington. On April 29, it was reported that Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems will be delivered to Turkey in two cargoes. The first cargo of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems will be delivered in June this year, and the second one in July, according to the report. It is expected that in November 2019, the first F-35 fighters will be delivered to Turkey. As was announced earlier, Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems may be installed in the south and west of Turkey. Initial reports of negotiations between Russia and Turkey on the supply of S-400 surfaced in November 2016. The signing of a contract was confirmed by the Russian side on September 12, 2017. Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the S-400 air defense systems would be deployed from October 2019. The supply of the S-400 air defense systems to Ankara cost $2.5 billion, head of the Rostec state corporation Sergey Chemezov said in December 2017. Turkey is the first NATO member state to receive the S-400 air defense systems from Russia. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkey is a NATO reliable ally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. President Erdogan made the remarks following the meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Ankara, Trend reports referring to Turkish media. As a NATO important ally, Turkey is actively fighting against various terrorist organizations in the region and in particular, against the militants of the Islamic State terrorist organization, Erdogan said. He also noted that unfortunately, a number of countries claiming to be allies of Turkey actively support terrorists in northern Syria. "The military conflicts near Turkeys borders led to the flow of refugees into our country, the president said. Today there are about four million refugees in Turkey." He stressed that Turkey spent $325 billion for Syrian refugees. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu KYODO NEWS - May 5, 2019 - 21:30 | All, Japan The Japanese health ministry has decided to urge all of the nation's hospitals designated as disaster response medical centers to stock enough fuel to run their power generators for at least three days by March 2021, people close to the matter said Sunday. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will also ask those 736 hospitals across the country to store enough water to sustain their treatment for three days without external supply or access to ground water, they said. The decision comes after the ministry's survey following the deadly torrential rains in western Japan and the earthquake that caused a complete blackout in the northern main island of Hokkaido last year found that more than 100 of the hospitals do not meet either of the criteria. Of the 736 hospitals, 114 said their power generator fuel reserve is not enough to keep their operations running for three days, meaning they could be vulnerable if power and gas lines get severed by an earthquake or other disasters. Among the 114, 62 facilities planned to receive fossil fuel from regional supplies, while 12 said they would rely on city gas to run their generators. (Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows the downtown area of Sapporo, Hokkaido, during a blackout on Sept. 6, 2018, following a strong earthquake that hit Japan's northernmost main island.) The current guidelines only require hospitals to find ways to secure fuel to keep their generators running on their own for three days or so, but not necessarily in the form of fuel reserves. In the case of the powerful earthquake causing a blackout in Hokkaido in September, most of the prefecture's 34 designated hospitals were forced to scale down their operations. Some of them experienced over 40 hours of power outage. "It is hard to know how much fuel reserves we need (to survive a blackout) until a disaster actually hits," one hospital official told Kyodo News. Other hospital operators said they do not have enough space or funding to set up additional fuel storage facilities. The hospitals are required to have three days' worth of drinking water, but there is no specific requirement for water needed in treatment such as dialyses. The survey showed 177 facilities do not have water tanks large enough to store the required amount of drinking water. None of them has access to ground water. An Egyptian archaeological mission has unearthed three tombs, including one that was shared by two priests over 4,400 years ago, a few kilometers south of the three Great Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. The site on the southeastern side of Giza plateau contains tombs and burial shafts from various periods, but the oldest is a limestone family tomb from the fifth dynasty (around 2500 BC), the ministry said. also read: Moscow plane fire: 41 killed on Aeroflot jet "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," the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and director of the Egyptian Archaeological Mission team Mostafa Waziri told Efe news. Wooden tombs painted in various colors and limestone statues were among the treasures found in the 4 500-year-old burial ground. The oldest artifact discovered is a limestone family tomb from the fifth dynasty (around 2 5000 BC), said authorities. But perhaps the most prized object is a limestone statue of the tomb's owner, his wife, and son. The three tombs were showcased to dozens of journalists after a press conference attended by Egypts Minister of Antiquities, Khaled al-Enani, at the Giza Plateau. "The sarcophagi are in perfect condition because they were well-painted, well-colored 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. also read: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to launch further strikes on Gaza Strip militants 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. Dozens of people, including at least two children, were killed when a Russian passenger jet crash-landed at a Moscow airport, bursting into flames on impact and bouncing down the runway. also read: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to launch further strikes on Gaza Strip militants Videos on social media show passengers using emergency exit slides to escape the burning Aeroflot aircraft. Two children and a flight attendant were among the dead, Russian media reports. One witness said it was a "miracle" anyone escaped the jet, which was carrying 73 passengers and five crew. , . 78 pic.twitter.com/8HkhjwtrxP (@ArtemPetrovich) May 5, 2019 Initial reports said the Aeroflot Superjet 100 was flying from Moscow to Murmansk, a Russian city in the Arctic circle, when an emergency on board forced it to turn back. Two children and a flight attendant were among the dead, Russian media reported. Veronika Skvortsova, head of Russia's ministry of health, said in a statement that six patients are in hospital - three of whom are in a critical condition. Aeroflot, Russia's national carrier, said the plane was forced to return to the airport "for technical reasons", but did not elaborate. Another 11 people were injured, said Dmitry Matveyev, the Moscow region's health minister. Three were hospitalized but they were not in a serious condition. "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. Of the 78 people aboard the plane, including five crew members, thirty-seven people survived, Markovskaya told reporters at Sheremetyevo Airport. also read: Dozens of rockets fired at Israel from Gaza, Israel responds Thanks to a new $1.8 million grant from The Helmsley Charitable Trust, UT Austin Engineer Hyun Jung Kim will apply his 'Gut-On-A-Chip' technology to better understand Crohn's disease To model human health and disease, organ-on-a-chip technology mimics the human body's organ structure, functionality and physiology in a controlled environment. These miniature systems, which serve as accurate models of various organs from the heart and lungs to the gut and the kidneys, can use a patient's own cells to test drugs and understand disease processes to help determine the right treatment for the right patient. For 10 years, Hyun Jung Kim, a biomedical engineering assistant professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and assistant professor in the Department of Oncology in UT's Dell Medical School, has been developing organs-on-chips, specifically examining inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer. In 2018, Kim led the first study to determine how an intestinal disease develops using human organ-on-a-chip technology, confirming with his "gut inflammation-on-a-chip" system that intestinal barrier disruption is the upstream initiator of gut inflammation. Now, thanks to a new $1.8 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, Kim will apply his technology to better understand Crohn's disease -- an inflammatory bowel disease that can cause severe adnominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue and malnutrition. He and his research team will develop their Crohn's disease-on-a-chip system to gain greater insight into what can cause and exacerbate the disease, with the goal of developing new treatments. "I am humbled by the generosity of the Helmsley Charitable Trust," Kim said. "I am also excited by the opportunity to help find answers to the root cause of a disease where much more research is needed." It is estimated that half of the 3 million Americans living with inflammatory bowel disease have Crohn's disease. While the cause of the disease is currently unknown, doctors and researchers believe that genetic, immune and environmental factors contribute to disease onset and progression. "Crohn's disease is an extraordinarily complicated disease to figure out," said Declan Fleming, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care at the Dell Medical School who will work with Kim on this project. "We believe this research can lead to a new tool to help us address the complexity of this disease. This could lead to improved treatments or possibly even to reverse the progression of Crohn's disease altogether." Helmsley has made Crohn's disease one of the top priorities in their focus on developing programs that improve life in the U.S. and around the world. With the number of people around the world affected by Crohn's disease steadily rising, the organization sees an urgent need to prevent, diagnose early and reconcile the most effective and appropriate treatments for patients. "There is a pressing need for more effective treatments for Crohn's disease, and Helmsley is committed to finding more personalized options for patients," said Garabet Yeretssian, director of Helmsley's Crohn's Disease Program. "This innovative 'gut-on-a-chip' technology has the potential to uncover triggers of Crohn's disease, which will lead to improved therapies and ultimately better health outcomes." ### About the Helmsley Charitable Trust The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning its active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $2 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. Helmsley's Crohn's Disease Program supports impactful ideas and mobilizes a global community committed to improving the lives of Crohn's disease patients while pursuing a cure. RTHK: US has your back, Trump tells Israel President Trump assured Israel on Sunday that it has Washington's full support after the Jewish state led waves of retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian rockets. "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," 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!" Trump's message came in the wake of the most serious escalation since the 2014 war, with 19 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip and four in Israel. The tiny, densely populated enclave's health ministry said among those killed on Sunday were a pregnant woman and a four-month-old baby. The Israeli military declined to comment on the claim. At least nine of those killed were confirmed to be militants affiliated with the Palestinian territory's leaders Hamas or the allied Islamic Jihad group. On the Israeli side, four civilians were killed as Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired barrages of rockets and at least one anti-tank missile from the enclave, Israeli authorities said. Three of the dead were identified by authorities as Israeli citizens, with the nationality of the fourth not announced. Israeli targets included internal security headquarters in the Palestinian enclave, an interior ministry statement said. The Trump administration has closely aligned itself with Israel's right wing. The president's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner has indicated that an upcoming US peace plan for the Middle will pull back from long-standing references to a two-state solution with the Palestinians and accept Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Palestinian leadership has already said it does not accept mediation by Trump, whose evangelical Christian base is fervently pro-Israel and whose long list of actions in support of the Jewish state includes moving the US embassy to Jerusalem. Israel considers the holy city its eternal capital, but Palestinians want east Jerusalem as part of a future state. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Howell Family(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) -- The UNC Charlotte student who died after he tackled a gunman who opened fire on a classroom last week will be buried with military honors. Riley Howell, 21, was hailed a hero after he "took the assailant off his feet," Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said in a press conference Wednesday, adding that Howell's actions saved lives. Howell, who was enrolled in ROTC courses at the university, will be buried with an honor guard detail, the folding and presenting of the American flag to his next of kin and a rendition of "Taps" after more than 25,000 people signed a petition on whitehouse.gov pushing for the special ceremony, ABC Asheville, North Carolina, station WLOS-TV reported. Howell's public funeral was held at Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska on Sunday. A rendition of "Amazing Grace" was played by a live band as his coffin was rolled into the auditorium and mourners filed into their seats. Howell's younger sister, Iris Howell, described him as "everything I needed in a big brother." "He taught me how to be tough," she said. Amy Westmoreland, the mother of Howell's longtime girlfriend, Lauren Westmoreland, described him as a "bright, beautiful, humble young man who played such a huge role in developing our daughter into who she is today." "He was going to be the father of my grandkids one day," Westmoreland said. The grieving mother said when she thinks of Howell, she thinks of his "huge appetite," warm hugs and appreciation for the outdoors. "My heart is torn in two for my daughter, for his family, for my family," she said. "...I love you, sweet boy." Howell was one of two students killed in the shooting. Four others were wounded. "Riley was truly a one of a kind guy," his family said in a statement after he was killed. "He loved all things outdoors, adventure, and especially family. He loved to work outside and when he worked, he did it with his hands and his heart. He always was able to put others before himself and never hesitated to help anyone who needed it. He was friends with anyone and everyone--a big, muscular guy with a huge heart." "He was the kind of person who you knew would take care of you the moment you met him, and he always did," his family said. He radiated love and always will. " Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Investors who want to cash in on China Sunsine Chemical Holdings Ltd.'s (SGX:CH8) upcoming dividend of CN0.055 per share have only 1 days left to buy the shares before its ex-dividend date, 08 May 2019, in time for dividends payable on the 24 May 2019. What does this mean for current shareholders and potential investors? Below, I will explain how holding China Sunsine Chemical Holdings can impact your portfolio income stream, by analysing the stock's most recent financial data and dividend attributes. View our latest analysis for China Sunsine Chemical Holdings 5 checks you should use to assess a dividend stock When assessing a stock as a potential addition to my dividend Portfolio, I look at these five areas: Is it paying an annual yield above 75% of dividend payers? Does it consistently pay out dividends without missing a payment of significantly cutting payout? Has the amount of dividend per share grown over the past? Does earnings amply cover its dividend payments? Based on future earnings growth, will it be able to continue to payout dividend at the current rate? SGX:CH8 Historical Dividend Yield, May 6th 2019 How does China Sunsine Chemical Holdings fare? The company currently pays out 23% of its earnings as a dividend, according to its trailing twelve-month data, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Going forward, analysts expect CH8's payout to remain around the same level at 21% of its earnings. Assuming a constant share price, this equates to a dividend yield of 3.4%. Moreover, EPS is forecasted to fall to CN0.93 in the upcoming year. If you want to dive deeper into the sustainability of a certain payout ratio, you may wish to consider the cash flow of the business. Companies with strong cash flow can sustain a higher payout ratio, while companies with weaker cash flow generally cannot. If there is one thing that you want to be reliable in your life, it's dividend stocks and their constant income stream. In the case of CH8 it has increased its DPS from CN0.045 to CN0.27 in the past 10 years. During this period it has not missed a payment, as one would expect for a company increasing its dividend. This is an impressive feat, which makes CH8 a true dividend rockstar. Story continues Relative to peers, China Sunsine Chemical Holdings has a yield of 4.7%, which is high for Chemicals stocks but still below the market's top dividend payers. Next Steps: Keeping in mind the dividend characteristics above, China Sunsine Chemical Holdings is definitely worth considering for investors looking to build a dedicated income portfolio. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, I recommend taking sufficient time to understand its core business and determine whether the company and its investment properties suit your overall goals. Below, I've compiled three fundamental factors you should further research: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for CH8s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for CH8s outlook. Valuation: What is CH8 worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, it's not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether CH8 is currently mispriced by the market. Other Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here. 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. CUPERTINO, CA and HYDERABAD, INDIA, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE Aemetis, Inc. (AMTX) announced today that its Universal Biofuels India subsidiary has been awarded[WC1] a biodiesel supply contract with the three India government-owned Oil Marketing Companies in a public tender process. The contract provides for ongoing deliveries of biodiesel to a variety of blending locations in an aggregate amount of more than $23 million during 2019. Biodiesel shipments are scheduled to begin this month. The total diesel market in India is approximately 25 billion gallons per year with 80% imported, of which less than 250 million gallons per year of biodiesel is currently blended. The 2018 National Biofuels Policy stated a plan to increase Biodiesel blending to 5% of the diesel market, equal to more than 1.2 billion gallons per year. The OMCs in India supply about 70% of the fuel consumed in India, and the diesel fuel market has been growing at a rate of more than 5% per year. With the recent completion of our plant pretreatment unit and expansion to 50 million gallons of capacity per year from low cost, high free fatty acid feedstock, the Aemetis team in India is executing on a rapid increase in production and revenues this year by broadening our customers to include government, logistics, mining, retail fuel stations and other sectors, stated Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis. As the only US company producing biofuels in India, Aemetis built and has now fully upgraded our India biodiesel and refined glycerin plant to use low cost feedstocks as a leader in this rapidly expanding market. About Aemetis Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Aemetis is an advanced renewable fuels and biochemicals company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of innovative technologies that replace traditional petroleum-based products by the conversion of ethanol and biodiesel plants into advanced biorefineries. Founded in 2006, Aemetis owns and operates a 60 million gallon per year ethanol production facility in Californias Central Valley, near Modesto. Aemetis also owns and operates a 50 million gallon per year renewable chemical and advanced fuel production facility on the East Coast of India producing high quality distilled biodiesel and refined glycerin for customers in India, the US and Europe. Aemetis operates a research and development laboratory, and holds a portfolio of patents and related technology licenses for the production of renewable fuels and biochemicals. For additional information about Aemetis, please visit www.aemetis.com . Story continues Safe Harbor Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our assumptions, projections, expectations, targets, intentions or beliefs about future events or other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements relating to the production or effectiveness of the India production facility, the achievement of certain cost advantages for product produced at the India facility, and the continuance of governmental mandates for biodiesel. Words or phrases such as anticipates, may, will, should, believes, estimates, expects, intends, plans, predicts, projects, showing signs, targets, will likely result, will continue or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions and predictions and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Actual results or events could differ materially from those set forth or implied by such forward-looking statements and related assumptions due to certain factors, including, without limitation, competition in the ethanol, biodiesel and other industries in which we operate, commodity market risks including those that may result from current weather conditions, financial market risks, customer adoption, counter-party risks, risks associated with changes to federal policy or regulation, and other risks detailed in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and in our subsequent filings with the SEC. We are not obligated, and do not intend, to update any of these forward-looking statements at any time unless an update is required by applicable securities laws. Company Investor Relations/ Media Contact: Todd Waltz (408) 213-0940 investors@aemetis.com External Investor Relations Contact: Kirin Smith PCG Advisory Group (646) 863-6519 ksmith@pcgadvisory.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2019) - Arctic Star Exploration Corp. (TSXV: ADD) (FSE: 82A1) ("Arctic Star" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its Spring exploration program has been successfully completed at its 40% owned Diagras Property ("Diagras" or the "Property") located in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Diagras totals 22,595 Hectares within 31 mineral claims with a total of 23 known kimberlites. The data from this ground geophysical program has been received and interpreted by our technical team and they report the work has generated compelling drill targets. The exploration program consisted of ground Gravity, Magnetic and Electromagnetic (EM) surveys focused around historically identified kimberlites as well as other airborne geophysical anomalies with kimberlite like signatures. Margret Lake Diamonds Inc is a contributing Joint Venture (the "Joint Venture") between the Company, which acts as project operator and holds a 60% interest, and Arctic Star Exploration Corp. (TSX.V: ADD) which holds a 40% interest. Diagras is located in the prolific Lac de Gras diamond field, Northwest Territories, Canada just 35 km from the world-class Diavik diamond mine. The Property lies directly on trend with the Diavik deposits currently being mined by a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Dominion Diamond Diavik. Detailed, modern ground geophysical techniques are being employed to define possible additional kimberlite(s) or kimberlite phases not identified by previous explorers, who did not utilize all these techniques. This exploration approach has been successful elsewhere with recent examples including the discoveries of additional diamondiferous kimberlite at the Kelvin and Faraday kimberlite complex (Kennady North project adjacent to the Gahcho Kue' Diamond Mine). Investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on Diagras. Story continues The work has been funded in part by significant grants from the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Mining Incentive Program (MIP). The Company would like to thank the GNWT for their support and recognition of the potential for this quality exploration program, the funding is limited and only granted to those projects judged most likely to bring benefit to the NWT. Our companies are grateful for their consideration. The Joint Venture has conducted ground geophysical work over three spring seasons and now has enough drill targets to justify drill mobilization, planned for spring 2020. The Diagras project has an active Class 'A' Land Use Permit which includes drilling. The permit is good until December 2022 and has the ability for extension. Table 1 Summary of 2019 Work and Drill Targets Target Gravity (stations) Ohm Mapper (line kilometers) Magnetics (line kilometers) Drill testing Planned Anne X X X Black Spruce 236 12.8 20.2 / Dodi X X 18 Don X X X Drew X X X Emily X X X Finlay 168 X X George X X X Hanna X X X HL01 34 X X HL02 104 3.1 8.66 / HL055 X X 8.3 Jack Pine/Sequoia 253 9.94 39.02 / Kong 178 5.6 18.72 / Krista X X 12.6 Lindsey X X 11.6 Nadine 40 83.2 Naomi 126 7.7 16.43 Penelope (aka DG007) 169 5.8 15 / Petra 72 7.8 63 Suzanne 199 16.1 18.55 / Tabatha 253 9.94 39.02 / Taz X X 11.6 Below is a review of some of the more promising targets generated from this work: At the Black Spruce kimberlite, Monopros (a subsidiary of De Beers) discovered this kimberlite by drilling a distinct magnetic low in the early 1990's. In the early 2000's the property was optioned to Majescor, which drilled the edge of the magnetic kimberlite testing in part the EM anomaly. Our work in 2017 shows a series of gravity lows occur coincident and adjacent to the south of the known magnetic kimberlite phase. One of these gravity anomalies clearly breaks and disturbs a diabase dyke signature, which is a characteristic similar to many known Lac de Gras kimberlites. Results from this year, 2019, show a strong EM anomaly that is partly separate and partly coincident with the magnetic and gravity anomalies. The simplest explanation is that each geophysical signature, the Magnetic, the gravity and the EM represent different phases of the same kimberlite complex. Each phase can have totally different diamond grades and populations. The gravity and EM anomalies require separate drill testing. Three separate targets exist. Cannot view this image? Visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/d0ac2abbb45fec3e77957652045acd98 Figure 1. Ohm Mapper results for the Black Spruce Kimberlite. Colour image, EM data Magenta is less resistive. Contours Gravity data. 0.1mgal contours. Dotted blue outlines gravity targets, black outline magnetic signature. Note that they overlap but don't coincide which may indicate separate kimberlite phases. Dots are previous drill holes targeting the magnetic anomaly. The black dots Majescor holes To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4806/44557_10a1724c14e86a64_002full.jpg At the Jack Pine kimberlite, which is one of the largest kimberlite complexes in the Lac de Gras diamond field (over 1.5km in its longest dimension), the geophysical methods (ground gravity, EM and magnetics) highlighted obvious magnetic kimberlite phases drilled by previous explorers while also successfully defining a new kimberlite-like geophysical expression believed to have not yet been evaluated by drilling according to available public domain records. Previous drilling in the Jack Pine kimberlite complex has demonstrated it is significantly diamond bearing. At the Suzanne kimberlite, ground geophysical work has revealed a magnetic low anomaly, a gravity anomaly and a linear EM anomaly interpreted to be over 600 meters in length. Data in the public domain indicates that only one drill hole tested this kimberlite leaving potentially untested kimberlite(s) and/or phases. At the HL02 Kimberlite DeBeers drilled 2 long inclined holes one intersecting only a few meters of hypabyssal type kimberlite at the end of the hole. See Figure 2. It appears from this work that there is an untested gravity and EM target that breaks a diabase dyke. This is a classic compelling kimberlite drill target. Cannot view this image? Visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/9089585a3e16ea2ff199b87ff39c8bf6 Figure 2. Top left Ohm Mapper results for the HL-02 Kimberlite. Colour image, EM data Magenta is less resistive. Contours Magnetic data. Dotted outlines depict drill target, Top Right Gravity Image, with Magnetic Contours, and bottom Left Magnetic image with EM Contours. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4806/44557_arctic2.jpg At the Kong Kimberlite shown in figure three is a double lobe magnetic anomaly drilled by Monopros however our work shows a distinct EM anomaly between the two lobes that has not be tested which could represent a new kimberlite or kimberlite phase. Cannot view this image? Visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/f82b9e4c0e3d840cfc78c5d904d9509d Figure 3. Ohm Mapper 50m depth slice Resistivity results contours on the magnetic image for Kong East and West Kimberlites. To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/f82b9e4c0e3d840cfc78c5d904d9509d At the Penelope Kimberlite target Figure 4 shows that there is an untested southern EM anomaly that could be caused by an untested kimberlite phase. Cannot view this image? Visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/1ff6ff8aba8c573511e126b3299e9f6d Figure 4. Ohm Mapper resistivity results 50m slice for the Penelope kimberlites suggests there is an untested kimberlite phase in the south. Black lines and dots depict drilling by earlier explorers. To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/1ff6ff8aba8c573511e126b3299e9f6d The company still has kimberlites that have not been covered by gravity and EM surveys, including the known, Anne, Tabatha, Finlay, Don, Drew, George, Emily, Don and Krista kimberlites. Given the high target generation success rate proven by our work to date, these remain a priority. This work can proceed at the same time as the planned drill program. It is important to note that the JV has obtained all the permits to conduct this drill program. Qualified Person The technical data in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Buddy Doyle, a diamond geologist with over 30 years of experience, a Qualified Person under the provisions of National Instrument 43-101. About Arctic Star The Company owns 100% of the recently acquired Timantti Diamond Project including a 1171 Ha Exploration Permit and a 193,700 Ha Exploration Reservation near the town of Kuusamo, in Finland. The project is located approximately 550km SW of the operating Grib Diamond Mine in Russia. Arctic has commenced its exploration in Finland on the Timantti Project, where four diamondiferous kimberlite bodies may represent the first finds in a large kimberlite field. The Company also controls diamond exploration properties in Nunavut (Stein) and the NWT (Diagras and Redemption). Arctic Star has a highly experienced diamond exploration team previously responsible for several world class diamond discoveries. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ARCTIC STAR EXPLORATION CORP. "Patrick Power" Patrick Power, President & CEO +1 (604) 218-8772 ppower@arcticstar.ca This news release contains "forward-looking statements" including but not limited to statements with respect to Arctic Star's plans, the estimation of a mineral resource and the success of exploration activities. Forward-looking statements, while based on management's best estimates and assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the risk that the Company is unable to close further tranches of the planned private placement and the Company's plan to use all or some portion of the proceeds for exploration of the Foriet Diamond Property. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Arctic Star undertakes no obligation or responsibility to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Corporate Logo To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44557 ZAMGs Cray Supercomputer Aids in Wind Power Research and Training Deep Learning Models For Accurate Local Nowcasts SEATTLE, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global supercomputer leader Cray Inc. (CRAY) today announced that the Central Institution for Meteorology and Geodynamics in Austria, also known as Zentralanstalt fur Meteorologie und Geodynamik (ZAMG), is using a Cray supercomputer to support a multi-year weather nowcasting project with the University of Vienna to benefit society and industry. ZAMG is the fourth weather center to select Cray to run advanced machine learning and AI. This project focuses on improving meteorological products including local nowcasts for weather, wind power yield assessments and air quality analysis. Nowcasting means forecasting the weather over short time windows, typically up to two hours. Using deep learning methods, ZAMG is leveraging its Cray CS-Storm supercomputer to optimize the orientation of wind-powered generators for maximum efficiency and to train neural networks with current and historical weather data. ZAMG is adopting new methodologies to advance its suite of meteorological products. By leveraging machine learning, we are able to improve the quality of our nowcasting system, said Dipl. Ing. Mag. Gunther Tschabuschnig, CIO at ZAMG. With the Cray supercomputer, we cannot make the weather better, but we can predict it much better with a whole new level of service. As the state meteorological and geophysical service of Austria, ZAMG provides critical information and advises on efficient use of conventional and alternative resources for the energy sector. The Institution is tasked with providing accurate weather forecasts on a variety of time scales. This is a challenge ZAMG researchers are solving by training neural networks with massive amounts of weather data from measurement stations and weather models from data collected over the years. With the Cray CS-Storm, ZAMG can improve local nowcasts for wind power, air quality and more. Story continues Many of the worlds leading weather organizations rely on Cray advanced supercomputing technology for their forecasting, said Ilene Carpenter, earth sciences segment director at Cray. Our customers workloads are becoming increasingly converged as they adopt machine learning and deep learning to augment modeling and simulation. ZAMGs new Cray CS-Storm system enables scientists to extract value from the organizations rich, historical weather data and more efficiently train neural networks and deep learning models to improve their nowcasting capabilities. About Cray Inc. Cray Inc. (CRAY) combines computation and creativity so visionaries can keep asking questions that challenge the limits of possibility. Drawing on more than 45 years of experience, Cray develops the worlds most advanced supercomputers, pushing the boundaries of performance, efficiency and scalability. Cray continues to innovate today at the convergence of data and discovery, offering a comprehensive portfolio of supercomputers, high-performance storage, data analytics and artificial intelligence solutions. Go to www.cray.com for more information. CRAY and CS-Storm are registered trademarks of Cray Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other product and service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Swiss utility Axpo and German LNG Terminal GmbH on Monday said they signed a heads of agreement for a long-term capacity contract for a yet to be built liquefied natural gas (LNG) landing terminal at Brunsbuettel in northern Germany. The move comes amid efforts to diversify Germany's sources of gas imports, with three projects, including Brunsbuettel, competing to take gas from specialised tankers and distribute them in a lucrative market so far served mostly by pipelines. "This is another important step towards taking the investment decision (for Brunsbuettel)," Axpe and German LNG Terminal GmbH said in a statement. They did not disclose financial details and the length of a possible contract or cargo sizes. Axpo said its involvement reflected the desire to expand on nine years of LNG market activity and the shutdown of numerous coal-fired power plants in the medium term. Germany needs to lower its carbon footprint so supports more gas usage for power, heating and industry for an interim time until a greater reliance on renewables can be achieved. Brunsbuettel, also supported by Axpo peer RWE, is in the running for a building permit, alongside an LNG project at Wilhelmshaven, supported by Uniper, with a third terminal plan being pursued at chemical firm Dow's Stade site. Terminals typically have independent operators while gas shippers, mostly from the utility sector, bring together origin suppliers, local distributors and customers. German LNG Terminal said it expected an investment decision for Brunsbuettel at the end of 2019. Germany's government in March approved a plan that will likely spur investment decisions for LNG terminals, recognising growing import requirements and readiness of suppliers like Qatar and the United States to get into the market. (Reporting by Vera Eckert, editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) FILE PHOTO: Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, at the company annual meeting weekend in Omaha, Nebraska U.S. May 6, 2018. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File Photo By Trevor Hunnicutt and Jonathan Stempel OMAHA, Neb. (Reuters) - Warren Buffett on Saturday 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. Story continues 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 U.S. 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 a.m. Daphne Kalir-Starr, 9, a fourth-grader from New York City, lined up with her father at 11 p.m. on Friday 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. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jonathan Stempel in Omaha, Nebraska; Editing by Jennifer Ablan and Nick Zieminski) Chris Mason and Michael Yaszemski join Phil Vanek, Gregory Bonfiglio and Kenneth Bertram on panel advising with the development and growth of BioBridge Global as a regenerative medicine enterprise San Antonio, Texas, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioBridge Global has added two new members to its Regenerative Medicine Advisory Board, a group composed of industry leaders with a wide range of scientific, product development and business experience brought together to support the organizations continued growth in regenerative medicine. BioBridge Global provides a range of products and services in regenerative medicine, including human cells and tissue, testing, and biomanufacturing and clinical services, through its three operating entities: GenCure, QualTex Laboratories and the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center. The new members of the BioBridge Global Regenerative Medicine Advisory Board are: Chris Mason , PhD , Co-founder and Chief Science Officer at AvroBio, a publicly held, clinical-stage, gene therapy company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Mason is a professor of cell and gene therapy at University College London. He also is Senior Editor of the journals Cell and Gene Therapy Insight and Regenerative Medicine . Michael J. Yaszemski, MD, PhD, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at the Mayo Clinic and director of its Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Laboratory. Dr. Yaszemski served as Chair of the FDA Center for Devices and Radiologic Health Advisory Committee, and is currently a member of the FDA Science Board. He is a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general. Extended biographies are below. The addition of new advisory board members comes at a time when BioBridge Global is launching the second phase of its GenCure biomanufacturing capacity expansion. The 21,000-square-foot facility will produce the large numbers of consistent, high-quality, clinical-grade adult stem cells needed to help bring potential new therapies into human clinical trials. The center is expected to be completed by the end of 2019. Story continues With the addition of Chris and Mike, we now have five outstanding industry leaders that will help lead BioBridge Global become a recognized leader in regenerative medicine, said Martin Landon, Chief Executive Officer of BioBridge Global. Their invaluable experience and expertise will guide our research and development in breakthrough cellular therapies that ultimately will save and enhance lives. The BioBridge Global Regenerative Medicine Advisory Board was formed in 2018 and includes Phil Vanek, PhD, General Manager of GE Healthcares Cell and Gene Therapy business strategy; Gregory Bonfiglio, JD, Founder and Managing Partner of Proteus LLC, an investment and advisory firm focused solely on regenerative medicine, and Chairman of the Board of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine in Toronto, Canada; and Kenneth Bertram, MD, PhD, FACP, former commander of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and Principal Assistant for Acquisition for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. About BioBridge Global: BioBridge Global (BBG) is a San Antonio, Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that offers diverse services through its subsidiaries the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, QualTex Laboratories, GenCure and The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation. BBG provides products and services in blood resource management, cellular therapy, donated umbilical cord blood and human tissue as well as testing of blood, plasma and tissue products for clients in the United States and worldwide. BBG is committed to saving and enhancing lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue. It enables advances in the field of regenerative medicine by providing access to human cells and tissue, testing services and biomanufacturing and clinical trials support. Learn more at BioBridgeGlobal.org. Biographies of new Regenerative Medicine Advisory Board members: Chris Mason, PhD: Dr. Mason is Co-founder and Chief Science Officer at AvroBio, a publicly held clinical-stage, gene therapy company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He also is a professor of cell and gene therapy in the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, University College London, working on the clinical translation and commercialization of cell and gene therapies. He has a multidisciplinary track record, spanning R&D, clinical practice, bioprocessing, regulation, healthcare economics, reimbursement and business. He is on a number of national and international committees, working groups and initiatives related to the academic, clinical translation and commercialization of cell and gene therapies. He is the founder and CEO of the London Regenerative Medicine Network (LRMN) and a founding member of the UK-Israel Science Council. He also is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the UK Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, Strategic Advisory Board of the Canadian Centre for the Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), and Scientific Advisory Board of the Canadian Stem Cell Network. He is a general spokesperson for the cell and gene therapy sector, including frequent newspaper, radio and TV interviews. He is Senior Editor of the journals Cell and Gene Therapy Insight and Regenerative Medicine. He received his bachelors in molecular biology from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in 1993, an MBBS in medicine/surgery from United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospitals in 1994, and Ph.D. in biochemical engineering from University College London in 2005. Dr. Michael J. Yaszemski: Dr. Yaszemski is the Krehbiel Family Endowed Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at the Mayo Clinic and director of its Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Laboratory. He is a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general and served in the office of the Air Force Surgeon General and the office of the President of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences prior to retiring in 2013. He served as president of the Mayo Clinic medical staff from 2013-14 and had served for 10 years as the Chair of the Spine Surgery Division of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic Rochester prior to entering the presidential line. He organized and then served as the first chair of the Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering study section at NIH and served as a member of the Advisory Council of the NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering from 2010-14. He currently is a member of the NIH Advisory Council of the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Skin Diseases. He served as chair of the FDA Center for Devices and Radiologic Health Advisory Committee and is a member of the FDA Science Board. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Inventors. He has 84 issued patents and 24 additional patents pending. He is an emeritus member of the Lehigh University Board of Trustees. His clinical practice encompasses spine surgery and musculoskeletal oncology. His research interests are in the synthesis and characterization of novel degradable polymers for use in bone regeneration, cartilage regeneration, nervous tissue regeneration, and controlled delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to musculoskeletal tumors. He received both bachelors and masters degrees in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University in 1977 and 1978, an M.D. from Georgetown University in 1983 and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1995. Attachments Mary Uhlig BioBridge Global 2107315519 mary.uhlig@biobridgeglobal.org In this article: May 6 (Reuters) - China Greenland Broad Greenstate Group Co Ltd: * UNIT ON MACRH 25, WON A BID ISSUED BY SHEQI COUNTY ANCIENT CITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION CO FOR AN EPC PROJECT * TOTAL AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT RMB88 MILLION Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: Chinas financial regulators announced today China Construction Bank will take over business operations of Inner Mongolia-based Baoshang Bank, Reuters writes.The post Chinese regulators announce takeover of Baoshang Bank, cite credit risks appeared first on The Block. Chinese banks have lowered the amount of US dollars people can withdraw daily from $5,000 to $3,000, South China Morning Post reports. The increased scrutiny may be linked to the US-China trade war. Before last years changes, people could make daily withdrawals of $5,000 without presenting a required proof of need, such as a plane ticket for overseas travel. Although people are legally allowed to withdraw up to $50,000 a year, banks have been instructed to compile watchlists of customers who make withdrawals often. According to scmp, the instructions come from Chinas central bank Peoples Bank of China. The reason banks are so nervous is that China wants to closely monitor capital outflow against the backdrop of a prolonged trade war, said Iris Pang, INGs Greater China economist. Cimarex Energy Co. XEC is set to release first-quarter 2019 results on May 8, after the closing bell. In the last reported quarter, the upstream energy player posted a positive earnings surprise of 13.1%. Moreover, the company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the last four quarters, with average positive earnings surprise of 12%. This is depicted in the graph below: Cimarex Energy Co Price and EPS Surprise Cimarex Energy Co Price and EPS Surprise | Cimarex Energy Co Quote Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Which Way are Estimates Treading? Lets take a look at the estimate revision trend to get a clear picture of what analysts are thinking about the company before the earnings release. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.37 for first-quarter 2019 earnings has remained unchanged in the past seven days. The figure indicates a year-over-year decline of 24.7%. Nonetheless, the consensus estimate for revenues of $575.7 million suggests an increase of 1.5% from the year-ago quarter. Now lets delve deeper to find out the factors impacting the upcoming results. Factors to Consider Cimarex, which is a leading explorer and producer of oil and natural gas with prime focus on the prolific Permian and Mid-Continent regions, is likely to gain from a surge in production in the Permian Basin. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys first-quarter production is pegged at 250 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (MBoe/d), indicating a rise from 206.1 MBoe/d in the year-earlier period. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for average realized natural gas price of $1.89 per per thousand cubic feet calls for a decline from the year-ago reported figure of $2.28. Moreover, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for average realized oil price is $48.46 per barrel, implying a decline from the year-ago reported figure of $59.93. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for average realized natural gas liquids price of $18.64 per barrel calls for a decline from the year-ago reported figure of $20.19. Story continues Although the expected rise in oil equivalent production will support Cimarexs bottom line, the projected decline in price realization for all commodities can result in a 24.7% year-over-year decline in quarterly earnings. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not suggest a beat for Cimarex this earnings season. That is because a stock needs to have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here as you will see below. Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is -0.70%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Cimarex currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. Though a Zacks Rank of 2 increases the predictive power of ESP, a -0.70% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. Conversely, Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Rank #4 and 5) should never be considered going into an earnings announcement. Energy Stocks WithFavorable Combination Here are some companies from the energy space which, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the upcoming quarterly reports. Frisco, TX-based Comstock Resources, Inc. CRK has a Zacks Rank #2 and an Earnings ESP of +11.95%. The company is scheduled to report quarterly earnings on May 9. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Oklahoma City, OK-based Chaparral Energy, Inc. CHAP has a Zacks Rank #2 and an Earnings ESP of +110.00%. The company is set to report first-quarter earnings on May 9. Calgary, Canada-based Canadian Natural Resources Limited CNQ has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of +0.85%. The company is slated to report first-quarter earnings on May 9. Will you retire a millionaire? One out of every six people retires a multimillionaire. Get smart tips you can do today to become one of them in a new Special Report, 7 Things You Can Do Now to Retire a Multimillionaire. Click to get it free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNQ) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cimarex Energy Co (XEC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Comstock Resources, Inc. (CRK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Chaparral Energy, Inc. (CHAP) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Another week, another bunch of crypto crimes. In what we hope will be a regular series of posts, weve rounded up the weeks biggest bits of crypto crime. First up? A Isle of Jersey victim who sent 1.2 million to scammers who pretended to offer him or her bitcoin. The scammers who authorities claim came from Norway spent 18 months convicing the unnamed victim to give up their life savings for a surefire investment in crypto. The scammers then disappeared. NYPD Warns $2 Million Stolen in Scam Involving Bitcoin Following this Islanders huge loss, we are warning local residents to be extra vigilant when investing in cryptocurrencies or any investment that seems too good to be true and promises high returns with no risk, said Mike Jones, director of policy and risk at the Jersey Financial Services Commission. Always get independent advice from a professional, and make sure the company youre dealing with is legitimate. Jersey authorities are also waking up to traditional ransom scams in which victims are warned that video of their private moments will be released to friends and family if bitcoin isnt sent to a certain address. Screenshot from current BackPage site. Crypto Crime May Have Cost Sector $1.2 Billion in Q1, Says Report Next up we find a report on Decrypt that prostitution site Backpage used multiple exchanges to launder its cash. The site, which closed last year, moved hundreds of thousands of dollars through crypto exchanges. Backpage also furthered its money laundering efforts through the use of bitcoin processing companies. Over time, Backpage utilized companies such as Coinbase, GoCoin, Paxful, Kraken, and Crypto Capital to receive payments from customers and/or route money through the accounts of related companies . According to court documents, the government seized several financial accounts belonging to Backpage owners, including a number of accounts held with Crypto Capital, as well as Global Trading Solutionsone of the many other names under which Crypto Capital operates, wrote Decrypts Guillermo Jimenez. Story continues Finally, the Department of Justice in the Central District of California arrested three German dark market operators. The suspects 23-year-old resident of Kleve, Germany, a 31-year-old resident of Wurzburg, Germany, and a 29-year-old resident of Stuttgart, Germany ran the Wall Street Market (WSM), a dark web market akin to Silk Road. The best part? They scammed their customers with a good, old-fashioned exit scam. 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 suspects are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and distribution and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Another man, Marcos Paulo De Oliveira-Annibale, 29, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, is suspected of being a moderator of the WSM. 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 United States 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. Police image by David von Diemar on Unsplash Related Stories Reported record first quarter net income of $149.3 million and adjusted EBITDA of $237.5 million Expect to repurchase $60 million of stock during the second quarter 2019 Increased regular quarterly dividend by 3.7 percent to $0.28 per share Alkylation unit at Krotz Springs refinery operational in early April El Dorado refinery turnaround completed on April 24, 2019 BRENTWOOD, Tenn., May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Delek US Holdings, Inc. (DK) (Delek US) today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2019. Delek US reported first quarter 2019 net income of $149.3 million, or $1.90 per diluted share, versus a net loss of $(40.4) million, or $(0.49) per basic share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. On an adjusted basis, Delek US reported adjusted net income of $121.2 million, or $1.54 per diluted share for the first quarter 2019. This compares to adjusted net income of $21.5 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, in the prior-year period. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA") was $237.5 million compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $104.9 million in the prior-year period. Reconciliations of net income reported under U.S. GAAP to adjusted net income and Adjusted EBITDA are included in the financial tables attached to this release. Quarterly results improved year-over-year primarily due to better performance in the refining segment. The refining segment contribution margin increased to $294.3 million in the first quarter 2019, compared to $133.2 million in the prior-year period. The improved results in refining benefited from a more favorable Midland-Brent crude oil price differential, lower RINs expense and an active inventory management strategy during a period of rising prices. Included in our reported and adjusted results on a pre-tax basis in the first quarter 2019, was approximately $61.0 million of inventory valuation benefit excluding the effect of a lower of cost or market gain. Reported and adjusted results in the period also included a pre-tax expense of approximately $9.0 million related to an asset disposal and emission allowance cost in the refining segment. In the prior year period, refining results included a benefit of approximately $115.5 million related to a combination of the 2017 RINs waivers and a biodiesel tax credit, while the first quarter of 2019 did not realize any benefit from either RINs waivers or a biodiesel tax credit. Story continues Uzi Yemin, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Delek US, stated, "This was a great start to 2019. Performance benefited from our WTI-linked crude slate through the widening of the Midland-Brent crude oil differential and solid commercial execution as market conditions improved. The capture rates in our refining operations have continued to improve as sustainable commercial initiatives have been implemented by our team. These initiatives should benefit us going forward, along with a wider Midland-Brent crude oil differential that has averaged $11.60 per barrel so far in the second quarter. Our commitment to return cash to shareholders continued in the first quarter as $67 million was returned through dividends and share repurchases. We expect to repurchase $60 million of our stock in the second quarter and announced an increase in our dividend for the first quarter 2019. Through our repurchase program, we have reduced our weighted average share count by 13 percent since the peak in the second quarter 2018." Mr. Yemin continued, "We remain focused on developing our midstream operations. During the first quarter, we exited the proposed PGC Partnership allowing us to explore more favorable options to participate in one of the announced long haul crude oil pipelines. The Big Spring Gathering System continues to develop which, when combined with our potential participation in a long haul pipeline, should support our target to achieve $350 to $370 million of EBITDA from our midstream operations by 2023." Alkylation Project Completed The alkylation unit at the Krotz Springs refinery was completed in early April providing additional flexibility to the refinery. The total cost was approximately $138.0 million. This project is expected to generate an annualized incremental net income of approximately $33.2 million and incremental EBITDA of approximately $50.0 million based on current market prices. This unit should improve the ability to convert low value products into gasoline, enable the refinery to produce multiple summer gasoline grades and increase octane, allowing the refinery to produce premium gasoline. Because of the conversion improvement at the refinery from this project, its returns are expected to be less dependent on the crack spread environment over time. Regular Quarterly Dividend and Share Repurchase Delek US announced today its Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.28 per share. This represents a 3.7 percent increase from our previous regular quarterly dividend. Shareholders of record on May 20, 2019 will receive this cash dividend payable on June 3, 2019. Based on settlement dates during the first quarter 2019, Delek US repurchased approximately 1.3 million shares of Delek US common stock for approximately $46.2 million, with an average price of $35.73 per share. At March 31, 2019, there was approximately $363.6 million of total available authorization remaining to repurchase shares. Based on settlement date, approximately $3.8 million of repurchases were completed in early April as part of the first quarter 2019 program. Delek US expects additional repurchases of approximately $60.0 million of Delek US common stock during the second quarter 2019. Liquidity As of March 31, 2019, Delek US had a cash balance of $989.7 million and total consolidated debt of $1,761.1 million, resulting in net debt of $771.4 million. As of March 31, 2019, Delek US' subsidiary, Delek Logistics Partners, LP ("Delek Logistics"), had $705.2 million of total debt and $5.4 million of cash, which is included in the consolidated amounts on Delek US' balance sheet. Excluding Delek Logistics, Delek US had approximately $984.3 million in cash and $1,055.9 million of debt, or a $71.6 million net debt position. Refining Segment Refining segment contribution margin was $294.3 million in the first quarter 2019 compared to $133.2 million in the first quarter 2018. On a year-over-year basis, results benefited from a wider discount for the Midland to Brent differential, lower RINs expense and a higher crack spread. In addition, as discussed earlier, results in the first quarter 2019 benefited from a rising price environment during the period. Performance at the Krotz Springs, Louisiana refinery continued to improve as it benefited from a crude slate with increased amounts of Midland crude oil and better net-backs as a result of lower RINs prices. The first quarter 2018 results included a benefit from RINs waivers and a biodiesel tax credit that were not present in the first quarter 2019. The Gulf Coast 5-3-2 crack spread increased to $13.02 per barrel for the first quarter 2019, compared to $11.53 per barrel for the same period in 2018. Results during the first quarter 2019 include a Midland to Cushing market differential during the period that was higher than the average market differential due to an inventory timing effect. The estimated realized Midland to Cushing differential included in reported results was approximately $4.26 per barrel during the first quarter 2019, taking into consideration this inventory timing effect. During the El Dorado refinery turnaround, our refining system continued to process all of our available Midland crude oil. During the first quarter 2019, the Midland WTI crude oil differential to Brent crude oil was an average discount of $10.13 per barrel compared to $4.70 per barrel in the prior-year period. The Midland WTI crude oil differential to Cushing WTI was an average discount of $3.86 per barrel in first quarter 2019 compared to an average premium of $0.37 per barrel in the first quarter 2018. Contango in the oil futures market was $0.36 per barrel in the first quarter 2019, compared to backwardation of $0.12 per barrel in the first quarter 2018. During the first quarter 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency did not finalize its decision related to small refinery exemption from the requirements of the renewable fuel standard for the 2018 calendar year. In the first quarter 2018, the El Dorado, Arkansas and Krotz Springs, Louisiana refineries received approval from the Environmental Protection Agency for a small refinery exemption from the requirements of the renewable fuel standard for the 2017 calendar year. This waiver resulted in approximately $59.3 million of RINs expense reduction at El Dorado and $31.6 million at Krotz Springs for the first quarter 2018. The U.S. Congress did not approve a biodiesel blenders tax credit during the first quarter 2019. In the first quarter 2018, approximately $24.6 million of income was recognized in the renewables business in the refining segment from a $1 per gallon biodiesel blenders federal tax credit that was approved in February 2018 on a retroactive basis for calendar year 2017. Logistics Segment The logistics segment contribution margin in the first quarter 2019 increased to $40.1 million compared to $36.3 million in the first quarter 2018. The primary factor that increased contribution margin was a benefit from the drop down of the Big Spring refinery logistics assets that was effective March 1, 2018, which was partially offset by a lower gross margin in west Texas wholesale marketing. Retail Segment For the first quarter 2019, contribution margin was $10.2 million compared to $11.9 million in the prior year period for the retail segment. Merchandise sales were approximately $75.3 million with an average retail margin of 31.0% in the first quarter 2019, compared to merchandise sales of approximately $80.5 million with an average retail margin of 30.2% in the prior year period. Approximately 53.9 million retail fuel gallons were sold at an average margin of $0.19 per gallon in the first quarter 2019 compared to 53.7 million retail fuel gallons sold at an average margin of $0.19 per gallon in the first quarter 2018. On a same store sales basis in the first quarter 2019, merchandise sales increased 0.8% and fuel gallons sold increased 4.1% compared to the prior-year period. Corporate/Other Segment Contribution margin from the Corporate/Other segment was a loss of $10.8 million in the first quarter 2019 compared to a loss of $29.1 million in the prior-year period. The net hedging gain included in this segment in the first quarter 2019 was $8.8 million compared to a net hedging loss of $17.8 million in the prior-year period. First Quarter 2019 Results | Conference Call Information Delek US will hold a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2019 results on Monday, May 6, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. Central Time. Investors will have the opportunity to listen to the conference call live by going to www.DelekUS.com and clicking on the Investor Relations tab. Participants are encouraged to register at least 15 minutes early to download and install any necessary software. Presentation materials accompanying the call will be available on the investor relations tab of the Delek US website approximately five minutes prior to the start of the call. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a telephonic replay will be available through August 6, 2019 by dialing (855) 859-2056, passcode 6275616. An archived version of the replay will also be available at www.DelekUS.com for 90 days. Investors may also wish to listen to Delek Logistics (DKL) first quarter 2019 earnings conference call that will be held on Monday, May 6, 2019 at 7:30 a.m. Central Time and review Delek Logistics earnings press release. Market trends and information disclosed by Delek Logistics may be relevant to the logistics segment reported by Delek US. Both a replay of the conference call and press release for Delek Logistics are available online at www.deleklogistics.com. About Delek US Holdings, Inc. Delek US Holdings, Inc. is a diversified downstream energy company with assets in petroleum refining, logistics, renewable fuels and convenience store retailing. The refining assets consist of refineries operated in Tyler and Big Spring, Texas, El Dorado, Arkansas and Krotz Springs, Louisiana with a combined nameplate crude throughput capacity of 302,000 barrels per day. The logistics operations primarily consist of Delek Logistics Partners, LP (DKL). Delek US Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates own approximately 63% (including the 2 percent general partner interest) of Delek Logistics Partners, LP. Delek Logistics Partners, LP is a growth-oriented master limited partnership focused on owning and operating midstream energy infrastructure assets. The convenience store retail business is the largest 7-Eleven licensee in the United States and operates approximately 281 convenience stores in central and west Texas and New Mexico. Safe Harbor Provisions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements concerning current estimates, expectations and projections about future results, performance, prospects, opportunities, plans, actions and events and other statements, concerns, or matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, as that term is defined under the federal securities laws. These statements contain words such as possible, believe, should, could, would, predict, plan, estimate, intend, may, anticipate, will, if, potential, expect or similar expressions, as well as statements in the future tense. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding throughput at the Companys refineries; crude oil prices, discounts and quality and our ability to benefit therefrom; share repurchases; returning cash to shareholders; payments of dividends; growth; investments into our business; execution of our midstream growth initiatives, including the Big Spring Gathering System and the long-haul crude oil pipeline; RINs waivers and tax credits and the value and benefit therefrom; cash and liquidity; opportunities and anticipated performance and financial position. Investors are cautioned that the following important factors, among others, may affect these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: uncertainty related to timing and amount of future share repurchases and dividend payments; risks and uncertainties with respect to the quantities and costs of crude oil we are able to obtain and the price of the refined petroleum products we ultimately sell; risks related to Delek US exposure to Permian Basin crude oil, such as supply, pricing, gathering, production and transportation capacity; gains and losses from derivative instruments; management's ability to execute its strategy of growth through acquisitions and the transactional risks associated with acquisitions and dispositions; acquired assets may suffer a diminishment in fair value as a result of which we may need to record a write-down or impairment in carrying value of the asset; changes in the scope, costs, and/or timing of capital and maintenance projects; the ability to grow the Big Spring Gathering System; the ability to obtain commitments and construct a long-haul pipeline; operating hazards inherent in transporting, storing and processing crude oil and intermediate and finished petroleum products; our competitive position and the effects of competition; the projected growth of the industries in which we operate; general economic and business conditions affecting the southern United States; and other risks described in Delek US filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), including risks disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings and reports with the SEC. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or management's good faith belief with respect to future events, and is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Delek US undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur, or which Delek US becomes aware of, after the date hereof, except as required by applicable law or regulation. Non-GAAP Disclosures: Our management uses certain non-GAAP operational measures to evaluate our operating segment performance and non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate past performance and prospects for the future to supplement our GAAP financial information presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These financial and operational non-GAAP measures are important factors in assessing our operating results and profitability and include: Adjusted net income (loss) - calculated as net income attributable to Delek US adjusted for certain identified infrequently occurring items, non-cash items and items that are not attributable to our on-going operations (collectively, "Adjusting Items") recorded during the period; Adjusted unrealized hedging (gains) losses - calculated as GAAP unrealized (gains) losses on commodity derivatives that are economic hedges but not designated as hedging instruments adjusted to exclude unrealized (gains) losses where the instrument has matured but where it has not cash settled as of the balance sheet date. This adjustment more appropriately aligns matured commodity derivatives gains and losses with the recognition of the related cost of materials and other. There are no premiums paid or received at the inception of the derivative contracts, and upon settlement there is no cost recovery associated with these contracts; Adjusted net income (loss) per share - calculated as adjusted net income (loss) divided by weighted average shares outstanding, assuming dilution, as adjusted for any anti-dilutive instruments that may not be permitted for consideration in GAAP earnings per share calculations but that nonetheless favorably impact dilution; Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") - calculated as net income attributable to Delek adjusted to add back interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization; Adjusted EBITDA - calculated as EBITDA adjusted for the identified adjusting items in adjusted net income (loss) that do not relate to interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation or amortization, and adjusted to include income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests; Refining margin - calculated as the difference between total refining revenues and total cost of materials and other; and Refining margin per sales barrel - calculated as refining margin divided by our average refining sales in barrels per day (excluding purchased barrels) multiplied by 1,000 and multiplied by the number of days in the period. We believe these non-GAAP operational and financial measures are useful to investors, lenders, ratings agencies and analysts to assess our ongoing performance because, when reconciled to their most comparable GAAP financial measure, they provide improved comparability between periods through the exclusion of certain items that we believe are not indicative of our core operating performance and they may obscure our underlying results and trends. Non-GAAP measures have important limitations as analytical tools, because they exclude some, but not all, items that affect net earnings and operating income. These measures should not be considered substitutes for their most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures. Additionally, because adjusted net income or loss, adjusted net income or loss per share, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA or any of our other identified non-GAAP measures may be defined differently by other companies in its industry, Delek US' definition may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. See the accompanying tables in this earnings release for a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. Delek US Holdings, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (In millions, except share and per share data) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 989.7 $ 1,079.3 Accounts receivable, net 780.2 514.4 Accounts receivable from related parties Inventories, net of inventory valuation reserves 905.8 690.9 Other current assets 85.0 135.7 Total current assets 2,760.7 2,420.3 Property, plant and equipment: Property, plant and equipment 3,121.4 2,999.6 Less: accumulated depreciation (849.1 ) (804.7 ) Property, plant and equipment, net 2,272.3 2,194.9 Operating lease right-of-use assets 198.3 Goodwill 857.8 857.8 Other intangibles, net 94.9 104.4 Equity method investments 135.0 130.3 Other non-current assets 52.8 52.9 Total assets $ 6,371.8 $ 5,760.6 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 1,232.8 $ 1,009.7 Accounts payable to related parties 1.3 1.5 Current portion of long-term debt 32.0 32.0 Obligation under Supply and Offtake Agreements 158.9 312.6 Current portion of operating lease liabilities 43.3 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 392.6 307.7 Total current liabilities 1,860.9 1,663.5 Non-current liabilities: Long-term debt, net of current portion 1,729.1 1,751.3 Obligation under Supply and Offtake Agreements 225.9 49.6 Environmental liabilities, net of current portion 139.5 139.5 Asset retirement obligations 74.7 75.5 Deferred tax liabilities 226.7 210.2 Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion 157.5 Other non-current liabilities 59.0 62.9 Total non-current liabilities 2,612.4 2,289.0 Stockholders equity: Common stock, $0.01 par value, 110,000,000 shares authorized, 90,722,641 shares and 90,478,075 shares issued at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively 0.9 0.9 Additional paid-in capital 1,135.5 1,135.4 Accumulated other comprehensive income 39.3 28.6 Treasury stock, 13,769,424 shares and 12,477,780 shares, at cost, as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively (560.3 ) (514.1 ) Retained earnings 1,110.1 981.8 Non-controlling interests in subsidiaries 173.0 175.5 Total stockholders equity 1,898.5 1,808.1 Total liabilities and stockholders equity $ 6,371.8 $ 5,760.6 Delek US Holdings, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (1) (In millions, except share and per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 (1) (2) Net revenues $ 2,199.9 $ 2,353.2 Cost of sales: Cost of materials and other 1,699.4 2,042.8 Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below) 140.9 132.9 Depreciation and amortization 39.3 37.8 Total cost of sales 1,879.6 2,213.5 Operating expenses related to retail and wholesale business (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below) 25.8 25.2 General and administrative expenses 62.2 65.2 Depreciation and amortization 7.5 10.2 Other operating expense, net 2.4 0.3 Total operating costs and expenses 1,977.5 2,314.4 Operating income 222.4 38.8 Interest expense 28.7 32.5 Interest income (2.5 ) (0.7 ) Income from equity method investments (2.6 ) Impairment loss on assets held for sale 27.5 Loss on extinguishment of debt 9.0 Other income, net (1.4 ) (0.7 ) Total non-operating expenses, net 22.2 67.6 Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (benefit) 200.2 (28.8 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 45.8 (11.5 ) Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax 154.4 (17.3 ) Discontinued operations: Loss from discontinued operations, including gain (loss) on sale of discontinued operations (10.5 ) Income tax benefit (2.3 ) Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax (8.2 ) Net income (loss) 154.4 (25.5 ) Net income attributed to non-controlling interests 5.1 14.9 Net income (loss) attributable to Delek $ 149.3 $ (40.4 ) Basic income (loss) per share: Income (loss) from continuing operations $ 1.92 $ (0.29 ) Loss from discontinued operations (0.20 ) Total basic income (loss) per share $ 1.92 $ (0.49 ) Diluted income (loss) per share: Income (loss) from continuing operations $ 1.90 $ (0.29 ) (Loss) from discontinued operations (0.20 ) Total diluted income (loss) per share $ 1.90 $ (0.49 ) Weighted average common shares outstanding: Basic 77,793,278 82,252,405 Diluted 78,446,690 82,252,405 Dividends declared per common share outstanding $ 0.27 $ 0.20 (1) Certain changes to presentation of the prior period statements of income have been made in order to conform to the current period presentation, primarily relating to the addition of a subtotal entitled 'cost of sales' which includes all costs directly attributable to the generation of the related revenue, as defined by GAAP, and the retitling of what was previously referred to as 'cost of goods sold' to 'cost of materials and other'. Operating expenses and depreciation and amortization related to the wholesale business and the retail business are excluded from cost of sales because they primarily relate to costs associated with selling the products. (2) Income tax benefit for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 reflects a correction made in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K (filed on March 1, 2019) to record additional deferred tax expense totaling $5.5 million related to the recognition of a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets recognized in connection with the Big Spring Logistic Assets Acquisition not previously reported in our March 31, 2018 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 10, 2018. Such amount is not considered material to the financial statements or the trend of earnings for that period. See Note 23 to our annual audited consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 1, 2019 for further discussion. Delek US Holdings, Inc. Condensed Cash Flow Data (Unaudited) (In millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Cash flows from operating activities: Cash provided by (used in) operating activities - continuing operations $ 133.4 $ (175.1 ) Cash used in operating activities - discontinued operations (15.6 ) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 133.4 (190.7 ) Cash flows from investing activities: Cash used in investing activities - continuing operations (127.0 ) (32.1 ) Cash provided by investing activities - discontinued operations 5.5 Net cash used in investing activities (127.0 ) (26.6 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Cash (used in) provided by financing activities - continuing operations (96.0 ) 293.4 Cash provided by (used in) financing activities - discontinued operations Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (96.0 ) 293.4 Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (89.6 ) 76.1 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 1,079.3 941.9 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 989.7 1,018.0 Less cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations at the end of the period Cash and cash equivalents of continuing operations at the end of the period $ 989.7 $ 1,018.0 Delek US Holdings, Inc. Segment Data (Unaudited) (In millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Refining Logistics Retail Corporate, Other and Eliminations Consolidated Net revenues (excluding intercompany fees and sales) $ 1,907.4 $ 89.6 $ 197.2 $ 5.7 $ 2,199.9 Intercompany fees and sales 184.6 62.9 (247.5 ) Operating costs and expenses: Cost of materials and other 1,676.7 96.3 163.4 (237.0 ) 1,699.4 Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below) 121.0 16.1 23.6 6.0 166.7 Segment contribution margin $ 294.3 $ 40.1 $ 10.2 $ (10.8 ) $ 333.8 Depreciation and amortization 31.1 6.5 4.3 4.9 46.8 General and administrative expenses 62.2 Other operating expense, net 2.4 Operating income $ 222.4 Total assets $ 6,607.2 $ 640.2 $ 339.0 $ (1,214.6 ) $ 6,371.8 Capital spending (excluding business combinations) $ 81.7 $ 0.9 $ 5.1 $ 40.7 $ 128.4 Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 Refining Logistics Retail Corporate, Other and Eliminations Consolidated Net revenues (excluding intercompany fees and sales) $ 1,942.8 $ 106.3 $ 209.6 $ 94.5 $ 2,353.2 Intercompany fees and sales 183.1 61.6 (244.7 ) Operating costs and expenses: Cost of materials and other 1,878.0 119.0 173.2 (127.4 ) 2,042.8 Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below) 114.7 12.6 24.5 6.3 158.1 Segment contribution margin $ 133.2 $ 36.3 $ 11.9 $ (29.1 ) 152.3 Depreciation and amortization 32.2 6.0 6.9 2.9 48.0 General and administrative expenses 65.2 Other operating expense, net 0.3 Operating income $ 38.8 Total assets (1) $ 5,565.8 $ 665.9 $ 325.9 $ (472.9 ) $ 6,084.7 Capital spending (excluding business combinations) (2) $ 51.5 $ 2.2 $ 2.0 $ 14.4 $ 70.1 (1) Assets held for sale of $120.7 million are included in the corporate, other and eliminations segment as of March 31, 2018. (2) Capital spending excludes transaction costs capitalized in the amount of $0.4 million during the three months ended March 31, 2018, that relate to the Big Spring Logistic Assets Acquisition. Refining Segment Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Tyler, TX Refinery (Unaudited) Days in period 90 90 Total sales volume - refined (average barrels per day)(1) 70,028 73,984 Products manufactured (average barrels per day): Gasoline 39,341 40,670 Diesel/Jet 27,383 27,622 Petrochemicals, LPG, NGLs 2,056 2,077 Other 1,166 1,770 Total production 69,946 72,139 Throughput (average barrels per day): Crude oil 64,479 65,282 Other feedstocks 6,471 7,180 Total throughput 70,950 72,462 Per barrel of sales: Tyler refining margin $ 22.26 $ 8.33 Tyler adjusted refining margin $ 16.22 $ 5.95 Direct operating expenses $ 4.70 $ 3.42 Crude Slate: (% based on amount received in period) WTI crude oil 89.6 % 80.6 % East Texas crude oil 9.1 % 16.9 % Other 1.3 % 2.5 % El Dorado, AR Refinery Days in period 90 90 Total sales volume - refined (average barrels per day)(2) 52,440 70,590 Products manufactured (average barrels per day): Gasoline 20,490 35,087 Diesel 15,451 26,295 Petrochemicals, LPG, NGLs 806 1,466 Asphalt 4,825 5,132 Other 639 838 Total production 42,211 68,818 Throughput (average barrels per day): Crude oil 41,112 68,432 Other feedstocks 2,192 1,778 Total throughput 43,304 70,210 Per barrel of sales: El Dorado refining margin $ 13.45 $ 13.09 El Dorado adjusted refining margin $ 12.67 2.81 Direct operating expenses $ 6.69 $ 5.16 Crude Slate: (% based on amount received in period) WTI crude oil 41.3 % 62.2 % Local Arkansas crude oil 27.7 % 20.4 % Other 31.0 % 17.4 % Refining Segment Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Big Spring, TX Refinery (Unaudited) Days in period - based on date acquired 90 90 Total sales volume - refined (average barrels per day) (3) 81,849 62,773 Products manufactured (average barrels per day): Gasoline 38,900 31,127 Diesel/Jet 28,359 19,037 Petrochemicals, LPG, NGLs 3,848 3,024 Asphalt 1,512 1,856 Other 1,237 1,112 Total production 73,856 56,156 Throughput (average barrels per day): Crude oil 72,329 53,759 Other feedstocks 1,890 1,843 Total throughput 74,219 55,602 Per barrel of sales: Big Spring refining margin $ 18.16 $ 9.58 Big Spring adjusted refining margin 17.71 $ 9.63 Direct operating expenses $ 3.81 $ 5.22 Crude Slate: (% based on amount received in period) WTI crude oil 79.5 % 70.1 % WTS crude oil 20.5 % 29.9 % Krotz Springs, LA Refinery Days in period - based on date acquired 90 90 Total sales volume - refined (average barrels per day) (4) 78,231 79,898 Products manufactured (average barrels per day): Gasoline 38,062 39,071 Diesel/Jet 30,391 31,054 Heavy oils 1,090 1,339 Petrochemicals, LPG, NGLs 7,269 7,752 Other 105 Total production 76,917 79,216 Throughput (average barrels per day): Crude oil 72,330 73,883 Other feedstocks 3,166 3,830 Total throughput 75,496 77,713 Per barrel of sales: Krotz Springs refining margin $ 11.95 $ 6.92 Krotz Springs adjusted refining margin 10.97 $ 2.52 Direct operating expenses $ 3.89 $ 3.56 Crude Slate: (% based on amount received in period) WTI Crude 65.0 % 59.4 % Gulf Coast Sweet Crude 35.0 % 40.6 % Pricing statistics (average for the period presented) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 (Unaudited) WTI Cushing crude oil (per barrel) $ 54.87 $ 62.89 WTI Midland crude oil (per barrel) $ 53.70 $ 62.51 WTS -- Midland crude oil (per barrel) (5) $ 53.93 $ 61.46 LLS crude oil (per barrel) (5) $ 62.36 $ 65.82 Brent crude oil (per barrel) $ 63.83 $ 67.21 US Gulf Coast 5-3-2 crack spread (per barrel) (5) $ 13.02 $ 11.53 US Gulf Coast 3-2-1 crack spread (per barrel) (5) $ 15.18 $ 15.31 US Gulf Coast 2-1-1 crack spread (per barrel) (5) $ 7.33 $ 9.72 US Gulf Coast Unleaded Gasoline (per gallon) $ 1.52 $ 1.77 Gulf Coast Ultra low sulfur diesel (per gallon) $ 1.88 $ 1.93 US Gulf Coast high sulfur diesel (per gallon) $ 1.75 $ 1.77 Natural gas (per MMBTU) $ 2.87 $ 2.85 (1) Total sales volume includes 101 bpd and 132 bpd sold to the El Dorado refinery, 96 bpd and 490 bpd sold to the Big Spring refinery, no bpd and 238 bpd sold to the Krotz Springs refinery and 540 bpd and 1,575 bpd sold to the logistics segment during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Total sales volume excludes 4,578 bpd and 4,475 bpd of wholesale activity during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. (2) Total sales volume includes 145 bpd and 52 bpd sold to the Tyler refinery, 41,240 bpd and 4,899 bpd sold to the Krotz Springs refinery, 221 bpd and 833 bpd sold to the Big Spring refinery, 52 bpd and no bpd sold to logistics segment and 201 bpd and 25 bpd sold to Alon Asphalt Company during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Total sales volume excludes 64,716 bpd and 53,157 bpd of wholesale activity during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. (3) Total sales volume includes 812 bpd and 219 bpd sold to the Tyler refinery, 484 bpd and no bpd sold to the El Dorado refinery, 14,359 bpd and 14,216 bpd sold to the retail segment, 10,992 bpd and 5,328 bpd sold to the logistics segment and 1,512 bpd and 1,146 bpd sold to Alon Asphalt Company during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Total sales volume excludes 7,480 bpd and 10,303 bpd of wholesale activity during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. (4) Sales volume includes 605 bpd and 18,749 bpd sold to the El Dorado refinery and 191 bpd and 222 bpd sold to the Tyler refinery during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Total sales volume excludes 16,428 bpd and 4,239 bpd of wholesale activity during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. (5) For our Tyler and El Dorado refineries, we compare our per barrel refining product margin to the Gulf Coast 5-3-2 crack spread consisting of WTI Cushing crude, U.S. Gulf Coast CBOB and U.S, Gulf Coast Pipeline No. 2 heating oil (high sulfur diesel). For our Big Spring refinery, we compare our per barrel refined product margin to the Gulf Coast 3-2-1 crack spread consisting of WTI Cushing crude, Gulf Coast 87 Conventional gasoline and Gulf Coast ultra low sulfur diesel, and for our Krotz Springs refinery, we compare our per barrel refined product margin to the Gulf Coast 2-1-1 crack spread consisting of LLS crude oil, Gulf Coast 87 Conventional gasoline and U.S, Gulf Coast Pipeline No. 2 heating oil (high sulfur diesel). The Tyler refinery's crude oil input is primarily WTI Midland and east Texas, while the El Dorado refinery's crude input is primarily combination of WTI Midland, local Arkansas and other domestic inland crude oil. The Big Spring refinerys crude oil input is primarily comprised of WTS and WTI Midland. The Krotz Springs refinerys crude oil input is primarily comprised of LLS and WTI Midland. The Big Spring and Krotz Springs refineries were acquired July 1, 2017 as part of the Delek US/Alon USA Merger, so Gulf Coast 3-2-1 and 2-1-1 crack spreads, LLS and WTS statistics are presented only for the period Delek US owned these refineries. Delek US Holdings, Inc. Reconciliation of Refining Margin per barrel to Adjusted Refining Margin per barrel (1) $ in millions, except per share data Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 (Unaudited) Tyler (2) Reported refining margin, $ per barrel $ 22.26 $ 8.33 Adjustments: Net inventory valuation (benefit) (6.04 ) (0.07 ) Renewable biofuels credit allocated to refinery (2.31 ) Adjusted refining margin $/bbl $ 16.22 $ 5.95 El Dorado (3) Reported refining margin, $ per barrel $ 13.45 $ 13.09 Adjustments: Net inventory valuation (benefit) loss (0.78 ) 0.01 RIN waiver (9.34 ) Renewable biofuels credit allocated to refinery (0.95 ) Adjusted refining margin $/bbl $ 12.67 $ 2.81 Big Spring (4) Reported refining margin, $ per barrel $ 18.16 $ 9.58 Adjustments: Net inventory valuation (benefit) loss (0.45 ) 0.05 Adjusted refining margin $/bbl $ 17.71 $ 9.63 Krotz Springs (5) Reported refining margin, $ per barrel $ 11.95 $ 6.92 Adjustments: Net inventory valuation (benefit) (0.98 ) (0.01 ) RIN waiver (4.39 ) Adjusted refining margin $/bbl $ 10.97 $ 2.52 (1) Adjusted refining margin per barrel is presented to provide a measure to evaluate performance excluding inventory valuation adjustments and other items at the individual refinery level. Delek US believes that the presentation of adjusted measures provides useful information to investors in assessing its results of operations at each refinery. Because adjusted refining margin per barrel may be defined differently by other companies in its industry, Delek US' definition may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. (2) Tyler adjusted refining margins exclude the following items. Net inventory valuation benefit - There was approximately $38.1 million and $0.5 million of valuation benefit in the first quarter 2019 and 2018, respectively. These amounts resulted from lower of cost or market adjustments on LIFO inventory in the respective periods. Biodiesel tax credit allocation - There was approximately $15.4 million related to the biodiesel tax credit that was allocated to Tyler in the first quarter of 2018 that is included in the renewables portion of the refining segment. (3) El Dorado adjusted refining margins exclude the following items. Net inventory valuation benefit (loss) - There were $3.7 million and $(0.1) million of valuation benefit (loss) in the first quarter 2019 and 2018, respectively. These amounts resulted from lower of cost or market adjustments on FIFO inventory in the respective periods. RIN waiver - During the first quarter 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency did not finalize its decision related to small refinery exemption from the requirements of the renewable fuel standard for the 2018 calendar year. In March 2018, the El Dorado refinery received approval from the Environmental Protection Agency for a small refinery exemption from the requirements of the renewable fuel standard for the 2017 calendar year. This waiver equated to a benefit of approximately $59.3 million recognized in the first quarter 2018. Biodiesel tax credit allocation - There was approximately $0.0 million and $6.0 million related to the biodiesel tax credit that was allocated to El Dorado in the first quarter 2019 and 2018, respectively, that is included in the renewables portion of the refining segment. (4) Big Spring adjusted refining margins exclude the following items. Net inventory valuation benefit (loss) - There were approximately $3.3 million and $(0.3) million of valuation benefit (loss) in the first quarter 2019 and 2018, respectively. These amounts resulted from lower of cost or market adjustments on FIFO inventory in the respective period. (5) Krotz Springs adjusted refining margins exclude the following items. Net inventory valuation (loss) - There were $6.9 million and $0.0 million of valuation benefit in the first quarter 2019 and 2018, respectively. These amounts resulted from lower of cost or market adjustments on FIFO inventory in the period. RIN waiver - During the first quarter 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency did not finalize its decision related to small refinery exemption from the requirements of the renewable fuel standard for the 2018 calendar year. In March 2018, the Krotz Springs refinery received approval from the Environmental Protection Agency for a small refinery exemption from the requirements of the renewable fuel standard for the 2017 calendar year. This waiver equated to a benefit of approximately $31.6 million recognized in the first quarter 2018. Logistics Segment Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 (Unaudited) Pipelines & Transportation: (average bpd) Lion Pipeline System: Crude pipelines (non-gathered) 28,683 54,728 Refined products pipelines 23,092 49,754 SALA Gathering System 16,998 16,672 East Texas Crude Logistics System 18,113 18,062 Wholesale Marketing & Terminalling: East Texas - Tyler Refinery sales volumes (average bpd) (1) 68,577 73,244 West Texas marketing throughputs (average bpd) 13,314 15,942 West Texas gross margin per barrel $ 3.56 $ 5.16 Big Spring Marketing - Refinery sales volume (average bpd) (for period owned) (2) 87,741 75,139 Terminalling throughputs (average bpd) (3) 152,469 143,476 (1) Excludes jet fuel and petroleum coke. (2) Throughputs for the three months ended March 31, 2018 are for the 31 days we marketed certain finished products produced at or sold from the Big Spring Refinery following the execution of the Big Spring Marketing Agreement, effective March 31, 2018. (3) Consists of terminalling throughputs at our Tyler, Big Spring, Big Sandy and Mount Pleasant, Texas, our El Dorado and North Little Rock, Arkansas and our Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee terminals. Throughputs for the Big Spring terminal are for the 31 days we operated the terminal following its acquisition effective March 31, 2018. Barrels per day are calculated for only the days we operated each terminal. Total throughput for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was 11.3 million barrels, which averaged 125,639 barrels per day for the period. Retail Segment Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 (Unaudited) Number of stores (end of period) 281 298 Average number of stores 281 299 Retail fuel sales (thousands of gallons) 53,890 53,699 Average retail gallons per average number of stores (in thousands) 199 185 Retail fuel margin ($ per gallon) $ 0.19 $ 0.19 Merchandise sales (in millions) $ 75.3 $ 80.5 Merchandise sales per average number of stores (in millions) $ 0.3 $ 0.3 Merchandise margin % 31.0 % 30.2 % Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Change in same-store fuel gallons sold 4.1 % Change in same-store merchandise sales 0.8 % Delek US Holdings, Inc. Reconciliation of Amounts Reported Under U.S. GAAP $ in millions Three Months Ended March 31, Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) attributable to Delek to Adjusted Net Income 2019 2018 (Unaudited) Reported net income (loss) attributable to Delek $ 149.3 $ (40.4 ) Adjustments Net inventory valuation (benefit) loss (52.1 ) (0.9 ) Tax effect of inventory valuation 11.3 0.2 Net after tax inventory valuation (benefit) loss (40.8 ) (0.7 ) Adjusted unrealized hedging loss 13.4 7.8 Tax effect of adjusted unrealized hedging (3.0 ) (1.8 ) Net after tax adjusted unrealized hedging loss 10.4 6.0 Transaction related expenses 3.0 10.5 Tax effect of transaction related expenses (0.7 ) (2.2 ) Net after tax transaction related expenses 2.3 8.3 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act adjustment (benefit) (7.4 ) Tax effect of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act adjustment Net after tax Tax Cuts and Jobs Act adjustment (benefit) (7.4 ) Loss on extinguishment of debt 9.0 Tax effect of loss on extinguishment of debt (2.1 ) Net after tax loss on extinguishment of debt 6.9 Impairment loss on assets held for sale 27.5 Tax effect of impairment loss on assets held for sale (0.5 ) Net after tax impairment loss on assets held for sale 27.0 Discontinued operations loss 10.5 Tax effect of discontinued operations (2.3 ) Net after tax discontinued operations loss 8.2 Income attributable to non-controlling interest of discontinued operations 10.5 Tax effect of income attributable to non-controlling interest of discontinued operations (2.4 ) Net after tax income attributable to non-controlling interest of discontinued operations 8.1 Tax adjustment related to unrealizable deferred taxes created in Big Spring Asset Acquisition 5.5 Total after tax adjustments (28.1 ) 61.9 Adjusted net income $ 121.2 $ 21.5 Delek US Holdings, Inc. Reconciliation of Amounts Reported Under U.S. GAAP per share data Three Months Ended March 31, Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP Income (Loss) per share to Adjusted Net Income per share 2019 2018 (Unaudited) Reported diluted income per share $ 1.90 $ (0.49 ) Adjustments, after tax (per share) (1) Net inventory valuation gain (0.52 ) (0.01 ) Adjusted unrealized hedging loss 0.13 0.07 Transaction related expenses 0.03 0.10 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act adjustment (benefit) (0.09 ) Impairment loss on assets held for sale 0.33 Loss on extinguishment of debt 0.08 Discontinued operations loss 0.10 Net income attributable to non-controlling interest of discontinued operations 0.10 Tax adjustment related to unrealizable deferred taxes created in Big Spring Asset Acquisition 0.07 Total adjustments (0.36 ) 0.75 Adjusted net income per share $ 1.54 $ 0.26 (1) The tax calculation is based on the appropriate marginal income tax rate related to each adjustment and for each respective time period, which is applied to the adjusted items in the calculation of adjusted net income in all periods. Delek US Holdings, Inc. Reconciliation of Amounts Reported Under U.S. GAAP $ in millions Three Months Ended March 31, Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) attributable to Delek to Adjusted EBITDA 2019 2018 (Unaudited) Reported net income (loss) attributable to Delek $ 149.3 $ (40.4 ) Add: Interest expense, net 26.2 31.8 Loss on extinguishment of debt 9.0 Income tax expense (benefit) - continuing operations 45.8 (11.5 ) Depreciation and amortization 46.8 48.0 EBITDA 268.1 36.9 Adjustments Net inventory valuation (gain) loss (52.1 ) (0.9 ) Adjusted unrealized hedging loss 13.4 7.8 Transaction related expenses 3.0 10.5 Impairment loss on assets held for sale 27.5 Discontinued operations loss, net of tax 8.2 Net income attributable to non-controlling interest 5.1 14.9 Total adjustments (30.6 ) 68.0 Adjusted EBITDA $ 237.5 $ 104.9 Three Months Ended March 31, Reconciliation of Refining Segment Gross Margin to Refining Margin 2019 2018 (Unaudited) Net revenues $ 2,092.0 $ 2,125.9 Cost of sales 1,828.8 2,024.9 Gross margin 263.2 101.0 Add back (items included in cost of sales): Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization) 121.0 114.7 Depreciation and amortization 31.1 32.2 Refining margin $ 415.3 $ 247.9 Three Months Ended March 31, Reconciliation of Unrealized (Gains) Losses on Economic Hedge Commodity Derivatives Not Designated as Hedges to Adjusted Unrealized Hedging (Gains) Losses 2019 2018 (Unaudited) Unrealized loss on economic hedge commodity derivatives not designated as hedges $ 27.1 $ 14.8 Reversal of prior period unrealized gain where the instrument has matured but has not cash settled as of period end (8.1 ) (4.6 ) Removal of portion of unrealized loss where the instrument has matured but has not cash settled as of period end (5.6 ) (2.4 ) Adjusted unrealized hedging loss $ 13.4 $ 7.8 Reconciliation of Forecast Incremental U.S. GAAP Net Income (Loss) to Forecast Incremental EBITDA for Alkylation Project Annual Forecast Forecasted Incremental Net Income $ 33.2 Add Forecasted Incremental Amounts for: Interest Expense, net Income tax expense 9.9 Depreciation and amortization 6.9 Forecasted Incremental EBITDA $ 50.0 Investor Relations Contact: Keith Johnson Vice President of Investor Relations 615-435-1366 The Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce intends to go through with a gala celebrating far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, even after the honoree announced that he would be skipping the ceremony because of widespread controversy. According to an update on the business group's website, the dinner recognizing Bolsonaro as Person of the Year will "take place as scheduled" on May 14th. The event, which was initially set to be hosted by the American Museum of Natural History, was relocated last month to the Marriott Marquis amid threats to boycott and protest the venue. Critics noted that Bolsonaro has openly embraced homophobia, misogyny, and racism, while dehumanizing Indigenous people as zoo animals or "chicken pox." He has also overseen a campaign to deforest wide swaths of the Amazonprompting thousands of people to protest outside government buildings last month. But it was the hostility of New Yorkers that apparently pushed Bolsonaro to bail on his plans to accept the award in person. In a statement released Friday, a spokesperson for the Brazilian president said he'd cancelled the visit because of "resistance and deliberate attacks from the mayor of New York and the pressure of interest groups on the institutions that organize, sponsor and host the event annually." During an interview with WNYC's Brian Lehrer last month, Mayor Bill de Blasio noted Bolsonaro's efforts to destroy the Amazon, describing him as "very dangerous person." The mayor interpreted the cancellation as a victory, tweeting on Saturday: "We called his bigotry out. He ran away. Not surprisedbullies usually cant take a punch." Jair Bolsonaro just learned the hard way that New Yorkers dont turn a blind eye to oppression. We called his bigotry out. He ran away. Not surprised bullies usually cant take a punch. @jairbolsonaro Good riddance. Your hatred isnt welcome here. https://t.co/GaXXrtdyAP Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) May 4, 2019 In addition to pressure from elected officials and activists, the gala has also begun to bleed corporate sponsors. The Financial Times, Delta, and Bain & Company all dropped out of the event over the last week. While several sponsors were still listed online as of Fridayincluding UnitedHealth Group, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, Bank of America, JPMorgan, and Forbesthat page was purged from the website entirely this past weekend. Still, the Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce appears undeterred in their decision to proceed with the gala, which sold out its $30,000 tickets immediately. Around 1,000 guests are expected to attend the fundraiser. In addition to Bolsonaro, awards will be given to "important contributors to Social Responsibility and Digital Innovation" as well as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (it's unclear if Pompeo will attend). The Marriott does not appear to be budging in its support for the gala either. Last week, the company's CEO, Arne Sorenson, published a LinkedIn post explaining that "everyone is welcome" at the hotel. "Allowing a group to use our facilities in no way suggests we endorse its views," he continued. "It just means we are trying to live up to our ideals of openness and inclusivity, understanding that we may put ourselves in an uncomfortable position." The Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit organization that exists to promote trade and investment relationships between the two countries. Several high-ranking members also happen to have business interests before Bolsonaro: the organization's president and board chairman, Alexander Bettamio, currently serves as the head of the Latin American division of Bank of America, and was one of Bolsonaro's choices to run Brazil's state-run bank; the chamber's executive director, Ted Helms, is a former investment manager at the Brazilian oil company Petrobras, which struck a $9 billion deal with Bolsonaro's government last month. On Monday, a member of the "No! Bolsonaro" coalition told Gothamist that a planned protest and disruption of the gala will go forward, regardless of the Brazilian president's absence. Bollene, May 6, 2019 - 07:00am (CET) - Egide hereby provides notice to shareholders of the Shareholders` Annual General Meeting to be held on June 11, 2019 at 2:00pm, in the lounge of Pavillon Kleber, 7 rue Cimarosa, Paris. The agenda of the meeting and the text of the resolutions presented to the Shareholders` Meeting were published in the BALO (French official notices gazette) on May 6, 2019 (www.journal-officiel.gouv.fr ), and are online on the company`s website (www.egide-group.com ). Shareholders will be able to obtain any other additional information writing to EGIDE, Parc d`Activites de Pissaloup, Service Assemblee, 4 rue Edouard Branly - Trappes (78190). To find out more about Egide: www.egide-group.com About Egide Egide is a group with an international dimension, specialized in the manufacture of hermetic packages and heat dissipation solutions for sensitive electronic components. It operates in cutting edge markets with strong technology barriers to entry in all critical industry segments (Thermal Imaging, Optronics, High-Frequency, Power Units.). Egide is the only pure player in this market niche with manufacturing bases in France and the United States. Egide`s eligibility for tax efficient French innovation-focused mutual funds (FCPI) was renewed on May 14, 2018. Egide is listed on Euronext Paris(TM)- Segment C - ISIN code: FR0000072373 - Reuters: EGID.PA - Bloomberg : GID CONTACTS EGIDE - Finance Department - Philippe Lussiez - +33 1 30 68 81 00 - plussiez@fr.egide-group.com INBOUND CAPITAL - Investor Relations - Frederic Portier - +44 7802 533333 - fportier@inbound.capital FIN`EXTENSO - Press Relations - Isabelle Aprile - +33 1 39 97 61 22 - i.aprile@finextenso.fr EGIDE : 2019 Shareholders`annual general meeting - Prior Notice of mee This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: EGIDE via GlobeNewswire HUG#2243551 This interview has been edited and condensed. The co-director of the Initiative for Cryptocurrencies and Smart Contracts (known as IC3), Emin Gun Sirer, is an associate professor at Cornell University, whose research focuses on peer-to-peer systems, operating systems, distributed systems and computer networking. He is one of the most influential scientists within the crypto and blockchain ecosystem, and his voice represents an academic view on the development of the technologies. We met with professor Emin Gun Sirer at Deconomy in Seoul, South Korea, and talked about the future of cryptocurrencies, the potential danger of their full implementation and the reasons for the stagnation of the technological evolution over the past 10 years. Max Yakubowski: First of all, I would like to thank you for what you are doing. Because, honestly, for me, it was your research and papers I was reading when I was making my first steps into the blockchain and crypto industry. Scientists like you and Andreas M. Antonopoulos were my first guides into the ecosystem. Emin Gun Sirer: Great, I am glad to hear that. That is a great way to get into it. And Im glad I played a tiny role in that. That sounds great. I am always happy to hear such words, as I usually get the abuse. So, there are always some trolls who are attacking me for something I said or wrote. It's fantastic to, occasionally, hear something good. The other thing that happens is there are a couple of people who do the equivalent of hashtag Lambo. They hit like a million dollars and then they send me a toy Lambo. So, I have a couple of toy lambos. (laughing) I took one picture on my desk of a Lambo toy, one is like 1/16 scale, and it is really accurate. And Nathaniel Popper [a journalist who covers finance and technology for The New York Times] wrote me back: Did that really happen that somebodyd bought you a Lambo? Oh yes, it did! You will notice that it's in my maple wooden garage in old grove, looks really nice. Thats how rich I am. Story continues Pessimism and optimism MY: Yeah. It looks like we are coming to the end of the crypto winter and moving to crypto summer. EGS: I hope so, but, you know, lets not get too excited about just a small price bump. So, price bumps happen all the time. If I think about what has really changed, nothing has changed. Like, there was no reason for it to go down as far as it did. There was no reason for it to go up as much as it did yesterday. There certainly wasn't any reason whatsoever for it to go up to $20,000 when it happened. So, overall there are some really good signs that the crypto winter washed out most of the scams that was good but the technology isn't really quite there, yet. So, I think it's a bit premature. MY: I guess it is quite important for the ecosystem that the discourse is stopping to be pessimistic and it is turning into optimism, as it was a couple of years ago. EGS: Totally agree. I can sense it is changing. And, you know, a bunch of us who've been in it for a long long time don't really care about the price movements all that much. But even I was personally affected. We needed some morale boosts. And the morale boost now and then is a good thing to have. But, you know, I am really excited about use cases. I am really excited about people doing things, so that is not happening as much. It is still a speculative instrument, and I would like to see it built. Changing the world MY: I would like to proceed with a question related to your Twitter. You wrote So, many academics forget that our goal, as a profession, is *not* to publish papers. It's to change the world. Is that what you are doing? You are trying to change the world by implementing all those brand-new technologies into real life, arent you? EGS: Absolutely. So, I very firmly believe that our mission is to change the world. It is not to get the next incremental paper out. It is not to have the next token of achievement. It is not to put together some papers that your friends read and then to meet them once a year. And you play this funny game of doing favors for each other. Some kind of a token exchange economy. We are here to change how normal people live. And that is a different standard for work, it is a different standard for impact. It does mean a bunch of different things for academics. It means that we should judge each other based on impact. It also means that the bar is much higher, right? So, it is not sufficient to write. You have to go out and make sure that your work is thick, that the work you do is not some fancy model and is, actually, relevant to what normal people are doing in their lives. That is what I am trying to do. You know, how effective I'm at it that's a different story. But that tweet, you know, captures my values, my groups values. We are trying to change people lives. MY: My next point came out at the conference during the panel with Dr. Doom [Nouriel Roubini, an American economist] and Mr. Decentral [Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder and inventor of Ethereum]. You just wrote that Roubinis biggest sin is that he sees the current financial system as normal. Let's talk about that a little bit. What is your point here? EGS: Right, he is blind to it. And hes blind to it in a unique way that economists are blind to rare events or rare-seeming events in the long term, but are actually not at all rare, so what are the chances of a currency collapse? They seem low. What are the chances of an overnight 30% devaluation? They it's such a far and remote possibility for most people it would seem, perhaps. But really, take the long view back, I personally lived through at least 230% overnight devaluations myself, then maybe he is going to discount that. He is going to say to you and the 80 million people who lived in the country, where you grew up, You know don't count. You are not the first world, we know better. Do you really know better? Anyway, so there is that. But also there are wars. I came from a family that was displaced. One fine morning, people came into the house and said they lived in Greece at the time The Greeks are coming. You have to run. And they ran. They literally left the breakfast on the table. And if you look around you, will find that an enormous number of people have similar stories. So, this happens to people. This is what we do to each other. We engage in wars, we displace populations. And any time these things happen, the system collapses. And in some way, a lot of the crypto value proposition is a hedge against these kinds of scenarios. And, more importantly, the entire thing that is underlying the Nouriel-approach to life is trust in the system, to have faith in the system, to have faith in the records, to have faith in the government. And, surely, on a day-to-day basis, it seems okay, but in the long run, the tail risk is rather high. You don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. We found in 2008 that Nouriel and his friends didn't know exactly what they were doing. They were quite capable of creating situations where, you know, in fact we had the commodity price spike, we had the entire banking system collapse... I mean, if I go back before then and we had a similar episodes in 1997... I mean, this happens with some regularity about every decade. We're overdue for another one about every decade or so. They found a way to collapse the economic system. So, the proposition is that we should just trust the powers, and that is the fundamentally incorrect point in what he said. So, that is what I think Vitalik [Buterin] should have really hammered on, that these things happen. It is not at all unusual to have a world war. We had two in the last century. Why wouldn't we have another one? How are you going to get your wealth out? Surely, that people would have enjoyed taking their wealth on a USB stick if they could, back on the day instead of leaving everything behind: their breakfast, their table, their houses. And this is not unusual. Role of decentralization MY: Some people like Vitalik Buterin are seeing that ecosystem as a beautiful utopia, while others like Nouriel Roubini as a terrible dystopia. How do you see this kind of decentralization applied to real life? EGS: That is a great question. We have to give to Nouriel Roubini the point that these systems are not all that decentralized there is a lot of decentralization theater. Bitcoin when you look at it in detail, as we did in our paper comparing decentralization of Bitcoin material Bitcoin comes down to about 19 mining pools, generating the vast majority of the blockchain. You don't need an incredibly expensive protocol to keep track of a ledger between 19 entrants. We know better, more efficient protocols. So, Roubini is right these systems pay a lot of attention, or pay a lot of lip service to decentralization, and deep down, they are not that decentralized. On the other hand, if I look at almost every other construct that we have, whenever you create centralized chokepoints, what we get is some incumbent, sitting at that choke point, collecting rent. Roubini knows this very, very well. I'm sure he teaches it in his economics classes. And this becomes a choke point for society. We stop seeing innovation. So a very, very simple example of this is telecom. Look at the phone system. Where is it going now? Nowhere! What happened since my grandfather's days to the phone system? It is the same dumb thing: You pick up the phone, you talk to someone, you press the buttons. So, it is a really abysmal system it did not evolve because there was an incumbent collecting a fat, nice little paycheck. In contrast, you look at the internet, and it is a completely different ballgame. People have to compete, and there isn't that single entity at least there wasn't. But as the technology, it is sort of mature; the incumbents grow and they use regulatory capture. We are going to see this same evolution applied where people will invent new things. Those things will put away the old. Over time, some incumbents come to own them in some fashion. And if they cannot own them technologically, they own them through regulatory, social means. And then, once they become entrenched, somebody else disrupts them. We are very much in the disruption phase with blockchains. And what he [Nouriel Rubini] fails to see is that this technology is an existential threat to incumbents today. Even if it is 99.99% sh*tcoins, if we evolve the new technology to build things better custodial solutions, better means of auditing, a ledger of any kind then it suddenly creates a different dynamic where you the person or the citizen can now audit what the government is doing. And I don't think that the government is really the biggest, worst actor that we face. You can suddenly break cartels and monopolies and, really, it is the companies that are most of the problem here. There is now an open empty playing field. And you have the opportunity to tackle, to compete with incumbents. And that is great for all of us! And to come into this and to point out a bunch of fraud that is going on and technological limitations of first generation coins, I think is a bunch of cheap shots. We can't get to where we want to be at three transactions per second. It is not gonna happen even the Bitcoin devs say so. It is going to be an exciting year ahead of us, where we try to develop the technology that can deliver that dream. I am working on it. I know other teams are working on it. And we need better technology. The right way to do it is to rethink, to build, to provide vertical applications; where people don't even realize there are tokens or cryptocurrencies or blockchain underneath they just see the end result of the technology that is better auditability, an even, open playing field and better platforms for all to use. Comparing the invention of blockchain technology to that of the internet is sometimes rightful, but sometimes, it is a stretch. MY: Do you think that, on the one hand, we are moving very fast developing and creating innovations or on the other hand, it is not so fast because the technology itself has 10 years of existence, and we have not improved it to the highest level to implement it globally like it has happened with the internet? EGS: I think we have to call a spade a spade, which is that technology has been stagnant. It hasn't evolved, nor has it delivered the dream. This is a hard pill to swallow. Instead, what it has done: It has created this new social phenomena, where suddenly people buy into projects. And that is not something we had before. And we are seeing how powerful that idea is, because it turns an ordinary person into a crazy, rabid fan. And there is some value in that to be tapped. In fact, there might be more value there, at the moment, than there is value in the utility of the tokens. The current technology that we have hasn't been evolved, and it has become a virtue to not evolve it. These are terrible ideas that take over a society and cause it to go down into a rat hole, where somebody else just comes in and takes the lead. I think that is what is happening in cryptocurrencies. When the internet came about, it took awhile to evolve. It took awhile for the protocols to evolve, but they did evolve. And people are working on them actively, trying to change them dramatically. And they didn't try to ossify any aspect of it. Even the IP protocol has been changed as it was never intended. There was no such thing as IP maximalism. There was no such thing as TCP [Transmission Control Protocol] maximalism. Sure, standardization does happen, but we see this crazy current phenomena right now: 10 years of very little evolution, 10 years of almost the same thing repackaged, just very few credible teams have emerged. Very few actual, genuinely novel things have happened. It is time for actual new things to be pushed forward. And I think 2019 is going to be the year when we begin to see people rebel against this proof-of-work craziness that we see. We were consuming far too much energy for keeping track of what is essentially a simple legend. And I think we are about to see that change: We are going to see a proof-of-stake solution. Role of science This is going to be the year when people come up with much more efficient solutions to the blockchain issues. I only hope that science prevails in these things, that these discussions proceed according not to emotions, not to rubidity of the fans, but based on sound, scientific principles. There's a glorious future to be built, and it is not going to be built by sticking to the very first thing that came about. People are just now beginning to realize what I was saying about the Lighting Network two or three years ago. It is time to rethink, it is time to come up with layer-one solutions that can scale, that provide a different API on top, that address some of the problems that we have seen with existing chains. In the last few years there was such little innovation. I think after Ethereum was introduced, the Tether idea is a nice alternative. But, other than that, I havent seen much that I would consider genuinely new. And it is time for people to rethink the entire stack. Role of misconceptions EGS: There was this crazy fetishism that happens with Satoshi, rabid partisanship that happens around coins. The only guiding thing that I see, as an academic, is scientific reasoning and sound engineering. That is what saves us, that is what takes us forward. People have a lot of misconceptions about money. And one problem I see with our space that we can fix without having recourse to anything else, but just among ourselves: We should stop lying to people, stop pushing blockchain on a false premise. I have heard so many supposed thought leaders pitch the blockchain idea and tell people it is valuable because it is scarce. I've seen CEOs get in front of older audiences and say: This is just like digital gold! and It is scarce, valuable! This is not scarce, you know. If this one doesn't work, I will use other one. That is pretty equivalent, these are substitute goods. There are misconceptions that people have inherited, and there's a general lack of understanding that most people couldn't define the difference between monetary versus fiscal. It is just that most people don't understand how government debt is different than household debt. They think that government shouldn't have debt in the same way household shouldn't. That is not quite true. And, you know, the theory of competitive advantage, these are things that are once you understand them, once you've taken economics 101, they are pretty obvious. But most people haven't taken them, and so, you have at the national stage economic discussions that are completely incorrect. People like Donald Trump do this very well, it plays into people's misconceptions. And then you have the thought leaders actively misleading the population. So, the only way out is education and, I don't think that it is technical education that is necessary, I don't think my parents should understand how the consensus protocol works. But it is essential for us to not propagates falsehoods. I always wish that there was something nice at the high school level that would teach you, like: You might think this about some topic especially economic topics but it isn't that way. So, don't fall into this. They are common traps especially, regarding money. I wish we would teach a course like that. I know at Cornell University and other sister institutions, we are teaching courses on blockchains. But that is typically for a technical audience. That is a different niche. Central banks and digital currencies MY: How could the central banks use digital currencies? What about countries, where we cant be sure that technological evolution will achieve globally good use? EGS: If anybody is hodling a coin out there, and that coin is something that somebody started an open-source project and they expect a country to buy into that existing coin to make them super rich trillionaires at the expense of the country to come after them, the other people to come in and buy into the coin after they do they are going to be sorely disappointed. There is a reason why the number of Bitcoin maximalists is always the same: Bitcoin went to $20,000, and none of these guys managed to retire. The entire thought pattern there is based on a false premise and a series of crazy hopes that will never get materialized. Central banks the ones that I have spoken to recently don't believe that the technology is quite ready. And quite a few of them are doing proof-of-concepts, just the same way almost every big company is doing. They are doing that exploration phase, but we are not going to see any big player buy into an existing coin. They will issue their own coins that they understand how to control. How do you make sure that the use cases are ones that promote societal good? It comes down to how do you control a decentralized currency. And if you can control it, it is not decentralized that it has failed in some fundamental fashion. We will find methods and techniques to put barriers around bad uses that we don't want. Crime should not be paid for using cryptocurrencies. It turns out that, if people use crypto to pay for crime, it is easier to track and easier to stem. So, it is actually a step up and better than dollar bills in my pocket. Law enforcement will develop new techniques and I have no fear whatsoever that they [law enforcement officials] are supremely tech-savvy, way more than the average person. When it comes to sanctions, similar things apply. Can you bypass sanctions using cryptocurrency as it is today, with the today's ecosystem? Yeah. You could also bypass sanctions with SWIFT, you could bypass sanctions the way we just recently had in the last decade: people flying gold in and out of Iraq and Iran. And to their credit, law enforcement and regulators have been supremely cool, especially in the U.S., about cryptocurrencies. They have taken this sort of wait-and-see approach. They haven't come in with a heavy hand. They have allowed the technology to flourish. I think it has been pretty amazing, so I hope that continues, and I don't fear the bad use cases. They already happen crime is gonna take place in one way or another. But if we find a way to completely kill it off, so that there are no bad cases or abuses, then that is not money. The fruits of this all MY: How many years, or even decades, in your opinion, do we need to wait until we actually see... EGS: The fruits of this all? I don't know. But I can tell you what I suspect we will see. We will start to see proof-of-stake protocols come up. These coins will never go away. Dogecoin will always be around, even Doge will always be around. Bitcoin will forever, of course, be around. But a lot of the coins that occupy CoinMarketCap today are really, truly sh*tcoins. And they will probably not die, but they will get replaced by much better technology. We are beginning to see people who know what they are doing coming to the space. And we are beginning to see brand new ideas to come in. It is not the same stagnant code basis, the same stagnant ideas, the same conspiracy theories about lizard men. We are beginning to see people interact with the existing finance system. How long is it gonna take? At least, five to 10 years. What will we see at the end of this? I think we are going to see governments evolve that are much more transparent about their activities. We are beginning to see this already. I think the government of Georgia and their land records are a very good example. And there will be some holdouts. Bitcoin will never change, they will always try to do proof-of-work, and good luck with that! It is a tough proposition. If you ask me, it is not environmentally friendly, and it leaks value out of the store of value. But they have a bunch of advantages that will prop them up for a couple more years, I am sure. And they will never completely disappear. But I am really excited about the new wave of projects to come. We are going to see a brand new set of systems that can live up to the dream that has been sold to the masses. It has been 10 years. The dream was really compelling, the tech not quite there, yet. And I think it is going to take a few years for that tech to emerge fully, and then a couple more years for it to be adopted, slowly. But it will change the world. That is gonna be exciting. Related Articles: On Saturday morning around 7 a.m., it all began, as hordes of homesick Aussies, NoMad locals, and food tourists from all over town showed up in line-out-the-door numbers to welcome the first American outpost of the hugely popular Australian cafe chain, Bourke Street Bakery. For Jessica Grynberg, who managed the morning mob scene with remarkably gracious calm, and her husband Paul Allam, the chef/baker who co-founded the whole operation and cranks up the ovens every day at 4:30 a.m., this adventure began many months ago. And not only did the couple have to endure all of the usual headaches involved in opening a NYC restaurant, they also picked up their entire lives and moved here from Sydney with their three kids. If Grynberg and Allam have been stressed by all of this, you'd never know it by the way they pulled off opening day, which featured fully-stocked cases of baked goodies, a full menu of breakfast treats and lunchtime salads and sandwiches, with most everything constantly replenished as hundreds of hungry people showed up wanting it all, plus coffee. Then again, keeping up with long lines isn't exactly new to the couple, whose 11 cafes in Sydney are regularly swamped. Bourke Street has a long list of pastries available every day at the front counter, from first-rate Croissants and an especially good Pain au Chocolat to a variety of tarts (the Ginger Creme Brulee one is spectacular), cookies, muffins, twists, cakes, and meringues. There's also a large selection of sourdough loavesthe sprouted has a real nice kick to itfor which Allam mills his own flour. Everything is made from scratch, by hand, with obvious care and love. There's also a impressively varied menu of savory dishes, including Bourke Street's signature and stellar Sausage Rolls, with a buttery, flaky exterior and stuffed with juicy, well-seasoned meat (either Lamb and Harrisa or Pork and Fennel). Definitely get both of these, and the side of house ketchup, which adds a welcome hit of acid. Croissant and sourdough sandwiches, a trio of salads, and, of course, Avocado Toast are among the other offerings, but the simple toast with butter and jam makes for a lovely snack with some coffee as well. The dinner menu takes over from 4 to 8 p.m., with things like a Charcuterie and Housemade Cheese plate, Sourdough Bread Gnocchi, and Salmon Rillettes with pickled cabbage. Natural wines, beer, cider, and "sparkles" are available all day. There's seating for about 40, and it's all done counter-service style: order up front, and someone will find your number flag and deliver your food. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist) Bourke Street Bakery is located at 15 East 28th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (917-514-4033; bourkestreetbakery.com) (Reuters) - Occidental Petroleum Corp said on Sunday that in connection with its proposal to acquire Anadarko Petroleum Corp, it agreed to sell Anadarko's Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa assets to Total SA for $8.8 billion. That sale, which is contingent upon Occidental completing its proposed purchase of Anadarko, would make Total the fourth biggest LNG producer in the world after Qatargas, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Petronas, according to energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Total was the sixth-biggest LNG producer in the world in 2018 with stakes in projects in several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Nigeria, Oman, Egypt, Norway, Angola, Australia and Russia. "The potential acquisition of Anadarko's stake in Mozambique LNG is representative of Total's ambitious and aggressive expansion of its LNG position," Wood Mackenzie research director Nicholas Browne said. Total acquired Engie SA's LNG business in 2018 and has stakes in several projects under construction or development, including Russia's Arctic LNG-2, Papua LNG, Nigeria's NLNG 7, Sempra Energy's Cameron in Louisiana and Costa Azul in Mexico, Tellurian Inc's Driftwood in Louisiana and an expansion project in Qatar, Wood Mackenzie said. Chevron Corp, which is currently the fifth-biggest LNG producer in the world, is also seeking to buy Anadarko. The addition of Anadarko, however, will not immediately change the LNG output of either Total or Chevron for several years since Anadarko's 12.9-million tonnes per annum (MTPA) Mozambique project is still in development. Anadarko has said it expected to make a final investment decision to build the project in the coming months. (Reporting by Scott DiSavino) CALGARY, Alberta, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Tuesday, May 7, the Fraser Institute will release a new study on oil and gas investment. Investment in the Canadian and U.S. Oil and Gas Sectors: A Tale of Diverging Fortunes compares capital investment in Canadas upstream oil and gas industry (essentially, exploration and production) in recent years with investment in the United States. A news release with additional information will be issued via GlobeNewswire on Tuesday, May 7 at 5:00 a.m. (Eastern). MEDIA CONTACT: Steven Globerman, Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Mark Hasiuk, 604-688-0221 ext. 517, mark.hasiuk@fraserinstitute.org Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook NUR-SULTAN, KAZAKHSTAN / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2019 / Freedom Holding Corp. (FRHC) (the 'Company') will be a participating sponsor at the 12th Annual Astana Economic Forum to be held May 16-17, 2019 in Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana), Kazakhstan. The Company will host a panel discussion on "The Role of Retail Investors in the Economy" and a gala-dinner for the conference delegates. Over the past decade, the Astana Economic Forum has gained recognition as a leading international conference addressing global economic and financial issues. The Forum has been attended by delegates from 150 countries, including political leaders and more than 20 Nobel laureates. The 2019 conference theme is "Inspiring Growth: People, Cities, and Economies." Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Armida Alisjabana, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, former President of Colombia and Nobel laureate highlight the list of those who will address the gathering. Company President Askar Tashtitov, stated, "We are privileged to host part of this year's activities and lead an important panel discussion on stock market developments and the management and regulation of securities ownership and lending". Company CEO, Timur Turlov will be joined on the panel by Robert Wotczak, a former regulator at both the American Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange, Eszhan Birtanov, Deputy Board Chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, and Alina Aldambergen, Chairman of the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange. About Freedom Holding Corp. Freedom Holding Corp. is a financial services holding company conducting retail financial brokerage, investment counseling, securities trading, investment banking and underwriting services through its subsidiaries under the name of Freedom Finance in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Company is a professional participant of the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), Moscow Exchange (MOEX), the Saint-Petersburg Exchange (SPB) the Republican Stock Exchange of Tashkent (UZSE) and the Ukrainian Exchange. The Company is headquartered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with executive office locations in Russia and the United States. The Company operates more than 70 branch offices in Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Germany. Story continues The Company's common shares are registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and are traded in the United States on the OTCQX Best Market operated by OTC Markets Group Inc., the world's largest electronic marketplace for broker-dealers to trade unlisted stocks. Investors are able to view Real Time Level II stock quotes for the Company at: http://www.otcmarkets.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release contains 'forward-looking' statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results or performance and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results described in, or anticipated by, the forward-looking statements. Factors that could materially affect such forward-looking statements include certain economic, business and regulatory risks and factors identified in the Companys periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release and the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The OTC Markets Group, Inc. has not approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. Contact: usoffice@freedomholdingcorp.com SOURCE: Freedom Holding Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/544223/Freedom-Holding-Corp-Joins-Sponsors-at-Astana-Economic-Forum New York, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fusion Foundation, the non-profit open source organization building the next generation infrastructure for decentralized global finance, today announced that Switzerland-based Alprockz has selected Fusions protocol to accelerate adoption of Alprockzs Swiss franc-backed stablecoin, RKZ, and to facilitate financial system interoperability. Alprockz is a consortium of information technology developers and investors that have created the ROCKZ blockchain platform and RKZ stablecoin. By virtue of Fusions protocol, individuals who transact with RKZ can exchange value for any tokenized asset on and off the Fusion and ROCKZ blockchains, thus bridging the gap between traditional and digital economies. A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency that is pegged to and/or collateralized by another stable asset, like gold or a fiat currency. Stablecoins can be used globally, but are not tied to a central bank and have low volatility. This allows for practical use like paying for everyday things like food or transportation. Issued last year, RKZ is the first and only legally enforceable cryptocurrency in the world, providing holders with full ownership over the collateralized assets. The RKZ stablecoin is backed by the Swiss franc (CHF) at a ratio of 1:1, with Alprockz storing 90% of reserve funds in CHF bank notes and another 10% in various Swiss banks to ensure RKZs liquidity. Issuing stablecoins backed by Swiss Francs is the first step in the Fusion partnership. In the coming months, the RKZ stablecoins will also be pegged to the Euro, US Dollar (USD), Pound Sterling (GBP), Singapore Dollar (SGD) and Yen (JPY). AlpRockz is partnering with Fusion to expand the use of ROCKZ. By virtue of Fusions groundbreaking Distributed Control Rights Management (DCRM) functionality, individuals transacting with RKZ stablecoins will be able to exchange value for any tokenized asset on and off the Fusion blockchain. Moreover, users will be able to more easily create new financial instruments based on the RKZ stablecoin, including loans and bank deposits or simply use it as a trustworthy payment currency. Story continues As stablecoins become more mainstream among global banks and central banking authorities, security will remain top of mind, said Dejun Qian, CEO and Founder of Fusion. By partnering with Alprockz to extend their secure and fiat-backed stablecoin, we are taking a huge step forward in making the exchange of any type of digitized asset seamless and safe. The addition of RKZ stablecoins to the Fusion network will automatically unleash powerful foreign exchange hubs and enable the creation of derivatives. With $12.3B in assets already pledged to Fusions revolutionary network, any blockchain and centralized system can be connected, and thus increase adoption of stablecoins for real-world use. Customers using the RKZ stablecoin for e-payments and asset management undergo an identification process with the same level of scrutiny Swiss banks require. This strict process enables users to conduct transactions with RKZ and enjoy the security of legal enforceability under Swiss law. Individuals can start using RKZ by opening a ROCKZ account, completing the identification process, and then sending Bitcoin, Ethereum or any Fiat currency to the ROCKZ platform. The stablecoin would then be issued in the currency specified and can be easily redeemed via bank transfer. Our mission is to bridge the gap between traditional and digital economies with the broad use of the RKZ stablecoins, said Yassine Ben Hamida, Alprockz Founder and CEO. As the most forward-looking blockchain developer for global finance, Fusion is the perfect technology partner to demonstrate to the world what is possible in this new digitized economy. Alprockz has made additional investments in developing and securing the ROCKZ platform by recently forming cooperation agreements with Swisscom and Wisekey, two companies that are already listed on the Swiss Exchange. In addition, Alprockz is collaborating with three Swiss banks to bring their mission to life. In H2 2019, ROCKZ registered users will be able to use debit cards in order to leverage and contribute to the mainstream adoption of digital assets. About Fusion Foundation Fusion Foundation is a non-profit organization building the next generation infrastructure for decentralized global finance. By providing innovative companies and developers with the open source technology they need to build peer-to-peer time and value-based applications, the world will enjoy financial transactions that are more accessible, efficient and transparent than previously possible. Fusions seasoned team of industry veterans led by Founder and CEO DJ Qian, a blockchain pioneer who previously launched two top 20 global blockchain projects (VeChain and QTUM), is working to collaborate with financial institutions, cryptocurrency companies, businesses, peer-to-peer lenders, third-party app developers, academia, and the broader blockchain community. By providing the foundation that enables different cryptocurrency tokens, digital assets, off-chain values, and data-sources to be created and exchanged between the Fusion blockchain, other blockchains and financial systems, Fusion is moving ever closer to a globally accessible system for the free exchange of values. Visit www.fusion.org to learn more about Fusion and its partnership program. About Alprockz AG Alprockz AG is the Switzerland-based fintech holding company issuer of the ROCKZ blockchain and the RKZ stablecoin, bringing security and transparency to the cryptocurrency market. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, RKZ is fully backed by one of the strongest and most sustainable fiat currencies in the world, the Swiss Franc. RKZ is the first and only legally enforceable cryptocurrency in the world, providing its holders with full ownership over the collateralized assets. For more information about Alprockz AG, visit www.alprockz.io. Monica VanHorn Forefront Communications 212 320-8981 ext. 708 mvanhorn@forefrontcomms.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2019) - Global UAV Technologies Ltd. (CSE: UAV) (OTC: YRLLF) (FSE: YAB2) (the "Company" or "Global UAV"), a diversified and vertically integrated drone technology company has been invited by Huawei Technologies Canada Co., Ltd. to display our Procyon 800E helicopter UAV at Huawei Canada's Digital Transformation Forum held at Huawei Canada's headquarters in Markham, Ontario. As one of the Huawei ecosystem industry participants in attendance, Global UAV will display and present our 4G connected drone technology to the media, academics, Canadian telecom carriers and vertical industry members attending the conference. Global UAV has previously collaborated with Huawei Canada and national Canadian telecom carriers by providing the Procyon 800E UAV platform and flight services for proof of concept projects using 4G connected drones and sensors. The Procyon 800E will be on display at Huawei Canada's Customer Solution Innovation and Integration Experience Centre (CSIC) in Markham, Ontario throughout the months of May and June. "Global UAV has worked on several research and development projects over the past two years, and we are pleased to be chosen by Huawei and national Canadian telecom carriers to collaborate on special projects as a drone technology provider. It is exciting to be able to talk about some of our technology development achievements and to work with the world's top industry partners in the space," stated Michael Burns, CEO, Global UAV Technologies Ltd. About Global UAV Technologies Ltd. Global UAV Technologies Ltd. is a diversified, vertically integrated drone technology company within the commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ("UAV") sector. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries - Pioneer Aerial Surveys Ltd., High Eye Aerial Imaging Inc., UAV Regulatory Services Inc., and NOVAerial Robotics Inc.- Global UAV Technologies Ltd. provides a full spectrum of UAV-based services and products including drone research and development and manufacturing, flight services and regulatory compliance. Global UAV Technologies Ltd. will continue its growth through technology development, expanding the business of its current divisions and the continued evaluation of potential acquisitions. Global UAV is well positioned for growth as a vertically integrated drone technology company. Story continues On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Michael Burns" Michael Burns CEO & Director For additional information please contact: Global UAV Technologies Ltd. Investor Information Telephone: 1 888-905-7011 Email: ir@globaluavtech.com www.globaluavtech.com We invite all shareholders and stakeholders to join the Global UAV Technologies Ltd. portal on 8020 Connect. Connect here https://www.8020connect.com/groups/global-uav-technologies Neither Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statement Statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties inherent in public markets, service industries, manufacturing and the UAV Sector. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44558 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc said on Monday its co-head of global equities trades and execution services, Brian Levine, will retire this summer, according to a memo viewed by Reuters. The bank also said that Philip Berlinski and Jeff Nedelman were being named co-chief operating officers of global equities with Michael Daffey. The three will jointly lead global equities. Berlinski had been Levine's co-head overseeing global equities trades and execution services, and Nedelman had been the global head of prime services. Goldman routinely names multiple co-heads of its business units, and the memos announcing Monday's leadership changes were signed by all three co-heads of the securities business, Ashok Varadhan, R. Martin Chavez and Jim Esposito. "Brian has played a critical role in developing the firm's leadership position in equities trading," they wrote of the outgoing Levine. "He has helped build systematic trading platforms that will benefit our clients for years to come." Levine joined the bank's shares trading desk 25 years ago. He went on to play key roles helping the bank become a market leader in program trading and handled risk management of some of the bank's most important "capital markets blocks over the past decade," according to the note. (Reporting by Elizabeth Dilts in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Dan Grebler) Elected officials joined safe streets advocates Sunday evening to mourn the second child killed by a New York City motorist in less than a month, and to demand that Mayor Bill de Blasio step up efforts to make streets safer for walking and biking under the citys Vision Zero initiative. The driver of a commercial van ran over 3-year-old Emur Shavkator as the child and his mother crossed the street near their home in Bath Beach last Thursday afternoon. According to the NYPD, 61-year-old Johnny Gonzalezalso identified as Juanchi Seda in some media reportswas making a right turn from Bay 25th Street onto Benson Avenue when he hit Emur, who was riding a foot-scooter in the marked crosswalk on Bay 25th. (Brad Aaron / Gothamist) Police charged Gonzalez with failure to exercise due care and failure to yield to a pedestrian. Under the citys Right of Way Law, Gonzalez is subject to a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and a $500 fine, though Right of Way Law cases are normally pled down to a reduced fine with no jail time. Gonzalez blamed the toddler and his mother for the collision. I want to say that I find it preposterous that there are those who have said that somehow the child or his family was responsible, said Councilman Mark Treyger at Sundays event. Make no mistake that this was a preventable tragedy. We should not be burying our children, our loved ones. Shavkator was the second child killed by a New York City driver this year, according to Transportation Alternatives. In April, a motorist pinned 7-year-old Cameron Brown to the back of his school bus on Gipson Street in Far Rockaway. Last year city drivers killed nine children under age 18, according to the advocacy group. Despite a steady rain, dozens of local residents and members of the Uzbek community stood with Treyger, other electeds and members of Families for Safe Streets at the site of the crash. Congressman Max Rose, State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member Bill Colton also spoke at the vigil, which drew enough people that the NYPD had to close Bay 25th Street to drivers to accommodate the crowd. Shavkator's immediate family were not in attendance. There is something about the Department of Transportation studies that really lack the sense of moral urgency, Treyger said. When they collect their so-called data points, how they could not have picked this up time and time again? I have messages to DOT from 2014, 2015, 2016 and so on, about how dangerous this intersection is and continues to be. Last week Treygers office told Gothamist that the DOT denied multiple requests from the council member to add a traffic signal at Bay 25th and Benson, as drivers routinely ignore the stop sign there. Traffic signals are not the be-all end-all of street improvementsresearch shows they can actually make intersections more dangerousbut other than conduct traffic studies, the DOT took no tangible action in response to Treygers call for safety measures at the crossing. The way DOT currently approaches its street design doesnt work, Tom DeVito, director of advocacy for TransAlt, told Gothamist yesterday. They could daylight these intersections [or] do some curb extensions. Theres a half a dozen very minor things that they could do. After Shavkators death, a DOT spokesperson told Gothamist the agency is looking into potential safety enhancements where the child was hit. (Brad Aaron / Gothamist) On Sunday advocates again called for passage of the Vision Zero Street Design Standard bill, which would require the city to publicize a list of proven life-saving design elements whenever a street is redesigned. The bill has 43 co-sponsors, according to Transportation Alternatives, but Mayor de Blasio has not signaled support. If we had passed this bill last year, we wouldnt be seeing the increase that we are with traffic fatalities, said Amy Cohen, who co-founded Families for Safe Streets after her son Sammy was killed by a Brooklyn driver in 2013. Someone like this beautiful light of a boy is killed in New York City every single day. And its gotta stop. NYPD data show that city traffic deaths are up 30 percent compared to the first four months of 2018. The day after Shavkator was struck, 52-year-old Charles McClean was killed by a postal service driver as he crossed MacDougal Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant. No charges were filed. Advocates will gather on Tuesday to demand passage of the Vision Zero Design Standard bill. The rally begins at noon on the City Hall steps. Its an urgent epidemic, said Cohen. It demands immediate action and we must pass this bill now. HOUSTON, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. (Gulf Island or the Company) (GIFI), announced today that its Board of Directors has established a special committee (the Special Committee) to initiate a process to explore alternative strategies for the Company focusing on enhancing shareholder value. Jack Laborde, Chairman of the Board of Gulf Island, stated, We continue with our efforts to strengthen our liquidity, improve the utilization of our assets and strategically reposition the Company for growth and profitability. Gulf Island currently has a healthy liquidity position with increasing activity across our various business segments and end markets. While we remain confident in our strategic plan and the growth opportunities available to the Company, the Board has determined that it is in the best interest of our shareholders to conduct a thorough evaluation of all options reasonably available to the Company to enhance shareholder value. The Company has retained Johnson Rice & Company L.L.C., as financial advisor, and Jones Walker LLP, as legal counsel, to assist the Special Committee in connection with its strategic alternatives review. The Company has not set a timetable for the conclusion of the Special Committees review of alternative strategies and does not intend to publicly discuss or disclose further developments of the review unless and until its Board of Directors has approved a specific course of action or the Company has otherwise determined that further disclosure is appropriate. There can be no assurance that this review will result in any transaction or other strategic change or outcome for the Company. About Gulf Island Gulf Island is a leading fabricator of complex steel structures, modules and marine vessels used in energy extraction and production, petrochemical and industrial facilities, power generation, alternative energy and shipping and marine transportation operations. The Company also provides project management, hookup, commissioning, repair, maintenance and civil construction services. The Company operates and manages its business through three operating divisions: Fabrication, Shipyard and Services, with its corporate headquarters located in Houston, Texas and fabrication facilities located in Houma, Jennings and Lake Charles, Louisiana. For more information, please visit our website at www.gulfisland.com . Story continues Company Information Kirk J. Meche Westley S. Stockton Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer 713-714-6100 713-714-6100 Cautionary Statement This Release contains forward-looking statements in which we discuss our potential future performance. Forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, are all statements other than statements of historical facts, such as projections or expectations relating to oil and gas prices, operating cash flows, capital expenditures, liquidity and tax rates. The words anticipates, may, can, plans, believes, estimates, expects, projects, targets, intends, likely, will, should, to be, potential and any similar expressions are intended to identify those assertions as forward-looking statements. We caution readers that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated, projected or assumed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that can cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements include the cyclical nature of the oil and gas industry, competition, consolidation of our customers, timing and award of new contracts, reliance on significant customers, financial ability and credit worthiness of our customers, nature of our contract terms, competitive pricing and cost overruns on our projects, adjustments to previously reported profits or losses under the percentage-of-completion method, weather conditions, changes in backlog estimates, suspension or termination of projects, ability to raise additional capital, ability to amend or obtain new debt financing or credit facilities on favorable terms, ability to remain in compliance with our covenants contained in our Credit Agreement, ability to generate sufficient cash flow, ability to sell certain assets, customer or subcontractor disputes, ability to resolve the dispute with a customer relating to the purported termination of contracts to build two MPSVs, operating dangers and limits on insurance coverage, barriers to entry into new lines of business, ability to employ skilled workers, loss of key personnel, performance of subcontractors and dependence on suppliers, changes in trade policies of the U.S. and other countries, compliance with regulatory and environmental laws, lack of navigability of canals and rivers, shutdowns of the U.S. government, systems and information technology interruption or failure and data security breaches, performance of partners in our joint ventures and other strategic alliances, progress of the SeaOne Project, and other factors described in Item 1A in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2018, as updated by subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors are cautioned that many of the assumptions upon which our forward-looking statements are based are likely to change after the forward-looking statements are made, which we cannot control. Further, we may make changes to our business plans that could affect our results. We caution investors that we do not intend to update forward-looking statements more frequently than quarterly notwithstanding any changes in our assumptions, changes in business plans, actual experiences or other changes, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Second annual Inside Small Business Survey reveals both optimism and fear for owning a small business SAN DIEGO, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New data from the second annual The UPS Store Inside Small Business Survey reveals that the entrepreneurial spirit remains strong. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of Americans dream of opening a small business, almost identical to the 2018 survey (66 percent). Whats more is that the survey found that age is no indicator of entrepreneurial dreams: 54 percent of Americans say that they would rather open a small business than retire, if money or health were not a factor later in life. Dr. Luke Pittaway, Ohio University College of Business OBleness Professor of Entrepreneurship, says this could be attributed to people living longer, healthier lives. People are living longer and remain healthier as they come up to retirement age, and many are choosing to start a small business as a way to stay active. In fact, the proportion of people starting businesses in the age range of 55 to 65 has increased in recent years, and at one point even surpassed the typical entrepreneur age group of 25 to 35-year-olds, Pittaway said. Older people tend to bring more financial wealth, experience and personal networks to their start-up efforts and therefore have the potential to be very competent entrepreneurs. The survey also revealed that there is considerable encouragement for entrepreneurialism from one generation to the next, with 62 percent of survey respondents saying they have hoped their child or a child they know would grow up and start their own business. Among survey respondents who are also small business owners, this jumped to 81 percent. The high percentage of respondents who want small business ownership for future generations is fascinating and demonstrates the high regard that Americans hold for entrepreneurial activity, Pittaway said. What Fuels the Dream: Freedom, Pride and Community Support Story continues The idea of being your own boss continues to excite Americans the most about owning a small business (57 percent), compared to 53 percent who said the same last year. Most respondents (54 percent) also believe that the prospect of succeeding and taking pride in what they build excites them, compared to 47 percent in the 2018 survey. In addition, community support for small business is strong. The survey revealed that 70 percent of Americans make plans to support a small business when it opens in their community. Among respondents that are also small business owners, that increases to 83 percent. According to the survey, convenience (46 percent) and the quality of goods and services (45 percent) are the top factors in determining whether respondents would rather shop at a small business than a bigger store. At The UPS Store, Inc., we recognize that U.S. small business owners are some of the hardest-working, most passionate people around, said Tim Davis, president of The UPS Store, Inc. This survey reveals that the majority of small business owners, like our franchisee network, really want to help new business owners in their communities succeed. And with 4,800 locations across the U.S., The UPS Store network is ready to help every step of the way. Hows the Economy? It Depends on Who You Ask The survey showed that small business owners are much more optimistic about the economy compared to the general population. In fact, 72 percent of small business owners believe the current economy is a positive factor for the small business climate, compared to just 42 percent of non-small business owners. The Biggest Obstacle: Fear For the second year in a row, fear seems to be the biggest obstacle to pursuing a small business. Americans continue to identify their own financial security (40 percent), financial commitment to operate the business (35 percent) and fear of failure (35 percent) as the major barriers to starting a small business. This is slightly improved from the 2018 survey at 45 percent, 39 percent and 37 percent, respectively. In addition, survey participants say the top expenses that would worry them if they owned a small business are basic operating costs such as utilities (54 percent) and supplies and equipment (50 percent). Almost a quarter of respondents say shipping expenses would worry them if they had a small business. Bring on the Technology Interestingly, one thing survey respondents do not fear is technology. A new insight from this years survey reveals that Americans are optimistic about the use of technology in small business. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of respondents believe artificial intelligence, such as autonomous machines and 24/7 automated customer support, will be helpful for small businesses competing in the future. And more than two-thirds (69 percent) of Americans believe automation is beneficial for small businesses. Surprisingly, Americans are far from fearing automation and artificial intelligence when used in small business settings, said Pittaway. They see technology as a helping hand, providing tools and apps that make their day-to-day activities more efficient and seamless. Current small business owners feel even stronger about the positive impact of technology. Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of small business owners surveyed believe artificial intelligence will be helpful for small businesses competing in the future, and 78 percent think automation is beneficial to their own business. The UPS Store Supports Small Business To support small businesses across the country, The UPS Store, Inc. invites entrepreneurs and small business owners to enter the Small Biz Challenge, a national competition to find the most quick-witted, well-rounded small business owners who can handle anything that comes their way. The contest will culminate in two live business challenge events in New York City and Los Angeles featuring entrepreneurs vying for a chance to win a grand prize of up to $25,000 to help grow their business. For more information about how to enter The UPS Store Small Biz Challenge, visit www.theupsstore.com/smallbizchallenge . For the full Inside Small Business Survey results, visit www.theupsstore.com/insidesmallbusiness . Survey Methodology: The UPS Store, Inc. commissioned Atomik Research to run a general population online survey of 5,009 adults in the United States. The margin of error fell within +/- 1 percentage point with a confidence interval of 95 percent. The fieldwork took place between March 14 and 20, 2019. Atomik Research is an independent creative market research agency. RULES & REGULATIONS: No purchase necessary. Open only to individuals (U.S. residents, 18 or older) who own and operate an independent (non-franchised) small business (50 or fewer employees) in the U.S. Entries must be received by 11:59pm ET 5/12/19. Up to six (6) finalists selected to compete in business challenge event. Finalists must be able to attend business challenge event. Cash prizes awarded to finalists based on score in each business challenge (up to $25,000 in total prizes for each event). Visit inc.com/theupsstore/rules for complete official rules, including eligibility and judging criteria. Void where prohibited. Sponsored by The UPS Store, Inc., 6060 Cornerstone Court West San Diego, CA 92121 and Mansueto Ventures LLC, d.b.a Inc. Magazine, 250 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007. About The UPS Store With approximately 4,800 locations across the U.S., The UPS Store network comprises the nations largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal, print and business service centers. The UPS Store locations in the U.S. are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of The UPS Store, Inc., a subsidiary of UPS (UPS). Services, products, pricing and hours of operation may vary by location. For additional information on The UPS Store, visit theupsstore.com . In 2019, The UPS Store ranked #5 overall in Entrepreneur Magazines Franchise 500 and #1 in the Postal & Business Centers category for the 29th consecutive year. For information on franchise opportunities for opening a The UPS Store location , visit https://www.theupsstorefranchise.com/ . Follow The UPS Store on Twitter at @TheUPSStore and like The UPS Store on Facebook at facebook.com/theupsstore . Lindsay Weightman (858) 455-8846 lweightman@upsstore.com Ingevity Corporation NGVT logged profits (attributable to stockholders) of $22.7 million or 54 cents per share in first-quarter 2019, down around 26% from $30.8 million or 72 cents a year ago. The bottom line in the reported quarter was hurt by acquisition costs. Adjusted earnings per share for the quarter were 99 cents, up from 79 cents a year ago. The results surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 95 cents. The companys revenues rose roughly 18% year over year to $276.8 million in the quarter, but fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $278.4 million. Adjusted EBITDA climbed roughly 24% year over year to $83.5 million in the quarter. The chemical maker gained from strong growth in its Performance Materials unit as well as better pricing and mix in its performance chemicals applications. Ingevity Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Ingevity Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Ingevity Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Ingevity Corporation Quote Segment Review Revenues from the Performance Chemicals division climbed around 20% year over year to $167.7 million in the quarter. Revenues were driven by the addition of the engineered polymers product line through the acquisition of the Capa caprolactone business and sales growth in oilfield applications. Revenues from the Performance Materials unit went up around 14% to $109.1 million. The growth was supported by sustained adoption of the companys solutions geared to meet the U.S. EPA Tier 3 and California LEV III automotive emission regulations. Balance Sheet Ingevity ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $38.4 million, down around 30% year over year. Long-term debt was $1,403.2 million, up around 91%. Outlook Ingevity reaffirmed its sales guidance of between $1.30 billion and $1.36 billion for 2019. It also backed its adjusted EBITDA guidance for the year in the band of $390-$410 million. The company is working to boost margins and profitability in its Performance Chemicals unit and integrate the acquired engineered polymers product line. Price Performance Shares of Ingevity have rallied 31.7% over a year, outperforming the industrys 7.8% rise. Story continues Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider Ingevity currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space include Sandstorm Gold Ltd. SAND, Flexible Solutions International Inc. FSI and Israel Chemicals Ltd. ICL. Sandstorm Gold has an expected earnings growth rate of 200% for the current year and carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The companys shares have gained around 9% over the past year. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Flexible Solutions has an expected earnings growth rate of 171.4% for the current year and carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Its shares have rallied roughly 108% in the past year. Israel Chemicals has an expected earnings growth rate of 13.5% for the current year and carries a Zacks Rank #2. Its shares have gained around 14% in the past year. Will you retire a millionaire? One out of every six people retires a multimillionaire. Get smart tips you can do today to become one of them in a new Special Report, 7 Things You Can Do Now to Retire a Multimillionaire. Click to get it free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Israel Chemicals Shs (ICL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Flexible Solutions International Inc. (FSI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ingevity Corporation (NGVT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Sandstorm Gold Ltd (SAND) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research FILE PHOTO: The Carige bank logo is seen in Rome, Italy, April 16, 2016. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini/File Photo By Andrea Mandala MILAN (Reuters) - Italian banks have backed a 720 million euro rescue plan (615.77 million) for rival Carige that will hand control of the Genoa-based bank to U.S. asset manager BlackRock, the head of a banking fund said on Monday. Carige was placed under special administration by the European Central Bank at the start of the year after Italy's Malacalza family, the lender's top shareholder, blocked a proposed cash call, derailing an industry-financed rescue. Italian banks bought a 320 million euro hybrid bond issued by Carige in November to beef up its capital reserves. The investment was carried out through the voluntary-contribution arm of Italy's FITD depositor protection fund. Speaking to reporters on Monday after a meeting of the voluntary scheme's steering committee, FITD chairman Salvatore Maccarone said banks were set to convert 313 million euros worth of the hybrid bond into equity, giving them a roughly 43 percent stake in Carige. The debt-to-equity conversion is expected to receive final approval at an FITD general meeting on May 14, he said, adding the whole rescue plan, which includes the issue of further additional shares, would then be presented to the European Central Bank on May 17. "It's a deal which we believe will solve (Carige's) problems once and for all," Maccarone said. The exact size of BlackRock's investment is not yet known but it will cover the remainder of the new share issue apart from a small amount which will be available to current shareholders. BlackRock will take operational control and name a new chief executive, Maccarone said. The deal needs to be approved by Carige's shareholders, meaning the position of the Malacalza family, which holds a 27.6 percent stake, will be key. A shareholder meeting to vote on the plan is expected to take place in June or July, trade union FABI said in a statement after a meeting with the bank's special administrators. The union said the cash call should take place after the summer and that no additional job cuts were planned beyond the 1,250 cuts already announced in February. Story continues The family of steel billionaires will see its holding heavily diluted, even if it buys into the portion of the cash call reserved for current shareholders. The Malacalzas have invested more than 400 million euros in Carige since 2015, although their stake was worth just 23 million euros when the bank was placed under special administration and trading in the stock halted. The government has earmarked up to 1 billion euros to buy Carige shares and stands ready to step in should a private investor fail to seal a deal. State-owned soured loan vehicle SGA will take on the bank's bad loans under the plan. "The overall deal has a number of pieces that must fall into place", Maccarone said, including BlackRock being granted a waiver from a regulatory obligation to launch a full takeover bid for the bank. Carige has been laid low by years of mismanagement and an excessive exposure to the depressed economy of the northwestern Liguria region. (Reporting by Andrea Mandala, writing by Valentina Za; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Jane Merriman) Back in 2016, Yangel, a slender 26-year-old from Washington Heights, was working as a fireguard at hospitals. He was getting up at 5 a.m. to work 12-hour shifts and wasnt getting paid much, so he decided to apply for work at a delivery company. I told my mom I got this new job, he said. Its going to pay a lot better. He worked one day and received an email when he got back home telling him that he had lost the job and to return his uniform. A background check had turned up a felony robbery conviction from two years earlier for stealing a backpack. He was left jobless for the first time since he was 14. That might have been the end of the road, but in 2015 New York passed the Fair Chance Act, which restricts when employers can ask about an applicants criminal record and whether they can base hiring decisions if he or she has one. Yangel, who happened to know of the law, enlisted an attorney, and, while he wasnt re-hired, the company eventually settled for $7,500. (Were not using his last name to protect his privacy. Yangel did not disclose the name of the company because of a non-disparagement clause in the settlement.) The Fair Chance Act is widely considered one of the toughest ban the box laws in the country. In the nearly four years that it has been on the books, the citys Human Rights Commission has performed 1614 investigations and filed 520 complaints against employers. Violators have paid $789,734 in damages and penalties. The act prohibits employers from asking about an applicants criminal history until they make a conditional job offer. After learning of a conviction, employers can rescind the offer only if theres a direct relationship between the crime and the position or if the applicant would pose an unreasonable safety risk. And they must explain it all in writing. Listen to Mirela Iverac's report on WNYC: The largest settlement $196,624 was reached this March against Montefiore Medical Center, which declined to re-hire a vocational rehabilitation counselor after acquiring the Albert Einstein College of Medicine where he had worked. The counselor had a felony conviction from the early 1990s. Elizabeth Kaledin, a spokeswoman for Montefiore, said in a statement that the settlement should not be construed as evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Montefiore Einstein. As an estimated one in three adults in the U.S. have a criminal record, traditional employment policies can seriously limit employment opportunities for millions of people, especially for black Americans. As a result, support for this type of law has been growing. New York is among 30 cities, states and counties that have passed ban the box laws that apply to private sector employers. Since criminal histories disproportionately affect communities of color, this is huge, said Carmelyn Malalis, Chair and Commissioner of the citys Commission on Human Rights, which enforces the law. I think it has allowed people with criminal history to say, I'm employable. I have qualifications. I can provide for my family. Employment attorney Daniel Jacobs says businesses sometimes violate the law because they dont know all the rules they have to follow. It tends to be an uphill battle, especially with smaller employers, just trying to ensure that they're aware of any new legislation, he said. Jacobs said another problem that emerges for employers relates to having to wait for the results of a background check after extending a conditional offer and having to give applicants three day to respond if they decide to rescind an offer. You're obviously spending time and moving in a direction that ultimately may have you starting again at square one, he said. After the delivery company revoked his job offer, Yangel says he was turned down for a job a few other times. Hes filed complaints against one of those companies. Just because I have a criminal history doesn't mean I'm a bad worker, he said. I take my job very seriously. Now he works in Soho for an apparel chain, which didnt run a background check when they hired him. He said it made him feel like a normal person. Mirela Iverac is a reporter for WNYC, where she covers poverty and homelessness. You can follow her on Twitter at @mirelaiverac. FILE PHOTO: Various Heinz sauces of U.S. food company Kraft Heinz are offered at a supermarket of Swiss retail group Coop in Zumikon, Switzerland December 13, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo By Aishwarya Venugopal (Reuters) - Kraft Heinz Co will restate financial reports for a near three-year period to fix errors that resulted from lapses in procurement practices by some of its employees, the packaged food company said in a filing on Monday. The company also said it received an additional subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in March, related to the assessment of goodwill and asset impairments and a request for documents associated with the procurement operations. Kraft had disclosed a SEC subpoena in February related to an investigation into its accounting practices and, procurement procedures. Following the subpoena, the company initiated an investigation into the procurement practices. Kraft Heinz said the misstatement was not "quantitatively material" to its financial reports, adding that its investigation was substantially complete and that it would continue to cooperate with the SEC. Along with the subpoena, the company had also announced a $15.4 billion (12 billion pounds) write-down of its Kraft and Oscar Mayer brands in February and Monday's filing revealed that the misstatements would increase the amount by about $13 million. Due to these findings, the company said it would not be able to timely file its quarterly report for the period ended March 30. "While we expect there will be more change, the worst of the uncertainty surrounding financial statements appears to be over," Consumer Edge Research's Jonathan Feeney said. Shares of the company were marginally up at $32.70 in noon trading. Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway Inc is Kraft Heinz's largest shareholder with a 26.7 percent stake, told CNBC after Kraft Heinz disclosed the restatements that the company had his confidence. The misstatements in Kraft's reports for the years 2016, 2017 and the first nine months of 2018 mainly relates to the timing and recognition of supplier contracts in the procurement area. The investigation and review required adjustments of about $208 million related to the costs of products sold and the findings from the investigation also revealed that there was no misconduct from any member of Kraft Heinz's senior management. Story continues Kraft also said it reviewed supplier contracts and found additional misstatements may or may not have resulted from the misconduct tied to its procurement practices. "The company is taking action to improve our policies and procedures and will continue to strengthen our internal financial controls," Kraft Heinz spokesman Michael Mullen said. (Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Sriraj Kalluvila) SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2019 / The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. announces that a lawsuit was filed for certain investors in South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper) Mini-Bonds. Investors, who purchased South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper) Mini-Bonds, have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation at mail@shareholdersfoundation.com or call +1(858) 779 - 1554. Each May South Carolina state-owned utility Santee Cooper issued Mini-Bonds. The Mini Bonds were "sold directly by the South Carolina Public Service Authority (the "Authority") only to residents of the State of South Carolina (the "State"), customers of the Authority, members of electric cooperatives organized and existing under the laws of the State, and electric customers of the Bamberg Board of Public Works, South Carolina and the City of Georgetown, South Carolina." The Mini-Bonds were sold pursuant to "Official Statements." In May 2008, SCANA Corporation and Santee Cooper reached agreement as joint owners to build two new 1,117-megawatt AP1000 nuclear reactors at the V.C. Summer site. Then, in July 2017 Santee Cooper abandoned its V.C. Summer nuclear power plant project. The plaintiff claims that the Official Statements were materially false and misleading because, as described in the Complaint, Santee Cooper knew that SCANA's primary subsidiary, South Carolina Electric & Gas was not providing adequate oversight of the Nuclear Project, that Santee Cooper's own attempts to supervise the Nuclear Project were failing, and that the Nuclear Project was already hopelessly behind schedule and unlikely to be completed, if at all, prior to the deadlines to earn financially necessary tax credits under the Energy Policy Act. Those who purchased South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper) Mini-Bonds should contact the Shareholders Foundation, Inc. CONTACT: Shareholders Foundation, Inc. Michael Daniels +1 (858) 779-1554 mail@shareholdersfoundation.com 3111 Camino Del Rio North Suite 423 San Diego, CA 92108 Story continues The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is a professional portfolio legal monitoring and a settlement claim filing service, which does research related to shareholder issues and informs investors of securities class actions, settlements, judgments, and other legal related news to the stock/financial market. The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is not a law firm. Any referenced cases, investigations, and/or settlements are not filed/initiated/reached and/or are not related to Shareholders Foundation. The information is only provided as a public service. It is not intended as legal advice and should not be relied upon. SOURCE: The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/544220/Lawsuit-for-Investors-in-South-Carolina-Public-Service-Authority-Santee-Cooper-Mini-Bonds-announced-by-Shareholders-Foundation TORONTO, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McEwen Mining Inc. (MUX) (MUX.TO) is pleased to announce two new management appointments. Meri Verli, PhD, CA, CPA, will be joining as the new Chief Financial Officer, replacing Andrew Elinesky who is departing the Company effective today; and Jack Henris will be joining as General Manager for Nevada effective today. Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner, commented: Im pleased to welcome these two experienced and accomplished individuals to the team at McEwen Mining. We are moving forward with a strong management team, who is focused on operational excellence. Meri Verli Meri has extensive experience as a senior financial executive, having held several management roles in the gold mining sector, including most recently as the CFO of PPX Mining Corp since October 2017, Senior VP Finance and Treasury at Kirkland Lake Gold until July 2017 and VP Finance at Lake Shore Gold for 9 years. At Kirkland Lake Gold, Meri was part of the team that executed the transformational merger between Kirkland and Newmarket Gold creating a new +500,000 ounce per year gold producer in 2017. During her tenure at Kirkland Lake, Meri was instrumental in integrating the finance and treasury teams, policies and practices for the various acquired entities. Meri was VP Finance at Lake Shore Gold until September 2016, where she provided senior financial planning and analysis support. She played a key role in cost reduction initiatives and in building the finance department and policies as Lake Shore Gold transitioned from a junior exploration company to a commercial gold producer with more than 600 employees and contractors. Meri is a Chartered Professional Accountant, holds a PhD in Economic Sciences, a Bachelor of Geology and Engineering and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Tirana, Albania. Jack Henris Jack is a senior executive with deep hands-on experience in the mining industry. He has a successful track record of driving cost reduction, increased production and safety improvement. Story continues Jack brings over 30 years of experience, most recently as the Vice President of Mining and Geotechnical for Goldcorp. He has extensive experience in Nevada having worked at Newmont for 12 years and Barrick for 9 years. Prior to joining Goldcorp from 2013 to 2017, Jack held the position of General Manager at two large Newmont operations in Nevada, the Carlin Operation and Cripple Creek. Jack holds a BSc in Geological Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. ABOUT MCEWEN MINING McEwen has the goal to qualify for inclusion in the S&P 500 Index by creating a profitable gold and silver producer focused in the Americas. McEwen's principal assets consist of: the San Jose mine in Santa Cruz, Argentina (49% interest); the Black Fox mine in Timmins, Canada; the Fenix Project in Mexico; the Gold Bar mine in Nevada; and the large Los Azules copper project in Argentina, advancing towards development. McEwen has approximately 360 million shares outstanding. Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner, owns 22% of the shares. CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, including "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements and information expressed, as at the date of this news release, McEwen Mining Inc.'s (the "Company") estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to future events and results. Forward-looking statements and information are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies, and there can be no assurance that such statements and information will prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and information. Risks and uncertainties that could cause results or future events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, factors associated with fluctuations in the market price of precious metals, mining industry risks, political, economic, social and security risks associated with foreign operations, the ability of the corporation to receive or receive in a timely manner permits or other approvals required in connection with operations, risks associated with the construction of mining operations and commencement of production and the projected costs thereof, risks related to litigation, the state of the capital markets, environmental risks and hazards, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral resources and reserves, and other risks. The Companys dividend policy will be reviewed periodically by the Board of Directors and is subject to change based on certain factors such as the capital needs of the Company and its future operating results. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information included herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. See McEwen Mining's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the caption "Risk Factors", for additional information on risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the forward-looking statements and information regarding the Company. All forward-looking statements and information made in this news release are qualified by this cautionary statement. The NYSE and TSX have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release, which has been prepared by management of McEwen Mining Inc. DENVER, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While in every industry there will be competition and competing points of view, leaders of truly great industries continuously seek to find and stand on common ground. It is for this reason that MicroStar Logistics and the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) are proud to announce their new multi-year partnership. Through this partnership, MicroStar will expand its advocacy of programs that benefit all of beer such as advancing quality and safety initiatives and finding ways to drive efficiencies and growth across the beer supply chain. For decades, MicroStar has built relationships with virtually all of our member distributors and their brewers and importers. This new partnership is a natural extension of their long-term commitment to the distributor tier of the beer industry, said Craig Purser, NBWAs President and CEO. The beer industry as a whole creates 2.23 million jobs and contributes $350 billion to our economy it is a tremendous responsibility to protect this workforce and grow our collective economic impact. We commend MicroStars ongoing effort to do their part to support the health of the entire beer industry. We know the beer industry would not be what it is today without the hard work of the thousands of independent beer distributors and the leadership of the NBWA, said MicroStars President and CEO, Michael Hranicka. We take our responsibility to the beer community seriously and are excited to expand into a more strategic role with the NBWA to advance initiatives that benefit all three tiers of this great industry. With this announcement, MicroStar is now a strategic partner with all three of the national beer trade organizations: the NBWA, the Brewers Association, and the Beer Institute. Each of these pioneering organizations have built strong track records of success representing their members while finding ways to collaborate for the betterment of beer. Story continues About the National Beer Wholesalers Association The purpose of the National Beer Wholesalers Association is to provide leadership which enhances the independent beer distribution industry; to advocate before government and the public; to encourage the responsible consumption of alcohol; and to provide programs and services that will benefit its members. To learn more, visit www.NBWA.org About MicroStar Founded in 1996 and based in the heart of Denver, Colorado, MicroStar Logistics is the leading diversified keg solutions provider. MicroStar's Keg Management division leverages its dense network of over 4 million kegs to deliver cost-effective outsourced keg management services for brewers of all sizes including the largest single brewery in the world. MicroStars Quality Services division sets the benchmark for keg quality and maintains the quality and expands the lifespan of some of the largest keg fleets in the world. For additional information, visit www.MicrostarLogistics.com. SOURCE MicroStar Logistics Media: Dan Vorlage, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, 800-245-2200, info@microstarkegs.com In 2019, the word "cannabis" evokes things like wellness branding, licensed dispensaries, lobbyists, and criminal justice reformers. All of these were represented at the NYC Cannabis Parade and Rally in Manhattan Saturday, which culminated in a lineup of bands, speakers and booths in Union Square. But so too were the emblems of marijuana cultures past, all on display side by side like a retrospective in a museum: The reggae band singing about Mary Jane, the guy in a Biggie shirt posing with a blunt while his friend snapped a picture, the aging activists who had embraced being on the fringes of society when they started calling for legalization in the 70s. As the state legislature considers the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Actthe last hope for cannabis legalization this year since it was left out of the state budgetthe Cannabis Parade serves as a reminder of how far the movement has come. On Saturday, New Yorkers of varying levels of political engagement brazenly smoked pot in public and called for it to be legal, as they did at the 1973 Washington Square Park smoke-in that kicked off the annual tradition. But people didnt just gather to toke in plain sight, an act that feels more like a tribute to the roots of the legalization movement than representative of where its at today. Over the events booming sound system, they also demanded that legalization in New York include various forms of reparations for the harms prohibition has visited upon communities of colora social justice position that is becoming increasingly mainstream. In an impassioned speech at the rally, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams openly admitted that he had sold a little bit of bud when he was younger. If I was caught I might not have been an elected official, said Williams. I might not have been able to get a job. Williams added that a legal industry in New York must be set up to benefit those who were criminalized for smoking or selling weed in the past, echoing the sentiments of activists who spoke at the event. Nobody should make money off marijuana until the communities that have been ravaged by the over-policing and criminalization of it make money, said Williams. No one should make money off of marijuana until black and brown communities have access to sell the thing that will be legal that they were arrested for, that they couldnt get jobs for, that they couldnt get student loans for. Even Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was against marijuana legalization until early 2018, has embraced the idea that legalization is at least partly about social justice. But what that looks like in legislative language is still up for debate, and its currently not looking good for legalization advocates. At the beginning of 2019, Cuomo proposed automatically sealing criminal records for marijuana offenses that are no longer crimes, creating multiple tiers of licensing to lower the barrier to entry to the industry for small businesses, and implementing taxes that he said would eventually generate an estimated $300 million in annual revenue. But the states Drug Policy Alliance called for more specific language ensuring that tax revenue is reinvested in communities impacted by criminalization and creating an equity program that would make capital and support available to small businesses and farmers. Meanwhile, the medical cannabis companies that have already invested millions in setting up businesses in New York are seeking to guarantee their place in the recreational market. Baking social equity into a new industry that players with deep pockets and licenses in multiple states are vying to be a part of can be an uphill battle. I think the language in the Massachusetts legislation was by far the most progressive of any state weve seen so far, said Nelson Guerrero, co-founder and executive director of the Cannabis Cultural Association, a nonprofit that helps underrepresented groups engage in the legal cannabis industry. But if thats our baseline, we need to do better in New York. In Massachusetts, where dispensaries started selling cannabis to recreational users in November 2018, early data show nearly 2,500, or 72 percent, of the states 3,400 active cannabis industry players are white. Just 160, or 5 percent, are black and 6 percent are Latino. (12 percent declined to answer the question, according to self-reported data gathered by the states Cannabis Control Commission.) For many in attendance at the rally Saturday, the issue of equity in the industry was personal. Emily Marie Ramos Rodriguez, 25, said the first time she met her father was in prison, where he served time after being arrested for selling cannabis when her mother was pregnant with her. Marijuana has negatively impacted my familys life because we have never been able to leave the projects, we have never been able to gain economic mobility so that our family can thrive, said Ramos Rodriguez. Even though her father has now been out of prison for 13 years, she said, he still lives with her grandmother and has struggled to get back on his feet. Ramos Rodriguez is a cofounder of High Mi Madre, a women and femme-run marijuana cooperative that started as an illicit vegan edibles company and has since shifted its focus to cannabis education and advocacy. The cooperative is working to open a store in East Harlem that would sell CBD (a non-psychoactive cannabis extract) and other wellness goods by the end of the year; the goal is to get a license to sell other cannabis products once prohibition in New York is over. It remains unclear if and when that will happen. State Senator Diane Savino, a pro-legalization Staten Island Democrat, told Cannabis Wire last week that a standalone bill decriminalizing marijuana really has no shot. And thats where we find ourselves now. If those same legislators wouldnt vote for it today as a standalone bill, the likelihood that theyd vote for it in an election year becomes even slimmer. So, I think that the long term prospects are: Youre looking at two or three years before we get to a legal adult use market, unless something changes that I cant see. A broker reacts while trading at his computer terminal at a stock brokerage firm in Mumbai, December 11, 2018. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/Files By Krishna V Kurup (Reuters) - Indian shares fell on Monday, in line with tumbling Asian markets, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, casting doubts over talks this week that were largely expected to reach a trade accord. Tensions sharply escalated between the world's two largest economies when Trump, in a tweet on Sunday, said trade talks with China were proceeding "too slowly", and that he would raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25 percent on Friday from 10 percent. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 2 percent as markets across the region fell deep into the red. The broader NSE Nifty was down 0.83 percent at 11,615.25 as of 0631 GMT, while the benchmark BSE Sensex fell 0.81 percent to 38,649.50. Both the indexes had declined more than 1 percent earlier in the session. "Today's fall is by and large due to global factors," said Krish Subramanyam, co-head, equity advisory, at Altamount Capital. "Apart from that, the share market had a good run up in last couple of weeks. With corporate earnings trickling in, its just a reason for the markets to correct," he said. Automaker Tata Motors Ltd fell as much as 5.1 percent and was the top loser by percentage on both the indexes. Private-sector lender Yes Bank Ltd was second in line, falling up to 5 percent, after ratings agency ICRA downgraded bank's long-term ratings. Shares of Tata Steel fell as much as 3.7 percent in their worst day in nearly three months on reports that Brussels is likely to block its merger with ThyssenKrupp AG. Pharmaceutical firm Cadila Healthcare's shares fell to a four-year low after the U.S. drug regulator gave out 14 observations after an inspection at its facility in Gujarat. Jet Airways Ltd shares dropped as much as 7.7 percent after Reuters reported that the Indian government sees little hope of a bidder emerging for the debt-laden airline and it may have to face bankruptcy proceedings. (Reporting by Krishna V Kurup in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V) LANCASTER, PA / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2019 / Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation ("OTE" or the "Company") (OTCQB: CPWR), a renewable energy power plant and seawater cooling technology developer for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and Seawater Air Conditioning (SWAC), today is pleased to release an updated Corporate Deck and the following shareholder update: May 6, 2019 Dear Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation Shareholders and Supporters, More than a billion people around the world do not have access to electricity and more than 2.8 billion people in 48 countries will face water stress or conditions of scarcity by 2025. By the middle of this century, this number will have reached almost 7 billion. Globally, 2.4 billion people live without access to improved sanitation. For children, the chances of survival dwindle in the absence of these essentials. Every day, 6,000 children die of water-related diseases. Young children are the first to get sick and die from waterborne and sanitation-related illnesses-including diarrheal diseases and malaria. Our Company and its investors have a clear vision: commercialize Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), a proven technology producing fossil-fuel free energy and an abundant water supply solution. OTEC technology will benefit future generations through sustainable growth, both profitably and responsibly, while inspiring affordable, sustainable living. OTEC does not emit carbon dioxide. It uses the temperature difference in the ocean to produce electricity and water. Energy and water from OTEC will never run out as long as the sun heats the ocean. To meet the goals of our vision, our staff has dedicated themselves to researching and developing OTEC systems. Milestones reached will help advance our mission to introduce our technology worldwide: Researched and developed methods to improve both OTEC technology and water production opportunities Signed a large seawater contract and completed preliminary designs for a Bahamian resort developer Publicized and introduced the merits of our renewable energy and potable water solutions to many different countries worldwide Conducted an in-depth study and presented the use of our technology for the US Virgin Islands Provided critical support for a US DoD energy project Entered into partnership arrangements with world-class US and International Engineering companies Attained regulatory approval for a land-based OTEC system in the US Virgin Islands Recruited a specialist, experienced team to help with the design and planning for communities powered entirely by a commercial-grade OTEC system Identified the land for two OTEC powered sustainable communities Advanced the discussions in two US Territories to provide affordable OTEC electricity and fresh water for drinking, food production and economic development Continue to search for acquisitions that will add revenue and infrastructure We are committed to bringing basic human necessities - electricity, water, food production, and security - to many communities around the world. Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation offers people living in tropical and subtropical regions of the world an opportunity to achieve life-sustaining independence through proven alternatives to ecologically destructive energy and water systems. Story continues We greatly appreciate your support and look forward to the future. Best regards, Jeremy Feakins Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer About OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION and SEAWATER AIR CONDITIONING Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a game-changing technology that leverages the temperature difference in the ocean between cold deep water and warm surface water in the tropics and subtropics to generate unlimited energy without the use of fossil fuels. It boasts a competitive advantage over alternative sources of electricity production regarding accessibility, predictability, affordability, and emissions. Seawater Air Conditioning (SWAC) technology produces air conditioning without the use of chemical agents. Acting alone, SWAC can reduce electricity usage by up to 90% when compared to traditional air conditioning systems. Both technologies can be configured to produce fresh water for drinking, agriculture, and economic development. Supporting the efforts for more sustainable living in developing nations around the world, OTE's OTEC and SWAC technologies drastically reduce the output of carbon emissions and produce renewable base-load (24/7/365) energy without the use of fossil fuels. This translates to slowing down climate change and cleaning up our atmosphere for a healthier planet for all. About Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation (OTE) has over 25 years of experience and unrivaled know-how of optimal designs and economics of commercial Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and Seawater Air Conditioning (SWAC) systems. OTE is an environmentally-focused project developer, using the skills and many years of experience of its Marine Scientists, Oceanographers, and Engineers to design, finance, build, own, and operate commercial scale, cost-effective, and scalable OTEC and SWAC systems worldwide. OTE concentrates on emerging markets, which provide the opportunity to bring improved conditions to parts of our world devastated by a shortage of water and high-energy costs. These opportunities provide very attractive returns. Our technologies offer practical solutions to mankind's three oldest and most fundamental needs: clean drinking water, plentiful food, and sustainable, affordable energy without the use of fossil fuels. For additional information regarding OTE, please visit the company's website at www.otecorporation.com. About the OTEC EcoVillage Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation is in the advanced planning stages for a global network of carbon-neutral, high-quality eco-resorts consisting of sustainable homes, condominiums, retail spaces, and an EcoHotel. Use of fossil-fuels is not allowed at the OTEC EcoVillage. The first OTEC EcoVillage is targeted for the US Virgin Islands where OTE has received regulatory approval for its 100% fossil-fuel free Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system which will supply both the electricity and the water for the OTEC EcoVillage community. OTEC EcoVillage will be the world's first community powered entirely without the use of fossil fuels and using the natural resources of the ocean to deliver base-load electricity and water 24/7/365 days a year. OTEC EcoVillage will be a model for the future, living in harmony with nature, supplying affordable clean power and water for communities, and exemplifying best practices in ecologically responsible developments. For additional information regarding the OTEC EcoVillage, please visit the company's website at http://otececovillages.com. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release regarding OTE's plans or expectations constitute forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: a decision by any of the interested parties to not enter into a definitive power purchase agreement; the inability of the parties to successfully negotiate and enter into a definitive power purchase agreement; the inability of the parties to meet every closing condition contained in such definitive power purchase agreement and the protection and maintenance of OTE's intellectual property rights. Additional information and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are contained in OTE's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the heading 'Risk Factors.' Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made, and the facts and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements may change. Except as required by law, OTE disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future information, events or circumstances. Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation Contact: Jeremy Feakins Jeremy.Feakins@OTECorporation.com 917 679 2005 SOURCE: Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/543827/Ocean-Thermal-Energy-Corporation-OTCQB-CPWR-Company-Update Hansford County TEEA Club Winners District 1 Conference HANSFORD COUNTY TEEA CLUBS CLUB WINNERS AT THE TEEA DISTRICT 1 CONFERENCE APRIL 11, 2019, PERRYTON, TEXAS April 11, 2019, the Happy Homes and Town and Country Clubs from Hansford County attended the TEEA Yesterday and Today District 1 EEA Spring Conference in Perryton, Texas. Both clubs represented Hansford County very well. There are 22 counties that belong to the TEEA District 1 in Texas. At this Spring Conference there were 22 entries from Hansford County from both Extension Clubs, Happy Homes and Town & Country, that exhibited cultural arts in 26 categories. There will be 9 entries that won first place and will advance to the 92nd TEEA Texas State Conference September 10-11, 2019, in San Marcos. Fran Duncan won Best of Show of ALL the cultural arts exhibited with her oil painting. Hansford County TEEA members exhibiting Cultural Arts at the District 1 Spring Conference: Deloris Guthrie took 1st place with a Tall Boy Lap Throw Cheryl Sander took 1st place with Tea Party craft painting Jean Smith took 2nd place with Alcohol Ink On Ceramic Tile craft painting Andrea Woolley took 1st place with Western Jean Apron Andrea Woolley took 3rd place with Jean Denim Easter Basket with Jean Thread Grass Deloris Guthrie took 3rd place with Embroidery Pillowcase Feather Coombs with Cross Stitch Ho Ho Harley Christmas Stocking Lisa Pipkin took 2nd place with Double Take Greetings display Carrie Bardwell with a Christmas Card Display Fran Duncan took 1st place with Grape Therapy oil painting Delinda McLaughlin took 3rd place with Dana Popup Scrapbook Carrie Bardwell took 1st place with Big National Park Trip Scrapbook Terrie Harper took 1st place with Winter Wonderland photography Andrea Woolley took 2nd place with Fun & Laughter by the Sea photography Melba Johnson took 1st place with Elephant Quilt Joann Dettmer took 3rd place with Harvest Bounty Quilt Myrna Biggers with Peaceful Harbor Quilt Lisa Pipkin took 1st place with Barnyard Jewelry Collector Tiffany Earl with a Cork Pumpkin center piece Fran Duncan took 2nd place with Howdy YAll wall hanging decoration Rosetta Barrera took 3rd place with Be Kind wall hanging decoration Marianne Pipkin took 1st place with Sew Many Things shadowbox Also, at the TEEA District 1 Spring Conference Town & Country Club was honored with the 55 Year Club Recognition. Janie Kunselman and Delinda McLaughlin were honored with a 40 Year Club Member Certificate. These Ladies and Town & Country will be recognized at the 92nd TEEA Texas State Conference September 10-11, 2019. Town & Country won the Texas Leadership Award and Andrea Woolley won the Texas Treasure Award. These two Texas Award winners will compete with the other 21 Districts at The State Conference in San Marcos. TEEA is fun, community service that supports 4-H. Hansford Manor, and the Veterans. If youd like to join one of the Clubs contact any club member or call Andrea Woolley at 806.659.2345 or Terrie Harper at 806.330.0270 (Bloomberg) -- No one has more riding on Sprint Corp.s $26.5 billion sale to T-Mobile US Inc. than SoftBank Group and its founder Masayoshi Son. Sprint has been going broke for more than a decade, and the wireless carriers executives have told regulators the company faces serious challenges if the takeover by T-Mobile is blocked. With a $19 billion stake in Sprint, SoftBank will bear the brunt of the fallout if the deal collapses. It would be a test of SoftBanks willingness to save Sprint, said Amy Yong, a Macquarie analyst. The ownership stake is so high theyd probably look to save it, but plan B isnt obvious or very attractive. If its forced to absorb Sprint and the carriers $39 billion debt load, Tokyo-based SoftBank and Son may have to rethink other, higher-profile ventures or sell assets, analysts say. They may also have to revisit the M&A circuit, where potential Sprint buyers have been less than enthusiastic. The carrier reports financial results Tuesday after markets close. SoftBank continues to believe the deal will be approved, according to an emailed statement. Sprint declined to comment. A week ago, the companies extended the expiration of the deal agreement by three months, to July 29, as reviews by the U.S. Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission continue. Analysts have started lowering the odds for approval. Last week, Raymond James analysts cut the chances to 55 percent from 80 percent. New Partner If the deal falls through, a new agreement with a new partner for Sprint would be the best option for SoftBank, but circumstances have changed over the past year for the usual list of candidates. Dish Network Corp. has been a Sprint suitor in the past, but recently started building its own wireless network. Both Comcast Corp. and Charter Communications Inc. have started selling wireless service using Verizon Communications Inc.s network. Its not clear if either company wants to own a network. Story continues The natural will be the cable companies, but theyve not shown much appetite for a full-blown merger, said Chetan Sharma, a wireless industry consultant. They will try to go through a sales process or restructure. Sprint Executive Chairman Marcelo Claure -- together with Son, SoftBanks chairman -- led the carrier through a three-year go-for-broke recovery effort. Using steep price cuts, Sprint stopped a mass subscriber exodus. The company, based in Overland Park, Kansas, also borrowed billions of dollars, using airwave licenses and network equipment as collateral. The goal was to stabilize the business for a deal. Third Time It took three tries, but Son finally got T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom AG to agree to a takeover. The combined company, they assert, will have enough scale and resources to compete with larger rivals Verizon and AT&T Inc. -- and build a new 5G network that offers a fresh menu of wireless services. Critics of the deal, federal regulators and some state attorneys general are concerned that if the wireless industrys two most-aggressive price-cutters are reduced to one, consumers will pay more and see less innovation. Sprint and T-Mobile executives are still fighting for approval, with Sprint casting it as a matter of survival. Future 5G services underpin their case. Sprints efforts to survive came at the cost of needed network spending. And without the T-Mobile merger, the No. 4 U.S. wireless carrier risks being left behind. Not lost on industry observers is the fact that Sprint owns the largest supply of midrange airwaves in the U.S., a key component of any coast-to-coast 5G network and a valuable asset trapped in a cash-constrained company. Claure has told regulators and lawmakers that losses totaling $25 billion over the past decade have left Sprint critically wounded. Without Bellevue, Washington-based T-Mobile, there is no obvious path to solve key business challenges, Sprint said in a filing. Central Planning Son has said he always held the combination of Sprint and T-Mobile as central to his U.S. wireless strategy. But an even bigger worry for Sprint now may be that SoftBanks founder has moved on. Son, the second-richest person in Japan and largest SoftBank shareholder, is consumed by multibillion-dollar projects like the Vision Fund and focused on a goal of raising a new $100 billion fund every couple years. His commitment to Sprint is fading, analysts say, even though his company holds an 84 percent stake. Masa Son has lost interest in being a wireless carrier, said Roger Entner, an analyst with Recon Analytics LLC. You can see that in him selling off part of SoftBanks wireless operations in Japan, his underinvesting in the U.S. and trying to sell Sprint to T-Mobile. So the problem is significantly beyond money. To contact the reporters on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at smoritz6@bloomberg.net;Olga Kharif in Portland at okharif@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Rob Golum For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Trump's China threats could cause his North Korea policy to 'blow up in his face' U.S. President Donald Trump in a Sunday Twitter post announced a hike in tariffs on Chinese goods. China, in turn, is said to be considering skipping this week's negotiations. According to one expert, the downturn in U.S.-China relations may not bode well for Trump's denuclearization dialogue with Pyongyang. "Donald Trump today tweeting out about increasing tariffs and things of that nature, he needs to be a little careful because his North Korea policy could blow up in his face," said Harry Kazianis, the director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest. The ongoing United States - China trade talks appeared to turn sour when President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a tariff hike on Chinese goods. China, in turn, is said to be considering skipping this week's planned negotiations . According to the director of Korean Studies at think tank the Center for the National Interest, that recent downturn in Washington - Beijing relations may not bode well for Trump's denuclearization dialogue with North Korea . "Donald Trump today tweeting out about increasing tariffs and things of that nature, he needs to be a little careful because his North Korea policy could blow up in his face," Harry Kazianis told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Monday. On Sunday, North Korean state media showed its leader Kim Jong Un overseeing live firing drills of rocket launchers and short-range missiles . This comes two months after denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang collapsed in Hanoi. Negotiations have been in a "lull state" since. The Trump administration has typically taken a "maximum pressure" strategy toward Pyongyang, which consists of military threats, diplomatic actions and harsh tariffs. However, this policy was "always" ultimately enforced by Beijing and not Washington, according to Kazianis. "Think about it this way: 90% of North Korea's exports go to China ," he added. Story continues That all means that China can use its North Korean ties as a form of leverage over Washington. If the U.S.-China trade deal falls apart, Beijing can use North Korea "as a weapon against the United States," Kazianis said. "(China) could end maximum pressure in days by just opening up the border." Pyongyang's weapons testing over the weekend was Kim's attempt to remind the U.S. that its military capabilities "will keep growing essentially by the hour," Kazianis said. North Korea is still continuing to build ballistic missiles, he added. "Just because they're not testing them in the sky doesn't mean they're not testing them in their laboratory, that their scientists aren't working at it." "So what Kim is trying to say to us is: 'Look, if you're not going to make a deal, my weapons are just going to get better and it's better to make a deal now,'" Kazianis explained. A 'phased denuclearization' required According to Kazianis, the "only way" for Washington to strike a denuclearization deal with Pyongyang is to take a gradual step-by-step approach. "The only way to do this is a phased denuclearization, where the North Koreans make a concession, and we make a matching concession," Kazianis said. "I think the Trump administration would be quite foolish to keep going after this so-called big deal where the North Koreans basically give up all their nuclear weapons, and then when that's over, we remove the sanctions," he added. "I don't think that'll work." More From CNBC WASHINGTON (AP) A House committee is poised to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress the opening salvo in what could be a lengthy, acrimonious court battle between House Democrats and President Donald Trump's administration over special counsel Robert Mueller's report . House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler scheduled a Wednesday vote to hold Barr in contempt of Congress, citing the Justice Department's failure to provide the full text of Mueller's report by the Monday morning deadline. Nadler, D-N.Y., said Barr's failure to comply with a subpoena left them with "no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings." The movement to hold Barr in contempt reflects the deepening rift between Democrats and Barr, whom they accuse of spinning the results of Mueller's investigation to Trump's benefit. Barr, in a memo summarizing Mueller's investigation, said there was insufficient evidence that Trump obstructed justice a conclusion Democrats fiercely dispute. Nadler said the version of Mueller's report that has already been released to the public offered "disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels." Now, he said, lawmakers need the full version and the underlying evidence "to determine how to best move forward with oversight, legislation and other constitutional responsibilities." The committee said that contempt proceedings could be postponed if the attorney general makes a "good faith" effort to comply with the committee. For now, an agreement appears unlikely. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said the department has "taken extraordinary steps to accommodate the House Judiciary Committee's requests for information" regarding Mueller's report, but that Nadler had not reciprocated. She noted that Democrats have refused to read a version of Mueller's report with fewer redactions that has already been provided to Congress. Kupec said officials were continuing to engage with the committee, and that Nadler's staff had been invited to the department Wednesday "to discuss a mutually acceptable accommodation." Story continues If the committee approves the contempt resolution against Barr, as expected, it would head to the full House for final approval. But that step is unlikely to lead to criminal charges. A House vote 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. Yet by pursuing contempt, Democrats hope to send a message to the Trump administration about their willingness to invoke congressional powers in the majority. Beyond Mueller's report, House Democrats have, so far mostly unsuccessfully, subpoenaed administration witnesses and made efforts to gain access to Trump's personal and business financial records. Trump has said he will block those efforts, declaring he will "fight all the subpoenas." Democratic House leaders could file a civil lawsuit against the Justice Department to obtain the Mueller report an option that could take months or even years to resolve. Some committee members have suggested they also could fine Barr as he withholds the information. They could also open impeachment proceedings against Trump, though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she's not interested in doing that, for now. Republicans have lambasted the Democratic tactics as overreach and defended Barr. The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, said "Democrats have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general" when their anger actually lies with the president. There is precedent for sitting attorneys general to be held in contempt of Congress. In 2012, the House held then-Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt over a botched gun-tracking operation known as Fast and Furious. Republicans cited the Justice Department's failure to turn over, without any preconditions, documents related to the risky operation. The Justice Department took no action to prosecute the attorney general. Mueller's report now a best-seller even in redacted form states that his investigation could not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump team and Russia. However, it did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. Mueller didn't charge Trump but wrote that he couldn't exonerate him, either. House Judiciary Democrats say Congress is "the only body able to hold the president to account" since the Justice Department has a policy against indicting a sitting president. They say they need the full report and the evidence that it cites, including witness interviews and "items such as contemporaneous notes." Nadler also wants every member of Congress to be able to read the full report. As the fight with Barr has escalated, Democrats have been in negotiations to hear from Mueller himself. Trump complicated those talks Sunday by tweeting that he would oppose Mueller's testimony, reversing from his earlier position of leaving it up to Barr. As long as Mueller remains a Justice Department employee, Trump or Barr could block him from appearing. Trump did not indicate if he would take steps to do so. It's unclear when Mueller will leave the department or whether he would want to testify in his own capacity when he does. Nadler said last week the committee was "firming up the date" for Mueller's testimony and hoping it would be May 15. The Justice Department declined to comment. ___ Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report. Newark Police Department(NEWARK, Del.) -- A woman was sexually assaulted by an armed man claiming to be a ride-share driver early Saturday, police said. Authorities arrested 41-year-old Roberto Rodriguez of Newark and charged him with first-degree rape, possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony and theft, among other charges. The 21-year-old woman was walking on South Chapel Street near East Delaware Avenue in Newark, just a couple blocks from campus, at about 1:15 a.m. when a man pulled up, identified himself as a ride-share driver and asked if she needed a ride, according to the Newark Police Department. The woman had not called for a ride, but got into the vehicle. After she got into the vehicle, the man drove northbound before pulling over and forcing the woman at knifepoint to perform a sex act, police said. She exited the vehicle "after the sexual act was completed" and called 911 from a nearby residence, according to Newark police. The woman told police the man was driving a silver, four-door GMC truck with an extended cab. Authorities later released pictures of the suspected vehicle in the area. She was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital. Rodriguez is being held on $63,000 bail. He has been transported to the Howard R. Young Correctional Facility in Wilmington. Police have not said whether the woman is a student at the University of Delaware. Spring semester at the university, which has about 18,000 undergraduates, does not end until May 30. The incident is part of a trend of assaults by people posing as ride-share drivers. The problem was brought further into the national consciousness when a student at the University of South Carolina was killed after getting into what she thought was an Uber. Samantha Josephson, a 21-year-old from New Jersey, was out drinking with friends near the campus when she got into a car she thought was the Uber she had requested. Instead, the man was posing as a driver and later killed the woman. Nathaniel Rowland has been charged with murder and kidnapping in the case. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The U.S. government will not ensure sale of its oil to India at cheaper rates as the commodity is controlled by private companies, U.S. commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday. Ross is in India to participate in a trade forum. The latest U.S. sanctions against Iran has barred Asian buyers, including India, from importing oil from Tehran. Iran was shipping oil to India at discounted rates. "Oil is owned by private people so the government cannot force people to make concessionary prices," Ross said, when asked if the United States is considering selling oil to India at a concessional rates to make for loss of Iranian barrels. (Reporting by Aftab Ahmed, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips) * Washington says Turkey risks raising tensions * EU calls on Ankara to refrain from illegal action * Turkey pledges to protect its own and Turkish Cypriot interests (Adds Erdogan comments) By Daren Butler ISTANBUL, May 6 (Reuters) - The United States and European Union have expressed deep concern over Turkey's plans for offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by Cyprus as its exclusive economic zone, adding to tensions between Ankara and its Western allies. The statements at the weekend came after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said "we are starting drilling" in the region. Turkey and the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government have overlapping claims of jurisdiction for offshore oil and gas research in the eastern Mediterranean, a region thought to be rich in natural gas. "The United States is deeply concerned by Turkey's announced intentions to begin offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by the Republic of Cyprus as its Exclusive Economic Zone," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on Sunday. "This step is highly provocative and risks raising tensions in the region. We urge Turkish authorities to halt these operations and encourage all parties to act with restraint." Cavusoglu said that Turkish seismic research vessel Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa was continuing work in the region. "We will conduct drilling in areas of Turkey's continental shelf and we are starting our drilling work at points identified by Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa," he said in northern Cyprus on Saturday. The Cyprus foreign ministry said it "strongly condemns" Turkey's drilling operations within its exclusive economic zone. "This provocative action by Turkey constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus," it said on Saturday. Speaking at NATO's North Atlantic Council Mediterranean Dialogue meeting in Ankara on Monday, President Tayyip Erdogan said he expected NATO to support Turkey's rights in the Mediterranean. Story continues "The legitimate rights of Turkey and the Northern Cypriot Turks over energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean are not open for argument. Our country is determined to defend its rights and those of Cypriot Turks," he said. "We expect NATO to respect Turkey's rights in this process and support us in preventing tensions." URGENT EU CALL The U.S. statement followed similarly worded comments on Saturday by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who expressed "grave concern" about Turkey's intentions. "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." Any escalation between Turkey and the United States could put more pressure on relations already strained on several fronts, including missile defence and military operations in Syria. Cavusoglu said in February that Turkey would soon begin drilling for oil and gas near Cyprus. Ankara launched its first drill ship in October off the coast of Turkey's southern Antalya province. The ship was located 70 km (45 miles) off the west coast of Cyprus on Monday, Refinitiv Eikon shipping data showed. Breakaway north Cyprus, which is supported by Turkey, says that any offshore wealth also belongs to them, as partners in the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960. The island was divided in 1974 after a Turkish invasion triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. Countless peacemaking endeavours have failed and offshore resources have increasingly complicated peace negotiations. (Additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu, Can Sezer and Michele Kambas; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Dominic Evans, Louise Heavens, David Goodman and Jan Harvey) By Collin Eaton HOUSTON, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. refiners have turned to several lesser-used oil suppliers in the wake of U.S. sanctions that restricted usual providers of widely-used grades as they gear up for peak driving season. Iraq, Nigeria, Brazil and Angola combined this month are set to deliver their most crude oil to the United States in more than 18 months, according to Refinitiv Eikon data and trade sources, helping deliver needed heavy and sour crudes. All told, May imports from those countries are expected to come in at about 1.23 million barrels per day (bpd), more than double April's haul. Those cargoes include 11 tankers carrying about 600,000 bpd of Iraqi crude, the most from that country in a year, Refinitiv data showed. The bump in imports from those nations versus the prior month reflects reduced supply from Venezuela and Iran due to U.S. sanctions, and declining OPEC production that has cut availability of heavy and medium sour grades. U.S. refiners also are finishing spring maintenance and gearing up for vacation-season gasoline demand. Cargoes from these four countries are designed to "offset a majority of the loss" of Venezuelan heavy crude from sanctions, trade sources said. The move to bar the flow of dollars to the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this year has halted U.S. purchases from about 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) last year. West African producers Nigeria and Angola are set to deliver 420,000 bpd combined this month, the highest in 13 months. Another 206,000 bpd of Brazilian crude are due to land in May, the most since August. Receivers include the once-top U.S. buyers of Venezuelan crude. Four tankers will deliver a combined 95,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude from Iraq, Nigeria and Brazil to Chevron Corp's Pascagoula, Mississippi refinery, the most from those three countries in more than a year, the Refinitiv data showed. Two tankers, the Leontios H, with about 500,000 barrels of heavy crude from Brazil, and the Richmond Voyager, with 1 million barrels of Iraq's medium sour Basrah Light, discharged at Pascagoula last week. The Cap Felix, with 1 million barrels of medium crude from Nigeria, and Myrtos, with 500,000 barrels of Brazilian crude, are scheduled to arrive this month, the data showed. Story continues Three tankers chartered by Valero Energy Corp, the New Courage, the New Energy and the Pantariste, arrive this month in Louisiana, Texas and California with 187,000 bpd of Iraq's Basrah Light. Chevron does not comment on supply matters, spokesman Braden Reddall said. A Valero spokesman pointed to an April 25 earnings call where executives said a third of the crude processed in the first quarter came from "opportunistic" purchases from suppliers including Brazil. Valero and Chevron were the top U.S. buyers of Venezuelan crude last year, behind Citgo Petroleum, with 2018 imports of 166,000 bpd and 83,000 bpd, respectively. The two remain "very active in finding replacements," one trader said. (Reporting by Collin Eaton Editing by Tom Brown) (Bloomberg) -- Berkshire Hathaway Inc. overpaid for part of venerable food giant Kraft Heinz Co. and failed to realize the potential of Amazon.com Inc., snapping up stock in the internet retailer only after it had already risen by thousands of percent. That was the assessment by Warren Buffett and Charles Munger of two recent bets, leaving them in an unusual position on Saturday: Answering shareholder questions about whether changes are needed to an approach that has made them investing legends. At Berkshires annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, holders filtered past the Kraft Heinz Co. booth featuring an inflatable ketchup bottle and a giant hot dog. The displays served as a reminder of a rough bet by Buffett, 88, and of questions about whether traditional consumer brands still carry weight in the age of internet stocks including Amazon, Berkshires latest investment. Investors wanted to know how Berkshires businesses are working to stave off the risk that the world is changing faster than the conglomerate can react. For some, the questions about strategy reminded them of the days before the dot-com bubble burst or the financial crisis occurred. Theyve stayed relevant through lots of upheaval in their careers, said Richard Cook, who oversees $335 million including Berkshire shares at Cook & Bynum Capital Management. Hes nimble enough and now understands that a lot of those brands have been overstretched and now are no longer as durable as they were. Buffett has long searched for businesses with moats, or a long-term competitive advantage. Facing questions on new technology and Amazon, the billionaire investor acknowledged the shifting trends and said his managers were tasked with making sure theyre staying ahead. The world is going to change in dramatic ways, said Buffett, Berkshires chairman and chief executive officer. Just think how much it changed in the 54 years that weve had Berkshire -- and some of those changes hurt us, he said, citing the namesake textile business and some shoe operations. Story continues But we do adjust and weve got a group, overall, of very good businesses, Buffett said. Weve got some that will be actually destroyed by what happens in this world, but I still am a card-carrying capitalist and I believe that thats a good thing. Kraft Heinz has been a headache for Berkshire. The food maker in February reported a $15.4 billion writedown and disclosed a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Berkshire, which reported first-quarter results Saturday, couldnt include results from Kraft Heinz, which is late publishing certain filings. Kraft Heinz dropped in early trading Monday after announcing that it would restate some earnings and found evidence of employee misconduct in procurement. Buffett said Monday in a CNBC interview that he learned of the news from his deputies, Greg Abel and Tracy Britt Cool, and didnt expect Berkshire to have to restate results based on the news. He said he continues to have confidence in Kraft Heinz. On Saturday, Buffett reiterated that Berkshire and 3G Capital, which partnered on the deal to create Kraft Heinz, paid too much for the Kraft assets. The idea of Berkshire and 3G joining to own a consumer company has always confounded the Berkshire shareholders and it continues to, said Lawrence Cunningham, a professor at George Washington University and author of the book Berkshire Beyond Buffett. The investment could still turn around, Cunningham said. Berkshire shares dropped 2.7 percent to $318,957 at 9:42 a.m. in New York, the biggest intraday decline in four months. The Standard & Poors 500 Index dropped 1.3 percent on renewed threats of a trade war. The packaged-food giant was just one focus at the annual meeting of Berkshire shareholders. Amazon was another. An investment in Jeff Bezoss online retailer was announced days ago by Buffett, who said it was the idea of one of his investing deputies, Todd Combs or Ted Weschler. Combs and Weschler have helped Berkshire push into tech investments like Apple Inc., and Munger, the 95-year-old vice chairman, has credited them with having younger eyes. Missed Google Shareholders on Saturday asked about buying tech shares that had already exploded in price years ago, and whether that marks a change in Buffetts well-known preference for value investing. Buffett said technology firms can be evaluated on a basis similar to other stocks. Munger, though, admitted that Berkshire missed opportunities, specifically with Alphabet Inc.s Google. We just sat there sucking our thumbs, Munger said of failing to invest in Google. Maybe Apple was atonement. While Buffett has long praised Bezos, it was the growing influence of his deputies that led to the Amazon bet. Buffett mostly avoided technology stocks for years, saying he didnt understand those operations. Since Combs and Weschler have joined, Berkshire piled into Apple, a holding that was valued at more than $48 billion at the end of the first quarter. Throughout Berkshires history, Buffett favored a decentralized model. He highlighted that Saturday when confronted with a question about the impact of changing consumer habits, saying the executives who run Berkshires diverse units are responsible for accommodating shifting markets. Jim Weber, who runs Brooks Sports, said before the meeting that fast-moving consumer and digital demands are a daily challenge as he seeks to compete with the likes of Nike Inc. and Under Armour Inc. Every brand, typically on the premium side, has to justify its value to the customer every day, Weber said in an interview Friday. As soon as youre not the big brand, youre a niche player. International Dairy Queen Inc.s Troy Bader said the company is working to modernize its brand, using its app to create rewards for consumers. And Benjamin Moore & Co.s new chief executive officer, Dan Calkins, said the paintmaker experiments with some brands to make sure its staying ahead of the curve. We cant put our head in the sand, Calkins said Friday. Two of Berkshires managers, Greg Abel and Ajit Jain, fielded questions from shareholders Saturday in a move that allowed the new vice chairmen to have more of a public spotlight at the meeting. Abel has oversight of non-insurance operations while Jain runs the insurers. Jain explained how Geico competes with rival Progressive Corp. on certain metrics. Buffetts capital-allocation strategy has also been shifting. The billionaire investor has long favored snapping up stocks of other companies or acquiring businesses outright, but thats been hard with sky-high prices. That environment has made it harder for Buffett to find ways to deploy his $114 billion cash pile. But last year, Berkshire loosened its buyback policy, leading to the repurchase of $1.7 billion in stock in the first quarter. At Saturdays meeting Buffett implied that Berkshire could become a larger repurchaser of its shares. Twenty-five years ago that would not have been part of the thinking, Cook said. (Updates with share price in 13th paragraph.) To contact the reporter on this story: Katherine Chiglinsky in New York at kchiglinsky@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael J. Moore at mmoore55@bloomberg.net, Dan Reichl, Steve Dickson For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Today we'll look at China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding Limited (HKG:3836) and reflect on its potential as an investment. To be precise, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), as that will inform our view of the quality of the business. First, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Then we'll compare its ROCE to similar companies. Last but not least, we'll look at what impact its current liabilities have on its ROCE. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it? ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. In general, businesses with a higher ROCE are usually better quality. In brief, it is a useful tool, but it is not without drawbacks. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike.' How Do You Calculate Return On Capital Employed? The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) Or for China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding: 0.062 = CN431m (CN11b - CN4.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.) Therefore, China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding has an ROCE of 6.2%. See our latest analysis for China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding Is China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding's ROCE Good? When making comparisons between similar businesses, investors may find ROCE useful. In this analysis, China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding's ROCE appears meaningfully below the 14% average reported by the Specialty Retail industry. This performance could be negative if sustained, as it suggests the business may underperform its industry. Setting aside the industry comparison for now, China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding's ROCE is mediocre in absolute terms, considering the risk of investing in stocks versus the safety of a bank account. Investors may wish to consider higher-performing investments. Story continues China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding's current ROCE of 6.2% is lower than 3 years ago, when the company reported a 12% ROCE. So investors might consider if it has had issues recently. SEHK:3836 Past Revenue and Net Income, May 6th 2019 When considering ROCE, bear in mind that it reflects the past and does not necessarily predict the future. Companies in cyclical industries can be difficult to understand using ROCE, as returns typically look high during boom times, and low during busts. This is because ROCE only looks at one year, instead of considering returns across a whole cycle. What happens in the future is pretty important for investors, so we have prepared a free report on analyst forecasts for China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding. Do China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding's Current Liabilities Skew Its ROCE? Current liabilities are short term bills and invoices that need to be paid in 12 months or less. Due to the way the ROCE equation works, having large bills due in the near term can make it look as though a company has less capital employed, and thus a higher ROCE than usual. To counter this, investors can check if a company has high current liabilities relative to total assets. China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding has total liabilities of CN4.0b and total assets of CN11b. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 37% of its total assets. China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding's middling level of current liabilities have the effect of boosting its ROCE a bit. Our Take On China Harmony New Energy Auto Holding's ROCE Unfortunately, its ROCE is still uninspiring, and there are potentially more attractive prospects out there. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). 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. "As the Prophets saw, as the Apostles taught, as the Church has received, as the Teachers express in dogma, as the inhabited world understands together with them, as grace illumines, as the truth makes clear, as error has been banished, as wisdom makes bold to declare, as Christ has assured, so we think, so we speak, so we preach, honouring Christ our true God, and his Saints, in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in churches, in icons, worshipping and revering the One as God and Lord, and honouring them because of their common Lord as those who are close to him and serve him, and making to them relative veneration. This is the faith of the Apostles; this is the faith of the Fathers; this is the faith of the Orthodox; this faith makes fast the inhabited world." Excerpt from the Synodikon of the Sunday of Orthodoxy (http://www.anastasis.org.uk/synodikon.htm) By the Grace of God, here are presented a few true stories of the Saints, sayings of the Holy Fathers, sacred icons, and many other things so that, maybe in a small way, we may remind ourselves that (though we might not be ready to accept it)I must say that I am not a part of the clergy, so I hope to primarily put forth quotations from the Gospel, Saints and Holy Fathers, and not my own opinions. But if you see my own words or opinions, keep in mind that they are my opinions or comments and they have little weight, as opposed to the quotations from Christ, the Saints and the Fathers which do.I ask forgiveness if in this site any of my passions are acting, hindering the Grace of the Holy Spirit because of my sins. I apologize for any errors of mine, mistakes, problems with translations, etc. due to my ignorance and conceit. If anyone notices any mistakes or can suggest a better translation, please let me know. I try to post all of my sources. Please also let me know if I am violating any copyrights or other laws, and I will do my best to comply. First bird flu death raises concerns, but government response is too slow In a hurriedly called press conference on May 2, the Ministry of Health and Population announced that a person had died from bird flu, the first human casualty in Nepal by H5N1 virus. The 21-year-old had died on March 29, according to the ministry. A Loya Jirga, or grand assembly, has wrapped up in Kabul, with leading Afghan politicians and tribal, ethnic, and religious leaders calling for an immediate cease-fire to help settle the nearly two-decade long conflict in the country. Some 3,200 representatives, separated into dozens of individual committees, met in the Afghan capital under tight security to find common ground and discuss methods of reaching a peace deal with the Taliban militant group. According to the state-run Afghan broadcaster RTA World, the Loya Jirga also called for a prisoner exchange and the opening of a Taliban office in Afghanistan. Reacting to the Loya Jirga demand for a cease-fire, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he was "prepared to implement the fair and legitimate demand" for a truce but stressed it "cannot be one-sided," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying. The Taliban later rejected calls for a truce, which the Loya Jirga proposed should start on May 6, the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In a statement, the Taliban said waging jihad, or holy war, during Ramadan had "even more [holy] rewards." They called the Loya Jirga "symbolic" and a "failure." The Loya Jirga said the government in Kabul must have a central role in the peace process with coordination provided by the international community. It also said human rights, including women's rights, must be protected in Afghanistan. Some opposition politicians boycotted the assembly, saying they had not been consulted by the government of President Ashraf Ghani, who organized the event. Afghanistan's chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah, was among those saying he would not attend. Ghani has alienated much of the country's political elite, who say they have been sidelined from the government's peace efforts. Many concerns remain within Afghan society about a potential peace deal with the Taliban, with some people expressing worries that the militant Islamists would try to seize power and reverse advances in women's rights, media freedoms, and legal protections. Hundreds of women attended the assembly and set out their "red lines" for any negotiations with the Taliban. Semin Noori, head of one of the assembly committees, said that "withdrawal of foreign forces should not mean that all advances made in women's rights are forgotten and we are forced to suffer again." Many leaders said the government and the Taliban must immediately agree to a nationwide battlefield truce as a prelude to a peace deal. Abdul Hannan, a committee chairman who traveled from the south of the country to attend the assembly, urged "both sides to announce a cease-fire." "The war will end only when both sides stop fighting before they sign a permanent peace agreement," he added. "Every day, Afghans are being killed without any reason. An unconditional cease-fire must be announced," said Mohammad Qureshi, another committee leader. Taliban negotiators have so far refused to negotiate with the government, calling it a puppet of the West, and have insisted on the withdrawal of foreign forces before talks with Kabul can begin. The United States has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of Resolute Support, a NATO-led mission that provides training and assistance to security forces in Afghanistan as they battle Taliban fighters and other extremist groups. The Taliban now effectively controls or influences about half of the country. Dashing hopes for any quick cease-fire, the militant group has announced the start of its spring offensive, despite taking part in several rounds of talks with U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in Qatar. Even if U.S. and Taliban negotiators strike a deal to end fighting in the 18-year war, the militant group would still need to reach agreement with Afghan politicians and tribal leaders before a sustainable cease-fire could begin. Loya Jirga is an ancient Afghan tradition that has been convened at times of national crisis or to settle major disputes. It plays a purely consultative role but usually carries much influence in Afghan society. The most recent jirga was held in 2013, when the Afghan government endorsed a security agreement allowing U.S. troops to stay in Afghanistan beyond their planned withdrawal in 2014. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP Government plans to create 500,000 jobs in a year. Experts say its a daunting task. The government said in its policies and programmes unveiled on Friday that half a million jobs would be created from the next fiscal year to absorb the countrys workforce, which is spread to more than 100 countries. KABUL, -- On the morning of April 27, 1978, Afghan President Sardar Muhammad Daud Khan was expecting his interior minister at the sprawling 19th-century Arg-e Shahi Palace in the heart of the Afghan capital, Kabul. According to Afghan journalist and author Daud Junbish, Daud Khan, 68, wanted Abdul Qadeer to brief him on the situation following a government crackdown on the pro-Soviet Marxist Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). Daud Khans government had rounded up most top PDPA leaders following a funeral for their slain colleague. Key party ideologue Mir Akbar Khyber had been assassinated outside his Kabul home on April 17, 1978. Around the same time some four kilometers away in the historic fort of Bala Hissar, Shahnawaz Tanai, a young Soviet-trained special forces officer, had received secret orders to topple Daud Khans republican government. More than four decades later, Tanai says he still believes the aftermath of Khybers murder forced jailed PDPA leader Hafizullah Amin to order a military coup. Amin oversaw the PDPAs secret organization within the Afghan military. The conditions were not ready for a coup, Tanai, who was a member of the PDPAs Khalq or Masses faction, told Radio Free Afghanistan. In a way, the coup was imposed on us after Daud Khan attacked our party by rounding up its leaders. He then wanted to move against the partys supporters within the military. Sulaiman Layeq, a leader of the sometimes rival Parcham faction, agrees. The 89-year-old remembers being incarcerated at Pul-e Charkhi alongside Amin and the PDPAs top leader Nur Muhammad Tarakai in April 1978. The coup was carried out in broad daylight, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. Party members had no choice but to accept the coup as fait accompli even while it was ordered by one individual. The coup was largely carried out by troops loyal to Amin stationed near the notorious Pul-e Charkhi prison east of Kabul where he was held. Two young military officers, Aslam Watanjar and Muhammad Rafi, led a tank column from the Afghan Armys Fourth Armored Corps to capture Arg and other key installations around Kabul, some 20 kilometers away. Their advance and later attacks in Arg and elsewhere in Kabul were supported by Afghan Air Force Officer Abdul Qadir. Writing in his book Twenty-four Hours That Shook Afghanistan, Junbish says that by around 10:30 a.m. in Arg Daud Khan and his cabinet were still unaware a tank column was en route to Kabul. Around that time, a bodyguard barged into the meeting to ask the Afghan leader whether he knew about the advancing tanks. But Daud Khan had no idea what they were up to. Tanai says rebellious forces had captured the headquarters of Afghanistans state radio and television less than a kilometer from Arg around 11:30 a.m. Half an hour earlier, they had cut the links between Arg and the Afghan Defense Ministry. He says he was ordered around midday to attack the besieged presidential palace where the guards were offering stiff resistance. By evening, the rebellious officers loyal to the PDPA had captured most of the army and air force installations around Kabul and had taken over the communications and defense ministries. They had also freed the PDPA leaders from Pul-e Charkhi. In the evening, Watanjar announced the coup to the world. For the first time in history of the empire -- the sign of oppression and cruelty -- the power of the family of [King] Nadir Khan has ended, he said in a radio broadcast in Pashto, naming Daud Khans uncle, who had restored the Durrani monarchy after a brief interregnum in 1929. All the state power is now in the hands of the people, he added as he hinted at who was behind the coup. The state power is now firmly in the hands of the revolutionary military council. Inside Arg, Daud Khan and his family, guards, and cabinet members continued resisting into the early hours of the next day. But all of them were eventually killed on April 28, 1978. The coup ended nearly 250 years of Durrani monarchy in Afghanistan. Pacha Mir, head of maintenance at the Afghan Armys armored corps, was tasked with burying the slain president and his family near Pul-e Charkhi. Their secret grave was finally discovered in 2008. He was given a state funeral the following year. PDPA leaders called their coup the Saur Revolution after the month in the Afghan calendar that it took place. Reflecting on the aftermath of their coup, Layeq says the vanity of the Afghan leaders destroyed whatever good they expected from the coup. I think the bottom line in Afghanistan is that all [leaders] want to survive on their own, he noted. On the streets in Kabul, the coup is still blamed for all of Afghanistans woes. It was a black day for Afghanistan, said Kabul resident Bakhtiar, who goes by one name only. The destruction of our homeland began on that day. Syed Rahman Niazi, another Kabul resident, blames the coup for their miseries. Blood was shed to gain power that fateful day, he said. After the coup, our rulers killed Afghans and we were forced to abandon our homes. They showed no mercy to us. The coups leaders quickly fell out with one another. In September 1979, Amin deposed Tarakai. Most historians agree it was Amin who ordered Tarakais killing the following month. Amins rule, however, was short-lived. Amin, his extended family, and supporters were killed by Soviet special forces on December 27, 1979 before invading Afghanistan. The Red Army then propped up another PDPA regime for the next decade as it occupied Afghanistan. Afghanistans neighbors, Pakistan, Iran, China, the United States, Arab monarchies, and the Western world generously funded anti-Soviet jihad by Afghan Islamist guerillas known as mujahedin. The departure of Soviet troops in February 1989 didnt end the war in Afghanistan. Even the fall of the PDPA regime, then renamed the Homeland Party, on April 28, 1992, didnt bring the war in Afghanistan to an end. Kabul was destroyed in the ensuing civil war. The emergence of the Taliban in the mid-1990s added a new dimension to the civil war and ultimately paved the way for the current phase of the war in Afghanistan. Afghans have endured every imaginable atrocity during the various phases of war in their country. More than 1 million Afghans are estimated to have been killed and injured during the various phases of war. The fighting has also displaced more than 10 million Afghans during the past four decades, making Afghans one of the largest refugee communities worldwide. Abubakar Siddique wrote this based on reporting by Radio Free Afghanistan correspondent Rehmatullah Afghan from Kabul, Afghanistan. Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect the actual date of Afghan President Hafizullah Amin's killing in December 1979. The Story was first published on May 6, 2019. The United States is deploying additional military resources to the Middle East in a "clear message" to Iran, the White House has said. "In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region," national-security adviser John Bolton said in a statement on May 5. Bolton said the military deployment to the area, which includes the Middle East, was aimed at sending "a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force." He said the United States was "not seeking war with the Iranian regime," but that it was "fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, or regular Iranian forces." The statement did not specify why the deployment was taking place now, but it comes as Washington has ramped up pressure on the Iranian government as it seeks to end what it calls Tehran's "malign" activities in the region. A U.S. defense official told the Associated Press that the decision followed "clear indications" that Iranian and Iranian proxy forces were preparing to possibly attack U.S. forces in the region. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the Pentagon approved the deployments and that U.S. forces at sea and on land were thought to be the potential targets. The official declined to be more specific. The administration of President Donald Trump has recently announced it had decided not to reissue waivers in May allowing importers to buy Iranian oil without facing U.S. sanctions, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero. It has also designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization, marking the first time Washington has officially used that label on a foreign state institution. The United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in May 2018, and later reimposed sanctions targeting Iran's oil, shipping, and banking sectors. Trump said the deal was flawed because it did not include curbs on Iran's development of ballistic missiles or its support for proxies in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq. Iran has expanded its missile program, particularly its ballistic missiles. The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have recently been operating in the Mediterranean Sea. Bolton's reference to the Central Command region would mean the force is headed to the Red Sea and perhaps then to the Persian Gulf, where the U.S. Navy currently has no aircraft carrier, AP reported. His statement also suggests that Washington is deploying land-based bomber aircraft in the region. With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters Serious anglers skip Pikes Peak for more famous trophies lurking in the Spinney Mountain and Antero reservoirs, each outside the region. And other anglers what seems like most nowadays are opting for Colorados iconic, rushing rivers. The sport is trending there, and those in the know locally say the peaks fishing holes are being missed. A heated debate takes place every year around Christmas time. Its not about which relatives house you should visit for the holidays, its a topic with greater importance. Its a question everyone wants to know the answer to but cant seem to agree on. Is the 1988 film Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis, a Christmas movie? You voted: In next weeks issue, with the Colorado General Assemblys four-month session now over, Colorado Politics will pick winners and losers. One winner in a category all to himself is Gov. Jared Polis, who has made notable progress on his campaign promises. Thanks to his cooperative majorities in the House and Senate, the Democratic governor has plowed the field on free full-day kindergarten, cheaper health care, green energy and a diverse Cabinet. For the first time, Colorados chief executive has a team made up mostly of women, courtesy of the states first gay, Jewish governor, the first to wear blue sneakers with a suit. The Polis brand is stamped on the major bills of the session and the less-prominent ones, as well. For instance, as the state Senate considered reauthorizing the state Public Utilities Commission, which approves rates, Democratic lawmakers built in two caveats: To force utilities to factor in the social cost of carbon and help transition the states workforce toward green energy. Soon after Polis joined the campaign for governor in 2017, he and I met for breakfast at the Brown Palace in Denver. He said he wouldnt force mandates to switch the state to renewable energy, but he believed he could meet his green energy goals partly via the PUC. Lobbyists and legislators have chatted throughout the session about the new sheriff on the second floor of the Capitol, one who writes bills and makes sure they get passed. Former Gov. John Hickenlooper was the collaborator in chief who built coalitions and consensus. Folks me, mostly joked that Hick would let both sides fight it out, then side with the winner. Polis picks the fights. Unlike with Hickenlooper, vetoes seem unlikely because any bill Polis didnt like already died from his dismay or neglect along the way, even a few high on his partys wish list. Paid family leave went from an insurance program to a study committee during this session, partly because Polis didnt think the money paid in would be enough to cover what would be paid out. He expressed that to the Democrats carrying the bill Democrats who practically promised the bill to their base. What we heard from the governor was, Lets make sure this is a solvent program, and I think the steps we take (going) forward (with the task force and analysis) address the governors issues, and we look forward to working with the governors office, said Sen. Angela Williams, Democrat of Denver, who sponsored Senate Bill 188. Added co-sponsor Sen. Faith Winter, Democrat of Westminster, who wept over the bill on the Senate floor the night before: The governor is committed to this program. Again, it was about solvency. (Disclosure: I guaranteed on Colorado Inside Out on Colorado Public Television that paid family leave would land on the governors desk, or Democrats dont wear cheap cologne. Shows what I knew of Polis and cologne.) People dont come to us per se, but they work on bills down there and come to us for our opinion, and we engage in the process, Polis said in his office the week that bill was watered down. Were certainly not shy about articulating where we stand, and if its a bill we want to change. And its not just Democrats. Were in regular discussion with people on both sides of the aisle about what it would take to get our signature on particular bills, Polis told reporters in his office. In Senate President Leroy Garcias office the day before the chamber took up Polis free full-day kindergarten bill, its sponsor, Sen. Steve Fenberg, sounded a lot like his fellow Boulderites as he talked about leveling the playing field for Colorado preschoolers. Asked whether all the states school districts would be able to get the program passed in May up and running before school starts in the fall, Fenberg suggested schools have taken the governor and the Democratic majority at their word. What weve said since the beginning of the year is, Districts, be ready for this, Fenberg said. And in all my (school) districts Ive talked to, the superintendent and Ive said, This is coming, were going to pass this bill, be ready for it. Full-day kindergarten was a Republican idea the last two sessions, but Rep. Jim Wilson of Salida, a former principal and superintendent, couldnt get it passed out of the Democratic-led House. It was smooth sailing, however, once Polis became the captain of the ship. Sen. Owen Hill, R-Colorado Springs, has matured into a mighty fine public servant and history-minded observer of the process. On a Friday morning as the Democratic majority rammed through its agenda, Hill talked on the Senate floor about the pitfalls of government micromanagement from the nations executive branches, including presidents from both parties Donald Trump, Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. We make fun of politicians today who put random tariffs on random products to fix one part of the economy, Hill said, apparently referring to the tariff-loving Trump. And we make fun of politicians who use wage and price controls, and we make fun of politicians who wear sweaters on national television trying to argue for micromanagement of how you use your heater. Whether Polis is such a micro-manager or a hands-on leader, future generations can decide whether to laugh or applaud. Colorado Springs is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week by placing free signs on several parking meters downtown and in Old Colorado City. The meters will be free through Friday. We are passing some of these vital tourism dollars along to our residents. Covering the cost of parking is just one small example of how tourism helps elevate our community, supports our local economy and enhances quality of life, said Doug Price, president and CEO of Visit Colorado Springs, on the groups website. Visit Colorado Springs and the city are teaming this week to highlight the tremendous impact tourism has on our local economy, Mayor John Suthers said. We are proud that millions of people travel to Olympic City USA to experience all that we have to offer. About 20,000 workers in the Pikes Peak region are supported by travel and tourism, which generates $97 million in local tax revenue, Visit Colorado Springs reports. 636-4809 @leslie_m_james Hamro Patro is one of the most downloaded Nepali apps. Here's its story. In 2008, when Shankar Uprety left for the US to pursue a Masters in computer engineering, he carried with him a Nepali bhittey patro, a Nepali calendar. During his first year in the US, Uprety would rely on the calendar to stay informed of the dates of different festivals his family members would be celebrating back in Nepal. A young female moose was spotted Friday near Colorado 105 and Santa Fe Trail in the Monument/Palmer Lake area, according to a tweet from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Wildlife officials received multiple calls about the moose, and asked that people keep their dogs leashed and avoid approaching it. Moose, the largest big game species in Colorado, are unpredictable and will attack if they feel threatened, wildlife officials cautioned, adding that dogs are especially at risk. We know you want to see the moose. But we want to keep you and the moose safe. Please stay back. Moose are unpredictable. Dogs are especially at risk. Take photos from a safe distance and move on. pic.twitter.com/j7XME1UzaK CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) May 3, 2019 ATTN @townofmonument /Palmer Lake, @COParksWildlife responded to calls today of young cow moose near Highway 105 & Santa Fe Trail. DO NOT approach it. Keep dogs leashed. If moose feel threatened, they may attack. Ears back and hackles up? Get back! Keep yourself & the moose safe. pic.twitter.com/9c1ZOIqmjm CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) May 3, 2019 This time last year, photos and video taken of people harassing, feeding or approaching moose across the state prompted officials to issue a warning to give the wild animals their space. Last September, a 700-pound cow had to be tranquilized after wandering into the Ivywild neighborhood in west Colorado Springs. At the time, Bill Vogrin, spokesman for Parks and Wildlife, said that moose sightings were becoming more frequent because of population growth along the Front Range and into the wildland-urban interface. Related coverage: Sri Lankan army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019. 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. The Philippines (winter 2014)Western US (fall 2011/2012/2013/2014)Turkey (fall 2010)France/Germany/Denmark/Hollan (summer 2010)Uganda/Tanzania/Kenya (winter 2010)China (fall 2009)France/Italy (summer 2009)South Africa/Lesotho/Mozambique (winter 2009)Southern U.S. (fall 2008/fall 2010/spring 2011)Spain and the Camino de Compostela (summer of 2008)Israel (winter 2008)Eastern U.S. (fall 2007)Great Britain (summer 2007)Venezuela (winter 2007)Japan (fall 2006)Croatia, Serbia, Czech Republic, Poland (summer 2006)Western US (fall 2005)Ecuador (winter 2005)Italy (spring 2004/summer 2009)France (summer 2004/2005/2006/2007/2008/2009/2010/2011/2012/2013/2014/2015/2016/2017/2018/2019)Iceland (summer 2003)Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia (Fall 2002)Minneapolis to Chicago (summer 2002)Bolivia (spring 2002)Scandinavia--Finland, Norway, Sweden (summer 2001)Hes followed the Tour de France seventeen times beginning in 2004 , riding much of each year's route, fully loaded, before or after the peloton and sent out regular reports during the race, also posted here.He has a long-running email list that he sends updates to every few days when he's on tour.You can write him at: george6567@yahoo.com. If you like, he'll add you to his e-list.He spends the rest of the year also on a bike, working as a messenger in Chicago.He's also an independent film enthusiast, attending or working at several major film festivals annually, including Telluride and Cannes. His coverage of Cannes is also included here in May of 2004-2015.For a "Chicago Tribune" article on George see the January 17, 2002 entry of the blog. There is also a "Hollywood Reporter" article posted October 25, 2005, and a "Streetwise" cover story posted on April 17, 2010 and stories in French newspapers the past few summers.(I'm Jeff Potter and I helped George get his blog going. I run OutYourBackDoor.com , where I report on a wide range of everyday, affordable, healthy outdoor action. I also sell some hard-to-find indy culture media and other goodies. Lotsa bike stuff!) 10 people sick after consuming honey from wild bees According to locals, those who consumed the honey started vomiting before losing consciousness. At least a couple of times a month, Jodie Klatt used to go with friends to the bars that occupied the space at 107 S. Delaware Ave. A lifelong resident of Mason City, Klatt bartended at several places around town in addition to working as a teacher at Jefferson Elementary School. This month the former bartender will open up her own whiskey and wine bar in the very same spot she used to frequent with friends. Klatt aimed to have Brix Wine and Whiskey open on Monday where she's offering some 30 whiskey options and nine wine choices to start. "I plan to add to the list as people make requests," Klatt said. She was motivated to pursue operating her own bar once she heard through the grapevine that the former occupant, the Good Life, would be vacating. Brix, so named for the measurement of sugar content in aqueous solutions such as wine and soft drinks, will be open Monday and Tuesday 4:30-9 p.m. as well as Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., though Klatt hopes to expand hours once the ball gets rolling on her venture. She also intends to have local options on the menu and received some suggestions from peers of hers. Klatt's clear that she won't be so nearsighted as to let her specific, personal preferences dictate what drinks make the cut. In fact, she jokes that that goal will be easier because she doesn't have much of a sense of smell. "I can't appreciate the subtle flavors," Klatt said. Klatt said that she hopes her 49-seat bar is known for being: fun, friendly, laid back and an ideal place to relax. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 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. 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. KENSETT It was hard for Scott Walling to slow down. But last summer, his body didnt give him much of a choice. It hurt to sit. It hurt to sleep. It hurt to breathe. It hurt all the time, said Walling, 50, of Kensett. The pain in his back excruciating at times made working as a heavy equipment operator at a quarry challenging for years, but it wasnt until July that it became nearly impossible. It was then, Walling, hardly able to stand, called his wife, Erin, to bring him to MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City, where he had an MRI. At an appointment a day or so later, a doctor said surgery to repair his back would likely leave him in a wheelchair. His first thought? How am I supposed to take care of my family? he said. That was my biggest fear ... I didnt know what was next. Walling, who was being treated by Mayo Clinic for rheumatoid arthritis, reached out to his rheumatologist for a referral. In August, he saw a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician who provided him a steroid injection, but when it didnt significantly reduce his pain, he was referred to Dr. Mohamad Bydon, a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Bydon diagnosed Walling with spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis, a condition in which one vertebra slips forward and onto the vertabra below it, causing severe back pain or nerve crowding that produces leg pain or numbness. The first thing he says is, This is fixable, Walling said. Bydon was confident a new surgical procedure involving robots would help Walling. Mayo Clinic began evaluating various options for robotic spine surgery in 2016 before offering the procedure for individuals with spinal instability at its campuses in Minnesota, Arizona and Florida in 2018, Bydon said. Robots provide more accurate and safer placement of instrumentation during spinal surgery, he said, adding several dozen cases have been successfully and safely completed across Mayos campuses. Walling was scheduled for minimally invasive lateral lumbar inner body fusion followed by robotic placement of posterior pedicle screws on Nov. 1. The months leading up to his surgery were miserable. It was very hard for me to sit in that chair day after day because Im a busy person, he said. Wallings surgery took 10 hours, and he was in the hospital for four days before returning home to Kensett. For eight weeks, he wore a back brace and attended physical therapy to improve his mobility and strength. And today, Walling says hes never felt so good. I have zero pain now, except for my rheumatoid arthritis, which is under control with medication, but Im able to do whatever I want and I feel fantastic, he said. I havent felt this good in years. After Walling was let go from his job as a heavy equipment operator, he decided to turn a hobby of his into a business. Windy Acres Ironworks is a custom blacksmith shop he operates out of his shed in Kensett, which has allowed him to leave the years of wear and tear in construction behind him. Walling believes had he listened to his body and not ignored his back pain for so long, it wouldnt have gotten so bad, but hes grateful there was something to alleviate it. The robotic spine procedure has given Walling his independence back. Hes able to enjoy trapshooting and attending his daughters activities at St. Ansgar without pain or discomfort for the first time in years. Its a blessing, he said. North Iowa Celebrations: Anniversaries, weddings, birthdays and more for May 5 Reach Reporter Ashley Stewart at 641-421-0533. Follow her on Twitter at GGastewart. 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. The North Iowa Diversity Appreciation Team, partnering with Main Street Mason City is sponsoring the 16th annual Ethnic Lunch by Central Park, as part of the Great River City Festival. The luncheon is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 20. This is an opportunity for interested groups or individuals to share their culture with the community. Church groups, service organizations, or individuals are welcome to participate. If you or your group are interested, please contact Jane Ginapp at 641-425-3307. The event will take place downtown on North Federal Avenue by Central Park. Ethnic food vendors will be featured, sharing their heritage through ethnic cuisine. Cultural displays, ethnic music and the local genealogy club will be available. NIDAT meets on the second Wednesday of each month in the large group study room at the Mason City Public Library from 4:30 pm to 5:30 p.m. The next meeting is Wednesday. The public is always welcome. The mission of NIDAT is to work to inspire and empower the diverse population of North Iowa to recognize, value and respect all people. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 According to an accident report released by the Iowa State Patrol, Rick Johnson, 58, of Kensett was walking east on 390th Street, northeast of Hanlontown, around 5:20 p.m. when he was struck from behind by a 2013 Volkswagen Passat driven by Luke Beenken, 42, of Mason City. Clear Lake: The water temp is in the low fifties. With cold rainy weather this week fishing has been slow. Expect the bite to get better as the water warms up. Walleye - Fair: Anglers are having success slip bobber fishing the rock reefs with jigs and minnow or leech. Black Crappie - Fair: Fish the edge of the rushes with a small minnow. Cedar River (above Nashua): Temperature highs 60's and lows 40's. Area streams and rivers water slightly elevated with good clarity. Channel Catfish - Good: Use dead chubs fished in the impoundments or slack water areas. Keep bait on river bottom. Northern Pike - Fair: Pike are hitting spoons, crankbaits, and hooks tipped with dead chubs below dams and slack water areas. The bite is slowing. Smallmouth Bass - Slow: Smallies are beginning to show up. Use crankbaits for best luck. Walleye - Good: Try a jig tipped a minnow or ringworms for best luck. Decorah District Streams: Brook Trout - Good: A variety of insects currently hatching throughout the day. Matching hatch is key. On clear streams, use care not to be seen. Brown Trout - Good: Good caddis fly hatches occurring mid-afternoon. Fish hitting just below surface. Nymph fishing might work best for these fish.Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Use cheese or worm under a bobber for best luck with a spinning rod. Also try a leach pattern. West Okoboji Lake: Courtesy docks are in at the IGL's. Water temperature is 50 degrees. Bluegill - Good: Some action reported from Triboji Lagoon, sorting required. Expect action to improve as water temperatures improve. Lake Hendricks: Black Crappie - Good: Use a hook tipped with a minnow under a bobber near brush piles or sunny shoreline. Bluegill - Fair: Use a small hook tipped with a small piece of worm or left over waxies under a bobber. Largemouth Bass - Good: Jigs tipped with plastic twistertail or jerkbait will catch a hungry bass. Channel Catfish - Slow: Catfish around rocky shorelines with wind blown material. Use a jig tipped with nightcrawler. Fish shallow bays and along rocky shorelines. Fish will be in these areas later in the day and early morning. Lake Meyer: Black Crappie - Fair: Fish shallow around submersed logs using small plastic lures or hair jigs. Bluegill - Slow: Use small jigs tipped with small piece of worm around rocky shoreline. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Crankbaits or jerkbaits are working for bass. Northern Pike - Slow: Find pike in shallow bays. Swimbaits, spoons, or a hook baited with a minnow will catch pike. Turkey River (above Clermont): Water levels and flows stabilizing. Clarity excellent. Walleye - Fair: Fish the slack water areas below dams with a jig tipped with minnow or shallow water crankbait. White Sucker - Good: Use a worm fished off the bottom for best luck. As water warms in the 50's, suckers become more active. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Says the Stock Markets Brutal 4th Quarter Might Be a Harbinger of Things to Come By Andrew Bary Photograph by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon defended capitalism, lower corporate taxes, and stock buybacks while highlighting the banks strengths including its fortress balance in his annual letter to shareholders released on Thursday. In a wide-ranging letter running nearly 50 pages, Dimon defended capitalism as the most successful economic system the world has ever seen. At a time when socialism is finding adherents on the Democratic left in the U.S., Dimon took aim at it, writing: Socialism inevitably produces stagnation, corruption and often worsesuch as authoritarian government officials who often have an increasing ability to interfere with both the economy and individual liveswhich they frequently do to maintain power, Dimon wrote. This would be as much a disaster for our country as it has been in the other places its been tried. I am not an advocate for unregulated, unvarnished, free-for-all capitalism. (Few people I know are.) But we shouldnt forget that true freedom and free enterprise (capitalism) are, at some point, inexorably linked. The volatile fourth quarter of 2018 was also addressed in the letter, with Dimon saying that it might be a harbinger of things to comecreating both risks for our company and opportunities to serve our clients. In the fourth quarter, he wrote, stock markets fell 20%, investment grade bond spreads gapped out by 36% and certain markets (like initial public offerings and high yield) virtually closed down. Even at the time, these large swings seemed to be an overreaction, but they highlight two critical issues. One, which we never forget, is that investor sentiment can veer widely from optimism to pessimism based on little fundamental change. And second, for the fourth or fifth time in this recovery, there were excessive moves in the market with rapidly increasing volatility accompanied by steep drops in liquidity. Dimon also discussed the Chinese economic situation, writing: There are legitimate concerns around Chinas economy (in addition to trade), but they are manageable. The Dimon letter, like the one from Berkshire CEO Warren Buffett, is eagerly awaited because of Dimons stature as the countrys leading banker, his often outspoken views, and the breadth of the topics that he addresses Dimon also defended stock buybacks when many Democrats in Congress have criticized the practice as benefiting the wealthy and coming at the expense of capital investment and higher wages for workers. We much prefer to use our capital to grow than to buy back stock. We believe buying back stock should be considered only when either we cannot invest (sometimes as a result of regulatory policies) or we are generating excess capital that we do not expect to use in the next few years. Buybacks should not be done at the expense of investing appropriately in our company. Investing for the future should come first, and at JPMorgan Chase, it does, Dimon wrote. He noted that the bank has bought back almost $55 billion in stock, or nearly 20% of its shares outstanding, in the past five years. Dimon reiterated his view that the cut in the U.S. corporate tax rate to 21% from 35% was a beneficial development for business and the country. The new tax code establishes a business tax rate that will make the United States competitive around the world and frees U.S. companies to bring back profits earned overseas. The cumulative effect of capital retained and reinvested over many years in the United States will help cultivate strong businesses and ultimately create jobs and increase wages, the CEO wrote. He noted in the letter that the lower tax rates have boosted his banks net income by $3.7 billion. He said JPMorgan used some of the windfall from lower corporate taxes to massively increase investment in technology, add new branches and bankers and boost minimum pay, now $31,000 annually for full-time entry-level jobs in the U.S. Dimon also cited the banks high returns relative to peers and its strong stock market performance measured against the financial services industry and the S&P 500 index during his tenure as CEO. JP Morgan earned a 17% return on tangible equity last year and Dimon said he thinks the bank can continue to exceed 15% return on tangible equity for next several years. He reiterated his dislike of earnings guidance and said the bank, while not predicting a recession, is prepared for one: We generally do not spend a lot of time guessing about when the next recession will bewe manage our business knowing that there will be cycles. First and foremost, we will continue to serve our clients. From the prior parts of this letter, you can see that we continued to make responsible loans to our clients during and after the Great Recession when they needed us mostand we will do that again. We will not stop investing in our future, investing in technology or building new branches. We will continue to make markets for our clients. We will not overreact to the credit cycle. JPMorgans stock was 0.4% lower in morning trading on Thursday, at $104.95. Grand Old Partisan honors Philander Knox, born in Pennsylvania this day of 1853. He attended college in West Virginia and Ohio, then studied law. President Ulysses Grant named him an Assistant U.S. Attorney. His financial expertise became indispensable to industrialists such as Andrew Carnegie, Henry Frick, and Andrew Mellon. Knox was Attorney General for President William McKinley and President Theodore Roosevelt. He was appointed to a U.S. Senate vacancy in 1904 and subsequently elected. This disappointed contender for the 1908 presidential nomination served as Secretary of State for President William Howard Taft. He won another Senate term in 1916. Knox opposed entering the League of Nations. He warned about the treaty that ended the First World War, saying it: "does not spell peace but war war more woeful and devastating than the one we have but now closed". Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IahUytzmPbk 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" As Oli prepares to visit Cambodia and Vietnam, questions are being askedwhy? Foreign policy experts and a section of leaders, however, have expressed concerns over Olis upcoming visits to the Southeast Asian nations, saying that Nepal neither has much diplomatic engagement nor significant interactions in terms of trade and investments with them. 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. Blog Archive December (2) November (2) October (2) September (2) August (3) July (3) June (3) May (2) April (2) March (3) February (2) January (2) December (2) November (2) October (2) September (3) August (3) July (4) June (4) May (5) April (4) March (4) February (4) January (4) December (4) November (6) October (2) September (3) August (2) July (10) June (3) May (2) April (8) March (5) February (3) January (4) December (4) November (5) October (5) September (4) August (7) June (4) May (4) April (2) March (5) February (2) January (4) December (3) November (4) October (4) September (3) August (4) July (4) June (5) May (3) April (3) March (4) February (5) January (5) December (2) November (3) October (4) September (4) August (4) July (4) June (5) May (4) April (4) March (5) February (4) January (4) December (5) November (4) October (4) September (4) August (4) July (4) June (4) May (3) April (4) March (3) February (4) January (2) December (5) November (5) October (8) September (7) August (7) July (8) June (8) May (5) April (7) March (6) February (2) January (4) December (3) November (7) October (3) September (3) August (4) July (5) June (8) May (7) April (7) March (5) February (6) January (8) December (6) November (5) October (7) September (4) August (7) July (7) June (6) May (8) April (10) March (12) February (3) January (8) December (9) November (7) October (7) September (8) August (9) July (5) June (7) May (4) April (4) March (5) February (8) January (6) December (5) November (5) October (5) September (2) August (2) July (3) June (2) May (5) April (1) March (3) February (4) January (1) December (3) November (3) October (3) September (2) August (2) July (2) June (4) May (4) April (4) March (4) February (4) January (3) December (5) November (5) October (4) Two Helena-area law enforcement officers were honored Monday morning for their exemplary work with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Helena Police Department Officer Brandon Wootan and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Deputy Neil Marks were named Officers of the Year in a ceremony presided over by Montana Attorney General Tim Fox. "It's so important to acknowledge the work of exemplary officers," Fox said. The award, given by the Helena Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Working Group in partnership with the Friendship Center, shines a light on the officers who have best served victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Friendship Center Executive Director Jenny Eck called the relationship with law enforcement "critical" for providing help to victims. Because the center provides "wraparound" services for victims, including housing, food and clothes, along with a number of classes to help victims get back on their feet, having a relationship with law enforcement officers who can get victims to the center is key. Relationships were at the center of both Wootan's and Marks' commendations. Both law enforcement officers were recognized for their compassion and consistent work to reach out and provide help to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Wootan and Marks have been law enforcement officers in Helena and Lewis and Clark County for the past three years. "I feel extreme gratitude for being nominated," Wootan said. He named "childhood experiences" as a major reason he felt himself pulled to dedicating his work to victims of both domestic violence and sexual assault. "It pushed me toward this," Wootan said. "I have to become a voice for the voiceless." Marks agreed the award was a major honor and pointed to groups like the Friendship Center as the real heroes in helping victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. "We can't do what we do without resources in Helena like the Friendship Center," Marks said. He cited his training as a key part of his growth as a deputy. "You have to do a thorough job to get justice for victims," Marks said. Lewis and Clark County Undersheriff Jason Grimmis said the most important part of helping victims of domestic violence or sexual assault was "understanding." "You have to have the compassion to do the complete, thorough investigation," Grimmis said. "You have to be compassionate in doing the job." Interim Helena Police Chief Steve Hagen said he tries to instill that sense of compassion and empathy in every officer on the street. "Basically, if that was your mother, sister, wife, how would you want them treated?" Hagen asked. "You have to have empathy for the situation, and that's what I've always tried to get our officers to do." Love 9 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. Thomas Cruse, known as Tommy to his friends, was a stubborn Irishman who came to the Helena area in 1867. While he slept on the streets his first night in Helena, he would eventually become one of the towns most wealthy residents. He is best known for his large financial contributions to the St. Helena Cathedral and the state Capitol building. Today, some may recognize him as the namesake of Cruse Park at the intersection of Last Chance Gulch and 11th Avenue, and Cruse Avenue which runs from the park to near the library. In 1868 Cruse located a quartz lode near the town of Marysville. He then went to the courthouse in Helena to officially claim the new Drumlummon Mine. Cruse chose to name the mine Drumlummon after the parish in Ireland where he was born. Other mines opened in the area, and soon Thomas Cruse realized he needed additional capital and equipment to continue to compete. To expand the enterprise, Cruse sold the mine to an English syndicate. However, being a shrewd businessman, he retained rights to a large portion of the royalties. The Drumlummon Mine was only the beginning of the wealth that Cruse would build upon. When Cruse eventually sold the Drumlummon Mine, he made close to $6 million. After selling his mine, Cruse moved from Marysville to Helena. He established a bank, built a large home, and married Margaret Mary Carter. Margaret Carter was several years younger than her husband and she was much better educated. Thomas and Margarets wedding was an extravagant affair. It was held at the Cathedral of the Sacred Hearts on Helenas Catholic Hill. Catholic Hill is located near the Fire Tower and was also home to St. Johns Hospital, St. Anns Infant Home, and St. Vincents Academy. The wedding spared no expense, with Margaret weaering a gown of cream silk trimmed in Spanish lace. Orange blossoms and other exotic flowers were shipped in from as far away as Portland. W.W. DeLacey, in his recount of Helena news during 1886, noted that Cruse always walked several steps behind his wife when they went to church. Possibly, this was his way of showing deference to his wifes youth, educational status, and support. A year into their marriage, Margaret and Thomas had a daughter, Mary. Margaret died one month after giving birth, from nervous prostration. This left Thomas, then 50 years old, to raise their young daughter alone. Mary, nicknamed Mamie, led a sheltered life at her fathers mansion at 328 Benton Ave. She spent most of her days accompanying her father to work at the Cruse Savings Bank and spent her evenings at the exclusive Montana Club. She was known as a spoiled and stubborn child. When Mamie was 13 years old Cruse traveled with her to New York. The New York Journal described her as the Girl, dearest of all her fathers treasures, and heiress to $10,000,000. When Mamie was 17, she ran away with her sweetheart against her fathers wishes. Cruse caught up with the young couple in Elliston and forced them apart. After the attempted elopement Cruse sent Mamie away to school. At 20, Mamie married a Wall Street broker but divorced him soon after. Cruse, a lifelong Catholic, did not recognize this divorce. When Mamie remarried in 1911 to Harry Cotter, her father persisted in reminding her that she was living in sin. In 1913, Mamie was picked up by police by a roadside house near Butte and returned to Helena. By this time Mamie was publicly known as an alcoholic. People also speculated that she was addicted to drugs and had perhaps contracted a venereal disease. Amidst a haze of rumor and scandal, Mamie was placed into the care of the sisters at the House of the Good Shepherd. This facilitys goal was to protect and rehabilitate wayward girls and young women. Mamie died a few days before Thanksgiving in 1913 with the stated cause of death as Brights disease. She was only 27 years old. Thomas Cruse died the next year, in 1914. While he was incredibly wealthy, he had lost both his beloved wife and daughter. A few days after his death, the Cathedral of St. Helena was dedicated. Cruse had donated a quarter-million dollars toward the iconic cathedral. Additionally, he purchased 15 bronze bells for the new building. Each is inscribed In memory of Mary Margaret Cruse, by her father, Thomas. These bells, which still ring out over Helenas downtown on special occasions, were nicknamed Mamies Bells. Thomas, his wife Margaret, and his daughter Mamie are all laid to rest in an ornate mausoleum at the Resurrection Cemetery. While traditionally family crypts bear only the surname, this one is inscribed with Thomas Cruse. The mausoleum occupies a prominent place in the cemetery, and the graves of other prominent Helenans form a circle around it. This article was written by drawing on the writing and research by Harriett C. Meloy in the "More From the Quarries of Last Chance Gulch" book series and Ellen Baumlers book "Spirit Tailings." If you want to learn more about Thomas Cruse, or any of Helenas prominent personages, read their works. Laura Evilsizer works as an archaeologist for the Helena and Lewis and Clark National Forest. She grew up in Helena, received a Bachelor of Arts from Whitman College and a Master of Arts in anthropology and cultural heritage from the University of Montana. Evilsizer is on the Lewis and Clark County Heritage and Tourism Council and wrote this article for the monthly Nuggets from Helena column in the Independent Record. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 4 Angry 1 Too many of Ahnna Barnett's kindergarten students were arriving at Orchard Elementary not yet equipped to make it through a school day, much less to learn. Many struggled to follow basic instructions. Social tasks like sharing resulted in too many screechy fights. Some kids weren't fully potty-trained. Barnett felt like she spent the first six weeks of the school year simply preparing many kids to learn before they could get to ABCs and 123s. Theyre coming in not able to socialize as well as the other kids," she said. "Sharing is difficult for them, they're very impulsive. If theres a disagreement, the first thing they want to do is whack the other kid, or argue or scream or fight. Kids from poor families across the country are less likely to have reading or math skills at grade level, even in kindergarten, and they're more likely to be disciplined in school. They're also less likely to attend a preschool that can help them building academic and behavioral skills. And those gaps are likely to haunt them through high school. Youre almost a full year behind," coming into kindergarten, Barnett said. "You may grow, and you may be making a years growth. "But its not good enough. The vast majority of Barnett's students at Orchard, a school that serves a large proportion of students from poor families, had no formal preschool, and many had little interaction with their peers. So two years ago, Barnett found herself knocking doors, distributing fliers to parents for a kindergarten jump start program six weeks of half-day, preschool-lite during the summer that she hoped could help bridge achievement gaps. It was a volunteer-driven, shoestring thing. Paul Asleson, then a kindergarten teacher at Newman Elementary, joined her to help. He viewed the program as addressing an equity issue that kids from poor families clustered in poor neighborhoods are more likely to have poor academic outcomes. There are kindergartners in Billings that walk into school and are reading books already. There are kindergartners in Billings that walk into school and cant identify a single word on a page, he said. Everyones coming in on a different playing field. About 16 kids showed up the first summer, most bound for Orchard, but a handful from other elementary schools. A few didn't stick, and a few added in late. There wasn't a formal curriculum, but it was a chance for students to get used to interacting with their peers and to learn the routine of a school day. Teachers got an early look at students who might need extra help and a head start on trying to get it for them during the school year. In year two, a School District 2 grant writer found some funding for the program. Barnett and Asleson added more structure to the program, analyzing the kindergarten curriculum and bringing in early elements. They created assessments modeled off ones the school district uses for early grades. And they built anecdotal behavioral reports to deliver to school principals. A few more kids showed up during the program's second year, too. Armed with a year's experience, more resources, and a planned curriculum, they got through 25 instructional days in six weeks. Barnett and Asleson assessed kids early in the summer program, midway, and at the end. They showed progress. Not everything-is-fixed progress, but gaps narrowed. Not every kiddo leaves and is just doing amazing, Barnett said. Theres no way we can get a years worth of growth into them in six weeks ... (But some kids) are kind of leaders during the school year for other kids." The teachers and administrators kept tabs on kids in the program, and noticed that assessment score improvements stuck; kids continued building off the progress they made in the summer. Orchard isn't the only school in the district that serves poor neighborhoods. Almost three out of four kids at several elementary schools are considered low-income students; Ponderosa and Newman on the South Side; McKinley near North Park; Washington and Broadwater west of Downtown; Bench in the western Heights. Every school in the district serves at least some poor students. And even students who already had preschool, who can write their names and spout numbers and sentences, could benefit from early exposure to their school buildings and routine. Barnett also felt like the jump-start program helped parents connect better with schools. I think it helps really bridge that gap that we find between families and our school. This way, its a way for them to get used to us as teachers, and our classrooms, she said. She also didn't point fingers at parents about lack of school readiness. These parents are hardworking people, and theyre doing the best they can, she said. District administrators have expressed interest in expanding a preschool-lite summer program. But there's a long list of educational initiatives that fit into the "would be great to have" category. The biggest gatekeeper to that list? Money. Up next: Three schools have a plan for how to make a summer jumpstart program happen. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 WASHINGTON -- Eight-year-old Liam Daly became an internet sensation when he penned a letter to his grandfather, William Barr, while sitting in the front row at Barr's confirmation hearing in January. "Dear Grandpa," he wrote. "You are doing great so far. But I know you still will." Alas for Liam, and for all of us, it was not to be. Now, just weeks on the job as President Trump's attorney general, Grandpa has disgraced himself. The speed with which Barr trashed a reputation built over decades is stunning, even by Trump administration standards. Before, Barr was known as the attorney general to President George H.W. Bush and an eminence grise of the Washington legal community. Now he is known for betraying a friend, lying to Congress and misrepresenting the Mueller report in a way that excused the president's misbehavior and let Russia off the hook. Three weeks ago, Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., asked Barr about reports that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's team complained that Barr's four-page summary of their work didn't "adequately or accurately" portray their findings. "Do you know what they're referencing?" Crist asked. "No, I don't," Barr replied under oath, speculating that they "probably wanted more put out." Grandpa was fibbing. Thanks to The Washington Post's reporting, we now know that two weeks before Barr denied knowledge of the Mueller team's displeasure, he received a letter from Mueller complaining that Barr's summary "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this office's work and conclusions" and resulted in "public confusion." Barr, caught in flagrante delicto in his deception, told senators Wednesday that "the question was relating to unidentified members" of Mueller's team, not Mueller himself -- a technical answer that might get him off for perjury but doesn't avoid the conclusion that he deliberately misled Congress and the public. Why didn't Barr disclose the Mueller letter when Crist asked the question? Barr replied that Crist had posed "a very different question." Um, right. Of equal concern, Barr rejected Mueller's requests to release more of the report to clear up the confusion. "At that point, it was my baby," Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. "It was my decision how and when to make it public, not Bob Mueller's." It was his baby, and he smothered it -- thus allowing Barr's misrepresentation of Mueller's report (characterized by Trump as "total exoneration") to harden. Barr's mistreatment of Mueller is all the more appalling because, during his confirmation hearing, Barr boasted that the two men and their wives were "good friends" and would remain so. Barr reportedly told a senator privately that he and Mueller were "best friends," that their wives attended Bible study together and that Mueller attended the weddings of Barr's children. If so, Barr's betrayal reminds us: If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog. In addition to his unilateral clearing of Trump on obstruction of justice (something Mueller did not do), Barr also echoed Trump's claim that there was "no collusion" (a question Mueller did not address) and that there had been "spying" against Trump's campaign. Barr continued undermining Mueller on Wednesday, calling Mueller's letter to him "a bit snitty" and saying Mueller should have ended the investigation if he didn't think it in his purview to say whether Trump committed a crime. And Barr eagerly played Trump's defense lawyer. Mueller's finding that Trump repeatedly leaned on White House counsel Don McGahn to get Mueller fired? Barr devised the implausible explanation that Trump only wanted Mueller replaced by "another special counsel." And Trump instructing McGahn to say publicly that Trump didn't order Mueller fired? "Not a crime," Barr argued. Barr also defended his assertion that Trump "fully cooperated" with the investigation, even though he refused to be interviewed and tried to get then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to unrecuse himself and shut down the inquiry. "I don't see any conflict between that and fully cooperating with the investigation," Barr reasoned. Even Barr's choice of pronouns -- "we have not waived the executive privilege," he said -- showed he was Trump's lawyer, not America's attorney general. Repeatedly, Barr said it didn't matter that Trump had deceived the public. "I'm not in the business of determining when lies are told to the American people," he said. But now Barr, by misrepresenting his dealings with Mueller, has gotten himself into the business of lying to the American people. Even an 8-year-old knows lying is wrong, whether it's legal or not. Surely Grandpa Barr should have. The attorney general owed better to his "friend" Mueller, and to the rest of us. Dana Milbank is a columnist for The Washington Post. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Economic Development Week (May 6-11) 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%. 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 the director of the Montana Department of Commerce. Love 0 Funny 0 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 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana Ex-lawmaker and her husband held for abandoning their newborn Former Nepali Janata Dal lawmaker Gayatri Shah and her husband Rajesh Mahato have been arrested by the Metropolitan Police Range, Lalitpur, for leaving their Down syndrome newborn baby at Nepal Mediciti Hospital. DECATUR Beautify Decatur Coalition will kick off this year's Let's Keep Decatur Bee-utiful business contest with an ice cream social at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at Grace United Methodist Church, 901 N. Main St., Decatur. Businesses and sponsors are invited to the event. The contest is designed to encourage local businesses into creating curb appeal through an attractive and clean environment. The winning businesses are awarded prizes in various categories. For more information, visit www.beautifydecatur.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DECATUR You just never know where you will find you find your average Macon County public defender. Scott Rueter, a Decatur attorney and Macon County public defender, was hanging out in a Wild West bar Sunday, masquerading as a Pinkerton agent in an 1870s world gone mad where Indians have brought in zombies and various supernatural nasties to help them fight their battles. Its all part of a fantasy board game called Deadlands and was one of many strange and enthralling board games being fought out during Heroicon 2019, billed as a tabletop gaming convention. It was hosted at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel and attracted keen gamers from as far as North Dakota and, of course, Central Illinois, like Rueter. Asked if there was much connection between fantasy role playing games and being a lawyer for truth, justice and the American way, Rueter said: No, not yet, but there could be, he added hopefully. And Ive done role-playing games since high school, and I like board games and card games. He was not alone. This was the fifth year for the three-day Heroicon, which got rolling Friday, and the attendance hit about 400. Gaming rooms for dozens of games were set up all over the place, and there were vendors offering every shape of game accessory, T-shirt and doohickey. Its all run by a nonprofit group called Games for Troops and is expected to raise about $10,000, organizers said. That money will be used to do just what the name implies: send board and card games, free of charge, to any member of the armed forces who asks for one anywhere in the world. Last year we filled, I believe, 107 orders with games that can cost up to $75 and $80 a game, said Michelle Sanders, president of Games for Troops. Weve sent games as far as Afghanistan, to the Coast Guard and even had people on Navy subs ask for games. Were able to send them something small that they can just tuck away and not take up much room. This is going to sound monotonous, but Sanders is another Macon County public defender with a bad case of the board games bug. She said gaming still has a bit of a nerdy image but explained it attracts a wide range of people of all ages who like to take their imaginations for a walk on the wild side. And you are learning constantly, and youre learning how to actively solve problems; its a lot of fun, she said. Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Staying in? We've got you covered Get the recommendations on what's streaming now, games you'll love, TV news and more with our weekly Home Entertainment newsletter! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Saturday, May 11, marks the 27th anniversary of one of America's great days of giving, the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Letter carriers walk through the community every day, often coming face to face with a sad reality for too many, hunger. So, each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations from our customers. These donations go directly to local food pantries to provide food to people in Decatur who need our help. Our food drive's timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need. Participating in this year's letter carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive s simple. Just leave a non-perishable food donation in a bag by your mailbox on Saturday, May 11 and your letter carrier will do the rest. With your help, letter carriers and the U.S. Postal Service have collected over 1.67 billion pounds of food in the United States over the 26 years as a national food drive. Please help us in our fight to end hunger, as we celebrate our 27th anniversary year in America's great day of giving. Corporate sponsors are welcome and cash donations are gratefully accepted. Make checks out to The Decatur Foundation. Thank you to the volunteers, sponsors and donors that make this event a success. Chris Bragg, vice president, National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 317 Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The following companies are subsidiares of Waste Management: 635952 Ontario Inc., 8242348 Canada Inc., Acaverde S.A. de C.V., Access Computer Products, Advanced Environmental Technical Services L.L.C., Akron Regional Landfill Inc., Alliance Sanitary Landfill Inc., Alpharetta Transfer Station LLC, American Landfill Inc., American Oil Recovery LLC, Ameriwaste LLC, Anderson Landfill Inc., Anderson Rubbish Disposal, Antelope Valley Recycling and Disposal Facility Inc., Arden Landfill Inc., Atlantic Waste Disposal Inc., Automated Salvage Transport Co. 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" " Did Johnny Appleseed live up to his name? Of course, he was an orchardist, but did he really travel around a large chuck of America? Jules_Kitano/Thinkstock It's been a long, hot day in the covered wagon and the heat, dust and exhaustion are making you rethink your enthusiasm for the new frontier. Suddenly, the wagon train comes to a halt. Stretched out before you is a wide river flanked by stands of apple trees stretching as far as the eye can see. Just as you've reached the breaking point, you discovered your new home -- courtesy of Johnny Appleseed. Johnny Appleseed was the nickname earned by John Chapman, a Massachusetts-born nurseryman and orchardist, who planted more than 100,000 square miles of orchards across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. There's no record of Appleseed planting trees west of Iowa, so the notion that he's responsible for apple trees all across America isn't rooted in reality. Nor is the idea that Appleseed planted scores of trees bearing ripe, delicious fruit [source: Biography]. Advertisement Appleseed floated down the Ohio River with canoes lashed together carrying thousands of apple seeds. A frugal tree farmer, Appleseed collected seeds from discarded pulp at Pennsylvania cider mills and then headed west to plant them throughout the Northwest Territory. The seeds he collected weren't the varieties grown for eating; they were small and sour, designed for brewing cider. In addition, the apple seeds he planted would never grow into trees that produced the same type of apples as their parent seeds. A true reproduction must be done by growing a cutting of an adult tree or by grafting that cutting to another tree. Appleseed's trees would be destined to reproduce a bitter, possibly inedible fruit suitable only for making hard cider. Although folklore contends that he planted apple seeds hither and yon out of the goodness of his heart, other accounts insist Appleseed was actually a savvy entrepreneur and one of the nation's first land developers. The apple orchards Appleseed planted were a big hit among pioneers, who used the fruits to produce hard cider, a weak alcoholic drink that also could be used to preserve foods. What's more, by traveling ahead of the pioneers and planting stands of apple trees, Appleseed was able to take advantage of the Northwest Ordinance, under which a person could plant "at least 50 apple or pear trees" as a condition of settling new land. Appleseed would arrive on unsettled land, plant apple trees, return for a few years to tend to the orchard and eventually sell the parcel of land to settlers at a profit -- hard cider ingredients and all [sources: Haley]. Some historians do believe, at least, that we have Appleseed's penchant for seeds instead of grafting to thank for the wide variety of hearty apples available in American grocery stores today [source: Geiling]. By nature, cows are herd animals. This is true even of cows near lactation, but many cows on pasture will seek out solitude for the act of calving. That has led several researchers to study behavioral trends of calving cows to understand why this occurs and what the best calving environment is for these bovines. Ohio State researcher Kate Creutzinger explained at the recent TriState Dairy Nutrition Conference that two theories exist on why cows naturally seek out seclusion when calving. The first is for protection from predators, and the second is to foster the mother-calf bond at birth. If were thinking about cows in the wild, the calfs survival depends on how strong the bond with the cow is because they rely on the cow for protection as well as nutrition, Creutzinger explained. A study done by the University of Tennessee provided group-housed maternity cows access to a barn and small pasture to evaluate where cows prefer to calve. Across the board, cows either preferred to calve in the barn, which was near feed and water, or on the far end of the pasture away from the barn where there was tall grass. Not all ages the same Interestingly, mature cows substantially preferred the barn setting for calving while first-calf heifers had the opposite natural instinct, seeking out the isolated corner of the pasture with tall grass. While researchers are still seeking to understand many of these behaviors, Creutzinger shared that there are things we can do in group maternity pens that can serve both of these preferences. First and foremost, plenty of space must be available for each cow. Research has also indicated that providing some type of barrier in the calving pen is beneficial for those animals that would like to separate themselves. The caveat to the barrier or isolation pen is that cows will not use the isolation areas if they have to compete for them. During her presentation, Creutzinger presented research that was done in partnership between The Ohio State University and Miner Institute. It compared the use of a barrier in high stocking density and low stocking density situations. Cows more consistently sought out calving near the barrier in the low stocking density pens. In high stocking density pens, cows did not more often calve near the barrier than they did in any other location in the pen. The reason for this isnt necessarily that they preferred it less, but there were fewer areas for them to choose so high stocking density potentially takes away the choice and reduced their opportunity to find what was a desirable calving site, Creutzinger concluded. Areas of solitude can be an excellent addition to maternity pens, but if stocking density isnt managed, cows will likely not reap the benefits. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2019 May 6, 2019 Universities and startups have different goals, but that doesn't mean that educational institutions can't help new companies through the valley of death that is entering the marketplace. Miguel Tovar/University of Houston 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 Four men caught for slaughtering ox Clause 289 of Section 27 of the Criminal Code-2017 prohibits the slaughter of cow and oxen. If found guilty, an individual must serve 3 years in jail. The thing is that the Regime has a viable alternative in the form of the oldest, largest, and most popular resistance organization in Iran, which has fought two separate regimes since it was founded in 1965. That is the Peoples Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK). In order to help you learn more about the MEK, we have created an in-depth series. In this part, we will learn about how the MEK revealed the Iranian Regimes clandestine nuclear program to the world. The MEK is completely opposed to the Iranian regimes nuclear weapons program, which poses a real threat to global security. Thats why the MEK has revealed details on over 100 of the Regimes secret nuclear projects; information that they gather through an underground network of MEK supporters working inside the government. The MEKs ability to infiltrate the Iranian Regimes institutions and gather this sensitive information reflects the level of MEK support in Iran by the Iranian people. Lets look at some of the MEKs biggest disclosures about Irans nuclear weapons program. In 2002, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which is the parent organisation of the MEK, held a press conference in which they revealed that there were two secret nuclear sites in central Iran: a fuel production plant in Natanz and a heavy water plant in Arak. This announcement led to a three-year-long investigation by the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA), which found that Iran has broken its Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) obligations by concealing enrichment activities. In 2003, the MEK and NCRI revealed that the Kalay-e Electric company was a secret centrifuge assembly and testing facility, which the Regime tried to disguise as a watch manufacturing company. However, the Regime blocked IAEA inspectors from accessing the site for over a year, which allowed the mullahs plenty of time to remove all evidence of its nuclear activities. Despite the Regimes clear up, inspectors still found trace amounts of enriched uranium and the mullahs were forced to admit that they had conducted enrichment research at the site. In 2008, the NCRI and MEK announced that the Regime had created a new underground site near the Natanz facility, deep in the Siah Kooh mountains, which was connected to Natanz via a five-kilometre tunnel. The Regime said that this site was controlled by the military and so off-limits to IAEA inspectors. In 2015, the MEK and NCRI held a press conference to reveal an underground nuclear research site Lavizan-3 that had been in operation since 2008, which was being used to enrich uranium and build and test advanced centrifuges. Despite being in negotiations for the nuclear deal, Iran denied IAEA inspectors access to the site, which is believed hold 3,000 centrifuges and be operated by Irans Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), because the site is located within a military compound. In our next part, we will learn about Irans foreign intelligence estimates and how they seek to destroy the MEK. Meanwhile, President Rouhani has criticized Saudi Arabia and the UAE for their compensation for the expected shortage on world oil markets due to the ban on Iranian oil exports. The two countries have not officially announced such a move. If they did, such a step would not be a political but rather a procedural decision to keep oil markets stable and to ensure that OPEC can control them. The leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard reiterated their threats to close the Straits of Hormuz. But the truth is that these threats no longer produce the desired psychological effect. As the world has now come to realize, the margin of maneuver left to the Iranian regime to implement such a threat is almost nil. The option would be suicidal by all strategic standards. The second phase of US sanctions against the Iranian regime consists in putting a chokehold and containing the regime. This will end its turbulent and disruptive involvement in the Middle East. There is no doubt that the Iranian regimes most important bet is to lure the US and its allies into war. The Trump administration is well aware of the situation. I do not think that it will offer the Iranian regime the opportunity to confuse the issue and dodge sanctions. Under the present circumstances, war is perhaps the most appropriate scenario for the Iranian regime to keep its ability to rule the country. The mullahs are aware that if the countrys oil revenues collapse, the domestic situation will become exposed. As a result, the regimes ability to finance its militias and sectarian agents will fall apart. Then, the malevolent regime that has spread through the region from Yemen to Syria and Iraq will break down. Sectarianism, which is the common denominator of the regimes militias, could provide it with a lifeline, some might argue. However, in reality, most of these militias are mainly mercenaries and agents brought in from different countries. If funding is cut, such as that of the al-Houthi group in Yemen, their ability to keep wreaking havoc throughout Yemen will end. Some see the sanctions as starving the Iranian people, which is not at all true. Oil revenues are not used to finance development plans; they go, in total, to the Revolutionary Guards companies. The money is used to finance expansion projects abroad. If part of these billions was spent on improving the living conditions of the Iranian people, we would not have seen the massive and continuous deterioration in living standards and the raging anger of the millions of Iranians who cannot afford to rebel for fear of being repressed by the Basij militias. Ironically, based on their statements, Iranian leaders do not seem to follow and understand what is happening around them. They are still living the illusions of the past. Arrogance and pride prevent them from realizing the growing disparities in the balance of military power between Iran and its supposed enemies. They do not see any power in the US or anywhere else. They also fail to see the weakness of Irans military power, whose air force has been drastically weakened. The mullahs stake too much on the use of the militias, non-conventional warfare and some short- and medium-range missile systems that can be easily neutralized by advanced anti-missile defence systems. Contrary to what truth benders want people to think, Iran is militarily a paper tiger. States derive their power mainly from the capabilities on the home front, their economy and their ability to withstand armed conflicts. The Iranian regime does not qualify as such. It lacks the popular credit to go to war. Under those circumstances, can the Iranian regime count on anything? My guess is that it is betting on its ability to create chaos and unrest and cause regional and global panic through the use of militias, sectarian arms and sleeper cells. But all these tools can be easily neutralized if the head of the system is toppled. The mission will be carried out by the Iranian people when conditions allow. Salem Al Ketbi is an Emirati political analyst, researcher and opinion writer. Member of @ChathamHouse and @londonpressclub. White House national security adviser John Bolton said in a statement on Sunday that the US had deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings. He said that the US wants to send a clear and unmistakable message to Iran that any attack on US interests or allies would be met with unrelenting force. Bolton said: The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces. Meanwhile, a Defense Department official said that the US has detected a number of preparations for possible attack on US forces and that there appeared to be more than one avenue of attack. Last month, Donald Trump announced that the US would be ending sanctions waivers on Iranian oil, thus cutting off a huge chunk of Iranian income, as well as listing the Iran regimes Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group. After that, US intelligence began hearing chatter about Iran-backed militias in Iraq attacking Americans, which is worrying because over 5000 US troops are stationed there. The Lincoln could be headed to the Arabian Sea or the Persian Gulf, but there are currently no American aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that this was not a sudden move and had, in fact, been planned for some while. He said: It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests. If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iran regimes leadership directly accountable for that. He continued: I dont want to talk about what underlays it but make no mistake, we have good reason to want to communicate clearly about how the Iranians should understand how we will respond to actions they may take. The US has a maximum pressure campaign on Iran as part of an attempt to bring the mullahs back to the table for a new deal to address all of their malign behaviours. Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal last May, citing Iran regimes cheating, and reimposed punishing sanctions across the board. Adnkronos ''Berlusconi e Draghi sono due personaggi straordinari ma io ho un affetto particolare per Berlusconi. Ho lavorato nelle sue aziende, ci lavoro ancora e lo stimo davvero tantissimo. Sarebbe un presidente straordinario''. Cosi Iva Zanicchi all'Adnkronos sulla corsa al Colle. Che poi tiene a sottolineare: ''Draghi ha dimostrato di essere un uomo eccezionale e di avere credito in tutta Europa. Naturalmente io ho piu affetto per Berlusconi perche con lui ho rapporti di amicizia. Silvio e un bisnonno Ground work begins for coffee super zone in five districts The Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project has started ground work for coffee plantations in five districts that have been identified as a super zone for the agro product, targeting to boost the production of domestic coffee at a time where local production is negligible compared to the soaring demand. Less than two weeks remain until the Australian Federal Election, and the NBN has been one of the topics mentioned the least even though there has been much talk about the network between polls. It may be the case the Labor Shadow Communications Minister Michelle took the air out of any possible debate about the network, by announcing on 9 April, two days before the poll was called, her party's NBN policy in the event that it was elected. If truth be told, with the network rollout scheduled to be done and dusted by mid-2020, there isn't a great deal that can be done to improve the miserable lot of the denizens of this land as far as speed and technical issues are concerned. Given that, Rowland said there would be a review of the economics of the NBN, and also specified a few other initiatives, chief of which was money to look at the wiring in households which are on fibre-to-the-node, as this could affect performance. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield's, the same day, was to claim that Rowland's announcement was an admission that "the NBN technology debate of the last six years was just about politics". In a statement, he said: "Labors NBN policy released today [Tuesday] is the final admission the Coalitions plan to use a range of technologies to see NBN completed six to eight years sooner, and at $30 billion dollars less cost than Labor has worked. Labors NBN policy amounts to no more than a trial and a review." But exactly what Fifield will do if he finds himself back in the same portfolio after 18 May is unknown. iTWire contacted his media people, the very same ones who sent us his reaction to the Labor plan, but we are yet to hear back though much time has elapsed since the query was made. For the good people of Australia, all of whom need the Internet, be it for amusement, work or just wasting time, it means several years more of torture as we wait, often, for audio and video to sync in order that we can watch that most ubiquitous of things, a video on YouTube. The screenshot above was taken after that simple task proved impossible on 3 May as this writer tried to amuse himself after a week of hard work. And those throughput figures are derived on wireless from a 100/40 connection from a provider who does have a decent reputation. One shudders to think what it must be like on FttN. The fact that there seems to be a lull in talk about the NBN is a rather depressing thing; are we condemned to this kind of bandwidth until 2022, when everybody has been given the necessary time to connect and it is time to embark on the next step? Or is there a next step? Will it simply be a case of "pay if you want fibre to your doorstep or manage with what you have", told to us by a government that claims there is no more money for broadband? This, when Australia, one of the richer countries on this planet, can blow $50 billion on submarines (whom do we plan to fight?) and $35 billion on F35 fighters (again, whom are we going to fight?) without bothering to ensure that its citizens have to remain in the digital wilderness. It's coming to the time, at least for this writer, to seriously think of moving across the ditch. Jake Williams: "Don't label Israel's actions as 'not our problem' or 'something happening a world away'. Neither is true." Israel has crossed the Rubicon with its attack on alleged cyber attackers belonging to the Palestinian group Hamas, a well-known information security professional says, adding that this action must be condemned by the international community else it risks becoming a new norm of warfare. Former NSA hacker Jake Williams was referring to the attack that Israel carried out on Sunday on a building it claimed housed Hamas cyber attackers. CLEARED FOR RELEASE: We thwarted an attempted Hamas cyber offensive against Israeli targets. Following our successful cyber defensive operation, we targeted a building where the Hamas cyber operatives work. HamasCyberHQ.exe has been removed. pic.twitter.com/AhgKjiOqS7 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 5, 2019 "Israel destroys a Hamas hacking facility (non-combatants) in response to a non-specific cyber attack that was successfully repelled," Williams said. "The only official comment from the administration is to deny new military deployments are related (an obvious lie)." iTWire contacted the Israel Defence Force on Monday morning to ask for any statement it had issued about the strike as there was no public statement on its website. The IDF has not yet replied. In a tweet, the IDF said: "We thwarted an attempted Hamas cyber offensive against Israeli targets. Following our successful cyber defensive operation, we targeted a building where the Hamas cyber operatives work." The attack on this building was part of other offensive operations that took place after Hamas was alleged to have fired rockets into Israel over the weekend. This is apparently real, it looks like Israel is boasting they blew up some people involved in a cyberattack. pic.twitter.com/lRiUPLQsXy Kevin Beaumont ?? (@GossiTheDog) May 5, 2019 Williams, a former member of the NSA's elite Tailored Access Operations Unit who now runs his own firm, Rendition Infosec, said: "Don't label Israel's actions as 'not our problem' or 'something happening a world away'. Neither is true." He added: "It's not just the military at risk either. The US already linked hackers and contract support staff (developers, QA, systems admins) as legally equally culpable in nation state hacking. US contractors working in tertiary roles are equally at risk if we let this stand." In the past, Williams has spoken out against the US policy of naming individuals as being responsible for alleged nation-state cyber attacks on American targets. To be clear, I'm okay with anyone involved in the defense industrial complex being targeted. I understand the history and the law around this. But just because something is legal, that doesn't make it right. Pandora's Box has been opened. We may not like where this goes. 2/2 Jake Williams (@MalwareJake) May 6, 2019 In another thread, Williams, who regularly trains people in cyber security, put forward a theoretical situation, asking "Suppose we're in an active shooting conflict (like Israel and Hamas were). I'm teaching a group of students who happen to be Hamas hackers and support). Regardless of any sovereign defense argument, an airstrike on cyber targets is murder. Lethal force against a cyber actor is killing someone unarmed. Even if those actors may be able to cause a cyber effect, they cannot individually direct lethal force to defend themselves. Brandon McCrillis (@13M4C) May 6, 2019 "Suppose we're in a commercial training facility in a high rise. We're one group on one floor (civilians elsewhere). Although there's no immediate danger from them right now, they performed an unspecified cyber attack (that was repelled) before class starts. "After class is over today, they might go back to hacking Israel again. We obviously don't know their targets or their capabilities. What do you do here? Is it justified to blow up the building in retaliation for earlier attack? "What if the motive is to prevent some unspecified future threat? Does the motive matter? They are, after all combatants on the cyber battlefield. But they aren't actively threatening anyone. How do you handle this? How should it be handled? Is bombing the building okay? "After answering, read that again and replace Hamas and Israel with US and ISIS respectively. Does that change your answer at all? Then consider this is not a hypothetical. Does that change the answer?" Both TPG Telecom and Vodafone Hutchison Australia will make sufficient concessions to the ACCC that would see TPG remaining in the market as a price-fighter brand, well-known telecommunications analyst Paul Budde says, three days ahead of the date on which a final decision on the proposed merger between the two companies is due to be handed down. In response to a query from iTWire, Budde said these concessions should allow theAustralian Competition and Consumer Commission to accept the proposed merger. The ACCC announced on 21 March that it would hand down its final decision on the proposed merger on 9 May. In December last year, the competition watchdog issued a preliminary report on the proposed merger, saying that the disappearance of TPG, which it viewed as being on the way to becoming a fourth mobile competitor in Australia, from the fray through its merger with Vodafone would substantially lessen competition in the sector. It also said it would scrutinise the impact of removing Vodafone as a competitor in the fixed broadband market. But subsequently, TPG announced in January that it was cancelling plans for the mobile network due to the Australian Government ban on the use of equipment from Chinese vendor Huawei Technologies. Budde said: "Obviously if they [TPG and Vodafone] wouldnt provide those guarantees, the ACCC would reject the merger. "TPG and Vodafone are both in a vulnerable position in an ever more competitive market with declining margins. They cant afford to not let the merger go ahead, so they will have to make those concessions." The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, which bills itself as Australia's peak body for consumer representation in communications, was asked for its comments on the proposed merger. Chief executive Teresa Corbin told iTWire in response: "We are usually wary that mergers can result in less choice for consumers. However, as TPG and Vodafone serve different segments of the market, this isn't really a concern. "TPG is more focused on broadband, while Vodafone has a stronger presence in the mobile market, so really they are complementary." Corbin added: "A strong third player in the telecommunications market, like the proposed merged company, could also have greater power to place pressure on Telstra and Optus to lower their prices, increasing affordability for consumers." TPG and Vodafone announced the proposed merger on 30 August last year, with the scrip deal creating a company with an enterprise value of about $15 billion. The ASX announcement said 50.1% of the merged entity would be owned by Vodafone with the remainder to be owned by TPG. If the merger is approved, Vodafone chief executive Inaki Berroeta will be chief executive while TPG founder and executive director David Teoh will be non-executive chairman. The company will be listed on the ASX as TPG Telecom. Today's Highlight in History: On May 6, 1954, medical student Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile during a track meet in Oxford, England, in 3:59.4. On May 6: In 1863, the Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia ended with a Confederate victory over Union forces. In 1889, the Paris Exposition formally opened, featuring the just-completed Eiffel Tower. In 1910, Britain's Edwardian era ended with the death of King Edward VII; he was succeeded by George V. In 1915, Babe Ruth hit his first major-league home run as a player for the Boston Red Sox. In 1935, the Works Progress Administration began operating under an executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1937, the hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg caught fire and crashed while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey; 35 of the 97 people on board were killed along with a crewman on the ground. In 1941, Josef Stalin assumed the Soviet premiership, replacing Vyacheslav M. Molotov. Comedian Bob Hope did his first USO show before an audience of servicemen as he broadcast his radio program from March Field in Riverside, California. In 1942, during World War II, some 15,000 American and Filipino troops on Corregidor surrendered to Japanese forces. In 1992, former Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev delivered a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, where Winston Churchill had spoken of the "Iron Curtain"; Gorbachev said the world was still divided, between North and South, rich and poor. In 1994, former Arkansas state worker Paula Jones filed suit against President Bill Clinton, alleging he'd sexually harassed her in 1991. (Jones reached a settlement with Clinton in November 1998.) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterrand formally opened the Channel Tunnel between their countries. In 2009, after a day of meetings at the White House, President Barack Obama declared he'd received the commitments he wanted from the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan to more aggressively fight Taliban and al-Qaida militants. In 2013, kidnap-rape victims Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, who went missing separately about a decade earlier while in their teens or early 20s, were rescued from a house just south of downtown Cleveland. (Their captor, Ariel Castro, hanged himself in prison in September 2013 at the beginning of a life sentence plus 1,000 years.) In 2014, a federal report said that global warming was rapidly affecting the United States in both visible and invisible ways; shortly after the report came out, President Barack Obama used several television weathermen to call for action to curb carbon pollution before it was too late. The Vatican disclosed that over the past decade, it had defrocked 848 priests who raped or molested children and sanctioned another 2,572 with lesser penalties. In 2018, the number of homes destroyed by Hawaii's Kilauea volcano reached 26, as scientists reported lava spewing more than 200 feet into the air. "Form ever follows function." Louis Sullivan, American architect (1856-1924). Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 MATTOON The Mattoon Area CommunityWorks fund advisory committee recently announced the recipients of its 2018 grant cycle. The recipients include Fit-to-Serve, Mattoon in Motion and Special Olympics Illinois. Fit-to-Serve was granted $2,500 for its Better Together program, to increase its collaborations with local community partners and increase programming opportunities with the birth to 3 and early childhood programming in the Mattoon community. Fit-2-Serve currently offers programming to K-5 students and seeks to strengthen early childhood education by supporting bridging opportunities for the families of the birth to 3 and 3-5 children. The three bridging opportunities to be supported in partnership with other agencies are monthly family education classes and monthly family nights during the academic year (September through April) and a Learn-2-Grow program during the summer (May through August). Mattoon in Motion received $5,000 to support its yearly operational costs. Mattoon in Motion was created in the fall of 2017 when a cross-section of more than 80 passionate community members came together and participated in a series of planning sessions initiated by the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce, the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation and the MAPPING community planning program offered by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University. Out of these planning sessions, community members created six long-term community development goals for the city of Mattoon, Illinois. These six long-term goals are: workforce training and development; economic development /robust economy; tourism; youth development; parks and recreation; and housing. Special Olympics Illinois received $580 to purchase equipment kits for the Special Olympics Illinois Young Athletes Program at Riddle and Williams Elementary Schools in Mattoon. The Special Olympics Illinois Young Athletes Program provides free eight-week curriculum based motor activity skills training and practices to all children, with and without disabilities, ages two to seven years old. The Young Athletes programs are introduced in preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade levels as an all-inclusive motor skills, social skills, and healthy bodies initiative for the development for students physical, mental, and social well-being. Trainings are free and paid for by Special Olympics Illinois, but the equipment kits for the schools must be purchased and maintained at each school. The Mattoon Area CommunityWorks Endowment is a fund of Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation and distributes annual grants to support workforce development, early childhood education and childcare, and land use and protection. For more information, contact Amanda Lessley, President/CEO, at 217-342-4988 or amanda@enrichingourcommunity.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A grand jury has indicted a 15-year-old Lincoln boy on a manslaughter charge in connection to a Dec. 26 crash in a stolen SUV that ended in the death of his friend, 14-year-old Zayne Yost. Anthony D. Moreno made his first appearance on the felony Monday afternoon by video from the Youth Services Center. The day of the crash investigators had identified another boy as the driver. But, in a search warrant that followed in February, Nebraska State Patrol investigators made it clear they had come to believe Moreno was at the wheel of the 2003 Chevy Trailblazer when it crashed and rolled, throwing out all four of the teenagers inside. Investigator Neal Trantham described the group of four hanging out, "ding-dong-ditching" and stealing things from unlocked cars that morning. At about 4:10 a.m., he said, the group found the Trailblazer, unlocked and running, outside a home in Air Park. Trantham said Moreno and another boy took it, then picked up Yost and a 16-year-old who lived nearby. Cecilia Olivarez Huerta, former director of Nebraskas Mexican American Commission, died Thursday. Olivarez Huerta suffered complications of kidney disease. The 74-year-old entered hospice last month. Cecilia was a tireless advocate and leader who never stopped pointing out the role and importance of Mexican Americans in Nebraskas history, culture and economic achievements, the Nebraska Commission on Latino Affairs said in a news release Monday. Her death leaves deep emptiness in the hearts of those who advocate for Latino Americans in general and Mexican Americans specifically. Olivarez Huerta was raised in the small town of Bayard in the Panhandle. She became a mother figure to Mexican American students at UNL and went on to lead the Mexican American Commission, now the Nebraska Commission on Latino Affairs, from 1994 to 2009. Those she mentored called her a servant leader and a living example of Cesar Chavez. She was an integral part of the Nebraska Meatpackers Bill of Rights and the Nebraska DREAM Act. She took part in a Presidential Diversity Advisory Committee during the Clinton years and was honored with countless awards for her work. Check concentrate feeder accuracy WITH the cost of dairy cow concentrates rising farmers have been urged to check the accuracy of their feeders to ensure they are not overfeeding, or indeed underfeeding, their livestock. ICYMI: Here are our top stories from Monday, May 6 Here are some of the top stories from The Kathmandu Post (May 5, 2019). TOPEKA, Kan. U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran is putting pressure on Amtrak to commit to continue running the Southwest Chief passenger rail service that connects Chicago to Los Angeles with stops in Kansas. Moran recently delayed confirming three nominees to Amtrak's board of directors in an effort to push the national rail carrier to offer assurances that the line will operate for at least another year. Amtrak's president, Richard Anderson, agreed to meet with Moran and other lawmakers about the rail service's future this month. Amtrak officials have considered suspending rail service from Dodge City to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and transitioning to buses. The Republican senator helped secure $50 million in the federal budget for the Southwest Chief through September. Discussions in Congress about extending the grant are ongoing. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Gov. Tony Evers was the special guest at the National Service Recognition Day volunteer recognition luncheon honoring Racine and Kenosha RSVP and AmeriCorps volunteers April 2 at the Covenant at Murray Mansion. Evers joined thousands of local leaders across the country in a nationwide bipartisan initiative to highlight the impact of national service in tackling local problems. Joining Evers in recognizing Racine and Kenosha national service volunteers were Mayor Cory Mason, Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave, State Rep. Bob Wittke, Sen. Bob Wirch and Tarez Anam from Sen. Ron Johnsons office. National service is a vital resource for the Racine-Kenosha area, said Evers. AmeriCorps and RSVP volunteers make our neighborhoods better places to live. As governor of Wisconsin, I am grateful for the dedication and sacrifice of these exceptional citizens who are helping make Racine and Kenosha safer, stronger and healthier. Given the many challenges facing communities, county and city leaders are increasingly turning to national service as a cost-effective strategy in meeting local needs. More than 600 RSVP and AmeriCorps volunteers in Racine and Kenosha are currently donating their time and expertise through senior independent living projects, mentoring programs, tax preparation services, food pantries, park restoration projects and disaster preparedness programs. National Service Recognition Day is a nationwide bipartisan effort to recognize the positive impact of national service, to thank those who serve and to encourage more citizens to give back to their communities. This day is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), with support from the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, and Cities of Service. As the federal agency for service and volunteering, CNCS annually engages millions of Americans in service at more than 50,000 locations through AmeriCorps and Senior Corps projects including RSVP, Senior Companion & Foster Grandparents. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 National Nurses Week is fast approaching and businesses in Kenosha and Racine are celebrating all of the wonderful nurses in the surrounding communities. This year, Chiappetta Shoes is going big to say thank you. Chiappetta Shoes, voted Kenoshas Best Shoe Store and a Gold Medal Service award winner, has been around for over 98 years. They offer the very best comfort footwear, one-on-one customer service, an in-house repair shop, custom orthotics, and superb fit expertise. They know shoes, they know feet, and they know people. Foot pain? They have a solution for that. This year, they have chosen to be a Title Sponsor for the Kenosha News and Racine Journal Times National Nurses Week Event and Luncheon on May 8th and May 10th. Both events will honor nurses; winners that were nominated for recognition will be announced. In addition, Chiappetta Shoes is doing a week-long event May 6 May 11 at their store. Nurses and other healthcare employees that join their healthcare loyalty programs in-store or online, can enjoy $10 OFF select brands: Dansko, Alegria, New Balance, and Saucony. New customers will receive an extra $5 OFF each pair. Become a loyalty member and for every $250 spent, youll receive $12.50 off your next purchase, a 5% return on all purchases. Nurses work hard. They put their heart and soul into what they do each and every day, just like we do," said Tony Chiappetta, a certified pedorthist. "To say thanks, we want to make this event a community effort; 2% of every loyalty purchase is donated to the Shalom Center. During National Nurses Week, were going to make it 5%. We want nurses to be recognized, appreciated, and pain free. If youre a nurse, or if you know a nurse, be sure to spread the word. To say thank you, Chiappetta Shoes is doing four giveaways during National Nurses Week. All you have to do is be a part of their loyalty program and make a purchase May 6 May 11th and youre automatically entered. The prizes are a FREE pair of Dansko, a FREE pair of Alegria, and two lucky winners will get a FREE pair of custom orthotics a $400 value. Winners will be announced on their Facebook page on Monday, May 13th. "We have several loyalty programs at the store. Being a small business, we have to offer people a reason to shop small when considering the competitive market. People are not just a number, and thats why we try to go above and beyond in our services and kick back programs for those that choose to shop with us, said Nick Chiappetta, who handles marketing and customer service for the store and, like brother Tony, is part of the fourth generation of the family business. On the web: Shop Chiappetta Shoes: http://chiappettashoes.com/ Join the Froedtert South Loyalty Program: Join the Aurora Health Care Loyalty Program: Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BURLINGTON A 40-year-old Burlington woman and a 42-year-old woman from Los Angeles are facing criminal charges after they allegedly attacked a man and stole more than $400 from him Friday night. One of the women, Brandie Nicole Alston of the 400 block of West State Street in the City of Burlington, reportedly kicked a police sergeant twice in the groin while at a hospital emergency room. Alston has been charged with a felony count of battery to a law enforcement officer and misdemeanor battery with domestic abuse assessments and use of a dangerous weapon, misdemeanor theft and two counts of disorderly conduct. The Los Angeles woman, Keyana Adriel Grimage, has been charged with disorderly conduct as party to a crime and use of a dangerous weapon. According to the criminal complaint: A man called police just after 8 p.m. Friday, saying he had been attacked by two women in his home. The man told an officer: Brandie was all pissed off. I dont know why, because she cant get her own way. They are on some (expletive). They attacked me in the house. They took my money, wallet, everything. The man said that Grimage helped Alston attack him. He said that they tipped a dresser over on top of him, beat the living (expletive) out of me and stole as much as $600 from his wallet. After being apprehended, Alston reportedly was found with $412 in cash, including four 100-dollar bills. Officers reported that Alston became hostile, vulgar and disorderly after she was taken to Aurora Burlington Medical Center, 252 McHenry St., for a cut on her forehead. While in the emergency room, she reportedly ignored officers commands to stay in bed, yelled and physically resisted law enforcement and kicked a male sergeant twice in the groin, after which point she was handcuffed to the bed. After being told she was under arrest for battery to a law enforcement officer, Alston reportedly said, I dont give a (expletive) multiple times. Alston made an initial appearance Monday, during which a $400 bash bond and $5,000 signature bond were set, records show. Grimage also made an initial appearance and received a $200 cash bond. A preliminary hearing for Alston is scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 22 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. A status conference is scheduled for Grimage on July 15. Both women remained in custody as of Monday night at the County Jail. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 1 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. MOUNT PLEASANT A womans ankle was fractured after an allegedly intoxicated Illinois man ran a red light and crashed into her van Saturday night, Mount Pleasant Police say. Najid TD Jantuah, 28, of Homewood, Ill., is charged with a felony count of intoxicated use of a vehicle causing great bodily harm and misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer. According to the criminal complaint: Jantuah ran a red light at 11:17 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of highways 20 and V. A minivan traveling through the intersection T-boned Jantuahs Ford Fusion as it ran the red light. The woman driving the van exited the vehicle and collapsed to the ground. When police arrived, she said she had pain in her right leg and could not stand up. The womans ankle reportedly was fractured and required surgery. Jantuah failed three field sobriety tests and was arrested. He resisted officers as they tried to put him in the back of a squad car and only got in once an officer threatened to use his stun gun. Officers took Jantuah to Ascension All Saints Hospital for a blood draw. He reportedly resisted the blood draw and officers reported they had to use a stun gun on him to get him to comply. Jantuah remained in Racine County Jail as of Monday afternoon, records show. He made an initial court appearance Monday afternoon, during which a $2,500 cash bond was set. His next appearance is 8:30 a.m. May 15. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. RACINE While violent crime has reduced significantly in Racine over the years, drugs remain a problem. Racine Police Chief Art Howell said that his departments main intention when it comes to drug enforcement is getting illegal opioids and cocaine-related substances off the streets. Heroin/opioid interdiction and human trafficking prevention remain among our top focus areas, Howell said. While there is more work to be done, the results to date in many areas are encouraging. The Racine Police Department made the identical number of drug-related arrests in 2018 as it did the year prior 259 total arrests according to data the RPD reported to the FBI and the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Cumulative arrests for possession rose by 9.2%, from 152 to 166, while arrests for selling drugs dipped from 105 down to 88, a 16% decrease. Opium/cocaine possession arrests rose from 33 to 39. Also, marijuana possession arrests, which remain the most common drug arrest in the city, rose from 102 in 2017 up to 117 last year. After making 66 arrests for the sale of opium/cocaine in 2017, 50 arrests were made last year by the RPD. Thirty-six people were arrested for selling marijuana in Racine in 2017, and 33 were arrested for the same offense in 2018. Those numbers for marijuana possession arrests could be affected this year, after the City Council set a directive ordering the police department to issue citations, rather than criminal charge recommendations, for all first possession offenses of 25 grams or less of marijuana. 2018 Racine crime stats: Violent crimes fall by 17%, arrests see 7% rise RACINE In 1991, Racines violent crime rate was among the highest in the state even Milwaukees rate was lower, according to Wisconsin Dep Safety and legal pot As debate swirls around the legalization of marijuana, Howell said that his focus (and the departments focus) remains on public safety. Alcohol is legal, but you cant go to work intoxicated, Howell said. Even if it (marijuana) becomes legalized, were still going to have trouble employing people from a public safety standpoint, (marijuana) is just another substance that can impair safety. Just last week, 24-year-old Nicholas Sosa, of Racine, was charged with possession of THC and operating while intoxicated after he reportedly was seen driving erratically while appearing to be under the influence of marijuana on Wednesday. He reportedly admitted to an officer that he had smoked inside his car less than 30 minutes before starting to drive. Finding without looking When a suspected dealers home or vehicle is searched, oftentimes marijuana will be found in addition to the other illegal substances that officers were primarily searching for, according to Howell. When we do search warrants, we never know what were going to come up with, he said. We know if someone is dealing one drug, they might have another. The chief said that one of the detectives on the Racine Police Department payroll is assigned to the federal Drug Enforcement Administrations Drug Task Force, allowing that detective to work beyond the confines of Racine. In 2016, we had to decide if we wanted to continue to assign one of our detectives to the DEA Drug Task Force. When we do that, we lose local control over that persons workload, but we gain federal partners in opioid crisis, Howell said. Doing that illustrates our commitment to fighting the opioid crisis. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 1 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. RACINE On Friday, a teenage sexual assault victim stood in a Racine courtroom and described the effects years of sexual assault had on her: I had to go through six years of hell. I was only a kid and my innocence got taken away. The girl was assaulted by Gregory Frank, 68, of Waterford, who was in court to be sentenced for third-degree sexual assault and felony bail jumping. Frank is currently 14 months into a three-year prison sentence for possession of child pornography. I am sincerely sorry to (the victim) for my actions. They are totally unjustified, Frank said. I know she will never accept my apology. While speaking to the court, Frank said he hoped the victim would find God, as he was recently baptized, and asked the victims family to look back at some of the good times they had. At the end of the hearing, Racine Circuit Court Judge Wynne Laufenberg sentenced Frank to five years in prison for sexual assault and three years in prison for bail jumping. Those sentences will run consecutive to one another and the sentence Frank is currently serving, meaning Frank will spend an additional eight years in prison. You say you are sorry to the victim here today, but I think there is more evidence that you feel sorry for yourself, Mr. Frank, Laufenberg said. Your warped way of thinking is going to take a long time to correct. Investigation uncovers assault The case began in February 2018, when a Racine Countys Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigator executed a search warrant at Franks residence and found hundreds of what were deemed inappropriate images on Franks two laptop computers and a tablet. One of the inappropriate photos was that of the teenage girl later identified as Franks victim. The teen girl told investigators that Frank had touched her inappropriately about 10 times in the past. Almost immediately while out on bond for the charges, Frank purchased four cellphones and a Dell tablet computer after being told he could not have cellphones or devices with internet access. Frank claimed he bought the devices for someone else. Another time he claimed it was to keep in contact with a probation officer, although he had none. For the bond infraction, Frank netted two additional counts of felony bail jumping. Horrendous actions Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Sommers said Frank divulged that he assaulted the victim to get tingles in his genitals so that he could please his wife. He also reportedly made disparaging comments about the victim, saying he was not attracted to her. Im troubled by so much here. His actions are horrendous, and what he did to his (victim), to turn around and insult her, Sommers said. And to try to turn around and say he is trying to sexually satisfy his wife. Sommers cited statistics showing the long-lasting, negative effects often left on sexual assault victims, adding: The impact of sexual assault on victims cant be understated. She recommended three to five years in prison and a period of extended supervision for the sexual assault charge, to be served consecutive to his current sentence in the child pornography case. Genuine remorse Franks attorney, Patrick Cafferty, said that before these incidents, Frank had no criminal record and said generally speaking, Franks character is good. While he said his clients acceptance of responsibility has not been what he described as perfect, he said Frank regrets the situation. He feels genuine remorse about what he has done and we cant go back and change this, Cafferty said. He asked the judge to consider Franks health and age, and said Frank will likely be very old when released, posing less of a threat to the public. He recommended three years in prison and five years extended supervision for the sexual assault charge, asking that the sentence runs concurrent to Franks current sentence. Disturbing statements Before Laufenberg handed down her sentence, she said she was disturbed by Franks statements and did not believe many of the excuses he provided. She said she took issue with Frank purchasing electronic devices after being told not to: The first glaring trait I see is that of complete, utter arrogance on your part, a denial of your wrongdoing, and probably most important here, a lack of insight. Laufenberg also felt that Franks claim that he had unintentionally downloaded child pornography was ridiculous, considering his military background as a computer expert. I have not heard one word from you or anyone of these sentencing memorandums that you understand the impact that your actions have taken here for on your family, Laufenberg said. You say you are sorry to the victim here today, but I think there is more evidence that you feel sorry for yourself, Mr. Frank. Your warped way of thinking is going to take a long time to correct. Racine County Circuit Court Judge Wynne Laufenberg Jonathon Sadowski contributed to this report. 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. RACINE The Public Safety and Licensing Committee has requested the owners of Truth Sports Bar, 1436 Junction Ave., appear before the committee after a shooting that occurred nearby, though its unclear why the bar is named on the incident report. The incident report that was shared with the committee named Truth Bar, though the incident happened in the parking lot at 1429 Ann St., which is across an alley from the rear of the bar. One witness said they'd seen the victim at the bar, but the victim told officers he was on his way to the bar and had stopped in the parking lot to talk with some women when he was shot. The incident report also said officers "located a scene behind 1401 Washington Ave.", with spent casings and a vehicle that had been shot. That business, Liquor Depot, was not named in the report. During the discussion at the April 23 meeting, committee members said they were particularly concerned because Truth Bar, which is the location of the former Brass Monkey, has been called in for an expression of concern once before in the past six months. Jacqueline Lagrone and Malachi Muhammad appeared before the committee on Feb. 12 to discuss some incidents that had occurred. One involved their occupancy permit, which they said was due to a miscommunication from a city employee. They also told the committee they had hired two off-duty police officers to work as bouncers at the bar to maintain the peace. Racine Police Department reported the following incidents: Dec. 23 - Report that an unlicensed person was tending bar. Officers did not observe the person tending bar, declared the report unfounded. - Report that an unlicensed person was tending bar. Officers did not observe the person tending bar, declared the report unfounded. Dec. 29 - Woman reported to officials she woke up the next morning with no memory of the night before but physical evidence she had been sexually assaulted. Stated she believed it happened after she drank a shot at the bar. - Woman reported to officials she woke up the next morning with no memory of the night before but physical evidence she had been sexually assaulted. Stated she believed it happened after she drank a shot at the bar. Jan. 2 - Report of a wanted party at the bar party was not found. Report of a wanted party at the bar party was not found. Jan. 4 - A sergeant stopped by, stating he wanted to introduce himself to the owner. He found the front door locked with patrons inside. Mohammed told the committee that an unidentified male had been breaking into cars and potentially harassing women, which was why they locked the doors. A sergeant stopped by, stating he wanted to introduce himself to the owner. He found the front door locked with patrons inside. Mohammed told the committee that an unidentified male had been breaking into cars and potentially harassing women, which was why they locked the doors. Jan. 6 - Officers observed a large group of people at 15th Street and Junction Avenue but did not observe a disturbance. At 2:30 a.m., the officer observed a large group exit the bar, says he heard yelling north of his location but did not observe any fights. Officers observed a large group of people at 15th Street and Junction Avenue but did not observe a disturbance. At 2:30 a.m., the officer observed a large group exit the bar, says he heard yelling north of his location but did not observe any fights. Jan. 8 - Officers checked on a report the bar was open without an occupancy license. Officer reported Lagrone told them she had contacted the city earlier that day and had learned that the license would come in the next day or so and that she could operate as long as the bar was not serving. Officer said they advised her to clarify with the city. Officers checked on a report the bar was open without an occupancy license. Officer reported Lagrone told them she had contacted the city earlier that day and had learned that the license would come in the next day or so and that she could operate as long as the bar was not serving. Officer said they advised her to clarify with the city. Jan. 12 - Report of five people fighting. The off-duty officer told officials that people were yelling and pushing each other but that he'd made them move along before it got physical. Report of five people fighting. The off-duty officer told officials that people were yelling and pushing each other but that he'd made them move along before it got physical. Jan. 12 - A caller told officials she dropped her purse while exiting the bar due to a fight. Her GPS showed her phone was at a location on 12th Street - officials checked the location but did not find the phone. - A caller told officials she dropped her purse while exiting the bar due to a fight. Her GPS showed her phone was at a location on 12th Street - officials checked the location but did not find the phone. Jan. 26 - The off-duty officer working at the bar reported that a wanted party was at the bar. Officers responded and took the person into custody. The off-duty officer working at the bar reported that a wanted party was at the bar. Officers responded and took the person into custody. Feb. 9 - Report of an assault the night before. The caller said one woman spat on her and the other pulled her hair. Said she left the area and did not notify police. Report of an assault the night before. The caller said one woman spat on her and the other pulled her hair. Said she left the area and did not notify police. Feb. 23 - Off-duty officer notified officers an accident had occurred and the offending vehicle fled the area. - Off-duty officer notified officers an accident had occurred and the offending vehicle fled the area. March 11 - Caller reported lights were on and the caller believe the bar was still open. Officers found the door was locked, the three parties inside were Muhammad and two other employees cleaning. Declared unfounded. The Truth Bar operators have been asked to attend the Public Safety and Licensing Committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. on May 14 at City Hall, 730 Washington Ave., Room 307. The bar operators were not available for comment when a reporter called. Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 2 Sad 1 Angry 3 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. Integrated mobile camp benefits Rautahat residents Officials said that they have started reaching out to people to provide various services including health services, agriculture and livestock. MOUNT PLEASANT Mount Pleasant Police responded to two vehicle crashes within hours of one another that involved allegedly impaired drivers, and are asking drivers to stay sober behind the wheel. The Mount Pleasant Police Department would like to remind drivers to not drive impaired, a Mount Pleasant Police Department release stated. The majority of OWI arrests occur overnight and the Mount Pleasant Police Department is very aggressively pursuing those who choose to drive intoxicated to prevent harm to themselves and others in their path. At 11:17 p.m. Saturday, Mount Pleasant Police were dispatched to the intersection of highways 20 and V in Mount Pleasant for a crash. The driver of a Ford Fusion allegedly ran through a red light while traveling south on Highway V and struck a minivan heading east on Highway 20. The driver of the minivan was injured in the crash, police said, and was taken to the hospital by South Shore Rescue with non-life-threatening injuries. She was treated and released. The driver of the Ford was identified as 29-year-old Najid Jantuah of Homewood, Ill. Officers noted that Jantuah was possibly impaired when he reportedly said he thought he was in Gurnee, Ill., after the crash. After standardized field sobriety tests, Jantuah was taken into custody. Police had to get a search warrant for a blood sample from Jantuah. While at Ascension All Saints Hospital, Jantuah allegedly fought with officers. Officers then reportedly used a stun gun with a series of focused strikes to gain control of him. A sample of Jantuahs blood was eventually taken. He was medically cleared and transported to the Racine County Jail. Charges of operating while intoxicated causing injury, battery to a law enforcement officer, resisting and obstructing and disorderly conduct were referred to the Racine County District Attorneys Office. Jantuah also was cited for failure to stop for a red light and not having insurance. Second incident reported At 1:08 a.m. Sunday, while on scene at the first call, Mount Pleasant Police were dispatched to the 5500 block of Deerfield Road after a vehicle struck a parked car. The driver, a 25-year-old Racine woman, also was determined to be impaired and arrested, police said. She was arrested, pending charges of operating while intoxicated, first offense, and released to a responsible party. Police did not release the name of the woman. Both incidents remain under investigation by the Mount Pleasant Police 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. WHITEWATER One of the four finalists to become University of Wisconsin Whitewaters next chancellor, Guiyou Huang, has withdrawn his application. The school issued a press release regarding Huangs withdrawal Monday afternoon, but did not give a reason why he has dropped out. He had been scheduled to visit the Whitewater campus on Tuesday and the Rock County campus the following day. Huang is currently the chancellor at Louisiana State-Alexandria and has a Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M. He is also a finalist candidate to become the chancellor of Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, where he is reportedly expected to interview this week. The remaining three candidates Dwight C. Watson of Southwest Minnesota State University, Philip K. Way of Slippery Rock University, and Cheryl F. Green, who is currently serving as Whitewaters interim chancellor all have open forums scheduled for this week or held them last week. UW System President Ray Cross and the regent committee will interview the finalists May 17 and recommend one candidate for hiring to the full Board of Regents. Former Chancellor Beverly Kopper resigned in December after her husband was banned from campus amid sexual harassment complaints from several women. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. Wisconsins open meetings law exists to ensure that government business, the peoples business, is conducted where the people can watch it happening. The exceptions to it, the instances where a governmental body can act in closed session, are generally limited to contract negotiations and personnel matters. That is as it should be. As fierce advocates for the concept of government in sunshine, we were dismayed recently to read of the Madison School Board tiptoeing awfully close to the line between lawful and unlawful government meetings. Individually or in pairs, Madison School Board members spend hours each year in private board briefings with Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham, discussing matters soon to come before the full board for votes that must be held in public, the Wisconsin State Journal reported on April 29. Cheatham instituted the briefings after she was hired in 2013, and district administrators and some board members defend the practice. Under state law, school boards and other local public bodies must have a quorum typically a majority or more of members to take official action, and the action they take must occur in publicly noticed meetings. Walking quorums, by contrast, are a series of gatherings among separate groups of members of a governmental body, each less than quorum size, who agree, tacitly or explicitly, to act uniformly in sufficient number to reach a quorum, according to the attorney generals office. Theyre illegal because they can render the publicly held meeting a mere formality, according to the office. TJ Mertz, a board member until he lost a re-election bid last month, didnt recall administrators asking board members specifically how they planned to vote in an open meeting, but I do recall myself and other board members giving feedback that indicated how you would vote on something. Mary Burke, a seven-year veteran of the board and its outgoing president, said her experience in the briefings is that members dont individually agree to act in a uniform way in later meetings of the full board. That hardly matters, Ms. Burke. The possibility exists that enough of these small-group meetings could be held to reach a quorum tacitly. The individual board members might not indicate how they will vote in the board briefings, but the superintendent can tally indications of support or disapproval in her or his head through a succession of such meetings, enabling the superintendent to get a feel for whether an initiative has majority support on the board, meaning the deliberations will have taken place in private instead of in public. Even if this practice does not violate the letter of the open meetings law, it certainly has the odor of not abiding by the spirit of the law. Madisons board briefings raise similar questions as those addressed by the attorney generals Office of Open Government in a case involving the Green Bay city council. An alderman there asked the office if a mayor can hold separate meetings with each of the 12 members of the city council to tout an upcoming agenda of his, address questions and take up other issues in a closed-door meeting. While Assistant Attorney General Sarah K. Larson cautioned in a March 5 letter that if the mayor meets with the council members in one-on-one situations for the purpose of exercising the responsibilities, authority, power or duties delegated to or vested in the body, a court may find a prohibited walking quorum if the members had discussed city business and have agreed with each other to act in some uniform fashion. Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council president Bill Lueders said the practice in Madison and in the Green Bay case may not clearly violate the law, but it probably should be avoided, so as to not undercut the purpose of the open meetings law, which is to ensure that the deliberative process is public. New Madison School Board member Ali Muldrow told the State Journal that if board members were to cover all the ground covered in private briefings in public meetings, that would be like a 7-hour meeting. If the length of Madison School Board meetings is the concern, then the board should start its meetings earlier in the day. Government meetings that would include meetings between members of a school district board, however many, and that districts superintendent should take place in public, in the open. Government bodies should avoid even the appearance of an effort to circumvent the open meetings law. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 - The ballots for the mid-term polls arrived in Manila and Pasig - However, the seals of the vehicles were noticeably broken - The Commission on Elections had addressed the concern PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed The official ballots for the upcoming mid-term polls arrived at the Manila City Hall on Sunday. However, KAMI learned that some seals were broken which alarmed many people. In a report by the GMA News (author Dona Magsino), 1,502 boxes were delivered for 1,502 precincts. Josephine Daza of the Manila City Treasurer's Office said that they would be reporting the concern to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). In addition, the same matter was raised in Pasig City. TV personality and politician Shalani Soledad shared on social media that the ballot truck that arrived in their area had a broken seal as well. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! As reported by the CNN Philippines, the Comelec has spoken regarding the issue. Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said that upon investigation, the movement of the truck might have torn the seal. Jimenez also mentioned that the integrity of the election remains since the ballot boxes inside the truck that arrived in Pasig were still intact. The Comelec will be conducting a post-delivery inventory as part of their protocol to ensure that there was no tampering that happened. Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! We have included some of the most tricky questions and interesting challenges! This time, we asked different people, "What Is Kulangot In English?" Do you enjoy watching street interviews and listening to different opinions? Check it on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: KAMI.com.gh - Julia Barretto was featured in Magandang Buhay with her sister Dani Baretto - Both of them were asked to cook chicken adobo during the episode - During their cook-off, Julia was asked about her plans on marriage PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Kapamilya actress Julia Barretto straightforwardly admitted to public that she envisions herself having kids more than the idea of marriage in the near future. KAMI learned that the confession was made during her guesting in Magandang Buhay with her newly-wed sister Dani Barretto. The prominent actress faced her sibling in a cook-off segment of the show, as they were asked to make their own and best versions of chicken adobo. Unlike her sister, Julia claimed that she has not tried cooking the aforementioned dish yet but she still accepted the challenge in front of television viewers. While cooking, the host asked the ABS-CBN star if she is strict as an ate, considering that she is now part of the eldest people left in their house. "Hindi, masaya ako. Fun akong ate," she quipped. "Pero 'pag mali, pinagsasabihan ko," she added. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! Julia was then asked if she is already starting to consider the idea of getting married in the near future. "Di ko talaga alam, ate. I think I'm too young to think that far ahead. Pero you know what ate, mas nilu-look forward ko ang magka-anak," she stressed. The celebrity reasoned out that her love for kids became one of the reasons why she looks forward to finally having her own children. She also stated that she wants to have plenty of kids in the future. Watch the video below: In a previous article by , Julia tried to audition for Darna and her video immediately went viral online. Julia Barretto is currently one of the most successful actresses in the country. She is more known for her and Joshua Garcia's widely-acclaimed love team called JoshLia. Recently, she starred in the hit teleserye, Ngayon at Kailanman. POPULAR: Read more news about Julia Barreto! Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Sick OFW gets unexpected help from employer. Marissa Tanael, a woman who found out that she has a cancer while working in Saudi, tells her story: how she learned about the disease and how she received help from her employer. on HumanMeter! Source: KAMI.com.gh Food crisis looms large in Humla Food shortage looms large in the district due to the prolonged drought and the Nepal Food Corporations failure to supply foodstuffs in time. With erratic rain and snowfall, Humla struggles to adapt to a changing climate In the warmth of the December sun, little children run around dusty alleys while elderly women, scarlet-shawled and bedecked in heavy brass ornaments, lazily smoke out of wooden chillums. The school is closed for the winter, so the children get to stay home for two months, and the elderly women have little else to do but bask in the sun while it is still warm outside. The water has not frozen yet, so the younger women wash clothes and bathe at the village communal tap. Early in the morning, tendrils of smoke rise from small stone-and-mud houses. 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. Low vaccine coverage rate, floating population leading to repeat measles outbreaks Most of the measles outbreak cases in the district take place in Muslim and backward communities where the level of awareness about the importance of regular immunisation is very low. The Highground Veterans Memorial Park near Neillsville will host a military helicopter and vehicle expo Saturday, May 18. At approximately 9 a.m., weather permitting, a UH-1H Huey helicopter will land at the Highground. Another Huey will be available as a static display for visitors to enter and explore. Several vintage military vehicles will be exhibited at the Highground in addition to the Karls Transport semi trailer, which is dedicated to the memory of Ryan Jopek, a soldier who was killed in action in Iraq. The helicopter and military vehicle expo will last from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The UH-1H Huey is scheduled to take off around 2 p.m. Visitors will be able to visit the new exhibit of Lao Hmong culture and history in the Learning Center. The Highground will conduct its annual spring bake sale during the expo. Weather permitting, The Highgrounds big maps of the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf will be displayed for veterans to sign. Admission to the event is free. 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. The University of Wisconsin Systems in-state student enrollment has dropped sharply over the past nine years, reflecting declining regional populations and System efforts to get students to graduation faster, according to a report state auditors released Monday. The loss of in-state students has been nearly offset by rising nonresident enrollment, helping total tuition revenue grow by $336 million, even as resident tuition has been frozen since 2013, the report said. UW System President Ray Cross didnt address the enrollment shift in a letter to auditors responding to the report. He did cite declining enrollment in 2017 to justify his plan to merge the Systems two-year schools with its four-year campuses. Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay, co-chairman of the Legislatures audit committee, said the enrollment trend is resulting in more tuition money for the System. He said hed be concerned if in-state students were losing slots in classes to nonresidents, but he doesnt know if thats happening because the audit doesnt examine that issue. Committee co-chairwoman Rep. Samantha Kerkman, R-Salem, said attracting nonresident students means more money and a chance to persuade them to stay and work in the state after graduation. Republicans and businesses often contend that Wisconsin faces a worker shortage that will worsen as the population ages. If theyre willing to come and spend four years in college and get accustomed to our weather, it gives us at least a little leg up (against other states), she said. Auditors found in-state enrollment dropped by 12,881 students between academic years 2008-09 and 2017-18, from 138,018 to 125,137 . Auditors spoke to staff at seven schools Milwaukee, Stevens Point, Parkside, Eau Claire, River Falls, Oshkosh and Superior to understand whats driving the decline. Some schools told them that declining regional populations might be playing a role. UW-Superior noted that the declining population in northern Wisconsin means fewer students are eligible to enroll at the school. Most of the institutions noted a decline in the number of Wisconsin high school graduates. The audit cites state Department of Public Instruction data showing 6.1% fewer students graduated in school year 2016-17 than in 2009-10. Other campuses said more students arent enrolled as long because the system has been working to improve the four-year graduation rate. Nearly 40% of freshmen enrolled in fall 2013 graduated in four years compared with nearly 29% of freshmen who enrolled in fall 2003. Nonresident student enrollment, meanwhile, grew by 10,558 students between academic years 2008-09 and 2017-18. Auditors said institutions indicated diversity initiatives have attracted nonresident students. Milwaukee and Superior said they have specifically targeted international students as part of a diversity initiative. Parkside and Milwaukee both noted that the Midwest Student Exchange Program allows Illinois students to attend UW schools for less than some Illinois institutions. The influx of out-of-state students is a bonus for the System because they pay far more in tuition than resident students. Republican lawmakers also have frozen in-state tuition rates since 2013, driving some schools to increase nonresident and graduate tuition rates. Taken together, tuition revenue grew by $366 million between fiscal years 2008-09 and 2017-18, from $933.4 million to $1.3 billion. Nearly 40% of the increase is tuition paid by nonresident students. Even though tuition increased for the System as a whole, nine of 14 UW institutions have seen tuition revenue decrease since the resident rate freeze took effect. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Updated July 15 The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that it's looking into yet another case of measles -- this time on the UCLA campus. Measles is highly contagious for individuals who have not been vaccinated-- if they're exposed to the virus, they have a 90% chance of contracting it. The department says there have been 15 confirmed cases of measles among L.A. County residents in 2019, and eight confirmed cases of non-residents traveling through the city. The majority were unvaccinated. This latest incident is unrelated to the UCLA student who was infected with measles in April, according to the health department. Anyone who may have been on-site at these locations during the times listed below is at risk of developing measles for up to 21 days after being exposed. The virus lives in the air or on surfaces where an infected person has coughed or sneezed for up to two hours. Below is a full list of places these individuals are known to have visited, starting with the most recent: July 19 The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports one more confirmed case of measles. Due to patient privacy, they are not currently disclosing the location. July 12 The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports two more confirmed cases of measles. Due to patient privacy, they are not currently disclosing their locations. July 2 & 3 Location: Court of Sciences Student Center on UCLA Campus (Food court; also known as The Bomb Shelter), 617 Charles E. Young Dr., Los Angeles, 90095 Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. June 7 Location: Geffen Playhouse,10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, 90024 Time: 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. June 8 Location: Toscana Restaurant-Brentwood,11633 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, 90049 Time: 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. May 3 Location: Broadway Car Wash, 4000 E. Broadway, Long Beach, 90803 Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. May 2 Location: Ralph's, 6290 PCH, Long Beach, 90803 Time: 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Location: AMC Marina Pacifica, 6346 E. PCH, Long Beach, 90803 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. May 1 Location: LAX, Terminal 2 Time: 7:10 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Location: LAX Employee Shuttle TIme: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Location: Art du Vin Wine Bar, 2027 E 4th St, Long Beach, 90814 Time: 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Location: Ralph's, 2930 E. 4th St, Long Beach, 90814 Time: 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. April 30 Location: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Terminal 2 Time: 7:45 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. Location: LAX Employee Shuttle Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Location: Susan European Dressmaker, 3319 E. 7th St, Long Beach, 90804 Time: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. April 28 Location: Farmer's Daughter Hotel, 115 S Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Time: Start of day through 10:00 a.m. Location: Pizzanista, 1837 E 7th St, Long Beach 90813 Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Location: Total Wine, 7400 Carson Blvd, Long Beach, 90808 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. April 27 Location: Farmer's Daughter Hotel, 115 S. Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Time: All day Location: Peet's Coffee, (3rd & Fairfax) 175 S. Fairfax Ave Unit D, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Location: Fratelli's Cafe, 7200 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046 Time: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Location: TART Restaurant, (located in Farmer's Daughter Hotel) 115 S. Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Time: 5:00 PM -8:00 PM Location: The Grove 189 The Grove Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90036 Time: 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Location: J.Crew and Barnes and Noble (located at The Grove) 189 The Grove Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90036 Time: 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Location: Los Angeles Farmer's Market, 6333 W. 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Time: 3:30 P.m. to 5:30 p.m. Location: Paper Source (3rd & Fairfax, Los Angeles) 175 S. Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90048 Time: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Location: Whole Food's (Fairfax) 6350 W. 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Time: 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Location: La Brea Tarpits, 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Time: 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. April 18 Location: LAX Arrivals, Remote Gate, Tom Bradley International Terminal Time: 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Location: LAX Departures, Gate 37A, Terminal 3 Time: 4:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. April 3 Location: LAX Arrivals, Gate 70A, Terminal 7 Time: 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Location: B Grill by BOA Steakhouse at LAX Terminal 7 Departures and LAX Departures, Gate 81, Terminal 8 Time: 7:00 p.m. and 10:40 p.m. March 6 Location: Enterprise Rent-A-Car, 1719 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 90403 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. March 5 Location: LAX, Terminal 7, Gate 76A Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. February 21 Location: LAX, Tom Bradley International Airport (TBIT) Terminal B, Gate 133 Time: 9:00 a.m. Location: LAX, Terminal 3, Gate 32 Time: Unknown December 29 Location: Paradise Cove Beach Cafe, Malibu Time: 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. December 28 Location: Ralphs, 3601 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena and Nordstrom Rack Hastings Village, 3363 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena Time: 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. December 26 Location: Santa Monica Pier and the Blue Plate Taco restaurant 1515 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica) Time: 1:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. People who contract the disease will likely first experience a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and a sore throat. After about two or three days, they may develop tiny white spots in the mouth. From there, a rash of flat red spots - measles' signature symptom - will typically appear, beginning at the hairline then spreading down across the body. Those spots might additionally develop small raised bumps. At the same time as the rash, the patient's fever can spike to over 104 degrees. More serious symptoms of measles can include pneumonia, ear infections or diarrhea, which occur in about three out of every 10 infected people. About one child out of every 1,000 who gets measles will develop encephalitis (swelling of the brain), which can lead to convulsions and leave the child deaf or mentally disabled. For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it. If you think you have contracted measles or may have been exposed, call your doctor. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe The CHP's East L.A. station has been in turmoil since an investigation launched last year into alleged overtime fraud. (Photo by Megan Garvey for LAist) An investigation into alleged overtime fraud at the California Highway Patrol's East L.A. station has led to massive turnover, leaving rookies to patrol some of the state's busiest freeways and a top CHP official to call the episode a "very, very dark stain" on the department's history. But some people ensnared in the investigation are taking the unusual step of speaking out about personnel matters, saying the officers were following a longstanding practice at the station. They also question whether the cost of putting so many people on paid leave for months has now outpaced any alleged fraud. CHP Division Chief Mark Garrett told KPCC/LAist the issue goes beyond dollar figures to the integrity of the CHP. "This was a culture of corruption by a group of greedy officers who had developed a system involving supervisors that created a firewall between themselves and managers like myself," he said. One former sergeant said he was among five veterans who retired early after being informed they were under investigation. "I'm not running from anything," said Bill Preciado, who worked for CHP for 28 years before leaving in January. "I know it's something I did not do and I'm not going to put myself through this." So far three officers have been fired, Preciado claims. CHP officials acknowledged three East L.A. officers no longer work for the department, but would not provide a reason for their departure. Preciado also claims at least 25 other officers have been placed on paid administrative leave. Garrett said "some people are on administrative time off" and "some people have left the department," but he declined to provide further details. The department said it would not comment on other personnel matters because the investigation remains active. None of the officers are being represented by their union, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, which issued this statement about the overtime fraud investigation: "On behalf of the 14,000 men and women who make up our membership, we are saddened by these allegations." A spokesperson for the association did not return calls for additional comment. About a dozen officers have hired a well-connected law firm helmed by former L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley to defend their jobs and reputations. Cooley said after looking into the allegations, he believes the department is "harming good officers." THE SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION The East L.A. CHP station has been under scrutiny since last August when the departmemt began investigating dozens of officers for allegedly fraudulently putting in for overtime they did not work. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP) Garrett announced the investigation -- which began in August -- at a news conference in February. Now, he says department investigators are "in discussions" with the L.A. County District Attorney's office about possible criminal charges against officers. The investigation began after the CHP found "anomalies" in the overtime work performed by East L.A. officers for Caltrans. An initial inquiry found about $360,000 in fraudulent overtime but Garrett said the amount could go higher. The investigation remains "dynamic," he said. While the investigation continues, the CHP recently assigned 19 new cadets directly out of the academy to the East L.A. station and plans to add "another large contingent" to "rebuild the culture there," said Garrett. Approximately 100 officers and 10 sergeants typically work at the East L.A. station. THE DISPUTE At issue is how East L.A. officers put in for non-required overtime. The distinction between how so-called "forced overtime" is handled and how voluntary overtime is handled is critical in this investigation. The CHP is reimbursed for work officers do for outside agencies or businesses. CHP managers can compel officers to work overtime if necessary. When that happens, officers get paid in minimum four-hour increments. According to people familiar with the department's protocol, it works like this: If an officer has to go into overtime to testify in traffic court, but it only takes 30 minutes, he or she still gets paid for four hours of work. When the overtime is voluntary -- like the Caltrans work -- Garrett said officers should only get paid for the time actively spent on the job. But that's not how it worked at the East L.A. station. Beginning around 2008, according to one retired officer, the East L.A. station developed its own standard operating procedure that allowed officers to continue to get paid for a full eight-hour shift, even if the work ended early: "If Caltrans ends a detail early due to unforeseen circumstances but continues to pay the officer, the officer shall remain available to Caltrans by standing by at the office," according to a memo on the procedure obtained by KPCC/LAist dated 2012. One retired veteran told KPCC/LAist the reality was that some officers went home instead of waiting at the office for a callback to the freeway. In any case, he acknowledged that those calls rarely came. The man, who spent 29 years with the CHP -- including several years at the East L.A. station -- spoke on the condition he not be named out of concern his comments could affect the integrity of the investigation. "I am not saying what these officers did was right," he said. But he called placing so many officers on paid leave for so long and firing some of them a "draconian approach" by management -- some of whom he said likely knew about the practice previously. Preciado, who said no one has yet questioned him in connection with the investigation, said it was widely understood that "you're on standby" and would still get paid. "That was the general understanding going back easily 20 years," he said. WHY EAST LA WAS DIFFERENT The Caltrans Bandini maintenance yard where CHP officer met up with maintenance crews is a relatively short distance from the East L.A. station. (Photo by Megan Garvey for LAist) The East L.A. station had a reputation for providing frequent opportunities for lucrative overtime, which had made it a popular choice for transfers, according to officers who worked there. Across the state, overtime can be a significant source of income for CHP officers. Transparent California, which reports public salaries, lists dozens of CHP patrol officers across the state who doubled (or more) their six-figure base salaries in 2017, the most recent year available. There were additional factors in play that set East L.A. apart from other stations, according to Preciado. First, he said the regular shifts in East L.A. were shorter than other stations, eight hours instead of 10 to 12 hours. That mattered when it came to overtime because the CHP prohibits officers from working more than 16 1/2 hours in a row. And that made the East L.A. officers better positioned to pick up Caltrans protection work in L.A. County. Under an agreement between the CHP and Caltrans, officers throughout the state provide protection to freeway maintenance crews. The work is not considered regular CHP patrol hours. Officers instead are paid overtime, and Caltrans reimburses the CHP. The East L.A. Station in Monterey Park is also the shortest distance to Caltrans' Bandini Maintenance Yard, which serves all of L.A. County. Officers would usually meet crews there to begin their shift, Preciado said. "We had people transferring in for that reason," he said, noting officers needed the money for "whatever ... personal things may be going on in life," such as "a kid's graduation" or "you want to get some money for a boat." Most of the work, including removing graffiti and replacing the raised markers on lane lines, is performed overnight. Officers in CHP cruisers with their emergency lights flashing are positioned near Caltrans workers to make sure motorists don't get too close to them. At the East L.A. station, officers would sign up for the overtime work and it would be assigned by Preciado and other sergeants on a rotating basis. Preciado said some officers, who got first choice of shifts, would work as many as three Caltrans overtime shifts a week "If I chose to work maybe three days a week, I could more than likely get it three days a week as an officer," Preciado said. If no officers were available, sergeants would take the shift, he said. Sometimes, Preciado would allow an officer to end their regular afternoon shift early to work the overtime for Caltrans, he said. The shift is normally 1:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. "He would end his timecard at 8 o'clock. The new one would start at 8 o'clock, but that's on a different timecard because it's an overtime timecard," Preciado said. On Monday, Caltrans provided KPCC/LAist with copies of its current contracts with the CHP governing work and pay for road maintenance and construction protection details. Each contract states that, generally, if a CHP officer works less than a four-hour shift, Caltrans will pay for four hours' work. The agreements don't address situations in which an officer might work more than four hours but fewer than eight. Together the two contracts provide for a maximum of $169 million to pay overtime statewide over their three-year terms. SO WHAT CHANGED? Last year, managers in the East L.A. station started limiting the amount of CalTans work officers could perform at the station, according to the retired veteran. He said officers upset about the limitations, which prohibited any more weekend nighttime work, filed a grievance with their union, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen. "I believe management got very angry at the grievance and decided we are going to put the screws on them," the unnamed retired commander said. "This is retaliatory." Garrett said the investigation is not retaliatory and has nothing to do with the labor grievance. "It's so erroneous, it's laughable," he said. Preciado claimed other stations engaged in similar practices. Garrett said the department conducted preliminary checks at more than 100 stations around the state and found nothing of the sort. "We believe beyond any doubt that this is isolated to the East Los Angeles area," Garrett said. THE INVESTIGATION TODAY Some officers have been on paid administrative leave for as many as eight months, according to Preciado. Garrett would not provide numbers on how many officers have been on paid leave, how long they had been on leave or what that had cost the department. "We are doing what we think is the ethical and moral thing to do," Garrett said. "We believe that there was some improper, at the very least, behavior that occurred." Caltrans is cooperating with the CHP's investigation, according to a statement from the agency. "We take this matter very seriously. Once the criminal investigation [of CHP officers] is complete, any misconduct by Caltrans employees will be investigated," the statement said. Officers on paid leave have had to turn in their badges and guns and are required to remain at home during daytime business hours, according to the department. They must be reachable by phone and any arrangements to leave their homes must be cleared with management. "Psychologically, it's gotten to them," Preciado said. He said some of his former colleagues are experiencing marital challenges because the officers are home all the time and there's anxiety about their financial future. THE DEFENSE Former District Attorney Steve Cooley, whose firm is representing more than a dozen of the officers involved, said he and his associates plan to meet with the DA's Justice System Integrity Division to try to convince them there was no criminal wrongdoing. For instance, Cooley said he believed that in an era of mass communications, it was not necessary for the officers to be at the station and in uniform to be on-call. "With cell phones and emails and constant communication," he said, "it would be very reasonable to perhaps go someplace else and be in a position to respond to Caltrans." For his part, Preciado said it's been hard to have the law enforcement organization he loves target him and the men and women he supervised for years. He said he and his officers prided themselves on making sure they could be available when Caltrans workers needed protection. "It's a kick in the gut," said Preciado, whose face may be familiar to many Southern California residents as the man in CHP uniform who provided traffic updates for several years on local TV stations. "I didn't dedicate myself to be called a thief," Preciado said. "And to say this many people are crooked? No." He also questioned the wisdom of taking so many veterans off the streets, leaving a busy station he says is now "saturated with a bunch of rookies that have not been tested on the job." "You have field training officers coming in from other areas to train these officers," he added. Garrett said the CHP is working closely with the training officers and rookies to ensure the department fulfills its duties to keep East L.A. freeways safe. "At the end of the day this is going to be good for the East L.A. station," he said. "We are going to rebuild the culture there. We are going to learn from this experience, and we are going to make it better for everyone in the community there." UPDATES: 11:30 a.m.: This article was updated to include Division Chief Garrett's quotes regarding the number of officers who retired or were put on administrative leave. 3:40 p.m.: This article was updated to include information from the Caltrans contracts with the CHP. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Documentary filmmakers Deborah Oppenheimer and Mark Jonathan Harris said they spoke to a couple hundred social workers while doing research for their new HBO documentary, "Foster." Most of them would immediately start crying when they came in for their interviews. "They told us that they don't tell their friends, tell their families that they work for the Department of Children and Family Services," Oppenheimer told KPCC's Take Two. "They turn their badges around when they walk into public places [like] a restaurant." A lot of social workers feel that the public perception of anyone who works in foster care generally skews negative, in part because the system only gets public attention when something goes wrong, the filmmakers said. "One of the reasons we wanted to make this movie was because we do feel like the public gets their information at the time of a fatality or at the time of a crisis. And the consequence of that is that people turn away in despair," said Oppenheimer, who produced the film. "The magnitude of it seems so enormous, that they throw up their hands and they think they don't know what to do." The Child Protective hotline takes calls inside the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. (Courtesy HBO) The filmmakers specifically chose the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services because it's the largest child welfare agency in the country, representing nearly 30,000 kids and covering more than 4,000 square miles. DCFS is also an agency that has made headlines for dramatic failures in its mission to protect the most vulnerable members of the community. In a horrific case from 2014, 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez of Palmdale died following prolonged torture and abuse at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend. Four social workers involved in that case were charged with child abuse and falsifying public records. In a similar case last year, 10-year-old Anthony Avalos of Lancaster was found dead in his apartment even after teachers and relatives lodged more than a dozen calls to DCFS alleging the mother and her boyfriend were beating, denying food and water to and sexually abusing the boy and his siblings. Amid all the negative publicity, it was important to Oppenheimer and Harris that their film portrayed a more intimate, nuanced portrayal of foster care than we usually see in the news, one that tells the story from multiple perspectives -- the social workers, the kids and the foster parents, all of whom are facing the problem head-on. One of those parents is Earclyne Beavers, who has taken care of over 100 L.A. foster children over the past 25 years. "We wanted to put a good model of a foster parent on screen because there is a such a need for good foster parents," Oppenheimer said, adding that Beavers always allowed parental visits, which is important because sometimes it's best to reunite foster youth with their birth families -- and it can be immensely helpful if foster parents understand and are open to that from the beginning. Mrs. Beavers and her foster child, Sydney, attend a court hearing to find out if Sydney will be reunified with her family. (Courtesy HBO) Cassie is Mrs. Beaver's youngest foster child. She has developmental difficulties and has trouble communicating verbally. (Courtesy HBO) The film also features a foster-youth-turned-social worker named Jessica Chandler, who says to the camera, "this job is hard as hell." Not surprisingly, it took the filmmakers a long time to get access to the inner-workings of a bureaucratic behemoth like the L.A. County DCFS. A previous director of the agency gave them permission to make a documentary, but when current director Bobby Cagle found out about the agreement, he was skeptical. "He told us afterwards that a chill went down his spine when he heard that the department had granted some filmmakers unprecedented access. He was terrified of what he might see," Oppenheimer said. "And he was very relieved when he saw the movie...quite moved and emotional. He had been adopted himself, and he said that he wished his parents could have seen the movie, so that they would know the fate that he might have otherwise been spared." Mary, 18, is coming to terms with her time in foster care. (Courtesy HBO) Gaining trust among foster youth was equally difficult -- many of them struggle with self-esteem around the feeling of not being wanted. That's the case with Mary, 18, who is currently a student at Cal State Northridge (the filmmakers decided to protect her identity by leaving out her last name). By her account, she lived in 16-18 foster homes after being taken away from her mom, who called her a mistake. "I've always kind of just wondered what was wrong with me? Why did all these families just give up on me?" she asks in the film. "Why didn't any of my other family members take me in, instead of just watching me get passed around?" Oppenheimer says if a child has been in that many homes and never finds permanent placement, it's considered "a failure of the system." "I think this whole movie is about looking at who these kids are and who they can be," said Oppenheimer. "They're not other people's children, they're our children. And we wanted to put a human face on them." Foster premieres May 7 on HBO. Tamika Adams and A Martinez contributed to this story. Majority of girls in Achham district out of school system As most parents in the community go to India for work, daughters are busy helping run the household. Scientists in Germany say they have used new technology to create see-through human organs. They say the technology could lead to production of three-dimensional (3D) body parts for use in transplant operations. The scientists are with Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich. They said they developed a process that uses a solvent to make transparent organs, such as the brain and kidneys. The German researchers use lasers in a microscope to scan the organ to be replaced. The laser light helps them see the blood vessels and every single cell inside. The researchers use this information to print out the structure of the whole organ. For this, they need special equipment. They use a 3D printer to manufacture the structure one that has height, width and length. The researchers then load the printer with stem cells, which can become any kind of cell in the body. The stem cells act as ink in the printer. They are injected into the correct position, making the organ fully operational. The leader of the study, Ali Erturk, described the new technology as a major development for 3D printing in the medical field. Until now 3D-printed organs lacked detailed cellular structures because they were based on two kinds of medical scanning technology, he explained. The two are computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging. We can see where every single cell is we can actually replicate it exactly the same, Erturk said. I believe we are much closer to a real human organ for the first time now, he added. Erturk and his team plan to start by creating a transparent, bioprinted pancreas over the next two to three years. They hope to develop a human kidney within 5-6 years. The researchers will first test to see if animals can live with bioprinted organs and could start tests within five to 10 years, he predicted. Im Susan Shand. The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. The editor was George Grow. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story three-dimensional adj. having length, height and depth transplant - v. to perform a medical operation in which an organ or other part that has been removed from the body of one person is put into the body of another person transparent adj. something one can see through completely solvent n. a liquid used for breaking down other substances scan v. to look at the inside of (something) by using a special machine ink n. a colored liquid used for writing replicate v. to recreate something exactly Here's What's Trending Today... Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a baby boy on Monday. The proud father, Britains Prince Harry, announced to the world that this little baby is absolutely to die for. The baby is the couples first child. He is the seventh in line to the British throne. The boy was born in the early morning hours Monday, weighing 3.2 kilograms. The royal family said both Meghan and the baby are healthy and well. Prince Harry spoke with television reporters later on Monday in Windsor. He said he was present for the birth. He promised he would offer more details in the coming days, such as the babys name. Its been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined, he said. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family were reportedly delighted with the news. Harrys brother, Prince William, and his wife, Kate, have appeared for photographers just hours after the births of their three children. But Harry and Meghan announced the birth of their first child on Instagram: Its a boy! Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to announce the birth of their child. Harry added that he planned to make another announcement so everyone can see the baby. They are also expected to appear for photographs at that time. The new royal baby is the eighth great-grandchild of the 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth. The child does not immediately become a prince. Only the queen can give him such a title. Many observers feel the birth of the mixed-race baby represents an important moment in royal history. Royal watcher Claudia Joseph told Reuters, Its symbolic of a more modern monarchy. It appeals to people across the world They will be able to identify with the royal family as never before. And thats Whats Trending Today. I'm Alice Bryant. Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on Associated Press and Reuters news reports. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story throne - n. the position of king or queen comprehension - n. the ability to understand delighted - adj. very happy photographer - n. a person who takes photographs, especially as a job title - n. a word or name that is given to someone as a mark of high social rank symbolic - adj. representing or expressing an idea or quality monarchy - n. a country that is ruled by a monarch (king or queen) From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Western Interlock Krishana Prasain is a business reporter for The Kathmandu Post covering markets. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2018, she spent 3 years in New Business Age magazine covering business. The new version of Microsoft Edge web browser may be built on Googles Chromium, but Microsoft is bringing a bunch of new features that will help set it apart from Googles Chrome browser. Early builds of the browser already include Microsofts own customized user interface and replacements for a number of Googles core features and services. Today Microsoft announced a number of upcoming features that will start rolling out to test builds in the coming weeks. The company also revealed that the new Edge is coming to additional operating systems, including macOS and older versions of Windows (possibly including Windows 7 and Windows 8.1). One feature thats getting a lot of attention is Internet Explorer mode, which will allow users to access sites that normally require IE11 to function properly. This is an interesting move because the need for an IE mode is basically a problem of Microsofts own making. Back when Microsofts Internet Explorer had a fairly sizable market share, the company had a habit of failing to adopt web standards forcing website developers to either ensure their web pages were compatible with both IE and other browsers (such as Firefox, Chrome, and Safari), or picking one over the other. The only reason youd need IE compatibility today is to visit legacy sites that were designed for Microsofts older web browser and which had never been updated. If Microsoft had adopted open standards at the time, then the company would have been able to switch rendering engines without needing to build a compatibility mode. That said, its a nice feature to have for folks that still need to access sites that havent been updated to support different browsers. Other upcoming features include Collections a tool that will let users save web content including text and images as they surf, and export that content to apps like Word and Excel. a tool that will let users save web content including text and images as they surf, and export that content to apps like Word and Excel. Privacy Tools to make it easy for users control how their data is used as they surf the web. to make it easy for users control how their data is used as they surf the web. Developer Tools inspect and debug websites and progressive web apps (built on top of Googles Chromium DevTools) At the MS Build developer conference, the company is also showing developers an early look at a new WebView powered by Chromium that will allow Win32 and Universal Windows Platform apps to render web content using the new Edge. Parsa struggles to receive open defecation free tag Authorities had planned to declare Parsa an ODF district by December 2015, but the deadlines have been extended multiple times. I am pleased to see the House General Laws committee continuing the good work started by the Senate to reform Missouris LIHTC program. As Ive said for more than a year, this program is in need of reforms which will strengthen it, improve efficiency and transparency, and ensure that Missourians tax dollars are being used wisely, Fitzpatrick said. Under Greitens, the commission froze the program, citing years of criticism about the tax credits being inefficient and too favorable to developers. A 2014 audit of the program said only 42 cents of every tax credit dollar was going toward the construction of housing. Parson has urged the Legislature to reform the oft-criticized program and sent his top aides to the Senate to help push the legislation across the finish line. The Senates version placed a cap on the amount of credits that could be awarded. But Fitzpatrick and others called for placing additional restrictions on the program before it starts up again. Those changes were tacked on Wednesday, winning support from the 40-member Conservative Caucus in the House. Dr Takeshi Kasai, the Regional Director for the Western Pacific of the World Health Organization, recently visited Macau and met with Chief Executive Chui Sai On. During his visit, Kasai noted the three main directions of his work in the next five years are working toward non-infectious disease prevention, being well prepared for a possible infectious disease cycle, and improving health problems caused by pollution. Kasai also visited the Conde S. Januario Hospital, the Areia Preta Health Center, and the Pac On Camp of the China International Emergency Medical Team (Macau SAR), which was verified by the WHO on April 30. Kasai expressed his appreciation for the work conducted by the Health Bureau on smoking control. PSP to take rigorous attitude on taxi surveillance law On the Sunday talk show hosted by TDM, a representative from the Public Security Police Force (PSP), in response to taxi drivers worry about the use of surveillance systems on taxis, said that they are going to take an even more rigorous attitude to new legislation. The taxi industry voiced concern that there were still a lot of uncertainties about the details of the in-car video and voice recording system. Questions have been officially sent to the Transport Bureau, according to the Taxi Driver Union, but no response has since been received. The new law is to take effect on June 2. 90% of spot-checked helmets meet standards The Transport Affairs Bureau (DSAT) and the Public Security Police Force (PSP) have jointly conducted 15 spot checks on helmets used by motorcyclists between January and April this year. This has seen 188 helmets inspected, of which nearly 90% met the standards set forth in the administrative regulations regarding approved types of helmets. Some 168 of the inspected helmets were models approved by the DAST. Two met legal technical standards but have yet to be approved. Eighteen were suspected not to meet legal standards, and were transferred to the PSP for follow-up action. The DSAT reminded riders to fasten the safety leash when using their motorcycle helmets. Failure to do so will result in a fine of MOP600. Through its Responsible Gaming Ambassador advanced training program, Sands China is continuing its effort to raise employees responsible gaming awareness and skills. The training program utilises both international and local knowledge, with Professor Bo J. Bernhard, executive director of the UNLV International Gaming Institute, sharing his academic insights and experience from the United States with team members in Macau. Senior counsellors from the Sheng Kung Hui Gambling Counseling and Family Wellness Centre enhance employees responsible gaming knowledge and skills in areas such as crisis management and intervention. The company currently has nearly 530 Responsible Gaming Ambassadors, the gaming operator noted in a statement. The next round of training is scheduled for September 24-25. With this advanced Responsible Gaming Ambassador training, our team members can play a vital role in helping spot the signs of problem gambling, said Winnie Wong, chief responsible gaming officer and vice president of special gaming projects. Melco group attends belt and road forum Melco Groups chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho attended the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, China a three-day event that attracted 5,000 representatives from 150 countries. Ho attended the event with Melis Shiacolas, Managing Director of CNS Group; the parent company of The Cyprus Phassouri (Zakaki) Limited, which is a member of the Integrated Casino Resorts Cyprus Consortium. According to a statement issued by the gaming operator, in Cyprus, this consortium led by Melco Group, is developing and will operate the City of Dreams Mediterranean integrated resort as well as the four Cyprus Casinos C2 satellite casinos. We look forward to continuing our pace-setting commitment to build sustainably and develop integrated resorts with local partners in Macau and beyond, said Ho. Located in western Limassol, City of Dreams Mediterranean is expected to open in 2021 according to the current timetable, and is set to become Europes largest integrated resort. A woman was restrained by a man believed to have been brandishing a small knife for about half an hour on Saturday night at a food outlet close to the construction site for the Mong Ha Sport Pavilion. As a result of the incident, the Public Security Police Force (PSP) cordoned off a nearby road. The incident took place at around 9 p.m. in front of a food outlet located at the Trust Legend residential building next to the St. Paul School. The PSP received a report that a suspected assault was spotted there and teams of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics were deployed to the scene. The man was seen to be emotional as he restrained a woman while holding a sharp object close to her. According to reports last night, the object was understood to be a small knife incident. He was reported to be yelling and swinging his limbs in a threatening manner. Paramedics who arrived at the scene initially attempted to calm him down. Professional negotiators from the Judiciary Police (PJ) subsequently arrived and took over the negotiation. PSP officers stood next to the PJ negotiator with shields in their hands, to be prepared for any possible escalation of the situation. According to public broadcaster TDM, the man suffers from hearing loss and required the assistance of sign language interpreters during the negotiation. The man initially refused help, but later calmed down and released the woman at around 9:30 pm. The woman was then brought into the food outlet for immediate medical inspection. The mans conversation with the police officers carried on until around 10 p.m., when he began to become agitated once more. The police officers immediately restrained him and put him under arrest. He was then sent to the hospital where as of yesterday morning, he remained. The hostage claimed she did not know the man. Staff reporter According to the Hengqin new district city master plan 2014-2020, the under-construction city to Macaus west will be divided into 10 sections, each with its own designated function. Directly opposite of the Special Administrative Region are the central business district (A1+A2), port service zone (B) and the education zone (C), but further inland lie the leisure and tourism zone (D), ecological landscape zone (E), international residence community (F), high-tech research zone (G), culture and creativities zone (H), science and research (I), and integrated service zone (J). Activity on Hengqins eastern coast or zones A through C might be the most noticeable for those on the Macau side and yet, still, very little is known about these fast-growing skyscrapers. The Times explored the neighboring island to learn more about the urban projects dotting its coast. THE FINANCIAL ISLAND Zone A1 has been designated the financial island. In Zone A1, there will also be the E Fund Management Financial Building (264 meters tall, 56 floors), China Railway Construction Corporation Limited Building, Hengqin Financial Media Center, China Communications Construction Company Ltd Hengqin Plaza (310 meters tall, 65 floors), China Communications Construction Company Ltd Financial Center (200 meters tall, 42 floors), and the Hong Kong-Macau Financial Center. The Hengqin International Financial Center, located in the Hengqin District of the Central Business District of Zhuhai Cross Gate (A1+A2), set a new record with its inauguration, becoming the tallest building in Zhuhai. The whole project spans a construction area of about 200,000 square meters and a maximum height of 333 meters. It has four floors underground and 69 floors above ground. It represents a new generation of multi-functional complexes in Zhuhai, integrating international standard Grade A office buildings, modern exhibitions and comprehensive business facilities. Meanwhile, boasting a site area of 11,752 square meters, the Hengqin Financial Headquarters will offer a food and beverage facility and serviced apartments. With a site area of 9,679 square meters, the Hengqin International Exchange Square is a building with 48 stories above ground and four underground, and it will be 200 meters tall. An investment project of the mainlands Huakai Group, the exchange square will have offices, commercial-serviced apartments and public spaces. Standing 250 meters tall, the Hengqin Financial Lease Center is an investment of the Shenzhen Hualong Group. COMMERCIAL PORT ZONE The Hengqin Meiqin Properties Ltd Investment Project was once reported to be a luxury real estate development, however, there are also reports by mainland media indicating it will become a commercial project which will offer offices and malls. Irrespective of what the project will turn out to be, it is worth noting that there is a reserved connection channel between Macau and Hengqin right next to the Meiqin investment project (shown on the map as a yellow star). According to Meiqin groups advertisement, the channel is a planned underwater tunnel between Macau and Hengqin, and it will be used as the second port between the two regions. Official sources have not confirmed what the channel will be used for. The site area is 23,012 square meters, including two office towers, underground commercial space and a parking lot. The developer claimed to have invited designers from the Singapore to plan a green space straight on the building. South of the Meiqin project is Huace International Building. It is the headquarters of Huace Group, and it covers an area of about 14,310 square meters and a total construction area of 113,214 square meters. It is said to be imagined as a pleasing artistic landmark for Hengqin. It is also expected to become an international Grade A business center integrating business, office and exhibitions. The Zhuhai Shenhua Group Headquarters will be composed of four distinguished elements: the headquarters and technical research office building, a high-ranked hotel building, a large- scale conference room, and a multi-floor shopping mall. The shopping mall has a surface area of 61,304 sqm and each floor is around 16,000 square meters. The headquarters building is 60,527 square meters, while the research building and development has an area of 60,483 square meters and is located on the southern edge of the land plot. The total height of the building is 150 meters. The hotel building is 60,504 square meters in total, with 8,642 square meters dedicated to service functions in the podium and 51,863 square meters dedicated to the rooms in the tower. OTHER NOTABLES The Huafa Plaza is expected to become one of the most dynamic destinations on Hengqin Island. When finished, it will accommodate over 300,000 square meters of boutique retail, food and beverage facilities and office space. The construction phase of the project is expected to be complete in 2019. The Phoenix Tree Tower does not stand on its own designated land plot, as there are also other projects in the same area. The Phoenix Tree Tower will be a 188-meter tall building with a total of 40 stories above ground and four floors underground. The tree tower occupies an area of 25,000 square meters and has a total floor area inside of 160,000 square meters. It has been advertised as a seven-star hotel, office building and shopping mall and has a commercial helicopter pad on its roof. Behind the Phoenix Tree Tower is the Hengqin International Business Service Basement. Located on A2, which is to the north of the Cross-Gate, there will be the Zhuhai International Convention center, Zhuhai International Business Center, Sheraton Hotel, St. Regis Hotel, and a theater developed by Zhuhai Huafa Group. Located on Zone A1, which is to the south of the Cross Gate, there will be Hengqin Ferretti Asia-Pacific Center project, started on December 16, 2015, with a total investment of RMB3 billion. The center will set up a high- end Ferretti yacht sales center exhibition center and sailing school. A yacht port will cover an area of more than 70,000 square meters and supporting equipment will also be included. The rest of the port service zone will include the Hengqin port, integrated transportation hub, a financial center, and Nam Kwong Group integrated building. Julie Zhu, Hengqin Three loan sharks from Mainland China, aged 29 to 34 years old, have been transferred to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) for further investigation. They allegedly killed their 40-year-old Chinese debtor. The suspects were charged by the Judiciary Police (PJ) with killing, predatory lending, and organized crime. The crime was reported by one of the gang who was allegedly overwhelmed with guilt. The Public Security Police Force found and arrested the gang near a hotel in the Outer Harbor area. The victim borrowed USD50,000 from the three in a casino before losing all money in the following three hours. He was later abducted and taken to a guesthouse in the Praia Grande area where he was beaten several times with leather belts, slippers, and fists over two days. His mouth was covered to stop him screaming for help. Videos of him were taken and sent to his family to threaten them. The PJ collected evidence at the scene, including the leather belt allegedly used for the beating. Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years. For three years, Chen Chun published articles on his public WeChat account touching on politics, philosophy and current affairs subjects that are often censored on Chinese social media. More recently, the writer in southern China has focused on the countrys growing #MeToo movement. He drew attention to several sexual assault cases, and collected money for victims families. Yet it was only after Chen advocated support for Jingyao Liu, a woman who accused online shopping giant JD.com founder Richard Liu of rape in Minnesota, that his account was permanently shut down. WeChat informed Chen this week that his account could no longer be used because it shared an online petition in support of Jingyao Liu which violated regulations. Five other accounts that were circulating the petition with the hashtag #HereForJingyao have also been disabled in recent days. This is a pretty big case, Chen told The Associated Press. Its quite meaningful because in China we havent yet had a case that reaches this level. Billionaire Richard Liu is the most high-profile Chinese businessperson to be publicly accused of sexual assault. University of Minnesota student Jingyao Liu alleges in a lawsuit filed in Minneapolis last month that the 46-year-old internet tycoon forced himself upon her in his vehicle and later raped her at her apartment last summer. The two Lius are not related. Richard Liu is also known by his Chinese name, Liu Qiangdong. Richard Liu was initially arrested on suspicion of felony rape, but prosecutors announced in December that he would not face criminal charges because the case had profound evidentiary problems. His defense attorneys said at the time that his arrest was based on a false claim. Jingyao Liu was 21 years old when the alleged attack took place, according to the lawsuit. The Associated Press does not generally name alleged victims of sexual assault without their consent, but the law firm representing her said she agreed to be named. She is seeking damages of more than USD50,000. The case has stirred intense online debate, as Chinas #MeToo movement grapples with the first allegation against a prominent business leader. Advocacy for sexual assault victims has gained considerable traction despite persistent censorship, but most of those publicly accused have been university professors. This case is different because it involves a business mogul, said Chen, who believes that Richard Lius financial might has allowed him to press a strong defense in the court of public opinion an option not available to most who have been accused of sexual assault in China. JD.com is Chinas biggest online direct retailer, and his fortune is estimated at $7.5 billion. Supporters of both parties have waged aggressive online public relations campaigns claiming to show the truth of what happened the night of the alleged rape. Last Monday, two edited surveillance videos of Richard Liu and Jingyao Liu were posted on Chinas Twitter-like Weibo platform by a recently created anonymous account. The videos show the two at a group dinner, in an elevator and walking arm- in-arm that night. An attorney for Richard Liu, who showed the AP full, unedited surveillance videos from a restaurant and apartment complex, said they provide a different account of what transpired. The way it gets described sounds so much more nefarious than it actually is, said attorney Jill Brisbois. Shes step-in-step with him at every point. While the woman has alleged she was impaired and coerced to drink, she appears to be walking without assistance and linking her arm with the businessmans. Yanan Wang, Beijing, AP Thailands newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn yesterday 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 yesterday 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 hospitalized for an extended period. 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, yesterdays 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. 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 centimeters (26 inches) high, weighs 7.3 kilograms and is ornamented with diamonds set in gold enamel. Duangkamol Siriwiwattanakul said she traveled from the northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon, 542 kilometer (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. There was a 7-kilometer royal procession in which the king will be carried on an elaborate palanquin through nearby city streets to visit four important temples and allow the public to pay homage to him. Today the king will greet the public from the balcony of the Grand Palace in the late afternoon and then hold a reception for the diplomatic corps. Grant Peck, Bangkok, AP A mobile app used by police to track citizens in Chinas far west region of Xinjiang shows how some of the countrys biggest technology companies are linked to a mass surveillance system that is more sophisticated than previously known, according to a report from Human Rights Watch. The app uses facial recognition technology from a firm backed by Alibaba Group Holding to match faces with photo identification and cross-check pictures on different documents, the New York-based group said last week. The app also takes a host of other data points from electricity and smartphone use to personal relationships to political and religious affiliations to flag suspicious behavior, the report said. The watchdogs report sheds new light on the vast scope of activity China is monitoring as it cracks down on its minority Muslim Uighur population in a bid to stop terrorism before it happens. The U.S. State Department says as many as two million Uighurs are being held in camps in Xinjiang, a number disputed by Chinese authorities even though they havent disclosed a figure. In an address last week, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo urged corporate America to think twice before doing business in Xinjiang. We watch the massive human rights violations in Xinjiang where over a million people are being held in a humanitarian crisis that is the scale of what took place in the 1930s, he said, according to comments released by the State Department. Human Rights Watch said that so-called data doors at checkpoints may be vacuuming up information from mobile phones from unsuspecting citizens. Some Xinjiang residents who suspected their phones were being used as monitoring devices even buried them in the desert, a move that could later hurt them if the system loses track of their phone, according to Maya Wang, a China researcher for Human Rights Watch. The political reeducation camps are one pen, but then you have a series of bigger pens that are like virtual fences, Wang said. Chinas State Council Information Office did not reply to a request for comment sent by fax. The government has said the surveillance measures in Xinjiang are necessary to prevent terrorism and grow the regions economy. Human Rights Watch said information in the report is based on reverse-engineering the police app, which communicates with a database known as Integrated Joint Operations Platform, or IJOP. The group said it enlisted Berlin-based cybersecurity firm Cure53 to conduct a technical assessment of the app after finding that it was publicly available online last year. IJOP is mainly a tool for data collection, filing reports and prompting investigative missions by police. The report called for China to shut down the database behind the app, and for foreign governments to impose targeted sanctions such as visa bans and asset freezes against leaders in Xinjiang. Human Rights Watch said the mobile app was developed by a unit of state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corp, a Fortune 500 company known as CETC with USD30 billion in revenue and 169,000 employees. The group has expanded its various operations abroad, from developing smart city solutions in Tehran to a cooperation agreement with German engineering group Siemens. CETC did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment. The app uses facial recognition technology developed by Beijing-based Megvii under the brand Face++. The company, which sells licenses to use Face++ facial recognition in mobile apps, was considering an initial public offering to raise as much as $1 billion in Hong Kong, Bloomberg News reported in January. Megvii said it doesnt have any relationship with the IJOP database nor knowledge of why its technology appeared in the police app. It said it has a contractual relationship with CETC for a Face++ license related to the use of e-government services such as paying bills or unlocking a mobile device. Megvii does not host any third party data nor does it have any access to the IJOP platform or the national ID database, the company said in an emailed reply to questions, adding that Human Rights Watch didnt provide access to the full report before it was published. Megviis investors include Alibaba Group Holding co-founded by Chinas richest man, Jack Ma and its affiliate Ant Financial Services, as well as Sinovation Ventures and Foxconn Technology Group. Alibaba and Ant declined to comment, while neither Sinovation or Foxconn responded to requests for comment. Beyond collecting data and tipping off the police, the IJOP- linked app has a range of other functions. It provides a system for officials to communicate across voice, email and telephone calls, uses Baidu map functionality for geolocation, and allows officials to search for information about people using their name and various other inputs. Baidu declined to comment. The Human Rights Watch report provides insight into what type of behavior puts Xinjiangs citizens on the radar of authorities. Those particularly at risk include people who move in or out of a registered residence, download certain software or content on a mobile phones, or have links to people who are abroad. The report includes screenshots of the app, which prompts authorities to choose whether data collection is happening in home visits, on the streets, in political education camps, during registration for travel abroad, or when dealing with Xinjiang residents living in the mainland. Higher-level officials with administrative rights also have a sixth choice: collecting information from foreign nationals who have entered Xinjiang. Officials are then prompted to log on and input data ranging from a persons height to blood type and political affiliation. Another page examined by Human Rights Watch shows 36 person types that attract special attention, including people who dont socialize with neighbors or those who use an abnormal amount of electricity. The app also uses the central IJOP system to send instructions for officers to investigate certain individuals, prompting them to collect identifying information such as vehicle color and type and log whether they use one of 51 suspicious internet tools like WhatsApp or Virtual Private Networks. Blake Schmidt, Bloomberg We have to meet standards as well in terms of food we can distribute, Tazelaar said. We are constantly looking for new sources of healthy nutritious food. If this is a possibility wed be willing to have that conversation. FairShare CSA Coalition director Carrie Sedlak said her main concern was that, for those unfamiliar with CSA, a company like Imperfect Produce could confuse people with good intentions. Non-CSA members will inherently assume that the produce in the boxes is sourced locally, aside from obvious non-local items like bananas, Sedlak wrote in an email. I have concerns about this muddying the waters for the meaning of CSA, far more than I did with meal kit services like Blue Apron, since the Imperfect model is much more akin to the CSA structure. Strader, an organic vegetable educator who works for both FairShare and Dane County Extension, said shes worried that instead of helping farmers, this could hurt them. The United States Department of Agriculture has released its 2017 agricultural census, and it documents a large and diverse farming economy in Wisconsin, but also one in flux. The census is conducted every 5 years, with the results intended to inform federal policy decisions. The periodic surveys are also useful for understanding trends within the industry. Five of these shifts in the demographics of farmers and the types of products they sell illustrate where agriculture is heading in Wisconsin. 1. More women producers were counted The number of women producers in Wisconsin counted by the census jumped to 38,509 in 2017, an increase of 16%. Part of the increase is a result of the USDA using a more inclusive approach in its probing of producers' demographics. The 2017 census allowed for more producers to be counted per farm and for more than one person to be designated as a principal producer, which is defined as the chief decision-maker. Phil Anderson, chair of the Wisconsin Libertarian Party, blogs on the conservative Badger Institute website that it is high time to legalize marijuana in Wisconsin. Marijuana doesn't pose any more danger than a pound of butter, he asserts, and adds that it should never been illegal in the first place. But on the same Badger Institute site, Republican State Sen. Van Wanggaard says "no," it shouldn't be legalized for recreational use because it is dangerous. Today's THC isn't the same as it was years ago and its effects aren't fully understood yet. Just like smoking, it poses problems that will come to haunt us, he insists. The stewardship program, which allows the state to acquire land and easements, develop recreational facilities and restore wildlife habitats, has been reauthorized twice since its creation first in 1999 by Thompson and again in 2007 by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle. Each reauthorization has allowed the program to continue for another decade. With the current term set to expire in 2020, its time for elected officials and stakeholders to come back to the table and determine its future. Last month, a coalition of more than 50 groups including the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, the Wisconsin Realtors Association, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, Audubon Great Lakes and the Wisconsin Bike Fed sent lawmakers a letter urging them to support another 10-year reauthorization at current funding levels. Wisconsin Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club did not sign the letter, but both organizations also support a 10-year extension. 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. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by SSM Health Spread the word Climate change issues must reach the grassroots, as they are the key stakeholders. The fledgling company has 13 employees to start with. We plan on expanding over the next few years, Patel said. Big head start Nimble Therapeutics is coming out of the gate with a $10 million investment a sizable commitment for a Madison startup from Telegraph Hill Partners, a San Francisco investment firm that focuses on innovative life science companies. The technology is quite novel. Its a completely stand-alone business with tremendous potential to grow, said Telegraph Hill senior partner Deval Lashkari. Telegraph Hill is the sole outside investor in the initial funding along with all of Nimbles employees and it is the majority owner, Lashkari said. While some venture capital firms try to lure their portfolio companies to move near them, Lashkari said Telegraph Hill plans to keep Nimble in Madison. We think theres a tremendously innovative team at Nimble Therapeutics, he said. Some of the best opportunities are in what might be considered areas outside the biotech hubs of San Francisco, Boston and San Diego. We have investments all over the country. On April 3, Winnebago Circuit Court judge Barbara Key disagreed with those arguments and ordered the records be released after a written order is adopted and 20-day appeal period passes. Asked if his client intends to appeal, Culp said, No final decision has yet been made. Miles Maguire, a UW-Oshkosh journalism professor, and Roberta Maguire, an English professor, joined the suit to correct willful and intentional falsehoods made by Roth that could cause the Maguires permanent reputational damage, according to their motion. In a sworn affidavit, Roth said Roberta Maguire previously chaired the English department and made some friends and enemies with her management style and personality. Roth asserts Maguire was friendly with another professor whose research interest in Victorian literature overlapped with Roths, sparking a crusade to discredit Roth. The Maguires argue one or both of them have been subject to an ongoing campaign of harassment and defamation because one of them played a role in the investigation into Roth. They also said her affidavit has led to an environment of dysfunction and the departure of several faculty members in the department. Have an idea for Catching Up? Send it to justaskus@madison.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. Five more Wisconsin students will be traveling to the Scripps National Spelling Bee to compete along with the three winners from the Badger State Spelling Bee. Maya Jadhav, a fifth-grader at Fitchburgs Eagle School, took first place at the Badger State Bee, sponsored by the Wisconsin State Journal, in March. Immanuel Goveas, a sixth-grader at Menomonee Falls North Middle School, placed second, and Aryan Kalluvila, an eighth-grader at Richfield Middle School, came in third, securing their places at the national spelling bee. Five others earned places in the national competition by qualifying through the Scripps RSVBee program, which is an alternative to placing at the state level. They are: Frankie Bautista, from Edgewood Campus School; Kieran McKinney, who is home-schooled; Spencer Phillips, from Indian Mound Middle School; Julianne Washa, from Highland Community Elementary School; and Aiden Wijeyakulasuriya, from Blessed Sacrament School. The eight Wisconsin elementary and middle school students will travel to National Harbor, Maryland, May 26 through 31. To be eligible to apply for RSVBee, spellers must win their school bee or be a previous national contestant, said spokeswoman Valerie Miller. One person was killed and a second person injured Sunday night in a fire in a 16-unit apartment building in Sun Prairie. Charles Dean Cobb, 40, died of injuries sustained in the fire, the Dane County Medical Examiners Office said Monday. No foul play was suspected in the fire, which happened at about 9:15 p.m. at 205 S. Bird St., although the cause of the blaze is still being determined, the Sun Prairie Fire Department said. Three residents were trapped in their first-floor apartment and were rescued by firefighters; one of those residents was taken to the hospital for treatment. The fire originated in a second-floor apartment. Additional crews arrived on scene and primary searches were done in each unit, said Fire Chief Chris Garrison. On primary search of one of the units, firefighters reported an obvious fatal victim on the second floor. Fire and police officials, as well as an agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are investigating the fire and what caused it. No damage estimate was given. The building did not have sprinklers because it was built before sprinklers were required in apartment buildings. Moreover, officials told The Post, When Barr pressed [Mueller] whether he thought Barrs letter was inaccurate, Mueller said he did not, but felt that the media coverage of the letter was misinterpreting the investigation. So, there was nothing wrong with Barrs letter per se. What Mueller really wanted was for Barr to release more information specifically the introduction and executive summaries of each volume of the report, which he had marked with redactions to remove any information that potentially could be protected by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure that concerned declination decisions; or that related to a charged case. But, as Barr testified on Wednesday, even if he had agreed that releasing the introductions and executive summaries was a good idea (which he did not), he could not have done so because they required additional redactions from the intelligence community. Barr did not want to release the report piecemeal. I thought what we should do is focus on getting the full report out as quickly as possible, he said. The attorney general did just that. Amazon has reached an informal settlement with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration for unsafe workplace conditions at its new, temporary distribution center in Nampa. OSHA cited the company in March with four violations, including failing to log an injury to a worker that required treatment beyond first aid. The modular distribution center went up in November at 1411 3rd Ave. N., near Franklin Boulevard and Interstate 84. It is serving as a temporary location for Amazon as it prepares to build a 2.6 million-square-foot distribution center at Star and Franklin Roads. Packages are brought to the logistics center to be loaded into Amazon-branded trucks and delivered to local homes and businesses. OSHA requires companies to log all work-related injuries and illnesses and compile an annual summary of the injuries. In agency documents reviewed by the Statesman, OSHA said Amazon did not log an incident in which an employee injured his hand. The March 26 citation categorized the violation as other-than-serious, meaning the violation was not likely to cause death or serious harm. OSHA proposed an initial penalty of $1,611 in March. As of May 3, that fine had been lifted. OSHA said the company also violated three other OSHA standards, though they did not result in injury: Flooring material was uneven and created a tripping hazard for workers. OSHA categorized that violation as serious, meaning the violation could have caused serious harm and the employer should have recognized the hazard. Amazon failed to cover up a hole near a door that measured 2 inches deep. The violation was also categorized as serious. An outlet box powering a conveyor near a receiving dock was not mounted to a surface. The violation was categorized as other-than-serious. For the two serious violation, OSHA proposed a penalty of $4,831. It proposed no penalty for the outlet box violation. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment via email. Amazons Nampa center has no prior history OSHA citations. In February, the developer of the $130 million permanent distribution center, Panattoni Development Co. Inc. of Newport Beach, Calif., announced that construction is off schedule. Mayor Debbie Kling said she hopes that construction would start in the next 12 to 18 months. The city has not been told when the project will be completed, Klings spokeswoman, Amy Bowman, previously told the Statesman. Amazon said it is not unusual for it to adjust timetables on new projects. Amazon still has not acknowledged publicly that the planned center is the companys. The project was codenamed Project Bronco when it came to light last year, and city officials still refer to it that way. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Undermining democracy More importantly, the government is increasingly looking like it is moving towards a dictatorship by undermining the norms and values of democracy. TWIN FALLS Early voting for the May 21 election begins this week. Twin Falls County voters can go to the Twin Falls County West building, 630 Addison Ave. W., between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through May 17. The last day to request a mail-in absentee ballot is Friday. Sample ballots for the election can be found at twinfallscounty.net under Election information or at the Twin Falls County clerks office. Voters will be required to provide personal identification before they can cast a ballot. Any of the following may be presented: An Idaho drivers license or identification card issued by the Idaho Transportation Department, a passport or identification card with photo issued by a U.S. government agency, a current student identification card with photo from an accredited Idaho school, or a license to carry concealed weapons. Voters must be a citizen of the U.S. 18 years or older who has lived in the county for 30 days prior to election day and has registered to vote. Although it is too late to pre-register to vote, residents may register on Election Day with proof of identification. Information: Call 208-736-4004. If you live outside of Twin Falls County, check with your county clerks office to find out where and when you may vote early. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An Idaho man accused in the September killing of a man has been charged with the additional crime of cannibalism and authorities in court documents said the suspect believed he could "cure his brain" by eating some of the victim. TWIN FALLS The Magic Valleys growth is slowing down according to the latest population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. After two years of annual population growth at 1.3%, the population of the eight-county region of south-central Idaho grew by just 0.8% between July 2017 and June 2018, the agency reported. Accounting for the change was the decline in net migration the difference between people moving in and moving out of the area. During the most recent year, the counties gained only 391 people through migration, down 69.4% from the 1,276 gained between July 2016 and June 2017. Meanwhile, natural growth the difference between births and deaths in the counties was essentially unchanged compared to the previous year. This is slower growth; theres no doubt about it, Idaho Department of Labor Regional Economist Jan Roeser said. It may be an indicator of slower times coming. Public entities use population data in various ways, such as creating funding formulas or determining capacity in public schools, she said. But Roeser notes that with the 2020 Census beginning next April, data will change. She expects the population estimates will be revised upward, as they typically are each year when the U.S. Census Bureau benchmarks its data. Heres a look at what the latest estimates have to say about how many came to and left the Magic Valley over the year: Overall population The Magic Valleys population has been growing over the past decade, but less quickly now. U.S. Census Bureau estimates put the eight counties combined population at 199,069. Every county gained at least some population from the previous year. Numerically, the county that had the highest population increase was Twin Falls County, gaining an estimated 803 people between July 2017 and June 2018 to bring the estimated population to 86,081. The county with the highest percentage change was Camas County, which gained 30 people to end with 1,127. Births Regionwide, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates there were 2,793 babies born from July 2017 to June 2018, essentially the same number as the prior year. After accounting for deaths, the natural increase equated to about 1,274 with no statistically significant change from the prior year. Twin Falls County showed an eight-year high in the number of births, with an estimated 1,231 babies delivered for that time frame. Deaths An estimated 1,519 people died throughout the eight counties, but that number isnt particularly high. Most counties had little change in the estimated number of deaths, but those in Twin Falls County rose from 712 to 746. Domestic Migration With people moving to and from other states, U.S. Census estimates show the region had a net increase of only 49 people. We had an outpouring to other states, Roeser said. Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln and Minidoka counties lost a combined 297 people to other counties or states. Twin Falls County gained 161 people far less than the larger gains of 869 and 800 estimated from the previous years. Blaine County gained 156 and Camas County gained 29 from domestic migration. Roeser believes some of the drop in growth is a result of a low housing supply especially with affordable housing. International migration Net migration from other countries peaked between 2015 and 2016 with a net increase of 698 in the eight counties. That number fell drastically the following year to 334, and was up slightly to 342 between July 2017 and June 2018. A lot of that has to do with some public policy issues that we dont have control over, Roeser said. The Migration Policy Institute reported in 2017 that President Donald Trumps administration that year reduced refugee admissions to the lowest level since the resettlement program was created in 1980. The administration also banned nationals of eight countries from entering the U.S. The south-central Idaho counties with the largest net migration numbers for international migration were Twin Falls County, which gained 159 people, and Blaine County, which gained 83. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Grief support Visions of Hope bereavement support group, 1:30 p.m. Mondays at Brookdale Senior Living, 1367 Locust St. N., Twin Falls. The support group is open to anyone in the community who is grieving a loss. Free. Information: Courtney at Brookdale, 208-735-0700, or Tonya at Hospice Visions, 208-735-0121. Recovery class Stanton Healthcare Magic Valley is offering a 10-week course of Her Choice to Heal by Sydna Masse, to help individuals find healing after an abortion. Classes are held at 7 p.m. Mondays at Twin Falls Reformed Church, 1631 Grandview Drive N. Registration is available the first night of the class. Post-abortion recovery classes are open to anyone in the community who has experienced the pain of abortion. For a complete class schedule or more information, visit stantonmv.org or call 208-734-7472. Grief support Harrisons Hope grief recovery support group, 11 a.m. Tuesdays at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W. The class is for anyone who has lost a loved one to find comfort in understanding your grief. Information, senior center, 208-734-5084. Seniors wellness The Twin Falls Senior Center will host wellness presentations for seniors this week at 530 Shoshone St. W. Each program will begin at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday: A Heritage Independent Living representative will talk about Asthma and Allergy Awareness. Thursday: A Heritage Home Health and Hospice representative will discuss the 10 Signs of a Stroke. Free; 208-734-5084. Childbirth St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Centers prepared childbirth classes, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, May 7 through June 4, in Oak Rooms 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. Topics: Wellness during pregnancy; labor and delivery process with relaxation and breathing techniques; cesarean birth; postpartum care for mother and newborn; infant CPR; car seat and home safety; and a tour of the maternal and child units. Cost is $25 for a five-week session. Pre-registration is required: 208-814-0425. Parkinsons support The Magic Valley Parkinsons Support Group will meet at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Jerome Public Library, 100 First Ave. E. Roll call will be answered to the question, Why do I walk? Participants need to bring 1-, 2- or 3-pound weights to use during exercise. Soup cans or water bottles can be substituted for the weights. The group will discuss the changes in symptoms being experienced by those with Parkinsons, as well as Tips To Keep In Mind During Exercise. The group meets monthly on the second Wednesday and offers coping skills for both patients and caregivers. Information: 208-358-5807. Seniors wellness Savvy Senior Series, 3 p.m. Wednesday at Syringa Place Assisted Living, 1880 Harrison St. N., Twin Falls. Topic: Home Owner Scams presented by Vicki Brunyer from Berkshire Hathaway Realtors. Programs will be held on the second Wednesday of each month through October. Refreshments will be served. Free and open to the public. Reserve a seat: Connie at 208-308-4751 at least 24 hours in advance. Diabetes class North Canyon Medical Center in Gooding offers a free community diabetes class for people with Type 2 diabetes, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Hagerman Public Library, 441 S. State St. The class is only offered in English. Topics: Learn about diabetes, dining out with diabetes, keeping physically active, diabetes medications, glucose meters, dealing with sickness and stress, foot care and avoiding diabetes complications. Instructors are certified educators through the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators. Free glucose meters and learners guides are available. Lunch and snacks will be served. Participants are welcome to bring a guest. Reserve a seat: 208-934-9886. Grandparents support Gran-Group, 1 p.m. Thursdays at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W. The open group offers information and support for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. Information, senior center, 208-734-5084. Grief support Visions of Hope Who Moved My Life grief support sessions, 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, through May 27, at Pomerelle Place, 1301 Bennett St., Burley. The support group is open to anyone in the community who is grieving a loss. Free. Information: Amanda at Pomerelle Place, 208-677-8212, or Alice at Hospice Visions, 208-735-0121. Grief support Visions of Hope bereavement and grief support, 5 p.m. Thursdays at Hospice Visions, 1770 Park View Drive, Twin Falls. The grief support group is open to anyone in the community who has experienced a loss. Information: John or Tonya, 208-735-0121. Grief support Grief Share classes, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, through June 6, at Lighthouse Church, 960 Eastland Drive, Twin Falls. Anyone who has lost a loved one or a friend is welcome to attend any session. Enter through the east doors at the rear of the main building. For information, contact the church at 208-737-4667. Childbirth St. Lukes Magic Valley prepared childbirth bootcamp, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the Oak Room at St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. This session is for those unable to attend the five-week prepared childbirth classes. Topics: wellness during pregnancy; labor process with relaxation and breathing techniques; videos of deliveries and labor positions; and care of the postpartum mother and newborn. Cost is $25 and pre-registration is required, 208-814-0425. Breastfeeding Free Breastfeeding 101 class, 7 p.m. May 13 in Oak Room 4 on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. The class is for new mothers and breastfeeding mothers wanting to review their skills. Babies and your support person are welcome. Free; pre-registration is required, 208-814-0425. Bariatric support Magic Valley Bariatric Support Group, 7 p.m. May 13 in Oak Room 1 on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. The meetings are facilitated by licensed bariatric health-care professionals. Registration isnt required. Information: 208-381-3641. Alzheimers support Magic Valley Caregiver Support Group, presented by Alzheimers Association, Greater Idaho Chapter, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 14 at Bridgeview Estates, 1828 Bridgeview Blvd., Twin Falls. The group meets on the second Tuesday every month. Information: facilitator Yolanda Martinez, 208-404-6720. Grief support Idaho Home Health and Hospice offers a free support group, Journey Through Grief, 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at 222 Shoshone St. E., Twin Falls. This support group is for the community to come together to encourage each other, find ways to heal, and walk through the pain of grief and loss. The program is facilitated by Idaho Home Health and Hospice, Lejla Becirovic, bereavement coordinator and medical social worker. Information: 208-734-4061. Childbirth Childbirth refresher course, 6:30 p.m. May 14 in the Oak Rooms on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. A review of childbirth preparation, breathing techniques and medical center procedures, along with a tour of the maternal and child unit. Cost is $15; pre-registration is required, 208-814-0425. Ostomy support Ostomy Support Group, 7 p.m. May 14 in the cafeteria on the lower level of St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. The meeting is for ostomy patients and their families. Free; 208-308-6153. Alzheimers support Alzheimers Association, Greater Idaho Chapters Caregiver Support Group meeting, 10:30 a.m. May 15 at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W. The group meets on the third Wednesday every month. Information: Pattie Dennis, 208-734-4264 or 208-539-4290. Brain injury support College of Southern Idaho Traumatic Brain Injury Group meeting, 6:30 to 8 p.m. May 16 at the CSI Shields Building room 109, 315 Falls Ave., Twin Falls. The group is hosted by Michael Howell. Individuals of all injury levels are welcome to attend. Free. Information: Amy Barker at CSI, 208-732-6800. Health and wellness Twin Falls Health and Wellness Expo, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 18 at Canyon Crest Dining and Event Center, 330 Canyon Crest Drive, Twin Falls. Presented by the Health and Wellness Foundation to raise awareness of preventative and alternative medicine. The expo features speakers, educational sessions, and health and wellness vendors. Sam Tran, a clinical laboratory scientist and Global True Health educator from Washington, speaks at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Other breakout sessions are available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the schedule posted onsite. Free to the public. Information: Karen Tribulla, health event coordinator, at 208-420-5803 or ktribulla@gmail.com. To do for you is a listing of health-related activities, events and education. Submit information by noon Thursday for publication in the following Mondays edition to ramona@magicvalley.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Congressman Mike Simpson is looking with fresh eyes at the four dams on the lower Snake River. Hes asking what if questions about what the future may look like without those dams. Thats no commitment toward breaching, but it is a pledge toward reversing the decline of salmon runs along that river. Ive come to the conclusion that Im going to stay alive long enough to see salmon returned in healthy populations in Idaho, he told an audience attending the Energy, Salmon, Agriculture, and Community: Can We Come Together? conference at the Andrus Center last week. Even as a veteran of the House and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Simpson remains one of 535 representatives and senators; he cant get far on his own. He cant count on getting much help from Congressman Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, who told the Tribunes Eric Barker ... economic indicators and constituent feedback have strongly indicated that dam breaching would not be a viable option for stakeholders in the 1st. District. ... Neither will Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., come to Simpsons aid. She vehemently disagrees with anyone who wants the dams removed. Simpsons fellow Idaho Republican, Sen. Jim Risch, wants the dams retained; Sen. Mike Crapo is more flexible in calling for all sides to meet at the table. There is one exception, however. Simpson does not need their help to get this question answered: Do the four dams on the lower Snake River deliver a return on the investment taxpayers made into their construction and ongoing maintenance? Is it worth it to continue to update the dams and locks as well as dredge the channels in order to serve a shrinking amount of shipping? Or are Americas taxpayers getting fleeced? If the dams offer a value to the people who paid for their construction and maintenance, then future discussions will revolve around weighing competing values. If it turns out the costs outweigh the benefits, however, then the debate is no longer limited to those who are pro-fish and those who are pro-dam. Now its a matter of who is pro-taxpayer. Thats a far cry from the question Washington Gov. Jay Inlsees $750,000 study will explore: If the dams are removed to help supply starving Puget Sound orca with more abundant salmon, what kind of help will the people left behind require? Its also decidedly not what a federal court-ordered environmental impact statement is exploring: whether its necessary to remove one or more dams to save the fish. Besides, the sponsors of those studies Inslee and the federal agencies preparing the EIS, including the Army Corps of Engineers are hardly neutral observers. To explore this question, you need an unquestionably objective, credible source. Simpson has two options: On his own, he can assign the Congressional Research Service, a branch of the Library of Congress, to look into it. Six years ago, Simpson took such a step. An Idaho legislative task force was exploring whether to sue the federal government into relinquishing its lands to the state. At Simpsons request, a CRS review established just managing the holdings of three federal agencies within Idaho the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would set the state back about $400 million. And that didnt count what the federal government spent extinguishing forest fires. If they didnt know it before, Idahoans realized they couldnt afford taking over the federal lands without breaking the state budget, raising taxes or selling off the choicest parcels to the highest bidders. The study virtually stopped the land transfer movement in its tracks. But CRS typically analyzes information thats already been gathered. If Simpson wants to unearth new facts, he can turn to the gold standard the Government Accountability Office. This is the investigative arm of Congress. It typically roots out government waste, fraud and abuse, but also performs audits and reviews policies. Getting GAO into the picture is not as easy. The agency sifts through various proposals and prioritizes. But in this case, Simpsons call would get returned. GAO pays attention to requests from committee and subcommittee chairmen and chairwomen as well as the ranking members of those panels. Simpson is the former chairman and the current ranking minority member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. That panel has jurisdiction over the Bonneville Power Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. If Simpson intends to ask a series of what if questions about the dams, why not start here? Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 We study the role of economic incentives in shaping the coexistence of Jews, Catholics, and Protestants, using novel data from Germany for 1,000+ cities. The Catholic usury ban and higher literacy rates gave Jews a specific advantage in the moneylending sector. Following the Protestant Reformation (1517), the Jews lost these advantages in regions that became Protestant. We show (i) a change in the geography of anti-Semitism with persecutions of Jews and anti-Jewish publications becoming more common in Protestant areas relative to Catholic areas; (ii) a more pronounced change in cities where Jews had already established themselves as moneylenders. These findings are consistent with the interpretation that, following the Protestant Reformation, Jews living in Protestant regions were exposed to competition with the Christian majority, especially in moneylending, leading to an increase in anti-Semitism. (HealthDay)Marijuana use is associated with both sperm functional defects and an increased risk for being on a lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) medication among men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)/LUTS, according to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, held from May 3 to 6 in Chicago. Granville Lloyd, M.D., and Heather Carmichael, M.D., from the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine in Aurora, examined the correlations for marijuana use, alcohol use, and other medical comorbidities with BPH/LUTS treatment. Data were included for 173,469 men older than 40 years of age; 11.9 percent were on medical therapy for LUTS. The researchers found that marijuana use remained significantly associated with an increased risk for LUTS medication on multivariable analysis, as did erectile dysfunction and depression; no significant correlation was seen for alcohol use and LUTS treatment. Jorge Hallak, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil and colleagues examined the effects of marijuana and tobacco use on sperm and testicular function among 18- to 59-year-old men. Data were included for 622 men who were divided into 74 marijuana users, 144 tobacco smokers, 125 infertile subjects, and 279 fertile subjects. The researchers found that the marijuana group had higher seminal reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels than the tobacco group and the fertile groups. The marijuana group had worse overall semen parameters compared with the tobacco group. The mechanism was induction of oxidative stress through generation of intracellular ROS by tetrahydrocannabinol. "Both marijuana and tobacco are deleterious for testicular function but marijuana caused more sperm functional defects than tobacco, mediated by excess intracellular ROS generation," Hallak and colleagues write. Explore further E-cigarette smoking tied to later marijuana use in teens Copyright 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that prices for brand-name prescription drugs averaged 3.2 to 4.1 times higher in the U.S. when compared with prices in the United Kingdom, Japan and the Canadian province of Ontario. The study also found that the longer the brand-name prescription drug was on the market, the greater the price differential. If the Medicare program used the same prices as these other countries, the estimated savings to Medicare Part D would have been almost $73 billion in 2018 alone, the study found. Medicare Part D is an optional prescription drug benefit, available to Medicare beneficiaries for a premium and administered by private insurance companies. The findings will be published in the May issue of Health Affairs. U.S. prescription drug prices for brand-name drugs are the highest in the world. One approach to lower U.S. prescription drug prices is to benchmark drug prices to those paid in other countries using a pricing model known as external reference pricing. An estimated 29 European countries as well as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and South Africa use this approach for the purposes of setting and negotiating the price of a drug. "Every year we pay more for brand-name drugs and other countries pay less for the same drugs," says Gerard Anderson, Ph.D., professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management and the paper's senior author. "Medicare beneficiaries pay much higher prices for the same drugs that seniors in other countries pay. If they paid the same prices as other countries, their drug bills would drop considerably." The study examined drug prices of 79 single-source, brand-name prescription drugs that are under patentmeaning no generic versions are availablewith the greatest spending on Medicare Part D in the United States. The study compares the prices to what is paid in Japan, the United Kingdom and the Canadian province of Ontario. The drugs covered by the study treat a range of illnesses including blood clotting, diabetes, with antivirals and immunosuppressants as well as other brand-name blockbuster drugs that had been on the market for at least three years. Researchers examined drug prices before and after rebates from drug manufacturers and calculated savings based on different assumptions. Pharmaceutical rebates are a type of refund of a purchase price from the drug manufacturer to a wholesaler or pharmacy benefits manager intended to increase sales and are often confidential. Researchers selected the countries of comparison based on their similar per capita incomes, large pharmaceutical markets and their unique price-setting approaches. The U.K. sets drug prices by looking at the value of the drug, while Japan uses external reference pricing and has a formula that continually lowers the price and Canada uses a combination of benchmarking models. They obtained foreign drug price information from public sources used by external reference pricing authorities. Domestic drug pricing and rebate information were obtained from published wholesaler acquisition costs and other public sources. Drug utilization information was obtained from Medicare Part D data to estimate the potential savings with various external reference pricing situations. The study found that these 79 single-source, brand-name prescription drugs accounted for over half of total Medicare Part D spending in 2018. Before rebates, the findings show average drug prices in the U.S. were 4.3 times higher than prices in the U.K., and 3.8 and 3.4 times higher in Japan and Ontario, respectively. After rebates, the U.S. had average drug prices 3.6 times higher than the U.K., and 3.2 and 4.1 times higher than Japan and Ontario respectively. The study also found large variations of drug prices for the same drug between the U.S. and the foreign counterparts. For some drugs the price was only 30 percent higher in the U.S., while other drugs were 7,000 percent more expensive in the U.S. Diabetes medications had the largest average price differential, 9 times more expensive in the U.S. than the same drug in the U.K. Injectable drugs were 11.5 times more expensive in the U.S. as compared to the U.K. and around 8 times higher than Japan and Ontario. If these prices were adopted the Medicare program, Medicare beneficiaries would pay considerably less than they do today. In one scenario using external reference pricing, the researchers found that if the U.S. purchased the same drugs at the U.K. pre-rebate price, Medicare spending would have been reduced by more than 70 percent in 2018. In another scenario, researchers used the average price for drugs sold in two or more countries and found more than a 67 percent reduction. "Ideally, the U.S. should be paying similar prices to other countries," says Anderson. "In fact, Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers are paying much more for the same drugs as other countries. Given that many Medicare beneficiaries cannot afford their drugs, this is a serious problem that does have a solution." Explore further Trump administration announces plan to cut drug prices More information: "Using External Reference Pricing In Medicare Part D to Reduce Drug Price Differentials With Other Countries" Health Affairs (2019). Journal information: Health Affairs "Using External Reference Pricing In Medicare Part D to Reduce Drug Price Differentials With Other Countries"(2019). (HealthDay)When men with prostate cancer have to take drugs that block the testosterone fueling their tumors, they can suffer a host of side effects that include impotence, bone loss, heart trouble and obesity. But new research uncovers yet another possible downside to the treatment: These men may be at greater risk for dementia. For any type of dementia, that risk increased 17%; for Alzheimer's disease, it increased 23%, the researchers said. Common side effects of so-called androgen-deprivation therapy include hot flashes, unstable mood, trouble sleeping, headaches, high blood sugar, allergic reactions and impotence. "Androgen-deprivation therapy may not only cause physical changes such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease or obesitybut may also cause changes in cognition," said researcher Dr. Karl Tully, a research fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. But Tully cautioned that this study cannot prove that such hormone therapy caused dementia, only that the two are associated. The investigators also found that men on this type of therapy had a 10% greater risk of seeking psychiatric services. The risk for dementia increased as the length of therapy increased, the researchers noted. Men on androgen-deprivation therapy for six months had a 25% increased risk for any kind of dementia and a 37% increased risk for Alzheimer's, the findings showed. Being on hormone therapy longer than six months increased the risk for dementia and using mental health services even more, Tully said. For the study, Tully and his colleagues collected data on more than 100,400 men enrolled in Medicare. The men were diagnosed with prostate cancer between January 1992 and December 2009. Given these findings, "physicians should be telling their patients about that risk and should probably perform regular screening," Tully said. One urologist, however, doesn't think patients need to be told about this tenuous association. "I don't think it's a fair discussion to have," said Dr. Elizabeth Kavaler, a urology specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. In this population, the increase in dementia may not be from hormone therapy at all, Kavaler said. As people live longer, the odds of developing dementia naturally increase. Moreover, many of these patients probably had other medical conditions that might increase their risk for dementia and Alzheimer's, Kavaler added. "Earlier generations were all worried about cancerwe're worried about dementia," she said. In addition, patients with prostate cancer may not have a good option whether to start hormone therapy or not, she noted. "We really don't have a choice. Androgen-deprivation therapy is what can be offered to men with recurring or advanced prostate cancer. It's a matter of treating a deadly disease versus the risk of developing a non-life-threatening condition," Kavaler said. "How do you ask somebody to choose between losing your mind or not treating their high-risk disease," she said. "It's a hard position to put a patient in. I wouldn't even bring it up." The findings were scheduled to be presented Sunday at the American Urological Association annual meeting, in Chicago. Research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Explore further ADT use not linked to dementia in prostate cancer More information: Karl Tully, M.D., research fellow, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston; Elizabeth Kavaler, M.D., urology specialist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; May 5, 2019, presentation, American Urological Association, Chicago Karl Tully, M.D., research fellow, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston; Elizabeth Kavaler, M.D., urology specialist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; May 5, 2019, presentation, American Urological Association, Chicago Visit the American Cancer Society for more on prostate cancer. Copyright 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. 1. Yes. If a department head is doing a bad job and the city manager wont act, its needed. 2. Yes. Its a crucial safeguard against poor hiring decisions and conflicts of interest. 3. No. It would only muddle the leadership structure and damage employee morale. 4. No. It would make it harder to recruit and retain qualified city leaders at all levels. 5. Unsure. Council oversight may be good, but perhaps not to such a significant extent. Vote View Results The Global Health Impact Index, developed by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York to rank pharmaceutical companies based on their drugs' impact on global health, is launching a new, more-robust model that addresses even more diseases worldwide. A re-launch event, "The Global Health Impact Project: Progress Towards the Sustainable Development Goals," will takes place from noon-5 p.m. Friday, May 10, in 002 Robertston Hall at the Liechtenstein Institute of Self-Determination at Princeton University. A new website and models will be introduced, and two roundtable discussions will follow. The Global Health Impact Index was first launched at the World Health Organization in Geneva in 2015 by Binghamton University Associate Professor of Philosophy Nicole Hassoun. "Measuring the impact and effectiveness of essential treatments is crucial for a variety of stakeholders to determine where to allocate healthcare resources, and what medications should be prioritized in initiatives meant to advance global health," said Hassoun. "We must ask ourselves, what medications offer the greatest relief for malaria, for tuberculosis, for HIV/AIDS, and what pharmaceutical companies have been making a socially-responsible effort to alleviate the global burden of disease?" The new index confronts these uncertainties, and is a first step towards momentous change, said Hassoun. The new index also considers drugs' impacts over time, across countries and diseases, and assesses different parts of the pharmaceutical supply chainshowing how generics companies contribute to getting drugs to the people who need them. "A lot of attention has been paid in determining the need for different drugs, but the Global Health Impact Index actually addresses the impact that these drugs are having globally," said Hassoun. "Having this information readily available could help improve the overall delivery of drugs and help save millions of lives." The index looks at three things: the need for several important drugs for tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria and multiple neglected tropical diseases; the drugs' effectiveness; and the number of people who can access these drugs. Each company's score is the sum of its drugs' impacts. According to the index, the companies who came up with or hold the patent on drugs having the most impact on focus diseases are: Sanofi Novartis Pfizer The manufacturers and distributors who had the largest drug impact scores on the index are: Remedica Guilin Laboratorio Reig Jofre S.A. The countries who had the most need alleviated by various drugs are: India Nigeria Uganda The diseases that have the largest global burden are: Malaria HIV/AIDS Malaria Previously, the Global Health Impact Index utilized a preliminary model to evaluate the impact of medications used to treat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The Global Health Impact project has greatly expanded its scope to include a multitude of other diseases plaguing both developing and developed countries. The new models include a variety of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that primarily impact low-impact communities around the world. While previous indexes have only measured the need for different drugs worldwide, the Global Health Impact Index is the first to measure the impact of these drugs. "As the world moves forward in confronting detrimental diseases, and the social and economic ramifications that they bring," added Hassoun, "it is essential that we continuously evaluate the impacts of various medications, to accommodate the constantly changing scope of global health, whether that be the research and invention of new prevention and treatment plans, or the changing effects of disease." Explore further Professor launches web tool to track impact of drugs worldwide A Mongolian couple has died of the bubonic plague after eating raw marmot kidney, triggering a quarantine that left tourists stranded in a remote region for days, officials said Monday. The ethnic Kazakh couple died on May 1 in Mongolia's westernmost province of Bayan-Ulgii, which borders Russia and China. "The two dead were local people," said local governor Aipiin Gilimkhaan. "There were no cases reported after them." A six-day quarantine was declared on residents in the region, preventing nine tourists from Russia, Germany and Switzerland from leaving. "We are all fine. No one is ill," said a German tourist named Teresa, who did not want to give her last name. Sebastian Pique, a 24-year-old American Peace Corps volunteer who has lived in the region for two years, said he and the tourists were invited to the governor's office on Friday to be informed about the situation. "After the quarantine (was announced) not many people, even locals, were in the streets for fear of catching the disease," Pique told AFP. The quarantine was expected to be lifted late Monday after no other cases of the plague were reported. Authorities have warned people against eating raw marmot meat because it can carry Yersinia pestis, the plague germ. At least one person dies of the plague every year in Mongolia, mostly due to consuming such meat, according to the National Center for Zoonotic Disease. Some people ignore the warnings as they believe that consuming the innards of the large rodent is good for their health. The Black Death wiped out millions of people in the Middle Ages but cases are now very rare. Its most common form is bubonic, which is spread by fleas and causes swelling of the lymph node. The more virulent form is pneumonic plague, which can be transmitted between humans through coughing. Explore further Plague outbreak kills two in Madagascar 2019 AFP There is no cure for polio, and the vaccine remains the most effective way to combat the disease. Credit: Shutterstock The now nearly global eradication of polio through vaccination is a testimonial to the enlightenment of humans dedicated to the alleviation of human disease. In the early 20th century, hundreds of thousands of people are estimated to have been paralysed by polio annually. Even Franklin Delano Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio in 1921 more than a decade before he became president of the United States. Although some Canadian families may wrestle with the benefits and potential secondary reactions to vaccination, today polio is eradicated in Canada because of the past widespread acceptance of vaccination. Discovering the polio vaccine In 1954, American scientists John Enders, Thomas Weller and Frederick Robbins were recognized with a Nobel Prize for their breakthrough in how to grow the polio virus in the laboratory. Through this discovery, virologist Jonas Salk was able to make the first polio vaccine in 1955; he received funds from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which had been founded by Roosevelt to combat polio. The same year as Salk's discovery, Albert Sabin independently reported a successful polio vaccine. Iron lungs, which were used to help patients breathe when muscle contractions ceased due to polio, once very common, became historical relics. However, there is still no treatment for polio other than preventive vaccination. If infected, most patients recover, but a significant proportion (one to five patients per 1,000 infected) will suffer from paralytic poliomyelitis or spinal polio. About 10 per cent of those affected will die. WHO: The history of polio vaccines. Polio's devastation The late John Colter created one of Canada's foremost departments of biochemistry at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. As a young scientist in 1957 along with Ray Brown at American Cyanamid Company in Pearl River, New York Colter discovered that the polio virus used ribonucleic acid (RNA) to infect brain and spinal cord cells. At the time, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was regarded as the repository of genetic information, and discovering that the polio virus used RNA was astonishing. DNA harbors genes. RNA is traditionally the message which is derived from the genetic information in DNA. A cell machine (ribosomes) then translates the message (RNA) into protein. From the transformative work of John Colter, we now know that the polio virus uses the same RNA to store all its genetic information and also to generate its own protein. The next transformative discovery was from molecular biologist Nahum Sonenberg at McGill University. Sonenberg made the revolutionary discovery that the polio virus functioned by hijacking infected cells. The polio virus then made the cells produce the viral protein and prevented infected cells from making their own proteins. These basic science discoveries are a stepping stone to attempts to address human disease caused by viruses such as polio. Where vaccines are available, they remain a first line of defence. A 3D illustration of a brain infection caused by the polio virus. Credit: Shutterstick It is this struggle between benefit and drawback to vaccination that India is currently navigating for its own attempt to eradicate polio. The danger of flu As is true for most viruses, there remains no cure after a polio infection. We rely on prevention through vaccination for the eradication of polio. Other common viral infections remain problematic and potentially devastating, even with vaccines. A century ago the Spanish flu virus killed up to 100 million people. Like polio, there is no cure for the flu. Yearly vaccinations are key in order to keep the flu virus under manageable control. However, acceptance today is far less successful than for the generation that eradicated polio in North America. Should a highly lethal strain of flu return, a dire scenario predicts 250 million deaths today. The time taken to identify the viral strain and attempt to make the vaccine may be six months or more after the pandemic. A hoped-for universal vaccine for the flu has been attempted for decades but without success. Controlling Protein Synthesis With Nahum Sonenberg Basic science offers hope One hundred years after the Spanish flu pandemic, the USFDA has approved drugs targeted to "cap" snatching to treat patients infected with the flu. It will be five years or more before we know if such drugs can protect against a devastatingly lethal flu viral strain for which we have no defence today. The chances of another pandemic are overwhelming. A recent poll has indicated Canadian citizens are eager to embrace the pursuit of research as a priority. Never has there been a greater need for discovery research in Canadato address global health and well-being. Explore further UN: 2 polio cases in Mozambique caused by virus from vaccine More information: Jerry Pelletier et al. Internal initiation of translation of eukaryotic mRNA directed by a sequence derived from poliovirus RNA, Nature (2003). Jerry Pelletier et al. Internal initiation of translation of eukaryotic mRNA directed by a sequence derived from poliovirus RNA,(2003). DOI: 10.1038/334320a0 This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Antonio Zorzano and his team at the Complex Metabolic Diseases and Mitochondria Lab have participated in this study. Credit: IRB Barcelona 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 percent 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. "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 Mitochondrialaboratory 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 encoding Mitofusin 2 proteina virus modified to artificially express proteinsthe 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. Explore further High rates of liver disease progression and mortality observed in patients with NAFLD/NASH More information: Maria Isabel Hernandez-Alvarez et al. Deficient Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondrial Phosphatidylserine Transfer Causes Liver Disease, Cell (2019). Journal information: Cell Maria Isabel Hernandez-Alvarez et al. Deficient Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondrial Phosphatidylserine Transfer Causes Liver Disease,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.04.010 Cancer cell during cell division. Credit: National Institutes of Health Brazilian scientists identify the predominant presence of a truncated variant of the p53 protein in amyloid aggregates in endometrial cancer cells. Such structures are related to the progression of this tumor. A finding by Brazilian researchers promises new perspectives for the treatment of Type 2 endometrial cancer, the most aggressive form of one of the most frequent gynecological tumors. Using in-vitro tests, they identified a high accumulation of aggregates formed by a truncated variant of p53 protein, termed 40p53. The variant was found in the cytoplasm of cancer cells. This is the first time that scientists have observed variants of p53 forming amyloid aggregates in tumor cells (similar to that found with mutant whole p53). The study was conducted by professors Etel Gimba from the Fluminense Federal University and the National Cancer Institute, and Jerson Lima Silva, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The results were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Called the guardian of the human genome, p53 is a protein that normally inhibits the onset and growth of tumors by regulating the cell cycle and protecting DNA. Mutations in the genes coding for this protein, however, may promote loss of function and gain of a new behavior, detrimental to the cell. These genetic changes occur in more than half of cancer cases worldwide, and one of the consequences is the formation of p53 amyloid aggregates, resulting in the unbridled growth of tumor cells. However, not all tumors have mutations in the p53 gene. In some cases, they present alterations in other cellular and genetic mechanisms related to this protein, such as its location in the cell or the abnormal presence of its truncated isoforms. These variants of the protein have been known for at least 14 years, but scientists didn't know whether they contributed to the formation of p53 protein aggregates. This is the phenomenon the Brazilians set out to study. The researchers observed that, in the case of endometrial cancer, the 40p53 isoform plays the predominant role, presenting higher aggregation properties than the full p53 in the cancer cells. The novelty in this recent work is the higher propensity of the truncated form to assemble into the amyloid clumps, especially in the cytoplasm, in contrast to mutant full-length p53 that tends to aggregate in the nucleus. "This shows that these variants can modulate the aggregation state of p53," explains Etel Gimba. Based on these results it should be possible to find compounds capable of inhibiting the formation of these aggregates through a specific action on the truncated variants. "One of the major difficulties [in cancer treatment] is being able to undo these aggregates as a therapeutic strategy", says Etel Gimba. "By specifically undoing the aggregates formed by these variants, we increase the chances of reversing their misfolded, aggregated state, opening the door for the body to discard the aberrant cells," adds the researcher. This may represent a revolution in the treatment of endometrial cancer, since changes in p53 are associated with Type 2 of the disease, with a high mortality rate. It is crucial for the prognostic evaluation of endometrial tumors. "Patients who have alterations in the p53 pathway since the beginning of the development of the tumors will present very aggressive tumors, difficult to treat," highlights the research coordinator. The tests were done in vitro, with the use of immunofluorescence, light-scattering kinetics, circular dichroism and transmission electron microscopy. Explore further Substance in grapes prevents agglomeration of a mutant protein that leads to cancer More information: Nataly Melo dos Santos et al, Loss of the p53 transactivation domain results in high amyloid aggregation of the 40p53 isoform in endometrial carcinoma cells, Journal of Biological Chemistry (2019). Journal information: Journal of Biological Chemistry Nataly Melo dos Santos et al, Loss of the p53 transactivation domain results in high amyloid aggregation of the 40p53 isoform in endometrial carcinoma cells,(2019). DOI: 10.1074/jbc.RA119.007566 Provided by Instituto Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem (INBEB) For years, you've been urged to slather on sunscreen before venturing outdoors. But new U.S. Food and Drug Administration data reveals chemicals in sunscreens are absorbed into the human body at levels high enough to raise concerns about potentially toxic effects. Bloodstream levels of four sunscreen chemicals increased dramatically after test subjects applied spray, lotion and cream for four days as directed on the label, according to the report. The levels far exceed the FDA-set threshold which require topical medications to undergo safety studies, said Dr. Kanade Shinkai, a dermatologist with the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. "It's not like they went a little bit over," she said. "It's really quite high, orders of magnitude higher than that." However, experts are quick to say you shouldn't stop using sunscreen because of this study. At this point, the known risk of harm from the sun's rays exceeds the potential risk posed by these chemicals. "I am concerned that people are going to stop wearing sunscreen," Shinkai said. "We know ultraviolet light from the sun has very deleterious effects on the skin. It causes photoaging. It causes sunburn. And, as such, it causes melanoma and [other] skin cancer." Dr. Michele Green, a dermatologist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, agreed. "I think it's confusing," Green said. "While it's more than the FDA recommends for their toxicology, we really don't know what that means in terms of human health. I would not want people to stop using sunscreen based on this one study." Possible effects on hormones The sunscreen study was led by the FDA's Dr. David Strauss, and appears May 6 in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association, one of the nation's leading medical journals. Most sunscreens on the shelf use chemicals such as oxybenzone, avobenzone and octocrylene to block harmful rays. These organic chemicals absorb ultraviolet radiation and convert it into a small amount of heat. However, animal studies have raised concerns that the chemicals, oxybenzone in particular, might disrupt normal hormone patterns in people, the FDA researchers noted in their study. "These molecules are chemical rings, essentially, and they absorb light," said Shinkai, who co-wrote an editorial accompanying the study. "Chemical rings are also the fundamental basis for a lot of hormones, and chemical rings tend to enter cells." Oxybenzone has been found in human breast milk, amniotic fluid, urine and blood, the FDA researchers said. For its study, the FDA randomly had 24 adults apply either a sunscreen spray, lotion or cream four times a day for four days. The participants applied the sunscreen to three-quarters of their body surface. The study took place in a lab, and the agency drew 30 blood samples from each participant over a week to see whether the chemicals in the sunscreen got absorbed through the skin. Levels of oxybenzone, avobenzone, octocrylene and ecamsule increased in the bloodstream after sunscreen use, researchers found. "There is definitely reason for concern, because if you think about it, any medication you buy over the counter, you would expect that everything in there has been tested, it's safe, it's effective," Shinkai said. 'This has never been proven for sunscreen." More real-life data needed But it was a very small-scale laboratory study that simply shows the need for more research, said Dr. Raman Madan, a dermatologist with Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital in Huntington, N.Y. "While this is a starting point, the relevance of this result is unknown," Madan said. "There needs to be further studies done to show what this really means. While it could have real-world consequences, it could very well mean nothing." The study also differs from real life in that people applied the sunscreen while hanging about a lab, Shinkai said. "They weren't doing the things people typically do when they use sunscreen," such as swimming or working in the yard, Shinkai said. Because of this, their exposure might differ from that of everyday people. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), a group representing sunscreen makers, also said it's far too soon for consumers to have doubts about these products. "Sunscreen manufacturers, FDA, and dermatologists are aligned on the goal of protecting the public from the harmful effects of the sun," the group said in a statement. "Sunscreens save lives." CHPA said the FDA is committed to learning more about the safety of chemicals within sunscreens, however, and the new data "is consistent with these efforts." Options are out there The FDA has been tussling with sunscreen manufacturers over studies to test the safety of their products, said Shinkai. The agency has set a November 2019 deadline for manufacturers to provide safety data on their sunscreens, including evaluations of systemic absorption, the risk of cancer from the chemicals, and their effect on reproductive health, Shinkai said in her editorial. The publication of this study might be intended to put pressure on the sunscreen industry to meet the deadline, she said. "The FDA is a regulatory agency. It's not a testing agency. For them to perform a research study is highly unusual," Shinkai said. "I think that's an important thing that suggests how concerned they were about this issue, and maybe perhaps the frustration on their part." People who are concerned about the safety of chemical sunscreens can opt to use mineral sunscreens, Shinkai said. Those sunscreens rely on zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to reflect sunlight from the skin, rather than absorbing it like chemical sunscreens. "These we know are safe," Shinkai said of mineral sunscreens. "This is something that is evidence-based." Explore further Do you need to wear sunscreen while skiing or snowboarding? More information: Kanade Shinkai, M.D., Ph.D., dermatologist, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine; Michele Green, M.D., dermatologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Raman Madan, M.D., dermatologist, Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital, Huntington, N.Y.; Consumer Healthcare Products Association, statement, May 6, 2019; Journal of the American Medical Association, May 6, 2019. Kanade Shinkai, M.D., Ph.D., dermatologist, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine; Michele Green, M.D., dermatologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Raman Madan, M.D., dermatologist, Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital, Huntington, N.Y.; Consumer Healthcare Products Association, statement, May 6, 2019;, May 6, 2019. Harvard Medical School has more about sun protection. Journal information: Journal of the American Medical Association Copyright 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. (HealthDay News) Buyer beware: When it comes to testosterone supplements, men should know a new study finds there is precious little evidence to support claims they will boost testosterone levels, sex drive, strength and overall energy. To come to this conclusion, the researchers first broke down 50 testosterone supplements into their component parts. The investigators then searched through a comprehensive scientific publication database for any solid proof that the supplements can do what the companies who make them say they can do. But only 12% of the products contained any ingredient shown to provide some testosterone-related benefit in human trials. And nearly half (48%) contained ingredients that studies found could have negative impacts. "In general, I'm not anti-supplements," noted study author Dr. Mary Samplaski. "I have a lot of patients who take them. But the FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] says very clearly that these products should not claim to treat medical conditions. And 90% of these testosterone supplements do make such claims. So I was just really curious what the scientific support was for the claims being made." Samplaski said, "What we found is that in the vast majority of cases there was no evidence to show that any of the ingredients in these testosterone supplements were effective in any way." The upshot, she said, is that "people should understand that just because there's a sexy website with a pic of Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't mean it's the result they should expect." Samplaski is director of male infertility with the Keck School of Medicine's department of urology at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. To begin their work, her team googled "testosterone booster," and compiled a list of the first 50 supplements that came up. About 90% claimed they would boost testosterone levels. Half claimed to improve libido, and nearly as many claimed to make men stronger. About 60% promoted building body mass, while 30% claimed to increase energy, and almost as many were touted as fat burners. Supplements were then broken down by their ingredients, which included vitamins, minerals, folic acid, mushrooms and a variety of herbals. Ingredient amounts were also tallied, with an eye towards the FDA's stated daily allowance and tolerable upper intake levels for each. On average, each supplement contained seven ingredients. Just four ingredientsfenugreek, shilajit, D-aspartic acid and vitamin Dwere found to have been the subject of rigorous studies designed to track patients over time to assess their impact on testosterone levels. Of those, only the first two ingredients were shown to have a beneficial impact. Another 10 ingredients were also linked to positive impacts on testosterone levels in a variety of animal investigations and human trials that retroactively analyzed previously collected data. But 60% of the ingredients in question had no scientific data of any kind exploring their impact on testosterone. What's more, many of the supplements were found to contain doses of vitamins and minerals that far exceeded recommended levels. In some cases, even tolerable upper intake levels were exceeded, including zinc levels found in two supplements. The findings were scheduled to be presented Saturday at the American Urological Association annual meeting, in Chicago. Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. According to Cambridge Health Alliance general internist Dr. Pieter Cohen, the problem is that "supplements are regulated in a very different way than over-the-counter medications and prescription medications, which need to have strong clinical evidence before they can be advertised for use in humans." And that means "there is great leeway in advertising supplements, which leads to many unsupported claims appearing on supplement labels," he said. "Even worse, when clinical trials have demonstrated that a supplement does not work, the companies can still continue to make the same unsupported claims. This has led to brisk sales of supplements even after they were proven to be ineffective," Cohen added. "What's also concerning is that sometimes supplementssuch as those promoted for men's healthmight be formulated to include prescription-strength drugs," which can pose a risk for patients struggling with conditions such as high blood pressure or anxiety, he explained. Cohen's advice: Avoid taking any supplement that purports to have "immediate effects on the human body." Explore further What the FDA's actions mean for dietary supplements More information: To learn more about testosterone supplements and risks, visit the To learn more about testosterone supplements and risks, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Copyright 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. The way Americans value wildlife has shifted away from hunting and fishing traditions, but wildlife agencies remain one of the most trusted parts of U.S. government. Those findings show up in a new study by Colorado State University, which looked both nationally and state by state at what we think about wildlife and the way we manage it. It also examined the culture within agencies like Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, where staff game wardens and biologists try to reflect the wishes of the people they serve. Its a changing world, said lead investigator Michael Manfredo, who heads the Human Dimensions and Natural Resources program at CSU. Weve gone from a world where we perceived wildlife as something we had control over and should use the way we wish, to a world where we regard animals as human-like, with a certain amount of rights like humans have. Theres too much at stake here not to deal with it. The study charted trends over the past 15 years showing how people think about wild animals like grizzly bears, trumpeter swans and rainbow trout. First it defined where people stood in relation to wildlife: traditionalists who tend to believe animals should be managed to benefit people, and mutualists who see animals as part of their social network. In between those two sides are pluralists who support both attitudes, such as big-game hunters who dislike lethal control of predators. A fourth group, the distanced, arent interested in wildlife at all. Nationwide, traditionalists make up 28% of the population, while mutualists comprise 35%. The ranks of traditionalists have fallen about 5.7% between 2004 and 2018. Mutualists have grown by 4.7%. Thats reflected in the declining numbers of people who hunt and fish, compared to growing numbers who like non-consumptive activities like bird-watching. Montana and its neighboring Rocky Mountain states lean the other way, although they all report their share of traditionalists declining. Montana had one of the highest pluralist populations in the nation at 29%, and had more people feeling that way than its neighboring states of Idaho, Wyoming or the Dakotas. It had about the same amount of traditionalists as Idaho (39%), but fewer than Wyoming or the Dakotas. Wildlife was definitely on the minds of Rocky Mountain state residents. While almost every other state in the nation had more than 10% in the distanced category, Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas were all in single digits (Montana was 7.7%). California and New York each had more than 20% in that distanced column. That distanced group worries me, Manfredo said. In some places, thats one-fifth of the public that doesnt give a rip about wildlife. If that grows, thats problematic. Part of his concern was the finding that most Americans fundamentally misunderstand how wildlife management is funded. Only 14% correctly assumed that the agencies budgets come primarily from hunting and fishing license sales. More than four out of five respondents thought FWP is funded through a mix of license sales and public general fund dollars, and 4% believed the whole agency budget came from the general fund. The birth of fish and wildlife agencies came at a time when market hunting and poaching was a problem, Manfredo said. The amazing success of recovering Americas wildlife populations is largely due to funding from hunters and anglers. But todays problems are much more complex. Wildlife Management Institute western field representative Chris Smith pointed to the studys observation that mutualist attitudes have grown at the same time the nations population has been relocating to big cities. That can have big impacts for decision-making on animals with a national status, such as bison. For example, Smith said many ranchers around Yellowstone National Park see bison as a threat to their economic bottom line and their job of feeding the nation. But people in Chicago or Miami may value the bison as the national mammal, and object to hazing or killing the herds that try to migrate outside the park toward winter pastures covered with cattle ranches. Wildlife managers cant just gather the information and science on the table and let the political process sort it out, Smith said. They have to find a basis for civil discourse, rather than allowing the parties to duke it out. Fish and game agencies may be the best possible place to have those debates, however. The survey found respect and trust for wildlife managers was far greater than other public servants. Nationwide, 70% of the surveys respondents trusted wildlife agencies most or all the time, compared to 43% who had faith in state government in general. The federal government trust rate was 22%. Montana FWP spokesman Greg Lemon said the agency is aware its employees tend to be more traditionalist than the public it serves. It also gets the biggest share of its revenue from license sales and excise taxes from hunting, fishing and shooting. But many of its services go to people outside those worlds. For example, most of the users of state fishing access sites arent there to fish, but to walk dogs, picnic or go bird-watching. Theres always a tension between hunters and anglers and other folks who dont have a direct way to pay for management, Lemon said. That overlooks the fact that Montanans trust us as an agency and have confidence in us. I dont think you would see that level of trust if we didnt do a good job as stewards of fish and wildlife on their behalf. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. 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. Butte psychiatrist Dr. Bennett Braun, who is being sued by a former patient for alleged negligent care, is not the only doctor in Montana who has faced allegations of poor care in recent years. In fact, between 2014 and 2018, 234 actions of one kind or another were taken against Montana doctors. Most of these 167 of them involved medical malpractice lawsuits that resulted in payments ranging from as little as $3,000 to as much as about $2 million. During the same four-year period, the Montana Board of Medical Examiners took disciplinary action against doctors 53 times. These statistics come from an analysis of available information from the National Practitioners Data Bank, an online database run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and established in 1986 to enable state medical boards to share information about bad doctors. But Robert Oshel, retired associate director of the data bank, said last week that the 167 figure doesn't accurately portray the total number of malpractice lawsuits filed between 2014 and 2018. Were talking about the year the payment was made, not the year the alleged malpractice took place, he said. Plus, not every lawsuit is won and not every instance of medical malpratice is litigated, he said. As for the 53 instances of disciplinary action by the Montana Board of Medical Examiners, it is not known what specific actions were taken and against which doctors they were taken. Individual doctors information is kept confidential in the database, Oshel said. While much is not known about these 53 disciplinary actions, some information can be gleaned from publicly available data, such as: 17 of those 53 physicians were disciplined because of licensure actions in other states; 17 licenses were suspended, but whether the 17 suspensions are the same as the 17 who faced licensure actions in other states is not known; nine doctor's licenses were suspended on an emergency basis by the board; nine doctors had their licenses revoked by the board; four doctors faced reprimand or censure; the board reconsidered a previous licensure action 15 of the 53 times, likely because doctors asked the board to reassess the penalty or threatened the board with a lawsuit to get a lesser penalty, according to Oshel. In addition to the 167 medical malpractice payments and the 53 board actions against doctors from 2014 to 2018, hospitals reportedly took six actions against Montana doctors, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took five actions against physicians, and the federal Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General took actions against three doctors. In 2018 alone there were 35 medical malpractice lawsuits against Montana doctors that resulted in payments and four disciplinary actions taken by the Board of Medical Examiners. No Montana hospital reported actions taken against doctors for clinical privileges in 2018, but the DEA took two actions against Montana doctors and the Office of Inspector General took one action against a doctor in the state. Erin Loranger, public information officer for the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, which oversees the Board of Medical Examiners, said there are two ways to find out if a Montana physician has faced disciplinary action by the board. Looking up a specific doctor requires going to the board's website and searching the Licensee Lookup feature. But doing so only turns up information on whether the board has taken a disciplinary action against a doctor, which doesnt always tell the full story. For example, a search of Braun does not show that the DEA searched his office in 2017, found he was practicing outside the scope of his license and struck a deal with him that led to the doctor surrendering his narcotics license. The boards website also allows visitors to look at the board's adjudication panels public agenda for the past twelve months, Loranger said. Within the past year, eight medical professionals four medical doctors and four paramedics have appeared before the adjudication panel for different reasons. For instance, a recent meeting of the adjudication panel led to a Montana doctors license being restricted because another state disciplined the doctor. The Federation of State Medical Boards also has a database the public can use to look up a specific doctor anywhere in the nation. A search for Braun shows that his Illinois medical license was suspended in 1999 and reinstated in 2001 and that he has an active license in Montana. It does not say why his license was suspended in Illinois. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Since 1995, the American Academy of Dermatology has designated the first Monday in May as Melanoma Monday, to raise awareness of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Melanoma rates in this country doubled from 1982 to 2011, and they continue to increase as these words are written. Melanoma can appear anywhere on the body, but it is more common on the head and neck, torso and upper back, and lower legs. Because melanoma may spread to lymph nodes and internal organs, early detection is critical. New, rapidly growing moles, or moles that change, itch or bleed can be early signs of melanoma. These moles should be checked by a board-certified dermatologist. Melanoma may appear without warning, but also it can develop from or near an existing mole. Melanoma is now the second-most common cancer in females aged 15-29. But young and old alike are affected; all Caucasians, and men older than 50, also have an increased risk of developing melanoma compared to the general population. Ultraviolet light (UVL) from both the sun and from tanning beds can cause melanoma. UVL does not need to burn the skin to damage the skin. The rays of UVL coming from a tanning bed do not match rays from the sun; in fact, one brief session in a tanning device may deliver the equivalent of two to five times the UVL supplied by the mid-day summer sun. Using indoor tanning beds before age 35 can increase your risk of melanoma by 59%; the risk increases with each use. Forty four states have already passed some form of regulation restricting the use of tanning beds by children and teens. Unfortunately, the 2019 Montana legislature failed to enact Senate Bill 21 that would have done the same in our state. Senate Bill 21 was designed to protect children and teens from being subjected to the cancer-causing effects of a tanning bed before age 18. The absence of a legal restriction on tanning bed use by youth in our state does not change the fact that it is a very unsafe practice. The World Health Organization categorizes tanning devices into its highest cancer risk category the same as tobacco. In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration started requiring manufacturers of tanning beds to place a warning on tanning devices stating that they are not recommended for people under 18 years old. Avoiding the use of tanning beds is a way to prevent and reduce the future incidence of this deadly cancer in our youth. Lets make Melanoma Monday a thing of the past for the next generation of Montanans. Charlotte L. Kutsch, MD, is president of the Montana Academy of Dermatology and practicing dermatologist on the campus of the Community Medical Center in Missoula. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Your president. What a miserable excuse for a president of the United States of America. He is a disgrace as a businessman (six bankruptcies). A disgrace as a husband (Stormy Daniels, et al) and father (Eric, Donny Jr. please. If she wasnt my daughter Id be dating her eww!). A disgrace as a human (racist, misogynist, pathological liar, business cheat, thief, sexual assaulter, malignant narcissist, family destroyer, lazy, ignorant, coward). Dim-witted (look at his school transcripts). We witness these traits every day. You see them as plainly as the rest of us. Donald Trump is a despicable individual. Hes a person you wouldnt allow into your home. Hes actively dismantling environmental protections, rolling back individual rights, and is even railing against the First Amendment rights of the press, except for FOX News. Evangelicals have made a deal with the devil. They still support this bum for the simple fact that Trumps pandering to those religious extremists advances their agenda, regardless how it has destroyed their churches credibility. You were drawn by his phony economic populism. You thought that tax cut would help you. It didnt. So what is it? Are you that scared by minorities that Trumps racist malarkey actually comforts you? Jerry O'Malley, Missoula You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 9 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 5 " " Even if you pay all your bills online, you still need your routing number to set up payments. Steve Debenport/Getty Images Most customers pay by for goods and services by credit card, phone apps or via the computer, so paper checks are going the way of the dinosaur. But you still need information from your old-school checkbook in order to set up automatic monthly bill payments or direct deposits online. That includes your bank account number and the routing number listed on your checks. The routing number is also known as the ABA (America Bankers Association) routing transit number (RTN), a nine-digit code that's printed on the bottom of checks and other types of financial documents. It essentially denotes the state or region where the bank account was opened and the name of the bank on which the check was drawn. Advertisement Routing numbers aren't secret or sensitive information. They're simply a way for banks to sort payments. Here are four ways to find it: The fastest way to find a routing number is to simply open your checkbook and look at the bottom. The routing number is typically printed on the bottom-left corner, bookended by two little symbols that look a bit like colons with a bolded vertical dash. You'll find the same numbers on deposit slips, if you have those handy. To the right of the routing number is your account number, but keep in mind that the position of the account and routing numbers is reversed on some checks. Most account numbers are 10 to 12 digits, while the routing number is always nine. Can't find your checkbook? Log into your online banking account and go to your account summary or user profile. Many banks list the routing number there. You can even call the bank to get the info if you're really old-school. If you don't have your login for your bank account nearby, you can do a general search for routing number at your bank's website. The website MagnifyMoney has links to the eight biggest banks in America where you can search for the routing number. Still stumped? Search for your financial institution on the ABA routing number website . You can type your bank's name and location, and it will kick back the routing number for your branch. NOW THAT'S INTERESTING Check writing skyrocketed in the U.S. after World War II. Within a few years, billions of checks were flowing through banks all over the country, and branch managers were forced to employ several people just for the purpose of processing checks. That's when engineers developed those funky numbers on the bottom of the checks they can be read by machines, and thus, checks can be processed much more quickly. " " The lifetime learning credit is available to people of all ages, even if they are not pursuing a college degree. Ingram Publishing/ Thinkstock Knowledge is power. Boning up on the old book smarts can also help you save a little money when the tax man comes knocking. The savings primarily come from two federal tax credits: the Lifetime Learning Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Each can be used to reduce the amount of money that you'll have to kick back to Uncle Sam at the end of the year. However, students -- or their parents -- can't use both at the same time, so it's important to understand the differences between these two opportunities to stash a little extra cash. The Lifetime Learning Credit reduces federal tax obligations for a wide range of students in an effort to cut down on costs associated with tuition and expenses. The up to $2,000 annual credit is available to learners -- or their parents -- who are enrolled in an eligible program and meet certain income requirements [source: IRS]. Advertisement The Internal Revenue Service is serious when they say "lifetime learning." You don't have to be a certain age in order to be eligible for the credit. You also don't have to be actually pursuing a degree. That doesn't mean, however, that the needlework class you're taking at the YMCA counts. The courses for which a student seeks the credit must be provided by an approved educational institution. While you don't have to actually graduate at some point to be eligible, you do have to be able to prove that the coursework is aimed at improving job-related skills [sources: IRS]. To obtain the credit, a student or an individual or family that lists the student as a dependent must complete an IRS Form 1098-T. If your school sends you one of these forms, that's a good indication that it's recognized by the government for Lifetime Learning Credit purposes. [sources: IRS]. Those in the job market will want to take note of a lineup of events two of Buttes economic development-organizations are hosting this week. The events are in conjunction with National Economic Development Week, a nationwide campaign similar to National Infrastructure Week, and will include training, professional development and networking events for job seekers, employers, and budding entrepreneurs. Most notable will be a Friday job fair featuring companies from the Butte-Silver Bow area, including Mining Citys newest major employer, FCR call center, whose representatives will be presenting information on available positions. Theyll also be an opportunity to sit down for a pre-screening interview. Hosting the event is the Butte Local Development Corp. and Headwaters RC&D. Theres going to be a pretty good mix for everybody, said Joe Willauer, executive director of the BLDC, noting that a range of employers and job seekers will find something of value during the week. It doesnt matter if youre in a white-collar industry or a blue, he said, adding we have it tailored for people starting from young professionals, to entrepreneurs to people looking to enter or reenter the workforce. Since last year, the BLDC and Headwaters have been working closely together in a trial run of what it would be like to function as a single organization. The two organizations regularly host workshops throughout the year, so staff members came up with the idea of hosting multiple events all within the same week. We really just wanted to do something thats really start to finish a coordinated effort, said Willauer. The lineup starts Monday with the Butte Young Professionals Leadership Symposium, while Tuesday will play host to trainings for entrepreneurs and small-business owners. Wednesday theyll be a panel discussion that will give residents a behind-the-scenes look at how Buttes economic development team an informal group representing county leadership, economic-development organizations, major employers and other entities functions, as well as an opportunity to ask questions. The Montana Department of Labor and Industry and Butte Job Service will run the show Thursday, during which time theyll provide workforce readiness training, including an opportunity to work on resumes, mock interviews and more. Resources may be limited at the event venue. However, a full array of resources will also be available from 7a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at the Butte Job Service, 2201 White Blvd. Friday marks the day of the job fair, which the organizations are calling a workforce fair. Organizers ask that participants register for the fair online at bit.ly/EcoDevoWeek. The fair runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the ballroom of the Clarion Inn Copper King Hotel & Convention Center, 4655 Harrison Ave. The day will also include more opportunities to brush up on resume and interview skills. When asked if he had a message for potential participants, Willauer encouraged residents to attend. We want to see a lot of people there, he said. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Last of a two-day series Former Butte resident Ciara Rehbein alleges in a lawsuit against the Montana Board of Medical Examiners that the board knew or should have known about the allegations in Dr. Bennett Brauns past. Eyebrow-raising allegations that became a part of 11 malpractice lawsuits against Braun in the late 1990s are not hard to find. After Brauns legal challenges, the media reported heavily on his Multiple Personality Disorder diagnosis, and the former patients claims that under Brauns care, they had come to believe they were members of a satanic cult. NBCs Dateline and PBS Frontline both devoted one-hour shows to Brauns controversial methods in the late 1990s. Other major outlets, such as The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune and The Associated Press, wrote stories. Braun, who now lives and practices in Butte, made the news again after he moved to Montana. He was hired by Helenas Shodair Children Hospital. Workers claimed Braun was practicing medicine without a license. The ensuing investigation found no wrongdoing, according to The Helena Independent Record at the time. But according to Rehbeins complaint, Braun was terminated by the hospital. Hospital spokesperson Alana Listoe could neither confirm nor deny that, citing personnel privacy laws. Rehbeins complaint states that the board licensed Braun despite knowledge it gained or should have gained, about Brauns professional past. And according to Brauns application for licensure in Montana, theres no question the board knew about his history, at least from his own words, when it licensed him. He revealed his Illinois troubles on his 89-page application to the board in 2002. What did he say? Braun reported on his application 17 years ago that he voluntarily surrendered hospital privileges in Illinois, that legal action had been filed against him and that he gave up the privilege to prescribe or dispense drugs during his previous practice. Both Braun and at least one of his references suggest his problems with the women who sued him stemmed from a smear campaign by a particular organization, the False Memory Foundation, based out of Pennsylvania. The False Memory Foundation is a nonprofit that questions recovered memory therapy, which gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. The Illinois-Wisconsin chapter devotes a web page to Braun. Pamela Freyd, executive director of FMS, said in writing that her organization did not contribute financially to any lawsuit. She said her organizations interest in Braun amounted to sharing information about the allegations against him from his Illinois lawsuits. Brauns application included letters of recommendation from doctors in prestigious positions who minimized his previous problems by praising him and saying things such as that he stopped practicing in Illinois because he could no longer carry medical malpractice insurance or that he has exceptional skills. At least one of those recommending him made it appear that Braun was the one victimized by his former patients. Unfortunately, Dr. Brauns commitment saw him take on many extremelydisturbed patients (who others would refuse to treat) and a couple sued him. This in no way takes away from the gains made by the overwhelming majority of patients, wrote Dr. Colin Cameron, the then acting clinical director of the mood disorders program at the Royal Ottawa Hospital in Ontario, Canada. A call to Cameron was not returned. Brauns insurance company settled out of court against his wishes, according to his application. The application contains a statement from Brauns attorney at the time, who wrote that Brauns insurance provider settled because it was financially advantageous for it to do so and that the insurance providers attorney was inexperienced. Erin Loranger, public information officer for the Department of Labor and Industry, which oversees the board, said that Braun's application included the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation Stipulation and Recommendation for Settlement and Illinois Medical Disciplinary Board's Order approving the settlement in 1999. "These documents set out the allegations raised and the agreed disciplinary terms of the Illinois board's case," Loranger wrote in an email. "Also included in the application is information regarding Dr. Braun's dispute with his medical negligence insurance carrier about settlements made on his behalf in the underlying malpractice suits." The Illinois settlement document states that Braun could have refuted the board's charges but due to his plans and circumstances, he was choosing to resolve the matter without protracted litigation. Elsewhere in his application, his lawyer at the time wrote that the most expensive settlement cost Braun his health and career and "because of his physical condition and total lack of funds," Braun chose not to fight. But he also admitted no wrong doing. Braun's application also lists the financial settlements as considerably lower than what the media reported. Braun declined, through his lawyer, to be interviewed, citing the pending litigation. Since he was not available for comment, the discrepancy is unclear. What the board may not have known What the application did not tell the board is that the settlements Braun mentioned were with multiple women who alleged that he convinced them through hypnosis and high dosages of drugs that they were high priestesses of a global satanic cult, were molesting children and cannibalizing people, according to legal documents. One former patient screams and moans while surrounded by a team of hospital workers. The incident can be seen on the Frontline episode about Brauns former therapy in Illinois. Another former patient claimed Braun convinced her she had gained weight because she had eaten thousands of humans, according to "The Chicago Sun-Times." That same patient brought meat from her parents barbecue to have it tested for human remains while under Brauns care in Illinois, according to legal documents. That former patient tried to kill herself twice, according to the legal record. She sued Braun in the late 1990s and settled for $10.6 million at the time the largest settlement of its kind in Illinois, according to multiple media stories. Another former female patient reported she had a tubal ligation while under Brauns care because she believed she was a breeder for a satanic cult. According to the court record, the woman had never given birth. That patient sued Braun and settled for $7.5 million in 2004, according to multiple media stories. That case was still pending when Braun sought licensure in Montana. Another former patient of Brauns underwent an abortion because she believed her baby would be sacrificed by the cult if she gave birth, the legal documents state. Richard Ofshe, professor emeritus at the University of California-Berkeley, said from his Paris apartment last month that using recovered memory therapy, patients were led to fantasize they had spent parts of their childhood as participants in satanic cults killing and eating babies. Its a fantasy cultivated by the practitioner, Ofshe said. Ofshe wrote a book about the theory in 1996 called Making Monsters: False Memories, Psychotherapy, and Sexual Hysteria. He questioned the ethics of the therapy in his book and noted that the patients were mostly women. What was the board privy to? Besides the heavy press coverage Brauns disgraced Illinois practice garnered, the Montana Board of Medical Examiners had access to an online database set up in 1986 so states could share information about bad doctors. (See related story.) State boards have access to the National Practitioners Data Bank, established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, but the public does not, Lisa McGiffert, a volunteer with the patient advocacy group, Patient Safety Action Network, said from her Texas office. According to documents connected to Brauns application, the Montana medical examiners did do a background check through the National Practitioners Data Bank. Before sending The Montana Standard a copy of documents related to Brauns application for licensure, the state redacted the data banks information, because under law, it is private. But Loranger said nothing in Brauns application was out of order. According to Rehbein's complaint, Braun had violated the terms of his probation in Illinois around 2000. But, based on his application to practice medicine in Montana, it appears he had cleared up his problems in Illinois by 2002. Dr. Brauns Illinois license was active when he applied in Montana. His Illinois license was automatically reinstated in 2001 after a two-year suspension, and he was compliant with the Illinois boards order, Loranger said in writing. Who sits on the board? Montanas board is made up of 13 members, Loranger said. A legal statute requires five members of the board to have a medical degree. The other eight must include an emergency medical expert, a doctor of osteopathy, a podiatrist, a nutritionist, a physician assistant, an acupuncturist, one volunteer emergency medical technician and two general members of the public. The board members are appointed by the governor and receive Senate confirmation. McGiffert said overall, state medical boards tend to be friendly toward the doctors applying for a license. Theyre made up of physicians and theyre very sympathetic to other physicians. There is almost too much empathy for the people being complained about. And most of them are pretty secretive, McGiffert said. McGiffert authored a report in 2016 for Consumer Reports, a consumer protection agency, that ranked Montana as one of the lowest in the nation for failing to provide easy access to disciplinary records of doctors licensed to practice in the Treasure State. Loranger said she could not comment on the report because she couldnt find the full criteria analyzed to understand the reports scoring. But Montanas board scored 26 out of 100 for a lack of transparency and a lack of ease in finding information about a doctor on the boards website, said Consumer Reports. Braun isnt the only one This isnt the first time the Board of Medical Examiners has been sued for licensing an alleged bad doctor. Loranger said the Department of Labor and Industry is aware of two previous instances and in both cases, the board made the same basic argument its making now that it is immune from lawsuit based on judicial precedent. One of those cases involved a doctor who got licensed in Montana in 1999 despite other state boards revoking or suspending his license. A complaint filed in Lewis and Clark County in 1999 alleged that due to that doctors negligent care, a Montana man died. The case went to the Montana Supreme Court, which upheld the judicial rule preventing the board from being sued. It's not uncommon for a doctor who loses a license in one state for medical malpractice to move to another and get licensed in a separate state, McGiffert said. "Bad doctors do move around," McGiffert said. Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 3 Sad 1 Angry 11 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Butte Reduction Works was built in 1883 as a custom smelter processing ore for the Lewisohn Brothers Butte & Boston and Boston & Montana companies and others, but it failed and was purchased in 1885 by employees of the Parrott Smelter. In 1887, W.A. Clarks growing operations led him to acquire the plant and expand it in 1888 to process 300 tons each day, including ore from his mines as well as material from as far away as Philipsburg. Among the later improvements were the 353-foot concrete stack, tallest in the world when it was completed in 1906. Ore was hauled to the plant just west of Montana Street along Silver Bow Creek through town from Clarks mines, including the Original, in cars attached to the street railway (trolley) system. By the early 1890s, smoke pollution in Butte was so intense that attempts were made to ban open heap roasting of ores, and the Butte Reduction Works figured in a renewed spasm of indignation throughout the town in December 1891 when heaps were created, but, under orders from the Mayor, were prevented from being lit. At least one death, a six-year-old girl living on East Mercury Street, was attributed to the smoke. Even as late as 1898, smoke from Clarks Butte Reduction Works was targeted by the anti-Clark Anaconda Standard under the heading The Company is building fresh roasting kilns and as soon as all are in operation the population will keel over dead. At that time, only the Butte Reduction Works and Parrott Smelter were doing open roasting in Butte, and the situation was intense enough that the Mayor was threatening to have the BRW manager arrested. The Centennial Brewing Company had its own solution to the smoke problem: drink Centennial Beer. It will, in a measure, counteract the smoke and strengthen your lungs, according to an 1898 advertisement. The plant had changed to other, less polluting types of processing by 1906, when a huge fire on January 31 destroyed the concentrator, with a loss estimated at $500,000 in dollars of the day. The facility was rebuilt and continued under Clarks ownership until 1910. In May 1910, William Clark sold most of his Butte properties to the Amalgamated (Anaconda) Company, effectively ending the War of the Copper Kings. The $5-million price tag included the Butte Reduction Works, Colusa-Parrott and Original Mines, and the Montana Realty Company. Clark held onto the Elm Orlu Mine, the Timber Butte Mill, and the Butte Miner Newspaper, all of which went to the Anaconda in 1928, three years after Clarks death. Soon after the Anaconda Company acquired the property the Butte Reduction Works was closed because the Anaconda had much larger and more modern facilities at the Washoe smelter in Anaconda, and much of the surviving plant was destroyed in a fire in 1911. The most visible heritage of the Butte Reduction Works is the extensive slag wall system west of Montana Street and along Centennial Drive. The material was dumped to constrain Silver Bow Creek in an attempt to reduce tailings erosion, but contaminated material beneath the slag continues to impact groundwater. Under the March 1928 headline, New Butte industry is auspiciously launched, Domestic Manganese and Development Company (an Anaconda subsidiary) announced the refurbishment of the Reduction Works. They produced manganese nodules in the only pelletizing plant in the United States, continuing into the 1950s. Phosphorous was processed there for a time in the 1960s the early 1970s. The site is occupied by the Butte-Silver Bow asphalt processing plant today. Thanks to Pat Cunneen for several resources used for this article. Local geologist and historian Dick Gibson has lived in Butte since 2003 and has worked as a tour guide for various organizations and museums. He can be reached at rigibson@earthlink.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 3 If a former Butte woman wins her case against the Montana Board of Medical Examiners, she may reverse a judicial rule that was established when miners wives rioted against the Anaconda Company 73 years ago. Ciara Rehbein, who lived in Butte for about 10 years and now lives in Kalispell, alleges she developed a condition called tardive dyskinesia in 2015 because of antipsychotic drugs her then-Butte psychiatrist, Dr. Bennett Braun, gave her after a bad motorcycle accident. As part of her suit against Braun, Rehbein is also suing the Montana Board of Medical Examiners for negligence and other charges because the board licensed Braun in 2002. Rehbein alleges the board should have known about Brauns 11 malpractice lawsuits in the 1990s for reportedly convincing women in the Midwest that they had been high priestesses in satanic cults, cannibalized thousands and sexually molested children. The Illinois lawsuits allege Braun brainwashed the women through hypnosis and high dosages of drugs. Braun never admitted wrongdoing and the cases were settled out of court, but a variety of prominent national media heavily reported on the patients' allegations. Rehbein and the Montana Board of Medical Examiners went to court last month. The states special assistant attorney general, Quinlan OConnor, argued in District Judge Kurt Kruegers court last month that Krueger should dismiss the boards part of the case, saying that the board is immune from legal action. The Board of Medical Examiners is arguing that it cannot be sued because of a judicial rule established in 1947 by the Montana Supreme Court. The courts created that rule in response to a lawsuit that began in Butte. Fred Annala, Sr., a mining engineer for the Anaconda Company, lived at 2424 Locust St., according to his 1968 obituary and earlier news stories. On the night of April 14, 1946, women and teens rioted at several homes, including Annalas. They were out for vengeance against Annala and other salaried company men who were protecting Anaconda Companys property from damage in the strike-bound city, according to The Montana Standard at the time of the incident. The next days headline read: Mobs Wreck Dozen Butte Homes; Orgy Uncontrolled in Wild Night of Terror, Lawlessness. Silver Bow County Sheriff Al McLeod reported at the time that he had had his hands full. The hoodlums are mostly young fellows and women, he told the Standard the next day. In some instances, women led the house-wrecking. Longtime Butte miner Al Beavis, 87, was a teenager in the 1940s and he remembers the strike. He said there were gunmen with rifles and there were scab workers. He didnt participate in the mayhem, but he said that, back then, women were tough. It was a real bad strike, Beavis said from his Butte home last month. Beavis said miners' wages at that time were $10.57 a day. The Anaconda Company offered a $1.48 per day wage increase, according to the Standard. The union rejected that offer. The Miners Union struck in April of 1946, less than a week before Annalas home suffered the female-led riot. Within three days of the strikes announcement, the children and wives of the striking miners began to attack the homes, culminating in the orgy of violence that took place three days later on April 14, 1946, when the mob ransacked and destroyed Annalas house, along with others. The destruction was bad. Annalas home, a modern, two-story, withstood significant damage. According to the Standard, the gangs went to work with axes and bludgeons, breaking windows and doors and shattering furniture. A radio and piano were thrown from the house, and inside the vandals leisurely and systematically wrecked furnishings for more than three-quarters of an hour without interference. The miners wives and kids reportedly went on to overturn and smash a refrigerator and kitchen equipment, dressers and beds were thrown out of the two-story window and several thousand gathered to watch and cheer, the Standard reported. The Miners Union condemned the behavior. Annala sued Sheriff McLeod for damages, alleging that he failed and neglected to carry out his duties as sheriff. When he lost his suit in district court, Annala appealed to the Montana Supreme Court the following year. McLeod told the Standard at the time of the incident that he had 19 deputies and lacked enough man power to quell the angry mob of women and children. At least two boys were badly injured during the riot over that weekend and a dozen homes in different neighborhoods across Butte were vandalized. The Montana Supreme Court at that time struck down Annalas appeal. In the process, the highest court in the state created the judicial rule known as the "public duty doctrine." That rule is very similar to a law known as sovereign immunity, which was still enshrined within the states constitution in 1947. The public duty doctrine states that a duty to all is a duty to none. In other words, Sheriff Al McLeod had a duty to the citizenry at large but not a duty specifically to Fred Annala, whose home was destroyed. The new rule saved Sheriff McLeod, and Standard Accident Insurance Company, from having to pay Annala for the damage done to his residence. It is exactly this rule that Rehbeins Bozeman-based lawyers are hoping to overturn, by calling into question its constitutionality. One Anaconda lawyer, 91-year-old Wade Dahood, says the judicial rule shouldnt exist, and he doesnt mince words when he talks about it. 'A duty owed to all is a duty owed to none,' Dahood said in recent interview with The Montana Standard, reciting the basic premise of the rule. Thats stupid. But lawyers (in Montana) have to fight that from time to time. Dahood still practices law and he is one of the last remaining delegates to Montanas constitutional convention in 1972. One of his priorities when he went to the convention was to end the government's sovereign immunity. The original Montana state constitution enshrined sovereign immunity meaning a citizen could not sue the state or a state employee even when a state employee behaves negligently when the constitution was written in 1889. Dahood said sovereign immunity was created in England. I argued (at the state's Constitutional Convention) since we dont have a king in Montana, why do we have (the law) in Montana? Dahood said from his Anaconda office last month. I convinced the delegates to do away with it. That made the public duty doctrine unconstitutional, argues Rehbein's attorney, Justin Stalpes, of Beck, Amsden and Stalpes. If Rehbein prevails, she will overturn a 72-year-old precedent that got its start when a group of angry women got fed up with the Anaconda Company. Dahood says one of the primary reasons to do away with the states original constitution was because it, too, had to do with mining. The old Constitution had a lot of restrictions on how to tax mining companies, he said. It was created by the mining company. Its provisions didnt help people. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 1 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Back in the early 1990s, Joe Lamson was part of the ultimately failed effort that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court trying to keep Montanas second seat in the U.S. House. We were growing, but we werent growing enough compared to what the rest of the country was doing, said the longtime Democrat operative, who has worked on drawing district lines in the state for decades. Montana ended up losing one of the 435 congressional districts available, leaving it with the at-large seat that now represents an estimated 1,062,305 people. With the approaching 2020 U.S. Census, Lamson and others believe it will finally be Montanas turn to get that district back. Were very close, on the cusp, Lamson said. I really think we should have two districts. Kimball Brace, the president of a consulting firm called Election Data Services in Washington, D.C., that specializes in redistricting, said his firms methodology shows its fairly likely that Montana will gain a district, but by the narrowest of margins. Montana needs another 13,000 people to answer the 2020 census, he explained. Each state is guaranteed a seat in the U.S. House. After that, the remaining 385 are distributed via a complex mathematical formula that takes into account not just how fast a state is growing, but how rapidly others are, as well as which states are losing population, and other factors. Montana needs to add enough people in the next two years to beat out states like Idaho, Ohio and Utah, which are growing fast and also could have a shot at adding districts, Brace said. David Parker, a political scientist at Montana State University in Bozeman, said Rhode Island is losing population and could lose a district, and California is a candidate to lose a district for the first time in that states history. Early on Lamson was skeptical about Montana's chances of adding another seat. But the 2020 U.S. Census is expected to be different in a couple of ways from years past, and that's shifted his thinking. Demographics around the country are playing out in Montanas favor, and the Trump administrations intention of adding a citizenship question could dampen turnout in other states like Texas. If that state doesnt pick up a seat, Lamson said that means Montana is most likely to gain. All those things are colliding to make Montana right on the cusp, Lamson said. Especially when you look at our growth rate for the last three years, weve been doing quite well. If that continues, we could coast across the line and pick up a seat. In my lifetime, were the closest Ive seen to getting a seat back. Montana a first? No state that has gone from two districts to an at-large seat has ever regained that seat, so if it happens here Montana would be the first to do so, Lamson said. Other states are trying to gain districts and forming Complete Count committees to make sure as many people as possible are counted by the U.S. Census. The Missoulians Rob Chaney took a deep dive into Montanas efforts to boost Census turnout, and the article can be found online. Aside from the possibility of adding a congressional district, the number of people counted in the U.S. Census has direct ties to how much federal money the state gets for health, social and other programs. And with 45% of the state budget coming from federal funds and the hit of each undercounted person estimated at $20,000, not capturing everyone in the U.S. Census is a big deal. The Los Angeles Times reported California's spending on getting an accurate U.S. Census count could reach $150 million. Montana's Legislature allowed $100,000 to spend on U.S. Census efforts here, money Cooney said the Complete Count Committee will try to spread by leveraging groups forming in communities around the state and neighbor-to-neighbor outreach, which also helps build trust in the process. "Our $100,000 works out to about 9 cents a person, and we were lucky to get the $100,000," Cooney said. "Were going to use that $100,000 very wisely and carefully to get the biggest bang for the buck. We're using that money to try to go as deep into all those areas to get more and more people locally engaged and working with us." Though a citizenship question would likely have a greater effect on turnout in places like California or Texas, it could also hurt Montanas count. The state has other issues in making sure everyone is accounted for. Historically in Montana we have had undercounts, especially where you would think there would be undercounts, on the Indian reservations and within the higher-poverty areas within the cities, Lamson said. The Complete Count Committee is targeting those areas, Cooney said, by doing things like setting up subcommittees on each of the reservations and reaching out to places like food banks, libraries and more to help capture people who can be hard to reach. For the first time, there will be an effort with the 2020 count to have people respond online. Though that won't help many of Montana's places that are traditionally difficult to tally, it could mean make it easier for people with reliable internet access to self-report, freeing up resources to focus on other parts of Montana. "We're trying to leave no stone unturned," Cooney said. "Once people are accounted for, we can focus on those areas where we know that didn't work." Another challenge is finding enough people to work for the U.S. Census. Montana's low unemployment rate means jobs are hard to fill, even for flexible part-time work that pays well like a U.S. Census job, Cooney said. Dividing line If the question of whether Montana gets another district is answered in the affirmative, the next issue to take up is how to split the state in half to accommodate two districts. If Montana does gain a district in 2020, it wouldnt affect anything until the 2022 elections. Parker said that before Montana lost its second congressional district in 1993, the state was divided into a large eastern seat that trended conservative and a smaller western seat that was arguably more liberal. He believes that Bozeman might get split if the state is redistricted. Id be curious to see where Bozeman lands, he said. A bipartisan redistricting commission does state legislative seats, and the same goes for an additional U.S. House seat. They traditionally try to create seats that are likely to be won by one party or the other. I suspect it would be similar to what we had before, with a western, more-left district and an eastern, more-right district. He said Yellowstone County, where Billings is located, has become more conservative in the past decade, while fast-growing Gallatin County has become more liberal. Ultimately, Parker believes another district would be a good thing for the state. It would give us a little bigger seat at the table in Washington, D.C., he said. We would have a potentially more diverse congressional delegation that is a reflection of Montanas political diversity, which is often underrated. Ultimately were kind of a populist state. Elements of that fit in both the Democratic and Republican parties. It would be good for Montana. Lamson sits on the Districting and Apportionment Commission, which is just now starting its once-a-decade work on revising Montana's legislative districts to fit the growing state. That same committee is the one that would draw Montana's two U.S. House district boundaries. If Montana gains a seat, the commission will call a special meeting to review the population data and figure out how to cut the state in half. After a public comment period, it will vote on the new boundaries. The commission has five members, two appointed by Democrats in the Legislature, two by Republican. Those members nominate a chair, who has yet to be selected and is a choice that often goes to the state Supreme Court. In a meeting Friday, the committee solicited applications from members of the public in an attempt to fill the position with a person who is nonpartisan. From 2010-2018, 23 counties are estimated to have either lost population or experienced very little growth, with many of those in eastern Montana. Most of the population growth in Montana has been centered in the western and southwestern part of the state, but the Billings area and the oil-boom counties of eastern Montana also saw significant increases. The newest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that Missoula Countys population has grown from roughly 109,000 in 2010 to nearly 119,000 today. Thats an 8.7% increase, one of the larger increases in the state over that period. Its still far behind the rapid population growth of 25% experienced by Gallatin County or the 12.3% increase in Flathead County. Yellowstone County grew at 8.2%. Lamson predicts a western congressional district that makes up about a third of the geographical area of the state to get about half of the population. You basically have to take 100,000 people out of the west and put them to the east to balance things out, Lamson said. As Montana populations have grown, political voting blocs have developed. Though a western Montana district would contain the Flathead Valley, which tends to support Republicans, it would also include Democrat strongholds like Missoula. I think you would end up with one district that would be a swing district, more of a purple district, Lamson said. The other district would probably be a pretty hard red district, just looking at where people are. No matter how the politics shake out, having two representatives for smaller geographic areas and fewer constituents will mean better representation for Montanans, Lamson said. My No. 1 thing that I think we should all be focusing on right now is getting people aware of how important the Census is and one of the reasons is hopefully we can get what we deserve, which is two representatives, Lamson said. As a person whos had to run a statewide office, you still only get the same number of dollars and staff to serve not only a larger number of people but a larger geographic area. I dont think were getting as good of representation as we could have because we dont have the infrastructure to support it. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 "The first thing we do, let's kill all the referees." Admittedly, that is not quite how the famous line from Shakespeare's "Henry VI" goes. As you may recall, it was actually the lawyers whose demise was proposed. But though no one is known to have uttered the words above, they still neatly encompass the strategy conservatives have long used against the so-called "liberal media." Namely, undermine them and thus, their ability to act as arbiters of truth with relentless attacks on their credibility. No less an authority than conservative pundit Charlie Sykes admitted as much in a 2016 interview with journalist Oliver Darcy. "We've basically eliminated any of the referees, the gatekeepers," he said of himself and his conservative colleagues. Sykes spoke during the 2016 campaign when people were still stunned at the barrage of untruths spewing from the Republican candidate. "We've created this monster," said Sykes, adding that, "At a certain point, you wake up and you realize you have destroyed the credibility of any credible [news] outlet out there. And I am feeling, to a certain extent, that we are reaping the whirlwind at that." In related news, Donald Trump recently told the 10,000th lie of his presidency. This, according to The Washington Post, which maintains a database of all the times Trump has exaggerated, distorted or misled. Ten thousand. Feels like there ought to be a statue, or something. And what does Trump lie about? Pretty much everything. He lies about the border wall, claiming it is now being built. It isn't. He lies about his tax cut, claiming it was the biggest in history. It wasn't. He lies about the Mueller report, claiming it exonerates him. It doesn't. Indeed, the very same weekend he notched his dubious milestone, Trump told a particularly gruesome whopper about supposed legislation empowering a new mother and her doctor to "determine whether or not they will execute the baby." And how did The New York Times respond to this flaming canard? It called it "inaccurate," which raised something of a stink on Twitter. That's not surprising. Calling that hogwash "inaccurate" is like saying the Titanic was "delayed." The Times is not alone; most news organizations have resisted calling Trump's lies lies. Their reasoning, it must be conceded, is thoughtful. After all, to call something a lie is to impose judgment. Sometimes, when people are incorrect it's not a lie, only a mistake. But 10,000 times in a little over two years? How gullible must you be to believe someone could be that wrong that often by accident? If any other man told you half that many untruths, you'd call him a liar. You wouldn't hesitate. Yet here, we do. It sets an extraordinary precedent, yes, for a news organization to brand a president a liar. But these are extraordinary times and a liar, brazen and inveterate, is precisely what Trump is. In their refusal to call him that, in their insistence upon giving him the benefit of nonexistent doubt, news media compromise their prime directive, which is to present a picture of the world as it is. That's something we can ill afford with the very idea of truth under attack and the need for news media to do their jobs arguably more critical than ever. This is a time for forthrightness, yet too often journalists are anything but, from coverage of race, to climate change to this, as the newspaper of record dubs a grotesque lie merely "inaccurate." It makes you wonder if all the effort conservatives put into neutering the referees was not a waste of time. Seems the referees have done a fair job of neutering themselves. Leonard Pitts Jr. is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and bestselling author. His column appears on the Missoulian Opinion page each Sunday. Love 0 Funny 1 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 a few 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 in recent weeks to 21 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 myriad factors have contributed to the candidate boom, but there are two particularly influential reasons: the Democratic Party has no clear national leader, and Republican President Donald Trump has stoked Democrats passion and sense of urgency. Immigration systems were offline at Terminal B at OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday, causing huge delays for passengers. Passengers boarding international flights were all funnelled through the security and passport control queues behind the check-in desks of Terminal A. The queue stretched out of Terminal A, all the way through a door that is usually kept closed, to Terminal B. As travellers were checking the time and nervously watching the queue, airport staff started moving up and down the line searching for passengers who didnt have long to make their flights. There were a few staff who were not on an official assignment, however, but hunting for opportunity. Three passengers and I were ushered to the next terminal by an airport staff member who said she was going to help us get to our flights. You need to tip me for helping you, she said as we walked, and we laughed. It turned out I was the only one who thought it was a joke. Our helper pushed us through the massive line of passengers towards the special processing area for crew and assisted passengers. When she was well ahead of us, one of the travellers with me said that she was serious about the tip. This is South Africa, he said with a shrug. Upon arriving at the crew and assisted passengers queue, the line was so congested that our helper was directed to use a special door that gives access to the front of the queue at the standard security check. She pushed us into the normal security queue and said that she would meet us after we cleared passport control. This struck me as strange. I walked through Duty Free and to the gate. A different staff member then said to me: Hey, arent you flying to Madrid? Yes, I said, wondering whether checked-in passengers were already being called to board. He started calling a name the woman who had helped us get through immigration on time to make our flights. I want my tip, she said. Tip? I asked. Did you think I was doing it out of the kindness of my heart, helping you through? I was incredulous. I thought you were getting us to our planes on time. Your job. Im a frequent traveller and no one has ever asked for money to help get me through immigration on time. This was your first time? So youre not going to give me a tip? she asked, angry. No. Its very unusual, I said. Well. Good luck. she said. As she walked away, she dialled a number and put her phone to her ear and I was worried she would call in a favour to inconvenience me. I was worried for nothing, however. I was able to board my flight without incident, and it even managed to depart on time despite the problems at passport control. As for my helper the last I saw she was pacing around the Duty Free area, talking on her phone. Airport responds OR Tambo has issued a statement following this report, saying it would ensure that it cracked down on employees who ask passengers and airport visitors for tips. Now read: No more boarding announcements at regional airports in South Africa An investigation by UK advocacy group Which? found that Apple has been significantly overstating the battery life of its smartphones. The organisation carried out a number of tests to determine whether the average talk time for popular smartphone models lined up with the battery life claims of their manufacturers. Nine iPhone models were tested, and the investigation found that all fell short of Apples battery life claims, with Apple stating that its iPhone batteries lasted between 18% and 51% longer than they actually did. The biggest battery life overstatement was for the iPhone Xr, with the device only lasting for 16 hours and 32 minutes compared to Apples claim that it would last 25 hours. HTC also reportedly overstated its battery life claims by around 5%, although the test found that Nokia, Samsung, and Sony all understated their average talk time for a single charge. When conducting its test, Which? charged up new, independently-purchased smartphones and tested how long they lasted when making continuous calls. The company said it also put smartphones through a number of different tests before making a ruling on battery life. Now read: Powerful spyware targets iPhone and Android users Microsoft is rolling out a change to its Windows 10 updates which gives users more control over when they download and install feature updates. These updates are much larger than standard updates, and can subsequently take significantly longer to download and install. Windows 10 now offers users the option to Download and install now when a new update is available, which allows users to confirm that they would like to download a larger update. Users on Reddit have confirmed that this option has begun to roll out to various preview builds of the operating system. After using this option to begin downloading and installing the new update, users will be able to pause the update for up to 35 days. This change aims to improve the Windows 10 update experience and reduce the potential for major updates interfering with productivity. The Windows 10 update changes were initially announced in April, but they have now begun to roll out to preview builds of Windows 10 1903 and the May 2019 update, and are expected to become available on older versions of the operating system later this month. Now read: Why Windows 10 users are giving up Chrome for Microsoft Edge I did not authorise payment for ... By Prosy Kisakye. As the country prepares for the 2021 general elections 54% Ugandans dont want the incumbent president to contest again. This was revealed in the public opinion poll report conducted by the Research world International in the concluded month of April in 60 districts. While releasing this report in Kampala today Patrick wakida, the executive director Research World International most Ugandans want Museveni to contest for presidency again saying he should rest and let others also to govern and see how they can handle it. Meanwhile 32% members of NRM dont want president to appear again on the next ballot paper in the coming elections yet 68% NRM members still believe in his governance. However 50% NRM party supporters said that theres no perfect match in NRM to succeed Museveni. The St. Helena Catholic Church Refugee Accompaniment Ministry invites the public to learn more about the international refugee crisis on Wednesday, May 15, at the St. Helena Catholic Church. The evening begins at 5 p.m. with a bilingual celebration of the Eucharist, with Father Tom Smolich, international director of Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS), presiding. From 5:45 to 7 p.m., gather at the Parish Life Center to hear from experts from JRS and members of the community who joined JRS to visit refugee centers in Arizona, Nogales, Mexico City and Tapachula, Mexico. Speakers will include: Father Tom Smolish on The Rapidly Evolving Global Crises Joan Rosenhauer, director of JRS/USA, on Challenges Facing Refugees Fleeing to the U.S. Julie Garvey on meeting refugees in Nogales Ana Canales on meeting refugees in Mexico City and the Northern Triangle Border in Tapachula, Chiapas. The St. Helena City Council will hold a special budget session at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 9, at the firehouse. Staff will seek the councils direction on the draft 2019-2020 draft budget, which is available at cityofsthelena.org. The council is scheduled to discuss the General Plan update at its next regular meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, at Vintage Hall. The council had also planned to discuss the future of the Adams Street property, but that discussion has been postponed to May 28. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Napa County Farm Bureau Mount Everest is covered in trash. Decades of climbing on the world's highest mountain have turned it into a very tall garbage dump, strewn with rubbish, human waste and even bodies. But dedicated and impressively fit volunteers are tackling the problem by carrying out one of the world's most ambitious cleanups, and it's seeing immediate results. Three metric tons (6,613 pounds) of garbage have been collected from the mountain in just the first two weeks of the scheme, according to AFP. That's about the weight of two SUVs, or a large male hippo. The task is being carried out by a 14-member team, which has been given the task of recovering 10 metric tons within 45 days, the agency reported. Waste recovered on the Everest Cleaning Campaign includes empty cans, bottles, plastic and discarded climbing gear. An army helicopter has assisted in removing the garbage, and the team is set to ascend to higher camps to collect more. Four bodies have also been located on the 29,029-foot mountain, officials said. "Our team has now reached the Everest Base Camp for the cleaning campaign. All the necessary things including food, water and shelter have already been arranged there," Dandu Raj Ghimire, director general of Nepal's Tourism Department, told reporters, according to the Himalayan Times. The Nepalese government and local communities have long been wrestling with the problem of waste on the mountain as climbers from across the world travel to the country every year to attempt to ascend its summit. Since 2011, regular efforts have been made to recover several tons of trash from the mountain, and waste management systems have been introduced. According to the Everest Summiteers Association, the enormous increase in visitors in recent decades has had a severe impact on the mountain's sensitive environment. The government also introduced a deposit for climbers in 2014, which is returned if they come back to the mountain's base with eight kilograms of trash. In February, China banned non-climbers from its side of the mountain in an effort to reduce waste. But those in charge of the cleanup have another problem to deal with: climate change, which is melting snow on the mountain quicker and exposing an increasing number of dead bodies. "Due to the impact of climate change and global warming, snow and glaciers are fast melting and dead bodies are increasingly being exposed and discovered by climbers," Ang Tshering Sherpa, former president of Nepal Mountaineering Association, told CNN in March. More than 200 mountaineers have died on the peak since 1922, when the first climbers' deaths on Everest were recorded. The majority of bodies are believed to have remained buried under glaciers or snow. The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. Every session of the California Legislature generates some bills that can only be labeled as silly that is, they defy common sense. One example this year is a bill that would abolish paper receipts at retail businesses, requiring customers to supply their email addresses so merchants can send them electronic records of their purchases. The rationale for the legislation, Assembly Bill 161 by Assemblyman Phil Ting, a San Francisco Democrat, is to reduce paper waste that may contain dangerous chemicals. The supposed problem this bill purports to solve is minuscule, or more likely infinitesimal. But if it becomes law, it will build databases for merchants that can be used for marketing, and make it easier for hackers to steal consumers identities. Another is Assembly Bill 1162, the brainchild of Assemblyman Ash Kalra, a San Jose Democrat, which would prohibit hotels from supplying their patrons with tiny containers of shampoo and other personal care products, once again on the spurious notion that it would reduce the waste stream. Kalra takes his cue from a local ordinance to that effect in Santa Cruz County. If the residents of that county want to engage in feel-good gestures, thats their business. But why should their foolishness be foisted on the 40 million other Californians and the millions of people who visit California each year? Both bills, as well as many others, reflect the current Legislatures yen to regulate or eliminate every aspect of human behavior that doesnt comport with current progressive dogma. But theres a point at which silliness gives way to pure dumbness and that brings us to Assembly Bill 857. Carried by Assemblyman David Chiu, also a San Francisco Democrat, the measure would authorize local governments to create their own banks. During an Assembly committee hearing on the measure last month, Chiu railed at Wall Street bankers who have mistreated consumers. He portrayed local government-owned banks as an antidote that would provide financing for progressive projects and services and shun loans to such politically incorrect activities as oil drilling and the manufacture of guns and cigarettes. The private banking system has unfortunately failed, Chiu said, contending that local government-owned banks would keep taxpayer dollars in local communities. While Chiu demonized big banks who certainly have not been paragons of ethical operations shifting local government funds into their own banks would have virtually no impact on the big guys. Rather, as the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee was told by several witnesses, it would undermine the liquidity of local community banks, create unfair competition to those banks, and disrupt the pooled money investment accounts that county treasurers maintain for other local governments. From that standpoint alone, AB 857 is flawed. But thats just the beginning of its dangerous aspects. At the very least, local politicians would be under terrific pressure to provide funds from their banks for cockamamie schemes that cant pass muster with regular banks. Furthermore, under the legislation, any local government entity could create a bank even the tiniest mosquito abatement or water district. Weve seen time after time how sharp operators gain political control of such obscure agencies and then devise ways to manipulate their powers, such as issuing bonds and awarding lucrative contracts, to loot their treasuries. Its why the speaker of the state Assembly, Anthony Rendon, calls his Los Angeles County district a corridor of corruption. Creating local government banks would be creating new conduits to such chicanery. And that makes AB 857, which won committee approval, a very dumb bill. CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary. James Comey, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, took to the New York Times opinion pages on Wednesday to examine why seemingly top-drawer people lose their principles, courage, bearings and voices once they enter President Donald Trump's orbit. Comey published his column the same day Attorney General William Barr testified in the Senate about how he went about ingesting, publishing and spinning Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report. Barr ran interference for Trump throughout the hearing and the president's apparent ability to co-opt Barr troubled Comey. The ex-FBI boss thinks Barr succumbed to Trump because the attorney general's moral backbone has gone missing. "Accomplished people lacking inner strength can't resist the compromises necessary to survive Mr. Trump and that adds up to something they will never recover from," Comey wrote. "Mr. Trump eats your soul in small bites." That's a fetching bit of analysis. But I think it's wrong, at least in Barr's case. He has all the inner strength he needs. Consider the Senate hearing. Barr was hardly a hostage unshackled to do battle for his master. He absorbed and beat back questions for hours, his jaw set, his gaze defiant, his demeanor alternating from bored to condescending, and his responses weighted and phrased to indicate that his answers were the only correct answers. His tolerance for questions about his motives, methodology and integrity was limited. When members of the House of Representatives got ready for their turn to grill him on Thursday, Barr simply blew them off. He's 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 general's 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. The roots of this run deep and pre-date Barr's arrival in Trump's White House. As Charlie Sykes noted in The Bulwark this week, Barr "has for 30 years been the go-to guy for protecting a president, covering up scandals, and obstructing investigations." The late Times columnist, William Safire, labeled Barr "General Coverup" in 1992 when, as George H.W. Bush's attorney general, he failed to appoint an independent counsel to closely examine funding for Iraq's then dictator, Saddam Hussein. Safire used the same label for Barr after he derailed an independent counsel's probe of the Iran-Contra scandal. Amid the recent controversy surrounding the Mueller report, Barr has proven adept at using the language of the law to present himself as an institutionalist mindful of process and an evidentiary approach. At the same time, he has ignored or misinterpreted evidence while running roughshod over process in an effort to control the narrative and public perceptions of the report. Barr rushed to provide a summary of the Mueller probe when it landed on his desk in late March because, he claimed during Wednesday's hearing, the "body politic was in a high state of agitation." Perhaps. But his need for speed also allowed him to interpret a report that the general public had yet to see. Barr used that opportunity to actively misrepresent some of Mueller's findings. Click here for a comparison between what Mueller actually said in certain sections of his report and how Barr cherry-picked the phrasing to cast them in often inaccurate and more favorable light. When Barr testified before House and Senate committees in early April he was in possession of a letter from Mueller complaining that his summary "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of the special counsel's report. Barr didn't mention the letter or its observations during the hearings - even though one congressman specifically asked him if Mueller's team was concerned about the Barr summary. Barr's effort to control the narrative - rather than act like a process-oriented lawman - reasserted itself two weeks ago when he released a redacted version of the Mueller report. Before doing so he held an odd press briefing in which he repeatedly landed on one of Trump's talking points ("No collusion!") and revisited his original summary of the report. (And Barr still hadn't disclosed the Mueller letter's existence or observations.) The hearing on Wednesday was also loaded with misdirection and stage management rather than the close adherence to the law that Barr kept emphasizing as paramount. This rundown from Lawfare's Ben Wittes is a good, comprehensive overview of Barr's conduct from someone who has previously gone out of his way to support his approach. "Not in my memory has a sitting attorney general more diminished the credibility of his department on any subject," Wittes observes. "Barr has consistently sought to spin his department's work in a highly political fashion, and he has done so to cast the president's conduct in the most favorable light." Barr was astute enough to try to turn the table on arguments like this during the hearing itself, even though the facts still weigh against him. "Two years of his administration have been dominated by the allegations that have now been proven false," Barr said on Wednesday. "And, you know, to listen to some of the rhetoric, you would think that the Mueller report had found the opposite." It's not true that all of the allegations leveled at Trump have been proven wrong. Possible obstruction of justice still looms large around all of this, for example. Barr no doubt knows this. But he's playing a longer game. He's in this to secure the priorities and the prerogatives of the executive branch, and that has nothing to do with the White House or Trump taking bites out of his soul. It's just who William Barr is, and always has been. Timothy L. O'Brien is the executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. He has been an editor and writer for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, HuffPost and Talk magazine. His books include "TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald." For over a year, the United States has unilaterally imposed a series of escalating tariffs on Chinese imports to pressure China to reform its unfair trade practices and slow Chinas rise as a global technology power. This strategy has been ineffective. More troubling, it places Californias robust economy and innovation leadership at risk. Foreign companies face significant challenges conducting business in China. They often are required to move servers and infrastructure to the country, and share valuable intellectual property with local agencies with which they must partner. These requirements expose American firms to risk of IP theft, cyber threat, and business disruption. In addition to addressing unfair trade practices, President Donald Trumps administration imposed tariffs to slow China as it challenges the United States for global tech supremacy. We must take that challenge seriously. Since 1991, China has increased spending on research and development from $13 billion annually to over $250 billion annually in 2017. Some financial experts predict Chinas innovation spending will surpass Americas by 2020. China is also trying to dethrone the U.S. in specific emerging technologies. In 2015, it launched the Made in China 2025 initiative, a government program to position the country as a world leader in high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, telecommunications, and advanced manufacturing. The administration may hold out hope that the tariff strategy will compel China to change its ways, but dispute resolution between the countries remains unfinished. China has agreed to minor trade adjustments, but larger changes regarding data localization, IP security, and tech transfers have not been formalized. Further, Chinese leaders quietly retreated from publicly referencing the Made in China 2025 initiative shortly after the dispute began, but there is no evidence they have abandoned their larger effort. Unfair trade practices and the rise of a global tech competitor deserve a thoughtful response. But tariffs against China threaten Californias tech industry, which accounts for over $385 billion of our state economy. Immediately after the U.S. increased costs on Chinese products, China reciprocated with higher tariffs on American tech imports including computers, chemicals, and transportation components. As their products became more expensive overseas, California companies faced lower consumer demand and reduced market share. The tariffs also made the building blocks of new technologies more expensive. Data-processing machines, printed-circuit assemblies, silicon chips and other core tech components from China are subject to higher costs. These added expenses undercut the profitability of companies, and make competing in expensive California more difficult. Relocating to lower-cost innovation hubs in other states looks more attractive to cost-conscious businesses. The financial impact of the Chinese tariffs also threatens Californias innovation lead over global competitors. When a company spends more on imported elements, it spends less on new products and imaginative breakthroughs. This puts Golden State companies at risk of an innovation deficit, falling behind foreign organizations that have more money to spend on research and development. If the United States wants to lead global trade and the development of emerging technologies, it must abandon the go it alone approach of imposing tariffs that put a strain on Californias economy and innovation. One path forward would be to work with international partners. In 2016, the U.S. pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a coalition of 12 Pacific countries that formed a unified trade bulwark against China. Now, Congress and the Administration should discuss rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. A unified and leveraged approach to addressing trade and tech disputes with China is a better plan for resolving the current conflict, and will keep the U.S. front-and-center in the global dialogue around international trade and future technologies. Peter Leroe-Munoz is vice-president of Technology & Innovation Policy for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. He wrote this commentary for CALmatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias Capitol works and why it matters. An upcoming travel seminar to learn more about traveling with Napa Valley College on exciting and affordable group trips is being offered on Tuesday, June 4. The seminar is 10 to 11 a.m. at the Napa Main Campus, Room 838. For more than 40 years, Napa Valley College has provided thousands of participants with the opportunity to enjoy enriching and life-changing journeys in the U.S. and abroad. The college does the planning and execution of details so participants can comfortably and safely be escorted to destinations of interest. One new destination for the college trips program is Morocco. It will be a small group departure with 19 people maximum. Dates for the trip are Jan. 30-Feb. 9, 2020. Moroccos cities are some of the most exciting on the continent, and on this 11-day journey, youll explore their cobbled alleyways, fragrant markets, ancient souks, and winding alleys. Youll also hop on a camel caravan and travel ancient routes across the Sahara Desert and along the High Atlas Mountains. Youll meet local farmers, experience traditional Gnawa music, and cook tagine with a womens coop in Marrakesh. Throughout this exotic journey, youll be enjoying Moroccan fare and soaking up all the spices of the fabled gateway to Africa. From the modern pulse of Casablanca to the ancient mosques of Fez, Morocco is a country of unbridled colors, flavors, and diversity. Other destinations that will be introduced at the seminar are: Discover Washington, D.C. April 914, 2020 View the extraordinary monuments throughout the National Mall that commemorate the heroes who have shaped Americas past, including the World War II Monument, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial. Wander Mt. Vernons beautiful grounds, and tour the home of George Washington. Uncover the gems of the Smithsonian Institution as you explore some of its world-renowned museum collections. Tour Washington National Cathedral. Canyon Country April 29 May 6, 2020 A journey through Canyon Country brings you into a colorful world of stunning southwestern vistas and the unique topography of three national parks: Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon. Delve into the regions Native American history during a chat with a local tribe member. Shop in Sedonas marketplace and travel through Kaibab National Forest. Spend a night on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Luxuriate at the Lake Powell Resort for two nights. Choose to either tour Monument Valley on a narrated ride or cruise through the canyons for a different perspective. Azores Archipelago August 7-16, 2020 Enter an untouched paradise on an adventure through the Azores, the archipelago gems of Portugal. Explore the entire rim of the Sete Cidades Caldera. Spend two nights in a lava stone house overlooking the Atlantic. Indulge in a traditional Cozido das Furnas meal, which is cooked by the heat of the volcanic earth. Admire an exclusive viewpoint of Furnas Lake during lunch at the Terra Nostra Tea House. Sample local dairy goods at a family-owned cheese shop. Descend into Algar do Carvao, an ancient lava tube known as the Cavern of Coal, with an expert guide. From thermal pools and lush craters to local farms and volcanic cuisine, delve into the culture of Portuguese island life. Spotlight on Santa Fe Sept. 1318, 2020 Discover Santa Fe on this Southwestern getaway. Start with a guided walking tour through the Santa Fe Plaza, the heart of the city where youll see the Santa Fe Indian Market, Palace of the Governors, and Loretto Chapel. Try your hand at making tamales at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Uncover the sculpted canyons and cliff dwellings once inhabited by the Pueblo Indians at Bandelier National Monument. Santa Fes flourishing art scene, Native American roots and welcoming atmosphere await. New England Backroads October, 2020 More details to follow on this trip that concentrates of the beautiful fall foliage of Vermont. From the Outback to the Glaciers November, 2020 Explore the diverse wonders of the lands Down Under. The rugged Outback will introduce you to the Aboriginal life and culture of Alice Springs and Ayers Rock. Delve into the colorful world of the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House and a dinner cruise on Sydney Harbour. Explore the snow-capped peaks, vistas, gorges and waterfalls of New Zealands Southern Alps. Cruise Milford Sound. Settle in for a 3-night stay in Queenstown. Experience the Franz Josef Glacier and the majestic Mt. Cook region. Cap off your adventure making new friends when dining with a family in their home. For more detailed information on these trips or to RSVP for the seminar, call 967-2940 and leave your name and address. Or email: Jsercu@napavalley.edu. Nepal president Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Friday said that the country is planning to commence railway construction within two years to connect the capital city Kathmandu with India and China. Reports stated that the president revealed this big initiative by Nepal in the Parliament on Friday. Bhandari said that the detailed project reports of Birgunj-Kathmandu and Rasuwagadhi-Kathmandu railways will be prepared soon. She also revealed that the first trans-border railway between Nepal and India will be planned in the upcoming financial year. The president of Nepal also disclosed some of the other railway connectivity plans of Nepal to be carried out in the next financial year. Also read: Nepals premier airline Buddha Air introduces direct flights to Guwahati Among the plans, one is that railway service will be made operational at Jayanagar- Bijalpura and from Bathnaha, India to Biratnagar. Another plan involves the completion of the construction of the railway at Bijalpura-Bardibas segment. Apart from big rail connectivity plans, the Nepal government is also working to make two of its airports which are Gautam Buddha Airport and Pokhara International Airport operational by 2019 and 2021 respectively. Bhandari also aims to bring about a major transformation in the employment scenario of Nepal with the plan of creating an employment opportunity for 50,000 people. The United Nations (UN) has urged everyone not to forget the plight of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and help them in returning safely to their homes in Myanmar. After visiting the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladeshs Cox Bazaar area, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock expressed his sadness on witnessing the worse living conditions of the refugees and said that their organization was seeking to raise money to help the refugees and their host community. According to reports, a 20-member delegation of UN organizations including United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) visited Coxs Bazar and inspected food distribution centres under World Food Program (WPF) and talked to the refugee women and children. They also assessed ongoing work to address weather-related risks, including strengthening shelters, improving infrastructure, and training volunteers while recognizing the critical role the refugees themselves are playing in these efforts. The Head of UNHCR Filippo Grandi claimed that the Rohingya refugee crisis was one of the worlds biggest one as the conditions of most of the Rohingya women and children are quite fragile. After visiting Coxs Bazar this trip they noted that almost half of the 540,000 refugee children under the age of 12 are missing out completely on an education, while the remainder are only able to access very limited schooling. Over one million Rohingya refugees are living in overcrowded refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh. Bangladeshs Foreign Minister A K Momen said that the government is planning to relocate around 100000 Rohingya refugees to Bhashan Char Island before the advent of monsoon season. However, some human rights groups have expressed concern over this plan as the island is remote and prone to devastation from cyclones. Armenia PM on first meeting held in '3+2' regional format Armenia PM on opening of communications Yerevan mayor's oath-taking ceremony to be held on Dec. 25 Putin to not call Biden on the phone to wish him a Merry Christmas Armenia PM on granting status of observer to Azerbaijan within Eurasian Economic Union Georgia Parliament Speaker resigns Armenia's Pashinyan: I refuse to discuss any issue related to the army publicly Armenia PM: If the Armenian-Turkish negotiations are a success, of course, there will be a meeting with Erdogan Earthquake hits Armenia-Georgia border zone Armenia PM: I returned from meeting in Sochi with a feeling of satisfaction 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 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 Premier League: Another Boxing Day match postponed 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 Drake gets tattoo in memory of Louis Vuitton designer Virgil Abloh 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 Kim Kardashian shows jewelry of Armenian brand 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 76 cases of influenza A virus subtype H3 confirmed in Armenia Dusan Tadic named Serbia's top footballer of the year Botulism case with 4 victims reported in Armenias Ararat Province Cardi B gives Offset a $ 2 million check for his birthday 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? What is best breakfast to curb sugar cravings throughout the day? LEquipe: Messi, Neymar, Mbappe not on Ligue 1 team of years first half Newspaper: Details became known from closed meeting between Armenia PM, parliament majority faction Harry and Meghan release first photo of Lilibet US arms exports fall 21% in 2021 Man City to also compete for Erling Haaland's transfer Diaspora Commissioner: More than 1.5 million people left Armenia in 30 years Pele discharged from hospital after chemotherapy Arsenal ready to exchange Aubameyang for Coutinho 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 Juventus have eye on 2 Man United players Iraq calls for launch of direct talks between US and Iran Hayk Marutyan bids staff of Yerevan Municipality farewell Guardiola says players could go on workers' strike 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 Inter footballer's apartment robbed, EUR 200,000 in damages 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) YEREVAN. Capital city Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction Judge Vardan Grigoryan, who was to preside over the trial of the criminal case against second President Robert Kocharyan and some other former officials of Armenia, has recused himself from hearing this case. This was reported to Armenian News-NEWS.am by the Judicial Department, which, however, did not note the reasons for this recusal. The case has already been submitted to the court office and, according to the procedure, it shall be reassigned to another judge. On April 29, the court hearing of this criminal case had been assigned to Judge Vardan Grigoryan. As reported earlier, the prosecutor has confirmed the indictment on the part that has been separated from the criminal case on the events of March 2008 in Yerevan, and regarding Robert Kocharyan, Seyran Ohanyan, Yuri Khachaturov, and Armen Gevorgyan. The Special Investigation Service had assessed that there was sufficient evidence to file charges against second President Robert Kocharyan, former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and former CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov, and former Deputy Prime Minister and ex-Secretary of the National Security Council Armen Gevorgyan. Accordingly, Kocharyan has been charged with breaching the constitutional order and taking a particularly large bribe; Ohanyan and Khachaturov are charged with breaching the constitutional order; and Gevorgyan is charged with aiding in breaching the constitutional order, taking a particularly large bribe, and legalizing unlawfully acquired property. But solely Robert Kocharyan is remanded in custody in connection with this criminal case. Seyran Ohanyan and Armen Gevorgyan have been released on a signature bond, while Yuri Khachaturovon bail. On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown capital city Yerevan, and against the results of the presidential election on February 19, 2008. Eight demonstrators as well as two servicemen of the internal troops were killed in the clashes. YEREVAN. Vladimir Karapetian, spokesperson of the Prime Minister of Armenia, was in Tbilisi at the invitation of his Georgian counterpart. The Armenian governments press service informed this to Armenian News-NEWS.am. On the first day of his visit, Karapetian met with director Malkhaz Mikeladze of the Department of Relations with Neighbouring Countries and Regions of the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and spokesperson Vladimer Konstantinidi of the Georgian MFA. Karapetian presented the ongoing processes in Armenia ever since the velvet and nonviolent revolution, foreign policy priorities, and continued radical reforms in the country. Also, he reaffirmed PM Nikol Pashinyans position that the fraternal relations with Georgia have a special place on the foreign policy agenda of Armenia, and the latter intends to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with Georgia. On the second day of his visit to Tbilisi, Vladimir Karapetian met with Maia Tabagari, Head of Press Office of the Prime Minister of Georgia. The interlocutors discussed cooperation between the press services of the state agencies of the two countries. Subsequently, the spokesperson of the PM of Armenia met with editors and analysts from leading Georgian media. And at the end of his visit to Tbilisi, Vladimir Karapetian got together with representatives of the Georgian Armenian community. YEREVAN. The health condition of 21-year-old military serviceman Aganik Zoroglyan, who was severely wounded in the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR) in the adversarys fire, remains very severe. Spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, on Monday told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am. This soldier is getting treatment at the MOD Central Clinical Military Hospital in capital city Yerevan. As reported earlier, on May 4, 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. Zoroglyan was operated on and taken to the Artsakh capital city Stepanakert Military Hospital. The serviceman was wounded in the head. According to the information which Armenian News-NEWS.am received, Aganik Zoroglyan had come from Russia last year to voluntarily serve in the army. YEREVAN. The Prosecutor General of Armenia, Artur Davtyan, on Monday received a delegation led by Jorgan Andrews, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the United States. In particular, Davtyan expressed satisfaction with the US government assistance in criminal proceedings, the Prosecutor Generals Office informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. Also, he lauded the cooperation between the two countries in mutual legal assistance. Andrews, in turn, noted that the fight against corruption is a priority for the US government and they expect to continue the respective cooperation. The interlocutors discussed new opportunities and avenues for cooperation in several crime-related domains, and the Armenian Prosecutor General presented his offices initiatives in these domains. The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, for his part, expressed readiness especially in expertise assistance, knowhow and information exchange, and cooperation in criminal justice. 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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 On May 4, Ayb School hosted the Curriculum Vitae Forum 2019 (Global Management Trends and Challenges), which featured speeches by the top local and international experts in communication, leadership and management and professors of the University of Sheffield. The forum is held at the initiative of Fnet and under the sponsorship of the Department of International Relations at the University of Sheffield and has gathered representatives of PR and marketing communication, telecommunication and IT sectors, startups, business consultants, students of the relevant faculties of universities and mass media representatives Presenting the goals of the forum, co-founder and general manager of Fnet Gevorg Yengibaryan said the following: As one of the telecommunication companies in Armenia, we established the Curriculum Vitae Forum, the goals of which are to present the processes and achievements in the spheres of business and management, identify the problems and development trends and strengthen the cooperation between the top specialists and experts in Armenia and abroad. Director of the MBA Department of the University of Sheffield and senior lecturer Lesley Thomas Szamosi stated that Armenia is in a new stage of development and, from this perspective, it is important for the public and private sectors to quickly become integrated to the global trends, understanding the essence of corporate and individual resistance to changes. The future is now, and changes start with the individual. Fortunately, the new generation is more enterprising, and Im certain that the economy, tourism, education, telecommunication and other major sectors of the country will grow rapidly, Lesley Thomas Szamosi said in her speech. Everything is changing rapidly in a digitizing world, and this is a challenge for specialists. Today, more than ever, they have to be flexible and be able to respond and find solutions immediately. This is exactly how we build our CVs. Each of has experience and ideas that are perfected and change over time, the forums speaker, co-founder of SPRING PR Tatevik Simonyan said in her speech. The features of applying gamification for EQ management and the involvement of employees and clients, the modern trends in human resource management, the issues of innovation in education and solutions and the opportunities for increasing sales through the application of behavioral tools in marketing were discussed during the forum. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received today the delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary in the European and Eurasian Bureau at the U.S. Department of State George Kent, reports the news service of the Staff of the Prime Minister of Armenia. The Prime Minister stated that the ongoing deepening of the friendly ties and constructive partnership with the US is of major significance for Armenia. The US Deputy Assistant Secretary stated that he is glad to visit Armenia again (after the parliamentary elections) and discuss the cooperation agenda with Armenia. According to Kent, the US is interested in the enhancement of US-Armenia relations and partnership in priority sectors of Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan indicated partnership in reforms in the judiciary, the fight against corruption and in elections and the police sector as major institutional directions. Touching upon the opportunities for the development of economic relations, the head of government viewed cooperation in the dam construction, infrastructures, technologies and environment sectors as prospective. Kent stated that the US welcomes Armenias actions for the development of democracy, economic advancement and in other areas and is ready to support the Armenian government in the implementation of reforms. The Prime Minister and the US Deputy Assistant Secretary also exchanged views on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as the challenges and processes in the region. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. On May 6, the Council of the National Assembly of Armenia held a session chaired by Speaker of the National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan, reports the news service of the National Assembly of Armenia. The bills on making additions to the agenda for the second sitting of the seventh convocation of the National Assembly and the bills of the regular sessions to be convened on May 7 were considered and approved, and the sequence and duration of the consideration of the issues on the agenda for the regular sessions were established. Debates over the package of laws on making amendments and supplements to the Law "On the structure and activities of the Government and related laws will last up to two hours. The Council decided to remove the package of bills envisaging amendments and supplements to the Law "On public-private partnership" and related laws from the draft agenda of the regular sessions and recommended considering the package during the next regular sessions. Upon the Councils decision, the composition of the Armenia-Costa Rica Parliamentary Friendship Group was approved. Former President of Georgia and former governor of Odessa Oblast Mikheil Saakashvili is planning on returning to Kiev and helping President-elect Vladimir Zelensky with advice. In an interview with the Belarusian Belsat newspaper, the politician stated that even though Ukraine is his home, the issue of Georgias salvation is a priority issue for him. I definitely want to return to Ukraine because I was illegally deprived of citizenship and was crudely expelled from the country, and I believe justice has to be served in that regard, especially since the same thing happened to me in Georgia. Neither Georgia nor Ukraine allows my entry, and Putin, who is currently trolling me (he said something about me at a press conference yesterday), has not only officially discussed the matter with not only his selected president in Georgia and publicly called on Poroshenko to expel me from Ukraine, but has also discussed the matter with President of Turkey and the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to not let me enter the territory. So, this is unjust. I am touring the world. Why cant I go to Tbilisi and Kiev? I have big plans for Georgia. I believe it is necessary to save Georgia, he said. India Roebuck, C'20, was elected to a leadership position at the 30th Annual Session of the Maryland Student Legislature. Roebuck was named as lieutenant governor of the current council of statea group of students elected into leadership roles within the organization. The elected students take the titles of and act as their counterparts do within the General Assembly. Other Mount students participating in the program were Nia Brown, Miriam Crouse, Nia Grant, Johnathon Gravely, Melissa Marin, Richard Medina, Hanna Nilles and Delmont Ruiz. The Maryland Student Legislature, created at the University of Maryland in 1989, educates students from Maryland colleges and universities about the political process. The event fosters debate about complex issues facing the state and municipalities, and encourages Marylands young people to be politically active. At the sessions, students simulate the work and procedures of the Maryland General Assembly. The event, held April 12-14 at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, featured keynote speaker Senator Sarah Elfreth, one of the youngest women to be elected to the Maryland State Senate. She shared with students her experience running for elected office and her work as a legislator. During this session, students debated proposed legislation regarding topics such as financial disclosure for presidential candidates and environmental regulations about plastic straws. With the debates, we had to think fast. And learning the parliamentary procedures was a great experience, strengthening the skills I hope to utilize in my long-term career goals, said Miriam Crouse, C22. Conducting the session in the Maryland State House added to the real-world quality of the experience. Criminal justice and political science major Richard Medina, C21, said, I felt like I was living the life of a state representative, assisting with potential legislation, meeting people from around Maryland, and even being able to debate among my peers. My most memorable experience was passing our simulated bill among our student general body that will soon be on the desks of real state representatives for Maryland. The Mount students presented themselves with dignity and professionalism at the session. The Political Science Department hopes to grow the Mount delegation to the Maryland Student Legislature in the coming years. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] We listen to local police and fire departments scanner traffic, but sometimes miss crimes, wrecks, fires or other incidents, especially if they happen overnight. If you know of something were not covering yet, please let Managing Editor Jeff Pownall know by emailing him at jpownall@lufkindailynews.com, or submit a news tip online by visiting lufkindailynews.com/tips. Afghan Taliban Claims 140 Casualties in 5-Man Suicide Raid in Baghlan, Warns of Similar Attacks to Come Elsewhere in Country Melissa McCarthy (photo provided). Melissa McCarthy to receive an honorary doctorate at SIUs 2019 commencement by Hannah Erickson CARBONDALE, Ill. Two-time Emmy Award winner and two time Academy Award nominated actor, director, producer and designer, Melissa McCarthy is returning to Carbondale to receive an honorary doctorate of performing arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondales May 2019 commencement. With over a billion dollars in box-office receipts and known for her performances in movies such as Bridesmaids, "Spy, "The Boss," "Tammy," The Heat, and this years "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" McCarthys journey started at SIU studying fashion design. Leaving for New York after two years to further her fashion studies, McCarthy began performing stand-up at places such as The Duplex, The Improv and Stand-Up New York. After moving to Los Angeles she joined the legendary Los Angeles comedy troupe, The Groundlings, spending nine years as a main-stage member of the renowned group. After gaining fans and attention for her years with the Gilmore Girls, McCarthy landed the lead role on the show Mike and Molly, earning her first Emmy Award and two additional nominations. She received a second Emmy Award and four additional nominations after hosting Saturday Night Live five times. McCarthy, received her first academy award nomination for her comedic portrayal as Megan in the popular romantic comedy, Bridesmaids. She has won the Inaugural Peoples Icon Award at the 2018 Peoples Choice Awards, along with the coveted Comedic Genius Award from MTV. Most recently, she has received nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics Choice Movie Award and a Golden Globe award for her 2019 critically acclaimed movie, Can You Ever Forgive Me? Tracing her roots back to SIU A native of Plainfield, Illinois, McCarthy came to SIU in 1988 for fashion design and merchandising. McCarthys connection to SIU goes even deeper than the years she spent in school, as her husband, Ben Falcone, is a Carbondale native. While the two met while performing and studying at the renowned Groundlings Theatre and School in Los Angeles, they both lived in Carbondale at the same time. Falcone is a Carbondale Community High School graduate, with his parents still living in the area. Those roots snuck into McCarthys professional career, with the opening scene of her hit movie, Tammy, being set in Murphysboro, Illinois. "Im thrilled and honored to be returning to Southern after all these years, and as a doctor no less, McCarthy said. GO SALUKIS!" In addition to her impressive acting career, McCarthy returned to her designer roots and created an eponymous clothing line. McCarthy will next be seen in Warner Brothers gangster drama The Kitchen alongside Tiffany Haddish and Elisabeth Moss, which will hit theaters this summer. With Falcone at the helm again, the couple are also hard at work on the comedy Super Intelligence, coming out this holiday season from Warner Brothers. McCarthy will attend the May 11 commencement at the SIU Arena. Commencement is May 11 Commencement is divided into three ceremonies. McCarthy will receive an honorary doctor of performing arts degree at the 5:30 p.m. commencement celebration. 9 a.m. ceremony College of Agricultural Sciences. College of Liberal Arts. College of Science. School of Medicine. 1:30 p.m. ceremony College of Business. College of Education and Human Services. 5:30 p.m. ceremony College of Applied Sciences and Arts. College of Engineering. College of Mass Communication and Media Arts. For more information on the 2019 commencement, go to commencement.siu.edu. (Adds details and background) DUBAI, May 6 (Reuters) - A Bahraini court has refused to grant the jailed human rights activist Nabeel Rajab a non-custodial sentence instead of the jail terms he currently serving, his lawyer said on Monday. Bahrain introduced new legislation last year allowing its courts to convert jail terms into non-custodial sentences. The government said last week that courts had granted alternative sentences to 451 convicts so far. Rajab, who played a prominent role in pro-democracy protests in 2011, was handed a five-year jail sentence and a two-year sentence for publicly criticizing the government and its ally Saudi Arabia. "Our motion has been rejected," his lawyer Mohamed Al Jishi said. He added lawyers had requested the court to apply the new law in Rajab's case on Apr. 30. Rajab was sentenced last year over social media posts criticizing Saudi Arabias air strikes in Yemen and accusing authorities of torture. He was convicted of "spreading false news and rumors in time of war," "insulting foreign countries" and "insulting publicly the interior ministry," according to a court filing by his lawyers during his trial. Bahrain's highest court upheld the five-year sentence last December, ending avenues for appeal. In his mid-50s, Rajab has been in jail since 2016 and served another two-year term for torture allegations he made in a news interview. He also faces a number of other cases, including over a column he wrote in the New York Times. Amnesty International has described Rajab as a "prisoner of conscience." The United States has also expressed concern over his case. Bahrain, led by a Sunni Muslim royal family, clamped down on dissent after quashing the 2011 protests, led mainly by Shi'ite Muslims, with the help of Gulf Arab neighbors. Home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, the small Gulf kingdom prosecuted and revoked the citizenship of hundreds of protesters in mass trials and banned the main opposition groups. Most of the leading Shi'ite opposition figures and human rights activists are imprisoned or fled abroad. Bahrain's authorities said last month they restored citizenship to 551 people but no prominent opposition figures were on the list. Non-custodial sentences outlined in the new law include community service, electronic monitoring and repairing criminal damage. (Reporting By Aziz El Yaakoubi and Lisa Barrignton; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) (Updates story to reflect latest version of SCMP story, which says Liu could cancel Washington trip) BEIJING, May 6 (Reuters) - China Vice Premier Liu He could still travel to the United States for trade negotiations but shorten his trip or cancel it altogether, South China Morning Post reported on Monday, citing an unnamed source briefed on the latest plans. In an earlier version of the report, the newspaper said Liu would go to the United States, albeit for a shorter that previously planned length of time. It did not mention the prospect of canceling the trip. (https://bit.ly/2V5Vtwo) In its latest report, the SCMP said Liu could travel to Washington on Thursday and then leave the following day. The report follows comments by U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday that he would hike U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. (Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Michael Perry and Sam Holmes) (Adds statement from Mexico civil aviation authority; quote from Saul Alvarez) MEXICO CITY, May 6 (Reuters) - A plane crash in a remote mountain region in northern Mexico claimed the lives of all 13 people on board, including a family of five that were flying back from watching a boxing match in Las Vegas, authorities and local media said on Monday. The wreckage of the plane that took off from Las Vegas on Sunday was found via aerial surveillance in the northern municipality of Ocampo, the government of Coahuila state said in a statement. A photograph published on local television network Milenio showed what it said were the burnt remnants of the plane, broken into pieces, spread over charred earth. Mexican media reported that the passengers had been to a boxing match between Mexican boxer Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and U.S. fighter Daniel Jacobs in Las Vegas on Saturday. The nationalities of the victims were not immediately clear. The surnames of the three crew and 10 passengers published by the Coahuila government were all Hispanic. The victims were between 19 and 57 years old, according to a version of the passenger list published in Mexican media. Newspaper Diario de Yucatan said on its website that among the victims were 55-year-old businessman Luis Octavio Reyes Dominguez, his wife, and their three children. In a statement, Canada's Bombardier Inc identified the jet as a Challenger 601 and said the plane had gone missing about 150 nautical miles from the northern Mexican city of Monclova. Expressing its condolences to the victims, the company said it had been in touch with Canada's transportation safety board and would work with the investigating authorities. Alvarez was saddened to hear of the crash. "I deeply lament the terrible accident of the plane coming from Vegas," he wrote on Twitter on Monday. "I'm deeply grateful for the support of all the people who travel to see my fights. My prayers are with their families." Story continues Mexico's civil aviation authority said the aircraft departed Las Vegas shortly before 3 p.m. local time. Nearly two hours later, Monterrey lost track of the jet and was unable to make contact with pilots, it said in a statement. Mexican broadcaster Televisa said that the pilot had intended to descend to avoid a storm. Francisco Martinez, an emergency services official in Coahuila, told Milenio recent adverse weather conditions would form part of the investigation into the crash. However, he stopped short of saying weather had caused it. (Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon, Noe Torres, Ana Isabel Martinez, Lizbeth Diaz, David Alire Garcia and Allison Lampert; Editing by David Gregorio, Tom Brown and Lisa Shumaker) (Adds memorial service, comments from friend, girlfriend) By Maria Caspani May 5 (Reuters) - The North Carolina college student credited with saving lives by tackling a gunman firing at his classmates was remembered on Sunday as a person who died, the way he lived, "putting others first." Riley Howell, 21, was one of two people killed on Tuesday at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte when a former student opened fire inside a classroom of nearly 50 students. Four other students were injured. Howell, a member of the university's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), was given full military honors at the memorial. "Riley, thank you for being the big brother I never had, thank you for being my hero before you were everyone else's," said one friend who spoke at the televised memorial in a packed, 1,900-seat auditorium in Waynesville, North Carolina. The gunman, who authorities identified as Trystan Andrew Terrell, 22, has been charged with two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder. Howell, an environmental studies student, was described 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, according to his obituary. "My superhero doesn't wear a cape he wears Tevas," Teddy said of Riley, referring to his sandals of choice. Howell's girlfriend Lauren Westmoreland spoke to him directly during the service. "When I first saw you, it was like the sun came out," she said. "From now on, when the sun shines warmly and gently on my face, I will know that it's you, holding me in spirit." Howell was buried following the memorial service. (Reporting by Maria Caspani, additional reporting by Andrew Hay; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Bill Berkrot and Darren Schuettler) (Adds quotes, background) By Ali Kucukgocmen ISTANBUL, May 6 (Reuters) - Jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan issued a rare statement on Monday calling on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to resolve problems in Syria without conflict. Ocalan, founder and leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged an insurgency in southeast Turkey since the mid-1980s, is revered by many Kurdish fighters who form the core of the U.S.-backed SDF. Ankara says Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters spearheading the SDF are part of the PKK, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union. Turkey has waged two military incursions in northern Syria against the YPG. The statement from Ocalan, and three other senior PKK members, was read by lawyers who said they were allowed to meet him in a Turkish prison on Thursday for the first time since 2011. "We believe that, within the scope of the SDF, problems in Syria should be aimed to be solved by staying away from a culture of conflict, with constitutional assurances given within the framework of Syria's territorial integrity," it said. It also said Turkish sensitivities should be taken into consideration in any work towards a solution in Syria. The U.S.-armed SDF has driven out Islamic State fighters from a large part of northeast Syria and controls hundreds of kilometers of border territory with Turkey. It was not clear what specific potential conflict Ocalan was advising the SDF to avoid in Syria's eight-year civil war, but he could have been referring to Turkish or Syrian government forces. HUNGER STRIKES Ocalan, who has been in jail for 20 years, played a significant role in peace talks between Turkish authorities and the PKK which broke down in 2015. Ocalan also said supporters holding hunger strikes to protest against his isolation should not risk their health or lives. The pro-Kurdish Democratic Peoples' Party (HDP) say some 3,000 people, mostly prison inmates, have joined a hunger strike started by parliamentarian Leyla Guven to protest his isolation, despite authorities allowing a visit by his brother in January. Story continues "Along with respecting the resistance of our friends inside and outside of prisons, we would like to point out that they should not carry it to a point that will endanger their health and have it end in death," Ocalan's statement said. Eight of those on hunger strike domestically and abroad have committed suicide to draw attention to the cause, the HDP said. In the statement, Ocalan referred to a letter he wrote to mark Kurdish Newroz new year celebrations in 2013, when the Turkish government and PKK were holding peace talks. In the letter, he had called for an end to armed conflict and for solutions through politics. "Our stance... is determined to continue the style of expression in the 2013 Newroz letter by deepening and clarifying it," he said. "For us, an honorable peace and democratic politics is essential for a solution." Following the collapse of the ceasefire in 2015, Turkey's southeast saw some of the worst violence in years. In total, some 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK launched its insurgency in 1984. (Editing by Dominic Evans and Andrew Cawthorne) (Adds U.S. rationale for decision, Kinder Morgan no comment) HOUSTON, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. pipeline operator Kinder Morgan Inc will pay a tariff on imported steel used in a $1.75 billion natural gas pipeline project, the U.S. Department of Commerce ruled on Monday, dealing a setback to energy industry efforts to avoid the penalties. The Trump administration last year slapped a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum in a bid to safeguard U.S. jobs against overseas rivals. Energy companies have opposed the tariffs, saying they add cost to businesses contributing to the nation's energy security. The tariff could add up to $80 million to the construction cost of Kinder Morgan's Gulf Coast Express Pipeline, analysts estimated, because about half the project employs some Turkish pipe subject to a 50 percent tariff. It filed for an exemption nearly a year ago, citing the lack of domestic steel and the economic benefits of natural gas exports. The 514-mile (827-km) pipeline will carry nearly 2 billion cubic feet per day of gas from Texas fields bottlenecked with rising shale gas production to Gulf Coast export hubs. A portion of the line went into operation in August and full service is expected by October. Steel required by Kinder Morgan's project is available in sufficient quantities and quality from U.S. manufacturers, a Commerce Department review found. Kinder Morgan spokeswoman Katherine Hill declined to comment on the decision. In its request for an exemption, Kinder Morgan said the pipeline "not only will enable producers to transport and sell natural gas to consuming markets, it also will unlock additional upstream oil production," of more than 1 million barrels of oil. After it sought the exemption last May, President Donald Trump authorized the Commerce Department to double tariffs on Turkish steel to 50 percent as a dispute deepened with Turkey over an American pastor detained in the country. The pastor was released in October but the higher tariff remained. Story continues Several U.S. steel makers, including Berg Steel Pipe and Stupp Corp, as well as the American Line Pipe Producers Association (ALPPA), an industry group, had filed objections to Kinder's request, stating they could supply domestic materials for the project. "ALPPA commends the Commerce Department for denying this exclusion request given the ability of several domestic manufacturers to supply this product," said Tim Brightbill, a partner with Wiley Rein LLP, who represents ALPPA. Objections from steel makers weigh heavily on decisions made by Commerce, the department has said. (Reporting by Liz Hampton and Gary McWilliams; Editing by Peter Cooney and Tom Brown) * Public sector wage bill is govt's biggest expense * PM Hariri says "realistic" budget essential * Central bank strike leads stock exchange to suspend trading (Recasts with Hariri comments) By Tom Perry and Laila Bassam BEIRUT, May 6 (Reuters) - Lebanese central bank employees went on strike on Monday over state budget proposals that would cut their benefits but Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said failure to pass a "realistic" budget would be like a "suicide operation" against the economy. Hariri said he expected a resolution of the row at the central bank on Tuesday but criticized a wave of "preemptive" strike action over the draft austerity budget, adding that the government was taking measures to avoid economic collapse. "We can't continue in this situation and that doesn't mean we will collapse tomorrow," Hariri said, adding that Lebanon was "far from bankruptcy." He was speaking after a meeting with President Michel Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, which a senior official said aimed to give extra political support to the government in the face of the protests and strikes over the draft budget. Saddled with one of the world's heaviest public debt burdens, the government is debating a draft 2019 budget which Hariri has said may be the most austere in Lebanon's history. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt threw his weight behind the plan on Monday, calling it "better than suicide." The public sector wage bill is the state's biggest expense, followed by the cost of servicing the public debt. Army retirees have been among the opponents of the draft budget, which they fear may target some of their benefits. The strike by central bank workers prompted the Beirut Stock Exchange to suspend trading until further notice on Monday because the clearance and settlement process for transactions could not be done on time, it said in a statement. Story continues The head of the central bank workers' syndicate said the strike action had caused negative effects and pressure "on the market, on the governor of the central bank, and on all Lebanese." Syndicate head Abbas Awada, in an interview with the broadcaster al-Jadeed, said a decision on next steps would be taken at their general assembly meeting on Tuesday, but said they may take "a positive decision" to relieve the situation. He warned that if the budget was passed without addressing their concerns "we will proceed in an open strike." Hariri warned in a statement earlier of "legal consequences" for strikers who jeopardized work at state institutions. Central bank governor Riad Salameh had earlier convened a meeting with central bank employees where it was agreed to open Lebanese pound pricing operations against foreign currencies and to reopen financial transfers, the state-run National News Agency reported. The pound is pegged against the U.S. dollar. Speaking after his meeting with Aoun and Berri, Hariri said he expected the government to approve the budget on Friday, Saturday or Sunday after which it would go to parliament. Once the government had approved it, Hariri said international institutions would raise their sovereign ratings for Lebanon. Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil has said the draft budget involves "wide reductions" in spending based on the need for "exceptional austerity measures." The aim is a deficit of less than 9 percent of gross domestic product, compared to 11.2 percent in 2018. (Reporting by Tom Perry, Laila Bassam and Angus McDowall; Editing by William Maclean and Rosalba O'Brien) * Baby is seventh-in-line to British throne * Mother and baby are doing well * Queen and royals delighted (Adds quotes, background, details) By Gerry Mey and Hannah McKay WINDSOR, England, May 6 (Reuters) - Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and wife of Britains Prince Harry, gave birth to a boy on Monday, the seventh-in-line to the throne and described by his proud father as "absolutely to die for." The baby, who has not yet been named, was born in the early hours of the morning weighing 7 lbs 3oz (3.26 kg). Meghan, a U.S.-born former actress, and the baby, the couple's first child, were both healthy and well, the palace said. "How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension but we're both absolutely thrilled and so grateful to all the love and support from everybody out there," a smiling Harry told reporters in Windsor, west of London where the couple live. "It was amazing, absolutely incredible. As I say, I am so incredibly proud of my wife and, as every father and parent would ever say your baby is absolutely amazing, this little thing is absolutely to die for." Harry, Queen Elizabeth's grandson, was present for the birth and Doria Ragland, Meghan's mother, was with the couple at their home, Frogmore Cottage, on the estate of Windsor Castle where they married in a lavish ceremony in May last year. The baby is the eighth great grandchild of the 93-year-old queen, the world's longest-reigning monarch, and could be entitled to hold joint British and American citizenship according to nationality rules. However, the child will not automatically be a prince or a princess and any such title would have to be bestowed by the queen by issuing what is known as a letter patent. The queen and other members of the royal family, including the sister and brother of Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, were delighted by the news of the birth, the palace said. Britain's royal family attracts huge media interest but the younger members, especially Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, are treated like Hollywood superstars. Story continues Their baby is the first mixed race baby born into a senior position in British royalty, according to royal experts. For some this is a significant moment for the monarchy. Others note however that Meghan, whose mother is African-American and father is white, has been the target of racist commentary on social media. "It's symbolic of a more modern monarchy. It appeals to people across the world," royal biographer Claudia Joseph told Reuters. "They will be able to identify with the royal family as never before." Harry and Meghan used their official Instagram account to announce the birth, in modern fashion. But in accordance with a tradition dating back at least to 1837 when Buckingham Palace became the sovereigns official residence, some hours later a notice announcing the birth was posted on a ceremonial easel on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. The palace did not confirm whether Meghan gave birth at home. While the late Princess Diana gave birth to Harry and his older brother William in hospital, the queen's four children were all born at Buckingham Palace. James, Alexander, Albert, Philip, and Arthur are among the favorite names for the child, according to bookmakers. "We're still thinking about names," Harry said. "The baby's a little bit overdue so we've had a little bit of time to think about it ... that's the next bit." Meghan's father Thomas Markle, a former lighting director for U.S. TV soaps and sitcoms, said he was delighted at the news. "I am proud that my new grandson is born into the British royal family and I am sure that he will grow up to serve the crown and the people of Britain with grace, dignity, and honor," he said in a statement to the Sun newspaper. 'TOPS THE WEDDING' Unlike Prince William and his wife Kate, who posed for massed photographers outside a London hospital just hours after their three children were born, Harry and Meghan are expected to take part in only a limited photo call in the grounds of Windsor Castle in the next couple of days. Harry has held a special place in the hearts of many Britons since millions around the world watched him, aged just 12, walk slowly behind his mother's coffin as the funeral cortege made its way through the packed streets of London after Diana's death in a Paris car crash in 1997. In his youth, he found himself in the headlines for under-age drinking, wearing a Nazi outfit to a costume party and scuffling with photographers outside London nightclubs. But after a successful stint in the army, where he served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, his relaxed style and playful antics when on official engagements have seen him become one of the most popular members of the royal family. "It means an awful lot to me. This tops the wedding," said royal fan John Loughrey, 64, from London, who said he had been sleeping out in Windsor for the last three days. "They've brought a royal baby into the world, we're all excited." Harry's marriage to Meghan, a divorcee hailing from Los Angeles who starred in the U.S. TV legal drama "Suits," has only increased global interest, bringing in a new army of royal fans. "For Anglo-American relationships it's going to be very important because suddenly there's a child in the House of Windsor that is half-American," said Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty Magazine. "This is their entry into the royal family." While Harry has gained plaudits for talking about his struggle with mental health issues, Meghan, has been vocal on feminist causes. "I'd seen this documentary on Netflix about feminism and one of the things they said during pregnancy was 'I feel the embryonic kicking of feminism'," she said during an engagement in March. "I love that. So boy or girl or whatever it is, we hope that that's the case, with our little bump." Their baby will be brought up in the couple's newly-refurbished home in Windsor, where they only recently moved. They have also set up their own office, breaking away from the joint operation they shared with Prince William and Kate. Britain's media has been rife with speculation about a rift between the brothers and their wives, although there has been no public indication of any disagreements. However, some British newspapers have reported that Harry and Meghan might move abroad, most likely to Africa, after the birth as they seek to forge their own royal role. (Reporting by Gerry Mey, William James Writing by Michael Holden Editing by Toby Chopra and Frances Kerry) (Adds CEO and analyst comments, stock price) By Jennifer Hiller HOUSTON, May 6 (Reuters) - Occidental Petroleum Corp said on Monday its latest bid to take over Anadarko Petroleum Corp was designed to make sure Anadarko's board considers its offer superior to one from Chevron Corp, even though it could spark tensions with its own shareholders. Occidental is prodding Anadarko's board to abandon its $33 billion merger agreement with Chevron. Occidental on Sunday increased the cash component of its $38 billion bid, removing a requirement to win the approval of Occidental shareholders. "We weren't playing on a level playing field," Occidental Chief Executive Officer Vicki Hollub said on a call with analysts on Monday morning. By raising the cash component, Occidental will not need approval from its shareholders. The company did not want to bypass a shareholder vote, but felt its only options were to "increase the share price or provide clarity at closing," Hollub said. Chevron's offer did not require shareholder approval, which is why Anadarko has so far preferred that bid, Hollub said. Anadarko shares jumped 3.1 percent to $74.95 while Occidental dipped 0.4 percent to $57.74 and Chevron rose nearly 1 percent to $118.43. Several Occidental shareholders oppose the merger, though, including T. Rowe Price Group Inc. The deal also risks the ire of billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who has been amassing a stake in Occidental to challenge its Anadarko offer, according to sources. The bid "smells like desperation," said Edward Jones analyst Jennifer Rowland. "They clearly aren't willing to take no for an answer, and are willing to leverage what had historically been a pristine balance sheet to get the deal done," Rowland said. Occidental said it has suspended its share repurchase program due to the Anadarko bid, and will instead focus on paying down debt. Anadarko said on Sunday its board will review the proposal. Story continues Earlier Sunday, France's Total SA said it had agreed with Occidental to buy the African assets of Anadarko for $8.8 billion if the two U.S. oil and gas companies merge. Last week Occidental secured a $10 billion investment from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Analysts and investors see the terms of that deal as particularly favorable to Buffett. Occidental's new offer to Anadarko is 78 percent cash and 22 percent stock, compared with an even cash/stock split previously. The bidding war between Occidental and Chevron underscores the value of Anadarko's 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. (Reporting by Jennifer Hiller; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jeffrey Benkoe) (Adds CEO and analyst comments, stock price) By Jennifer Hiller May 6 (Reuters) - Occidental Petroleum Corp said on Monday its latest bid to take over Anadarko Petroleum Corp was designed to make sure Anadarko's board considers its offer superior to one from Chevron Corp, even though it could spark tensions with its own shareholders. Occidental is prodding Anadarko's board to abandon its $33 billion merger agreement with Chevron. Occidental on Sunday increased the cash component of its $38 billion bid, removing a requirement to win the approval of Occidental shareholders. "We weren't playing on a level playing field," Occidental Chief Executive Officer Vicki Hollub said on a call with analysts on Monday morning. By raising the cash component, Occidental will not need approval from its shareholders. The company did not want to bypass a shareholder vote, but felt its only options were to "increase the share price or provide clarity at closing," Hollub said. Chevron's offer did not require shareholder approval, which is why Anadarko has so far preferred that bid, Hollub said. Anadarko shares jumped 3.1 percent to $74.95 while Occidental dipped 0.4 percent to $57.74 and Chevron rose nearly 1 percent to $118.43. Several Occidental shareholders oppose the merger, though, including T. Rowe Price Group Inc. The deal also risks the ire of billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who has been amassing a stake in Occidental to challenge its Anadarko offer, according to sources. The bid "smells like desperation," said Edward Jones analyst Jennifer Rowland. "They clearly aren't willing to take no for an answer, and are willing to leverage what had historically been a pristine balance sheet to get the deal done," Rowland said. Occidental said it has suspended its share repurchase program due to the Anadarko bid, and will instead focus on paying down debt. Anadarko said on Sunday its board will review the proposal. Story continues Earlier Sunday, France's Total SA said it had agreed with Occidental to buy the African assets of Anadarko for $8.8 billion if the two U.S. oil and gas companies merge. Last week Occidental secured a $10 billion investment from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Analysts and investors see the terms of that deal as particularly favorable to Buffett. Occidental's new offer to Anadarko is 78 percent cash and 22 percent stock, compared with an even cash/stock split previously. The bidding war between Occidental and Chevron underscores the value of Anadarko's 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. (Reporting by Jennifer Hiller;) * Pompeo suggests China may have national security aims * Divisions growing over global warming, minerals access * Countries rush to claim territory in Arctic * Ice thaw raises possibility of exploiting resources (Recasts with Pompeo speech) By Simon Johnson ROVANIEMI, Finland, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that Russia is behaving aggressively in the Arctic and China's actions there had to be watched closely as well, amid growing divisions in the polar region over global warming and access to minerals. Speaking as he arrived in northern Finland for a meeting of nations with territory in the Arctic, Pompeo said China appeared to have national security aims there, and Russia's activities, including plans for new shipping channels from Asia to northern Europe, deserved a closer look. "The United States and Arctic nations welcome transparent Chinese investment that reflect economic interests, not national security ambitions," Pompeo said in a speech. 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. Pompeo said all were welcome to share in the Arctic's wealth, but raised doubts about the aims of Russia and China, both of which have been increasing their presence in the region. "The Pentagon warned just last week that China could use its civilian research presence in the Arctic to strengthen its military presence, including by deploying submarines to the region as a deterrent against nuclear attacks," he told delegates at the conference in Rovaniemi, Finland. "We need to examine these activities closely, and keep the experience of other nations in mind. China's pattern of aggressive behavior elsewhere will inform how it treats the Arctic." Story continues Russia has also been boosting its presence, reopening military bases closed after the Cold War and modernizing its powerful Northern Fleet to safeguard its interests. "In the Northern Sea Route, Moscow already illegally demands that other nations request permission to pass, requires Russian maritime pilots to be aboard foreign ships, and threatens to use military force to sink any that fail to comply," Pompeo said. "These provocative actions are part of a pattern of aggressive Russian behavior in the Arctic." The Arctic Council is made up of the United States, Canada, Russia, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. The region's indigenous populations are also represented. CHANGING CLIMATE The Arctic Council's remit excludes military matters, but participants have already clashed, with the Washington Post reporting that the United States had refused to sign a final declaration, disagreeing with the wording on climate change. (https://wapo.st/2VI80L4) "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 in the Arctic is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the globe, and the ocean could be ice-free in the summer months within 25 years, according to some researchers. That may profoundly affect the world's weather and 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. Pompeo's warnings about Russian and Chinese behavior in the Arctic come amid trade tensions with Beijing and Moscow's backing for Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro. (Reporting by Simon Johnson in Rovaniemi and Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington, Andrew Osborne in Moscow and Anne Kauranen in Helsinki, Editing by Jan Harvey and William Maclean) (Adds Pompeo comments about election meddling) ROVANIEMI, Finland, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he discussed concerns about interference in upcoming U.S. elections with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday and told him interference was "not appropriate." Replying to a reporter's question, Pompeo said the issue was one of many topics he discussed with Lavrov on the sidelines of a meeting of the Arctic Council. Asked what he told Lavrov, Pompeo said: "The same thing I've shared with him each time we've had a chance to cover that particular topic, which is that it's not appropriate." A report by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller released last month found the Russian government interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election "in sweeping and systematic fashion," favoring Republican President Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump said on Friday that he discussed "the Russia Hoax" in his first phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the Mueller report but did not raise with him concerns about Russian meddling in U.S. elections. "We didn't discuss that. Really, we didn't discuss it," Trump said when asked if he urged Putin not to meddle in the 2020 election, when Trump will be seeking re-election. Pompeo said a wide range of issues were covered in his "good conversation" with Lavrov. "We have interests that are definitely different. ... There was a desire to begin to try and find paths where we can make real progress on places where we have overlapping interests, as narrow as they may be, and hope we can achieve that," Pompeo said. (Reporting by Simon Johnson; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Peter Cooney) * Pope is on three-day visit to Bulgaria, North Macedonia * Urges Bulgarians to "open hearts" to plight of migrants * Bulgarian government includes anti-immigrant nationalists * Francis also seeking to improve ties with Orthodox Churches (Changes dateline, adds Orthodox Church absent at evening service) By Philip Pullella and Tsvetelia Tsolova SOFIA, Bulgaria, May 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Monday the plight of suffering immigrants and refugees was "the cross of humanity," taking up their case for the second day of a visit to Bulgaria that has put him at odds with the government. Bulgarias center-right coalition government, which includes three nationalist anti-migrant parties, wants the European Union to close external borders and set up refugee centers outside the bloc. It has built a fence along its border with Turkey and stepped up controls on its border with Greece to help block any repeat of the massive migrant influx that gripped Europe in 2015 and stoked support for far-right anti-immigrant parties. Francis began his second day in Bulgaria with a visit to a refugee center in Sofia, where he met with about 50 people and their children who are helped by a Catholic charity. "Today, the world of migrants and refugees is a bit like a cross, the cross of humanity, a cross that many people suffer," he told them in improvised remarks after hearing some of their stories and listening to children singing. The center, housed in a former school building, helps migrants mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Taha Saber Ismael, a refugee from Iraq, gave the pope a printed note in imperfect English asking him to help his and six other Iraqi families obtain residency permits because they were "hoping having good and safe country to live in." An organizer at the refugee center told the pope that people of all faiths, including many Muslims, had volunteered to help the migrants, in a sign of inter-religious dialog. Story continues ORTHODOX CHURCH SHUNS PRAYER MEETING But the difficulty of that dialog at institutional level was illustrated at an evening prayer service - led by the pope with Jewish, Muslims and Protestant leaders - which the Bulgarian Orthodox Church declined to attend. Orthodox leaders have taken a hardline stance against prayer with Catholics and rebuffed the Vatican's push for unity between the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity that split in 1054. Less than one percent of Bulgarians are Roman Catholic and Francis ministered to them earlier on Monday when he flew to Rakovski, a predominantly Roman Catholic town in southern Bulgaria. There, he gave 245 children from all over Bulgaria their first communion. Shortly after arrival in Bulgaria on Sunday, Francis, who has made the defense of migrants a key plank of his pontificate, urged government leaders to "not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands, in accordance with your best tradition, to those who knock at your door." Bulgaria, the EU's poorest country, has taken an anti-immigrant stance even though it has a rapidly aging population and a low birth rate. More than two million Bulgarians have left the country since the fall of communism in 1989 in search of better opportunities in western Europe and beyond. General dissatisfaction over slow growth, security threats posed by Islamist militants and a backlash against migration across open EU borders have boosted support for euro skeptic nationalists in many member states ahead of elections to the European Parliament later this month. Francis heads to North Macedonia for the final leg of the trip on Tuesday. (Additional reporting by Angel Krasimirov and Eleanor Biles; Editing by Gareth Jones and Andrew Cawthorne) (Adds comments from oversight board executive director and release of fiscal 2016 financial audit) SAN JUAN, May 6 (Reuters) - A U.S. Appeals Court on Monday gave Puerto Rico's federally created financial oversight board another 60 days to allow for the constitutional reappointment of its members by President Donald Trump and the Senate. The board had faced a May 16 deadline set by the Boston-based First Circuit court on Feb. 15 to be validly reappointed or replaced after creditors of the bankrupt U.S. commonwealth successfully challenged members' appointments on constitutional grounds. Last week, the White House announced the U.S. Senate will be asked to confirm the board's current seven members. The appeals court's order sets a July 15 deadline for that process to be completed. Both moves allow the board to continue to restructure Puerto Rico's roughly $120 billion of debt and pension obligations under a form of bankruptcy filed two years ago in federal court. However, the board's executive director, Natalie Jaresko, told reporters on Monday the two-month extension may not be sufficient as the Senate confirmation process could take longer. The appeals court denied the board's request to stay its ruling in the case until there is a final decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The board last month petitioned the high court over the ruling, which determined the board had been unconstitutionally appointed because its members are principal U.S. officers and should have been selected by the president "with the advice and consent of the Senate." Under the 2016 federal PROMESA law, then-President Barack Obama appointed six board members from lists of candidates recommended by Congress, as well as a seventh member in a process that did not require Senate confirmation. The lawsuit over the board members filed by creditors, including Aurelius Investment LLC and bond insurer Assured Guaranty Corp, also sought a dismissal of Puerto Rico's Title III bankruptcy cases - a move the appeals court rejected. Story continues Deals restructuring the island's sales tax-backed bonds and Government Development Bank debt have won court approval. An agreement over Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority debt was announced on Friday. According to Jaresko, the boards recent lawsuits against government vendors, banks and bondholders will not delay the filing of a plan of adjustment for the commonwealth's core debt, which includes its pension liabilities. She said a plan will be filed in court as soon as reasonably possible. Meanwhile, the commonwealth finally released a fiscal 2016 financial audit that showed a government-wide net deficit grew to nearly $70.3 billion from $67.8 billion in fiscal 2015. (Reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago and Luis Valentin Ortiz in San Juan Editing by Matthew Lewis) * Plane crash-landed in Moscow on Sunday * Trajectory of doomed flight, click on: https://tmsnrt.rs/2WtF7zh * Bodies of forty-one people killed have been recovered * Investigators are studying various possible versions * No need to ground other models of same plane - minister (Adds graphic) By Gleb Stolyarov and Andrew Osborn MOSCOW, May 6 (Reuters) - Russia sees no reason to ground its domestically-produced Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft despite one of the planes bursting into flames during a crash-landing and killing 41 people, the country's transport minister said on Monday. The crash-landing on Sunday is the latest serious setback for the plane, the first new passenger jet developed in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union and an airliner held up by Moscow as proof it can produce its own high quality civil passenger aircraft. Investigators have started trying to piece together why the Aeroflot jet, which had been flying from Moscow to the northern Russian city of Murmansk, was forced to make an emergency landing and why that landing went so badly wrong. Various versions are being looked into, including technical failure, human error, and bad weather conditions. Asked by reporters at a news conference if the Sukhoi planes should now be grounded pending the outcome of the investigation, Yevgeny Ditrikh, Russia's transport minister, said: "There are no grounds for that." Television footage from Sunday showed the plane catching fire on the runway at Moscow's Sheremtyevo airport as it made a bumpy emergency landing. The plane had been carrying 73 passengers and five crew members. For a graphic on the trajectory of the doomed flight, click: https://tmsnrt.rs/2WtF7zh Ditrikh said the bodies of 41 people killed in the accident had been recovered. Thirty-three passengers and four crew members had survived, he said. Six of the survivors were in a serious condition and receiving treatment. The plane, built in Russia's Far East in August 2017, had been serviced as recently as April this year. Story continues Aeroflot has long shaken off its troubled post-Soviet safety record and now has one of the world's most modern fleets on international routes where it relies mostly on Boeing and Airbus aircraft. However Aeroflot also owns at least 50 Superjets which it operates on both domestic and international routes. The Superjet, which first entered service in 2011, has been hit by sporadic concerns over safety and reliability, including a December 2016 grounding after a defect was discovered in an aircraft's tail section. Interjet Airlines, a Mexican low-cost airline, said in a statement on Sunday it also operated five Superjets "under the highest safety standards." It pledged to follow the Russian investigation into the disaster closely. A Sukhoi Superjet crashed in Indonesia in 2012, killing all 45 people on board in an accident blamed on human error. After Sunday's accident in Moscow, an online petition was launched demanding that the Russian authorities ban the Superjet. It had been signed by almost 4,000 people by 1 p.m. (1000 GMT) on Monday. (Additional reporting by Polina Devitt; Writing by Andrew Osborn; editing by Christian Lowe) (Writes through) By Shihar Aneez and Waruna Karunatilake NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka/COLOMBO, May 6 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka police arrested two men after a personal feud led to clashes between two sectarian groups in a beachside resort north of the capital, the site of one of the deadliest Easter Sunday suicide bombings, as schools reopened to near-empty classes. Two weeks after 257 people were killed by Islamist militants in hotels and churches across the country, police were hunting plotters on the loose as fears grew of ethnic clashes targeting Muslims. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the bombings. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said a clash on Sunday between two individuals in Negombo, where 102 people attending an Easter service were killed on April 21, quickly escalated. Government sources told Reuters that some Catholics and Muslims clashed, prompting an overnight curfew in Negombo. A Reuters witness saw at least one shop, an office, three motorbikes and three three-wheel taxis had been damaged. Gunesekera said there were no reports of any serious injuries. Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Ranjith and some Muslim religious leaders visited the area to try to defuse the tension and asked liquor shops to be closed. Sri Lanka's 22 million population is mostly Buddhist but includes minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. A brief ban on social media platforms imposed during the clash was lifted, but authorities said they would stay alert for threats against Muslims. Security remained tight across the country as state schools resumed classes on Monday, but many anxious parents kept their children at home. Mid-to-upper stream classes resumed on Monday, a day after soldiers conducted a security sweep of schools. Lower grades are expected to resume on May 13. Despite the tight security and military patrols, most classrooms were near empty. Private schools, including Catholic institutions, remained closed. "I have decided not to send my son to school until the country returns to normal," said Sujeeva Dissanayake, whose son goes to the state-run Asoka College in Colombo. Story continues Security forces are on high alert after intelligence reports indicated militants could strike before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which is due to begin on Monday. Muslim schools will be closed for the holidays. Archbishop Ranjith, who has criticized the government's handling of security around key establishments, has asked for Catholic schools in the Western Province, which includes Colombo and its suburbs, to close this week. (Reporting By Shihar Aneez, Waruna Karunatilake, Alexandra Ulmer Writing by Shri Navaratnam; Editing by Nick Macfie) (Adds State Department statement on human rights in North Korea) By David Brunnstrom and Makini Brice WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about North Korea and trade after North Korea raised doubts about the future of denuclearization dialog with new weapons tests. In a tweet, Trump described his talk with Abe, a close ally, as a "Very good conversation!" but gave no other details. Trump and his administration have played down the North Korean weapons tests, which took place on Saturday, and which military analysts say could have involved short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missiles. Abe told reporters the United States and Japan would "respond together" to North Korea "going forward." If the weapons were ballistic missiles, they would have been the first fired by North Korea since its 2017 freeze in nuclear and missile testing opened the way for dialog with the United States and South Korea. Analysts interpreted the tests as an attempt to exert pressure on Washington to give ground in denuclearization negotiations after a February summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended in failure. In a Twitter message on Saturday, Trump said he was still confident he could reach a deal with Kim. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that Washington still had "every intention" of negotiating with North Korea. Pompeo said he and Trump spoke about the launches on Saturday and were "evaluating the appropriate response." "But ... we're going to exhaust every diplomatic opportunity there is," he told CBS. "We still believe there is a path forward where Chairman Kim can denuclearize without resort to anything beyond diplomacy." Pompeo said the launches were "short-range" and that Washington had "high confidence" they did not involve intermediate-range missiles, or intercontinental missiles that threaten the United States. He said they had not crossed any international boundary and posed no threat to South Korea or Japan. Story continues Separately on Monday, the State Depertment took aim at North Korea's human rights record, saying that the government there had subjected its people to "egregious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms" and that the United States remained "gravely concerned and deeply troubled" by the abuses. "Approximately 100,000 individuals languish in political prison camps and their family members and children often suffer by their sides. Further, those trying to flee this oppressive environment, if caught, are often tortured or killed," it said. North Korea's official media described the tests as a "strike drill" supervised by Kim to test "large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons." Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at South Korea's Kyungnam University, said the guided weapons could have been solid-fuel ballistic missiles with a range of up to 500 km (311 miles) that could neutralize the advanced U.S. THAAD anti-missile system deployed in South Korea. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Friday that Washington and Tokyo may finalize a trade agreement by the end of May after Trump and Abe met at the White House last month. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom, Makini Brice and Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Susan Heavey, Jeffrey Benkoe and Jonathan Oatis) * Cohen pleaded guilty to hush payments, financial crimes * Disbarred lawyer enters prison in Otisville, New York (Adds confirmation from Bureau of Prisons, description of aerial video) By Brendan Pierson NEW YORK, May 6 (Reuters) - Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, took a parting shot at his former boss - denouncing "xenophobia, injustice and lies" - before reporting to a U.S. federal prison on Monday to begin a three-year sentence. Cohen, who once vowed to "take a bullet" for Trump but now calls him a "con man," checked into the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of New York City, to serve his sentence for arranging hush payments to two women who said they had sexual encounters with Trump, financial crimes and lying to Congress. Cohen, 52, hinted he had more secrets to divulge as he made brief remarks to a crush of camera crews and reporters gathered on the sidewalk outside his Manhattan residence - the Trump Park Avenue apartment building - before being driven to the prison. "I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country," Cohen said, without uttering Trump's name. "There still remains much to be told, and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth." Cohen was driven to the prison in a black SUV, arriving shortly after 11:30 a.m. (1530 GMT), some 2-1/2 hours before his deadline to report. Aerial TV news video showed Cohen stepping out of the SUV, then removing his jacket and leaving it inside the vehicle before walking with two men, apparently prison officials, into a building entrance. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which runs the facility, confirmed by email Cohen was in its custody. Cohen is expected to stay at the prison's minimum security camp. Cohen's prison term completes a stunning fall for the native of New York's Long Island whose career was tethered to Trump as he evolved from wealthy real estate developer to reality TV personality to politician. For more than a decade, Cohen served as Trump's personal lawyer and self-described "fixer." Story continues Trump has blasted Cohen, calling him a "rat" as well as a "bad lawyer and fraudster." Cohen, who has been disbarred as an attorney, was dressed in jeans, sneakers, a white shirt and a navy blue blazer as he exited his apartment building, with a doorman holding the door. Several dozen bystanders stopped to take pictures, and one shook his hand. After Cohen made his remarks, the scene became chaotic, with equipment and people falling to the ground. Cohen helped one journalist to get back on his feet. Cohen then climbed into the SUV. FBI agents in April 2018 raided Cohen's Rockefeller Center office and Park Avenue hotel room as part of an investigation that grew out of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. That set in motion events that caused Cohen's dramatic split with Trump. 'TELL THE TRUTH' Lanny Davis, spokesman for Cohen, issued a statement saying Cohen "will continue to be accessible to Congress and to federal, state and local law enforcement." "I will continue questioning why Michael is the only person within the Trump Organization to be prosecuted for crimes committed at the direction of and for the benefit of Mr. Trump," Davis added. Davis praised Cohen's "courageous decision ... to tell the truth about why Donald Trump represented a danger to our Constitution, our freedoms, and our nation's fundamental values." Cohen had originally been due to report to prison on March 6, but was granted an extension to recover from shoulder surgery and testify before Congress. Cohen broke with Trump in July 2018, telling ABC News he intended to put family and loyalty to his country ahead of the president. Cohen and his wife, Laura Shusterman, 49, have two adult children, Samantha and Jake. In February congressional testimony, Cohen said, "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a con man. He is a cheat." During his December sentencing in New York, Cohen said, "My weakness can be characterized as a blind loyalty to Donald Trump, and I was weak for not having the strength to question and to refuse his demands." Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance law, bank fraud and tax evasion. Prosecutors said Trump himself directed illegal hush payments orchestrated by Cohen of $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels and $150,000 to Playboy model Karen McDougal to avert a scandal shortly before the 2016 election. Trump has denied sexual relationships with them and said he never directed Cohen to do anything illegal. Cohen also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a proposed Trump tower project in Russia that was being negotiated at the same time he was running for president. His prison time could be reduced by about 15 percent for good behavior. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Will Dunham) ) (Adds background, byline) By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Monday, a move that could anger Beijing at a time of tense relations between the world's two biggest economies. The South China Sea is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which also include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and Taiwan. President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal by announcing on Sunday he would hike U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. The U.S. guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung Hoon traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, a U.S. military spokesman told Reuters. Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the Seventh Fleet, said that the "innocent passage" was "to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law." The operation was first reported by Reuters. The U.S. military has a long-standing position that its operations are carried out throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies, and that they are separate from political considerations. The operation was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing's efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate. China claims almost all of the strategic South China Sea and frequently lambastes the United States and its allies over naval operations near Chinese-occupied islands. Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan have competing claims in the region. China and the United States have repeatedly traded barbs in the past over what Washington says is Beijing's militarization of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs. Story continues China defends its construction as necessary for self-defense and says it is the United States that is responsible for ratcheting up tensions in the region by sending warships and military planes close to islands Beijing claims. Last month, China's navy chief said freedom of navigation should not be used to infringe upon the rights of other countries. The freedom of navigation operation comes weeks after a major naval parade marking 70 years since the founding of the Chinese navy. The United States sent only a low level delegation to the Chinese navy anniversary events. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Kim Coghill) (Adds comment from Senator Mike Lee, others) WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators on Monday criticized reported plans for a Federal Trade Commission settlement with Facebook Inc for misuse of consumers' personal data, saying that top officials, potentially including founder Mark Zuckerberg, must be held personally responsible. In a letter to the FTC, Senators Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, and Josh Hawley, a Republican, told the agency that even a $5 billion civil penalty is a "bargain for Facebook." The agency is also reportedly contemplating a settlement that elevates oversight of privacy policies and practices to Facebook's board of directors and requires the social media giant to be more aggressive in policing third-party app developers. But that was inadequate, said Blumenthal and Hawley, who said the FTC should go further. "It should consider setting rules of the road on what Facebook can do with consumers private information, such as requiring the deletion of tracking data, restricting the collection of certain types of information, curbing advertising practices, and imposing a firewall on sharing private data between different products," they said in a letter to FTC Chairman Joe Simons. The FTC has been investigating revelations that Facebook inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million users with the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The probe has focused on whether the sharing of data and other disputes violated a 2011 agreement with the FTC to safeguard user privacy. The two senators also urged the agency to name any Facebook official who was behind any violation of a consent decree. "Personal responsibility must be recognized from the top of the corporate board down to the product development teams," they wrote. The FTC acknowledged receipt of the letter but declined to comment. Facebook declined to comment. Senator Mike Lee, a Republican and chair of the Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel, said he did not believe the Facebook CEO should be personally liable for future privacy lapses. "I haven't seen a valid basis for it," he said. Story continues Others on Capitol Hill agreed with Blumenthal and Hawley. David Cicilline tweeted last month that even a multi-billion dollar fine was a "slap on the wrist." "Facebook is a repeat offender, and it is critical that the commissions response is strong enough to prevent future violations," he said. Senator Ron Wyden pushed the agency to hold Zuckerberg responsible in a letter written in late April. "Mr. Zuckerberg is not merely the CEO of Facebook but he also controls a majority of the voting rights in the company. This control insulates him from accountability for Facebook's board and shareholders," wrote Wyden. Rep. Frank Pallone, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has FTC oversight, said he believed the FTC probe of Facebook showed that the agency needed more clout. "Regardless of the outcome of FTCs investigation into Facebooks privacy practices, its abundantly clear the commission needs more enforcement power, rulemaking authority, and resources to effectively safeguard Americans privacy and data security," he said. (Reporting by Diane Bartz; editing by Dan Grebler) (Adds more comments from top trade officials) WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - China had backtracked on commitments in trade talks, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to threaten additional tariffs over the weekend, but Washington would be willing to keep talking if the Chinese changed position, top U.S. trade officials said on Monday. "Over the course of the last week or so we have seen ... an erosion in commitments by China," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told reporters. He said China had retreated from specific commitments, a move that would have led to substantive changes in the text of the deal. "That in our view is unacceptable," he said. A delegation from China will be in Washington on Thursday and Friday and Lighthizer said he expected top Chinese negotiator Vice Premier Liu He will attend. Trump wants to see a deal with substantial structural changes but that is not where the two sides are at the moment, Lighthizer said as he and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin briefed reporters. Lighthizer said the Chinese pulled back on some commitments reached in the talks over the last week or so and that was what precipitated Trump's tweet on Sunday promising to raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25 percent from 10 percent by the end of the week. Mnuchin said it would be unfortunate if the two sides, the world's biggest economies, could not conclude an agreement and they had hoped to conclude a deal by the end of the week. If they hear something different from the Chinese this week, Mnuchin said, they will report that to Trump. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by David Alexander and Rosalba O'Brien) Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Have you been keeping an eye on Genworth MI Canada Inc.'s (TSE:MIC) upcoming dividend of CA$0.51 per share payable on the 29 May 2019? Then you only have 2 days left before the stock starts trading ex-dividend on the 09 May 2019. Is this future income a persuasive enough catalyst for investors to think about Genworth MI Canada as an investment today? Below, I'm going to look at the latest data and analyze the stock and its dividend property in further detail. See our latest analysis for Genworth MI Canada 5 checks you should do on a dividend stock If you are a dividend investor, you should always assess these five key metrics: Is its annual yield among the top 25% of dividend-paying companies? Does it consistently pay out dividends without missing a payment of significantly cutting payout? Has dividend per share amount increased over the past? Is its earnings sufficient to payout dividend at the current rate? Based on future earnings growth, will it be able to continue to payout dividend at the current rate? TSX:MIC Historical Dividend Yield, May 6th 2019 How does Genworth MI Canada fare? The current trailing twelve-month payout ratio for the stock is 41%, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Furthermore, analysts have not forecasted a dividends per share for the future, which makes it hard to determine the yield shareholders should expect, and whether the current payout is sustainable, moving forward. When considering the sustainability of dividends, it is also worth checking the cash flow of a company. A company with strong cash flow, relative to earnings, can sometimes sustain a high pay out ratio. If there is one thing that you want to be reliable in your life, it's dividend stocks and their constant income stream. Unfortunately, it is really too early to view Genworth MI Canada as a dividend investment. It has only been consistently paying dividends for 9 years, however, standard practice for reliable payers is to look for a 10-year minimum track record. Story continues Compared to its peers, Genworth MI Canada generates a yield of 4.9%, which is on the low-side for Mortgage stocks. Next Steps: After digging a little deeper into Genworth MI Canada's yield, it's easy to see why you should be cautious investing in the company just for the dividend. But if you are not exclusively a dividend investor, the stock could still be an interesting investment opportunity. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, you should always research extensively before deciding whether or not a stock is an appropriate investment for you. I always recommend analysing the company's fundamentals and underlying business before making an investment decision. Below, I've compiled three important factors you should further examine: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for MICs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for MICs outlook. Valuation: What is MIC worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, it's not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether MIC is currently mispriced by the market. Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here. 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. * Hundreds of cross-border strikes over the weekend * Worst flare-up for months in area hit by 3 wars since 2007 * Egypt, United Nations had been mediating truce * Trump to present new Israel-Palestinian peace plan in June (Adds Netanyahu comments) By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ari Rabinovitch GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 6 (Reuters) - A ceasefire to end a surge of deadly violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel took hold on Monday after hundreds of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli air strikes. The latest round of hostilities erupted three days ago, peaking on Sunday when rockets and missiles from Hamas Islamist-run Gaza killed four civilians in Israel, local health officials said. Israeli strikes killed 21 Palestinians, over half of them civilians, at the weekend, Gaza health authorities said. Israel does not acknowledge ceasefire deals with Gaza militant groups, which it considers terrorist organizations. But officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government spoke of a reciprocal return to quiet. One of the Israeli officials suggested that Israel's arch-enemy Iran - a major financier of the Islamic Jihad movement - had been behind the Gaza escalation. Suffering under renewed U.S. sanctions and Israeli strikes against its military assets in Syria, Iran may have seen stoking Palestinian violence as a way of telling Israel, "we will get back at you through (Islamic) Jihad and Gaza," Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told the Israeli radio station 90 FM. Israel's military said that more than 600 rockets and other projectiles - over 150 of them intercepted - had been fired at southern Israeli cities and villages since Friday. It said it shelled or carried out air strikes on some 320 militant sites. The violence abated before dawn, after Palestinian officials said Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations had mediated a truce, and just as Gazans were preparing to begin the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "Over the last two days we struck Hamas and Islamic Jihad with great force. We hit over 350 targets. We struck at terrorist leaders and operatives and we destroyed terrorist buildings," Netanyahu said in statement. Story continues "The campaign is not over and it demands patience and good judgment. We are preparing to continue. The goal has been, and remains, ensuring quiet and security for the residents of the south." There was little enthusiasm for the ceasefire in Israeli rocket-hit communities near Gaza. Some residents said Israel agreed to the truce because it did not want rocket fire to spoil the Independence Day holiday this week or Eurovision Song Contest finals the begin in Tel Aviv on May 14. "In a month, in two weeks, in a month and a half, it will all happen again - we achieved nothing. I think Israel needs to strike them very, very hard so that they learn their lesson," said Haim Cohen, 69, a retired electrician from the city of Ashdod. In Gaza, Palestinians attended funerals and extricated bodies from collapsed buildings. "This is a very tough Ramadan. We will not feel festive," said Sumayya Usruf, whose cousin, husband and four-month-old child were killed in an apartment in northern Gaza. LEVERAGE The violence began when a sniper from Islamic Jihad fired across Gaza's fenced border at Israeli troops on routine patrol, 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 the economic hardships of blockaded Gaza. The measures included extending Gaza's fishing zone, allowing international and Arab investment and job creation projects, improving electricity supply and broadening the amount and variety of goods moved into the enclave through Israel. An official in one Gaza militant group, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it had agreed to a truce on condition that those understandings would go into effect. There was no official word from Israel on any bargaining behind the ceasefire. Netanyahu's political opponents have accused him of effectively paying "protection" in recent months to Hamas, by agreeing to allow into Gaza cash aid from Qatar, to keep the border quiet. 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 arms 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 small coastal enclave. One of Islamic Jihad's leaders in Gaza said on Sunday that the group was trying to counter efforts by the United States to revive peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East team has said it will unveil its peace plan in June, after Ramadan is over. Peace negotiations have been moribund since 2014. Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said that over the past few weeks Islamic Jihad had been trying to perpetrate attacks against Israel in order to destabilize the border. "This isn't some local initiative, it is part of a strategic choice to escalate matters," Conricus said. Israel regards Islamic Jihad's ally, Iran, as its biggest threat, and Tehran's military has built a presence in Syria, backing President Bashar al-Assad, during an eight-year civil war there. Israel has vowed to stop Iran entrenching in Syria, repeatedly bombing Iranian targets in the country and those of allied Lebanese Hezbollah militia. Trump's national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday the administration was deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling "indications and warnings" from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with "unrelenting force" to any attack. (Additional reporting by Dan Williams and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem Writing by Maayan Lubell and Jeffrey Heller Editing by Mark Heinrich) (Adds details) By Matt Spetalnick and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling "indications and warnings" from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with "unrelenting force" to any attack, national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday. With tensions already high between Washington and Tehran, a U.S. official said the deployment has been ordered "as a deterrence to what has been seen as potential preparations by Iranian forces and its proxies that may indicate possible attacks on U.S. forces in the region." However, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was not expecting any imminent Iranian attack. Bolton - who has spearheaded an increasingly hawkish U.S. policy on Iran - said the decision, which could exacerbate problems between the two countries, was meant to send a "clear and unmistakable message" of U.S. resolve to Tehran. Though he cited no specific Iranian activities that have raised new concerns, Iran has recently warned it would block the Strait of Hormuz if it was barred from using the strategic waterway. About a fifth of the oil consumed globally passes through the strait. "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or regular Iranian forces," Bolton said in a statement. It marked the latest in a series of moves by President Donald Trump's administration aimed at ratcheting up pressure on Iran in recent months. Washington has said it will stop waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero. It has also blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, taking the unprecedented step of designating it as a foreign terrorist organization, which Iran has cast as an American provocation. Story continues 'UNRELENTING FORCE' The Trump administration's efforts to impose political and economic isolation on Tehran began last year when it unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal it and other world powers negotiated with Iran in 2015. "The United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," Bolton said. Bolton did not provide any further details. A U.S. Navy statement issued early last month said the aircraft carrier and its accompanying convoy of ships had steamed out of Norfolk, Virginia, on April 1 "for a regularly scheduled deployment," but it did not give any destination at the time. While it is not rare for the United States to have aircraft carriers in the Middle East, Boltons language could increase tensions. The threat late last month from the IRGC to close the Strait of Hormuz followed a U.S. announcement that it would end exemptions granted last year to eight buyers of Iranian oil and demanding they stop purchases by May 1 or face sanctions. European governments have opposed Washington's reinstatement of sanctions on Iran. A senior Trump administration official said at the time that any aggressive move by Iran in the strait would be unjustified and unacceptable. Iran has made threats to block the waterway in the past, without acting on them. (Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Idrees Ali; Editing by Peter Cooney & Simon Cameron-Moore) (Adds context, quote from CEO, comment on China tensions; updates share prices) By Allison Lampert and Allison Martell MONTREAL/TORONTO, May 6 (Reuters) - Air Canada on Monday reported a surprise quarterly profit that sent shares up more than 5 percent in earlier trading, helped by flying more passengers and its purchase of a loyalty program, despite pressures from the grounding of Boeing's 737 MAX jets. Canada's largest carrier said it sees strong demand ahead of summer, and expects second-quarter results in line with forecasts made before the global grounding of Boeing Co's 737 MAX in March, following two fatal crashes involving the aircraft model. The grounding, which hit 20 percent of the carrier's mainline narrowbody fleet "stress tested us and we passed," Air Canada Chief Executive Officer Calin Rovinescu told analysts. North American operators of the MAX wrestled during the first quarter with harsh weather and the plane's grounding, while facing pressure from rising jet fuel costs. Air Canada is awaiting the green light from regulators, but will also conduct its own safety assessment before returning the plane to service, Rovinescu said. He said Air Canada's training requirements may exceed those of Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Boeing was not immediately available for comment. Canada has said the country's pilots must receive simulator training for Boeing's new 737 MAX software fix, going beyond an FAA-appointed board which has proposed additional training without requiring a simulator. Air Canada, currently the only North American carrier with the MAX simulator, has trained its pilots on "some of the scenarios" that occurred during recent Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes, Rovinescu said. "By having a MAX simulator we are in a better position to actually see what went on with the other accidents," Rovinescu told Reuters on the sidelines of the company's annual general meeting in Toronto. Story continues He did not specify the differences between simulators for the MAX and the older 737 NG model. Southwest Airlines has one MAX simulator on order and expects it to be operational sometime in the third quarter. American Airlines expects delivery of the MAX simulator during the last three months of the year. U.S. airlines have said they expect the MAX to return to service this summer, although a date is unclear. Travel demand between Canada and China was also hit during the quarter amid trade tensions between the two countries as well as the December arrest of a Huawei Technologies Co executive. Rovinescu said demand was "stable now." Revenue from Air Canada's acquisition of the Aeroplan loyalty program, along with a 4.2 percent rise in traffic, drove a nearly 5 percent increase in passenger yield, the company said. Cost per available seat mile (CASM) - a measure of how much an airline spends to fly a passenger - climbed 3.8 percent. Air Canada reported adjusted net income of C$17 million, or 6 Canadian cents per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, compared to a loss of C$26 million, or 10 Canadian cents per share, a year earlier. Analysts' on average had expected a loss of 18 Canadian cents, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Air Canada shares rose 4.28 percent to C$35.06 in midday trading in Toronto. ($1 = 1.3467 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Allison Martell in Toronto; additional reporting by Shanti S Nair in Bengaluru and Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Bill Trott and G Crosse) The Montage. | Photo: Michelle Q./Yelp Looking to mix things up this week? From a film screening to an awards, here are a few top options to help you get out and about in the days ahead. 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. Blacks Can't Swim: A Film Screening & Discussion From the event description: Please join Horizons at St. Richard's in partnership with the Social Justice and Reconciliation Team at Trinity Episcopal Church for a film screening and discussion on the stereotypes and generalizations surrounding African Americans and swimming. You've heard the statistics: 64% of African American children can't swim. Black people in the United States drown at a rate 5x higher than white people. When: Tuesday, May 7, 6-8 p.m. Where: Trinity Episcopal Church, 3243 N. Meridian St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets ICON LOUNGE PRESENTS: OPEN MIC & BITE From the event description: The weather is warming up and Icon Lounge has the perfect Tuesday Night plans for you! Each and every Tuesday, Open Mic & Bite is the perfect platform for anybody looking to share their two-cents whether it be through music, poetry, comedy, or dance! Come express yourself with us! When: Tuesday, May 7, 7-10 p.m. Where: ICON Lounge, 148 E. Market St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets 4th Annual Indiana Immunization Awards Ceremony From the event description: Please join us for the Indiana Immunization Coalition's 4th Annual Awards Ceremony! As in the past, we will be celebrating Outstanding Practice and High Flyers award winners. The Award ceremony will be held at the Montage in Indianapolis. Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m., and the event will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dinner will be served. We have two fantastic speakers for this event: Ethan Lindenberger: Ethan is an 18-year-old high-school senior who went his entire life without the majority of vaccines kids his age typically receive. After he turned 18, Ethan got caught up on his missed immunizations and his story of taking responsibility for your own health drew national attention. Story continues When: Wednesday, May 8, 5:30-9 p.m. Where: The Montage, 8580 Allison Pointe Blvd. Admission: $25 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets 2019 Future Promises Program Year-End Awards Ceremony From the event description: Join us as we honor and celebrate the achievement of a major milestone in the lives of our Senior Young Families of Indiana Network-Future Promises participants. We will recognize the accomplishments of our undergraduate participants as well, as they too have made tremendous strides and achieved significant accomplishments throughout the school year. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Ceremony will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. When: Wednesday, May 8, 6-9 p.m. Where: Ivy Tech Community College, Ivy Tech Corporate Conference Center, 2820 N. Meridian St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Douglas Anderson School of The Arts. | Photo: Amber A./Yelp From a cinematic red carpet event to midday drinks for dog adoptions, there's plenty to enjoy in Jacksonville this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your calendar. 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. Douglas Anderson Cinematic Arts Spring Showcase From the event description: Each May, the DA Cinematic Arts Spring Showcase brings excitement, intrigue, and suspense to audiences in Jacksonville. Bring your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to experience this annual red carpet event! You will see some spectacular films and celebrate our Class of 2019 graduates. When: Friday, May 10, 6:30-10 p.m. Where: Douglas Anderson School of The Arts, 2445 San Diego Road Admission: $10 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets One Heart Marriage Conference From the event description: The One Heart Marriage Conference will be two days filled with great information to help you strengthen and enhance the passion in your marriage! Join conference hosts, George and April Davis as they share wisdom from 25 years of experience and Gods Word on developing and growing a great marriage. Special guests Cornelius and Heather Lindsay will also be joining us for this awesome weekend. When: Friday, May 10, 7- Saturday, May 11, 7:30 p.m. Where: Impact Church, 8985 Lone Star Road Admission: $60 (General Registration/Individual Ticket). More ticket options available. Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Hard Rock Casino Bus Trip (Jax to Tampa) From the event description: This is a round-trip charter bus to the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Florida. The bus will arrive at the Hard Rock at approximately 1:00 p.m. and the return trip will leave from the Hard Rock promptly at 7:00 p.m. and arrive back in Jacksonville at approximately 11:00 p.m. When: Saturday, May 11, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Where: Departing from Walmart near the Avenues Mall, 10251 Shops Lane Admission: $42.25 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Story continues Mutts & Mimosas From the event description: Join us for the 4th Annual Mutts & Mimosas on the patio of the Sheraton Jacksonville Hotel! Enjoy a brunch buffet, refreshing mimosas, live music and a silent auction all while benefiting Friends of Jacksonville Animals! Furry friends welcome! When: Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Where: Sheraton Jacksonville Hotel, 10605 Deerwood Park Blvd. Admission: $25 (Mutts & Mimosa - (1) Mimosa); $35 (Mutts & Mimosa - Bottomless Mimosas) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Wild Eggs. | Photo: Francis R./Yelp Looking for a delicious breakfast and brunch meal near you? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top breakfast and brunch spots around Louisville, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to satisfy your cravings. 1. Wild Eggs Photo: NICOLE A./Yelp Topping the list is Wild Eggs. Located at 121 S. Floyd St. in Central Business District, the breakfast and brunch spot, which offers omelets, waffles, pancakes, sandwiches and more, is the highest rated breakfast and brunch restaurant in Louisville, boasting 4.5 stars out of 787 reviews on Yelp. 2. Superchefs Photo: ANNIE M./Yelp Next up is Deer Park's SuperChefs, situated at 1702 Bardstown Road. With 4.5 stars out of 406 reviews on Yelp, the New American and breakfast and brunch spot has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Highland Morning PHOTO: KAREN R./YELP Tyler Park's Highland Morning, located at 1416 Bardstown Road, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the American breakfast and brunch spot, which offers burgers and more, four stars out of 343 reviews. 4. North End Cafe PHOTO: ELLYSE L./YELP North End Cafe, a vegetarian breakfast and brunch American spot in Clifton, is another go-to, with four stars out of 338 Yelp reviews. Head over to 1722 Frankfort Ave. to see for yourself. 5. Please & Thank You PHOTO: KELLY J./YELP Over in Central Business District, check out Please & Thank You, which has earned 4.5 stars out of 69 reviews on Yelp. You can find the breakfast and brunch spot, which offers coffeetea and more, at 252 E. Market 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. Photo: Alex Litvin/Unsplash From a movie about childhood resilience to a short films premiere, there's plenty to enjoy in Seattle this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your calendar. 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. 'Resilience' Film Screening and Panel Discussion From the event description: Sound Discipline is delighted to present the film "Resilience" in conjunction with Michelle Martin, the Beverly Cleary Professor for Children and Youth Services at the Information School, University of Washington. This one-hour film by Jamie Redford illustrates the impacts of chronic stress on childrens brains. Following the movie there will be a panel sharing the work being done to build resilience and counteract the impact of stress. When: Tuesday, May 7, 7-9 p.m. Where: Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center, 3940 Brooklyn Ave. NE Admission: $5 (General Audience) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets 'Short Nite' From the event description: "Short Nite" is a collection of short films that make their world and West Coast premieres on Thursday. Shot exclusively in the Pacific Northwest, the films weave together themes of humanity's application of technology. Written and directed by Seattle-based storyteller and filmmaker, Jeff Schick, each short film addresses different storylines while working cohesively together, leaving the audience with a sense of self-reflection on our place in the cosmos. When: Thursday, May 9, 7-9 p.m. Where: SIFF Film Center, 305 Harrison St. Admission: $12 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets SU VSA 14th Annual Xuan Festival: One Moon, Many Tides From the event description: Seattle University's Vietnamese Student Association formally invites you to the 14th annual Xuan cultural festival One Moon, Many Tides: Tro Ve Mot Tinh Yeu. This years theme centers on the Vietnamese refugee experience, as well as navigating what it means to be Vietnamese-American. We want to explore how trauma, guilt and confusion are generational, but so are healing and love. We want to emphasize that we are many stories branching from a shared heart, many tides pulled together by one moon. Story continues When: Saturday, May 11, 4-8 p.m. Where: Seattle University, 914 E. Jefferson St., Campion Ballroom Admission: $15 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Cheese Wars: The Fromage Awakens From the event description: To celebrate Seattle Beer Week and raise money for Seattle Children's hospital, Peach and the Pig and Wicked Good Grinders go head-to-head in a Star Wars-themed intergalactic battle for the best cheese sandwich. The 501st Legion and The Rebel Legion will come outfitted as your favorite Star Wars characters to aid fundraising efforts. When: Saturday, May 11, 4-9 p.m. Where: Hellbent Brewing Company, 13035 Lake City Way NE Admission: $25 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Mothers Day Dinner and Flamenco Show: Mercedes Ruiz and Santiago Lara From the event description: Espacio de Arte is proud to be hosting internationally acclaimed flamenco artists Mercedes Ruiz and Santiago Lara as they make their Seattle debut this spring. Mercedes Ruiz is one of the most esteemed dancers in Spain today and winner of such respected flamenco dance awards as the Critics Award at the Festival de Jerez and the Exhibition Award at the Seville Bienal. She has been performing professionally since the age of seven, touring across Europe, Asia and to the Eastern United States. In 2003 she started her own company, Compania Mercedes Ruiz, and has created eight productions together with her husband, Santiago Lara. When: Sunday, May 12, 5-9 p.m. Where: Club Sur, 2901 First Ave. South Admission: $30-$60 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Real estate can offer passive income and protection against market downturns over the long term. Turnkey rentals offer an alternative to the traditional direct ownership model and can generate a profit. "A turnkey property is a property that has generally recently been remodeled or renovated and comes with a tenant already in place," says Kevin Ortner, president and CEO of Minneapolis-based Renters Warehouse. "This means that as an investor, you should be getting an investment property that will require less maintenance in the early years and you'll be able to generate a return from day one since there's a tenant already paying rent." Turnkey homes may appeal to someone looking for streamlined property investments, income and diversification for retirement. "Turnkey properties can be bought in a variety of regions, so that if one market falters there are still other properties in other regions that can remain strong," says Daniel Hill, president and CEO of Virginia-based Hill Wealth Strategies. "This allows for better opportunities of continued growth for a retirement strategy." When adding turnkey rentals to a retirement portfolio, experts say there are five keys to success. -- Consider the holding period. -- Fully vet rental opportunities. -- Invest in quality management. -- Gauge long-term income potential. -- Pay attention to taxes. [See: 9 REITs Ideal for Beginning Real Estate Investors.] Consider the Holding Period Being a landlord for a turnkey rental property can simplify real estate investing, whether it's renting a single-family or multi-family home. But it's important to understand the time commitment involved. "Your hold period is the most important factor as market dynamics change often," says Kathryn Landow, a real estate agent at Warburg Realty in New York. "Given that an investment property isn't liquid like a real estate investment trust, you need to be able to weather corrections and downturns in the market." Story continues With a REIT, the investment is in a company that owns the property, not the property itself. It's easier to sell a REIT versus selling a turnkey home or any other property that's directly owned when concerns over market volatility. Landow says REITs can be better for short-term investing, while turnkey properties require investors to take the long view. The holding period also matters for the purchase of the property itself when investors leverage loans, rather than paying cash. "How you finance the property will also force your hand when it comes to considering a disposition," Landow says. "Make sure you finance the property with the same length of term you're preparing to hold the property for." [See: How to Invest in Real Estate Without Buying Property.] Fully Vet Rental Opportunities A turnkey property may look good on the surface but don't take the seller's word for it. "Something might seem turnkey but the workmanship may be of poor quality, which can lead to additional headaches and expense," says Josh Rubin, a licensed real estate broker at Douglas Elliman. He says this can be avoided by working with a professional home inspector who can detect potential issues before the purchase goes ahead. Aside from the property itself, consider its surroundings and the seller's overall reputation. "Look at the upkeep of neighbors' homes, not just the property you're considering buying," Rubin says. "Check to see if the seller has a track record in the community, whether it's good or bad and see what their other properties have done." Assuming the property checks out, factor in the reliability of the tenants already in place. "If the tenant placed in the property was not properly vetted, you might find yourself having to replace them at an added cost," Ortner says. Not only that but vacancies can diminish returns and affect cash flow until the property is re-rented. Invest in Professional Property Management Turnkey investments have a hands-off quality, in that there's much less legwork to be done in terms of making renovations or finding tenants. But there's still ongoing turnkey property management that needs to be handled. This can be done by a real estate investor, but it could make more sense to hire an expert who's well-versed in turnkey real estate services. "It's important to get quality property management in place right away," says Ortner, who adds it makes the transition as seamless as possible. He suggests talking with other turnkey property investors along with the seller to get recommendations for property management companies. When choosing a property manager, consider the range of services they offer in relation to the fees they charge. Services should be comprehensive, but the associated cost shouldn't detract significantly from returns. Gauge Long-Term Income Potential Turnkey investments can come in varying shades. Over time, for instance, turnkey rental homes that stay occupied year-round may generate more income than turnkey vacation rentals, which are occupied six months out of the year. It's important to consider how a property's projected rental income aligns with retirement goals. If a property underperforms, that could result in a shortfall when it's time to begin drawing on a portfolio for income. [See: 8 REIT Categories With the Wind at Their Backs.] Rubin says to look at historic rents for the area to better understand whether expected income from a turnkey home is viable. Reviewing overall market conditions and local trends can offer additional perspective on how well an investment is likely to perform. Turnkey investors should also take care to keep overall asset allocation in sight to maintain balance. "While physical real estate is an important part of any truly diversified portfolio, like any investment, it's important to not get over-leveraged or invest more than you're comfortable with," Ortner says. Pay Attention to Taxes Owning turnkey homes comes with certain tax advantages for investors. "Expenses allotted to the mortgage interest, property management fees, operating expenses, property taxes and repairs or maintenance can be claimed as deductions," Hill says. He adds that investors can also deduct travel expenses associated with inspecting or maintaining a rental property. But there are some caveats. "Investors aren't always aware that the rent received is taxed within the year it's earned and not when it's due," Hill says. This can affect tax filing, for example, if a renter makes advanced rent payments several months or years ahead. Additionally, turnkey investors need to be aware of what is or isn't a deductible expense. This can help avoid surprises when it's time to file income taxes for the year. Ultimately, consulting a tax pro can ensure that a turnkey rental property remains an asset, rather than becoming a tax liability. Photo: Kael Bloom/Unsplash Looking for something to do this week? From a festival centered around positive energy to a concert by the BYU Wind Symphony, here are a few top options to help you get social around town. 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. 'Embracing Dyslexia' Movie Screening From the event description: Families, Educators and Professionals are invited to attend a free documentary screening of "Embracing Dyslexia" by filmaker Luis Macias on Tuesday at the St. George Episcopal Church. Following the film, there will be a question & answer session with dyslexia specialists. The movie explores dyslexia from an insider's perspective, weaving together interviews with parents, adult dyslexics, researchers, educators and experts to provide an accurate portrayal of a learning difference that affects between 15-20% of the population. When: Tuesday, May 7, 6-8 p.m. Where: St George Episcopal Church, 6900 West Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Beyond 2020 Luncheon From the event description: Hear what the goals are for what San Antonio will look like in 15 years, and what it will require to meet those goals on Wednesday with the Beyond 2020 Luncheon and Panel Discussion at The Garage at Pearl. To better understand San Antonios potential future and how we as a community might need to shift approaches, the Institute for Alternative Futures (IAF) collaborated with SA2020, the Kresge Foundation, a team of 16 national advisors, 37 expert reviewers, and more than 30 local community leaders to create San Antonio Human Progress and Human Services Scenarios for the year 2035. The luncheon will explore the challenges and opportunities that the city will face in the coming years. When: Wednesday, May 8, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Where: The Garage at Pearl, 250 E. Grayson Admission: $20 (single seat: Connector); $40 (Single Seat: Sustainer). Multiple ticket options available. Story continues Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Fitness in the Park's 3K/5K Walk at OP Schnabel Park From the event description: Join San Antonio Go365 for its monthly Fitness in the Park on Saturday at OP Schnabel Park. Participants have the choice of walking a 3K or 5K trail. The Fitness in the Park is held the second Saturday of every month through the end of the year. When: Saturday, May 11, 8:30-11:30 a.m. Where: OP Schnabel Park, 9606 Bandera Road Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Yes Fest at Alamo Beer Company From the event description: The Alamo Beer Company is hosting Yes Fest on Saturday to celebrate positive energy. The goal of the festival is to bring together local nonprofits, artists, musicians and performance groups from San Antonio to showcase the city's creativity and unique cultures in a positive, educational and collaborative way. When: Saturday, May 11, 2-11 p.m. Where: Alamo Beer Co., 202 Lamar Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets BYU Wind Symphony Hosts Free Concert From the event description: The BYU Wind Symphony is performing a free concert on Saturday at the St. Philip's College Watson Fine Arts Center. In addition to marches and arrangements of classical pieces, the group presents contemporary works by composers from throughout the world. When: Saturday, May 11, 7-8:30 p.m. Where: St. Philip's College - Watson Fine Arts Center, 1801 Martin Luther King Drive Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Bullwinkles. | Photo: Yen D./Yelp From a school-community partnership forum to a dance-a-thon, there's plenty to enjoy in Columbus this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your calendar. 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. Flyover Kick-Off Event Featuring Danez Smith, St. Lenox and Scott Woods From the event description: Join in this Flyover kick-off event, showcasing a special evening of music and spoken word featuring National Book Award finalist Danez Smith, celebrated musician St. Lenox and acclaimed poet Scott Woods. When: Wednesday, May 8, 8-10 p.m. Where: Two Dollar Radio Headquarters, 1124 Parsons Ave. Admission: $5 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Camp Chase Tour and Book Talk From the event description: Please join Columbus Historical Society and Central Ohio Civil War Round Table for a night to contemplate the history of Columbus own Civil War cemetery at Camp Chase. Hilltop Historical Society member Dick Hoffman and UNC-Wilmington History Professor Dr. Angela Zombek will share their insights on what led Columbus to have a Confederate cemetery and how it has been a part of Civil War memory through the years. Dr. Zombek will also be signing copies of her new book, 'Penitentiaries, Punishment, and Military Prisons: Familiar Responses to an Extraordinary Crisis during the American Civil War.' Special note: Attendees must bring their own lawn chair for seating. The event is free but registration is required. When: Thursday, May 9, 6-7:30 p.m. Where: Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery, 2900 Sullivant Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Building Resilience through School-Community Partnerships From the event description: The Ohio State University College of Public Health and other university and community partners invite guests to partake in a community conversation on building resilience in children and families through school-community partnerships. The purpose of this event is to listen to challenges and ideas from school principals, present updates from the scientific community and hear from practitioners who are implementing innovative, evidence-based interventions in their schools and communities. The focus will be on social-emotional learning techniques and other practices that promote healthy behaviors and discourage high-risk behaviors in children, particularly in the context of Ohios largest public health challenge, the addiction crisis. Story continues When: Friday, May 10, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: Ohio Union-Cartoon Room, 1739 N. High St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Silent Party Columbus: 90s vs. Now From the event description: Its your typical partywith no speakers or amps. Instead, attendees don wireless headphones and turn them to various stations, then boogie on the dance floor amidst other revelers dancing to whatevers in their headphones. Three DJs are competing for your attention during this bash, spinning your favorite Carnival & Trap hits. If you dont like a song, simply switch your headphones from one station to the next to keep the party going. Party-goers can also turn down the volume of their headphones or take them off whenever they want to chat with other participants. When: Friday, May 10, 9:30 p.m.- Saturday, May 11, 2 a.m. Where: Skully's Music-Diner, 1151 N. High St. Admission: $12 (Advance); $15 (At the Door) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Dance-A-Thon Fundraiser From the event description: Dine, drink and dance the night away with FlowFit's Ryan and Jen in support of the Women's Health Education Program. Ticket price includes dinner, drinks, an on-site hip hop class and a raffle ticket. When: Saturday, May 11, 6-10 p.m. Where: Bullwinkles, 1770 N. High St. Admission: $30 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Photo: Kael Bloom/Unsplash From a symphony concert to an emo party, there's plenty to enjoy in New Orleans this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your calendar. 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. New Orleans Civic Symphony Concert From the event description: Join the New Orleans Civic Symphony on Monday for a night of great music. As always, our concerts are free! The program for this concert includes Maurice Ravel's Valse Nobles et Semntimentales, Cesar Franck's Psyche No.s 1-4 and Camille Saint-Saens' Danse Bacchanale. When: Monday, May 6, 7-8:30 p.m. Where: UNO Perfroming Arts Center, Recital Hall, 2000 Lakeshore Drive Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Soft Skills Showcase From the event description: Come celebrate and learn about soft skills development at YouthForce NOLA's Soft Skills Showcase! Also known as 21st century skills, soft skills such as communication, problem solving and collaboration are critical for success in a modern economy and world. At the showcase, educators, families and community members will have a chance to see the impact that soft skills can have on a student's success. When: Tuesday, May 7, 5-7 p.m. Where: Junior Achievement of Greater, 5100 Orleans Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Public Records Workshop From the event description: Have you ever wondered how Louisianas public records laws work? On Tuesday, journalists from The Lens will explain how you can use public records to hold your government agencies accountable and how to get those records. This time, we will focus on criminal justice records. When: Tuesday, May 7, 6-7:30 p.m. Where: Blue House, 1700 S. Rampart Admission: Free (RSVP); $35 (RSVP and membership) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Own Your Narrative: A Spoken Word Poetry Performance Story continues From the event description: Join us on Thursday at the Contemporary Arts Center for a space-ship happy hour and a spoken word poetry performance. The event features eight talented poets, including Rutina Wesley from "Queen Sugar"! When: Thursday, May 9, 6-7:30 p.m. Where: Contemporary Arts Center, 900 Camp St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Emo Night New Orleans: The Summer of Sadness Kickoff From the event description: It's 95 degrees out with 100% humidity, but is that going to stop you from wearing all black? No! Emo Night New Orleans is helping you maintain your edge and aesthetic during the worst time of year to live in the south! So come out to Emo Night and show Mother Nature that no matter how hot she makes it, she'll never warm up that ice box that you call a heart! When: Friday, May 10, 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Where: Republic NOLA, 828 S. Peters St. Admission: $10 (Advance) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Photo: Lukas Jirovsky/Flickr From a showcase of youth artists to a wine walk, there's plenty to enjoy in Pittsburgh this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your calendar. 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. Youth Voices Live Showcase From the event description: As part of Remake Learning Days, the Homewood YMCA will be hosting Youth Voices Live. This youth art and media showcase will feature music performances from YMCA Lighthouse Project youth, in collaboration with Alia Musica Pittsburgh and The Brass Roots; a live podcast by A Plus Schools Teen Bloc; DJ sets from Lighthouse's teen DJs; and maker-art by the Y Creator Space Kids. When: Thursday, May 9, 5:30-8 p.m. Where: Homewood-Brushton Branch YMCA, 7140 Bennett St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Nerd Nite Pittsburgh From the event description: Nerd Nite Pittsburgh is a monthly lecture event that strives for an inebriated, salacious yet deeply academic vibe. It's often about science or technology, but by no means is it limited to such topics. If you like alcohol, learning about random and interesting things and meeting other nerds, this is the event for you. When: Thursday, May 9, 7-10 p.m. Where: Spirit, 242 51st St. Admission: $5 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets NeighborHOOD Conversations Series From the event description: The NeighborHOOD Conversations Series recognizes local heroes in Pittsburgh's historically African American neighborhoods and brings positive media attention to a Pittsburgh neighborhood that is often flooded with negative press. This event will be a live interview show featuring Fred Brown, President and CEO of Forbes Fund, and Dr. John Wallace of Bible Center Church. Hosts Michelyn Hood and Brian Cook will dialogue with these local heroes as they share their personal and private lives, challenges and benefits of being an entrepreneur in Pittsburgh and more. Hors d'oeuvres will be available. Story continues When: Friday, May 10, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Where: Everyday Cafe, 532 N. Homewood Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Rooftop Yoga Benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation From the event description: Head up to the rooftop at Skybar for a one-hour, all-level energizing yoga flow with instructor Catherine Gignac. Attendees will receive one complimentary mimosa and 20% off brunch at Local, located directly next door. Please bring your own yoga mat. All ticket proceeds will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to help with research, innovative medicine and finding a cure. When: Saturday, May 11, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Where: Skybar, 1603 E. Carson St. Admission: $25 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Mother's Day Wine Walk From the event description: Join Uncover Squirrel Hill for its annual Mother's Day Wine Walk, a self-paced wine tasting experience. Enjoy approximately 15 different wines, food samples and exclusive discounts at participating host merchants. When: Saturday, May 11, 4-8 p.m. Where: Squirrel Hill Business District, Forbes and Murray avenues Admission: $30 (Single Admission); $55 (Couple's Admission) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. 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 * Trump says will raise U.S. tariffs on $200 bln of Chinese goods * China vice premier due in Washington this week, may not go * Both countries had been in talks to try to end trade war (Adds comments from Chinese official) By Jeff Mason and David Shepardson WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on China on Sunday to reach a trade deal, saying he would hike U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. The move marked a major escalation in tensions between the world's largest economies and a shift in tone from Trump, who had cited progress in trade talks as recently as Friday. Stock markets sank and oil prices tumbled as negotiations were thrown into doubt. The Wall Street Journal reported that China was considering canceling this week's trade talks in Washington in light of Trump's comments, which took Chinese officials by surprise. A less than rosy update from United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, including details that China was pulling back from some previous commitments, prompted Trump's decision. "The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!" Trump said in a tweet. U.S. officials did not weigh in on whether China would attend this week's talks. The White House and the U.S. Trade Representative's Office declined to comment. China's commerce ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "The atmosphere of the negotiations has changed," said a Chinese official with knowledge of the situation. Whether the talks would proceed and how they would proceed are issues that are now being re-evaluated, the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "All that depends on the attitude of the United States," the official said. The editor of an influential, Chinese state-run newspaper said Vice Premier Liu He was unlikely to go. Story continues "Let Trump raise tariffs. Let's see when trade talks can resume," Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the tabloid the Global Times, tweeted. The newspaper is published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily, but it is not considered an official publication and does not speak for the government. Chinese media outlets have been told not to independently report on Trump's overnight tweets or tweet about them, and instead adhere to any report from the official Xinhua news agency, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter. MARKET TURBULENCE Global financial markets, which had been expecting news of a trade deal soon, went into a tailspin. U.S. equity futures fell more than 2 percent and stocks across trade-reliant Asia tumbled, with China's main indexes plunging 5 percent. "There is still a question of whether this is one of the famous Trump negotiation tactics, or are we really going to see some drastic increase in tariffs," said Nick Twidale, Sydney-based analyst at Rakuten Securities Australia. If it's the latter, we'll see massive downside pressure across all markets." Trump said tariffs on $200 billion of goods would increase to 25 percent on Friday from 10 percent, reversing a decision he made in February to keep them at the 10 percent rate thanks to progress between the two sides. The president also said he would target a further $325 billion of Chinese goods with 25 percent tariffs "shortly," essentially covering all products imported to the United States from China. Mindful of his 2020 re-election bid, Trump suggested the measures were not leading to price increases for U.S. consumers. "The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China," he tweeted. Tariffs on Chinese goods are actually paid to the United States by the companies importing the goods, and most of those companies are U.S.-based. American businesses, while supportive of Trump's crackdown on China's trade practices, are eager for the tariffs to be removed, not expanded. "Raising tariffs means raising taxes on millions of American families and inviting further retaliation on American farmers," said Christin Fernandez, a spokeswoman for the Retail Industry Leaders Association. Nevertheless, the president's aggressive strategy drew rare bipartisan support from U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who urged Trump to "hang tough" in a tweet: "Don't back down. Strength is the only way to win with China." One Chinese trade expert said recent signs of resilience in both economies were breeding over-confidence. "The urgency is gone. So, it's likely to see a longer trade war," the expert said, speaking on condition of anonymity citing the sensitivity of the topic. The trade war resulted in billions of dollars of losses for both sides in 2018, hitting industries including autos, technology - and above all, agriculture, while inflicting collateral damage on export-reliant economies and companies from Japan to Germany. NOT GETTING CLOSE? Trump's move could backfire, said Tai Hui, Asia-Pacific chief market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. "As we learnt a year ago, Beijing could be willing to walk away if the U.S. applies negotiation tactics that they don't agree with. That said, both sides have invested significant time and resources to come this far..." On Friday, Trump said talks with China were going well. . Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called the round in Beijing "productive," and one White House official told Reuters that dates were being looked at for a potential meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping in June. Last week, industry sources said they believed the talks were in the endgame, but a Trump administration official said aides had told the president that significant hurdles remained. The increase in U.S. tariffs on Friday would be the first since Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods in September, coming on top of 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of goods enacted earlier last year. Negotiations about tariffs have been one of the remaining sticking points between the two sides. China wants the tariffs to be lifted, while Trump wants to keep some, if not all, of them as part of any final deal to ensure China lives up to its commitments, a White House official said on Sunday. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and David Shepardson; Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner and Lawrence Hurley in Washington, and Sinead Carew in New York, and Ben Blanchard, Michael Martina, Shu Zhang, Jing Xu, Cheng Leng and Yawen Chen in Beijing; Editing by Peter Cooney and Kim Coghill) A dozen of San Franciscos top interior designers joined Architectural Digest West Coast editor Mayer Rus and the Shade Store for an intimate dinner at Ken Fulkdesigned Petit Marlowe for an evening that was more than just window dressing. Suzanne Tucker, Jonathan Rachman, Kari McIntosh, Eche Martinez, Nicole Hollis, and more of the citys top talent talked shop with representatives from the Shade Store on new ideas and working closely together on projects. Chief marketing officer Michael Crotty, senior vice president of marketing Kara Marmion, and a team of local sales directors discussed ways the company could better serve designers' needs and build stronger relationships with Bay Area clients. After our initial success in New York, we thought we were really on to something and were challenged to figure out how we could make it work outside that market, explains Crotty. So we came to San Francisco, and the city has been good to us ever since. From the designers' perspective, the night was an opportunity not only to speak directly with an important brand, but also to talk shop with one another as peers. It was a fun night full of laughter and camaraderie, says Rachman. Petit Marlowe created such an intimate setting, and the conversation got louder as the evening progressed. The guest list reflected the whole rainbow of great Bay Area designers, from the young Turks to the grande dames, says Rus. There was a lot of spirited discussion about the tech world and the transformation of San Francisco: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Also, a round-robin of Netflix recommendations. For the record, Shtisel and Special are what San Franciscos elite designers are watching these days. Nights like this remind me how lucky we are to be part of such a thriving creative community in San Francisco, adds Martinez. Story continues The inspired interiors of Petit Marlowe by AD100 designer Fulk served as the perfect backdrop to the gathering. After a curated wine selection and exceptional appetizersincluding restaurateur Anna Weinbergs famous bacon, jalapeno, and salsa verde deviled eggsthe group sat for a three-course dinner of burrata, poulet vert, and petit fours. While each course was better than the last, the dinner may have been eclipsed by the $1,000 gift certificates to the Shade Store each designer received after dessert. AD and the Shade Store Host Dinner for the Bay Areas Best Designers Photo: Katie Ravas/Drew Altizer Photography Photo: Katie Ravas/Drew Altizer Photography Photo: Katie Ravas/Drew Altizer Photography Photo: Katie Ravas/Drew Altizer Photography Photo: Katie Ravas/Drew Altizer Photography Photo: Katie Ravas/Drew Altizer Photography Photo: Katie Ravas/Drew Altizer Photography Photo: Katie Ravas/Drew Altizer Photography Photo: Katie Ravas/Drew Altizer Photography KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) The Taliban stormed an army checkpoint in Afghanistan's western Farah province, killing 20 soldiers and abducting two, the latest in relentless attacks that the insurgents carry out even as they negotiate with the U.S. about ending the war, Afghan officials said Monday. The attack also dashed hopes of some sort of truce during the holy month of Ramadan, which started Monday and when observant Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. The overnight attack on the checkpoint in the Farah province's Gulistan district triggered an hour-long gunbattle as Afghan troops tried to repel the attackers. The fate of the abducted soldiers was not immediately known, said provincial councilman Dadullah Qaneh. Col. Qais Mangal, spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, later confirmed the attack but could not give precise casualties figures. "I can confirm that an army checkpoint has been attacked and there are casualties among soldiers," he said, adding that reinforcements have been dispatched to the area. Taliban spokesman Qari Yusouf Ahmadi claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban still carry out near-daily attacks on Afghan forces, even as peace efforts have accelerated to find an end to Afghanistan's nearly 17-year war. Earlier on Sunday, the Taliban set off a suicide car bombing and stormed a police headquarters in northern Baghlan province, killing 13 policemen and setting off a six-hour gunbattle. The Interior Ministry said 55 people, including 20 civilians, were wounded before the attackers were all killed. Last week, an Afghan grand council convened by President Ashraf Ghani called for peace with the Taliban as the president promised to free 175 Taliban prisoners ahead of Ramadan. But the Taliban on Friday rejected a cease-fire during Ramadan, saying their attacks will continue though the fighters will be "very careful of civilians during any operation." The insurgents have in the past rejected cease-fire proposals, saying U.S. and NATO troops must withdraw from the country first. The Taliban also refuse to negotiate directly with the government in Kabul, seeing it as a U.S. puppet. WASHINGTON The Pentagon is sending a "very loud" message to Iran not to harm U.S. troops in the Middle East after intelligence reports revealed a rising level of threats from Iranian paramilitary forces, a senior Defense official said Monday. The commander of U.S. Central Command, Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, made an urgent request to bolster American forces in the region after observing multiple streams of intelligence that indicated threats to U.S. troops, according to the official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The threats were above and beyond what is usually detected. There are hundreds of American troops in Iraq and Syria, as well as in surrounding Middle East countries. The U.S.S. Lincoln aircraft carrier task force and a bomber group were dispatched to send the message to Iran to leave U.S. forces alone, the official said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talks to the media on the sidelines of the Arctic Council ministers' working dinner at the Arktikum museum in Rovaniemi, Finland, Monday, May 6, 2019. The U.S. is dispatching an aircraft carrier and other military resources to the Middle East following what it says are indications that Iran and its proxy forces are preparing to possibly attack U.S. forces in the region. (Mandel Ngan/Pool Photo via AP) The Pentagon also announced Monday that it is bolstering its forces in the Middle East to counter Irans destabilizing activities and malign behavior. Spokesman Charles Summers said the U.S. military has been prepared to deal with Iranian provocations. However, the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force are considered a prudent step in response to indications of heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against U.S. forces and our interests, Summers said. It ensures we have the forces we need in the region to respond to contingencies and to defend U.S. forces and interests in the region." That announcement follows a statement released Sunday night by John Bolton, President Trump's national security adviser. Bolton referred to "troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" from Iran as the reason for the deployment of the Lincoln and the bombers. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tweeted Monday that Iran could not escape blame by sending proxy forces to attack U.S. troops. Any attack, he said, would be attributed to Iran and Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who heads the elite Quds Force of Iran's hard-line paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Story continues "We will not distinguish between attacks from Shia militias in #Iraq & the #IRGC that controls them, Rubio tweeted. We will not distinguish between attacks from Shia militias in #Iraq & the #IRGC that controls them. Any attack by these groups against U.S. forces will be considered an attack by #Iran & responded to accordingly. Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 6, 2019 The Pentagon has a history of bad blood with Iranian forces in the region, particularly in Iraq. During the peak of fighting in Iraq, U.S. commanders produced evidence of sophisticated explosives used to kill U.S. troops. Known as explosively formed penetrators, the weapons required expertise and manufacturing that wasn't available to most militants in Iraq. Read more: Download the USA TODAY app This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aircraft carrier, bombers shifted to Middle East to send 'very loud' message to Iran Albemarle Corporation ALB will release first-quarter 2019 results after the bell on May 8. The company will likely face some pressure on its lithium volumes in the quarter. Albemarles shares have lost around 23% over a year, compared with the roughly 24.1% decline recorded by the industry it belongs to. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. What do the Estimates Say? Albemarle, in its fourth-quarter call, said that its performance in 2018 and execution of its lithium growth projects have positioned it for another year of growth in 2019. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues for Albemarle for the to-be-reported quarter stands at $808 million, reflecting an expected decline of 1.7% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net sales for the Lithium unit for the first quarter is pegged at $336 million, reflecting a 13% rise on a year over year basis. Moreover, net sales for the Bromine Specialties segment is projected to see a 3.1% year-over-year increase as the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the first quarter is pegged at $233 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys Catalysts segment stands at $233 million, indicating a year over year decline of 10.7%. Factors to Consider Albemarle faces some headwinds the first quarter. The company, in March, stated that its Lithium unit is expected to witness a shift in volumes of roughly 3,000-3,500 metric tons on LCE basis from the first quarter to subsequent quarters in 2019. The volume shift is expected to dent first-quarter performance by roughly $40-$45 million in revenues and $15-$18 million in EBITDA. Per the company, the shortfall in volume was mainly due to the timing of customer qualifications of lithium hydroxide from Xinyu II and lithium carbonate from toll manufacturers. Production issues at the La Negra site, Chile, due to the disruption of fresh water supply also affected volumes in the first quarter. Nevertheless, Albemarle envisions that the shortfall to be recovered during the remainder of 2019. Meanwhile, the companys Catalysts segment faces some challenges from an expected decline in Performance Catalyst Solutions business this year due to pricing pressures and the loss of a large customer contract. Nevertheless, the division will likely gain from strength in the refining catalyst business driven by healthy demand in FCC catalysts in the March quarter. For Bromine Specialties, demand for flame retardants is expected to be stable in the first quarter. Story continues Albemarle Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Albemarle Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Albemarle Corporation price-eps-surprise | Albemarle Corporation Quote Zacks Model Our proven model shows that Albemarle is likely to beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is the case here, as you will see below: Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP for Albemarle is +0.47%. The Most Accurate Estimate is $1.22 while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $1.21. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Albemarle currently carries a Zacks Rank #3, which when combined with a positive ESP makes us reasonably confident of earnings beat. Note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks That Warrant a Look Here are some other companies in the basic materials space you may want to consider as our model shows they too have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Intrepid Potash, Inc. IPI has an Earnings ESP of +25.00% and carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Covia Holdings Corporation CVIA has an Earnings ESP of +17.34% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. Bunge Limited BG has an Earnings ESP of +5.00% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. Will you retire a millionaire? One out of every six people retires a multimillionaire. Get smart tips you can do today to become one of them in a new Special Report, 7 Things You Can Do Now to Retire a Multimillionaire. Click to get it free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Albemarle Corporation (ALB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Intrepid Potash, Inc (IPI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Bunge Limited (BG) : Free Stock Analysis Report COVIA HOLDINGS (CVIA) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Everybody today is miserable about politics, or so it seems. Our system is broken, its sick, its dysfunctional, etc. I certainly agree that our government has its share of problems (and then some!). But being the contrarian that I am, I think our misery is actually a sign that it is still doing at least a few things right. Think about the Brexit vote a few years ago. This was an enormous popular plebiscite in the United Kingdom on whether the nation should break away from the European Union. The Leave vote eked out a narrow majority that was highly divided along geographical, socioeconomic, and age lines. Since then, the process of leaving the EU . . . has not gone so well, as we all know. Something like Brexit would never, could never happen in the United States. We do not have national plebiscites, for one thing. But more important, we do not give narrow majorities so very much power. This gets back to the distinction that often is made about the United States being a republic but not a democracy. That notion is imprecise, but it does reveal a key insight. The Founders were committed to the idea of popular rule, as opposed to government by unelected monarchs. But they were deeply skeptical of rule by the people. They had good reason for both opinions. The period between the end of the French and Indian War and the American Revolution taught the colonists that a king without sympathy for his subjects is dangerous indeed. But the period between the Declaration of Independence and the ratification of the Constitution taught them that popular majorities can be even more dangerous than any king. So the Framers arrived at an ingenious solution: The people would have total authority to choose their governors, but absent broad, durable, and large majorities, their leaders would struggle to enact major changes. They bet the future of the American republic on the supposition that, the larger a majority is, the more likely it represents the interests of the whole nation, and the more able it should be to govern. Story continues This is why Brexit could never happen in the United States, at least not in the way it occurred in the United Kingdom. The Framers would probably be appalled that 51.9 percent of the nation could impose its will on 48.1 percent on such a fundamental matter. Now, imagine that the United States was struggling with its own version of Brexit, with no hope of a popular referendum and with the practical need for a very large majority to support its passage. The two sides would be locked in a lengthy, heated, and eventually vituperative debate that would make them both . . . miserable. But at least neither side could force itself on the other. This, in its way, is the genius of the American style of self-government. Without a decisive majority, two sides would be locked in a stalemate whereby they would make each other miserable. But that is the tradeoff that needs to be made, out of fear that one side manages to impose its views on the opposition. This is not perfect, to be sure. The Left is understandably frustrated that Donald Trump wields so much power despite not having won a plurality in the 2016 election. But then again, note that the sweeping expanse of presidential authority is quite afar from the original Founders view. Ditto the authority of the courts. That developed later. I would much rather strip power from the executive and the courts than make our system more democratic, at least in the Brexit sense of the word. I would much rather be miserable than live under the sweeping decisions of a faction that happens to equal a numerical majority for a brief moment. And the reason is that I believe the Founders were fundamentally correct. Majority rule is an essential quality of republican government, but it is also its greatest threat for majorities can be narrow-minded, short-sighted, and even vengeful. The corollary to this is that we should stop looking for individual meaning and purpose from our politics. We will never find it there. Our politics is a politics of Federalist 10 and 51, where a multiplicity of basically self-interested factions fight it out through an incredibly complicated process, and perhaps hammer out a compromise that more or less makes nobody happy. Its not fulfilling. It is often miserable. But it is how our government has sustained itself for two centuries and counting. More from National Review WINDSOR, England (Reuters) - Fans celebrated the arrival of the latest British royal, a son born to Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, by taking to the streets on Monday outside the royal castle in Windsor and Buckingham Palace in London. Shortly after a beaming Harry, Queen Elizabeth's grandson, announced the birth to media, revelers began their celebrations. "I've been sleeping out for three days ... I'm delighted they have a healthy baby and a healthy mother," said John Loughrey, a 64-year old royal fan in Windsor, west of London. "We celebrated with them today with champagne, we'll have fish and chips and a slice of American pie!" Britain's royal family attracts huge media interest but the younger members, especially Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, a U.S.-born former actress, are treated like Hollywood superstars. Excited tourists mixed with a handful of "superfans" clad in Union Jacks and carrying baby balloons in the street surrounding the royal family's Windsor castle estate. Harry was present for the birth of his son, who is seventh in line to the British throne. Doria Ragland, Meghan's mother, was also with the couple at their home, Frogmore Cottage, on the estate of Windsor Castle where they married in a lavish ceremony in May last year. "I just headed over to Buckingham Palace to see everyone else celebrating the baby," said student Nicole Wilcox. "I was very excited, today is actually my last day in London, so the fact that she had the baby while I am still here was really exciting." Fans and tourists gathered at Buckingham Palace whooped and cheered when, as is traditional, a framed notice of the birth was brought out and placed on a gold-coloured easel in the palace forecourt. (Reporting by Jayson Mansaray in London and Hannah McKay in Windsor; Writing by William James; Editing by Frances Kerry) Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Bill Brown is the CEO of AorTech International plc (LON:AOR). First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at similar sized companies. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. The aim of all this is to consider the appropriateness of CEO pay levels. Check out our latest analysis for AorTech International How Does Bill Brown's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? Our data indicates that AorTech International plc is worth UK11m, and total annual CEO compensation is UK80k. (This number is for the twelve months until March 2018). It is worth noting that the CEO compensation consists almost entirely of the salary, worth UK80k. We looked at a group of companies with market capitalizations under US$200m, and the median CEO total compensation was US$311k. This would give shareholders a good impression of the company, since most similar size companies have to pay more, leaving less for shareholders. While this is a good thing, you'll need to understand the business better before you can form an opinion. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at AorTech International has changed over time. AIM:AOR CEO Compensation, May 6th 2019 Is AorTech International plc Growing? AorTech International plc has increased its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 85% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is down -10.0%. Overall this is a positive result for shareholders, showing that the company has improved in recent years. Revenue growth is a real positive for growth, but ultimately profits are more important. Although we don't have analyst forecasts, you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Story continues Has AorTech International plc Been A Good Investment? Most shareholders would probably be pleased with AorTech International plc for providing a total return of 222% over three years. As a result, some may believe the CEO should be paid more than is normal for companies of similar size. In Summary... It looks like AorTech International plc pays its CEO less than similar sized companies. Many would consider this to indicate that the pay is modest since the business is growing. And given most shareholders are probably very happy with recent returns, you might even think that Bill Brown deserves a raise! It's not often we see shareholders do so well, and yet the CEO is paid modestly. The cherry on top would be if company insiders are buying shares with their own money. So you may want to check if insiders are buying AorTech International shares with their own money (free access). Important note: AorTech International 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. WASHINGTON (AP) In escalating his trade war, President Donald Trump is persisting in his deceptive argument that tariffs are a pure win for the U.S. and a loss for China. He will not acknowledge that the costs of tariffs are being borne by Americans. Trump has vowed to impose a blanket tariff of 25% on everything Americans buy from China. That would mean raising tariffs from 10% on $200 billion worth of goods by the end of the week and hitting an additional $325 billion in Chinese products with the same penalty "shortly." His skewed explanation of how tariffs work a staple of his rhetoric unfolded over Twitter, where he also spread a false assertion about hurricane aid to Puerto Rico. TRUMP: "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." tweet Sunday. THE FACTS: This notion of a transfer of wealth from China to the U.S. isn't happening. The burden of Trump's tariffs on imports from China and other countries falls entirely on U.S. consumers and businesses that buy imports, says a study in March by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Columbia University and Princeton University. By the end of last year, the study found, the public and U.S. companies were paying $3 billion a month in higher taxes and absorbing $1.4 billion a month in lost efficiency. Money from tariffs is going into the federal treasury, but it's mostly if not entirely coming from U.S. businesses and consumers, not China, and it's not a driver of economic growth but rather a risk to it. That's why the stock market dropped Monday. A coalition of U.S. trade organizations representing retail businesses, tech, manufacturing and agriculture sharply disputed Trump's statement. "For 10 months, Americans have been paying the full cost of the trade war, not China," it said. "To be clear, tariffs are taxes that Americans pay, and this sudden increase with little notice will only punish U.S farmers, businesses and consumers." Story continues Trump invariably describes the U.S. trade deficit as money "lost" to other countries, an equation that ignores the value to Americans of what they've bought. "We've lost so much money with China," he told an audience in March. "We lose with everybody, almost." People are no more losing money than when they buy groceries rather they're spending it and getting food. He's now making the converse case that a tax on imports, paid by Americans, somehow enriches them. ___ TRUMP: "Puerto Rico has been given more money by Congress for Hurricane Disaster Relief, 91 Billion Dollars, than any State in the history of the U.S." tweet Monday. THE FACTS: That's not true. The money that Congress has allocated to Puerto Rico for hurricane relief so far is nowhere close to $91 billion. According to the White House, Trump's $91 billion estimate includes about $50 billion in expected future disaster disbursements that could span decades, along with $41 billion already approved. Actual aid to Puerto Rico has flowed more slowly from federal coffers, about $11 billion so far. The expected $50 billion in additional money is speculative. It is based on Puerto Rico's eligibility for federal emergency disaster funds for years ahead, involving calamities that haven't happened. That money would require future appropriations by Congress. The White House's $91 billion figure for Puerto Rico, even if correct, would not be the most ever provided for hurricane rebuilding efforts. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 cost the U.S government more than $120 billion the bulk of it going to Louisiana. ___ Associated Press writers Paul Wiseman and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck EDITOR'S NOTE _ A look at the veracity of claims by political figures The first royal baby for Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is officially here. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a boy early in the morning on Monday. We are pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on May 6th, 2019. Their Royal Highnesses son weighs 7lbs. 3oz., the royals announced on their official Instagram account. The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives. The baby was born at 5:26 a.m. local time, the a palace said. Meghans mother, Doria Ragland, is with her daughter at the couples home at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, England. She is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, according to the palace. Not long after the news of the birth, Prince Harry made a statement to gathered journalists. He said that Meghan and the child were healthy and that he was over the moon with excitement. undefined Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have yet to release their new sons name. But, unlike Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridgethe children of William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of CambridgeHarry and Meghans baby boy is not a prince. Unless Queen Elizabeth issues a Letters Patent declaring otherwise, Harry and Meghans sonand any future children will likely be given the title of earl (or lady if they have a girl in the future.) Still, the babys name is likely to be traditional, royal experts say. The new royal baby is seventh in line to the throne, which gives the Duke and Duchess some more leeway in the naming process, but theyre not going to want to stray too far from royal tradition. I think [Markle] understands and respects the traditional institution that shes married into, Katie Nicholl, a royal correspondent for Vanity Fair and the author of Harry and Meghan: Life, Loss, and Love Story continues Though we dont yet know where Meghan chose to give birth, its likely she didnt give birth in the same hospital as the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Dianathe Lindo Wing at St. Marys Hospital in Westminster, London. But thats not so surprising, considering other royals have been born in different hospitals before: Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, had her two children at Frimley Hospital in Surrey, England and Sarah Ferguson gave birth to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie a different hospital in London. At the end of the day, its not the hospital that matters, but the wishes of the royal parents, according to royal expert and CNN commentator Victoria Arbiter. We have to respect any new mothers choices, she told TIME. Kensington Palace first announced that Markle was pregnant with the couples first child on Oct. 15, nearly five months after their royal wedding at St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle. Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019, the palace said in a statement. Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019. pic.twitter.com/Ut9C0RagLk Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 15, 2018 Until the couple announces the name of the royal baby, royal watchers (and the world) are anxiously awaiting (and betting) the answer. But, as Arbiter told TIME previously, the public has to give them privacy. Harry and Meghan are very keen to maintain the privacy of their child and also to sort of set the boundaries on what is acceptable and whats not. One such aspect of the couples privacy was their choice to not take a typical post-birth photo, instead choosing to keep the moment for themselves. According to People, pictures of Meghan, Harry and the royal baby are expected soon on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a discussion on the major foreign policy priorities of the State Department in Washington, April 29, 2019. North Korea's missile launches Saturday "didn't present a threat to the United States" and its allies, nor did it derail the Trump administration's attempts to reach a denuclearization deal with the isolated communist nation, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday. Pompeo stressed that the missiles were short-range and therefore did not violate the agreed to moratorium on missile launches, which he said only involved intercontinental missiles. "At no point was there ever any international boundary crossed," Pompeo said on ABC's "This Week" when asked about the missiles. "They landed in the water east of North Korea and didn't present a threat to the United States or to South Korea or Japan. We know that they were relatively short range. And beyond that, we know that they weren't intercontinental ballistic missiles either. "We still believe that there's an opportunity to get a negotiated outcome where we get fully verified denuclearization," Pompeo said. "So we hope that this act that he took over the weekend won't get in the way. We want to get back to the table. "We still believe there's a path forward." Pompeo was asked about President Donald Trump's tweet Saturday in which he said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "knows that I am with him." More: After North Korean missile launch, Trump still has confidence in deal with Kim Jong Un 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! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 4, 2019 Friday, Cindy Warmbier whose son Otto died as a result of injuries he suffered while a prisoner in North Korea called the Kim regime a "cancer on the Earth" and said the efforts at diplomacy are a "charade." Story continues Pompeo said Warmbier is a "noble, wonderful, gracious woman," for whom he has "enormous sympathy." But he defended the president, saying Trump has "put on the toughest sanctions in the history of the world against North Korea." "And the president understands the challenges. The president deeply understands this," he said. "Youll recall the beginning of the administration where the president spoke about fire and fury," Pompeo said. "Before we go another direction, we want to see if theres any possibility we can achieve this outcome. Its very straightforward." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'We still believe there's a path forward': Pompeo says N. Korean launches won't derail diplomacy ATLANTA A black female model leans on a stool atop a platform in a second-story studio in the city's historic arts district. She is nude, stoic and motionless. A half-dozen students have formed a U-shape around her as they draw her, using charcoal pencils. George Morton, the instructor who opened the Atelier South in January, stops by each student's workstation to offer a critique. The model, Morton says, symbolizes what he believes is missing in fine art: the fair representation of black people. George Morton helps Jen Stallone Riddell with a figure drawing in his class. Artists say African Americans are absent from historical art collections in some of the world's largest museums, galleries and major auctions. They insist that most of the paintings and portraits hanging on the walls of these institutions were created by white men and feature prominent white figures in American or European history. Morton is part of a movement of black artists and curators from New York to Atlanta who are hosting exhibits, teaching classes and creating work that shines a light on black culture. We have been largely overlooked, historically, said Morton, who graduated from the Florence Academy of Art US. We werent seen fit as a worthy model, unless we were ... somehow an object that has been subjugated in a painting." For example, the 1862 portrait "Men of Progress" by Christian Schussele shows 19 white, male American scientists and inventors but neglects the women and black inventors of the time. The 1862 Men of Progress portrait by Christian Schussele shows a group of 18 white, male American scientists and inventors who helped shape the economy. And in Dutch painter Jan Verkoljes 1674 portrait of Johan de la Faille, a black slave is at his side holding the hunting spaniels. Getting the work on the walls Directors at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, two of the nation's largest museums, admit there is a disparity. The Met has hosted eight exhibitions focused on African American artists in the past 10 years. The museum has about 40 exhibitions every year. At the National Gallery of Art, there are 986 works by black artists out of the 153,621 total works. Story continues The Met has made key acquisitions of black art in recent years, including the Souls Grown Deep Foundation Gift and a group of African American portrait photographs from the 1940s and 1950s. The two collections numbered more than 200 works. Max Hollein, director of the Met, says he is working to diversify the collections and exhibitions at the museum. This may mean rewriting art history in a way that includes all cultures, Hollein says. "To look back and look at what may have been overlooked, and what may have not been properly appreciated, what may have been misunderstood" is important, Hollein says. Kim Sajet, director of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, says the gallery has been working to diversify its portrait collections for the past decade. When Sajet joined the gallery in 2013, staff members decided that 50% of all money spent on art would support diverse artists and portrait subjects. Sajet says white men dominated famous portraits because they owned land and art was historically reserved for the rich and elite. Sajet says she wants the gallery to tell the story of ALL Americans. "We owe it to Americans to reflect them because we owe it to accurate history," Sajet says. "Im not interested in only having a museum for some people." The National Portrait Gallery unveiled an exhibition last year called "UnSeen: Our Past in a New Light: Ken Gonzales-Day and Titus Kaphar," using their work to show how people of color are missing from historical portraits and that their contributions to history were ignored. In Titus Kaphar's, Behind the Myth of Benevolence, an iconic portrait of Thomas Jefferson is being peeled away from the canvas to reveal a portrait of an enslaved black woman. In Kaphar's "Behind the Myth of Benevolence," an iconic portrait of Thomas Jefferson is being peeled away from the canvas to reveal a portrait of an enslaved black woman. Kaphar re-creates well-known historical paintings to include black subjects. His work sends a message that while people in power were glorified in art history, the powerless were sidelined, according to the Portrait Gallery. New York-based visual artist Kehinde Wiley, who painted Barack Obama's presidential portrait, also takes young black men and places them in the historical poses from classical European paintings of noblemen, royalty and aristocrats. The paintings are meant to show black men in a position of power. The Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) unveiled the exhibition Mapping Black Identities" in February that showcases work by black artists who celebrate black identity. Gabriel Ritter, curator and head of contemporary art at MIA, says the exhibition is meant to "dismantle a structure of white supremacy" that has defined the museum and many others for so long. Ritter says he was adamant about selecting black art that demonstrates joy and pride, and not the narratives of pain and struggle that some museums display. "Its really about recognizing who the public is and who the audience is and making sure there is equitable representation, Ritter says. It cant constantly perpetuate a white male stereotype of who is important in the art world." The Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles is also boosting support for black artists. Last year, the institute launched its African American Art History Initiative to collect archives and records. Previously, unless an artist was represented by a major museum or gallery, his or her historical record was not preserved, says Andrew Perchuk, deputy director of the Getty Research Institute. "I think that it's one of the really underrepresented stories in American art," Perchuk says. "And we really dont have a full picture of American art without doing a better job of documenting the history of African American art." The initiative will give museums the resources they need to host more exhibitions on African American artists, Perchuk says. Artists such as Wiley, Kaphar and Kerry James Marshall of Chicago have their art on display at galleries across the country. Last year, Marshall's painting "Past Times" sold at a New York auction for $21 million. Demands unmet Jennifer Tosch, founder of Black Heritage Tours in New York and Amsterdam, says people of color have been excluded from the ranks of fine artists in America and viewed only as "objects of observation." "You can certainly connect it to structural and institutional racism," Tosch says. Theres been a systemic history of race and racism as its byproduct that has situated black people in a certain way." It's not just black artists but patrons who push museums to change. Black millennial travel groups and black baby boomers alike who have disposable income visit museums and request more of a "black experience" on their tours, Tosch says. There is an increase in black patrons of the art, Tosch says. They are exploring and looking for this representation and not seeing it. Michelle Obama's portrait by Amy Sherald remains popular at the National Portrait Gallery. Visitors take pictures of the official portrait of the former first lady Michelle Obama in the first day open exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018, in Washington. Barack Obama's portrait was painted by artist Kehinde Wiley, and Michelle Obama's portrait was painted by artist Amy Sherald. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) ORG XMIT: DCJL104 Opening doors Morton is working to overcome disparities by selecting more people of color to be the subjects of live drawings in his art classes at Atelier South and engaging and training more black artists and young people in the majority-black city of Atlanta. Most of his students are white. Black people, Morton says, have shied away from art because it was dominated by the white elite and wasn't considered a field where black families could make a living. "When you look in the museums and dont see yourself represented in the galleries ... it never even occurs to you that thats even for you," Morton says. "Theres a message implanted in your mind that you dont belong here. "A lot of it has to do with those doors being closed for so long. And only now are we able to catch up. George Morton with a drawing in progress in his Atlanta atelier. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Art so white: Black artists want representation (beyond slavery) in the Met, National Gallery DENPASAR, Indonesia (Reuters) - Popular Australian DJ Adam Sky died in an accident at the weekend on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali, authorities said on Monday. Sky, 42, whose real name was Adam Neat, died after crashing through a glass door while trying to help a friend who had fallen from a terrace, according to a statement posted on his Facebook page. "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," it read, adding that the family had travelled to Bali. Born in Melbourne but based in Singapore, Sky was ranked Asia's third most popular DJ last year, his website shows. Fans and friends posted tributes on social media. Reuters could not immediately reach the family in Bali to seek comment. Media said the family had declined an autopsy and authorities were not treating the death as suspicious. "We found little cuts, bruises and abrasions on the face and both knees," said Ida Bagus Putu Alit, the forensics head at the Denpasar Sanglah General Hospital, where the body was taken. "One of the wounds is deep on the right forearm." Indonesian authorities said the friend, a woman, had survived and was being treated for a fractured leg. "We suspect (Sky) was injured by shattered glass on his elbow," said police official Doddy Monza. "He received the treatment late because the accident happened quite late and the resort is quite remote." (Reporting by Sultan Anshori in Denpasar; Additional reporting by Swati Pandey in Sydney; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by XX) VIENNA, May 6 (Reuters) - An official of Austria's far-right Freedom Party in a northern town has stepped down after sharing material online questioning the Holocaust, the town's deputy mayor said on Monday. It is the latest in a series of embarrassing episodes for a party founded by former Nazis in the 1950s that is now part of the national government and says it has left its extremist past behind. The deputy leader of the Freedom Party's (FPO) local branch in St Martin im Innkreis shared postings online including one questioning the Holocaust that quoted a convicted Holocaust denier, the Oberoesterreichische Nachrichten newspaper reported. "It is unacceptable," FPO deputy mayor Franz Moser said of the postings when contacted by Reuters. "This person is no longer a member of the party or active in St Martin." The newspaper said it had contacted the local party branch on Sunday about three social media postings by the official, whom it did not name. A spokesman for the FPO was not immediately available for comment but a party statement on related issue included the sentence: "In the Freedom Party, as with the St Martin case, action is taken immediately." Despite repeated cases of the party and its officials being implicated in anti-Semitic and racist incidents since it formed a coalition with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's conservatives 18 months ago, the party has dismissed the incidents as isolated incidents. Kurz has denounced cases without calling into question his coalition with the FPO, with which he shares a hard line on immigration. Polls show support for the FPO has slipped while that of Kurz's party is stable. "That a deputy party leader in a district of Upper Austria can spread conspiracy theories, Holocaust denial and hate for years under their real name without it bothering anyone in the FPO shows once again that this party has a problem with right-wing extremism," the left-wing Greens said in a statement. "Whoever forms a coalition with it ... hoists the right-wing extremism problems into the highest echelons of government." (Reporting by Francois Murphy) Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said Monday that backers who had pledged support for his abortive uprising last week had "failed to follow through" to dislodge President Nicolas Maduro. But that "doesn't mean that they won't do it soon," Guaido told AFP in an interview in Caracas. Guaido, recognized as interim president by more than 50 countries, said it was "obvious today, there is widespread discontent from which the armed forces aren't immune." "There have been discussions... with civil and military officials who are ready to take the side of our constitution," he said. "I'm very optimistic given that we are very close to achieving change in Venezuela." The 35-year-old National Assembly chief 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. Guaido, however, expressed the hope that the army would eventually come on board. "We are waiting for many more to join in expressing their discontent and to participate in 'Operation Freedom,'" he said. Of those that did, 25 soldiers sought refuge in the Brazilian embassy later in the day. "Today all that needs to happen is for the armed forces and certain (public sector) employees to overcome their fear," said Guaido. Maduro was getting "weaker and weaker" after years of protests against his regime, Guaido said, painting a picture of a leader surrounded by the last vestige of support in his Miraflores presidential palace. "They say that Maduro is in Miraflores, but they also say that he's in a bunker with a main security ring composed of Cubans and a second ring made up of soldiers from the Casa Militar," Guaido said, referring to Venezuela's elite presidential protection corps. Story continues "He no longer trusts even in his high command, he doesn't even have any trust in his environment." - Protest 'fulfilled' - The attempted uprising set off two days of violent clashes between security forces and protesters that left five people dead, dozens injured and more than 233 arrested. Authorities have also issued 18 arrest warrants against "civilians and military plotters," according to Attorney General Tarek William Saab. Guaido has tried to keep up the pressure with massive street protests, but his latest call for demonstrations on Saturday drew only several hundred people. He rejected suggestions that his opposition movement was flatlining, however. "On Saturday, I think the protest was fulfilled. A key goal for us was to redirect it toward non-violence," he said. 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. 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, while China and Russia have backed Maduro. Washington has repeatedly stated that "all options are on the table," including military intervention in Venezuela to help Guaido oust Maduro. Without using such antagonistic language, Guaido said there could be a case to seek "foreign co-operation to overcome the unprecedented crisis Venezuela is going through." Asked about military intervention, he said only that it was a "controversial option." DUBAI, May 6 (Reuters) - A Bahraini court has rejected a motion filed by lawyers of prominent activist Nabeel Rajab asking it to pass an alternative to the jail term he is currently serving, his lawyer said on Monday. Rajab, an outspoken critic of the Bahraini government who played a prominent role in pro-democracy protests in 2011, is serving a five-year sentence over social media posts criticizing Saudi Arabias air strikes in Yemen. "Our motion has been rejected," his lawyer, Mohamed Al Jishi, said. He added the motion was filed on Apr. 30 in a bid to benefit from an alternative punishment law which the kingdom introduced last year. (Reporting By Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Toby Chopra) Barrick Gold Corporation GOLD is set to release first-quarter 2019 results on May 8, before the opening bell. The stock has lost 5.7% in the past year compared with the industrys 7% decline. Some Factors at Play In April 2019, the company released preliminary production figures for the first quarter that came in line with its operating plans and guidance. Preliminary gold production and sales were 1.37 million ounces for the to-be-reported quarter. Average market price for gold during the quarter was $1,304 per ounce. Preliminary copper production and sales totaled 106 million pounds and 103 million pounds, respectively. Average market price for copper was $2.82 per pound. Gold production and sales from the Cortez mine were 262,000 ounces and 259,000 ounces, respectively. The same for Goldstrike were 233,000 and 239,000, respectively. Turquoise Ridge produced 77,000 gold equivalent ounces. Barrick Nevada and Pueblo Viejo produced 572,000 gold equivalent ounces and 148,000 gold equivalent ounces, respectively. Barrick also noted that the Kibali gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo had a strong start in 2019 and is on track for another solid performance this year. Production from the mine was 93,000 ounces in the first quarter. Notably, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for total revenues for the first quarter is currently pegged at $2,160 million, indicating an expected increase of 20.7% from the year-ago reported figure. What the Zacks Model Says Our proven model shows that Barrick is likely to beat estimates in the to-be-reported quarter. That is because a stock needs to have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is the case here, as you will see below: Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP for Barrick is +4.48%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is currently pegged at 10 cents. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Barrick currently carries a Zacks Rank #3, which when combined with a positive ESP makes us reasonably confident of an earnings beat. Note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Story continues Barrick Gold Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Barrick Gold Corporation Price and EPS Surprise | Barrick Gold Corporation Quote Other Stocks Poised to Beat Estimates Here are some other companies in the same space you may want to consider as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to beat estimates. Intrepid Potash, Inc IPI has an Earnings ESP of +25.00% and carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Bunge Limited BG has an Earnings ESP of +5.00% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. Covia Holdings Corporation CVIA has an Earnings ESP of +17.34% and Zacks Rank #3. Will you retire a millionaire? One out of every six people retires a multimillionaire. Get smart tips you can do today to become one of them in a new Special Report, 7 Things You Can Do Now to Retire a Multimillionaire. Click to get it free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Intrepid Potash, Inc (IPI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Barrick Gold Corporation (GOLD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Bunge Limited (BG) : Free Stock Analysis Report COVIA HOLDINGS (CVIA) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research There was a lot of buzz surrounding Monday afternoon's game between the San Francisco Giants and host Cincinnati Reds. The first pitch was delayed by 18 minutes after a swarm of bees settled above the backstop screen at Great American Ball Park. This is at least the third time there has been a bee delay in Cincinnati. A game against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 11, 1987 was delayed 17 minutes, with Red starter Ted Power getting stung on his hand. The Giants were also involved in a 35-minute delay on April 17, 1976 when bees swarmed into their dugout. Both of those incidents happened at Riverfront Stadium. --Field Level Media Beijing (AFP) - China said two US warships sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea without permission on Monday in the latest US challenge to Beijing's territorial claims in the region. The Chinese navy asked the US vessels to leave after they entered waters adjacent to Gaven and Chigua reefs in the Spratly Islands, which Beijing calls Nansha, the foreign ministry said. The move comes on top of trade tensions as President Donald Trump said Sunday he would raise tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods on Friday because talks were moving "too slowly". "The relevant actions of the US warships violated China's sovereignty and undermined peace, security and good order in the relevant sea areas," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a press briefing. "The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to the operation, Geng added, noting that the ships had entered "without permission". The US Navy regularly conducts "freedom of navigation operations" to challenge Beijing's vast claims in the sea. The People's Liberation Army identified the two US ships as the USS Preble and the USS Chung-Hoon, both guided-missile destroyers. Air and sea forces were deployed to identify and ask the ships to leave, a spokesman for the PLA's Southern Theatre Command said on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform. "The (Southern) Theatre troops will maintain a high degree of alert and take all necessary measures to resolutely defend the sovereignty of the country and resolutely safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea," said the spokesman, Li Huamin. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the sea, including on the Spratlys. China claims nearly all of the sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. "China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and its adjacent waters. No matter how provocative foreign warships are, this fact cannot be changed," Li said. Story continues Geng said the situation in the sea was "constantly stabilising" due to the "joint efforts" of Beijing and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "Under such circumstances, China urges the US to stop such provocative acts, to respect China's sovereignty and security interests, and respect the efforts of regional countries to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea," he said. "At the same time, China will continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea." Senator Bernie Sanders has launched a blunt attack on Donald Trump, after the president said Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress. Over the weekend, as it was reported Democrats on the House judiciary committee had reached an agreement with the special counsel to appear later this month, the president reversed positions and said Mr Mueller should not testify. 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 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! It was not clear whether Mr Trump would seek to use executive privilege or something else to actually stop Mr Mueller testifying. But the fact he reversed course, having previously said the decision was up to attorney general William Barr, Democrats were quick to attack the president. On Monday, Mr Sanders, who is among the frontrunners of Democrats seeking the 2020 nomination, blasted Mr Trump for seeking to intervene on the issue. Sorry, Mr President, you are not a dictator, wrote the Vermont senator. In our democracy, when Congress calls on Robert Mueller to testify, he will testify. Meanwhile, also on Monday, the House judiciary committee said it would vote on Wednesday on whether to hold Mr Barr in contempt of Congress, after he declined to appear for a second day of testimony on Capitol Hill last week and failed to meet a Monday deadline to provide the committee with a full, unredacted copy of Mr Muellers report. A sand cat in Israel, a near-extinct animal in the country. Photo: REUTERS/Baz Ratner Big businesses and governments worldwide face mounting pressure to lower their damage to nature a report warns a million species are at risk of extinction. The Global Assessment, a landmark UN-backed study released today, reveals the catastrophic damage of pollution, carbon emissions and habitat destruction for agriculture and other development. The research, by 145 experts, argues countries may have to embrace a post-growth economic model to avoid wiping out as many as one in eight of the planets animals and plants, many within decades. It warns that up to $577bn of the worlds crop output could be at risk from the loss of pollinating animals crucial for agriculture. The study also found tourism alone had seen its carbon footprint soar by 40% in just four years, rising to 4.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide between 2009 and 2013. The warnings come amid renewed focus in the UK on the environment and humans impact on the planet after the Extinction Rebellion protests brought parts of London to a standstill. Business as usual has to end It has already prompted calls for governments to end destructive subsides worth hundreds of billions of dollars to fossil fuel, agricultural and fishing industries. "These drive the plundering of the land and ocean at the expense of a clean, healthy and diverse environment on which billions of women, children and men depend now and in the future," Andrew Norton, director of the International Institute for Environment and Development, told the BBC. "The key message: business as usual has to end," Eduardo Brondizio, an anthropology professor and co-chair of the project, told Reuters. "We have been running from one frontier to another frontier trying to find cheap nature [to exploit] in every corner of the planet. READ MORE: European shares slide over Trumps latest China tweets Another co-chair, the scientist Robert Watson, said change could only happen if societies took on vested interests. The report says industrial farming and fishing are behind much of the damage to the environment, with carbon emissions worsening the problem. Story continues It says global subsidies to fossil fuels add up to $345bn, while economies in the OECD provide an estimated $100bn to agriculture that potentially harms the environment. The scale of destruction Smoke rises from a factory chimney. Photo: NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images The report says the extinction of species is now happening at a rate tens to hundreds of times faster than the average over the past 10 million years. The report suggests plastic pollution has risen tenfold since 1980, and urban areas have doubled in size as the global population has soared since 1992. It says food crop production has trebled since 1970, while almost a quarter of land is now less productive because of land degradation. Around 100 million hectares of land was converted for agriculture from 1980 to 2000, half of it at the cost of forests and largely paving the way for cattle ranching in South America and plantations in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile a third of the worlds marine fish stocks are being harvested at unsustainable levels. BENGALURU (Reuters) - A group of investors, including South Korea-based Mirae-Naver and China's Alibaba Group, led a $150 million funding round in online grocery company Bigbasket, valuing the startup at over $1 billion, the Indian company said on Monday. Bigbasket, which sells everything from groceries and fresh produce to pet food, competes with Amazon.com Inc and Walmart Inc's e-commerce unit Flipkart in many categories. Supermarket Grocery Supplies Private Ltd, which owns Bigbasket, will use the proceeds for expansion and to scale up the online grocer's supply chain, the company said. Launched in 2011, Bigbasket operates across 25 Indian cities. The Bengaluru-headquartered firm has been investing in warehousing and logistics as well as in expanding its delivery network to smaller towns and cities as it fights to keep its lead in a complex but fast-growing grocery business. Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund and Alibaba were joined by the UK government's development finance institution, CDC Group, in the funding round, Bigbasket said. Alibaba became the biggest shareholder in Bigbasket last year, after it led a $300 million funding round in the company, stepping up its competition with Amazon. Bigbasket Chief Executive Hari Menon had then said it expected to break even between 2020 and 2022. (Reporting by Chris Thomas in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier and Sherry Jacob-Phillips) Planet Earth has been put on red alert by hundreds of leading scientists who have warned that humanity faces an existential threat within decades if the steep decline of nature is not reversed. The conclusions of the greatest-ever stock-taking of the living world, published on Monday, show that ecosystems and wild populations are shrinking, deteriorating or vanishing completely, and up to 1 million species of land and marine life could be made extinct by humans actions if present trends continue. Food, pollination, clean water and a stable climate all depend on a thriving plant and animal population. But forests and wetlands are being erased worldwide and oceans are under growing stress, says the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the United Nations expert nature panel, in the landmark global assessment report. The three-year study, compiled by nearly 500 scientists, analyzed around 15,000 academic studies that focused on everything from plankton and fish to bees, coral, forests, frogs and insects, as well as drawing on indigenous knowledge. If we continue to pollute the planet and waste natural resources as we have been doing, it wont just affect peoples quality of life but will lead to a further deterioration of earths planetary systems, said the IPBES scientists. A Hawksbill turtle in the Maldives. This species is considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature the last category before extinct. The essential, interconnected web of life on Earth is getting smaller and increasingly frayed. This loss is a direct result of human activity and constitutes a direct threat to human well-being in all regions of the world, said professor Josef Settele, a research ecologist and co-chair of the 1,800 page report, the summary of which was agreed to by 132 governments meeting in Paris this weekend, including the U.S. The scale and rapid speed of this decline of nature is unprecedented in human history and is likely to continue for at least 50 years, say the authors of the global study, but can still largely be turned around if governments, businesses and individuals urgently commit to working together to conserve and restore nature, and to use fewer natural resources better. Story continues It will require a concerted worldwide effort to change the way we live, said IPBES chair Sir Robert Watson, a former chief scientist at NASA who has also worked with the U.K. government. The whole world is focused on climate change but loss of biodiversity is just as important, said Watson. You cant deal with one without the other. There is a recognition now that biodiversity is an environmental issue, but its also about economics and development, too. We have to reform the economic system. The global assessment report, which will not be published in full until later this year (only the conclusions have been released), is unique among governmental biodiversity studies because it identifies both the direct drivers of natures losses such as climate change, agricultural expansion, pollution and the exploitation of oceans and forests and the underlying causes. These indirect drivers are more controversial and include world population, which has doubled since 1970 (from 3.7 billion to 7.6 billion people), the tenfold increase in global trade over the last five decades, the sheer amount of goods that people now buy in rich countries, as well as supply chains, the endless pursuit of economic growth, damaging subsidies and the sharp growth of new technologies, all of which put demands on natural resources. The Fimiston Open Pit gold mine in Western Australia. Land use change including mining, logging and agriculture is the biggest driver of biodiversity loss. (ClaraNila via Getty Images) Unless both direct and indirect drivers are addressed simultaneously, there is little hope of the transformational change needed to avert a planetary crisis, said global assessment lead author Kai Chan, professor at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. The present system [of environmental protection] has not worked well enough. Governments must get serious about reining in the power of business to regulate itself. We must also focus on supply chains. At present, nature is undermined every time we buy something through the raw materials used or the way goods are produced, he said. Few governments fully understand the magnitude of the problems we face. Most deny the reality of the existential threat we face, Chan added. The global assessment report also shows: Urban areas have more than doubled in size since 1992, and 100 million hectares of tropical forest were lost from 1980 to 2000. Around 25% of animal and plant species are threatened, and around 1 million species already face extinction, many within decades if no action is taken. The current rate of species extinction is at least tens to hundreds of times higher than it has averaged over the past 10 million years. Nearly half the live coral cover on coral reefs has been lost since the 1870s, with losses in recent decades accelerating due to climate change. Two-thirds of the oceans are under stress, and over 85% of wetlands area has been lost. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have increased in the past 50 years, while the global average sea level has risen by between 6 and 8 inches since 1900. Climate change is projected to become increasingly important as a direct driver of changes in nature and its contributions to humanity in the next decades. There are around 2,500 conflicts over fossil fuels, water, food and land currently occurring worldwide. Corals grow right up to the edge of a mangrove forest in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Mangroves are one of the world's most threatened ecosystems. (Velvetfish via Getty Images) The global assessment report is a critical piece of science, Joyce Msuya, acting executive director of the U.N.s Environment Program, told HuffPost. It is a reminder that nature is not a luxury but is the building block of economic growth, food security, livelihoods and health. It tells us there is a window of opportunity to change track. The authors collectively call for bold, far-reaching economic and social changes, including paying for large-scale ecological restoration of degraded lands, and strengthening international targets to control climate change and biodiversity loss. NGOs are among those echoing the call for major, transformative changes. We must end this war against nature. We must eat less meat, which takes up most agricultural land at the expense of nature, and we must stop treating our oceans like a waste dump while also exploiting their resources to the point of collapse, said John Sauven, director of Greenpeace. The good news, said Watson, is that governments have accepted the report. They know the problem. They cannot disagree with the evidence because they have signed off on it. Now we need action. For more content and to be part of the This New World community, follow our Facebook page. HuffPosts This New World series is funded by Partners for a New Economy and the Kendeda Fund. All content is editorially independent, with no influence or input from the foundations. If you have an idea or tip for the editorial series, send an email to thisnewworld@huffpost.com. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s slow start continues. (Tony Gutierrez/AP) The Vladimir Guerrero Jr. era is officially on, but were still waiting for its first signature moment or game. Vladdy did drive in his first run, but its hard to feel too enthusiastic about a week where he registered just two hits - neither for extra bases. Theres no reason for concern at this point as the 20-year-old continues to show an advanced approach at the plate, and despite a wobble or two in the field hes looked OK at third. If anything, the phenoms slow start has created a sense of suspense around him. Its pretty clear that breaking out is a matter of when not if and every at-bat has increased stakes because theres a question of whether it will be the one where Vladdy puts one over the wall for the first time. Although you couldnt argue that suspense is more fun than if he was just raking, its the silver lining to this cloud. The whole Vladdy saga has been a test of this fanbases tolerance for delayed gratification, waiting a little longer for him to heat up is nothing compared to waiting for him to appear. Heres what Guerrero Jr.s first MLB road trip looked like: The line: 2-for-18 with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts Best at-bat: Walk vs. Cam Bedrosian on Tuesday Via MLB.com Any time you can work your way back from 0-2 to earn a walk, thats a heck of an at-bat. Guerrero Jr. gets bonus points here because the second pitch was decidedly not a strike, but he continued to trust his eye and didnt expand the zone on some of the competitive breaking balls that followed. Its a plate appearance like this that demonstrates two of Vladdys best qualities: his patience and his unflappability. Via MLB.tv Worst at-bat: Strikeout vs. Griffin Canning on Tuesday Via MLB.com Its hard to defend a strikeout where not a single pitch is thrown in the strike zone, and none of them are particularly close. There have been a few times where Guerrero Jr. has looked to be pressing a touch, and this was definitely one of those. The Angels had a plan to throw Vladdy slider after slider down-and-away and this was a perfect example of that approach working for them. Even as the 20-year-old continues to struggle, it seems unlikely that youll see too many plate appearances as ugly as this. Story continues If you do, it could be a sign that his early scuffles run deeper than they appear. Whiffing at the high fastball to end it was particularly out of character: Via MLB.tv How they pitched him: Via Baseball Savant. The overall numbers look relatively similar to what we saw in the first series against Oakland. The Angels and Rangers approached him rather differently, though. Los Angeles really emphasized sliders away with Vladdy, whereas the Rangers were more inclined to challenge him in the zone with fastballs, especially on Sunday, when they threw caution to the wind a little bit and were rewarded by inducing four groundball outs. In the long term, its hard to imagine Guerrero Jr. getting this many fastballs, but until he makes teams pay he wont force an adjustment on their part. Defence and baserunning: Because Vladdy was seldom on base, it remained difficult to get a read on his running. Statcast did release his spring speed of 26.6 ft/second this week, which is hilariously close to Alen Hansons 26.8 number, making his constant pinch-running a bit trickier to justify. On the defensive side of the ball, he was generally sturdy and continued to lay to rest the worst fears that hed look unplayable at third. While it would be too much to say hes looked like a plus defender, his arm is undoubtedly strong and hes done a good job of making the plays in his vicinity. His most eventful day in the field came on Wednesday. It started off with him making a brutal error with the glacial Albert Pujols running. But two innings later, he made what was likely the best defensive play of his young career, showing off his arm on a throw from foul ground. More Blue Jays coverage from Yahoo Sports Canada A Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight. Photo: REUTERS/Joshua Roberts. Boeing has admitted it knew about a missing feature on its 737 Max plans a year before the first of two fatal crashes. The US aviation giant said it realised in 2017 that it had inadvertently made an alarm feature optional on its new model. The statement is the first time Boeing has explicitly admitted to issues in the production of the 737 Max, but the firm maintains it did not affect plane safety. But the new jets were already being delivered, and US regulators were not immediately told as Boeing did not believe the apparent mistake posed any risk. Airlines around the world grounded their 737 Max planes in March this year after the Ethiopian Airlines disaster, in which 157 people died. It came just five months after 189 people died in a Lion Air crash, also involving the same plane. The safety feature concerned was designed to alert pilots when different sensors showed conflicting data. Boeing believed it had made the alarm a standard feature, but later discovered it was only provided to airlines which purchased it as an optional extra. Boeing blamed the error on software provided to the company by an outside source, though did not give further details. Flawed data from one sensor is believed to have automatically forced the planes which crashed into a nosedive. The US watchdog, the Federal Aviation Administration, told Reuters Boeing waited 13 months before informing it of the missing alarm in November last year. But Boeing said in a statement the features were not necessary for the plane to be flown safely, providing only supplemental information. It believed the issue could be resolved in a later system update. The FAA accepted Boeings assessment, but spoke out against the firm for being slow admitting the problem. An FAA spokesman told Reuters: Boeings timely or earlier communication with the operators would have helped to reduce or eliminate possible confusion," he added. READ MORE: UK crackdown on unfair CEO pay rises is a flop Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazilian police shot dead eight people in one of Rio de Janeiro's biggest slums on Monday, an official said, just days after figures showed a record number of killings by state officers in the first quarter. "We confirm that eight suspects were killed in an operation in Mare," a police spokesman told AFP. No other details about the operation in Mare -- a poor, densely populated swathe of the city in large part run by heavily-armed drug traffickers -- were immediately available. The operation comes after the state Institute for Public Safety released figures on Friday showing 434 people were killed during "police intervention" in the first three months -- a 17.9 percent increase as compared with the same period in 2018. That is the highest quarterly figure since record keeping of police-related killings began in 1998. Lauzun (France) (AFP) - For John Shaw, a 73-year-old Briton who lives in the heart of wine country in southwest France, the problem raised by Britain's impending exit from the EU is simple: "It's a matter of life or death!" "We've been living in limbo for two-and-a-half years," Shaw says in a back room at the Floc'n Tea cafe in the small town of Lauzun, which has become a rallying point for Britain's diaspora of pensioners in this picturesque corner of France. Until now, under EU reciprocity agreements, Britons living elsewhere in the European bloc have been covered by national healthcare systems. But it's a deal that UK pensioners may no longer be able to take for granted. If healthcare isn't covered by a citizens' rights deal when the new Brexit deadline expires on October 31, their out-of-pocket costs could soar. That could prove too much for Shaw and hundreds of other older Britons who have moved to live among the sunny rolling hills and medieval towns of southwest France, often with cost of living concerns in mind. Although healthcare may not have been a priority when they left Britain, many have since discovered the benefits of France's generous coverage. Shaw, for example, is battling an aggressive case of prostate cancer and takes an anti-hormone drug whose price tag is twice that of his UK pension -- and which isn't available in Britain. "Our whole attitude towards life has changed because of uncertainty," he says. - 'Amazing treatment' - Some 600,000 retired Britons now live in countries across the EU, official estimates show, often with residency permits that allow them full coverage under local healthcare systems. Maggie Morton, a 73-year-old who has lived in France for 20 years, said she had just undergone her third operation for knee and hip replacements, describing the treatment as "amazing". She thinks British officials are failing to appreciate what's at stake for average citizens. Story continues "The problem is that the people who are at the top of the pile in government in the UK are not ordinary people," she says at the Floc'n Tea. "They have five-star treatment." Britain's National Health Service (NHS), which has faced a series of staffing and financing crises in recent years, could come under further strain after Brexit, experts warn. "All forms of Brexit are bad for health," the Lancet medical journal found in a report in February, which said a no-deal scenario would likely provoke acute shortages of staff and medicines within the NHS. An estimated 60,000 EU nationals work in the NHS, representing about five percent of its staff of 1.2 million -- but whether they will remain in Britain after Brexit is up in the air. And that makes it even less likely that older Britons living in the EU would want to return home. Wynne Edwards, 67, said his brother suffered a heart attack in March 2018 but it was months before he saw an expert, dying shortly after. "He died on the 4th of December -- he only saw a specialist at the end of October!" he told AFP. - Time and money - Edwards, who moved to Lauzun in 2013, compared his brother's case with that of his wife, who recently became slightly paralysed in her leg. Doctors immediately ordered an MRI scan exam and she then spent a month in hospital, something that wouldn't have happened so quickly in Britain, he believes. Shaw also said the long wait to see a specialist was one reason he wouldn't go back to Britain, as well as the cost of treatment. "In the UK, it is quite common for somebody referred to a cancer clinic to wait for up to 18 months before they get a consultation," he said. "Here it would normally happen within two-to-three weeks at the most." He said he pays 86 euros (74 pounds, $96) a month for top-up insurance that covers most of his treatment costs, including those only partially covered by French social security. Similar coverage in Britain would probably cost 300 to 400 pounds -- "and it would not cover anything to do with my cancer," said Shaw. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Reuters) - Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on Sunday extended a moratorium on the death penalty to incoming legislation prohibiting gay sex, seeking to temper a global backlash led by celebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John. The small Southeast Asian country sparked an outcry when it rolled out its interpretation of Islamic laws, or sharia, on April 3, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with death, including by stoning. Brunei 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. However, in a rare response to criticism aimed at the oil-rich state, the sultan said the death penalty would not be imposed in the implementation of the Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO). Some crimes already command the death penalty in Brunei, including premeditated murder and drug trafficking, but no executions have been carried out since 1957. "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 practiced 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." "NOT ENOUGH" The announcement drew a mixed response from critics. "Step into right direction, but definitely not enough," tweeted Renate Kunast, a former German cabinet minister and a member of the Green Party. Tom Knight, a columnist for Gay Times Magazine, described it as "fantastic news" but urged caution. "The power of activism can help create change, but the fight isnt over. These laws need to be repealed, not just unenforced," Knight tweeted. The vastly wealthy sultan, who once piloted his own 747 airliner to meet former U.S. president Barack Obama, often faces criticism from activists who view his absolute monarchy as despotic, but it is unusual for him to respond. The sultan's 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 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. Several multinational companies have since put a ban on staff using the sultan's hotels, while some travel companies have stopped promoting Brunei as a tourist destination. (Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Dale Hudson and Michael Perry) Warren sure has a way with words. Though 88-year old Warren Buffett joked over the weekend that if he were to take the SAT today his scores would be embarrassing, one thing that certainly has not diminished with age is his ability to nail a memorable quote. Whether distilling complicated financial topics into understandable nuggets of wisdom, or broadly commenting on the future in his folksy way, he once again delighted attendees at Berkshire Hathaways famous annual meeting. Here were 9 of his best quotes. On the future of capitalism Im a card-carrying capitalist, Buffett told the crowd. You dont have to worry about me changing in that matter. I also think capitalism does involve regulation. It involves taking care of people who are left behind. I dont think the country will go into socialism in 2020 or 2040 or 2060, he said. On aging By any yardstick you use Im going downhill, said Buffett. He also joked that if he were to take the SAT today his scores would be embarrassing. On Elon Musk and Tesla entering the insurance business one day The success of the auto companies getting into the insurance business is probably as likely as the success of the insurance companies getting into the auto business, On Tim Sloan Buffett defended Wells Fargos ex-chief, commenting that he had been treated like a pinata. On Google We just sat there sucking our thumbs, he said of passing up the chance to buy Google earlier. On regulation Regulation can be a pain in the neck generally, but we dont want a lot of charlatans operating in insurance. On being a go-to financier for deals If somebody wants a lot of certain money for a deal, theyve seen that I can get a call on Friday afternoon, and they make a date with me on Saturday, and on Sunday its done, said Buffett. Story continues On politics My position at Berkshire is not to further my political beliefs. On Berkshires future after Buffett and Munger are no longer around to run it There are no perpetuities. Spoken like a true Oracle indeed. Camp is suddenly all the rage. As the topic of the Metropolitan Museums ingenious new exhibition at the Costume Institute, "Camp: Notes on Fashion"a witty nod to Susan Sontags groundbreaking 1964 essay, Notes on Campthe word still defies easy explanation. But the likelihood is that when you see it, camp will make you smile. Beyond fashion, camps rich legacy in the decorative arts includes raised-eyebrow reevaluations of Art Nouveau to the Italian Radical Design Movement, with many guffawssome intended, some notin between. Decorative objects made in earnest and rapturously received at the time of their creationlike a 19th-century Meissen porcelain clock adorned with cherubim and pansieswere perceived by some as preposterously gauche by the 1960s, making them eligible to be embraced as hilariously camp. New York antiquarian R. Louis Bofferding, observes, Camp is a modern concept that evolved from people in the 1950s taking sophisticated positions on objects that were deemed amusing by intellectuals at the time. Derived from the French se camper (to pose in an exaggerated fashion), the word first appeared in print in 1907 in the Oxford English Dictionary, where it was described as ostentatious, exaggerated, affected, theatrical; effeminate or homosexual. But straightlaced Modernists dabbled in the movement too. In the early '30s, the eccentric French-born interior designer Carlos de Beistegui, commissioned Le Corbusier to design a penthouse on the Champs-Elysees, where they installed an 18th-century commode, a formal fireplace, and Venetian grotto chairs. It was provocative and postmodern before the term existed, says Philippe Garner, the former Christies decorative arts expert. It was also playfully camp. That ironical probing is central to the spirit of Camp, he adds. Story continues Quoted in The New York Times, Andrew Bolton, the perennially cheerful and tongue-in-chief British curator who conceived the Met exhibition, says we are in the midst of a golden age of camp: Whether its pop camp, queer camp, high camp, or political campTrump is a very camp figureI think its very timely. The question remains: How long will it take for camp itself to dwindle into cultural insignificance and ignominy, only to be welcomed back, perhaps in the next another millennium, as the dernier cri of chic amusement? For the moment, however, AD PRO looks back at design's most flamboyant moments to prove that camp is in the wink of the beholder. Camp Is Not Just FashionIt's Design, Too Crab-Form Grotto Chairs, Attributed to Pauly et Cie, circa 1890 Photo courtesy 1stdibs Four Seasons Pendulum Clock, Meissen, 19th Century Photo courtesy 1stdibs Aesthetic Teapot, Royal Worcester Porcelain Company, 1882 Photo courtesy the Art Institute of Chicago Throne Chair, Carlo Bugatti, circa 1900 Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images Dragonfly Table Lamp, Louis Comfort Tiffany, 19101920 Photo by Dennis Cowley; Courtesy Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Cleopatra, Demetre H. Chiparus, circa 1925 Photo courtesy 1stdibs "Mae West" Lips Sofas, Salvador Dali, 19381939 Photo by Elizabeth Whiting & Associates / Alamy Stock Photo Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass, 1981 Photo by Jacques Schumacher Sheraton Chair, Robert Venturi for Knoll, 1984 Photo courtesy Knoll Archive AT&T Building, Philip Johnson, 1984 Photo by Bill Pierce/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images Ottawa (AFP) - Canadian scientists on Monday listed three types of whale that swim its waters, including two of the world's largest species, as threatened. Sei whales were classified as endangered while Fin and Sowerby's Beaked whales were found to be "of special concern" by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). In a statement, the independent panel, whose reports form the basis of Canada's conservation efforts, blamed human activity for the predicament of the marine giants. The cetaceans, it said, get tangled in fishing gear or are killed in collisions with an "ever increasing" number of large ships navigating Canadian waters. Because they evolved in quieter seas, noise from ships, naval exercises and seismic exploration also "impedes their communication and survival," the panel said. COSEWIC noted that Sowerby's Beaked whales are particularly susceptible to noise pollution as the species uses sound to navigate and hunt. Sightings have recently increased in a marine protected area off Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast that offers whales a respite from the clamor. The panel urged the creation of more refuges, including in international waters, to reverse the whales' decline. "Species don't care about borders," COSEWIC chair John Reynolds said in a statement. "We need to address threats as a global community. No country can save these species on its own." The announcement coincides with Monday's release of a UN report on biodiversity warning that as many as a million species are threatened with extinction due to mankind's destruction of the planet. The TSX is in store for a great 2017, according to an RBC report. (Getty) On Friday, Uber is expected to officially go public, making the unprofitable company (it lost $1 billion just in the first quarter of 2019 alone), the latest private firm to enter the public market and list on the NYSE. Some say its risky, losing money and being unprofitable is never a winning chant for shareholders or potential investors alike, but that hasnt stalled the ride-sharing companys plans to price shares between $44 and $50. Uber follows its rival Lyft (LYFT), which started trading publicly on March 29. Lyfts shares have dropped over 20 per cent since its trading debut, and ended its first day with a market valuation of $22.2 billion. Beyond Meat (BYND) is the meat alternative company whose shares skyrocketed 163 per cent on Thursday. By Thursday afternoon, Beyond Meats valuation was sitting at approximately $3.8 billion. But the company, like Uber, has yet to churn profit. And WeWork, also unprofitable and last valued at $47 billion, is also planning its IPO. Slack Technologies Inc., the former Canadian company, has plans to debut on the NYSE via a direct listing, following the same steps as Shopify did in 2015. And Hootsuite, which recently laid off about 10 per cent of its workforce, is one of the most eyed Canadian tech companies when it comes to a possible IPO, but it has struggled to finalize a deal. Its an IPO race and relay, and Canada does have some legs in the lanes, but this might be burning out, says Shawn Rutledge, portfolio manager and investment advisor at Mackie Research Capital. Hootsuite and Vision Critical are two big ones that the investment community talks about as being the next hot IPOs to hit the Canadian market. That being said, it has been this way for two to three years and some would argue they are getting impatient on their pace, Rutledge tells Yahoo Finance Canada. One of the main reasons Canadian companies often struggle is financing its hard to attract investors even when the offering would seem of exceptional value, and Rutledge says that is the tough part about the IPO and secondary financing market. It really correlates to the sentiment of the investment community, he says. There are multiple variables, in addition to funding, that are assessed prior to filing an IPO and public sentiment is certainly one. Story continues Companies typically choose the route that lowers the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), be it debt or equity, notes Calgary-based CPA Maxim Atanassov, a former senior manager at Deloitte with over 20 years of experience in the technology and energy sectors, and decades of experience working for both pre-IPO and publicly traded companies. Public sentiment (Does the company have a brand that will result in share over subscription or higher valuation?), timing, and who the financial backers of a company are, are all key factors considered when talking about whether or not to go public, says Atanassov. The public route comes with public scrutiny, and there is also a high cost of initial and ongoing compliance that easily runs into the millions, adds Atanassov. In some cases, companies are forced to go the public route because they may have over-leveraged themselves and the lenders are asking them to improve on specific financial ratios. In the past, Canadian companies such as PointClickCare had been on the radar to possibly IPO, while today, growing Canadian tech startups like North and Ritual have potential too, but all have yet to give any assurance an IPO is the route they are wishing to take. North is among the companies assisted by First Round Capital, which invested $1.5 million into Uber during its early seed funding stages. Toronto company Influitive is also among First Round Capitals portfolio. Depending on who is backing the company financially, investment horizons will differ. Companies can also get pushed to go public if there is no follow-up capital available or the fund needs to be wound down, as this presents an exit strategy, says Atanassov. Canadas tech industry is booming with startups popping up and boasting appeal, but that doesnt mean companies are eager to jump into volatile markets and play a shaky hand. Sentiment in the Canadian IPO front has turned negative, says Rutledge. The appetite for risk in Canada does not mimic that of the U.S. market either. U.S. investors in the small to mid-cap IPO market tend to have a much stronger propensity for risk given the risk and reward relationship. Canadians tend to be more risk adverse, he says. Also, from the appetite for risk perspective in Canada, most investment has been geared towards the cannabis sector of the last two years. It has been the clear winner and has attracted the lions share of the Canadian IPO market, for sure. Another Canadian company that has made moves is Lightspeed POS Inc. The Montreal-based tech company raised $240 million in its initial public offering back in March, selling its shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) for $16 each. Its shares jumped 18 per cent on first day trading. In Canada, it is important to distinguish between the TSX and TSX-V IPOs, explains Craig Doidge, professor of finance at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. For IPO volume, it is also important to distinguish between resource and non-resource firms as activity by the former are driven largely by commodity prices. Doidges 2013 paper looks at IPO activity in the U.S. and around the globe. In the US, the JOBS Act (2012) lowers certain accounting and disclosure requirements and created a testing the waters process for small companies, those with revenues under $1 billion, says Doidge. This is not relevant for the recent big IPOs like Lyft and upcoming ones like Uber, he says, but it is for companies like Beyond Meat. Doidge says there is evidence that more small firms have gone public since the JOBS Act, but he doesnt know if the same testing of waters would work in Canada. Requirements to go public on the TSX-V are already very low and many firms that performed poorly have gone public, he notes. Doidge says not to harp on the question of What is wrong with Canadas IPO market? but rather that if the supply of these firms has not fallen, another relevant question is whether they are staying private longer because they can, i.e. now they have better access to private sources of capital, [maybe]? And many companies benefit from remaining private. It can generally take five to ten years to be at a stage in the business development to hit scale and be the leader in your market space. Issuers will generally look to IPO when the market sentiment is positive and it makes sense to raise the funds, says Rutledge. If the sentiment in the Canadian market remains bullish, Rutledge says we could see the likes of some of the above companies at the IPO table in the last half of this year. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Beirut (AFP) - The Beirut Stock Exchange said Monday it had been forced to halt trading because of an open-ended strike by central bank employees over proposed cuts to their benefits. It said it would halt operations until further notice as it could not clear and settle trades because of the strike, which started on Saturday. "To protect the rights of investors, the Beirut Stock Exchange has decided to stop trading," it said in a statement. No shares changed hands on the exchange on Monday, it said on its website. Central bank employees say they are protesting a decision to slash their benefits as part of a new austerity package being studied by cabinet ahead of this year's budget. Representatives of their syndicate met with central bank governor Riad Salame on Monday, it said in a statement. It said it would decide on its next steps during a meeting on Tuesday morning. Syndicate head Abbas Awada told AFP that this is the first such strike since the central bank was established in 1963. Other public sector employees have resorted to similar measures against possible austerity measures in recent weeks. Public sector strikes on Monday handicapped the Beirut Port, the National Social Security Fund, and other state-run bodies, as cabinet met to discuss the austerity package, according to the country's National News Agency (NNA). Lebanon has vowed to slash public spending to unlock $11 billion worth of aid pledged by international donors during an April 2018 conference in Paris. Last month, Prime Minister Saad Hariri vowed to introduce "the most austere budget in Lebanon's history" to combat the country's bulging fiscal deficit, sparking fears among public sector employees that their salaries may be cut. Other officials, including Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, have said that austerity measures will include public sector wage cuts. Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil on Monday said that the government is also mulling increasing the tax rate on interest payments from 7 to 10 percent as part of the new budget, according to NNA. Lebanon is one of the world's most indebted countries, with public debt estimated at 141 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018, according to credit ratings agency Moody's. Some kids are unwanted, so you either kill them now or kill them later. That was an Alabama Democratic representative a few days ago, during debate about an abortion bill. His remark was made out in the open, captured on video for all the world to see. He went on to say, You bring them into the world unwanted, unloved, then send them to the electric chair. He said this during the same week when Israelis held the two-minute moment of silence to remember the millions who were exterminated during the Holocaust. He said it while a play, All Our Children, is running in Lower Manhattan, at the Sheen Center, about Aktion T4, in which, from 1939 to 1941, approximately 100,000 people with disabilities were deemed by Nazi Germany to be lives unworthy of life. As playwright Stephen Unwin writes at the beginning of his script, Aktion T4 was the logical extension of the eugenics movement, which had attracted support from a wide range of people, many with impeccable liberal credentials, across Europe and the United States. This ideology took on a new lethal gravity with Hitler. Unwin quotes a doctor: The idea is unbearable to me that the best, the flower of our youth, must lose its life at the front in order that feebleminded and irresponsible asocial elements can have a secure existence in the asylum. By early 1941, Unwin explains, 5,000 children, many only a few months old, with a wide range of conditions Down syndrome, idiocy, cerebral palsy, and so on had been assessed, registered, and murdered. Initially, their parents were asked for their consent and a panel of three medical experts were convened to agree on the course of action. In due course, however, deception and social pressure were deployed, and children were sent to so-called special sections, apparently to receive medical treatment, but instead bussed off to their deaths. I found it impossible to watch most of All Our Children without crying. Increasingly, Im having the same reaction listening to Democratic politicians of all sorts seemingly fall over one another to outdo themselves on a new abortion extremism. In some cases, like local official in Alabama, they never got the proper talking points the training in euphemisms that would keep them from ever using words like kill. But in some ways, too, we seem to have entered a new point in a culture of death, where euphemisms are giving way to a new boldness. At this point in time, with sonogram technology being what it is, its an insult to pretend there isnt a life there. So, the question is: Do we care to value and protect that life or not? Which is really a broader cultural question with implications for each and every one of us: In what ways can our hearts be stretched to love the woman who finds herself pregnant and in need of support, in need of real options? Story continues No small part of the All Our Children story is about Clemens August Graf von Galen, the Catholic bishop of Munster, who spoke out against the Nazi policy of killing unproductive citizens (and spent years under house arrest for doing so). In one of his sermons, he said: The opinion is that since they can no longer make money, they are obsolete machines, comparable with some old cow that can no longer give milk or some horse that has gone lame. What is the lot of unproductive machines and cattle? They are destroyed. I have no intention of stretching this comparison further. The case here is not one of machines or cattle which exist to serve men and furnish them with plenty. They may be legitimately done away with when they can no longer fulfill their function. Here we are dealing with human beings, with our neighbors, brothers and sisters, the poor and invalids . . . unproductive perhaps! But have they, therefore, lost the right to live? Have you or I the right to exist only because we are productive? If the principle is established that unproductive human beings may be killed, then God help all those invalids who, in order to produce wealth, have given their all and sacrificed their strength of body. If all unproductive people may thus be violently eliminated, then woe betide our brave soldiers who return home wounded, maimed, or sick. All Our Children is a fictionalized account of what went on with the murder of these innocents, including a meeting between Galen and a doctor in one of the psychiatric death traps. The play is being performed on Bleecker Street right now, on the other side of the wall of a Planned Parenthood clinic that provides abortions, as what should be an examination of conscience: Its often said that you can judge a society by the way that it treats its most vulnerable. If Nazi Germany failed that test in the most abject way imaginable, we should never forget its terrible lessons. Lately, all you have to do is check your phone for the latest news to see some grave warning signs about our own grave failings. Gosnell and Unplanned, movies that have made it to the big screens, make both an abhorrent story and a merciful story of conversion widely accessible. We need more of these. And we all have a role its not merely for the artists and priests to speak out and do something but for every one of us who lives at this time. Objections to the excesses of Democratic lawmakers and candidates on this front are being routinely dismissed as conservative hang-ups. You dont have to be a conservative pro-lifer to agree that vulnerable lives ought to be protected, that we must think in terms of more love, not less. That we will be judged on whether or not we rise to the challenge. This column is based on one available through Andrews McMeel Universals Newspaper Enterprise Association. More from National Review BEIJING, May 6 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry said on Monday a Chinese delegation is preparing to go to United States for trade talks, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, speaking at a regular news briefing, did not say if Vice Premier Liu He, who is China's lead official in trade negotiations with the United States, would be part of the delegation. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard Writing by Michael Martina Editing by Robert Birsel) BEIJING, May 6 (Reuters) - China said on Monday its navy warned U.S. ships sailing near islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea to leave the area and that the U.S. should stop such provocative acts. Two U.S. guided-missile destroyers traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the disputed Spratly Islands, a U.S. military spokesman told Reuters, a move that could anger Beijing at a time of tense relations between the world's two biggest economies. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; writing by Se Young Lee; Editing by Nick Macfie) BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Monday dismissed a suggestion that it would talk with the United States and Russia about a new accord limiting nuclear arms, saying it would not take part in any trilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed on Friday the possibility of the new accord that could eventually include China in what would be a major deal between the globe's top three atomic powers. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that the country's nuclear forces were at the "lowest level" of its national security needs, and that they could not be compared to the United States and Russia. "China opposes any country talking out of turn about China on the issue of arms control, and will not take part in any trilateral negotiations on a nuclear disarmament agreement," Geng told a daily news briefing, when asked about Trump's remarks. China has always advocated the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, Geng added. China believes that countries with the largest nuclear arsenals have a special responsibility when it comes to nuclear disarmament and should continue to further reduce nuclear weapons in a verifiable and irreversible manner, creating conditions for other countries to participate, he said. The 2011 New START treaty, the only U.S.-Russia arms control pact limiting deployed strategic nuclear weapons, expires in February 2021 but can be extended for five years if both sides agree. Without the agreement, it could be harder to gauge each other's intentions, arms control advocates say. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel) Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! The main aim of stock picking is to find the market-beating stocks. But even the best stock picker will only win with some selections. So we wouldn't blame long term China Ting Group Holdings Limited (HKG:3398) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 42% over a half decade. And we doubt long term believers are the only worried holders, since the stock price has declined 21% over the last twelve months. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 11% in the last three months. This could be related to the recent financial results - you can catch up on the most recent data by reading our company report. See our latest analysis for China Ting Group Holdings To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During five years of share price growth, China Ting Group Holdings moved from a loss to profitability. That would generally be considered a positive, so we are surprised to see the share price is down. Other metrics might give us a better handle on how its value is changing over time. The revenue fall of 1.9% per year for five years is neither good nor terrible. But it's quite possible the market had expected better; a closer look at the revenue trends might explain the pessimism. You can see how revenue and earnings have changed over time in the image below, (click on the chart to see cashflow). SEHK:3398 Income Statement, May 6th 2019 Take a more thorough look at China Ting Group Holdings's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet. What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)? Story continues Investors should note that there's a difference between China Ting Group Holdings's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price change, which we've covered above. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Its history of dividend payouts mean that China Ting Group Holdings's TSR, which was a 30% drop over the last 5 years, was not as bad as the share price return. A Different Perspective We regret to report that China Ting Group Holdings shareholders are down 21% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 2.1%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 6.8% per year over five years. We realise that Buffett has said investors should 'buy when there is blood on the streets', but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality businesses. Before forming an opinion on China Ting Group Holdings you might want to consider these 3 valuation metrics. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings. 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. BEIJING, May 6 (Reuters) - China Vice Premier Liu He will still travel to the United States this week for trade talks but shorten his trip, South China Morning Post reported on Monday citing an unnamed source briefed on the latest plans. The newspaper said Liu is now expected to leave Beijing on Thursday, three days later than previously scheduled, and leave Washington a day later. (https://bit.ly/2V5Vtwo) The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that China was considering canceling this week's trade talks in light of comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that he would hike U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. (Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Michael Perry) Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic Church appealed for calm and an alcohol ban Monday after clashes between Christians and Muslims in a town scarred by the Easter suicide attacks. Hundreds of security forces entered Negombo to impose a curfew after dozens of Muslim-owned shops, homes and vehicles were attacked. St. Sebastian's church in the town 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of capital Colombo was one of three churches and three hotels hit by jihadist suicide bombers on April 21 killing 257 people. "I appeal to all Catholic and Christian brothers and sisters not to hurt even a single Muslim person because they are our brothers, because they are part of our religious culture," said Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo. "Therefore please avoid hurting them and try to create a better spirit of understanding and good relations between all the communities of Sri Lanka," he said in a video message to the country. On Monday evening, the police said the situation was "totally under control". "There were no fresh incidents in the past 24 hours in and around Negombo," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said, adding that security forces had stepped up search operations in the area. - Liquor ban sought - During a visit to Negombo where he held talks with clerics at a mosque, the cardinal called on the government to shut bars in the Catholic-dominated town known as "Little Rome", said his spokesman Father Edmund Tilakaratne. "As a temporary measure, the cardinal asked the government to order the ban on liquor sales in Negombo area," Tilakaratne told AFP. In another televised appeal, Ranjith appealed to Christians, Buddhists and Muslims to show restraint. Negombo suffered the highest death toll in the Easter Sunday attacks that were claimed by the Islamic State group. The bomb at St. Sebastian's killed more than 100 worshippers. Police said two arrests were made after the latest clashes and more suspects had been identified through CCTV footage. Story continues "At least three people were injured in the clashes," a senior officer told AFP. "Although we have arrested only two suspects at the moment, many more have been identified and we will go after them." The officer said an alcohol-fuelled dispute between two groups degenerated into violence. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a statement the government will compensate those who lost property. Unverified video circulating on social media showed mobs throwing stones at Muslim businesses, destroyed furniture inside homes, shattered windows and overturned vehicles. AFP was unable to immediately verify the footage. The curfew was lifted on Monday morning and the authorities lifted a social media ban imposed overnight to prevent the spread of "rumours" that could have inflamed religious tensions. Muslims make up around 10 percent of Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka's 21 million population and Christians about 7.6 percent. - Security for schools - Meanwhile, public schools reopened Monday for the first time since the Easter attacks, with heavily armed police and troops guarding schools. Attendance was poor, officials said. The country has been under a state of emergency since the Easter bombings, with security forces and police given sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects. Authorities said they were holding 73 people, including nine women, in connection with the April 21 bombings. The government has blamed the Easter bombings on a local jihadist organisation which had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Police said they had established the suicide bombers had about 140 million rupees ($800,000) in cash and a further $40 million assets which will be confiscated under tough anti-terror laws. Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic Church appealed for calm and an alcohol ban Monday after clashes between Christians and Muslims in a town scarred by the Easter suicide attacks. Hundreds of security forces entered Negombo to impose a curfew after dozens of Muslim-owned shops, homes and vehicles were attacked. St. Sebastian's church in the town 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of capital Colombo was one of three churches and three hotels hit by jihadist suicide bombers on April 21 killing 257 people. "I appeal to all Catholic and Christian brothers and sisters not to hurt even a single Muslim person because they are our brothers, because they are part of our religious culture," said Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo. "Therefore please avoid hurting them and try to create a better spirit of understanding and good relations between all the communities of Sri Lanka," he said in a video message to the country. - Liquor ban sought - The cardinal visited Negombo, held talks with clerics at a mosque and appealed to the government to shut bars in the Catholic-dominated town known as "Little Rome", said his spokesman Father Edmund Tilakaratne. "As a temporary measure, the cardinal asked the government to order the ban on liquor sales in Negombo area," Tilakaratne told AFP. In another televised appeal, Ranjith appealed to Christians, Buddhists and Muslims to show restraint. Negombo suffered the highest death toll in the Easter Sunday attacks that were claimed by the Islamic State group. The bomb at St. Sebastian's killed more than 100 worshippers. A top police officer said two arrests were made after the latest clashes and more suspects had been identified through CCTV footage. The officer said all will be prosecuted under emergency laws approved after the Easter attacks. "At least three people were injured in the clashes," the officer told AFP. "Although we have arrested only two suspects at the moment, many more have been identified and we will go after them." Story continues The officer said an alcohol-fuelled dispute between two groups degenerated into the clashes. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a statement the government will compensate those who lost property in the night-time clashes. Unverified video circulating on social media showed mobs throwing stones at Muslim businesses, destroyed furniture inside homes, shattered windows and overturned vehicles. AFP was unable to immediately verify the footage. A few hundred extra troops and police were deployed late Sunday as authorities imposed a night-time curfew in the town. The government blocked access to WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media platforms for several hours to prevent what it called the spread of rumours and videos aimed at instigating unrest. The curfew was lifted on Monday morning and social media was working again by noon Monday. Sri Lanka's main international airport is located in the area, but police said there was no disruption. Muslims make up around 10 percent of Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka's 21 million population and Christians about 7.6 percent. - Security for schools - Meanwhile, public schools reopened Monday for the first time since the Easter attacks, with heavily armed police and troops guarding schools. "The attendance was poor today, but we maintain a high level of security," the top police officer said. "Most parents are adopting a wait-and-see approach and we hope attendance will be back to normal very soon." The country has been under a state of emergency since the Easter bombings. Security forces and police have been give sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects. The government has blamed the Easter bombings on a local jihadist organisation which had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. This week marks the start of Ramadan for more than a billion Muslims around the world. The month-long observance which starts on either May 6 or May 7 this year will see Muslims fasting from sunrise-to-sunset, reciting verses from the Quran and attending prayer sessions. For many of those observing Ramadan, it is a time to become closer to God. It is also a time of joy and for spending time with ones family, and giving to charity and those in need. Heres what you need to know about Ramadan, which is known as the holiest month in Islam. When is Ramadan? Ramadan begins during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar when the new crescent moon is first sighted. The exact start date of Ramadan is confirmed when the moon is spotted by a sighting committee, often made up of government officials and religious scholars. Some countries like Jordan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia will begin observing Ramadan on May 6 while others like Oman will mark the holy month on May 7. Supreme Court announces that tomorrow, Monday 1/9/1440H, is the first day of #Ramadhan 1440H, Royal Court reports.#SPAGOV SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) May 5, 2019 The end of Ramadan is also marked with the sighting of the crescent moon, marking Eid-al-Fitr, which should be in the first week of June. What is Ramadan and how is it observed? Ramadan is observed by Muslims to commemorate when God revealed the first chapters of the Quran, Islams sacred text, to the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims believe that during this period, the gates of heaven are open and the gates of hell are closed. Muslims mark the holy month by fasting considered to be one of the five pillars of Islam during sunlight hours. The pre-dawn meal is called the suhoor, while the fast is broken at dusk with the iftar, starting with a few sips of water and some dates. Story continues Abstinence during Ramadan isnt just restricted to food and water, though. It extends to refraining from sexual activity, smoking, and even to jealousy, anger or other negative thoughts throughout the month. Muslims believe that following these practices during Ramadan will lead to self-purification, self-control and bring them closer to Allah. Many Muslims also attend special prayer services, read verses of the Quran and engage in charity. During Ramadan, offices and schools in Islamic countries shut early. For instance, schools in Dubai will shut by 1:30 p.m. Abu Dhabi has waived public parking fees during certain times on certain days. How do you wish someone a Happy Ramadan? You can exchange Ramadan greetings by saying Ramadan Kareem, which translates into Have a generous Ramadan, or Ramadan Mubarak, which roughly translates into Happy Ramadan. On the last day of Ramadan, which is Eid-al-fitr, the greeting changes to Eid Mubarak. Does everyone have to fast? Not everyone must fast. Islam prescribes that all able-bodied Muslims should fast during Ramadan but exempts young children, expecting and breast-feeding mothers, women who are menstruating, the elderly, and those with health conditions. Non-Muslims visiting an Islamic nation are not expected to fast, but they are expected to refrain from eating and drinking in public spaces to respect those around them. In a House Committee hearing on robocalls last week, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle found common ground in their disgust over the current state of affairs. Joined by four robocall experts representing consumer groups, the telecom industry, a hospital, and an anti-robocall app, lawmakers met to figure out how to tackle the plague of robocalls that has tormented everyone with a mobile phone. Though the FCC and the private sector have been working on solutions, lawmakers are ready to pick up their swords as well. As Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA), who led the hearing put it, robocalls are rendering the phone system obsolete. Patrick Halley of USTelecom, a trade group that represents scores of phone companies, suggested punishment beyond civil enforcement efforts currently in place, especially given the criminal activity involved in robocall scams that seek to defraud people. The volume of robocalls have angered the American public for quite some time. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File) There is an acute need for aggressive criminal enforcement against illegal robocallers at the federal and state level, Halley told the lawmakers, saying that many of the people who get caught are recidivist robocallers. Those who blatantly disobey the law and who enable fraudulent activity need to go to jail, he said. Part of the reason for the pivot to more criminal enforcement: The fines are not working as a deterrent. Not only has the robocall volume increased significantly, but the amounts collected through fines are appallingly small. Though the FCC has issued over $208 million in fines since 2015, it collected just $6,790, or 0.003% of the total. Efforts to crack down are picking up steam, however. Many of the bills sitting in front of lawmakers now have provisions for lengthening the statute of limitations for robocalling to at least a few years from one, and a bill passed a Senate committee that would ramp up the prosecution of criminal robocalls. Though lawmakers do not enforce the laws or make prosecutorial decisions, the extra time provided could be a key difference for U.S. Attorneys and regulatory agencies like the FCC and FTC, which would need to work together potentially with the help of the private sectors Traceback Group. (The group has already managed to cut down the time it takes to track down the origins of a robocall from weeks to days or even hours.) Story continues There are good reasons for taking robocalls more seriously. In the case of Adrian Abramovich, who was slapped with a $100 million fine for making 100 million robocalls in three months, the behavior could have cost lives. In the FCCs citation against Abramovich, a paging company called Spok said it had its operations disrupted by the Abramovichs calls, operations on which doctors, nurses, and EMTs rely as a critical communications tool. The calls were also part of a fraud scheme, the FCC citation alleges. Abramovich has not yet been charged with fraud criminally. Automation causing more problems thanks to robocalls. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Speaking in front of Congress this week, Dave Summitt, chief information security officer at a cancer center in Florida, underscored that the stakes reach far past annoyance and irritation: they are potentially dangerous and a serious threat to patient care, in addition to disrupting business operations and facilitating financial fraud, he said. Some voice-over-IP company made it possible for scams like Abramovichs and those of others to work, enabling the robocallers. With respect to the industry traceback group USTelecom has, Halley noted that many telecom companies not in the group cooperate in good faith, but several upstream carriers refuse to cooperate. As one industry insider told Yahoo Finance, some carriers look the other way when customers partake in illegal robocall activity. Last April, when asked how easy it is to make robocalls by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), Abramovich said a quick Google search of voice over IP providers short duration calls will provide multiple options, mostly based in the U.S. Getting the current solution to work better Right now, the robocall-weary country is waiting for the private sector to act, driven by trade groups and the business-friendly FCC under Chair Ajit Pai. The solution? A sophisticated authentication network called STIR/SHAKEN, which verifies calls deemed legitimate. But STIR/SHAKEN is limited by the piecemeal nature of the phone system. Not all phones can handle the new technology especially old rural lines. Congress has a number of bills that could facilitate implementation, or press unscrupulous carriers into following best practices. For example, some bills would require carriers to adopt authentication technology like STIR/SHAKEN and to block calls without verification as a default, unless you feel brave and opt out and tell the phone company to just send them all. The Senate Commerce Committee has already approved similar bipartisan legislation, the TRACED Act, which would require all phone companies to adopt the forthcoming authentication standards. Consumer advocates and smaller phone companies that service rural areas note that older landlines yes, this would apply to them too! may have some issues with this and get left behind. And theres a chance that this might not even be as effective as people hope. Scammers could simply purchase legitimate numbers cheaply and use those until theyre blacklisted. The TRACED Act, which passed the Senate Commerce Committee in April, would also establish an interagency working group and open up more resources for the prosecution of criminal violations surrounding robocalls. Other bills being considered would update the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to prevent robocallers from using loopholes, extend the statute of limitations on robocalling, establish a Robocalls Division at the FCCs Enforcement Bureau, and remove the exception for debt collectors, making their calls illegal too. Most robocalls are legitimate, which is a big problem Robocall regulation is complicated by the fact that not all robocalls are scams. For instance, auto-generated calls from your doctors office to remind you of an upcoming appointment are fine. Other kinds of robocalls are not necessarily meant to defraud but are a nuisance nonetheless. Margot Saunders, a consumer group representative, reminded lawmakers that only a minority of unwanted robocalls come from scam calls. The rest of the unwanted robocalls come from debt collectors and telemarketers. (Around 20% of all robocalls are the wanted kind alerts and reminders.) Saunders laid out numerous examples of legitimate American companies employing robocalls in a ridiculous fashion, violating the TCPA, like a film studio making 3 million unsolicited calls during a six-day film promotion. Additionally, she said, another type of robocall, debt collection calls, make up a large percentage of robocalls often are made to people who have no connection to the debt. When caught for violating the Do Not Call list, the violators often settle and continue. Where bipartisanship might stop The industry has been petitioning the business-friendly FCC to loosen restrictions, which consumer advocates say would cause another spike in robocalls, and companies frequently ask for waivers from the FCC when taken to task in court by annoyed consumers. A friendly FCC may narrowly define what a robocall is, providing cover for tons of calls people find irritating. Depending on how laws are interpreted, a person in front of a computer clicking a button that randomly sends a robocall to someone makes it okay and not technically a robocall. A consumer on the other end wouldnt likely see it that way. These loopholes could be closed, if some of the legislation is passed, by having clear definitions with increased imperviousness to interpretations that are too charitable to robocalling operations. Sanders noted that corporate America is applying heavy pressure on the FCC and courts to interpret the TCPAs definition of automatic telephone dialing system narrowly. If this were to happen, it would cancel prohibitions against unsolicited autodialed calls and texts, she said. As it stands now, people will have to wait a little longer for the scams to stop. STIR/SHAKEN should gain widespread adoption by large carriers in 2020, and if mandatory adoption of new caller ID standards were to be implemented, there would be a compliance date set 18 months into the future. - Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance focusing on consumer issues, personal finance, retail, airlines, and more. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Warren Buffetts most fun investment The TurboTax scandal provides a key lesson about tax preparers By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Monday he had approved sending a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East because of indications of a "credible threat by Iranian regime forces," but did not provide any details on the underlying intelligence. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday the United States was deploying the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a message to Iran. While neither Shanahan nor Bolton provided details on U.S. intelligence, other U.S. officials told Reuters there were "multiple, credible threats" against U.S. forces on land, including in Iraq, by Iran and proxy forces and at sea. "(It) represents a prudent repositioning of assets in response to indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces," Shanahan said on Twitter. Still, questions remain on what specific intelligence- gathering method was used, how relevant the intelligence was, and how those threats differ from the usual concern about Iranian military activity in the region. "We call on the Iranian regime to cease all provocation. We will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests," Shanahan added. In a statement later on Monday, the Pentagon said the step was taken in response to "indications of heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against U.S. forces and our interests." While Iran has not yet responded to the recent moves by the U.S. military, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Reuters recently that he did not believe U.S. President Donald Trump wanted war with Iran, but that a "B-team," including Bolton, an Iran hawk, and conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could goad Trump into a conflict with Tehran. Three U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters on Monday there were also concerns about U.S. forces in Syria and in the waters nearby in addition to the threats to personnel in Iraq. One of the officials said the intelligence was specific enough that it detailed the locations of potential attacks against U.S. forces and the time frame within which they could occur. The official added that the threat was not only against U.S. forces in Iraq but those coming in and out of the region. The Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which was ordered to the Middle East, was expected to go to the region eventually, but its movement was "expedited" because of the threat, another U.S. official said. The official said it would still take at least several days for the carrier strike group to reach the Middle East because it would have to slow down to go through the Suez Canal and the hope was that the announcement on Sunday would act as a deterrent itself. The Trump administration's efforts to impose political and economic isolation on Tehran began last year when it unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal it and other world powers negotiated with Iran in 2015. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking in Finland where he was attending the Arctic Council meeting, said on Monday the United States has seen activity from Iran that indicated a possible "escalation." In September, the United States said it would effectively close its consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra, following increasing threats from Iran and Iran-backed militia. There are currently about 5,200 U.S. troops in Iraq and under 2,000 American forces in Syria. BOLTON FOCUS ON IRAN The action marked the latest in a series of moves by Trump's administration aimed at ratcheting up pressure on Iran. Some experts have raised concern about Bolton's focus on Iran and point to his history of being at odds with U.S. intelligence community assessments on Iran. In a 2017 article in the conservative National Review magazine, Bolton charged that Iran committed "significant violations" of the 2015 nuclear accord. Yet, U.S. intelligence agencies have consistently assessed Iran to be in compliance with the deal and that the agreement to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear warhead was working as designed. Some have said the United States must be careful not to end up with a situation like 2003, when prior to the invasion in Iraq, President George W. Bush and top aides made the case for intervening by citing intelligence that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had ties to al Qaeda and was secretly developing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Both claims were proved false. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Mary Milliken and Peter Cooney) Its natural to associate playgrounds with childhood and to feel nostalgic for the particular brand of whimsy that comes with early exploration and risk-taking. Maybe thats why these spaces appeal to audiences as colorful and dynamic as the structures theyre made up of. But that spirit of playfulness isnt solely reserved for kidsnor should it only exist in outdoor spaces. Because of the creativity these public areas encourage, architects often incorporate incredibly surprising, nontraditional design elements into their construction that wed happily have in our apartments. We do believe that playgrounds give way to very interesting, subversive situations: If we take kids seriously, they propose the most rebellious, fresh, and innovative approaches to all situations. They play everywhere. It is not a question of creating toys for them, but learning from them how they transform everything into a toy, says playground designer Alberto Nanclares da Veiga of Madrid-based artist collective Basurama. With that sense of fearlessness in mind, we looked to playgrounds for big, bold design inspiration and identified five ideas that would make a major impact at home. Architectural Digest may earn a portion of sales revenue from purchases made through affiliate links on our site. Recycled materials Photo: Basurama.org CC 4.0 BY-NC-SA In this age of environmental consciousness, incorporating recycled design elements into interiors has become all the more popular (and essential!). At Basuramas Ghost Train Park in Lima, the artist collective repurposed scores of used materials into objects for children to explorethink old tires cut, twisted, and split to create a unique climbing apparatus. Using waste to beautify your home may seem counterintuitive, but imperfect details are a subtle way of grounding a room that may otherwise be too polished. Lots of product designers are reinventing recycled materials in similar ways, resulting in everything from doormats to hanging planters. One mans trash is indeed another mans treasure. Story continues Stool seating Photo: Graziella Antonini Designer Olivier Vadrots sculptural playground in the suburbs of Paris, named Conversations, is designed to encourage, you guessed it, discussion and connection. From the chunky Ventriloquist Throne to the cone-shaped Pink Cockpit, Olivier uses unique seating arrangements to position kids around each other in a way that makes dialogue exciting. And what adult doesnt need a conversation starter in their own living or dining room, the main places we use for catching up with friends? Similar to the third sculpture in Oliviers playground, the Council of Seats, where what looks like a large-scale lazy Susan is actually a ten-seat conversation circle, consider incorporating fun, flexible seating into your space. Imagine your room like a campfire, with guests gathered around so theyre facing each other. Stools not only make it easy to set up such an arrangement on the fly but also bring the conversation down to a lower, more intimate level. Its a step above sitting on floor pillows, but still more casual than traditional seats. Foam furniture 558442569TF011_London_Art_C Photo: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for RIBA It might look like pastel terrazzo, but at the experimental Brutalist Playground in London, design studio Assemble and artist Simon Terrill used reconstituted foam to add colorful texture to the room. The team replicated elements of old Brutalist structures in the soft material to inspire us to look at the harsh architecture in a whole new way. Now we want to use foam everywhere! Who else wants a squishy side table, ottoman, or even sofa? By experimenting outside of traditional materials, your space will be familiar and surreal at the same time. Knitted accents If youre after a room that makes a statement, try building your space around a few ultra-colorful knit pieces. The Woods of Net playground in Japans Hakone Open-Air Museum, designed by Tezuka Architects, features woven rainbow panels draped across a wood pavilion, like a wacky canopy, plus various hand-knitted objects of intrigue scattered throughout. The installation, constructed by Japanese artist Toshiko Horiuchi Macadam, turns the relatively simple structure into a riot of color and texture. So in a room of a much smaller scale (a.k.a. your studio apartment), a bright, knitted element is certain to bring welcome visual interestand a strong talking pointto the space. Funhouse mirrors Danish architecture firm MLRPs Mirror House in Copenhagen is a curious departure from the everyday playground. As a response to the citys graffiti problem, MLRP cleverly reimagined the parks buildings as interactive spaces made for reflectionliterally and figuratively. The facade of this structure is plastered with funhouse trick mirrors, which magnify and distort the surrounding natural environment. You cant help but stop and stare. Mirrors are often used in interior design as a sneaky way to open up and change the perceived size of a space. Incorporate funhouse mirrors instead for a similar trick of the eye, but with an unexpected twist. Tokenised securities exchange Currency.com has launched after a beta-testing period, TechCrunch writes. The exchange has also announced it is launching a tokenised government bond, describing it as the worlds first. One thousand tokenised securities will be made available to investors, both private and institutional. Although the securities are going to be available globally, the U.S. and FATF-listed countries are excluded. Trading will be possible using fiat, bitcoin or ethereum. While at the moment only Belarusian government bonds are available, the platform is planning to add other government and corporate bonds. The arrival of tokenized securities will completely change how investors can use their cryptocurrencies, said Currency.coms CEO Ivan Gowan. Linking crypto to the price of stocks and shares provides a tangible way for holders of Bitcoin and Ethereum to access traditional financial markets. Our beta launch proved the appetite is there globally for a service like this and Currency.coms full launch marks a significant shift in the direction of crypto as it becomes more regulated and starts to move closer towards traditional markets. The platform is using technology developed by its sister AI-enabled trading platform Capital.com. The startup is regulated by the FCA and CySEC. NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) Cyprus' president is calling Turkey's bid to drill for natural gas in waters off the island a "second invasion" and a violation of international law. President Nicos Anastasiades says Turkey's behavior creates "insurmountable problems" in efforts to restart talks aimed at reunifying ethnically divided Cyprus. He said Monday there can be no talks while the island remains under threat. Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Turkey doesn't recognize Cyprus as a state, and it says the Cypriot government's own offshore gas search infringes on its rights and those of breakaway Turkish Cypriots to the island's hydrocarbons reserves. Cyprus says all potential gas proceeds will be shared equitably after a reunification accord. PRAGUE (Reuters) - Thousands of Czechs filled the center of Prague and other cities for a second week in a row to protest against the appointment of a new justice minister who they say they fear could meddle with a criminal case involving the prime minister. Marie Benesova was named to head the Justice Ministry last week after the resignation of her predecessor. Protesters say they are worried she will try to protect Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who potentially faces a fraud trial. The case against Babis, a billionaire with business interests in media, food and chemicals, centers on allegations he hid ownership of a farm and convention center a decade ago to get a 2 million euro EU subsidy for small businesses. He has denied wrongdoing and calls the case politically motivated. He said Benesova's appointment was not a threat to the justice system. Monday's protest was larger than a week ago. Organizers estimated at least 20,000 people filled Prague's Old Town Square, according to CTK news agency. Police did not give official estimates. Protesters carried signs calling for an independent justice system and for Benesova to resign. They chanted "We are not blind". Thousands also gathered in Brno, the country's second largest city, and in Ostrava. Czech police said on April 17 that Babis and others should stand trial for fraud, handing the case to prosecutors. Babis's previous justice minister, Jan Knezinek, resigned the day after the police wrapped up their investigation. Babis said Knezinek's position had only been intended to be temporary. His departure came amid a wider cabinet shuffle. Benesova had previously served in a caretaker cabinet in 2013, appointed by President Milos Zeman, who has backed Babis. She worked as the top state attorney, appointed by a Zeman-led government in 1999. In 2017, she supported Babis when she abstained in a lower house vote on lifting his parliamentary immunity. Babis, the country's second richest person, put his Agrofert business empire into trusts in 2017 to meet legal requirements. Despite the allegations and conflict of interest accusations against Babis, his ANO party remains the clear poll leader. (Reporting by David Cerny and Jason Hovet; Editing by Peter Graff) By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ari Rabinovitch GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A ceasefire to end a surge of deadly violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel took hold on Monday after hundreds of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli air strikes. The latest round of hostilities erupted three days ago, peaking on Sunday when rockets and missiles from Hamas Islamist-run Gaza killed four civilians in Israel, local health officials said. Israeli strikes killed 21 Palestinians, over half of them civilians, at the weekend, Gaza health authorities said. Israel does not acknowledge ceasefire deals with Gaza militant groups, which it considers terrorist organizations. But officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government spoke of a reciprocal return to quiet. One of the Israeli officials suggested that Israel's arch-enemy Iran - a major financier of the Islamic Jihad movement - had been behind the Gaza escalation. Suffering under renewed U.S. sanctions and Israeli strikes against its military assets in Syria, Iran may have seen stoking Palestinian violence as a way of telling Israel, "we will get back at you through (Islamic) Jihad and Gaza", Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told the Israeli radio station 90 FM. Israel's military said that more than 600 rockets and other projectiles - over 150 of them intercepted - had been fired at southern Israeli cities and villages since Friday. It said it shelled or carried out air strikes on some 320 militant sites. The violence abated before dawn, after Palestinian officials said Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations had mediated a truce, and just as Gazans were preparing to begin the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "Over the last two days we struck Hamas and Islamic Jihad with great force. We hit over 350 targets. We struck at terrorist leaders and operatives and we destroyed terrorist buildings," Netanyahu said in statement. "The campaign is not over and it demands patience and good judgment. We are preparing to continue. The goal has been, and remains, ensuring quiet and security for the residents of the south." There was little enthusiasm for the ceasefire in Israeli rocket-hit communities near Gaza. Some residents said Israel agreed to the truce because it did not want rocket fire to spoil the Independence Day holiday this week or Eurovision Song Contest finals the begin in Tel Aviv on May 14. "In a month, in two weeks, in a month and a half, it will all happen again - we achieved nothing. I think Israel needs to strike them very, very hard so that they learn their lesson," said Haim Cohen, 69, a retired electrician from the city of Ashdod. In Gaza, Palestinians attended funerals and extricated bodies from collapsed buildings. "This is a very tough Ramadan. We will not feel festive," said Sumayya Usruf, whose cousin, husband and four-month-old child were killed in an apartment in northern Gaza. LEVERAGE The violence began when a sniper from Islamic Jihad fired across Gaza's fenced border at Israeli troops on routine patrol, 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 the economic hardships of blockaded Gaza. The measures included extending Gaza's fishing zone, allowing international and Arab investment and job creation projects, improving electricity supply and broadening the amount and variety of goods moved into the enclave through Israel. An official in one Gaza militant group, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it had agreed to a truce on condition that those understandings would go into effect. There was no official word from Israel on any bargaining behind the ceasefire. Netanyahu's political opponents have accused him of effectively paying "protection" in recent months to Hamas, by agreeing to allow into Gaza cash aid from Qatar, to keep the border quiet. 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 arms 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 small coastal enclave. One of Islamic Jihad's leaders in Gaza said on Sunday that the group was trying to counter efforts by the United States to revive peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East team has said it will unveil its peace plan in June, after Ramadan is over. Peace negotiations have been moribund since 2014. Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said that over the past few weeks Islamic Jihad had been trying to perpetrate attacks against Israel in order to destabilize the border. "This isn't some local initiative, it is part of a strategic choice to escalate matters," Conricus said. Israel regards Islamic Jihad's ally, Iran, as its biggest threat, and Tehran's military has built a presence in Syria, backing President Bashar al-Assad, during an eight-year civil war there. Israel has vowed to stop Iran entrenching in Syria, repeatedly bombing Iranian targets in the country and those of allied Lebanese Hezbollah militia. Trump's national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday the administration was deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling "indications and warnings" from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with "unrelenting force" to any attack. (Additional reporting by Dan Williams and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Writing by Maayan Lubell and Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Logo of jester cap with thought bubble. Image source: The Motley Fool. Delek Logistics Partners (NYSE: DKL) Q1 2019 Earnings Call May. 06, 2019, 8:30 a.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good morning. We would like to welcome everyone to the Delek Logistics first-quarter earnings call. I would now like to turn the call over to Mr. Keith Johnson. Please, go ahead. Keith Johnson -- Vice President, Investor Relations Thank you, Charlie. Good morning. I would like to thank everyone for joining us on this webcast to discuss DKL's of first-quarter 2019 results. Joining me on today's call will be Uzi Yemin, our general partners chairman and CEO; Assaf Ginsburg, CFO; Daniel Gordon, executive vice president, as well as other members of our management team. As a reminder this conference call may contain forward-looking statements as that term is defined under federal securities laws. For this purpose, any statements made during this call that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing the word believes, anticipates, plans, suspects, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You were cautioned that these statements may be affected by important factors set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in our latest earnings release. More From The Motley Fool As a result, actual operations or results may differ materially from results discussed in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future or otherwise. In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or GAAP, what's certain with non-GAAP financial results. Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP measures which can be found in the press release, which is posted on the Investor Relations section of our website. Story continues On today's call, Uzi will begin with financial overview and Danny will review results. Then Uzi will offer a few closing strategic remarks. With that, I'll turn the call over to Uzi. Uzi Yemin -- General Partners Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Kieth. Our first-quarter performance benefited from Big Spring Logistics Assets acquired effective March 1st, 2018, which drove the first-quarter 2019 improvement compared to prior-year period. Our DCF was approximately $29.0 million in the first-quarter 2019, compared to $28.0 million in the first quarter 2018. Our DCF coverage ratio was 1.06 times for the first quarter of 2019, compared to 1.16 in a prior-year period. EBITDA increased by thirteen and a half percent to $39.4 million, compared to $34.7 million in the prior-year period. Based on our performance, we increased our quarterly distribution to $0.82 per limited partner unit for the first quarter ended March 31st, 2019. This distribution will be paid on May 14th, 2019, and is a 1.2% increase from the fourth-quarter 2018 distribution per unit. This is our 25th consecutive quarterly increase and is a 9.3% higher than our first quarter 2018 distribution per unit. On March 31st, 2019, DKL had approximately $389 million of available capacity on our $850 million credit facility. Our total debt was approximately $705 million, in total leverage ratio of 4.2 times is well within the 5.25 times currently allowable under our credit facility. Now, I will turn the call over to Daniel, to discuss the results. Daniel Gordon -- Executive Vice President Thanks, Uzi. For the first quarter of 2019, Delek Logistics reported net income attributable to all partners of $19.7 million, which compares to $20 million in the prior-year period. Limited partners' interest in net income of $12.4 million, or $0.51 per unit, compared to $14.4 million, or $0.59 per unit in the prior-year period. I do want to note that lower throughput on our assets which was primarily related to the turnaround at Delek US'El Dorado refinery reduced our performance in the first quarter of 2019 by approximately $1.2 million, on a year-over-year basis. In our Pipelines and Transportation segment, the first quarter 2019 contribution margin was $24.2 million, compared to $19.7 million in the first quarter of last year. This increase was primarily attributable to the Big Springs acquisition, which was partially offset by lower throughput in the Lion Oil Pipeline system due to reduced operating rates at Delek US'El Dorado refinery. Operating expenses increased to $10.8 million in the first quarter of this year from $9.6 million, in the prior-year period, primarily due to the Big Spring acquisition. In our Wholesale Marketing and Terminalling segment. The contribution margin was $15.9 million in the first quarter of this year, which was a decrease from $16.7 million in the prior-year period. This decrease was due to; lower west Texas gross margin, partially offset by benefit from the Big Spring acquisition. Operating expenses increased to $5.2 million in the first quarter of 2019 from $3.0 million in the prior-year period, primarily due to the acquisition. Our west Texas wholesale gross margin was $3.56 per barrel in the first quarter of this year, compared to $5.16 per barrel in the first quarter of the prior year. Throughput in west Texas was $13,314 barrels per day, compared to $15,942 barrels per day in the prior year. During April, the gross margin in west Texas averaged approximately $5.40 per barrel, and volumes averaged approximately $11,400 barrels per day. During the first quarter of 2019, our equity income from our joint venture crude oil pipelines was approximately $2.0 million, compared to income of $900,000 in the prior-year period. Capital expenditures were approximately $900,000 in the first quarter of 2019, and included $400,000 of discretionary spending, and $500,000 on maintenance. During the first quarter of 2019, approximately $800,000 was reimbursed by Delek US. In the first quarter of 2018, total capital expenditures were $2.2 million. For the full year of 2019, our total gross capital expenditure forecast is $12.2 million, which includes $400,000 of discretionary, an $11.8 million of maintenance capital before reimbursement by Delek US. We expect to approximately $2.3 million, of the maintenance capital expenditures to be reimbursed in 2019. With that, I would turn the call over to Uzi for his closing comments. Uzi Yemin -- General Partners Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Danny and good morning. We increased our EBITDA year over year in the first quarter and have generated in (LTM) EBITDA of approximately $169 million. Our operations continue to benefit from the Permian Basin. Our ethics as wholesale business is benefiting as crude oil prices have recovered through the first quarter 2019. The crude oil differentials in the market support demand for the Paline pipeline. In addition, this pipeline will benefit from a higher tariff after the incentive rate expired at the end of February. This increased tariff should add approximately $900,000 a month of EBITDA. We believed that our financial flexibility should allow us to use debt to fund the next step in our growth plan. We're exploring opportunities to grow through organic and third party options. In addition, partnering with Delek US may offer additional growth as we continue to develop midstream assets. This includes the Big Spring gathering system in the Permian Basin that is being developed and a potential long haul pipeline investment. Also, we continue to evaluate the potential dropdown of the Krotz Spring Logistics Assets from Delek US. These assets have the ability to generate $30 million to $34 million of annual EBITDA. With this strategy, we believe that we should be able to create long-term value for our unitholders. They should continue to support our annual distribution growth per limited partner unit of at least 10% to 2019, while maintaining appropriate annual distribution coverage. With that, Charlie, could you please open the call for questions. Questions & Answers: Operator Ladies and gentlemen we will now begin the Q&A session. [Operator instructions]. Your first question comes from the line of Justin Jenkins with Raymond James. Your line is now Open. Justin Jenkins -- Raymond James -- Analyst Thanks. Morning, everyone. I want to start with the Paline Pipeline. Seems like a lot of good things going on with that pipe in 2019. Can you remind us with the growth plan is here related to that. We have max capacity for that system. Uzi Yemin -- General Partners Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paline is running very close to capacity for a while now depending on on terminalling on the other side of it. I'm going by memory we rent $36,000, $37,000 in the first quarter and we shouldn't expect materially change to capacity of 40,000. We do look at other opportunities to expand the Paline Pipeline, but for now they're $900,000 that we mentioned either directly drop to the bottom line. Justin Jenkins -- Raymond James -- Analyst And I guess follow-up questions on the growth strategy. You mentioned a number of items here and seemingly the Krotz Spring strap down is the most visible. Can you give us a better sense of the debate points for pursuing organic growth or third party M&A versus a dropdown growth in 2019 here. Uzi Yemin -- General Partners Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Let's talk about two aspects here. The first one is organic. The gathering system that is being built under the Delek US umbrella is maturing quicker than we thought. And there may be an opportunity to look at that in the next year or two as we increase the number of dedicated acreage, and the number of produces that we use. That's on one side. Also obviously, the long haul idea may come into play over the next couple of years as we look at other announced pipelines. So these are the two areas that we look materially on organic side. On the acquisition side, we feel that there are a couple of opportunities. We maintain committed. We maintain our commitment not to pay more than six to eight times EBITDA for any assets on day one. Let's be clear, we don't want to pay 12 times or 14 times. And also we want to create some synergies that may come into a play over the next few months. Justin Jenkins -- Raymond James -- Analyst Thanks. I'll leave it there. Operator [Operator instructions]. We have no further question at this time. I will now turn the call back to the management for closing remarks Uzi Yemin -- General Partners Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Charlie. I'd like to thank my colleagues around the table for another great work. I'd like to thank you or any investor for your trust in our company. I'd like to thank the board of directors that continue to believe in us. But mainly, I'd like to thank our employees, all the employees that make this company the great company it is. Thank you. We'll talk to you soon. Operator [Operator signoff] Duration: 15 minutes Call participants: Keith Johnson -- Vice President, Investor Relations Uzi Yemin -- General Partners Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Gordon -- Executive Vice President Justin Jenkins -- Raymond James -- Analyst More DKL analysis All earnings call transcripts This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. Motley Fool Transcribing 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. BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) International and Argentine activists on Monday called on Pope Francis to ensure that his "zero tolerance" pledge against sexual abuses by clergy is enforced in his homeland and demanded a trial for those accused of raping deaf and mute children at a Catholic school. Prosecutors say that members of the clergy abused at least 20 children at the Provolo Institute in Mendoza province. The case has caused a worldwide uproar and more than a dozen people face charges. The Argentine group Church Without Abuses and the international organizations Ending Clergy Abuse and BishopAccountability.org met with alleged victims Monday and criticized the lack of justice in a case that began more than two years ago. At least 20 children say they were abused at the Provolo Institute by priest Nicola Corradi, priest Horacio Corbacho and three other men, who were arrested in 2016. Dozens of students at another branch of the institute in Italy say they were similarly abused for decades, some allegedly by Corradi. Both men are facing a preliminary hearing in Argentina, but the activists complain the process is taking too long. "We came to Mendoza to show solidarity with the Provolo victims and echo their cry for justice," said Anne Barrett Doyle of the online resource Bishop Accountability. "Pope Francis owes them a personal apology for his complicity and silence. The Italian victims warned him for years that Corradi and others were working with children in Argentina. The pope did nothing." The Italian Provolo students went public with tales of abuse in 2009 and named names. The Vatican ordered an investigation and sanctioned four priests, but Corradi apparently never was sanctioned. The Verona diocese apologized to the Italian students in 2012. The students again accused Corradi, who was then living in Argentina, in a 2014 letter to the pontiff and the Verona bishop, but the Vatican still took no action. Story continues In 2016, a Vatican official said Francis wanted to assure the victims that the church was taking measures to protect children and prevent sexual abuse. Unlike the Verona case, the statute of limitations has not expired for the alleged crimes in Mendoza. A member of the Mendoza prosecutor's office said that 11 preliminary hearings are being carried out, and that "the process has been long" in part because so many people have been charged and there is so much evidence to review. The source spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to comment publicly. Monday's meeting between activists and alleged victims was part of a campaign urging Francis to visit his homeland to ensure the Roman Catholic Church punishes the crimes and doesn't protect perpetrators. Francis hasn't visited Argentina since becoming pope in 2013. In Argentina there is no official registry of judicial complaints about abuses committed by members of the clergy. But BishopAccountability.org says that in Argentina, 96 priests, brothers and nuns have been publicly accused of abusing minors. Doyle also said that the pope should investigate Mendoza Archbishop Marcelo Colombo, who she said "is refusing to provide information about the Provolo abusers to prosecutors and defense attorneys." Colombo told reporters last year that he was willing to help the victims. The AP compiled a list of 66 priests, nuns and other religious workers who, between 2001 and 2017, were accused of abusing dozens of people, most of them children. The figure was obtained from victims' testimonies, judicial and ecclesiastical documents, and local media reports corroborated with the BishopAccountability.org database. In several cases there were no canonical or judicial investigations. ___ Associated Press journalist Paul Byrne contributed to this report. Washington (AFP) - US House Democrats have scheduled a Wednesday vote on whether to hold the nation's top law enforcement official in contempt for failing to produce a full, unredacted special counsel's report on Russian election interference. Monday's rare and dramatic move against Attorney General Bill Barr intensifies the showdown between President Donald Trump and the Democrats who control the House of Representatives and are seeking to hold him to account for what they say was improper conduct. "The attorney general's failure to comply with our subpoena, after extensive accommodation efforts, leaves us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings in order to enforce the subpoena and access the full, unredacted report," House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler said in a statement, after a missed 9:00 am (1300 GMT) deadline. The Justice Department said in a letter it remained willing to accommodate the "legitimate needs" of Congress, within the scope of the law. "The department's letter invites committee staff to come to the department on Wednesday to discuss a mutually acceptable accommodation," Justice spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said in a statement. The invitation was for Wednesday afternoon, hours after lawmakers begin their debate. Barr declared Trump cleared of conspiracy with Russia and obstruction of justice shortly after special counsel Robert Mueller presented his 448-page report to the Justice Department. But Democrats have protested that Barr has sought to protect the president by refusing to present the full report or underlying evidence to Congress. The political skirmish played out on multiple fronts Monday, with the White House formally rejecting a request by Democrats to turn over Trump's tax returns, setting up what will likely be a prolonged legal battle. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin wrote to the House Ways and Means Committee that its request lacked a "legitimate legislative purpose." Story continues - 'Constitutional duty' - With the two sides locked in a feud, nearly 500 former US prosecutors serving in Democratic and Republican administrations released a statement saying there was "overwhelming" evidence in the Mueller report that Trump obstructed justice. "Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in special counsel Robert Mueller's report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting president, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice," they wrote. But Democratic lawmakers appeared laser-focused on Barr, who was only confirmed to the post in mid-February. In a 27-page contempt report, Nadler said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Trump's chief nemesis in Congress, is empowered to "take all appropriate action" including a fine or even arrest, although such a measure would be unlikely. "Even in redacted form, the special counsel's report offers disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels," Nadler said. "Congress must see the full report and underlying evidence to determine how to best move forward with oversight, legislation and other constitutional responsibilities." The statement is clear reference to the potential for impeachment proceedings against Trump, although Pelosi has warned against moving ahead, suggesting it could trigger a political backlash. Barr's stonewalling, and the report's setting forth of 10 instances in which Trump sought to thwart the investigation -- although Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether crimes were committed -- has galvanized support among some Democrats to demand Trump's ouster. Barr testified to the US Senate last week, but refused to appear before the House over disputes about how he would be questioned. Top Judiciary panel Republican Doug Collins blasted Nadler's contempt move as "illogical and disingenuous," given that Democrats have refused a Justice Department offer for senior lawmakers to study a less redacted version. A Republican-led House was the first to hold a sitting attorney general in contempt when it acted against Barack Obama's pick Eric Holder in 2012 for failing to turn over documents about a firearms scandal. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. 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 before you buy or sell Sandfire Resources NL (ASX:SFR), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. What Is Insider Selling? It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market. We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.' Check out our latest analysis for Sandfire Resources Sandfire Resources Insider Transactions Over The Last Year The MD, CEO & Executive Director, Karl Simich, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for AU$1.6m worth of shares at a price of AU$7.74 each. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of AU$6.88. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take price at a lower price. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign. The only individual insider seller over the last year was Karl Simich. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! ASX:SFR Recent Insider Trading, May 6th 2019 If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Story continues Insider Ownership of Sandfire Resources 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 3.4% of Sandfire Resources shares, worth about AU$37m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment. What Might The Insider Transactions At Sandfire Resources Tell Us? An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. But it is good to see that Sandfire Resources is growing earnings. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. We're in no rush to buy! 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. But note: Sandfire Resources 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. A few years ago, Mike Belleville of Bellingham, Massachusetts, started seeing animals in his apartment. This was a problem. "I knew we didn't have any animals living with us. It was startling at first," he recalls. "It always seemed to be a dog and a cat, but then I started seeing a lady. She would appear in the doorway or would be sitting on a couch when I knew I was alone." It was an odd sensation, says the now 57-year-old retired telephone technician. "They weren't threatening or coming at me or barking or anything like that, so I just wrote it off that maybe I didn't get enough sleep," but before long the visions started happening more frequently, and he started seeing insects, too. "I'd try to pick it up and there's nothing there. That's when I started talking to my neurologist about it." It turned out that Belleville was having hallucinations, and with some investigation, a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia was made -- altering a diagnosis he'd gotten about four years prior of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Lewy body dementia is caused by abnormal protein deposits in the brain and affects some 1.4 million people in the U.S., the Lewy Body Dementia Association reports. Sometimes hallucinations are the first sign that it's developed. [See: How Music Helps People With Alzheimer's Disease.] What Is a Hallucination? According to the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the guide that clinicians use to diagnose and treat all manner of mental health disorders, hallucinations are "perception-like experiences that occur without an external stimulus." These perceptions are vivid and seem very real. They lie outside the voluntary control of the person experiencing them. Although "seeing things" or "hearing voices" might be the types of hallucinations you've heard of most, vision and hearing aren't the only senses that may be affected by hallucinations. Aubrey Moe, a psychologist with the Early Psychosis Intervention Center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says that "we have five senses, and hallucinations can occur in any of those senses." Hallucinations are often a feature of psychosis, a term used to describe a disconnection from reality that occurs with many different kinds of mental and other illnesses. In short, people tend to experience one or more of five different types of hallucinations: Story continues -- Auditory. The presence of sounds or voices that aren't being triggered by an external stimulus are the most common form of hallucination. While a voice or voices might be the most common type of auditory hallucination, Moe says some people may hear "other things such as music or knocking on walls and static sounds" that another person standing in the same room can't hear. Dr. Philip R. Muskin, a psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian and Columbia University Irving Medical Center and outgoing secretary of the American Psychiatric Association, says auditory hallucinations "can be coherent or mumbling or can be the voice of someone who's dead or a crowd or people talking to each other over you. I had a patient years ago who was schizophrenic who had auditory hallucinations. She was a lovely person who worked as a secretary, and she managed it on medications. When she would get on the subway platform, a voice would tell her stand right up against the wall," so that she wouldn't fall or be pushed onto the tracks. "But at work, the voice would say, 'you're using too much white-out or too much paper. You're going to get fired.' She learned to pay attention to the voice in the subway and disregard the voice at work." -- Visual. The second most common type of hallucination is based around our sense of sight. Visual hallucinations can range from shadows in the peripheral view and items that aren't fully formed to fully formed objects and people. For some people, like Belleview, these visual apparitions take fully constituted shapes of people and animals and may appear as real as an actual person or puppy sitting in the room with you. -- Tactile. These hallucinations affect the sense of touch. Belleview relates the story of a tactile hallucination he had once. "I was sitting in a meeting and there was a lovely lady sitting across a really wide table from me. She was very short, but I felt someone playing footsie with me under the table. Of course, this poor lady is so far away from me and there was no one on the other side of me." He says he looked under the table to find there was no one anywhere near his feet. He also sometimes feels like "someone is tapping me on the shoulder. I turn around and nobody is there." The sensation of bugs crawling on your skin or electricity running through the body are other ways that some people experience tactile hallucinations. -- Olfactory. What's that terrible smell? For some people, it could be an olfactory hallucination. Rather than getting an unsolicited whiff of a delicious pie or a fragrant flower, "unfortunately, olfactory hallucinations are usually unpleasant for people," Moe says. Belleview says he occasionally smells smoke or fire that's not there, which can be concerning. "That one is very startling. I'll get up and look around and there's nothing going on. The smoke detector is not going off. That's the one that irritates me the most," he says. -- Gustatory. Even the sense of taste can be impacted by hallucinations. This happens when you have "a taste sensation for something you have not ingested," Moe says. Hallucinations are often a component of psychosis, and to the person experiencing them, they can be so real as to be indistinguishable from the rest of their reality. "Hallucinations are a sensory experience that occurs in the absence of an external stimulus," Moe says. "I like to say it that way instead of saying that it's something that someone sees or hears that isn't there, because that's invalidating. To the person who's experiencing it, it's incredibly real. Just like you and I see anything else in the world. It's very real to them, it's just that another person in that same situation would not have that same experience." [See: 14 Ways Caregivers Can Care for Themselves.] What Causes Hallucinations? Hallucinations can be caused by a wide variety of diseases, conditions and brain states. Hallucinations are a feature of psychosis, and "psychosis is a symptom, but it doesn't tell you what the illness is. It's like a fever," Moe says, which can arise from any number of causes. "If you have a fever, you know something is wrong, but you don't know whether it's the flu, a cold or something else. Some of the diseases and conditions that can cause psychosis and potentially trigger hallucinations include: -- Schizophrenia. This mental illness is usually the first condition people think of when they think about hallucinations. Hearing voices is a common sign of the psychosis that often arises from schizophrenia and a related condition called schizoaffective disorder, "which is essentially schizophrenia with a comorbid mood component," Moe says. -- Other mental illnesses. Mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and depression can trigger psychosis in some people and include hallucinations. "If you think about postpartum depression, for example, that's often characterized by psychosis," Moe says. -- Medications and substance use. Certain medications can induce hallucinations as a side effect. And with some recreational drugs, such as LSD, PCP, heroin, cocaine and Ecstasy, the fact that these substances can cause hallucinations is part of the allure. -- Brain damage, resulting from tumors, strokes or trauma. If trauma or damage occurs to a portion of the brain that controls one of the senses, that can trigger hallucinations in that sense. -- Delirium. The Mayo Clinic reports that "delirium is a serious disturbance in mental ability that results in confused thinking and reduced awareness of the environment." It usually sets in quickly and may be connected to other medical conditions and chronic illness such as metabolic disruptions, medication side effects, infections or withdrawal from drug and alcohol addiction. Hallucinations can develop in cases of hyperactive delirium, which may also cause the patient to become restless and agitated. -- Fever. High fevers can cause the body's temperature to rise. In some cases, this excess heat can interfere with the normal functioning of the brain, leading to hallucinations. The flu and other infections are a common source of fevers that can induce hallucinations. -- Neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Keith N. Fargo, director of scientific programs and outreach at the Alzheimer's Association, says "these conditions cause the brain to deteriorate. They're associated with the brain not working correctly and being activated at the wrong time." This can lead to difficulty in some cases "for a person to differentiate between reality and nonreality." Degenerative neurological disorders may trigger hallucinations in some patients. -- Kidney failure. The kidneys filter wastes from the body, and when they fail, as occurs in advanced kidney disease, those waste products build up in the body and brain. This can lead to delirium that may trigger hallucinations. -- Epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes seizures. Certain forms of the disease can impact parts of the brain that control the senses, and therefore, some patients may experience hallucinations. -- Narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder in which people fall asleep at inappropriate times. Vivid, dream-like hallucinations are common among narcoleptics and often appear just as they are falling asleep or as they're waking up, as a sort of blurring between dreaming and wakeful states. -- Blindness and deafness. Sometimes, people who have lost their sense of vision experience visual hallucinations. Similarly, people who've lost their hearing may experience auditory hallucinations. Dubbed Charles Bonnet syndrome for the Swiss biologist who first described the condition in 1760, these hallucinations result from a lack of input through that lost sense. Essentially, the sensory circuitry in the brain gets bored by the lack of input from the outside world so begins to construct its own images and sounds. Not dissimilar from phantom limb syndrome in people who've lost a limb to amputation, Charles Bonnet syndrome is thought to result from a misfiring of signals in the brain. -- HIV/AIDS. People with late-stage AIDS may experience delirium-induced hallucinations. The medical literature has also described some cases of people presenting with psychosis and intense paranoid hallucinations as the first manifestation of HIV infection. -- Eating disorders. Some patients with severe anorexia nervosa may experience hallucinations and psychosis as part of their condition. Often appearing as voices telling them not to eat, these hallucinations can be intense and disturbing. -- Grief or emotional trauma. The death of a loved one and other emotional traumas can induce intense grief that can lead to hallucinations in some people. These hallucinations can take a variety of forms -- seeing, hearing, feeling or smelling the dearly departed -- and a 2016 study from the University of Milan found that 30 to 60 percent of bereaved people experience some form of hallucination after the loss of a spouse. -- Dehydration or electrolyte imbalances. Electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, are critical to cellular function. But when levels of these elements are out of balance or a person becomes dehydrated, these situations can trigger a misfiring of signals in the brain that lead to hallucinations, seizures and potentially death. When Should I Seek Help for Hallucinations? If you're having hallucinations or having difficulty interpreting reality from fantasy, it's important to get checked out by a health care professional. Because of the wide range of possible conditions that could lead to hallucinations, you should have a thorough work-up by your primary care physician, which should include a physical examination and a discussion of your medial history that will cover: -- How long and how frequently you've been having hallucinations. -- The type or types of hallucinations you've been having. -- When hallucinations occur and any triggers you've identified. -- Whether you're using any medications or other substances that could be causing these sensations. You may be referred to a psychologist, psychiatrist, other mental health provider or a neurologist for further evaluation and treatment. In Belleville's case, hallucinations were the first sign that he'd developed Lewy body dementia, and by visiting his neurologist, they were able to arrive at the appropriate diagnosis and thus begin treatment to help slow the progression of the disease. He says getting the diagnosis was actually relieving. "I thought I was going crazy," but the diagnosis helped him understand what was happening. He's being treated for the Lewy body dementia, but the hallucinations still happen frequently. They aren't generally a problem, just something that he lives with. "I tell people the number one prescription is social engagement. Stay involved, stay engaged," and that will help you cope with the disease. Fargo says hallucinations are often the first symptom to show up in people with dementia, so they should be taken seriously and you should talk to your health care provider if you experience visions, sounds, smells, tastes or tactile sensations that are not caused by an external force. Moe underscores that it's important to speak up if you're experiencing hallucinations, no matter how uncomfortable you may feel admitting that something is going on. "There's an important element of stigma to talk about. Even if you do have one of these psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, there are good evidence-based treatments that really help people recover and get back into their lives in a way that oftentimes people don't know are out there." Help and support are available, she says, you just have to ask for it. [See: 9 Habits That May Reduce Your Risk for Developing Alzheimer's.] When hallucinations interfere with your life, or are scary, confusing or distressing, you should seek help. "Alternatively, sometimes people who develop psychiatric conditions with psychosis have impaired insight. That's actually part of the illness -- the illness might impact the person's ability to recognize that something is wrong." In those cases, Fargo says "it's also important that family members or loved ones who are concerned reach out and consult with family doctors or other health care providers." And because conditions like schizophrenia tend to develop in teenagers, it's critical to seek help if your child is experiencing hallucinations or shows other signs of psychosis. Given all the conditions that can cause hallucinations, getting the right diagnosis is critical, Fargo says. "If you're using an antipsychotic, go low and start slow," meaning start with a very low dose and ramp up slowly if more medication is needed. Particularly in an older adult with dementia, "don't start with the typical dose you might use for a person who's 25 and has schizophrenia. Older people who may be frail and already have had some loss of brain cells," may react differently to the full dose. Part of the issue is that with certain conditions, such as Lewy body dementia, symptoms can actually be worsened by antipsychotics in some cases, Fargo says. "Antipsychotics raise the risk of death in anyone who has dementia quite significantly. It can cause them to spiral down very quickly and frankly, it can kill them, so we want to take enormous care when considering what medications to use" in these patients. He also says the use of antipsychotic medications should be a measure of "last resort," after other nondrug interventions have been exhausted. These nondrug measures may include "reassurance, calming phrases and trying to involve a person in activities that may distract them and give their mind something else to work on," Fargo says. If you experience hallucinations, you should visit your health care provider to talk about what's going on to rule out any underlying medical condition. That said, some people, like Belleville, may not find their symptoms all that distressing and may not need specific treatment for them. "It's important to recognize that psychotic symptoms and experiences are not necessarily uncommon in the general population," Moe says, and for some people they may not be an issue or a sign of mental illness. It's when these experiences become "a pattern or achieve an intensity that is distressing and interfering to the point that the person can't live the kind of life they want to live" that you should definitely ask for help. Even before that point, it's a good idea to find out what's causing the hallucinations and make sure it's not a symptom of something more dangerous. Belleview adds that connecting with other people who are dealing with the same issue can be very helpful. "You're not alone. You're a phone call away from getting help" by contacting a doctor, a support group or an organization like the Alzheimer's Association that can put you in touch you with appropriate local support. "It's critical to be able to talk to other people going through the same challenges that you're going through." Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! A look at the shareholders of China Galaxy Securities Co., Ltd. (HKG:6881) can tell us which group is most powerful. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. Companies that have been privatized tend to have low insider ownership. China Galaxy Securities has a market capitalization of HK$106b, so it's too big to fly under the radar. We'd expect to see both institutions and retail investors owning a portion of the company. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutions own shares in the company. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about 6881. See our latest analysis for China Galaxy Securities SEHK:6881 Ownership Summary, May 6th 2019 What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About China Galaxy Securities? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. We can see that China Galaxy Securities does have institutional investors; and they hold 12% of the stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of China Galaxy Securities, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. SEHK:6881 Income Statement, May 6th 2019 We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in China Galaxy Securities. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. Story continues Insider Ownership Of China Galaxy Securities While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of China Galaxy Securities Co., Ltd.. We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. It is a very large company, so it would be surprising to see insiders own a large proportion of the company. Though their holding amount to less than 1%, we can see that board members collectively own HK$174m worth of shares (at current prices). Arguably recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public, with a 33% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Private Company Ownership Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 55%, of the company's shares. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can access this interactive graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow, for free . But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! A look at the shareholders of China New Town Development Company Limited (HKG:1278) can tell us which group is most powerful. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. I quite like to see at least a little bit of insider ownership. As Charlie Munger said 'Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome.' China New Town Development is a smaller company with a market capitalization of HK$1.8b, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. In the chart below below, we can see that institutions are not really that prevalent on the share registry. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about 1278. Check out our latest analysis for China New Town Development SEHK:1278 Ownership Summary, May 6th 2019 What Does The Lack Of Institutional Ownership Tell Us About China New Town Development? We don't tend to see institutional investors holding stock of companies that are very risky, thinly traded, or very small. Though we do sometimes see large companies without institutions on the register, it's not particularly common. There could be various reasons why no institutions own shares in a company. Typically, small, newly listed companies don't attract much attention from fund managers, because it would not be possible for large fund managers to build a meaningful position in the company. On the other hand, it's always possible that professional investors are avoiding a company because they don't think it's the best place for their money. China New Town Development's earnings and revenue track record (below) may not be compelling to institutional investors -- or they simply might not have looked at the business closely. SEHK:1278 Income Statement, May 6th 2019 China New Town Development is not owned by hedge funds. We're not picking up on any analyst coverage of the stock at the moment, so the company is unlikely to be widely held. Story continues Insider Ownership Of China New Town Development While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of China New Town Development Company Limited. It has a market capitalization of just HK$1.8b, and insiders have HK$188m worth of shares in their own names. I would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public, with a 19% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. Private Equity Ownership Private equity firms hold a 55% stake in 1278. This suggests they can be influential in key policy decisions. Some investors might be encouraged by this, since private equity are sometimes able to encourage strategies that help the market see the value in the company. Alternatively, those holders might be exiting the investment after taking it public. Private Company Ownership Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 15%, of the company's shares. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! If you own shares in Suzlon Energy Limited (NSE:SUZLON) then it's worth thinking about how it contributes to the volatility of your portfolio, overall. In finance, Beta is a measure of volatility. Modern finance theory considers volatility to be a measure of risk, and there are two main types of price volatility. First, we have company specific volatility, which is the price gyrations of an individual stock. Holding at least 8 stocks can reduce this kind of risk across a portfolio. The second sort is caused by the natural volatility of markets, overall. For example, certain macroeconomic events will impact (virtually) all stocks on the market. Some stocks see their prices move in concert with the market. Others tend towards stronger, gentler or unrelated price movements. Some investors use beta as a measure of how much a certain stock is impacted by market risk (volatility). While we should keep in mind that Warren Buffett has cautioned that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk', beta is still a useful factor to consider. To make good use of it you must first know that the beta of the overall market is one. A stock with a beta below one is either less volatile than the market, or more volatile but not corellated with the overall market. In comparison a stock with a beta of over one tends to be move in a similar direction to the market in the long term, but with greater changes in price. Check out our latest analysis for Suzlon Energy What we can learn from SUZLON's beta value With a beta of 0.94, (which is quite close to 1) the share price of Suzlon Energy has historically been about as voltile as the broader market. Using history as a guide, we might surmise that the share price is likely to be influenced by market voltility going forward but it probably won't be particularly sensitive to it. Many would argue that beta is useful in position sizing, but fundamental metrics such as revenue and earnings are more important overall. You can see Suzlon Energy's revenue and earnings in the image below. Story continues NSEI:SUZLON Income Statement, May 6th 2019 Does SUZLON's size influence the expected beta? Suzlon Energy is a small cap stock with a market capitalisation of 36b. Most companies this size are actively traded. It takes less capital to move the share price of small companies, and they are also more impacted by company specific events, so it's a bit of a surprise that the beta is so close to the overall market. What this means for you: Suzlon Energy has a beta value quite close to that of the overall market. That doesn't tell us much on its own, so it is probably worth considering whether the company is growing, if you're looking for stocks that will go up more than the overall market. In order to fully understand whether SUZLON is a good investment for you, we also need to consider important company-specific fundamentals such as Suzlon Energys financial health and performance track record. I urge you to continue your research by taking a look at the following: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for SUZLONs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for SUZLONs outlook. Past Track Record: Has SUZLON been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of SUZLON's historicals for more clarity. Other Interesting Stocks: It's worth checking to see how SUZLON measures up against other companies on valuation. You could start with this free list of prospective options. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. One thing is clear: Donald Trump is tweeting a lot about Joe Biden. Among advisers to the former Democratic vice president, theres a divide on whether thats a sign that Trump is especially worried about facing the Democratic frontrunner in 2020 or because hes eager to do so. The Kremlinology of President Trumps tweets is a thing right now, a Biden adviser said. I cannot believe that we are trying to divine intent and discern Trumps thinking or get inside his head based on what the President is tweeting at any given moment. Since Biden announced his third run for the presidential nomination on April 25, Trump has tweeted or retweeted Biden-related messages 62 times. The only other candidate to draw Trumps ire during this time was Sen. Bernie Sanders, and even then only while Trump was heckling Biden. Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2019 Some inside the Biden camp see the tweets as a sign that they have gotten under Trumps skin, that the President sees Biden as a legitimate threat to his re-election bid. Biden has a commanding lead in the current polls among Democrats, although the pragmatists inside his braintrust note that there are still months of a campaign slog ahead of them. Still, the camp that thinks theyve rattled Trump see his attention as a badge of honor of sorts. Hes everything that Donald Trump isnt which is why hes already Trumps biggest target, Biden senior adviser Symone Sanders said in a fundraising email on Sunday. Story continues Yet for the skeptics, there is a sense that Trump may perceive Biden as the easiest to defeat, which is why Trump is elevating Biden with a nickname Sleepy Joe to prominence only to knock him down. For this camp, they worry that Trump is deploying a tactic he has used before: to simply will something into reality. Still, in the latest CNN head-to-head poll, Biden in slightly better shape than Trump, which makes the argument that Trump wants to face Biden a little more difficult to argue. When asked who would be the toughest opponent in a general election, the Trump campaign claims they dont have a most feared foe, because they think every Democratic candidate will be pulled too far to the left during the bruising and crowded primary. The Democrat, whoever it is, who emerges from the convention next year on their side, will be beat up and pretty much broke, one Trump campaign official told TIME in April, will not have a national organization to just flip the switch on, and will be saddled with all of the socialist policy ideas that they will be required to adopt in order to be the nominee. In the weeks since, Trump aides have also aggressively pushed an anti-Biden line of attack. Job-killing Joe is how his campaign press secretary branded him during a recent appearance on Fox News. When President Trumps talks about any socialist in the 2020 Democrat field, its generally him correcting the record, addressing direct attacks from those in the primary and pushing back on the endless attacks against his immensely successful record, Trump campaign deputy communications director Erin Perrine told TIME on Monday. In the case of Joe Biden, he directly attacked the President right out of the gate, and then mischaracterized the booming economy while speaking in a union hall. Every White House, of course, plays such a game. In 2012, aides to Barack Obama fastidiously refused to publicly discuss which of the Republicans they wanted to face or whom they feared. Aides to George W. Bush heading into 2004 were remarkably disciplined in laying low until Democrats had largely settled on then-Sen. John Kerry as the nominee. The risk was that both White Houses could elevate would-be rivals or telegraph their own fears and vulnerabilities. When the Obama campaign drew Mitt Romney, they saw a technocrat who could claw back Indiana and North Carolina. When the Bush re-elect drew Kerry, they immediately realized they were running a bid during two wars against a decorated veteran. In the case of Trump, it could be the latter, and the President is signaling his worries about Bidens appeal among white, working-class voters in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. Biden has long enjoyed an everyman appeal in those communities and skilled in one-on-one politicking. The Presidents re-election map runs right through the states that, it can credibly be argued, are Bidens strongest pockets. Biden, for his part, has vowed not to attack fellow Democrats and to keep all of his interest on attacking Trump. One former top aide said Biden was going to make his race about his strengths in a race against Trump, not about any disagreements he may have with Democratic hopefuls. The result may be that Biden ties one hand behind his back, a unilateral disarmament ahead of the first debates in July, but thats a risk, at least for the moment, Biden is comfortable taking. With reporting by Tessa Berenson RICHMOND, N.H. The Department of Defense says a member of the United States Air Force from New Hampshire has died in a non-combat-related incident. The death of 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Albert J. Miller of Richmond, New Hampshire, at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar was announced Saturday. The incident that led to Miller's death Friday is under investigation. Miller was assigned to the 736th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. He was supporting Operation Freedoms Sentinel. WMUR-TV reports that Col. Joel Safranek, the commander of the 436th Airlift Wing, says the wing extends its deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the Miller family, friends and fellow airmen. Miller was a crew-chief for a C-17 Globemaster transport plane. Kinshasa (AFP) - DR Congo opposition leader Moise Katumbi said Monday he will return to his country on May 20 from three years of self-imposed exile to fight a bid to change the nation's constitution. "I am returning on May 20 to Lubumbashi to be with my people, to console families that have been mistreated. I was abroad while they were in living hell," the former governor of the southeastern Katanga province told RFI and France 24 media in an interview. "I am going back to wake up the population and keep the constitution from being changed" by lawmakers loyal to former president Joseph Kabila who hold a large majority in the country's two legislative houses. In April, a court in the Democratic Republic of Congo scrapped a three-year jail term against Katumbi for alleged property fraud, opening the way for him to return from Belgium. He pledged to remain in opposition and not join the new government of President Felix Tshisekedi, who succeeded Kabila in January in the country's first peaceful political transition since independence from Belgium in 1960. Even though Katumbi has criticized Tshisekedi's victory as rigged, he said he plans to move on in order to preserve "national cohesion". Katumbi left DR Congo on May 20, 2016 for treatment abroad, and a court in the provincial capital Lubumbashi sentenced him to three years in prison a month later. CAIRO, May 6 (Reuters) - Egypt sold $1 billion worth of one-year dollar-denominated treasury bills at an average yield of 3.897 percent on Monday, the central bank said. The auction will be settled on Tuesday when dollar T-bills worth $1.1 billion are due to mature. The average yield of those bills was 3.298 percent. (Reporting by Lena Masri. Editing by Jane Merriman) * Most land still under private, white ownership * Land reform at center of May 8 vote * Township-based co-op given land * But little financial support By Mfuneko Toyana JOHANNESBURG, May 6 (Reuters) - Surrounded by a crop of wilting sugar beans, Georginah Sidumo rubs red dust off a folder of documents she says are the only proof her farmers' cooperative has the right to work on the land it controls. Sidumo, 47, is one of thousands of black South African subsistence farmers frustrated by faltering efforts to reform land policies shaped by centuries of white rule. Government programs meant to turn small black-owned operations like hers into sustained, mid-sized agricultural businesses are well-intentioned but too slow, she suggests. "We wanted to show people in the community that farming and owning land can work," says Sidumo. "You don't always have to work for a white man and struggling with piece (day labor) jobs. You can be your own boss and have something to leave behind for your children." Land is a hot-button topic in South Africa, where racial inequality remains entrenched more than two decades after the end of apartheid when millions among the black majority were dispossessed of their land by a white minority. The issue has been fought over in the run-up to May 8 parliamentary and provincial elections, amid stagnant economic growth and impatience among voters for an escape from poverty. "I will vote for whoever can help us," says Sidumo, co-chairwoman of BlueDisa, a cooperative of 21 freehold and subsistence farmers given parcels of a hectare each by the government as part of the reforms. Nine years on, they are still struggling to raise collateral to make the improvements needed to expand their business. The dog-eared photocopies she carries in a backpack alongside a bottle of water and pruning tools are a form of insurance, Sidumo says. They trace the co-op's legal and financial journey since the Department of Public Works first granted them access to the land. Story continues ABANDONED BY WHITE OWNERS Sidumo lacks a computer, so her teenage daughter prints out the official documents and correspondence with officials for her to keep in case they find an investor or need proof of their right to the land to show other community members. The 200 hectare farm, in a lower working class neighborhood of Lawley south of Johannesburg where half the households are shacks, was abandoned by its white owners a decade ago. The cooperative persuaded the department of public works to allow its farmers to work the land, with promises of financial help and full ownership once they reached commercial viability. But the going has been slow. After receiving their right to cultivate the land, Sidumo and the mostly female farmers set to work planting bamboo for export to Asia, sugar beans and okra to sell at regional produce markets, and a Japanese potato popular with the locals. The group reinvested their meager profits and the initial government grant in equipment and seeds. But then a drought and a lack of financial support for a dam and farm modernisation pushed many of them to abandon their portions of land, and look for more steady formal employment. The experience reflects what critics say is the government's inability to provide the long-term financial and technical help for new land owners and farmers. The large number of departments, officials and agencies tasked with land reform has led to a bureaucratic backlog that Sidumo says has made it difficult for the co-op to function. Last year the ruling African National Congress (ANC) tabled a controversial constitutional amendment that will allow the government to seize land without compensation. NOT READY TO GIVE UP If adopted, the proposals mean land could be legally expropriated without compensation being paid. The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has said it could go to court to stop the proposed amendment, but the smaller and radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) backs land reforms. "We dont care about ANC, the DA or the EFF. We just want someone who can help. That's who we'll vote for," Sidumo said, without specifying who would get her vote. Since the end of apartheid in 1994, less than 10 percent of commercial agricultural land has been transferred from white to black ownership, according to the Institute for Poverty and Agrarian Studies, leading to calls for more radical reform laws. The institute says however that the problems were less about ownership and more to do with a lack of agrarian support, loans to businesses and farming skills, leading to many land transfers failing early and before formal ownership can be granted. Sidumo says she is not ready to give up despite the delays. She has learnt to trust her fellow farmers more than government officials who appear during elections but disappear soon after. Finishing the dam, whether it means voting for a particular party or finding a private investor, is the priority. "I'm still poor. Nothing has changed. We don't care about politics, we are entrepreneurs. We are farmers," Sidumo said. ($1 = 14.5471 rand) (Editing by James Macharia, William Maclean) By Shihar Aneez and Waruna Karunatilake BATTICALOA/COLOMBO, May 6 (Reuters) - State schools in Sri Lanka resumed classes on Monday amid tight security after the Easter Sunday bombings, but many anxious parents kept their children at home over fears of more attacks by Islamic militants. Two weeks after suicide bombings at hotels and churches killed 257 people, soldiers conducted a security sweep of schools on Sunday after state institutions were asked to re-open on a staggered basis. Mid-to-upper stream classes resumed on Monday, to be followed by lower grades at a later date. Despite the tight security and military patrols, most classrooms were near empty on Monday. Private schools, including Catholic institutions, remained closed. "I have decided not to send my son to school until the country returns to normal," said Sujeeva Dissanayake, whose son goes to the state-run Asoka College in Colombo. She and other parents were at the school to help provide security. "Until we are certain about the security situation outside we will not send the child to school," Dissanayake said. Authorities have blamed the Easter Sunday attacks, which also killed 42 foreign nationals, on two little-known local Islamist groups, the National Tawheed Jamaath (NTJ) and Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim (JMI). Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the bombings. At Royal College, an elite state school in Colombo, the parking area usually filled with school vans on a normal day was practically empty. Only about 5 percent of its 6000 students were back in classes, a school official said. At a Hindu school in Batticaloa on the east coast, site of one of the church bombings, parents helped to search schoolbags at the entrance gate. Once inside, pupils sat in desks away from road-side windows. "Parents are not confident that safety has returned to normal," said T. Yasodharan, principal of Sivananda College where only 30 percent of its students showed up on Monday. Story continues Security forces are on high alert after intelligence reports indicated militants could strike before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which is due to begin later on Monday. Muslim schools will be closed for the holidays. In Negombo, where 102 people attending Easter Sunday service were killed in the deadliest bomb attack, authorities lifted an overnight curfew imposed after clashes between two groups of civilians. A brief ban on social media platforms was also lifted, but authorities said they would stay alert for threats against the Muslim community in the wake of the April 21 attacks. Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Ranjith, who has criticized the government's handling of security around key establishments, has asked for Catholic schools in the Western Province, which includes Colombo and its suburbs, to be closed this week. (Reporting By Shihar Aneez, Waruna Karunatilake, Alexandra Ulmer Writing by Shri Navaratnam; editing by Darren Schuettler) GW Pharmaceuticals plc GWPH is scheduled to report second-quarter fiscal 2019 results on May 6, 2019 after market close. In the first quarter of fiscal 2019, the companys earnings per share exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 20.88%. It delivered a positive surprise in two of the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 4.14%. Lets take a look at how things are shaping up prior to this announcement. Factors at Play Following the U.S.-commercial launch of Epidolex last Novemberas thefirst cannabis-derived drug for the treatment of patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome, there has been no turning back for GW Pharmaceuticals. GW Pharmaceuticals PLC Price and EPS Surprise GW Pharmaceuticals PLC Price and EPS Surprise | GW Pharmaceuticals PLC Quote Over the last few months, the company is witnessing a solid new patient enrollment for the medicine and also a huge number of physicians are recommending the same in their prescriptions. Prescription growth in January 2019 over December 2018 was approximately 150%. The above trend clearly indicates a strong quarterly show ahead for GW Pharmaceuticals. In terms of coverage determination, the company achieved a major milestone of late. Per the company, realizing the value proposition for Epidiolex, many payers have already made a coverage determination for the product. Express Scripts has placed Epidiolex as a preferred brand on their national formulary. According to GW Pharmaceuticals, over 80% of all commercial lives covered in the United States, now has a coverage determination with 60% of the same count covered with either no Prior Authorization (PA) or PA under the label. This, in turn, should further bump up sales for Epidolex in the quarter under review. Heres What the Quantitative Model Predicts The proven Zacks model conclusively shows that any company with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) has good chances of beating estimates if it also has a positive Earnings ESP. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Story continues GW Pharmaceuticalshas a Zacks Rank #2 and an Earnings ESP of 0.00%, a combination that does not hint at an earnings beat for the stock this reporting cycle. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Stocks to Consider Here are a few stocks worth considering as these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in the upcoming quarterly results. Unum Therapeutics Inc. UMRX has an Earnings ESP of +13.60% and a Zacks Rank #3. Neon Therapeutics, Inc. NTGN has an Earnings ESP of +17.92% and a Zacks Rank of 3. Acceleron Pharma Inc. XLRN has an Earnings ESP of +0.16% and a Zacks Rank of 2. Will you retire a millionaire? One out of every six people retires a multimillionaire. Get smart tips you can do today to become one of them in a new Special Report, 7 Things You Can Do Now to Retire a Multimillionaire. Click to get it free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (GWPH) : Free Stock Analysis Report Acceleron Pharma Inc. (XLRN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Neon Therapeutics, Inc. (NTGN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Unum Therapeutics Inc. (UMRX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research (For a live blog on European stocks, type LIVE/ in an Eikon news window) May 6 (Reuters) - European shares fell sharply on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly ratcheted up trade tensions between the world's largest economies by vowing to hike tariffs on Chinese goods by this week, prompting investors to flee riskier assets. Germany's DAX the most sensitive to China and trade war fears - and France's CAC led declines, down 1.7 percent and 1.8 percent respectively. The pan-European STOXX 600 index shed 1.2 percent by 0720 GMT, its steepest fall in six weeks. Bourses in Italy, Spain and France also fell more than 1 percent while markets in Britain remained shut for a bank holiday. Hopes of a U.S.-China trade deal have partly been the reason for the strong rally in equities this year, with most country indices recovering from a major rout last year and hitting multi-month highs. Oil prices slumped and Asian shares took a beating after Trump, in an unexpected move to mount pressure on China, said on Sunday that trade talks with China were proceeding "too slowly," and that he would raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25 percent on Friday from 10 percent. Auto stocks' 3 percent slump led broad based declines among European sectors. In a relatively light day for earnings, dealmaking was in focus. French energy major Total said it had reached a binding agreement with Occidental to acquire Anadarko assets in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa for a consideration of $8.8 billion. Telecom was another sector of interest as Norway's Telenor said it is in negotiations with Malaysia's Axiata Group to form a telecoms holding company. Telenor shares rose 3.8 percent. ThyssenKrupp lost 3.3 percent after the company said it still saw scope for agreement with European antitrust regulators on a planned joint venture with Tata Steel despite a report that Brussels was likely to block the deal. Story continues Chipmaker stocks AMS, STMicro and Siltronic , which are highly sensitive to trade war news, lost between 3.2 to 6.4 percent. Luxembourg-based auto supplier Stabilus slid after the company cut its full-year guidance on account of the ongoing weakness in the global auto industry. Meanwhile, 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. (Reporting by Medha Singh and Agamoni Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra) Australia's outspoken former prime minister Paul Keating has launched an extraordinary attack on the country's top spies, branding them "nutters" who had gone "berko" over the threat from China. Just weeks before a national election, the opposition Labor Party was on Monday forced to distance itself from its former talisman's comments. Keating -- who was prime minister for five years until 1996 -- told national broadcaster ABC on Sunday that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Secret Intelligence Service had "lost their strategic bearings." "The nutters are in charge," Keating claimed, criticising their suspicions of China. "Whatever you think, China is a great state. It's always been a great state and now has the second-largest economy, soon the largest economy in the world," he said. Australia has long tried to sustain trade relations with China despite profound differences with the country's authoritarian government. But President Xi Jinping's muscle flexing in the South China Sea, the mass detention of Muslims and growing reach in Western societies have made that balance more difficult. The Australian government recently barred China's Huawei from building the 5G network Down Under over security concerns, drawing Beijing's ire. It also introduced requirements to declare paid work for foreign political entities and effectively banned a Chinese billionaire who had permanent Australian residency and had been a major political donor from returning to the country. Keating -- who has worked as an advisor to the state-backed China Development Bank -- said the spies had "all gone berko." Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison leapt on the comments, hoping it could help him claw back some ground in the polls ahead of the May 18 vote. "Our security agencies have prevented 15 terrorist attacks in Australia," he said on Monday. Story continues "For "a 'Labor legend' to go out there and attack the credibility of our security agencies that have been saving lives in this country, I think is very disappointing." The latest Ipsos poll shows Labor on 52 percent and the Liberals on 48 percent in a head-to-head race, a slight narrowing of the race. Opposition leader Bill Shorten distanced himself from Keating's remarks. "I don't share those concerns," he said. "Paul Keating's an elder statesman of Australian politics," he said. "He's never been shy of saying what he thinks. But for myself and for my opposition team, we've worked very well with the national security agencies. They know that and we know that." A former Goldman Sachs banker pleaded not guilty Monday in New York to bribery and other charges in the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal after being extradited from Malaysia. Malaysian Ng Chong Hwa, 51, a former managing director at the bank charged in both Malaysia and America over the 1MDB fraud, was extradited to the US on Friday, Malaysian attorney-general Tommy Thomas said. Also known as Roger Ng, the defendant was arraigned before a federal magistrate judge in Brooklyn, pleading not guilty, according to a spokesman for the US Attorney's office in the Eastern District of New York. Ng's attorney Marc Agnifilo said there were no "active" plea negotiations and that his client would consider "all options" after a judge said the two sides were in plea talks, Bloomberg reported. Ng was granted bail after paying $1 million in cash for a $20 million bond, the spokesman said. He faces home detention with electronic monitoring. A US indictment against Ng includes charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Huge sums of public money were stolen from Malaysian state fund 1MDB and used to mass a trove of personal riches, including yachts and artwork, in a scheme allegedly overseen by former Premier Najib Razak and his cronies. Goldman's role is under scrutiny because the Wall Street bank helped arrange $6.5 billion in bonds for 1MDB. Authorities in Malaysia accuse former employees and some of the bank's subsidiaries of stealing $2.7 billion in the process and investigators believe cash was laundered through the US financial system. Thomas said in a statement that an agreement had been reached for "a temporary surrender by Malaysia of Roger Ng for a period of 10 months to enable him to be extradited to the US and for the US prosecution to proceed first." - Facing US charges first - Ng had been in custody in Malaysia since November when the US unveiled 1MDB-linked charges against him and lodged an extradition request. Story continues Malaysia later filed its own charges against Ng over the scandal. Ng asked to be sent to the United States but Malaysia initially insisted he remain in the country until legal proceedings there had been completed. Malaysia and the United States have also charged former Goldman partner Tim Leissner for his part in the controversy. Leissner has already pleaded guilty in the US to 1MDB-linked charges. The United States also indicted Low Taek Jho, an alleged mastermind behind the scandal and an intermediary to the Malaysian fund. Low remains at large. The US Justice Department estimates that $4.5 billion was looted from the fund by Najib and his associates. The allegations played a major role in Najib's loss of power last year. He has since been hit with dozens of charges linked to the scandal and last month went on trial. burs-jmb/dg Michael Cohen's stunning fall from the executive suite of the Trump Organization hit bottom Monday as he reported to a federal prison in New York to begin a three-year sentence. "There is still much to be told," Cohen told reporters as he departed his apartment Monday morning, "and I look forward to the day when I can share the truth." Once one of President Donald Trump's fiercest defenders, Cohen ultimately turned on his former boss, pleading guilty last year in part to arranging hush-money payments to women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump. The payments, Cohen said, were made at Trump's direction to protect the then-presidential candidate's campaign. Cohen, who served as Trump's personal attorney and fixer, also pleaded guilty to income tax evasion, lying to Congress and bank fraud. Cohen sentenced: Former Trump lawyer sentenced to three years in prison Michael Cohen to Congress: Help me stay out of prison Michael Cohen, right, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, walks past committee member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., center, during a break in Cohen's testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) ORG XMIT: DCPM104 Blaming his misconduct largely on what he described as "blind loyalty" to Trump, Cohen was scheduled to report to the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, N.Y., a minimum security lock-up about 70 miles outside of New York City. "I am proud of Michael Cohens courageous decision...to tell the truth about why Donald Trump represented a danger to our Constitution, our freedoms, and our nations fundamental values," Cohen attorney Lanny Davis said Monday. Cohen is one of six former top aides to Trump to have been swept up in the recently completed investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Among his offenses, the former Trump lawyer pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about Trump's pursuit of a tower project in Moscow during the 2016 campaign. Earlier this month, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was transferred to a Pennsylvania federal prison to begin a more than seven-year sentence for a host of financial fraud convictions related to his work in Ukraine on behalf of a Russia-back regime. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former lawyer, begins 3-year prison term By Stefanie Eschenbacher and Elida Moreno PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panama's president-elect, Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo, said the United States should pay more attention to Central America or risk losing ground to China, which has won diplomatic support and increased its investment in the region in recent years. Cortizo, of the center-left Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), won Sunday's unexpectedly close presidential election with 33 percent of the vote and a 2 point gap over his nearest rival, the electoral tribunal said. The U.S.-educated former agriculture minister and businessman said that if the United States neglected a region it has long considered its backyard, it was inviting China to fill the gap. "We need, and we have asked, that they look toward the region more - the region, not just Panama," Cortizo said in an interview with Reuters before voting on Sunday. "They need to pay more attention," he added. "While they're not paying attention, another one is making advances." While U.S. President Donald Trump has berated Central American countries for not doing enough to stem waves of migration toward the United States, Beijing has courted governments with infrastructure financing and investment. Trump recently ordered that aid be cut off to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in retaliation for a surge in asylum seekers. Panama and China opened diplomatic ties in 2017, after the isthmus nation famous for its shipping canal cut its alliance with Taiwan, the self-governing island that China considers a renegade province. Panama has long been of strategic interest to powerful nations, with its trans-oceanic canal one of the world's key trade routes that enables, for example, Chinese products to reach the U.S. east coast. China's interest and Washington's discomfort carries echoes of the Cold War, when the United States and the Soviet Union struggled for influence in Central America, leading to bloody conflicts. Following Panama's diplomatic switch, both El Salvador and the Dominican Republic switched allegiances to China from Taiwan. Honduras has signaled it could follow suit, citing Trump's retreat from investment and aid pledges. The United States has responded angrily to those developments, saying El Salvador's decision was "of grave concern" and criticizing projects signed with Panama as opaque. Panama and China signed 19 cooperation agreements on trade, infrastructure, banking, tourism and other areas last December when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Panama. [nL1N1Y81U9] Panama's next president will have to balance the competing interests of both superpowers. Cortizo said he had already had frank conversations with the Chinese ambassador to Panama, in which he reiterated that his government wanted to advance commercially with China, but that it would have to be benefit both countries. (Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Elida Moreno in Panama City; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel, Peter Cooney and Michael Perry) By Marius Zaharia HONG KONG (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's fresh threats of tariff hikes on Chinese imports this week marked a new escalation in the trade dispute between the world's top two economies and a reversal of months of apparent progress in negotiations. The trade war formally kicked off in July last year with tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese imports, which were followed by tariffs on an extra $16 billion in August and another $200 billion in September. China has retaliated on each of these measures with its own set of tariffs. A subsequent threat to raise tariffs on the September list of products to 25 percent from 10 percent in March was suspended, pending trade talks. In the latest development, Trump on Sunday said those increases could now take effect on Friday and that he would target a further $325 billion of Chinese goods "shortly". All up, the tariffs would effectively cover all imports of Chinese goods into the United States. Here is a look at the impact the U.S.-China trade war has had so far on the two economies and the rest of the world. BILATERAL TRADE China's customs data shows exports to the United States in March fell 47 percent from June 2018, which was the last month before the first round of tariffs kicked in. Imports from the United States in March were 17 percent lower. Cumulatively, in the first quarter of 2019, Chinese imports fell almost a third year-on-year, while exports fell almost a tenth. In dollar terms, a decline in two-way trade of $25 billion accounts for around 0.5 percent of global trade. Compounding the decline in imports into China was a broader weakening in domestic demand following Beijing's campaign against financial risk taking. Graphic: US-China trade: monthly figures - https://tmsnrt.rs/2WrYj0m The bulk of the decline in U.S. exports to China is in raw materials and food. They represent about a third of the total and have more than halved, according to Oxford Economics. But U.S. firms in other sectors, including Caterpillar and Apple, have also issued China sales warnings. Of all Chinese exports to the United States, machinery and electrical equipment have taken the biggest hit. Graphic: China's top imports and exports to U.S. - https://tmsnrt.rs/2HRAEUr GROWTH Most analysts estimate direct U.S. losses so far of 0.1-0.2 percent of gross domestic product, while for China the damage could be 0.3-0.6 percent of GDP. These could grow with more, and higher tariffs. Theses estimates, however, do not take into account how the trade war impacts investment and spending decisions by firms and consumers while domestic policy measures also muddy the waters considerably. Partly reacting to external headwinds, the U.S. Federal Reserve has put monetary policy tightening on hold with markets now actually forecasting a rate cut this year. China has also responded with cuts in bank reserve requirement ratios, which have boosted domestic lending to a record 5.81 trillion yuan ($862.8 billion) in the first quarter. Tax cuts are estimated to unleash an extra 2 trillion yuan, while local governments are also allowed to issue 2.15 trillion yuan of special bonds to fund infrastructure projects. China's economy grew at a steady 6.4 percent pace in the first quarter. In the last pre-tariff quarter, April-June 2018, the economy grew 6.7 percent, but the difference accounts for some domestically-inflicted slowdown, U.S. import frontloading, domestic policy moves, and other seasonal factors. The U.S. economy grew 3.2 percent in the first quarter, faster than the 2.9 percent in the last pre-tariff quarter. Graphic: U.S.-China trade and GDP comparison - https://tmsnrt.rs/2VNqSrW CROSS-BORDER TRADE IMPACT S&P Global Market Intelligence's trade data firm Panjiva says U.S. import flows are being re-routed. U.S. imports of furniture from China fell 13.5 percent in the first quarter, which compares with a 37.2 percent increase in imports from Vietnam and a 19.3 percent rise from Taiwan. For refrigerators, imports from China fell 24.1 percent, but South Korea and Mexico each saw 32 percent jumps. Tire imports from China fell 28.6 percent, while those from Vietnam surged 141.7 percent. A DBS analysis of Asian supply chains for U.S.-bound products shows the biggest risks in machinery and electrical equipment in South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan. South Korea's minerals and petrochemicals exports were also exposed, as well as Indonesia's transportation industry, according to the DBS report. A study by think-tank Centre for Economic Policy Research showed about $165 billion in trade has been lost or redirected in order to avoid tariffs. Graphic: Asia manufacturing activity - https://tmsnrt.rs/2DJjfsx MARKET IMPACT Since last July, the S&P 500 index has risen 8 percent while Shanghai stocks are up 5 percent, though this is a reflection of looser-than-expected monetary policy globally and in China, as well as hopes for a trade deal this year. The yuan took a hit last year, falling 5.3 percent against the U.S. dollar, before stabilizing in 2019. UBS Global Wealth Management CIO Mark Haefele estimates more tit-for-tat tariffs could shrink U.S. earnings by 5 percent, which, coupled with falling valuations could result in a 10-15 percent decline in U.S. equities. Chinese equities could also fall 15-20 percent, while the yuan might breach 7.0 per dollar. Graphic: Trade tensions in Chinese markets - https://tmsnrt.rs/2Lpc3rG (Additional reporting by Vidya Ranganathan in Singapore; Editing by Sam Holmes) By Jan Wolfe May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General William Barr faces the prospect on Wednesday of a vote by a U.S. House committee to hold him in "contempt of Congress." What does that mean? Congress has significant, if time-consuming, powers to demand witnesses and documents. One of these is the contempt citation. Democrats in the House of Representatives are threatening to use it on multiple fronts, including against Barr for ignoring a subpoena issued by the House Judiciary Committee seeking an unredacted version of the Mueller report on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and President Donald Trump. Trump and his administration are stonewalling several inquiries being led by House Democrats into his administration, his family and his business interests. Here is how the congressional subpoena, contempt and enforcement process works. What is a subpoena? A subpoena is a legally enforceable demand for documents, data, or witness testimony. Subpoenas are typically used by litigants in court cases. The Supreme Court has recognized Congress's power to issue subpoenas, saying in order to write laws it also needs to be able to investigate. Congress' power to issue subpoenas, while broad, is not unlimited. The high court has said Congress is not a law enforcement agency, and cannot investigate someone purely to expose wrongdoing or damaging information about them for political gain. A subpoena must potentially further some "legitimate legislative purpose," the court has said. What can Congress do to a government official who ignores a subpoena? If lawmakers want to punish someone who ignores a congressional subpoena they typically first hold the offender "in contempt of Congress," legal experts said. The contempt process can start in either the House or the Senate. Unlike with legislation, it only takes one of the chambers to make and enforce a contempt citation. Typically, the members of the congressional committee that issued the subpoena will vote on whether to move forward with a contempt finding. If a majority supports the resolution, then another vote will be held by the entire chamber. The Democrats have majority control of the House; Trump's Republican Party holds the Senate. Only a majority of the 435-member House needs to support a contempt finding for one to be reached. After a contempt vote, Congress has powers to enforce a subpoena. How is a contempt finding enforced? The Supreme Court said in 1821 that Congress has "inherent authority" to arrest and detain recalcitrant witnesses. In 1927, the high court said the Senate acted lawfully in sending its deputy sergeant-at-arms to Ohio to arrest and detain the brother of the then-attorney general, who had refused to testify about a bribery scheme known as the Teapot Dome scandal. It has been almost a century since Congress exercised this arrest-and-detain authority, and the practice is unlikely to make a comeback, legal experts said. Alternatively, Congress can ask the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a federal prosecutor, to bring criminal charges against a witness who refuses to appear. There is a criminal law that specifically prohibits flouting a congressional subpoena. But this option is also unlikely to be pursued, at least when it comes to subpoenas against executive branch officials, given that federal prosecutors are part of the branch's Justice Department. "It would be odd, structurally, because it would mean the Trump administration would be acting to enforce subpoenas against the Trump administration," said Lisa Kern Griffin, a former federal prosecutor and a law professor at Duke University. For this reason, in modern times Congress has opted for a third and final approach to enforcing a contempt finding: getting its lawyers to bring a civil lawsuit asking a judge to rule that compliance is required. Failure to comply with such an order can trigger a "contempt of court" finding, enforced through daily fines and even imprisonment, Griffin said. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; editing by Kevin Drawbuagh, Sonya Hepinstall and Jonathan Oatis) CHICAGO, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump says China pays the tariffs he has imposed on $250 billion of Chinese exports to the United States but that is not exactly the way tariffs work. "For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA," Trump tweeted on Sunday, saying he would raise tariffs again amid stalled negotiations on a trade deal with China. But Trump's tariffs are not paid by the Chinese government or companies located in China. They are paid by importers of Chinese goods - usually U.S. companies or the U.S.-registered units of foreign companies. Importers often pass the costs of tariffs on to customers, for the most part manufacturers and consumers in the United States. WHAT THE 'TARIFF MAN' SAYS Trump has often repeated that China pays for U.S. tariffs on its goods. "We have billions of dollars coming into our Treasury billions from China. We never had 10 cents coming into our Treasury; now we have billions coming in," he said on Jan. 24. Trump, who has called himself the "Tariff Man," said on Sunday he will raise tariffs on Friday to 25 percent from 10 percent on $200 billion of Chinese goods. He has already imposed tariffs of 25 percent on $50 billion of Chinese imports. Global steel and aluminum imports and shipments of washing machines and solar panels are also subject to tariffs Trump has levied since January 2018. HOW TARIFFS REALLY WORK U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects the tax on imports. The agency typically requires importers to pay duties within 10 days of their shipments clearing customs. Through mid-March, Washington has netted $15.6 billion through tariffs imposed since early 2018, according to data from the CBP. Total tariff revenue - including levies that pre-dated Trump - shot up by 89 percent in the first half of the current fiscal year starting Oct. 1, to a total of $34.7 billion, according to U.S. Treasury data. Every item imported into the United States legally has a customs code. Importers are expected to check the tariffs and other taxes and duties due on the goods they bring in, calculate what they owe, and pay it. Story continues U.S. Customs reviews payments and sends importers a fresh bill if it detects underpayment. Importers also have to post payment guarantees, or import bonds, with customs. The costs of these bonds have risen with tariffs, an additional burden on U.S.-based firms importing goods from China. DO CHINESE SUPPLIERS BEAR THE COSTS OF U.S. TARIFFS? Chinese suppliers do shoulder some of the cost of U.S. tariffs in indirect ways. Exporters sometimes, for instance, are forced to offer U.S. importers a discount to help defray the costs of higher U.S. duties. Chinese companies might also lose business if U.S. importers find another tariff-free source of the same goods outside China. But U.S.-based importers are managing the higher tax burden in a number of ways that hurt U.S. companies and customers more than China. Such strategies include accepting a lower profit margin; cutting costs - including wages and jobs for U.S. workers; and passing on tariff costs through higher prices for U.S. consumers or companies. Most importers use a mix of such tactics to spread the higher costs among suppliers, consumers or buyers. HIGHER PRICES FOR TRACTORS, WASHING MACHINES Higher duties on imports of metals and Chinese products, for example, increased Caterpillar's production costs by more than $100 million last year. In response, the heavy-duty equipment maker increased prices for its products. Tractor manufacturer Deere & Co estimates a $100 million increase in its raw materials costs this year because of Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports. Deere has cut costs and increased prices to protect its profits. A Congressional Research Service report in February found that the tariffs led to increases in washing machine prices of as much as 12 percent, compared to January 2018, before tariffs took effect. Steel and aluminum tariffs increased the price of steel products by nearly 9 percent last year, pushing up costs for steel users by $5.6 billion, according to a study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics. U.S. companies and consumers paid $3 billion a month in additional taxes because of tariffs on Chinese goods and on aluminum and steel from around the globe, according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Princeton University, and Columbia University. Companies shouldered an additional $1.4 billion in costs related to lost efficiency in 2018, the study found. WHAT DO COMPANIES IN CHINA PAY? China has retaliated against U.S. tariffs by imposing its own tariffs on imports from the United States. Most importers in China are Chinese. So in the same way the U.S. government collects import taxes on Chinese goods from U.S. importers, the Chinese government takes in taxes on U.S. goods from Chinese importers. As with tariffs in the United States, Chinese firms can seek to pass on the costs to U.S. exporters. Some U.S. interests have lost business, such as U.S. soy farmers. Chinese buyers have cut billions of dollars of soybeans purchases from the United States because Chin's tariffs have made U.S. supplies more expensive than beans from competitors such as Brazil. (Editing by Simon Webb, Brian Thevenot and Tom Brown) NEW YORK, May 6 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump and his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, have both used Twitter to spar with enemies over the last decade. Cohen, 52, is due to report to federal prison in New York state on Monday to begin serving a three-year sentence for crimes including illegal hush payments to women on Trump's behalf. The two men's Twitter histories trace the deterioration of their relationship, from pledges of loyalty and admiration to open hostility, over the last year as the criminal case against Cohen unfolded. "Good article: 'What Happened to American Men' from @Newsmax by Michael Cohen" - Trump on Aug. 1, 2012, promoting an article Cohen wrote endorsing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. "Did my duty, stood on a 2 plus hour line and voted for @realDonaldTrump! #MAGA #TrumpPence16" -Cohen on Nov. 8, 2016 - Election Day - captioning a photo of himself. "Thank you @nytimes for front page profile and using good pictures of me. I will always proudly and fiercely defend my boss, friend and our @POTUS @realDonaldTrump against those who raise false accusations against him and the family. #PresidentsDay2018" - Cohen on Feb. 19, 2018, linking to a New York Times profile describing him as Trump's "fixer" and "loyal defender." "I will always protect our @POTUS @realDonaldTrump #MAGA" - Cohen on April 8, 2018, the day before authorities raided his office and hotel room. "The New York Times and a third rate reporter named Maggie Haberman, known as a Crooked H flunkie who I don't speak to and have nothing to do with, are going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will 'flip.' They use non-existent 'sources' and a drunk/drugged up loser who hates Michael, a fine person with a wonderful family." "Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected. Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories." Story continues "Sorry, I don't see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!" - Trump on April 21, 2018, in a series of three tweets posted the day after the New York Times published an article about the "strong possibility" that Cohen would cooperate with prosecutors. "If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you dont retain the services of Michael Cohen!" - Trump on Aug. 22, 2018, the day after Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance crimes implicating Trump. "I feel very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family. 'Justice' took a 12 year old tax case, among other things, applied tremendous pressure on him and, unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to 'break' - make up stories in order to get a 'deal.' Such respect for a brave man! - Trump, the same day, contrasting Cohen with his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who had not yet pleaded guilty to federal charges. "Those charges were just agreed to by him in order to embarrass the president and get a much reduced prison sentence, which he did-including the fact that his family was temporarily let off the hook. As a lawyer, Michael has great liability to me!" - Trump on Dec. 13, 2018, the day after Cohen was sentenced. "As for the @WSJ article on poll rigging, what I did was at the direction of and for the sole benefit of @realDonaldTrump @POTUS. I truly regret my blind loyalty to a man who doesnt deserve it." - Michael Cohen on Jan. 17, the day the Wall Street Journal reported that Cohen hired a technology firm to rig early polls in the Republican nominating contest to favor Trump. "Bad lawyer and fraudster Michael Cohen said under sworn testimony that he never asked for a Pardon. His lawyers totally contradicted him. He lied! Additionally, he directly asked me for a pardon. I said NO. He lied again! He also badly wanted to work at the White House. He lied!" - Trump on March 8, the day after reports that Cohen had sought a pardon after he was raided. "Just another set of lies by @POTUS @realdonaldtrump. Mr. President...let me remind you that today is #InternationalWomensDay. You may want use today to apologize for your own #lies and #DirtyDeeds to women like Karen McDougal and Stephanie Clifford." - Cohen, half an hour later, referring to the two women he said he paid off at Trump's direction. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York Editing by Noeleen Walder and Jonathan Oatis) (Corrects to center-right, not center-left in 8th paragraph) COPENHAGEN, May 6 (Reuters) - A new Danish far-right party that wants Islam banned and hundreds of thousands of Muslims deported could win seats in Denmark's parliament in an upcoming election, an opinion poll showed on Monday. The party 'Stram Kurs', which means Hard Line, was founded in 2017 by lawyer Rasmus Paludan who first came to public attention by posting anti-Islam YouTube videos. His stunts have included publicly burning the Koran, sometimes wrapped in bacon, in what he calls a tribute to free speech. A Voxmeter poll published on Monday showed that Hard Line would win 2.4 percent of the vote, thereby clearing the 2 percent barrier required to enter the Danish parliament. It gave its margin of error as a maximum of 2.7 percentage points. Two other polls released over the past week have also shown the new party entering parliament, giving it between 2.7 percent and 3.9 percent of the vote. Such an outcome would be a blow to Denmark's biggest populist party, the Danish People's Party (DF), which has been part of the political establishment in Denmark for decades and used to be the toughest on immigration. Hard Line gathered the roughly 20,000 voter signatures needed to contest the parliamentary election, which must be held by June 17 at the latest. In April Danish police arrested 23 people after unrest caused by a demonstration held by the Hard Line leader. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, leader of the center-right Liberal Party, condemned the far-right demonstration. It is unclear whether mainstream parties would cooperate with Hard Line if it does win parliamentary seats. Earlier this year a court handed Paludan a 14-day conditional jail sentence for racism towards a spokeswoman for the Black Lives Matter movement. He has appealed the sentence and denies any wrongdoing. (Reporting by Andreas Mortensen, editing by Stine Jacobsen and Gareth Jones) There is a pervasive and seemingly uncontrollable issue undermining the productivity of business today: email. Managing the mounting onslaught is distracting, time-consuming and stressful, which is why an emerging movement to reduceand in some cases banishemail for the sake of a companys efficiency is gaining traction. Luxury brands such as Ferrari, Brunello Cucinelli, and Richemont, whose stable of companies includes Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, and Chloe, are tackling the conundrum head-on with meaningful results, from increased productivity to stronger working relationships, and more businesses are taking a stand. Related stories Sleep Deprived? These Luxury Mattresses Will Have You Counting Sheep in No Time These 7 High-Tech Products Claim to Revolutionize Modern Motherhood. But Are They All They're Cracked Up to Be? How Ferrari Created the New F8 Tributo, According to the Men Who Made It When the e-mail overload at Richemont, for instance, became an issue, it asked employees in its New York, Dallas, and Shelton, Conn., offices to be mindful of sending emails. An office competition, promoted with a cartoon character named Jane, challenged employees: Is that email youre about to send really necessary? The person who reduced their email the mostthe winner clocked an astounding decrease of 85 percentwas awarded dinner for two. The big winner, though, was . . . , well, everyone. Teams reported that mundane weekend emails virtually disappeared. Conversations that once churned through bouts of forwarding and cc-ing shifted over to teams group-chat Yammer accounts, eliminating the mass Thanks! email as well as a great deal of political posturing in bcc fields. People even telephoned. It was revolutionary, says Stuart Robertson, senior vice president of human resources for Richemont North America. email For at least a decade, office professionals have groused around water coolers, beseeching some tech god to create a solution for the emails that flood our bottomless inboxes. Yet even as communication and social media applications abound, none has challenged emails supremacy nor even diminished traffic. In fact, the volume of email is rising at a remarkable rate. The London-based Radicati Group consultancy recently updated its estimate for global annual email growth to 4 percent from 3 percent. Story continues Radicati estimates that more than 280 billion emails circumvent the globe each day among some 3.8 billion e-mail users. That suggests the average person receives 75 emails per day. You probably receive far more. Estimates and experiences vary widely, but its a fair suggestion that office workers devote 25 to 40 percent of their workdays to shuffling emails, and few ever reach the ephemeral inbox-zero goal. Fear of missing out and the urge to respond immediately is strong. But every glance to check for incoming requires 30 seconds to two minutes to return to the task that was interrupted. In one study entitled A Pace Not Dictated by Electrons by researchers at the University of California Irvine and the U.S. Army, email use was eliminated for 13 civilian workers. Subjects had told the researchers in interviews, My work has become how to manage email. That changed quickly. Cut off for five days, participants began to communicate more often in person and by telephone. Researchers measured the number of times they switched computer screens among various applications and found the subjects switched less frequently, and started spending more time on tasks without interruption. They recorded lower heart rates, leaving the researchers to conclude that email leads to work fragmentation as well as higher stress. Thierry Breton, former French finance minister and chief executive of the French information technology services company Atos Origin, compared the impact of email to environmental pollution after the industrial revolution. We are producing data on a massive scale that is fast polluting our working environments and also encroaching into our personal lives, Breton announced in 2011 when he launched an initiative to ban email from Atos. Much like the initiative at Richemont, Atos employees learned to use other, more efficient communication methodsand managed to reduce the companys email use by 70 percent by 2015, a spokeswoman says. Ferrari has limited email usage by barring employees from sending emails to more than three people at a time, while German carmaker Daimler implemented a vacation email deleter that notified senders to wait to resend their message later or redirected them to another person. In France, thanks to a 2017 law, companies with 50 or more employees are required to allow workers to disconnect from technology after hours. The leakage of work-related e-mail into personal lives is such a concern to Brunello Cucinelli, founder of the eponymous luxury fashion label, that he bans most employee e-mails after 5:30 pm, saying he wants his staff to rejuvenate for the following days work. Luis Suarez didnt wait for permission or a corporate initiative at IBM, where he worked when he informed his manager that he was going to stop using email in 2008. People use [email] as a delegation machine, Suarez says, ticking off the reasons that e-mail didnt make sense for most of his office communications. They use it as a political tool. They use the bcc and cc to notify their boss and their bosss boss. Colleagues said they expected him to be fired, and Suarez concedes that he didnt ask for his managers approval before making an announcement on IBMs internal messaging system that people would henceforth have three options for reaching him: phone, instant message, and social media tools such as group chat (today, there are choices aplenty: Slack, Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp among them). You use the best tools for whatever you are doing, Suarez advises, calling email a Pandoras box. If its really urgent, you pick up the bloody phone and you call me. A decade later and now an evangelist for the minimal email office, Suarez lives in the Canary Islands while working for a Vienna-based data services provider, Panagenda, as a digital transformation and data analytics adviser. He says he receives about two emails per day. I reached him via LinkedIn, and we conducted our interview via Skype. The few work emails he uses, he says, are for private conversations, such as with human resources or discussions of a financial nature, that require more thought than a text message. Suarez says people often ask him why he has so much free time. People noticed that I became a lot more effective. To think, just a few years ago some executives counted their hundreds of daily emails as a sign of importance or relevance. Today, it could be a symbol of poor time management. Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A feature that helps aircraft slow down upon landing was broken on a Boeing 737 that skidded into a river in Florida, according to investigators. The plane, which was carrying 143 people, slid off the runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville at around 9.40pm local time on Friday. It had been flying from the naval station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The aircraft had been in maintenance and the maintenance log noted that the left-hand thrust reverser was inoperative, Bruce Landsberg, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said. Nobody died in the crash or suffered critical injuries although 21 people were taken to hospital. Only one passenger, a three-month-old baby, was kept in for treatment as a precaution. Those on the flight spoke about belongings being thrown around the plane as overhead lockers opened. The plane ... literally hit the ground and then it bounced. It bounced some more, it swerved and tilted left and right, Cheryl Bormann told CNN. The pilot was trying to control it but couldn't, and then all of a sudden it smashed into something. At least three pets, including a dog and two cats, died in the crash having been in the hold of the plane. Water had risen several feet in the cargo hold making it difficult to even see the pets. Those who were involved in this sad tasking performed the recovery in the most dignified way possible with the base veterinarian on site to ensure all protocols were followed, Naval Air Station Jackson posted on Facebook. The animals will be cremated through a local company. Every possible avenue to rescue these animals was pursued following the incident. Mr Landsberg said investigators would be examining the maintenance of the aircraft in the weeks prior to the accident and the condition of the thrust reversers will obviously be of interest. The plane had been in operation since 2001. Also of interest would be the thoughts of the crew, who had requested a change of runway despite being informed of the presence of naval equipment which reduced the space to land. Story continues The runway the aircraft landed on was reduced by 1,200 feet (366m). We don't know what they were thinking or why they made that choice. That will be one of the things we look to find out, as we go through the cockpit voice recorder, Mr Landsberg said on Sunday.. A 16-person rescue team sent by the NTSB recovered the aircrafts black box data recorder which will now be examined in Washington. The cockpit voice recorder is still underwater and will not recovered until the entire aircraft is removed from the river. In a statement released over the weekend, Boeing extended its well wishes to all those involved". By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Virginia man who worked as an FBI interpreter in counterterrorism cases, and whose sons were also investigated by U.S. authorities, has been arrested and charged with federal crimes, the Justice Department said in a statement on Monday. Abdirizak Jaji Raghe Wehelie, 66, was arrested on Saturday on charges of making false statements and obstructing a federal probe as he disembarked from a flight into Dulles International Airport in Virginia, a law enforcement official said. Wehelie worked under contract as an FBI linguist and translator between June 2012 and May 2015, court documents said. While doing so, according to an unsealed superseding indictment, the FBI was conducting electronic surveillance of two people, identified only as Persons A and B, who were implicated in a counterterrorism investigation. The indictment said Person B traveled to Somalia to join the Islamic militant group al Shabaab, and was listed on the FBI's "Most Wanted Terrorist" list. Nina Ginsberg, a lawyer for Wehelie, said his case was not related to national security or militants overseas. Wehelie's indictment alleged he made false statements to the FBI about phone contacts and in-person discussions he had with Person A, whom the FBI said had "conspired with" and "aided and abetted" Person B. The Justice Department said Wehelie was scheduled to appear in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, later on Monday. A law enforcement official said that one of Wehelie's sons, Yusuf Abdirizak Wehelie, in July 2017 was jailed for 10 years after pleading guilty to felony firearms possession charges. In a court filing, prosecutors said Yusuf Wehelie had told an undercover investigator that he was interested in joining the Islamic State movement and that, if he could not travel overseas to do that, he had considered launching an attack on a U.S. military recruiting station. After pleading guilty, Yusuf Wehelie was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In 2010, Yusuf's brother Yahya Wehelie was allowed to return to the United States, after spending several months in Egypt, after his name was put on a U.S. "no-fly" list because he had traveled to Yemen, his lawyer said. His name was later removed from the list. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Jonathan Oatis) By Emmanuel Jarry and Mathieu Rosemain PARIS (Reuters) - Former bosses at leading French telecoms group Orange were due to go on trial on Monday over a series of suicides at the company in the late 2000s - a traumatic episode that shocked the nation and raised questions over corporate culture. Ex-CEO Didier Lombard, along with six other former executives and the company itself, are accused of moral harassment in the first case of its kind on this scale in France, setting a potential precedent for large businesses. The trial, in Paris' criminal court, is expected to run for the next two months. Central to the case is a plan under which the telecoms operator, a former state monopoly, aimed to cut its workforce by 22,000 and redeploy 10,000 workers between 2006 and 2010. Prosecutors believe this plan triggered the wave of suicides. Between April 2008 and June 2010, prosecutors listed 18 suicides and 13 suicide attempts by employees of Orange, still called France Telecom at the time, when the company was engaged in deep restructuring after its privatisation. Lombard, who denied any wrongdoing, stepped down as CEO of Orange in early 2010 amid criticism of his handling of the crisis. The former CEO and the other former executives risk two years in prison and a 30,000 euro ($34,000) fine if found guilty. An Orange spokesman declined to comment on the opening of the trial and the accusations but added that a lot of work had been done under current CEO Stephane Richard to improve the corporate culture. METHODS QUESTIONED The approach taken by former Orange bosses to accelerate cost-cutting plans had caused uproar in France. "I'll get them (the employees) out one way or another, through the window or the door," Lombard told a gathering of France Telecom's senior executives on Oct. 20, 2006, according to notes from the meeting that later came to light. According to union records, the suicide wave claimed the lives of over 30 workers in two years, including a man who stabbed himself in the stomach during a staff meeting and a woman who threw herself out of a window. Story continues A 2010 report by labour inspectors said management used "pathogenic" restructuring methods such as forcing people into new jobs and giving them unattainable performance objectives. These conclusions were followed up by public prosecutors in their own investigation. They stressed that Orange executives wanted to unsettle employees by deliberately making their work disorganised and forcing them to move from one place to the other. They also denounced the use of excessive and intrusive control methods including threats. The reorganisation took place against the backdrop of the deregulation of the telecommunications sector and the gradual privatisation of France's incumbent operator. ($1 = 0.8937 euros) (Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry and Mathieu Rosemain; Writing by Mathieu Rosemain; Editing by Keith Weir) Kavita Gupta, head of ConsenSys Ventures, is stepping down, she has told The Block. Gupta was hired to lead ConsenSys Ventures when it launched in September 2017 in San Francisco, overseeing a $50 million budget financed by Joseph Lubin, the co-founder of the Ethereum Foundation and ConsenSys. With notable investments including crypto lending startup Blockfi and blockchain infrastructure company StarkWare, Gupta steered ConsenSys' VC arm into what is now one of the most esteemed venture firms in the blockchain ecosystem. In total, Gupta led investments and mentoring of 40 startups in more than 11 subcategories, from crypto trading platforms to gaming studio [see full list here]. In an interview with The Block in January, Gupta sidestepped the question of how long she expected her tenure to last. Nonetheless, sources say that she has known she was leaving since November. Gupta's departure coincides with parent company ConsenSys' plan to raise a $200 million round to finance its operation. It endured a difficult period after the 2018 price slide, laying off around 13% of its employees by the end of 2018 and generating only $21 million in revenue in the same year. Meanwhile, the firm also decided to integrate ConsenSys Ventures with ConsenSys Labs incubator under one investment arm, announced today in a press release. Gupta has previously worked at McKinsey and HSBC, as well as on the trading floor at the World Bank. She told The Block she will now be moving into an advisory role, but is transitioning to teach at Stanford University for two years. "I will remain at ConsenSys as an advisor to various projects and will continue to help existing portfolio companies at Ventures and Tachyon to help them scale to the next level," she said. "Im also making myself available to brainstorm great ideas with anyone in the mesh [and] will be open to connecting them to others in her network. I truly believe in the mission and vision of Joe [Lubin] and will always be open to help expand that." Paris (AFP) - The grandparents of two children stranded with their French jihadist mother at a camp in Kurdish-held Syria filed a lawsuit at Europe's top rights court Monday over France's refusal to allow them home, lawyers said. It was the latest challenge to the French government's opposition to returning the children of suspected jihadists in Syria or Iraq. The four-year-old boy and three-year-old girl, who were born in Syria, are among an estimated 500 children of French citizens who joined the Islamic State's so-called "caliphate" before the jihadists' last Syrian redoubt was overrun in March. France has said it will consider requests for their return on a case-by-case basis only. Since March it has repatriated just five orphans and a three-year-old girl whose mother was sentenced to life in prison in Iraq. Critics say the policy exposes innocent victims of the war, many of whom have suffered serious trauma during the fighting and coalition bombardments, to inhumane living conditions and long-term psychological risks. The grandparents of the two children, whose mother had joined jihadists in Syria, filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, eastern France, their lawyers told AFP. "By refusing to repatriate this mother and these two sick children who are wounded and in a state of extreme weakness, France is consciously and deliberately exposing them to inhumane and degrading treatment," they said in a statement. The suit also accuses France of violating the family's right to enter the state where they are citizens -- the first time such an argument has been invoked in the case of jihadists' children, the lawyers said. They declined to name the mother. Some Western women have given birth to children in territory previously controlled by IS, but their children have never been registered with authorities in their home countries. - 'Justice on French soil' - Story continues The two children and their mother, who is the subject of an arrest warrant by a French anti-terror judge, were wounded in the battle for Baghouz, the last IS stronghold taken by Kurdish-led forces. They are being held at the camp of Al-Hol in northeast Syria, where 73,00 people live according to the United Nations, including 12,000 foreigners. The lawyers for the family said cholera, tuberculosis and dysentery are spreading in the camp, with the children undernourished and the mother suffering from typhoid fever. The mother "has confirmed her desire to have her children repatriated... and wants to face justice on French soil," her lawyers said. But France is loathe to bring back foreign fighters or their families after suffering a wave of deadly jihadist attacks that have killed more than 250 people since 2015. After considering repatriation at the urging of Kurdish forces in Syria as well as the United States, the government decided against bringing home any men or women who joined the IS fight. Legal attempts beginning last year to force France to allow the return of citizens held in Syria have failed. In April, France's State Council, which rules on the legality of policies and laws, rejected several requests, saying it was a French diplomatic matter outside the council's jurisdiction. Former president Francois Hollande has agreed to meet with relatives of children in camps on Tuesday, lawyers said. They hope he will "hear the distress" of those "who should not have to pay for their parent's choices," a statement issued by Marie Dose and Henri Leclerc added. - 'Hunger and cold' - Repatriation of citizens who went to fight in Syria and Iraq is a hugely sensitive issue in Western nations. Britain and the United States have even stripped some Islamic State proponents of citizenship. This hardline stance drew criticism in March when 19-year-old Shamima Begum lost her British citizenship after giving interviews in which she begged to return home but showed little remorse for having been an IS propagandist. Her baby Jarrah died of pneumonia less than three weeks after he was born. The burden of treating children is also daunting for Western governments, which have had to set up special services for dealing with deep psychological scars from their years in the battle zones. Many show the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, including vivid nightmares, mutism and a visceral rejection of any attachment to others. "These children have known hunger and cold. Some had already been separated from their parents, sometimes to protect them from the war, and they are scared of being abandoned again," said Marie-Rose Moro, a doctor who has treated several returned families. Paris (AFP) - The former chief executive of France Telecom and other ex-bosses went on trial Monday facing unprecedented charges of moral harassment that allegedly prompted 35 employees to take their own lives a decade ago. The wave of suicides, which shocked France at the time, took place from 2008 to 2009 and raised questions about the workplace culture at the former state telecom giant. The company is now known as Orange after being renamed in 2013. Former chief executive Didier Lombard, who helmed the company from 2005 to 2010, several other bosses and also Orange itself are on trial for allegedly overseeing institutionalised harassment at the company. The trial opened at the Paris criminal court nearly seven years after Lombard and France Telecom itself were charged with "moral harassment," which is defined as "frequently repeated acts whose aim or effect is the degradation of working conditions". "The court wants to understand how a company, which had a workforce of close to 100,000 at the time, functioned," said the presiding judge, Cecile Louis-Loyant. "It wants to understand why some employees killed themselves," warning that emotions, both spoken and unspoken, could run high during the trial. A psychologist would be on hand throughout and a victim support office had been set up. "For six months I was given nothing to do," Yves Minguy, a former IT specialist who joined the company in 1973, told AFP before the trial. "They were putting pressure on us to quit." He was eventually reassigned to another job, "But one morning, without warning, I was told: 'Put away your things, you're going to answer phones at a call centre'," he said. The hearing at the packed courthouse included civil plaintiffs who are relatives of former France Telecom staff who killed themselves. "I was told to get people to leave by any means necessary," a 59-year-old former manager who gave his named as Claude told AFP, referring to his team of 120 workers. Story continues Alongside Lombard, also in the dock on the same charge were the company's former number two Louis-Pierre Wenes and the former head of human resources Olivier Barberot. Four others face charges of complicity in a trial set to be closely followed by businesses, unions and workforce experts. If convicted, they could face a year behind bars and a 15,000-euro ($16,800) fine. The trial could last until July 12. Orange itself could be slapped with a 75,000-euro sanction if found guilty. - 'Climate of anxiety' - Despite France's labour laws, which are some of the strongest in the world, there have been increasing concerns about the consequences of pressure in the workplace, including depression, long-term illness, professional burnout and even suicide. Unions and management accept that 35 France Telecom employees took their own lives between 2008 and 2009. Lombard stepped down as a result of the deaths. Formerly a public company, France Telecom was privatised in 2004, a move which led to major restructuring and job losses. During the investigation, magistrates focused on the cases of 39 employees, 19 of whom killed themselves, 12 who tried to, and eight who suffered from acute depression or were signed off sick as a result of it. In July 2008, a 51-year-old technician from Marseille killed himself, leaving a letter accusing the bosses of "management by terror". Two months later, a 32-year-old woman jumped out of the window of her Paris office as horrified colleagues looked on. Lombard, who served as chairman and chief executive from 2005 to 2010, also inflamed the situation with remarks that were condemned for being callous. He admitted he had committed "an enormous gaffe" by speaking of a "suicide fad" at the company. And in 2006, Lombard had told staff in now notorious comments: "I'll get people to leave one way or another, either through the window or the door." He resigned in March 2010. - 'Moment of truth' - The investigating magistrates' summary of charges, a copy of which was seen by AFP, accuses Lombard of putting in place "a corporate policy aimed at undermining the employees... by creating a professional climate which provoked anxiety". Hundreds of people protested outside the courthouse ahead of the trial opening, urging that justice be served for the former executives. "My life today is ruined," said former France Telecom employee Beatrice Pannier, 56, who joined the company in 1982 and has been on sick leave since she tried to kill herself in 2011. "The moment of truth has arrived." Patrick Ackermann of the SUD union said he expected that the "former executives are convicted... that they express remorse and they recognise they crossed the line." Jean Perrin, whose brother had worked for France Telecom until he committed suicide, also said he wanted the managers "to say sorry to the families." "We want them to acknowledge what they've done. How can anyone draw up such a policy?" asked Raphael Louvradoux, whose father set fire to himself in front of a France Telecom building in Bordeaux 2011. The trial marks the first time that representatives from a blue-chip company in France's CAC-40 stock index have gone on trial for moral harassment. For Sally Wainwright, the writer and creator of HBOs new eight-episode period drama Gentleman Jack, the storys setting came first. Wainwright was raised in the 1970s in Halifax, England, where Shibden Hall, the home of her protagonist, Anne Lister, operates as a museum. I got to go as a kid. Partly because my dad was quite keen on history but partly because its the kind of place where you got taken on a day trip from school, says Wainwright. Its got a really tangibly magic atmosphere, Shibden. Despite being enamored with the property as a child, Wainwright didnt know much about Anne Lister until the 1990s. Before her death, in 1840, Lister kept extensive, highly detailed diaries, but much of her writing was shrouded in code. By the 1980s, researchers began to crack the code, and the story that emerged had all the trappings of an HBO drama. Lister cast aside typical gender roles of the time and wrote about her numerous affairs with women, her extensive travels, her business dealings, and her determination to renovate her family home from Shibden Hall to what she wanted to call Shibden Castle, explains Wainwright. HBOs portrait of Anne Listers life begins in 1832. Lister (played by Suranne Jones) has just returned to Shibden from abroad, and shes taking charge. Early in the series, we see her collect the rent from her tenants (despite being told its a mans job), endeavor to start a coal mining business, and begin to woo her pretty, more reserved neighbor, Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle). gentleman jack shibden hall inside Photo: Aimee Spinks To bring the story to life, Wainwright went straight to the source, taking over the museum so she could film at the very spot Anne Lister called home. We all felt really privileged to be filming there every day, says Wainwright. I thought, I cant believe Im walking in her room, Im sitting in her chair, Im performing this scene that was in the diary. Were actually in the place where it happened. So again, there was something rather magical about it. Story continues Although their set was ready-made in some ways, Wainwrights team still had to transform the space a bit. Shibden Hall was built in 1452, and as a museum, each room represents a different period in history. The body of the house reflects how it would have looked after (spoiler alert!) Lister refurbished it in 1836. We had a very clever designer called Anna Pritchard on board who tried to make it look more shabby than it does now, says Wainwright. Its very beautiful now. Its Shibden at its best. But what we wanted to reflect was that when Anne Lister came back in 1832, she thought Shibden was shabby. gentleman jack ann walker house 2 Photo: Matt Squire In the end, they took a bit of creative license with their timeline, leaving the staircase and its carved wooden figures intact, although that wasnt built until after the renovation. We felt that what we lost in terms of a tiny bit of accuracy, we gained in terms of just how we all felt being therethe extraordinary kismet of being there and how well that comes across on camera, says Wainwright. While Shibden Hall is dark with heavy wood, low ceilings, Medieval stained-glass windows (which predate the building), and an overall Tudor aesthetic, the home of Anne Listers love interest, Ann Walker, is the complete opposite. We wanted a great contrast, says Wainwright. Anne Walkers is very modern. Its only 30 years old at the time of our drama, and it was very state-of-the-art Georgian. So it was very classical, with high ceilings and very spacious rooms. Ann Walkers real-life dwelling no longer exists, so an estate in York called Sutton Park served as her on-screen abode. It belongs to the parents of Samantha Cameron, the wife of former British prime minister David Cameron. They were really welcoming, says Wainwright. And the house is stunning. Its extraordinary. We didnt have to change a lot. Even the gorgeous wallpaper in the main room was already there. Its Japanese and it is 200 years oldand its hand-painted, says Wainwright. gentleman jack ann walker house Photo: Aimee Spinks Perhaps the only part of the show more important than Shibden is Anne Listers diary. Without it, the modern world might never know her story, and Wainwright acknowledges this by having the Anne Lister character break the fourth wall from time to time, giving her take on the events unfolding around her. There are also plenty of close-up shots of Lister writing in her diary, so a graphic designer recreated the handwriting, the marbling of the cover, and even the density of the paper as meticulously as possible. The real diarythere are 27 volumes. Its huge: 27 volumes, each containing about 300 pages, very densely written. Theyre kept in a temperature-controlled strong room in the West Yorkshire archives in Halifax Library, says Wainwright. It was important that for the audience who knew what the diaries really do look likeof whom there will be very fewwe wanted it to look as authentic as it could. They did an extraordinary job. Ive held [it], and it does feel like holding one of the real diaries to me. It makes me feel quite emotional that they went into that level of detail to recreate it. * Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh (Updates prices) By Saikat Chatterjee LONDON, May 6 (Reuters) - European stocks tumbled to a one-month low and German bond yields slipped below zero on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on China, triggering a global rout in risky assets. Trump said on Sunday he would raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. On Friday, he had cited good progress in trade talks and praised his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "Everyone expected talks were heading in the right direction and almost close to finishing," said Daniel Lenz, a rates strategist at DZ Bank in London. "This was totally out of the blue and the reaction is that we have more risk aversion today." An index of Chinese shares plunged more than 7 percent. U.S. stock futures fell 1.6 percent. Oil prices sank and the Chinese yuan dropped to a 10-month low. MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, fell half a percent. Trump tweeted on Sunday that trade talks with China were proceeding "too slowly" and that he would raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25 percent on Friday from 10 percent. The tweets stirred up hitherto calm markets. China's foreign ministry said on Monday a delegation was preparing to go to United States for trade talks. Many market watchers regarded the latest episode as a negotiating tactic by Trump, but investors still pared their positions in risky assets. STOCKS FALL, BONDS RISE European stocks fell and E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 slid 1.7 percent, signaling a rough open for U.S. stocks on Monday. Germany's main stock index was down 1.8 percent. A broader index of European shares declined 1.7 percent to its lowest level since early April. Japanese and London markets were both closed for holidays, exacerbating the moves. Story continues Losses in equities translated into gains for bonds. Benchmark government bond yields in Germany retreated below zero and not far from March's two-and-a-half-year low of minus 0.09 percent. Emerging-market currencies and commodity-linked currencies were the hardest hit. The Australian dollar fell half a percent against the U.S. dollar and the offshore yuan lost nearly a percent In commodity markets, Trump's tweets sparked a plunge in oil prices. U.S. crude dropped as much as 3.1 percent to its lowest in more than five weeks before recovering bouncing to $61.49 per barrel, still off 0.8 percent on the day. Brent crude was 0.4 percent lower at $70.57 per barrel. The selloff in risky assets led spot gold to rise 0.1 percent, to $1,279.20 per ounce. For Reuters Live Markets blog on European and UK stock markets, please click on: (Reporting by Saikat Chatterjee and Virginia Furness, editing by Larry King) To prepare for its latest exhibition, the Rhode Island School of Design Museum in Providence enlisted the help of close to 90 volunteers. Under the supervision of the museums conservator, this group, which included museum staff, metalworking and archaeology students, and even some dentists, spent nearly three years cleaning and polishing the silverware now on display in "Gorham Silver: Designing Brilliance 18501970," which brings together more than 600 examples of the companys wares. Drawn from RISDs unparalleled collection of more than 2,500 Gorham objects and 2,300 design drawings, the exhibition also includes important loans from the Dallas Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others. Photo: The Gorham Collection. Gift of Textron Inc. RISD Museum, Providence, RI Charting 120 years of creativity and technical innovation, "Designing Brilliance" tells the story of how Gorham, founded by Jabez Gorham in 1831, grew from a workshop of 14 silversmiths making flatware by hand to become the worlds largest silver company. (Under the leadership of Jabez's son John, the company boasted a 35-acre manufactory in south Providence with over 3,000 employees.) Gorhams remarkable rise is best illustrated by some of its most ambitious designs, like the 816-piece service purchased by Henry Jewett Furber and his wife, Elvira Irwin Furber, between 1866 and 1880. The largest commission in Gorhams history, the Furber service takes center stage in the exhibition in a pavilion modeled after the companys display for the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair. Photo: The Gorham Collection. Gift of Textron Inc. RISD Museum, Providence, RI Because it was made over such a long period of time, its a great case study of 19th-century design, Elizabeth A. Williams, RISD Museums David and Peggy Rockefeller curator of decorative art and design, as well as the organizer of the exhibition, explains to AD PRO. While the earliest pieces in the Furber service, such as an exquisite silver and gilt epergne, employed a pastiche of revival styles and international influencesGreek, Egyptian, Renaissance, Russian, French, and Englishby the late 1870s, Furber embraced the new Japonism style. Spurred by the first showing of goods from Japan at the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia, Japanese design became the height of fashion in the late 19th century, and was a style in which Gorham flourished. These stunning piecesranging from match safes to specialized sets of flatware to trays and tureensused mixed metals and naturalistic motifs, often in the forms of appliques that were borrowed from sources such as Katsushika Hokusais Manga, a treasured volume that could be found in the companys extensive design library. Story continues Photo: The Gorham Collection. Gift of Textron Inc. RISD Museum, Providence, RI Later Gorham also found a distinctive voice with the introduction of Martele, which debuted in 1900 and became one of their most original and commercially successful lines. Derived from the French verb marteler ("to hammer"), Martele wares were made entirely by hand, requiring of the firms most skilled craftsmen hundreds if not thousands of hours to create its signature sinuous forms. There are no straight lines in Martele, says Williams of a characteristic seen, for example, in hollowware designs like the two-handed Billings Cup. Silver just lends itself to the Art Nouveau style. Its a medium that can do what Art Nouveau does stylistically in terms of being very curvilinear and almost like liquid. Photo: Gift of the estate of Richard Harrington. RISD Museum, Providence, RI In continuous pursuit of new styles, in 1925 Gorham invited Danish silversmith Erik Magnussen to join the firm, and for a brief four-year period, he introduced fresh designs to the companys offerings. In addition to elegant pieces for his Modern American line, he designed and crafted a showstopping Art Deco coffee service with faceted geometric forms that were gilded and patinated to create a play of light and shadow in reference to the New York City skyline. One of the most acclaimed examples of 20th-century metalworking, the so-called Cubic Coffee Service is shown for the first time with its original design drawing, which, remarkably, came to light last year on an episode of Antiques Roadshow. Photo: Erik Gould / Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund. RISD Museum, Providence, RI "Gorham Silver: Designing Brilliance 18501970" is on view at the RISD Museum through December 1, then travels to the Cincinnati Art Museum (March 13June 7, 2020) and the Mint Museum (July 25November 1, 2020). The exhibition is accompanied by a 288-page catalogue published by Rizzoli. Athens (AFP) - Greece's government on Monday called for a parliamentary confidence vote -- the second this year -- after the opposition sought to censure one of its junior ministers. "On behalf of the prime minister, I call on the chamber... to begin a procedure on a vote of confidence," deputy prime minister Yannis Dragasakis said in parliament. Earlier, the main opposition New Democracy party had sought to censure deputy health minister Pavlos Polakis over comments he had made about one of its European parliament candidates, a former star student with spinal muscular atrophy. Trailing in the polls, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wants to galvanise his leftist Syriza party ahead of European and local elections this month, and national elections scheduled in the autumn. Polakis last month drew fire after saying it was "shameful" that the New Democracy candidate -- 34-year-old psychiatrist Stelios Kybouropoulos -- had legally used a disability quota to find a job at a state hospital. "Anywhere else in the civilised world, (a censure motion) would not be necessary as this particular politician would have gone home... he's not fit to be minister," said conservative New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis. "To insult one of life's heroes is cowardly," Mitsotakis said. Tsipras can count on 152 votes in the 300-seat chamber, enough to carry the motion. He had also survived a confidence motion in January. The vote is expected to be held on Friday. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Gun rights advocates packed the rotunda of the Pennsylvania Capitol on Monday for an annual Second Amendment rally, pushing their legislative priorities and cheering a call for the Pittsburgh mayor's impeachment. Gun owners roared when the event's organizer, Republican Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, announced that he will ask fellow lawmakers to support his proposal to impeach Pittsburgh's "rogue mayor" over recently enacted gun regulations. Democratic Mayor Bill Peduto signed legislation last month restricting assault weapons, banning armor-piercing bullets and allowing temporary seizure of guns from people determined to be a danger to themselves or others. A House Republican spokesman said, however, that caucus leaders are not interested in impeaching Peduto "or any other freely elected office holders." "Pittsburgh's voters decide who their mayor is, not the Legislature at this time," House GOP spokesman Mike Straub said. Peduto's spokesman, Tim McNulty, said the mayor is focused on addressing mass shootings and not on what he called political games. "Mayor Peduto is focused on solving the mass shooting epidemic endangering our neighborhoods, schools and places of worship, and not political games like this," McNulty said. This is the 14th year the rally has been held. Dozens of House Republican legislators, joined by a smaller number of Democrats and state senators, heard speakers warn of efforts to restrict gun ownership. "A gun can be an equalizer," said Kelly Ann Pidgeon, head of the group Armed and Feminine. "I have friends who have been raped at gunpoint in gun-free zones." Joshua Prince, a lawyer active in Second Amendment litigation, reviewed recent court decisions on mental health treatment disqualification for gun ownership and the use of postcards without envelopes to communicate with those licensed to carry concealed weapons, despite privacy rules. Story continues Prince assured those at the rally that there were legal efforts to block the new Pittsburgh laws. He warned that there are even some Republican lawmakers sponsoring bills to allow guns to be taken under so-called "high-risk protective orders." Frank Cannon, a 40-year-old electrician from Yardley, was among a group of attendees in matching red shirts from the Langhorne Rod and Gun Club. Cannon said he was there "mainly just to keep my children's rights intact. Not just the Second Amendment, but all of the rights." ___ This story has been corrected to remove Friday in the summary. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! By buying an index fund, investors can approximate the average market return. But if you pick the right individual stocks, you could make more than that. For example, the Zaragoza Properties SOCIMI, S.A. 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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. London (AFP) - The arrival this week of their first child -- a boy shown off to the public on Wednesday -- crowns the whirlwind love story of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, coming less than three years since they first met. It was love at first sight for both parties, who quickly sensed their brief blind date could blossom. They were set up by a mutual friend when US actress Meghan Markle was passing through London in July 2016. The couple knew little about each other and the speed of the relationship surprised them both. "The fact that I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly was a confirmation to me that all the stars were aligned. Everything was just perfect," Harry said. Within two years, they tied the knot at Windsor Castle, sealing a relationship that rapidly grew out of the media spotlight -- and survived when it went public in explosive fashion. When the couple first met, she was 34 and a divorcee of three years; he 31 with a few foundered relationships and his 10-year army career recently behind him. Harry had never heard of Meghan or watched "Suits", the US television legal drama series she had starred in since 2011. "I was beautifully surprised when I walked into that room and saw her," he recalled, and thought to himself: "I'm going to really have to up my game here!" - Bonding in Botswana - Bonding over their passion for the good causes they represented, they immediately set up a second date -- for the following day. A few weeks later, the prince persuaded her to join him camping out for five days in Botswana, which Harry called a "huge leap" -- but one that paid off. "We were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure that we had a chance to get to know each other," he said. As Markle continued filming "Suits" in Toronto, the pair never went longer than two weeks apart. Their romance was under cover for the first five or six months, and largely conducted through nights in behind closed doors. Story continues "We were able to really have so much time just to connect," said Meghan. Harry said they had frank conversations about what her future could entail and called it a "huge relief" to have finally found someone comfortable with the pressure and lifelong job he comes attached with. - 'This is not a game' - Harry publicly confirmed they were dating in November 2016 with an angry, highly unusual statement blasting racist "abuse and harassment" directed towards her. "It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms Markle should be subjected to such a storm," his communications secretary Jason Knauf said. "This is not a game -- it is her life and his." Harry proposed in November 2017. The couple were having a cosy night in at Nottingham Cottage, their previous two-bedroom home in the grounds of London's Kensington Palace, roasting a chicken. Meghan said "Yes" before Harry had finished proposing or even produced the ring. They announced their engagement on November 27, 2017 and she was swiftly integrated into the royal fold, spending Christmas with the family and attending public engagements. The wedding on May 19 last year was filled with personal touches, mixing British pomp and African-American culture in front of a celebrity congregation and cheering crowds. Meghan began her walk down the aisle alone after falling out with her father, while firebrand US pastor Michael Curry delivered a full-throttle address invoking slaves and the power of love. - Focus on youth - Since then, the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex have thrown themselves into causes they champion, notably mental health, young people and women's empowerment. "Both of us have passions for wanting to make change for good," said the prince. The Queen made Harry the Commonwealth's youth ambassador, a role that will increasingly drive the couple's agenda. The baby was announced in October as they began their first overseas tour, visiting Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand around the Invictus Games in Sydney, Harry's Olympics-style event for wounded military veterans. They have now moved out from Nottingham Cottage to the much bigger Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate as they start their family. Some royal commentators have voiced concern at the couple's reportedly increasing distance from his brother William and sister-in-law Kate. Some have said Californian Meghan's influence is softening straight-talking former army hardman Harry. But others say it is a sign of a strong-minded couple ready to go their own way, with a new family, new home and new sense of mission. From a Mexican fiesta to a beach festival, there's plenty to enjoy in Fort Worth this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your calendar. 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. Fort Worth Foto Fest: Foto Folklorico! at Joe T. Garcia's! Calling all photographers! Sponsored by Olympus, Foto Folklorico! invites you to take you in the colors, sounds and energy of Mexican fiesta, including a mariachi band and the local ballet folklorico dance troupe. Cameras and lenses will be available, so that you can capture your favorite moments. When: Wednesday, May 8, 6:30-9 p.m. Where: Joe T. Garcias, 2201 N. Commerce St. Admission: $40 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Super Hero Family Fun Fest The Super Hero Family Fun Fest still needs a few good volunteers. Presented by ACH Child and Family Services, this annual event brings families together to celebrate the heroes in their lives. As a volunteer, you can assist staff with event setup, coverage in designated areas and more. When: Saturday, May 11, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Where: ACH Child and Family Services, 3712 Wichita St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets DAIQUIRI DASH Get fit with your family and friends at this 5K run/walk on Saturday at Gateway Park. Participants get a a T-shirt, race bib, medal and a free daiquiri at finish line. When: Saturday, May 11, 12-4 p.m. Where: Gateway Park, 751 Beach St. Admission: $19.99 (5K VIP Daiquiri Package). More ticket options available. Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Corona Electric Beach 'Road to EDC LV' w/ Elephante Catch rising EDM star Elephante this Saturday at the Corona Electric Beach festival. The LA-based DJ has worked with artists such as Clean Bandit and Lourde and earned praise from the Rolling Stone, Sirius XM and Billboard, notes residentadvisor.net. Story continues When: Saturday, May 11, 2-7 p.m. Where: 2800 Bledsoe St., #150 Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Photo: Matthew Henry/Unsplash From an author panel and book signing to a Mother's Day tea and tour, there's plenty to enjoy in Memphis this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your calendar. 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. Random House & Novel. Present: Meet Your Summer Reads From the event description: Three New York Times bestselling authors will discuss their upcoming summer reads. Elizabeth Berg, Elizabeth Letts and Lynne Olson will join a moderated panel discussion about their novels. Your ticket includes a choice between three novels: "The Story of Arthur Truluv," "Finding Dorothy," and "Madame Fourcade's Secret War." A book signing will follow the conversation. When: Tuesday, May 7, 7-9 p.m. Where: Novel., 387 Perkins Ext. Admission: $32 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Women, Wealth and Wellness Conference From the event description: Check out the Women, Wealth and Wellness Conference hosted by the Memphis Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. The event will feature health screenings, health and wellness breakout sessions, money management workshops, vendors and more. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast and a plated lunch will be provided. When: Saturday, May 11, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Holiday Inn Memphis Airport, Conference Center, 2240 Democrat Road Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Hour of Code Spring 2019 From the event description: CodeCrew students are joining in on an exciting learning event: The Hour of Code. This free event provides an opportunity for kids to combine music, animations and block code to create a dance party or use text-based coding to create a 3D gaming environment. The event is suitable for grades 5-12. When: Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Where: Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave. Admission: $10 Story continues Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Mother's Tea From the event description: Celebrate Mother's Day with a mid-morning tea at Elmwood this Saturday morning. Guests can enjoy tea, scones, lemon squares and other sweet treats, followed by a 20-minute tour of the cemetery grounds. Comfortable walking shoes and weather appropriate clothing are recommended. When: Saturday, May 11, 10:30 a.m.-12:12 p.m. Where: 824 S Dudley St. Admission: $40 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. House Judiciary Committee on Monday issued a report citing Attorney General William Barr for contempt over a panel subpoena seeking Special Counsel Robert Mueller's full unredacted report on his Russia investigation. The committee set a meeting to consider adopting the report for Wednesday at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT). A committee vote to adopt the report would send the document to the full House of Representatives for a vote, according to an aide. The report calls on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take "all appropriate action" to enforce the subpoena issued by committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler on April 19. (Reporting by David Morgan Editing by Susan Thomas) Libreville (AFP) - Cameroon authorities have regularly tortured and held incommunicado detainees arrested in the government's crackdown on an English-speaking armed separatist movement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Monday. The New York-based rights group in a report urged the United Nations to put Cameroon's situation on its agenda and to condemn abuses against people arrested on suspicion of having ties to separatists. Since 2017, fighting between government troops and anglophone separatists demanding independence in the southwest and northwest regions has killed hundreds and forced nearly 500,000 people from their homes. English-speaking communities chafe at what they see as discrimination from the French-speaking majority. But the government rejects demands for autonomy and has dispatched thousands of troops in a crackdown. Human Rights Watch said it had documented 26 cases of incommunicado detention and enforced disappearance between January 2018 and January 2019 at the State Defence Secretariat (SED) detention centre in the capital Yaounde. It said security forces at SED had "severely beaten and used near-drowning to extract confessions from detainees". "Over the past year, the security forces in Cameroon have used torture without fear of repercussion," said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director for HRW. The report cited former detainees who say suspects had been tortured or humiliated to force them to confess or sign statements they were not allowed to read or were unable to read in French. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, returning from a four day trip to Cameroon, said on Monday civilians caught in the conflict between troops and separatists were increasingly vulnerable to violations from both sides. "I believe there is a clear - if possibly short - window of opportunity to arrest the crises that have led to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people, as well as the killings and brutal human rights violations and abuses," Bachelet said in a statement. Story continues She said any violations by authorities were counterproductive to the fight against militants and urged the armed forces to earn "the trust of local populations, and to do that they must keep scrupulously within the framework of international law and standards". Bachelet had met with President Paul Biya and also discussed the lack of access for human rights defenders to Anglophone regions. In April, HRW said one its researchers was denied entry into the country in what the group says was an attempt by authorities to hinder reporting on abuses. - 'Complicit silence' - On Wednesday, Cameroon's defence ministry denounced on Facebook what it said was the "complicit silence" of HRW, Amnesty International and the foreign media about acts carried out by separatists. On October 1 2017, radicals declared the creation of the "Republic of Ambazonia," covering two English-speaking regions incorporated into francophone Cameroon in 1961. The declaration went largely unnoticed outside Cameroon, and "Ambazonia" -- named after a bay at the mouth of the Douala River -- has been recognised by no-one. Separatists have been blamed for attacks on police stations and schools and for staging mass kidnappings. The UN Security Council will hold its first meeting this month to discuss the country's separatist conflict. "The UN Security Council should send a clear message that ending torture in detention is critical to addressing the crisis in Anglophone regions," HRW said. Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Hundreds of students and professors protested against public education funding cuts outside a military high school in Brazil on Monday where far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was attending a ceremony. Bolsonaro's ultraconservative government sparked outrage last week when it revealed at least 30 percent cuts to the annual budgets of federally-funded high schools and universities. Holding posters warning the reductions would leave Latin America's biggest country "rich in ignorance," protesters crowded outside the main entrance to the state-run Military College of Rio de Janeiro, forcing Bolsonaro to leave by a side exit. "This will greatly jeopardize Brazil's science and technology for an entire generation," Katia Barbosa, a 57-year-old professor at the Fluminense Federal University, told AFP. Some former students of the military school made a heart sign with their hands as they paraded past the president, who was flanked by Vice President Hamilton Mourao -- an ex-alumnus -- Rio de Janeiro state Governor Wilson Witzel and Mayor Marcelo Crivella. But others gave Bolsonaro the thumbs-down signal in an apparent show of solidarity with the protesters outside. Public education was under "attack" and the cuts would "freeze public education, research and technical education," Maurilio Torres, a university student, told AFP. State-run military colleges would not be affected by the funding cuts because they come under the defense ministry, not education, G1 news site said. Bolsonaro said previously his government had been considering cutting public funds allocated to philosophy and sociology departments in universities. "The goal is to focus on streams that generate an immediate return to the taxpayer, such as veterinary, engineering or medical studies," he said. Since assuming the presidency in January, Bolsonaro has been on an ideological campaign to promote his ultraconservative ideas and values, and to erase any trace of the 2003-2016 leftwing government Brazil had. Single-cell RNA sequencing is emerging as a powerful technology in modern medical research, allowing scientists to examine individual cells and their behaviors in diseases like cancer. But the technique, which cant be applied to the vast majority of preserved tissue samples, is expensive and cant be done at the scale required to be part of routine clinical treatment. In an effort to address these shortcomings, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine invented a computational technique called CIBERSORTx that can analyze the RNA of individual cells taken from whole-tissue samples or data sets. We believe this technique has major implications for biomedical discovery and precision medicine, said Aaron Newman, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical data science. A paper describing their method was published online May 6 in Nature Biotechnology. Newman is the lead author of the paper; Ash Alizadeh, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine, is the senior author. Pinpointing cells and their states CIBERSORTx is an evolutionary leap from the technique the group developed previously, called CIBERSORT. With the original version of CIBERSORT, we could take a mixture of cells and, by analyzing the frequency with which certain molecules were made, could tell how much of each kind of cell was in the original mix without having to physically sort them, Alizadeh said. We made the analogy that it was like analyzing a fruit smoothie, Newman said. You dont have to see what fruits are going into the smoothie because you can sip it and taste a lot of apple, a little banana and see the red color of some strawberries. CIBERSORTx takes that principle much further. The researchers start by doing a single-cell RNA analysis of a small sample of tissue. They might take a cancerous tumor, for instance, separate the cells in the tumor and look closely at the RNA (and therefore the proteins) that each cell makes. From this they produce a bar code, a pattern of RNA expression, that identifies not only the kind of cell they are looking at, but also the subtype or mode its operating in. For instance, Alizadeh said, the immune cells infiltrating a tumor act differently and produce different RNA and proteins and therefore a different RNA bar code than the same kind of immune cells circulating in the blood. What CIBERSORTx does is let us not just tell how much apple there is in the smoothie, but how many are Granny Smiths, how many are Red Delicious, how many are still green and how many are bruised, Alizadeh said. Similarly, starting with a mix of RNA barcodes from a tumor can give us insights into the mix of cell types and their perturbed cell states in these tumors, and how we might be able to address these defects for cancer therapy. Being able to identify not only the types of cells, but also their state or behaviors in particular environments, could lead to dramatic new biological discoveries and provide information that could improve therapies, the scientists said. The group analyzed over 1,000 whole tumors with the technique and found that not only were cancer cells different from normal cells, as expected, but immune cells infiltrating a tumor acted differently than circulating immune cells and even normal structural cells surrounding the cancer cells acted differently than the same type of cells in other parts of an organ. Your cancer cells are changing all the other cells in the tumor, Newman said. The researchers even showed that the immune cells infiltrating one type of lung cancer were different from the same type of immune cells infiltrating another type of lung cancer. A major strength of CIBERSORTx is that it can be used on tissue samples that have been pickled in formalin and stored in paraffin, which is true of the vast majority of diagnostic tumor samples. Most of these samples cannot be analyzed through single-cell RNA sequencing because the cell walls are often damaged or the cells cant be separated from each other. This makes single-cell RNA analysis impractical or impossible for most large studies and clinical trials, where information about how cells are behaving is crucial. Predicting therapy responses The researchers also tested the tools diagnostic power by analyzing melanoma tumors. One of the most effective therapies for metastatic melanoma and some other cancers utilizes drugs that block the activity of proteins called PD-1 and CTLA4 in the T cells that infiltrate and attack the tumors. But these checkpoint inhibitor drugs work well in a minority of patients, and there has been no easy way to tell which patients will respond. One prior hypothesis has been that if a patient has high levels of PD-1 and CTLA4 in the T cells infiltrating their tumor, these drugs are more likely to work, but researchers have had difficulty ascertaining whether this was true. CIBERSORTx allowed the team to explore this question. After training their algorithms on single-cell RNA data from a few melanoma tumors, they analyzed publicly available data sets from previous studies on bulk melanoma tumors and tested fixed samples. They confirmed the hypothesis, finding that high levels of expression of PD-1 and CTLA4 in certain T cells was correlated with lower mortality rates among patients being treated with PD-1-blocking drugs. We see so many new molecules that could prove interesting. CIBERSORTx may also allow the discovery of new cell markers that will provide other pathways for attacking cancer, the researchers said. Using the tool to analyze stored tissues and correlating cell types with clinical outcomes may point to genes and proteins that are important for cancer growth, they said. It took 30 years to identify PD-1 and CTLA4 as important proteins, but these markers just jump out of the data when we use CIBERSORTx to correlate gene expression of cells in tumors with treatment outcomes, Alizadeh said. We see so many new molecules that could prove interesting, Newman said. Its a treasure trove. As with the original tool, the scientists plan to let researchers from around the world use CIBERSORTx algorithms on computers at Stanford through an internet link. Newman and Alizadeh think they will see a lot of online traffic. We expect to see smoke coming out of the computer room, Alizadeh said. Alizadeh and Newman are both members of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford Bio-X, the Stanford Ludwig Center and the Stanford Cancer Institute. Other Stanford co-authors are associate professor of radiation oncology Maximilian Diehn, MD, PhD, postdoctoral scholars Chloe Steen, PhD, Mohammad Esfahani, PhD, and Bogdan Luca, PhD; research associate Chih Long Liu, PhD; assistant professor of medicine Andrew Gentles, PhD; former postdoctoral scholars Aadel Chaudhuri, MD, PhD, and Florian Scherer, MD; assistant professor of medicine Michael Khodadoust, MD, PhD; and adjunct clinical assistant professor of pathology David Steiner, MD. Support for the research came from the National Cancer Institute (grants R00CA187192, U01CA194389, R01CA188298 and U01CA154969), the Stinehart-ReedFoundation, the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research, the US Department of Defense, the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and the American Society of Hematology. Stanfords departments of Medicine and of Biomedical Data Science also supported the work. By Gergely Szakacs and Andreas Rinke BUDAPEST/BERLIN (Reuters) - The leader of Germany's conservatives said she expected Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party would quit Europe's main center-right group after he withdrew support for the bloc's candidate to head the European Commission. Orban, who has long flirted with far-right leaders from across the continent while professing loyalty to the center-right European People's Party (EPP), said he could no longer support Manfred Weber after he "insulted" Hungarians. On Monday evening, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, signaled that the anti-immigrant, hard-right Orban had crossed a river. "With his behavior in the last few days and the meeting with (Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini), he has given a clear sign that he will leave," she told Reuters. The EPP had tried to build a bridge to Orban, she added, but he had chosen another route. Losing Fidesz, whose grip on Hungarian politics means it delivers a large bloc of legislators to the European Parliament, would weaken the EPP after May's European Parliament election, potentially costing the bloc its say over who succeeds Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the EU's Executive Commission. In March, Weber, a fellow German conservative, brokered a compromise under which Fidesz was suspended but not expelled from the EPP over concerns that it had violated EU principles on the rule of law. Orban did not say who he would back instead of Weber, but many analysts saw in the Salvini meeting a sign that the two anti-immigration populists wanted to set up a far-right group together in the European Parliament. Orban gave as his reason for dropping Weber a month-old interview that had been extensively reported in government-friendly Hungarian media at the time, making it plausible that Salvini's visit last week was the real trigger. In the March 29 interview, Weber said he would not accept office as commission head if he needed the votes of Orban's Fidesz party to do so, telling German ZDF television he wanted votes from across the spectrum to advance a centrist agenda. INSULTING OR OUTSTANDING? Orban cast Weber's remarks, described by a Hungarian junior minister as an "insult to Hungarian voters" and widely reported in Hungarian media the day they were made, as an insult to the Hungarian people as a whole. "Weber has said he does not want to be commission president with the votes of the Hungarians," Orban said, adding that this meant he could no longer support Weber - even though he was still describing Weber as an "outstanding" candidate five days after the original interview. Orban, who has cast the impending election as a choice between pro- and anti-immigration in Europe, has urged mainstream conservatives to forge an alliance with populist, nationalist groups after the vote. The EPP has 217 lawmakers in the 750-strong EU legislature, 12 of them from Fidesz. Polls suggest it will lose seats but remain the biggest group. Far-right, populist parties are expected to perform well. "Loyalty is an important political category," Orban said. "We would like to stick with the community where we have lived and worked so far. Unless this community tells us that our presence is no longer required." (Writing by Thomas Escritt; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Paris (AFP) - Ikea opened a new city-centre concept store in Paris on Monday as the Swedish furniture giant tries a new strategy for winning over urban consumers that will be rolled out internationally this year. The Paris outlet at Place Madeleine, a short walk from the bottom of the Champs-Elysees avenue, is four times smaller than Ikea's typical blue-box megastores, which are usually located on cheaper land on the edge of cities. "It's a test laboratory. From the opening, we will start learning," the chief executive of Ikea's parent group, Jesper Brodin, told AFP. "The idea is that the concept of La Madeleine will go to Milan to New York to Tokyo if we are successful." The Swedish furniture giant already has city centre stores in Madrid and Stockholm, but they sell single product lines such as kitchens rather than the full range of items which will be offered in the Paris outlet. Ikea operates four out-of-town stores in the French capital region and offers a free bus service for Parisians living in central areas to reach them. "We have known for many years that there are many people living in the city centre of Paris who don't have a car or don't have enough time to interact with Ikea in the big shops, so this is a declaration of love to them," Brodin said. Ingka Group, the Ikea parent group, reported Wednesday a 40 percent drop in annual net profit last year, citing major investments in its online business and its foray into city centres. For its fiscal year of September 2017-August 2018, Ingka Group reported sales of 37 billion euros ($42 billion) and net profit of 1.47 billion euros. NEW DELHI, May 6 (Reuters) - India's Supreme Court on Monday said a panel of its judges had dismissed a complaint of sexual harassment made against Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi by a former court employee, as it lacked substance. The case involving India's most powerful judge is the most high-profile in a wave of allegations of sexual harassment that have been made public by women since last year as the #metoo movement has swept the country. The 35-year-old woman said Gogoi had made unwanted sexual advances when she worked in an office at his home last year, and that she and her family were victimized after she spurned his advances. Gogoi denied the allegations and a panel of judges cleared him of any wrongdoing. "The in-house committee found no substance in the allegations contained in the complaint," the Supreme Courts secretary general said in a brief statement. The woman's identity has been withheld and her lawyer, Vrinda Grover, made no immediate comment. The woman had worked as a junior court assistant. Last week, she said she would no longer participate in the proceedings of the panel of judges investigating the case as she did not expect justice. In a statement, she said she was not allowed to have her representative present despite impaired hearing and anxiety. She also said there was no video or audio recording made, and she was not given a copy of her statements on the case from previous days. In its statement, the Supreme Court said the panel's report had been submitted to a senior judge of the court as well as to the chief justice, without elaborating. The report will not be made public, it said. Gogoi and the members of the panel were not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Suchitra Mohanty and Zeba Siddiqui in New Delhi; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Clarence Fernandez) By Annie Banerji NEW DELHI, May 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A dozen Rohingya refugees, including teenagers, have been rescued from a suspected human trafficking operation, police in India said on Monday, after the group entered the country from Bangladesh without valid travel documents. Acting on a tip-off from local charities, police in the northeastern state of Mizoram raided the house of a woman on Sunday to find the Rohingya refugees - that police suspect were going to be trafficked onwards to Malaysia or Taiwan. "They had no valid permits, but we couldn't arrest them because we realized they are victims of human trafficking," said Lalbiakthanga Khiangte, the deputy inspector general in Mizoram's capital city of Aizawl. The group comprised eight women, aged between 16 and 22, and four boys, whose ages could not be confirmed, he said. "We have arrested one of the perpetrators, the woman who was sheltering them ... she is being questioned," he said, without giving further details as an "investigation is underway." The woman told police that she was providing shelter to the Rohingya refugees as a favor to her cousin in Myanmar. It has been nearly two years since more than 730,000 mainly Muslim Rohingya fled persecution in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar and set up camps across the border close to Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh's top tourist location. The camps, sprawled over about 6,000 acres - just under half the size of Manhattan - have become more organized, but police activity suggests the risk of being trafficked has grown due to false promises of work and better lives offered by traffickers. In the latest incident, the Rohingya refugees left Bangladesh and were trafficked to the northeastern Indian state of Assam to enter Mizoram, a senior police officer said on the condition of anonymity. "From here, they would have been taken to Myanmar and then probably put on a boat to Malaysia or Taiwan to work as maids or laborers or maybe much worse," the officer told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Story continues He said the Rohingya women and children were being kept at shelter homes under the protection of the state's social welfare department while police were in talks with Bangladesh to send them back to the refugee camps. Records from law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh show at least 100 Rohingya refugees have been rescued from traffickers this year in Cox's Bazar, with most trying to get to Malaysia. But human rights campaigners say the number is just a fraction of the Rohingya refugees affected by human trafficking. The Bangladesh government has not released an official figure for the number of Rohingya who have been trafficked. (Reporting by Annie Banerji @anniebanerji in New Delhi, Additional reporting by Naimul Karim in Dhaka, Editing by Jason Fields ; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian issues, conflicts, land and property rights, modern slavery and human trafficking, gender equality, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories) By Devjyot Ghoshal and Fayaz Bukhari JAIPUR/SRINAGAR (Reuters) - India's northern heartland voted on Monday in the fifth phase of a staggered general election, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoping his record on national security will win him a second five-year term. More than 87 million people across seven states are eligible to vote in this phase, which includes some of the country's most electorally important regions such as Uttar Pradesh, the state with the most members of parliament. Rahul Gandhi, the 48-year-old leader of the main opposition Congress party, is contesting in the Uttar Pradesh constituency he has won three times, facing a tough challenge from cabinet minister Smriti Irani of Modis Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Analysts say Modi's nationalist rhetoric has resonated deeply in the north. The BJP swept to power in 2014 with an overwhelming majority based largely on its strength in northern states. The party has run a campaign highlighting Modi's tough stand against rival Pakistan following a suicide bomb attack by a Pakistan-based militant group that killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in the disputed northern region of Kashmir in February. Party members have also been accused of playing on communal tension, in particular between majority Hindus and minority Muslims, in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP enjoys the support of several right-wing groups that want to see the party keep a promise to build a temple on the ruins of a 16th century mosque in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya city a flashpoint in tensions with minority Muslims. "The main issues here are the temple, nationalism and the countrys economic development, said Sharad Sharma, an Ayodhya-based spokesman for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or the World Hindu Council, a group linked to the BJP. Modi's focus on national security in the election, which began on April 11, has helped him shift many voters' attention away from unemployment and a weak agrarian economy that have led to extensive farmer protests. "We only want Modi, said 73-year-old Roshan Lal Sharma, voting in Jaipur city in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. "The world now recognizes India and Modi." But Paresh Sorathiya, a 28-year-old software engineer voting in Jaipur, said unemployment and low pay for graduates were major issues for him. "The government needs to focus on jobs, Sorathiya said. BOYCOTT IN KASHMIR Voting was marred by violence in the northern Muslim-majority region of Kashmir, where Muslim separatists have been fighting the security forces for decades. The separatists called for a boycott and only a trickle of voters showed up - just over one percent by mid-day, an election official said. Protesters threw stones at polling stations and at least one person was shot and wounded when police opened fire, police in Kashmir said. Militants also threw a grenade and a petrol bomb at polling stations, and the wall of one polling station was damaged, police said. Hundreds of extra troops have been deployed in Kashmir for the vote and polling staff and equipment was airlifted in. In Pulwama, where the February suicide blast occurred, protesters threw stones, damaging at least 23 buses carrying polling staff. One driver was injured and three buildings set ablaze, police said. Gilles Verniers, a political science professor at Ashoka University, said campaigning would be bitter in the run-up to the seventh and last phase of voting on May 19. "It is reflective of the nervousness of political parties," Verniers said. "Every party, and the incumbent in particular, will try to maximize anything they think will play to their advantage. (Writing by Zeba Siddiqui in New Delhi; Additional reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Robert Birsel) Paris (AFP) - From Amazon rainforests to the Arctic Circle, indigenous peoples are leveraging ancestral knowhow to protect habitats that have sustained them for hundreds and even thousands of years, according to a landmark UN assessment of biodiversity released Monday. But these "guardians of nature" are under siege, warns the first major UN scientific report to fully consider indigenous knowledge and management practices. Whether it is logging, agribusiness and cattle ranching in the tropics, or climate change warming the poles twice as fast as the global average, an unrelenting economic juggernaut fuelled by coal, oil and gas is ravaging the natural world, the grim report found. A million of Earth's estimated eight million species are at risk of extinction, and an area of tropical forest five times the size of England has been destroyed since 2014. "Indigenous peoples and local communities are facing growing resource extraction, commodity production, along with mining, transport and energy infrastructure," with dire impacts on livelihoods and health, the report concluded. Experts estimate that there are some 300 million indigenous people living in mostly undisturbed natural areas, and another 600 million in "local communities" striding the natural and built worlds. At least a quarter of global lands are traditionally owned, managed or occupied by indigenous groups, the UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) found. - Pushing the boundaries - "Indigenous peoples have truly been guardians of Nature for the rest of society," Eduardo Brondizio, co-chair of the UN report and a professor of Anthropology at Indiana University Bloomington, told AFP. Research has shown, for example, that forests under indigenous management are more effective carbon sinks and are less prone to wildfires than many so-called "protected areas" controlled by business concessions. Story continues "We have been guardians of our lands for millennia and have deep interaction with ecosystems where we live," said Lakpa Nuri Sherpa, a Sherpa activist from eastern Nepal. "Our lands are among the most biodiverse on the planet." But nearly three-quarters of regions worldwide under indigenous stewardship have seen a decline in most measure of biodiversity and ecosystem health, the report found. "The pressures on them continue to be enormous," said Brondizio. "The global economy keeps pushing the boundaries of resource extraction" deeper into indigenous territory, he said. "Indigenous peoples have been retreating from those economic frontiers for 500 years, but get caught every time." Globally, the pace of deforestation is staggering. Last year, the tropics lost an area almost the size of England, a total of 120,000 square kilometres (46,000 square miles). Almost a third of that area, some 36,000 km2, was pristine primary rainforest. - Timber traffickers - In Brazil -- home to nearly half of the world's plant and animal species -- landowners fell multi-storied trees to make way for soya bean crops, rogue miners pollute rivers, and timber traffickers steal valuable species. "It is like using the goose that lays golden eggs to make soup," said Brondizio. The livestock industry is a double climate threat: it destroys forests to make way for grazing land and soy crops to feed cattle, and generates huge amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Extraction industries of all kinds have found an ardent backer in far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who came into office in January. "I am worried," said Brondizio, who is Brazilian, noting the weakening of environmental protections and an increase in the vilification of indigenous peoples. Everywhere in the tropics, local populations that push back against big business and their backers are at risk. More than 200 environmental campaigners -- half from indigenous tribes in tropical forests -- were murdered in 2017, according to watchdog group Global Witness. "Our global home is under threat, and Nature is in decline, all driven by an economic and political system that favours increasing consumption and growth over living in harmony with Nature," said Aroha Te Pareake Mead, a member of the Ngati Awa and Ngati Porou Maori tribes in New Zealand. * Kurdish leaders hold about a quarter of Syria * Kurds dispersed across Turkey, Iran, Syria, Iraq * Neighboring states watch events in Syria closely By Ellen Francis QAMISHLI, Syria, May 6 (Reuters) - When Eyub Mohamad was a boy, security forces beat his father into paralysis. His offense was typing leaflets in Kurdish, banned under Syria's ruling Baath party. Mohamad, with his family, fed and bathed his father for years. Wary of the typewriter that landed his father in interrogation rooms, he avoided learning to read his own language. "I never saw my dad walking," he said. "Till his last day, he believed he would get up for this cause." Mohamad's father died in 2011, the year Syria's conflict began. He did not see Kurdish fighters carve out autonomous rule across north and east Syria. He did not see his son, now 34, become a teacher at a Kurdish school in the city of Qamishli on the border with Turkey. Kurdish leaders now hold about a quarter of Syria, the biggest chunk outside state hands. But their grip on power -- in a region rich in oil, farmland and water -- remains vulnerable: President Bashar al-Assad wants all of Syria, Turkey threatens to crush them and U.S. support is wavering. The changes reshaping swathes of Syria have alarmed neighboring states that fear separatism within their own Kurdish communities. Millions of Kurds, an ethnic minority left stateless when the Ottoman empire collapsed a century ago, live in Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq. In Qamishli, these changes were once unimaginable. A law student who was tortured for carrying a Kurdish book now owns a bookstore. A woman who once secretly huddled with friends at night to learn Kurdish is now a de facto education minister. Kurdish activists who could not protest without risking arrest now have printing presses, festivals and television channels. The shift is glaring in school hallways where, for eight years, a generation has grown up not only learning Kurdish but also learning to believe that Kurds deserve the rights they were denied for decades and must hold on to them. Story continues "We never imagined this. This was a dream," said Semira Haj Ali, who co-chairs the education board in the northeast. "Of course, we will not go back to before 2011. We will not turn back." SANDBAGS AND TRENCHES Syrian Kurdish leaders say they do not seek independence but want to cement autonomy that has evolved to include security forces and what amounts to a government. Yet the sandbags and trenches around some schools or the armed men guarding printing presses show their fate still hangs in the balance. On one side, there is the Turkish army, which has swept across the border twice to roll back the Kurdish YPG militia in northern Syria. On another, there is Assad, now holding most of Syria with Russia and Iran's help. Damascus has pledged to reclaim YPG territory though the two have kept channels open. Their main ally, the United States, helped Kurdish-led forces seize vast territory from Islamic State. But it opposes their autonomy plans and has promised nothing. President Donald Trump's plan last year to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria threw Kurdish officials into crisis. Washington later changed course, and intends to leave some troops, along with forces from European allies, preserving for now the security umbrella that helped Kurdish leaders deepen their autonomy. MOTHER TONGUE In the early days of Syria's conflict, when Haj Ali and other activists tried introducing a Kurdish class, the government shut down the schools. "With the parents and the students, we broke down the doors," she said. Months later, state employees returned. Today, she heads an education board running thousands of schools and universities, and teaching adults to read Kurdish. It has built a curriculum in Kurdish, Arabic and the Syriac dialect for pupils to learn in their mother tongue, renouncing the Baathist thinking that championed Arab nationalism in the classroom. It teaches children until the 10th grade, up to age 16. In secondary schools however, inside the same buildings, state teachers still handle the 11th and 12th grade. "They succumbed to the reality," said Haj Ali, a member of the Kurdish PYD party, the YPG's political wing. Next year, her board will start teaching the 11th grade too. The plans face opposition not just from the government but also from some Arab communities, Kurdish parties opposed to the PYD and parents who fear for their children's future, several teachers said. The schools in northeast Syria, like the self-run administration, are not recognized officially by the state or the outside world. In response to questions from Reuters, Syria's education ministry said it repeatedly tells all schools to keep the government curriculum for the benefit of the students and for degrees to remain valid abroad. Some feel they have sacrificed too much to turn back now. Pre-school director Nujin Kali said her husband, a YPG fighter, had died so she could do her job. "Honestly, I asked him what if something happens to you?" she recalled. "He said, 'I'm doing this for your children's future...for them to learn their language, for people not to lose their rights'." BURNING BOOKS Despite historic enmity, Kurdish fighters and Damascus have seldom clashed during Syria's war, at times fighting common enemies including Turkey-backed rebels. This relationship enabled the state to hold onto patches of Qamishli, including an airport that flies planes to Damascus, and of Hasaka city nearby. It has also allowed for Kurdish leaders to make money from oil sold into government territory. Funds also come from levies on trade, agriculture and border-crossing fees. Residents register births, marriages and deaths at state centers in Qamishli and Hasaka, while the self-run administration issues driving licenses and other documents. Senior Kurdish leader Fawza Youssef said such ties enabled people to get on with their daily lives. Still, attempts to negotiate a political deal with Damascus have gone nowhere, causing fears for Kurdish authorities who want to safeguard their gains. They hope such a deal would also help shield their region from attack by Turkey, which deems the YPG a branch of the Kurdish PKK movement waging an insurgency on Turkish soil. In northern Syria, another source of tension is that local critics accuse the PYD of calling the shots and imposing its ideas even in city councils that include Arabs and other ethnicities. At the institute that sets the curriculum in the town of Amuda, the walls bear pictures of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The northern region's new governing system is based on his views of federalism, though the PYD says it has only political relations with the PKK. Teachers say the curriculum does not promote any ideology, but presents Ocalan's ideas along with others in classes such as "culture and ethics" or gender studies. The questions of how to govern and what to teach have caused friction in mainly Arab cities and towns in Raqqa and Deir al-Zor that came into the Kurdish fold more recently. Abdallah Shekho's shop in Qamishli sells books he translated with friends into Kurdish. He said the northeast, whose economy was long stifled, still relies on Damascus in some ways because it lacks equipment and experts. In the past, people burnt Kurdish books out of fear or buried them in their villages to keep them safe, Shekho said. "(In) this region, God forbid, if there is an attack from the regime or another side, we will have to burn these books or bury them underground again." (Editing by Tom Perry and Timothy Heritage) Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! If you want to know who really controls Granules India Limited (NSE:GRANULES), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time. Warren Buffett said that he likes 'a business with enduring competitive advantages that is run by able and owner-oriented people'. So it's nice to see some insider ownership, because it may suggest that management is owner-oriented. With a market capitalization of 29b, Granules India is a small cap stock, so it might not be well known by many institutional investors. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutions are noticeable on the share registry. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about GRANULES. View our latest analysis for Granules India NSEI:GRANULES Ownership Summary, May 6th 2019 What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Granules India? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. We can see that Granules India does have institutional investors; and they hold 14% of the stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Granules India, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Story continues NSEI:GRANULES Income Statement, May 6th 2019 Hedge funds don't have many shares in Granules India. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. Insider Ownership Of Granules India The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. It seems insiders own a significant proportion of Granules India Limited. Insiders have a 13b stake in this 29b business. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently. General Public Ownership With a 37% ownership, the general public have some degree of sway over GRANULES. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Private Company Ownership It seems that Private Companies own 4.2%, of the GRANULES stock. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company. Next Steps: I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. I always like to check for a history of revenue growth. You can too, by accessing this free chart of historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph. But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. A military court has placed the younger and advisor of ex-leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika as well as two generals into custody as the state prosecution levels plotting against the state charges against them. State-run television showed Sunday Said Bouteflika, Mohamed Mediene (aka Toufik) and Bachir Tartag proceeding to an appearance in a military court after a military court in Algiers placed them in custody the previous day on two charges namely plotting against the state and harming the armys authority. The court did not elaborate on the charges. Said had been for more than a decade a top advisor of his elder brother who ran the country for two years before he was forced to step down early last month. He was known as the kingmaker in Bouteflikas regime after the 82-year old former President became weak following a stroke that impaired his ability to rule the country. Toufik and Tartag led the countrys top intelligence in the past. Toufik received detention threats from army Chief of state Ahmed Gaed Salah who accused him of plotting against the army. Salah has promised to thousands of Algerians who have been demonstrating since mid-February for an overhaul of the regime and to get rid of politicians, businessmen, military officials who formed the inner circle of Bouteflika. Several members of this inner circle, including top business people and top politicians have been already hauled into prison. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! The big shareholder groups in One Media iP Group plc (LON:OMIP) have power over the company. Insiders often own a large chunk of younger, smaller, companies while huge companies tend to have institutions as shareholders. I generally like to see some degree of insider ownership, even if only a little. As Nassim Nicholas Taleb said, 'Dont tell me what you think, tell me what you have in your portfolio.' One Media iP Group is not a large company by global standards. It has a market capitalization of UK7.5m, which means it wouldn't have the attention of many institutional investors. In the chart below below, we can see that institutional investors have bought into the company. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about OMIP. View our latest analysis for One Media iP Group AIM:OMIP Ownership Summary, May 6th 2019 What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About One Media iP Group? Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. As you can see, institutional investors own 38% of One Media iP Group. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at One Media iP Group's earnings history, below. Of course, the future is what really matters. AIM:OMIP Income Statement, May 6th 2019 It looks like hedge funds own 6.7% of One Media iP Group shares. That catches my attention because hedge funds sometimes try to influence management, or bring about changes that will create near term value for shareholders. There is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage. Story continues Insider Ownership Of One Media iP Group While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. It seems insiders own a significant proportion of One Media iP Group plc. Insiders have a UK1.9m stake in this UK7.5m business. I would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public holds a 22% stake in OMIP. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Private Equity Ownership With a stake of 7.4%, private equity firms could influence the OMIP board. Sometimes we see private equity stick around for the long term, but generally speaking they have a shorter investment horizon and -- as the name suggests -- don't invest in public companies much. After some time they may look to sell and redeploy capital elsewhere. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand One Media iP Group better, we need to consider many other factors. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can access this interactive graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow, for free . But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. Tehran (AFP) - Tehran has appointed a new CEO to head national airline Iran Air, state news reported, replacing its first female CEO with a US-blacklisted pilot. Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh, a former air force commander who features on a US treasury sanctions list, was named for the post at a Sunday cabinet meeting. He will replace Farzaneh Sharafbafi, the first Iranian woman to boast a PhD in aerospace, who led the airline for two years. Zanganeh was previously CEO of Meraj Air, which was also sanctioned by the US in 2014. Individuals on the Specially Designated Nationals List are generally prohibited from having US bank accounts. US persons can also face civil or criminal penalties for engaging in business dealings with them, according to the US treasury. Iran Air had been planning to upgrade its ageing fleet after long-standing US sanctions were lifted following the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. But when US President Donald Trump pulled out of the accord early last year and reimposed crippling economic sanctions, the treasury department revoked licenses for Boeing and Airbus to sell passenger jets to Iran. GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran will restart part of its halted nuclear programme in response to the U.S. withdrawal from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal but does not itself plan to pull out of the agreement, the state-run IRIB news agency reported on Monday. Citing a source close to an official commission which oversees the nuclear deal, IRIB reported that President Hassan Rouhani would announce that Iran would reduce some of its "minor and general" commitments under the deal on May 8- exactly one year after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. pullout. Trump subsequently reimposed tough sanctions on Iran, including on its lifeblood oil exports with the stated intent of reducing them to zero and starving Iran's economy. "The Islamic Republic of Iran in reaction to the exit of America from the nuclear deal and the bad promises of European countries in carrying out their obligations will restart a part of the nuclear activities which were stopped under the framework of the nuclear deal," the source said, according to IRIB. Similarly, the semi-official Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported that Iran on Wednesday will announce "reciprocal actions" to the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, quoting "knowledgeable sources". Some European Union leaders had been unofficially told of Iran's decision, the report said. The United States acted on Friday to force Iran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant. Trump, who was not in office when the nuclear deal was negotiated, said it was flawed in Iran's favour for doing nothing to curb its ballistic missile programme or its support of proxy forces in several Middle East wars. Iran has said its development of ballistic missiles has nothing to do with its nuclear activity and is wholly defensive in nature, and that its support for allies around the Middle East is not Washington's business. Story continues U.S. DEPLOYMENT TO MIDDLE EAST Under the 2015 deal, Iran restricted the capacity of its uranium enrichment programme - widely seen as a route to developing a nuclear weapon - in exchange for a lifting of most international sanctions. U.N. nuclear inspectors have repeatedly verified Iranian compliance with the accord. Iran has denied ever pursuing a nuclear weapons program. The other signatories to the deal - European powers Germany, France and Britain - and Russia and China remain committed to it. The EU has been looking into ways of preserving its economic benefits that Iran says must stay or it could abandon the deal. The Trump administration is now deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling "indications and warnings" from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with "unrelenting force" to any attack, U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday. Bolton - who has spearheaded an increasingly hawkish U.S. policy on Iran - said the decision, which could exacerbate tensions between the two countries, was meant to send a clear and unmistakable message of U.S. resolve to Tehran. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also issued a warning to the Islamic Republic on Sunday. "It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests," Pompeo told reporters aboard a flight en route to an Arctic Council meeting in Finland. If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that. (Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh with additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Raissa Kasolowsky) Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's army on Sunday denied claims from Gazan authorities that an Israeli strike killed a pregnant Palestinian woman and a baby, saying errant Hamas fire was to blame for the deaths. The Gazan health ministry said on Saturday that Falestine Abu Arar, 37, and her 14-month-old daughter Saba were killed by an Israeli strike that hit their home in eastern Gaza City. The family on Sunday clarified that the woman killed was the baby's aunt and not her mother. Israel rejected the claim that one of its retaliatory strikes in response to barrages of rockets from Gaza killed the two. "The terror organisations' propaganda at its finest," Israeli army spokesman Ronen Manelis said on Twitter, referring to Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the Gaza Strip. "The mother and girl they're claiming in Gaza that were killed in an (Israeli) attack were killed by Hamas use of weapons," he added before the family clarified she was not the mother. Another Israeli military spokesman, Jonathan Conricus, told journalists that based on intelligence "we are now confident" that the deaths 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. Mahmud Abu Arar, 31, the father of the dead baby, told AFP that the woman was in fact his brother's pregnant wife. He said he believed the strike was by an Israeli drone. "Suddenly there an explosion and a rocket. The children and the women were in the space near the house. All of them from the Abu Arar family, my siblings and their kids," he said. A severe escalation that began Saturday has seen Palestinian militants fire some 600 rockets from Gaza, Israel's army says. Israel has responded with waves of air and tank strikes and says it is targeting only military-related targets. Fourteen other Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes, according to the Gazan health ministry. Story continues Three people have been killed in Israel in rocket and missile strikes from Gaza, Israel's military says. According to the military, at least two of them were confirmed to be Israeli citizens. jjm-sa-jod-scw-mjs/dv Smoke rises from an explosion after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, May 5, 2019. The Israeli military said Sunday it had responded to 450 rockets fired from Gaza with over 250 airstrikes against the besieged Palestinian enclave. JERUSALEM The Israeli military lifted protective restrictions on residents in southern Israel on Monday, while Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group reported a cease-fire deal had been reached to end the deadliest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. The escalation had killed 23 on the Gaza side, both militants and civilians, while on the Israeli side four civilians were killed from incoming fire. The Islamic Jihad militant group, which Israel accused of instigating the latest violence, confirmed that a "mutual and concurrent" truce had been brokered by Egypt. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Egyptian mediators, along with officials from Qatar and the U.N., helped reach the deal. He said Hamas could still use "different pressuring tools" to pressure Israel into easing a crippling blockade of Gaza it has enforced along with Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointedly noted that "the campaign is not over, and it requires patience and judgment." The intense fighting over the past two days came to a halt in the early morning hours and residents on both sides went back to their daily routines. The Israeli military said that as of 7 a.m., "all protective restrictions in the home front will be lifted." Schools and roads had been closed, and residents had been encouraged to remain indoors and near bomb shelters as intense rocket fire pounded the area, threatening to devolve into all-out war. People watch the aftermath of a rocket fired from Gaza after it hit in the southern Israeli port city of Ashdod, May 6, 2019. The Israeli army on Monday lifted protective restrictions on residents in southern Israel, while the Hamas militant group's radio station in the Gaza Strip reported a cease-fire, signaling a deal had been reached to end the bloodiest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars and numerous smaller battles since the Islamic militant group seized Gaza in 2007. In the latest fighting, which erupted over the weekend, Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, while the Israeli military responded with airstrikes on some 350 militant targets inside 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. A Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group was killed in an airstrike, in an apparent return to Israel's policy of "targeting killing" of militant leaders. Story continues Palestinian medical officials reported 23 deaths, including at least nine militants as well as two pregnant women and two babies. The four Israeli civilians killed were the first Israeli fatalities from rocket attacks since the 50-day war in 2014. One was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border. Egyptian mediators had been working with the U.N. to broker a cease-fire. Under past Egyptian-brokered deals, Israel has agreed to ease its joint blockade of Gaza with Egypt in exchange for a halt to rocket fire. The latest fighting broke out after Palestinian militants accused Israel of not honoring an earlier cease-fire deal from March, and opened fire on soldiers on the Israeli side of the Gaza border. The terms of the latest deal were not known, but recent cease-fires have been short-lived. In weary communities in southern Israel, there was criticism that the latest round of fighting had ended without tangible results and no hope that it would not recur soon. "When we have the upper hand, we need once and for all to finish the terror because this will repeat itself and will not stop," said Jacque Mendel, a resident of the coastal city of Ashdod, where a man was killed in his car by a rocket Sunday night. Despite its fierce response, Israel appears to have little appetite for another prolonged conflict. Later this week, the country marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, followed by the festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the popular Eurovision song contest and the backdrop of fighting would have likely overshadowed the occasions and deterred foreign tourists. Netanyahu, who recently secured re-election in part thanks to the votes of the rocket-battered residents along the Gaza Strip frontier, has traditionally been cautious in his handling of Gaza, for fear of sparking an open-ended war with no clear endgame. But he is under pressure from the same electorate to end its anguish and his perspective coalition partners appear to favor a more hard-line agenda on Gaza. Even within his own ruling Likud Party, Netanyahu faced unusual criticism for not going further to quash Gaza militants. Likud lawmaker Gideon Saar wrote on Twitter that the reported cease-fire was not an achievement for Israel. "The timeframes between these violent attacks on Israel and its citizens are getting shorter and the terror groups in Gaza are getting stronger between them," he wrote. Benny Gantz, Israel's emerging opposition leader, also criticized Netanyahu, saying that ending the current round amounted to "another surrender to the extortion of Hamas and the terror organizations." In Gaza, a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier against the blockade that has ravaged the economy has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. Still, Hamas' leader Ismail Haniyeh said late Sunday that the militant group was "not interested in a new war," and the start on Monday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan likely lessened motivation for battle. Signs of normal life slowly returned to Gaza, with banks opening after three days; schools are to reopen on Tuesday. In the northern Gaza Strip, residents searched for a man and his wife missing among the rubble of an apartment building. The upper two floors of the five-story structure in the Sheikh Zayed residential complex was hit by an Israeli airstrike and four Palestinians a 12-year-old boy, an infant and her parents were killed. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel-Hamas cease fire reported Monday after heavy weekend Gaza battle killed 27 VINCI, Italy (Reuters) - An Italian museum says it plans to carry out DNA tests on a lock of hair it believes might have belonged to the Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, who died 500 years ago this month. However, some experts have thrown doubt on the exercise, saying the hair almost certainly did not belong to the Italian master, while credible DNA testing may prove impossible. Da Vinci died in May 1519 and was buried at the Chateau d'Ambroise near the French city of Tours. The castle was badly damaged following the French Revolution of 1789 and many graves were destroyed, including that of Leonardo. Alessandro Vezzosi, the director of the Ideal Leonardo da Vinci museum in Vinci, the artist's hometown in Tuscany, said the strand of hair was collected from the site in 1863 by a man tasked by a royal commission to try to locate Leonardo's remains. "In 1925, an American collector bought this relic in Paris ... Later, before dying aged 95, he sold it on to another American collector, who contacted us," Vezzosi said. He said the museum planned to extract DNA from the sample and compare it with the DNA from a group of descendants that the museum says it identified in 2016, using genealogical records. The testing should also be able to prove if the remains identified in France in 1863 really belonged to da Vinci. "What is important is not to take for granted a result before the scientific testing is completed," said Vezzosi. But some experts are already pouring cold water on the whole exercise. "It is highly improbable that this lock (of hair), which was presented like a (religious) relic, would be in anyway related to Leonardo da Vinci," said Eike Schmidt, the director of the prestigious Uffizi Gallery in nearby Florence. Finding a DNA link with living descendants will prove an added complication, with tracing only possible via the mother and an unbroken female line, or the father and an unbroken male line. The identity of Leonardo's mother is unknown. Story continues The artist himself never married and left no direct heirs, so the DNA will be checked against that of the descendants that Vezzosi said had been found by following the family trees of other children born to Leonardo's father. The chance of recreating an unbroken male line over 500 years is extremely unlikely. (Writing by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Giselda Vagnoni and Gareth Jones) ISTANBUL, May 6 (Reuters) - The jailed leader of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) on Monday called on the Syrian Democratic Forces to pursue solutions in Syria other than through conflict, according to a statement read by his lawyers. Abdullah Ocalan, who has been jailed in Turkey since 1999, also called on the SDF, which is spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, to take into consideration Turkish sensitivities in Syria, his lawyers said. Two of Ocalan's lawyers, who read the statement during a news conference, said they had been allowed to meet him for the first time since July 2011. (Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen and Ezgi Erkoyun Editing by Dominic Evans) South Africas electoral campaign has reached its climax last weekend as millions of voters are gearing up for Wednesdays vote. On Saturday the African National Congress (ANC) in power since 1994, staged rallies in six towns, and on Sunday it packed out Johannesburgs 62,567-seat Ellis Park stadium and screened the proceedings to thousands of other supporters who couldnt get in and were accommodated in a nearby venue. A gathering staged by the Economic Freedom Fighters, the third-largest party, at the Orlando stadium in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg, on Sunday drew about 40,000 people. The main opposition Democratic Alliance filled the nearby 24,000-seat Dobsonville stadium for its final campaign event on Saturday. Recent opinion polls predict that the ANC will bleed support to opposition coalitions that have gained ground as the ANC has been dogged by political scandals and a flagging economy. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who took over from scandal-plagued Jacob Zuma as ANC leader in 2017, told supporters on Sunday that the party would punish members guilty of stealing public money. The era of impunity is over. We are now entering the era of accountability, Ramaphosa told supporters. He vowed the ANC would revive economic growth and ease unemployment, which sits at more than 27 percent. The EFF, formed by former ANC youth leader Julius Malema in 2013, has built its agenda on highlighting state graft and championing radical economic reforms the ANC has avoided, such as mine nationalization and land expropriation without compensation. Malema said the EFF would grow the economy in favor of black Africans and the youth by doubling child grants, offering free university education and nationalizing key industries. The 2019 national elections will have serious implications for the South African economy especially if the ANC underperforms at the polls. TOKYO, May 6 (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed completely on the need for North Korea to promptly denuclearise. "Regarding our response to North Korea going forward, I completely agreed with President Trump in all respects," Abe told reporters after a phone call with the U.S. leader. "Going forward, the United States and Japan will respond together, completely agreeing with a singular understanding on responding together." North Korea fired several "unidentified short-range projectiles" into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, prompting the South to urge its communist neighbor to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean peninsula." (Reporting by Takaya Yamaguchi Writing by William Mallard Editing by Peter Graff) TOKYO, May 6 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to talk by telephone on Monday and discuss projectiles fired by North Korea, national broadcaster NHK said. North Korea fired several "unidentified short-range projectiles" into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, prompting the South to urge its communist neighbor to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean peninsula." (Reporting by Ritsuko Ando) By Suchitra Mohanty and Zeba Siddiqui NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Supreme Court said on Monday a panel of its judges had dismissed a complaint of sexual harassment made against Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi by a former court employee, as it lacked substance. The case involving India's most powerful judge is the most high-profile in a wave of allegations of sexual harassment that have been made public by women since last year as the #metoo movement has swept the country. "The in-house committee found no substance in the allegations contained in the complaint," the Supreme Courts secretary general said in a brief statement earlier, dismissing the woman's complaint. Her identity has been withheld. The 35-year-old woman, who worked as a junior court assistant, said in a statement she was "not just highly disappointed and dejected" but felt "gross injustice" had been done to her by the dismissal of her complaint. She said she was discussing her next steps with lawyers, and was "now extremely scared and terrified because the in-house committee, despite having all material placed before them, has given me no justice or protection...". Gogoi and members of the committee were not available for a comment. In her complaint filed to the court last month she had alleged Gogoi had made unwanted sexual advances toward her when she worked in an office at his home last year, and that she and her family were victimised after she spurned his advances. Gogoi denied the allegations. The nation's top court has been criticised by women's rights activists and many lawyers for its handling of the woman's complaint. Gogoi has previously said the charges levelled against him were "unbelievable" and showed India's judiciary was under threat from a wider conspiracy, without elaborating. Last week the woman said she would no longer participate in the proceedings of the three-member panel of judges investigating the case as she was not satisfied with the way it was functioning and did not expect justice from it. Story continues She said she had not been allowed to have her representative present despite impaired hearing and anxiety. She also said there was no video or audio recording made, and she was not given a copy of her statements on the case from previous days. In its Monday statement, the Supreme Court said the panel's report had been submitted to a senior judge of the court as well as to the chief justice, without elaborating. The report will not be made public, it said. (Reporting by Suchitra Mohanty and Zeba Siddiqui in New Delhi; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani, Clarence Fernandez and Peter Graff) Photo credit: Kiyoshi Hijiki - Getty Images From Car and Driver Residents of North Olmsted, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb, reported intermittent outages of their remote key fobs and garage door openers. Police, local utilities, and a television repairman converged on the neighborhood in search of answers. Conspiracy theorists were quick to namecheck the nearby NASA Glenn Research Center or recent technical problems at Cleveland Hopkins Airport as possible sources of the disruption, but the solution was more prosaic. As life tragedies go, the sporadic failure of a remote device like a garage door opener or automotive key fob is pretty insignificant. But when fresh batteries fail to remedy the situation and you discover many of your neighbors are suffering from the same affliction, things can get weird. The situation first came to our attention last week by way of Cleveland.com, at which point no resolution had been found. Just in time to quell the conspiracy theorists-saving us from a scenario that had all the makings of an entry in the year's most entertaining viral news clips-the New York Times went and ruined the fun by weighing in with some well-researched facts. Photo credit: Getty Images - Getty Images TV Repairman Solves the Mystery The problem was even more infuriating because it was erratic: the key fobs for some brands seemed immune to the effect, while others came up dead consistently. One victim found it affected his GMC but not his Nissan, leading him to believe it was a domestic-vs.-import situation, at least in terms of the affected vehicles. That amateur theory did not lead to a reveal of the cause. After utility and law-enforcement officials failed to figure it out, a TV repairman armed with some testing equipment discovered a single house was emitting a particularly strong signal. Apparently, the resident, an electronics enthusiast, had devised a wireless warning system of sorts to alert him while he was working in his basement if someone was upstairs in his home. The problem was that his signal was transmitting a 315-megahertz radio signal, one of the frequencies earmarked for, you guessed it, remote key fobs, garage door openers, and tire-pressure monitoring systems, among other short-range applications. Story continues While 315 MHz is a common frequency here in the United States, there are others. Europe prefers 430 MHz, which also a favorite for remote temperature sensing. Both, along with many other frequencies, fall under the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band, an international standard reserved for non-telecommunications purposes without licensing. (Find this fascinating? Additional information on the frequencies and bands employed in the rapidly proliferating world of short-range wireless technology can be found here.) Photo credit: Getty Images - Car and Driver Are We Vulnerable to Hackers? This brings up some rather disturbing implications. Among them: Look how easily a well-intentioned hobbyist unwittingly interfered with the daily lives of those around him without trying. You don't need to be Philip K. Dick or J.G. Ballard to conjure up an evil character who demonstrates just how fallible technology is by, uh, temporarily disabling the nation's garage doors and forcing a percentage of drivers to use their car's safety key. Okay, so when you put it down on paper it doesn't sound that threatening. The point is, the more we rely on technology, the more windows are opened for the nefarious types to interfere with our existence. Thankfully, as long as there are TV repairmen, our garage doors will be safe. ('You Might Also Like',) Johannesburg (AFP) - A potpourri of 48 political parties will contest South Africa's general election on Wednesday -- a record number. Here are snapshots of some of the front-runners: - African National Congress - The African National Congress rose from a liberation movement to govern Africa's most industrialised country, but its once-glorious image has been tainted by its record in office. It was founded in Bloemfontein in 1912 to fight against the white minority government's restrictions on free movement and land ownership by blacks. During the anti-apartheid struggle, the ANC espoused socialist values and had many communist members, but in power, it has adopted a more liberal economic programme. It has easily won all post-apartheid elections and has a stranglehold on parliament, where it has held over 60 percent of the 400 seats since the dawn of democracy. It goes into the elections under Cyril Ramaphosa who took over less than 18 months ago from Jacob Zuma, whose rule was defined by corruption among party officials and weak economic growth. - Democratic Alliance - The Democratic Alliance was established in 2000 as a merger of three "white" parties. One among these was the former Democratic Party, which had opposed the then-ruling National Party in parliament, and another the New National Party -- which had tried, unsuccessfully, to distance itself from its predecessor's racist past. The DA has been the largest opposition party for nearly two decades, with 89 seats in the outgoing parliament. Long viewed as the party for middle-class whites, the DA heads into elections under its first black leader Mmusi Maimane, who took the reins in 2015. - Economic Freedom Fighters - The EFF was created in 2013 by the firebrand ex-ANC youth leader Julius Malema, shortly after he was expelled from the ruling party. His new party took 25 seats in parliament in 2014 and polls suggest it could nearly double that on May 8 vote by tapping into the anger of millions of poor, unemployed black South Africans. Story continues The EFF describes itself as a "radical and militant economic emancipation movement" and its flagship policy is to seize land from white owners without compensation to give it to poor blacks. The anti-capitalist party also advocates for the nationalisation of mines and banks. - Inkatha Freedom Party - Founded in 1975 as a political and cultural movement, it transformed into a political party 15 years later and has had only one leader: Mangosuthu Buthelezi. It is motivated by Black Conciousness political ideology and derives most of its support from the Zulu ethnic group in the southeastern KwaZulu-Natal province. In the first non-racial elections in 1994, the IFP won 43 seats -- but its showing dwindled to just 10 seats in the last vote in 2014. - United Democratic Movement - Formed in 1998, its leader is Bantu Holomisa, former leader of the apartheid-era Transkei "independent" homeland -- areas where blacks were moved to separate them from whites. Holomisa is another former ANC member. The UDM's biggest support base is in the Eastern Cape province. Contesting its first election in 1999, the party garnered 3.5 percent of the vote and secured 14 seats in the national assembly. Its support has slipped to just four lawmakers in the outgoing parliament. - GOOD - The Good party was formed just six months ago by Patricia De Lille, a former DA mayor in the city of Cape Town who had split from the DA in an acrimonious row. It could take some of the DA support base in the Western Cape, but its political potential is as yet untested. On Sunday night's Keeping Up With the Kardashians, we got an in-depth look into Kim Kardashian's latest endeavor becoming a lawyer. Just last month, Kardashian revealed that months before her meeting with Donald Trump, in which she lobbied for Alice Marie Johnson's prison sentence to be commuted, she embarked on a four-year apprenticeship with a law firm in San Francisco. On Sunday's episode, we got a peek into just how real of a commitment it is for the reality star. "I'm dealing with my three kids, I'm dealing with my career, the fourth baby coming, and the stress of law school," Kardashin stated. She added, "Just because you do an apprenticeship does not mean that it's anything less. I mean, you have put in 18 hours a week. It is a full commitment. I won't have time for events, for favors, for friends, for literally anything for four years." Other than genuinely wanting to fight for criminal justice reform, Kardashian shared that her interest in criminal law began when her father Robert Kardashian defended O.J. Simpson during Simpson's murder trial. Now, over two decades later, Kim is ready to leave her social life behind for her new career. "I remember in the O.J. case, I would be going through it, and Kourtney would yell at me, like, 'Stop going through all of dad's stuff.' She was so upset," shared Kardashian. "But I think he would be really proud of me. My dad always taught me that hard work is really important, and to really commit to things. So my goal would be, in like ten years, to give up being Kim K and just focus on this and be an attorney and fight for so many deserving people." Kardashian also admitted that, while studying, she "snoozed through contracts," because she "could hardly get through it." However, the reality star-turned-entrepreneur is motivated to achieve her goal. "I'm not afraid to work hard, I'm not afraid to spend the late hours, so I think the timing is actually perfect. It's gonna be really hard, but it's also really important to me to keep this private for a while so I can stay committed and focused," said Kardashian, who concluded, "The best way to change the system is to really know the system. So I'm excited to really take this on and to really focus, 'cause I feel like we can make such a difference." Renowned activist Boniface Mwangi has this morning been arrested. Boniface took to Twitter to reveal the developments, but failed to mention the reason. According to him, the DCI officers sent to take him in did not inform him. I have been arrested by @DCI_Kenya from my house. We are headed to Central Police Station. I haven't been told the reason for my arrest. Boniface Mwangi (@bonifacemwangi) May 6, 2019 The activist was taken to Central Police Station, and were still waiting for more information from those privy. However according to one officer who spoke to Nation, Boniface was arrested for being careless. He has been arrested for being careless, we shall reveal more later, the officer said. This is not Mwangis first blush with the law. He has been in and out of stations in the course of his activism. The last time was in April when he led a group to Central Police Station to demand the release of fellow activist Beatrice Waithera. Reports on social media indicate that statements he may have made concerning a revolution may be behind his arrest. By Aishwarya Venugopal (Reuters) - Kraft Heinz Co will restate financial reports for a near three-year period to fix errors that resulted from lapses in procurement practices by some of its employees, the packaged food company said in a filing on Monday. The company also said it received an additional subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in March, related to the assessment of goodwill and asset impairments and a request for documents associated with the procurement operations. Kraft had disclosed a SEC subpoena in February related to an investigation into its accounting practices and, procurement procedures. Following the subpoena, the company initiated an investigation into the procurement practices. Kraft Heinz said the misstatement was not "quantitatively material" to its financial reports, adding that its investigation was substantially complete and that it would continue to cooperate with the SEC. Along with the subpoena, the company had also announced a $15.4 billion write-down of its Kraft and Oscar Mayer brands in February and Monday's filing revealed that the misstatements would increase the amount by about $13 million. Due to these findings, the company said it would not be able to timely file its quarterly report for the period ended March 30. "While we expect there will be more change, the worst of the uncertainty surrounding financial statements appears to be over," Consumer Edge Research's Jonathan Feeney said. Shares of the company were marginally up at $32.70 in noon trading. Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway Inc is Kraft Heinz's largest shareholder with a 26.7 percent stake, told CNBC after Kraft Heinz disclosed the restatements that the company had his confidence. The misstatements in Kraft's reports for the years 2016, 2017 and the first nine months of 2018 mainly relates to the timing and recognition of supplier contracts in the procurement area. Story continues The investigation and review required adjustments of about $208 million related to the costs of products sold and the findings from the investigation also revealed that there was no misconduct from any member of Kraft Heinz's senior management. Kraft also said it reviewed supplier contracts and found additional misstatements may or may not have resulted from the misconduct tied to its procurement practices. "The company is taking action to improve our policies and procedures and will continue to strengthen our internal financial controls," Kraft Heinz spokesman Michael Mullen said. (Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Sriraj Kalluvila) WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on Congress and the special counsel's Russia probe (all times local): 7:05 p.m. A House committee is poised to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt, the first step in what could be a lengthy, acrimonious court battle between House Democrats and President Donald Trump's administration. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler has scheduled a Wednesday vote to hold Barr in contempt of Congress after the Justice Department declined to provide lawmakers with a full, unredacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russia and the 2016 election. Nadler says Barr's failure to comply with a subpoena leaves the committee with "no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings." __ 2:40 p.m. The Justice Department is proposing a meeting to reach an "acceptable accommodation" with the House Judiciary Committee after the chairman scheduled a vote to hold the attorney general in contempt of Congress for not producing special counsel Robert Mueller's full report. Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd proposed the meeting for Wednesday, the same day as the contempt vote. The Justice Department released a redacted version of Mueller's report on the Russia investigation last month. But House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., issued a subpoena for the full, unredacted report and underlying investigative documents and set a Monday deadline, which the Justice Department did not meet. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec says the agency will "continue to engage in good faith" with the committee. She says Attorney General William Barr has taken "extraordinary steps" to accommodate the committee's requests for information. __ 10:10 a.m. The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee is calling a Democratic effort to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress "illogical and disingenuous." Story continues Georgia Rep. Doug Collins said Democrats "have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general" when their anger actually lies with President Donald Trump and special counsel Robert Mueller. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler on Monday scheduled a vote to hold Barr in contempt after the department failed to hand over a full, unredacted version of Mueller's Trump-Russia report. Nadler said the committee needs the report because it "offers disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels." __ 9:45 a.m. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler has scheduled a Wednesday vote to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for not providing special counsel Robert Mueller's full report. Nadler had given Barr until 9 a.m. Monday to comply with his demand. Now Nadler is proposing to hold Barr in contempt after the Justice Department declined to provide the committee with an unredacted version of Mueller's Russia report. Democrats say they need to see the full report, including underlying materials like interview transcripts, to conduct a complete review of Mueller's findings. Nadler's move escalates tensions between the Democrat-led House and President Donald Trump's administration over Mueller's investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 election and contacts with the Trump campaign. ___ 12:45 a.m. President Donald Trump's turnabout on whether the special counsel should appear before Congress has sparked criticism from Democratic lawmakers. They are eager to question the author of the report on Russia's election interference. Trump had previously said he would leave the question of Robert Mueller testifying to Attorney General William Barr. The attorney general has said he has no objection to Mueller testifying. Not only did Trump in tweets Sunday contend that Mueller's report didn't reveal collusion and that there was no obstruction, he asserted: "Bob Mueller should not testify." RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - At least eight people died when police raided a drug-scarred Rio de Janeiro neighborhood on Monday, amid a sharp jump in police killing of suspected criminals in the state that underlines the tough new security measures favored by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. The raid began around 11 a.m., according to local media reports, and triggered a massive shootout between police and suspected gangsters. TV images showed a police helicopter hovering overhead as the gun battle emptied out local schools, with pupils fleeing through the streets. In a statement, Rio's civil police said the operation was aimed at detaining Thomaz Jhayson Vieira Gomes, known as "3N," a suspected drug baron. "There was resistance from the criminals and eight suspected traffickers were shot and killed in the confrontation," the statement said. "Three others were taken to the police station, including one of 3N's personal security guards and 3N's wife." The number of people in Rio state killed by police hit a quarterly record of 434 during the first three months of 2019, up 18 percent compared with the same period last year. The first-quarter tally was the highest since state records began in 1998, and comes as the number of statewide murders has fallen. Rio Governor Wilson Witzel, who took office on Jan. 1, has urged police to take no prisoners in the battle against drug gangs and even suggested during the campaign using helicopters with snipers to take out gang bosses. Over the weekend, Witzel tweeted a video of himself onboard a police helicopter during a police raid on gangs in the city of Angra dos Reis, south of Rio. Witzel's views echo those of Bolsonaro, a former army captain and federal lawmaker who represented Rio state for nearly 30 years. Bolsonaro has long advocated tough measures to kneecap violent gangs and quickly moved to loosen gun laws after he took office at the start of the year. Nonetheless, his flagship crime-fighting bill languishes in Congress. Violence in Brazil continued its downward march during Bolsonaro's first three months in office. The number of homicides in Brazil, which hit a world record in 2017, fell more than 27 percent compared with the first quarter of 2018, according to preliminary state data compiled by Reuters. The fall in murders is attributed to the growing nationwide dominance of the First Capital Command gang, better state policing methods and the deployment of federal security agents to some of the country's most violent states. (Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter and Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) United Nations (United States) (AFP) - United Nations experts are investigating missile strikes near Libya's capital that were fired likely using Chinese-made drones and point to possible involvement by the United Arab Emirates, a confidential report shows. The April 19-20 missile attack on the southern suburbs of Tripoli was carried out as forces loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar battled to seize the capital from the UN-recognized government. A UN panel of experts said in the report to the Security Council, a copy of which was seen by AFP, that it had examined photographs of missile debris and had identified the weapon as a Blue Arrow air-to-surface missile, which has not been used in Libya before. The Chinese-made missile is only in use in three countries -- China, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates -- and is paired with the Chinese-made Wing Loong drone. "Probable use of Wing Loong UAV variants by the LNA, or by a third party in support of the LNA," -- Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army -- is under investigation by the panel, according to the report sent to the council Thursday. The panel added that it was "almost certain" that the missiles were not directly supplied by the manufacturer or by China to Libya. It has written to China to request information that could help identify the suppliers. The experts said the use of the drones was "likely a recent non-compliance of the arms embargo as the weapon system reported on has not been identified in Libya before," the report said. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are seen as key supporters of Haftar, praising his battlefield successes against the Islamic State group and other extremists in Libya. - No foreign interference - On Monday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres renewed his call for a ceasefire and for an end "to foreign interference to allow Libyans to be able to once again come together" to find a political solution. Story continues Haftar launched his offensive to seize Tripoli on April 4, but his push appears to have stalled after militias backing the government in Tripoli put up strong resistance. The Security Council remains divided over how to respond to the upsurge in fighting, with Russia refusing to condemn Haftar and the United States re-thinking its strategy. The panel presented an interim report after a key expert, Tunisian-German national Moncef Kartas, was arrested in Tunisia on suspicion of spying for unnamed "foreign parties." Kartas, who was looking into illegal arms shipments to Libya in violation of the embargo, was arrested on March 26, less than 10 days before Haftar launched his offensive. The arms embargo was imposed on Libya in 2011 as the country descended into chaos that led to the overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Tripoli (AFP) - Libya's internationally recognised government said Monday its head Fayez al-Sarraj will tour Europe to seek support against an attack on Tripoli by strongman Khalifa Haftar, who urged his troops to "wipe out" government forces. Sarraj, who heads the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, will on Tuesday start a series of meetings with the leaders of Italy, Germany, France and possibly Britain, the foreign ministry said. The visit to France - where Sarraj's government said he would meet President Emmanuel Macron -- comes after the GNA repeatedly accused Paris of politically backing the assault which Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) launched on Tripoli on April 4. The offensive to oust the GNA from the capital has set off another deadly escalation in a country mired in violence since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Ahead of Sarraj's tour, Haftar urged his troops to "wipe out the enemy", in a message read out by LNA spokesman General Ahmad al-Mesmari late Sunday. "Officers and soldiers of our armed forces and affiliates, I greet you during these glorious days and call on you to inflict on the enemy, with your force and determination, an even harder and bigger lesson than before," the message said. Forces backing the GNA recently launched a counter-offensive against the LNA, leading to a stalemate on the southern outskirts of the capital. Haftar also vowed that "in the event of a retreat by the enemy, troops should pursue it with speed and force, prevent it from fleeing and wipe it out" with support from LNA air forces. "Respect the lives of citizens and their goods," the message added. "Carry out the orders of this letter and those of your superiors." Haftar's remarks came just hours after the United Nations mission in Libya (UNSMIL) called for "an extendable one-week humanitarian truce" starting at 4:00 am (0200 GMT) Monday, to mark the beginning of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. Story continues - Diplomatic offensive - Sarraj hopes to "gather support against the aggression" by Haftar, the GNA foreign ministry in Tripoli said. He will hold talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Rome on Tuesday morning before travelling to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel, it said. He will meet Macron in Paris on Wednesday, a statement said, while a visit to London is also being considered. Britain has pushed for a resolution at the UN Security Council demanding a ceasefire in Libya but its efforts have foundered amid divisions at the world body, namely opposition from Russia and the United States. Italy, Libya's former colonial power, is a key backer of the GNA and has echoed calls by Merkel for a "unified" European position and a political solution to resolve the crisis. But there is anger in Tripoli over perceived French backing for Haftar and Libyans have taken to the streets of Tripoli accusing Paris of double dealing. France denies the accusations. Last month Sarraj told French daily Liberation: "We are surprised that France does not support our government that is democratic, but supports a dictator." Haftar is backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates while the GNA's status with world powers is increasingly shaky. US President Donald Trump, in a phone call with the military strongman last month, "recognised Field Marshal Haftar's significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya's oil resources", the White House said. Russia has said it is not taking sides in the fighting in Libya but behind the scenes, experts have said, Moscow is firmly backing Haftar. Since April 4, fighting between the LNA and forces backing the GNA has killed at least 432 people, wounded 2,069 and displaced some 55,000 others, according to the UN. At home, Libya's 188-seat parliament on Sunday came a step closer to splintering. A group of 42 dissident lawmakers selected a "provisional" speaker, in opposition to the current speaker Aguila Salah, who is aligned with Haftar. The dissident lawmakers last week met in Tripoli, where they declared the war "unjustified" and on Sunday named Sadeq al-Keheli, their most senior member, as "interim" speaker for a 45-day period. TUCSON The space the Kino Events Center occupies once was a local YMCA, which closed about two years ago. A mural of brightly colored children's faces overlooks its spacious gymnasium. The court is lined with numbered green cots, 119 total, provided by the Salvation Army. Each has a towel neatly folded on top. All are empty at the moment, but that could change at a moment's notice, and so the shelter remains open and fully staffed just in case. The number of asylum-seeking families that federal officials are releasing in Tucson has been fluctuating greatly. In the past few weeks, they've overwhelmed the city's existing network of permanent and temporary shelters run by area nonprofits. As a result, Tucson and Pima County officials were forced to open temporary shelters to house an overflow of families arriving to the city. Those are among the latest examples of local governments along the U.S.-Mexico border stepping in to fill a void in order to address an issue they considered to be the responsibility of the federal government. "We've got a broken federal policy. I don't think that's a secret to anybody," Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said. Roy Rodriguez, the city manager of McAllen, Texas, put it more bluntly. "We need the federal government to take over this operation," he said. As nonprofits struggle to house and care for the number of families released border-wide, city, county and even state governments are starting to take a greater, more direct role in the humanitarian response to their arrival in their communities. But the involvement of local governments at the U.S.-Mexico border has varied from state to state. It ranges from a coordinating role in cities such as San Diego, to more proactive efforts in cities like McAllen or Las Cruces, New Mexico. Las Cruces recently set aside $500,000 to help care for migrant families, the most of any local government. But the move was met with immediate backlash from angry residents, illustrating the challenges and balancing act many of these border communities must face: how to cope with the sustained release of migrant families in their area, while providing some much-needed relief and assistance to overstretched nonprofits bearing the brunt of the humanitarian response. Story continues 'Little choice but to take a leading role' In the past five months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has released 153,000 migrants traveling as families into border communities in the U.S. That doesn't include thousands of other families that Border Patrol has been releasing directly in Texas and Arizona. South Texas has had the largest numbers of families released to date. According to its statistics, ICE has released 62,200 migrants in five months in this area. In mid-March, Border Patrol officials in the Rio Grande Valley also began directly releasing migrants. McAllen is the main transportation hub, with the only migrant shelter in the region. For the past month, border officials there have been releasing up to 1,000 migrants each day. McAllen has had little choice but to take a leading role, working directly with nonprofit groups and spending thousands of its taxpayer dollars along the way. The city owns the bus station where migrants are dropped off and has been transporting the migrants on charter buses to and from the station to the migrant shelter, run by Catholic Charities, at the cost of between $750 to $1,250 per day, according to invoices provided by the city. That's on top of several full-time city employees assigned to the site around the clock. Those employees include an incident commander, traffic control, police officers and even a fire watch inspector, Rodriguez, the McAllen city manager, said. Their response carries a hefty price tag. "We've got a tally going, but I couldn't give you a number right now," Rodriguez said. "I can tell you that easily it's $1,500 a day, so we're looking looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of $45,000 to $50,000 a month." So far the city has been able to handle the expenses because they're in a strong financial position, he added. But that doesn't mean they should. And they're learning from past experience to avoid footing the entire bill. During a surge in the arrival of thousands of unaccompanied minors that started in 2014, Rodriguez said the city submitted $580,000 in reimbursements to the federal government. They ended up getting back only $140,000. This time, they're not waiting to ask for reimbursement. "We are talking to our congressman now, we're talking to our U.S. senators now, about what were experiencing because we don't want anybody to be surprised," Rodriguez said. "We're hoping that they provide in their budget money for reimbursement that is more readily available than they were at that time." 'A demand on our resources' Along other parts of the border, such as El Paso, the city and county governments are coordinating closely, but still working mainly with local nonprofits, to cope with the release of migrant families in the area. Ruben Garcia, the director of the Annunciation House, a faith-based group that runs a shelter in El Paso, said border officials have also been releasing about 1,000 migrants here each day. As in McAllen, this includes migrant families released by ICE as well as Border Patrol. Last week, Annunciation House opened a new 125,000 square foot, 500-bed shelter inside a former warehouse. It has the capacity to house up to 1,500 migrants if needed, Garcia added. Dee Margo, the mayor of El Paso, said the city helped find the former warehouse. They've also helped with transportation needs, especially for migrants dropped off at bus stations. But they've had limited options financially so far, he added. Earlier this year, the municipal and county governments allocated $20,000 each, which will be matched by nonprofits, to fund a volunteer coordinator position to help the Annunciation House. "That's the extent of the real dollar value that I can quantify," he said. "The rest of it, we're still trying to figure out what have we spending for this, and I don't have a definitive number." Betsy Keller, the chief administrator for El Paso County, said county officials have stepped in to help Annunciation House with meals or transportation needs at times when its resources have been maxed out. There's concern that if the release of migrant families continues this way for sustained periods, donors and volunteers could eventually dry up, leaving local governments to fill the gap. "It's definitely a demand on our resources and our community," Keller said. "And while El Paso is a very generous and responsive community, it's definitely something that we'll have to address ... and come up with a plan to be responsive in a longer term sense." California government pledged $5 million While all border communities have struggled with the release of migrant families, cities along the Arizona and Texas borders have had little support from their state governments. That's not the case in California, where the state has pledged $5 million in immediate emergency funding this year to boost nonprofits working with newly released families. "The state from the very beginning was there, and to this day, the state is the most significant funder," said Michael Hopkins, the CEO for Jewish Family Service, which operates the main migrant shelter in San Diego. They've helped about 12,000 migrants since October. They sent down a team of staff," he added. "Early in the days, there were upwards of 15 state workers who helped us run the shelter." To date, Jewish Family Services and the San Diego Rapid Response Network, a collective of migrant aid nonprofits in southern California, have already received $2.5 million. And they could get up to $7 million more in the next fiscal year's budget, Hopkins said. California's support has lessened the burden on local governments, although they're still actively involved in the response. In January, after nonprofits struggled to find a place to house large numbers of migrants, San Diego County supervisors voted to lease an unused county court building to them until December for $1. The San Diego mayor's office helped coordinate weekly meetings to get things going. That has eventually turned into a formal working group that meets on a monthly basis. "All of this came together because we sat down, talked about what the needs were for the region, and what areas were all responsible for or fall within our jurisdiction, even though immigration falls outside any of our jurisdiction," said Denice Garcia, San Diego's director for international affairs. City and county health departments in San Diego and other areas along the border are working with nonprofits to provide health services and screenings to newly released migrants, including vaccinations, to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. For example, county officials have done more than 9,800 health screenings in San Diego since late December, leading to more than 1,000 diagnoses. The two most common were lice and scabies, according to information provided by San Diego County's Health and Human Services Agency. Dr. Francisco Garcia, Pima County's assistant county administrator for health services, said the kind of issues they see with migrant families are what they typically would see in other young populations. He blasted Border Patrol officials in Yuma for erroneously claiming earlier this month that an 8-year-old Guatemalan girl had measles, raising concern nationwide. The agency released a correction a few hours later saying the girl had strep throat, not measles. "There has not been a single case of measles that I'm aware of since I've been tracking this that has crossed the southern border," Garcia said. "Yes, we've had chickenpox and chickenpox is not a vaccine. Varicella is not a vaccine that is commonly used in the developing world, so I'm not surprised that we've had cases of chickenpox," he said. "By and large, these people are relatively well." Push back from community residents The financial investments made by city, county and state governments are not without criticism, especially given the contentious nature of the topic and the polarity in the debate over immigration. On April 25, the Las Cruces City Council unanimously passed a resolution setting aside $500,000 to help the city pay for overtime and other expenses related to its response to the migrant family releases. That's in addition to $75,000 the council allocated the week before to area nonprofits housing the migrants dropped off in Las Cruces. "This is an issue that the federal government put on our lap," Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima said. "We either deal with it in a humane and prudent manner ... (because) you don't want them dropped off at 2 o'clock in the morning and wandering around the streets." The special meeting reflected the opposition Las Cruces and other border communities are facing and will continue to face as they weigh allocating additional resources and funds to help migrant families. Mayor Ken Miyagishima delivers his annual "State of the City" address on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. One after one, several Las Cruces residents angrily denounced the council's intent to set aside that money. Residents like Cornelio Martinez, who moved there four years ago, urged the council to instead spend the $500,000 on services and programs for the homeless, for veterans, and local residents. "It's unbelievable what you guys are doing. You think you're doing good. I'm a veteran. These people are invading my country that I fought for," he said as several attendees applauded. "How can you allow this?" Miyagishima downplayed the idea that the city was using taxpayer money on migrant families, insisting that the $500,000 came from funds a private company paid the city for leasing a medical center. However, even residents who expressed more sympathy for the migrant families said they had concerns that the city's response to help migrant families would overburden emergency services and first-responders should another emergency situation develop. "I'm elated that you are so prepared to handle an emergency like this," lifelong resident Dolores Lucero said. "I hope that you can work that quickly with the rest of the community when they need your services that fast, because it doesn't happen. You don't act that fast in other situations." Rodriguez, McAllen's city manager, said he understood the concerns and fatigue local residents have about spending taxpayer money to help migrant families. "I dont blame them these are their tax dollars," he said. "Having said, Im going to tell you something else: We dont intend to stop doing what were doing as long as weve got people transported to McAllen." Garcia, with the city of San Diego, said officials will continue monitoring the release of migrant families along the border and adapt their strategy as needed. She emphasized the need for nonprofits and local governments to continue working together. But she said they cannot and should not have to go at it alone. We realize that this is a federal government issue, and we need the federal government to provide resources to help these families," she said. Read more: Download the USA TODAY app This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Local governments at U.S. border weigh using taxpayer funds to help migrant families Desmond Otieno Owino alias Wamama needs no introduction. The online comedian commands a huge following on Facebook thanks to his immense popularity in the Kilimani Mums group. The King of Wamama opens up about his fame, childhood, his admirers, and his plans for the future. Whats with all these nicknames and do you even remember all of them? My official name is Desmond Otieno Owino. But I call myself Mfalme Tajiri Mkuu on social media because Ive always had the desire to become a very rich manand a king too! I have other nicknames: Pastor because I loved praying; and Owino Mawe which I was given by locals in Korogocho due to my dads nature of work. He used to sell stones to women, so he was nicknamed Owino Mawe, and we shared the nickname. Would you say your childhood was good? Well, it was normal. I was born in 1988 at Korogocho in a family of nine six boys and three girls. Im the second-born. I went to St Valentines Secondary School after finishing my primary education at Korogocho Primary School. I attained a D minus, but I still wanted to join university to study political science because I always wanted to rule. However, since I lacked school fees, I resorted to ferrying luggage for businesspeople at Korogocho market. In 2014, I got an opportunity to work in Oman. I had applied for jobs in the Middle East for three years with no success. So, when this opportunity came, I was elated. How was life there? My designated job at the time was to work as a cook, but things changed when I arrived in that country. I had no teeth so I was instead reassigned to clean toilets at night. I was being paid Sh10,000 per month. Cleaning toilets? Imagine! I felt so bad when I was assigned this job. It was disgusting. Guys there dont flush toilets and so you can imagine how bad the situation was. I was stressed and lonely, since I had no one to talk to. To stay sane and relieve stress, I posted photos and videos online and the feedback I received was overwhelming. Did that make you feel better? Oh yes! I realised that many people were happy when they watched the funny videos and photos. So, I made it a routine of going Live on Facebook every day and shared how my day was. Guys would laugh and this made me very happy. Then you joined the famous Kilimani Mums group I first started with the group, Kenyans in Gulf, then I joined Kenyans in Majuu before I discovered Kilimani Mums. This is where I was given the name Wamama because it was my intro signature in the group. I always address everyone in Kilimani Mums as wamama. Lets talk about your nudes and love of posting half-naked videos. I think it all started when my nudes were leaked by a woman I was dating online. She demanded I send her Sh50,000 or she would unleash my nude photos. Before I could even send her the money, she posted the photos online. Thats why I decided to entertain people with half-nude photos and videos. Thank God most of my family members are not on Facebook, so they didnt see them. You mentioned that you have received many marriage proposals. Yes. The women in Kilimani Mums Facebook group have seriously fallen in love with me, especially now that Ive become popular. My inbox is always full. So many have asked me to marry them and even visit their homes. However, I am a principled man and I dont want to land in any trouble. I am glad for the love my fans show me. A well-wisher went the extra mile of even fixing my teeth. I can now smile confidently. What are your ambitions? Im planning to set up a shop for women products then I marry one of the wamamas because theyre the people who have made me famous. I must always stay closer to them. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! How far off is Jain Irrigation Systems Limited (NSE:JISLJALEQS) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. I will be using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Jain Irrigation Systems The calculation We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow are will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 Levered FCF (, Millions) 2.08k 4.21k 5.37k 6.40k 7.41k 8.39k 9.36k 10.33k 11.31k 12.32k Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 19.21% Est @ 15.71% Est @ 13.26% Est @ 11.55% Est @ 10.35% Est @ 9.51% Est @ 8.92% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 24.02% 1.67k 2.74k 2.82k 2.71k 2.53k 2.31k 2.07k 1.85k 1.63k 1.43k Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF)= 21.75b Story continues "Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the intial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 10-year government bond rate of 7.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 24%. Terminal Value (TV) = FCF 2029 (1 + g) (r g) = 12b (1 + 7.6%) (24% 7.6%) = 80b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV) = TV / (1 + r)10 = 80b ( 1 + 24%)10 = 9.35b The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is 31.09b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. This results in an intrinsic value estimate of 60.24. Relative to the current share price of 52.25, the company appears about fair value at a 13% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. NSEI:JISLJALEQS Intrinsic value, May 6th 2019 Important assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Jain Irrigation Systems as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 24%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.915. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Next Steps: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it shouldnt be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Jain Irrigation Systems, I've put together three further factors you should further examine: Financial Health: Does JISLJALEQS have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does JISLJALEQS's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Are there other high quality stocks you could be holding instead of JISLJALEQS? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every IN stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. 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. It's official: Rodeo is being renamed Obama. OK, it's not the world famous Rodeo Drive of Beverly Hills, but Los Angeles has approved a move to rename Rodeo Road of the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw area for former President Barack Obama, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced in a tweet Tuesday. "Were thrilled that Angelenos and visitors will forever be reminded of the legacy of President @BarackObama when traveling across L.A.," Garcetti tweeted, after the city council voted in favor of naming the road Obama Blvd. The 3.5-mile road runs through a predominantly African-American residential area and past Rancho Cienega Park, where Obama held a campaign rally on Feb. 20, 2007, in his historic campaign to the White House. Its official: our City Council has voted to rename Rodeo Road to Obama Boulevard! Were thrilled that Angelenos and visitors will forever be reminded of the legacy of President @BarackObama when traveling across L.A. pic.twitter.com/gnVNgBgndn Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) August 29, 2018 L.A. City Councilman Herb Wesson, who proposed the name change in June 2017, noted that the proposal was approved on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. Tuesday was also the anniversary of the day Obama became the first African-American presidential candidate for a major political party in 2008. Also #OTD in 2008, @BarackObama became the first African-American presidential nominee from a major political party. Today our council gave final approval to our motion to rename Rodeo Road to Obama Boulevard. Proud to take this next step on a day that meant so much to so many. pic.twitter.com/fpGqikmQtD L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson (@HerbJWesson) August 28, 2018 The Los Angeles Times noted that Rodeo Road was not the first stretch of L.A. asphalt to be named in honor of the 44th president. In 2017, the California legislature passed a resolution renaming a portion of the 134 Freeway after Obama. Then-Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama reaches to shake the hands of supporters after his first campaign rally in Los Angeles, on Feb. 20, 2007. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles approves changing name of Rodeo Road to Obama Boulevard This post first appeared in Frank Chaparros weekly column Mad Crypto, which is sent to Genesis subscribers inbox every Monday morning. Last week Mad Crypto explored how crypto traders in Asia dont give a hoot about recent developments out of Tether, the stable coin associated with Bitfinex, the cryptocurrency exchange that has come under fire by state and federal regulators. Tethers provide a way for high-speed traders to move in and out of their digital asset positions without having to go through the hassle of dealing with actual U.S. dollars, euros, or yen. Since last Monday, weve learned: Bitfinex revealed that Tether is only 74% backed by cash, saying it is simultaneously addressing requests from multiple agencies, including the New York Attorneys Office, DOJ, and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission Bitfinex plans to raised $1 billion in an initial exchange offering to cover the $850 million it had locked up by its payments processor Crypto Capital Speaking of Crypto Capital, the U.S. Join Genesis now and continue reading, Mad Crypto: Max Boonen, CEO of B2C2, weighs in on Tether news! By Elizabeth Dilts and Rozanna Latiff (Reuters) - Former Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker Roger Ng pleaded not guilty to criminal charges linked to a multibillion-dollar scandal at the Malaysian state investment fund 1MDB in an appearance at federal court in New York on Monday. The U.S. Department of Justice accused 46-year-old Ng last year of conspiring to launder money and bribe government officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi through bond offerings that Goldman Sachs handled. He was extradited on May 3 to New York from Kuala Lumpur, where he had been jailed since November. U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo, of U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York, allowed Ng, a Philippines citizen, to be released in exchange for a $20 million bond. He was fitted for an ankle bracelet, and will be staying at an undisclosed location in the New York City area that the court approved. His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said he convinced Ng to "come to the U.S. and face the music" because it was evident that prosecutors were not going to drop the case, and his client had become very ill. Ng appears to have lost weight, based on photos of him before his arrest. "He was in a very difficult situation," Agnifilo told reporters. Being detained in New York "is better than a Malaysian jail," he added. Ng, who left Goldman Sachs in 2014, faces up to 30 years in prison if he is convicted of the three charges against him in the United States, based on alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Prosecutors and Ng's lawyer are trying to negotiate a plea bargain. Government lawyers said they hope to avoid a trial by reaching a deal, though Agnifilo said it was too early to tell. Malaysia's home minister wanted Ng to face criminal charges there first, but agreed to temporarily surrender him to the United States for 10 months, Malaysia's attorney general, Tommy Thomas, said in a statement. "The period of temporary surrender may be extended upon mutual agreement by Malaysia and the U.S.," Thomas added. The 1MDB case has shaken Goldman Sachs, which is also being probed by the Justice Department for its role as underwriter and arranger for some $6.5 billion worth of 1MDB bond offerings. Prosecutors estimate that high-level 1MDB fund officials and their associates misappropriated $4.5 billion between 2009 and 2014, including some of the funds that Goldman Sachs helped raise. Goldman Sachs has consistently denied wrongdoing and said certain members of the former Malaysian government and 1MDB lied to it about how the bond proceeds would be used. Ng was charged in Kuala Lumpur with four counts of abetting the bank to provide misleading statements in the offering prospectus for 1MDB bond sales. Tim Leissner, another former Goldman Sachs banker, and Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho have also been charged in the United States over 1MDB. Leissner has pleaded guilty. In a statement, Low's spokesman Paul Caminiti criticized the Malaysian government for "inhumane prison conditions" and called its motivation with the United States politically motivated. Low, whose whereabouts are unknown, has consistently denied wrongdoing through spokesmen. Malaysia has said it was seeking up to $7.5 billion in reparations from Goldman over its dealings with 1MDB, set up in 2009 by then-Prime Minister Najib Razak. Najib, who lost a general election last year, is facing 42 criminal charges related to losses at 1MDB and other state entities. He has pleaded not guilty. (Reporting by Elizabeth Dilts in Brooklyn, New York, and Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur; writing by Lauren Tara LaCapra; editing by Phil Berlowitz and Leslie Adler) MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) A New York man pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges in Montana that he lied to authorities about discussions he had about joining ISIS and attacking random people to avenge shootings at two New Zealand mosques. Fabjan Alameti also pleaded not guilty to a firearm charge during his arraignment Monday in U.S. District Court in Missoula. The charges carry a combined maximum penalty of 18 years in prison $500,000 in fines if he is convicted. Alameti, 21, is being held in Missoula County jail. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah Lynch scheduled a hearing next week on whether he should continue to be detained. Authorities said Alameti used electronic communications to tell others, including an informant working for the FBI, that he wanted to fight for ISIS overseas, that he was willing to carry out an attack in the U.S. and that he wanted revenge for Muslims killed in New Zealand. Alameti was traveling to Montana by bus on March 15 when a gunman killed 50 people in Christchurch. Alameti told the informant that he would, "attack random people to avenge the blood," FBI Special Agent Matthew Duermeier said in a sworn statement to the court. Alameti said he was traveling from New York to Montana where it was easier to buy a gun, an indictment filed earlier this month said. Alameti told an FBI agent that he never made those comments, prompting the charge of making false statements to a federal officer in a matter involving terrorism, according to the indictment. Alameti spoke with an informant about plotting an attack in the U.S. against a military facility, government building, gay club or Jewish temple, according to Duermeier. But Alameti later said he would not carry out an attack on U.S. soil because the country had granted him citizenship, and that he moved from his home in the Bronx to Bozeman because he was having family issues and he had a job interview in Montana, according to the FBI agent's statement. Alameti was born in Albania. He was arrested last month after showing up at a Bozeman firing range and paying $35 to rent an M1A rifle. Authorities said he was under the influence of marijuana at the range, which led to a charge of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. The number of confirmed U.S. measles cases this year has climbed to 764, more than double the number a year ago and the highest total in 25 years, federal health officials announced Monday. Sixty additional cases were reported last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Most of those were in New York City and its suburbs. Pennsylvania became the 23rd state where measles cases have been confirmed. Ogbonnaya Omenka, an associate professor and public health specialist at Butler University, found some encouraging news in the report. He noted that the number of cases rose about the same in the past two weeks, less than previous gains. But authorities dare not get complacent, he said. More: Do 'the right thing': People who can't get vaccinated during a measles outbreak rely on the healthy "This outbreak is an indication that the traditional methods of addressing measles outbreaks in the United States may not suffice any longer," Omenka told USA TODAY. "Public health authorities need to quickly recognize this and adapt accordingly." New York has been a focal point for the disease. State health officials announced Monday that 253 cases have been confirmed outside New York City, most of them in suburban Rockland County. More than 400 cases have been reported in Brooklyn and Queens since October. The city mandated vaccinations in some areas under threat of a $1,000 fine. More than 1,000 students and staff members at two Los Angeles universities were quarantined on campus or sent home this week in one of the most sweeping efforts yet by public health authorities to contain the spread of measles in the US. (April 26) Measles was declared eliminated in 2000 but has made a comeback in part because of a movement against vaccination in the USA. The disease is brought into the country by travelers from Israel, Ukraine and the Philippines, where there have been large measles outbreaks, the CDC said. Authorities in Curacao said Monday that 318 people aboard a Church of Scientology ship docked on the Dutch Caribbean island will remain quarantined until officials determine how many are infected with measles, The Associated Press reported. The 440-foot Freewinds ship was previously quarantined in St. Lucia after a female crew member was diagnosed. Story continues More: Number of measles cases in the USA reach 704, the highest point this century Primary symptoms of the disease include fever, runny nose, cough and a rash that can spread across the entire body, the CDC said. Some people can develop pneumonia, swelling of the brain or other serious symptoms. Measles can cause men to become sterile and pregnant women to deliver prematurely. The disease is highly contagious, but the vaccination is 97% effective, the CDC says. In New York, city health officials said the initial child with measles was unvaccinated and acquired measles on a visit to Israel. Since then, there have been people from Brooklyn and Queens who were unvaccinated and acquired measles while in Israel. People who did not travel were also infected in Brooklyn or Rockland County, health officials said. New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said last month the outbreak was "driven by a small group of anti-vaxxers" in the targeted neighborhoods. More: What are states doing about measles? "They have been spreading dangerous misinformation based on fake science, she said. We stand with the majority of people in this community who have worked hard to protect their children and those at risk." Other states reporting cases include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee and Washington. "Infectious diseases are a part of population health issues, and all we can do really is contain each one as much as possible," Omenka said. "Even when eradicated, there is no guarantee against an infectious agents return." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Measles cases continue record climb, reaching 764 in 23 states Its a bizarre thing to even be talking of in 2019, but a cabinet minister in the UK recently ordered plans drawn up to invade several African countries, including Kenya. Prime Minister Theresa May last week fired her Defense minister, Gavin Williamson, for leaking confidential cabinet decisions. He was accused of leaking Mays plan to allow Chinese telecoms giant Huawei to supply Britains 5G equipment. This was in the midst of great opposition by the United States. According to the Sunday Times, the minister had also urged May to approve a request to send Royal Navy warships into Chinese waters. This would have led to a very awkward confrontation with the Chinese, with the potential of escalating. The Defense minister is said to have said f*** the prime minister, a statement that reached Downing Street. As if thats not enough, the Sunday Times reported that that Gavin Williamson drew up plans for the armed forces to invade at least 5 African countries. These included Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt and Zimbabwe. The plans were apparently for peacekeeping initiatives, but the said countries are not known to require any of that. The leaked National Security Document seen by the newspaper said that Williamson wanted to find excuses to send troops. He wanted to invade Africa He made it clear that he was keen to send the troops in. It is unclear how a warmonger was put in charge of such a sensitive docket, but the Prime Minister put a stop to it last week. Williamson however denied all the accusations from leaking secrets to planning to invade Africa. He accused Mays camp of a smear campaign. Of course no one has ever suggested it. Classic PM/Sedwill smear because they dont have any evidence. London (AFP) - Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, once struggled for roles but the former actress has taken centre stage in one of the world's biggest shows, giving birth to a boy who is seventh in line to the British throne. Amid enduring global fascination in the country's royal family, Prince Harry's 37-year-old wife has appeared determined to do things her own way, including the birth of her first child. They showed their newborn baby to the public on Wednesday at Windsor Castle, where they tied the knot last May. Since marrying Harry, Meghan has quickly had to get used to the strictures and criticism that comes with the monarchy. It is a long way from her former life as a television star. Meghan made her name as savvy paralegal Rachel Zane in the US legal drama series "Suits", but cultivated a high profile for herself outside the show. She became a United Nations advocate for women's empowerment and a global ambassador for the World Vision Canada relief agency. The Los Angeles-born actress had more than two million followers on her now-closed personal Instagram account and ran a successful lifestyle blog, The Tig. Meghan was also revealed as the anonymous blogger behind The Working Actress, which chronicled the struggles of hustling for parts in Hollywood. "She's very focused and someone who has been very ambitious," said royal writer Andrew Morton, who has penned a biography of Meghan. "Her great phrase is 'make the change'," he told AFP. - Ancestors royals and slaves - Rachel Meghan Markle was born on August 4, 1981 to Thomas Markle, a white, Emmy Award-winning television lighting director who worked on top US shows like "Married With Children", and Doria Ragland, a black social worker and yoga instructor. On her mother's side, her ancestors were slaves on cotton plantations in Georgia. Her mother's surname is taken from a slave owner. Meghan's parents split when she was two and divorced five years later. She is now estranged from her father and his other children, her older half-sister and half-brother. Story continues Meanwhile her father set himself up for staged paparazzi photos which backfired, then suffered chest pains and needed heart surgery, causing him to miss her big day. The leaking to the press of a handwritten letter from Meghan pleading with him to stop serially leaking to journalists seems to have done irreparable damage to their relationship. His actions had, it said, already "broken my heart into a million pieces". Meghan went to a private Catholic girls' school where she was remembered for her strong sense of right and wrong. Aged 11, her letter-writing campaign got the consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble to change a washing-up commercial, referring to people rather than just women. Determined to give herself options, she studied theatre and international relations at Northwestern University. The future duchess graduated in 2003, after which she landed a six-week internship as a press officer at the US embassy in Argentina. - 'Suits' springboard - Returning to Los Angeles, in 2004 she fell in love with go-getting film producer Trevor Engelson, who helped her get on the acting ladder as she struggled for bit parts. They married in Jamaica in 2011. Soon after their engagement, Meghan had landed her signature role in "Suits". While she filmed in Toronto, her relationship with her then husband became a long-distance one. A series of flops followed for Engelson while the struggling actress became a star, and the marriage collapsed in 2013. Through a mutual friend, she met Queen Elizabeth II's grandson Harry in July 2016 while visiting London. Their romance quickly blossomed on a whirlwind camping trip to Botswana. After their engagement was announced in November 2017, Markle immediately began accompanying Harry on public events, with a focus on women, youth empowerment and the Commonwealth. Since their glittering wedding, seen as a moment of renewal for the royal family, media coverage had become increasingly negative. Reports have appeared of a rift with her sister-in-law Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, of her staff quitting in droves, Meghan pushing her weight around and a "Me-Gain" nickname emerging. The vastly expensive, celebrity-laden New York baby shower also attracted criticism. Surviving in the royal spotlight may be her toughest role yet. Microsoft's (MSFT) productivity line has always been known for Office, the collection of programs you've used, or fumbled with, since junior high. But the future of the company's all-important suite of workplace software will run through its Teams apps. Teams is Microsoft's enterprise chat app that lets you collaborate with your colleagues via text, voice, and video, and, perhaps most importantly, waste time sending .Gifs and links to "Florida Man" articles. The company is putting a great deal of effort into making Teams the centerpiece around which its Office 365 enterprise productivity software revolves. But it's also up against one of the hottest tech companies in Silicon Valley: Slack. Going all in on Teams Microsoft's Teams is just two years old, but it's already catching up to Slack, which launched in 2015, in terms of the number of companies that use the service. Raanah Amjadi, senior product marketer for Teams, says the chat platform is currently used by 500,000 organizations, including 91 Fortune 100 companies. And 150 of those companies have 10,000 or more employees. Slack, which debuted in 2015, and is preparing for its upcoming IPO, announced that it has 600,000 customer companies via its S1 filing. The company is valued at as much as $17 billion based on private share sales ahead of its IPO. In its last round of fundraising in August 2018, Slack's value was pegged at $7 billion. The company's following among millennial users and startups is a major reason for its growth. It's seen as the cool, fun messaging app that every worker wanted thanks to its ability to use .Gifs and custom emojis. Of course, it's also an impressive workplace communication tool that lets workers chat with individuals and groups. To counter Slack's slick, millennial-centric branding, Microsoft is putting all of its weight behind Teams. That includes deep integration with its Office suite, as well as third-party apps ranging from Adobe (ADBE) Sign to Zoom (ZM) and dozens of others. Story continues Microsoft is positioning Teams as the future of its Office suite, and a Slack killer. (Image: Microsoft) But it's Microsoft's Office capabilities that set it apart from Slack. While you can do things like preview documents in Slack, you still need to open a secondary app to edit them. So if your coworker sends you a preview of a document in Google Docs, you'd still need to open the Google (GOOG, GOOGL) Docs app to edit the document. With Teams, you can create, open, and edit Office files from within the Teams app itself. What's more, you can access video chat features, Outlook, and a host of other options from within the app. Team's growth During a briefing at Microsoft's headquarters on May 1, representatives for the company showed me a number of upcoming features for Teams including live captioning and subtitles, a slick whiteboard offering, 9-person video chat (kind of like a "Brady Bunch"-style chat) and more. The whiteboard feature in particular is interesting, as it lets people on video calls see a virtual version of a white board in a meeting room, as your in-person colleagues write on it. It's a nifty trick that sees a camera focus on the whiteboard and resize so that it fits on your screen. Software blocks out people, while highlighting anything on the board. The live captioning and subtitles feature will prove helpful for individuals with hearing difficulties, while the 9-person video chat feature should let you coordinate with colleagues from across the world with ease. But it also means that you won't be able to doze off while on a video call since everyone will see you now. A large part of Microsoft's Teams push ties back to what the company calls the Microsoft Graph. The Graph is essentially a point at which all of Microsoft's services interconnect, allowing users to bring their information from one app to the next. If, for instance, you open a document in Excel, and then jump to Teams, that same Excel document will be available as your most recently opened document. Headwinds for Teams Microsoft's Teams is built into Office 365, which means it has a built-in user base. But there's more competition than Slack in the collaboration software market. "There are also other options, like Workplace by Facebook (FB), Salesforce bought Quip and is building that out, and you've got Dropbox (DBX) with Paper, so there is an embarrassment of riches in the market for collaboration," explained Gartner analyst Mike Gotta. According to Gotta, Slack is seeing a lot of success in areas like DevOps and ChatOps, and it does very well with integration with Workday (WDAY), SAP (SAP), Oracle (ORCL) and Salesforce (CRM), areas where Microsoft historically put in as much of an effort. And while Microsoft's Office integration is strong, Slack still works with more apps. What's more, Gotta says, the collaboration isn't a winner-take-all marketplace. "There is an embarrassment of riches in the market for collaboration," he said. "It's a fragmented market, and people are making decisions based on use cases, and that's leading to a proliferation of multiple tools in the same organization, and that's the challenge because a single vendor can't solve all of my problems." For Microsoft, Teams is the future, but it will have to pull out all the stops to compete in this growing market. More from Dan: Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@oath.com; follow him on Twitter at@DanielHowley. Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, andLinkedIn.finance.yahoo.com/ Maputo (AFP) - Suspected Islamists have killed seven people in northern Mozambique in weekend attacks, threatening aid to victims of Cyclone Kenneth and paralysing ongoing voter registration for October elections, local sources said on Monday. Islamist fighters have terrorised remote communities in Mozambique's gas-rich, Muslim-majority Cabo Delgado region since October 2017, killing around 200 people and forcing thousands from their homes. Between Friday and Sunday at least four separate villages were attacked in northern Cabo Delgado, local sources said. "Armed men invaded the district of Meluco, specifically the village of Minhanha, killed three people, and burned about 100 houses on Sunday night," a local source, who did not want to be identified fearing retaliation, told AFP. Sunday's attack followed another on Saturday that killed a teacher riding a motorcycle and three other people who were burned to death in Macomia district. The attacks were the first since Cyclone Kenneth smashed into the country's northern region on April 25, leaving at least 41 dead and more than 240,000 affected. The delivery of aid to cyclone-hit areas has been underway, but the attacks put aid distribution at risk while they "paralysed" voter registration. "Insurgents invaded the villages of Iba and Ipho, in the district of Macomia," Magda Mendonca from the Public Integrity Center, an anti-corruption NGO that is also an election observer, told AFP. Mendonca said the attackers "plundered property without causing human casualties," but added they "paralysed an ongoing voter registration." "The successive attacks are disturbing the voter registration process in the region," Mendonca said. General elections are scheduled for October 15. On Friday, suspected Islamists also attacked another registration centre in the city of Nacate, also in the Macomia district. According to local sources, "the gunmen vandalised equipment without causing human casualties." Macomia was hit by the second cyclone to strike Mozambique in six weeks, after Cyclone Idai which killed more than 600 in the central parts of the country. Paris (AFP) - Humanity is rapidly destroying the natural world upon which our prosperity -- and ultimately our survival -- depends, according to a landmark UN assessment of the state of Nature released Monday. Changes wrought by decades of pillaging and poisoning forests, oceans, soil and air threaten society "at least as much as climate change," said Robert Watson, who chaired the 132-nation meeting that validated a Summary for Policymakers forged by 450 experts. One million animal and plant species face extinction, many within decades, they reported. Alarmingly, the accelerating pace at which unique life-forms are disappearing -- already tens to hundreds of times faster than during the last ten million years -- could tip Earth into the first mass extinction since non-avian dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. In the short term, humans are not at risk, said Josef Settele, a professor at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Germany and co-chair of the UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). "In the longer term, it is hard to say," he told AFP. "If humans do go extinct, Nature will find its way, it always does." Halting and reversing these dire trends will require "transformative change" -- a sweeping overhaul of the way we produce and consume almost everything, especially food, the report concluded. "We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality-of-life worldwide," said Watson. The pushback from "vested interests," he added, is likely to be fierce. "We will agree on the best ways to enhance the place of biodiversity on the international stage," French environment minister Francois de Rugy said at a meeting of G7 environment ministers in eastern France. Drawing from 15,000 sources and an underlying 1,800-page report, the executive summary details how our growing footprint and appetites have compromised the natural renewal of resources that sustain civilisation, starting with fresh water, breathable air, and productive soil. Story continues - A vicious cycle - An October report from the UN's climate science panel painted a similarly dire picture for global warming, and likewise highlighted the need for social transformation "on an unprecedented scale" to cap the rise in temperature at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit). Climate change and biodiversity loss, it turns out, feed off each other in a vicious cycle. Deforestation and industrial agriculture are major drivers of species and ecosystem decline, but also account for at least a quarter of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Global warming, in turn, is pushing thousands of animals and plants out of their comfort zones, and intensifies the kind of heatwaves and droughts that recently fuelled unprecedented fires in Australia, Indonesia, Russia, Portugal, California and Greece. The overlapping drivers of global warming and biodiversity loss point to shared solutions, but there is potential for policy conflict too, the new report cautioned. Plans to green the global economy reserve a crucial role for burning biofuels and locking away the CO2 released, a technology known as BECCS. But the huge tracts of land needed to grow energy crops on this scale -- roughly twice the size of India -- would clash with the expansion of protected areas and reforestation efforts, not to mention food production. For the first time, the UN body has ranked the top five causes of species lost and the degradation of Nature. - Consumer society - By a long shot, the first two are diminished or degraded habitat, and hunting for food or trade -- often illicit -- in body parts. All but seven percent of major marine fish stocks, for example, are in decline or exploited to the limit of sustainability despite efforts by regional management organisations to fish sustainably. Global warming is third on the list, but is likely to move up. "We can see the climate change signal getting stronger really, really quickly," IPBES co-chair Sandra Diaz, a professor at the National University of Cordoba in Argentina, told AFP. Numbers four and five are pollution -- 400 million tonnes of heavy metals, toxic sludge and other waste are dumped into oceans and rivers each year -- and alien species, such as rats, mosquitoes, snakes and plants that hitch rides on ships or planes. "Every extinction of a species is a failure of humankind," said Alexandre Antonelli director of Britain's Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, reacting to the report. "We can't just preserve, we must reverse the trend by increasing biodiversity." The heavily negotiated text does not set benchmarks for progress or "last chance" deadlines for action, as the 2018 climate report did. In an open letter, some 600 experts, business leaders and celebrities led by conservationist Jane Goodall urged world leaders to "halt the decline in Nature". "We must radically change the way we live, including how we use energy to power our societies, grow our food, and manage our waste," they wrote. The UN panel isn't mandated to make explicit policy recommendations. But it does point unmistakably to actions needed: reduce meat consumption, halt deforestation in tropical countries, discourage luxury consumption, slash perverse subsidies, embrace the concept of a low-growth economy. The report will "serve as a basis for redefining our objectives" ahead of a key meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in China in October 2020, said co-author Yunne Jai Shin, a scientist at the Research Institute for Development in Marseilles. By Jatindra Dash BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw for himself the damage wreaked by a powerful cyclone on Monday, pledging an extra 10 billion rupees ($144 million) to the hardest-hit state of Odisha where hundreds of thousands returned home from shelters. Cyclone Fani killed at least 34 people in India, destroying houses, ripping off roofs and knocking down electricity poles. Early warnings from meteorologists helped authorities evacuate more than a million people from low-lying towns, minimising the death toll from the strongest storm in 43 years to pummel India's east coast. Modi flew by helicopter over battered towns and villages where thousands of rescue workers and volunteers were sifting through the debris. "Before the cyclone, we had released 381 crore (3.81 billion rupees) to Odisha and we will now give an additional 1,000 crore (10 billion rupees) for relief and rebuilding efforts of the state," Modi said. He also announced financial compensation for victims. Modi said his officials would work closely with the state government to rebuild infrastructure. Chief minister of the state, Naveen Patnaik, has demanded a long-term package worth 170 billion rupees from the central government to build disaster-resistant infrastructure, the state government said. Modi, who is busy campaigning in India's 39-day staggered general election, last week chaired meetings in New Delhi to oversee efforts to deal with the storm. India's seven-phase election began on April and voters in Odisha have already cast their ballots. Tens of thousands of people remained without electricity in the state capital Bhubaneswar and the Hindu temple town of Puri after the storm made landfall on Friday. Power has been restored to airports and hospitals. Bhubaneswar airport had resumed flights, state government officials said. In a letter addressed to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, pledged 1 million rupees ($14,400) to Odisha. Story continues After battering India, Fani barrelled into neighbouring Bangladesh on Saturday as a much weaker storm, killing at least five people. By Monday, more than a million Bangladeshis had returned to their homes from cyclone shelters, officials said. ($1 = 69.41 rupees) (Additional reporting by Serajul Quadir in Dhaka; Writing by Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Nick Macfie) MOSCOW, May 6 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley is planning to send a formal notice to the Russian central bank that it will close down its banking operations in the country in the first quarter of 2020, its Russian unit said in its annual report. Morgan Stanley announced late last year that it was planning a voluntary shutdown of its banking business in Russia. The Wall Street bank's Russian subsidiary said in the report that U.S. and European Union sanctions imposed since 2014 had made it hard for Russian businesses to access international capital markets. "(The) impact of changes in the economy on the future results of the bank's business and its financial condition may turn out to be significant," the report said. Morgan Stanley will keep a consulting business in Russia, which would not require a license, according to the report. (Reporting by Tatiana Voronova; Writing by Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by Jan Harvey) 7433 Herschel Ave. | Photos: Zumper Housing costs got you down? Though apartment hunting can be frustrating, there are deals to be had. So what does the low-end pricing on a rental in the La Jolla look like these days and what might you get for your money? According to Walk Score's assessment, the neighborhood is a "walker's paradise," has some bike infrastructure and has a few nearby public transportation options. It also features median rents for a one bedroom that hover around $1,850, compared to a $1,723 one-bedroom median for San Diego as a whole. A look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments in the La Jolla, via rental site Zumper, yields a look at what budget-minded apartment seekers can expect to find in this San Diego 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. 1121-1129 Torrey Pines Listed at $1,495/month, this 290-square-foot studio, located at 1121-1129 Torrey Pines, is 20.3 percent less than the $1,875/month median rent for a studio in the La Jolla. The building offers outdoor space, on-site laundry and on-site management. In the unit, expect a walk-in closet, hardwood flooring and a ceiling fan. Cats are allowed. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee, but there is a $1,400 deposit. (See the complete listing here.) 7433 Herschel Ave. This studio, situated at 7433 Herschel Ave., is listed for $1,595/month. In the unit, you'll find hardwood flooring. On-site laundry is listed as a building amenity. Cats and dogs are not permitted. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (See the complete listing here.) 4560 Villa Norte Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom at 4560 Villa Norte, which, at 700 square feet, is going for $1,745/month. Story continues In the unit, expect hardwood flooring and a ceiling fa. The building features assigned parking and on-site laundry. 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. By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Almost 500 former U.S. Justice Department officials said on Monday in a joint statement that the Mueller report's findings would justify obstruction charges against President Donald Trump if he were not currently occupying the White House. U.S. Attorney General William Barr has said he found insufficient evidence in Mueller's report to conclude that Trump obstructed justice. Special Counsel Robert Mueller himself made no formal finding one way or the other on that question. "To look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice ... runs counter to logic and our experience," said the statement, signed by Justice Department lawyers who served Republican and Democratic presidents stretching back to the 1950s. As of late Monday, 467 officials had signed the letter. Mueller's report unearthed numerous links between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and various Russians, but it concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish that the campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow. It also described attempts by Trump to impede Mueller's probe, but stopped short of declaring Trump committed a crime. Under a long-standing Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel policy, a sitting president cannot be charged with criminal activity. "Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Muellers report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy ... result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice," the statement said. A Justice Department spokeswoman referred to prior statements by Barr, in which he said Mueller had not provided enough evidence to bring a successful obstruction case. A Mueller spokesman declined to comment. Among signers of the statement were Donald Ayer, who was the Justice Department's No. 2 official under Republican President George H.W. Bush, and Bill Weld, a former head of the Justice Department's criminal division under Republican President Ronald Reagan. Weld is making a bid to challenge Trump for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination. Weld's presidential campaign confirmed he signed the statement and Ayer said he also signed it. The statement was coordinated by a non-profit, non-partisan group called Protect Democracy, which says it was formed "to prevent our democracy from declining into a more authoritarian form of government." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The statement comes as House of Representatives Democrats are threatening to hold Barr in contempt for not giving them a full, unredacted version of the Mueller report. (Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Phil Berlowitz) The daughter of Ethiopian immigrants, Rosa Abraha plans to use her MPH to advocate for health equity for vulnerable populations. Past president of the Rollins SGA, she is Emorys Graduate Student Leader of the Year. Rosa Abraha is the type of woman who knows what she wants. With her eye set on public office, she is an active dreamer who has taken thoughtful steps toward achieving her goal of helping eliminate health disparities facing vulnerable populations. A first-generation American whose parents both emigrated from Ethiopia, she feels the call to serve others. "I just feel like theres a need and a desire, especially as a minority student in America, to give back to my people in a larger way," explains Abraha, who graduates with a masters degree in public health from Emorys Rollins School of Public Health. Her interest in health began early: In high school, she completed a rigorous medical careers program and received work licensure as a certified nursing assistant. As an undergraduate at the University of Maryland, where she majored in community health, she interned with the National Academy of Science and the Food and Drug Administration. At 20, the ink barely dry on her college diploma, Abraha snagged a coveted position with the National Institutes of Health, where she worked in various capacities as a health education and outreach specialist. After three years working in a range of roles, including a post in Alabama managing a safe sleep grant project alongside the Department of Public Health, Abraha was ready to continue her education with a graduate degree. "I love health communication and outreach," she says. "But I think naturally I like to see things from a higher, more macro view. Working on the ground with the people of Alabama taught me that if I wanted to gain true health equity for vulnerable populations, I would have to build the skills in health policy to advocate for them." An accomplished leader After weighing her options, Abraha ultimately chose Rollins based on her experiences with the admissions team and the warmth she felt when she visited campus. "I came here and fell in love with Rollins," she recalls, "so I stayed!" Abraha knew from the outset that she wanted to focus on health policy. "I learned how to make key connections in law and health and to understand how to use the law as a tool for public health advancement," she says of the degree program. In terms of applied learning and professional development, Abraha cites her time as president of the Rollins Student Government Association as being transformative. "I think it just gave me so much perspective about systems thinking," she says. "My big goal in health policy is seeing things from the top-down and understanding the development and implementation of rules that benefit all people, and I think in so many ways that was mimicked in this role." The opportunity also allowed her to build relationships with leaders at Rollins, including Jim Curran, dean of the school. "Hes one of the people who really influenced me in my time here. Just watching him and his leadership style its taught me a lot about the type of leader I want to be," she says. Her hard work did not go unnoticed. Last month, Abraha was honored as the 2019 Emory Graduate Student Leader of the Year. "Im thrilled Rosa was selected for this award," says Kara Robinson, associate dean of admission and student affairs at Rollins, who nominated Abraha for the award. "Shes a natural leader who possesses that winning combination of determination, empathy and charisma. Shell leave a lasting impact on public health, as shes done here at Rollins." Abraha has officially accepted a public health analyst position with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Center for Preparedness and Response, and hopes to eventually attend law school and pursue public office. "The more time I spend in public health, the more I see that theres a strong need for women of color to be represented in Congress," she says. "Im trying my very best to be one of those women." Adam Shapiro, co-anchor of Yahoo Finances On the Moves, brings you the top headlines for Monday, May 6, 2019. Russian plane crash People gather around the damaged Sukhoi SSJ100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines at Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 6, 2019. Russia's main investigative body says both flight recorders have been recovered from the plane that caught fire while making an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, killing at least 40 people on Sunday. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) Russian investigators will analyze the black box recorders recovered from an Aeroflot jetliner that crashed Sunday during an emergency landing outside Moscow. At least 41 people were killed when the back of the plane burst into flames. The U.S. State Department says at least one of the dead is a U.S. citizen. Thirty-three passengers and four crew members were able to escape. Aeroflot says the flight crew had 1,400 hours of experience flying the type of jet that crashed. The pilots requested a return to the airport shortly after take off. Brunei death penalty A protester is seen holding a placard that says Stone one of us face all of us during the demonstration. Protesters gathered outside of the luxury Dorchester hotel in London, UK which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkia, to protest and condemn the new anti-LGBTIQ laws brought in by the Sultan. Under the new laws introduced in Brunei those found guilty of gay sex or adultery could be stoned to death. The Sultan of Brunei says his country will not execute people convicted of adultery or engaging in gay sex. Brunei recently codified punishments under Islamic law which call for the death penalty. Several countries including the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom condemned the brutality of the punishments. Several, which include whipping and amputation, remain on the books in Brunei. Gaza cease fire A Palestinian boy cleans a sofa from the rubble of the partial damage on his family house after and Israeli airstrike, Sunday, on a next door multi-story building in Gaza City, Monday, May. 6, 2019. The Israeli military has lifted protective restrictions on residents in southern Israel while Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group reported a cease-fire deal had been reached to end the deadliest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) A cease fire in Gaza appears to be holding. It went into effect early Monday morning following a weekend of violence between Hamas, Islamic JIihad and Israel. At least 27 people were killed on both sides. Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired more than 700 rockets into Israel which retaliated with air strikes on targets inside Gaza. President Donald Trump tweeted the U.S. supports Israel's right to defend citizens writing, "terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. Cohen starts prison sentence FILE - In this Saturday, May 4, 2019, file photo, Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, is confronted by members of the media as he heads back to his Park Avenue apartment in New York. Cohen has until Monday afternoon, May 6, 2019, to report to a federal prison where hell begin his three-year sentence. Cohen is the only person charged in connection with hush-money payments to women who allegedly had affairs with Trump. (AP Photo/Jonathan Carroll, File) President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen begins his three-year prison sentence today at a federal prison in New York. He was convicted of campaign finance violations, tax evasion and arranging hush money payments to women who allegedly had affairs, in years past, with Trump. Cohen spoke several times with Robert Mueller's investigative team as well as federal prosecutors investigating Trump's business dealings before he was elected president. By Ellen Francis QAMISHLI, Syria (Reuters) - When Eyub Mohamad was a boy, security forces beat his father into paralysis. His offence was typing leaflets in Kurdish, banned under Syria's ruling Baath party. Mohamad, with his family, fed and bathed his father for years. Wary of the typewriter that landed his father in interrogation rooms, he avoided learning to read his own language. "I never saw my dad walking," he said. "Till his last day, he believed he would get up for this cause." Mohamad's father died in 2011, the year Syria's conflict began. He did not see Kurdish fighters carve out autonomous rule across north and east Syria. He did not see his son, now 34, become a teacher at a Kurdish school in the city of Qamishli on the border with Turkey. Kurdish leaders now hold about a quarter of Syria, the biggest chunk outside state hands. But their grip on power -- in a region rich in oil, farmland and water -- remains vulnerable: President Bashar al-Assad wants all of Syria, Turkey threatens to crush them and U.S. support is wavering. The changes reshaping swathes of Syria have alarmed neighbouring states that fear separatism within their own Kurdish communities. Millions of Kurds, an ethnic minority left stateless when the Ottoman empire collapsed a century ago, live in Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq. In Qamishli, these changes were once unimaginable. A law student who was tortured for carrying a Kurdish book now owns a bookstore. A woman who once secretly huddled with friends at night to learn Kurdish is now a de facto education minister. Kurdish activists who could not protest without risking arrest now have printing presses, festivals and television channels. The shift is glaring in school hallways where, for eight years, a generation has grown up not only learning Kurdish but also learning to believe that Kurds deserve the rights they were denied for decades and must hold on to them. "We never imagined this. This was a dream," said Semira Haj Ali, who co-chairs the education board in the northeast. "Of course, we will not go back to before 2011. We will not turn back." Story continues SANDBAGS AND TRENCHES Syrian Kurdish leaders say they do not seek independence but want to cement autonomy that has evolved to include security forces and what amounts to a government. Yet the sandbags and trenches around some schools or the armed men guarding printing presses show their fate still hangs in the balance. On one side, there is the Turkish army, which has swept across the border twice to roll back the Kurdish YPG militia in northern Syria. On another, there is Assad, now holding most of Syria with Russia and Iran's help. Damascus has pledged to reclaim YPG territory though the two have kept channels open. Their main ally, the United States, helped Kurdish-led forces seize vast territory from Islamic State. But it opposes their autonomy plans and has promised nothing. President Donald Trump's plan last year to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria threw Kurdish officials into crisis. Washington later changed course, and intends to leave some troops, along with forces from European allies, preserving for now the security umbrella that helped Kurdish leaders deepen their autonomy. GRAPHIC: Kurdish communities https://graphics.reuters.com/SYRIA-SECURITY-KURDS/010091Q42N3/KURDS.jpg MOTHER TONGUE In the early days of Syria's conflict, when Haj Ali and other activists tried introducing a Kurdish class, the government shut down the schools. "With the parents and the students, we broke down the doors," she said. Months later, state employees returned. Today, she heads an education board running thousands of schools and universities, and teaching adults to read Kurdish. It has built a curriculum in Kurdish, Arabic and the Syriac dialect for pupils to learn in their mother tongue, renouncing the Baathist thinking that championed Arab nationalism in the classroom. It teaches children until the 10th grade, up to age 16. In secondary schools however, inside the same buildings, state teachers still handle the 11th and 12th grade. "They succumbed to the reality," said Haj Ali, a member of the Kurdish PYD party, the YPG's political wing. Next year, her board will start teaching the 11th grade too. The plans face opposition not just from the government but also from some Arab communities, Kurdish parties opposed to the PYD and parents who fear for their children's future, several teachers said. The schools in northeast Syria, like the self-run administration, are not recognised officially by the state or the outside world. In response to questions from Reuters, Syria's education ministry said it repeatedly tells all schools to keep the government curriculum for the benefit of the students and for degrees to remain valid abroad. Some feel they have sacrificed too much to turn back now. Pre-school director Nujin Kali said her husband, a YPG fighter, had died so she could do her job. "Honestly, I asked him what if something happens to you?" she recalled. "He said, 'I'm doing this for your children's future...for them to learn their language, for people not to lose their rights'." BURNING BOOKS Despite historic enmity, Kurdish fighters and Damascus have seldom clashed during Syria's war, at times fighting common enemies including Turkey-backed rebels. This relationship enabled the state to hold onto patches of Qamishli, including an airport that flies planes to Damascus, and of Hasaka city nearby. It has also allowed for Kurdish leaders to make money from oil sold into government territory. Funds also come from levies on trade, agriculture and border-crossing fees. Residents register births, marriages and deaths at state centres in Qamishli and Hasaka, while the self-run administration issues driving licenses and other documents. Senior Kurdish leader Fawza Youssef said such ties enabled people to get on with their daily lives. Still, attempts to negotiate a political deal with Damascus have gone nowhere, causing fears for Kurdish authorities who want to safeguard their gains. They hope such a deal would also help shield their region from attack by Turkey, which deems the YPG a branch of the Kurdish PKK movement waging an insurgency on Turkish soil. In northern Syria, another source of tension is that local critics accuse the PYD of calling the shots and imposing its ideas even in city councils that include Arabs and other ethnicities. At the institute that sets the curriculum in the town of Amuda, the walls bear pictures of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The northern region's new governing system is based on his views of federalism, though the PYD says it has only political relations with the PKK. Teachers say the curriculum does not promote any ideology, but presents Ocalan's ideas along with others in classes such as "culture and ethics" or gender studies. The questions of how to govern and what to teach have caused friction in mainly Arab cities and towns in Raqqa and Deir al-Zor that came into the Kurdish fold more recently. Abdallah Shekho's shop in Qamishli sells books he translated with friends into Kurdish. He said the northeast, whose economy was long stifled, still relies on Damascus in some ways because it lacks equipment and experts. In the past, people burnt Kurdish books out of fear or buried them in their villages to keep them safe, Shekho said. "(In) this region, God forbid, if there is an attack from the regime or another side, we will have to burn these books or bury them underground again." (Editing by Tom Perry and Timothy Heritage) Nordstrom, Inc. JWN has been consistently focusing on its store-expansion strategy as part of its efforts to enhance customer experience and expand market share. In this regard, it is imperative to mention that the company recently announced the launch of two Local neighborhood service hubs in New York City this fall. The store that will be located at The Greenwich Lane property in the West Village will be about 2,400 square feet, while the outlet at the Upper East Side will be roughly 2,000 square feet. Notably, Nordstroms Local Concept is its first modern retailing store that does not stock merchandise. In fact, it is quite different from the traditional retail approach and is a neighborhood store, which should cater to the needs of the customers in a better way as it is centrally located. These neighborhood hubs form part of the companys local market strategy, offering a seamless customer experience with exclusive services and design aesthetics. Nordstrom introduced its first Nordstrom Local store at Melrose Place in West Hollywood, CA, in October 2017. The local stores in the New York City will offer personal styling along with buy online, pick-up in-store, alterations and same-day delivery services. These will also feature flexible models and floor plans to resonate well with the changing customer preferences. In a bid to better interact with customers valuable requirements, Nordstrom will partner with customers in neighborhood. Opening of new stores is not only expected to attract customers but also boost the companys top line. Nordstrom has also been progressing well with expansion in Canada by opening six Rack stores in fiscal 2018. Overall, the company envisions a $1 billion sales opportunity from its expansion in Canada by 2020, including six planned full-line stores and 15 Rack stores. Furthermore, management remains keen on domestic store expansion. Apparently, the company introduced mens store in New York City and remains on track to open womens store in October 2019. We expect these stores along with the aforementioned local hubs to drive this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) companys sales and profitability. The store-expansion strategy apart, Nordstroms focus on advancing in the technology space by boosting e-commerce and digital networks, and improving its supply-chain channels and marketing efforts is encouraging. In fiscal 2018, digital sales improved 16%, representing about 30% of sales growth. Further, its generational investments contributed roughly $2 billion to sales growth and surpassed the companys bottom-line expectation. In fiscal 2019, management expects generational investments to contribute roughly $2.2 billion to sales. Story continues Price Performance In the past three months, shares of the company have lost 13.2% compared with the industrys 0.9% decline. Want More Solid Retail Picks? Check These Regis Corporation RGS has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 7.5% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Hibbett Sports, Inc. HIBB has delivered a positive earnings surprise of 50% in the last reported quarter. It carries a Zacks Rank #2. Tractor Supply Company TSCO pulled off a positive earnings surprise in each of the trailing four quarters, the average being 7.4%. It carries a Zacks Rank of 2. Will you retire a millionaire? One out of every six people retires a multimillionaire. Get smart tips you can do today to become one of them in a new Special Report, 7 Things You Can Do Now to Retire a Multimillionaire. Click to get it free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Nordstrom, Inc. (JWN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Hibbett Sports, Inc. (HIBB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Tractor Supply Company (TSCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Regis Corporation (RGS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Ivana Sekularac and Kole Casule SKOPJE (Reuters) - North Macedonia's pro-Western candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, won a run-off presidential vote 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 99.5 percent the votes counted showed 51.7 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 44.7 percent of the votes. The two finished neck-and-neck in the first round of voting two weeks ago. The victory puts more wind into the sails of the ruling coalition, which expects to get a date to start EU accession talks in June and become the 30th NATO member state next year. "The victory of this concept brings a future for the republic of North Macedonia and it's our ticket to Europe," Pendarovski told reporters after the election results were announced. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev congratulated Pendarovski and said, "As of today no one can stand in the way of progress. We showed we are ready for Europe." Johannes Hahn, the European Union Commissioner in charge of enlargement, also had warm words. "North Macedonia can count on the EUs continued support for its EU accession perspective, thus responding to the strong European aspirations of its people," Hahn tweeted. ENGINEERING ELECTION 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 VMRO-DPMNE accused the government of "engineering election," adding it had information of the ruling coalition bribing voters and threatening them, among other things. The president holds 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 Gjorge 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 46.6 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. A Balkans expert at a University of Graz, Florian Bieber said the election result confirmed commitment to the name agreement with Greece. "Now it's time to advance rule of law and for the EU to give green light for accession talks," he tweeted. 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. (Editing by Gareth Jones, Frances Kerry and Andrea Ricci) Photo: Dona Tomas Here's all the latest in local food news. In this edition: a new tenant for the former Chow Oakland outpost has been found, a Mexican eatery is set to expand near Lake Merritt, a Temescal bar shutters and an Uptown book club launches. Openings Piedmont Avenue Dona (3770 Piedmont Ave.) After two decades on Telegraph Avenue, Mexican restaurant Dona Tomas is moving to Piedmont. Hoodline tipster Jame E. alerted us to the restaurant's plans to take over the former Chow space on Piedmont Avenue, where it will shorten its name to Dona. Due to its size, the former Chow location is being subdivided into three different retail spaces, with Dona taking the ground floor. The new venture will continue to serve many of Dona Tomas' signature dishes, but with counter service and expanded hours (including a weekday breakfast with housemade pastries). Customers can also look forward to a larger bar, with its own menu. When it opens in September, around 90 customers will be able to eat inside the new Dona, with an additional 30 to 50 seats on the patio. Dona Tomas will close at the end of the summer, a few weeks before Donas opening. "Dona means 'woman of stature' in Spanish, and I love the strong female reference with the new venture," owner Dona Savitsky said in a statement. Lake Merritt Comal (550 Grand Ave.) Photo: Rabbitar N./Yelp That's not all the news in modern Mexican eateries in Oakland this week. Tipster Sean O. let us know that Comal, the popular Berkeley Mexican spot, is planning to open a second location in Oakland. if everything goes as planned, Comal will move into the former home of Italian eatery Barlago, at 550 Grand Ave. Berkeleyside reports that escrow on the deal hasn't closed yet, and no opening date has been set. Co-owner Andrew Hoffman said that getting the go-ahead for construction from the Alameda County Planning Department will likely take several months. Closings Temescal Bar 41 (308 41st St.) Photo: Porsche C./Yelp Temescal's Bar 41, formerly known as Cafe Underwood and Bar Underwood, is no more. Owner Christopher Parks took over the popular spot for laptop workers in 2017, aiming to transform it into "a 1920s Hemingwayesque hangout" with a robust wine and cocktail menu. Story continues But it appears the change didn't take; the bar has been closed since late April. "Thank you to everyone that supported us in every way," Parks wrote on Instagram. "I lived the dream, and now its over." Additions Uptown Flora Book Club (1900 Telegraph Ave.) Photo: Michael L./Yelp Uptown restaurant Flora is launching a book club for diners. Each month, the restaurant will bring together patrons for a literary-themed dinner from chef Rebecca Boice, with a discussion centered around a specific title. The first event is next Wednesday, May 15, featuring selected passages from "The Portable Dorothy Parker." The $55 ticket includes a Parker-inspired pre-dinner cocktail at sister bar Fauna, and a four-course themed meal. The next books in the series will be "Carter Beats the Devil" by Glen David Gold (June), "The Talented Mr. Ripley" by Patricia Highsmith (July), "There There" by Tommy Orange (August) and "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" by Joan Didion (September). Seats are limited, and reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at (510) 286-0100. Grand Lake Boot and Shoe Service (3308 Grand Ave.) Photo: Boot and Shoe Service/Yelp A year after fully cutting ties with former owner Charlie Hallowell, who was accused of sexual harassment by 17 of his employees, Grand Avenue Italian eatery Boot and Shoe Service has found its way under new owners Jen Cremer and Richard Clark, who are launching a new brunch service there on Saturday. The brunch menu will include some favorite items from Boot and Shoe's dinner menu, in addition to fresh options like breakfast pizzas or an omelet with creme fraiche and smoked salmon bottarga. Sweets will include a sesame coffee cake with creme anglaise and roasted strawberries or buckwheat waffles with cherries and kombucha creme fraiche. Bar manager Alex Phillips has also created a brunch-exclusive cocktail menu with drinks like the Casino Soul (bourbon, cold brew, cream, Varnelli Moka, amaro) or the Disco Romance (aperitivo blend, sparkling wine, cloudberry, orange juice). Thanks to tipster Jame E.! Have you noticed a new addition to (or subtraction from) Oakland's food landscape? Text a tip and a horizontal photo to 510-757-9959, and we'll look into it. By David French (Reuters) - Occidental Petroleum Corp increased the cash component of its $38 billion bid to acquire Anadarko Petroleum Corp on Sunday, removing a requirement for any deal to receive the approval of Occidental's shareholders. The move means Occidental shareholders who oppose the bid, including T Rowe Price, will not get an opportunity to vote it down. It adds more certainty to the offer for Anadarko, but also risks the ire of billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who sources have said has been amassing a stake in Occidental to challenge its Anadarko offer. Occidental is trying to convince Anadarko to accept its offer and abandon the agreed $33 billion sale to Chevron Corp. Anadarko confirmed that it received the revised bid from Occidental and said its board will review the proposal. The merger agreement with Chevron remains in effect, Anadarko said and reaffirmed its existing recommendation of the deal with Chevron at this time. Earlier on Sunday, France's Total SA said it has agreed with Occidental to buy the African assets of Anadarko for $8.8 billion, should the two U.S. oil and gas companies clinch a deal to combine. This removes the risk of Occidental not being able to shed Anadarko assets it considers non-core to the deal. On Tuesday, Occidental also secured a $10 billion investment from Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway Inc in support of its bid for Anadarko. The terms of that deal were seen as particularly favorable to Buffett by analysts and investors. Occidental submitted a new $76 per share offer to Anadarko on Sunday structured as 78 percent cash and 22 percent stock, as opposed to an even cash/stock split in its $76 per share offer previously. This brought the number of Occidental shares required to fund the bid below the issuance threshold that would have triggered a vote on the deal by Occidental shareholders. Anadarko shareholders would still get to vote on the deal. 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. Story continues "The financial support of Berkshire Hathaway as well as the agreement we announced with Total allows us to delever our balance sheet while focusing our integration efforts on the assets that will provide the most value for us," Occidental Chief Executive Vicki Hollub said in a statement announcing the amended terms. However, a request made on Thursday evening by Anadarko's counsel for three board seats in the merged entity had not been granted, Occidental added. Should Occidental's bid be declared superior by Anadarko, 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. The proposed sale of Anadarko's African assets to Total includes 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. Occidental said this 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 French company said in a separate statement. Chevron declined to comment on the Occidental move or say whether it will change its $65-a-share bid. Separately, Occidental said its first-quarter adjusted profit fell 10.9 percent as lower prices for its crude hurt oil and gas revenue. Adjusted profit fell to $631 million, or 84 cents per share, in the quarter ended March 31, from $708 million, or 92 cents per share, a year earlier. Production rose 18 percent to 719,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the quarter, Occidental said. Its Permian Resources unit saw output rising 47 percent year-over-year to 261,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. (Reporting by David French in New York and Philip George in Bengaluru; Additional Reporting by Bate Felix in Paris, Gary McWilliams in Houston, Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; editing by Bill Berkrot, Andrea Ricci and Gopakumar Warrier) WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) -- Fire officials say an evacuation was underway moments before a deadly explosion at a northern Illinois manufacturing plant. Waukegan Fire Marshal Steve Lenzi told the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald on Monday that managers at the AB Specialty Silicones plant sensed something was wrong and were working to evacuate employees before the blast Friday evening. Three employees were killed and a fourth worker whose body hasn't been recovered is also believed to be dead. Crews on Monday were working to find that person's body in the debris. Lenzi says crews are working "slowly, methodically and safely" because of the risks and the need to preserve evidence. The cause of the blast hasn't been determined. One of the dead workers has been publicly identified as 29-year-old Allen Stevens of Salem, Wisconsin. Waukegan is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Chicago. Retirement is an exciting milestone, which is why it's no surprise that around 70% of workers are looking forward to it, according to a recent survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). However, that same report also noted that roughly a third of participants said they were dreading retirement, and 6 in 10 workers admitted that planning for retirement was stressful. As you get older and retirement is looming, it's normal to get knots in your stomach thinking about whether you're ready. Do you have enough saved to last the rest of your life? How will you cover healthcare costs? How will Social Security benefits factor into your retirement budget? There's one expense, however, that trips up about half of soon-to-be retirees: long-term care. Man sitting at a table looking at papers with money in front of him Image source: Getty Images Long-term care: A sneaky retirement expense Only around 52% of workers said they're at least somewhat confident they'll be able to afford long-term care in retirement, according to EBRI's report, and just 15% considered themselves "very confident" about their ability to cover this particular expense. Long-term care can be a sneaky expense in retirement, because when you're in your 50s and 60s and still relatively healthy, moving into a nursing home is probably one of the last things on your mind. Even if you are thinking about it, you may assume that Medicare will cover those costs, or that it won't be much more expensive than your monthly mortgage payment. But if you're not prepared for this cost, you could end up blindsided by it. The average cost for a semi-private room in a nursing home is nearly $7,000 per month, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and hiring a health aide to come to your home and help with household tasks can run you around $20 per hour. As if those numbers aren't scary enough, Medicare also won't cover most types of long-term care. If it's medically necessary, Medicare may cover a stay in a skilled nursing facility. But it typically doesn't cover custodial care -- or help with everyday tasks like cooking, dressing, or bathing -- whether it's in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or your own residence. Story continues Roughly 70% of today's retirees will need long-term care at some point in their life, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and of those who need it, 20% will need it for at least five years. If you don't have a plan to cover the costs of long-term care, it could drain your retirement fund in no time. Budgeting for long-term care Because the majority of retirees will need long-term care sooner or later, it's smart to prepare for it early to avoid the sticker shock. One way to do that is to opt for long-term care insurance. Long-term care insurance can be expensive, but paying a couple thousand dollars per year in premiums can seem like a drop in the bucket compared to spending $7,000 per month out-of-pocket to cover nursing home costs. The key is to buy it earlier when you're younger and healthier -- after all, insurance companies will see you as a greater risk (and therefore raise your rates or flat-out refuse to insure you at all) if you wait until you need long-term care to buy insurance. For a 55-year-old couple, the average cost for long-term care insurance is around $2,500 per year, according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, while the average 60-year-old couple can expect to pay around $3,400 per year in premiums. To pay for the notoriously high long-term care insurance premiums, a health savings account (HSA) may be able to help cushion the blow. An HSA is essentially a retirement fund just for healthcare costs -- your contributions are tax-deductible upfront, then you also won't pay taxes on withdrawals as long as the money goes toward eligible medical expenses. There are some restrictions around HSAs, however. First, you're only eligible to open one if you're enrolled in a high-deductible healthcare plan (for 2019, that's a deductible of at least $1,350 for individuals or $2,700 for families). Also, if you are eligible for an HSA, there are limits to how much you can contribute each year. For 2019, individuals are allowed to contribute a maximum of $3,500 per year (or $4,500 per year for those who are age 55 and older), and families can contribute up to $7,000 per year (or $8,000 per year for the 55+ crowd). The tax breaks make the HSA an appealing choice for where to put your cash as you're saving for healthcare expenses, and these savings can go toward long-term care, long-term care insurance, deductibles, or most other types of medical costs that may arise during retirement. And if you need to withdraw that money for non-medical reasons, you can still do so -- you'll just need to pay income tax (and a 20% penalty if you're under age 65). When you're cruising through retirement, long-term care expenses can quickly knock the wind out of your sails. But these costs don't have to crush your retirement dreams. The earlier you prepare for them, the easier it will be to enjoy retirement to the fullest. More From The Motley Fool The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Khartoum (AFP) - After a day of abstaining from food and drink, Sudanese protesters Monday broke their fast on the first day of Ramadan with chicken soup and vowed to press their campaign for a civilian rule. As the call for the sunset prayer rang out, crowds gathered outside army headquarters in Khartoum for an iftar meal with many saying they were determined not to let the sweltering heat or fasting sap their energy. "We will be able to survive Ramadan and the heat," Hassan Bushra told AFP at the sprawling sit-in site. "What made us survive the bullets and bombs of (ousted president Omar al-) Bashir will make us survive the scorching heat. We are Sudanese. We are used to that," he said. Temperatures soared to 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) on Monday as the Sudanese like other Muslims around the world began observing Ramadan, during which the faithful fast from dawn to dusk. As the sun began setting protesters thronged the sit-in site to perform the Maghreb (dusk) prayer, and an iftar meal organised by the Alliance for Freedom and Change, the group leading the protests. Volunteers prepared pots full of chicken soup, beans and lentils, which they distributed along with water, dates and bread. Others sprinkled water on protesters to offer them relief from the heat. Sudan has been rocked by months of nationwide protests that initially erupted after the price of bread tripled, before targeting Bashir's 30-year rule. On April 6, demonstrators set up camp outside army headquarters and urged the military to oust the veteran leader. The military deposed him five days later. But a 10-member council of generals that then took power has resisted calls by the protesters to hand control to a civilian administration. Since then thousands of protesters have remained camped round-the-clock in the sprawling army complex to press for their demands. - Pots of chicken soup - "We are fighting for a cause, we are fighting for a civilian administration and fighting to uproot the entire regime and remove its remnants from the miliary council," said protester Abdelgadir Mohamed. Story continues Sudan's new military rulers and leaders of the protest movement have held several rounds of talks on the composition of a new ruling council, but they have failed to make headway as each side has a different view. On Monday, the first day of Ramadan, protesters said they would not give in to pressure and were determined to stay put until their demands are met. "We will stay here two, three or four months until the entire regime falls," one of them said as he ate some chicken soup. Another protester, Hossam Aldin Othman, said he would stay even until Ramadan 2020. "We are eating, sleeping and praying here throughout Ramadan, we are staying put and we can even stay until Ramadan next year, until our demands are met," he said. Anwar Mahmoud, a cook at the protest site, agreed. He said protest supporters had donated money and food for the crowds, specially the needy who could not afford an iftar meal. "We will continue to do this everyday until the end of Ramadan," he said, as he carried a large pot of chicken soup. Some people arrived Monday with food they had brought from home to break the fast with the protesters. By Mubasher Bukhari LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities have arrested 12 suspected members of prostitution ring taking young Pakistani women to China, part of a growing human trafficking problem often based on fake marriages, officials said on Monday. Those arrested included eight Chinese nationals and four Pakistanis, said Jameel Ahmad, a top official at Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which deals with human trafficking. "We busted the gang after the FIA received information about increasing smuggling of Pakistani woman to China where they are thrown into prostitution," Ahmad told Reuters. He said several gangs were believed to be operating, mainly targeting members of Pakistan's Christian minority. The arrests came a week after Human Rights Watch said Pakistan should be alarmed by recent reports of trafficking of women and girls to China. It said the allegations were disturbingly similar to the pattern of trafficking of "brides" to China from at least five other Asian countries. The Chinese embassy in Islamabad has also raised the alarm over illegal, cross-border matchmaking services that are often a front for human trafficking. Last month the embassy said China was cooperating with Pakistani law enforcement agencies to crack down on illegal matchmaking. It denied reports that the women were being trafficked for the sale of their organs as "misleading and groundless". Ahmad said a police raid he led on a wedding ceremony last week the eastern city of Faisalabad was a major breakthrough in the investigation. He said a man and a woman from China and a fake priest were arrested at the ceremony where a Christian girl was to be married. "The gang members confessed that they have sent at least 36 Pakistani girls to China where they are being used for prostitution," he said. The majority were Christians from different districts in eastern Punjab province, he said. (Writing by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) The engine is from a roadcutter, the wings are burlap, the wheels are borrowed from a rickshaw: a popcorn seller has caught the attention of the Pakistan Air Force by building his own plane. The tale of Muhammad Fayyaz has captured the hearts of many in a nation where millions, just like him, have limited access to education and are fighting for opportunities. "I was literally in the air. I couldn't feel anything else," Fayyaz said of his first flight in a machine he learned to build mainly from viewing TV clips and online blueprints. Pakistan has been thrilled before by stories of scientific prodigies plucked from obscurity before -- notably, that of the engineer who said in 2012 that he had invented a car that could run on water -- a story that was later debunked by scientists. But Fayyaz insists he flew and his claim is being taken seriously by the air force, whose representatives have now visited him multiple times, even issuing a certificate to commend his work, he revealed. There has been a steady stream of visitors wanting to view his creation, which now sits in the empty courtyard of his three-room home in the village of Tabur in central Punjab province. - Dreaming of a jet plane - The 32-year-old said he had dreamed of joining the air force as a child, but his father died while he was in still in school, forcing him to drop out at the eighth grade and do odd jobs to feed his mother and his five younger siblings. As an adult, his passion for flying remained undiminished, so he took a wild gamble on a new dream and put everything he had into creating his own craft. By day he worked as a popcorn seller, by night as a security guard, saving every rupee he could. The first thing he had to acquire was information -- beginning with watching episodes of the National Geographic Channel's Air Crash Investigation for insight into thrust, air pressure, torque, propulsion. Cheap internet access in a nearby city helped fill the gaps, with Fayyaz claiming he spliced blueprints of planes he found online for his own creation. Story continues He sold a piece of family land, and took out a 50,000 rupee ($350) loan from a micro-finance NGO, which he is still paying off. He used his meagre funds creatively, buying burlap sacks wholesale and persuading a kind workshop employee who had seen him scouting for materials to build him a propeller. There was trial and error. Some equipment needed to be replaced, designs had to be altered, the wiring had to be reworked. His family worried he was obsessed. "I kept telling him to stop. I kept telling him to concentrate on his family and work, he was being crazy over nothing. But he didn't listen to a single word," his mother, Mumtaz Bibi, recalled. But Fayyaz kept going. And, at the end of it all produced a plane -- tiny, fragile, and painted a bright blue. - 'Locked up with criminals' - In February this year, he said, after more than two years of ridicule, he was ready. Fayyaz claims his friends helped him to block a small road which he used as a runway for that first flight attempt in February. The plane reached 120kph before taking off, Ameer Hussain, a witness who claims to have ridden alongside the plane in a motorcycle, told AFP. "It was between two and two and half feet off the ground," he said. "It flew for about two to three kilometres before landing." AFP has been unable to verify the claim. But the attempt made Fayyaz bold enough to want to try again in front of the rest of his village, many of whom had mocked his efforts. He picked March 23, Pakistan Day, for the unveiling. Police said hundreds of people crowded around his tiny plane, many clutching national flags. But before Fayyaz could even start the engine, the police arrived and arrested him, confiscating his plane. "I felt as though I had committed one of the worst acts in the world, as though I am the worst person in Pakistan," he explained, adding: "I had been locked up with criminals." The court released him with a 3,000 rupees ($19) fine. When AFP visited the local police station, officers said they had arrested Fayyaz as his plane was a safety threat. Officer Zafar Iqbal explained: "The plane was returned to him as a goodwill gesture. Should he obtain a flying license or permit, he is free to fly." Fayyaz's misfortune resulted in social media fame, and he was called a "hero" and an "inspiration" by some netizens. Representatives from the Pakistan Air Force have made two visits to view the plane and the commander of a nearby base issued him a certificate which praises his "passion and dexterity" in building what it described as a "mini basic airplane". By Saad Sayeed ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's Ahmadi community faces growing institutionalized discrimination fanned by last year's election campaign by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the minority movement said in a report issued on Monday. Ahmadis, a group that originated in British-controlled India in the 19th century who see themselves as an Islamic movement, are regarded as heretical by orthodox Muslims and forbidden from calling themselves Muslims or using Islamic symbols in their religious practices. They face discrimination and violence over accusations their faith insults Islam and community leaders say legislative moves in 2018 and anti-Ahmadi rhetoric during the elections have entrenched legalized hate. "Ahmadis have no religious freedoms in Pakistan and recent actions taken by the authorities mean that the situation is going to deteriorate even further and make it impossible for Ahmadis to carry on with their everyday lives," spokesman Saleem ud Din said in a statement. Religious discrimination has long been a problem in Pakistan, a mainly Sunni Muslim state of more than 200 million people, with attacks against Shi'ites, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs in recent years. Ahmadis have faced particular pressure since a 1974 constitutional amendment which declared them non-Muslim and a ruling a decade later by military ruler General Zia ul Haq explicitly forbidding them from calling themselves Muslim. Two major events underlined in the report are a High Court verdict requiring citizens to declare their religion when applying for identity documents, which rights activists said specifically targeted the Ahmadi community. The other was electioneering by Pakistan's main parties, including the prime minister's party, in which they have supported religious laws and anti-Ahmadi groups to curry favor with the religious right. The Ahmadi community, in a statement on the report, accused Khan of fanning "the flames of religious hatred against Ahmadis". Khan's office did not respond to request for comment. The Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims. But their recognition of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who founded the sect in 1889, as a "subordinate prophet" is viewed by many Sunnis as a breach of the Islamic tenet that the Prophet Mohammad was God's last direct messenger. The report said 62 Ahmadis were booked under discriminatory religious laws in 2017 and that more than 2,500 anti-Ahmadi news items appeared in Pakistan's Urdu-language newspapers. In May, a mob attacked a 100-year-old Ahmadi mosque in eastern Pakistan, spurred by the words of a cleric. "It is not just extremists who carry out hate campaigns against Ahmadis, but the political class also fans these flames too," Din added. (The story corrects paragraph four spokesman's name to Saleem ud Din.) (Reporting by Saad Sayeed; Editing by Robert Birsel and Clarence Fernandez) * Hundreds of attacks over the weekend * Biggest flare-up in months * Egypt, U.N. had been mediating ceasefire GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 6 (Reuters) - 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 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 0430 a.m. (0130 GMT), 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. 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 about 320 targets belonging to Gaza militant groups. But the violence -- the most serious border clashes since a spate of fighting in November -- appeared to abate early on Monday. Rocket sirens in southern Israel, which had gone off continuously over the weekend, sending residents running for cover, were quite for a few hours straight before dawn. Israel's military reported no new air strikes in Gaza. Egypt and the United Nations, who have served as brokers in the past, had been trying to mediate a truce. The violence began two days ago when a sniper from the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad 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. Story continues 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. 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 Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Michael Perry) MEXICO CITY, May 6 (Reuters) - Panamanian presidential hopeful Romulo Roux, a former foreign minister under past President Ricardo Martinelli, conceded defeat to U.S.-educated political veteran Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo on Monday. Panama's electoral tribunal had already declared Cortizo the winner by just over 2 percentage points in the close presidential election. Roux had been reluctant to concede defeat on Sunday, saying he had found some irregularities in ballots in some voting areas. (Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Elida Moreno; writing by Anthony Esposito; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Paris (AFP) - Paris police said "yellow vest" protesters whose weekly demonstrations have caused vandalism and security headaches will be barred from Paris's famed Champs-Elysees avenue on Wednesday during commemorations of the end of World War II. The anti-government demonstrators will be banned from disrupting "solemn ceremonies" to take place at the Arc de Triomphe and along the avenue, which is near the French presidential palace, the police said in a statement. French authorities have been taking a harder line against the "yellow vest" protests since the last Paris police chief was sacked on March 18 for failing to counter a stone-throwing and fiery rampage along the Champs-Elysees. The police chief who succeeded him, Didier Lallement, noted that the protests -- which began in November over fuel tax increases and swelled into an anti-government movement -- regularly saw police officers targeted by "a radical splinter group of demonstrators". The protests usually take place in Paris on Saturdays, but officials feared they could happen on Wednesday this week, which is a public holiday in France. During Wednesday's commemorations celebrating Victory in Europe Day -- Nazi Germany's surrender to the Allies on May 8, 1945 -- French President Emmanuel Macron is to leave his palace and go up the Champs-Elysees with an honour guard to lay a wreath under the Arc de Triomphe. That famous monument has been repaired in time for the occasion, after "yellow vest" protesters vandalised it in a December demonstration. They sprayed graffiti, smashed sculptures and stole commemorative medals and snuffed out an eternal flame that burns atop a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, causing 1.2 million euros ($1.3 million) in damage. In Pennsylvania, an elected official has taken it upon himself to silence his own constituents in the name of the Constitution. State representative Brian Sims, elected in 2012 to represent part of Philadelphia, evidently believes that his job requires him to avoid the state house and instead police the space in front of abortion clinics, protecting some of his citizens from pious pro-lifers. This weekend, Sims filmed a livestream video as he harassed an older woman praying on the sidewalk in front of a Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania location. She is an old white lady, who is going to try to avoid showing you her face, Sims says from behind the camera, angling it to capture the woman on tape. He proceeds to harangue her for several minutes, calling her disgusting and racist, and repeating shame on you, as she studiously ignores him. Have you fed any children today, or have you just stood out in front of a Planned Parenthood shaming people for something that they have a constitutional right to do? Sims asks, describing her protest as an attack on the Constitution. The incoherence of claiming to champion the unenumerated constitutional right to abortion while intimidating a woman for exercising her free-speech rights evidently has escaped Sims. Bring it, Bible Bullies! You are bigots, sexists, and misogynists and I see right through your fake morals and your broken values. #BeReal, Sims tweeted after pro-life group Live Action criticized his video Sunday afternoon. Sims appears as unable to discern irony as he is to comprehend the First Amendment. Who is the bully: the woman standing silently on the sidewalk, or the politician shouting at her and chasing her away? And who is the misogynist: the pro-life woman praying the rosary, or the man calling her a disgusting racist? For this feminist hero, chasing an elderly lady down the sidewalk isnt resistance enough. If you know who this woman is, if you can give me her address, Sims says on film. Well protest out in front of her home. Story continues Later, he asks those watching to follow his example and find occasions to shout down abortion-clinic protestors themselves. Please call the cops, he implores his viewers. Tell them Representative Brian Sims is standing in his district telling somebody that using the rights that theyre using to protest women coming into Planned Parenthood is disgusting, and its wrong, and its shameful. For all his histrionics, Sims does acknowledge that the womans protest is legally protected. Youre allowed to be out here, he permits. That doesnt mean you have a moral right to be out here. One is reminded of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), who insisted a few months ago after being confronted with her own inaccuracies that many people are more concerned about being precisely, factually, and semantically correct than about being morally right. Unfortunately for Sims and fortunately for the rest of us constitutional rights are determined by the text of the Constitution and not by his highly tenuous and individualistic interpretation of morality. And his victim was protected not only by the clear meaning of the First Amendment, but also by a recent Supreme Court decision explicitly affirming the right to protest outside abortion clinics. In McCullen v. Coakley (2014), the Court decided unanimously that a Massachusetts law enforcing 35-foot buffer zones to keep protestors away from abortion clinics violated the First Amendment. Justice Antonin Scalias concurrence in that case, joined by Justices Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas, is especially illuminating. The obvious purpose of the challenged portion of the Massachusetts Reproductive Health Care Facilities Act is to protect prospective clients of abortion clinics from having to hear abortion-opposing speech on public streets and sidewalks, he wrote of the Massachusetts law. Citing his own dissent in Hill v. Colorado, Scalia noted, The public spaces outside of [abortion-providing] facilities . . . ha[ve] become, by necessity and by virtue of this Courts decisions, a forum of last resort for those who oppose abortion. Because of Roe v. Wade and subsequent jurisprudence, opponents of abortion have no recourse to the ballot box. They have little ability to influence whether their tax dollars underwrite the procedure to which they are so strongly opposed. The effort to restrict their right even to protest this regime, then, is particularly sinister. It is an attempt to remove a citizens very last means of dissenting in a normal constitutional order. This is the effort in which Brian Sims is engaged, an elected state representative taking to the streets to intimidate citizens who would exercise their free-speech rights in order to question his own flawed moral reasoning and the cavalier dismissal of unborn human life. 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! If you want to know who really controls Horizon Oil Limited (ASX:HZN), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. I generally like to see some degree of insider ownership, even if only a little. As Nassim Nicholas Taleb said, 'Dont tell me what you think, tell me what you have in your portfolio.' Horizon Oil is a smaller company with a market capitalization of AU$150m, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutions are noticeable on the share registry. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholder can tell us about HZN. Check out our latest analysis for Horizon Oil ASX:HZN Ownership Summary, May 5th 2019 What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Horizon Oil? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. We can see that Horizon Oil does have institutional investors; and they hold 22% of the stock. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone, since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Horizon Oil's earnings history, below. Of course, the future is what really matters. ASX:HZN Income Statement, May 6th 2019 We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Horizon Oil. As far I can tell there isn't analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar. Story continues Insider Ownership Of Horizon Oil The definition of company insiders can be subjective, and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own some shares in Horizon Oil Limited. As individuals, the insiders collectively own AU$12m worth of the AU$150m company. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but I usually like to see higher insider holdings. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying. General Public Ownership The general public, with a 37% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. Private Equity Ownership Private equity firms hold a 19% stake in HZN. This suggests they can be influential in key policy decisions. Some investors might be encouraged by this, since private equity are sometimes able to encourage strategies that help the market see the value in the company. Alternatively, those holders might be exiting the investment after taking it public. Private Company Ownership It seems that Private Companies own 15%, of the HZN stock. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Horizon Oil better, we need to consider many other factors. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. Viktor Marchukaites/AFP/Getty At least 41 people, including one U.S. citizen, were killed Sunday when a Russian plane made a fiery crash landing at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport, according to Russian officials. The Russian Aeroflot carrier plane departed from Moscow, en route to the northern city of Murmansk. But flight tracking data shows the jet making a loop in Moscows skies before turning back to the airport. In shocking video, the plane can be seen attempting to land at about 7:30 p.m. local time and bouncing off the Moscow tarmac before crashing down and bursting into flames. The plane then skids down the tarmac, with the back half engulfed in flames and billowing thick clouds of black smoke. Horrified passengers on nearby flights took to social media with harrowing photos and videos of engulfed plane. Once the plane stopped on the tarmac, some passengers could be seen escaping on the planes inflatable yellow slides. Its not clear exactly what happened. The planes pilot, Denis Evdokimov, reportedly said Monday that the plane was struck by lightning soon after takeoff, which knocked out communications with air-traffic control. There was a bright flash and a bang, Evdokimov said. The fire began after landing, I understand, because of the landing. Evodkimov claimed that while the planes landing speed was normal, it was weighed down by the fuel loadand that pilots had only intermittent, weak communication with air-traffic control via an emergency radio channel. Authorities said Monday that the aircrafts black boxes had been recovered and that they are looking into inexperienced pilots, mechanical failure, and weather conditions as potential contributors to the crash. The Independent reports that the investigation will likely focus on why the pilots chose to land without first flying around to dispense the excess fuel, and how the supposed lightning strike disabled the planes electrical systems. Modern planes, this model included, are reportedly designed to survive lightning strikes. Story continues Its not yet clear if the crash will cause authorities to ground the Sukhoi Superjet S100 model. Airline regulator Rosaviatsia said it was premature to come to that conclusion, The Independent reports. The plane was reportedly carrying 73 passengers and 5 crew members. Elena Markovskaya, a spokeswoman for Russias Investigative Committee, said early Monday local time that 41 of those people died, and 37 survived. On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that one American was among the dead. We join @USEmbRuPress @USEmbRu in expressing sincere condolences to the families of all who were lost or injured in yesterdays tragic plane fire at Sheremetyevo airport, including one U.S. citizen, Pompeo tweeted. The Investigative Committee told The Associated Press that four other people were injured; the countrys Emergencies Ministry reported that six had been hospitalized. Read more at The Daily Beast. Photo credit: CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN / AFP - Getty Images From Popular Mechanics The United Nations just issued its first Global Assessment report since 2005, with the stunning proclamation that 25 of all species on Earth are vulnerable to extinction. According to the report, that percentage means around 1 million species on Earth already face extinction, many within decades, unless action is taken to reduce the intensity of drivers of biodiversity loss. Any way you slice it, the report paints an ominous picture, says Sir Robert Watson, chair of the UN's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, in a press statement. The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever, Watson said. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide. Photo credit: Anuwar Ali Hazarika / Barcroft Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images - Getty Images The good news? The UN report says it isn't too late to make a difference-but we have to start making it, beginning at the local level. Through transformative change, nature can still be conserved, restored and used sustainably-this is also key to meeting most other global goals, Watson said. By transformative change, we mean a fundamental, system-wide reorganization across technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values. As for what's at stake if we don't act now, Watson doesn't mince words. We are indeed threatening the potential food security, water security, human health and social fabric of humanity, Watson told The Associated Press. Business as usual is a disaster. A Truly Global Crisis No corner of the globe has been spared in the biodiversity crisis now facing the planet, the report says. Over 40 percent of all amphibian species are vulnerable to extinction, and the same can be said for a over a third of marine mammals. Nearly 33 percent of all reef-forming corals are also threatened by human-caused global warming and increased pollution. Story continues The failure of reef-forming coral, as witnessed in the recent mass beachings of 2014-2017, shows that the animals that live within coral reefs would also be threatened by their failure. Another 0.9 degrees (0.5 degrees Celsius) in warming and the world's reefs dwindle by 70 to 90 percent. Raise the global water temperature by 1.8 degrees (1 degree Celsius) and 99 percent of the world's reefs will face a crisis of survival. Photo credit: Smith Collection/Gado / Contributor - Getty Images On land, the issues are just as dire. The average abundance of native species in most major land-based habitats has fallen by at least 20 percent. Since the 16th century, the planet has seen 680 vertebrae extinctions, with more than 9 percent of all domesticated breeds of mammals used for food and agriculture becoming extinct by 2016. Twenty-three percent of all birds threatened, meanwhile, have already seen their environments further negatively impacted through climate change. Biodiversity and natures contributions to people are our common heritage and humanitys most important life-supporting safety net, said Prof. Sandra Diaz (Argentina), who co-chaired the Global Assessment, in a press statement. The diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems, as well as many fundamental contributions we derive from nature, are declining fast, although we still have the means to ensure a sustainable future for people and the planet. While the report offers a grim diagnosis to the planet, the causes aren't surprising. The Global Assessment highlights five issues plaguing Earth's various populations. Ranked from the biggest to smallest threat, they are: (1) changes in land and sea use; (2) direct exploitation of organisms; (3) climate change; (4) pollution; and (5) invasive alien species. What are the 5 direct drivers of change in nature with largest relative global impacts? 1: Change in land & sea use. 2: Direct exploitation of organisms. 3: Climate Change 4: Pollution 5: Invasive Species. - Newly launched @IPBES #GlobalAssessment #IPBES7 pic.twitter.com/7JukwFrU15 - IPBES (@IPBES) May 6, 2019 The statistics that back up these threats show their power to challenge global ecosystems. Seventy-five percent of the land-based environment and about 66 percent of the marine environment have been "significantly altered" by human actions, although the report notes that this trend has been less severe in areas held or managed by indigenous groups. But overall, a third of the worlds land surface and almost 75 percent of freshwater resources have become devoted to crop or livestock production. Fifty-five percent of all ocean area is covered by industrial fishing. Photo credit: Sergei Krasnoukhov / Contributor / TASS - Getty Images When humans change a natural environment, they're likely doing so to make it serve their own needs. The value of agricultural crop production has increased by about 300 percent since 1970, according to the report, and raw timber harvest has risen by 45 percent. Roughly 60 billion tons of renewable and nonrenewable resources are extracted globally every year. It's tremendously profitable; the World Bank estimates that the combined value of agriculture, forestry, and fishing across the planet is over $3 trillion. But the Global Assessment suggests that such practices are becoming unsustainable. Capturing a snapshot of global biodiversity is a heady task, and the UN hopes this Global Assessment is the most comprehensive in human history. Written by 145 authors from 50 countries over the past three years, the report has an additional 310 contributing writers, all of whom relied upon a systematic review of about 15,000 scientific and government sources. For the first time in a study of this size, the UN sought out indigenous voices to speak to local concerns on biodiversity. Looking for Solutions Those indigenous communities could offer a glimmer of hope to the world. Around 25 percent of the planet is traditionally owned, managed, used or occupied by indigenous groups. Looking closer, around 35 percent of that area is formally protected, with another 35 percent showing very low outside intervention. According to the Assessment, nature managed by indigenous groups is "under increasing pressure, but is generally declining less rapidly than in other lands." Photo credit: Mauro Pimentel / AFP - Getty Images While imperfect stewards, indigenous groups are seemingly better at balancing the needs of the Earth and their populations than much of the rest of the planet. "Regional and global scenarios currently lack and would benefit from an explicit consideration of the views, perspectives and rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, their knowledge and understanding of large regions and ecosystems, and their desired future development pathways," says a summary of the report. The summary continues, "Recognition of the knowledge, innovations and practices, institutions and values of indigenous peoples and local communities and their inclusion and participation in environmental governance often enhances their quality of life, as well as nature conservation, restoration and sustainable use." Other potential solutions in the report include promoting good agricultural and agroecological practices, ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management, promoting practices to reduce soil erosion, and improving access to green spaces in urban areas. We have already seen the first stirrings of actions and initiatives for transformative change, such as innovative policies by many countries, local authorities and businesses, but especially by young people worldwide, Watson said in the press statement. From the young global shapers behind the #VoiceforthePlanet movement, to school strikes for climate, there is a groundswell of understanding that urgent action is needed if we are to secure anything approaching a sustainable future." ('You Might Also Like',) Rovaniemi (Finland) (AFP) - The US on Monday said it planned to beef up its Arctic presence to keep Russia's and China's "aggressive behaviour" in check in the resource-rich region. "The region has become an arena of global power and competition" owing to vast reserves of oil, gas, minerals and fish stocks, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned in a speech in Rovaniemi, northern Finland. "Just because the Arctic is a place of wilderness does not mean it should become a place of lawlessness," he said. Speaking on the eve of a meeting of the eight members of the Arctic Council, Pompeo took on Beijing and Moscow. "China's pattern of aggressive behaviour elsewhere will inform how it treats the Arctic," he said. He warned against scenarios whereby nations become ensnared by debt and corruption, of low-quality investments, militarisation and uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources, all of which he said were potential effects of allowing rising Chinese influence. "Do we want the Arctic Ocean to transform into a new South China Sea, fraught with militarisation and competing territorial claims?", he said. - Northern Sea Route - While the US and Russia are members of the Arctic Council, China holds only observer status in the cooperation body. Noting that China's most northern tip was 900 miles (1,450 kilometres) from the Arctic, Pompeo swatted down Beijing's attempts to style itself as a "near Arctic state". "There are only Arctic States and Non-Arctic States. No third category exists, and claiming otherwise entitles China to exactly nothing," he said. Beijing has invested massively in the region -- almost $90 billion between 2012 and 2017, according to Pompeo -- and intends to fully benefit from the advantages of the Northern Sea Route. The shipping channel, which drastically cuts sailing times between the Pacific and Atlantic by passing north of Russia, is increasingly usable as the ice melts. Story continues China and Russia would like to make the Northern Sea Route a part of the New Silk Road project, a vast Chinese investment programme which several countries, especially the US, see as an attempt to gain control. Gao Feng, China's special representative for Arctic affairs, reacted by saying; "He said ... It's a competition of powers. OK, competition? Let's see ... who can get more friends". - 'Snow prints' - In his speech, Pompeo also denounced Russia's "provocative actions", accusing Moscow of wanting to remilitarise the region. "Russia is already leaving snow prints in the form of army boots," he said. Under President Vladimir Putin, Moscow has beefed up its military presence in the region, reopening several bases that were abandoned after the fall of the USSR. The virulence of Pompeo's remarks was noteworthy given the fact he made them just minutes before a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, amid rising US-Russian tensions over Venezuela, among other things. The two smiled and shook hands in front of the assembled media, but refused to answer questions on the nature of their talks. Pompeo later told reporters that he had spoken to Lavrov about Russian interference in US elections, telling the Russian foreign minister that "It's not appropriate. To stifle rival ambitions in the Arctic, the US is "hosting military exercises, strengthening our force presence, rebuilding our icebreaker fleet, (and) expanding Coast Guard funding," Pompeo said. At Congress' request, the Pentagon is to present a new defence strategy for the Arctic by June 1. Hundreds of US Marines already rotate through Norway to carry out cold climate training, and US planes have returned to Iceland's Keflavik airbase, which they left in 2006. Meanwhile, Pompeo also reiterated US claims to be "the world's leader in caring for the environment," saying it would take the lead in the Arctic as well. US carbon dioxide emissions are "on track to drop by nearly half by 2025, the best of any Arctic country," he said. Asked in the plane carrying him to Rovaniemi about the apparent contradiction between the US commitment to protect the Arctic and President Donald Trump's pledge to leave the Paris climate accord, Pompeo said the accord, signed in 2015, had proven its "ineffectiveness". * Pope is on three-day visit to Bulgaria, North Macedonia * Urges Bulgarians to "open hearts" to plight of migrants * Bulgarian government includes anti-immigrant nationalists * Francis also seeking to improve ties with Orthodox Churches By Philip Pullella and Angel Krasimirov RAKOVSKI, Bulgaria, May 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Monday the plight of suffering immigrants and refugees was "the cross of humanity," taking up their case for the second consecutive day during a visit to Bulgaria that has put him at odds with the government. Bulgarias center-right coalition government, which includes three nationalist anti-migrants parties, wants the European Union to close its external borders to migrants and set up refugee centers outside the bloc. It has built a fence along its border with Turkey and stepped up controls on its border with Greece to help block any repeat of the massive migrant influx that gripped Europe in 2015 and stoked support for far-right anti-immigrant parties. Francis began his second day in Bulgaria with a visit to a refugee center in Sofia, where he met with about 50 people and their children who are helped by a Catholic charity. "Today, the world of migrants and refugees is a bit like a cross, the cross of humanity, a cross that many people suffer," he told them in improvised remarks after hearing some of their stories and listening to children singing. The center, housed in a former school building, helps migrants mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. An organizer at the refugee center told the pope that people of all faiths, including many Muslims, had volunteered to help the migrants, in a sign of inter-religious dialog. Francis later flew to Rakovski in southern Bulgaria, a predominantly Roman Catholic town in the overwhelmingly Eastern Orthodox country, to say a mass. "DON'T CLOSE YOUR HEARTS" Shortly after his arrival in Bulgaria on Sunday, Francis, who has made the defense of migrants a key plank of his pontificate, urged government leaders directly to "not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands, in accordance with your best tradition, to those who knock at your door." Story continues Bulgaria, the EU's poorest country, has taken an anti-immigrant stance even though it has a rapidly aging population and a low birth rate. More than two million Bulgarians have left the country since the fall of communism in 1989 in search of better opportunities in western Europe and beyond. General dissatisfaction over slow economic growth, security threats posed by Islamist militants and a backlash against migration across open EU borders have boosted support for euro skeptic nationalists in many EU member states ahead of elections to the European Parliament later this month. One purpose of the pope's three-day trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia is to improve ties 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. Francis heads to North Macedonia for the final leg of the trip on Tuesday. (Reporting By Philip Pullella Editing by Gareth Jones) By Axel Bugge LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's main conservative opposition parties would approve retroactive pay rises for teachers only if public finances can sustain them, they said on Sunday, reducing the chances of the Socialist government resigning over the issue. Prime Minister Antonio Costa had threatened to resign if such increases are approved in a full parliamentary vote likely to take place on May 15 after the conservatives joined forces with the far left in a parliamentary committee last week to approve retroactive pay rises for teachers over nine years. There have been waves of strikes and protests from teachers, nurses, police and prison guards in the past few months to press demands for pay increases and better working conditions. However, Costa's threat looked unlikely on Sunday as the two conservative parties, the centre-right Social Democrats (PSD) and rightist CDS, said they would only support the payments in a full parliamentary vote if they do not threaten state finances. The Social Democrats (PSD) and right-leaning CDS were obliged to back down, a government spokesman said. "The government has imposed financial responsibility and protected the credibility of the country abroad," he added. In a televised statement Social Democrat leader Rui Rio accused the government of creating an "artificial crisis" out of the issue but added that his party would support pay increases only if public finances are safeguarded. "For the PSD, and particularly for me personally, balance of public finances is a non-negotiable condition," Rui said. CDS leader Assuncao Cristas earlier said it was a government "lie" that her party had voted with the left to make multi-million payments to teachers. Support for the payments would only be made if there is "economic growth and a guarantee of the sustainability of state finances", she said. "Either parliament accepts our conditions or we won't approve any payment," Cristas added. Story continues Public sector wages were frozen during Portugal's 2011-14 debt crisis and the government is concerned that big increases for one sector would prompt a flood of demands by all civil servants. The Socialists have won praise from investors for reducing the budget deficit to nearly zero. The dispute may have played into Costa's hands by allowing him to portray the Socialists as the only party defending fiscal responsibility ahead of a general election in October. "What is at stake is all the efforts that have been made to balance the budget and that have cost all Portuguese taxpayers so much," said political scientist Marina Costa Lobo. The Socialists have now unfrozen civil servants' pay but want to reinstate wages gradually to ensure efforts to maintain healthy public accounts are not in vain. Portugal's debt remains among the highest in the euro zone. (Additional reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Catarina Demony; Editing by David Goodman) Over a month after the first part of the 2019 GLAAD Awards, the second ceremony took place in New York on May 4. The awards show, which pays tribute to the LGBTQ+ community, rewards works of film and television. On Saturday, May 4, at Manhattan's New York Hilton Midtown, the GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Awards celebrated the representation of the LGBTQ+ community on the small and silver screens during its 30th edition. The ceremony was hosted by drag queen Shangela of "RuPaul's Drag Race" fame. Netflix and Ryan Murphy win big While Beyonce and Jay-Z won the Vanguard Award during the first ceremony on March 28 in Los Angeles, Saturday's Advocate for Change Award was presented to Madonna. On the television front, Ryan Murphy "Pose," which already held the record for the most transgender actors in one cast, was handed the Best Drama Series awards, cutting ahead of "The Handmaid's Tale." This success bodes well for the series, which is due to return for its second season on June 9. The creator of "Glee" left with not one, but two prizes as his "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" was awarded the Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series award. Netflix also took home a fair bit of praise, as another one of its series, "Elite," won Outstanding Scripted Television Series (Spanish Language) in a tie with "Mi marido tiene mas familia." Moving on to the silver screen, Joel Edgerton's drama "Boy Erased" was named Outstanding Film - Limited Release; Greg Berlanti's "Love, Simon" got the Wide Release prize during the March ceremony. London (AFP) - Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to a boy, her "over the moon" husband Prince Harry revealed to the world on Monday in a low-key announcement intended to protect their privacy. Prince Harry said that both mother and baby were "doing incredibly well" as he gave a short statement to British television news outlets, without either in sight, in front of Windsor Castle's horse stables. "I am very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a little boy early this morning -- a very healthy boy," a beaming Harry said in the video statement. "As every father and parent would ever say, your baby is absolutely amazing. "But this little thing is absolutely to die for. So I am just over the moon." Buckingham Palace said the boy, seventh in line to the throne, was born at 0526 local time (0426 GMT), weighing seven pounds and three ounces (3.26 kilograms). Meghan, who is mixed race, was an actress in the United States before marrying Harry last year at Windsor Castle. The women's rights campaigner has been hailed as a breath of fresh air in a stuffy institution. A royal spokesman did not reveal whether 34-year-old prince and Meghan, 37, opted for a home birth at their new Frogmore Cottage home on the royal family's Windsor Estate, west of London, or went to a nearby hospital. The birth in Windsor breaks with the tradition followed by Harry's brother William and his wife Kate, whose three children were all born at St Mary's Hospital in London. Harry and William were also born in the same hospital. Harry and Meghan wanted to keep the arrival of their first child "private", Buckingham Palace said last month, and the announcement was made some nine hours after the birth. That contrasts with William and Kate, whose three children -- Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1 -- were immediately shown off to the world's media. Story continues Prince Harry said Monday he expected to introduce the newborn to the nation -- and announce his name -- "in probably two days time". - Meghan's mother 'overjoyed' - Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Prince William were among the royals informed, as were the sisters and brother of Harry's late mother Diana, a royal statement said. Meghan's mother Doria Ragland is with her daughter at Frogmore Cottage and was "overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild," it said. Downing Street added to the well-wishes as news of the royal birth broke Monday afternoon in Britain. "Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the arrival of their baby boy," Prime Minister Theresa May said on Twitter. "Wishing you all the best at this happy time." The BT Tower in central London scrolled a message of congratulations, while the London Eye will later turn red, white and blue in honour of the birth. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury who married the couple last May, also shared his joy on social media. "May God bless the new family with love, health and happiness," he said. - 'Incredibly proud' - Prince Harry and Meghan revealed they were expecting their first baby in October, at the outset of a 16-day tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. Commentators believed the baby, the Queen's eighth great-grandchild, was due in late April and Britons have been on tenterhooks when the month ended without news of the birth. There was fevered speculation in recent weeks over everything from the newborn's gender and name -- to whether it will have Harry's ginger hair. The prince said the couple were still thinking about names. "The baby's a little bit overdue so we've had a little bit of time to think about it," he added. Names including Arthur, James and Albert are now hotly tipped by British bookmakers to be chosen by the couple. Prince Harry was present for the birth, describing it as "the most amazing experience I can ever possibly imagine". "How any woman can do what they do is beyond comprehension," he said. "I am so incredibly proud of my wife." Despite the understated nature of Monday's announcement, some royal enthusiasts gathered in Windsor and at Buckingham Palace, where a framed notice of the birth went on display on a ceremonial easel placed on the forecourt. "I'm very excited," Amanda told AFP. "It would have been nice if it wasn't so discreet," she added. SAN JUAN, May 6 (Reuters) - A U.S. Appeals Court on Monday gave Puerto Rico's federally created financial oversight board another 60 days to allow for the constitutional reappointment of its members by President Donald Trump and the Senate. The board had faced a May 16 deadline set by the Boston-based First Circuit court on Feb. 15 to be validly reappointed or replaced after creditors of the bankrupt U.S. commonwealth successfully challenged members' appointments on constitutional grounds. Last week, the White House announced the U.S. Senate will be asked to confirm the board's current seven members. The appeals court's order sets a July 15 deadline for that process to be completed. Both moves allow the board to continue to restructure Puerto Rico's roughly $120 billion of debt and pension obligations under a form of bankruptcy filed two years ago in federal court. The appeals court denied the board's request to stay its ruling in the case until there is a final decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The board last month petitioned the high court over the ruling, which determined the board had been unconstitutionally appointed because its members are principal U.S. officers and should have been selected by the president "with the advice and consent of the Senate." Under the 2016 federal PROMESA law, then-President Barack Obama appointed six board members from lists of candidates recommended by Congress, as well as a seventh member. Under that process, PROMESA did not require the appointments to be sent to the Senate for confirmation. The lawsuit over the board members, which was filed by creditors of the U.S. commonwealth, including Aurelius Investment LLC and bond insurer Assured Guaranty Corp, also sought a dismissal of Puerto Rico's Title III bankruptcy cases - a move the appeals court rejected. Deals restructuring the island's sales tax-backed bonds and Government Development Bank debt have won court approval. An agreement over Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority debt was announced on Friday. (Reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago and Luis Valentin Ortiz in San Juan Editing by Matthew Lewis) CAIRO, May 6 (Reuters) - Qatar pledged 480 million dollars in support of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday. Qatar allocated 300 million dollars in grants and loans to support the Palestinian Authority's budget for the health and education sectors. The other 180 million dollars will go to urgent rescue and humanitarian support, as well as supporting the United Nations' programs in Palestine, and to support the electricity services to ensure various sectors of the Palestinian people have access to them. (Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Dan Grebler) Check out our Podcast on... 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 AirBoss of America Corp. (TSE:BOS), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. What Is Insider Selling? It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information. We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.' Check out our latest analysis for AirBoss of America AirBoss of America Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by James Flatt for CA$2.7m worth of shares, at about CA$13.65 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of CA$9.22. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares is very important. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when an insider has purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price. James Flatt was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months. James Flatt bought 440k shares over the last 12 months at an average price of CA$13.26. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! Story continues TSX:BOS Recent Insider Trading, May 6th 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. Insider Ownership of AirBoss of America Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It's great to see that AirBoss of America insiders own 45% of the company, worth about CA$98m. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About AirBoss of America Insiders? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded AirBoss of America shares in the last quarter. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. With high insider ownership and encouraging transactions, it seems like AirBoss of America insiders think the business has merit. 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. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. Boston Red Sox starter David Price has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 3. Price is dealing with left elbow tendinitis, the team said. Price, who is 1-2 with a 3.75 earned-run average in six starts, was scheduled to make his next start on Tuesday in Baltimore. Price pitched six innings against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, allowing three runs and seven hits while striking out five. The 33-year-old has dealt with elbow issues in the past, including missing the beginning of the 2017 season. It is not immediately clear how long Price will be sidelined. Price is the second member of Bostons rotation to hit the IL in recent weeks. Nathan Eovaldi was placed on the IL on April 20 and subsequently had surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow. The team said it expected Eovaldi to return within six weeks. Boston Red Sox starting pitcher David Price throws to a Chicago White Sox batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Thursday, May 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) With Price on the IL, the Red Sox called up right-hander Ryan Weber from Triple-A Pawtucket to fill his spot on the active roster. Weber has a 5.01 ERA in 24 career MLB appearances, including eight starts, with three teams. This year in Pawtucket, Weber is 1-1 with a 5.04 ERA in five starts. Weber signed with Boston as a minor league free agent in December 2018. The Red Sox, 17-18 on the year, have won seven of their last eight games entering Monday nights game against the Orioles. More from Yahoo Sports: (Corrects punctuation in headline.) By Kate Ryan NEW YORK, May 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Transgender youth, along with those who do not identify as male or female, are at increased risk of sexual violence in schools that force them to use bathrooms and locker rooms based on their gender assigned at birth, a study published on Monday said. Thirty-six percent of transgender and non-binary teens in schools with restrictions were assaulted, compared with 24 percent of students with no restrictions, according to research published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). "These policies are not abstract issues," lead author Gabriel Murchison, a post-graduate student in population health sciences at Harvard University, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "They are associated with serious long-lasting effects on kids." Murchison's research drew on survey data from more than 3,600 transgender and non-binary students aged 13 to 17 collected by the Human Rights Campaign and the University of Connecticut in 2017. While this quantitative study cannot show that restrictive bathroom and locker room policies directly lead to individual assaults, the "clear and consistent" data link policy and unsafe environments for already at-risk student populations, Murchison said. The Trump administration rescinded federal guidance specifically protecting transgender students in public schools in 2017, opening the door for schools and states to restrict bathroom use for students. When asked in a hearing before the House Education and Labor Committee in April if she knew of the risks the move posed to transgender students' school performance and mental health, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said she did. She added that the her department's Office of Civil Rights was dedicated to ensuring equal access to education. Students have come up with their own ways of dealing with the bathroom rules, said Ellen Kahn, director of the Children, Youth and Families Program for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a Washington-based LGBT+ advocacy group. Story continues "About 50 percent of young people in our survey go through the day without using the bathroom, which is its own health issue," she said. Regardless of gender identity, teens who are sexually assaulted are at heightened risk for depression, eating disorders, substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder, the AAP study said. The National Center for Transgender Equality estimated that nearly half of all gender minorities in the United States experiences unwanted sexual contact during their lifetimes. (Reporting by Kate Ryan, Editing by Jason Fields Sofia (AFP) - Pope Francis told Syrian and Iraqi refugees at a camp in Bulgaria that their experiences were "a cross for humanity" as he continued his visit to the Balkans on Monday. Arriving in Bulgaria on Sunday, Francis begun his three-day tour by urging his hosts to open their hearts to refugees, in a country where public opinion has generally been negative towards migrants. On Monday, he visited the Vrazhdebna refugee camp on the outskirts of the capital Sofia, which has a capacity of more than 300 but currently hosts around 50 asylum seekers. "Today the world of migrants and refugees is a little like a cross for humanity, a cross suffered by so many people," Pope Francis said. He spoke of the "horrors" they had suffered in "leaving their own country and seeking to integrate themselves in another". In April 2018, the Council of Europe rights group voiced concern about Bulgarian efforts to integrate Middle Eastern refugees, with most relying on help from volunteers and NGOs. A small but energetic choir of refugee children welcomed Francis with two songs in Bulgarian before presenting him with brightly-coloured drawings, after which he greeted the other refugees at the camp individually. Iraqi refugee Soad, who has seven children and whose husband is sick, said her life was all the more difficult due to a lack of a defined immigration status and that relations with Iraqi Kurdish refugees were sometimes tense. "The pope can do everything and change everything, because he helps everyone and especially refugees," she said. "We will stay in Bulgaria, the children think it's their country now," she added. While President Ruman Radev assured the pope on Sunday that "Bulgarian society does not tolerate racism", the idea of accepting refugees from Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East is rejected on both the right and left of Bulgaria's political spectrum. Story continues The country's Orthodox Church has also called such migration a "threat to the stability of the state" and to "ethnic balance" and the entire 274-kilometre (170-mile) Bulgarian-Turkish border is blocked by a barbed-wire fence. - 'Day full of emotion' - After the visit to the refugee camp, Francis headed to the town of Rakovski in the centre of the country, one of the centres of Bulgaria's tiny Catholic community, which numbers around 44,000 out of a population of some seven million. Several hundred worshippers packed into one of the town's churches, with thousands more outside, for a service in which Francis gave 245 local children their first holy communion -- the first time he has done this on a foreign trip. One of them was the daughter of local resident Venelin Delgiyanski who described the event as "a great honour". "Its a day full of emotion. Everyone is very excited as this is also a big event for our small town," Delgiyanski said. Later on Monday Pope Francis will return to Sofia to take part in an inter-faith "meeting for peace" to which the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has refused to send priests. The Orthodox Church is instead sending a children's choir to the 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. Pope Francis's trip also takes in North Macedonia, where he will attend a commemoration of Mother Teresa, the most famous native of the Macedonian capital Skopje. Francis, whose papacy has been marred by a wave of child sex abuse allegations against clergy, has made improving interfaith dialogue -- including with Orthodox churches -- a priority. Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. 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. Bernie Sanders promises help for family farms, rural residents on trip to Iowa U.S. presidential contender Bernie Sanders unveiled a plan on Sunday to help family farmers and rural residents, promising to break up corporate agricultural monopolies and invest heavily in social and economic programs in struggling rural communities. Sanders, an independent U.S. senator and fierce corporate critic, said on a campaign trip to Iowa that rural areas were being devastated by agribusiness consolidations that hoarded profits, drove family farmers off their land and contributed to growing environmental and social problems. Hero student who tackled North Carolina gunman remembered as 'selfless' The North Carolina college student credited with saving lives by tackling a gunman firing at his classmates was remembered on Sunday as a person who died, the way he lived, "putting others first." Riley Howell, 21, was one of two people killed on Tuesday at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte when a former student opened fire inside a classroom of nearly 50 students. Four other students were injured. Showdown looms between Congress and attorney general over Mueller report deadline U.S. Attorney General William Barr is headed for a showdown on Monday with Democrats in Congress, as lawmakers prepared to begin contempt proceedings against the top U.S. law enforcement officer if he fails to hand over the full, unredacted Mueller report. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler gave Barr until 9 a.m. EDT to produce the full report and underlying evidence from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 22-month investigation into Russian election meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Nadler has subpoenaed the material but Barr missed an initial deadline to provide it last week. Story continues Trump's former lawyer Cohen to report to prison for hush payments Michael Cohen, the lawyer who once vowed to "take a bullet" for President Donald Trump but now calls him a "con man," on Monday will begin serving a three-year prison sentence for arranging hush payments to two women who said they had sexual encounters with the president and lying to the U.S. Congress. Cohen, Trump's longtime former personal attorney, must report by 2 p.m. (1800 GMT) to the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of New York City. He is expected to stay at the prison's minimum security camp. Trump picks Morgan, backer of border wall, to head U.S. immigration agency 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." 'Thrust reverser' broken on plane that slid into Florida river A component meant to slow an aircraft on landing was inoperative on the Boeing jetliner that slid off a runway into a river at a Florida military base, injuring 22 people, investigators said on Sunday. The failure of the left-hand "thrust reverser" on the Boeing 737-800 was one of the factors investigators were looking at, as well as a request by the pilots to change runways, said National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg. Special teams at U.S. universities try to identify students at risk of violence Last week's shooting at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte that killed two students and wounded four was just the kind of tragedy a team of officials at the school was trying to prevent. UNC Charlotte has a behavioral intervention team (BIT) tasked with reviewing reports about troubled students and intervening to prevent harm to themselves or others. Similar teams meet regularly at hundreds of other U.S. universities. Three dead, one still missing, after Chicago-area plant blast Searchers have found the body of a third worker killed after a massive explosion and fire at a Chicago-area silicone plant, a fire official said on Sunday. Searchers were working to recover the body from beneath rubble at the facility in Waukegan, about 40 miles (65 km) north of downtown Chicago, said city Fire Marshal Steven Lenzi. Trump says Special Counsel Mueller should not testify on Russia probe 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. Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. 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. Bernie Sanders promises help for family farms, rural residents on trip to Iowa U.S. presidential contender Bernie Sanders unveiled a plan on Sunday to help family farmers and rural residents, promising to break up corporate agricultural monopolies and invest heavily in social and economic programs in struggling rural communities. Sanders, an independent U.S. senator and fierce corporate critic, said on a campaign trip to Iowa that rural areas were being devastated by agribusiness consolidations that hoarded profits, drove family farmers off their land and contributed to growing environmental and social problems. 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. Student who confronted North Carolina gunman to be buried with military honors 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. Story continues Trump slams Kentucky Derby result as 'political correctness' after disqualification U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday blasted the result of the Kentucky Derby horse race, saying the controversial disqualification of first-finisher Maximum Security could only happen in "these days of political correctness." "The Kentuky (sic) Derby decision was not a good one. It was a rough and tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby - not even close!" Trump picks Morgan, backer of border wall, to head U.S. immigration agency 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." 'Thrust reverser' broken on plane that slid into Florida river A component meant to slow an aircraft on landing was inoperative on the Boeing jetliner that slid off a runway into a river at a Florida military base, injuring 22 people, investigators said on Sunday. The failure of the left-hand "thrust reverser" on the Boeing 737-800 was one of the factors investigators were looking at, as well as a request by the pilots to change runways, said National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg. Maximum Security owner denies impeding Kentucky Derby winner The owner of disqualified Kentucky Derby winner Maximum Security on Sunday denied his horse had interfered with the declared winner and said it was unlikely the horse would run in the May 18 Preakness, the second leg of U.S. racing's Triple Crown. Gary West, in an interview with Daily Racing Form, added that he may need to appeal the Kentucky Derby decision to U.S. federal courts because of Kentucky regulations. Three dead, one still missing, after Chicago-area plant blast Searchers have found the body of a third worker killed after a massive explosion and fire at a Chicago-area silicone plant, a fire official said on Sunday. Searchers were working to recover the body from beneath rubble at the facility in Waukegan, about 40 miles (65 km) north of downtown Chicago, said city Fire Marshal Steven Lenzi. Trump says Special Counsel Mueller should not testify on Russia probe 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. Following is a summary of current world news briefs. No turning back: Syrian Kurds reshape region with books and schools When Eyub Mohamad was a boy, security forces beat his father into paralysis. His offense was typing leaflets in Kurdish, banned under Syria's ruling Baath party. Mohamad, with his family, fed and bathed his father for years. Wary of the typewriter that landed his father in interrogation rooms, he avoided learning to read his own language. Berlusconi says ready for EU vote after "big fright" of emergency surgery Four-time Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, 82, said on Monday he was ready to resume all electoral engagements after undergoing emergency surgery last week for a bowel obstruction that made him fear for his life. "I'm fine, I got a big fright. A number of things that happened made me worry I was at the end of my ride, but then I had a formidable recovery," Berlusconi told reporters as he was discharged from Milan's San Raffaele hospital. Two U.S. warships sail in disputed South China Sea The U.S. military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Monday, a move that angered Beijing at a time of tense ties between the world's two biggest economies. The busy waterway is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which also include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and Taiwan. Gaza-Israel border falls quiet as ceasefire takes hold A surge in deadly violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel petered out overnight with Palestinian officials reporting that Egypt had mediated a ceasefire on Monday ending the most serious spate of cross-border clashes for months. The latest round of fighting erupted three days ago, peaking on Sunday when rockets and missiles from Gaza killed four civilians in Israel. Israeli strikes killed 21 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, over the weekend. Forty-one reported killed after Russian passenger plane crash-lands in Moscow Story continues Forty-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 Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport before the rear part of the plane suddenly burst into flames. Japan's Abe and Trump to discuss North Korea on Monday: NHK Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to talk by telephone on Monday and discuss projectiles fired by North Korea, national broadcaster NHK said. North Korea fired several "unidentified short-range projectiles" into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, prompting the South to urge its communist neighbor to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean peninsula." Indian judges' panel clears chief justice of sexual harassment India's Supreme Court on Monday said a panel of its judges had dismissed a complaint of sexual harassment made against Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi by a former court employee, as it lacked substance. The case involving India's most powerful judge is the most high-profile in a wave of allegations of sexual harassment that have been made public by women since last year as the #metoo movement has swept the country. U.S. deploying carrier, bombers to Middle East to deter Iran: Bolton The Trump administration is deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling "indications and warnings" from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with "unrelenting force" to any attack, national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday. With tensions already high between Washington and Tehran, a U.S. official said the deployment has been ordered "as a deterrence to what has been seen as potential preparations by Iranian forces and its proxies that may indicate possible attacks on U.S. forces in the region."However, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was not expecting any imminent Iranian attack. China says it won't take part in trilateral nuclear arms talks China on Monday dismissed a suggestion that it would talk with the United States and Russia about a new accord limiting nuclear arms, saying it would not take part in any trilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed on Friday the possibility of the new accord that could eventually include China in what would be a major deal between the globe's top three atomic powers. UK PM May looking at second Brexit vote options if talks fail: Telegraph British Prime Minister Theresa May has carried out "scenario planning" for a second Brexit referendum in case she is forced by parliament to hold one, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Monday. May is hoping to find a way to get parliament to approve a Brexit plan without another public vote, but talks with the opposition Labour Party on a compromise exit strategy have yet to reach an agreement. Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Libya's Haftar orders troops to fight harder during Ramadan Eastern Libyan forces commander Khalifa Haftar urged his troops trying to take Tripoli to battle harder and teach their enemies an even bigger lesson, because the Muslim month of Ramadan that begins on Monday was a month of holy war. His comments came just hours after the United Nations called for a week-long humanitarian truce following a month of fighting for the capital that has displaced 50,000 people, killed around 400, and badly damaged some southern districts. Death tolls rise in surging Israel-Gaza fighting 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. Forty-one reported killed after Russian passenger plane crash-lands in Moscow Forty-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 Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport before the rear part of the plane suddenly burst into flames. 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 North Macedonia's pro-Western candidate wins presidential vote North Macedonia's pro-Western candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, won a run-off presidential vote 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 99.5 percent the votes counted showed 51.7 percent of the votes going to Pendarovski, who is the candidate of the ruling coalition and a long-serving senior civil servant and academic. Panama presidential candidate Cortizo leads early vote count Panamanian presidential candidate Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo held a narrow lead on Sunday two hours after polls closed, just ahead of rival Romulo Roux, in one of the world's fastest-growing economies that has attracted increased interest from China. Cortizo, a 66-year-old former agriculture minister of the moderate left Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), aimed to woo the country's 2.8 million voters with promises to fight graft following bribery scandals and the canal nation's role in hiding the wealth of global elites. Sri Lanka police discover suspected training camp for Islamist militants Sri Lankan police on Sunday discovered a 10-acre camp in the eastern town of Kattankudy, where Islamist militants linked to the deadly Easter attacks are believed to have practiced shooting and bombmaking. The walled terrain is nestled in a poor residential area on the outskirts of the home town of Zahran Hashim, who is believed to have been a key player in plotting the April 21 attacks. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the church and hotel bombings that killed more than 250 people. Macron's party falls behind Le Pen's far right in EU election poll 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. U.S. may review ties with countries deemed anti-Israel: envoy 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 toward 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." Arctic nations to meet amid tensions over environment, resources 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. (Graphic: Rising global temperatures - http://tmsnrt.rs/2fd44vX) "Black Mountain" (Putnam), by Laird Barron Like a lyricist, Laird Barron excels at manipulating the tones and cadence of language. Like a Gothic novelist, the mood he creates is often bleak. "You don't teach a child to become a killer by rote lectures," he writes. "To create a predatory machine, you foster an appreciation of the natural world and our minuteness upon its canvass... We are as nothing and that permits us to do anything." It comes as no surprise, then, that Barron wrote both poetry and horror before turning to crime fiction with "Blood Standard (2018)," a novel that introduced former mob enforcer Isaiah Coleridge. At the start of that violent book, Coleridge appeared to be such a predatory machine; but by its conclusion, he vowed that from then on he would kill only those who have it coming. Barron's new novel, "Black Mountain," finds Coleridge working as a private investigator in the Catskills of upstate New York. There, the local mob boss hires him to find out who brutally killed two organized crime strong arms_and why. As Coleridge digs into the case, he learns that many other victims, mostly derelicts and prostitutes, have been murdered in a similar fashion. Soon, his suspicions focus on another retired hitman, a mysterious psychopath known as the Croatoan, the name of a Native American tribe to which he may or may not be related. But the case proves to be far from straightforward. The Croatoan would be an old man now. Is he even still alive? Could he be killing with the help of an assistant? Could the murders be the work of a copycat? Before long, it gets murkier with tendrils leading to a beautiful woman from a powerful family, her unscrupulous father, a team of mercenaries soldiers, a multinational corporation, and a government cover up. When he manages to sleep, Coleridge is terrorized by a black wolf in dream sequences that are evocative of early Stephen King. But unlike Barron's first novel, most of the violent action occurs offstage. ___ Bruce DeSilva , winner of the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award, is the author of the Mulligan crime novels including "The Dread Line." Washington (AFP) - Fears of conflict rose Monday as the US vowed to send a message to Iran by deploying an aircraft carrier strike group, amid a report that Tehran would scale back commitments under a nuclear deal after mounting pressure by President Donald Trump. Patrick Shanahan, the acting US defense secretary, said he approved the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to unspecified waters in the vicinity of Iran in response to "indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces." "We call on the Iranian regime to cease all provocation. We will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests," Shanahan tweeted. The announcement came first on Sunday evening from John Bolton, Trump's national security advisor, who said the move was "a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force." "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces," Bolton said. US officials did not give more details on the alleged threat, and the Pentagon had already announced in April that the USS Abraham Lincoln had headed on a "regularly scheduled deployment" out of its base in Norfolk, Virginia. Iran's supreme national security council spokesman Keyvan Khosravi dismissed Bolton's statement, calling it a "clumsy use of an out-of-date event for psychological warfare." - Based on intelligence, or politics? - The news site Axios said Bolton's warning came after Israel, which has pushed to isolate Iran, passed along intelligence on a possible plot by Tehran "against a US target in the Gulf or US allies like Saudi Arabia or the UAE." Quoting an unnamed Israeli official, Axios said the intelligence was "not very specific at this stage" but that the "Iranian temperature is on the rise" due to pressure. Story continues Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which advocates a hard line on Iran, said he had heard of a "spike" in intelligence in recent days about planned attacks. He believed Iran had given the green-light to Islamist movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad to fire missiles into Israel in a weekend flare-up to "create a crisis to distract the US and Israel" from plots elsewhere. Other observers were much more skeptical of the intentions of Bolton, who has advocated attacking Iran and enjoyed close ties to the country's formerly armed opposition before Trump hired him. "The Trump administration's team of saber-rattling foreign policy advisors are all but openly shouting their desire for an unauthorized and unconstitutional war with Iran," said Senator Tom Udall, a Democrat. "Congress must act immediately to stop this reckless march to war before it's too late," he tweeted. The deployment announcement came almost a year to the day after Trump pulled the United States out of a multinational accord under which Tehran drastically scaled back its sensitive nuclear work. "I think this is manufactured by Bolton to try to justify the administration's very harsh policy toward Iran despite the fact that Iran has been complying with the nuclear deal," said Barbara Slavin, the director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council think tank. - Iran frustration mounting - With frustration mounting in Iran over the lack of dividends from the nuclear accord, the semi-official ISNA news agency said that President Hassan Rouhani would announce "retaliatory measures" on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the US pullout. The news agency said that Rouhani would invoke sections of the accord under which Iran can cease some or all of its commitments if other parties fail to adhere to their part, notably on ending sanctions. The Trump administration instead has imposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran and in recent weeks has hit even harder, moving to ban all countries from buying Iran's oil, its top export, and declaring the Revolutionary Guards to be a terrorist group -- the first such designation of a unit of a foreign government. UN inspectors say that Iran has remained in compliance with the nuclear deal, which is still backed by European powers as well as Democrats seeking to unseat Trump next year. Britain, France and Germany have set up a special payments system to let European businesses operate in Iran and avoid US sanctions, although few firms have been willing to incur Washington's wrath. London (AFP) - Tradition-defying royal couple Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, broke with custom yet again on Monday with the announcement of the birth of their first child. News of the birth was released on Instagram -- a first in royal history -- in a post on their @sussexroyal account with the couple's crest and the simple phrase: "It's a BOY!" The post received more than 750,000 likes in under an hour. The account was only launched in April, breaking a world record by reaching a million followers in under six hours. Harry has battled to protect his privacy for years. The 34-year-old's relationship with the media has been fraught ever since the death of his mother Diana in a car crash in Paris 1997 while being chased by paparazzi. The couple had made it clear last month that they wanted the birth kept private -- in contrast to Harry's brother Prince William and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. Their three children were all delivered in the private wing of St Mary's Hospital in London and shown off to the world's media and royal fans a short time later. Instead, the new baby will only be seen later this week to a media pool that will share the images worldwide. - Wish to 'celebrate privately' - "Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private," Buckingham Palace said in a statement in April. "The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family," it said. The circumstances of Monday's announcement demonstrated the couple's wish to retain their privacy as much as possible. Royal officials announced on Monday afternoon that Meghan had gone into labour in the early hours of that morning. Only half an hour later, a royal statement announced that Meghan had in fact given birth at 5:26am (0426 GMT). Story continues - George and Sir John - The announcement was followed up by a video statement by a beaming Harry, standing in front of a stable in Windsor -- a town outside London where the couple now live on the grounds of its famous castle. The names of two black horses behind him were clearly visible -- George and Sir John, prompting some media to speculate the child's name might be John, who would be cousin to William and Kate's first son George. "This little thing is absolutely to die for. So I am just over the moon," Harry said, calling the birth "the most amazing experience I can ever possibly imagine". Harry said the announcement of the name was the "next bit". "I think we will be seeing you guys in probably two days' time as planned as a family to be able to share it with you guys and so everyone can see the baby," he said. Neither Harry nor royal officials specified where the birth took place -- at their residence at Frogmore Cottage or in a nearby hospital. Some British media earlier reported that the couple wanted a home birth, which would re-connect with older tradition. Queen Elizabeth had all four of her children, including Harry's father Prince Charles, in a royal palace. London (AFP) - Prince Harry and Meghan's first baby gives the British royal family another injection of youth, but the monarchy will likely rest in very elderly hands for decades to come. Queen Elizabeth II, who turned 93 last month, shows no sign of relaxing her solemn coronation vow of lifelong duty. Meanwhile her eldest son Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, is 70 and potentially still many years from the crown. "We already have a very elderly monarch and she manages a punishing work schedule, " said Professor Robert Hazell, from The Constitution Unit at University College London. "If she lives as long as her mother, we're in for a succession of elderly monarchs," he told AFP. The dowager queen Elizabeth lived to 101 and carried out public duties until just a few months before her death. Charles, were he one of his mother's regular British subjects, could have retired at 65. He is followed in the line of succession by his eldest son Prince William, 36, and his eldest grandchild Prince George, aged five, meaning there are four generations of current or future monarchs in the palace corridors. Harry and Meghan's baby boy will be Queen Elizabeth's eighth great-grandchild, so he will not be short of company in the palace playrooms. A baby for Charles's younger son Harry adds to the royal family's toddler squad led by George, followed by William's other children Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. It could conceivably be the end of the century before that generation reaches the top of the tree. - Longevity records - Queen Elizabeth inherited the throne in 1952 aged 25 following the early death of her father, king George VI, at the age of 56. She marked 67 years on the throne in February and is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Queen Elizabeth also leads the list of the world's oldest serving monarchs. She is ahead of Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah of Kuwait and King Salman of Saudi Arabia (83). Story continues Following a series of abdications including that of Japan's 85-year-old Emperor Akihito last month, there is little sign of Queen Elizabeth moving aside for Charles. Her husband Prince Philip, however, retired from public life in 2017 at the age of 96. - The abdication taboo - Abdication is a dirty word in the British royal family after king Edward VIII stepped down in 1936 to marry US double divorcee Wallis Simpson. Queen Elizabeth is old enough to remember the impact it had on her father, king Edward's younger brother, who had to step in and steady the ship. "For her, abdication is unthinkable because of the terrible example of king Edward VIII. It was the worst crisis to hit the royal family in the 20th century," said Hazell. The royal baby is here! On Monday, May 6, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan welcomed their first child together, an as-yet-unnamed baby boy. According to an announcement made by Buckingham Palace, the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a healthy son at 5:26 A.M., with the infant weighing seven pounds and three ounces. The couple also announced the news on social media, with a sweet and simple post declaring, Its a BOY! Their Instagram represented a break from past protocol, as it was posted before the traditional ceremonial easel was placed outside Buckingham Palace. This has historically been the royal familys first way of announcing the arrival of a royal baby. Still, the easel arrived at the gates shortly afterward, and will remain on view for members of the public for 24 hours. Im so incredibly proud of my wife, Prince Harry told gathered reporters soon after the birth. As every father and parent would ever say, your baby is absolutely amazing. But this little thing is absolutely to die for, so Im just over the moon. Presently, Meghan is with her mother, Doria Ragland, at Frogmore Cottage recuperating; she and Harry are expected to introduce the baby to the world in two days time, and will decide on a name for their newborn in the interim. The baby is making history as the first biracial baby in the British monarchys recent history, and he is seventh in line for the throne, following his grandfather Prince Charles; uncle Prince William; cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis; and his own father, Prince Harry. royal baby announcement Photo: WPA Pool The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are bending tradition in one more way as well. While Harrys late mother, Princess Diana, and sister-in-law, Duchess Kate, were photographed with their babies outside the maternity ward of Lindo Wing at St. Marys Hospital in London shortly after giving birth, he and Meghan have opted to keep details about the location of the birth private, and have declined the traditional photo opportunity. CNNs royal correspondent Max Foster tweeted that the first official photos of the royal baby are expected to be released on Wednesday, May 8. (Repeats for morning readership. No change to text.) By Shihar Aneez and Shri Navaratnam COLOMBO, May 4 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said on Saturday the security forces would "eradicate terrorism" following devastating suicide attacks on Easter Sunday and restore stability before a presidential election due by year-end. Sirisena also said in an interview he believed Islamic State was behind the April 21 attacks, which targeted churches and luxury hotels and killed more than 250 people including 42 foreign nationals. The group has claimed responsibility. "Elections cannot be postponed, therefore before the elections I will bring about stability and I will eradicate terrorism," Sirisena told Reuters. The presidential vote is likely to take place between Nov. 10 and Dec. 10 and sources close to Sirisena have told Reuters that he would seek re-election. "We have already identified all active members of the group and it's a case of now arresting them," Sirisena said, adding that there were a further 25 to 30 "active members" linked to the bombings still at large. Sirisena said that all indications suggested Islamic State had been involved, adding: "It's crystal clear because after the attacks the IS organization made an announcement claiming responsibility for the bombings." Sri Lanka authorities have previously said that they suspect the attackers had international links, although the precise nature of those connections is not known. Police have said two previously little-known groups - National Thawheedh Jamaath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - carried out the bombings. Sirisena said that intelligence services from eight countries, including the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Interpol, were helping Sri Lanka with the investigation. Local intelligence officials believe that Zahran Hashim, a radical Tamil-speaking preacher from the east of the Indian Ocean island nation, may have been a key player in plotting the bombings. Officials believe he was one of nine suicide bombers. Story continues ATTACKERS ON LOOSE Sirisena said that the military and police have made huge progress with their investigations, but emphasized that more needs to be done. "There are another 25-30 suspects still at large, but there is no information yet to say these suspects are suicide bombers." Scores of suspected Islamists have been arrested after the Easter attacks shattered the relative peace enjoyed by the multi-ethnic nation since a civil war ended a decade ago. Sri Lanka's security forces were on high alert amid intelligence reports that militants were likely to strike before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, due to begin on Monday. The government has banned women from wearing face veils under an emergency law that was put in place after the attacks. "This is not a Sri Lanka issue, it's a global terrorist movement," Sirisena said. "Even advanced countries like the U.S., Russia, UK, Germany, India and Australia together haven't been able to completely eradicate this IS global terrorism menace." Sri Lanka's leaders, including the president, have come under heavy criticism for failing to heed warnings from Indian intelligence services - at least three in April alone - that an attack was imminent. Sirisena denied he had knowledge of the warnings before he embarked on an overseas trip on April 15. "Had I known about this, I would have taken appropriate action, and not gone overseas," he said. Critics said infighting between the president and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had undermined the response to the militant threat. But Sirisena said he and the prime minister were cooperating on national security issues. Sri Lanka's economy, already struggling with growth slipping to a 17-year low in 2018, has been dealt a "big blow" by the attacks, Sirisena said. The tourism sector has grown rapidly in the last decade since the Sri Lankan government defeated the rebel Tamil Tigers. Around 2.5 million tourists visit the island nation each year. "It's a big blow to the economy, as well as the tourism industry," Sirisena said. "For the economy to develop it's important tourism to return to where it was before the attacks." (Reporting By Shri Navaratnam & Shihar Aneez Editing by Gareth Jones and Ros Russell) (Adds Global Times editorial) By Jeff Mason and Michael Martina WASHINGTON/BEIJING, May 7 (Reuters) - China backtracked on substantial commitments it made during trade talks with the United States, prompting President Donald Trump to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods slated to go into effect on Friday, top U.S. trade officials said on Monday. The swift deterioration in negotiations between the world's two largest economies hit global financial markets as investors faced the prospect of an escalation rather than an end to a 10-month-old trade war. Trump tweeted on Sunday that he would raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25 percent from 10 percent by the end of the week, and would "soon" target the remaining Chinese imports with tariffs, sending stocks and oil prices lower on Monday. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who has been an advocate for tough structural changes in China, said Beijing had reneged on commitments it had made previously that would have changed the agreement substantially. "Over the course of the last week or so we have seen ... an erosion in commitments by China," Lighthizer told reporters. "That in our view is unacceptable." Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is expected to be in Washington on Thursday and Friday for further talks. "We're not breaking off talks at this point. But for now ... come Friday there will be tariffs in place," Lighthizer said. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, considered to be less hawkish toward China, said China's backtracking became clear with "new information" over the weekend. He declined to give specifics and said the U.S. side had originally hoped to conclude a deal one way or the other this week. "They were trying to go back on language that had been previously negotiated, very clear language, that had the potential of changing the deal dramatically," Mnuchin said. "The entire economic team ... are completely unified and recommended to the president to move forward with tariffs if we are not able to conclude a deal by the end of the week." Story continues A spokesman at the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to queries about the U.S. assertions. "We are also in the process of understanding the relevant situation. What I can tell you is that China's team is preparing to go to the United States for the discussions," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday in Beijing. China has repeatedly said it will make changes to open its economy according to its own timeline, not in response to trade disputes. But recently it has enacted new laws and amended others, moves some see as efforts to address concerns shared by the United States and other foreign investors, including those from China's largest trading partner, the European Union. In March, China fast-tracked the approval of a new Foreign Investment Law, with Premier Li Keqiang pledging that the government would follow through and enforce the legislation giving protection to foreign firms. Last month, the standing committee of China's largely rubber-stamp parliament amended three laws to strengthen trade secrets protections, take further measures to stop forced technology transfers and increase trademark infringement punishments. TRUCE ENDS Trump's announcement on Sunday abruptly ended a five-month truce in a trade war that has cost the two countries billions of dollars, slowed global growth and disrupted manufacturing supply chains and U.S. farm exports. Businesses, while largely supportive of Trump's tough stance on China, want the tariffs to be lifted. Mnuchin said on Monday the stock market reaction was not affecting U.S. decisions on the talks. A person familiar with the negotiations said the latest dispute came after the Chinese sought to deal with policy changes through administrative and regulatory actions, not through changes to Chinese law as previously agreed. "It undermines the core architecture of the deal," the person said, adding that not codifying the concessions would make it difficult to verify and enforce China's compliance. While it is unclear which changes to law the United States has demanded, critics say even though such amendments are welcomed, they do not provide guarantees because Chinese courts are controlled by the ruling Communist Party. U.S. officials have acknowledged this, and insist only tariffs can provide leverage to enforce an agreement. The United States is demanding sweeping changes to China's economic policies, including better protection of U.S. intellectual property, and an end to forced technology transfers from U.S. companies and cyber theft of American trade secrets. Washington also wants more access to China's markets for U.S. businesses, curbs on industrial subsidies and increased purchases of American products. Another source familiar with the situation said Trump had reiterated to advisers in recent days he would walk away from a trade deal with China if it was not strong enough. China's nationalist Global Times tabloid said in an editorial on Tuesday that the foreign ministry's suggestion it would still send a delegation to the United States after Trump's remarks showed that China would remain calm and "focus on the talks rather than engage in public opinion warfare." "Even if the negotiations break down and Washington comprehensively raises tariffs, that does not mean the door to talks is closed," the paper said, adding that the impact on China of such a failure would be "controllable." The United States imported about $539.5 billion in goods from China in 2018 and exported $120.3 billion, for a record trade deficit of $419.2 billion, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Trump lashed out over the trade deficit with China on Monday. "With China we lose 500 Billion Dollars. Sorry, we're not going to be doing that anymore!" he tweeted. The United States currently has 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese machinery and technology goods, and 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion of products from computer modems and routers to furniture, lighting and building materials. Negotiations on removing U.S. tariffs have been one of the remaining sticking points. China wants the tariffs to be removed. U.S. officials want to keep some, if not all, as part of any final deal to ensure China lives up to its commitments. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, David Lawder, Alexandra Alper, and Susan Heavey in Washington; and Ben Blanchard, Michael Martina, Shu Zhang, Jing Xu, Cheng Leng and Yawen Chen in Beijing; editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Simon Cameron-Moore) MOSCOW, May 6 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with his U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo in Finland on Monday after which he warned that U.S. military intervention in Venezuela would be catastrophic and unjustified. The two men met on the sidelines of a meeting of the Arctic Council in Finland. Lavrov told reporters his meeting had been constructive and that the two top diplomats had made decent progress when it came to discussing strategic nuclear stability. Lavrov also said he was sure that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump would have another chance to meet again after their summit in Helsinki last year. (Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova Editing by Andrew Osborn) BEIJING (AP) China plunged a city of 13 million people into lockdown on Thursday to stamp out an increase in coronavirus infections, as the country doubles down on its zero tolerance policy just weeks before it is set to host the Winter Olympics. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. By way of learning-by-doing, we'll look at ROE to gain a better understanding of SBI Life Insurance Company Limited (NSE:SBILIFE). SBI Life Insurance has a ROE of 18%, based on the last twelve months. That means that for every 1 worth of shareholders' equity, it generated 0.18 in profit. View our latest analysis for SBI Life Insurance How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit Shareholders' Equity Or for SBI Life Insurance: 18% = 13b 76b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.) Most readers would understand what net profit is, but its worth explaining the concept of shareholders equity. It is the capital paid in by shareholders, plus any retained earnings. The easiest way to calculate shareholders' equity is to subtract the company's total liabilities from the total assets. What Does ROE Mean? ROE looks at the amount a company earns relative to the money it has kept within the business. The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. 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 SBI Life Insurance Have A Good Return On Equity? One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. You can see in the graphic below that SBI Life Insurance has an ROE that is fairly close to the average for the Insurance industry (16%). Story continues NSEI:SBILIFE Past Revenue and Net Income, May 5th 2019 That's neither particularly good, nor bad. ROE tells us about the quality of the business, but it does not give us much of an idea if the share price is cheap. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Why You Should Consider Debt When Looking At ROE Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. That cash can come from issuing shares, retained earnings, or debt. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but won't affect the total equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same. SBI Life Insurance's Debt And Its 18% ROE One positive for shareholders is that SBI Life Insurance does not have any net debt! Its ROE suggests it is a decent business; and the fact it is not leveraging returns indicates it is well worth watching. After all, when a company has a strong balance sheet, it can often find ways to invest in growth, even if it takes some time. In Summary 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. But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. 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. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting 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. From cleaning up relatives' graves and sharing food with the poor to holding colourful torch-lit street parades, millions of Indonesians are getting ready to welcome the holy month of Ramadan in the world's populous Muslim-majority country. Ramadan begins on Monday, with devotees fasting from dawn to dusk until Eid celebrations marking the end of the holy month. In the conservative province of Aceh, Muslim families break their fast by eating meat together and sharing the meal with the poor, in a centuries-old tradition known as Meugang. As customers lined up in wait, butchers in the western province were busy at work, chopping bones and slicing meat. "It's a tradition that we must follow, I'll cook rendang and eat with my family," Ramla, who like many Indonesians has only one name, told AFP, referring to a popular beef stew. In the capital Jakarta, thousands of Muslims marked the holy month by visiting cemeteries to clean up their relatives' graves and pray for the departed so they would get peace in the afterlife. Outside, flower sellers set up makeshift tents to sell blossoms to visitors so they could scatter petals on their relatives' graves. "Before the fasting month begins we usually visit each other, but we don't only visit the living ones, we also visit the dead," said Cepi Imamsyah Arian Tandjung, who was visiting the graves of his parents, brother and uncle. About 90 percent of Indonesia's 270 million people follow Islam but influences from other religions are deeply ingrained in the country, including "Nyadran", a Javanese ritual heavily influenced by Hindu and Buddhist traditions. In Temanggung in Central Java, over a thousand people joined Nyadran celebrations, carrying a round basket filled with food on top of their heads before sharing in a communal feast. In Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta, hundreds of locals bathed in a spring or a river, taking part in a cleansing ritual known as "Padusan" to purify oneself before entering the holy month. In North Sumatra, locals including children wearing traditional dress chanted prayers as they held a torch-lit procession to make the start of Ramadan. From flowers and cards to brunch and spa treatments, showing love to your mom on Mothers Day can be costly. The National Retail Federation says 84% of all Americans will celebrate Mothers Day this year and will spend an estimated $196 per person, up from $180 last year. But making mom feel special doesnt need to drain your bank account. We reached out to Celine Pastore, a financial planner and fiduciary based in Palm Harbor, Florida, to get her take on Mothers Day spending. Pastore is the founder of SimplePath Retirement, so she knows a thing or two about being smart about your dollars. Plus, shes a mother to two adult children Nicole and Anthony so she has many Mothers Days under her belt. Note: The Q & A interview below has been edited for clarity. Choosing Inexpensive Mothers Day Gifts Q: As a financial professional, what do you think about this level of spending for Mothers Day? A: From my personal experience, I dont feel that you need to spend a lot of money for Mothers Day to truly show your love and appreciation. I believe that mothers in general are selfless individuals to begin with, so we dont need to be showered with gifts. On the contrary, I know for me personally that Im happiest when Im creating memories with my family [rather] than being showered with gifts. Our country tends to put too much emphasis on materialism. Trying to find the perfect gift for mom can often put too much pressure on the gift giver as well as the receiver. Take the pressure off and put the attention where it belongs with honest-to-goodness love and appreciation. Why not try doing something different [thats] free and thoughtful, like cleaning her car, creating a photo slideshow or writing her a letter of your greatest memories together? Q: What was the best gift youve gotten for Mothers Day? The best gift I think I ever received (other than the birth of my two children) was when they were around 9 and 10 years old. They bought me a three-stone imitation sapphire ring that was supposed to represent my three loves (my two children and my husband). Story continues They bought it at Walmart with their own money, which meant even more to me. I literally wear it every day and get so many compliments on it. The value of the gift had little to do with the cost and everything to do with the thought they put into it. It means the world to me and keeps them close to me everyday. Valuing Quality Time Q: Are there any special Mothers Day traditions in your family? A: Our traditions are simple. They are based solely on spending quality time together with my mother as well as my children. Sometimes that involves doing something with my kids in the early part of the day and then spending the afternoon with my mom, especially since shes 87 now and doesnt get out as much as she used to. The morning usually starts out with getting a beautiful card from the kids and my husband, possibly some fresh, inexpensive flowers and [a] nice breakfast of pancakes and fresh fruit. Pro Tip Check with your local museums, zoos and parks, which often offer free admission on Mothers Day. My kids and I really enjoy spending the day at the beach when possible (and renting me an umbrella since my skin is so fair). Since I work a lot as a business owner, just spending quiet time with my family is the greatest gift of all. Passing on Financial Lessons Q: What financial lessons did you learn from your mother? A: Since my mom was one of 15 children from Ireland, she knew what it was like to be without. She also spent most of her adult life without her mother as she moved to America when she was only 18. It was over 10 years before she got back to see her mom. She taught me to work hard, always pay your bills on time (or earlier if possible) and help others less fortunate than yourself even when you think you cant afford to. FROM THE SAVE MONEY FORUM Amazon purchases 1/28/19 @ 4:11 PM Carol Bontrager Sveglini How to save money at the vet's 11/11/19 @ 9:42 PM lismox groceries from a salvage store 6/5/20 @ 3:17 AM s Have you been successful in getting a refund for summer travel? 5/21/20 @ 12:47 PM Maryann See more in Save Money or ask a money question She also taught me that you should never have to ask for your own money back. In other words, if you borrow money from someone, dont make him or her ask you for it. Its your responsibility, not theirs. Q: What financial lessons do you try to teach your children? A: I teach my children to use money as a resource and not as a master. Money should be there to serve you, not the other way around. If you spend less than you make, that is the first step. The second step is to pay yourself first by always putting a set percentage of money aside for your future, and doing it before you pay any bills. If you pay down your debt first, there will be nothing left for you. You will literally be stealing from your tomorrow. Money should be there to serve you, not the other way around. If you pay yourself first and you are short on paying the other bills, you will be forced to get creative and generate more income. You mentally fake yourself out into increasing your own income potential. Finally, I teach them that money does not buy happiness a clean heart and a productive life does that but it does buy choices. If you want to be able to make good choices in your life rather than being at the mercy of others, you need to master money and not have it master you. Nicole Dow is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She enjoys writing about parenting and money. This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017. Photo credit: Daimler AG - Global Communication From Car and Driver The endgame for Smart began on September 23, 2016, almost exactly two decades after the brand's pre-production facility opened in Hambach, France. It seemed that the brand that had set out to revolutionize urban mobility had finally fulfilled its mission: "The Smart is the perfect city car which becomes a little more perfect with electric drive," then CEO Annette Winkler gushed in a press release. Although, in our experience, many casual observers had often assumed that Smarts were electric cars, those offered to U.S. buyers were most often equipped with 1.0-liter three-cylinder engines. Going all electric with a tiny two-seat commuter car may seem logical, but some of us didn't buy into Winkler's assertion that batteries were the solution to Smart's history of slow sales. Sold at a hefty premium of close to $10,000 over the gasoline models it replaced, the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive (ED) proved to be sufficiently quick in the city, but its range was limited to just 70 to 80 miles. Would that be enough for the vehicle's small group of deeply devoted customers? As a city car, much of its appeal was about being able to find parking anywhere, which is pretty much the opposite of needing to find a charging station. In early 2017, we revisited these concerns with Winkler, but she was unfazed: "Smart was always a somewhat extreme brand in the U.S., and it is much better to focus. The customers are driving a maximum of 30 to 40 miles a day." And, she confidently added, "Just look at charging stations emerging everywhere. E-mobility works especially well in the city." It should have come as an ominous sign when Car2Go, Daimler's own car-sharing subsidiary, decided to drop Smart in late 2017. If Smart electrics were such a clever urban solution, why would Car2Go choose more expensive and difficult-to-park conventional cars instead? Driving a Smart is a choice that American loyalists in search of a new car won't even be able to make after this year. Smart recently announced that the brand will be yanked from the U.S. market after its EV-only lineup fell woefully short of expectations. Story continues Daimler's move frustrates some customers in urban areas such as New York City, where parking is scarce and slots are not sized to fit full-size SUVs. Two Smart owners in the city weighed in when we asked them what they thought of the brand's withdrawal. Photo credit: Paramount Meet Armin Kadic, who lives in Manhattan, works for the United Nations, and is on his second Smart. He put his original white 2011 Smart to tough use: Kadic covers 10,000 to 12,000 miles annually and uses his Smart for road trips to Long Island, the Jersey coast, Vermont, and the Catskill Mountains. His car even made it into Sarah Jessica Parker's 2018 movie Here and Now: "The crew begged me to leave the car for their set," he laughs. "I got a date with Sarah in exchange." Kadic just bought a white zero-mileage 2017 gasoline-powered Smart, one that was left over at the dealership from the pre-EV days: "I love it. It is really comfortable, they upgraded it and made it safer. I just went up to Vermont on a six-hour drive. It was perfect." A six-hour return trip would turn into a several-day endeavor if he tried that drive in a Smart ED, and the range wouldn't even suffice to reach his house near the Catskills. But that's not the only reason why he wouldn't go electric. "I chose a Smart so I can park it on the street and won't have to spend $500 to $700 per month to park in a garage. But that would have been the only option for me to charge a car. That's the equivalent of two average car payments in New York, and that's simply crazy. I obviously cannot run an extension cord from my 13th floor [residence]." Kadic is frustrated that the brand is gone: "It is a horrible decision that I don't understand. I will run this car until it dies. And then I would have to get a used one, but I will probably just not have a car anymore. I will just rent on the weekends." His sentiments were seconded by another Smart owner, Brooklyn-based consultant Wayne Wilson. He is on his second Smart as well, having replaced his original red 2011 Fortwo with a new 2016 model, which he received in October 2015. He is a model customer. When the second-generation Smart went on sale, his car "was either the first one ordered or the first one delivered in New York," he recalls. Photo credit: Wayne Wilson Initially, his car suffered from an electronic glitch that took the dealership a long time to fix. But since the problem has been rectified, he is happy: "I love my car. It rides well, it is smooth." Unlike Kadic, the tech-savvy Brooklynite uses his gasoline-engine Smart mainly in the city: "I use it for local trips and errands. It is perfect for New York parking. And I always find a spot near my apartment." But he also takes the occasional trip to Long Island's Outer Barrier islands. And that's where an electric wouldn't even work: "I did some calculations just last week to figure out if I could get there with a Smart EV. And I couldn't, even in ideal conditions and with the A/C off." Which is not a great option in New York's notoriously hot and humid summers. Wilson wouldn't put up with the Smart ED in the city, either: "In the city, things happen on a moment's notice, people are always on the go. Did they expect people to spend their time looking for charging and waiting for two and a half hours until it's full? They don't understand how a city works." Wilson is not totally surprised Smart is going away. "Unfortunately, the market is turning to SUVs," he says. "And perhaps they planned to phase out the brand anyway. But going electric was a very poor decision, and they didn't think it through. EVs work better in suburbs where people can charge them at home. But you don't need a Smart in the suburb." What's next? "In the past, I have also looked at the Fiat 500 and the Honda Fit, but I wasn't convinced by either of them," says Wilson. "I will probably drive my car as long as possible. Although I am really concerned they are going to wind down parts supply and general support over the next few years." You Might Also Like We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. By Paul Day MADRID (Reuters) - A Madrid court ruled on Monday that former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium in 2017 to escape arrest for his role in an independence referendum, could run in the European Parliament election on May 26. Spain's electoral commission last month barred Puigdemont and two other fugitive Catalan politicians from standing, but they appealed the decision. Puigdemont and Toni Comin live in Belgium while Clara Ponsati lives in Scotland. All three face arrest if they return to Spain as the referendum was ruled illegal by the Constitutional Court. Spain's electoral body originally ruled they could not run, after a suit by conservative parties which have rallied against the independence process: Ciudadanos and People's Party. But the Madrid court agreed with the Catalans' appeal, saying they had the right to run in the European elections despite being accused of rebellion and other charges for their part in the 2017 declaration of independence. Catalonia was a central issue throughout campaigning for Spain's inconclusive election on April 28. Regional parties favoring independence could play a part in supporting acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's attempts to form a government. If Sanchez gets backing from far-left Podemos, which has suggested coalition talks, and from Basque nationalists, he would need the vote, or abstention, of only one other lawmaker to form a government with a parliamentary majority. With right wing parties standing firmly against Sanchez's efforts to form a government, that one vote or abstention may fall to a pro-independence party in Catalonia. "There is good legal work behind every victory achieved ... Our team knows what it has on its hands, how to fight, and how to win," Puigdemont said on Twitter shortly after the ruling. (Writing by Sonya Dowsett; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) Paris (AFP) - With a million species threatened with extinction due to mankind's destruction of the planet, according to a landmark UN report released on Monday, there have been scant conservation successes in recent years. Some creatures once teetering on the edge of recovery, such as giant pandas and bluefin tuna, have fared fairly well, while efforts to save others, including sharks and cedars, have largely fallen short. Here are some successes and failures in conservation efforts. - Giant panda - The giant panda, native to China, has been on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) "Red List" of endangered species for years. Determined to protect its national treasure, the Chinese government began replanting the bamboo the bears feed on exclusively and organised funding for zoos to host pandas. The panda has become something of a totem for species preservation, instantly recognised the world over. It however remains classified as "vulnerable" with less than 2,000 thought to remain in the wild. - Bearded vulture - The bearded vulture, which can attain a three-metre wingspan, had almost disappeared in Europe by the start of the 20th century. But 30 years ago it became part of a reintegration programme in the mountains of France. Its population in France currently sits at around 60 couples. - Bluefin tuna - Bluefin tuna, a mainstay delicacy of Japanese cuisine, was decimated by decades of overfishing in the Mediterranean and Atlantic before being added to a UN protected species list. New quotas and protection measures have allowed stocks to largely recover, though there are fears for the long-term viability of other heavily fished tunas, including big eye. - Sehuencas water frog - Until recently this frog, indigenous to Bolivia, was thought to be on the way to extinction with just a single known specimen, a male named Romeo. But an expedition last year discovered a living female specimen, who was named -- you guessed it -- Juliet. It is hoped that the pair will mate and save one of the world's most imperilled species. Story continues - Cedars - The mighty cedar trees of Lebanon are mentioned in the Bible and have clung to the mountains along the eastern Mediterranean for centuries. But as climate change makes water cycles less dependable and brings more pests such as insects, the "Cedars of God" are under threat like never before. In 2012 Lebanon's agriculture ministry launched a programme to plant 40 million cedars by 2030. The tree is still classified as "vulnerable" by the IUCN. - Corals - Coral reefs cover less than 0.2 percent of the ocean bed but support around 30 percent of all known marine life. They are under threat from warming seas, which kill the coral and prevent reefs regenerating, as well as pollution, invasive species and tourism. The UN's intergovernmental panel on climate change in a landmark report last October warned that just 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) of global warming could see 70-90 percent of Earth's coral reefs vanish. - Sharks - Sharks have stalked the oceans for more than 400 million years but they are now under threat from an even more devastating predator -- humans. Of the 59 species of rays and sharks evaluated so far by the IUCN, 17 are classified at risk of extinction as overfishing and habitat destruction continues apace. - Galapagos tortoise - When Lonesome George, a 90-year-old giant tortoise in the Galapagos Islands, died in 2012, so did his species. The islands' giant tortoise population was ravaged by pirates and poachers in the 18th century and the creatures -- which lived to over 100 and took decades to reach maturity -- could not reproduce quick enough to save themselves. (Reuters) - Luckin Coffee Inc, the Chinese challenger to Starbucks Corp, is looking to raise up to $586.5 million, its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday showed. The company said it expects to offer 34.5 million American depository shares (ADS) priced between $15 and $17 per ADS in an initial public offering, giving it a valuation of between $3.48 billion and $3.95 billion. Each ADS represents eight Class A shares, the company said https://bit.ly/2YbOaoZ. Luckin Coffee, which has been expanding at breakneck speed, currently operates 2,370 stores in 28 Chinese cities and plans to open 2,500 more this year as it tries to displace Starbucks as China's largest coffee chain. The brand is banking on an increase in coffee consumption in China which has almost doubled to 8.7 billion cups last year from 4.4 billion in 2013 and is expected to further rise to 15.5 billion cups by 2023, according to a report cited by Luckin in its prospectus. Luckin has also expanded outside coffee, allowing customers to buy food and other beverages such as grapefruit cheese jasmine tea and Sichuan cold noodles with pulled chicken via its app. However, the company, founded in June 2017, is still loss making and has warned it may continue to incur losses in the foreseeable future. Its recorded a net loss to shareholders of $475.4 million and total revenue of $125.27 million, according to the filing. For the first three months of 2019, it posted a net loss of $85.3 million. The coffee chain was founded by Chief Executive Qian Zhiya, the former chief operating officer of car rental firm Car Inc, and two other senior executives and is backed by Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, GIC Pte Ltd. Other investors in the company include U.S. money manager BlackRock Inc and Chinese investment firms Centurium Capital and Joy Capital. The company intends to list on Nasdaq under the symbol "LK". Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, CICC and Haitong International are leading a six-member team of IPO underwriters. (Reporting by Bharath Manjesh and Joshua Franklin; Editing by Arun Koyyur) KHARTOUM, May 6 (Reuters) - Sudanese forces seized explosives belts, guns including rifles fitted with silencers, devices used to detonate explosives remotely and satellite telephones in a raid on a property in the capital Khartoum, the state news agency reported on Monday. A contingent of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), acing on a tip, carried out the raid in al-Taif district of Khartoum, the agency said. It was not known if the weapons cache was linked in any way to the country's current political crisis. The news agency did not say if anyone was arrested or who owned the weapons. Autocratic President Omar al-Bashir, who had been in power for 30 years, was ousted last month by the military following months of protests. The demonstrations, which have been peaceful, have continued as opposition groups demand that the military, which currently rules through a Transitional Military Council, hand over power to civilians. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz Writing by Sami Aboudi Editing by Frances Kerry) KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese forces seized explosives belts, guns including rifles fitted with silencers, devices used to detonate explosives remotely and satellite telephones in a raid on a property in the capital Khartoum, the state news agency reported on Monday. A contingent of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), acing on a tip, carried out the raid in al-Taif district of Khartoum, the agency said. It was not known if the weapons cache was linked in any way to the country's current political crisis. The news agency did not say if anyone was arrested or who owned the weapons. Autocratic President Omar al-Bashir, who had been in power for 30 years, was ousted last month by the military following months of protests. The demonstrations, which have been peaceful, have continued as opposition groups demand that the military, which currently rules through a Transitional Military Council, hand over power to civilians. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Frances Kerry) Baby Sussex has arrived! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed a 7 lb 3 oz baby boy on Monday, May 6. In a short BBC interview, Prince Harry said the couple were over the moon and that they have yet to choose a name for their son. While royal watchers continue to speculate on the first name the baby boy will have, theres also been questions about what last name he will have. Its a complicated matter, but its all down to whether the baby will have a title. Currently, none of Harry and Meghans children will be a prince or princess, unless the Queen steps in. Meghan and Harry at WE Day [Photo: Getty] Titles within the Royal Family are limited under the provisions of the 1917 Letters Patent issued by the Queens grandfather King George V. This stated: the grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms. While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges first born George was always set to be a prince (as he is the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales), their daughter Charlotte would have been known as Lady Charlotte without the amendment. The Queen issued a new Letters Patent so that all of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges children would have a title [Photo: Getty] The Queen issued a new letters patent in 2012 so that all children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would be a prince or princess and given the HRH title. Her Majesty could decide to do the same for Harry and Meghans children, but at this point, they will be a lord or lady. When it comes to surnames, all descendants in the male line of the monarch, other than females who marry or have married, use the last name Windsor, as set out in the Letters Patent 1917. The Duke of Edinburgh wasnt able to pass his surname to his children. He had hoped that when his wife took the throne, his adopted last name, Mountbatten, would become double-barrelled with Windsor, but that was not agreed to by then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Story continues But a declaration made by the Queen in Privy Council in 1960, said that male-line descendants of the monarch, without royal styles and titles, shall bear the name Mountbatten-Windsor. If Harry and Meghans child is not issued a title, they will carry that last name. READ MORE: Prince Harry will be supremely protective when he becomes a father The Earl and Countess of Wessex with their children Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn at Christmas 2018 [Photo: Getty] When the Earl and Countess of Wessex had their first child Lady Louise in 2003, she would have been entitled to be styled as Her Royal Highness Princess Louise of Wessex, as she is a child of one of the monarchs sons. However when Edward and Sophie were married in 1999, it was announced that their children would be styled as the children of an earl, rather than as prince or princess. So while her full name is Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor, she is styled as Lady Louise Windsor. The Royal Familys website adds: For the most part, members of the Royal Family who are entitled to the style and dignity of HRH Prince or Princess do not need a surname, but if at any time any of them do need a surname (such as upon marriage), that surname is Mountbatten-Windsor. Princess Anne was the first royal to use the surname on her marriage certificate at her wedding to Captain Mark Phillips in 1973. "This giraffe really stuck its neck out to help Santa this year, so, Santa gave it a treat and it about has it licked." Thomas Kelly were this week's winner. The winners' names will be put into a drawing for a free month subscription or extension. Look for a new photo Monday. Australia's Daily Telegraph is appealing a defamation award to Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush which could cost the Sydney tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch millions of dollars, the newspaper said Monday. The appeal, lodged on May 1, accused the judge of bias in the case, and said the damages awarded to Rush in his April ruling were "excessive". In a front-page article published in 2017, the Telegraph wrote that the Sydney Theatre Company received a complaint that Rush had inappropriately touched a female co-star during a staging of "King Lear". Following months of legal proceedings, Justice Michael Wigney ruled that the article was a "recklessly irresponsible piece of sensationalist journalism" and awarded Rush Aus$850,000 (US$608,000) in damages. The judge also ruled that Rush should receive compensation for lost earnings due to the allegations against him, with the amount due to be set at a new hearing this week and expected to run into millions of dollars. The appeal, lodged by Nationwide News, Murdoch's Australian publishing arm, cited 16 grounds for reversing Wigney's ruling, including that the judge's conduct of the case "gave rise to an apprehension of bias". It also challenged the judge's treatment of the actress who made the original complaint against Rush after playing alongside the actor in the production of King Lear in late 2015 and early 2016. Wigney had said evidence from the actress, Eryn Jean Norvill, was inconsistent and that she "was at times prone to exaggeration and embellishment". The appeal also complained that Wigney had refused to hear evidence from a "witness X" who the Telegraph said had worked with Rush in the past and would have corroborated allegations of inappropriate behaviour. Australia's defamation laws are notoriously strict and often favour the person accused of bad behaviour. Rush won the Best Actor Academy Award in 1997 for his role in "Shine" and is one of the few stars to have also won a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a Tony Award. BEIRUT, May 6 (Reuters) - The Syrian army and its allies have launched ground attacks in the country's northwest against the last major insurgent enclave after days of shelling and air strikes, a rebel official said on Monday. Syria's military, backed in the war by Russia and Iran, opened a fierce bombardment of the rebels' northwestern enclave of Idlib and surrounding areas last week, causing a wave of displacement from frontline areas. Syrian state news agency SANA reported on Monday that the army had "expanded its response to violations" by rebels. A reporter on state-owned Ikhbariya TV said this was limited to air and artillery strikes so far. The army "might resort to a ground operation at some point," he said without elaborating. Northwest Syria is covered by a deal agreed in September between the government's ally Russia and the rebels' ally Turkey that averted a major offensive. Fighting has concentrated on the southwestern edge of the enclave, near the rebel-held town of Kafr Nabouda, said Naji Mustafa, spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) insurgent group. "This morning since dawn the regime began a violent bombardment," he said, adding that rebels had repulsed several government efforts to advance at the villages of al-Janabara and Tel Othman. "It was the first time there was an attempt at a wide attack" since the start of the bombardment last week, he said. The bombardment has displaced more than 158,000 people since April 28, said Ahmad al-Dbis, safety and security manager for the U.S.-based Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), which supports medical facilities in the area. "If the regime continues to advance like this there will be a bigger humanitarian catastrophe and the more the regime advances, the bigger cities it targets," he said. (Reporting By Amina Ismail and Angus McDowall, Editing by William Maclean) MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian defence ministry said Syrian militants rocketed Russia's Hmeimim airbase near Syria's coastal city of Latakia twice on Monday. There were no casualties and no damage at the military base, and air defence forces repelled the attack, the ministry said on its website. (Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova, Editing by William Maclean) By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN, May 6 (Reuters) - Syrian rebels backed by Turkey said on Monday that Moscow and its Syrian government ally were trying to wrest control of two major highways in their last enclave in the northwest of the country in a bid to shore up Syria's sanction-hit economy. The sixth day of the campaign by government forces saw heavy aerial attacks targeting the city of Jisr al-Shughour and the al-Ghab plain, as well as the towns of al-Latamenah and Maarat al-Numan in the south of Idlib province, the rebels said. Taking those areas would bring President Bashar al-Assad close to regaining control over the strategic M5 and M4 highways from Aleppo to Hama and Latakia on the Mediterranean coast, two of Syria's most important pre-war arteries. The first few days of the assault struck at towns in northern Hama and southern Idlib province inside a buffer zone agreed in September between Russia and Turkey as part of a deal which averted a major offensive on the area, the last major foothold of the Syrian rebellion. Russia and the Syrian army say they are responding to stepped up attacks by jihadists on government-held areas and deny indiscriminate strikes that medics and rescuers say have killed dozens of civilians in recent days, knocked down at least five medical centers, and paralyzed day-to-day life. The United Nations has said the attacks have included the worst use of barrel bombs by the Syrian army in 15 months. It says an estimated 323,000 people have been displaced in northwest Syria since September last year. Residents say tens of thousands have fled their homes, many to camps on the Turkish border, since the latest offensive began. Some who failed to reach those camps sought shelter in olive orchards, residents and witnesses said. "The shelling and aerial strikes have increased in intensity and ferocity and the area hit has widened with more intensity," Naji Mustafa of the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) rebel group told Reuters. Story continues Russia says Turkey has not done enough to evict jihadists from the buffer zone or to open the M5 and M4 highways that link cities held by the government and run from Syria's southern tip near the border with Jordan to the northern border with Turkey. Opening the commercial and passenger routes through Idlib province would reassert the state's control over a fragmented economy that sprung up during eight years of conflict and now facing U.S. and EU sanctions, economic experts say. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that he did not rule out a full-scale assault on militants in Idlib province, after Russian officials publicly questioned how far they would continue to tolerate jihadist control. The Syrian opposition seeking to topple Assad accuse Moscow of using the jihadists as a pretext to step up attacks on civilian areas and put pressure on Turkey. "There has long been a Russian aim to capture these highways. This is rejected as a princple of our revolution and it would have meant the displacement of tens of thousands of people who live in the area and refuse to be under Russian (rule)," Major Yousef Hamoud, spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Army, told Reuters. The loss of opposition control over the highways would mean the loss of a financial asset for the rebels, as well as be a sign of their weakening hold on their last enclave. It would also undermine a sphere of influence that Turkey has carved out in recent years in Syria. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Daniel Wallis) Niamey (AFP) - Niger will from Wednesday observe three days of mourning for 60 people who were killed in a tanker truck explosion near the international airport in the capital Niamey, the government said. The days will pay tribute "to the memory of the victims of the tragic accident" that occurred early Monday as crowds had gathered around the overturned truck to collect spilt fuel, according to an interior ministry statement read out on state television late Tuesday. Earlier, security official Hamani Adamou Abdoul-Aziz told state television the toll from the explosion would likely rise because several people sustained severe, life-threatening burns. Interior Minister Mohamed Bazoum said people on foot and motorcycle had rushed to the truck to take fuel when the blast occurred. According to witnesses, one biker failed to switch off his engine, causing a spark that ignited the 50,000 litres of fuel. The driver of the tanker truck has told investigators that an electrical failure caused him to lose control of the vehicle and its brakes. The truck overturned as he tried to bring it to a stop, senior police official Boubacar Rabiou Daddy told a TV station. Before the blast, people ignored police trying to keep them away, and threw stones at firefighters, he added. The massive explosion on the RN1 route near the international airport left the burnt truck's wreckage, motorbikes and debris scattered over the road. Nearby houses were damaged by fire. About 40 people were reported injured, most of them in a very serious condition in hospital with severe burns. Correction: This article initially misstated the percentage of local vs. international students at Academia Cotopaxi. QUITO, Ecuador Kip Mapstone has lived a double life as a science teacher. When he worked in Oregons public schools, he taught six classes, each with between 30 to 40 students, plus homeroom. With little downtime during the day, grading and lesson planning happened at home most nights. Today, Mapstone teaches five science classes, each with no more than 17 students. He has ample time to prepare and to collaborate with colleagues during the day, leaving his evenings free to spend time with family. He also receives a housing subsidy, plus free private-school tuition for his children. Mapstone didnt just move to a new school for these benefits he moved to a different country. He teaches at Academia Cotopaxi, an international K-12 school in Quito, Ecuador, where high-quality U.S. teachers are in high demand. Kip Mapstone, right, arrives at Academia Cotopaxi with his wife Becky and their two children Marlee and Loen. While teachers in America face stagnant wages, a divisive political environment and continued pressure to boost test scores, an expanding marketplace of international schools stands ready to capitalize on their discontent. The schools offer a host of benefits to attract experienced teachers, including two coveted ones that dont cost a penny: autonomy and respect. The need for teachers is massive, said Madeleine Maceda Heide, director of Academia Cotopaxi. In Quito alone there are five international schools, but Cotopaxi, which is named for one of the country's most famous volcanoes, is one of the best known. Its colonial-style campus stretches across almost 10 acres, with a backdrop of the Andes mountains. Like most international schools, Cotopaxi is private and charges tuition the equivalent of about $18,000 in the U.S. for high school and teachers conduct all instruction in English. Now for the middle class Historically, international schools were located in capital cities and educated the children of parents working in the foreign service or on corporate assignments. But now the schools are popping up in all kinds of cities where a burgeoning number of middle- and upper-class parents are seeking to opt out of public schools and pay for an American-style private education. Story continues Students are seen outside of Academia Cotopaxi in Quito, Ecuador. As American teachers continue to protest low wages, large class sizes and competition from charter schools, thousands are opting to leave their classrooms -- and the country -- for assignments in international schools abroad. At Cotopaxi, about 60% of students are foreigners. The other 40% are local Ecuadorian students. "Locals want an international education for their child," said Heide, the Cotopaxi school director. "They want English and multiple languages. They want their child to work in the international world. Its true in India and China and the Middle East, where the local school systems may not be what parents want." All of that growth in international schools means more opportunities for U.S. teachers, particularly ones with certifications in specialty subjects such as special education or math or science. The number of international schools has doubled over the past decade, from about 5,000 to more than 10,200 this year, according to International Schools Consultancy, a company that provides data on the schools. Those schools employ more than half a million full-time staff; the consultancy predicts the institutions will need at least 896,000 teachers by 2028. "These schools are resource-rich," said Rajiv Bhat, chief operating officer of Search Associates, a recruitment company for international schools. The organization helps place about 3,000 teachers each year. "The parents are affluent," Bhat added. "They can pay the kind of fees that allow these schools to pay teachers a good salary and good benefits. "Plus, they have a small student population. Thats one of the greatest benefits for a teacher: 15 to 20 kids, rather than 30 to 40 kids." Why leave a $90,000 job? Math consultant Hilary Kreisberg works with with 7th graders at Academia Cotopaxi in Quito, Ecuador. Teachers who want to work in an international school commonly start by submitting an application to one of the recruitment firms that help match educators with schools abroad. Semi-annual fairs allow teachers to meet with representatives of the international schools, where the exchanges can be a little like speed-dating. More interviews follow, and when teachers are offered a contract, it's usually for two years. For some teachers, the courtship process happens even faster. Nate Bowling is a high school social studies teacher in Tacoma, Washington, with a list of accolades, including a 2016 state teacher of the year award. He's an outspoken education policy critic with more than 17,000 followers on Twitter, and he writes extensively about race relations and the need for equitable resources for students. Bowling said he's well-compensated and will earn around $90,000 this year. And he's leaving it all. On April 9 Bowling announced on his website that he's moving to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to teach Advanced Placement government and global issues at American Community School. His wife will come, too. Shell teach English at the same school. "I love the school, the staff, and especially my students," Bowling wrote on his website. "But I realized at some point this year that in order to stay in the classroom, I needed to do something different." In an interview, Bowling said he and his wife submitted their applications to a search firm last fall and were contacted almost immediately by schools abroad. He interviewed three times over Skype with a school in Shanghai, which didn't work out. Then he interviewed four times with the school in Abu Dhabi. The political environment in the U.S. played into his decision to leave. The American school model as it was practiced in the past is the envy of the world, and everybody wants to copy it, Bowling said. The American school present is not. And its driving out effective people because the work we ask people to do, particularly at low-income schools like my school, is unsustainable. Jill Egan, a librarian, works with a group of students Academia Cotopaxi. What about low-income students? For American educators accustomed to working in low-income schools, the resources available at some international schools can seem luxurious. One day at Cotopaxi in March, a classroom of fourth-grade students were puzzling over a writing exercise. There were only 15 students in the class, but a teacher and an instructional assistant were available to help. Elsewhere in the school that afternoon, high school students were working on advanced math and kindergartners were painting in a glass-walled atelier. As for testing, Cotopaxi teachers use Measures of Academic Progress, which students take three times per year to measure their improvement. Many U.S. schools administer that exam or something similar, plus annual state standardized exams and other mandated tests. Cotopaxi also has a deep bench of support staff. The school employs two doctors and five counselors. Two of those counselors only work with the high school, which enrolls just 160 students. Meanwhile, in the U.S.: Schools often lack nurses as kids' health problems like suicide, allergies soar Kourtney Wessels, Cotopaxi's English-language learner coordinator, said she appreciates all the resources at her school. Parents are dedicated and support the school financially. Students arrive at school fed and ready to learn, and misbehavior is rare. But sometimes she wonders if she made the right decision to leave the U.S. "I went into teaching with the idea of social justice," said Wessels, whose parents were both public-school teachers. "Here you're kind of living in a bubble. I still struggle with that." Several teachers interviewed at Cotopaxi said they valued being treated like professionals and having autonomy in the classroom. They even applauded their professional-development sessions, a common target of U.S. teachers' complaints. At Cotopaxi, the sessions are more relevant and robust, teachers said. Teachers also said they felt like administrators of international schools listened to them and incorporated their feedback more readily than principals in the States. Almost everyone said they enjoyed the close kinship that occurs among teachers in international schools, likely fueled by the fact that virtually all of them share an adventurous spirit. Housing benefits help save money International school teachers sometimes earn less than what they earned in the States. At Cotopaxi, salaries range from about $26,000 to $56,000, depending on a teacher's education and experience. But other benefits such as free housing, free tuition for teachers' children to attend the school, and a free plane ticket home once per year help teachers keep more of that pay in their pockets. Some schools throw in other benefits as well. I get a transportation budget to get to and from work, said Vanessa Weber, a special education teacher at The International School of Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia. Our housing is covered, I have the best health insurance Ive ever had, and it covers me in every part of the world," she added. "And we get an amazing retirement: My school pays 17% and then I can contribute to it as well. Weber, who is from Wisconsin, taught at Cotopaxi with her husband before they both got offers to work in Malaysia. The biggest downside now is that home is a 30-hour flight away. Still, international teaching jobs in Asia are coveted because salaries are high. Weber said base salaries at her school range from the equivalent of $25,580 in U.S. dollars for a teacher with no experience to $80,000 for an experienced teacher with a doctorate degree. Then the benefits: a housing allowance, retirement plan, transportation allowance, flights home, tuition for teachers' children (at the Kuala Lumpur school, that's about $40,000 per child) and also shipping and settling-in allowances for new hires. In her five years overseas, Weber said she's noticed more-experienced teachers from the U.S. joining the international circuit. Usually you start doing this kind of teaching when youre young, and you do it for part of your life, Weber said. Now Im meeting people in their early 40s who are teaching abroad for the first time. Its clear that theres a greater exodus than there was before. Education coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation does not provide editorial input. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These teachers' jobs give fair salary, housing, respect. All they had to do was leave U.S. Norwegian telecom operator Telenor said Monday it has entered into talks with Malaysian telecoms group Axiata about a potential merger of the companies' Asian operations. The deal would see the two companies combine their telecom and infrastructure assets into a new company, of which Telenor would own 56.5 percent and Axiata the remaining 43.5 percent, Telenor said in a statement, adding that these figures were subject to change. According to Telenor, which operates in the Nordic nations as well as Eastern Europe and Asia, the combined businesses would have close 300 million customers in nine different countries, making it one of the largest mobile infrastructure companies operating in Asia. Telenor said it wants the new company to take an "active role in accelerating technology transformation and digitalisation" across Asia. "Together, we aim to create a leading and well-diversified pan-Asian telecom and infrastructure company with substantial synergy potential and strong regional operations," Gunn Waersted, chair of Telenor Group, said in a statement. Telenor currently operates in Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar, while Axiata has operating companies in Malaysia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, however Axiata's mobile business in Bangladesh, Robi, would be excluded from the deal and independently managed by Axiata. The two companies hope the agreement, which needs both regulatory and shareholder approval, can be finalised within the third quarter of this year. The new company would have its operational headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and was planned to be listed on an international stock exchange as well as on Bursa Malaysia. Axiata's share price rose 2.3 percent following the announcement on Monday. By Chayut Setboonsarng and Orathai Sriring BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn greeted thousands of his subjects from a balcony of his Grand Palace on Monday, the third and final day of coronation ceremonies. The king and queen were greeted with a band playing the royal anthem and a 21-gun salute. The monarch and new Queen Suthida waved to a large crowd wearing yellow, the color associated with the king, and waving flags in a royal audience, a day after a grand procession through Bangkok. "I and the Queen are very pleased and delighted to see all the citizens together to express goodwill for my coronation," he told them in his speech, thanking citizens for their blessings and wishing them happiness and success. "May the unity in expressing your goodwill to me today be a good start for everyone, every party to unify your duties for the prosperity of our country." The three branches of the armed forces saluted the king before the prime minister and crowd chanted, "Long live the king!" The king then met foreign ambassadors and thanked them for their attendance, concluding the coronation ceremonies. The coronation started on Saturday, after a long period of official mourning for the king's revered father, who died in October 2016 having reigned for 70 years. On Sunday, the king was carried through the streets on a gilded palanquin for the royal procession. Well-wishers, all wearing yellow, gathered from early morning along the 7 km (4 mile) route from the Grand Palace to three royal temples. Since becoming king 18 months ago, Vajiralongkorn has moved to consolidate the authority of the monarchy, including taking more direct control of the crowns vast wealth with the help of the military government. (Additional reporting by Juarawee Kittisilpa; Editing by Robert Birsel and Clarence Fernandez) Thailand's newly-crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn praised a show of "unity" at his first public address on the final day of an elaborate coronation Monday, speaking to a sea of supporters and witnessed by the head of the junta that has led the divided country since a 2014 coup. Walking onto a wooden balcony to the roar of the crowd, Vajiralongkorn said he was "truly happy" with the display. "I want the unity shown here with this goodwill to be an encouraging sign for everybody, all sides to perform their duties for the prosperity of our country," he said. Thousands waiting below shouted "Long live the king!", waved Thailand's national flag and wore yellow hats -- the colour representing the king's birthday. Before the remarks, junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha addressed the king from the ground, pledging "loyalty to his majesty and the great Chakri dynasty with our lives". Vajiralongkorn was accompanied by Thailand's new Queen Suthida, whom he married in a formal ceremony days before the coronation. The 66-year-old is the 10th king in the Chakri dynasty and ascended the throne in late 2016 after the death of his beloved father Bhumibol Adulyadej. Not as well known, Vajiralongkorn spends a great deal of time in Germany and has been divorced three times. The monarchy is shielded by some of the world's harshest lese majeste laws, making any critical discussion about the king all but impossible. But wall-to-wall coverage and social media posts of the ceremony provided rare glimpses into the private lives of the ultra-guarded royal family. After Monday's address, the king's fashion designer daughter Princess Sirivannavari was seen capturing the moment on a smartphone and waving to the crowd. Over the weekend she took to Facebook to post personal shots of her and her family members, garnering more than 120,000 shares. The king's eldest sister Princess Ubolratana has long used Instagram as a way to communicate with fans. Story continues She drew headlines in February when she tried to stand for prime minister with an anti-junta party. The king thwarted the bid with a royal command and the party was later dissolved. Though she was seen hugging the king at the ceremony, she was asked in the comments section of a photo she posted Saturday why she did not receive a royal title during the event. "Because my work is in this style," she said. "It's more convenient and effective this way." The three-day coronation -- the first one in 69 years -- cemented Vajiralongkorn's position at the top of one of the world's richest monarchies. He was crowned with the 7.3-kilogram (16 lbs) Great Crown of Victory Saturday after sacred purification rites. On Sunday, the king was carried through Bangkok's historic old quarter on a gilded palanquin flanked by royal guards in a colourful seven-hour procession. The royal ceremonies were wedged between a disputed election in March and the expected announcement of poll results later this week. The arch-royalist junta that seized power in 2014 in a coup has claimed the popular vote, but a coalition of "pro-democracy" parties say they have a lower house majority. Some 800 Moroccan imams will go to Europe to ensure guidance of the faithful there along the lines of moderate Islam during the holy month of Ramadan, local media said. Morocco has stood out by adopting a pre-emptive approach against the root causes of extremism by training Imams on the genuine Islamic values of moderation. King Mohammed VI has created an institute in Rabat offering training to Imams as well as male and female preachers from Morocco, Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe especially France. The Institute, from which nearly 3000 imams have graduated, became a vector of religious diplomacy aiming to counter the terrorist threat that feeds on extremist interpretations of religions. Morocco has engaged, since 2005, in the reform of the religious sphere with the aim to counter radical religious narratives, while preserving the Moroccan version of Islam. This reform helped to modernize religious institutions such as the Council of Religious Scholars and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, ensuring greater transparency when it comes to the financing of mosques and other religious activities. Moroccos model of tolerance and inter-religious dialogue was celebrated last month during a visit to Rabat by Pope Francis who visited the Imam training institute. Thailand's newly-crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn praised the show of "unity" at his first public address on the final day of an elaborate coronation Monday, speaking to a sea of supporters and witnessed by the head of the junta that has led the divided country since a 2014 coup. Walking onto a wooden balcony to the roar of the crowd, Vajiralongkorn said he was "pleased and delighted" with the display. "I want the unity shown here with this goodwill to be an encouraging sign for everybody, all sides to perform their duties for the prosperity of our country," he said. Thousands waiting below shouted "Long live the king!", enthusiastically waved Thailand's national flag and wore yellow hats -- the colour representing the king's birthday. Before the remarks, junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha addressed the king from the ground, pledging "loyalty to his majesty and the great Chakri dynasty with our lives". Vajiralongkorn was accompanied by Thailand's new Queen Suthida, whom he married in a formal ceremony days before the coronation. Company worker Pramote Mapongtao said he felt "overwhelmed when I saw his majesty standing over there." He was one of many who braved scorching temperatures, which hovered around 37 degrees Celsius, causing several faintings. As darkness fell a coordinated drone show formed an outline of the king's visage in the night sky. The 66-year-old monarch is the 10th king in the Chakri dynasty and ascended the throne in late 2016 after the death of his beloved father Bhumibol Adulyadej. Not as well known, Vajiralongkorn spends a great deal of time in Germany and has been divorced three times. Since becoming king, Vajiralongkorn has made several moves that experts say reinforce the apex role of the monarchy, including bringing the assets of the Crown Property Bureau under his direct control and appointing an army chief from a faction close to the monarchy. Story continues The royal family is shielded by some of the world's harshest lese majeste laws, making any critical discussion about the king all but impossible. But wall-to-wall coverage and social media posts of the ceremony provided rare glimpses into the lives of the ultra-guarded royal family. - 'Another side' - After Monday's address, the king stood on the balcony alongside Queen Suthida and his children from three previous marriages. The moment was captured by his fashion designer daughter Princess Sirivannavari who swivelled around her smartphone, and a video from the balcony quickly found its way onto Twitter. Over the weekend she took to Facebook to post personal shots of her family members -- including one where she flashed a rock-and-roll sign next to her grinning teenage stepbrother. Whether a part of the palace's PR campaign or just a result of modern smartphone-savvy royals, the informality drew a positive response from Thais. "Seeing another side (of them) which is not official is nice," said a supporter who declined to be named due to sensitivity over discussing royal life. The king's eldest sister Princess Ubolratana has long used Instagram as a way to communicate with fans. She drew headlines in February when she tried to stand for prime minister with an anti-junta party. The king thwarted the bid with a royal command and the party was later dissolved. Though she was seen hugging the king on the eve of the coronation, she was asked in the comments section of an Instagram photo she posted Saturday why she did not receive a royal title during the event. "Because my work is in this style," she said. "It's more convenient and effective this way." The three-day event -- the first coronation in Thailand in 69 years -- cemented Vajiralongkorn's position at the top of one of the world's richest monarchies. He placed the 7.3-kilogram (16 lbs) Great Crown of Victory on his head Saturday. On Sunday the king was carried through Bangkok's old quarter on a gilded palanquin in a colourful seven-hour procession. But the display was wedged between a disputed election in March and the announcement of poll results set for later this week. The Palang Pracharat party -- aligned with the arch-royalist junta that seized power almost five years ago -- claimed the popular vote, but a coalition of "pro-democracy" parties say they have a lower house majority. Analysts say the sequencing of events is important. "The powers that be are clearly calculating that Thais will be more pliant at this moment in time - and thus less likely to mount protests" after results, said Karen Brooks, adjunct senior fellow for Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. "We will know soon enough if that calculation is correct." The London skyline. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Government efforts to curb excessive pay rises for chief executives by empowering UK shareholders are a flop, according to a think tank report. A report by the High Pay Centre (HPC) shows shareholders have voted just six times against chief executives salaries just six times in more than 700 votes at FTSE 100 companies over the past four years. A say on pay regime was introduced under the Conservative and Liberal Democrat government in 2013. The move forced listed companies to put their future remuneration policies to a binding shareholder vote at their AGM at least every three years. Companies also hold advisory votes on their remuneration reports, which show what directors earned the previous year. The government hoped the measures would curb the gap between the average pay of FTSE 100 chief executives and their staff, which has soared from 59:1 in the late 1990s to 145:1 today. READ MORE: Warren Buffet calls Brexit a mistake But a report by the High Pay Centre suggests fewer than one in 10 shareholders rejected pay policies in the average vote between 2014 and 2018. Only six votes saw company pay policies defeated, at Burberry, Intertek, BP, Smith & Nephew, Pearson and Royal Mail. A total of 14 companies faced significant revolts more than once over the period, which suggests significant dissent does not prompt companies to change their approach, according to the think tank. The HPC says companies which saw more than 20% of shareholders reject pay packages more than once include Sky, Experian, GlaxoSmithKline, Astra Zeneca and WPP. The think tank said in a statement: New HPC analysis shows investors are not interested in tackling inequality and excessive executive pay. Polling has repeatedly shown public support for more meaningful measures to address very high pay and economic inequality, including caps on top pay and worker representation on company boards, and our research will strengthen the case for such measures. Story continues But a government spokesman told the BBC: "We are strengthening these rules further by requiring firms to provide more detail about directors' pay, like the award of shares. "These upgrades are making boards more accountable while enhancing our reputation as one of the best places in the world to work, invest and do business." READ MORE: EU to probe if Apple used its app tax to suppress Spotify Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG), which is in the auto business, and is based in United States, received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NYSE over the last few months, increasing to $41.04 at one point, and dropping to the lows of $33.84. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Harley-Davidson's current trading price of $37.21 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Harley-Davidsons 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 Harley-Davidson What is Harley-Davidson worth? Great news for investors Harley-Davidson is still trading at a fairly cheap price. According to my valuation, the intrinsic value for the stock is $64.05, which is above what the market is valuing the company at the moment. This indicates a potential opportunity to buy low. Whats more interesting is that, Harley-Davidsons share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market. What does the future of Harley-Davidson look like? NYSE:HOG Past and Future Earnings, May 6th 2019 Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With profit expected to grow by a double-digit 15% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for Harley-Davidson. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? Since HOG is currently undervalued, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. With a positive outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as financial health to consider, which could explain the current undervaluation. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on HOG for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its prosperous future outlook isnt fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means its not too late to buy HOG. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed investment decision. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on Harley-Davidson. You can find everything you need to know about Harley-Davidson in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Harley-Davidson, 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. Photo: Courtesy of Thos. Moser Contrary to what Thos. Mosers 88,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and 110-person staff may suggest, the American wood furniture company points to the small-town, high-quality cabinetmaker as its biggest design competition. The companys second-generation President and CEO Aaron Moser has a point: Most manufacturing in the U.S. is high-volume, and when opportunities to scale production walk through the door, sensitivity to fit and finish tend to sneak out the window. Its a bit of a contradictionmanufacturing a craft," says Moser, who took over the company in 2017. "Weve been able to scale craft in a way where we havent allowed technology and manufacturing principles to interfere and dictate what we believe the highest quality should be." Fine-tuning the balance of material, craft, and technology is an ever-evolving challenge for company, which is based in Auburn, Maine. The fabrication process of its original, one-man woodworking workshop, founded by its namesake, Thomas Moser, in 1972, remains recognizable today, despite the brand now servicing six showrooms (located in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Freeport, Maine) and growing its omni-channel business across consumer, trade, business-to-business, and contract categories. Entering its second generation of leadership and nearly fifth decade in business, Thos. Moser is nearing the answer to the common industry question: How do you scale craft? Photo: Courtesy of Thos. Moser The family-owned companys latest decision to move its New York showroom from Madison Avenue into the New York Design Center factors into the equation. While the increasing rents at street-level was a major determinant of the relocation, Moser says leveraging the design centers community of prequalified, on-a-mission purchasers will be a critical element in the companys growth. Having dabbled in the trade business, Thos. Moser is now more seriously investing in its relationship with designersone project at a time. Story continues Were not approaching the design center with the answers, says Moser. Were approaching the design center for solutions. [Its] going to be an incubator to really allow us to hone what that strategy looks like. Determining the trade discount and the process for custom capabilities may still need some finessing, but theres one thing the brand needs no help figuring out: the product. Simple in form, unadorned of embellishment, and handcrafted for a lifetime of use, the works hold their own among American craft pioneers like George Nakashima and Sam Maloof. Made from century-old American hardwoodsmostly black cherry from Pennsylvanias Allegheny Plateau and walnut from the riverbanks of Missourieach piece bears the artisanship of a craftsperson, as evidenced by visible joinery and hand-rubbed finishes. The manufacturers traditional stylesmany with designs dating two- or three-decades oldremain its bestsellers today. (The Drift lounge chair, which takes roughly 30 hours to create, ranks number one as Thos. Mosers top-selling product by revenue.) My father used to say that good design travels through time and space, says Moser. Oftentimes design is not proven to be successful until many years past. Photo: Courtesy of Thos. Moser Aaron's father, Thomas, quit his job as a Bates College professor in 1972 to open a custom workshop. Located inside of an old grange hall in New Gloucester, Maine, Thos. Moser was a family affair. Thomass wife, Mary, managed the finances and sales, while their four sons trained as the companys earliest apprentices, spending weekends picking out lumber or installing a custom piece. In 1987, the company moved into its massive facility in Auburn, Maine, where it still manufactures today. The workshop has expanded to include 55 cabinetmakers, who show up every day to fulfill the next orderbe it an online consumer purchase or a custom design for a high-profile project. Photo: Courtesy of Thos. Moser The companys handwork can be found in the nations most prestigious institutions. Harvard Business School and Yales Pauli Murray and Benjamin Franklin Colleges sourced the manufacturer for their campus halls. During George W. Bushs presidential tenure, custom Thos. Moser works were commissioned for the White Houses South Lawn stage. The relationship continued when, in 2013, Thos. Moser was selected to furnish spaces throughout the George W. Bush Presidential Center. That type of customer retention isnt uncommon for Thos. Moser. We see common denominators between all the channels, and theres always a core residential Thos. Moser customer in there, says Moser. Approximately 60 percent of our residential orders come from people who already own our furniture. We have customers going back 40 years who continue to buy. When he took over the company two years ago, pivoting from a career as a professional chef and restaurant manager, leveraging the manufacturers retention rates with the growth opportunities across its channels became the strategy for the woodworkers next generation. Photo: Courtesy of Thos. Moser Rolling out the mission began with building an executive team. Last year, Thos. Moser named Brad Kauffman, former senior vice president at L.L. Bean, to improve its consumer-facing strategy though showroom and catalog and digital sales. Darrell Pardy, former Bristol Seafood owner and cofounder, was also named vice president and COO. As for the company's namesake, he still visits the workshop often to work on small projects, the brand's handmade American flags among his favorites. Bringing Thos. Moser into the next generation also means reconsidering its marketing strategy. Two years ago, the company catalog cost $5 per book. Today, its been cut to $1.25 and has a longer recipient list than ever before. Developing a digital presence, through storytelling on its social media platforms and website, has become as much a priority as print advertising, catalog marketing, and brick-and-mortar channels. Weve lived through the process of the catalog years, says Moser of the marketing tool he credits for the companys growth in the 90s. We have now also lived through retail, where brick-and-mortar was a critical element. As the retail world has changed, were now looking to omni-channel marketing, which is proving to be extremely successful. Photo: Courtesy of Thos. Moser When asked to quantify that success, he says the company is witnessing the high watermark that the company has been working to rebound its retained earnings since the 2008 recession. Weve recouped that groundpassed it actually, says Moser. Were back to a good, healthy runway again. While he has some new ideas for productmixed-material introductions or mobility-friendly pieces, perhapsone things for sure: The Thos. Moser balance of craft, material, and technology will remain. Its a harmony the chef-turned-furniture-executive likens to Hollandaise sauce. You can find these ingredients at a gas station," says Moser. "Theyre not special or unique, but the way that theyre brought together in such a precarious balance . . . thats what makes us different than most furniture companies. We bring these basic ingredients together in such a way that we have not found anybody else who can reproduce it the way we do. And like a chef plating the final dish, no Thos. Moser handcraft is complete without the India ink makers mark that adorns each creation. By Josue Gonzalez MEXICO CITY, May 5 (Reuters) - Several thousand people marched through Mexico City on Sunday to demand the resignation of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in the first major protest against the leftist leader in the capital since he took office five months ago. Largely dressed in white, protesters marched down the capital's main thoroughfare, with many chanting: "AMLO, out!" using the president's nickname, based on his initials. Some covered their mouths with masking tape on which they had written: "AMLO resign." Others waved signs bearing slogans including "Mexico isn't yours" and "You're not Robin Hood." Lopez Obrador took office in December after defeating the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which had held power for most of the past nine decades. A former Mexico City mayor who had run twice before for the presidency, Lopez Obrador won the election by a landslide in July pledging to stamp out corruption, reduce violence, tackle inequality and boost the economy. A number of early opinion polls gave the veteran politician approval ratings of about 80 percent. Some of his early decisions sowed doubts, however, among supporters and opponents alike, including canceling a partially built, new $13 billion Mexico City airport. He has also struggled to curb the rampant violence among warring drug cartels. Skepticism is widespread over his plans to dig state oil firm Pemex out of crippling debt. "Security problems more than anything ... and more and more, there are bigger problems for the youth," said Enrique Araujo, a retired Pemex employee at the march, listing his concerns. "In two or three years, this country is going to collapse." Various institutions have cut their forecasts for Mexican economic growth in 2019, and preliminary figures from the national statistics office showed the economy contracted during the first quarter. Story continues At least 6,000 people participated in the demonstration, authorities said. Many expressed discontent with Lopez Obrador's rhetoric against his detractors, such as "fifi" for the people he describes as the conservative elite. "I feel like he's generating a big divide in our beautiful country with these derogatory terms that he uses," said Monica Elizondo, a homemaker. "We're all Mexicans, and we all deserve to be heard." Lopez Obrador has said that at the halfway mark of his six-year term, he will ask Mexicans to vote on whether they want him to keep governing or to resign. (Reporting by Josue Gonzalez; Writing by Daina Beth Solomon and Noe Torres; Editing by Peter Cooney) Prague (AFP) - Thousands of Czechs rallied in central Prague on Monday in a fresh protest against the appointment of a new justice minister and billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who has been charged with EU subsidy fraud. Protesters fear that Minister Marie Benesova, named last week by Babis's ally President Milos Zeman, might try to clear Babis of the allegations. Police charged Babis in connection with a two-million-euro EU subsidy scam last year and called on prosecutors to indict him last month. If found guilty, Babis could be jailed for up to 10 years. "Our prime minister is a thief who steals money from EU subsidies and the Czech state budget," confectioner Dana Brunova told AFP in the capital's historic Old Town Square. "He bends the law at will to avoid going to court, which would in fact be the easiest thing to do -- if he's clean, why doesn't he go to court," she added. Protesters blew whistles and chanted "we're not blind" while carrying Czech flags and banners calling on Babis and Benesova to resign. "You won't escape hell," read one banner, while another displayed portraits of the politicians with Babis saying "Marie Benesova will cover up my crimes". Thousands of other protesters gathered in the cities of Brno and Ostrava. The demonstrations came after nationwide protests against Benesova last week. Benesova, 71, was the Czech justice minister in 2013-2014 and the country's chief prosecutor in 1999-2005. Babis is the Czech Republic's second wealthiest man, according to Forbes, having built his fortune in agro-chemicals. He is now facing an EU probe into his ownership of the Agrofert chemicals, food and media group, which he has technically transferred to a trust to avoid a conflict of interest. Babis has consistently rejected the accusations against him as a plot and politically inspired. "A man charged with embezzling EU subsidies cannot work as the prime minister who decides where the subsidies will go," young university teacher Milan Lipovsky told AFP at the Prague rally. Story continues Babis's populist ANO emerged as the biggest party in October 2017 legislative elections with 78 of 200 seats in the lower house of parliament. It joined forces with the CSSD Social Democratic party to form a minority government, supported by the communists. ANO boasts the highest support of all parties with 34-percent backing, according to an April poll of 1,074 people conducted by the STEM agency. Johannesburg (AFP) - South Africa goes to the polls on Wednesday with the leaders of the three main parties vying for votes in a race that could test the ruling ANC's long-held dominance. Here is a look at the three party leaders: - The shrewd president - Cyril Ramaphosa, the leader of the ruling ANC party, finally came to power last year after a dramatic and varied career intertwined with the birth of modern South Africa. He was a pioneering young trade union leader, an anti-apartheid activist and the Nelson Mandela protege who led talks to end white-minority rule and helped write the new constitution. When Mandela walked out of jail in 1990, Ramaphosa was standing alongside him. But after missing out on becoming Mandela's successor as president, Ramaphosa instead became a hugely wealthy businessman through stakes in McDonalds, Coca-Cola, mining and telecoms, and developing a taste for breeding rare cattle. In 2012, his image was badly tarnished when 34 striking mine workers were killed by police at the Marikana platinum mine, operated by London-listed Lonmin, where he was then a non-executive director. Ramaphosa had called for a crackdown on the strikers, whom he accused of "dastardly criminal" behaviour. He returned to politics to become Jacob Zuma's vice president in 2014, often drawing criticism for failing to speak out against corruption and government mismanagement. Renowned for his patience and strategic thinking, Ramaphosa narrowly beat off pro-Zuma rivals to take over leadership of the ANC party in 2017 and then claim the presidency when Zuma was forced out last year. Ramaphosa attracts a support base crossing South Africa's racial and class divides, but still faces strong opposition from inside the ANC. "This is a decisive moment in our country, in the history of South Africa, this is a moment when... we choose hope over despair," he told supporters at the final ANC campaign rally. Born in Johannesburg's Soweto township, Ramaphosa took up activism while studying law in the 1970s, and spent 11 months in solitary confinement in 1974. Story continues - The young opposition leader - Mmusi Maimane, 38, is the first black leader of the Democratic Alliance, South Africa's main opposition party. Raised in the Johannesburg township of Soweto -- heartland of the anti-apartheid struggle -- Maimane only joined the DA in 2009 and was fast-tracked through its ranks to take control in 2015. His rapid promotion led to accusations that he was being used by the party's senior white activists to cover up lack of reform within the party. A gifted orator and smooth campaigner, he has kept the DA in the spotlight, broadened its appeal and held together its warring factions. But he has struggled to land punches on Ramaphosa or to convince many black middle-class voters that the DA is not still a "white" party. A devout Christian, he has a masters degree in Theology and regularly preaches at church, where he met his white wife Natalie. Before getting into politics, Maimane ran his own management consultancy and lectured at a business school in Johannesburg. His reserved leadership style could come under question if the DA fail to make significant gains on top of its 22 percent of the vote in the 2014 election. - The radical firebrand - Julius Malema, 38, is the former ANC youth leader who launched the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party in 2013 and, against all the odds, has turned it into a political force. He was kicked out of the ruling party after coming into conflict with the leadership but has thrived as a rebel, delivering fiery speeches spiced with jokes and digs at Ramaphosa, the ANC and South Africa's white minority. Presenting himself as the voice of the young and unemployed, he demands the seizure of land from whites without compensation and the nationalisation of the mines and banks. His threat to the ANC was underlined last year when Ramaphosa adopted a similar stance on land reform to try to hold onto voters. Wearing a red beret and styling himself as "commander in chief", Malema hopes to ride a growing wave of discontent among the poorest of South Africans, 25 years after the end of apartheid. During Jacob Zuma's reign as president, he led his lawmakers in a campaign to disrupt parliament by chanting and heckling, before being thrown out by security officers. Miami (AFP) - A feature that helps aircraft slow down on landing was broken on a Boeing 737 that skidded into a river in Florida, a top transportation safety official said Sunday. The plane carrying 143 people slid off the runway after a hard landing Saturday at a naval air station in Jacksonville during a lightning storm. Police said 21 people were taken to hospital with minor injuries but no fatalities or critical injuries were reported. Transport safety officials said one of the thrust reversers which are supposed to help to slow the aircraft down was not working. "The aircraft had been in maintenance and the maintenance log noted that the left-hand thrust reverser was inoperative," Bruce Landsberg, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters Sunday. He said investigators would be examining the maintenance of the aircraft in the weeks prior to the accident "and the condition of the thrust reversers will obviously be of interest." The pilot also requested a change of runway, landing on one air traffic control advised had naval equipment on it, reducing the available runway length by 1,200 feet, Landsberg said. "We don't know what they were thinking or why they made that choice. That will be one of the things we look to find out, as we go through the cockpit voice recorder," he said. The flight data recorder had been recovered but the cockpit voice recorder remained underwater in the tail of the aircraft. "When we recover it will give us much more information on what the crew was thinking," he said. Thunderstorms and lightning have been hampering efforts to retrieve the plane fuselage. The navy had arranged for divers to recover several pets which are believed to have drowned in the cargo hold, he said. Booms had also been set up to contain jet fuel spilling into the St Johns River. Passengers on the flight from the US base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to Jacksonville included military personnel and family members. Story continues Passengers clambered across the wings of the partially submerged plane before being transported to shore in inflatable boats. "We couldn't tell where we were, a river or an ocean. There was rain coming down. There was lightning and thunder. We stood on that wing for a significant period of time," Cheryl Bormann, a defense attorney who was on board the flight, told CNN. The plane involved was a Boeing 737-800, in operation for 18 years, according to the FlightRadar24 website. US aerospace giant Boeing is under scrutiny following two crashes that killed a total of 346 passengers and crew and grounded its newer 737 MAX planes worldwide. Both a Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October and March's Ethiopian Airlines crash outside Addis Ababa occurred shortly after takeoff. Just a couple of days after the UN Security Council underlined again in its Resolution 2468 the preeminence of the Morocco-proposed autonomy initiative as a basis for the settlement of the Sahara issue, several members of the UN General Assembly Committee of 24 have also voiced full backing to the initiative. During the meeting of the Committee of 24, convened in Grenada, the Caribbean, May 2-4, several participants, including the representatives of Cote dIvoire, Sierra Leone, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Papua New Guinea and Saint Lucia, stressed that the autonomy initiative is a credible and serious solution to the regional dispute over the Sahara, as recognized by the Security Council in its successive resolutions since 2007. All participants voiced their unanimous support for the efforts made by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his Personal Envoy Horst Kohler to reach a political and lasting solution to the regional dispute. They welcomed the new dynamic in the political process, confirmed by the recent UN Security Council Resolution 2468, which called for a political, pragmatic, durable, and realistic solution to the Sahara conflict. Several delegations welcomed the holding of the two roundtable meetings on the Sahara with the participation of Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario, at the invitation of Horst Kohler, and called on them to honor their commitment until the process is completed. They commended Morocco for its serious and credible efforts to reach a political solution to this regional dispute, under the UN auspices. All African members of the C24 attending the meeting, namely Ethiopia, Cote dIvoire, Congo and Sierra Leone, underlined the primacy of the UN political settlement process. In this regard, Congo and Ethiopia recalled Decision 693, adopted at the 31st African Union Summit in Nouakchott, in July 2018, which endorses the pan-African organizations support for the UN exclusivity over the political process. Several members of the committee called for conducting a census of Tindouf camp populations as recommended by the Security Council in its resolutions since 2011, and in accordance with the international humanitarian law. Two elected representatives of the Moroccan Sahara provinces have been invited to attend the C24. These are Vice President of Laayoune Sakia El Hamra region, Mhamed Abba, and Vice President of the Dakhla Oued Eddahab region, Ghalla Bahia. The two elected representatives seized this opportunity to make presentations on the democratic progress and the socio-economic development, taking place in the Sahara provinces. Renewing their support to the autonomy initiative as the only option for solving the Sahara dispute, they underlined that the autonomy plan will enable the Sahara inhabitants to manage their local and political affairs and actively contribute to the social and economic development under way in the region. Photo: iStock Here's what you need to know about what's happening in San Jose. Suspect killed by police after dragging officer by car: PD San Jose police shot and killed a suspect who hit an officer with his vehicle and dragged him several feet, according to police. Read the full story on NBC Bay Area. Man killed when car crashes into East San Jose taqueria Witnesses told investigators the car jumped the curb and slammed into Santa Fe Taqueria on South White Road. Read the full story on The Mercury News. San Jose says goodbye to Black Eagle Ly Tong In the glass rotunda of San Jose City Hall, with white chrysanthemums and gladiolus flanking photos of a handsome young fighter pilot, the city said farewell to Ly Tong, a man they considered a hero. Read the full story on The Mercury News. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Paris (AFP) - French energy giant Total said it has reached a deal with Occidental to acquire Anadarko Petroleum's oil and gas assets in Africa -- but only if the mid-sized US firm Occidental wins its fierce takeover battle for Anadarko with the much bigger Chevron. The move further bolsters Occidental's hostile takeover bid for Anadarko after American mega-investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway got involved last week, investing $10 billion in Occidental. Anadarko's board had already approved an offer from Chevron when Occidental unveiled a higher bid last month, kicking off a tug-of-war over the company's assets in the shale-rich Permian Basin in Texas. On Sunday night Total waded into the dispute, announcing it would buy Anadarko's assets in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa for $8.8 billion -- but there was a catch. "The transaction is contingent upon Occidental entering into and completing its proposed acquisition of Anadarko," the French company said in a statement. CEO Patrick Pouyanne said the "proposed transaction is a win/win for Total and Occidental". "Total would get access to around over three billion boe (barrels of oil equivalent) of resources and Occidental would be able to strengthen its post-completion balance sheet by monetising immediately the international assets of Anadarko." The African assets would represent around 1.2 billion boe of proven and probable reserves, 70 percent of which is gas, as well as two billion boe of natural gas in Mozambique. After initially siding with Chevron, Anadarko reopened talks when Occidental raised its share price offer to $76, compared to Chevron's $65. Last week Occidental also upped its cash offer to $38 billion. Total said it expected Occidental's take-over of Anadarko to be finalised by 2020. Good morning. Our Fortune 500 CEO poll went into the field last week. We will publish full results in the June issue of the magazine. But in the meantime, heres an early result: CEOs are abandoning the Republican Party in drovesbut they arent moving to the Democratic Party. Instead, so far it looks like roughly half of Fortune 500 CEOs now identify as independents. Fewer than half identify as Republicansa big change from days past, when most big company CEOs saw the GOP as their party. Only a minuscule number are identifying as Democratsdown from the Clinton days, when Democrats were trying to show a more business-friendly face. The late Democratic wise man Robert Strauss used to tell the partys presidential candidates that they couldnt hope to win the support of businessbut they also couldnt hope to win an election with business united against them. If Strauss wisdom still holds, the leftward-lurching Democratic Party may be blowing a significant opportunity. By the way, business misgivings about President Trump dont necessarily reflect misgivings about his policies. Our past polls showed strong support for the Presidents tax bill and his deregulatory policies. This one shows overwhelming support for his trade policy toward China. If you are a Fortune 500 CEO and havent responded to us, please do so by Friday. More detailed survey results here next week. News below. Alan Murray @alansmurray alan.murray@fortune.com WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) Jurors in the trial of one of three remaining inmate defendants in a deadly riot at Delaware's maximum-security prison should use their common sense in deciding guilt or innocence, a prosecutor said Monday. "You're allowed to make rational inferences from the evidence that you see and the evidence that you hear," deputy attorney general Nichole Warner added as the trial of Roman Shankaras began. Shankaras, 32, is one of 18 inmates charged in the February 2017 riot, during which prison guard Steven Floyd was killed. Two other prison guards at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center were released by inmates after being beaten and tormented. A female counselor was held hostage for nearly 20 hours before tactical teams burst through a wall with a backhoe and rescued her. Sixteen of the inmates were charged with murder. Warner acknowledged that there is no evidence directly connecting Shankaras to Floyd's death. Instead, she explained, he can be found guilty based on "accomplice liability." Under that rule, a person who agrees to commit a crime can be found guilty of other crimes that could reasonably be foreseen to result from that initial course of conduct. "Anyone who participated in that riot is on the hook for all those charges," she told jurors. Defense attorney Patrick Collins, meanwhile, reminded jurors that they swore an oath to render a verdict based strictly on the evidence and the law. Prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Shankaras is responsible for Floyd's death, and for the kidnappings and attacks on the other prison staffers, he said. "Probably guilty equals not guilty," Collins told jurors. Shankaras recently completed a 7-year sentence for unrelated riot and robbery charges but is being detained on $2.8 million cash bail on the prison riot charges. Last year, Shankaras was among a group of four inmates who were the first to face trial for the riot. At the time, Warner described him as the "mastermind" of the uprising, a label she refrained from using Monday. Story continues Shankaras was dismissed as a defendant in the first trial because his strained relationship with his court-appointed attorney, with whom Shankaras had clashed publicly in court, was affecting the proceedings. The first two trials against seven inmates resulted in only one who admitted planning the uprising knowing it could become violent convicted of murder. Another defendant, Kelly Gibbs, killed himself in November, just days after pleading guilty to rioting, kidnapping, and conspiracy. In March, prosecutors dismissed cases against six of the remaining inmates, opting to move forward only against Shankaras, Lawrence Michaels, and Alejandro Rodgriguez-Ortiz. With little physical evidence, and no surveillance camera footage, prosecutors have relied heavily on testimony from other inmates, whose credibility has been successfully attacked by defense attorneys. As in the previous trials, the prosecution's star witness against Shankaras will be Royal Downs, a former Baltimore gang leader and convicted killer serving a life sentence for murder. Collins said Downs, who pleaded guilty in a deal with prosecutors just weeks after he and other inmates were indicted in October 2017, began negotiating with investigators on the same day the riot ended. "Eventually, he met with these prosecutors and entered into a business partnership with them," Collins said. "Royal Downs is motivated by one thing that is his total commitment and dedication to Royal Downs." Warner said prosecutors will introduce prison letters, or "kites," that Shankaras sent to Downs that prove that Shankaras was involved in planning the uprising and unapologetic afterward. "Warrior, as you know, this had to happen," Shankaras wrote in one letter. Collins said jurors will hear how and why Shankaras wrote the letters, "and how Royal Downs planned to use those kites for his own benefit, to the extent that he smuggled them out of prison and held them for safekeeping until it was time to strike his business deal with the prosecution." The leader of forces opposed to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) Sunday ordered the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) to step up fighting during the month of Ramadan, which has started this Monday, in their drive to seize capital Tripoli. Khalifa Haftar on an audiotape released by LNA spokesman ordered the east-based forces to use the holy month of Ramadan to inflict greater and harder losses to GNA-linked forces who have resisted Haftars early April-declared offensive on Tripoli. Officers and soldiers in our armed forces and the auxiliary forces, I salute you in this glorious days and urge you with your strength and determination to teach the enemy a greater and bigger lesson than the previous ones, as weve always known you to do, till we uproot it from our beloved land, Haftar said. The eastern commander considers his war on the GNA as a campaign against terrorism and therefore a holy war. The offensive has been facing fierce opposition on the southern outskirts of the capital where GNA forces have managed to resist. The LNA has reportedly made gains on the eastern front by capturing some settlements. Haftars new call flies in the face of the UN, which urged for truce as of Monday. The fighting caused the death of at least of 300 people according to UN figures and are not expected to abate soon. Last week, GNA forces called on Turkey to provide them support, according to London-based Asharq al-Awsat. Haftar has been receiving support from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt while the GNA is backed by Turkey and Qatar. The Arab League last month criticized the interference of foreign countries into Libyan affairs. Libya has become a lawless country since 2011, following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. 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. 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. 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 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. Story continues 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. 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. Donald Trumps administration may review ties to foreign governments it deems anti-Israel as part of an apparent shift in US policy. A US envoy told Reuters the administration is reportedly seeking to further equate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism by reviewing its ties to certain nations and leaders. That could mean upcoming reviews of US relations with foreign governments, according to Elan Carr, special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism at the US State Department. The United States is willing to review its relationship with any country, and certainly antisemitism on the part of a country with whom we have relations is a deep concern, the official told Reuters. The administration has been increasingly positioning anti-Zionism as a form of antisemitism in a move some policy analysts said could prove popular among Jewish voters ahead of the upcoming 2020 elections. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the administration was committed to relentlessly combatting all forms of antisemitism during a March speech that referred to anti-Zionism as a form of anti-Semitism. Mr Carr said the move certainly breaks new ground and described anti-Zionism as one of the chief flavours of antisemitism. Linking the two makes 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 US-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, he told Reuters. He declined to detail what possible actions the administration might take against governments or world leaders it currently has ties with which are determined anti-Israel in possible reviews, only saying, 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. The latest U.S. tariffs on China could be a sign of what's to come for Europe, analysts have told CNBC. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the current tariffs of 10% on $200 billion of Chinese goods will increase to 25% on Friday. In a Twitter post, he also threatened to impose an extra 25% levies on an additional $325 billion of Chinese goods "shortly". His decision sparked a sell-off in global equity markets and created further jitters in Europe whose exports could also face similar U.S. tariffs. "It is a harbinger of what is likely to come for Europe," Fredrik Erixon, head of the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE), told CNBC via email. "Trump may be an economic illiterate, but he means what he says, and the message that has been coming for quite a while is that European auto producers will be hit with higher tariffs as well," Erixon added. President Trump threatened in early 2018 to impose duties of 20% on European cars. Since then, he has met the president of the European Commission, the EU's executive body, and both decided to seek an agreement over trade and avoid tariffs. Nearly a year since their meeting, both sides of the Atlantic have yet to start those official trade talks. On Monday, European auto stocks fell more than 3%. "On the one hand, this (tariff announcement on China) just confirms what we already know, which is that President Trump is willing to publically escalate conflicts to achieve policy objectives. So, we may also see volatility in the settling of European trade negotiations," Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, told CNBC via email. The 28 European countries have agreed on a common position to negotiate a trade deal with the U.S. However, the White House and the European Commission have yet to announce a date for when they will have the first round of talks. "The latest Trump statement shows that also in the negotiations with the EU, the EU should be prepared to face maximum pressure from the U.S. until the very last minute. Expect the threat of tariffs on European automotive stocks emerge again very quickly," Carsten Brzeski, economist at ING, told CNBC via email. Story continues Uri Dadush, a Washington-based scholar for the think tank Bruegel, also said the EU will face a very complicated situation. "No-one wants to negotiate with a knife at their throat or be faced with last minute surprises. For the EU, an assembly of proud democracies with varied interests, it is likely to be even more difficult than for the Chinese, who have a single party state and are led by a pragmatist," he said. The need for a strong US economy "On the other hand, what has also not changed is that President Trump will continue to need a strong U.S. economy as we move towards the U.S. electionthat should make the administration increasingly interested in finding a way forward that supports economic growth and the markets," Haefele also said. The U.S. economy grew at a rate of 3.2% in the first quarter of this year. This is after registering growing 2.2% in the previous quarter. Data released last Friday also showed the United States economy added 263,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate fell to 3.6%, a near 50-year low. In the meantime, higher tariffs on Chinese goods could have an impact on the U.S. as well the European economies. This is because analysts are expecting China to retaliate. "New tariffs on Chinese goods coming to the U.S. would be bad also for the EU. Tariff hikes lower the temperature of the world economy, and that means falling demand also for EU goods. Since China is likely to retaliate, the effect will also be stronger than what would happen if it was only the U.S. that raised their tariffs," Erixon told CNBC. STERLING, Va. (AP) President 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. The president's 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. The latest bans apply both to Facebook's main service and to Instagram and extend to fan pages and other related accounts. Facebook's 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. 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 Hollywood's 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!" Story continues 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 attacking the company and complaining that it was not treating him well because he was a Republican. He later 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. By David Brunnstrom and Makini Brice WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about North Korea and trade after North Korea raised doubts about the future of denuclearization dialogue with new weapons tests. In a tweet, Trump described his talk with Abe, a close ally, as a "Very good conversation!" but gave no other details. Trump and his administration have played down the North Korean weapons tests, which took place on Saturday, and which military analysts say could have involved short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missiles. Abe told reporters the United States and Japan would "respond together" to North Korea "going forward." If the weapons were ballistic missiles, they would have been the first fired by North Korea since its 2017 freeze in nuclear and missile testing opened the way for dialogue with the United States and South Korea. Analysts interpreted the tests as an attempt to exert pressure on Washington to give ground in denuclearization negotiations after a February summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended in failure. In a Twitter message on Saturday, Trump said he was still confident he could reach a deal with Kim. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that Washington still had "every intention" of negotiating with North Korea. Pompeo said he and Trump spoke about the launches on Saturday and were "evaluating the appropriate response." "But ... we're going to exhaust every diplomatic opportunity there is," he told CBS. "We still believe there is a path forward where Chairman Kim can denuclearize without resort to anything beyond diplomacy." Pompeo said the launches were "short-range" and that Washington had "high confidence" they did not involve intermediate-range missiles, or intercontinental missiles that threaten the United States. He said they had not crossed any international boundary and posed no threat to South Korea or Japan. Separately on Monday, the State Department took aim at North Korea's human rights record, saying that the government there had subjected its people to "egregious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms" and that the United States remained "gravely concerned and deeply troubled" by the abuses. "Approximately 100,000 individuals languish in political prison camps and their family members and children often suffer by their sides. Further, those trying to flee this oppressive environment, if caught, are often tortured or killed," it said. North Korea's official media described the tests as a "strike drill" supervised by Kim to test "large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons." Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at South Korea's Kyungnam University, said the guided weapons could have been solid-fuel ballistic missiles with a range of up to 500 km (311 miles) that could neutralize the advanced U.S. THAAD anti-missile system deployed in South Korea. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Friday that Washington and Tokyo may finalize a trade agreement by the end of May after Trump and Abe met at the White House last month. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom, Makini Brice and Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Susan Heavey, Jeffrey Benkoe and Jonathan Oatis) President Trump is in the middle of a growing number of trade disputes. On Sunday, he promised to dramatically raise tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods if a trade deal isnt completed by this Friday. But while the Trump trade threats over tariffs steal the headlines, the Trump administration will soon have to make a series of decisions about non-tariff barriers to trade. Those include quotas in the new Trump agreement with Canada and Mexico that will supersede NAFTA and a nasty dispute over agreements the U.S. has negotiated to ensure fair competition in international airline flights. In these non-tariff trade cases, the chief debate isnt over how to convince trading partners to level the playing field but how to enforce existing agreements. As Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the Congressional Budget Office, notes, unless trade agreements are enforced, it does not matter what philosophy drives their negotiation. International airline travel has exploded in recent years, making enforcement of the dozens of agreements under the Open Skies Act ever more important. Open Skies regulates which airlines get to enter another countrys territory. The goal is open entry, unless a government-subsidized carrier is using its artificial advantage to unfairly compete with private carriers. Such is the case with Qatar Airways, which is owned by the fossil-fuel-rich government of Qatar and has spent billions to become a major player in international aviation. Qatar Airways is now so big that the U.S. and Qatar signed an agreement in January 2018 to limit Qatars ability to fly directly into the U.S. from European cities. These so-called fifth-freedom flights are carefully negotiated to avoid unfair competition. But Qatar soon made it clear that it was reinterpreting the agreement in such a way as to make it meaningless. It bought a 49 percent stake in a failing carrier called Air Italy, which previously had flown only regionally in Europe along with a couple of seasonal flights to the U.S. Two days after Qatar Airways bought a stake in it, Air Italy began an expansion that now has it making nonstop flights from Milan, Italy, to New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Its bargain rates are clearly designed to poach passengers from U.S. carriers, using its Qatar-government subsidies to make up any losses. Story continues Qatar Airways didnt make much of an effort to hide the fact that Air Italy is basically a front for its Qatari owners. Air Italys extensive operating losses are covered by Qatar, its top executives are almost all former executives at Qatar Airways, and even Air Italys crew uniforms are almost identical to those worn by employees of Qatar Airways. A range of U.S. officials, from Democratic senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey to Republican senator Ted Cruz of Texas, have called foul on this subterfuge and complained to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. At a recent Senate hearing, Pompeo responded to such concerns by reiterating his support for the Open Skies Act: The U.S. government sees whats going on, and were working to put this agreement we think it was a good agreement, and were trying to ensure its enforced. Open Skies agreements not only promote free-market principles, but they give the U.S. aviation industry the opportunity to compete around the world. The distortions that government-owned carriers in the Persian Gulf are creating in the airline market threaten a wide range of other airline agreements and make a mockery of financial transparency. As President Trump has decided which trade fights to pick, he has sometimes made mistakes or exaggerated the dangers. But when it comes to the Open Skies agreement with Qatar, the U.S. has an obligation to make sure it is fully enforced. Anything else would make a mockery of the very idea of a trade agreement working in behalf of the American people. More from National Review Hundreds of former federal prosecutors and counting signed an open letter published on Monday expressing their belief that Donald Trump would have faced multiple felony charges of obstruction of justice if he were not president. Multiple aspects of Trumps conduct described in a report of the Trump-Russia investigation submitted in March by special counsel Robert Mueller were probably criminal, the prosecutors write. Mueller had declined to weigh whether to charge Trump, citing justice department guidelines prohibiting the indictment of a sitting president. But the letters signatories, which include prominent Republicans from administrations going back to Richard Nixon, said it was clear that Trump would have faced charges had he not been protected by the guidelines. Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Muellers report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting President, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice, the prosecutors wrote in part. Trump has claimed that the Mueller report was a complete exoneration of his conduct. But the prosecutors outline three main areas in which they said that conduct warranted criminal charges: The presidents efforts to fire Mueller and to falsify evidence about that effort The presidents efforts to limit the scope of Muellers investigation to exclude his conduct The presidents efforts to prevent witnesses from cooperating with investigators investigating him and his campaign The signatories include former prosecutors at all levels, from line attorneys to US attorneys to special prosecutors to former senior officials in the Department of Justice. The letter was originally published with more than 300 signatures but had more than 450 by Monday afternoon. Proud to be on this nonpartisan list of hundreds of former federal prosecutors who would have charged Trump with obstruction based on the evidence in Muellers report, said Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor from the southern district of New York. Its not even a close call for me. Story continues The attorney general, William Barr, and his deputies in the justice department decided there was not sufficient evidence to charge Trump. But Barrs expressed reasoning for not charging Trump was undercut by critics who said he was acting in defense of the president instead of the rule of law. They pointed out that Barr originally mischaracterized Muellers reasoning for not charging Trump himself; Barr had claimed that the guideline against indicting a sitting president was not a major factor in Muellers decision, when Mueller states explicitly that it was. Mueller wrote Barr a forceful letter in March stating that a separate letter in which Barr claimed to summarize his report in fact did not fully capture the context, nature and substance of this Offices work and conclusions. There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation, Mueller wrote. Some of that confusion might be cleared up later this month, when Mueller is expected to testify before Congress. Trump has discouraged the special counsel from appearing. Bob Mueller should not testify, Trump tweeted on Sunday. No redos for Dems! Washington (AFP) - Nearly 400 former federal prosecutors said in a joint letter Monday that the evidence in the Mueller report would have resulted in obstruction of justice charges against Donald Trump -- were he not the president. The letter says that the evidence in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation indicating that obstruction was committed is "overwhelming." Currently, Department of Justice policy forbids the indictment of a sitting president. But the letter appeared likely to add impetus to efforts by Democrats in Congress to hold hearings on Trump's behavior and possibly even launch impeachment proceedings against the Republican leader. "Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report would... result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice," the prosecutors said. "The Mueller report describes several acts that satisfy all of the elements for an obstruction charge: conduct that obstructed or attempted to obstruct the truth-finding process, as to which the evidence of corrupt intent and connection to pending proceedings is overwhelming." Earlier Monday, the House Judiciary Committee said it was preparing to declare Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt for not supplying them an unedited version of the Mueller report together with underlying evidence. Mueller's 448-page report on the nearly two-year investigation into Russia election meddling, completed in late March, mapped out multiple instances where Trump appeared to try to obstruct the probe. But Mueller, noting the Justice Department policy that a sitting president could not be indicted, opted not to rule on whether a crime was committed. "If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state," his report said. "Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment." Story continues That permitted the Trump-appointed Barr to declare the evidence insufficient and clear Trump -- a move which sparked confusion and controversy, and apparently left Mueller himself dissatisfied. While not naming Barr, the prosecutors said in their letter that his view of the evidence being too weak "runs counter to logic and our experience." If not for the Justice Department policy on indicting presidents, they said, "We believe strongly that . . . the overwhelming weight of professional judgment would come down in favor of prosecution for the conduct outlined in the Mueller Report." Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump discussed North Korea's weapons test with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, and the latter said the two countries had agreed to coordinate their efforts to seek the North's denuclearization. Trump said the two had also talked about trade, and his only public comment on the discussion was a tweet calling it a "Very good conversation!" On Saturday, the North conducted multiple rocket launches and a tactical weapons test, raising concerns that it was escalating provocations at a time US nuclear negotiations are deadlocked. The United States seemed to seek a conciliatory tone in response, however, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying Sunday that Washington still saw "a path forward" in the denuclearization process. Abe, speaking to reporters after his phone call Monday with Trump, said their countries will seek complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula by coordinating bilateral efforts "completely." "President Trump and I agreed completely on every aspect of how we should deal with North Korea," Abe told reporters, according to the Kyodo news agency. 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 second summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in February ended abruptly with no agreement or even a joint final statement. A return to missile launches would be likely to infuriate Trump, but the North's official KCNA news agency has 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". Abe again said he was willing to meet unconditionally with Kim to resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. Tunisian interior ministry has announced its forces slain three suspected Islamic State group (ISIS) terrorists in an operation 230 kilometers southwest of Tunis. The Ministry said, in a statement released Sunday evening, forces killed three of the most dangerous terrorists from the Jund Al-Khilafa (Soldiers of the Caliphate), an ISIS-linked terror group, near the town of Sidi Ali Ben Oun. The ministry identified the terrorists as Hatem ben Aid Basdouri, 40, Mohamed ben Ibrahim Basdouri, 35, and Montassar ben Khraief Ghozlani, 31. Weapons, ammunition, explosives and suicide vests were seized in the operation. According to TAP, four people who are in connection with the killed terrorists are being investigated. They include a ranger in Kasserine, owner of the car used by the terrorists, the sister of one of them and her husband and one of their neighbors. The army and security forces have been conducting regular search operations across the country and mainly in the mountainous areas of Kasserine region known as a safe haven for terror groups. In an earlier statement on Saturday, the ministry announced that it had foiled a terror attack that was planned for the holy month of Ramadan, which started this Monday. A man connected to the foiled attack has been detained. President Donald Trump on Sunday night retweeted conservative religious leader Jerry Falwell Jr., who said the president should have two years added to his first term as pay back for time stolen by this corrupt failed coup, referencing Special Counsel Robert Muellers lengthy investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. While the move would be an unconstitutional power grab, Falwell referred to the extension of the presidents term as a form of reparations, a troublesome nod to current ongoing discussions within the Democratic Party about whether the U.S. government should pay reparations to the descendants of formerly enslaved people. Trump then went on a tweet storm of his own, arguing that they have stolen two years of my (our) Presidency. In a follow up tweet, the president added, The Witch Hunt is over but we will never forget. Despite the tremendous success that I have had as President, including perhaps the greatest ECONOMY and most successful first two years of any President in history, they have stolen two years of my (our) Presidency (Collusion Delusion) that we will never be able to get back..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2019 This is not the first time Trump has referenced extending his presidential term, leaving some concerned that he would not voluntarily give up the White House if he lost the 2020 election. Since 2016, Trump has repeatedly claimed that the election was rigged against him, and that there was widespread voter fraud. Trump joked last month about extending his presidency, after he received an award at an event for the Wounded Warrior Project. The event was held the same day Muellers report was released to the public. Well, this is really beautiful, Trump said. This will find a permanent place, at least for six years, in the Oval Office. Is that okay? Story continues He continued: I was going to joke, General, and say at least for 10 or 14 years, but we would cause bedlam if I said that, so well say six. The president made similar comments last year in a speech to Republican donors at Mar-A-Lago, where he praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for consolidating his power and doing away with term limits. Hes now president for life. President for life. And hes great, Trump said. I think its great. Maybe well give that a shot someday. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she didnt trust Trump to respect the results of the upcoming election if he lost, unless a Democratic candidate won by an overwhelming majority. Pelosi argued, for this reason, the party should embrace centrist politics going into 2020, as some Democrats are leaning further left. But Pelosi isnt the only one who has expressed this concern. Michael Cohen, the presidents former personal lawyer of 10 years, told the House oversight committee earlier this year that he worries there will never be a peaceful transition of power if Trump loses in 2020. Most of the elements are now in place for a decisive electoral victory for the current president, and a clear mandate to drain the swamp of all that he ran against. It is aberrant that with the economy performing at historic levels, and international relations steadied and easing toward a more satisfactory relationship with China and North Korea, the presidents approval ratings are in the upper forties rather than the low sixties. He is about where President Obama was at this point in his presidency, but Obama had not been successful; all he had done was Obamacare, and it was already seen by the country as being far from a comprehensive or optimal solution to the shortcomings of the American health-care dilemma. Trump, by contrast, has taken a flatlined economy, where middle-class and working-class purchasing power had not moved in nearly 20 years, the work force was shrinking, and GDP per capita growth was down to 1 percent and not accruing to the lower two-thirds of the population at all, and produced over 3 percent income growth for all socioeconomic echelons. The country now has more positions to fill than unemployed people, and the unemployment rate is down to the level of 1969, a figure that was appreciably reduced by having 550,000 draftees in Vietnam. Even if existing trends continue, this president will probably do better than Obama did in winning his second term in 2012. Inept though he was after the first debate, Mitt Romney will almost certainly have been a stronger candidate than whoever emerges from the mountainous scrum of mediocrities, cranks, and tired geriatrics contending for the Democratic nomination now. There are no surprise candidates left in the wings; the only new face who has gained ground is Mayor Peter Buttigieg, and he is not a serious nominee for more than a rise to senator or governor or, on a stretch, vice president. The veterans, Sanders and Biden, are more old-hat, vieux jeu, than ever. We all get older, but Sanders is just as vapidly socialist and innumerate as ever, and Biden is the same old amiable stumblebum we remember. China is our friend, he says; 83 per cent of Americans, he seems not to understand, have received tax cuts, not just the rich Democrats in Wall Street, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley. Either of them could stir up a bit of enthusiasm for the proverbial last hurrah (Edwin OConnors novel and the subsequent film about legendary Boston mayor and Massachusetts governor James Michael Curley), but the idea of either of them actually defeating this president, with this presidents record, is nonsense. It would be, as in the novel and the film (starring the always outstanding Spencer Tracy), a sentimental roundup for a politician who had tried one time too many for high office. Their time and appeal are outdated, but they may be judged to have earned the chance. Story continues Bernie Sanders claims to be the cutting edge of the future, the prophet now being honored by the rallying of the swarm of his younger rivals to many of his radically left ideas from his 2016 campaign, when he lost fairly narrowly to Hillary Clinton. There is some truth to that, but they are all charging to the end of a cul-de-sac. The environmental revolution that Sanders promises is bunk; it is just a Marxist adherence to the formerly reputable opposition to pollution that led Lyndon Johnson to clean up the Great Lakes and Richard Nixon to found the Environmental Protection Agency, mutated into an assault on capitalism in the spurious claim of saving the planet. The rest of his platform is just a cynical proposal of vote-acquisition by taking money from people who have earned it and redistributing it to people who have not, practically regardless of merit: forgive $1 trillion of student loans, socialize medicine (trillions more), and pile the cost onto anyone who earns over $200,000 a year. The American raison detre and national mythos that hard work and intelligence can lead to the summit of American life, including the White House, is replaced by the deadening, leveling hand of Karl Marx: from each according to his means, to each according to his needs. It is a non-starter in America, a formula for electoral suicide. (Sanderss views on legal and penal reform have great merit, but he is never going to get far enough to enact them.) Joe Biden is the alternative. The younger candidates are in a disorderly footrace to the left and are generally almost even with Sanders in policy terms. Kamala Harris wants a conversation about every point that she has not resolved (which is most of them), in order not to close the door on even the most fatuous and extreme proposals. Beto ORourke, despite the CNN rogue poll that he would defeat Donald Trump by 11 per cent, remains an arm-flapping airhead with no traction, sinking without a ripple beneath the waves, where Kirsten Gillibrand and many of the others, including the egregious little attack dog Eric Swalwell, have preceded him. Cory Booker, an earnest but verbose and vacuous man, remains afloat with a life vest but is going nowhere. Elizabeth Warren has also walked off the dock, and only her native headdress is still visible. In these circumstances, the party grandees, along with the majority of sensible rank and file, who would rather lose with honor and in a way that maintains the partys tradition, will presumably put Biden in as nominee and offer one of the radical younger people as vice president. It wont fly, and Trump will win easily, probably by about 15 million votes. There is a tradition in American politics that drives both parties, at lengthy intervals, especially in a year when they are unlikely to win anyway, to let the radical streak take over and give it a try, just to get it out of their system. That is what happened to the Republicans with Goldwater in 1964 and with the Democrats in 1972 with McGovern, and the incumbents, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, won those elections with over 60 percent of the vote. My guess is that Biden will be elevated over Sanders, and he will try an instant de-aging and hands-across-the-barricades move with some radical-left vice-presidential candidate, such as the fluent and attractive congresswoman from Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard. (Something must be done to reassure the American people that the true political face of the Aloha State is not the bilious and almost incomprehensible Senator Maisie Hirono. Every time she opens her mouth, the worlds estimation of Hawaii sinks.) Barring an economic downturn, the Trump reelection campaign will move into a smoother, more suave and conciliatory phase. He has invited agreement on infrastructure, and first indications are positive. Legal matters will take their course, and the Clinton campaign and the Obama Justice Department and intelligence services will take a very spectacular, painful, and well-deserved trip to the woodshed. To raise his victory from the Obama 2012 level to that of Johnson in 1964 and Nixon in 1972, he should move into the careful mode of tweet restraint, conciliatory gestures, and the assurance of a confident president who no longer has a partisan leopard on his back. The partisan media are finally becoming more subtle. Bob Woodward has expressed concern about spying on the Trump campaign; CNN commentators are sometimes even-handed, as in Jake Tappers questioning why Senator Klobuchar gave Trump no credit for the economys good health. The end of the Mueller episode, a Democratic chimera and Trump nightmare, opens the way to partisan de-escalation. The desperate nonsense of Jerry Nadler and Adam Schiff can easily be bypassed. The country wants a restoration of dignity, and the president must lead the way. He behaved with exemplary discretion and consideration in the Kavanaugh/Ford stage of the Supreme Court confirmation hearings, when one misplaced word would have blown the process up in a puff. Now is the time for more of the same, which he can provide from a position of strength. The only argument left to the Democrats, that hes not fit to be president, is the easiest of all to debunk. As this process of de-escalation takes its course, the president should commute the sentences of all nonviolent federal first offenders who have served half or more of their sentences, and tangibly encourage the states to do the same. It is the right thing to do, to ameliorate the evils of the incomparably severe American criminal-justice system, and it would win the votes of millions of nonwhite victims of the appallingly punitive and rigged system, and millions of white families also. Over 100 million Americans are in families who have been afflicted by the wickedness and severity of the American justice system. They are ready to vote for a reforming president. President Trump can turn a likely clear win into a mighty landslide. I believe he will do it. More from National Review NICHOLAS KAMM In a surprise move, President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he would nominate Mark Morgan, the former chief of U.S. Border Patrol under President Barack Obama, to serve as the new permanent director of U.S. 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 tweeted. Mark is a true believer and American Patriot. He will do a great job! Morgan had served only six days under Trump before submitting his resignation as head of Border Patrol, one day after Trump signed an executive order mandating the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Morgan has recently made appearances on Fox News, in which he supported the presidents immigration policies. The former Border Patrol chief told Law & Crime in January that he had been pressured to resign from the position, in part because of his public opposition to the concept of a border wall, the keystone of Trumps immigration agenda. Asked by a U.S. Senate committee in November 2016 about Trumps proposed wall, Morgan said that such a wall would not be the sole answer, and that it did not need to cover the full 2,000-mile border between the United States and Mexico. Morgan has since come around to supporting the administrations policies on immigration, including the as-yet-unbuilt wall. The current administration had decided to go in a different direction since the president was inaugurated, Morgan said at the time. The president is correct, and what hes doingthe wall works, one hundred percent. In a discussion with Fox News Neil Cavuto in January, Morgan told the host that we need to do it all, including the wall. I agree one hundred percent with what the president is trying to do with al things related to border security, Morgan said at the time. It is absolutely, one hundred percent, in my opinion... a national security and humanitarian crisis. Story continues ICE declined to comment on the nomination, and White House did not immediately respond for clarification on whether Morgans nomination has been formally submitted to the Senate. The nomination is the latest change in senior staff at the Department of Homeland Security, which has endured numerous shakeups in recent months as Trump has grown frustrated by the legal, political and, occasionally, ethical hurdles to implementing his hard-right immigration proposals. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen stepped down in April following numerous reports that Trump felt she was slow-walking his agenda on border security, and Trump pulled the nomination of Ronald Vitiello to lead ICE two days earlier, declaring that he wanted a tougher nominee. Rons a good man, Trump told reporters at the time. But were going in a tougher direction. We want to go in a tougher direction. Read more at The Daily Beast. WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about North Korea and trade, but gave no other details about their talk. "Very good conversation!" he tweeted. (Reporting by Makini Brice Editing by Susan Heavey) WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday slammed China on trade, saying the United States was losing billions to Beijing and vowing to protect American commerce. "Sorry, we're not going to be doing that anymore!" Trump said. On Sunday, Trump said he would ratchet up tariffs on $200 billion of imports from China, escalating the trade dispute marked by tit-for-tat tariffs between Washington and Beijing amid ongoing talks. (Reporting by Makini Brice and Susan Heavey Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) By Ben Blanchard and Jeff Mason BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China said on Monday that a delegation was still preparing to go to the United States for trade talks, even as U.S. President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on Beijing to reach a deal, saying he would hike tariffs on Chinese goods this week. Trump's comments on Sunday marked a major escalation in tensions between the world's two largest economies, and a shift in tone from the president, who as recently as Friday had cited progress toward a deal. Stock markets sank and oil prices tumbled on his remarks, as negotiations to end the months-long trade war were thrown into doubt. [MKTS/GLOB] "We are also in the process of understanding the relevant situation. What I can tell you is that China's team is preparing to go to the United States for the discussions," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a news briefing. But Geng did not say if Vice Premier Liu He, who is China's lead official in the negotiations, will be part of the delegation as originally planned. Negotiations are set to start May 8 in Washington. "What is of vital importance is that we still hope the United States can work hard with China to meet each other half way, and strive to reach a mutually beneficial, win-win agreement on the basis of mutual respect," Geng said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that China was considering cancelling this week's meetings in Washington in light of Trump's comments, which took Chinese officials by surprise. Trump appeared to defend his decision in a tweet early Monday, slamming the U.S.-China trade deficit and vowing not to lose out to Beijing. A less-than-rosy update from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, including details that China was pulling back from some previous commitments, prompted Trump's weekend decision. "The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!" Trump said in a tweet. Story continues Trump said tariffs on $200 billion of goods would increase on Friday to 25 percent from 10 percent, reversing a decision he made in February to keep them at 10 percent due to progress between the two sides. The president also said he would target a further $325 billion of Chinese goods with 25 percent tariffs "shortly," essentially covering all products imported to the United States from China. 'ATMOSPHERE HAS CHANGED' U.S. officials did not weigh in on whether they expected talks to go ahead this week. The White House and the U.S. Trade Representative's Office declined to comment. China's commerce ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "The atmosphere of the negotiations has changed," said a Chinese official with knowledge of the situation. Whether and how the talks proceed are being re-evaluated, the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "All that depends on the attitude of the United States," the official said. Chinese news outlets have been told not to independently report on Trump's tweets, and instead adhere to any report from the official Xinhua news agency, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Global financial markets, which had been expecting news of a trade deal soon, went into a tailspin. U.S. equity futures fell more than 2 percent and stocks across trade-reliant Asia tumbled. China's main indexes slid 5 percent. "There is still a question of whether this is one of the famous Trump negotiation tactics, or are we really going to see some drastic increase in tariffs," said Nick Twidale, Sydney-based analyst at Rakuten Securities Australia. "If it's the latter, we'll see massive downside pressure across all markets." Mindful of his 2020 re-election bid, Trump had also suggested the duties were not leading to price increases for U.S. consumers. "The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China," he tweeted. Tariffs on Chinese goods are actually paid to the United States by companies that import the goods, and most of those companies are U.S.-based. American businesses, while supportive of Trump's crackdown on China's trade practices, are eager for the tariffs to be removed, not expanded. "Raising tariffs means raising taxes on millions of American families and inviting further retaliation on American farmers," said Christin Fernandez, a spokeswoman for the Retail Industry Leaders Association. 'HANG TOUGH' Nevertheless, the president's aggressive strategy drew rare bipartisan support from U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who urged Trump to "hang tough" in a tweet: "Don't back down. Strength is the only way to win with China." One Chinese trade expert said recent signs of resilience in both economies were breeding over-confidence. "The urgency is gone. So, it's likely to see a longer trade war," the expert said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic. The trade war resulted in billions of dollars in losses for both sides in 2018, hitting autos, technology and above all, agriculture, while inflicting collateral damage on export-reliant economies and companies from Japan to Germany. On Friday, Trump said talks with China were going well. Last week, industry sources said they believed the talks were in the end game, but a Trump administration official said aides had told the president that significant hurdles remained. The increase in U.S. tariffs on Friday would be the first since Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods in September, coming on top of 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of goods enacted earlier last year. Negotiations about tariffs have been one of the remaining sticking points between the two sides. China wants the tariffs to be removed, while Trump wants to keep some, if not all, as part of any final deal to ensure China lives up to its commitments, a White House official said on Sunday. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, David Shepardson, Timothy Gardner, Lawrence Hurley and Makini Brice in Washington; Sinead Carew in New York; and Ben Blanchard, Michael Martina, Shu Zhang, Jing Xu, Cheng Leng and Yawen Chen in Beijing; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Jeffrey Benkoe) By Brendan Pierson NEW YORK (Reuters) - Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, took a parting shot at his former boss - denouncing "xenophobia, injustice and lies" - before reporting to a U.S. federal prison on Monday to begin a three-year sentence. Cohen, who once vowed to "take a bullet" for Trump but now calls him a "con man," checked into the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of New York City, to serve his sentence for arranging hush payments to two women who said they had sexual encounters with Trump, financial crimes and lying to Congress. Cohen, 52, hinted he had more secrets to divulge as he made brief remarks to a crush of camera crews and reporters gathered on the sidewalk outside his Manhattan residence - the Trump Park Avenue apartment building - before being driven to the prison. "I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country," Cohen said, without uttering Trump's name. "There still remains much to be told, and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth." Cohen was driven to the prison in a black SUV, arriving shortly after 11:30 a.m. (1530 GMT), some 2-1/2 hours before his deadline to report. Aerial TV news video showed Cohen stepping out of the SUV, then removing his jacket and leaving it inside the vehicle before walking with two men, apparently prison officials, into a building entrance. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which runs the facility, confirmed by email Cohen was in its custody. Cohen is expected to stay at the prison's minimum security camp. Cohen's prison term completes a stunning fall for the native of New York's Long Island whose career was tethered to Trump as he evolved from wealthy real estate developer to reality TV personality to politician. For more than a decade, Cohen served as Trump's personal lawyer and self-described "fixer." Story continues Trump has blasted Cohen, calling him a "rat" as well as a "bad lawyer and fraudster." Cohen, who has been disbarred as an attorney, was dressed in jeans, sneakers, a white shirt and a navy blue blazer as he exited his apartment building, with a doorman holding the door. Several dozen bystanders stopped to take pictures, and one shook his hand. After Cohen made his remarks, the scene became chaotic, with equipment and people falling to the ground. Cohen helped one journalist to get back on his feet. Cohen then climbed into the SUV. FBI agents in April 2018 raided Cohen's Rockefeller Center office and Park Avenue hotel room as part of an investigation that grew out of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. That set in motion events that caused Cohen's dramatic split with Trump. 'TELL THE TRUTH' Lanny Davis, spokesman for Cohen, issued a statement saying Cohen "will continue to be accessible to Congress and to federal, state and local law enforcement." "I will continue questioning why Michael is the only person within the Trump Organization to be prosecuted for crimes committed at the direction of and for the benefit of Mr. Trump," Davis added. Davis praised Cohen's "courageous decision ... to tell the truth about why Donald Trump represented a danger to our Constitution, our freedoms, and our nation's fundamental values." Cohen had originally been due to report to prison on March 6, but was granted an extension to recover from shoulder surgery and testify before Congress. Cohen broke with Trump in July 2018, telling ABC News he intended to put family and loyalty to his country ahead of the president. Cohen and his wife, Laura Shusterman, 49, have two adult children, Samantha and Jake. In February congressional testimony, Cohen said, "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a con man. He is a cheat." During his December sentencing in New York, Cohen said, "My weakness can be characterized as a blind loyalty to Donald Trump, and I was weak for not having the strength to question and to refuse his demands." Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance law, bank fraud and tax evasion. Prosecutors said Trump himself directed illegal hush payments orchestrated by Cohen of $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels and $150,000 to Playboy model Karen McDougal to avert a scandal shortly before the 2016 election. Trump has denied sexual relationships with them and said he never directed Cohen to do anything illegal. Cohen also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a proposed Trump tower project in Russia that was being negotiated at the same time he was running for president. His prison time could be reduced by about 15 percent for good behaviour. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Will Dunham) Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey's top election body ordered a re-run of the Istanbul mayoral election on Monday after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party complained about its shock defeat in the vote, the state news agency reported. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) narrowly lost Turkey's biggest city in March 31 local elections, ending the party and its predecessors' 25-year control of the metropolis. The AKP claims there were "irregularities and corruption" in the vote that required a re-run of the mayoral election, which was won by Ekrem Imamoglu, of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) by just 15,000 votes. Imamoglu received his official mandate after two weeks of recounts, sending shockwaves through the ruling party since Erdogan, former mayor of the city, once said winning Istanbul was like winning the whole of Turkey. Erdogan had presented the local elections as a matter of national survival. He campaigned heavily even though he was not running himself. The AKP still won the most seats nationwide, but anger over the deteriorating economy led it to lose mayorships in both Istanbul and the capital Ankara. The party did not request a re-run of the election for the Istanbul local assembly, in which it won a majority of seats. Ethiopia will inject huge investments in renewable energy transmission, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said. According to the Premier, China had agreed to invest $1.8 billion to improve electricity on the Ethiopia-Djibouti line, thereby increasing electricity supplies to Ethiopian cities and 16 industrial parks. Beijing made the pledge on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Initiative Summit in which Mr. Abiy and some 40 other leaders took part. The loan will be granted by China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure), a financial institution owned by the Chinese government. Ethiopia has an ambitious plan to develop 60 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy. The government also plans to build 9,000 km of distribution lines and 19,600 km of power transmission lines. The 15-year program is based on the production of renewable energy throughout the country and elsewhere in East Africa. Today, 60 million Ethiopians still do not have direct access to electricity. According to World Bank statistics published in 2016, the average access to electricity in Ethiopia was 42.9%, with 26.5% in rural areas and 85.4% in urban areas. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in office since May 2018, has carried on the green commitment of his predecessors. Because of this, and a stable regulatory framework based on tenders and PPAs, Ethiopia has the potential to speed up its journey toward sustainable development and overcome the many contradictions still present. ISTANBUL, May 6 (Reuters) - Turkey's main opposition Istanbul mayor said on Monday that he would wait for an official statement from the High Election Board (YSK) before speaking about its decision to annul and re-run mayoral elections in Istanbul. "I am aware that everyone is curious about a decision regarding me. I have heard things. But I will wait for the decision, the official statement from the High Election Board," Ekrem Imamoglu told a video broadcast on his social media accounts. YSK officials have not yet made a statement on a decision to re-run mayoral elections in Istanbul. The decision was announced initially by the ruling AK Party representative to the YSK. Private broadcaster Haberturk said the YSK had ruled to re-run elections on the grounds that some ballot box officials were not civil servants. (Reporting by Ece ToksabayWriting by Ali Kucukgocmen) Istanbul (AFP) - The leader of Turkey's militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, has met his lawyers for the first time in eight years, one of them said on Monday. "This is the first meeting with the lawyers since 2011. The meeting lasted approximately one hour" on May 2, Rezan Sarica told an Istanbul press conference. Some 3,000 Kurdish prisoners have been holding hunger strikes since November to protest his isolation, and eight have killed themselves over the issue, according to the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party. Nevroz Uysal, another of Ocalan's lawyers, read out a message from the imprisoned leader for the hunger strikers to limit their protests. "We respect the resistance of our friends inside and outside prisons but want them not to carry this to a dimension that will threaten their health or result in death," Ocalan said, according to Uysal. Ocalan's message also addressed the situation in neighbouring Syria where a US-backed Kurdish militia -- branded as "terrorists" by Ankara -- controls some areas in the north. "We believe that problems in Syria should be resolved by avoiding the culture of conflict," Ocalan said according to the lawyer. He said the Syrian Kurds should have constitutional guarantees, while respecting "Syria's integrity". "In this regard, Turkey's sensitivities should be taken into account," he added. Ankara says the Kurdish YPG -- a key US ally in the fight against Islamic State jihadists -- is a Syrian offshoot of the PKK, and the issue is a major source of friction in Turkish-US ties. Turkey captured Ocalan, then public number enemy one, in February 1999 and imprisoned him on the heavily fortified island of Imrali off Istanbul where he has been kept for 20 years. "It is not yet clear if the meetings with lawyers will continue periodically," added Sarica, who met Ocalan with Uysal. "Only two lawyers were allowed to meet him although four lawyers applied," he added. Story continues The PKK is listed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies. The Kurdish insurgency in Turkey has claimed more than 40,000 lives since 1984. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hardened his rhetoric towards Kurdish rebels since the last ceasefire broke down in 2015, reducing the odds of a political solution to the long-running conflict. Ocalan's brother, Mehmet, was permitted to visit him in prison in January for the first time since 2016. The rebel leader was born into a poor peasant family in the village of Omerli in Turkey's southeast. His official birthdate is April 4, 1949. He was sentenced to death for treason after his capture by Turkish agents in Kenya, but this was commuted to life imprisonment when Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2002, when it appeared close to securing membership in the European Union. Paris (AFP) - Two people were facing assault charges Monday after dousing a butcher and his stand with red liquid at a market in Paris over the weekend, prosecutors said. The butcher, who specialises in organically-raised meat, was at his stall in the covered Saint-Quentin market in the north of the capital when it was targeted on Saturday. "I was preparing a client's order. I felt liquid hit me, I touched my head and the liquid was quite red," the butcher told BFM television. "I looked up and there were 15 or 20 people in front of the stand with the slogans 'Freedom and defence for animals'," he said. The two suspects were to be brought before a judge to face potential charges later Monday. A series of French butcher shops have been vandalised in recent months by "anti-speciesism" activists, who say eating meat is an immoral violation of the rights of other species. Last month a court in northern France handed jail terms to two vegan activists for a string of attacks on butchers, shops and restaurants selling meat. kap-ngu-nal-edy/js/pvh By Neha Dasgupta and Aftab Ahmed NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India and the United States will engage regularly to resolve outstanding trade issues, the Indian government said, after U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross met his Indian counterpart Suresh Prabhu on Monday. India and the United States are locked in disputes over tariffs, price caps India has imposed on imported U.S. medical devices and over rules banning companies from selling products via firms in which they have an equity interest. "Both sides agreed to engage regularly at various levels to resolve outstanding trade issues by exploring suitable solutions, which are mutually beneficial," the government said in the statement https://drive.wps.com/d/AIZn3WDduqcngfHgjYudFA. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had said earlier on Monday he planned to discuss India's new e-commerce rules that could have an impact on operations of firms such as Amazon and Walmart with his Indian counterpart on Monday. India also prohibits companies from making deals with sellers to sell exclusively on their platforms, rules which could affect investment plans of foreign firms in India's fast-growing market set to touch $200 billion by 2027. "Both sides agreed to deepen economic cooperation and bilateral trade by ensuring greater cooperation amongst stakeholders, including government, businesses and entrepreneurs," the government said. In March, U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to end preferential trade treatment for India that allows duty-free entry for up to $5.6 billion worth of its exports to the United States. India is the world's biggest beneficiary of that trade concession, called the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), and its withdrawal would be the strongest punitive action against the country since Trump took office in 2017. Two Indian trade ministry sources had said the government was hoping for a breakthrough in the talks. One said India wanted the United States to review its decision on GSP and also hopes the it will defer its decision to withdraw trade privileges until India's general elections are over on May 19. Story continues Political and security ties between India and the United States have grown but trade has become problematic. Indian officials said both sides are likely to emphasise strategic ties and try to manage trade differences. "The messaging is a re-assurance that the U.S. thinks of India as a strategic partner and the relationship cannot be coloured by differences on trade," one of the sources said. Total U.S. trade with India stood at $87.5 billion in 2018, with the deficit at $21.3 billion. India has held off implementation of new tariffs on U.S. goods after Washington refused to give it an exemption on higher steel duties. (Reporting by Neha Dasgupta; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani, Robert Birsel and Raissa Kasolowsky) By David Morgan WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. congressional Democrats edged closer on Monday to fighting two legal battles - one over the Mueller report and one over President Donald Trump's tax returns - after administration officials stonewalled lawmakers' requests for those documents. The House Judiciary Committee set a vote for Wednesday on whether to cite Attorney General William Barr with contempt over his refusal to provide the panel with a full, unredacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation report and underlying evidence from the probe. Separately, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he would not provide the House Ways and Means Committee with six years of Trump's individual and business tax returns, despite a formal request by Chairman Richard Neal under a law authorizing such actions. "I have determined that the committee's request lacks a legitimate legislative purpose ... the department is therefore not authorized to disclose the requested returns and return information," Mnuchin said in a letter on Monday to Neal. Neal responded in a statement: "I will consult with counsel and determine the appropriate response. Both developments put the two oversight committees on a course leading to federal court action to obtain the documents, as the Trump administration escalated its push to block multiple probes by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. Republicans in Congress have rejected the efforts of both Democratic-led committees as political gamesmanship intended to appeal to the Democratic Party's voting base ahead of the 2020 presidential election, in which Trump is seeking re-election. "The attorney general's failure to comply with our subpoena ... leaves us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said in a statement released along with a committee report citing Barr with contempt of Congress. Story continues "If the department presents us with a good faith offer for access to the full report and the underlying evidence, I reserve the right to postpone these proceedings," he said. If Nadler's committee votes as expected to adopt a contempt citation on Wednesday, the measure will go to the full House for a floor vote that is likely to pass. Lawmakers say such an outcome would lead to a civil court case against Barr, raising the possibility of fines and other legal actions for failure to comply. Democrats also expect Neal's battle with Mnuchin over Trump's tax returns to wind up in a lengthy court battle, although Neal could begin by issuing a subpoena for the documents. OVERSIGHT EFFORTS The Mueller report and Trump's taxes are central to the oversight efforts of six Democratic-led House committees that are probing the president, his associates and his presidency. The Mueller report detailed extensive contacts between Trump's 2016 campaign and Moscow, but did not find that there was a conspiracy between Moscow and the campaign. The report also describes actions Trump took to try to impede Mueller's investigation. If lawmakers established that Trump obstructed justice by seeking to impede Mueller, Nadler's panel could move to impeachment proceedings against the president for high crimes and misdemeanors. Democrats also want Trump's returns as part of their investigations of possible conflicts of interest posed by his continued ownership of extensive business interests, even as he serves as president. Trump broke with a decades-old precedent by refusing to release his tax returns as a presidential candidate in 2016 or since being elected, saying he could not do so while his taxes were being audited. But his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, told a House panel in February that he does not believe Trump's taxes are under audit. Cohen said the president feared that releasing his returns could lead to an audit and IRS tax penalties. (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Peter Cooney) By Matt Spetalnick and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling "indications and warnings" from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with "unrelenting force" to any attack, national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday. With tensions already high between Washington and Tehran, a U.S. official said the deployment has been ordered "as a deterrence to what has been seen as potential preparations by Iranian forces and its proxies that may indicate possible attacks on U.S. forces in the region." However, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was not expecting any imminent Iranian attack. Bolton - who has spearheaded an increasingly hawkish U.S. policy on Iran - said the decision, which could exacerbate problems between the two countries, was meant to send a "clear and unmistakable message" of U.S. resolve to Tehran. Though he cited no specific Iranian activities that have raised new concerns, Iran has recently warned it would block the Strait of Hormuz if it was barred from using the strategic waterway. About a fifth of the oil consumed globally passes through the strait. "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or regular Iranian forces," Bolton said in a statement. It marked the latest in a series of moves by President Donald Trump's administration aimed at ratcheting up pressure on Iran in recent months. Washington has said it will stop waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero. It has also blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, taking the unprecedented step of designating it as a foreign terrorist organization, which Iran has cast as an American provocation. Story continues 'UNRELENTING FORCE' The Trump administration's efforts to impose political and economic isolation on Tehran began last year when it unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal it and other world powers negotiated with Iran in 2015. "The United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," Bolton said. Bolton did not provide any further details. A U.S. Navy statement issued early last month said the aircraft carrier and its accompanying convoy of ships had steamed out of Norfolk, Virginia, on April 1 "for a regularly scheduled deployment", but it did not give any destination at the time. While it is not rare for the United States to have aircraft carriers in the Middle East, Boltons language could increase tensions. The threat late last month from the IRGC to close the Strait of Hormuz followed a U.S. announcement that it would end exemptions granted last year to eight buyers of Iranian oil and demanding they stop purchases by May 1 or face sanctions. European governments have opposed Washington's reinstatement of sanctions on Iran. A senior Trump administration official said at the time that any aggressive move by Iran in the strait would be unjustified and unacceptable. Iran has made threats to block the waterway in the past, without acting on them. (Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Idrees Ali; Editing by Peter Cooney & Simon Cameron-Moore) The Trump administration has dispatched an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East in order to demonstrate U.S. resolve to the Iranian regime, national security adviser John Bolton announced Sunday evening. [A]ny attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force, Bolton said. The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces. The USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying aircraft strike group will travel from the Mediterranean Sea to to the U.S. Central Command, an area that includes the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. The decision was reached following clear indications that Iranian and Iranian proxy forces were planning to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East, the Associated Press reported Monday. Speaking to reporters aboard his flight to Europe on Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said plans to dispatch the decision was made in response to a series of escalatory actions by the Iranians but would not specify as to what those were. It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests, Pompeo said. If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that. The move comes after the Trump administration officially designated Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist group and eliminated all exemptions for foreign nations purchasing Iranian oil. More from National Review By Daren Butler ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The United States and European Union have expressed deep concern over Turkey's plans for offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by Cyprus as its exclusive economic zone, adding to tensions between Ankara and its Western allies. The statements at the weekend came after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said "we are starting drilling" in the region. Turkey and the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government have overlapping claims of jurisdiction for offshore oil and gas research in the eastern Mediterranean, a region thought to be rich in natural gas. "The United States is deeply concerned by Turkey's announced intentions to begin offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by the Republic of Cyprus as its Exclusive Economic Zone," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on Sunday. "This step is highly provocative and risks raising tensions in the region. We urge Turkish authorities to halt these operations and encourage all parties to act with restraint." Cavusoglu said that Turkish seismic research vessel Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa was continuing work in the region. "We will conduct drilling in areas of Turkey's continental shelf and we are starting our drilling work at points identified by Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa," he said in northern Cyprus on Saturday. The Cyprus foreign ministry said it "strongly condemns" Turkey's drilling operations within its exclusive economic zone. "This provocative action by Turkey constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus," it said on Saturday. Speaking at NATO's North Atlantic Council Mediterranean Dialogue meeting in Ankara on Monday, President Tayyip Erdogan said he expected NATO to support Turkey's rights in the Mediterranean. "The legitimate rights of Turkey and the Northern Cypriot Turks over energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean are not open for argument. Our country is determined to defend its rights and those of Cypriot Turks," he said. Story continues "We expect NATO to respect Turkey's rights in this process and support us in preventing tensions." URGENT EU CALL The U.S. statement followed similarly worded comments on Saturday by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who expressed "grave concern" about Turkey's intentions. "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." Any escalation between Turkey and the United States could put more pressure on relations already strained on several fronts, including missile defence and military operations in Syria. Cavusoglu said in February that Turkey would soon begin drilling for oil and gas near Cyprus. Ankara launched its first drill ship in October off the coast of Turkey's southern Antalya province. The ship was located 70 km (45 miles) off the west coast of Cyprus on Monday, Refinitiv Eikon shipping data showed. Breakaway north Cyprus, which is supported by Turkey, says that any offshore wealth also belongs to them, as partners in the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960. The island was divided in 1974 after a Turkish invasion triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. Countless peacemaking endeavours have failed and offshore resources have increasingly complicated peace negotiations. (Additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu, Can Sezer and Michele Kambas; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Dominic Evans, Louise Heavens, David Goodman and Jan Harvey) The World Banks new president, David Malpass, announced over the week plans to boost lending to African countries to help fight poverty. Malpass made the statement after touring Madagascar, Ethiopia and Mozambique on April 29-May 3. He met with these countries leaders and stakeholders and visited World Bank-funded projects. Africa is working at reducing poverty and there have been some reductions in some countries, but as a whole there is an increasing amount of the number of people that are in extreme poverty, he said. He pledged to step up the banks anti-poverty mission, making more of its grants, more of its loans to Africa as a percentage and in absolute dollars. He added that the banks International Finance Corporation would also boost its activities on the continent. The growth story in Sub-Saharan Africa in the past few years has been one of faltering recovery from the worst economic crisis of the past two decades. According to the 19th edition of Africas Pulse of April 2019, GDP growth in 2018 was lower-than-expected reaching 2.3%, with a forecast of 2.8% in 2019. The report notes that the three largest African economiesNigeria, Angola and South Africaplay a big role in the regions growth. Photo credit: Lockheed Martin From Popular Mechanics A laser weapon, called The Self-Protect High-Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) passed a crucial test last month. Designed to defend U.S. Air Force aircraft from inbound air-to-air missiles, SHiELD torched several missiles in flight. Defensive lasers could revolutionize aerial warfare and lead to a second revolution with even more profound implications for air warfare-offensive lasers. Air-t0-air missiles, guided missiles launched by an aircraft at another aircraft, were first developed in the 1940s. Previously, aircraft could only shoot down other aircraft within range of their guns, but the advent of jet engines made aircraft faster and able to swiftly move out of gun range. A guided weapon that could chase down even jet aircraft became a priority, and soon air forces of the world were fielding both infrared and laser-guided weapons. Photo credit: Air Force Research Lab On April 23, according to Air Force Magazine , a ground version of a laser that could someday protect military aircraft was tested at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The Demonstrator Laser Weapon System, a ground-based surrogate for the Self-Protect High-Energy Laser Demonstrator, or SHiELD, shot down several aerial-launched missiles. The goal of the SHiELD program is to equip a F-15 Eagle fighter jet with a defensive laser pod by 2021. According to Defense News , Lockheed Martin is developing the 2021 weapon system. The pod will involve a fiber laser in the tens of kilowatts, while Northrop Grumman is developing the beam control system. Boeing will develop the pod that carries the laser weapon. Active defense lasers like SHiELD promise to seriously upset air warfare. Flares, chaff, and electronic warfare are three ways to prevent an air-to-air missile from hitting its target. Theyre also passive defenses, making no attempt to actually down the missile but instead to confuse the missile and prevent it from hitting the target. Active defense, actually shooting down incoming missiles, is so hard that until now, nobody has bothered: the small size of such missiles and the possibility that they could come from all directions makes them difficult to shoot down. Story continues Until now. If the program continues to be successful, an aircraft armed with SHiELD would be protected from incoming missiles like never before. Enemy aircraft might need to fire multiple missiles at laser-protected fighters in order to overwhelming their defenses. Aircraft could press their attacks, not taking evasive action, knowing that a weapon like SHiELD protects them. Lasers can neutralize missiles in a variety of ways. A laser can damage the sensors in a missiles seeker, particularly an infrared seeker, preventing it from following its target. A laser could also damage the body or control surfaces of a missile, rendering it unable to maneuver or causing it to aerodynamically fail. Finally, the extreme heat of a laser could ignite any remaining rocket motor propellant or the explosive warhead. Here's video of Lockheed Martin's ATHENA laser weapon system torching a drone in midair: A defensive laser like SHiELD would not be limited to fighter jets. All U.S. military aircraft operating in or near combat zones could be outfitted with lasers to protect them from guided missiles, particularly larger, less maneuverable planes such as C-130J, C-17, and C-5M transports, KC-135, KC-10, and K-46A aerial refueling tankers, and command and control platforms such as the E-3 Sentry AWACS plane. Russian and Chinese air forces are in the process of developing very long range air-to-air capability, with the Vympel R-37M (NATO: AA-13A Axehead) missile and the PL-XX missiles. These missiles would be used to down American tanker and AWACs-type aircraft, seriously degrading the fighting abilities of U.S. and allied warplanes, or forcing them to operate farther behind friendly lines. SHiELD could at least partially negate the threat posed by these missiles. In the future, fighter jets may be forced to carry more missiles than they do now, in order to overwhelm an enemy airplanes laser defenses. Arguably however it may never get to that, because the next revolution in aerial warfare triggered by laser weapons is right around the corner. When aircraft lasers become even more powerful they could be used in an offensive manner, replacing missiles and guns as the means to down enemy aircraft. SHiELD is merely the beginning. A fire control system designed to acquire, track, and engage small air-to-air missiles could easily do the same against much larger manned and unmanned aircraft. A laser weapon traveling at 186,000 miles per second moves far too fast to deploy countermeasures, making it difficult to beat. How this affects war in the air is a good question, but its implications for pilots and their flying machines is undeniable. ('You Might Also Like',) WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators on Monday criticized reported plans for a Federal Trade Commission settlement with Facebook Inc for misuse of consumers' personal data, saying that top officials, potentially including founder Mark Zuckerberg, must be held personally responsible. In a letter to the FTC, Senators Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, and Josh Hawley, a Republican, told the agency that even a $5 billion civil penalty is a "bargain for Facebook." The agency is also reportedly contemplating a settlement that elevates oversight of privacy policies and practices to Facebook's board of directors and requires the social media giant to be more aggressive in policing third-party app developers. But that was inadequate, said Blumenthal and Hawley. "The FTC should impose long-term limits on Facebooks collection and use of personal information. It should consider setting rules of the road on what Facebook can do with consumers private information, such as requiring the deletion of tracking data, restricting the collection of certain types of information, curbing advertising practices, and imposing a firewall on sharing private data between different products," they said in a letter to FTC Chairman Joe Simons. The FTC has been investigating revelations that Facebook inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million users with the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The probe has focused on whether the sharing of data and other disputes violated a 2011 agreement with the FTC to safeguard user privacy. The two senators also urged the agency to name any Facebook official who was behind any violation of a consent decree. "Personal responsibility must be recognized from the top of the corporate board down to the product development teams," they wrote. The FTC acknowledged receipt of the letter but declined to comment. Facebook declined to comment. (Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Dan Grebler) ROVANIEMI, Finland, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he had a "good conversation" with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and hoped to make progress with Russia where the two countries have common interests. "It was a good conversation. We covered a wide range of issues," Pompeo told reporters of his talks with Lavrov on the sidelines of a meeting of the Arctic Council. "We have interests that are definitely different. ... There was a desire to begin to try and find paths where we can make real progress on places where we have overlapping interests, as narrow as they may be, and hope we can achieve that," Pompeo said. (Reporting by Simon Johnson; Writing by Mohammad Zargham) The Western Union Company, a leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement, has appointed Moroccan Mohamed Touhami el Ouazzani as Regional Vice President and Head of North, Central and West Africa, to lead from Casablanca, Western Unions business in the region with focus on expanding digital money transfer, reinforce the retail agent network and drive outstanding end-to-end customer service, the company announced in a press release. Mohamed brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Western Union from a variety of industries representing finance, fintech and retail, said Alexandru Badulescu, Western Union Global Money Transfer General Manager for the Middle East and Africa. He will play an integral role in strategically driving initiatives that accelerate Western Unions growth across the region with a dual digital and retail focus. Western Union has set the standard for international money movement, moving currency smoothly between the digital and physical world, serving customers across every use-need in the more than $700 billion emittance sector. Customers can send money seamlessly across the world via Western Unions mobile app or westernunion.com, where available, or in person at retail directly into account, wallet or paid out in person, the company said. Western Union is set to effectively serve an evolving market place with diverse customer preferences and needs, said Ouazzani. It is truly an exciting time to join a company that pursues a vision to serve customers across a mix of channels, as we recognize our customers live between a physical and digital world. Western Union is doing this while staying true to its purpose of being customer driven, globally minded, trustworthy and respectful. The American worldwide financial services company operates in over 200 countries and territories. Ouazzani, a graduate of the PSB Paris School of Business, has also held senior-level roles at market-leading brands, such as Visa, M2M and Goodyear. LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May has carried out "scenario planning" for a second Brexit referendum in case she is forced by parliament to hold one, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Monday. May is hoping to find a way to get parliament to approve a Brexit plan without another public vote, but talks with the opposition Labour Party on a compromise exit strategy have yet to reach an agreement. The Telegraph reported that May had discussions with officials and ministers about holding a referendum that would give voters the choice between leaving the European Union with a deal, leaving without a deal, or not leaving at all. The report cited unnamed government sources, who said the referendum plan would only become relevant if talks with Labour failed and a majority in parliament supported holding another public vote. The Telegraph said a source in May's office denied there had been a meeting to discuss a second EU referendum. Britain's 2016 vote to leave the EU, which was split 52 percent for Brexit and 48 percent against it, has continued to divide the country and paralyse the political system. May's minority government missed a March 29 exit date and there is huge uncertainty over how, when, and even if Britain will leave. May has publicly opposed holding a second referendum. She has said that if talks with Labour fail, parliament will be asked to vote on series of options on how to break the impasse, but those options have not been decided yet. Talks with Labour, which has pledged conditional support for a second referendum, are due to resume on Tuesday and May's ministers have spent recent days talking up the prospect of a swift deal. However leaked details on a possible compromise have angered Labour's negotiators, and lawmakers from both sides have expressed their opposition to a cross-party deal. (Reporting by William James; Editing by Alison Williams) United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The United Nations on Monday criticized North Korea following its latest weapons test, warning such action would only increase regional tensions. North Korea on Saturday carried out a test of rocket launchers and unspecified tactical guided weapons -- a provocative move that appeared however to fall short of a return to the missile launches that led to international sanctions in 2017. "We are very much aware of the recent launches" by North Korea, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. "Such an action serves only to increase tensions in the region," he added. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres encourages all sides to "continue their dialogue to advance sustainable peace and a complete and verifiable denuclearization on the Korean peninsula," said Dujarric. Following the test, the United States said it would continue to press on with talks with Pyongyang to scrap North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. President Donald Trump has met twice with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but the latest summit in Hanoi collapsed over Pyongyang's demands for quick sanctions relief. The United States insists that sanctions will be lifted after North Korea's has fully scrapped its weapons programs. Johannesburg (AFP) - South Africa's election on Wednesday is set to test whether the ruling ANC party has staunched a decline in popularity caused by corruption scandals, lacklustre growth and record unemployment. The party is still expected to win the vote, but the result will reveal whether its new leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa, can reverse growing resentment among South African voters. The election comes 25 years since Nelson Mandela led the African National Congress (ANC) to power in the country's first multi-racial ballot, which marked the globally-celebrated end of apartheid rule. Support for the ANC has fallen in every election since 2004 with the party winning just 54 percent in 2016 local elections, compared with 62 percent in the last national vote in 2014. Ramaphosa, 66, took office last year when Jacob Zuma was forced to resign as president by the ANC after a nine-year reign dominated by corruption allegations and economic woes. Most opinion surveys suggest the ANC will secure nearly 60 percent of the vote on Wednesday, though one poll suggested its share could slide below 50 percent. Ramaphosa, seen as a pro-business moderate, is a former anti-apartheid activist and trade union leader who was Mandela's apparent favourite to succeed him as president. After being outmanoeuvered in that race, Ramaphosa instead became a wealthy entrepreneur before serving as Zuma's vice president. - ANC look to win big - "Ramaphosa gives hope to the electorate that things can go better," Susan Booysen, a political analyst at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, told AFP. "If the ANC had gone into an election under Zuma, it would not have won with an outright majority." The London-based Eurasia risk consultancy said that an ANC victory with 55 percent or less of the vote would damage Ramaphosa and strengthen aggrieved supporters of Zuma within the party. "This will be the first time that Ramaphosa's popularity will be measured by voters," it said in a briefing paper. Story continues "He is not aligned with Zuma and is driving an anticorruption campaign and reform agenda aimed at reversing the damage inflicted during Zuma's tenure." The ANC has been confronted by deepening public anger over its failure to tackle poverty and inequality in post-apartheid South Africa. The economy grew just 0.8 percent in 2018 and unemployment hit a record high of nearly 28 percent in 2017. State-owned companies were at the centre of corruption scandals under Zuma, with power-supplier Eskom now laden with huge debts and forced to ration electricity to many homes, shop and offices. Wednesday's election will have 48 parties on a ballot paper, though only the main opposition centrist Democratic Alliance (DA) and the radical-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are also major political players. The DA hopes to shed its image as a white, middle-class party as its first black leader, Mmusi Maimane, fights in his first general election since he took the helm in 2015. According to Intellidex Capital research, the party is forecast to make only marginal gains from the 22 percent it won in 2014 after struggling to make ground against Ramaphosa -- a more widely popular figure than Zuma. - Leftist radicals on the up? - But the radical leftist EFF, founded just six years ago by a former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, is predicted to make major inroads, growing from 6.3 percent to a forecast 11 percent. The party, which appeals mainly to young voters and the poor, has centred its election campaign on its flagship policy of seizing land from largely white owners to give to poor blacks. Enforced land redistribution has also been adopted as a policy by Ramaphosa's government -- alarming some investors. Wednesday's provincial elections will also measure ANC fortunes, with the party in a close fight with the DA for control of Gauteng, which includes the capital Pretoria and the economic hub Johannesburg. Ahead of the vote, tens of thousands of supporters attended rallies at the weekend hosted by the major three parties. "We are humble enough to admit our mistakes," Ramaphosa told the ANC gathering. "We have taken decisive steps to fight corruption... The era of immunity is over, we are now entering a period of accountability." Some 26.8 million voters are registered to cast ballots at 22,925 polling stations. Early results will emerge on Thursday with an official winner declared on Saturday. The party that wins most seats in parliament selects the president, who will be sworn in on May 25. Rivians on a roll. After the electric automotive company introduced two sleek and innovative modelsthe R1T pickup truck and the R1S SUVto a stunned Los Angeles Auto Show last fall, the Michigan-based outfit scored a $700 million investment from Amazon this February. Then, last week, it sealed a deal with Ford Motor Company for another $500 million investment. Founded a decade ago by RJ Scaringe, an MIT grad with a doctorate in mechanical engineering and a unique vision for the future of transportation, Rivian is fully charged and ready to rumble over any obstacles as it ratchets up production ahead of projected deliveries in 2020. From the outside, Rivians Plymouth, MI, headquarters is nondescript, a ginormous brick remnant from an erstwhile manufacturing operation decades ago. Inside, a bustling transplanted Silicon Valley startup hums. Repurposed industrial shipping containers serve as meeting rooms and coat closets. Modern furniture surrounds a huge open kitchen, where La Croix, Kind Bars and intimate meetings abound. Scores of desk pods teeming with engineers, designers and other production wizards fill the space. Empty workspaces already have double computer monitors erected, signifying any vacancy is temporary. Rivians to-do list is lengthy, and its adding staffers at an exponential rate that mirrors the companys explosive growth. Related stories Hispano Suiza's New Electric Carmen Pays Homage to the Marque's Art Deco Past Inside the Malibu Studio Where Audi Is Using Virtual Reality to Design the Future of Cars Harley-Davidson Is Redefining Itself With the New LiveWire Electric Bike Past the kitchen, through a keycard access-only door, is the design division. The center of the vast space is anchored by full-size models of the R1T and the R1S, hewn in clay and other materials. The outer perimeter is comprised of mood boards, representing early incarnations of the interior and exteriors of both vehicles, as well as the inspirations behind the various included components, surfaces and materials. Sunlight streaming in from a wall of skylights brightens the clean space, and gives it some extra energy, though everything and everyone in the studio is in constant motion, including Jeff Hammoud, Rivians VP of Design. Story continues Hammoud is in charge of everything you see on a Rivian, inside and out, and after more than a decade at FCA where he helmed design for Jeep, the mans prowess for crafting adventure vehicles is undeniable. Thats vital, since Rivian wants to build a luxurious battery-electric vehicle that invites you to actually use it to explore the world. You shouldnt be afraid to get in a Rivian with muddy shoes, Hammoud said. Thats the type of truck and SUV were building. Hammoud began by surveying the existing marketplace competition in the truck space and noted the homogenous nature of the interiors: all things big, clunky and plastic. Then he encouraged his team to stray far from the norms. While the resulting interior may appear simple, in comparison, its anything but. Take the way we used the wood, Hammoud noted. Traditionally, in automotive interiors, wood is used as a decorative trim piece. Its just there. We treated it similar to furniture. Its what holds the screen. It creates the vent and it holds a cluster as well. Because base prices for a Rivian are expected to be about $70,000, upscale materials were employed up topwood, leather, metalbut down below, Hammoud wanted to push the boundaries of premium and durability. Before any interior material was finalized, Hammoud grabbed a swatch and rubbed it on his shoe. If his footwear left a mark, the material was ineligible. Quality materials mean they should not always be easy to clean, but they should look cleaner longer, he surmised. Thus, the carpet is SuperFabric, an abrasive-resistant material, and the floor mats are made from a durable woven material thats used heavily in placemats and outdoor furniture. We wanted it infinitely customizable down to the strands, so we can create unique patterns, said Hammoud. It gives the interior a more homey feel because its less traditional than some black rubber mats. But you can take it out and hose it off, just as easily as those rubber mats. Bringing the outdoors closerand occasionally into the vehicleis something that Rivian takes seriously. While Rolls-Royce places an umbrella into the rear doors of the Phantom, to shield the occupants from the elements, Rivian integrated a flashlight into its doors, to encourage exploration. Sometimes the connections to adventure are in spirit, as with the shape of the headlights. The inspiration was a carabiner, Hammoud said. A designer had an idea to attach a carabiner to the front for tying down canoes and other things from the roof, which didnt make final production, but the shape was retained. With new vehicles, one of the challenges creating a face thats recognizable and memorable, something that you can see once and describe to your friends perfectly. Most trucks rely on ever-increasing grilles that soon stand a chance of consuming the rest of the truck. Were electric so we dont need a big grille, but we want to communicate boldness and capability, he said. Thats why the front end is very vertical and upright. While battery-electric vehicles (BEV) represent the future of transportation, veer too far from the putative notion of what a trucks and SUVs should look like and you risk scaring off potential customers. Hammoud thinks that radical designs are possible downfield, but keeping things familiar-feeling at launch is vital to Rivians success. The SUVs windshield was initially further forward, but that imparted more of a van or crossover vibe, so it was moved back. That also enabled us to have a really big front trunk volume, a huge selling point of the vehicle, he said. Storage for your adventures is important, but so is class-leading performance. Rivian separates the body from the chassis, something internally dubbed the skateboard, which houses the battery packs and motors. A 147 kW motor sits at each wheel, capable of sending about 197 horsepower to it, independently from the other three wheels. Three battery pack variations will be on offer for the all-wheel-drive system: a 180 kWh pack that promises 400 miles of range (more than Tesla, if youre wondering), a 135 kWh pack good for at least 300 miles and a 105 kWh with 230 miles on offer. While the top speeds are limited to 125 miles an hour, that mid-range battery pack will get you anywhere the quickest, sending 562 kW to the gearbox (about 750 horsepower and 826 lb-ft of torque), and propelling you to 60 in three seconds. The largest battery pushes 522 kW (700 horsepower) to the gearbox and only adds 0.2 seconds to the tear to 60. The smallestand cheapestiteration will generate 300 kW (400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft) and requires 4.9 seconds to hit 60. Why quad-motors? Performance, sure, but they also offer more capability. True, groundbreaking off-road capability is derived from the ability to instantaneously control and eke out every morsel of grip thats available to you, said Mark Vinnels, executive director of engineering for Rivian. Thats much more accurately and easily done when you control it with motor torque, rather than a combination of motor torque and brake interaction, currently commonplace. Vinnels, who spent fourteen years overseeing the development of all McLaren road cars since the F1, and ran Lotuss vehicle program division for six years prior to that, knows how to push a vehicles limits to the maximum. Arguably, every off-road vehicle should be designed in this way, because controlling the torque in each wheel optimizes whats going on every single contact patch, he said. Internal combustion engines cant get the throttle response precise enough. The motors on each wheel will also aid in changing direction on the fly and, in concert with a revolutionary suspension system, the effect will be unprecedented, Vinnels claimed. The ability to climb and descend in this, even on a loose surface, will be better than anything. With trucks and SUVs, typically youre dealt a high center of gravity, relatively loose suspension and heaps of body roll. Vinnels was determined to subvert those (sub)standards. The battery pack sits low in the chassis, shoving the center of mass downward for increased stability. Hydraulic roll controls were introduced to help mitigate rocking while riding. Various drive modes will help shift the vehicles characteristics around, too. Vinnels hinted at three or four, but noted nothings final. You could have comfort for road driving, and sport mode where things intensify, and maybe even track mode for pure performance. A division the other way would take you into off-road, he said, adding the vehicle could also be capable of selecting the best drive mode based automatically from its sensors. The ambitious goal for Vinnels is an unparalleled breadth of performance, something that can exercise polite road manners in comfort mode, gut-punching grip and acceleration in track mode, and composed confidence the minute you leave asphalt. That span of responsibility is something that hasnt yet been seen before, he said. Ask Vinnels if any Easter eggs are being considered during the build process, and youre rewarded with a sly smile. Maybe, he began. Maybe we have some stuff we could release to people. If you think about the ability to control the torque of each wheel, you realize we could reverse the torque. Then we could start to talk about spinning the vehicle on its own axis. If none of those innovations and specifications appeal to a potential Rivian customer, assuredly Tank Mode would. Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:BSX) received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NYSE over the last few months, increasing to $40.75 at one point, and dropping to the lows of $34.91. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Boston Scientific's current trading price of $37.2 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Boston Scientifics outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. View our latest analysis for Boston Scientific Is Boston Scientific still cheap? The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to my valuation model. Its trading around 17.9% above my intrinsic value, which means if you buy Boston Scientific today, youd be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $31.55, then there isnt really any room for the share price grow beyond what its currently trading. Furthermore, Boston Scientifics low beta implies that the stock is less volatile than the wider market. What kind of growth will Boston Scientific generate? NYSE:BSX Past and Future Earnings, May 6th 2019 Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. 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. Boston Scientifics earnings growth are expected to be in the teens in the upcoming years, indicating a solid future ahead. This should lead to robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value. What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? BSXs optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below its fair value? Story continues Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on BSX, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for the company, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, 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 Boston Scientific. You can find everything you need to know about Boston Scientific in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Boston Scientific, 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. A Florida court has ordered self-proclaimed Satoshi Craig Wright to produce a list of his public bitcoin addresses pre-2014. | Source: Youtube/BBC By CCN.com: The self-proclaimed Satoshi Nakamoto, Craig Wright, will now have to provide a list of all the public addresses of the bitcoin he held as of December 31, 2013. Per United States Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, Wright will produce the relevant bitcoin addresses on or before May 15, 2019. Craig Wright ordered by court to produce lists of owned bitcoin addresses along with details about his alleged blind trust: https://t.co/9bwaiiEECF WizSec Bitcoin Research (@wizsecurity) May 4, 2019 Wright had objected to the plaintiffs seeking to have him list the bitcoin public addresses by filing a motion. The motion had argued that it would have been unduly burdensome to produce a full list of his bitcoin holdings. U.S. Magistrate Judge Reinhart has now struck down that motion finding it to be unsupported by facts. The Kleiman Estate vs. Craig Wright Lawsuit The newest development in case number 18-CIV-80176 is part of the discovery process in a lawsuit in which the self-styled Satoshi Nakamoto is accused of misappropriating the fortune of his partner Dave Kleiman, who passed away in 2013. The lawsuit was filed last year in February. In 2011, Kleiman and Wright had partnered to set up a bitcoin mining firm known as W&K Info Defense Research LLC. Kleimans estate alleges that the self-declared Satoshi Nakamoto conspired to claim the ownership of the bitcoins held by Dave. Depending on the arrangement, Wright either defrauded Kleiman of half or all of the 1.1 million bitcoins mined by W&K. Daves brother, Ira Kleiman, is the lead plaintiff and the personal representative to the deceaseds estate. Read the full story on CCN.com. 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 Systems Corp. 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 3 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." (This story in paragraph 15, changes number of patients Sutter Health sees to 3 million from 1.7 million). (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Daniel Wallis) Chicago (AFP) - A US judge on Monday sentenced a 25-year-old who was arrested as a teenager for an attempted car bombing in Chicago to 16 years in prison. Adel Daoud was 18 years old when he was arrested in 2012 for attempting to engage in "violent jihad" by blowing up a bar in the Midwestern city's downtown. Daoud thought he had a car bomb, but undercover agents had in fact given him a dummy device and arrested him after he attempted to detonate it. Daoud, a US citizen who lived in the Chicago suburb of Hillside, entered a guilty plea in November, in an unusual arrangement where he did not admit wrongdoing. A federal judge's sentence Monday, which included 45 years of supervised release, was less than the 40 years imprisonment prosecutors were seeking. Daoud was to be credited the seven years he has already spent behind bars. According to an affidavit in the case, two undercover FBI agents contacted Daoud in response to material he posted online and began exchanging messages with him. "During these communications, Daoud expressed an interest in engaging in violent jihad, either in the United States or overseas, referred to his ongoing efforts to recruit other individuals to engage in violent jihad and mentioned that he had discussed plans for an attack with 'trusted brothers,'" read the affidavit. Daoud sought guidance on carrying out a terrorist attack, was eventually given a phony bomb in a Jeep by an undercover agent, and attempted to detonate it in front of a bar. Daoud's lawyers had raised questions about his mental health over apparent delusions such as claiming the government, judge and attorneys were all part of a vast conspiracy and members of the Illuminati. In a separate case, Daoud had also pleaded guilty to trying to solicit the murder of an FBI undercover agent and attacking another inmate while in jail. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States has a full range of options available to help oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and didnt rule out ultimately using military action on top of diplomatic, political and other pressure points. Were preparing those for him so that when the situation arises, were not flat-footed, Mr Pompeo said on ABCs This Week, one of three scheduled appearances on Sunday morning political shows. Mr Pompeo said on Sunday that he cant predict when Mr Maduro will be forced out of office whether days, weeks or months. But Nicolas Maduro cant feel good about his situation because while he might be ruling for the moment, he cant govern, Mr Pompeo said. Theres enormous poverty, enormous starvation, sick children that cant get medicine, the Secretary of State said. This is not someone who can be part of Venezuelas future. The US didnt suffer an intelligence failure this week about the prospects of Venezuelan opposition Juan Guaido successfully leading an uprising to oust Maduro, Mr Pompeo said on ABC. These things sometimes take time, he said on Fox News Sunday. Mr Pompeo said Maduro wouldnt be in power without assistance from Cuba, and he also dismissed the idea that President Donald Trump is out of step with his own advisers on the role Russia is playing in supporting Maduro in Venezuela. Donald Trump on Friday said Russian President Vladimir Putin assured him he isnt seeking to get involved in the crisis, although Mr Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton both said earlier in the week that the Kremlin talked Mr Maduro out of leaving Venezuela after US-backed Guaido attempted to end his regime by calling for a military uprising. The president has made clear, we want everyone out, and that includes the Russians, Mr Pompeo said. Mr Guaido on Saturday told The Washington Post he cannot rule out the option of the US military working with his nations armed forces. Story continues Such an offer from the Trump administration would have to be voted on in the Venezuelan parliament, he said. Mr Pompeo, Mr Bolton and other top national security officials were briefed on Friday on potential military options for the US. Asked on Sunday whether military action would require approval from Congress, Mr Pompeo said he didnt want to speak to that but added Im very confident that any action we took in Venezuela would be lawful. Bloomberg Moroccan Police nabbed Saturday at the Marrakech-Menara International Airport a 58-year-old French national in execution of an international arrest warrant issued by a Swiss court. The French national has been sued for fraud and sentenced to a prison term in absentia, said Sunday the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN) in a statement. According to preliminary reports, the accused, who was about to board an airplane bound for Bordeaux (France), is the subject of a red notice from Interpol. He is wanted by the Swiss judiciary for fraud committed when he was in charge of the management of a Swiss holding, said the DGSN statement. The suspect was placed in custody and was subsequently brought before the competent judicial authorities responsible for extradition cases, the statement said, adding that the arrest is part of DGNS efforts to strengthen international security cooperation mechanisms. According to information gleaned by the news website le360, the defendant, born in Paris in 1961, is named Jacques Thierry Marie B. He has been the subject of a red notice since April 24, 2019. He is suspected of having committed a series of malpractices to the detriment of a Geneva-based holding company, CGE-RHI S.A. When he was chairman of the company that is currently under liquidation, he has reportedly granted himself undue benefits estimated at 1.5 million Swiss francs (a Swiss Franc is worth 9.49 dirhams), le360 reports. CGE-RHI S.A, a company incorporated under Swiss law, specializes in providing services, specialized personnel and international human resources services to companies affiliated or controlled by la Compagnie Generale des Eaux group. The company also provides business consulting, public relations consulting and communication services. Peace talks between the US and the Taliban were suspended for the beginning of Ramadan on Monday, with the two sides still grappling over the key issue of when foreign forces might leave Afghanistan. The foes have spent much of the past week in a sixth round of talks in Doha aimed at ending America's longest war, with US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad leading negotiations for Washington. A potential deal would see America agree to withdraw its troops after more than 17 years in Afghanistan, in return for the Taliban guaranteeing the country never again becomes a safe haven for terror groups, as was the case with Al-Qaeda before the September 11, 2001 attacks. The US also insists any deal includes a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, and that the Taliban participate in an "intra-Afghan dialogue" with politicians and stakeholders from across Afghanistan. Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen told AFP the talks were taking a break for the first day of the holy month of Ramadan -- when Muslims fast during the day -- but would be resumed Tuesday. He said discussions had become bogged down over the issue of when foreign forces might withdraw in return for the Taliban security guarantees. The Taliban have said there is no point even discussing a ceasefire or an intra-Afghan dialogue before the US announces a troop withdrawal, whereas America wants to see all issues addressed at once. Still, Shaheen said "some progress" had been made on the withdrawal issue and the question of Taliban security promises, but "both sides need more negotiations." Sultan Barakat, the director of the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies in Doha, also said the talks would resume Tuesday, and that they had made "good progress". - 'Month of peace' - At the end of a large peace summit in Kabul last week, President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban a ceasefire to begin on the first day of Ramadan, but the insurgents refused. Story continues Ghani on Monday reiterated his call for the Taliban to respect demands from last week's "loya jirga" summit that saw thousands of tribal elders and Afghans meet in Kabul. "Ramadan is a month of peace and reconciliation," Ghani said. "I once again call on the Taliban to pay respect to this month and the demands of the people for peace and reconciliation reflected (in the Loya Jirga)." The talks in Doha are complex, with interactions translated back and forth into Pashto and English, while negotiators often pause to confer with higher-ups. Khalilzad in February sounded an optimistic tone, suggesting a deal was within reach by July, but it is not clear how much more time is needed for the two sides to come to an agreement. Meanwhile, violence continues apace across Afghanistan. On Sunday, 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. Washington (AFP) - The US Treasury will not hand President Donald Trump's tax returns over to Democratic lawmakers, defying a demand from Congress, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday. The request by the House Committee on Ways and Means "lacks a legitimate purpose," meaning the US Treasury is not authorized to release tax filings by Trump and his businesses, Mnuchin said in a letter to the committee's chairman. Mnuchin's refusal after a month of deliberation appeared certain to spark yet another legal clash between the embattled president and congressional Democrats who now control the House of Representatives. Under a statute granting the committee access to tax filings, the committee last month had asked the US Internal Revenue Service for five years of tax returns filed by Trump and eight of the corporate entities comprising his business empire. But Mnuchin repeatedly slid past deadlines set by the committee, calling the request "unprecedented" and warning that it raised constitutional questions and threatened taxpayer privacy. Mnuchin said Monday he had made his decision in consultation with the US Department of Justice. "I am informing you now that the Department may not lawfully fulfill the committee's request," Mnuchin said in a letter to Representative Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the committee chairman. Trump in 2016 became the first presidential candidate in decades to seek the White House without first disclosing his tax returns. At the same time, he has not divested from his global business holdings, exposing him to accusations of potential conflicts of interest in conducting US affairs. Washington (AFP) - US officials pressed Turkey on Sunday against going forward with plans to start exploratory drilling for oil and gas off Cyprus, labeled as illegal by the European Union. "The United States is deeply concerned by Turkey's announced intentions to begin offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by the Republic of Cyprus as its Exclusive Economic Zone," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. "This step is highly provocative and risks raising tensions in the region. We urge Turkish authorities to halt these operations and encourage all parties to act with restraint." On Friday, Turkey announced its vessels would be carrying out drilling operations in the Mediterranean until September. According to reports in Cypriot media, the operation will encroach on Cyprus's exclusive economic zone. The government of the Republic of Cyprus controls only two thirds of the Mediterranean island, the northern third of which is controlled by a Turkish-backed breakaway administration. Turkey first announced it would be drilling for oil and gas off Cyprus in February. The discovery of gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean has prompted claims by the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government and Ankara. European Union member Cyprus has been pressing to develop offshore gas deposits and has signed deals with energy giants Eni, Total and ExxonMobil that have seen them carry out exploratory drilling. Ankara claims that such exploration deprives the Turkish Cypriot minority of benefiting from the natural resources that surround the island. HONOLULU (AP) A section of the USS Missouri is being repaired as part of a $3 million restoration project to address rust and other deterioration on the Pearl Harbor memorial ahead of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The 887-foot (270-meter) Missouri was the site of Japan's unconditional surrender on Sept. 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports Monday that the battleship will undergo repairs to its aft superstructure that are expected to be completed in August. Last year, a $3.5 million renovation was done on the tallest portion of the superstructure. Michael Carr, president and CEO of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, said rust is an ongoing issue for the historic ship. About 12,000 square feet (1,100 sq. meters) of steel will be sandblasted and painted, and some 8,000 pounds (3,600 kilograms) of steel will be replaced. Five hundred gallons of paint will be used. "These parts of the ship have not been (sand) blasted and painted in 30 years since the ship was recommissioned in the 1980s, so it's well past time to do it," Carr said. A week of activities is being planned in September 2020 at the Missouri as well as the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum to honor the end of the war. Carr said almost all of the Missouri's main deck will have new teak by the surrender anniversary on Sept. 2, 2020. More than 2,000 sailors and Marines were aboard the ship for the ceremony that Gen. Douglas MacArthur said was intended to "conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace may be restored." ___ Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com Seven military officers have died in Venezuela after their helicopter crashed on Saturday. The group had been travelling to San Carlos in Cojedes state, where Nicolas Maduro, the countrys president, was overseeing training exercises at a military facility. The Cougar helicopter the men were travelling in plunged into a mountain outside Caracas, Venezuelas capital in the early hours of the day. An investigation has been opened into the cause of the crash. Two lieutenant colonels and five lower-ranking officers were killed in the crash, a spokesperson for Venezuelas armed forces said in a statement. It is unclear if they were part of the presidential delegation travelling to San Carlos. I deeply regret this incident and express my heartfelt condolences...to family and friends, Mr Maduro said on Twitter, in response to the crash. He described the soldiers as seven worthy officers. The fatalities follow further political upheaval in Venezuela. A small group of security forces turned against the embattled president earlier this week, as opposition leader Juan Guaido led a failed attempt to overthrow Mr Maduro. The presidents visit to the military academy on Saturday highlighted the oppositions failure to persuade security forces to support Mr Guaido. Mr Guaidos backers blame the Maduro administration for authoritarianism, mismanagement and state corruption in Venezuela. The president in turn has tried to portray Venezuela as a victim of US plotting against socialism. Additional reporting by agencies Washington and Moscow traded barbs over Venezuela on Sunday, with Russias foreign minister urging the United States to abandon its irresponsible plan to depose Nicolas Maduro and his US counterpart slamming Russian meddling in the South American country. Sergei Lavrov made the comments during a visit to Moscow by Venezuelas foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza an apparent bid to stress international support for Maduro following last weeks abortive uprising against him in Caracas. Attempts to stage a violent upheaval in Caracas have nothing to do with democratic process, and only disrupt any prospects of political settlement, Lavrov said, according to the Moscow-backed broadcaster RT. Any US attempt to topple Maduro through force would bring grave consequences, Lavrov reportedly warned. Earlier, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, urged Russia which, alongside China, is one of Maduros two key international backers to stop interfering in Venezuela. We want [Venezuela] to be an autonomous, independent sovereign state, with democratic elected officials. This is what we desire for the Venezuelan people, Pompeo, who is due to meet Lavrov in Finland on Monday, told Fox News. We dont want anyone messing around with Venezuela. The exchange came after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a 90-minute phone call on Friday, after which Trump claimed Putin was not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela, other than hed like to see something positive happen. Five days after Tuesdays dramatic pre-dawn attempt to remove Maduro, an uneasy calm has returned to the streets of Venezuelas capital. The only reminders of the failed revolt are stretches of scorched asphalt outside La Carlota airbase beside which it began and a handful of graffitied messages left by protesters on a nearby overpass. Freedom! Freedom! No more bullets! reads one. On Saturday, Venezuelas opposition held a series of anti-Maduro protests designed to maintain the pressure. But attendance was far short of the massive demonstrations held since Juan Guaido the man most western governments now recognize as Venezuelas legitimate interim president launched his US-backed challenge to Maduro in January. Sol Castro, a retired university professor who attended one protest in west Caracas, said she feared the solution to Venezuelas crisis increasingly appeared to lie in foreign hands. [It feels like] we may be approaching an end but [also] that were only pawns in a larger game where superpowers, or former superpowers, or superpower wannabes will decide when and how this ends, Castro said. MOSCOW (AP) Venezuela's foreign minister says the country may expand the presence of Russian military specialists there, as Moscow and Washington accuse each other of interfering in the country's crisis. Russia has had deep military cooperation with Venezuela over the years, including supplying weapons and aircraft. It sent military advisers to the troubled South American nation this year as tensions grew over opposition leader Juan Guaido's attempts to oust President Nicolas Maduro. The United States recognizes Guaido as interim president. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza spoke in Moscow on Monday, a day after meeting Russia's top diplomat Sergey Lavrov, who is to meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later in the day. Arreaza told reporters "at present, there is a commission of (Russian) specialists in Venezuela, it could be expanded." By Jonathan Stempel and Jennifer Ablan May 6 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett said on Monday that a trade war between the United States and China would be "bad for the whole world." Buffett spoke after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that he will raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent beginning on Friday, and "shortly" slap a 25 percent tariff on $325 billion of Chinese goods that have not been taxed. Major stock markets fell worldwide on Monday in response to the president's tweet, which was a "rational" response, Buffett said on CNBC television. His conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc owns or invests in many companies that do business in China, including Apple Inc in which it has a more than $50 billion stake. "If we actually have a trade war it will be bad for the whole world," Buffett said. "With some people in negotiations, the best technique is to act half-crazy." A full-scale trade war "would be bad for everything Berkshire owns," Buffett added, though the probability it might happen is low. Buffett said tough talk ahead of negotiations was understandable, but that it was ineffective to "shake your fist first and then shake your finger later on." He added that Trump's threat raises the stakes for Chinese leader Xi Jinping. "You're talking about two personalities who are very much used to getting their way in politics, and talking about how they will be perceived in their own country in terms of their behavior," he said. "It gets very complicated." Buffett said the trade dispute has already had an effect on Berkshire's BNSF railroad. Last week, Jim Weber, the chief executive officer of Berkshire's Brooks Running unit, said in an interview that his company was ending most of its shoe production in China and moving it to Vietnam because of tariff concerns. Buffett nonetheless said the problems will not affect how Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire operates. "We will buy the same stocks today that we were buying last week," he said. Berkshire ended March with $191.8 billion of equity investments. It also owns more than 90 companies including energy and utility companies, the Geico auto insurer and the Dairy Queen ice cream chain. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Jennifer Ablan in New York; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe) Moroccos permanent representative to the UN, Omar Hilale, made before the regional meeting of the UN Committee of 24 held in Saint Georges, Grenada, May 2-4, a presentation that focused on the historical realities, the legal bases and the political dimensions of the Moroccanness of the Sahara. The diplomat, insisting that the Sahara issue is for Morocco a question of territorial integrity and national sovereignty and not of decolonization, said the issue does not date back to 1963 or 1975. It is rather anchored in the history of Morocco and its identity, he said, noting that before the Spanish colonization of the Sahara in the late 19th century, this region has never been a terra nullius but rather a part of Moroccos national territory. This was confirmed by the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in 1975, which recognized the existence of ties of allegiance of the Sahara populations to the Kings of Morocco, as well as the Moroccan Sovereigns authority over this region. This allegiance continues to be reaffirmed every year to the King on Throne Day, Omar Hilale said, recalling that it was Morocco, not Algeria or other countries, which inscribed the Sahara issue at the United Nations in 1963, while it was still under Spanish occupation. The Polisario was not even created by Algeria at this time, he said. The United Nations resolutions at that time asked Spain to give back the Sahara to Morocco through negotiations. This was achieved by the signing in 1975 of the Madrid Agreement, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly, the diplomat said, adding that this recognition sealed the return of the Sahara region to the motherland, Morocco. Hilale said that all the previous plans aimed at settling the Sahara issue were obsolete and were buried by the Security Council and the UN Secretary General since 2004, while Algeria and the Polisario continue to cling to these inapplicable and unrealistic plans. Hilale, underlining Algerias responsibility in perpetuating this regional dispute and its financial, military, and diplomatic backing to the Polisario, noted that it is quite normal that Algeria, which was at the origin of this conflict remains part of it until it is over. He pointed out in this connection that the Security Council has defined the real stakeholders in the Sahara dispute, namely Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario. There is no longer, for the UN executive body parties or neighboring countries, he said recalling the participation of the four parties in the Geneva Roundtables, that he described as an opportunity that should not be missed. Omar Hilale also noted that the latest Security Council resolution 2468, adopted on April 30, has mentioned Algeria as many times as Morocco. Uniti Group Inc. UNIT, formerly Communications Sales & Leasing, Inc., is scheduled to release first-quarter 2019 results on May 9, after the closing bell. The companys results will likely reflect year-over-year rise in its revenues, while funds from operations (FFO) per share are expected to have declined. In the last reported quarter, this real estate investment trust (REIT), involved in the acquisition and construction of communication infrastructure, missed the adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) estimates by 1.5%. The company generated total revenues of $271 million, indicating year-over-year growth of 10%. Over the trailing four quarters, the company missed the consensus estimate on all four occasions. It delivered an average negative surprise of 1.58% during this period. The graph below depicts this surprise history: Communications Sales & Leasing,Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Communications Sales & Leasing,Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Communications Sales & Leasing,Inc. Quote Lets see how things are shaping up prior to this announcement. Factors at Play Amid growing demand for data volume and deployment of 5G network, wireless carriers are expanding and enhancing their networks. This is aimed to provide the coverage, capacity and speed needed to support mobile video, Internet of Things (IoT) and fixed wireless broadband. These industrial tailwinds are expected to benefit Unitis portfolio of strategic communication assets, including fiber, small cells and macro towers. In fact, quarterly revenues for the company are pegged at $270.25 million and indicate a year-over-year increase of 9.45%. In a bid to recycle capital, in February, the company entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Latin American tower portfolio for cash consideration of nearly $100 million. Through this transaction, the company will dispose around 500 towers located across Mexico, Colombia and Nicaragua. Additionally, under its OpCo-PropCo partnership with MIP to acquire Bluebird Network, LLC, the company has agreed to sell its Uniti Fibers Midwest operations to MIP. These significant dispositions will likely result in lost revenues, which is expected to eventually affect the companys first-quarter 2019 bottom-line growth. Story continues Moreover, the company has a concentrated tenant base and Windstream Holdings Inc is its primary customer with a master lease agreement. However, in first-quarter 2019, Windstream initiated its voluntary reorganization proceedings under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Hence, if Windstream is unable to navigate through its reorganization process, it will significantly impact Unitis results and the company. Hence, given the uncertainty of its master lease agreement with Windstream and liquidity concerns, the company slashed its quarterly dividends by 91.7% to five cents. This indicates the company will keep witnessing liquidity concerns in first-quarter 2019. Also, Unitis activities during the quarter were inadequate to win analyst confidence. In fact, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the first-quarter FFO per share remained unchanged at 54 cents, over the past month. In addition, the figure suggests a year-over-year decline of nearly 13%. Earnings Whispers Here is what our quantitative model predicts: Uniti does not have the right combination of two key ingredients a positive Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or higher for increasing the odds of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Earnings ESP: The companys Earnings ESP is 0.00%. Zacks Rank: It currently carries a Zacks Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), which decreases the predictive power of ESP. It should be noted that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks That Warrant a Look Several other players in the REIT space are lined up to report their financial results. Below are three stocks, poised to beat on earnings per the proven Zacks model. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Investors Real Estate Trust IRET, scheduled to release earnings on May 8, has an Earnings ESP of +3.19% and currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. PK, slated to report first-quarter results on May 8, has an Earnings ESP of +0.24% and holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), at present. Global Medical REIT Inc. GMRE, set to report quarterly numbers on May 8, has an Earnings ESP of +1.65% and carries a Zacks Rank of 3, currently. Will you retire a millionaire? One out of every six people retires a multimillionaire. Get smart tips you can do today to become one of them in a new Special Report, 7 Things You Can Do Now to Retire a Multimillionaire. Click to get it free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Investors Real Estate Trust (IRET) : Free Stock Analysis Report Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (PK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Communications Sales & Leasing,Inc. (UNIT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Global Medical REIT Inc. (GMRE) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research A new escalation in the trade dispute between the U.S. and China would be particularly damaging to American efforts to build out its 5G infrastructure, according to the Consumer Tech Association (CTA). In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Sage Chandler, CTAs vice president of international trade strategy, said tech companies have already paid $665 million in tariffs between July 2018 and January 2019 related to next-generation mobile technology, including 5G gateways and whole home wi-fi routers. A 15% increase in those tariffs would add significant pressure to company margins and take money away from research and development, Chandler said. If we put a tax on our own companies, because the tax is not on China, it's on our company, youre going to slow your potential rise to dominance in that market, Chandler said. In this March 28, 2019, photo, President Donald Trump talks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Donald Trump raised the stakes in his trade dispute with China this weekend, tweeting a threat to raise tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods from the current 10% to 25%. He also said he would impose a 25% tariff on the $325 billion in Chinese goods that have not been taxed yet shortly. The tech sector is vulnerable Given its global footprint in supply chains, the technology sector has been particularly vulnerable to tariff hikes. Computer and electronic products make up nearly $200 billion of the $539.5 billion in Chinese goods imported into the U.S., according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Census Bureau. Chandler said the tech sector as a whole has been paying, on average, $1 billion in additional Section 301 tariffs each month since October of last year. In many cases, multiple goods have been taxed, resulting in ballooning costs. A datacenter has more than just one of those items [on the tariff list]. You may have 20 of those items. Youve got your cables, your modems, your routers, your semiconductors, and all those things that go into a build. For every single one of those things, the cost goes up, she said. In a scenario like that, it wouldnt just be a 15% increase from where we are now. It actually has the potential to be significantly higher. Story continues Mounting U.S. pressure on China comes as Washington looks to beef up its 5G investment to counter Beijings global push in the space. Last month, the Trump administration and government regulators announced the largest U.S. wireless spectrum auction, a $20 billion proposal to expand broadband in rural America, with the President vowing to win the race on 5G. Separately, the administration has been pressuring global allies to ban 5G equipment from Huawei, though with limited success. Advanced technologies and intellectual property protection are likely to continue to be among the key sticking points when the Chinese delegation meets with U.S. negotiators in Washington on Wednesday. But Matthew Bey, senior global analyst at Stratfor, cautions against reading too much into the Presidents tweets. I do think it's a pressure tactic in the short term, but I do still think we're not quite to a crisis mode yet, said Bey. That sentiment was reflected in U.S. markets Monday, when the Dow recovered nearly all of its losses after plunging as much as 471 points on the back of Trumps threats to increase tariffs. [The Chinese] have proven to be very pragmatic in the past, in terms of realizing that President Trump is a bit of a loose cannon when it comes to his rhetoric and statements, but at the end of the day, China wants a deal to some degree, Bey said. China's willing to make some concessions. Akiko Fujita is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @AkikoFujita More from Akiko: Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! China New Higher Education Group Limited (HKG:2001) is a stock with outstanding fundamental characteristics. When we build an investment case, we need to look at the stock with a holistic perspective. In the case of 2001, it is a company with an optimistic future outlook, which has not yet been factored into the price. Below is a brief commentary on these key aspects. If you're interested in understanding beyond my broad commentary, read the full report on China New Higher Education Group here. Undervalued with high growth potential Investors in search for stocks with room to flourish should look no further than 2001, with its expected earnings growth of 25%. The optimistic bottom-line growth is supported by a similarly outstanding revenue growth over the same time period, which indicates that earnings is driven by top-line activity rather than purely unsustainable cost-reduction initiatives. 2001's shares are now trading at a price below its true value based on its discounted cash flows, indicating a relatively pessimistic market sentiment. According to my intrinsic value of the stock, which is driven by analyst consensus forecast of 2001's earnings, investors now have the opportunity to buy into the stock to reap capital gains. Also, relative to the rest of its peers with similar levels of earnings, 2001's share price is trading below the group's average. This bolsters the proposition that 2001's price is currently discounted. SEHK:2001 Past and Future Earnings, May 6th 2019 Next Steps: For China New Higher Education Group, there are three essential aspects you should further research: Historical Performance: What has 2001's returns been like over the past? Go into more detail in the past track record analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of our analysis for more clarity. Financial Health: Does it have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Other Attractive Alternatives : Are there other well-rounded stocks you could be holding instead of 2001? Explore our interactive list of stocks with large potential to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. (Adds source comments on China) By David Lawder and Ben Blanchard WASHINGTON/BEIJING, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to increase tariffs on Chinese goods left prospects for a deal to end a trade war between the world's two largest economies in limbo on Monday, casting uncertainty on plans for more talks this week. Stocks around the world tumbled and oil prices hit a one-month low after Trump tweeted on Sunday that he would raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25 percent from 10 percent by the end of the week, and would "soon" target the remaining Chinese imports with tariffs. The announcement abruptly ended a five-month truce in a trade war that has cost the two countries billions of dollars, slowed global growth and disrupted manufacturing supply chains and U.S. farm exports. Trump's comments on Sunday came as a surprise after he and members of his team had repeatedly said the two sides were making progress on a deal. His shift in tone came after U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told him that Chinese negotiators had pulled back from some prior commitments in talks last week in Beijing, people familiar with the talks said. Specifically, the Chinese side was seeking to deal with any policy changes through administrative and regulatory actions, not through changes to Chinese law as previously agreed, one person with knowledge of the talks said. "It undermines the core architecture of the deal," the person said, adding that not codifying the concessions would make it difficult to verify and enforce China's compliance. Speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks, the person said that under China's system in which the Communist Party has ultimate control, changes in law are the only way to get even a small measure of certainty. Another source familiar with the situation said Trump had reiterated to advisers in recent days that he would walk away from a trade deal with China if it was not strong enough. Story continues This person said that there was "irrational exuberance" about the talks and Trump's move "shouldn't be that big of a shock" as the president had originally planned to raise tariffs on Chinese goods in January. LIU TRIP It was unclear on Monday whether Chinese Vice Premier Liu He would travel as planned to Washington for talks scheduled to start on Wednesday -- negotiations that some had viewed as potentially leading to a deal announcement. A Chinese delegation was still preparing to go to the United States for trade talks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said earlier on Monday in Beijing, without saying whether Liu would be part of it. Queries about the talks to China's embassy in Washington were not answered. "The atmosphere of the negotiations has changed," said a Chinese official with knowledge of the talks, and how they would proceed was being re-evaluated. "All that depends on the attitude of the United States," the official said. A spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office did not immediately respond to a query about the status of the talks in Washington and Liu's attendance. The United States is demanding sweeping changes to China's economic policies, including better protection of U.S. intellectual property, ending forced technology transfers and cyber theft of American trade secrets. Washington also wants more access to China's vast markets for U.S. companies, curbs on industrial subsidies and increased purchases of American products. Trump appeared to defend his decision in a tweet early on Monday, lashing out over the U.S. trade deficit with China. He also said he spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on trade in a "very good conversation." "With China we lose 500 Billion Dollars. Sorry, were not going to be doing that anymore!" Trump tweeted. The United States imported about $539.5 billion in goods from China in 2018 and exported $120.3 billion, for a record trade deficit of $419.2 billion, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Trump also has said that China was paying U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, but in reality, mostly U.S. companies importing the goods pay the tariffs. See EXPLAINER, and FACTBOX on Trump's tariff actions BAD FOR THE WORLD' On Monday, billionaire investor Warren Buffett warned that a wider trade war between the world's two largest economies would be bad for the world economy and for his conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway A full-scale trade war is unlikely, he said, but "would be bad for everything Berkshire owns.." Chinese news outlets have been told not to independently report on Trump's tweets, and instead adhere to any report from the official Xinhua news agency, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter. "There is still a question of whether this is one of the famous Trump negotiation tactics, or are we really going to see some drastic increase in tariffs," said Nick Twidale, Sydney-based analyst at Rakuten Securities Australia. "If it's the latter, we'll see massive downside pressure across all markets." Trump currently has 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese machinery and technology goods, and 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of products ranging from computer modems and routers to furniture, lighting and building materials. Negotiations on removing punitive U.S. tariffs has been one of the remaining sticking points between the two sides. China wants the tariffs to be removed, while Trump wants to keep some, if not all, as part of any final deal to ensure China lives up to its commitments, a White House official said on Sunday. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Alexandra Alper and Susan Heavey in Washington and Michael Martina, Shu Zhang, Jing Xu, Cheng Leng and Yawen Chen in Beijing; editing by Simon Webb and Susan Thomas) (Adds details on Chinese laws) By Jeff Mason and David Lawder WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - China backtracked on substantial commitments it made during trade talks with the United States, prompting President Donald Trump to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods slated to go into effect on Friday, top U.S. trade officials said on Monday. The swift deterioration in negotiations between the world's two largest economies hit global financial markets as investors faced the prospect of an escalation rather than an end to a 10-month-old trade war. Trump tweeted on Sunday that he would raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25 percent from 10 percent by the end of the week, and would "soon" target the remaining Chinese imports with tariffs, sending stocks and oil prices lower on Monday. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who has been an advocate for tough structural changes in China, said Beijing had reneged on commitments it had made previously that would have changed the agreement substantially. "Over the course of the last week or so we have seen ... an erosion in commitments by China," Lighthizer told reporters. "That in our view is unacceptable." Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is expected to be in Washington on Thursday and Friday of this week for further talks. "We're not breaking off talks at this point. But for now ... come Friday there will be tariffs in place," Lighthizer said. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, considered to be less hawkish toward China, said China's backtracking became clear with "new information" over the weekend. He declined to give specifics and said the U.S. side had originally hoped to conclude a deal one way or the other this week. "They were trying to go back on language that had been previously negotiated, very clear language, that had the potential of changing the deal dramatically," Mnuchin said. "The entire economic team ... are completely unified and recommended to the president to move forward with tariffs if we are not able to conclude a deal by the end of the week." Story continues A spokesman at the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to queries about the U.S. assertions. "We are also in the process of understanding the relevant situation. What I can tell you is that China's team is preparing to go to the United States for the discussions," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said earlier in Beijing. "We still hope the United States can work hard with China to meet each other halfway, and strive to reach a mutually beneficial, win-win agreement on the basis of mutual respect." China has repeatedly said it will make changes to open its economy according to its own timeline, not in response to trade disputes. But recently it has enacted new laws and amended others, moves some see as efforts to address concerns shared by the United States and other foreign investors, including those from China's largest trading partner, the European Union. In March, China fast-tracked the approval of a new Foreign Investment Law and passed it at the annual meeting of the country's parliament, with Premier Li Keqiang pledging that the government would follow through and enforce the legislation giving protection to foreign firms. Last month, parliament's standing committee also amended three existing laws to strengthen trade secrets protections, take further measures to stop forced technology transfers and increase trademark infringement punishments. TRUCE ENDS Trump's announcement on Sunday abruptly ended a five-month truce in a trade war that has cost the two countries billions of dollars, slowed global growth and disrupted manufacturing supply chains and U.S. farm exports. Businesses, while largely supportive of Trump's tough stance on China, want the tariffs to be lifted. Mnuchin said on Monday that the stock market reaction was not affecting U.S. decisions on the trade talks. A person familiar with the negotiations said the latest dispute came after the Chinese side sought to deal with policy changes through administrative and regulatory actions, not through changes to Chinese law as previously agreed. "It undermines the core architecture of the deal," the person said, adding that not codifying the concessions would make it difficult to verify and enforce China's compliance. While it is unclear which changes to law the United States has demanded, critics argue that even though such amendments are welcomed, they do not provide guarantees because Chinese courts are tightly controlled by the ruling Communist Party. U.S. officials have acknowledged this, and insist that only tariffs can provide leverage to enforce an agreement. The United States is demanding sweeping changes to China's economic policies, including better protection of U.S. intellectual property, and an end to forced technology transfers from U.S. companies and cyber theft of American trade secrets. Washington also wants more access to China's vast markets for U.S. businesses, curbs on industrial subsidies and increased purchases of American products. Another source familiar with the situation said Trump had reiterated to advisers in recent days that he would walk away from a trade deal with China if it was not strong enough. The United States imported about $539.5 billion in goods from China in 2018 and exported $120.3 billion, for a record trade deficit of $419.2 billion, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Trump lashed out over the U.S. trade deficit with China on Monday. "With China we lose 500 Billion Dollars. Sorry, we're not going to be doing that anymore!" he tweeted. Trump has said that China was paying existing U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports into the United States, but in reality, mostly U.S. companies importing the goods pay the tariffs. The United States currently has 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese machinery and technology goods, and 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of products ranging from computer modems and routers to furniture, lighting and building materials. Negotiations on removing punitive U.S. tariffs has been one of the remaining sticking points. China wants the tariffs to be removed, while U.S. officials want to keep some, if not all, as part of any final deal to ensure China lives up to its commitments. Mnuchin, who originally had called the talks in Beijing "productive," said Washington had been in the process of planning a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping for a successful deal. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and David Lawder Additional reporting by Alexandra Alper and Susan Heavey in Washington and Ben Blanchard, Michael Martina, Shu Zhang, Jing Xu, Cheng Leng and Yawen Chen in Beijing; editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Simon Cameron-Moore) A U.S. Navy honor guard carries the casket of Seaman 1st Class Hale McKissack at Fairview Cemetery in Winters Saturday May 4, 2019. McKissack was killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, he remains were only recently identified. WINTERS, Texas It had been more than 77 years since Navy Seaman 1st Class Hale McKissack died at Pearl Harbor. No one thought there would be a funeral for him. On Saturday, however, there was one. Aboard the Oklahoma The USS Oklahoma rests on its side in Pearl Harbor as crews begin the process of righting the battleship. The Oklahoma never saw action again. On Dec. 7, 1941, McKissack was aboard the USS Oklahoma, moored on "Battleship Row," when Japanese planes began their surprise attack on the Hawaiian naval base. Three torpedoes from torpedo planes ripped into the hull, two just before 8 a.m. and the third on the hour, that latter breaching the hull and soon capsizing the battleship. Two more torpedoes hit the sinking ship. There were survivors, but 429 sailors died or were listed as missing 18% of the total deaths in the attack. That total included McKissack, 37 when he died, a West Texan from Talpa. While McKissack's family never gave up hope that his body would be located, the thought of "what if he's never found" crept into people's minds after more than seven decades of searching. Hundreds mourn WWII Marine: A WWII Marine died with no living relatives. Hundreds honored him at his funeral Hale McKissack comes home Rear Admiral Ted LeClair, the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, hands the folded flag to Genean Bridger, the niece of Seaman 1st Class Hale McKissack who was buried Saturday May 4, 2019 in Winters. McKissack died during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941 and it wasn't until 2015 that his remains were identified. In 2015, his remains were dis-interred by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. His remains had been interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. On July 26, the agency officially accounted for McKissack. A genealogist with the Navy contacted Diane Ferguson, McKissack's great niece, and told her she had found McKissack's remains. She then asked Ferguson if she could get in touch with her aunt. A convoy of Patriot Guard motorcyclists, police officers, veterans and others arrive in Winters from Ballinger Saturday may 4, 2019. They were escorting the remains of Seaman 1st Class Hale McKissack who died at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941 but whose remains were only recently identified. On Saturday, residents of Winters, which has a population of about 2,500, joined Navy personnel and several generations of McKissack's family to pay tribute to him at a funeral at Fairview Cemetery. He was the first Runnels County resident killed in World War II. The Navy provided McKissack with military honors, including a firearm salute, the playing of Taps" and the presentation of the U.S. flag to his family. Story continues My dad died at their hands: WWII vet fatally injured in VA nursing home "Every branch of the family had grown up hearing the story of Hale. ... The Navy was looking and so were the families for 77 years, and they were finally able to find him," said Stormie Freimarck, McKissack's great-great niece. Freimarck said she believes patriotism isn't as popular as it used to be. However, this funeral showed her there is at least one part of the world and one family that knows what those soldiers died for, and respects them. "Seeing everyone with hands over their hearts, including people who weren't related, it was incredible," Freimarck said. "We just don't see this kind of patriotism anymore." Katy Grimes of Granbury stands with her uncle Roy Brown watching the funeral procession of Hale McKissack enter Winters and then turn toward Fairview Cemetery Saturday May 4, 2019. McKissack died at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, his remains were only recently identified. Others who knew him are gone Weldon Laird was 7 when he last saw McKissack. Laird, a first cousin, twice removed, said he doesn't remember much about him, but he remembers the respect he had for McKissack when seeing him in the white Navy uniform. He said it was tremendous they were able to bring him home. However, he hoped it would've been sooner, so other people could've been there before they died. "I thought, 'so late.' All the ones who would've really been impressed by it didn't get to hear it, but I'm very happy that the family here today was able to have this closure," Laird said. Fallen Marine honored: Marine killed in Afghanistan honored with funeral procession from Delaware to New York 'Humbling experience' Spectators watch the funeral of Hale McKissack at Fairview Cemetery in Winters Saturday May 5, 2019. A crowd of veterans, reenactors, and area residents came to pay their respects to McKissack who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. Rear Adm. Ted LeClair, deputy commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, officiated the funeral. He said it's comforting that after all these years, the country didn't forget. "Everybody who wears a uniform writes a blank check, and every once in a while we cash it," LeClair said. "McKissack's was cashed a long time ago ... as a country, we never quit trying to identify and bring home our brothers and sisters who were lost in war. "It's a real humbling experience to be here." LeClair wanted the people who showed up, as well as everyone in the U.S., to know they have a Navy that's protecting them, and they never forget a sailor. Hale McKissack's death at Pearl Harbor was noted May 8, 1945, in the Abilene Reporter-News. "We're committed to making sure we never forget them, and we pay tribute to them, and so today we had a lot of sailors here that came from quite a bit of distance and different places because this is our highest duty," LeClair said. Last Doolittle Raider dies: Richard Cole, last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders, dies at 103 in Texas This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: WWII veteran finally gets funeral more than 7 decades after his death at Pearl Harbor For Immediate Release Chicago, IL May 6, 2019 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Merck MRK, Pfizer PFE, AbbVie ABBV, Sanofi SNY and Glaxo GSK. Here are highlights from Fridays Analyst Blog: Pharma Stock Roundup: MRK, LLY, PFE & More This week was a relatively busy one for the pharma sector, marked by earnings of bigwigs like Merck and Pfizer. Meanwhile, the European Commission granted approval to AbbVies new plaque psoriasis drug Skyrizi (risankizumab) and Sanofi/Lexicon Pharmaceuticals dual SGLT1 and SGLT2 inhibitor, Zynquista (sotagliflozin). The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended marketing approval for several drugs. Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories Q1 Earnings Update: Pfizer, Glaxo and Merck beat estimates for first-quarter earnings and sales. Pfizer raised the mid-point of its earnings expectations for 2019 by a penny and confirmed its previous outlook for full-year sales. Merck raised its expectations for both earnings and sales for the year while Glaxo maintained its previous earnings guidance for 2019. EU Approval to Sanofi & AbbVie Drugs: The European Commission granted approval to AbbVies Skyrizi (risankizumab) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy. Skyrizi was approved in the United States in late April and is expected to be launched this month. It was approved in Japan in March. Lexicon Pharmaceuticals and partner Sanofi announced that the European Commission granted approval to their dual SGLT1 and SGLT2 inhibitor, Zynquista (sotagliflozin), in combination with insulin, for the treatment of type I diabetes in adult patients. In March, the FDA had issued a complete response letter (CRL) to the new drug application (NDA) seeking approval for Zynquista. Story continues CHMP Gives Positive Opinion to Several Drugs: AstraZeneca/Mercks PARP inhibitor Lynparza gained a positive CHMP opinion, recommending expanded approval for first-line maintenance treatment of BRCA-mutated advanced ovarian cancer. It is already approved in the United States for the indication. The CHMP also gave nod to Novo Nordisks Esperoct (turoctocog alfa pegol, N8-GP) for the treatment of haemophilia A. The drug was approved by the FDA in February this year. Glaxo also gained positive CHMP opinion for its once-daily, single-tablet two-drug regimen (2DR), Dovato for the treatment of newly-diagnosed adults with HIV-1 infection. Dovato is a fixed-dose combination of Tivicay (dolutegravir - 50 mg) in combination with lamivudine (300 mg) and was approved by the FDA last month. Pfizers new PARP inhibitor, Talzenna also gained a positive opinion from the CHMP for inherited (germline) BRCA-mutated advanced breast cancer. The final decision by the European Union on these products is expected in the coming months. Glaxo/J&J File NDA for Long-Acting Two-Drug HIV Regimen: Glaxos HIV subsidiary, ViiV Healthcare and partner J&J filed a NDA looking for approval of long-acting, two-drug regimen of ViiV Healthcares cabotegravir and Janssens Edurant (rilpivirine). The companies are seeking approval for the two-drug monthly regimen for the treatment of HIV-1-infected adults who had maintained viral suppression and who are not resistant to cabotegravir or rilpivirine. The approval was based on data from the phase III ATLAS study, which showed that the two-drug regimen, injected once a month, had similar efficacy to a standard of care, daily, oral three-drug regimen at week 48. Glaxo and its partner Innovivas phase III study (CAPTAIN) evaluating their triple combination once-daily single inhaler Trelegy Ellipta versus Relvar/Breo Ellipta for a new indication -uncontrolled asthma - met the primary endpoint. Data from the study showed that treatment with Trelegy Ellipta led to statistically significant improvement in lung function in such patients, thereby meeting the studys primary endpoint. At present, Trelegy Ellipta is approved to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Bayer Gets FDAs Priority Review for Prostate Cancer Candidate: Bayers new drug application looking for approval of its prostate cancer candidate, darolutamide was accepted and granted priority review by the FDA. In February 2019, Bayer completed the rolling submission of the NDA for darolutamide to the FDA. The submission is based on data from the phase III ARAMIS study in men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC). Regulatory applications are also under review in Europe and Japan. Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) : Free Stock Analysis Report Pfizer Inc. (PFE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Sanofi (SNY) : Free Stock Analysis Report GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Charlotte Greenfield AUCKLAND (Reuters) - New Zealand is willing to work with China on its Belt and Road initiative and can offer its expertise in areas such as regulation and the environment, officials from the Pacific nation's government said on Monday. The investment policy championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping has become mired in controversy, with some partner nations bemoaning the high cost of projects. But China's recent efforts to put a greener face on its infrastructure initiative could smoothen ties with some countries. "It seems more likely that we can find a win-win situation with China, whether it's greening the Belt and Road, or helping address some of the issues...around transparency or whether it's using our regulatory systems, which are amongst the best in the world," New Zealand's trade minister David Parker said at an annual China-focused business summit in Auckland. Parker had travelled to Beijing for the Belt and Road summit in April at which New Zealand had joined Russia and four developing nations to coordinate accounting standards for countries participating in Belt and Road. Amid Western scrutiny and a U.S. backlash towards Belt and Road, New Zealand's stance could be a litmus test on how other governments respond to China's trade and investment plan. "The fact that we've taken a little bit of pause as we've worked to really flesh out that arrangement has been no bad thing because Belt and Road has really evolved," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the summit, adding that the infrastructure programme was changing to involve sectors such as service industries. The small Antipodean nation has long been touted by Beijing as an exemplar of its "firsts" with Western countries, most recently becoming the first Western nation to join the Chinese-spearheaded Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and helping to usher in other developed nations. Story continues But the relationship had hit a stumbling block in recent months under Ardern's coalition government. New Zealand has criticised China's lending to the Pacific, and rejected a bid to allow Chinese technology giant Huawei to take part in the country's planned 5G network. An agreement, one of the first with a Western nation on Belt and Road penned under the previous centre-right National government in 2017, had languished months past its 18-month expiry date. Since then Italy and Switzerland have also signed up to the initiative. But Ardern, who recently returned from her first trip to Beijing as premier, said on Monday that disagreements were normal and the relationship with China was one of New Zealand's most important. Two-way trade between the two countries has topped NZ$30 billion ($19.9 billion) and the government hoped it would grow further once negotiations were completed on an upgrade of the two nations' historic free trade agreement. Parker said that taking part in Belt and Road could improve the relationship between the two nations because it was "very important" to the Chinese administration, "which then creates a space for trade". China's ambassador to New Zealand, Wu Xi, welcomed New Zealand's offering up its regulatory expertise to Belt and Road, but encouraged a bold idea proposed by some businesses and trade experts to develop New Zealand into a transport and trade hub between Asia and Latin America. "(Belt and Road) needs New Zealand's ideas, New Zealand's creativity and New Zealand's energy," she said. Air New Zealand was among the businesses backing the proposal. "We're a little country...we've got to step into this space," said the airline's chief executive Christopher Luxon. "This is one of the ways...we can have relevance and participate in joining up to emerging parts of the world." ($1 = 1.5103 New Zealand dollars) (Editing by Jacqueline Wong) Aeroflots Sukhoi Superjet plane on the tarmac after it crash-landed in Moscow on Monday. Photo: Maxim Shipenkov/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock An Aeroflot passenger jet burst into flames during an emergency landing at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday, resulting in a conflagration that left 41 of 78 people aboard the plane dead. The plane, a Sukhoi Superjet SSJ100 operating as Aeroflot Flight 1492, had taken off at 6:03 p.m. local time bound for the Arctic Ocean port of Murmansk. Approximately five minutes after takeoff, the pilot began a spiraling descent to return to the runway. Amateur video footage of the landing shows the plane bouncing several times before flames erupt in the tail of the aircraft. A video shot by a passenger from inside the plane shows flames engulfing the wings as panic set in inside the cabin. While the plane was not a Boeing and did not involve a control system like the one implicated in the recent crashes of Lionair Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, the overall circumstances eerily echo the conditions that led to the loss of the two 737 Max jets. In all three cases, pilots suffered a dangerous and unexpected emergency during takeoff, lost the automation that they were used to relying on, and lacked the necessary skills to adequately handle the ensuing crisis. As such, these crashes illustrate the dangers of poorly integrating human and automatic control, a problem that will only worsen as automation becomes more ubiquitous. While confirmed details of the Aerofloat crash remain sparse, reporting so far indicates that the plane was flying near thunderclouds at an altitude of 10,000 feet when it was struck by lightning. This caused numerous electronic malfunctions, including intermittent failure of the radio. Unable to declare Mayday verbally, the flight crew switched the aircrafts transponder a device that causes the plane to show up on air-traffic control radar screens with identifying information to transmit a code for radio failure, and then for emergency. The pilot executed an emergency descent, completing one and a half turns before lining up for final approach to the runway it had taken off from 28 minutes before, according to data provided by Flightradar24. According to statements by the flights pilot, Denis Evdokimov, published in the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, the planes electrical problems resulted not only in the autopilot shutting off, but in the planes fly-by-wire control system shifting from normal law (a mode in which pilots are prevented from putting the plane into a dangerous condition such as an aerodynamic stall) into direct law (which offers no protections). Evdokimov thus had to fly under challenging conditions: under stress, in bad weather, and in a plane that was experiencing numerous equipment failures notably, without the autopilot systems that pilots normally manage as they fly the approach route into a busy international airport. To make matters worse, the plane was fully laden with fuel, meaning that it was much heavier than normal. Often planes returning to land with a full fuel load will dump fuel or burn it off before attempting to touch down, but Evdokimov did not perform this procedure, perhaps out of a sense of urgency to get the plane back on the ground. As reported in Komsomolskaya Pravda, Evdokimov claimed that on final approach the speed was low for landing, normal and that the plane approached the ground smoothly, with a decrease in vertical speed. The fact that the plane bounced several times indicates that it was going too fast: excess speed causes a planes wings to generate more lift than is desired, so the plane rises back into the air after touching down. If a pilot fails to handle the controls smoothly, the plane can then porpoise in a series of hops that can become increasingly severe. The plane was jumping up and down like a grasshopper, passenger Peter Egorov told Komsomolskay Pravda. As the oscillations worsen, they can result in the tail or an underslung engine striking the ground. When a ruptured fuel tank or fuel line meets with a shredded red-hot engine, a conflagration can easily result. Because nothing in Egorovs account suggests that the plane had suffered damage that limited its ability to land safely, investigators will likely pay particularly close attention to human factors the psychological limitations that can turn an aircraft incident deadly. Under conditions of extreme stress, such as a lightning strike that causes a cascade of electrical malfunctions, the human brain experiences a phenomenon called cognitive tunneling that makes it hard to deal with a crisis creatively. As I write in my book, Extreme Fear: The Science of Your Mind in Danger, a person on the verge of panic is unable to process new information or come up with creative solutions. Only very well-learned habits can be performed easily. Thats why experienced pilots like Sully Sullenberger can pull off miracles on the Hudson, while more junior pilots can fumble a survivable crisis. Unfortunately, while the increasing use of automation in aviation has made flying safer overall, the fact that autopilots do most of the flying these days means than human pilots spend relatively little time controlling a plane by hand, leaving them ill-equipped to take the controls in a dangerous and unfamiliar situation. A constant theme of mine is that designers of electronic systems on airplanes assume that if something goes wrong, pilots will calmly take over, says aviation journalist and aircraft designer Peter Garrison. Thats not what happens. The first reaction is bafflement. Among other recent high-profile crashes in which this dynamic played a role were Air France 447, which crashed into the Atlantic en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris in 2009, and Air Asia 8501, which crashed into the Java Sea in 2014. One solution to the problem would be to make sure that pilots have more training and more flight experience. Thats not the direction the world is moving, however. Global air traffic has surged in recent years, especially in the developing world, creating an acute shortage of veteran pilots. For plane makers, the challenge will be to make planes that can be flown safely by less-qualified pilots, but that also wont dump those pilots into tough-to-handle crises when the systems malfunction. 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. 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. Ted Cruz is a jerk, according to Jason Alexander. Photo: Zach Gibson/Getty Images Ted Cruz, the universally reviled Texas senator, went out of his way last week to mock fellow Senator Michael Bennet and his entrance into the 2020 presidential election. Cruz, whose own bid for the presidency was upended by a guy who called his wife ugly, tweeted that Bennet is running a Seinfeld campaign about nothing that typifies the Lefts empty rage in 2020. In a decade in the Senate, hes done very little but he did stomp his foot & yell at me on Senate floor (which he features in fundraising emails), Cruz wrote. The wisecrack got Jason Alexanders attention. The actor, whose George Costanza was a deeply flawed, wholly unlikable person (sound familiar?), tweeted that Bennet is a great man. He also channeled his inner Costanza to insult Cruz. So @SenTedCruz has called @SenatorBennet a Seinfeld campaign, claiming its about nothing. Ive met Bennett. He is a great man and real choice for POTUS. As for Cruz - the jerk store called and theyre running out of you. I say, the faster the better. jason alexander (@IJasonAlexander) May 6, 2019 Cruz has yet to respond. Give him a few days though, hell come up with something. The federal government is investigating a crypto crime involving the alleged theft off bitcoin mining rigs. | Souce:. Photo by Lars Hagberg / AFP By CCN.com: A New York Bitcoin miner hosting company called Northway Mining stands accused of stealing at least 5100 pieces of mining equipment from two companies. Given the scope of the investigation currently underway by the federal government, the damage might be much more significant than this. Northway Mining Sued For Violation of RICO Act At least four Bitcoin companies have been allegedly victimized, though we use the term allegedly in its most legal definition: strictly because the accused have not yet been convicted. MinedMap, Inc, Serenity Alpha, Inc, both of Nevada, and Quebec, Inc from Canada. The other is BlockAssets, a company based in Perth, Australia. The former chose Northway Mining to host more 2800 Bitmain S9 miners, over half of its entire fleet, in September 2018. Another 800 miners were sent to the facility by the companies. The latter had the decision made for them by a Canadian company who couldnt handle their 1500 units. Well be following up with a story about BlockAssets at another time. As to MinedMap, Serenity Alpha, and Quebec Inc, theyre collectively filing lawsuits against Northway Mining, as a start. At the same time, the issue is currently being treated as a criminal investigation by federal authorities. As you can see in the videos below, the US Marshall Service searched the facility leased by Northway in Coxsackie, New York, this past week. At Least Over 5000 Bitmain Miners Stolen in All The pending lawsuit alleges that Northway bilked clients out of nearly 3600 pieces of Bitcoin mining equipment (one was recovered with the help of the Marshalls), as well as over $500,000 in deposits. The complaint records this: Sounds about right for Cannes. Reply Thread Link Cannes stay losing, that's why I prefer Tribeca Film Festival. Reply Thread Link Half female directors yet again this year!! Reply Parent Thread Link i expect nothing more or less from then french Reply Thread Link moi aussi Reply Parent Thread Link same like who is surprised Reply Parent Thread Link mte Reply Parent Thread Link Lol right. Reply Parent Thread Link Fuck Cannes. I love that they mention Woody Allen in their statement - they're not reading the room, are they? Reply Thread Link They read the room and then smeared feces over the walls Reply Parent Thread Link At first I thought they meant "we have already awarded trash, you been knew we don't care", but I don't think Agnes Varda is problematic. Reply Parent Thread Link Lol I legit think thats their argument. Well, we already awarded these other trash men so its only fair. Reply Parent Thread Link Wow Cannes being absolutely trash. Surprise surprise. Reply Thread Link What had Agnes Varda done to be included in a list with Woody Allen and Clint Eastwood? Edited at 2019-05-06 08:10 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link these French movie stars are something else fuck Cannes anyway Reply Thread Link Cannes was originally organized to counter the fascist bias at the Venice Film Festival. how far they've sunk. Reply Thread Link Disappointed but not surprised. Cannes is always like this. Reply Thread Link how insulting and gross to list agnes varda among these flop men Reply Thread Link Maybe "it's what we've always done" isn't the best defense here. Reply Thread Link Seriously. They're basically saying "we've honored these other pieces of shit so it wouldn't be fair if we stopped now!" Reply Parent Thread Link Are we really surprised that a group that awarded Clint Eastwood and Woody Allen would be totally fine with awarding predators and abusers? Reply Thread Link Allen is a predator and abuser (maybe not physical), so they have precedent to point to. A shitty one, nonetheless. Reply Parent Thread Link That's my boyfriend's name lol So cause you let ppl slide before now you gotta do it for everyone else too? Come on. You have to start somewhere. Reply Thread Link A key oil pipeline and a logistics base in Nigerias oil-rich Niger Delta have been impacted by a shutdown and protests, the operator of the facilities said on Monday, in the latest incident that has been disrupting the Nigerian oil industry in recent weeks. The Nembe Creek Trunk Lineone of the two key pipelines of Nigerias Bonny Light crude grade capable of transporting 150,000 bpd to the export terminalwas shut down on Sunday after leaks were detected, operator Aiteo said on Monday. At the same time, protesters briefly blocked the companys logistics base, and after talks with the firm they agreed to retreat from blocking the logistics base and table their demands to the firm, Aiteo said, as quoted by Reuters. The company, however, has not provided information regarding the possible impact on Nigerian oil exports or when operations and the pipeline flow would return to normal. Leaks in pipelines the Niger Delta are often caused by oil theft and operators have frequently declared force majeure on exports of key Nigerian crude grades. Last month, Aiteo declared force majeure on the same Nembe Creek Trunk Line, due to a fire suspected to have been the result of an illegal third-party breach. Before the fire broke out, the Nembe Creek Trunk Line was operating smoothly, which raises suspicion that the fire was the result of an illegitimate, third-party breach of the functionality of the pipeline, the statement by Aiteo spokesman Ndiana Matthew said. A few days later, Aiteo said that it had discovered that sabotage was the cause of the fire that caused Nigerias oil production to fall 8 percent per day. Last week, Shell declared force majeure on Bonny Light exports, while exports of Amenam, operated by Frances Total, were also under force majeure, trading sources told Reuters last Monday. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Two votes for two more years of Trump as reparations. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images If the president in question was anyone else, the suggestion from a prominent supporter, Jerry Falwell Jr., that he was owed an extension of his term as reparations for the Mueller investigation could be dismissed as mere rhetorical excess combined with an effort to taunt liberals for their interest in reparations for the descendants of slaves. But because Donald Trump has repeatedly fanned claims that he regards anything that gets in his way say, an adverse 2020 election as an extra-constitutional coup, its not so easy to laugh this off: After the best week ever for @realDonaldTrump - no obstruction, no collusion, NYT admits @BarackObama did spy on his campaign, & the economy is soaring. I now support reparations-Trump should have 2 yrs added to his 1st term as pay back for time stolen by this corrupt failed coup Jerry Falwell (@JerryFalwellJr) May 5, 2019 The president retweeted this little stink bomb and added his own pithy characterization of the investigation his own administration began: Despite the tremendous success that I have had as President, including perhaps the greatest ECONOMY and most successful first two years of any President in history, they have stolen two years of my (our) Presidency (Collusion Delusion) that we will never be able to get back..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2019 Mueller aside, Trump has often defended his own chronic assaults on the rule of law by accusing those seeking to restrain him, via lawsuits, congressional investigations, or the constitutionally sanctioned method of impeachment, of defying democratic norms by trying to reverse the results of the 2016 election. And having set a precedent for his own defiance of election results by claiming with zero evidence that millions of illegal votes were cast for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Trump echoed Republican allegations (made, again, without evidence) that the GOPs midterm losses, especially in California, were the result of election fraud: Trump tells House Rs to be more paranoid than they are about elections and implied midterms were rigged. Hey, you gotta be a little bit more paranoid than you are. We have to be a little bit careful, because I don't like the way the votes are being tallied @nikkicarvajal Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 2, 2019 All in all, its not surprising that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fears anything other that a decisive defeat of Trump in 2020 could lead to a contested election that the incumbent wont accept unless it keeps him in office, as the New York Times reports: In recent weeks Ms. Pelosi has told associates that she does not automatically trust the president to respect the results of any election short of an overwhelming defeat. That view, fed by Mr. Trumps repeated and unsubstantiated claims of Democratic voter fraud, is one of the reasons she says it is imperative not to play into the presidents hands, especially on impeachment. Pelosi, like Bernie Sanders, is said to consider impeachment as a distraction from the focused, issue-oriented efforts Democrats need to undertake to beat Trump in 2020. But there may be another factor in the back of her mind discouraging the path of impeachment: It would surely be described as a slow-motion coup by Trump and his allies, justifying any counter-measures he chooses. The president is already setting the table for his line of attack: Democrat Texas Congressman Al Green says impeachment is the only thing that can prevent President Trump from re-election in 2020. @OANN In other words, Dems cant win the election fairly. You cant impeach a president for creating the best economy in our countrys history..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2019 Its a wonderfully circular argument: In accusing him of high crimes and misdemeanors, Democrats are violating democratic norms so egregiously that the only way to restore them might be a countercoup of his own. Its a time-worn rationale for authoritarian measures aimed at saving constitutional regimes they overthrow. And even if Trump keeps hinting at it just to mess with the minds of his critics, the effect it has on sycophants like Jerry Falwell Jr. could be unfortunate. The 2020 election could be delegitimized on the right before it even happens. One of Americas most legendary investors, Warren Buffett, plans to invest heavily in energy, he revealed during the annual shareholders meeting of his principal investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway. MarketWatch reports that Buffett spoke about future energy investments during the Q-and-A session after the meeting, saying Berkshire Hathaway will in the future generate as much wind power as its Iowa utility customers currently use. The executive in charge of Berkshires non-insurance operations, Gregory Abel, added that the company was currently focused on renewable energy in Iowa, but it would expand beyond this single state slowly but surely. The company will also be phasing out coal power generation capacity. Fox News anchor Liz Claman tweeted during the annual meeting that Abel had pledged zero coal for power generation in Berkshires Nevada utility by 2023, which shareholders applauded. At the same time, Buffett dismissed the need for sustainability reporting that a lot of activist shareholders had insisted on. Berkshire Hathaway, according to him, was successful in part because of its habit of keeping needless reporting and expenses to a minimum. The companys batting average in the sustainability area was pretty good, Buffett went on to say, noting that Berkshire preferred having individual investors as shareholders rather than institutions, which effectively removes the activist shareholder threat. Joining the renewable drive is only natural given the growing prominence alternatives to oil and gas are gaining. Yet Buffett is not putting all his eggs in one basket, of course. Last month, Berkshire Hathaway provided Occidental Petroleum with US$10 billion in financing for its proposed takeover of peer Anadarko. The financing will be released if the ongoing negotiations result in a deal, but analysts have already noted the move is unusual for Buffett who has said he would not partake in hostile takeovers, which Oxys bid for Anadarko certainly looks like. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: China stepped up purchases of Saudi oil in the first four months of this year as a private refiner is raising crude intake from the Kingdom that has secured term deals to grab more market share in the worlds top oil importing market. Hengli Petrochemical, a privately held refiner, has stepped up purchases of Saudi crude oil for April and May and is close to ramping up its new 400,000-bpd refinery to full capacity later this month, Reuters reported on Monday, citing ship-tracking data and officials at Hengli Petrochemical. The new Chinese refinery, which started trial runs at the end of last year, is set to import between 194,000 bpd and 258,000 bpd of Saudi Arabian crude oil this month, after having bought 258,000 bpd in April, according to one of Reuters sources. Several Hengli Petrochemical executives and sources told Reuters that the refinery is expected to reach full capacity later in May. At the end of 2018, Hengli Petrochemical and Saudi Arabias oil giant Aramco signed a supply agreement under which the Chinese refiner would be buying 130,000 bpd of Aramcos oil in 2019. Also thanks to the supply agreements with Hengli and with another new refinery, Rongsheng Petrochemical, Saudi Arabia boosted its supply to the Chinese market in the first four months of this year. Related: Pipeline Bottlenecks Cost Canadian Producers $20 Billion According to Refinitiv trade flow data, Saudi Arabias exports to China jumped to average 1.37 million bpd between January and April, from just above 1 million bpd in the first four months of 2018. The higher sales volumes on the Chinese market helped Saudi Arabia to oust Russia from the top spot of Chinas oil suppliers for a second month in a row in March, according to Reuters data. Earlier this year, Saudi Aramcowhich is increasingly looking to lock in future oil demand in Asias downstream marketssigned an agreement to buy 9 percent in Zhejiang Petrochemicals 800,000-bpd integrated refinery and petrochemical complex. Saudi Aramcos involvement in the project will come with a long-term crude supply agreement and the ability to utilize Zhejiang Petrochemicals large crude oil storage facility to serve its customers in the Asian region, Aramco said in February 2019. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A region in Australia has recently lifted a moratorium on fracking. Local companies aim to begin this year exploration of what they believe are huge shale gas reserves, potentially capable of providing natural gas supply for decades and tackling a supply gap in Australia expected to emerge in the mid-2020s. Australian natural gas producers say that the shale gas fracking will create jobs and reinvigorate the economy of the Northern Territory, where the basins they want to explore are located. The Australian government also supports the idea of extracting gas resources from the Northern Territory (NT), considering that conventional offshore gas production from the south-southeastern coast is declining. However, potential commercial production of shale gas in the NT is at least half a decade away, because companies have yet to begin exploration of what they expect could be huge resources. Even if exploration proves commercially and technically extractable gas, the development of a shale gas industry is further complicated by the remoteness of the NT and lack of pipeline infrastructure to the biggest demand centers on Australias east and southern coasts. Moreover, environmental opposition to fracking in Australia is as strong as it is in other countries. Local campaign groups are challenging drilling permits and saying that fracking will destroy the water, the traditional medicine business, the air, and the traditional way of life of local communities. In February this year, Australias Origin Energy said in its first-half 2018/2019 financial report that it plans to drill this year two wells in the liquids-rich Kyalla and Velkerri shale plays in the Beetaloo Basin in the NT. Origin Energy aims to perform water bore drilling to obtain baseline data, and expects results from these activities over the financial year 2019-2020. Origin has a 70-percent interest in exploration permits over 18,500 square kilometers (7,140 square miles) in the Beetaloo Basin, where estimates point to 2C contingent resources of 6.6 trillion cubic feet of gas. This quantity could be enough to support a train for exports for 20 years, Mark Schubert, Executive General Manager Integrated Gas at Origin Energy, told Bloomberg. Related: Saudi Plans Leak: Riyadh May Raise Oil Production, But Not Exports The Beetaloo basin has been compared to the Marcellus in the U.S., and the exploration will aim to assess if the Australian shale basin could have similar characteristics in terms of deliverability, Schubert told Bloomberg. According to Australias government, the Beetaloo Sub-basin is a world-class shale gas resource and is home to more than three-quarters of the NTs prospective shale gas resources. Recent estimates from companies exploring the area suggest that the shale gas resources could be even larger than first thought. While the scale of the gas resources in the Beetaloo Sub-basin is vast, exploration is only just getting underway. It remains uncertain what proportion of the resource will be technologically and economically viable to extract, the Australian government said in February this year. Another Australian gas producer, Santos, also plans to drill for shale gas in 2019 in another basin in the NT, McArthur, after the Northern Territory Governments decision that any onshore shale gas industry in the NT can be appropriately managed. With exploration and appraisal success, the NTs McArthur Basin has the potential to do for the NT and Australia what the shale gas revolution has done for America, providing the competitive advantage to breathe life back into energy-intensive industries and generate wealth for the nation, Santos CEO and Managing Director Kevin Gallagher said in April last year. At Santos annual general meeting this week, Gallagher told shareholders, as carried by Bloomberg, that McArthur is the largest and most promising shale gas opportunity in Australia. Related: Sliding Oil Rig Count Props Up Oil Prices Shale gas development has the potential to fill in the supply gap that declining conventional gas production could leave. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) forecasts in its 2019 Gas Statement of Opportunities potential for supply gaps from 2024 onwards, unless additional southern reserves and resources, or alternative infrastructure, are developed. Fracking in Australias NT faces stiff opposition from environmental and indigenous groups. The NT Protect Country Alliance, a coalition of landholders, communities, and civil society groups, is campaigning against Origin Energys plans to frack in the NT. Origin tell their customers they are a good energy company but there is nothing good about polluting our air and huge volumes of water to produce dirty fracked gas, May August, a Traditional Owner for land under the Origin exploration permits, said in October last year. Australias potentially huge shale gas resources could be a boon to the industry, but actual commercially profitable production is years away as it has to overcome economic, infrastructure, and environmental opposition challenges. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Trumps trade war may have depressed oil prices at the start of the week, but the U.S. decision to send warships to the Middle East is an ominous sign of a potential escalation in conflict with Iran. The oil market seesawed on Monday as traders tried to balance these two sources of instability. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said that the U.S. was sending a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a message to Iran that any attack on U.S. interests would be met with unrelenting force. Bolton has always had a particularly hawkish stance on Iran, and reportedly rattled the national security establishment months ago when he requested that they draw up plans for a military strike. The U.S. decision to send warships to the Middle East needs to be viewed in that context. Bolton, perhaps frustrated by his struggling regime change campaign in Venezuela, has turned his sights back to Iran, a perennial obsession of his. The move comes only a week after the expiration of waivers on sanctions, and the U.S. is aiming to cut Iranian oil exports to zero. Trump is also looking at other non-oil sanctions as a way to squeeze Iran. The surge in oil prices so far this year has been a supply-driven phenomenon, with OPEC+ taking 2.2 million barrels per day (mb/d) offline, a figure that includes the involuntary outages in Iran and Venezuela, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Iran's crude exports fell from a high of nearly 2.5mn b/d to a low of around 600k b/d in December before rebounding this year, the investment bank wrote in a May 3 note. As sanctions waivers expire in May, we anticipate further pressure on Iran's exports and anticipate volumes will fall below 500k b/d in 2H19 and could even reach zero depending on how wary buyers are of sanctions. Related: Nigeria Shuts In More Oil After Protests In Niger Delta Overall global supply outages are now at a multi-decade high of 4 mb/d, the bank said. Historically, every 1 mb/d swing in supply balances equates to a roughly $17-per-barrel move in oil prices, the investment bank said. However, while spot and short-term futures prices have climbed significantly this year, longer-dated futures have only moved up modestly. As Bank of America notes, spot prices are up $20 per barrel from December, but three-year futures prices are up only $6. That makes it harder for U.S. shale drillers to hedge future output, which makes it trickier to grow production. In other words, the shale response could be more modest than most people think, at least until the back end of the futures curve rises further. It also means that OPEC+ has been dealt a very good hand, as Bank of America puts it. There is less of a fear that restraining output will stimulate a massive shale response, at least much larger from todays already record high levels. Moreover, because Saudi Arabia needs higher oil prices to balance its books Bank of America puts its fiscal breakeven price at about $93 per barrel this year Riyadh will move slowly in bringing output back online. Bank of America puts the Brent floor price at about $70 per barrel. Related: China Set To Defy U.S. Sanctions On Iran The U.S. obsession with Iran puts further upward pressure on crude, and the moving of warships closer to Iran is worrying. The trick, from the Trump administrations perspective, is how to escalate conflict with Iran (and Venezuela, for that matter) without sending oil prices soaring. High prices are a domestic political threat. Judging by the reaction of the oil markets on Monday slightly down during midday trading, but up later in the afternoon Trump may have found the solution to this predicament. He ramped up the trade war with China at the same time that his administration escalated conflict with Iran. Normally, fears of conflict in the Middle East would drive up prices. But those concerns were clearly offset by the perceived pitfalls to the global economy from Trumps trade war. So, it seems, Trump can have his Iran conflict and keep oil prices in check at the same time. It may only cost us global economic stability. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Israels Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz ordered on Sunday that the countrys only operating natural gas field, the offshore Tamar field, be closed as a precaution after violence between militants in the Gaza Strip and Israel flared up at the end of last week. The natural gas from the Tamar field is being pumped by a subsea pipeline from a rig which is within the range of some the hundreds of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel over the past few days. The temporary closure of the Tamar field put Israels energy supply into an emergency mode, as power plants need to use alternatives to the natural gas they receive from the field to keep operating, according to The Times of Israel. The power plants will be burning diesel, coal, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a ship anchored in Israels north. The emergency energy situation was initially expected to last a week, The Times of Israel reported on Sunday, citing Hebrew-language business daily The Marker. The latest flare-up between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip saw some of the worst fighting in years, according to The Wall Street Journal. More than 600 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip to Israel, which in turn responded with strikes on military targets in the Gaza Strip. Lives were lost on both sides, including civilians, at the peak of the fighting on Sunday. Early on Monday, Palestinian militants said that they had agreed a ceasefire with Israel, after a weekend of heightened hostilities which killed at least four Israelis and 25 Palestinians. Israels energy ministry said on Monday that the Tamar gas field would resume operations after the ceasefire was agreed, and that energy minister Steinitz had instructed Noble Energy, the Texas-based operator of the field, to prepare to restart pumping natural gas. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Occidental Petroleum has updated the terms of its bid for Anadarko by saying it will pay 80 percent of the US$38 billion it is offering in cash, negating the need for shareholder approval. That is up from 50 percent earlier and just 25 percent when the original offer was made, the Houston Chronicle notes. Occidental submitted its counter bid during negotiations between Anadarko and Chevron, which had offered US$65 per share or US$33 billion for the whole company. Oxys bid certainly beats the Chevron offer in terms of size, but some shareholders of Anadarko were nervous about the portion of the cash in the offer, so Oxy raised it and then raised it again. In another update, Occidental said it would sell Anadarkos African assets for US$8.8 billion if it wins the bidding war. The assets are spread from Algeria to Ghana, Mozambique, and South Africa. The buyer is French Total. The deal, according to Oxys press release would constitute a part of a divestment program worth between US$10 and US$15 billion and will facilitate the integration of Anadarko into the company. The Anadarko acquisition has become the deal of the year with no comparable one likely to take place anytime soon. Anadarko is one of the largest oil and gas producers in the Permian Basin where Occidental is the largest. The appetite for the company is the latest indication that the Permian has become for the U.S. energy industry. Anadarkos board first accepted Chevrons offer for US$33 billion and rejected Occidentals initial proposal with the 25-percent cash option. When the latter sweetened the bid by raising the cash portion of the deal, Anadarkos board agreed to consider it if Chevron fails to top it. With the further sweetening that Oxy has now done, Anadarko may have some serious considering to do, whatever Chevron comes up with as a counter bid. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged a fresh plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use some elements in the Police to hound and incarcerate our its candidate in the 2018 Osun State governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, in the bid to browbeat him to relinquish his mandate. The PDP claimed to have new information of how the APC, having seen that there is no way it can stop Senator Adeleke at the courts, now seeks to forcefully hound him into a police station where he will be incarcerated and put out of circulation before the determination of the matters in court. Adeleke and the PDP are challenging the victory of the APC candidate, Governor Gboyega Oyetola in court. A statement Sunday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said apart from executing the alleged script, some elements in the police have no other reason for continuously hounding Senator Adeleke, as he is already in court for all the frivolous allegations preferred against him. The statement said, If they truly want Senator Adeleke for any new issue connected with the charges for which he is already in court, it should present such before the court instead of resorting to bullying. Nigerians will recall that the PDP had earlier alerted of threats to Senator Adelekes life. These threats have not only continued unabated but have heightened with this renewed hounding by these elements in the police, who are being used by the APC. Our party cautions that Nigerians are not ready to accept any excuse from anybody should Senator Adeleke suddenly becomes a victim of accidental discharge, sudden disappearance or failed health. They know whom to hold responsible. The APC should end this siege on Senator Adeleke and accept the fact that he has the mandate of the people of Osun state as their governor and no form of machination will subvert this reality. The PDP, therefore, charges the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed to rein-in his men on issues related to Senator Adelekes determination to retrieve his governorship mandate, which was stolen by the APC. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that its leadership and elected federal legislators have not taken any official position on who to support for the position of presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The partys position is predicated on reports in a section of the media suggesting that its members-elect in the House of Representatives have settled for a particular aspirant as the new Speaker. A statement Sunday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party was still consulting with its members-elect and no official position has been taken on the issue. It reiterated its position that positions of presiding officers are not the exclusive preserve of the ruling party or any other party for that matter, but a constitutional right of every elected lawmaker in their respective chambers. The statement said: Moreover, the PDP has an array of elected lawmakers, in both chambers, who are eminently qualified and equally popular among their colleagues, across the divide, to hold office as presiding officers of both chambers of the National Assembly, in line with Section 50 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). What is important to Nigerians is the emergence of a purposeful leadership that will ensure accountability and good governance in the polity. The PDP, as a party committed to the wellbeing of our nation, will remain focused in our determination to rescue our nation from incompetent system and therefore urges Nigerians to discountenance such reports suggesting that our lawmakers have settled for a particular aspirant for any presiding office in the National Assembly. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar in which Muslims observe one month fasting. Making the announcement Sunda in his palace in Sokoto, Abubakar said the commencement of the fast followed reports of sighting of the moon across various states of the federation which marked the end of the month of Shaaban 1440 AH. Sultan Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto has declared Thursday as the first day for the beginning of the Ramadan fasting in Nigeria. Abubakar announced the sighting of the new crescent in Sokoto on Wednesday in a broadcast. 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 states and national moon sighting committees and states 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, Muslim Ummah are to commence fasting on Thursday accordingly. 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, peace and stability prosperity of the nation. We further called on Nigerians to continue to live peacefully with one another irrespective of religious and tribal difference, he said. The Presidency on Sunday called on those it described as apostles of evil imaginings to swallow their words and retract their tendentious stories insinuating that President Muhammadu Buhari was to be hospitalised during his private visit to London. Mr Femi Adesina, the Presidents Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, stated this in a statement in Abuja while reacting to the return of President Buhari from London on Sunday. He further condemned online media outfits that reported that the president would not return to Nigeria on April 5 as originally planned. Read also: UPDATED: Buhari back in Abuja The statement reads in part: President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday returned to Abuja, after a 10-day private visit to the UK. 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. 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? 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 presidential aide, however, reiterated that the Buhari administration would continue to respect and uphold press freedom. 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.(NAN) Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images To help elect pro-Trump conservatives, former Trump deputy campaign manager David Bossie has raised $15.4 million over the past two years with his group, the Presidential Coalition. But according to a report from Axios and campaign finance watchdog the Campaign Legal Center, the Presidential Coalition has spent just 3 percent of their fundraising on supporting such candidates. The other 97 percent of the sum was spent on further fundraising and administrative costs, including Bossies six-figure salary. Searching through IRS filings, the CLC found that Bossies group spent $445,972 on books to send to donors most notably Trumps Enemies, co-written by Bossie himself. $650,000 of the Presidential Coalition funds went to other organizations in which Bossie is involved in, including Citizens United. (Since 2000, Bossie has been president of Citizens United, and oversaw the PAC during the landmark 2010 case in which the Supreme Court determined that corporations can broadcast political messaging with no upper spending limit.) Campaign ads obtained by Axios emphasize Bossies relationship with Trump, with the presidents face on the outside envelope and a picture of Trump and Bossie on the final page of the mailer. In a related analysis released on Sunday, Axios determined that most of the donors that Bossies group targeted were retired. On Facebook, their ads are overwhelmingly targeted to, and viewed by users over 65, according to the Campaign Legal Center. And as Axios states, One of the Presidential Coalitions top fundraising vendors, the telemarketing firm InfoCision, paid a settlement after being accused by the Federal Trade Commission of engaging in false and misleading tactics and accused by former employees of preying on the elderly. Together, these strategies reportedly gave the impression that Presidential Coalition fundraising was going directly to Trumps reelection. I gave them money after seeing their mailers, and because I think Trump deserves it, an 86-year-old Minnesotan told Axios. Im old and easily fooled I guess. Another retiree in their 70s said that they thought the money was going toward the president. One of the Presidential Coalitions biggest individual donors, 85-year-old George Kunkel, said he thought the money goes toward supporting the president. In 2017 and 2018, Kunkel gave $101,000 to the group, of which Bossie is the president. This targeting of older Americans is consistent with larger trends of online behavior within the demographic. As Buzzfeed News reports, older Americans are more likely to consume and share false online news than those in other age groups, even when controlling for factors such as partisanship and are less likely to register the brand of a news site they consume information from. It appears that older Americans may also be less likely to identify direct-to-candidate fundraisers versus groups like Bossies. Bossie who was once reprimanded by Fox News for telling black co-guest Joel Payne that he was out of his cotton-picking mind claimed the Axios report was fake news brought to you by a collaboration of the biased liberal media and unabashed left-wing activists. But, in terms of backlash, Bossie shouldnt be concerned with any media outlet as much as he should be concerned by the response of President Trump. The problem the president is going to have with this is, one, he does not like when people are perceived to be profiting off of him, and two, these are not max out donors, a senior administration official told Axios. This is money that many likely think is going towards the presidents re-election effort when it is not. So effectively every dollar groups like Bossies and similar groups raise is a dollar the campaign does not. Youths in the Niger Delta have warned the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) against going ahead with alleged plans to relocate the headquarters of the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) to Abuja. The warning came amidst a leaked memo dated 03/04/19 from Managing Director of NGMC to the Group Managing Director of NNPC that staff and the gas companys headquarters be moved to the Federal Capital Territory because of insecurity in Warri and environs. MKA Baru signed the controversial memo titled: Request for Approval for the Relocation of NGMC Head Office and staff to Abuja. Leaders of the ethnic youth groups in the state, under the aegis of Delta State Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Forum, warned that the move could unleash a fresh crisis in the Niger Delta. DSENYLF, which comprises of the youth leaders from all oil producing communities in the state, said it was in possession of a leaked memo from the NNPC directing that the headquarters of the subsidiary in Warri, should be moved to Abuja. A statement in Port Harcourt on Sunday, stated: The leaked memo dated the 3/4/2019 and addressed to the GMD of NNPC seeking for approval to relocate the company head office from Warri to Abuja based on alleged and non-existing security concerns in Warri. Presidents of Ijaw Youth Council and Itsekiri National Youth Council, Messrs. Eric Omare and Agbateyiniro Weyinmi respectively, as well as Ovie Umuakpo, Festus Oviesiri, Benjamin Onwubolu and Emeke Asike of Urhobo, Isoko, Ndokwa and Ika ethnic groups signed the document. They also raised alarm over a looming crisis and disturbance to oil facilities in the Niger Delta region over the plan, stressing it was vexing that rather than obey a presidential directive on the relocation of oil and gas companies headquarters to the region the NNPC was doing the opposite. They warned that their various groups would be unable to restrain their members and ensure peaceful atmosphere for companies to operate in Delta State if the national oil firm goes ahead with the purported plan. Omare, Weyinmi and the others wondered why the cabal in the NNPC is determined to relocate the headquarters of the NGMC to Abuja despite the fact that the gas which they market is produced in Delta State and its environs. The youth leaders stated that they wonder why Delta State is not good enough to host the headquarters of a company but is good enough to be the highest oil and gas producing states and thereby contributing substantially the nations economy. Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State may have got a good competitor in Governor Okezie ikpeazu of Abia State over owing of salaries to workers in the public service of their respective states. While Governor Bello owes workers about 38 months salary arrears, Governor Ikpeazu of Abia State is owing different categories of workers in the state public service about 25 months salary arrears. While preparing for the November 2019 governorship election in Kogi State, Bello has promised to pay workers salary arrears in the state. Governor Bello owes Kogi workers over two years salaries despite the huge revenue that accrued to the state government, including Paris debt refunds and bailout funds from the federal government. ALSO READ: Yahaya Bello prostrates before Buhari, Tinubu to save job Records show that governor Okezie Ikpeazu is owing workers in different sectors of Abia State public service between 6 and 25 months. the senior citizens are the most neglected by the governor. Some of the sectors include: Hospital Management board 9 months salary arrears; Secondary School Teachers 10 months; ASUBEB 6 months; Arochukwu Technical -15 months and Pensioners 25 months. Many stakeholders have been wondering how ikpeazu won election for a second term in office. 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. ALSO READ: Ajumobi in last minute contracts spree, PDP alleges 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. 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. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has commended the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola for granting its request by releasing names of contractors who failed to execute power projects after receiving payment. SERAPs Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, who gave the commendation on Sunday in statement, said in response to its FOI request, the minister forwarded the list to the organisation. He said a letter from the ministry with reference number FMP/LU/R2K/2016/T/40 and signed on Fasholas behalf by Louis Edozien, the ministrys permanent secretary, revealed how Pow Technologies Limited, an Abuja-based company, was awarded a contract in 2014 to the tune of N87, 763,302.40 for the supply and installation of test and maintenance equipment relays to various NAPTIN regional training centers (RTCs) (LOT15). ALSO READ: 24hrs power supply: Shell counters Fashola A total of N79, 404,892.66 was said to have been paid to POW Technologies Limited, but only 13 of the 19 items have so far been supplied. According to Oluwadare, the ministry said while the contractors undertook to take remedial action, they have failed to complete the project for which funds have been released. The ministry also 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). 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, SERAP said. 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. In February, SERAP sued the minister, compelling him to provide specific details of the names and whereabouts of the contractors as stipulated in a freedom of information (FOI) request to the ministry. Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has described late President Umaru Musa YarAdua as an advocate and proponent of the rule of Law and the doctrine of Separation of Powers while he was alive. Atiku who disclosed this in a statement seen by National Daily on Sunday to mark the 9th anniversary of the late president death, said YarAduas administration was the only administration that did not suffer from Executive-Legislative tensions in this fourth republic. In this period where Nigeria is facing almost unprecedented violence and insecurity, the world will remember that it was President YarAdua who bequeathed peace to the Niger Delta through his futuristic and visionary amnesty and rehabilitation programme. The Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate in the last general elections, said the late presidents action saw an unprecedented improvement in the performance of Nigerias oil and gas industry which led to record-breaking 5% GDP growth. I am proud of what he achieved and the fact that such a decent leader was produced by my political family (the YarAdua political family) and my political party (the Peoples Democratic Party). May the Almighty Allah continue to shine His Noor (Light) on the face of our late dear President Umaru YarAdua as we mark 9 years of his passing and may Allah (SWT) grant him al-Jannah Firdaus. I also pray that God continues to bless the family he left behind. A grateful nation appreciates the labours of their beloved son almost a decade after his passing. Umaru Musa YarAdua was the 13th president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was governor of Katsina State in northern Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 28 May 2007. He was declared the winner of the controversial Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 2007. In 2009, YarAdua left for Saudi Arabia to receive treatment for pericarditis. He returned to Nigeria on 24 February 2010, where he died on 5 May. By Chioma Obinagwam Senior Nigerian government officials and key investors have endorsed the African Development Banks Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) initiative, describing it as a pathway to Africas agricultural revolution. SAPZs are designed to concentrate agro-processing activities within areas of high agricultural potential in order to increase productivity and competitiveness. The initiative will provide millions of youth and rural men and women with employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Speaking at an investment forum held Tuesday at the Banks office in Abuja, Nigerias Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, said the country was eager to work with the Bank to develop SAPZs. I cant thank the African Development Bank and all the investors gathered here today enough. We need to make agriculture work again. It is with initiatives like this that we can truly create wealth and employment for our teeming youth population, Ogbeh said. The investment forum was an opportunity to secure the commitment of key agribusiness companies and banks in the planning, investment and implementation of priority SAPZs in Nigeria. Key participants included top government officials and big industry players, including the Dangote Group, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Flour Mills of Nigeria, Olam International, the Nigeria Private Sector Alliance (NiPSA), the International Labour Organization (ILO), commercial and development banks, the United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO), and the Cocoa Association of Nigeria. Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Special Adviser on Industrialization to the African Development Bank President, said the initiative could boost the gross domestic product (GDP) of rural regions and bridge the rural-urban divide. Nigeria currently trails in the supply of quality agro-processing products. Nigeria must take advantage of the opportunities in this sector to create non-oil sector jobs and raise its GDP, he said. By Chioma Obinagwam Two officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) were spotted on Tuesday harassing and attempting to forcefully arrest four male Nigerian youths going about their normal businesses. The youths (names witheld), apparently in their twenties, were trying to climb the stairs of the bridge, when the policemen stopped them and began to interrogate them in an uncourteous manner. National Daily further spotted them searching the bags of the boys and going through their phones. Suddenly, one of the policemen after going through the phones of one of the boys asked all of them to follow them (the Policemen) to the station because they were under arrest. The boys tried to resist the arrest demanding reasons why they should be arrested for trying to climb a bridge. One of the boys who spoke in pidgin said,Why you want arrest me wetin I do. We no do anything nah? English translation, Why do you want to arrest me? What did I do? I didnt do anything. Fortunately, two of the boys who stated that they are siblings phoned their father who supposedly was either a policeman or a member of the military or paramilitary asked that the phone be handed to one of the officers to enable communication with them. National Daily overheard the policeman with the phone saying, Esprit de Corps. This led to the release of only two of the boys. However, luck ran out on the officers when the two boys who were released refused to go insisting that their friends be released too. A struggle ensued between the boys and officers when the remaining two were ordered into a tricycle (keke-napep). While trying to do that, the siblings forced themselves into the tricycle, insisting that their friends must be freed. A struggle ensued between the boys and officers when the remaining two were ordered into a tricycle (keke-napep). While trying to do that, the siblings forced themselves into the tricycle, insisting that their friends must be freed. This struggle attracted the attention of passers-by and onlookers, which almost incited violence but for the timely intervention of a military man who drove into the scene. The military man was having a hard time mediating on the matter as tensions were still high at the time and more people were also gathering. Although National Daily made frantic attempts to interview the boys, the police officers or the military men, it proved abortive as they all suddenly drove off in the military mans car. Further investigations by National Daily showed that the officers from the NPF usually position themselves adjacent to the foot of the overhead bridge linking Begger and the LagosIbadan express road to hunt their prey. National Daily also gathered that there were occasions where out of fear of being detained for no tangible reason, their victims (usually male youths) resort to bribing the officers just to be freed. Sometimes the boys are forced to a nearby Automated Teller Machine (ATM) booth to withdraw money from their own accounts to settle the officers in order to avoid being detained. An eyewitness whose stall is not far from the scene of the crime but pleaded anonymity lamented in pidgin, Na so Dem dey do. You know say those guys no do anything. Na so dem dey do. From Grammer School na so dem they come everyday come obtain people collect money from them. I go dey vex here. One guy dey come back from school carry laptop, dem collect money from am. Him come dey cry. Him say him one go do WAEC. We don tire for dem. Make God come do make dem come arrest dem. Dem dey do illegal work. E don tey sef. E dey vex me. I no get power to do anything. Thank God you dey around sef. Dem don dey here since morning. Dem don catch many people collect money leave dem. If dem catch you, dem go open your bag. If dem see phone wey dey expensive, dem go collect am. Dem no go give you back. One boy wey dem catch yesterday. The boy say him be student. Him dey come from UNILORIN dem no leave am o! Dem collect N10,000 from the boy. Dem follow am go ATM. The boy get ATM card. This same people. Dem from Ojodu- Grammar School Police Station. English translation: That is how they do. You know that those guys are Innocent. They come from Grammer School everyday to extort and collect money from people. I will be angry. One boy was returning from school with his laptop, they collected money from him and he was crying. He said he was going to sit for his WAEC. Im tired. Let them get arrested by the grace of God. Theyre involved in illegal work. This has been happening for long. It vexes me and I dont have the power to do anything. They have been here since morning and collected money from people before releasing them. If they catch you, theyll open your bag. If they see an expensive phone theyll collect it. They wont return it. They caught a boy yesterday, the boy said he is a student and was coming from UNILORIN (University of Ilorin). They collected N10,000 from him. They followed him to the ATM. He had an ATM card. This same people. Theyre from Ojodu-Grammer school Police Station. Reacting to the issue, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkanah said, The Command is strongly against the violations of Rights of the Citizens by Police Officers who are paid with tax payers money to respect and protect those Rights. The action of the Police Officers in question is unacceptable as it fall short of professional ethics and Standards. We will identify them and subject them to internal disciplinary proceedings. Citizens whose Rights are violated by Police Officers in Lagos should report to the Police Public Relations Officer Lagos State through this number +2349090003792. lt is also on record that barely one month ago, Kolade Johnson, a Nigerian was shot dead by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) unit of the police. Kolade was alleged to have been shot by a member of a police team, while he was watching a Premier League fixture between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in Lagos. More recently, there have been widespread protest and criticism by Nigerians over alleged molestation and sexual assault of dozens of women who were arrested during raids on nightclubs by a Joint Task Force of the Abuja Command of the NPF and were detained at Utako Police Station. These events brings the issue of human right abuse to the spotlight and casts a doubt on the primary duty of the NPF to the citizenry; whether they are, indeed, protecting the lives and property of Nigerians or doing the reverse. The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye has warned ladies to avoid marrying jobless men. They have the tendencies to use, dump and abandon such ladies. According to him, a woman should not marry a man that has no work if not you will be the work. Pastor Adeboye spoke on Sunday at the May Special Prayer and Thanksgiving service by the RCCG Throne of Grace, National Headquarters Ebute Metta, Lagos. 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 that it is someone who has a job that 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. Whatever the woman does is a help. The man is a major director in the house, he stressed. Invest In Social Force & Get 50% Click HERE >> To Buy Cheap MTN & GLO Data Click HERE >> A few days after the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) announced the appointment of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, as its Ambassador-at-Large, the FCC has initiated a fresh investigation, which seeks to probe all salaries, allowances, estacodes, and payments he received as governor far back from 2003 to 20011. The probe coming eight years after Saraki left office as governor of Kwara State , was contained in a letter to the state government , through the Permanent Secretary, Government House, dated April 26, and titled, Investigation Activities: Dr. Bukola Saraki. EFCC claimed in the letter that it was investigating an alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds, theft, and money laundering involving Saraki. According to the letter signed by its Zonal Head, Isyaku Sharu, EFCC stated, 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. However, because this is coming only a few days after Saraki landed an international appointment, many in the state believe the move is a mere smear campaign intended to rubbish the senate president before the international community. This is more so as he is the one singled out for such a probe among those that held office as governor in that period. Besides, many see the latest investigation as curious because Saraki had been through a tedious prosecution by the Code of Conduct Tribunal and was subsequently cleared by the tribunal and the Supreme Court. To think he is the only one who has been singled out for this kind of investigation, more so that we have probed further to check if that kind of letter was sent to anyone else and our checks revealed that he was the only one sent the letter except, of course, they just issued another one today. This, obviously, is a needless persecution and must be condemned by all, said a stakeholder, who believed the anti-graft body had derailed. The stakeholder, who preferred anonymity, said further, Isnt it curious that the EFCC wants to look at legitimate earnings like salaries, including condescending to the level of probing the esacodes and other emoluments as governor? Is the anti-graft body not a political tool already? The Supreme Court had in June 2018 cleared Saraki of all allegations of false asset declaration, after the federal government filed 18 counts of false and anticipatory asset declaration charges against him in 2015. Although all the counts collapsed at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in 2017, the government appealed the ruling, culminating in a judgement by the Supreme Court. A 40-year-old Ghanian woman identified as Aba Hagan has been arrested in Manchester for inserting ginger in her sons anus as a form of corporal punishment because he messed up in school. According to reports, the police disclosed that the childs mother subjected him to a particularly painful and embarrassing method of corporal punishment Aba Hagan has charged with cruelty to persons, third-degree assault, impairing the morals of/or endangering a child and disorderly conduct. Officers were sent to a Rachel Road apartment at about 8 p.m. on a reported domestic dispute. There, they found a naked boy, whose age was redacted in the police report, who said Hagan had inserted ginger in his anus, police said. Hagan initially denied doing anything, but then said that her son had messed up in school and she punished him, the report says. Aba stated she had taken a piece of ginger and put it into (the victims) anus, the report said. I asked why she would do this, Officer Daniel Roberts wrote, and she stated this was a common punishment in her home country of Ghana, Africa. Medics evaluated the boy and took him to Manchester Memorial Hospital. A report of suspected child abuse or neglect was forwarded to the state Department of Children and Families, Daniels wrote. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images On Friday, President Trump told reporters about his phone call earlier in the day with Vladimir Putin, claiming that the two discussed the Mueller report, which he referred to as the Russian hoax. Noticeably absent from the exchange was any warning from the American president to his Russian counterpart regarding interference in the 2020 election. Trump, who apparently can determine facial expressions through phone calls, said that Putin sort of smiled when he said something to the effect that [the Mueller investigation] started off as a mountain and it ended up being a mouse. On Sunday, the Russian Embassy stated on Facebook that the hour and a half conversation between the two leaders was initiated by President Trump, who called to discuss a shared commitment to step up dialogue in various areas, including on issues of strategic ability. That diplomatic pablum breaks down to a conversation in which foreign-policy expert Donald Trump took the advice of traditional American ally Vladimir Putin on the crises of North Korea and Venezuela. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Trump and Putin discussed North Korea for a good bit of time and reiterated both the commitment and need for denuclearization. Sanders said Trump told Putin about the importance of Russia stepping up on the Korean Peninsula. CNN reports that the Kremlin said Putin called for Trump to reduce sanctions against the Kim government. The leadership crisis in Venezuela was the primary focus of the call, according to Sanders. On Friday, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Putin claimed Russia is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela other than hed like to see something positive happen for Venezuela. It appears that Trump is taking Putin at his word regarding Russian foreign policy despite Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserting on Wednesday that the Kremlin had talked Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro out of his alleged plan to leave the country for Cuba. Trumps national-security advisers also reportedly have told the president that Russia is offering critical support to the Maduro government. Trump has frequently sought the advice of authoritarian leaders on foreign affairs: Glaring examples include his 2018 phone call with Turkish president Recep Erdogan that reportedly led to Trumps impromptu decision to withdraw American forces from Syria, and each time he has agreed with Putin regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. Assuming the Russian Embassys information is true, it now appears that the president is actively seeking out the advice of Putin, preferring the word of the autocrat to that of his own intelligence community and their briefs that he doesnt read. Two suspected armed robbers, Abubakri Ibrahim, 20, and Akinwale Akeem, 22, were on Monday remanded in Ilesa Prison custody over alleged armed robbery. The Magistrate, Mrs Aishat Oloyade, had ordered that the accused persons be remanded behind bars due to the magnitude of the alleged offence they committed. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Temitope Fatoba, told the court that the accused committed the offence on April 19 at about 10:00 p.m. at Isale Osun area, Osogbo. Read Also: Labour Day: Osun to begin implementation of NHIS Fatoba alleged that the defendants with others now at large conspired among themselves to rob one Rasheed Yusuf Babatunde of his iPhone valued at (N50,000) and the total sum of N25,000. He said the duo were also armed with dangerous weapons such as knives, guns, and charms among others. The prosecutor said the offence committed contravened Sections 1(1) (2) (a) (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap R11 14 Vol. 11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. The accused persons had no legal representation when their case was called by the court clerk and they both pleaded not guilty to the offence. The Magistrate, however, ordered that the case file be sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) while the defendants be remanded in prison custody till t June 27 for mention. A man from Lincoln Nebraska, Peter Jacobsson, has been rushed to a local hospital after he shot himself in the penis. According to Peter, his 22 Calibre gun dropped from his pocket, fell on the ground then fired a shot straight to his penis while he was walking on the street. The 32-year old man has been treated for the horrific injuries sustained but still remains at the hospital until further notice. Fortunately for him, the injuries sustained were not life threatening and didnt require he had his penis amputated. The Lincoln Police Department revealed that the shooting happened on Wednesday around 8.45pm near Bryan West Campus . . Adding salt to Peters injury means he got charged with numerous offenses for allowing the firearm to go off in a public place. They however believe the man was just walking when the gun fell out of his pocket. This news is coming months after a man who was fitted with a 50,000 bionic manhood ( artificial penis ) collapsed and was hospitalised just days after having sex for the first time. Andrew Wardle, 45, was born without a penis and surgeons created the organ using skin from his arm before attaching it during a 10-hour operation. Kindly Share this: Like this: Like Loading Share this: Related Share this: From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As... Precio del Brent To get the BRENT oil price, please enable Javascript. Precio del WTI To get the oil price, please enable Javascript. Dolar USA Vs Euro Paginas vistas en total Lo volvio a hacer Capitalismo=embuste Historico Bitcoin La bateria mas grande de Holanda El futuro es solar Nec plus ultra, nec variatur Fisica y culturalmente Jamas nos callaran Sin ellas, no seremos Deja vu Nada que celebrar Hasta cuando? Colombia Hoy Para nunca olvidar 'Parasite' painted on a statue of Queen, Elizabeth in Kent, England Sin palabras La UE le apunta a la paz Cada vez mas solo Precio del Oro To get the gold price, please enable Javascript. LULA y su Pueblo Bye Bye Homenaje al genial Quino Fueron ellos Una imagen que resume Tan bajo ha caido que se deja tocar el trasero? Porky y el Nene (archiconocido narcotraficante) Ladrones al poder Asi mira el perrito a su amo Crazy Clamor popular La nueva inquisicion Bolivia Chile Hoy Eso es todo amigos! Piensalo! Pinerachet No More Trump Adios Macri, hasta nunca La Marioneta se desinfla Asi o mas cinico Almugre Mexico en 1794 Mas arrastrado imposible Hasta cuando! La pura verdad Solidaridad con Palestina Serie Capitalismo Espejismos de la clase trabajadora Asi es! Comerciantes o delincuentes No pasaran! Asi es la vida USA HOY 01/01/1959 La avaricia no tiene limites AYUDA HUMANITARIA? Chile Hoy Asi son las cosas Mapa Electoral de Venezuela Patagonia argentina? Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad Retrato del franquismo en Espana Visca Catalunya! El Chulo de Madrid Cuando la policia se roba la democracia Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras La purita verdad Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia Mi pobre clase media Como Chavez nadie Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear Programa de la MUD Asi o mas clarito Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte? Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio? Una verguenza nacional La luz que nos guia La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz? Feudalismo ayer y hoy Obama, el mentiroso Curiosa coincidencia Un mundo de cerdos No es extrano? La Marioneta Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran MARICORI Y OBAMA Cuantas muertes este ano? 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Por culpa de Chavez Cerveza Polar Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar Translate LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares? Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano... Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos: Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias. Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera. No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje. En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio. Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida. Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella. Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal. Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista. Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen. Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che? Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio. Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora. Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo. Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo. Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania. No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar. Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga. Alguna duda? Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia. OZ1 OZ2 OZ3 OZ4 Homenaje a Jason Galarraga La Victoria de Samotracia Odalisca Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008 La Sierra Nevada de Merida Nuestro precioso Churum Meru Homenaje a Picasso Autoretrato Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola? La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar. Mi profesion? Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos. Sal en la Coca Cola? A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar. De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla: Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido) azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa) Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas Mucha Cafeina Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja. Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos. Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja. En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero). Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma. La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate. Bebidas Light? Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal. Publicado por loretahur En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina: 1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias. 2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina. 3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard. 4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos. 5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla. 6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos. Ahora... sobre la margarina: 1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) . 2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias. 3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno). 4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer. 5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna. 6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo. 7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina. Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas: * No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo). * No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!! No a la guerra, Si a la Paz Misterios de la ciencia... Los costos de la guerra medicos y capitalismo... Capitalismo... medicos (2) Quien educa a nuestros hijos? Los Medios... Sin Palabras... Chistes feministas - Cual es el problema, Eva? - Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas. - Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas... - Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti. - Que es un hombre? - Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente. - Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente. - Cual es el truco?. - Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion. - Cual? - Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer. Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Ellas... Ellas (2)... Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1 Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije: -Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro. Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria. Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre? -Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa! VENGANZA NUMERO 2 Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris. A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita: - Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!! Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta. La mujer paso quince dias en Francia. El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla. Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es: - Y amor me trajiste mi francesita?? - Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina. VENGANZA NUMERO 3 El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion. - No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo. - Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz. Te quiero confesar algo. - Esta bien, esta bien. Habla! - He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga. - Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!! machismo y cibernetica Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston. -Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide. -Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!. .Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos. Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco. Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas Gol !!!! Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso! Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy! " " A MaxAero quadcopter drone flies with a camera attached at the 2015 CeBIT technology trade fair. Sean Gallup/Getty Images The media is often referred to in the United States as the "fourth estate." In the United States, the unfiltered information that journalists provide to the public serves as an important check on the country's three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. It also helps people stay up to date with the issues of the day, giving them the news they need to make informed decisions about their elected representatives. In fact, the strong hand that the media often plays in presidential and other elections also feeds the idea of the press as the fourth branch of government. Whichever way you slice it, the business of media is rapidly changing. Technological advances have spurred a shift to real-time, digital platforms and spawned a slew of new tools that journalists can now use to reach audiences around the world. Among those tools are increasingly-available drone devices. These tiny flying machines have the power to provide a bird's eye view of news as it breaks, particularly in situations where it would be dangerous or difficult to get a reporter on the ground [source: Smith]. Advertisement Whether it's gathering intelligence in a foreign war zone, monitoring disaster scenes or simply checking in on agricultural crops, one of the biggest benefits of drones is their ability to provide video and photo footage from hard-to-reach vantage points. Sure, a newspaper could rent a helicopter or plane to get shots of a wildfire in progress or send an intrepid reporter into the middle of a civil war. Using a $1,000 machine to do some of the heavy lifting, however, provides both financial and human cost savings [source: Smith]. Take, for example, CBS's use of a drone to capture the remote, largely abandoned Chernobyl nuclear power plant that still teems with harmful radiation after a 1986 explosion. Producers used a video camera strapped to a small quadcopter to capture what they called "a haunting postcard" from the disaster site that viewers might otherwise never see. Similarly, journalists at Russia Today were able to enhance their reporting on violent unrest in Ukraine with overhead, drone-collected video [sources: Smith, Cooke, Russia Today]. For the time being, however, the use of drones to capture news stateside faces a significant obstacle in the form of the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA currently considers media requests to use drones for newsgathering in the United States on a case-by-case basis. The government generally gives the OK only in "sterilized" locations that are commonly far from any type of action that media would actually be interested in covering [source Schroyer]. The good news for newshounds is that the drone blockade appears to be fading. A set of proposed rules issued by the FAA would allow media groups to use small drones, as long as operators first pass an aeronautical knowledge test. In the meantime, a group of news outlets that includes the New York Times, CNN and the Washington Post is currently working with Virginia Tech to test drones for news purposes. Looks like the fourth estate is getting ready to fly the friendly skies [sources: Schroyer, Somaiya]. " " Matt Lemmon/(CC BY-SA 2.0) It's no wonder the name of this Southern grocery store often makes people laugh. In the 1975 movie "The Sunshine Boys," an aging vaudeville comedian explains a classic truism of comedy to his nephew: The "k" sound is always funny. "Fifty-seven years in this business, you learn a few things. You know what words are funny and which words are not funny," says the comedian, played by Walter Matthau. "Alka-Seltzer is funny. You say 'Alka-Seltzer,' you get a laugh... Casey Stengel, that's a funny name. Robert Taylor is not funny. Cupcake is funny. Tomato is not funny... Cleveland is funny. Maryland is not funny. Then there's chicken. Chicken is funny. Pickle is funny." And it's true! If you need a place name for a punchline, you're guaranteed to kill with Kalamazoo, Schenectady or Rancho Cucamonga. But why? Psychology professor Chris Westbury at the University of Alberta has a fascinating theory, and it's based on perhaps the two unfunniest words in the English language: statistical probability. Westbury published a paper in October 2018 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology with the first-rate title, "Wriggly, squiffy, lummox, and boobs: What makes some words funny?" In it, he started with a list of the 5,000 English words rated funniest by real humans and constructed a working mathematical model for predicting the laugh factor of nearly every word in the dictionary. When Westbury applied his model to a dataset of 45,516 English words, it decided that these 10 words were the funniest of all: "upchuck, bubby, boff, wriggly, yaps, giggle, cooch, guffaw, puffball, and jiggly." Runners-up included "squiffy, flappy and bucko" and the perennial favorites of every 8-year-old on the planet: "poop, puke and boobs." On the other end of the spectrum, the word found to be the absolute least funny was "harassment." In his paper, Westbury explains that philosophers have been trying to unravel the mystery of humor for millennia. Plato and Aristotle weren't big fans of humor, seeing it mostly as a way of denigrating and feeling superior to others. Cicero introduced "incongruity theory," writing that "the most common kind of joke [is when we] expect one thing and another is said; in which case our own disappointed expectation makes us laugh." While the incongruity theory of comedy makes perfect sense even orangutans find switcheroo tricks high-larious Westbury says it's not a true scientific "theory" in that clearly not every incongruous event is as funny as another. A random coughing fit in a crowded movie theater isn't nearly as comical as a random farting fit. (I mean, just try to say "random farting fit" without smiling.) So the goal of Westbury's modeling experiments was to go beyond philosophical theorizing and come up with a truly quantifiable scale of funny. Advertisement The Math of Humor To do it, Westbury analyzed words in two different ways: by their meaning and by their form. For the first analysis, the researchers looked at "semantic predictors" that group words with similar meanings. Using a free tool developed by Google that identifies words that are commonly used for one another (co-occurrence), Westbury mapped out the semantic relationships between 234 of the funniest human-picked words. From this "correlation plot," the researchers identified six different clusters or categories of funny words: insult, sex, party, animal, bodily function and expletive. Now this is where things get dangerously mathematical. Since many of the words on the human-rated funny list fell into more than one category, the researchers needed a more precise measurement of how a word's meaning translated into comedy. Using the Google tool, they came up with lists of words most closely related to each of the six categories. Then they came up with average values for each of those word categories using something called linear regression analysis. Those average values for each category insult, sex, expletive, etc. became known as "category-defining vectors." When looking specifically at meaning, it turns out that the funniest words don't necessarily fall cleanly into the most categories, but are the words whose mathematical values are the closest, on average, to those six category-defining vectors. Confused? Here's how Westbury summed it up in a press brief: "The average similarity of a word's meaning to these six categories is itself the best measure we found of a word's funniness, especially if the word also has strongly positive emotional connotations." But meaning is only one type of measurement. Westbury and his team looked at the form of funny words, things like word length or the individual sounds (phonemes) that make up each word. In this second analysis, the data fit nicely with the incongruity theory of humor. It turns out that the fewer times a word or its phonemes appear, the funnier we think they are. That helps explain why there are so many "k" and "oo," sounds in the funny word lists. They're statistically improbable. Words ending in "le" (like waddle" and "wriggle") were another source of fun, suggesting as the study puts it, "repetition, usually with a diminutive aspect." Advertisement So, Why Are We Laughing? Now this is where things get really interesting. The human brain, it seems, is running all of these complex mathematical models all the time without any of us knowing it. As we watch TV and read and talk to people, our brains are constantly parsing language for subtle semantic cross-connections and statistical probabilities. And the result at least on this basic, one-word level is what we call humor. "If I asked, 'Which letter is more common, 'p' or 'b'?' I think the average person would have no clue consciously. But unconsciously, they are sensitive to that," says Westbury. "And we know that, because their funniness judgments are reflecting exactly that kind of fine-tuned calculation." In other words, says Westbury, "People are using emotions to do math." Westbury argues that all of this makes perfect sense evolutionarily. Our brains have been hard-wired over millions of years to identify anything that's out of the ordinary as a potential threat. And human emotions, including humor, likely developed as ways of responding to improbable events and environments. "People laugh based on how improbable the world is," says Westbury. Of course, it's a long conceptual leap from predicting the funniness level of individual words to modeling the comedic mechanics of a knock-knock joke or a salty limerick. But Westbury's work points the way. Maybe someday we'll finally understand why that chicken crossed the road. One thing's clear, though. A frog wouldn't have been half as funny. Now That's Cool Westbury says he stumbled into humor research while running tests for language loss in dementia patients using nonsense words. Invariably, some nonsense words made the test subjects laugh. Westbury wondered why, and a research project was born. ONLY the permit from the Cebu City Office of the Building Official (OBO) is needed so the contractor can start demolishing the Patria de Cebu. Fr. Brian Brigoli, chairman of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church (CACCHC), said the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) already gave the go-ahead for the demolition last March after approving the revised design presented by Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) that retains the facade of the 64-year-old edifice. Brigoli said CLI had submitted its as-built plan to NHCP, which had required a copy for documentation purposes before the demolition. The term as-built commonly refers to 2D floor plans showing a limited amount of detail, such as walls, doors, windows and plumbing fixtures, among others. These plans are created after the buildings construction is complete. As for its application for the Patrias demolition, Brigoli said CLI submitted it to OBO three months ago. CLI was forced to revise its original design when NHCP intervened following the protest of heritage advocates, who opposed the destruction of the Patria for its historical value. Melva Java, an architect and a CACCHC commissioner, said the Patria must be preserved because of religious, communitarian and social economic rules. She was one of the speakers during the 11th Biennial National Convention of Church Cultural Heritage Practitioners in Cebu City on Monday, May 6. It was built with bottom up, community-based initiatives. If you conserve the Patria, Im saying do not just look at the technology or the form, theyre in good condition, Java said. CLI will lease the 6,670-square-meter property for 40 years and build a 14-story building that will operate as a hotel with retail spaces and a six-story building that will house a supermarket and several offices. The contract was signed last Oct. 29 by Archbishop Jose Palma and CLI chief executive officer Jose Soberano III. The contractor is leasing the property for the next 40 years and has already remitted P50 million to the archdiocese as rent. (From SCG of SuperBalita Cebu, KAL) Hong Kong has braced itself for more turbulence as US President Donald Trump again raised punitive tariffs on Chinese exports in an unexpected move on Monday, marking an ugly turn in the US-China trade war. In an abrupt announcement on Twitter just after midnight on Sunday, Hong Kong time, Trump said tariffs on US$200 billion of imports from China would be increased to 25 per cent from 10 per cent, while threatening to impose the same levies on other Chinese exports to America totalling about US$350 billion. The move came just days before top Chinese officials were set to arrive in Washington for another round of trade talks to end a bilateral war of tit-for-tat tariffs. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Edward Yau Tang-wah, told the Post it was too early to tell whether the latest threats were negotiation tactics or not. But the recent improvement in business sentiment was reversed today, he said. He added that Chinas exports to the US through Hong Kong accounted for 7 per cent of the citys total in 2018. Industry representatives in Hong Kong expressed dismay over the tough road ahead. It will be a very turbulent day, Hong Kong Shippers Council chairman Willy Lin Sun-mo said. Everybody has to measure their own risks in case the two parties turn the table. Federation of Hong Kong Industries chairman Jimmy Kwok Chun-wah said: The sudden change creates a headache for Hong Kong exporters ... It looks like it will be an even longer road before a deal is reached. 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 Lin said the 25 per cent tariffs were too big for Hong Kong factories across the border to swallow and this was against Trumps claim that tariffs paid to the US have little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. Story continues As an immediate measure, Lin from the Shippers Council on Monday said mainland China-based Hong Kong factory owners could outsource orders to other countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia or Indonesia while stepping up the relocation of manufacturing facilities to places outside mainland China. The city remained protected by a separate economic arrangement under the US Hong Kong Policy Act, in force since the 1997 handover, but even so, the local trade sector would not escape unscathed. Hong Kong exports shrank 2.4 per cent in the first quarter of this year, amid the turbulence. The citys gross domestic product edged 0.5 per cent higher year on year, the worst in a decade. Shirley Yuen, CEO of the citys largest business organisation, Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, warned the city of the need to prepare for the worst even though there was still a chance the US and mainland China would reach a deal. The trade dispute uncertainty could affect us indirectly through asset market corrections, such as the stock market fall today, and delaying major business investments, which is going to put more pressure on the real economy, she said. Beijing said it was still preparing to send a delegation to Washington for the trade talks despite Trumps latest threats. Last Thursday, hopes were high Trump and President Xi Jinping were close to sealing a deal to end the trade war, which had gone on for almost a year. This article Hong Kong braces for turbulence as US-China trade war turns ugly with Donald Trump raising tariffs on Chinese exports first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. LESS than a month to go and resorts in El Nido, Palawan would face closure if they still fail to comply with the country's environmental laws, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano said LESS than a month to go and resorts in El Nido, Palawan would face closure if they still fail to comply with the country's environmental laws, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano said Monday, May 6. The resorts in El Nido were given six months, or until May 30, to comply with environmental laws, but only a few have fully complied. We have given them enough time to comply. We explained to them why and how they can comply with regulations. So far, they have failed to do so. They still have a whole month to shape up. After that they will face closure, Ano said. He also warned that if local government units fail to impose the regulations, the national government will take over just like what happened on Boracay Island in Aklan. We already have existing protocols and best practices in place. All we need to do is determine if this action needs to be done, he said. Meanwhile, Ano ordered the conduct of investigation on reports from the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that several local government officials are blocking efforts of the government to clean top tourist destinations in the country. He said he also supports the recommendation of DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat to take over tourism sites across the country that have not complied with environmental and other laws similar to what was done in Boracay. The DILG will commence appropriate legal action based on the results of the investigation. We will not hesitate to exercise our power of general supervision over LGUs should they be found to be blocking or opposing the directives of the President to clean-up and rehabilitate our top tourist spots, he said. The government is also conducting a clean-up drive for the rehabilitation of the Manila Bay watershed. The DILG said earlier it will file charges against over 1,000 local government officials for defying orders to strictly enforce environmental laws in their respective areas in the Manila Bay watershed. (SunStar Philippines) Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, shown here observing one of Trumps gestures at the White House early last month, will return to D.C. for talks beginning Wednesday. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images President Trump threatened China with an almost hilariously dramatic trade war escalation on Sunday, days before a Chinese delegation of more than a hundred people arrive in Washington to iron out a final deal. Signaling his impatience with what he claimed was a slowdown caused Chinas efforts to renegotiate the plan, Trump tweeted that he will more than double the current U.S. tariffs on some $200 billion of Chinese goods (from 10 to 25 percent), as well as add a new 25 percent tariff on another $325 billion worth of Chinese goods and it will all happen on Friday, unless China does the deal. (The trade talks dont even start until Wednesday.) Regarding any efforts to renegotiate the deal, Trump insisted No! He also falsely claimed that the higher tariffs his administration enacted which are paid by the U.S. companies importing Chinese goods and then usually passed along as higher costs to U.S. customers were paid by China directly to the U.S., incurred little cost to Americans, and were partially responsible for our great economic results. Trade talks had been proceeding well enough that the Trump administration held off another, planned-in-advance tariff bump in March. Negotiations have reportedly become more contentious in the end stage, however, though U.S. officials said that last weeks talks in Beijing were productive. Several issues remain sticking points heading into this weeks meeting, according to the Wall Street Journal, including the Trump administrations contentious demand that the U.S. retains a unilateral ability to reimpose tariffs without retaliation if it doesnt think China is holding to the deal. Another impasse is that China would like all of the Trump administrations tariffs rolled back immediately, while the U.S. wants to gradually reduce them as they confirm China is keeping its word. Less than five days is also an awfully small amount of time for the Trump administration to get everything in place for Trumps impromptu tariff increase, notify U.S. industries, and make sure the process is protected against legal challenges. Whatever hurdles remain, President Trump loves high-drama power plays and treasures his self-conjured reputation as a master dealmaker, so his last-minute threat to launch a trade-war nuke should have been expected. It still rattled economic markets and several U.S. industry groups on Sunday, however. There is also a risk that Trumps posturing could prompt a nationalist backlash in China. Trumps threat could even work as intended, as any world leader who thinks Trump actually knows what hes doing, listens to his advisers, or regularly understands the real world consequences of anything he does or says, has not been paying much attention. Tariffs and Trumps willingness to wield them despite the damage they do to American businesses are indeed a powerful negotiating tool. Plus, as economist and trade law expert Chad Bown told the Journal, while the tariff spike is probably an empty threat, with President Trump, you never know. If they announce a deal later this week, it will make it appear as if he acted as tough as possible to get the deal, Bown also wisely predicted. And if Trumps craziest-guy-in-the-room act is for real or seems real enough drive down the markets, the news coverage of bad economic numbers could make a quick and moderating impression on the president. Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol MANILA, Philippines The Department of Agriculture (DA) has started probing farmers cooperatives accredited by the National Food Authority (NFA). Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol on his social media post on Thursday (May 3) said that some farmer leaders in Central Luzon are complaining against traders who are using the names of inactive cooperatives to be able to sell paddy rice to the NFA. According to the Secretary, traders in Central Luzon buy fresh palay to farmers at P15 per kilogram then sell them to NFA at P20.70 including the incentives. Pinol emphasized that under the Rice Tariffication Law, the NFA is mandated to buy palay from legitimate farmers and not from traders, thats why he wants to know if there are bogus cooperatives included in the NFAs list. Meanwhile, the Secretary said the price of NFA rice in the market remains and should stay at P27 per kilogram. The president has given a directive that NFA should continue selling at P27 even if the rice that we will be using were already be the local rice, Pinol said. He said the NFAs buffer stock of imported rice will be enough until September. By then, local farmers will supply rice and low-priced rice will remain in local The NFA has already purchased up to three million bags of palay from January to April this year. The agency targets to procure up to 30 million bags of palay through the entire year. Marje Pelayo (with details from Rey Pelayo) The post Pinol orders NFA to purge co-ops list, probe erring workers appeared first on UNTV News. Volkswagen Philippines recently turned over nine Volkswagen Santana subcompact sedans to CW Home Depot. This recent acquisition by the pioneering home construction and renovation store brings the total number of Volkswagen vehicles in its fleet to 17. CW Home Depot got four Volkswagen Jetta sedans in 2017 for its executives use, then in July 2018 brought in four Santanas for its managers. The nine new Santanas will be given to its top sales achievers. CW Home Depot is the first store-within-store retail concept wherein everything one needs to build or renovate a home is all under one roof. The stores unique platform offers a variety of building, finishing and furnishing products in a one-stop-shop setup. CW Home Depots unique brand proposition for its customerswhich revolves around the convenience, practicality, and efficiency of its retail conceptis perfectly aligned with its choice of the Volkswagen Santana as the vehicle for its top sales representatives, who tirelessly do the rounds of client calls and sales meetings with architects, builders, contractors, engineers, interior designers, and DIYers in promoting the practicality, quality, reliability, and convenience of CW Home Depots products. With the recent establishment of its Cavite outlet, CW Home Depot now has nine stores. The Santana has been considered the ideal vehicle for CW Home Depots managers and sales achievers, as the sedan offers German engineering, design, styling, safety, power, and fuel efficiency to give the best possible motoring lifestyle experience in the driver or owners very first Volkswagen. As the heritage of the iconic Polo has now been passed to the Santana, the Santana becomes the ideal subcompact sedan for young families and young professionals on their way to the top. The Santana is powered by an efficient 1.4-liter Multi-Point Injection (MPI) four-cylinder gasoline engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission, with a maximum power output of 89 hp at 5,500rpm and maximum torque of 132 Nm at 3,800rpm. The Santana features power outer mirrors, keyless entry and the longest wheelbase in its classtranslating to more space and ride comfort for its occupants. Safety highlights include ISOFIX anchorage points (mounting fixture for two child seats on rear seat bench), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), immobilizer and front airbags. Story continues The Santana 1.4-liter MPI with five-speed manual transmission retails for PHP686,000, which makes it the most accessibly priced premium subcompact sedans with world-class German automotive engineering and designa young professionals gateway to his or her first Volkswagen car. The aftersales and warranty coverage of the Santana also enables CW Home Depots driven sales achievers to focus more on delighting their own customers, thus making them excel more in their work. The periodic maintenance service (PMS) interval schedule for the Santana is just once a year, or every 10,000 kms, whichever comes first. This is more convenient and more cost-efficient compared to the industry-standard 5,000-km PMS interval. The warranty coverage is comprehensive. Aside from the three years or 100,000-km general warranty, whichever comes first, Volkswagen Philippines also offers a three-year warranty for paint and another three-year warranty for through-corrosion of the main steel body structure. With the total 17 Volkswagen vehicles CW Home Depot has acquired, 17 of the stores hardworking executives, managers, and top sales achievers also received the promise that with Volkswagen, Your Drive Just Got Better. But more than its individual employees personal achievements, these Volkswagen vehicles translate to a guarantee that with the premium Volkswagen brand, CW Home Depots fleet management Just Got Better. And like the the easy accessibility of CW Home Depots unique, yet world-class products and services, so too, are Volkswagen vehicles timeless designs, legendary safety, and German engineering, translating to that unique motoring lifestyle. Its What Makes A Volkswagen, A Volkswagen. For more information on the Santana and other vehicles in the roster of Volkswagen Philippines, log on to www.volkswagen.com.ph or visit any of the nine dealerships of Volkswagen Philippines: Volkswagen BGC at 938 28th Street City Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City; Volkswagen Quezon Avenue at 1229 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City; Volkswagen Alabang at Caltex along Alabang-Zapote Road, Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City; Volkswagen Greenfield District Service Center at 833 Sheridan Street, Barangay Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City; Volkswagen Santa Rosa along Tagaytay-Balibago Road, Brgy. Don Jose, Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Volkswagen Pampanga at McArthur Highway, Dolores, City of San Fernando, Pampanga; Volkswagen Cebu at A. Soriano Avenue, North Reclamation Area, Cebu City; Volkswagen Iloilo (upper ground level of SM Iloilo along Benigno Aquino Sr. Avenue), and Volkswagen Bacolod (along Araneta Street, Singcang, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental). The post Volkswagen Santana Continues to be CW Home Depots Preferred Fleet Sedan appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. The team found psychoactive compounds in an animal-skin pouch constructed of three fox snouts stitched together. Credit: Jose Capriles, Penn State A thousand years ago, Native Americans in South America used multiple psychotropic plantspossibly simultaneouslyto induce hallucinations and altered consciousness, according to an international team of anthropologists. "We already knew that psychotropics were important in the spiritual and religious activities of the societies of the south-central Andes, but we did not know that these people were using so many different compounds and possibly combining them together," said Jose Capriles, assistant professor of anthropology, Penn State. "This is the largest number of psychoactive substances ever found in a single archaeological assemblage from South America." The researchers were searching for ancient occupations in the dry rock shelters of the now-dry Sora River valley in southwestern Bolivia when they found a ritual bundle as part of a human burial. The bundlebound in a leather bagcontained, among other things, two snuffing tablets (used to pulverize psychotropic plants into snuff), a snuffing tube (for smoking hallucinogenic plants), and a pouch constructed of three fox snouts. The team used accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the outer leather bag and found that it was about 1,000 years old. "This period in this location is associated with the disintegration of the Tiwanaku state and the emergence of regional polities," said Capriles. The researchers found a ritual bundle in the Cueva del Chileno rock shelter located in southwestern Bolivia. Credit: Jose Capriles, Penn State In addition, the team used a scalpel to obtain a tiny scraping from the interior of the fox-snout pouch and analyzed the material using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. "This method is highly sensitive and very effective for detecting the presence of minute amounts of specific compounds from very small samples," said Melanie Miller, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Otago, New Zealand, and research affiliate at the University of California, Berkeley, who was responsible for analyzing the samples. The researchers identified the presence of multiple psychoactive compoundscocaine, benzoylecgonine (the primary metabolite of cocaine), harmine, bufotenin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and possibly psilocin (a compound found in some mushrooms)from at least three different plant species (likely Erythroxylum coca, a species of Anadenanthera and Banistesteriopsis caani). The results will appear during the week of May 6 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to Capriles, the fox-snout pouch likely belonged to a shaman. "Shamans were ritual specialists who had knowledge of plants and how to use them as mechanisms to engage with supernatural beings, including venerated ancestors who were thought to exist in other realms," said Capriles. "It is possible that the shaman who owned this pouch consumed multiple different plants simultaneously to produce different effects or extend his or her hallucinations.'" The ritual bundle included two carved and decorated wooden snuffing tablets that would have been used as a platform on which to pulverize psychotropic plants. Credit: Jose Capriles, Penn State Capriles noted that the co-occurrence of harmine and DMT, which are the primary ingredients of ayahuascaa beverage that is reported to induce hallucinations and altered consciousnessin the pouch suggests the use of this beverage as one of the drugs in the shaman's kit. "Some scholars believe that ayahuasca has relatively recent origins, while others argue that it may have been used for centuries, or even millennia," said Capriles. "Given the presence of harmine and DMT together in the pouch we found, it is likely that this shaman ingested these simultaneously to achieve a hallucinogenic state, either through a beverage, such as ayahuasca, or through a composite snuff that contained these plants in a single mixture. This finding suggests that ayahuasca may have been used up to 1,000 years ago." Not only does the presence of numerous compounds suggest simultaneous use of drugs and earlier use of ayahuasca, in particular, but it also indicates intricate botanical knowledge by the owner of the pouch and an effort to acquire hallucinogenic plants, as the plants came from different regions of mostly tropical South America. "The presence of these compounds indicates the owner of this kit had access to at least three plants with psychoactive compounds, but potentially even four or five," said Miller. "None of the psychoactive compounds we found come from plants that grow in this area of the Andes, indicating either the presence of elaborate exchange networks or the movement of this individual across diverse environments to procure these special plants. This discovery reminds us that people in the past had extensive knowledge of these powerful plants and their potential uses, and they sought them out for their medicinal and psychoactive properties." Explore further Rise of religion pre-dates Incas at Lake Titicaca More information: Melanie J. Miller el al., "Chemical evidence for the use of multiple psychotropic plants in a 1,000-year-old ritual bundle from South America," PNAS (2019). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Melanie J. Miller el al., "Chemical evidence for the use of multiple psychotropic plants in a 1,000-year-old ritual bundle from South America,"(2019). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1902174116 The PrognoNetz project is aimed at monitoring overhead lines at high resolution and in real time. Credit: ITIV, KIT To integrate volatile renewable sources into the energy supply, capacities of the power grid have to be increased. The need for new lines can be reduced by better utilization of existing lines as a function of weather conditions. To this end, researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) work on self-learning sensor networks to model the cooling effect of weather based on real data. In favorable conditions, the line's power transmission can be enhanced in this way. Rapid extension of the use of renewable energy sources wind energy in the north, photovoltaics in the south and the increasing international power trade result in increasing requirements on the power transmission grid. To transport power from producers to consumers, to prevent temporary shutdown of plants that generate power from regenerative sources, in particular at high wind intensities, and to ensure high supply security in general, considerable extension of the existing grid infrastructure is required. This is associated with time-consuming licensing processes and high costs. However, the need for new transmission lines can be reduced significantly by a better utilization of existing overhead lines. "In this way, power transport can be increased considerably depending on weather conditions, such as ambient temperature, solar irradiation, wind speed, and wind direction," says Professor Wilhelm Stork, head of the Microsystem Technology Group of KIT's Institute for Information Processing Technology (ITIV). "This increase can be achieved without exceeding the maximum permissible conductor temperature and without the distance of the conductor from the ground or from objects dropping below the permissible minimum." The wind with its cooling effect that is influenced by local topography and vegetation is of particular importance in this respect. Transmission line monitoring at high resolution and in real time is the goal of the ITIV-coordinated project "PrognoNetz Self-learning sensor networks for weather-dependent transmission line operation." Project partners are UBIMET GmbH Weather Service Karlsruhe, the Baden-Wurttemberg transmission grid operator TransnetBW GmbH, Stuttgart, the IT company unilab AG Paderborn, GWU-Umwelttechnik GmbH Erftstadt, and Wilmers Messtechnik GmbH Hamburg. The project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) started in early 2019 and is scheduled for a duration of three years. Within PrognoNetz, the research and industry partners will develop wide sensor networks with smart sensors that, unlike conventional weather stations, are located closely to each other and near overhead lines in order to precisely measure weather conditions. The sensor networks are resistant to harsh ambient conditions and supply critical data to the control center wirelessly. With forthcoming new algorithms, the sensors will have a self-learning function. Based on the distributed weather data measured, they will automatically generate precise power load prognoses for hours or even days. Using historical weather data and topographic properties, smart models will be developed for any transmission line of the power grid. Within PrognoNetz, ITIV scientists are working on prognosis models based on artificial intelligence and on a laser-based wind sensor, the measurement accuracy of which is higher than that of rigidly mounted conventional sensors. In addition, unmanned drones will be used to install and maintain the weather sensors on the power poles. The self-learning meteorological network to be developed within PrognoNetz will initially be applied to existing high-voltage lines and equipment of the partner TransnetBW. "This AI-based network will ensure optimal utilization of existing power grids at any time by adapting operation to the weather conditions. Bottlenecks can be overcome," Wilhelm Stork says. "In this way, power transport can be increased by 15 to 30 percent under favorable conditions, i.e. a low external temperature or strong wind." Explore further CWI researchers make power grid more reliable with mathematics A well installation in Bangladesh. Credit: Rajib Mozumder In what has been called "the largest mass poisoning of a population in history," some 40 million people in Bangladesh are drinking water that contains unsafe levels of arsenic. The naturally occurring element seeps into groundwater reached by shallow wells, and from there it has a huge impact on the health and lives of Bangladeshis; chronic exposure to arsenic is estimated to be responsible for six percent of deaths in the country. It causes cardiovascular disease, cancer, infant mortality, and motor and intellectual problems in children. Bangladesh's government is taking measures to address the problem, and plans to invest $200 million toward cleaning up water supplies. A new study, published last week in Environmental Science and Technology, could help to inform how that money would be best spent. The analysis compares four methods of dealing with the arsenic contamination, and pinpoints strategies to deliver cleaner water to the greatest number of people at the lowest cost. The study was inspired by a regional pipe water system recently built by the Bangladeshi government, said Lex van Geen, a research professor at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and a coauthor on the new study. "We saw that the pipe system cost several hundred thousand dollars, and that it was only helping a tiny part of the population." By comparing the costs and impacts of the different mitigation strategies, the study concludes that the government's strategies of constructing pipe systems and drilling deeper wells are the most expensive yet least effective options. Instead, the researchers recommend several strategies that could help more people at a much lower cost. Four Strategies The study, led by Nadia Jamil at Montclair State University, pulls from van Geen's decades-long research in Bangladesh. Van Geen's work has shown that simply testing well water and providing information about the risks of arsenic poisoning can get 60 percent of people, on average, to switch to lower-arsenic water sources. His team's most recent survey of 48,790 wells in Araihazar province is estimated to have helped 132,000 inhabitants find a cleaner source of water, at a cost of just $1 per person. Because arsenic contamination is more common in shallow wells, another strategy the government uses is to drill medium-depth wells, with households responsible for paying for 10 percent of the well's cost. This option is a bit more expensivecosting $28 per person whose exposure is reducedand often results in the wells getting installed on private land instead of being a public resource, so they end up helping fewer people. The study finds that the Bangladesh governments preferred strategies of drilling deep tubewells and constructing piped water supply systems are the least cost-effective ways to deal with arsenic contamination. Credit: Jamil et al. "The real shocker was that both of the government approaches were closer to $150 per person," says van Geen. These included drilling deep tubewellsa process that requires special equipmentand constructing piped water supply systems. The researchers calculated that these strategies cost $143 and $158 per person, respectively. But, says van Geen, "it could be closer to $10 if they did it better." Wider Implications Although the study focused on one district, called Araihazar Upazila, the authors think the results have significant implications for arsenic mitigation all over Bangladesh. "It strengthens the importance of widespread testing programs, which would work as a basis for other mitigation options," said Jamil. "Testing is the cheapest of all mitigation methods." She added that study also underlines the potential of intermediate wells, which are quite low in cost, but have been "overlooked for a long period of time for unknown reasons." Due to the high cost of piped water systems, the study recommends that this approach should be used only as a last resort in areas where not even deep wells can provide low arsenic water. However, van Geen says his conversations with government officials have indicated that they will likely continue investing in deep tubewells and piped water systems, despite the fact that cheaper and more impactful strategies exist. There may be ways to increase the effectiveness of deep wells. The authors mention that by siting the wells in a more strategic way and ensuring they are truly public, just 916 wells could bring 132,000 inhabitants with an unsafe well to within 100-meters of a safe source of water. The researchers are currently exploring strategies to help make these deep well deployments more tactical. "The government is spending the money on deep wells anyway," he says, "so why not do it better?" Explore further Villagers follow the geology to safer water in Bangladesh This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Interaction between universities and companies in Brazil has societal, economic and environmental impacts, as well as positive effects on academic productivity. Researchers and research groups who collaborate with business organizations are scientifically more productive. The intellectual and scientific impacts of the partnership are positive. This is the main finding of a study conducted by Renato de Castro Garcia, a professor at the University of Campinas Economics Institute (IE-UNICAMP), and presented to the 8th Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council (GRC). The GRC summit was attended by heads of research funding agencies from dozens of countries around the world. Organized by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) and the German Research Foundation (DFG), the meeting took place on May 1-3, 2019, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The study is published in the journal Science and Public Policy. Its findings are based on a questionnaire answered by 1,005 researchers and representatives of research centres who reported collaboration with firms to Brazil's National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). The data are for 2002-08. "We divided the researchers into those who interacted regularly and those who interacted only once with business organizations. We found that commercial factors were important for both groups. However, those who interacted regularly saw intellectual benefits such as new ideas for projects or scientific publications as most important," Garcia said. Garcia co-edited the book Estudos de caso da interacao universidade empresa no Brasil ("Case studies on university-business interaction in Brazil") with Marcia Rapini of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and Silvio Cario of the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Focusing on studies of academia-industry interaction conducted in several countries, the book is available for download free of charge. "In Brazil the sectors that interact with universities are often not those considered science-intensive or close to the knowledge frontier, such as electronics, pharmaceuticals or aerospace, for example," said Rapini, who took part in the GRC's annual meeting. An example can be found in Minas Gerais, she added, where mining and steelmaking are at the forefront of interaction with universities. "These are traditional, well-established industries that focus on export. We observed similar examples in all Brazilian states," she said. Commenting further on the mining and steelmaking example, Rapini noted that these industries are obliged to interact with universities by law. "It's not spontaneous interaction. This made us realize that interaction is defined by the existence of demand on the part of the firm," she said. Another finding she highlighted was that interaction occurs in firms with their own internal research and development (R&D) departments. "When a firm produces knowledge internally, it tends to want to reach out to academia. Firms that merely survive don't produce knowledge. This was a lesson we learned. If the firm doesn't want to do it, it doesn't happen. If the basic demand isn't there, there won't be any interaction," Rapini said. In areas where it is possible to do basic research and publish articles, interactions is more evident. "There are areas in which partnerships occur because without interacting with industry, firms or productive agricultural establishments the researcher can't do the research or know whether the product developed can be mass-produced or even if it's economically viable," Rapini said. The book has three levels of analysis: sectoral studies, knowledge areas and studies of firms. "The book was made possible by a team who brought actual case studies from each state. Some chapters analyze partnerships between universities and non-traditional industries. We obtained different results from those reported in studies conducted elsewhere, mainly in developed countries. We learned a great deal about our own reality," Rapini said. The book also shows, Rapini added, that focusing excessively on cooperation with business may lead research centres to ignore opportunities to partner with other sectors, such as NGOs or government. "These partnerships can have a major societal and economic impact in developing countries and should be highly valued," she said. Explore further Brazil-endemic plant genus Mcvaughia highlights diversity in a unique biome More information: Renato Garcia et al. How the Benefits, Results and Barriers of Collaboration Affect University Engagement with Industry, Science and Public Policy (2018). Renato Garcia et al. How the Benefits, Results and Barriers of Collaboration Affect University Engagement with Industry,(2018). DOI: 10.1093/scipol/scy062 Case Western Reserve University biology researchers dig into a wooded area in South Chagrin Reservation to look for evidence of earthworms. Credit: Jean Burns Case Western Reserve biologists say combined effect of two species could be harming Ohio's forest ecosystems; research could inform deer-park management An overpopulation of whitetailed deer is contributing to the spread of invasive earthwormsa newly discovered link to understanding environmental damage in Ohio's forests. How the connection between those two species may be hurting the state's wooded areas is among the surprising findings by two Case Western Reserve University biologists. "We're talking about a large ungulate (hoofed mammal) and a small, underground invasive specieshow on earth would you ever make that connection?" said Colin Cope, a 2018 Case Western Reserve graduate who conducted the study with Jean Burns, an associate professor in the Department of Biology. "But research has shown the connection, and they both play major roles in harming forest ecosystems," he said. "We wanted to find out more about how and which worm species may benefit most (from the presence of whitetailed deer)." That question led to what may be their most compelling discovery during their four-year study: The presence of twice as many of a smaller but destructive earthworm (Octolasion tyrtaeum) in wooded areas that were not fenced to keep deer out. That worm species can wreak havoc on the soil, Burns said. "What you're left with after earthworms have consumed the organic layer (leaves) on top of the soil, is a soil that is more clay-like, almost pebbled," said Burns, whose Ecology Lab in the College of Arts and Sciences focuses in part on the study of invasive plants and animals. The research did not project how widespread the environmental impact might be on Ohio forest lands, but focused on how the two species combine to damage specific areasand how to detect their impact. For example, Burns said, if a forest land manager were to identify the presence of the smaller earthworm, it could be a simple and fast way to signal an existing deer problemand give that managers evidence to support reducing the deer herd. But does the presence of deer really influence earthworm populations? Credit: Case Western Reserve University To find out, Burns and Cope conducted their research at 44 locations throughout Ohio. Their findings were published in a forest ecology journal in March. Understanding the connection Among the theories considered by Burns, Cope and others: that deer fecal droppings enhance the nutrient content of the soil and that their "scrapings"when they dig up leaves and soil with their hoovesdisturbs the soil, promoting a better habitat for the smaller worms, which feed lower in the soil column. Previous research has also established that those particular earthworms break up the root and underground fungus networks responsible for transferring water, carbon, nitrogen and other nutrients and minerals. But it's not only the smaller worms that cause problems. The large "nightcrawler," a European invader, is blamed for consuming the seeds and seedlings of native plants, Burns said. "We had an undergrad working with us who was lifting a small seedling out from the soil and literally watched one come up to her tweezers and yank it back into the ground," she said. "That's pretty bold." This new work by Cope and Burns builds on a growing, but still fairly new field of study that focuses on both above- and below-ground interactions among plants and animals, Cope said. Deer overpopulation is considered a global problem spurred by increased urbanization and a decrease in predators to eat the deer. The negative effect those deer have on forests as they eat vegetation on the forest floor has long been studied by biologists and land managers, Burns said. Ohio's deer herd has grown from about 17,000 in 1979 to more than 700,000 today, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Worse, white-tail deer, for example, prefer to feed on certain native plants, leaving forested areas more susceptible to an invasion from unwanted plants like the aggressive garlic mustard. "So, would stopping earthworms stop other invasive species? No, we can't say that," Burns said. "But if we can continue to bring deer population down, we now have evidence that it may slow the earthworm invasion, too." Explore further Deer prefer native plants leaving lasting damage on forests More information: Colin G. Cope et al. Effects of native deer on invasive earthworms depend on earthworm functional feeding group and correlate with earthworm body size, Forest Ecology and Management (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2019.01.003 Journal information: Forest Ecology and Management Colin G. Cope et al. Effects of native deer on invasive earthworms depend on earthworm functional feeding group and correlate with earthworm body size,(2019). DOI: In interview, Asst. Prof. Amir Jina explains how climate change affects local economies, from the U.S. to places like Bangladesh. Credit: Amir Jina This is the latest in a series of stories spotlighting how faculty, students and alumni at the Harris School of Public Policy are driving impact for the next generation. Leading up to the May 3 grand opening of the Harris's new home at the Keller Center, these stories will examine three of the most critical issues facing our world: strengthening democracy, fighting poverty and inequality, and confronting the global energy challenge. Delivering access to reliable and affordable energy, while minimizing its social and environmental impacts, including those created by our changing climate, is one of society's most complex challenges. Asst. Prof. Amir Jina focuses his research on the role of the environment and environmental change in the shaping how societies develop. He combines methods from climate science and remote sensing to understand the impacts of climate in both rich and poor countries. A founding member of the Climate Impact Laban interdisciplinary collaboration examining the socioeconomic impacts of climate change around the worldrecently with Harris Public Policy to discuss his work. Talk a little about climate change's significance beyond environmental impact. We are at a stage with the science and knowledge that most of the details about climate change are broadly known. There are many nuancesfor example, how will disaster risk change or what parts of the planet will warm at faster ratesbut we basically understand that the planet is warming, and we are now investing in the research and technology to mitigate and manage that. The socioeconomic side of the issue, however, is less understood. What I'm trying to dowith the help of other economic and climate experts from across the countryis build a foundation of evidence and use relevant data to understand the relationship between climate and society. The effects of heat on worker productivity or suicide surges following crop losses or increases in crime and incarceration rates, for instance. There are countless impacts that can be uncovered, quantified and used strategically to inform development and investment. Are there specific regions of the U.S. that should brace themselves more for economic hardship than others as a result of climate change? One of the most surprising findings our research uncovered was the significant regional disparities in terms of responding and adapting to the effects of climate change. We know that places with lower average incomes are suffering more than their affluent neighbors and because U.S. counties in the South are, on average, poorer than counties in the North, their ability to manage the impact of climate change is tenuous. The fact that they face hotter temperatures on a more regular basis further exacerbates risk. In the North, rising temperatures are positive for things like better health. In the South, enhanced hurricanes and rising sea level caused by a hotter climate creates a perfect storm from which these communities may not be able to recover. And what about the impact of climate change globally? Especially in poorer countries, like India? This one is hardthe richness of data that is available in wealthy countries is often not there in poorer ones. To understand the true impact, we had to think about how to capture data on a majority of countries who are the poorest and most vulnerable. We began to see a very similar pattern to what we found in the U.S.that poorer countries, especially tropical countries, fared much worse than wealthier countries who were able to invest in adaptation, like purchasing air conditioning or having better health infrastructurethings which have the effect of mitigating the negative impacts of climate change on the economy. In India, a farmer clears land of weeds, which grow better than the crops people plant due to the erratic rainfall. Credit: Amir Jina How are losses due to climate change calculated? And why are these numbers important for the everyday citizen? It starts with data, both on economic outcomes and on climate variables. But it's not easy to do, as different places have very different environments, social structures, policies and so on. So we zoom in a bit, and examine data from a particular location, running statistical models that compare years with more extremely hot or cold days and years with fewer, for instance. We look at how heat impacts health, the ability to work, food security, energy demand, and other outcomes for thousands of locations across the globe. That's how we end up with estimates of the relationships between climate and the economy. On days when it's hotter, we may see a rise in mortality rates or a decline in crop yields. We can analyze these outcomes to better understand how the relationship between a variety of inputsfrom the loss of crops or the health of workersand climate evolves over time. Then we project these into the future, building on cutting-edge climate science, and taking into account how much people can adapt. To be able to compare, say, health and agriculture, we assign dollar values to their impacts. This gives policymakers, employers, and investors critical information for designing tools and programs that best address and prepare for what's really happening on the ground because of climate change. And one thing becomes very clear: the longer we wait to enact policies that will delay climate change, the more expensive it will become to cope with its effects down the road. Beyond economic impact, what types of social challenges do we face? Climate change is a threat multiplier. We see a strong correlation between climate and conflict. In places where resources are scarce, political systems are unstable and cultural rifts exist; for example, climate change comes in and exacerbates all of that. We look a lot at crime and the rise in crime ratesfrom theft to homicidethat occur due to environmental exposures. This could become a major issue for countries as they evaluate how important climate change policies are and what level of response is necessary to ensure the safety and security of their citizens. It's not just about dollars, but also about our sense of safety. How significant is it that the U.S. has said it will leave the Paris Accord and what are the consequences you see as a result? Broadly speaking, climate change is among the greatest challenges our society has ever faced. Other things might be more costly, but I can't think of anything as thorny as climate changeits causes and effects are often distant in space and time, affecting people all over the globe, and it requires unprecedented global coordination to deal with it. When you turn on your fossil fuel light switch, you are causing harm in other places of the world. To be a robust, healthy society, however, we need a lot of energy. But, there is only a limited amount of space left in the atmosphere for fossil fuels emissionsso who gets to use that space? That's a big ethical question and any response must be considered in a global context. The Paris Accord was a good start. It made a statement that almost the whole worldincluding the U.S., which isn't the world's largest emitter now but historically has beenwas committed to the issue. The last few years have changed thatthe U.S. saying it doesn't care anymore is extremely detrimental. We tried for decades to have this international agreement, and the U.S. has a unique role in leading the world on this set of issues. Unfortunately, shortly after the U.S. embraced that leadership role, we backed out, in effect sending the message that climate change is an optional problem to deal with, and it's anything but. Do you think there are specific policies that could help mitigate the negative effects of climate change? There is nearly unanimous consensus among economists about what we should do: put a price on carbon. It's an attractive idea because fossil fuels have had an unfair advantage for 250 yearswith the costs of the external impacts on people not being paid by either the users of fossil fuels or by the extractors. Each time we use fossil fuels we cause damage somewhere, but no one pays for them. So accurately pricing those would allow us to equalize the playing field. But, as we've seen, it's a politically contentious policy. People see it as overly expensive when they only look at the costs of the policy and so, for many, it's a non-starter. We are now starting, however, to understand that the benefits in reducing damages may be enormous, and far outweigh the costs of any climate policy. As we consider policies, however, two things must be incorporated in the process. First, we must ensure that any policy making is done according to the best available science; and second, we need to focus on equity. Benefits should not just accrue to certain people in society. We need to account for the fact that these climate impacts are affecting poorer people and nations more significantly than wealthier ones. Magnetic measurement images showing how the number of skyrmions in a nanomaterial varies with magnetic field strength. These results were used to prove the influence of skyrmions on the Hall resistivity, a phenomenon called the Topological Hall Effect. Credit: M. Raju. Magnetic skyrmions are tiny entities, manifesting in magnetic materials that consist of localized twists in the magnetization direction of the medium. Each skyrmion is highly stable because eliminating it requires untwisting the magnetization direction of the material, just as a knot on a string can only be untied by pulling the rest of the string out of the knot. Magnetic skyrmions are a promising candidate for next-generation magnetic storage devices because of their stability and tiny size-with widths of 50 nanometers or less, they occupy only a fraction of the area of magnetic bits in current hard disks. For this reason, researchers have been intensively searching out materials that can contain magnetic skyrmions, and studying their electrical and magnetic properties. Recently, an important breakthrough in understanding the behaviour of magnetic skyrmions has been announced by a team of scientists in Singapore and Israel. They have shown, for the first time, that the presence of magnetic skyrmions is unambiguously linked to a phenomenon known as the topological Hall effect, which describes how electric currents are diverted by an emergent magnetic field of a skyrmion. The work was published in March 2019 in the journal Nature Communications. The team studied a synthetic nanomaterial optimized for hosting magnetic skyrmions, composed of consecutive layers of iridium, iron, cobalt, and platinum, each having thickness of a nanometer or less. In 2017, the same nanomaterial had provided the earliest evidence for the topological Hall effect at room temperature, observed by the research group of Christos Panagopoulos at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), who also led the present work. Professor Panagopoulos and his co-workers showed that the nanomaterial's Hall resistivity-the ratio of transverse voltage to electric current in the presence of a magnetic field-contained anomalies that were difficult to explain except by the effect of magnetic skyrmions. "The interesting thing about the way skyrmions influence the Hall resistivity is that it depends on how the magnetization twists around each skyrmion," explains Panagopoulos. "Mathematically, such twists are called 'topological' features, which is why the physical phenomenon is referred to as the 'topological Hall effect'." However, some aspects of the 2017 experiments remained difficult to explain. The data seemed to indicate that the anomalies in the Hall resistivity were 100 times larger than theoretical predictions based on the topological Hall effect. To establish a definite connection, the electrical measurements needed to be carefully matched with direct observations of magnetic skyrmions. To accomplish this, the Panagopoulos group collaborated with the laboratory of Ophir Auslaender at Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology. Using a state-of-the-art low temperature magnetic force microscope, the Auslaender group obtained highly accurate images of the skyrmions in the nanomaterial. Notably, they found that certain "wormlike" magnetization patterns were formed by multiple skyrmions joined together. By combining electrical Hall measurements and magnetic imaging, the collaboration managed to significantly narrow the discrepancy between theory and experiment. "The first thing we realized was that the number of magnetic skyrmions had been underestimated by a factor of ten," says M. Raju, a research fellow at NTU who is one of the lead authors of the study. "Digging deeper, we were able to show that the number of magnetic skyrmions is directly proportional to the topological Hall resistivity. This provides conclusive evidence that the skyrmions are responsible, not some other unaccounted-for phenomenon." Despite this advance, Professor Panagopoulos notes that the topological Hall resistivity remains higher than theory predicts, and suggests that the remaining discrepancy may be a matter of theoretical limitations. "The topological Hall effect concept is based on assumptions, such as adiabaticity, that are theoretically convenient but may not be accurate for real materials," he notes. "With the aid of these improved experimental methods, we are building a more sophisticated understanding of how electrical charges interact with magnetic spin in these important and technologically-promising materials." Explore further Researchers report observation of room-temperature polar skyrmions More information: M. Raju et al. The evolution of skyrmions in Ir/Fe/Co/Pt multilayers and their topological Hall signature, Nature Communications (2019). Journal information: Nature Communications M. Raju et al. The evolution of skyrmions in Ir/Fe/Co/Pt multilayers and their topological Hall signature,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08041-9 Myotis escalerai in flight in Soria, Spain Credit: Daniel Fernandez Alonso New research led by the University of Southampton has shown that the threat of range losses for some species as a result of climate change could be overestimated because of the ability of certain animals to adapt to rising temperatures and aridity. The researchers have now developed a new approach to more accurately determine vulnerability, which could aid conservation efforts by ensuring they are focussed on species most at risk. Their findings have been published today in the scientific journal PNAS. Current methods for assessing vulnerability ignore the potential for some animal populations to adapt genetically to their changing environment, meaning they are able to survive in warming temperatures and drier conditions better than other populations within the same species. The international team was led by Dr. Orly Razgour, lecturer in Ecology at the University of Southampton, and studied the genomic data of two species of bats native to the Mediterranean, an area which is particularly affected by rising global temperatures. Dr. Razgour said: "The most commonly used approach for forecasting the bats' future suggests that the range of suitable habitats for them would diminish rapidly due to climate change. However, this assumes all bats within the same species cope with changing temperatures and drier climates in the same way. We developed a new approach that takes into account the ability of bats within the same species to adapt to different climatic conditions." By taking samples from the wings of over 300 bats living in the wild, the scientists were able to study their DNA and identify the individual bats that have adapted to thrive in hot and dry conditions and those who were adapted to colder and wetter environments. They then used this information to model changes in climatic suitability and the distribution of each group under future climate change. Once the scientists had mapped the areas that were most populated by each group of adapted bats, they studied the landscapes in between each area to determine whether they would allow the hot-dry adapted bats to move to areas inhabited by the cold-wet adapted bats. The study's findings showed that there was suitable forest covervital for these bats to move aroundacross most of the landscapes. Thanks to this landscape connectivity, individuals adapted to hot-dry conditions can reach cold-wet adapted populations and breed with them, which will increase the potential of the population to survive as conditions become warmer and drier. Dr. Razgour concluded: "We believe that if this model is used when assessing the vulnerability of any species to climate change we could reduce erroneous predictions and misplaced conservation efforts. Any conservation strategy should consider how individual animals can adapt locally and should focus not only on areas with threatened populations but also on making movement between populations easier. This is why it is important to look at the combined effect of climate change and habitat loss." Explore further Climate change could put rare bat species at greater risk More information: Orly Razgour el al., "Considering adaptive genetic variation in climate change vulnerability assessment reduces species range loss projections," PNAS (2019). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Orly Razgour el al., "Considering adaptive genetic variation in climate change vulnerability assessment reduces species range loss projections,"(2019). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1820663116 Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images Amid last months purge at the Department of Homeland Security, President Trump withdrew the nomination of Ron D. Vitiello as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying that he wanted to move the agency in a tougher direction. Trump has found the nominee to take ICE there in Mark Morgan, who served as the Border Patrol chief for six months during Obamas second term. The president also tweet-announced that former ICE deputy director Matt Albence would now lead the agency as acting director; Albence is known for an August 2018 quote comparing ICE detention to summer camp. 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. Mark is a true believer and American Patriot. He will do a great job! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2019 Pending the confirmation of Mark Morgan as our Nations new ICE Director, Matt Albence will serve in the role of Acting Director. Matt is tough and dedicated and has my full support to deploy ICE to the maximum extent of the law! #MAGA Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2019 Despite the rare prospect of a Trump administration official who has served under a Democratic president, Morgans recent comments on immigration certainly line up with the presidents impression of the border crisis. In an interview with Fox News on April 15, Morgan rejected the notion that Trump manufactured the crisis on the border and agreed with his proposal to release migrants in Democratic sanctuary cities. Ive been there, Morgan told Fox News. The Border Patrol, ICE, their facilities are overwhelmed, the faith-based organizations and other nongovernmental organizations are overwhelmed. They have no choice. Theyre going to have to start pushing these individuals out. Shouldnt we kind of share the burden throughout the country? Of course, this assumes that migrants are a burden, a mind-set that sanctuary cities, their labor markets, and obviously asylum seekers themselves dont automatically share. As New Yorks Eric Levitz notes: If one rejects [Trumps] racist (and empirically baseless) presumptions about the effect that undocumented immigrants have on urban life, then he is essentially threatening to provide asylum seekers with free transportation to cities that are currently in need of more labor, and which have proved to be especially accommodating to Americas newcomers. The decision to nominate Morgan as ICE director was like so many maneuvers by the president a surprise to those closest to him. As Los Angeles Times immigration reporter Molly OToole writes, Morgan has not yet been formally nominated, according to one Senate aide, and that officials were caught by surprise by Trumps tweet announcing his pick. In this Dec. 4, 2018, file photo, birds fly past a smoking chimney in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Development that's led to loss of habitat, climate change, overfishing, pollution and invasive species is causing a biodiversity crisis, scientists say in a new United Nations science report released Monday, May 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File) People are putting nature in more trouble now than at any other time in human history, with extinction looming over 1 million species of plants and animals, scientists said Monday. But it's not too late to fix the problem, according to the United Nations' first comprehensive report on biodiversity. "We have reconfigured dramatically life on the planet," report co-chairman Eduardo Brondizio of Indiana University said at a press conference. Species loss is accelerating to a rate tens or hundreds of times faster than in the past, the report said. More than half a million species on land "have insufficient habitat for long-term survival" and are likely to go extinct, many within decades, unless their habitats are restored. The oceans are not any better off. "Humanity unwittingly is attempting to throttle the living planet and humanity's own future," said George Mason University biologist Thomas Lovejoy, who has been called the godfather of biodiversity for his research. He was not part of the report. "The biological diversity of this planet has been really hammered, and this is really our last chance to address all of that," Lovejoy said. Conservation scientists convened in Paris to issue the report, which exceeded 1,000 pages. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) included more than 450 researchers who used 15,000 scientific and government reports. The report's summary had to be approved by representatives of all 109 nations. In this June 7, 2017, file photo, two wild elephants, part of a herd that arrived at a wetland near the Thakurkuchi railway station engage in a tussle on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam, India. Development that's led to loss of habitat, climate change, overfishing, pollution and invasive species is causing a biodiversity crisis, scientists say in a new United Nations science report released Monday, May 6, 2019. (AP Photo/ Anupam Nath, File) Some nations hit harder by the losses, like small island countries, wanted more in the report. Others, such as the United States, were cautious in the language they sought, but they agreed "we're in trouble," said Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, who observed the final negotiations. "This is the strongest call we've seen for reversing the trends on the loss of nature," Shaw said. The findings are not just about saving plants and animals, but about preserving a world that's becoming harder for humans to live in, said Robert Watson, a former top NASA and British scientist who headed the report. "We are indeed threatening the potential food security, water security, human health and social fabric" of humanity, Watson told The Associated Press. It's also an economic and security issue as countries fight over scarcer resources. Watson said the poor in less developed countries bear the greatest burden. In this June 21, 2015, file photo, a fisherman unloads his catch in the port of Suao, north eastern Taiwan. Development that's led to loss of habitat, climate change, overfishing, pollution and invasive species is causing a biodiversity crisis, scientists say in a new United Nations science report released Monday, May 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Wally Santana, File) The report's 39-page summary highlighted five ways people are reducing biodiversity: Turning forests, grasslands and other areas into farms, cities and other developments. The habitat loss leaves plants and animals homeless. About three-quarters of Earth's land, two-thirds of its oceans and 85% of crucial wetlands have been severely altered or lost, making it harder for species to survive, the report said. Overfishing the world's oceans. A third of the world's fish stocks are overfished. Permitting climate change from the burning of fossil fuels to make it too hot, wet or dry for some species to survive. Almost half of the world's land mammalsnot including batsand nearly a quarter of the birds have already had their habitats hit hard by global warming. Polluting land and water. Every year, 300 to 400 million tons of heavy metals, solvents and toxic sludge are dumped into the world's waters. In this Oct. 21, 2018, file photo, a couple walks through a forest with the Frankfurt skyline in background near Frankfurt, Germany. Development that's led to loss of habitat, climate change, overfishing, pollution and invasive species is causing a biodiversity crisis, scientists say in a new United Nations science report released Monday, May 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File) Allowing invasive species to crowd out native plants and animals. The number of invasive alien species per country has risen 70% since 1970, with one species of bacteria threatening nearly 400 amphibian species. "The key to remember is, it's not a terminal diagnosis," said report co-author Andrew Purvis of the Natural History Museum in London. Fighting climate change and saving species are equally important, the report said, and working on both environmental problems should go hand in hand. Both problems exacerbate each other because a warmer world means fewer species, and a less biodiverse world means fewer trees and plants to remove heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the air, Lovejoy said. The world's coral reefs are a perfect example of where climate change and species loss intersect. If the world warms another 0.9 degrees (0.5 degrees Celsius), which other reports say is likely, coral reefs will probably dwindle by 70% to 90%, the report said. At 1.8 degrees (1 degree Celsius), the report said, 99% of the world's coral will be in trouble. "Business as usual is a disaster," Watson said. In this Dec. 14, 2011, file photo, a lemur looks through the forest at Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in Andasibe, Madagascar. Development that's led to loss of habitat, climate change, overfishing, pollution and invasive species is causing a biodiversity crisis, scientists say in a new United Nations science report released Monday, May 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Jason Straziuso, File) At least 680 species with backbones have already gone extinct since 1600. The report said 559 domesticated breeds of mammals used for food have disappeared. More than 40% of the world's amphibian species, more than one-third of the marine mammals and nearly one-third of sharks and fish are threatened with extinction. The report relies heavily on research by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, which is composed of biologists who maintain a list of threatened species. The IUCN calculated in March that 27,159 species are threatened, endangered or extinct in the wild out of nearly 100,000 species biologists examined in depth. That includes 1,223 mammal species, 1,492 bird species and 2,341 fish species. Nearly half the threatened species are plants. Scientists have only examined a small fraction of the estimated 8 million species on Earth. The report comes up with 1 million species in trouble by extrapolating the IUCN's 25% threatened rate to the rest of the world's species and using a lower rate for the estimated 5.5 million species of insects, Watson said. In this Aug. 30, 2008, file photo, fish swim next to a coral reef at Cayo de Agua in archipelago Los Roques, Venezuela. Development that's led to loss of habitat, climate change, overfishing, pollution and invasive species is causing a biodiversity crisis, scientists say in a new United Nations science report released Monday, May 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File) Outside scientists, such as Lovejoy and others, said that's a reasonable assessment. The report gives only a generic "within decades" time frame for species loss because it is dependent on many variables, including taking the problem seriously, which can reduce the severity of the projections, Watson said. "We're in the middle of the sixth great extinction crisis, but it's happening in slow motion," said Conservation International and University of California Santa Barbara ecologist Lee Hannah, who was not part of the report. Five times in the past, Earth has undergone mass extinctions where much of life on Earth blinked out, like the one that killed the dinosaurs. Watson said the report was careful not to call what's going on now as a sixth big die-off because current levels don't come close to the 75% level in past mass extinctions. The report goes beyond species. Of the 18 measured ways nature helps humans, the report said 14 are declining, with food and energy production noticeable exceptions. The report found downward trends in nature's ability to provide clean air and water, good soil and other essentials. In this March 20, 2018, file photo, giraffes and zebras congregate under the shade of a tree in the afternoon in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. The United Nations will issue its first comprehensive global scientific report on biodiversity on Monday, May 6, 2019. The report will explore the threat of extinction for Earth's plants and animals. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File) Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats, and it's happening worldwide, Watson said. The report projects 15.5 million miles (25 million kilometers) of new roads will be paved over nature between now and 2050, most in the developing world. Many of the worst effects can be prevented by changing the way we grow food, produce energy, deal with climate change and dispose of waste, the report said. That involves concerted action by governments, companies and people. Individuals can help with simple changes to the way they eat and use energy, said the co-chairman of the report, ecological scientist Josef Settele of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Germany. That doesn't mean becoming a vegetarian or vegan, but balancing meat, vegetables and fruit, and walking and biking more, Watson said. "We can actually feed all the coming billions of people without destroying another inch of nature," Lovejoy said. Much of that can be done by eliminating food waste and being more efficient, he said. Explore further In degrading Nature humanity harms itself, UN report warns 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Different societies have different expectations about the impact of research. Many seek immediate results from public investment in the various knowledge areas. However, warn heads of research funding organizations, it is important not to overlook the fact that many research projects have an impact only after many years, and should be considered a store of knowledge for the future. The growing demand for impactful research and the different ways of responding to such expectations were central concerns at the 8th Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council (GRC), held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 1-3, 2019. Attended by some 50 heads of research funding agencies from the same number of countries on all five continents, the meeting was organized by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) and the German Research Foundation (DFG). For Molapo Qhobela, CEO of South Africa's National Research Foundation (NRF), demand for impactful research has always been there but has probably intensified in the last 15 years. "To some extent the successes of science have led nations to believe in the power of knowledge to develop their societies," he said. "So as we show that this power can change people's lives, they expect this to happen and demand more. I believe this demand strengthens from time to time." For Carlos Henrique Brito da Cruz, FAPESP's scientific director, in addition to the natural desire to produce impactful research, universities and funding agencies are pressured by this demand step up their efforts to demonstrate to society how research has an impact. Brito stressed that curiosity-driven research should continue to be encouraged, even if its outcomes become visible only many years later. "Here in Brazil in the 1970s, there was a decision to try using ethanol as an automotive fuel because we had a problem with fossil fuel prices. This acted as an incentive to grow more sugarcane and process it to produce ethanol for the domestic market. Only 10 years later was it realized that this was also a good way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions," he said. Ex post impact assessment To meet this demand from society, mechanisms are being created by governments, universities and research funding agencies in different parts of the world to assess the impact of research ex post, i.e. after the results are published. In the United Kingdom, university departments must contribute to a portfolio of case studies assessing the impact of their research projects in the past seven years. The first criterion is the number of people affected. "If you improve the quality of the lives of millions of people, that's a big impact. On the other hand, if you save the lives of a relatively small number of people, that's also a very significant impact," said David Sweeney, Executive Chair of Research England, a Council of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The impact of research in areas such as the humanities is also assessed, including studies in history that contribute to tourism in certain regions, for example, or research in philosophy that helps establish ethical initiatives relating to climate change. "There are plenty of opportunities for researchers in the humanities to demonstrate the impact of their work, but based on criteria defined by other professionals in the same field and not in terms of economic impact, for example, as you'd do for a major investment in engineering research," Sweeney said. "The general principles are the same. We expect academics working in a given field to determine the relevant criteria for that field." Indonesia's research infrastructure is open to non-university actors, who can also make use of the facilities available to academics. "In the last three year we've asked research centres to open the doors of their infrastructure to private enterprise, including industry. This facilitates collaboration among users of all kinds," said Laksana Tri Handoko, Chairman of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). For Claudia Guerrero Monteza, Director of International Cooperation at Panama's National Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT), one of the priorities should be to improve people's understanding of what societal impact means and make it part of funding instruments and policies. "In Panama, for example, scientists committed to society have finally internalized the concern with societal impact," she said. "We've learnt that this means implementing codes of ethics and understanding the implications of participatory methods for sharing and producing worldviews, knowledge and practices." This year Zimbabwe will embark on studies designed to produce a better understanding of the impact of its research. "A model for ex post impact assessment may be developed and could be adapted for use by other African countries. This should be our priority, given the growing demand to demonstrate research impacts in Africa," said Susan Muzite, Executive Director of the Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ). Different realities For John-Arne Rttingen, Director-General of the Research Council of Norway (RCN), the roles and responsibilities of funders vary according to each different context. Some organizations focus solely on funding basic research, while others must deliver innovation to society. "I don't think this is a choice," he said. "Research and innovation ecosystems must have all these capabilities. Society will continue demanding more evidence and more direct action. We know it's hard, but it's possible to demonstrate this impact ex post." Funding agencies must be clear about the different approaches such ecosystems require, Rttingen added. In the global context some societies naturally feel a more urgent need for innovation and improvement than others. "We should respect these differences and empower all these actors so that research has both short- and long-term impacts. We must invest sustainably in research and innovation systems to contribute to the development of these places," he said. Explore further Ocean science needs more funding The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday that it has picked the University of Rhode Island as the home of a new institute for ocean exploration. NOAA said URI will host its Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute and Titanic discoverer Robert Ballard will lead it. The institute will work with NOAA to explore unknown undersea areas, deploy remotely operated vehicles in deeper and shallower waters, adopt and integrate various autonomous vehicles for exploration and improve the utility of the data. The University of New Hampshire, University of Southern Mississippi, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and nonprofit Ocean Exploration Trust will participate. Ballard directs URI's Center for Ocean Exploration at the Graduate School of Oceanography. He's also president of Ocean Exploration Trust. "There is another half of America, beneath the ocean's surface, that we know very little about," Ballard said in a statement, describing their work as the "next Lewis and Clark expedition, only six times over." NOAA is awarding $94 million for a five-year effort, which could be renewed for five years. URI President David Dooley said they look forward to working with their partners to explore our nation's vast ocean resources, to increase understanding and ensure their responsible and sustainable use. The university is based in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Explore further Underwater robots help NASA plan future deep-space missions 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island who analyzed AirBnB rental data before and after construction of the Block Island Wind Farm have found that, contrary to some concerns, the turbines have increased tourism on the island. Corey Lang, URI associate professor of environmental economics, and doctoral student Andrew Carr-Harris, said that many coastal communities that rely on tourism to sustain their economy have worried that offshore wind farms would negatively affect tourism. "It's a common argument for pushback against siting offshore wind, but there isn't a lot of empirical evidence about it one way or the other," said Lang. "There have been surveys done assessing how tourists might feel about it, based on potential images of turbines in offshore waters, but those are hypothetical." ""Some of the recent surveys suggest that people consider offshore wind farms to bean eyesore," said Carr-Harris. "People tend to think the turbines will ruin the seascape anddetract from their beach experience." The researchers collected lodging data from AirBnB to examine trends in monthly revenues, occupancy rates and reservations from roughly two years before construction of the turbines to one year after construction was completed. They compared AirBnB rental trends in Block Island to those in nearby communities that are also dependent on summer vacation rentalsNarragansett, Westerly and Nantucket. The results were almost entirely positive for the peak summer months of July and August, and there were no noticeable effects during the rest of the year. During July and August following construction of the turbines, AirBnB rentals in Block Island experienced, on average, a 19 percent increase in occupancy rates and a $3490 increase in monthly revenue compared to those in Narragansett, Westerly and Nantucket. "We have multiple indicators for the tourism market, and they seem to be indicative that there was an increase in interest in visiting Block Island in the year after construction of the wind farm," said Lang. While the data didn't indicate the reason for the increase in occupancy, Lang and Carr-Harris suggest that people were curious about the wind farm and wanted to see it for themselves. "I think there has been some excitement about it. People are excited about renewable energy and sustainability, and they want to get behind it," Lang said. "So for the nation's first offshore wind farm, we believe our results indicate that it has had a positive effect on tourism." "There are other factors that could be at play, too," said Carr-Harris. "It's perceived that there is better fishing near the turbines, for instance, so more people may be coming to the island to go fishing." The researchers noted that the curiosity factor may dissipate shortly, so the positive effects on vacation rentals may not persist for long. "The long-term trajectory might be very different," Lang said. "If it's driven by curiosity, then we might expect it to go back to normal. But if there are fundamental things that have changed, like better fishing, then it's likely that some enhanced opportunities that come from renewable energy may be sustained. But that's speculation." Also, because the Block Island Wind Farm is the first of its kind in North America, it may be generating more tourism interest than will future wind farms, they said. And a small wind farm like at Block Island may not generate the negative impressions that a much larger wind farm may generate in the future. "So it's difficult to extrapolate our results to other communities," said Lang. "But it mitigates some fear that there's going to be big negatives." Lang plans to follow up this study with an investigation of perceptions of the wind farm from the perspective of those who live on Block Island year-round. "It's one thing to look at a turbine for a few days and be mesmerized by it," he said. "But to have it there constantly may be different." The research was published in the journal Resource and Energy Economics. Explore further Offshore wind developers to invest $4.5M in Rhode Island More information: Andrew Carr-Harris et al, SUSTAINABILITY AND TOURISM: THE EFFECT OF THE UNITED STATES' FIRST OFFSHORE WIND FARM ON THE VACATION RENTAL MARKET, Resource and Energy Economics (2019). Andrew Carr-Harris et al, SUSTAINABILITY AND TOURISM: THE EFFECT OF THE UNITED STATES' FIRST OFFSHORE WIND FARM ON THE VACATION RENTAL MARKET,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.reseneeco.2019.04.003 Fossilized giant arthropod Phytophilaspis from the Cambrian Period. Credit: Andrey Zhuravlev, Lomonosov Moscow State University Extreme fluctuations in atmospheric oxygen levels corresponded with evolutionary surges and extinctions in animal biodiversity during the Cambrian explosion, finds new study led by UCL and the University of Leeds. The Cambrian explosion was a crucial period of rapid evolution in complex animals that began roughly 540 million years ago. The trigger for this fundamental phase in the early history of animal life is a subject of ongoing biological debate. The study, published today in Nature Geoscience by scientists from the UK, China and Russia, gives strong support to the theory that oxygen content in the atmosphere was a major controlling factor in animal evolution. The study is the first to show that during the Cambrian explosion there was significant correlation between surges in oxygen levels and bursts in animal evolution and biodiversity, as well as extinction events during periods of low oxygen. Dr. Tianchen He, study lead author and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Leeds, began this research while at UCL. He said: "The complex creatures that came about during the Cambrian explosion were the precursors to many of the modern animals we see today. But because there is no direct record of atmospheric oxygen during this time period it has been difficult to determine what factors might have kick started this crucial point in evolution. Fossilized trilobite Aldonaia from the Cambrian Period Credit: Andrey Zhuravlev, Lomonosov Moscow State University "By analysing the carbon and sulphur isotopes found in ancient rocks, we are able to trace oxygen variations in Earth's atmosphere and shallow oceans during the Cambrian Explosion. When compared to fossilised animals from the same time we can clearly see that evolutionary radiations follow a pattern of 'boom and bust' in tandem with the oxygen levels. "This strongly suggests oxygen played a vital role in the emergence of early animal life." Study co-author Professor Graham Shields from UCL Earth Sciences, said: "This is the first study to show clearly that our earliest animal ancestors experienced a series of evolutionary radiations and bottlenecks caused by extreme changes in atmospheric oxygen levels. "The result was a veritable explosion of new animal forms during more than 13 million years of the Cambrian Period. In that time, Earth went from being populated by simple, single-celled and immobile organisms to hosting the wonderful variety of intricate, energetic life forms we see today." The team analysed the carbon and sulphur isotopes from marine carbonate samples collected from sections along the Aldan and Lena rivers in Siberia. During the time of the Cambrian explosion this area would have been a shallow sea and the home for the majority of animal life on Earth. The Lena River in Sakha (Yakutia), Siberia. Credit: Andrey Zhuravlev, Lomonosov Moscow State University The lower Cambrian strata in Siberia are composed of continuous limestone with rich fossil records and reliable age constraints, providing suitable samples for the geochemical analyses. The isotope signatures in the rocks relate to the global production of oxygen, allowing the team to determine oxygen levels present in the shallow ocean and atmosphere during the Cambrian Period. Study co-author Dr. Benjamin Mills, from the School of Earth and Environment at Leeds, said: "The Siberian Platform gives us a unique window into early marine ecosystems. This area contains over half of all currently known fossilised diversity from the Cambrian explosion. "Combining our isotope measurements with a mathematical model lets us track the pulses of carbon and sulphur entering the sediments in this critical evolutionary cradle. Our model uses this information to estimate the global balance of oxygen production and destruction, giving us new insight into how oxygen shaped the life we have on the planet today." Study co-author Maoyan Zhu from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: "Understanding what triggered the Cambrian explosion requires multidisciplinary study. That's why with Graham Shields we organized together such a multidisciplinary team funded by NERC and NSFC in past years. I am so excited about the results through this collaborative project." "On the other hand, it took a long time to get this result. We already got samples from Siberia in 2008. The sections in Siberia are difficult to access. It took time for us to organize the expedition and collect the samples there. Without support from Russian colleagues, we could not do the project." Study co-author Andrey Yu Zhuravlev from Lomonosov Moscow State University said: "This has been an incredibly successful and exciting joint study. The question of the Cambrian Explosion trigger has puzzled scientists for years. Now, the results give us convincing evidence to link the rapid appearance of animals as well as mass extinction during the early Cambrian with oxygen." The paper Possible links between extreme oxygen perturbations and the Cambrian radiation of animals is published in Nature Geoscience 06 May 2019. More information: Possible links between extreme oxygen perturbations and the Cambrian radiation of animals, Nature Geoscience (2019). www.nature.com/articles/s41561-019-0357-z Journal information: Nature Geoscience Possible links between extreme oxygen perturbations and the Cambrian radiation of animals,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-019-0357-z People gather around the damaged Sukhoi SSJ100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines at Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 6, 2019. Russia's main investigative body says both flight recorders have been recovered from the plane that caught fire while making an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, killing at least 40 people on Sunday. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) The Aeroflot-operated SSJ100 passenger jet that caught fire during an emergency landing in Moscow is part of Russia's efforts to maintain a presence in civil aviation in a market dominated by companies like Boeing, Airbus and Embraer. Here's a quick look at the SSJ100 and the Russian company that built it, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft: THE PLANE The SSJ100, or Superjet 100, is a short- to medium-haul narrow body jet with two engines that can be configured to carry up to 103 people. At that size, it's intended for shorter and less travelled routes and as a substitute for larger planes to save costs during slower travel seasons. Regional aircraft are an important part of Russia's transportation system, given the country's enormous distances and many remote towns. The Superjet succeeds older, Soviet-built planes such as the Tu-134 airliner. The plane is built at the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft's plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Russia's distant Far East region. Although the design is Russian, the company says it uses the latest Western technology as well. The engines are made by PowerJet, a joint venture between France's Safran Aircraft Engines and Russia's Saturn. The plane first flew in 2008 and entered commercial service in 2011. It is certified by the European Union Safety Agency but is mainly used in Russia and has not made much headway against international competitors, not just from Boeing and Airbus but also from Brazil's Embraer. This image taken from a video distributed by Russian Investigative Committee on Sunday, May 5, 2019, shows the Sukhoi SSJ100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines on fire, at Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia. At least 40 people died when an Aeroflot airliner burst into flames while making an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, officials said early Monday. (The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation via AP) Aeroflot is the biggest client with 50 of the planes. Mexico's Interjet said Sunday it operated five of the planes "under the highest safety standards." Interjet has previously said it has 22 Superjets but referred in a recent earnings report to the "gradual phase out of the fleet of SSJ100." The company reported it lost sales after some planes were temporarily out of service after a warning from Russia's aviation authority about a potential defect in the tail section in December 2016. Interjet also said it was seeking contractual recovery of maintenance costs associated with the plane. Brussels Airlines said the company ceased using several Superjets provided by Irish leasing firm CityJet because limited supplies of spare parts affected aircraft availability. ___ The Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft of Airflot Airlines, center, is seen after an emergency landing in Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 5, 2019. (Moscow News Agency photo via AP) This photo taken from a video distributed by Russian Investigative Committee on Monday, May 6, 2019, shows employees of the Russian Investigative Committee working at the wreckage of the Sukhoi SSJ100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines at Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow, Russia. Russia's main investigative body says both flight recorders have been recovered from the plane that caught fire while making an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, killing at least 40 people. (The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation via AP) The Sukhoi SSJ100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines, center in the background, is seen after an emergency landing in Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Scores of people died when the Aeroflot airliner burst into flames while making the emergency landing at the airport Sunday evening, officials said. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) This image taken from a video distributed by Russian Investigative Committee on Monday, May 6, 2019, shows an engine of the Sukhoi SSJ100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines in Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia. Russia's main investigative body says both flight recorders have been recovered from the plane that caught fire while making an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, killing at least 40 people. (The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation via AP) The Sukhoi SSJ100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines, center in the background, is seen after an emergency landing in Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 6, 2019. Scores of people died when the Aeroflot airliner burst into flames while making the emergency landing at the airport Sunday evening, officials said. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) THE COMPANY The Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company bears the name of Soviet aircraft designer Pavel Sukhoi, who was responsible for a series of Soviet military aircraft starting before World War II. Today's firm is part of Russia's United Aircraft Corp., which consolidated many of the legendary names of Soviet aviation such as MiG, Sukhoi and Tupolev. UAC was established by a decree from President Vladimir Putin in 2006 to promote the Russian aircraft industry, which is seen as essential for the security and defense of the country. Much of its production goes to the military, while the SSJ100 is the key project aimed at maintaining a Russian presence in civil aviation. ___ 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. Russia's flagship airline Aeroflot says the plane that caught fire at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, killing at least one person, had been forced to turn back after taking off for the city of Murmansk because of technical reasons. (AP Photo/Marina Lystseva) TROUBLES On May 9, 2012, a demonstration flight hit Mount Salak in Indonesia, killing all 45 on board, after the pilot disregarded six alarms from the terrain warning system on the apparent assumption there was a problem with the terrain database, according to the report from Indonesia's air safety regulator. The plane had unintentionally left a circling pattern after the crew was distracted by a prolonged conversation not related to flying the plane. 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. A labrador, border collie and samoyed have come to the rescue for stoneflies in Victorias alpine region. Author provided Three very good dogs named Bayar, Judd and Sasha have sniffed out the endangered Alpine Stonefly, one of the smallest animals a dog has been trained to successfully detect in its natural habitat. The conservation of threatened species is frequently hampered by the lack of relevant data on their distributions. This is particularly true for insects, where the difficulty of garnering simple information means the threatened status of many species remains unrecognised and unmanaged. In alpine areas there is a pressing need for innovative methods to better reveal the distribution and abundance of threatened insects. Alpine regions rely on cool temperatures, and since climate change will bring warmer weather and lower rainfalls, insects like the Alpine Stonefly, which lives in the alpine freshwater system, will struggle to survive. And while insects might not be appealing to everyone, they are extremely important for ecosystem function. Traditional survey detection methods are often labour intensive, and hard-to-find species provide limited information. This is where the labrador, border collie and samoyed came to the rescue. La Trobe's Anthrozoology Research Group Dog Lab in Bendigo, Victoria have been training a pool of local community volunteers and their dogs in conservation detection to use with environmental DNA sampling. Using both environmental DNA and detection dogs has the potential to generate a lot of meaningful data on these threatened stoneflies. The Alpine Stonefly is under threat from climate change as they need rainfall and cool temperature to survive. Author provided For seven weeks in a special program, dogs were trained to memorise the odour of the Alpine Stonefly (Thaumatoperla alpina), a threatened but iconic insect in the high plains. The dogs have previously been trained to sniff out animal nests or faeces but not an animal itself, so this was a new approach and an Australian first. Stoneflies are hard to catch The Alpine Stonefly are brightly coloured aquatic insects and are difficult to find, especially as larvae in water where they live as predators for up to two years in the streams on the Bogong High Plains, Mount Buller-Mount Stirling, Mt Baw Baw and the Yarra Ranges. They often burrow underneath cobbles, boulders and into the stream bed while the adults only emerge from the water for a few months between January and April to reproduce. With all this in mind, it's easy to understand why traditional detection methods can be time consuming and often ineffective. Sasha, a very helpful dog. Author provided We predominately focused on the endangered Alpine Stonefly, found across the Bogong High Plains. Their restricted distribution and habitat made them an ideal candidate to trial detection dogs and environmental DNA techniques. How dogs and environmental DNA help We collected water samples from across the Bogong High Plains, Mount Buller and Mount Stirling with trace DNA, such as cells shed from the insect. The ability to quickly take these samples from a broad area to indicate the presence of a species is important to understand distribution. But this approach limits the amount of ecological information that is gathered. Initial training introduced the dogs to the odour of the Alpine Stonefly in a controlled laboratory setting. Then they graduated from the laboratory to small areas of bushland to search for the insect. Once the dogs successfully completed their training, it was time to trial the dogs in the alpine environment and survey Alpine Stoneflies in their natural environment. The trial was conducted at Falls Creek with the dogs' three volunteer handlers. And the surveys were successful, with all three dogs finding Alpine Stoneflies in their natural habitats. Judd in conservation detection training. Author provided So could this success be transferred to a similar species? Absolutely. In preliminary trials, Bayar, Judd and Sasha detected the Stirling Stonefly, a related species of Thaumatoperla that lives in Mount Buller and Mount Stirling, suggesting detection dogs can transfer their conservation training from one species to another. This is a great find as it means this technique can be used to survey yet another species of Thaumatoperla that lives in Mt Baw Baw and the Yarra Ranges. Our research is showing that these new sampling techniques supporting conservation are an important part of keeping biodiversity protected in alpine regions. Now that we've successfully trained three dogs, we're hoping to secure funding to conduct future and more thorough surveys on the Alpine and Stirling Stonefly, and eventually on the third species of stonefly. By developing creative techniques to detect these species, we boost our ability to document them and, importantly, to protect them. Explore further Small alpine insects are big messengers of climate change This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Blue Supergiant - a snapshot of the interior of a star three times as heavy as our sun which shows waves generated by turbulent core convection. Credit: Dr Tamara Rogers Blue supergiants are the rock-and-roll stars of the universe. They are massive stars that live fast and die young which makes them rare and difficult to study, even with modern telescopes. Before space telescopes, few blue supergiants had been observed, so our knowledge of these stars was limited. Leading astrophysicist Dr. Tamara Rogers, from Newcastle University, UK, and her team have been working for the past five years to create simulations of stars like these to try to predict what it is that makes the surface appear the way it does. Modelling the interior of stars, the team predicted that gravity waves, like those we see in the ocean, could break at the surface of stars. A second type of wave had also been predicted. These coherent waves are similar to the seismic waves on earth, which are generated from deep within the star. Now, using data collected by the NASA space telescopes, an international team of experts led by KU Leuven in Belgium, have observed the star for the first time and discovered that almost all of these elusive blue giants do in fact shimmer and ripple in brightness due to the presence of waves on their surface. As predicted, the waves originate in their deep interior and provide exciting new prospects for studying these stars using asteroseismology, a similar technique to how seismologists use earthquakes to study the Earth's interior.Publishing their findings today in Nature Astronomy, the authors say that from observations of these waves, properties of the stars that are unobtainable from other astronomical techniques can now be studied. Co-author Dr. Rogers, based in the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics at Newcastle University, said: "When we first started our simulations and predicted these waves could break at the surface we didn't think it would ever be possible to observe them. "Throughout the universe, stars come in different shapes, sizes and colours. Some stars are like our Sun and live calmly for billions of years. "But massive stars live significantly shorter and more active lives before they explode in what is called a supernova and expel their material into space. "In line with our predictions, these latest observations have confirmed two types of wave which give us different information about the star. 3D movie simulation. Credit: Philipp Edelmann "Those which break at the surface, similar to the waves breaking on the beach, and the standing wave that just keeps on going and is similar to the seismic waves on earth. From these we can start to understand how the star is moving and rotating and the physics and chemistry of what is going on inside the deep interior, including the stellar core. "Although we predicted these wave patterns, until now it was just thata simulation of what might be going on. To actually see it and prove it is really quite an incredible moment for us." Twinkle, twinkle little star Since the dawn of humanity, the stars in the night sky have captured our imaginations. We even sing nursery rhymes to children pondering the nature of stars: "Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are". Telescopes are able to probe far into the universe, but astronomers have struggled to 'see' inside the stars. It is only recently with modern space telescopes that astronomers have begun to unlock the interiors of stars by listening to the symphony of sounds that they generate. The blue supergiants, are the metal factories of the universe before they explode as supernovae. These stars produce all chemical elements beyond helium in the Periodic Table of Mendeljev, whose 150-year anniversary will be celebrated this year. Lead author Dr. Dominic Bowman from the KU Leuven Institute of Astronomy, explains: "Before the NASA Kepler/K2 and TESS space telescopes, few blue supergiants that vary in brightness because of waves were known. But if you look at the brightness of an individual star for long enough with a very sensitive detector, you can map out how it changes over time. In asteroseismologythe study of waves inside starswe use these variations to probe the physical and chemical processes inside the stars." The discovery of waves in so many blue supergiant stars was a Eureka moment, says Bowman. "The variability in these stars had been there all along, we only had to be patient and wait for modern space telescopes to observe them. "It is as if the rock-and-roll stars had been performing the whole time, but only now opened the doors of their concert hall because of NASA space missions. Therefore, it appears that the nursery rhyme sung to children, "Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are" is not so far removed from the reality of modern-day space telescope observations. "We are now entering a golden age of asteroseismology of hot massive stars thanks to modern space telescopes. The discovery of these waves in blue supergiants allows us to study the progenitors of supernovae from a novel perspective," says Dr. Bowman. Explore further Hubble peers at cosmic blue bauble More information: Low-frequency gravity waves in blue supergiants revealed by high-precision space photometry, Nature Astronomy (2019). www.nature.com/articles/s41550-019-0768-1 Journal information: Nature Astronomy Low-frequency gravity waves in blue supergiants revealed by high-precision space photometry,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-019-0768-1 Harvesting foxtail millet (Setaria italica) in Taiwan. Credit: Chih-hung Yang The Sino-Tibetan language family includes early literary languages, such as Chinese, Tibetan and Burmese, and is represented by more than 400 modern languages spoken in China, India, Burma, and Nepal. It is one of the most diverse language families in the world, spoken by 1.4 billion speakers. Although the language family has been studied since the beginning of the 19th century, scholars' knowledge of the origin of these languages is still severely limited. An interdisciplinary study published in PNAS, led by scientists of the Centre des Recherches Linguistiques sur l'Asie Orientale (Paris), the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (Jena), and the Centre de Recherches en Mathematiques de la Decision (Paris), now sheds new light on the place and date of the origin of these languages. Based on a phylogenetic study of 50 ancient and modern Sino-Tibetan languages, the scholars conclude that the Sino-Tibetan languages originated among millet farmers, located in North China, around 7,200 years ago. During the past 10,000 years, two of the world's largest language families emerged, one in the west and one in the east of Eurasia. Together, these families account for nearly 60 percent of the world's population: Indo-European (3.2 billion speakers), and Sino-Tibetan (1.4 billion). The Sino-Tibetan family comprises about 500 languages spoken across a wide geographic range, from the west coast of the Pacific to Nepal, India, and Pakistan. Speakers of these languages have played a major role in human prehistory, giving rise to early high cultures China, Tibet, Burma and Nepal. However, while archaeogeneticists, phylogeneticists, and linguists have energetically discussed the origins of the Indo-European language family, the formation of Sino-Tibetan languages has previously received little attention. One of the world's most diverse language families "The Sino-Tibetan language family is one of the most diverse families in the world. It includes all of the different types of morphological systems, ranging from isolating languages, such as Chinese, Burmese, and Tujia, to polysynthetic languages, such as Gyalrongic and Kiranti languages," explains Guillaume Jacques of the Centre des Recherches Linguistiques sur l'Asie Orientale, co-first author of the study. "While our knowledge of how to compare these languages linguistically is improving, important aspects of the development of their sound systems and their grammar remain poorly understood." Video interview with senior author Johann-Mattis List regarding the findings of the study. Credit: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History A database of core words from 50 Sino-Tibetan languages In order to shed light on the complex history of these languages, the scholars assembled a lexical database containing core vocabulary from 50 Sino-Tibetan languages. This database, published here for the first time, includes ancient languages spoken 1000 and more years ago, such as Old Chinese, Old Burmese, and Old Tibetan, as well as modern languages documented by field work. "In order to compare these languages in a transparent way, we developed a specific annotation framework that allows us not only to mark which words we identify as sharing a common origin, but also which sounds in the words we think are related," says Johann-Mattis List of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, who led the study. "A particular problem in identifying the truly related words were the numerous cases where languages borrowed words from each other," mentions Jacques. "Luckily, we know the history of particular languages rather well and could rely on techniques that we developed before to reveal the true history concealed by these borrowings." Evolutionary trees suggest that the language family originated about 7200 years ago Using powerful computational phylogenetic methods, the team inferred the most probable relationships between these languages and then estimated when these languages might have originated in the past. "We find clear evidence for seven major subgroups with a complex pattern of overlapping signals beyond that level," says Simon J. Greenhill of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. "Our estimates suggest that the ancestral language has arisen around 7,200 years ago." Presumed pathways of the expansion of non-Sinitic Sino-Tibetan languages, contrasted with findings of early domesticates and early Neolithic cultures in China. Credit: J.-M. List and H. Sell An agricultural analysis reveals the most likely origin and expansion scenario of the language family To further resolve the complex pathways of the evolution of the Sino-Tibetan languages, the authors looked at related words describing domesticates, because they may reveal how agricultural knowledge spread through the region. This agricultural analysis suggests an origin of the Sino-Tibetan family in Northern Chinese communities of millet farmers of the Neolithic cultures of late Cishan and early Yangshao. "The most likely expansion scenario of the languages involves an initial separation between an Eastern group, from which the Chinese dialects evolved, and a Western group, which is ancestral to the rest of the Sino-Tibetan languages," summarizes Laurent Sagart of the Centre des Recherches Linguistiques sur l'Asie Orientale, co-first author of the study, who carried out the agricultural analysis. "We are very excited about our findings," says List. "Our approach combines robust, traditional scholarship with cutting-edge computational methods within a computer-assisted framework that allows us to use our knowledge of today's languages as a key to their past." More information: Laurent Sagart el al., "Dated language phylogenies shed light on the ancestry of Sino-Tibetan," PNAS (2019). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Laurent Sagart el al., "Dated language phylogenies shed light on the ancestry of Sino-Tibetan,"(2019). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1817972116 MIT Media Lab researchers (l-r) Xin Liu, Felix Kraemer, Ariel Ekblaw, Pete Dilworth, Rachel Smith, and Harpreet Sareen stand in front of the Blue Origin capsule holding their six payloads. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Blast off! MIT made its latest foray into research in space on May 2 via six payloads from the Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative, tucked into Blue Origin's New Shepard reusable space vehicle that took off from a launchpad in West Texas. It was also the first time in the history of the Media Lab that in-house research projects were launched into space, for several minutes of sustained microgravity. The results of that research may have big implications for semiconductor manufacturing, art and telepresence, architecture and farming, among other things. "The projects we're testing operate fundamentally different in Earth's gravity compared to how they would operate in microgravity," explained Ariel Ekblaw, the founder and lead of the Media Lab's Space Exploration Initiative. Previously, the Media Lab sent projects into microgravity aboard the plane used by NASA to train astronauts, lovingly nicknamed "the vomit comet." These parabolic flights provide repeated 15 to 30 second intervals of near weightlessness. The New Shepard experiment capsule will coast in microgravity for significantly longer and cross the Karman line (the formal boundary of "space") in the process. While that may not seem like much time, it's enough to get a lot accomplished. Media Lab research payloads lift off with the Blue Origin New Shepard spacecraft on May 2. Credit: Blue Origin "The capsule where the research takes place arcs through space for three minutes, which gives us precious moments of sustained, high quality microgravity," Ekblaw said. "This provides an opportunity to expand our experiments from prior parabolic flight protocols, and test entirely new research as well." Depending on the results of the experiments done during New Shepard's flight, some of the projects will undergo further, long-term research aboard the International Space Station, Ekblaw said. On this trip, she sent Tessellated Electromagnetic Space Structures for the Exploration of Reconfigurable, Adaptive Environments, otherwise known as TESSERAE, into space. The ultimate goal for these sensor-augmented hexagonal and pentagonal "tiles" is to autonomously self-assemble into space structures. These flexible, reconfigurable modules can then be used for habitat construction, in-space assembly of satellites, or even as infrastructure for parabolic mirrors. Ekblaw hopes TESSERAE will one day support in-orbit staging bases for human exploration of the surface of the moon or Mars, or enable low Earth orbit space tourism. An earlier prototype, flown on a parabolic flight in November 2017, validated the research concept mechanical structure, polarity arrangement of bonding magnets, and the self-assembly physical protocol. On the Blue Origin flight, Ekblaw is testing a new embedded sensor network in the tiles, as well as their communication architecture and guidance control aspects of their self-assembly capabilities. "We're testing whether they'll autonomously circulate, find correct neighbors, and bond together magnetically in microgravity for robust self-assembly," Ekblaw said. Researchers Harpreet Sareen, Rachel Smith, and Felix Kraemer prepare their projects for launch. Credit: Ariel Ekblaw Another experiment aboard New Shepard combined art with the test of a tool for future space explorationtraversing microgravity with augmented mobility. Living Distance, an artwork conceived by the Space Exploration Initiative's art curator, Xin Liu, explores freedom of movement via a wisdom toothyes, you read that correctly! The tooth traveled to space carried by a robotic device named EBIFA and encased in a crystalline container. Once New Shepard entered space, the container burst open and EBIFA swung into action, shooting cords out with magnetic tips to latch onto a metal surface. The tooth then floated through space with minimal interference in the virtually zero-gravity environment. "In this journey, the tooth became a newborn entity in space, its crystalline, sculptural body and life supported by an electromechanical system," Xin Liu wrote. "Each of its weightless movements was carefully calculated on paper and modeled in simulation software, as there can never be a true test like this on Earth." The piece builds on a performance art work called Orbit Weaver that Liu performed last year during a parabolic flight, where she was physically tethered to a nylon cord that floated freely and attached to nearby surfaces. Orbit Weaver and Living Distance may offer insights to future human space explorers about how best to navigate weightlessness. TESSERAE three-tile subassembly, with v2 hardware for Blue Origin suborbital flight. Credit: Ariel Ekblaw A piece of charcoal also made the trip to space inside a chamber lined with drawing paper, part of a project designed by Ani Liu, a Media Lab alumna. In microgravity, the charcoal will chart its own course inside the chamber, marking the paper as it floats through an arc far above the Earth. When the chamber returns to the Media Lab, the charcoal will join forces with a KUKA robot that will mimic the charcoal's trajectory during the three-ish minutes of coasting in microgravity. Together, the charcoal and the robot will become a museum exhibit that provides a demonstration of motion in microgravity to a broad audience and illustrates the Space Exploration Initiative's aim to democratize access to space and invite the public to engage in space exploration. Harpreet Sareen, another Media Lab alum, tested how crystals form in microgravity, research that may eventually lead to manufacturing semiconductors in space. Semiconductors used in today's technology require crystals with extremely high levels of purity and perfect shapes, but gravity interferes with crystal growth on Earth, resulting in faults, contact stresses, and other flaws. Sareen and his collaborator, Anna Garbier, created a nano-sized lab in a box a little smaller than a half-gallon milk carton. The electric current that kicked off growth of the crystals during the three minutes the New Shepard capsule was suborbital was triggered by onboard rocket commands from Blue Origin. Maiden Flight: A queen bee and some 40 attendants were on board the research flight. Credit: Mediated Matter group The crystals will be evaluated for potential industrial applications, and they also have a future as an art installation: Floral Cosmonauts. And then there are the 40 or so bees (one might say "apionauts") that made the trip into space on behalf of the Mediated Matter group at the Media Lab, which is interested in seeing the impact space travel has on a queen bee and her retinue. Two queen bees that were inseminated at a U.S. Department of Agriculture facility in Louisiana went to space, each with roughly 20 attendant bees whose job it was to feed her and help control her body temperature. The bees traveled via two small containersmetabolic support capsulesinto which they previously built honeycomb structures. This unique design gives them a familiar environment for their trip. A modified GoPro camera, pointed into the specially designed container housing the bees, was fitted into the top of the case to film the insects and create a record of their behavior during flight. Everything inside the case was designed to make the journey as comfortable as possible for the bees, right down to a tiny golden heating pad that was to kick into action if the temperature dropped too low for a queen bee's comfort. Living Distance: Xin Lius performance sculpture, one of six Media Lab projects aboard the New Shepard rocket. Credit: Tim Saputo Researchers in the Mediated Matter group will study the behavior of the bees when they return to Earth and are reintroduced to a colony at the Media Lab. Will the queens lay their eggs? Will those eggs hatch? And can bees who've been to space continue making pollen and honey once they've returned to Earth? Those are among the many questions the team will be asking. "We currently have no robotic alternative to bees for pollination of many crops," Ekblaw said. "If we want to grow crops on Mars, we may need to bring bees with us. Knowing if they can survive a mission, reintegrate into the hive, and thrive afterwards is critical." As these projects show, the Space Exploration Initiative unites engineers, scientists, artists, and designers across a multifaceted research portfolio. The team looks forward to a regular launch cadence and progressing through microgravity research milestonesfrom parabolic flights, to further launch opportunities with Blue Origin, to the International Space Station and even lunar landings. Self-contained nanolab sent for a microgravity experiment in the rocket. Credit: Harpreet Sareen, Anna Garbier, Jiefu Zheng Explore further Microcavity experiment heads to ISS This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body Four Auburn University students and five recent graduates are recipients of a 2019 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and five others received honorable mention. The fellowship program helps ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce in the United States. This years fellows are Katie Brown, MaryJane Campbell, Kyle David, Alexander Davis, Mina Narayanan, Jantzen Lee, Zachary Lee, Matt Preisser and Kevin Wyss. Fellows benefit from three years of financial support within a five-year fellowship perioda $34,000 annual stipend and a $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to the graduate institutionas well as opportunities for international research and professional development. The support is for graduate study that leads to a research-based masters or doctoral degree in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, mathematics and social science disciplines. In the past decade, 58 Auburn students have been awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and an additional 30 have received honorable mention. The number of Auburn students and recent graduates being recognized for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program continues to grow each year, said Paul Harris, Auburns former associate director for the Office of National Prestigious Scholarships and current chair of the Department of Political Science. Their selection recognizes the high quality of scholarly activity that exemplifies and advances Auburns research mission. Five students and recent graduates who received honorable mentions are Haley Dutton, Gavin Shotts, Sean Herrera, Kevin Nixon and Meghan Ward. It has been a privilege to work with such promising students, learning about ground-breaking research and helping guide them as they developed and polished their proposals, said 2014 Auburn graduate Patrick Donnan, former graduate assistant in the Office of National Prestigious Scholarships and a 2014 Marshall Scholar. Sushil Bhavnani, associate chair and the Henry M. Burt Jr. Endowed Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, said, These young women and men have distinguished themselves, their respective departments and Auburn University in their pursuit of advanced research. Their selection as National Science Foundation Research Fellows or honorable mentions underscores the strength of Auburns research enterprise across disciplines and colleges. Their work will have long-lasting societal impact. Katie Brown is a second-year graduate student studying bioengineering at Rice University. She graduated with a bachelors degree in polymer and fiber engineering, and her research advisor at Auburn was Professor Maria Auad in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Her project is titled Investigating Mechanisms of Discrete Subaortic Stenosis with an In Vitro Model and aims to develop a biological model of a debilitating pediatric heart disease. Browns work utilizes patient echo data to inform her model and replicate the pathological conditions of discrete subaortic stenosis. During her time at Auburn, Katie was mentored by Professor Kate Thornton in the College of Human Sciences who inspired her to use her future career as a tool for giving back and making a difference. MaryJane Campbell is a 2015 graduate from the College of Liberal Arts with a bachelors degree in psychology. She is pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Utah, and the title of her project is An Observational Study of Triadic Family Interactions Among Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes. While at Auburn, she served as a research assistant in the Adolescent and Young Adult Health Promotion Research Laboratory, working on multiple projects to promote health and wellness in adolescents with chronic illness. Kyle David is a second-year graduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences working with Professor Ken Halanych. His project, "Phylogenomics of an Understudied Marine Phylum, the Arrow Worms (Chaetognatha), aims to comprehensively sequence the poorly understood group of animals known as arrow worms. The inclusion of genomic data from this enigmatic phylum will allow us to better understand animal relationships and elucidate the origin and evolution of animal development. Alexander Davis is a second-year graduate student in the Department of Aerospace Engineering working with Assistant Professor Vinamra Agrawal. His project, Development of a Molecular Dynamics Moving Window Framework to Model Shock Wave Interactions at Microstructural Features in Materials, utilizes atomistic techniques to model the behavior of metals and composites subject to impact loading leading to the propagation of shock waves. Such knowledge will lead to the design of advanced materials with desired ballistic and detonation response. These materials can be used to protect individuals during ballistic impacts as well as prevent composite satellites from being damaged while in orbit. Davis also was selected recently for the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship. Mina Narayanan is double-majoring in software engineering and political science. Her undergraduate research mentor is Professor Gerry Dozier of the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, and the title of her research is Identification, Quantification, and Prevention of Computational Propaganda. Her work will focus on the characterization of people's writing styles based on stylometric features to identify the strategies used to create agents that imitate humans and spread false information about current events online, leading to manipulation of public opinion of a candidate or policy. Once these malicious strategies are identified, her goal is to quantify the amount of false data that is propagated and develop countermeasures that make the intentions of political adversaries transparent to the public, as well as identify factors associated with these bots that hinder or encourage political participation. Jantzen Lee is a 2017 graduate of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering with a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University where he is engaged in the design, development and testing of the effects of a power asymmetric, swing assistive knee prosthesis on the gait of persons with trans-femoral amputations. Zachary Lee is a 2018 graduate of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering with a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering. As an undergraduate, he worked under Professor Sushil Bhavnani on experimental research to improve the capability of spacecraft electronics cooling. Lee is currently working toward a doctorate in mechanical engineering at Cornell University with a focus in energy research. His project, Facilitating Renewable Heating through Smart Heat Pump Control, seeks to accelerate the decarbonization of residential heating through the use of machine learning and internet of things devices like smart thermostats. Matt Preisser is a 2018 graduate with a double major in biosystems engineering and German. While at Auburn, Matt has conducted undergraduate research under the direction of Assistant Professor Brendan Higgins of the Department of Biosystems Engineering. Currently, Matt is pursuing graduate studies at the University of Texas-Austin in public affairs and environmental and water resource engineering. His project, Incorporating Flood Mapping with Social Disparities to Identify At-Risk Communities During Extreme Weather Events, will quantify the variance in resiliency and preparedness of different socioeconomic classes with regard to extreme storms and flooding events. By examining satellite derived datasets, his research will explore the possibility of predicting which communities will be harmed the most through the effects of flood, damage to infrastructure and ability to recover. Kevin Wyss is a senior majoring in chemistry and conducts research under the direction of Associate Professor Anne Gorden in the Department of Chemistry. The title of his project is Use of Hemilabile Interactions to Create Switchable Hydrogenation Catalysis via an Earth Abundant Metal-centered PNP-Pincer Ligand. Catalysis, often carried out by metal centered catalysts, is an essential part of producing pharmaceuticals, plastics, commodity chemicals, fragrances and fertilizer. Yet, these catalysts often use rare metals that are expensive and environmentally damaging to extract. Building on preliminary results, Wyss project will address these concerns. The five students and recent graduates who received honorable mentions are: Haley Dutton, a doctoral student in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences Gavin Shotts, a doctoral student in the Department of Biological Sciences Sean Herrera, a senior in the Department of Mechanical Engineering Kevin Nixon, a 2018 graduate of the Department of Chemical Engineering Meghan Ward, a 2017 graduate of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry For more information about the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program at Auburn, contact Ken Thomas in the Honors College at kdt0011@auburn.edu. For more information about the NSF, go to nsfgrfp.org/. Forest Park in St. Louis. Credit: Saint Louis University In a study recently published in Sensors, Saint Louis University researchers paired satellite imaging data with machine learning techniques to map local tree species and health. The data generated by the project will help inform best practices for managing healthy green spaces as well as trimming programs to avoid power outages following storms. Vasit Sagan, Ph.D., associate professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Saint Louis University, says that managing healthy urban green spaces is a key strategy to combat global warming. "With this work, our goal was to improve the quality of life in St. Louis and globally," Sagan said. "Trees and green spaces are critical in countering global warming effects. In general, cities are around five degrees Celsius warmer than rural areas. To reduce urban heat islands and climate change effects, we can increase green spaces. "In this study, we mapped eight tree species: bald cypress, cottonwood, green ash, silver maple, sugar maple, pin oak, Austrian pine and sycamore. Having a diversity of tree species is great. On the other hand, some species are more susceptible to storms as different tree species have different tolerance for stress. The overall idea was to use space-based technology to identify tree species type and health condition." In the forest, a tree that is struck during a storm may just fall over without causing much disruption. When a tree falls in St. Louis, it can cause a power outage. Understanding the species and health condition of trees is important for safety and economic reasons. Millions of dollars are spent on tree trimming each year. "With data from this project, we can track the growth rates of different trees, which can help agencies manage their trimming programs," Sagan said. "This information will be helpful for organizations like Ameren in their proactive tree trimming program." Sean Hartling, SLU graduate student and author on the paper, says that certain trees have greater vulnerability to stress and storms. "Bradford pears or silver maples tend to be fast growing and cheap, so people like to put them in their yards," Hartling said. "But, they're problematic near power lines. Oak and walnut, on the other hand, are stronger trees." The researchers used airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system imaging together with satellite imaging techniques to gather data about trees. Then, they "trained" a machine-based analytic tool to identify trees based on that data. "The whole point of this project was classification," Hartling said. "By implementing a data fusion approach, we have data from different sensors which might pick up different nuances. "LiDAR is high resolution and produces good imaging data sets. It gives us tree height and structure. The visible near-infrared gives us information about the visual spectrum characteristics, like the changing pigment between species. Short wave infrared gets into the chemical properties, like water and chlorophyll content. We're hoping this data will help improve classification." "Then, we're also examining deep learning, in which the classifier trains the machine to identify trees. The ability to handle lots of training samples is a hot topic in image classification. But, you still need samples to train the model." So, over the course of two months, Hartling digitized nearly every treearound 4,000in Forest Park in order to "teach" a machine-based tool to use the imaging data to classify trees. "We developed a geospatial analytics tool that fuses information from various sources to better discriminate tree type," Sagan said. "This is really cutting-edge in the sense that on one hand we have really high sensory based data sets that can tell us the height, shape of trees, patterns, distributions. And we're bringing that together with geospatial model tools using the latest deep (machine) learning. That's the core of this research." The researchers' next step will be to look at tree species, tree health data and utility information, overlaying the data and doing hotspot analysis, helping experts create maps of neighborhoods at risk of power outages during storms and helping to restore power quickly. As the team continues their work, they will add to their data sets using UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), also known as drones. "For the first study, we used satellite imagery," Hartling said. "Next, we're using small sensory UAVs for higher resolution and accuracy. "We can cover about 80 acres on a 15 minute flight with a UAV. We can identify trees at risk of damage or disease. We might find browning at top of a canopy or a changing of the bark. We'll see if we can find a method we can use on a larger scale." "We actually have LiDAR data for every single branch of the trees we studied," Sagan said. "Now, we are using UAVs to go out and create our own data. The power of UAVs is that we can set up and test our own hypothesis, and then scale up to satellites." "Just like a doctor might use images to see if your lungs are healthy, we are using images to diagnose if a plant is healthy or not," Sagan said. The scientists have partnerships with several organizations in St. Louis. The current project mapped trees in Forest Park. Partnering with Bellefontaine Cemetery, the team is helping improve the environment and arboretum level in the Cemetery for rare plants and tree health by creating a 3-D digital park, as well as mapping of invasive and rare plant species. Explore further Algorithms to enhance forest inventories More information: Sean Hartling et al, Urban Tree Species Classification Using a WorldView-2/3 and LiDAR Data Fusion Approach and Deep Learning, Sensors (2019). Sean Hartling et al, Urban Tree Species Classification Using a WorldView-2/3 and LiDAR Data Fusion Approach and Deep Learning,(2019). DOI: 10.3390/s19061284 Student teachers must now stay in the classroom 30 more days in order to become certified in the state of New York after the Board of Regents voted to extend teacher training requirements last month. Classroom Academy brings residency model closer CAMBRIDGE A few upstate school districts are piloting a program that brings the residency Seventy days, or roughly the length of a full semester, is now required from teachers-in-training, nearly doubling the old requirement. The amendment text says the effort is an attempt to bring New York up to par with requirements from elsewhere in the country and that better preparation leads to higher retention rates for new teachers. In developing our plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to ensure that all students have equitable access to effective instruction, the amendment said, The Department relied on recent research which shows that the quality of the preparation that aspiring teachers receive is a key factor in determining whether those educators enter and remain in the profession. Some states, such as Louisiana, now require a year-long residency program before a student can become certified to teach, and New Jersey has recently mandated 225 hours of clinical experience and practice before a student can do their full-time student-teaching placement, according to the amendment. SUNY Empire offers new degree SUNY Empire announced last week it will begin offering a new online Masters of Science in Information Technology degree program starting fall of 2019. High school Hyde Collection exhibit to open next week The finalists for this years High School Juried Show at The Hyde Collection have been chose The program will offer two tracks: cyber security and web technology. The mission of the program is to equip students with the skills to be effective leaders in multiple disciplines of IT, according to a release from SUNY Empire. SUNY Empire Officer in Charge Mitchell Nesler said in a release the program will meet the needs of an ever-larger component of the economy. Today, cyber security is our countrys first line of defense and we must meet the increasing demand for skilled professionals from our nations Armed Forces, the private sector, as well as from federal, state and even local government, Nesler said. Applications for next years program are due by Sunday, June 30, 2019. STAR program enrollment Recent changes to the New Yorks School Tax Relief or STAR program require recipients to switch to a credit system in order to receive the maximum tax break. South High students learn about Alzheimer's disease South Glens Falls High School students got an in-depth look at Alzheimers disease Monday as The old system, which gave homeowners an automatic exemption on their tax bill, will be replaced by a system in which the state sends each homeowner a check to be put toward the full bill. Those who are already enrolled are not required to switch, but those who do not switch to the new system will not be eligible for the additional break. For more details on the new system and the necessary documents to switch, visit the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance website or call 518-457-2036. Samuel Northrop is the education reporter for The Post-Star. He can be reached at snorthrop@poststar.com. 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. WHITEHALL A Whitehall man was taken to Glens Falls Hospital's Behavorial Health Unit after a standoff Sunday night that occurred when he threatened to harm himself with a gun. The 52-year-old man, whose name was not released, had a pellet gun in a vehicle with him at the intersection of East Bay Road and county Route 10, just south of the Vermont state line, when police were called about 5:30 p.m. Police were able to take him into custody without injuries, and the Washington County Sheriff's Office said he did not threaten anyone with the gun so no criminal charges were filed. The man has a pending criminal case in Washington County Court for a standoff that occurred last July when he allegedly threatened a family member with a gun. He was free on bail in that case. State Police, Whitehall Police and Vermont State Police assisted with the case. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 3 Sad 0 Angry 0 The OECD Observer online archive takes you on a journey through half a century of public policy and world progress. Since November 1962, the OECDs experts and leading guests offer insights on the questions facing our member countries with concise and authoritative analysis, and provide our audiences with an excellent opportunity to understand policy debates and consider solutions. Each edition of the OECD Observer reports on a core theme of the OECDs on-going work, from economics and society through governance, finance, and the environment, and articles are bolstered by tables and graphs. The United States is deploying an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East on short notice in response to "clear indications" Iran and Iranian proxies were planning an attack on U.S. forces in the region, a U.S. official said. Late Sunday night, the White House made a surprise announcement that the USS Abraham Lincoln and a bomber task force were being deployed in response to unspecified "troubling and escalatory indications and warnings." A statement from National Security Adviser John Bolton said the deployments were intended "to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force." "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces," the statement continued. A U.S. official told ABC News the deployments were in response to "clear indications" Iranian and Iranian proxy forces were preparing for a possible attack, and that the decision to send forces was made on Sunday. "The movement of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the region was expedited, and it was ordered there effective immediately," said the official. The carrier is currently in the Mediterranean after leaving Norfolk, Virginia, on April 1. The Navy no longer provides destinations for its carrier deployments, but the carrier likely would have had to transit through the Middle East toward its new home port of San Diego at the end of its deployment. The aircraft carrier USS John Stennis operated in the Persian Gulf twice during its recent deployment, for three weeks earlier this year and a week in early April. "Its something weve been working on for a little while," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters traveling with him to Europe. "It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians, and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests." Pompeo did not provide specifics on Iran's potential actions, but said Iran "should understand about how we will respond to actions they may take" and that for any actions by related third-parties or proxies "we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that." 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 Bharat Road Network Ltd (BRNL) is planning to sell its 39 per cent stake in road project company Ghaziabad Aligarh Expressway Private Ltd (GAEPL). To this end, BRNL has reportedly entered into a share purchase agreement with Cube Highways and Infrastructure Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based investment firm specialising in infrastructure sector. The deal subject to applicable regulatory and other approvals, is expected to result in a net income of about Rs 150 crore for BRNL. The enterprise valuation for GAEPL is Rs 1,830 crore based on valuation in December 2018, news agency PTI reported. The actual valuation cannot be ascertained at present, as it would depend on adjustments at the time of handover, it further added. GAEPL has a debt of about Rs 1,500 crore in its books, the report further added. BRNL will also be able to pare about Rs 600 crore debt burden, which had increased to Rs 1,400 crore, accumulated out of its investment in various companies. This would be a major relief to the Kolkata-based road infrastructure company at a time when firms are grappling to reduce debt levels, the PTI report 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. (With PTI inputs) ALSO READ:DLF transfers Noida's Mall of India to its subsidiary for 2,950 crore ALSO READ:Standard Life to sell 1.78% stake in HDFC Life for Rs 1,404 crore "My team was working to try to isolate the pathways in which the drug resistance, virulence, and morphology occurs,'' Pinc said in a detailed email account of her work. "My partner and I were specifically focused on drug resistance. We grew cultures of Candida albicans down on Earth while the astronauts will do it in space. These cultures will be grown for a few days in FEP bags, with dilution growths grown in several different concentrations and combinations with anti-fungals. "After a month, the cultures will return to Earth and us. We will look at growth to see if there is a difference between the effectiveness of the different anti-fungals while in a low-Earth orbit, and see if there is a difference in morphology. We will then try to analyze the RNA of the yeast in hopes to figure out more.'' An Indianapolis, Indiana man was sentenced Friday to 96 months eight years in federal prison in connection with five pharmacy robberies Davenport, Iowa City and Des Moines. Rontel Nijae Mial, 19, also was ordered by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to serve three years of supervised release when he completes his prison sentence and pay a $100 special assessment per count to the Crime Victim's Fund in 2017. There is no parole in the federal system. He pleaded guilty on Sept. 12 to five counts of robbery in U.S. District Court, Davenport. According to court documents, on Dec. 16, 2017, Mial traveled from Indiana to a Walgreens store in Davenport with the intent to rob the pharmacy. Just after midnight, Mial displayed a handgun at the pharmacy counter, and demanded controlled substances, which included oxycontin and oxycodone. He made a getaway in a vehicle driven by David Andrew Nathaniel Madden, 21. A GPS tracker device was included in one of the stolen pill bottles and Davenport police officers were dispatched to the GPS tracker devices location. Two men have been charged with stealing copper piping from the appliances on the roof of the former Hotel Davenport and Conference Center, located at 5202 Brady St. Todd Aaron Cottrell, 48, of 2503 Pacific St., Davenport, and Jeffery Robb Willson, 53, no address listed, each are charged with first-degree theft and first-degree criminal mischief. Each of the charges is a Class C felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Both men were being held Friday night in the Scott County Jail on $20,000 bond each, cash or surety. According to the arrest affidavit filed by Davenport Police officer Dwight Swartz, at 5:59 a.m. Friday officers were dispatched to the closed hotel to investigate a report of people on the roof damaging and stealing property. Officers found Cottrell and Willson on the roof, where they used a DeWalt saw to cut copper piping from several appliances. The two men were cutting off the copper pipe with the intent to sell the metal. Police seized the saw, which had copper shavings on the blade. Kasimow and his family eventually hid from the Nazis in a pit his father dug underneath a horse's stall in a barn in what is now Belarus. "We hid in barns and attics and many other places, helped by farmers in the area who risked their own lives to help us." Kasimow said more than 2,500 farmers were killed by Nazis for hiding Jews in their barns and on their property. While hiding in the pit, Kasimow said, they were in total darkness, surviving on potato peelings from the farmer's family and the occasional piece of bread. "We shared the underground hideout with mice, frogs and worms," he said. "The entire time we were in the dark, and we did not wash. We were all infested with lice. We lived there for one year, seven months and five days. We were buried underneath the earth. "These early experiences profoundly impacted my life," Kasimow said. "Surviving the Holocaust is not the end of the Holocaust. I know that my children are also affected by the experience. I've never really spoken to them about it, as my parents have never spoken to me about their experience." Today is Monday, May 6, the 126th day of 2019. There are 239 days left in the year. 1869 150 years ago: The Aledo Banner states Mr. Russell Cool, of that place, hunted up and captured 17 head of young wolves in that township last week, which, at $8 per scalp in county bounty, makes a very fair operation -- aggregating $135. The week previously, he also did a lively wolf business. 1894 125 years ago: Lord Ratna Pala, a former Ceylonese Buddhist priest, was in Rock Island Saturday evening and yesterday. He spoke in Market Square yesterday afternoon, and last evening he preached at Broadway church. Both times he had quite a number of hearers and made quite a favorable impression. 1919 100 years ago: Private George Peter Winter, aged 23 years, honorably mentioned for bravery under fire, once gassed and for six months serving with the American Army overseas, died April 25 of spinal meningitis, according to word received by his mother, Mrs. B. Winter, 1505 37th Street, Rock Island. Attempt will be made to have the body returned to this city for burial. If you didn't think Democrats in Springfield were serious before about adopting a progressive tax system, they proved last week they'll do almost anything to help Gov. J.B. Pritzker pass his signature campaign promise. Even if that means reversing themselves on years of bad policy positions. Senate President John Cullerton upped the ante Tuesday when he introduced a measure that would eliminate the state's crippling estate tax, otherwise known as a death tax. Illinois is one of a handful of states that taxes larger inheritances after a person dies. The tax applies to estates valued at $4 million or more. It is especially harmful to downstate family farmers, but also impacts retirees or near retirees who over time have been able to build their small businesses, 401(k)s or other retirement funds. When the matriarch or patriarch of a family farm with as few as 500 acres dies, the family could be forced to sell off much of its land just to pay the estate tax. For retirees, what's the incentive to stay in Illinois if as much as 16 percent (the highest Illinois tax rate) of their wealth will be confiscated by state government and not passed on to their children upon death? No matter the recent discovery that he and his younger brother, Zachary, are entitled to split a nearly $865,000 life insurance policy that belonged to his deceased mother, in every practical sense, Nikolas Cruz is bankrupt. It remains only for a court to declare him so. The newly discovered windfall presumably makes Cruz ineligible for the services of his public defenders, who have filed a motion to withdraw. The court should deny the motion, declare Cruz to still be indigent and let the trial begin as planned in January, nearly two years after the Valentines Day tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Otherwise, the surviving victims and families of the slain will have to wait even longer for justice. The delay will be agonizing, as will the parade of delays in what could become a decades-long march to put him to death. If the court grants the motion, the search would be on for private attorneys -- there must be at least two when a death sentence is possible -- willing to work for perhaps years for practically nothing. Even if private lawyers could lay claim to half that money, it wouldnt begin to pay the enormous costs of a capital defense. MOLINE On Monday morning, the Illinois State Police had an unmarked officer parked on Interstate 74 in Moline, monitoring passing traffic for speeders. Business as usual except that the officer wasnt just unmarked. He was wearing a hardhat, dressed in casual clothing and sitting in a Walsh Construction truck. The trooper, Master Sgt. Ron Salier, was disguised as a construction worker in order to nab speeders and distracted drivers without tipping off violators that an officer was present. Were here to help each other out, Salier said about the kinship of roadside workers. We are enforcing the law but also educating the motoring public. According to Trooper Jason Wilson, safety education officer in ISP District 7, Walsh Construction approached the Illinois State Police about the idea behind "Operation Hard Hat" several weeks ago. The collaboration between Walsh, the ISP and the Illinois Department of Transportation was touted to benefit all roadside workers. Bharti Airtel closed the financial year 2018-19 with a 62.7 per cent year-on-year decline in its consolidated net profit at Rs 409.50 crore, dented by a continuing tariff war with Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio. "The telecom major had posted consolidated net profit at Rs 1,099 crore in the previous fiscal," Bharti Airtel said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange. On a standalone basis, Airtel reported a loss of Rs 1,829.00 crore in financial year 2018-19 against a profit of Rs 79.20 crore in FY18. Consolidated revenue from operations dipped marginally by 2.24 per cent to Rs 80,780.20 crore from Rs 82,638.80 crore in the year ago period. India mobile services revenue decreased to Rs 41,554 crore versus Rs 46,263.90 crore in previous financial year. However, Africa revenue climbed to Rs 21,502.80 crore from Rs 19,107.30 crore during the same period. Also Read: Reliance Jio posts net profit of Rs 840 crore in Q4 FY19, to focus on GigaFiber On the quarterly basis, the Sunil Bharti Mittal-led firm reported a 29.31 per cent growth in consolidated net profit at Rs 107.2 crore in Q4FY19, compared to Rs 82.9 crore in the same quarter last year, marking its first increase in profit after 11 quarters. The company swung to profit on an exceptional gain of Rs 2,022 crore, the Delhi-based telecom company said in the exchange filing. During January-March quarter, the company's revenue from operations rose by 6.22 per cent to Rs 20,602.20 crore from Rs 19,394.50. "Subsequent to the balance sheet date May 3, the company has launched a rights issue of approximately 1,134 million fully paid up equity shares (face value Rs 5 each) at a price of Rs 220 per share aggregating to Rs 24,939 crore. The right issue will close on May 17," Airtel said in a regulatory filing. During the quarter ended March 31, 2019, Airtel Networks Kenya Ltd. (a subsidiary of the Bharti Airtel group) signed an agreement with Telkom Kenya Limited, to merge its operations. Also Read: Reliance Jio beats Airtel to become India's 2nd largest telecom company Last week, the company's Africa arm posted a net profit of USD 83 million in the March quarter, compared to a loss of USD 49 million a year earlier, helped by increase in transaction value on its Airtel Money platform and higher data consumption on its network. Ahead of earnings announcement, shares of Bharti Airtel closed trade 0.69 per cent higher at Rs 333.40 apiece on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday. Edited by Chitranjan Kumar United Way of the Quad-Cities and the National Association of Letter Carriers are partnering in the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 11. Part of a national campaign, letter carriers will collect non-perishable food donations for the River Bend Foodbank during the 27th annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Residents are asked to leave a donation of non-perishable food items next to their mailboxes for letter carriers to collect as they deliver mail along their postal routes. "One in eight households face food insecurity in the U.S., and on a local level, one out of three families in the Quad-Cities can barely cover basic daily living expenses," said United Way President and CEO Rene Gellerman. "The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a great way to easily support your fellow Quad-Citizens." Thanking the carriers, Michael Miller, President and CEO of River Bend Foodbank, Davenport, said "This one day a year, anyone in the country can go through their cupboards, pull any non-perishable food item, leave it at their mailbox, and it will be picked up and taken to someone who really needs it." 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 there's 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 Love 3 Funny 6 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Davenport police have identified the person who was struck and killed last week on Interstate 80 near the Northwest Boulevard exit. Skylor Rowe, 25, of Moline was struck by a Penske rental truck driven by Sarah Peach of West Hollywood, Calif., police said in a news release from the department. Rowe was struck shortly before 3 a.m., May 2, within the traveled portion of the road. Police say the time of day and weather (rain) conditions greatly reduced visibility at the time of the incident. Alcohol also is suspected as a contributing factor for the pedestrian, police said. No charges will be filed in this accident. Quad-City Times Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 11 Angry 4 Courts: Christopher Dawayne Dixon, 35, has a preliminary hearing at 11 a.m. Friday in Scott County District Court. He faces charges of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony in connection with a robbery and shooting that left 20-year-old Brady Tumlinson dead and his girlfriend seriously injured in September 2017 in Davenport. Schools: Davenport Schools and the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency are on the agenda for the Iowa Board of Education meeting Thursday. The report out of Davenport's Phase II visit recommends the Board grant Davenport conditional accreditation while the district addresses 14 new citations. The AEA received conditional accreditation in March, and the Board will discuss progress made since then. Sports: Coed state-qualifying high school track meets will be held all over the state of Iowa on Thursday with local teams competing at Brady Street Stadium in Davenport, Dubuque, Mount Pleasant, Manchester, Tipton, Monticello and Central City. In Illinois, the Western Big Six boys track meet is Thursday at the Soule Bowl in East Moline and the Class 3A girls sectional meet is Friday at Moline. Big Story: For the past several years, public safety and governmental leaders from across the Quad-Cities have cooperated to plan for a single new radio system to serve the regions emergency agencies and ensure there are no places in the QCA where emergency services are unavailable. In this weeks Big Story, reporters Jennifer DeWitt and Tara Becker-Gray look at the planning and coordinated effort, as well as the issues still looming as the region moves forward with a new shared radio system. 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. C-SPANs 45-foot customized bus will visit St. Thomas More on Thursday in Rapid City to honor local winners Matthew McGillick and Spencer Lund for their winning entry in C-SPANs annual student video documentary competition, StudentCam. In partnership with Midco, C-SPAN will present a StudentCam certificate of merit to the students during a school-wide ceremony of classmates, teachers, family members and elected officials. Each year since 2006, C-SPAN has partnered with its local cable television providers in communities nationwide to invite middle school students and high school students to produce short documentaries about a subject of national importance. This year, students addressed the theme, "What does it mean to be American? Choose a constitutional right, national characteristic, or historic event and explain how it defines the American experience." In response, a record 6,318 students from 48 states and Washington, D.C., participated. McGillick and Lund are among the 340 students from across the country who won a total of $100,000 in prize money. In all, 150 winning videos were awarded. This year, C-SPAN marks its 15th year of the competition and awards its one-millionth dollar in StudentCam prize money. Visit www.studentcam.org to watch all the winning videos for 2019. The event at St. Thomas More will be at 10 a.m. Thursday. Additionally, the C-SPAN bus will make stops at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at East Middle School and 8:30 a.m. Friday at Southwest Middle School. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced 'CBSE Class 10th Result 2019' today on its official website. Bhavana N Sivadas from Kerala emerged as the All India topper in CBSE Class 10th Exams scoring 499 marks out of 500. As many as 13 students have scored 499 marks in the CBSE Class 10th exams. According to reports, the pass percentage is recorded to be at 91% this year, marking an increase as compared to last year. However, it is still lower than the pass percentage of 2017 which was recorded at 93.06%. Bhavana N Sivadas from Kerala is the all India topper in CBSE Class-10th Exams with 499 marks out of 500. https://t.co/wInuOIpNH5 - ANI (@ANI) 6 May 2019 Trivandrum, Chennai and Ajmer are the top three regions with a pass percentage of 99.85%, 99% and 95.89%, respectively. Total pass percentage in CBSE Class-10th Exams is 91.1 %; Trivandrum (99.85%), Chennai (99%), Ajmer (95.89%) are top three regions. pic.twitter.com/JBpHZGF0q1 - ANI (@ANI) 6 May 2019 Students are advised to keep their admit cards ready in order to check their CBSE Class 10th results without any hassle. The result was expected to be declared at 3 pm today. However, as per latest reports, the Board has declared the 'CBSE Class 10th result 2019' on its official website. Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE) announces Class 10th results. pic.twitter.com/adHzv1wJJU a ANI (@ANI) 6 May 2019 The board announced the CBSE Class 12th results on May 02. Step-1: Visit the official website of Board. Step-2: On the homepage, click on the link of 'Class 10th Result 2019'. Step-3: Once the link opens, enter your details like name and roll number. Step-4: Click on 'Submit' after you've entered your credentials. Step-5: Your result will be displayed on screen. Step-6: Download the result and take a print out for future references. (Edited by: Nehal Solanki) Also read: CBSE Class 10th Result 2019 to be declared at 3pm today Also read: Kerala SSLC Class 10 results 2019 today; check keralaresults.nic.in, keralapareekshabhavan.in for scores Also read: TS SSC Result 2019: Telangana Board to announce class 10 results at bse.telangana.gov.in Blog Archive December 2021 (61) November 2021 (72) October 2021 (67) September 2021 (59) August 2021 (56) July 2021 (57) June 2021 (66) May 2021 (63) April 2021 (75) March 2021 (73) February 2021 (61) January 2021 (69) December 2020 (62) November 2020 (62) October 2020 (70) September 2020 (51) August 2020 (52) July 2020 (60) June 2020 (57) May 2020 (79) April 2020 (56) March 2020 (52) February 2020 (50) January 2020 (69) December 2019 (58) November 2019 (64) October 2019 (44) September 2019 (49) August 2019 (71) July 2019 (71) June 2019 (71) May 2019 (67) April 2019 (74) March 2019 (85) February 2019 (64) January 2019 (73) December 2018 (66) November 2018 (81) October 2018 (87) September 2018 (66) August 2018 (76) July 2018 (84) June 2018 (86) May 2018 (64) April 2018 (83) March 2018 (78) February 2018 (69) January 2018 (69) December 2017 (82) November 2017 (87) October 2017 (89) September 2017 (77) August 2017 (75) July 2017 (76) June 2017 (90) May 2017 (86) April 2017 (59) March 2017 (61) February 2017 (82) January 2017 (92) December 2016 (90) November 2016 (80) October 2016 (75) September 2016 (95) August 2016 (104) July 2016 (93) June 2016 (96) May 2016 (98) April 2016 (99) March 2016 (113) February 2016 (82) January 2016 (98) December 2015 (113) November 2015 (94) October 2015 (93) September 2015 (98) August 2015 (97) July 2015 (105) June 2015 (103) May 2015 (95) April 2015 (100) March 2015 (102) February 2015 (93) January 2015 (114) December 2014 (110) November 2014 (103) October 2014 (105) September 2014 (96) August 2014 (96) July 2014 (112) June 2014 (119) May 2014 (109) April 2014 (116) March 2014 (117) February 2014 (109) January 2014 (116) December 2013 (117) November 2013 (121) October 2013 (125) September 2013 (93) August 2013 (115) July 2013 (110) June 2013 (102) May 2013 (115) April 2013 (113) March 2013 (119) February 2013 (108) January 2013 (119) December 2012 (132) November 2012 (115) October 2012 (121) September 2012 (115) August 2012 (124) July 2012 (102) June 2012 (121) May 2012 (121) April 2012 (127) March 2012 (130) February 2012 (112) January 2012 (131) December 2011 (129) November 2011 (118) October 2011 (118) September 2011 (110) August 2011 (138) July 2011 (146) June 2011 (139) May 2011 (144) April 2011 (127) March 2011 (140) February 2011 (116) January 2011 (134) December 2010 (133) November 2010 (136) October 2010 (148) September 2010 (128) August 2010 (155) July 2010 (129) June 2010 (138) May 2010 (152) April 2010 (161) March 2010 (119) February 2010 (149) January 2010 (155) December 2009 (177) November 2009 (171) October 2009 (176) September 2009 (159) August 2009 (156) July 2009 (170) June 2009 (157) May 2009 (185) April 2009 (179) March 2009 (183) February 2009 (170) January 2009 (181) December 2008 (189) November 2008 (183) October 2008 (164) September 2008 (164) August 2008 (177) July 2008 (179) June 2008 (170) May 2008 (191) April 2008 (175) March 2008 (195) February 2008 (162) January 2008 (188) December 2007 (187) November 2007 (189) October 2007 (194) September 2007 (156) August 2007 (194) July 2007 (163) June 2007 (176) May 2007 (190) April 2007 (177) March 2007 (192) February 2007 (165) January 2007 (170) December 2006 (182) November 2006 (177) October 2006 (185) September 2006 (180) August 2006 (156) July 2006 (160) June 2006 (177) May 2006 (173) April 2006 (157) March 2006 (158) February 2006 (146) January 2006 (144) December 2005 (135) November 2005 (138) October 2005 (128) September 2005 (141) August 2005 (136) July 2005 (133) June 2005 (119) May 2005 (143) April 2005 (52) The EU Google says the EU requires a notice of cookie use (by Google) and says they have posted a notice. I don't see it. If cookies bother you, go elsewhere. If the EU bothers you, emigrate. If you live outside the EU, don't go there. " " Adonis, a Bosnian pine, is one of the oldest trees in Europe. Dr. Oliver Konter, Mainz Tourists who head to Europe often make it a point to visit the antiquities. But who stops to think that the very same trees that dot today's ruins may have been around to witness the height of long-gone civilizations? That's the case with a tree in northern Greece that researchers are calling the oldest living organism on the European continent. Scientists have dated a Bosnian pine (Pinus heldreichii) found the rocky Balkan highlands to be at least 1,075 years ago. Called Adonis, after the Greek god of youth, the tree would have taken root in the year 941 C.E., if not earlier. Advertisement And before things get too technical, let's first acknowledge that, yes, a claim that something's the oldest tree is going to have to come with some disclaimers. First of all, this Greek tree is the oldest verified tree. While there are olive trees in Greece and Italy whose ages are purported to be in the several-thousand-years range, none of their life spans have been verified. Scientists were able to pinpoint Adonis' age by boring a tiny, 5-millimeter-wide sample from the tree core, then counting its rings in a process called dendrochronology "Many years ago I read a thesis about this very interesting forest in Greece," Swedish dendrochronologist Paul J. Krusic, who headed the research team, said in a press release. "In our research, we try to build long chronologies to construct climate histories, so finding living trees of old age is one of our motivations. To age the tree, we needed to take a core of wood, from the outside to the center. The core is one meter and has 1,075 annual rings." In fact, Krusic told the Washington Post, the tree could be even older than 1,075 years, because the team's boring procedure didn't quite reach the exact center of the tree, and because the sample wasn't taken from the very base of Adonis, the rings wouldn't account for the time it was still a sapling. More than a dozen other trees in the area were dated at more than 1,000 years old. And Adonis is a single organism, unlike groves of aspen, oak, or even types of sea grass that are clonal colonies, replicating their genetic code in an identical way for more than 10,000 years. And Adonis is on the European mainland many well-known and long-lived trees exist on islands like Crete, Sicily, Sardinia and the British islands. And one 600-something-year-old Swedish tree, for instance, has a root system that goes back 9,000 years. So it's all about how you define things. But still that's a pretty old tree. What else was going on in the world around that time? The Kingdom of Ghana reached its cultural apex. The Bohemian king Wenceslas, he of holiday song, was assassinated by lance. China's Sung Dynasty was founded. And Danish Vikings launched serious raids on England. Throughout it all and through everything that's happened since Adonis sat strong. Want to learn more about old organisms? Check out this BrainStuff video: Now That's Cool While Adonis (arguably) holds the European title, verified older trees live in the United States, Chile, Japan and India. " " Men's beards became the focus of a study intended to find out whether it was safe to use the same MRI scanners for people and dogs. Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images If you've been looking for a solid way to shame your beard-sporting partner into clean-shaven submission, congratulations: A recent study suggests that men's beards may harbor more germs than dog's fur. Feel free to hit the razor aisle before delivering that news. The study, published in the February 2019 issue of the journal European Radiology, wasn't intended to be a compilation of anti-beard evidence, but the results offered some less-than-positive insight for fans of facial hair. The study was actually much weirder than a simple hair vs. fur exploration researchers were trying to figure out if it was safe for humans to use the same MRI scanners previously used by dogs. Advertisement Why in the world would that be a thing experts need to know about, you ask? Apparently most vet clinics don't have dedicated on-site animal scanners, but because dogs are living longer than ever, they're experiencing increased diseases in their golden years and often require imaging diagnostics. So rather than having all vets invest in pricey pet-specific machines, the researchers were trying to figure out if pups could just be evaluated in regular human hospitals. As for why the researchers chose bearded men as their comparison group, there's no clear answer. So is it still a weird study? Sure. But the context helps clear things up a little. To sort out the issue, researchers analyzed skin and saliva samples from 18 bearded men, ranging in age from 18 to 76, and samples of fur and saliva from 30 dogs, ranging in breed from schnauzer to German shepherd. The fur samples, by the way, were taken from between the dogs' shoulder blades, which is apparently a "particularly unhygienic" area where skin infections regularly occur on canines, according to the study. Despite sampling the notoriously germy spots on the pups, the men emerged as the germier group. The study found that all 18 men exhibited "high microbial counts" on their skin and saliva, but only 23 of the 30 dogs showed that kind of extreme germiness. It unfortunately gets even grosser than that: Seven of the men tested positive for human-pathogenic microbes, which are the type of bacteria that can make people super sick under certain circumstances (four of the dogs had it too, but...just four). These microbes included Enterococcus faecalis, a common gut bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections and other health issues, and Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that lives on up to half of all human adults, but can create mayhem if it gets into the bloodstream. The good(ish?) news for bearded dudes is that researchers can't say for sure from this small study whether hairy men are inherently germier than the rest of the human race in fact, they wrote that "there is no reason to believe that women may harbor less bacteriological load than bearded men." The real message they hope people take to heart is that humans whether bearded, bald, male or female leave behind a lot more potentially-harmful bugs behind in hospital settings than experts ever realized. "The central question should perhaps not be whether we should allow dogs to undergo imaging in our hospitals," the team wrote, "but rather we should focus on the knowledge and perception of hygiene and understand what poses real danger and risk to our patients." Now That's Interesting An estimated 55 percent of men around the world have some type of facial hair, and the average beard grows 5.5 inches (14 centimeters) per year. " " The amur leopard is one of the critically endangered animals on the planet. Just 70 are thought to exist in the wild. Peter Orr Photography/Getty Images If you could travel back 65 million years ago, you would be able to witness the fifth mass extinction on Earth. It was at that time that a major event likely the impact from a comet or giant meteor wiped out more than half of all life on Earth [source: Choi]. Among the life forms that died out were the dinosaurs. As enormous as that extinction event was, an event 250 million years ago dwarfed it. The Permian extinction saw 95 percent of all marine life and nearly all land life die out [source: PBS]. The world might look very different today had this extinction not happened. Scientists believe enormous volcanic eruptions in what is now Asia caused this mass extinction. Advertisement Today, Earth could be facing its next mass extinction. A global report issued by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and released on May 6, 2019, found that some 1 million species are at risk of extinction the greatest number in in human history. Why are so many life forms dying out? Several factors could contribute to extinction, but one seems to dominate all others: human interference. Whether it comes in the form of hunting, destruction of habitat or introducing an alien species to a new environment, humans have made an enormous impact on life on Earth in general. The history of our meddling goes back 100,000 years, when humans first started to migrate out of Africa. And then really picked up around 10,000 years ago when humans developed agriculture. Since that time, human activities have wiped out thousands of species of plants and animals. About 75 percent of the land-based environment and 66 percent of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human actions, according to the report. Climate change has also accelerated extinction as many animals and plants can't adapt to warming or cooling ecosystems. If the trend continues, we could see a mass extinction that could threaten our own survival. We'll learn more in the next section. We first meet Haditze walking precariously cliff-side to harvest a wild colony of bees. With the sun gorgeously settling in on the valley, she makes her way back to the isolated homestead she keeps with her infirm octogenarian mother. It is a hillside farm of rocky ruins, scrubby grass and bony tress, but Haditze scratches out a living of sorts from the pure, unmodified, honey of her hives, which she nurtures on the premises and sells directly to the food markets in Skopje, Macedonia's capital city, which is several kilometers away; walkable but far. With no running water, or electricity, something as simple as a banana or hair dye is the height of luxury. Haditze's world and her livelihood are about to face a significant challenge, one that will be captured by an astute camera (The Sundance Film Festival bestowed a cinematography award to the film's pair of shooters, Fejmi Daut & Samir Ljuma, for good reason) and an eye for symbolic moments. Honeyland is a marvel of a documentary, one that feels more like a narrative slice of tragedy as any kind of typical 'issue' documentary, as the characters and their drama take the foreground. The film offers evidence to the truism that bad neighbors are everywhere - even in the lonely plateaus of Macedonia. When a Turkish family moves into Haditze's (ample) space, she is shown, surreptitiously popping her head above the stone wall at the edge of her property. A Turkish man, Hussein, arrives with his small herd of skinny cattle, and a caravan full of children, junk, and chickens. The serene environment is shattered, possibly irrevocably, over 85 minutes of ecological tragedy. Somehow, the entire scope of the human condition is encapsulated, wholesale, into a single compact, but living, breathing, story. And like all the best stories, this one seems to exist independent to time and place. Airplanes are seen to occationally fly overhead a sharp contrasts to the simple farmstead that could have existed several centuries ago. Tamara Kotevska & Ljubomir Stefanov have crafted a marvellous piece of non-intervention here. There are moments of exceptional intimacy, particularly with Haditze and her mother in extreme close-up, subsisting or arguing with one another. Equally so with Hussein, his wife, and their myriad hellion brood. When Hussein gets wind of the bee keeping operation, he starts a parallel, rival, set of colonies, and his stewardship is one of the 'quick buck' variety, utterly at odds with Haditze's philosophy of 'half the honey for the bees, half for the harvest.' Unspoiled open nature, grass, plants flowers, is good for the bees, piles of garbage and human detritus are not. As a species, we are still animals, social or otherwise, smearing the landscape with our tools, garbage, and schemes. It is not long before full-on conflict rears its ugly head. Hussein's bees are starving, and attacking Haditze's colonies. Her early attempts to befriend, sing and teach his children, result in strained relationships and eventual betrayal. Images of bees wrestling, drowning, and stinging act as visual metaphor, essayed in stark cinematic terms. What Haditze touches turns into delicate gold, but the lazy, noisy Hussein clan have the reverse Midas touch, where everything turns to shit and tears. At one point the children are seen playing with a Turtle in a stone tub, the animal trapped in a barren basin. Perhaps Hussein and his wife are not the villains here, but simply struggling with circumstance. Perhaps not. There is a rather unique tension between the viewer and Honeyland. Because this is a documentary which unfolds in the style of a narrative, at times, I found myself 'rooting' for the filmmakers to break the fourth wall to intervene against the all too predictable 'human shitshow in slow motion.' Instead, they are flies one the wall, but highly observant flies. Faces like these, young and old alike, almost rarely appear in even the best fictional cinema. The 'acting' here, as one would expect from non actors living their lives, is utterly natural and without guile. Honeyland is its own kind of melancholy miracle, and a testament to this kind of patient documentary filmmaking. The small crew spent several years shooting in the area. I am guessing the original focus was on 'the last female beekeeper in Europe' angle. While that is certainly in the film, the events they capture are infinitely more substantial. I do wonder what Haditze thinks of the events depicted in the film. Probably very little. She is a survivor, and at the end of the film, feels both fragile and mythic, trudging off into the sunset with her canvas backpack of bees, and her heavy skirts, which, if you look closely, are patterned to look like a swarm of the tiny creatures who are her sustenance and livelihood. The political rivalry between two of India's biggest leaders Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee may adversely affect relief work in cyclone hit areas in West Bengal. Lack of co-ordination between the Centre and the state has been apparent in the past couple of days. First, reports emerged PM Modi had called the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to discuss the cyclone situation, but not rang up West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. Later, PMO clarified that it was Mamata Banerjee who had not received the PM's calls; the prime minister had called her up twice. Today, West Bengal state government has refused to allow a meeting between its officials and PM Narendra Modi. According to sources in the Prime Minister's Office, West Bengal government cited election duty of officials as a reason for cancelling the meeting. PMO Sources: However the state government has replied that the govt officials are busy with election duty and hence the review meeting should not be held. 2/2 https://t.co/i1p0GpB24y ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 PM Modi was in Odisha today to take stock of the destruction caused by Fani. He conducted aerial survey of the areas affected by the cyclone in districts of Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Governor Ganeshi Lal and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Later, he also chaired a review meeting with Odisha state government officials. PM Narendra Modi conducts aerial survey of #Cyclonefani affected areas in Odisha. Governor Ganeshi Lal, CM Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also present. pic.twitter.com/ZO9XkRC7kK ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 Bhubaneswar: PM Narendra Modi along with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik hold a review meeting with officials. #CycloneFanipic.twitter.com/qPuzsYixLu ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 After Odisha, he was supposed to hold a review meeting in West Bengal. The Government of India had written to the state about a review meeting of the PM with state government officials today, ANI quoted PMO sources as saying. The Centre and West Bengal have been at loggerheads for the past few months now. Of late, this has boiled down to PM Narendra Modi and CM Mamata Banerjee launching verbal attacks against each other while electioneering for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. While Modi has blamed Mamata of disrupting law and order in the state, the latter has charged the PM with destroying the crucial institutions of the nation. Speaking at an election rally in Tamluk, West Bengal on Monday, PM Modi said, "I tried to speak to Mamata Didi regarding the cyclone situation twice but she did not respond. She is least bothered about the people of Bengal. I wanted to take stock of the situation with the administration but arrogant Didi refused it too." I tried to speak to Mamata Didi regarding the cyclone situation twice but she did not respond. She is least bothered about the people of Bengal. I wanted to take stock of the situation with the administration but arrogant Didi refused it too: PM @narendramodi#HarBoothParModipic.twitter.com/weihmc9oC6 BJP (@BJP4India) May 6, 2019 Responding to PM Modi's jibe, Mamata Banerjee said, "How can you support... you are an expiry PM. And why should I meet you? How dare you try to hold meeting with the State Chief Secretary? They report to the CM and not PM." "I want to ask him where was he when people in these areas were in trouble... backward areas like Lalgarh... how many times have you come here? We have solved the Maoist problem here... now during polls you come... last time during floods I went twice to meet you and demanded assistance and you did not give a penny. Now whatever has happened the state government is capable of handling it ourselves. We don't need you," the West Bengal CM said while targeting the PM. ALSO READ:Cyclone Fani: Andhra govt announces financial aid of Rs 15 crore to Odisha ALSO READ:Cyclone Fani: SBI restores operations in most branches in 3 districts of Odisha Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a physical attack on Hamas It could be the first time that a state responds with a conventional strike to a cyber attack. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has launched a physical attack on Hamas in response to an alleged cyber attack. A strike launched by Israeli forces targeted a building in the Gaza Strip that was hosting Hamas cyber army. The IDF adopted a hybrid approach, it first stopped the cyber attack carried out by Hamas, then once it has localized the source of the offensive launched an airstrike. The IDF is claiming to have wiped out Hamas cyber operational capabilities. CLEARED FOR RELEASE: We thwarted an attempted Hamas cyber offensive against Israeli targets. Following our successful cyber defensive operation, we targeted a building where the Hamas cyber operatives work. HamasCyberHQ.exe has been removed. pic.twitter.com/AhgKjiOqS7 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 5, 2019 The attack could be considered a milestone in modern warfare because it is the first time a cyber attack has been met with an immediate physical air strike. Israeli officials did not disclose details of the cyberattacks launched by Hamas cyber forces, they only confirmed to have stopped it. In 2015 another case made the headline, US military killed the British ISIS hacker Junaid Hussain in a targeted drone strike. The US intelligence believes that the jihadist hacker was behind a number of cyber attacks, including the one that hit the Central Command websites and its Twitter accounts and the dump of personal details of US military forces online. Hussain was responsible for releasing personally identifying information of approximately 1,300 US military and government employees and specifically sought to direct violence against US service members and government employees. The two operations are quite different because the attack carried out by the IDF represents an immediate retaliation to Hamass cyber operations against the state of Israel. We were ahead of them all the time, said Brigadier General D., the head of the IDFs cyber defense division. The moment they tried to do something, they failed. After dealing with the cyber dimension, the Air Force dealt with it in the physical dimension, said IDF spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manlis. At this point in time, Hamas has no cyber operational capabilities. In an interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved the military response of Isreal. It looks pretty serious. Now the number is over 400 rockets that we can validate have been fired. The Israelis have every right to defend themselves. Ive seen video that we cant validate just yet but where there have been strikes on homes, civilian populations. These rockets were fired with civilians around them in order to protect from return fire. This is terrible. said Pompeo. The Israelis have every right to protect the sovereignty of their nation, and I hope that we can return to the ceasefire that had been in place for weeks and had been holding significantly before this. Pierluigi Paganini ( SecurityAffairs IDF, Hamas) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On Assembling criminal justice questions for the 2020 Prez field | Main | Will New Hampshire legislature this time override veto to finally repeal state's death penalty? Sara Wakefield and Kristin Turney have this notable new Hill commentary headlined "In 2020, we need bold ideas for criminal justice reform too." Here are excerpts: As the 2020 election quickly approaches, Democratic candidates are presenting bold ideas about a wide variety of issues including climate change, inequality, national paid leave, filibuster reform, student loans, and Medicare for All. Few ideas are too ambitious for the base, even though many would require major structural changes to American institutions and civic life. Then, theres the issue of justice. Criminal justice reform and mass incarceration get talked about, correctly, as racial justice issues that need to be addressed, but no one has proposed radical changes to how we approach crime and punishment in America. Its time for 2020 candidates to think as boldly about criminal justice as they are about health care and climate change. Sen. Cory Bookers (D-N.J.) Next Step Act currently comes closest to a bold proposal, taking on police officer training, the conditions of confinement, and expungement procedures. Yet, even this proposal includes the sentencing reforms and reentry assistance proposals were used to seeing. Our collective focus, and the focus of popular criminal justice reform laws like the FIRST STEP Act, remains on a late stage of criminal justice contact: incarceration. Prison incarceration is, of course, a consequential event, but many more millions of people engage with our inefficient and repressive criminal justice system through arrests, misdemeanor convictions, parole and probation, the bail industry, and the accumulation of fines and fees. People dont have to be sentenced to prison to have life-altering interactions with the criminal justice system, and our leaders need to think about these experiences too. In 2016, for example, 70 percent of the roughly 646,000 Americans in local jails on any given day had not been convicted of anything, largely remaining in jail due to their inability to make bail or because they violated the conditions of probation and parole.... Presidential candidates should also consider how much our criminal justice system impacts lives after someone has served time. In 2016, almost 7 million people were under some form of correctional supervision, such as parole or probation. The most common reentry proposals are aimed at improving the labor market prospects of the formerly incarcerated. We applaud these efforts, but people who lack health care and a stable home may struggle to find and keep a job. Discussions of health care and housing policy that ignore the formerly incarcerated ignore a population with the most significant health care problems and housing instability in the country.... By focusing on reforming incarceration only, we are obscuring a broader landscape of pain for millions of Americans. To truly begin on a path toward criminal justice reform, we need our leaders to think in terms of new deals, guarantees, and sweeping legislation that could impact more Americans, like they do on climate and health care. The type of country we want to have depends on these decisions. Urging Prez candidates to urge bold criminal justice changes looking beyond incarceration levels | Main | Pennsylvania Gov grants clemency to three more persons serving life sentences May 6, 2019 Will New Hampshire legislature this time override veto to finally repeal state's death penalty? As noted in this post last month, a lopsided vote in favor of a bill to repeal the death penalty in the New Hampshire legislature suggested that the state would be able to abolish capital punishment despite the opposition of the state's Governor. On Friday, as reported in this local article, the expected veto occurred, setting up the question that is the title of this post. The local article is headlined "Sununu vetoes repeal of seldom-used death penalty as large delegation of police applaud," and here are excerpts: Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed legislation to repeal the death penalty Friday surrounded by about 30 state, county and local police officers at the Michael Briggs Community Center, named for the officer whose killer is the states lone occupant of death row. The governor acknowledged the bill he vetoed received bipartisan support in the House and Senate that was pretty overwhelming.... Michael Addison, already a convicted felon when he shot officer Briggs, is the only person on death row in New Hampshire, which hasnt executed anyone since 1939. A recurring theme among repeal opponents has been the fear that Addisons sentence will be converted to life without parole if the death penalty is repealed, even though repeal advocates argue that the law cant be applied retroactively. After the veto signing, Sununu said he believes in the death penalty as a matter of sound public policy and that he would have vetoed a repeal whether or not the state had an inmate on death row. The reason is quite obvious, he said, when you talk to law enforcement and ask if this serves as a deterrent, they say absolutely. People in this state understand that this is a tool and when you use it justly and with prudence, as New Hampshire does, its appropriate.... Sununu said he would do everything he could to engage citizens in this process. When you get to sustaining or overturning a veto, a lot of dynamics come into play, he said. So well go back and talk to folks. Well keep fighting for it. The vote was pretty overwhelming, to be honest. Politics didnt come into play. I think it was folks not really understanding what this means to law enforcement and their families. Because I do not know the particulars of the New Hampshire legislature and local politics, I am not able to make a confident prediction on a veto override under the circumstances. Notably, the legislature failed to override a similar veto of a similar bill last year, but the 2018 election may have changed the numbers enough to change the outcome. But, as this news article suggests, it would appear the Governor is eager to take steps to preserve his veto and thus the state's death penalty. Prior related post: May 6, 2019 at 09:40 AM | Permalink Comments Post a comment A general view of the central business district. (Photo: Reuters/Edgar Su) Singapores Hyflux Ltd., the water and power company battling for survival, said it is in talks with Middle Eastern utility Utico FZC about securing S$400 million (US$294 million) of funds, disclosing the identity of the potential investor after receiving a non-binding letter of intent. Hyfluxs legal and financial advisers are in discussions with Utico on the details of the investment, with a view to set them out in a binding term sheet, it said in a filing to the Singapore exchange late Friday. Utico informed Hyflux it plans to keep the companys main businesses so they remain operational, and to retain current management, according to the statement. Hyflux said April 25 it had received a non-binding letter of intent from an undisclosed Middle East developer. The possible injection of S$400 million will be used for equity and working capital purposes and possible urgent interim funding, it said. Hyfluxs attempt at restructuring S$2.8 billion of unsecured claims, one of the largest such cases in Singapore in recent years, was thrown into disarray on April 4 when it scrapped a pact with its would-be savior SM Investments. The company canceled a vote by junior creditors scheduled for the next day on the S$530 million rescue plan involving the Indonesian group. Judicial Management The fallout turned bitter with Hyflux suing to claim a S$38.9 million deposit in an escrow account from SM Investments. A group of unsecured lenders including Mizuho Bank Ltd. and Bangkok Bank Pcl filed a court application to vary the debt moratorium in order to put Hyflux and its unit Hydrochem (S) Pte under judicial management. Utico has informed the company that it is aware of the urgency of the restructuring, Hyflux said Friday, adding it is also in discussions with other potential investors. Utico, based in the United Arab Emirates, is the largest private full-service utility and developer in the Middle East, according to Hyflux. Its shareholders and investors include the governments of Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Brunei. SINGAPORE (May 6): Hyflux has identified Utico FZE as its next potential white knight investor which might make a capital injection of $400 million, weeks ahead of its extended debt moratorium until May 24. Hyflux had previously mentioned it was in discussions with an unidentified suitor and had already received a non-binding letter of intent (LoI) from the other party. See: Hyflux applies to extend debt moratorium by another three months; slapped with fresh claims of US$65 mil See: After Hyflux fall, Singapore debt buyers scrutinise these firms Utico is a United Arab Emirates (UAE) entity said to be the largest private full-service utility and developer in the Middle East. Its shareholders and investors include sovereign institutions of the governments of Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Brunei. In its filing last Friday, Hyflux says it intends to use the anticipated funding from Utico for equity and working capital purposes, as well as possible urgent interim funding. The group is in the midst of active discussions with Uticos legal and financial advisors on the terms of the latters investment, which will be set out in a binding term sheet for execution. Utico is aware of the urgency of its ongoing restructuring, says Hyflux, adding that the entity intends to, on a win-win-basis, invest in Hyflux on the basis of preserving the groups key entities so that they may remain intact and operational. The funds will also be used to retain Hyfluxs current management as the company reaches an amicable deal with its creditor and investors. The group adds that it is in concurrent discussions with several other parties interested in investing in its business. Hyfluxs announcement comes a month after SM Investments (SMI) aborted its proposed $530 million deal to invest in the group. The water treatment firm has since filed a lawsuit against SMI for allegedly repudiating its restructuring agreement, and SMI has likewise taken legal action against Hyflux claiming that it has thus far abided by the said agreement. In the latest twist to the long-running saga, Hyflux subsidiary Tuaspring at end April received a letter of demand from Maybank over payments the bank said was due and payable. They comprise $509.1 million drawn down under term loan facilities, a US$44.5 million ($60.7 million) cash cover for contingent liabilities as well as $28 million in payments from hedging agreements. Robert Vadra Monday questioned Union Minister Smriti Irani on her degree/qualifications asking her to disclose the same. The businessman sneered at Irani asking her to focus on elections instead of "taking jibes" at him. The war of words ensued between Vadra and Irani on the day Congress President Rahul Gandhi's family bastion Amethi is voting in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Election 2019. Also Read: CBSE Class 10th Result: 13 students bag 499 out of 500 marks; Smriti Irani's daughter scores 82% "Smriti Irani ji, wid due respect, pls conc on elections instead of taking jibes at me. India wants to knw abt ur deg/qualifications & underlying controversy with it. First, u clarify that&then point finger at others. Awaiting to c if u r qualified. No disclosure or reply means u r not," Vadra said in a Facebook post. His remarks came as a rebuttal after Irani warned people of Amethi to protect their lands in the areas where Vadra would campaign. Her comment came over the development that he will be the star campaigner for the Congress party in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. "I would only want this that, the areas where Shri Robert Vadra would want to go to do campaigning, the public in those areas beware and protect their lands," Irani told ANI. #WATCH Union Minister Smriti Irani reacts on Robert Vadra to campaign for Congress party for the #LokSabhaElections2019 says, 'itna hi kehna chahoongi, jahan-jahan Shri Robert Vadra prachaar karne jana chahte hain wahan ki janta aagah hojaye aur apni zameenein bacha le.' pic.twitter.com/N1C5B99ogT - ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2019 The Union Minister also hit out at Rahul Gandhi on Twitter earlier Monday morning that he was "ensuring booth capturing" in Amethi Lok Sabha seat. Irani who is pitted against the Congress Chief in Amethi had tweeted a video where an old lady in the constituency was claiming to have been forced to vote for Congress by an officer-in-charge at the booth. Also Read: Congress hits out at Smriti Irani over qualifications The lady was seen as saying in the video that her hand was forcibly put on 'panja' (hand)- Congress' election symbol, although she wanted to press hit on 'kamal' button (lotus) which is the BJP's symbol. "Alert @ECISVEEP Congress President @Rahul Gandhi ensuring booth capturing," Irani tweeted. The Union Minister had earlier targetted Gandhi alleging that he was "missing" from Amethi not caring enough for his voters in his constituency. Also Read: Smriti Irani files nomination from Amethi; performs puja with husband Also Read: Lok Sabha Election 2019 Phase 5 LIVE updates: 'Didi doesn't want poor to benefit from Ayushman Bharat,' said PM Modi Amethi is one of the 51 Lok Sabha seats in seven states where polling is underway today. The constituency is also one of the most closely watched and the high-profile parliamentary seats in the country in the ongoing Lok Sabha election 2019. Gandhi had beaten Irani in the 2014 general elections by around 1 lakh votes. Also Read: Cong accuses Smriti Irani of 'falsifying' educational records Also Read: Robert Vadra gets anticipatory bail in money laundering case Also Read: Robert Vadra drops hint at joining active politics in FB Post, BJP jeers on Twitter Also Watch: What is the ground reality in Amethi and Rahul Gandhi's adopted village? Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen shared the Committee of Inquiry's findings into the death of CFC (NS) Aloysius Pang in Parliament on 6 May, 2019. (PHOTOS: AP, Mindef) SINGAPORE The death of CFC (NS) Aloysius Pang was preventable had there been compliance with safety rules by all personnel inside the self-propelled howitzer (SSPH) that Pang was trapped in, the Committee of Inquiry (COI) into his death found. Sharing the committee's findings in Parliament on Monday (6 May), Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said "the COI found that the incident was due to lapses of all the servicemen who were in the gun at the time of the incident". Quoting from the COI findings, Dr Ng said the "precipitating cause of the incident was due to the lowering of the gun barrel without ensuring that everyone was in their safe positions". Furthermore, the other two people inside the SSPH - the gun commander and a technician - "panicked and acted irrationally" when the gun barrel made contact with Pang, the COI found. Both men didn't activate the emergency stop buttons that were within their reach. Pang, 28, had been taking part in Exercise Thunder Warrior, a live firing exercise, at Waiouru Military Training Area in New Zealand as part of his seventh In-Camp Training when he was injured while carrying out maintenance work on an SSPH on 19 January at about 7pm. He was trapped between the flick rammer and the slew ring of the SSPH turret, and suffered severe chest and abdominal injuries. The national serviceman was evacuated by medics to the Battalion Casualty Station at about 7.10pm. He was evacuated to Waiouru Base Medical Centre at about 7.50pm, and heli-evacuated to Waikato Hospital at 9.50pm. Pang underwent surgery at around 1am and again over the next two days, but died from severe sepsis on 24 January. The COI found no evidence to indicate that Pang's death involved foul play or was caused by deliberate acts. What happened inside the gun An SSPH gun detachment commander had requested for rectification work on his gun. The bearing of the gun was beyond the allowable error and he could not carry on with live firing. Pang, an armament technician, could not resolve the issue. A Military Expert 2 (ME2) technician joined him in the maintenance work. Story continues To rectify the fault, the plan was to change the CPU card on the Motor Drive Control Unit (MDCU)-Ammo Handling System (AHS) box. The ME2 technician, a regular officer, briefed the gun commander, holding the rank of 3SG (NS), to turn off the AHS, lock the gun barrel, turn off the engine, and turn off the master switch. In order to lock the gun barrel, it had to be lowered to the near-horizontal standby position. The ME2 tech then went to the designated safe position and started to loosen screws from the AHS box. He saw Pang also loosening screws from the box while not in a safe position and with his back to the gun barrel. The ME2 told Pang in a mix of Mandarin and English that the gun barrel was going to be lowered and to move either closer to him or to a safe position. But Pang replied that it was fine and the gun barrel would not hit him. Meanwhile, the gun commander checked the path inside the confined SSPH. He saw Pang standing near the gun barrel and wrongly assumed that Pang would have time to move away once the barrel was lowered. The gun commander then shouted "standby, clear away" before activating the control to move the gun. As the flick rammer moved up, Pang was still removing the screws on the AHS box and looking back at the gun barrel at the same time. He initially made no attempt to move away. The gun commander then noticed Pang making some evasive movements as the barrel moved closer to him. The ME tech was shocked to see Pang still in the path of the gun and tried to use his hands to push against the barrel to stop its movement. As the gun barrel came into contact with Pang, both the ME tech and the gun commander panicked and acted irrationally. The ME tech tried to push the gun barrel with his hands while the gun commander went to the main control screen to try to stop the barrel movement. Pang was wedged between the flick rammer and the slew ring. Safety breaches The COI determined that the personnel did not comply with standard operating procedures. It is clearly stated in the maintenance manual for SSPH technicians that the gun must be in a parked position with the gun barrel locked before they start maintenance work to replace the interface card in the MDCU-AHS. However, the ME tech started dismantling the mountings on the gun even though the gun barrel was not in a standby or locked position. The gun commander, ME tech and Pang also did not follow the strict requirement that everyone must be in a safe position during the movement of the gun barrel. The gun commander should also have waited for Pang to be in a safe position before moving the gun barrel. This requirement is provided in the SSPH's operator's manual. And although the gun commander and the ME tech had told Pang that the gun would be lowered, they did not ensure that he was in a safe position before the gun barrel was lowered. The gun commander and ME tech also did not activate the emergency stop buttons. SIB investigations not yet completed Chaired by a judge, the COI comprised five people outside the military and defence ministry. The COI has no mandate to determine culpability, and statements made to the committee are not admissible as evidence for disciplinary proceedings or for court martial. As Pang died in New Zealand, Singapore's police and State Coroner do not have jurisdiction over the death. Meanwhile, New Zealand's Attorney-General has not directed for a coroner's inquiry into Pang's death. Under military law, the Singapore Armed Force's Special Investigation Branch (SIB) has jurisdiction to investigate Pang's death. Once SIB completes its investigations, it will report directly to the Chief Military Prosecutor, who is deployed to the defence ministry by the Legal Service Commission which is headed by the Chief Justice. The Chief Military Prosecutor will then decide if any servicemen are to be prosecuted in military court for offences related to Pang's death. The military court is presided by former or serving State Court judges as Presidents of the General Court Martial. More Singapore stories: Aloysius Pang's death: COI proposes SAF safety enhancements 56 sexual misconduct cases handled by autonomous universities in past 3 years: Ong Ye Kung Simplified application process for Direct School Admission this year SBS Transit buses to have rooftop gardens as part of green initiative COMMENT: 'Fake news Bill' gets a re-run Peter Joemel Advincula, claiming to be Bikoy faces the members of the media on May 6 at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. MANILA, Philippines Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday (May 6) said that there is no need yet for a Senate hearing even with the surfacing of the controversial man in the viral narco-videos calling himself Bikoy. Lacson, Senate Committee Chair on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, said Bikoy still needs to back his claims with strong evidence, especially so when he is linking no less than the family of President Rodrigo Duterte to the illegal drugs trade. As far as the Senate, we will await his sworn statement and whatever supporting evidence he has, after which we will evaluate and proceed from there. If it merits a Senate inquiry, we definitely will conduct one to hear him and more, if any, Senator Lacson said in a statement following Peter Joemel Advincula a.k.a. Bikoys press briefing at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. Advincula claimed he went to the IBP to seek legal assistance. READ: Man claiming to be Bikoy asks help from IBP The IBP said it has yet to evaluate alias Bikoys claim which led Lacson to be skeptical of the IBPs position as it has already lent its facilities to Advincula so that he could hold a press briefing. First, I certainly hope the Integrated Bar of the Philippines will give the same amount of attention and assistance to anybody seeking legal assistance. Otherwise, they might be misunderstood as engaging in political partisanship, which could punch a hole and deflate their credibility, the senator said. By their admission, they havent evaluated Bikoys accusations, yet they provided him their facility and a forum to air his accusations, he added. Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) in its statement said the appearance of Advincula is an opportunity to substantiate his serious accusations and convince the Filipino people that he is worth listening to. If at all the person who surfaced today is the authentic Bikoy who is the subject of an ongoing investigation, good for him because he just spared himself the trouble of having to hide behind the cloak of anonymity any further, the PNP statement read. Story continues Otherwise, he is just wasting our time with his fantastic tale. At any rate, he still has a lot of explaining to do for his actions and the real motive behind it, it added. The PNP vows to continue its investigation and validate the identity of Advincula based on strong evidence. Marje Pelayo The post Bikoys appearance may not guarantee a Senate hearing just yet Lacson appeared first on UNTV News. Palestinian leaders in Gaza announced 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 in the hours after it was due to take effect, 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 Israelis 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. 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. 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. It first identified the woman as the baby's mother, but the family later clarified she was the aunt. Israel strongly disputed the claim, with army spokesman Jonathan Conricus saying that based on intelligence 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. 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. Conricus 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 meanwhile 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. At the Cinnamon Grand Colombo, one of six Sri Lankan targets hit by suicide bombers on Easter Sunday, the silence that reigns is not just the usual hush of a plush hotel. Recently reopened, barely 10 of its 500 luxury rooms are occupied -- down from the 300 usual at this time of year -- as fears rise over the impact of the bombings on the island nation's burgeoning tourism industry. On April 21, the Cinnamon was one of three hotels hit by jihadi bombers along with three churches in attacks claimed by the Islamic State group that left 257 people dead. Around 9:10 am that day, Sri Lankan Inshaf Ibrahim, who had checked into the Cinnamon the day before, went to the breakfast buffet in the hotel's Taprobane restaurant. Then he set off the bomb in his backpack, killing twenty people. The bomber's brother Ilham Ibrahim died while attacking the Shangri-La hotel, also in Colombo. Now, to get into the marble-floored lobby of the Cinnamon, visitors must pass through two security checks as a new X-ray machine scans bags. Armed soldiers outnumber guests. At a bar inside that before was a popular drinking hole for Colombo's movers and shakers, Chaminda Perera, head of an agro-chemicals firm, is sipping red wine after returning for the first time. "It feels lonely when coming inside. We know that Cinnamon Grand is one the best hotels in Colombo," he told AFP, the other seats and armchairs around him and his companion empty. "Usually in daytime it is very difficult to get a chair." Bart van Dijk, a Dutchman working for an e-commerce company and who lives nearby, said that before the attacks the Cinnamon was so much more than a hotel. "In other countries, a hotel is just a place where people sleep for business or as a tourist," the 29-year-old told AFP. "Here you have 14 restaurants, you have a laundry service, a fitness service. It's almost an entire ecosystem that you walk into." - King's Cross - Posters inside the hotel exhort visitors to let the world know the Cinnamon is turning the page, including by using the #BackatCG hashtag on social media. "It was always so busy. The lobby was buzzing with people of all races, nationalities, people visiting for all purposes," recalled Rohan Karr, the Cinnamon's general manager. "It could be a wedding, dining, or it could be just to be seen and have a cup of coffee" he told AFP. "It was the King's Cross Station of Sri Lanka. Now it is..." he added, trying to find the right words, "but we'll get back, we'll get back to glory soon." Many countries have advised their nationals to avoid Sri Lanka since the attacks shattered its image as a safe holiday destination, 10 years after the end of a brutal civil war. The government expects visitor numbers to dive 30 percent this year and for Sri Lanka to need up to two years for the tourism sector to recover. The Cinnamon may take a while too. Four of its restaurants are open again, but the Taprobane, instead of breakfasting families, contains investigators from Interpol and the FBI. Wipro, an Indian conglomerate with interests spanning consumer goods to information technology, said on Monday it will target China and Hong Kong following the recent acquisition of Splash Corporation, one of Philippines largest personal care company. Wipro Consumer Care said the company will bring Splashs SkinWhite whitening lotion, Maxi-peel Exfoliant Solution and Kolours hair-dye and other products to China, where it already has a presence through Zhongshan Ma Er Daily Products. We will take Splash products and leverage them through the Wipro network outside the Philippines to markets like China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia, said Neeraj Khatri, incoming CEO of Splash, which ranks fifth in the Southeast Asian nations personal care industry with revenues of US$80 million last year. Wipro signed a deal to acquire Splash on April 29 for an undisclosed amount, one of its string of buyouts in recent years. Wipro acquired the Chinese shower and bath goods maker Zhongshan in September 2016. Since then the company has grown to become the third biggest player in consumer care goods in southern China, said Nagender Arya, Wipro Consumer Cares regional director for East Asia, Africa and Europe. We are able to cater to local consumers much better as we have world-class research and development facilities available regionally. We can do consumer tests in China or Hong Kong and develop products for these markets, said Arya. He added the company is aiming to consolidate its position in the Greater Bay Area, which includes Hong Kong and Macau and has a strong position in Guangdong and Hainan among young women. The company said it expected its business to grow to US$2 billion in the next four years after reaching a turnover of US$1 billion last year. According to research from US data firm Nielsen, the fast-moving consumer goods market, which includes toiletries and other packaged goods, remained strong in China in 2018 with a growth rate of 14 per cent. Chinese consumers have also become more rational rather than blindly buying highly priced goods, according to Nielsen. Story continues Chinese market research firm Daxue Consulting also found the cosmetics and personal care market in the mainland experienced positive growth last year, with consumers in the 25 to 29 age group most willing to buy. Although China has been fighting an economic downturn and an ongoing trade war with the US, Arya said he does not anticipate any impact on Wipros sales in south China. Obviously consumers are holding back a little but we are finding Chinese consumers are willing to pay a premium for good quality products, he said. More from South China Morning Post: This article Indias Wipro hopes to make a Splash in China with recently acquired Philippine firms personal care products first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. The state of Jharkhand is going to elect its representatives to Lok Sabha in the fifth phase of polling today. The voting will be held in the constituencies of Kodarma, Ranchi, Khunti and Hazaribagh for Lok Sabha election 2019 out of a total of 14 parliamentary seats. The state will also vote in the sixth and seventh phase of the general elections 2019 scheduled to be held on May 12 and May 19. Out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats, eight are reserved for general category candidates, five for Scheduled Tribe (ST) and one for Scheduled Caste (SC). Also Read: General Election Polling 2019: How to vote, get polling booth details without voter ID card According to the Election Commission (EC), there are over 2.19 crore electors in Jharkhand including around 1.15 crore male and 1.04 crore female voters. There are around 29,464 polling stations in the state set up at 20,053 locations. In its attempt to maintain transparency and ensure free and fair elections in the state, the EC has ensured 100% use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) during Lok Sabha election 2019. The voter turnout in the state in 2014 Lok Sabha elections was 63.68%. Also read: Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates: Phase 5 voting begins in 7 states The key parties in the fray in the state are Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) JVM and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Meanwhile, in the 4 constituencies going to polls in this phase of Lok Sabha election 2019, BJP has fielded Annapurna Devi Yadav from Kodarma against JVM candidate and former (also first) Chief Minister of the state Babulal Marandi, Sanjay Seth from BJP will take on Subodh Kant Sahay of Congress in Ranchi, Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and BJP leader Arjun Munda will fight against Kalicharan Munda from Congress for Khunti seat and incumbent Jayant Sinha from BJP is in the fray against Gopal Sahu from Congress from Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat. Jharkhand chose its Members of Parliament (MPs) last in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP bagged 12 seats while JMM won 2 seats. However, the party this time is facing a tough fight from the grand alliance of Congress, JVM, JMM and RJD in the state. Where Congress will contest from seven seats, JMM will fight from five seats, JVM from 2 and RJD one. Also Read: Lok Sabha elections 2019: Here's how to check your name on voter's list LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) A Massachusetts man who spent three decades in prison for a rape he says he did not commit before being freed in 2016 is now accused by police of raping a woman in January. The Republican newspaper reports 50-year-old George Perrot is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Essex Superior Court on rape and other charges in connection with a Jan. 4 incident in Lawrence. He has pleaded not guilty. Perrot is being held without bail. It's not clear if he has a lawyer who could respond to the allegations. Perrot was convicted and sent to prison on allegations he raped a 78-year-old woman in Springfield in 1985 when he was 17. But he was freed in 2016 based on flawed testimony about microscopic hair evidence. ___ Information from: The Springfield (Mass.) Republican, http://www.masslive.com/news/ Having a child or sibling with a life-threatening medical condition is beyond terrible, but how much worse would it be to know that there was a treatment that could potentially save their life that you simply couldnt afford? Fortunately for one Malaysian family, the kindness and generosity of Internet strangers have helped them give their 11-year-old boy a fighting chance. Yong Hong Tan is an 11-year-old boy with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), who is currently receiving treatment at Singapores National University Hospital (NUH) after netizens were able to raise over $350,000 to help pay for it. The money was raised via crowdfunding site Give.Asia. According to the page for Yong Hongs fundraiser, which was written by his sister Hooi Ling, the 11-year-old had to be taken to NUH after he relapsed for a third time following an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant in Malaysia. Doctors there told Yong Hongs family he had one month to live and the only treatment that might help him was CAR-T cell therapy, which was only available in Singapore. But the cost of the treatment was more than the family could handle, given the enormous financial sacrifices they had already made to pay for Yong Hongs treatment since he was first diagnosed with ALL at age six. The cost for this treatment is really high for my family. We are from a normal income family and my father has to stop working as a car repair technician in Malaysia to spend most of his time looking after my brother till late night, Hooi Ling wrote on the crowdfunding page, adding that her parents had already put up their home for sale in order to raise money for her brothers treatment. Thankfully for their family, netizens not only met the original crowdfunding goal of $300,000 but smashed past it to finish with $358,439.76 as of yesterday when the fundraiser closed. In an update, Hooi Ling thanked all of the donors for their kind contributions. We have raised enough for my brothers treatment, and Give.Asia will remit the funds over to NUH directly, and we will close the campaign today, she wrote, adding that she would provide updates on her brothers condition. However, there are many other people that need your help. Please take a look at this campaign and help them. Lets pay it forward! Hooi Ling wrote, directing people to another Give.Asia campaign for a baby girl from China suffering from neuroblastoma. As of the time of writing, that campaign needs another $33,000 to meet its $105,000 goal. This article, Netizens raise $350k for boy with leukemia to receive potentially life-saving treatment at NUH, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! Mohammad Abkar thought he would be home by the time Ramadan rolled around, but the Yemeni father of three will spend the Muslim holy month in a camp -- displaced. The fasting month begins on Monday amid a war that has triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis pushing millions to the brink of famine. Abkar and his family were driven out of their village of Al-Munther in June last year when government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition launched a fierce campaign against Huthi rebels in the nearby Red Sea city of Hodeida. Hundreds of families were forced to flee the port city and its surrounds. "We have been here for about a year. A whole year, and we're still displaced," Abkar tearfully told AFP from a camp in government-controlled Khokha, about 130 kilometres (80 miles) south of Hodeida. "We will remain patient, and the rest is in God's hands." The warring parties agreed to a truce deal on Hodeida in Sweden in December giving people a glimmer of hope, but one that is quickly fading as fighting continues. Most families have been unable to return to their homes over fears they could be caught in the crossfire. Abkar is no exception. He left his home with nothing but the clothes on his back and the crutches he desperately needs to walk. Abkar and his wife have three children -- all of them are disabled. They are living through extremely difficult circumstances in a makeshift tent pitched on sand. Fasting from dawn until dusk during Ramadan will be no easy feat as summer temperatures soar. "Back at home, we used to get all sorts of food during Ramadan, such as soup and yogurt, but this year we are displaced," said Abkar. "I am disabled, and my children are disabled, and that it is why we cannot work." Abkar, although grateful for the food aid he receives every month, said he had one message to the world: "Look at us. Look at me and my family." - 'Full of mortar shells' - The Huthis have been fighting government forces since 2014, but the war escalated a year later when the Saudi-led coalition intervened against the Iran-aligned rebels. The conflict has killed tens of thousands people, many of them civilians, relief agencies say. The war has left 3.3 million people displaced and 24.1 million -- more than two-thirds of the population -- in need of aid in a country that has long been the Arab world's most impoverished. Fighting in Hodeida, whose port serves as a lifeline to the rest of Yemen, has largely stopped since the ceasefire went into effect on December 18, but there have been intermittent clashes. Both the government and the Huthis have been accused of violating the Hodeida truce, while an agreed redeployment of forces has yet to be implemented. The conflict shows no signs of abating even in the holy month. A pro-government force told AFP on Saturday that the rebels have been digging dozens of tunnels under Hodeida's ports and airport -- bordering Abkar's home of Al-Munther. For Hodeida resident Hoda Ibrahim, 39, it is imperative the warring parties abide by the ceasefire at least during Ramadan. That is her only hope, she said. "We are constantly looking for gas and fuel, and we do not even have the time to experience the spirituality of this month," said the mother of four. "Ramadan this year is full of mortar shells, and we hope the situation won't get worse." - 'Blocked in' - About 230 kilometres east of Hodeida in the rebel-held capital, residents are also struggling to provide for their families during the fasting month -- which every year witnesses an increase in prices. Many have lost their jobs during the conflict and most government employees have gone unpaid since August 2016, after the central bank was relocated from Sanaa to Aden -- the government's temporary capital. Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates, another key coalition member, last month offered $200 million in aid to Yemen especially for Ramadan. Reem al-Hashimi, the UAE minister of state for international cooperation, last week accused the rebels of blocking his country's aid from reaching areas under their control, including Sanaa. Mohammed Hussein, a resident of the rebel-held capital, said his family can't observe Ramadan the way they used to. "We can no longer prepare for the holy month the way we did before (the conflict)," he said. "We no longer are able to make purchases because we are blocked in and have no salaries." FILE PHOTO: Yahoo News Sinapore SINGAPORE The Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced that students interested in applying for Direct School Admission (DSA) to secondary school for admission in 2020 may do so from Wednesday (8 May). DSA provides a pathway for students to gain direct entry to secondary schools based on their talents and achievements that may not be demonstrated at the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE). Upon admission, students can develop these talents further in their secondary schools. Simplified application process Starting from this year, the application process has been simplified and streamlined. From Wednesday until 4 June, students and parents may submit applications via a centralised online portal, which will be activated on Wednesday. Applicants need only fill in one online form to apply to multiple schools/talent areas, and their details will be provided electronically to the schools they apply to. Each applicant can indicate up to three choices in the application form. For each choice, applicants will need to choose a secondary school and a talent area offered by that school. The application is free of charge. All 146 secondary schools participating in the DSA (Secondary) will follow this application process. However, students interested in applying to the Singapore School of the Arts (SOTA) will have to apply directly to the school, due to its unique admission requirements. Students still required to take PSLE Students participating in the DSA are still required to take their PSLE. They will be informed of the outcome of their DSA application and, if successful, will need to decide whether to take up the offer before their examination results are released. A student who takes up a confirmed offer is guaranteed a place in that secondary school, provided that his/her PSLE result meets the minimum requirement for a course offered by the school. Students successfully admitted to a school via DSA will not be participating in the Secondary One Posting Exercise. They will also not be allowed to transfer to another school after obtaining their PSLE results. Story continues More information on the DSA is available here. Other Singapore stories: SBS Transit buses to have rooftop gardens as part of green initiative COMMENT: 'Fake news Bill' gets a re-run Slingers thump Knights for vital win ahead of tough away games at ABL Finals Shares of Bharti Airtel were trading flat in afternoon session today ahead of telco set to announce its Q4 numbers later in the day. Airtel stock has been gaining for the last 3 days and has risen 4.23 per cent in the period. The stock trades above its 30, 50, 150 as well as 200-day SMA. Against the previous close of Rs 331.10, Bharti Airtel stock opened just 0.60 up to Rs 331.70 and plunged to day's low of Rs 326, down by 1.35 per cent. The stock, however, recovered from the lows to the intraday high of Rs 336 by the afternoon session. At 2:22 pm, the stock was trading 0.18% lower at Rs 333.20 on BSE and down 0.36% at Rs 330 on NSE. The stock is trading close to its 52-week high of Rs 383.81 hit on May 4, 2018. A total of 3.15 lakh and 98.79 lakh shares are changing hands on BSE and NSE, respectively. In December last year, the company's net profit plunged 72% in the fiscal third quarter, from Rs 306 cr a year earlier to Rs 86 cr, whereas the revenue grew a marginal 1 per cent to Rs 20,519 cr over Rs 20,319 cr in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Meanwhile, ratings agency Kotak Institutional Equities expects Bharti Airtel to post a modest 1 per cent sequential uptick in revenues at Rs 10,300 crore. According to a report by the rating firm, "Kotak expects company's consolidated EBITDA to decline 2.5 per cent QoQ and 13 per cent YoY to Rs 6,060 crore despite expected QoQ stability in India wireless EBITDA". Similarly, Motilal Oswal expects Bharti Airtel to post a loss of Rs 720 crore, with a consolidated revenue growth of 1% quarter-on-quarter. The revenue returns as well as average revenue per user (ARPU) of Bharti Airtel and other telecom operators has been shrinking since the launch of low-cost tariff plans by Reliance Jio, owned by Reliance Industries. Following the entry of Reliance Jio in September 2016, many topline operators suffered instability in revenue models as tariff war forced them (including the rivals) to drop their rates, additionally affecting their profit margins. In another update, Airtel has revamped several of its postpaid plans to attract new subscribers. Airtel has discontinued Rs 399 postpaid plan and replaced it with the Rs 499 plan. Similarly, Rs 999 Airtel postpaid plan has been upgraded for a total of five connections along with benefits such as a 150GB data and unlimited voice calling benefits. Airtel has also revised the Rs 1,599 plan with unlimited data and voice calling. The New Airtel postpaid plans offer free subscription to Amazon Prime, Netflix, and ZEE5. (Edited by Rupa Burman Roy) Also Read: Markets Live: Sensex pares losses, trading 275 points lower; Nifty at 11,625; Tata Motors, Tata Steel, YES Bank top losers Also Read: YES Bank share price falls over 4% after ICRA lowers ratings outlook 30 Apr Anthony Wong recently admitted that he is excited and honoured upon being told that he is the recipient of this year's Golden Mulberry Award for Outstanding Achievement at the Udine Far East Film Festival. As reported on Mingpao, the actor, who is flying to Italy to accept the said award, joked that just like "gout and hypertension", it seemed that recipients of a lifetime award are getting younger and younger. "But of course, I am happy to be getting this recognition from filmmakers everywhere," he said. Anthony also revealed that he has already received a lot of congratulatory wishes from friends, and many of them, including Candy On and Teresa Mo, have invited him for a celebratory dinner. "Everybody is happy for me. [Cheng Tat Ming] also joked that I should have a breakthrough outside Asia since I won't get hired much in Hong Kong," he said with a laugh. (Photo Source: Mingpao) Last year, Days Inn announced they were hiring a Suntern to spend the summer traveling around the United States staying at the brand's hotels across the country. The Sunternship is back for 2019 but this time the gig is international. And, in addition to the paid vacation, the winning Suntern will be paid $10,000 to capture content for the Days Inn social media channels. This years Suntern will hand select their own journey. Think London, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, Singapore, and beyond, Days Inn representatives said in a statement. Along the way, the winner will stay at some of Days Inns more than 1,700 locations to chronicle sunlit experiences in an official travel guide to be featured on the hotels website and social channels. Courtesy of Days Inn Courtesy of Days Inn If you are 21 years or older and have a passion for international travel, photography, social media, and written storytelling, along with a valid U.S. passport, you can apply at DaysInn.com/Suntern now through May 24, 2019. Were continually dreaming up ways to brighten guests stays at our hotels, fueling their days when theyre with us and their wanderlusts when they leave us, Patrick Breen, vice president of brand operations, said in a statement. We believe everyone deserves a cultured, overseas experience. To apply to be 2019's Suntern, submit an original sun-filled photo, as well as a 300-word entry describing your dream destination and why you belong there this summer. All illustrations by Lam Yik Chun Isnt it funny how we not only associate, but transform numbersin and of themselves insignificantinto something with much deeper meaning? 1, for example, is, and will always be king. To be number one means that youre the best; the champion of whatever competition you were in. In an argument, the first point made is often the strongest. In love, everyone looks for The One. One is always good, never bad. The number 8 is afforded similar reverence, especially by Asians. In Japan, eight represents growing prosperity because its kanji broadens gradually. In Chinese culture, the numbers mere similarity in pronunciation to the Mandarin word for wealth is enough of a reason to confer upon it near god-like status. Such is this odd relationship we have with numbers that if you put the two integers together, then reverse them, everything drastically changes. To Singaporeans, 81 brings to mind very specific imagery: that of sex, sleaze, and all around debauchery. This is, of course, thanks to Hotel 81, commonly thought of by Singaporeans as a cheap love-hotel chain in Geylang, frequented by horny, old men with their girlfriends. But though that mightve been the case a long time ago, up until today, its less-than-stellar reputation remains difficult to shake off. Interesting isnt it? Well, Ive always thought so, but I only bring this up because, through sheer coincidence, I find myself on a rooftop, eyes inexplicably drawn to the Hotel 81 on a corner of a street nowhere near the red-light district. I had been doing fieldwork for another one of my stories earlier and deciding that I needed a break, headed up here for a quick puff. Something tells me to stay; to watch what happensto satisfy my curiosity about the hotels esteemed clientele. Ditching my burnt-out cigarette, I give in to temptation and settle in for a night of reconnaissance with only my Spotify library for company. As the music washes over me, blurring my perception of time, I wait. Story continues 9 PM: Hotel California / And still, those voices are calling from far away. / Wake you up in the middle of the night just to hear them say. / Welcome to the Hotel California. / Such a lovely place, such a lovely face. / They livin it up at the Hotel California. / What a nice surprise, bring your alibis. / Atop my perch from a building across the road, I have a birds-eye view of the Hotel 81 located on the outskirts of the city centre. Not too far that I cant see what happens, and not too near that Im noticed by the hotels potential guests. Tonight, I do not seek to influence what happens around me. There will be no judgement. There will be no right or wrong. Tonight, I am nothing more than a spectator. A voyeur, if you will. Ive been here for about two and a half hours now, and in that time Ive seen the sky slowly grow steadily darker and the street lights flicker on, illuminating the hotels powder-blue exterior in a way the suns rays cannota strangely beautiful sight. There wont be anything to see in the day, logic told me. But instinct sang a different tune. And so I find myself seeing the hotel for what its supposed to be. In the hours before sunset, European travellers dressed in loose-fitting tee shirts and cargo shorts gleefully set their enormous backpacks down before checking in. Likewise, their luggage-wheeling, fanny-pack-wearing Asian counterparts do the same. Nothing appears the slightest bit out of the ordinary. For them, this place offers the perfect balance of affordability and proximity to the areas cultural offerings. They dont know their accommodation of choice is shunned by locals. Some, I dont see for the rest of the night, presumably exhausted from the jet-lag thats beginning to set in. Others head out for a quick dinner, spoilt for choice thanks to the many eateries nearby. But the one thing these tourists have in common is that all of them will eventually go to bed blissfully unaware of the characters theyll soon find themselves surrounded by. Then again, the walls are thin. 12:52 AM: Lips of an Angel / Its really good to hear your voice saying my name. / It sounds so sweet. / Coming from the lips of an angel. / Hearing those words it makes me weak. / And I never wanna say goodbye. / But, girl, you make it hard to be faithful. / With the lips of an angel. / Its been six hours since I started standing sentinel, waiting for the hotel to give up its secrets. My patience is wearing thin. Other than occasional passers-by, the streets are eerily quiet, and I begin to wonder if this is all an exercise in futility. The waiting game is never an easy one to play; made exceptionally difficult when you have no idea what exactly it is youre waiting for. Suddenly, movement from out of the corner of my eye prevents me from abandoning my post. A handsome man who looks to be in his early 50s strolls in my direction together with an equally attractive, younger lady who looks to be in her mid-20s. Between them: a gaping chasm of respectful distance. He looks good. His business shirt is tight in all the right places, and his rolled-up sleeves reveal sinewy forearms that match his chiselled jaw. He oozes a kind of casual masculine charm that would look right at home on the cover of GQ. A silver-fox, I believe, is the appropriate term. Shes no slouch either. A white, tube peplum top paired with dark skinny jeans and strappy heels serve as a testament to the fact that shes dressed to impress. Shes probably used to lesser men throwing themselves at her on a daily basis, and worshipping the ground she walks on. But this guys different. He stands tall, keeps his distance, and remains unfazed by Aphrodite next to him. Perhaps power and money does this to a man. Judging by their body language, theyve known each other for a while. They appear relaxed, and if I had to guess, hes her superior at work. But while he mightve thought this evening was just another night out bonding with the rest of the company, she probably saw it as a chance to get to know him outside of the office. Its obvious she fancies him. I count her hand breach the boundaries of professionalism and playfully touch him six times as they share a joke while taking in the cool night air. Just as they arrive between the hotel and me, the distance between them vanishes as she surprises him with a kiss. He looks stunned but not repulsed. She hangs on, arms wrapped around his torso in a tight hug. He stands still for the next 5 minutes or so. His brain whirls, undoubtedly trying to comprehend what just happened. I watch his right-hand fidget with something on his left. I watch her break the silence by whispering something in his ear. After a few moments, I watch them push open the hotels tinted doors together. 1:36 AM: Your Body is a Wonderland / And if you want love. / Well make it. / Swim in a deep sea of blankets. / Take all your big plans and break em. / This is bound to be a while. / Slightly more than half an hour later, the empty street shows signs of life once more. A couple in their late teens stumble out of the adjacent alleyway, bellies full from the supper theyve probably just shared. Seeing his arm lovingly draped over his companions shoulder, her head leaning into his body, I can only assume theyre in a committed relationship. With both of them dressed in the simple combination of t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, its obvious that the honeymoon stage in their relationship has long since ended. Unlike the faux-couple before them, there is no need for false pretence here. Theyre comfortable with each other, and nothing one does can truly surprise the other anymore. Or can it? Midway through one of their private jokes, the guy stops laughing and looks away from his girlfriend, temporarily distracted by something. Its he who notices the hotel first and draws his partners attention to the building by chin-jutting in its direction. As he does this, he raises an eyebrow in as much jest as judgement. His girlfriend, however, has other ideas. From my vantage point, I can just about see her lips curl into a sly smile. She starts walking towards the hotel. Arm still wrapped around her, he follows his girlfriends lead. Ah, the spontaneity of youth. 2:48 AM: Kristy, Are You Doing Okay? / Oh, clouds of time. / Seem to rain on innocence left behind. / It never goes away. / Can you stay strong? / Can you go on? / Kristy, are you doing okay? / A rose that wont bloom. / Winters kept you. / Dont waste your whole life trying to get back what was taken away. / Closer to witching hour, yet another younger couple arrives. This time, however, the hotel is not a building they pass by chance. Instead, its a destination. Based on the time of their arrival, the booming nightlife not too far away, and his slightly unsteady gait, I deduce they most likely came from a club nearby. As soon as he alights from the cab, the man appears eager to enter. Too eager. Sporting the trendiest sneakers, an oversized bowling shirt and cap, the fuckboy is well-versed in this routine. But she takes much slower steps. She doesnt look drunk or tipsy. Instead, she looks hesitant. Is this her first one-night-stand? Before he gets a hand on the hotels door, she lights a cigarette. He realises that he cant do this dance alone, so he mirrors her, lighting one of his own. But while he takes fast, hurried puffs, she takes deeper, longer drags. Shes buying time. Soon, she sits down on the pavement and whips out her phone. Maybe shes texting her parents that shes going for breakfast with friends. Maybe shes texting those same friends that shes safely home. I watch her finish her cigarette and immediately light another one. All this while, her male friend remains standing, growing visibly impatient with every passing second. Even from across the road, I can almost hear the voice in his head say, Are we doing this or not? I know I said I wouldnt judge, but watching the scene play out in front of me, a knot forms and tightens in the pit of my stomach. This time, its the voyeurs turn to light up. When the last wisps of smoke finally escape her rosebud lips, she flicks her cigarette and goes inside with him. The heavens open and a light drizzle begins to fall. Tonight, the universe mourns the little bit of innocence lost. 3:20 AM: The A Team / Lights gone, days end. / Struggling to pay rent. / Long nights, strange men. / And they say shes in the Class A Team. / Stuck in her daydream. / Been this way since eighteen. / But lately her face seems. / Slowly sinking, wasting. / Crumbling like pastries. / And they scream. / The worst things in life come free to us. / Continuing my observations with a heavier heart and blearier eyes, I notice a balding, 60-year old man standing in front of the hotel, waiting for something. Or someone. His datein a black bodycon dressarrives shortly after. Wait a minute. I recognise her. Earlier, when I left my makeshift crows nest in search of a lavatory, I had run into her standing alone a couple of streets away. Noticing my presence, she immediately called out and proceeded to eye-fuck the shit out of me. I smiled politely and declined. Despite the thick layers of makeup, I could tell she was beautiful even though there was no life behind those come-hither eyes. There was an air of jadedness about her, but watching her now, Im amazed at her ability to fake happiness. In the warm glow of the streetlights, its striking just how shabby he looks next to her. While shes an 8, hes a 2. At best. But neither of them cares. Theres not a shred of emotion here. This is purely transactional. 4:03 AM: They Dont Care About Us / Beat me, hate me. / You can never break me. / Will me, thrill me. / You can never kill me. / Shoot me, sue me. / Everybody do me. / Kick me, strike me. / Dont you black or white me. / All I want to say is that they dont really care about us. / The last of the hotels guests I happen to see are two men who have arrived holding hands. Both look to be in their early-30s, and both are equally good-looking, well-groomed, and muscular. The taller of the two is wearing a red, fitting polo shirt paired with neatly cuffed chinos. The other is in a black tee and jeans, both of which hug every painstakingly sculpted muscle. To some Singaporeans, their relationship is one that shouldnt even be allowed to exist, let alone be displayed openly in public. I, however, am not one of those Singaporeans. Seeing these two men so openly display their affection for each other loosens the aforementioned knot in my stomach. It gives me hope. They approach their destination with purpose, embracing and sharing a quick kiss before going in. Tonight, they are free. 6:30 AM: Let It Be / And when the night is cloudy. / There is still a light that shines on me. / Shine until tomorrow, let it be. / As dawn breaks over the horizon, and the sinners ready themselves for Sunday absolution, I finally abandon my perch. But before I leave, I cant help but take one last look at the powder-blue building thats on street across from me. Thanks to the hotel, I witnessed a different side of Singaporesomething I had only ever heard about from friends or in news reportswith my own two eyes. In the past twelve hours, I watched the spontaneity of young love; I saw the loss of innocence; I witnessed the damned find shelter. Im not saying that the scenes I watched played out exactly the way they did. Or that the characters lead the lives they do. I could be massively wrong. But does it really matter? The joy of people watching is found in how we write the stories of strangers lives for them. We might not be able to control what they do, but we weave elaborate backstories in intricate detail to try to make sense of their actions. We do this in an attempt to make sense of how we see the world; how we want to see it; how we think it must or should work. Sometimes, its just fun to think about. For example: have you ever looked at a block of HDB flats at night, its facade is dotted with lights that illuminate their occupants? Its that same feeling of wonder. Of curiosity. Of that you shouldnt look, but you want to anyway. Its also the amazement you feel when you realise that so many people go about their lives in such close proximity to one another, and yet, those lives may never cross paths. We dont take that kind of interest in one another. Maybe we feel this way because deep down, we know that most of us only get to live one lifethat though we know of so many others, we will never get to be those people. This brings with it the pleasure of seeing people not really as fellow human beings, but storiesintrigue we gain access to in stolen moments. We do it not just with our friends but with strangers as well. There is always that other life we could have lived; that other person we could be. For now, realising that Hotel 81 will feature in the memories of all the characters, despite how different they are, and no matter how different their situations might be, is enough. Were our song choices apt? If you know of other songs better suited to the mood, add them to our playlist here. Then write to us at community@ricemedia.co and tell us why. The post Diary of a Hotel 81 Voyeur appeared first on RICE. Photo credit: NurPhoto - Getty Images From Esquire (Optional Video Accompaniment To This Post) The House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) presiding, has inched another inch toward treating the Executive Branch with something resembling the contempt in which the Executive Branch obviously holds the Congress. Unless Attorney General William Barr coughs up the unredacted Mueller report by Wednesday, the committee will hold the attorney general formally in contempt of Congress which, given Barr's appearance in front of the committee last week, seems sadly redundant but there we are anyway. In short, the committee gave him two days to comply, at which point the committee promises to recommend that the full House do likewise. And if the mills of the gods grind slowly, the mills of Congress grind not at all because all the mill jobs went to Mexico years ago. Anyway, over the weekend, in an interview with The New York Times, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered herself of some curious thoughts regarding the current state of things, remarks that indicate that at least part of the Speaker's brain gets it and that another part does not, and that, somewhere in between, something has to be done. If we win by four seats, by a thousand votes each, hes not going to respect the election, said Ms. Pelosi, recalling her thinking in the run-up to the 2018 elections. He would poison the public mind. He would challenge each of the races; he would say you cant seat these people, she added. We had to win. Imagine if we hadnt won - oh, dont even imagine. So, as we go forward, we have to have the same approach. Put aside the absolute certainty that, if Whoever J. Democrat wins in 2020 like LBJ in 1964, El Caudillo del Mar-a-Lago and his 40 percenters would react in exactly the same way. Look just at what Pelosi said. If she's right, and I think she is, then we are in a deadly constitutional crisis right freaking now because a dangerous authoritarian yahoo is in the White House, and because there is nobody in his own party who's willing to do anything about it. Which makes something else Pelosi said even stranger. Story continues Sitting in her office with its panoramic view of the National Mall, Ms. Pelosi - the de facto head of the Democratic Party until a presidential nominee is selected in 2020 - offered Democrats her coldblooded plan for decisively ridding themselves of Mr. Trump: Do not get dragged into a protracted impeachment bid that will ultimately get crushed in the Republican-controlled Senate, and do not risk alienating the moderate voters who flocked to the party in 2018 by drifting too far to the left. Own the center left, own the mainstream, Ms. Pelosi, 79, said. It seems to me that if Pelosi believes that the president* is venal and power-mad enough to discredit, if not defy, the results of a national election, she must realize that the crisis already is upon us. (And, no, this isn't like the wingnut horror stories about how Barack Obama was going to cancel the elections because Jade Helm!, False Flag!, Seth Rich! For one thing, neither Obama nor his allies personally played into those crackpot scenarios.) If that is the case, waiting for 2020 and hoping that cooler heads prevail at the ballot box strikes me as negligent at best. Photo credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI - Getty Images History tells us that the president* will attempt to delegitimize any unflattering poll results, discredit any unflattering news coverage, and do everything he can to make sure that his 40-Percenters stay ginned up and delusional. History also tells us that the Republican Party will follow right along, not just because he's Trump, but because voter suppression and delegitimizing inconvenient election results has been the party's M.O. at least since the Watergate midterms of 1974. They successfully delegitimized hand recounts and the clear provisions of Florida law in 2000, and the Supreme Court chimed in to help them. The architecture for this president* to discredit the 2020 numbers already is in place. It's part and parcel of three decades of Republican conservatives and their attempt to delegitimize the franchise of people who don't vote for them because their policies are perceived to be cruel and stupid. I honestly don't get the people who can't see that the crisis is an immediate one. Congress has its procedures, and I respect that, and the committee vote is a small move forward, for sure. After all, the House and a dwindling number of federal courts are the only avenues of traditional checks and balances still functional against a robotic Republican power elite. But essentially to argue that impeachment should be off the boards not only in the House, but also on the campaign trail, is to rely on guard rails that aren't there any more, and that had been rotting away for years, anyway. Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here. ('You Might Also Like',) SPRINGFIELD, S.D. About 150 inmates at South Dakota's prison in Springfield took the opportunity to prepare for life after prison at a job fair this week. Ernesto DiFabio was among the men who met with roughly 20 employers at Mike Durfee State Prison on April 29, the Argus Leader reported. DiFabio, who graduated from the prison's automotive vocational program, earned an Occupational Safety and Health Administration certification while behind bars. Through the program, he learned how to change a car's oil and replace vehicle parts. DiFabio said he can't wait to earn a paycheck. He's scheduled to be released in about two months, and already has an interview scheduled. Monica Wepking, the prison's workforce development instructor, said more than 90% of vocational program graduates find a job after being released. The prison offers vocational programs in welding, auto body, auto mechanic and construction technology, as well as plumbing and electrical apprenticeships. Inmates in the automotive program, like DiFabio, help repair and maintain state fleet vehicles. Those in the construction technology program build cabins and ticket booths for the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. The welding program makes picnic tables and uses scrap metal to build dog houses, which are then donated to nonprofits. Roughly 8% of the program graduates return to prison, which is well below the general prison population's recidivism rate of 30%, Wepking said. "Any time you help someone become educated and then trained, it's going to help them in life," Wepking said. "That's what we strive for." Wendy Sommervold, a human resources manager for manufacturing company Masaba in Vermillion, visited the medium-security prison for the job fair this week. She said she also attended the job fair last year, and hired an inmate to work on the assembly line. "Everybody should get a second chance," she said. "These guys can get the skill set we're looking for." 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 SIOUX CITY -- Charges have been dismissed against a Sioux City woman who had been accused of stabbing her live-in girlfriend. District Judge Tod Deck on Friday granted a prosecutor's motion to dismiss the case against Keonah Brown. Brown, 22, was arrested April 25 on charges of aggravated domestic abuse and willful injury causing serious injury. Police said she had stabbed her girlfriend, a juvenile who was not named, with a steak knife during an argument over the thermostat in their home. The victim's injuries were non-life-threatening. Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Drew Bockenstedt filed a motion to dismiss in Woodbury County District Court Friday, saying that the victim and her mother asked that the charges be dismissed and signed a waiver of prosecution. Bockenstedt also said that after reviewing police reports and interviews, evidence was insufficient to show who the primary aggressor was in the altercation. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 2 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- A third man has pleaded not guilty to the possession of firearms stolen from a Sergeant Bluff home. Anthony Holeyfield, 20, of Sioux City, entered his plea Friday in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to conspiracy to possess a stolen firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. His trial was set for July 1. He and two others are charged with possessing and selling firearms stolen from a Sergeant Bluff residence. Antwon Holeyfield, 22, and Moses Strickland Jr., 21, both of Sioux City, are charged with conspiracy to possess a stolen firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. Strickland also faces a charge of possession of a stolen firearm by a prohibited person. Both have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to stand trial July 1. According to court documents, the three broke into the house with an axe on Nov. 26 and took 10 firearms -- five shotguns, two rifles and three handguns. Between Nov. 26 and Feb. 16, the three sold some of the guns to people in Iowa, South Dakota and Illinois, court documents said. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- The U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is seeking the public's help in locating the following person: * Travis Hurni, 46. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 210 pounds. He also has a tattoo on the inside of his right upper arm. Hurni is wanted by the Woodbury County Sheriff's Office for felony drug crimes and felony eluding. Anyone with information can call the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force at 712-252-0211, email Siouxlands.MostWanted@usdoj.gov or text the keyword TEN99 and the tip to TEN411 (877411). 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 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- Roughly six hours after Paiten Sullivan and Felipe Negron Jr. had bled to death from multiple stab wounds, Tran Walker told police investigators he had become upset that Sullivan had told him she no longer loved him and did not want to get back together with him. He told police he wanted his ex-girlfriend to feel what he was feeling and that "her actions led up to this." After initially telling investigators he had no recollection of how Sullivan and Negron had died, he later recounted hearing both of them repeatedly telling him "stop" as they were parked in a PT Cruiser at the corner of South Cecelia Street and Jay Avenue. And he remembered seeing both of them bleeding, he said in a video recording of his interview with Sioux City police investigators. Played Monday during the third day of Walker's trial for the deaths of Sullivan and Negron, the video had poor sound quality, and much of the conversation between Walker and police was inaudible. District Judge Tod Deck and attorneys followed along with a printed transcript, a copy of which was obtained by the Journal. "Why were they bleeding?" Det. John Sanders asked Walker, according to the transcript. "I was, I was stabbing them," Walker said before describing a long silver knife. Walker said he didn't know who he stabbed first, but both were telling him to stop, "and they were covered in blood. And then Felipe got out of the car and then, and then Paiten, she was, I had her down and I was stabbing her." "How many times did you stab her?" Sanders asked. "I don't know," Walker said. "It was just repeatedly. ... I think all over. Her face was bloody and then the front down was bloody. And then I think that's when Felipe pulled me out of the car, and I was stabbing him too. ... I think it was more than once." "Did you want them to die because you feel good inside?" Sanders later asked. "Paiten, not Felipe," Walker said. Walker, 19, of Sioux City, has pleaded not guilty in Woodbury County District Court to two counts of first-degree murder for the Jan. 28, 2018, stabbing deaths of Sullivan, 17, and Negron, 18, both of Sioux City. Negron and Sullivan had picked up Walker earlier that night so he could talk to Sullivan about their relationship. They parked in a Wal-Mart parking lot on Floyd Boulevard and talked before driving to Morningside, where Sullivan was going to be dropped off. Walker said Negron was driving, and Sullivan was sitting in the passenger seat. Walker was in the back seat behind Sullivan when Negron stopped in the parking lot at King Koin Launderette, 3131 Jay Ave. Witnesses last week testified that they saw a disturbance and ran to help. Walker fled the scene and was later apprehended in the restroom at the Hy-Vee store on Gordon Drive, approximately eight blocks away, and taken to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's hospital for treatment of a severe cut on his right pinky finger. He was then taken to the police department for questioning. After his interview, Walker led police to a house in the 800 block of South Paxton Street, a block east of the stabbing scene. Police found a silver dive knife next to a lawn mower near a garage in the back yard. Brenda Reinhard, an Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation criminalist, testified Monday that blood found on the blade and handle of the knife contained the DNA of both Walker and Sullivan. A knife police found on the front console inside the car contained a mixture of blood from three people, Reinhard said. On the blade, only Sullivan's DNA could be positively identified. Only Negron's blood could be identified on the knife's handle. Sullivan's blood also was found on Walker's jacket. Deputy Iowa state medical examiner Jonathan Thompson, who conducted the autopsies on both victims, said he observed 43 stab wounds on Sullivan and 17 on Negron. Most of the wounds were superficial and caused no damage to organs or major blood vessels, he said, but each body had one significant wound that caused each victim to bleed to death. A 5-inch-deep stab to Sullivan's neck sliced her carotid artery, Thompson said while showing a series of autopsy photos. Negron suffered a stab to the upper left chest that penetrated his heart's right ventricle. After First Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Mark Campbell rested the state's case, public defender Jennifer Solberg rested her case, calling no witnesses and presenting no evidence. She instead made an oral motion for acquittal, saying that Campbell had not proved the state's case. Deck said he would reserve ruling on her motion until he issues his verdict. Walker last month waived his right to a jury trial, choosing to have Deck decide the case. Campbell and Solberg will file their closing briefs over the next four weeks. Deck said he did not know how soon he'd reach his verdict after the briefs have been filed. If found guilty as charged, Walker would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 15 Angry 7 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- Speaking to a crowd of a few hundred in the Orpheum Theatre Sunday night, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders recalled his strong showing in the Democratic Iowa caucuses three years ago, and said his once-radical ideas have become the standard of the Democratic Party. It was his first Sioux City presidential campaign stop of the 2020 campaign cycle. "Tonight I want to offer a very special thanks to the people of Iowa," Sanders said. "In 2016, this is where the political revolution began. Thank you Iowa." Sanders returned to favorite themes, including single-payer healthcare, expanding Social Security, criminal justice and immigration reform, free higher education, tackling climate change, infrastructure investment, raising the minimum wage, fighting voter suppression and publicly funded elections, among others. Many of these positions, he reminded the crowd repeatedly, were considered untenable in 2016. "The ideas that we were then talking about were seen by the political establishment and the media establishment as ideas that were extreme, ideas that were radical, ideas, they said, that were way out of touch with where the American people were," Sanders said. "Raising the minimum wage to a living wage, oh much too radical an idea. Listen to this one: guaranteed healthcare to all people as a right. Nobody in America supports that one." "Those ideas that we talked about four years ago, that seemed so very radical at the time -- well, today, virtually all of those ideas are supported by a majority of the American people and they are supported by Democratic candidates, from dog catcher to president of the United States." Sanders hit hard on the topic of healthcare, long one of his signature policy goals, during his speech at the Orpheum. "Let me tell the private insurance companies, that whether they like it or not, and trust me they do not like it, this country will join the rest of the industrialized world in guaranteeing healthcare to all people," Sanders said to applause from the audience. "We will end the absurdity of having the United States spend twice as much per capita on healthcare as do the people of any other nation, and yet see our healthcare outcomes worse than many other countries." The speakers who opened for Sanders, including Ben & Jerry's ice cream co-founder Ben Cohen and California Rep. Ro Khanna, referred to him repeatedly as "the next president." Jessica Butler, a Sanders supporter from Hawarden, Iowa, and one of the opening speakers, described her dismay at the living conditions of lower-income people in Northwest Iowa, something she hopes the Vermont senator will be able to address if elected. "On my 30-minute drive (to work), these are some of the struggles that I see facing our community: I see schools consolidating, crumbling infrastructure and dilapidating homes," Butler said. "That ain't right. I see factory farms forcing family farms to close. Say it with me: That ain't right. I see workers traveling 30 minutes or more for jobs paying less than $15 an hour." "That ain't right," the crowd replied. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 1 Funny 5 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. Kent, Wash., formerly Hinton, Iowa Lester John Stephens, 93, of Kent, Wash., formerly of Hinton, devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend, passed away peacefully the morning of Tuesday, April 30, 2019, at home in Kent. Services will be 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, at Highline United Methodist Church in Burien, Wash., with a reception to follow. Les will be laid to rest next to the love of his life, Barbra, at Washington Memorial Park in SeaTac, Wash. Les was born the fifth of six children to Edward and Hattie Stephens on Nov. 19, 1925, on a farm on the outskirts of the small rural community of Hinton, Iowa, where he graduated from Hinton High School. His younger sister, Leona, introduced him to Barbra Johns. They fell in love, married on Feb. 23, 1948, and dedicated themselves to each other until Barbras passing in 2012. The young couple moved to the Seattle area in 1952, eventually settled in Burien by 1959, and became members of Highline United Methodist Church. Lesters interests included all those things a young father of three children would enjoy. He pursued activities such as bowling on a Kenworth employee league, fishing, hiking the backcountry of the Cascades and Olympic Mountains, and square dancing with his bride. He was a mentor to many youth with his involvement in the Boy Scouts as a Cub Scout Webelos Leader and a Boy Scout Scoutmaster. He lent his love of life to volunteering at the local food bank and helping elderly neighbors. Les retired from The Kenworth Truck Company in 1987 after 35 years of service. During his time with Kenworth, he was an active member of the painters union as the recording secretary. He was dedicated to his family, loyal to his friends, committed to the less fortunate, and faithful to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Les and Barb spent considerable time with their families in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. They managed a road trip to Florida, a journey to the Holy Land with their HUMC friends and an Alaskan Cruise with two of their grandchildren. Lesters surviving family include his children, Bradley, Lane and Lesia; his grandchildren, Christopher, Isaac and Brianna; and seven great-grandchildren. Please no flowers or contributions. Les would want all of us to show our own families that we love them by giving them a big hug. DAVENPORT, Iowa -- As Davenport officials look toward recovery from what appears to be the most damaging flood event in the citys history, some residents and business owners have been wondering if anything couldve been done to prevent catastrophe. Several downtowners have said they were caught by surprise when the temporary barriers holding back the mighty Mississippi River broke, leading to a mass effort by local authorities to remove people trapped in their homes and businesses. Many were warned about an hour before the walls collapse. Roughly 30 people were rescued, and no one was hurt. But the financial toll on the areas affected is not calculable at this point, local officials say, as waters have submerged several blocks in the heart of the city with no clear path yet for building back. Other areas in the West End too are filled with standing water as crews from the citys public works crews are on round-the-clock shifts to watch for potential levee breaches. And East Village is still protected by the same temporary barriers, an area officials are still keeping a close eye on as more rain could add more strain. Kyle Carter, executive director of the Downtown Davenport Partnership called the situation downtown the cause of a terrible trifecta, with a brutal winter, long flood and ongoing bridge construction. 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. Why the HESCO barriers failed The breach of Davenport's temporary flood wall was not caused by a structural fault, according to an investigation released Friday by the HESCO, the wall's manufacturer. HESCO says the breach was instead likely caused by erosion of the road surface beneath the barrier or the river rising above the floodwall itself. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the unprecedented river heights and flooding in Davenport, the company said in a statement Friday. We fully appreciate the immense pressure the unpredictable nature of flood fighting puts on local resources and communities and design our products to not just meet but exceed all the relevant standards. Meanwhile, Davenports Gleason has also maintained that the wall was installed per the manufacturers recommendations, saying the question of precisely why the barrier failed remains open. Up until the breach, the HESCO flood barriers had not been used in a flood higher than 21.5 feet, and there was a risk they wouldn't hold as the river exceeded 22 feet, Gleason has said. But the failure of another wall protecting Union Station on Wednesday was caused by the river water physically coming up through the road and bubbling up through the barrier, a situation Gleason said is described by HESCO as a likely culprit. We still honestly dont know what happened at River Drive and wont know until we can see the road there, Gleason said. Building back Scott County Emergency Management Director Scott Donovan said Friday the county is working to harness some of the federal aid needed for recovery efforts, saying he expects that to come down within a few days. But as for the financial impact and recovery, Donovan says those questions are a little preliminary. Until the water recedes, its going to be really difficult to assess, especially in residential structures, he said. During a tour of the disaster area at Pershing and Avenue and 2nd Street, Gov. Kim Reynolds said the state would continue to provide assistance, noting a presidential disaster declaration issued in March for flooding in western Iowa could be extended for Scott County. That process would come once damage assessments are completed by local, state and federal officials. Speaking to reporters, the governor commended the herculean effort of local officials and emergency personnel who responded, and she pointed to Iowans as resilient people. Ive seen it over and over as Ive been on the western side of the state, as I dealt with tornadoes early on and the devastation from them and now the impact over here, she said. Meanwhile, Scott Countys Donovan says the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, has been given rough numbers based on inundation maps and assessed valuations of the structures there. He said that number does not provide an accurate assessment of the damage because it fits with a worst-case scenario. Asked Friday what the number is, he said he did not know the exact amount but it was in the tens of millions of dollars. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Former climate 'denier' regrets 'how wrongheaded but certain I was' Posted on 6 May 2019 by Guest Author This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk John Kaiser wheeled a cart with a TV and VCR into the lobby of an academic building on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, popped in a well-worn VHS cassette, and played a video extolling the virtues of an atmosphere rich in CO2. It was a video that was made to look like a news show; there were people who looked like anchors in it, recalled Kaiser. It was part of a campaign to attract students to join a conservative movement on his undergraduate campus. [The video] was all about how CO2 levels are rising, but thats great! Because plants need CO2, and the more CO2 there is, the more plants will grow and the more crops well have. And the more well have to eat and this will be an age of abundance because of all the extra CO2 in the atmosphere. Kaiser recounted the spin with a dash of wry humor, So dont worry about what the lefties and the liberals tell you, this is actually going to make things better. I remember playing that video so many times, he mused. Of all the types of information the group shared, this one garnered the most ardent pushback. Kaiser described a memorable instance when a challenger confronted him, Do you realize the damage youre doing peddling this s***? Kaisers confidence at the time was telling: I was so certain in my convictions, that I said, Im not lying, you can see the citations in the video, right? But I didnt realize the extent to which they were twisting the references they had. I mean, I was 19 years old, and the video confirmed what I already believed, and so my confirmation bias was really strong at that moment. I didnt have enough experience to overcome it. Im ashamed I believed this stuff. That was in 1999. Over the course of about 12 years, Kaiser made the switch from a student activist eager to sow doubt about climate change, to someone who is worried about the impacts of climate change. He has confronted his own role in delaying action, and is motivated to share his story. One way he does so is through Facebook comments, where he describes himself as a former denier and explains his subsequent change of thinking. After reading Kaisers online comments, I sought him out to learn more about his evolution and see what insights he had to offer. Kaiser shared his story during a lively video call. A home-grown conservative, turned college professor Kaiser grew up on Long Island and moved to North Carolina as a teen. My father was fundamentalist, in his religion and politics, recalled Kaiser, and right-wing political talk shows were a constant presence in his upbringing. [My father] had one of those sound systems wired into the house. So you could hear it wherever you went in the house or in the yard, youd have Rush Limbaugh playing in the background. I remember trying to call into the Rush Limbaugh show so many times, but I could never get through, Kaiser said, chuckling at his younger self. It was part of my formative teenage memories. Kaiser exudes a knack for storytelling, speaking with the rapid-fire fluidity of a stand-up comic, with a dose of Long Island accent and only an occasional pause for a breath or a self-deprecating laugh. Hes immediately likeable. Now a history professor at a two-year college in the Southeast, Kaisers students describe him as hilarious with amazing lectures. One student wrote on Rate My Professor, Dr. Kaiser doesnt just teach history; he performs it as if he is on a stage. As Kaiser chronicled his own personal history, it was easy to see why hes popular with students. His narrative came alive with humor and humility as he explained how wrongheaded but certain I once was. A well-trained student leader When he left home and went to college, Kaiser said, his views surged further to the right. I think it would be accurate to describe myself as kind of an Evangelical fundamentalist at the time. Kaiser joined a conservative group called the Leadership Institute, which trains students to become effective in political engagement. They would give us all kinds of stuff for how to talk about climate change, he recalled, in a way that advances the agenda of the political right. At that time in my life I envisioned that I was going to become some kind of political operative, he said. A young John Kaiser with NRA gun rights activist Wayne LaPierre, left, and former Republican Congressman Newt Gingrich, right. Kaiser became heavily involved with the Leadership Institute, attending training events, meeting conservative icons, and learning the ropes as a political organizer, all paid for by the institute. They would be quite disappointed in how I turned out, mused Kaiser. Fear of government intervention underlies resistance on climate change Kaiser sums up the primary reason he and other conservatives rejected the premise of climate change: Because if climate change is as bad as they say it is, it would justify government intervention. And we cant justify government intervention because thats a bad thing. Climate change was viewed as a power grab: This is how the government was going to trick us into giving our rights away and fully regulate the economy to protect the environment. He recited the rationale with uncanny polish. I still remember making that argument myself as a college student. He elaborated, I think a lot of people on the right do what I did, which is that we work backwards from an ideological fear of government intervention to the idea that we cant accept climate change. God forbid there be global solutions to things that are literally global problems, he added with sarcasm. When asked if anything any piece of evidence or persuasive tactic could have changed his mind, Kaiser let out a drawn-out, pensive sigh. At that time? No, he admitted flatly. I really had to experience the process of maturing and encountering not just new ideas on climate change, but new ideas that challenged my entire worldview. Changing views By the time Kaiser was part way through his PhD program in history at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, his views began to shift. He was in his late 20s, and his education and exposure to details of American history led to eventual initial cracks in his hardline stance. There were things that were part of my fundamentalist upbringing that I questioned, he said. Youve probably followed the polling that says that the majority of Republicans are now fearful that advanced education is dangerous, he said. And I think my experience is kind of what they fear. Looking back, I think the very first issue that got me moving away [from a conservative viewpoint], was the debate about gay marriage. That was the one where I got fed up with a lot of the people I knew on the right. And then I got angry about the drug war debates. And that got me fed up even more with people on the right. And it was just kind of like this snowball rolling downhill that picked up steam. And I just kept finding all of these issues where I said, well now Im seeing the evidence points this way, but I had believed the opposite. As effective communicators already know, values lie at the heart of peoples views and attitudes. Changing these values is not a simple process. As I look back on it, its incredibly complex, recalled Kaiser. The way our identities work, its like a jigsaw puzzle. You take one piece out and you just cant put another piece in. So you have to rearrange the entire thing, or it just doesnt fit anymore. So it was very odd, I was replacing these little pieces on gay marriage, on climate change, and suddenly my puzzle didnt work. I realized Im looking at the wrong puzzle. I have to go get a different box a whole different puzzle. Climate change went along with those beliefs, he said. I never quite believed it was a hoax like [President] Trump likes to say, but I kind of took the position that what if theyre just wrong about what the outcome is going to be. So I wasnt out there denying the temperature indications. I wasnt out there denying CO2 levels. I was denying the consequences of them. And that denial stopped in 2009 or 2010. I really kind of shifted significantly. I should have looked more deeply Kaiser says he now is motivated to publicly share his turnabout on climate change. I just feel guilty that my generation was part of setting up the politics of today. That we played a role in spreading misinformation. That we were unwitting allies of merchants of doubt . We didnt realize that coal companies and oil companies were funding all of these things we were showing about the positive benefits of CO2. I do feel some responsibility that I should have known better, that I should have looked more deeply into the issue, into who was funding the stuff that I was putting out there. If I can do something to remedy it, it would be a good penance, he had written to me prior to our interview. In that vein, Kaiser offers four takeaways drawn from his former role as a spokesperson against climate action. 1. Make it personal and local. So much of what you care about, when youre conservative, relates to the people who are in your circle, explained Kaiser. If you know people who are in your circle who are gay, well then youre going to be more forgiving or more open on the gay marriage issue. Maybe when climate change starts affecting their hometown, thats when theyre going to accept it because that just seems to be ingrained within conservatism, that it has to be something that I can feel locally in my community. I think one of the quintessential aspects of conservatism is a distrust of outsiders. [Climate change] has now suddenly become personal and so you can push the [conservative] ideology aside a little bit to actually address it because you are willing to trust and accept that its happening. Because now youre getting testimony from the inside. 2. Solutions neednt come from government overreach. Kaiser emphasized how disdain for government policies had been the underpinning of his climate denial. Accordingly, he explained how these concerns can be eased by emphasizing the role of private markets in brokering control strategies. Convince them [conservatives] that theres a way for private business to solve it. If theres a dollar to be made in it, and you can promise them the governments not going to be regulating things to do it, theyll back it. I know there are climate change embracers on the political right, but almost every one Ive seen is offering a private free-market solution. Thats what gives them the wiggle room to go out and say, Look, I accept climate change, I just dont accept government intervention to address it.' Whether free-market solutions are sufficient is an important caveat to this strategy, but Kaisers advice may at least bring people to the table. Many corporations recognize the benefits of lowering emissions and are taking significant steps to do so. Low prices on renewable energy can appeal to any capitalist, and progress can be made right away, without wrestling with any legislative or regulatory process. 3. Find Republicans who accept climate change. In these polarizing times, information from outside ones own bubble often is unceremoniously dismissed. Thats why a trusted messenger is a powerful voice. You need those people who are straight down the list Republicans, except, oh, you need to address climate change. Those people get some wiggle room. They get the ability to talk and be a little bit off on that topic, because they can check all the other boxes. Kaiser appreciates the irony of this advice. I almost feel like Ive done the wrong thing, by moving so far away [ideologically]. Because now when I talk about climate change, Im an outsider. 4. Leverage the economics of renewable energy. Energy lies at the heart of climate change, and Kaiser acknowledges its similarly polarizing. Theres an attempt now to make coal the new apple pie. That its being blended into patriotism, that you have to love and support coal. Its tough love for your lungs, he laughed. Kaiser suggests shifting to a strictly economics-based argument. If you want to move people quickly in the next five to 10 years, its probably easier to present an argument that solar and wind energy are now entirely viable than it is to present an argument that climate change is real and we need to address it. What? Me worry? Yes thought horrifies me I worry Kaiser reflects on his contributions to stall action on climate change, and grapples with the implications for the future. Now Im a 39-year-old man with children who are going to reach maturity in a world that will be worse than the one that I came to maturity in. That thought horrifies me, especially because I was out there on a weekly basis telling people, dont worry about global warming, its not going to be a problem. Id like to say that theres a part of me that believes that, politically and technologically, we will figure this out in time. And that the technology of geothermal, solar, wind, all of that, will advance to fully replace coal, and a big chunk of oil. Theres a part of me that wants to believe that. But, having been a part of climate change denial, I worry about whether we can get to that point. And I worry especially as we see active attempts at sabotaging things like renewable energy industries. Time will tell, we will see. I worry that it wont be enough. An American woman made international headlines Monday morning by giving birth to a baby. The Duchess of Sussex, better known as Meghan Markle, had her first child, a boy. Heres what we know and dont know about the newest royal baby: Its a baby. Markle and her husband, Prince Harry (also known as the Duke of Sussex) announced the birth on their Instagram account, which they launched last month. We are pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on May 6th, 2019. Their Royal Highnesses son weighs 7lbs. 3oz. Advertisement Their Royal Highnesses, huh. Yep. We dont know what that baby looks like. The baby looks like every other newborn baby, presumably, but this has not been independently confirmed. (Is he a redhead? might be the most pressing question on this front.) Harry and Meghan broke with recent tradition in declining to make a public appearance at the hospital immediately after the babys birth. Speaking with reporters on Monday, Harry said the family would likely make a public appearance in two days, so everyone can see the baby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The baby seems to have been born at home. The British press reported during the pregnancy that Meghan hoped to give birth at home, attended by a midwife. The queen herself was born at home and had home births for all four of her children. It appears that Meghan got her wish: The birth announcement from Buckingham Palace says that she is currently at home at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, suggesting that was the site of the babys birth. The Buckingham Palace statement said Meghans mother, Doria Ragland, is with the family there. But who knows! Advertisement Advertisement The newborn could someday be king! Sure! Probably not, though. The baby is seventh in line to the British throne, behind his father. Its not clear yet whether hell even receive an official royal title. Still, this baby is a historic baby. Every baby is historic in the eyes of his or her own parents. But this baby really is: Because his mother is biracial, he is the first interracial baby in the British monarchys recent history, as the New York Times put it. The baby is also half-American. (Meghan is apparently still waiting for her British citizenship to be approved!) Advertisement Whats the babys name? Wouldnt I have included this earlier if I knew? Were still thinking about names, Harry told reporters on Monday. The British gambling company Ladbrokes announced that bettors identified the likeliest choice as Arthur, following by Albert and Philip. Charles, the babys paternal grandfathers name, is down the list with 16-to-1 odds. People are excited. A statement from Buckingham Palace informs us that the following list of people have been informed and are delighted with the news: the queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, and Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer. Meghans mother has officially been declared to be overjoyed. Harry is excited! Its been the most amazing experience I could ever possibly imagine, Harry told reporters. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. Cute. Ashraf Ghani made phone call to Imran Khan ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Sunday resolved to make efforts to benefit from their geographic location to enhance regional connectivity and realise their true economic potential for socio-economic development, alleviation of poverty and welfare of people. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani made a phone call to Prime Minister Imran Khan and the two leaders exchanged views on matters relating to peace, security and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region, a statement released by the PM Office said. The two leaders vowed to strengthen bilateral ties and restore peace in Afghanistan and the region. Prime Minister Khan said that for the sake of the people of the two countries, the aim of the leadership should be to help build peace, promote economic activities and advance connectivity for regional prosperity. The prime minister said that the spirit of brotherhood defined Pakistans approach towards Afghanistan. The prolonged Afghan conflict has damaged Afghanistan and adversely affected Pakistan over the past many decades, he was quoted as saying. PM Khan reiterated his vision for finding a peaceful solution to Afghan conflict, fully owned and led by Afghans themselves. He assured President Ghani that Pakistan would spare no effort to advance the common objectives of building peace in Afghanistan and having a fruitful bilateral relationship between the two brotherly countries. Prime Minister Khan reiterated his invitation to President Ghani to visit Pakistan for a comprehensive exchange of views on all issues of mutual interest. Dates for the visit would be decided though mutual consultations. The latest interaction between PM Khan and President Ghani came four days after a terrorist attack from Afghanistan side that claimed lives of three Pakistani soldiers who were erecting fence on the border. Seven other Pakistani soldiers were injured when a group of 60 to 70 terrorists from bases in Afghanistan attacked Pakistan Army troops in the Alwara area of North Waziristan tribal district on May 1. Pakistani troops effectively responded and repulsed the attack, killing and injuring scores of terrorists. In an unusual statement for a national security adviser to make, John Bolton announced on Sunday night that an aircraft carrier strike group is being deployed as a warning to Iran: In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force. The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This all sounds pretty alarming, but a couple of facts are worth keeping in mind. First, the White House probably did not actually decide to do this over the weekend. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group had already left in early April on what the Navy press release called a regularly scheduled deployment. As Rand Corp. analyst Becca Wasser tweets, chances are this deployment has been long-planned. [White House] message is piggybacking on planned ops to make a point. (Hopefully the ships are at least headed in the right direction this time.) Second, its not clear what troubling and escalatory indications Bolton is referring to. According to the New York Times, citing an American military official, as of late Friday, military analysts were not tracking any new, imminent or clearly defined Iranian or Iranian-backed threats against Americans in Iraq or the region. Advertisement Advertisement Update, May 6, 2019: U.S. Officials are now saying, according to CNN, that the move was ordered in response to serious and credible intelligence suggesting a threat to U.S. forces in Syria, Iraq, and at sea from Iranian forces and proxies. So, theres no sign that anything actually happened over the weekend. Iran didnt do anything out of the ordinary, that we know of, and neither did the United States. But the escalating rhetoric could still be worrisome. Advertisement Boltons latest rhetorical volley follows a series of moves by the Trump administration to dial up the pressure on Tehran, including designating the regimes Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and ending sanctions waivers for countries importing Iranian oil. Advertisement Irans foreign minister, Javad Zarif, warned of unspecified consequences in response. Iranian officials have suggested several times in recent weeks that they could retaliate by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway through which 20 percent of the worlds oil flows, a move that would cause an immediate spike in global oil prices and significantly raise the risk of armed conflict. Iran has threatened to do this several times over the years and has never followed through, but the latest signals from Tehran may have been what prompted Boltons missive. Advertisement Advertisement There have also been reports that Iran could announce later this week that it is withdrawing from at least some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal. This week will mark one year since the U.S. withdrew from the deal. Advertisement Advertisement Bolton, who has given paid speeches to the controversial Iranian opposition group M.E.K., has long advocated regime change in Iran. As Dexter Filkins recent New Yorker profile of the national security adviser explained, President Donald Trump, a skeptic about military intervention, may be less enthusiastic about that strategy. (As one source told Filkins, Boltons worst nightmare is that Khamenei will write Trump a letter saying, Why dont we get together and talk? Because he knows that Trump would jump at that opportunity.) Advertisement Advertisement Irans Zarif surmised this in a recent interview, describing Bolton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed as the B team who were looking to provoke Iran into doing something that could provide a pretext for military action, as opposed to Trump, who wanted to pressure Iran into negotiation. While Trump has often seemed less preoccupied with Iran than some of his advisers have, he clearly sees a hard line as politically advantageous and has been letting Boltonas well as Secretary of State Mike Pompeoset the aggressive tone. We may see the consequences very soon. More than 400 former federal prosecutors have signed a letter contending that President Donald Trump would have been charged with obstruction of justice based on the findings of the Mueller report if he werent president. The letter, published to Medium on Monday, is backed by a growing list of impressive names413 at the time of this posts publication. They include, as the Washington Post notes, Bill Weld, who is challenging Trump for the Republican nomination; Donald Ayer, who served as deputy attorney general in the George H.W. Bush administration; Paul Rosenzweig,* who served as senior counsel to Ken Starr; and a number of U.S. attorneys and former chiefs and directors of various departments and agencies. The signatories include career government employees who have worked for decades at the Department of Justice and high-profile political appointees who have served during both Republican and Democratic presidencies dating back to the Eisenhower administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Muellers report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting President, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice, the former federal officials wrote. The Mueller report did not conclude that Trump had committed criminal obstruction of justice, in part because of the DOJ policy against indicting sitting presidents, but Mueller did write that if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. The report details both Trumps efforts to fire Mueller andafter being told by White House counsel Don McGahn that he could not fire MuellerTrumps attempt to cover up those efforts. (Attorney General William Barr has said it would be difficult to prove the latter beyond a reasonable doubt.) The report also concluded that Trump had tried to use intermediaries outside the White House to pass along the message to have Jeff Sessions, who had recused himself from the Russia investigation, limit the scope of the Mueller investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Mueller report describes several acts that satisfy all of the elements for an obstruction charge: conduct that obstructed or attempted to obstruct the truth-finding process, as to which the evidence of corrupt intent and connection to pending proceedings is overwhelming, the prosecutors said in the letter. Barr said he had determined that the Mueller report was not sufficient to establish any criminal wrongdoing by the president. But the federal prosecutors named in Mondays letter acknowledged the potential defenses of Trumps behavior and rejected Barrs reasoning anyway. To look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution runs counter to logic and our experience, they wrote. As former federal prosecutors, we recognize that prosecuting obstruction of justice cases is critical because unchecked obstruction which allows intentional interference with criminal investigations to go unpunished puts our whole system of justice at risk, they concluded. We believe strongly that, but for the [Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting President], the overwhelming weight of professional judgment would come down in favor of prosecution for the conduct outlined in the Mueller Report. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court will finally decide whether the federal judiciary can rein in partisan gerrymanders. But the lower courts arent waiting for the justices approval. In the past two weeks, two federal district courts have struck down gerrymanders in Ohio and Michigan, ruling that legislators political redistricting violated the Constitution. A federal district court invalidated Marylands most gerrymandered congressional district in November 2018; three months earlier, another court blocked North Carolinas congressional map as an infringement on voters constitutional rights. These decisions follow a landmark 2016 decision by a federal district court striking down Wisconsins legislative map as an illegal partisan gerrymander. While SCOTUS dillydallies, the lower courts are taking action, aggressively overturning gerrymanders across the country. Advertisement This judicial assault on gerrymandering is all the more surprising because the signs from the Supreme Court are not exactly encouraging. In 2004, a plurality of the justices held that federal courts cannot resolve partisan gerrymandering claims because they could not identify a standard to measure them. Last year, SCOTUS punted on two cases that sought to identify the appropriate standard, giving voting rights advocates little reason for optimism. Yet lower courts have forged ahead on their own, issuing sprawling opinions that condemn partisan gerrymandering as an affront to Americans constitutional liberties. Why? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These rulings seethe with indignation over lawmakers effort to rig elections for their own party. The answer may have something to do with the unusual way that these cases proceed through the courts, which drives home the odious nature of political redistricting, forcing judges to confront the illicit machinations that lie behind given maps. Under federal law, when a plaintiff files suit against a legislative or congressional map, a three-judge federal district court is convened. The judges are drawn from both district and appeals courts. If the plaintiff has stated a viable claim, the court holds a trial and renders a decision. Its ruling is then appealed straight to SCOTUS, which must hear the case. (Congress created this system, which stems from legislation in 1937 and 1976, because it believed redistricting lawsuits were especially important to both states and voters and should therefore be resolved quickly and definitively.) Advertisement Advertisement This process differs from the usual procedure, in which a single federal judge hears a case, an appeals court reviews her decision, and the Supreme Court decides whether to review the appellate ruling. And it creates a curious dynamic. First, this procedure compels appeals court judges to help conduct trialsdragging them out of the world of abstract appellate review and into the whirlwind of testimony and cross-examination and exhibits. Second, it creates a fairly direct dialogue between the three-judge panel and the Supreme Court. The panel knows its decision will be reviewed by SCOTUS, so its opinion, for better or worse, often reads like an exhortation to the justices. A typical district court will have its opinion evaluated by an intermediate appeals court before it reaches the Supreme Court; a three-judge district court is basically speaking to SCOTUS, urging it to rule a certain way. Advertisement This dynamic may help to explain why lower courts keep ruling against gerrymanders, and why they do so in such an emphatic and meticulous manner. Partisanship certainly cant explain it: The Wisconsin and Maryland decisions were written by Ronald Reagan appointees. The Michigan ruling was joined by a George H.W. Bush appointee. George W. Bush appointees agreed that gerrymanders in North Carolina and Ohio were unconstitutional. Each lower court decision striking down a partisan gerrymander, in other words, was supported by at least one Republican appointeeand two were written by notable conservatives. Advertisement Advertisement Get The Angle in Your Inbox Slate's daily newsletter rounds up the stories you need to read. 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. Each opinion is also lengthy, if not sprawling. The Ohio ruling is 301 pages. The Michigan decision is 146. The majority opinions in the Wisconsin and North Carolina cases span 118 and 294 pages, respectively. Only the Maryland decision is relatively brief, at a mere 59 pages, because the plaintiffs challenged a single district, not the entire map. Advertisement Advertisement All of these rulings walk readers through the manipulations used to create gerrymanders in painstaking detail. We learn about mapmakers analysis of political data, their efforts to dilute votes for the minority party, to divvy up communities of interestcities, counties, neighborhoodswith warped district lines. Often, we learn about legislators open desire to gerrymander their opponents out of office, their intent to maximize their own partys power through redistricting. These decisions are filled with smoking guns, statements by politicians that acknowledge the purely partisan goal of the gerrymandered map. Advertisement Advertisement As a result, these rulings seethe with indignation over lawmakers effort to rig elections for their own party. They describe gerrymandering as repugnant to representative democracy, as a noxious and pernicious practice that undermines our democracy and violates the core purpose of legislative apportionment. They reflect a deep familiarity with the record and a refusal to pretend as if todays gerrymandering is mere politics as usual or a hazy harm that courts cannot redress. After hearing from so many lawmakers and experts, these three-judge panels have a keen understanding of how gerrymandering works and how it punishes voters for associating with their preferred political partya cardinal First Amendment sin. Moreover, unlike SCOTUS, these panels do not waffle over their ability to resolve the constitutional injuries at hand: They take action, explaining how maps must be altered to restore voters fundamental right to freedom of association. Advertisement In other words, these courts have called SCOTUSs bluff. Theyve shown the justices exactly why partisan gerrymandering infringes on the Constitution, and how it can be remedied. If the Supreme Court disagrees, itll have to overrule these rigorous assessments of the data, of the ample evidence that points toward a constitutional violation. The Supreme Court will have to tell this diverse array of judges that they were wrong, that these gerrymanders arent actually illegal or that they cant really be fixedeven though the courts have already identified precisely how they can be fixed. It would require an uncommon amount of judicial arrogance for the justices to inform these courts that, after spending thousands of hours scrupulously scrutinizing these claims, they arrived at an erroneous conclusion. Perhaps a majority of this Supreme Court is willing to do just that. But the lower courts clearly want to make it as difficult as possible for the justices to reverse their decisions. They appear to be lobbying SCOTUS, explaining why it must rein in extreme partisan gerrymandering. Its unclear whether any of the conservative justices will agree. But at least these courts have laid out the stakes in no uncertain terms: The Supreme Court can stand up for democracy or allow partisan mapmakers to gerrymander fair elections out of existence. This piece originally appeared in the Conversation. Small recreational drones are fairly loud. Serious commercial drones are much louder. They have eight or more propellers (Alphabets Wing has 14; Amazons Octocopter has eight) spinning at thousands of revolutions per minute, physically beating the air to generate lift and movement. The heavier the load, the harder they have to work, the more air gets beatenand the louder the sound. Drones also make higher-pitched buzzing sounds than helicopters, which have much lower frequencies because their larger rotors dont need to spin as fast to generate the necessary power. Now imagine tens or even hundreds of drones buzzing around your neighborhood, delivering packages to homes and businesses. Next, imagine the round-the-clock hives of aerial activity that warehouses and distribution centers will become, in addition to their existing burden on local roads; Amazon recently ordered 20,000 new vans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As an acoustic ecologist, I monitor the sound of our environment and how it changes. I am concerned that drones are taking to the air without a lot of thought for the ears of people on the ground. Will there be a weight limit on delivery-drone payloads? Who will monitor the sound levels, and how? Should there be a curfew on hours of operation? There must be a reason companies dont include the sound of the drone in advertising materialsand its probably not because they sound so nice. Urban designers are often concerned about sound levels in neighborhoods. Wealthier suburbs, for instance, are always farther from big noise sources like airports and highways. Existing noise-control laws are basically useless at protecting peoples well-being, general health, or mental health. Some wealthy neighborhoods even consider planting trees not just for the added greenery but because the soft foliage absorbs sound, making these communities even quieter and more peaceful. Advertisement Advertisement Incessant mechanical buzzing doesnt fit with anyones idea of a pleasant community. Thats what drones will bring, though. Even domestic drones can raise baseline sound pressure levels by at least 20 decibels; when each 6 dB increase means loudness doubles, that means a single drone can make an area eight to 12 times louder than it is now. Advertisement Its not just loudness. Drones have relatively small propellers, which dont move much air, but they move it very rapidly. The amount of energy put into moving the air equates to its volume or loudness. The speed of the spinning equates to its pitch, or frequency. Refinements to propeller shapes can change the pitch, but companies will only research noise reduction if their customers demand it. Advertisement Adding a payload to a drone means the propellers must put more energy into the air by spinning fastermaking a louder and higher-pitched sound. The frequencies they generate are, in fact, the very frequencies people are most sensitive to. Turning, or even fighting gusts of wind to stay on course, also requires more propeller energy at higher speeds. A NASA study found that people find the specific sounds drones make to be particularly annoying. Advertisement Advertisement The amount of time a person is exposed to different sound levels matters, too. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says workers exposed to 85 decibels or louder for eight hours or more may suffer hearing damage or loss. The Federal Aviation Administration says that residential areas should not have aircraft noise averaging above 65 dB in a 24-hour period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without forethought, public outcry, and regulation, the buzzing of drones may soon fill city and suburban skiesadding to the din in many places and disturbing the peace of even those wealthy suburbs whose residents can afford the convenience of rapid home delivery. Even neighborhoods that have managed to avoid being under airport flight paths will find themselves surrounded by the buzz. Public parks, designed to provide places for recreation, community gatherings, and quiet contemplation, may no longer provide any escape from the hum of daily life. Dont forget about the birds, either. You might not be able to enjoy birdsong in the morning with your coffee, but even worse, the birds themselves might not be able to hear each other, either. Bird calls are key to species survival, letting them warn each other of dangerand find mates. Any home delivery service raises a great many questions about sustainability and the costs of consumption in energy, material, and human lives. Until now, though, those deliveries have been by car and truck over existing roads and are covered by ordinances on sound levels. Adding drones will bring a third dimension to shippingbut also to the level of noise in the world. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Preface from Tim: Its been a long time since weve heard from Binkius Hippo (this one was from three months ago), but he emailed me this morning and, at my request, has allowed me to share his email here. I always appreciate his intelligent, well-informed perspective. You go to war with the army you have, not the army you wished you had. Two main factors: Trump: a) Would he rather have a bad-deal rather than no-deal? A bad deal is Caligula bringing seashells back to Rome. No-deal in search of a good-deal means the trade war goes hot. b) Democrats are controlled by neo-liberal economists who think that China can be reformed through open markets. This is not going to work. Capitalism and technology were supposed to open up China to democracy. Instead the CCP has used capitalism and technology to institute a nightmare autocratic regime with surveillance technology beyond the imagining of western dystonia literary fiction, eg. 1984. If the USA wants to maintain its imminent position in the world, then it has to do something with China. The Democrats are unwilling to do anything due to their embrace of neo-liberal economics. So if you want to bring China in-line with mutually acceptable trade behavior, Trump is better than nothing. The problem is Trump. A good-deal is going to mean a hot trade war. A hot trade war means that China is going to start retaliating. Does Trump have the backbone if it isnt easy to win? Up to now, this has been a genial trade negotiation. In Asian terms, its establishing relationships. In western terms, its dragging out forever. I racked up over 1/4-MILLION frequent traveler miles in airfare during a negotiation that took over 1-year for a set of pumps. Thats how a successful Chinese business negotiation proceeds. The reasons are too long to list, but its centered on relationships being the cementing factor between parties because there is no law to fall back upon to resolve disputes. You have members who say to keep this on topic. This is what it has to do with the markets: The Chinese have been negotiating genially. Just minor tit-for-tat back and forth in a friendly negotiation. Trump just had a temper tantrum on Twitter and attacked the Chinese. America is using tariffs to attack China in the trade war. As Ive said before, Chinas weapon wont be tariffs, itll be the exchange rate. China has been playing nice and pegging the CNY very high during negotiations as a show of good faith. Watch the CNY. When that starts to move, it will tell you if China is going to retaliate. A large devaluation will cause major market upheaval. The trade war isnt about USA jobs. It would take 200-300% tariffs on all good from all countries to bring jobs back to the USA. If you dont raise tariffs that high, the factories will simply move to: Korea and Taiwan for high tech and Vietnam and Thailand for low tech. The trade war is about American supremacy in IP, especially integrated circuits. The last time the USA tried to strangle an Asian power over a similar issue was Japan in the 1930s. The USA tried to limit Japanese imperial ambitions by limiting natural resources to Japan. Japans response was on December 7th, 1941. So, it looks like the USA is heading into a hot trade war. Trump is NOT the general any rational person wants leading the army into war. But he is the only general willing to fight. The question is, when China starts to retaliate, will Trump stand and fight or back down with his tail between his legs? https://slopeofhope.com/2019/05/binkius-update.html Binkius Update In order to comment on this blog, you must have JavaScript installed and enabled. Slovak pupils will be able to pick from several foreign languages, English will not be compulsory anymore. Some employers disagree. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Do you speak English? Slovak schoolchildren should be able to answer yes. As of 2015, English has been the compulsory first foreign language every primary school pupil has to learn. This has resulted in poorer knowledge of other languages among Slovaks, agree representatives of embassies, foreign chambers and language institutes. Pupils often start learning a second foreign language only after entering secondary school, which some observers consider too late. This may pose a problem for graduates searching for a job in companies that require more than just one foreign language, as representatives of embassies and foreign chambers of commerce have warned. The quality of graduates in German is, unfortunately, declining, Marian Gordzielik, first secretary and head of the press and culture department of the German Embassy in Slovakia, told The Slovak Spectator in an earlier interview. While there is no proof that this is because English is a compulsory first foreign language in Slovak schools, Gordzielik noted that with a second foreign language (most often German, Russian, French, Italian, or Spanish), pupils only have four years to achieve B1 level proficiency. [This] is demanding, especially when you look at the number of lessons that are offered, Gordzielik argued. The Education Ministry is responding with another change in the teaching of foreign languages. It wants to return the competence to schools so that they choose which foreign language their pupils will learn. Were glad that with the change introduced by the Education Ministry more attention will be given to multilingualism, said Friedrich Dahlhaus, head of the Goethe Institute in Bratislava, at the January press conference. Big employers are, however, far from overjoyed about the changes. Some have called the step outright harmful. Pupils should be free to choose The most endangered positions are in the west. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Robotisation will change the labour market in Slovakia in the following years. It is expected that they will replace about one-third of current jobs, according to Lenka Buchlakova, analyst with Slovenska Sporitelna bank. The production and sale of industrial robots increased by 114 percent between 2013 and 2017, and is expected to rise by further 14 percent until 2021. As a result, more than 600,000 robots a year will be produced that year, as stems from the data of the International Federation of Robotics. While the robotisation will impact the countries in the north the least, central and eastern Europe belongs among the most endangered regions, because unlike Scandinavian countries, there are many low-qualified jobs. The least endangered are countries that have more highly educated people and more jobs in services, which are more urbanised, according to Buchlakova. (Source: OECD, International Federation of Robotics (until 2017: concrete results, after 2018: prediction)) In Slovakia, the most endangered positions are in the west, Buchlakova said, as quoted in the press release. This represents 40 percent of the current jobs. Low-qualified jobs to be replaced with more sophisticated ones Read also: Read also: Will robots take over jobs of Slovaks? Read more However, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) does not expect the situation on the labour market to be critical for people. On the contrary, robotisation should support the creation of more jobs. While low-qualified positions will be reduced, more sophisticated jobs are expected to be created. However, it will be necessary to requalify employees expected to work in them. This includes the operation of robots. There are several studies on this topic, Buchlakova said. While one says that about 14 contemporary positions should be replaced by robotisation, the other suggests that it will impact up to one half of current employees, she added. IT skills will be needed Experts say that how countries will prepare for the robotization will be important. The digital revolution, which concerns mostly the ICT sector, has resulted in the creation of 4 out of 10 new jobs in the past decade. Read also: Read also: Slovak industry doubles the number of robots installed Read more It is expected that companies will require their employees to have certain computer skills in the following years. More than 50 percent in 28 OECD countries, including Slovakia, only have basic skills. This includes receiving and sending emails as well as searching for information online, as the organisation wrote in its recent survey. This will not be enough in the following years, Buchlakova said, adding that it will be more important to have higher skills, including programming ones. Computers will be used to manage various databases, carry out analytical tasks and diagnostics. A week after having been narrowly defeated by Cruise Patrol in the final yards, Daniel Warrington and Donald Hawk's Rollinlikethunder ($3.80) braved an uncovered journey and 'sloppy' going en route to a 1:52 win in Sunday's (May 5) featured $18,000 top-level conditioned pace at Harrah's Philadelphia. Unable to find a seat on the first turn, Art Stafford Jr. eased the four-year-old Roll With Joe gelding to the back of the field of six through a :27.2 first quarter clicked off by leader Robbie Burns N (who was driven by Dexter Dunn). With a circuit to go, Rollinlikethunder who remained in the two-path began his ascent in the breeze, and worked to within four lengths of the lead through a :55.3 half while unable to find cover. Up the backstretch, Rollinlikethunder directly engaged Robbie Burns N through a :28 third-quarter duel before going on to claim a narrow lead at head-stretch. After putting the pacesetter away off the corner, Rollinlikethunder was driven clear to his fourth seasonal win by one and three-quarter lengths, while Dubious Claim (Tim Tetrick) hooked three-wide from the pocket to just collar the all-out Robbie Burns N for second. Eli Scott Jr. trains 11-time winner Rollinlikethunder. Rollinlikethunder, pictured, passed all five of his rivals en route to a 1:52 win in Sunday's featured pace at Harrah's Philadelphia. Rollinlikethunder, pictured, passed all five of his rivals en route to a 1:52 win in Sunday's featured pace at Harrah's Philadelphia. In the first of two $17,000 upper-winners paces on the undercard, Hayden Hanover ($5.20) captured his second win in as many starts this season by way of a pillar-to-post 1:52.3 score. Andy Miller drove the four-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere for trainer Andy Miller. The second sub-featured event saw Sweet Sun Daze ($12.20) and David Miller ride the pocket to a 1:54 win for owner-trainer Arty Foster Jr., angling out at the top of the stretch to reel in a softened Drinkin Again. Jackpot Hi-5 carryover continues to grow Punters will have the chance to take down a $19,505 carryover in Wednesday afternoon's (May 8) Jackpot Hi-5, scheduled for the fifth of 12 races on the card. The 20-cent wager requires players to select the top five finishers in the race, with the carryover paid out in the event of one unique winning ticket. Wednesdays first race will head behind the gate at 12:25 p.m. (Harrahs Philadelphia) It was the 'Tyler Buter Show' on Sunday night (May 5) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, as the driver who recently hit the 3,000-win milestone put forth another strong performance. Buter hit a 'grand slam' during the card and won the top four races, two on both gaits. In the $17,500 featured trot, Buter got away fifth with the favoured Muscle Massive gelding Two Am, but the overland journey posed little problem for the career winner of $377,210 against a pacesetter who had been softened a bit by a contentious early duel. Two Am battled pacesetter Truemass Volo the last five-sixteenths of a mile, then drew away from that one to have a three-and-one-quarter length margin at the wire in 1:54.3 for trainer Todd Buter and owners Buter Farm Inc., Lynette Buter, and William and Carol Fuhs. In the $17,000 co-featured trot, Rich And Miserable reported home first for the third time in his last four starts. The Explosive Matter gelding won easily in 1:56.2, moving from seventh early to first by the three-eighths, then remained in control to the wire for the same team behind Two Am: trainer Todd Buter and owners Buter Farm Inc., Lynette Buter, and William and Carol Fuhs. The pacing headliners were a pair of $15,000 events, both going to Buter-driven sons of American Ideal; both Chris Oakes trainees with sparkling pedigrees making their 2019 debuts. In the first, American Mercury was a 1:53 winner despite an adventurous trip. Briefly three-wide past the three-eighths on a determined move to the top nearing the half, American Mercury drew clear in the stretch to win by three lengths for the ownership of Crawford Farms Racing, Northfork Racing Stable, Chuck Pompey, and Scott Bice. The other eye-catching Oakes-conditioned sophomore was Shake That House, a three-quarter-brother to Breeders Crown winner Split The House; both out of the mare Shake That Junk. From post eight Buter spotted him fifth, then moved him second over. When he tipped three wide midway on the far turn, the main question seemed to be the margin of victory. Although to his credit JMs Delight, who had been used three times in the mile, kept the margin to a length at the end of the 1:53.2 journey. Crawford Farms Racing and Northfork Racing Stable returned to partner with Alan Johnston behind this good-looking sophomore. Winning the featured quartet gave Tyler Buter nine wins on the weekendthree Saturday afternoon, two Saturday night, and four Sundaybut even that total put him one behind Anthony Napolitano (four Saturday afternoon, four Saturday night, two Sunday) going into the last race of the weekend. Both were participants, but Anthony Napolitano got in the winners circle with Tigers Too Good, making the final weekend score Napolitano 11, Tyler 9just at Pocono. Both made remarkable showings and between them they won 59% of all the races contested over the Saturday-Sunday period. (with files from PHHA) Racing Under Saddle Ontario (RUS Ontario) is pleased to announce race dates for its upcoming 2019 season, in addition to details regarding an upcoming seminar for new owners, trainers and riders. Georgian Downs will play host to four RUS Ontario race dates in 2019 and the remainder of the dates will be hosted by tracks throughout Ontario. The final race of RUS Ontarios 2019 season will be contested during The Raceway at Western Fair Districts opening night on October 4. All dates are subject to change depending on the availability of horses. RUS Ontario will reschedule cancelled dates if possible. RUS Ontarios 2019 schedule appears below. Georgian Downs June 1 Kawartha Downs June 15 Georgian Downs June 29 Hanover Raceway July 13 Georgian Downs July 27 Clinton Raceway August 4 Georgian Downs August 24 Grand River Raceway September 7 Flamboro Downs September 22 The Raceway at Western Fair District Harlequin Finale October 4 Details pertaining to all of the races will be posted on the Standardbred Canada condition sheets and entries are to be made along with other entries for the specific card in question. Racing Under Saddle Ontario is also planning to host a seminar for new owners, trainers and riders. The seminar is scheduled to take place at the Tomiko Training Centre on Tuesday, May 21 from 4 - 6 p.m. Do you own or train a trotter and want to race in a RUS Ontario event this year? Are you a new rider that wants to participate in a RUS Ontario event? The seminar is an opportunity for you to come out and learn more about RUS Ontario. If you want to learn more and talk to seasoned riders, trainers and owner, please make plans to head to the seminar. If you are interested in becoming a rider, RUS Ontario will have a few under-saddle horses available at the seminar to ride. Additionally, you can bring your own horse if you would like some help on how to train him/her. The seminar will also feature a question and answer session and a RUS demo with some potential new riders. RUS Ontario is inviting everyone to come to the seminar, watch and ask questions. For more information on the seminar, please email [email protected] or contact Pam Forgie at 519-524-4147. (With files from RUS Ontario) Imran Khan atttened Al-Qadir University ceremony Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday broke ground for Al-Qadir University here which he said will create future leaders to counter Islamophobia and protect ideology of Pakistan. Addressing the ceremony, the prime minister said the university will teach the students the principles of State of Madina and Pakistans ideology as envisioned by Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam. He said the concept of establishment of a university in Sohawa is to provide equal quality education to the youth across the country. To be built at an area of 200 kanals, the institution will consist of a Sufi Academic Block with capacity of 800 students, Science Block for 700 students, hostel for 200 boys and girls, an auditorium and a library. The prime minister said it is a private university that will be run on donations by philanthropists contributing in national cause to broaden the educational base. He said 35 percent of the students will be given scholarships and get free education while rest 65 percent will fund their studies by themselves. He said besides teaching contemporary sciences like artificial intelligence and technology, the main focus of the university will be research on Sufism and its connection with Islam. We have to groom our youth as leaders.We will create scholars who will respond to the anti-Islam tirade started after 9/11, he said, adding that Chinese assistance will also be sought for teaching and research on technology-related subjects. The prime minister said the university has been named after Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani who happened to be a top Sufi and had also established link between Islam and spirituality. He said Sufism is a great science but contrary to western world, no university in Pakistan is holding research on the subject. He said the previous leaders had buried the ideology of Pakistan which was meant to make the country an Islamic welfare state. He said the nations ignoring their ideology cannot exist. Nations face ups and downs but they should not give up their ideology, he said, adding that Naya Pakistan will feature meritocracy, justice and education, minority rights on the pattern of State of Madina. He said what had been happening in Pakistan was never in accordance of an Islamic welfare state. He recalled that besides Indias role, the injustices to the people also contributed to the disintegration of the country. The prime minister said the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) highly stressed the importance of education as no society can progress without education. He said unfortunately, the western culture has been influencing the young generation who need to be taught basic Islamic principles, Islamic history and Pakistans ideology. Recent military developments in Idleb have highlighted the differences between Turkey and Russia and increased speculation about a possible offensive on the province reports Alsouria Net. For the seventh day in a row, Russian and Syrian regime warplanes carried out the heaviest bombardment on the fourth de-escalation zone in Syria since Moscow and Ankara announced a freeze on all forms of hostile operations in northern Syria during the Sochi summit in mid September. Air and artillery bombardments by the regime forces and its Russian ally hit the towns of Ltamenah, Kafr Zeita, Kafr Naboudeh, and villages in Sahel al-Ghab and northwest Hama. Warplanes and helicopters also carried out raids on towns and villages in Jabel al-Zawiyeh, and the towns of Khan Sheikhoun, Maarat Nouman and Saraqeb in southern Idleb, which killed at least 40 people including women and children, as well as seriously wounding dozens and inflicting major damage on infrastructure. The bombardment area, which included barrel bombs, expanded to include the Ariha countryside and the village of al-Mastoumeh, adjacent to the center of Idleb city. The director of the medical center in Khan Sheikhoun, Doctor Abdel Qader Najem, said that medical staff in southern Idleb had registered the deaths of more than 200 people and treated 50 others for wounds since the beginning of the artillery and air bombardment campaign in March 2019. He said that regime and Russian aircraft had, put a number of medical points and Civil Defense centers in southeast Idleb out of service after concentrated strikes. He warned of an imminent humanitarian disaster if the bombing of hospitals continues. According to a medical source talking to Al Jazeera, dozens of wounded people were unable to be treated during the airstrikes on medical points and staff, which led to a notable increase of number of civilians killed in recent days. Alaa Youssef, a resident of Khan Sheikhoun said that strikes on his town were a campaign of annihilation in every sense of the word, telling Al Jazeera that: the planes are in the sky around the clock, striking homes, mosques, hospitals and schools in an indiscriminate fashion. Only a few families are left in the town, as everyone else has fled to the camps. Abou Ahmed Abed, a resident of al-Habeit expressed his fears that the regime will embark on a military campaign to take control of the southern Idleb countryside, adding that: I avoid the danger of the bombing now by staying in the shelter, which I previously prepared under the house, but Im afraid of the regime advancing on the ground, at which point Id lose my house forever. Signs of Battle Coinciding with the wave of bombardments that are shaking the last stronghold of the revolution in northern Syria, the armed oppositions National Front for Liberation announced that it repulsed an attempt by regime forces to advance on the Qalaat Madiq front in Sahel al-Ghab in the western Hama countryside. The Front published a video showing its fighters destroying regime troop transporters during clashes that broke out at the al-Makatab and al-Athar checkpoints in the western Hama countryside. According to the National Front for Liberation spokesman, Colonel Naji Mustafa, regime forces, recently sent major military reinforcements to the front lines in the northwestern Hama countryside. Mustafa said in a statement to Al Jazeera that: the armed opposition in all its formations is planning to launch attacks on vital areas held by the regime in Aleppo and Hama provinces if the military escalation continues, adding that, the defensive and offensive plans the opposition prepared, will surprise the regime and its allies and prevent them from achieving gains on the ground. Media activist Wael al-Khalidi said that the agreement between Moscow and Ankara around Idleb had hid in its contents items that are beginning to unfold with the current escalation. He said that Russia was, counting on Turkey to fail to contain the radical factions and put pressure on them with heavy bombardments and diplomatically through Putins statements and his ministers. But he predicted that Moscow is: not currently willing or able to launch a major military operation in Idleb because of the growing dispute with Iran, which is trying to expand its influence in regime institutions. Khalidi noted that the continuation of the escalation and the expansion of its sites into northern Syria is torpedoing the Astana track and collapsing the agreement between the three guarantor countries. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Attacks against the Hemeimeem Base, a failed conference in Ayn Issa, a Turkish attack on Kurdish positions and Turkish casualties following regime shelling. Catch up on everything that happened over the weekend. 1. A recent attack on the Hemeimeem Airbase by terrorists from the Qalet al-Madiq and Bab Atiq areas was thwarted. The head of the Russian Coordination Center, Major General Viktor Kupchishin, was quoted by SANA as saying that terrorists from the Qalet al-Madiq and Bab Atiq areas tried once again to target the Hemeimeem Base, but the attack was foiled and no casualties or damage was reported. 2. The Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said that the so-called Syrian Clans Conference is a meeting of treason, treachery, and subjugation, and those who organize such meetings do not represent any of the true, national components of Syria. The Syria Times quoted an official source at the Foreign Ministry as saying that the Syrian Clans Conference that was held on Friday in the city of Ayn Issa, which is under the control of militias affiliated with the United States, has been a failure as most Syrian clans boycotted it. SANA, on the other hand, reported that Syrian clans in Aleppo province rejected any forum whose goals are in line with the US goals, which call for dividing Syria and establishing artificial entities that threaten the unity of the Syrian territories. A statement issued by the clans in Aleppo and its countryside said that: Members of the clans and tribes in Aleppo province and its countryside condemn and denounce the presence of the US and Turkish forces and their mercenaries and terrorist organizations in Syria. 3. Turkish-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, according to Zaman al-Wasl, marked an escalation in one of the most complicated theaters of the multi-sided Syrian war. Although the rebels are targeting the YPG, Syrian government forces are also deployed nearby, as are their Russian and Iran-backed allies. The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army took three villages before withdrawing, because of heavy shelling and their inability to sweep the area completely in the light of the targeting of our forces, said Yousef Hammoud, a spokesman for the group. 4. On Saturday, two Turkish soldiers were wounded by Syrian regime shelling of a Turkish observation point in the opposition-held de-escalation zone in Idleb, northwestern Syria, according to the Turkish Ministry of National Defense. According to Anadolu News Agency, the wounded soldiers, were evacuated to Turkey and are currently receiving medical care, the Ministry said. Turkish armed forces set up 12 observation points in May 2018 following the ninth round of Astana Peace Talks. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. As attacks continue to escalate, civilians and civilian buildings, including hospitals and schools, are being targeted, resulting in a large number of casualties writes Hurriya Press. The UN childrens agency, UNICEF, said on Saturday that at least 12 children had been killed in northwestern Syria since Apr. 20, 2019, as a result of the Assad forces and Russias escalation in the demilitarized zone. The Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, said in a statement: More than 30,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and flee the violence during the month of April. She added: Four health facilities are now reported to be out of service after recently being hit and destroyed, leaving thousands of people without access to life-saving medical support, adding that schools are also reported to have been hit and damaged. Fore said, The fighting intensified over the past two days, causing our partners on the ground to halt programmes that provide safe water, adequate sanitation and hygiene to affected communities in northern Hama and southern Idleb. At least 5,500 people have been left with no water at all. Services can only resume once security conditions improve. The organization urged all parties to protect children at all times, saying that killing and maiming children was a grave violation of childrens rights, and that civilian infrastructure including health, water and education facilities, are not a target and must not come under attack. Idleb and Hama have seen an intensified escalation by the Assad regime and Russia by way of heavy artillery and airstrikes, which have killed and wounded dozens and displaced thousands of civilians in recent days. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The failure of the recent Astana talks have increased tensions between Russia and Turkey and created more confusion about what could happen in Idleb writes Ana Press. The interests of Turkey and Russia in northern Syria are conflicting radically, which has led to an escalation and continuous bombardment by Russia and the regime on Idleb and its countryside, and according to military analysts the matter is heading towards further escalation. The 12th session of the Astana talks were a disappointment, and the closing statement of the conference was no better than previous talks, despite many observers expecting that Astana 12 would be grounds to resolve the Idleb issue or to at least announce a constitutional committee. The material differences between Ankara and Moscow around Idlebs fate have remained, in particular the fate of the armed groups there. The evidence of the growing differences between Ankara and Moscow is the air raids by Russian and regime aircraft during the closing statement in Astana. Points of Dispute Without a Solution The opposition military analyst General Ahmed Rihal said that there are four points of dispute between Russia and Turkey which are not solvable. The first point is the joint patrols between Russia and Turkey. The Syrian interior does not accept joint patrols. The second point is the international roads, as it isnt possible to open the international roads and put them under the control of the regime and Iran, since the Free Syrian Army will not accept this, nor will the residents. The third point relates to dismantling Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its siblings, since Turkey must either enter into a major battle with the group and increase civilian casualties or continue to be accused of supporting terrorism. The fourth point is the source of the major dispute, which has not been disclosed by Russia and which Turkey knows, which is the American-Turkish rapprochement around east of the Euphrates, where the Turkish Chief of Staff said that Washington had expressed major flexibility in setting up a safe zone east of the Euphrates. Rihal said that the American-Turkish rapprochement was vexing to Russia because one of the items of the Turkish-American agreement around east Euphrates was not allowing the regime and its Iranian allies or even Russia to enter areas east of the Euphrates. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. 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. Series 1 of ITV drama The Widow is now available to purchase on DVD, Blu-Ray and streaming. The Widow is a new drama series written by Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated screenwriters Harry and Jack Williams (Liar, The Missing). Kate Beckinsale stars as Georgia Wells who has her life turned upside-down with a phone-call in the middle of the night. Her husband of over 10 years, Will, has been reported dead after a plane crash in the Congolese jungle. Three years later, with her old life now a thing of the past, Georgia learns something shocking. Something that will take her to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, looking to uncover the truth about his disappearance. Get The Widow series 1 now here Stream or download The Widow online Alternatively, The Widow is available to buy to stream or download online via iTunes HERE The Widow cast includes Kate Beckinsale as Georgia Wells, Alex Kingston as Judith Gray, Charles Dance as Martin Benson, Matthew Le Nevez as Will Mason, Shalom Nyandiko as Adidja, Bart Fouche as Pieter Bello, Jacky Ido as Emmanuel Kazadi, Olafur Darri Olafsson as Ariel Helgason and Babs Olusanmokun as Azikiwe. A synopsis of the show reads: Nawaz Sharif visited Data Sahib before going to jail LAHORE: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif visited the shrine of Hazrat Ali Hajveri, better known as Data Sahib, here on Sunday. Amid strict security, he offered Fateha, laid chador on the patron-saints grave and remained standing close to it for some time keeping his eyes shut. It was an unusual activity of the PML-N supremo as the last time he had visited the shrine about four years ago, when he was prime minister, at Urs time to lay chador at the grave then. However, his daughter Maryam Nawaz used to visit the shrine more often than not. Observers believe that the ex-premiers pilgrimage was aimed at affecting opinion of the masses about himself and his party, which remained under attack by some religious circles on account of a change of word in the Elections Bill, 2017 about oath. Those close to the family say that as Mr Sharif used to perform Umrah and visit Madina in Ramazan each year, but this time he will have to skip his decades-long routine on completion of his bail period on May 7 so he decided to at least visit some local religious place. An accountability court had on Dec 24, 2018 handed down Mr Sharif seven-year jail term and Rs1.5 billion fine in the Al-Azizia reference. He was imprisoned in Adiyala Jail and shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail on his request. He was granted bail for six weeks by the Supreme Court to afford him an opportunity to get treatment of his choice in the country for his complicated heart and kidney disease. The bail expires on May 7 as the apex court rejected his review petition seeking permission to go abroad for the treatment. Party sources say the former prime minister would be taken to the prison in a big procession as the PML-N leadership wants to use the occasion to also show its power. An official told Dawn that the event would also be a response to the criticism made by many against the party in which it is stated that the N-League neither has had the wish nor strength to protest on roads as the general public do not respond to its call. Estonia's Ambassador-at-large for Cyber Security, Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar, shared her country's experience as not only one of the most thoroughly digitized societies in the world, but as the victim of what's come to be generally regarded as the first cyber war, Russia's 2007 cyberattacks against the networks of the Baltic republic. In her May 1st keynote, she characterized these attacks as the "first politically motivated cyber campaign in history," and drew the lesson that good public-private partnership and solid expertise can work to build a society resilient enough to withstand even attacks by a highly capable cyber power. She pointed out that what happened in Estonia twelve years ago has since happened to other countries since. For all that, diplomats continue to encounter difficulties in negotiating norms of behavior in cyberspace, hoping that such norms will induce nations to act more responsibly in cyberspace as they currently do in kinetic space. Admittedly international norms are at best imperfectly followed in kinetic space, but they nonetheless enjoy a measure of success, and serve as a restraint on state action. But some states continue to argue, Tiirmaa-Klaar said, that international law does not apply in cyberspace. Others continue to misunderstand state behavior in cyberspace, and the domains inherent deniability serves to impede their understanding. The biggest problems she sees come from threat actors supported by governments. Now were putting together a like-minded coalition for cyber resilience and deterrence. And these start, she argued, with cooperative attribution. She ended on an optimistic note, one similar to that Richard Clarke would offer on the Summits final day. She asked the Summit to consider the experience of NotPetya. This was an attack designed and executed by Russian intelligence services against Ukraine, but it affected targets throughout the world as well. Estonia felt no impact. Prevention was good, systems were patched, and Estonia was unaffected. Thus, she argued, a reasonable measure of security and resilience is indeed attainable. Nominaion of Maryam Nawaz as PML-N vice president is against SC verdict: Shah Mehmood Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday said nomination of Maryam Nawaz as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president is against the Supreme Court verdict under which a disqualified person cannot hold any political office. Every political party has the right to make changes in its ranks. But, Maryam Nawaz Sharif has been nominated as PML-N vice president against the verdicts of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, under which the disqualified persons are not allowed to avail any political status, the minister said while talking to media here at Chah Jammu Wala. He said the PML-N has nominated Rana Tanveer as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on which even its ally, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has raised objections saying it was taken into confidence before announcing the decision. If Shehbaz Sharifs health condition does not allow him to perform responsibilities as PAC chairman, how will he be able to act as opposition leader in the National Assembly? he questioned, adding that the matter will be discussed in the next assembly session being held from Monday (today). The minister said the government has also sought a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to deliberate over Rana Tanvirs nomination for the PAC top slot. To a question, Qureshi said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was granted bail by the Supreme Court for his medical treatment. However, no major issues have been reported so far regarding his health. Nawaz Sharif will hopefully follow the orders of the Supreme Court regarding cancellation of his bail, he said. The minister said the PTI government has no differences with allied parties over the Local Governments Act, 2019, as Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) senior leader and Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has already rejected these rumours. Responding to a question, the foreign minister dispelled the impression of any grouping within the party and said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is united. He said former finance minister Asad Umar is an asset to the party and will remain so forever. Qureshi also rejected criticism by the opposition parties of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) proposed package, saying the deal is being struck due to wrong policies of the previous governments. He said those who are criticising the government over the IMF understanding had themselves availed the bailout packages in the past. PML-N contacted the IMF after they rose to power in 2013. Similarly, PPP government also availed the facility during its tenure in 2008. Then why they are criticising the incumbent government, he wondered. 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 c[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. Ramazan to commence in Pakistan from April 7 Ramazan The holy month of Ramazan will commence in Pakistan from Tuesday, April 7, as the new moon of the Islamic month was not sighted throughout the country on Sunday. The decision was made at a meeting of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, under the chairmanship of Mufti Munibur Rehman, convened in Karachi for the sighting of the Ramazan moon. The new moon will not show up until it is 19 hours of age and the difference between sunset and moonrise is 40 minutes. Therefore, the moons distance from the earth should be at an angle of six degrees and of the moon to the sun should be 10 degrees, Ruet-e-Hilal Research Councils Secretary-General Aijaz Khalid Mufti said. On Sunday at sunset in all areas of Pakistan, the age of the moon was less than 16 hours and the difference between sunset and moonrise all over Pakistan was not more than 29 minutes, he said, further predicting that Pakistanis will be fasting for a total of 29 days and that Eidul Fitr is likely to be celebrated on June 5. In Saudi Arabia and other gulf countries, the holy month commences from Monday (today) as the new moon of Ramazan was not sighted in the region on Saturday. Meanwhile, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said a five-member committee has been constituted to prepare a 10-year calendar for Muharram, eids and Ramazan to end dispute arising from sighting of the crescent. In a tweet, the minister said the lunar calendar will be promulgated in the country after getting approval from the federal cabinet. He said the committee will consist of members from Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Meteorological Department and Science and Technology Ministry and they would start working from next week. CHRISTOPHER From the time he was in middle school, Kody Vanfossan was fascinated by firefighting. He liked to be on the trucks, liked to be at the fire station. When we worked track safety at the races at the Du Quoin State Fair, he always wanted to be with us, said Tim Learned, assistant chief of the Christopher Fire Department. He always had a strong passion for the department. That passion continued throughout Vanfossans life, right to his final moments. The 24-year-old passed away at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday while fighting a commercial structure fire in Christopher. Hes the first firefighter to die in the line of duty in the modern history of the Christopher Fire Department. The guys, everyone is taking it to heart, Learned said. Hes a fallen brother. This is a member of the family passing away. Vanfossan comes from a family with a deep tradition of public service. His dad, Brent, is a captain on the Christopher force, who has been a firefighter in Southern Illinois for about 27 years, Learned said. His grandfather, Gary Bartolotti, is Christophers mayor and was a fireman at the Valier Fire Department. Before he was old enough to join the force, Vanfossan received training through a junior firefighter program at Christopher. He got his start at the Coello Fire Department, once he came of age, then returned to Christopher about three years ago, Learned said. Initial information suggests Vanfossan was injured after entering a burning two-story building, at 118 W. Market St. The building is a former furniture store, now sitting vacant, WSIL reported. Vanfossan, along with a second firefighter, began an interior attack on the fire. An additional firefighter later called for the two firefighters to exit the building. As the two firefighters started down steps in the rear of the building, the steps collapsed. While the second firefighter was able to make it out of the building, a Mayday was issued for Vanfossan. Vanfossan was recovered from the building and placed into an ambulance where he was pronounced deceased, published the U.S. Fire Administration on its website. News of the tragedy has reverberated across the region and the country, particularly in the firefighter community, Learned said. In Emmitsburg, Maryland, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial is flying its flags at half staff, in Vanfossans honor, Learned said. Were getting responses from numerous departments with condolences, nationwide, Learned said. The outpouring is immense. Meanwhile, volunteers from local departments are lending a hand at Christopher, with the department on stand-down. Members of all the surrounding departments are coming in to cover our shifts, to give us an opportunity to grieve, Learned said on Monday. That started as early as yesterday. Weve had guys from Woodlawn, Salem, Mount Vernon. Theres a continuing list of guys that want to come serve shifts. The Christopher Fire Department had not yet planned a memorial for Vanfossan, Learned said Monday morning, but will soon. We will see to it that he is honored and remembered, Learned said. The details of Vanfossans passing are being investigated by the Illinois State Fire Marshal, according to Franklin County Coroner Marty P. Leffler. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m., Leffler added. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 10 Angry 2 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CARBONDALE Two-time Emmy Award winner Melissa McCarthy is coming back to her roots to receive an honorary doctorate of performing arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondales May 2019 commencement. Known for her ingenious comedic performances in movies such as Bridesmaids, Tammy and The Heat, McCarthys journey started as a fashion design major at SIU. Before starring in her hit movies, she studied in New York and then joined the legendary Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings, spending nine years as a main-stage member. In addition to her Emmy Awards, McCarthy received her first academy award nomination for her comedic portrayal as Megan in the popular romantic comedy Bridesmaids. The role also won her the Inaugural Peoples Icon Award at the 2018 Peoples Choice Awards, along with the coveted Comedic Genius Award from MTV. Most recently, she has received nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics Choice Movie Award and a Golden Globe award for her 2019 hit movie Can You Ever Forgive Me. While McCarthys first big role came as the clumsy culinary genius Sookie St. James on the hit WB series Gilmore Girls in 2000, her road to fame started long before then. A native of Plainfield, Illinois, McCarthy came to SIU in 1988 for fashion design and merchandising. She left for New York after two years, furthering her fashion studies and performing stand-up at places such as The Duplex, The Improv and Stand-Up New York. In addition to her impressive acting career, McCarthy returned to her designer roots and created a clothing line, Melissa McCarthy Seven7, that is sold at Nordstrom, Macys and the Home Shopping Network. McCarthys connection to SIU goes even deeper than the years she spent in school, as her husband, Ben Falcone, is a Carbondale native. While the two met while performing and studying at the renowned Groundlings Theatre and School in Los Angeles, they both lived in Carbondale at the same time. Falcone is a Carbondale Community High School graduate, with his parents still living in the area. Those roots snuck into McCarthys professional career, with the opening scene of her hit movie Tammy being set in Murphysboro, Illinois. After gaining fans and attention for her years with the Gilmore Girls, McCarthy landed the lead role on the show Mike and Molly, earning her first Emmy Award and two additional nominations. She received a second Emmy Award and four additional nominations after hosting Saturday Night Live five times. Her most meme-worthy role in Bridesmaids also earned her BAFTA, Critics Choice, and SAG Award nominations, along with the MTV Movie Award for Comedic Performance of the Year. Her accolades also include multiple nominations for Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Peoples Choice Award for her acting and producing work. Currently living in Los Angeles, McCarthy works with her husband in their production company, On the Day Production, producing famed movies such as Tammy, The Boss, Life of the Party and Can You Ever Forgive Me. McCarthys current productions includes her work on The Kitchen alongside Tiffany Haddish and Elisabeth Moss, which will hit theaters this summer. With Falcone at the helm again, the couple are also hard at work on Super Intelligence, coming out this holiday season. Commencement is Saturday, May 11, and is divided into three ceremonies. McCarthy will receive an honorary doctor of performing arts degree at the 5:30 p.m. commencement celebration. 9 a.m. ceremony: College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science, School of Medicine. 1:30 p.m. ceremony: College of Business, College of Education and Human Services. 5:30 p.m. ceremony: College of Applied Sciences and Arts, College of Engineering, College of Mass Communication and Media Arts. For more information on the 2019 commencement, go to commencement.siu.edu. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Dr. Henry Tisdale returned to his alma mater of Claflin College in Orangeburg as its president in 1994 with the vision of transforming it into one of the premier liberal arts institutions in the Southeastern United States. Twenty-five years later that quest for excellence has paid off. As Tisdale prepares to retire from his beloved university, it is recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation's top liberal arts institutions. "The one thing that Im most proud of is the fact that weve been able to reposition the university. Every aspect of the university has been transformed. Claflin in 1994 was a good institution that had received little recognition," Tisdale said in a recent interview. "But now with our teamwork, our collective work over the years, weve been able to reposition her as one of Americas best colleges -- from an institution that in 1994 might have been described as one of Americas best kept secrets to saying we are now annually recognized as a leading institution by reputable national publications." The Kingstree native said he was confident that Claflin would move up in the rankings and join its peers as one of the "best of the best" because of its DNA of being established as the first historically black college in South Carolina. "I was aware of the university being founded as a degree-granting institution at that time, which was the exception to the rule. Many of those institutions, especially those founded primarily for African-American students, started as normal or trade schools, but this institution was founded as a degree-granting university. That says something about what the promise was for this institution," Tisdale said. "Also I was very much aware coming in of the the values of the institution. The institution was inclusive. The charter prohibited discrimination, which said this was an institution for all, without limits. And I was also aware that Claflin was very early on a leader in terms of the liberal arts, not just of HBCUs but for the region," he said, noting that Claflin had the first formal art department of any college or university in the state, established by Mrs. Dunton, the third first lady of the university in the late 1880s. "And of course when you looked at the curriculum of Claflin, you saw a university that was really on the cutting edge. No surprise that Claflin would graduate one of the first black Ph.Ds in the country -- in Latin, no less." The vision Tisdale's own experience as a student at Claflin also factored into his decision to accept the job as its president. "I chose to attend Claflin, and it was the right choice. It was an institution that prepared me well. It was an institution that was competitive in terms of faculty, in terms of the preparation of students," he said. The board of trustees, the faculty, the staff and the alumni ultimately bought into his vision for Claflin University, Tisdale said. "I will honestly tell you that there were some board members who were a little concerned. The concern was were we aiming too high. This vision was that Claflin College would be one of the premier institutions in the Southeastern region of the U.S.," he said. "Were we changing the mission of the institution? Were we becoming an elite college by adopting such a vision? Should we fail, would we be embarrassed by setting the bar so high for Claflin University?" "I must say that we had a very robust discussion that day, and I look back at this time in 1995 as a defining moment in my presidency. But Im pleased to tell you that at the end of the day, we reached an understanding. We werent changing Claflins commitment in terms of access. ... We werent trying to be elitists," Tisdale said. "We simply wanted Claflin to be recognized as one of the best. We were committed to giving our all and working as hard as we could work. We were not going to work hard to be No. 2. We were working to become No. 1 in terms of being among the best in the region. At the end of the day, 100 percent of the board members said, 'We share that vision.'" And the board gave more than just lip service to the vision, he said. "We were in a strategic planning process, and they said lets look at the strategic goals and let's see what we need to do to become a partner with the president and the faculty and staff in carrying out this vision. They added a strategic goal of board leadership and development ... especially in the area of bringing resources to the institution, fundraising. The trustees said, 'We must become the leaders and not just depend on the president and the staff to do that. In order to do that, well need to change as a board. Well need to look at the composition of the board and determine whether or not we have the right mix of board members who can reach into many circles of influence and bring the resources needed to propel this institution to being among the top looking at the board and having the skill sets a board would need, in particular a board that was more corporate based.'" "That vision drove us in a certain direction and it brought us closer together as Team Claflin," Tisdale said. He said Claflin's alumni embraced the vision too. "They accepted that challenge, they shared the vision and they demonstrated their passion for their alma mater. Over the years in fundraising, they were among the leaders in terms of contributing to the institution and in terms of annual percentage of giving for an alumni group. In 2013, their average giving percentage hit 52.2 percent, an all-time high. For the last 20 years or more, Claflin alumni have been No. 1 among all the HBCUs nationally in terms of the percentage, Tisdale said. "These are individuals that are very passionate about this university, and I also believe these are graduates who feel good about the education that they received at Claflin." Building on success During Tisdale's tenure, the university launched two very successful capital campaigns, the most recent bringing in a historic $105 million -- during the recession, by the way. "It sent a message across the board that those who were committed to the university -- people in general, donors, faculty, staff, students, alumni -- felt good about the university and its future," Tisdale said. "It demonstrated the board was doing what they said they were going to do in our strategic plan, and that is bring leadership, especially in the area of fundraising." A strong Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program emerged at Claflin during Tisdale's tenure. "I knew that any institution would need to have a strong program in STEM," he said. "I asked the faculty, 'You tell me. Im the new president coming in. I need to know from you what are our centers of excellence, what are our programs of future prominence that we can build on today?' Almost 100 percent said, 'If you really want to jump on something at Claflin that is ready to take off, that has outstanding faculty, almost 100 percent Ph.Ds, that has some of the strongest students here on the campus getting involved in grants, its science and mathematics; this is where we should start to build.' "So I took advantage of the consensus to make that part of the vision. It was just understanding the future of the world in terms of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. From my personal experience, when I graduated with my Ph.D. in math from Dartmouth in 1978, there were eight African Americans nationally receiving a Ph.D. in mathematics. A few years later, there were only four," Tisdale said. "We looked at engineering and computer science and the like, and in terms of students going on and earning the highest degrees, it was the same picture. I knew there was a great need to build a center of excellence around STEM to continue to draw the best faculty, the best students and the best programs." Currently, 25 percent of Claflin's incoming students go into the STEM disciplines and the same percentage is in STEM at the point of graduation, he said. "Weve added a lot of programs in STEM -- bioinformatics, biochemistry, biotechnology, computer science, computer engineering, the Master of Science degree program in biotechnology. And we looked at our facilities. Our Molecular Science Research Center was declared a core research facility for the state of South Carolina because of the type of equipment we have in there, including a 700 megahertz NMR spectrometer. When we bought that system, Claflin had the most advanced system in the state," Tisdale said. Claflin STEM faculty members have been recognized as some of the top faculty in the state, he said. The university faculty across the board in all disciplines is strong, moving from 50 percent Ph.D. or terminal degrees to more than 83 percent, Tisdale said. Claflin has also become a leader in retention and graduation of students among all private and independent universities and colleges, "even though our student profile is much more challenging when you think of educating a student population where 74 percent qualify for Pell grants, students with financial needs and 40 percent-plus students who are first-generation students," he said. "The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington looked at what we were doing and said it's incredible given the profile of students you are serving, that you are giving access to first generation, low-income students, some who are academically challenged, but yet you are retaining and graduating these students at phenomenal rates," Tisdale said. As a result, the Gates Foundation has partnered with Claflin to provide more opportunities to its students. "The enrollment when I came was just a little over 900; were over 2,200 students today. At the same time we have strengthened the academic profile of the students," Tisdale noted. Part of that increase has come with the advent of its online degree programs, he said. Doing God's work Tisdale said his years at Claflin have been about vision, taking risks and collaborating with other local, state and national higher education institutions and organizations. He said he and his wife of 40 years, educator Alice Carson Tisdale, for whom Claflin's honors college is named, have concluded that they were called to do God's work at the university. At the time, Tisdale was at Delaware State University, his wife was a middle school educator, their daughter was in high school and their son was in middle school. "There was a strong pull, and God's voice calling me to go back to South Carolina to lead my alma mater into the 21st century," Tisdale said. He said he and his wife have always been a team in all aspects of their lives, including their work at Claflin. "Ive always said that when Claflin University employed me as president, they got two for one," Tisdale said. The Tisdales will relocate to Charleston after they leave Claflin at the end of June. "We are thankful to the Orangeburg community for embracing me and my family and the Claflin University family over the years. We could not have accomplished what we have without that support," President Tisdale said. "We will miss our friends on the campus and in the community as well. Were very pleased with what we have been able to accomplish and the position of the institution at this time, the 150th anniversary of Claflin," he said. "It's time to hand the baton over to that next great leader who will move Claflin to new levels of excellence." Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Three Claflin University graduating seniors will be commissioned with the rank of second lieutenant at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center on the campus of South Carolina State University. They will also be recognized at Claflin's sesquicentennial commencement at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Seventh-day Adventist Worship and Convention Center on Neeses Highway in Orangeburg. Edisto Fork UMC pastor to speak at Claflin The Rev. Ellis White Jr. will be the guest speaker for Claflin University's sesquicentennial baccalaureate service at 7 p.m. Friday, May 10, i The students have completed South Carolina State University's Bulldog Battalion Reserve Officers' Training Corps program and earned active duty commissions in the United States Army. Glendale Vogt, a business management major from Orangeburg, will be commissioned in active duty and serve in the Transportation Corps. Upon graduation, he will report to Fort Lee, Va., for the Transportation Corps Basic Officer Leader Course. After completing the course, Vogt will be stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash. I wanted to participate in the ROTC program because it gave me an opportunity to step into an organization bigger than myself and learn how to lead individuals towards a common goal. The most important part was being able to mentor young black military leaders, said Vogt. He is being assigned to the Inland Cargo Transportation Company. While at Claflin, Vogt was a member of the NAACP, En Veux (modeling organization), intramural sports, and the University Wind Ensemble. He is also a member of the Lambda Sigma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Ashante Graham, a political science major from Savannah, will be commissioned in active duty and serve in the Military Intelligence Branch. Upon graduation, she will report to Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Arizona, for the Military Intelligence Basic Officer Leaders Course. After completing the program, Graham will be stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Over the years, Graham has developed a greater understanding of the purpose of the ROTC and similar programs. Originally the plan was to just join for the benefits," Graham said. "Ive learned that the Army is much bigger than the benefits or me. Its a selfless, service organization and I want to help and serve my country. While at Claflin, Graham was president and event director of A. Bevy, and a member of H.E.A.L. (Helping Everyone Avoid Loneliness), Friends of Earth, NAACP and a charter member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International. Terae Moxey, a business administration major with a concentration in finance from North Wales, Pa., will be commissioned in Army Reserve Duty and will serve in the Finance Branch. She will report to Fort Jackson, for the Basic Officer Leadership Course after graduation. Moxey will be stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, after she completes the leadership course. Moxey finished academically in the top 10 percent in the nation in the Army Reserves to achieve the designation of Distinguished Military Graduate. The summa cum laude graduate (3.9 grade point average) is a member of the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College, Spoken Arts (poetry and debate club), Financial Management Association, National Society of Leadership and Success, NABA and Phi Beta Lambda Business Fraternity. Growing up an Army brat, Moxey always knew that military service was her destiny. I saw what the Army stood for firsthand every day and I knew I wanted to be a part of this team, she said. After joining the ROTC in 2016, I realized that I wanted to take care of soldiers and lead the way. That is the foundation of the Bulldog Battalion. Since 1967, Claflin University has offered Air Force and Army ROTC programs through a cross enrollment agreement with South Carolina State University. To date, a total of 131 cadets (including this year's candidates) have been commissioned with the rank of second lieutenant through the program. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office An Orangeburg man was sleeping in his Goff Avenue home early Friday morning when he was shot in his right arm, according to a sheriffs office incident report. The man woke up at 3 a.m. Friday morning at the sound of three or four gunshots. He was struck by a bullet on his right arm. The man looked outside the window and saw someone walking down the road toward Jamison Pharmacy, the report said. He was unsure if the person was responsible for the shooting. Three other people in the home told officials they were also sleeping when they heard the gunshots. The man was treated at the Regional Medical Center and released. In other reports: A 2004 Honda Accord was stolen Saturday after it was brought to a maintenance shop for repair, according to an incident report. The vehicle began to malfunction at the intersection of Vance Road and Lodge Hall Road. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic on Old Number Six Highway, the report said. The victim said he was later told the vehicle was stolen. It is valued at $15,000. A Holly Hill man said his green 570 Polaris Sportsman ATV was stolen from the rear yard of his Caswell Lane residence sometime Thursday night. The ATV is valued at $10,000. A Norway man reported someone broke into his Morning Glory Drive storage shed Saturday and stole a number of power tools. The stolen items include a generator, Husqvarna chainsaw, Lincoln welder and Club Cart. They have a total value of $4,200. A Cordova residence and shed were burglarized Friday. A Blewer Road resident said someone entered her home and stole a number of items including a chainsaw, two televisions, a shotgun, money, jewelry and an air compressor. The items are valued at $1,850. A neighbor told law enforcement a two-toned truck was at the home. The truck was identified as a 1990 Chevy K1500 that was reported stolen from Wish Drive in Cordova. An Orangeburg man reported Saturday that two trailers and an air compressor were stolen from his Jamison Avenue property. The man said the two black, light-duty trailers were stolen on April 26 and an orange trailer was stolen May 3. A compressor was also stolen. Orangeburg Department of Public Safety A Bayne Street woman reported her 2012 Honda CRV was stolen from her front yard around 8:30 p.m. Thursday. The vehicle is described as having tinted windows and missing a back left wheel center cap. It is valued at $5,000. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Will Brown is happy to have a safe place to relax and play. The 13-year-old said the volunteers and supporters of a local Christian housing ministry did something good not only for him, but for his community, by making a new childrens park possible. Edisto Habitat for Humanity officials, along with city and county government officials, converged upon 1071 Kings Road in Orangeburg recently for the dedication of the Orangeburg County Community Park. It has been named in honor of Michael G. Salley Jr. Salley co-founded Edisto Habitat for Humanity in 1989. He is known as the Edisto Habitat Father and has donated more construction hours over the last 30 years than any other volunteer in the local organization. Salley has helped build more than 82 homes for families since 1991, when the first home was completed. "I'm so glad you are here and in the park built for the children in this area. I have worked with Habitat since it was started. This a wonderful honor, and I am so appreciative to all who've made this happen," Salley said. The park is a result of a collaborative effort between Orangeburg County and Habitat for Humanity, and funded by a grant from the Central Carolina Community Foundation. Habitat Executive Director Jessica Burgoyne hopes the park will enhance the Kings Road neighborhood, where several Habitat homes have already been built. "It's an absolutely amazing day to see all of this community support in honor of Mr. Salley and the work. We're just really trying to be a part of our community, and I think it's great that we celebrate our community," she said. Burgoyne added, "We have the most dedicated volunteers. This is what it's about." She noted that the park could not have been completed without the support of every business and individual who donated to the project. A dome climber, fun tube, teeter-totter, musical panel, fun pods and a double-seat airplane are among the items that have been ordered for Phase 2 of the park project and should be delivered soon, Burgoyne said. Orangeburg County will manage the park. Central Carolina Community Foundation President and CEO JoAnn Turnquist said the laughter of the children who are already enjoying the park is a wonderful testament to all the work Salley has done to improve his community. She said the park development was just an extension of the foundations mission to build "connected communities." "When you think about this incredible development that all of you have built together, you have these wonderful neighbors who, with your help, have built homes that they and their families can enjoy," Turnquist said. "And now look at this incredible park and the children and all of us coming together. The entire community came together to do it. I, along with Erin Johnson, who's our vice president for community investment, are so grateful that we got to be part of your journey and invest $75,000 in this park," she said. Brown, a Howard Middle School student, was among the children who gathered at the park to play and enjoy refreshments. What were his plans for the rest of the afternoon? "Have a good time," he said Browns was thankful for those who made the park a reality. "They did good," Brown said. County Planning Director Richard Hall said he first met Salley 15 years ago when he was working as a building inspector for the City of Orangeburg. "I was always impressed with him and his whole group of older gentlemen that were willing to bring their knowledge and their time to build houses like you see behind us and create homes for people in our community," Hall said. Habitat's continued efforts to provide affordable housing and enhance communities is commendable, he said. "They're taking this area and turning it into a neighborhood instead of just a pass-through street. ... The county is happy to continue the work of Habitat," Hall said. Former Habitat Executive Director Jamie Wood got emotional talking about the support of the organizations volunteers over the years, particularly Salley. "Before I entered the Habitat world, I knew of him and he was a friend of the family. From day one, his kind, gentle spirit has been the thing that stood out to me always. ... By the grace of God, he sent this man and put a vision in his heart. And because of that, we've all be blessed by being touched by his life," Wood said. Salley's wife, Penny, was on hand at the dedication, along with Salley's brothers, their families and his daughter, Sara. "He's looked forward to this day for a long time and just very interested in getting out and helping work as much as he can. It's been real exciting. He loves to watch the children and enjoys pushing them in the swings, too," Penny said, smiling. Sara said, "I think it is a wonderful park. It's culminating with all the houses, and having this for the kids is just a great resource for this community." Orangeburg County Councilwoman Janie Cooper-Smith, whose district includes the Kings Road community, was also on hand, along with County Councilman Johnny Ravenell, County Chamber of Commerce President Reyne Moore and Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler. Cooper-Smith thanked Salley for his many years of community service work. "You have done so much to help families. ... The work you have done is speaking for you today," the councilwoman said. Moore, who presented Habitat with a framed certificate of recognition, said, "What a wonderful place this is. I think you've heard it a million times, and I'm sure you'll hear it a million more. This is a fantastic addition to our community." Charles Madison was among the Habitat volunteers on hand for the park dedication. "I think it's fantastic. We built all these houses right here in this area and most of the families have kids. So theyve got a playground right here. This is very nice." Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD 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. Save the Children recently cut the ribbon for its new South Carolina office, showing the groups commitment to working with the states younger students in rural areas, according to the state director. Dozens of community members and leaders joined the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce, Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler and Mayor Pro Tem Liz Zimmerman Keitt to officially open the office, located at 903 Chestnut St. It is Save the Childrens second field office in the United States, signaling a significant investment in the Palmetto State, according to a statement from the group. We are open and ready for business, said Sonia Gass, the groups S.C. director. The leased office houses seven employees, Gass said. We are an early childhood school readiness agency, and we work with kids ... making sure that, one, theyre ready for school. Two, theyre reading on grade level, and now weve implemented a math program, she said. So what we hope to do in Orangeburg is to touch as many children as we can, impact as many in that age group, zero to fifth grade ... in the Orangeburg community. Gass said the group is currently serving eight elementary schools in the county: Dover, Bethune-Bowman, Lockett, Hunter-Tyler-Kinard, Elloree, St. James-Gaillard in Eutawville, Vance-Providence and Holly Hill. In those schools we have the Early Steps to School Success program. We also have foster grandparents in those schools (and) the School-Age program, which is an after-school program that involves a healthy choices portion, reading aloud and guided independent reading, she said. We also have retired teachers that are working with the children in the after-school program to make sure theyre on grade level. Gass said that the group is committed to students in the states rural and economically depressed areas. We are here to see that those children get the same advantage, the same opportunities that children in the urban areas get, she said. Gass said that working for Save the Children gives her, the opportunity to give back to a community that has been so great to me. I came to Orangeburg to attend South Carolina State University at 18 years old. I came here on a full scholarship -- I went all the way through and got a masters degree, she said. So I understand what education means, I understand what education can do for anyone who really wants to take that opportunity to grow, knowing that having a solid foundation is the key to success. Gass sees her role as paying it forward. Im giving back to parents, giving back to children, giving back to teachers, giving (students) the opportunity to be ready, to have that basic foundation that Orangeburg gave me so that they too can see success, she said. A native of Barbados, West Indies, Gass holds a bachelors degree in marketing and a masters degree in agribusiness, both from S.C. State. She has worked for Claflin University, the S.C. Department of Social Services, First Steps, Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina and Voorhees College. But for her latest job, Gass said she wanted something she could dedicate herself to and really sink my teeth into. Not that I didnt enjoy working with those other institutions, but you know your passion. Theres your job, and theres your passion, she said. Working in early childhood was my passion. Save the Children has worked in South Carolina since the early 2000s, offering crucial early childhood education programs for young children and families. Currently, Save the Children partners with 17 schools in five counties, including Orangeburg, to serve more than 5,000 children and their families. Programs offered include Early Steps to School Success, a home visiting program for children prenatal through age 5; KinderBoost, a school readiness program; School-Age programs during and after school; and SummerBoost Camp. Contact the writer: chuff@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5543. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Country House, the declared winner in the 145th Kentucky Derby, trained in St. Matthews for six months in 2018. Travis Durr, who purchased Webb Carroll Training Center in 2016, said Country House received training at the St. Matthews center from January until July of last year. While Country House was at the Web Carroll Training Center, Durr had Country House breezing half-miles. He got better and better the more we did with him, Durr said. The horses former owner, Jerry Shields, had him broken and trained in Kentucky by Shields nephew, Guinness McFadden Jr., Durr said. Country House then received training in St. Matthews. After Country House completed training at Webb Carroll Training Center, Shields sent him for additional work at Saratoga, in New York. Shields died later in 2018 and willed part of the ownership of Country House to McFadden, Durr said. Durr said theres just a ton of emotion at playing a role in Country Houses historic Kentucky Derby victory. It marked the only time a second-place horse won the race due to a foul. To have that accomplishment with you is what you dream about, Durr said. Of Shields, Durr said, Its a shame he wasnt able to see his homebred win the Kentucky Derby. Durr worked for former training center owner Webb Carroll for 10 years prior to purchasing the center two years ago. Carroll praised Durrs work as a horseman and said although hes officially retired, he still helps Durr as needed. Under Durrs training and ownership, another horse won the Kentucky Oaks a couple of years back, but Saturdays victory in the Bluegrass State was the first time hed played an active part with a successful winner in the Kentucky Derby. Durr said that Country Houses running style and last start closing were two of the traits that made the colt a success, even though Maximum Security ran the fastest. Country House had 65-1 odds at winning, according to the Associated Press. The AP also reported that race stewards reviewed different video angles and delayed a ruling for 22 minutes before determining that Maximum Security violated one of the racing rules. It was the right call, Durr said. As for Country Houses victory, that was a first for his Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, the AP reported. Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 1 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. South Africa: SAA to offer direct flights to Guangzhou South African Airways (SAA) will this spring offer direct flights between Johannesburg and Guangzhou in China. The decision to launch this direct service between Johannesburg and Guangzhou means we remain on track in executing our strategy to transform SAA into a 'fit for the future' airline that will operate both efficiently and competitively, said SAA Chief Executive Officer Vuyani Jarana. SAA will offer direct flights to the port city as of 18 September 2019, giving its customers access to the heart of Chinas export led manufacturing industries. The move, said the national carrier on Sunday, is part of its strategy to enhance its route network. The Guangzhou route will cater for a spectrum of travellers between Johannesburg and China, including business and corporate travellers and will be of special interest to traders. Cargo operations will complement the viability of this route considering that high value cargo is sourced from Guangzhou. SAA will be the only carrier operating a direct service between Johannesburg and Guangzhou, with a flight time of approximately 13 hours and 40 minutes, providing the shortest travel time on a nonstop basis between the two points. The carrier will operate three new flights per week to Guangzhou complementing its current operations to Hong Kong. This means, SAA will fly four times a week to Hong Kong while Airbus A340-300 aircraft will operate on both routs. Guangzhou is the largest city in the Guangdong province in South China and the third largest Chinese city after Beijing and Shanghai. It is an important transportation hub and trading port, located on the Pearl River about 120km Northwest of Hong Kong. Adding a direct service to mainland China, combined with our current popular flights to Hong Kong provides SAA with immense growth opportunities to and from mainland China. It also gives our traders access to the centre of Chinese manufacturing, said Jarana. For more travel options for SAA customers flying to and from Guangzhou, the airline has interline agreements with China Southern Airlines, China Eastern, Air China and Hainan Airlines. Code share agreement Meanwhile the national carrier is also negotiating a code share agreement with Hong Kong Airlines, anticipated to be in place this financial year, for further travel options for customers travelling beyond Hong Kong. Hong Kong airlines will codeshare on SAAs Hong Kong-Johannesburg sector and provide feeder traffic from Japan, Korea, Philippines and China. Implementation We are confident that the introduction of this route is based on sound commercial considerations and will not only benefit SAA but South Africa as a whole as China is the largest source market in Asia. It is also South Africas largest trading partner in the world, said Jarana. Customers based in China may contact SAA at any of the following offices: Guangzhou: +86-10-65026789 Shanghai: +86-21-6362-1461 Beijing: +86-10-65026789 Chengdu: +86-28-85550998 SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Our company is looking for NESTRO briquettes, in white color, from pine wood, packed in 10kgs bags, with our private label, destination to Greece (Athens). Our need is up to 3000 tons per season. If you produce briquettes with the above specifications, please contact the soonest with us. COLUMBIA -- Jalena James, a 2014 graduate of Lake Marion High School and Technology Center, recently launched a scholarship fund for high school girls of Orangeburg County. The monetary award called the 100 Reasons Scholarship will provide one-time tuition assistance of $1,000 to an African-American female who is in good academic standing, is involved in extra-curricular activities and plans to attend college for the upcoming fall semester. My goal is to empower the youth of our community. The cost of college education for minorities is usually greater due to the families earning lower wages and household incomes. Because of this, minorities tend to have poor student outcomes along with student debt. As a double minority, being both African-American and woman, I think it makes the challenge even greater to overcome certain barriers, James said. I want to be a motivation for young girls and help them to remember the reason they have started their journey when things get tough, which is why I entitled the award 100 Reasons.' James, who graduated with a bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communications/public relations from the University of South Carolina in Columbia in May 2018, has since worked as Communications Coordinator for the university and recently launched her own boutique PR agency, The Venust Effect LLC. Believing that students in Orangeburg County have fewer educational opportunities in comparison to other students across the state, James decided to start a scholarship award to both award a young lady and encourage more to attend college. We are more than a statistic. As a college student, I quickly realized how much more opportunities in regards to education and programs that colleagues from places like Greenville and other upstate cities had in comparison to our county, I want to help make a change, she said. The application process opened Sunday, April 28, at venusteffectllc.com/scholarship and concludes Friday, May 31. Scholarship applications are accepted from those who attend Lake Marion High School and Technology Center, Orangeburg-Wilkinson, Edisto, Branchville, Bethune-Bowman and North High School. Love 7 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Two Democratic candidates for president pose a distinct threat to their party's chances of defeating Donald Trump next year. One is Bernie Sanders, and the other is Elizabeth Warren. Both represent the purist liberal wing of their party, a faction that has failed to elect a single president since the death of Franklin Roosevelt in 1945. And with only one of four Americans calling themselves liberals in the last election, the notion that a doctrinaire left-winger can win in 2020 is an exercise in self-delusion. Two historical examples reinforce that argument. George McGovern in 1972 and Walter Mondale in 1984 carried the liberal banner against incumbent Republicans and suffered historic defeats. Each won exactly one state. Sanders says he is running to complete a "political revolution" he started in 2016, but at its core, this is not a revolutionary country. This is a moderate center-right country, and the only successful Democrats in the last half-century -- Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama -- ran on more pragmatic and less ideological platforms than the ones Sanders and Warren are advancing. Moreover, those winning Democrats all understood the power of stories: the narratives candidates tell about who they are and how they connect to the values of their voters and the history of their nation. Sanders and Warren don't tell stories; they offer countless policies and prescriptions, as if the candidate who authors the most 18-point programs will win the White House. Both work really hard at being humorless and irascible, as if they are constantly telling kids to get off their lawn. Sanders is not even a Democrat, and his bitterness toward Hillary Clinton and the party apparatus after he lost the 2016 primary contributed substantially to Trump's narrow victory. Clinton was correct when she wrote in her book "What Happened": "His attacks caused lasting damage, making it harder to unify progressives in the general election and paving the way for Trump's 'Crooked Hillary' campaign." Research by political scientist Brian Schaffner of the University of Massachusetts demonstrates the harm Sanders inflicted. More than 20 percent of his supporters declined to back the Democratic nominee, and in all three states that determined the election -- Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania -- the number of Berniecrats who voted Republican widely exceeded Trump's victory margin. Sanders is renewing his war on the Democrats he started in 2016, accusing the Center of American Progress, a leading party think tank, of "maligning my staff and supporters and belittling progressive ideas." A fundraising letter assails "career political operatives (who are) begging the financial elite for money ... to derail our movement." The basic message is the same one that drove so many of his supporters to abandon Clinton: The system is rigged against us, so if we lose, we don't owe the Democrats anything. But there's a worse outcome for the Democrats than Bernie losing the nomination: Bernie winning. A self-described socialist who would be 79 on Election Day has virtually no chance of defeating Trump. Unlike Sanders, Warren has no real shot at the Democratic nomination, but she can make trouble in other ways. In a rather desperate -- but successful -- attempt to attract attention in a very crowded field, she was the first candidate to call for impeaching the president. That is really bad advice. Impeachment is a very unwieldy mechanism that has never been successfully invoked in our entire history. And since it would require 20 Republican votes in the Senate to convict the president, the chances of using impeachment to get rid of him are exactly zero. The inevitable outcome would give Trump even more ammunition to say to his supporters, "See, I told you, the coastal elites are all out to get me -- and you. They tried a coup and they failed." Along with "no collusion" and "no obstruction," Trump would acquire a third battle cry: "no conviction." Impeachment seems inherently unfair because it overturns the results of an election. But denying a president a second term at the ballot box is a much more common, and legitimate, strategy. From 1976 through 1992, three sitting presidents -- Ford, Carter and Bush 41 -- were all defeated for re-election. The lessons of history are clear. If Democrats really want to get rid of Trump, they should focus on the next election, not the last one. And they should nominate someone who can actually win -- a pragmatist, not a purist. Any Democrat who supports Sanders or Warren should remember McGovern and Mondale, and the two Republicans they lost to: Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. Steve and Cokie Roberts can be contacted by email at stevecokie@gmail.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON -- Hatred, resentment, white supremacy and victimhood are deadly political tools. President Donald Trump wields them with no thought to the consequences -- and people die. The latest is Lori Gilbert Kaye, 60, shot and killed April 27 at the Chabad of Poway synagogue near San Diego. The shooter, a 19-year-old gunman armed with a military-style assault rifle, wounded three others. The assailant, who reportedly yelled anti-Semitic slurs, left behind an internet screed full of the same kind of paranoid vitriol about Jews that was used to motivate the Holocaust. The alleged killer's "open letter" voiced hearty approval of the massacre of 11 Jews at a synagogue in Pittsburgh last October. He was apparently an equal-opportunity hater, however, since in the letter he confesses to an arson attack at a nearby mosque and claims to have been inspired by the anti-Muslim rampage in New Zealand last month that left 50 dead. I should note that both the Pittsburgh and Poway shooters expressed criticism of Trump because they thought him too supportive of Israel. But Trump's Mideast policy does not get him off the hook. At this point, no one can deny the obvious: The president, primarily through his unconstrained rhetoric, has fostered an atmosphere in which hate-filled white supremacists feel motivated, vindicated and emboldened to act. In my lifetime, at least, we have never before had a president who deliberately exacerbates racial and religious tensions for political gain. We have had a few who winked at racists to get elected, a few who blew dog whistles about such issues as school desegregation and "inner-city crime." But I can't think of one of Trump's predecessors who might have been capable of looking at a crowd of white supremacists, neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members on the one hand, a diverse crowd of counterprotesters on the other, and saying there were "very fine people on both sides." Of course that does not mean that all of Trump's supporters are racist. Nor does it mean that Trump somehow generates racism out of thin air. What he does is allow it to surface into the light, where its putrid flowers can bloom. No one who has any familiarity with American history could be under the illusion that racism and anti-Semitism are things of the past. But yes, much has changed over the years and decades. The country has become more diverse -- there will be no white, non-Hispanic majority by 2045 -- and its promise of equality has been expanded to groups that were previously excluded. Ours is a better, fairer nation now, though we still have far to go. But social change is unsettling, especially when it comes along with economic change. Americans once were certain that their children's lives would be wealthier and more fulfilled than their own; now, they're not sure. White men used to run everything in this country; now they merely run almost everything. The job of a leader is to try to calm anxieties and bring people together. Trump, however, deliberately makes everything worse. He launched his campaign in 2015 by demonizing Latino immigrants as rapists and drug dealers. He encouraged his supporters not simply to question existing immigration policy or seek to change it, but to hate the immigrants themselves -- to see them as "animals" and "bad hombres." He modeled that hatred with his cruel policy of deliberately separating thousands of children from their asylum-seeking parents. It is not possible to treat people that way if you acknowledge and respect their humanity. Trump has given every indication that he does not. One of the vile notions found in the cesspools of the internet is that there is an organized attempt underway to "replace" white Americans with Latinos, and that this plot is somehow inspired or abetted by Jews. This ridiculous fantasy was on the mind of the Pittsburgh shooter, and perhaps the Poway shooter as well. Trump could use his Twitter feed or his political rallies to lower the temperature. He could acknowledge that the asylum-seekers are just men and women trying to do what's best for their families. He could denounce all the conspiracy theories about "globalists," a term anti-Semites use to refer to Jews. He could engage with African Americans on issues such as police shootings and voter suppression. But he does not. Trump's theory of politics is based on division, not unity. He constantly stokes anger, never apologizes, always seeks another crack where he can drive another wedge. Hate crimes, meanwhile, have reached a new high. That is no coincidence. Orangeburg native and Pulitzer Prize winner Eugene Robinson's email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Tuesday is a big day for nonprofit agencies in The T&D Region and around the Midlands of South Carolina. The Central Carolina Community Foundations Midlands Gives challenge is crucial to the organizations and their missions. The 24-hour online giving campaign begins at midnight Tuesday and runs 24 hours until the clock turns to Wednesday at midnight. In its sixth year, Midlands Gives serves as a hub for donors to give online to more than 400 nonprofits in the 11 Midlands counties served by the foundation. On Tuesday, donations will be accepted via one central website at http://www.MidlandsGives.org. (You can go online now and schedule your donation). The nonprofits to whom gifts are directed serve a wide range of needs. In The T&D Region, the organizations seeking your help include: Healing Species teaches compassion, preventing violence and changing lives through rescued dogs. The Orangeburg County Historical Society encourges the study and research of the history of Orangeburg County. The Oaks/United Methodist Community. The mission of The Oaks is to provide superior continuing care retirement living and a working environment. CASA/Family Sytems serves Bamberg, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties. The primary focus is support, advocacy and intervention to individuals and families affected by sexual assault, family violence, and/or child abuse and neglect. The Orangeburg Civic Ballet endeavors to bring cultural enrichment to Orangeburg County and the surrounding community. Edisto Habitat for Humanity is a Christian housing organization in Orangeburg. Family Health Centers Inc. is a federally funded community health center serving the medically underserved residents of Orangeburg, Bamberg, Calhoun and upper Dorchester counties. Jazz 90.3, WSSB A public radio station at S.C. State University. Orangeburg County Community of Character The organization promoting character development. The Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center provides the facilities and encouragement for people to enjoy and participate in the arts. Claflin University Funds are used for the FOCUS100 Scholarship Fund, which contributes emergency funding assistance to students who might otherwise be forced to forfeit attending school due to short-term financial hardships. Dazz Orangeburg provides life-affirming health and reproductive services in a Christian environment. The Junior Service League of Orangeburg provides assistance to the needy and volunteer community service. Elloree Heritage Museum & Cultural Center Inc. Second Chance of Orangeburg Animal Rescue Coalition is a volunteer-led organization devoted to a safe haven for homeless pets. The Orangeburg Part-Time Players provides cultural enrichment through live community theater. Orangeburg SPCA -- The Orangeburg Maude Schiffley Chapter of SPCA is a no-kill, non-profit adoption center. Sandy Run Museum and Cultural Center. The Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Foundation provides monetary support for the academic programs and services offered by OCtech. The Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association encourages development, redevelopment and improvement of downtown Orangeburg. The Dr. Robert E. Howard/WHS Scholarship Fund offers opportunities for attending an academic institution of higher learning in the Orangeburg area. The list is impressive, including community improvement, human services, animal rescue, the arts and more. Nearly every person will be touched by a nonprofit at some point in life. The local nonprofits participating in Midlands Gives are rallying together to encourage everyone to join in and make our community stronger through giving. Tuesday is the day. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 By 2020, 11% of Luxembourg's electricity is supposed to come from renewable sources. For this reason, photovoltaic systems are becoming more important than ever. Whilst the importance of solar energy cannot be discounted, questions have arisen concerning the efficiency of photovoltaics. In 2017, nearly 7,000 photovoltaic systems were installed in Luxembourg. At the time, solar power provided just 19% of renewable energy in Luxembourg. Now, this percentage is much higher. Paul Kauten, an administrator for the "Energiepark" business, explained that there has been an increasing interest in people producing and using their own energy. He claimed that regulations are facilitating a likely boom both this year and next year. One home in Beckerich has mostly been using solar energy over the course of the past year. Looking back at the year, 50% of the energy used by the building was generated by the solar panels, and the building produced 130%. The building also uses batteries in order to improve its output in an efficient manner, allowing the building to use solar energy at night. There is also monetary motivation for people installing solar panels, namely feed-in tariffs. Residents feeding in excess energy into the local network are compensated monetarily. According to the Minister for Energy, Claude Turmes, these tariffs are set to increase by 10 to 20% next year. Every week, 295,100 listeners tune in RTL RADIO LETZEBUERG, 266,300 people watch RTL TELE LETZEBUERG, and 252,400 internet users visit RTL.lu. Every six months, the government and the three major national media groups (Editpress SA, IP Luxembourg/CLT-UFA and Saint Paul Luxembourg SA) ask TNS-Ilres to measure media consumption in Luxembourg. The latest results of the study confirm the status of RTL media as the front runner in Luxembourg. Over one week, 56.2 % of the population (individuals 12+) listen to RTL Radio Letzebuerg, representing 295,100 listeners. The radio station remains the most consumed media in the Grand Duchy. Its audience is listening to the radio for an average of 2.5 hours a day. On average, 266,300 people watch RTL Tele Letzebuerg (including the channel Den 2.ten RTL & via Internet) every week. This represents more than half (51.1%) of the 12+ population. The audience of RTL Tele Letzebuerg is holding steady with 31% of the viewers being foreign residents. With more than 250,000 visitors per week, RTL.lu remains Luxembourg's most popular online media. This represents 49 % of the 12+ population. This media also attracts a third (32 %) of foreign residents. Over one week, RTL Radio, TV & RTL.lu reach 405,000 people, which represents 77.3 % of the resident population. On a weekly basis, RTL media continue to occupy the top 3 rankings in the Luxembourg media landscape. The whole team at RTL Luxembourg thanks you for your continued trust. This post is prompted by a number of things that have left me pondering how as Christians we are to bring about change in our churches. When we strongly b... 6 years ago Have an event, trend or general energy happening youd like to see in the Energy Journal newsletter? Send it to Star-Tribune energy reporter Heather Richards at heather.richards@trib.com. Sign up for the newsletter at trib.com/energyjournal Last week in numbers Friday oil prices: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) $62.86, Brent (ICE) $71.59 Natural gas weekly averages: Henry Hub $2.59, Wyoming Pool $1.93, Opal $1.95 Baker Hughes rig count: U.S 990, Wyoming 32 Quote of the week "I hope, if not me, they find somebody else. But there are not too many people left. There are people that are like Write me a check and well take over, but real mining companies? Youre not going to find Arch or Peabody coming (out there). -- Tom Clarke, would-be buyer of the Kemmerer coal mine in Wyoming, who disputed claims that the sale fell through because of inadequate bonding by Clarke Wyoming leads on fed land drilling BLM celebrated record revenue from oil and gas in a press release last week, stoking frustration from environmental groups who've been critical of the Trump administration's energy priority on public land. The BLM reported record production, revenue and one of the smallest surface footprints in decades. Two-thirds of new drilling occurred in two states: New Mexico and Wyoming. Cloud Peak reprieve, again Wyoming's Cloud Peak Energy will get another week's reprieve on unpaid debt payments. Expectations of a pending bankruptcy remain as the company has admitted the need to restructure its unmanageable debt. Cloud Peak is the third-largest coal producer in Wyoming. It faces a local tax deadline May 10. Q1 flooding drove down coal shipments Peabody Energy reported a 22 percent drop in coal shipments due to Midwest flooding in the first quarter. The company is holding on to its guidance for production for the year, despite being slightly behind in the first quarter and expectations of a similar Q2. Kemmerer in limbo The Kemmerer coal mine's ownership is uncertain as the deal with a Virginia businessman, Tom Clarke, appears to have fallen through. The deal's death was disclosed in a meeting regarding the objection by creditors to Clarke closing the Kemmerer deal before replacing bonding. Clarke later disputed the claims made by those present at the meeting that he had failed to secure bonding. He has secured bonding, he said. The lenders simply wouldn't take the deal. Railroads downgraded due to coal Moody's downgraded North American railroads from positive to stable, on the expectation of declining coal shipments. BLM seeks nominations A citizens group in Wyoming meant to bridge the gap between the public and the Bureau of Land Management is still struggling to find members after years of delay and a temporary suspension from the Trump administration. The federal agency in Wyoming put out a call Tuesday for nominations to the BLMs Resource Advisor Council. The goal of these citizens groups is to connect local voices with the federal agents who carry out federal land policy in the state, from mining issues to energy projects. By including diverse membership from across the state, we further our goal of ensuring we receive a wide variety of public perspectives to guide our work, said BLM Wyoming State Director Mary Jo Rugwell. Resource Advisory Councils were suspended in 2017 under then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, part of a broad revisionist approach to councils and advisory groups to the Interior. A question posed to BLM Wyoming as to whether the Zinke review led to changes for the Wyoming group, was punted to Washington and not returned by press time. Carbon County Commissioner John Espy said the Wyoming group hadnt met since before the suspension. He said ideally a group like this can be a useful tool in providing the federal agencies with a local perspective, but with the years-long delay any work they do may be starting from scratch. Wyoming BLM has seven vacancies on the council in three separate categories that are roughly industry, environmental and local government or academic. Application materials are available at https://www.blm.gov/get-involved/resource-advisory-council/near-you/wyoming Follow energy reporter Heather Richards on Twitter @hroxaner Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. One-hundred and thirty Wyoming Army National Guardsmen will fly to Texas ahead of a nine-month deployment to the Middle East, with Gov. Mark Gordon sending them off at a Wednesday ceremony in Casper. The troops of the 2nd Battalion of the 300th Field Artillery come from several western states from Nebraska to Washington, according to a press release from the state Military Department. The Wyomingites in the unit come from more than two dozen communities here, from Casper and Lovell to Cheyenne and Moorcroft. The Military Department will hold a sending-off ceremony for the unit at Natrona County High School on Wednesday, which will start at 4:30 p.m. Gordon and the adjutant general of the department, Maj. Gen. Greg Porter, will both be in attendance, as will be other senior officers from the state guard. The event is open to the public. The troops will travel from Casper to Fort Bliss in Texas, likely on Thursday, department spokeswoman Deidre Forster said. They will prepare for their deployment there before heading to various locations in the Middle East. Its unclear exactly where exactly the troops will be stationed, as different parts of the unit will travel to different areas, Forster said. Some will be involved in artillery support. All will be under the umbrella of the U.S. Central Command, which covers Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. An armed services news site quoted an officer in the unit, Capt. Ivo Wambeke, as telling his soldiers in September that were going to deliver rockets first class to the enemy. According to previous statements from the department, the unit uses large rocket launchers HIMARs in military speak attached to trucks. The deployment is this units sixth since Sept. 11, 2001, according to the department. Its part of a broader wave among Wyoming guard units, which began in January with a medevac unit that was sent to Afghanistan. In all, roughly 300 soldiers will deploy from six units between January and September. Its the largest Wyoming contingent sent overseas in nearly a decade. Each unit will last spend nine months overseas before returning stateside. Forster said the artillery unit thats departing Casper this week will return next winter. Follow education reporter Seth Klamann on Twitter @SethKlamann Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 5 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. Everybody is talking about it. Well, around it: vacillating, cogitating, salivating, fluctuating, aspirating, constipating, meditating, figure-eighting, and to prove theyre serious, polling. Were referring, of course, to the I word; Impeachment. Methinks they doth protest too much. And when we say everybody, we mean EVERYBODY. Talk-show pundits. Gesticulating anchors. Brooding Danes. The only people not talking about it are the vast majority of the 21 Democratic nomination wannabees who are ignoring the question to concentrate on more important issues, like fund-raising. Should the chief of state be held responsible for possible high crimes and misdemeanors? After all, everyone agrees: something is rotten in Denmark. To impeach or not to impeach. That is the question. Whether tis nobler in voters minds to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous leadership or to take arms against a sea of treason and by opposing, end him. Elizabeth Warren was first to walk out on Elsinores foggy balustrade and sound the alarm proclaiming it our constitutional duty to catch the conscience of a king. Kamala Harris seconded the motion but the rest of the players are following Hamlet and Nancy Pelosis lead of exercising caution. Any more cautious and theyd be walking backwards. There are more things in heaven and earth, N. Pelosi, than in your philosophy. Must give her pause to think back to the trap that ensnared Republicans after impeaching Bill Clinton; who then suffering disastrously in the 1998 midterms. Visiting the undiscoverd country from whose bourn no Party returns. For a couple of election cycles at least. No one can say she doesnt know a hawk from a handsaw. When not changing the subject, the candidates are thrusting lickd fingers into the air to see which way the wind blows. But you dont need a weatherman to tell you Donald Trump is not going down without his trademark bluster. Though this be madness, yet there is method in it. He cant help it. To thine own self be true. Says he plans to fight impeachment in the courts. But see, thats part of the problem because the process doesnt work that way. The House of Representatives impeaches, which is like an indictment resulting in a trial over which the Senate presides. The plays the thing. Ay, theres the rub. Not just every Democrat but 20 Republican Senators would have to vote to convict and the chances of that happening are about the same as the Islamic Brotherhood scheduling a barbecue rib cook-off in a strip joint on the outskirts of Kronborg. There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. Thus the complicated calculus begins. Do the seekers of the nomination risk backlash from centrists if they do come out in favor of impeachment or annoy the base if they dont. Do they bear these ills they have or fly to others they not know of? To sleep, perchance to dream. Especially when the slightest of slipups will act as the whips and scorns of time causing them to shuffle off this mortal coil and dropping from the grown up debate table to the kids table? So expect calls for patience and further investigations, and the native hue of resolution to be sicklied over with the pale cast of thought, which in the end, will, like conscience, make cowards of us all. Exeunt. Will Durst is a nationally acclaimed columnist and comedian. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 PHOENIX Calling an economic downturn inevitable, Gov. Doug Ducey is pushing back against demands by lawmakers from his own Republican Party to use a cash windfall to pay down debt. The governor said Monday he is sticking to his demand that the extra $155 million being taken from Arizona taxpayers go into the states rainy day fund. He wants to get that account, currently in the $460 million range, brought up to an even $1 billion. The amount in that fund has been virtually unchanged since Ducey became governor. It also is far below the statutory cap on what is formally known on the budget stabilization fund of 7 percent of general fund revenues, a figure that this year would be more than $700 million. Some GOP lawmakers disagree with Ducey, saying the $155 million isnt money the state earned, at least not through the normal political process of debating and setting tax rates. Instead its fallout from the changes in federal tax law that lowered rates for most Americans. A byproduct of the state conforming its tax laws to to those changes is that some Arizonans paid higher taxes this year. In many collisions, Tucson police use Garys Towing. The company responds to scenes equipped to remove any vehicles and clear the rest of the road. More than likely theres hardly anything thats usually left, a company dispatcher said Friday. But lets just say its dark out, and something does end up accidentally left behind. As soon as we are made aware that there was something left behind, we do return to the scene as fast as physically possible and fix what has been wrong. But what if some debris goes unaccounted for during the cleanup to get streets reopened for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians? Itll probably be Tucson police that get the call to follow up . Usually its TPD that gets the callback, somebody will say to come back and clean it up, Magos said. Then theyll decide if the tow-truck company or a city street sweeper should come clear the scene. Sometimes large amounts of glass can be cleaned by those city street sweepers, if traffic detectives choose to call one in, Magos said. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Copenhagen Imports Google on Monday announced that Google Assistant, its artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant, is now available in Vietnamese, allowing people to interact with their Android devices using their native language. iOS users have to wait a few days before they can experience Google Assistant in Vietnamese, Ha Lam Tu Quynh, director of communications and public relations at Google Asia Pacific, told a launch event attended by around 200 journalists and tech writers in Ho Chi Minh City. Google Assistant is a ready-to-help personal assistant, letting users search the Internet, schedule events and alarms or do things on their devices through natural voice communication in Vietnamese. Vietnamese users can also check the weather, ask for Google Maps directions or Google Translate translations, play songs on YouTube, and even ask Google Assistant to tell jokes, among a litany of other queries and requests. Google Assistants program manager Elin Barnes said the virtual assistants artificial intelligence is capable of learning new things and preferences from its users, as well as understanding different accents of the Vietnamese language, over time. As of today, Google Assistant is available in 36 languages on one billion mobile devices, Barnes said at the event. Asked why Vietnamese, a language that is not really common in the world, was added to the list of supported languages by Google Assistant, the program manager said the question is not 'Why?' but 'Why not?' Vietnam has a large population of young, tech-savvy users who are always willing to try the new things, she explained. Barnes said the Vietnamese-speaking Google Assistant is not immediately a perfect product, as it is only one day old in Vietnam. It is like a baby that will learn new things and improve over time, she said. We appreciate all feedback from users to help improve the product. Android users in Vietnam can try the new personal assistant by upgrading their mobile devices with the latest Android version, while Google Assistant will be available for iOS users in the next few days. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Read what is in the news today, May 6! Society -- The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS)s chapter in Hanoi expects to provide support for 7,000-10,000 disadvantaged people during the 2019 Humanitarian Month, launched in the capital city on Sunday as part of activities to mark the annual Red Cross and Red Crescent Day (May 8). -- President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man visited Bao Quoc Pagoda in the central province of Thua Thien Hue on Sunday to offer his congratulations on the occasion of the Buddhas 2563rd birth anniversary, a holiday celebrated among Buddhists in Vietnam that falls on May 12 this year. -- Ho Chi Minh City launched a VND35.5 billion (US$1.5 million) modern press center in District 1 on Sunday with the aim of creating a source of fast and accurate official information on current issues for reporters in the southern metropolis. Business -- Highly-skilled workers are a national treasure as they serve as a locomotive for Vietnams economic development and attract foreign investors, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed at a dialogue with skilled laborers in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday. -- Over 20,300 multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) were sold in Vietnam in 2018, a 32.6 percent increase from 2017, signaling a shift in consumers demand from pickup trucks towards MPVs due to their usability and affordable price. -- Vietnamese automaker Truong Hai Corporation (THACO) inaugurated a US$195.6 million plant manufacturing cars for luxury European brands and debuted the Peugeot Traveller model in the central province of Quang Nam on Sunday. -- Vietnam-grown Ri6 and Monthong durians are selling for 20 percent higher than they did the same season of last year thanks to increased purchase power from China, which accounts for over 80 percent of Vietnams durian exports. -- Vietnams goods and services trading continued its upward trend in the January-April period of 2019 with retail sale value estimated at VND1.58 quadrillion ($67 billion), representing a rise of 11.9 percent over the same period last year, the highest growth since 2015, according to the General Statistics Office. -- In the first four months of this year, the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh recorded an industrial production and trade value of over VND8 trillion ($346 million), a year-on-year growth of nearly 30 percent, according to local authorities. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Prime Minister & Opposition Leader will meet for a third and final Leaders Debate on Wednesday night at the National Press Club in Canberra. It will be moderated by ABC journalist and National Press Club President Sabra Lane. This will be screened on ABC and SKY News from 7:30pm. The offer to broadcast was made to all networks. Australia Votes: Leaders Debate Wednesday, May 8 Live at 7.30pm on ABC* & Live from 7.30pm (AEST) on ABC NEWS and iview. *On ABC the 7.30pm broadcast is Live in eastern states, delayed in SA & NT (airing after the 7pm ABC News bulletin). In WA the broadcast is Live at 5.30pm on ABC. Immediately after the broadcast join Greg Jennett, Laura Tingle, Andrew Probyn, Patricia Karvelas and Barrie Cassidy on ABC News channel for post-debate commentary and analysis. With the news yesterday that Robert Penfold was stepping down as US bureau chief, industry chatter is already gathering on whether Karl Stefanovic might be next in line for the role. Rumours of the former Today host relocating to the US have been around since 2017. Karl wants (Nines US bureau chief) Robert Penfolds job, a Nine insider supposedly told New Idea back then. He knows he would need to take a pay cut, but would love to relocate to the US as Nines correspondent, a similar role to one his brother Pete fulfilled. Another nameless source told Daily Mail in January, Ideally, he would like a job at Channel Nines U.S. bureau. He loves America and Jasmine lived in Los Angeles for years while working as a model. While unnamed sources to gossip mags are to be taken with a grain of salt, Stefanovic has relished previous stints in the US for Nine, including covering presidential elections. Regardless of whatever problems have surrounded his work on the home front, he is still one of the best when it comes to reporting rolling coverage and big news events. Redeploying Karl stateside would seemingly solve a network conundrum of what to do with its highest paid star whose only upcoming show is a second season of This Time Next Year. Penfold is shifting to a part-time role after 43 years at the network. Veteran journalist Robert Penfold and Nines US Bureau Chief in July will step down after 4 decades at the network but contribute to news on a part-time basis. Penfold joined Nine in 1976, becoming Europe Chief Correspondent before a long instalment as US Bureau Chief. Over the decades he has covered innumerable major events including: Cyclone Tracy Darwin, 1974 Granville Train Disaster Sydney, 1977 Troubles in Northern Ireland Belfast, 1988 Fall of the Berlin Wall Germany, 1989 First Gulf War Iraq, 1990-91 Nelson Mandela freed from prison South Africa, 1990 War in Bosnia 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games 1992 U.S. Marines invade Mogadishu Somalia, 1992 IOC announce Sydney wins rights to 2000 Olympics Monte Carlo, 1993 (Logies winning coverage for 9 NEWS) September 11 attack on New Yorks iconic Twin Towers, 2001. Second Gulf War Iraq, 2003 Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, 2005 (Walkley Award winning coverage for 9 NEWS) Academy Awards Presidential Elections / Inaugurations / Administration Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump. Rob is a reporter with outstanding communication skills, passion, the ability to handle the pressure of every occasion and humanity, said Nine News boss Darren Wick. The legacy he has created is without comparison in any Australian media company. His leadership, mentoring of younger reporters and cameramen, experience and story judgement are a combination that has established our U.S. Bureau as the best in the business. But, well above what he brings to the table as a journalist, its Robs decency as a human being and his compassion and concern for his colleagues that make him an exceptional individual. I leave with many wonderful memories and experiences and I am thankful for the extraordinary opportunities that the job as Nines foreign correspondent provided, said Penfold. Not many can tell stories of getting a phone call from the newsroom in Australia asking Can you head out to Windsor Castle to meet the Queen on Wednesday and then on Thursday to Number Ten Downing St. to see Margaret Thatcher? They each provided an on-camera message for Australias bicentenary. Or being in West Germany when the world celebrated as the Berlin Wall came down. Ill certainly miss the rush to the airport when big news breaks. But it is time to take a breather. The job necessarily makes for an unpredictable life and all this can only be achieved with a very understanding partner and my wife Shar has certainly been that, and more, over the last 45 years. Our postings on behalf of Nine meant our first child, Alexander was born in the U.S. and Nicholas and Olivia were born in London. Thanks to Nine we are a truly international family. The great joy for me, as I tell them all, is also getting to work alongside the many young reporters and camera operators who arrive for their foreign postings. Leila McKinnon, Lizzie Pearl, Christine Ahern, Laura Turner, Charles Croucher and Alexis Daish. Mark Llewellyn, Hugh Riminton, Michael Usher, Nick McCallum, Karl Stefanovic, Denham Hitchcock, Peter Stefanovic, And, of course, Richard Moran and Drew Benjamin. But once a journalist always a journalist, so I am not disappearing altogether. Ill still be working with Nine on a part-time basis. I am also taking up offers to tutor journalism students here in the U.S. and Australia. I want to tell them about one of the best jobs in the world. Penfold will take a break after July break and then begin his new role contributing special reports based in Los Angeles. Seven West Media is reportedly on a discreet hunt for a new chief operating officer to join its executive team. The Sydney Morning Herald claims Seven wants to grow audiences on 7plus, and news websites like 7news.com.au, as the media landscape continues to see change -notably with Nine acquiring Fairfax mastheads. A Seven source disputed there was any suggestion CEO Tim Worner would leave the company but agreed a potential new hire could feature in any succession planning. Former chief digital officer Clive Dickens left in March to become vice president of television, content and product development at Singtel Optus, with Darren Kerry appointed Director of Digital Product and Technology. Seven also recently announced Therese Hegarty as chief executive of Seven Studios. Seven declined to comment. Source: smh.com.au After a rewarding career in the computer industry, Sybil decided to try her hand at writing mysteries. Her short fiction has appeared in and , among others. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in Southern California where she enjoys tole painting, studying ancient languages and spending time with friends and family. Find her at . Sybil Johnsons love affair with reading began in kindergarten with The Three Little Pigs. Visits to the library introduced her to Encyclopedia Brown, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and a host of other characters. Fast forward to college where she continued reading while studying Computer Science. The current price action suggests that investors believe that Saudi Arabia and its allies will make up any shortfalls from the expanded sanctions against Iran. U.S. energy firms this week increased the number of oil rigs operating for the first time in three weeks even as crude output decelerates with the rig count dropping five months in a row due to spending cuts. Weekly U.S. oil production ticked up to a new high at 12.3 million barrels per day, according to the EIA. Rising U.S. stockpiles and an easing of supply concerns were two factors that drove U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures lower last week. Continuing to underpin prices were the OPEC-led supply cuts and the U.S. sanctions against Venezuela and Iran, but another jump in U.S. production combined with speculation that Saudi Arabia and its allies would increase output to make up any shortfalls from the expanded sanctions against Iran and worries that Russia would end its participation in the plan to trim global supplies, outweighed any potentially bullish news. Last week, June WTI crude oil settled at $61.94, down $1.36 or -2.15% and July Brent crude oil finished at $70.85, down $0.78 or -1.10%. U.S. Energy Information Administration Weekly Inventories On May 1, the Energy Information Administration reported that U.S. crude supplies rose by 9.9 million barrels for the week-ended April 26. That surpassed the rise of 1.4 million barrels expected by analysts. The EIA data also showed that gasoline inventories edged up by 900,000 barrels, while distillate stockpiles fell by 1.3 million barrels last week. Traders were looking for a draw of 1 million barrels for gasoline and 1.2 million barrels for distillates. Total inventories now stand at 470.6 million barrels as imports grew to their highest since January and refining rates dropped below 90 percent of total capacity, the Energy Information Administration said. Weekly U.S. oil production ticked up to a new high at 12.3 million barrels per day, according to the EIA. The weekly reading had been stuck between 12 million bpd and 12.2 million bpd since mid-February, with the U.S. output remaining constrained by pipeline bottlenecks in Texas. The drop in refining activity and the rise in imports is being blamed for the surge in crude inventories. Analysts said the vast majority of the build was on the U.S. Gulf Coast with refinery runs ticking lower and waterborne imports on the rise. Story continues Other News There are reports that production from Saudi Arabia could edge higher in June to meet domestic demand for power generation, though output will remain within its quota in the supply pact, sources familiar with the kingdoms policy said. The worlds top crude exporter is expected to produce about 10 million bpd in May, slightly higher than in April but still below its 10.3 million bpd quota under the OPEC-led deal, industry sources said. Prices were further pressured after Russia began pumping clean oil through the Druzhba pipeline towards western Europe again. Additionally, Poland Hungary and the Czech Republic are offering their domestic refiners about 8 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves to make up any shortfalls. Finally, U.S. energy firms this week increased the number of oil rigs operating for the first time in three weeks even as crude output decelerates with the rig count dropping five months in a row due to spending cuts. Energy Services Firm Baker Hughes reported that companies added two oil rigs in the week to May 3, bringing the total count 807, lower than the 834 rigs active this time last year. Weekly Forecast The current price action suggests that investors believe that Saudi Arabia and its allies will make up any shortfalls from the expanded sanctions against Iran. While President Trump says he demanded the group increase output to make up for the reduced exports from Iran, OPECs defacto leader Saudi Arabia said it had no immediate plan to do so. This doesnt mean they wont, but it probably means theyll approach the situation with caution and make periodic adjustments in output when they deem it necessary. Meanwhile, the biggest concern in my opinion for traders is Russias next move. OPEC meets in June to discuss production policy. At that time, Russia may opt-out of the deal to trim production. Its no secret that they want to pursue market share and take back some of the customers currently being supplied by the United States. Not only will this move kill the OPEC-led deal, but it will also throw more supply into the market. This could collapse prices in the $50 range. The recent price action suggests the professionals are paring long positions to prepare for this move. Furthermore, both WTI and Brent are threatening to cross to the weak side of the 200-day moving average. This should trigger further hedge and commodity fund liquidation. This article was originally posted on FX Empire More From FXEMPIRE: The Israeli military has lifted protective restrictions on residents in the south, while Gazas ruling Hamas militant group reported a ceasefire had been agreed to end the deadliest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. The escalation had killed 25 on the Gaza side, both militants and civilians, while on the Israeli side four civilians were killed by incoming fire. The Islamic Jihad militant group, which Israel accused of instigating the latest violence, confirmed that a mutual and concurrent truce had been brokered by Egypt. A destroyed building in Gaza City (Khalil Hamra/AP) Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Egyptian mediators, along with officials from Qatar and the UN, helped reach the deal. He said Hamas could still use different pressuring tools to get Israel to ease a crippling blockade of Gaza. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: The campaign is not over, and it requires patience and judgment. The intense fighting over the past two days came to a halt early on Monday and residents on both sides went back to their daily routines. Schools and roads had been closed, and Israelis had been urged to remain indoors and near bomb shelters as intense rocket fire pounded the area. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars and numerous smaller battles since the Islamic militant group seized Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. The damage caused after a rocket fired from Gaza hit the southern Israeli port city of Ashdod (Ariel Schalit/AP) In the latest fighting, Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, while the Israeli military responded with air strikes on 350 militant targets inside 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. A Hamas commander allegedly involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group was killed in an air strike, in an apparent return to Israels policy of targeting militant leaders. Palestinian medical officials reported 25 deaths, including at least 10 militants as well as three women, two of them pregnant, and two babies. Story continues The four Israeli civilians killed were the first Israeli fatalities from rocket attacks since the 50-day war in 2014. One was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border. The Gaza public works ministry said 130 housing units were destroyed in Israeli air strikes, including a five-storey building in the northern Gaza Strip where six people, including a 12-year-old boy and an infant, were killed. Egyptian mediators had been working with the UN to broker a ceasefire. Under past Egyptian-brokered deals, Israel agreed to ease its joint blockade of Gaza with Egypt in exchange for a halt to rocket fire. The latest fighting broke out after Palestinian militants accused Israel of not honouring an earlier ceasefire deal from March and opened fire on soldiers on the Israeli side of the Gaza frontier. The terms of the latest deal were not known, but recent ceasefires have been short-lived. The majority of people streaming the soundtrack of The Greatest Showman, last years highest-selling album, are in fact men. Both Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron the stars of the hugely successful musical drama are known for having avid female fan bases. But according to new data from streaming service Deezer, over half (56%) of the albums streams were by men while 53% came from millennials aged between 26 and 35. Hugh Jackman at the Brit Awards in London (Ian West/PA) The figures also indicate that 74% of those streaming the album were under the age of 45. The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack remains the UKs most streamed album 18 months on from its release despite competition from George Ezras Staying at Tamaras and Ariana Grandes Thank U, Next. It comes as Jackman, 50, kicks off his highly-anticipated world tour which will see him perform songs from The Greatest Showman as well as tunes from Les Miserables and other Broadway classics. The Golden Globe-winning actor begins in Glasgow tonight before heading to European cities including Cologne, Berlin, Hamburg, Zurich, Switzerland and Paris. Robbie Williams is expected to join him at some stage. UNAIDS chief Michel Sidibe, whose tenure at the agency was marred by allegations of serious mismanagement, has been appointed health minister of his native Mali.Sidibe had been scheduled to stand down in June, six months before the official end of his tenure, following widespread concern over his conduct in office. He took charge of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2009.UNAIDS's oversight body, the Programme Coordinating Board, commissioned an independent panel of experts to study the organisation.The experts found that UNAIDS was "broken" due to "defective leadership".The panel accused Sidibe of overseeing a work environment that tolerated sexual harassment and abuse, and where a "cult of personality" surrounding the executive director saw benefits doled out as favours by Sidibe and his cadre of top allies.It also said Sidibe "accepted no responsibility" for anything that had gone wrong under his watch.Sidibe's appointment as health minister comes as Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced a new government.The previous executive resigned last month amid widespread protests over an upsurge of inter-communal violence in the country. UNAIDS chief Michel Sidibe, whose tenure at the agency was marred by allegations of serious mismanagement, has been appointed health minister of his native Mali. Sidibe had been scheduled to stand down in June, six months before the official end of his tenure, following widespread concern over his conduct in office. He took charge of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2009. UNAIDS's oversight body, the Programme Coordinating Board, commissioned an independent panel of experts to study the organisation. The experts found that UNAIDS was "broken" due to "defective leadership". The panel accused Sidibe of overseeing a work environment that tolerated sexual harassment and abuse, and where a "cult of personality" surrounding the executive director saw benefits doled out as favours by Sidibe and his cadre of top allies. It also said Sidibe "accepted no responsibility" for anything that had gone wrong under his watch. Sidibe's appointment as health minister comes as Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced a new government. The previous executive resigned last month amid widespread protests over an upsurge of inter-communal violence in the country. Line Of Duty star Stephen Grahams performance as undercover anti-corruption officer John Corbett was inspired by a near-fatal bar brawl in which he was almost hit by a car. The 45-year-old actors father was struck with a knuckle duster and his wife, actress Hannah Walters, was left with massive scarring across her leg following the fight in Liverpool some years ago. The This Is England star said he had drawn on the fear he felt then to recreate the anxiety and tension of being undercover in a criminal gang. Stephen Graham in Line Of Duty (Aiden Monaghan/World Productions/BBC/PA) He told the Radio Times: Ive been in situations where things have been very dangerous. When I was younger, me and my missus and my dad were attacked outside a pub in Liverpool. I dont like to speculate. Did I have any part to play in it? I dont really think I did. There had been a disagreement, but I thought it was settled and left at a place of peace, a place of understanding. And then, when we left the pub, it just suddenly happened. My dad got hit with a knuckle-duster. Hannah has a huge scar on her leg. She actually dragged me away from the car that was going to run me over. So, I can draw upon that. The fifth series of Line Of Duty concluded on Sunday night (Ian West/PA) Corbett was killed off in the fourth episode of the latest series of the hit police drama, which ended on Sunday, with his throat being cut as he tried to quit the group he was undercover with. Graham consulted an anonymous friend who served in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, who told him undercover agents dont get second chances. He said: I did a lot of research with a friend who worked for the British Army back in the day and has to remain nameless. He used to be undercover in Northern Ireland, recruiting people for intelligence and information. What I learnt from him is that people working undercover dont get second chances. If he gets it wrong, then thats it. I tried to capture that danger in Line Of Duty. The full interview is in this weeks Radio Times. Sweden has become a largely cashless society (Getty) Most of us rely on banking apps and contactless cards and mobile payments but what if it all suddenly stopped working? Thats the thinking behind a government agency in Sweden which has urged every household to stockpile cash in small denominations. Swedens Civil Contingencies agency issued the guidance amid concerns over the potential risk of cyber attacks on banks, or even power cuts. Read more on Yahoo News UK Granny jailed for helping run sons 2.7m drugs gang Man admits walking into wheelchair-bound womans home and chopping off her hand Fake doctor who targeted elderly patients and prescribed dangerous medications jailed Stockholms Royal Institute of Technology says that only 18% of payments made in Sweden are in cash. In December, Britains Access to Cash Review warned that Britain too was sleepwalking into a cashless society, the Daily Mail reported. Chair Natalie Ceeney said, If we dont take action now in this country, were only a couple of years away from Sweden. Swedens big message to us is, Plan now before you get into a mess. Sweden hit its crisis when its equivalent of the NHS declared it was going cashless. Benjamin Pollak Wins 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPT 25,000 High Roller for 705,840 May 06 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." 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. 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 06 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Photo credit: . From Town & Country Update: 5/6/2019: This morning, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Duchess of Sussex is in labor. Over the past few decades, it's become expected for royal babies to be photographed in their mothers' arms just hours after birth. But Meghan and Harry are breaking from that tradition, and will not have a photocall directly outside the hospital, or wherever Meghan chooses to give deliver. According to a statement in April from the royal family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, "have taken a personal decision to keep plans around the arrival of their new baby quiet. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family." Original: 4/4/2019: Shortly after Prince Louis was born last spring, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge exited the iconic doors of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital Paddington to introduce their newborn son to the world's media for the first time. They posed for a few minutes, as a sea of photographers, reporters, and news crews captured history in the making. But as the royals smiled and waved for the cameras, William pointed out one photographer in particular, Arthur Edwards, the royal photographer for The Sun, saying "There's Arthur, there he is." Edwards has been photographing the royal family for more than four decades, and Prince William grew up seeing him on a regular basis. His familiarity with the royal family is well known: "Other photographers always want to stand next to me because they always think that might happen," Edwards sheepishly tells T&C over the phone. Edwards, in fact, was there for Prince William's first Lindo Wing portrait-the one he took with his parents. "Ive been covering him all his life, from when he started nursery school all through, right to when he got married," Edwards says. "I photographed William when he came out of hospital in his mothers arms." Story continues He has photographed eight royal births, and watched as the tradition of posing for photos outside the hospital took root. While Princess Diana wasn't the first royal to give birth in a hospital-and she wasn't even the first royal to be photographed leaving a hospital with a newborn-she was the first royal to deliver an heir in the hospital, and that changed everything in the 1980s. Photo credit: Tim Graham - Getty Images "There was fascination, and so of course hoards of photographers and the media were all outside waiting for her to leave with William," explains royal commentator Victoria Arbiter. "It really offered an opportunity to capture a moment in history. There is the future heir Prince Charles with his wife walking out with the future, future heir." From there, it became a modern tradition for new royal mothers to give the world a glimpse of their babies right outside the hospital doors. "It's interesting when you think about thousand years of royal history, this is only two generations that have done this," Arbiter muses. "In this media-dominated world, its definitely something weve come to expect." But over the past 36 years, the magnitude with which these moments are captured and broadcast around the world has changed enormously. "With [Prince William's birth], there were two TV crews, the BBC and ITV, about 20 photographers, and about five or six reporters. When Harry came out of the hospital two years later, there were about another five more photographers," Edwards recalls. "When William carried out his eldest son George, there was 300 yards of media." Photo credit: JUSTIN TALLIS - Getty Images Those reporters represented outlets from around the world. "There was a massive, massive media crowd. All the television networks were there, with an easy way to distribute news," Edwards says. "Every American network there; every Australian network there; there were New Zealand networks there; there were Mexican networks; there were Greek networks there. Everybody was there." As the crowd of reporters grew, so did the number of photographs they were taking. "As soon as those press pens were introduced, there were a lot of photographers there, but of course, theyre shooting film, so you only have thirty-six exposures," explains Bob Ahern, the director of archive for Getty Images. "When youre talking about today, youre talking about thousands of pictures." And as technology advances, it's changing the type of images photographers try to capture. Edwards's ideal picture is still "both the Duke and the Duchess holding the baby, looking straight at me," but there's also a desire for close-ups of the newborn, along with style-focused shots of the Duchess's outfit, and images of the royals as they get into the car. Photo credit: Max Mumby/Indigo - Getty Images "You have to get that great shot thats going to be on the front cover of the worlds papers the next day, but I think in and around that, theres just as much interest in scrolling through galleries of how the day unfolded," Ahern says. "We want to know every detail, right? We want to know who makes the car seat that William uses. We want to know how Kate styled her hair. We want to know what the baby was wrapped in, all those little details. Its an exponential interest. Its kind of incredible, really." And of course, now that everyone has a camera in their pocket at all times, royal fans are known to camp out outside the hospital, hoping to capture their own photos of the special day. "I think the desire to participate is at its kind of peak. I think its a wonderful thing, but I don't think it changes what a professional photographer does," Ahern says. Photo credit: Peter Macdiarmid - Getty Images As the Duchess of Sussex's due date draws near, it's unclear which hospital she will give birth in (or indeed, if she will opt for a home birth). Whether Meghan, Harry, and their new baby will pose for a portrait on their way out the door is an unknown factor as well. Victoria Arbiter thinks they will, if only to quell the rabid interest in unsanctioned pictures. "If I were a betting person, I would think Meghan and Harry would stop for a photograph because by standing and giving the press what they need in that photograph and in that moment, it reduces the value of any kind of paparazzi pictures," she says. "That first photograph has the potential to be incredibly valuable. Which is when you see royals take control of the narrative. And they say, 'Well give you this picture but in exchange youve got to leave us alone and respect our privacy.'" But she says there's still a chance they might want to protect their newborn from scrutiny. Photo credit: Neil Mockford - Getty Images "Bless this babys little heart because its a huge historical burden to carry, but the child happens to be the first mixed race heritage baby in the royal family. That is very exciting, thats reflecting society as it is today. But as I say, that is also a tremendous historical burden for that little baby to have on his or her shoulders," she says. "Harry and Meghan are going to be keen to protect that baby." Edwards is hoping for a photograph as well, but Harry and Meghan are known to break tradition. "Ive asked the question and Ive got no answers, so I dont know," he says, when asked if he thinks Harry and Meghan will pose for a few snaps with their newborn outside the hospital. "I photographed Harry coming out of that hospital in his mothers arms, and I hope to photograph Harrys baby when coming out in Harrys arms," Edwards says. "But Harry might do it differently. He may have his own plans. Well know soon enough." ('You Might Also Like',) [May 06, 2019] Aragon Research Positions Vonage as a Leader in the Globe For Unified Communications and Collaboration HOLMDEL, N.J., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage (NYSE: VG), a global business cloud communications leader, has been positioned by Aragon Research, Inc. as a Leader in the 2019 Globe for Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) . The Aragon Research Globe graphically represents an analysis of a specific market and its component vendors. The Aragon Research team does a rigorous analysis of each vendor, using three dimensions that enable comparative evaluation of the participants in a given market - strategy, performance and reach. Vendors positioned as Leaders have comprehensive strategies that align with industry direction and market demand, and effectively perform against those strategies[1]. "Vonage spent 2018 making key acquisitions, including TokBox and NewVoiceMedia, so that it now offers complete, end-to-end communications solutions," said Jim Lundy, CEO and Lead Analyst, Aragon Research. "Vonage has always been known for its prowess in voice, but its complete makeover as a UCC provider means more existing customers can look to Vonage for their enhanced UCC portfolio for current and future needs." The lines between unified communications, contact center and programmable communications are blurring as businesses look for solutions to enhance both internal employee collaboration and external interactions with customers. Businesses will win, or lose, based on customer experience, which ultimately relies on the quality of interaction between a businesses' customers and its employees, and the ability to interact through the customer's preferred mode of communication. "We are excited to be namd a Leader in the prestigious Aragon Research Globe for UCC this year," said Vonage CEO Alan Masarek. "This underscores our position as a leading global provider of innovative and industry-leading communication solutions that enable our customers to develop more innovative, frictionless and meaningful communications experiences for both customers and employees." As stated in the report, "Vonage has seen strong growth powered by its Unified Communications-as-a-Service, Contact Center-as-a-Service, and Communications Platform-as-a-Service technology. While anchored by its voice offerings, Vonage's UCC platform enhances internal connection and collaboration among employees and enables deeper connections externally via cloud-based APIs." Vonage's unique set of cloud-based capabilities and solutions are built on top of the fully integrated One Vonage platform, a microservices-based software platform that makes it easy to create the specific tools customers need to address the unique communications challenges their businesses face. With One Vonage, businesses can quickly and easily redefine how they communicate and operate to enhance internal collaboration among employees and deepen relationships externally with customers. About Vonage Vonage is redefining business communications, helping enterprises use fully-integrated unified communications, contact center, and programmable communications solutions via Nexmo, the Vonage API Platform, to improve how business gets done. True to our roots as a technology disruptor, we've embraced technology to transform how companies connect, collaborate and communicate to create better business outcomes. Vonage's fully-integrated cloud communications platform built on a microservices-based architecture enables businesses to collaborate more productively and engage their customers more effectively across all channels, including messaging, chat, social media, video and voice. Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey, with offices throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing LLC, owned by Vonage America Inc. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage . To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/vonage . To subscribe on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/vonage . Required Disclaimer: Aragon Research does not endorse vendors, or their products or services that are referenced in its research publications, and does not advise users to select those vendors that are rated the highest. Aragon Research publications consist of the opinions of Aragon Research and Advisory Services organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Aragon Research provides its research publications and the information contained in them "AS IS," without warranty of any kind. [1] Aragon Research "Globe for Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC), 2019" by Jim Lundy, April 2019. (vg-a) View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aragon-research-positions-vonage-as-a-leader-in-the-globe-for-unified-communications-and-collaboration-300844190.html SOURCE Vonage [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] As the domestic capital market is underdeveloped, Vietnamese banks are in dire need of foreign capital to meet Basel II standards by 2020 as required by the central bank. Vietnamese banks will find it difficult to attract foreign investors, especially prestigious financial institutions, if the foreign ownership limit (FOL) in the country's banking industry is kept unchanged at 30 percent as it currently stands, experts said. According to Long Ngo, associate director at the Research Department at Viet Capital Securities, investment trends in the banking industry will depend on when the government lifts the FOL. The FOL issue will not change if the draft Law on Securities is passed later this year, and would require a separate act from the National Assembly changing the Law on Credit Institutions. Thus, Long believes, this is not something that will happen this year. If and when the FOL on banks is changed, likely to happen in 2020, there will then be a marked pickup in foreign investment into the banking sector. Sharing the same view, banking expert Nguyen Tri Hieu said the current FOL of 30 percent on the banking industry isnt encouraging foreign investors to invest in local banks as they cant be involved in banks decision-making with such holding rate. To make the countrys finance and banking sector more attractive to foreign investors, Hieu suggested the government should increase the FOL to 49 percent. Oliver Massmann, general director of international law firm Duane Morris Vietnam, also believes the government should open up more room for foreign ownership in local financial institutions, as the FOL in many lenders has nearly reached the permitted level. The government should also continue to complete the legal framework for the financial service sector to comply with its commitments under free trade agreements, thus raising investor confidence in the system and their willingness to invest further, he said. Sustained growth Besides capital, experts also believe a higher FOL will help local banks lure more foreign participation in the market, which will create opportunities for the banks to acquire experience, management capacity and technology for sustained development. In a recent proposal sent to the central banks Governor Le Minh Hung, the Vietnam Association of Financial Investors (VAFI) said in recent years, Vietnamese banks have made progress in privatization, stock exchange listing and bad debt reduction. However, VAFI suggested in order to make the domestic banking system truly healthy and sustainable, it was necessary to have a new legal framework to facilitate domestic banks in attracting capital and governance experience from prestigious foreign banks. Good corporate governance from foreign banks would help prevent bad debts and wrongdoings in the banking system, VAFI said. To help local banks attract foreign capital, the government should drastically change the shareholder structure in both state-owned and private banks, allowing foreign banks to hold larger shares in domestic banks, VAFI said. Specifically, VAFI said the foreign ownership cap at well-performing banks should be increased from the current 30 percent to 49 percent. A foreign bank should be allowed to hold a maximum of 40 percent of a local banks charter capital for at least five years. If transferred, the stake must be transferred to another prestigious foreign bank, VAFI said. According to experts, as the domestic capital market is underdeveloped, Vietnamese banks are in dire need of foreign capital to meet Basel II standards by 2020 as required by the central bank. Fitch Ratings estimated the Vietnamese banking system could face a capital shortfall of almost US$20 billion, equal to 9 percent of GDP, to meet the Basel Committee on Banking Supervisions Basel II, known as Basel II for short, standards and increase allowance coverage to a level that reflects underlying asset-quality problems. Hanoitimes Low-income earners have been the most hard-hit by the recent energy price hikes. Low-income earners have been the most hard-hit by the recent energy price hikes. Strong rises in the costs of fuel and electricity have driven up prices of food and foodstuffs, essential commodities and transport services, and are making consumers struggle to meet their ends meet and businesses to survive. Two fuel price hikes in less than 30 days made one liter of gasoline VND3,500 (US$0.15) more expensive and have sparked concerns among the consumers, especially the low-income earners who will certainly see their living standards fall, according to Thanh Nien newspaper. Pham Thi My, 72, who is living in Ho Chi Minh City, the southern economic hub, complained that she spent VND250,000 (USD$11) per day on food for all family members, up 20% because the prices of veggies also increased due to higher transportation cost. As gasoline and electricity increased, Mys family had to spend more money on daily spending and was expected to cut down some unnecessary expenses in the near future. Tran Thi Thao, 39, has to cover her familys living costs with a net income of VND5 million (USD$216), while the cost of living and her two childrens tuition fees are high. She found it hard to save money and has to cut down on spending as the prices climbed. Renting eats up VND1.2 million (USD$50.6) of our budget, power and water expenses amount to VND 700,000 (USD$29.5) monthly. However, due to the higher prices, we have to spend a part of our savings, which is reserved to cover possible illness treatment, Thao said. Some people decided to walk instead of commuting by motorbikes in order to save money for gasoline, otherwise they have to dig into their pockets. Others said that they limited the use of air-conditioning, reduced watching TV, and avoided to use electric devices as much as possible. Meanwhile, Le Thi Kim Hoa, 63, a low-income worker, saved her wallet by begging for foods in the market. She lives with a sister in a rented department, which costs her VND1.4 million (USD$59) monthly including the water and power bills. However, she had to pay VND200,000 (USD$8,4) more on renting since consumer prices go up. I earn the living by selling lottery tickets. My mom died a few days ago and my sister suffers from mental illness. The situation has gone worse as I have to pay more money for everything. Now everything becomes less affordable then I ought to beg for food to save money, Hoa shared her story. Higher operation costs Director of Lam Vinh Transportation Company Lam Dai Vinh forecast that the container shipping prices would increase by 15-20% and the fuel cost might account for 40% of transport costs. The oil price from the beginning of the year has soared sharply coupled with the increase of electricity price drove up prices of tires and labor which, in turn, affect enterprises. Over the past two years, transportation businesses earned no profit. Recently, many enterprises stopped operating and sold vehicles. Others raised the shipping prices due to the scarcity of transportations as well as the ongoing increase of input costs, Vinh said. He also stressed that the businesses dont complain about the high prices of oil and gasoline, which are in accordance with the international market and should be accepted. However, the problem is the illogical manner of managing gasoline prices in Vietnam. When the world price of petrol and oil increased, the state used the stabilization fund to restrain it. In addition, the formula to calculate fuel prices is not transparent, businesses cannot foresee the increase or decrease in fuel prices when signing contracts with customers. Hanoitimes Government inspectors will investigate the latest power price increase by 8.36 percent to 1,864 VND (8.03 US cents) per kWh from March 20 following concerns among the public. Consumers have raised concerns over the significant increase in April's electricity bills. (Photo: hanoimoi.vn) According to a document sent by the Government Office, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Government Inspectorate to work with the Ministries of Industry and Trade, and Finance to study the price calculation method of electricity bills and their collection. The inspectorate and the two ministries should clarify whether the electricity price hike was right or wrong and report to the PM by next month. The document said the PMs decision follows many households complaining about sudden and significant increases in their electricity invoices for April. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai said the ministry shared peoples concerns about the rise in their electricity bills last month. However, the ministries had reviewed all effects of the increase on peoples lives and the CPI with the participation of the General Statistics Office (GSO) before submitting the power increase to the Government for consideration. He added that the ministry asked Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to resolve all complaints from people about the power hike. If the different pricing scheme is wrong, EVN have to apologise and immediately correct the issue, he said. However, EVN said that the surge in bills was only partially due to the increase in electricity prices. It was unusually hot weather that caused power consumption to spike, resulting in higher bills. The prices of many essential goods and services have risen sharply following the recent hikes in electricity and petrol prices. In the year to date, oil prices have increased four times by a total of 4,591 VND per litre for RON 95 gasoline and 4,418 VND for E5 gasoline. According to farm produce wholesale markets in HCM City, the increase in fuel prices inevitably led to higher transportation costs of fruits and vegetables from elsewhere to the city. At traditional markets, the prices of most goods have gone up. Nguyen Thanh Chau, chief of Thai Binh market in district 1, said higher electricity and fuel prices pushed up the prices of vegetables and fruits by thousands of VND per kilogramme in recent days. A trader in Nguyen Tri Phuong market in district 10 said the price of Da Lat carrots had gone up to 30,000 VND from 27,000-28,000 VND per kilogramme late last month. The price of small spring onions had risen from 40,000-42,000 VND to 45,000 VND, she said. While she used to offer customers buying vegetables some coriander for free, now she had to charge for it, she said. Now she had to pay nearly 7 million VND (300 USD) daily compared to over 6 million VND just after the Lunar New Year in early February and 5-5.5 million VND earlier this year to buy the same quantity of goods at wholesale markets, she added. Bui Van Quan, Chairman of the HCM City Cargo Transportation Association, said with oil prices rising several times recently, transport companies had been forced to negotiate freight rates with customers. Lam Dai Vinh, Director of Lam Vinh Transportation Co., Ltd, told Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper that container freight rates in HCM City would increase by 15-20 percent soon. According to Vinh, fuel accounts for 40 percent of transport costs, and the price of petrol has soared this year. The rise in electricity prices has increased the prices of a number of other goods such as tyres and lubricants, affecting transport companies. Input costs have increased relentlessly, forcing enterprises to adjust freight rates. If customers agree to the new rates we will offer them services, but otherwise not. We cannot afford further losses. The director of a cargo transport company said a truck transporting goods from HCM City to Nha Trang and returning would consume around 360 litres of petrol. The petrol price hikes and the increases in prices of other items like lubricants and tyres due to the impact of petrol and oil increases had increased the cost of a round trip on the route by 1-1.5 million VND, he added. According to the General Statistics Office, the consumer price index (CPI) has risen by 2.71 percent year-on-year this year. In April, it rose 0.31 percent, representing a 2.93 percent increase year-on-year. Of the basket of goods and services that make up the CPI, in April transportation saw the highest increase at 4.29 percent.-VNS/VNA In 2018, the total amount coal imported by Vietnam was 22.86 million, of which around 50% came from Indonesia with an amount of 11.16 million tons, said Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Ibnu Hadi at a business forum last week. A view of the business forum. Accordingly, trade between Indonesia and Vietnam has increased significantly since the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement in 2013. Bilateral trade has increased strongly, reaching US$8.6 billion in 2018. The two countries have committed to increase the figure to US$10 billion by 2020. Ibnu Hadi said that presently one of the strongest commodities from Indonesia to Vietnam is coal. In the first three months of 2019, Vietnam imported a total of 9.38 million tons of coal, an increase of 249% compared to the same period last year, in which 3.72 million tons came from Indonesia, representing an increase of 185% year-on-year. During the forum, more than 40 Indonesian and Vietnamese coal associations and companies discussed the potential of coal trading between two countries. In recent years, coal imports into Vietnam have increased due to the rising demand from thermal power plants. Indonesia is one of the largest coal exporters to Vietnam. In 2017, PT Intra Asia Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding with Hong Phat Coal and Resources Company in connection with its plan to develop a coal port in southern Vietnam. The port has a designed capacity of 15 - 20 million tons of coal per year and would cut logistics costs for coal imports from Indonesia by a significant margin. Hanoitimes The lagging behind, to some extent, means lack of advancement in education, especially slow progress in education reform. When relating the story that 93,000 Vietnamese men joined and served the French army during the First World War (1914-1918), I heard different views about this. Some raised a question about why the government of Vietnam didnt think of discussing with the French government Vietnams contribution to the French victory in the world war. If it had done this, the head of Vietnam State would have been invited to the celebration in Paris, standing on par with European countries heads and strengthening diplomatic relations with European countries. Some others commented that the service of 93,000 Vietnamese people in the French army should not be recalled. At one time, the Vietnamese who collaborated with France were all considered betrayers. They said Vietnam was once a colony of France and Vietnamese were forced to join the French army, which should be viewed as something to be ashamed about. They are all right, because their thoughts fit the spirits they received from education or self-education. The second view fits the lessons people were taught about the national resistance against the French colonialists, which said Vietnamese needed to recognize the enemy and the wrong acts of those who cooperated with French administration, cherish the hatred to create a driving force for the struggle for national independence. Vietnam experienced a period of building a new socialist man, when patriotism meant love for socialism, and patriotism was identified with the class struggle. Therefore, this view about Vietnamese soldiers in the French army during World War 1 is clearly a product of a historic period. Today, in the context of the market economy and globalization, universal values of humanity have more frequently been mentioned. Vietnam has entered a new stage of development and the country has become a member of international treaties on human rights, environmental protection and social and cultural issues. The Party and State of Vietnam emphasize the motto of being friends with all countries. In such conditions, the reconsideration of historical facts is necessary. Even the views and words used when talking about the South Vietnamese State Viet Nam Cong Hoa have also changed. And a new look, more open and scientific, is needed when considering the nations issues. So, modern people, who are prepared to become global citizens and adapt to the 4.0 Era, will keep the thoughts about their parents and grandparents serving in the World War 1 like the first view as mentioned above. Germany, which triggered the world war and was defeated in the war, also sent representatives to Paris to attend the ceasefire celebration. So, the pragmatic view is that today, French, German (and Vietnamese) states are not states of the 1914-1918 years, and it is impossible to cite history as an excuse to divide the nations. History should be used as a lesson to solve contemporary problems. After all, the reason behind the existence of two opposite views which raise fierce arguments lies in education. Every period of development has its own educational principles and philosophy. And educational principles change more slowly than the advancement of life. Lan Anh In the development of the Vietnamese economy, more women are running businesses across the country. The richest, most powerful businesswomen in the stock market Women breaking through in digital Forbes Vietnams list of 50 most influential women revealed There are around 145,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises currently run by women throughout Vietnam. The country, therefore, has been described as a land of extraordinary economic opportunity for women, while at the same time tempered by social constraints. From left: Tran Uyen Phuong, Le Thi Hoang Yen, Bui Bich Lien and Tran Hanh An. Tran Uyen Phuong - Competing with global giants Globalisation, along with consumer desire for localisation, allows family-owned companies to not only grow but also be able to compete with major business giants such as McDonalds, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and Home Depot. Accompanying the development and successes of Tan Hiep Phat Beverage Group, deputy CEO Tran Uyen Phuong always retains in her mind the key principles of leading a private business towards walking alongside other giants in the region, as well as in the wider world. Thanks to Phuongs parents, who were aspiring entrepreneurs in the 1970s, today Tan Hiep Phat is the largest family-owned enterprise in the fast-moving consumer goods market in Vietnam, with more than 5,000 staff nationwide. The company accounts for 15-20 per cent of domestic market share and in terms of the healthy drinks segment, Tan Hiep Phat leads the market with 50 per cent of the share. To transform a good business idea into a real business and, over time, into a domestic, regional, or even a global champion, Phuong shared with VIR that they have always been guided to follow several principals since her parents started the family-owned business. Creating true domestic products is one of the top values for a private business, according to Phuong. Authentic domestic products are strongly competitive because they are the only ones perfect for any successful marketing for product, price, promotion, and location. They understand intimately their target markets and easily approach and satisfy consumers, she said, adding that multinational corporations are often inferior in this aspect as they consider those criteria inconsequential. For Phuong, compliance with international standards in operations makes it easy for third parties to understand better the company and the quality of its products. Regardless of the companys current scope or influence, adopting best practices is helpful in sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution. Small enterprises desire to widen their scale; however, merely growing should not be set as a focal target. If IT systems and operating processes are not well-planned, they are very vulnerable to serious problems when scaling up. Failure to recognise the necessity of technology will lead to waste of time, resources and opportunities, Phuong said. Moreover, nurturing a sense of community and encouraging staff creates a company culture which is critical in its success. When employees, managers and customers can establish strong rapport, the company can establish itself in the market and instil its core values in all the stakeholders. These practices become increasingly important as the company develops. We are imperfect. We all make mistakes and my family is no exception. One lesson we have carved out is to successfully manage ourselves for the leadership towards others working at Tan Hiep Phat, Phuong shared. We consider Tan Hiep Phat as our family, no matter if it is at work or at a family meeting, we plan out and keep in mind what we will do, how to do it, and the responsibility of each member in the pursuit of our goals. Phuong emphasised that closely upholding these golden principles will help any private enterprise of any scale, just like at Tan Hiep Phat, and will help businesses develop more sustainably and earn greater achievements. Le Thi Hoang Yen - Vietnamese brands from luxury to relaxation CEO of Muong Thanh Hospitality Group, Le Thi Hoang Yen, is the second generation of leaders at a huge private Vietnamese enterprise managing the top 60 hotels nationwide, and in Laos. As the private sector in Vietnam is being pushed to become the driving force of the countrys market economy, Yen is successfully leading the authentic Vietnamese hotel chain towards sustainable development. The private sector has been a key contributor to Vietnams socio-economic growth over recent years, and the scale and quantity of private entrepreneurs are getting larger and larger. They are sharp and professional in the process of establishing, operating, and managing businesses as well as in increasingly applying and updating the latest global developments in technology. At Muong Thanh, Yen follows her father, chairman Le Thanh Than, who started his private business from zero to build and spread the authentic Vietnamese brand. They work to find effective solutions for everything from building relationships and structuring business, to branding unique authenticity and utilising human resources. Many people ask me why we do not co-operate with other foreign investors or sell our enterprise to enjoy a leisurely life, said Yen. But no matter how hard it is, we still persistently want to build the Muong Thanh hotel brand. Our desire is to contribute to Vietnams tourism industry a domestic product that is competitive with international brands. Also, the mission of creating many jobs for Vietnamese people and promoting national identity in hotel chain management is a great motivation for us to move forward. Beyond challenges, Yen also experiences many favourable conditions. As a local entrepreneur, they are familiar with the local market. Yen and her team are aware of the local business environment as well as having knowledge on local cultural and traditional identities. With these strong points, they have been providing expertise for forming the most suitable policies and products towards sustainable development. At the same time, they also gain a lot of experience from other international competitors in how to create a strong team and grow their brand further and quicker. With a diversified portfolio of renowned hotel brands encompassing the entire range, Muong Thanh can meet the requirements of all target clients, whether they desire a business trip or relaxation. With many advantages and reasonable pricing, Muong Thanh hotels attract both local and international tourists. To cater for the diverse tastes of customers, Muong Thanhs network is divided into four categories ranging from luxury hotels to regular facilities. Muong Thanh can provide large-scale and unique hotels that offer visitors an atmosphere of relaxation that is rich in Vietnamese values, from amiable service to exquisite local cuisine. Tran Hanh An - Private investment in education on the rise Several years ago, educator and businesswoman Tran Hanh An decided to leave her busy life in Hanoi and move to Hoi An with her family. Her aim was change, and to look for a new and fulfilling life. As a result, she ended up starting her latest project, becoming founder and director of Hoi An International School. I dont think it is completely correct to use the word invest in education, said An. Because of my background in running businesses, when I literally invest in something, profit would be my first concern. But Hoi An International School (HAIS) is a not for profit school. With experience as an educator, a businesswoman, a social activist, and above all being a mother to five children, I know I can do a good job of building a school. I think the dream of building a school for my own children will not only be mine but also that of many parents and even students, she said. The passionate entrepreneur has a desire to give back to the Hoi An community by running her private school as a social enterprise. Her unique school employs a non-profit model and is heavily geared towards community-mindedness, with a curriculum that places environmental conservation and cultural learning at its heart. With its commitment and dedication to education, financial capacity, belief in academic values, and values of sharing knowledge between school and family, she receives the support of parents, students and the community to overcome all challenges and obstacles and make HAIS a school of sustainable development for all children. At HAIS, Ans focus is on providing a holistic, student-centred education that is academically rigorous, while at the same time nurturing individual talents and creativity as well as cultural and social awareness. HAIS learning approach doesnt simply give children knowledge; it equips them with the tools to become inquirers, critical thinkers, and independent problem solvers. Another advantage for students is that HAIS is a multicultural environment with students and teachers from more than 20 countries around the world. We want to provide a balance between international education criteria and Vietnam cultural values to create a harmonious environment up to the global education standards, An said. So the school places emphasis on cultural courses in daily lessons as well as in community activities to encourage foreign students, staff, and teachers to learn and communicate in Vietnamese. As for challenges, An shared that the current state policy is much more open and convenient than before. Recent policy changes, such as the permission to increase the percentage of Vietnamese students in international schools from 10 or 20 per cent to nearly 50 per cent, are a very positive move, opening the door wider for international schools, and strongly encouraging more foreign investment in this sector. However finding the right educators is always a big challenge, and this is even more difficult as her school requires teachers to not only have the knowledge and capacity to accomplish the schools educational vision and philosophy in their daily classes, but also have a heart full of love to welcome all differences and the ability to listen to and inspire people. Currently HAIS, which was established last year, and has already gained International Baccalaureate candidacy, which is one of the worlds most prestigious educational programmes. Bui Bich Lien - Daring to create a healthier environment As founder of Thuy Thien Nhu JSC, owning organic food production and distribution chain under ORFARM brand, Bui Thi Bich Lien is a businesswoman who represents the spirit of daring to think, daring to do, daring to pursue and conquer new challenges. Graduating from the University of Economics in Russia and after living there for 13 years, Lien returned home and worked at many private enterprises in retail and fashion. But after periods of ill-health and a long healing journey full of difficulties, Lien decided to embark on making organic food with a desire to do something meaningful to protect her own health, and that of family and many others in society. Since its launch in 2012 Thuy Thien Nhu, its farm, and ORFARM brand have faced a lot of hardships because just a few years ago organic food was a very strange concept to many local consumers. Applying Japans effective microorganism technology in all producing processes and complying with standards of no waste, no insecticide, no stimulus, and no harmful chemicals, ORFARM targets natural production and long growing times, thus placing ORFARM products at an often higher price than the refined or processed products on the market. Following a customer-focus strategy, Lien built her private enterprise and food brand ORFARM according to a farm-to-customer chain model to be able to control all processes and stages in the food production and trading. She identified that the Vietnamese food market is full of potential with high consumer demand and strong purchasing power, while it also creates a dynamic and bustling business environment but full of competitive pressures and potential risks to businesses. Ignoring all the comments, Lien persisted with her selected target customer segment, who buys products mainly due to the precious value to human health and the surrounding environment. We consider it of paramount importance that consumers can experience and feel the value of our products. I am not concerned about the product not being sold because of price. I think business without challenges is no longer a business, said Lien. After nearly six years of construction and development Lien has carved out her own position in the organic food market, being cautious but concrete. The trust and satisfaction of consumers is the motivation for ORFARM to do better and go further. In our roadmap, we are still continuing to expand the system to bring more good value for our community and our environment to create a better, healthier, and safer life for our children, Lien added. VIR The trouble with Yeah 1 has affected investors view on Vietnams technology firms, which need more venture funds. VnExpress in early April quoted a Yeah1 executive as saying that the Vietnamese digital media company failed to convince YouTube to maintain its content-hosting service agreements (CHSA) licenses. More cash has been funneled into Vietnams startups in recent years, according to Le Hoang Uyen Vy, CEO of ESP which specializes in seed funding in Vietnams technology firms. However, the disbursed capital for Vietnam remains modest compared with other regional countries. A report of Topica Founder Institute (TFI) showed that 92 investment deals were made in 2017 with total investment capital of $291 million, nearly twice as much as the number of deals and nearly 50 percent increase in total investment capital compared with 2016. In 2018, while the number of deals was the same as 2017, the investment capital increased by threefold to $890 million. The total investment capital poured into Vietnams startups in 2018 only accounted for 7 percent of total investments in startups in the entire Southeast Asia, much lower than Singapores 15 percent and Indonesias 70 percent. However, the total investment capital poured into Vietnams startups in 2018 only accounted for 7 percent of total investments in startups in the entire Southeast Asia, much lower than Singapores 15 percent and Indonesias 70 percent. It was estimated that Vietnam had 4,000 startups in 2018, but there were only 92 investment deals in the year. More than 90 percent of startups have never received investments from venture funds. However, analysts hope the situation will be better in the future, because Vietnams macroeconomic indexes are very good. Vy noted the increase in the number of megadeals with capital poured into late-stage technology firms. According to Cento investment fund, in 2018, more than 70 percent of investment capital in technology in Southeast Asia was injected into five unicorns, namely Grab, Lazada, Go-Jek, Tokopedia and Sea Group. The growing tendency is believed to have both negative and positive impact on investments in Vietnams startups. In theory, smaller startups will find it more difficult in calling for capital as investors mostly focus on unicorn firms. Unicorn firms, when receiving bigger resources, will expand their business into other field. Grab, established as an e-hailing app, for instance, has called for more capital and has expanded its business to financing and e-commerce fields as well. However, the expansion of unicorn firms will also bring positive impact. To compete with giants, startups will have to become more creative in upgrading their product quality, positioning target markets and defining competitive edges. Regarding the problem with Yeah 1, Vy believes that the current difficulties are just temporary. It is one of the firms with the biggest traffic and advertising inventory in Vietnam and is one of very few Vietnamese startups which have a global scale. RELATED NEWS Students lack experience for startups Vietnams start-up ambitions and where policies founder Trong Dat The final round of Robot Contest (Robocon) Vietnam 2019 will be held in Hai Duong City from May 7 to 12, drawing 32 teams from universities across the country, the organizer announced recently. The final round of Robocon Vietnam 2019 will take place from May 7 to 12 - Photo: Van Ly The best team in Vietnam will be chosen for the ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest 2019 in Mongolia in August, which will bring together the best team of each country in the Asia-Pacific region to compete on the international playground. Robocon Vietnam is an annual robot contest having been held by the Vietnam Television (VTV) since 2002. As a new feature of this years contest, the organizers have created live-streaming sessions on social media to provide technical assistance for participating students. The ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest was founded in 2002 by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. In the competition, robots compete to complete a task within a set period of time. The contest aims to create friendship among young people with similar interests who will lead their countries in the 21st century, as well as help advance engineering and broadcasting technologies in the region. ABU Robocon 2019 is going to be held in Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city of Mongolia, with the slogan "Sharing the knowledge". This year contests theme of Great Urtuu is inspired by a traditional messenger system of Mongolia called Urtuu, which was innovated by the nomadic Mongolians for exchanging information in a long distance. Saigon Times The serious water shortage in Sa Pa is attributed to the excessive number of hydropower plants. Sa Pa needs 4,000-6,500 cubic meters of water a day, but the water plant can supply only 3,000 cubic meters. The reservoirs providing daily-use water to the entire Sa Pa town are becoming depleted. In such conditions, water plants have to alternate water supplies. Many hotels have refused guests. Some restaurants have had to buy water carried from other areas at the high price of VND500,000-550,000 per cubic meter. Hospitals also suffer from water shortage. Sa Pa districts General Hospitals director confirmed the one week-long water shortage. Asked about the reasons, Phung Chi Sy from the Vietnam Institute of Tropical Technology and Environmental Protection attributed it to the decline of underground water and the effects from hydropower plants. Developing hydraulic power was a good decision, but developing too many hydropower plants with high density have had an adverse effect on the environment and peoples socio-economic activities. The depletion of surface water, more or less, is related to hydropower dams. When building hydropower dams, investors must be sure that the lower course areas can be provided with enough water, an expert said. The water plant in Sa Pa is exploiting water from four sources Thac Bac, Suoi Ho 1, Suoi Ho 2 and Nha Pha with the total allowed capacity of 6,460 cubic meters per day. Of these, Nha Pha and Suoi Ho 1 is depleted, while the water volume reaching Thac Bac is also getting depleted. However, in reality, hydropower plants store water for electricity generation in the dry season, causing water shortages in the lower course. Stressing that hydropower plants investors and local authorities must take responsibility for the water shortage, the expert thinks local authorities need to instruct the plants to discharge water to ease the shortage. The water plant in Sa Pa is exploiting water from four sources Thac Bac, Suoi Ho 1, Suoi Ho 2 and Nha Pha with the total allowed capacity of 6,460 cubic meters per day. Of these, Nha Pha and Suoi Ho 1 is depleted, while the water volume reaching Thac Bac is also getting depleted. According to Dao A Khoi, chair of Ban Ho commune Peoples Committee, many hydropower plants exist in the locality. If counting the projects under consideration, Sa Pa has 20 hydropower projects with total capacity of 345.6 MW. Sy said it is necessary to consider pluses and minuses when developing hydraulic power, because the water shortage affects not only Sa Pa, but also the image of Sa Pa as a tourism city. The first thing that needs to be done, according to Sy, is to replant forests which were cleared arbitrarily. Next, it is necessary to review the plan on hydropower development and remove unreasonable projects. Luu Duc Hai from the Hanoi University of Natural Sciences noted that hydropower has caused many negative impacts, including changes of landscapes, which have led to a reduction in the profits brought by tourism. RELATED NEWS Colourful Sapa children earn a living on the street Lao Cai seeks to build airport for Sa Pa Mai Lan HCM City was one of five large cities in the country asked to pilot public bicycle sharing in its inner areas under the Prime Ministers requirement in 2014, but the pilot programme has failed to meet demand. Students want to set up bicycle-sharing service in HCM City A public bicycle sharing system is introduced at Taiwan Expo 2017 held in HCM City. VNS/Photo Gia Loc Instead of inner city areas, the campus of Quang Trung Software City and the urban area of Viet Nam National University-HCM City were chosen for the pilot programme. However, the number of bicycles used in the system has decreased and cannot meet the demand of employees and students there. Nguyen Thien Thong, managing director of the Easy Move Project, which developed bicycle sharing in the urban area of Viet Nam National University-HCM City, said that a large fund is needed for the bike sharing system. The citys weather with both a lot of sun and rain damages bicycles and locks, leading to high demand for repair and maintenance, Thong told attendees at a forum organised last Friday by the HCM City Institute for Development Studies in co-operation with Centre of Regional and Urban Studies. The cost to maintain the system is high and users lack awareness about regulations. For example, they do not park bicycles in regulated areas. More effective management is needed, he said. Its impossible to develop the public bicycle sharing system in the inner areas. The system is suited to a closed campus such as in industrial parks or the Phu My Hung urban area, Thong said. Truong Quang Nhat, student at the HCM City University of Transport, said that his team conducted research which showed that the bike sharing system could be linked to public transport. Public transport, including buses, water buses and a subway system now under construction, exist in the city, but most of their stations are located in districts 1 and 3. A public bicycle sharing system will help people travel short-distance trips between these stations, Nhat said. Most people who were interviewed for the students research said they would be willing to ride public bikes to the stations. Dinh Dang Hai of HealthBridge Viet Nam said that convenient, safe roads or paths should be developed for bikes to protect them from other vehicles. Facilities for parking bicycles at public transport stations should also be built, Hai said. Many people, however, are reluctant to ride bikes because of narrow roads and incomplete transport infrastructure, according to the citys Department of Planning and Architecture. Bicyclists often have to travel in the same lanes as cars and trucks. Dr Nguyen Minh Hoa of HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities said that a culture of using bikes could be developed if students and state workers began using bikes first. Its important to ride bikes regularly and make it a habit, Hoa added. VNS South Korea has temporarily stopped receiving workers via the Employment Permit System from 40 districts of Vietnam, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs on Saturday. Illegal labourers given "grace period" in South Korea Vietnam tries to reduce the number of illegal workers in South Korea Workers attend a Korean language test before going to work in South Korea. Photo for illustration. VNA/VNS Photo Hong Kieu These districts of ten provinces, including Nghe An, Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh, have at least 60 migrant workers illegally staying in South Korea. The ministry has made a list of 100 districts under consideration to halt the export of labour. The localities are reportedly to have over 30 per cent of workers not returning to Vietnam after their labour contracts expired. South Korea decided to stop recruiting workers from 40 of 100 listed districts. In 2020, South Korea will maintain the suspension of workers from localities which are unable to reduce the number of illegal migrant workers and resume receiving workers from localities which succeed in stopping workers from staying illegally in the country. VNS Bankruptcy proceedings against 4 Group extended for 6 months RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 13:45 06/05/2019 MOSCOW, May 6 (RAPSI) The Moscow Commercial Court has extended bankruptcy proceedings against a full-service engineering company 4 Group for 6 months, RAPSI has learnt in the court. The court has therefore granted a motion by the companys bankruptcy supervisor Igor Vyshegorodtsev. As part of the bankruptcy case, Redeliaco Holdings and Alfa-Bank have filed a claim to recover 33.6 billion rubles collectively from ex-Russian Minister for Open Government affairs Mikhail Abyzov, who headed 4 Group from July 2007 to mid-January 2012, Andrey Malyshev and Yekaterina Sirotenko, in favor of the engineering company. The claim will be considered on May 22. The Moscow Commercial Court declared 4 Group bankrupt in November 2016. Abyzov is currently a defendant in a 4-billion-ruble ($62 million) embezzlement case. The former minister was arrested and detained in late April along with his alleged accomplices, president of the Novosibirsk Regional Sambo Federation Nikolay Stepanov, board chairman of the First Construction Fund Alexander Pelipasov, deputy CEO of Ru-Com company Maxim Rusakov and finance director of REMIS firm Galina Fraidenberg. According to the Investigative Committee, one more defendant Sergey Ilichev, who had absconded investigators, was arrested later. According to investigators, between April 2011 and November 2014, Abyzov, the owner of several offshore companies, organized and headed a criminal group. The defendant along with his accomplices allegedly embezzled 4 billion rubles from Novosibirsk Regions Siberian Energy Company and Regional Electrical Services generation and transmission corporations and transferred the money abroad. The academic year will end in late May, but parents have already begun looking for summer classes for their children. Foreign language centers and life skill classes have begun enrolling learners for the training courses which will open in a month. Students go to life skill classes in summer Hong Phong, a parent in Thu Duc district, said he had enrolled his son in ESun, an international English center. The boy is expected to have a busy summer holiday as he will have English class from Monday to Friday, which begins at 7-8 am and finishes at 5 pm. According to Phong, he has to pay VND16 million for the 8-week course. Regarding the curriculum, he said students will have activities similar to school, but there would be more hours for physical practice and foreign language lessons. For Hanoi and HCMC parents, summer is the best time for their children to focus on English and life skill classes. My kid had too much schoolwork in differen subjects to do during the academic year. He needs to attend intensive English courses in summer, said Nguyen Kim Tien in Tan Binh district. The parent has decided to send her son to Guru Summer Discovery, a summer training program which requires high tuition of VND18 million for 8 weeks. After finishing the program, the boy will have to make hectic preparation for school. Foreign language centers and life skill classes have begun enrolling learners for the training courses which will open in a month. Other parents admitted that they dont care much about curriculum and quality, but just want to find somewhere to leave children while they are at the office. Kim Anh, an office worker, said she had enrolled her daughter in a foreign language near her house. Im always busy and dont have time to search information about training courses. I just want a safe center to leave my child while waiting for the new school year to come, Anh said. Headmaster of a preschool in Tan Phu district confirmed that the school wont organize summer classes because the teachers of the school want to go to their home villages to spend summer rather than stay in the city to teach classes. Other schools have also informed parents that they will stop receiving children from June 1. As a result, education forums are full of complaints from parents who dont know where to send their children to in summer. Some parents have proposed that schools open throughout summer, so that students can come to school mostly to practice major science subjects, physical exercises and swimming. However, education experts warned that parents would make a serious mistake if they send their children to summer classes, because too much study will have an adverse impact on their health and psychology. RELATED NEWS Vietnamese children have few places to play during summer holiday "Third semester" begins for many students in the summer Ha Anh Vietnams police on May 4 launched a criminal prosecution against Le Bach Hong, former deputy prime minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs cum former general director of the Vietnam Social Security (VSS). Le Bach Hong, former deputy prime minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs cum former general director of the Vietnam Social Security. Hong is accused of "deliberate violations of state economic management regulations, causing serious consequences." The other three former senior officials are Nguyen Huy Ban, former general director of VSS, and Tran Tien Vy and Hoang Ha, two former chiefs of the VSSs Finance and Planning Department. Two more accomplices are Nguyen Phuoc Tuong, former head of the VSSs Finance and Planning Department, and Tran Thanh Thuy, a former employee of the planning under the VSSs Finance and Planning Department. They are under arrest on the same charge in the second phase of the investigation on Vu Quoc Hao and accomplices. According to Vietnamese legislation, the VSS can only lend to state-owned commercial banks. However, according to findings, in 2011, when Le Bach Hong was in office, the VSS provided loans to the Financial Leasing Company II (ALC II), which was run by Vu Quoc Hao as general director. The total outstanding loans amounted to over VND1,000 billion (US$43 million). By the end of 2015, the VSS had not recovered loans made to ALC II totaling VND769 billion (US$33.06 million) and VND735 billion (US$31.60 million) worth of interests. So far, the loss, including the loans and its interests, have amounted to over VND1,700 billion (US$73.1 million). Hong was arrested on November 9, 2018, amid a corruption crackdown that has seen scores of senior government officials and executives of state-owned enterprises detained and jailed in recent years. Le Bach Hong was deputy minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs between 2005 and 2008. In late 2008, he was appointed to general director of the VSS and retired in 2014. Hanoitimes The 56 days and nights of the Dien Bien Phu campaign and the Vietnamese armys heroic struggle against French colonialists are highlighted at the Dien Bien Phu Victory museum. Dien Bien Phu Victory museum In the days marking the 65th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, May 7, the museum attracts many visitors intent to learn about the historic victory. War veteran Duong Hong Tu travelled 700 kilometers from Nghe An province to visit the Dien Bien Phu museum. All the documents and objects displayed at the museum reminded him of fierce battlefield at Dien Bien Phu. He said, I was so moved when visiting the museum. The documents and objects reminded me of the great sacrifice of our predecessors for the sake of national independence. The Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum was rebuilt from an older museum, which was established in 1984 in Muong Thanh district, Dien Bien city. Covering 22,000 square meters, the museum has about 1,000 objects divided into different exhibitions featuring the strategic locations of Dien Bien Phu, the enemy's scheme at Dien Bien Phu, the Party's guidelines regarding preparations for the Dien Bien Phu campaign, the impact of the Dien Bien Phu victory at home and abroad, and present-day Dien Bien Phu. The museum is tremendously important in helping visitors to better understand the glorious history of the Vietnamese nation. Pham Thi Thuy Mo, head of SOS Dien Bien Phu kindergarten, in Dien Bien province, said, We hope that through objects at the museum, the children will know more about Vietnams history, thus nurturing their patriotism and national pride. The museum has about 1,000 objects, featuring the Vietnamese armys heroic struggle against French colonialists The Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum always focuses on communicating the importance of historical knowledge in attracting more visitors. Nguyen Linh Hong, a guide at the museum, said, We always try our best to introduce visitors to the globally-shaking Dien Bien Phu victory. With the historical objects and documents on display and our stories, we hope to help people better understand the fierceness of the fight, engage with the spirit of the Dien Bien Phu victory, and inspire patriotism in the Vietnamese people. LED TV screens were installed for film screening, and research purposes. More items have also been added and information about the museum has been disseminated to attract more visitors. Vu Nam Hai, Director of the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum, said, In order to prepare for the 65th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory, we have added new items, including a panoramic mural meticulously recounting the Dien Bien Phu battle. We have also set up 3D film screening rooms to help visitors get a better sense of the Dien Bien Phu victory. VOV5 Nha Rong Wharf in HCM City was the place where Ho Chi Minh embarked in 1911 to seek national salvation. Nha Rong Wharf's official name is Ho Chi Minh Museum Ho Chi Minh City branch Now this historical relic attracts crowds of visitors, who come to learn about Uncle Hos life, career, patriotism, and historic journey. Nha Rong Wharf was built in 1863 by the French as the headquarters of the Five Star Vessel Corporation. The building at the junction of the Saigon River and the Ben Nghe River has a Western-style architecture but also has two dragons on the roof, a signature decoration of Vietnams pagodas and temples. A statue of Ho Chi Minh when he was young stands in front of the wharf, looking to the Sai Gon river, to remind people of the patriotic young man Nguyen Tat Thanh who left the wharf on the French ship Admiral Latouche Treville to begin his quest for salvation. With a strong determination, he once said Freedom for my fellow countrymen and homeland is all I want or understand. Vo Hieu Nghia, a resident of Ho Chi Minh City, told VOV Ive been here four or five times and each time I had a different feeling. This place gives me an insight into President Ho Chi Minhs journey to save the nation. The more I learn, the more I respect and adore him. What impresses me the most at Nha Rong Wharf is a giant lotus placed in a pond. I can look to the Sai Gon River from this wharf where the President embarked. My job is organizing students movements. I hope to inspire them with what I have learned from President Ho Chi Minh. The 1945 Declaration of Independence of Vietnam is displayed in Nha Rong Wharf. Nha Rong Wharfs official name is now Ho Chi Minh Museum Ho Chi Minh City branch. From three initial rooms, each 250 square meters in area, the museum has grown to include nice exhibition rooms and two store rooms. Six of the nine exhibition rooms have permanent exhibits, including documents, photos, and other items that played a part in President Ho Chi Minhs life and revolutionary career. The other three exhibition rooms are used for temporary exhibits. Since 1995, the Museum has hosted a great number of events at the museum, in outlying districts, and at remote venues, including exhibits, symposiums, contests, publication launches, and film screening. As Vietnam has celebrated its 44th Reunification Day and President Ho Chi Minhs 129th birthday, Nha Rong Wharf has been packed with visitors eager to learn more about the great leader. Tran Van Quyen from Nam Dinh province was moved to see with his own eyes President Ho Chi Minhs clothes and notebooks. He said Im excited to visit the place where President Ho Chi Minh embarked to seek the national salvation of the beautiful country we enjoy today. I hope young Vietnamese people will honor their predecessors determination to defend our country. The Ho Chi Minh Museum Ho Chi Minh City branch has welcomed tens of millions of visitors, including state leaders and senior officials. VOV5 South Koreas loosened visa policy and sharp tour fee decreases have prompted Vietnamese to register for tours to the country. According to Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), in 2018, the country received 457,000 Vietnamese travelers, an increase of 41 percent over the year before. With the figure, Vietnam has added itself to South Koreas fastest growing tourism markets. Vietnamese travelers flock to South Korea The number of Vietnamese travelers applying for visas to South Korea has soared so sharply that ROK Embassy and General Consulate in Vietnam have become overloaded with work. The ROK Embassy stated that since April 25, it will receive applications for visas and return results at the visa reception center. The requests for multiple-entry 5-year visas for residents in large cities have also been received at the center. In HCMC, the ROK General Consulate also put into operation the visa register center at Vietcombank Building in district on May 2, announcing the dossier fee of VND390,000. The new moves taken by ROK agencies aim to help ease the overloading of visa applications by Vietnamese travelers. The number of visa applications has soared recently, which caused the ROK Embassy to extend the deadline for returning tourism visa results to travelers going in groups. Despite the additional fee of VND390,000, travel firms all affirmed they would not raise tour fees to stimulate demand. The ROK Embassy stated that since April 25, it will receive applications for visas and return results at the visa reception center. The requests for multiple-entry 5-year visas for residents in large cities have also been received at the center. Nguoi Lao Dong quoted travel firms as reporting that the number of travelers to South Korea have increased by 30-40 percent compared with the same period last year, while the number of tours departing within one month has doubled. In 2018, Travel Link organized 3-4 tours to South Korea a month, but the figure has increased to 6-7. The same situation has been reported by TST Tour. The number of travelers registering tours for between mid-March and the end of April soared as they wanted to come to South Korea in cherry blossom season. A senior executive of TST Tour revealed that all the tours with departure days from now to September have been fully booked. A representative of Saigontourist confirmed that the new visa policy applied by South Korea and the opening of new air routes, which make tours cheaper, have led to sharp rise in tour bookers, especially in the 2019 Lunar New Year and the cherry blossom seasons. Travel Links CEO Tu Quy Khanh confirmed this, saying that one traveler had to pay VND16-17 million to travel South Korea last year, but the fee fell to VND12-13 million. The airfare has decreased significantly thanks to the launch of new air routes. Vietjet opened new routes to South Korea recently. RELATED NEWS Vietnamese travelers making more trips to Japan, South Korea South Korea to see more Vietnamese visitors with new visa policy Kim Chi Legion hosts weekly events WATERLOO American Legion Post 138 at 728 Commercial St. has several events planned. The kitchen is open from 5 to 7 p.m. today, and bingo is planned at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, with food served. Hamburgers, brats and chicken will be served starting at noon Wednesday. A Sons meeting is planned for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, and the kitchen is open from 5 to 7 p.m. A pepper tournament will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. Noon Kiwanis meet Tuesday WATERLOO -- The Waterloo Kiwanis, city of Waterloo Parks, and the surrounding schools will host the annual Mayors Fun Run on Tuesday in downtown Waterloo, starting at 9:30 a.m. Kids will gather at the expo area at Park and Jefferson. The fourth-graders will run from the expo area north on Park Avenue and return to the expo grounds on Fifth Street. The Tuesday meeting at noon will feature a talk from Michelle Junger with Iowa Legal Aid. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers. Call Larry Cain at 231-9871 for more information. Events set at VFW Post WATERLOO -- The Sullivan Brothers VFW Post 1623, 1406 Commercial St., will have a $5 meal from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, with meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, glazed carrots, dinner roll and dessert. Wednesday is free pool day, and bingo and snacks on Thursday will be 5 to 7 p.m. Walking tacos will be served Friday, and karaoke will be provided by Casey's Music to Go from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday Comedy Night will run from 7:33 to 10:33 p.m. Cover charge is $10 at the door, and everyone must be 21 to enter. Sunday pepper tournament runs 2 to 4 p.m. The Auxiliary meeting begins at 4 p.m. Cemetery group meets Friday CEDAR FALLS -- The Washington Chapel Cemetery Association will have a meeting at 2 p.m. Friday at Willowwood at the Western Home, 1100 Grove St. Anyone associated with the cemetery is welcome. Moose Lodge plans events WASHBURN The Moose Lodge, at 6636 La Porte Road, has several events planned. A LOOM meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. today. Horseshoes are planned Tuesday, with tacos served from 5 to 7 p.m. A spaghetti dinner will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Cheeseburger baskets are set for 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, with all-you-can-eat fish from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday. The menu Saturday includes a ribeye or sirloin dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. Breakfast is planned from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday. Breakfast set at Woman's Club CEDAR FALLS -- The Cedar Falls Woman's Club will host a waffle breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Along with Belgian waffles, the menu includes Marks Locker link sausage, juice and coffee. Mimosas and wine may be purchased at a nominal price. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children younger than 12. Proceeds will assist with preservation and maintenance of the club's historic Victorian clubhouse. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO A Waterloo teen on Monday told the stepfather of the young man he was accused of killing he was sorry for his loss. But Doncorrion Deangelo Spates, 18, continued to maintain his innocence in the 2016 drive-by shooting death of 21-year-old Otavious Brown as he was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder. He also was sentenced to concurrent 25- and 10-year prison sentences for attempted murder and intimidation with a weapon in the shooting. I did not kill your son. ... I did not fire shots into a crowd of people, said Spates, who was 15 years old at the time of the crime and has since earned his high school diploma while in jail awaiting the outcome of his case. Spates Monday said he didnt know a shooting was going to take place. What happened to your son should not have happened, Spates said. I am not a murderer. I am not a killer. I am not a predator. In fact, I am a victim of false imprisonment. Browns stepfather, Raymond Birden Sr., said he and Browns mother forgave Spates for the shooting which happened in broad daylight July 17, 2016, on Logan Avenue and injured two others and he encouraged Spates to continue to better himself and get to know Jesus while incarcerated. We cant rewrite the past, but we can rewrite your future. ... We want you to do well, Birden said. I want you to read books, get your education so you can be productive, and doors will open for you. Judge Brad Harris said Birdens comments and Spates troublesome upbringing led him to imposing the sentence without a mandatory minimum stint, meaning he can be considered for parole soon. Because Spates was a juvenile at the time of the crime, he was spared a sentence of life without parole, which is mandatory for adults convicted of murder. Prosecutor James Katcher had pushed for a mandatory minimum of 17-and-a-half years on the attempted murder charge, saying it would send the community a message about justice in a case at the center of ongoing violence. If the public doesnt perceive that justice is being done, then we run into the problem of street justice being carried out. Mr. Martin has already lost his life in large part, it can be assumed, due to the street justice that was inflicted upon him, said Katcher. He was referring to Shavondez Shavez Martin, 22, who went on trial with Spates and was acquitted on all charges before he was gunned down in an alley May 31, 2018. Birdens other son, 20-year-old Raymond Birden Jr., is charged with murder in Martins death. Defense attorney John Bishop pointed out the difficulty his client had growing up. When Doncorrion Spates was 5 years old, his father, Christopher Deangilo Spates, was sent to prison for life for the slaying of Thyanna Parsons in 2004, shot while attending a house party; one older brother, Kristopher Darquel Spates Jr., is incarcerated for opening fire outside a downtown nightclub in 2016, injuring one; and his other brother, Quaderious Spates, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in a fatal accident with a stolen gun in the basement of his grandmothers home in October 2014, Bishop noted. Doncorrion was deprived of a male figure ... to show him the right way, to teach him how to be a mature young man and to stay away from the people that we think kind of led him to where hes at today, Bishop said. We have kids shooting at kids because they have a disagreement they lack the behavioral maturity to resolve between themselves as adults would, Bishop said. Love 0 Funny 16 Wow 4 Sad 21 Angry 5 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 Jerrys Ice Cream. As Sanders talked about how Ben and Jerrys pays good prices to dairy farmers for their products, a protester from the animal rights organization Direct Action Everywhere loudly interrupted him. Ive got the mike and Im 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 candidates 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 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sentence given to Yukos insolvency officers grandchild for attempted murder takes effect RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 14:59 06/05/2019 MOSCOW, May 6 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court on Monday upheld a 10.5-year prison sentence passed upon Maria Rebgun, the granddaughter of a reputable bankruptcy commissioner of Yukos oil company Eduard Rebgun, attempted murder and assault related to robbery, the courts press service told RAPSI. The sentence came into effect. Moscows Koptevsky District Court convicted and sentenced Rebgun in January. Might-have-been killer Vlad Gorbakovsky was given 9 years in maximum security penal colony. Moreover, the court recovered 700,000 rubles ($11,000) from the defendants in favor of a victim in the case. According to the prosecution, Rebgun has asked Gorbakovsky to cause bodily harm to her ex-boyfriend and to steal his cell phone for 150,000 rubles ($2,300). Later, the woman changed her plan and asked her accomplice to kill the victim. Investigators claim that Gorbakovsky has attacked Rebguns former boyfriend with an axe. Gorbakovsky pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault related to robbery while Rebgun denied the charges but admitted negligence. DECORAH -- In a work session last week, the Decorah City Council decided to conduct a regional search for a new Decorah Police chief and to utilize a consultant in some facets of the hiring process. Chief Bill Nixon announced in December that he would retire in July. The city recently received proposals from two consulting firms, Cayler Consulting of Carroll and Moulder and Associates Police Consultants of Des Moines. Cayler Consulting's his fee would be $125 per hour, not to exceed more than $13,500 plus expenses. Moulder and Associates said its fee would cap at $16,000 plus expenses. Council member Dan Bellrichard said he doesn't believe the city needs to hire a consultant to perform a search for a new chief or to market the opening. But council member Johanna Bergan said she would value help from an outside firm with narrowing the field of candidates and assisting in the interview process. Bergan and council member Kirk Johnson said the city should advertise regionally for a new chief. Bergan said conducting a search doesnt mean there aren't good local candidates, but that going through the process will assure the city hires the best chief of police. City Manager Chad Bird suggested the councils personnel committee review the police chief job description and discuss salary and possible relocation expenses as a first step to filling the job. Based on that outcome, Bird said a consulting firm could assist with part of the process with a renegotiated fee. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO The Iowa Department of Human Services will host a Medicaid member and provider town hall meeting in Waterloo on Thursday. IDHS will be on hand to discuss recent changes in Medicaid, notably the replacement of managed care organization UnitedHealthcare with Iowa Total Care. UnitedHealthcare announced its withdrawal from the Iowa Medicaid system in March. The meeting will be in Hawkeye Community Colleges Tama Hall, Room 102. A provider town hall will be held at from 4 to 5 p.m. followed by a member town hall from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. at the same location. Town halls will take place in several Iowa cities from Wednesday through May 14. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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 its 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, Ill take a drug test if youll 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. In many ways, however, their political lives took similar paths. Both were military veterans. Hollings won a Bronze Star as an artillery officer in World War II. Lugar was too young for the war, but time as an intelligence officer briefing the Navys top brass deepened his interest in defense and foreign policy. Hollings was elected governor of South Carolina at age 36. Lugar became mayor of Indianapolis at 35. Both lost their first tries for the Senate, and ran for president with abysmal results. And both represented vanishing political breeds that are sorely missed in Congress today. Hollings was a pragmatic Southern Democrat in a state that was rapidly turning Republican, and after he retired in 2004, he was replaced by hard-edged conservative Jim DeMint. Lugar, a dedicated internationalist, was defeated in a GOP primary in 2012 by a doctrinaire right-winger, Richard Mourdock. But the most important trait they shared was a capacity to change, grow and apply their new knowledge to practical legislative solutions. In 1986, Lugar led 31 Republicans in joining 47 Democrats to override President Reagans veto of a bill imposing economic sanctions on South Africa. Lugar, reported the Los Angeles Times, was credited by the liberals with masterminding the presidents defeat. The Republicans most enduring success was working with Sen. Sam Nunn, a Georgia Democrat, to enact legislation that financed the dismantling of nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union. The Washington Post editorialized, the program ranks as among the most successful congressional foreign policy initiatives in a generation. One of Lugars proteges was a young first-term Democrat from Illinois, Barack Obama, who said of his mentor: In Dick, I saw someone who wasnt a Republican or a Democrat first, but a problem-solver an example of the impact a public servant can make by eschewing partisan divisiveness to instead focus on common ground. Hollings grew up in the segregated South, but as governor, he presided over the peaceful integration of Clemson University. This General Assembly, he told state lawmakers, must make clear South Carolinas choice: a government of laws rather than a government of men. As a senator in the late 1960s, he toured poor areas of his state and became a strong supporter of federal programs like food stamps. There is hunger in South Carolina, he told a Senate committee. I know as a public servant I am late to the problem, (but) weve got work to do in our own backyard ... Id rather clean it up than cover it up. In the 1980s, he worked with Republicans Phil Gramm of Texas and Warren Rudman of New Hampshire to enact the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings bill, which placed strict limits on congressional expenditures. It worked for a time, but eventually, clever congressional budget-busters found ways around the restrictions. Perhaps the most memorable moment of Hollings career came in 2015, when he proposed that a federal courthouse named in his honor be renamed for Judge J. Waties Waring, an early and isolated voice for racial equality. I just got the money for the building, he made history in it, Hollings explained. The senator was being too modest. Fritz Hollings and Dick Lugar both made history. And todays lawmakers can learn a lot from their lives of honor and courage. Steve and Cokie Roberts can be contacted by email at stevecokie@gmail.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LAKELAND, Fla. On May 3, 2019, it was reported on social media that a Lakeland company, Skyspot Advertising, a night aerial advertising business flew over the grounds of the Florida Pagan Gathering (FPG) and displayed Christian evangelical messages. The plane circled the grounds of FPG during a concert by Hekates Wheel, disrupting the performance. FPG headliner, Patti Wigington was the first to post publicly about the flyover. Several attendees reached out to Skyspot to complain about the flyover as inappropriate and disruptive. The company replied to attendee messages with, Skyspot Advertising LLC, was hired to display a message, with the understanding that it was a church picnic. We were not able to verify who the audience was, given the private nature of the event. This led to the misunderstanding of the purpose of the messages. We apologize for any inconvenience, since we were led to believe it was a church event. Its not clear how Skyspot arrived at the conclusion that the event was Christian. Temple of Earth Gatherings sponsors FPG, and is in fact a church recognized by the state of Florida, just not a Christian church. Information about Florida Pagan Gathering is provided on both the festivals main pages display including contact information for it and Maddox Ranch. TWH has reached out to Skyspot, Temple of Earth Gatherings, and various attendees. Temple of Earth Gatherings replied with the following statement: On Friday, May 3rd at 8:00pm The Florida Pagan Gathering was hosting Hecates Wheel for our festival concert. A few minutes after 8pm, a man came up to our registration table requesting to know what group we were, why we were here, and what we were doing. Our registration staff told him that we were having a religious retreat. He continued to press them with other questions and they asked him who he was and how could they help him. He immediately left the registration booth and got in his car and left. Approximately 10 minutes later an airplane with night signage flew over the festival grounds. The signs messages were God loves you and John 3:16 and the name of the aerial advertising services. The flyovers continued for about 10 minutes. One of the board members attempted to call the Lakeland airports flight services but was unable to contact anyone. He then contacted the Polk County Sheriffs Department to inform them of the harassment of a religious event. The airplane did one more fly over and then broke off and flew away. We did not receive any more fly overs and there were no other people questioning us at our registration booth.FPG continued to enjoy beautiful weather for the remainder of a great Beltane festival. Temple of Earth Gathering has not received an apology from Skyspot and the only response we have received from them is that they were hired to do a fly over and had no way to verify who we were. This is false as Maddox Ranch is a long time event venue in the area for weddings, and gatherings, concerts and birthday parties. The company could have either called Maddox Ranch to find out what event was there, or sent a representative to our location to speak to the Event Coordinator to ask if the flyover was something we wanted. The Temple of Earth Gatherings, presenter of The Florida Pagan Gathering, is currently discussing the issue with our attorney and legal action has not been taken off the table. Skyspot responded to TWHs request for a statement with the exact statement as others had posted on Facebook. Further they added, With due respect, since we believe that our response is truthful and clear, we do not see any reason for further discussions on the matter. We continue to follow this story and report any new developments. * * * EDWARDS, Calif Last week a Bible verse that had been written on a retaining wall outside the office of Desert Junior/Senior High School, a Muroc Joint Unified School District property was been removed. According to a report by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) a concerned parent had contacted FFRF to complain about the verse last August. In February, Christopher Line, Patrick OReiley Legal Fellow for FFRF, sent another letter requesting that if the Christian Bible verse had not already been removed, that the school district do so immediately and provide photographic proof. Line went on to cite local, state, and federal laws regarding religious displays on school property. The verse was Epistle to the Hebrews 13:20-21 of the New Testament. In a letter dated April 29, 2019, Kevin D. Cordes, superintendent for the Muroc Joint Unified School District, informed FFRF that the verse had been removed, and included before and after pictures. The illustration of a Bible verse on school property undeniably paints the picture that the school endorses that religious message, noted FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. It sends the signal to minority religious and nonreligious students that they are outsiders in their own community. * * * In other news : Last month, the Birmingham Crown Court heard evidence of examples of Alice Cutter, 22, wearing earrings with swastikas which she said she bought in a Pagan shop in Lithuania, and shawl woven in a pattern of swastikas was also a Pagan religious item that a friend had given her. Cutter had also been a contestant in a Miss Hitler beauty pageant titled, Buchenwald Princess. Cutter, 22, and her boyfriend, Mark Jones, 24, are on trial in England on charges of being members of the banned neo-Nazi organization, National Action. Two others are also charged and are standing trial with Jones and Cutter, Garry Jack, 23, and 18-year-old Connor Scothern. Hartmut Hegeler, a 73-year-old retired Protestant pastor in Germany has started a campaign seeking the pardons for the tens of thousands of people who were executed as witches between the 15 th and 18 th centuries across Europe. Hegeler began researching the subject in 2000. He found that 25,000 accused witches were executed in Germany alone, and as victims they should be pardoned and commemorated. and 18 centuries across Europe. Hegeler began researching the subject in 2000. He found that 25,000 accused witches were executed in Germany alone, and as victims they should be pardoned and commemorated. The trial for the two people accused of murdering Annalise Johnstone, 22, at the witch monument, called Maggie Walls memorial in Perthshire, Scotland. Jordan Johnstone, 25, and Angela Newlands, 19 are both charged with murder, and obstruction of justice which the English court defines as attempting to defeat the ends of justice to avoid detection, arrest and prosecution. Johnstone and Newlands allegedly murdered Annalise Johnstone at the monument, dumped her body at a different location, burned items connected to the crime, and gave false information to police. Both accused deny murdering Annaise Johnstone. A three year research project titled, Bottles concealed and revealed is being conducted jointly by Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) and the University of Hertfordshire, Arts & Humanities Research Council. The focus of the project is to provide a more complete historical context and clearer understanding of 17 th century witch-bottles, such as their origin, how the magical practice spread and was adapted over the following centuries, the types of places such bottles have been found, and what connection the magical practice may or may not have to medicinal practices. century witch-bottles, such as their origin, how the magical practice spread and was adapted over the following centuries, the types of places such bottles have been found, and what connection the magical practice may or may not have to medicinal practices. Pat Noone, 52 who owns a 60-acre farm in Galway, Ireland, says 16 acres of the land is a fairy field. According to Noone, his father was a historian and folklorist and an authority on local history, When I was small, people would bring him a half quarter of tobacco and hed bring them around and show them the fairy forts and the fields. The field contains a fairy fort, a fairy tree and a tunnel running through it. The land is also home to two monuments: a megalithic cairn and a fairy stone. In the past, tourists have even come to visit his field in hopes of seeing the fairies. Noone claims that some visitors have come out of the field frightened. Tarot of the week by Star Bustamonte Deck: Tarot of the Spirit by Pamela Eakins, Ph.D., artwork by Joyce Eakins, M.F.A, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Card: Death Major arcana 13 (XIII) Look for a potentially big shift or transformation this week. The process of death and rebirth often requires facing ones deepest fears. Prepare accordingly. Decks generously provided by Asheville Raven & Crone The winners of the prestigious Idea-Tops Award were announced at a Ceremony in Shenzhen on 27th of April, following a record of 7113 entries from design and architecture practices across the globe. The event aimed to create networking opportunities and media coverage for winners. Judges and VIPs joined architects and designers from around the world to celebrate the unveiling of all 18 winners of Idea-Tops Award. Architects from Gensler, Aecom, Benoy, BE Architecture, UNStudio joined professors from Harvard University, National Chiao Tung University, Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, Shenzhen University, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua Universit etc.to find out who won this years 18 Idea-Tops Awards. The ceremony took place at the COLI Hotel in Shenzhen, where the trophies were handed to all the winners. "The breadth and scale of talent evidenced in the design proposals and writings produced by this years winners is truly remarkable," said Executive Chairman of Idea-Tops, Zhao Qingxiang. Ambassador of Bulgaria to China Porozhanov Grigor Kalinov and Consul General of Mexico Carlos Giralt Cabrales joined the Awarding Ceremony to be the first to congratulate the architects from Bulgaria and Mecixo with their win. Judges and judging process A stellar design jury comprised of 12 industry-leading figures including National architecture design master Meng Jianmin, Doctor of Design at Harvard University and Vice President of Asia University Liu Yu-Tung, Executive director at world top architectural firm AECOM Colin Franzen, famous Italian architect and esigner of Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport T3 terminal Massimiliano Fuksas, The Pritzker Architecture Prize judge and Director of international architecture firm EMBT Benedetta Tagliabue and others took part in shortlisting and selecting the winners of the inaugural Idea-Tops Award. With the principles of being professional, rigorous, impartial and fair, Idea-Tops conducts the judging with high professional standard, professional responsibility and rigorous attitude. The Idea-Tops awards is reviewed according to the four aspects of innovation, function, artistry and environmental protection. Projects from 57 different countries made the longlists of the inaugural Idea-Tops Award, making it one of the most international awards programmes for architecture and design. 7113 projects were submitted from China, US, UK, South Africa, Spain, Mexico, Japan, France, Italy, Malaysia, Serbia, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam etc. What is Idea-Tops Award? Idea-Tops Award identifies the world's best architecture, interiors and design, as well as the studios and the individual architects and designers producing the most outstanding work. In China, over two-thirds of real estate developers will choose Idea-Tops awardees as preferred partners, more and more high-end project investors, business groups and hotel groups connect with Idea-Tops Organizing Committee to seek cooperation with top designers or design institutions. Idea-Tops Award is different from other awards Idea-Tops Award is different from the other architecture and design awards. The competition's low entry fees are designed to attract smaller studios, and their judging criteria have been carefully considered to ensure that winning projects are not only beautiful and innovative, but also benefit users and the environment. Idea-Tops Organizing Committee will be looking for projects that consider social impact and sustainability, as we believe that good design today cant ignore these issues. World Architecture Community is Global Media Partner for Idea-Tops competition and will publish the results. All images courtesy of Idea-Tops > via Idea-Tops Baring Vostok founder to stay under house arrest until mid-July RIA Novosti, Ramil Sitdikov 15:42 06/05/2019 MOSCOW, May 6 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court on Monday upheld a lower courts decision to extend house arrest for Baring Vostok investment company's founder, U.S. citizen Michael Calvey, who stands charged with 2.5-billion-ruble (about $40 million) embezzlement, until July 14, the courts press service told RAPSI. On April 11, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow released Calvey from detention and put him under house until April 13. Later, his house arrest was extended for 3 months. In mid-February, Moscows Basmanny District Court ordered detention of Calvey and five other defendants including Baring Vostok Industry Partner for the financial industry sector, French citizen Philippe Delpal, the companys partners Vagan Abgaryan, Baring Vostok Investment Director Ivan Zyuzin, Maxim Vladimirov and ex- chairman of Vostochny bank board Alexey Kordichev until April 13. According to investigation, Calvey knowing about a 2.5-billion-ruble debt of the First Collector Bureau, a firm under his control, has organized the sale of its shares to Vostochny bank that has led to embezzlement. The Investigative Committee claims that the defendant committed a crime that could not be classified as business crime because he used a chain of sham companies settling the deal. Moreover, investigators say they have a PricewaterhouseCoopers audit report on the done deal estimating the sold shares at 600,000 rubles, which indicates an instance of fraud. Calvey denies allegations insisting that the deal was fair as both companies agreed its terms and stood for it, including a person reporting an alleged crime to law enforcement bodies. He noted that a report has been filed with police by a member of Vostochny bank board of directors Sherzod Yusupov. According to Calvey, the real reason of his prosecution is a wide corporate dispute related to the control of the bank by two groups of shareholders: Baring Vostok and stockholders coming from Uniastrum bank, which was reorganized and joined to Vostochny in early 2017. Baring Vostok company founded by Calvey in 1994 focuses on private equity investments in the CIS and Russia. The company has invested in shares of Yandex, Vkusvill, Tinkoff Bank and other major projects. by Joseph Shieber In our pluralistic society, could First Amendment protections of religious freedom, say, clash with other firmly entrenched legal norms? So, to take a particular example, suppose a Muslim woman was called as a prosecution witness in a criminal trial. Could her religious obligation to wear the niqab trump the defendants right to confront his accuser? I began thinking about this particular sort of case because of a September 2018 decision in the Pennsylvania murder trial of Tyreese Copper, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. One of the witnesses for the prosecution was a Muslim woman named Davina Sparks, who insisted upon being allowed to wear the veil covering her face while giving testimony in open court. Heres what happened next, according to the account at the Volokh Conspiracy blog. The defendants attorney objected to Ms. Sparks testifying while wearing her Muslim garb that covered her face. Ms. Sparks refused to remove the garb, citing her religion as the reason for her refusal. Out of deference to Ms. Sparkss religious beliefs, the court decided to clear the courtroom for Ms. Sparks to testify without her face garb so I can at least have her taking off her covering only in the presence of the people who are absolutely essential to being here, i.e. the jury, court staff, defense counsel, and defendant. Now, as Volokh goes on to discuss in his post, Commonwealth v. Copper has become an object of debate because the judges clearing the courtroom impinged upon Coppers Sixth Amendment right to a public trial (via the Fourteenth Amendment). But I want to look at the case from a different perspective. The judge in the case took it for granted in line with previous decisions that allowing Ms. Sparks to testify while wearing the niqab would violate Coppers Sixth Amendment rights for a different reason: the Sixth Amendment guarantees the accuseds right to be confronted with the witnesses against him. Now, you might wonder how Sparkss face-covering would deprive the defendant, Cooper, of his right to confront her. The tradition is that the right to confront the witnesses against you means the right to see their faces and to have them see your face as well. For example, in a preface to a collection of state trials published in the 18th Century, Emlyn writes that one difference betwen the English and Continental legal traditions is that, according to the English tradition, witnesses are produced face to face, and deliver their Evidence in open court, the Prisoner himself being present, and at liberty to cross-examine them This requirement, however, would seem only to require that the accused or his/her attorney must be able to hear the testimony of the witness and put questions to the witness on cross-examination. Why interpret face-to-face literally, requiring that witnesses faces be visible to the accused (and the judge and jury)? The reason is that the legal tradition takes the demeanor of a witness to be significant evidence as to the trustworthiness of their testimony. So, for example, the decision in Mattox v. United States, 156 U.S. 237 (1895) suggests that one of the main objects of the right of confrontation is that the accused has an opportunity not only of testing the recollection and sifting the conscience of the witness, but of compelling him to stand face to face with the jury in order that they may look at him and judge by his demeanor upon the stand and the manner in which he gives his testimony whether he is worthy of belief. This justification has survived to the present in both the United States and British legal tradition. To take one example, heres I. H. Dennis in his 2007 3rd edition of The Law of Evidence: demeanour is an item of information from which inferences may be drawn about the probative value of the testimony, in the same way as inferences might be drawn from proof, for example, that the witness has previous convictions for perjury. Accordingly, demeanour is rightly treated as an item of real evidence analogous to the appearance of persons and the observable qualities of an object. (p. 502) This seems intuitively really plausible. Most people probably think that theyre at least decent at telling when someone is not being honest. They notice if someone wont make eye contact with them, or if someone is fidgeting, or cant keep a straight face. The problem is, as I detail in my book on testimony, that these intuitions are simply false. There is a great deal of evidence from social psychology going back decades that you and I would actually do just about as well if we flipped a coin to decide if someone is being dishonest. Take, in particular, those nonverbal cues for whether someone is being dishonest. Eye contact. Fidgeting. Not being able to keep a straight face. It turns out that none of those cues are good indicators of dishonesty! In fact, even more confusingly, it seems that although most people think that they rely on those cues in particular in telling whether someone is being dishonest, it turns out that they actually dont rely on those cues at all. Which would be good news except for the fact that the nonverbal cues that we actually rely on are not any better at indicating dishonesty. The legal community is beginning to recognize the disparity between the growing scientific consensus about human abilities to detect deception, on the one hand, and the legal framework around witness testimony at trial, on the other. And since juries are made up of humans, its about time! However, the sorts of remedies generally considered by the legal community have to do with informing juries about the problems with assessing the credibility of witnesses or instructing them on which aspects of witness testimony they should highlight in their deliberations. And it turns out that even more intensive training on deception detection doesnt have a very large effect on the accuracy of a persons judgments about deceptiveness. Weve had to take a bit of a detour from where we started out, but heres where Davina Sparks and her niqab come in. Thats because one of the perhaps surprising ways at least marginally to boost the accuracy of juries in evaluating witness testimony is to have the witnesses testify wearing the niqab (compare also this). The reason for this isnt clear, but it might well have something to do with the fact that the niqab forces juries to ignore those misleading! nonverbal cues from witnesses. It forces them to listen to the witnesses, and perhaps to pay more attention to their reasons for testifying. So rather than ask whether courts should allow witnesses to wear the niqab, perhaps instead we should be asking a different question. Perhaps we should be asking whether we ought to mandate that witnesses testify wearing the niqab, regardless of their religious affiliation. And yes, male witnesses as well. by Dwight Furrow Wine writers often observe that wine lovers today live in a world of unprecedented quality. What they usually mean by such claims is that advances in wine science and technology have made it possible to mass produce clean, consistent, flavorful wines at reasonable prices without the shoddy production practices and sharp bottle or vintage variations of the past. This general improvement in wine quality is to be welcomed but I would argue that for wine aesthetics a more important development is the unprecedented diversity in our wine choices. What wine writer Jon on Bonne, recently referred to as weird winenatural wine, orange wine, wine in cans, wine from unfamiliar locationsis an important part of the wine conversation. Wine is now made in every state in the U.S. and most of those states have their own indigenous wine cultures with distinctive varietals and unique terroirs. Throughout the world, emerging new wine regions from Great Britain to China promise to add to the stock of diverse tasting experiences. Wine grapes are increasingly grown in extreme environmentsfrom high in the Andes, to the deserts of the Golan Heights, to the chill lake sides of Canada. Projects such as Vox Vineyards in Kansas City, Bodegas Torres in Spain, and Bonny Doon in Santa Cruz, California are rediscovering lost or ignored varietals while the University of Minnesota develops new varietals that can survive Northern winters. If youre willing to navigate our spotty distribution system, most of this diversity is widely available. Although the best wines from the storied vineyards of France are now available only to the super wealthy, new generations of wine drinkers are growing tired of the hamster wheel of Cabernet/Chardonnay/Merlot and are seeking something more adventurous. This focus on variation has not always been an intrinsic part of wine culture. As I described in my column last month, in the early 1990s the growing wine culture in the U.S. was dominated by trends that would tend to increase homogeneity. Excessive ripeness, a reductionist approach to wine science, overly narrow critical standards, and most importantly rapid growth in the wine industry were poised to transform wine into a standardized commodity like orange juice and milk, serving a function but without much aesthetic appeal. So what happened? How did we avoid that monotonous landscape of homogeneous juice? One factor is that, in matters of taste, variation is a persistent norm. The reason has to do with the inherent features of taste. The phenomenon of sensory adaptation occurs when sensory receptors become exposed to stimuli for a prolonged period. Our sensory receptors decrease their ability to respond and we have less sensitivity to the stimulus. This is why people who live next to a freeway are not disturbed by the constant noise. In the context of wine tasting, this means we get bored eventually when tasting something too often. We become less sensitive to the stimulus and the flavors and aromas no longer seem vibrant or interesting. Thus, some resistance to homogeneity is always present in any aesthetic community. Furthermore, in an aesthetic community, styles that become too popular will inevitably produce backlash for economic reasons. As the popularity of a product increases more producers enter the market in order to satisfy the demand. But many of these newcomers are incompetent or after a fast buck. As a result, there are many bad examples of the style that turn people against it. This is ultimately what happened when wineries expanded production rapidly and over-indulged in excessive ripeness in the 1990s. Vineyards were planted in less than ideal locations and excessively ripe grapes in the hands of people who lacked the skill or resources to manage it produced unbalanced monstrosities that were a caricature of genuine quality. Enthusiasts were quick to react to these excessive yet mediocre wines. For example, an informal Anything but Chardonnay movement emerged, first identified by name in 1995, which continues to influence wine choices today. Chardonnay develops florid tropical aromas in warm sites, takes well to oak and produces buttery aromas when undergoing a secondary, malolactic fermentation. Thus, it became known as the winemakers wine since it allowed winemakers to get creative with their winery techniques. This style of blowsy Chardonnay became so popular that throughout the world, less popular, yet distinctive local grape varieties were pulled up and replaced by Chardonnay. As a result, serious wine drinkers, who loathed the style and resented the loss of indigenous varieties, backed away from the grape until winemakers eventually got the message and began making Chardonnay in a wider variety of styles. Throughout this period Chardonnay remained enormously popular and has become the most widely planted white grape, but a minority of dedicated enthusiasts kept the pursuit of variation alive. The backlash against excessively ripe, opulent wines has continued well into the 21st Century. In Pursuit of Balance was an association of wineries committed to producing dry wines with less that 14% alcohol thus mandating for its members less ripeness and a lighter style of wine. That association, launched in 2011, has since disbanded but their cause partly overlaps with the natural wine movement, also committed to lower alcohol as well as minimal intervention in the winery, that is growing rapidly and has become a serious player in debates about wine quality. Today, those excessively ripe styles still exist, and an ersatz version of them using residual sugar to mimic ripeness dominates supermarket shelves. None of these movements amount to more than an eddy in the vast ocean of commercial wine. But they illustrate something important about aesthetic communitiesalthough their existence may require commercial success, their heart and spirit are the usually small number of dedicated enthusiasts who resist trends, start new ones, and continually search for meaningful variations. One point that should not be underestimated is that winemakers as a group are not prone to excessive conformity or orthodoxy. They tend to be tinkerers always experimenting to find new ways of improving quality. They value independence, some are fiercely independent, and each has their own firmly held opinion on wine quality and how you get it that varies widely from person to person. Obviously there are exceptions and everyone works under financial constraints but the ethos of artisan winemaking is not compatible with a corporate culture where people trim their sails to conform to a party line. Winemakers also have some ability to be tastemakers as well. They are after all making the wine and have more authority grounded in real expertise than anyone else in the business when it comes to defining quality. If they have a media presence, charisma, and the time to actively promote their wares they are in a position to introduce innovative products and gain public acceptance for them. The sheer growth in wineries and wine regions over the past 30 years also contributed to increased diversity and variation. New wineries and wine regions, as well as less well-known traditional regions trying to enter the international market, immediately face a marketing problemthey are unfamiliar and unknown with no track record to instill confidence in consumers. Thus, they need to set themselves apart by pushing for higher quality and finding a distinctive product to offer. For example, Argentina got behind Malbec and Chile embraced Carmenere, both grapes that were in sharp decline in France and widely unavailable until they were promoted by these emerging regions. New Zealand with its distinctive version of Sauvignon Blanc may be the best example of an emerging region that managed to acquire a distinct identity because it offered a distinctive taste profile. The cautionary story here is Australia. Long an innovator in wine technology and blessed with an ideal climate and several microclimates conducive to growing wine grapes, they tried to capture the low end market by selling generic juice with cute animals on the labelthey still havent quite recovered their reputation. Paradoxically, the appellation system in the old world, although not a source of innovation, has been reasonably effective at preserving authenticity and resisting homogenization. With their tightly regulated production practices, most of the distinctive vineyards of France and Germany have resisted attempts to increase yields to expand profits or tart up their wines to appeal to new world tastes or consumers at the bottom of the market. They, for the most part, continue to target consumers with the experience (and disposable income) to appreciate distinctive terroirs. It is worth noting that the emergence of so-called terroirists in the new world have contributed mightily to diversification in the industry. During those decades when wine technology and wine science were making rapid gains, many industry people in the new world were skeptical that wine quality and distinctiveness was a function of specific vineyard sites. They believed that skillful farming and winemaking created distinctive wines; the geology and geography of the vineyard was less important. Today, it is hard to find a winemaker who still believes that, and most would argue that the vineyard is the most important factor in crafting quality wine, even though the slogan wine is made in the vineyard is a bit of an exaggeration. Because vineyards vary greatly in factors such as weather, drainage, aspect to the sun, elevation, and soil composition, attempts to preserve and take advantage of these differences have made significant contributions to the range of expressions of which wine is capable. Finally, although we think of wine as something created in a winery from grapes grown in a vineyard, the discourse community that surrounds the production and selling of wine provides important feedback about quality standards and styles and ultimately bears the responsibility to encourage variation. As the 20th Century came to a close, Robert Parkers Wine Advocate, the critics at publications such as the Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and Decanter, and a few large circulation newspapers were the primary tastemakers with the clout to influence what people purchased. While these critics, unlike the previous generation, were not in the wine trade and thus could claim some degree of independent authority, it was still a relatively small group who, despite some well publicized spats, shared basic assumptions about wine quality. [Allegations of pay-to-play corruption have been persistent; it remains unclear whether there is anything to these allegations.] Today, the situation is dramatically different. Although wine journalism has suffered immensely from its disruptive influence, the Internet has led to the proliferation of voices having some impact on what people drink. Friends share recommendations on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Wine blogs and online magazines are ubiquitous, and wine education programs encourage non-professional consumers to acquire more knowledge of the complexities of wine and to become more reflective about what they drink. Despite the influencer moniker that has been attached to some of the more active voices, few people have much influence, although many people have some influence. But what is interesting about these non-formal wine communications networks today is that you stand out by discovering something different, something no one else knows about. Add to that mix small importers and distributors, wine bar buyers, and restaurant somms all who have a similar incentive to discover what is new and exciting, and you have a community of difference hounds scouring the wine landscape for novelty. The current diatribes against somms with peculiar tastes imposing their preferences on unsuspecting restaurant goers is usually unwarranted. No doubt sommeliers are in the service industry and thus the customer comes first. But part of their legitimate mission is to expose to consumers to available variations. In fact, I would argue that the primary responsibility of wine writers and critics to the wine community is to report on whats new, to track variations in wine styles and judge which variation ought to be preserved. Thus, the key factor in maintaining the health of the wine community is that the difference engine continues to grind away producing more of what is the essence of wineits capacity for variation. For more on the philosophy of food and wine visit Edible Arts or consult American Foodie: Taste, Art and the Cultural Revolution by Abigail Akavia Two weeks ago I celebrated Passover with my family. It was an intimate affair, just four adults and three preschoolers in the small dining room of our rented apartment in Leipzig. Our secular way of life makes Passover, for us, a holiday of light-to-non-existent religious content; nonetheless the richness of the symbolism and of the ritualistic foods is still something we enjoy. Making the Seder palatable to the kids, both the dinner itself and its ritualistic elements, became the central concern for us, their perpetually exhausted parents. The traditional text read in the Seder, the Haggadah, is cryptic in its Aramaic expressions and passages of Talmudic hermeneutics, on which the guests, both young and old, are encouraged to ask questions. But our distaste for the way the myth of Passover resonates in contemporary nationalistic discourse in Israel and elsewhere has brought us to include alternative content in our Seders, stories of other historical struggles towards freedom, which have often been conceived in terms that echo the story of Exodus. This year we read parts of the Hagaddah composed by Rabbis for Human Rights, which was originally read in a detention camp for African refugees in the Israeli desert in 2016, and includes Bob Marleys Redemption Song. When we lived in Chicago, we told stories of Harriet Tubman and The Underground Railroad. An Israeli Seder is not dissimilar to American Thanksgiving: a long meal that commemorates the founding of the nation, along with the post-nationalistic reckoning that both holidays can prompt. In both cases, a religious-historical myth becomes incarnated in food. Thus, the matzo, the most important culinary feature of Passover, reminds us of the unleavened bread that the Israelites hastily prepared when they fled their enslaving Egyptians. Every other part of the meal is also meant to symbolize part of the story, that of the Hebrews struggle to become a nation. (The series of hardships which the Seder is meant to recall may explain why the Seder meal, while as excessive as a Thanksgiving dinner, is arguably less delicious.) Our childhood Seders were an elaborate event, an ordeal really. The main feature of the experience was its length, but it was also an exciting ritual with extended family members, for which you get all dressed up. Equally predictable in its fun and boring bits, Seders were always the same. Early on in the evening we read in the Haggadah: Why [Al shum mah] do we eat this matzo? Al shum mah repeats, a catchy turn of phrase in archaic Hebrew, amusing in its foreignness to our colloquial modern language. (Indeed, this year it made my children giggle.) Al shum mah do we eat this haroset, a delicious sticky paste made of fruit and nuts? To remind us of the mortar our fathers used when they worked in construction as slaves in Egypt. Why do we eat this bitter lettuce? Because the Egyptians made the lives of our fathers bitter. Right, of course. Its a little bit ridiculous. But its also virtually the only Jewish text of which I still know parts by heart, having been brought up in an entirely secular household. This year we did without some of the traditional dishes that are considered staples, chief among them gefilteh fish; also missing from the table was the iconic Seder plate with its shriveled-up chicken wing (chicken-arm in Hebrew, placed there to symbolize Gods strength in delivering the Israelites from Egypt) and its hard boiled egg with the greying yolk. No-one remembers what the egg stands for, though as a child the first (and sometimes only) part of your Passover dinner essentially consists of matzo with hard boiled eggs, both equally dry, on which you are allowed to snack while the adults dutifully plough through the reading of the Haggadah. Thankfully, the meal comes in the middle of the ceremonial text rather than its end. In my childhood Seders, we almost never made it to the parts of the Haggadah that come after the meal. However, one of the best-known and most fun Passover songs is found near the very end of the night: Echad Mi Yodea [Who Knows One]. It is a cumulative song, each verse adding one part and repeating the verses the came before. The song enumerates thirteen principal motifs of Jewish culture from one to thirteen: one God, two Stone Tablets (on which the Ten Commandments were engraved), three Fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), four Mothers (Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel), and so on. Because of the cumulative structure, the verse One is our god in heaven and on earth is sung thirteen times. The song ticks off all the boxes that keep the young ones entertained: a catchy melody, the repetitive lyrics that are sometimes performed progressively faster, and the eponymous question-and-answer participatory natureWho knows one? I know one! Who knows two? I know two! Our kids, unsurprisingly, loved it. (As for me, at some point the feeling crept up on me that we should shut the windows lest the noise of us Jews celebrating too loudly upset our neighbors, and on Easter Friday at that. Not that there is much chance that the local Saxons would recognize religious Hebrew songs, but still.) The next step in our Seder was almost obvious: to introduce the kids to the iconic rendition of Echad Mi Yodea by Batsheva Dance Company. A few days later I learned that my parents, whose offspring are spread around the globe and do not fly home for Passover, also held an alternative (gefilte-fish-free) Seder with friends, and spent a part of the evening watching the same youtube video. A family tradition is born. The 7-minute segment was originally part of Kyr [Wall], the first full-length dance piece Ohad Naharin created for Batsheva as the companys artistic director in 1990, and has been performed countless times since. It appeared in Anaphase [1993], the companys hugely successful show which toured nationally and internationally all through the 90s. It was subsequently part of Decadance [2000], a compilation of segments from Naharins works from different periods, which reached a similar level of acclaim. It has been performed by other international dance companies as well, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Echad Mi Yodea has reached such fame in the world of dance that it has been ripped off by various performing artists, as in a recent performance in the Country Music Awards and in Chicago-based Lucky Plushs 2009 Punk Yankees. In both cases Naharins work was referenced without credit, though in Lucky Plushs production, which dealt with sampling and cultural appropriation in the internet age, the move was intentional and self-aware, and there was arguably an expectation that the audience would be at least somewhat familiar with the original. The iconic status of Naharins Echad Mi Yodea in Israeli culture is of a different dimension. Viewing this piece is a transfixing experience, and especially so for an Israeli Jew. As is often the case with verbal explications of dance, describing the piece will not do it justice. It seems utterly futile to try to delineate in words the actual movement sequence or the quality of Batshevas extraordinary dancers (an oft-used adjective, though, is explosive). If youre reading this, I urge you to follow the youtube link above and watch the piece. What can be said of the piece and its core-stirring effect are seemingly obvious things: Here is the incantation-like song which we have known since childhood. It is repetitive. It keeps building up. This chant is the mantra of our cultural existence. It is stripped down to its very essence, but at the same time becomes something else. Stripping down is of course a theme in its own right here. As the dancers ferociously take their suits off and hurl them into the center of the stage, we see their plain grey underclothes. The dissonance between the more stylish exterior shell and the pitiful blandness of the clothing underneath is jarring. Both sets of clothes are similar, though, in how they erase personal identities and force a cohesiveness on the group members. What does peeling the suits off reveal? Who are these suited Jews, moving trance-like on black folding chairs, throwing their limbs all over the place, crying out One is our god in heaven and on earth? As my six-year-old asked me, Why does one of them keep falling down? Why indeed. That Naharin transforms Echad Mi Yodea from an anthem of Jewish observance into a radical critique of the Israeli nation-state is one way of looking at it. In the earliest version of the piece, the dancers wore khaki work-clothes instead of black and white suits, marking them clearly as Kibbutzniks or pioneer settlers, laborers from the early decades of the Zionist movement in Palestine or the young state of Israel. This identity was continuous with the image created by the sudden appearance of the dancers flesh in simple underclothes. Naharins later change of costumes allowed for an even more general image of Israeliness to emerge from the work, and one that, moreover, reaches to both before and after the historical moment of early Zionist settlement. The black suits evoke at once (pre-Zionistic) orthodox Jewry and a secular, capitalistic, and cosmopolitan persona. Both stand in contrast to the socialistic ideal of working the soil and building homes with ones bare handsin contrast, too, to the physical labor of the dancers performing onstage. But these archetypal Jewish characters, whichever one we choose to see in the piece, are all bound together by their link to the tribe and their relation to the songwhich, precisely, embeds this tribal link through ritual music. At each iteration, the dancers stand there, shouting about our god. Their identity hovers between religious Jew and Israeli, transforming and dissolving between the two. Part of what makes Echad Mi Yodea so powerful, suggests Dr. Tal Kohavi, an anthropologist specializing in Israeli dance, is the versatility of Naharins choreography. It could be taken to be dead-serious or lighthearted, seen as fundamentally tragic or as jubilant and celebratory. It is effective when performed by an intimate cast of a handful of dancers; on the large stage of the Israeli Opera House in a gala celebrating Batshevas 50th anniversary in 2014, when the piece was performed by dozens of dancers in rows, its ecstatic potential was magnified. The music that accompanies the dance is performed by Israeli rock band The Tractors Revenge (the bands mere name could suggest the rift between artistic pursuit and the land-tilling ideal of Israels early pioneers). Their arrangement, in which Naharin himself participated, was commissioned for Kyr. The pounding drums and the distortion guitar contribute to the escalating ecstasy, and at the same time give it a menacing undertone, a frightening relentlessness. The gravelly tone of the singing voice could not be more Israeli: straightforward and non-beautiful, like singing during military drills. To my eyes (and ears) the soundtrack unavoidably tips the work to a sphere of dread and doom. This year I was surprised to hear from both my husband and my mother that to them the piece evoked the memory of the Holocaust. I had never before considered this frame of reference for the work, though to a certain extent all Israeli art operates in a post-Holocaust context. To my husband, everything in the work was colored by its Jewishness, including these folding chairs, like the ones at synagogue. My mother pointed out the mound of clothing articles that accumulates at the center of the stage: and the grey underclothes, like prisoners in concentration camps. Kohavi shares my surprise when I tell her this: I would have never made that connection on my own, but I see why this association works. When the outer layer of clothing comes off, the dancers are left with their exposed body in work-clothes, with the suggestion of physical labor taken to the extreme. And the one that keeps falling down. In this ecstatic state, in its thrill and danger, its faith and scorn, in its beauty teetering on the edge of the abyss, the group of dancers-chanters returns to its cultural pillars (one God, two Stone Tablets). What Naharin managed to do with his exceptionally suggestive and multivalent interpretation of Echad Mi Yodeawe can say this now, almost thirty years after it premieredis to cement his version of the song as another such pillar. And it is now embedded in my familys Passover tradition, these Jews dancing on the brink of disaster. "Nothing is going to change much at the federal level, and certainly nothing is going to change anytime soon," said family physician Michael Fine, M.D., senior population health and clinical services officer for Blackstone Valley Community Health Care, which operates six medical offices and a dental clinic in Pawtucket and Central Falls, R.I. However, said Fine, a former director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, gridlock at the federal level -- and the mounting frustration associated with it -- could create opportunities to effect change at the state level. The key, he said, is for more physicians to get involved in advocacy. "It's time to stop admiring the problem," he said, noting that the United States is expected to drop to 64th in the world in terms of life expectancy by 2040. "There's no reason to think it's going to get better just because we want it to. We are the outlier in the world. Less than one-third of our physician community is in primary care. When it comes to primary care spend, we just aren't getting there." Fine said things might actually change if physicians talked to patients about health care costs and helped them understand the need for change. Ex-regional health minister gets 12 years in prison for receiving bribes flickr.com/ 401(K) 2012 16:54 06/05/2019 MOSCOW, May 6 (RAPSI) A court in Chita in Russia's Zabaikalye Territory has sentenced the former regions health minister Mikhail Lazutkin to 12 years in prison for taking bribes, a news release published on the website of the regional Investigative Committees directorate reads. Additionally, he has been fined 12 million rubles (about $185,000). According to investigators, from 2014 to 2015, Lazutkin, being the health minister of the Zabaikalye Territory, received bribes from commercial firms top managers for the assurance of their victory at medical equipment supplies auctions. Thus, he received 9 million rubles (about $140,000) in 2014; and 5.2 million rubles ($80,000) in 2015, the statement reads. 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. The humanitarian crisis at the U.S. border with Mexico continues to develop, and Central American migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. keep arriving at ports of entry to give themselves up and be processed. Refugee shelters and holding areas swell as officials and volunteers desperately try to keep up with the human waves. If we dont want this situation to happen again in the future, we must study the myriad factors that have coalesced to create the current crisis. First is the economic hardship faced by many of the refugees in their home countries. Central American economies have struggled to create jobs and opportunities for their citizens. A look at history helps explain why countries in that region throughout modern history have seen stunted economic growth. Since independence from Spain, foreign firms have treated Central America as a plantation to be milked for its riches. The very term banana republic originates in Central America, and refers to the power that foreign fruit, agricultural, and mining companies had in controlling local governments for their benefit. This resulted in revolutions, strife, and hardship for Central Americans that still exist today. Corruption throughout the spectrum from the federal level to the local mayor contribute to the poverty and lack of trust in government. Corruption allows the creation of a dark underworld, which in the case of Central America, means organized crime and gangs that prey on local merchants. They also pressure young men and women to join their ranks, often without any recourse other than death. Refugee families are claiming that they are being forced to leave or have family members killed by these ruthless elements. Governments in these countries appear to be helpless or unwilling to address their gang and crime problems. Human traffickers have stepped up their game to make money off of the misery by encouraging desperate people to make the trek north to the U.S. They are telling migrants that it is easy to gain asylum in the U.S. and that they will be received with open arms, even though the Trump administration has curtailed immigration to the U.S. and publicly spoken against the Central American migrants. Even more disconcerting is the fact that drug cartels seem to be diversifying their business model by offering paid protection for transporting the migrants from Central America through Mexico to the U.S. border. This, in turn, has resulted in larger caravans of asylum seekers because they believe the safety in numbers strategy will keep them from individually being picked off by drug cartel members who will pressure them for payment. U.S. asylum policy has played a major role in creating the crisis. The U.S. generally grants asylum to people who fear persecution based on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. At face value, fleeing violence or criminal elements in a country would not necessarily qualify a person for asylum. However, there have been immigration judges who have ruled that because women and children (especially in the case of gang recruitment), are particularly targeted by organized crime, thus they are a social group. Some judges have granted asylum if they believe that the applicant qualifies for protection based on the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Finally, the way we secure our southern border is also a factor in attracting migrants. The U.S. government has built the border fence on U.S. soil north of the Rio Grande from El Paso to the Gulf Coast, and north of the actual border from Santa Teresa to the Pacific Ocean. It does this to allow for easy maintenance of the fence without having to notify the Mexican government. It also allows Border Patrol agents to be stationed south of the fence to intercept any illegal crossings. However, the U.S. generally allows migrants to apply for asylum once they step on U.S. soil. This fact allows immigrants to cross the river or dirt border from Mexico, walk to the fence, and find themselves on U.S. soil surrendering to Border Patrol agents, who are bound to take them into custody and begin processing their asylum case. Due to the surge of asylum-seekers, a backlog of cases, and a shortage of immigration judges, it could be years before a case is heard. Because the Border Patrol and volunteer organizations have limited space to hold migrants while they wait to be processed, many who are deemed low-risk are released to the general public. Many then travel to family members already in the U.S. If their case takes years, a lot of migrants will have children who are automatically U.S. citizens, who could potentially assist their parents in gaining citizenship. Some will never show up for their hearing, taking their chances to live illegally in the U.S. The U.S. government must understand and address these factors that are pulling Central American migrants to the southern border like iron to a magnet. If each of these issues is not individually resolved, we can expect to see a steady flow of asylum-seekers from Central America and other regions in our hemisphere that know that there are cracks in the system that can be manipulated. Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com. Emile Gonzales, the 2019 New Mexico Small Business Person of the Year, selected by the U.S. Small Business Administration, will be honored during National Small Business Week in Washington, D.C., beginning today. She is among similar winners from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. As a New Mexico native, Hispanic, single mother of four, this is an incredible honor. I never set out for this award, I just knew I needed to make enough money to send my children to Notre Dame, University of Denver, Texas State University, and University of New Mexico all at the same time!, she said in a statement. Plus, I wanted to create a business where all employees quality of life is better from being on our team. Gonzales is the owner of G2i Construction and a former local TV news anchor, according to a news release. A couple of her recent contracting projects were the Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Lavender Farm in Albuquerque. The SBA each year celebrates National Small Business Week by shining the spotlight on outstanding small-business owners and entrepreneurs across the country. All 53 winners are expected to attend ceremonies in Washington, D.C., May 5-6, where they will be honored with their individual award and with special recognition of the three runners-up and the naming of the 2019 National Small Business Person of the Year, organizers said. The SBA also is co-hosting a free, two-day virtual conference featuring educational workshops and networking. Additionally, recognition and educational seminars throughout SBAs 10 Regions and 68 Districts will be held throughout the week. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal Since the fall, two Cessna aircraft have flown daily over New Mexicos southeastern plains to snap detailed images of methane plumes billowing out of oil and gas operations in the Permian Basin. The aircraft use special cameras equipped with spectrometers that measure methane through reflected sunlight while simultaneously collecting optical images backed by GPS to precisely identify where the plumes are coming from. California-based Kairos Aerospace developed and patented the cameras, known as LeakSurveyors, which it attaches to the wings of rented Cessnas. That allows the company to map hundreds of miles of Permian-based methane emissions every day. Kairos plans to survey the entire Permian Basin in both West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, covering a total of 60,000 square miles by the end of this year. Were looking at everything, from well pads to pipelines, Kairos co-founder and CEO Steve Deiker told the Journal. We can pinpoint emissions down to 20 feet or so from the source to actually see where the leak is coming from. It will be the largest comprehensive survey of methane leaks in an oil field ever done. Kairos effort reflects unprecedented national attention on methane emissions in the Permian Basin, particularly on the New Mexico side, where state officials are preparing new regulations for the first time to crack down on methane releases by industry. Seeking dependable data To do that, the state needs dependable baseline data that accurately shows current emission levels in New Mexico and where theyre coming from. Thats critical to set effective policies to reduce emissions and continue tracking trends into the future, said Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Secretary Sarah Cottrell Propst. We need a base platform for effective regulations, Cottrell Propst said. We dont have great data yet and we need it. Methane emissions are now front and center in New Mexico efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, since methane is about 86 times more powerful than carbon as a heat-trapping gas during the first 20 years after its release into the atmosphere. And New Mexicos oil and gas industry is a major contributor, especially given the boom in Permian-based production in recent years. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered Cottrell Propst and Environment Secretary James Kenney in January to jointly develop a new regulatory framework for reducing methane emissions. It is part of a broad executive order for state agencies to work on cutting greenhouse gas emissions overall by 45 percent below 2005 levels over the next 12 years. The methane problem stems from venting, flaring and leaking of natural gas during industry operations. But theres no consensus-based estimate of just how much is escaping, nor clear data on the originating sources. Current estimates Current estimates come from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and from environmental groups that work with universities and other research institutes. But those studies have generated fierce bickering between industry and environmentalists over the findings. Industry stands by the EPA, which reported last year that methane emissions from both New Mexicos side of the Permian and the San Juan Basin in the Four Corners area dropped by 6 percent from 2016 to 2017. Based on EPA data, a new study released in April by the industry-funded research institute Energy in Depth said methane emissions in the Permian Basin overall, including New Mexico and West Texas, fell by 4.2 percent from 2011-2017, from a total of 4.8 million metric tons to 4.6 MT. And thats despite a 125 percent leap in oil and gas production in the basin during the same period. That demonstrates a 57 percent plummet in the intensity of emissions from operations there, according to the report. New Mexico Oil and Gas Association Executive Director Ryan Flynn said the decline reflects voluntary industry efforts to reduce emissions with new technology, plus ramped up monitoring and mitigation efforts. The intensity of methane emissions declined dramatically over time in the Permian even while we saw massive increases in production, Flynn said. Everyone agrees that we need to reduce emissions, but we need to look at measures that gain the most bang for the buck. Industry wants to work with state officials, but regulatory measures should be reasonable, Flynn added. Conflicting claims Environmentalists, however, say EPA estimates are inaccurate. The data is compiled from industry operators who provide reports on their own emissions to the EPA, which then extrapolates the data to estimate overall emission totals in a given basin. Only the large operators that produce more than 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent must self-report to the EPAs Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. That means emissions from all smaller operators which account for roughly one-third of the states oil and gas wells are not included in EPA estimates, said Jon Goldstein, regulatory and legislative affairs director for the Environmental Defense Fund. Goldstein also said EPA modeling is based on outdated emissions factors that dont reflect current production in the Permian. In contrast, EDF has worked with universities and research institutes on two different studies since 2015 that show far higher emissions than reported by the EPA. Those studies are based on direct, independent field sampling of emissions using infrared cameras at select sites to measure empirical data, which it then extrapolates to model overall emissions. Its latest study, released in April, showed more than 1 million MT of annual methane emissions in New Mexico, nearly five times higher than EPA estimates of 200,000 MT, and twice as high as EDFs last study in 2017, which was based on field measurements done two years earlier. The study indicates emissions are rising substantially alongside increased oil and gas production, Goldstein said. EDF estimates New Mexico producers are wasting about $275 million in natural gas annually through leaking, venting and flaring, costing the state about $43 million per year in lost royalties and tax revenue. Questioning EDF modeling Flynn, however, said EDF is greatly overestimating emissions in its modeling. Its all about the numbers and assumptions you put into the modeling, Flynn said. You can connect the dots however you want based on how you manipulate that information. The Kairos aerial survey may or may not help in tabulating overall emissions. For one thing, the data collected is proprietary and targeted for sale to industry customers to track and address critical leaks and problems in their operations. But it can help in pinpointing large emission hot spots to focus on for rapid intervention. With just 35 percent of the aerial survey completed in New Mexico, Kairos has found that fewer than 4 percent of oil and gas operating sites are contributing about 80 percent of the emissions, according to Kairos CEO. Overall, were finding that most emissions are coming from a very small number of leaks, Deiker said. That helps customers, because if we know through our surveys where the largest leaks are, they can make changes very quickly with much less expense. EDF said that concurs with its own findings, which show super-emitting sites. But accurately assessing problems at smaller sites is also critical to develop a complete baseline for regulations. To do that, the state needs to look at all surveys and studies together, said physicist Robert Kleinberg, an industry veteran and senior research scholar with the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. Seeking best data Kleinberg said the real answer is to combine data from Kairos air surveys with ground-based measurements to get the full picture. State officials agree. Theres lots of discrepancies, because different organizations are gathering data in different manners and they get different results, said Oil Conservation Division Director Adrienne Sandoval. How that data then gets compiled is often opaque. Environment Secretary Kenney said officials will look at all available sources, including direct field data gathered by state experts. The Environment Department did an unprecedented air quality inspection sweep of 98 sites in the Permian in late April to determine if operators are complying with emission permits for volatile organic compounds, which cause ground-level ozone, or smog. Methane is released alongside VOCs, so compiling VOC emissions data allows inspectors to also collect data on methane. Were making direct efforts to establish an emissions baseline in New Mexico, Kenney said. Well look at as much peer-reviewed, validated data as possible. Were taking a scientific approach, looking at all sources and integrating it all to understand the true baseline. WASHINGTON 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 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 has said he has no objection to Mueller testifying. Trump again asserted on Twitter Sunday that Muellers 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 didnt charge Trump with obstruction but wrote that he couldnt 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 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 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 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. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, 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. By Erin Donnelly/Yahoo News Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are officially parents. Just weeks ahead of their first wedding anniversary, the couple have welcomed their first child, a baby boy. The couple confirmed the news on social media, noting that the new arrival weighs 7 lbs., 3 oz. The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives, the birth announcement says. More details will be shared in the forthcoming days. On April 11, palace officials revealed that the new parents would wait to announce the birth to allow themselves the opportunity to celebrate privately as a family. Now that the proverbial cat is out of the bag, heres everything we know about the royal baby. The birth The 37-year-old duchess went into labor in the early hours of Monday, May 6. The duchess was rumored to be hiring a doula to guide her through labor, with some reports suggesting that the former wellness and lifestyle blogger was keen to try hypnobirthing or even a home birth. Exact details of the labor and delivery have not been revealed, though the palace did confirm that the child weighs 7 lbs., 3 oz. The name Royal-watchers may have to draw on their patience, as it could be a few days before the babys name is formally announced. Case in point: Cousin Prince Louis was born last April on a Monday, but it wasnt until that Friday that his name was made public. The British public are banking on the name being a traditional one that honors a family member. The babys official last name is Mountbatten-Windsor. The title Barring any intervention from the queen, the royal babys title will be lord rather than prince. The baby is now seventh in line to the throne. The first appearance Meghan reportedly wont follow her sister-in-laws lead by emerging from the hospital just hours later with a fresh blow-out and high heels. After Kate was criticized in some corners for presenting an unrealistic image of new motherhood, its expected that Meghan will opt for a less public, more natural post-baby debut. Daily Mail royal correspondent Rebecca English reported on April 11 that the couple will not issue photos until two days after the birth. Discussing whether it was suicide or murder, freshman English students at Valencia High School investigate the crime scene of Lady Montague as part of a writing project based on the play Romeo and Juliet. The victims of possible foul play, Tybalt and Mecrutio lie dead as English students at Valencia High School analyze the crime scene. Ninth grade English students at Valencia High School write down their observations about the dead bodies of Romeo and Juliet as part of a recent class assignment. Valencia High School school resource officer Robert Ferreyra talks to a group of ninth-grade English students at the school about the who, what, when, where, why and how of gathering information at a mock crime scene. TOME It was murder, mayhem and Shakespeare at the Valencia High School campus over a couple of days last month. Freshman English students were joined by five local law enforcement officers from the Los Lunas and Bosque Farms police departments as they investigated mock crime scenes from William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. This was actually created by Kate Malone, a Farmington English teacher, said VHS ninth grade English teacher Jeanie Stokes. It combines literature, writing skills and career exploration. During two English class periods students broke into groups and visited crime scenes in Verona, Italy, home to the pair of star-crossed lovers. Each scene was populated by dead characters from the play, portrayed by members of the VHS drama department, as well as prop swords, baskets of bread and even a crypt, complete with partial skeleton. The goal is for students to understand that writing skills carry with them into their future career, maybe even law enforcement, Stokes said. This will teach how to be observant, good note-taking. They will have to do witness interviews as well, so they will have to use their speaking skills to ask questions. The final part of the exercise required the group to write two police reports about the scenes they observed. Im excited to do this. This will teach them about the need to write accurately, the teacher said. Its a great opportunity to combine a classical piece of literature with writing skills and have positive interaction with law enforcement. The officers worked with the classes for two days. On the first day, they taught the students about how to go about gathering information identifying who, what, when, where, why and how at each crime scene and stressing the importance of a clear, well-written report at the end. On the second day came the round of investigations. Freshman Jonathon Groher said he was excited to work on the project. I like forensic science and its interesting to learn how writing well is so important, Groher said, how important it will be when we get a job. VHS school resource officer Robert Ferreyra, who is also the lead resource officer for Los Lunas Schools, said he enjoyed working on the project with the students. Maybe it showed them some of the basic things law enforcement officers go through every day and they gained some respect for the field, Ferreyra said. This introduces them to some possible career paths. Its also great for building a relationship between kids and law enforcement officers. Id rather they run toward me than away. The other officers who helped with the mock scene investigations were officer Marilyn Rodriguez and Sgt. Charles Baca from Bosque Farms, and officers Ed Taylor and Erika Selisky from Los Lunas. Authorities say an Angel Fire police officer responding to a residential fire Sunday morning fatally shot a man who was armed with a knife. Officer Ray Wilson, a spokesman for New Mexico State Police, said in a news release that the officer had been dispatched to a fire at 14 Mountain Lake Terrace. At the scene, the Angel Fire Police officer encountered a man with a knife, Wilson wrote. During the encounter, the Angel Fire Police officer discharged his weapon. The man was hit and later died in an ambulance. His name has not been released pending identification by the Office of the Medical Investigator. The NMSP Investigations Bureau was called in to investigate the shooting, and the state Fire Marshal is working to determine the cause of the fire. The name of the officer involved will be released at a later date, Wilson said. What was U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich thinking when he supported David Bernhardts confirmation as Interior secretary? Ive been trying to figure out how a fellow hunter and conservationist could sell out Americas wildlife and public lands so completely, knowing what he knows about Bernhardt. How could Heinrich overlook Bernhardts systematic plundering of Americas shared inheritance by the oil and gas industry? Or his efforts to block release of a scientific report that showed two deadly pesticides threaten the existence of nearly 1,400 protected species, as well as the publics health? Was Heinrich thinking about his childrens future when he cast his vote in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to advance Bernhardts nomination? Did anyones kids cross his mind when he voted for Bernhardts confirmation days later on the Senate floor? Surely it must have occurred to him that under Bernhardts direction the Trump administration has leased more than 3.4 million acres in the lower 48 states for fracking and drilling, saddling future generations with nearly 600 million tons of additional greenhouse gas pollution. Heinrich is a self-styled sportsman and conservationist who claims to care about public lands, watersheds and wildlife. Until he voted for Bernhardt, I believed him. In fact, I admired him and thought we had a lot in common. But a true conservationist would have vehemently opposed Bernhardts nomination to oversee the Interior Department and its 500 million acres of canyons, rivers, high deserts and forests. A true conservationist would never allow oil and gas companies to destroy wildlife corridors, mule deer habitat and Native American sacred sites, as theyve been allowed to do under Bernhardt. Bernhardt long ago declared his allegiance to the oil, gas and mining industries. Hes demonstrated he cant be trusted to protect public lands and wildlife. Surely Heinrich knows this. Or has he forgotten that Bernhardt ignores an Interior Department directive to support key habitat for big-game species such as elk, mule deer and pronghorn, and instead allows oil and gas leasing in wildlife migration corridors? Heinrich should know that one of the worst examples of this is in New Mexico, where 80 percent of leases for drilling and fracking are in areas considered priorities for big game. Perhaps Heinrich thinks he can make a deal with Bernhardt to protect Chaco Canyon. After his committee vote, he touted the commitment Bernhardt made to visit the area and meet with tribal leaders. While the Bureau of Land Management took parcels near Chaco Culture National Historic Park off the auction block earlier this year, thats far from a guarantee that theyll be protected from oil and gas development. Southwest tribes, including the Navajo Nation and Acoma Pueblos, are rightly concerned that Bernhardts BLM could recommend more drilling be allowed on public land near the park. But even if new drilling and fracking is blocked in the Chaco region, Heinrichs duty as a U.S. senator is to look out for all of our nations public lands, waters and wildlife. His vote to confirm Bernhardt will do irreversible harm, far beyond New Mexico. I started hunting elk with my dad when I was 5 years old and harvested my first cow elk at 14. Hunting pulled our family close and helped my parents make ends meet. It taught me to respect animals and their habitat, that all species are interconnected and that we need each other along with large tracts of healthy wilderness to survive. Our spectacular public lands are held in trust for all Americans, and for the children and grandchildren my husband and I plan to have. By voting to confirm Bernhardt, Heinrich has become complicit in further habitat destruction, climate chaos and driving more imperiled species to extinction. He can no longer call himself a conservationist. When the public sees news stories of asylum seekers arriving in the United States, they dont always get the whole picture. The news often fails to cover a core aspect of this situation: the human beings arriving at our border looking for safety and a better future. As an immigrant to this country, I had to overcome many barriers to be where I am today. As a child, I was helpless watching my parents unable to communicate because of a language barrier, and we all lived in fear of getting sick because we lacked access to proper health care. Now as an adult, our family feels the despair as the president of this country goes on weekly tirades and calls our community criminals and animals. Asylum seekers experience all of this, plus more. When I volunteered at a shelter welcoming asylum-seeking families recently, I came in contact with a mother and her 8-year-old son, Carlos. She told me they traveled for 30 days all the way from Honduras. All they had with them during that 30-day journey was a backpack with an extra change of clothes and relevant documents. These families do not speak English yet, have minimal possessions, are tired and sometimes sick from the grueling journey. Yet, somehow they are still expected to figure out their way across the country to reunite with their sponsors. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents will release them from the for-profit detention camps if the families have a sponsor that is willing to vouch for them, but they release these families with no way to fend for themselves. They are not provided shelter, food, transportation, medical assistance or any other resource, and when they arrive to the United States they are held at gunpoint and jailed. This is no way to treat humans. The physical and mental toll the families, especially children, have gone through will follow them for the rest of their lives. We cannot change what they have experienced on their journey, but we can help them begin their healing process by helping them get to their families, wherever they may be. Albuquerque must lead by example and pick up where our federal government has failed. The collaboration between the New Mexico Dream Team, the city of Albuquerque, Interfaith Coalition and all those involved in welcoming and helping these migrant families get to their final destination is an amazing example of the welcoming culture our city, and state, is known for and sets the example for how the rest of the country should open its arms. This coalition, together with Albuquerque City Councilman Pat Davis, co-introduced Resolution 19-143 which looks to allocate a quarter of a million dollars to help fund the humanitarian efforts of the community. This is money that is coming out of unallocated city funds, meaning no existing programs were altered to provide this additional help. It is the right thing to do. Ill never forget the moment when Carlos, right out of the shower, ran back to our donated-clothing room because he forgot socks, and I saw his feet covered in blisters. I felt a rush of emotions. I felt betrayed, betrayed because our government received this child after the journey and did not even bother showering him. I also felt relieved. Relieved because for the first time I had seen Carlos smile thanks to the genuine desire of Burquenos to extend a helping hand. Luis Leyva is a senior at the University of New Mexico. It took a few days, but the New York Times finally got around to apologizing for publishing in its international edition a grossly anti-Semitic cartoon depicting a blind President Trump wearing a yarmulke and being led by a dog resembling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The dog wore a Star of David around its neck. At first, the Times blamed a single editor and poor oversight, but April 28 the newspaper issued a formal apology. That might be acceptable were the incident an aberration, but Bret Stephens noted in a scathing column for his own newspaper, The Times has a longstanding Jewish problem, dating back to World War II, when it mostly buried news about the Holocaust, and continuing into the present day in the form of intensely adversarial coverage of Israel. The criticism goes double when it comes to the editorial pages, whose overall approach toward the Jewish state tends to range, with some notable exceptions, from tut-tutting disappointment to thunderous condemnation. The Israeli ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, responded to the cartoon, calling the newspaper a cesspool of hostility toward Israel. There is much history of the newspapers coverage of Jews and Israel that proves him right. Defenders of the Times claim a difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, but this is like saying I dont hate black people, I am just opposed to recognizing their civil rights. The Times coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is clearly pro-Palestinian. In its news stories, editorials and columns, the paper often portrays Israel as the obstacle to peace because it wont surrender to Palestinian demands to forfeit more land and support a two-state solution, by which the Palestinian leadership means a one-state solution achieved by the eradication of the Jewish state. There are more subtle jabs at Israel and Jewish people in the newspapers stories. The list could fill several columns, but heres a sample. In 2015, the Times published a chart labeling Democratic lawmakers opposed to the Obama administrations nuclear deal with Iran as Jewish? or not. The chart was removed from its online version after an outcry. In 2013, the Times published the obituary of a woman whose three sons died in attacks against Israel. The headline read, Mariam Farhat, 64, the Mother of Martyrs. As Clay Waters of the Media Research Center noted, The text box couched the terrorism in passive terms: A woman who took unusual pride in how three of her sons died. The word terrorism didnt even appear in the obituary by William Yardley, who also called the murderous part of Hamas the military wing. In 2012, The Times East Africa reporter worked in a swipe at Israel in a story about the genocide in Rwanda. Jeffrey Gettleman wrote, like Israel, Rwanda has succeeded in leveraging the guilt that other countries feel for not intervening in its genocide. Ah, that old trope about Jewish guilt. In 2011, Times columnist Thomas Friedman wrote about the favorable response Members of Congress gave to visiting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: I sure hope that Israels prime minister understands that the standing ovation he got in Congress this year was not for his politics. That ovation was bought and paid for by the Israel lobby. There are many more recent examples. The cartoon merely adds to the list. The Times reporting and commentary is one thread but an influential one in a pattern contributing to the rise of anti-Semitism worldwide. These include recent shootings at American synagogues, the defacing of Jewish cemeteries, the return of Nazi symbols and the proliferation of white supremacist web pages. Denunciations of such talk, symbolism and acts of violence are not enough. Sadly, more houses of worship are hiring armed guards, but even that only addresses the symptoms of hate, not the disease itself. The Times might consider contributing to solutions, rather than adding to the problem. Email tcaeditors@tribpub.com. 2019 Tribune Content Agency LLC. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE New Mexico is preparing to impose new restrictions on vaping indoors and levy a new tax on the liquid used in e-cigarettes. The laws come as the state faces an explosion in the number of young people puffing on electronic cigarettes and legislators debate how to regulate the growing industry. Starting June 14, the state will add vaping and e-cigarettes to its indoor smoking ban. Anywhere smoking is banned, vaping will be, too, including movie theaters, offices and restaurants. In July, a 12.5% tax on the liquid used in e-cigarettes will go into effect as part of broader changes to the state tax code. Sandra Adondakis, New Mexico government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said the indoor restrictions will help protect people from secondhand vapors. Theres also evidence, she said, that fewer kids use tobacco products when public bans are in place. We have a whole generation of kids getting addicted, Adondakis said in an interview. Vaping enthusiasts say e-cigarettes are safer than traditional ones. Legislative analysts, however, warned lawmakers this year that little research is available on the long-term health effects of chemicals in the vapor. Electronic cigarettes are typically used to heat a nicotine solution often flavored to produce a vapor thats inhaled. Dr. Barry Ramo of the New Mexico Heart Institute has warned that nicotine is dangerous for teenagers and can affect their developing brains. About 25% of the states high school students used e-cigarettes in 2017, up from 9% in 2013. Blair Dunn, an Albuquerque attorney who has lobbied at the Capitol on behalf of vape stores, said New Mexico must strike a balance in its regulation of e-cigarettes, because vaping can help people quit smoking. We shouldnt be penalizing people making the switch, Dunn said. This summers 12.5% excise tax on the value of liquid used in e-cigarettes is half of the typical 25% excise tax on tobacco products. Kane Oueis, CEO of Oasis Vape, a retailer with stores throughout the Southwest, said he expects the new tax to raise prices 10% to 25%, depending on the product. He described the 12.5% tax as a compromise. This tax is reasonable, he said, and we can work with it. Adondakis of the American Cancer Society called it a nominal tax that wont do much, if anything, to raise prices or discourage vaping. She and others had pushed for a 76% tax. In any case, the fight over how to handle vaping isnt over. Proposals to ban flavored nicotine solutions which critics say make it more attractive to young people and to raise the purchasing age on e-cigarettes and tobacco products from 18 to 21 failed during this years legislative session. I know theres still a lot we need to do, especially to keep young people from vaping, said Rep. Joanne Ferrary, a Las Cruces Democrat and co-sponsor of the legislation that added vaping to the indoor smoking ban. A few young people who already vape, meanwhile, said in interviews Friday that they dont expect the indoor ban to affect their behavior. They avoid vaping inside already, they said. I think its disrespectful to do that anyway, said Alex, a 19-year-old from Albuquerque who attends the University of New Mexico. He was part of a small group of students sitting in the shade Friday on the outskirts of the UNM campus, as some smoked and some vaped. Javier Perez, an Albuquerque resident who works at Frontier Restaurant, said he feels better after quitting smoking and switching to e-cigarettes. He was sitting alone as he vaped on Central Avenue across from UNM. Perez said hes more concerned about price increases caused by taxes than by restrictions on where he can vape. I wouldnt do it (indoors) unless I got permission, he said. The state Dee Johnson Clean Indoor Air Act, enacted in 2007, prohibited smoking in workplaces and other public areas. House Bill 256, passed this year, adds e-cigarettes to the ban. The legislation permits people to smoke or vape in retail tobacco stores, but stores established after this summer will have to be located in stand-alone buildings to allow smoking and vaping. The new tax on e-liquid is part of a broader set of changes to New Mexicos tax code, outlined in House Bill 6, approved earlier this year. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal When its raining cats and dogs outside, its usually considered a good thing in New Mexico. When its raining rats and bats indoors, its not such a good thing particularly at local post offices where troublesome varmints are normally limited to wanted posters. There have been a number of incidents in recent years in which U.S. Postal Service employees encountered rodents and bats at area post offices, including in March, when a rat jumped on an employee at the Richard Pino Station on the West Side while he was placing mail in the on-site P.O. boxes. A supervisor investigated the incident, and as she opened a drawer in the area, another rat jumped out, causing the supervisor to scream, said Dan D. Huerta, a spokesman for local 380 of the American Postal Workers Union. He blamed Postal Service cutbacks to custodial and maintenance workers. Huerta also detailed other incidents: In January, a rat was seen scampering across the floor at the Academy Station. Last summer, a 10-inch vinegaroon scorpion was captured at the Foothills Station, and short-tailed Mexican fruit bats had taken up residence at the Main Post Office. In January 2018, two rats fell from the ceiling at the Five Points Post Office; one of them fell onto a customers shoulder. While looking for vermin in the ceiling at the Main Post Office, workers last fall discovered the presence of asbestos, leading to the evacuation of the second floor for ongoing asbestos abatement efforts, a process that Huerta estimated could take another three to four months. Up to 30 workers from the second floor were moved to an adjacent processing plant and to a post office in the North Valley, he said. However, Carl Fondelheit, the spokesman for the USPS district office in Arizona, said, These concerns were thoroughly investigated and remediated last year. He noted that a company specializing in nuisance wildlife removal and relocation extracted short-tailed Mexican fruit bats, a protected species, from the Main Post Office last June and installed a device that allows bats to exit but not reenter the building. In addition, professional pest control services were hired to rid buildings of rodents, and those services have been continued. The Postal Service did address some of the issues last year, Huerta said, but problems at a number of area postal stations have continued into 2019, including the rat incidents at the Academy Station and Richard Pino Station in March. In addition to grievances and safety hazard reports the union filed with local USPS management, the union also filed complaints with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, citing the risk to employees of contracting Hantavirus from contacting rodent urine, feces or saliva, Huerta said. Quite simply, a number of area postal stations are in disrepair, are not particularly clean, and the grounds outside are often unkempt, according to union workers and employees in general. It all comes down to staffing, Huerta said. We used to have two custodians at every station, and now we have one, if that, and sometimes they have to cover three stations. The results of custodial and maintenance staff cutbacks began to appear after 2011, when New Mexicos USPS offices, which used to be overseen by a New Mexico district office, were combined with and put under the Arizona district office, he said. It appears to me that they havent invested in infrastructure and staffing, and weve been given a back seat here in New Mexico, Huerta said. When they calculate the hours for a custodian, they dont include the hours for cutting weeds and other exterior maintenance, which could lead to early detection of access points for vermin into the buildings. And when those workers do attend to the exterior of the buildings, nothing gets done inside. But the Postal Services Fondelheit disputed that. We regularly supervise and control the cleaning and maintenance of our facilities, because the safety of all postal facilities for our customers and employees is paramount, Fondelheit said. We staff our facilities according to national standards. Huerta responded: If that were the case, we wouldnt be having ongoing rodent problems inside and ongoing weed problems outside these facilities. Bottom line: There is just not enough custodial staffing to address both indoor and outdoor maintenance and cleaning, he insisted. Nothing Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller has announced in recent months has prompted a bigger reaction at least on Facebook than last weeks joint news release with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that Expo New Mexico would temporarily shelter asylum-seeking migrants on its Albuquerque property. While the city says it is not contributing financially to open Expos dormitories to the migrants passing through town on their way to meet sponsors elsewhere, city staff is providing coordination assistance. Mayor Kellers Facebook post on the subject last Tuesday generated over 1,100 reactions, predominantly supportive thumbs-ups and hearts. But it also garnered several critical comments asking what the city was doing to help the local homeless population. The mayor reminded us over the next few days what hes been doing on that front. On Wednesday, Kellers office issued a news release about the city capital improvement plan going to voters this fall. Drafted by Kellers administration, amended and approved by City Council and ultimately signed by Keller, the plan totals $128 million. Though the money is spread across road projects, public safety initiatives and parks, the single largest line item is $14 million to build a 24/7 centrally located homeless shelter. Then on Thursday, Keller tweeted that homelessness is one of Albuquerques biggest challenges. Our proposed budget aims to help more families get and stay housed. The tweet linked to his Facebook page and a video of Keller and the citys Deputy Director of Housing and Homelessness, Lisa Huval. Standing in Coronado Park, they discussed the citys recent move to keep its West Side emergency shelter open on a year-round basis, Kellers fiscal year 2020 budget proposal to expand funding for housing vouchers and the aformentioned centralized shelter plan. Hopefully, with those three initiatives, were able to make a dent in some of our homeless challenges, Keller said in the video. SECOND GETS A HAND: Bernalillo County last week announced the completion of $8.5 million worth of work on Second Street SW, including sidewalks, storm drainage and a new multiuse trail between Mountain View Elementary School and the Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge. A second phase of the Second Street project will extend similar improvements northward to Rio Bravo, the county said. QUOTE OF THE WEEK: An officer on a bike can get into all the nooks and crannies, and we know that Central is full of nooks and crannies and thats where stuff happens usually. Ripe Inc.s Len Romano at a news conference announcing four city councilors proposal to dedicate up to $1.5 million in the 2020 budget for bicycle police and marketing help along Central Avenue. Romano was among several businesspeople who had contacted city officials to request more security in the area. Jessica Dyer: jdyer@abqjournal.com JERUSALEM The Israeli military lifted protective restrictions on residents in southern Israel on Monday, while Gazas ruling Hamas militant group reported a cease-fire deal had been reached to end the deadliest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. The escalation had killed 23 on the Gaza side, both militants and civilians, while on the Israeli side four civilians were killed from incoming fire. The Islamic Jihad militant group, which Israel accused of instigating the latest violence, confirmed that a mutual and concurrent truce had been brokered by Egypt. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Egyptian mediators, along with officials from Qatar and the U.N., helped reach the deal. He said Hamas could still use different pressuring tools to pressure Israel into easing a crippling blockade of Gaza it has enforced along with Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointedly noted that the campaign is not over, and it requires patience and judgment. The intense fighting over the past two days came to a halt in the early morning hours and residents on both sides went back to their daily routines. The Israeli military said that as of 7 a.m., all protective restrictions in the home front will be lifted. Schools and roads had been closed, and residents had been encouraged to remain indoors and near bomb shelters as intense rocket fire pounded the area, threatening to devolve into all-out war. Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars and numerous smaller battles since the Islamic militant group seized Gaza in 2007. In the latest fighting, which erupted over the weekend, Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, while the Israeli military responded with airstrikes on some 350 militant targets inside 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. A Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group was killed in an airstrike, in an apparent return to Israels policy of targeting killing of militant leaders. Palestinian medical officials reported 23 deaths, including at least nine militants as well as two pregnant women and two babies. The four Israeli civilians killed were the first Israeli fatalities from rocket attacks since the 50-day war in 2014. One was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border. Egyptian mediators had been working with the U.N. to broker a cease-fire. Under past Egyptian-brokered deals, Israel has agreed to ease its joint blockade of Gaza with Egypt in exchange for a halt to rocket fire. The latest fighting broke out after Palestinian militants accused Israel of not honoring an earlier cease-fire deal from March, and opened fire on soldiers on the Israeli side of the Gaza border. The terms of the latest deal were not known, but recent cease-fires have been short-lived. In weary communities in southern Israel, there was criticism that the latest round of fighting had ended without tangible results and no hope that it would not recur soon. When we have the upper hand, we need once and for all to finish the terror because this will repeat itself and will not stop, said Jacque Mendel, a resident of the coastal city of Ashdod, where a man was killed in his car by a rocket Sunday night. Despite its fierce response, Israel appears to have little appetite for another prolonged conflict. Later this week, the country marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, followed by the festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the popular Eurovision song contest and the backdrop of fighting would have likely overshadowed the occasions and deterred foreign tourists. Netanyahu, who recently secured re-election in part thanks to the votes of the rocket-battered residents along the Gaza Strip frontier, has traditionally been cautious in his handling of Gaza, for fear of sparking an open-ended war with no clear endgame. But he is under pressure from the same electorate to end its anguish and his perspective coalition partners appear to favor a more hard-line agenda on Gaza. Even within his own ruling Likud Party, Netanyahu faced unusual criticism for not going further to quash Gaza militants. Likud lawmaker Gideon Saar wrote on Twitter that the reported cease-fire was not an achievement for Israel. The timeframes between these violent attacks on Israel and its citizens are getting shorter and the terror groups in Gaza are getting stronger between them, he wrote. Benny Gantz, Israels emerging opposition leader, also criticized Netanyahu, saying that ending the current round amounted to another surrender to the extortion of Hamas and the terror organizations. In Gaza, a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier against the blockade that has ravaged the economy has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. Still, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said late Sunday that the militant group was not interested in a new war, and the start on Monday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan likely lessened motivation for battle. Signs of normal life slowly returned to Gaza, with banks opening after three days; schools are to reopen on Tuesday. In the northern Gaza Strip, residents searched for a man and his wife missing among the rubble of an apartment building. The upper two floors of the five-story structure in the Sheikh Zayed residential complex was hit by an Israeli airstrike and four Palestinians a 12-year-old boy, an infant and her parents were killed. ___ Akram reported from Gaza City, Gaza Strip. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. With the Rio Grande flowing bank to bank, dozens of children gathered at the rivers edge Thursday to release native fish they spent months raising as part of an ongoing conservation program that links classrooms around the United States with the outdoors. The release comes as the river one of North Americas longest waterways turns a corner after record low flows in 2018 forced federal managers to broker a deal to keep the river wet through New Mexicos most populated area. Parts of the river south of Albuquerque did go dry, prompting wildlife managers to organize rescue missions for the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow. More than 70,000 of the tiny fish had to be moved to flowing parts of the river last year. This spring, the minnow has a chance to rebound and the other native fish that call the Rio Grande home are getting a boost thanks to healthy snowmelt in the higher elevations. Surrounded by school children, Angela Palacios turned toward the river and proclaimed that it was a wonderful sight. This means your fish are on their way to spawning, reproducing and starting the next generation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fish biologist told the students after they emptied their red cups into the river. The agency has teamed with schools across New Mexico, Texas, California and some East Coast states to teach students about river systems, native fish and ecology. As part of the program, students at Monte Vista Elementary and The Montessori Elementary and Middle School in Albuquerque have spent a semester feeding their fish, keeping copious records and checking the water chemistry. Silvery minnows arent part of the mix because of their status as an endangered species, but Palacios said the fish that are raised by the students all coexist with minnows in the Rio Grande. Those include warm water species such as longnose dace, red shiners, western mosquito fish and flat-head chubs. The species raised by a particular school depends on the river system near that school. The program has grown to 16 New Mexico schools from just a few in 2011. Most work with fish native to the Rio Grande while some are connected to the Gila River in western New Mexico. Palacios said the hope is to recruit more schools near other rivers. Sherry Haworth, a science teacher at Montessori, said the program offers a way for children to become invested in their communities. For some of her students, this marked their first trip to the river. I think unfortunately a lot of us feel very detached from our environment, she said. This is kind of the heart of our city and for so many reasons we need to be much more involved, much more attentive to whats going on and it definitely starts with the kids. The lessons arent always easy, Palacios said. Last year, students in San Antonio, New Mexico, had to turn their fish over to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge because their stretch of the Rio Grande was dry. They got to see it and they recognized that their fish didnt have a home, she said. We went to the dry riverbed and they got to see the remains of dead fish. They saw the impact that were having. Theyre starting to recognize it and thats important. In New Mexico, federal biologists say the Rio Grande has lost two of its native species in recent decades. Five additional species have been extirpated from the river over the years, and the silvery minnow faces an uphill battle after its population was hammered by last years dry conditions. About 200,000 captive-raised minnows were released in the fall and spring, and officials hope the rivers current flows will help them spawn. In Texas, wildlife officials are weighing whether to cease their stocking and monitoring efforts for the silvery minnow in the Big Bend reach of the Rio Grande until environmental flow requirements can be determined and implemented. The member countries of the UN General Assembly Committee of 24 (C24), meeting in Grenada (Caribbean) May 2-4, have expressed full support for the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative for the Sahara, inflicting a new setback to the Polisario separatist Front and its Algerian and South African sponsors. Taking the floor before the C24, the representatives of Cote dIvoire, Sierra Leone, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Papua New Guinea and Saint Lucia affirmed that the Moroccan autonomy initiative constitutes a credible and serious solution to the Sahara dispute, as recognized by the Security Council in its successive resolutions since 2007. They also expressed their unanimous support for the efforts of the UN Secretary General and his Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Horst Kohler, to achieve a lasting political settlement to this regional dispute. At the same time, participants welcomed the new dynamic in the UN political process, as the Security Council stressed in its resolution 2468 on the Sahara, calling for a political, pragmatic, sustainable, and realistic settlement based on compromise. They also congratulated Morocco for its serious and credible efforts seeking to reach a political solution to this regional dispute and called for a census of the populations of the Tindouf camps, as required by the Security Council in its resolutions since 2011. Several Member States of the C24 welcomed the participation in the meeting of two representatives of the Moroccan Sahara, who were democratically elected during the regional and legislative elections of September 2015 and October 2016. Actually, vice presidents of the Laayoune-Sakia Al Hamra, and Dakhla Oued Eddahab regions, Mhamed Abba and Mrs. Ghalla Bahiya have been formally invited to participate, for the second time in a row, in the Regional Seminar of the Committee of 24 as legitimate and democratic representatives of Moroccos southern provinces. This consecration comes after the participation of elected representatives of the Moroccan Sahara at the roundtables of Geneva I and II, in December 2018 and March 2019 and consequently debunks the Polisarios claims that it is the unique and legitimate representative of the Sahara populations. COAL BASIN, Colo. The family that owns Walmart Inc. plans to construct public trails on their private land in Colorado. The Aspen Times reports that members of the Walton family expect to begin construction this summer on more than four miles of trails on their property in Coal Basin. The project is expected to be completed in 2020. The family-owned Crystal Basin Holdings LLC gained approval from Pitkin County commissioners in October to build a trail network designed for mountain bikers but also open to runners and hikers. Coal Basin is part of 221 acres (89 hectares) owned by the Waltons about 186 miles (299 kilometers) west of Denver. The property is the last private land once owned by Mid-Continent Resources coal mining company. The remainder was transferred to White River National Forest. ___ Information from: The Aspen Times, http://www.aspentimes.com/ WASHINGTON A House committee is poised to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress the opening salvo in what could be a lengthy, acrimonious court battle between House Democrats and President Donald Trumps administration over special counsel Robert Muellers report . House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler scheduled a Wednesday vote to hold Barr in contempt of Congress, citing the Justice Departments failure to provide the full text of Muellers report by the Monday morning deadline. Nadler, D-N.Y., said Barrs failure to comply with a subpoena left them with no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings. The movement to hold Barr in contempt reflects the deepening rift between Democrats and Barr, whom they accuse of spinning the results of Muellers investigation to Trumps benefit. Barr, in a memo summarizing Muellers investigation, said there was insufficient evidence that Trump obstructed justice a conclusion Democrats fiercely dispute. Nadler said the version of Muellers report that has already been released to the public offered disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels. Now, he said, lawmakers need the full version and the underlying evidence to determine how to best move forward with oversight, legislation and other constitutional responsibilities. The committee said contempt proceedings could be postponed if the attorney general makes a good faith effort to comply with the committee. In a possible thaw, Nadler said Monday evening that the Justice Department had agreed to meet with his staff Tuesday, adding that he hopes to make concrete progress toward resolving the dispute. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said earlier that the department has taken extraordinary steps to accommodate the House Judiciary Committees requests for information regarding Muellers report, but that Nadler had not reciprocated. She noted that Democrats have refused to read a version of Muellers report with fewer redactions that has already been provided to Congress. Kupec said officials were continuing to engage with the committee, and Nadlers staff had been invited to the department to discuss a mutually acceptable accommodation. If the committee approves the contempt resolution against Barr, as expected, it would head to the full House for final approval. But that step is unlikely to lead to criminal charges. A House vote 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. Yet by pursuing contempt, Democrats hope to send a message to the Trump administration about their willingness to invoke congressional powers in the majority. Beyond Muellers report, House Democrats have, so far mostly unsuccessfully, subpoenaed administration witnesses and made efforts to gain access to Trumps personal and business financial records. Trump has said he will block those efforts, declaring he will fight all the subpoenas. Democratic House leaders could file a civil lawsuit against the Justice Department to obtain the Mueller report an option that could take months or even years to resolve. Some committee members have suggested they also could fine Barr as he withholds the information. They could also open impeachment proceedings against Trump, though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said shes not interested in doing that, for now. Republicans have lambasted the Democratic tactics as overreach and defended Barr. The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, said Democrats have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general when their anger actually lies with the president. There is precedent for sitting attorneys general to be held in contempt of Congress. In 2012, the House held then-Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt over a botched gun-tracking operation known as Fast and Furious. Republicans cited the Justice Departments failure to turn over, without any preconditions, documents related to the risky operation. The Justice Department took no action to prosecute the attorney general. Muellers report now a best-seller even in redacted form states that his investigation could not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump team and Russia. However, it did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. Mueller didnt charge Trump but wrote that he couldnt exonerate him, either. House Judiciary Democrats say Congress is the only body able to hold the president to account since the Justice Department has a policy against indicting a sitting president. They say they need the full report and the evidence that it cites, including witness interviews and items such as contemporaneous notes. Nadler also wants every member of Congress to be able to read the full report. As the fight with Barr has escalated, Democrats have been in negotiations to hear from Mueller himself. Trump complicated those talks Sunday by tweeting that he would oppose Muellers testimony, reversing from his earlier position of leaving it up to Barr. As long as Mueller remains a Justice Department employee, Trump or Barr could block him from appearing. Trump did not indicate if he would take steps to do so. Its unclear when Mueller will leave the department or whether he would want to testify in his own capacity when he does. Nadler said last week the committee was firming up the date for Muellers testimony and hoping it would be May 15. The Justice Department declined to comment. ___ Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report. GOLDEN, Colo. Authorities are looking for two teen sex offenders who escaped from a juvenile detention center near Denver, apparently using bedsheets to climb down from a broken window. Police say 19-year-old Javier Madera and his 17-year-old roommate were last seen between midnight and 1 a.m. Monday when a guard let them go to the bathroom at Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center in Golden. A police officer didnt notice anything wrong during a perimeter check at 2:21 a.m. But about three hours later, the officer saw a dumpster turned on its side and sheets hanging out a window on the buildings second floor. Police say the teens are both sex offenders with gang affiliations. The escape comes less than a week after a riot broke out at the state-operated detention center. WASHINGTON Special counsel Robert Mueller was expected to step down days after concluding his investigation in March. Yet he remains a Justice Department employee and the department wont say why. Thats just one of the complications at play in the high-stakes, secret negotiations over whether Mueller will testify before Congress. Whatever role Mueller now has, keeping him on the Justice Department payroll offers one clear advantage to President Donald Trumps administration: It makes it easier for Attorney General William Barr to block Mueller from testifying before Congress. Democrats, who control the House, have been eager to hear from Mueller. They hope he can shine more light on his investigation into interference in the 2016 presidential election, possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign, and potential obstruction of justice. Barr has said repeatedly he doesnt object to Mueller testifying. But he may defer to the wishes of Trump, who tweeted last weekend: Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems! After Barr skipped out on a congressional appearance last week, attention immediately turned to the possibility of Mueller testifying. And Trump was watching. The president stewed for days about the prospect of the media coverage that would be given to Mueller, a man Trump believes has been unfairly lionized across cable news and the front pages of the nations leading newspapers for two years, according to three White House officials and Republicans close to the White House. Trump feared a repeat but bigger of the February testimony of his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, which dominated news coverage and even overshadowed a nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam. Trump has long known the power of televised images and feared that Americans would be captivated by seeing and hearing Mueller, who has not spoken publicly since being named special counsel. While Mueller is a Justice Department employee, the department would generally handle requests for him to appear before Congress, and the Justice Department could delay or block Mueller from voluntarily appearing. Congress could issue a subpoena to compel him to appear before the committee. It isnt clear what grounds the Justice Department would use to justify an attempt to block Muellers testimony. As a private citizen, Mueller could decide whether to accept an invitation to appear or, if he declines, whether to attempt to resist any effort to subpoena him. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said last week the committee was firming up the date for Muellers testimony and hoping it would be May 15. If the Justice Department tries to block Muellers testimony, Democrats could issue a subpoena to try to compel his appearance. Any showdown over Muellers testimony would add to tensions between House Democrats and the Justice Department. Barr has already defied a subpoena to provide the full, unredacted version of Muellers report, and Nadler has scheduled a Wednesday vote to hold the attorney general in contempt of Congress. Mueller turned over his findings to Barr on March 22. Mueller did not find a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign but did not come to a definitive conclusion on whether the president obstructed justice. Two days later, Barr sent Congress a four-page letter detailing Muellers principal conclusion and giving his own finding that there was insufficient evidence to bring obstruction charges against the president. On the day the report was turned over to Barr, Muellers spokesman, Peter Carr, issued a statement saying that Mueller would be concluding his service within the coming days. He said a small staff remained at the special counsels office to assist in closing the operations of the office. When asked Monday about Muellers continued employment, Carr said he had nothing to add beyond that March 22 statement. While House Democrats have already asked Mueller to testify, Senate Democrats, as the minority in the chamber, are more limited. They dont have the power to set the hearing schedules or compel officials to appear. But they are trying to build a case in public opinion that its Mueller, not Barr, who needs to tell the story. Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has said he doesnt plan to invite Mueller to testify on the report. While Trump told those around him that Mueller had exonerated him, a sense was growing in the West Wing that the special counsels gravitas would add weight to some of the politically damaging and embarrassing material about Trump in the special counsels report. Although the president had previously indicated he would not have a problem if Mueller testified, he lashed out against the prospect over the weekend, furthering his administrations efforts to stonewall all Democratic lines of inquiry. ___ Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Jeremy Brooks of Santa Fe, a fly-fishing expert and recent college graduate who had just landed a dream job, was among the 41 people killed when a Russian airliner caught fire on Sunday. Brooks, 22, was on his way to serve as fishing guide for Atlantic salmon in northwest Russia, according to Ivan Valdez, owner of the The Reel Life fishing shop in Santa Fe. Valdez said he hired Brooks as a guide as soon as the then-teen got a drivers license. He never had a mean bone in his body, said Valdez, whose voice cracked as he described Brooks as more of a son than an employee. He had it all to offer the world. I never heard a bad complaint against him. Brooks reportedly was the lone American to die when the Russian plane experienced problems on a flight from Moscow to Murmansk and burst into flames as it made a hard landing back in Moscow. The pilot said the plane had lost radio communications because of a lightning strike, according to the Associated Press, but it was not clear if that precipitated the emergency landing. A flight attendant also was reported to have said there was a sharp flash soon after the flight took off. Brooks graduated from Santa Fe Prep. Marco Rossetti, who went to Prep with Brooks, also struggled to talk about the passing of his friend. Every single trip, just about, growing up, wed be putting in before sunrise til well after sunset, sometimes through the night, Rossetti said. Aside from the point of fishing, because thats not all he is, he was the best person. He was there and had any friends back better than anybody. I have more respect for him than any other person on this planet, said Rossetti. And now hes not on this planet. Valdez said Brooks had just graduated from Colorado College in Colorado Springs, where he majored in environmental science. Brooks job in Russia was for one of the most prestigious places to guide in the world, where anglers can spend up to $20,000 a week for guided fishing, Valdez said. He identified Brooks employers as Ponoi Outfitters. The Ponoi or Ponoy River, located just about the Arctic Circle and which runs into the Barents Sea, has a worldwide reputation for spectacular fishing. Brooks was more excited than any other time in his life, Rossetti said. In a biographical Q&A on The Reel Lifes website, Brooks wrote that he first fly-fished on his seventh birthday on a guided trip that he asked for as his birthday present. As to why he loves fly-fishing, Brooks wrote, Honestly, I dont even know how many times Ive spent the drive back from a day on the water trying to answer this very question for myself. Although I havent come close to describing it perfectly, I do know that every single day Im grateful that I picked up a fly rod when I did. I live two different lives, one among friends and family that floats between school in Colorado Springs and my house in Santa Fe, and one that takes place in mountains, always near water with a fly rod in hand. Each puts the other into perspective; drama with friends feels insignificant when I know that fresh fish are running the Dream Stream, and a tough day on the water is less painful when I return to the real world and remember that fishing is simultaneously all that matters and completely pointless. A statement from Alex Hernandez-Siegel, chaplain and associate dean at Colorado College, said Miro Kummel, Brooks faculty adviser, had described Jeremy as an amiable student with a love for ecology and one of Kummels most talented students, someone who always had a smile on his face and was always there to assist his peers. Hernandez-Siegel and another chaplain are available on the campus to meet with anyone who wishes to spend time with us to reflect on Jeremys life and who may need support, and a counseling center is also available. We are sending our condolences to his family and will ask how we can be of any assistance at this time, Hernandez-Siegel said. HOUSTON Lawmakers are considering a bill that could grant Texas homeowners a tax break when their property has been damaged by disasters such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Bill sponsor Sen. Paul Bettencourt said it would allow homeowners to challenge unjust property tax bills after a natural disaster, the Houston Chronicle reported. Nothing makes home and business owners madder than paying full property taxes on a damaged or destroyed property, Bettencourt said. The bill would basically remove cities, counties and other governmental agencies from the disaster reappraisal process. It also includes guidelines on how appraisers must complete the work. Hurricane Harvey caused widespread damage and flooding along the Texas Gulf Coast, with winds speeds topping 130 mph (210 kph). A handful of the more than 200,000 damaged structures were reappraised. In Harris County, which has over 500 taxing districts, just 10 residents agreed to reappraise properties to reflect their post-storm worth, which assisted the owners of 14,000 properties mostly in the Katy and Humble school districts. Unconscionable, said Bettencourt. In 2017, many of those government agencies said they were concerned about losing tax revenue while facing an epic disaster. Some county officials cautioned that the price of doing reappraisals could cost millions, leading to lost revenue needed to fund police and fire protection. Others said the lack of appraisals wasnt about losing revenue. All it was, was greed, Galveston County Tax Assessor-Collector Cheryl E. Johnson told Senators in a hearing on the issue in April. Local governments were more worried about the revenues than the owners of 20,000 properties in Galveston County that were severely damaged, Johnson added. While governments can find other income sources, she noted residents have significantly more restrictive options, particularly after losing their homes. The proposal has passed the Senate and the House could vote on it next week. If the bill passes, an alteration in the state constitution would be needed to guarantee the change can be made. The Legislature would then be required to put a ballot item to the public in November. ___ Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com GREELEY, Colo. A grand jury will not file charges against a Colorado police officer who shot and killed an off-duty sheriffs deputy following a car chase. The Weld County grand jurys report released Monday does not say why Adams County Sheriffs Deputy Jesse Jenson was chasing another car in rural northern Colorado on Jan. 16, traveling more than 90 miles per hour. According to the report, LaSalle Police Officer Caroline Persichetti shot Jenson when he exited his car at an intersection and came toward her, ignoring commands to stop. The report says Persichetti told grand jurors that she could not see Jensons left hand and believed he had a gun. Investigators later found he was unarmed. Grand jurors said in the report that they did not find probable cause of a crime. Chinese Ambassador Hu Zhangliang Called on H.E. President Julius Maada Bio 2019/05/06 On May 3, 2019, Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of Sierra Leone, H.E. Hu Zhangliang called on H.E. Julius Maada Bio, the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, at the State House in Freetown. Ambassador Hu spoke highly of the new and positive changes in Sierra Leone under the strong leadership of H.E. President Bio.He extended sincere congratulations to H.E. President Bio on behalf of the Chinese government. Ambassador Hu said, the Chinese side highly appreciates that H.E. President Bio attaches great importance to the development of China-Sierra Leone bilateral relations. The Chinese side firmly supports the Sierra Leonean side in its implementation of the "New Direction" Strategy, and is willing to deepen bilateral cooperation under the frameworks of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the "Belt and Road" Initiative. China wishes to promote the continuous development of China-Sierra Leone relations and bring more benefits to the two countries and peoples, the Ambassador said. H.E. President Bio regarded China as Sierra Leones reliable friend. The President thanked China for consistently providing valuable assistance to Sierra Leone for the latters economic and social development. He said the Sierra Leonean side is deeply grateful for this. H.E. President Bio pointed out that Sierra Leone was striving to achieve the "New Direction" Strategy and would like to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields with China. BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said he is continuing his investigation into whether PG&E's equipment is a potential cause of the 2018 Camp Fire. A recent news report from Sacramento indicates Ramsey has not determined what actions may have contributed to the start of the Camp Fire. He has, however, concluded that PG&E equipment is to blame. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey clarified with Action News Now, though, that that he has not officially blamed PG&E equipment. "We know what had started the fire," Ramsey said. "And what we need to further indicate before we can determine whether there is criminal action is the 'why.' Why did that fire start? Was there criminal negligence in causing that fire to start?" A utility spokesperson confirmed that the company believes it is probable that its equipment will be determined to be an ignition point of the Camp Fire. The spokesperson also said PG&E is cooperating with all ongoing investigations. CAL FIRE's investigation into the Camp Fire also has not yet been completed. CHICO, Calif. - Chico police are searching for suspects after a downtown Chico mural was vandalized with white supremacist statements and symbols. The mural stretches along the WeServ, Inc. building at 945 W. 2nd St. in Chico. Mechoopda was a village community formerly located on Little Butte Creek, about 3 miles south of today's downtown Chico. The people of Mechoopda spoke a language related to Maidu, one of the more than 175 languages and dialects once spoken in native California. Mechoopda oral tradition does not include a story of migration, but rather makes reference to the beginnings of this world at a place known as Tadoiko, a few miles south of the village. It was here that a raft carrying Kodoyampeh (Earth Maker) and Turtle first came ashore on the soft, newly created earth. A large depression was visible there for centuries until leveled for agriculture in the early 20th century. By 1850, following John Bidwell's acquisition of the Spanish Land Grant, Rancho Arroyo Chico, the Mechoopda moved to a former summer camp site located on the south side of Chico Creek near First and Flume Streets in what is now downtown Chico. A few years later the village was moved downstream, closer to Bidwell's residence. In 1868, the village was moved mile west to its final location, eventually becoming the Chico Rancheria. The people called this last settlement Bahapki ("unsifted"), rather than Mechoopda, because Indians from several different villages, and neighboring tribes, resided there as members of the Rancho Arroyo Chico work force. You have to know who you are.Henry Azbill (1899 1973) MECHOOPDA MAIDU It represents an early village scene of Mechoopda culture before colonization. Though the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria was only federally recognized since 1992, the tribute lived in the area before the Spaniards came and before the Gold Rush ensued. Swastikas and the statements "white power" and "I stole your land b*tch" were drawn over the mural. Some of the paint was scratched into and broken off in areas. Action News Now reporter Luna Nas met with the artists to learn more about the mural and their efforts to repair the damage. "It's very unfortunate this kind of stuff happens in the community," said Muralist Christian Garcia. "There's no need for any kind of racial slurs or the vandalism part of it. You know it takes five minutes to deface and vandalize something that we spent weeks and a lot of hours and put a lot of energy into." They said this kind of vandalism will not stop them from what they are doing. "The message that I have for anyone who wants to vandalize or target me and the work that I do is that I can't stop!" said Muralist Ali Meders-Knight. "And I'll be putting out this work in a positive way and a positive message and bringing beauty to this community, regardless." Meders-Knight contacted the Chico Police Department about the vandalism. Police told Action News Now they are investigating the reported vandalism as a possible hate crime. Meders-Knight said she plans on pursuing a civil case if police arrest a suspect. The vandalism has now been covered up, and both artists said this will not stop them from their work. (Please read the accompanying article to find out more about the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria - excerpt from their website, which can be located by CLICKING HERE. Great Learning, Indias leading ed-tech company has launched its first thematic digital campaign Office Dinosaur, roping in popular comic Rahul Subramanian to play the protagonist. Conceptualised and executed by Bangalore based Bluebot Digital Pvt. Ltd, the campaign shines the spotlight on the importance of upskilling in future-secure technologies and aims to motivate people to take proactive steps to enhance their careers. The brand film is being promoted on social media as well as content platforms like ScoopWhoop and YourStory. The Office Dinosaur depicted in the campaign is a common archetype one may encounter in a professional space a freeloading, crafty, lazy employee driven only by the desire to exist in mediocrity. In the thematic films, Rahul Subramanian encounters his Office Dinosaur in hilarious office situations, which drives home the point of upskilling to advance careers. Having gained a firm foothold in the market in a span of 5 years, Great Learning is counted amongst the leading ed-tech players in the country and now aims to communicate the importance of reskilling through a creative digital campaign. The platform has built a sizable business and significant market presence. The digital campaign aims to build a better brand recognition and reach out to more working professionals in the country. According to a NASSCOM report, about 40 percent of Indias total workforce has to be reskilled over the next five years to cope with emerging trends like AI, IoT, machine learning and blockchain. Speaking about the campaign, Hari Krishnan Nair, Co-founder, Great Learning said, The campaign evokes the familiar fear that every professional has of not being able to move up the ladder and ending up becoming a mediocre contributor. Till some time back, the route to career growth mostly entailed good performance and aptitude for a bigger role. However, with technology evolving rapidly, the ability to continuously learn and acquire new skills has become essential for anyone who is looking to climb the career ladder. The essence of the campaign is to directly speak to the customer to engage in a dialogue with him, in a language and context that he will relate to. On the process of crafting the Office Dinosaur films for Great Learning, Carl Savio, CCO of Bluebot Digital said, The Office Dinosaur is someone weve all encountered at every stage in our respective careers. So we thought, why not bring this relatable character to life and use it to connect with an audience that wants to get ahead in life. Great Learning is also helping their students to unlock their potential, highlight their skills and connect to the right opportunities for their next job with GL Excelerate. The company has a completion rate of 91% and 66% of professionals who have taken their course have achieved a career transition into their preferred competency, within 6 months. Learning at Great Learning is supported deeply by technology - for e.g., they can predict students who are likely to fail, within the first few weeks of starting any program and offer them with additional support. iProspect India, the digital performance agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has been a frontrunner in introducing initiatives to encourage its women workforce to take on leadership roles. As a part of Women@DAN, the Women@iProspect initiative was launched in 2018 and focuses on three essential parameters safety, gender diversity and leadership. Women@iProspect sees see women leaders discussing issues affecting women at work, the various challenges faced, how to create a healthy work-life balance, etc. The initiative, a regular feature every quarter, is led by iProspect Indias CEO, Rubeena Singh. With 20 years of experience in digital, print and broadcast, Singh has rich knowledge in business & product development, digital marketing, relationship management and advertising sales. Under her leadership, the digital performance agency from the Dentsu Aegis Network has grown rapidly, serving 100+ clients and employing 200 people today. Apart from her work in the digital marketing space, Singh is known for her efforts to encourage women leadership empowering and encouraging women to take on leadership roles and eventually break the glass ceiling. In an interaction with Adgully, Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India, sheds more light on the various initiatives that her organisation has taken to encourage more women to take on leadership roles as well as to sensitise its male workforce towards the challenges that women at work face. How is iProspect India taking the lead through its various employee development initiatives? This has been something on top of our minds. We want to be an employee first organisation. We pledged to it in our last annual conference in Jaipur. There are many things that are already happening at a global level we are running a program called Truth 500, where 500 people who are the best performers across the globe get an opportunity to go through special training, which puts them in the fast track on their career path. iProspect at a global level runs an iProspect Skill Academy. This is a global program that we run across countries, where a lot of cross learning that happens in markets outside the candidates experience. At some point, we thought we had to do something specifically for the Indian market. The way we looked at it was by dividing it into two categories: Skill Development We have partnerships with Google, Facebook and Adobe with whom we conduct a lot of skill enhancement programs. Next Gen and Business Insider are two programs that our employees here attend. Next Gen is an exclusive program for us. Facebook and Adobe also spend a lot of time curating specific programs for us. Soft Skill Development If our employees need to move forward in management, they need to develop not just their core skills, but also their softer skills. We started a program called iLead, which stands for leadership and employee development. To spread awareness about this program, we talked to our teams about why we are doing this and why they must invest their time in it. It is a really personalised effort that we are taking. At the mid-level, we realised that a lot more development is required in managerial skills. In the industry, attrition levels are really high because as it is a new industry, there are fewer people with skills and a lot of opportunities available. Also, a lot of young people, 30 or under, are in managerial positions. So, getting these people to hone their skills and learning how to be a good manager is a big challenge. For senior leadership, the challenges are different. For them it is more about dealing with the business pressure and thinking about the vision that lies ahead. Training for this group will be for a smaller set of like 5 people who will lead iProspect in the future. Basically, we are doing these trainings at different dimensions. How have these initiatives helped improve productivity? In this business you need to be able to prioritise your work. We are spending a lot of time with our employees to help organise themselves better. As we move forward as a company, a lot of that is happening through technology. It is not the traditional way of doing it like timesheets, where people have to justify what they are doing. It is a more efficient way of finding out how many tasks you are doing, how many of them are repetitive and how to automate those repetitive tasks. We are helping them be more productive and have more time so they can manage their work life balance better. We started the internal job prospects at iProspect. We have a lot of people in a particular discipline who after a period of time want to move to the next discipline. We have examples of many people in the company who have moved internally in the past 6 months, but again in order to ensure that business is not disrupted for clients these people need to be given training. So, a lot of skill training happens along with that where people get to add new skills and they remain longer with us. How does iProspect ensure pay parity across the board? Being a woman CEO myself, I am highly conscious of that. As long as I am at the helm of things, I can tell you those differentiations will not happen. Also, I think in media and advertising as a sector, we are still in a better place compared to other sectors. So, I dont think it is such a big challenge in this sector. But on another note, I have noticed that women tend to hesitate while they are negotiating their pay packets. They are not confident enough to ask. It has changed over the years, but it is a long process. Women need to ask for what theyre worth, because as a hiring manager if someone is willing to work for less, then nobody is going to complain. You have to be able to ask more. In media, our ecosystem is more vibrant and you tend to see more spunky and vibrant personalities in women. In what way has the #MeToo movement impacted the work environment in India? It has impacted a lot. Im really glad it came out, because it allowed a lot of women to voice what they were going through. The largest impact has been in bringing more awareness on both sides/ both genders. A lot of times people are unconsciously saying untoward things and men and women today are more aware of what is acceptable and what should not be put up with. The movement also helped educate a lot of people of what they could do if they felt uncomfortable. How much do organisations lose out when women have to quit due to family obligations? I think when any employee leaves, it is a huge disruption to business. There have been various reasons why people sometimes take time off, not just maternity reasons. Since we are a digital agency, we can work out of anywhere. For us, it is not so hard and there is a lot of flexibility available to our employees. What can organisations do to provide equal opportunities to its workforce? A lot needs to be done. Women do need a little bit of positive discrimination because of the patriarchal society we have been brought up in. At iProspect, we have just such a program called Women@iProspect. What exactly is the Women@iProspect program? The program is to develop women for leadership roles. We started off by inviting a senior woman leader from outside to talk to men as well as women. We try to be as inclusive in our conversations as possible when we are talking about the women at iProspect, because the men need to be equally supportive. Men have to understand the different things that women have to juggle. In the second leg of the program, we have managers nominate women employees for senior leadership and we do individual development programs for them with an external consultant. The idea is to train them for the next 12 months and see if they have the hunger. They are trained by super bosses or skip level bosses to groom them for higher levels of leadership. Why are there still few women leaders in the boardroom? I think the conversation has just started in the last few years. To get into a boardroom, you have to work at least 20-25+ years. I dont think there was so much focus two decades earlier. But in the last decade, there has been a lot of progress and I really hope that we see more women in boardrooms. While we can help women and encourage them, but after certain point you need to have the merit and put in the slog years. It is just not going to come on its own. How would you describe yourself as a woman boss? While Im sensitive to women, I am very merit-oriented. Being a woman, I understand the challenges women face, so I try to educate the men to be more supportive of them. As long as work is done, I dont care if someone takes more breaks or leaves for home early. However, if work is not done, then I am not the kind of person who cares whether it is a man or a woman. Collaborative spaces led by global giant WeWorks expansion in India are having a real impact on the concept of workspaces and therefore the economy. A new report assessing economic impact has outlined interesting insights that point to Indias work-life moving in a new direction. Democratization of neighborhoods Intensive urbanization and growing population density in a few areas have made the CBDs of metropolitan India practically inaccessible over the past two decades, especially in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. NITI Aayog foresees the growth of the Indian real estate sector to jump over fivefold to $650 billion by 2040. As commercial real estate become more expensive, flexible workspaces are democratizing access by reducing the prohibitive barrier of price. This is re-injecting vibrancy to these locations and enabling businesses and individuals to benefit from proximity to business areas. In fact, the report found that 76% of WeWork members in Mumbai, 74% in Bangalore, and 67% in Delhi and did not work in the neighborhood prior to joining WeWork. This has also had an impact on associated activities in these areas; 9-15% of WeWork members have moved closer to the WeWork location since joining, especially in Bangalore where 1 in 4 (37%) members visit neighborhood restaurants, cafes and businesses daily. In Bangalore, the WeWork economy directly contributed INR 1,957 crore and in total supports INR 2,002 crore (INR 44 crore indirectly) of GDP in the city. Mumbai comes next in terms of impact, where the WeWork economy directly contributed INR 1,692 crore of GDP and in total supports INR 1,737 crore (INR 45 crore indirectly) of GDP in the city. Economic contribution of WeWork in Delhi is the highest, where the WeWork economy directly contributed INR 2,986 crore of GDP and INR 62.7 crore indirectly, resulting in a whopping INR 3,049 crore GDP impact. Knowledge workers, entrepreneurs are the biggest beneficiaries of co-working revolution Growing automation is driving a shift towards knowledge work, and these contributors are the biggest beneficiaries of the growth of collaborative workspaces. Flexibility and low capital commitment helps encourage entrepreneurship, with 17% of Mumbai WeWork entrepreneur-members, for instance, pursuing their first startup project at WeWork. Likewise, over 77% of WeWork members in Bangalore are in the innovation economy, and a fifth of WeWork member-entrepreneurs are taking the plunge to self-employment for the first time. In Delhi, 53% of members are in the innovation economy while 11% of entrepreneur-members are first-timers. Flexible working correlated to the rise of women in leadership roles The flexibility, access and convenience that collaborative workspaces offer have an impact on women rising to leadership positions, and Indias WeWork members are ahead of the curve. Led by Mumbai, where a significant 41% of senior roles (executives, senior managers, managers and sole proprietors) are held by women, followed by Delhi (29%) and Bangalore (26%), India is far ahead of the rest of Asia, where the percentage is at 23%. Companies grow faster with better collaboration, global access Across cities, collaborative working has had a direct impact on company growth, with 65% members in Bangalore and 58% in Delhi stating that WeWork has helped accelerate growth. This is especially true among small and medium companies, who benefit from the national and international network of member companies, ease of collaboration and world-class infrastructure access. In fact, the average growth rate across SMB WeWork members in Bangalore is 25% compared to 4% for all companies in the city. The difference is even starker in Mumbai, where SMB WeWork members have grown at 37% on average compared to 2% for all companies in the financial capital. Flexible workspaces more efficient, sustainable Easier access to flexible workspace has also increased the viability of sustainable forms of commute, including walking, biking or public transport. In Bangalore and Mumbai, over half of WeWork members use sustainable public transit modes. Members also tend to switch from self-driving to sustainable public transit, with 15% in Bangalore and 25% in Mumbai reporting that theyve done so since joining WeWork. In Delhi, over 60% of members use sustainable transit options and about 29% have given up polluting cars since joining WeWork. Karan Virwani, Co CWeO WeWork India says, WeWork as a community enables its members to collaborate with each other, which has led to the creation of efficiencies in terms of increased creativity, productivity at the workplace and innovation. This process has effects that go far beyond individual considerations as it also sparks the development and support of local communities, neighborhoods and businesses, a culture that we as an organisation look to actively imbibe, encourage and promote. This is true for WeWork across countries around the world and in India. Black flies bite, but ticks really suck. Enough complaining that never helps. After such a long winter, we are all grateful that spring has finally sprung, even though the price of warm weather seems to be the advent of biting insects. Swarms of mosquitoes can drain the fun from an evening on the deck, but a single black-legged or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) can take the shine off an entire summer if it infects you with Lyme disease and/or another serious illness. As recently as a decade ago in Northern New York it was rare to find a single deer tick on oneself after a long day outdoors. Now all you have to do is set foot in the brush to collect a whole set of them on your pant legs. Research has found that deer ticks were never here historically, even in low numbers, but moved-up from the mid-Atlantic states over the past few decades. Arguably they are an invasive species in Northern New York. The newest tick on the block, however, is without question an invasive species. Native to Korea, Japan, eastern China, and a number of Pacific Island nations, it is known as the Asian bush or cattle tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis). It is also called the Asian longhorned tick, which is confusing because we already have Asian longhorned beetle. Plus, the bush tick has no long appendages of any kind. In fact it is short on any distinguishing features. As Jody Gangloff-Kaufman of NYs Integrated Pest Management Program writes, Longhorned ticks are difficult to identify, especially in the younger stages. Adults are plain brown but look similar to brown dog ticks. Tick identification services can be found here. Closely related to our beloved deer tick, this Asian bush tick was discovered for the first time in the wild in North America in 2017 in New Jersey, where a pet sheep was reportedly infested with over a thousand of them. Since then it has spread to eight other states, including NY. Their high reproductive potential is one of the worrisome features of the species. They are all parthenogenic (asexual) females, meaning they churn out 1,000 2,000 eggs apiece without the bother of hooking up to mate. Columbia News reported a good example of the new ticks fecundity last December: When the Asian bush tick was first confirmed on Staten Island in 2017, surveys found their density in public parks was 85 per square meter. In 2018, the same parks had 1,529 per square meter. Another concern is whether it is a vector of human and animal disease. In its home range, the bush tick is known to transmit a plethora of diseases including Lyme, spotted fever, Erlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Powassan virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, similar to Ebola. As terrifying as this is, researchers have yet to find infected ticks in North America. Experts disagree about the bush ticks potential to spread illness. Dr. John Aucott, who directs the Lyme Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, has said that we should not extrapolate that because the bush tick carries serious illnesses in its home range, people here are at risk for the same diseases. However, the deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Dr. Ben Beard, is quoted on the CDC website as follows: The full public health impact of this tick is unknown. In other parts of the world, the Asian longhorned tick can transmit many types of pathogens common in the United States. We are concerned that this tick, which can cause massive infestations on animals, on people, and in the environment, is spreading in the United States. Right now the bush tick is downstate, but it is considered cold-hardy and will be heading our way. Though ticks only walk a few meters in a lifetime, they hitch rides on migratory birds. A study on deer tick range expansion led by Katie M. Clow of the University of Guelph in Ontario concluded that they are moving north at an average rate of 46 kilometers (28.5 miles) per year, aided by birds. This isnt to say we need to panic, though feel free to do so if you like. Avoiding this tick is done the same way we avoid deer ticks. Since ticks quest at the tips of tall grass or brush, waiting to glom onto the next thing that brushes past, hikers should stick to marked trails, and avoid following deer trails. Use products containing 20-30% DEET on exposed skin. Clothing, footwear and gear such as tents can be treated with 0.5% permethrin. Treat pets regularly with a systemic anti-tick product and/or tick collar so they dont bring deer ticks into the home. Talk to your vet about getting your pets vaccinated against Lyme (sadly there is no human vaccine at the moment). Check for ticks each evening after bathing. Ticks like hard-to-see places such as armpits, groin, scalp, sock hems, and the backs of the knees, so look closely in these areas. If you find a tick has latched onto you, prompt removal is critical. The CDC recommends you grasp it as close to the skin as possible with tweezers and pulling straight up until it releases. You may have to pull hard if it has been feeding for a while. Tick mouthparts commonly remain in the skin after tick removal; this is not a problem. Do not use home remedies to get a tick to release, as it induces it to disgorge back into you, greatly increasing the chance you may get sick. Homeowners can help themselves. The CDC website states: Maintaining a 9-foot distance between lawn and wooded habitat can reduce the risk of tick contact. Permethrin-treated clothing and DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 can be used as personal repellents. Follow all label instructions. Consult your veterinarian for recommendations specific to your situation and animals. Please keep yourself and your loved ones ticked off, and have a great summer. Photo of Ventral view of female longhorned tick courtesy U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I know Paul Offit thinks educated, suburban (code word white, as if his being misogynistic isn't enough, he has to racial profile us) women are the backbone of the vaccine choice movement. We're uppity Whole Foods shopping naughty women who refuse to listen to the male, white man in the white coat. I am member of a Facebook group that's for Moms in my town. It's private. Shshshshs, it's actually a SECRET group and you can only get in after proving that you live in our town, showing a c-section scar, 23 and me reports or producing adoption papers. The group is wonderful when someone is in need. Hurricane knocks out power in half the town for a week? Moms line up to offer a shower in their home with power, a pot of hot coffee. Someone sick with cancer? The meal train shoots out of the station like a bullet train in Japan. Lasagna to the rescue! They organize charitable events and donor drives. It's a great group overall. But there is one topic that is not allowed. Vaccine choice. "Too controversial." Women have spoken among themselves about how to birth, protect and raise their children since the cave days. But I, a woman with vaccine injured children, can not utter a word about their vaccination history. I can not warn. I can not exercise my right to say, "Please do your own homework. Read this and decide for yourself." I can respond to posts about which greige paint is the one to choose for resale. I can respond to a post on "How do you keep up with laundry?"(wash, dry, fold and put away...) and other first world problems. But, I can't even write, "Our State Senator is meeting at Bruegger's Bagels on Tuesday, from 8:00 - 9:00 am to talk about the health bills that alter vaccination choice in Connecticut. You're invited." Too controversial. It's not right. We should be able to discuss our kids' health from all sides. Sure, some of the conversations will be difficult, contentious even. Angry Moms who believe every kids needs every vaccine will yell at Moms who think they should be able to pick and choose based on their child's health. There will be fighting. We know this. So what? There is no Stepford, Connecticut. We are in real towns with real children. And we should be able to have real conversations, without fear of being "too controversial." And then shut down. Kim Twelve seniors from Midland Valley High School will have the distinct honor this week of being the first Early College students in Aiken County to graduate with associates degrees from Aiken Technical College during commencement exercises to be held Tuesday evening. The students, who will receive their high school diplomas in early June, entered the program as rising high school sophomores entering the 2016-17 school year. This is truly a momentous occasion and cause for celebration in Aiken County Public Schools and the Midland Valley community, said Aiken County Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford. These talented students have worked extremely hard to set themselves apart academically, and they are being rewarded for that initiative. They have also honored their parents and family members by pursuing college course work during their high school years where no financial hardship is required. Alford thanked the leadership of Aiken Technical College, community business partner Graniteville Specialty Fabrics and Public Education Partners for their tremendous support of Midland Valley High School students. This has been a wonderful collaboration fully illustrative of the heights of opportunity that may be afforded to students when we work together, Alford added. We sincerely appreciate the outstanding support of Aiken Technical College, Graniteville Specialty Fabrics and Public Education partners and look forward to the continued success of the program for many years to come. Aiken Technical College President Dr. Forest E. Mahan said students who accept the Early College challenge see many benefits. We are very proud our first Early College cohort. These students have shown dedication and determination throughout the program. They have excelled academically while also balancing several extracurricular and community activities, said Mahan. The Early College program is a unique opportunity that allows high school students to earn a college credential and be steps ahead of their peers when they transfer to the four-year college or university of their choice. This program has been yet another example of the great partnership we have with the Aiken County Public School District and the impacts of us working together to increase the higher education attainment in Aiken County. Here is the Midland Valley High School Early College Class of 2019: NAME: Clint Brandon Humphreys Jr. PARENTS: Clint and Marisol Humphreys CAREER PLANS: Military enlistment CAREER GOAL: United States Navy QUOTING CLINT: It was long and hard and there were good times and bad times. Overall, it was a good experience and I would recommend that most people attempt the program. NAME: Francesca Keara Johnson PARENT: Juvelle Carter COLLEGE PLANS: Winthrop University PLANNED MAJOR: Biochemistry CAREER GOAL: Pediatrician QUOTING FRANCESCA: Hard work, dedication, and fun are the ultimate takeaways that Ive picked up through this incredible opportunity. NAME: Trinity Michelle Kirby PARENTS: Edward Kirby and Veronica Kampf COLLEGE PLANS: Clemson University PLANNED MAJOR: Animal science CAREER GOAL: Veterinary medicine QUOTING TRINITY: The Early College program gives you a great opportunity to advance your education and get ahead in life. NAME: Irvon Terryan Malcolm PARENTS: Irvin and Latasha Malcolm COLLEGE PLANS: USC Aiken PLANNED MAJOR: Nursing CAREER GOAL: Physicians assistant (PA) QUOTING IRVON: In these last three years I have had the experience of a lifetime. Even though it was hard, stressful, and downright tiring, it was all well worth it. The benefits that Early College have provided me with have brought me further than I could ever have imagined. NAME: Summerlin Jade Morris PARENTS: George and Loretta Morris COLLEGE (OR CAREER) PLANS: USC Aiken PLANNED MAJOR: BSN CAREER GOAL: Oncologist QUOTING SUMMERLIN: Early College was a great experience. It was an amazing opportunity. It was hard work, but very much worth it! NAME: Christopher Tyler Randall PARENTS: Chris and Jennifer Randall COLLEGE (OR CAREER) PLANS: USC Columbia PLANNED MAJOR: Mechanical and electrical engineering CAREER GOAL: Undecided QUOTING CHRISTOPHER: Joining the Early College program was the best thing I couldve done for myself in high school. It provided me a way to get a head start on my peers and obtain a college degree without having to pay a dime. NAME: Carly Rayann Rivers PARENTS: Marty and Tommy Rivers COLLEGE: USC Aiken PLANNED MAJOR: Psychology (masters degree) CAREER GOAL: School counseling or social work QUOTING CARLY: This opportunity has given me so much. Its made me more responsible, mature, and ready for the rest of my college experience at a four-year university. The most important thing it has given me is a family. I will truly miss the friends that are now family that I have made throughout this program. Early College is something I will always be grateful for and always remember from my high school years. NAME: Lauren Taylor Shoup PARENTS: Charles and Jennifer Shoup COLLEGE PLANS: USC Columbia PLANNED MAJOR: Biology CAREER GOAL: Pediatric physicians assistant QUOTING LAUREN: Early College has been an amazing opportunity that I am very glad I decided to take advantage of. It is, by far, the best decision I have made throughout high school. NAME: Michael Gregory Trock PARENTS: Anthony and Alicia Zeman COLLEGE PLANS: USC Columbia PLANNED MAJOR: Computer science and computer engineering (double major) CAREER GOAL: Computer engineer QUOTING MICHAEL: The Early College program has been a great opportunity for me. I am excited because when my peers are graduating with their bachelors degrees, I will be graduating with my masters degree. NAME: William Andrew Walker PARENTS: Todd and Rebecca Walker COLLEGE PLANS: USC Columbia PLANNED MAJOR: Civil engineering CAREER GOAL: Civil engineer QUOTING ANDREW: Early College helped me learn time management skills and how to be successful in college. NAME: Jade Deshawn Whitfield PARENT: Johnny Whitfield COLLEGE PLANS: USC Columbia PLANNED MAJOR: Biological sciences CAREER GOAL: Orthodontist QUOTING JADE: Its been a long journey, but I am really excited to finally be reaching this milestone in my life. Sometimes I have to sit back and just say, wow, we finally made it. Its just amazing that we are about to graduate. Our teachers helped us throughout, and Ive really enjoyed it. Its been amazing. NAME: Adriana Cateriana Wood PARENTS: Alicia Nyerges and Harry Wood COLLEGE: Augusta University CAREER GOAL: Neurologist/pathologist PLANNED MAJOR: Biochemistry and forensic science (double major) QUOTING ADRIANA: Early College has been a great experience. It allowed me to have the immediate support from my family while getting accustomed to college life. Early College helped discipline my academic life, and pushed me to succeed. Im so grateful for everyone who has been involved with making this possible. It really made my high school experience worth it. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Mohammed al-Jaouni said he was recently surprised to be handed a divorce proceedings notification from the Mersal company, which began distributing court orders April 21 in place of Gaza judicial police. On April 4, the Ministry of Justice in Gaza signed an agreement with Mersal, a Palestinian private distribution and logistics company, entrusting it with a task previously assumed by the judicial police. The head of the High Judicial Council in Gaza, Mohammed Abed, said in an April 4 statement posted on the Justice Ministrys website, The aim of the agreement is to expedite judicial notification procedures and shorten litigation duration. He added, The failure to notify a litigant on time delays the litigation process. Judges would only start the proceedings after ascertaining all parties are duly notified. Jaouni told Al-Monitor that his wife had filed for divorce. He said he was surprised that a man wearing a jacket bearing a Mersal badge handed him the order. Jaouni added, I signed the document stating that I received the order and paid 5 shekels ($1.38), while the fee [was lower] before. The High Judicial Council, established in 2000 by Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to represent the judicial authority in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, is an integral part of the Ministry of Justice. The High Judicial Council handles the judicial work, while the ministry assumes the administrative tasks. The agreement with Mersal falls within the scope of the ministrys prerogatives to improve the work of the courts, which are directly under the High Judicial Council. Hassan Murtaja, the director general of administrative affairs at the Ministry of Justice, told Al-Monitor that the agreement between Mersal and the Ministry of Justice is based on High Judicial Council recommendations resulting from an internal study carried out by the ministry in 2017. The study examined the implications of delay in cases and considered solutions to speed up the litigation process and solve the problem of accumulated cases in the Gaza courts. The study showed that cases were being deferred amid citizens failure to respond to court notifications and allegations of non-receipt of these notifications. Moreover, some notifications are delivered late by the judicial police members, who [sometimes] do not know the exact address of the defendants, Murtaja said. The study recommended a switch to a delivery services company to ensure that citizens receive notifications promptly. Privatizing judicial notifications, as Murtaja calls it, guarantees the timely delivery of notifications. Litigants will be notified by e-mails that they will be receiving paper notifications from the company, he added. He said the agreement with Mersal will free police to do more important work. Mersal staff will assume this task which required human and logistical resources that cost the government a lot of money easing the burden on police agencies. Under the concluded agreement, Mersals staff would guarantee notification of judicial papers in return for a share of the notification fees paid by citizens to the courts fund to which citizens pay fines and litigation costs. Murtaja said about 250,000 notifications take place per year. The agreement will run for two years that could be renewed, Murtaja said. The agreement stipulates that judicial papers are to be delivered within a maximum period of three weeks if recipients are abroad (Mersal contacts family members in the Strip to do so) and within a shorter period inside the Gaza Strip. Murtaja continued, Mersal undertook to keep confidential the information obtained from the Ministry of Justice and not to disclose or exploit said information without the ministrys prior written approval. The director of logistics at Mersal, Zuhair Sakik, told Al-Monitor that he is bound by a confidentiality clause and cannot disclose any information about the agreement with the ministry. He said the effective implementation of the agreement was scheduled for April 17 after the company met all the conditions agreed upon in the agreement. These include allocating the necessary staff, providing a specific uniform, logistical equipment and a judicial notification software program. However, implementation was postponed by the Ministry of Justice to April 21. Murtaja said the delay was due to financial protocols between the courts and the intermediary bank to which the courts' fund will transfer Mersals share from the proceeds of the notification fees; this is three-fifths of the payments. Employees at the High Judicial Council told Al-Monitor that the judicial notification fees were increased by 3 shekels to become 5 shekels for each notification request. The decision to entrust Mersal with judicial notifications would spare the judicial police in the Hamas government from expenses related to fuel for judicial police vehicles for delivering judicial notifications. RAMALLAH, West Bank Kamal Zeidan is one of an apparently growing number of Druze youth in Israel rejecting forced service in the country's military. The 18-year-old served brief sentences twice in April for refusing conscription, and he fully expects to be summoned for a third court appearance soon. Zeidan is a member of the Druze ethno-religious minority in Beit Jann, a town in Galilee in northern Israel. When his first conscription notice arrived April 8, he headed to Tel Aviv a week later to give notice that he was refusing to enlist. He cited "national reasons," as he considers himself a Palestinian Arab. He was ordered to spend five days in Atlit military prison before being released April 19. When he refused a second time, the military court of the conscription office affiliated with the Israeli army in Tel Aviv then sentenced him April 28 to seven more days. Zeidans father, activist lawyer Yamen Zeidan, told Al-Monitor his son was put in solitary confinement during his first stint in prison because he refused to salute a prison officer, stating, "I am not a soldier, and I will not be one. I ask you to treat me like a detainee, not a soldier. For Muslim and Christian Arabs in Israel, enlisting is optional. But Druze men must serve unless they are exempted for certain reasons for example, if they suffer proven psychological harm from serving, have medical issues or feel service would violate their religious dedication. Those who resist are often sentenced to progressively longer terms to pressure them. But if they don't change their minds after a year, their cases are referred for military prosecution and they can be sentenced to three years in prison which is the same duration as conscription. The obligation to serve stems from a 1956 law that several Druze leaders agreed to in exchange for Israeli authorities recognizing the independence of the Druze religious authority from the Islamic one and granting Druze some privileges and jobs. Refusing to enlist is not new, Yamen Zeidan said, adding, It began [on] day one of the implementation of the 1956 law. Kamal is not the first or the last to refuse to enlist. There are thousands of others. He said the number of resisters is growing but isn't publicized because those who resist are reluctant to speak about their experiences to the media. He said that was the case with 15 Druze men his son met in Atlit prison. The elder Zeidan said the rise in refusals stems from a growing national awareness. Many young Druze also believe Israel undermined equality principles after the Knesset in July passed the National State Law, which defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. There are about 120,000 Druze in Israel. Yamen Zeidan went through a bitter experience, losing two of his brothers who served in the army. As a result, he was exempted from military service, but he worked from 2002 to 2005 as a jailer for the Israeli Prison Service. He met many detainees. It was then he became more aware of his political and national identity and decided to study law. After becoming a lawyer, he dedicated his time to defending Palestinian detainees, in cooperation with the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, and fighting compulsory military service in the Israeli army. Druze are supporting their young men through the Refuse, Your People Will Protect You" campaign, which began in 2014. Coordinator Maisan Hamdan told Al-Monitor, The movement considers conscription imposed on young Druze a Palestinian cause, and the fight should be a comprehensive Palestinian one. She said one of the reasons behind Druze conscription is that Palestinian history was hidden from them and not taught in their schools. Young Druze were also assigned during their military service to all areas of contact with Palestinians at borders, prisons and checkpoints which created a negative image of Druze among Palestinians. "Besides, [information about] Druze participation in the Palestinian struggle against Israel after 1948 was also blacked out. Hamdan noted, "The movement supports those refusing conscription and raises awareness. It tries to break the [negative] image about Druze among Palestinian youths. She said the movement focuses on several media campaigns, including documenting stories and experiences of those refusing conscription, to counter the Israeli narrative that claims whoever opposes conscription can't move forward in life." Hamdan said an activity called "By the Way" done in association with the abovementioned Refuse, Your People Will Protect You campaign includes several events such as organizing sit-ins and protests like the one called for on May 3 in front of the Atlit prison. It is also publishing long-obscured historical documents about the Druze national role. "By the Way" was launched in Israel by a group of young men and women in 2014 who staged a sit-in in front of Atlit prison to protest compulsory conscription. On May 3, a number of Palestinians protested in front of the Atlit prison near the city of Haifa, heeding the call of Refuse, Your People Will Protect You campaign, to show their support for Kamal Zaidan. Hamdan explained that the movement is forming a support group that includes professionals in the fields of rights and social justice to accompany youths, starting with their refusal of conscription until they receive exemption, or during their trials in military courts in case of imprisonment. Every year on April 23, tens of thousands of pilgrims flock by ferry to the island of Buyukada, the largest of Turkey's Princes Islands, in the Sea of Marmara. After arriving, they walk along a narrow path up a hill to a Greek-Orthodox monastery to celebrate the feast day of St. George. They say prayers, perform various rituals and ask for divine intervention, as worshippers do in any other Christian sanctuary. What is unusual and surprising in this case is that most of the pilgrims are Muslims. Members of the Islamic faith believe that Aya Yorgi, as St. George is known in Turkish, makes no distinction among worshippers and will help them all. If their prayers are answered, they return the following year to distribute lumps of sugar and candies to their fellow devotees. With Jews making the pilgrimage as well, the Church of Saint George on Buyukada is the most prominent case in the Mediterranean region of a sacred site being shared by members of the three monotheistic religions. Shared Sacred Sites, an exhibition at DEPO, a cultural center in Istanbul, recounts situations past and present of cross-cultural coexistence from North Africa to the Balkans to Anatolia. Bringing together photographs, documentaries, devotional objects and other ethnographic materials, the exhibition is a colorful antidote to the essentialist perceptions of the world in black-and-white that seem to dominate public discourse today. It powerfully challenges and undermines the prevailing narrative of us versus them. Dionigi Albera, an anthropologist at Aix-Marseilles University and one of the curators, told Al-Monitor that a team of international experts had organized the initial incarnation of the exhibition at the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations in Marseilles in 2015. The show attracted more than 120,000 visitors in four months. The organizers had approached the exhibition as a one-off event, but after jihadists killed 22 people in Tunis at the National Bardo Museum in March that year, they received a request from the Tunisian presidency to stage the exhibit there, to send a political message and show of unity in the face of extremism. After that, Shared Sacred Sites traveled to Thessaloniki, Paris (to the National Museum of Immigration), Marrakech and New York. In 2015, Osman Kavala, the chair of Anadolu Kultur, the foundation that manages DEPO, decided to bring the exhibition to Istanbul. Kavala was arrested in October 2017 for alleged activities against the government, but neither that or his ongoing imprisonment stopped plans for the exhibition, with Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the French Cultural Center of Istanbul stepping in to provide funding. The exhibition runs through July 14 before traveling on to Ankara. Albera, discussing the concept behind the traveling exhibition, said, The overall theme is always the same that is, how religions develop forms of sharing but every time we adapt the content to the specific context. For example, in Paris there was a section devoted to inter-religious initiatives in Western Europe introduced by immigrants. In New York, we displayed the precious Morgan Picture Bible, an illuminated manuscript with texts in Latin, Persian, and Judeo-Persian. In Thessaloniki, the main focus was the Balkans, in a city that for hundreds of years has been predominantly Jewish but under Ottoman/Muslim sovereignty. Shared Sacred Sites at DEPO is organized thematically, spread among the three floors of an old tobacco warehouse now transformed into a space for culture and learning. The main point the curators impart is that the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa are strewn with religious shrines that for centuries have been sites of convergence for prayers and contemplation. A basic distinction is made between formal places of worship such as churches, mosques and synagogues and more informal holy places such as tombs, caves and mountains linked to charismatic figures like saints or other intermediaries to God. In isolated spaces, forms of devotion can become much more relaxed and easily hybridized. Spirituality takes precedence over scriptures, and the individual experience emerges as more important than the congregation. The common denominator in these venues is multi-religious attendance, hospitality and tolerance of the other. The exhibition presents Istanbul, like Jerusalem, as a holy city, as a symbolic epicenter in the spiritual life of Christian, Jewish and Muslim adherents alike. The city once hosted sacred relics of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, including the crown of thorns (now in Paris and unscathed in the fire that recently ravaged Notre Dame). It still hosts the staff of Moses and the mantle of Muhammad, in the Topkapi Palace, and some fragments of the holy rock of Mecca, the Kaaba, are displayed on the walls of the Mosque of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and in the tomb of Suleiman the Magnificent. Above all, the highly diverse backgrounds of the inhabitants of Istanbul have encouraged the crossing of confessional boundaries more often with Muslims visiting Christian churches and shrines and the emergence of shared practices of worship through proximal influence and imitation. Practices from other parts of Turkey as well as from Egypt, Tunisia, Macedonia, Albania and the Holy Land are also featured in the exhibit. Individual cases are classified according to typologies, but the perspective is broad. It is noted, for example, that Muslims, especially women, visit the Roman Catholic Church of Saint Anthony in downtown Istanbul to light candles and pray to Aziz Antuan. Greek Orthodox Christians frequent the Eyup Sultan Mosque, on the Golden Horn and one of the holiest sites of Islam, drawn by the healing power of its water. Images and video recordings document the sites and activities. An entire section is devoted to the cult of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is quoted more often in the Quran than in the Bible. The faithful of the three monotheistic religions, especially in areas formerly part of Constantinople, venerate Mary in Istanbul in association with an ayazma, a spring of reputedly miraculous water. Sharing devotion does not always, however, mean coming together in a spirit of reciprocal respect. On the contrary, in some instances it means just the opposite exclusive separation. This is the case with the Holy Land, where a few sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims in the past for instance, the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and the tomb of Rachael in Bethlehem are now, due to political conflict, divided into areas reserved for the different religions or are experienced in turns. This is the exception, rather than the rule. A cease-fire came into effect the morning of May 6 after three days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant factions in Gaza that led to the deaths of 27 Palestinians and four Israelis. The cease-fire, which was mediated by Egypt and Qatar, was based on Israel easing the blockade in accordance with understandings previously reached with Palestinian factions, Palestinian officials said. Wisam Zoghbor, a senior official from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, told Al-Monitor, The cease-fire agreement includes stopping the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people and the commitment of Israel to implement measures to ease its blockade on Gaza, including the opening of the crossings. The agreement also stipulates that Israel will stop the targeting of fishermen, farmers and peaceful demonstrators in the 'March of Return' protests, Zoghbor added. Zoghbor stressed that the Palestinian militant factions will commit to the cease-fire only if Israel commits to ending its aggression against the peaceful demonstrators near the borders, and only if Israel starts "immediately" implementing measures to ease the blockade on Gaza in accordance with previous understandings. The reason behind the recent escalation was Israels intransigence on maintaining the blockade on Gaza and its refusal to commit to any of the understandings reached with the Palestinian factions to introduce measures that would alleviate the blockade, Palestinian political analyst Muhammad Hejazi told Al-Monitor. It is unknown now whether Israel will live up this time to its commitments made in this cease-fire agreement or whether its again trying to buy time and achieve temporary quiet with empty promises. If its the latter, we can expect further tensions and escalations soon, as the Palestinian factions will keep pushing and pressuring Israel to lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip," Hejazi added. In the past year, with the mediation of Egypt, multiple understandings were reached between Gazas factions and Israel in which Israel promised to ease the blockade on Gaza in return for a distancing of Gazas protests from the border fence, and an end to nightly riots and the dispatching of incendiary balloons into southern Israel. But Palestinians say Israel never implemented any of the understandings reached. The recent flare-up was the most serious escalation since November. The escalation started after Israel, on May 3, killed two protesters at the border and bombed a Hamas military post, killing two members of the Islamist movement. Palestinian factions responded hours later by wounding two Israeli soldiers near the border with sniper fire. The next day the factions launched hundreds of rockets into southern Israel. Israeli warplanes and gunboats in response started a campaign of massive strikes in the Gaza Strip, most of which were on civilian targets. Twenty-seven Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombing in this escalation and around 154 Palestinians have been wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Palestinian victims included two pregnant women and three infants. On the night of May 5 in Beit Layiha, a town in the north of Gaza, an Israeli airstrike hit a residential building, killing a family of three: Ahmed al-Ghazali, 31, Iman Osrof, 30, and their 4-month-old baby, Maria al-Ghazali. Israeli warplanes have targeted more than 350 sites across the besieged enclave in the past three days. This included the destruction of large, multistory buildings that house dozens of families. The policy of destroying multistory buildings has been adopted by Israel since the 2014 war and has been used in every escalation since then; the policy is intended to pressure the Palestinian factions back into passivity through exacting a hefty price on the civilian population of Gaza, political analyst and Haaretz contributor Muhammad Shehada told Al-Monitor. In one such attack, an eight-story building in al-Rimal in Gaza was leveled by Israeli airstrikes. Subhi al-Khozondar told Al-Monitor, Israel destroyed my dream and my familys dream in an instant. Khozondar said the building includes his familys apartment and business, as well as his own new apartment that he just recently furnished. Khozondar added, The building is home to dozens of families, and it also has in it an educational facility and an international charity organization. There is absolutely no justification for destroying the building, and for this war crime that Israel committed. Look in the rubble, and youll see only clothes, furniture and books and all kinds of innocent civilian stuff. There wasnt an arms factory or a nuclear facility in the building. Around 130 building units were completely destroyed and 700 partially destroyed in the past three days, according to the Palestinian Public Works Ministry. Israel also shelled Hamas and Islamic Jihad military sites, and targeted some of their militants. On May 5, two Israeli airstrikes killed four fighters from Saraya al-Quds brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad. That afternoon, a 34-year-old military commander from Hamas named Hamad al-Khodari was assassinated in a targeted strike while in his car in the Daraj neighborhood, in the center of Gaza city. The Israeli army statement said Khodari was responsible for transferring large sums of money from Iran to armed factions in Gaza. In Israel, four people were killed due to injuries caused by the rockets launched by Palestinian militant groups. Multiple Knesset members severely attacked Netanyahu and accused him of surrendering to Hamas and demanded a more violent military action on Gaza. But the Israeli human rights organization Gisha said, There is no military solution that can usher in long-term quiet. The statement added, Regional stability will only be made possible once Israel makes substantial, forthright steps to protect the human rights of Gazas 2 million residents and allow the Strips shattered economy to recover and develop. Cease-fire agreements and 'gestures' by Israel to 'ease' the closure on Gaza cannot substitute long-term solutions, including an end to the occupation. A day after US national security adviser John Bolton trumpeted the deployment of a US carrier group as a clear and unmistakable message to Iran, the US Navys top admiral lowered the temperature a notch this morning in a speech near Washington. Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson indicated that the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln group to the Middle East had been planned for some time now and described the move as an example of dynamic force employment, the Pentagon's model of sending out troops and other assets at seemingly irregular intervals to keep US adversaries off balance. Why it matters: CNN reported today that the Department of Defense had asked the White House to send out a statement about its deployment as a warning based on intelligence about threats to US personnel as Iran weighs retaliation for Trump's maximum pressure sanctions campaign. Bolton responded with a statement saying the deployment of the carrier group and of an unidentified bomber task force to the region was in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings. But in remarks at the SeaAirSpace maritime exhibition in Maryland this morning, Richardson said the carrier group was on a scheduled deployment. Richardson followed up in a Twitter exchange with a Foreign Policy reporter with a link to a Pentagon news story touting the carrier group's participation in an ongoing multilateral maritime warfare exercise in the Mediterranean Sea that makes no mention of Iran. A short while later, however, Richardson wrote on Twitter that the carrier would transit to Central Command's area of responsiblity "at the direction" of Bolton and Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan. "This is the beauty of having a dynamic force," Richardson tweeted. "The US Navy can easily maneuver to protect national interests around the globe." In a statement on Twitter later in the day, Shanahan himself described the deployment of the carrier group and the bomber task force to the Middle East region as a "prudent repositioning of assets in response to indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces." The difference in tone suggests the Defense Department may be wary of inflaming tensions with Iran. The US routinely deploys carriers to the Gulf as a show of force intended to deter Iran, Becca Wasser, a RAND Corporation policy analyst, tweeted Sunday in response to Bolton's statement. The White House, she wrote, appeared to be piggybacking on the planned operation to make a point. Whats next: The Washington Post reports this morning that the deployment of the carrier group to the Middle East will be expedited following Bolton's statement. The Pentagon first issued a statement on the USS Abraham Lincolns deployment in early April. The Pentagon has also sent a powerful US-made air-defense battery to Israel last month to ward off Iranian missiles. Know more: The military moves come as Irans top diplomat appeared to offer an olive branch to the United States last week. Check out Laura Rozens reporting on Irans latest efforts to engineer a prisoner swap between the rival countries. - Jack Detsch The relationship between the state and the clerical establishment in Iran has been unsteady over the last four decades. The state has often criticized the Qom seminary for its lackluster support for the Islamic Revolution and for its lack of involvement in everyday matters of government, as it limits itself to religious issues. Against this backdrop, hard-liners have pushed the Qom seminary to engage more in everyday political and social problems. This effort has been going on since the 1979 revolution, as shown by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinis condemnation of politically disengaged clerics as sanctimonious and illiterate who cannot even run a bakery. To counter this threat, the Iranian state has tried a range of measures against nonrevolutionary clerics, from prosecution and imprisonment to house arrest and banishment. It has also attempted to address the problem more fundamentally by restructuring the seminaries to make them more dependent on the state, providing them with funding, housing, health care and pensions. Despite all this, the hard-liners are not satisfied, and this periodically causes an uproar between the two sides. One of the latest attempts to sideline the Qom seminary and promote the hard-liners' cause is the Ammar Network. The network is one of several social and cultural initiatives with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), sharing a namesake with the Ammar International Popular Film Festival and the Ammar Cultural Base. Those projects aim to promote the hard-liners social and cultural agendas. The symbolism of the name Ammar is revealing: It refers to Ammar ibn Yasir, a companion of Prophet Muhammad who was one of the four main advocates of the first Shiite Imam, Ali ibn Abi Talib. The name Ammar is associated with unswerving devotion to the right leader when he is deserted by society. The Ammar Network is composed of more than 200 hard-line orators organized in more than a dozen thematic groups. It functions as a hub for connecting speakers with event organizers. The preachers are mostly professionals with university degrees, but also include young clerics educated at seminaries in Tehran. In terms of scale, the Ammar Network is not comparable with Qoms traditional networks, which annually dispatch more than 50,000 preachers to all corners of Iran. But simply comparing numbers is insufficient in this context. While the Ammar Networks reservoir of orators is limited in number, its orators are influential elites who have a much larger potential audience than ordinary seminary preachers. Besides, their audience often hails from the elites: university students, influential activists, artists and statesmen. Some members of the Ammar Network are celebrities with large followings on social media. In comparison, traditional clerics often have meager audiences, mainly in mosques. Furthermore, some Ammar Network events are held in collaboration with sympathetic news agencies or other institutions and sometimes broadcast live and thus gain wide circulation. Another difference with traditional seminary preaching networks is that the Ammar Network does not confine itself to traditional religious venues; it holds its events in more diverse spaces such as universities, thereby broadcasting its message to a broader segment of society. Ammar speakers cover a wide expanse of subjects, from the 2015 nuclear deal to the economy, entrepreneurship, media, management and international relations, revealing their conception of Islam as a comprehensive religion. In Khomeinis words, Islamic jurisprudence is a complete and real theory of human life, from the cradle to the grave. This stands against the views of many clerics who abstain from extending the jurisdiction of Islamic jurisprudence to new realms. Reflecting Khomeinis perception of Islam, many of the Ammar Networks orators are notably graduates of hybrid seminary-university institutions such as Imam Sadiq University, Imam Khomeini Educational Research Institute and Motahhari University. Such institutes were established after the 1979 revolution, and their curricula combine traditional seminary material with modern humanities and social sciences. The idea behind this approach is the perceived need for statesmen who can master both the worldly and the spiritual in order to have a truly Islamic government. A sizable number of clerics in the Ammar Network trained in Tehran, attesting to the widening gap between the Tehran and Qom seminary environments. Residing in the capital and engaging in the realities of governance, Tehran-trained clerics views and attitudes toward the state are often different from those of their Qom-based counterparts, with many of them expecting more political support and engagement with the government. In the words of one member of the Tehran-based clergy, who articulated this disappointment with Qom: The Qomi clerical environment is abstract and far from reality. They solve problems based on [empty] presuppositions, while in Tehran, seminarians are closely involved with the realities even the Supreme Leader wants to separate the Tehran seminary organization from that of Qom. He is disappointed with the Qom seminary. This overrepresentation of Tehran-trained clerics in the Ammar Network coincides with the rise of their influence in the states religious apparatus. One example is the supreme leaders appointment of Tehran-trained Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari as head of the Friday Prayer Imams Policy Council in January 2018. The body is responsible for nominating Friday prayer leaders for more than 900 cities and towns throughout Iran. It is clear that traditionalist clerics in Iran are not on good terms with the state and this rift is widening. Along with their efforts to exert influence over the Qom seminary, Iranian hard-liners also seek to establish their own parallel religious institutions, such as the Ammar Network. In the grander scheme of things, these are all moves to marginalize the Qom seminary. Iran will reportedly soon announce reciprocal measures in the face of the Donald Trump administrations revoking of sanctions waivers allowing nuclear cooperation with Iran. European officials have unofficially been notified of the decision, according to media reports in Iran. May 8, when Iran is reportedly set to make the announcement, will mark the one-year anniversary of the US officially exiting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was an agreement between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, and the European Union in which Iran reduced its nuclear capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief. Reports of Irans upcoming announcement come specifically in response to the US State Departments decision on May 3 that it would revoke waivers for Iran that would allow it to ship its heavy water abroad for storage and swap its enriched uranium for natural uranium. The waivers were also reduced from 180 days to 90 days, in which the remaining parties are allowed to cooperate with Iran on the sites of Bushehr, Arak and Fordow without facing US sanctions. The new US announcement is an apparent effort to give time for remaining parties to the JCPOA, all who have criticized the United States for exiting the deal, to wind down work with Iran rather than cut them off all at once. It also appears designed to force Iran to halt heavy water production as well as uranium enrichment in order to adhere to limits on the latter under the JCPOA. This comes a day after US national security adviser John Bolton released a statement that a US carrier battle group would be sent to the region "to send a clear and unmistakable message" that any attack on the United States or its allies would result in a US response. The statement said that any action even by a group Iran supports would be deemed as an Iranian action. Iranian officials immediately rejected the new terms announced by the United States. Parliament speaker Ali Larijani, a former chief nuclear negotiator, said May 4, According to the JCPOA, Iran can produce heavy water and according to the agreement, it would not be in violation. He added, We will continue enrichment whether you want to purchase it or not, referring to the arrangement in which Iran exports low-enriched uranium in exchange for natural uranium. The aim of the latter is to keep Irans stockpile of enriched uranium under the 300-kilogram limit set out in the nuclear accord. President Hassan Rouhani will reportedly announce on May 8 that Iran will reduce its commitments rather than withdrawing from the JCPOA at least for now. The president will cite specifically Articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA. Article 26 states that the European Union will refrain from reintroducing or reimposing the sanctions that it has terminated implementing under this JCPOA. It continues, The US administration, acting consistent with the respective roles of the president and Congress, will refrain from imposing new nuclear-related sanctions. Iran has stated that it will treat such a reintroduction or reimposition of the sanctions or such an imposition of new nuclear-related sanctions, as grounds to cease performing its commitments under this JCPOA in whole or in part. Article 36 of the JCPOA states, If Iran believed that any or all of the E3/EU+3 were not meeting their commitments under this JCPOA, Iran could refer the issue to the Joint Commission for resolution. The article continues that if the Joint Commission is unable to resolve the matter, then the participant could treat the unresolved issue as grounds to cease performing its commitments under this JCPOA in whole or in part. Iranian media has speculated as to which commitments exactly would be reduced or which parts of the nuclear program would be restarted. In this vein, an article in Mashregh News noted that one of the scenarios could be a decision to begin using the new generation IR4 and IR2M centrifuges. Moreover, while Iran can store up to 130 tons of heavy water under the JCPOA, storing the surplus itself given the US revocation of Omans permission to do the latter could be one of the other actions Iran can take. Other possible steps discussed in Iranian media were beginning enrichment at 3.67% at Fordow or suspension of some aspects of the enhanced monitoring under the nuclear deal, such as its implementation of the Additional Protocol. My first meeting with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat while Israels deputy foreign minister took place in Tunis a month after the signing of the Oslo Accords at the White House in September 1993. Part of the conversation took place in the presence of officials from both sides, and part of it one-on-one. It started at 10:00 p.m. in the evening and continued on into the night. Among the topics Arafat raised were the payments to families of Palestinian casualties from the conflict with Israel and Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Arafat said that the PLO would have to continue to depend on donations for them, because it was clear to him that the World Bank would not be able, as a matter of principle, to fund such payments. I had not known about the payments, and when Arafat turned my attention to the issue, I said that even if it were not a matter of funding terrorism, it was clear that such funds could encourage young people to take risks and even sacrifice themselves for the sake of their families. Arafat's response was that he hoped the problem would be resolved within the framework of a peace agreement, since there would supposedly no longer be prisoners. In the meantime, however, ending the payments would mean the end of the PLO. In other words, the Palestinian street would never accept discontinuing the payments. Every Israeli government of the past 26 years, including the four led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had accepted the situation. Although they didnt like it, they understood the significance of ending the payments. Then in July 2018, the Knesset passed a populist law introduced by Avi Dichter (Likud) and Elazer Stern (Yesh Atid) to deduct the corresponding amounts paid to prisoners and their families from the tax receipts Israel collects and transfers to the Palestinian Authority (PA). The measure passed with a huge majority and ignored Netanyahus desperate attempt to add a clause granting the Cabinet discretion in implementing it. The law explicitly violates agreements with the Palestinians, according to which Israel does not have the right to treat Palestinian customs revenue as if it were its own, aside from the considerable 3% it keeps as a fee for handling the money. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is politically much weaker than Arafat was, but when he says that even if the PA receives a single shekel, it will be allocated to the prisoners, he means it, whether he is thrilled about it or not. His decision not to accept any of the customs revenue from Israel because of the deduction represents his clear rejection of the Israeli dictate. A large amount of money is involved some 400-500 million shekels a month (between $111 million and $139 million) and the PA depends on it for its existence. It is, therefore, clear that within a few months, the PA will collapse if a generous donor is not found to cover the amount or a compromise formula is not reached between Israel and the Palestinians. It seems that this is a trap that binds both sides: funding the families of imprisoned Palestinians is problematic in the context of the fight against terrorism and morally; Israels action against such funding by using the PA's customs revenue is a piratical act; the Palestinians' refusal to accept the rest of the customs revenue could place too large a burden on nations that have been donating to the PA for more than a quarter century. Like most crises, however, this one is also an opportunity: This is a moment when the Palestinians could declare the death of the PA. Israel and the PLO committed to reaching a permanent agreement by May 4, 1999, but none was reached. Netanyahus first government did everything in its power to thwart the Oslo Accords without officially nullifying them. Today, after more than two decades, during most of which Netanyahu led Israels government, it is clear that Netanyahus policy is to use the Oslo Accords, which are clearly an interim agreement, as if they were a permanent agreement. Netanyahu strives to perpetuate the existing situation, to continue to build housing for Jews in the occupied territories under Oslo's auspices; to continue security cooperation with the PA (which saves Israel much blood and sweat); to occasionally throw bones to the left (for example, his Bar-Ilan speech in 2009) and the right (for example, his promise of a future annexation of settlements on the West Bank); and mostly to manage the conflict. All of this is done out of a hope, not supported by anything, that time will work in Israel's favor. The PLO should have ended this game a long time ago by dismantling the PA, in which it is predominant, and handed the keys back to Israel. In the current situation, it is seen by most of the Palestinian public as cooperating with turning the interim agreement into a permanent agreement, which plays into the hands of the right in Israel and the United States. One can assume that the Palestinian leadership benefits to a certain extent from the existence of a proto-state, with its president, prime minister, other ministers and advisers and political etiquette. One could also assume that the PA, as the largest employer in the Palestinian territories, is concerned about increasing unemployment if the authority shuts its doors. This does not, however, justify maintaining the false pretense of a state on the way in the form of the PA, because as long as the PA exists, it is a state on the way to nowhere. Theres no need to fear for the livelihood of PA employees because the situation will revert to the one that prevailed pre-Oslo: Israel would be responsible for everything, and one can be confident that it would act efficiently. It would take care of teachers and schools and hospitals and medical staff. Israeli soldiers would maintain law and order in Palestinian cities, and donor nations would be free of the burden of funding the Palestinians' governing entity. The PA leadership would refocus on activities within the PLO, which would continue its diplomatic struggle, while Israel paid the full price of the occupation. This is the challenge that confronts Abbas at this late stage in his life and his political journey. The PA is the single significant card he holds, after rejecting, to the good fortune of both Israelis and Palestinians, the use of useless violence against Israel. The decision to give up the Palestinian customs revenue should be the last step before purposely bringing the PA chapter to a close, instead of waiting for its collapse. Should this happen, it would be best for various entities around the world, including the European Union, not to take pathetic steps to resuscitate it in order to prevent such a move at the last minute. Judging by recent statements and publications, the Palestinians are likely to reject the forthcoming peace plan of President Donald Trump. That rejection will, in turn, enable Israel to claim that there is no partner for peace. Thus, assuming that Trumps deal of the century will not be an anchor for diplomatic advancement, but proof, so to speak, that Israel has no partner, there isn't anything else for Abbas to do but seize the bull by its horns and make the declaration, necessary for so long, that he is dismantling the PA. More than any other action, it would wake up all those who have enjoyed the status quo to take risks to change it. Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), has called on US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to refrain from conflict with Turkey and to take what he termed Turkeys sensibilities into account. The 70-year-old guerrilla boss relayed his appeal through his lawyers after they were granted access to him for the first time in eight years. The Turkish authorities' decision to end his isolation has spurred speculation of a possible resumption of peace talks that would include a deal on Syria. Others say it's part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogans plan to ditch his nationalist partners and win Kurdish support, which proved critical to the oppositions victory, before a rerun of municipal elections in Istanbul. Turkeys Supreme Electoral Commission ruled in favor of Erdogans demands for fresh elections today. But the immediate goal appeared to be to leverage Ocalans uncontested leadership over the PKK to persuade thousands of prisoners who are on an extended hunger strike in protest of his isolation to end their fast. In a statement that was shared by his lawyers at a news conference today, Ocalan called for "democratic negotiation" between Turkey and the Kurds and the use of soft power instead of tools of physical violence. He said, We believe that though the Syrian Democratic Forces, all parties should strive to resolve outstanding issues in Syria by shunning the culture of conflict and embracing constitutionally enshrined local democracy within the framework of a united Syria. Ocalan also called on the hunger strikers not to take their actions to a point that threatens their health or results in death. Turkeys Human Rights Association said in an April 22 report that at least 3,000 prisoners in 92 prisons across Turkey were on hunger strike. Seven of them took their own lives in March within the space of a single week. Another by the name of Ugur Sakar killed himself in Germany on Feb. 21, in a morbid manifestation of the cultish devotion Ocalan continues to inspire some 20 years since being sentenced to lifelong imprisonment on Imrali Island on terror and treason charges. Ibrahim Bilmez was among the four lawyers who applied to visit Ocalan but did not make it to the island. He said, We believe the government finally granted us access to our client after refusing to do so 810 times because of its fear of the hunger strikes. Thousands of lives are at risk. Bilmez told Al-Monitor worries over a public backlash were evident in the authorities hasty burials of the seven inmates who had died so far. Their remains were spirited away in the late night hours and only immediate family members were permitted to attend their interment. Bilmez added that it was premature to conclude that the visit amounted to a reversal of the governments harsh repression of the Kurdish political movement, which has seen thousands of people, including democratically elected lawmakers and mayors, locked up on scantily evidenced terror charges. The justice minister has not responded to lawyers and Ocalans brother Mehmets subsequent request to meet with the PKK leader in the wake of the May 2 visit. It may be a one-off thing, and if so the hunger strikers may decide to continue their strike. The ball is squarely in the governments court, Giran Ozcan, the Washington representative of the Peoples Democratic Party, the third largest bloc in the Turkish parliament, told Al-Monitor. But sources with close knowledge of the Turkish governments Kurdish dossier asserted that the prison assignation was intimately linked to a broader effort to stitch together a deal with the PKK on northern Syria, where its US-backed affiliate and backbone of the SDF known as the People Protection Units (YPG) holds sway. One of the sources who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of strict anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the topic claimed that officials from Turkeys national spy agency, MIT, had recently met with SDF commander Mazlum Kobane, a close associate of Ocalan in northern Syria. The first meeting took place 10 days ago, then another last week, and after meeting Sahin, they met with Ocalan on the island and then again with Sahin, the source said, using Kobanes real name of Ferhat Abdi Sahin. He is also known as Sahin Cilo from his years in the PKK. The source went on, The meetings started a month ago through the United States mediation. Of course they will all deny it for now. And the prison visit is not related to the elections. The Kurds will continue to support the opposition in any Istanbul re-run. SDF officials could not be reached for comment. But if such talks did occur, they would not be a first. Kobane told Al-Monitor in a March interview that he had met with MIT officials in Syria when peace talks between Ocalan and the Turkish government were still ongoing. Kobane confirmed last week at a public forum that indirect talks were taking place between Turkey and the SDF through intermediaries. The United States envoy for Syria, Jim Jeffrey, has been seeking to strike a deal between Ankara and Kobane for a proposed safe zone, shuttling between Turkey and northeastern Syria since last year. Jeffrey was in Turkey the day that Ocalan met with his lawyers. But Kobane has said a deal could only be reached if Turkey were to pull its forces out of the mainly Kurdish enclave of Afrin, where the PKK-linked Afrin Liberation Forces have sharply escalated their attacks against the Turkish military and its Arab rebel allies in recent weeks. But with Turkey sticking to its demands that its forces monitor the safe zone extending up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) deep into the Kurdish-controlled zone and the YPG rejecting any arrangement involving a Turkish presence, little progress has reportedly been made. A second source with intimate knowledge of the talks contended, however, that a compromise formula that Kobane has allegedly not ruled out is purging YPG-linked military and local council members in the mainly Arab town of Tell Abyad with Turkish vetting much, in the same way they were in Manbij. But the real test of any progress, Ozcan said, will be whether Ocalan is allowed to continue to communicate with his lawyers and the outside world. As Turkey drifts away from its Western allies, the United States is distancing itself from its neutral position on international conflicts involving Turkey. The latest showcase of how deteriorating ties between the United States and Turkey are further shrinking Ankaras room for maneuver in conflicts that have essentially been frozen for decades is increasing US military cooperation with Cyprus and Greece. It has been a year since I explained how drones would impact clashes between Greece and Turkey. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's attendance to an energy summit held in Athens in March indicated that Athens received the support of the United States on the matter. Athens countered Turkeys move to increase UAV operations by procuring MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles. According to Greek press reports, discussions between Athens and Washington revolve around the Larissa military air base, where two US military MQ-9 Reaper drones are stationed. Athens now intends to purchase these sophisticated drones. Greek media reports say Athens seeks to make a deal, estimated at approximately 50 million euros ($56 million), involving the purchase of three General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper UAVs (Predator B) and the construction of two ground control stations in Greece. The MQ-9 attracts attention with its long ranges and long flight times. The MQ-9, developed from the MQ-1 Predator, has a Honeywell 950-horsepower TPE331 turboprop engine, which gives it a serious load capacity. The Reaper can carry AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and GBU-12 Pave II and GBU-38 guided bombs. The MQ-9 can climb to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) can take off with a load of 4,760 kilos (10,494 pounds). The MQ-9 can cruise at 200 knots and has a range of 1,850 kilometers (1,150 miles). With that capability, an MQ-9 taking off from Larissa base could easily carry out reconnaissance flights over the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. Today Germany, Australia, Belgium, France, the UK, Spain, Italy, India and Netherlands have already purchased or ordered MQ-9s, which entered US service in 2007. Also, according to Greek media reports, contacts are taking place between Athens and Washington to deepen defense cooperation and to boost the US military presence in Greece. Media reports say the United States wants to deploy more UAVs at the Larissa base, to use Greek ports in the Aegean more often and to increase the number of military exercises with Greece. A bill titled the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 submitted to the US Congress last month by US Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., calls for an increase in military support to Greece. The draft legislation seeks restrictions on the delivery of F-35 warplanes to Turkey because of Ankaras persistence on acquiring Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile-defense system and seeks full support for the energy and security partnership set up in the eastern Mediterranean between Israel, Greece and Cyprus. The legislation also calls for the lifting of the arms embargo on Cyprus that has been in force since 1987. The bill emphasizes four points: To increase energy cooperation between the United States, Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriots by approving the establishment of a US-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center. To provide Greece with $3 million of military support. To provide Greece and Greek Cypriots each with $2 million of military training support. To ask the White House for a report to Congress on comprehensive energy and security cooperation strategy with countries in the eastern Mediterranean and the harmful activities of Russia and other countries in the region. The report would also examine airspace violations of Turkish warplanes over Greece and the territory led by Greek Cypriots. Last week, in a interview with Greek media, Greek Defense Minister Evangelos Apostolakis said Ankaras acquisition of the S-400s would totally change the operational picture in terms of airspace control over the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean. At the same time, he stressed the need for Greece to acquire F-35s or other aircraft to boost its middle-range air defense so that there is a balance of power after Turkeys acquisition of the S-400s. In recent months, the US and Greek militaries have been engaging more in comparison with the past three to four years. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher, for instance, arrived in Greeces Piraeus on April 13 for a scheduled port visit aimed at enhancing US-Greek military ties. Cmdr. Ian Scaliatine welcomed a small group of Greek journalists for a tour of the destroyer, confirming an increased American presence in Greece's seas in recent weeks. Our presence in the Mediterranean and our cooperation with Greeks is vital to security in this extremely important region, he said. In first days of April, Iniohos 2019, an exercise involving most of the Greek air force jets and a number of aircraft from the United States, Cyprus, Italy, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, aiming to dominate the Mediterranean with a multinational air force commanded by a single air base, was conducted in the Mediterranean. On April 25, Greece completed the 2019 three-week long trilateral Noble Dina exercise, aiming to promote the level of cooperation and mutual understanding with American and Israeli naval forces in the Mediterranean. With this growing military cooperation, Athens now wants American ships to dock more frequently at Greeces Aegean Sea ports. The US Navy operates a base at Souda Bay on Crete but, according to the Greek media, also seems eager to have another base and aims to increase its profile in the eastern Mediterranean region thanks to deepening military ties with Greece. This intensifying traffic and diplomatic exchanges between Athens and Washington pose the question for Turkey as to whether the United States is seeking an alternative strategic ally to Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean. What seems obvious is that the more Ankara turns to Moscow in the eastern Mediterranean, the more Washington will play its Athens card. This would mean a change in the traditional Israel- and Turkey-centered security structure of the United States in the eastern Mediterranean. Is the United States planning to exclude Turkey from its established US-Israel-Turkey security bloc and replace it with Greece and Greek Cypriots? We may well get the answer to this question by the end of 2019, and critical developments in coming months should provide us with ample clues. SANAA, Yemen When she heard the voice over a speaker outside her home in eastern Sanaa, Fatima Hussein hurried to the nearest health center the morning of April 30. She had been hospitalized with cholera five months ago, she said, and feared the disease. I heard the speaker on the taxi, so I am here because I cant afford to be infected again, she said. The announcement was part of a campaign to raise awareness in Sanaa of an oral cholera vaccine (OCV). Local health officials worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF to get the word out, going door to door in the past week. They hoped to convince people to get vaccinated despite residents skepticism about the vaccine. It is reported that the OCV is free of charge and all people Al-Monitor has met with have confirmed as much. Ask people on the street about the vaccine and some dismiss it as just bacteria. Others say it is ineffective. Some are suspicious that something more sinister is at work, attributing the cholera outbreak to the Saudi-led bombing campaign and seeing the vaccine as part of the coalitions plan. Yet Fatima, an internally displaced person in her 70s, and her four sons, as well as their children, had not gotten vaccinated because the campaigners had visited their home while they were all at work. Once she heard the speaker that blared from a taxi parked at al-Fawares Government Medical Complex's entrance, she responded immediately. The speaker could still be heard in the crowded corridor of the complex. Fatima said the medics gave her a card verifying her vaccination. It was her first. On April 30, the WHO and UNICEF announced that the OCV campaign which initially ran from April 24-29 had been extended for three more days with the aim of reaching 1.2 million throughout Sanaa in the Shoob, al-Wahada and al-Sabeen districts. The OCV campaign team begins work at 8 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. But some team members continue working until 4 p.m., Hameed al-Hammadi, director of al-Fawares Government Medical Complex in the Shoob district, told Al-Monitor from the complex, which was crowded with children and their parents who came for vaccinations. On April 30, the WHO tweeted that the OVC campaign in Sanaa reached more than 842,000 people on its sixth day. This comes in continuation of WHO efforts with its partners to prevent future comeback of #cholera in Yemen," the tweet read. Yet the WHO had earlier announced that 1.6 million would be targeted in Sanaa's three districts. The three-day extension of the campaign was announced amid a notable absence of media campaigns. Maeen al-Qumaish, director of the government-affiliated health bureau in Shoob district, confirmed the extension of the OVC campaign, saying there is no exact figure of the targeted civilians in his district. Our office was informed there are 376,000 people to be targeted by the OVC in Shoob, Qumaish told Al-Monitor by phone. Al-Monitor found his office closed around 11 a.m. Qumaish said he and his employees were on field visits. Since Qumaish's figure seems so low in his district, Al-Monitor showed him the WHO figure that stands at 1.6 million people. We had received some schedules citing that over 550,000 people in Shoob district will receive the vaccine, he said, pointing out that this figure, which was sent to him by unnamed sides, does not seem tangible. Qumaish insisted he is dealing with the target of 376,000 people. We were surprised [to hear] the aim was 555,000 people. However, we are submitting reports only according to the first aim of 376,000 people, Qumaish told Al-Monitor. The campaign awareness, according to Qumaish, should have been conducted three weeks ahead of the campaign which is not the case now. Sensitization is the first line of success at any healthy workforce, Qumaish responded when asked about his office's role toward civilians' claims. He pointed out that it is normal to hear some people dismiss the vaccine as a bacteria. In big campaigns, such small things happen. We find it at any vaccination campaigns, and it comes out from small groups, Qumaish said. Awareness-raising campaigns in this period are very low, Hammadi said. He said his team is working on persuading uneducated families that cholera is a deadly epidemic and that all family members should be vaccinated. Otherwise, if a member remains unvaccinated, she or he may transmit it to the rest of the family. According to Hammadi, in a maximum of two months, another OCV campaign will be executed for a period of two years. It will constitute a follow-up campaign for the current one, he added. Alyia Ali Abdul-Qadhi, a 20-year-old medic, gave Fatima the cholera vaccine. She said she spent World Immunization Week, celebrated the last week of April, in the field, going door to door in Shoob district to administer the OCV. This campaign has been successful, achieving a vaccination rate of over 75%, Abdul-Qadhi told Al-Monitor. Some families have low sensitization. They say the vaccine is not good, or it is not stored appropriately. Abdul-Qadhi said families affected by the war and instability have claimed that this vaccine will push their children to join the Houthis on the battlefield, while others believe it is a poisonous vaccine donated by the United States. You will find each family has its own excuse preventing it from taking the vaccine, Abdul-Qadhi said. Some mothers claim it is something that will lead their children to go to the battlefield. They would tell us: If our child wakes up in the morning healthy and not asking to join the battle, then we will pray for you,'" Abdul-Qadhi said. On April 24, the minister of health in the Houthi-run government, Taha al-Mutawakel, inaugurated the OCV campaign at al-Sabeen Hospital by taking a dose of the vaccine himself, along with officials and representatives of the UN, WHO and UNICEF. Health Ministry spokesman Youssef al-Hadri told Al-Monitor the UN was able to administer cholera vaccinations to Sanaa over two periods. Hadri declined to provide the exact date for the first period, as he was not spokesman at the time, but said the second period was on June 13, 2018. He pointed out that there was no ban from the side of Mutawkel. Admission of OCV took place one month after Mutawkel was appointed as a health minister [on May 12, 2018], he said. There are medics affiliated with the Health Ministry who refused to be vaccinated, Abdul-Qadhi said, adding that it was easy to persuade some uneducated people to take the vaccine after explaining the dangers of the disease. If someone whether a staff within the Health Ministry or not has not had the vaccine, for whatever concerns, that is up to [his or her] culture, but not due to the vaccine itself, Hadri said. Those [in the ministry] who refused to take the vaccine are limited to around two to five people and I don't know their names. This is not a large number [if you compare two to five] to the 48,000 staff within the Health Ministry across Yemen, he added. Lemon is a close second, but my No. 1 favorite flavor is formal envelope glue. When ice-cream companies host contests to suggest new flavors, I always submit Crane stationery. Ive never won, but Im sure it inspired the judges to write thank-you letters to their aunts or third-grade teachers. Nothing compares to the feeling of finishing the last swirl of your signature, folding the note closed and sliding it into in the envelope. Finding the perfect stamp, whether it has flowers, a dignified politically appropriate non-controversial historical figure, a pretty yet non-threatening bird, or the solid and beautiful American flag is the final touch of creativity. In an unforgettably tragic episode of the television show, Seinfeld, George Costanza was the cheapskate poster boy when he purchased discount wedding stationery resulting in the untimely death of his fiance who croaked from licking sub-standard questionable envelope glue. Poor Susan. George could never look at an envelope the same way again. Two alarming stories, both out of California, have rocked my world. The first was a baby shower in San Francisco that gifted the mother with no thank you notes to write. I think its the equivalent of saying, heres some pepper for your Caesar salad, but Im taking away the gift of a good satisfying sneeze. It just leaves you hanging with no closure. The other story made me gasp and sputter when a friend said she was ridiculed by her office mates in California for sending thank you notes for a surprise birthday party. A state thats not feeling thankful and wont take a moment to say, thanks? No wonder theyre slowly cracking off and sliding into the ocean. A literal earth-shaking lesson from above, if you ask me. There have been two young ladies I sent wedding and baby shower gifts to that didnt send me a thank you note. I know Im supposed to casually mention to their mother, Did Lula Belle enjoy the fondue set I dropped off for her wedding? Just to make sure a naughty neighborhood kid didnt switch the gift tags or hide it beneath the front porch. But I let it slip until it was too late, so I let it go. But years later, I still feel miffed when I see them. The power of being good and miffed for at least two years goes a long way to keep everyone in line. The raised eyebrows and squished-up lips send an appropriate shudder to the thankless. What did Aunt Matilda say? Blessed are the miffed, for they shall inherit the silver. After a grueling hospital stay (what other kind is there?) I became sympathetic for those who fail to write a note when heavy medication caused me to start writing on lined notebook paper with a crayon (Kindergarten teachers cant ever seem to shake the crayon habit). My husband knew I would have a total relapse if he allowed me to mail the notes, so he shredded the evidence of my befuddlement and I started over when completely healed and sober. My New Jersey mother in law may have skipped the grits, but at least she taught her son the importance of writing a proper thank you note. (Ill have to send her a thank you note for that). Leslie Anne is the author of The Majorettes are Back in Town and Other Things to Love about the South. You can read more at her blog: http://leslieannetarabella.com Ten people from Alabama and Florida are indicted on federal charges in a $200 million prescription drug fraud case, authorities announced today. More than 100 charges were brought in connection with fraudulent health care billing at an Alabama-based pharmacy in Haleyville, according to the Department of Justice. Northside Pharmacy was doing business as Global Compounding Pharmacy and carrying out a multi-faceted conspiracy to bill insurance companies for medically unnecessary medications, according to the DOJ. In executing the scheme, the defendants billed health insurance plans and their prescription plan administrators over $200 million and were paid over $50 million, according to a news release from Jay Town, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. As part of the scheme, prosecutors say, the defendants: Paid prescribers to issue prescriptions Directed employees to get medically unnecessary drugs for themselves, family members, and friends, to be filled and billed by Global and other related pharmacies Altered prescriptions to add unprescribed drugs Automatically refilled prescriptions often as many as 12 times regardless of patient need Routinely waived and discounted co-pays for patients to get medically unnecessary drugs Billed for drugs without patients knowledge and hid that conduct by mailing the medicine to the home of the owner and president of Global In one instance, the defendants fraudulent conduct caused a prescription plan administrator to pay over $29,000 for one tube of a cream advertised as treating general wounds,' according to the DOJ. The indictment charges the following people in the health care fraud and mail fraud case: John Jeremy Adams, 38, of Panama City Beach, Florida, an owner and president of Global, charged in 38 counts Ashley Adams, 36, of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, director of HR for Global, charged in 10 counts Jeffrey Black, 54, of Destin, Florida, an owner, vice president and chief operating officer of Global, charged in 18 counts James A. Mays, III, 43, of Winfield, Alabama, a pharmacist at Global, charged in 20 counts Jessica Linton, 36, of Clearwater, Florida, the manager of the billing team at Global, charged in 24 counts Lisa Holmes, 40, of Troy, Alabama, a district manager supervising sales representatives at Global, charged in 12 counts John Gladden, 49, of Tallahassee, Florida, a district manager supervising sales representatives at Global, charged in 9 counts Christi Cunningham, aka Christi Mook, 34, of Crestview, Florida, a sales representative at Global, charged in 9 counts Juan Rodriguez, 41, of Tampa, a biller at Global, charged in 6 counts Lori Dawn Edenfield, 45, of Marianna, Florida, a nurse practitioner, charged in 32 counts Motivated by greed, the defendants executed a brazen health care fraud conspiracy and scheme that cost health insurance plans, including those that protect the elderly, disabled, military members and veterans, millions of dollars, said U.S. Attorney Jay Town in a news release. Their scheme deprived health insurance plans of money that could have gone to assist patients with real medical needs. Global primarily shipped drugs from its Haleyville facility but did most of its prescription processing, billing and customer service at its call center in Clearwater, Fla, according to the indictment. The company hired sales representatives in different states to generate prescriptions from doctors and other prescribers, federal prosecutors said. Some of the conduct described in the indictment includes billing for female sex creams issued to male patients and billing for drugs issued to children that Global stated were contraindicated for use by children. The charges stem from a larger investigation, in which 18 people have been charged or pleaded guilty. Along with Town, officials from the FBI, Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Postal Service and Internal Revenue Service announced the indictments. A plan to reduce the penalties for marijuana possession in Alabama is still in play in the Legislature. The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider the bill by Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, at its meeting on Wednesday. Last week, some Republicans on the committee said they thought Halls bill was going too far. Possession of an ounce or less would be a violation, less serious than a misdemeanor, and punishable only by a fine, even on repeat offenses. The fine would be up to $250 on the first two offenses and up to $500 on third and subsequent offenses. Under current law, possession for personal use is a misdemeanor on the first offense but a felony on the second offense. Committee Chairman Jim Hill, R-Moody, assigned Halls bill to a subcommittee, which is scheduled to meet Tuesday. Rep. Tim Wadsworth, R-Arley, chairman of the subcommittee, said he thought a compromise was possible. Wadsworth said he thinks there could be agreement on reducing the penalty for possession to a violation but said it would likely be for amounts smaller than an ounce. During last weeks meeting, some members expressed concern when told that an ounce could produce as many as about 80 marijuana cigarettes. The legislative session has reached the halfway point. Tuesday will be the 16th meeting day of a possible 30. The session can last until June 17. For the second straight week, a bill to ban almost all abortions in Alabama will probably get the most attention in the State House. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing on that bill Wednesday. If the committee approves the bill, the Senate could pass it on Thursday and send it to Gov. Kay Ivey, who could sign it into law. The public hearing will be at 8:30 a.m. in Room 325 of the State House. The bill proposing a constitutional amendment to establish a state lottery is now in the House after passing the Senate. The bill has been assigned to the Economic Development and Tourism Committee. As of Sunday, it was not on that committees agenda for action this week. A bill to make it against state law for businesses to pay employees differently based on race or sex will be the subject of a public hearing Tuesday in the House Commerce and Small Business Committee. Rep. Adline Clarke, D-Mobile, is the sponsor of that bill, which has some Republican co-sponsors. A former Madison County teacher is accused of sending nude photos of herself to two students and having sex with one of them, court records revealed. Lyndsey Sherrod Bates was a special education teacher at Madison County High School until she resigned March 29, personnel records show. Two weeks later, the 22-year-old was arrested on five sex crimes charges involving students. Defense attorney Robert Tuten didnt respond to calls and an email seeking comment. Assistant District Attorney Tim Douthit said both students were at least 16-years-old, and neither was in special education classes. Douthit said he couldnt comment further. Bates is accused of having sex with a 17-year-old male student around February 14, an investigator wrote in court records. In that case, Bates is charged with a misdemeanor count of sexual contact with a student and the felony crime of being a school employee engaging in a sex act with a student younger than 19, records show. Although 16 is the age of consent in Alabama, the states teacher-student sex law says, consent is not a defense. The felony crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a lifetime on the sex offender registry. Additionally, Bates is accused of sending nude photos of herself to the 17-year-old and a second student, court records show. The second students age isnt listed in court records. The allegations involving the second student are alleged to have happened on or about 3/29/2019, court records state. Thats the day Bates resignation was effective. Its not yet clear whether that will affect the case since Bates wasnt a school employee any longer. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for May 22. Bates is also being investigated by the Alabama State Department of Education, which issues teaching certificates. Alleged misconduct has been reported to the Department, records state. (A)t this time, the Department has not proposed any negative action against the individuals certification or licensure. Bates was hired at Madison County High at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year with a $39,305 salary, according to records in her personnel file. She passed a criminal background check and was deemed suitable and fit to teach under state law, state education department records show. In her resignation form, Bates wrote she was leaving her job to seek a different area of education. Madison County District Judge Patrick Tuten this past week recused himself from the case because his brother Robert Tuten is representing Bates. The case was reassigned to District Judge Patty Demos. Bates was released on bail shortly after her arrest on April 12. She is the daughter-in-law of Madison County Chief Deputy Stacy Bates. The sheriffs office investigated the case but a spokesman said the chief deputy wasnt involved in the probe. Advocates are pointing out the gaps in Alabamas legislation concerning protections for LGBTQ individuals following the suicide death of Nigel Shelby, a Huntsville teen who was reportedly bullied for being openly gay. Jamie Foster, executive director of Equality Alabama, and Dillon Nettles, policy analyst at ACLU of Alabama, answered questions from members of Reckons Facebook page about how to create a more LGBTQ inclusive state. Here are their responses: Question: Are there anti-bullying initiatives that seem to be useful? And from a policy standpoint, at a city/county/school board policy level? Foster: There are many resources available for parents, educators, administrators, etc. As these things are available, it does impress upon us to stress the importance of this being a cultural shift and not just a specific training. Specifically, community members can immediately begin reaching out to their Board of Education members, school system administrators, teachers, etc. to begin assessing what, if any, anti-bullying (and more specifically LGBT protections) policies exist. Once assessed, students and educators can begin addressing these policy or practice needs by creating their own Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network/ Gay Straight Alliance chapters to help navigate this process. With that being said, here are some resources: Question: Most of Alabamas cities didnt score very well on the Human Rights Campaigns Equity Index. What are some steps municipalities like Huntsville can take to establish stronger protections for LGBTQ residents? Nettles: Unfortunately, youre right. This year Alabama was ranked in the lowest-rated category by Human Rights Campaign for the fifth year in a row. Huntsville was ranked 19 out of 100. One of the things municipalities can do to improve this is pass local anti-discrimination ordinances that would provide more legal protections for the LGBTQ community. These could be policies that protect LGBTQ people from housing discrimination or employment discrimination. This is also a way for municipalities to demonstrate their commitment to creating an inclusive environment for LGBTQ youth and adults. Question: By my understanding, Birmingham and Montevallo are the only two cities that have (LGBTQ-inclusive) nondiscrimination orders. Do you know of other cities in Alabama that are willing and are in the process of implementing these LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination protections. Nettles: Those are the only two. I have heard of efforts that may be underway within local pride organizations and LGBTQ organizing spaces. My hope is that we will learn more about them as those details become more public and that we can support such efforts across the state. Question: Since Nigel Shelby was a black gay teen, I wanted to ask this questions: what issues are you hearing from black LGBTQ youth? What can Alabamians do to help black queer youth? Nettles: There are especially unique challenges growing up Black and LGBTQ+. I can attest this fact myself. In a state like Alabama, its even more dangerous for LGBTQ youth because the very schools where children spend most their day, do not have the safeguards in place to ensure the protection and inclusion of these students. Frankly, we don't only need our schools to do the work. Parents and guardians need to begin rejecting the stigmas associated with the LGBTQ community as they raise their children and create open and inclusive environments where they feel comfortable expressing their sexuality. We should also be frightened by the fact it's estimated there are more than 1 million LGBTQ African Americans living in the United States, and they face an increased risk of violence not only because of racism, but because of homophobia and transphobia. At least 22 transgender people have been killed in the United States at the beginning of 2018 82 percent of them were women of color. The Black community must collectively address how this violence is affecting our queer youth because, as is true for police violence, wage inequality, voting rights, and more, this is an issue affecting us all. We cannot progress as a people until we all are seen as equal. Question: The last several years have seen extremely prominent boycott movements against states that have bad track records on LGBTQ rights (Im thinking of North Carolinas bathroom bill that was projected to cost the state $3.76 billion in lost business, and Georgias recent religious liberty bill that stirred talk of the states explosive film industry packing it in and leaving). Essentially, it seems to be increasingly bad for business to be bad to LGBTQ people. But despite being one of the most hostile states for LGBTQ people, I feel like I havent seen Alabama subjected to this same level of scrutiny and consequences. Is this an accurate assessment? If so, Im curious if yall have any thoughts on why that might be? Foster: Id agree that this is an accurate assessment. More and more data is being collected to show that it is bad business to be anti-LGBTQ. There are real economic impacts of anti-LGBT legislation. Alabama, for the most part, seems to have avoided much of the national media, scrutiny, and spotlight regarding not just LGBTQ rights, but civil injustices and inequality across the board, both historically and currently. I think that this has much to do with the perception of the South in regards to national organizing efforts. We lack not only media attention, but also resources that are often spread disproportionately across the country. Id like to think that those examples show how important it is for us to work with businesses, business leaders, chambers of commerce, economic developers, etc. to begin building those relationships for when matters like these arise. Human Rights Campaign currently has an assessment tool called the Corporate Equality Index, which functions similar to the MEI that may help in identifying, building, and strengthening our coalition work. Question: Would yall mind sharing what you find to be some of the most overlooked needs of our LGBTQ residents? Foster: Oftentimes, people think that marriage equality was the end-all, be-all for LGBTQ+ people and that is 100% not the case! Equal pay, affordable/equal housing protections, pay-day lending reform, prison abolition/reform, access to appropriate medical (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) care - and specifically in our state - expansion of Medicaid/Medicare For All, more accessible democracy from registration to voting, syringe service programs, etc. The issues that affect every day Alabamians are very often the same issues that affect every day LGBTQ+ Alabamians, but at an even greater level or cost, if theyre available at all. Seeing as growing datasets show that the greatest concentration of LGBTQ+ people are in the Southern US and that many Southern people, especially many Southern LGBTQ+ people are affected by poverty or other socio-economic conditions, then one can begin piecing together the myriad of issues directly impacting everyday LGBTQ+ Alabamians. Question: If this bill to eliminate the issuing of marriage licenses in Alabama goes through, what are the potential consequences for LGBTQ couples? And straight couples, for that matter. Foster: I will do my best to answer this question as I am not a lawyer and you should not take my statements as legal precedent or advice; however, please note that those of us at Equality Alabama have consulted with legal experts across the nation as well as the bill sponsor himself. Regarding the transition of marriage licenses to contracts in accordance with this legislation in its current form, there are potential benefits such as removing solemnization requirements, which can often be a monetary fee(s) and changing our state language from "may" to "must," which currently allows Probate Judges to not issue licenses to anyone - LGBTQ or otherwise, and yes, that includes heterosexual/straight people, too - if they so choose. Unfortunately, they do so choose to in ~8 counties. This seems like a middle-of-the-road compromise for all people regardless of identity or faith. Consequences? It is hard to tell as Alabama would be the first state in the Union to change this process. While it *should* be fairly simple in changing the designations of forms and eliminating some of their requirements, implementation may prove to be a barrier of access for some. For example, seeing as a Probate Judge cannot refuse the issuance of a contract or required paperwork, individuals may receive the necessary documentation; however, there is no new language that would require any person to oversee that the information submitted is accurate or valid and thus, statistically, may result in a failed attempt or two - affecting ALL couples regardless of identity. Furthermore, if this legislation became law, it would presumably and immediately allow people to get married in any of Alabamas counties, even where Probate offices arent currently issuing licenses, instead of forcing ALL people in those counties to travel to another county to initiate or complete this process. Former Vice President Joe Biden told voters in South Carolina last weekend that the Trump administration is allowing the United States to return to the days of Jim Crow, a time when it was legal to deny black Americans the right to vote because of their race. The administration does not appear to be overtly denying people of color the right to vote - it is illegal to discriminate based on race. But some recent changes in voting laws led by those in the president's party appear to be having effects that mirror that period of legalized discrimination. Biden made the speech Saturday at a community center in Columbia, the capital city of South Carolina, home of the first Southern Democratic primary. The state is notable because of the significant role that black voters play in the Democratic nominating process. The Associated Press reported him saying: "In criticizing Republican attempts to reconfigure voting rules, including establishing identification requirements, Biden recalled the racial segregation laws of the past known as Jim Crow. " 'You've got Jim Crow sneaking back in,' he said, and added: 'You know what happens when you have an equal right to vote? They lose.' " Voter suppression has been a central topic for liberal lawmakers at least since the 2013 Supreme Court decision ending the use of a key part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Conservatives on the bench concluded that the section of the act requiring certain states - including South Carolina - to receive clearance from the Justice Department or a federal court before making minor changes to their voting procedures was unconstitutional. Conservative justices argued that an increase in voters of color over the past 40 years proved that voter suppression had decreased and that Southern states no longer needed to be monitored to make sure that they weren't discriminating against people of color. As a result, since then multiple southern states have implemented new laws that liberals say are designed to make it more difficult for people to vote. Liberals say that the latest high-profile example of that was the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election. In her speech Sunday at a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) dinner, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who is running for the Democratic nomination, said: "Let's say this loud and clear: Without voter suppression, Stacey Abrams would be the governor of Georgia, Andrew Gillum is the governor of Florida." Abrams, the Democratic candidate, narrowly lost her race to become America's first black female governor. Her opponent, Republican Brian Kemp, was Georgia's secretary of state and had oversight of Georgia's voting laws. In that capacity, he put about 53,000 applications to vote in the 2018 midterms on hold, many of them belonging to people of color. Many, like Harris, believe that the "exact match" law Georgia Republicans passed in 2017 was aimed at making it more difficult for people of color to vote. Laws like this have affected voters of color: The problem of unfair elections go way beyond Georgia. A 2018 poll by the Atlantic and Public Religion Research Institute found that nearly 10 percent of black and Hispanic voters were told they didn't have the right identification to vote in 2016. About the same percent said they were told, incorrectly, that they weren't listed on voter rolls. "In all, across just about every issue identified as a common barrier to voting, black and Hispanic respondents were twice as likely, or more, to have experienced those barriers as white respondents," the study found. Some conservatives bristled at Biden's characterization of the state of voting rights in the South and argued that his claims would alienate the white working-class voters he's hoping to take from President Donald Trump. But whether conservatives, including Trump-supporting white working-class voters, like it or not, many people of color are facing more challenges to voting than they did a decade ago. And a candidate who acknowledges the concerns of these groups might lose some of the Americans who backed Trump in 2016 but will be attractive to those who fear that Republicans remaining in power could lead to even more restrictive laws reminiscent of a time past. This is an opinion column. Im not go run from nobody. Time has done little to temper state Rep. John Rogers, which should surprise absolutely no one. The irascible 78-year-old Democrat who has served in the Alabama House since 1982 isnt backing away from most of the flame-throwing barrage he launched last week against HB314, the Alabama House Republicans draconian anti-abortion bill that is plowing its way through the legislature like measles on steroids. The bill, a tiki torch for the partys quixotic mission to fatally pierce Roe v. Wade, turns women into criminal accomplices by making it a Class A felony for a doctor to perform an abortion, even if the woman is a victim of rape or incest. Soon after the House passed the bill, 74-3, last Tuesday (most Democrats staged a walkout during the vote; Rogers did not), the Birmingham representative ignited a firestorm of criticism: So, you kill them now or you kill them later," he said. "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. I stand by what I said, Rogers told me Monday morning. A lot of folks screamed at me. I got calls, too, from a lot of folks across the U.S. who said Im right. Cant nobody apologize for me but me. Rogers did, however, apologize for using the word retarded when describing Donald Trump Jr., who called Rogers remarks stomach curling. Rogers called the presidents son evidently retardedan arcane and offensive term from a long-gone (thankfully) eraand said Trumps mother should have aborted him. I apologize for using the word retarded, he said. I shouldnt have used that. I support special needs children, and they love me unconditionally. I have relatives and friends with special-needs kids, so I [using that word] was wrong. Charge it to my head, not my heart. Rogers also revealed the exchanges between him and U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, one of the few Democrats who openly criticized him last week, during two telephone calls. In the first, according to Rogers, He said, Youre killing me. Youre killing me. Stop talking. He said they were attacking him. I said, Why [are] they attacking [you]? Im the one who said it.' He said hed have to come out against me. I said, Fine, do what you got to do.' The rhetoric of Rep. John Rogers gets more appalling each time he speaks. He does not speak for the people of Alabama and is in fact offending all Alabamians with his crude and reprehensible comments. https://t.co/ZLI8e83Z2d Doug Jones (@DougJones) May 2, 2019 Later, however, Rogers said, He called hollering and shouting. I dont shuffle. The last people [who] yelled at me were my mother and father. I said, Bye. You cant apologize for me. You attack me, Ill attack you. Thats when I hung up on him. He aint go holler at me. Rogers and Jones are long-time friends, but the legislator said the second conversation upset me so bad that hes considering challenging Jones next year in the U.S. Senate race. I was ready to give [to his campaign], the legislator said. I dont want to run [against Jones]. Ive got to raise a million dollars. If I raise a million, Ill run; I can run a million-dollar campaign. If Im go run, Ill run to win. The way he treated me on the phone. Dont call hollering and shouting at me. Rogers said hell know in the two or three weeks whether Ill run. Jones said: I dont comment on any potential opponents. Jones, in the same Monday afternoon conversation, also declined to address specifics regarding his conversations with Rogers. Im not going to engage in a verbal jousting match with John Rogers, Jones told be. "I was incredibly disappointed in Johns comments. He and I have been friends for a long time; hes been a client. I called because I had to say something to publicly condemn his remarks. I thought they were horrible and out of line and did not represent his constituents, no less the state of Alabama. "I called a second time when he doubled down and started offending the disability community across the state. I think he owes the people of state of Alabama an apology. No public official should make those kinds of statements. "That kind of language is not the kind we have to have in order to have dialogues rather than monologues we have in this state. "But you cant a get word in edgewise sometime with John. [He] did most of the talking. I couldnt hardly get in a word. A lot of people attacked John, but Im the only one who called and gave him a heads up. This is a very emotional issue for John. I understand that. Im disappointed he made our private conversation public." Rogers continued to defend his initial attack on the abortion bill, repeating and illuminating remarks he made late late week. He said kill them later spoke to Alabamas woeful healthcare, especially when it comes to the poor. We close thirteen rural hospitals and [have] the worst prenatal healthcare in the nation, he said again before adding: [Alabama is] pro-birth but not pro-life. We find more ways to kill people in this state than keep them alive. Rogers said he heard from several doctors who thanked him for his stance and added the ban would adversely affect poor women. A poor person cant get a sonogram because we dont have prenatal care, he said. Rich folks will always get them. Poor women will go to the back alley to get abortions. Think about a young girl in high school. She is ashamed and too embarrassed to tell her family. Shell find someone [to do the abortion]. When you start using coat hangers and medications [like the morning-after pill], you maim the baby. To have a bill where rapists got the right to visit and take child, thats ridiculous. If a doctor tells a woman [shell] die if [you] have this child, that decision left to her and her husband. The state Senate is scheduled to discuss the bill this week and could vote on it as early as Thursday. Rogers believes the Senates version might be tempered somewhat. [The Senate will] change the bill before it gets out. We were wrong about rape and incest. [An abortion] decision should be made by a woman and her God. State Rep. John Rogers has been an irascible voice in Montgomery since 1982 . The Huntsville TimesThe Huntsville Times Rogers said he is a Catholic who is personally against abortion, but he represents a district that supports choice. I cant put my beliefs above the people in my district. I cant run on my religion. I run on what the people believe, and they believe in pro-choice. He didnt participate in the Democrats walk-out last week because he believes the strategy mitigates potential legal challenges. When you walk out, if want to go to court you got nothing to take to court because it looks like it was a unanimous vote." He didnt have kind words, either, for party colleagues who did walk out. If you walk out, stay out, he said. Dont come back in skinning and grinning. This should not surprise anyone: Rogers isnt done talking. His initial verbal barrage stripped control of the narrative from the silent Democratic House leadership [On Monday, the House Democratic Caucus released a statement on Rogers remarks, see below]. It gave giddy Republicans cover for several days while rocks were thrown at him instead of their abysmal bill. Now, Rogers says hell request 20 minutes of personal privilege given House leaders to speak on the issue every day. We so wrong-headed down here, he said. Were backwoods. Even Mississippi is far ahead of us. Note: The House Democratic Caucus statement on Rogers, in part: The offensive comments made by John Rogers are not representative of, or consistent with, the beliefs and opinions of Alabama House Democrats. Unfortunately, Rogers comments are without excuse, explanation or appropriate venue and their detrimental impact in overshadowing a difficult but important conversation on the extreme attack on a womans constitutional right to make their own medical decisions is regrettable. The author is a voice for whats right and wrong in Birmingham, Alabama, Roys column appears in The Birmingham News and AL.com, as well as in the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register. Reach him at rjohnson@al.com and follow him at twitter.com/roysj The first case of measles in Alabama as well as outbreaks in pockets around the U.S. has many people asking questions about virus once thought all but eliminated in the U.S. Today, you can get answers to your questions. AL.com is teaming with Childrens Hospital and Dr. David Kimberlin, co-director of UABs Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, to host a Facebook question and answer event today. You can post your questions here and, starting at 2 p.m., Dr. Kimberlin, who also serves as vice chair of UABs Department of Pediatrics and is editor of the American Academy of Pediatrics Red Book, will provide answers. You can post your questions here. Dr. Kimberlin wont be answering questions related to the St. Clair County case specifically, but will provide information on measles, vaccinations and the best ways to protect yourself and your family. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 704 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in the U.S., the greatest number of cases reported since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. Outbreaks have been reported in New York, Michigan, New Jersey, California, Georgia and Maryland with most linked to traveled who brought the measles back from other countries such as Israel, Ukraine and Philippines, where large measles outbreaks are occurring, the CDC said. Two people were injured when a tractor-trailer left the road and went down an embankment on Interstate 459 Sunday morning, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. About 10:45 a.m., state troopers responded to the 22-mile marker of I-459 north on a report of a commercial vehicle crash. Responding troopers found a tractor-trailer down an embankment off the right shoulder of the road. Troopers said the tractor-trailer left the right shoulder of the road and went down an embankment, striking several trees before it stopped moving. The driver and passenger of the tractor-trailer were taken to an area hospital with injuries. Troopers said the extent of those injuries are unknown, but considered to be non-life-threatening. The tractor-trailer was loaded with a type of graphite used in manufacturing. Recovery vehicles are on scene to recover the vehicle however due to the location of the tractor trailer down the embankment and terrain this recovery will take an undetermined amount of time. If you are traveling north on 459 expect delays as the roadway is down to two lanes, said Cpl. Steven Smith. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. An employee at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and her team received millions of dollars in awards from the university last week for her campaign aimed at making Alabama a healthier state by 2030. Mona Fouad, director of the UAB Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center, and her project Healthy Alabama 2030: Live HealthSmart was declared the winner of UABs first Grand Challenge. She and her teams prize is a three-year, $2.7 million award from the university to fund the projects initial effort. Our health is everything, Fouad, who was inducted last year into the National Academy of Medicine, said. We must do better by our citizens. We must educate, reach more people where they are and not put Band-Aids on problems, but work collectively to change our paradigm and improve our states health so we as Alabamians can reach our full potential. According to research from UAB, Alabama ranks 46th in obesity, 48th in diabetes, and 49th in high blood pressure across the United States. Fouads goal is to take the state out of the bottom 10 in national health rankings by 2030, and her plan will utilize a systematic and comprehensive approach to make significant improvements in key health metrics over the next 10 years, the university said. Her plan includes 90 partners from the government and business sector. Fouad also wants to improve Alabamians health habits, too- like getting people to eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise, stop smoking, and screen for diseases and cancers. Healthy Alabama 2030 will launch with demonstration zones at UAB and in three Birmingham communities Woodlawn/Kingston, Bush Hills/Ensley, and Eastlake. The project complements other strategic plans and initiatives at UAB and its partner organizations, including the state Department of Public Health, the university said. To implement major changes across the state, Fouad said she and her team will leverage programs already in use, like UAB Wellness initiatives. Employee Wellness Director Anna Threadcraft, who is also co-principal investigator for systems in the Healthy Alabama 2030 team, said she wants to share what works in her department for the 2030 project. We can share what works and what doesnt so we all get better... This project collectively pulls together so many good things that are already happening, The strategies needed to change the states health ratings, Fouad said, revolve around policy initiatives, programs in schools and workplaces, and environmental improvements. Many of those ideas came from meetings Fouad and her team had with the community during the challenge. We were very pleased with the planning phase built into the UAB Grand Challenge process, Fouad said. That gave us time to engage with the community. We held a series of partner and town hall meetings where we met with citizens, organizations and more than 100 community leaders in five counties. We developed our strategies based on the needs and challenges they shared with us. Theresa Wallace, a program director in the Division of Preventive Medicine and the program director for the Healthy Alabama 2030 project, said common themes emerged from the town hall meetings. Those included concerns about accessibility to physical activity, promoting good eating habits, and improving healthcare and wellness checks. She said, People want to know, How can I transform my community into one where healthy living is the easy, default choice? How can I proactively take my health into my own hands? If we do it effectively, which weve done in the past, we can truly make a difference. Fouad said she, her team, and UAB students are excited about the endeavor. We know we can improve, and we know the behaviors to focus on. The Grand Challenge has given us a great opportunity to scale up the successful projects weve piloted and sustain them for the long term. Were all joining together to have a lasting impact on our campus, the city and the entire state. See all Grand Challenge projects in the video here. Who needs the gas tax? Dominos Pizza is paving potholes. The Ann Arbor, Mich.-based pizza chain is bringing its popular Paving for Pizza program to Mobile as Alabamas lone site for a $5,000 grant to pave potholes. The Mobile City Council, on Tuesday, could vote on an agreement that allows the city to receive the companys grant. In exchange, the company will pay for $5,000 worth of pothole patching. No matching funds are required. We are pleased to be selected for the program and pleased by the partnership with Dominos, said Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpsons spokesman George Talbot. The donation amount that we will be receiving is $5,000. While relatively small in terms of our total paving budget, every dollar counts and the program helps to highlight our work to improve infrastructure in Mobile. Mobile has $3.8 million currently allocated for paving, plus an additional $8 million for resurfacing programs through Mobile Countys Pay-As-You-Go program. Talbot said the city is working with Dominos on a project date and location. Under the agreement, the city will film or photograph at least two of he potholes before and after they are filled. The images will then be given to Dominos for the companys use, and the city agrees to be labeled as an official partner of the Paving for Pizza program. The agreement also stipulates that Dominos will not portray Mobile in a negative light nor will it suggest the city has difficulty filling potholes or has an excessive number of potholes. Danielle Bulger, spokeswoman with Dominos, said Mobile is the companys Alabama selection to receive a $5,000 grant based on the number of nominations the city received. The program was initially launched in June 2018, with 20 grants being awarded to locations across the U.S. Athens, Georgia; Jackson, Miss.; and New Orleans have all received grants. Customers were asked across the U.S. to nominate cities theyd like to receive a grant, Bulger said. The company said last year that it received 137,000 nominations from 15,275 zip codes across all 50 states, prompting the company to expand its effort to include a location in every state. We receive such a great response that we expanded the program to 50 states one in each state in the U.S., said Bulger. Its unclear how many pothole fixes the grant will support in Mobile. According to one online media report, the companys $5,000 bought 75 tons of asphalt that filled eight potholes in Bartonville, Texas, and helped repair another three roads. In Athens, the money paid a dozen workers for just three hours of work, fixing 150 square yards of road. Friends and family are remembering an 18-year-old Navy recruit from Alabama who died at boot camp. A funeral is scheduled Monday at 10 a.m. for Kelsey Nobles of Mobile. She died last month after collapsing during training at the Navy Recruit Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois. The pastor at Cottage Hill Baptist Church, Alan Floyd, tells WKRG-TV that Noble is being buried with full military honors in Mobile. Nobles graduated from Baker High School last year and joined the military. Nobles' father told news outlets that she passed out after a physical fitness test and went into cardiac arrest. She was pronounced dead at a civilian hospital. Nobles was the second person to die at the training facility under similar circumstances in recent months. The Navy is investigating. Its been more than 15 years since a teen disappeared in Montgomery, but authorities said they are not giving up on finding her. LaQuanta Riley, who was 19 when she vanished, was last seen on Dec. 7, 2003. According to the missing persons website The Charlie Project, Riley left her Montgomery home in a dark green, four-door car, possibly a Ford Taurus or Chevrolet Caprice. The driver took Riley to her mother's home three miles away, where Riley asked for a jacket. Her brother, who answered the door, asked who was driving the car. Riley told her brother the driver was a friend she met from around the neighborhood. She got back in the car and never returned home, and three days later her mother reported her missing. She left behind her purse and money. Sometime between a few days and a few weeks after Riley's disappearance, her mother got a message on her telephone answering machine which she believes was from Riley. The message wasn't clear: the caller said either "leave me alone" or "let me go home." A man's voice in the background said Riley's name, then the call disconnected. It has never been traced. Riley graduated from Georgias Redan High School in 2002, where she was an honors student. She had gotten a full college scholarship and wanted to study criminal justice and have a career in forensic science. Central Alabama Crime Stoppers on Monday released an age-progressed photo of Riley. At the time of her disappearance, Rileys ears and tongue were pierced. She has a scar on her nose. She also has Rest in Peace Mesha tattooed on her left arm and LaQuanta tattooed on her right arm. Her nicknames are Quanna and Quanta. You can read more about her disappearance and see more photos here. A reward totaling $11,000 is being offered for information. The City of Montgomery is offering $5,000 the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office is offering $5,000 and Central Alabama Crime Stoppers is offering $1,000. Anyone with information Rileys whereabouts is asked to call Montgomery police or Crime Stoppers using the 24-hour tipline at 334-215-STOP (7867), through the P3-tips app, through the web at www.215STOP.com or on Central Alabama Crime Stoppers Facebook page. The numbers for the Montgomery Police Department are 334-241-2350, 334-241-2078 or 334-241-2831. Yes, it's that time of year when I make my annual pilgrimage up the Northeast coast to celebrate my fathers birthday with friends and family. This year marks a major milestone as we celebrate his 90th year and toast with words of the Italian salutation, Cent Anni, which translates to May you live to a hundred years. These words ring more soundly as one nears such a rare achievement still in good health, full of energy and spirit. Up here in the Northeast, the signs of springtime are so much more intense than the subtle changes we witness here in South Florida during the change of seasons. The trees are budding with a vivid youthful tone of green, the flowering forsythia bushes so briefly dazzle the countryside with their vibrant yellow blooms, lighting up the dim, dark landscape coming out of the winter months. Many trees put forth their best, as flowering dogwoods, magnolias, redbuds and crepe myrtles battle each other for Best in Show. However, as one looks past the flowering trees and bushes, not everything here is so beautiful. Taking a closer look, one begins to notice all the Let's make America great again banners dotting the landscape, hanging off the front porches of the many Trump supporters in the area. Visiting areas that should be solid Democrat strongholds of past union and working-class communities, one gets hit with a strong slap across the face, a rude awakening, a harsh wake-up call. Donalds chances of reelection in 2020 might not look so far-fetched after one spends some time in communities such as these. There is another saying, made famous by the late House Speaker Tip ONeal, that All politics are local, so I will let my mind drift back to our Island City to recap local happenings. I watched the last City Commission meeting streaming live on my computer as I packed my suitcase and wrapped my dads birthday gift. There were three main items of interest on the agenda: appointments to the Planning and Zoning Board, the resolution on the co-naming of 21st Court as Harvey Milk Court, and the follow-up on the illegal business still operating on the Pride Centers campus. Unfortunately, the handling of all three items left me a bit ruffled and looking forward to my upcoming departure time of 5:30 a.m. as a means of escape from local politics. The appointments made to the P&Z Board were not the issue. It was the process of listening to so many candidates, especially those who might suffer from a slight case of narcissism, that went on way too long with no real purpose. Our city is blessed with many residents seeking to serve on boards and committees. However, the process might need to be adjusted to take up less time at a commission meeting. Spending over an hour listening to board candidates seems a bit much; and if we had 20 or more candidates apply, an entire evening might be consumed by such a process. Next up was the discussion on the honoring of Harvey Milk and the co-naming of 21stCourt. The display of three city commissioners running for political cover was embarrassing. These three commissioners used every excuse available to defend themselves for not wanting to support the resolution. There should be a process, not everyone was contacted, no community support, the cost, and on and on and on. This was after many spoke in favor of the resolution both during public comments and by emails. The three commissioners had their own reasons why they did not want to support the co-naming. If only they were more honest with themselves and to constituents instead of the excuses they tried to hide behind. We can at least hold our heads high that the commissioners voted unanimously to honor Harvey Milk on May 22 here in our Island City. Harvey Milk was first and foremost a community activist who sought to improve the lives and the community in which he served. It is those efforts and beliefs we choose to honor. Shame on the narrow-minded and divisive comments made by one resident that the street naming is just another example of the so-called "Gay Agenda" being pushed upon fellow Islanders. On to the third item of interest, the Special Magistrate and ongoing issues surrounding the illegal operations of a business at the Pride Centers campus. Due to the late hour, the commission was rushing this very important discussion off to the next meeting. Perhaps some important business might cause the commission to stay put until the issue is properly dealt with. In the meantime, an illegal business continues to operate, the Pride Center continues to collect rent, and the rest of us are still being hoodwinked. These kinds of local politics do nothing to make life just better here. And no amount of Israeli propaganda and Eurovision whitewashing can erase the legitimacy of its right to do so. We have spent sleepless nights under Israeli bombs before in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2018. On Saturday, apartheid Israel decided to launch yet another murderous campaign of bombardment against one of the most densely populated areas on earth. Again, the victims were children and women. Fourteen-month-old Palestinian toddler, Siba Abu Arrar, was killed along with her pregnant aunt, Falastine, who succumbed to her wounds shortly after American-made, Israeli warplanes targeted their home in Zeitoun neighbourhood. On Friday, like all the previous 57 Fridays, I joined thousands of peaceful protesters at the eastern fence of the Gaza concentration camp, where Israeli snipers shot and killed four Palestinians and injured 51, including children. One of those killed was 19-year-old Raed Abu Teir, who was walking on crutches, having been injured during previous protests. Calls for a ceasefire were made as Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to launch massive strikes in the hope of killing the largest possible number of Palestinians by targeting residential areas. As with previous truce initiatives, this time once again Israel and the Palestinians the oppressor and the oppressed were equated as two sides to a conflict and what constitutes legitimate resistance under international law was put on the same level as a brutal illegal occupation. The fact that Israel has an actual army, disproportionately bigger firepower and is an occupier was neglected as usual, and so was the stark difference in the death toll: 24 Palestinians and four Israelis. Like all previous ceasefires mediated by the Egyptian authorities and the United Nations, this one also aimed to maintain stability in the open-air concentration camp that Gaza is, for as long as possible, by demanding that any form of resistance is subdued. In this case, the Israeli government is eager to quiet Gaza down ahead of the generous opportunity European countries are giving it to whitewash its war crimes by hosting the Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv, an hours drive away from the strip. As in the past, Palestinians are now expected to gratefully accept a period of calm where Israeli bombs are not raining on their houses and its blockade continues to strangulate Gaza. 190412082348119 In fact, what has come to be regularly required of the Palestinians is to conduct themselves as house Palestinians, and be thankful to their white Ashkenazi masters for the breadcrumbs they let them have in order to barely survive. They are to give in to a slow death, die like cockroaches, showing no form of rebellion, and accept that if they die resisting, then it would be their own fault. But enough is enough! Palestinians will no longer accept the dictates of the so-called international community which continues to favour Israel and cover up its war crimes. Any talk of improving the conditions of oppression in light of the great sacrifices made by our people is a betrayal of Palestinian victims. Any ceasefire agreement that does not lead to the immediate lifting of the blockade on the Gaza Strip and the reopening of the Rafah crossing, and all the other crossings in a manner that allows the inflow of fuel, medicine, and all other basic goods, and does not include provisions for ending what the Israeli occupation and apartheid will not be accepted. We will no longer allow Gaza to be severed from Palestine and the historical context behind the suffering of its people. This is not a conflict, as the Israelis like to present it, with a hostile armed group. It is an occupation, launched by a settler-colonial power which seeks to ethnically cleanse an entire indigenous population in order to solidify and legitimise its colony. What is happening in Gaza is incremental genocide, not a security operation. The barbaric massacres committed by apartheid Israel since 2006, have claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, including many children. Entire families have been wiped out in broad daylight in conjunction with the systematic destruction of hundreds of Palestinian homes; doctors and paramedics were killed while on duty and so were journalists. Tens of thousands have been permanently disabled in these wars. We, the Palestinians in Gaza, have already made our choice. We will not die dishonourably a slow death while thanking our killers under the self-deception that portrays slavery to the occupier as a fait accompli. No, we will continue to fight for our dignity, for ourselves and for our children. We, members of the Palestinian civil society, have long argued that the way forward should be peoples power the only force capable of tackling the huge asymmetry of power in the struggle against Israel. And our Great March of Return has demonstrated this. We successfully broke efforts to intentionally separate the Gaza conflict from its roots and made our demands heard across the world. We dont want another short-term ceasefire or slight improvement in living conditions under a deal of the century. We dont want breadcrumbs. We want to return to our lands, we want our rights under international law to be recognised. That is why, each Friday, we continue to call for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) against Israel and we hail the effort of various groups and individuals across the world the true international community who have joined our efforts. We now call on all Eurovision artists to give up their participation in whitewashing the murder of toddlers, pregnant women, medics, journalists, and musicians and the destruction of civilian homes, hospitals, schools and cultural centres. Do you really want to entertain Israeli soldiers sniping down unarmed protesters? Do you really want to perform 60km away from Gaza, where the family of the 14-month-old Siba cannot stop grieving? Do you really want to sing in apartheid Israel? It is time for you, as well as the rest of the art world, to stand on the right side of history just like they did a few decades ago during the apartheid era in South Africa and boycott Israel. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Official says US announcement on sending carrier strike group to Middle East is clumsy use of an out-of-date event. Iran labelled the US announcement that it was deploying a naval strike group to the Middle East to deliver the Islamic Republic a message as psychological warfare. The dismissal on Monday came a day after John Bolton, US national security adviser, said Washington was sending the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force as a clear and unmistakable message that it will retaliate against any attack on its interests or its allies by Iran. Keyvan Khosravi, spokesman for Irans supreme national security council, said, Boltons statement is a clumsy use of an out-of-date event for psychological warfare. The Tasnim news agency quoted Khosravi as saying that Iranian armed forces had observed the carrier entering the Mediterranean Sea 21 days ago. Bolton lacks military and security understanding and his remarks are mostly meant to draw attention to himself, Khosravi added. Exactly what prompted the US action was unclear, but it marked a further step in sharply rising tensions between the Trump administration and Iran. Patrick Shanahan, acting US defence secretary, said on Monday that he approved the deployment because of indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces. But he provided no details of the alleged threat. We call on the Iranian regime to cease all provocation. We will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests, Shanahan said on Twitter. Maximum pressure The USS Abraham Lincoln has previously been deployed to the Gulf, including during the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. The Pentagon already announced with little fanfare last month the aircraft carrier and the rest of its strike group was heading on a regularly scheduled deployment out of its base in Norfolk, Virginia. The deployment comes amid heightened tensions as Washington pushes forward with its campaign of maximum pressure against Tehran partly through punishing economic sanctions. 190506194124855 The US unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers one year ago and instead aimed at curbing the regional role of Iran, a rival of US allies Saudi Arabia and Israel. Last month, President Donald Trump announced the US would no longer exempt any countries from US sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, a decision that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and US treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey. It has also declared Irans elite Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organisation. Manufacture a crisis Barbara Slavin, director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council think-tank, said Boltons announcement on Sunday was manufactured to try to justify the administrations very harsh policy toward Iran, despite the fact that Iran has been complying with the nuclear deal. 190506011851708 Given Boltons record, she said, I wouldnt put it past him to try to manufacture a crisis here. UN inspectors say that Iran has been in compliance with the nuclear deal, which is still backed by European powers as well as Trumps Democratic rivals seeking to unseat him next year. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani may announce retaliatory measures on Wednesday on the anniversary of the US pullout, the semi-official ISNA news agency said. The acting US defence secretary says carrier, bombers sent to region due to indications of credible threat by Iran. Acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said on Monday that he had approved sending a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East because of indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces. [It] represents a prudent repositioning of assets in response to indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces, Shanahan said on Twitter. We call on the Iranian regime to cease all provocation. We will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests, he added. Shanahan in his tweet provided no details on the threat. US National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Sunday that the United States was deploying the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a message to Iran. Keyvan Khosravi, spokesman for Irans supreme national security council, said on Monday that Boltons statement was a clumsy use of an out-of-date event for psychological warfare. Tasnim news agency quoted Khosravi as saying that Iranian armed forces had observed the carrier entering the Mediterranean Sea 21 days ago. Bolton lacks military and security understanding and his remarks are mostly meant to draw attention to himself, Khosravi added. Three US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters News Agency on Monday that multiple, credible threats picked up by intelligence were primarily against US forces in Iraq by Iran and its proxy forces. They said there was also concern about US forces in Syria and in the waters nearby. One of the officials said the intelligence was specific enough that it detailed the locations of potential attacks against US forces and the timeframe within which it could occur. The official added that the threat was not only against US forces in Iraq but those coming in and out of the region. There are currently about 5,200 US troops in Iraq and under 2,000 American forces in Syria. Increased pressure The US action marked the latest in a series of moves by President Donald Trumps administration aimed at ratcheting up pressure on Iran in recent months. 190504073832283 The Trump administrations efforts to impose political and economic isolation on Tehran began last year when it unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal it and other world powers negotiated with Iran in 2015. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking in Finland where he was attending the Arctic Council meeting, said on Monday the United States has seen activity from Iran that indicated a possible escalation, one day after the United States said it would send a carrier strike group to the Middle East to counter a credible threat by Iranian regime forces. Last month, Trump announced the US will no longer exempt any countries from US sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, a decision that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and US treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey. The US also recently designated Irans Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group, the first ever for an entire division of another government. 190504114003351 In response, Iran said it has mobilised all its resources to sell oil in a grey market. Amir Hossein Zamaninia, Irans deputy oil minister, told state media on Sunday that Iran would continue to export oil despite the US sanctions, which he said were neither just nor legitimate. 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. Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for the country to resist and unite against US pressure in what he called a war on hope waged against the Islamic Republic. America will only let go of this game when it realises it cannot achieve anything. We have no way but to resist and unite, Rouhani said in a televised speech on Saturday. Our war today is the war on hope. They want to break our hope, and we have to break their hope. State schools reopen amid tight security after fighting broke out on Sunday between ethnic Sinhalese people and Muslims. Sri Lanka has imposed a curfew in the city of Negombo, site of one of the Easter Sunday bombings, to contain religious violence. Tensions gripped Negombo on Sunday as fighting erupted between ethnic Sinhalese people and Muslims, Sri Lanka military spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu told The Associated Press news agency State schools in Sri Lanka resumed classes on Monday amid tight security after an extended Easter vacation following the suicide attacks last month. St Sebastians Church in majority-Catholic Negombo was among the six sites bombed in the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 257 people. At least two motorcycles and two three-wheel taxis have been damaged in the clashes, a police officer told AFP news agency. We declared a curfew till 7am (01:30 GMT) to contain the unrest. There were no immediate reports of casualties. 190502175042166 The countrys 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 under way into the clashes, the first violence between Muslims and Christians since the April 21 attacks targeting three churches and three luxury hotels in the country. The Sri Lankan government has also reimposed a ban on social media platforms in an effort to stop the spread of rumours after the violence. Sri Lanka 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. 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. Visa restrictions tightened Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said 200 Muslim scholars 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. Last week, Sri Lankan police released the names and photographs of nine alleged suicide bombers who carried out the attacks, all belonging to an offshoot of a local group called National Towheed Jamaat. They included Mohamed Zahran, also known as Zahran Hashim, who was described as the attacks leader, and the wife of another suicide bomber who blew herself up along with her children and three police officers, at a villa belonging to her father-in-law, who was a prominent spice trader. Politicians have threatened to begin contempt of US Congress proceedings against William Barr if he misses the deadline. A second congressional subpoena deadline for US Attorney General William Barr to provide politicians with an unredacted copy of Special Counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation report expired at 9am (13:00 GMT) on Monday. It was not immediately clear whether Barr complied with the subpoena. Politicians have threatened to begin contempt of Congress proceedings against him if he missed it. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler subpoenaed the full Mueller report and underlying evidence on April 19. Barr missed an initial subpoena deadline for the material last week, but Nadler gave him extra time to comply. Last week, tensions escalated between the Trump administration and Democrats over Barrs handling of Muellers Russia report. On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Barr of lying to Congress. She was apparently referring to Barrs comments last month during a House Appropriations Committee hearing in which he said he was not aware if Mueller had disagreed with Barrs four-page summary of the investigation. It was revealed last week that Mueller sent a letter to Barr on March 27 three days after the attorney general sent his four-page summary to Congress that said Barrs memo did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of the special counsels investigation. Barr, speaking before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, said he had a 15-minute phone call with Mueller after the special counsel sent the letter. He said Mueller was very clear with me that he was not suggesting that we had misrepresented his report. 190501233001891 Pelosi said that if anybody else did that, it would be considered a crime. Barr also skipped a Thursday House Judiciary Committee hearing about the Mueller report over changes to the format of the hearing that the Department of Justice called unnecessary. The changes included adding an extra hour of proceedings to allow for committee lawyers to question the attorney general. Barr released a redacted version of Muellers 448-page report last month. It did not establish that the Trump campaign conspired with Russian operatives. The investigation did, however, examine multiple acts by the president that were capable of exerting undue influence over law enforcement investigations. Mueller did not conclude that President Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice, but did not exonerate him either. Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein subsequently concluded that Trump did not break the law. The Trump administration has sought to block staffers and former officials from appearing for hearings or interviews, as well as decline requests for documents from a number of House committees investigating the president. United States House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler on Monday scheduled a Wednesday vote to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress after Barr failed to comply with a deadline to provide Special Counsel Robert Muellers full report on his Russia probe. In an escalation of the battle between the Democrat-led House and President Donald Trumps administration, Nadler proposed to hold Barr in contempt after the Justice Department declined to provide the unredacted report. The committee had given Barr until 9am (13:00GMT) on Monday to comply. The attorney generals failure to comply with our subpoena after extensive accommodation efforts, leaves us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings in order to enforce the subpoena and access the full, unredacted report, Nadler said in a statement on Monday. Even in redacted form, the special counsels report offers disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels, he added. Congress must see the full report and underlying evidence to determine how best to move forward with oversight, legislation and other constitutional responsibilities. The vote on Wednesday will be on a resolution that says: William P Barr, the Attorney General of the United States, shall be found to be in contempt of Congress for failure to comply with a congressional subpoena. Barrs failure to comply has hindered the Committees constitutional, oversight and legislative functions, it adds. Proceedings could be postponed if the attorney general makes a good faith effort to comply with the committee, but that appears unlikely. If the panel adopts the resolution, it would then go to the full House for a vote, according to a congressional aide. Will Mueller testify? The scheduled vote is the latest in a series of actions as Democrats try to conduct oversight of the Trump administration in the aftermath of Muellers report. 190419174453875 Over the weekend, Trump changed his position and decided Mueller should not appear before Congress. Bob Mueller should not testify, he tweeted, sparking criticism from Democrats eager to question the author of the report on Russias election interference, especially after Barr failed to attend a House hearing last week. Trump had previously said he would leave the question to Barr, who has said repeatedly that he has no objection to Mueller testifying. As long as Mueller remains a Justice Department employee, Trump or Barr could block him from testifying. Its unclear when Mueller will leave the department or whether he would want to testify in his own capacity when he does leave. Nadler said last week the committee was firming up the date for Muellers testimony and hoping it would be May 15. The Justice Department declined to comment. Tensions heightened Although a contempt vote would send a message, it wouldnt 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 US attorney for the District of Columbia, a Justice Department official who is likely to defend the attorney general. 190418154116647 Still, Democratic House leaders have signalled they will methodically take advantage of all the legal steps available. They could also file a civil lawsuit against the Justice Department an option that could take months or even years to resolve. Some members of the committee have suggested they also could fine Barr as he withholds the information. The committee is prepared to make every realistic effort to reach an accommodation with the department, Nadler wrote to Barr on Friday. 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. Democrats say they need to see the full report, including underlying materials like interview transcripts, to conduct a complete review of Muellers probe. In terms of the underlying materials, Nadler said the committee wants to see witness interviews and items such as contemporaneous notes that are cited in the report. He also asked that all members of Congress be allowed to review an unredacted version of the report. Barr released a redacted version of Muellers 448-page report last month. It did not establish that the Trump campaign conspired with Russian operatives. The investigation did, however, examine multiple acts by the president that were capable of exerting undue influence over law enforcement investigations. Mueller did not conclude that Trump committed obstruction of justice, but did not exonerate him either. Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein subsequently concluded that Trump did not break the law. The Justice Department has made a less redacted version available for House and Senate leaders and some committee heads, but the Democrats have said that is not enough and have so far declined to read it. 190425185711995 Barr skipped a scheduled hearing with the Judiciary panel last week amid a dispute over how he would be questioned. Hours after Barr stood them up, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she believed the attorney general had lied about his communications with Mueller in testimony last month, and that was a crime. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec called Pelosis accusation reckless, irresponsible and false. Tensions between the White House and House Democrats have been fueled by disputes over calling administration officials before multiple committees and obtaining an unredacted copy of the special counsels report as well as information relating to Trumps personal and business finances. The Trump administration has sought to block staffers and former officials from appearing for hearings or interviews, as well as decline requests for documents from a number of House committees investigating the president. US national security adviser says move is response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings. The United States is deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a clear message to Iran that any attack on US interests or its allies will be met with unrelenting force. Amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Sunday that the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the US Central Command region was a response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings. The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or regular Iranian forces, Bolton said in a statement. Al Jazeeras Gabriel Elizondo, reporting from Washington, DC, said the move was an unusual one especially because of the statement by Bolton. There are more questions than answers in that short statement, he said. Its not unusual for aircraft carriers to be deployed to the Middle East to be a deterrent to Iran. But what makes this different is Bolton putting out a statement specifying Iran. Its almost a provocation. Thats unusual for the US to do that when they deploy big military assets like these. Washington has said it will stop waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, in an attempt to reduce Irans oil exports to zero. It has also blacklisted Irans elite Revolutionary Guard Corps. In response, Iran said it has mobilised all its resources to sell oil in a grey market. Amir Hossein Zamaninia, Irans deputy oil minister, told state media on Sunday that Iran would continue to export oil despite the US sanctions, which he said were neither just nor legitimate. 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. The Trump administrations efforts to impose political and economic isolation on Tehran began last year when it unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal it and other world powers negotiated with Iran in 2015. Bolton, who has spearheaded an increasingly hawkish US policy on Iran, did not provide any other details. A US official said the forces have been ordered to the region as a deterrence to what has been seen as potential preparations by Iranian forces and its proxies that may indicate possible attacks on US forces in the region. The panel found Jordan should have arrested al-Bashir in 2017, but its failure to do so was not grounds for referral. Jordan will not be referred to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for its failure to arrest Sudanese war crimes suspect Omar al-Bashir when he visited Amman in 2017, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has said, reversing an earlier decision. In a split ruling on Monday, the five-judge panel confirmed that Jordan should have arrested al-Bashir, but said its failure to do so was not grounds for referral because Jordan had tried to consult the court about the matter ahead of time. The appeals chamber confirms Jordan had failed to comply with its obligations under the statute by failing to execute the courts request for the arrest of Mr al-Bashir and his surrender to the court, while he was in Amman on 29 March 2017, presiding judge Chile Eboe-Osuji said. But Eboe-Osuji said that referring Jordan to the UN for possible sanction went too far. Under court rules, judges can use their discretion on whether a violation is serious enough to prompt a referral. 190427161933411 The Appeals Chamber finds merit in Jordans arguments and considers that the Pre-Trial Chamber abused its discretion, the judge said. #AlBashir case #ICC: Appeals Chamber confirms Jordans non-cooperation but reverses the decision referring it to the Assembly of States Parties and UN Security Council. More information https://t.co/cNel8YXxZU Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) May 6, 2019 Easing the verdict Jordan is a member of the Rome Statute, which underpins the tribunal established in 2002 to try the worlds worst atrocities and as such has agreed to comply with the courts orders. In a first for the court, Amman last year appealed the ICCs findings that it failed to fulfil its legal obligations in seizing al-Bashir, saying it was not obliged to do so. Jordans lawyers argued that al-Bashir at the time of his visit was a sitting head of state and therefore immune to arrest, based on the international legal principle of comity between states. 170706151100441 But the court on Monday concluded that there is no Head of State immunity under customary international law vis-a-vis an international court, it said in a statement. Easing the verdict on Jordan however, Eboe-Osuji said that the courts pre-trial judges should not have referred the matter to the Security Council and the courts Assembly of States Parties (ASP). Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state ever indicted by the ICC, with two warrants issued in 2009 and 2010 for five counts of crimes against humanity, two counts of war crimes, and three counts of genocide during hostilities in Darfur between 2003-2008. Over the last decade, al-Bashir has travelled to a number of countries who did not arrest him, including ICC member states like South Africa and Kenya. Sudans deadly conflict broke out in 2003 when ethnic minority groups took up arms against al-Bashirs Arab-dominated government, which launched a brutal counterinsurgency. At least 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million others displaced in the conflict, according to the UN. Syrian government forces, Russia, bombard residential areas in suburbs of Idlib and Aleppo, activists and medics say. At least eight civilians have been killed in government-led air raids in rebel-held towns on the outskirts of Syrias Aleppo province, as well as in villages across Idlib province the last rebel-held stronghold in the country. The air raids on Monday targeted several residential neighbourhoods in southern Idlib, Suleiman Abdulqader, a local activist, told Al Jazeera. Four civilians two women and two children lost their lives in a raid that struck a village near Khan Sheikhoun, Abdulqader said. Another two a woman and a child died in an attack in the village of Shnan, located in Ariha, south of Idlib. Also on Monday, Russian warplanes targeted a medical facility in al-Zarbeh, a town in neighbouring Aleppos southern suburbs, killing at least two civilians, according to Syrian Civil Defence also known as the White Helmets. In the past 24 hours, government-led air raids have destroyed at least three hospitals, knocking them out of service, the Syrian Civil Defence said. Attacks on hospitals and medical facilities 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. According to Abdulqader, who works with a network of activists across Idlib and its outskirts to document the frequency and aftermath of government-led raids, at least four other villages were targeted by Russian warplanes on Sunday some for a second consecutive day. Dozens killed Syrian government forces, along with Russian military support, have intensified attacks on the region since April 26 in an attempt to drive out armed opposition groups and gain control over what once was a major commercial highway linking Syria to neighbouring Turkey and Jordan. Opening the commercial and passenger routes through Idlib province would reassert the states control over an economy fragmented during eight years of conflict and now facing US and EU sanctions, economic experts say. 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 is the heaviest fighting in months, which has raised fears the government may launch a wider offensive to retake the countrys last major rebel bastion. The United Nations has said the attacks have included the worst use of barrel bombs by the Syrian army in 15 months. It says an estimated 323,000 people have been displaced in northwest Syria since September last year. The shelling and aerial strikes have increased in intensity and ferocity and the area hit has widened with more intensity, Naji Mustafa of the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) rebel group told Reuters news agency. 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 currently home to nearly three million people, half of whom are internally displaced. Along with sharing a border with Turkey, Idlib is adjacent to Latakia province, a Syrian government stronghold that is home to the biggest military airbase of its major ally, Russia. 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. Pakistans army says at least 16 civilians have been killed by Indian gunfire across Line of Control this year. Islamabad, Pakistan At least two people have been killed by Indian shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Pakistans military has said. The shelling occurred in the Tatta Pani and Kot Kotera sectors along the de facto border that separates the two sides of Kashmir, the militarys press wing said in a statement late on Sunday. Pakistani troops responded to the gunfire, the statement said, and intermittent crossfire continued through the night. The dead included a 12-year-old boy, the Pakistani statement said. A woman was also seriously wounded in the violence. 190301115237414 An Indian defence ministry spokesperson told the Press Trust of India news agency that Pakistani forces had fired across the LoC, but did not confirm any casualties in Indian-administered Kashmir. India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence from the British in 1947 over the disputed region of Kashmir, which both claim in full but administer separate portions of. Kashmir attack An armed separatist movement has been fighting Indian security forces for the right to self-determination for Kashmiris since the 1990s. India accuses Pakistan of arming those groups and providing them with the resources to carry out attacks, a charge Pakistan denies. In February, at least 40 Indian security forces personnel were killed in a suicide attack in the Indian-administered Kashmir town of Pulwama, one of the deadliest such attacks in the region. India blamed Pakistan, carrying out airstrikes on a target in Pakistani territory that it said was a training camp for Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), an armed group based on Pakistani soil that claimed responsibility for the attack. That military action resulted in retaliatory strikes by Pakistan on Indian-administered territory, and an aerial dogfight that saw an Indian fighter jet shot down by Pakistani aircraft. The return of the Indian pilot two days later served to defuse tensions, but security postures in both countries remain high, with some Pakistani airspace restrictions for flights crossing through Indian airspace remaining in place. 190304091423290 This year, Pakistan says at least 16 civilians have been killed by Indian shelling and firing across the LoC, with more than 82 wounded. Last week, the United Nations listed Masood Azhar, the JeM chief, as a global terrorist, subjecting him to sanctions including an assets freeze, international travel ban and an arms embargo. China, a key Pakistani ally, had blocked three previous attempts to sanction Azhar on technical grounds but withdrew its objections on May 1. Pakistan said it had withdrawn its objections to the request for listing after references to the conflict in Kashmir were amended in the listing criteria. On Monday, May 6, the Association of Racing Commissioners International issued a press release concerning potential negative fallout in relation to U.S. racetracks or lawmakers' banning of voluntary race day furosemide (lasix) administrations. All racing regulatory commissions have been put on notice that the banning of voluntary race day furosemide administrations by some U.S. racetracks or lawmakers is expected to encourage a return to practices deemed cruel, inhumane, or potentially dangerous to the health and welfare of a horse. Regulatory policy permitting race day furosemide was developed decades ago to end such practices and permit a treatment deemed helpful to the health of the horse. The Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) has long maintained its international standard permitting such use is more considerate of the health or the horse than the standards of other organizations that disallow it. Last Friday, the ARCI advised regulatory commissions to be on the lookout for horses being given intravenous formaldehyde to combat potential incidents of bleeding. The advisory noted that formaldehyde use is already being investigated in at least one U.S. jurisdiction, and the ARCI investigatory intelligence network is reporting that if furosemide is banned in the U.S., illegal formaldehyde use as an alternative may become common. This poses an inherent danger to the horse and can be potentially fatal. the advisory read, noting that Racing Victoria, which does not permit race day furosemide, has been dealing with the formaldehyde alternative for several years. The ARCI also advised commissions that it is anticipated that some horsepeople will return to a practice known as drawing and muzzling. This practice, common in Europe where race-day furosemide treatments are also not permitted, denies a horse food and water for 24 to 36 hours prior to a race. The denial of water or food to a horse for an extended period of time should be regarded as cruel and inhumane by regulatory authorities, the advisory read. The advisory suggested that any commissions considering requests to suspend current regulatory policy permitting race-day furosemide treatments at racetracks or during select races are being advised to consider a corresponding prohibition on drawing and muzzling. This is the second equine welfare advisory circulated to commissions in recent days. On April 30, the ARCI warned commissions to be on the lookout for an herbal drug called Kratom that has been linked to almost 100 overdose deaths in humans. Kratom is marketed as a health supplement and treatment for common maladies, but the FDA and DEA have warned against its use. Kratom has been found in racehorses in New York. Commissions were also reminded to alert investigators that some racehorses may be given treatments of nickel to boost performance in much the same way cobalt has been used. (With files from the ARCI) Ocalan, who met lawyers first time in eight years, calls on Kurdish-led SDF to consider Turkish sensitivities in Syria. The jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Turkey has called on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to pursue solutions in Syria other than through conflict, in a rare statement read by his lawyers. Abdullah Ocalan, who has been jailed in Turkey for more than 20 years, also called on the SDF to take Turkish sensitivities in Syria into consideration, his lawyers said. We believe that, within the scope of the SDF, problems in Syria should be aimed to be solved by staying away from a culture of conflict, with constitutional assurances given within the framework of Syrias territorial integrity, the statement by Ocalan and three other PKK leaders said. The SDF is spearheaded by the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) fighters, and backed by the United States. It played a key part in the removal of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) fighters from the vast majority of the territories it captured in Syria and Iraq since 2014 and Washington has defended its alliance with the group. 190323061233685 However, Ankara considers the YPG and its political wing, the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), terrorist groups with ties to the outlawed PKK. It has waged a war in Turkey since the 1980s, fighting for an autonomous Kurdish state. Turkey and the Syrian fighters it backs carried out an operation in the northwestern Syrian region of Afrin in January 2018 and captured territory there from the SDF. Turkey demands the total removal of the SDF from its border with Syria. The group controls the countrys northeast. Two of Ocalans lawyers, who read the statement during a news conference, said it has been eight years since they had been allowed to see him. The meeting took place on May 2. This is the first meeting with the lawyers since 2011. The meeting lasted approximately one hour, Rezan Sarica told an Istanbul press conference. Hunger strikes Some 3,000 Kurdish prisoners have been holding hunger strikes since November to protest Ocalans isolation and demand improved conditions for him, and eight have killed themselves over the issue, according to the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party. Nevroz Uysal, another of Ocalans lawyers, said the imprisoned leader wanted the hunger strikers to limit their protests. We respect the resistance of our friends inside and outside prisons but want them not to carry this to a dimension that will threaten their health or result in death, Uysal quoted Ocalan as saying. Turkey captured Ocalan, then public number enemy one, in February 1999 and imprisoned him on the heavily fortified island of Imrali off Istanbul where he has been kept for 20 years. 190117104601190 The PKK is blacklisted as a terror group by Ankara, NATO, the US, the United Kingdom and other Western allies. The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives since 1984. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hardened his rhetoric towards Kurdish rebels since the last ceasefire broke down in 2015, reducing the odds of a political solution to the long-running conflict. Ocalans brother, Mehmet, was permitted to visit him in prison in January for the first time since 2016. Ocalan had been sentenced to death for treason after his capture by Turkish agents in Kenya, but this was commuted to life imprisonment when Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2002 at a time when it appeared close to securing membership of the European Union. Renegade commander also orders fighters bogged down on the outskirts of Tripoli to use speed and force against GNA. Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar urged his soldiers to teach unity government forces an even harder lesson after launching an offensive to capture Tripoli an attack that so far has been repelled. Haftars Libyan National Army (LNA) began the assault on April 4 aimed at deposing the internationally recognised government from the capital. That set off another deadly escalation in a country mired in violence since the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Haftar urged his troops to uproot opposing forces from our beloved country in a message late on Sunday. Officers and soldiers of our armed forces and affiliates, I greet you during these glorious days and call on you to inflict on the enemy, with your force and determination, an even harder and bigger lesson than before, Haftar wrote in a message read out by LNA spokesman General Ahmad al-Mesmari. Forces backing the Government of National Accord (GNA) recently launched a counter-offensive against the LNA, leading to a stalemate on the southern outskirts of the capital. Wipe it out Haftars message also vowed that in the event of a retreat by the enemy, troops should pursue it with speed and force, prevent it from fleeing and wipe it out with support from LNA air forces. Respect the lives of citizens and their goods, the message added. Carry out the orders of this letter and those of your superiors. The strongmans message came just hours after the United Nations mission in Libya called for an extendable one-week humanitarian truce to mark the beginning of Ramadan. The GNAs status with world powers, meanwhile, is increasingly shaky. US President Donald Trump, in a phone call with the LNAs leader last month recognised Field Marshal Haftars significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libyas oil resources, according to the White House. Closer to home, Haftar is backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Since April 4, fighting between the LNA and forces backing the GNA has killed at least 432 people, wounded 2,069 and displaced more than 50,000, according to the UN. The North African country has been in a state of chaos since the long-time leader Gaddafi was toppled in 2011 with Western intervention. Officials tell Al Jazeera a ceasefire came into force at 1:30 GMT after three days of air raids and rocket attacks. Palestinian officials say a ceasefire agreement has been reached with Israel to end a surge of violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel that has led to the deaths of at least 25 Palestinians and four Israelis. Gaza officials confirmed to Al Jazeera that a deal was reached at 1:30 GMT, and no Israeli air raids on the Palestinian territory have been reported since the deal came into effect. The officials said Egypt and Qatar helped mediate an end to days of attacks between Gaza and Israel. There was no confirmation from the Israeli side. However, the Israeli army early on Monday lifted all protective restrictions imposed near the Gaza area during the weekends flare-up. The Home Front Command instructed residents of the south to return to their routines. The Israeli Transportation Ministry announced that all public bus routes in the south would return to full and normal operation. The railway line between the cities of Ashkelon and Beersheba was also set to resume later in the morning. A man holds the hand of Maria al-Gazali, a Palestinian baby, as her body lies on a stretcher at a hospital in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza strip [Anas Baba/AFP] An Islamic Jihad official, on condition of anonymity, said the truce agreement was based on Israel easing its blockade of the Gaza Strip. Among the steps, he said, were the easing of limits on the fishing zone to 12 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza and improvements in Gazas electricity and fuel situation. An Egyptian official also confirmed the deal on condition of anonymity. The prime minister of the occupied West Bank-based Palestinian Authority government Mohammed Shtayyeh said on Monday that the government welcomed any effort for a ceasefire, especially the Egyptian efforts. We are hoping that this will lead to an end to the tragedy against our people and preserve their lives, he said, speaking at a government meeting in the city of Ramallah. Shtayyeh called on the United Nations to stop Israeli aggression against Palestine and to provide international support for its people in the Gaza Strip. The flare-up was the most serious clash between the two sides since a spate of fighting in November. Rocket sirens in southern Israel, which had gone off continuously over the weekend, sending residents running for cover, were quiet for a few hours straight before dawn on Monday. Israelis take cover as they hear sirens warning of incoming rockets from Gaza, during cross-border hostilities, in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon [Ronen Zvulun/Reuters] On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered massive strikes on the Gaza Strip after a two-day escalation in which Israeli warplanes and gunboats targeted Gaza as fighters in the besieged enclave fired a barrage of rockets into southern Israel. A 34-year-old Hamas commander was killed on Sunday 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. Other Palestinian victims included two pregnant women and two infants. In Beit Lahiya, a town in the northern Gaza Strip, an Israeli air raid hit a residential building, killing a four-month-old baby and her father. A 12-year-old boy, Abdelrahman Abu al-Jadyan, was also killed in the same attack. The bodies of his parents, Talal and Raghda, were recovered under the rubble on Monday, bringing the death toll in the Gaza Strip to 25 killed. 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 attack on a factory on Sunday afternoon, later died. Around two 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. A Palestinian youth searches for his belongings under the rubble of a building that was destroyed by Israeli air strikes, in Gaza [Mohammed Salem/Reuters] Israel said its blockade was 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. Panama City Panamanians elected a new president on Sunday, but he will face an uphill battle to address the populations waning faith in government amid corruption scandals and rampant inequality. Democratic Revolutionary Change party candidate Laurentino Nito Cortizo, a businessman and former politician, won the presidency with 33 percent of the vote. He will take office on July 1. The centrist candidate had a double-digit lead in most polls leading up to Sundays vote, but the race ended up being much tighter than anticipated with the two frontrunners separated by less than two points. Election tribunal magistrate Heriberto Arauz called it a precedent in Panamanian election history, and the tribunal refrained from announcing Cortizo as president-elect until 23:40 local time, after more than 92 percent of polling station results had been processed. Romulo Roux, the right-wing Democratic Change party candidate, ended up in a close second place with 31 percent of the vote. He refused to concede on election night, stating that his party await a further review of results. Independent candidate Ricardo Lombana garnered 19 percent of the vote, far ahead of the four remaining candidates. Election officials continue to tally the results of the elections of all 71 members of the National Assembly, Panamas unicameral legislature, and hundreds of local government officials. Cortizo supporters, gathered in a downtown Panama City hotel, erupted in cheers upon learning their candidate was declared president-elect. Panama decided its future, Cortizo told the jubilant crowd, pledging to work tirelessly over the next five years for a prosperous and just country. Cortizos campaign Cortizo was a member of the National Assembly from 1994 to 2004. He became Minister of Agricultural Development in the administration of Martin Torrijos, but resigned in 2006 in protest over concessions made during negotiations for the US-Panama Free Trade Agreement, signed the following year. Over the course of this years short two-month campaign period, one of Cortizos main promises was to combat inequality once in office. For years, Panama has had the fastest-growing economy in Latin America, but it also has one of the highest rates of inequality in the western hemisphere. The Panamanian population is very aware that wealth is poorly distributed, Harry Brown, director of the International Centre for Political and Social Studies, a Panamanian institute, told Al Jazeera. 190505132445106 Poverty and inequality are particularly evident in rural areas, and especially in the 12 semi-autonomous indigenous territories known as comarcas. World Bank data from 2015 revealed a poverty rate of 6.5 percent in urban areas, 26.6 percent in non-indigenous rural areas, and more than 86 percent in comarcas. Cortizo campaigned in and around the impoverished Ngabe-Bugle comarca last month. He promised to build a University of Panama campus in the Ngabe-Bugle comarca and to establish dozens of public institution facilities in comarcas around the country to improve health, education and other services. Health services and employment options in the Ngabe-Bugle comarca are few and far between, according to comarca resident Betzaida Venado, who is studying to become a primary school teacher. But she is extremely sceptical of Cortizos campaign promises. In my comarca, candidates always come with promises upon promises, Venado told Al Jazeera, adding, they never fulfil them. The lack of credibility in campaign promises and government plans is widespread, according to Carlos Barsallo, president of the board of the Foundation for the Development of Citizen Liberty, the Panamanian chapter of Transparency International. There is a problem of generalised mistrust of institutions, Barsallo told Al Jazeera. Supporters of president-elect Cortizo wave flags in Panama City [Carlos Jasso/Reuters] Corruption..is generalised Corruption scandals have implicated the current administration of President Juan Carlos Varela and his predecessor Ricardo Martinelli, who is currently in jail and on trial for the alleged use of illegal wiretaps while in office to spy on some 150 political rivals and journalists. Neither has been charged for corruption, and both men have denied any wrongdoing. The Panama Papers tax evasion and corruption revelations, the scandal surrounding Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht that reportedly paid bribes to Panama leaders, and a series of scandals involving nepotism and corruption in the National Assembly have all increasingly undermined public faith in politicians and institutions. 190503134100499 Cortizo and other presidential contenders promised to root out corruption and implement concrete measures such as removing the statute of limitations on corruption-related charges and barring companies linked to corruption from government contracts. Transparency Panama will be following up to monitor whether or not they honour the commitments they made, said Barsallo. Active citizen participation in the process and in constructive criticism will also be necessary to help create social pressure for change, said Barsallo. Brown, from the International Centre for Political and Social Studies, says there is a need for deeper understanding of corruption as a systemic issue across the public and private sectors instead of an issue of individual politicians. Corruption in Panama, as with all corruption, goes beyond politicians and beyond the main three political parties. It is a generalised phenomenon, he said. There is the illusion that by changing the people, you change things, but no, it is more than that, said Brown. Netanyahu orders massive attacks on Gaza Strip, causing the death of at least 24 Palestinians, including two infants. Gaza Strip One-year-old Seba was killed along with her aunt in an Israeli air attack at their house in Gaza on Saturday. With her wounded hand, Sebas mother, 27-year-old Rasha Abu Arar, wiped her tears, ruing the incident that took place following the escalation of violation that has killed at least 24 Palestinians and four Israelis. Me, my cousins and their children were sitting in the house when suddenly a rocket fell on us, a pregnant Rasha told Al Jazeera. I wrapped my arms around my daughter to protect her but the shrapnel injured my hand and penetrated her body, she said as she continued sobbing. My three-year-old daughter, Rafeef, was also wounded and is currently in the ICU, added the mother of six. What is the sin of my children? Did they throw rockets at Israel? Sebas aunt, 37-year-old Falisteen, was pregnant with her 10th child and died of shrapnel wounds in her neck. My heart is bleeding over her orphaned kids. They are very young. How would they continue their life without their mother, said Falisteens mother, Fatma. The escalation in violence has claimed more lives, including those of two infants [Bashar Talib/Al Jazeera] The escalation in violence has claimed more lives, including those of two infants [Bashar Talib/Al Jazeera] The escalation began after Israeli forces killed four Palestinians in two separate incidents on Friday. According to Al Jazeeras correspondent, the barrage of rockets fired from Gaza came after an Israeli drone attack in the north of the strip early on Saturday, which injured three people. More than 200 rockets were fired by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad towards settlements and towns in southern Israel. Israeli warplanes and gunboats then targeted the Gaza Strip. Explosions in Gaza City, where busy streets were packed with shoppers making preparations for the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, shook buildings and sent people running for cover. Israeli warplanes have bombed 200 sites, including military installations and facilities of Hamas, across the Gaza Strip since late on Saturday. Two buildings in the heart of the city were totally destroyed, one of the buildings, al-Khuzendar, which was levelled down to ground. We were sitting in our shop that sells childrens clothes when, around 10pm, a big explosion rocked the neighbourhood. We rushed outside and saw everyone calling for the evacuation of the building, said Mohammed al-Hadad. I wasnt expecting our building to be targeted. Its a business area near the Red Cross delegation in a decent location. Israeli airplanes have bombed 200 sites, including military installations and facilities of Hamas, across the Gaza Strip since late on Saturday [Bashar Talib/Al Jazeera] Al-Hadad pulled out some goods from under the rubble, saying they were stocking this in preparation for Ramadan and Eid. Daoud al-Khuzendar, 27, the son of the building owner, said it took just minutes for the building to collapse. The building was built 20 years ago. This was home, our business, and our sole source of income, said al-Khuzendar. Give me one reason behind targeting our building. It was hosting a Turkish charity, cultural offices and residential apartments. Where are the terrorist targets they claim. Who will compensate us for all this? As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered massive strikes on the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the leader of Hamas said his group was not interested in a new war. In a statement late on Sunday, Ismail Haniya said the group was ready to return to the state of calm if Israel stops its attacks and immediately starts implementing understandings about a dignified life. The 56-year-old garnered 51.7 percent of the vote ahead of Siljanovska-Davkovas 44.73 percent in the run-off. Stevo Pendarovski, supported by the ruling Social Democrats (SDSM), has won the North Macedonian presidency in a run-off vote. The 56-year-old garnered 51.66 percent of the vote in North Macedonia on Sunday, beating nationalist VMROs Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova which got 44.73 percent. The remaining 3.61 percent of the votes were void. Sundays run-off poll was called after neither candidate received enough ballots for an outright win in the first round of voting two weeks ago. The victory puts more wind into the sails of the ruling coalition, which expects to get a date to start European Union accession talks in June and become the 30th NATO member state next year. The victory of this concept brings a future for the republic of North Macedonia and its our ticket to Europe, Pendarovski told reporters after the election results were announced. 190312092012504 Prime Minister Zoran Zaev congratulated Pendarovski and said: As of today, no one can stand in the way of progress. We showed we are ready for Europe. The campaign for the elections was dominated by divisions over a change to the countrys name that was agreed to mollify Greece and open the way for EU and NATO membership. Greece had, for decades, demanded that the 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. VMRO-DPMNE accused the government of engineering election, adding it had information of the ruling coalitions bribing of voters and threatening them, among other things. The president holds 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 Gjorge Ivanov, a nationalist, to sign some bills backed by parliament has delayed the implementation of key laws, including one on the 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 46.6 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. Trump says he had a very good call with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about North Korea and trade. US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about North Korea and trade after North Korea raised doubts about the future of denuclearisation dialogue with new weapons tests. In a tweet, Trump described his talk to Abe, a close ally, as a very good conversation! but gave no other details. Abe, speaking to reporters after his phone call Monday with Trump, said their countries will seek complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula by coordinating bilateral efforts completely. President Trump and I agreed completely on every aspect of how we should deal with North Korea, Abe told reporters, according to the Kyodo news agency. Trump and his administration have played down the North Korean weapons tests, which took place on Saturday, and which military analysts say could have involved short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missiles. If the weapons were ballistic missiles, they would have been the first fired by North Korea since its 2017 freeze in nuclear and missile testing opened the way for dialogue with the US and South Korea. Analysts interpreted the tests as an attempt to exert pressure on Washington to give ground in denuclearisation negotiations after a February summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended in failure. In a Twitter message on Saturday, Trump said he was still confident he could reach a deal with Kim. 190505074832250 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that Washington still had every intention of negotiating with North Korea. Pompeo said he and Trump spoke about the launches on Saturday and were evaluating the appropriate response. But were going to exhaust every diplomatic opportunity there is, he told CBS news. We still believe there is a path forward where Chairman Kim can denuclearise without resort to anything beyond diplomacy. Pompeo said the launches were short-range and that Washington had high confidence they did not involve intermediate-range missiles, or intercontinental missiles that threaten the US. He said they had not crossed any international boundaries and posed no threat to South Korea or Japan. North Koreas official media described the tests as a strike drill supervised by Kim to test large-calibre long-range multiple-rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons. North Koreas rights record Separately on Monday, the State Department took aim at North Koreas human rights record, saying that the government there had subjected its people to egregious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms and that the United States remained gravely concerned and deeply troubled by the abuses. 190503152328956 Approximately 100,000 individuals languish in political prison camps and their family members and children often suffer by their sides. Further, those trying to flee this oppressive environment, if caught, are often tortured or killed, it said. Last week, the United Nations said 10.1 million people in North Korea are suffering from severe food insecurity. A World Food Programme spokesman said the word famine was not being used in the current crisis, but it might come to that in a few months or years. The situation is very serious today thats a fact. US president increases pressure on China to reach a trade deal before this weeks trade talks in Washington. President Donald Trump has dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal by announcing he would increase US tariffs on $200bn worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. The move, announced on Sunday, marked a major escalation in trade tensions between the worlds two largest economies and a shift in tone from Trump, who cited progress in talks as recently as Friday. The Wall Street Journal reported that China was considering cancelling this weeks trade talks in Washington in light of Trumps comments that took Chinese officials by surprise. A roughly 100-member Chinese delegation had been expected to accompany Vice Premier Liu He for the talks, according to a Trump administration official. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin described last weeks round in Beijing as productive. 190409162357583 But a less than rosy update from US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, including details that China was pulling back from some commitments it had made previously, prompted Trumps decision and jab on Twitter at Beijing, officials said. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No! Trump said in a tweet. Trump said tariffs on $200bn of goods would increase to 25 percent on Friday from 10 percent, reversing a decision he had made in February after progress between the two sides. The president also said he would target a further $325bn of Chinese goods with 25 percent tariffs shortly, essentially targeting all products imported to the US from China. Trump wants to keep some, if not all, of the existing tariffs on China as part of any final trade deal to ensure Beijing lives up to its commitments, a White House official said on Sunday. Mindful of his 2020 re-election bid, Trump suggested the measures were not leading to price increases for US consumers. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China, he tweeted. Tariffs on Chinese goods are actually paid to the US by the companies importing the goods. Most of those companies are US-based. American businesses, while largely supportive of Trumps crackdown on Chinas trade practices, are eager for the tariffs to be lifted, not increased and expanded. Raising tariffs means raising taxes on millions of American families and inviting further retaliation on American farmers, said Christin Fernandez, a spokesperson for the Retail Industry Leaders Association. Venezuelan opposition mourns people killed in protests following failed call for a military uprising against Maduro. Opposition supporters have gathered at the behest of their leader Juan Guaido in the Venezuelan capital Caracas to hold a vigil for those killed in the ongoing demonstrations to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro. Earlier this week, Guaido failed to rally support from the military during an uprising against Maduros government. Al Jazeeras Teresa Bo reports from Caracas. The statement comes after opposition leader Juan Guaido told the BBC he did not rule out military option. Venezuela is ready to see off any attack from the United States, the countrys Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Monday in Moscow. We are ready for all scenarios. The first is diplomacy, dialogue, peace, Arreaza told a press conference after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. But if Washington opts for the military path, we have an armed force, a people, a national guard that will be able not just to resist and fight, but also to win, he added. The foreign ministers comments come following a failed, US-backed bid by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to spur a military uprising against President Nicolas Maduro last week. Venezuelas Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino had called the uprising a coup attempt by Guaido. In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, Guaido reiterated that he was not ruling out the option of asking the US for military support. The opposition leader stated he will evaluate all options, to overthrow President Maduro. I believe that it is not only wise to assess it given the crisis and tragedy that Venezuela is living through, but to prepare alternatives, if the regime intends to continue radicalising a process that has brought us to disaster, Guaido said. I, as the president in charge of the national parliament, will evaluate all the necessary options, he added. 190503163628381 Trumps conciliatory tone However, in an interview with the Washington Post, Guaido specified that any American military support must be alongside Venezuelan forces. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed the failed uprising on Russia, a key backer of Maduro. On Friday, Donald Trump adopted a strikingly conciliatory tone after a conversation, which lasted longer than an hour, with President Vladimir Putin on the Venezuela crisis. He is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela other than hed like to see something positive happen, Trump said of Putin, before adding: And I feel the same way. But Pompeo in a less conciliatory tone stated the US is not ruling out military action but added that it did not seem to be an imminent option at the moment. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has, meanwhile, called on Washington to abandon its irresponsible plans in the crisis-wracked country. Military uprising Earlier last week, the political crisis escalated when Guaido said the final phase to end Maduros presidency had begun. Guaido tried to rally support from the military during an uprising when thousands took to the streets to demand Maduros resignation, but things did not go as planned. 190123205835912 The move led to two straight days of massive street demonstrations across the country that left hundreds injured or arrested, and four dead due to security forces efforts to quell protests, according to rights groups. In the interview with the Washington Post, Guaido conceded that the opposition had overestimated its support within the armed forces. Maybe we still need more soldiers, and maybe we need more officials of the regime to be willing to support it, to back the constitution. But many continue to believe a change needs to take place and protest should continue. Im broken, Im afraid. We are tired of this, of seeing our friends die, of the lack of hope, of the lack of change. We need to continue protesting until things change here, David Gonzalez, a Venezuelan student, told Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government has expressed readiness to sit down with the opposition with no pre-conditions and seek a solution to the political crisis. Bridgefest Celebrates 15 Years with Concert Featuring Big Daddy Weave and Full Day of Fun for the Whole Family on Saturday, June 22nd -- During Ocean Grove's 150th Year Celebration NEWS PROVIDED BY May 6, 2019 OLD BRIDGE, NJ, May 6, 2019 / Standard Newswire / -- Join The Bridge Christian Radio as they present Bridgefest 2019 with musical guests Big Daddy Weave and Matt Schuler in concert on Saturday, June 22nd in beautiful Ocean Grove, NJ. Pastor Lloyd Pulley of Calvary Chapel Old Bridge will be hosting the event and Pastor Pancho Juarez from The Ark Montebello, California will be sharing the gospel message at the concert. Pastor Lloyd and Pastor Pancho can both be heard daily on The Bridge Radio. Bridgefest, the annual outreach event of The Bridge Christian Radio Network, consistently draws thousands to Ocean Grove, NJ each summer. Now in its 15th year, Bridgefest remains the largest and longest running Christian Summer festival of its kind to be held on the Jersey Shore. Bridgefest's theme for 2019 "Calm in the Storm" is especially significant with the 150th Anniversary of Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association taking place this year. Ocean Grove has survived many storms in its long history most recently Hurricane Sandy. "In today's world and in this life of uncertainty, with events and political turmoil rocking our lives, there is only one that has the ability to calm the storm. We must look to Him in the midst of the storm," said Pastor Lloyd Pulley. The all-day Summer festival is filled with great teaching, faith and fun for the whole family! Events throughout the day include teachings from Bridge Radio On-Air Pastors, a Youth Rally, several Q&A Pastor Panels, a surf clinic, boardwalk games, kid's activities, food trucks, ministry and business vendors/sponsors, and a beach baptism. The highly anticipated Christian Festival caps the day with a night-time concert featuring Big Daddy Weave and Matt Schuler, one of the top finalists of The Voice Season 5. The evening concert will be the second time Big Daddy Weave will perform at Bridgefest. "We are looking forward to returning to Bridgefest! We've always had a great time with the people of New Jersey and can't wait to see you all soon!" said Mike Weaver of Big Daddy Weave. The Bridge Radio is a ministry of Calvary Old Bridge and is dedicated to sound Bible teaching. "There are some wonderful Christian music stations in the area, but the Bridge fills a much-needed void. We focus on the straightforward teaching of the Bible, featuring some of the best teachers and communicators in the country," said Lloyd Pulley, Pastor of Calvary Chapel Old Bridge, co-founder of The Bridge, and featured teacher on the station. "Great teachers, musicians and listeners all come together at Bridgefest to celebrate our common delight in God and His Word and enjoy the company of thousands who do as well." General admission and reserved seating tickets are available starting at $20. For more information about Bridgefest, and to purchase your tickets to the concert, go to bridgefest.org or call 888-861-6100. The Bridge is heard worldwide on TuneIn and bridgeradio.org. Locally, it is heard on 89.7FM in Monmouth & Ocean Counties, NJ; 91.9FM in Southern Middlesex & Northern Monmouth Counties, NJ; 95.1FM New York City; 99.7FM in NY's Sullivan County; 103.1FM in Northern Jersey & NYC; and 106.9FM in Poughkeepsie, NY. SOURCE Calvary Chapel Old Bridge Related Links Pompeo fails to mention climate change in speech at gathering of foreign ministers from the Arctic Circle. A previous version of this article misidentified the Arctic Council. The article has been corrected to state that the Arctic Council is made up of the US, Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. The Trump administration warned China and Russia on Monday that the United States will not stand for aggressive moves in the Arctic region, which is rapidly opening up to development and commerce as temperatures warm and sea ice melts. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Finland that the US will compete for influence in the Arctic and counter attempts to make it the strategic preserve of any one or two nations. He said the rule of law must prevail for the Arctic to remain peaceful, and he criticised China and Russia for what he said were coercive practices that would destabilise the high north if allowed. Critics were likely to seize on the speech for being short on scientific specifics, not using the phrase climate change, offering no ideas on mitigating its effects and focusing almost entirely on how to responsibly tap the Arctic in an era of fierce global rivalries. The region has become an arena of global power and competition and the eight Arctic states must adapt to this new future, Pompeo said. Diplomats from the US, Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland are meeting in northern Finland this week to discuss policies governing the polar region. The regions indigenous populations are also represented, as well as China, which has had observer status at the Arctic Council since 2013. Pompeo said that group had once been able to focus solely on scientific, environmental and cultural issues, but profound changes in the Arctics environment and strategic rivalries made that extremely difficult now. Were entering a new age of strategic engagement in the Arctic, complete with new threats to Arctic interests and its real estate, Pompeo said. For the US, he said that means boosting US security and diplomatic presence with new military exercises, icebreakers and expanded Coast Guard operations. Its a new era Pompeo took particular aim at China, which, unlike Russia, does not have any territory or claim in the Arctic. According to the Washington Post, China has invested about $90bn in the Arctic since 2012. 190410092621595 Pompeo said Chinas attempts to inject itself into the regions affairs by pushing infrastructure projects and commercial investments must be checked. He rejected Chinas assertion that it is a near-Arctic nation. There are only Arctic states and non-Arctic states, he said. No third category exists and claiming otherwise entitles China to exactly nothing. Pompeo said responsible Chinese investment is welcome in the Arctic but that Chinas history of what he called predatory activities elsewhere are cause for concern. Chinas pattern of aggressive behaviour elsewhere will inform how it treats the Arctic, he said. Pompeo noted Chinas increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea, which has alarmed many of its smaller neighbours. Do we want the Arctic Ocean to transform into a new South China Sea, fraught with militarisation and competing territorial claims? he asked. Chinas special representative for Arctic affairs, Gao Feng, who is at the council meeting, dismissed Pompeos warnings and said countries should be free to deal with China as they wish. He says its a new era. OK, competition. Lets see who can get more friends, Gao told reporters after Pompeos speech. On the one hand, he can warn. How people react to that is another matter. Pompeo also warned that Russias intentions in the Arctic, where it has embarked on a large military expansion campaign, may prove destabilising given its record. We know Russian territorial ambitions can turn violent, he said, pointing to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Just because the Arctic is a place of wilderness does not mean it should become a place of lawlessness. In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, Russian troops conduct training with a Bastion missile launcher on Kotelny Island, part of the New Siberian Islands archipelago located between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea, Russia [Vladimir Isachenkov/AP Photo] The councils remit explicitly excludes military matters, but tensions remain high as powerful rivals attempt to claim territory. The US is also beefing up its military presence in the Arctic, with its ice-breaking fleet and other vessels conducting frequent naval exercises Fails to mention climate change Despite Pompeos warnings and defence of US positions, many council members and observers are equally alarmed by the Trump administrations environmental policies and scepticism of climate change. Many of those critics fear the administration is intent on using Arctic resources with no thought for its consequences or mitigation. The Arctic is changing fast. Global warming will change the environmental and economic landscapes of the region. New sea routes and easier access to natural resources will become a reality, Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini said. One-third of Finland sits above the Arctic Circle. 190206234144453 But climate change will go even further. It may affect the inter-state relations and security in our region. The Arctic countries have a special responsibility and a possibility to preserve the Arctic as a region of peace and stability, Soini said. Finland has spent its two-year chairmanship of the council focused on addressing climate change effects. Pompeos speech, which ran to 2,400 words, failed to mention climate change. Surface air in the Arctic is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the globe, and the ocean could be ice-free in the summer months within 25 years, according to some researchers. That may profoundly affect the worlds weather and wildlife and indigenous populations in the polar region. Pompeo spoke of steady reductions in sea ice but did not address the cause, focusing instead on the opportunity those reductions present. Arctic sea lanes could become the 21st centurys Suez and Panama Canals, he said. 190506103434886 He called the Arctic a frontier of opportunity and abundance with untouched oil and gas reserves, unmined uranium, raw earth minerals, precious metals and gems. Pompeo sought to assuage environmental concerns by committing to safe and responsible development. And he pointed to the US record on reducing greenhouse gas emissions despite President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. Critics argue that those reductions are the result of policies enacted before Trump took office and could be reversed. China says the entry of vessels in disputed sea is a violation of its sovereignty amid tense ties between two nations. Two US warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Monday, the US military said, in a move condemned by Beijing at a time of tense relations between the worlds two biggest economies. The US guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung Hoon travelled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, a US military spokesperson told Reuters news agency. Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the Seventh Fleet, said that the innocent passage was to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law. The Chinese navy asked the US vessels to leave after they entered waters in the Spratly Islands, which Beijing calls Nansha, the foreign ministry said. The relevant actions of the US warships violated Chinas sovereignty and undermined peace, security and good order in the relevant sea areas, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a press briefing. The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the operation, Geng added, noting that the ships had entered without permission. 190503065146243 The South China Sea is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the US-China relationship, which also include a trade war, US sanctions and self-ruled Taiwan. US President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal by announcing on Sunday he would raise US tariffs on $200bn worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. Competing claims The US military has a long-standing position that its operations are carried out throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies, and that they are separate from political considerations. Mondays operation, which was first reported by Reuters, was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijings efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate. China claims almost all of the strategic South China Sea and frequently lambastes the United States and its allies over naval operations near Chinese-occupied islands. Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan have competing claims in the region. China and the US have repeatedly traded barbs in the past over what Washington says is Beijings militarisation of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs. China defends its construction as necessary for self-defence and says it is the US that is responsible for ratcheting up tensions in the region by sending warships and military planes close to islands Beijing claims. China will continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, Geng said, urging the US to stop such provocative acts. Last month, Chinas navy chief said freedom of navigation should not be used to infringe upon the rights of other countries. In January, Chinas foreign ministry lodged a stern complaint with the US after its navy vessel sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands, claimed by China, in the South China Sea. The latest freedom of navigation operation comes weeks after a major naval parade marking 70 years since the founding of the Chinese navy. The US sent only a low-level delegation to the Chinese navy anniversary events. There is a lot of justifiable hand wringing over the Israel bashing and overt anti-Semitism in American academia. The bias is correctly blamed on the leftist progressives who buy into the libels promoted by Moslem/Arab students and their campus affiliated organizations. It is no secret that Saudi Arabia has poured a huge sum of dollars both from government and private donors into American colleges to promote whitewashed Islamic studies and influence opinions on the Middle East. However, there is another culprit, namely the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) which feeds faculty to universities and colleges throughout the nation. MESA promotes itself as: a private, nonprofit learned society that brings together scholars, educators and those interested in the study of the region from all over the world. Most of the scholars shamelessly upend Middle East history as follows: The learned society soon sees to it that students who still bear an attachment to Israel unlearn Jewish historic religious ties to Palestine, the Balfour Declaration and the betrayal that deeded eighty percent of Mandate Palestine to the Hashemites with absolutely no historic ties to Palestine. Instead, the narrative taught is that Israel is a colonialist state, which dispossessed an indigenous Arab population with Jewish Holocaust survivors, and now tramples on all Arab fundamental human rights. Furthermore, it follows that Israels occupation is the root cause of terrorism and instability in the region. One can see how once this narrative is presented as unimpeachably true, gullible snowflakes with tunnel vision will participate in promoting boycott and divest and demanding justice in Palestine. Past presidents of MESA include Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University and director of the Middle East Institute of Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. He actually thinks being called an anti-Semite is a compliment. Even in retirement on January 2017 he claimed: a group of people, a lot of them in Israel and some in the United States, who live in a world of their own . infest the Trump transition team; these people are going to infest our government as of January 20. Got that? Infest.as in lice or vermin. The present President of MESA, Judith Tucker a blackbelt Israel basher, is Professor of History at Georgetown University and a leader of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. She burnished her credentials for MESA in 2014 publishing a letter calling on "scholars and librarians within Middle East studies to boycott Israeli academic institutions." The letter pledged "not to collaborate on projects and events involving Israeli academic institutions, not to teach at or to attend conferences and other events at such institutions, and not to publish in academic journals based in Israel." In 2018 on behalf of MESA she authored MESA: Israeli Government Involved in Cyberbullying US College Students charging the Israeli government with harassment of American students who support Palestinian rights and criticize Israeli abuse of occupied Arabs. MESAs annual meeting is scheduled for November 14-17, 2019 in New Orleans. The agenda and seminars are not yet listed. There is a lot of work involved in rounding up appropriate bigots. If past is precedent, they will have four full days of back to back meetings, breakout sessions, and an orgy of anti-Israel speakers. Topics: Palestinian victims. Target: Israeli aggressors. Solution: Boycott, divest from, libel and defame Israel. The two-state solution is not really on their radar. Their previous meeting took place in San Antonio, Texas on November 15- 18. Here is an example of one discussion : Julie Peteet explored Mobilities, Indigeneity and Resistance in Palestine She explained: I explore the discursive construction of the category of the indigenous, its relations to territory and the state, and tie together mobilities, territory, indigeneity, and resistance as a lens through which to grapple with the policy of closure and a state bent on territorial expansion, displacement, and replacement. [huh?] Forget her purple prose. Julie has quite an agenda. She is Professor of Anthropology at University of Louisville. Her books and scholarly articles call Israel a colonialist power that practices apartheid akin to former South Africa. MESAs book awards are named for Albert Hourani, whose lifetime passion was as protagonist for Palestine. He wrote in 1957 that regardless of all other events his heart . will be marked forever by what happened in Palestine. And trust me he was not referring to the unending vituperations and terrorism that was foisted on Israel from the time of its founding. Their 2017 Academic Freedom Award was given to Palestine Legal a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the constitutional rights of people in the US who engage in advocacy for and academic inquiry about Palestinian rights. Dima Khalidi, Director of Palestine Legal, acknowledging receipt of the award, stated: Many thanks to MESA for this honor. The intensifying attacks on academics whose scholarship and public advocacy touch on the Palestinian experience are part of a larger assault on the movement for Palestinian rights, on the First Amendment and on truth itself in this dystopian political moment. We are proud to defend the right to dissent that is so essential to academia and our free society. MESA also issues many press releases: April 17, 2019 MESA criticized America for refusing entry to Omar Barghouti: Mr. Barghouti is a prominent Palestinian activist and co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. He had been invited to speak at New York University and at Harvard University, and to meet with leading policy makers and journalists, including a public discussion with the respected American Jewish journalist Peter Beinart. Among many of Barghoutis pithy quotes is: A Jewish state in Palestine in any shape or form cannot but contravene the basic rights of the indigenous Palestinian population and perpetuate a system of racial discrimination that ought to be opposed categorically. Definitely, most definitely we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No Palestinian, rational Palestinian, not a sell-out Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine. Another MESA letter on April 22, 2019 is to Tufts University upholding the free speech rights and employment of Thomas Abowd, a professor of American Studies, Anthropology and Arabic Culture at Tufts University. Abowd is an activist in BDS, demonized Israel and Judaism, called Israel an apartheid state plotting the elimination of indigenous Arabs. His course Colonizing Palestine uses sources from violently anti-Israel and anti-Semitic polemicists. P.S. His contract was renewed. In June 2017 Michael Rubin wrote : MESA for all its grandstanding is fast becoming a hate group rather than a true academic umbrella and universities have become unanchored. If you dont belong to MESA it is extremely difficult to get employment or tenure in Middle East Study departments in all American colleges and universities. And, here is the catch: If you dont toe the anti-Israel line of MESA, it is increasingly difficult to join the organization. MESAs goals are obvious, but what is still missing is a solid investigation of their funding. Now that the Mueller witch hunt has reached its final conclusion, are those of us who are fully awake finally going to witness some justice regarding the various deep state actors and their attempted coup d'etat against President Trump? We currently hear the Huber and Horowitz reports are coming soon. Will these reports finally shine some much-needed light upon this huge scandal? This country has been put through a holy hell the last two years, a hell based upon a promulgation of a myth by a leftist propagandist media. The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - JFK The current Pravda-like media enjoys the comfort of existing within their own leftist echo chamber. Creating and perpetuating false narratives have become the accepted method of all those who are involved in attempting to destroy this president and ultimately our nation. "Orange man bad." YouTube screen grab Unfortunately, this has now become the repetitive mantra of those firmly entrenched within the warped mentality of Trump Derangement Syndrome. It should be quite interesting to finally see how deep and wide this corruption seeped into our government. Every concerned citizen should demand to know if the leftist media and certain members within the higher echelons of our government were colluding with each other to take down President Trump. How many leaks were carried out in full coordination by those within the media and those within the various US intelligence agencies? A nefarious plot orchestrated by the various Washington DC swamp creatures, all those involved who seemed to have had a politically motivated agenda of preventing Trump from becoming president. And then after he was elected, they all continued to go out of their way to remove Trump from office, by any means necessary. This attempted coup appeared to be something so unimaginable, one might safely assume it could only be manufactured in some sort of a spy novel. We as Americans need to fully comprehend the seriousness of this matter. If this DC cabal could do this to a duly elected president of the United States, what could they do to you or me? How dangerous can rogue actors within a corrupt government become when they have unfettered access to highly sophisticated surveillance tools? What happens when deceitful men in power weaponize these tools for political purposes? Do we all wish to exist in a society where unelected government bureaucrats and heavily biased leftist "journalists" take it upon themselves to have a desired effect upon a presidential election and overrun the will of the American people? Were these people so arrogant and brazen to surmise they knew better than the American people? A recent poll, by CNN of all outlets, shows a huge majority of the American people are in favor of launching an investigation into this spying by the Obama administration. The current US attorney general Bill Barr agrees with the majority of Americans and he has launched an investigation with a wide scope. Some pretty revealing thoughts from Bill Barr: - To the extent there was overreach, what we have to be concerned about is a few people at the top getting it into their heads that they know better than the American people," said Barr. - We now know that he was being falsely accused," Barr said of Trump. "We have to stop using the criminal justice process as a political weapon. This country needs to get to the bottom of how this nightmare all started. We have to find out who was responsible for putting these corrupt wheels of injustice into full motion. If it leads all the way to the top and Barack Obama, so be it. What did Obama know and when did President Obama know it? And if he did know, to what extent was he involved? All those who participated in this malfeasance must now be held fully accountable. If these deep state actors are found guilty, then all of these people must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This is no game; President Trump has basically been robbed of the first two years of his presidency by the corrupt people in Washington and their leftist pawns in the media. This must not stand; these corrupt politicians must not be allowed to run out the clock. There are just too many people currently awake right now thirsting for the truth. We are all champing at the bit to finally see Trump declassify all the pertinent documents regarding this attempted coup. Could this necessary declassification be only weeks away? The Summer of 2019 will soon become a defining moment within our lifetime; what will soon be revealed probably will shake the collective soul of this nation. Will we all finally see the truth regarding the attempted coup d'etat against President Trump? Or, by contrast, will we continue to see more endless and unwarranted investigations by the Democrats and their propagandists within the leftist media? The aftermath of the Summer of 2019 should tell us a great deal about what we have left in our souls as human beings and whether or not our nation still adheres to the rule of law. Hopefully, reality will finally TRUMP the last two years of leftist fairy tales. President Trump must finally declassify all the pertinent documents regarding this attempted coup d'etat against him. It is time to declassify and let justice roll. In "Republicans in a Nation" (Washington Post, May 45, 2019) "conservative" columnist Peggy Noonan outdid herself in an entertaining display of intellectual gymnastics to defend the following premise: [O]ld conservatism was deeply pertinent to its era and philosophy right, but it is not fully in line with the crisis of our time or its reigning facts. Conservatism centers on the belief that some ideas are timeless. The notion that even one of these ideas was merely "pertinent to its era" is the opposite of conservatism. In the next paragraph, we learn exactly what she deems "not fully in line with the crisis of our time": The federal government will not become smaller or less expensive in our lifetimes. There is no political will for it among elected officials in Washington, many of whom privately admit this. ... Even if there were such a will, both parties in Washington have trouble working together on such big things. Does she really think she can persuade conservatives to surrender a core principle for which our Founding Fathers risked everything just because their representatives no longer care? If Ms. Noonan no longer believes in limited government, she should just come out and say so. It gets worse: But beyond that fact is something bigger: America needs help right now and Americans know it. It has been enduring for many years a continuing cultural catastrophe illegitimacy, the decline of faith ... In other words, big government programs are needed to fix the problems big government exacerbated in the first place! It is just a matter of getting it right. Where have we heard that before? Unsurprisingly, Noonan believes that big government can also help Americans "unite" against foreign powers: You cannot see all the world's weapons and all its madness and not know that eventually we will face a terrible day or days when everything will depend on our ability to hold together and hold on. Just in case you are not sure whether or not Noonan likes big government, the following passage clears up any ambiguity (my emphasis): If these are your predicates America in cultural catastrophe, and hard history ahead you spend your energies on a battle not to make government significantly smaller, but to make it more helpful. Ronald Reagan once said the most terrifying words are "I'm from the government and I am here to help." It strains credulity that Noonan once wrote speeches for this great president. With no sense of irony, Noonan later goes on to describe what a "large government harnessed towards conservative ends" would look like: Whatever might help families form and grow. ... Teaching the lost boys of the working and middle class, black and white, how to live. Only someone with a deep disdain for people in flyover country would engage in such thoroughly patronizing rhetoric. Like the liberals and progressives in her cocktail circuit, she sees the federal government as a key part of the social fabric. Maybe this is why she has no problem importing voters who are more inclined to grow the government: We used to have a settlement for the great waves of immigrants who came in the early 20th century. Why not now? Because in the early 20th century, America was not a multiculturalist welfare state where immigrants are recruited to vote against America's founding principles. The following passage betrays Noonan's total lack of self-awareness: Americans would respect the Republican Party if it gave the impression its leaders are actually noticing America and a farsighted sense of its real plight. This is how we got Trump. Antonio Chaves teaches biology at a local community college. His interest in economic and social issues stems from his experience teaching environmental science. Egyptian police arrested and beat an Italian student who was later found murdered because they thought he was a British spy, according to fresh testimony reported by Italian newspapers on Sunday. Case Giulio Regeni: Egypt thought Italian student was British spy, tortured and murdered him. Amnesty International activists hold a picture of Giulio Regeni during a demonstration in front of Montecitorio, the Italian Parliament, in Rome in 2017 to mark the first anniversary since the disappearance of Italian student Giulio Regeni. Egyptian police arrested and beat Regeni, who was later found murdered, because they thought he was a British spy, according to fresh testimony reported by Italian newspapers Sunday. | AFP-JIJI The account of how Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old doctoral researcher at Britains Cambridge University, disappeared in Cairo in January 2016 came from a witness who overheard an Egyptian intelligence agent speaking about the Italian guy, La Repubblica newspaper said. The conversation about the tumultuous situation in Egypt in Arabic took place at a police convention in an unnamed African country in 2017 and was related to Italian prosecutors who have now asked Egyptian authorities for more information. The Italian foreign ministry tweeted Sunday that it supports the Rome prosecutors request for information, in the strong hope that it contributes to the path of justice for Giulio Regeni. The unnamed eavesdropper learned the Egyptians name when he exchanged business cards with a colleague, La Repubblica said. He was one of five agents Italian prosecutors said in December last year that they were investigating for involvement in the murder of Regeni, who disappeared on his way to a Cairo metro station on January 25. We thought he was an English spy, we picked him up, I went and after putting him in the car we had to beat him. I myself hit him several times in the face, the intelligence agent said, according to the Correre della Sera newspaper. Regenis body was found days later by a roadside bearing extensive marks of torture in a case that strained the traditionally close relations between Cairo and Rome, which has accused Egypt of insufficient cooperation in the probe. Italian prosecutors believe the new testimony is credible and have sent it along with other details to Egyptian prosecutors, requesting in particular the agents whereabouts at the time of the overheard conversation in the summer of 2017. Egypt has always denied suggestions that its security services were involved in the death of Regeni, who was researching trade unions, a sensitive subject in Egypt. Frustrated at the slow pace of the probe, Italy withdrew its ambassador to Egypt in April 2016, but sent a new envoy to Cairo the following year. Egyptian authorities initially suggested Regeni died in a traffic accident, but later said he was killed by a criminal gang that was subsequently wiped out in a shootout with police. Follow us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER. Share your thoughts in our DISCUSSION FORUMS. Donate through Paypal. Please and thank you [Japan Times] Where do hairs for fashion wigs and hair extensions come from? The answer is: everywhere, but the majority of them come from China and India, where human hair is a lucrative business. In India, China, and eastern Europe, small agents tour villages coaxing poverty-stricken women to part with their hair for a small payment. Sometimes, husbands would force wives into selling their hair and slum children would be tricked into having their heads shaved in exchange for toys. There was one incident in India where a group of men held down a women, cut off her locks and took off with it. A woman gets her head shaved at the Thiruthani Murugan Temple in Tamil Nadu. Photo credit: Allison Joyce But whats more disturbing is that many temples in South India are reaping millions of dollars in profit from religious sacrifice made by pilgrims without their knowledge. The hair donors, many of which are poor, never receive a penny in return. Many of these women are not even aware that the hair they donated praying for good health of their husbands or good school grades for their children are being sold to high fashion houses and turned into expensive wigs. At the center of the controversy is Venkateswara Temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the richest temple in the world in terms of donations received, and one of the most visited place of pilgrimage. On average, the temple receives between 50,000 to 100,000 devotees everyday. Tens of thousands of them undergo ritual shaving or tonsuring. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu, an avatar of God, once got hit on his head and a small portion of his scalp became bald. A heavenly princess noticed the bald spot and immediately cut of a portion of her own hair, and by using her magical powers implanted it on Lord Vishnus scalp. The Lord was so impressed at her sacrifice that he dictated that all devotees who come to his abode should offer their hair to him, which the Lord would pass it on to her. A different version of the legend holds that Lord Vishnu once took out a large loan for his wedding, but was unable to replay. To this date devout Hindus have been helping Vishnu pay off his debt by offering him their hair. In earlier times, the hair was thrown away into the river. But today they are sold to vendors in western countries through online auctions that fetches the temple between $3 to $6 million every year. Photo credit: tirumalatirupatiyatra.in Everyday between 500 to 600 barbers working in rotation shave over 20,000 heads. Baskets filled with hair are collected every six hours and stored in a vast warehouse where it is piled knee deep. The hair is then untangled and sorted based on length, grades and colors. Then it is washed, treated, and dried under the sun. Indian hair is most sought after because the hair is naturally silkier, and most rural women who donate their hair have never used artificial dyes or colors. Some hair have never been cut before. The longest strandsanything above 18 inchesare the priciest pick, at roughly $300-$450 per kilogram. The best quality hair sometimes sell for as much as $800 per kilo. The shorter hair is used to stuff mattresses, create oil filters or extracted for amino acids. The largest share of Indian hair is bought by Great Lengths International, a real hair extension corporation based out of Italy. Great Lengths supplies hair extensions to 60 different countries and over 40,000 salons. In an upmarket central London salon, a full head of Great Lengths extensions costs around 900, or over $1,100, and lasts up to six months. Hollywood celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Tyra Banks, Paris Hilton, and Beyonce are among Great Lengths regular customers. The most striking fact is the disconnect between the high-fashion buyers and the impoverished suppliers of this commodity. Many worshippers are unaware that their hair is being used to create hair extensions 7,000 miles away. Most dont even know what hair extensions are. While the entire operation may seem highly unethical, temple officials have defended their decision to sell donated hair arguing that money collected is funneled directly back into the local community to fund medical aid, educational systems and other crucial infrastructure projects. Venkateswara Temple is just one of many South Indian temples engaging in this business. Altogether, Indian temples bring in a total of over $100 million yearly from hair sales. Photo credit: tirumalatirupatiyatra.in Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala. Photo credit: Chandrashekhar Basumatary/Flickr Sources: The Guardian / BBC / WSJ / The Yale Globalist / NY Times After the end of World War 2, one of the main tasks was to clear the urban areas of ruin and start rebuilding EuropeGermany in particular, where the damage was extensive. Allied bombing had laid to waste nearly every German city, town and village, destroying millions of homes, public buildings, schools, factories, as well as centuries-old cathedrals, mediaeval houses and other historic structures. It is estimated that the war produced over 400 million cubic meters of rubble that needed to be cleared before any reconstruction plan could be undertaken. This herculean task fell upon the German women, because a large percentage of the men were already dead or were prisoners of the war. These women were called Trummerfrauen, or rubble women. The task of removing the ruins were assigned to private enterprises, who in turn employed the women. The main work was to tear down those parts of buildings that had survived the bombings, but were unsafe and unsuitable for reconstruction. Using sledge-hammers, picks, buckets and hand-winches, each ruin was torn down and the rubble demolished further down to the bricks so that they could be reused later in rebuilding. A chain of women would transfer the bricks to the street, where they were cleaned and stacked. Wood and steel beams, fireplaces, wash basins, toilets, pipes and other household items were collected to be reused. The remaining debris was then removed by barrows, wagons and lorries. Many of debris these were used to fill up bomb craters and trenches. Others were piled up to form hillocks known as schuttberge, or debris mountains. Related: Ruhrs Slag Heap Tourism These images of rubble women carrying bricks and wrangled pieces of steel with their bare hands became the symbol of the German peoples unwavering spirit, their courage, and their desire to rebuild their nation. However, recent research by German historians has shown that not all rubble women were volunteersselfless housewives in service to the nation, but Nazi functionaries who were forced to work by the Allies. Others were driven to the mountains of rubble by unemployment and hunger. In the university in Freiburg, students were required to clear rubble in order to be allowed to register for their studies. So while many women took part in rubble clearing they did not do it for altruistic reasons. The Trummerfrau is a German legend, says historian Leonie Treber, created by the authorities through a very successful media campaign where they showed pictures of cheerful Trummerfrau at work. These images became ingrained in the collective German memory. Rubble-clearing woman became a role model for all women who wanted to train for traditional male jobs, especially in Soviet occupied East Germany. But most Germans in West Germany regarded clearing rubble a punishment. Women did not play a major role in clearing German cities from the rubble, Treber says. Much of the work was done by men and machines. For example, in a voluntary recruitment drive organized in Duisburg in West Germany in December 1945, 10,550 men volunteered and only 50 women. The picture was different in Berlin, where women greatly outnumbered menabout 60,000 women volunteered to clear war ruins. But even that amounted to no more than 5 percent of the citys total female population. In both East and West Germany, Trummerfrauen were acknowledged and celebrated by their respective government to create a positive image of women's role in building the new state. Statues were erected to commemorate their work and some of them even received the highest honor of the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Order of merit of the Federal Republic of Germany). The war for mobile dominance between Samsung and Huawei may be heating up, based on a thread of tweets kicked off by Jen Dudley-Nicholson after the News Corp Australia tech editor noticed a seemingly out of place advertisement at a Samsung location. The ad that kicked things off was spotted by Ms. Dudley-Nicholson at a Brisbane mall, taking the form of a large verticle banner placed just above a Samsung flagship store. That highlights that the Chinese handset makers Huawei P30 and P30 Pro on sale for Mothers Day with a bonus offer for a $200 e-gift card. Subsequent posts to the thread show that a similar tact is being taken by Huawei in other regions too. In Dubai, for example, Samsung has a banner along the road thats the size of a multi-story building but Huawei one-upped Samsung with an ad that occupies almost the entire side of a skyscraper just up the road. Advertisement The Dubai ad, just like the one in Brisbane, is meant to show off the new Huawei P30 and P30 Pro in contrast to the Samsung ad underneath it showcasing its Galaxy S10 series devices. Finally, another user shared an image of a Samsung-owned office in Mexico where, unsurprisingly, Huawei has taken out ad space on both a building and a bus stop across the street to advertise its products. That last ad appears to show Huaweis Mate 20 which came out last year so its not clear how old the image is. A very Samsung response Advertisement At least in the case of the original advertisement at the Brisbane mall, Samsung appears to be completely unconcerned by the apparent trolling from Huawei. Samsung AUs response to some criticism of the company on Twitter came as a reference to the image itself, with the official account noting that the Samsung store looks like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Thats not surprising since this isnt the first time either Samsung or Huawei has trolled one another but it remains to be seen whether Samsung will return fire or keep its cool for this round. Under the surface Advertisement What would initially appear to be playful banter between the two companies is not so playful just beneath the surface. Huawei has a distinct advantage in the mobile market right now in terms of growth, compared to losses suffered by its two biggest competitors Apple and Samsung over the course of 2018. The company is expected to stay well ahead of Apple over the course of this year and is gunning hard for Samsung in a bid to take the top spot. More directly, Samsung and Apple respectively saw year-over-year growth change in the negative by 8-percent and 3.2-percent in 2018 compared to the previous year. Huaweis growth, in spite of a downturn to the overall market, didnt stall. It saw 33.6-percent of year-over-year change instead. That growth is expected to continue well into the year too, placing in a position to have a serious impact on the shape of the global market despite its ongoing battle with the west amid spying concerns in the networking equipment market. Advertisement A new report claims Samsung still intends to launch its smart speaker, the Galaxy Home, in the near future, but without providing many more specifics on the matter. Samsung first unveiled the Galaxy Home last August as part of the Galaxy Note 9 Unpacked Event, although during that time, the South Korean tech giant did not provide any information about the availability of the smart speaker. This February, the tech giant claimed that the Galaxy Home would start shipping to interested consumers beginning April. However, this promise did not materialize. Advertisement Sources now claim that the development of the Galaxy Home smart speaker is still in progress, and Samsung is allegedly in the process of creating a companion application that will make it easy for users to set up and manage the smart speaker, as well as its accompanying personal assistant, Bixby. The publication further mentioned that the app development is already in its final stages, and this latest milestone suggests that the actual launch of the device is near, with speculation emerging that the product may become available starting this month. Unlike the Google Home and Amazon Echo, Samsung intends to pitch the Galaxy Home as a premium product that not only allows users to access online information and control SmartThings-compatible smart home devices through voice commands but also offers considerably better audio experience than the competition since it also includes support for natural sound processing. The device can also direct the sound to the location of the user, which should further improve ones listening experience. Aside from the premium smart speaker, Samsung Electronics is also reportedly working on a similar device that directly competes with Google Home and Amazon Echo, and this option will reportedly be more affordable than the Galaxy Home. Given the lower price point, some of the hardware features seen in the premium smart speaker will not be present in the cheaper variant, although it will most likely retain support for Samsungs personal assistant Bixby. Advertisement It is essential for Samsung Electronics to launch its smart speaker soon since as much as 26% of consumers in the United States are planning to purchase smart speakers. This trend represents a potential source of revenue for tech companies, especially since tech firms may develop solutions that couple smart speakers and digital assistants with home management systems and other smart home devices. According to a recent study by Microsoft, around 36-percent of consumers use Google Assistant and Siri regularly, while about 25-percent utilize Amazon Alexa. The more significant proportion of people using Google Assistant and Siri are attributed to the considerably larger number of smartphones currently in use compared to the number of smart speakers present in peoples homes. However, both Googles and Apples digital assistants are slowly making their way to the smart speaker market, while Amazon Alexa is already available as an app on handsets. However, once the South Korean tech giant manages to release its Galaxy Home speaker, its digital assistant, Bixby, will now be present in both smartphones and smart speakers, bridging the gap between the two types of devices and representing an opportunity for growth that Samsung may take advantage. Samsung is continuing its pursuit of the truly bezel-less smartphone dream with the next logical step a front-facing camera designed to operate beneath a (relatively) traditional screen. The new technology has already been in active development at Samsung for some time now, according to Byung Duk Yang, one of the companys Vice Presidents and the head of its display innovation efforts. The new confirmation marks the second occasion whereon Samsung partially delegated the research and development aspect of a mobile camera project to its display unit; it already did so last year when finalizing the design of the imaging modules that ended up being integrated into the Galaxy S10 lineup and some of its more recent mid-rangers, such as the newest additions to the Galaxy A range. The reason behind both decisions is obvious while Samsungs selfie cameras are arguably industry-leading affairs already, getting them to work below a layer of touch-sensitive glass presents an entirely different set of challenges than simply delivering stellar images with fewer hardware constraints. Advertisement Regardless of how public Samsung became about its next ambitions in the smartphone design world, the South Korean electronics juggernaut remains tight-lipped about how far along it came with the idea to develop the said concept. The firm innovated in the handset camera segment quite rapidly over the course of the last several years, though thats not solely a testament to its R&D capabilities but also evidence of how competitive the market became. While Samsung is now once again said to offer the best mobile photography experience on the market, it only managed to do so after more than a year of trailing behind Huawei, if only by a slight margin. In other words, its not inconceivable that Samsung manages to put a front-facing camera beneath a mobile display as early as next year, though how exactly it goes about doing so is still up in the air. The price bracket of the first device to feature such a solution will almost certainly reveal more details regarding the overall state of the companys technology; a flagship debut would likely take most rivals by surprise but a more likely scenario is for in-display cameras to debut in the mid-range price bracket. Samsungs under-screen fingerprint readers followed a similar route, having briefly lingered in the same segment before making a jump to the high-end part of the firms mobile portfolio. Advertisement The confirmation of Samsungs next smartphone design project suggests the company will be circumventing the pop-up selfie cameras that have been gaining significant traction in recent months, particularly among Chinese manufacturers. The upcoming OnePlus 7 is set to become the first smartphone using such a solution thats widely available in the West, with the Android phablets launch being scheduled for next week. Samsung is apparently pursuing an entirely different approach and assuming its in-display camera project progresses at a remotely steady pace, the Seoul-based company should be well-positioned to skip the pop-up camera phase entirely on its quest for completely bezel-free handsets, i.e. manage to commercialize such tech without taking a step down in terms of quality. By Olivia Rose A MAJOR expansion project aimed at boosting South Dock ports capacity to handle increasing freight traffic, is expected to be rolled out in 2020. Acting Director of the Ports Authority, Delton Jones, told the Appropriations Committee in the House of Assembly earlier this week that a five-year redevelopment plan has been approved by Cabinet. The massive expansion project is expected to boost the ports efficiency by upgrading its cargo handling capacity and equipping it with modern, reliable and state-of-the-art infrastructure. It will also further promote international trade in the territory and play a critical role in sustainable growth of its economy. Jones said: "We are going to be developing the port while the port remains operational. Because of that, it would be longer than if you were developing from a greenfield site. He noted that the TCI Ports Authority plans to start the expansion process during this financial year. "The idea is to build two new berths in the port so that you can slip the operations now over to the new site and then you build two additional berths at the current berth. "So, at the end of the project you should have about four berths. Jones underscored that the Providenciales cargo port at South Dock is in dire need of upgrades in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of port services on the island. "I think that project is long overdue. That port has sustained economic developments in Provo for over 25 years and is nearing the end of its useful life. "During the course of the financial year, we undertook a consultancy to appraise a project for the re-development of that port, the project came back showing that we have a technically viable and economically and financially viable project that we can re-develop at that site, Jones said. Other existing facilities at the berth such as administrative buildings, offices and an engineering workshop will also be upgraded. "All of the buildings that are currently in the port yard should be relocated out of the port so that you would be able to improve the efficiency in terms of traffic flow, container management and also you would bring on a second gate so that you have a gate for general cargo, a gate for bulk cargo as well. For years, business owners and members of the public have called on the Government to upgrade and expand the port. One such person is Carl Simmons, director of Cargo Express Services, who welcomed a mega state-of-the art vessel, the Tropic Freedom, on its maiden voyage to the TCI in 2018. At a welcome ceremony on October 12, 2018, held at the South Dock port, Simmons expressed his disappointment with the deplorable condition of the port. He said: "I have been on to former premiers, no lets go back, chief ministers about the horrible conditions of the port in Provo because I had foreseen the need for bigger capacity - this island is growing in leaps and bounds. "They all put a blind eye to it, and I said to them just because the public does not see the port, you all think its not going to be good for the Islands? They all turned a deaf ear to it. "But thank God, today the Government has seen that this was of importance to the development and growth and the needs of the people of the island. A feasibility study conducted in 2012, suggested the relocation of the port so that it may be able to handle larger cargo volumes as the country continues to experience growth in other sectors. Out of the three main ports in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the South Dock port in Providenciales is deemed the most important since it handles 85 percent of national port traffic. Marysville, CA (95901) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 52F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 47F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Higher wind gusts possible. By Delana Isles THE MOTHER of a recently arrested man is protesting the treatment of her son by the Royal TCI Police Force and the cruel insensitivity of residents on social media platforms. Last week, police issued a press statement to the local media and on their Facebook page, that they had arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of the Easter Monday murder of Marlo Glinton. While police did not release the mans name, several people on social media took it upon themselves to reveal the mans name, even as he was not charged with an offence. The man was held for the 72 hours that law enforcement are authorised to detain someone for questioning, without any charges being laid. He was then released on $10,000 station bail without being charged. On Wednesday (May 1), Mitzy Missick reached out to the Weekly News to share her grievances and the damage the incident has brought on her son. The woman, who gave this publication permission to use her sons name - Don Missick Jr - said she cannot understand why police needed to arrest her son and lock him up for three days just to question him because they have a suspicion. What added insult injury to the insult, Missick believes, is the fact that the police then chose to advertise to the media and on their Facebook page that they are questioning someone on suspicion of the murder, without that person even being charged. Individuals on social media then found Missick Jr on Facebook and downloaded his photograph, which they then shared along with the police notice to several social media platforms. Missick said her son was in hospital for treatment of a condition which causes him to experience seizures. She said when she was called to the hospital, she encountered police in and outside her sons room, and was not allowed to visit with him. However, Missick Jr managed to shout to his mother while she was being forced out, that the police were trying to charge him for Glintons murder. Following the 72 hours that the young man was held in custody, the mother said she was then informed that they were releasing him on bail. "I asked them bail for what and they said dont worry about it, its just a police bail, they said he doesnt have to go to court, just bring him down here (police station) on May 26. The woman said when she enquired further why the bail was so excessive and what the purpose of them holding her son was, they told her that they (police) just wanted to question him. "If they just wanted to question him, they could have just invited him in, they didnt have to arrest and keep him there for days. "They havent charged him. She said the issuing of the press release, when no charges were laid, could have led to the death of her own son, due to retaliatory actions of the deceased mans friends - something that has occurred in the territory before. "The way they are going about these things a lot of killers are going to be on the street because they are going to make the case up before it even start. "They are not doing it the right way, so by the time they reach to the court the evidence is just messed up and the killer is still on the street. Missick also stated that due to this incident, a prospective employer has since rescinded a job offer to her son. Missick said the family is now seeking legal assistance to ascertain what their options are in regard to the procedures of the police and the reputational damage her son has suffered as a result. While police are legally allowed to arrest someone on suspicion of an offence, there are safeguards in place to ensure that law enforcement do not abuse their power in this regard. There is a requirement that an arrest must be made for a justified reason (based on probable evidence) and the suspect can only be held for 24 to 48 hours. The concerns about police practices raised by the family are not uncommon to the Turks and Caicos Islands. In many instances suspects are arrested quickly on suspicion, it is publicised, then they are released days later with no word from the authorities. Quite often when the suspects are charged, the case is then thrown out of court due to lack of sufficient or inadequately handled evidence. In several instances, juries in the TCI are not convinced of police evidence and defendants are found not guilty as a result. Over the past few years, the Court of Appeal has been overturning many serious cases for either inadequate evidence, lost evidence, and faulty court procedures, among a myriad of issues that stem from either the level of the police or the public prosecution office. Quite a number of those cases have been capital offences. The rupee opened weak at 69.38 at the interbank forex market and then fell further to 69.46, down 24 paise over its last close. Mumbai: The rupee depreciated by 24 paise to 69.46 against the US dollar in early trade Monday on increased demand for the US currency from importers and weak opening in domestic equities. Forex traders said, the US President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to raise tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese goods and this in turn impacted investor sentiment in the currency market. The rupee opened weak at 69.38 at the interbank forex market and then fell further to 69.46, down 24 paise over its last close. The local currency however pared the initial loss and was trading at 69.41 at 0926 hrs. The rupee had strengthened by 15 paise to close at 69.22 against the US dollar Friday. Besides, strength in dollar against major rival currencies, foreign fund outflows and heavy selling in domestic equities also kept pressure on the Indian rupee, dealers said. Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) pulled out Rs 400.68 crore on a net basis Friday, provisional data showed. Domestic bourses opened on a negative note Monday with benchmark indices Sensex trading 362.11 points down at 38,601.15 and Nifty down 112.75 points at 11,599.50. However, easing crude prices helped in restricting the slide in the Indian unit to some extent, they added. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 2.22 per cent to USD 69.28 per barrel. The actor is known for his work in soap 'Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin'. He was recently seen in a web series Inside Edge. Mumbai: Actor-singer Karan Oberoi has been arrested for allegedly raping and blackmailing a woman in suburban Oshiwara, a police official said on Monday. The woman recently complained to police that Oberoi, who was in a relationship with her since 2016, allegedly raped her on the pretext of marrying her, he said. He also shot some objectionable videos of the woman and demanded money from her while threatening to release the clips, the official said. Based on the woman's complaint, Oberoi was arrested on Sunday and booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 376 (rape) and 384 (extortion), Oshiwara police station's senior inspector Shailesh Pasalwad said. Oberoi acted in some popular television serials like "Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin" and "Inside Edge". The meet has been scheduled in Trivandram at 6 pm. In view of ongoing Lok Sabha elections, both the Chief Ministers will hold discussions on contemporary politics. (Photo: ANI) Hyderabad: Stepping up efforts to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties, Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has lined up meetings with his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan and DMK president M K Stalin. While Rao will meet Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday evening, he will call on Stalin at his residence in Chennai on May 13, a statement by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. JD(S) leader and Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has also reached out to the Telangana chief minister. According to the statement, Rao and Vijayan, who heads the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala, will discuss "contemporary politics". "In view of the Parliamentary elections, both the CMs will discuss contemporary politics," it said. Rao will visit the Rameshwaram and Srirangam temples before returning home, the statement said. Discussing the Rao-Stalin meeting, it said, "Both the leaders are likely to discuss current political scenario in the context of ongoing Parliamentary elections." Learning about his visits to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Kumaraswamy also had a telephonic talk with Rao, the statement said. The chief minister's daughter and sitting Nizamabad Lok Sabha member K Kavitha told PTI recently that regional parties not aligned with the Congress and the BJP will get 120-plus seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, and may hold the key to government formation. She said the TRS is in touch with various parties not part of the BJP-led NDA and Congress-anchored UPA in its efforts to forge a federal front of regional outfits. A federal front will take good shape after the Lok Sabha election results are out, Kavitha said. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Santhya, a resident of Abirami area of Ramanathapuram district, appeared for NEET at a private school. The exact reason behind her death is still unknown. (Photo: Representational) Madurai: A 17-year-old differently abled student, Santhya, who took the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in Madurai on Sunday, passed away in a bus while returning home. Santhya, a resident of Abirami area of Ramanathapuram district, appeared for NEET at a private school. On her way back home she fell unconscious in the bus near Thiruppuvanam and died. Though the exact reason behind her death is still unknown. The NEET UG examination 2019 was conducted on Sunday by the National Test Agency (NTA) for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses across India. 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. (Photo: Facebook/RapidoBikeApp) Lucknow: 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. Cyclone Fani lashed Odisha, triggering heavy rainfall accompanied by wind claiming lives and leaving behind a trail of destruction. Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conducted an aerial survey to assess the loss and destruction caused by Cyclone Fani in Odisha. Modi was received by Governor Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on his arrival at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here. Modi, who has three rallies scheduled later in the day in West Bengal and Jharkhand, immediately proceeded towards his chopper to carry out the survey of the worst-hit Puri district and other affected areas. PM Narendra Modi conducts aerial survey of #Cyclonefani affected areas in Odisha. Governor Ganeshi Lal, CM Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also present. pic.twitter.com/ZO9XkRC7kK ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 At least 34 people were killed during Cyclone 'Fani', which barrelled through coastal Odisha on Friday last, causing widespread destruction and leaving hundreds grappling with water shortage and power cut. The Prime Minister had on Sunday tweeted, "Will be in Odisha tomorrow morning, where I will review the situation due to Cyclone Fani and hold meetings with top officials. The Centre is committed to provide all possible assistance in relief and rehabilitation measures underway." The PM also spoke to the chief minister on Saturday and discussed the situation in the aftermath of Fani, assuring continuous support from the Centre. According to an official, Modi is scheduled to review the relief and restoration work in the state on his return from the aerial survey. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, had on Sunday reviewed relief measures in affected areas of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. He also wanted to do the same for West Bengal and the Govt of India had written to the State about a review meeting of PM with state government officials. However, the state government has replied saying that the govt officials are busy with election duty and hence the review meeting should not be held. Cyclone Fani on Friday lashed Odisha, triggering heavy rainfall accompanied by wind touching the speed of 200 kmph, and left three persons dead besides over 160 injured, a trail of destruction that included damaged houses, uprooted trees and electricity poles. The cyclone, the worst April storm in 43 years, caused "huge damage" in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri and Khordha districts in the state, according to the Odisha government. PM Modi had announced that the Centre has released Rs 1,000 crore to Odisha and other states to deal with the devastation caused by Fani. Khalilzad has been holding talks with the Taliban to strike a deal to bring stability in Afghanistan. New Delhi: US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad Monday met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and briefed her about the Afghan peace process. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said both sides discussed the role of all regional stakeholders in bringing peace and development to Afghanistan, adding India will work with key partners in the coming days. Khalilzad has been holding talks with the Taliban in Qatar's capital Doha to hammer out a deal to bring lasting peace and stability to war-ravaged Afghanistan. MEA spokesperson tweeted: Appreciate Amb @US4AfghanPeace Khalilzad briefing EAM @SushmaSwaraj on peace efforts in Afghanistan in midst of ongoing Doha meetings. Both discussed role of all regional stakeholders in bringing peace & development in Afghanistan. India will work with key partners in days ahead. pic.twitter.com/Sw78HuV4xa Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) May 6, 2019 Last week, the US officials held their sixth round of talks with the Taliban to end the over 17-year-old conflict in Afghanistan. In March, India conveyed to the US that it should not withdraw its troops from Afghanistan without putting in place an elected "political structure" to govern the country. Major powers such as the US, Russia and Iran have been reaching out to the Taliban as part of efforts to push the stalled Afghan peace process. India has been a key stakeholder in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. In a significant move, India had sent two former diplomats in "non official" capacity to a conference on Afghan peace process in Moscow in November last year which was attended by a high-level Taliban delegation. The conference organised by Russia was attended by representatives of Afghanistan as well as from several other countries, including the US, Pakistan and China. India has been maintaining a policy of not engaging with the Taliban and pressing for an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace initiative to bring peace and stability in the war-ravaged country. Irani upper the stakes alleging booth capturing in her constituency while taking a dig at her Congress opponent Rahul Gandhi. New Delhi: The battle for Amethi got bitter on Monday as BJP candidate Smriti Irani, who has thrown a strong challenge to Congress President Rahul Gandhi, alleged booth capturing in the constituency. Amethi, which has almost always been held by the Congress with four members of the Nehru-Gandhi family representing it, barring a few short spells, went to polls in the fifth phase of polls along with 50 other constituencies in Eastern UP. Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani are tied a direct contest with the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance not fielding any candidates here. Rahul Gandhi is also contesting from Keralas Wayanad seat, which went to polls on April 23. This time, the BJP top brass has put in its might in a bid to defeat the Congress President with Ms 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. On Monday, Ms Irani upper the stakes alleging booth capturing in her constituency while taking a dig at her Congress opponent Rahul Gandhi. I tweeted an alert to administration and EC (alleging booth capturing in Amethi), hope they take action. People of the country have to decide whether this kind of politics of Rahul Gandhi should be punished or not, she said. The Congress on its part, dismissed the allegation claiming that the BJP candidate was staring at a defeat and so looking for excuses. It now is more than clear that she has lost. Now, she is looking for excuses. If Rahul Gandhi ji is capturing booths, and capturing votes, then what is the election commission doing that has been working in a biased manner in favour of Modi and Amit Shah, a Congress spokesperson said. The Union Textiles Minister had earlier tweeted a video of a woman at Gujartola booth in Gauriganj alleging that she was forced to press the button with the hand symbol (of the Congress). She also took a dig at Congress general secretary and Rahul Gandhis sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. She did not know my name 5 years back, now she keeps taking my name, such an accomplishment. Nowadays she takes her husbands name less and my name more. AT THE end of April 2019, the number of illegal migrants arriving via the sea from Haiti stood at 1,352. This figure does not take into account the number of people who have managed to evade detection by both radar and local officers on the ground. These individuals would have arrived on several other sloops that slipped through the cracks in the Turks and Caicos Islands border defence. During a meeting of the National Security Council on April 25, at the Hilly Ewing Building in Providenciales, Commissioner of Police James Smith gave a brief breakdown of the year to date figures. Smith revealed that the 1,352 people that were arrested arrived on 13 sloops that were detected. However, nine sloops have been missed altogether by law enforcement officials, and as a result, an untold number - possibly in the hundreds - of illegal Haitian migrants have penetrated the Islands borders and are currently dwelling among the population. Over the years, a constant worry of residents is that these illegal vessels are bringing guns and drugs into the territory, and contributing significantly to the level of violence on the streets. Although, this is not often the case, at least according to reports from the police in relation to detected sloops, in March authorities recorded the first drug find on an illegal sloop for the year. That vessel was carrying 86 people and three packages of suspected cannabis. The commissioner also updated the security body about the tragedy at sea that took the life of 14 Haitians on board another illegal vessel. That incident occurred on March 31, in waters near West Caicos. After several days of rescue efforts, local authorities and US coast guards retrieved the shark bitten bodies of the deceased, and rescued 14 other people. To date, neither the Immigration Department nor the Ministry of Health have indicated who the deceased are. In the meantime, Haitian families both in the TCI and Haiti have been reaching out to the media to enquire whether their loved ones perished in the tragedy. Meanwhile, Commissioner James also reported that in 2019, his department has intercepted four poacher vessels which resulted in the arrest of 16 people. All of the vessels captured originated from the Dominican Republic. (Delana Isles) On Saturday, Kejriwal was slapped in west Delhi's Moti Nagar area while doing his poll campaigning. 'He has been sent to judicial custody for two days and will be released by May 7,' accused's lawyer said. (Photo: File) New Delhi: 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 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." 'They are Pakistanis. Are they or are they not? Who ordered to fire bullets on Ram devotees?' Gandhi asked. Sultanpur: BJP leader Varun Gandhi has landed in a controversy after he called SP-BSP candidates Pakistanis. He made those remarks while campaigning for his mother Maneka Gandhi in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. While delivering his election speech, he said, This time, vote for Mother India. My mother is contesting the elections. She is a good person; there is no taint on her. But still, I have come to meet you on behalf of Mother India, not for my mother. While referring to the incident in Ayodhya in 1990, wherein bullets were fired on kar sevaks killing some of them, Gandhi blamed the then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav for the incident. They are Pakistanis. Are they or are they not? Who ordered to fire bullets on Ram devotees? Gandhi asked the people. His remarks followed after his attack on the previous day when he had said that the SP-BSP candidates were good for untying his shoelace. I am the son of Sanjay Gandhi and I get my shoelace untied by such people, he said. Back in 2009, while addressing his election rally in Pilibhit, Gandhi had made some provocative remarks against Muslims which landed him in trouble. Later, he was acquitted by a Pilibhit court. Sultanpur will go for polls on May 12. Force Ambernath local to perform sit-ups, tender apology to party chief. Mumbai: In yet another incident of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) men assaulting vocal critics of their party chief Raj Thackeray on social media, party workers made an Ambernath resident, Sandeep Tiwari, perform sit-ups after he posted a message criticizing the leader. A video of Mr Tiwari performing his penalty and begging for Mr Thackerays forgiveness has gone viral on various social media platforms. While Mr Thackeray has been likening Prime Minister Narendra Modi to German dictator Adolf Hitler at rallies across the state, a group of MNS workers recently barged into the residence of a Ghatkopar resident and thrashed him for alleged objectionable online comments against the party president. MNS workers from Ambernath had brought Mr Tiwari from his Dhara Residency home and to the MNS office at Ambernath where party workers allegedly beat him up. He was then allegedly asked him to do 25 sit-ups and apologise to Mr Thackeray. In the video, Mr Tiwari is seen stating with folded hands: By mistake I have sent video and for the same I am apologising Raj Thackeray. Justifying the actions of the workers, MNS spokesperson Sandeep Deshpande said, In a democracy everyone has the right to express, comment and criticize. But criticism should not be below the belt. Those who will use bad language against Raj Thackeray will be beaten up by MNS party workers. Terming Mr Tiwari a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporter, Mr Deshpande said, We will not file any complaint against such troll because we know that no action will be taken against them by the police. He is a BJP supporter. We have not spare any BJP party worker who used bad words against our party chief and we will not spare trolls in the future either. At the partys 13th anniversary gathering, the MNS chief in a speech ordered his workers to rough up people who use bad words. Apart from the Ghatkopar incident, party workers had beaten up a youth from Nashik who had written against Mr Thackeray while in Aurangabad, a youth was inked and beaten up by party workers. Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar had held a meeting with his party legislators and senior leaders over the drought at YB Chavan. CM Devendra Fadnavis and the Opposition delegation with the memorandum concerning drought relief. Mumbai: A delegation led by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state president Jayant Patil met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in order to draw the governments attention to the drought. Stating that the situation is very severe, the Opposition has said that the government had established cattle camps very late and they were insufficient. Nationalist Congress Party alleged that the government's terms and conditions for operating the cattle camps are very complex and the fodders provided are insufficient. The delegation, which included Chhagan Bhujabal, Rajesh Tope and Dilip Walse Patil, gave a memorandum pertaining to the drought relief to Mr Fadnavis late night on Saturday. Mr Patil said that the money is falling short for cattle camps, thereby, badly affecting them. He also said that unseasonal rains and hailstorm had taken place and the government has not given compensation for the same. It further demanded that the government should give the money as soon as possible to the farmers. Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar had held a meeting with his party legislators and senior leaders over the drought at YB Chavan. Mr Pawar had held CM Fadnavis for not taking drought seriously. Mr Pawar had also said that the government failed to take cognisance of the drought. The NCP leader said that a cattle is being provided three kg pend (a kind of fodder), per week, which is insufficient. The fodder is not enough for cattle producing milk. Lack of fodder to the cattle would result in milk production. The party also demanded to remove the cap of five cattle in fodder camps. In addition to this, it also demanded that recovery from farmers should be stopped and farmers loan should be restructured. In order to tackle the drought, three measures including drinking water, employment and cattle camps need to be taken, suggested the Nationalist Congress Party chief. It also demanded that the special measures be taken to save the horticulture farmers. Fadnavis agrees to release water to Karnataka Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnav-is has agreed to release water from the state reservoirs for Belagavi district. The CM stated the condition for releasing the water for drinking purpose in the district is that Karnataka should also release water from its reservoirs to drou-ght-hit- districts in that state. Water resources minister D.K. Shivakumar had earlier requested the Mr Fadnavis for release of water for drinking purposes in districts like Belagavi, Bagalkot, and Vijayapura that are located on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border. On Saturday, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation met Mr Fadnavis on the matter. Mr Fadnavis told the delegation that based on availability, water will be provided to the Karnataka districts, however both the states should enter into a memorandum of understanding where Karnataka too would provide water to the Maharashtras drought affected areas from Almatti reservoir. Following this, the state secretaries have been directed to begin work on the issue. On Friday, hundreds of Muslim women protested against the Sena mouthpiece at Mumbra. Mumbai: Four days after demanding ban on burqa in the Shiv Senas party mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and executive editor of Saamana, Sanjay Raut on Sunday clarified that the demand for burqa ban was not of the Shiv Sena or party chief Uddhav Thackeray. In his weekly column Rokh-Thok in Saamanas Sunday edition, Mr Raut said, Burqa ban was discussed in our country more than Sri Lanka. One thing that needs to be clarified is that Shiv Sena or party chief Uddhav Thackeray had not demanded ban on burqa. The issue was only that the Saamana had published analysis of the incidents in Sri Lanka. Last Wednesday, in an editorial in Saamana, the Sena had said that if the burqa was banned in Ravans Lanka, then why not in Ram's Ayodhya? The editorial also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow the Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisenas footsteps and ban burqas and other face-veils in India considering the threat they pose to the nations security. In the wake of recent Easter terror strikes that claimed over 250 lives, the Sri Lankan government is mulling a ban on the use of burqa by women in the country. Commenting on this, the editorial said, This restriction has been recommended as an emergency measure to ensure the security forces do not encounter difficulties in identifying anybody. People wearing face-masks or burqas could pose a threat to national security. As the editorial created a flutter and drew sharp reactions from various quarters, senior Sena leader and MLC Neelam Gorhe had said it was not the official stand of the party, which is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It could be an individual's view...it is not the official stand of Shiv Sena, Ms Gorhe had said in a statement. On Friday, hundreds of Muslim women protested against the Sena mouthpiece at Mumbra. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. Japans deeply venerated emperors do not exercise even the informal political influence that Britains Queen Elizabeth II is said to do. A map of Japanese business establishments in India also reveals the geographic spread of growth. Maharashtra heads the list with 810 businesses. Tamil Nadu (620), Haryana (609) and Karnataka (529) follow. Adapting US President Calvin Coolidge on America in the Roaring Twenties, it might be that the business of Japan is business. That explains the ups and downs of India-Japanese relations which are now complicated by the urge, inspired by the United States and encouraged by Australia, to contain China through a quadrilateral alliance. This is a critical time for both countries. Both suffer the ravages of cyclones. Both have to cope with the withdrawal of the waiver of US sanctions for buying Iranian oil. Both face governmental change. India will have a new or renewed government after May 23. In Japan a new emperor acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1 following the abdication of his father. Now referred to as the Heisei emperor, Emperor Akihitos 30-year reign was a time of peace and prosperity. Will Emperor Naruhito, the 126th monarch in a 2,000-year line, the worlds oldest, and his Reiwa (beautiful harmony) era witness a new form of Asian competition? Born in 1960, Naruhito is the first emperor to be free of the taint of World War II. His thesis on Navigation and Traffic on the Upper Thames in the 18th Century at Merton College, Oxford, makes him Japans first modern ruler with an equally modern Harvard-educated, former career diplomat consort in Empress Masako. The emperor is not quite a stranger to India. Aged 27, he paid an official visit in 1987 when he also visited Bhutan. Japans deeply venerated emperors do not exercise even the informal political influence that Britains Queen Elizabeth II is said to do. But actions and messages can convey signals without being specific, although those signals may reflect the Japanese governments thinking rather than individual imperial whim. Emperor Hirohitos phlegmatic The war situation has developed not necessarily to Japans advantage broadcast on August 15, 1945 was one instance. The tours of Okinawa with its bitter memories of fighting the Americans and of Pacific battlefields that suffered the most during World War II that his son, Emperor Akihito, visited almost like a pilgrim, was another. Similarly, Naruhitos visit to Bhutan only a year after diplomatic relations were established helped to raise the international profile of the small, landlocked and secluded Druk kingdom that was almost entirely dependent on India. A small gesture like wearing a kho, the knee-length Bhutanese robe that looks rather like a Scottish kilt, made the prince extremely popular with the Bhutanese who had only recently asserted themselves diplomatically by moving out of Indias tutelage and starting bilateral talks with China on a disputed, undemarcated 470-km border which exploded in the Doklam crisis of 2017. The engagement Prince Naruhito initiated led to a lively increase in tourism, economic cooperation and high-level exchanges, as well as an implicit strategic partnership between two countries facing problems with China. New Delhi was the recipient of another of Japans coded signals when no Japanese Prime Minister visited India for 23 years. It was a reminder that Indias economy was stagnating with a per capita GNP that was less than one-tenth of South Koreas. Such backwardness offered little scope for trade and investment, the most important drivers of Tokyos diplomacy. Two successive Japanese Prime Ministers (Nobusuke Kishi and Hayato Ikeda) paid visits in 1957 and 1960, each within three months of taking over. The next prime ministerial visitor was Yasuhiro Nakasone in May 1984. Then, as India began tentatively to respond to altered conditions, Toshiki Kaifu visited in the spring of 1990, almost presciently on the eve of P.V. Narasimha Raos epochal reforms. The first two visits in quick succession, the long interval, and then the shorter gap of six years, provided a thermometer of Indias economic health. The turning point was when Prime Minister Yoshiro Moris 114-member delegation, including 14 senior officials, 41 special invitees, mostly business people, and 59 journalists, reached Bengaluru in August 2000. He and Atal Behari Vajpayee established the Global Partnership between Japan and India. The even bigger breakthrough was in April 2005 when Prime Ministers Junichiro Koizumi and Manmohan Singh initiated the annual Japan-India summit meetings that have since been held in alternate capitals. If the economic relationship is still not buoyant, its mainly because of Indias poor infrastructure, and the ruling National Democratic Alliances unfulfilled promises of 2014. Japan can invest in high-speed railways but that alone will not revive Indias economy if manufacturing is at a standstill, unemployment is rising and incomes are falling. Neither demonetisation nor the GST has succeeded in eliminating black money. Nevertheless, Indias share of Japans Foreign Direct Investment rose from $3,218 million to $4,252 million between 2016 and 2018, while Japanese exports to and imports from India during the same period stood at $11,009 million and $5,499 million respectively. A relatively recent Japanese foreign ministry document cites Indias democracy, vibrant market economy, high growth rate, food self-sufficiency and strategic position astride Japans oil lifeline as being of vital interest to the Japanese. Without that reappraisal, a high-flying ambassador like Yasukuni Enoki may not have set the diplomatic dovecotes aflutter with talk of Japan-India-China talks. Nor would Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister, have started alarm bells ringing in Beijing by including India in his proposed Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with the United States and Australia. Therein lies the rub. It might flatter India when US President Donald Trump replaces Asia-Pacific with Indo-Pacific, but the reasons for the revival of Mr Abes on-again-off-again Quad proposal and its likely impact deserve careful examination. Japans economic interaction with China is so profound that it can afford to take political risks. Whether India has the capability or the finesse to follow suit is another matter. Brands like Samsung, OnePlus and Google are all readying to introduce their next greatest smartphones this month. May is traditionally a time when school kids are on vacation and parents are trying their level best to ensure that work and family time is well-juggled. With smartphones being a tool to gain insight into the best possible activities for your kids or for you to just zone out and kick it with a few games of PUBG, there is never the need for an occasion to actually purchase a smartphone. Recognizing the needs of consumers, at this time period, smartphone manufacturers from across the globe are readying to launch their latest products. With the first slew of smartphones already being announced, the world is now awaiting the second onslaught of devices that are expected to launch in May. Brands like Google, OnePlus, Redmi and more are all preparing to launch their latest and greatest. Below we look at some of the handsets that could be launched this month. Nokia 9 Pureview The upcoming flagship from HMD Global has been teased and with Nokia hosting an event in India, it is widely expected that the Nokia 9 Pureview will finally make its first appearance on our shores. The smartphone is as unique as unique gets as it comes with not three or four cameras at the back but a Penta camera layout. This is by far the smartphones biggest selling point. Nokia handsets have long been known as having capable shooters due to their use of Zeiss optics and the Pureview is no different. The Nokia 9 Pureview comes with five rear cameras all comprising of 12MP shooters. HMD Global has shared that two of the five sensors are RGB sensors while the rest are monochromatic sensors. Also, we find a 3D ToF sensor on the handset. The front-facing camera is no slouch either with HMD Global adding a 20MP shooter up front with HDR support. The handset features a 5.99-inch OLED display with a QHD+ resolution and will include an in-display fingerprint sensor for authentication. The handset comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC which is clocked at 2.8GHz making it quite a beast. The battery is the only area where the handset is lacking in comparison to flagship devices as it features a lowly 3320mAh battery. However, for good measure, the handset is capable of supporting 18W fast charge. OnePlus 7/7 Pro After releasing banger after banger, OnePlus is gearing up to launch the OnePlus 7 Pro at a special event in New York. This handset will come with state of the art technology including a QHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. With this feature in tow, the HDR10+ screen will be buttery smooth and fall in the gaming smartphone category, giving competition to not just flagship handsets but also gaming handsets with tricked out hardware. Also, we expect the handset to feature stereo speakers but we arent quite sure how they will place it since the face of the OnePlus 7 Pro is an all-glass affair. As far as optics go, the OnePlus 7 Pro will come with three rear cameras which are said to comprise of a wide sensor, an ultra-wide lens and a telephoto lens. The last mentioned sensor is confirmed to feature a 3x zoom while the main sensor will be a 48MP shooter. A notable absentee on the device is the fingerprint scanner on the rear. This feature was removed with the OnePlus 6T and it only makes sense that the OnePlus 7 series will not come with it as well. Under the hood, the OnePlus 7 Pro will come loaded with a Snapdragon 855 chipset and its starting price is believed to be USD 700 which is about Rs 48,500. Google Pixel 3a/3a XL At Google I/O 2019, the search giant is set to unveil its first smartphones of 2019 and these are expected to be the Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL. These handsets are lite versions of the Google Pixel 3 that launched last year and while it may not come with flagship specs, it will offer the best hardware where it matters the most cameras. The Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL thankfully dont come with an unsightly notch but with a chin and forehead that adds a bit of class to a segment thats currently dominated by notches, cutouts and whatnots. As of right now, the specs havent been officially revealed but rumours claim that the 3a XL will come with a 6-inch FHD+ display, a Snapdragon 710 SoC, a 12.2MP rear camera, an 8MP front-facing camera, 6GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. There will be a USB Type-C port with support for 18W fast charging for the 3700mAh battery. The Pixel 3a is expected to feature identical specifications except for the screen size which is trimmed down to 5.6-inches. The battery here is expected to be 3000mAh and it too should come with fast charging. The Pixel 3a and 3a XL will come in three colour options Just Black, Clearly White and Purple-ish. Samsung Galaxy A80 The Samsung Galaxy A80 has already been announced overseas and it is expected to launch in India this month. The Galaxy A70 is currently the brands highest-end A-series device and with the launch of the A80, it will get a higher-end sibling. The Galaxy A80 features a unique camera mechanism where it not only pops-up but also rotates to capture selfies. When users select the selfie mode in the camera app, the three cameras automatically pop-up from the back of the phone and rotate. The camera mechanism delivers the same triple camera experience with the same lens, front and rear, so you never have to sacrifice on quality. Enabled by the rotating camera, people can experience an uninhibited view with Samsungs first New Infinity Display which measures at 6.7-inches and features an FHD+ Super AMOLED screen. The Galaxy A80s 3,700mAh battery and its Super-Fast Charging at 25W capabilities keep you connected for longer. Lastly, you can experience 360-degree audio experience with earphones or speakers because of Dolby Atmos which is featured here. The curfew was imposed on Sunday after a group of miscreants carrying swords attacked some people. Colombo: Sri Lanka lifted an overnight curfew in the western coastal town of Negombo on Monday where clashes erupted between two groups of people over the weekend, days after the Easter bombings. The curfew was imposed on Sunday after a group of miscreants carrying swords attacked some people travelling on a three-wheeler in Porathota area of the town. The vehicle was set on fire. Several people were injured in clashes in Negombo, a majority Christian town where St. Sebastian's Church was targeted during the Easter attacks carried out by suicide bombers who had pledged support for the ISIS. Over 100 people were killed in the attack on St. Sebastian's Church. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said on Monday that Negombo was calm and curfew had ended at 7 am. The government also blocked some social media sites overnight, including Facebook and WhatsApp, in order to control the situation. The block was lifted early Monday. The police said an argument had instigated the clash and it was escalated after a drunken man's intervention. The curfew was imposed in the town as a precaution. Two people have been arrested in connection with the clashes. A senior police officer said an investigation was underway into the clashes. Meanwhile, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, said that it was a personal clash between two groups and appealed for calm. "The situation was brought to my notice and we have restored calm," he said. "I appeal to all Catholic and Christian brothers and sisters not to hurt even a single Muslim person because they are our brothers, because they are part of our religious culture," said Ranjith. He also visited Negombo where he held talks with clerics at a mosque. In a statement, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the government will compensate those who lost property in the clashes. On Monday, Sri Lankan authorities also extended by 48 hours the deadline for the public to surrender swords, daggers, sharp weapons and clothing similar to that of military uniforms as part of a crackdown on suspects following the Easter Sunday bombings. According to the police, several people including politicians were arrested for possessing sharp-edged weapons like swords since the crackdown began to arrest the NTJ suspects. Meanwhile, schools resumed classes on Monday with few students arriving in classrooms, two weeks after the devastating Easter Sunday bombings forced the authorities to close the educational institutions. Police and soldiers combed school premises and the surrounding areas to make sure it is safe for children to go back on Monday, a police officer said. Armed soldiers were seen guarding all leading schools in the city. Despite the tight security arrangements, most classrooms were near empty. Private schools, including Catholic institutions, remained closed. The attendance of teachers was also low. Some leading Buddhist prelates had urged the government to delay the re-opening due to further possible attacks from the militants. An extensive security programme has been implemented in schools. Special circular have been issued by the Education Ministry about the security of the schools. Children will have to carry transparent or see-through school bags, lunch boxes and water bottles. Parking vehicles near schools have been completely banned. Separate places have been prepared to park school vans and buses. THE GOVERNMENT has launched a public consultation to gather views on the potential establishment of credit unions across the territory. Town hall meetings are scheduled on Monday, May 6, at 6pm at Dillon Hall in Grand Turk and on Thursday, May 9, at 6pm at the Airport Inn, Conference Room in Providenciales. According to a statement from the Governments press office issued on Wednesday (May 1), the Credit Union Ordinance was approved in the House of Assembly on July 26, 2016. However, the ordinance was not brought into effect due to a requirement to have Regulations and Prudential Standards (subsidiary legislation) in place. The subsidiary legislation governs the provisions of the ordinance and dictates how it will be applied or implemented across the country. "The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands recognises that credit unions could play an important role in capital formation, productive investment and ultimately the economic development of the country, the press release stated. The town hall style meetings will give members of the public an opportunity to discuss several thematic areas including the licensing of credit unions, management, shares, borrowing and liquidity. Other topics will include the business of a credit union, loan administration, property and funds of a credit union, amalgamation, appointment of receivers or judicial manager, dissolution and disputes. The consultation document highlighting the proposed recommendations underlines the important role played by credit co-operatives in providing saving and credit services to people across the TCI. Anyone wishing to view draft documents can visit the TCI Government website at www.gov.tc They can also be accessed on the Turks and Caicos Islands Financial Services Commission website at link http://tcifsc.tc/publications/consultative-documents The Government is inviting members of the public to share their views by emailing [email protected] or [email protected] The electronic consultation will end on May 15. During a Cabinet meeting held on April 18, members were updated on the steps being taken to bring the Credit Union Ordinance, its regulations and prudential standards into effect on June 1. Credit unions encourage members to save regularly, provide loans at low rates, and help members in need of financial advice and assistance. (By Olivia Rose) Make no mistake, this will be a landmark case regarding the alleged illegal operations of Uber in Australia and the devastating impact that has had on the lives of hard-working and law-abiding citizens here, Watson said. The sheer scale of the case means it is shaping as one of the largest class actions in Australian history. It is not acceptable for a business to place itself above the law and operate illegally to the disadvantage of others. Weve got a strong case, a strong team, and substantial support from thousands of drivers, operators, and licence owners nationwide, he said. More than 6,000 participants have registered for the class action, which covers drivers, operators, and licence owners from Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. Elizabeth OShea, senior associate, said that participants will not have out-of-pocket costs or liability risks, since the case's costs are underwritten by a third-party litigation funder. We have a proud history of running the nations largest and toughest class actions, and we believe that this is an important mechanism to pursue justice and compensation for those who have had their lives turned upside down by Ubers alleged illegal operation, OShea said. kWh kW The biggest change is this facelift variant is the increase in battery capacity on the electric variant, from 28to 38.3 kWh. That translates into 36 percent more electricity stored and, in terms of distance driven on a single charge, that means 294 km range (182 miles), up from 200 km (124 miles) on the current version.The onboard electric charger is now bigger, growing from 6.6to 7.2 kW, meaning an 80 percent charge can be achieved in about 54 minutes. The electric motor powering the model has also been updated, now boasting 136 ps and 295 Nm of torque.Some new items can be found at the interior as well, including a 10.25-inch AVN screen, a redesigned control panel and mood lighting for the 7-inch LCD console display.As another novelty for the entire Ioniq range, the cars will be equipped with the Hyundai Blue Link suite. It allows, among other things, remote access to the air conditioning, locking and unlocking the car, and activating the horn and the lights. Blue Link also allows drivers access to info about the battery status and schedule charging.Our new Ioniq models build on the success of the first generation thanks to a range of upgrades both in terms of connectivity features and design, said in a statement Thomas A. Schmid, Hyundai Europe COO.When it comes to Hyundais eco-mobility vehicles, Ioniq is leading the way by offering our customers all they need thanks to life-enhancing, easy-to-use technologies.The new hybrid and plug-in Ioniq will be available from July 2019, while the electric version will follow in September 2019.Full details on the new version of the Ioniq for the European market can be found in the document attached below. By Gemma Handy HUNDREDS of holidaymakers who fear they were overcharged by the TCIs biggest resort have come forward to join a potential class action which lawyers say could see the company forced to fork out millions in compensation. Attorneys in Miami told the Weekly News they had been contacted by several hundred former Beaches guests within 48 hours of issuing a call to the public on Monday (April 29). Some families could be owed thousands of dollars in "overpaid accommodation tax, lawyer Michael Winkleman believes. Beaches rigorously denies the claims which it described as "baseless. But the controversy once again places the embattled Jamaican resort giant under fire, the latest in a series of tax rows for the Sandals chain which employs 10,000 people across the Caribbean. Winkleman said a decades-long "sweetheart deal between Beaches and the TCI Government entitled the resort to a 40 percent concession on accommodation tax levied onto local hotels. But despite only paying the Government a rate just over seven percent, Beaches added the full standard 12 percent onto guests bills, he claimed. He estimates the figure owed to customers to run into tens of millions of dollars. "Beaches essentially got a kickback which should have been tax revenues for the TCI Government. Our intention is to hold them accountable for it, Winkleman said. "Beaches is not a low-end property and large family trips could have cost people tens of thousands of dollars. "Beaches essentially told guests they had to pay 12 percent tax but they were pocketing 40 percent of that and even more in cases where the group had a child under 12 who is exempt from accommodation tax. "There are likely to be thousands of people affected. Most of the potential claimants to date hail from the US but around 10 percent are from as far away as Europe. "We have a full spectrum of people to represent, Winkleman confirmed. "Some were at Beaches just a week ago, others a decade ago. The attorney said he planned to file the case in Miami "within days. "I like to say the wheels of justice turn slowly but in a case like this, the desire is to move something quickly, Winkleman continued. "After its been filed, the company will have the opportunity to respond to the allegations. There are likely to be some interesting jurisdictional issues; the judge may send the case to be litigated in TCI where the legal system is very different to the US. "I want it to be heard right here in Miami. We have some pretty harsh penalties in the US. The company could be made to pay triple the amount of what they took from guests, plus attorneys fees, Winkleman added. Sandals response A Sandals spokeswoman told the Weekly News the company was known as being the "gold standard in the islands in which it operates. "This is completely unsubstantiated and these allegations are baseless and without merit, she added. The spokeswoman declined to elaborate further but the TCIs Opposition Leader Washington Misick said the concession dated back to 1997 agreed by the then PDM administration when Beaches first opened in The Bight. "It was what I would call a constructive contract. I have always said, if Beaches collected the full tax then they should pay the full tax to Government, Misick said. The PNP leader admitted the agreement had been ratified by himself in 2014 when he was finance minister. "I was advised by senior public servants that there was already a written agreement in place, he said. "It was a compounding of errors. Misick said Beaches had been raising concerns at the time about high operating costs in the aftermath of the global financial crash. "We had to hand out some concessions to Beaches to keep the hotel open. It was all part of a renegotiation of their terms, he explained. Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson told the Weekly News she had no comment to make. Meanwhile, Beaches is set to close its 750-room Providenciales resort in January 2021 claiming, conversely, that the TCI Government owes it millions in overpaid taxes. That news has been met with dismay by tourism chiefs including Todd Foss, TCI Hotel and Tourism Association president, who estimated Beaches accounted for around half of tourists arriving to the Islands by plane. He expressed concern about the knock-on economic impact. Beaches was recently offered a $76 million tax write-off as part of a waiver extended to dozens of companies by the TCI Government. But a statement issued soon afterwards confirmed the resorts intention to press ahead with a lawsuit against TCIG to recoup the cash it claims it is owed. Beaches also declined to comment further on that. But it is the latest instance of the company, owned by Butch Stewart, being at loggerheads with regional governments. In Barbados, Sandals demands for extra concessions on a proposed $400 million Beaches resort is threatening to put the brakes on the development. Prime minister Mia Mottley says the hotel chain already benefits from generous agreements sealed with the last government. And in St Lucia, contention erupted last year amid claims the company owed the government more than $24 million in withholding taxes a claim Sandals vehemently denied and which was later written off. Sandals has also been embroiled in vociferous spats in recent years with the Antigua & Barbuda government relating to historic sales tax commissions. As of January 2017, the company has been required to pay the full tax rate in a deal which also saw the Antiguan government waive around $37 million it claimed Sandals owed. For the most part, they have failed, and drivers are still at it. Despite heavy fines in some places, jail time in others and the threat of losing ones license for a limited time all over the place, people still drink and drive.Not even the involvement of carmakers and the rise of on-board breathalyzers have not been able to stop the scourge.But perhaps a trip to the morgue, while still alive, just might.Moldova, a country in Eastern Europe sang in movies like Hellboy and Red, decided last December that enough is enough when it comes to vodka-intoxicated drivers. Hence a very harsh bill came into effect, targeting specifically those who drink and drive.According to the legislation, cited by local publication Publika , drivers caught behind the wheel while intoxicated instantly lose their right to drive, and have to wait for a court decision to see for how long the license is suspended.Should the blood alcohol content be higher than 0,3 mg/l, the driver is banned from driving for life.In some cases, drivers are allowed to ask for their license back, but only after they literally go through hell.This month, Moldova debuted a morbid program for those who wish to get their licenses back: for three months, or 12 sessions, drivers will have to work in the countrys morgues and hospitals, watching autopsies and washing the dead bodies and the places where they are stored.According to the source, there are currently 24 people enlisted in the program, and six of them have already started it.To add insult to injury, this morgue reeducation program costs each driver the local equivalent of around $224. The drivers identity hasnt been made public, but one particular detail about the arrest has managed to slip through the cracks and into the media: the driver blamed his flip flops for the crash, WRAL reports. The incident occurred late at night, as the man was trying to drive his Jeep up the driveway and into the garage next to his house.Instead of putting the car in the garage as he wanted to, he ended up crashing into the wall. This was no small bump either: According to [N.C. State Highway Patrol] troopers, damage to the Jeep and the garage is estimated at about $80,000.To add insult to injury, cops charged the man after listening to his story on how the crash happened. According to officials, the driver told troopers that his flip flop sandal got stuck on his gas pedal, causing him to lose control of his Jeep and hit the side of his garage, which is attached to his house, WRAL continues. The driver was charged with careless and reckless driving.This is yet another instance proving why flip flops should never be worn as outdoor footwear: not only do they not look good, but theyre also not ideal for driving. Unless youre at the beach or in your own backyard, stay away from flip flops.On a more serious note, flip flops arent recommended by podiatrists because they dont offer proper support for the sole or heel. Theyre also not good for driving: when at the wheel, you should wear shoes with a thicker sole, which dont limit ankle movement. Avoid excessively thick soles, too, because they, much like thin soles, may make you apply too much pressure on the pedals. ABC Pastor Robert Forte of the Mt. Gilead Baptist Church tellsaffiliate KSAT that he had just returned home from the Sunday service when he got a call from the security company about some activity at the church. He went back thinking it was probably some error and was shocked to find a silver Mazda 6 parked right inside the building.Of course, to get there, the car had gone through 3 walls, tearing through an administrative office and part of the library. The driver was gone, too, leaving the pastor and the police with a lot of unanswered questions.I came back to the church and found a Mazda had backed through the wall, through a hallway and into the library, Forte explains. It destroyed two rooms and a hallway. It had destroyed furniture and computers and desks and everything. Just imagine a car backing into your house!On that last count, pastor Forte is in accordance with the police: whoever crashed into the church did so by backing at high speed. As to why they didnt stick around to answer questions, that still remains to be seen. As of the time of writing, police are yet to have a suspect in custody.There was nobody in the car when we got here, so we dont know what happened, Forte continues. I am going to assume that nobody was hurt in there. I dont know whether the driver got hurt and tried to go to the hospital or if they just simply tried to get away before the police got here. I just know the car was empty.Forte wishes the driver had stayed around for an explanation and maybe to get the help they needed. However, he hopes the driver wasnt injured or in some kind of trouble they cant get out of. Everything else thats been damaged can be replaced. Even automakers outside of North America have something to offer in this segment, including the best-selling Tacoma from Toyota. Nissan has a different approach, offering the Frontier at a much lower price than the competition. These being said, theres no denying Ram has to make a move.Expected to premiere in 2020 for the 2021 model year, the successor of the Dodge Dakota is understood to feature Ram 1500 parts and know-how from the Jeep Gladiator. But as opposed to the Wrangler-styled pickup truck with a double cabin, the Dakota will be much more affordable.Confirmed for production at the Capital Markets Day 2018, the Dakota is being developed at full throttle according to the chief executive officer of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Mike Manley told Automotive News that Rams engineers are focused on solving the mid-size truck solution because its a big part of the portfolio and growth we want to achieve.Described as having a very, very different mission from the Gladiator, the Dakotas heir-apparent has a few more complications for FCA. Being able to find a cost-effective platform in a region where we can build it with low cost and it still being applicable in the market are some of those, but Manley believes that everything will be sorted out.Looking at the mid-size rivals, theres no denying the Dakota could be offered with a four-cylinder engine from the get-go. The Pentastar V6 or Tornado I6 might be offered as options, and Ram could make a case for the EcoDiesel V6 as well. The latter has been confirmed in the 1500 and Gladiator, and chances are the Jeep Grand Cherokee will also receive the latest evolution of the VM Motori-developed engine.Last, but certainly not least, Ram remains committed to the 1500 Classic for as long as possible. As opposed to the latest generation of the half-ton pickup, the 1500 Classic is $4,500 more affordable. SUV Oscar Lee Harrison Jr., 33, was working last week when he went to pick up anowned by 68-year-old Alberto Nduli. As he was getting ready to drive off with the car, Nduli himself came outside his house to try and talk reason to him: he was trying to tell the repo man that the whole thing was just a misunderstanding.As we all know, the repo man has his orders and even if he wanted to do something in cases like this, he would probably have his hands tied. To put it differently: it wasnt his job to check if there was a mistake or not; hed been told to repo the car and thats what he was doing.Seeing that he wasnt listening Nduli jumped on his SUV as it was being towed away . Harrison didnt stop in fact, he kept going until he saw Nduli fall off, and then some more. Nduli fell and fatally hit his head on the concrete, and Harrison went to deliver the car.He would have probably never considered of returning had not the police called to summon him back. He was arrested at the scene and charged with failure to stop and render aid, Click2Houston reports.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, says Cmdr. Kevin Deese, with the Houston Police Department, of the incident.(The tow truck driver) didnt ensure that this person was going to get the proper aid. He simply took the car and dropped it off, and thats unacceptable, prosecutor Sean Teare says.Nduli worked as a security guard and had 7 children. Vanessa Santillan, 40, was driving around with her boyfriend late last month, when they got into a fight, police records recently obtained by AZ Family show. She pulled over and let him out, but that wasnt the end of it: the man crossed the street and started walking on the sidewalk, but stopped briefly to flip her off.That's when the 40-year-old drove onto the sidewalk and hit her boyfriend, police said. She then continued south of Wilson Street and made the first right, the report notes. The boyfriend had injuries to the right side of his body from his face to his legs, police said. He was taken to the hospital with injuries that required stitches.Santillan went on with her daily chores as if nothing had happened: she picked up her kid from school and then drove home. She later told police over the phone that she didnt stop to check on her BF because she didnt think it was that bad. At the same time, she claimed she blacked out and didnt even remember hitting him with the car.Ironically, the police officers noted that her car had visible damage , so even assuming she had no recollection of the fight and how she effectively ended it, she must have been wondering where shed damaged the vehicle.Santillan eventually turned herself in and was charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of failing to remain at the scene of a collision with injuries, and had her bond set at $20,000. Her booking photo, which is also attached to this article, is what you may call a thing of beauty. 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. Despite strong performances from both U.S. and Chinese stocks this year, emerging markets have not seen significant inflows in debt or equity. EM currencies, bonds and equity markets have also broadly lagged their U.S. counterparts. Investors have been talking themselves hoarse about attractive EM valuations since late 2018 but haven't been buying. Typically, investors flock to EM in times of risk seeking, as they tend to rise more than mature markets like the U.S. or Europe. What's happening: The cause appears to be the sell-off in August and September as Argentina and Turkey looked to be in danger of massive implosions, leading to broad selling of most EM assets. Losses amounted to nearly $40 billion for investors who held Argentine assets and "most real money inflows were captive and unable to leave," says Elina Ribakova, deputy chief economist at the Institute of International Finance. That's left investors largely unable to put fresh capital to work buying up EM assets this year. Worse, Argentina and Turkey again are looking vulnerable. Why it matters: "The positioning overhang means no smooth sailing for emerging markets, even with a dovish Fed shift," Ribakova tells Axios. "Asset managers already own lot of 'problematic' emerging market assets ... In this environment it is hard for EM to rally." Go deeper: Emerging markets' dollar debt threatens global growth By Olivia Rose THE BILL for removing the wreck of the Mega One Triton, a cargo ship on Governors Beach in Grand Turk, currently stands at a whopping $3.7 million. The figure was disclosed during this weeks meeting of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Assembly. The staggering cost of the shipwrecks removal was revealed after Chair of the Appropriations Committee Hon. Douglas Parnell requested a status update. Members of the committee said that money will be drawn from the Infrastructure Fund, Carnival Cruise Line Development Fund and the Port Authoritys account to fund the removal of the derelict vessel. The wreckage which took up residence in the capital some seven years ago has become both an eyesore and tourist attraction. It started life as a tender vessel supplying offshore oil rigs before being disabled and anchored off Government Dock in the capital. After it was decommissioned and sold to a retired captain, the ship supplied the Turks and Caicos Islands with building materials from the Dominican Republic for more than 20 years. It was eventually grounded at Governors Beach during the passage of hurricane Sandy in October 22, 2012. There were about 190 litres of fuel on board and about 150 litres of motor oil when it became grounded. On January 28, 2013, the Government charged the vessels agents, due to the absence of the owner, Ked Megnath. Four people were charged with various offences under the National Parks, Coastal Protection and Marine Pollution Ordinances. The ships removal has proven to be a difficult task for both the incumbent and previous administration. However, after an extensive consultation process conducted by CWaves, a UK-based maritime and engineering consultancy, there was some hope that the it would finally be removed. On June 26, 2017, CWaves carried out an initial assessment and proposed a range of options to be considered for the safe and efficient removal of the wreck from Governors Beach in an environmentally friendly manner. Commenting on the assessment in 2017, Minister of Tourism Ralph Higgs said: "I am grateful for the assistance of CWaves and their input which will help with the removal of Mega One Triton, which has become unsightly on one of our most popular beaches over the years. "My Government stands firm on seeing the removal of this impediment in a timely manner. Several safeguards must be put in place prior to the vessels removal to protect the local environment. Specialised equipment must be employed to skim the petroleum-based contaminants from the surface of the water in an effort to remove the most hazardous of materials. The remainder of the water must be pumped and transported to an upland location for safe disposal. At the same time that toxic fluids are being removed, oil booms and turbidity curtains must be deployed to contain any potential spills. Members of the public are still advised to refrain from climbing on or entering the wreck due to the deterioration in its condition, and potential exposure to hazardous substances. Israel passed information on an alleged Iranian plot to attack U.S. interests in the Gulf to the U.S. before national security adviser John Bolton threatened Iran with "unrelenting force" last night, senior Israeli officials told me. Why it matters: Bolton's unusual and aggressive statement included news that the U.S. would move an aircraft carrier to the region. The officials said intelligence gathered by Israel, primarily by the Mossad intelligence agency, is understood to be part of the reason for Bolton's announcement. Behind the scenes: Information about possible Iranian plots against the U.S. or its allies in the Gulf were raised two weeks ago in talks held at the White House between an Israeli delegation headed by national security adviser Meir Ben Shabbat and a U.S. team led by Bolton, the Israeli officials told me. The intelligence about a possible Iranian plot is not very specific at this stage, but the officials said it was clear the threat was against a U.S. target in the Gulf or U.S. allies like Saudi Arabia or the UAE. The bottom line: An Israeli official told me Mossad drew several scenarios for what the Iranians might be planning: "It is still unclear to us what the Iranians are trying to do and how they are planning to do it, but it is clear to us that the Iranian temperature is on the rise as a result of the growing U.S. pressure campaign against them, and they are considering retaliating against U.S. interests in the Gulf." Israeli official At dueling conferences this week, Microsoft and Google will vie for developers' attention, with Microsoft emphasizing new offerings for its growing Azure cloud and Google pressing forward with new features for Android and its voice-based Assistant. Why it matters: These developer conferences serve multiple roles, allowing companies to position themselves strategically, generate developer enthusiasm, introduce new products, and grab media attention. Driving the news: The spring developer conference season kicked off with Facebook's F8 last week and will continue through Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in the first week of June. What to expect: Microsoft's Build, which starts today in Seattle, is likely to focus as much on the Azure cloud as it does on desktop Windows, given that's where Microsoft's growth has been coming from and where it faces the steepest competition from Amazon's AWS and Google Cloud. CEO Satya Nadella gives the opening keynote and is expected to focus on four areas. On the Azure front , both AI and mixed reality are going to be key topics. , both AI and mixed reality are going to be key topics. As for Windows , a major change is the coming shift in the Edge browser, which is changing rendering engines to adopt the Chromium core also used by Google's Chrome. , a major change is the coming shift in the Edge browser, which is changing rendering engines to adopt the Chromium core also used by Google's Chrome. Nadella is also expected to detail new opportunities for developers to build on top of Microsoft's Dynamics and Power lines of business software as well as new ways game developers can build using Microsoft's cloud. Google unveiled its Stadia gaming cloud earlier this year. With Xbox and Windows, as well as its cloud, Microsoft is expected to battle hard in this space. Meanwhile, Google I/O starts a day later in Mountain View, California, and will cover a lot of ground, though Android and Google Assistant are likely to be big areas of focus. Google Assistant : In many ways, the digital assistant is the evolution of the search bar, meaning that it is crucial to Google to get this right, or risk seeing some of its core business shift to Amazon or others. : In many ways, the digital assistant is the evolution of the search bar, meaning that it is crucial to Google to get this right, or risk seeing some of its core business shift to Amazon or others. Android : In addition to offering more details on the next version, Google is taking Android to new places, including a broader focus on the automotive dashboard. Privacy controls are also expected to get a lot of attention. : In addition to offering more details on the next version, Google is taking Android to new places, including a broader focus on the automotive dashboard. Privacy controls are also expected to get a lot of attention. Hardware: Google devices are also likely to be in the spotlight, with the most certain release being the widely-leaked Pixel 3a, a lower-cost version of last year's flagship model. New products from the Nest brand could also be coming, per VentureBeat. What's different: Up until the last couple of years, the focus was largely on introducing new features and making developer's lives easier. Those are still big themes, but so are respecting user privacy, minimizing social harm and monitoring screen time. What's the same: The focus of the events remains on developers. At these conferences, they get previews of tech that often doesn't show up on consumer's devices until later in the year. Google, for example, is expected to offer more details on Android Q, while Apple is likely to detail the next versions of the Mac and iPhone operating systems. While developers get early code, the final software and even the complete feature list typically doesn't show up until the fall. What to watch: All the big companies will talk about putting developers and users in control, but each of these giants got where they are in large part by creating, building and owning their own platforms. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told diplomats at a meeting of the Arctic Council in Finland on Monday that the rapidly warming Arctic region presents a land of "opportunity and abundance," citing untapped resources like oil, gas, uranium and gold and rare earth minerals. "And its centerpiece, the Arctic Ocean, is rapidly taking on new strategic significance. Offshore resources, which are helping the respective coastal states, are the subject of renewed competition. Steady reductions in sea ice are opening new passage ways and new opportunities for trade." Why it matters: As Axios Science editor Andrew Freedman explains, the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of the rest of the globe, setting in motion the transformation of a once-frozen region. Melting sea ice is quickly making the Far North more accessible, and marine traffic from container ships and cruise vessels is becoming more common, particularly in Russian and Canadian waters. As one of 8 Arctic nations, the U.S. plays a key role in setting policy for the region. Details: In his speech, Pompeo also pointedly warned about China and Russia's growing "aggressive behavior" in the Arctic. "Do we want the Arctic Ocean to transform into a new South China Sea, fraught with militarization and competing territorial claims? he asked. Pompeo later added: "We know Russian territorial ambitions can turn violent, pointing to the conflict in Ukraine. "Just because the Arctic is a place of wilderness does not mean it should become a place of lawlessness." As for the U.S., Pompeo said the Trump administration is boosting security and diplomatic presence with new military exercises, icebreakers and expanding Coast Guard operations. Yes, but: Pompeos remark shocked many diplomats and observers, who said the council was intended to address climate change, not security issues. "Everything has been focused on constructive cooperation where you dont bring outside problems in. All of a sudden, the speech today shifted everyones attention to, Are we looking at next conflict in Arctic? when the real issue here is still climate change. No speech will change that." Malgorzata Smieszek, a political scientist and a fellow at the International Arctic Science Committee, told the New York Times. "The Arctic is changing fast. Global warming will change the environmental and economic landscapes of the region. New sea routes and easier access to natural resources will become a reality." Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini, per the AP. According to the AP, Pompeos 2,400-word speech did not once mention the words "climate change." Go deeper: Americas youngest voters are more worried about climate change, more supportive of big government and more likely to identify as Democrats than older generations. Why it matters: By Election Day 2020, millennials and those in the younger generation known as Gen Z will represent more than a third of eligible voters, according to a recent survey by Harvard University. The poll found that more than 50% of likely voters between 18 and 29 say the government should do more to curb climate change, even at the expense of economic growth. The intrigue: I found out more during recent visits to two college campuses. I held informal roundtables with about eight students at Western Washington University, a public university in Bellingham, Washington (my alma mater). A few days later, I sat down with a similarly sized group at the University of Chicago (where Im a journalism fellow). The two groups included students studying energy and climate change and also those that arent. Of course this cant be a comprehensive representation of Americas college students. Both schools likely lean more left politically than other parts of the country, for example. But these exchanges offer a window into Americas emerging generations. The big picture: My conversations revealed persistent concern about the issue and an attempt to reconcile that with lifestyles dependent on oil, natural gas and coal the sources of emissions that are fueling the rise in global temperatures. The students were also pragmatic far more so than our national politics about how to go about addressing the problem. "My mom says our generation worries too much and is too intense and we just need to relax and have fun. We cant do that on climate issues. Lexi Bright, 21-year-old Western student getting a degree in energy policy. How to live Our conversations returned time and again to lifestyles. Nearly all of the students at Western drive cars, most of them gasoline-powered. Most of the Chicago students dont have cars, largely because of ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft, the room agreed. Most students eat beef, considered the most impactful food on climate change. We all know this information and still take part in these activities, said Kellen Lynch, a 29-year-old who plans to work on energy issues on Washington states Olympic Peninsula, where he grew up, after graduating from Western. Telling people not to eat or not to drive is not that effective. How do we reframe that conversation. Kristen Lam, a 19-year-old University of Chicago student studying economics, says people are unlikely to change how theyre living without being forced to by policies. Students talk about these issues during class, but then when thats over, Lam says no one changes their behavior, including herself: That link is missing. Who to blame Everyone including ourselves, but at the end of the day, corporations more than others, both groups of students generally agreed. Our system of our extractive economy is the enemy, said Erin Ruark, a 22-year-old student at Western who's planning to work on local pollution issues after graduation. I wouldnt like to think of petroleum companies or the people that work for them as enemies. I would like to think of them as potential partners. Lynch responded by saying ExxonMobil knew for decades about how its products fuel rising temperatures. We are addicted, and they are allowing us to stay addicted and theyre benefiting greatly off it, Lynch said. An Exxon spokesman reiterated its support for action on climate change and rejected the notion the company definitively knew the science and hid conclusions. What to do Students from both schools generally agreed that major systematic changes are needed because individual action is not enough for such a global problem. "Changing how one company like Wal-Mart sources things that realistically creates bigger positive environmental impact than me running around trying to convince people to become vegetarian, said Kimika Padilla, a 20-year-old undergraduate at Chicago who stopped eating meat in high school because of its environmental footprint. Ideas ranged from a carbon tax to clean-energy mandates to better education. Students didn't mention the Green New Deal. I dont think the idea of a carbon tax intuitively makes sense to the average person walking down the street, said Padilla, who plans to work with business on climate change and broader sustainability. As a political feasibility issue, it needs to be distilled down further. What we're watching: A network of college groups supporting a carbon pricing proposal in Washington D.C., has more than tripled, despite little traction on Capitol Hill. China has detained an estimated 1 million to 2 million Uighur Muslims in the region of Xinjiang, and millions more live one step away from detention under the watchful eye of the Chinese Communist Party. Why it matters: It has been two years since the internment camps first came to light internationally, and a series of reports from Xinjiang have made vivid the scale of the abuses. Yet foreign governments and corporations are content to pretend it isn't happening. "If right now, just about any other country in the world was found to be detaining over 1 million Muslims of a certain ethnicity, you can bet wed be seeing an international outcry," says Sophie Richardson, china director for Human Rights Watch. "Because it's China, which has enormous power in international institutions these days, it's hard to muster any response at all." "There has been this almost childlike hope that as China gets wealthier and more secure it would change" and adapt to international norms, Richardson says. Instead, China is using its economic clout and influence at the UN to undermine those norms. China has long waged a campaign of "assimilation and cultural destruction" in Xinjiang, but under President Xi Jinping it has "dramatically escalated," says Omer Kanat, a prominent Uighur activist. "The camps are designed to eradicate the Uighur's religious and ethnic identity once and for all." China used to deny the camps existed; it now claims they're voluntary and designed to root out extremism. But a new Human Rights Watch report reveals Chinese authorities use an app to track nearly every aspect of Uighurs' lives and deem activities that have nothing to do with terrorism keeping to oneself, using too much electricity, donating to a mosque suspicious. "These dubious criteria are being used to identify large numbers of people, many of whom are then arbitrarily locked up," Richardson tells Axios. Even those who aren't locked up live under constant surveillance, as a recent NY Times interactive demonstrates. What they're saying: Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, which borders Xinjiang but has a deep economic reliance on China, told the FT in March: "Frankly, I don't know much about" whats happening to the Uighurs. Indonesian President Joko Widodo gave a similar answer, despite leading the world's largest majority-Muslim country. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appeared to tiptoe around the issue on a visit to China last week. Meanwhile the CEO of Volkswagen, which has a factory in Xinjiang, claimed last month that he was "not aware" of the mass detentions. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation went so far as to praise China in March for "providing care to its Muslim citizens," while in February Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman defended China's "right" to crack down on its Muslim citizens "for its national security." The U.S. and EU have spoken out, as has Turkey, but as a Council on Foreign Relations report points out, "no country has taken action beyond issuing critical statements." Between the lines: "This is a difficult issue to address precisely because China has the world's second-largest economy" and is "ruthless" when challenged, says John Herbst, a former longtime diplomat now at the Atlantic Council. "Countries are not going to make this a critical issue in their relations with China." What to watch: "What's happening in Xinjiang now didnt happen overnight," Richardson says. "If analysts like us didn't see this coming and I freely admit we didn't I wonder what we're missing thats coming next." The government of Japan donated 14 fire engines to Armenia on Monday at a ceremony in Yerevan attended by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. Officials said that 22 more such vehicles as well as other firefighting equipment will be delivered to the country later this year as part of a $14 million aid program launched by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2017. The first batch of those fire trucks will be provided to three provincial divisions of the Armenian Rescue Service (ARS). Firefighters in the Shirak, Lori and Syunik provinces are already being trained by Japanese instructors, according to an Armenian government statement. The Japanese ambassador to Armenia, Jun Yamada, said outdated firefighting equipment used in those regions complicates the ARSs ability to prevent and cope with fires. Natural disasters frequently occur in Armenia, which is an obstacle to the development of rural areas, Yamada said in a speech delivered in Armenian. That is why Japan finds it imperative to assist Armenia in the area of disaster prevention. The Japanese government had already donated 28 fire engines worth $8 million to firefighters in Yerevan in 2010. Speaking at the ceremony, Pashinian thanked Japan for this and other aid provided to Armenia since its independence. It must be pointed out that Japanese aid has been particularly significant for our capacity to guard against natural disasters, he said. That includes the fight against landslides, seismic stability, modernization of the firefighting service and other activities. Armenia is always ready to strengthen friendly relations and cooperation with Japan, added Pashinian. I believe there are many things that unite our peoples. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono visited Yerevan and met with Pashinian in September. 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 6, 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 Leman Mammadova United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has launched its new four-year project in Azerbaijan on pest and pesticides management. FAO has organized a seminar on this project in Baku, aimed at the establishment of cooperation in the management of pesticide circulation and their neutralization. The event was co-organized together with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the Ministry of Health and the Food Safety Agency. It is estimated that half of the pesticides used in the world are unuseful and most of them exist in the former Soviet Union, especially in Central Asia. Pesticides are widely used in agriculture, especially in cotton industry. However, there are still some deficiencies in legal regulation, management and many other issues. FAO has launched such a regional project to address these shortcomings. The four-year project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), aims to reduce the potential of pesticides and polluted areas of polluting the environment and to counteract pesticides. This program covers period of 2016-2020 and costs $10 million. We also talk about how crops, pest and pesticides affect small farmers, markets, commerce, and natural resources along with agriculture, plant production and productivity. It affects the overall food system, influencing the availability of healthy foods and obtaining of healthy food, International expert of FAO Tania Santivanez said while talking about pest and pesticides management. Santivanez noted that 900,000 tons of pollutants and unusable pesticides in the region should be safely neutralized and contaminated areas should be restored. Climate change and intensification of agricultural production increase pest and disease rates. According to estimates, annual loss due to the insects, herbs and diseases is 20-40 percent. Pesticides play an important role in reducing product losses. But if not properly used, they can adversely affect human health and the environment. Santivanez said that the FAO aims to increase alternative solutions and encourage agroecological approaches to certain crops for sustainable agriculture along with the pest management integrated into this project. It was also noted that a clear roadmap will be prepared for the effective implementation of the project on pest and pesticides management with the participation of various experts from the Azerbaijani government, non-governmental organizations and universities. Azerbaijan has been a member of FAO since 1995. The organization's office in the country has been operating since 2007. The FAO's Partnership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan was established in 2015. Azerbaijan and FAO implemented 53 projects in 1995-2018. FAO attaches great importance to partnership with the private sector and cooperation with the international community in project implementation. Priority areas for cooperation with Azerbaijan are support of the development of agriculture, improvement of the living conditions of rural residents, as well as support to the Azerbaijani government to carry out reforms in this area. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova European Union (EU), which is a long-standing partner of Azerbaijan, can support the projects in the country to be connected to the European transport system, since Azerbaijan is the initiator of big transport infrastructure projects in the region and is located at the intersection of trade routes. The EU can provide financial support to Azerbaijan as part of the Trans-European Transport Network, EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas has told Trend. He underlined that a part of this network goes via Azerbaijan, adding that the country is primarily very well placed. "The EU has a strategy and it also has a policy and instruments to support the parts of those transportation corridors, especially in the Eastern Partnership countries, including Georgia and Azerbaijan," the ambassador noted. Jankauskas stressed that the EU issued the new connectivity strategy and basically EU-Asia connectivity strategy last year, adding that Azerbaijan is a middle of that. The EU ambassador also pointed to the importance of the Lapis Lazuli transport and transit corridor, a part of which also passes through Azerbaijan. He said that it is a project that connects the Central Asia with Further East, China and Afghanistan. According to the project of Lapis Lazuli, railway lines and highways will connect the city of Turgundi (Afghan province of Herat) with Ashgabat first and then with the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi. The corridor will continue to Baku, then through Tbilisi to Ankara with branches in Poti and Batumi, and then from Ankara to Istanbul. The project budget, which aims to facilitate transit logistics and simplify customs procedures in the region, is estimated at $2 billion. As an integral part of the expansion plan for the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) project, EU will spend about 2 billion euros on the expansion of the railway network in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The total investment in railway and road projects linking these countries is estimated at 2.120 billion euros. At least 328 million euros has been allocated to work on signaling, telecommunications and electrification on the section passing through the territory of Azerbaijan from the border of Georgia to the Baku port. The European Commission (EC) and the World Bank have already submitted an Indicative Investment Action Plan in accordance with the priorities set out for these countries. Together, the projects in the Eastern Partnership countries will require an estimated investment of almost 13 billion euros and foresee a total of 4,800 kilometers of road and rail, 6 ports and 11 logistics centers. The projects in Azerbaijan, worth 1.1 billion euros, include creating five logistics centers (369 million euros) and a free trade zone in Alat (410 million euros) and modernization of the East-West Railway (328 million euros). The projects will make possible the construction and rehabilitation of new and existing roads, rail, ports, airports, as well as logistics centers and border crossing points. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Ankara, Baku and Moscow will sign a memorandum of understanding on the development of cargo transportation along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, a source in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Turkey told Trend. The source noted that the signing of the memorandum will take place May 6 in Ankara between the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Turkey, the Russian Railways OJSC and the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC. On October 30, 2017, a solemn ceremony on the occasion of the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held at the Baku International Sea Trade Port. The BTK railway is built according to the Azerbaijani-Georgian-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. At the initial stage, the volume of freight traffic will reach 6.5 million tons of cargo, and up to one million passengers will be transported through this railway. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz CRIME statistics, sloop arrivals and CCTV were all topics of discussion at the latest meeting of the TCI National Security Council (NSC). Governor John Freeman and Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson co-chaired the meeting on Thursday, April 25, at the Hilly Ewing Building in Providenciales. In attendance as members were Hon. Goldray Ewing, Minister of Home Affairs, Public Utilities and Transportation, Attorney General Rhondalee Brathwaite-Knowles, Superintendent of HM Prison Grahame Hawkins and the Commissioner of Police James Smith. Deputy Premier Sean Astwood was not present. A statement from the Governors Office on April 30 said that at this meeting the commissioner of police explained: -Crime statistics for the TCI overall had a fallen by 4.4 percent in 2018, in particular crimes related to drugs, guns and robberies, though there had been a concerning spike in murders and burglaries. -Between February 10 and April 7, Operation Drive Safe had resulted in 177 tickets being issued for trafficking violations, 57 people warned of prosecution, 22 arrested and 56 illegal migrants handed over to the Immigration Department. A total of 6,220 vehicles have since been registered over this period. -So fast this year, 13 sloops had been intercepted and 1,352 illegal migrants detained. A further nine sloops have gone undetected. A sloop which capsized in late March resulted in 14 or more deaths. Four poacher vessels had also been intercepted resulting in the arrest of 16 poachers. -A joint task force including the Customs and Immigration Departments are working on the issue of human trafficking, on which collaboration with the Bahamas is being sought. -Planned acquisitions for later in the year include a replacement aircraft and a Marine Unit boat for Grand Turk once funding for refurbishment is approved by the National Forfeiture Fund. -Progress on the next phase of CCTV for Providenciales and Grand Turk will include an automatic number plate recognition system. The superintendent of HM Prison in Grand Turk delivered an update on: -Hurricane preparedness and immediate minor works. -Staffing issues and career development initiatives. -Capital expenditure and prison infrastructure. -The scope of planned works. -Rehabilitation activity and the role of probation within criminal justice. The premier updated the council on the draft National Security Strategy (NSS) which she said will be completed by the end of May. By Leman Mammadova Azerbaijan and Brazil are interested in developing bilateral cooperation in various fields and increasing the trade turnover. Two countries have particularly great potential to develop relations in the energy. Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov met with the delegation led by Rodrigo Maia, President of the Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress of Brazil, on May 3. At the meeting, the sides discussed prospects of energy cooperation between the two countries. Maia pointed to Brazil's hydrocarbon reserves, the expected increase in production due to the discovery of new deposits, reforms in the gas sector, as well as renewable energy use. He said that his country is interested in energy cooperation with Azerbaijan. To this end, it is necessary to consider the cooperation between SOCAR and Petrobras to develop relations between the two countries' relevant energy agencies and oil and gas companies, according to him. It is noteworthy that Petrobras company is considered to be the main operator of a number of projects at the largest Brazilian oil fields. In turn, Parviz Shahbazov said that bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Brazil are developing successfully and there are opportunities for energy cooperation. Minister spoke about Azerbaijan's development, the development stages of the oil and gas industry of the country and its role in the global energy security. He stressed that SOCAR supplied crude oil to Brazil, as well as Brazilian crude oil and oil products to the world market, adding that the Energy Ministry is ready to provide the necessary support for expanding cooperation between oil and gas companies. Shahbazov also noted that renewable energy sector is one of the possible directions for cooperation between the two countries. At present, a new stage in the use of renewable energy sources has been launched in Azerbaijan. Legislation and incentive mechanisms are underway in this area. Now it is a good time for cooperation and we invite Brazilian companies to participate in the renewable energy sector, he added. The diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Brazil were established in 1993. The Embassy of Brazil in Azerbaijan was opened in 2009, and the Azerbaijani Embassy in Brazil - in 2012. In 2016, Azerbaijan and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in trade and investment areas. In addition, Intergovernmental Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment was established in 2017. All this established grounds for expanding economic and trade relations. Trade turnover between two countries reached $171 million in 2018. The majority of the trade accounted for the Brazilian exports to Azerbaijan. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova The improvement of transport and logistics issues between Russia and Azerbaijan serves not only to the bilateral trade, but also to the realization of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) connecting Northern Europe with South-East Asia. On May 6, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Javid Gurbanov held a meeting with a delegation led by Oleg Belozyorov, Director General of Russian Railways OJSC. At the meeting, Gurbanov informed the guests about Azerbaijans transport and logistics potential and international transport corridors. Speaking about the INSTC, the chairman stressed that this corridor will not only expand trade and economic relations between Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia, but will also play an important role in the development of other regional countries, which will carry out export-import operations along this route, by increasing the trade turnover. The sides also discussed the further expansion of bilateral cooperation ties. Following the meeting, Gurbanov and Belozyorov signed a memorandum on the development of cooperation between the railways of Azerbaijan and Russia. The memorandum envisages implementing the coordinated policy for the development and operation of the Eurasian international transport corridors, as well as expanding foreign economic relations and ensuring optimal transport conditions for transit traffic. The sides intend to develop comprehensive cooperation in the railway sector, including the transport and transit potential of national railway companies through the joint implementation of measures that will contribute to the growth of freight traffic via the Iran-Azerbaijan-Russia-Europe routes within the western route of the INSTC and the Russia-Azerbaijan-Turkey route by using the infrastructure of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. Railways of the two countries have agreed to jointly attract additional cargo for transportation via container trains through the western route of the North-South corridor and other routes. In addition, the companies' efforts will be focused on the development of transit traffic in the East-West-East direction, primarily the transit traffic between Azerbaijan and China through Russia, as well as transit traffic between China and other countries through Russia and Azerbaijan. The sides also plan to optimize border and customs procedures, including e-data interchange and e-preliminary information to reduce the time of cargo delivery. Moreover, they will coordinate the development of the cross-border infrastructure of the Samur-Yalama border crossing to increase its capacity, taking into account the promising traffic volumes along the North-South transport corridor and other routes. International North-South Transport Corridor is designed for the transportation of goods from India and the Gulf countries to Russia, Western Europe, the Baltic and Scandinavian countries. The corridor was established in 2000 with an intergovernmental agreement between Russia, Iran and India. The main purpose of the agreement is to increase the efficiency of transport communications in the organization of freight and passenger transportation. The project envisages connecting India with the Middle East and the Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe. The purpose of the corridor is to reduce the delivery time to three weeks from India to Russia, as well as to North and Western Europe as the current route takes more than six weeks. If cargo transportation by sea through the Persian Gulf, the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea to Helsinki is carried out within 45-60 days, the delivery time along the North-South corridor will be 20-25 days. In the framework of the INSTC, Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia signed an agreement in 2005 on the construction of the 375 km long Astara-Rasht-Qazvin railway. It envisages the construction of a new railway line in Iran, which will connect Astara, Azerbaijan to the Iranian cities of Astara, Rasht and Qazvin as well as the reconstruction of an existing railway in Azerbaijan. The expected volume of cargo on the corridor passing through the territory of Azerbaijan is 3 million tons at the first, 5-8 million tons at the second and 15 million tons at the third stages. Azerbaijan is one of the main economic partners of Russia among the CIS countries and Russia remains one of Azerbaijans main foreign trade partners. Interregional cooperation plays an important role in the development of Russian-Azerbaijani trade and economic relations and the increase in trade turnover. Russia ranks first in terms of export of non-oil products from Azerbaijan. So far, the value of investments by Russian companies in Azerbaijan amounted to $4.4 billion, and the Azerbaijani investments in Russia stood at $1.2 billion. In 2018, the trade turnover between two countries exceeded $2.5 billion. Russia is a strategic partner of Azerbaijan. The legal framework between the countries includes over 180 documents, including about 50 in the economic sphere. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova Throughout history, Azerbaijani jazz music has touched the hearts of many music lovers all over the world. Baku Academy of Music will hold a Jazz Festival and a scientific and creative conference on May 7 dedicated to the International Jazz Day, Trend Life reported. Acclaimed jazz musicians Isfar Sarabski (piano), Ruslan Huseynov (bass guitar), Elvin Bashirov (drums) will delight the audience with their performances. There are certain musicians that had profound impacts on the jazz music in the country. The foundation of Azerbaijani jazz is associated with the name of the legendary musician Vagif Mustafazade. He was one of the founders of the national jazz music and the new jazz trend called "jazz mugham". By merging two musical genres - Western jazz and Eastern mugham, a type of traditional improvisational modal music, he created "jazz mugham", a new music style. The style reached its full fame in the 1950s and 1960s under the influence of composer Rafig Babayev and his Gaya Quartet. Nowadays, Azerbaijan sees growth in the number of talented jazz artists, including Aziza Mustafazade, Isfar Sarabski, Salman Gambarov, Nurlan Novrasli, Rain Sultanov, etc. National jazzmen successfully perform at international music events. In addition, many jazz festivals are held across the country bringing together internationally acclaimed Jazz musicians from all parts of the Earth. Every year the world community celebrates the International Jazz Day on April 30. The UNESCO-organized annual event features the historical, cultural, and educational contribution of this popular genre of music. The day aims to spread international awareness about this unique musical style and to promote the cultural and social values that jazz stands for. Nearly 200 countries celebrate the Jazz Day worldwide, including Azerbaijan. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova The third meeting of the Steering Committee of the United Nations-Azerbaijan Partnership Framework (UNAPF) covering 2016-2020 has been held in Baku. In 2018, as much as $4,998,519 was spent on joint projects implemented by Azerbaijan and the UN, Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at the meeting. In his words, the funds were spent as part of one of strategic priority areas under the UN-Azerbaijan Partnership Framework for the period 2016-2020. Mustafayev added that a total of $71.9 million will be allocated within this framework document, which covers several strategic areas. To this day, $68.2 million have been spent, that is, 95 percent of the funds. Minister noted that the relations with the UN are at a high level, Azerbaijan has joined many UN initiatives and programs, and important documents have been signed. It was also noted that the Development Agenda up to 2030 is strategically important to fully integrate into the development agenda of the goals, targets and indicators identified as a priority for Azerbaijan. UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Ghulam Isaczai stressed that Azerbaijani government has been cooperating effectively with the UN Country Office and stated that the UN-Azerbaijan Partnership Framework Document will contribute to rapid reforms. At the meeting, the UN contribution to the development of Azerbaijan in the areas of economic growth and decent labor, institutional capacity, public services and social services, as well as environmental protection and natural disaster risk reduction were discussed. The Steering Committee adopted the results achieved during the implementation of UNAPF in 2018 and also approved the joint action plans for 2019-2020, the results of the interim review and the terms for the final evaluation of the UNAPF. The UNAPF document for 2016-2020 is the fourth co-operation document prepared by the UN system in Azerbaijan. This document is characterized by the collaborative effort to build on partnerships, which contributes to the development of national capacities and requires greater knowledge and consensus on a collaborative, joint effort with the national planning process. The Ministry of Economy is the coordinator from the Azerbaijani side on the framework document for the partnership between the UN and Azerbaijan. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend A delegation led by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus, First Deputy Minister of Defense Major General Oleg Belokonev has arrived in Azerbaijan, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijans Defense Ministry May 6. The Belarusian delegation is visiting at the invitation of Azerbaijans First Deputy Defense Minister, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Colonel General Najmaddin Sadikov. The delegation will hold a number of meetings May 6. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. "Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I was deeply saddened by the news of heavy casualties as a passenger plane made an emergency landing at the Sheremetyevo airport. On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my deepest condolences to you, the families and loved ones of those who died, and the whole people of Russia, and wish the injured the swiftest possible recovery." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend On May 2, PwC Azerbaijan was the Premium Sponsor of the "AHK-Impuls" event organized by the German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce (AHK Azerbaijan) for its member companies at Hyatt Meeting & Conference Centre. Otabek Sidikov, Head of Risk Assurance Services at PwC Azerbaijan, delivered a speech on Three Lines of Defence for Efficient Governance, highlighting how to make governance more efficient and secure. Following the speech, Otabek Sidikov responded to several questions from AHK members. The Country Manager of the World Bank for Azerbaijan, Mr. Naveed Hassan Naqvi also delivered a speech on Economic Prospects for Azerbaijan as the honorary guest speaker of the event. At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems of our clients. We achieve this by offering client centric solutions in tax, legal, assurance and advisory from strategy through execution. Over 140 professionals from 6 countries working in PwC Azerbaijan share their thinking, values, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice for our clients. We are a network of firms in 158 countries with more than 250,930 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com/az --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade The Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) is an important project which brings Azerbaijani gas to the markets in Europe and facilitates energy security of Europe. EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas has told Trend that expansion of SGC with other gas sources is possible if it is necessary. He said that it can be done by installation of additional pumping stations in case of a bigger demand and wider possibilities for expansion and transportation. Jankauskas also stressed that additional gas question can arouse potential interest of Turkmenistan. "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. Further, Jankauskas pointed out that taking into account the demand and potential expansion, the primarily interested side is Western Balkan Countries and 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. The launching ceremony of the first stage of the Southern Gas Corridor was held in Baku on May 29, 2018, while the opening ceremony of TANAP was held on June 12, 2018, in the Turkish city of Eskisehir. 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 summer 2018. SGC is one of the most ambitious projects in the world of oil and gas industry, as well as a complex target that involves many different stakeholders, including seven governments and 11 companies. -- Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Lawlessness, hazing and mass brawls reign in the Armenian army. Despite numerous appeals from the soldiers parents at the Armenian Defense Ministry, the ministry is not succeeding in reducing the number of these crimes. In April, one death of an Armenian soldier (suicide) was recorded. As many as 24 soldiers were injured during the past month (18 - as a result of an accident, three - due to a fight, one - as a result of a suicide attempt, one - because of a shot, one - as a result of stab), according to the Armenian official statistics. Also during the reporting period, at least eight cases of desertion were recorded in the Armenian army ranks. In early April, commander born in 1979 was placed with a bullet wound at the Astghik medical center. The former driver shot at the commander in order to take revenge for ill-treatment and dismissal, according to widespread information. As part of operation Arsenal 2019, police officers arrested 43-year-old Garik Nasibyan at the Bagratashen checkpoint. He was wanted from September 24, 2018 and is accused in accordance with Article on Unauthorized leaving a military unit or duty station. In the Syunik region, military vehicle ZIL overturned with army numbers of the Armenian Defense Ministry. The accident occurred near the Armenian-Azerbaijani border (1 km), in a place called Tsiranadzor. Military vehicle driver lost control during the turn, which led to the accident. As a result of an incident, as many as 18 people were hospitalized with injuries of varying severity, In the Armenian army, stationed in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, conflicts between recruits from Armenia and Karabakh do not stop. In one of the divisions of the occupying army, a mass brawl took place. As a result, three servicemen were involved in the investigation - Arkady Khrshoyan, Anastas Varterisyan and Gevorg Martirosyan, who were the most active participants in the scuffle. Noray Gasparyan was appointed an investigator in a criminal case initiated on the Colonel-Lieutenant proposal. The number of unauthorized leaving the military unit is increasing with the purpose of evading service in occupied Karabakh. For unknown reasons, Sergei Nersisyan, called up in late 2018, left the military unit without permission. The servicemen Narek Garoyan and Gevorg Minosyan, who were undergoing inpatient treatment in the medical center, also deserted. They were allegedly beaten. All three are soldiers of the fifth Mountain Regiment. A court hearing has begun on the fact of stabbing in one of the military units of the Armenian Defense Ministry in the Lori region. A soldier stabbed his colleague in retaliation for the systematic harassment and physical abuse he was subjected to. Both servicemen are involved as defendants - one for an attempted murder, and the other for non-statutory relations. In the mid-April, an Armenian soldier died at a surgical hospital in Yerevan, who was taken there with a gunshot wound to the heart. Military serviceman who was born in 1995 committed suicide. Reportedly, the reason of suicide were problems in his personal life, which he wrote in a suicide note. In one of the units of the Armenian occupying army in Karabakh, soldier Artsrum Gukasyan wounded an officer on the conflict basis. Gukasyan stated in the explanatory letter that he was constantly subjected to insults by the officer. Gukasyan was arrested for 30 days by the decision of military police investigator. The Tavush District Court held a hearing on the Narek Karapetyan and Shirin Mkhoyan case. Karapetyan is accused of beating his colleague Mkhoyan and injuring him. Mkhoyan is accused of stabbing Karapetyan in response. In relation to Karapetyan, a decision was made to leave the place, and Mkhoyan was placed under the control of the military unit commander. In late April, among the military units of the Armenian army in occupied Agdere, the number of those who evade service is growing. A soldier Hovhannes Kniazyan has not been discharging from the hospital for four months in order not to serve on the front line. He succeeds thanks to the patronage of a relative in the Defense Ministry. Another case in occupied Agdere was the placement of servicemen in a hospital with high fever and Acute respiratory infection. However, the hospital employee Ghevond Tadevosyan said that after the end of the treatment the servicemen did not return to the place of service. It is noted that these three soldiers have already escaped from a military unit several times. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Armenian media reports have intensified their focus on the counrty's isolation from the rest of the world. Despite the fact that this problem is as old as the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands. Economic isolation of Armenia is a result of the Yerevans aggressive policy, and it will be possible to solve only with the disappearance of the root cause. Some Armenian media have published information about a hypothetical Kazakh grain for Armenia, which Azerbaijan will not allow to transit. Wheat imports remain a big trouble for Armenia. The country buys grain only from Russia. Until the mid-2018, grain was transported by wagons through the Upper Lars checkpoint on the Georgian-Russian border, and from there to Armenia. However, the Georgian government decided to ban the transportation of corn and wheat through Georgia to Armenia by road. The ban will be valid until October 1, 2019. Georgian authorities explain the reason for the ban by adverse weather conditions and natural disasters. Last summer, many kilometers of traffic jams created problems for the Georgian tourism sector. As a result, hundreds of Russian tourists could not enter Georgia. Wishing to reduce these losses, the government decided to ban wagons with grain for Armenia to cross the checkpoint. Armenian importers were offered to use the ferry service, which is much more expensive. Since then, Armenia and Georgia have periodically returned to this topic, but without any successful result for the Armenian side. Moreover, restrictions on the cargo weight were introduced for Armenian trucks - no more than 40 tons. After reaching an agreement on Kazakh wheat, Armenians were inspired and began to consider the possibility of using this fact to solve the country's threatening food security problem. However, the prospect of grain supplies from Kazakhstan to Armenia is theoretically possible in two ways. The first one is closed for Armenia because it runs through Azerbaijan. The second is through Russia, which is too expensive. For this reason, Armenian trader-carriers are limited to supplies of Russian wheat to the domestic market. It is noteworthy that the most convenient and cheapest way through Azerbaijan is closed for Armenia. This situation arose not because of the lack of diplomatic relations as some Armenian businessmen want to present, but because of the Armenian aggressive policy towards Azerbaijan. For the same reason, there is an agreement between Azerbaijan and Georgia, according to which the latter cannot supply or resell goods transported through Azerbaijan territory to Armenia. It would be nonsense if Azerbaijan, which suffered from the Armenian aggression, undertook to make life easier for neighbor occupying its territory. In this case, Kazakh wheat for Georgia will be transported by the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. The new railway corridor has created many additional opportunities for region countries. These opportunities passed only by Armenia. Before BTK commissioning, Armenia dreamt about plans to join the Georgian section of the highway. Yerevan believed that has the right to this in view of the partnership with Georgia. But Georgian side explained that the railway was built with Azerbaijani money and Baku will not allow Armenia to join the railway corridor. Armenia begins to understand that practically nothing can be solved in the region bypassing Azerbaijan, and Baku is present in all projects and solutions. If Yerevan pursued a wise policy for the benefit of its people, if the new authorities refused to continue the aggression policy and withdraw troops from occupied Karabakh, Armenia would have its place in the railway corridor project. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Delana Isles THE SUPREME Court has seized and immobilised land in Providenciales at the centre of an ongoing $30 million money laundering case from Argentina to TCI. The news came via Infobaes journalist Omar Lavieri who cited a news report posted to the media companys website on April 28. Laviere told Weekly News that he has seen the Supreme Court document, titled Action No. RO 1 of 2019, which directed the restraint order to a company named Hardwork Development. When contacted, Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale told the Weekly News that she cannot comment, and to direct all questions on the matter to the Attorney General Generals Chambers. Efforts to reach that department on the matter continue to be fruitless. At the centre of the case is Daniel Munozs wife, Caroline Pochettie, who along with some of her relatives, have alleged that her late husband invested several millions in bribe money first in the United States and later moved their investments to the Turks and Caicos Islands. These investments are alleged to be have been made in 16 different ventures. One of those ventures involved the construction of a resort on land near the Amanyara resort. In their revelations to the Argentine authorities, Pochetti and other defendants named Peter Karam and Anthony D'Aniello of Karam and Missick law firm in Providenciales as handling the legal end of the investments in the TCI. As a result of the revelations, on March 21, Karam confirmed that he was being questioned by authorities regarding the matter. The companies Marble Hill and Woodhaven are also named in the widows revelations in respect of TCI investments. Earlier this year, the judge who is handling the matter in Argentina - Claudio Bonadio - had requested that TCI authorities identify the named property and immobilise the assets with the ultimate goal of recovering the money for Argentina. The order included the names of the companies and an approximate location of the lands that Munoz and Pochetti purchased. The request was received by the Attorney Generals Chambers sometime in January. According to Infobae, the AG Chambers then sought clarifications on the land that was requested to be seized. "It was the Procurator General (Attorney General) of the islands in representation of the request of the Argentine justice which, after identifying the acquired plot, asked the Supreme Court of Turks and Caicos to seize and immobilise what was purchased by Munoz/Pochetti. "That decision - confirmed to Infobae by judicial sources - was taken at the beginning of last March and the Supreme Court notified of the prohibition to dispose of that good to the company Hardwork Development Limited - which would be the one that consolidated the investment under penalty of being punished, Infobae reported. The news agency said this decision was communicated to the Argentine judicial authorities during the first days of April. "The freezing of the property by the Supreme Court of Turks and Caicos supports the testimonies given by the repentant and also opens the door for a future seizure of the millionaire assets obtained, thanks to the corruption scheme that was confirmed in the investigation initiated from of the writings of Centeno, Lavieri reported. By Trend The Turkmen open joint-stock company Khazar Balyk held talks with the OPEC Fund for International Development and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (under the IDB), Trend reports with reference to the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan (UIET). There was a discussion of the prospects for cooperation in the implementation of investment projects, the report said. It was earlier reported that the Turkmen open joint-stock company Khazar Balyk, which is a member of the UIET, plans to organize a fishing farm in the Karakum desert. At the second stage, it is planned to build industrial incubators for breeding various types of fish, refrigeration units for storing the fish and sorting the finished fish products. About 25 species of fish live in the artificial lake "Altyn Asyr". The first phase of the fishing farm construction project was commissioned in 2009. This project is estimated at several billion US dollars. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend A cruise port in Istanbul, the construction of which is expected to start this year, will be able to simultaneously receive at least five cruise ships, Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Ersoy said, Trend reports with reference to Turkish media. He said that the construction of the cruise port in Istanbul would help to increase the number of tourists visiting Turkey. The minister noted that the cruise port in Istanbul would be built in the Yenikapi district on the coast of the Sea of Marmara. Ersoy noted that the construction of the cruise port in Istanbul would be completed in 2021, while he did not announce the launch date of construction and the cost of the project. Earlier, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey told Trend that Turkey intends to increase the number of foreign tourists to 70 million people by 2023. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend From April 29 to May 5, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan discussed in Urgench city the issues of delimitation and demarcation of the common state border, Trend reports with reference to the Uzbek Foreign Ministry. The talks were held in the format of a joint Uzbek-Turkmen intergovernmental commission. The parties reviewed the results of the joint field topographic and geodetic work at the state border and summarized the land balance preliminary calculation and prepared a draft of the demarcation at certain sections of the state border, the report said. The meeting participants also discussed the matter of aerial photography to prepare demarcation maps. Following the meeting, heads of the delegations Tulkin Abdullayev and Mamed Mamedov signed the relevant protocol. It was reported in November 2017 that the Turkmen parliament ratified the agreement on the area of the point of junction of the state borders of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The document itself was signed Nov. 10 in Samarkand city at the level of foreign ministers of the three states. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Germany hopes that an escalation of the trade dispute between the United States and China can be avoided, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Monday, adding that all parties should be careful with implementing unilateral decisions U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to ratchet up tariffs on $200 billion worth of imports from China, escalating the dispute marked by tit-for-tat duties between Washington and Beijing as ongoing talks were set to continue this week. We all hope that the trade conflict between the U.S. and China can be resolved because it doesnt have any positive consequences for anyone, Altmaier said on the sidelines of a conference in Berlin when asked to comment on the trade dispute. We need a rules-based trade order, we need open markets, we need fairness and a level playing field i.e. equal rights for companies from all countries involved, Altmaier added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Tourists are getting more impressed by the fascination of Azerbaijans nature revived with the arrival of the new season. The number of tourists visiting the national parks of Azerbaijan has noticeably increased in recent days due to the coming spring-summer season, said Irada Ibrahimova, spokesperson for the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan. She noted that as many as 11,131 tourists visited the countrys national parks over the first four months of this year, 9,850 of which were locals and 1,281 were foreign tourists. "Surely, it will be great if more tourists visit national parks. It is true that it is not always possible during wintertime, but since May we are expecting a significant increase in the number of visitors to the parks, due to the favorable weather and beautiful nature, she said adding that ecotourism is a new concept for Azerbaijan and great success can be achieved in this area. Ibrahimova also noted that today there are 110 different tourist routes in the national parks of the country. Azerbaijan is famous for its national parks, where you can go hiking if you prefer active holidays or have a simple pleasant picnic if you are there just to relax. Azerbaijan's national parks offer you to get exciting impressions, take care of your health, or just relax your body and soul. National parks are favorable natural areas for the development of ecotourism in the country. As a relatively new phenomenon in global tourism activities, ecotourism is an environmental tourism oriented to nature preservation. The route of ecotourism, unlike the other types of tourism, is mainly based on nature objects - forests, forest massifs, reserves, sanctuaries and national parks. Azerbaijan is rich with natural resources, ancient history and magnificent landscapes. The country attracts tourists with its modern architecture, resort areas, national parks, museums, historical monuments. The country's national parks often become travel destinations for tourists. As many as 79,997 people visited the national parks of Azerbaijan in 2018. Of this amount, 7,478 were foreign guests of the country. Currently, 10 national parks operate in Azerbaijan. Animals included in the Red Book and plant cover are protected in the national parks. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Brian Smith served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and retired as an assistant chief with the California Highway Patrol. He resides in Bakersfield. If you have a personal Cop Tale to share, please contact Smith at bmsmith778@gmail.com. Another priest has disappeared from my Catholic radar. For the third time, a priest whose homilies have regularly touched my heart has vanishe Articles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles. Images Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. Joseph Luiz can be reached at 395-7368 or by email at jluiz@bakersfield.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @JLuiz_TBC. The family that owns about half of Kern Countys unprofitable gold and silver mine near Mojave has offered to buy the other half from the Cana IBM announced signing a multi-million-dollar five-year agreement with Vodafone Idea Limited (Vodafone Idea) to deliver an enhanced customer experience to millions of connected consumers and businesses in India. In addition, this engagement will also contribute to Vodafone Ideas merger synergy objectives by reducing its IT related costs. The collaboration will provide Vodafone Idea with a hybrid cloud based digital platform to enable more intimate engagement with its over 387 million subscribers (as of Dec. 31, 2018), enhancing business efficiency, agility and scale plus simplification of its business processes. This new infrastructure platform will help remove constraints to the exponential growth of data usage driven by increasing consumption of video, streaming and digital commerce. Vodafone Idea is collaborating with leading global technology partners including IBM to deploy new age technologies with built-in customizations and novel innovations. The use of IBMs Hybrid and Multicloud, analytics and AI security capabilities will assist in accelerating Vodafone Ideas progression to an open, agile and secure IT environment. It will also provide a platform for fast-track joint initiatives in AI and IOT. Vodafone Ideas customers, from consumers to enterprises, will have to embrace the challenge of digital disruption over the next years. We believe that this agreement builds the foundation for both companies to address these emerging opportunities, while ensuring a continued high level of service for its customers. Consumers have come to expect mobile networks that effortlessly meet their data demands providing the consistency and flexibility required in todays era of interconnectedness, said Juan Zufiria, IBM Senior Vice President of Global Technology Services. Our collaboration with Vodafone Idea will take advantage of Hybrid and Multicloud, Analytics and AI, to enable Vodafone Idea to further differentiate itself in the market, including by leveraging the convergence of Network and IT in the Cloud. IBM will continue to seamlessly deliver enhanced services for Vodafone Idea leveraging its prior capabilities with Vodafone India and Idea Cellular. It will consolidate applications, and infrastructure including data centers, disaster recovery centers, and further accelerate existing cloud usage. Solutions deployed by Vodafone India Limited and Idea Cellular Limited earlier will be merged and big data capabilities be enhanced. Vodafone Idea will also leverage dynamic automation and robotic process automation to drive efficiency and standardization across IT operations. AI and machine learning based Cognitive Solutions aim to provide Vodafone Idea with a secure environment ensuring regulatory compliance, intelligent threat detection, and data protection. IBM is also supporting Vodafone Idea with an option of extended flexible payment plan structure for the term of the contract through IBM Global Financing, its wholly owned subsidiary. IBM and Vodafone Idea Limited signed this transaction in IBMs first quarter of 2019. John Cox can be reached at 661-395-7404. Follow him on Twitter: @TheThirdGraf. Sign up at Bakersfield.com for free newsletters about local business. PASADENA The San Jacinto Battleground state historic site and museum will reopen Wednesday, six weeks after a Deer Park chemical fire forced it to close at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars and more than 70,000 visitors. Its been tough, said Justin Rhodes, executive director of State Parks, a division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This happened in our busiest time of the year. The ongoing cleanup of a tank farm at Intercontinental Terminals Co. that caught fire March 17 led to the cancellation of the annual Battle of San Jacinto reenactment, which on average attracts 15,000 visitors, he said. The state park and museum also missed Spring Break and Easter weekend. Based on last years data, Rhodes estimated that the department lost $200,000 in revenue, in addition to $320,000 lost by the San Jacinto Museum Association. We dont receive any state or federal funding, said Larry Spasic, association president. We are very much dependent on guests that visit our museum for our budget. Located 20 miles east of downtown Houston, the historic site includes a 570-foot-tall monument honoring the Texans who fought for independence and the battleground on which Santa Anna was defeated in April 1836. Adjacent to the park is the Battleship Texas Historic Site that is home to the USS Texas, which took part in major naval battles in both world wars. Bruce Bramlett, executive director of the Battleship Texas Foundation, said the attraction lost roughly $40,000 and 1,000 overnight campers. Its a busy month for us, he said, we are talking about some of the best weather we have in this part of the country. Deborah and Ken Colmark, of McAllen, drove by April 30 hoping to see the 1914 battleship and were disappointed the park was closed. San Jacinto Museum of History Revenue Recovery Campaign When: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday Where: John Manlove Marketing & Communications, 5125 Preston, Pasadena Information: RSVP to gmanlove@johnmanlove.com To donate: www.sanjacinto-museum.org/support_us/donate See More Collapse We were in town for medical work in Houston and thought we would come over and see it, said Ken Colmark, a Vitenam War veteran interested in ships. Pat Roberts and her husband tried to visit the monument April 28 during a trip from Florida only to be turned away by a man who identified himself as an ITC employee, she said. He said, You cant come in here, Roberts said. He stopped them from getting out of the car to take photos, saying there had been a bad benzene spill and we dont want you or the media to take a picture and put it on Facebook, she said. While the native Texan had been to San Jacinto before, its a beautiful historical area, and I just wanted my husband to see it, she said. I grew up in West Texas and understand the oil industry is important, but that shouldnt be at the expense of everything else. Bill Irwin, superintendent of the San Jacinto site, said he emailed ITC officials to inform them of the complaint and ask that company personnel refer members of the public to state parks staff, but he didnt hear back. The Houston Chronicle also was unsuccessful in reaching ITC officials. The ITC blaze started in an area holding 15 tanks, many containing components that make gasoline. It burned for more than 60 hours, with several flareups as firefighters worked to extinguish it. During the course of the week, several shelter-in-place orders covering Deer Park and the surrounding area were issued, and the Houston Ship Channel was temporarily closed after a containment wall was breached. No serious injuries were reported, but elevated levels of the carcinogenic chemical benzene led to the closing of Independence Parkway, the road that leads to the state historic site and monument, a 570-foot shaft topped by a 34-foot star. The last day the Environmental Protection Agency measured benzene levels higher than 800 parts per billion along some parts of Independence Parkway was April 18, one month after the ITC storage tanks initially burst into flames. Those concentrations are more than four times greater than the states threshold of concern for short-term exposure to the chemical. Employees were able to enter the park for the first time Monday, Irwin said, after Independence Parkway reopened. They found that some facilities had lost power, there were issues with the wastewater plant and they were behind on their landscaping, he said. Employees continued to inspect confined spaces, including inside the ship, to ensure no elevated levels of benzene were detected. The biggest thing we are waiting on now is making sure our water system is safe, he said. This is the first time the park has had to close for this long as a result of an industry-related incident, Irwin said. We have staff who have worked at San Jacinto for 30-plus years and had never experienced something like this. perla.trevizo@chron.com 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. Tom Fox, MBR / Associated Press The Texas Legislature should remember the time frame of two years on the issue of storage tank safety. Its been two years since the wind and waters of Hurricane Harvey caused the roofs of 15 above-ground storage tanks in the Houston area to fail and release 3.1 million pounds of hazardous chemicals. It will be another two years until the Legislature meets in regular session again. Thats why the Legislature needs to act in the final month of the current session on a bill that would allow the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to set performance standards for these tanks. No one is talking about banning the tanks or even significantly altering their design. The proposed legislation, Senate Bill 1446, would simply require the tanks to have protective devices, such as anchors and dome covers which some of them do now. The bill would even require TCEQ to hold public hearing and meet with industry representatives to ensure that any regulations were feasible. Most below-ground tanks are already regulated by TCEQ. Opponents of President Donald Trump could probably find something every day to criticize him for, many of them serious. We have tried to avoid that kind of knee-jerk reaction to his presidency despite our concerns about his behavior. Weve even made sure to praise him when he deserves it, as we did on Feb. 17 to note policies that have revitalized the petrochemical industries. But what happened this week in Washington was not something that we or you should overlook. Attorney General William Barr removed all doubt that he has perverted one of the most trust-demanding jobs in government. Instead of serving as the peoples lawyer and defender of all that is lawful and ethical, he is acting as if he were Donald Trumps personal attorney. His testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, based on his earlier summary of the report by special counsel Robert Mueller, was a disgrace. Mueller stonewalled and spun before that respected committee instead of speaking the plain truth. He consistently tried to put the presidents questionable actions in the best possible light, and he didnt mind fudging or prevaricating when he did it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi even said he lied to Congress and thus committed a crime. It was hard to imagine someone with Barrs previously well-regarded reputation stooping so low, but in a sense he had to. Thats because the release of the full Mueller report, minus a few redactions, paints an entirely different picture of Trumps conduct than the one Barr indicated in his infamous four-page summary. That summary cleared the president of virtually every charge hanging over him. It suggested that Mueller ran into few if any roadblocks from the White House. Barr even echoed the very words that Trump used so often no collusion even though Mueller himself noted that collusion was not a legal term and he was focusing on criminal conspiracy instead. For a while, and maybe longer, it worked. Many Americans now believe that the Mueller investigation is a closed issue or that Trump was unfairly hounded during this inquiry. The reality, as Congress and the American people are learning, is quite different. Russia did indeed meddle in our election and the Trump campaign welcomed it. While Mueller found no conspiracy with Russia, he did list 10 separate ways in which the president and his aides may have obstructed justice. Thats a serious offense, one of the reasons that President Nixon was impeached. Yet Justice Department policy advises against indicting a sitting president for crimes like obstruction, so Mueller didnt cross that bridge. Barrs kind of political misdirection isnt supposed to happen with the leader of the Justice Department. The attorney general isnt supposed to meet Trumps oft-stated desire to act like Roy Cohn, a famously pugnacious and surly lawyer who worked for the Trump family years ago but is best known as chief counsel to Sen. Joseph McCarthy during a real congressional witch hunt in the 1950s. Sadly, Barr has shown his true colors. He might not be as rough as Cohn, but he doesnt mind bending a few rules to help a president who hired him after he essentially campaigned for the job for months. The only way now to clear the fog that Barr has pumped out is for Mueller to testify before Congress, as soon as possible. Mueller sent Barr a letter objecting to his summary of the report, and it will be interesting to hear him elaborate on those points and ways in which the president may have obstructed justice or committed impeachable offenses. The American people deserve the facts on this exhaustive investigation, not partisan spin. No one expected the president to speak honestly about it, but that task should have been a slam-dunk for any attorney general. William Barr sadly failed that test, and frankly, its hard to see how he can be trusted any more. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas can relax. Actually, he can relax even more. He has a good chance of being re-elected in 2020 anyway, but those odds got better last week. His strongest Democratic challenger, Rep. Joaquin Castro, decided he didnt want take on Cornyn after all. Perhaps Castro is hoping that his twin brother Julian wins the presidency in 2020 and offers him a nice Cabinet job. Hey, John F. Kennedy found a place for his brother. Castro didnt say why he wouldnt go after Cornyn after many Democrats had urged him to take the plunge. He may want to stay in his safe House seat, or he might realize that his chances of becoming a U.S. senator werent as rosy as some thought. The reason for all this Democratic optimism is of course what happened the last time one of their House members took on a seemingly strong incumbent Republican senator. That would be Beto ORourke, who came within 2.6 percentage points of knocking off Ted Cruz. No one thought Beto had a chance in that race, but he made it surprisingly close. If youve been reading the papers lately, you noticed that Beto has used the rock-star status he built up in that campaign to run for president, and so far at least hes in the top handful of a big field. Betos near-success made many Democrats think that Cornyn was vulnerable, too. He may be, but his race in 2020 will not parallel Cruzs in 2018. Cornyn is not Cruz, and for that matter, Castro is not ORourke. Cruz is a divisive figure and many independents had no problem voting against him. Cornyn is not, and hes a traditional Republican instead of a Tea Party guy like Cruz. Castro also lacks Betos charisma, even though he would never admit that publicly. When you add it all up, Castro realized he would probably devote a great deal of time and effort to a losing cause, and no politician wants that. Another Democrat, MJ Hegar, has announced shell take on Cornyn, and she might make the race interesting. Hegar, a helicopter pilot who served in Afghanistan, went after U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, in a district north of Austin that has long been held by the GOP. But Hegar, like Beto, made her long-shot race close, losing by only 3 percentage points. At least Texas Democrats are starting to put up serious challengers for these kinds of important statewide races instead of letting Republicans go unopposed or face some hapless perennial candidate. If you remember that Cornyns Democratic opponent in 2014 was someone named David Alameel, you are either very smart or very nerdy. Alameel, for the record, got just 34 percent of the vote in that election. But the times they are achanging, and Texas isnt such a deep red state anymore. Only Gov. Greg Abbott won by double digits in 2018, and Democrats rightly think they are in striking distance of major statewide positions. Cornyn and Hegar, assuming she gets the Democratic nomination, will be running the same year that one Donald J. Trump is on the presidential ballot. Hell be the elephant in the room, getting most of the media attention and undoubtedly causing most of the controversy. If Trump is losing, Republicans will be energized to vote for senators like Cornyn to keep the Senate at least. If Trump is winning, Democrats will be motivated to take the Senate and give him some opposition. Cornyn will be hoping he wins no matter what, but he could be swept up in a larger tide that propels him back into Washington or washes him out. My guess is that Cornyn wins either way, but Trumps victory in 2016 showed that its getting harder to make political predictions. Thomas Taschinger is the Opinions Editor for the Beaumont Enterprise. Contact him at TTaschinger@BeaumontEnterprise.com or on Twitter by clicking here. State regulators have ordered Houston-based Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center to address patient safety and care quality issues or risk losing Medicare funding, according to letter cited by the Houston Chronicle. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services has given the hospital 10 days to submit a detailed correction plan to address several violations regulators found, or risk losing Medicare funding, according to the letter sent April 30. Doug Lawson, PhD, St. Lukes president, told the Houston Chronicle he is positive that the hospital will not lose federal funding. "Clearly, this is a very significant situation that we take with the utmost seriousness," he said May 1. "We have already made significant improvements across the hospital, and we are confident remaining findings will be immediately addressed." The issues at St. Luke's came up during an April investigation by state and federal regulators, who said they found violations related to infection control, quality assurance, patient rights, food services and St. Luke's physical environment and board oversight, according to the Houston Chronicle. St. Luke's has had its hands full this year and in 2018 amid probes that have cited issues at the hospital. CMS cut off funding for the hospital's heart transplant program last year after a Houston Chronicle and ProPublica investigation found a large number of patient deaths and unusual surgical complications after heart transplants in recent years. The hospital saw several leaders depart after the investigation. In January, the hospital made three executive appointments after the resignations of St. Luke's President Gay Nord, Chief Nursing Officer Jennifer Nitschmann, MSN, RN, and Senior Vice President of Operations David Berger, MD. In February, the hospital pledged reforms after after a CMS inspection revealed staff made more than 100 mistakes in labeling blood over a four-month period. The April inspection was reportedly prompted by these findings. More articles on healthcare finance: Henry Ford CFO Robin Damschroder on the importance of engaging with colleagues Job, service cuts will allow New York hospital to break even, CEO says Hospital CEO responds to patient billed $142 for chat with physician during physical AU Medical Center in Augusta, Ga., has agreed to use a South Carolina program to seize tax refunds from patients with overdue bills, according to The Augusta Chronicle. A resolution passed May 3 by the hospital's board calls for the medical center and AU Health to enter the South Carolina Setoff Debt collection system. The program allows the South Carolina revenue department to help eligible organizations and governmental entities collect debt by garnishing residents' tax refunds, according to the department website. South Carolina hospitals have used the setoff program to take millions from residents' tax refunds for unpaid medical bills. There is no cost to the claimant for the South Carolina revenue department to collect the debt, but the person owing the debt is responsible for a $25 administrative fee, according to the department. Hospital officials said the program applies to aged or long past due accounts, and patients still are able to contest the obligation if they contend it is not owed or the incorrect amount is sought. AU Health, which includes 478-bed AU Medical Center, is a nonprofit academic health center that manages clinical operations associated with Augusta University. Debt collected would be for South Carolina residents who visited an Augusta University Health facility. More articles on healthcare finance: Henry Ford CFO Robin Damschroder on the importance of engaging with colleagues Job, service cuts will allow New York hospital to break even, CEO says Hospital CEO responds to patient billed $142 for chat with physician during physical A program has launched in Tennessee that will help struggling rural hospitals receive outside consulting so they can restructure, according to Nashville Public Radio. The state program comes about a year after then-Gov. Bill Haslam approved the Tennessee Hospital Transformation Act of 2018, which took effect last July. According to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, the legislation calls for creating "transformation plans" for supporting "rural hospitals in assessing viability and identifying new delivery models, strategic partnerships and operational changes that enable the continuation of needed healthcare services in rural communities." As part of the transformation act, the state will offer the services of consultants to select rural facilities. "Hospitals are a vital part of the economic fabric of rural Tennessee," Tennessee Economic Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe said in a news release. "It's critically important that we ensure they remain a viable source of both quality jobs for residents and essential care for patients." Tennessee has reportedly hired Chicago-based Navigant Consulting to develop restructuring plans to help hospitals be sustainable. State officials told Nashville Public Radio they hope to provide consulting help to at least 10 hospitals in the first two years. The deadline for hospitals to apply for help is May 10. More articles on healthcare finance: Henry Ford CFO Robin Damschroder on the importance of engaging with colleagues Job, service cuts will allow New York hospital to break even, CEO says Hospital CEO responds to patient billed $142 for chat with physician during physical University of California service and patient care technical workers plan to strike May 16 to protest job outsourcing by the school, according to The Sacramento Bee. The strike involves university professional and technical employees represented by the UPTE-CWA 9119 union, as well as members of the AFSCME Local 3299 union, which represents the university's service and patient care technical workers. Together, the unions represent 39,000 UC workers. On its website, the AFSCME claims the university is outsourcing patient care, service and skilled craft jobs to low wage for-profit companies. UPTE's website claims UC also is outsourcing jobs of its members to private companies. "First we learned about the Rehab Hospital [in Sacramento, Calif.], where UC plans to eliminate nearly 40 jobs by contracting out work to a 'joint venture' with for-profit Kindred Healthcare. UC is refusing to bargain, and longtime UC employees will be forced to reapply for their current jobs with the new company, losing their UC pay and benefits, or be reassigned elsewhere at UC Davis outside the areas of their specialties," UPTE wrote. Union leaders claim the university also plans to outsource $56 million in IT services at its five medical centers and more than $150 million of clinical and nonclinical jobs. "UC entered into this agreement with no notice to the union, and already, departments are starting to outsource UPTE work to the private contractor," union leaders said. UC spokesperson Claire Doan told The Sacramento Bee there is false information being disseminated by union leaders regarding outsourcing and job displacement. She also said union have grown substantially at that university, along with service contract protections. AFSCME members' pay increased 21 percent, on average, between 2013 and 2018, Ms. Doan said. "UCs contracts with AFSCME bar the university from contracting out for the sole purpose of saving on wages and benefits," she added. "UC also cant lay off any AFSCME-represented employee because of a service contract. We are not looking to change those prohibitions." More articles on human capital and risk: ER nurses allowed to combine rest breaks, US labor board rules New York nurses OK agreements with 3 health systems Stanford Health Care, Lucile Packard reach labor deals, avert nurses' strike Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill., will stop offering inpatient labor and delivery services after May 31, according to The Southern Illinoisan. The hospital also will end its pediatric services. A declining demand for these services and a decrease in Medicaid funding spurred the decision to discontinue the services, Herby Voss, the hospital's director or marketing, told The Southern Illinoisan. Deliveries at the hospital have decreased by more than 36 percent since 2014, according to a statement from the hospital. "This was not a decision we reached lightly," hospital CEO Melisa Adkins said in a news release. "But we are confident it is the right one given that expectant families will still have two options for birthing centers in Southern Illinois." The employees affected by the discontinuation of services will be offered other jobs in the organization, the news release states. Heartland Regional Medical Center officials said the hospital will continue to offer outpatient gynecological services and care for patients who experience medical emergencies, even those related to obstetrics. Springfield (Vt.) Hospital closed its childbirth center May 3 after 105 years, according to the Valley News. The closing is part of the hospital's restructuring plan, which aims to help Springfield remain open amid financial hardship. In April, Springfield Hospital officials told state regulators they expect to post a $5.5 million to $6 million operating loss this fiscal year. The birthing unit closure is slated to save the hospital roughly $700,000 a year, according to the Valley News. For expectant mothers, one of the closest birthing units is about an hour away at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. While DHMC sees about 1,400 deliveries every year, Springfield Hospital saw between 150 and 175. More articles on patient flow: Cardiologist's exit forces Indiana hospital to suspend heart transplant program Walmart sees benefit of flying employees to top hospitals for care Lehigh Valley Health hospital to shutter ER amid system consolidation Pfizer received FDA approval May 6 for Vyndaqel, which treats a rare and fatal heart disease. The drug will launch with a list price of $225,000 per year in the U.S., according to Reuters. Vyndaqel, the brand name for the medicine known as tafamidis, is approved to treat transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. Pfizer said the disease affects about 100,000 people in the U.S., the majority of whom are undiagnosed. About 2,000 to 5,000 patients are currently diagnosed with the heart disease worldwide. Pfizer told Reuters it is confident that insurers will reimburse the $225,000 price. Outside the U.S. the drug sells for about $100,000 a year. Analysts expect sales of the drug to exceed $1 billion by 2024. Read the full report here. Health officials are investigating two cases of Legionnaires' disease among patients at University of Chicago Medical Center, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Four things to know: 1. State and city health officials visited the hospital this week to investigate the source of the outbreak. 2. Water testing did not show signs of Legionella bacteria in the facility's water supply, a UCMC spokesperson told the Sun-Times. 3. Health officials noted the infected patients were also treated at other hospitals, which could be where they contracted the disease. 4. The news comes about a week after health officials confirmed two Legionnaires' cases at Mercy Hospital in Chicago. Both facilities said they are supporting ongoing investigations into the infections. More articles on clinical leadership & infection control: Disinfection devices in ICU sinks dramatically reduce superbugs, study finds Patient falls off OR table at Colorado hospital, lawsuit claims 764 measles cases confirmed in US: 4 updates New York City-based NYU Langone Health installed measles alerts within its Epic EHR system to identify patients who are unvaccinated and those who have been potentially infected, according to Reuters. When a patient visits any NYU Langone Health hospital, the EHR system notifies the physician or nurse if the patient lives in an outbreak area, based on their zip code. The alerts in the patient's electronic record also prompt conversations to have with patient visitors, who may also have been exposed to the measles virus. NYU Langone Health treats patients in both Rockland County, N.Y., and Brooklyn, N.Y., the two epicenters of the outbreak. The goal of the measles alerts is to identify all incoming patients and anyone who steps foot into one of NYU Langone Health's hospitals who need to be assessed in order to contain the worst U.S. measles outbreak in 25 years, Reuters reports. New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System also instituted a similar program last week. The health system is not only raising awareness about identifying patients but also hospital visitors who may have been exposed to the measles virus. Epic developed the alerts after hospitals began requesting help to address the measles outbreak, reports Reuters. The EHR vendor released a how-to guide in April that incorporates many best ideas from other hospitals who are fighting the outbreak. In the guide, Epic instructs health systems on how to use EHRs to identify and reach out to patients who are unvaccinated, according to Reuters. The guide also gives tips for physicians on how to screen, track and treat measles patients. Hospitals in Illinois, Texas and California are also using Epic's tools to combat the measles outbreak. Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health implemented a screening questionnaire to help identify patients who may have been exposed to measles. The health system plans to use Epic's software to build a program that increases measles vaccination coverage, Jeffrey Silvers, MD, Sutter Health's medical director of infectious disease, told Reuters. More articles on clinical leadership & infection control: Disinfection devices in ICU sinks dramatically reduce superbugs, study finds Flu season is winding down: 6 things to know Patient falls off OR table at Colorado hospital, lawsuit claims Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is urging the CDC to declare an emergency over Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungus that is spreading globally, reports the New York Daily News. Mr. Schumer said an emergency declaration would give states more resources to identify and treat C. auris infections during a May 5 news conference in New York City. Such a declaration could also help limit the number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions that are fueling the rise in superbugs. New York has seen 319 of the 613 cases confirmed in the U.S. as of March 31. Eleven other states have also reported C. auris infections this year, including Illinois (156 cases) and New Jersey (106 cases). More articles on clinical leadership & infection control: Disinfection devices in ICU sinks dramatically reduce superbugs, study finds Patient falls off OR table at Colorado hospital, lawsuit claims 764 measles cases confirmed in US: 4 updates Philadelphia-based Nazareth Hospital has launched an internal investigation after $25,000 worth of endoscopes were stolen in April, according to CBS Philadelphia. The hospital said the two endoscopes were taken from the endoscopy patient area. The hospital is not asking the Philadelphia Police Department to get involved. Read the full report here. St. Louis-based SSM Health is upping the ante for providers in Wisconsin and Missouri by offering all residents established patients or not, health insurance or not $25 virtual visits within an hour of requesting an appointment. The service will be available Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Residents who wish to use the service log onto SSM's virtual visit platform, complete a questionnaire and within 15 minutes to an hour, will receive a video or phone call from an SSM Health clinician. The service is available for patients ages 2 to 75 for nonurgent health conditions like flu, pink eye or bladder infections. Parents or guardians must complete visits for minors. SSM Health will charge a $25 flat fee for a virtual visit. However, if the issue cannot be resolved online and a follow-up visit in person is necessary, the virtual visit is free. The health system plans to roll the program out in Illinois and Oklahoma later this year. More articles on telehealth: AdventHealth implements remote monitoring telemedicine tech in ICU Allina Health, Hayward Area Memorial partner for telemedicine stroke treatment 5 things to know about telehealth fraud Business will be looking to newly elected councillors to make critical decisions as the province continues into its third year without devolved government, it was claimed today. The Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC) made the claim as it joined the NI Local Government Association (NILGA) in a call for councils to work with businesses to create economic prosperity. The bodies emphasised the importance of working with local government in a new initiative following the first election since Northern Ireland's 11 councils gained jurisdiction over planning, tourism, car parking and local economic development. Following Thursday's election, counting has now taken place to fill 462 seats in 11 council areas. NIRC director Aodhan Connolly said: "Our industry is going through a fundamental change and Northern Ireland councils are not simply bystanders in this change, rather they are strategic partners that, through working with our industry, can make their council areas a better place to live, work and invest. By working together we can make our villages, towns and cities more competitive, not just in Northern Ireland but globally." He said that councillors could help economic development by backing the private sector-led business improvement district (BID) concept - but that other action was also needed to help the retail sector, as statistics show one in seven shops are now empty. "Our long-term partnership strategy is built on a few key themes that are essential for true partnership working." He said City Deals for Belfast and Londonderry would help matters but added there was a deep transformation taking place in retail, leading to smaller store numbers and "fewer, but better jobs" in the industry. "These changes will have profound implications for our local councils, especially for employment prospects in communities reliant on retail jobs, the health of our town centres, and the revenues from the district rates that councils rely on." Derek McCalllan, chief executive of NILGA, said retail was the economic bedrock of cities, towns and villages. "Working together, NIRC, NILGA and the 11 councils will be contributing not just to a vibrant economy, but to social cohesion, wellbeing, pride of place and a sustainable environment in Northern Ireland." According to figures from information service Springboard, NI high streets did enjoy an increase in footfall over Easter. Easter Monday footfall here was up 8.6%, compared to 12% in the UK. Footfall was also up by close to 10% on Easter Saturday and 18.5% on Easter Sunday. When you've been starved of sun for months and a natural tan isn't an option, fake tan is an absolute godsend for giving your limbs that delightful just-spent-a-week-in-Santorini glow. But when sunless tanning goes wrong, it really goes wrong. We're talking brown streaks, dark patches, a face that doesn't match your body... it's not a good look. "Hands up if you're still a little bit scared of faking it... or had a bad experience (read 'orange') and want to dip your toe back into the glowy waters?" says Carly Hobbs, Sienna X brand ambassador and professional tanner. "Fake tans don't have to be full-on. Luxe and light is very much on-trend right now and easy to achieve." "We recently conducted a survey and found that one in three women have been shamed for wearing tan and this is usually because of bad application," says Michaella Bolder, St Tropez skin finishing expert. "We've all had tanning disasters, even me! Our new campaign You Set The Tone aims to put an end to tan shaming." So, how can you ensure even application and a gorgeous glow? It's all about prep, prevention and a few quick fixes if something does go awry. Here are eight self-tan fails and experts' advice on how to avoid them... 1. Your tan is too dark "If your overall colour is too dark, the quickest way of lightening it up is to lift off a layer by sitting in a warm bath for 10 minutes," says Amanda Harrington, who is known as the 'Michelangelo of tanning' for her hand-brushed contouring technique, and just announced her first range of products to use at home. "Then I would go in with a body scrub to wash the body. Finish this process by applying moisturiser to lock in that new-found colour. "If the tan is super dark, repeat this process a few hours later, once you've let your skin calm down." 2. Your tan is too light "If you want to go darker, don't be tempted to layer even more product on straight away, it won't take your shade of bronze deeper and may clog up the work you've already done," Hobbs says. "The best thing to do, is allow your light layer of tan to develop, rinse it off completely, then go in again. "If you love to layer as well, you can do your base tan, then add on with a gradual tanner every day, to build things up beautifully." Sienna X Q10 tinted self tan mist, 21.99, Superdrug Tancream premium sun protection, 44.95 3. You've got some darker patches "Before applying, make sure your skin is as smooth as possible, as self-tan is attracted to rough, drier areas," says Megan Potter, Superdrug head of haircare, skincare and suncare. "The Solait Dual Action Exfoliating Mitt is great to use in the shower first." "Drier skin areas which we all have hiding away will absorb tan ingredients deeper than any other areas," says Bolder. "Apply an oil free moisturiser on your hands, wrists, elbows, knees, feet and ankles, before you load up your mitt with tan." St Tropez purity bronzing water gel, 22, Boots 4. Your tan sweats off "Common hot tan erasers are trainer socks, bikinis and bras - they rub where things get extra warm and buff the bronze away," explains Hobbs. "To prevent this from happening, post-tanning, work a little translucent make-up setting powder over sweaty areas to keep your glow safe." 5. Your tan is streaky "A streaky tan can be the result of not using a clean or fresh tanning mitt," says Bolder. "Using your hands can leave invisible lines in your tan that show as streaking once it has settled." "Streaks can happen when you don't fully wash off your guide colour - always rinse until the water runs clear, then pat dry," Hobbs recommends. "If your tan is ever streaky all over head to the gym - dive into the pool to use the chlorine to start the removal process. Then spend some time in the steam room to further the effect." Though we're not sure your gym, or the other people in the pool, would think this was such a good idea... There are now a variety of products you can use to tackle streaks, like Sienna X Tanning Eraser and Solait Tan Correcting Sponges. "Or, if you want a DIY option, mix a bit of lemon with baking powder and dab a little bit on gently with a flannel or sponge," says Potter. Sienna X eraser self tan remover and mitt, 19.99, Superdrug 6. You get spots "Post-tan, if you notice spots all over your legs, don't stress - this means you've applied your fake tan too soon after shaving," says Hobbs. "De-fuzz at least 12 hours pre-tanning, as it allows your skin to calm down." 7. Your tan fades too quickly "Normally this starts with the face and hands, as you wash these more regularly," says Harrington. "Avoid using retinol and enzyme-based skincare that lifts and rapidly exfoliates the skin, as this will cause the tan to fade quicker." Amanda Harrington London body mousse natural rose, 36 8. Stained clothes or bed sheets "Tan transfer on your clothes or sheets is from the guide colour that gives some tanning agents an immediate colour when you apply it," says Bolder. "However, you can now prevent this by using a colourless tanning product, such as the St Tropez Purity Bronzing Water Gel. Former deputy head of the criminal investigation department and ex-PSNI Detective Superintendent Alan Mains (58) is now a director of SecuriGroup, one of the UK's leading security companies. Q. You joined the police on September 3, 1978, and retired in 2007. Tell us a little about your career in the force. A. I joined the police to help the community, police the community and be part of the community. I was a constable in Dunmurry for three years. Then I went into neighbourhood policing in Lisburn Road for three and a half years. On July 26, 1986, the IRA shot and killed RUC men Karl Blackbourne (19), Peter Kilpatrick (27) and Charles Allen (37), who were sitting in their stationary armoured patrol car at Market Street, Newry. The following Monday I was promoted to replace Peter and then they realised my brother was in Peter's section so they moved me to Forkhill, south Armagh. Q. How did your mum feel about having two sons in the police at the same time? A. That's a very good question and it was picked up by Harry Breen, the then deputy divisional commander. When I went to see Harry, he asked me how my mother felt, because Newry and south Armagh were killing zones. And he got Richard moved back to Belfast because of that. There was an overlap of a couple of months, but Harry got that resolved. Q. You gave evidence to the Smithwick tribunal - a Dublin-based public inquiry into claims of IRA/Garda collusion in the murders of RUC Chief Superintendent Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan. You worked with Harry Breen for three years before his 1989 murder by the IRA. How did you feel about the tribunal and its findings that there had been collusion? A. I met Judge Peter Smithwick when he was appointed in 2005; he told me there'd be no stone unturned in this investigation and I believed him. I'm satisfied that the right conclusion was arrived at by a very experienced judge. The two most difficult times in my policing career and my civilian life - one was when it happened. Rugby saved my life - that day I was due to go with Harry but didn't because we were training for the senior cup that night at Ards Rugby club. Then for me to revisit that in my civil capacity... but I knew if it was the other way round Harry would have been standing there for me. Q. You were Chief Superintendent Breen's staff officer. How did you cope with his murder? A. It was one of the biggest - if not the biggest - blows for me personally. Hearing about his and Bob's murders was the most traumatic thing I've been through. Q. You've previously said Northern Ireland was the most dangerous place in the world to be a police officer during the Troubles. Did you have any close shaves? A. I was blown up, shot at and ambushed several times. The bomb that was designed for the RUC band in 1982 blew me off my feet; there was a mortar attack in Forkhill in 1987. We were also ambushed in Ardoyne in 1989 - that became a bit like the wild west show. Q. Does death frighten you? A. For me, every day is a bonus after Harry was killed. Q. What are the security threat implications in terms of Brexit? Will we see a return to violence? A. Investors are more concerned about the logistics of the border and what it means commercially. Q. You're around the same age as Jim Gamble (former chief of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, CEOP). Are you friendly? A. Yes. We served together, but not in the same units. Q. It's been said his time in RUC Special Branch prevented him from getting the PSNI Chief Constable's job when he was shortlisted to replace Hugh Orde. A. The more relevant question is could Jim have performed the role of chief constable and the answer is, absolutely. Q. Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald recently said that no one currently within the PSNI is capable of becoming Chief Constable. What's your view? A. That's just totally unfounded. Q. Who do you fancy to replace George Hamilton? A. The most natural person is Will Kerr, but I think he'll be a close runner to Stephen Martin. Q. What's your assessment of the police refusal to apologise over the drugs 'de-arrest' of the Greenvale Hotel owner following the Cookstown disco tragedy? Would you have apologised? A. You can't apologise at that point. It's an awkward one. They are always covered by reasonable suspicion. Q. Why did you retire in 2007? A. I did my senior command course in Scotland (to become Assistant Chief Constable) and was unsuccessful, but I was head-hunted from public to private and that was the deciding factor to go to the private sector. Q. What happened next? A. When I retired I went in as a director to Ultimate Leisure and spent several years as a consultant to them, opening up restaurants and bars across Ireland and England. That led to me becoming chairman of The Porterhouse Group in Dublin for five years (2010-2015). During that period I was asked to look at a humanitarian project in Iraq on behalf of the UK and Irish governments. I based myself in Dubai. It was a three-year project. We had $200m from Americans to build houses that they'd bombed and I worked with the Iraqi government at ministerial level. During that time numerous security companies were asking me to join them as part of their senior management team and I declined. Q. You're also regional director of a security company, SecuriGroup. Tell us about that. A. They approached me in 2014. It's a Scottish company; I run Ireland and Northern Ireland. I've just appointed Michael Bingham as SecuriGroup area manager. Q. Don't you also have companies of your own? A. I'm currently selling a water company called Anu. I also have my own consultancy company called A and A Security. I work in conjunction with Peter Robinson (Rock Global Services Group) and we consult with various groups in locally, in America, London and across the world. Q. How do you juggle so many jobs? A. Out of sheer interest I applied for the Ulster Rugby chief executive's post and they asked me to list what I did and they said I couldn't possibly be doing all these different things... Q. A you a former rugby player yourself? A. I played for CIYMS, the police PAA team, Ards and Ulster on a couple of occasions and went on to referee after that. One of my biggest achievements is building the Ireland Police Rugby team. Q. You're a former PSNI crime adviser for Northern Ireland. Give us an example of when your advice would be called on. A. Drew Harris (now Garda Commissioner) and myself headed up an investigation of attacks on the elderly across the province. We found they were being done by groups of people travelling between the south and the north. Q. You were formerly linked to The Life Channel as head of business development. What was that? A. When I became a director of Ultimate I became a consultant for Life Channel (CCN) at the same time. I was head of development for South Africa, India, GB and Ireland and I set up operational teams. The Life Channel was the biggest channel outside home entertainment. You'd go to dwell points like doctors' surgeries, supermarket restaurants and schools - and, for example, kids would be encouraged to make their own film about bullying and we produced it. That was 2007 until 2010. Q. You're married to Allison (53), a midwife, with whom you have one daughter Rebecca (26) and a son Jonathan (23). Where did you and Allison meet? A. At a Tuesday dance in the Stormont Hotel and we got married at Newtownabbey Presbyterian Church on January 5, 1990. We went skiing in Mayrhofen for eight days on honeymoon. Q. Tell us about your kids. A. Rebecca is a staff nurse general in the private wing of St Mary's Hospital, London, where she deals with celebrities and the royals. Jonathan works in sales at Charles Hurst in Belfast. Q. Your mum Edna is 91 and your dad Jim, who was head constable in charge of Special Branch in Londonderry, died in 1968 from lung cancer, aged 48. Any siblings? A. Two sisters - my sister Rosalind (68), is a retired nurse who lives in Scotland, and Carol (65), is a retired private hospital admin worker, who lives in Australia. My brother Richard (56) is a retired police officer. Q. You lost your other brother Brian (32), an ears, nose and throat doctor in Manchester, on March 17, 1990. What happened? A. He had a brain tumour. It was devastating. He was so young. The last time I saw him was at my wedding. He was a groomsman. He actually missed the meal because a female server slipped; she had an issue with her heart and he looked after her until the ambulance came. Q. You now live in east Belfast but your early years were spent in the Bogside in Derry. A happy childhood? A. Losing our father at such a young age was traumatic, but we had a brilliant childhood. We moved to Dundonald to be near mum's relatives when I was seven. Q. You went to Dundonald Primary, Dundonald Boys High and then the Masonic Boys' School in Dublin for a year, before returning to the Boys High to sit O-Levels. What was next? A. At that age you were either encouraged to go to uni or get a trade. Our financial position wasn't great; our dad left my mum enough to buy a house and then she had to work as a part-time auxiliary nurse. One night I heard that the cost of one book for Brian (in 1976) was 25; I remember my mum wondering how she was going to pay... I decided to go to the shipyard and take up technical drawing and sheet metalwork. I stayed there until I was 18 and got into the police. The purpose of doing all that was to help mum pay for Brian's education in medicine. Q. You fell on a train in Dundalk railway station in 1995 and took CIE to court, didn't you? A. It was horrendous. The train had stopped but they changed the engine without telling anybody. I went flying and broke my wrist. Undisclosed damages. Let's just say that it paid for a few things in the house. Q. Tell us about the best day of your life so far. A. The births of my children. Nothing to beat that. The Government has outlined details of a 100 million-plus funding package for Londonderry. The investment is made up of 50 million in funding for the Derry and Strabane City Deal and 55 million of additional support through a new Inclusive Future Fund aimed at tackling deprivation and employment issues in the city. The Government had already signalled its intent to part-finance a city investment deal similar to the agreement secured by Belfast. The Government has committed 350 million to the Belfast city deal. Expand Close Talks are due to begin to restart powersharing at Stormont (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Talks are due to begin to restart powersharing at Stormont (Niall Carson/PA) The Derry package was announced ahead of Tuesdays new round of Stormont talks aimed at restoring powersharing in Northern Ireland. It comes weeks after the dissident republican murder of journalist Lyra McKee in the city. Many believe the extremists are exploiting disaffection and deprivation experienced by young people in parts of the city to bolster their ranks. Expand Close Journalist Lyra McKee was killed during clashes between police and New IRA dissidents in Londonderry (Family handout/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Journalist Lyra McKee was killed during clashes between police and New IRA dissidents in Londonderry (Family handout/PA) Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley said the Derry City and Strabane City Deal would boost innovation and the digital potential of the region and unlock local partner funding. She said it would enable new projects such as a Centre for Industrial Digitisation, Robotics and Automation and a programme of investment in the citys digital connectivity infrastructure subject to business case approval. This 105 million investment package is a major boost to the economic potential of the region and will help strengthen the foundations for greater prosperity and a stronger, more united society, she said. The new Inclusive Future Fund recognises the unique circumstances facing the region and will help create new opportunities for the whole of the community, especially for young people. As Secretary of State, I am deeply committed to building a dynamic, prosperous, outward-looking Northern Ireland that works for everyone, irrespective of community background. Todays announcement is a major milestone in my personal determination to unlock the huge potential that the whole of Northern Ireland has to offer. Expand Close Communities Secretary James Brokenshire (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Communities Secretary James Brokenshire (Jonathan Brady/PA) The money offered through the Inclusive Future Fund will focus on delivering greater prosperity and social benefits by tackling issues such as deprivation and youth unemployment. Communities Secretary James Brokenshire said: This major investment in the people and community of Derry-Londonderry and Strabane will bring enormous benefits for years to come. It will create high-value jobs, put the area at the forefront of the UKs growing digital economy and complement the Belfast Regional City Deal. The councils city deal bid was supported by a range of local education, business and economic partners in the north west, including Ulster University, North West Regional College, the Londonderry and Strabane chambers of commerce, Western Health and Social Care Trust, Visit Derry, City Centre Initiative and Foyle Port. Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council John Boyle welcomed the investment. This hugely significant announcement today for the Derry and Strabane District will go some considerable way in addressing the long-standing obstacles to economic development that this city region and its people face, he said. It is good news and is the result of an enormous amount of work and sustained effort invested by council and the city and regional partners to develop, deliver and negotiate on the bid. Vice chancellor of Ulster University, Professor Paddy Nixon, said: This investment will now see the rapid development of plans to grow and enhance facilities and student numbers at the Magee Campus including the Graduate Entry Medical School. Brian McGrath, president of Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, said: This funding is hugely welcome and provides a solid platform upon which to grow and enhance the competitiveness of the city and region and attract further significant exciting new companies, business prospects and investment. Sinn Fein MP for Foyle Elisha McCallion welcomed the investment as a first step. She said the Government must do more to address regional imbalance in the north west. The British Government have a responsibility to deliver a proper financial contribution towards developing the north west region, she said. We need more adequate funding to help unlock the regions economic potential as part of the strategic growth plan. A suspect device was been discovered in Lepper Street in the New Lodge area of Belfast. Credit: Google Maps. A security alert in the New Lodge area of Belfast has been declared a hoax. Police sealed of Lepper Street on Monday afternoon after a suspect device was found. A number of homes in the area were also evacuated. Following an examination by Army Technical Officers, the device was declared a hoax. The road has been reopened and residents have been allowed to return to their homes. PSNI Inspector Sayers said: Police would like to thank the local community for their patience and support while police worked to make the area safe. Police are appealing for anyone who has any information that can assist with their investigation to contact officers in Tennent Street Police Station on 101 quoting reference 525 06/05/19." Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. DUP Leader Arlene Foster has said her party will have to consider comments made by former Stormont Minister Jim Wells after the election of gay DUP candidate Alison Bennington as a councillor. Mr Wells, who is a DUP MLA for South Down, criticised the selection of Ms Bennington as a party candidate. Arlene Foster said her party will look at a number of issues including "bad behaviour" by party members once the dust settles after last week's Northern Ireland local elections. 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 Mrs Foster's comments come after Mr Wells, claimed that party founder and former First Minister, Rev Ian Paisley, would have been be "aghast" at the decision to run gay DUP candidate Alison Bennington. The DUP's founder - later Lord Bannside - once led a campaign to, in his words "save Ulster from sodomy" and prevent the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Read More Mr Wells - a former Health Minister and a veteran party member - is a long-standing opponent of same-sex marriage. He claimed that after Ms Bennington's election he was contacted by many DUP voters who were "very concerned" about the decision to put her forward as a candidate in the local government elections. However, party leader Mrs Foster said at the weekend that she was delighted to see Ms Bennington elected. Asked how she would deal with Mr Wells' comments about Ms Bennington's selection as a party candidate, the former First Minister said: "Well, of course he (Mr Wells) shouldn't have been making those comments on the media. "He should have been coming through the normal routes, through the party, if he had concerns about those issues. "But we'll look at all of those issues after the election. We'll be looking at vote management schemes, we'll be looking at where we did very well - and we'll be looking at bad behaviour as well," Mrs Foster said. Asked if Mr Wells would still be a member of the party, Mrs Foster replied: "I'm not going to pre-judge any process, if it were to happen. "I think it's wrong to do that. You have to allow due process to take its course, so we will have to wait and see what happens." European election posters belonging to a Fianna Fail candidate have been spotted in Northern Ireland Cavan- Monaghan Fianna Fail TD Brendan Smith's team had put posters up in Fermanagh despite the politician running for election in the Midlands North-West region in the Republic in the upcoming European elections. The Leitrim Observer reports Brendan Smith Number 1 posters were erected across the border in Belcoo, Derrylin and Garrison last week but were quickly taken down when the mistake was noticed. His posters were noticed alongside Northern Ireland Local Election posters. A Fianna Fail spokesman told the Leitrim Observer: "Posters were removed when the matter was brought to our attention." A man has suffered cuts to his head after being attacked with a claw hammer during an aggravated burglary in Lisburn. The incident happened at a house in the Woodbrook Avenue area of the town on Sunday. Detective Sergeant Melanie McGrory said: We received a report at approximately 11.30pm that three men had gained entry to a flat in the area and assaulted the male occupant with a claw hammer. The 32-year-old man suffered lacerations to his head as a result of the incident and was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries. Enquiries are continuing and we are appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident or anyone with any information that can assist with the investigation to contact detectives in Lisburn on 101, quoting reference number 1657 of 05/05/19. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. A new mural of Lyra McKee in Belfast city centre. David Young/PA Wire A new mural of murdered journalist Lyra McKee has appeared in Belfast city centre. The mural has been painted outside the Sunflower Pub, near St Anne's Cathedral were her funeral took place. Read More It is not clear who painted it. The 29-year-old journalist died after being shot on the Creggan estate in Londonderry on April 18. Police believe a dissident republican gunman, linked to the New IRA, was behind the killing. Did you paint the new Lyra McKee mural? Get in touch with Belfast Telegraph by emailing digital.editorial@belfasttelegraph.co.uk A man has been attacked with a bat during an aggravated burglary in Banbridge. The incident happened at a house on Millvale Close during the early hours of Sunday morning. Detective Sergeant Wilson said: Its reported that the male occupant was assaulted by an intruder, who attacked him with a bat, at around 2am on Sunday. The man sustained a cut to the side of his head and was taken to hospital for treatment to his injury. We are appealing to anyone with information, or who noticed any suspicious activity or vehicles in the area around that time, to contact us on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 800 of 05/05/19. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Plans for a vigil on the anniversary of the death of IRA hunger striker Raymond McCreesh in a Co Down children's play park named after him have been slammed as "absolutely reprehensible". Dissident republican group Saoradh, believed to be the political wing of the New IRA, will take part in a black flag vigil planned for McCreesh Park in Newry on Saturday, May 18. The New IRA was responsible for the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry last month. Ulster Unionist justice spokesman Doug Beattie MLA said the dissident group is clearly not getting the message that their presence on the streets is not welcome. "Any idea that they can hold this sort of commemoration after what has happened in our country in recent weeks is absolutely reprehensible," he said. "There are two issues with this. Number one, they should not be doing this in a play park. They are treating it as a monument to a convicted terrorist and no matter what you think of how he died, that is completely and utterly wrong. "This is a place where children are expected to go to play. It is not a place for apologists for terrorism to treat as a shrine. "Secondly, after all that has gone on with the murder of Lyra McKee, society in Newry and right across the country should be shunning the organisers of this event. "Saoradh do not and should not represent anything to do with this country. Society has given them the message. We should all show them the back of our hand and we'd be a much better, happier society for it." Protests were held at the Saoradh offices in Derry by friends of Ms McKee after the murder of the 29-year-old. Red handprints placed on the front of the offices have since become an online symbol of protest by supporters of the murdered journalist. Since the murder, it emerged that the group, which has the support of the New IRA, has been issued with an eviction notice from its base at Junior McDaid House in the city. Social media accounts for the Derry-based faction of the dissident republican-linked group were also suspended, though accounts of the Dublin, Armagh and Belfast Saoradh offices remain online. When McCreesh was arrested in 1977, a rifle he had in his possession was found to have been used in the IRA's 1976 Kingsmill attack, a sectarian massacre in which 10 Protestant workers were shot dead. However, Saoradh An Iuir spokesperson Stephen Murney said the group was "immensely proud of the sac rifice Raymond McCreesh made for his country's freedom" and hailed him a hero. Speaking ahead of the event, he said: "This commemorative event will give everyone the opportunity to remember Raymond in a dignified and fitting fashion. "No better place to have this event than in the heart of the community who hold him in such high esteem. That's the reason we have once again decided to hold this event in Raymond McCreesh Park. "Ray McCreesh was a revolutionary IRA volunteer and local hero. He made a massive sacrifice and suffered for us all in an unimaginable way. For that we are eternally grateful and it's a proud thing to have this park in Newry named in honour of his memory. The republican community in Newry have nothing but the utmost respect for Raymond, the sacrifice he made and the cause for which he died. "We will assemble at Ray McCreesh park on Saturday, May 18, at 2pm. "Join with us to remember Volunteer Raymond McCreesh, 1st battalion, South Armagh Brigade, Irish Republican Army." McCreesh was one of 10 republican prisoners who died in the Maze in 1981 and the naming of the park sparked a long-running controversy. Unionists demanded the name be changed, while republicans insisted it be retained with the SDLP caught in the middle. Last autumn, unionists and the SDLP backed plans to sell the park, stating that the current facility was "surplus to requirements" and the naming of the area would be a matter for the new owners. Three Belfast men were remanded in custody today charged with an attack which left a teenager unconscious. Dean Clarke, 20, Geordie Brown and Nathan Lloyd, both 18, appeared in court accused of carrying out the assault in south Belfast. Police said a 17-year-old male was found injured and unconscious at a flat on the Donegall Road last Friday. Clarke, from Creevy Avenue; Brown, of Malone Road in the city; and Lloyd, with an address on the Donegall Road, are jointly charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Brown is also accused of disorderly behaviour at the Royal Victoria Hospital on the same date, while Lloyd faces a further count of possessing Class C Tramadol drugs. A detective told Belfast Magistrates' Court he could connect each defendant to the charges against them. No further details of the alleged attack were disclosed during the hearing. Defence lawyers put no questions to the detective and confirmed their clients were not seeking bail at this stage. District Judge Mark Hamill remanded all three accused in court to appear again by video-link next week. Police have slammed "reckless" vandals after a traffic cone was thrown through an upstairs bedroom window in west Belfast. The incident happened at around 9.45pm on Sunday on the Glenveagh Drive. An officer, posting a picture of the cone sitting in the ledge of the window, said: "Who does that? Not only is this incredibly dangerous as it could have caused serious injury to anyone who had been in the bedroom at the time due to the large shards of glass thrown around the room and bed, but it has also caused a considerable amount of stress to the homeowners. Expand Close The cone was thrown through an upstairs window in west Belfast. Credit: PSNI / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The cone was thrown through an upstairs window in west Belfast. Credit: PSNI "This was a totally reckless and dangerous act and has absolutely no place in our community. "If you are aware of who has carried out this serious criminal damage or if you witnessed any persons in the Glenveagh Drive area at approximately 2145 hours on Sunday 6th May, we would urge you to come forward and speak to us. "If you have any information at all, please call either 101 quoting serial 1586 of 05/05/19, or alternatively should you wish to provide information anonymously, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111." The Alliance Partys Nuala McAllister (right) celebrates as she is elected for the Castle area during the local government election count at Belfast City Hall. Voters in Northern Ireland have signalled their desire for alternatives to traditional orange and green politics, the leader of the Alliance Party has said. Naomi Long hailed what she described as the expansion of the centre ground after her party, the Greens and People Before Profit all enjoyed success at the local council elections. The surge in support for parties not aligned as unionist or nationalist came ahead of a new talks process to restore the powersharing institutions at Stormont. Negotiations convened by the UK and Irish Governments will resume in Belfast on Tuesday afternoon more than two years since the executive collapsed. Efforts to restore Stormont have been injected with fresh urgency following the dissident republican murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry last month. Expand Close Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has hailed her partys election result as one of the best in its history (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has hailed her partys election result as one of the best in its history (Niall Carson/PA) Mrs Long said the election result was hugely, hugely important for the regions political landscape. Because, after what could have been an incredibly divisive campaign, what we actually saw was people coming out and saying they want something different, they want politics that is about solving problems, they want politics that is about co-operation, and they, more than anything else, want politics that is progressive, she told BBC Radio Ulster. Alliance saw its number of councillors soar by 65% from 32 to 53. However, it remains the fifth largest party in the region. While the DUP and Sinn Fein failed to make the gains many had predicted, they remain the regions two largest parties underlining that the fate of the Stormont talks is still very much in their hands. The DUPs vote rose by 1%, though it ended up losing eight of the 130 council seats it won in 2014 poll. Sinn Feins vote share fell slightly by 0.8% though it emerged from the election with the same number of seats 105. The Ulster Unionists and SDLP both suffered losses. The UUP lost 13 seats with a 2.1% fall in its vote percentage. The SDLP lost seven councillors, seeing its vote share drop by 1.6%. While the election was ostensibly about who sits on local councils, it appears many voters used it to express dissatisfaction at the ongoing lack of proper representation at Stormont level. The last DUP/Sinn Fein-led powersharing coalition at Stormont imploded amid a row about a botched renewable energy scheme. The rift between the erstwhile partners-in-government subsequently widened to take in disputes over the Irish language, same-sex marriage and the legacy of the Troubles. I think there is a reaction to a kind of frustration in politics that things are in turmoilConor Murphy, Sinn Fein Many of the rows are linked to a controversial voting mechanism that enables blocs of unionists and nationalists to veto measures which command overall majority support in the Assembly. Alliance is among several parties calling for changes to the contentious petition of concern, believing its reform could unlock several logjams at the heart of Stormonts impasse. Sinn Fein talks negotiator Conor Murphy acknowledged that the Alliance result had been a surprise. I think there is a reaction to a kind of frustration in politics that things are in turmoil, the Assembly hasnt been functioning, the Brexit issue is not resolved, theres a huge uncertainty in politics and I suppose the vote came out of people perhaps expressing a frustration in all of that, he said. At the weekend, DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said his party had had a good election. We are taking extra new seats in places where we havent done before, and Im pleased that a lot of our sitting councillors have been returned, but we have also got some very good fresh blood coming through, he said. Expand Close Green Party deputy leader Mal OHara (centre) celebrates after winning a seat on Belfast City Council (Mark Marlow/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Green Party deputy leader Mal OHara (centre) celebrates after winning a seat on Belfast City Council (Mark Marlow/PA) The Green Party doubled its representation and now has eight seats, while socialist party People Before Profit increased its number of seats from one to five. The Greens deputy leader, Mal OHara, who won a seat on Belfast City Council, said: I think theres a hunger out there for alternative solutions outside what might be the traditional parties of unionism and nationalism. UUP leader Robin Swann denied the result was a disaster for the party that was once the pre-eminent voice of unionism. It is disappointing for us, Ill admit that, theres no point trying to dress this in any other direction, he said. Mr Swann added: The Ulster Unionist Party isnt going anywhere. We still have a message to give to unionism and the wider Northern Ireland. SDLP Assembly member Daniel McCrossan blamed his partys losses on former members who ran in certain areas and split the vote. Theres clear examples across Northern Ireland where the SDLP did very well; the areas where we fell short it was simply as a result of ex-SDLP candidates challenging sitting SDLP candidates and split the vote, he said. Thats the only reason the SDLP has lost a number of seats and youll see from any of the evidence there that that is the reason why. The graffiti scrawled on the side of a community centre in Derry Pro-IRA graffiti that appeared in Londonderry warning the community against helping the police after the murder of Lyra McKee has been replaced with inspirational messages by Creggan residents. Last week IRA slogans appeared on a wall in Creggan, just metres away from where journalist Lyra McKee was killed on April 18. Read More Painted on a wall, one message read "Informers will be executed", and another said "IRA here to stay". The IRA graffiti in #Derrys Creggan estate has been painted over by the community. What once read IRA undefeated army now reads our differences make us stronger among other inspirational messages and the informers will be executed message has been erased #lyramckee pic.twitter.com/p2nDNe5K11 Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) May 6, 2019 Another message included a picture of a rat, with the message Informers will be shot. IRA, and another says RUC Informers: They will forget about you, we wont. IRA. However, on Monday morning the disturbing graffiti had been replaced with messages like "our differences make us stronger" and "Life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change". Lyra McKee was shot by a dissident republican linked to the New IRA who fired indiscriminately at police lines during disturbances over the Easter weekend. Expand Close Grafitti appeared just metres away from where the journalist Lyra McKee was killed in Creggan. PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Grafitti appeared just metres away from where the journalist Lyra McKee was killed in Creggan. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee Irish Prime minister Leo Varadkar (R) and Prime Minister Theresa May (C) leave St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019, after attending the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Irish President Michael D Higgins consoles Sara Canning, partner of the murdered journalist Lyra McKee as her funeral takes place at St. Anne's Cathedral (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Funeral and service of thanksgiving for journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn(centre) and Irish President Michael D Higgins(right) pictured at and at the funeral. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Mourners and friends pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Mourners react as the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee, who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, is placed into a hearse following her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Funeral and service of thanksgiving for journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Mourners and friends pictured at the funeral. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye DUP leader Arlene Foster at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee Mourners listen to the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee outside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Mourners gesture as pallbearers carry the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee (29), who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, during the funeral service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. AFP/Getty Images The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mourners gather outside of St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019, during the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Mourners gesture as pallbearers carry the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee (29), who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, during the funeral service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The coffin is carried into the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA The coffin is carried into the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA General view of the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneOs Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Picture Matt Mackey / Press Eye. Matt Mackey / Presseye.com Prime Minister Theresa May paying her condolences to the family of Lyra McKee Mourners listen to the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee outside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Taoiseach Leo Varadkar , Prime Mnister Theresa May and President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Mourners arrive for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Mourners embrace ahead of the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish President Michael D Higgins pictured at he funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Prime Minister Theresa May pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA A mourner arrives carrying a wreath for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA DUP leader Arlene Foster with Sin Fein's Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton. The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald arrives for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Leo Varadkar arrives for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - APRIL 24: The congregation arrive for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Journalist and campaigner for LGBT rights, Lyra McKee, 29, was shot dead last Thursday while observing the rioting in Londonderry. Her family gave a statement in which they said her "openness and her desire to bring people together made her totally apolitical". The New IRA have admitted responsibility for her killing. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald pictured at he funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The hearse carrying the body of murdered journalist Lyra McKee arrives at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Sinn Fein leader Michelle and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Sinn Fein leader Michelle and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Simon Coveney TD at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 SDLP leader Colum Eastwood at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Mike Nesbitt pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Michelle O'Neill, Vice President of Sinn Fein arrives for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast Getty Images Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald arrives for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Naomi Long Alliance Party Leader at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. General view of the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mourners begin to gather for the funeral of Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Police have made a number of arrests and released images of the suspected gunman before and after the killing in Derry in a bid to encourage witnesses to come forward. Detectives say more than 140 people have already come forward with information, videos and images from the unrest. Barry McElduff pictured with the loaf on his head The brother of a man murdered in the Kingsmill massacre has said he is saddened by the return of former Sinn Fein MP Barry McElduff to political life. Coin Worton, whose brother Kenneth was one of 10 Protestants shot dead in the 1976 sectarian massacre, was speaking after Mr McElduff was elected as a councillor on Fermanagh & Omagh District Council. Mr Worton's late brother is believed to have shielded a Catholic textile factory colleague after their minibus was stopped by gunmen in the merciless attack. 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 Mr McElduff was forced to resign his Westminster seat last year amid an outcry after he posted a video of himself balancing a loaf of Kingsmill bread on his head. The video was posted on his Twitter account on the anniversary of the Kingsmill atrocity. Mr Worton said yesterday he was not surprised that Mr McElduff had been re-elected - but added that he was saddened by the level of support he had received from voters. Read More "We had thought that this might happen. From him standing down as an MP, we knew that it wouldn't be long until he re-emerged again to pick up where he had left off," Mr Worton said last night. The Sinn Fein representative received 900 first preference votes in the Omagh DEA - just 10 short of the quota. He was elected on the second count. Turning to the level of support Mr McElduff had received at the ballot box, Mr Worton told the Belfast Telegraph: "That's the sad thing. "It really is sad that he came back in such a short period of time with a big support. That is sad. But I do believe in democracy, so I have to grin and bear it. "There's not much I can do. But I am very sad for the nationalist and republican people, if that's the best that's out there for them to vote for. I think it reflects more on them than it does on me." After his election was confirmed, Mr McElduff said: "Today is about this election. "I have said my piece, I did so with as much dignity as I could. "I resigned as an MP, I apologised for the unintended, and, I stress, the unintended consequences and I took full responsibility for my own actions. "In a way, I think that I showed high standards in public office and I'm back. I'm re-emerging as an elected representative for the people of Omagh, the county town of Tyrone." Last month, Mr McElduff suggested it was unfair that he had been forced to quit his role as West Tyrone MP after his Kingsmill loaf video stunt sparked fury among relatives of the victims. Danny Kinahan says he is determined to work hard for the people of Ballyclare as a newly elected UUP councillor on Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. However, the Ulster Unionist veteran has set a goal to return to Westminster again as a Member of Parliament. Mr Kinahan topped the poll in the Ballyclare DEA with 1,253 votes and promises to work hard for his new constituents. 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 "I have enjoyed a full circle in local and national politics," he said. "I was a councillor in Antrim from 2005 to 2009 and then an MLA for the next six years and MP from 2015 to 2017. "I enjoy the work as a politician and I really like to help people. Over the years I have made many excellent contacts at every level and intend using these resources to help the people in my new area. Of course, I would like to have worked in my own home area but I had to stand where there was a space and that is why I stood for Ballyclare DEA. Read More "Many people in that area already know me and trust me and that has of course helped my strong vote to top the poll," he said. "The Ulster Unionist Party may have lost a few seats but we are attracting younger members and younger voters. I think the entire Brexit saga has affected voting as well in some areas." Mr Kinahan said his goal is a return to the House of Commons "when the opportunity arises". A man has been arrested on suspicion of abduction after a 14-year-old boy was found in the boot of a car that was pursed by gardai. The suspect, in his 20s, was apprehended in Finglas, north-west Dublin, on Monday evening. The incident unfolded when gardai on patrol in the area observed and attempted to stop a suspicious car. The driver failed to stop and the car was followed by gardai to Kippure Park where it was abandoned. The occupants of the car fled the scene and gardai pursued them on foot. The man was detained and the teenager was discovered in the boot of the abandoned vehicle. The suspect was taken to Finglas Garda Station, where he was detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. Nigel Farage is continuing to come under pressure over one of his Brexit Party candidates' defence of the IRA following the Warrington bombing in 1993 - but called the issue "irrelevant". Claire Fox, a European Parliament candidate in the North West of England, was a leading 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" after the IRA killed two young boys in Warrington. Over the weekend, two Brexit Party statements were released in the name of Ms Fox. The first said that she does "not support the IRA or its methods". Pointedly, the second statement left this out, as well as a claim that she "never knowingly met or had any communication or links with republican or loyalist paramilitary organisations". The first also said: "I fully respect the Good Friday Agreement and embrace the peace that it has made possible." But the later one appeared to carefully distance Ms Fox from support for the 1998 peace deal. "The people of the north of Ireland voted for the Good Friday Agreement and I embrace the peace that it has made possible," it said. Colin Parry, whose son Tim (12) died in the Warrington 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." Mr Parry told the Daily Mail that Ms Fox had repeatedly refused to condemn the IRA's actions in a 10-minute phone call with him last Wednesday. Another Brexit Party candidate is Aileen Quinton, whose mother Alberta was one of 12 people killed in the IRA's Poppy Day massacre in Enniskillen in 1987. Ms Quinton has yet to respond to a request for comment. At the weekend, Mr Farage called it "a classic stitch up smear story", insisting Ms Fox had "made no comments herself" about Warrington and "does not want politics to be pursued by violent means". Brexit Party candidate Sally Bate has already resigned because Ms Fox refused to condemn the IRA attack. In her latest statement, Ms Fox said she does not believe there is any justification for violence in Ireland today. However, she has not responded to calls to condemn past IRA actions, nor resiled from her previous position. "I have not mentioned the horrific times of over 23 years ago since then and do not believe there is any justification for violence in Ireland today," she said. "I find that this campaign against me and the Brexit Party is being orchestrated by political opponents. In a different age, I campaigned for the withdrawal of British troops from Northern Ireland and self-determination for Ireland as a whole. "The 1994 IRA ceasefire and the 1998 Good Friday Agreement drew a line under the conflict. It is surely time to move on." The Duchess of Sussex has given birth to a son, Buckingham Palace has announced. The baby boy weighed 7lb 3oz and was born at 5.26am. The Duke of Sussex was at his wifes side and mother and baby are both doing well, the palace said. The palace said in a statement: Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex was safely delivered of a son at 0526hrs. The baby weighs 7lb 3oz. The Duke of Sussex was present for the birth. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news. The Duchesss mother, Doria Ragland, who is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, is with their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. Harry and Meghans baby is seventh in line to the throne, and the Queen and the Duke of Edinburghs eighth great-grandchild. The babys sex was a surprise for the delighted couple, who chose not to find out what they were having. The newest addition to the Windsor family is a first cousin of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Ahead of the birth, Harry and Meghan made a personal decision to keep their arrangements private, amid speculation that they had opted for a home birth at Frogmore Cottage, close to the Queens Windsor Castle residence. They also said they would only share the news of the babys arrival once they had had a chance to celebrate privately as a family. Baby Sussexs birth comes less than a year after Harry married American former actress Meghan in a glittering ceremony in St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle. Expand Close Meghan and Harry have welcomed their first child (Steve Parsons/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghan and Harry have welcomed their first child (Steve Parsons/PA) Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, became engaged following a whirlwind 16-month romance after going on a blind date in London. The duke had told how all the stars were aligned when they met. News they were expecting a baby was announced in October at the start of the couples busy 16-day tour to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. Harry branded the baby our little bump, while Meghan said they were nearly there in the final weeks of her pregnancy. Unless the Queen steps in at the last minute, the baby will not be an HRH or a prince due to rules limiting titles within the royal family which were introduced by King George V more than 100 years ago The Duke of Sussex made the announcement at Windsor Castle (Steve Parsons/PA) The Duchess of Sussex has given birth to a baby son weighing 7lbs 3oz and mother and child are doing well. Speaking from Windsor, proud father the Duke of Sussex said: Im very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a baby boy this morning, a very healthy baby boy. Heres the latest: 6pm: The duke and duchess were congratulated by Meghans former Suits co-star and onscreen husband Patrick J Adams. Just heard that the world just got heavier by 7 pounds and 3 ounces. Much love to him and his incredible parents. Learned first hand 7 months ago how transformational becoming a parent is and couldnt be happier for Meghan and Harry as they begin this adventure. #playdatesoon Patrick J Adams (@halfadams) May 6, 2019 5.55pm: Buckingham Palace announces birth 5.45pm: Watch: Public in Windsor celebrate Harry and Meghans new arrival 5.30pm: The Invictus Games The Hague tweeted: Its a boy! Congratulations to our Patron HRH The Duke of Sussex and to HRH The Duchess of Sussex with the arrival of the #RoyalBaby! 5.23pm: Harry and Meghan have thanked the public for their support and kindness during this exceptionally joyful time in their lives. 5.20pm: Former US first lady Michelle Obama congratulated the duke and duchess. Congratulations, Meghan and Harry! Barack and I are so thrilled for both of you and can't wait to meet him. #RoyalBaby https://t.co/mfE7uc6ooV Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) May 6, 2019 5.15pm: Watch: Royal family tree Where is Harry and Meghans baby in line to the throne? 5.10pm: The official notice drew large crowds to Buckingham Palace. Expand Close (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Yui Mok/PA) Expand Close (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Yui Mok/PA) Expand Close (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Yui Mok/PA) Expand Close (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Yui Mok/PA) 5.05pm: Expand Close The official notice outside Buckingham Palace (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The official notice outside Buckingham Palace (Yui Mok/PA) 5pm: Harry will still go ahead with his official visit to The Hague on Thursday, the palace confirmed. He is due to launch the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games 2020. Meghans mother Doria Ragland is at Frogmore Cottage, helping the family adjust to the life with a newborn. 4.45pm: Bishop Michael Curry, who gave the rousing sermon about love at Harry and Meghans wedding, has also congratulated the new parents. The Jewish tradition reminds us that the birth of every child is a reminder that God is not finished with us yet. There is hope. Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and prayers of blessing for them and their baby.#royalbaby Presiding Bishop Michael Curry (@PB_Curry) May 6, 2019 4.40pm: Royal baby: What we know so far 4.25pm: Royal baby reaction: Theresa May and Archbishop of Canterbury congratulate the Sussexes 4.20pm: A town crier was spreading cheer at Windsor. Expand Close (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Expand Close (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Dominic Lipinski/PA) 4.15pm: A framed notice of birth will go on display on a ceremonial easel on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace following the birth, the palace announced. 4.05pm: Bookmaker Coral has revealed odds of 12-1 for Harry and Meghans son to win a Nobel prize. He is also 100-1 to land an Oscar, 200-1 to play football for England and 250-1 to become the US President. Corals John Hill said: Despite him only being a few hours old, punters are already rushing in to back the new royal baby to go on to achieve various things in his life, most notably win a Nobel prize, given how important charity work is to his parents. There may be a debate in the future about who the child will represent at sport, if good enough, when he is older, while we have taken bets on him becoming prime minister in he UK and the US president. He is 100-1 to become the British prime minister, and 500-1 to become the monarch, and only 6-1 to have a UK number one single. 4pm Harrys uncle Charles Spencer wished them well. Really very lovely news today - many, many, congratulations! (Good to have another Taurean in the family....) Charles Spencer (@cspencer1508) May 6, 2019 3.57pm: Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) 3.55pm: TV crews flocked to Windsor on news of the birth. Expand Close (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Dominic Lipinski/PA) 3.42pm: Former prime minister David Cameron congratulated Harry and Meghan. Heartfelt congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the arrival of their baby boy. Such wonderful and happy news! Sending love and very best wishes David Cameron (@David_Cameron) May 6, 2019 3.40pm: Watch: The Duke of Sussex said he was absolutely thrilled. 3.35pm: The happy news also drew well-wishers to Buckingham Palace. Expand Close (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Yui Mok/PA) 3.28pm: Watch: Royal baby first appearances through the years 3.26pm: Royal fans gathered at Windsor to celebrate. Expand Close (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Expand Close (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Dominic Lipinski/PA) 3.20pm: Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) 3.18pm: Harry could not stop beaming after giving his hastily arranged live public announcement about the birth of his son. Off camera he looked relaxed and was understandably in a very good mood but confessed to missing out on rest, saying: Ive had about two hours sleep. 3.15pm: They were swiftly followed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who officiated at their wedding almost a year ago. Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their baby boy. May God bless the new family with love, health and happiness. #RoyalBaby pic.twitter.com/KmVV9mWpEB Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) May 6, 2019 3.10pm: Prime Minister Theresa May was among the politicians congratulating Harry and Meghan. Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the arrival of their baby boy. Wishing you all the best at this happy time. Theresa May (@theresa_may) May 6, 2019 Congratulations to Meghan and Harry on the birth of their baby. I hope they're all doing well. #royalbaby Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) May 6, 2019 The birth of a baby is a joyful occasion - congratulations to Harry and Meghan https://t.co/VbXUitWuSZ Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) May 6, 2019 Congratulations to the Duke & Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their boy. Absolutely wonderful news! #royalbaby (As Home Secretary, contrary to speculation, I didnt attend the birth! ) Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) May 6, 2019 3.02pm: 3pm: Expand Close The Duke of Sussex said he was so incredibly proud of his wife (Steve Parsons/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duke of Sussex said he was so incredibly proud of his wife (Steve Parsons/PA) 2.57pm: Harry added: I havent been at many births. This is definitely my first birth it was amazing, absolutely incredible. Im so incredibly proud of my wife. And as every father and parent would say, your baby is absolutely amazing. But this little thing is absolutely to-die-for so Im absolutely over the moon. 2.55pm: Harry said the couple were still thinking about names for their son. He said: The baby was a little bit overdue so weve had a little bit of time to think about it. Thats the next bit. He said he planned to make another announcement in two days time so everyone can see the baby. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news. The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 6, 2019 2.53pm: Expand Close Proud father: The Duke of Sussex makes the announcement (Steve Parsons/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Proud father: The Duke of Sussex makes the announcement (Steve Parsons/PA) 2.50pm: A beaming Harry said: Its been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. But were both absolutely thrilled. Were both absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support from everybody out there, its been amazing, so we just wanted to share this with everybody. 2.40pm: 2.35pm: Speaking from Windsor, the Duke of Sussex said: Im very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a baby boy this morning, a very healthy baby boy. 2.30pm: Buckingham Palace statement: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex was safely delivered of a son at 0526hrs. The baby weighs 7lbs 3oz. The Duke of Sussex was present for the birth. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news. The Duchesss mother, Doria Ragland, who is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, is with Their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. The name of the baby, which is seventh in line to the throne, will be announced at a later date. Police hunting extremely dangerous fugitive Joseph McCann over the kidnap and rape of three women have arrested a man after a stand-off with officers overnight following a new abduction. Residents described how police descended en masse on a rural lane near Congleton in Cheshire after the 34-year-old suspect fled up a tree. Two teenage girls were earlier forced into a car in the Cheshire town. The black Fiat Punto made off from the town centre at around 6.45pm but was spotted and pursued by officers before it hit another car and the driver fled, leaving the victims unhurt but extremely shaken, Cheshire Police said. #BreakingNews -Officers investigating the abduction of two women have located a man in connection with the incident. The man has been secured by officers in a rural area of Congleton and is currently talking to trained negotiators. https://t.co/BB1VvGD4ep pic.twitter.com/CUHIBcsqBE Congleton Police (@PoliceCongleton) May 5, 2019 The suspect was found in the tree in Smithy Lane, a country road just outside the town, following road checks and closures. Negotiators and paramedics were deployed and he was eventually taken into custody at around 3am on Monday morning. Scotland Yard detectives launched a hunt for suspected rapist and kidnapper McCann after he snatched two women in their 20s off the streets in north London on April 25 in separate incidents. The 34-year-old is also suspected of abducting a 21-year-old woman at knifepoint in Watford in the early hours of April 21 and raping her. Cheshire 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. @NPASBarton & @NPASHawarden provide operational support Congleton to @PoliceChester pic.twitter.com/lKcHqKJvkg NPAS North West Region (@NPASNorthWest) May 6, 2019 Andrew Kidd, 75, who has a farm in Smithy Lane, said that at about 8.30pm on Sunday he was told by police to stay inside his property. They told me there is a very violent person about who has absconded and hes very dangerous so go inside, lock your doors and dont 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 theres a ravine and a wooded area. He must have ran across the field to get there because the footpath is closed off while theyre working on the new road. 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. Expand Close CCTV handout of McCann (Metropolitan Police/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp CCTV handout of McCann (Metropolitan Police/PA) Asked if she found the situation unnerving, she said: Of course it is. When you find yourself in the middle of something like that youre bound to wonder whats going on arent you? 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, Im 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 whats happening, who he is and what hes done so it is a bit scary but we just locked the doors. We watched from the window upstairs. Another neighbour on Lomas Way reported seeing lights on the field at about 2am. One man said he was watching Antiques Roadshow with his wife when they heard the helicopter circling. He said: We saw police down the road and they put a road block at the top of it to stop traffic. 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. He was freed automatically halfway through a three-year sentence for burglary and theft but should have gone before a parole board, it is understood. McCann was subject to a life-long licence after he was released from prison in 2017 having served 10 years of an indeterminate sentence for public protection for a previous aggravated burglary. Scotland Yard offered a reward of up to 20,000 for information leading to his arrest and prosecution. Cheshire Constabulary said the suspect had been secured by officers in a rural area (PA/ Met Police) Officers hunting fugitive Joseph McCann over three rapes and two abductions have located a man in Congleton who is currently talking to trained negotiators, police said. Cheshire Constabulary said the suspect had been secured by officers in a rural area of the town where a police presence was on the ground and in the air overnight. According to reports, the man was evading capture by hiding in a tree on a country lane as police helicopters monitored the scene from above. Earlier two women were forced into a black Fiat Punto in the town centre at around 6.45pm, sparking fears that the extremely dangerous suspected rapist had struck again. Expand Close McCann allegedly snatched two women in their 20s off the streets in north London (Met Police/PA Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp McCann allegedly snatched two women in their 20s off the streets in north London (Met Police/PA 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. The man has been secured by officers in a rural area of Congleton and is currently talking to trained negotiators, the force said. #BreakingNews -Officers investigating the abduction of two women have located a man in connection with the incident. The man has been secured by officers in a rural area of Congleton and is currently talking to trained negotiators. https://t.co/BB1VvGD4ep pic.twitter.com/CUHIBcsqBE Congleton Police (@PoliceCongleton) May 5, 2019 BBC News reported that the suspect was in a tree on Smithy Lane, a country road just outside the town, while the Stoke Sentinel said there was police activity in the area. 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. Expand Close Superintendent Sarah Pengelly said McCann is a dangerous individual (Met Police/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Superintendent Sarah Pengelly said McCann is a dangerous individual (Met Police/PA) 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. 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 (IPP) for an aggravated burglary. Scotland Yard offered a reward of up to 20,000 for information leading to his arrest and prosecution. Police and forensic officers attending the scene at the farm (Jane Barlow/PA) Two men have died and two others were injured as a wall collapsed at a farm. The incident happened at a property near Whitecross, in the Falkirk area, at around 10.10am on Monday. Police Scotland said two men suffered serious injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene. Two other men suffered injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening. One was taken by ambulance to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary while the other was airlifted to Glasgows Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Expand Close The emergency service attended shortly after 10am on Monday (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The emergency service attended shortly after 10am on Monday (Jane Barlow/PA) Police Scotland said inquiries to establish the full circumstances are being carried out and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been informed. Chief Inspector Damian Armstrong, the local area commander for Falkirk, said: My thoughts and sympathies are with the families of those affected by this incident and a multi-agency inquiry at the farm is ongoing. If anyone believes they have any relevant information that may be of use to this investigation then please come forward and quote incident 1081 of May 6. Expand Close An inquiry into the circumstances is being carried out (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An inquiry into the circumstances is being carried out (Jane Barlow/PA) The property where the incident happened lies off the A803, between Linlithgow and Falkirk. Local road closures were put in place while the emergency services attended. A fire service spokeswoman said: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service responded at 10.11am on Monday with emergency service partners to a farm in the Falkirk area following reports of a collapsed wall. Operations control mobilised a number of fire appliances to the Whitecross area. A teenage boy has been charged with the murder of 17-year-old Ellie Gould. Wiltshire Police said the 17-year-old suspect, who was from the Calne area and was known to Ellie, was remanded in custody ahead of a court appearance at Salisbury Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Ellie, a Year 12 pupil at Hardenhuish School, was pronounced dead after emergency services were called to a house in Springfield Drive at 3.15pm on Friday. Police detained the suspect in the nearby town of Chippenham later that afternoon. UPDATE: Detectives from Wiltshire Polices Major Crime Investigation Team have today charged a teenager with the murder of Eleanor Gould. The 17-year-old male from the Calne area has been charged with murder and has been remanded in custody. https://t.co/gvDkmBRhDB pic.twitter.com/fExViPx1L3 Wiltshire Police (@wiltshirepolice) May 6, 2019 Inspector Don Pocock said: I would like to again thank the communities of Calne and Chippenham for the support and patience they have shown so far to our officers as they have carried out inquiries as part of this murder investigation. A case like this takes time and will understandably have an impact on the local community so thank you for your help and understanding. Over the past few days, people living in Calne and Chippenham would have seen an increased police presence which I appreciate can add more anxiety and upset to what is already a tragic situation. However, I want to reassure everyone that the officers and detectives involved have been working hard to carry out their duties as swiftly as possible to minimise the impact on those living and working here. Inevitably there has been a lot of interest and discussion into this case on social media and the like however, now that a person has been charged and court proceedings have started, please be mindful not to speculate or comment publicly on anything to do with the investigation. Lisa Percy, head teacher of Hardenhuish School, said: I would like to thank everyone for all of the messages of support that we have received from past, present and future parents, colleagues and other members of the community. We would like to express our thanks to all partner agencies who have supported us too. The students, staff and parents have found comfort in being together and paying their respects to Ellie and our thoughts remain with her family and friends at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact Wiltshire Police on 101, quoting log number 176 on May 3. Police and firefighters were on hand to reunite a duck with her ducklings after the young birds fell into a drain. The birds got into trouble at a school in the town of Apex, North Carolina. Helping to return lost ducklings to their mother at Apex Friendship High School, we do everything here at APD and Apex Fire! Town of Apex Government Posted by Apex Police Department on Monday, May 6, 2019 Thankfully, a joint effort from police officers and the local fire department meant the ducklings were soon freed from their predicament as officers climbed inside the drain and fished them out. A Facebook post from Apex Police department read: Helping to return lost ducklings to their mother at Apex Friendship High School, we do everything here at APD and Apex Fire! Reunited and it feels so good..... pic.twitter.com/1fImUHWBpb Apex Police Dept. (@ApexPolice) May 6, 2019 The police also posted a video to Twitter showing the birds waddling away from the scene with their mum. An Australian DJ popular on the Asian club circuit has been found dead after suffering massive bleeding from an injury at a resort complex on the Indonesian island of Bali. Adam Neats official social media pages carried a statement confirming his death, saying he died while trying to help a friend who suffered multiple fractures on Saturday. Indonesian police said they are still investigating the death of the 42-year-old performer, who used the stage name Adam Sky. An initial police report said he suffered a deep, wide cut to his arm that caused massive bleeding. Local police chief Dody Monza said the body was found lying near a bathroom by two housekeepers at Hillstone Villa, where the DJ stayed in Bali, a few minutes after they heard a woman scream for help. Police said a 22-year-old Russian woman described as a friend of Neats was found naked beside the villa with a broken leg, while bloodstained glass fragments were found in Neats room. Police did not say how the woman was injured. Police Detective Muhammad Nurul Yaqin said a preliminary investigation showed that Neat was drunk at the time and smashed a glass window in his bedroom. Part of the broken window fell on his right arm, causing severe bleeding, he said. Expand Close Police at the scene in Bali (Denpasar Police/AP) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police at the scene in Bali (Denpasar Police/AP) We cannot conclude yet whether he intended to break the glass or accidentally hit it, he said. Mr Monza said Neats wife arrived in Bali after his death and refused a post-mortem. We are still investigating this case despite an autopsy refusal by Neats wife, he said. Neats website says he has toured with artists including Taio Cruz and The Scissor Sisters. 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) AP/PA Images / 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) AP/PA Images / 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) AP/PA Images / 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 SpaceX shipment has arrived at the International Space Station with a cosmic catch by a pair of Canadians. The Dragon capsule delivered 5,500lb of equipment and experiments. Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques used the stations big robot arm also made in Canada to capture the Dragon approximately 250 miles above the North Atlantic. An external cable that normally comes off during launch dangled from the capsule, but did not interfere with the grappling. Welcome on board, Dragon, Mr Saint-Jacques radioed. He congratulated ground teams for their help, in English and French. He later told Canadian schoolchildren it was a big moment of pride to grab the Dragon using the stations 58ft robot arm Canadas main contribution to the space station. He became the first Canadian to use it to grab a visiting spacecraft a cosmic catch, in the words of the Canadian Space Agency. To be at the controls myself, after all these years of training, it was a very, very special moment and, fortunately, it all went well, he told the schoolchildren later in the day. It is the second station visit for this recycled Dragon, which was launched by SpaceX on Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It also flew in 2017. This is SpaceXs 17th delivery to the space station. The first was in 2012. Northrop Grumman is Nasas other shipper its Cygnus cargo ship arrived two weeks ago. The Dragon will remain for about a month, being filled with science samples for return to Earth. It is the only cargo ship capable of coming back intact. Besides one Canadian, the space station is home to three Americans and two Russians. The US is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to an area that includes the Middle East (Kaitlin McKeown/The Virginian-Pilot via AP, File) A White House decision to dispatch an aircraft carrier to send a message to Iran followed clear indications that Iranian forces were preparing to possibly attack US forces in the region, a defence official told the Associated Press. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said that the Pentagon approved the deployments. They added that US forces at sea and on land were thought to be the potential targets. White House national security adviser John Bolton said in a statement Sunday night that the US is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region, an area that includes the Middle East. Expand Close National security adviser John Bolton said the US will use unrelenting force if threatened (AP/Evan Vucci) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp National security adviser John Bolton said the US will use unrelenting force if threatened (AP/Evan Vucci) Bolton said the move was in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings. He didnt provide details, but said the US wants to send a message that unrelenting force will meet any attack on US interests or those of its allies. The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces, he said. The Pentagon had no immediate comment on the Bolton statement. The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have been operating in the Mediterranean Sea recently. Last Wednesday a group of senior Albanian government officials visited aboard the Lincoln as it sailed in the Adriatic. Boltons reference to the Central Command area would mean the Lincoln is headed east to the Red Sea and perhaps then to the Arabian Sea or the Persian Gulf. It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interestsMike Pompeo, Secretary of State Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the actions undertaken by the US had been in the works for a little while. It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests, Pompeo said. If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that. The Trump administration has been intensifying a pressure campaign against Iran. Last month, President Donald Trump announced the US will no longer exempt any countries from US sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, a decision that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and US treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey. The US also recently designated Irans Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group, the first ever for an entire division of another government. As a youngster, whenever I'd visit that jewel of Connemara, Clifden, my Galway uncle would proudly point out the historic spot where the pioneer aviators Alcock and Brown landed in 1919. As Uncle Jim was a boy when this occurred, it always remained for him a source of awe and wonder that these men had been the first to fly the Atlantic non-stop. They crossed in 16 hours and 28 minutes in a fragile two-seater open-cockpit airplane - then the longest flight ever taken - and landed in a bog just by Clifden. Brown's first words were: "Yesterday, we were in America." For the people of Connemara, who had known America as a far destiny of emigration, it was truly extraordinary. Jack Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown were soon global aviation celebrities. Clifden will be en fete from June 11-16 to mark the Alcock and Brown centenary and many celebratory events are taking place in the town, including a re-enactment of the landing itself, displays of artefacts from the flight, a national school science fair, photography exhibitions (there are good photographs of the Vimy Vickers aircraft in which they flew) and gatherings of friends and associates of the aviators. An Post is issuing a commemorative stamp and there will be a 15 commemorative coin too. On May 15, the London Heathrow statue of the duo, especially transported, will be unveiled at the Abbeyglen Hotel in Clifden. Because they flew together, Jack Alcock and Arthur (known to his family as Ted) Whitten Brown are forever paired in aviation history, yet they had only known each other for a few months when they conceived of the plan to fly the little aircraft from Newfoundland to Ireland. Alcock was a Manchester lad - always into mechanics and engineering - while Brown's family were Americans who had settled in Scotland. Both were veterans of the First World War; Brown, who had been through the Somme, suffered from a shattered leg and walked with a stick. As Brendan Lynch relates in his superb book, Yesterday We Were In America, they were very different characters. Jack (27) was the eldest in a family of five, quite shy, very focused on the mechanics of flight and engineering, not into writing letters and didn't care for publicity. Arthur (33) was an only child, but more sociable, interested in literature (he read Yeats) and was much in love with his pretty fiancee Kathleen Kennedy. But when they met at a Vickers training station, their common interest in extending the boundaries of flight struck a chord and soon they were planning the daring crossing of the Atlantic. (Lord Northcliffe, the aviation-mad press baron, was offering prize money of 100,000 - about half a million today.) It was a dangerous mission. The fatalities involved in early flight - first pioneered by the Wright brothers in 1899 - were tremendous and would touch both their lives after Clifden. They set off from a gusty St John's in Newfoundland on Saturday morning, June 14, lifting the fragile two-seater into the sky, using marine instruments of compass and sextant to guide them. They were carrying a colossal 865 gallons of fuel and two bags of mail, making the flight the first ever airmail service too. The Atlantic is 3,000ft deep in parts and there were terrifying moments, as when the Vimy stalled and dropped down to 500ft amid swirling fog and rocking turbulence. Their radio conked out and an exhaust pipe broke in the fuselage. It was fog, sleet, wind, cloud, darkness and even ice. The noise from the engine precluded conversation, so the two had to communicate in notes - some still preserved (one says "Have a sandwich?"). Then, imagine the sight of Ireland's west coast hoving into view in the morning light! Hallelujah! In a sign of the times, the denizens of Clifden were all at church at 8.40 in the morning - at a Catholic mass or Church of Ireland service - and the first witness was a little boy, Harry Sullivan, kept at home for fear of contacting the fearful Spanish flu then raging. Word soon got around and the Vimy, damaged as it came down, became a celebrity in itself, while the aviators were hailed as harbingers of a new, wonderful age of aviation. Sadly, Jack was killed later that year, flying from London to Paris in bad weather conditions. Arthur was very upset by the loss; but he was happily married to Kathleen and had a son. He also passionately believed aviation would be a bridge to world peace, bringing peoples together. He was to be greatly disillusioned by this as he witnessed aerial bombing develop and his only child, Arthur Jnr, was killed in aerial combat during the Second World War. He died at 62 from an apparent accidental painkiller overdose. But Brown and Alcock did open a century of flight and some of us have always retained a sense of the glamour of flying. I still find it an amazing moment when an aircraft takes off and I think of those early aviation pioneers who were so daring. It's surely fitting Clifden on the Wild Atlantic Way should be the host to their historic achievement. For more, see www.alcockandbrown 100.com Inevitably, the hopes that the murder of Lyra McKee would bring supporters or condoners of violent republicanism to their senses proved to be too high. The hearts of many must have sunk when Gary Donnelly, a former prominent member of the 32 County Sovereignty Committee, topped the poll in Derry. Yet the fact Sinn Fein didn't do as well as they hoped and the good results for Alliance and some positive ones for the SDLP bring some comfort to those of us who think physical-force nationalism has been and is a cancer on the island of Ireland. But the IRA haven't gone away, you know, and locals are not exactly queueing up to give evidence to the police about Lyra's murder. Would you? Lyra's friend Anna Burns, who comes from Ardoyne, won this year's Booker Prize with Milkman, a superb novel about what it's like to live in a totalitarian ghetto. That sounds pretty off-putting, but she brought to it such understanding, originality and wit that ever since I read it - on Lyra's recommendation - I've been begging everyone to read it. The book has been selling tremendously well in countries that have experience of permanently intimidated communities. And that's what still exists in parts of Northern Ireland, including in the Creggan. Optimists were buoyed when some New IRA graffiti was defaced after Lyra's death, but it was, of course, inevitable, that the bosses should have sent out some of their groupies to reinforce the old messages. So the locals were confronted with "IRA here to stay," and a few threats directed at anyone who thought it would be public-spirited to help the PSNI. "Informers WILL be executed," said one. Others, on placards shaped like road signs and attached to lampposts, said: "RUC Informers: They will forget about you, we won't. IRA"; another featured a picture of a rat with a target over it, and the caption: "Informers will be shot. IRA." People who have never lived in places like this need at the very least to read Milkman to grasp why well-meaning people urging the locals to finger likely perpetrators are likely to get nowhere. In his later, respectable days, Martin McGuinness - a leading light for decades in an army council that oversaw the torture and murder of innumerable suspected informers - denounced the murder of police and recommended co-operation with them. Would he have given information himself? Certainly not publicly. For outsiders, is almost impossible to understand the visceral hatred among republicans for the police in both jurisdictions. Their attitudes to informers go even deeper. There is no one, but no one, who is regarded as lower than an informer: they are scum, they are Untouchables, and there is no terrible fate they don't deserve. As we know, the IRA cover up rape and paedophilia. They would never do the same for informers. And that, of course, licences their murder. And that, of course, is why the police have been so hamstrung in trying to solve crimes committed by republicans. Omerta works. Saoradh would indignantly deny having anything to do with death threats. Their role, as they frequently explain, is to "offer an analysis on armed actions in the pursuit of Irish National Liberation". Like the IRAs before them, they lie and peddle grievances and think themselves hard done by even as they defend the indefensible. They are suffering, apparently, from "unprecedented levels of censorship", greater than any other political party in western Europe. Their deluded and self-important pronouncements are hard to bear, which is why it was so delightful to see the BBC's Emma Vardy reducing them to truculent silence when she bearded 11 of them after they had each been fined 750 for participating in an illegal parade in Derry last year. At a time when we are mourning Lyra, it was curiously reassuring to see another fearless young woman making fools of these men by doggedly pursuing them, asking questions they were scared to answer. If you haven't seen it, you can find a clip from May 2 on Ms Vardy's Twitter @EmmaVardyTV. We are stuck with yet another self-deluded and vain group of brutal ideologues. It will take very brave people within the communities they dominate to share the truth about Lyra's murder. In the meantime, we can help them by laughing at Saoradh. The local government elections here provided more interest and drama than many expected, and the surge for the Alliance Party, which gained 21 seats, has created much debate about what this really means. There were surprise casualties, too, and it is sad to see experienced councillors like the UUP's Jeffrey Dudgeon lose their seats, but there were welcome new faces as well, including the DUP's first openly gay councillor, Alison Bennington. There were some markedly less-new faces, including that of the Sinn Fein Councillor Barry McElduff, who was forced to resign as an MP after angering and deeply hurting the relatives of the victims of the Kingsmill atrocity by his tasteless posing with a Kingsmill loaf on his head on the anniversary of that dreadful event. His self-serving assertion that he maintained high standards on public life by resigning brings no comfort to the relatives who will find his re-election utterly galling. The dissident republican Gary Donnelly topped his poll in Londonderry. He had earlier criticised the New IRA after it murdered Lyra McKee, and called on this vile terror gang to end its violence. The UUP will be disheartened at dropping from 88 to 75 seats. The blame-game has begun, with one member claiming that the ill-judged UUP leaflet accusing the Alliance Party of voting with Sinn Fein "the political wing of the Provisional IRA" had contributed to the party's poor showing. The leaflet was not backed by the party's hierarchy. In Londonderry the SDLP gained some ground, though its total of seats is down from 66 in 2014 to 59 currently. Overall the DUP vote is up slightly, though seats are down from 130-122. Sinn Fein took 23.2% of the vote while its seats tally still stands at 105. The two main parties still have to be reckoned with. Our politics are still dominated by Orange and Green, and this is the background against which the latest Stormont talks take place. The big parties will determine whether a deal can be agreed or not. They almost did so in February 2018, and everyone hopes that this time round they will make progress. The Alliance success underlines that many voters want to move away from the polarisation that has dogged our politics for far too long, and the senseless murder of Lyra McKee is a strong motivating factor for greater agreement. With Brexit looming large, some Remainers may have supported Alliance as well. The party's significant surge should be an incentive - and a sign - to those at the talks to acknowledge the increasing demand for people to work together and to move away from the past. To say the local election results were fantastic for Alliance is an understatement. With 53 councillors elected, a vote share increase to 11.5%, representation on 10 of the 11 local councils and our best election since 1977 by any measurable benchmark, I will admit it was beyond even the most optimistic of predictions we had before the polls opened. But it was more than that. It was a watershed for Northern Ireland that will change the dynamic of local politics for good. 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 Along with Alliance's stunning performance, we saw increases for others, even individual progressive candidates. People on the whole showed they are less interested in politics of fear, while backing progressive politics which delivers. Voters have shown they want the type of politics which puts people first, while sending out a message they want to move forward, away from tribal politics. Read More Read More There's no doubting there is a lot of disillusionment with politics currently - stagnation at Stormont and deadlock at Westminster have switched many off. Instead, Alliance offered solutions consistently and people responded to that. Our candidates were hard workers across their constituencies, even those who previously were not elected to public office, on the local issues which matter. We fought the campaign on those issues - such as increasing openness and transparency, protecting the environment and helping create a shared society. People right across the board and from all backgrounds responded to that positivity. Instead of engaging in debates over whether Alliance was unionist or nationalist, we spent our time telling people what we would do if elected and how we would deliver for them. That was reflected in the results, which saw numerous candidates top their respective polls and grow our vote. If ever people thought their vote didn't matter, this election is proof it does. In areas where we have had no elected representative for decades, if at all, there is now at least one Alliance voice on the local council. When I became leader, I said one of my goals was to increase our representation west of the Bann. Now, thanks to the hard work of many and a continued focus on several areas, Alliance can truly say we are a Northern Ireland-wide party. Rachael Ferguson and Philip McKinney are councillors in Derry City and Strabane, where there had been no Alliance representation since 1981, while scores of people were glued to updates from Omagh, where Stephen Donnelly delighted everyone by finally taking a seat. Taken in isolation, they are superb results. Added to growth in areas such as Belfast, Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ards and North Down, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid and East Antrim and Causeway; holding our seats in Newry, Mourne and Down while almost adding to them; and going from nothing to three on Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, it is an incredible achievement and one we need to build on in the previously 'non-traditional' areas. Indeed, while there will be a period of celebration, it is vital to not just sit back on our laurels anywhere - being the fifth largest party in overall size is not good enough, if we are to really transform the entire landscape of Northern Ireland politics in order to deliver the progress people want. The first opportunity to do that is the forthcoming European election, where the momentum from this election and proof Alliance can draw votes from anywhere gives the potential for something really special. Our election campaign slogan was 'demand better'. People have demanded better and given us the increased strength to do that. It's now up to Alliance to deliver it. Scene at the promenade in Portstewart on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, after a car plunged from the parking area, across the promenade and down to the sea and rocks below. Pic Margaret McLaughlin The March 5 incident in which a car was driven onto rocks at Portstewart Scene at the promenade in Portstewart on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, after a car plunged from the parking area, across the promenade and down to the sea and rocks below. Pic Margaret McLaughlin A DRINK-driver who deliberately crashed her car onto rocks at a popular seaside resort has been banned from driving for 30 months and fined 500. Bride-to-be Stacey Yates (32) was over three times the legal limit when her gold Citroen veered off the road, plunged over the seawall and landed on rocks on the Portstewart shoreline. At the time of the accident on March 5 this year, it was reported that a woman in her thirties was helped from the car by an ambulance crew. While the vehicle was left mangled, she was not injured and declined transport to the nearest A&E department. Firefighters helped to stabilise the vehicle and a crane was called to winch it back onto the road. Police said at the time the woman was arrested on suspicion of driving with excess alcohol. Yates, of Danes Hill Road in Coleraine, appeared at the town's magistrates court last week to be sentenced, having previously admitted the excess alcohol charge. The court heard she had a reading of 108 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. A prosecution lawyer explained that police received a report of a car on rocks below the promenade at The Crescent in Portstewart. A defence barrister said Yates was a "lady of good character" who was "totally embarrassed" that the incident had "attracted quite a significant amount of attention". He described the case as "sad" and said his client had long-standing mental health issues. On the day in question, the defendant tried to go off her medication and, at her "lowest ebb", decided to drive onto the rocks, the court heard. The lawyer said it was a "deliberate action" and that no other cars were inconvenienced. The barrister said it was accepted it was a high alcohol reading. District Judge Peter King told the previous hearing he wanted a pre-sentence report due to the "very unusual set of circumstances". At Monday's court it was heard that the defendant escaped with just a "bump" on her head. She is due to marry this summer, it was said. Judge King said the circumstances of the case were "stark" because the defendant had been more than three times the drink-drive limit. Carls Jr. added something a bit special to its signature sauce. This past April 20th, unofficially known as the holiday celebrating marijuana, Carls Jr. developed a CBD-infused burger for one of its Denver locations. In another nod to the marijuana holiday, the burger sold for $4.20. This offer made Carls Jr. the first national fast food chain to add CBD-infused food to its menu. According to Alex McConnell, the Carls Jr. district manager, the restaurant hosting the promotion had a full parking lot (and) people waiting in the drive-thru just before its 6:00 a.m. opening. The company released a statement about their Rocky Mountain High burger, saying it featured two 100% charbroiled beef patties paired with Carls Jr. signature Santa Fe Sauce infused with hemp-based CBD oil, pickled jalapenos, pepper jack cheese and Crisscut fries to give the burger the extra crunch all between a premium bun. Early news stories reported that the Carls Jr. served over 1,000 burgers before it ran out, but later sources explained the restaurant actually sold 2,200 by closing. Regardless of how many were sold, this was a huge success for the store. According to a Carls Jr. statement in April, there is potential for CBD burgers in more locations as regulations allow. The company was able to sell the burger due to Colorados progressive stance on the marijuana industry. Most products that contain CBD became legal in December when President Donald Trump signed the farm bill. However, chefs eager to cook with the ingredient have had some issues with the Food and Drug Administration, which prohibits adding CBD to food and beverages. CBD is a non-psychoactive compound found in hemp and marijuana, and is said to possible treat anxiety, be a pain reliever, and help with other ailments. More research on these claims need to be conducted, however. In addition, the particular dosage is one that is up for debate. Regardless, the Carls Jr. burger is unlikely to get anyone high. Former Goldman Sachs executive Roger Ng (left) leaves a Federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y, with his attorney, Marc Agnifilo (center), May 6, 2019. Updated at 9:33 a.m. ET on 2019-05-07 U.S. authorities placed an ex-Goldman Sachs banker under house arrest after he was ordered released on a $1-million cash bail Monday following his extradition from Malaysia to face charges related to embezzling billions of dollars from state investment fund 1MDB, an American Department of Justice (DOJ) official said. Malaysian national Roger Ng entered a not guilty plea and was granted bail ahead of his trial after he appeared in a federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., Nicole Navas, a DOJ spokeswoman, told BenarNews. Ng was arraigned on the indictment this afternoon before a magistrate judge in the Eastern District of New York, Navas said. The magistrate judge set Ngs bail conditions to: $20 million bond, $1 million of which was secured by a cash deposit, she said, adding that the conditions of his bail included home detention with electronic monitoring. As part of his temporary release, Ng, whose real name is Ng Chong Hwa, will be under constant electronic monitoring, Navas said, noting that the Malaysians travel would be restricted to the eastern and southern federal districts of New York. Ngs next court appearance is scheduled for 10 a.m. on May 23, she said. Special Malaysian-US arrangement Ng arrived in New York early Monday after DOJ and Malaysian officials announced his extradition separately. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Attorney General Tommy Thomas earlier told reporters that consultations were held between the two countries before forging an agreement for Ng to be sent to the United States for 10 months, in a rare move that would allow him to first face criminal charges in America. This is to enable him to be prosecuted in the U.S. first, Thomas said in a statement released Monday evening. Ng, who was flown from Kuala Lumpur over the weekend, will also face charges of conspiring to violate to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by paying bribes to multiple government officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi, and conspiring to circumvent the internal accounting controls of Goldman Sachs, the U.S. DOJ said in a statement. Ngs lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, debunked reports on Monday that he was engaged in talks for a plea deal with prosecutors. We are not in active plea negotiations, he told Bloomberg Monday, although he added that his client would consider all options available to every defendant. In a three-count indictment unsealed last year, Ng was charged with crimes he allegedly committed while employed as a managing director at Goldman Sachs, which arranged three bond sales that raised more than U.S. $6 billion in bonds for 1MDB in 2012 and 2013. He was employed at the New York-headquartered financial institution until 2014. U.S. prosecutors alleged that high-level 1MDB officials and their associates had embezzled U.S. $4.5 billion from the Malaysian state fund during a five-year period starting in 2009, using the money to buy real estate in California and New York, artwork by Picasso and Monet, a luxury yacht and jewelry. The scandal led to the ouster of Prime Minister Najib Razaks government last year. Najib, who founded 1MDB, is also facing 42 criminal charges related to the 1MDB looting. He has pleaded not guilty. As part of the scheme, Ng and others conspired to bribe government officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi to obtain and retain lucrative business, the U.S. DOJ said Monday. They further conspired to launder the proceeds of their criminal conduct through the U.S. financial system. Ng was arrested in Malaysia on Nov. 1, 2018, upon U.S. request, and later waived extradition to the United States, the DOJ statement said, adding that he was scheduled to make his first appearance Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo in Brooklyn. Ng is one of the two ex-Goldman bankers charged by U.S. prosecutors. If convicted on the three charges, he faces up to 30 years in prison, according to DOJ officials. On June 7, 2018, the DOJ also filed conspiracy charges against Tim Leissner, Goldman Sachs former Southeast Asia chairman, alleging he had violated anti-bribery and money laundering laws. On the same date, Leissner pleaded guilty to the charges and has been ordered to forfeit U.S. $43.7 million. Leissner, who faces up to 10 years in prison, is free on bail and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28, according to U.S. prosecutors. Malaysian minister signs surrender warrant In an about-face on April 25, Malaysian Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin signed Ngs temporary surrender warrant, Thomas said. Roger Ng was temporarily surrendered to the U.S. on 3rd May 2019, and shall be returned to Malaysia to face our charges as soon as the proceedings in the U.S. are concluded, the Malaysian governments top prosecutor said in his statement. The temporary extradition may be extended upon mutual agreement by the two countries, Thomas said, without elaborating. Legal proceedings against Ng in the United States had been delayed mainly because Muhyiddin said the former banker should first face criminal charges in Malaysia, where he faces four charges of helping the bank provide misleading information during the 1MDB bond sales. He has pleaded not guilty. In its lawsuits announced in November 2018, the U.S. DOJ alleged that Ng and Malaysian fugitive Low Taek Jho who is better known as Jho Low had misappropriated billions of dollars from 1MDB, Malaysias investment arm established in 2009 ostensibly to fund the countrys development program. Prosecutors said the duo and other conspirators laundered the money through complex financial transactions. In Sydney, an Australian public relations firm that represents Jho Low issued a statement late Monday about Ngs extradition. Wells Haslem Mayhew Strategic Public Affairs accused the Malaysian government of attempting to tout its cooperation with the U.S. when it shares no common ground on basic human and legal rights. While Malaysia agreed to the transfer when Mr. Ng first waived extradition in February, the regimes leaders then back-tracked and invented the concept of a fast track trial, Benjamin Haslem, co-CEO of the firm, said in a statement emailed to BenarNews. Unsurprisingly this failed when the politically motivated Government focused all its efforts persecuting its predecessors with show trials and abusive use of arrest warrants. It is good that Mr. Ng has been rescued from Malaysias inhumane prison conditions and a process controlled by a leader with a history of abusing the judicial system to destroy political opponents, Haslem added. He was referring to the 1-year-old government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who had previously served as PM for 22 years. Prosecutors, meanwhile, said that Goldman Sachs had received about U.S. $600 million in fees after it raised more than U.S. $6 billion in the bond offerings on 1MDBs behalf. Malaysian authorities had earlier said the government was seeking up to U.S. $7.7 billion in reparations from Goldman Sachs over the 1MDB scandal. We continue to cooperate with all relevant authorities as the process continues to move forward, Michael DuVally, a Goldman spokesman, said in a statement released Monday. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. Protesters march outside the Chinese Embassy in Manila to express their outrage at Chinas naval aggression in the South China Sea, April 9, 2019. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will enforce a Supreme Court order directing the government to protect and rehabilitate the marine environment in three areas the country claims in the disputed South China Sea, his spokesman said Monday. The high court on Friday said it had issued a writ instructing key government agencies, including the Philippine Navy, police and the Coast Guard, to protect reefs and marine life in Scarborough Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal and Mischief Reef. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the government was duty bound to enforce the court order. Our coast guard, as well as other government agencies, are performing their task in securing the subject of the writ, he said in a statement. The courts order, called writ of kalikasan, the Filipino word for nature, was prompted by a petition filed by activists and a group of fishermen from two provinces seeking to prevent environmental-law violations within the countrys exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The writ is a legal remedy under local laws that protects a citizens constitutional right to a healthy environment. The petitioners alleged that the government had failed to act against Chinas destructive activities, which they claimed were violations of a 2016 ruling issued in favor of the Philippines by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration. We take exception, however, to the contention that there has been inaction on the part of the administration with regard to the environmental concerns brought about by Chinese activities in the contested areas, Panelo said. The high court noted that as early as 2016, the arbitral tribunal had also found, among others, that fishermen from Chinese-flagged vessels have engaged in the harvesting of endangered species on a significant scale and in the harvesting of giant clams in a manner that is severely destructive of the coral reef ecosystem. It also noted that Chinas land reclamation and construction of artificial islands, installations, and structures at Mischief Reef has caused severe, irreparable harm to the coral reef ecosystem. In recent years, the South China Seas have become the scene of escalating territorial disputes between China and its neighbors over what the United States says is Beijings militarization of the disputed region by building military installations on artificial islands it occupies. China claims almost all of the strategic sea region, a vast shipping waterway through which more than $3 billion of trade passes annually. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have overlapping claims. The Supreme Court also noted that Chinese fishermen had used cyanide and explosives while engaged in gathering corals and giant clams in the three areas claimed by Manila. Panelo, a lawyer, said that while concerns have been raised about the environmental damage brought about the alleged incursions, the government must also consider that these have been made in contested areas. We are consciously cautious not to perform provocative acts that may trigger armed hostilities between the contesting countries, which may risk the lives of our countrymen and cause irreparable damage to our land, Panelo said. Panelos statement came as the U.S. military confirmed on Monday that two U.S. warships had sailed near islands claimed by Beijing in the sea region, in a move that China had described as a provocative action. The U.S. guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung Hoon traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the Seventh Fleet, told Reuters on Tuesday. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang alleged during a news conference Tuesday that the U.S. ships infringed upon Chinese sovereignty when they entered the waters near the islets without Chinas permission. He said Chinese navy warned them to leave. China urges the U.S. to stop such provocations, respect China's sovereignty and security interests and regional countries' efforts to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, he said, according to transcripts of the news conference posted on the foreign ministrys website. Lawyer: Three reefs must be protected Abdiel Fajardo, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, said the courts writ affirmed Manilas position that the three reefs are all within the countrys 370-kilometer (231-mile) EEZ and should be protected by Philippine authorities from further environmental degradation. This affirms at this juncture the Philippine position made before the international arbitral body that the disputed islands falls within the EEZ of the Philippines, and must therefore be protected by Philippine authorities as required by the Constitution and domestic environmental laws, said Fajardo, who represented the court petitioners. The writ, in effect, obliges the government to enforce the Permanent Court of Arbitrations July 2016 ruling that invalidated much of Chinas maritime claims in the South China Sea. Duterte has said he would not enforce the ruling immediately, and instead sought to gain Chinas confidence by distancing his government from the United States, the Philippines traditional military ally. Jojo Rinoza in Dagupan contributed to this report. Hundreds of millions of Muslims in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Thailand marked the beginning of Ramadan with Tarawih prayers on Sunday night followed by daytime fasting that began Monday and will go until June 4, Islams Eid al-Fitr holiday. Ramadan, tied to the lunar calendar, marks the ninth month in the Islamic year. The month commemorates the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. Along with prayers and fasting, where they refrain from eating, drinking and smoking during daylight hours, Muslims recite the Quran to draw closer to God and receive his promised rewards. At sunset each evening, worshipers break their fast with dates and other fruits before eating their meals. In Malaysia, the announcement of Ramadan is made by the Keeper of the Rulers Seal after he receives a decree from the King who is the custodian of Islam in the country. Indonesia, the worlds largest Muslim-majority country, has the tradition of Nyekar where families visit the graves of loved ones ahead of Ramadan to offer prayers for Gods blessings. We have to keep these centuries-old traditions alive because no other countries have them. If not us, who else would, housewife Marita Sari told BenarNews. Ami Afriatni and Afriadi Hikmal in Jakarta, S. Mahfuz in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Mariyam Ahmad in Pattani, Thailand, Megh Monir in Dhaka, Nurdin Hasan in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Matahari Ismail in Narathiwat, Thailand, and Jeoffrey Maitem in Maguindanao, Philippines, contributed to this report. Hurray for opening windows and getting outside (if you ignore the pesky rain and ridiculous pollen levels). Spring is really, really here. Even our outdoor farmers market opens this week. I'll be there every Tuesday afternoon from tomorrow all the way through to the end of October. I'm so ready to eat local! Last Monday I was getting settled back to normal life after a four-day lacemaking workshop and just didn't have the energy to write my Monday review post. That has two consequences: (1) this post is covering a whole lot of books and (2) some of my thoughts are very brief. Bakhita: The Saint of Sudan by Veronique Olmi, translated from the French by Adriana Hunter (Other Press, April 16). This novel is based on the life story of Mother Josephine Bakhita, who was kidnapped from her Sudanese village by slavers when she was a little girl. After being sold several times and unspeakably abused, she was eventually bought by an Italian consul, who took her back to Italy. There Bakhita worked for a wealthy family until she finally was freed by Italian courts. By that time, she had a calling from God and joined a convent, where she tried to find peace and acceptance. Her selfless good acts, despite the horrors she both observed and suffered during her childhood, earned her sainthood in 2000, almost fifty years after her death. This is not an easy book to read, but Bakhita's story is powerful and heartbreaking. Even with the nuns, she was not totally at rest--her scars and the memories of how she got them, her skin color, and her many losses weighed heavily on her. Nonetheless, Bakhita always worked to provide comfort and protection to those who lacked both, especially during the World Wars. Don't miss this story of an extraordinary woman who survived slavery in Africa to devote herself to God and the people of Italy. (Finished print copy provided by the publisher.) Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen (Berkley, April 30). If you're of a certain age then you at least recognize the name Helen Gurley Brown and are probably familiar with idea of the Cosmo girl. In the mid-1960s, just after the British (music) invasion and at the beginning of the sexual revolution, Brown took over Cosmopolitan, becoming the first female editor-in-chief of a Hearst publication. This novel covers Brown's first months at the magazine and her fight to shift its audience from middle-class housewives to cutting-edge single women. The story is told through the eyes of her assistant, Alice, who moved to the city to pursue her dream of becoming a professional photographer. I really liked both plot lines of Rosen's novel. Brown struggled against the male hierarchy and her own insecurities, but eventually headed one of the most-read magazines in the Hearst stable. Alice, a native Midwesterner, is exposed to all the city has to offer: hard work and career opportunities as well as love and betrayal. The period details (music, restaurants, clothes) and the behind the scenes look at Cosmo rounded out the story of Brown's eventual success and Alice's first summer in the city. Audiobook: The unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; 10 hr, 42 min) was nicely read by Kathe Mazur, who perfectly captured Alice's trajectory from city innocent to strong woman ready to face her future. (Finished copy, digital galley, and audiobook provided by the publisher.) I'll Keep You Safe by Peter May (Quercus, March 2018). I've been on a Peter May kick this year, listening to some of his novels for the first time and revisiting in audio the books I had previously read in print. This mystery/thriller starts in Paris as Niamh and Ruairidh, childhood friends and now spouses and business partners, attend a fashion show to sell the unique wool cloth they design and manufacture in their native Lewis island, in the Outer Hebrides. After an argument in which Niamh accuses Ruairidh of having an affair, he leaves their hotel room to meet up with a fashion icon. Niamh runs after their car, only to see it explode in a burst of flame. The rest of the novel is set in Lewis, where Niamh must face the future without her husband and wait for the French police to identify the car bomber. May is a master of building up the background of his characters, carefully timing when to reveal past events as his characters work through their present. Niamh discovers just how few allies she has in the place she calls home, and we're left trying to figure out which unsavory relative or friend may have reason to do away with Ruairidh. I don't think this was May's strongest ending (to say the least), but frankly the solution to the murder usually takes a backseat to life in the Outer Hebrides, and that's just how I like it. Audiobook: The unabridged audiobook (Hachette Audio, 11 hr, 33 min) was alternately read by Anna Murray and Peter Forbes. Forbes performed the chapters told in the present, and Murray took on the chapters about Niamh's past. Although Murray did a fine job, Forbes seems tailor-made to read May's work, and his performance was the stronger. (Audiobook provided by the publisher.) Heads Will Roll by Kate McKinnon and Emily Lynne (Audible Studios; 4 hr, 6 min). If you like fun, raunchy, and timely humor in the style of old-time radio drama or Firesign Theater you must listen to this Audible Original, written by and starring McKinnon and Lynne. The evil queen, Mortuana, and her BFF JoJo--turned into a raven by an old hag--work together to put down a peasant rebellion and the idea of social democracy while also individually coming to terms with who they are and who and what they want to be. The combo of current political references and pop culture nods with mythology and fairy tale tropes is just too much fun to miss. We have Sirens (played by Queer Eye's Fab Five), celebrity chefs, actresses, servants, comedians, rebels, gnomes, and a few squawking fowl. Original songs, sound effects, and great acting pull everything together. The full cast also includes Meryl Streep, Peter Dinklage, and Tim Gunn. This title is well worth one of your Audible credits or your cash. I know I'll listen to this more than once. (Audiobook in my personal library.) National Geographic Kids Almanac 2020 by National Geographic (May 7). I can't say enough good things about this fact-filled book for middle grade readers who have an interest in the natural world. Using National Geographic's signature gorgeous photos and colorful and easy-to-read graphics, the book covers everything from animal behavior to climate change, space exploration, history, and the sociocultural world. Besides informative text, the almanac includes activities, quizzes, and homework help. One of my favorite features is getting the chance to meet some of the National Geographic explorers and researchers (for example, archaeologist, filmmaker, pilot, ecologist). This is the kind of book (as you would expect) that you'll read in bits rather than cover to cover. I especially like the maps and the snapshot descriptions of each country. Pick a copy up for a curious kid in your life; it would make a great gift for the end of the school year. (Finished copy provided by the publisher.) Birds by the Shore: Observing the Natural Life of the Atlantic Coast by Jennifer Ackerman (Penguin, May 7). This collection of nature essays is actually a reprint (with a new introduction) of a book published in the 1990s that primarily focuses on the Delaware shore. Although the title implies that Ackerman mainly observed birds, she also writes of other species, like turtles, fish, and butterflies. She has both a personal perspective and a wider ecological and sociological scope, and her thoughts are often supported by research. Woven throughout are memories of her childhood and parents, and visits to Cape Cod and other seaside environments. I loved this collection and am now kicking myself for not having read her The Genius of Birds. I plan to dig out my copy of that 2016 book later this year. The print copy includes maps and and black and white drawings by Karin Grosz. I alternately read the print book and listened to the audiobook (Penguin Audio; 5 hr, 4 min). Ackerman read her own book, and though she's clearly not a professional narrator, she was pleasant to listen to. I recommend reading in print so you don't miss the illustrations. (Print galley and audiobook provided by the publisher.) Death Threat by Vivek Shraya, illustrated by Ness Lee (Arsenal Pulp Press, May 7). If you are familiar with writer / musician Shraya, you shouldn't miss this graphic memoir that explores the author's exposure to disturbing transgender hate mail sent by a stranger. I really liked Lee's artwork and was, of course, horrified by the incident Shraya addresses. However, because I am unfamiliar with Shraya's work, I didn't connect as strongly as others might. (Finished copy provided by the publisher.) (Arsenal Pulp Press, May 7). If you are familiar with writer / musician Shraya, you shouldn't miss this graphic memoir that explores the author's exposure to disturbing transgender hate mail sent by a stranger. I really liked Lee's artwork and was, of course, horrified by the incident Shraya addresses. However, because I am unfamiliar with Shraya's work, I didn't connect as strongly as others might. (Finished copy provided by the publisher.) Home Remedies by Xuan Juliana Wang (Hogarth, May 14). This collection of short stories explores the life of contemporary Chinese new adults, focusing heavily on family and friendship. The settings are Europe, the United States, and China, and the book as a whole is an important addition to the #ownvoices movement. I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Random House Audio, May 14) for a freelance assignment. Each story was read by a different narrator, and although some performances were stronger than others, all were easy on the ears. For more thoughts on the audiobook, see AudioFile magazine. Dr. Juan Bouzat, a professor in Bowling Green State Universitys Department of Biological Sciences, is part of an international research team studying the evolution of penguins. He is a co-author of a study published in the journal of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution that demonstrates the importance of island formation in the diversification of penguins and posits the discovery of two extinct penguin species from New Zealand. The research, recently highlighted by the New York Times, was conducted by a diverse team of 19 scholars representing eight countries and 16 research institutions and universities. During a sabbatical, Bouzat initiated collaborations at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark alongside a consortium of scholars who are uncovering the genomes of 10,000 species of birds. This major international collaboration has helped with efforts to complete the genome sequencing of all penguin species. The New York Times article highlights just one of the outcomes of this research. Doctoral student Tess Cole from the University of Otago, New Zealand, coordinated the analysis of the mitochondrial genomes of penguins, which led to the discovery of two new subspecies of penguins in the Chatham Islands: the dwarf yellow-eyed penguin and a new crested penguin. The appearance of these subspecies is linked to the geologic formation of their native islands, and thus provides evidence for the role of island formation in the diversification of penguins. The study also showed that early human settlers likely played a role in the disappearance of the newly described penguin subspecies, because fossil evidence suggests these waddling birds were cooked and eaten into extinction. These international collaborations expand the impact of BGSUs research activities and raise BGSUs profile as a comprehensive research university, in line with the BGSUs Strategic Plan recently presented by President Rogers, Bouzat said. Closer to home in his lab in the biology department, Bouzats focal research is on the population genetic diversity and potential hybridization of penguin species from South America, including the Magellanic penguin inhabiting the Patagonian shores of South America, the Humboldt penguin located in northern Chile and Peru, and the Galapagos penguin, which is restricted to the Galapagos Islands. Using DNA technology, Bouzats students have assessed the genetic diversity of these species, which allowed detecting signals of past demographic events, identifying breeding colonies of conservation concern, and detecting hybridization events. For example, studies by former masters student Gabrielle Arauco-Shapiro and current doctoral student Katelyn Schumacher showed that Galapagos penguins have lowered levels of genetic diversity compared to the Magellanic penguins. This is because the Galapagos region is highly impacted by variable weather patterns associated with El Nino effects, which result in the drastic decline of penguin populations. In contrast, large populations like those of the Magellanic penguin allow for increased genetic variability, making the species less prone to extinction. In another research project, masters student Eric Hibbets is studying the genetic makeup of Magellanic and Humboldt penguins in a region where both species overlap. Using multiple genetic markers, Hibbets has been able to document genetic evidence of hybridization in nature, which has both evolutionary and conservation implications. Thanks to the increasing accessibility of genome technology and the collaborative efforts of multiple research groups, Bouzat and his colleagues are ushering in the genomic era, which is changing the way researchers study the genetic diversity of wild species. Bouzat hopes to continue his collaborations to expand his research program into the use of genomic technology at the population level. The sequencing of complete genomes of single species has expanded to the sequencing of multiple individuals and populations within a species. This provides a powerful tool to examine levels of genetic diversity, past demographic events, and evolutionary responses of natural populations to human impacts on the environment. This provides a powerful tool to examine levels of genetic diversity, past demographic events, and evolutionary responses of natural populations to anthropogenic impacts on the environment, Bouzat said. As part of his teaching philosophy, Bouzat encourages collaboration among his doctoral, masters, and undergraduate students, who often work on and contribute to the same body of research despite having independent projects. BGSU provides a great environment for students to learn how to do science, given the level of personalized mentorship that our undergrad and grad students receive in our programs, he said. Bouzat motivates his students during weekly lab meetings, where updates on research and data analyses are discussed, and also works intensively with his students on the writing of their research for publication, promoting their growth as independent scientists and thus rendering them competitive candidates in their careers after graduating from BGSU. BGSU alumnus will encourage candidates to embrace the hard times By Amber Stark 99 In more than three decades as a journalist, Mizell Stewart III has been an award-winning reporter, a top newsroom editor, a radio and television broadcaster and a corporate news executive. But as degree candidates from the colleges of Arts and Sciences and Musical Arts will find out May 18, his story should resonate with everyone, not just future journalists. The 1994 alumnus will serve as commencement speaker for the Saturday morning ceremony. For me, the opportunity to speak to the graduates is really an awesome opportunity to talk about lessons I have learned. Many I have learned the hard way, he said. My hope in the speech is to help people embrace the times when things are hard. Journalism is certainly the way I have made a pretty good living, but, really, befitting the occasion, were talking about life here. Life is going to throw you curveballs that you dont expect. We really build a rewarding life and a lasting legacy through triumph and struggle. Stewart came to Bowling Green State University in the fall of 1983, thanks to a high school internship with a chain of suburban weekly newspapers in Cleveland where he met journalists from BGSU and two other Mid-American Conference universities. He applied and got accepted to all three universities, but chose BGSU in part because of the strength of its journalism faculty. The people who I worked closely with in my internship who were BGSU graduates could not say enough about the faculty and what they meant to them, he said. That turned out to be really true for me as well. Two faculty members in particular, Dr. Emil Dansker and Dr. Ray Laakaniemi, were instrumental in his development as a student and as a journalist. Stewart still keeps in touch with them and Bob Bortel, longtime director of student media at BGSU. The legacy he has built with student media is among the best in the country, he said of Bortel. He provides students with a truly real-world set of experiences and I benefitted from that. I cant say enough about the opportunities I had in student media. We were doing this, whether it was radio or news writing or photography, in as professional as an environment as could be created for students who were still learning the craft. Now, I visit campus as much as I can to assist students and interact with faculty. Journalism is not going to be successful in the long term if we dont have young people with the same hunger and passion that I did. Its critical that the relationship between the profession and the academy be maintained and strengthened. Serving as commencement speaker is the latest in his involvement with the University, which includes currently serving on the BGSU Alumni Association Board of Directors. The people who I worked closely with in my internship who were BGSU graduates could not say enough about the faculty and what they meant to them, he said. That turned out to be really true for me as well.""BGSU is lucky to have alumni like Mizell Stewart who give so freely of their time and talents," BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers said. "I am looking forward to hearing the life lessons he is going to share with our graduates. I know his message about adapting to and embracing the world they are about to enter will resonate with everyone." While at BGSU, Stewart was active in campus radio and the BG News, but after being hired part time as an on-air personality at WIOT-FM 104.7 in Toledo, he took a break from college. Drs. Dansker and Laakaniemi were pretty relentless in making sure I finished. They both saw a great potential in me, he said. I originally went to BGSU with the intention of becoming a news photographer, but I found that I really loved reporting. And really built my career doing that. I think both Ray and Emil saw in me someone who was very passionate about journalism, very passionate about serving communities and someone who wanted to be good at it. They didnt want a lack of a degree to have any impact on my future career prospects. Today, Stewart is a senior news executive for Gannett and the USA Today Network, an adjunct faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and the founder of Emerging Leaders LLC, a leadership development consulting firm focused on mid-career professionals. My own career has been marked by a great degree of change. The longest Id ever been in one single job was six years. In an earlier era in journalism, having a lot of different jobs was somewhat unusual, he said. The velocity of digital media, the kinds of change local media is undergoing and 30-plus years in what used to be called the newspaper industry bred a certain level of resilience. The beauty of my experiences at BGSU is that I took the opportunity to try a lot of different things. In so doing, it really prepared me for the kind of changes weve had to deal with throughout my journalism career. I cant say I anticipated everything, but what Ive really tried to focus on doing is being prepared for change, however that manifests itself. For me, that means being willing to relocate when opportunities present themselves, going back to school and getting a graduate degree, expanding my toolkit. As soon as I learn something, I do my best to pay it forward and bring other people along. These are just a few of the messages Stewart will share with candidates May 18. Stewarts prior roles include chief content officer of Journal Media Group, vice president for content of the newspaper division of the E.W. Scripps Company and top editing posts at the Akron Beacon Journal, Evansville Courier & Press and Tallahassee Democrat. He also worked as a reporter and editor at the Dayton Daily News and Springfield News-Sun, and as an on-air personality at WNIN-TV in Evansville, Indiana, and WIOT-FM. He also helped lead the team at The Sun Herald in Biloxi, Mississippi, that won the 2006 Pulitzer Gold Medal in Public Service for its coverage of Hurricane Katrina. In 2018, Stewart received the Sass Award for lifetime contributions to journalism education from the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication. He is a past president of the American Society of News Editors and the current president of the American Society of News Editors Foundation. He and his wife, Valerie Morgan-Stewart, reside in Aurora, Ohio. - Is the companys most exported model - In production for 17 years since its launch in 2002 - 15 lakh sales feat was achieved in the last three years Honda 2Wheelers India has announced that its youth-focused scooter, the Dio, has breached the 30 lakh sales figure. While the first 15 lakh sales milestone took a good 14 years to achieve, the latest 15 lakh sales was accomplished in only three years. Introduced in 2002, the Dio continues to be the fourth highest selling scooter in the country, as per Honda. The company also announceed that that it has a 44 per cent export market share in the scooter segment wherein the Dio is notably the most exported scooter of the company and also in India. The scooter is exported to more than 11 South Asian and Latin American countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mexico and Colombia, to name a few. The current generation Dio sold in the country continues to be a trendy offering in the 110cc scooter segment. It retains the edgy design and comes with modern features like a LED headlamp with LED position lamps and a fully digital instrument cluster. Honda offers the Dio in nine paint schemes under two variants - Standard and Deluxe. Mechanically, the scooter is powered by the same 109cc single-cylinder motor that produces 8bhp and 9Nm. It features a bottom-linked type front suspension and a monoshock at the rear. It rides on 10-inch wheels shod with tubeless tyres while braking is done by drum brakes at both ends equipped with Hondas combi-braking system. Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, my take on the first leg of the Trump-O'Reilly History Tour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Verogens MiSeq FGx Forensic Genomics System is the first NDIS approved solution for genomic DNA analysis that harnesses Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology to dramatically increase profiling efficiency and data recovery from biological evidence. Verogen Inc., the worlds first DNA sequencing company dedicated to forensic science has announced that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has approved the companys next-gen forensic DNA technology for use by forensic laboratories generating DNA profiles for upload to the National DNA Index System (NDIS). The FBI manages NDIS to enable comparison of eligible DNA profiles contributed by participating federal, state, and municipal forensic laboratories. Verogens MiSeq FGx Forensic Genomics System is the first NDIS approved solution for genomic DNA analysis that harnesses Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology to dramatically increase profiling efficiency and data recovery from biological evidence. This is an important advancement, said Dr. Jenifer Smith, Director of the Washington, D.C., Department of Forensic Sciences. Dr. Smiths laboratory was part of the consortium of forensic U.S. laboratories that submitted internal validation results to the FBI as part of the NDIS approval process. NGS enables us to efficiently generate more comprehensive and useful data. This means we will be able to aid more investigations and close more cases, Dr. Smith said. The MiSeq FGx Forensic Genomics System is a sample-to-answer workflow including the ForenSeq DNA Signature Prep kit, MiSeq FGx sequencing instrument platform, and ForenSeq Universal Analysis Software. The system allows forensic scientists to analyze up to 231 genomic DNA markers simultaneouslysupplying significantly more actionable data than commonly analyzed using older methods. The Verogen system can develop more detailed profiles from degraded, mixed, and limited biological evidence samples, addressing a wider range of forensic questions in a single test. With NDIS approval granted, U.S. forensic laboratories can now access a much larger pool of federal funding administered by the National Institute of Justice to adopt and implement this powerful crime fighting tool. Obtaining NDIS approval is an enormous step forward for the forensic genomics community, and for mainstream adoption of this technology, said Brett Williams, Verogen CEO. Verogen is proud to advance the transition of NGS technology from a visionary method to a fully validated, NDIS-approved tool for forensic science. The MiSeq FGx Forensic Genomics System is available worldwide. It has been approved for use in the national DNA databases of France and the Netherlandsand now the United States. Zoylo brings together seekers of medical care and service providers on an integrated, transparent platform Zoylo Digihealth has successfully designed online healthcare ecosystem that brings together seekers of medical care and service providers on an integrated transparent platform. Zoylo is India`s offline and online integrated healthcare platform with a wide network of service providers offering 360o coverage of healthcare services across 600+ locations in India. With over 500,000+ app downloads, Zoylo is currently serving individuals across the country, allowing them to live healthily empowered by technology. Vinod Kumar Reddy, CEO - Zoylo Digihealth said, Our vision is to empower every single entity in the healthcare lifecycle and enable transparent communication and exchange of information among them for seamless healthcare delivery. The cohesive ecosystem designed by Zoylo spells accuracy and efficiency in service delivery by looping healthcare, payers, patients and other users in one dynamic network. Today an individual has access to his or her social profile, professional profile, lifestyle profile and KYC through various social media apps. But there is no system where he can access his Health Profile online, anytime, anywhere. Zoylo is working towards its vision of creating Health Profile of Individuals as an important element of this healthcare ecosystem that will include details of medical history, diagnosis, risk assessment and other details of an individual. Quick online access to these crucial information would enable fast, accurate and efficient treatment delivery to the user anytime. Preventive healthcare solutions, which has always remained a thrust area of the company, is benefitting individuals with early detection of lifestyle diseases, especially NCDs like hypertension, diabetes, obesity and cancer. The solutions will help individuals to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Online consultations will remove the barrier of distance and enable individuals in areas without specialised and super-specialised doctors to consult with the best of doctors across the country and avail of their experience and advice. Reddy said, We are offering the Practice Management Software to all the doctors for free with an aim to manage individual health records online and create a Complete Healthcare Ecosystem. We are glad that our efforts have been recognised with various awards and recognitions for disrupting the healthcare ecosystem and aiming at becoming a brand which stands for simplified healthcare by harnessing technology. In addition to helping individuals in creating Health Profile and managing health history online, Zoylo will also help to save medical expenses, get accurate diagnosis and experience the convenience of Healthcare@Home on a Pan India level. WHO Prequalification approval allows Abbott to bring critical technology to more resource-limited settings Abbott has announced that m-PIMA HIV-1/2 VL, the world's first point-of-care viral load diagnostic test, has received the World Health Organization's Prequalification approval (WHO PQ). The test received CE Mark in December 2018. "m-PIMA HIV-1/2 VL is the only truly portable molecular point-of-care test designed specifically for use in resource-limited settings such as in sub-Saharan Africa," said Damian Halloran, vice president, Infectious Disease Emerging Markets, Rapid Diagnostics, Abbott. "With WHO PQ, global funders and ministries of health can now confidently expand access to viral load testing, reaching more people who need the test, with the most compact and efficient point-of-care HIV diagnostic platform available anywhere in the world today." To provide the most effective HIV treatment and care, the WHO recommends that everyone receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) undergoes a viral load test at 6 months and 12 months, and annually thereafter, if the individual is stable on ART. Viral load testing is the gold standard for monitoring ART treatment failure. Unfortunately, very few people in resource-limited settings, such as select countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, have access to the necessary level of care. Abbott's m-PIMA HIV-1/2 VL is a quantitative nucleic acid amplification test for viral load measurement of HIV type 1 groups M/N and O, and HIV-2 in plasma samples. The platform is portable so it can be brought into the most remote locations. It's easy to use, deployable at the point of care and designed to measure viral load in under 70 minutes, while the patient is still present. This allows people to receive results during the same visit and enables immediate treatment decisions, thereby reducing the number of people lost to follow-up. The test's quick turnaround time is particularly valuable for monitoring the viral load of HIV-positive pregnant women and in cases of suspected HIV treatment failure. The m-PIMA HIV-1/2 VL is part of Abbott's comprehensive portfolio of diagnostic solutions for HIV screening, monitoring and viral load management. From the core lab to the point of care, Abbott provides critical tools to help healthcare providers make informed treatment decisions for people living with HIV. Asthma is a chronic disease which affects large populations worldwide and its number is rising every year A press conference to create awareness on Ashtma was recently organized in New Delhi. In view of rising number of Asthma especially among children in the country in general and traffic polluted city New Delhi in particular experts recently called for more awareness through dialogue. Urging to adopt right treatment for better outcomes, experts also stressed upon dispelling myths and fears associated with inhalation therapy to effectively manage asthma and to encourage those affected by this condition to live a life without limits. Addressing a press conference Dr Anant Mohan, Head of Department Chest (Pulmonary Medicine), AIIMS and Dr Gaurav Sethi, Pediatrician, In Good Hands Clinic, New Delhi provided valuable tips to WIN AGAINST ASTHMA and a live #BEROKZINDAGI. Asthma is a chronic disease which affects large populations worldwide and its number is rising every year. According to the WHO Fact sheet, between 100 and 150 million people around the globe -suffer from asthma. In India, the soaring numbers have reached 15-20 million and the number will continue to grow until adequate emphasis is laid on the importance of identifying the right medication, which can help manage asthma effectively. The reasons for the increasing prevalence of asthma are multifactorial. They include rising air pollution with increase in air particulate matter, smoking, incorrect treatment in children, viral infections in early childhood and increasing awareness among health care professionals. According to a Lancet Report, traffic-related pollution caused asthma among 350,000 children in India in 2015, second only to China. The Lancet study analysed 194 countries and 125 major cities worldwide. Although less than half the size of China's burden, India had the next largest number of cases (350,000) due to its large population of children. Among cities Paris ranked 21st (33 per cent), New York ranked 29th (32 per cent), London 35th (29 per cent), and New Delhi 38th (28 per cent).[i] Emphasising on right treatment and awareness, Dr Anant Mohan said, It is very important to change the perception towards Asthma and Inhalation therapy. While inhalation treatment can play a crucial role in reducing the impact of asthma on peoples lives, adherence is crucial. Inhaled medicines help to deliver the drugs directly to the lungs where they are required, so they work faster, better and with negligible side effects. The challenge is convince the patients to accept inhalers and adhere to the treatment prescribed in order to get the full benefit. Inhalation therapy works to control asthma by preventing and relieving symptoms and reducing flare-ups, but they will work if patients work in partnership with their physicians and take them as advised, he added. Another challenge to manage asthma when there is discontinuation of the medication once the symptoms have subsided. Unfortunately, this may also result in the aggravation of the disease and flare-up of symptoms leading to worsening of disease. Experts suggested consulting a doctor before taking such steps as asthma usually requires long-term treatment. According to Dr Sethi, ongoing education is of paramount importance in chronic diseases like asthma. This is precisely where #BerokZindagi will lead to Winning against Asthma and will enable patients to participate and have a more effective role in their own treatment, he added. While encouraging an increased dialogue on the management of asthma, lets us mark this World Asthma Day to directly resonate with our endeavor of enabling people with the condition to achieve more in their daily lives, said Dr Sethi. There are many reasons why patients discontinue inhalers. These include myths about inhaler devices and social stigmas regarding their use, concerns about the cost of medication and their side effects, and lack of awareness about why long term therapy is required. The need for the hour is to overcome barriers/ taboos and understand the importance of inhalation therapy and adhere to it. According to the experts, for a sure win against asthma, an effective treatment such as inhalation therapy is required. "Inhaled corticosteroid therapy (ICT) is the cornerstone of asthma management. For the effectiveness and safety of any treatment modality, optimal drug delivery is crucial. In the case of ICT, the drug reaches the inflamed airways directly in small doses, limiting the potential side effects. In the case of oral medication, the drug dosage is many times higher than in ICT. This excess dosage then reaches other parts of the body too, where it is not required and increases the systemic side-effects," explained Dr. Mohan. Experts were of the view that myths associated with the treatment needs to be busted. Inhaled corticosteroids have been recognized and widely accepted as the mainstay of asthma management. However, due to lack of awareness, many people remain reluctant to take this therapy. Several studies report poor adherence towards asthma medication with measured rates of non-adherence ranging from 30 to 70 percent. Newer innovations in inhalers have been recently made, such as incorporating dose counters in the device. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP), in its updated guidelines, also recommended the use of ICT for mild, persistent asthma across all age groups, including children. Inhaled corticosteroids have been found to bring about improvements in the quality of life of patients by helping reduce the frequency of asthma attacks, improving asthma control, reducing the requirement of oral steroids and by bringing down the frequency of emergency room (ER) visits and hospitalizations. Sanef expressed sadness over Ngwako Modjadji's passing The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) expressed its sadness over the death of City Press senior political reporter Ngwako Modjadji. Modjadji passed away last night in what is believed to have been a hit and run. He gained his experience in journalism at the Citizen newspaper before joining the Sowetan as a political journalist. Sanef condemns robberies at local KZN newspapers The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) has condemned the recent spate of robberies at Igunundu Press's newspapers in KwaZulu-Natal. Five armed men broke in and stole all the computers, cameras and office equipment at the offices of Bayede News, ElaboHlanga and Ubukhozi. In a statement, the editors' forum said that this not only impacts on media freedom but also has a negative impact on the marginalised communities who rely on the newspapers for perspectives carried in their own language. Sanef urged Saps (South African Police Service) to make every effort to find the culprits and recover the equipment as soon as possible. Judy McGregor joins Duo Marketing + Communications Judy McGregor is Duo Marketing + Communications' new senior account manager. Prior to joining Duo, she managed large corporate communications campaigns in the United Kingdom and South Africa. McGregor brings with her more than 15 years of experience in communications, marketing, brand and PR, across a variety of international companies and industries. She holds a diploma in marketing management from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. By 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. By Trend Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. "Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I was deeply saddened by the news of heavy casualties as a passenger plane made an emergency landing at the Sheremetyevo airport. On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my deepest condolences to you, the families and loved ones of those who died, and the whole people of Russia, and wish the injured the swiftest possible recovery." By Trend Kazakhstan now exports 113 types of products to China, Trend reports referring to kazpravda.kz "The export includes 16 types of livestock products, 16 types of crop products and 81 types of processed products. The obvious leaders among exported goods are wheat, vegetable oil, oil seeds, flour, soy and fish. Last year, Kazakhstan exported mutton and honey for the first time," reads the news report. "The increase in export is due to 13 added types of veterinary and phytosanitary certificates that were agreed on in the last three years. The dynamics of Kazakhstans export continue to increase. In 2015 the volume of export to China totaled 111 million tenge, in 2016 it amounted to 134 million tenge, in 2017 it stood at 180 million tenge and in 2018 it equaled to 250 million tenge," the report says. "Total volume of Kazakh export manufacture increased by 12.9 percent in January-February of 2019, compared to the same period of 2018 and amounts to $610.2 million." Kazakhstan mainly exports products of agribusiness to Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Tajikistan and China. 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 SMITHERS, B.C. - The youngest elected mayor in British Columbia's history pleaded guilty Monday to sexually assaulting boys in what his lawyer says is an act of remorse that will bring an end to the cycle of abuse. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (962 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Luke Strimbold, mayor of the Village of Burns Lake addresses the media during a news conference as he responds to the explosion at Babine Forest Products mill in Burns Lake, B.C. Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. A man who became British Columbia's youngest elected mayor has pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault involving four boys who were under the age of 16.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward SMITHERS, B.C. - The youngest elected mayor in British Columbia's history pleaded guilty Monday to sexually assaulting boys in what his lawyer says is an act of remorse that will bring an end to the cycle of abuse. Luke Strimbold, who was elected mayor of Burns Lake in 2011 at age 21, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault involving four boys who were under 16. Shortly after a brief B.C. Supreme Court appearance in Smithers, his lawyer Stanley Tessmer said Strimbold is very remorseful and has been a good person in his life, but he has also made serious mistakes. "He wants these boys not to feel guilty about what happened, and for them to know it's not their fault," Tessmer said. "This is the time for the cycle of abuse to end and the healing to begin." A special prosecutor approved 29 charges against Strimbold, including sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching, that were alleged to have involved six people who were all under the age of 16 at the time. An indictment shows the assaults he pleaded guilty to occurred between May 2014 and September 2017, and involved four different complainants. The boys cannot be identified because of a publication ban. A pre-sentencing report and a psychological assessment have been ordered and Strimbold's sentencing hearing has been tentatively scheduled for Sept. 23. Tessmer said he expects the defence and Crown will each make their own requests for sentencing, rather than put forward a joint submission. He also said he anticipates that the remaining 25 charges will be stayed after sentencing. The charges stunned the small, central B.C. community of Burns Lake where he served as mayor from 2011 to 2016. Last spring, the former chief of the Lake Babine First Nation said his community was angry and disheartened. "When I first heard about it, I was very, very upset," said Wilf Adam, who noted that he had a close working relationship with Strimbold. Adam said the former mayor quit "very abruptly" and they haven't spoken since. While mayor, Strimbold led the community's recovery from a disastrous sawmill explosion and fire in 2012 that killed two workers and injured 19 others. In 2013, he was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for community service. A year later, BCBusiness magazine named Strimbold one of the Top 30 leaders under the age of 30, recognizing his efforts to successfully rebuild the local economy. He was re-elected in 2014, but resigned two years later, saying he wanted to further his education and spend more time with his family. When a first set of charges were filed against him in February 2018, Strimbold was membership chair for the B.C. Liberal Party. Party officials said they became aware of the charges the following month and he resigned both from the executive and as a member of the party at that time. A special prosecutor was appointed in the case because Strimbold was a former elected official with "significant connections" to the B.C. Liberal Party, the B.C. Prosecution Service said in March 2018. The special prosecutor added further charges last August. CALGARY - Police in Calgary say second-degree murder charges are pending against a man after they found the bodies of a woman and toddler who were reported missing nearly two weeks ago. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CALGARY - Police in Calgary say second-degree murder charges are pending against a man after they found the bodies of a woman and toddler who were reported missing nearly two weeks ago. The suspected remains of Jasmine Lovett, 25, and her 22-month-old daughter, Aliyah Sanderson, were found early Monday in a heavily wooded part of Kananaskis Country, a wilderness area on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. Aliyah Sanderson, 22-months old, and her mother Jasmine Lovett, 25, are shown in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Calgary Police Service Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta told reporters the woman's boyfriend, who had been taken into custody for questioning when Lovett and her child disappeared, had been rearrested. "We believe the suspect and Jasmine were in a relationship and this was a targeted attack motivated by domestic-related matters," he said. "It was a domestic relationship which deteriorated over a period of time." Investigators believe the woman and toddler were killed between the night of April 16 and early on April 17, Schiavetta said. Their bodies were then transported to the Kananaskis area between April 17 and 20. Police are not identifying the suspect until charges are laid, but they expected that to happen later Monday or Tuesday. Schiavetta said he could not disclose further details about the case, but did say police do not have other suspects. Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta speaks to the media about the police discovery of the bodies of a woman and child, believed to be that of Jasmine Lovett, and Aliyah Sanderson, at Calgary Police Service headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Monday, May 6, 2019.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Robert Leeming, 34, previously told media outlets that he was the man police previously questioned and that Lovett and the girl lived in his southeast Calgary home. He has said he is innocent. Lovett and her daughter were last seen April 16. Police said an online purchase from Lovett's account was made two days later, but they don't know if she's the one who made it. The pair was reported missing after failing to show up for a family dinner. Police said they could find no evidence the pair were alive and began a search for their bodies outside Calgary, but put it on hold after heavy snow fell in the area. At the time, police also said they believed the suspect had tried to burn evidence and asked the public to report unusual fires. "Our lives have been devastated and our hearts are heavy," the Lovett family said in a statement released by police Monday. "We are trying to understand how this tragedy could have happened to our loved ones." Josie Sanderson, the child's paternal aunt, said she had been hoping Aliyah and Lovett would be found alive, while at the same time bracing for the worst. Sanderson, who lives in St. Catharines, Ont., never met her niece in person, but would regularly video chat with her. "I never got to actually hug her, kiss her," Sanderson said. "I know she's in heaven right now. What a waste of such a precious life." She said her brother Robbie Sanderson, the girl's father, is overcome with grief. He and Lovett broke up several months ago and Lovett moved in with another man, who the aunt said she understands is Leeming. Court records show Leeming was fined a total of $5,000 last year for three animal protection offences under provincial legislation. A sworn affidavit from his estranged wife, as part of their divorce case, claims that a peace officer found their dog, Axel, tied to a tree without food or water. The wife said the animal had been left there for four days. The wife also cited numerous occasions where she believed Leeming was stalking her. In the document, she said she feared for her safety, and that of their child. "The plaintiff has emotionally destroyed me during our relationship ... He was cruel and intimated things that caused me to fear for our lives at the end of our relationship," she said. An affidavit from Leeming said his wife has "always suffered from mental health issues" and that she physically assaulted him "on a number of occasions." He denied ever grabbing his wife and said police had never been called to their home to deal with a domestic disturbance. He admitted to owning a number of firearms for which he is licensed and that are kept in a safe. He also said he has collected knives since he was seven and estimates he owns 60 ranging in size from 1.3 to 20 centimetres. WINNIPEG - A man accused of killing an Indigenous woman in Manitoba after a night of drinking and sex told a jury Monday that she came at him with a knife and he blacked out. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. WINNIPEG - A man accused of killing an Indigenous woman in Manitoba after a night of drinking and sex told a jury Monday that she came at him with a knife and he blacked out. But Crown prosecutors said he was lying in his testimony just like he lied to police. Christine Wood is shown in a Winnipeg Police handout photo. The man accused of killing a young Indigenous woman in Manitoba says he blacked out before realizing she was dead on his basement floor. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Winnipeg Police MANDATORY CREDIT Chantal Boutin asked Brett Overby, 32, why he could remember details of nearly every moment of the night he met up with 21-year-old Christine Wood, but could not recall the attack that left her lying in a pool of blood on his basement floor. "(You have) no recollection of slitting her throat?" Boutin asked. Overby has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in Wood's death but acknowledges he caused her death. He testified Wood came at him with a knife but could not recall how he responded. "I kind of just snapped," Overby told court. Wood had travelled to Winnipeg from Oxford House First Nation in northern Manitoba in the summer of 2016 when she was reported missing. Her body was found 10 months later in a ditch near a farmer's field just outside the city. The jury has heard that Wood was staying with her parents in a hotel. The family was in Winnipeg to support a relative who was having surgery. Wood arranged to meet Overby through the popular dating website Plenty of Fish, and Overby testified that he picked Wood up from the hotel. They went out for a few drinks before going back to his house where they tried unsuccessfully to buy some drugs. They had sex on his couch, Overby said, but as the night went on Wood began acting erratically and punched him in the face. She was also pressuring him to have sex without a condom, he said. At one point, he testified, they were having sex again and she took a condom off him. "Honestly, I felt like she kind of raped me," Overby said as people audibly gasped in the courtroom. Overby asked Wood down to the basement to show off the skeleton of a mouse that he had found, he said. He testified that's when she came at him with the weapon and left a small scratch on his neck. He said he doesn't remember what happened next, but suddenly Wood was "face down in a pool of blood." Overby wrapped her body in plastic and tape, court heard. He also got rid of her phone and clothing, and used bleach to clean his basement. Overby testified that he lied during a police interview about knowing Wood. Boutin suggested that Overby was also lying about what happened. She said Wood probably refused to have sex with Overby, so he got angry and killed her. "She didn't want to have sex with you and that pissed you off," Boutin said. Overby denied that he killed Wood because he was angry. So why didn't he get her help when it was clear she was injured? Boutin asked. "You didn't call police. You didn't call 911, but what you did do is wrap up her body." TORONTO - One of the main nurseries for an Ontario tree planting program that's being scrapped by the province said it will likely have to destroy about three million trees because of the cancellation. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO - One of the main nurseries for an Ontario tree planting program that's being scrapped by the province said it will likely have to destroy about three million trees because of the cancellation. Ed Patchell, CEO of Ferguson Tree Nursery in Kemptville, Ont., said he can't afford to pay for staff, supplies and operating expenses to run the nursery and maintain all the trees that are in various stages of growth. "If we don't have a potential client to buy those trees, then I can't afford to keep putting money into it," Patchell said. "It's cheaper to destroy them at a young age than it is at the ship age, plus I don't have to keep carrying the costs. It's not something that we want to do, it's something that we're going to be forced to do because we can't financially carry it." Last month the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry announced it would cancel the 50 Million Tree Program, which has seen the planting of more than 27 million trees across Ontario since 2008. Ferguson Tree Nursery was one of the main nurseries that grew seedlings for the program, which saved landowners up to 90 per cent of the costs of large-scale tree planting. Patchell said the province allowed for this spring's tree plant to go ahead, but it won't continue next year. His nursery has been growing the trees in fields and green houses in Kemptville through a contract with Forests Ontario, which managed the program and received the provincial funding for it. The trees then went to planters, conservation authorities, private contractors and stewardship groups. They were planted on private lands to help re-establish forest cover and reclaim sites that weren't ideal for agriculture throughout the province primarily in southern Ontario said Patchell. Not all the trees are ready for shipping right now, with some of them only a year old, which is a financial challenge for the nursery. "It can take up to four years before a tree is at a size that it's actually suitable to ship, so the challenge is, how do we pay to keep growing these things if we don't have clients?" Patchell said. "That's why there's going to be a certain amount that will have to be destroyed because of that. We actually have more than the three million in the ground, so that's what we're looking at, is having to destroy to keep everything affordable." Patchell said the cancellation of the program will have an impact on the environment, noting it may lead to soil erosion and reduction of forest cover, air quality, water quality and wildlife habitat. He doesn't plan on destroying the trees immediately, but said he can't carry them all summer. Patchell plans to decide over the next month exactly how many trees need to be destroyed. "There are some people that are showing some interest in supporting the program, so we'll have to see what happens," Patchell said. "I've had lots of people saying, 'Can I buy 100 trees here or 100 trees there?'" OTTAWA - Canada's claim over the Northwest Passage is "illegitimate," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday in a major speech to the Arctic Council that Canadian experts called both provocative and frequently inaccurate. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talks to the media on the sidelines of the Arctic Council ministers' working dinner at the Arktikum museum in Rovaniemi, Finland, Monday, May 6, 2019. Pompeo is calling Canada's claim over the Northwest Passage "illegitimate" in a major speech that is being criticized for being provocative and inaccurate. (Mandel Ngan/Pool Photo via AP) OTTAWA - Canada's claim over the Northwest Passage is "illegitimate," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday in a major speech to the Arctic Council that Canadian experts called both provocative and frequently inaccurate. Pompeo offered his characterization during a wide-ranging speech in Finland in which he also warned against China's increased Arctic presence, saying it threatens North American security and could be harmful to the environment. Pompeo reiterated long-held concerns about Russia's military build-up in the Arctic and how that, too, is viewed as being counter to American security interests. "No one denies Russia has significant Arctic interests," Pompeo said in a transcript of remarks circulated by the U.S. State Department. "We recognize that Russia is not the only nation making illegitimate claims. The U.S. has a long-contested feud with Canada over sovereign claims through the Northwest Passage." Pompeo's branding of a longtime disagreement on Arctic policy between the Canada and the U.S. is a "stunning rebuke" of the 1988 Arctic Co-operation agreement between the two countries, said Fen Hampson, the head of the international-security program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont. "It underscores the 'upset-every-applecart' approach by the Trump administration to Canada-U.S. relations," said Hampson, the author of a recent book on the foreign policy of former prime minister Brian Mulroney. The routes between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans run between Canadian islands but the two countries disagree about whether that makes them internal Canadian waters or international waters that have Canadian territory nearby. The disagreement matters more now that melting Arctic sea ice means the Northwest Passage is getting closer to being a viable commercial shipping route. The agreement reached by Mulroney and then-president Ronald Reagan allows the U.S. to designate the Northwest Passage as an international waterway while allowing Canada to say that it is a part of Canadian sovereign territory. The treaty recognizes the "close and friendly relations between their two countries, the uniqueness of ice-covered maritime areas, the opportunity to increase their knowledge of the marine environment of the Arctic through research conducted during icebreaker voyages, and their shared interest in safe, effective icebreaker navigation off their Arctic coasts." The Canadian government pointed to that agreement in responding to Pompeo's speech. "Canada and the U.S. have differing views regarding the status of the Northwest Passage under international law," said Guillaume Berube, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs. "The situation is well managed, including through the 1988 Arctic Co-operation Agreement, according to which the U.S. government seeks Canada's consent for its icebreakers to navigate the waterways. Canada remains committed to exercising the full extent of its rights and sovereignty over its territory and its Arctic waters, including the various waterways commonly referred to as the Northwest Passage. Those waterways are part of the internal waters of Canada." Hampson said the treaty was a "neighbourly understanding to agree to disagree about Canada's territorial claims over the Northwest Passage, whereby the U.S. would seek Canada's permission about transit through these straits." There is little that Canada can do if the U.S. sends a ship through the passage without prior notification, he said. "We can remind them, though, that if they are worried about a growing Chinese and Russian presence in the North and aspirations to create a circumpolar Silk Road, they might want to work more closely with their NORAD partner and refrain from challenging our sovereignty," said Hampson. "This isn't the time to be throwing snowballs." Michael Byers, an Arctic expert at the University of British Columbia, said Pompeo's characterization of the Canadian position as illegitimate is actually factually correct, but it is "the only accurate and rational statement in the speech." The federal government should be worried that the top diplomat from one of its key Arctic allies got his facts so wrong, Byers said. One of the most glaring of several mistakes, said Byers, is Pompeo's assertion that China is trying to build infrastructure in the Canadian Far North. China is "planning to build infrastructure from Canada, to the Northwest Territories, to Siberia," Pompeo said. "This is part of a very familiar pattern. Beijing attempts to develop critical infrastructure using Chinese money, Chinese companies, and Chinese workers in some cases, to establish a permanent Chinese security presence." China's signature international infrastructure project, the multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, aims to expand trade by building roads, ports and other facilities to connect Asia through Africa and the Middle East to Europe. The U.S. opposes what it sees as an aggressive push by China to assert its influence by lending money to less developed countries and creating what is known as a "debt trap." A Chinese state-owned company ended up in possession of a port in Sri Lanka when that country couldn't pay off loans, for instance. "I have not heard of any Chinese plans to build infrastructure in the Canadian Arctic," said Byers. "There's no factual basis, certainly not in the public domain, and that would also require the full involvement of the Canadian government. It's just flat-out wrong." (Byers did note that northern Quebec has a Chinese-owned lithium mine.) A senior government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Pompeo did not appear to refer to specific Chinese projects in Canada related to the Belt and Road Initiative and may have been speculating. The official added: "There are no investments here, nor are there any contemplated." Berube, the spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Department, said Canada "welcomes continued discussions with China on Arctic issues," which the two countries can have through existing two-way and multinational mechanisms. VANCOUVER - Retailers across Canada are struggling with a shortage of all cannabis, but there's one product they're especially desperate to keep on shelves: cannabidiol or CBD, a non-intoxicating extract vaunted for its purported health benefits. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. VANCOUVER - Retailers across Canada are struggling with a shortage of all cannabis, but there's one product they're especially desperate to keep on shelves: cannabidiol or CBD, a non-intoxicating extract vaunted for its purported health benefits. The extract, most commonly sold as oil, has been promoted as a natural cure for pain, anxiety and insomnia, despite limited medical research. Many customers are coming in asking for it, especially first-time and older users, store owners say. A syringe loaded with a dose of CBD oil is shown in a research laboratory at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., on November 6, 2017. Retailers across Canada are struggling with a shortage of all cannabis, but there's one product type they're especially desperate to keep on shelves: cannabidiol or CBD, a non-intoxicating extract vaunted for its purported health benefits. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, David Zalubowski "I don't think the licensed producers really realized how popular CBD was, so there's none available, really," said Krystian Wetulani, founder of City Cannabis Co. in Vancouver. "When something becomes available on the cannabis wholesale ordering sheet, everybody tries to get all that's available. It's like a race. That's one of the biggest opportunities we're facing in the legalized market." Companies are ramping up hemp growth to produce the trendy extract, but observers expect the shortage to persist until late this year. Meanwhile, scientists are working to separate the hype from reality when it comes to medical claims about the drug. While licensed producers were preparing for legalization last year, they assumed most of the demand was going to be for cannabis high in THC, the intoxicating ingredient, said Khurram Malik, CEO of Biome Grow. The buzz around CBD grew with the passage last year of a U.S. law known as the farm bill, which allows for the growing of hemp for the purposes of extracting cannabidiol, he said. Similar regulations came into effect in Canada in October. But it was the U.S. law that drove up media coverage and social-media influencer chatter, Malik said. Kim Kardashian West recently posted on Instagram about her "CBD baby shower," where she invited guests to make cannabidiol-infused salt scrubs and body oil. "Because of the farm bill passing, the sexiness or the in-vogue profile of CBD went through the roof," said Malik. "The demand side just blew up and caught everyone by surprise, on both sides of the border." Extracting CBD from hemp, which is low-THC and high-CBD, is more affordable because the crop can be grown outdoors on a large scale under Canadian rules that are less restrictive than those for producing high-THC marijuana, Malik said. Biome Grow has partnered with CBD Acres, which Malik said will supply his company with up to 20,000 kilograms of cannabidiol concentrate annually in order to serve Canadian and international markets. The CBD shortage affects jurisdictions across Canada, said provincial distributors in British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. "There has been a significant learning curve for licensed producers as they transition into supplying a new market," said B.C.'s Liquor Distribution Branch in a statement. "Licensed producers are working towards becoming more efficient, however many of their expansion projects have not yet been fully ramped up." The branch added it expects supply to increase in the second half of 2019 as expansions come online and more producers receive licences to enter the marketplace. Beverley Ware, a spokeswoman for the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp., said while it has "CBD leaning" products, it has not been able to consistently carry pure CBD oil due to the national shortage. Customers looking for CBD products would prefer not to smoke them and don't want the added THC, said Darrell Smith, spokesman for the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corp. "It has been a challenge to source a steady supply of these products as they are often reserved for the medical cannabis community," he said. Ivan Ross Vrana, cannabis adviser at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, said he didn't think that producers failed to anticipate the high demand for CBD. "I think what the industry, given its newness, is grappling with and a lot of companies are getting a good handle on is about consistently growing the product that consumers want," he said. "It's not easy. I know people think, 'It's just a weed. We can grow this no problem.' It's not. You're still growing a plant and Mother Nature has a large say in that." The legalization of edibles, extracts and topicals later this year is likely to further ramp up demand, Ross Vrana said. CBD-infused creams, beverages, food and even pain-relief products for pets are expected to be growing market segments. Despite the hype, research into the health benefits of cannabidiol has been fairly limited, said Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, a psychiatrist at McGill University who has studied the drug. Gobbi's team published a study in the journal Pain last October that pinpointed the effective dose of CBD for safe relief of pain and anxiety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has also approved a CBD drug to treat children with severe epilepsy. But more research is still needed, particularly on CBD's effects on anxiety and insomnia, Gobbi said. Some patients who try it experience no effects and studies have also indicated a placebo effect in some people with anxiety, depression and pain, she added. "Today there is a dominant culture of cannabis, a dominant culture of everything that is natural is good. This is why ... cannabidiol is so popular." Thuraya Telecommunications Company, a subsidiary of the Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), has signed a service partner agreement with Elcome, one of the worlds largest marine technology system integrators. Elcome will provide Thurayas products and services worldwide across key vertical markets. Headquartered in Dubai and operating out of 23 offices across 11 countries, Elcome has developed a diversified portfolio of technologies and solutions since its founding in 1969. The companys first-class integration capabilities complement Thurayas renowned satellites, robust global network, best-in-class products and 20+ years record of outstanding resilience, availability and innovation. Ali Al Hashemi, chief executive officer of Thuraya, said: Thuraya is pleased to welcome Elcome as a Service Partner. This partnership will further enhance our commitment to key sectors, including maritime, government, energy and leisure. Nowadays, these sectors and their customers demand solutions that go beyond the standard connectivity. This partnership will meet those needs on all fronts, including products, network, integration and support. This strategic agreement is a key milestone in Thurayas strategy to drive growth in its maritime business. The partnership will further expand market potential by offering customized solutions for this market segment. Jimmy Grewal, executive director of Elcome, said: The demand for innovative and flexible data solutions for the maritime industry is growing exponentially. We are proud to partner with Thuraya to deliver such integrated services to our regional defence, government and commercial customers. Elcome is the largest satellite communications and systems integration provider in the Middle East, supporting all major shipyards in the region. Its in-house team is fully competent and factory trained to deliver SOLAS compliant integrated communication solutions for vessel owners. Elcome provides 24/7 support for over 1,200 terminals under the connectivity services program for the worlds leading container and LNG carriers. It also supports a wide range of vessel owners and managers with tailor-made cyber security solutions. Shawkat Ahmed, chief commercial officer of Thuraya, said: This is an important step towards an extensive and exciting long term collaboration. Elcome covers a wide customer base who truly need comprehensive connectivity at all times beyond terrestrial reach. Our capabilities are complementary, and we will be able to give end users far greater flexibility than they have now. This agreement delivers reliable communication wherever and whenever it is needed. TradeArabia News Service Frankfurt, Brussels, and Berlin are the most desired destinations from Cork Airport among businesses, while there is a growing clamour for a direct flight to New York City, a new report has shown. Cork Chambers analysis of business trips from Cork Airport revealed 25% of firms each took more than 100 business trips in 2018. Around a quarter of business trips from Cork were long-haul flights, with 60% of businesses opting to connect from Cork Airport through Heathrow for onward connections, the report said. Amsterdam was the next most popular connection. The greatest uptake of the new routes has been on Air Frances twice daily connection to Paris which was used by three out of five businesses, while over a third used the Zurich route. Cork Chamber president Paula Cogan said the report showed the unquestionable importance of international connectivity through Cork Airport to business. While inbound traffic supports thousands of jobs within the hospitality industry in Cork and the wider southern region, outbound access through Cork Airport is critical to the FDI sector, employing 38,000 people in Cork and for opening global business opportunities for indigenous businesses. "We welcome new route announcements, but we must make sure that new routes also meet business need and not only the leisure market, she said. Ms Cogan said New York and Frankfurt are consistently flagged as key business routes by members. With an ambitious strategy in place to grow passenger numbers, it is critical that State investment also supports the development of further capacity at Cork Airport and the economic growth potential in this region so that together we can strengthen international business links from Cork, she said. Cork Airport managing director Niall MacCarthy said it was consistently working to secure new routes. We continue to work with our airline customers to expand the route network from Cork even further and look forward to the ongoing support of the business and wider community across the south of Ireland to sustain these routes and those in the pipeline, he said. Frankfurt, Brussels, and Berlin are the most desired destinations from Cork Airport among businesses, while there is a growing clamour for a direct flight to New York City, a new report has shown. Posh crisp maker Kettle could be sold after its US food giant owner Campbell hired advisers to assess the future of the snack brand. The Press Association understands that Barclays has been hired by Campbell to explore a sale of the crisp business, as it looks to generate cash following recent profit warnings. Kettle, which employs almost 500 people across two Norfolk sites in the UK, was bought by soup-maker Campbell as part of its 2017 acquisition of American food group Snyder's-Lance. Snyder's-Lance then bought Kettle, which also includes the Metcalfe's Skinny popcorn brand, as part of Diamond Foods for $1.2 billion (1.1bn) in March 2016. A city source told the Press Association that the UK arm of Kettle could be worth "between 50 million and 100 million". It is understood Campbell is aiming to sell the global Kettle Foods business as whole. The sale plans come after the UK arm dived into the red following "very intense" competition in the UK market and increased brand investment, it said in companies house accounts posted this week. It fell to a 4.3 million (5m) operating loss in the seven-month period to July 31 2018, slumping from a 51,000 (60,000) profit for the 2017 full-year. It reported revenues of 51.1 million (60m) for the seven-month period as its market share declined against the previous year. Kettle Chips was launched in 1978 in Oregon by Cameron Healy, before starting UK production from a converted shoe factory in Norwich 10 years later. The appointment of Barclays follows a raft of deals in the crisp segment last year, with 11 acquisitions involving bagged snack brands in the UK in 2018. The flurry of activity included the sale of rival posh crisp-makers Tyrell's and Pipers, bought by Intersnack and PepsiCo respectively. Campbell Soup announced plans to sell its Bolthouse Farms business to private equity for $510 million (600m) last month as it looks to generate cash. In August it also announced plans to sell its international and fresh food business, following pressure from activist investor Dan Loeb to reevaluate its portfolio of brands. Campbell and Barclays both declined to comment. Proving that age is just a number, Berkshire Hathaway chief executive, Warren Buffett, 88, and vice-chairman, Charlie Munger, 95, answered questions for seven hours at the companys AGM this weekend. Held, as always, in Mr Buffetts home town of Omaha, Nebraska, before an audience of thousands, this legendary event, labelled Woodstock for Capitalists, saw the elderly chairman again demonstrate his folksy charm and financial insights to loyal investors. Having famously declared, years ago, that he avoided tech stocks, because he didnt understand them, Mr Buffett bought his first stake in Amazon last week, and joked that he would take a blood transfusion from Jeff Bezos. What Jeff has done with Amazon has been an absolute miracle, unlike anything else in the corporate world. He kept looking at what was coming in and saw what was possible; hes unbelievable, Mr Buffett said. Munger also weighed in on Berkshire Hathaways long reluctance to invest in the IT and e-commerce sectors: I feel like a horses ass for not identifying Google earlier. We just sat there sucking our thumbs. We screwed up. Berkshire already owns $50bn (44.59bn) of Apple stock, and will continuebuying in the sector into the future. Mr Buffetts and Mr Mungers careful approach to investing has been a feature of Berkshire Hathaway for decades. If you gave me the 100 top graduates of Stanford or Harvard business school, I wouldnt know how to pick out the ones that would become corporate masterminds, Mr Buffett said. But if you show me somebody thats run a business for 30 years and has been knocking it out of the park, I can figure that one out. Inevitably, Brexit came up for discussion,and Mr Buffett showed no hesitation. I am not an Englishman, but I have a feeling it was a mistake to vote to leave, but it doesnt destroy my appetite, in the least, for making a very large acquisition in the UK, he said. Mr Munger added that Brexit strikes me as a horrible problem, but those are my kind of people; I understand them. The question of who will succeed Mr Buffett and Mr Munger was raised, as it has been at the AGM in recent years. In early 2018, two longtime Berkshire executives, Ajit Jain and Greg Abel, were promoted to the board, and were again referenced as likely successors. Mr Buffett said that the two could one day join him and Mr Munger to answer shareholder questions. This format is not set in stone, Mr Buffett said, adding that Charlie and I wont be around forever. Mr Munger is famous for not mincing his words, as demonstrated when asked about US-China relations. Think how stupid it would be if the two countries didnt get along. Stupid on both sides, I might add. Its a big market, and we like big markets. Given Mr Munger is a Republican, some observers took this as an oblique criticism of US president, Donald Trumps current trade policies. Mr Buffett, a committed Democrat, said: Ill just say it: Im a card-carrying capitalist. You dont have to worry about me changing in that matter. But I also think capitalism does involve regulation. It involves taking care of people who are left behind. Berkshire bought back $1.7bn of its own stock during the first quarter, with Mr Buffett indicating further purchases in the future: We will buy stock when it is trading below a conservative estimate of its intrinsic value we want to be sure, when we repurchase stock, that those that have not sold are better-off than they were before. One shareholder suggested that Berkshire could invest a large proportion of its huge cash pile in a stock market index fund. Mr Buffett agreed that it might make sense in the future, but added that having $100bn available will allow Berkshire to take advantage of large investment opportunities, when they come up. Theyll come in clumps and when other people dont want to allocate capital, Mr Buffett said. Update: The fire at the Commons Inn in Cork has been brought under control. Third Officer Ger Ryan said firefighters have managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to the hotel rooms and function areas. While a full assessment has yet to be undertaken, it is understood that the fire and structural damage has been confined to a number of storage rooms to the rear of the hotel. However, there is extensive smoke damage to the single-storey central area of the hotel. Some units of Cork City Fire Brigade will remain on scene for the afternoon to continue dampening down operations. Earlier: Firefighters tackling major fire at Cork hotel Firefighters are tackling a large blaze at the Commons Inn on the north side of Cork city. The alarm was raised just after 1pm when fire broke out to the rear of the hotel near Blackpool. Picture: Eoin English A function attended by 300 people was underway in the dining area and a full evacuation of the premises was ordered. Fire fighters are using a platform to tackle the blaze to the rear of the hotel #Cork The building has been evacuated safely pic.twitter.com/AAZB2bDPsr Eoin English (@EoinBearla) May 6, 2019 All staff and guests were removed safely. Five units of Cork city Fire Brigade are at the scene. Crews are currently at a commercial fire at the Commons Inn Blackpool. Multiple units are at the scene. Please use caution approaching the area as traffic restrictions may be in place. #FIRE #Cork #staysafe pic.twitter.com/yrpdCOMfdi Cork City Fire Brigade (@CorkCityFire) May 6, 2019 Water tankers have arrived to have the firefighters tackle the blaze. There are no reports of any injuries. A major search was launched on Lough Derg in Co Clare this evening amid fears that a kayaker was missing or in difficulty. At 7.45pm, the Irish Coast Guard received a report from concerned locals about a kayak adrift on the lake close to Mountshannon Harbour in East Clare. The Killaloe unit of the Coast Guard was tasked to carry out a search of the area. A boat crew was launched from Killaloe while land search crews responded by road to Mountshannon Harbour. A comprehensive search was carried out by Coast Guard crews however nothing was found. The search was called off about an hour later when emergency services were satisfied that no persons were missing and that no one had been reported overdue or missing. The kayak was recovered from the water and found to still had its paddle inside. Having spoken to local residents, it was established that some youths had been seen in the area earlier and the kayak was most likely released during the evening. It was the second time in two months that emergency services were tasked to similar incidents in Clare. In March, a major search was mounted on Lough Bunny near Boston in the north of the county on March 19. It had been feared that a person may have been missing in the lake. A search operation was mounted involving the Irish Coast Guard, An Garda Siochana, Gort Fire Service, National Ambulance Service. The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, was also tasked to the incident as well as the volunteer unit of the service from Doolin. The operation was stood down a short time later after local inquiries established that the canoe may have been on the water for a time, possibly several months. The Coast Guard warned at the time: All boat owners should ensure that their vessels are properly secured when not in use. This request extends to smaller craft such as canoes and kayaks. When such equipment is seen to be drifting unattended it necessarily gives rise to genuine concern which can give rise to distracting the emergency services from more pressing work. 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. Two men arrested in connection with an incident of criminal damage by fire at a house in West Dublin have been released without charge. It follows the attack on a house in Westway View, Blanchardstown at around 11.30am on Saturday morning. Nawah Energy Company, the joint venture nuclear operating subsidiary formed by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), said that its board of directors have appointed Paul A Harden as its new chief nuclear officer (CNO). Harden will be responsible for overseeing the quality and safety-led nuclear operations of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. He will also focus on building the nuclear capabilities of the talented UAE nationals working at Nawah to ensure a sustainable local workforce for the plants many decades of operations ahead. In the short term, Harden will work with Nawahs senior leadership team and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) in preparation for commencement of operations and maintenance of the first unit of the Barakah plant, followed by the start-up and commercial operation of the subsequent three units. As Nawah CNO, Harden will be accountable for the adherence to all regulatory obligations related to the operating licences granted by FANR. Mark Reddemann, chief executive officer, Nawah, said: On behalf of our company I would like to welcome Harden to the senior leadership team. Hardens appointment further enhances the nuclear capabilities of our organisation in keeping with the UAEs commitment to the highest standards of safety, quality and security. He brings extensive experience and knowledge from the international nuclear energy industry, which will be of significant value to operations at Barakah, he said. We continue to press forward with our operational readiness plan and Harden will play a leading role in the progression of the ongoing preparations of this important stage in the programme, he added. Nawah is the joint venture operating subsidiary formed by Enec and Kepco in May 2016 to operate and maintain the four-unit Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, located in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, UAE. I am proud to be appointed as CNO for Nawah and look forward to working with the senior leadership team, as well as the talented team of UAE Nationals and international experts on this key national energy project, said Harden. Harden brings with him almost 35 years of nuclear energy experience, having been responsible for plant operations and overall safety, reliability and cost-effectiveness at the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan and the Beaver Valley Power Plant in Pennsylvania, both located in the United States of America (USA). Most recently he served as senior vice president and chief operating officer for the FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (Fenoc) where he was responsible for overall safety and financial performance of three nuclear sites. He was also responsible for the training, safety and human performance functions. Harden was a senior reactor operator earlier in his career, and has held several fleet vice president roles within the Nuclear Management Company and Fenoc. The project at Barakah is progressing steadily; with the overall construction completion of the project is more than 93 per cent as of the end of March 2019. Unit 4 is more than 82 per cent complete, Unit 3 is more than 91 per cent, Unit 2 is more than 95 per cent, and Unit 1 construction is complete and is currently undergoing commissioning and testing, prior to regulatory review and receipt of the operating license from the FANR. All four units will deliver clean, efficient and reliable electricity to the UAE grid, and will prevent the release of up to 21 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year, equivalent to removing roughly 3.2 million cars from the roads, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Anadarko's board has declared Occidental Petroleum's sweetened $US38 billion ($54 billion) takeover "superior," allowing Chevron to either boost its offer or walk away with a $US1 billion breakup fee. The announcement comes about a month after Anadarko accepted Chevron's bid. Credit:Bloomberg The announcement by Anadarko, which had rebuffed several prior bids from Occidental, comes almost a month after it agreed to be purchased by Chevron for $US33 billion. Chevron has so far refused to increase its offer, saying its proposal is a better long-term option for Anadarko shareholders. The takeover of Anadarko has been a rare public fight for an oil industry that hasn't seen many bidding wars. Occidental Chief Executive Officer Vicki Hollub's recruitment of billionaire Warren Buffett and an $US8.8 billion accord to offload African oil and gas fields to Total SA appeared to have been key milestones in winning the board's favor. Anadarko directors had previously chosen Chevron's offer even though it was substantially cheaper than that of Occidental, which, as a smaller company, would have to take on much more leverage to do the deal. Chevron CEO Mike Wirth has signalled he's willing to end his pursuit of a deal if the price gets so high that it imperils investor returns. "We strongly believe that the combination of our two companies create superior long-term value for shareholders of the combined company," Wirth said on an April 26 earnings conference call. About 1 million species around the world face extinction because of humans, with the pace of destruction as much as 100 times faster than the natural rate over the past 10 million years, according to a global report prepared by 150 experts. The 2019 report for the Intergovernmental Science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) - dubbed the "Paris Agreement for nature" - drew on 15,000 references and government data in its first update since 2005. "Biodiversity - the diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems - is declining faster than at any time in human history," the report's summary for policymakers, released in Paris on Monday, said. Changes in land and sea use by humans were the largest drivers as nature was being "altered at an unparalleled degree" with about one in eight animal and plant species facing oblivion "many within decades, unless action is taken to reduce the intensity" of those impacts. 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. Bill Shorten's promised $500 million to reduce hospital emergency department wait times will not succeed unless Labor also fixes the ailing mental health system, the peak body for emergency doctors says. People with acute mental health problems were the number one cause of emergency room delays, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine President Simon Judkins said, with distressed patients waiting up to six days to get a bed. Simon Judkins says mental health patients are waiting up to six days in emergency rooms. Credit:Jason South "There's increasing aggression and violence," Dr Judkins said, citing the recent case of a patient who allegedly stabbed a security guard at a hospital in Brisbane. "Certainly patients aren't to blame for these things, but if you put a patient in ED and say 'wait there for three days and we'll try and find a bed for you', it's natural that people are going to get angry, upset and their behaviour is going to change." The former MP says he no longer has anything to do with the account and could not say whether the Liberal Party ran it - a question the party's headquarters also refused to answer. The account remains active, with one post falsely claiming that under Labor's new tax policies, retirees whose main income is from share dividends will need to pay an additional $12,850 in taxes each year. It also claims Labor plans big personal tax increases and extra taxes on house sales of $30,000. Bill Shorten with Labor's candidate for Chisholm, Jennifer Yang, last year. Credit:AAP Another popular post on the account reviews a debate between the candidates for the Victorian seat of Chisholm, depicting Labor's Jennifer Yang as a party hack while her Liberal opponent Gladys Liu is presented as the best choice for Chinese-Australians. The Age and Sydney Morning Herald have also found WeChat material put out on behalf of Ms Liu that seeks to recruit international students as campaign volunteers by suggesting the candidate could help them find jobs in Australia once they graduate. One message says that "outstanding student volunteers" would get a professional reference that could boost their employment prospects, adding: "We believe this will increase your chances of finding a job in Australia after graduation." Part of a WeChat post used by Gladys Liu using incentives to recruit volunteer workers. Those volunteering more than once could also receive a certificate of appreciation from Victorian Liberal president Robert Clark, and for "particularly active" student volunteers, the candidate herself would be "willing to open a special holiday internship" for politically-minded students. There is nothing illegal in offering inducements for people to volunteer in election campaigns, but Bijay Sapkota, a spokesperson for the Council of International Students Australia, warned: "We wouldn't want to see students exploited by being offered incentives that might be false or unrealistic." Asked about the matter on Monday, Ms Liu said: "The Liberal Party is a volunteer based organisation. Unlike Labor and the unions we do not have access to paid campaigners. I have been overwhelmed by the support the Chisholm campaign has received from volunteers from a range of diverse backgrounds. To say thank you to our volunteers we provide things like morning teas and certificates." WeChat is China's biggest social media network with around one billion users, and claims it has about one million active users a month in Australia. Loading But while its use has grown in recent state and federal elections, misinformation or inappropriate posts remain largely unregulated compared to other platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. The Commonwealth Electoral Act stipulates that any political advertisements should be authorised, but it does not regulate truth in electoral communications. "If someone is concerned about disinformation such as fake news on social media, they can report this content to relevant social media provider," a spokesman for the Australian Electoral Commission said. The only formal complaints the AEC has so far received for this campaign involve unauthorised ads on Facebook and Twitter. So-called "fake news" spreads relatively unchallenged on WeChat. One unauthorised post, exposed by The Sunday Age and Sun Herald last week, falsely claimed Bill Shorten would to introduce school programs teaching students how to have gay sex if the ALP won government. Another anti-Labor scare campaign claims refugees granted a visa under Labor would be able to bring five or six relatives with them, increasing the intake to 150,000 refugees a year and costing taxpayers $10 billion annually. The Liberal Party insisted it was not responsible for those posts, with a spokesman saying that all party ads are authorised. Labor, however, disagrees. "Scott Morrison and his Liberal supporters should be ashamed of peddling these lies," a spokeswoman said. While WeChat has been around for years, its value in Australian politics didn't become clear until after the 2016 federal election, when Chisholm became the only seat the Liberals managed to snatch from Labor. Not long after Julia Banks won the seat, Ms Liu, then the Liberal Party's community engagement chairwoman, boasted about the role she had played in using WeChat to mobilise the Chinese community through issues such as the anti-bullying program Safe Schools. However, Monash University's Dr Wilfred Wang, who has done research into the use of Wechat in Australia, said he believed that the effects of the Liberals' head start on WeChat in 2016 were still being felt today, with Australian political content on the platform still skewed to the right. However, he noted that there were some differences in its use this year compared to the 2016 federal election. In 2016, established Australia-based Chinese media outlets played a significant role in disseminating Liberal ads on WeChat, while this year they had taken a backseat while individual bloggers were at the forefront of creating and spreading content. "Recognising the content on WeChat as part of the mainstream I think will probably help towards better regulation," said Dr Wang said. More than 100 experts from global hospitality sector will hold three more days of interactive discussions, keynotes and industry briefings at the ongoing Arabian Travel Markets Global Stage in Dubai, UAE. Saudi Arabias growing tourism sector will be one of over 40 key travel and tourism trends under the spotlight at the discussions. The Kingdom will see a vast expansion of its hotel and resort inventory during 2019, with approximately 9,000 keys of three- to five-star international supply projected to enter the market despite major cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah experiencing an overall drop in ADR during 2018. While this new supply will place additional competitive pressure on hotels performance across the country, the predicted growth in airport passenger numbers across Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah and Al Khobar is expected to boost occupancy levels throughout 2019. Discussing Saudi Arabias tourism potential, a seminar titled Why Tourism is Saudis New White Oil will take place on ATM 2019s Global Stage from 14:50 to 16:00 tomorrow (April 29). With the overall number of annual tourist trips expected to increase to 93.8 million by 2023, according to Colliers International, panellists will discuss the opportunities related to these unprecedented growth projections, as well as the tourism sectors potential to support Saudi Arabias economic diversification efforts. Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: All available metrics point to incredible potential within Saudi Arabias tourism sector. Increases in air passenger numbers are predicted across the board in 2019, and the kingdoms hospitality sector is investing in its future with significant boosts to capacity. New revenue channels such as travel and tourism have a crucial role to play in achieving the goals set out in Saudi Arabias Vision 2030, which is why it is so important for our industry to explore how we can work together to catalyse further development. Kicking off day two will be a session titled The Big Picture Who will sell travel best in the future?. With the global travel landscape rapidly evolving and the lines between traditional and non-traditional travel retailers blurring, this session will discuss what the future holds for an industry where every major tech firm, social media channel and online retailer is fighting to sell travel and what it means for traditional providers as we look ahead to the next decade. Debuting on the Global Stage this year will be the ATM Hotel Industry Summit which takes place from 14:40 to 17:00 on Tuesday 30th April. Consisting of four separate panel discussions, the summit will shed light on infrastructure developments, technologies and innovative concepts with the potential to increase efficiency and improve guest experience within the hotel segment. As a younger generation of clientele with different preferences and budgetary requirements comes to the fore, panellists will explore up-and-coming hospitality hotspots in the Middle East, emerging trends such as mid-market resorts and lifestyle hotels, and an anticipated return to direct bookings. Meanwhile, the Global Halal Tourism Summit will return for its third edition on Tuesday 30th April from 11:00 to 13:00. The summit will explore the top trends within the Halal tourism sector as well as the growing role of technology in the Muslim space, including the digitalisation of the Umrah. Curtis said: This years edition of Arabian Travel Market will include a comprehensive programme of in-depth industry discussions, with topics ranging from emerging market segments to efficiency-boosting innovations. Not only will we be discussing new subjects such as Saudi Arabias burgeoning tourism sector, but we will also be revisiting previous focuses such as halal tourism. The inaugural ATM Hotel Industry Summit, meanwhile, will address everything from hotel infrastructure developments and investment opportunities to the digital innovations that are helping to transform guest accommodation in the Middle East. This year, the ATM Global stage will also host several high-profile speakers from the regions aviation industry. From 12:10 to 13:10 on April 29, Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates, will offer insights into the Dubai-headquartered carriers growth strategy. Meanwhile, from 13:20 to 14:20 on Tuesday, 30 April, Adel Ali, Group CEO of Air Arabia, will reflect on 15 years of success within the Gulfs low-cost carrier segment. In the Travel Tech Theatre, which is sponsored by Sabre Corporation this year seminar sessions will explore how to positively change the perception of destinations using the power of social media as well as discussing how immersive technology will transform the visitor experience at mega events such as the upcoming Expo 2020. And, in the Inspiration Theatres, expert panels will discuss how the travel and tourism industry can best reduce carbon emissions as well as the evolution of bespoke luxury travel and the opportunities that both medical and wellness tourism present today. Other popular features still to come include the Digital Influencers Speed Networking, Best Stand Awards, Career in Travel and the Travel Agents Academy. TradeArabia News Service A Sydney drug boss and her male associate have both been jailed for at least 30 years for murdering a methylamphetamine cook and his girlfriend in Sydney's south-west in 2013. Dung Thi Ngo, 43, and Kevin Ly, 27, were each found guilty in November by a NSW Supreme Court jury of murdering Son Thanh Nguyen and Thi Kim Lien Do, whose bodies were found wrapped in bedspreads and dumped in Bankstown and West Hoxton respectively. Jailed: Dung Thi Ngo and Kevin Ly. Credit:AAP Mr Nguyen's body was found in Antwerp Street, Bankstown, on the night of his death, while Ms Do's remains were found nine months later near the boundary of a property in West Hoxton. The trial had been told Ngo - who headed an illicit drug group - suspected that Mr Nguyen staged a break-in at the Canley Vale house she had leased for him that year to set up a meth lab. One prisoner remains in hospital and five others have been returned to custody after a suspected mass drug overdose in a Queensland prison. Part of the Capricornia Correctional Centre remains in lockdown after paramedics were called in about 12.40pm on Sunday. 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 Queensland Corrective Services says the inmates' cells have been secured as crime scenes and a full search is underway. "CSIU are co-ordinating with local police to interview prisoners to attempt to identify the source of the illicit substance," according to its statement. Darryl Hilda Melchhart, 90, is sharper than many people who are decades younger, but she says she faces a "never-ending battle" to be seen as a fully competent adult at the aged-care home where she lives in Melbourne. The former bookkeeper told the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in Sydney on Monday that she was regarded as incompetent and unable to make her own decisions. Darryl Hilda Melchhart, 90, appears at the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in Sydney. Credit:Julie Power "My thoughts and wishes are mostly disregarded by some of the staff. And I am treated by some of the staff as if I am a child or have dementia," she said. The staff rationed the incontinence pads she needed, ignored requests for her angina medicine to address heart problems, and came into her room at night to check she was in bed like a small child, she told the commission. A man has been arrested after a scuba diver was struck and killed by a speed boat on Port Phillip Bay. A 41-year-old man from Carrum Downs in Melbourne's south-east got in touch with police on Monday, and was arrested shortly after in Mordialloc. He is currently assisting police with their inquiries and has not been charged. It comes as police revealed the diver who died was using a buoy and flag to ensure he was visible while underwater. Two men in their 20s were spearfishing a few hundred metres out in Canadian Bay off Mount Eliza about 1pm on Sunday when one was hit by a boat. 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. 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. We'll leave it there. Thanks for following, and we hope you got your Baby Sussex fix. Keep following the homepage for all the latest news. We'll leave you with this photo of a jolly Prince Harry. London: Harry and Meghan have announced the arrival of their long-awaited baby and it's a boy. "This little thing is absolutely to die for, I'm over the moon," the Duke of Sussex told reporters at Windsor Castle. He said the child was "very healthy". After weeks of fevered speculation, and even theories that the birth had happened and been kept secret, the Duchess of Sussex went into labour in the early hours of Monday morning, local time. New York: Michael Cohen, US President Donald Trump's former lawyer who pleaded guilty to tax, bank and campaign finance crimes, reported to prison on Monday, US time, after spending months trying to delay his punishment by dangling the prospect of new incriminating information against others. Cohen, who turned on Trump last northern summer after a decade as his personal lawyer, fixer and take-a-bullet loyalist, didn't mention the President by name, but he left little doubt about whom he blamed for his incarceration. "I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country," Cohen told reporters outside his Manhattan apartment before heading to report to a federal prison facility in Otisville, New York suggesting again that he had more secrets to spill. "There still remains much to be told, and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth." Latest News MoneyMe to acquire SocietyOne Deal brings together two of the fastest-growing brands in the non-bank space Resimac makes key broker channel hires Two new GMs to bolster broker support Commercial lending is evolving rapidly however, an influx of inexperienced brokers threatens the positive outlook. La Trobe Financial explores the trends with three leading brokers Q: What are the primary trends that have driven commercial broking over the last 12 months? David Scardoni: The primary trend I see is the tightening of the credit markets, namely the banks. That has really driven demand for a business like ours and the services we provide. Banks are not doing presales at a lower leverage, and so developers are struggling to secure bank funding and they are partnering with experienced brokers to be able to give them that optionality, both in construction and investment debt. Jean-Pierre Gortan: I personally think there is a much wider acceptance of non-banks now than there was 12 to 18 months ago. Clients arent predominantly driven by price they are more solutionsfocused now; they need an outcome. The other development is that there are simply more players in this space, so that builds reputation and acceptance of the non-bank sector and drives demand. Cory Bannister: Diversification is no longer an option. The industry bodies are really starting to promote that. We know CAFBA has a clear focus on commercial, and we now see the MFAA promoting commercial brokers directly to business owners on social media. The FBAA is running commercial forums, and this is all in addition to the aggregators pushing commercial diversification. For many aggregators this has been a focus for some time, and now pleasingly others are following. George Karam: We are starting to see an improvement in the quality of the client seeking our services initially, rather than clients simply coming to a broker as a last resort, so to speak. Stephen Lawrence: Personally, I am seeing much more acceptance of the non-banks, especially where a borrower, who has been a bank customer for many years, is now finding it much more difficult to obtain finance from the banks. We have therefore been assisting the broker market as to what we can do as a non-bank to meet the borrowers requirements in a timely manner, giving them confidence that as a non-bank we can meet their needs. George Karam: There is a diminishing role of the banks being able to articulate their value proposition to their commercial clients, and an improvement in the way commercial brokerages have been able to communicate theirs. Its about the banks losing their way by not putting the needs of their clients front and centre, whereas the brokers are, and thats starting to play itself out in the marketplace. My personal view is that you should be educated rather than regulated, and we need to lead that change. Its a craft George Karam, director, BF Money Cory Bannister: There are certainly tailwinds and a combination of factors that mean brokers with no or limited experience in commercial lending are now finding themselves having more conversations with their clients to find commercial solutions. Consumers are finding they need a broker to source a loan for them because they can no longer self-serve at their local bank. With broker market share pushing towards 60% and likely to go to 70% in the near future, it means the opportunity set is wider now for brokers too. There are more people in your CRMs and more people who are comfortable dealing with brokers. Everywhere you look the tailwinds for the broker proposition are strong, and more customers will use brokers now for commercial solutions. Q: In terms of educating the brokers who want to diversify into commercial, who should develop and provide the resources? George Karam: The issue I have with diversification at the moment is that its for incomes sake, and its not diversification for the customers sake. I think we as an industry run the risk of rushing more people into diversified business models without providing them with the tools to do it well. That needs a real measured approach. Stephen Lawrence: If we talk about the La Trobe Financial construction product, for example, we do webinars, PD days, presentations, and we have hosted webinars and presentations for brokers on how to assess a construction deal, from start to finish, step by step. We can do the same for commercial, and our BDMs are specialists in that area too. Those brokers who are looking to make the move, we are absolutely out there to help them. Cory Bannister: The question of who polices and sets the standard is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation because industry bodies may say lenders should impose a minimum standard, but many lenders look to the industry associations to hold the standard as part of their accreditation process. If we look at it from the top down, if brokers are represented by their industry bodies and they say generally lenders want you to be with one of those bodies before they will consider you for accreditation, then thats where it might be most appropriate. I think the national broker ID has the potential to become a good platform for this; similar to how on your drivers licence its marked for cars, bikes and trucks, a similar regime could apply for brokers. Why commercial lending fits so well with our business model is that our diversified funding allows us to do it broadly Cory Bannister, VP and chief lending officer, La Trobe Financial Jean-Pierre Gortan: One of the majors, as part of their industry accreditation, gives commercial accreditation with residential straight up, regardless of whether you asked for it. Its a package deal. To maintain the industry standard, it definitely needs a different set of rules, agreements and accreditation. A new-to-industry resi broker has to be mentored, and only two years later can they take the training wheels off. George Karam: We recently employed an equipment finance (EF) specialist, and we wanted him to get EF accreditation, but the only way to get it was to get the home loan accreditation first. If you look at the agreements, it reads exactly the same, but the work, practical application and skill set theyre not exactly the same. We need a fundamental rethink of what a commercial broker is. Q: Do the aggregators need to shepherd the flow and increase education, for example through standards, courses, etc? Jean-Pierre Gortan: A broker saying I can do commercial lending when they have no experience is bad for everyone the customer, the industry, the reputation of the industry. Then in turn for the lenders you have people with no experience calling you for transactions; and, last but not least, if a particular transaction is overpitched to the lenders it gets tainted. At the end of the day the customer is the one who loses. Cory Bannister: There is a need for brokers to be generalists to a certain level, but then we need specialist brokers. Its like going to the supermarket. The days of going to a butcher, baker and so on are over, and instead supermarkets win because they provide a generally good array of produce and it serves your purpose for day-to-day needs. But when you have friends over for dinner, most people will have a particular butcher they like to go to, or an organic store, for example. I think broking could perhaps evolve into something similar, where you have generalists to a degree, but when youre going to complex areas it may sit better with a specialist. George Karam: In the accounting profession you dont see the industry telling bookkeepers that they should now diversify into complex advisory, but that seems to be the discussion among aggregators and, to some extent, lenders. Q: La Trobe Financial offers the broadest product range of any non-bank lender. How does the broker experience feed into the development of the portfolio? Stephen Lawrence: We talk to brokers to find out what they see in the market and if we need to tweak something here or adjust something there. We absolutely listen to brokers in the market, from a residential and commercial basis, and of course we are also looking at the wider lending market and the other lenders to see what they are doing. George Karam: La Trobe Financials competitive advantage is that they are engaged with our businesses. They arent simply waiting, cap in hand, for the next transaction. You feel like you are an extension of their supply chain. Cory Bannister: Dealing with commercial brokers can often lead to deeper relationships. As was mentioned, you are there to find solutions for customers in complex scenarios that perhaps arent always easy to find. It isnt just a case of putting information into a matrix and then away you go. Its about having detailed conversations along the way so we feel part of a brokers business too. Why commercial lending fits so well with our business model is that our diversified funding model allows us to do it broadly. Our retail credit fund, which is something different in the market, means we can act in a relationship-banking style because we arent limited by single warehouse covenants. Q: As a broker, what is the most pressing reason for you to select a non-bank lender for commercial clients, and what is the value proposition for your customer? David Scardoni: Its certainty, speed time is money and ease. Typically, the credit process is a lot more streamlined, and the other benefit is terms. It might be higher gearing or presales, and it is offset by a slightly higher rate, but thats the offset. George Karam: Particularly with development finance, more than any other type, your obligation needs to be to the project, not necessarily to the customer. If youre looking for what the project needs and there is a solution out there that fits with the requirement, then more often than not you will be able to get the right fit for the development from a non-bank that is more flexible on the terms than by trying to make the project change to fit the bank. Jean-Pierre Gortan: Generally, for most transactions we offer our clients lenders from each part of the spectrum by way of comparison, and we talk through the pros and cons of each. Effectively, we are looking for client buy-in by identifying what suits them most, but I am reluctant to go straight to the non-bank as default there is a perception with clients that nonbanks are the easiest, rather than best, option. We package all the options, and that might be a major, a secondtier, a non-bank, and we say here you will get the most gearing, this one has the cheapest price, and effectively if its the one most suited to the project it isnt going to require you to discount your presales or find extra cash. You do sometimes get pushed back, but there is much more acceptance with non-banks now, and with La Trobe Financial there is credibility associated with the brand too. Stephen Lawrence: What we try to do as a non-bank is meet those broker requirements by speaking to the market and the decision-makers. Because dealing with the banks you can speak to a relationship manager, but they can only do a certain amount because they have credit and property, etc. But at La Trobe Financial we give the brokers direct access to our decision-makers. We are all on the same floor and we make decisions more quickly and collaboratively. That helps brokers and their customers at the end of the day, with faster decisions and more flexible terms. Thats where we come from in a timely manner and in a manner that hopefully suits the customer at the end of the day. Jean-Pierre Gortan: Ive actually put Stephen in front of a few customers. When clients dont know the brand it helps to put someone senior, knowledgeable, articulate and well-spoken into the decision-making process. Its helped me close a few deals. Stephen is invaluable to the process wherever you can use him. Q: What are your three tips for brokers looking to try commercial lending? George Karam: You need to spend time to investigate and learn. You need to be a curious individual who wants to learn for the sake of learning things. If you want to do it well and over the long term, its one of those things where every transaction has its own learnings, and they should be applied to the next deal and the one after that. It is a continuous education. I would encourage people to invest in themselves rather than trying to find the next income stream. David Scardoni: Upskilling and getting the time in market; understanding the ins and outs of commercial broking, including understanding basic commercial property fundamentals such as evaluations, cash flow, feasibility. You need to get your head into that stuff. You need to really understand what capital is available, otherwise youre not really servicing the client to their full needs. That once again comes with time in market, experience and finding out how to deal with your database and networks. Jean-Pierre Gortan: They need a good mentor. You need a sounding board rather than making decisions on the fly because the customer will pay. I have lots of brokers who call up and ask me for advice. Im more than happy to help, because when I was starting out nine years ago I used to do the same. If you dont know what youre doing, find someone who does, and learn as much as you can. Its not as simple as putting up the flag and starting to write commercial. Cory Bannister: Partnerships are critical, but alignment of those partnerships is key. To start with, look to your aggregator can they help you on education? Same with lenders make sure you have the support of a lender who can help you throughout the process. Next, I would say start with your existing client base rather than going out and telling the world you are a specialist in the commercial arena. Just try to solve a few less complex transactions and learn through those first, and keep in mind that you really do need to learn as much as you can about lenders, products and the market before you dive in. Stephen Lawrence: Its about getting involved and being passionate enough to get into commercial lending. Look at the qualifications that are out there, and find a mentor. You can go through your aggregator instead, and they will put you in touch with specialists in that area and help mentor you as well. Again, we have a very experienced commercial lending team who can also help the broker to workshop a deal. Ive been through 40 years of banking and finance and 26 of those in commercial lending its just about passing that knowledge on and helping people who are up and coming. George Karam: Commercial has gone from being a career path that is closed to anybody who isnt a commercial banker to being open to anyone who has worked in mortgage broking. There will be a transition, and if it isnt managed well it will end up being regulated. My personal view is that you should be educated rather than regulated, and we need to lead that change. Its a craft, and like any other craft it needs to be taught. We have seen the lack of standards, qualifications and our inability to professionalise come under a lot of scrutiny recently. Either we step up or we step into line. Q: How do you expect the commercial lending space to develop over the next year, and where could the challenges lie? Jean-Pierre Gortan: My expectation is that post royal commission and post-election, the banks will start to loosen up a little. I think the likes of La Trobe Financial will retain a big chunk of the market share they have started to win, but I also believe the banks will become more competitive, a little more flexible. The INGs and Suncorps and so on are saying they really want to write construction but cant get 100% presales, so how do we get around that? There will be some defrosting of the commercial space. David Scardoni: The non-bank space is still maturing. A lot of new lenders have entered the market in the last 12 to 24 months, but theyre struggling to find deals. Its overcrowded, and a lot of them will go out of business I think. George Karam: We are constantly looking at our lender panel to see where we want to strengthen relationships, and we are assessing them on what we call the three Ps: price, policy and process. Bank or non-bank, if you can only compete on one P, close shop; if you can compete on two, then you will win market share; if you can compete on all three, you will own that space in the market. Cory Bannister: I dont think a lot will change in the next 12 months. Our focus is to continue to improve our value proposition, because we expect over time that lenders will return to this space, so we feel we have an opportunity to solidify our footprint and demonstrate our capability and user experience to the market so that we leave a lasting impression that continues to be sought after through all seasons. The GCC must deliver unique and tech-enabled experiences designed for free independent travellers (FITs) if it is to grow its market share among Chinas outbound tourists, said experts at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, UAE. The overall number of outbound tourists from China is projected to hit 224 million by 2022, according to research conducted by Colliers. United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) figures show that the GCC is on course to attract 2.9 million of these visitors. Panellists speaking at the Arabia China Tourism Forum, which took place on the Global Stage at ATM 2019, explored how Gulf states can boost Chinese visitation further and cater to younger travellers arriving from the Far East. Moderator Dr Adam Wu, CEO of CBN Travel & MICE and World Travel Online, said: The trend is moving away from group travel to FITs. Approximately 51 per cent of Chinese travellers [come from this segment]. They are travelling in smaller groups but its also the age groups that are changing. Unique experiences represent a key component when it comes to convincing younger Chinese travellers to visit the GCC. In addition to comfortable accommodation and accessible amenities, panellists noted that Chinas FITs are looking for attractions that are not available in other markets. Terry von Bibra, GM Europe, Alibaba Group, said: Smaller groups [of Chinese travellers] are going to new places to discover and have unique experiences special experiences that they can share with friends on social media, which is very important. You cannot underestimate the importance of the ideas of discovery and uniqueness. In my job, I see this across all aspects of trade with China. [Customers] want to understand why things are unique and special. The more you can help them understand this, the better job you are doing. In addition to unique experiences, Xiuhuan Gao, head of Asian Market Overseas Promotions Department, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), said that small, personal touches are also helping the GCCs hospitality sector to boost arrivals from China, such as Chinese condiments and in-room snacks. Gulf countries are already taking steps to strengthen ties with China and appeal to the countrys international tourist base. Chinese passport holders can obtain 30-day visas on arrival in Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, and the launch of Saudi Arabias tourist visa is expected to lead to further increases. Dubais Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), meanwhile, has partnered with Chinas Tencent to promote the emirate as a preferred destination, and to bring the companys WeChat and WeChat Pay platforms to the UAE. Panellists agreed that GCC hotels must also do more to facilitate a seamless visitor experience. Rami Moukarzel, vice president of Development and Acquisitions Mena, Louvre Hotels Group, said: We are seeing an influx of Chinese travellers across all segments. As a hotel industry, we need to be ready for the influx that is coming. Moukarzel told attendees that in addition to establishing market-specific booking platforms and social media channels, China-owned Louvre Hotels Group has also partnered with relevant mobile payment systems to ensure that Chinese travellers enjoy a seamless experience when visiting its Middle East properties. According to figures released by the UNWTO, Chinese visitors are the highest spending overseas travellers on the planet, shelling out $258 billion in 2017. Attracting more of these individuals would benefit national economies across the GCC. As Gulf destinations account for approximately one per cent of Chinas outbound tourist market at present, the panel agreed that there remains significant room for growth as long as the hospitality professionals create China-specific offerings and content that appeal to the countrys shifting market demographics. Designed to enable travel, tourism and hospitality professionals to explore potential opportunities, the Arabia China Tourism Forum is one of several events that will be hosted on ATM 2019s Global Stage this week. Other topics to be placed under the microscope include the Saudi Arabian market, halal tourism and industry innovations. Running until May 1, ATM 2019 will see more than 2,500 exhibitors showcase their products and services to visitors at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Viewed by industry professionals as a barometer for the Mena tourism sector; last years edition of ATM welcomed 39,000 people, representing the largest exhibition in the history of the show. TradeArabia News Service Latest News MoneyMe to acquire SocietyOne Deal brings together two of the fastest-growing brands in the non-bank space Resimac makes key broker channel hires Two new GMs to bolster broker support Steve Weston, CEO of Australia's first digital start-up bank, Volt, reveals what customers expect from financial institutions Last year, Volt became Australia's first digital start-up bank with the aim of changing how people can save, pay and borrow. As a first step, the neobank went direct to its target customer base to ask what they want from a finance brand. The answers were simple: personalised functions, timely service, respect for loyalty and reduced fees, to name a few. But the overall theme was aspiration the idea that people dont just want a bank account so they can receive and pay money; they want an account that can support their lifestyle and goals. Volt co-founder and CEO Steve Weston says, People want help that they dont get from banks today. So, dont just give me a home loan; help me buy the home. When Im in the home, help me pay the loan off. Dont give me a savings account; understand what it is Im saving for and help me achieve it. Help me with budgeting; show me where I can get better deals. Banks havent done that, and thats what customers are asking for. People want help that they dont get from banks today. So, dont just give me a home loan; help me buy the home Steve Weston, co-founder and CEO, Volt Bank Armed with these answers, Weston, his co-founder Luke Bunbury and the Volt team are positioning the bank to lead the huge changes they believe lie ahead for banking in Australia. If were talking about an iceberg, the royal commission was just the tip. It was the big scandal, but in terms of the volume of issues, those will be lifted out of the water in the next few years, Weston told delegates at the 2019 AltFi Summit in Sydney last month. Speaking exclusively to Australian Broker, he explains that while the royal commission highlighted shortcomings in the financial system, its far from the end of the story. Some of the things [banks] have been doing are actually not what the regulators or society expected, so weve got to go and fix those up. Weve got to go and remediate the sins of the past; put processes in place to stop them from happening again. Thats when I refer to the iceberg coming out of the water. The big issues probably are out, but in volume they still have to surface, he says. New-age banking Now on a path to becoming a bank that makes people better off, Volt is looking to reinvent the humble current account by adding new spending controls, real-time digital functionality and other mechanisms. When it comes to loans, Volt is on track to launch mortgage lending by late 2019, again promising to make the process faster, easier and more rewarding through technology. Volt will have its own mortgage team; however, that doesnt mean brokers will be written out of the equation. People are looking for someone to trust, and that should be their mortgage broker, Weston says. Weston has regularly praised the role of the third party channel, last year telling Australian Broker that a digital bank did not signal the end of face-to-face banking or guidance. However, for Volt, digital banking does signal the end of the loan for life philosophy. Brokers need to show that theyre doing more than just giving a loan; they have to really understand what customers need and help them achieve that goal and pay off the loan, Weston says. If were going to respect customer choice, the broker proposition is outstanding, so well be broker-sourced. It doesnt matter what I think; customers are going to need brokers getting that impartial advice, being able to access a choice of providers. Its incredibly attractive. Those who want to be a part of what Volt is creating can download Volt Labs, an app-based co-creation community that allows customers, brokers, in fact anybody with an interest in Volt, to have their say on how products and services are developed. Community members can also submit ideas and test new features and products. For now, Westons focus is on making Volt the change Australia wants to see. The world is changing, he says. With the growing popularity of smartphones, thats the branch. Suddenly your previous competitive advantage has become a commodity, and your advantage now is your product. Latest News MoneyMe to acquire SocietyOne Deal brings together two of the fastest-growing brands in the non-bank space Resimac makes key broker channel hires Two new GMs to bolster broker support A major bank has released its half year results, revealing a 24% decline in statutory net profits and a 22% drop in cash earnings from the year before. Westpac Group CEO Brian Hartzer said, This is a disappointing result reflecting weaker business conditions and the bank dealing decisively with outstanding issues, including remediation and resetting our wealth strategy. This half, $896m pre-tax was spent towards customer remediation. The remediation provisions reflect a number of areas where we made mistakes and didnt meet our standards or documentation requirements. It shouldn't have happened. We need to do better. And we will, promised the CEO. Loan growth was modest, and mostly arose from the New Zealand division. Australian mortgages grew by 1%, all of which stemmed from the owner-occupied book. Interest-only remained flat at 31% of the portfolio. According to Hartzer, The credit quality of our loan book is sound, with the proportion of stressed exposures up one basis point on the year. Impairments remain at cyclical lows and 69% of Australian mortgage customers are ahead on their repayments. That said, 90-day delinquencies are up 10bps over the half. In its announcement, the bank also drew attention to its new Customer Service Hub which enables mortgages to be originated online, reducing the cost and time of approval. This is likely a response to the aggressive growth evidenced in foreign banks and non-banks addressed by Peter King, CFO at Westpac. King questioned whether the playing field is level. Non-banks don't have the same regulations applied to them as the ADIs do, he explained. Our sense is that the regulators have focused initially on the big four banks understandably, as were a large part of the volume but based on the feedback we get from brokers and others, thats led to some disconnect in terms of the processes being required by the large banks versus the processes being required by smaller banks. Moving forward, the Westpac CEO has expressed he expects the second half to continue to be challenging. In an environment where regulatory activity is intense, economic growth has slowed, consumer and business demands have softened, house prices have fallen, and competition has increased all of this has put pressure on earnings, and given us a list of issues to manage, Hartzer concluded. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Theyve got the three ones on Brooklyn! The publisher behind 111 Places in Brooklyn That You Must Not Miss, also recently released a guide to the best museums across the five boroughs. Tour guide Wendy Lubovich selected 111 Museums in New York That You Must Not Miss, from which we chose three of the lesser-known spots to check out in Kings County: Collectors items The City Reliquary Museum started as a window display in former firefighter Dave Hermans apartment. Now the collection of city artifacts including Statue of Liberty paraphernalia, vintage seltzer bottles, and other curiosities are crammed into a small Williamsburg storefront. Inside you will also find a shrine dedicated to the early 20th-centruy burlesque dancer Little Egypt, a bottle of toxic subway dust, and (until May 26) an exhibit on New York City psychics and fortune-tellers. The City Reliquary Museum [370 Metropolitan Ave. between Havemeyer Street and Marcy Avenue in Williamsburg, (718) 7824842, www.cityr eliqu ary.org ]. ThuSun, noon6 p.m. $7. Safe Harbor Located on the Fort Hamilton Army base is the Harbor Defense Museum, which tells the story of armed forces defending New Yorks harbor, from the American Revolution to today. You will find old uniforms, muskets, and a 1,400-pound Flank Howitzer cannon, which could launch 48 iron balls in a single shot when it was used in 1864. Harbor Defense Museum [230 Sheridan Loop at Fort Hamilton Army base, (718) 6304349, harbor-defense-museum.business.site]. Open weekdays 10 a.m.4 p.m. Government-issued photo identification required for all adults, foreign visitors should call Fort Hamilton Control Center (718) 6304848. Free. Hooked on history! The Red Hook Waterfront Museum and Showboat is a century-old floating barge that serves as a museum, art gallery, theater, and family home for its curator. The rustic interior tells the history of the New York waterfront through this humble vessel, the last of its kind in the city. It also hosts frequent art shows and other events, and offers amazing views of the Statue of Liberty. The Red Hook Waterfront Museum and Showboat [290 Conover St., near Reed Street in Red Hook, (718) 6244719, www.water front museu m.org ]. Open Sat, 15 p.m., Thu, 48 p.m. Free. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Sheepshead Bay Lets hear it for the Bay Improvement Group, which held its 26th annual BIG Oscars Awards for Distinguished Community Service on April 17. Two police officers, a firefighter, and a car dealer were honored at the event for their extraordinary dedication to the community, said the groups president. Were stingy about who we give awards to, because we want it to mean something. We think its the highest community award out there, said Steve Barrison. These people are really outstanding community members and neighbors. Police officers Thomas Hionas and Richard Moore were given trophies for their work in apprehending a madman who bludgeoned three people to death in a Sheepshead Bay restaurant last January. Hionas expressed gratitude for the honor, but called it bittersweet. We accepted the award on behalf of the three victims that died. These were three hardworking people in the community, and we accepted the award in their honor, he said. It was a great event, but we obviously wish we were there under better circumstances. Firefighter Michael Nicastro was recognized for saving an unconscious infant from a burning building, said Barrison. He went up the ladder of a burning building, and there was an infant. He began giving the infant mouth-to-mouth, said Barrison. Usually those situations dont end well, but they were able to save the baby. Bay Improvement handed out the last trophy of the night to the owners of Kings Automotive Group for helping local organizations with various charitable community events, according to Barrison. You want to talk about a business that supports the community, there it is, he said. Anytime we need help in the community, theyre always there. Theyve been a good neighbor, and a community participate. So heres to Bay Improvement Group for a successful event, and this years honorees for their outstanding work in the community! Aidan Graham Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams A city scheme to house homeless families within a pair of Fourth Avenue residential developments was met with outrage during a public meeting at Seventh Avenues John Jay Educational Campus on May 1, where locals shouted, heckled, and booed at presenters from the Department of Homeless Services and its chosen operator for the upcoming refuge. And its not because they dont like homeless people theyre just not willing to pay developers to house them, according to one Park Slope man. You want to pit the working class people of this city against the homeless, said Bo Samajopoulos. This is not about the homeless people Brand Lander and [Mayor] Bill de Blasio are bailing out developers. Park Slope Councilman Brad Lander organized the meeting to discuss the citys plan to install shelters in buildings at 535 and 555 Fourth Ave. slated to open this fall. The properties were originally built as market-rate rentals, before officials at the Department of Homeless Services worked out a deal with developers to house destitute families there. The neighboring shelters will be run by nonprofit shelter operator Win and will feature a combined 253 units, along with childcare services and programs designed to help get down-and-out New Yorkers back on their feet and into permanent housing. Both buildings will feature 24-hour security and surveillance, and will be offered exclusively to families, with the majority of residents expected to be women and children, according to Jackie Bray, first deputy commissioner at the Department of Homeless Services. At the meeting, questions about the shelters effect on property values were quick to arise, with one Park Slope resident asking why the refuges couldnt be sited in a less gentrified area. Why are the shelters being taken out of areas now marked for gentrification, like Sunset Park, and moved into areas that have already been gentrified, asked Father Joe DeVincenzo. Another woman asked about what effect the shelters pint-sized residents would have on local schools, claiming nearby PS 124 is already near capacity. Bray, Lander, and former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who now serves as Wins chief executive officer, struggled to address concerns expressed by residents as their audience at the packed high school auditorium shouted over them, and Quinn in particular was routinely drowned out by a chorus of boos. The Homeless Services official claimed theres zero research showing shelters reduce property values, and said the city bases its decision to site a shelter in a community based on the number of existing shelters there and its current population of homeless residents. Lander addressed concerns about school overcrowding, saying he would work with city agencies and local school leaders to ensure there was space for the kids, but noted that many shelter kids tend to stick with whatever schools theyre already attending. Beyond that, the properties were always planned for residential use, and would have likely attracted more students to local schools had they opened as market-rate rentals, although nobody made an issue of it until the shelters were announced, according to Lander. Both those buildings have been in construction for quite a while, and no one had brought any concerns about the capacity of the schools, he said. One Park Sloper scorned his neighbors, describing them as faux liberals for their harsh criticism of the citys shelter plan. I must say to my neighbors who claim to be progressive, and post signs on their windows supporting Syrian refugees, if youre against homeless people coming into our neighborhood, your against homeless people, said Joel Berg. Many locals did express support for the shelter, including one man who asked what community members could do to support shelter residents. Quinn suggested volunteering during Win events for kids, including the shelter operators summer-camp program, in addition to wrapping free gifts for kids come Christmas time. The audience would eventually boo her before she could finish describing opportunities to help the shelter residents. Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixs on@cn gloca l.com or by calling (718) 260-4505. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Former Sheepshead Bay Councilman Lew Fidler died May 5 at the age of 62. Fidler was a longtime Democratic political operative who represented Bergen Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Marine Park, Mill Basin, and Canarsie in the City Council from 2002 until 2013. Emergency medical personnel transported Fidler to Elmhurst Hospital in Queens on May 4 with undisclosed injuries and doctors pronounced him dead Sunday morning, according to authorities. His cause of death is pending further investigation, police said. Kings County pols took to social media on Sunday as news of Fidlers passing sent shock waves throughout Brooklyn. Borough President Eric Adams praised Fidlers dedication to his constituents and his convictions. Lew Fidler was truly committed to fighting long and hard for those he served. 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, Adams said. I extend my most heartfelt condolences to his loving wife Robin, his sons, and all in his family upon his passing. Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay) spoke of Fidlers lasting legacy on Brooklyn politics. Lews quick wit & kind generosity were legendary, and a blessing to all who were privileged to know him, he said. Southern Brooklyn will never be the same. Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island) called Fidler a champion of southern Brooklyn. Lew was a champion for our community for many years. He was kind, generous and had a wonderful sense of humor. Lew will be missed, he said. My condolences to his wife Robin and their family. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson took to Twitter to celebrate Fidlers work providing funding for homeless New York City youth. 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, Johnson wrote. Thank you. Fidler is survived by his wife Robin and their two sons. Mourners will gather for Fidlers funeral on May 7 at the Morris Funeral Home, located at 1700 Coney Island Ave. 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. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. 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Digital Editor Fast-food chain McDonalds India and its estranged partner Vikram Bakshi (pictured) have opted to go for an out-of-court talks to settle their six-year-old dispute, the two parties informed the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Monday. The terms and date of the settlement as well as any other development in the case can be conveyed to the NCLAT by lawyers from any side, the appellate tribunal said. Counsel for the parties submits that they are negotiating for settlement but the impugned order may come in their way. In the facts and ... The US government will not ensure sale of its oil to India at cheaper rates as the commodity is controlled by private companies, US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday. Ross is in India to participate in a trade forum. The latest US sanctions against Iran has barred Asian buyers, including India, from importing oil from Tehran. Iran was shipping oil to India at discounted rates. Oil is owned by private people so the government cannot force people to make concessionary prices, Ross said, when asked if the United States is considering selling oil to India ... The Maharashtra killing of 15 specially trained policemen in a Naxal attack earlier this week may have become a "normal" occurrence for some in the left wing extremist areas, but there are some unsung heroes who have to keep the journey going. Creating infrastructure to break the naxal strongholds and bring development to these remote areas is perhaps even tougher than executing an encounter. Each time construction workers or managers are abducted or their vehicle and equipment is blown up, the highwaylength has to be walked all over again. The total length of roads ... The Delhi High Court on Monday restrained the government from appointing members to the GST Appellate Tribunal without its prior approval, till further hearing of a case relating to a smaller number of judicial members in the body. Earlier, the government had sought adjournment of the case. A petitioner had moved the court against a situation in which technical members would outnumber judicial members in the tribunal. The Cabinet had approved the setting up of the tribunal in January. It was to be presided over by the President and would have two technical members, one each from ... Measures to boost exports and promote start-ups are part of the 100-day programme prepared by the Commerce and Industry Ministry for the new government, an official said. The new government is expected to assume office by the end of this month. These proposals would be presented to the new government, the official added. The ministry has proposed to set up a separate logistics department to be headed by a secretary with a view to enhancing growth of the sector, which is fundamental to boost exports, imports and overall economy. Extensive coordination among different ... 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 licences to Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and to freeze deliveries of already approved equipment - a move that infuriated allies and defence companies. Airbus is looking at taking legal action against Berlin over the security system for the border between Saudi Arabia and ... The chairman of Apple supplier Foxconn said on Monday he told U.S. President Donald Trump that he wanted to be the peacemaker between the United States, China and self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own. Billionaire Terry Gou, who said last month he would run for president of Taiwan in 2020, met Trump last week to discuss the status of the Taiwan company's planned investment in Wisconsin. Using Taiwan's official name, Gou also said Beijing needed to acknowledge the existence of the "Republic of China". Beijing regards the island as a breakaway ... Warren Buffett said on Monday that a trade war between the United States and China would be "bad for the whole world." Buffett spoke after US President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that he will raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25 per cent from 10 per cent beginning on Friday, and "shortly" slap a 25-per cent tariff on $325 billion of Chinese goods that have not been taxed. Major stock markets fell worldwide on Monday in response to the president's tweet, which came ahead of scheduled trade talks this week, and was a "rational" ... Former AAP leader Devinder Sehrawat joined the BJP on Monday in presence of Union minister Vijay Goel. "I draw courage from the people of my constituency and this is the reason why I am joining the country's best political party BJP after getting freedom from AAP. I envision myself as a soldier for PM Modi's team in the service of the nation. I have served over 20 years in the army, also engaged in social work and as a journalist, I have written over 100 articles on rural issues," he said. Talking about his experiences with AAP, he said, "I met Vijay Goel Ji who advised me to read on rural issues. I was working on issues of land acquisition. At that time I met Arvind Kejriwal and it is then that he started a movement on Jan Lokpal. I always supported AAP on the right issues and also drew attention to the wrongdoings in the party. My loyalty was towards the public; this is the reason why I faced the ire of AAP. They insulted me by never including me in any programmes and policies." Sehrawat also said whatever development work took place in the airport area, which is nearby Mahipalpur (his village), was because of the approvals and funds granted by the Central government. "I met Hardeep Singh Puri, Nitin Gadkari, the LG, Sushma Swaraj Ji. The central government helped me in the development work of around Rs 3,000 crores in the airport area. The Delhi Government did nothing for my constituency and this is the reason why I consulted BJP leaders and eventually joined the party today," Sehrawat said. Delhi goes to poll on May 12. 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.) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh claimed that the party believes Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi to be mutually involved behind the attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "Nine times attack on Chief Minister Kejriwal is not an ordinary thing, there is a conspiracy behind this. There could be a threat to his (Kejriwal) life. We met the Delhi Police Commissioner and appealed to investigate the matter. The accused's wife said that her husband cannot tolerate if somebody says anything wrong to Prime Minister Modi, which means in this country speaking against Modi has now become a crime...We believe that behind this unfortunate incident (attack on Kejriwal), it's Prime Minister Modi and BJP. We demand a brief investigation into the attack on Kejriwal," Singh told reporters on Monday. Questioning Gandhi's silence over the incident, sitting AAP MP said, "The BJP and Congress have accused us (AAP) for planning this attack to raise TRP. All opposition condemned this attack but Rahul Gandhi is quiet which means both BJP and Congress are involved in this... We have registered an FIR into the matter." The Delhi Police on Sunday sent Suresh, the man accused of slapping 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). On May 4, 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. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States approved a carrier strike group and a bomber strike force to the Middle East due to "indications of a credible threat" by Iran, said acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Monday. "Last night's announced deployment of the @CVN_72 and a @USAirForce bomber task force to the @CENTCOM area of responsibility, which I approved yesterday, represents a prudent repositioning of assets in response to indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces," he wrote on his Twitter handle. The US on Sunday announced that it was sending USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a US Air Force bomber task force to the Middle East in response to Iran's "troubling and escalatory indications and warnings." Urging Iran to cease its provocative activities, Shanahan said that Washington will hold Tehran "accountable" in the event of a possible attack on US forces. "We call on the Iranian regime to cease all provocation. We will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests," read another tweet by Shanahan. In a statement released by the White House, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said that the US was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) region in the Middle East "to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force." "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces," Bolton was quoted as saying in the statement. On Monday, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said that the deployment of military assets to the region was "something we have been working on for a little while," adding that the US had seen "escalatory action from the Iranians." Ties between the US and Iran soured after Washington pulled out from the Iran nuclear deal or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) last year. The agreement allows Iran to continue with its nuclear programme under some terms and conditions. Following this, the US slapped a multitude of sanctions on Iran, citing the latter's support to state-sponsored terrorism and conflicts. Iran, on the other hand, has refused to bow down, terming US' sanctions on Tehran's banking, energy and shipping industries as "economic terrorism". Intensifying its pressure against Iran, the Donald Trump administration designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a foreign terrorist organisation, which was followed by Tehran's similar move of labelling CENTCOM with the same designation. Furthermore, the US in March designated an additional 31 Iranian individuals and entities "linked to Iran's WMD proliferation-sensitive activities". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Armsprime Media, a new age technology company that helps celebrity and influencers build and monetise their own customised apps, has recently launched Sherlyn Chopra's app. The app comes with multiple unique features to increase fan engagement and to share exclusive content with fans. The company already has 10 celebrities signed generating revenue of over USD 100k USD a month. Saurabh Kushwah is the founder of Armsprime Media he recently received his first round of funding from entrepreneur investor Raj Kundra. "Our focus is to give power to the celebrities and social media influencers to create their own content and pricing structures for a Video on Demand and fan engagement Service like no other. We are proud to announce Sherlyn Chopra's app, which has had over 100,000 registrations in 24 hours of release and her fans are loving her app. Our Company is growing strength to strength and we have over 10 celebrities from India signed up and now we are closing deals for social media influencers in USA", said Saurabh Kushwah CEO, Armsprime. "In the world of hyper-personalisation, it's time for celebrities, influencers and content creators to be their own media house. It's time to connect one's digital version with the versatile digital fan base available across all digital touch points. Not only does it bridge the gap between the celebrity/influencer/content creator and his/her fan base but also provides a fantastic platform for optimum content monetization. My official app powered by Armsprime Media is finally out and you can download the 'Sherlyn Chopra Official App' on the Google Play Store and App Store", said Sherlyn Chopra. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Facing a severe spell of water scarcity, residents of Nuniya Mollah in Banda have taken up cudgels against the local administration for not doing enough to resolve their issues. They have decided to boycott this year's Lok Sabha elections to protest against the apathy of the administration. "We are facing severe shortage of water. Officers come and go but water never comes. The taps are dry. So we have decided to boycott the elections. No water, no vote," said Subiya, a local woman. Another resident says, "Nobody wants to cast their vote. Who will vote if you will not give water?" Locals allege that the water tankers sent by the administration are not enough to meet their demands. "What has Narendra Modi government done for overcoming water scarcity? We are struggling for each drop of water. If the administration will not help us resolve the water crisis, we will not cast our vote," said a man. The locals have also put up a banner that reads 'Pani nahi to vote nahi' (No vote if no water). Officials from the police and local administration are visiting the area to persuade disgruntled residents to exercise their franchise, assuring them that their issues will be resolved at the earliest. Polling is underway in Banda parliamentary constituency in the fifth phase of elections today. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Manchester City's manager Pep Guardiola has said that Barcelona and Liverpool are the two best teams he has ever faced in his career as a manager and battling with Liverpool for the Premier League title will be one of his biggest achievements. "It's not easy, honestly. In my career as a manager, I played against incredible sides. There are two that were 'wow'. One is Barcelona with Luis Enrique, with Neymar, (Lionel) Messi and (Luis) Suarez in front. The other is this Liverpool," goal.com quoted Guardiola as saying on Sunday. "I think they're the best two sides I've faced as a manager. That's why being here, with it in our hands, fighting against Liverpool until the end. One of the biggest achievements," he added. Manchester City and Liverpool are battling it out for the Premier League title and both the teams are neck to neck at the points tally. If City is able to win the Premier League this year, they will become the first team to defend their domestic title since their cross-city rivals Manchester United in 2009. "Arriving at this stage, two games left with 92 points, after 100 points last season... being there, that is the most satisfaction I've had as a manager," Guardiola said. Liverpool had moved seven points clear of Manchester City in January this year. But four draws in six games for the Reds and 12 consecutive wins for City have gotten Manchester City within the grasp of the Premier League title. The team just needs two more wins to guarantee another Premier League title. "I would not say that 100 points were bad and that we are not satisfied with what we did last season. I'm not going to say that. But at the same time, we were seven points behind this year. You give credit for the titles and how huge our rival is," Guardiola said. "I didn't expect to get the points we have this season so far after what we did last season. Normally, the tendency for human beings is to relax a little bit. But the reason we were seven behind at that moment is that Liverpool was unstoppable," he added. Manchester City next takes on Leicester City on May 7 whereas Liverpool will face Wolves on May 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Boeing on Sunday said it was aware of a flawed safety feature with the 737 Max aircraft well before the deadly October 2018 Lion Air crash, but considered it to be a premium add-on to the aeroplane and hence decided not to do anything about it. The aerospace manufacturer, in a statement cited by The New York Times, added details regarding its initial confusion about a key cockpit warning light which the company believed was a standard feature in all of the new jets. The initial lack of knowledge about the feature's functionality, along with the delayed disclosure, added to the concern about Boeing's management of Max's design. The model 737 MAX came under scrutiny after 346 people lost their lives in two deadly plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. On March 10, 157 people on board an Ethiopian Airlines flight -- a Boeing 737 MAX jet -- lost their lives after the flight crashed just a few minutes after it took off from Adis Ababa. In October last year, a Boeing 737 MAX Lion Air flight crashed in Indonesia, claiming the lives of all 181 people on board. Investigations are ongoing into both the incidents. The March 10 incident became the second instance that the Boeing 737 MAX jet was involved in within a span of five months. This triggered safety concerns, leading to several countries and airlines grounding the aircraft around the The warning light notifies pilots of a disagreement in the sensors that measure which direction the plane is pointed, a potential sign of a malfunction. This light could have provided critical information to the pilots on two flights that crashed shortly after takeoff in recent months. Preliminary investigations in the two plane crashes divulge that there were problems with these so-called angles of attack sensors early in the flights, activating new anti-stall software that sent the planes into unrecoverable nose-dives, The New York Times reported. But the alert worked only on planes with an optional indicator that displayed the readings from the angle of attack sensors, the company said in its statement on Sunday. Because only 20 per cent of customers had purchased the optional indicator, the warning light was not working on most of Boeing's new jets. Neither Lion Air nor Ethiopian had the indicator. The revelations add to Boeing's mounting problems, which include frayed relations with airlines and customers, multiple federal investigations, growing financial costs and the remaining work to get the Max flying again. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States is deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling indications and warnings from Iran and to show the U.S. will retaliate with unrelenting force to any attack, national security adviser John Bolton said. He said the decision, which could exacerbate problems between the two countries, was meant to send a clear and unmistakable message of U.S. resolve to Tehran. The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or regular Iranian forces, Reuters cited the security adviser as saying. The United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force, Bolton stressed. Girls outperformed boys in Class X examination, the result of which was declared by the Central Board of School Examination (CBSE) on Monday. The overall pass percentage of girls has been pegged at 92.45, which is 2.31 higher than the pass percentage logged by boys. As many as 13 students got 499 marks out of 500, and six of them are girls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated all the successful students, whom he hailed as his 'young friends.' Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar also congratulated them. The overall pass percentage has gone up by 4.40 per cent this year. Last year, the pass percentage was 86.70. This year the percentage stood at 91.10. The pass percentage of boys stands at 90.14, according to details shared by the CBSE. Speaking to ANI, Taru Jain, a student from Jaipur who scored 499 marks, said: "I am feeling really good. I used to study for 4-5 hours every day. I want to pursue Economics (Honours) from Delhi University. My parents, teachers and principal supported me a lot in my journey to success." Siddhant Pengoriya, who too scored 499 who appeared in Class X CBSE exam from Noida-based school in Uttar Pradesh, told ANI: "The key to success is not to take the stress. In order to stay calm, I used to do extra-curricular activities. I am glad my hard work has not gone waste." Manan Gupta, who has scored 498 from a school in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, said: "I was not expecting such a great result. I used to use social media and play games a lot. After November, I started studying for 3-4 hours. I give all the credit to my parents and teachers." Prime Minister, while talking to the micro-blogging website, said: "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." HRD Minister Javadekar too congratulated the students who have successfully cleared the CBSE Class X board examination. Talking to ANI, Javadekar said: "I congratulate all the students who have succeeded in CBSE's Class X board exams. More than 91 per cent of students have passed, and those nine per cent who could not clear the exam this time, will definitely give their best in the compartment examination. Don't get disheartened." Trivandrum region posted the highest pass percentage of 99.85, followed by Chennai and Delhi regions 99 and 80.97 respectively. The rest of the regions also fared well. Ajmer region registered the pass percentage of 95.89, Panchkula 93.72, Prayagraj 92.55, Bhubaneswar 92.32, Patna 91.86, Dehradun 89.04, and Guwahati 74.49. Out of 13 students who have scored 499 out of 500, eight are from Uttar Pradesh, while the rest from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Kerala. Thirteen top scorers are -- Siddhant Pengoriya, Divyansh Wadhwa, Ankur Mishra, Vatsal Varshney, Isha Madan, Apoorva Jain, Shivani Lath and Yogesh Kumar Gupta, all from Uttar Pradesh; Taru Jain from Ajmer, Divjot Kaur Jaggi from Haryana, Aryan Jha from Gujarat, Manya from Punjab, and Bhavana N Sivadas from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. As many as 25 students secured the second rank by scoring 498 marks out of 500, while 59 students have got 497 marks. The students can check their scores on the CBSE website -- cbse.nic.in and cbseresults.nic.in. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Monday dismissed the probability of holding any trilateral talks on nuclear disarmament with the USA and Russia, which were proposed by US President Donald Trump recently. "China opposes any incidents of anybody speaking on China's behalf and will not participate in any talks on a trilateral agreement on nuclear disarmament," Sputnik quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Geng Shuang as saying. This comes after Trump proposed to hold talks with Russia on a new nuclear arms control treaty, adding that the negotiations could eventually include China as well. While Russia has welcomed the proposal while seeking more information, China has outrightly dismissed any probability. This comes as both the United States and Russia have suspended their obligations towards the Cold Era-dated Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The accord was aimed at arms control and was signed between former US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The two sides agreed to destroy all cruise or ground-launched ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometres (310 and 3,400 miles) through the signing of the treaty. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A three-judge In-House Committee of the Supreme Court on Monday gave a clean chit to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi in the sexual harassment allegation levelled against him by a former court staffer. "The In-House Committee has found no substance in the allegations contained in the complaint dated 19.04.2019 of a former employee of the Supreme Court of India. "Please take note that in case of Indira Jaising vs. Supreme Court of India and Anr file SCC494, it has been held that the Report of a Committee constituted as a part of the In-House procedure is not liable to be made public," the Supreme Court Secretary-General said in a notice. The notice also said that the Committee submitted its report on Sunday in accordance with the In-House procedure to the next senior most judge competent to receive the report and also sent a copy to the judge concerned namely the Chief Justice of India. The report of the In-House Committee consisting of Justices SA Bobde, Indra Banerjee and Indu Malhotra seeks to bring the curtains down on the controversy that broke out more than a fortnight ago when a former woman court staffer who had worked in the home office of the CJI had complained to the judges of the Supreme Court that Justice Gogoi had made sexual advances to her. As the news broke and set off a storm, the Chief Justice called an extraordinary sitting of a bench headed by him and called the allegations a big conspiracy against him. The bench also passed remarks debunking the complainant. Later, the court constituted a three-member Committee consisting of Justices Bobde, NV Ramana and Indra Banerjee. Justice Ramana recused from being a part of the committee after the complainant sought his recusal saying he was close the CJI. Justice Indu Malhotra replaced Ramana. However, the constitution of the committee came under critisicm with a number of jurists and lawyer including women advocates saying the probe panel was not in accordance with the Visakha guidelines propounded by the apex court on the basis of which parliament had also passed a law. While the Supreme Court has an in-house procedure for dealing with complaints, it has no precedent of nor a provision for dealing with a complaint of sexual harassment against the CJI. Meanwhile, the woman complainant appeared before the three-judge panel and later walked out of it saying she was denied assistance of a lawyer or a "support person" to help her in presenting her case as she was not a legal person. With the procedure adopted by the Committee attracting criticism, Justice DY Chandrachud of the Supreme Court wrote to the judges in the Full Court to "remedy all the grievances" which led the woman complainant to withdraw from the probe on April 30. On Sunday, the Secretary General denied that Justice Chandrachud along with Justice Rohinton F Nariman had met Justice Bobde to make the demand. However, he did not deny that Justice Chandrachud had written to all the judges in the Full Court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conducted an aerial survey to take stock of the loss and destruction in areas affected by Fani in Odisha and announced Rs 1,000 crore more to the state government for conducting relief and restoration work. The amount is in addition to the Rs 381 crore announced previously. The Prime Minister also praised Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his handling of the crisis. "Naveen babu has done a very good job, his planning is excellent." "There has been excellent coordination since the last seven-eight days between the state and central governments. The communication has been perfect. The state government's team was proactive and responsive too. I was also monitoring. The way people of Odisha and fishermen complied with every instruction of government is praiseworthy," Prime Minister Modi said. Meanwhile, the relief assistance of Rs 1,000 crore announced by the Prime Minister is in addition to the Rs. 341 crores already released to the state government on April 29. The Prime Minister announced ex-gratia of Rs two lakhs to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured in the India stands in solidarity with the people of Odisha. https://t.co/rP7P4U7EEs Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 6, 2019 "The central and state government will continue to work together. In the coming days, relief and restoration work will be done. The government of India had announced Rs 381 crore earlier, a further Rs 1,000 crore will be released now. A team of the central government will come to do an assessment of the work," PM Modi said. He assured the people of the state that the Union Government stands shoulder to shoulder with them at this difficult time. The PM also appreciated the resilience of the people and the fishermen living in the coastal areas. The state government's efforts in evacuating more than one million people to safety and the efforts of India Meteorological Department to give accurate forecast were specially appreciated by the Prime Minister. ALSO READ: Fani death toll in Odisha mounts to 29 as major cities remain without power "I would like to praise the people of Odisha. Shifting 12 lakh people is not easy. Lives have been saved, that's more important for me. The central government will also give Rs 2 lakhs to the kin of those who have lost their lives due to Fani. Also, Rs 50,000 will be given to those who have got injured," Modi said. While conducting the aerial survey today, Prime Minister Modi was joined Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. PM Modi also held a review meeting with officials. Earlier, Odisha government claimed that the has led to one of the biggest human evacuations in history as a record 1.2 million people were evacuated in 24 hours including 3.2 lakh from Ganjam district and 1.3 lakh from Puri. on Friday made landfall in Puri with a wind speed of over 200 kmph. The cyclone, the worst April storm in 43 years, caused "huge damage" in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri and Khordha districts in the state, according to the Odisha government. 'Kuccha' houses were completely destroyed in Puri, parts of Khurda, and other districts. The cyclone tore apart critical infrastructure, especially power, telecom and water supply. Lakhs of trees were uprooted blocking roads, breaking homes and damaging infrastructure. The cyclone also triggered heavy rainfall in the state. It left at least three people dead and over 160 injured along with leaving behind a trail of destructions that included damaged houses, uprooted trees and electricity poles. A Delhi Court on Monday reserved its order on a complaint filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from East Delhi parliamentary constituency Atishi Marlena against her BJP opponent Gautam Gambhir. Marlena has accused Gambhir of possessing two voter ID cards. Metropolitan Magistrate Viplav Dabas reserved the order on the summoning of documents and records from the Election Commission and would pass judgment over Atishi's complaint on May 13. Advocates Rishikesh and Mohd Irshad appearing for Atishi withdrew another prayer by the politician seeking direction to the Delhi Police to investigate the matter. The AAP leader has claimed that Gambhir is a registered voter in both Karol Bagh and Rajinder Nagar areas of Delhi. During a hearing on May 1, Atishi's counsel said, "we have a screenshot of the voter list. One entry of Karol Bagh and on the next page registration of voter from Rajendra Nagar." Judge Viplav Dabas had then said, "What is the relevance of bringing this case here. You may go to the Election Commission." On Monday, Atishi, who is facing Gambhir and Arvinder Singh Lovely of the Congress in East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, wrote to the Returning Officer (RO), accusing Gambhir of repeatedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Atishi had requested the RO to take strong action on her complaint and register an FIR against Gambhir. She also sought a 72 hour-ban on Gambhir from campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls for allegedly violating the MCC several times. Delhi, which has seven Lok Sabha seats at stake, will go to polls on May 12. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi Police head constable allegedly shot himself dead with his service revolver in West Delhi's Harinagar on Sunday, police said. The deceased identified as Satish was reportedly upset after he had a tiff with his wife and was not able to resolve the issue. Police said they believe it could be a reason behind the head constable's extreme step, although they are yet to ascertain the exact cause of the alleged suicide. More details are awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A blind murder case was solved with the arrest of the deceased's husband, the police said on Monday. 32-year-old Kajal was found dead in a locked rented room in Narela on May 1. The corpse of the deceased was found wrapped in a blanket. The police arrested her 31-year-old husband Bhola in connection with the alleged murder case from Prayagraj. "A quarrel had erupted between the couple on April 29 which later turned violent and Bhola allegedly became furious and tried to strangulate her. At one point, he had left her but she threatened to file a police complaint against him. On this, accused Bhola overpowered and killed her by strangulating to death. He then tied her limbs, wrapped her in a blanket and ran away after locking the room," a senior police official said. "During sustained interrogation, Bhola revealed that he had solemnised a love marriage with the deceased Kajal and they have two children who are living with his parents at his native village as his wife was not faithful to him," the officer added. Kajal had solemnised another love marriage with one Saroj who was a resident of Bhorgarh by impersonating as Payal in January 2019 without disclosing about her first marriage. She used to go to Bhola after telling Saroj that he is her brother. She had also asked Saroj not to accompany her, stating that he would get killed by Bhola. The incident came to light on May 1 after information was received at Narela police station regarding a missing tenant and a foul smell from the room which was locked from outside. "Local police reached the spot and the lock of the room was broken where the corpse was found wrapped in a blanket. A piece of cloth was found stuffed in her mouth and her limbs were also tied with cloth following which a murder case was registered," the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler on Monday scheduled a vote for Wednesday (May 8) to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress after the latter failed to adhere to a deadline to furnish Special Counsel Robert Mueller's full and unredacted report on alleged Russian collusion in 2016 presidential election. The contempt vote is scheduled to be held at 10 am (local time). Making the announcement, Nadler said that he proposed to hold Barr in contempt after he sent a letter to the Justice Department, which refused to provide Mueller's full report. The House Judiciary Committee had given a deadline of 9 am (local time) on Monday for Barr to comply, Al Jazeera reported. On April 19, Nadler had issued a subpoena for Mueller's full report on Russia probe, a day after Barr had released the redacted version of the report. However, the Justice Department had recently notified the committee that it would not adhere to the demand. On May 3, Nadler had reiterated his request through a follow-up letter to Barr saying that the full report should be disclosed to the Congress and that the Justice Department begin producing Mueller's underlying evidence. He gave the department a deadline of May 7 (Monday) to respond, failing which he would begin contempt proceedings against Barr. "The attorney general's failure to comply with our subpoena after extensive accommodation efforts leave us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings in order to enforce the subpoena and access the full, unredacted report," Nadler said in a statement. "Even in redacted form, the special counsel's report offers disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels," he added. "Congress must see the full report and underlying evidence to determine how best to move forward with oversight, legislation and other constitutional responsibilities," Nadler further said. While Mueller found no Russian collusion in Trump's campaign for the 2016 presidential elections during his 22-month long investigation, he fell short of completely exonerating the incumbent US President when it came to obstruction of justice, Barr had said while releasing the redacted report last month. On May 1, Barr had testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee where he faced questions on the matter pertaining to Mueller's discontent with the Attorney General's handling of the investigation report. Mueller had claimed that Barr failed to "fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of his findings of the investigation. However, Barr skipped the following hearing on May 2 after the Democrats demanded that he face questions from the committee's lawyers. The Attorney General has chosen not to pursue a case against Trump, citing lack of sufficient evidence in Mueller's report. The move has been highly criticised by Democrats, who have demanded the release of Mueller's full report, even though a redacted version of it exists in the public domain. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shobhana Radhakrishna, Chief Functionary of the Gandhian Forum for Ethical Corporate Governance and Dr Ravi Chopra, Founder Secretary of the Centre for Gandhian Vision and Values addressed students and faculty at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) on the principles of ethical corporate governance. The eminent Gandhians were invited to speak at the prestigious B-school on its 56th Foundation Day and commemoration event of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. "The most important thing for Mahatma Gandhi was action, making sure that we walk on the right path. His principles of Satyagraha (power of truth), Akardhrashti (level observance) and Shramdaan (voluntary contribution) are required in as well as in personal life. Hard work, punctuality and simplicity are important for ethical leadership", said Shobhana Radhakrishna. "The 56th foundation day is an important milestone for IIFT which over the years has grown to become a landmark institution in India. Since IIFT was founded on the Gandhian principles of ethics, values and transparency it is fitting to have such eminent speakers address us today as we also commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi", said Prof Manoj Pant, Director, IIFT. The event also witnessed the inauguration of the Assessment and Development Centre (ADC) at IIFT by Prof Manoj Pant, Director IIFT. The vision of the centre is to strive for excellence in maximizing organization effectiveness and employee engagement by identifying and developing Human Resources through psychological assessment and development services. The potential areas where ADC can render its services are career counselling, personality profiling, entrepreneurial trait identification and leadership development. The ADC would look forward to provide services to all organizations and government missions as well depending on their need. IIFT has an experienced and competent faculty having expertise in human resource management, behavioural sciences, marketing, finance, operations, trade and With the faculty bench strength, the ADC is fully equipped to take up any consultancy and training assignment in the area of change management, competency mapping, succession planning, identifying the leadership pipeline, besides providing training in the area of leadership, conflict resolution, design thinking, data analytics, logistics and supply chain, and marketing. The Foundation Day event also saw the release of a new book titled 'A Basic Guide for International Business' edited by Dr Vijaya Katti, Dean Administration (Academics) and S. Balasubramanian as well as the release of Yagya -the annual Hindi Magazine of IIFT. Ex-Faculty members and employees were honoured for their contribution to IIFT. The programme began with the lighting of the lamp, followed by a welcome address by Dr PK Gupta, Registrar, IIFT and Prof Pant. The programme included a rendition of bhajans titled Gandhiji ke Priya Bhajan. The entire staff, faculty members and students graced the ceremony with their presence and celebrated the special day reflecting the beginnings of the Institute and its significant development since inception. This story is provided by BuisnessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A certificate error that impromptu disabled all add-ons on Mozilla's Firefox browser has been finally fixed. In its official blog, the company explained that a Firefox release version 66.0.4 on Desktop and Android, and version 60.6.2 for ESR repairs the certificate chain to re-enable web extensions, themes, search engines, and language packs that had been disabled. On Friday, users reported an issue with Firefox that prevented existing and new add-ons from running or being installed. The fix, however, does not resolve the problem for legacy users who have not upgraded from older Firefox versions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has held a meeting with Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Board of Russian Railways OJSC Oleg Belozerov in Baku today. The head of state noted that the opportunities of Azerbaijan and Russia in the railway field will create good conditions for expanding cooperation in the future, the Azerbaijani President's press service reported. Ilham Aliyev also indicated that the volume of transit cargo transportation from Russia through Azerbaijan is growing, and expressed confidence that new steps will be taken in this direction. Oleg Belozerov, in turn, noted the successful cooperation of Azerbaijan Railways and Russian Railways. According to him, it is indicated by the fact the volume of freight increased by 25% in the first quarter of this year. The head of the Russian Railways stressed that the organization of the transit of goods and selection of new rail routes contribute to the economic development of the two countries. During the meeting, the President of Azerbaijan and the head of Russian Railways also discussed prospects for cooperation. Economic expert Rovshan Ibrahimov, speaking to the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the growth in rail freight traffic between Russia and Azerbaijan was due to several factors. "First of all, it's because the growth of exports of agricultural products from Azerbaijan to Russia. Second, the Russian side expressed interest in the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, certain goods from Russia began to flow along this route, primarily to Turkish markets. Third, imports of Russian goods to Azerbaijan have increased. Fourth, border infrastructure has been established between Russia and Azerbaijan due to both the reconstruction of old roads and bridges and the construction of new ones," he listed. "In general, there has been a stable growth in commodity turnover between our countries in recent years. This is important because Russian is the main market for Azerbaijani agricultural products. It is expected that the growth trend will only intensify after a full-fledged railway route through Azerbaijan is introduced within the North-South project. Due to this route, cargo railway traffic will increase dramatically between Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran," Rovshan Ibrahimov said, adding that soon Azerbaijan's export to Russia can grow due to the supply of petrochemical products. Scientist of the Center for Post-Soviet Studies of the RAS Institute of Economics Artem Pylin agreed that freight statistics has increased due to the increase in exports of Azerbaijani goods to Russia. "Recently, Azerbaijan has significantly increased the supply of its products to the Russian market, which, respectively, has led to an increase in cross-border transportation. It is important that these trade contacts are stable, Azerbaijani products are in demand on the Russian market. In this regard, the upward trend in freight traffic will continue in the future," he said A team of Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Gujarat, led by four women police officers, has arrested gangster Jusab Allarakha, a native of Junagadh, who is involved in several cases of extortion and murder. Acting on credible information that Jusab was hiding in a forest in Botad district, the team launched a search operation and consequently nabbed the absconding history-sheeter on Sunday. The Gujarat ATS officers who led the operation are Santok Odedara, Nitimi Gohil, Aruna Gohil and Simmi Mal. "He has four cases of murder registered against him among other cases of loot and attacking government officials," PSI Santok Odedra told reporters here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Paz De La Huerta, who accused Harvey Weinstein of raping her, was hospitalised on Sunday after she allegedly locked herself in a room. According to TMZ, the actress was rushed from an Upper West Side building to an area hospital around late afternoon after a third party called 911 to report "an emotionally disturbed person" who needed help. According to the sources, the 911 caller said Paz had locked herself in a bedroom and wanted NYPD to respond so she could get medical attention. TMZ was told that cops and EMS responded quickly and transported the 34-year-old actor to a nearby hospital for treatment. It's unclear what her condition is at this point, or what exactly led up to the episode but we are working on getting further details. Paz is one of several women who've accused the movie producer of sexual harassment and sexual assault. She had filed a lawsuit against him claiming that he sexually assaulted her on two different occasions in 2010, with one of those resulting in an alleged rape. Currently, Harvey is facing criminal charges related to other allegations of sexual assault in NYC. His trial has been pushed back to September. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise for allegedly politicising the armed forces and using the "blood" of the Army while campaigning. "Narendra Modi ji, your people said the Army was your personal property. Narendra Modi ji, the Army does not belong to you. It belongs to the youth, sisters, and mothers of Bhiwani. Their blood is in the Army. When someone gets killed in the Army, they bleed not you, Narendra Modi," Gandhi said in a rally here. "Modi ji, you apologise to the country and tell the countrymen that the Army is not yours. Admit that you politicise and use the blood of the Army in When a serviceman dies, they give up their life for India, not for the political strategy of the Prime Minister," Gandhi added. The Congress chief vowed to never politicise the armed forces for electoral gains in his life. He went on to accuse Modi of diverting people's attention from his government's "failures" by citing Pakistan and the services of the armed forces. "Modi ji talks about the forces. He talks about other countries. He cannot talk about unemployment, farmers issues, and Rs 15 lakh he promised to the people," he claimed. Gandhi reiterated his promise to provide Rs 72,000 per year to the poor under Congress' flagship Nyayntam Aay Yojna (NYAY) if his party comes to power in the ongoing elections. He also promised to introduce a dedicated budget for the farming sector. "This year, there would be two budget -- budget and farmers budget. And farmers' budget will be presented first," he said. Bhiwani will go to polls in the sixth phase of general elections 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.) Riyas Aboobacker, who was held in Kasargod ISIS terror module case, would be in the custody of Investigation Agency (NIA) till May 10. Aboobacker, arrested on April 29, was produced in the special NIA court here on Monday. According to the investigating agency, Aboobacker was allegedly planning suicide attacks at international tourist destinations in Kerala. He was arrested from Palakkad. In 2017, the NIA had registered a case against five people from Valapattanam in Kannur district for their alleged IS links. The investigation revealed Riyas' link with the IS. The 29-year-old is said to have followed the speeches and videos of Sri Lankan Sunday Easter bombing mastermind Zahran Hashim till he was not arrested. It has been said that he was preparing himself mentally to become a suicide bomber. According to NIA, Riyas revealed during interrogation that he was in contact with an absconder in the case Abdul Rashid Abdulla alias Abu Isa and was following his audio clips, in which he was heard instigating others to carry out attacks in India. Riyas also disclosed that he was in contact with Abdul Khayoom alias Abu Khalid, an accused in Valapattanam ISIS case. Khalid is believed to be in Syria now. NIA had earlier received inputs that a group of four persons were in contact with some of the accused including Abdul Rashid, Ashfaq Majeed, and Abdul Khayoom, who has already migrated to Afghanistan and Syria. Acting on specific inputs, NIA carried out searches at three places, two in Kasargod and one in Palakkad, last week, and arrested Aboobacker. It is worth mentioning that in 2016 as many as 15 persons had disappeared from Kasargod and allegedly migrated to Afghanistan and Syria to join the ISIS. A case was registered in the matter, which is being investigated by the NIA. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Japan's largest egg producer, ISE Foods, in a bid to improve the quality of eggs, waste management and disease diagnosis in poultry farms across the country. With two poultry farms, ISE Foods will soon commence its operations in India. One unit will be established in Gujarat's Surat city, while a larger unit with a production capacity of 1.2 million strong-chicken farm eggs will be set up in Telangana's Siddipet. The ISE's egg production process, almost fully automated, is considered most hygienic in the The chickens are completely antibiotic-free and the eggs are transported from the farms to the factories within 24 hours. Globally, ISE's chickens lay about 20 million eggs a day and the company has been in business for over 100 years and has major operations in the US, China and ASEAN countries. Soon, ISE Foods is going to bring its protein-packed offerings to India's billion-plus consumers. "At this factory, about a million eggs are produced per day. We estimate to produce two million in the future. This factory alone has about 1.5 per cent egg production rate of Japan" said Hiromi Komatsuzaki, an official from ISE Foods. The company also conducts "ISE integration System" which manages the production of feed, poultry farming, egg collection, packing, and delivery production to control quality. It also uses the environment-friendly system against odour measurement by using "deodorant", "chip wood", and "sulfur". "Poultry manure from poultry house is transported to this vertical compost. They become fertilizer'' that reach farm through the process of fermentation and pelletizing. And the deodorant system is also fully installed in consideration of the environment," Komatsuzaki added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Panama Electoral Tribunal on Monday announced that Laurentino Cortizo has won the country's presidential election. Laurentino Cortizo, the presidential candidate from the opposition Democratic Revolutionary Party, has declared his victory, with a narrow gap of 1.93 per cent against Romulo Roux, another candidate. "I am pleased. Victory. We won. Now we have to unite forces", said Cortizo. However, his rival Roux, from former President Ricardo Martinelli's right-wing Democratic Change party, has not yet accepted his defeat as only 95 per cent of the votes have been counted. Coutinho had 33 per cent of the votes and Roux 31 per cent. As the presidential election in Panama does not have run-off criteria, so the candidate with the maximum number of votes wins the election even he does not have 50 per cent of the vote. Outgoing President Juan Carlos Varela was barred by the constitution from contesting the sixth presidential election. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to hold talks with the United States secretary of the state, Micheal Pompeo on Monday, reported TASS. The two officials will meet on the sidelines of the ministerial session of the Arctic Council in Finland. This came days after United States President Donald Trump telephoned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. "Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin of Russia. 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 we discussed Trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, Nuclear Arms Control and even the 'Russian Hoax,' Very productive talk!" Trump tweeted. It is still unclear what Lavrov and Pompeo are intended to discuss. This also follows Lavrov's meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza in Moscow. Russia and the US have taken diametrically opposing stands in Venezuela's political crisis. The two countries have traded warnings against each other's interference in the country's affairs. Venezuela has been in the throes of a political crisis, which was accelerated when opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself as the president of the nation in January. The US immediately recognised him as the interim president, demanding President Nicolas Maduro to step down. Moscow and Washington have accused each other of meddling in Caracas' internal matter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As polling began for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections in 51 constituencies spread across seven states, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, BSP chief Mayawati were among those who turned up early to cast their votes. Lucknow BJP candidate Rajnath Singh expressed confidence about BJP getting a full majority and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will get a second term. Rajnath Singh's son Pankaj Singh also cast his votes at a polling booth in Lucknow. "I leave it to voters. The right to write the character role of a candidate lies with voters of the constituency. I am assured that BJP will get a full majority and Narendra Modi will become Prime Minister again," said Rajnath Singh. BSP supremo and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati also turned up early to exercise her franchise at a Lucknow polling booth. "The value of the vote of everyone is the same either poor or rich. I request all to come out and exercise their right to vote. I request all voters to go to their respective polling booths and use their vote for the country and public welfare. Youth, elder and women all should come in large number for the vote," said Mayawati. Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha cast his vote at Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. His son Union Minister Jayant Sinha is contesting against Congress' Gopal Sahu and CPI's Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta from the constituency. "In 2014 I decided on my own that I will not contest because you are seeing what happened with others. Now my son is in the fray," said Yashwant Sinha. Yashwant Sinha and his wife Nilima Sinha arrived together and stood in line to cast their votes. Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and his wife Gayatri Rathore cast their votes in Jaipur. Sanjay Seth the BJP candidate from Ranchi after voting who cast his vote said: "Before coming here to cast my vote, I went to the temple of Goddess Kali, Lord Hanuman, Lord Ganesha and Lord Shani Maharaj. I pray to God and asked for more strength to serve the people," said Sanjay Seth. Polling for the fifth phase began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, amid elaborate security arrangements. Fourteen seats in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Rajasthan, seven each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar and four in Jharkhand are undergoing polling in addition to Ladakh and Anantnag constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An estimated 62.56 per cent electorates exercised their franchise on Monday in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections covering 51 constituencies across seven states, in which the BJP has high stakes. Incidents of violence, marked by clashes between BJP and TMC workers in West Bengal and two grenade attacks in Anantnag constituency in Jammu and Kashmir were reported while polling was by and large peaceful in the other states. Briefing reporters, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said, "In the entire phase five, for corresponding constituencies in 2014 the turnout was 61.75 per cent and for today's poll the turnout is 62.56 per cent, as last reported." Sharing state-specific voter turnout, he said, "Today in Rajasthan polling was done in 12 parliamentary constituencies. The turnout at 6 PM is 63.75, with polling still ongoing at some places. It is nearly 2 per cent more than the last time for the corresponding constituencies." "In Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian and Pulwama district, today's total turnout is 2.81 per cent. In Anantnag parliamentary constituency, the 8.76 per cent is the voter turnout for all phases combined. Two incidents were reported today from the state. A grenade blast was reported in the morning where a polling station was set up and in the afternoon another grenade was hurled at another polling booth but it did not explode. There were no injuries. In Ladakh constituency, total turnout as of 5 PM was 61.56 per cent. During 2014 it was 71.9 per cent.", he added. Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain gave details of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. Jain said, "In MP's seven parliamentary constituencies which went to poll today, turnout till 5 PM is 62.60 per cent. The final turnout figure of 2014 for corresponding constituencies was 57.86. In Jharkhand, four parliamentary constituencies went to polls today and the poll percentage till 5 PM was 63.72 per cent. In West Bengal, seven phases went to polls today and the poll percentage today is 73.97 per cent till 5 PM." Deputy Election Commissioner, Chandra Bhushan Kumar briefed about polling in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and said, "In Bihar 82 candidates were in the fray for five parliamentary constituencies that went to polls today. As of 6 PM, 57.86 per cent polling is recorded in these five constituencies which are more than 2014 figure of 55.69 per cent. As of now, elections have concluded in 24 constituencies of Bihar." "In UP, 14 parliamentary constituencies went to polls which had 182 candidates in the fray. Voting percentage till 6 PM in all these constituencies is 57.33 per cent. Polling has been completed in 53 constituencies of the state", he added. The fate of several key leaders including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Minister Smriti Irani will be decided in this phase. This phase is important for BJP in UP since it had won 12 out of the 14 seats in the 2014 general elections. The party faced a combined challenge from SP, BSP, and RLD, which had contested separately last time. Out of the 51 constituencies, BJP had also won 27 seats in 2014 - 12 in Rajasthan, 7 in MP, 4 in Jharkhand, 3 in Bihar, besides the Ladakh seat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The decision on potential suspension of SSJ-100 aircraft operations should be taken after the formal investigation of the accident at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Taking a decision in favor of suspension or maintaining flights of aircraft of this or that model or this or that brand is not the domain of the president. Only experts and special aviation bodies of the Russian Federation can do that," he noted. "We know that no decisions regarding the issue have been taken yet. Moreover, it is necessary to wait for officials findings of the commission regarding the cause of the flight accident," TASS cited him as saying. The spokesman recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin receives reports on Sundays crash of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane at Sheremetyevo. Peskov urged to focus on the official results of the flight accident investigation. On May 5, the Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane operated by Aeroflot carrying 73 passengers and five crewmembers bound for Murmansk caught fire after emergency landing at Sheremetyevo shortly after the takeoff. The accident killed 41, nine more were hospitalized. New Delhi (India), May 6 (India) Awarded "severe reprimand" and "loss of six months seniority" for meeting a woman source outside his area of responsibility, Major Leetul Gogoi is contemplating legal recourse against the punishment given to him. Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Major Gogoi by a military court which held him guilty for fraternizing with a woman source in a Srinagar hotel and leaving his unit post in an operational area without permission from his superiors in May last year in violation of rules "The officer shall take recourse to the remedies as per the due process of law," sources close to Major Gogoi said when enquired if he would approach the court against the punishment. As per the Army legal procedure, Major Gogoi can first file a statutory complaint against the punishment in the case and request the higher ups in the force to reconsider the action taken against him. If the statutory complaint does not take a decision in his favour or takes more than the stipulated time for taking a decision, the officer can then also approach the Armed Forces Tribunal. Sources close to Gogoi also claimed that the officer has not been punished for having any kind of illicit relationship with the Kashmiri girl in the Srinagar hotel but only for meeting her. Gogoi, who hit the headlines in April 2017 for using a civilian as a shield against stone-throwers, 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 woman source. After the matter 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 took place 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. After the altercation, the Army ordered a court of inquiry to probe the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Mohamed Salah will not feature in their much-anticipated match with Barcelona in the Champions League's second leg of semi-finals. Salah sustained a concussion during Liverpool's Premier League clash with Newcastle on Sunday. "Salah cannot play (on May 8). He is better in his recovery, but he cannot play," Goal quoted Klopp, as saying. "Precaution? No, it's a concussion, which means he is not allowed to play. He feels OK, but it is not good enough from a medical point of view," he said. Liverpool faced a humiliating 3-0 defeat from Barcelona in the first leg of semi-finals. Luis Suarez scored the opening goal of the match but aggrandizing Barcelona, Messi netted second-half double which took the match from Liverpool's hands. Klopp said that they will not only have to score against Barcelona but will have to restrict Barcelona from scoring. "I'd imagine this place will be rocking. We not only have to score, but we also have to deny Barcelona from scoring. We know how big the challenge is. We will try 100 per cent," Klopp said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete within two weeks, the probe into the alleged killing of 11 girls in Muzaffarpur Shelter Home case in which Brajesh Thakur is the main accused. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi while posting the matter for hearing on June 3 asked the probe agency to complete the investigation in the said time and also submit a status report in the case. Attorney General (AG) KK Venugopal told the top court that it may not possible to complete investigation but the status report can be filed. Considering the urgency of the matter, the apex court hear the matter during summer vacations. "...Based upon the facts revealed by one accused namely Guddu Patel during his interrogation, a particular spot in burial ground, as identified by the accused was excavated and a bundle of bones was recovered from the spot," the CBI said in its affidavit filed before the apex court on Friday. "It is further submitted that the allegations regarding involvement of outsiders, who used to physically/sexually abuse the girls, have been properly investigated. Accused persons namely Vikas Kumar, Ravi Kumar Raushan, Dilip Kumar Verma, Ramanuj Thakur alias Mamu, Ramashankar Singh alias Masterji and Vikki have been charge-sheeted by the CBI, as per revelation made by the victims," the agency said. The agency also denied the claims that it was shielding the real perpetrators or that the leads given by victims. "After revelation made by the victims, all efforts were made to trace the perpetrators of crime. After ascertaining the identity of perpetrators through proper investigation, charge sheet has been filed against accused persons," the agency claimed. The agency also stated in its affidavit that the investigations regarding the outsiders, who used to physically/sexually abuse the girls were carried out properly. The case pertains to the alleged sexual harassment of 44 girls who used to reside in the state-run shelter home. The charge sheet filed by the CBI, which is investigating the matter, named 21 people including main accused Brajesh Thakur who used to run the state-funded NGO in Muzaffarpur where minor girls were allegedly sexually abused over a period of time. (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 Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken great care of villages and had made them the basis of India's growth story. "While many in the past only talked, it is Modi ji who has worked towards making Panchayat Raj a success. He made villages the pillars of development. Every gram panchayat today gets Rs 1 crore if it has a population of 10,000, that never happened before 2014," said Yogi addressing a meeting of village heads. He also stated that the state government and the Centre were fully committed to helping them if they had the best interests of people in mind and used the powers given to them to help people. "We are fully committed to helping each of you if you are willing to work in the best interest of the public. I urge you all to engage in development related works in society and to take care of the villagers. Realise your power and use it to help people," Yogi said. Voting is underway today in Uttar Pradesh for 14 Lok Sabha seats. Polling will also be held in the state on May 12 and 19 in the sixth and seventh phases. The counting of votes will begin on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pressure to perform on star kids is immense, said Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff. "People notice us very quickly because of our parents and because we are star kids. The pressure is, in fact, double on us to live up to their image," Tiger told reporters here. Tiger, son of Jackoe Shroff, was in New Delhi to promote his upcoming film 'Student of The Year 2'. His co-stars Ananya Pandey and Tara Sutaria were also present on the occasion. The 29-year-old actor, who recently injured his leg while performing an action scene for Student of The Year 2', arrived at the press conference, sitting in a wheelchair. The 'Baaghi' actor a casual look with jeans, tee and shirt. Ananya looked stunning in a white striped shirt and a lower, while Tara exuded cute vibe in a navy blue tee and a pair of shorts with white hoodie and sneakers. Tiger took the occasion to thank cinema for his success. "Whatever I am today is because of commercial cinema. My goal is to entertain not just a small group of people and I am grateful that I have been accepted by the masses very gracefully," the 'Heropanti' actor told reporters. Tiger, known for his cool dance moves and power-packed sequences, was asked whether his action scenes can stereotype his image in the Bollywood industry. On being asked if his action scenes can typecast his image in the Bollywood industry, Tiger said that it helps maintain his identity "Yes, Bollywood is stereotype but the stereotype gives you identity. There is so much competition these days that one has to maintain his image in the film industry. This stereotype helps maintain my identity," the actor quipped. 'Student of The Year 2' is the sequel to 2012 release 'Student of The Year' and was a runaway success and marked the debut of Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, and Sidharth Malhotra. Last week, the makers of the film had released the 'Hook Up song' featuring Alia Bhatt, where the fans got to see the sizzling chemistry between Alia and Tiger, which the makers termed as Tiger+Alia= Talia 'Student of the Year 2' is the sequel to the 2012 hit 'Student of The Year', which marked the Bollywood debut of Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, and Sidharth Malhotra. The film which is being helmed by Punit Malhotra is set to hit the screens on May 10. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for cancelling his visit to Amethi on the polling day, which she said is "an insult to the people" of the constituency. "Rahul Gandhi has once again cheated the people of Amethi. I did not know that Rahul Gandhi could become so egotistic that he will not appear on the polling day. At least, he should have not insulted the people of his constituency. The person who can lie on the matter of his tours should never be trusted by the people," Irani said while speaking to ANI. In response to Irani's statement, Congress MLC Deepak Singh said: "Smriti Irani is frustrated as she is losing her deposit in Amethi. Her allegation shows that people have given mandate in favour of the Congress. People of Amethi told Rahul Gandhi to look after the country and they will look after Amethi. This is the reason Rahul Gandhi did not come to Amethi today." Irani has faced Rahul in Amethi Lok Sabha seat for which the polling took place on Monday. Gandhi has been winning this seat since 2004. In the last Lok Sabha polls, he had defeated Irani by a margin of over one lakh votes. 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.) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday exchanged their views on matters related to peace, security, and prosperity in the region. Afghan President Ghani had made a phone call to Pakistan Prime Minister Khan. Dawn cited a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) saying that the two leaders resolved to enhance regional connectivity, benefiting the socio-economic development, alleviation of poverty and welfare of people. In the statement, Khan said that for the sake of the people of the two countries, the aim of the leadership should be to help build peace, promote economic activities and advance connectivity for regional prosperity. "The prolonged Afghan conflict has damaged Afghanistan and adversely affected Pakistan over the past many decades," the statement said. Khan reiterated his vision for finding a peaceful solution to the Afghan conflict, fully owned and led by Afghans themselves. He even assured Ghani that Pakistan would spare no effort to advance the common objectives of building peace in Afghanistan and having a fruitful bilateral relationship between the two countries. Prime Minister Khan reiterated his invitation to President Ghani to visit Pakistan for a comprehensive exchange of views on all issues of mutual interest, Dawn reported. The latest interaction between Khan and Ghani came four days (May 1) after a terrorist attack from Afghanistan side attacked Pakistan Army troops undertaking fencing efforts along the Pak-Afghan border in Alwara, North Waziristan, killed three soldiers and injured seven others. Pakistan has been building a fence along its western border to stop the illegal influx of terrorists and smugglers from Afghanistan who often use unfrequented routes to enter Pakistan. However, the government in Kabul has opposed the move. According to Inter-Services Public Relations, so far fencing over a distance of 1,000 km along the borders with Afghanistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan has been completed and the work on the rest is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Monday expressed dismay at the "outrageous" statement made by disqualified SP candidate from Varanasi Tej Bahadur Yadav, who allegedly hatched a plot to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi in exchange for Rs 50 lakh. "We are stunned by the statements of disqualified SP candidate from Varanasi, Tej Bahadur Yadav. We can see on television how he is telling the people that he is willing to plot the murder of PM Narendra Modi for a sum of Rs 50 crore. The fact that he was sought to be drafted by the Samajwadi Party as a candidate from Varanasi, it really stuns us," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told media here. "Parties like Congress in the past have supported urban naxals who, in a similar way, hatched a plot to assassinate the Prime Minister. In the charge sheet filed in the Bhima Koregaon case in a Pune court, the plot to assassinate PM Modi was clearly elaborated," he added. "We expect all those who believe in democracy and all right-thinking people to strongly to condemn this act," Rao contended. Yadav, a former BSF constable, came into limelight in January 2017 after he posted four videos on social media about unpalatable food at his camp along the Indo-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir. The SP had fielded Yadav as its candidate against Modi on April 29. Prior to that, he was in the fray as an independent candidate. The candidature of Yadav, a former BSF constable, was rejected on Wednesday after he failed to submit a certificate on whether or not he was dismissed from the service for corruption or disloyalty to the government. The fifth phase of polling stands completed as of May 6. Two phases now remain on May 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.) Attacking the Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'Bhrashtachari number 1' remark on late Rajiv Gandhi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that Modi has lost his mental balance and needs medical treatment as he gets to sleep for only a few hours. The response from Baghel came after he was asked to react on Modi's 'Bhrashtachari number 1' remark on late Rajiv Gandhi. "Rajiv Gandhi ji passed away years ago, talking about him and that too during elections shows Modi ji has lost mental balance. He needs medical treatment, he says he only gets to sleep for 3 to 4 hours. Those who don't get enough sleep tend to lose their mental balance," Baghel on Monday said while addressing a presser here. On May 4, PM 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. Modi 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. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991. Meanwhile, talking about the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Baghel asserted that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government will be formed at the Centre and party president Rahul Gandhi will become the next Prime Minister. On being asked who will be the next Prime Minister of the country, Baghel said, "UPA will form the government and Rahul Gandhi ji will become the Prime Minister." Before Baghel, Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda, DMK president MK Stalin and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had pitched for Gandhi's name as a prime ministerial candidate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], May 6 (ANI): Taking him head-on over his remarks on Rajiv Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi who he said had hit the "nadir of pettiness" in his desperation to stay in power. "Faced with imminent ouster from the seat of power, power-hungry Modi has lost all sense of decency and proportion in his election campaign, reducing it to a shameless mockery of public norms," he told the media commenting on Modi'sremarks, "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari Number 1,' Modi had said at a public meeting two days ago. "Modi's remarks were outright despicable and reflective of his loathsome mindset," said the Chief Minister. "The universal criticism the Prime Minister has faced over his comments showed that no sane individual or political institution that looked at elections as a serious democratic process could condone such malicious and baseless propaganda. The entire opposition has flayed Modi over his disgusting remarks - a clear indication that nobody wants the election process of the country to be vilified in such a manner," he added. Captain Amarinder, who was Rajiv's senior in school, described the former Prime Minister as one of the most decent, humble and honest men he had ever known. "Rajiv had nothing but unwavering love for India and would never, in his wildest imagination, have even thought of cheating the country or its people," he said. "But a thief thinks everybody else is also a thief, and a liar cannot envisage any person to be truthful," the Chief Minister quipped, lashing out at Modi for lying about a person who could no longer defend himself. "Rajiv sacrificed his life for the country, and our current Prime Minister, unmindful of the dignity of the chair he has been ensconced in for the past five years, deems it fit to drag the former PM's name into what he has reduced to a shameful saga of low-level electioneering," remarked Captain Amarinder. "Even Modi's own party leader, former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, always had good things to say about Rajiv," the Chief Minister noted, pointing to Vajpayee's statement on how Rajiv had saved his life by including him in a delegation to UN so he could get his kidney problem treated in New York. "That was the kind of man Rajiv was. Modi and BJP are indulging in all kinds of falsehoods and cheap allegations against the Gandhi family out of sheer frustration as they had no positive agenda to fight the poll battle with," said Amarinder. "Rajiv's name was originally dragged into the Bofors case out of political motivation but he was exonerated by the Delhi High Court in February 2004, even before the UPA came to power. The then BJP government had failed to build a case against the former Prime Minister from 1998 to 2004," the Punjab CM contended. All the 13 seats in Punjab will go to polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 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.) Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has offered his condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the deadly plane fire incident at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport. "I was deeply saddened by the news of heavy casualties as a passenger plane made an emergency landing at the Sheremetyevo airport. On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my deepest condolences to you, the families and loved ones of those who died, and the whole people of Russia, and wish the injured the swiftest possible recovery," Ilham Aliyev's statement reads. Aeroflots Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger plane caught fire after emergency landing at Sheremetyevo shortly after the takeoff on Sunday. Forty-one people died in the crash. Nepal's former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and incumbent Deputy Prime Minister Upendra Yadav announced the merger of their respective parties on Monday to formally establish the 'Samajwadi Party Nepal' during an event in Kathmandu. Yadav's Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal (FSF-N) and Bhattarai's Naya Shakti Party united, vowing to fight together for the federalism of the nation by amending the constitution, along with fighting for the rights of Madhesi, Janajati, and minorities, amongst others. "We are committed to make Nepal a federal state. For this, there should be federal structure as per report made by Local Bodies Restructuring Commission formed under the constitution of Nepal where it has suggested for 10+1 provinces, by amending the constitution," the 9-point accord signed by the two leaders for the merger said. With the signing of the accord, Yadav was made the chair of the party's central committee while Bhattarai is the chair of the party's federal council. The formation of the new party is a result of continuous efforts which took place over a span of two years. Yadav appealed to other Madhesh-based parties to join them and fight for issues which have been prolonged. "Now come with us, let's go united and go forward...I want to make an appeal to Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N), Janamukti and other parties who are siding with change...I want to request and advise them all -- Come, join us. Let's go forward. Samajwadi Party Nepal is for all," Yadav stated, appealing to other parties. Ever since the Constitution came into effect in 2015, more than 100 people have lost their lives while demanding amendments to the Constitution. The Madhesis, amongst others, allege that the charter fails to represent them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea tested missiles and rocket launchers after its leader Kim Jong-un's recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, indicated US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday. "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. You saw this happen too right after his visit to Russia. Right after he spoke with Vladimir Putin, he made the decision to take these actions," Sputnik quoted Pompeo as saying. However, he did not elaborate on his comment. Pompeo's comments appear to be in contrast with US President Donald Trump's reaction over North Korea's action. Trump has reaffirmed his confidence in Kim. "Anything in this very interesting is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes 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. The deal will happen!" Trump took to Twitter as saying. Pompeo is known for his tough stance against North Korea and the communist nation had asked Trump to drop Pompeo from the negotiating team and appoint a "sensible" person. Saturday's weapon tests were the most serious by the North since the country launched its Hwasong-15 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile in November 2017, The New York Times reported. The launch of the short-range missile comes at a time when denuclearisation talks between the US and North Korea are yet to see progress following the abrupt fallout of the Hanoi summit earlier this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Monday said the presence of Russian military could be expanded in the Latin American country. "We need to provide for equipment maintenance and exchange military and technical information. This work has been going on since 2001 when we signed an agreement on military cooperation. Currently, a commission of specialists is present on the territory of Venezuela and, no doubt, it may be expanded," TASS quoted Arreaza as saying. In a press conference held at Venezuelan Embassy here, a day after meeting his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Arreaza told reporters that Venezuela will be prepared for any scenario, including armed aggression by the United States. "We will be ready for any scenario, but we put the emphasis on diplomacy first," Arreaza said. "We are for peace and we wish to talk to everybody about peace, but if the United States prefers a military path, we have our armed forces, our people's militia, and the people, and we will be prepared not only to resist and fight back but to overpower and destroy any army, however strong it might be," he said. Arreaza visited Moscow on April 30, after the Venezuelan opposition led by interim President Juan Guaido carried out a new attempt to overthrow the government of President Nicolas Maduro. At least 300 people were injured in violent rallies after Guaido urged the military to support the protests. The troops, however, remained loyal to Maduro. Following the failed coup attempt, US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo said that "military action is possible," and that "if that's what's required, that's what the United States will do," Sputnik reported. Guaido has also asked the US military to intervene in the crisis-struck South American nation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to hold talks with the Pompeo on Monday on the sidelines of the ministerial session of the Arctic Council in Finland. Russia and the US have taken diametrically opposing stands in Venezuela's political crisis. The two countries have traded warnings against each other's interference in the country's internal affairs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As Amethi parliamentary constituency went in to polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Monday, Union Minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani hit out at opponent Congress President Rahul Gandhi for the death of a man in an Amethi hospital. The union minister alleged that the Congress president Rahul Gandhi is only concerned with his and doesn't care a bit about the poor and the needy of society. "Rahul Gandhi's hand is drenched in the blood of an innocent man who just wanted to get himself treated at the hospital whose trustee is Rahul Gandhi. He only wanted the hospital to treat him free, however, he was denied treatment as he was carrying Ayushaman health card given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi government," said Irani. "The person died due to this, Gandhi family can do anything for their Rahul Gandhi is not at all concerned with the poor and their welfare. Why is he keeping silent on the issue?" the union minister asked. Irani had on Sunday alleged that the Sanjay Gandhi hospital in Amethi, where Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi are trustees, allegedly refused to treat a man just because he was a beneficiary of the central government's Health Protection Scheme, a charge that was outrightly rejected by the hospital administration. Irani also took a jibe at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra saying that nowadays the latter was invoking her name more than she did of her husband Robert Vadra. Irani asserted that this is no less achievement in itself as five years ago Priyanka Gandhi did not even know her name. "Priyanka Gandhi didn't even know my name five years back, but now she only reiterates my name. How big an achievement is this in itself," said Smriti Irani. "Priyanka Gandhi takes more of my name than that of her husband," said Irani. Ayushman Bharat is the flagship healthcare scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which covers 10 crore poor families, and entitles 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 undergoing polling today. Rahul Gandhi has been winning the seat since 2004. In the last Lok Sabha poll he defeated Irani in Amethi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday expressed astonishment over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment against his father Rajiv Gandhi. Addressing an election rally at Chandni Chowk Parliamentary Constituency here, Gandhi launched a scathing attack on PM Modi and said: "You speak bad about me and I will still send you love. Say whatever you want to, but keep one thing in mind that I hugged you in the Parliament last year and that hug will now destroy you on May 23." While addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh on May 4, PM Modi had hit out at Rahul Gandhi, saying: "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. Continuing his tirade against Modi, he accused him of taking away the money from the pockets of the poor people and handing it over to Anil Ambani. "Now that he has been caught, he has now come up with a new idea of calling himself 'chowkidar'. Rather than protecting people, you looted them and filled the pocket of Anil Ambani." he said. Gandhi reiterated that if Congress is voted to power, he will provide Rs 72,000 per year to the poor under Congress' flagship Nyayntam Aay Yojna (NYAY). "Under NYAY, when Rs 72,000 per year will be sent directly to people's bank account then their purchasing power will increase which will lead to an increase in production and employment. Till your income is less than Rs 12,000, you will get Rs 72,000 per year. This scheme is a surgical strike on poverty," he said. He also promised to introduce a dedicated budget for the farming sector. "This year, there would be two budget - budget and farmers' budget," he said. Reinstating his stand on the alliance with the Aam Admi Party (AAP), he said: "I told Kejriwal, if we aim to win 7 seats, you should keep 4 and we should fight from 3 seats. The moment we sealed the deal, he took a U-turn and started talking about giving him seats from Haryana and Punjab, as well. Now it is up to the people of New Delhi to decide if they want to give their votes to a person who cannot take a stand." Delhi will go to polls on May 12 for the seven Lok Sabha seats at stake. 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.) Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief OP Rajbhar on Monday said he had resigned as a cabinet minister from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government over the seat-sharing agreement with the BJP. "I had resigned on the night of April 13 from the post of state minister when they (BJP) said that you have to contest on our symbol. I told them I will contest from only one seat but from my own party. However, they did not agree to that either. Following which, I immediately resigned but they did not accept my resignation," said OP Rajbhar while speaking to media persons here. SBSP is an ally of the BJP since 2017 and Rajbhar is a Minister of Backward Welfare in the government led by Yogi Adityanath. Criticising the BJP for declining his proposal of contesting from one seat, Rajbhar said: "They are campaigning in Ballia and other parts of Uttar Pradesh on my name. One can find pictures of OP Rajbhar on posters and vehicles used during roadshows held by BJP. I have registered a complaint with the EC in this regard. But what to do, when EC is working in their favour." Earlier on April 16, Rajbhar had announced that his party will go 'solo' in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. He had alleged that the BJP wanted to "eliminate" the SBSP as it did not give them a single ticket. "It was our attempt that we remain in the 'gathbandhan' with the BJP. In that hope, I have waited for so long. Three days ago, I was called by the Chief Minister and JP Nadda ji (Union Minister) who tried to convince me to fight elections from the BJP. I told them I will not fight elections from your party and your symbol," Rajbhar had told ANI. Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh are being held from April 11 and will go on till May 19 in all seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Irresponsible plans by the United States to overthrow Nicolas Maduro's regime by force would disrupt the prospect of a political settlement in Venezuela, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday. Speaking at the start of a meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza in Moscow, Lavrov said, "Attempts to stage a violent upheaval in Caracas have nothing to do with the democratic process, and only disrupt any prospects of political settlement," reported Russia Today. The Russian Foreign Minister added that political and civil unrest prevalent in the Latin American country could only be solved through "inclusive political dialogue" and not by the attempts of "power grab." Meanwhile, in an interview to a US television channel ABC, US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo on Sunday bluntly said that President Trump has a "full range" of powers to intervene at will in Venezuelan. "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," Pompeo stated when asked if President Trump could intervene in the country's power struggle without congressional approval. The statement came ahead of a meeting with Sergey Lavrov in Finland's northern city of Rovaniemi on Monday. Russia and the US have taken diametrically opposed stands in Venezuela's political crisis. The two countries have traded warnings against each other's interference in the country's affairs. Venezuela has been in the throes of a political crisis, which was accelerated when Guaido declared himself as the President of the nation in January. The US immediately recognised him as the interim President, demanding Maduro to step down. 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.) Sacked Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, Tej Bahadur Yadav, on Monday knocked at the doors of the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission's (EC) decision to reject his nomination to contest polls as Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. Advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for Tej Bahadur, former Head Constable in the BSF, mentioned the matter before the Registrar for urgent hearing who said that he will decide on a date for the same. Tej Bahadur through his plea sought direction to allow him to contest the Lok Sabha Election from the Varanasi seat. The petition sought direction to quash the May 1 order passed by the Returning Officer of the EC rejecting his nomination paper filed on April 29, on the ground of his failure to furnish a certificate [in view of Section 9 & Section 33 (3) of the Representation of the People Act 1951] to the effect that he has not been dismissed for corruption or disloyalty to the state. "...decision seems to have been taken keeping in mind the sensitivity of the contest in Varanasi Constituency and to give walkover to the candidate of the ruling party by disqualifying the Petitioner whose candidature was gaining momentum and was therefore also supported by the main opposition alliance of two major political parties in the state," the plea said. "Returning Officer completely failed to appreciate that the Petitioner had produced his dismissal letter along with his nomination paper which clearly shows that he was dismissed from service for alleged indiscipline and not for Corruption or Disloyalty to State," the plea contended. Claiming that rejection of nomination was unreasonable. Bahadur said, "Rejection of nomination under Section 36 of the Act of 1951 is not only erroneous, arbitrary and malafide but also shows failure of the Election Commission in not invoking the constitutional powers under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, to remedy the present situation, for ensuring free and fair election including equal participation, rather acted unmindful to Rule of Law." Tej Bahadur had posted four videos on the social media in January 2017, which showed him complaining about unpalatable food at his camp along Indo-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir. He was named Samajwadi Party candidate from Varanasi on April 29 and was set to take on Prime Minister Modi. Earlier, he was in the fray as an independent candidate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on May 8 will hear the plea of Congress wherein the party has challenged the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to give clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah in a hate speech complaint case. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi while posting the matter for May 8 asked Congress leader Sushmita Dev, the petitioner, to place on record the Election Commission's order giving clean chit to the two BJP leaders. During the course of hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Dev, told the court that the poll body had given clean chit to PM Modi and BJP president Shah for their hate speeches which had violated the Model Code of Conduct. Singhvi further claimed the ECI had not given any reason while giving clean chit to Modi and Shah. He said five of the six clean chits given to Modi and Shah had dissented by one Election Commissioner. Following Singhvi's submissions, the top court granted the Congress party the liberty to challenge the order of the poll body. ECI on Saturday gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Modi for mentioning the name of Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman at a rally in Gujarat's Patan district. "The matter has been examined in detail in accordance with the extant advisories, provisions of the Model Code of Conduct. After examination, the Commission is of the view that in this matter no such violation of the extant advisories/provisions is attracted," the electoral body stated on Saturday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Singapore, May 6 (ANI): Singapore property developer has gone bust for the first time since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Developers Astoria and Lerida, which have the same owner, are now insolvent, with accounting firm KPMG acting as the receiver. The developments affected are the Sycamore Tree, a five-storey 96 residential unit with shops in Joo Chiat, which is in the eastern part of Singapore, and Laurel Tree, a 70-unit condominium in Hillview Terrace near Upper Bukit Timah. Both are incomplete freehold condos, which were supposed to have received their Temporary Occupation Permit in 2016. This has left buyers who bought units before construction started high and dry and hoping the receivers are able to raise sufficient funds to complete the project without having to make them "top-up" what they have already committed to pay in order to complete the building of their houses. The Controller of Housing at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is now reviewing the accounts for both projects. This incident has caused damage to confidence in local developers especially smaller ones. This worrying news comes at the worst possible time for developers as the latest URA report on property sales for Q1, 2019 shows that private home prices easing 0.7 per cent which is the second straight quarterly decline. Private property prices declined 0.1 per cent in Q4 of 2018. The Q1 drop was due to a 1.1 per cent fall in the prices of non-landed condominiums and private apartments. Prices of non-landed property in the prime areas or core central region (CCR) suffered the steepest fall of 3.0 per cent. These properties had fallen 1.0 per cent in the previous quarter. By comparison, in the city fringe or rest of central region (RCR), prices dropped 0.7 per cent after going up by 1.8 per cent in Q4. Going against the trend are prices in the suburbs or outside the central region (OCR) which edged up 0.2 per cent, versus a 0.7 per cent increase in the previous quarter. Property analysts say that the decrease in prices was expected as the impact of the July 2018 cooling measures work its way through the market. Generally, most analysts expect the property prices in Singapore to remain roughly flat this year. In the meantime, private home rents have recovered to rise by 1.0 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared with the prior three months period. This reverses a 1.0 per cent fall in the previous quarter. The main contributor to the increase are non-landed properties which rose 1.1 per cent compared with landed property rentals which increased by 0.2 per cent. This increase reflects that the demand for private residential property inching up with the vacancy rate of completed private residential units dipping to 6.3 per cent at the end of the first quarter of this year, down slightly from 6.4 per cent in the previous quarter. Back in July 2018, the Singapore government introduced a spate of measures to "cool the property market and keep price increases in line with economic fundamentals". They included financial measures like increasing the buyer's stamp duty of property purchases as well as restricting the amount that can be borrowed against property values. With the introduction of these measures, foreign buyers have to pay a 20 per cent Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD). However, from September 2018, there have been signs that foreign buyers are slowly returning to the Singapore residential market. In August, foreign buyer purchases rose to 65 units in September, from 50 units in August 2018. The number of units purchased by foreigners then stayed largely unchanged since. While the ABSD may continue to deter foreign buyers to a degree, prices of Singapore residential properties are likely to remain resilient compared to other assets and continue attracting foreign high net-worth individuals seeking portfolio diversification or wealth preservation. In the last five years, statistics from URA showed that the average number of residential properties transacted both new and re-sale is about 17,000 units. However, this figure is distorted by the numbers of units transacted in 2017 and 2018 which were 24,000 and 21,500 respectively. Based on 2017 statistics, Indians make up the fourth largest group of foreigners buying property in Singapore after Chinese nationals, Malaysians and Indonesians in that order. Americans came in fifth. Although the long-term average percentage of foreigners purchasing property in Singapore as a proportion of the total is close to 9 per cent, since introducing the 20 per cent ABSD, this has fallen to about 4 per cent. Singapore government regulation dictates that foreigners can only buy property such as condominium units, flats or apartments or strata landed house in an approved condominium development. Landed residential property is usually not sold to foreigners unless special permission is granted by the Singapore Land Authority. This is with the exception of properties in Sentosa Cove which are available to foreigners under more relaxed circumstances. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered his condolences over the deadly plane fire incident at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport and ordered to investigate its causes, Putins press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. "The president was informed about the crash," he said, adding that Vladimir Putin extends his deep condolences to those who lost their near and dear in this incident. Peskov stressed that the president ordered to conduct the most thorough investigation to find out the causes of it, TASS reported. Aeroflots Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger plane (flight SU-1492) with 73 passengers and five crewmembers onboard caught fire after emergency landing at Sheremetyevo shortly after the takeoff on Sunday. Forty-one people died in the Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane crash at Sheremetyevo Airport. In total 78 people were onboard, 37 of them survived, including four crew members. A criminal case was opened after the incident on charges of violating flight safety rules entailing the death of two or more people. Union Minister Smriti Irani accused her opponent Congress president Rahul Gandhi of "booth-capturing" as the polling is underway at Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in the fifth phase today. "He has come now to capture booth. Rahul Gandhi is so frustrated and helpless that he has crossed every limit of the law and has forcibly made an elder woman to cast her vote for Congress. He needs to give an answer to the nation. He is already a land thief and now is also stealing votes," said Irani. She said she has apprised Election Commission about the same. "I tweeted an alert to administration and Election Commission (alleging booth capturing in Amethi), hope they will take action. People of the country have to decide whether this kind of of Rahul Gandhi should be punished or not," she added. "If he doesn't get the mandate, he will steal the mandate," Irani said. Irani is facing Rahul Gandhi from Amethi Lok Sabah seat. Gandhi has been winning the seat since 2004. In the last Lok Sabha polls, he defeated Irani in Amethi by a margin of over one lakh votes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan on Monday temporarily blocked Facebook, WhatsApp and some social media platforms as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of false information a day after clashes broke out between ethnic Sinhalese group and minority Muslims. "Access to social media applications, Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber etc. has been temporarily suspended," the Sri Lanka Information Department said in a statement. Meanwhile, curfew imposed in Negombo after tensions between communities erupted, has been lifted, reported Colombo Page. A church in the town was targeted during the April 21 bombings, Police spokesman, SP Ruwan Gunasekara, said the curfew in Negombo was lifted at 7 am today after the situation was brought under control. This was the first incident of violence between the two communities since the April 21 terror attacks, which claimed the lives of 257 people in the island nation. After the Easter Sunday attacks, the Sri Lankan authorities had imposed restrictions on social media platforms but lifted them on April 30. During the Kandu riots in March last year, Sri Lanka had blocked popular social media networks, such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Viber and Instagram, for three days to prevent the spread of communal violence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The self-proclaimed sub-zonal commander of Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) Rustam alias Basant Bhokta was shot dead near Bhawanidih village which comes under extremists dominated Roshanganj area on the night of May 4. He was shot dead by banned Naxal organization Communist Party of India (Maoist) in a war of supremacy. Bhokta's body was recovered by the police near the bank of a river. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao met with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Monday. The meeting between the two leaders took place at the official residence of Kerala chief minister. According to sources, both the Chief Ministers held discussions on contemporary politics in view of ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Rao who is on a visit to state also offered prayers at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the city earlier in the day. Later, Rao is also expected to visit Rameswaram and Srirangam temples before returning to Hyderabad. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A representative group of Telangana turmeric farmers met the Deputy Election Commissioner, Chandra Bhushan Kumar, in New Delhi on Monday to register a complaint about the difficulties they faced in filing nominations in Varanasi. "54 of us went to Varanasi to file our nominations. The Varanasi police tortured and harassed us. We were able to submit only 25 nominations out of which 24 were rejected by the Election Commission. They were under pressure of unknown forces. We do not understand why this happened," said a representative. "Immediate action was assured by the EC," he added. The group of 54 farmers from Nizamabad had arrived in Varanasi on April 28 to file their nomination as independent candidates to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. "We are not opposing anyone. We just want to highlight our problems and demand creation of a turmeric board and Minimum Support Price of Rs 15000 per quintal (MSP) for turmeric," a spokesperson for the farmers had told ANI in Varanasi. Turmeric farmers across the country are facing hardships due to famine conditions and lack of MSP for the last three to four years. This year, turmeric prices have fallen to Rs 3,200 per quintal from Rs 5,200. Varanasi goes to poll on May 19 in the last phase of 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.) The United States is planning to announce a set of new sanctions on Iran in the coming week to further target the Iranian economy, reported Sputnik. Reportedly, this time the White House is expected to target a new sector of the Iranian economy with sanctions on Wednesday. However, the new sanctions will not target the energy sector. Meanwhile, to further mount the pressure, the US has indicated that it is deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force in Iran. Last month, the US had announced that no fresh sanction waivers will be issued for Iranian oil importers - South Korea, China, India and five other countries. Last week, the US extended its waivers from 90 days to 180 days. This allows the continuation of work at several Iranian nuclear sites to continue with US penalties. Additionally, the US also warned that assisting Iran in expanding its Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant could invite more sanctions. However, the US did not renew two waivers. One that allowed Iran to store heavy water produced in the uranium enrichment process in Oman and the other that allows Iran to swap Enriched Uranium for raw yellowcake with Russia. Since taking the pledge as the 45th president of the US, Donald Trump had been signalling to put sanctions on Iran. In 2018, he finally pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action which allows Iran to continue with its nuclear ambition under some terms and conditions. Despite the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018, other signatories including France, Germany and the UK have vowed to remain a part of the deal. Meanwhile, Iran has refused to bow down, terming US' recent sanctions as "economic terrorism". "They want to put pressure on the Iranian people in order to change their policy. That is the way the United States has acted for 40 years and, particularly since President Trump came to office, it violated a commitment by another US president, President Obama," Aljazeera quoted Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's minister of foreign affairs, as saying. Iran has also threatened that any effort to put sanctions by the US will lead to the closure of Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterways that is necessary to transport at least 20 per cent of the world's total oil. Meanwhile, Russia has also pledged to continue its bilateral relations with Iran. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 'Varuna', the joint exercise of navies of India and France currently underway off the coast of Goa is the largest ever joint exercise undertaken by the two navies yet, and represents the pinnacle of the strengthened maritime co-operation between India and France, statements issued by both navies said on Monday. Eleven of the most modern units of the two countries participated in the exercise, the joint statement said. "Today our port visit in Goa is a unique opportunity to strengthen our ties with the Indian Navy through the bilateral Varuna exercise. Indeed, it will be the largest-ever conducted Varuna exercise with 11 of India and France's most modern units, including two aircraft carriers and two submarines," the joint press statement for exercise Varuna stated. The first phase of the Indo-French joint exercise began off Goa's coast on May 1 and is scheduled to culminate on May 10. The second phase, on the other hand, is slated to be held in May-end near Djibouti. The training which is to be held till May 10 will include anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations. "Relations between our Navies lie within the framework of the India/France Strategic Partnership signed in 1998 to improve our bilateral military cooperation. France and India have reached a very high level of military interaction enabling a mutual understanding and fostering regular upgrades of our interoperability through bilateral ties" the statement said. At least six French navy ships are participating in the exercise, including the French Navy's aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle, two destroyers, FNS Forbin and FNS Provence, the frigate FNS Latouche-Treville, the tanker FNS Marne and a nuclear submarine. Around 3,000 French sailors are on board for this two-part maritime exercise. From the Indian side, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, destroyer INS Mumbai, the Teg-class frigate, INS Tarkash, the Shishumar - class submarine, INS Shankul, and the Deepak-class fleet tanker, INS Deepak, are participating in the joint exercise. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The state government of West Bengal has refused to hold a review meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Cyclone Fani. Prime Minister Modi, who flew down to Bhubaneswar on Monday to visit the areas hit by Fani and take stock of the situation, wanted to do the same for West Bengal. The Centre had written to the Mamata Banerjee-led administration about a review meeting of the prime minister with the state government officials today. However, the West Bengal government replied that since the government officials are busy with election duty, hence the review meeting should not be held. "For the purpose of supervision of elections arrangement, the Chief Secretary, West Bengal and State Home Secretary will have to be stationed in the headquarters from morning till the end of elections on 06.05.2019. Hence it will not be possible for Chief Secretary, West Bengal, Home Secretary and other senior officers of the Government of West Bengal to be away from headquarters on 06.05.2019," the letter to the Union Home Ministry from the West Bengal's Department of Disaster Management and Civil Defence stated. In Odisha, Prime Minister Modi was received by Governor Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the airport in the morning. The Centre had earlier released Rs 1,000 crore to Odisha and other states, including West Bengal, to deal with the devastation caused by Cyclone Fani. The prime minister wanted to take stock of the situation in West Bengal as well,but the state government declined. "It is, therefore, proposed in view of the date coinciding with elections the meeting may be deferred," the letter from the West Bengal government added. Government sources on Sunday revealed that the PMO had made attempts to connect Prime Minister Narendra Modi to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee twice over telephone post the Cyclone Fani but failed. Reacting to reports in a section of media that TMC has expressed its displeasure over PM Modi speaking only to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to inquire about the situation in the aftermath of the cyclone, the sources in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said that the claim is incorrect. According to TMC, the Prime Minister had talked to Governor Tripathi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik but "did not call up" Banerjee. The PMO sources said that two attempts were made by the PM's staff to connect the Prime Minister to Banerjee over the 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 had 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. Cyclone Fani on Friday lashed Odisha and parts of West Bengal, triggering heavy rainfall accompanied by wind touching the speed of 200 kmph, and left three persons dead besides over 160 injured, a trail of destruction that included damaged houses, uprooted trees and electricity poles. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that if his party wins all the seven parliamentary seats here then he will be able to stop sealing drives against businesses. At a press conference here, Kejriwal said, "Traders have been facing problem due to sealing drives for the past two years, if AAP wins all seats from Delhi then we will be able to stop sealing drives." "We have managed to stop sealing drives in many areas of the capital, using court's stay and Mayapuri area is a recent example. If we get all seats in Delhi we will surely stop sealing," he added. Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kejriwal said, "Traders, who were supporters of BJP are unhappy with Prime Minister Modi. Traders are approaching me and complaining that they have supported BJP through donations and votes in the past but now they want an alternative. This has happened due to policies of Prime Minister Modi like demonetization and GST which have caused huge loss to the economy." "Demonetization was the biggest scam in independent India. GST was also implemented without any planning and understanding," added Kejriwal. Criticising the Income Tax (I-T) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids and notices, the AAP leader said, "These raids and notices have created an atmosphere of fear against common traders, who are not corrupt. This is a sort of tax terrorism that has caused harm to trade and economy in the country." "Some traders are still supporting PM Modi despite complaining that they have suffered a huge loss in their business. They say that the will vote for Modi because of nationalism," the AAP leader added. Kejriwal further said, "I want to tell those traders supporting BJP Modi that PM Modi's nationalism is fake nationalism." Citing Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement that he wanted Narendra Modi to become Prime Minister of India again, Kejriwal alleged, "if Pakistan's Prime Minister wants Modi to become Prime Minister of India again then this shows that Modi has good relations with Pakistan." "If any question is asked regarding this then that person will be attacked even though he might be a chief minister of a state," added Kejriwal indirectly referring to attack on him during an election rally on Saturday in Delhi. The AAP leader said, "There can be no nationalism without good trade and economy. A country is strong only when its people have good income and trade is prosperous. referring to PM Modi's comment last month during an election rally that 40 Trinamool Congress MLAs are in touch with him and there is nothing that can save Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee., the AAP leader also alleged, "Prime Minister Modi has been trying to do horse trading in West Bengal." Delhi will go to polls on May 6. The counting for Lok Sabha Polls will begin on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deepak Nitrite rose 7.61% to Rs 294.30 at 10:54 IST on BSE after net profit rose 178.40% to Rs 56.57 crore on 23.65% rise in net sales to Rs 485.87 crore in Q4 March 2019 over Q4 March 2018. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 286.54 points, or 0.74% to 38,676.72. On the BSE, 2.07 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far compared with average daily volumes of 19,000 shares in the past two weeks. The stock had hit a high of Rs 304.15 and a low of Rs 275.65 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 305 on 27 September 2018. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 204.60 on 26 December 2018. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) stood at Rs 110.70 crore in Q4 March 2019, higher by 100% as against to Rs 55.40 crore reported in the same period last year. EBITDA margins improved sharply by 880 basis points to 22.7%, as compared to 13.9% in Q4 March 2018. The company's net profit rose 65.40% to Rs 138.04 crore on 23.16% rise in net sales to Rs 1791.92 crore in the year ended March 2019 over the year ended March 2018. In a separate announcement, the company informed that CRISIL has assigned the long-term rating for Bank Loan facilities of Rs 750 crore as CRISIL AA- Stable and assigned Short Term rating as CRISIL A1+ to the company. Deepak Nitrite is one of the country's fastest growing chemical companies. It has a diversified portfolio of intermediates that cater to the dyes and pigments, agro-chemical, pharmaceutical, plastics, textiles, paper and home and personal care segments in India and overseas. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia is ready for talks with the United States on the prospects of prolonging the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) agreement, but Washington's position is not yet clear, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The Kremlin spokesman noted that work in this area is "impossible without determining the U.S. position." At the same time, he pointed out that there is not yet a clear understanding of whether Washington is ready to discuss the extension of the New START treaty. Moscow is waiting for Washington to clarify its position, TASS cited the Russian president's secretary as saying. Peskov recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin said more than once that Moscow considers it necessary to extend the treaty, which "is virtually the only disarmament document left" between Russia and the United States. He also said that this topic was touched upon in a telephone conversation between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on May 3. The deputy head of the Council of the Russian Diplomats Association, Andrey Baklanov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that Russia should not rush to negotiate the extension of the START Treaty. Personally, I see a trick in all the disarmament proposals being voiced by the U.S. today. In the interpretation of the United States, there is a clear desire to put Russia's position in line with the position of the Peoples Republic of China. Everything being said by Washington shows that they are not ready for honest and balanced negotiations on the New START," he stressed. "They are well aware that Russia provides very serious nuclear deterrence, so their efforts will be directed to us reducing the level of defense readiness. The same efforts are also directed towards missile defense. Apparently, the American specialists came to the conclusion that they cannot create a reliable shield against Russian missiles now, due to which the search for other areas of military-political confrontation has begun. Its very important that we dont buy into the American argument," Andrei Baklanov called on. "Another problem is that Washington is not going to adhere to its obligations if circumstances change. Therefore, I oppose negotiations with the Trump administration. Now we need negotiations aimed at easing a degree of opposition and returning to a balanced protection system against unauthorized attack or technology failures" the diplomat concluded. Net profit of Hindustan Unilever (HUL) rose 13.84% to Rs 1538 crore on 8.95% rise in net sales to Rs 9809 crore in Q4 March 2019 over Q4 March 2018. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 3 May 2019. On a consolidated basis, net profit of L&T Technology Services rose 3.18% to Rs 191.50 crore on 1.99% rise in net sales to Rs 1343.10 crore in Q4 March 2019 over Q3 December 2018. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 3 May 2019. On a consolidated basis, net profit of Tata Chemicals declined 65.03% to Rs 408.71 crore on 8% rise in net sales to Rs 2759.39 crore in Q4 March 2019 over Q4 March 2018. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 3 May 2019. Yes Bank informed that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) vide its Speaking Order dated 22 April 2019 imposed a penalty of Rs 11.25 lakh under Section 30(1) of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. RBI has identified certain violations of RBI Circular dated 5 October 2011 on Domestic Money Transfer - Relaxations and Master Direction dated 11 October 2017 on Issuance and Operation of Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPis) in connection with certain product features of an open loop prepaid card (co-branded) previously issued by the bank. The bank had launched this product as pilot program from 13 September 2017 and later discontinued this product with effect from 14 March 2018. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 3 May 2019. Further, Yes Bank announced that ratings agency ICRA has downgraded long-term ratings of the bank with a Negative outlook. Ratings were removed from 'Watch with Negative Implications'. The announcement was made on Saturday, 4 May 2019. Cadila Healthcare informed that the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspected the company's formulations manufacturing facility located at Moraiya, Ahmedabad from 22nd April 2019 to 3rd May 2019. The inspection concluded with 14 observations. There were no repeat observations or Data Integrity (DI) related observations. The company said it is confident of addressing these observations and responding to the USFDA at the earliest. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 3 May 2019. Bharti Airtel will be watched. With reference to news item captioned, "Airtel-Tata tele merger: TDSAT stays DoT call for Rs 9k crore guarantees," Bharti Airtel clarified after market hours on Friday, 3 May 2019, that it had duly intimated the exchanges about the transaction at the relevant junctures including upon the sanction of the subject schemes by National Company Law Tribunal, subject to the final approval of Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Further, the current order of TDSAT is subject to the final outcome and fulfilment of conditions, as is the case in all usual proceedings with reference to the final approval of DoT involving certain actions and compliances to be undertaken. Only after completion of the actions and submissions of the compliances, the final approval is issued. Moreover, such matters, being sub-judice, may be challenged before the appellate authority/courts and disclosing such pre-mature matters may affect the market prices inappropriately. The company said it will make requisite disclosure at an appropriate time (i.e. on receipt of final approval of DoT). Indiabulls Housing Finance said its board approved amendments to scheme of amalgamation to effect the merger of Indiabulls Housing Finance (IBH or Transferor Company 1) alongwith its wholly owned subsidiary, Indiabulls Commercial Credit (ICCL or Transferor Company 2) into and with The Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB or Transferee Company) (Scheme) under Sections 230 to 232 of the Companies Act, 2013. The Scheme, amongst others, envisages amalgamation of the IBH and ICCL into and with the LVB, on ongoing basis and dissolution of IBH and ICCL without being wound up. Basis the existing issued capital of both IBH and LBV and the share exchange ratio, the shareholders of the IBH will hold approximately 90.5% of the post-merger enhanced equity capital of the merged entity and the shareholders of LVB will hold approximately 9.5% of the post-merger enhanced equity capital of the merged entity. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 3 May 2019. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog recently said that in next 5 years, India will have 2,500 new hospitals thereby creating 2.5 million additional jobs. By 2024, India is also likely to attain the WHO norm of having one doctor for every thousand patients, he said. Speaking at the launch of certificate course on 'Specialist Training To Tackle The Burden of NCDs' organized by FICCI, Paul added that with the improvement in the ease of doing business in the private healthcare sector, new players will enter the sector which will not only create new employment opportunities but also provide better healthcare services. FICCI, jointly with NITI Aayog, has been working on identifying innovative alternate methods of strengthening the number of specialized doctors in India that can be scaled-up, especially for high burden diseases and conditions. In continuation to this, FICCI has partnered with ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) to launch the first of its kind Diabetes Certification Course for General Practitioners (GP), considering the WHO statistics of 69.2 million Indians suffering with diabetes in 2015 and not enough endocrinologists to deliver specialized care. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Japan share market closed for 10-day holiday from 27 April 2019 to 6 May 2019 to celebrate the enthronement of the country's Crown Prince Naruhito. Shares in the Asia Pacific region traded lower on Monday, 6 May 2019, as trade negotiations between China and the United States deteriorated suddenly, reversing apparent progress made in recent months, after after U. S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly jacked up pressure on China to reach a trade deal in the midst of negotiations, saying he would hike U. S. tariffs on Chinese goods this week. US President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal by announcing he will hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. The announcement via Twitter marks a major shift in tone from Trump, who has cited good progress in the talks and praised his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Any sign of an escalation in the months-long trade war is almost sure to roil financial markets, which have reacted sensitively to developments in the talks between the world's two largest economies. Trump's announcement comes ahead of another round of talks between US and Chinese officials in Washington scheduled for this week. Trump's move is a reversal of his decision in February not to increase tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion of goods, thanks to progress in the trade talks. That increase will now go into effect on Friday, Trump said in a tweet. The president also said he would target another $325 billion of Chinese goods with 25% tariffs "shortly" and he suggested that the measures were not leading to price increases for American consumers. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Zee Media Corporation Ltd is quoting at Rs 14.05, down 3.1% on the day as on 13:24 IST on the NSE. The stock jumped 21.72% in last one year as compared to a 8.26% rally in NIFTY and a 31.26% spurt in the Nifty Media index. Zee Media Corporation Ltd is down for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 14.05, down 3.1% on the day as on 13:24 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.95% on the day, quoting at 11600.95. The Sensex is at 38612.64, down 0.9%.Zee Media Corporation Ltd has lost around 14.33% in last one month.Meanwhile, Nifty Media index of which Zee Media Corporation Ltd is a constituent, has eased around 4.01% in last one month and is currently quoting at 2349.05, down 1.29% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 4.71 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 21.1 lakh shares in last one month. The PE of the stock is 13.08 based on TTM earnings ending December 18. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Mizoram Police have rescued 12 young Rohingya Muslim boys and girls, suspected to be victims of human trafficking, after they entered the bordering northeast state from Bangladesh without valid travel documents, officials said on Monday. With this, as many as 43 young girls and boys of Nepali and Myanmarese Rohingya descent have been rescued by the Mizoram Police in the last fornight. "Acting on a tip-off, the police rescued eight young girls and four young boys from a house in Bawngkawn in Aizawl district late on Sunday. Those rescued were possibly victims of human trafficking," Aizawl District Police Chief Karthik Kashyap told IANS, adding that the rescued have now been lodged at different protective and welfare homes after taking permission from the court. A fortnight ago, the Mizoram Police had rescued 23 teenage Nepali girls and eight Rohingya Muslim girls from two different locations in the state, who were also suspected to be victims of human trafficking. "The police and the other law enforcement agencies are investigating the matter. The police have also been put on alert against human trafficking making Mizoram its corridor," Kashyap said. Another police officer said that the 12 rescued youth told the police that they were from Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh and were abducted by a group of men in the third week of April and brought to Mizoram by truck. According to the Border Security Force (BSF) and the police in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam, over 200 Rohingya Muslims were detained during the past one year in Tripura, southern Assam and Mizoram after they fled the Rohingya refugee camps in Chittagong in southeast Bangladesh. Over 738,000 Rohingya Muslims from the Rakhine state in western Myanmar have arrived in the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh since the beginning of the ethinic troubles there on August 25, 2017, following a wave of violence and persecution, which has been described by the United Nations as an attempt at "ethnic cleansing". On and off, the Rohingya Muslims from Bangladeshi refugee camps have entered the northeastern states of India illegally in search of jobs or after being trapped in human trafficking. Four northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km) -- share 1,643 km unfenced border with Myanmar while Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) share an 1,880 km border with Bangladesh. The mountainous terrains, dense forests and other hindrances have made most parts of the unfenced borders porous and vulnerable, enabling illegal immigrants and intruders cross over without any hurdle. --IANS sc/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five members of a family were seriously injured after a LPG cylinder exploded causing a fire in a residential building in Geeta Colony area of East Delhi on Monday morning. According to fire officials, the incident was reported at around 6.40 a.m. and three fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire was brought under control by 7.15 a.m. The victims were rushed to the Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital at Delhi Gate. --IANS rag/kr/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With elections completed in 425 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies on Monday, efforts appear to have begun to cobble up a non-BJP, non-Congress front amid projections that the existing NDA may find it difficult to form the next government. Taking the first step in this regard was Telangana Chief Minister and TRS leader K Chandrashekar Rao, who met Kerala Chief Minister and CPI-M leader Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram, ostensibly over "dinner". KCR, as Rao is popularly known, will discuss the latest political developments with Vijayan. This will be KCR's first meeting with any leader of a non-BJP and non-Congress party since the Lok Sabha elections began on April 11. Among other leaders on his itinerary is DMK supremo M.K. Stalin, whom he is scheduled to meet in Chennai on May 13, the Telangana Chief Minister's office said in Hyderabad. "Both the leaders (Rao and Stalin) are likely to discuss the current political scenario in the contest of ongoing parliamentary elections," said the Chief Minister's Office. On knowing about Rao's visit to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Karnataka Chief Minister and JD-S leader H.D. Kumaraswamy had a telephonic talk with him on Monday, the CMO said. With the Lok Sabha election results to be declared on May 23, KCR is planning meetings with leaders of various other parties to prepare the ground for formation of a non-BJP, non-Congress government, sources said. The move by Rao assumes significance as he was the one who had mooted the idea of 'Federal Front' in March last year and initiated efforts to provide an alternative to both the BJP and Congress. He had subsequently met leaders of the Trinamool Congress, Biju Janta Dal, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (S) and DMK. He also invited YSR Congress Party to join the proposed front. The efforts have been initiated by Rao amid projections that the existing BJP-led NDA may find it difficult to muster the majority figure to form the next government. The BJP too appears to be conscious of the fact that crossing the majority mark would not be easy this time, unlike the last Lok Sabha elections when the party on its own got 282 seats, 10 more than the majority figure. "If we get 271 seats on our own, we will be very happy," BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said in an interview with Bloomberg News. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been very critical of BJD leader and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during campaigning for elections in that state a few weeks back, was all praise for him for handling the situation arising out of cyclone. This praise is seen as a political move aimed at potentially roping the BJD into the NDA fold in case the BJP-led coalition fell short of a majority. --IANS ms/akk/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan recorded 63.64 pc voting on Monday in the second round of polling in the state for 12 seats, an official said. The polling started at 7 a.m and continued till 6 p.m. Highest 73.93 per cent polling was recorded in Sri Ganganagar, followed by Jaipur at 68.19 per cent, and Alwar and Churu both recorded a poll percentage of 66.21 per cent. Among the other constituencies, Sikar saw 64.42 per cent voter turnout, Nagaur 61.67 per cent, Jaipur Rural 63.65 per cent, Bikaner 60.19 per cent, Dausa 61.66 per cent, Jhunjhunu 61.70 per cent, Bharatpur 58.12 per cent and Karauli-Dholpur 54.51 per cent. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the arrest of Sikar Congress candidate Subhash Maharia. BJP's election relation department's state chief Nahar Singh Mahaeshwari in a complaint to the Election Commission alleged that Maharia made a "life-threatening attack" on BJP worker Sudheer Garg and also tried to abduct him. Garg sustained injuries in head and ear. Maheshwari urged the authorities concerned for his immediate arrest. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot visited the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee office and took a feedback on elections with Congress workers. On the other hand, state BJP President Madanlal Saini thanked voters for voting peacefully in large numbers to realise the slogan "Modi Sarkar, Phir Ek Baar". Two Union Ministers including Arjunram Meghwal and Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore had cast their votes in the second phase of election for Bikaner and Jaipur Rural seats, respectively. --IANS arc/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Public sector Air India's New York office transferred $300,000 to a bank account in Nigeria instead of remitting the sum to a US-based firm Pratt & Whitney for supplying spare parts. The incident is learnt to have taken place in June, 2017 but the airline has failed to get the amount retrieved from the Nigerian bank account. "The officers involved in the lapse were never punished. They have in fact been allowed to rise in their career," said an executive. In response to an email query, Air India said the matter is currently under investigation. "It was a case of cyber fraud. The matter is being investigated," an airline spokesperson said. A large number of cyber frauds worldwide have been traced to Nigeria and Air India could have also fallen victim to it. Air India has a large fleet of Boeing aircraft including B777s and Dreamliner that it flies to various destinations in the US and Europe. The local office in the US makes payments for various ancillary works. It operates flights to San Francisco, New York and Newark in the US. Some of the airline's aircraft in India are grounded for want of spare parts. In the face of severe cash crunch, the airline has failed to put the grounded aircraft back into operation. (Nirbhay Kumar can be contacted to nirbhay.k@ians.in) --IANS nk/sn/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Voting in Jammu and Kashmir's restive Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency - which went to polls in an unprecedented three stages - ended on Monday with the heavy security ensuring a largely peaceful election, but the turnout not even reaching double figures. With the final round held in Shopian and Pulwama districts on Monday only recording only three per cent polling, the overall turnout in the constituency - which had been vacant for over three years - aggregates to around nine per cent of the over 1.3 million voters. The first phase of the polling in Anantnag district on April 23 saw the highest turnout - at 13.61, while the second phase, involving the Kulgam district, on April 29 saw the voting percentage dip to 10.32. Anantnag, which comprised the four south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama, which have been the worst-affected by militant violence during the last three years. The cycle of violence reached a new high in this area after July 8, 2016 when homegrown militancy's "poster boy" Burhan Wani was killed by security forces in a gunfight in Anantnag. Wani's death not only launched a new wave of homegrown militancy with even educated youth joining militant ranks, but also triggered widespread unrest in which 98 civilians were killed in bloody clashes with security forces. Over 4,000 people were injured with around 200 of them losing vision, either partially or permanently. In this millieu, the seat remained vacant since January 2016 when Mehbooba Mufti, who won it in the 2014 Parliamentary elections, resigned from the Lok Sabha in 2016 to become Chief Ministerafter the death of her father and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in January 2016. Bypoll to the constituency could not be held due to the highly-volatile security situation. The Election Commission faced such a major challenge that for the first time in the country's electoral history, it was forced to hold multiple rounds of polling in a single constituency and extraordinary security arrangements were made for all the three phases. Ahead of the last phase, various incidents of mob violence were reported on Sunday and the security situation remained so fragile that the poll staff for 24 polling stations in Zainapora sub-division of Shopian had to be airlifted, instead of taking the 13-km-long journey by road. In the final phase on Monday, 300 companies of central armed police force (CAPF) were deployed in Shopian and Pulwama. However, credit for the largely peaceful poll is also deserved by the state police, which has been bearing the brunt of militant violence in the area for three years now. While 18 candidates are in the fray, the main contest is between Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ghulam Ahmad Mir of the Congress and Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference. Votes would be counted on May 23. --IANS sq/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rustavi City Court has sentenced two citizens of Iran to 16 years in jail for the smuggling and possession of narcotics in especially large quantities into Georgia. The investigation established that the detainees illegally purchased the drugs and brought them in Georgia by means of hiding them into their body cavities on December 4, 2018. Law enforcers arrested both of them on the same day in Rustavi. They had been in pretrial detention since the detention, Agenda.ge reported. An NIA court here on Monday sent alleged Islamic State (IS) operative Riyas Aboobacker, who was arrested by the agency on April 29 from Palakkad, to Kerala Police custody. The day after his arrest, Aboobacker was remanded to judicial custody till May 29. Moving an application for his custody, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) admitted that Aboobacker was getting himself mentally prepared to turn into a suicide bomber. The NIA added that they wanted to include three more people as accused in the case in which the agency has already arrested 21 persons. Aboobacker, according to the NIA, has confessed to creating plans to blow himself him up in Kerala and for that he had been trying to recruit and got in touch with the three people. In their custodial plea application of Aboobacker, the NIA pointed out that they need to interrogate him further to crack the case and it will also help to wipe out any future attempt to create trouble in Kerala. The 29-year-old had earlier disclosed that he has been following speeches and videos of Zahran Hashim, a radical Tamil-speaking cleric who is believed to have masterminded the April 21 Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka which left 253 people dead. Aboobacker's arrest came after the agency unearthed the Kasargode module of the terrorist outfit in Kerala during multiple raids. --IANS sg/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Radicalization of moderate Muslims should be avoided in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, Minister of City Planning Rauff Hakeem has said as he blamed "a cult" within the community for the carnage. Hakeem told the media on Sunday that although Muslims support the security forces and police in carrying out search operations following the April 21 killings of over 250 people, there have been a few incidents of "concern" during such raids. "Some people have suffered social stigma as a result of some minor happenings (during search operations)... One must not get carried away if Islamic literature written in Arabic or in Tamil is found in a house. It may not be terrorist literature. "There may be anti-(Osama) Bin Laden or anti-extremist literature with some people. The security forces could get help from the Department of Muslim Affairs to interpret such literature," the Minister was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror on Monday. According to Hakeem, these incidents should be avoided as these could lead to radicalization of moderate Muslims in Sri Lanka. He also said that the bombings had been carried out by a cult living among the Muslims which earlier attacked the "mainstream mosques in certain Middle Eastern countries". "We as Muslims had warned the authorities of certain activities such as speeches made by certain people promoting extremism, which is against Islam, by certain groups from time to time. Asked about the weapons found in some mosques, Hakeem said places of worship should not be used to keep arms and added that "terrorist activities and ordinary crimes should not be mixed up". --IANS soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Ayushmann Khurrana is feeling the excitement in the air as he has started shooting for "Bala" here. "Excitement is in the hair...err air. The shooting for 'Bala' begins today," Ayushmann tweeted on Monday. The film is about a man who is balding prematurely and how he deals with it. Producer Dinesh Vijan's "Bala" also stars Bhumi Pednekar and Yami Gautam. While Bhumi plays a dusky small town educated woman, Yami essays the role of a supermodel based in Lucknow. The film is being directed by Amar Kaushik. "This time, last year we were shooting 'Stree', and it's surreal that we are starting another film with Amar today. 'Bala' is entertaining, witty and lovable, and we have a great cast to tell this story," Vijan said in a statement. According to a source, Ayushmann's nickname in the film is Bala and thus the title. The film also features Saurab Shukla, Jaaved Jaaferi and Seema Pahwa in pivotal roles. It will be shot in Kanpur as well. --IANS nn/rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Charlie Munger has said that the problem of Boeing's 737 Max jet will be fixed well. In an interview with Yahoo Finance, on the question that if he would fly with the model in the future, Munger replied: "Yes, of course. And they will fix it well." The 737 Max jets have been grounded worldwide after two deadly crashes in less than five months, the Xinhua news agency reported. It was Munger's first interview after Berkshire held its annual shareholders meeting Saturday. The Yahoo Finance interview will be aired on Thursday, but a clip was posted on its website Sunday. A 737 Max owned by Ethiopian Airlines crashed in March, killing all 157 people on board. Prior to that, a crash involving the same model happened in October to Indonesia's Lion Air, in which 189 people died. "I don't think it was really all that excusable that they made the mistake," Munger said. "That was a serious mistake." The investigation into what caused the two disasters is ongoing, and Boeing admitted that erroneous data from a sensor responsible for measuring the angle at which the wing slices through the air -- known as the Angle of Attack (AOA) -- played a role in the two tragedies. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said on April 4 that the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was activated in response to the erroneous AOA information, following a preliminary report by the Ethiopian Accident Investigation Bureau that showed the pilots had followed Boeing-recommended procedures, but could not control the flight. Munger said he views the recent failures as "an absolute lapse of being a big bureaucracy," but noted that he believes the damage to the planemaker's reputation will be limited. "Boeing probably has the best safety record in the world if you take 60 years, and this was a very unusual lapse," Munger said. "There may not be another one for 60 years." Berkshire holds stakes in major U.S. airlines including Delta, Southwest, United and American. All of them, except for Delta, have 737 Max jets. The company had no Boeing shares as of Dec. 31, 2018, according to its 13-F filing with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission submitted on February 14. --IANS rs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded re-polling in West Bengal's Barrackpore parliamentary constituency, alleging that the Trinamool Congress had resorted to rigging and violence to win the elections. Amid attacks on two BJP candidates - Arjun Singh and Locket Chatterjee - and cases of intimidation, violence, bombings and EVM glitches, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said "goons" of the Trinamool Congress were terrorizing people to vote in favour of its candidates. "Trinamool Congress cannot win elections by votes so it has resorted to rigging and violence in entire West Bengal. The voters who do not support it are being terrorized by its goons," Javadekar told reporters here. "We demand the Election Commission to hold re-polling in Barrackpore." Violence erupted in North 24 Parganas' Barrackpore earlier in the day where former Railway Minister and sitting Trinamool MP Dinesh Trivedi is taking on his erstwhile "election-manager" Arjun Singh of the BJP. --IANS spk/mag/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DMK President M.K. Stalin on Monday accused the BJP-led Central government of leasing out all central government jobs in Tamil Nadu to North Indians, thereby aggrevating the employment situation in the state. In a statement issued here, Stalin said that at a time when over 80 lakh people in Tamil Nadu have registered with the employment exchange, all the central government jobs and jobs in the central public sector undertakings were given to North Indians. Stalin said in the apprenticeship exam held by Golden Rock Railway Workshop in Trichy, about 300 persons from North India have been appointed on the grounds that none of the Tamil Nadu candidates cleared the exams. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was probing the case of candidates from Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab scoring high marks in Tamil subject in the postal department recruitment exams, Stalin said. According to the DMK leader, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami not only went along with this policy but also entered into electoral alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Stalin said once the BJP government goes home after May 23 when results of the Lok Sabha polls will be declared, the DMK will ensure 90 per cent of the central government jobs in Tamil Nadu for people of this state. --IANS vj/pg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Chardham Yatra" -- the pilgrimage to four Hindu shrines nestled in Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarkahand, begins on Tuesday, on the auspicious Akshay Tritiya day. Welcoming the pilgrims, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat wished them a successful pilgrimage to the four shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. "Uttarakhand is ready to welcome the pilgrims coming for the Chardham Yatra," Rawat said. The security and various other amenities for pilgrims will also be taken care of, he said. While the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines are being reopened on Tuesday, the Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines will be thrown open for pilgrims on May 9 and May 10, respectively. Although heavy snow is still around the Kedarnath temple premises, the snow from the path leading to the shrine has been cleared, said Mohan Lal Thapliyal, the Chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee. After a large number of huts were damaged in the heavy snowfall in January-February, the government had taken up the uphill task to clear the snow by pressing dozers and reconstruct the huts which were damaged in the 15-20 feet heavy snowfall at Kedarnath area situated at the dizzying heights of 11,755 feet in Rudraprayag district. The government has made arrangements for nearly 3,000 pilgrims for the night stay at Kedarnath by constructing makeshift tents and also reconstructing the damaged huts. Significantly, most of the snow has already melted. But there is still 4-5 feet of snow at Kedarnath which the pilgrims can enjoy. "From our side, all arrangements for the smooth conduct of the yatra to Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines have been completed," said Thapliyal. However, the road leading to Yamunotri shrine in Uttarkashi district is still in bad shape, with the repair work on a vital bridge connecting the temple still in progress. "We are hopeful that all the reconstruction works will be completed by May 7," said Uttarkashi District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan. He said there is no issue pending as far as Gangotri shrine is concerned. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh and Director General of Police (DGP) Anil Raturi visited the Kedarnath shrine on Sunday to review the final arrangements of the Chardham Yatra. Later, Raturi said adequate police force has been deployed at all the vital points in the Chardham Yatra. --IANS str/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If Indira Gandhi had won the 1977 general elections, it would have been a popular endorsement of her Emergency regime. Why would Narendra Modi's return after the elections be seen differently from Indira Gandhi's after the Emergency? There is a list of failures - the economy, rural distress, record unemployment, the nightmare of demonetization, GST, throttling of institutions. It must be put down to the effective polarization by Modi that an even more formidable list of misdemeanors is less talked about - lynching by vigilante mobs for trumped up charges of cow slaughter, public lynching of Dalits, harassment of Muslims and Dalits on charges of love jehad, hundreds of Muslims in jail without trial. These nasty ingredients like "revenge" and hate" were not part of the impulse which led to the Emergency. In fact Indira Gandhi was being buffeted by East-West ideological currents, externally and internally. Remember the 70s were going badly for the West. Against that global backdrop Indira Gandhi had split the Congress, then clasped the Soviet hand tightly for the liberation of Bangladesh. CPI leader Sripad Amit Dange, Mohan Kumaramanglam, a Communist inclined Union Minister, Left leaning P.N. Haksar as her Principal Secretary were her advisers. The global right and its Indian sympathizers clustered around Jayaprakash Narayan's Bihar movement in 1974. Senior RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh was the master strategist for this movement. What Indira Gandhi called the Jute press was stacked against her. Concerted pressure was beginning to unnerve her when the Allahabad High Court judgement, unseating her from Parliament caused her to impose the Emergency. However, Indira Gandhi appeared to have been chastened into Hinduism once she returned to power in 1980. A touch of Hindu majoritarianism dictated her offensive on Sikh extremism. This was very much on her mind when she fought the 1982 Jammu election on a patently communal platform. Operation Blue Star was launched in this mood, which eventually led to her assassination. Followed by the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984. When Rajiv Gandhi won the 1984 election with 414 seats in a house of 543, the party extracted two conclusions from the outcome. First, it was a sympathy wave because of Indira Gandhi's murder. Second, it was also Hindu consolidation against minority communalism. I learnt this first hand in 1985 from V.N. Gadgil, Secretary in the Congress Working Committee and a good friend. "The feeling among Hindus is growing that Muslims are appeased." How appeased the Muslims were became clear in the Sachar Committee report of 2005 on the dismal socio economic condition of Indian Muslims. The Congress leadership nevertheless began to strategize on the basis that Hindu sentiment had to be respected. Opening of the temple locks, permitting the brick laying ceremony for the Ram temple, promising Ram Rajya if Congress won the 1989 elections and so on were dictated by this thinking. So, Rahul's temple hopping has antecedents. The BJP, smarting under the fact that it had been reduced to two seats in 1984, began to worry more when it saw the Congress stealing its "Hindu" platform. By way of damage control, the party elected L.K. Advani its President in 1986. For the 1989 elections, Prime Minister V.P. Singh implemented the Mandal Commission report reserving government jobs for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). This aggravated the intra-Hindu caste conflict. The Hindu caste pyramid was in a state of high agitation when Advani undertook the journey on a Hindu chariot to Ayodhya to highlight the urgency of Rama's temple being built. This was to neutralize the effects of Mandal. Ram Janmbhoomi-Babari Masjid evolved as Hindu-Muslim conflict no doubt, but its purpose was more complex. Hindu consolidation, with Muslims as the Other, would, over a period of time, mobilize Hindus on the lower rungs of the caste hierarchy against the Muslim "other". Instead of weakening the Hindu structure by falling prey to caste politics, the lower castes were being accorded a place of honour as Hindu foot soldiers, a powerful infantry of the Hindutva brigade. Communalism, in other words, was to be a strategy to stabilize the caste pyramid. Vigorous social engineering towards this end was launched by an energetic RSS functionary K.N. Govindacharya in the 90s. At the leadership level, Narendra Modi, Kalyan Singh, President Ram Nath Kovind, Bangaru Laxman, Uma Bharti, are all a function of the party's sensitivity to the lower castes in its midst. Much more impressive was the way it went flat out on its "reclamation" and "ghar wapsi" programmes. This is what Congress has set itself up against sans any social engineering. They both have a Muslim policy, equally harmful to the community but one's approach is quite distinct from the other. The BJP is on a no holds barred anti-Muslim mobilization spree. The Congress, scared to lose Hindu votes, keeps Muslims out of the frame. "Willing to wound and yet afraid to strike". Thinking on its feet mostly, the Congress imagines it is reinventing itself as an upper caste party which once had under its canopy Muslims and Dalits too. Dalits, of course, now have their own caste parties. Muslims have been shuttling between caste parties or those candidates who are likely to defeat the BJP. Only when they are wriggling against the wall, totally cornered, will they willy nilly vote for the Congress. It is instructive for the Congress to realize that Indira Gandhi's Emergency was an aberration in a settled world order. It embarrassed Gandhi herself, which is why she called for elections. Modi's excesses are in a world order upto its waist in fascism. Will he fit into this order? Unlikely, because he has to grapple with India's infinite variety. Geert Wilders can dream a future in fascism for tiny Netherlands. But Modi has to dream unrealistically of imposing a uniformity on a multi-lingual, multi-regional, multi-religious sub-continent, not yet a classical nation state. That is why the dream of the Indian middle class that India is about to become a two-party system, both parties representing upper castes, will remain just that - a dream. India will survive and thrive in its strong federal framework. (Saeed Naqvi is a commentator on political and diplomatic affairs. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached at saeednaqvi@hotmail.com) --IANS naqvi/mr/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has strongly condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modis utterances on late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, saying the "country will not forgive him for the remarks". Referring to Modi's statement that Rajiv Gandhi was called "Mr. Clean" by his courtiers but died as "Bhrashtachari No. 1", Thackeray said on Sunday: "Hatred, endless lying and absolutely no qualms in transgressing the decorum of public life are the three characteristics that mark the term of Narendra Modi. "This stands intensified with his latest statements against the late Rajiv Gandhi and the nation will definitely not pardon it," said Thackeray. Thackeray joins the ranks of several prominent opposition leaders across the country who criticized Modi's statements on Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated by a Sri Lankan Tamil suicide bomber on May 21, 1991. Last year in July, Thackeray had come out in support of Congress President Rahul Gandhi's famous 'hug' to Modi in Parliament and termed it a 'perfect' one. This time, the MNS chief addressed nearly a dozen political rallies in Maharashtra campaigning against Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah though his own party MNS is not contesting any seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. --IANS qn/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan authorities on Monday extended a deadline for the public to surrender swords and large knives. The police on Saturday had requested the public to handover the weapons before Monday midnight, the Daily Mirror reported. On Monday, the deadline was extended till Wednesday midnight. The call came as investigations into the gruesome April 21 Easter Sunday bombings in the island nation that killed 253 people and injured over 500 others, were continuing. Law enforcement authorities have seized a large number of weapons from various parts of the country since April 21. Sunday marked 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.) World leaders are offering condolences to Russia in the wake of the accident at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport, which claimed dozens of lives. "On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I express sincere condolences to you, relatives and friends of those who died in the accident and the entire people of Russia. I wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured," Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev wrote in his message to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. "On behalf of the Lithuanian government, I express my deep condolences on the loss of life during the plane crash," the press service of Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis quotes him as saying. "I heard the news of the plane crash at Sheremetyevo, which resulted in loss of life, with deep sadness and regret. On behalf of Moldovas people and on my own behalf, I offer our deep sympathies and solidarity to the Russian president and the whole of the Russian people," Moldovan President Igor Dodon said in his message. For his part, Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov asked the Russian leader "to convey heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who died in the tragedy and speedy recovery wishes to all those injured." "We share the anguish of the irreparable loss," he added. "Our condolences to the families of the victims of the passenger plane fire in Russia. We wish speedy recovery to the wounded," the Romanian Foreign Ministry said in a Twitter post. "We learned about the loss of life in a plane crash, which occurred at Sheremetyevo Airport last night, with deep sadness. We share the grief of the Russian people and government, offer our condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Our sincere condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the tragedy at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport, where the fire claimed the lives of many passengers and crewmembers of an Aeroflot plane. Serbian citizens are mourning together with their Russian friends," Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic tweeted. "I am deeply saddened by the news of an accident during the landing of a passenger plane at Sheremetyevo airport, which killed dozens. While offering our heartfelt condolences to you and the entire friendly people of Russia, I ask to convey our feelings of empathy to the relatives and friends of those who died [in the tragedy]," Tajikistans President Emomali Rahmon wrote in his message to Vladimir Putin. "We are saddened by the plane crash in Moscow, which claimed 41 lives. We express our condolences and solidarity to the Russian people and government on that tragedy," Bolivian President Evo Morales tweeted. "I share the anguish of loss with the relatives and friends of those who died in the accident," Kazakhstans President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev tweeted. "Our condolences to the people and government of the Russian Federation on the loss of lives in the aircraft accident in Moscow, which we also make extensive to the relatives of the victims," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez wrote in a Twitter post. "My deep condolences to relatives and friends of the people who died in Aeroflot aircraft fire in Moscow," Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted. The European Union has also sent condolences to the families and friends of those killed in a plane crash at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport, Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Maja Kocijancic said. "The EU sends its condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the tragic accident at Sheremetyevo airport and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured," the statement reads. The authorities of Russias Murmansk region have declared three days of mourning after a plane crash at Sheremetyevo airport. Aeroflots Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger plane (flight SU-1492) carrying 73 passengers and five crewmembers that was bound for Murmansk caught fire after emergency landing at Sheremetyevo shortly after its takeoff on Sunday. A total of 41 people, including two children, died in the plane fire, while nine people were hospitalized. Tej Bahadur Yadav, thedismissed Border Security Force (BSF) jawan, moved the Supreme Court on Monday challenging rejection of his nomination papers by the Election Commission to contest Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi. Yadav alleged he was deliberately kept out of the contest to ensure an easy win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi. Yadav, in the petition, contended that the Returning Officer "completely failed to appreciate that he had produced the dismissal letter along with his nomination paper." The dismissal letter indicated the reason for his dismissal from the BSF as alleged indiscipline and there was no evidence of indulging in corruption or any act of disloyalty to the state, the petitioner said. Yadav has sought the apex court's direction to set aside the Returning Officer's May 1 order and that he be allowed to contest the election from Varanasi. The candidature of Yadav, supported by the Samajwadi Party, was rejected by the Returning Officer on finding fault with nomination papers. Yadav's nomination was rejected as he could not bring on record that his dismissal was not on corruption charges or due to any integrity issues. "It seems the decision was taken keeping in mind the sensitivity of the contest in Varanasi and to give walkover to the candidate (Modi) of the ruling party (BJP) by disqualifying the petitioner," the petitioner contended. Yadav claimed he was a strong candidate against the prime minister and his popularity was "gaining momentum", and added that's why he was supported by the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party combine. Stating that "the mala fide is apparent," Yadav alleged the Returning Officer had shown haste in deciding on his candidature. The poll official could have at least allowed the Election Commission to respond to his application, he said. Yadav had posted videos on social media in January 2017 complaining about substandard food being served at his BSF camp along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir. He was later dismissed from the force. He had filed his nomination as independent but was later accepted by the Samajwadi Party as candidate from Varanasi. --IANS ss/kr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, who was with the Shiv Sena earlier, has targeted his erstwhile party colleague and predecessor Manohar Joshi, saying he was a "weak" Chief Minister because of which the party could not deliver on its promises in four years of government in 1995. Rane, who succeeded Joshi as Chief Minister from February 1999, also insisted that Balasaheb Thackeray never wanted a 'remote-control sarkaar' (government) and that the late Shiv Sena supremo never stopped him from taking any decision which were even slightly beneficial for the state. Rane entered by joining the Shiv Sena under the leadership of Balasaheb Thackeray. He was expelled from the party in July 2005 after he publicly criticised party working President Udhav Thackeray and questioned his administrative abilities. He later joined Congress and was made Maharashtra's Revenue Minister. In September 2017, Rane ended his decade-long association with the Congress and floated his own party, the Maharashtra Swabhiman Party (MSP). He was elected unopposed as a Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra as a BJP candidate last year. He has given a glimpse of many phases of his political career in his memoir 'No Holes Barred: My Years in Politics', which was released on Monday. The 208-page book has been published by HarperCollins India. Writing about Joshi, Rane said, "The Sena (Shiv Sena) failed to deliver on its promises in the first four years of our government because Manohar Joshi was a weak Chief Minister." He said Joshi, who headed a coalition government of the Shiv Sena and the BJP from March 1995, did not know how to rein in his own cabinet or the bureaucrats. "The officers did not fear him as he didn't hold them accountable, and everyone acted in their own interests instead of as a united force," Rane wrote about the first non-Congress Chief Minister of the state. "Even when they failed him (Joshi) miserably, he did not reprimand them for not implementing policies which Saheb (Balasaheb Thackeray) and the party had envisioned for the state." Talking about Bal Thackeray, Rane said, "He always followed my activities closely, even when I was the Chief Minister and rang me up often to praise me and motivate me to keep going." In the book Rane said that "he (Bal Thackeray) never, as far as my memory serves me, stopped me from executing any policies or decisions which were for the benefit of government and the people". "He (Bal Thackeray) gave me an absolute free hand to act in the best interests of people of Maharashtra, regardless of caste, creed and political or social status," he wrote. Praising the late Shiv Sena supremo, Rane said, "I also want to set the record straight for those who believe that Saheb had said he wanted a 'remote control sarkaar', he indulged in illicit activities which were harmful to the state or the government. This is absolutely false. "In fact, there were times when important people brought proposals to me which I felt were not good for the government. I would consult him and he would immediately, without second thoughts, back me and say, 'don't ever pass any proposal which is not in the best interests of the state'." Rane also recalled that, at the same time, "he (Bal Thackeray) never ever stopped me from going forward with any decisions which were even slightly beneficial to Maharashtra. But that was Balasaheb. They just don't make leaders like him any more." --IANS aks/akk/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The arrival of an Amur falcon in the northeast as it heads back from Africa to its breeding grounds in northern China and Mongolia has cheered conservationists and other animal-lovers in the region. Hundreds of people in India's northeastern states, particularly in Nagaland, have rejoiced to hear the news of 'Longleng', one of the satellite-tagged long distance migratory birds entering the region and are anxiously waiting for it to reach its roosting site in Nagaland. Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India's senior scientist Suresh Kumar on Monday said that Longleng had reached a remote location of Manipur on Sunday evening. "Female Amur falcon, Longleng, was satellite-tagged in October 2016 from the roost site in Yaongyimchen Community Reserve in Longleng district of Nagaland and it is the is the only falcon that is currently being tracked. "Longleng started on its migration from Somalia to India on April 29. Upon leaving the African continent, it made a four-day, non-stop flight over the Arabian Sea, skirting the coastline of the Arabian peninsula and then flew along the coast of Gujarat and enter India over Surat town," Suresh Kumar said. On May 2, Longleng made its first stop in a forested tract in the Gadchiroli Forest Reserve in eastern Maharashtra, after covering a distance of close to 4,800 km. During the two years of tracking since 2016 on its return from Africa, Longleng, entering the Maharashtra coastline, would fly down to southern Karnataka close to Bengaluru or Mysuryu and after a stop-over of a few days, head back along the east coast to northeast India and then beyond. "However, this year, Longleng interestingly headed straight across Maharashtra and almost straight in the direction of cyclone Fani that was moving up along the Bay of Bengal coast. Being a terrestrial bird, the open sea crossing poses a challenge and as a result, Amur falcons make non-stop flights of three to five days or maybe more. Longleng's arrival in India now marks its sixth successful crossing of the Arabian Sea and it is expected to arrive in the next few days in Nagaland once again," he said. Nuklu Phom, a conservation activist of Yaongyimchen village, said: "The arrival of Longleng and other migratory birds in this part of the country is a much waited event every year. It is one of the most successful conservation success stories of the world. "Till 2012, there have been reports of hunting of birds. But from 2013, not a single bird was killed due to the conservation effort made by the entire citizens of Yaongyimchen village in Longleng district." Phpm said that the entire community under Yaongyimchen, Alayong and Sanglu have joined hands in creating a huge forest as a community biodiversity area and giving asylum to Amur falcons and other species which are growing in numbers year by year. "The community has been giving their best effort towards the Biodiversity Conservation initiatives and this is a huge contribution to the world in the area of protecting many endangered species," he said. The Nagaland government, particularly its Forest Department's Wildlife Wing, has been undertaking several measures to create awareness among Naga people to ensure a safe passage to falcons as they pass through the state. --IANS ah/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday challenged the Congress to fight the last two phases of polls for the honour of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. "Today I challenge Congress and 'namdar' family from this land to fight the coming Lok Sabha polls of Delhi, Punjab and Bhopal for the honour of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who faced corruption allegations over Boforos (howitzer gun for the Indian Army in the late eighties). "I spoke one word about Rajiv Gandhi, and it appeared to have stung like a scorpion to them," said Modi while addressing a rally at Chaibasa of Jharkhand on Monday. Last week Modi at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh had commented about former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi "ending his life as bhrashtachari (corrupt) number one," triggering an uproar in political circles with Congress President Rahul Gandhi hitting back by saying "karma awaits" Modi. "They do not have respect for the post of Prime Minister. For the last one year, they have been abusing Prime Minister and his family. Their cry will expose them more. The current generation of youth will come to know how one family looted and damaged the country," said the Prime Minister. "Thousands of people died in Bhopal gas tragedy and what was done after the gas tragedy?," Modi asked, adding the Congress should fight Bhopal and Punjab polls for "his (Rajiv Gandhi's) honour". "Fight the election over Bofors allegations," said Modi. "Accept my challenge. Enough lies have been told by the Congress and the adulterated alliance," he said. "This country needs strong and stable government. The country does not need a family-run government. This country needs a clean government," he said. IANS ns/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Tara Sutaria, who is all set to step into Bollywood with "Student Of The Year 2", does not mind vigilance on her private life. Instead, she finds it flattering that people want to know about her. Talking about actors' private lives being under constant watch, Tara told IANS here: "We were completely expecting this to be a part of our journey. We have just begun... it is very new for us. But I think sometimes it is fun to read these things... It's flattering in a way that people care and want to know about us." Link-up rumours are a part and parcel of being under the spotlight. It has been no different for Tara, who is rumoured to be dating actor Sidharth Malhotra. Asked about how she plans to tackle such rumours she said: "I don't think you need to tackle it. I think your work will speak and this will always happen... I think we (Ananya and Tara) are ready for that." Tara, who ventured into showbiz in 2010 with "Big Bada Boom", is set to make her Bollywood debut alongside actor Chunky Panday's daughter Ananya Panday, and actor Tiger Shroff in "Student Of The Year 2". The Dharma Productions film, directed by Punit Malhotra, is set to release on May 10. Was she nervous to star alongside names who have been famous way before their debut? "There wasn't any fear in any sense at all. I think I have really been fortunate to be doing what I have done before 'Student Of the Year 2'... For most of my life, I have been performing and I have been an ambassador for Disney. I have been a part of this line of work for a while," she said. Before her film debut, Tara was seen in shows like "The Suite Life of Karan & Kabir", "Best of Luck Nikki" and "Oye Jassie". She said she is "quite accustomed", and "nothing comes as much of a surprise or shock". Does she agree that the acting profession comes with a lot of insecurities? "It is very easy to feel insecure and it is very normal and natural, especially in our line of work where everything depends on how you look and behave. One is constantly under the scanner, and it's very easy to feel that. "I feel like I am accustomed to all of these things, so I don't think it is something new for me. I am trying to take in every moment as possible... So, many firsts going on for us that there are no time to focus on the insecurities." --IANS dc/rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A probe ordered by Kerala Police chief Loknath Behra suspects foul play in the postal ballots of police officials who were deployed outside their home districts. Kerala voted on April 23 to pick 20 Lok Sabha members. The intelligence wing conducted the probe after allegations were levelled that the CPI-M backed office bearers of the Kerala Police Association had committed foul play. Behra ordered the probe after an audio clip of two police officials speaking on the postal ballots surfaced in the media. A four-page report submitted to Behra points at foul play and has recommended action against two police officials besides recommending a comprehensive probe, according to sources in the know of things. The association consists of 58,000 police officials and is led by those said to be close to the CPI-M. --IANS sg/in/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday stayed the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority's (GCZMA) order to demolish 171 temporary structures built in the no-development zones at beaches, which are home to turtle-nesting sites. In his order, Justice P.D. Naik also issued notices to the state chief secretary and other government functionaries to be responded by June 10. "The order seeks to demolish the structures. It is submitted that no show cause notice was issued to the parties, nor any hearing was conducted by the authorities, which amounts to violation of the principles of natural justice," the high court stated, while granting "interim protection" to the petitioner, the All Goa Private Property Shack/Hut Owners Association. The coastal authority last week had ordered demolition of 171 structures on Mandrem, Morjim, Agonda and Galgibaga beaches, home to nesting sites of the protected Olive Ridley turtles. Green activists have several times expressed concerns about mushrooming constructions in the no-development zones along the coastal belt, which they claimed were coming up in the vicinity of turtle-nesting sites. The authority had directed collectors of the South and North Goa districts to carry out demolitions, days after the National Green Tribunal bench in Pune on May 1 had fined the GCZMA Rs 1 crore for failure to comply with the judicial authority's direction to submit a compliance report on number of construction violations in the coastal regulation zones. --IANS maya/kr/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The deployment of hybrid cloud model is set to increase to 26 per cent from 18.5 per cent in a year, according to a study. In the financial services sector, the hybrid cloud model use reached 21 per cent in 2018, outpacing other sectors in the adoption of this service, says the study by Nutanix, US-headquartered enterprise cloud computing company. "Today's new normal is an environment where customers expect personalised and tailored services delivered where they want, when they want and the way they want," said Neville Vincent, Nutanix Vice-President for Australia and New Zealand, Asean and India. "The good news is the industry is already seeing customer and company benefits of hybrid cloud infrastructure, but the concern is at just over 20 per cent, there is still a long way to go to satisfy increasingly sophisticated and demanding customers, and achieve the ultimate customer experience," Vincent said. Hybrid cloud is a cloud computing environment that uses a mix of on-premises, private cloud and third-party, public cloud services with orchestration between the two platforms. For the "Enterprise Cloud Index" report, Nutanix commissioned Vanson Bourne to survey more than 2,300 IT decision-makers, including 333 worldwide financial services organisations, about where they are running their business applications today, where they plan to run them in the future, what their cloud challenges are and how their cloud initiatives stack up against other IT projects and priorities. The survey included respondents from multiple industries, business sizes and geographies in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Japan. While 88 per cent of respondents said they expect hybrid cloud to positively impact their businesses, hybrid cloud skills are scarce in today's IT organisations. --IANS gb/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an India-US bilateral trade meeting held here in Delhi, India and the United States discussed various outstanding trade issues. Both sides agreed to engage regularly at various levels to resolve outstanding trade issues by exploring suitable solutions, which are mutually beneficial and promote economic development and prosperity in both countries. Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, and Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce, USA, expressed satisfaction over the progress during the year 2018. The bilateral trade in Goods and Services registered a growth of 12.6 per cent from $ 126 billion in 2017 to $142 billion in 2018. --IANS ravi/sn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid political unrest in Venezuela, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that embattled President Nicolas Maduro is "ruling for the moment", but cannot be part of the country's future. Pompeo reiterated Washington's support for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. He has been recognized as interim leader of Venezuela by over 50 countries, including the US, the UK and most in Latin America. On the other hand, Maduro is backed by Russia, China and the leaders of Venezuela's military. "We've supported the National Assembly's choice. Juan Guaido is the interim President and as you know, these things sometimes have bumpy roads," Pompeo told ABC News on Sunday. "(Maduro's) ruling for the moment, but he can't govern. There's enormous poverty, starvation, sick children that can't get medicine. 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. "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," Pompeo added. The opposition-controlled National Assembly in Venezuela declared Guaido as interim President in January, but months of demonstrations and US sanctions have not forced Maduro from his grip on power -- even after a major uprising last week. When asked if the US invasion of Venezuela was an option, Pompeo said: "Make no mistake, we have a full range of options that we're preparing for." Asked if President Donald Trump believes he could intervene without congressional authorization, he said: "I'm very confident that any action we take in Venezuela would be lawful." Guaido, meanwhile, told the BBC that he is considering asking the US to launch a military intervention in the embattled country. He said he would "evaluate all options" to oust Maduro and added that the US support for him has been "decisive". Last week, Guaido launched a failed attempt to spark a military rebellion and force Maduro out of power. "I think President (Donald) Trump's position is very firm, which we appreciate, as does the entire world." Asked whether he would like Trump and the US military to intervene, Guaido said it is "responsible to evaluate" the possibility of international intervention, adding: "I, as the President in charge of the Parliament, will evaluate all options if necessary." But Trump had said late last week that he wasn't looking to get the US military involved in Venezuela. The US President said that in a call, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had assured him that "he is not looking to get involved in Venezuela other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela", before adding: "And I feel the same way." But Pompeo had much stronger words for Russia on Sunday, telling ABC News that "the Russians must get out". "It's very clear, we want the Russians out, we want the Iranians out, we want the Cubans out." --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Malaysia has handed over a former executive of Goldman Sachs to the United States after he was allegedly linked to the multi-billion dollar corruption scandal related to state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (IMDB), the Malaysian Attorney General's office said on Monday. Roger Ng, a Malaysian citizen, was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on November 1 at the request of the US Department of Justice that charged him with three counts of laundering money diverted from 1MDB. Ng was handed over to the US Department of Justice on Friday, Attorney General Tommy Thomas said in a statement cited by Efe news. The 47-year-old banker, who quit Goldman Sachs in 2014, agreed to be extradited to the US in February. But the process was delayed due to disagreements between the Malaysian Interior Ministry and the Justice Department. Ng would have to return to Malaysia to face four charges once the judicial process in the US concluded, Thomas added. The banker has been charged by Malaysian prosecutors with four counts related to three series of bonds with a total value of $6.5 billion, which 1MDB had used Goldman's investment banking services to issue between 2012 and 2013. Apart from Ng, the Malaysian authorities are also investigating the bank and one of its former directors in Asia, Tim Leissner, for allegedly bribing officials. The 1MDB corruption scandal came to light in 2015 when a media investigation uncovered the diversion of nearly $681 million funds from the investment fund to the private accounts of then Prime Minister Najib Razak. The scandal was a major reason behind Najib's defeat in the 2018 elections after which he was charged with 42 crimes, including money laundering and abuse of power. According to the US Justice Department estimates, around $4.5 billion were diverted from 1MDB. Of this, about $1 billion could have been laundered in the US through the purchase of real estate, yachts, jewellery and works of art. --IANS soni/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Police have arrested a man who was absconding after taking Rs 11 lakh from a young woman on the pretext of getting her a Canadian study visa. The complaint against Harmeet Singh Walia was registered by Satinder Kaur. The accused, who ran a training institute in Subhash Place in west Delhi, had promised to help obtain the Canadian study visa within six months after her application through another agency failed to get a positive response. He asked for Rs 11 lakh as processing charges which the complainant paid in instalments. But after a long time when the accused did not revert back, she realised she had been duped and contacted the police. On Monday, the police nabbed Walia. His son is still absconding. --IANS sp/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry was mercilessly trolled by Twitterati after he claimed that the Hubble Space Telescope was sent into space by the country's aeronautics and aerospace research agency Suparco, instead of its US counterpart NASA. Chaudhry, speaking at Geo News' programme "Naya Pakistan" on Sunday, mentioned that "the world's biggest telescope was sent by Suparco (Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission)". The Minister told the talk show host that " one of the ways to see is the Hubble Telescope, which is the world's biggest telescope and was sent (into space) by Suparco, which is installed in a satellite". "Then there are other satellites and there are other (types of) technologies," he added. A torrent of memes and trolling posts made its way to the Internet following Chaudhry's slip-up. "May be NASA head will resign and also join the Ministry of @fawadchaudhry as head of Suparco," one user tweeted. "You have really surpassed all your predecessors. Just a few days under your patronage, we realized that Suparco has sent 'hubal' telescope into space.. Incredible. Mr PM @ImranKhanPTI should send such discoverer into space as a reward..!, tweeted another user. Ironically, Chaudhry, as Pakistan's Information Minister, had said in November that "there are some politicians who are creating chaos on the ground and should be sent to space". "I will ask Suparco to ensure that once these politicians go to space, they cannot return," he had said. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi disrespected his mentor L.K. Advani as he removed him from the BJP's centre-stage, indicating that Modi "does not respect anyone but himself". Addressing a public rally in Sadar under the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat during campaigning for party candidate J.P. Agarwal, Gandhi said being a Congressmen, he has only "love for Modi" despite the Prime Minister having insulted his father Rajiv Gandhi. In a dramatic fashion, he asked the crowd: "Who fought with the Chowkidar (Modi)?" The crowd cheered his name, but Gandhi rejected it, saying: "Not Rahul Gandhi but workers of the Congress party. You all give me strength. I am your voice. I am not Modi... the 'Chowkidar' insulted his guru (mentor). He disrespected and thrown his mentor Advani out from the centre-stage." The BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls has taken off Advani from the Gandhinagar seat, which the veteran BJP leader contested since 1991, and fielded Amit Shah, the party president. Gandi said that Modi insulted everyone -- from youths to farmers. "Respect is part of our culture and Modi does not respect anyone but Modi himself." The Congress President said Modi spoke about and insulted his father in a political rally. "He is a PM, but insulted a martyr. I am a congressman, a Congress leader. The more you hate me, the more would I love you," he said. At a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi had targeted the former prime minister while attacking the Congress President. At a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh on Saturday, Modi referred to Rajiv Gandhi, calling him "bhrashtachari No.1" (Corrupt No.1). Countering it, Rahul said: "My hug (to you) in Parliament will bring defeat for you. We, the Congress people and all the religions, say that hatred can never be overcome with hate, only love can end hate. I understand the restlessness in your (Modi's) heart. I can't do anything about your fear. Your hate is not hate, but fear. I only have love for you in my heart." Gandhi said the present mood across the nation is clearly pro-Congress. "Wherever I go, the people want the Congress back in power." He said the media is scared and is writing with hesitation. "The 'Chowkidar' has disturbed them (media) too. They are saying Congress will give them freedom from the Chowkidar. They will celebrate most on May 23," he said with a smile. The Congress President said wherever Modi goes, it was always his 'Mann Ki baat', but the people now want a government that should talk about their 'mann ki baat' . Rahul Gandhi said he considered Delhi important, as the voice of Delhi is the voice of the country. He said Modi came with full energy five years ago. He promised jobs, Rs 15 lakh cash, and other things. "Is he speaking any of these things now? Modi is not talking about any of his promises even by mistake." He attacked Modi for promising two crore jobs and a better life for traders. "You (Modi) brought GST and demonetisation. Go to any trader, farmer, youth or even a 12-year-old child, ask if the country was benefited with these acts, all of them would talk about only loss." On BJP's complaint, he said the Election Commission had told him that he cannot say the "watchman is a thief". "I only say 'Chowkidar' and the people shout 'chor hai'. I want to ask the EC if Modi can call himself a Chowkidar, why can't Rahul?." He also spoke about his party's Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay) -- a financial scheme for the poor -- by which Rs 72,000 would be deposited in bank accounts of 5 crore people of the country in one year. He said Modi spoke about Make in India, but the youths were harassed as they were forced to run from one department to another. "Delhi is a hub of entrepreneurs where the youth, mainly, wish to do two things: business or a government job. For a business, you need permission from various departments. The Congress has decided that youths will not have to run around to open a business." He said he cannot make fake promises of giving two crore jobs, "but in one year, the Congress will fill vacancies in 22 lakh seats in various government departments. Delhi's seven constituencies will go to the polls on May 12, with a triangular contest between BJP, AAP and Congress. While the AAP rules the city, the BJP bagged all the seven Lok Sabah seats in the 2014 elections. --IANS nks/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump has reversed course, saying Special Counsel Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress just two days after he said that Attorney General William Barr should make that decision. In a series of tweets on Sunday, the President said Mueller should not appear before the House Judiciary Committee and questioned why the Democratically-controlled committee would need the Special Counsel's testimony after concluding his two-year investigation into allegations of collusion between Russian operatives and Trump associates during the 2016 presidential campaign and transition, CNN reported. "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," he wrote, adding: "No redos for the Dems!" On Friday, the President, when asked by reporters at the White House about Mueller potentially testifying, said that Barr should determine whether or not Mueller would provide congressional testimony. "I don't know. That's up to our attorney general, who I think has done a fantastic job." Trump's Sunday tweet came hours after House Judiciary member David Cicilline told Fox News that the committee has reached a "tentative date" of May 15 for Mueller to testify, though he later clarified that the date for the appearance had not yet been finalised. "Just to clarify: we are aiming to bring Mueller in on the 15th, but nothing has been agreed to yet," the Rhode Island Democrat tweeted later. "That's the date the Committee has proposed, and we hope the Special Counsel will agree to it. Sorry for the confusion." Mueller's appearance before the committee would allow lawmakers to hear from the special counsel on the investigation he spearheaded, CNN said. The Department of Justice released a redacted version of the special counsel's long awaited findings last month. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US space agency NASA revealed on Monday details about its plan to hit a small moonlet target in a double asteroid system with a spacecraft in 2022, its first mission to demonstrate a planetary defence technique. The asteroid, called Didymoon or Didymos B, is a moon asteroid around 150 meters tall orbiting a larger body Didymos A, the most accessible asteroid of its size from the Earth, the Xinhua news agency reported. An international campaign is now making observations using powerful telescopes worldwide to understand the state of the asteroid system. "The Didymos system is too small and too far to be seen as anything more than a point of light, but we can get the data we need by measuring the brightness of that point of light, which changes as Didymos A rotates and Didymos B orbits," said Andy Rivkin, a co-lead of the investigation team. Researchers are still not sure about the target's composition: whether it is composed of solid rock, loose rubble or "softer" sand. A softer surface would absorb much of the impact force and may not be pushed as drastically as if a spacecraft hit a harder surface. But the NASA team will eventually see the asteroid system close-up thanks to an Italian-made imager. The shoebox-sized cube satellite will record the spacecraft's impact and its aftermath. The spacecraft called Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) will carry an optical navigation system to capture images that help the spacecraft reach its target. In its latest design, DART spacecraft will be able to move by relying on small hydrazine thrusters while utilising the electric propulsion system, which will push the start of the primary launch window to July of 2021, shortening the mission flight time. Its previous planned launch time was December 2020. The DART spacecraft will crash itself into the asteroid at a speed of approximately six kilometer per second and the collision will change the speed of the moonlet in its orbit around the main body by a fraction of one per cent, enough to be measured using telescopes on the Earth, according to the NASA. --IANS rs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rome, May 6 (IANS/AKI) The international community needs to strive for a brighter future for those living in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli diplomat said on Monday after a weekend of deadly violence that began during protests at the ongoing Israeli blockade of the area. "We all need to work together, including Italy, Europe and the United States to create an alternative in the Gaza Strip. "For all those who live in Gaza and the surrounding area, because we have the duty to give them a better future," Israel's Ambassador to Italy Ofer Sachs said. He was speaking during a visit to Rome by 15 Israeli children who suffer from chronic and debilitating diseases. At least four Israelis and 25 Palestinians were killed in the flare-up of violence over the weekend before a ceasefire began early on Monday. The Israel Defence Forces said militants had fired 690 rockets into southern Israel, prompting it to target 350 sites belonging to Gaza's ruling Islamist group Hamas and to Islamic Jihad. It was one of the biggest surges in violence since the July-August 2014 conflict when Israel launched a ground offensive on Gaza following the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers. Israel and Egypt imposed a land, air, and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2007 after Hamas took control. --IANS/AKI vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A total of 365 students of Karnataka will get a chance to appear for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on May 20 as they missed it on Sunday due to the train in which they were travelling from the state's northern districts reached Bengaluru 7 hours late, said Union HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar on Monday. "Happy to announce that #Karnataka students who missed #NEET exam due to railway delay will get another chance," tweeted Javdekar. Javdekar responded a day after state Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy urged him to hold the test for the students who missed it for no fault of theirs. "Thank you @PrakashJavdekar and @HRDMinistry for considering the request and helping our students," re-tweeted Kumaraswamy. The National Testing Agency (NTA) of the HRD ministry conducts the test every year in May for students to secure admission to state-run and private medical and dental colleges across the country for studying graduate and post-graduate courses The students, who travelled in Hampi Express from Hubli to Mysuru via Koppal, Hospet and Bellary, reached Bengaluru over 7 hours late at 2.36 p.m. instead of 7.00 a.m, while the test began at 2.00 p.m. "The students could not reach the test centres across the city in time and missed it," a South Western Railway (SWR) official admitted on Sunday. The students staged a protest demo outside the railway station for missing the test for no fault of them. 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 Chief Minister also wrote to the ministry to allow another 150 students who also missed the test as their exam centre was shifted to Bengaluru from Chikkaballapur at the last minute without prior intimation or information to them. "As the distance from the exam centre at Chikkaballapur to the centre in Bengaluru is about 40km, about 150 students who reached the centre in time to appear for the test there, could not commute to the city by 2:00 p.m and missed it for no fault of them," an official said. Kumaraswamy directed state Chief Secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar to request the HRD Ministry for holding the test again for the 150 students who missed it due to change in exam centre at the last minute from an adjacent district to the state capital. "The ministry has assured the state that a decision would be taken soon," tweeted the Chief Minister's Office. --IANS fb/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The New Delhi Lok Sabha seat, which houses the residences and workplaces of all the key office holders in the country, has a set of local issues to deal with as it gears up for the May 12 polls. The constituency, formed in 1951, is the oldest of the seven constituencies of Delhi with 16,17,470 voters -- a mix of the elite, middle-class central government employees and those from the lowest strata of the society. It houses prestigious institutions like the Parliament, Supreme Court, Central government offices, official residences of the President, Prime Minister, all the Union Ministers, top civil, judicial, military officials and the Diplomatic Enclave. The constituency also has high-profile markets like the Khan Market, Defence Colony, South Extension, Connaught Place, Green Park, Hauz Khas and Lajpat Nagar. It is said that New Delhi is among those constituencies in the country where caste does not play a crucial role in the elections. Comprising 10 Assembly seats, the constituency was given a large area in south Delhi during the 2008 delimitation. The Assembly seats -- Karol Bagh (SC), Patel Nagar (SC), Moti Nagar, Delhi Cantt, Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi, Kasturba Nagar, Malviya Nagar, R.K. Puram, Greater Kailash -- have all been won by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Moti Nagar and Rajinder Nagar Assembly seats were added to the constituency in 2008 when the Karol Bagh Lok Sabha constituency was dissolved. The Malviya Nagar, R.K. Puram and Delhi Cantt Assembly seats were added to the South Delhi parliamentary constituency in 2008. Starting from the sealing drive to lack of good roads, water supply and dysfunctional street lights, residents here have more to deal with. Suresh Yadav from Karol Bagh said that the elected representatives were least bothered about the issues. He said: "They come here for seeking votes and disappear. This is an election where we should focus on the national issues." On being asked about the national issues, he said the lack of employment was at the top. "The Modi-government was least bothered about the youths and jobs for them. I have a son who is struggling to get a job. There are several others like him and no one has the time to deal with their issues." Dinesh Malik, 65, from New Rajendra Nagar said: "Since the past two years, the locals have been suffering because of the sealing drive but none of the MPs took part and tried to get involved with the locals. They never bothered to ask the locals what they actually wanted. They blamed everything on the Supreme Court and escaped from their responsibilities." The sealing drive against unauthorized constructions was being carried out in Delhi as per the order of the Supreme Court. About 10,000 properties were sealed across the national capital for land misuse, including converting residential units into commercial ones, non-payment of conversion charges and increased pollution emissions since December 2017. Of these, about 3,000 properties were under the New Delhi Municipal Council. Malik said in his area alone, over 300 offices were sealed which added to the list of unemployed. "Each office was giving employment to at least five people. So nearly 1,500 people were unemployed. The owner had made some investments but now the property is sealed." He said during the 1947 partition, people were given land to open a business and they were expected to live on the first floor. "The families found that the spaces were too small... The area was not enough for a family to live and converting residential units into commercial ones was the only option left." Malik said the multiple authorities here did not help in solving the issues. "The roads here are in bad shape. In Delhi, as the areas were divided between the Centre, city government and the local bodies, they keep on blaming each other and no work is done..." A major chunk of the voters in the constituency are traders, who too have suffered due to the sealing drive. Arvind Mehta, from Motia Khan, said water was a major issue in the area. "Water is supplied only in the morning, that too for a very short period. The roads are in bad shape with potholes and street lights are not working. There is also lack of security in the area. Sewer overflow is another problem," he said. In 2014, the New Delhi seat was bagged by the Bharatiya Janata Party's Meenakshi Lekhi who got 4,53,350 votes (47.02 per cent), while the AAP's Ashish Khetan got 2,90,642 votes (30.14 per cent) and the Congress' Ajay Maken came third with 1,82,893 votes (18.97 per cent). This time again, the seat will see a triangular contest between these parties. While the BJP has nominated its sitting MP Lekhi, the Congress has named its two-time MP Maken and the AAP has named 43-year-old Brijesh Goyal. Of the 16 general elections and two by-elections for the seat since 1951, the party which won the seat formed the government at the Centre 13 times. (Nivedita Singh can be contacted at nivedita.singh@ians.in) --IANS nks/pg/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 62 per cent voters exercised their franchise on Monday in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections in 51 constituencies, with voting percentage marginally higher than 61.75 per cent recorded in 2014 parliamentary elections. The constituencies were spread across seven states. The fifth phase was the smallest of seven-phase elections to elect a new Lok Sabha. The polling percentage was higher compared to 2014 in Hindi heartland of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. "The overall polling percentage was 62.56 per cent in 2019 compared to 61.75 per cent in 2014," Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena told reporters here. He said the figure is expected to go up further once all the votes cast are accounted for. In seven seats in West Bengal, polling percentage was 73.97 per cent compared to 81.37 per cent in 2014. In Uttar Pradesh where 14 seats went to polls on Monday, 57.33 per cent voters had cast their ballot by 6 p.m. The polling percentage was 56.92 per cent in 2014. In five seats of Bihar, the voter turnout was 57.86 per cent compared to 55.69 per cent in 2014. In Jharkhand, where polling was held for four seats, 63.72 per cent electorate had cast their vote by 5 p.m. The polling percentage in these seats was 63.85 per cent in 2014. In Madhya Pradesh, the seven seats that went to the polls on Monsday, recorded a polling percentage of 62.60 per cent compared to 57.86 per cent in 2014. In Ladakh constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, polling was 63.76 per cent by 5 p.m compared to 71.9 per cent in 2014. Polling was completed in Anantnag parliamentary seat on Monday after a three-phase election. The two districts - Shopian and Pulwama - where polling was held on Monday, registered 2.88 per cent and 2.14 per cent polling until 6 p.m. The overall polling percentage in Anantnag is 8.76 per cent which is far less compared to 28.45 per cent registered in 2014. The 12 seats in Rajasthan that went to the polls on Monday saw 63.75 polling compared to 61.80 per cent in 2014. Saxena said 26 states and Union Territories have completed their election with the conclusion of fifth phase. The polling percentage was 69.50 per cent for the first phase, 69.44 in second, 68.40 in third and 65.51 in the fourth phase. He said in the five phases of elections completed until Monday, over six crore additional votes have been cast compared to the last general election. Four places in Rajasthan saw poll boycott due to demands concerning development but voters were later persuaded to vote. --IANS aks-ps/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 75 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the first phase of rural body elections in Telangana on Monday amid tight security, officials said. No untoward incident was reported during polling in 2,097 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MTPCs) and 195 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs). The candidates for 69 MPTCs and 2 ZPTCs were elected unopposed. Election Commission officials said that polling through ballot paper began at 7 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. In the Maoist-infested areas in five districts, polling came to an end at 4 p.m. The turnout in these areas was about 70 per cent. Elections to the rural local bodies are being held for the first time since the formation of Telangana in 2014. Following its massive victory in the Assembly elections held in December 2018 and after sweeping the gram panchayat polls in January this year, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is aiming at another electoral victory while it is also confident of making a clean sweep of the Lok Sabha elections held on April 10. For ZPTC elections, a total of 882 candidates are in the fray. TRS and the opposition Congress are contesting 195 and 190 seats, respectively. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also fielded 171 candidates. According to the Election Commission, 7,072 candidates are in fray for the MPTC polls. The state poll panel deployed over 1.5 lakh personnel for the smooth conduct of the elections. Security arrangements were also made to ensure peaceful polling. The second and third phase of the elections will be held on May 10 and 14. State Election Commissioner V. Nagi Reddy said over 1.56 crore voters are eligible to cast their franchise in the elections to 5,817 MPTCs and 538 ZPTCs over all the three phases. The counting of votes will take place on May 27. --IANS ms/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a proposed meeting on cyclone Fani, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused him of doing with the natural disaster and also flouting the federal structure of the country. Addressing a rally at Gopiballavpur in Jhargram district, she also said she "would not share the dais with Modi" during the ongoing polls as she does not consider him as the Prime Minister of the country. "Expiry Prime Minister is doing ahead of elections. He had sent a letter yesterday (Sunday) as he has a pre-planned public meeting at Jhargram. What does it mean? "He is coming to Jhargram and his plane would land at Kalaikunda. He calls us as if we are his servant and we have to report to him. For this, he would hold a meeting which is just an eyewash and then he would say at the (public) meeting that the state did not cooperate by not attending it," she said. She added: "Why should I go for an official meeting when you have come to Kalaikunda for an election meeting? Had he not come for election meetings, I would have gone (for the meeting)." She also said that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met Modi as the elections were over in the neighbouring state. "I will not share dais with you during the elections time because I do not consider you as Prime Minister," Banerjee said. However, in an apparent reference to the proposed meeting for assessing damage caused by the cyclone, she again said: "How do you dare to hold/propose a meeting with state officials and the Chief Secretary excluding the Chief Minister. It is a federal structure. The Centre and state governments are elected by the people. Chief Secretaries are under Chief Minister not under Prime Minister." "You want to do photo-shoot and drama and then promise to provide some assistance. How will you provide fund now... you will lose the elections." It was not clear from Banerjee's statements whether she was invited to attend the meeting or the Prime Minister wanted to hold the meeting with state officials including the Chief Secretary only to assess the damage in the wake of the cyclone. There was more confusion as secretariat sources claimed earlier in the day that the state government got "no intimation" that the Prime Minister wanted to hold a meeting with Chief Secretary Malay Kumar De on cyclone Fani. Banerjee alleged the intimations for the proposed meetings were released on Twitter in advance for publicity. Addressing a rally in Jhargram in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused Banerjee of neither receiving nor returning his calls regarding the cyclone. Responding to this, Banerjee, in a public meeting at Bankura's Kotalpur, said: "I was in Kharagpur and there was no opportunity to talk from Kolkata. I had cancelled all political meetings and was monitoring the situation." She also asked, "Where were you during the flood here and when people of Gopiballavpur, Jambani, Jhargram and Belpahari, Lalgarh, Netai were crying. Have you come here in 12 years?" There was unrest in these areas and the state government had "solved it", Banerjee said. "During the BJP (led NDA) government (at the Centre) between 1999-2004, when these areas were on the boil, did you come once? Now, you are coming ahead of elections." She also accused the Modi-led government of depriving the states and its people despite them seeking assistance for flood-hit areas. "I personally gave the entire report but you did not give a single penny. Today, we do not need to beg. We will restore whatever was damaged," she said. About 5,000 houses were completed destroyed and 30,000 houses were partially damaged by the recent severe cyclone, she added. --IANS bdc/ssp/mag/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday predicted a political earthquake when the results of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls are declared on May 23. "Wait for May 23, there will be a political earthquake," Tejashwi Yadav told the media here. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader claimed that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will resign either on May 23 or shortly after that. Tejashwi Yadav also said that differences between the ruling Janata Dal-United and the Bharatiya Janata Party were growing and will soon lead to a conflict. He made the remarks as voting for Bihar's five parliamentary seats of Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur and Saran was on. --IANS ik/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Polling began on Monday for four parliamentary constituencies of Jharkhand at 7 a.m., said an official. In the state's second phase of Lok Sabha election, the voting is underway at Ranchi, Khuti, Hazaribagh and Koderma. The polling will end at 4 p.m. A total of 61 candidates are in the fray for the four seats including 14 in Koderma, 20 in Ranchi, 11 in Khunti and 16 in Hazaribgh. A total of 65,87,028 voters are eligible to cast their votes on these seats across 8,834 polling booths. --IANS ns/pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Congress MP Pramod Tiwari has condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and said he will serve a legal notice to him. Tiwari said that the Prime Minister had already accepted his defeat in the elections by making uncalled for statements. "He is crossing the limits of political propriety and dignity. Victory and defeat are a part of elections but one should not stoop to conquer," Tiwari told this correspondent. Tiwari, who had worked with the late Rajiv Gandhi, said that he was "deeply pained" to hear such an allegation against the former Prime Minister who was assassinated by a Sri Lankan Tamil suicide bomber in May 1991. "I will soon send a legal notice to Modi on this issue," he added. The Congress has already sought an unconditional apology from the Prime Minister. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, the Prime Minister had lashed pout at Congress President Rahul Gandhi saying, "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers but when he died he was 'Bhrashtachari No.1'." --IANS amita/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The presiding officer of booth no 316 in Gauriganj in Amethi has been replaced after a video of a woman complaining that she was forced to vote for the Congress by the official went viral. Union Minister Smriti Irani, the BJP candidate, complained about booth capturing by the Congress and demanded action. She blamed Rahul Gandhi, the Congress candidate. District Magistrate and Returning Officer Ram Mohan Misra said that the presiding officer had been removed on the complaint and an inquiry had been ordered into the incident. Meanwhile, the woman whose video had gone viral remained untraceable even as media persons tried to locate her. --IANS amita/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday addressed a public meeting in West Sagarpur area of West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency for BJP's West Delhi candidate Parvesh Singh. Rajnath highlighted Modi government's achievements in the past five years and asked voters to vote Parvesh Singh. He also appreciated Parvesh's work for the constituency and said he himself monitored every MP's performance. "I have been judging the performance of all MPs in Parliament and Parvesh Sahib Singh has been outstanding. He has been a dynamic and hard working leader," Rajnath said while appealing to voters to vote BJP. Rajnath also mentioned the air strikes and Mission Shakti as his government's achievements and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the positive international image that India currently has. "It is due the foreign policies of the present government that the whole world stood with us during Balakot air strikes. Moreover we made sure that national security is never compromised," said Rajnath Singh. --IANS rag/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday cast his vote here in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections and appealed voters to vote with great enthusiasm. The Home Minister, who is again the Lucknow BJP candidate cast his vote at polling booth 333 in Scholars' Home School, along side his wife Savitri and son Pankaj. Speaking to reporters immediately after, Singh said: "I leave everything on the voters here." He is pitted against SP-BSP star candidate Poonam Sinha, wife of former BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, and Congress candidate Acharya Pramod Krishnam "Today is the polling for 51 Lok Sabha seats including Lucknow... I urge all the voters to cast their valuable votes with great enthusiasm and vote in large numbers," Singh tweeted earlier. Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. Polling here began at 7 a.m. along with 13 other Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. While Poonam Sinha is making her political debut, self-styled spiritual guru Krishnam had unsuccessfully contested Sambhal in 2014 and got just 1.52 per cent of the votes. Singh, who is a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (2000-2002), has a huge chance of winning the seat considered a BJP stronghold, once held by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2014, Rajnath Singh had trounced Congress' Rita Bahuguna Joshi by a margin of 2.72 lakh votes, the highest margin in electoral history of the city. The BJP has held the seat since 1991. Vajpayee, when he became the Prime Minister, won the seat by a margin of 2.16 lakh votes in 1998. --IANS rak/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Monday cast his vote here in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections and appealed all Jaipur (Rural) voters to exercise their franchise. He was accompanied by his wife Gayatri. "This is the day to decide the future of the country. I appeal to all Jaipur (Rural) voters to exercise their rights. Your awareness will decide the path of country's development," Rathore tweeted. An Olympian silver medalist and a two-time Commonwealth gold medallist in shooting, Rathore, is the sitting MP from the Jaipur (Rural) seat. He is in the fray against Congress' Krishna Poonia, who is herself a 2010 Commonwealth gold medalist discus thrower. She is also a first-time sitting MLA from Sadulpur in Churu district. Jaipur (Rural) is a comparatively new parliamentary constituency, brought into existence by the delimitation exercise in 2008. Currently, it has eight legislative assembly segments under it -- Kotpuli, Viratnagar, Shahpura, Phulera, Jhotwera, Amber, Jamwa Ramgarh and Bansur. Rathore, a retired colonel, won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections defeating Congress' Lal Chand Kataria, who was the sitting MP. This time, the sitting MP is also a Minister with independent charge of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) and Sports. Rathore is poised for a close fight. Jaipur is considered to be a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bastion. Polling for 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in Rajasthan began at 7 a.m. along with 39 more parliamentary seats spread over six other states, largely in the Hindi heartland. --IANS rak/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, has invested in Ola as part of its Series A round of funding, the domestic ride-sharing company announced on Monday. Tata is also an early investor in ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd -- Ola's parent company. "The electric vehicle ecosystem is evolving dramatically every day, and I believe Ola Electric will play a key role in its growth and development. I have always admired the vision of Bhavish Aggarwal and I'm confident that this will be part of yet another important strategic move into this new business area," Tata said in a statement. Ola Electric is currently running several pilots involving charging solutions, battery swapping stations, and deploying vehicles across two, three and four-wheeler segments. "Mr. Tata has been an inspiration and a mentor to me personally in shaping Ola's journey over the years. I'm very excited to welcome him on board Ola Electric as an investor and a mentor in our mission of building sustainable mobility for everyone on our planet," said Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-founder and CEO, Ola. "He is a visionary who has inspired a generation of entrepreneurs and we are privileged to have his guidance and support once again, as we work towards our goal of a million electric vehicles in India by 2021." Ola Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd has raised Rs 400 crore, led by several of Ola's early investors, including Tiger Global and Matrix India, as part of its first round of investment. In 2018, the company announced "Mission: Electric" to bring 1 million electric vehicles on Indian roads by 2021. --IANS ksc/bc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 15th Finance Commission will meet the RBI Governor, banks and financial institutions in a two-day meet in Mumbai, from Wednesday to discuss the transfer of central bank's surplus capital to the government, among other issues. The Commission, with N.K. Singh at the helm, will discuss the possible scenarios of the Bimal Jalan Committee Report on surplus capital available with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for transfer to the government, the official statement said. Besides, the RBI's own assessment of the dividends and surpluses that can be transferred to the government during the award period of the Fifteenth Finance Commission (FCXV) will also be discussed. Requirements of recapitalisation of banks and their impact on the cost of borrowings of governments, cost of borrowings of the Centre and the states during the award period of the FCXV will also be discussed. Another topic will be the key macro-economic assumptions for the FCXV, keeping in view the key parameters central to macro-financial stability, and cost of borrowings of the Centre and the states during the award period of the FCXV. Issues in quantifying contingent liabilities of states and off-budget transactions of states and other issues of public financial management and requirements of recapitalisation of banks and their impact on the cost of borrowings of governments will also be taken up. --IANS ravi/sn/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Re-polling was underway in five polling stations in Andhra Pradesh on Monday. Polling began at 7 a.m. in the five booths in Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore districts and it will continue till 6 p.m. According to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, there are a total of 5,064 voters in these booths. While polling for both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections was being held in three booths in Guntur and Prakasam district, balloting was on only for Lok Sabha elections in two booths in Nellore district. Elections to 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies were held on April 11. Following complaints of violence, malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) or other circumstances that prevented voters from exercising their franchise freely, the Election Commission decided to hold re-polls in five booths. The election authorities have made adequate security arrangements at all five booths to prevent any violence. They have also taken extra precautions to ensure that there were no technical glitches in the EVMs. According to Additional Director of Police (Law and Order) Ravi Shankar Ayyanar, 1,200 police personnel were deployed to ensure smooth and peaceful re-polling. --IANS ms/mag/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Swara Bhaskar on Monday hit out against the BJP for fielding "terror and murder case accused" Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur as its candidate from the Bhopal Lok Sabha consituency. "What Pragya Thakur represents in the election is harmful. She is a mix of and crime. I have come here to campaign against her," Swara told media persons here. "Thakur is accused of murder, of terrorism. Terror is an attempt to destroy harmony in society and the country. And the BJP has seen fit to field such a candidate," she said, adding that she will campaign for the Congress candidate, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh. --IANS hindi-vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission on Monday banned the exhibition of a documentary film titled "Bhagva Atankvad ka Bhramjal (The Delusion of Saffron Terror)", featuring Malegaon blast accused and BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. The order by the Chief Electoral Officer came on a complaint by the Congress. Social organisation Bharat Vichar Manch has announced that the documentary, made by Mumbai-based Rajeev Pandey, would be launched at a local hotel here on Monday. The film purportedly shows Swami Aseemanand, the accused in the Ajmer shrine and Samjhauta Express blasts, and Thakur in police custody and how the previous Congress-led Central government had sought to "implicate" them in terror cases. The Congress had on Monday afternoon approached the CEO against the film, and the poll panel ordered a ban. Police from the M.P. Nagar police station reached the hotel and stopped the screening. --IANS hindi-vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Samajwadi Party has alleged booth capturing in Kunda in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi Lok Sabha seat. He claimed that booth capturing had taken place at more than 50 polling booths. A delegation of Samajwadi Party leaders led by Rajendra Chaudhary reached the office of the Chief Electoral Officer to lodge a formal complaint. "We have made complaints but no one is taking action. The ruling party is misusing the official machinery," he said. Chaudhary also blamed the Election Commission for not behaving in an impartial manner. He said: "The ruling party is determined to murder democracy to gain power and the state machinery is being used for this. The voters are being harassed. There is no arrangement for water in most polling stations, especially those located in areas with a poor and minority population. In some places, the voters are being turned back." Kunda is the assembly seat of independent MLA Raja Bhaiyya who is also the President of the Jansatta Party. His candidates are contesting on Kaushambhi and Pratapgarh seats. --IANS amita/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Monday night called on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the latter's residence here. A statement from Vijayan's office said Rao would be in the state capital till Wednesday. "He will be staying at Kovalam and on Wednesday, after visiting Kanyakumari, he will return to Hyderabad. He is accompanied by his family members," said the statement. But speculation is rife that Rao, who heads the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), has arrived here a view to see if a non-Congress, non-BJP government can be formed in Delhi after the Lok Sabha elections. Rao has already spoken to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee. Rao will later meet DMK chief M.K. Stalin. --IANS sg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Top Australian DJ Adam Sky has died while reportedly rushing to the aid of a woman who fell from a villa in the Indonesian resort island of Bali, authorities confirmed on Monday. The 42-year-old DJ, whose real name is Adam Neat, crashed through a glass door in the incident on Saturday. Indonesian media reports said he severed a major artery in his arm, causing serious blood loss, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. It is believed his female friend had fallen several metres from their private terrace in the villa and suffered broken bones. Bali police are still investigating the circumstances of his death. A post on Neat's official Facebook page, which has more than 900,000 followers, confirmed his death on Sunday night. "Relatives and friends of Adam are travelling to Bali today and handling all arrangements," the post said. "We ask you to respect the families privacy at this moment while we all come to terms with our tragic loss." Neat was an internationally recognised DJ, having supported well-known artists including Fat Boy Slim, David Guetta and The Scissor Sisters. Originally from Melbourne, Neat was based in Singapore and was described as a "rising Aussie superstar DJ" by JUICE Magazine Asia. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump became the butt of Twitter jokes when he misspelled the word 'stolen' as 'stollen' -- which is a type of fruit bread served in Germany on Christmas. Twitter went ablaze with memes immediately after Trump made the typo while complaining about his Presidency tenure on Sunday. "Despite the tremendous success that I have had as a President, including perhaps the greatest economy and most successful first two years of any President in history, they have stollen two years of my Presidency that we will never be able to get back," Trump tweeted, only to delete the post and re-post it with the typo-correction later. By then it was too late and tweets were already flooding the micro-blogging site. "Stolen is what you've done to our democracy by obstructing America's checks and balance system of government. The crime should be punished, not rewarded. Stollen is bread," wrote a Twitterati. The word 'stollen' along with images of the German fruit bread have been trending on Twitter ever since. "Remember when you spelled 'stolen' wrong as 'stollen' and people made fun of you and then you deleted it? That was fun," another user tweeted. Trump had earlier also deleted a tweet where he had misspelled 'Kentucky' as 'Kentuky' while blaming Kentucky Derby result on "political correctness". "On the next Presidential election, let's make sure the Presidential candidate can actually spell and not just claim they are a stable genius. From 'Kentuky' to 'Stollen', these are words that even a fourth grader knows how to spell," a user tweeted. --IANS rp/mag/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Sri Lankan police arrested two people after mobs attacked Muslim-owned shops and vandalized vehicles in Negombo, the site of one of the Easter Sunday bombings. According to reports, a clash broke out between Sinhalese and Muslims in Negombo on Sunday. The fighting began over a personal dispute and later mobs stoned Muslim-owned shops and vandalized vehicles. The Daily Mirror reported that a heated argument between two parties over an accident involving two motorcycles and a trishaw on Poruthota Road along the Negombo coastal stretch in Kochchikade on Sunday evening, developed into a clash. A police officer said two arrests were made at Poruthota in connection with the incident and more suspects had been identified through CCTV footage. The police said a house was also damaged during the violence in Negombo, one of the targets of the April 21 attacks in which over 250 people were killed and hundreds injured. Authorities on Sunday night blocked social media platforms following the violence to stop the circulation of videos and images related to the Negombo incident. The block was lifted early Monday, the Daily Mirror reported. A curfew was also imposed late Sunday which was lifted on Monday. Military spokesman Sumith Atapattu said on Sunday that several people were injured in clashes. "I appeal to all Catholic and Christian brothers and sisters not to hurt even a single Muslim person because they are our brothers, because they are part of our religious culture," said Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo. "Therefore please avoid hurting them and try to create a better spirit of understanding and good relations between all the communities of Sri Lanka," he said in a video message to the island country. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a statement that the government will compensate those who lost property in the night-time clashes. The police also said that the Easter Sunday attackers had assets worth over 7 billion Sri Lankan rupees in their possession, the Colombo Gazette reported. Police media spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had found that the group had over 140 million Sri Lankan rupees in cash. Gunasekera said steps were being taken to seize all the assets and that there were 54 suspects related to the bombings in the custody of the CID and among them were seven women. --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Even as now grounded Jet Airways completes its 26th anniversary, Shiv Sena affiliated Bharatiya Kamgar Sena has threatened industrial action at the Mumbai airport if the airline's employees are not paid their due salaries. According to the union, the financial plight of Jet's employees has forced it to stage a protest at the Mumbai airport starting Monday. "Please note that looking at the woos of Jet Airways employees, our members employed at Mumbai airport are extremely agitated and if no justice done to these employees, may resort to industrial action on their own accord and will lead to adverse impact on the aviation industry," said Suryakant Mahadik, President of Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, in a letter to the senior Union Ministers. Currently, the airline's employees, lessors and vendors face daunting financial challenges due to non-payment of salaries and dues. "Over the last few months all of us are silent spectators of the suffering of Jet Airways employees. All of them have not been paid their salaries by M/s Jet Airways for 2 to 6 months," the letter read. "To add (to) their miseries, with effect from May 1, 2019 their mediclaim facilities have also been withdrawn with option given to them to take personal mediclaim." At present, the fate of the airline formed on May 5, 1993 hangs in balance, as domestic lenders have called for binding bids from potential investors by May 10 to sell a sizeable stake in the company. Last month, Jet was forced to announce a temporary suspension of all flight services as it was unable to maintain even bare minimum operations. Prior to temporarily suspending all flight services, Jet had already folded up most of its operations due to grounding of around 90 per cent of its fleet by lessors, as its consortium of lenders refused to extend loans to the airline. --IANS nk-rv-qn/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region in the Middle East in response to "troubling" warnings from Iran, the White House has announced. A statement from US National Security Adviser John Bolton on Sunday, said: "In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the US is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on US interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force. "The US is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces." A US official with direct knowledge of the situation told CNN the threats were against both US maritime and land-based forces in the Middle East. The deployments are aimed specifically at deterring any Iranian military actions. However, there is no indication that any action by Iran was imminent. Acting Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan approved the deployments on Sunday because of "clear indications that Iranian and Iranian proxy forces are making preparations to possibly attack US forces in the region (Middle East)", the official added. Department of Defence spokesman Chris Sherwood told CNN in a statement: "I can confirm that the Department of Defence is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region." --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP MP Varun Gandhi has mastered the art of creating controversy after controversy. The young Gandhi is currently campaigning for his mother Maneka Gandhi in Sultanpur that goes to the polls in the sixth phase on May 12. Varun said on Monday that people should vote for 'Bharat Mata'. "My mother is contesting from here and she is a noble soul. You all should vote for 'Mata' that is 'Bharat Mata'. You are living in Hindustan and you should vote for Hindustan. If you vote for others (read SP-BSP alliance), you will be voting for Pakistan," he said. Earlier, Varun Gandhi had said that those who are contesting against his mother were the ones who used to tie his shoe laces. The reference was to the BSP candidate Chandra Bhadra Singh a.k.a. Sonu Singh and his brother Yash Bhadra Singh. Sonu Singh was a staunch Varun loyalist when he held the Sultanpur seat, but is now an alliance candidate. In yet another controversy, Varun lashed out at the Yadav clan of the Samajwadi Party. "Till about 10-15 years ago, these people were making cow dung cakes in Saifai and today they are travelling in cars worth crores. Whose money is this? Is it not public money?" he asked. Varun Gandhi's statements in the past 24 hours in Sultanpur have generated considerable heat in the constituency. --IANS amita/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 17th edition of 'Varuna', an Indo-French naval exercise which is underway off Goa, is the largest ever joint exercise undertaken by the two navies yet, and represents the climax of the strengthened maritime co-operation between India and France, statements issued by both navies said on Monday. The statement, which was released at a media interaction held onboard INS Mumbai, that is participating in the exercise, also said that the harbour and sea phases of the exercise from May 1 to May 6 and from May 7 to May 10, respectively, are aimed at honing skills for naval operations across a broad spectrum, with increased focus on tactical scenarios. The second sea phase is scheduled to be held at the end of May in Djibouti, located on the Horn of Africa. "It will be the largest every conducted Varuna exercise with 11 of India and Frances's most modern units, including two aircrafts and two submarines....," a statement issued by the French Navy said. "Exercise Varuna is the climax of our strengthened maritime co-operation," it added. Participating in the maritime exercise are the French Navy's aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle, two destroyers, FNS Forbin and FNS Provence, the frigate FNS Latouche-Treville, the tanker FNS Marne and a nuclear submarine. The Indian Navy is represented by aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, destroyer INS Mumbai, the Teg-class frigate, INS Tarkash, the Shishumar-class submarine INS Shankul, and the Deepak-class fleet tanker INS Deepak. Before arriving in Goa, the French anti-aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which incidentally is back in operation after a major midlife refit, had participated in a fully integrated 'Operation Inherent Resolve' against the ISIS, and an anti-submarine exercise in the Gulf of Oman. "The series of operations scheduled in the coming days are very ambitious. Year after year we have continually increased the complexity of Varuna and this edition underscores the enhanced level of our inter-operability," said the Commander of the Carrier Strike Group Charles de Gaulle Rear Admiral Olivier Lebas. The Indian Navy in its statement said that India and France have traditionally shared close and friendly relations, which have gained momentum over the past two decades and cooperation has been enhanced in multiple sectors of mutual interest. "Armed forces of both countries have achieved a high level of inter-operability with each other through regular defence exercises. Exercise Varuna has grown in scale, scope and complexity over the years, underscoring the shared interest and commitment of both nations in promoting maritime security," the Indian Navy statement said. "The first (sea) phase will be held off Goa from May 7 to 10, and would include anti-submarine exercises, live firing drills, naval helicopter operations, and basic to advanced level exercises for carrier borne fighter aircraft," the statement added. --IANS maya/bc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 17th edition of 'Varuna', an Indo-French naval exercise which is underway off Goa, is the largest ever joint exercise undertaken by the two navies yet and represents the climax of the strengthened maritime co-operation between India and France, statements issued by both navies said on Monday. The statement, released at a media interaction held onboard INS Mumbai which is participating in the exercise, also said that the harbour and sea phases of the exercise from May 1 to May 6 and from May 7 to May 10 respectively were aimed at honing skills for naval operations across a broad spectrum, with increased focus on tactical scenarios. The second sea phase is scheduled to be held at the end of May in Djibouti, located on the Horn of Africa. "It will be the largest ever conducted Varuna exercise with 11 of India and Frances's most modern units, including two aircraft and two submarines," a statement issued by the French Navy said. "Exercise Varuna is the climax of our strengthened maritime cooperation." Participating in the maritime exercise are the French Navy aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle, two destroyers, FNS Forbin and FNS Provence, frigate FNS Latouche-Treville, tanker FNS Marne and a nuclear submarine. The Indian Navy is represented by aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, destroyer INS Mumbai, Teg-class frigate, INS Tarkash, the Shishumar-class submarine INS Shankul and the Deepak-class fleet tanker INS Deepak. Before arriving in Goa, the French anti-aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which incidentally is back in operation after a major mid-life refit, had participated in a fully integrated 'Operation Inherent Resolve' against the Islamic State (IS), and an anti-submarine exercise in the Gulf of Oman. "We were engaged for one month, in the support of Operation Enhanced Resolve and participated in the battle off Syria and Iraq to fight against the last IS pockets in Baghouz, which was the last battle of the so called Caliphate," said the Commander of the Carrier Strike Group Charles de Gaulle Rear Admiral Olivier Lebas. "The series of operations scheduled in the coming days are very ambitious. Year after year we have continually increased the complexity of Varuna and this edition underscores the enhanced level of our inter-operability." The Indian Navy in its statement said that India and France have traditionally shared close and friendly relations, which have gained momentum over the past two decades and cooperation has been enhanced in multiple sectors of mutual interest. "Armed forces of both countries have achieved a high level of inter-operability with each other through regular defence exercises. Exercise Varuna has grown in scale, scope and complexity over the years, underlining the shared interest and commitment of both nations in promoting maritime security. "The first (sea) phase will be held off Goa from May 7 to 10, and would include anti-submarine exercises, live firing drills, naval helicopter operations, and basic to advanced level exercises for carrier borne fighter aircraft," it added. --IANS maya/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) From two BJP candidates getting attacked and bombs being hurled indiscriminately to political workers smashing an EVM and reports of large scale intimidation coming in from different places -- violence yet again marred polling in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal on Monday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh, suffered injuries on his face after being allegedly attacked by Trinamool Congress supporters, while the car of the party's nominee from Hooghly, Locket Chatterjee, was reportedly targeted by Trinamool activists. A few vehicles belonging to different media houses too bore the brunt of the violence during polling to the seven Lok Sacha constituencies in the state. Violence erupted in North 24 Parganas' Barrackpore where former Railway Minister and sitting Trinamool MP Dinesh Trivedi is taking on his erstwhile "election-manager" Arjun Singh, who jumped ship to the BJP in March after being denied a ticket by the Trinamool leadership. Singh sustained injuries on his face after being allegedly attacked by Trinamool Congress supporters outside a polling booth in the constituency's Aamdanga area. Reacting to Singh's allegations, Trivedi said: "The truth will be captured by the media and monitored by the Election Commission. Moreover, Singh is a 'Baahubali', how can anyone attack him." In Naihati, Singh was chased away by Trinamool workers shouting "Go back, Arjun Singh". He reached the spot after he heard that outsiders were allegedly scaring away the voters. In fact, not just in Naihati, each time Singh went to a booth, Trinamool workers surrounded him and staged a demonstration causing disturbance. In Dhanekhali in Hooghly Lok Sabha constituency, BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee's car was allegedly damaged by Trinamool workers near booth number 159, where the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) was also broken into pieces. The Trinamool workers staged a noisy demonstration by surrounding Chatterjee, who had come to the booth after receiving reports of rigging by the ruling party workers. Just after Chatterjee left the booth in her car, miscreants attacked and damaged the vehicle with bamboo poles and sticks. Some cars carrying mediapersons accompanying Chatterjee too came under attack and suffered damages. Earlier, Chatterjee alleged that there were more than one Trinamool agent inside some polling stations in Dhanekhali, while her party agents were not allowed inside. "I will not allow anyone to use their influence in voting. I am not at all happy with the deployment of the central forces as they are being misguided by the state police. It is not possible for a human being to keep running to different booths wherever such problems arise," she said. Meanwhile, one person was injured after motorbike-borne miscreants rained bombs at Himli, part of the Gaighata Assembly segment under the Bangaon parliamentary constituency. One Trinamool worker sustained head injury in the bombings. His party colleagues alleged that the incident occurred immediately after BJP candidate Shantanu Thakur from Bangaon made a round of the area. In Gayeshpur in Bangaon, the central forces were seen dispersing the crowd near some polling booths. Outsiders trying to hide in the houses of the locals were also caught by the central forces. A shocking incident, voters in Bijpur under the Barrackpore constituency were called back from their homes for casting their vote for a second time following some technical glitches. The presiding officer said that on the first occasion, polling had started mistakenly without erasing the mock poll results. In a booth in Tarakeshwar under the Arambag Lok Sabha constituency, a local Trinamool leader was seen influencing the voters and constantly entering or coming out of the booth. As per sources in the Election Commission, the presiding officer of the said booth was immediately removed. After reports of violence and death of a voter in the previous phases, the Election Commission has decided that all the polling stations in the state will be manned by the central forces. Altogether, 578 companies of central forces have been mobilised to assist the state police. --IANS ssp/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Forty-five minutes of sleep is all that your body needs, if Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Delhis Chandni Chowk constituency, Harsh Vardhan (pictured), is to be believed. However, this prescription from the minister, who is also a doctor, is not without a rider. During a press conference held in the capital on Monday, he said if one was able to put ones conscious and sub-conscious mind to sleep through meditation and other practices for a long time... 45 minutes of sleep is sufficient. He was talking about his own schedule during the ... A 50-year-old man was killed and five others injured Monday when their van overturned on Kalvan-Nanduri Road in Maharashtra's Nashik district, police said. Police identified the deceased as Suresh Bhoye and said the driver of the vehicle, Gokul Bhoye, was among the injured, all of whom have been admitted in a nearby government hospital. All the people in the van hailed from Daregoan, Nanduri and Gobapur here, an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A total of 12 suspected Rohingyas from Bangladesh were arrested in Mizoram for entering the state without valid travel documents, a police officer said on Monday. Eight women and four boys from Bangladesh were taken from a house to Bawngkawn police station here on Sunday, Deputy Inspector of Police (Northern Range) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte said. It is suspected that they were victims of human trafficking. Khiangte said the arrested people had some mobile phones without sim cards in their possession. Investigation is on to find out their identities. The 12 people were found in the residence of a woman who claimed that her cousin who lives at Tahan in Myanmar had asked her favour to keep the 'guests' before being taken to the neighbouring country. In late April, eight Rohingya women were detained at India-Myanmar border Vairengte town for trying to enter Mizoram illegally and were pushed back. They had claimed that they were from Kutupalong refugee camp at Sabulara in Bangladesh and were abducted by a group of men on April 19 and brought them to Mizoram by truck. More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August 2017 after a military crackdown, triggering a massive refugee crisis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TwoMaoists and four armed militia members surrendered beforethe Superintendent of Police (rural) Attada Babujee here Monday. The two Maoists were identified as Golluri Birusu (24) alias Mahesh of Kotipalli village in Malkangiri district,Odisha, and Golluri Ramayya (25) alias Rahul of Nanubaru village in Pedabayalu mandal of Visakhapatnam district, police said. Mahesh was wanted for killing and was involved in three incidents of exchange of fire at Munchingput,Chitrakonda and GV Veedhi, the police said. He was also involved in arson and holding kangaroo courts, they said. According to the police official, Rahul too was involved in murder cases in 2015-2017. The armed militia members who surrendered include Korra Sathibabu (37), Golluri Satyanarayana (19), KorraGanapathi (40) and Korra Pethro (19). The militia members were basically engaged to provide food to the Maoists, attending and mobilising people for Maoist meetings,performing sentry duties, assisting the Maoist cadre in planting landmines and pasting of Maoist posters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump once again became the butt of Twitter jokes when he misspelled the word 'stolen' as 'stollen', days after committing a major faux pas by tweeting that "138 million people" were killed in a series of blasts in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. Trump has said on Twitter that Special Counsel Robert Mueller "should not testify" before Congress. The US president has previously said he would not block Mueller from testifying and leave the final decision to Attorney General William Barr. The 448-page Mueller Report found no evidence of collusion between Russia and Trump's 2016 election campaign. His testimony, however, may give Congress access to new information otherwise hidden by redactions. "Despite the tremendous success that I have had as President, including perhaps the greatest ECONOMY and most successful first two years of any President in history, they have stollen two years of my (our) Presidency (Collusion Delusion) that we will never be able to get back.....," Trump added in a later tweet. Trump later corrected his spelling, saying that two years of his presidency had been "stolen." According to Cambridge dictionary, stollen a German cake containing dried fruit and marzipan, usually eaten at Christmas. On April 21, President Trump offered "heartfelt condolences" to the people of Sri Lanka after the country's worst terror attack killed over 250 people. The US leader, however, erroneously wrote that "138 million people" were killed in the attacks. "Heartfelt condolences from the people of the United States to the people of Sri Lanka on the horrible terrorist attacks on churches and hotels that have killed at least 138 million people and badly injured 600 more. We stand ready to help!" Trump said in a tweet which was taken down after more than 20 minutes. Trump's remarks did not go unnoticed as the agile twitterati started poking fun at the appalling tweet. Sri Lanka has a total population of around 21.7 million. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A total of 20 polling personnel were suspended by the Election Commission on Monday in connection with electoral malpractices in Munger Lok Sabha constituency during the fourth phase of polling on April 29. The Election Commission will always take action against those who are found involved in electoral malpractices and tampering with the EVMs, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar, H R Srinivasa, said. "Twenty polling personnel, including presiding officers, polling officers, magistrates and police personnel, were suspended for their involvement in electoral malpractices at two polling booths," Srinivasa said, adding, they had also assaulted a journalist covering the elections there on that day. The Election Commission had received complaints from the journalist and others in this regard after which it had ordered an inquiry into the alleged incident, Srinivasa said. Repolling is being held at both the booths on Monday, a statement issued by the Bihar CEO's office said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An estimated 26.19 per cent of over 87.66 lakh electorate exercised their franchise till noon in five Lok Sabha seats of Bihar on Monday, during the fifth phase of the seven-phase polls, an election official said. Polling is underway in Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur parliamentary seats amid tight security, with no violence reported from any part of the state, he said. According to a senior police officer, one person has been taken into custody in Saran for damaging an EVM. "Gopal Paswan was arrested for destroying a voting machine at polling station number 131 in Saran constituency. The damaged EVM has been replaced with a fresh one. We are questioning Paswan as of now to understand his motive," Superintendent of Police Har Kishore Rai said. Of the five Lok Sabha seats, Saran recorded the highest turnout so far at 29 per cent, followed by Muzaffarpur at 26.28 per cent and Madhubani at 25.85 per cent. Both Sitamarhi and Hajipur constituencies registered 25 per cent voting each till noon. Barring a few reports of poll boycott and EVM glitches, voting has largely been peaceful in the five seats, Chief Electoral Officer H R Srinivasa said. "The voting process was delayed by around 30 minutes in six polling stations of Saran, two in Madhubani, one each in Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur constituencies due to technical glitches in the EVMs, but the officials have attended to the issues," he stated. In Dumri village of Muzaffarpur parliamentary seat, a group of people boycotted the polls, citing lack of development in the region. "The poll officials in Muzaffarpur also noted posters with BJP's slogan 'Abki Baar Modi Sarkar' pasted on the walls, barely 50 metres from the booths at a primary school in Gobarsahi," he said. Senior Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar said an FIR has been lodged in the case against unidentified persons for violating the model code of conduct. Elaborate security measures have been made for the five Lok Sabha seats, where women and first-time voters were seen queuing up outside booths even before the commencement of the process at 7am, the election official said. The poll panel has appointed 65,000 polling personnel and 4,349 micro observers to carry out free and fair voting in 8,899 booths across the five seats, he said. Arrangements have also been made for helicopters and air ambulances at select places to meet exigencies, he added. A 105-year-old man was seen braving the heat to exercise her franchise in Muzaffarpur Lok Sabha constituency. Girija Nandan Sharma, who arrived in a wheelchair, said he was happy with the arrangements made at the polling station in Jaarang village of the constituency. Another woman, Namrata, flew to Bihar from Canada to cast her vote in Muzaffarpur. Namrata said she had come to Bihar just to exercise her franchise and would leave for Canada on Tuesday. Altogether, 82 candidates are in the fray in the fifth phase of Bihar polls, prominent among them being former union minister and sitting MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, his rival and RJD candidate Chandrika Rai, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan's brother and Bihar minister Pashupati Kumar Paras and former Bihar minister Sunil Kumar Pintu. Both Rudy and Rai cast their votes early in the day at Saran Lok Sabha constituency. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three engineers, one of them to be engaged on May 9, were killed when their bike crashed into a road divider here, police said Monday. The accident happened Sunday night and the victims, all in their late 20s, were Anil, Karthik and Srinath. While Anil worked in HAL-Nashik, Srinath was a software engineer and Karthik worked in the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL), the police said. Anil had come to Bengaluru for his engagement. The three rode the bike at a great speed and it went out of control before ramming into the road divider, they said. The trio died instantaneously and they were not wearing helmets, the police said. A case was registered, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three persons have been arrested in Maharashtra's Nagpur district for allegedly smuggling tiger parts, an official said on Monday. Acting on a tip-off, the forest department arrested the accused near a temple in Ramtek on Sunday and seized the tiger parts from them, Vishal Borhate, additional conservator of forests, told PTI. Tiger whiskers were also found in the tool box of their two-wheeler. The three revealed about other tiger parts kept at their native place in Madhya Pradesh, following which it was seized it Chhindwara, Borhate said. The accused have been identified as Ramdas Bhangu Chavhan (35), Tarasingh Shivprasad Rathore and Bhikamsingh Jeetsingh Rathod (31), the official said. The three were produced on Monday before a court, which granted forest custody of the accused till Friday, the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Naxals have killed 522 people in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district after falsely accusing them of being informers, police said Monday. In a statement, Gadchiroli police said a man found dead on Monday morning in Jambhiya Gatta in the district's Ettapali tehsil, identified as Shishir Mandal (42), was not a police informer. It said Mandal, a native of Chhattisgarh's Bande area, used to "regularly help" the Naxals and was killed due to a "financial conflict" with the latter. Mandal was found dead around 9am on Adenge Road with a gun shot wound on his head. "Naxals are misleading people by accusing some to be police informers. In this way, Naxals have killed 522 innocent people," the Gadchiroli police statement said. The police statement, however, did not give details of the time period during which these people were killed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : As many as 56 old and condemned ambulances parked in an open space near here were gutted in a fire Monday, police and fire service officials said. No one was injured in the incident, a police official told PTI. The cause of the fire, which broke out at 2 pm, was not known. Investigations were on, the police said. Two fire-tenders brought the flames under control, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight security forces personnel and four civilians were killed in militancy-related incidents while 23 militants were gunned down during a month-long halt in operations in Kashmir announced by the Centre in the month of Ramzan last year, the Home Ministry has said. The Centre had in May last year directed security forces not to launch operations in Jammu and Kashmir during Ramzan to help Muslims observe the holy month in a "peaceful environment". As many as 23 terrorists, eight security forces personnel and four civilians were killed in militancy-related incidents from May 17, 2018, to June 17, 2018, during the Ramzan truce, Director (S-JK), Ministry of Home Affairs, Sulekha said in a reply to an RTI application filed by Jammu-based activist Rohit Choudhary. She added that 37 security personnel and 33 civilians were also injured during the period. Five terrorists were arrested during the truce period, the MHA said. PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had on Saturday appealed to the Centre and the militants to announce ceasefire in the state for Ramzan so that the "people get some relief". "The month of Ramzan is starting after a couple of days and so, I appeal the government of India that ours is a Muslim-majority state and people here are facing difficulties. "It is a month of prayer and so 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 had told reporters here. It was on the request of Mehbooba -- when she was heading a PDP-BJP coalition government in the state -- that the Centre had announced the ceasefire during the month of Ramzan last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister and BJP leader Vijay Goel Monday alleged the AAP convened a meeting of over 300 Imams in the Chandni Chowk area and asked them to campaign for the party as its government had raised their salaries. He claimed the meeting took place on Saturday and was attended by Delhi minister Imran Hussain, and AAP MLAs Amnatuallah Khan and Asim Ahmed. "The party told the Imams that its government had hiked their salary and therefore, they should campaign in its favour. Later, a team of the Election Commission and the Delhi Police raided the place of the meeting and collected evidence. I have also got a video clip as proof," he claimed. "This is the reason people are deserting the AAP. Kejriwal has moved away from the agenda of development and full statehood for Delhi and is resorting to the of slaps and religion," Goel said attacking the Delhi chief minister. Goel said Kejriwal got slapped after AAP East Delhi candidate Atishi Marlena asked people to "beat up the public representatives who do not work". "The Naxalites, who can't even get a vote in Delhi... The AAP is facilitating the entry of such people, like Jignesh Mevani and Kanhaiya Kumar, into politics," he said. Mevani is a lawmaker in Gujarat and represents the Vadgam Assembly Constituency, while Kanhaiya is contesting the Lok Sabha election as a CPI candidate from Begusarai. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh Monday said he met Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and sought a detailed probe into the recent attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow in the New Delhi constituency. During the roadshow on Saturday, Kejriwal was slapped by a man. The AAP has alleged that the BJP is behind the "cowardly act". Singh said Kejriwal has been attacked nine times and it indicates that a bigger attack on him is impending. In his meeting with Patnaik on Monday, he sought a detailed inquiry. The AAP leader also alleged that Kejriwal was attacked after he publicly questioned ties between Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Singh also questioned the silence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi on the matter. "All opposition parties condemned the attack but Rahul Gandhi was silent. It means both the BJP and the Congress are involved in the conspiracy," he said. Singh said the AAP has conveyed its concerns to Patnaik in writing. Kejriwal was standing in an open jeep when the accused, identified as Suresh, jumped onto the vehicle and slapped the chief minister before being pulled down. Delhi police said preliminary interrogation has revealed that Suresh (33) is a scrap dealer in the area, who was an AAP supporter and used to organise rallies and meeting for the party. Suresh told police that over time, he got disenchanted with AAP due to the behaviour of its leaders and he was angered further due to the party's "distrust in the armed forces". However, Singh, in his letter to Patnaik, said Kejriwal was never disrespectful towards the armed forces so the attacker's reasons do not make sense. It was not the first time that Kejriwal was assaulted during a roadshow or a gathering. In November 2018, a man tried to smear chilli powder on Kejriwal's face inside Delhi Secretariat. Kejriwal has also been heckled and physically assaulted a lot of times. In February 2016, some people attacked his car with iron rods and sticks in Punjab's Ludhiana. A month before that, a member of the Aam Aadmi Army, Arjun Arora, threw ink at Kejriwal. During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, some people threw eggs and ink at Kejriwal and other AAP leaders while they were campaigning in the Varanasi constituency. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Debt-ridden ABG Shipyard Monday announced commencement of the liquidation process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. "NCLT vide order dated April 25, 2019...ordered commencement of liquidation of ABG and appointed...Sundaresh Bhat as the liquidator of ABG," debt-ridden firm said in a BSE filing. ABG Shipyard is undergoing insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC, 2016) as per the NCLT orders. "An application for initiation of CIRP under Section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) filed by the financial creditor, ICICI Bank Limited, in the matter of ABG Shipyard Ltd was admitted by the National Company Law Tribunal, Ahmedabad Bench vide its order dated August 01, 2017 ordering commencement of CIRP," the filing said. Thereafter, the committee of creditors of ABG approved by requisite voting majority liquidation of ABG and on that basis, an application under Section 33 of IBC was filed with the NCLT, it said. ABG Shipyard owes about Rs 17,000 crore to the lenders. The shipbuilder was referred by the Reserve Bank of India for bankruptcy resolution. Incorporated in 1985, ABG Shipyard is the flagship company of ABG Group with interests in shipping and cement sectors. It is one of the three private shipyards in India approved by the Indian Navy to build various types of naval vessels and has built several vessels for Indian defence sector. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man from West Bengal, accused of selling beef in Himachal Pradesh's Baddi district, has been arrested after he surrendered before police, officials said Monday. Rubil Shaikh of Murshidabad district was on the run after a case was lodged against him last October for allegedly selling beef at Bangla Basti in Barotiwala area of Baddi district, Superintendent of Police Rohit Malpan said. Multiple places were raided a few weeks ago in West Bengal to nab Shaikh but police had failed to trace him, he said. He surrendered on Monday, following which he was formally arrested, the officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China said US warships sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea without permission on Monday in the latest US challenge to Beijing's territorial claims in the region. "The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to the operation that took place near two reefs in the Spratly Islands, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a press briefing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP lodged a complaint against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday for allegedly deploying two minor boys for campaigning in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district. In a statement, state BJP vice-president J P S Rathore said the complaint had been submitted to the state chief electoral officer that Yadav had deployed two minor boys, which on whose bodies campaign material of the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party was written. Rathore said it amounted to violation of the model code of conduct, describing it as "inhuman" and "cruel". "Under the scorching sun, where adults find it difficult to stand, two innocent boys were forced to stand for a few bucks. This is the disgusting face of the SP and the BSP," he said. In the letter, Rathore urged the Election Commission to take stringent action against Yadav so that it acts as a deterrent and sends a message to all the political parties. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Opposition parties in West Bengal accused the Trinamool Congress of letting loose violence during the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in the state on Monday, and demanded repoll in various booths across seven constituences. "We demand repoll in most of the booths. The way TMC has used goons and state police to rig the elections is condemnable. It is afraid of defeat, that is why the party has unleashed such unprecedented violence," BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said. The CPI(M) alleged that violence had become the hallmark of Bengal during polls. "We don't understand what is the Election Commission doing? Why has it failed to take strict action against those who have complaints against them," CPI(M) politburo member Mohammed Salim said. The Trinamool Congress, however, blamed the BJP and the CPI(M) of instigating violence during the elections. "The BJP and the CPI(M) beat up our workers during the polls. The people of Bengal will reject these divisive forces," TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said. At least 12 people, including five journalists were injured in clashes between TMC and BJP workers at different places on Monday, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Ariz Aftab told reporters here. A total 73.97 per cent of the 1,16,91,889-strong electorate cast their votes in seven parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal till 5 pm in the fifth phase. The incidents were reported from Bangaon (SC), Barrackpore, Hooghly and Howrah constituencies, an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Accusing the ruling TMC in West Bengal of unleashing "violence" on its voters, the BJP Monday demanded a repoll in Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency. Union minister Prakash Javadekar accused Trinamool Congress "goons" of booth-capturing and not letting BJP voters cast their votes by resorting to threats and violence. At a press conference, he also alleged that the Election Commission had not done enough to make the polls free and fair in the state despite the BJP approaching it a number of times. "The TMC wants to win elections by rigging as it cannot win by votes. We demand a repoll in the entire Barrackpore constituency," he said,alleging that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was behind the violence. The BJP candidate from the seat, Arjun Singh, has been badly beaten by TMC workers,Javadekar alleged and added that ruling party workers were accompanying voters in the booth and casting votes at their behest. A scuffle between Arjun Singh and central forces was reported when the former TMC MLA tried to enter a booth following allegations that voters were not being allowed to exercise their franchise there, officials said. "Our agents were not allowed inside booths. People were not allowed to vote properly and I went there to have a look. I have the right to enter booths but police stopped me and hit me," Singh told PTI. Alleging that the police are not doing anything to stop rigging in some booths of Barrackpore seat, Singh demanded that polling be stopped and re-polling ordered. Barrackpore has become a prestige battle for Banerjee as Arjun Singh, a local strongman and MLA, was in the TMC before he switched over to the BJP ahead of the general election. He is up against the incumbent MP and TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Monday expressed "shock" over a video in which Tej Bahadur Yadav, a sacked BSF soldier whose nomination as SP candidate from Varanasi was rejected by the EC, is purportedly talking about assassinating Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said the video illustrates how in the face of imminent defeat political rivals have degenerated into using violent methods. Some channels have shown the video but have not vouched for its authenticity. Rao said in a statement that the Maharashtra police had last year unearthed a conspiracy of urban Naxals to kill Modi. "It is very shocking that yet another conspiracy to assassinate the prime minister has come to light by someone who was drafted as a Lok Sabha candidate against the PM in Varanasi by the Samajwadi Party. In a stunning video, Tej Bahadur Yadav is heard asking for Rs 50 crore to assassinate Modi," he alleged. Referring to the purported video, Rao alleged that Tej Bahadur is also seen accepting that he has links with terror outfits like Hizbul Mujahidden and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He said the BJP requested all democratically spirited individuals, institutions and political parties to condemn such violent plans in an unequivocal manner. He accused the Congress of siding with "plotters" when the police had claimed to have busted the Naxal conspiracy against Modi. The Samajwadi Party had fielded Tej Bahadur as its candidate against Modi but the Election Commission rejected his nomination papers, saying he had not furnished all details sought by it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ruling in Maharashtra Monday came down heavily on NCP chief Sharad Pawar, saying he is "playing politics" over the last week's in Gadchiroli district of the state. Pawar, in a speech, had said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, visited Gadchiroli only to offer homage to policemen who died in the attack. The NCP chief also cited his former colleague and former Home Minister late R R Patil's special attention towards the Naxal-affected areas in the state. In a series of tweets in Marathi, the state said "When leaders like you play politics over naxal attack, we also feel like asking you whether you are ashamed of it or not. But we would not ask such questions. "If Pawar thinks that because of his so called visit to drought-hit areas awakened the state, then why would state farmers' received Rs 4,000 crore in their bank accounts for? Water tankers were deployed and fodder camps set up (in drought-hit areas)." The saffron party said some issues should be above politics. "Some questions are to be dealt beyond politics. Solutions have to be sought keeping politics aside," it said. The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP Monday staged a protest here against the recent killing of its senior leader Gul Mohammad Mir by terrorists and sought adequate security to political workers facing threat. Led by state party president Ravinder Raina, scores of BJP leaders and workers assembled outside the Press Club here to protest against the killing. Mir was shot dead by three militants in his house at Nowgam-Verinag in Anantnag district of south Kashmir late Saturday night. The protesters raised slogans against Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in the state. He said despite facing a threat to his life, the security of Mir was withdrawn about three months ago leaving him vulnerable to attack by terrorists. "We seek intervention of President Ram Nath Kovind to restore the security of all political activists facing threat to their lives, irrespective of their political affiliation, forthwith," he said. Former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta said the state administration was equally responsible for the killing of Mir because his security was withdrawn. "An inquiry has been ordered and the administration should identify the person who deliberately withdrew his security and he should not be spared," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Boeing has said 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. Pilots were unable to regain control of either plane, and both crashed, killing 346 people. It is not clear whether having the warning light would have prevented either the Lion Air crash or the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max near Addis Ababa. Boeing's disclosure on Sunday, however, raised fresh questions about the company's candor with regulators and airline customers. Boeing said on Sunday again that the plane was safe to fly without the sensor alert, called an angle-of-attack disagree light. Other gauges tell pilots enough about the plane's speed, altitude, engine performance and other factors to fly safely, the company said. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said the agency was notified of the non-working warning light in November, after a Lion Air 737 Max crashed on Oct. 29 in Indonesia. He said FAA experts determined that the non-working cockpit indicator presented a low risk. "However, Boeing's timely or earlier communication with (airlines) would have helped to reduce or eliminate possible confusion," the spokesman said in an emailed statement. He declined to give more details. In manuals that Boeing gave to Southwest Airlines, the biggest operator of both the Max and 737s in general, the warning light was depicted as a standard feature just as it is on older 737s, according to Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King. After the Lion Air crash, King said, Boeing notified Southwest that it had discovered the lights didn't work without the optional angle-of-attack indicators, so Southwest began adding the optional feature too. That allowed the airline to activate the sensor-disagree warning lights on its 34 Max jets earlier this year, she said. King described both features as "supplemental" and "advisory" to other information provided to pilots during flights. The indicator was supposed to tell pilots when sensors that measure the pitch of the plane's nose appear to conflict, a sign that the sensor information is unreliable. Boeing told airlines that the warning light was standard equipment on all Max jets. Boeing engineers quickly learned, however, that the warning light only worked if airlines also bought an optional gauge that told pilots how the plane's nose was aimed in relation to the onrushing air. Boeing said the problem stemmed from software delivered to the company. A Boeing spokesman declined to name the software vendor. Boeing said Sunday that because in-house experts decided that the non-working light didn't affect safety, the company decided to fix the problem by disconnecting the alert from the optional indicators at the next planned update of cockpit display software. Boeing didn't tell airlines or the FAA about this decision. Boeing hopes to win approval from the FAA and foreign regulators to get the Max flying again before summer is over. When it does, the company said, the sensor warning light will be standard. Nearly 400 Max jets were grounded at airlines worldwide in mid-March after the Ethiopia crash. Boeing is working to fix the software that pitched the planes' noses down based on faulty sensor readings, and to provide pilots with more information about the plane's automation. The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into whether Boeing misled regulators about features on the plane including flight-control software at the heart of the crash investigations. The company is also under scrutiny by congressional committees and the Transportation Department's inspector general, and it faces a growing number of lawsuits by families of the dead passengers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A BSF officer and two civilians were injured as Pakistan army resorted to heavy mortar shelling and small arms firing targeting forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Monday, officials said. Pakistan violated ceasefire for the second consecutive day Monday by resorting to heavy mortar shelling and firing along the LoC in Mankote and Krishna Ghati sectors of Poonch district, they said. Following the continuous ceasefire violation by Pakistan, the authorities in the state had ordered closure of schools falling along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts Monday, the officials said. In Mankote, a sub-inspector of the Border Security Force was injured in shelling by Pakistan troops, the officials said. The officer was hospitalised and he is stable, they added. Two civilians - Maqsood Ahmed and Ashiq Hussain - were also injured in the shelling, which continued throughout the night, the officials said. Pakistan army shelled the civilians areas to cause causalities, they added. Due to the intense firing, a fire broke out in a forest area along the LoC, the officials said. On Sunday, a colonel-rank officer was injured in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch in Pakistani shelling, while a 25-year-old porter suffered splinter injuries when a mortar shell exploded near him in Keri sector of Rajouri district, they said. Pakistan has violated ceasefire by 513 times along the LoC in the state in the past one-and-a-half-month. The Pakistani side has suffered five to six times more casualties than the Indian side in retaliatory action, a senior official said. Ten people, including four soldiers, have been killed and over 50 injured in Rajouri and Poonch districts since India's February 26 air strike on a JeM terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot in response to the Pulwama terror attack that left 40 CRPF personnel dead. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Monday rejected a US official's accusation that three million people are held in "concentration camps" in Xinjiang, a northwest region home to most of the country's ethnic Uighur minority. The comments are "totally inconsistent with the facts", said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular press briefing in Beijing. "The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition," he said. "We also once again urge the relevant parties in the US to... stop interfering with China's internal affairs through the Xinjiang issue." According to estimates cited by a UN panel, upwards of one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic minorities are being held in detention centres in Xinjiang. Randall Schriver, US assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, called the centres "concentration camps" at a press briefing last week and estimated that the figure was "likely closer to three million". Schriver also voiced concerns over China's internal security forces, which he said are used for "mass imprisonment of Chinese Muslims". While Beijing previously denied the existence of the camps, it has moved towards acknowledging them, though it describes them as "vocational training centres" that are vital in the fight against separatist sentiments and religious extremism. It has also gone on a public relations blitz since last October in a bid to counter a global outcry against the camps by inviting diplomats and journalists to tour the centres. "At present, Xinjiang is politically stable, its economy is developing, and the society there is harmonious," said Geng at the press briefing. "The people live and work in peace. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's top trade envoy is preparing to travel to the US for crucial talks, a senior Chinese official said Monday despite President Donald Trump's surprise announcement, threatening to impose more punishing taxes on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese products due to slow progress in negotiations. The brief statement from Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang came as media reports said China is considering to cancel the high-level trade talks with the US, leading to tumbling of shares and oil prices across the Asian markets amid worries that the two major economic giants were once again on the path of confrontation. Geng said China was "trying to get more information" following Trump's surprise announcement he might impose 25 per cent tariffs on more Chinese imports. Asked whether the top Chinese envoy, Vice Premier Liu He, would visit Washington as planned, Geng said, "a Chinese team is preparing to travel to the United States for trade talks." He did not give more details when asked who might participate or whether the talks would go ahead as scheduled Wednesday in Washington. President Trump's remarks came on Sunday as the two countries locked in a longstanding trade war seemed near to striking a trade deal. A high-level Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier Liu was scheduled to be in Washington to resume talks aimed at resolving the trade war that has cast gloom over the world economy. "China is considering cancelling trade talks that are to resume in Washington starting Wednesday," The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday quoting unnamed sources. "There has been widespread expectations in recent days that an accord could be reached by Friday," it said. Quoting an unnamed source, CNBC said the Chinese Vice Premier will likely cancel the trip he had planned for himself and a 100-person delegation for the final round of talks. The US officials had previously said that a deal could be reached by Friday. But Trump's tweets surprised many and appear to reflect on the difficulties in the US-China trade negotiations that have been going on since December when the US president and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed to work on a trade deal within a time frame of 100 days. "For 10 months, China has been paying tariffs to the USA of 25 per cent on 50 billion dollars of High Tech, and 10 per cent on 200 billion dollars of other goods," Trump said in a series of tweets on Sunday. These payments are partially responsible for America's great economic results, he said. "The 10 per cent will go up to 25 per cent on Friday. 325 billions dollars of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25 per cent," he said. Trump said 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 Wall Street Journal report said that Trump's tweet had taken Beijing by surprise. "China shouldn't negotiate with a gun pointed to its head," an unnamed Chinese person was quoted as saying in the report. A decision on whether to go ahead with the talks this week has not been made, the report said. The Chinese officials have said Beijing would not bend to pressure tactics. By potentially scotching the trip, Beijing would be following up on its pledge to avoid negotiating under threat, it said. Trump's latest move will raise duties on more than 5,000 products made by Chinese producers, ranging from chemicals to textiles and consumer goods. The US president originally imposed a 10 per cent tariff on these goods in September that was due to rise in January, but postponed this as negotiations advanced. While in Argentina, Trump agreed not to increase the import tariffs on Chinese products till an agreement is reached in 100 days. The deadline ended in March, which was extended by Trump and he did not increase the import tariffs. Last month, Trump said the US and China could wrap up trade talks within four weeks after making quick progress on the potentially "epic" deal. "We will probably know over the next four weeks. It may take two weeks after that.... It's looking very good," Trump had said. He said a deal would allow a summit between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Since last year when Trump launched a trade war with China, the US and China have imposed slapped tariffs on USD 360 billion in two-way trade. The US has imposed tariffs on USD 250 billion of Chinese goods, having accused the country of unfair trade practices. Beijing hit back with duties on USD 110 billion of US goods, blaming the US for starting "the largest trade war in economic history". Both the US and international firms have said they are being harmed by the trade war. The International Monetary Fund has warned a full-blown trade war would weaken the global economy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Monday protested over two US warships sailing near islands claimed by it in the disputed South China Sea, saying it violates its sovereignty and also denounced a Pentagon report on Chinese military's modernisation as an attempt to spread the "China threat theory". The US guided-missile destroyers 'Preble' and 'Chung Hoon' travelled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, which Beijing calls Nansha. The latest US challenge to Beijing's territorial claims in the region comes amid trade tensions as President Donald Trump said Sunday he would raise tariffs on USD 200 billion in Chinese goods on Friday because talks were moving "too slowly". On May 6 two US warships without the permission of the Chinese government have entered the adjacent waters of the Johnson reef in China's Nansha island in the South China Sea, (SCS)," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here on Monday. He said the Chinese navy identified the US vessels and asked them to leave as per Chinese law. The relevant move the US warships infringed upon China's sovereignty and undermined peace and security in the relevant waters. We deplore that and firmly oppose that," he said and asked Washington to stop such "provocations". China claims almost all of the strategic SCS and oppose naval operations in the disputed waters. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims in the region. The US Navy regularly conducts "freedom of navigation operations" to challenge Beijing's claims in the sea. Geng also denounced the latest Pentagon report which warned that China's military modernisation has the potential to erode core US advantages in technology and operations. The Pentagon report also warned that China plans to establish many naval bases around the world, including at Gwadar in Pakistan. Geng said the Pentagon report has made many untrue remarks on Chinese policy and also deliberately distorted China' strategic intention and spread the China threat theory." We firmly oppose that. Facts have proven that China is committed to peaceful development and following a national defence policy that its defensive in nature," he said. We believe our two militaries should strengthen cooperation and dialogue to avoid miscalculation leading to conflict," he said. The US should abandon zero sum game and cold war mentality, look China's development in an objective manner and stop issuing such irresponsible report year after year and do more to improve our military to military ties," Geng said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Monday thanked Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar for considering the states request to let students who had missed the medical entrance examination NEET on Sunday due to a train delay, to take the exam again. "Thank you @PrakashJavdekar and @HRDMinistry for considering the request and helping our students. @hd_kumaraswamy #NEET," the Chief Minister's Office said in a tweet. The Union HRD minister had earlier said that Karnataka students who had missed the medical entrance examination NEET due to a train delay would get another chance. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for these students will be conducted on May 20, he said. "Happy to announce that Karnataka Students who missed NEET exam due to railway delay will get another chance," Javadekar tweeted. Hundreds of students had missed the exam on Sunday as their train reached Bengaluru an hour after the scheduled reporting time and also due to a change in an exam centre, reportedly without any prior information. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had tweeted on Sunday, highlighting the issue. He had tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his tweet. Earlier in the day, Kumaraswamy had held a meeting with Karnataka Chief Secretary T M Vijaya Bhaskar and Higher Department officials on the issue. "The CM held a meeting with the CS & Higher Edu Dept onthe issue of 500+ students unable to take #NEET due to a train delay on Sunday. The CS, as directed by the CM, requested HRD ministry to let students take the exam again. The ministry has assured that they will take a decision ASAP," his office had tweeted earlier on Monday. Also, Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who had discussions with Javadekar on the issue and had even written to him, requesting that a solution be found at the earliest, in a tweet said, "Thank u very much for the timely decision. Students cheer up!!! We are always with u. Make the best use of opportunity." "After my Personal discussion with Sh @PrakashJavdekar he has agreed to give another chance for the students who missed #NEET Exam. Thanking Sh Prakash Javdekar Ji," he said in another tweet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This Lok Sabha elections will prove to be a milestone as it will end coalition in the country, senior BJP leader and Union minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday. Vardhan claimed that there was no fight for him in the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat, from where he is seeking a reelection. "After the Lok Sabha elections, the of coalition will be finished as people are becoming more aware. It will be a milestone election for such politics," he said at a press conference. The minister of science is locked in a triangular contest in the trader-dominated constituency, along with Congress's two-time lawmaker from the seat JP Agarwal and AAP's Pankaj Gupta. "I have replied to journalists at least 21 times as to who is my nearest rival. So, I gave it some thought based on the feedback from people. I can say, there is no fight for me. There is fight between the AAP and the Congress for the second place," he said. Vardhan said he worked sincerely for all communities as a lawmaker and expected support from them, including the minorities. "I do not face any problems in campaigning among Muslims. I am receiving a lot of affection from them. In fact, in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, I had got more votes in two of the Muslim-dominated Assembly segments in the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat," he said. The minister asserted that there is a "desperate eagerness" among people, especially poor, to see Narendra Modi as the next prime minister of the country. "People believe Modi has worked for their welfare honestly and sincerely. They believe he made start with meticulous precision and is deeply concerned about their well being." He criticised Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the issues of full statehood and for non-implementation of the Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme by the Delhi government. "There could not be any bigger injustice to the people of Delhi on part of Kejriwal than his decision to obstruct Ayushman Bharat scheme," he said. Vardhan said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is raising the issue of full statehood to divert attention from "failures" of its government's performance in Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Claiming that there was an unusual increase in percentage of votes given on polling day and the final figures in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress in Telangana has sought information on polling details from the Election Commission, suspecting foul play. Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy, who made a powerpoint presentation on the issue on Monday, met EC officials in Delhi two days ago and submitted a representation. "The 'spike' in polling percentages after 5 PM in the state assembly elections in December 2018 and in the parliament elections in April 2019 in Telangana is totally unprecedented," he said. Reddy said the state Chief Electoral Officer gave the polling percentage on April 11, when polling for the Lok Sabha seats took place in the state, to be 60.57 per cent and next day as 62.69 per cent - an increase of only 2.12 per cent. However, the fact was that the percentage on polling day (5 PM) was 59.06 per cent and it was 64.32 per cent (next day), an increase of 5.26 per cent, Reddy claimed. "He (CEO) says that the increase on average across the state is 2.12 per cent. That is wrong.... So the actual increase is 5.26 per cent. Rajat Kumar (CEO) should explain why he sought to downplay it," he said. The total number of votes polled after 5 PM in all 17 parliamentary constituencies was 15,36,784, averaging about 90,399 votes per each parliamentary constituency, he claimed. Reddy further claimed that there has been an increase of 14.13 per cent in Nizamabad, while in Secunderabad there has been increase (polling percentage) of 7.06 per cent, "which means 1,38,951 votes were cast after 5 PM". On the contrary, "there has been a decrease of 0.58 per cent" in Chevella Parliamentary Constituency," which means the total number of votes polled in fact decreased by 14,146 as compared to the votes polled at 5 PM, he said. The Congress has sought copies of reports of Returning Officers about assembly segment wise polled votes at 5 PM on polling day and the next day (figures) in all 17 PCs. It asked for polling station wise votes polled as per the 5 PM records in Nizamabad, Secunderabad, Khammam and Chevella constituencies. The party also sought polling station-wise time when voting finally ended after 5 PM and also station-wise footage inside the polling stations till the end of voting. Suspecting "illegal voting", he said "the increase in the percentage of polling after 5 PM is apparently being exploited as a loophole for a new type of "rigging" (because there is scope for increase in votes polled). The Congress said it would firm up its future course of action after analysing the information provided by the EC. This may include legal action. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Home Minister Rajnath Singh Monday accused the Congress of weakening the fight against terrorism in the country. He also raised the issue of review of articles 370 and 35A. Singh that when former chief minister Omar Abdullah had demanded a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP had promptly responded by saying that time had come for their review. "I was shocked when the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said that there must be two prime ministers in India. One should be for Jammu and Kashmir and the other for rest of the nation," Singh said. "We responded promptly saying that time has come to review Article 370 and 35A, which give special rights to Jammu and Kashmir and whether we need to remove it or not. The time has come to review it," Singh said. He was addressing a rally here to canvass support for party's West Delhi candidate Parvesh Verma, Singh asserted that Naxalism will be eliminated by 2022-23, and the Modi government is capable of protecting the nation. "The Congress has weakened our fight against terrorism," the Union home minister said. He also lashed out at political parties for questioning the Indian Air Force over the number of terrorists killed in Balakot air strikes in Pakistan that were carried out after the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. "...Only vultures count bodies, not the warriors," Singh said. How can one give the number of terrorists killed in an air strike when the figure is too big, Singh asked. "We would tell if one or two persons were killed, how can I answer if the numbers are so big," he said. He asked the Congress why Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not be credited for successful surgical strike and air strike against terrorists as former prime minister Indira Gandhi was feted for the 1971 war by everyone, including former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Citing the achievements of the Modi government, the BJP leader said India is poised to become the third largest economy of the world. It is for the first time after 2004 that price rise has not become a poll issue in general elections, he said. "The rate of price rise in Pakistan is more than 9-10 per cent while it remained in the 2-3 per cent range in India. We have not allowed price rise to cross Wagah border due to our effective fiscal management," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Hisar, Bhavya Bishnoi, Monday said though some outfits have reduced the country's political discourse to caste and religion, his party's policies are about development and inclusiveness. He said if important issues concerning farmers, education, employment, health, environment and gender equality are neglected, then it is the country and its people who are at a loss. "The Congress's policies have always been inclusive and about development. should be about issues of progress. It is very unfortunate that some outfits have reduced political discourse to caste and religion based discussions," the 26-year-old Congress nominee told PTI over phone. Bishnoi, the son of senior Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi, is pitted against sitting MP and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) candidate Dushyant Chautala and Union minister Birender Singh's bureaucrat-turned-politician son, Brijendra Singh. Asked about the issues in his constituency, Bishnoi said the BJP government had "neglected" Hisar and all sections were "fed up" with their government. The constituency did not gain much under sitting MP Dushyant Chautala as well, he added. "Farmers in Hisar are feeling harassed. From wheat to mustard, crops are lying unsold in markets. There is a scarcity of drinking water in many areas and shortage of water for irrigation. There's also no employment in both cities and villages," he said. Bishnoi, the grandson of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, claimed that despite Birender Singh having been a minister for 15 years, including when he was in the Congress, there was no development in Hisar. "Being a Union steel minister, he brought no factories to Hisar. In fact, steel factories shut down under his tenure... Now, his son is only asking for votes in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name. Who will believe him," asked Bishnoi. With just one week left for elections to ten Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, Bishnoi has been busy campaigning in the constituency. He said this election was about who listens to the people's problems. Bishnoi said that the prevailing agrarian crisis, lack of concrete solutions offered by his opponents, and the fact that he is the only candidate born and brought up in Hisar will help him emerge victorious. "I believe in solutions. I've created India's first constituency-specific manifesto that doesn't just list promises, but also shows how I can fulfil those vows. I think an MP should be a facilitator, bringing the best talent from across the world to his or her constituency to fix problems," he said. The young politician has received support from the top leaders across the Congress and the Jindals, who are prominent in Hisar's industrial circles, have endorsed him. On Sunday, Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu held a rally to support Bishnoi in Hisar, and on Wednesday Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address his campaign rally in Hisar. "I'm incredibly grateful for Priyanka ji's support. She's an inspiration for all young people in today," Bishnoi said. On comments that his lack of experience would be a disadvantage, Bishnoi said his upbringing in Hisar, combined with his education from London School of Economics and Oxford, ensured that he would bring much-needed change to the constituency. "I'm young, but I'm also driven. I'm not here for the short run. I aim to get the best and brightest minds to radically transform Hisar," said Bishnoi. One of his promises is a bold attempt to make Hisar the capital of Haryana. "My grandfather, Chaudhary Bhajan Lal ji, promised to make Hisar, the capital of the state. We will try to fulfill his dream," said Bishnoi. Currently, Chandigarh is the common capital of both Haryana and Punjab. All the 10 constituencies of Haryana will go 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.) A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was killed and five others were injured when a speeding truck rammed into their stationary SUV in Bihar's Aurangabad district on Monday, police said. The truck slammed into the rear of the SUV near Devmor on NH-2 when the CRPF personnel were going to Aurangabad from their camp at Aamas in Gaya district. The impact of the collision was such that the vehicle was thrown into a ditch, Aurangabad Superintendent of Police Dipak Barnwal said. The jawans were initially admitted to the Sadar Hospital. They were later shifted to the Narayan Medical College and Hospital at Jamuhar where one of them succumbed to his injuries. The deceased was identified as 33-year-old Sunil Belgam (33), who hailed from Karnataka. Of the five injured jawans, the condition of one is stated to be serious, police sources said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After going through something as life-altering as a car accident, the best thing you can get out of it is... WarbirdsNews has just received the April, 2019 report from Chuck Cravens concerning the restoration of the Dakota Territory Air Museums P-47D Thunderbolt 42-27609 at AirCorps Aviation in Bemidji, Minnesota. We thought our readers would be very interested to see how the project has progressed since our last article on this important project. So without further ado, here it goes! Update Fuselage work continued this month, including removing the fuselage assembly from its fixture in the later part of the month. Work on wing spars was begun and, as always, parts fabrication and finishing continues. Included in this months update is an image of a page from (at the time) Major Bill Dingy Dunhams own 342nd Squadron class book. Fuselage Assembly Work Fabrication Out of the Fixture! Another restoration milestone was reached this month. The fuselage has progressed to the point where it was removed from the main alignment fixture. With such a large assembly, the process was complicated and done very cautiously. Wing As the fuselage progresses, work on the wing assembly has begun. The spars were the first items on the list and their manufacture started this month. Of course parts have been in the fabrication process for a long time, and some still are, but it is great to see them coming together in the fixtures. 5th Air Forces William Bill Dunham, second leading P-47 ace against Japan Bill Dunham was the second leading ace (behind Neel Kearby) of the 5th Air Forces 348th Fighter Group. While our research indicates that 42-27609 was more likely to have been a 35th Fighter Group Thunderbolt, it is still possible that it could have been assigned to the 348th, at least for a short time. Bills daughter, Margo Prudente, very generously allowed us to digitize Brigadier General Dunhams 342nd fighter squadron class book from his late 1942 training in P-47s. The 342nd FS trained at Bedford, Massachusetts. The notes in the image above are in Bill Dunhams handwriting, and list his air-to-air victories up until October 11th, 1943. He kept notes in this class book on all the members of the squadron. Notes were written on each pilots photo page and listed victories and their loss or transfers out, when appropriate. In January 1943, Dunham deployed with the 342nd Fighter Squadron in Australia and New Guinea and served as operations officer and later commander. In July 1944, he became commander of the 460th Fighter Squadron in New Guinea and remained in this position until December 1944, when he became operations officer of the 348th Fighter Group, Philippine Islands. Bill Dunham flew three different P-47s in combat, a D-2RE, a D-21RE and the one shown above, a D-23RA, his final P-47 before the 348th FG switched to Mustangs. In January 1945, Lt. Col Dunham returned to the United States and attended gunnery school at Foster Field Texas, until May 1945. Upon graduation, he immediately returned to the 348th Fighter Group in the Philippine Islands and continued to serve as operations officer. He later became deputy commander [Ref: USAF Biographies, downloaded 4/18/2019]. Dunhams final World War Two victory tally reached 16 on August 1st, 1945 in a P-51 named Mrs. Bonnie. All 15 earlier victories were achieved while he was flying one of his three P-47s. [Ref:John Stanaway, Mustang and Thunderbolt Aces of the Pacific and CBI, Aircraft of the Aces Series (Book 26), (New York: Osprey Publishing, 1999) p47] Physical and Performance Specifications of the P-47D-23RA The P-47D-23 from the Evansville factory and the D-22 from the Farmingdale, NY factory were the first of the Thunderbolts to use a paddle-blade propellor. These wider and longer blades were installed to better use the horsepower of the R-2800 at high altitudes, and to increase climb performance. The D-22 used a 13 foot 1 inch Hamilton Standard hydraulically actuated prop and the D-23 used a 13 1 Curtiss Electric, with the pitch change accomplished via an electric motor driven mechanism. Coupled with the water-injection and the higher turbo rpm limits, the P-47D-23 represented an increase in performance. In his excellent book Check Six, co-authored with Terry Poprovak, James Curran mentions the D-23. Later in the war, my last Jug, a P-47D-23, had a turbo relined at 23,000 rpm. Coupled with alcohol/water fuel injection, the Pratt & Whitney engine delivered 60 inches of manifold pressure all the way to 40,000 feet. What a ride! [Ref: Jim Curran and Terrence Popravak Check Six!: A Thunderbolt Pilots War Across the Pacific ( Havertown, PA, Casemate Publishers, 2015) p64] Performance and physical specifications from USAAF data explicitly for the D-23 follow: Take Off (T.O.) and Landing High Speed and Climb And thats all for this month. We wish to thank AirCorps Aviation, Chuck Cravens (words and images) as well as John LaTourelle (images) for making this report possible! We look forwards to bringing more restoration reports on progress with this rare machine in the coming months. Is the P-47 Thunderbolt your favorite airplane? Make sure to purchase issue #73 of Warbird Digest featuring the beautiful Dottie Mae Wearing five briefs in the sultry weather of Cochin to conceal three kilograms of gold could not save a customs officer from the clutches of the law as he was booked by the CBI for allegedly helping to smuggle the yellow metal, officials said. The agency has booked Francis CX posted as Customs Havildar at the Cochin International Airport for allegedly helping to smuggle the gold having a market value of Rs 1.01 crore which was brought from Dubai by one Adinan Khalid on a private airlines on the instructions of one Faisal P A, the officials said. The agency has booked the trio under IPC sections pertaining to criminal conspiracy, cheating and provisions of bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act, they said. Searches were conducted at the residence of all three in Ernakulam district on Friday, they said. Francis, who was off duty on March 1, had come to the airport, using his identity card to enter and facilitate the smuggled gold out of the exit gate, the agency said. The gold was handed over to Francis by Khalid in the gents toilet behind conveyer belt in the international arrivals area, the agency alleged. Francis allegedly concealed the gold bars in his five lower undergarments he was wearing using black insulation tapes to hold three gold bars each weighing nearly a kilo each, they said. His luck soon ran out at the exit gate where he was intercepted by Directorate of Revenue Officials who recovered the bars concealed in his briefs, they alleged. "Reliable information was also received to the effect that Francis had got a remuneration of Rs two lakh for smuggling the gold. It is also alleged that Francis had previously smuggled gold out of airport on several occasions," the CBI FIR alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Civil Secretariat, the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government, Monday opened here after functioning in winter capital Jammu for six months as part of the nearly 150-year-old practice known in the state as 'Darbar Move'. The other 'move offices', including Raj Bhavan, police headquarters and several commissions, also opened here in the morning. Governor Satya Pal Malik inspected the traditional guard of honour given to him by a police contingent at the civil secretariat lawns. The practice of 'Darbar Move' -- under which the state government functions in Jammu during six months of winter and in Srinagar during summer -- was started by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872 to escape extreme weather conditions in the two regions of the state. However, the practice was continued even after Independence with the aim of providing governance benefits to both Kashmir and Jammu regions of the state for six months by turns. While Jammu and Srinagar cities benefit from this practice as the roads and other infrastructure get the basic minimum repairs done on annual basis, the Darbar Move incurs expenditure of crores of rupees. The practice involves moving voluminous files between Jammu and Srinagar and thousands of employees between the two cities in hundreds of buses and trucks. The employees who work in the move offices, as these offices are known in the state, get two weeks of free holidays and compensatory allowances twice every year. Several political parties have in the past demanded scrapping the practice and instead establishing permanent offices both at Jammu and Srinagar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An employee of Delhi Duty Free shop was among six people arrested by the customs officials for allegedly smuggling gold worth about Rs 60 lakh at the airport here. Customs officials Monday said the smugglers, including the employee of Delhi duty free shop inside the airport, were following a modus operandi based on use of "codeword" with each other. The six were held in separate incidents on Sunday. Giving details of the cases, the officials said two persons were intercepted after their arrival from Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. During enquiry, the duo admitted to carrying 350 grams of gold which was handed over to the duty free shop employee inside a washroom of the airport. Neither the carrier of the gold nor the duty free shop employee knew each other. They were given a codeword -- a pass phrase -- on the day of delivery of gold by their handlers, the officials said. Based on the admission, the customs officials caught the said employee who also confessed to be part of the smuggling ring. On further enquiry, the employee said he was to give the gold to two other persons waiting for him outside the airport. The customs officials then asked him (Delhi duty free shop's worker) to go out and approach the two receivers of the gold without informing them about the trap. However, the receivers got suspicious when the employee reached them to hand over the gold and sped up the car they were waiting in. Customs inspector Amit Khatri, who was following the employee, pounced upon the speeding car and managed to get in. The two smugglers hit Khatri and tried to push him out of the car, the officials said. But he managed to overpower the duo and got the car stopped. Soon some more customs officials arrived at the spot and arrested the two receivers of the gold along with the duty free shop employee, the officials said. Based on their confession, another man was intercepted after his arrival from Bahrain. He was found to be carrying 1.4 kg of gold which was to be handed over to the employee of Delhi duty free shop, the customs officials said. In total, six people, including the employee of the duty free shop, were arrested and gold weighing two kilograms, assessed to be valued around Rs 60 lakh was seized, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress Monday said it will present a "report card" of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to highlight the failures of his government across all departments. The Delhi unit of the party said it would release the "report card" on Tuesday. The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party were recently in talks for an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi but failed to make any headway. The Congress also targeted the BJP and the AAP over the rise in prices of petrol, diesel and LPG in Delhi. Subhash Chopra, chairman of the Delhi Pradesh Congress' Campaign Committee, said under the party's government in Delhi, petrol and diesel prices were cheaper as the VAT was lower. "The failure of AAP government to keep the prices under control has forced Delhiites to pay more, making it costlier to live in Delhi. In 2014, under the Congress government in Delhi, VAT rates on petrol and diesel were 20 and 12.5 per cent, while under the AAP government, the VAT rose to 25 per cent on petrol and 16.6 per cent on diesel in 2015," Chopra said. "In 2019, it is 27 per cent on petrol and 16.75 per cent on diesel," he added. Attacking the BJP, Chopra said that between 2014 and 2018, the Centre increased the central excise duty on petrol by 126 per cent and on diesel by 330 per cent. In 2013, the petrol cost was Rs 63.09 per litre, while it costs Rs 75.87 now, the senior Delhi Congress leader said. The Congress also claimed that each of the 62,000 oil marketing company (OMC) petrol pumps across the country have at least two hoardings of an average size of 40ft X 10ft featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The total expense for changing these hoardings monthly is approximately Rs 4,400 crore in five years which could have been utilised in development schemes for the people," Chopra added. Meanwhile, former SDMC deputy chairman for south zone Anita Tyagi, local party Ali Sena chief M A Chand and Rakesh Raman Jha and Mohammad Shoaib, both previously associated with the AAP, joined the Congress Monday in the presence of Chopra and Delhi Congress' working president Haroon Yusuf. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court has sentenced a man to three years in jail for subjecting his wife to cruelty to coerce her to meet his dowry demands, which forced her to commit suicide within one-and-a-half year of their marriage. Additional Sessions Judge Deepak Garg convicted 30-year-old Pradeep under section 498 A (husband or his relative subjecting wife to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him. "It is proved that Renu (wife) was being subjected to cruelty in her matrimonial house and she was harassed with a view to coerce her and her parents to meet the said unlawful demand of money... and hence accused Pradeep is convicted for the offence under section 498 A IPC," the court said. The court, however, acquitted Pradeep for the offence of dowry death. It also acquitted Renu's mother-in-law of all charges. It said the fine deposited by the convict shall be treated as compensation for the victim's parents. According to the prosecution, Renu and Pradeep got married in 2014 and the victim's in-laws did not demand any dowry at the time of the wedding. After two months, her in-laws started demanding money on the pretext that they had come under debt due to the expenses incurred for the wedding, it said. Renu's mother alleged that she had given Rs 50,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 10,000 to Pradeep on different occasions. She had told the court that her daughter was beaten and harassed to coerce her to meet their growing demands for money. In 2016, Renu committed suicide by hanging herself at her matrimonial house. An FIR was registered against Pradeep, a resident of Budh Vihar in North West Delhi, and his mother for harassing a woman, dowry death and doing acts with a common intention. In 2017, the trial court framed charges against the two accused, who had pleaded not guilty. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deserted roads leading to polling stations with no or a few voters and overbearing presence of security forces were dominant scenes on Monday in militancy-infested Pulwama and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir where polling is underway for the Anantnag parliamentary constituency. Officials at several polling stations were idling around, while security forces maintained a vigil against possible disruption by miscreants. The polling for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat is being held over three legs in view of security threats and the election authorities have clubbed many polling stations at one location to ensure minimal dispersion of security forces in Shopian and Pulwama districts. Till 2.00 PM, only 1.8 per cent of the 5.22 lakh electorate cast their votes in the six Assembly segments spread across the two districts, officials said. Main thoroughfares crisscrossing through Pulwama and Shopian districts were deserted with only security forces vehicles and mediapersons moving around as they discharged their duties. Two polling booths in the Lelhaar area of Pulwama -- home to many slain militants in recent years -- did not see anyone turning up to cast vote. Several polling stations set up in Kakapora -- even for voters hailing from Kupwara town -- had the same story to tell. Beating the trend, two people had braved militant threats and cast vote at Pulwama 'E' polling station, out of 1,039 eligible voters. At Chowgam and Murran-38, one person each had cast their votes while at Murran-A, 16 people voted till 3 PM. No one had turned up to vote at Drussoo, Ashwander, Daoora, Larkipora, Rohmoo, Maitrigam and Kangan polling stations. The threat perception to poll process in these districts was not unfounded as militants lobbed a grenade at a polling station but there was no damage to life or property in the attack. A police official said the explosive was a "socket grenade", a crude bomb manufactured locally with explosive material fitted in a pipe. Incidents of pelting of stones by miscreants were reported from many places in the twin districts. Shattered pieces of windscreens could be seen at some places, highlighting the dangers of moving between places in the poll-bound areas. People in the Tral assembly segment, the native area of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and several of his associates, have mostly stayed away from voting. Out of 88,000 voters, only 458 voted. Moderate polling could be seen at some polling stations in Pampore Assembly segment, the hometown of National Conference candidate and former High Court judge Hasnain Masoodi. Pulwama and Shopian districts have witnessed low key campaigning both due to security reasons and general disinterest among people in the elections. No wall, street or building is festooned with colourful flags and banners of the parties. 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. 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. 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.) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Monday slammed Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, accusing her of doing "nothing" for the state despite being a part of the Centre. Hitting back at the Punjab chief minister, Harsimrat Kaur Badal asked why welfare schemes initiated by the previous SAD government had allegedly been stopped by the current Congress regime. The chief minister was taking questions from people who had gathered here in support of Congress candidates for Khadoor Sahib and Amritsar seats, Jasbir Singh Dimpa and Gurjit Singh Aujla, as per party release. "This Bibi (Harsimrat) failed to do anything for her own state despite being a part of the Union government," Amarinder Singh said, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government at the Centre too was not keen in the development of the state. Amarinder Singh blamed the central government for the shortage of gunny bags that led to the problem of slow lifting of wheat crop in mandis. "Our opponents have adopted a new trick to create problems for us. They have diverted gunny bags to Haryana, where their own party is in power. They obviously want to demean the Congress government in Punjab and boost the BJP's prospects in Haryana with these shameful actions," Amarinder Singh said. This has evidently been done "at the behest" of the Badals, alleged the CM, adding that the Centre had no business in diverting the bags. The CM was unequivocal in his criticism of the Akalis, who he said should be "ashamed" of the 113 incidents of sacrilege that took place during their tenure. "They allowed the desecration of 'Sri Guru Granth Sahib' and 'Gutka Sahib' as well as scriptures of other religions in a bid to create disharmony and division to further their political interests," alleged Amarinder Singh, asserting that they would pay for their actions. Speaking in Talwandi Sabo, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader alleged that thousands of 'Atta Dal' scheme cards have been cancelled unfairly in Bathinda constituency by the Amarinder Singh government. The Punjab chief minister further pointed out that lakhs of youth were in the grip of drugs in Punjab when the Congress came to power as the previous government did nothing to check the menace. But his government set up an SIT, which arrested more than 26,000 peddlers, he said. On the five marla plots promised to rural homeless families, the chief minister said that his government had already announced 1,32,620 plots, with specific targets given to DCs to allot at least 10 plots in those villages where land was available with the Panchayats. The CM reiterated his commitment to the fulfilment of all promises, and pointed out that farm debt waiver was also being implemented in phases despite the precarious fiscal condition of the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ramzan, the month of fasting in Islam, will begin from Tuesday and health experts have warned those with diabetes to manage risks while fasting as it can complicate the condition. Diabetes patients need to manage risks while fasting as it adds up to potential health hazards that include dehydration and acute metabolic complications among others, experts said. Dr Satish Koul, senior consultant and director at Narayna Hospital, Gurgaon, said when diabetic patients decide to fast, the importance of practical diabetes and spiritual fasting guidance becomes evident. Potential health hazards include hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, dehydration and acute metabolic complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis. "During fasting our body's system goes through a lot and that depends on the length of the continuous fasting. When we fast our body initially uses stored sources of glucose and then later it breaks down body fat as the next source of energy," Dr Koul said. The severity of diabetes can be gazed by the alarming statistics by IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2017, that states, "Diabetes kills one person every eight seconds, around the world. Worldwide, 451 million people are diabetic out of which 72.9 million are in India." Kerala has the largest number of diabetes patients followed by Tamil Nadu and Punjab, according to endocrinologists and diabetologists. "It is important to keep a tap on your blood glucose levels as the chances are that during fasting your blood glucose levels may drop too low. It is advisable to keep your doctor informed if you decide to fast," Dr Koul said. In case the fasting period is longer than 12 hours, then there can be a state of intermittent glycogen depletion and repletion. In practice, most patients who take their first meal at dawn are in a state of glycogen depletion by late afternoon, at which point ketogenesis occurs. If a meal is skipped, then it can further lead depletion of glycogen stores and ketosis much earlier in the fasting day, he explained. Dr Rajesh Kesari, endocrinologist at Total Care Control Diabetes Care Centre, Delhi, said fasting should not be done without consulting a doctor. A patient should plan a visit to the doctor six to eight weeks in advance to get an overall assessment to decide his or her risks during fasting, Dr Kesari said, adding it is important for choosing healthy options while breaking fast, regular monitoring of sugar level, learning to identify symptoms of high or low sugars are crucial during fast. Dr Ajay Kumar Ajmani, senior consultant endocrinologist at BLK Super Speciality Hospital said all diabetic patients who fast during Ramzan should undergo evaluation for one or two months before the start of spiritual fasting to determine their level of diabetes. "Healthcare professionals should be trained to deliver a structured patient education program that includes a better understanding of fasting and diabetes, individual risk quantification and options to achieve safer fasting. "The educational program should include advice on the timing and intensity of physical activity during fasting," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Monday accused West Bengal Chief Minister of pursuing "cheap politics" over cyclone Fani, claiming that she did not speak to him when he tried to contact her to talk about the calamity. Modi also criticised Banerjee for not hailing the designation of Masood Azhar as a "global terrorist" by the UN as she is "afraid that it might affect her vote bank politics". "I am just back from Odisha after reviewing the post-cyclone situation. I also wanted to speak to West Bengal Chief Minister over phone to discuss the issue. I had called her, but Didi is so arrogant that she didn't speak to me. I waited for her call but she didn't get back to me," he said while addressing a rally in West Bengal's Tamluk. "Speedbreaker Didi was more interested in doing politics. I wanted to speak to the state officials but the state government did not allow that to happen," he said. His comments came in the backdrop of the TMC hitting out at Modi for calling state Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi instead of talking to the chief minister to enquire about the ground situation in the wake of on Friday. Criticising Banerjee for not praising the efforts of the union government that led to the UN designating Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, he claimed that the Trinamool Congress supremo "was afraid that it might affect her vote bank in the state". "The condition in Bengal is such that if you chant Jai Shri Ram, you would be put behind bars," he said. The Election Commission has given clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in two more cases, sources aware of the development said Monday. The Congress had alleged that he held a "roadshow" in Ahmedabad on April 23 and the sources said the commission has concluded that Modi did not violate the model code and the election law. They said that the commission has also cleared Modi for his April 9 speech at Chitradurga in Karnataka where he had reportedly asked new voters to dedicate their vote for the heroes of the Balakot air strike. On the same day, he had made a similar appeal in Ausa in Latur district of Maharashtra. The EC had given a clean chit to him in that case as well, but one of the election commissioners had given a dissenting view in the matter. Though the commission has so far not made the two decisions public, with these decisions, Modi has been given a clean chit in eight matters. The poll authorities in Gujarat are learnt to have maintained that prima facie no violation was found. The Congress had moved the EC alleging that Modi took out a "roadshow" after casting his vote and made political remarks in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. After casting his vote in Ahmedabad, Modi walked some distance from the polling booth and interacted briefly with media persons. Earlier, the EC had 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 that the government has 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. The commission has now submitted a report to the Supreme Court of the cases related to Modi and Shah that it has disposed. Alleging delay on EC's part, the Congress had moved the top court for a remedy. The matter would come up for hearing on Wednesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has further postponed the polling for Patkura Assembly constituency in coastal Kendrapara district due to the devastation caused by cyclone 'Fani' in Odisha, an official said on Monday. "In view of the serious devastation caused by cyclone Fani, ECI has decided to extend the completion of the elections from Patkura assembly constituency for 60 days," Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar said, adding that the date of the poll will be be suitably decided after assessing local situation. Earlier, the ECI had fixed May 19 as the date of polls for Patkura assembly segment. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ahead of the cyclone making landfall, had urged the ECI to postpone the polls in view of the cyclone. The state government had argued that the polls should not be held when the people are exposed to miseries due to the calamity. Polling in Patkura Assembly seat was initally scheduled on April 29, but it could not be held because of the death of BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwal on April 20. Then, the ECI had fixed May 19 as the new date for the polls in Patkura. All the three major parties, BJD, Congress and BJP have fielded their candidates in Patkura. While BJD has fielded Agarwal's wife Sabitri as its candidate for Patkura, senior leader Bijoy Mohapatra is the BJP nominee for the seat. Congress has named Jayant Mohanty as its candidate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a relief to German auto major Volkswagen, the Supreme Court on Monday restrained the Centre from taking any "coercive" step against it for non-submission of Rs 500 crore fine imposed by the National Green Tribunal for damaging environment through use of "cheat device" in its diesel cars in India. The court order came on the eve of the deadline set by the NGT for Volkswagen India Private Limited, Indian subsidiary of German auto major, to deposit the fine with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). "Issue notice. In the meantime, no coercive steps shall be taken against the appellant viz., Volkswagen India Private Limited," a bench of justices S A Bobde and S Abdul Nazeer, said. The bench was hearing separate appeals filed by the auto major and the Inter Continental Association of Lawyers against the March 7 order of the green tribunal imposing the Rs 500-crore fine. The company has already deposited Rs 100 crore with the CPCB. Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for the auto major, said that the company was being penalised on the basis of a set of laws that did not exist at the first place. The senior lawyer said that he suspected the firm has been victimised at the instance of its competitors. Earlier, a green panel bench headed by chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel had directed the carmaker to deposit the amount within two months with CPCB. The tribunal had enhanced the compensation amount of Rs 171.34 crore, which was recommended by a NGT-appointed committee, to Rs 500 crore as a means of "creating deterrence". The auto maker, however, had said that it did not violate the BS-IV norms and that the test results were based on "on road testings" for which there were no prescribed standards. The NGT, in its order, had said that apex pollution monitoring body CPCB may consider utilising the money towards improving air quality in the National Capital Region and other highly polluted areas. The green panel on November 16, 2018 had said that use of 'cheat device' by Volkswagen in diesel cars in India leads to inference of environmental damage and had directed it to deposit an interim amount of Rs 100 crore with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The tribunal was hearing pleas filed by Ailawadi, a school teacher, and a few others seeking ban on the sale of Volkswagen vehicles for alleged violation of emission norms. A 'cheat' or 'defeat device' is a software in diesel engines to manipulate emission tests by changing the performance of the cars globally. Volkswagen India had in December 2015 announced the recall of 3,23,700 lakh vehicles in India to fix the emission software after ARAI conducted tests on some models and found that their on-road emissions were 1.1 times to 2.6 times higher than the applicable BS-IV norms. The automobile giant had admitted to the use of 'defeat device' in 11 million diesel engine cars sold in the US, Europe and other global markets to manipulate emission test results. After the tests by ARAI, Volkswagen India had undertaken to rejig the software by recalling around 3.23 lakh vehicles fitted with EA 189 diesel engines which were in alleged violation of emission norms. The company, however, had said that the recall in India was purely voluntary in nature as it did not face any charges regarding violating emission norms in India, unlike in the US. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US supports Israel "100 per cent" in its defence against a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by militant groups in Gaza, US President Donald Trump has said, warning Palestinians that such actions would bring them "nothing but more misery". Tensions flared up on Saturday between Israel and Palestine with massive rocket fire from Gaza, drawing waves of Israeli retaliatory strikes which continued throughout Sunday. At least 23 Palestinians, including at least nine militants, were killed. Four civilians in Israel were killed, at least three of them Israeli citizens. "Once again, Israel faces a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We support Israel 100 per cent in its defense of its citizens," " Trump said in a tweet on Sunday. "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 tweet. According to media reports, the militant groups have fired about 600 rockets towards Israel. In response, Israel has launched about 250 air strikes against terrorist groups in the region. The flare-up comes despite a truce brokered by Egypt last month. It is one of the most surges in violence since the conflict of July and August 2014. In that year, Israel launched a ground offensive on Gaza following the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers. The conflict killed 67 Israeli soldiers. Hamas and its allies launched more than 4,500 rocket strikes that killed six civilians in Israel. On the Palestinian side, 2,251 people, including 1,462 civilians, were killed in the seven-week conflict, according to the UN. Palestinian leaders in Gaza agreed to a ceasefire with Israel on Monday to end a two-day escalation in violence. Israel also lifted restrictions on civilian movements in communities around the Gaza border. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 60-year-old man died from snakebite in Gujarat's Mahisagar district but not before he bit back and killed the reptile too, a village official said Monday. The incident happened on Saturday afternoon in Ajanwa village in Santrampur tehsil, over 120 kilometres from here, said Ajanwa sarpanch Kanu Baria. "Parvat Gala Baria was standing near a spot where maize was being loaded from a field onto a truck. A snake slithered out and while others there ran away, he continued to stand claiming he had caught snakes earlier," the sarpanch said. "He grabbed the snake which retaliated by biting him on the hands and face. However, Parvat bit back and killed the snake too," he said. He was rushed to a hospital in Lunawada town and then shifted to a bigger medical facility in Godhra but succumbed later in the day from the venom injected into him by the snake, sarpanch Baria said. Ajanwa police has registered a case, an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Families of victims in the Indonesia Lion Air crash hit out at Boeing Monday over its admission that engineers had identified a safety system glitch well before the fatal accident, in the latest knock to the plane maker's reputation. Boeing said Sunday engineers had found the safety alert issue on its 737 MAX aircraft in 2017, a year before the deadly crash in Indonesia that killed 189 people. According to Boeing, a supposedly standard piece of equipment that tells pilot about disagreements between angle of attack (AOA) indicators -- which measure the plane's angle vis-a-vis oncoming air to warn of impending stalls -- did not activate unless an additional optional indicator was purchased by airlines. Neither the Lion Air aircraft nor the Ethiopian Airlines jet that went down several months later, killing 157 people, had the feature. "That's negligence from Boeing in regards the AOA system," said Evi Samsul Komar, whose son and nephew were on the fatal flight. "Boeing needs to be more careful." Another relative, Imam Rismanto, whose brother died in the crash, said Boeing should never have sold the plane without the safety feature. "They must take responsibility for these two aircraft accidents," said Rismanto, adding Lion Air was also to blame for not purchasing the optional indicator. Faulty AOA indicator information may have played a role in both deadly crashes, causing the 737 MAX anti-stall system to unnecessarily activate and push the nose down toward the ground even as pilots fought to maintain altitude. Boeing said senior management only "became aware of this issue in the aftermath of the Lion Air accident". A review into the pilot warning system glitch had concluded that "existing functionality was acceptable" until a planned software update. The admission is another blow for Boeing as it struggles to cope with the fallout from the two crashes, according to Jakarta-based aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman. "Boeing's battle to get the 737 Max back in the air is becoming harder with all these new revelations, restoring credibility to the public is going to be harder," he told AFP. Boeing's entire 737 MAX fleet has been grounded since shortly after the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March, while investigators study the incidents and engineers work on solutions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight Chinese nationals, including a woman, were arrested on Monday for allegedly being involved in trafficking Pakistani girls to China by contracting marriage and forcing them in flesh trade there, the country's premier probe agency said. Last week, the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) had arrested two Chinese nationals when the marriage ceremony was being performed in Fasialabad, about 150 kms from Lahore. "On Monday, we have arrested seven Chinese men and a Chinese woman for their alleged involvement in trafficking of Pakistani girls to China for the purpose of prostitution," FIA Punjab Director Tariq Rustam told PTI. The FIA came into action following reports of Chinese nationals being involved in organ trade and forced prostitution of Pakistani girls, mostly from the minority Christian community, after marrying them and taking them back to China. So far, 10 Chinese men have been arrested. Rustam said that their leader, indentified as 'Candice', was among those arrested. He had been living near the Lahore airport for the last one year. "The girls were moved to the rented houses acquired by the Chinese in Lahore where they were taught Chinese language before they leaving for China after completion of their marriage related documents," he said, adding the girls were forced into prostitution in China. "We are collecting the data of the girls trafficked to China during the last couple of years. Their number may run into hundreds," he said, adding that we are interrogating the arrested Chinese nationals and hopefully arrest all those involved in the crime. The Government has recently ordered the FIA to take action against the gangs involved in smuggling of Pakistani girls to China on the pretext of contracting marriage. According to the local media reports, poor Christians girls, are lured, with money and promises of 'good life', by the illegal matchmaking centres to marry Chinese men who are either visiting or working in Pakistan. These centres produce fake documents of Chinese men showing them either as Christians or Muslims. Most of the girls reportedly became victims of human trafficking and forced into prostitution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Clashes between Syrian regime forces and jihadists Monday killed more than 26 fighters in the country's northwest, which has seen an escalation in shelling and air strikes, a monitor said. Eleven pro-government fighters were among those killed in fierce fighting in the northern countryside of Hama province, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Fifteen jihadists, including members of Al-Qaeda's former Syrian branch, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and its ally the Turkistan Islamic Party, were also killed, the war monitor said. The fighting came as regime forces advanced on two villages and a strategic hilltop in the region, it said. State agency SANA said Syrian troops launched "intensive operations," targeting supply lines and areas where armed groups operate in northern Hama and neighbouring Idlib. The region held by HTS has faced intensifying bombardment in the past month, prompting a new wave of displacement. On Monday, four civilians were killed in shelling and air strikes on Idlib and neighbouring areas by the Syrian government and its ally Russia, said the Observatory. An AFP photographer in Idlib saw several houses completely destroyed by recent attacks. One man who lost his wife, his daughter-in-law, and his two grandchildren during shelling overnight prepared a pickup truck to relocate surviving members of his family. "I don't know where I'm going," he told AFP. More than 140,000 civilians have been forced to flee attacks since February, Refugees International said on Monday. "It is difficult to overstate the urgency of this looming humanitarian disaster if nothing is done to protect these people," the non-governmental organisation said in a statement. Escalated attacks have hit schools and medical facilities, according to the UN. Since 28 April, at least seven healthcare facilities have reportedly been struck, including four in Hama and three in Idlib, said David Swanson of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 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. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The former chief executive of France Telecom and other ex-bosses went on trial Monday facing unprecedented charges of moral harassment that allegedly prompted 35 employees to take their own lives a decade ago. The wave of suicides, which shocked France at the time, took place from 2008 to 2009 and raised questions about the workplace culture at the former state telecom giant. The company is now known as Orange after being renamed in 2013. Former chief executive Didier Lombard, who helmed the company from 2005 to 2010, several other bosses and also Orange itself are on trial for allegedly overseeing institutionalised harassment at the company. The trial opened at the Paris criminal court nearly seven years after Lombard and France Telecom itself were charged with "moral harassment," which is defined as "frequently repeated acts whose aim or effect is the degradation of working conditions". "For six months I was given nothing to do," Yves Minguy, a former IT specialist who joined the company in 1973, told AFP before the trial. "They were putting pressure on us to quit." He was eventually reassigned to another job, "But one morning, without warning, I was told: 'Put away your things, you're going to answer phones at a call centre'," he said. The hearing at the packed courthouse included civil plaintiffs who are relatives of former France Telecom staff who killed themselves. "I was told to get people to leave by any means necessary," a 59-year-old former manager who gave his named as Claude told AFP, referring to his team of 120 workers. Alongside Lombard, also in the dock on the same charge were the company's former number two Louis-Pierre Wenes and the former head of human resources Olivier Barberot. Four others face charges of complicity in a trial set to be closely followed by businesses, unions and workforce experts. If convicted, they could face a year behind bars and a 15,000-euro ($16,800) fine. The trial could last until July 12. Orange itself could be slapped with a 75,000-euro sanction if found guilty. Despite France's labour laws, which are some of the strongest in the world, there have been increasing concerns about the consequences of pressure in the workplace, including depression, long-term illness, professional burnout and even suicide. Unions and management accept that 35 France Telecom employees took their own lives between 2008 and 2009. Lombard stepped down as a result of the deaths. Formerly a public company, France Telecom was privatised in 2004, a move which led to major restructuring and job losses. During the investigation, magistrates focused on the cases of 39 employees, 19 of whom killed themselves, 12 who tried to, and eight who suffered from acute depression or were signed off sick as a result of it. In July 2008, a 51-year-old technician from Marseille killed himself, leaving a letter accusing the bosses of "management by terror". Two months later, a 32-year-old woman jumped out of the window of her Paris office as horrified colleagues looked on. Lombard, who served as chairman and chief executive from 2005 to 2010, also inflamed the situation with remarks that were condemned for being callous. He admitted he had committed "an enormous gaffe" by speaking of a "suicide fad" at the company. And in 2006, Lombard had told staff in now notorious comments: "I'll get people to leave one way or another, either through the window or the door." He resigned in March 2010. The investigating magistrates' summary of charges, a copy of which was seen by AFP, accuses Lombard of putting in place "a corporate policy aimed at undermining the employees... by creating a professional climate which provoked anxiety". Hundreds of people protested outside the courthouse ahead of the trial opening, urging that justice be served for the former executives. "My life today is ruined," said former France Telecom employee Beatrice Pannier, 56, who joined the company in 1982 and has been on sick leave since she tried to kill herself in 2011. "The moment of truth has arrived." Patrick Ackermann of the SUD union said he expected that the "former executives are convicted... that they express remorse and they recognise they crossed the line." The trial marks the first time that representatives from a blue-chip company in France's CAC-40 stock index have gone on trial for moral harassment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BSP supremo Mayawati Monday said the "frustrated" leaders of the BJP including Prime Minister Narendra Modi were trying to create fissures in the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati was reacting to Modi's speech at an election rally in Pratapgarh on Saturday alleging that the Samajwadi Party was "going soft" on the Congress, as opposed to the Bahujan Samaj Party which was attacking the grand old party. He had also claimed 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. "The BJP is frustrated and is trying to create fissures in the alliance," she said, claiming that the joint candidates of the alliance were way ahead of the saffron party nominees in the four phases of polling that has concluded so far. Voting is being held in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of Uttar Pradesh on Monday under phase five of the ongoing general elections. The state will also vote in the remaining two phases on May 12 and 19. Urging the voters not to get confused and back the alliance candidates, the BSP supremo accused the prime minister of trying to create a rift in the alliance. On Sunday, Mayawati had said that the alliance "will continue in the future as well", while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav too spoke in the same refrain saying Modi was "misleading" people. "Since the formation of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, the BJP is facing an unprecedented crisis. It is suffering from a stomach ache and it will not be able to get it cured in the future also," Mayawati had said. "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," she had said. Akhilesh Yadav too accused Modi of trying to create 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 had said on Sunday. 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 had said. At an election rally here on Monday, the BSP supremo also alleged that faulty policies of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have ruined the country. "The Congress ruled at the Centre and most of the states for a long time but problem of poverty and unemployment could not be checked. Farmers and labour class were the most affected during the Congress regime. Dalits could not get their legal rights while youths had to migrate in search of jobs." After the Congress, the BJP ruled at the Centre and many states and it followed the Congress' foot prints and promoted casteists, capitalists and the RSS, she said, adding that due to its 'jumlebazi' and 'natakbazi' the BJP will be wiped out this time. 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. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Girls outperformed boys yet again in CBSE class 10 examination, in which the top rank was shared by 13 students with 499 out of 500 marks. The Central Board of Secondary (CBSE) on Monday announced the class 10 results and 91.10 per cent candidates cleared the examination, an improvement of 4.40 per cent since last year. The pass percentage of girls was 92.45 per cent against last year's 88.67 per cent, while that of boys was 90.14 per cent against last year's 85.32 per cent. Girls have done better than boys by 2.31 per cent. The pass percentage of transgender candidates was 94.74 per cent. The second rank was bagged by 25 students who scored 498 out of 500 marks, while the third rank was shared by 59 students who got 497 marks. Congratulating the students, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "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". Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar also took to Twitter to congratulate the students as well as CBSE for seamless conduct of the exam. "Congratulations to over 16 lakh students who have succeeded in #CBSE Xth board examinations and best of luck for those who couldn't make this time but will make it in next attempt. Congratulations team #CBSE for conducting hassle-free & glitch-free Class Xth Board examinations and declaring results in record time," he said. Government-run Kendriya Vidyalayas have outperformed others with a pass percentage of 99.47 per cent. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), also run by the government, have achieved a pass percentage of 98.57, while for private schools the percentage is 94.15. Other government-run and aided schools in the country have achieved a pass percentage of 71.91 and 76.95, respectively. Foreign schools, affiliated to the CBSE, have achieved a pass percentage of 98.75 per cent. The Trivandrum region performed the best with a pass percentage of 99.85, followed by Chennai and Ajmer with 99 and 95.89 per cent respectively. The maximum number of toppers were from Uttar Pradesh, including eight of the 13 top rankers, 13 of the 25 second rankers and 19 out of the 59 third rankers. Delhi was ranked second last among top ten states with a pass percentage of 80.97 and Guwahati was last with 74.49. A total of 2.25 lakh students scored above 90 per cent and 57,256 scored above 95 per cent. The percentage of students placed in compartment has gone down by 3.57 per cent since last year. Union minister Smriti Irani, whose son had made her proud with his class 12 results last week, was a pleased mother yet again with her daughter's performance in class 10 examination. "10th board results out . Daughter scored 82% . Proud that inspite of challenges she has done well. Way to go Zoe," Irani tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gold futures Monday rose by 0.45 per cent per 10 gram amid fresh fears of escalation of trade war between China and the US. Marketmen attributed the rise in gold futures to a tariff battle that has rattled world markets, boosting investment demand for the metal considered as a safe bet. In a series of tweets, US President Donald Trump Sunday threatened to raise tariffs on goods imported from China. Trump's comments came at a time when Chinese delegation is due to resume talks in Washington on Wednesday to resolve the tariff battle. Besides, pick up in demand in the domestic spot market also supported the upside in gold prices. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, gold for delivery in June rose by Rs 141, or 0.45 per cent, to Rs 31,588 per 10 gram in a business turnover of 10,888 lots. The metal for delivery in far-month August also traded higher by Rs 154, or 0.49 per cent, at Rs 31,750 per 10 gram in a turnover of 4,847 lots. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gold prices Monday rose by Rs 75 to Rs 32,720 per 10 gram at the bullion market here due to fresh buying from jewellers amid firm trend overseas, according to the All India Sarafa Association. Silver, however, declined Rs 70 to Rs 38,130 per kg due to reduced offtake by industrial units and coin makers. Traders said positive trend overseas and support from local jewellers led to a rise in precious metal. Besides, US President Donald Trump announcing to impose higher tariffs on Chinese goods boosted appeal for the bullion as safe-haven asset amid fresh fears of escalation of trade war between the countries, they added. Trump announced Sunday that the US would raise tariffs on USD 200 billion of Chinese imports from the current 10 per cent to 25 per cent this week, because trade talks are moving "too slowly". Globally, spot gold was trading higher at USD 1,282.60 an ounce, while silver was down at USD 14.91 an ounce in New York. On Saturday, the yellow metal had gained by Rs 175 to Rs 32,645 per 10 gram. In the national capital, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent purity advanced by Rs 75 each to Rs 32,720 and Rs 32,550 per 10 gram, respectively. Sovereign gold held steady at Rs 26,400 per eight gram. Silver ready dropped by Rs 70 to Rs 38,130 per kg and weekly-based delivery surged by Rs 313 to Rs 37,290 per kg. Silver coins were in good demand and traded higher by Rs 1,000 at Rs 79,000 for buying and Rs 80,000 for selling of 100 pieces, respectively. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Greece's government on Monday called for a parliamentary confidence vote -- the second this year -- after the opposition sought to censure one of its junior ministers. "On behalf of the prime minister, I call on the chamber... to begin a procedure on a vote of confidence," deputy prime minister Yannis Dragasakis said in parliament. Earlier, the main opposition New Democracy party had sought to censure deputy health minister Pavlos Polakis over comments he had made about one of its European parliament candidates, a former star student with spinal muscular atrophy. Trailing in the polls, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wants to galvanise his leftist Syriza party ahead of European and local elections this month, and national elections scheduled in the autumn. Polakis last month drew fire after saying it was "shameful" that the New Democracy candidate -- 34-year-old psychiatrist Stelios Kybouropoulos -- had legally used a disability quota to find a job at a state hospital. "Anywhere else in the civilised world, (a censure motion) would not be necessary as this particular politician would have gone home... he's not fit to be minister," said conservative New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis. "To insult one of life's heroes is cowardly," Mitsotakis said. Tsipras can count on 152 votes in the 300-seat chamber, enough to carry the motion. He had also survived a confidence motion in January. The vote is expected to be held on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Militants lobbed a grenade at a polling station in Pulwama and set off an explosion at another in the district during voting in the Anantnag constituency of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, police said. There were no casualties in both the incidents, the first militant attack on polling stations in the state during the ongoing Lok Sabha election, an official said. A grenade was lobbed at Rohmoo polling station in Pulwama. Later in the day, an explosive substance was hurled at a polling station in Tral area. The explosion took place outside the polling booth and there was no loss of life or injury to anyone, the official said. Polling was held in Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag, which is going to polls in three phases due to security reasons. Voting in Anantnag district took place on April 23, while Kulgam district went to polls April 29. Peoples Democratic Party president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, Congress state president Ghulam Ahmad Mir, former Jammu and Kashmir High Court judge and National Conference candidate Hasnain Masood, BJP's Sofi Yousuf and Zaffar Ali of the People's Conference are among the 18 candidates in fray from the seat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court Monday asked the Centre and Delhi government to collectively resolve the issue of allotment of an alternative land for construction of new building of a 99-year-old school, which is in a dilapidated state. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A J Bhambhani also asked the Centre and the Delhi government to resolve the issue of relocation of Rajputana Rifles Heroes Memorial Senior Secondary School, currently located in Delhi Cantonment, to a temporary building till construction is made. The court listed the matter for further hearing on July 30. The bench was hearing a PIL by NGO Social Jurist which has alleged that Rajputana Rifles Heroes Memorial Senior Secondary School, taken over by the Delhi government in 1975 and getting 100 per cent aid from it, was in a horrible condition. The Directorate of (DoE) of the Delhi government had earlier told the court that a joint inspection of the building had revealed that it was constructed in 1919 and has outlived its useful life and was unsuitable for habitation. Advocate Ashok Agarwal, appearing for the NGO, had earlier said around 450 students are studying in the school and they have been unjustly deprived of adequate physical infrastructure and academic faculty. Earlier, the Delhi government had said that while it can accommodate the students in other schools, it needs the school in question as its other educational institutions are "overburdened". The Ministry of Defence had said the land where the school is located cannot be handed over to the Delhi government for setting up a new institute. This had prompted the court to ask the Centre and the AAP government to sit together and work out a solution regarding the future of the school and the students studying there. The plea has said, though, the school is open for all, it mainly caters to the children of servants of military officials who are not in a position to educate their kids in private school. It has alleged that the school lacks basic amenities, including potable drinking water, functional toilets, science and computer labs, clean classrooms and proper boundary wall and several posts of teaching staff are lying vacant. The petition has sought direction that the existing building of the school be demolished and rebuilt as state-of -the-art. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Meteorological Department here issued heat wave warning for some parts of Telangana for three days from Monday. The India Meteorological Department said heat wave conditions were likely to prevail in isolated pockets in many districts of the stateon Monday and will continue till May 8. Heat wave conditions have been prevailing in some parts of Telangana for the past week and many parts of the state have been reeling under scorching heat with the mercury crossing the 40 degree Celsius mark. On Sunday, Khammam sizzled with the highest maximum temperature of 45.2 degree Celsius followed by Bhadrachalam at 44.8 while in Hyderabad the maximum temperature was recorded at 41.5 degree Celsius. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven persons, including dreaded criminal Ayub Chikna (47), were arrested for allegedly robbing a jeweller of gold ornaments worth Rs 35 lakh in April, police said Monday. According to an official, jeweller Ashok Sakria (57) was attacked with a chopper by four persons near Chinchpokli railway station bridge on April 6 and then robbed of gold ornaments weighing 1.2 kilogrammes. After a case was registered with Kalachowki police station, a probe was launched which led to the arrest of Mohammed Shahtaj Jamal Khan (37) and Maruti Sonawane (46), he said. Their interrogation revealed the robbers were part of history-sheeter Ayub Alimuddin Shaikh alias Ayub Chikna's gang, he said, adding that Chikna's involvement in the crime was also found. Chikna was held from his home in the northern suburb of Dahisar, he said. Chikna has at least 37 cases of robbery and theft against him and was once also arrested under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Besides Mumbai and neighbouring cities, Chikna is involved in robbery cases in Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, he said. Six months ago, he was released on bail and had again started committing robberies along with his gang members, the official said. Two jewellers, who had bought stolen gold, and two others, have also been held in the April 6 case, he said, adding that 1175 grams of stolen property and three motorcycles were seized. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Himachal Pradesh Congress Monday accused the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP government in the state of spying on its state president and other leaders. State Congress spokesperson Narendra Kanwar alleged that Himachal Pradesh CID officer Hira Singh Thakur was keeping a tab on party president Kuldeep Singh Rathore and all four Lok Sabha candidates of the Congress. Thakur was found "spying" on Rathore during an election rally in Theog in Shimla district on Sunday, he alleged. When asked, he told the Congress workers that he was providing information about Rathore to his seniors at their behest for the past some time, he claimed, adding that a video of Thakur's alleged admission was available with the party workers. Kanwar further alleged that the chief minister was also spying on some BJP MLAs, who are are in touch with the Congress leaders and their phones were being allegedly tapped. This is not only violation of Election Commission's model code of conduct but also a defiance of the court orders regarding right to privacy and the provisions of Indian Telegraph Act, he added. Kanwar, along with other state Congress leaders including Hari Krishan Himral and Baldev Thakur lodged a formal complaint with the state election office. The Congress leaders also submitted a memorandum to Governor Acharya Devvrat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach praised Brisbane Monday as the Australian city considers a bid to host the 2032 Summer Games, saying he was "impressed" by its early planning. The Queensland state capital is mulling whether it can justify the expense of hosting such a major event, and has carried out feasibility studies which Bach viewed during a visit. "I must say that we have been impressed to see how detailed the feasibility studies are already at this early stage and how well founded these studies are," he told reporters. "Now it is up to the Australians to make their minds up, and to say whether they want to follow up on this project to host the Olympic Games." With the next two Olympics in Europe and North America, the 2032 showpiece is expected to take place in the Asia-Pacific region. So far Jakarta, which hosted the last Asian Games, has applied and Mumbai has expressed interest, while the IOC has also suggested a joint bid by the two Koreas. Bach said it was encouraging to see the interest given 2024 host Paris and Los Angeles in 2028 were selected unopposed, with a healthy slate of candidates for 2032 seen as necessary to restore faith in the process. "For us at the IOC, this is first of all very encouraging that already now we have a number of cities who are interested in organising these 2032 Olympic Games," he said. "It shows the growing attractiveness of the Olympic Games, worldwide and for the host cities." Brisbane mayor Adrian Schrinner said discussions with the IOC had been "very positive". "We will be talking to everyone, it is important to have support through the whole political spectrum," he said. The IOC is not due to select the host until 2025. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Islamic State terror group chose Sri Lanka to stage a massive attack on Easter Sunday to tell the world that they exist, President Maithripala Sirisena said Monday, amid reports that the plot was hatched in war-torn Syria way back in 2017. More than 250 people, including 11 Indians, were killed and nearly 500 others injured in the co-ordinated suicide bombings, which targeted three Catholic churches and three luxury hotels. The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, the island nation's worst, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ). The government has banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 suspects in connection with the blasts. Commenting on the claim of the ISIS that it carried out the attacks in Sri Lanka, President Sirisena said, "To be very honest, I am shocked and can't understand why they chose Sri Lanka for this attack." He said the ISIS chose Sri Lanka as a target because the terror group has lost the ability to confront the world's powerful nations. "So they chose a country that had recently established peace to make the statement that ISIS still exist," Sirisena told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Monday. Days after the carnage, the elusive ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a propaganda video claimed the bombings in Sri Lanka was a revenge attack for the fall of the Syrian town of Baghuz, the terror group's final bastion. The US-led Kurdish fighters took over the last pocket of land in Syria held by ISIS recently. Meanwhile, a group of terrorists who had gone to Syria to be trained by ISIS, had struck a deal in 2017 with the National Tauheed Jamaat Organisation to launch a fierce attack in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Mirror reported. This consensus has been reached between the NTJ led by Mohomad Saharan Hashim and the ISIS group at a location in Malwana, Biyagama, the paper quoted an intelligence report as saying in the Island newspaper. Following the deal, Hashim was hiding, using the internationally accepted defense strategies to escape the security forces, it said, quoting intelligence sources. Hashim did not use his mobile phone at all during this period, the report quoted intelligence sources as saying. During the BBC interview, President Srisena denied reports of a rift with Prime Minister Ranil Ranil Wickremesinghe. Both leaders are under attack by the Opposition for not acting on prior intelligence on the attack. But Sirisena said he was not to be blamed and refused to quit. "It's clear that information had been received by those occupying top positions in the intelligence services. However, I was not apprised of this information. They neglected their duties, which is why I have taken action against them," he said. "These persons have been removed from their offices and I have appointed a committee to investigate the matter," he said, referring to the sacking of the defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando and the police chief Pujith Jayasundara. "Nowhere in the world have heads of states resigned or relinquished their responsibilities after bomb blasts. I believe my duty right now is to take the necessary action to face this challenge," Sirisena, who is at loggerheads with the prime minister for a long time, asserted. But president Sririsena dismissed reports of a rift with prime minister Wickremesinghe as "rumours". "Contrary to the rumours, the prime minister and I do not have such serious issues to be cleared when it comes to action being taken with regards to matters relating to national security, political differences and issues are set aside," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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 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 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 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 UN 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. The UN 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 UN 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. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former legislator Sheikh Abdul Rashid Monday led a protest march here against the alleged "failure" of the Jammu and Kashmir government to provide basic amenities to the people. Rashid, along with the supporters of his Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), assembled near the Magarmal Bagh area of the city and tried to march towards the civil secretariat the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government. The secretariat reopened here on Monday after functioning in winter capital Jammu for six months as part of the nearly 150-year-old practice known in the state as 'Darbar Move'. However, a posse of policemen stopped them from marching towards the secretariat. Speaking to reporters, Rashid said the AIP's protest march was against the "failures" of the government to provide basic amenities to the people and against "state suppression". He also lashed out at the government over the jailing of separatist leaders, including JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik. "Jailing of these leaders would not dampen the spirit of the Kashmiri people," he said. Rashid also called for an end to the practice of Darbar Move. "The money spent every year on the face-lifting of the city roads and pavements should be spent on making Mughal road an all-weather highway and other highways," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The University of Jammu has signed a memorandum of understanding with Indian Army's High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) for undertaking research and training, a university official said Monday. The MoU was signed by ManojDhar, vice chancellor, University of Jammu, and Lt Gen P C Thimayya, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Army Training Command, said Vinay Thusoo, head of the university's media cell. The MoU records mutual intent for academic and research collaboration between the university and the HAWS, specifically in the disciplines of high-altitude studies and disaster management in mountainous regions, he said. "This MoU will go a long way to cement relationship between the Indian Army and the University of Jammu," Dhar said. He said the objective of this MoU is to institutionalise evaluation, credit determination, recognition and accreditation of training programmes and courses in high-altitude studies and disaster management. Lt Gen Thimayya said the Army shall facilitate researchers, faculties and students of the university. He suggested the university should start a few technological-driven skill courses for Army personnel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Debt-ridden Jaypee Infratech's insolvency proceedings will continue for now as the Allahabad bench of NCLT has posted the matter for hearing on May 21 after lead lender IDBI sought extension of bankruptcy process beyond the deadline that expired on Monday. IDBI had approached the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) seeking extension of the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) beyond the May 6 deadline as the proceedings are still underway to find a buyer for the Jaypee group's realty firm. According to sources, the Allahabad bench has posted the matter for hearing on May 21 and till then "status quo" will be maintained. A meeting of committee of creditors (CoC) has been scheduled on May 9, Jaypee Infratech's Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) Anuj Jain informed last week. Sources had said the CoC will now discuss the proposal of state-owned NBCC to acquire Jaypee Infratech, the real estate arm of Jaypee group. Jaypee Infratech is a subsidiary of Jaiprakash Associates, the flaghsip firm of Jaypee group. The creditors, which include banks and home buyers, on May 3 rejected the bid of Mumbai-based Suraksha group, the lone contender left after rejection of NBCC's bid on the ground that the offer did not have the approvals of government authorities. As the NBCC has now got the necessary approvals, the CoC is ready to discuss on NBCC's bid once again on May 9. On January 28 this year, the NCLT had extended the period of the CIRP by another 90 days as 180 days mandated under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) was ending on February 5, 2019. Under the IBC, a resolution process has to be completed under 180 days with a further extension of 90 days to 270 days. And if the company fails to complete the CIRP within the mandated 270 days, then the company goes for liquidation. In the last hearing on April 29, IDBI had requested the tribunal to deduct the number of days in litigation period at several judicial forums, which include the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) and the Supreme Court. IDBI's plea was supported by the representative of the home buyers, who have also got the status of financial creditors after amendments in the IBC. However, the promoters of Jaypee Infratech had opposed any move to extend the resolution period. In 2017, the NCLT admitted the application by an IDBI Bank-led consortium seeking resolution of Jaypee Infratech. During the first round of insolvency proceedings, the Rs 7,350 crore bid of Lakshdeep, part of Suraksha group, was rejected by lenders as it was found to be substantially lower than the company's net worth and assets. In October 2018, the resolution professional started a fresh initiative to revive Jaypee Infratech on the NCLT's direction. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) International appeals judges Monday upheld a reprimand of Jordan for failing to arrest former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir during a visit to the Arab country two years ago. Amman had appealed a decision by the International Criminal Court which found that Jordan "failed to comply with its obligations" when it refused to detain Bashir in 2017, wanted by the Hague-based tribunal for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. But the ICC's appeal judges eased the blow by reversing pre-trial chamber judges' decision to refer Jordan to the UN Security Council and the court's Assembly of States Parties (ASP) for further measures. Despite two international warrants for his arrest on 10 charges arising from the conflict in Darfur, Bashir freely attended an Arab League summit in Amman in March 2017. "By failing to arrest and surrender Mr Bashir, in circumstances in which Mr Bashir was entitled to no immunity, Jordan prevented the court from exercising an important power and a fundamental function," Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji said. Jordan is a member of the Rome Statute, which underpins the tribunal -- established in 2002 to try the world's worst atrocities -- and as such has agreed to comply with the court's orders. In a first for the court, Amman last year appealed the ICC's findings that it failed to fulfil its legal obligations in seizing Bashir, saying it was not obliged to do so. Jordan's lawyers argued that Bashir at the time of his visit was a sitting head of state "and therefore immune to arrest," based on the international legal principle of comity between states. But Eboe-Osuji said Monday that head-of-state immunity did not stop the ICC -- an international court -- from exercising its jurisdiction according to its founding document, the Rome Statute. Easing the verdict on Jordan however, Eboe-Osuji added that the court's pre-trial judges should not have referred the matter to the Security Council and the ASP. "The judges' discretion to refer the case to the UNSC and ASP was tainted," Eboe-Osuji said. Over the last decade Bashir has travelled to a number of countries who did not arrest him, including ICC member states like South Africa and Jordan. Bashir was toppled last month after 30 years of iron rule in Sudan, raising hopes that he would be extradited to The Hague to stand trial. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Justice PR Ramachandra Menon was Monday sworn in as Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court. Governor Anandiben Patel administered him the oath of office and secrecy at a function here at Raj Bhawan. He was earlier a judge in the Kerala High Court. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, his cabinet colleagues, former chief minister Raman Singh and senior officials were present on the occasion. Chief Justice Menon's wife Preeta Menon, his family members as well as judges from the High Courts of Chhattisgarh and Kerala attended the function. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the function, Chief Justice Menon listed three priorities, which included clearing cases pending for over five years. "My priority will be to clear all the pending cases which are more than five years old. The second priority will be, I will try to handle cases which are more (related) with the persons in custody. The third is to promote an alternative dispute resolution mechanism so that state will have a clean slate after a few months, a few time or after a few years as a case may be to wipe out the entire backlog," he said. The office the Chhattisgarh CJ had fallen vacant after the resignation of Chief Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi following his appointment as judicial member in the Lokpal. As per the information available on Kerala High Court website, Chief Justice Menon, born on June 1, 1959, obtained Law degree from the Government Law College, Ernakulam in Kerala. He enrolled as advocate on January 8, 1983 and started practice in Labour, Insurance and Constitutional Laws at Ernakulam, it said. He was sworn-in as Additional Judge of High Court of Kerala on January 5, 2009 and later on December 15, 2010 appointed as permanent Judge of the High Court of Kerala, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka students who had missed the medical entrance examination NEET due to a train delay will get another chance, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said Monday. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for these students will be conducted on May 20, he said. "Happy to announce that Karnataka Students who missed NEET exam due to railway delay will get another chance," Javadekar tweeted. The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to medical colleges was held across the country on Sunday. But hundreds of students from Karnataka missed the exam as their train reached Bengaluru an hour after the scheduled reporting time for the exam. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had tweeted on Sunday highlighting the issue. He had tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his tweet. The National Testing Agency, which is conducting the NEET the first time, has announced exam centres will remain the same. The exam was also postponed in Odisha in view of the cyclone Fani. It will also be held on May 20. "On request of the state government of Odisha, in wake of Fani cyclone the exam for candidates whose centre was in the state was postponed till further notice. It will now be conducted on May 20," an NTA official said. "The centres for the exam will remain same as announced earlier," the 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 Monday said his state's former ATS chief Hemant Karkare had never used the term "Hindu terror" and disapproved of the offensive remark made by the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur against the martyred police officer. Karkare, as chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), had led the investigation into the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, in which Thakur is an accused. Thakur is the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, where she is pitted against Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. "Karkare had never ever used the 'Hindu terror' word. This word had been used by three persons Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, the then Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and NCP chief Sharad Pawar," he told reporters here while replying to a query. Singh, a former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, has in the past denied coining the phrase 'Hindu terror'. Fadnavis was on a visit to Indore, which is home to around 3 lakh Marathi voters. Indore is among the eight Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh that will vote on May 19 in the last phase of elections. The Maharashtra CM claimed the previous Congress governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra had coined the phrase "Hindu terror" as part of their vote-bank At that time, many young people were rounded up as part of anti-terror operations. This had caused resentment among a minority community as the Congress government had failed to justify these arrests, Fadnavis said. Asked about Thakur's statement that her "curse" killed Karkare, who died while fighting terrorists during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, he said she has apologised for her remark. The BJP Chief Minister said Karkare is a hero not only for Maharashtra, but the entire country. "The BJP considers Karkare a martyr not only of Maharashtra, but the entire country because he laid down his life for motherlands security," he said. "The BJP has already stated that it does not agree with Pragya's controversial remark against Karkare," he said, adding she has apologised for her remark. "I have already said that Pragya should not have given such a controversial statement," the Maharashtra CM said. Asked about local resident Dilip Patidar, a witness in the Malegaon blast case who is missing since November 2008, he said, "The NIA is looking into the matter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Living miles away from their native place for the past three decades, displaced Kashmiri Pandits Monday voted with the hope for an end to terrorism and peaceful return to their homeland. "We want that South Kashmir should be freed from the twin grave threats (terrorism and radicalisation) to the composite culture of Kashmiriyat," 65-year-old Pyara Lal Pandita, who hailed from Pulwama district of the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency, said after casting vote at a special polling station here. The third and last phase polling for the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency took place in Pulwama and Shopian districts on Monday. Polling was staggered in the constituency due to security reasons. Kashmiri Pandits, who have been voting in exile for the past three decades in Jammu, Delhi and Udhampur for their native assembly and parliamentary constituencies, say the situation in Kashmir is getting worse due to rampant radicalisation and terrorism, weakening the possibility of their return to and rehabilitation in Kashmir Valley. Arvind Koul, who hails from Shopian, says his community members cannot return to their homeland unless and until there is restoration of "composite culture (Kashmiriyat) and humanity (insaniyat) as existed before the emergence of terrorism in the valley" in 1989-1990. For 21-year-old Sunita Bhat from Tral of south Kashmir, "Peace and security are first and foremost conditions for settlement of a minority community." "The government should consider these before formulating a rehabilitation policy," she said. Meanwhile, some Kashmiri Pandits staged demonstrations outside a special polling station here on Monday after they found their names missing from the voter list. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Congress state president Ghulam Ahmad Mir, former Jammu and Kashmir High Court judge and National Conference candidate Hasnain Masood, BJP's Sofi Yousuf and Zaffar Ali of the People's Conference are among the 18 candidates in the fray from the Anantnag seat. Anantnag district went to polls on 23 April, while voting in Kulgam district took place on 29 April, while Shopian and Pulwama districts voted Monday. The Election Commission set up 21 special polling stations for Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu, one in Udhampur and four in Delhi to ensure their participation in the democratic process. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who floated the idea of a non-Congress, non-BJP Front some time ago, met his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan here Monday. The two leaders, however, refused to comment on the two-hour long closed door meeting which comes with two more rounds to go in the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections. Rao is on a two-day visit to the state, along with his wife Shobha and their two grandchildren. The meeting, which was held at the Cliff House, official residence of Kerala Chief Minister, was also attended by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MPs Santosh Kumar and Vinod Kumar. Rao, who is staying at Kovalam, a famous tourist destination in the state, will travel to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on May 8. A statement from the Telangana Chief Minister's Office (CMO) earlier said, Rao will meet Vijayan at Thiruvananthapuram Monday evening, while he will call on DMK president M K Stalin at his residence in Chennai on May 13. According to the statement, Rao and Vijayan, who heads the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala, will discuss "contemporary politics". "In view of the Parliamentary elections, both the CMs will discuss contemporary politics," it said. Rao will visit the Rameshwaram and Srirangam temples before returning home, the statement said. Discussing the Rao-Stalin meeting, it said, "Both the leaders are likely to discuss current political scenario in the context of ongoing Parliamentary elections." Learning about his visits to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy also had a telephonic talk with Rao, the statement said. The chief minister's daughter and sitting Nizamabad Lok Sabha member K Kavitha told PTI recently that regional parties not aligned with the Congress and the BJP will get 120-plus seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, and may hold the key to government formation. She said the TRS is in touch with various parties not part of the BJP-led NDA and Congress-anchored UPA in its efforts to forge a federal front of regional outfits. A federal front will take good shape after the Lok Sabha election results are out, Kavitha said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stepping up efforts to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties, Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has lined up meetings with his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan and DMK president M K Stalin. Whiie Rao will meet Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday evening, he will call on Stalin at his residence in Chennai later this week on May 13, a statement by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. JD(S) leader and Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has also reached out to the Telangana chief minister. According to a statement issued by the CMO, Rao and Vijayan, who heads the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala, will discuss "contemporary politics". "In view of the Parliamentary elections, both the CMs will discuss contemporary politics," it said. Rao will visit the Rameshwaram and Srirangam temples before returning home, the statement said. Discussing the Rao-Stalin meeting, it said, "Both the leaders are likely to discuss current political scenario in the context of ongoing Parliamentary elections." Learning about his visits to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Kumaraswamy also had a telephonic talk with Rao, the statement said. The chief minister's daughter and sitting Nizamabad Lok Sabha member K Kavitha told PTI recently that regional parties not aligned with the Congress and the BJP will get 120-plus seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, and may hold the key to government formation. She said the TRS is in touch with various parties not part of the BJP-led NDA and Congress-anchored UPA in its efforts to forge a federal front of regional outfits. A federal front will take good shape after the Lok Sabha election results are out, Kavitha said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : A total of 98.11 per cent of students has passed in this year's class X board examination the results of which were declared by the Kerala department Monday. Last year, the pass percentage was 97.84 compared to 95.98 per cent in 2017. Announcing the results, the secretary to department of public instructionsaid 4,26,513 students qualified for higher studies. A total of 37,334 students got 'A' plus in all the subjects, the official said, while pointing out that Pathanamthitta district in the state recorded the highest pass percentage at 99.33 per cent and Waynad the lowest at 93.22. The examinations were held from March 13 to 28 in which over 4.35 lakh students appeared. Students can check their results also on websites including www.dhsekerala.gov.in, www.dhsekerala.gov.in, www.kerala.gov.in, www.kerala.gov.in, www.keralaresults.nic. in, www.keralaresults.nic.in. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has distributed more than one lakh bee-boxes among farmers and unemployed youths across the country in less than two years under its 'Honey Mission' initiative, the commission said. KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said the commission has so far distributed 1,01,000 bee-boxes, which had happened for the first time in India. In a statement issued by KVIC, he also said that under the mission they have created more than 10,000 new jobs, besides creating around 25,000 additional man days through the fabrication of bee boxes and honey extractors. 'Honey Mission' was launched in August 2017 in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'Sweet Revolution' in 2016 while introducing Banas Honey project at Deesa in Gujarat's Banaskantha district, the statement said. "The KVIC has also provided beekeepers practical training about examination of honeybee colonies, acquaintance with apicultural equipments, identification and management of bee enemies and diseases, honey extraction and wax purification, and management of bee colonies in spring, summer, monsoon, autumn and winter seasons," Saxena said. He said that besides the production of healthy honey and wax, bee-keeping would open many job avenues for the unemployed youths and aspiring young entrepreneurs. "Being the nodal agency of Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), the KVIC would provide loans for setting up units of processing, packaging and labelling units for the honey," Saxena said. The statement said that under the mission so far 246 metric tonnes of honey has been extracted through these bee-boxes valuing over Rs 4 crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan authorities on Monday discovered a facility believed to be used as a training centre by the suicide bombers prior to the terror attacks on churches and luxury hotels on the Sunday that killed more than 250 people. Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on the Sunday. The Islamic State claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jammath (NTJ) for the attacks. The two-storey building was discovered in the Blackpool area in Nuwara Eliya. Details of this facility had surfaced during questioning of some suspects who were arrested in connection with the NTJ in Sainthamaruthu, Kalmunai, the Times Online reported. "It is believed that 38 members of the NTJ group including suicide bomber Zahran had received training at this facility prior to the recent terror attacks," it said. According to the preliminary investigations, the final training session which was attended by Zahran took place on April 17 - four days prior to the deadly attacks. Zahran, the mastermind behind the Easter blasts, led the attack on the Shangri-La hotel and was accompanied by a second bomber identified as Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim. He was killed inside the hotel where he blew himself up. The training centre had been set-up in the building that had been on rent. Police have arrested the owner of the house and two other individuals who had allegedly provided accommodation facilities at the building. The NTJ has no history of large-scale attacks. The group came to prominence last year when it was blamed for damaging Buddhist statues. All suicide bombers involved in the blasts are believed to be Sri Lankan nationals. In a statement issued through its propaganda 'Amaq' news agency two days after the attacks, the identified the attackers as Abu Ubayda, Abu al-Mukhtar, Abu Khalil, Abu Hamza, Abu al-Bara'a, Abu Muhammad and Abu Abdullah. last week used emergency powers to ban the NTJ and a splinter group identified as Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI). The move to ban the outfits came after the Lankan Parliament adopted a newly-enforced emergency regulation on Wednesday following a series of eight coordinated blasts, which ripped through three churches and three high-end hotels frequented by tourists on April 19 in the country's deadliest violence since the devastating civil war ended in 2009. Veteran Communist leader Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy sees a coalition of parties supported by the Congress to form the government at the Centre-- similar to the United Front regime more than two decades ago. The General Secretary of the Communist Party of India feels neither the NDA nor the UPA may get majority to form the government. "It may be a hung Parliament this time", Reddy told PTI Monday. Asked if Left parties were in favour of joining hands with the non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional outfits proposed by Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Reddy said they want to wait till the Lok Sabha election results come and then decide. "We are more inclined that there should be anti-BJP government. This front which KCR (Telangana CM) is proposing is trying to create an impression as if the regional parties get the majority. They will not get majority," he said. According to him, they have to either get the support of the BJP or the Congress or they have to support one of the fronts -- UPA or NDA. "And it shows, he (KCR) is more anti-Congress than anti-BJP. We (Left parties) are more anti-BJP than taking an anti-Congress stand. So, we have to wait and see the developments. We are not opposed to non-BJP, non-Congress government at the Centre, with the support of the Congress but not with the support of the BJP", Reddy said. "Maybe it's like United Front (government) earlier", he predicted, referring to the 13-party coalition between 1996 and 1998 supported from outside by the Congress. There might be a possibility the NDA may get the largest number of seats but it will be "very far off from the majority that's needed to form the government," Reddy claimed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN experts are investigating missile strikes near Libya's capital that were likely fired by Chinese-made drones and point to possible involvement by the United Arab Emirates, according to a confidential report seen by AFP on Monday. The April 19-20 missile attack on the southern suburbs of Tripoli was carried out as forces loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar battled to seize the capital from the UN-recognised government. A UN panel of experts said in the report to the Security Council that it had examined photographs of missile debris and had identified the weapon as a Blue Arrow air-to-surface missile, which has not been used in Libya before. That missile is only in use in three countries -- China, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates -- and is paired with the Chinese-made Wing Loong drone. "The panel is now investigating the probable use of Wing Loong UAV variants by the LNA, or by a third party in support of the LNA," -- Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), said the report. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are seen as key supporters of Haftar, praising his battlefield successes against the Islamic State group and other extremists in Libya. Haftar launched his offensive to seize Tripoli on April 4, but his push appears to have stalled after militias backing the government in Tripoli put up strong resistance. The experts said the use of the drones was "likely a recent non-compliance of the arms embargo as the weapon system reported on has not been identified in Libya before," according to the report sent to the council on Thursday. The council has been divided on how to address the crisis from Haftar's offensive, with Russia refusing to condemn the Libyan strongman and the United States taking some time to consider the situation. The panel presented an interim report after a key expert, Tunisian-German national Moncef Kartas, was arrested in Tunisia on suspicion of spying for unnamed "foreign parties." Kartas, who was looking into illegal arms shipments to Libya in violation of the embargo, was arrested on March 26, less than 10 days before Haftar launched his offensive. The arms embargo was imposed on Libya in 2011 as the country descended into chaos that led to the overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Haryana Police will deploy 64,000 security personnel including 4,680 drawn from the central forces on election duty in the state to ensure free and fair polls on May 12, officials said on Monday. Additional Director General of Police, Navdeep Singh Virk said here on Monday that 65 Companies of Central Armed Police forces (CAPF) comprising 4680 personnel will be deployed for security purposes for the general elections in the state. Of these, five companies have already arrived and were conducting flag marches along with state police in the districts to build a sense of security and confidence among the voters. Remaining 60 companies will be coming from Rajasthan on May 7 after the fifth phase of polling there, he said. "We are also requesting the Ministry of Home Affairs and Election Commission of India to allocate us more CAPF companies," he added. Virk said that 33,340 personnel of Haryana Police have been stationed across the state for election duty. Of these, 24,529 were already available with the districts and the remaining 8,811 have been arranged from other units. Apart from this, the services of 11,750 home guards volunteers and 8,063 Special Police Officers (SPOs) too will be utilised to supplement the forces. In addition, 5,788 police trainees will also be pressed into service for deployment in the election duty. He said that Director General of Police, Manoj Yadava had already directed all the senior police functionaries including district police chiefs to remain alert and make extra preparation for the smooth conduct of elections. Security agencies have also intensified the vigil in the state in run up to the election day. Nobody will be allowed to disrupt the polling process, he said. "We have already nabbed more than 1050 criminals and huge cache of illicit liquor, drugs and unaccounted cash has been confiscated during a special drive ahead of polls," Virk said. "Anyone who will try to disturb law and order and disrupt the polling process will be dealt severely as per law," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman and her husband were set ablaze allegedly by her father and relatives in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district as they were opposed to the couple's marriage, police said Monday. While the woman died of burn injuries at a Pune hospital on Sunday, the man is battling for life with over 40 per cent burns, an official said. Terming it an honour killing, Inspector Vijaykumar Botre of Parner tehsil here said Mangesh Chandrakant Ranasing (23) and his wife Rukmini Rama Bharathiya (23) were set ablaze as they married despite being from different castes. The incident happened on May 1 in Nighoj village, 60 kilometres from the district headquarters, he added. "Ranasingh, a construction worker and Rukmini got married in November last year against the wishes of her parents. On April 28, she came to Nighoj village to meet her parents. On May 1, Mangesh came to take her to their marital home," Botre said. However, her father Rama Bharathiya, her uncle Surendrakumar and maternal uncle Ghanshyam Ranej locked the couple in a room and set them ablaze on May 1, the official said. Neighbours who heard the couple's screams managed to rescue them and alert the police, he said, adding that all the accused managed to escape. "We rushed them to Sassoon Hospital in Pune where Rukmini died on Sunday while undergoing treatment. In her dying declaration, she has named the accused. We have arrested Surendrakumar and Ghanshyam. Accused Rama Bharathiya is absconding and efforts are on to nab him," Botre said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mali's president has named a new government after its predecessor resigned last month amid widespread protests over an upsurge of deadly inter-communal violence, a presidency statement said. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Sunday announced the new executive of 37 members under Prime Minister Boubou Cisse, who was appointed on April 22 to oversee the formation of a "broad-based" government. Last week, Cisse signed a pact with opposition and majority party representatives in the capital Bamako, declaring their willingness to set up a "politically-inclusive" new government. Cisse's predecessor Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga and his entire cabinet resigned on April 18 following the massacre of some 160 members of the Fulani herding community on March 23 in the village of Ogossagou near Mali's border with Burkina Faso. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets on April 5 to protest against an upsurge of violence that has claimed around 600 lives, and which demonstrators said the government had failed to stop. The new executive has as its foreign minister Tiebile Drame, who led the election campaign of opposition member Soumaila Cisse against Keita in 2018. Cisse's URD party said it would continue to play a "constructive" opposition role. The key portfolio of defence went to General Ibrahim Dahirou Dembele, former army chief of staff under the junta that emerged from a 2012 coup. The role of justice minister went to Malick Coulibaly, president of Mali's National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH), who has held the post before. UNAIDS chief Michel Sidibe, whose tenure at the agency was marred by allegations of serious mismanagement, was appointed health minister, the agency said. It was not immediately clear whether Sidibe will leave his UN post. But he had been scheduled to stand down in June following widespread concerns over his conduct in office, including his handling of sexual assault allegations against one of his top deputies. The new Mali government includes ten women, more than a quarter of the total but fewer than the previous team, which boasted about a third. Since the appearance of a jihadist group under preacher Amadou Koufa in central Mali in 2015, recruiting mainly among the Dogon -- a hunting and farming community -- clashes between the Dogon and the nomadic Fulani have intensified. Last week, the UN's MINUSMA mission said the Ogossagou massacre had been "planned, organised and coordinated" and could constitute a "crime against humanity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Being cheated on by his wife, a man allegedly strangulated her to death as she had threatened to file a police complaint against him following an argument between them in outer Delhi's Narela, police said Monday. The accused, Bhola (31), a resident of Bajpatti village in Sitamarhi district of Bihar, was arrested from Prayagraj station on Sunday, they said. The landlord of the accused had informed police a few days back about foul smell emanating from the rented room which was locked from outside. "Police reached the spot and broke open to door to find the decomposed body of a woman wrapped in a blanket. She was gagged with a piece of cloth and her limbs were also found tied," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Guarav Sharma said. The deceased was identified as Kajal and her husband, Bhola, who was last seen by the landlord on April 28, emerged as the main suspect, he said. An enquiry conducted at Sitamarhi revealed that Bhola had fled to Mumbai. However, on contacting his Mumbai-based friend, police learnt that Bhola had boarded a train to Sitamarhi on May 4, he added. The accused was arrested from Prayagraj station on Sunday, the DCP said. During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he and Kajal had a love marriage and have two children who live with his parents at his native village, the police officer said. She had disappeared for two-three months and he suspected that his wife was having an extra-marital affair. On April 29, she had come to Bhola and vowed that she will not go anywhere. However, a quarrel took place between them which turned ugly, Sharma said. When Kajal threatened to file a police complaint against him, Bhola strangulated her to death and tied her limbs, wrapped the body in a blanket and fled after locking the room, the officer said. It has been revealed that Kajal married one Saroj, a resident of Bhorgarh, in January 2019 without revealing that she is already married, he said. She also kelp Bhola in the dark about her other marriage and had claimed that Saroj was her brother, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Appointment of Chief Financial Officer Perth, May 6, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australian Potash Limited ( ASX:APC ) (APC or the Company) is pleased to advise the appointment of Mr Scott Nicholas to the position of Chief Financial Officer.Mr Nicholas brings significant experience to the Company across a broad range of financial disciplines in the resources sector, including large scale debt and equity project financings, construction and operations contract negotiations, asset acquisitions, and the negotiation and execution of offtake agreements.Managing Director and CEO, Matt Shackleton, commented: "As we progress through the final two programs of work in the field, we are turning our attention to the next phase in our development and are very pleased to welcome to our team a person of Scott's proven experience and abilities."As an experienced CFO, Scott has in the past built debt-equity project financing books in excess of A$500m and been instrumental in all facets of project development, from asset acquisition through to production, including the detailed and complex contract negotiations those processes entail. Scott is going to be a tremendous addition to our team."Mr Nicholas is a Chartered Accountant, who holds a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and a Bachelor of Laws & Commerce.In 2015, he was one of the founding directors and CFO of MACH Energy Australia Pty Ltd, a company that acquired the greenfield Mt Pleasant coal project from Rio Tinto for $US220m. He subsequently lead the debt, equity and guarantee financing for the development of the 10.5mtpa operation and was involved in the tender & negotiation processes for the construction, operations, and offtake contracts.Prior to MACH, Mr Nicholas acquired significant ASX and compliance experience with Atlantic Limited as CFO. In this role Mr Nicholas was instrumental in raising over A$500m in debt and equity to acquire, develop, and commission a Western Australian vanadium project.Mr Nicholas began his career at KPMG and subsequently at Ernst & Young in the Corporate Finance practice.About Australian Potash Ltd Australian Potash Limited (ASX:APC) is an ASX-listed Sulphate of Potash (SOP) developer. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Lake Wells Potash Project located approximately 500kms northeast of Kalgoorlie, in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields. Following the release of a Scoping Study in 2017, APC has been conducting a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) into the development of the Lake Wells Potash Project. The Company is aiming to release the findings of the DFS in H2 2019. The Lake Wells Potash Project is a palaeochannel brine hosted sulphate of potash project. Palaeochannel bore fields supply large volumes of brine to many existing mining operations throughout Western Australia, and this technique is a well understood and proven method for extracting brine. APC will use this technically low-risk and commonly used brine extraction model to further develop a bore-field into the palaeochannel hosting the Lake Wells SOP resource. A Scoping Study on the Lake Wells Potash Project was completed and released on 23 March 2017. The Scoping Study exceeded expectations and confirmed that the Project's economic and technical aspects are all exceptionally strong, and highlights APC's potential to become a significant long-life, low capital and high margin sulphate of potash (SOP) producer. A 27-year-old man absconding for over three years after allegedly raping a minor girl was recently arrested by the Mumbai police from Delhi, an official said Monday. Mohammad Nisar Shamshad Khan had broken into a house in suburban Ghatkopar in March, 2016 and had allegedly raped the girl and fled with Rs 40,000 cash and gold worth Rs 60,000, an official said. A case of rape and theft was registered at Ghatkopar police station at the time and, as part of the probe, police had also visited Uttar Pradesh to nab Khan, he said. Mumbai Crime Branch's Unit VII, which was conducting parallel investigation in the case, recently got a tip-off that Khan was working at a bank in New Delhi. "A trap was laid and he was nabbed. He was brought to Mumbai and has been handed over to Ghatkopar police for further action," the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 30-year-old man was shot dead allegedly by two unidentified bike-borne assailants in south Delhi's Saket on Monday afternoon, police said. The victim, Prince, was on his way to a mall in Saket along with his friends after attending a court hearing at around 3 PM when the accused opened fire at him. "The injured was rushed to the hospital by his friends in an auto rickshaw where he later succumbed to his injuries," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Vijay Kumar said. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway, he said. During an inquiry, it was learnt that Prince was a bad character of Malviya Nagar police station area and was involved in multiple criminal cases, Kumar said. The victim had an ongoing enmity with another bad character of Aya Nagar police station area, he said. CCTV footage of the area is being scanned to identify the accused persons and ascertain the sequence of events, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ruling Nepal Communist Party president Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Monday said armed revolutions have not been able to change any system and that that is why Maoists have chosen the peaceful and democratic path in the country. Prachanda, who was once a strong proponent of armed struggle in the Himalayan kingdom to overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic country, said there is a need for serious discussion on Marxist ideology and its experiment in Nepal. Addressing a programme organised here to mark the 201st birth anniversary of Karl Marx, a German philosopher who is considered the father of communism', he said several armed revolutions have failed in the world context. Such revolutions have not been able to change any system...That is why we have chosen the peaceful and democratic way out," Prachanda, who is a former Moaist leader, said. He said socialism will not come through the development of capitalism, and neither it can be brought without dismantling the feudal system. We need to develop nationalist capital and need to bring movement in ideology and organisation if we are to establish a system based on socialist ideology...A conscious jolt is needed to bring a socialist revolution in the country, the former prime minister said. He said there is a need for serious discussion on Marxist ideology and its experiment in Nepal. Addressing the event, senior NCP leader Jhalanath Khanal said the Karl Marx thoughts are highly relevant in the contemporary global "It is not possible to go for socialism if we did not transform ourselves in line with the spirit of the 21st century," he pointed out. Khanal praised the Chinese model of economic development which is based on socialism. "China has achieved sound and stable economic growth by adopting unique type of socialism. The country has been able to lift millions of people out of the poverty in the past three decades which is exemplary, he said, adding, "We can learn from China in terms of successful practice of the socialism." Marx, a socialist revolutionary, was an advocate for communism. He laid the foundation for the understanding of labour and its relation to capital. His book Das Capital' showed the world the way towards a classless society. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maoists allegedly killed a person in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on suspicion of him being a police informer, the second such incident in the area in the last two days, a police official said on Monday. The victim, Sudhir Sarkar, was abducted by Maoists from Bande village in Etapalli tehsil on Sunday evening. The body was found late in the night in a forest near the village, he said. On Saturday, a person was abducted on similar suspicion by Maoists from a marriage function in Mardhar village, the official said. The body was later found near the village, he said. In January, at least six people were killed by Maoists in separate incidents in the district over suspicion that they were working for the police, the official added. On May 1, Naxals detonated an IED (improvised explosive device) in Kurkheda tehsil here, killing 15 Quick Response Team personnel and their vehicle driver. The policemen were travelling to inspect a site where Maoists torched 27 vehicles belonging to a road contractor earlier that day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court has said that the marriage of a 56-year-old advocate with a minor girl was valid after she expressed her willingness to live with him after turning 18. A division bench of justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre said this in its judgement last week while hearing a petition filed by the advocate seeking to quash a rape case lodged against him for marrying a 14-year-old girl. The complainant, who is now 18 years' old, got "married" to the advocate, then aged 52, in 2014. In her complaint, she alleged that she was forced into the marriage by her grandparents. The advocate was subsequently in judicial custody for around 10 months and then released on bail. The girl turned 18 on September 17, 2018, after which the advocate moved HC, seeking quashing of the case. The woman last week filed an affidavit in the HC saying she has settled the dispute and wants to now cohabit with her husband and hence, has no objection for the case to be quashed. Additional public prosecutor Aruna Kamat Pai opposed the petition, saying quashing such a case would set a bad precedent and send a wrong signal to the public at large. The bench, in its order of May 2, however, noted that it was concerned about the woman's welfare. "Undisputedly she was a minor at the time of her marriage with the accused but now she has become major and has expressed her willingness to cohabit with the accused person," the court said in its order. "Since the complainant is ready to cohabit with the petitioner (advocate) as his legally wedded wife, the marriage, which otherwise is voidable, becomes valid," the court said. "We are also of the opinion that ultimately the complainant (woman) will suffer if the subject case is allowed to go on as she is now married and no one in the society would accept her as wife, and we think that at this stage securing her future is of prime importance," it said. The bench directed the woman's husband to transfer 10 acres land in her name, open a fixed deposit (FD) account with Rs 7 lakh for her and ensure that she finishes her education. The bench directed the police not to take any steps towards probing in the case. The court adjourned the case to September, when it will see if the order has been complied with, and decide whether to quash the case. The woman's husband was arrested by the city police in December 2017 for rape and other offences under the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Global card payments major Monday said it will invest USD 1 billion (about Rs 7,000 crore) in in the next five years and plans to make the country a global technology node for its platforms. The company has already invested USD 1 billion in the Indian market in the last five years. "Over the last five years, we invested about USD 1 billion in Given our increasing confidence in the Indian economy, where it is likely to be over the coming decade, we are stepping up on our investment commitment in We are committing another USD 1 billion into India (for next five years)," Ari Sarker, co-president, Asia Pacific, said in an interaction here. The most crucial thing about this investment is that is building India as a global technology node for its global platforms, he said. This investment will help foster innovation and increase Mastercard's speed-to-market capabilities and value-added services. "What we mean by that is as a payments network we are a global network. All our transactions traverse towards a global network where the technology centres are in the US. And now India is going to become the first country outside of the which will have a global technology node," he said. Building the India technology node will mean that company's processing services, authentication services, tokenisation services and all other service layers that ride around the card payment industry will have an India presence. "This is going to be great for us, not only for the India market. This is going to give us the ability that how we can use the India global node for any other country's traffic as we balance our global network and presence," Sarker further said. Of the USD 1 billion investment, over USD 300 million will be used to develop the India technology node. The rest of the investment will go towards existing services and expanding capacity among others, Sarker said. "We are also going to expand our existing capabilities and do more. We are also looking at partnerships, investment opportunities in a more significant way for India. We also think India's fintech growth is extremely exciting," he said. In India, cards continue to be the most preferred means of digital payment. There were as many as 990.6 million cards (46 million and 945 million debit cards) at the end of February 2019, according to RBI data. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said that the media chasing cases against Pragya Thakur should also ask questions to leaders who indulged in corruption in the past. "I tell the media to bring the issue of corruption done in the past before the people of the country and it must tell the Congress is hanging around the corrupt politicians (Lalu Yadav and Madhu Koda)," Modi said. He said media is chasing every small and big BJP leaders and asking questions about cases related to Pragya Thakur. Thakur is an accused in the Malegaon blast case. Thakur is pitted against Congress candidate Digvijay Singh on Bhopal Lok Sabha seat. Taking on the Congress, Modi said that its manifesto, which is a "dhakosla patra (sham paper)" wants to scrap laws which protects the security forces and also promises to do away with the sedition law. Modi said his government at the Centre and the Raghubar Das government in Jharkhand have worked to eradicate naxalism and tightened the screw against terrorism. But, the Congress manifesto shows that the grand old party is bent upon encouraging these elements. The BJP governments are committed for welfare of all sections of the society, including empowerment of the women, he said. The prime minister assured the tribals that his government would protect their jal, jungle and jameen (water, forest and land) and clarified them that no one can snatch their land till he is there. "Our commitment is about tribal welfare," he told an election rally here in support of BJP candidates Laxman Gilua and B B Mahato from Singhbhum (ST) and Jamshedpur respectively. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Health-tech platform Medlife Monday said it has acquired Bengaluru-based medicine delivery startup, Myra Medicines. Myra's acquisition will enable the company to strengthen its pharma business and accrue profits, Medlife said in a statement. The company, however, did not provide financial details of the acquisition. While Myra was earlier handling about 4,000 deliveries a day in Bengaluru alone, its services are now ready to be scaled across 22 cities this quarter, it added. Medlife Founder and CEO Tushar Kumar said, "Our acquisition of Myra Medicines will be a game changer in the delivery of quality services for access to medicines". Medlife is currently servicing over 20,000 deliveries every day across 29 states and having Myra on board will further strengthen its standing as a dependable and reliable partner for people's health, he added. "Myra was established with the vision of ensuring timely access to medicines across the country. We have implemented the model successfully in Bengaluru; but now with Medlife's support, the services will be extended to several other cities," Myra Medicines Co-Founders Faizan Aziz and Anirudh Coontoor said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It's a "healthy" baby boy for Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle, making him seventh-in-line to the British throne. The 34-year-old father, Duke of Sussex, was present at the birth of his boy, who weighs 3.2 kg. The new father, Prince Harry, told reporters that Meghan and the baby were doing "incredibly well" and that the couple were "absolutely thrilled" since the birth at 0526 am (local time). "It's been the most amazing experience I can ever possibly imagine. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension, said Prince Harry, making a brief media appearance as a new father. "It was amazing, absolutely incredible. I'm so incredibly proud of my wife and as every father would say, this baby is absolutely to die for So, I'm just over the moon," he said, confirming that the baby was "a little bit overdue" and that the couple were still deciding on a name. "The couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives," the palace said, adding that, "More details will be shared in the forthcoming days." Meghan, 37, went into labour "in the early hours" of Monday morning. The new royal baby, as Queen Elizabeth II's eighth great grandchild, will be seventh-in-line to the British throne. He or she will be in line behind its grandfather Prince Charles, uncle Prince William and his children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and father Harry, Duke of Sussex. However, the baby will not be bestowed a title of His or Her Royal Highness (HRH), or referred to as a Prince or Princess, unless the 93-year-old monarch steps in to make an exception to the royal titles rule dating back to 1917. The boy will be able to use one of Harry's lesser titles to be known as the Earl of Dumbarton. Meghan, a former actress, and Harry got married at a lavish wedding ceremony in Windsor Castle in May last year and announced the pregnancy publicly in October 2018, on the first day of their Commonwealth tour of Australia and New Zealand. In a break from usual royal tradition, the couple have chosen to keep the birthing plans for their baby a private affair and said that they would be announcing the birth publicly only "once they have a chance to celebrate privately as a family". The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had moved out of their London home at Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace into their newly-refurbished 10-bedroom family home at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor on the Queen's estate recently in preparation of the new arrival. Their new home has a curious Indian history as the cottage which was a royal gift to Abdul Karim by Queen Victoria, then Empress of India, in recognition of his service and as a sign of her affection towards her Indian aide and confidant. Karim, whom the monarch referred to as her Munshi, was just 24 when he arrived in England from Agra to present Victoria with a special mohar or gold coin to mark her Golden Jubilee in 1887. He quickly grew close to the ageing monarch, who bestowed many gifts on him including Frogmore Cottage for his own use. "Queen Victoria gave it to Abdul Karim, as a special gift. She would often visit the cottage and have tea with his wife and him. He had decorated the house with many exotic things, including presents given to him by European royalty," said Shrabani Basu, the author of Victoria and Abdul: The Extraordinary True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant'. Harry and Meghan, who have been based at Frogmore Cottage since early April, were appointed Youth Ambassadors for the Commonwealth by the Queen and there have been some speculative UK media reports on them choosing to be based in Africa as part of that role in the future. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Roadshow Presentation Sydney, May 6, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - MNF Group Ltd ( ASX:MNF ) provides the Company's latest presentation at US Roadshow.Introduction to MNF Group- MNF Group Limited ( ASX:MNF ) delivers cloud and software led solutions that enable voice communication services for its customers- Develops and operates a global communications 'smart network' and innovative software suite enabling some of the world's leading innovators to deliver new-generation communications solutions- One of Asia-Pacific's fastest growing technology companies and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with over 450 people located across Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America- Growth leveraged to the "once in a generation" global shift to cloud based communications, and is a leader in the space in Asia-PacificTo view the full presentation, please visit:About Symbio Holdings Limited Symbio Holdings Limited (ASX:SYM) is one of Asia-Pacific's fastest growing technology companies. Listed on the ASX since 2006 and twice winner of the Forbes Asia-Pacific "Best under a Billion" award. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, the company has over 500 people located across Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. Symbio develops and operates a global communications network and software suite enabling some of the world's leading innovators to deliver new-generation communications solutions. As the world moves to IP, Symbio is building the brands, services, network and technology to lead the way. The BJP Monday launched a new campaign slogan targeting the national capital, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi being at the centre of it. With the catchphrase 'Dilli ke dil me hai josh, Dilli ke dil me hai Modi' (There is enthusiasm in Delhi's heart, Modi is in Delhi's heart), the BJP released advertisement videos to reach out to people. All the seven Lok Sabha seats of Delhi will go to the polls in the sixth phase of the general election on May 12. The placement of Modi at the centre of its campaign underlines the saffron party's thrust to transcend local issues and make the choice for people all about its main leader whose popularity, it believes, will help it rise above city-specific concerns and debate over candidates. Riding the 'Modi wave', the BJP had won all the seven seats in 2014. The has dropped two of its MPs this time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday threw a challenge at the Congress, asking it to contest the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha elections in the name of Rajiv Gandhi, who he recently dubbed as "bhrashtachari no. 1". He also dared the Congress to a debate on the Bofors scandal and other issues ahead of the last two phases of the polling. "A few days ago I had called a member of the naamdar parivar (dynasty) as 'bhrashtachari (corrupt) no. 1' and some people got such a severe stomach ache that they started crying aloud. The more they cry, the more will today's generation come to know of the old truths. "How a family looted the country in the 20th century, destroyed it - the youth of the country should know. I am challenging the Congress from this dais that when polling takes place in the remaining phases in Punjab, Delhi and in Bhopal let it fight the elections in the name of Rajiv Gandhi. I am hopeful that the Congress will accept this challenge," he told an election rally. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been repeatedly daring Modi to debate on issues of national security, especially the Rafale fighter jet deal, asserting that when it happens, the truth will be out in the open. Responding to Modi's comments that his father Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as "Bhrashtachari No 1," Rahul Gandhi had on Sunday 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" Modi, without naming anyone, said, "A member of the 'naamdar parivar' is abusing the prime minister for the last one year, without caring for the dignity (of the chair)... You do not have respect for the PM's post". Claiming that the 'Mahamilawati' (a motley group of opposition parties) have surrendered after four phases of polling and are floundering during the fifth phase on Monday, the prime minister said, "Let the Congress and its allies take the challenge to fight over Bofors issue in the remaining phases. "Don't run away, this is democracy. Where did the ex- PM take the country?" he said. Alleging that the Congress had done "injustice" to the country over the past 70 years, Modi said he cannot claim to have completely negate it in five years. "But I have cleaned it up to the maximum extent." Accusing the Congress of making an independent MLA (Madhu Koda), who was convicted in a coal scam case and is now on bail, the chief minister of Jharkhand, Modi said now the Congress has given ticket to a member of his family (Gita Koda) to contest from Singhbhum. "This is shameful," he said. Modi also mentioned Congress' alliance with Lalu Prasad's RJD in this context. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday accused Chief Minister of doing "cheap politics" over cyclone Fani, claiming she did not speak to him when he tried to contact her to talk about the calamity. He alleged his efforts to talk to state government officials to take stock of the situation too was "scuttled" by Banerjee. Modi also accused Banerjee of "religious intolerance", and said people were being arrested for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram'. He dared the chief minister to have him arrested for the chant hailing the Lord. "Today, I am back from Odisha after reviewing the situation in the aftermath of the cyclone. I had called 'Didi' twice to discuss the issue with her. I waited for her to call back, but she did not respond. "She is so arrogant that she did not speak to me. 'Speedbreaker' Didi is more interested in doing cheap politics instead of tackling the situation," Modi told election rallies in Tamluk and Jhargram. Cyclone Fani left a trail of death and destruction in Odisha and also hit parts of Modi said even today he wanted to speak to Banerjee and state officials to take stock of the situation but the chief minister did not allow that to happen. Banerjee responded to the prime minister's criticism, saying she could not talk to him because she was camping in Kharagpur to monitor the situation as the cyclone advanced towards Addressing an election rally in Gopiballavpur sub-division of Jhargram, Banerjee said Modi had indeed called her for a meeting at Kalaikunda, where he landed for an election meeting after touring cyclone-battered Odisha. "Are we his servants that we have to go wherever he beckons? Now he will allege that I have not responded and not extended cooperation. "My (poll) meeting at Jhargram today was already fixed. Election is on in West Bengal, while it is over in Odisha. Why should I share dais with an expiry prime minister during election time?" Banerjee shot back. A huge controversy has erupted over Modi's failure to get in touch with Banerjee to discuss the situation that obtained in the wake of the cyclone. As he could not get through to the chief minister, Modi had called up Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi. He, however, spoke to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had accused the prime minister of by-passing the chief minister in disregard for the federal structure of the polity. A senior central government official had, however, rejected the allegation, claiming Modi called up Banerjee who did not return it. Modi on Monday invoked Lord Ram at his rallies and said people in West Bengal were facing hurdles even in following their religious beliefs. "In Bengal, people face obstacles even while performing pujas and religious rituals. Things have reached such a point that if you chant 'Jai Shri Ram', you will be put behind bars," he said. The prime minister was obviously referring to a recent incident where three people were arrested allegedly for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' when Banerjee's convoy was passing by. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. While hailing Lord Ram with the chant at his Jhargram rally, Modi dared Banerjee to have him arrested. "Didi has thrown people into jail for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram'. I thought of greeting her with the chant so she can throw me behind bars, too. I will then serve the innocent people who are in jail for chanting in praise of Lord Ram," he said. "The arrogance of many a mighty gets shattered in front of the Lord. You too will lose your arrogance, Didi," Modi said. Addressing an election rally in Bishnupur, Banerjee snapped back, insisting 'Jai Shri Ram' was a slogan of the BJP , which used it during elections. "Does Ramchandra become BJP's election agent when polls come?" she asked, asserting the slogans of the people of Bengal were "Vande mataram" of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and "Jai Hind" of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Referring to the recent comments by CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, Modi said it is fashionable for communists to abuse religion. "I can understand if communists abuse religion. Even those who have Sita and Ram in their names don't respect religion. It is fashionable for them to make derogatory references to our holy books and our religion," Modi said. Yechury had recently said Ramayana and Mahabharata were specimens of Hindu violence. On the UN designating terror group JeM chief Masood Azhar a "global terrorist", the prime minister said, Banerjee did not welcome the development fearing her "votebank" will get angry with her. Modi claimed the TMC would win hardly 10 of the state's 42 Lok Sabha seats, and Banerjee's dream of becoming the prime minister with the help of 'Mahamilawati' alliance will be dashed. "Your model of chomki and dhamki (threat and intimidation) will no longer work in Bengal. You cannot snatch away the right to vote freely and fairly. Your political ground is fast slipping away. People have decided to defeat her. She has lost her mental balance." he said. Modi said West Bengal under Banerjee was known for "triple T -- Trinamool, Tolabaazi, Tax". In local parlance, 'tolabaazi' roughly means organised extortion. Maintaining that the state has already seen three political ideologies -Naampanthi (people who rule by using the name of family--Congress), Vaampanthi (Leftist), Daam aur Damanpanthi (people who rule through corruption and oppression--TMC)-- Modi said time has come for it to adopt "Vikaspanthi" (people wedded to the ideology of development) represented by the BJP. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to take personal credit for the action of the armed forces and said "surgical strike" was just a new jargon for cross-border raids. "Modi is trying to take personal credit for the Balakot air strike... The prime minister had not done anything, said Singh. Was he (Modi) there in 1965, 1975 or Kargil," asked the CM, pointing out that it was former prime minister Indira Gandhi who did 'tukdas' (division) of Pakistan by breaking it into two in 1971 and gave full credit to the Indian Army and Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw. Gandhi had attributed the victory to the valour of the Army, which is what Modi should have done now, he added. Surgical strike was just a new jargon, a 'jumla', like the others the BJP had come out with, for cross-border raids which had been happening for the past 70 years, he said. Modi was simply trying to usurp the courageous acts of the defence services, he said, adding that it was the India's Army and nobody's "personal possession". Empathising with the problems of the state's distressed farmers, Singh announced his government's decision to allow sowing of paddy a week ahead of the schedule. The farmers will be allowed to sow paddy from June 13, the CM announced at a rally here in support of Congress candidate from Anandpur Sahib seat Manish Tewari. He also announced that the Punjab State Power Corp Ltd will pay compensation to those farmers whose crop had been damaged by fire due to electrical spark from the main lines during the recent unseasonal rains. Pointing out that a special 'girdawari' (inspection) was already under way to assess crop damage due to the rains, the CM said losses due to fires caused by any other reasons will be compensated from his own relief fund. We will compensate each and every farmer, he said. Kick-starting his campaign for the Lok Sabha election in the state from this land of martyrs, Singh reiterated his government would build a memorial for all Punjabis who had laid down their lives during the independence struggle, many of whom still unknown. On the issues of farmers, the chief minister made it clear that his government would not allow any value cut on minimum support prices by the central government. Even as he came down heavily on the Centre for failing to support the state government's farm debt waiver scheme, he lashed out at the Modi government for allegedly diverting four lakh gunny bags (16,000 bales) to Haryana to create problems for Punjab, which is expecting a bumper wheat crop this season. They should be ashamed of themselves for penalizing the poor farmers for their political ends, he said. Slamming the Akalis over the spate of cases of desecration of holy texts in the state during their rule, he vowed that he would not spare anyone found guilty. They will have to pay for their misdeeds, he warned. The CM lashed out at the Akalis for their total failure on all fronts, noting that his government filled up 40,000 vacancies that the previous government had failed to fill. Asserting that his government still had three more years to go, the Punjab chief minister asserted every single promise made by him and his party would be fulfilled. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of unleashing "tax terrorism" on traders and "destroying" the country's financial system. The BJP, which used to be traders' party, has "broken the backbone" of the community, he alleged, adding thousands notices are being sent to traders and all this is being done with the intention of "extorting" money from them. "The Modi government has unleashed 'tax terrorism' on traders," Kejriwal told reporters here. "The policies of the Modi government have ruined traders. In a single stroke, demonetisation brought endless miseries to traders. When the traders' community had barely recovered from this rude shock, the Modi government hastily brought in the GST, which nobody could understand since it was implemented without any proper planning," he alleged. After note ban, the next jolt came in the form of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which led to the closure of many shops and factories, causing loss of numerous jobs and heaped miseries on traders, the AAP leader claimed, adding under the Modi government, the traders' community is feeling "orphaned". "I want to appeal to the traders of Delhi that so far you were with Modi, what did you get? Now build a relationship with Kejriwal, he will honour the relationship with you till his last breath," he told reporters. Referring to the violence in Mayapuri on April 13, Kejriwal claimed that the AAP intervened and stopped sealing drive. "Give all the seven Lok Sabha seats (of Delhi) to us, I will ensure that there is no sealing in the national capital. You (traders) strengthen our hands, we will ensure justice," he said. Around 14 officials were injured after clashes broke out between the security personnel and scrap dealers during the sealing drive in Mayapuri on April 13. However the AAP had shared a video on Twitter purportedly showing security personnel resorting to stone pelting, which Kejriwal had dubbed "extremely shameful". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three men, including an employee of a multiplex chain, were arrested for allegedly duping the company of Rs 14 lakh in west Delhi, police said on Monday. According to a complaint by the manager, one person arrived at the multiplex in Naraina area on April 30, claiming to be a representative of the private firm appointed by the bank that collects the cash of the theatre. The accused entered his fake particulars at the security register, produced his identity card and took away Rs 14.14 lakh from the multiplex's accountant, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Monika Bhardwaj said. The fraud came to light when the real representative the cash-collecting firm reached at spot. The manager also alleged that the accountant did not thoroughly verify the accused while handing over the cash, Bhardwaj said. After scanning the CCTV footage, and interrogation, it was revealed that an employee, Amreek Singh, had hatched the conspiracy. The accused procured a SIM card on forged documents and called the accountant, pretending himself to be an collection agent. He sent his friend, Amit Singh, who has criminal records, to collect the money, the officer said. Amreek Singh (41), Amit Singh (38) and Amreek Singh (26) were arrested, and Rs 12.40 lakh was recovered, she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An international all-woman team of researchers will soon embark on an expedition to study plastic pollution in river Ganga and document the flow of plastic waste from source to sea, the National Geographic Society said Monday. The expedition Sea to Source: Ganges will offer a unique and unprecedented opportunity to scientifically document plastic waste in a watershed and develop holistic and inclusive solutions, it said. "An international, all-female expedition team will study plastic pollution in one of the world's most iconic waterways the Ganges River (known locally as Ganga and Padma)," it said. The team plans to share its expedition experiences real-time on National Geographic's website (https://www.nationalgeographic.org/). The expedition is likely to begin towards the end of this month. It will be done in partnership with Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the University of Dhaka and WildTeam, and is part of National Geographic's journey to better understand and document how plastic waste travels from source to sea and to fill critical knowledge gaps around plastic flow, load and composition, it said in a statement. "The expedition will offer a unique and unprecedented opportunity to scientifically document plastic waste in a watershed and develop holistic and inclusive solutions," it said. According to the Washington-based non-profit organisation, the ocean is clogged with an estimated nine million tonnes of plastic every year, and rivers play a significant role in this problem as they act as conveyor belts for plastic debris flowing into the ocean. "The 'Sea to Source: Ganges' expedition is the first of several international river expeditions planned as part of National Geographic's 'Planet or Plastic' initiative, which aims to significantly reduce the amount of single-use plastic that reaches the ocean. "After an initial expedition to the Ganges, the team plans to replicate the expedition after the monsoon season to capture seasonal variations," it stated. The expedition team of 15 scientists and engineers, co-led by National Geographic Fellows Jenna Jambeck and Heather Koldewey, will work with international partners to provide science-based, actionable information to build capacity for local solutions. "National Geographic is deeply committed to advancing solutions to the plastic waste crisis. These expeditions are a tremendous opportunity to mobilize a global community of experts to help tackle the problem," Valerie Craig, vice president of operating programmes at the National Geographic Society was quoted as saying in the statement. "I'm particularly delighted that this expedition elevates women in science, technology, engineering and math around the world to help us understand how plastic moves through our waterways and ultimately to find ways to prevent plastic waste from entering the ocean," she said. As part of its commitment to reduce plastic pollution from entering the ocean, the team aims to be friendly and single-use-plastic-free throughout the expedition. The expedition will focus on plastic pollution in three key areas: land, water and people. "The team working on the land portion will collect data on the input and use of plastic in communities, and how waste is collected and managed, and will quantify the movement and type of plastic in the The water team will study plastic pollution in the air, water, sediment and species in and around the river," the statement said. The socioeconomic team will survey local communities along the expedition route to better understand awareness and perceptions of plastic pollution, household plastic waste management and local solutions for addressing this issue, the Society said. During the expedition, the team will work with local stakeholders to translate its scientific findings, using storytelling to raise awareness about plastic pollution and drive behaviour change, it added. "This is the largest ever all-female National Geographic expedition; the first time there has been a four-dimensional comprehensive investigation of the plastic pollution issue at this scale across sediment, water, air and land," the statement said. This initial expedition is planned to begin in the Bay of Bengal through the Padma River and to end at the source of the Ganges in the Himalaya. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency -- the powerhouse seat which is home to some of the most affluent residential areas and busy trading hubs, anger among traders over the Supreme Court-monitored sealing drive is the main talking point. Issues like the Seventh Pay Commission provisions, water, sanitation and pollution may also be the deciding factors in election scheduled for May 12. The sealing drive was first launched in 2006 and the last round began in December 2017. Traders' bodies, including the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), have been very vocal about the issue, demanding promulgation of an ordinance to stop sealing in the city. CAIT's secretary general Praveen Khandelwal has said lakhs of traders have been badly hit by the sealing drive. Former president of Paper Merchants Association, Delhi, Rajinder Gupta has said the sealing drive "really broke the back of traders" and frustration is bound to be there as it's a matter of livelihood. With the BJP-ruled municipal corporations at the centre of the action, the party, which has represented the seat maximum number of times, may find the going tough. However, the party's sitting MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who has been renominated from the seat, is confident that her "stellar" report card would pave the way for her return to the Lok Sabha. On the sealing issue, the 52-year-old lawyer has said her Congress rival Ajay Maken's "shoddy work as Union development minister is responsible for the chaos". Lekhi has said water crisis, garbage disposal and pollution are the major issues in her constituency. She has said there are areas, like a government employees residential complex in central Delhi, which, until now, lack direct water supply and use groundwater instead. Lekhi was the only woman candidate to win from the national capital in the 2014 general election. She polled 4,53,350 votes, defeating Ashish Khetan of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), her closest rival, by a comfortable margin of 1,62,708 votes. Maken stood third with 1,82,893 votes. Maken (55), who has represented New Delhi seat twice, from 2004 to 2014, is trying to encash the sentiment among government employees against the "draconian" provisions of the Seventh Pay Commission. Voters, however, are divided on the issue. Vipin Tyagi, a government employee living in Malviya Nagar, said the reduction in dearness allowance by the Seventh Pay Commission from 123 per cent to 12 per cent is unjustifiable. Anil Kumar (59), a central government employee and a resident of Rajinder Nagar, is happy about the house rent allowance being increased to 24 per cent and the annual increment rate being hiked to 3 per cent from the existing 2.5 per cent. Maken has said that as the Union urban development minister, he brought in a legislation to stop sealing within a week in May 2006 and would do the same after winning the election. The three-time Delhi MLA, who quit the post of Congress' Delhi unit president due to ill health in January, believes that a "resurgent" Congress, led by party president Rahul Gandhi, will repeat its 2004 performance and bag all the seven seats in the national capital. The AAP has placed its bets on Brijesh Goyal, a first-timer and the head of the party's traders' wing, hoping to benefit from the anger in the community over the "unjust" sealing of commercial spaces. Known for connecting with voters during yoga sessions and morning walks, Goyal hopes to translate the "popularity" of AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal into votes. The AAP candidate claims his rivals are "inaccessible and unavailable", while he tries to strike a personal chord with every voter and this will propel him to victory. The oldest of the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in the national capital, New Delhi is home to seats of power such as Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament and prime minister's residence, besides the Supreme Court. The high profile seat, which came into existence in 1951, was represented by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP veteran L K Advani between 1977 and 1991. It comprises 10 assembly segments -- Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Moti Nagar, Delhi Cantt, Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi, Kasturba Nagar, Malviya Nagar, R K Puram, and Greater Kailash. There are 16,15,994 voters in the seat. These include 8,95,079 men, 7,20,891 women and 24 people belonging to the third gender. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The NIA filed a chargesheet against two Kashmiri men in connection with grenade attacks at a police station in Maqsudan, Jalandhar last year, officials said Monday. In the four attacks that took place on September 14, 2018, one police personnel had sustained splinter injuries, they said. The agency had arrested Fazil Bashir Pinchoo and Shahid Quyoom, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir's Awantipora, on November 8, 2018, they said. An NIA spokesperson said the two had carried out the attacks with Rouf Ahmed Mir and Ummer Ramzan to wage a war against India and further the conspiracy to destabilise the law and order situation in Punjab. "While Pinchoo and Quyoom were studying at St Soldiers Institute, Jalandhar, Rouf Ahmed Mir and Ummer Ramzan had travelled from Awantipora to Jalandhar on September 13, 2018 to take part in the attack," he said. Probe revealed that the four had allegedly targeted Maqsudan police station with Amir Nazir Mir and Rasik Ahmed Mir under a conspiracy by Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), led by its self-styled chief Zakir Rashid Bhat alias Zakir Musa, to target security installations in the country, he said. "All the accused persons are cadres of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), a Kashmir-based terrorist outfit with a Pan-Islamic ideology," the spokesperson said. The NIA alleged Bashir and Quyoom had collected four hand grenades from an unknown cadre of AGH near Verka Plant, Jalandhar on September 9, 2018. On September 13, 2018, Rauf Ahmed Mir and Ummer Ramzan travelled from Kashmir to Chandigarh on a private airlines flight and to Jalandhar by road, the NIA alleged. They did a recce of potential targets on September 13 itself and after selecting the police station building, attacked it at around 7:5 pm on September 14, 2018. After the attack, they left for Kashmir, the spokesperson said. Three accused, Rouf Ahmed Mir, Ramzan and Rasik Ahmed Mir, were killed during an encounter between the AGH cadres and security forces on December 22, 2018 at Arampora village in Awantipora, he said "The chargesheet has been filed in the Special NIA Court, Mohali, against Fazil Bashir Pinchoo and Sahid Quyoom. ?Further investigation continues with respect to the other accused, including Zakir Musa," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here Monday allowed the NIA four-day custody of a man arrested by the agency on the charge of conspiring to carry out a suicide attack in Kerala. A NIA court granted the custody of 29-year-old Riyas A, also known as Riyas Aboobacker or Abu Dujana, who is a follower of Sri Lankan Easter bombing mastermind Zahran Hashim. Riyas was remanded to judicial custody when he was produced before the court. He was picked up on April 28 in connection with an ISIS module case. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had sought five-day custodial interrogation before the special court. According to the NIA, during interrogation soon after he was taken into custody, Riyas had disclosed that he had been following speeches and videos of Hashim for more than a year. He allegedly also followed the speeches of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. Riyas had admitted that he wanted to carry out a suicide attack in Kerala, a NIA spokesperson had said on April 29. The accused had also disclosed that he had been in online contact with absconding accused Abdul Rashid Abdulla, aka Abu Isa, for a long time and has been following his audio clips, including the clip which he had circulated on social media, instigating others to carry out terror attacks in India. He revealed he had chatted online with Abdul Khayoom, aka Abu Khalid (accused in the Valapattanam ISIS case), who was believed to be in Syria, the spokesperson said. The NIA had earlier received inputs that a group of four people has been in contact with some of the accused, including Abdul Rashid, Ashfaq Majeed and Abdul Khayoom, who had already migrated to Afghanistan and Syria. After verification, the NIA carried out searches at three places - two in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad district - on Sunday. Three group members were interrogated for their ISIS links and their plans. The Kasaragod ISIS module case was registered in July 2016 following the disappearance of 15 youth from Kasaragod and their subsequent migration to ISIS - 14 to Afghanistan and one to Syria). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nicholas Hoult says he would love to reprise his role in the "X-Men" series if there are plans to bring the mutant back in other films in the Marvel franchise. Filmmaker Simon Kinberg, who has directed the upcoming "Dark Phoenix", recently said the Sophie Turner-led film marks the "culmination" of all the movies made under the "X-Men" franchise. Hoult, who plays Beast/ Hank McCoy in the films, said while he is uncertain about how the series will branch ahead of Fox Studios' merger with Disney, he would like to be a part of these films. "That's the thing, it's a character that I love. That character's grown as I've grown, and I feel like when I grow and get older and discover new things in life I can put more into the character. "So who knows what the plans will be for the X-Men? But if it were something that made sense for me to do and they wanted me to, then I'd be happy to play him again," Hoult told RadioTimes.com. The actor said he did not expect to play Beast for as long as he has. "In ('Dark Phoenix'), I'm very lucky to take that character to new places and explore new emotions and ideas with him. So if it is the last time I play him, I'm glad I got to push new ideas and feelings. "When I joined that franchise, I was playing one of the students. And then by this point I'm playing one of the professors at the school. So it certainly felt like an evolution and a culmination of the work up to that point," he added. "Dark Phoenix" will hit the theatres in June. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump on Monday said the US has been losing USD 500 billion per year on trade with China and he will no longer allow that to happen any more. "The United States has been losing, for many years, 600 to 800 Billion Dollars a year on Trade. With China we lose 500 Billion Dollars. Sorry, we're not going to be doing that anymore!" Trump tweeted. The tweet, a follow up of a series of tweets a day earlier, is indicative of the fact that Trump does not want to wait any longer on trade negotiations with China and he is increasingly believing that Beijing deliberately wants to delay the trade talks. Earlier, a Chinese official in Beijing said that China's top trade envoy is preparing to travel to Washington for crucial talks, despite Trump threatening to impose more punishing taxes on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese products, citing slow progress in negotiations. "For 10 months, China has been paying tariffs to the US of 25 per cent on 50 billion dollars of High Tech, and 10 per cent on 200 billion dollars of other goods," Trump said in a series of tweets on Sunday. These payments are partially responsible for America's great economic results, he said. "The 10 per cent will go up to 25 per cent on Friday. 325 billion dollars of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25 per cent," he said. Trump said 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. Hours after Trump's tweets, CNBC and The Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will likely cancel the trip he had planned for the final round of talks. "China is considering cancelling trade talks that are to resume in Washington starting Wednesday," The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday quoting unnamed sources. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former US president made an exceptional use of his race, went out of his way to develop a personal chemistry with Indian Prime Minister and moved the State of the Union Address to attend India's Republic Day celebrations as chief guest so as to win over the Indian leader on his ambitious on Climate Change, his former aide claimed on Monday. The State of the Union Address (SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the US president to a joint session of the Congress at the beginning of each calendar year in office. The tactics deployed by to bring India on board, which was the only major power in his way of the climate deal, was described by his former top personal and security aide Benjamin Rhodes in a podcast interview. "By the time we got to Paris, the main hold was India," Rhodes said during a discussion with Kurt Campbell, the former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs and Richard Verma, the former US Ambassador to India, in their 'The Tealeaves' Podcast of the Asia Group. In response to questions from Ambassador Verma, Rhodes said the then administration had made breakthrough deal with the Chinese at the end of 2014 where they announced their bilateral emissions reductions targets. This became the core of the Paris agreement, he noted. Following the deal by the two biggest emitters, Rhodes said, other countries started announcing their commitments for the agreement. And as a result, the climate agreement in Paris was within reach. However, the "main holdout was India", Rhodes said as he gave an insight into the strategy adopted by Obama to win "We had to move the State of the Union address to go to (India)," he said, referring to Obama's visit to India to attend the Republic Day celebrations in January 26, 2015 as the chief guest. Obama is the only American president to visit India twice. Referring to the January 26 invitation from the Indian prime minister, he said, "Given that India was more important for US for its Paris agreement, his top advisors told him to develop personal rapport with ..and advised him that he should accept the invite and go...And Obama really did develop a personal rapport with Modi over multiple meetings." It was this personal rapport that helped Obama successfully argue his case with India. Winning Modi also helped Obama get other countries like South Africa and Brazil on board, he claimed. Describing the negotiations with Indian officials in Paris as an unforgettable experience, Rhodes said, "I'll never forget. Obama comes around the corner and the Indian negotiators are there before Modi...they start arguing with Obama. I'd never seen anything like this...This argument between Obama and Indian negotiators went on for 30 minutes. The president had no luck, till Modi arrived." Modi comes around the corner and gets to the core of the issue. Modi told Obama he has 300 million people without electricity. "You're telling me I can't use coal and, and I got to do all these things," the Indian prime minister said. It was at this moment, Rhodes claimed, Obama brought in his race angle. "I remember a never seen Obama do this," Rhodes said, adding that he generally used to avoid bringing up his race with other leaders. Quoting Obama, Rhodes said the then US president told Modi, "Look, you know, I get it. I'm black, I'm African American. I know what it's like to be in an unfair system where a bunch of people got rich on your back...but I also have to live in the world that I'm in...if I just made decisions based on that resentment, then I actually would never catch up." Rhodes claimed Obama told Modi that the US will help India to set up solar power plants so that people can get energy faster. He also informed Modi about the big solar initiatives that the US was going to launch with Bill Gates in Paris. "Modi, you could tell, he totally got it," Rhodes said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that despite Narendra Modi insulting his father Rajiv Gandhi, he only had love for the prime minister. Gandhi was addressing a public meeting at Delhi's Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency. "Narendra Modi insulted a martyr (Rajiv Gandhi), no matter how much hatred he has for my family, I only have love for him," Gandhi said. At a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi had targeted the former prime minister, while attacking the Congress president. "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1," Modi had said, drawing sharp reactions and criticisms from opposition leaders. Modi targeted Rajiv Gandhi Monday as well, asking the Congress to fight the elections in the name of the "Bofors-accused" former prime minister. At the rally, the Congress chief also spoke about the minimum income guarantee promise, the party's poll plank, and said it will boost the country's economy. "'Nyay' scheme will give boost to Delhi and country's economy," he said. Delhi will vote in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that despite insulting his father Rajiv Gandhi, he only had love for the prime minister. "He is the prime minister of the country, but insults a martyr (Rajiv Gandhi). I told him whatever hatred you have for me...you can belittle me, you can say whatever you say about my father, mother, grandfather, grandmother. Whatever hatred you direct against me, I will only return it with love," Gandhi said. Addressing a rally near Jama Masjid for party's Chandni Chowk candidate JP Agarwal, Gandhi recalled the moment he hugged Modi in Parliament. "Hatred can only be defeated by love. Remember, the same love will defeat you Narendra Modiji on May 23." At a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi had targeted Rajiv Gandhi, while attacking the Congress president. "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1," Modi had said, drawing sharp criticisms from opposition leaders. ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi promises jobs if Congress is voted to power in Odisha The prime minister targeted Monday as well, daring the Congress to fight the elections in the name of the "Bofors-accused". Attacking Modi over demonetisation and the implementation of GST, Gandhi said even a kid would know that the decisions have not benefited anyone. GST and demonetisation have hurt the traders of Delhi, Gandhi told voters of the constituency, which is mainly dominated by the trading community. Alluding to denial of ticket to veteran leader L K Advani, Gandhi said Modi even "insulted" his guru. " does not respect 125 crore Indians. The only person he loves is himself. People do not want to listen to his Maan ki Baat," he said, adding that the voice of Delhi is the country's voice. Taking a dig, he said the prime minister reads from a tele-prompter, but it does not tell him that he has to talk about the promises he made to the country's youths and farmers. Gandhi said after coming to power his party will implement the 'Nyay' scheme, which will increase the spending capacity of people and give a boost to the economy. Gandhi also promised to fill up 22 lakh job vacancies in the government sector, one of the main poll plank of the party. Representatives of over 100 American companies are visiting India as part of the US Department of Commerce's annual trade mission programme, Trade Winds, which started Monday. Besides New Delhi, the delegation would be visiting Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and would meet government leaders, market experts, and pre-vetted potential business partners during its eight-day stay in India. "Our goal at the US Department of Commerce is to use every available resource to ensure fair and reciprocal trade for US businesses selling their products and services all over the world," US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said. Ross is also scheduled to meet Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu later in the day. The US Department of Commerce is hosting the 11th Trade Winds Business Forum and Mission from May 6-13. US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster said the potential for growth in US-India trade is enormous given the size of our economies. Exports of US goods and services to India stood at USD 58.9 billion in 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Around 16.68 per cent of nearly 1.17 crore voters cast their ballots in the first two hours of polling in the fifth phase in seven Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, officials said. Some stray incidents of violence were reported from Bangaon, Hooghly and Barrackpore seats, an election official said. "We have sought report from the polling officers posted in these stations. Otherwise the polling so far has been peaceful," he said. Of the seven constituencies, Uluberia recorded maximum polling at 20.59 per cent till 9 am, followed by Arambagh (SC) 19.19 per cent, Sreerampore 17.41 per cent, Howrah recorded 16.18 per cent, Hooghly 15.73 per cent, Barrackpore 13.99 per cent and Bongaon (SC) 13.68 per cent, the official said. The ruling Trinamool Congress, the BJP, the Congress and Left Front constituent CPI(M) are the main contenders in the seven seats where the fate of 83 candidates will be decided by a 1,16,91,889-strong electorate. To ensure free and fair polling the seven seats, the Commission has deployed a total of 578 companies of central forces. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 30 Gujarat fishermen were apprehended early Monday by Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) near the international maritime boundary in the Arabian Sea, a Porbandar-based National Fishworkers' Forum (NFF) official said. NFF secretary Manish Lodhari said the PMSA also seized six fishing boats. "Thirty fishermen on board six boats were apprehended by PMSA near IMBL early today morning alleging that our fishermen had ventured into the Pakistan side during fishing," Lodhari said. "They will now be taken to Karachi port. All these boats had ventured into sea a few days ago from Porbandar harbour" he added. He claimed Pakistani agencies were capturing Indian fishermen at regular intervals near the IMBL. The development comes close on heels of Pakistan's "goodwill gesture" of releasing 100 Indian fishermen, mostly from Gujarat, just last month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan army resorted to heavy mortar shelling and small arms firing targeting forward posts and villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Monday, resulting in injuries to two civilians, officials said. Pakistan violated ceasefire by resorting to heavy mortar shelling and firing along the LoC in Mankote and Krishna Ghati sectors of Poonch district, they said. Two civilians -- Maqsood Ahmed and Ashiq Hussain -- were injured in the shelling, officials said. On Sunday, a colonel-rank officer was injured in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch in Pakistani shelling, while a 25-year-old porter suffered splinter injuries when a mortar shell exploded near him in Keri sector of Rajouri district, they said. Pakistan has violated ceasefire by 513 times along the LoC in the state in the past one-and-a-half-month. The Pakistani side has suffered five to six times more casualties than the Indian side in retaliatory action, a senior official said. Ten people, including four soldiers, have been killed and over 50 injured in Rajouri and Poonch districts since India's February 26 air strike on a JeM terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot in response to the Pulwama terror attack that left 40 CRPF personnel dead. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Pakistan government on Monday appointed veteran tax consultant Shabbar Zaidi to the key post of Federal Board of Revenue chairman, days after the removal of Jahanzeb Khan from the position amid vital bailout negotiations with the IMF. Officials said initially Ahmad Mujtaba Memon, who is serving as the finance additional secretary, was tipped to become the new chief of the tax collection body. His name was endorsed by advisor on finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. However, his nomination was not approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Cabinet. We have appointed Shabbir Zaidi as chairman of FBR, Khan told reporters here. Jahanzeb Khan was removed as FBR head last week amidst reports that the tax collection body is heading to miss its targets by whopping Rs 350 billion by end of the current fiscal year on June 30. Zaidi is considered as highly professional who has been demanding stern laws to assess and collect taxes. He is a senior partner of accountancy firm A F Ferguson & Co, president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan and chairman of the South Asian Federation of Accountants. His biggest challenge will be to increase tax base, impose taxes on rich and bring in tax net the hidden assets. Head of IMF Mission to Pakistan Ernesto Rigo is currently in Islamabad as the country hopes to strike a deal with the global lender for a three-year bailout package totalling around USD 6.5 billion. The IMF is pushing Pakistan to embrace a more flexible rupee policy to end repeated boom-and-bust cycles, with many analysts arguing that the local currency is overvalued. The government has also been frustrated by the low tax collection rates during its first year in office, with the disappointing figures threatening the prime minister's promises to build a welfare state for the poor. The SBP in March cut its economic growth estimates, forecasting the economy would expand 3.5 to 4 per cent in the 12 months to the end of June, well short of a government target of 6.2 per cent. The IMF paints a gloomier picture, predicting growth of 2.9 per cent in 2019 and 2.8 per cent next year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A representative body of Hindus in Pakistan has criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for appointing Aamer Ahmed as the chairman of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and demanded that a Hindu should be made the chief of the board. Evacuee Trust Property Board, established in 1960, is a statutory body of the Government of Pakistan, which administers evacuee properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikhs who had migrated to India following the partition. Pakistan Hindu Council, in a statement, said it will approach the Supreme Court and International Court of Justice, if Prime Minister Khan fails to review his decision. "This is quite strange for Pakistani Hindu community to see appointment of Muslims and Christians as board members," PHC President Gopal Khamuani and Secretary General Parshotam Ramani said in a statement, emphasising that both communities have nothing to do with the Hindu properties in Pakistan. "(Prime Minister) Imran Khan, no doubt, had emerged as a ray of hope for vulnerable Non-Muslim minorities in a Muslim-majority country. However, performance of present government is highly disappointing in order to protect rights of minorities. The continuous failure of promises is resulting in decreasing popularity graph of current government day by day," it said. According to the Council, there are as many as 1288 Hindu temples, 522 Gurdwaras and worthy Hindu property which need urgent attention of the Evacuee Trust Property Board. "Therefore, this is our genuine demand to appoint Hindu chairman of Evacuee Trust Property Board," it said. During the signing of Liaqat-Nehru pact, leaderships of both countries agreed to appoint Muslim head to look after evacuee property in India and Hindu head in Pakistan. The Council said that India and Israel used to appoint local Muslim minority nationals to look after evacuee issues. However, Pakistan failed to appoint Hindu citizen as the Chairman of ETPB since independence. "Pakistan Hindu Council demands to appoint a well-qualified Hindu Chairman of ETPB on priority basis or otherwise we have no option but to approach the Supreme Court and the International Court of Justice," the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's internal assessment about the future of Afghanistan sees the neighbouring country engulfed in a 'civil war' again with the US and the Taliban failing to reach a peace deal, a media report said Monday. The search for peace in the war-torn country remained elusive so far despite hectic efforts to end the bloodshed. The US last week resumed peace talks with the Afghan Taliban in Doha, Qatar as part of ongoing efforts to seek a political end to the 18-year long conflict, the Express Tribune reported. The Afghan Grand Council, commonly known as Loya Jirga, convened by President Ashraf Ghani ended on Friday with unanimous calls for peace with the Taliban. Ghani offered the Taliban ceasefire and promised to release 175 Taliban prisoners ahead of the holy month of Ramazan. These developments may have renewed hopes for a peace deal but internal assessment by presents a grim picture. "We do not want to be pessimistic, but the situation on the ground suggests that there is a remote chance of the ongoing talks between the Taliban and the US leading to any peace deal," said a senior Pakistani official, who is part of the team dealing with Afghan affairs. His perspective was part of a broader internal assessment of about the future of Afghanistan. The crux of that assessment, exclusively shared by a senior official with the paper, is that Afghanistan in all likelihood is heading towards a civil war'. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that there were a number of factors which, according to Pakistan, might push Afghanistan towards further unrest. The key factor includes the deepening divide within the Afghan society on the future of their country. Even at the recently held Loya Jirga, several prominent Afghan politicians - including Ghani's government partner Dr Abdullah Abdullah - boycotted the gathering of over 3,000 delegates. Also, the Taliban are not willing to hold direct talks with the government. "This speaks volume of the challenge Afghans have to deal with, the official added. The flip-flop approach by the US is also adding to the complexity of the Afghan problem. "People, who were all those years kept in Guantamo Bay, today are sitting across the table with Americans to discuss the peace deal." In the present situation, according to Pakistan's assessment, there are more chances of Afghanistan slipping into the civil war' than reaching a peace deal. However, the official said the civil war' did not necessarily mean the Taliban would return to Kabul. "After the Soviets left Afghanistan in 1989, it took the Taliban more than six years to overpower their adversaries," he recalled. When asked whether was concerned at being made a scapegoat' in case peace efforts collapsed, the official insisted that Islamabad could not be blamed for any failure. "We have now very limited influence over the Taliban," the official claimed. It is believed that in view of the grim perspective of any political solution, Pakistan is now trying to maintain a low profile in those talks. Unlike, the earlier talks held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pakistan is not directly taking part in the ongoing Doha parleys, although it has facilitated the process. When asked if Pakistan was preparing to deal with possible negative fallout of no peace deal in the neighbouring country, the official said contingency plans' were being worked out. One area that Pakistan has been working on for a couple of years is to fence the long and porous border with Afghanistan. The fencing is primarily meant to ensure better border security and control the irregular movement of people, something that militants always take advantage of. In the event of further instability, there is fear of new influx of refugees. "The fencing," Pakistan believes, "can help manage the chaos as people are allowed to cross the border only on designated points. "The absence of any political solution will likely jeopardise Pakistan's plan to ensure the return of more than 2.5 million registered and unregistered Afghan refugees," the official admitted. A Pakistani-origin radical Islamist preacher, who was freed from a UK jail last year and lodged in a bail hostel under strict conditions after serving a sentence for inviting support for the Islamic State, has now returned to his family home in London. Anjem Choudary was released under very strict licence conditions from the high-security Belmarsh prison in south London last October after serving less than half of his five-and-a-half-year sentence for reported "good behaviour". As part of the strict conditions of his early release, the 51-year-old is required to carry on wearing an electronic tag on his ankle but he no longer needs to be based at the monitored probation hostel. The UK security sources quoted by The Daily Telegraph have warned that the extremist group associated with Choudary, Al Muhajiroun, still poses a terror threat. "The group remains a threat to national security but the disruptions have been very effective," the source is quoted as saying. "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," the source said. The father of five is understood to have returned to his home in east London in the past fortnight after spending three years in prison and then six months in a bail hostel under strict supervision. Al-Muhajiroun, which he led in the past, was outlawed by the UK government in the wake of the July 7 terrorist attacks on London in 2005 but it is believed to continue to operate under a number of different guises. He is also linked to the London Bridge terror attack in 2017, carried out by Pakistani-origin terror suspect Khuram Butt, among others. The Hope Not Hate group, which campaigns against extremist groups, warned in its 2019 'State of Hate' report that Al Muhajiroun "is starting to emerge again, albeit on a much smaller and more tentative scale than before". A Daily Telegraph analysis of terror offenders with former links to Al Muhajiroun suggests at least 22 of Choudary's extremist followers have now been released from prison since 2001. The release from jail in recent months of Choudary, who was found guilty of pledging an oath of allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and some of his close associates is being seen as a major security threat. "Public protection is our overriding priority when deciding whether an offender should be allowed to relocate from an approved premises," said a UK Ministry of Justice spokesperson. "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," the spokesperson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Palestinian leaders in Gaza agreed a ceasefire with Israel early Monday, three officials with knowledge of the talks said, after the most serious flare-up since a 2014 war. Egypt brokered an agreement to cease hostilities from 4:30 am (0130 GMT) local time, 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. An Israeli army spokeswoman had no comment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) - 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 in the hours after it was due to take effect, 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 (local time), 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 23 Palestinians, including at least nine militants, were killed. Four Israelis civilians were killed. 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 its 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. Among the steps, he said, were the relaxing of limits on fishing and improvements in Gaza's electricity and fuel situation. Israeli opposition politicians -- and at least one from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own party -- criticised the agreement. Former military chief Benny Gantz, who challenged Netanyahu in Israel's April 9 general elections, called it "another capitulation to blackmail by Hamas and terrorist organisations." 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. Israel said its strikes were in response to Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing some 690 rockets or mortars across the border 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. At least 35 of the rockets fell in urban areas, according to the army. The army said its tanks and planes hit some 350 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, including one Israel said included Hamas military intelligence and security offices. Turkey said its state 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. It first identified the woman as the baby's mother, but the family later clarified she was the aunt. Israel strongly disputed the claim, with Conricus saying that based on intelligence 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. 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. Conricus said a Kornet missile had hit a vehicle and killed an Israeli civilian. 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 meanwhile 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. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Polling is underway for phase 5 of Lok Sabha elections Monday. Here are some interesting nuggets about this phase. * 51 Lok Sabha constituencies across 7 states headed for polls * Over 8.75 crore voters to decide fate of 674 candidates * Over 96,000 polling booths in place for smooth conduct of polls* Uttar Pradesh has maximum number of polling booths: 28,072* Jammu and Kashmir has the least number of polling booths: 1,254* Anantnag Parliamentary Constituency (PC) in Jammu & Kashmir going to polls in Phase III, Phase IV & Phase V, the only such PC in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scientists have developed a radar system that can wirelessly monitor the vital signs of patients, eliminating the need to hook them up to any machines. Housed in a device smaller than a cellphone, the new technology records heart and breathing rates using sensitive radar waves that are analysed by sophisticated algorithms embedded in an onboard digital signal processing unit. Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada developed the system to monitor sleep apnea patients by detecting subtle chest movements instead of connecting them to equipment in labs via numerous cumbersome wires. "We take the whole complex process and make it completely wireless," said George Shaker, an engineering professor at Waterloo. "And instead of a clinic, it could be done in the comfort of your own bed and run daily for continuous monitoring," Shaker said in a statement. The radar unit was mounted to the ceiling over the bed of more than 50 volunteers as they slept normally in a model long-term care apartment. The system, which collects and analyses data from radar waves that are reflected back to the unit from the bodies of patients, achieved results over 90 per cent as accurate as standard hard-wired equipment. "This is the first time radar has been used for heart sensing with this degree of accuracy and in such an uncontrolled environment," said Mostafa Alizadeh, a research associate who led the study. "Our subjects slept unobstructed, in any position, for up to eight hours," Alizadeh said. Researchers are also exploring use of the technology to monitor activity levels and falls by residents of long-term care homes, and in hospitals for routine monitoring of heart and breathing rates of all kinds of patients. Advantages of the system for apnea monitoring include complete privacy since no cameras are used, much improved comfort and potential use in homes rather than special sleep clinics. "With traditional systems involving wires and appointments booked weeks in advance, you can't sleep as you normally do in your own bed at home, making the common sleep study an unpleasant experience," said Shaker. In addition to sleep apnea, which involves breathing that repeatedly stops and starts, the system can monitor conditions such as periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome and seizures. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Holding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal responsible for the failure of alliance talks, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Monday said the AAP chief took a "U-turn" from an agreed position and wanted a tie-up beyond the national capital. Addressing a rally near the Jama Masjid, a minority dominated area, the Congress president asserted that it is only his party which can stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and the RSS. He accused Kejriwal of "opening the doors" for BJP's victory in 2014 by spreading "lies" about the Congress. "The BJP alone did not spread lies about the Congress," Gandhi said. "I clearly told Kejriwal ji that we have to win all seven seats in Delhi. You contest on four seats and we will contest on three. First, he agreed. Even I concurred with the proposal. But then he brought in talks on Haryana and Punjab. Then he took a U-turn," Gandhi said. He asserted that the Congress is the only party in the last five years to fight Modi across the country. "It is you who has to understand this. In Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Karnataka...wherever Narendra Modi went, the Congress party defeated him. I will not allow Narendra Modi, BJP and the RSS to move ahead even by an inch," he said. The Congress president said that even in Parliament, the party MPs battled the BJP. The AAP and the Congress are vying for the same voter base in the national capital. Last week, Kejriwal had started his roadshow from the Jama Masjid area. The AAP and the Congress have been blaming each other for the failure of talks. While the AAP was not ready to have a tie-up in Delhi alone, the Congress was reluctant to have an alliance beyond the national capital. The anti-graft movement led by social activist Anna Hazare, of which Kejriwal was a part, had rocked the UPA-2. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh's son-in-law Dr Puneet Gupta Monday appeared before Raipur Police in a case of alleged financial irregularities during his tenure as superintendent of a state-run hospital here, an official said. Gupta was arrested at the police station and later released as he had been awarded an anticipatory bail by the Chhattisgarh High Court in the case, Raipur Superintendent of Police Arif Sheikh told PTI. Gupta reached the Golebazar police station at around 10:30 am to record his statement after a fourth notice was issued to him by police seeking his appearance in connection with the case lodged on March 15, officials said. Earlier, a lookout notice was also issued against Gupta to ensure that he did not leave the country. "Gupta was questioned for about four hours by a deputy superintendent of police rank officer at Golebazar police station, where the case has been lodged," Sheikh said. "During interrogation, Gupta's replies were unsatisfactory. Another notice will be soon issued to him for his questioning for the second time," the SP said. The state government, meanwhile, has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, seeking to reject the anticipatory bail granted to Gupta by the HC. The matter has been posted for hearing in the top court on May 7, he added. On March 15, a case was registered against Dr Gupta for allegedly committing financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 50 crore when he was superintendent of the DKS Post Graduate Institute and Research Centre, Raipur. Incumbent superintendent of DKS hospital Dr Kamal Kishore Sahare had lodged the complaint in this regard. Sahare, in his complaint, said a probe committee had found that Gupta allegedly misused his position and committed a fraud of Rs 50 crore. Gupta, on Monday, refused to take questions from the media after coming out of the police station. After the Congress came to power in the 2018 Assembly polls, Gupta was shifted from the DKS hospital to the Raipur Medical College as an officer on special duty (OSD). He, however, resigned from government service in February after a case was registered against him by a Congress leader in connection with the alleged fixing of the Antagarh Assembly bypoll held in 2014. Former CM and BJP national vice president Raman Singh had recently claimed police action against his son-in-law was politically motivated, and that the case would not stand in court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The HRD Ministry has assured the Karnataka government it would soon decide on their request to allow over 500 students from the state, who missed the NEET exam on Sunday due to a train delay, to write it again, the Chief Ministers office said Monday. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday held a meeting with Chief Secretary T M Vijaya Bhaskar and Higher Department officials on the issue. The students missed the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) on Sunday as their train reached Bengaluru an hour after the scheduled reporting time and also due to a change in an exam centre, reportedly without any prior information. "The CM held a meeting with the CS & Higher Edu Dept on the issue of 500+ students unable to take #NEET due to a train delay on Sunday. The CS, as directed by the CM, requested HRD ministry to let students take the exam again. The ministry has assured that they will take a decision ASAP," the Chief Minister's Office said in a tweet. Meanwhile, Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda also wrote to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, seeking an early solution to the issue. "I have spoken to @PrakashJavdekar Ji and also written a letter For Early solution with Regards to #NEET Exam in Karnataka, which is attached," Gowda tweeted. He said the situation could easily have been averted had the National Testing Authority given wide publicity on the change in exam centre and intimated students well in advance. "I shall be grateful if you could kindly look into the matter and do the needful to provide one more opportunity to the missing students to write the exam," the letter attached to Gowdas tweet read. According to reports, over 500 students from various places in North Karnataka districts failed to make it to the exam venue due to a five-hour delay in Hampi Express while the others missed the opportunity due to a change in an exam centre. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Monday said he will discuss the issues concerning FDI in e-commerce with Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu. The issue assumes significance amid apprehensions that the draft e-commerce policy favours domestic players and does not provide level-playing field for foreign investors, such as Amazon and Walmart. "Premature to talk about FDI in e-commerce; will discuss issue with Suresh Prabhu later," Ross told reporters after meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The US had earlier criticised India's data localisation norms and draft e-commerce policy terming certain proposals as "most discriminatory and trade-distortive". The US Trade Representative's 2019 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers had said that recently promulgated data localisation requirements would serve as significant barriers to digital trade between the US and India. It had argued that these requirements would raise costs for suppliers of data-intensive services by forcing the construction of unnecessary, redundant data centres and prevent local firms from taking advantage of the best global services available. Ross is here to attend the 11th Trade Winds Business Forum and Mission hosted by the US Department of Commerce. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sacked on Monday moved the challenging the Election Commission's decision to cancel his candidature from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency from where Prime Minister is contesting. Yadav, who was dismissed in 2017 after he posted a video online complaining about the food served to the troops, was fielded by the Samajwadi Party as its candidate from the Varanasi seat. However, the returning officer rejected Yadav's nomination papers citing his failure to submit a certificate that he was not sacked for either corruption or disloyalty. Yadav, in his plea, termed the decision of the poll panel discriminatory and unreasonable and said it should be set aside. The SP had initially fielded Shalini Yadav as its candidate to contest against Modi and later nominated the sacked Sacked BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission's decision to cancel his candidature from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting. Yadav, who was dismissed in 2017 after he posted a video online complaining about the food served to the troops, was fielded by the Samajwadi Party as its candidate from the Varanasi seat. Yadav, in his plea, termed the decision of the poll panel discriminatory and unreasonable and said it should be set aside. The SP had initially fielded Shalini Yadav as its candidate to contest against Modi and later nominated the sacked BSF jawan. The poll panel had dismissed Yadav's nomination Wednesday. He was served notices by the Varanasi returning officer over discrepancies in the two sets of nomination papers submitted by him. In the first set of papers on April 24, he had mentioned that he was dismissed from the Border Security Force. On April 29 he submitted a second set of papers as the SP nominee, but did not give out this information. He was also required to submit a no-objection certificate from the BSF, giving reasons for his dismissal. Yadav had accused the BJP of resorting to "dictatorial steps" to stop him from fighting elections. "My nomination was rejected today even though I had furnished the NOC from BSF that was required by the RO, he had claimed. I am a farmer's son and I was here to raise the voices of farmers and jawans," he had told reporters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State Bank of India Monday said it has made operational most of its branches in Odisha, which was hit by cyclone Fani late last week. The bank expects to restore remaining branches especially in the most cyclone-hit regions like Bhubaneswar and Puri within two days, SBI said in a statement. "All SBI customers will be able to do banking transactions like deposit, withdrawal and other services through all operational branches with immediate effect," it added. Additionally, the bank has also opened Chief Ministers Relief Fund account for citizens to donate funds for the affected individuals in the state. Cyclonic storm 'Fani' 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 Supreme Court collegium Monday recommended six names for appointment as judges in the high courts of Delhi, Kerala and Uttarakhand. A three-member collegium headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi recommended to the Centre the names of four judicial officers for appointment as judges of the Delhi High Court. "The Collegium resolves to recommend that Talwant Singh, Rajnish Bhatnagar, Asha Menon, and Brijesh Sethi, Judicial Officers, be appointed as Judges of the Delhi High Court," it said. The collegium also comprises Justices S A Bobde and N V Ramana. The apex court website also said the collegium recommended appointment of judicial officer Alok Kumar Verma as a judge of the Uttarakhand High Court. The apex court collegium concurred with the view of the Delhi High Court's collegium on not recommending a senior judicial officer for elevation as a judge to the Delhi HC. "We have also taken note of the fact that the above proposal involves non-recommendation of a senior Judicial Officer. In this regard, the High Court Collegium ...has duly recorded reasons for not recommending name of a Judicial Officer who is senior to the recommendees. We are fully in agreement with the justification given by the High Court Collegium for not recommending the senior Judicial Officer," it said. It also agreed to the view of the Uttarakhand HC's collegium on not recommending the names of some senior judicial officers for elevation as judgs to the HC. The collegium also recommended the appointment of advocate Viju Abraham as a judge in the Kerala High Court. It said that the collegium of the Kerala High Court had recommended Abraham's name on March 7, 2018, which was considered by the apex court on October 9, 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The on Monday dismissed a plea challenging the government's order restricting civilian traffic for a day in a week on a stretch of the highway from Udhampur to Baramulla for the movement of security forces. Counsel for the government told the bench comprising Chief Justice and Justice Deepak Gupta that the order restricting traffic on the highway was taken due to the ongoing election and will remain in force till May 31. The bench, after hearing the submissions, said, "We are not inclined to keep this petition pending. The Supreme Court Monday said it was "little perplexed" over separate listing, contrary to its order, of the pleas seeking review of its verdict in Rafale case and the contempt plea against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for wrongly attributing to the apex court his "chokidar chor hai" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A special bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it had made it clear earlier that both the matters would be heard together but despite that, the contempt petition was not listed for hearing along with the review pleas on Monday. The bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, was told that the contempt petition against Gandhi was listed for hearing on May 10. "We are little perplexed that the two cases are listed on two different dates when the order was that these matters will be heard together," the bench observed. "This is the problem. There was order for listing both the matters together. We had dictated the order in an open court but it says one case on May 6 and other on May 10. How can this be done?," it said. After a brief hearing, the bench ordered that the review pleas and contempt petition against Gandhi be listed together for hearing on May 10. "The present matters and contempt petition (criminal)... be listed together on May 10 at 2.00 PM," the bench said. "We make it clear that the hearing scheduled for May 10 would be taken up and parties shall make an endeavour to complete the same on the said date. Rejoinder to the replies of Union of India may be filed, in the meantime," the bench said in its order. At the outset, advocate Prashant Bhushan, who is one of the petitioners in the case along with former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, told the bench that there were three pleas before the court. Bhushan said besides the review plea, there were two other applications -- one seeking perjury action against unknown government servants for allegedly misleading the court during the Rafale case hearing earlier and the other for production of certain documents. Bhushan said he would argue on the review plea and application for production of certain documents and the court should allow Shourie to argue on the perjury application. "Where is the connected matter of contempt?," the bench asked. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for one of the petitioner lawyers, Vineet Dhandha, referred to the apex court's April 30 order and said the contempt petition was listed for hearing on May 10. "We had said that both the matters will be listed together," the bench said. When Bhushan said the court should hear his arguments on the review plea for an hour, the CJI said, "My brother (Justice Kaul) has to take up miscellaneous matters in his court". After the court dictated the order, Bhushan said that the Centre has not filed reply on the perjury application. Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, said no notice was issued to the government on the perjury application. To this, the bench told Venugopal, "Did we issue any notice to the application for production of documents? But, you have filed your reply to this application". Bhushan also told the court that he would file rejoinder to the Centre's affidavit which was filed last week. Gandhi had made the contemptuous remark, "chowkidar chor hai", against Modi, which the apex court had said was wrongly attributed to it. The top court had on April 30 given another opportunity to Gandhi for filing one more affidavit for his remark. Though Gandhi, through his counsel, admitted that he made a mistake by wrongly attributing the remark to the Supreme Court, it observed that in the affidavit filed earlier, at one point the Congress President admitted the mistake and at one point denied making contemptuous remarks. In its December 14, 2018 verdict, the apex court had said there was no occasion to doubt decision-making process in the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and dismissed all the petitions seeking an investigation into alleged irregularities in the Rs 58,000 crore deal. The top court had said there was no substantial evidence of commercial favouritism to any private entity. Later, in a setback to the Centre, the apex court had on April 10 allowed the plea relying on leaked documents for seeking review of its Rafale verdict and dismissed the government's preliminary objections claiming "privilege" over them. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. A deal to procure the jets was signed between India and France in 2015. The delivery is expected to begin in September this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court Monday sought a reply from the Centre on a plea seeking direction to notify and implement draft accountability guidelines framed by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD), which lays down responsibilities of school management in ensuring safety and security of children in government and private schools. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta issued notice to the Centre and the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights on a plea filed by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan. On August 20, 2018, the Department of School Education and Literacy of the MHRD released the "Fixing Accountability of School Management towards Safety and Security of Children in School Guidelines" in consultation with the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). "Only when such a notification is made by the Government of India can the schools, both government and private, be held responsible and consequently accountable for any lapse on their part regarding the safety and security of children in school," said the petition filed through senior advocate H S Phoolka. The plea, which claimed India has the largest population of children, said in a large number of cases, despite there being various laws relating to child safety and security along with recent draft accountability guidelines, there was no confidence on the implementation of these laws. "The aim and objective behind the Draft Accountability Guidelines is to enact a self contained comprehensive legislation to provide for protection of all children from protection of children from all kinds of exploitation and abuse and guarantees their physical, social, psychological and moral well being," it said. The plea said the protection guaranteed by the state for the safety and security of children in schools by the draft accountability guidelines must be available to all the children, both studying in government as well as private schools. "The schools, both government and private, need to protect their children from risk of natural disaster, health hazard, abuse violence and accidents," said the petition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Schools in Sri Lanka resumed classes on Monday with few students arriving in classrooms, two weeks after the devastating Easter Sunday bombings forced the authorities to close the educational institutions. Amid tight security, the classes commenced for mid-to-upper stream (grades 6 to 13) and will be followed by lower grades (1 to 5) on May 13. "The second academic term for school children in grade 6 and above classes, commenced today (Monday). The three armed forces, police, civil security officers, parents and old boys gathered at their respective schools to provide protection," 1ST channel reported. 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. Despite the tight security arrangements, most classrooms were near empty. Private schools, including Catholic institutions, remained closed. The attendance of teachers was also low, the report said. An extensive security programme has been implemented in schools. Special circulars have been issued by the Ministry about the security of the schools. Children will have to carry transparent or see-through school bags, lunch boxes and water bottles. 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. 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. Sri Lanka has imposed a state of emergency since the attacks and given sweeping powers to soldiers and police to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. House-to-house searches are being carried out across the country looking for explosives and propaganda material of Islamic extremists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry was trolled online after he said that the Hubble Space Telescope was sent into space by the country's space agency Suparco, instead of NASA. Chaudhry, speaking in a talk show on Geo News, claimed that "The world's biggest telescope was sent by Suparco [Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission]". " one of the ways to see is the Hubble Telescope, which is the world's biggest telescope and was sent [into space] by Suparco, which is installed in a satellite," he said. The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) is responsible for Pakistan's public and civil space programme and for aeronautics and aerospace research. He went on to add, "Then there are other satellites, and there are other (types of) technologies." The minister's gaffe triggered hilarious reactions and memes on Twitter. "May be NASA head will resign and also join the Ministry of @fawadchaudhry as head of Suparco," one user tweeted. "You have really surpassed all your predecessors. Just a few days under your patronage we realized that SUPARCO has sent 'hubal' telescope into space.. Incredible. Mr. PM @ImranKhanPTI should send such discoverer into space as a reward..! #Pakistan @MaryamNSharif," another user tweeted. Interestingly, Chaudhry in November last year when he was the minister of information said there are some politicians who are creating chaos on the ground and should be sent to space. I will ask SUPARCO to ensure that once these politicians go to space, they cannot return, he had said. Hubble Space Telescope was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble and is one of NASA's great observatories. Hubble's launch marked the most significant advance in astronomy since Galileo's telescope. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The screening of a short film featuring Bhopal BJP Lok Sabha candidate and Malegoan blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur among others was Monday stopped midway here by a team of the Election Commission and local police. The film, titled 'Bhagwa Aatankwad Bhramjaal' is centred around the Samjhauta Express, Malegaon, Ajmer Dargah and Mecca Masjid blasts and was being shown to journalists here by an organisation called Bharat Vichar Manch (BVM). Following a complaint by the Congress, a team of EC officials and personnel from MP Nagar police station stopped the screening, said Inspector Manish Rai. He said the EC had initially given permission to BVM for the show but recalled it after the Congress complained. A BVM member, who identified himself as Captain Vikas Pandey, said the Mumbai-based producer-director of the film, Rajiv Pandey, wanted to the launch the short film from MP. He said the BVM was a social organisation and is not connected to the RSS. Rajiv Pandey said the film would be uploaded on sites like YouTube soon. "They are free to show the short film after May 12 when elections for Bhopal Lok Sabha seat gets over. We lodged a model code of conduct violation with the EC and it promptly took action," MP Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta said. "The EC has put off the release of a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the same yardstick should apply to Pragya Thakur as well," he added. The short film contends that Thakur and other "Hindu personalities" were held on "cooked up" terror charges by the Congress-led UPA government. Thakur is pitted against senior Congress leader and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The country has moved from times when Pakistan-backed terrorists used to walk inside our territory,killing our soldiers and mutilating their bodies evoking lucklustre response from the government,BJP president Amit Shah said Monday and urged people to vote back Narendra Modi to secure the country from cross-border terrorism. Referring to surgical strikes first after Uri terrorists attack and then in the wake of Pulwama killing of 40 CRPF jawans, the BJP chief said while the countrymen rejoiced over valor of armed forces, Rahul Gandhi led Congress and his allies like Lalu Prasad's RJD had gone into mourning. Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi the man with a 56- inch-chest, BJP president Amit Shah said people should vote him back to power for just one reason that he has made the country secure against cross-border terrorism. Addressing a rally at Madhuban in East Champaran district which falls under Sheohar Lok Sabha segment, Shah said your local MP Rama Devi has done a lot and enumerating these would take me long. But I would request you to forget all other things and vote for Modi for just one reason. That reason is, Modi has made the country secure against cross-border terrorism. You all can recall the times when Pakistan-sponsored terrorists used to walk inside our territory, kill our soldiers and mutilate their bodies evoking a lackluster response from the government of Mauni Baba (a derisive reference to former PM Manmohan Singh) and Rahul (Gandhi) baba, Shah said. Contrast that with the surgical strikes after Uri. Pakistan did not learn its lessons and Pulwama happened and they swiftly massed troops across the borders fearing another surgical strike. But our Narendra Modi is a chhappan inch ki chhati wala mard (the man with a 56-inch chest). He commissioned the Air Force to do the needful and the hideout of those responsible for Pulwama was blown to smithereens in Balakot, the BJP chief said evoking wild applause. You people are rejoicing here at the description of the valor of our armed forces. But Rahul babas Congress and his allies like Lalu Prasads RJD had gone into mourning. They petulantly demanded a proof from us when all they had to do was to watch the Pakistani channels where the shock resulting from the air strikes was visible, Shah said. Rahul babas advisor Sam Pitroda came up with the nave suggestion that we should have treated the terrorists who killed our 40 CRPF jawans as young lads gone wayward and engaged them in talks. Tell me, can we engage in discussions with such elements, the BJP president said evoking a resounding Nahin (no) from the crowds. Rahul babas ally Omar Abdullah (National Conference leader, former Chief Minister) has come up with the idea of restoring the post of Prime Minister for the state. Can a country have more than one Prime Minister! These people are helping Pakistan which has the agenda of snatching away Kashmir from India, he said. But let them understand very clearly, the BJP will thwart any such secessionist designs even if it ceases to be in power. To cement the position of Kashmir as an integral part of India we will root out (ukhaad phenkenge) Article 370 when we return to power, the BJP chief whose party has promised doing away with the special status to the restive state in its manifesto, said. During election campaign, I have got the opportunity to travel across the country and come across people speaking different languages and having varied customs. At all places I have found the chants of Modi! Modi! Modi! Modi! ..it is evident that he is going to be back as the Prime Minister, Shah claimed. Shah had reached the Bihar capital late Sunday night and is scheduled to cover the state with as many as five rallies during the day followed by another public meeting on Tuesday. The last two phases of general elections, which cover 16 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state where the total number is 40, are extremely crucial for the BJP which had won 12 of these. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's ailing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will return to jail here in a procession of Pakistani workers on Tuesday to complete the remaining period of his seven years imprisonment in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case. Sharif, 69, was granted six-week interim bail by the top court on March 26 to undergo medical treatment and he filed the petition on April 27 for permanent bail as he was suffering from acute anxiety and depression that may lead to "sudden death". The bail expires on May 7 as the apex court rejected his review petition seeking permission to go to the UK for the treatment. "Nawaz Sharif will return to Kot Lakhpat Jial Lahore on Tuesday in a procession of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers. A call has been given to the workers to gather at the Jati Umra residence of Sharif to march towards the jail along with him," PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb told PTI on Monday. She said the PML-N workers are eager to come to roads against Prime Minister Imran Khan's anti-people policies and they are waiting a call from the leadership. "Sharif did not want to go to jail in procession but the workers insisted him for this,' she added. Sharif, three-time prime minister, has been serving a seven-year prison term at the jail since December 24, 2018 when an accountability court convicted him in one of the three corruption cases filed in the wake of the apex court's July 28, 2017 order in Panama Papers case. He was imprisoned in Adiyala Jail and shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail on his request. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Shiv Sena Monday condemned the latest attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said there should not be any lapse in his security. The BJP also ally said the Kejriwal-led AAP government has done some good work in the fields of education and health. Kejriwal was slapped by a man during a roadshow in Delhi last week. The CM was on an open jeep when the man wearing a red T-shirt jumped onto the vehicle and slapped him. In its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Sena said, "Political and social intolerance is growing in India. But acts such as throwing ink or hurling shoes (at politicians) is not going to solve problems." It looks like the Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader has set a record of sorts in facing such assaults after becoming the chief minister of the city-state, the Marathi daily said. He has faced nearly a dozen such attacks, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said. "Such acts of insulting senior politicians in the country should be stopped at once," said the saffron party. Kejriwal is not ready to accept the fact that New Delhi, being the national capital, has be put under Union Home Ministry as far as security matters are concerned, it said. The local government can not have its own security force, the Sena organ said. Kejriwal's government has done some good work in education and health, which has been lauded widely. But in the meantime, the AAP leader also started dreaming about becoming the prime minister and making false claims and allegations, the Sena said. "We do not agree with such acts. There should not be any lapse in Kejriwal's security," said the party. This was the second time bureaucrat-turned-politician has been slapped in a public rally. He had also been attacked with ink and spices earlier. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers would hold the fourth edition of HR Automotive Conclave here on May 10 focussing on the capabilities and skills required for the industry in future. The conference would also dwell on understanding the ways in which the ecosystem would have to come together and skills for the organisation. The one-day conclave would be held by SIAM in association with the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India and the Federation of Automobile Dealers' Association, a press release said. "In an era where change is driven by technology and rapidly changing people preferences, it is imperative for HR to keep pace with dynamic shifts in the landscape of Indian Automotive industry", SIAM Deputy Director General Sugato Sen said. "SIAM is working to support the young professionals to make them the leaders of tomorrow. We believe that successful mentoring relationship reinforces young HR professionals to meet the challenges and demands of workplace by developing the right skill competencies" he said. The conference would be on the theme 'Digitization and Disruption: HR Re-imagined and Redefined, the release said. The deliberations during the day would focus on informal transmission of knowledge, skills by leading professionals from the industry, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after members of two communities clashed over setting up of a shed on a land where a place of worship had been demolished, the situation remained peaceful and under control in Amberpet area here Monday, police said. Tension had prevailed in the area Sunday night after stone-hurling following an argument over the land where the place of worship had been razed down by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for road-widening work Wednesday last. Members of different groups and political parties had also staged dharnas and protests at the site of demolition over the past two days demanding reconstruction of the place of worship. In a related development, Telangana BJP president K Laxman led a party's delegation and met Director General of Police M Mahendar Reddy Monday evening and submitted a memorandum. The memorandum sought an inquiry into the incident and action on all, including the police officials, alleging they misused their power and abused the local people and the BJP public representatives. The city police commissioner Anjani Kumar, along with senior officials, had rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. "We've brought the situation under control. Intensive patrolling was carried out Sunday night. Since then, the situation has been peaceful. Adequate forces have been deployed, and we don't expect any more trouble," the police chief told reporters here. Some people have been taken into preventive custody, including Telangana's lone BJP MLA T Raja Singh Lodh, police said. However, Telangana BJP leaders alleged the police were partial and lathicharged only members of Hindu organisations, who tried to stop attempts by another group to encroach upon the government land. Singh, who represents Goshamahal constituency in the city, had reached the spot to enquire about the situation, but he was taken into police custody, they said. Two police officials sustained minor injuries during the stone-throwing and cases were registered. The BJP leaders further said some AIMIM leaders had reached the site and claimed there was a place of worship and started re-erecting a structure and offering prayers. This was objected to by the locals which, according to the BJP, was the genesis of the tension and the subsequent stone-hurling. The party leaders further demanded registration of a case against AIMIM leaders and wanted the civic body to demolish the make-shift structure and allow road-widening work. Also, the party demanded that the police commissioner apologise for his alleged rude and unruly behaviour with MLA Raja Singh. Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali had on Saturday said the government had launched a probe into the demolition of the religious place, though it was not in use for several years and was abandoned and prayers were not performed. A man who claimed ownership of the land had given consent for demolition of a house and compensation had been paid to him, officials had earlier said. Ali had also said he would hold consultations with religious scholars and locals in this regard and if they insisted on construction at the same place, the government would comply. Meanwhile, Raja Singh in a video message posted on a social networking site said he was taken into preventive custody by the police for protesting against the alleged illegal construction of the place of worship. He claimed there never existed any place of worship at the site, but a house which was brought down for road-widening after the landowner was paid Rs 2.5 crore. But, now suddenly some locals claim there was a place of worship and efforts were made to construct a new place of worship at that site, Singh said adding he was with the government and police, and that nonew construction activity should be allowed there. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Polling for the keenly watched contest in Amethi, long considered a Gandhi family turf, began on a contentious note on Monday with BJP candidate Smriti Irani alleging that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was "ensuring booth capturing". The first four hours of voting that began at 7 am saw 21.83 per cent polling in the constituency, a local state government information officer said. Irani, who crisscrossed the area from early morning, visiting booths to meet party workers, accused Gandhi of capturing booths. "Alert @ECISVEEP Congress President @Rahul Gandhi ensuring booth capturing," the Union minister said on Twitter. She also tagged a video in which an elderly women is seen alleging that her hand was forcibly put on the 'panja' (hand) election symbol of the Congress though she wanted to vote for the 'kamal' (lotus), the BJP's symbol. There is no written complaint on the matter. Irani also questioned the absence of the Gandhi scion from Amethi. He is expected to arrive here later in the afternoon. In his stead, local Congress leaders moved around the constituency. The fierce battle between Gandhi and Irani seemed to push voters to come out to vote despite the scorching heat. Women appeared to outnumber men in the initial hours of voting, particularly in the initial hours of voting. The maximum voting of 23 per cent -- from 7 am to 11 am -- was reported from the Gauriganj assembly segment. Amethi witnessed a bitter battle between the two leaders in the 2014 general elections as well. Gandhi won the seat with a reduced margin of one lakh votes compared to three lakh votes in 2009. There are five assembly segments in the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency -- Amethi town, Gauriganj, Jagdishpur, Tiloi and Salon. Of the five assembly segments, four are represented by the BJP and one by the SP. Salon and Jagdishpur are reserved constituencies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Africa on Monday signed a deal for the exploration and production of oil in South Sudan, as part of a USD 1 billion investment in the conflict-torn nation's struggling oil industry. The deal will see South Africa's state-owned oil company, Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF), and South Sudan's Nile Petroleum Corporation, explore an area of 31,000 square kilometres (12,000 square miles) known as "Block B2". South African Oil Minister Jeffrey Radebe described the agreement as "a great deal" for both countries. Exploration will begin immediately, and is expected to continue for six years. South Sudan has an estimated 3.5 billion barrels of oil with only 30 per cent of it being explored, Petroleum Minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth said at the signing ceremony. The country has the third-largest oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the ministry. At its peak, oil production in South Sudan was at 350,000 barrels a day, however production has been crippled, with oil fields severely damaged by almost six years of war. A September 2018 peace deal has helped revive production, which has gone from around 155,000 barrels per day (bpd) at the end of last year, to current figures of 175,000, said Gatkuoth. He said the government was aiming to reach 200,000 bpd by the end of 2019. The oil sector's revival was a key part of the peace deal mediated by Sudan, whose economy also suffered from the slowdown in oil output to the south. South Sudan's oil sector is currently dominated by Chinese and Malaysian oil companies, while companies from Russia and Nigeria have also signed deals to explore new oil blocks. South Sudan achieved independence from Sudan in 2011, but remained heavily dependent on its northern neighbour's oil infrastructure -- refineries and pipelines -- for exports. The agreement with South Africa is part of a deal signed in November 2018 that will see Pretoria invest around $1 billion (880 million euros) in the oil industry, money that would go towards building a refinery and pipelines as well as oil exploration and training of workers and engineers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan authorities Monday extended by 48 hours the deadline for the public to surrender swords, daggers, sharp weapons and clothing similar to that of military uniforms as part of a crackdown on suspects following the Easter Sunday bombings which killed over 250 people. On Saturday, the Sri Lankan police asked the public to hand over swords and large knives to the nearest police station after a large haul of weapons, including swords, and camouflaged materials were recovered during searches of mosques and houses. "The time period granted to hand in swords, daggers, sharp weapons and clothing similar to that of military uniforms has been extended by 48 hours. The time period set to hand in such objects was to expire at midnight today (Monday)," 1st channel reported. The police Head Office has taken all necessary steps to inform the police stations across the country about the extension, police media spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said. According to the police, several people including politicians were arrested for possessing sharp-edged weapons like swords since the crackdown began to arrest the suspects and their network, following the April 21 blasts which killed 253 people and injured 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. Sri Lanka has imposed a state of emergency since the attacks and given sweeping powers to soldiers and police to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. House-to-house searches are being carried out across the country looking for explosives and propaganda material of Islamic extremists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan authorities Monday lifted an overnight curfew in the western coastal town of Negombo where violence erupted between groups of people over the weekend, days after the Easter bombings by Islamist extremists that killed more than 250 people in the island nation. The curfew was imposed on Sunday after a group of miscreants carrying swords attacked some people travelling on a three-wheeler in Porathota area of the town. The vehicle was set on fire. Several people were injured in clashes in Negombo, where St. Sebastian's Church was targeted in the Easter attacks carried out by suicide bombers who had pledged support for the ISIS. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said on Monday that Negombo was calm and curfew had ended at 7 am. The government also blocked some social media sites overnight, including Facebook and WhatsApp, in order to control the situation. The block was lifted early Monday. The police said an argument had instigated the clash and it was escalated after a drunken man's intervention. The curfew was imposed in the town as a precaution. Two people have been arrested in connection with the clashes. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, said that it was a personal clash between two groups. "The situation was brought to my notice and we have restored calm," he said. A senior police officer said an investigation was underway into the clashes. Negombo is a majority Christian town where the St Sebastian's church was attacked by a suicide bomber on the Easter Sunday. 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. Meanwhile, the schools reopened Monday after the Easter Sunday blasts. Police and soldiers combed school premises and the surrounding areas to make sure it is safe for children to go back on Monday, a senior police officer said. Armed soldiers were seen guarding all leading schools in the city. However, the normal school traffic was not seen. The education ministry's announcement to reopen schools after security guarantees were received from the military was still debated. Some leading Buddhist prelates had urged the government to delay the re-opening due to further possible attacks from the jihadists. Sri Lanka has a population of 21 million which is a patchwork of ethnicities and religions, dominated by the Sinhalese Buddhist majority. Muslims account for 10 per cent of the population and are the second-largest minority after Hindus. Around seven per cent of Sri Lankans are Christians. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Gatekeeper of Knowledge A Assyrian teacher writes on the blackboard during an Assyrian language class in Baghdad November 20, 2012. ( Saad Shalash/Reuters) Language is the gatekeeper of knowledge. Every language carries with it a unique set of knowledge which it gathers and passes on through generations. One could argue we were only put on this earth to teach future generations what we have learned. When a language is lost, we lose more than just words, we lose untold customs, cultures, traditions, and wisdom. Small languages are being lost at an alarming rate due to globalization. In our world of media, travel, education and technology, our society has forgotten to consider the cost of these "advancements" on our rapidly-shrinking world of language. While we may not be able to stay the forward pull of globalization, we should strive to document and preserve endangered languages, written and spoken, before extinction. There is undeniable value in watching closely as a language dies. Linguistic scholars work in an attempt to glean remaining knowledge from speakers before languages disappear. Racing the clock, British Professor Geoffrey Khan works tirelessly to document and record speakers of Neo-Aramaic. However, the preservation of one Neo-Aramaic dialect may prove to be especially vital historically, culturally, and religiously. Until 1915, Aramaic was spoken by Jewish and Christian populations in a great number of communities within the area of western Iran and northeastern Iraq. The dialects of Aramaic spoken in this region fall under a blanket referred to as NENA (North Eastern Neo-Aramaic). NENA consists of around 150 distinct dialects, most of which are already extinct. The Jewish dialects of NENA fall under a smaller category, Jewish Neo-Aramaic, or JNA. The community of JNA speakers from Urmia in the Western Azerbaijan region of Iran were known as Nash Didan, which translates to "our people." This community of roughly 400 families named their language LishAn DidAn, which translates to "our language." LishAn DidAn and other Jewish dialects are drastically different linguistically from the language of the Christian communities occupying the same land. Jewish and Christian co-territorial dialects are distinct from each other. There is a strong religious drive to preserve Christian dialects of Aramaic, however, there is no similar mission to preserve the Jewish dialects. The loss is particularly compelling because of the importance of translation and text to Jewish culture. Jewish literary expert Adam Kirsch has studied the unique historical importance of textual analysis to Jewish culture and the sacredness of books to the Jewish people. This is rooted the tradition of deep analysis of the Talmud. Jewish questioning and analyzing is carried over to all forms of literature. Insufficient documentation of LishAn DidAn will rob future generations of Jewish scholars of the ability to translate LishAn DidAn texts. Simply preserving the written work is not enough for this particular dialect. LishAn DidAn evolved as an orally based language, written using Hebrew letters with phonetic spelling, but often with elisions, the leaving out of certain sounds. If only written texts are saved, the intricacies and unique qualities of this dialect will be lost. Variations in spelling may be clarified by listening to recordings of speakers. Kahn's use of modern recording technology to document the last living speakers could prove to be invaluable to future translations. LishAn DidAn may be the key to unlocking lost history, because the Nash Didan played a role in a crucial moment in ancient history. The Nash Didan people pride themselves on an identity of being the direct link from biblical Judea to the modern day. Some go as far as to proclaim themselves the original Jews. The Babylonian Exile, the detention of the Jewish population in Babylonia, ended in 538 BC. The Jewish captive population was relocated back to Jerusalem. The Nash Didan are the Jewish captives who stayed after the release, or were left behind. The region is now ruled by countries that would most likely not look favorably on Jewish historical archaeological quests. It is in their interest to erase traces of Jewish history in the region. Current leadership in Iran destroyed the ancient Jewish cemetery, leaving in its place an unfinished hospital and empty lot. The land of Urmia was inhabited for centuries by the same small Jewish community since the Babylonian captivity. Like all humans, Nash Didan must have left important historical traces which could be excavated if future political climate allows. IN THE Jewish faith, any text containing the name of God must be buried. Archeologists would most likely uncover important historical text among the artifacts. These texts and artifacts could fill in historical gaps. Perhaps within the buried history are answers to why the Nash Didan remained after the Babylonian exile, or how treatment changed with the changes of rulership over Urmia. Due to current politics, we have the inability to search for history deeper than surface level at this point, but that may not always be the case. The documents and recordings Kahn captures may be the only breadcrumbs we can follow in future historical research. Consistent with the plight of Jewish communities around the globe, Nash Didan were victims of sporadic pogroms until 1915. The first fragment of the Jewish population left Urmia between 1915 and 1918. Ottoman invasions during WWI combined with the assassination of the Assyrian patriarch forced some Nash Didan to flee. These Nash Didan sought refuge just to the North of Urmia in the Caucasus Mountains, or fled to Palestine. A smaller portion of this group went to Tbilisi, Georgia. In 1920, Nash Didan experienced its largest mass exile. The Simko Shikak revolution made Urmia unsafe for the Jewish population; this spurred the migration of the majority of Nash Didan to immigrate to America and settle in Chicago. Chicago was not an arbitrary choice, as Nash Didan were aware of an already established Assyrian community there. The Nash Didan's search for community resulted in melding with the Christian Assyrian community. The two communities shared similar foods, and were able to communicate with each other speaking Assyrian. The Nash Didan were a smaller and less influential group, which resulted in the Nash Didan culture being lost to the larger Christian Assyrian community. Each generation showed rapid assimilation. LishAn DidAn was not passed on to children; within two generations, it disappeared from Chicago. The predominantly English-speaking third and fourth generations of today are mostly unaware of their heritage. When asked their ethnicity, they might say Jewish or Persian. Only the wealthiest Nash Didan were able to stay in Urmia through the migration in 1920. These Nash Didan remained in Urmia until 1951, when almost all Aramaic-speaking Jews from Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Persian Azerbaijan, and Persian Kurdistan were forced to leave the region. Only a few remained in Iran until after the revolution of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. Today, Urmia has no Jewish population. The speakers who left the area in 1951 and 1979 hold the key to recording the history and language of the Nash Didan. This last wave of immigrants settled in either Israel or Los Angeles. Most of these speakers are older adults, in their 60s, who speak another language primarily. Accurate statistics for the number of current speakers are unknown; outdated assessments show fewer than 5,000 speakers of LishAn DidAn, and those speakers are very advanced in age. Kahn's documents and recordings capture an intimate glimpse into a lost community. The urgency to document and record LishAn DidAn before its impending death is time-sensitive. The Nash Didan community and culture is almost completely gone. Given that Jewish history filled with persecution and relocation, the lack of attention to LishAn DidAn is unnerving. The chasm between the lack of interest in LishAn DidAn and the historical relevance of the Nash Didan is staggering. Jewish people have survived against all odds. The Jews are also responsible for unprecedented linguistic achievements, with the rebirth of Hebrew and revitalization of Yiddish. The Nash Didan population is now primarily in Israel and California, yet the bulk of funding for Geoffrey Kahn's work comes from England. With memory, history and language being key to the Jewish foundational principals, perhaps the lack of funding for LishAn DidAn simply lies in the lack of awareness about the small Nash Didan community. The Nash Didan community, which has been a victim of persecution, Diaspora and globalism is being erased. The Nash Didan culture is an important piece in the puzzle to the history of the Jewish people. Attention must be paid to the death of this language. May its memory be a blessing. Sri Lankan security forces should avoid the incidents that caused some people face social stigma during the search operations after the Easter Sunday blasts carried out by a "cult" within the community, as it may lead to radicalisation of moderate Muslims in the country, a Minister has warned. Minister of City Planning, Water Management and Higher Education Rauff Hakeem said Muslims welcome and support the security forces and police to carry out search operations following the April 21 carnage in which over 250 people were killed. There have been few incidents of concern during these operations, which should be avoided as these could lead to radicalisation of moderate Muslims in the country, he was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror on Monday. "Some people have suffered social stigma as a result of some minor happenings during search operations being sensationalised. One must not get carried away if Islamic literature written in Arabic or in Tamil is found in a house. It may not be terrorist literature. "There may be anti-(Osama) Bin Laden or anti-extremist literature with some people. The security forces could get help from the Department of Muslim Affairs to interpret such literature," the Minister told reporters. Hakeem also said that the bombings had been carried out by a cult living among the Muslims which earlier attacked the "mainstream mosques in certain Middle Eastern countries". "We as Muslims had warned the authorities of certain activities such as speeches made by certain people promoting extremism, which is against Islam, by certain groups from time to time," he said. When asked about the weapons being found in some mosques, during the searches, Hakeem said places of worship should not be used to keep arms, adding that "terrorist activities and ordinary crimes should not be mixed up". Asked about the ban on wearing a veil by Muslim women and on the unregistered mosques, he said relevant government institutions will take necessary measures on these matters soon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government's PWD department has demolished the steps at Mantralaya that were mostly "unused" since 2012, citing a report from the fire brigade. The steps, constructed after the devastating fire at the state secretariat in 2012, were demolished Sunday. According to a Public Works Department (PWD) official, the fire brigade had recommended removal of these stares for smooth movement of its vehicles in case of a fire at the government's administrative headquarters in South Mumbai. Besides, no one was "using" these steps except on days of flag hoisting, the official said. The demolition, which began Saturday and concluded the next day, drew criticism from an employee union. As part of the renovation of the building (post the 2012 fire), a sum of Rs 2 crore was spent on constructing the steps, claimed Avinash Daund, general secretary, Brihanmumbai State Government Employees Union. "The cost of its demolition was Rs 50 lakh and it has taken away the beauty of the entire building," he said. "My organisation had also opposed the construction of these unwanted steps in 2012 itself but no one listened to us," he said. "The money spent at both the occasions came from public. We must be answerable to their queries on reasons behind removal of these steps," Daund said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Record five-time Madrid Open winner Rafael Nadal pulled out of a media conference on Monday on the eve of his opening match at the tournament due to a stomach bug. Eleven-time Roland Garros champion Nadal had also been suffering from the bug on Sunday, a week on from losing in the semi-final of the Barcelona Open. The 17-time Grand Slam winner is racing to make up for lost time after failing to win a clay title so far this spring. The second seed is due to open play in the second round against Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Filmmaker Charlie Kessler has dropped the idea theft lawsuit against Matt and Ross Duffer on the eve of the trial, accepting that the brothers' concept for the Netflix show "Stranger Things" was their brain child. In an statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter, Kessler said the Duffers "independently created the show". "After hearing the deposition testimony this week of the legal expert I hired, it is now apparent to me that, whatever I may have believed in the past, my work had nothing to do with the creation of Stranger Things'. "Documents from 2010 and 2013 prove that the Duffers independently created their show. As a result, I have withdrawn my claim and I will be making no further comment on this matter," he said. In the lawsuit Kessler had alleged that he pitched a project at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival to the Duffers, and they went on to stole his idea for a show set in a small town where a secret governmental project exists investigating the paranormal. Netflix issued a statement after the lawsuit was dropped and said the company was pleased with the decision. "We are glad to be able to put this baseless lawsuit behind us. As we have said all along, 'Stranger Things' is a ground-breaking original creation by The Duffer Brothers. "We are proud of this show and of our friends Matt and Ross, whose artistic vision gave life to 'Stranger Things,' and whose passion, imagination and relentless hard work alongside our talented cast and crew made it a wildly successful, award-winning series beloved by viewers around the world," a Netflix spokesperson said in the statement issued to Variety. "Stranger Things" season three will premiere on July 4. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday said strong gram panchayats will strengthen the nation and asked the state's gram pradhans to make sincere efforts to transform villages. Addressing the 'Gram Pradhan Sammelan' here, Adityanath said, "The soul of India resides in its villages. The country's overall growth is not possible without the development of villages. Only strong gram panchayats will make the country strong." "After Independence, Modi ji fulfilled the dream of Mahatma Gandhi of establishing 'gram swaraj'," he added. Crediting Modi for focusing on the development of gram panchayats, Adityanath said that the prime minister has formulated and implemented several schemes and for the first time, Panchayati Raj has been implemented in the country in its real terms. "The financial rights of gram pradhans is even higher than that of an MLA. So, in order to ensure proper utilisation of government funds, pradhans should recognise their rights," he said. "There are a few case studies where gram pradhans with their sincere and honest efforts have transformed villages into model villages," he added. He further urged them to carry on the developmental activities in the state. "There is a need to form a monitoring committee to ensure that the benefits reach the poor through these welfare schemes," he said. On the occasion, he made an appeal to the village pradhans to cast their votes in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party and asked them to make efforts towards creation of model villages and be an integral part of the democracy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) He may be the newest action star in Bollywood but Tiger Shroff says his latest film "Student of the Year 2" was a breather from the death-defying stunts routine of his past films. The actor, who is looking to recreate the success of his last release, "Baaghi 2" in the "SOTY 2", said playing Rohan, a regular college boy in the film, "humanised" him. "This is the most different film I've ever done till date. It's a different world, it's a different me. Working on this one was like being stripped off of my powers. So, if someone will punch me, I'll bleed. "I like the fact that the film has humanised me. He's a normal college going boy, he is not a one-man army. He's not someone who is fighting for the nation or saving someone. He is sort of saving himself. It was refreshing," Tiger told PTI in an interview. The 29-year-old actor described his character as a happy-go-lucky person, who cares a lot for his friends. "There comes a time in the film when he decides to put himself ahead and follows his dreams... 'You bully me or pick on me', but that doesn't mean he'll not bite back eventually," he added. Tiger was at the centre of social media memes and trolls frenzy the day the film's trailer dropped. The movie also features debutantes Ananya Pandey and Tara Sutaria. Asked about handling criticism, the actor said, "I've been getting trolls and memes since my first film released. It means nothing to me. But I guess, any sort of PR is good PR." After "SOTY 2", he will return to his action avatar as he gets ready for the upcoming action film "Baaghi 3" and an untitled project with Hrithik Roshan. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the movie also stars Vaani Kapoor. Tiger told PTI that the movie, which is a Yash Raj Films production, will hit the theatres in October, whereas "Baaghi 3" is likely to debut in February 2020. Directed by Punit Malhotra, "SOTY 2" is slated to be released Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The number of Indian students applying to universities and colleges in Australia could thin down in next few years as India is working on raising the standard of its educational system, a senior official of India's premier policy making body has said. According to the latest official data, India is the second largest source of international students in Australia after China, with over 79,000 studying in the country. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, who was visiting Canberra last week, said that the current system of Indians sending students to Australia was not sustainable and it needs to look at this in a very "creative" and "innovative" manner. The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) is the premier policy think tank of the Government of India, providing both directional and policy inputs. "The supply of students to Australia will come down in due course. In the next three to five years, Indian universities and colleges will become better and better. And this market of vast numbers of Indian students coming to Australia will taper down," Kant said. "It is important for Australian universities at this stage to collaborate with Indian universities to do joint courses and build up alternative business models," he was quoted as saying by the Australian Financial Review (AFR) on Sunday. Pitching for Australian partnership in India's education sector, Kant said that the first step that Australia's higher educational institutions should take is to go for joint courses and degrees and take a stake in Indian campuses. ''I don't think that any Australian university is in India for charity. Nobody will invest in India without a rate of return. "People who come to India to collaborate will strike a business partnership. It is not feasible for business to come to India without getting a return. But that's possible given growth is around 7.5 per cent and the long-term growth objective is 9 to 10 per cent within three years," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP in Telangana would meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other top leaders in Delhi later this week on the alleged goof-up in Intermediate exam results that led to widespread protests in the State. State BJP president K Laxman told reporters here that a party delegation would meet Singh during a visit to the national capital on May 9 and 10. The party leaders were also likely to meet President Ram Nath Kovind, he said. The party would also meet National Human Rights Commission representatives. On May 7 and 8, four teams of BJP leaders, led by Laxman, party general secretary Muralidhar Rao, former MLA G Kishan Reddy and party MP Bandaru Dattatreya, would meet the families of 26 students who allegedly committed suicide upset over the intermediate exam results. BJP would undertake one-day fast by involving parents on May 11 and 12 to mount pressure on the government, he said. The party would hold meetings with parents of children who appeared for Intermediate exams on May 15 and 16, he said. Laxman alleged that the state government lacked sensitivity as it has not responded to the opposition protests. He demanded that the government take up revaluation of answer sheets instead of re-verification. On the clash between members of two communities over the setting up of a shed on a land where a place of worship was demolished, Laxman alleged it showed the friendship betwen ruling TRS and AIMIM. He wanted to know why BJP MLA Raja Singh, who had gone there to enquire about the situation, was "arrested" while "spreading out red carpet" to the AIMIM MLA. The incident showed the double standards of the TRS government, he claimed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister on Monday asked voters not to deny money given to them by other political parties, but vote for the "On the night of election, do they [other political parties] come to give money or not?" Kejriwal asked, without mentioning the or "What will you do? Take it, don't deny it, but vote for jhadu (broom, AAP's election symbol)," the chief said at a roadshow in support of South Delhi candidate Raghav Chadha. Kejriwal had made a similar comment in Chandni Chowk earlier, following which he was sent a showcause notice by the Election Commission. Chadha, meanwhile, said the youth would reject the of hooliganism. "To all the political goons in South Delhi, I want to say that for a very long time, you all have imposed of fear and muscle in South Delhi," he said. "But no longer. Now, the youth of this country will reject the of hooliganism and instate politics of honesty and decency." "Stop intimidating and insulting the people of South Delhi and pay heed... we will neither be scared nor let you scare people any longer," Chadha said. The roadshow started from Gautampuri, moving on to Pul Prahladpur, Lal Kuan, Tekhand Gaon, Indira Kalyan Camp, New Sanjay Camp, Harkesh Nagar (Sabri Camp), Transit Camp, Navjeevan Camp, Vayusenabad (MB Road), Mahila Mangal, Harijan Camp before ending at MB Road. The roadshows come two days after Kejriwal was slapped by a man in New Delhi constituency. With a week to go for the elections in Delhi, the has intensified its campaigning by holding multiple roadshows of Kejriwal and adding star power to its campaign through participation of Gujarat MLA and actor-politician Prakash Raj. Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is testing new "Smart Wallet" technology, which would enable future drivers of the luxury cars earn cryptocurrency and make driving related payments on the move. The UK's largest car manufacturer said the "earn-as-you-drive" tests would mean future owners of its models earn credits by enabling their cars to automatically report useful road condition data, such as traffic congestion or potholes to navigation providers or local authorities. Drivers could then redeem their rewards, such as free coffee, or use them to automatically pay tolls, parking fees and for smart charging electric vehicles. "Smart Wallet removes the need for drivers to hunt for loose change or sign up to multiple accounts to pay for a variety of everyday services," JLR said in a statement. Unlike other similar systems, due to its structure, Smart Wallet would require no transaction fee to operate and over time transactions will get faster across the entire network, forecast to include some 75 billion connected devices by 2025. Drivers could also top-up their Smart Wallets using conventional payment methods, JLR said. JLR, the UK-based car giant, was acquired by Tata Motors in 2008. "The connected car technologies we are developing will be transformative and truly turn your Jaguar or Land Rover into a third space, in addition to your home or office," said Russell Vickers, JLR Software Architect. "In the future an autonomous car could drive itself to a charging station, recharge and pay, while its owner could choose to participate in the sharing economy earning rewards from sharing useful data such as warning other cars of traffic jams," he said. Smart Wallet, which uses the latest cryptocurrency technology, involves a JLR partnership with next-generation blockchain IOTA Foundation to harness "distributed ledger" technologies to make and receive such payments. "Our distributed ledger technology is perfectly suited to enable machine-to-machine payments for smart charging, parking and tolls, in addition to creating opportunities for drivers to earn their own digital currency," said Holger Kother, Director of Partnerships at IOTA Foundation. The advanced connected technology is being trialled at the new Jaguar Land Rover software engineering base at Shannon in the Republic of Ireland, where engineers have already equipped several vehicles, including the Jaguar F-PACE and Range Rover Velar, with Smart Wallet functionality. Nick Rogers, Executive Director of Product Engineering at JLR, said: "Working with our engineering hub in the UK, the team in Shannon are pioneering and testing these sophisticated connected technologies that will help people to make the most of the time they spend in their car." "Jaguar Land Rover is embracing autonomous, connected, electrified and shared mobility technology as we endeavour to make cars safer, cleaner and smarter for everybody." The Irish R&D facility is focussed on developing new technologies to support electrification and self-driving features on future Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles. Supported by the Irish Development Agency, JLR said its team at Shannon is also developing the next generation of electrical architecture as well as exploring advanced driver assistance systems features for future vehicles. The company said the technology research forms part of JLR's Destination Zero strategy, which aims to achieve zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion. It adds: "Part of reaching this target is developing a shared economy where the vehicle plays an integral role as a data gatherer in the smart city of the future." "For example, the connected Smart Wallet services will promote a reduction in congestion with the sharing of live traffic updates and offering alternative routes to drivers, reducing tailpipe emissions from idling in traffic. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Danger to the Survival of Cultural Heritage in Times of Conflict A relief depicting Ashurbanipal, the last emperor of the Assyrian empire, hunting a lion. ( British Museum) If the lamassu were to be asked where it wanted to go, what would it say? The man asking the question is British Museum director Hartwig Fischer. He is addressing an audience at Calcutta's Victoria Memorial Hall. The topic of the evening is Building -- Destroying, Forgetting -- Discovering, Understanding -- Healing: Cultural Heritage and the Encyclopaedic Museum. Fischer continues, "Would it say 'I want to go back to the quarry because no one had the right to carve me out of stone in the first place'? Or would it say 'Let me stay underground, I don't want to see any more destruction'? Or would it simply say it wants to be part of the ever-growing knowledge and reference through our times and cultures and be part of a museum which transcends all borders, one that teaches humankind what it takes to create culture, keep it alive and what it takes to heal?" A lamassu, it turns out, is a mythological creature -- a winged lion or bull with a bearded human head. This antiquity from the neo-Assyrian civilisation of the 10th and 9th century BC, survived the Daesh-led deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage in Iraq since 2014. Daesh is the Arabic language acronym of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The Assyrian empire grew in the 8th and 7th century BC stretching from West Iran to eastern Mediterranean -- covering what is today Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, southern Turkey and Egypt. It reached its widest expansion under its last emperor, Ashurbanipal, who ruled between 669 and 631 BC. Similar lamassus, reliefs and statues, including those in the Mosul museum and at the Nergel Gate, entryway to the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh, were not as lucky. "This lamassu was discovered by Daesh fighters but they had no time to destroy it," says Fischer pointing to a slide with a picture of the surviving statue. The 57-year-old talks haltingly and deliberately about the wilful destruction of antiquities, pausing to show his slides that depict the large-scale destruction. His audience, a packed auditorium at the Victoria Memorial Hall on an April afternoon, listens with rapt attention. The figure of the lamassu recurs throughout the Assyrian civilisation. These monumental statues or sculptures had to be quarried in faraway regions and then dragged to the shores of the Tigris to be taken upstream to Nineveh, the new capital that Ashurbanipal chose for himself and his government. The transporting work had to be done by the people who had been enslaved. Lamassus were usually placed at entrances of palaces as protective forces, to protect the ruler from evil and destruction. "This was to impress the visitors to the palace at Nineveh," says Fischer. A watercolour representation of the lowering of the lamassu. ( British Museum) Ashurbanipal had depicted himself as the one who slays the lion. Hartwig tells his audience, "In his relief, you can see a stylus that is stuck in his belt. It is a writing tool. He wanted to be depicted as a man of letters. He knew how to read and write and made sure everybody took note of that." It seems the emperor also created the biggest library of his time of Cuneiform tablets, an encyclopaedic library covering all areas of knowledge -- medicine, agriculture, trade, astrology, the art of predicting future by reading the liver of a sheep. Cuneiform is a system of writing first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia c. 3500-3000 BC. It is distinguished by its wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets, made with a blunt reed for a stylus. The name itself means "wedge-shaped". After Ashurbanipal's death in 631 BC, the Assyrian empire began to disintegrate. In 612 BC, Nineveh was conquered. Thus a great culture sank into the sand. And the only records that remained of it was the Bible and some Roman history texts. It was only in the late 19th century that British and French archaeologists started digging to bring up the ancient cities to roof. Iraq was severely damaged during the second Iraq War. In 2003, the National Museum of Iraq was plundered. John Curtis, head of the Middle East in the British Museum, went to Baghdad right after the invasion and fall of Baghdad for the first assessment. He tried to salvage whatever he could. "There is a danger to the survival of the cultural heritage in times of conflict," says Fischer. "This danger is not limited to one zone or one country or region," he adds. Commenting on how the iconography of the past was being used by present rulers to justify their ends, Fischer showed two interesting slides -- one of a relief of Ashurbanipal killing a lion, and another pictorial representation of a current leader who considered himself a true descendant of Ashurbanipal, doing the same. A page from The Illustrated London News showing popular reception of the lamassu at the British Museum. ( British Museum) "Daesh came into being basically under the leadership of those who served Saddam Hussein and those who had been dismantled and imprisoned and excluded from public life. They used religion to reconquer territory they had lost and to target systematically and damage historical and heritage sites, the past that you can relate to in order to look beyond ideological blinkers that those who seek absolute powers want to force upon you," says the director of the museum. Damage to cultural heritage by Daesh that started in 2014 in Iraq was immense. About 60 per cent of Nineveh was lost, and 80 per cent of Nimrud, another ancient city. "The very day Daesh crossed the line between Iraq and Syria, they published a hashtag #sykespicotover, which indicates an awareness of the deep and immediate history of the region and their political project of a Caliphate transcending political border," says Fischer. The Sykes-Picot agreement was a secret 1916 agreement between the United Kingdom and France to which the Russian Empire assented. It defined mutually agreed spheres of influence and control in West Asia. "About 813 sculptures and statues were damaged, a library was burnt and the National Museum of Iraq was bombed," says Fischer. In 2016, the British Museum launched the Iraq Training Scheme funded by the British government. Two scholars from Iraq are trained at the museum for three months, go back to Iraq and join archaeologists from the British Museum at excavation sites at Darband-i Rania in the north, and Tello in the south. "This has enabled a number of colleagues from Iraq to survey the sites and save what can be saved. Eight women from Mosul trained in the British Museum and excavated the first bridge and a temple in south Iraq from 2400 BC," says Fischer. Returning to his question of where the lamassu would rather be, one cannot help but wonder if it would prefer to remain in the reconstructed palaces of Nineveh, under the nurture and care of modern Iraqis who are the rightful heirs of these priceless artefacts. Tata Motors and TVS Auto Assist will launch breakdown assistance services for women drivers during late hours from next month. As per the Women Assist Program, which will roll out from June 1, the companies will cater to the urgent service requirements of a woman driver of Tata Motors passenger vehicles, between 8 pm to 5 am, on all days. Tata Motors Monday said, the program will offer quick service related solutions pertaining to accidents, rundown of battery, flat tyre, empty fuel tank issues or mechanical breakdowns. "This industry first service program reflects on Tata Motors' acknowledgement of the increasing number of women drivers and its commitment towards providing a world class after sales infrastructure to them," Tata Motors President Passenger Vehicle Business Unit Mayank Pareek said in a statement. TVS Auto Assist (TVS AA) is a part of the USD 8.5 billion TVS group. "There are more than two million women car drivers in key cities across India and we felt the need for a support system to back the women drivers when they are out on roads during late hours," TVS Auto Assist CEO K Mahesh Kumar said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Victims of instant triple talaq will vote for Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary said Monday, barely 24 hours after the prime minister targeted opposition parties over the centuries-old tradition in Islam. Talking to PTI, the minister for minority welfare said the various educational reforms in the madrassa system will also prove to be beneficial for the party in the ongoing elections. "The numerous beneficiaries of various welfare schemes, the victims of triple talaq and the educated women will vote for Modiji," Chaudhary said. When asked whether the BJP has been able to break the barrier in terms of voters from certain community traditionally not voting for it, Chaudhary said the prime minister has given the slogan of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" (together with all, development for all) and there has been no discrimination under the BJP government as far as implementations of various welfare schemes are concerned. "I cannot say whether it will be 20 per cent or 25 per cent, but this is certain that those women who have benefitted from government schemes will definitely give their mandate in favour of the BJP," the minister said. On educational reforms, Chaudhary said, "Our effort was to integrate the madrassa course with the CBSE syllabus. Our endeavour is that madrassas should produce engineers, doctors, IAS and IPS. The educated people understand very well that they are getting the benefits of various welfare schemes without any discrimination." Citing an example, he said, the examination of the UP madrassas were completed before the CBSE and UP board examinations and the results were also declared much before the others. "The government gave scholarships to madrassa students and the teachers were paid salaries through direct benefit transfer and no one found any discrimination in that," Chaudhary said. "During the reign of Yogi Adityanath, there have been no Hindu-Muslim riots and all this has led to an increase in faith reposed by the Muslims in the BJP and the prime minister," he added. Addressing an election rally in Bhadohi on Sunday, Modi had 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. He 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 around the world, adding that "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". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tripura government Monday appointed additional secretary in the Home department, Saradindu Choudhury as the new district magistrate of Dhalai district, officials said. Choudhury as the district magistrate would also be the new Returning Officer of East Tripura Lok Sabha constituency, they said. The state government appointed Choudhury as the new district magistrate with the approval from the ECI, a state government notification said. The notification issued by General Administration department said, " ... the Governor is pleased to order that Saradindu Choudhury, is transferred and posted as District Magistrate & Collector, Dhalai district, Ambassa with immediate effect ... ". The ECI had earlier ordered the transfer of Vikas Singh, the district magistrate and Returning Officer of East Tripura Lok Sabha constituency as the Returning Officer of West Tripura on Thursday last and had instructed the state government to forward a panel of suitable officials for posting as the new district magistrate of Dhalai. Earlier, the opposition Congress and CPI-M had lodged complaints with the ECI about poll irregularities in West Tripura Lok Sabha constituency, after which Sandeep Namdeo Mahatme was removed from the charge of Returning Officer and Vikas Singh was appointed in that post. Elections for the West Tripura and East Tripura Parliamentary constituencies were held on April 11 and April 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump's surprise threat to impose additional tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of products from China, ahead of the key trade talks between the two countries, came after his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping vetoed the US' demand of additional concessions, a media report said on Monday. In his latest tweet on trade talks Trump said "for 10 months, China has been paying tariffs to the US of 25 per cent on USD 50 billion of high-tech and 10 per cent on USD 200 billion of other goods." These payments are partially responsible for America's great economic results, he said. "The 10 per cent will go up to 25 per cent on Friday. USD 325 billion of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25 per cent," he said. 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 said in his tweet. His threat to impose more tariffs came as a surprise as a high-level Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier Liu He was scheduled to attend the 11th round of talks with its US counterparts on Wednesday. Trump's threat of additional sanctions on Chinese imports revealed his impatience due to a lack of sufficient concessions from China, with sources suggesting that Xi vetoed additional concessions proposed by his negotiators, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported Monday. Sources familiar with the discussions said the proposals submitted to Xi included one that promised more concessions. "Xi told them 'I'll be responsible for all possible consequences'," The Post quoted sources as saying. Chinese negotiators subsequently presented a tougher proposal to Washington, the report said. On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry scorched speculation that the Chinese delegation planned to cancel the visit to Washington to end the trade war. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday quoted unnamed sources as saying that "China is considering cancelling trade talks that are to resume in Washington starting Wednesday." Reacting to the report, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang told media briefing on Monday that what I can tell you is that the Chinese team is preparing to travel to the US for the trade talks. He parried a spate of questions whether the talks would be resumed on Wednesday and declined to say when the trade team would go to Washington. About Trump's threat to impose punishing tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of additional Chinese products, Geng played it down saying that such a situation prevailed earlier. "As to the US threat on Chinese tariffs, I think such situation appeared many times before. China's position is always clear cut and the US knows that clearly. Regarding the trade talks between China and the US those consultations have been held for the 10th round and made positive progress. "We hope the US and China will work together to reach a mutually beneficial treaty on the basis of mutual respect, this is not only in the interest of China but also that of the US as well as the aspiration of the international community. I know there is much attention about the trade talks. We are trying to get more information," Geng said. There were high hopes that Liu's trip to Washington this week for the 11th round of talks would produce a deal to end the trade war which has ravaged the global economy for almost a year. After Trump's tweet threatening punitive tariffs on USD 200 billions of imports from China Beijing must now consider whether to bow to the pressure from the US and make more concessions, or break off negotiations altogether rather than appear to cave in to US demands, the Post report said. Lu Xiang, an expert on China-US relations from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Trump was pursuing a strategy of putting maximum pressure on China. "If China cancels the trip, Trump would blame China for the failure of the trade negotiations," he told the Post. One possible response from China could be to send a smaller delegation to US, he said. Trump is demanding China to reduce the USD 375 billion trade deficit. He also called for verifiable measures for protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), technology transfer and more access to American goods to Chinese markets. He has already increased the tariffs on over USD 250 billion Chinese exports to US and threatened to extend tariffs on USD 200 billion Chinese imports to 25 per cent. China too slapped reciprocal tariffs on some US exports to the country. Trump recently hinted that Xi could visit the US in June setting off speculation that both countries could work out a trade deal by next month. Media reports suggest that the two sides are still discussing key issues on structural issues, such as the US accusation of unfair subsidies in China, a mechanism to verify compliance and what to do with the tariffs the two have already imposed on hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of each other's goods. Chinese officials argue that the compliance mechanism being insisted by the US overrides the World Trade Organisation mechanism and make it redundant. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump turned up the pressure on China on Sunday, threatening to hike tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese goods. 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 financial markets and cast gloom over the world economy. Trump turned up the heat by saying he would raise import taxes on USD 200 billion in Chinese products to 25 per cent from 10 per cent on Friday. He's twice pushed back deadlines in January and March to raise the tariffs in a bid to buy more time for a negotiated settlement. But on Sunday, Trump, who has called himself a "tariff man," said he's losing patience. "The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!" Trump tweeted. The two countries are locked in a high-stakes dispute over China's push to establish itself as a technological super power. The US charges that China is resorting to predatory tactics including cybertheft and forcing foreign companies to hand over technology in a drive to establish Chinese companies as world leaders in advanced industries such as robotics and electric vehicles. Last July, the Trump administration gradually began slapping import taxes on Chinese goods to pressure Beijing into changing its policies. It now has imposed 10 per cent tariffs on USD 200 billion in Chinese imports and 25 per cent tariffs on another USD 50 billion. The administration has repeatedly suggested that the negotiators are making progress. A month ago, Trump said the two countries were "rounding the turn" and predicted that "something monumental" would be achieved in the next few weeks. But last week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin seemed to temper expectations, suggesting that Washington was willing to "move on" if it can't get the deal it wants. A substantive deal would require China to rethink the way it pursues its economic ambitions, abandoning or scaling back subsidies to its companies, easing up on the pressure for foreign companies to share trade secrets, and giving them more access to the Chinese market. Philip Levy, senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a White House economist under President George W Bush, said the talks are too complicated for Trump's high-pressure tactics to work. "The president treats this like we're haggling over the price of a used car," Levy said. The prospect of higher tariffs and heightened tensions could alarm investors when markets open Monday. "When the president puts his foot down, it makes the market go down," Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at MUFG Union Bank, wrote in a research note Sunday. "Tariff man is back just in time to make the stock market dive, dive, dive. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump's turnabout on whether the special counsel should appear before Congress "Bob Mueller should not testify," he tweeted has sparked criticism from Democratic lawmakers eager to question the author of the report on Russia's election interference. Trump had previously said he would leave the question of Robert Mueller testifying to Attorney General William Barr. The attorney general has said he has no objection to Mueller testifying. Not only did Trump in tweets Sunday contend that Mueller's report didn't reveal collusion and that there was no obstruction, he asserted: "Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!" Tensions between the White House and House Democrats have been fueled by disputes over calling administration officials before multiple committees, among them former White House counsel Don McGahn, and obtaining an unredacted copy of the special counsel's report and its underlying evidence as well as information relating to Trump's personal and business finances. "First @realDonaldTrump repeatedly tried to fire Mueller," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N Y, tweeted Sunday in response to Trump's messages. "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." "Today, Trump announced he is opposed to Mueller testifying before Congress. Before the American people," tweeted Rep. Adam Schiff, the California Democrat who chairs the House Intelligence Committee. "He also opposes letting McGahn appear. Barr's testimony alone designed to protect Trump isn't going to cut it. They will testify. The American people deserve the truth." Trump's repeated statements on collusion and obstruction differ from the report's. 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. In his tweets Sunday, Trump did not indicate if he would take any steps to block Mueller, who is a Justice Department employee. The president tweeted after a Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee said he was hopeful Mueller would testify, noting that May 15 has been proposed. "We hope the special counsel will appear" at that time, Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline told "Fox Sunday" and added 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. Representatives of the Justice Department and Mueller declined to comment on Cicilline's remarks and on Trump's tweet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) -AsiaNet/ -- The major meeting event of innovation ecosystem "Turkey Innovation Week" which contributes to evolvement of innovation concept in Turkey, is held on 3-4 May 2019 at Istanbul by Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM). The event has experience areas, conferences, workshops and exibihitions focusing on innovation which brings global and Turkish professionals together whom are creating difference in innovation. Rising E-Exports With Added Value of Innovation For enhancing digital transormation in exports, 13 different digitalization in export projects are planned for 2019. Starting from May 2019, digital exports would be supported by paper free exports system. With the new digital exports system, 154 exports paper work would be processed digitally and exporters would send their additional demands throughout the system. Digitalization in exports aim to shorten export processes and increase exports numbers. 2019 have been announced as "Sustainability and Innovativeness" year in exports, aiming to reach 182 billion dollars export number as anticipated in New Economy Program. With the continuing innovative developments in exports, 2019 export targets would be surpassed, already the first quarter exports values 44 billion and 567 million dollars, increasing 3,3% compared to 2018. Creating Difference With Innovation "Turkey Innovation Week", major meeting event of innovation ecosystem, has been organized since 2012 and hosted 400 thousand visitors till now. This year the event continues to gather many global speakers, sector's professionals, academicians and students. Speakers will be sector's global professionals such as Shazam Founding Partner Chris Barton, National Geographic CTO Marcus East, Nasa's Former Rocket Scientist Kevin J Debruin, Estonia's Former President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and many more. The panels will be focusing on innovation in Turkey and contribution on e-exports. The panels are "Defence Industry: The Multiplying Effect in Technology", "Life Enhanching Innovation", "Innovation and Future in Turkey", "From Digital to Production Transformation: New Horizons in the Industry", "New Route of Exports: Price to Information Competition" and "Innovation in Finance: Fintech and Blockchain Technologies". The innovation champions of 2018 are going to be announced at "Inovalig" prize ceremony."World E-Commerce Forum" which is an international organization that contributes to Turkey's production power and capacity via enhanging e-exports, would be held in accordance with the event. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United Arab Emirates on Monday released a Qatari naval vessel and four persons, including an Indian national, who were on board when it was detained last week for violating UAE's territorial waters, officials said. The vessel, flying the Qatari flag, had entered UAE territorial waters on April 30, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The ship and the four persons on board -- two military personnel from Qatar and one from Palestine and a private Indian national -- were released, the statement said. The four were First Lieutenant Mohammed Hassem Al Heil and Lance Corporal Saeed Nasser Al Marri, both Qatari nationals, Lance Corporal Mohammed Riyad Al Beltaji, a Palestinian national, and private Fayez Talkoum, an Indian national, it said. Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Qatar foreign ministry said the ship was carrying out routine drills in Qatari territorial waters when it suffered a technical malfunction and drifted towards UAE territorial waters. Accusing Doha of supporting radical Islamist groups, the UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, has cut all diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar in June 2017. Doha has repeatedly denied the charges. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United Nations on Monday criticized North Korea following its latest weapons test, warning such action would only increase regional tensions. North Korea on Saturday carried out a test of rocket launchers and unspecified tactical guided weapons -- a provocative move that appeared however to fall short of a return to the missile launches that led to international sanctions in 2017. "We are very much aware of the recent launches" by North Korea, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. "Such an action serves only to increase tensions in the region," he added. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres encourages all sides to "continue their dialogue to advance sustainable peace and a complete and verifiable denuclearization on the Korean peninsula," said Dujarric. Following the test, the United States said it would continue to press on with talks with Pyongyang to scrap North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. President Donald Trump has met twice with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but the latest summit in Hanoi collapsed over Pyongyang's demands for quick sanctions relief. The United States insists that sanctions will be lifted after North Korea's has fully scrapped its weapons programs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior BJP leader and Home Minister Rajnath Singh Monday accused the Congress of weakening the fight against terrorism in the country. Addressing a rally in West Delhi's Sagarpur in support of party candidate Parvesh Singh Verma, he said Naxalism will be eliminated by 2022-23, and the Modi government is capable of protecting the nation. "The Congress has weakened our fight against terrorism," the Union home minister said. He also lashed out at political parties for questioning the Indian Air Force over the number of terrorists killed in air strikes in Balakot in Pakistan that were carried out after the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. "...Only vultures count bodies, not the warriors," Singh said. How can one give the number of terrorists killed in an air strike when the figure is too big, Singh questioned. "We would tell if one or two persons were killed, how can I answer if the numbers are so big," he said. Citing achievements of the Modi government, the BJP leader said India is poised to become the third largest economy of the world. He also asked the Congress why should Prime Minister Narendra Modi not be credited for a successful surgical strike and air strike against terrorists as former prime minister Indira Gandhi was feted for the 1971 war by everyone, including former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It is for the first time after 2004 that price rise has not become a poll issue in general elections, he said. "The rate of price rise in Pakistan is more than 9-10 per cent while it remained in the 2-3 per cent range in India. We have not allowed price rise to cross Wagah border due to our effective fiscal management," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Thirty-Year Genocide: Turkey's Destruction of Its Christian Minorities The Thirty-Year Genocide: Turkey's Destruction of Its Christian Minorities, 1894-1924 by Benny Morris and Dror Ze'evi is a reappraisal of the giant massacres perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire, and then the Turkish Republic, against their Christian minorities. Previous books have examined the genocides against the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks separately or focused only on the period of 1913-1923, but The Thirty-Year Genocide is the first account to show that the three were actually one intentional effort to rid Anatolia of its Christian population. This well researched book by Morris, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, and Ze'evi, Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, is a must read for anyone interested in the tragic events and history which inevitably shaped the modern world. Professor Morris has published books about the history of the Zionist--Arab conflict and has also written about the conflict in the New York Review of Books, New York Times, New Republic, and The Guardian. Professor Ze'evi has published several books on Ottoman and Middle Eastern history. As noted in the book's description, between 1894 and 1924, three waves of violence swept across Anatolia, targeting the region's Christian minorities, who had previously accounted for 20 percent of the population. By 1924, the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks had been reduced to 2 percent. Most historians have treated these waves as distinct, isolated events, and successive Turkish governments presented them as an unfortunate sequence of accidents. The Thirty-Year Genocide is the first account to show that the three were actually part of a single, continuing, and intentional effort to wipe out Anatolia's Christian population. The years in question, the most violent in the recent history of the region, began during the reign of the Ottoman sultan Abdulhamid II, continued under the Young Turks, and ended during the first years of the Turkish Republic founded by Ataturk. Yet despite the dramatic swing from the Islamizing autocracy of the sultan to the secularizing republicanism of the post--World War I period, the nation's annihilationist policies were remarkably constant, with continual recourse to premeditated mass killing, homicidal deportation, forced conversion, mass rape, and brutal abduction. And one thing more was a constant: the rallying cry of jihad. While not justified under the teachings of Islam, the killing of two million Christians was effected through the calculated exhortation of the Turks to create a pure Muslim nation. The National Herald contacted Professor Ze'evi for comment about the book and he took time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions via email. TNH: How long did it take to put the book together from idea to publication? Prof. Dror Ze'evi: We started thinking about this project about nine years ago. In the beginning, our aim was to study the Armenian genocide during World War I, but as we delved into the research, we understood that the wartime Armenian tragedy was only part of a much larger saga of torment and suffering that lasted three decades and destroyed the Christian communities in Asia Minor -- Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians. The huge scope of this tragedy, in both space and time, led us to this nine-year research journey. TNH: What was the most challenging aspect and also the most rewarding aspect of writing this book? DZ: Our research took us to many archives in many countries, including the United States, Turkey, Britain, France, and Germany. In all these archives we found large quantities of primary sources. For me the most challenging aspect of writing the book was sifting through these mountains of material, comparing them, and sometimes combining, say, a deportation telegram from the Turkish Interior ministry with the report of a German consul and a letter written by an American missionary to create the narrative. Most rewarding was understanding that all these documents told a lucid and incontrovertible story and that they clearly complemented and completed each other. TNH: What projects are you working on next? DZ: We just finished this long and often exhausting project, and at the moment we are still writing articles and lecturing about it around the world. But I have no doubt that we will both continue to write about the fascinating history of our neck of the woods. The Thirty-Year Genocide: Turkey's Destruction of Its Christian Minorities, 1894--1924 by Benny Morris and Dror Ze'evi, published by the Harvard University Press, is available in bookstores and online. The US Monday said it cannot ensure the sale of its to India at concessional rates to make up for the cheaper Iranian oil going out of the market. "Oil is owned by private people, so the government cannot force people to make concessionary price," US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who is here to participate in a trade forum, told reporters. India this month stopped importing from Iran following the US move to end sanction waivers. Iranian oil was a lucrative buy for Indian refiners as the Persian Gulf nation provides 60 days of credit for purchases, terms not available from suppliers of substitute crudes -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Nigeria, and the US. Also, Iran made arrangements to ship the oil to India including providing insurance cover during transit. In the case of most other suppliers including the US, refiners have make shipping arrangements and pay for insurance. "Iran is a problem, if you have seen recent terrorism incidents, and we should be doing whatever we can against terrorism," Ross told reporters after meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster said, "The US working with other countries, including Saudi Arabia, to ensure an adequate supply of oil". ALSO READ: When 30 mn barrels of Russian oil became a logistical nightmare for Europe New Delhi has lined up supplies from alternate sources such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and Mexico to make up for the lost volumes from Iran. India was the second-biggest buyer of Iranian after China. It bought some 24 million tonne of crude oil from Iran in the fiscal ended March 31. Iran supplied more than a tenth of its oil needs. US President Donald Trump last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and revived a range of sanctions against the Persian Gulf nation. It, however, granted a six-month waiver from sanctions to eight countries - China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Italy, and Greece - but with a condition that they would reduce their purchases of Iranian oil. The waiver began in November 2018 and expired on May 2. India, the world's third-biggest oil consumer, meets more than 80 per cent of its oil needs through imports. Iran in 2018-19 was its third-largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia, meeting over 10 per cent of total needs. Stepping up pressure on Iran, the US has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a "clear and unmistakable" message to Tehran that any attack on American interests or its allies will be met with "unrelenting force". National Security Advisor John Bolton said the decision to deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region in the Middle East was in response to a number of "troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" from Iran. The deployment of the strike group and bomber task force comes after US President Donald Trump last month refused to give waivers to countries like India from buying oil from Iran, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero. After coming to power, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 landmark Iranian nuclear deal last year and has imposed stringent sanctions against what he describes as the "authoritarian" Iranian regime. Under the accord, Iran had agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for sanctions relief. "In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," Bolton said Sunday. "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces," he said in a statement. In comments made Sunday night, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the deployments have been in the works for "a little while." "We will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests. And the fact that ... if those actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a Shiite militia group, the Houthis or Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that," said Pompeo. The US is seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran to counter what the White House perceives to be a potential threat. Last month, the US designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organisation, the first time the designation has been applied to a government entity. The designation categorises Iran's military alongside groups like ISIS, al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who controls the elite military force, called the designation a "vicious move" and a "mistake." The Trump administration insists that it is not seeking to topple Iran's Islamist regime, but that it only seeks to push the government to stop supporting proxy militias and terrorist groups and otherwise change its behaviour. Some of the administration's critics, however, fear that its actions and rhetoric could provoke the Iranians in a manner that may lead to a military confrontation. Bolton's remarks also came as new violence erupts between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. The group Islamic Jihad, which has a foothold in Gaza, is seen as an Iranian proxy. Trump recently tweeted about the violent situation in southern Israel and Gaza. "We support Israel 100 per cent in its defense of its citizens," Trump said. "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!" he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US is deploying an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a "clear and unmistakable" message to Iran that any attack on American interests or its allies will be met with "unrelenting force", National Security Advisor John Bolton has said. Bolton said on Sunday the decision to deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region in the Middle East was in response to a number of "troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" from Iran. The deployment of the strike group and bomber task force comes after US President Donald Trump last month refused to give waivers to countries like India from buying oil from Iran, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero. After coming to power, Trump withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal last year and has imposed stringent sanctions against what he describes as the "authoritarian" Iranian regime. "In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," Bolton said. "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces," he said in a statement. The US is seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran to counter what the White House perceives to be a potential threat. Last month, the US designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organisation, the first time the designation has been applied to a government entity. The designation categorises Iran's military alongside groups like ISIS, al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who controls the elite military force, called the designation a "vicious move" and a "mistake." The Trump administration insists that it is not seeking to topple Iran's Islamist regime, but that it only seeks to push the government to stop supporting proxy militias and terrorist groups and otherwise change its behaviour. Some of the administration's critics, however, fear that its actions and rhetoric could provoke the Iranians in a manner that may lead to a military confrontation. Bolton's remarks also came as new violence erupts between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. The group Islamic Jihad, which has a foothold in Gaza, is seen as an Iranian proxy. Trump recently tweeted about the violent situation in southern Israel and Gaza. "We support Israel 100 per cent in its defense of its citizens," Trump said. "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!" he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad Monday met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and briefed her about the Afghan peace process. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said both sides discussed the role of all regional stakeholders in bringing peace and development to Afghanistan, adding India will work with key partners in the coming days. Khalilzad has been holding talks with the Taliban in Qatari capital Doha to hammer out a deal to bring lasting peace and stability to war-ravaged Afghanistan. "Appreciate Amb @US4AfghanPeace Khalilzad briefing EAM @SushmaSwaraj on peace efforts in Afghanistan in midst of ongoing Doha meetings. Both discussed role of all regional stakeholders in bringing peace & development in Afghanistan. India will work with key partners in days ahead," Kumar tweeted. Last week, the US officials held their sixth round of talks with the Taliban to end the over 17-year-old conflict in Afghanistan. In March, India conveyed to the US that it should not withdraw its troops from Afghanistan without putting in place an elected "political structure" to govern the country. Major powers such as the US, Russia and Iran have been reaching out to the Taliban as part of efforts to push the stalled Afghan peace process. India has been a key stakeholder in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. In a significant move, India had sent two former diplomats in "non official" capacity to a conference on Afghan peace process in Moscow in November last year which was attended by a high-level Taliban delegation. The conference organised by Russia was attended by representatives of Afghanistan as well as from several other countries, including the US, Pakistan and China. India has been maintaining a policy of not engaging with the Taliban and pressing for an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace initiative to bring peace and stability in the war-ravaged country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Trump administration is moving to assert America's presence in the Arctic. He's warning China and Russia that the US won't stand for aggressive moves into the region that's rapidly opening up to development and commerce as temperatures warm and sea ice melts. Pompeo says in a speech in Finland that the U.S. will compete for influence in the Arctic and counter attempts to make it the strategic preserve of any one or two nations. He says rule of law must prevail for the Arctic to remain peaceful. The speech comes a day before Pompeo attends a meeting of the Arctic Council at a time of profound shifts in the region's and widespread criticism of the Trump administration's skepticism of climate change. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A grenade attack on a polling booth in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, violence in West Bengal and EVM glitches were reported during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls Monday across seven states in which voters turned out in considerable numbers till the afternoon. Political heavyweights Rajnath Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani are in the fray in this phase in which polling is underway in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Rajasthan, seven seats each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar and four in Jharkhand. In Jammu and Kashmir, polling began on a violent note with militants lobbing a grenade towards a polling station in Pulwama district, police said. A grenade was lobbed towards Rohmoo polling station in Pulwama but there were no reports of any casualties in the the blast, a police official said. Polling is being held in Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency which also includes Anantnag and Kulgam districts. There are 18 candidates in the fray for Anantnag constituency including PDP president and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti. In West Bengal, a scuffle broke out between Barrackpore seat's BJP candidate Arjun Singh and central forces when the former TMC MLA tried to enter a booth following allegations that voters were not being allowed to exercise their franchise there, officials said. Singh was later seen chasing "fake voters" in Naihati area. "Our agents were not allowed inside booths. People were not allowed to vote properly and I went there to have a look. I have the right to enter booths but police stopped me and hit me," Singh alleged. Alleging that the police were not doing anything to stop rigging in some booths of Barrackpore seat, Singh demanded that polling be stopped and re-polling ordered. BJP leaders also demanded re-polling in the seat. Sporadic incidents of violence were also reported in Bangaon, Howrah and Hoogly constituencies, with around 33.47 per cent of nearly 1.17 crore voters casting their ballots in the first four hours, officials said. At a booth in Belmuri in Hooghly seat, BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee was seen threatening a polling officer. She is contesting against TMC's two-term MP Ratna De Nag. A presiding officer at a booth in Tarakswar was removed after one person, allegedly a TMC leader, was seen casting votes on behalf of others there. In Uttar Pradesh, over 35 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in 14 Lok Sabha seats where Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi are in the fray. Election officials here said polling was going on smoothly, barring some complaints of EVM malfunctioning. Union minister and the BJP's Amethi candidate Smriti Irani alleged that Congress president Rahul Gandhi was "ensuring booth capturing" in the constituency. Irani and Gandhi are contesting against each other in the seat. "Alert @ECISVEEP Congress President @Rahul Gandhi ensuring booth capturing," Irani said on Twitter. She also tagged a video in which an elderly women is seen alleging that her hand was forcibly put on 'panja' (hand) election symbol of the Congress though she wanted to vote for the 'kamal' (lotus), the BJP's symbol. There is no written complaint on the matter. Rajasthan recorded a robust voter turnout of 42.7 per cent in 12 Lok Sabha seats in the first six hours. The maximum voter turnout of 47.45 per cent was recorded in Ganganagar (SC) seat. Churu, Jaipur, Nagaur, Alwar and Sikar registered a voter turnout of 44.75, 44.47, 43.54, 43.34 and 43.16 per cent, respectively. Besides these six seats, polling is also underway amid tight security in Bikaner, Jhunjhunu, Jaipur rural, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur and Dausa. Madhya Pradesh saw an average 29.76 per cent polling till noon in seven Lok Sabha seats. Polling was underway since 7 am in the seven constituencies - Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad and Betul. "Minor issues related to EVMs were reported at some places but they were sorted out," he added. In Bihar, an estimated 26.19 per cent of over 87.66 lakh electorate exercised their franchise till noon. Polling is underway in Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur. According to a senior police officer, one person has been taken into custody in Saran for damaging an EVM. The damaged EVM has been replaced with a fresh one. Barring a few reports of poll boycott and EVM glitches, voting has largely been peaceful in the five seats. "The voting process was delayed by around 30 minutes in six polling stations of Saran, two in Madhubani, one each in Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur constituencies due to technical glitches in the EVMs, but the officials have attended to the issues," he stated. In Dumri village of Muzaffarpur parliamentary seat, a group of people boycotted polls, citing lack of development. In Jharkhand, an estimated 29.49 per cent of the 65.87 lakh electorate cast their votes till 11 am. With this phase, election will be over in 424 seats and polling in the remaining 118 seats will be held on May 12 and 19. Election to 542 Lok Sabha seats is being conducted in seven phases between April 11 and May 19. Election in Vellore constituency in Tamil Nadu had been cancelled following excess use of money power. Results will be declared on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Launching an electoral blitzkrieg in Bihar, BJP president Amit Shah on Monday urged the people to vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi "for only one reason, he has made the country secure." Addressing five rallies in the state, Shah said "here are the names of more than 100 welfare schemes launched by the Modi government. You need not, however, vote for your NDA candidate because of the improvement in your lives these measures might have brought. Simply vote for one reason, Modi has made the country secure". Shah, who arrived here late Sunday night, addressed during the course of the day five back-to-back rallies in as many Lok Sabha constituencies - Sheohar, Pashchim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Siwan and Maharajgang -. At present, the BJP holds all the five constituencies and except for Siwan, which has been given up in favour of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), its MPs are seeking re- election from their respective seats. "Recall the 10 years of UPA rule when Aliyas, Maliyas and Jamaliyas from Pakistan used to attack our armed forces at will and the government headed by Mauni Baba (former PM Manmohan Singh) and leaders like Rahul Baba could not utter a word. Contrast the situation with now when every bullet fired from across the border is retaliated with a mortar shell (goli kaa jawaab gola se)", Shah said. "When 40 CRPF personnel were killed in Pulwama, Pakistan massed its troops along the borders fearing yet another surgical strike. But our Narendra Modi is the man with a 56-inch-chest. He commissioned the Air Force to do the needful and the terror hideout in Balakot was bombed and the militants were blown to smithereens (aatankwadiyon ke purze purze uda diye)", said Shah evoking wild applause from the crowds. Lambasting the Congress for promising abrogation of Article 370 and its ally Omar Abdullah of the National Conference for demanding restoration of the post of Prime Minister in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP chief asserted "at present we are in power. But in future even if we cease to be in power we will fight tendencies which are sympathetic to Kashmir's secession, till our last breath". At one of the rallies, Shah also made mention of the National Registry of Citizens which has become a contentious issue in the north-east and asserted "we are committed to driving out all infiltrators - from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Kolkata to Kutch -". In Siwan, Shah came down heavily on Lalu Prasad's RJD which has fielded Hina Shahab, the wife of jailed mafia don- turned-politician Mohd Shahabuddin, and said "the name of this land of first president Dr Rajendra Prasad by the reign of terror unleashed by Shahabuddin. The RJD, with the help of the Congress, is working towards bringing back the bad old days". Canvassing for the JD(U) candidate Kavita Singh, a local MLA and wife of local muscleman Ajay Singh, Shah said "Nitish Kumar and (Deputy CM) Sushil Kumar Modi pulled Bihar out of the dark times. The state began making rapid progress. And when Narendra Modi took over at the Centre it became like sone pe suhaga and Bihar began moving ahead as if propelled by a double engine". Exuding confidence of the BJP's victory in the ongoing general elections, Shah said at all the rallies "I have toured more than 290 constituencies across the country. People spoke different languages but the slogan was the same - Modi, Modi, Modi, Modi -. This is a clear indication that on May 23, after the counting of votes is over, Modi will be back as Prime Minister". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A grenade attack on a polling booth in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, violence in West Bengal and snags in EVMs were reported as voters queued up outside booths in the initial hours of polling on Monday for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections in 51 constituencies spread across seven states. Political heavyweights Rajnath Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani are in the fray in this phase in which polling is underway in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Rajasthan, seven seats each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar and four in Jharkhand. In Jammu and Kashmir, polling began on a violent note with militants lobbing a grenade towards a polling station in Pulwama district, police said. A grenade was lobbed towards Rohmoo polling station in Pulwama but there were no reports of any casualties in the the blast, a police official said. Polling is being held in Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency which also includes Anantnag and Kulgam districts. The Lok Sabha polls to this constituency are being held in three phases due to security reasons. There are 18 candidates in the fray for Anantnag constituency including PDP president and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti. West Bengal also reported stray incidents of violence in Bangaon, Hooghly and Barrackpore seats, an election official said. However, further details were awaited. Around 16.68 per cent of nearly 1.17 crore voters cast their ballots in the first two hours of polling in the seven constituencies of West Bengal. In Uttar Pradesh, nearly 10 per cent turnout was recorded in the first two hours of polling in 14 Lok Sabha seats where Union ministers Singh and Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi are in the fray. Among early voters in the state capital included Home Minister Singh, BSP supremo Mayawati, Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma and DGP OP Singh. Election officials in Lucknow said polling was going on smoothly, barring some complaints of EVM malfunctioning, which were attended to immediately. Polling was underway in Dhaurahra, Sitapur, Mohanlalganj (SC), Lucknow, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi (SC), Barabanki (SC), Faizabad, Bahraich (SC), Kaiserganj and Gonda constituencies where a total of 182 candidates are in the fray. Rajasthan witnessed over 13 per cent turnout in the first two hours of polling in 12 Lok Sabha seats where two former Olympians are among the 124 candidates in fray. Polling began at 7 am in Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Nagaur. In Madhya Pradesh, an average 12.54 per cent turnout was recorded in the first three hours of polling in seven Lok Sabha seats. Polling was underway since 7 am in the seven constituencies - Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad and Betul - where long queues were seen at some booths. "Minor issues related to EVMs were reported at some places but they were sorted out," officials said. Jharkhand saw an estimated 12.22 per cent of the 65,87,028 electorate cast their votes till 9 am on Monday in four Lok Sabha constituencies. Voters queued up before booths in Koderma, Ranchi, Khunti (ST) and Hazaribag constituencies since early morning to elect their representatives from among 61 contestants. Bihar saw an estimated 8.92 per cent of over 87.66 lakh voters exercised their franchise during the first two hours of polling in five Lok Sabha seats. Polling is underway in Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur parliamentary seats amid tight security, with no untoward incident reported from any part of the state, he said. Barring a few instances of EVM glitches, which was taken care by polling officials, polling has largely been peaceful in five seats, officials said. "The voting process was delayed by around 30 minutes in six polling stations of Saran, two in Madhubani, one each in Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur constituency due to technical glitches in EVMs, but the polling officials have attended to the issues," officials said. In the fifth phase of the seven-phase poll, about 8.75 crore people will decide the fate of 674 candidates. The stakes are high for the ruling BJP and its allies as it had swept 40 of these seats in 2014, leaving just two for the Congress and the rest for other opposition parties such as the Trinamool Congress (seven). With this phase, election will be over in 424 seats and polling in the remaining 118 seats will be held on May 12 and 19. Election to 542 Lok Sabha seats is being conducted in seven phases between April 11 and May 19. Election in Vellore constituency in Tamil Nadu had been cancelled following excess use of money power. Results will be declared on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said that she was unable to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi's calls made to her office as she was then camping at Kharagpur to closely monitor the possible advent of Cyclone Fani in the state. Prime Minister Modi has said that he had called Banerjee twice on Saturday but his calls were not returned. He had called up West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to inquire about the ground situation in the wake of the cyclone on Saturday prompting TMC to accuse Modi of trying to bypass the chief minister and that he does not respect the country's federal structurey. Banerjee addressing a rally at Gopiballavpur sub-division of Jhargram Monday said "I was in Kharagpur monitoring the cyclone but the prime minister's calls were made to my office (in Kolkata) so I could not respond to them." She said that Modi had called her for a meeting at Kalaikunda, where he landed for an election meeting after touring the cyclone battered Odisha. "Are we his servants that we have to go wherever he beckons? Now he will allege that I have not responded and have not shown cooperation." "My(poll) meeting at Jhargram today was fixed. Elections are on in West Bengal, while it is over in Odisha. Why should I share dais with an expiry prime minister during election time?Modi had raised the issue at a poll rally at Tamluk in East Midnapore district during the day. "She is so arrogant that she didn't speak to me .... Speedbreaker Didi is more interested in doing politics," he said. Modi said he had wanted to speak to the state officials to take stock of the situation. "But she didn't allow that to happen. The people of Bengal are getting affected because of her But I want to assure you all that central government stands with the people of Bengal. The Trinamool Congress supremo said Modi should get the "right lesson" in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, whose fifth phase is being held Monday. "(Modi) Don't look at Bengal. You are going to lose for sure," she said. Continuing her attack against Modi, Banerjee, who has been among his severest critics, said "We don't want a government that tortures under Modi. We want peace not war ... First you (Modi) control Delhi. We will form the United India government at the Centre and there will be an effort to build a new India". Referring to BJP's 'Aache din' slogan, she said "Have you all got Rs 15 lakh in your bank accounts as promised by Modi ? Go and tell Narendra Modi that he has been lying. Prices of petrol, gas, diesel and other commodities are all rising. Is this the 'aache din' Modi wanted ?" she asked. Banerjee keeping up her attack said, "Earlier Modi used to say that he was a chaiwala. Now he has become a chowkidar (security guard)?" Banerjee urged the people not to get "misled" by the BJP. "They are dangerous". Turning to the secular fabric of the state, she said, "we want friendship between the Hindus and Muslims". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal Monday alleged that Narendra Modi's nationalism is "fake" and asked which "nationalist prime minister" gets the chief minister of the national capital "attacked". Kejriwal was referring to his Saturday's roadshow in New Delhi constituency during which he was slapped by a man. The AAP supremo has blamed the BJP for the attack. "Modi's nationalism is fake. Modiji's nationalism is cheating. Modiji has created a fake 'mayajaal' (illusion) of nationalism... Go beyond this 'mayajaal', you'll see the truth," he said at a press conference at the AAP headquarters here. Which "nationalist prime minister" gets the chief minister of the national capital "attacked", he asked. Kejriwal also alleged that "tax terrorism" in the country has destroyed businesses and urged traders to vote for his party. "Income Tax and ED notices are going to all traders across the country. Thousands and lakhs of notices are going. This is all done to extort money. In one way, there is tax terrorism in the country and it has destroyed business and financial system of the country," he said. The AAP supremo appealed to traders to help his party win all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi and promised that he will stop sealing across the national capital. "Give all seven seats to AAP, I'll stop sealing. Make our hand strong in the central government, we will help you," Kejriwal said. Delhi goes to polls in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 12. The results will be announced on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Monday said it was wrong to link the withdrawal of security from certain people with the killing of political activists by militants in the Valley. He was addressing a press conference at the civil secretariat here, which reopened on Monday after functioning in winter capital Jammu for six months as part of the nearly 150-year-old practice known in the state as 'Darbar Move'. Asked about the accusation that BJP's district vice president for Anantnag, Gul Mohammad Mir, who was killed by militants on Saturday, became a soft target for the ultras as his security had been withdrawn, Malik said certain quarters were spreading "rumours" that the killing took place due to the withdrawal of security. "This is disinformation, he (Mir) was never categorised. I regret (the killing). There have been some other killings recently which are unfortunate, but it is totally wrong to link them with security withdrawal because the persons were never categorised and no security was withdrawn from them. "It is a rumour which has been spread and that is why I said the chief secretary will see if security withdrawal played any part in these killings or not," he said. Malik on Sunday had ordered an inquiry into the killings of political activists belonging to various parties in the state in the last few months. The governor had asked state chief secretary B V R Subrahmanyam for identifying any lapses on the part of security agencies regarding ensuring security of political people. Malik also said a high-level meeting would be called to review the safety and security aspects of all political leaders and sarpanches in the state. Asked about incidents of violence during polls in south Kashmir, Malik said, "Despite that, people are coming out to vote and voting is going on." The governor said the Election Commission of India will take a call regarding the conduct of the assembly polls in the state. It is not my domain, he added. He said his administration was alive to the problems of the people. "The kind of development that has taken place in the last seven months, has not been done in years in the pastWe are alive to every problem. My phone is on 24 hours and I take calls or messages myself, which no one had done before," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Monday, PepsiCo India informed a local court in Deesa, Gujarat that it is withdrawing the case it had filed against a farmer Fulchandbhai Kachchawa. It will be a moment of joy for all farmer group associations that had stood behind nine marginal farmers of Gujarat who were taken to court by PepsiCo for allegedly infringing the company's intellectual property rights (IPR) by cultivating and selling - without authorisation - a particular variety of potato that was developed by PepsiCo and supplied to a different set of farmers in the States of Gujarat and Punjab through a buyback arrangement. Incidentally, Kachchawa, is not among the list of these nine farmers, as he and his brother Sureshbhai Kachchawa, both from the Malgadh village of Gujarat, were seen more as farmer- trader-entrepreneurs rather than sustenance farmers the others were. Kachchawa brothers run cold storages and have majority stake in local firms like Tirupati Balaji Cold Storages, Tirupati Balaji Chips Potato Private Ltd and Teknofine Foods Private Ltd. It was considered that the $64 billion US snack food giant Pepsico's real targets were these Kachchawa brothers as they were suspected to be engaged in unauthorised harvesting, procurement and supply of this particular variety of potato in huge volumes. In fact, PepsiCo had successfully got the Gujarat High Court on April 18 appoint two Court Commissioners to inspect the premises of Tirupati Balaji Cold Storages owned by the brothers in two districts of the State to see the veracity of the charges framed against them. Even the farmers' rights advocacy platform Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) that was fighting for the nine sustenance farmers had distanced themselves from the Kachchawa brothers by inserting a clarification in their press release on May 2. "The ongoing cases in different Courts of Gujarat, including appeals in the High Court, appear to be PepsiCo India's attempts to crush all competition from local potato chip-makers or seed traders, and to cut off their competitors' raw material supplies from potato farmers. While nine cases of farmers are ongoing in different courts including the Commercial Court in Ahmedabad, there are also some cases against cold storage owners and competitors that have reached the High Court of Gujarat. ASHA emphasises that it is concerned only with the farmers' cases," the press release said. ALSO READ: PepsiCo seeks Rs 1 crore from four farmers it sued for patented Lay's potatoes Now that PepsiCo has decided to withdraw its case against Kachchawa, withdrawal of the cases against small farmers is just a matter of time. The fear of PepsiCo exercising its right to penalise farmers for unauthorised use of a potato variety it calls FL 2027 is thus a matter of the past. Similarly, the question of cutting off raw materials for competitors and crushing competition from local potato chip makers has also lost its relevance. The question that needs to be asked now is why PepsiCo decided to sue the farmers in the first place if the company was going to buck under pressure? Was its legal position weak? Similarly, why did it club sustenance farmers and the people with alleged commercial interests together if the fight was only to crush what PepsiCo saw as unethical or illegal actions that are harming its commercial interests? Finally, what will be its long-term impact on farmers given the fact that Pepsi was sourcing its entire raw material requirement for Lays potato chips - about 60,000 tonnes of its special varieties of potatoes from over 10,000 farmers from across India? In a country where dominant pressure groups that believe multinationals are evil exist, one can never discount the power of political and social pressure, especially during election time. If Pepsico has reeled under pressure, it is also because its case was horribly ill-timed. Ever since the details of the company's litigation against farmers emerged, there was an avalanche of protests through social media and conventional means, by farmer groups and civil society activists from within the country and abroad. Political parties - both BJP and opposition Congress - competed to outdo each other in criticising the decision as it is peak election time in India. Added to that was the calls for boycott of PepsiCo products from various interest and nationalist groups from across the country. It seems the pressure was too much to handle even if for a well entrenched global multinational like Pepsico. ALSO READ: PepsiCo offers 'amicable' settlement to Gujarat farmers: Either join us or don't cultivate our potatoes ASHA would want us to believe that the legal position of Pepsico was also weak. The groups cite Section 39(1) (iv) of the Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers Rights (PPV&FR) Act 2001 to argue that this specific section of the sui generis statute that India brought in 2001 provides an entitlement to farmers of India to cultivate any variety that they would like to, including PVP-registered varieties. "It is clear that Section 39(1)(iv) is applicable irrespective of source of seed, type of seed, type of registrant, type of crop and to who and how the harvest was sold. Nothing matters except whether the farmer has sold branded seeds or not, as far as farmers' rights are concerned," ASHA explains. So, why did Pepsico choose an Act that holds farmers' seed rights over the breeder's economic right over the PVP-protected variety to build its case? There cannot be an easy answer to the legal validity of Pepsico's claim because it was never tested in the Court of Law before. Pepsico's decision to back out from the litigation seems to have been driven less by legal uncertainties than by social and political pressure. The argument makes more sense if one assumes that the company's real target was the people who were harming its commercial interests in a big way, than a few small players who were cultivating potatoes in small tracts of land. Pepsi's position right from the beginning was that it is willing to settle the matter, provided the farmers agreed to join its authorised group of farmers or stopped cultivating its proprietary variety on their own. But, couldn't Pepsico have left out the small farmer and went after only the big ones? Not really, if it wants to establish the rights, which Pepsico believes, it has over FL2027. The idea, perhaps, was to build a case to see that its contract sourcing mechanism work seamlessly with farmers without such irritants. The case, if tested, would have created jurisprudence for others to follow. The withdrawal is a message in itself, though. It will serve as a warning to companies that believe there is exclusivity for their registered seeds in India. Farmers can rejoice at the moment. Only time will tell whether it will have an impact on future introduction of new varieties of seeds, which otherwise enjoys exclusive IP rights elsewhere. ALSO READ: PepsiCo worried over Indian unit's legal action against potato farmers Rumours are rife that India-born Ajit Jain, who currently serves as the President of Berkshire Hathaway's Reinsurance Group, may lead the $530 billion (Rs 36.74 lakh crore) firm in future, succeeding Warren Buffett at the helm of the company. The billionaire investor dropped a hint on his succession plans at the firm's Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday. Without, responding directly, Buffett did say that Gregory Abel, 57, and Ajit Jain, 67 - both elevated last year to the board of directors - would in near future join him and his long-time business partner Charlie Munger, 95, on the stage to answer shareholder questions. Although Buffett did not confirm anything at the AGM of the company, he, however, praised the two executives during the event and said that Berkshire Hathaway cannot have better-operating managers than Greg and Ajit and he admires their achievements. The billionaire investor is popularly known as the 'Oracle of Omaha.' Also Read: Berkshire Hathaway swings to big profit; Buffett laments Kraft Heinz Munger was on the stage with Buffett to take questions from shareholders at the AGM. Surprisingly, Jain who was present at the meeting also answered a shareholder question, even though he was not on stage with Munger and Buffett. So, who is Ajit Jain? Born in Odisha in 1951, Jain graduated in mechanical engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur in 1972. He went on to do his MBA from Harvard University in 1978. In his professional life, he has worked with giants like IBM, McKinsey & Co, apart from Berkshire Hathaway with which he's been working since 1986. Warren Buffett's star executive handles several reinsurance businesses in the billion dollar company. Former Co-CEO of Deutsche Bank, Anshu Jain, is Ajit Jain's cousin. Also Read: Buffett's Berkshire eyes stake in Kotak Mahindra Bank: report Warren Buffett's favourite There's little doubt that Warren Buffett trusts Jain the most. Buffett, on several occasions, has openly praised Ajit Jain for his ability to handle critical operations with "capacity, speed and decisiveness", and credited him for creating billions for Berkshire shareholders. In his annual letter to the company in 2017, Warren Buffett had said: "Ajit has created tens of billions of value for Berkshire shareholders. If there were ever to be another Ajit and you could swap me for him, don't hesitate. Make the trade!" According to ET, Buffett, who was very impressed with Jain's work, had once even written to his parents asking whether they have one more Ajit, praising Jain for "unique brain for insurance business". "From a standing start in 1985, Ajit has created an insurance business with the float of $37 billion and a large cumulative underwriting profit, a feat no other insurance CEO has come close to matching. Ajit's mind is an idea factory that is always looking for more lines of business he can add to his current assortment," Buffett had said in 2014. Fit for the top job In 2014, Buffett said he and his 94-year-old partner Charlie Munger had a name in mind. He said, "our future CEOs should come from internal candidates whom the Berkshire board has grown to know well". Buffett thinks the company would "operate best if its CEOs average well over ten years at the helm". He said these factors were important for Berkshire's business acquisitions and investment moves. "Both the board and I believe we now have the right person to succeed me as CEO - a successor ready to assume the job the day after I die or step down. In certain important respects, this person will do a better job than I am doing," he said in his annual company letter. One thing is obvious that Buffett wants his future CEO to be motivated by passion, not money. According to CNBC, his successor would be "somebody that's already very rich" and would be working with Berkshire Hathaway for quite a long time. His statement also makes it clear that Buffett is not looking for someone outside the company but within his multi-billion empire. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is going to announce Class 10th results at 3pm today on its official website. The candidates can check their results on cbse.nic.in or cbseresults.nic.in. Students are advised to keep their admit cards ready in order to check their CBSE Class 10th results hassle-free. Earlier, a report in The Indian Express quoted CBSE secretary Anurag Tripathi as saying that the results will be declared next week. However, as per latest reports, the board has confirmed that the matric results will be declared today. The board announced the CBSE Class 12th results on May 02. Here's how you can check your CBSE Class 10th result when it's announced : Step-1: Visit the official website of Board. Step-2: On the homepage, click on the link of 'Class 10th Result 2019'. Step-3: Once the link opens, enter your details like name and roll number. Step-4: Click on 'Submit' after you've entered your credentials. Step-5: Your result will be displayed on screen. Step-6: Download the result and take a print out for future references. (Edited by: Nehal Solanki) Also read: CBSE Class 10th Result 2019 declared; here's how to check Also read: Girls outshine boys yet again in class 12 results; Hansika Shukla, Karishma Arora bag top rank The political rivalry between two of India's biggest leaders Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee may adversely affect relief work in cyclone hit areas in West Bengal. Lack of co-ordination between the Centre and the state has been apparent in the past couple of days. First, reports emerged PM Modi had called the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to discuss the cyclone situation, but not rang up West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. Later, PMO clarified that it was Mamata Banerjee who had not received the PM's calls; the prime minister had called her up twice. Today, West Bengal state government has refused to allow a meeting between its officials and PM Narendra Modi. According to sources in the Prime Minister's Office, West Bengal government cited election duty of officials as a reason for cancelling the meeting. PMO Sources: However the state government has replied that the govt officials are busy with election duty and hence the review meeting should not be held. 2/2 https://t.co/i1p0GpB24y ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 PM Modi was in Odisha today to take stock of the destruction caused by Fani. He conducted aerial survey of the areas affected by the cyclone in districts of Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Governor Ganeshi Lal and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Later, he also chaired a review meeting with Odisha state government officials. PM Narendra Modi conducts aerial survey of #Cyclonefani affected areas in Odisha. Governor Ganeshi Lal, CM Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also present. pic.twitter.com/ZO9XkRC7kK ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 Bhubaneswar: PM Narendra Modi along with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik hold a review meeting with officials. #CycloneFani pic.twitter.com/qPuzsYixLu ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 After Odisha, he was supposed to hold a review meeting in West Bengal. The Government of India had written to the state about a review meeting of the PM with state government officials today, ANI quoted PMO sources as saying. The Centre and West Bengal have been at loggerheads for the past few months now. Of late, this has boiled down to PM Narendra Modi and CM Mamata Banerjee launching verbal attacks against each other while electioneering for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. While Modi has blamed Mamata of disrupting law and order in the state, the latter has charged the PM with destroying the crucial institutions of the nation. Speaking at an election rally in Tamluk, West Bengal on Monday, PM Modi said, "I tried to speak to Mamata Didi regarding the cyclone situation twice but she did not respond. She is least bothered about the people of Bengal. I wanted to take stock of the situation with the administration but arrogant Didi refused it too." I tried to speak to Mamata Didi regarding the cyclone situation twice but she did not respond. She is least bothered about the people of Bengal. I wanted to take stock of the situation with the administration but arrogant Didi refused it too: PM @narendramodi #HarBoothParModi pic.twitter.com/weihmc9oC6 BJP (@BJP4India) May 6, 2019 Responding to PM Modi's jibe, Mamata Banerjee said, "How can you support... you are an expiry PM. And why should I meet you? How dare you try to hold meeting with the State Chief Secretary? They report to the CM and not PM." "I want to ask him where was he when people in these areas were in trouble... backward areas like Lalgarh... how many times have you come here? We have solved the Maoist problem here... now during polls you come... last time during floods I went twice to meet you and demanded assistance and you did not give a penny. Now whatever has happened the state government is capable of handling it ourselves. We don't need you," the West Bengal CM said while targeting the PM. ALSO READ: Cyclone Fani: Andhra govt announces financial aid of Rs 15 crore to Odisha ALSO READ: Cyclone Fani: SBI restores operations in most branches in 3 districts of Odisha The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers would hold the fourth edition of HR Automotive Conclave in Chennai on May 10 focussing on the capabilities and skills required for the industry in future. The conference would also dwell on understanding the ways in which the ecosystem would have to come together and skills for the organisation. The one-day conclave would be held by SIAM in association with the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India and the Federation of Automobile Dealers' Association, a press release said. "In an era where change is driven by technology and rapidly changing people preferences, it is imperative for HR to keep pace with dynamic shifts in the landscape of Indian Automotive industry", SIAM Deputy Director General Sugato Sen said. "SIAM is working to support the young professionals to make them the leaders of tomorrow. We believe that successful mentoring relationship reinforces young HR professionals to meet the challenges and demands of the workplace by developing the right skill competencies" he said. The conference would be on the theme 'Digitization and Disruption: HR Re-imagined and Redefined, the release said. The deliberations during the day would focus on the informal transmission of knowledge, skills by leading professionals from the industry, it added. Also Read: Slowdown Blues: CMIE paints not-so-happy picture for economy; urban consumption, credit growth to remain bleak Also Read: ICICI Bank profit drops 50% to Rs 3,363 crore in FY19 Also Read: Big Basket raises $150 million in fresh round of funding, eyes profitability in FY19 The Indian National Congress (INC) has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'Bhrashtachari No. 1' remark on Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. On Saturday, PM Modi while addressing a rally in Eastern Uttar Pradesh had said that the life of Congress President Rahul Gandhi's father Rajiv Gandhi had ended as 'Bhrashtachari No. 1' (Corrupt No. 1). "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1," said the PM. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was referring to Bofors scam in which the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was accused of receiving kickbacks from Swedish defence manufacturer, Bofors, for the sale of artillery guns to India. "The statement by Prime Minister is not only the violation of Model Code of Conduct but also an insult of Bharat Ratna awardee martyr. Hence, we appeal the EC to take action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by barring him from speaking at public rallies," Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee said in a letter dated May 5. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in the year 1991. (Edited by: Nehal Solanki) Also read: Complainant has right to know about dissent in Election Commission decisions, say former CECs Also read: Lok Sabha Election 2019 timeline: PM Modi's term has been 'most traumatic and devastating' for India's youth, says Manmohan Singh The voting process in 51 Lok Sabha seats spread across seven states has started for the phase 5 general elections. The voting started at 7 am in the morning today and will continue till 5 pm in the evening. A total of 674 candidates of different political parties are fighting in the election battle in phase 5 of the ongoing general elections 2019. Their fate will be sealed by nearly 8.75 crore voters of 51 constituencies across seven states. Polling in all the Lok Sabha constituencies of Bihar (5 seats), Jammu and Kashmir (2 seats), Jharkhand (4 seats), Madhya Pradesh (7 seats), Rajasthan (12 seats), Uttar Pradesh (14 seats) and West Bengal (7 seats) are underway. The 17th Lok Sabha elections began on April 11. The final voting will conclude on May 19 and the results will be announced on May 23. The world's largest democracy's elections are being held for 543 seats in nearly 10 lakh polling booths across the country. In order to cast your vote, all you need to have is a voter identity card, in other words, Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), issued by the Election Commission of India. Therefore, it is important to check whether your name is present on the electors' list or not. How to vote in Lok Sabha election 2019: You can vote only if your name appears in the Electoral Roll (Voter List). Information on polling booths, contesting candidates, election dates & timings, identity cards and EVM can also be found on the same. The polling process at the voting station: First polling official will check your name on the voter list and photo ID proof. Second polling official will mark your finger with ink, give you a slip and take your signature on a register (Form 17A). Deposit the slip with the third polling official and show your inked finger and head towards the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Cast your vote by pressing the ballot button opposite the symbol of the candidate of your choice on the EVM; You will hear a beep sound after pressing the button. Check the slip that appears in the transparent window of the VVPAT machine. The slip with the Candidate's name, serial number, and symbol shall be visible for almost 7 seconds before it falls in the sealed VVPAT box. However, if you don't want to give your vote to any Candidate, you can press None of the Above (NOTA) button, which is always the last button on the EVM. For more information, see the Voter Guide on http://ecisveep.nic.in/ Additionally, any mobile phones, cameras or any other gadget is not allowed inside a polling booth. Where to vote: find your polling booth Voters can go to electoralsearch.in or use Voter Helpline App to find their polling booth Voters can call the Voter Helpline, the number is 1950 (please add your STD code before dialling) For Polling station location SMS space to 1950 Here's how to check your name on the voter's list Log on to the National Voter Services Portal's Electoral Search page (NVSP). You can check your name on the voter's list by entering your details or by putting in your Electoral Photo ID Card (EPIC) number. In case you don't have Voter Identity Card Log on to the NSVP Electoral Search page. Click on search by details and put up your details, such as name, gender, age, Assembly Constituency, etc as mentioned on the page. Based on your details, a result will pop up which will mean that your name is in the voter's list. In case, there is no pop-up, it means your name is probably missing on the voter's list. The ECI has also launched the Voter Helpline Mobile app to provide the convenience of finding names in the voters' list, submitting online forms, filing complaints, checking the status of the application and more. All important forms, candidate affidavit, results, press releases, voter awareness information and other instructions are available through the mobile app. Electors can also call 1950 and get details of the Voters' list, enrollment application and also to lodge a grievance. Also Read: Lok Sabha Election 2019: Poll dates, full schedule, voting FAQs, election results, constituencies' details Also read: Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates: Phase 5 voting begins in 7 states The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election 2019 has begun today at 7:00 am. Voting is underway across 51 constituencies in seven states. The states where voters would be casting their ballots are Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir. Whether you are a first-time voter or not, there are a few things to must keep in mind when you head to the polling booth. You must check if your name is on the voter list, without which you will not be able to cast your vote. However, as a voter, how do you cast your vote without a Voter ID card? Here's how: The Election Commission has allowed registered voters, citizens who don't have a Voter ID card but have their names on the voters' list, to cast votes by showing any other photo identity proofs. The list of ID proofs that are accepted by the Election Commission of India are: PAN card Aadhaar card Passport Driving License Service photo ID Cards issued to Central/State Govt./PSUs/Public Limited Companies's employees Bank/Post Office's Passbooks with attested photograph Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MNREGA) Job Card Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs Pension document with a photograph How to check if an elector's name is on voter list by SMS Send an SMS to 1950 in the given format-ECI EPIC No- to check if citizen's name is on the polling list. (EPIC stands for Electors Photo Identity Card, in other words, Voter ID card) Example- If voter's EPIC No is 12345678, SMS ECI 12345678 to 1950 How to find your registered polling booth Electors can call the helpline number '1950' after adding their respective STD codes to check their polling station. Voters can visit National Voters' Service Portal's website and enter details like name, DOB, Father's/Husband's name, local consistency to find their polling booth. Election Commission of India has also set up a voter helpline app for helping registered voters to check their polling station. Voters can also send an SMS to 1950 in the format- ECIPS *space* EPIC No- for polling booth's location. Example- If voter's EPIC No is 12345678, SMS ECIPS 12345678 to 1950 Lok Sabha election 2019 for 542 parliamentary constituencies is being conducted in seven phases across the country. Polling for the first phase of the parliamentary elections took place on April 11. The final voting for the seventh phase will conclude on May 19 and the results will be announced on May 23. Also Read: Lok Sabha Election 2019: Poll dates, full schedule, voting FAQs, election results, constituencies' details Also read: Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates: Phase 5 voting begins in 7 states Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 5 is underway today. Seven states are conducting polls across 51 constituencies. The states that are going to the polls today are: Uttar Pradesh (14 constituencies), Rajasthan (12), Madhya Pradesh (7), West Bengal (7), Bihar (5), Jharkhand (4) and Jammu and Kashmir (2). There are two more phases left before the general elections are concluded on May 19. The results will be announced on May 23. Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Rajyavardhan Rathore are some of the key candidates in Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Meanwhile, at a rally in West Bengal's Tamluk, PM Modi criticised CM Mamata Banerjee and called her arrogant. He said that he reached out to her for Cyclone Fani disaster relief but she did not respond. The Prime Minister also said that Mamata Banerjee failed to comment on the much-talked about Masood Azhar, who was designated a global terrorist by the UN recently. Following this rally, the PM addressed a rally in Jhargram and said that Mamata Banerjee does not want the poor to benefit from the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Also read: Lok Sabha Election 2019: Poll dates, full schedule, voting FAQs, election results, constituencies' details Follow the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 5 updates on the BusinessToday.In live blog: 7:10pm: 57.86% voter turnout recorded in Bihar (five Lok Sabha constituencies) in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, till 6pm, as per ANI report. 7:05pm: Visuals from Jaipur where voting concluded for phase 5 of Lok Sabha Elections 2019. 7:00pm: EC seeks report over attack on BJP candidate Arjun Singh by TMC in West Bengal. The Election Commission has reportedly sought a report from the administration on the alleged attack of BJP candidate, Arjun Singh by Trinamul Congress activists at Mohanpur under Barrackpore Parliamentary Seat. 6:50pm: Visuals from Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh where voting concluded for phase 5 of Lok Sabha Elections 2019. 6:40pm: Congress has filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reported remarks on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. 6:00pm: Voter turnout till 5PM: Voting underway in 51* parliamentary constituencies in #Phase5 of ongoing #LokSabhaElections2019 Voter turnout at 5 PM pic.twitter.com/zJ0Nn46Otr PIB India (@PIB_India) May 6, 2019 5:50pm: Dinesh Pratap Singh, the BJP candidate against the Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi, has reportedly touched feet of RaeBareli Congress in-charge K L Sharma. 5:40pm: Due to cyclone Fani, ECI has extend the completion of the elections on Patkura assembly constituency of Odisha for 60 days. Earlier, ECI had appointed 19th May as the date of poll for Patkura Assembly Constituency after the demise of BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla. 5:30pm: Polling percentage recorded till 4 PM: Bihar: 44.08%, Rajasthan: 50.44%, West Bengal: 63.57%, Jharkhand: 58.07%, Uttar Pradesh: 44.89%, Jammu and Kashmir: 15.51%. 5:15pm: Om Prakash Rajbhar, a member and president of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, has said that he had resigned as a cabinet minister from Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in UP on April 13 over seat sharing arrangement but it's yet to be accepted. OP Rajbhar: Had resigned on 13th night from post of state min; when they (BJP) said that you contest on our symbol, I told them we'll fight on our symbol & that we'll fight on 1 seat. But they didn't agree to that either. Didn't accept resignation; have filed a complaint with EC. pic.twitter.com/A7Z0MysNNL ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 6, 2019 5:00pm: Specially-abled Nidhi cast her vote using her foot at a polling booth in Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh: Specially-abled Nidhi cast her vote using her foot at a polling booth in Narsinghpur. #LokSabhaElections2019 #Phase5 pic.twitter.com/4B7JQAlWLn ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 4:45pm: 53.84% polling percentage recorded in Madhya Pradesh (7 seats), till 4pm, ANI has reported. 4:40pm: "Every poor of West Bengal is rest assured the Chowkidar will identify infiltrators and control infiltration in the country. Due to their politics, TMC govt is depriving farmers and the poor of their right. It's indicative of their corrupt mentality," PM Modi said at a rally today. 4:35pm: ITBP personnel securing polling booths in Chhapra. 4:29pm: Visuals from a polling booth in Chhapra. Voters standing in the queue to cast their votes, at a polling booth, during the #Phase5 of #GeneralElections2019, at Chhapra, Bihar pic.twitter.com/tnnKNTBSul PIB India (@PIB_India) May 6, 2019 4:23pm: "The Modi government launched 133 schemes in the last 5 years for the poor, farmers, underprivileged, Dalits, women and the youth," said Amit Shah in Bihar's Siwan. 4:20pm: "On the day of voting, Rahul Gandhi betrayed the people of Amethi once again. I didn't think he would get so arrogant that he would not show up on the day of polls. What was the need of such humiliation to the people of Amethi?" said Smriti Irani. 4:15pm: Voters in Chhapra. Voters standing in the queue to cast their votes, at a polling booth, during the #Phase5 of #GeneralElections2019, at Chhapra, Bihar pic.twitter.com/fVQR731ExP PIB India (@PIB_India) May 6, 2019 4:11pm: Specially-abled voters cast their votes in Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. 4:06pm: AAP's East Delhi Candidate Aatishi's complaint against BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir for allegedly having two voter ID cards - Delhi's Tis Hazari Court reserves the order in summoning of records and documents from the state election commission. Court to pass the order on 13th May. 3:59pm: Visuals from all across the country. "How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world" - WS PIB's #PhotoDivision photographers fanned out to all corners of the country to capture the action during polling in #LokSabhaElections2019 Here are some of the memorable pics from #Phase5 pic.twitter.com/v9FpGRLZIN Sitanshu Kar (@DG_PIB) May 6, 2019 3:54pm: BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee's car vandalised in Shiva-Chandi of Hooghly. 3:44pm: Voting queue in Leh. Voters standing in the queue to cast their votes, at a polling booth, during the #Phase5 of #GeneralElections2019 at Shey village, in Leh district, Jammu & Kashmir pic.twitter.com/t1CxbIXwhq PIB India (@PIB_India) May 6, 2019 3:40pm: All states voter turnout. Voting underway in 51* parliamentary constituencies in #Phase5 of ongoing #LokSabhaElections2019 Voter turnout at 3 PM pic.twitter.com/7IMnZb9C59 PIB India (@PIB_India) May 6, 2019 3:35pm: Voter turnout till 3pm was 50.32%. Interim turnout data from the States in which polling is being held today in #Phase5 of #LokSabhaElections2019. #GotInked (Updated till 3pm) pic.twitter.com/mF4jjjO3iF Election Commission #DeshKaMahatyohar (@ECISVEEP) May 6, 2019 3:31pm: MSD spotted at a polling booth! 3:25pm: Decorated polling booth in Bihar. 3:24pm: Election Commission of India has given relaxation in Model Code of Conduct in Maharashtra and has allowed state govt to carry out drought relief work. 3:20pm: Voters in Anantnag. Jammu and Kashmir: Kashmiri Pandits cast their votes at a Special Polling Station in Udhampur, for Anantnag parliamentary constituency. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/PsdShLAEYd ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 3:14pm: Did you know? 3:10pm: Visuals from Leh. 3:05pm: Visuals from Rahul Gandhi's rally at Bhiwani-Mahendragarh. 3:00pm: "We have made strict law against human trafficking. There is a provision of capital punishment for heinous crimes like rape. But TMC is not able to implement the law in West Bengal," said PM Modi in Jhargram. 2:57pm: Visuals from Ayodhya. In the holy city of Ayodhya, enthusiastic voters are coming on booths in large number. Lady voters are seen in festive mood. Some pics. pic.twitter.com/ymwzyoyyYD PIB in Uttar Pradesh (@PibLucknow) May 6, 2019 2:55pm: At a rally in Jhargram, PM Modi said, "Didi, why do you hate the poor so much? Why is she depriving them of free healthcare service under Ayushman Bharat?" 2:45pm: "Shree Ram is our inspiration, pledge and therefore, we believe in nationalism," said PM Modi in Jhargram. 2:39pm: PM Narendra Modi has reached Jhargram, West Bengal to attend a election rally. LIVE : PM Shri @narendramodi is addressing a public meeting in Jhargram, West Bengal. https://t.co/XAs8HNAwJz #HarBoothParModi BJP (@BJP4India) May 6, 2019 2:31pm: In every state, every part of the nation where I went, everywhere there is the chant of 'Modi-Modi'. This chant is the sign that Modi ji is going to become the Prime Minister once again on May 23, Amit Shah said during his rally in Bettiah. 2:30pm: Former India cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni casts his vote at a polling booth in Ranchi. Mahendra Singh Dhoni casts his vote at a polling booth in Jawahar Vidya Mandir in Ranchi, Jharkhand. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/3oZx3YwAL5 ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 2:26pm: Sahara chief Subrata Roy casts his vote at a polling booth in Lucknow. Sahara chief Subrata Roy casts his vote at a polling booth in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/d4VjVsIGsL ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 6, 2019 2:26pm: PM Modi has secret ties with Pakistan, says Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. On AAP leaders defecting to BJP, Kejriwal said that the money from Rafale scam is being used for horse-trading. 2:24pm: BJP president Amit Shah is addressing a rally in Bettiah, Bihar. 2:17pm: ITBP officials help elderly voters to reach the poling stations. Helping old citizens to reach to the polling stations. ITBP personnel securing various polling booths in Howrah Rural, West Bengal#LokSabhaEelctions2019 #VotingRound5 #Phase5 pic.twitter.com/B5IOF0PPTq ITBP (@ITBP_official) May 6, 2019 2:10pm: "Narendra Modi the boxer was supposed to fight unemployment,farmer problems,corruption etc but he instead turned around & punched his coach Advani ji,his team Gadkari ji Jaitley ji, then went into crowd and punched small traders and farmers," Congress president Rahul Gandhi said during an election rally in Bhiwani, Haryana. #WATCH Rahul Gandhi in Bhiwani,Haryana: Narendra Modi the boxer was supposed to fight unemployment,farmer problems,corruption etc but he instead turned around & punched his coach Advani ji,his team Gadkari ji Jaitley ji, then went into crowd and punched small traders and farmers pic.twitter.com/jiJAmVxqzO ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 2:07pm: Voters who got inked! 2:05pm: Paalki with "Voter is King" inscribed has been deployed to carry PwD voters. #JnK: In order to carry the PwD/aged voters where the PS are not connected to roads, Paalki with the theme of "Voter is King" has been designed to ensure "no voter to be left behind" 51.3 percent voter turnout reported till 1 pm in Kargil District#Report: Anayat Ali pic.twitter.com/UMzkwAi8OQ All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) May 6, 2019 2:00pm: Polling in Howrah. A polling official administering indelible ink to a senior citizen voter, at a polling booth, during the#Phase5 of #GeneralElections2019 in Jagacha, Howrah constituency, West Bengal pic.twitter.com/2XF0L8tePw PIB India (@PIB_India) May 6, 2019 1:55pm: An elderly voter in Howrah. An elderly woman voter showing mark of indelible ink after casting her vote, at a polling booth, during the #Phase5 of #General Elections2019 in Jagacha, Howrah constituency, #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/RztpQ37opr PIB India (@PIB_India) May 6, 2019 1:52pm: "We stand in solidarity with Odisha. I commend the people of Odisha and fishermen who paid heed to government's warnings on cyclone," said PM Modi. We stand in solidarity with Odisha. I commend the people of Odisha & fishermen who paid heed to govt's warnings on cyclone. Man, machinery and money, all kind of assistance will be provided and additional Rs 1,000 crore will be released by the centre: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/9CgDnpF82I BJP (@BJP4India) May 6, 2019 1:48pm: Mamata Banerjee responds to PM Modi's jibe, "Ex PM Modi has said something about me...he has apparently said Didi only does politics and nothing else ..I want to ask him where was he when people in these areas were in trouble...backward areas like Lalgarh...how many times have you come here? We have solved the Maoist problem here...now during polls you come...last time during floods I went twice to meet you and demanded assistance and you did not give a penny. Now whatever has happened the state government is capable of handling it ourselves. We don't need you. How can you support...you are an expiry PM. And why should I meet you? How dare you try to hold meeting with the State Chief Secretary? They report to the CM and not PM." 1:44pm: Rebel AAP MLA Devinder Kumar Sehrawat joined Bharatiya Janata Party in presence of Union Minister Vijay Goel. 1:41pm: All voter turnout till 1:00pm. Voting underway in 51* parliamentary constituencies in #Phase5 of ongoing #LokSabhaElections2019 Voter turnout at 1 PM pic.twitter.com/lTP6OFZYeF PIB India (@PIB_India) May 6, 2019 1:38pm: At a rally in Gurugram, Rahul Gandhi said, "Narendra Modi the boxer was supposed to fight unemployment, farmer problems, corruption and so on but instead he turned around and punched his coach Advani ji, his team Gadkari ji-Jaitley ji, and then went into the crowd and punched small traders and farmers." 1:35pm: Mamata attacks PM Modi, "PM is depriving the people of West Bengal. The Chief Secretary works on the instruction of the Chief Minister and not on PM. What you have done in 5 years? Reply that first." 1:32pm: TMC candidate from Howrah LS Prasun Banerjee alleges that he has been beaten up by central forces. 1:30pm: Voting percentage till 1:00pm is 31.29%. Bihar 24.49%, Jammu and Kashmir 6.54%, Rajasthan 33.82%, Madhya Pradesh 31.46%, Uttar Pradesh 26.53%, West Bengal 39.55% and Jharkhand 37.24%. 1:28pm: PM Modi said at a rally in West Bengal, "Your one vote will pressurize Didi. Your one vote will show dynastic parties, Leftist and a tyrannical govt their right place. Your one vote will bring back the pride of Haldia." 1:25pm: "You have given opportunity to dynasty, Leftist and a govt that suppresses people. Give one opportunity to a party that is committed to the development," said PM Modi in West Bengal. 1:20pm: PM Modi said at a rally in Tamluk, "In West Bengal, people have to to pay Trinmool Tolabazi Tax. No one dared to challenge this tax and it only emboldened TMC. But now it won't last long in Bengal." 1:15pm: "People who say Jai Shri Ram in Bengal are put behind the bars," said PM Modi in West Bengal. 1:13pm: Visuals from a polling booth. 1:12pm: "Didi is so frustrated these days that she doesnt even want to talk or hear about god. Situation is such that Didi is arresting and jailing those who are chanting 'Jai Sri Ram'," said PM Modi in West Bengal. 1:10pm: "Recently, Pakistan sponsored Masood Azhar was designated a global terrorist by the United Nation. It's a huge victory of India against the terrorist. It's a matter of pride for the country however, Didi failed to comment on this topic," said PM Modi in West Bengal's Tamluk. 1:06pm: PM Modi, West Bengal: "We stand with people in these tough times and my thoughts are with the people who lost their near and dear due to cyclone." 1:00pm: PM Modi, at a rally in West Bengal said, "Speedbreaker didi has tried to play politics even on Cyclone Fani. I tried to get in touch with Mamata didi but her arrogance is such that she refused to talk to me, I tried again but she did not get in touch." 12:55pm: Six unaccounted political agents were found in a couple of polling booths in West Bengal. When asked, they were not able to answer which party they belonged to. They also had no ID cards. 12:50pm: Former cricketer RP Singh casts his vote. 12:48pm: In Rajasthan, 109-year-old voter comes to cast her vote. 12:45pm: Amit Shah said at a rally in Madhubani, "Gathbandhan (alliance) government cannot keep the country safe. Under Lalu and Rabri, there was jungle raj in Bihar. After Nitish ji and Sushil Modi came to Bihar, it has finally moved towards development." 12:42pm: PM Modi will address three rallies today - Haldia, Jhargram in West Bengal and Chaibasa in Jharkhand. 12:40pm: "Omar Abdullah said that there must be another Prime Minister in Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi and company, pay heed. As long as there's life in the BJP workers, no one can separate Kashmir from India," said Amit Shah in Madhubani. 12:33pm: At a rally in Madhubani, Bihar, BJP chief Amit Shah said, "The central government has established IIT, IIM, NIFT, AIIMS, medical college, gas pipeline as well as many developmental projects in Bihar." 12:30pm: Actor Ashutosh Rana after casting his vote in Gadarwara. Narsinghpur: Actor Ashutosh Rana after casting his vote at polling booth number 105 in Gadarwara. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/Pzjeo7aKqI ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 12:29pm: SC stays speakers' notice sent to 3 rebel AIADMK MLAs. Last week speaker issued a notice to three AIADMK MLAs on the recommendation of the ADMK whip Rajendran citing anti-party activities. 12:25pm: #NoVoterToBeLeftBehind 12:20pm: Phase 5 polling in Leh. 12:10pm: Cyclone Fani: PM Modi said that the government had earlier released Rs 381 crore and will release Rs 1,000 crore now. PM @narendramodi: Govt of India had announced Rs 381 crore earlier, and an additional Rs 1000 crore will be released #CycloneFani pic.twitter.com/xq7CcHqy19 Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) May 6, 2019 12:00pm: Voter turnout till 12 pm is 27.12%. West Bengal has recorded the highest among the 7 states with 33.57%. Jammu and Kashmir is the lowest with 6.09%. 11:55am: EC has removed the presiding officer of Booth Number 110 of Nashkarpur village under Talpur anchal of Tarakeshwar, following an incident where a Trinamool local leader Maharaja Nag accompanied a voter up to the EVM and pressed the button instead of the voter. The incident happened in Arambagh Lok Sabha seat. 11:50am: Supreme Court stayed disqualification proceedings initiated by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker against three AIADMK MLAs for supporting TTV Dhinakaran. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi issued notice to the Speaker and sought his response: ANI. 11:45am: In Rajasthan, 102-year-old voter cast her vote. 11:40am: Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that dissents within EC proceedings should be disclosed. He is appearing for Congress Lok Sabha MP Sushmita Dev who had filed a petition in the SC over alleged poll code violations by PMModi and BJP chief Amit Shah. 11:37am: Dismissed BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav approaches Supreme Court challenging rejection of his nomination as Samajwadi Party candidate from Varanasi Lok Sabha Constituency. Advocate Prashant Bhushan is appearing for Yadav: ANI. 11:33am: Visuals from polling booths in Ladakh. 11:25am: Visuals from Howrah. Polling at full swing in a booth at Vivekananda colony, under Howrah Constituency, West Bengal pic.twitter.com/hdYt48yZfe Sheyphali Sharan (@SpokespersonECI) May 6, 2019 11:20am: A man in Chhatarpur arrives to vote, after his father's last rites earlier today. Madhya Pradesh: A man in Chhatarpur arrives to vote, after his father's last rites earlier today. #LokSabhaElections2019 #Phase5 pic.twitter.com/99YoCEJ7Ch ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 11:16am: An estimated voter turnout of 21.11% recorded till 11am. 11:10am: Phase 5 in a nutshell. As polling for #Phase5 of #GeneralElections2019 begins, here's what is at stake today Graphics courtesy : KBK#LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/x2GO3FU4En PIB India (@PIB_India) May 6, 2019 11:00am: Supreme Court will hear Congress' petition challenging Election Commission's decision of giving clean chit to PM Modi and BJP President Amit Shah in a hate speech complaint on May 8. 10:50am: INDIA TODAY impact: After watching India Today's special show Marked for Death, BJP Telangana president K Laxman says, "India Today' s coverage enlightened not only people of Telangana but also people from across the country. I am convinced after watching the show that this goes beyong a software glitch. We will organise meeting with parents in all district for 2days and then meet Rajnath Singh and president of India in order to demand a judicial probe." 10:40am: Till 10:00am, the voter turnout was 12.65%. J&K is the lowest with 1.36%. 10:28am: Smriti Irani complains to ECI, alleging booth capturing by Congress. 10:26am: EVM machine vandalised at a polling booth in Chhapra, Bihar. One Ranjit Paswan has been arrested. Bihar: One Ranjit Paswan arrested on charges of vandalizing an EVM machine at polling booth number 131 in Chhapra. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/0mqrXc4mjT ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 10:24am: Rahul Gandhi will be addressing a public meeting at Bhiwani-Mahendragarh in Haryana. 10:23am: A video on how to vote. 10:21am: Smriti Irani alleges Congress of booth capturing. "I have tweeted an alert to ECI and I hope they take some action. People of the country have to decide whether this kind of politics of Rahul Gandhi should be punished or not." 10:18am: Specially-abled voters cast their votes. 10:15am: Visuals from polling booths in Leh. More glimpses of polling in District Leh pic.twitter.com/jnB29tXa29 Sheyphali Sharan (@SpokespersonECI) May 6, 2019 10:05am: Home Minister and Lucknow BJP candidate Rajnath Singh said, "The Mahagatbandhan is no challenge for BJP here. I don't want to comment on her (SP-BSP-RLD candidate Poonam Sinha), as I believe elections are not about individuals but about issues." 10:00am: Congress files complaint against PM Modi over violation of Model Code of Conduct. This complaint comes a day after Modi attacked former PM Rajiv Gandhi at a rally in Uttar Pradesh. Modi called Gandhi "bhrastachari number 1". 9:51am: Visuals from Hajipur. 9:48am: Union Minister and BJP candidate from Hazaribagh, Jayant Sinha arrives at a polling booth to cast his vote. Sinha is contesting against Congress' Gopal Sahu. Jharkhand: Union Minister and BJP candidate from Hazaribagh, Jayant Sinha arrives at a polling booth to cast his vote. Sinha is contesting against Congress' Gopal Sahu & CPI's Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta from the constituency. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/o7tsnfiw9F ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 9:43am: Voter turnout till 9 am is 11.68%, according to ECI spokesperson. Highest is in Jharkhand with 13.46% and the lowest is in Jammu and Kashmir with 0.80%. Voting underway in 51* parliamentary constituencies in the 5th phase of ongoing Loksabha general elections 2019. pic.twitter.com/b7Bfk1Bd4o Sheyphali Sharan (@SpokespersonECI) May 6, 2019 9:40am: Jharkhand sees 13.46% voting till 9am. 9:37am: Voters in Barabanki. 9:30am: A man arrives with his 105-year-old mother to cast vote in Hazaribagh. Jharkhand: A man arrived with his 105-year-old mother to cast votes at polling booth number 450 in Hazaribagh. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/PGTF49ztlw ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 9:22am: Visuals from Adarsh Matdan Kendra in Jaipur. All decked up! Adarsh Matdan kendra, Kishanpol, Jaipur all set to welcome their voters!#LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/UPKwzl0qyK Election Commission #DeshKaMahatyohar (@ECISVEEP) May 6, 2019 9:16am: "A person died as he was denied treatment at a hospital where Rahul Gandhi is trustee in Amethi just because he had Ayushman Bharat card. This family is so disgusting that they are ready to sacrifice the life of an innocent just for politics," said Smriti Irani. Irani is facing Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi today. 9:09am: Polling percentage in Bihar is 3.86% so far. 9:04am: Visuals from polling booth in Ranchi. Jharkhand: Visuals from a polling booth in St.Anne's Girls High School in Ranchi. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/KrJlB4PA6T ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 9:02am: "I was attacked by TMC goons who have been brought from outside. Those people were scaring away our voters. I am injured," said BJP candidate from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh. West Bengal: Arjun Singh, BJP candidate from Barrackpore alleges that he was attacked by TMC workers, says,"I was attacked by TMC goons who have been brought from outside. Those people were scaring away our voters. I am injured." pic.twitter.com/lWXY3mbbZZ ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 8:57am: According to reports, there has been a grenade blast in a polling booth in Pulwama's Rohmu. No injuries have been reported so far. 8:45am: Polling disrupted at some places due to EVM malfunction in Amethi. Polling disrupted at Booth Number 380, Ramganj, Booth Number 28, Musafirkhana, Booth Number 96, Tiloi. There are reports of VVPAT malfunctions in Bhetua as well. 8:37am: "A vote is the most effective way to enrich our democracy and contribute to India's better future," said PM Narendra Modi. Requesting all those voting in todays fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to do so in large numbers. A vote is the most effective way to enrich our democracy and contribute to Indias better future. I hope my young friends turnout in record numbers. Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 6, 2019 8:35am: ECI urges people to vote in the Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. 8:30am: Visuals from a polling booth in Khrew area of Pulwama. Jammu and Kashmir: Visuals from a polling booth in Khrew area of Pulwama( Anantnag Lok Sabha seat) #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/R2j2vf1ID3 ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 8:29am: Visuals from polling stations. 8:20am: BSP chief Mayawati casts her vote in Lucknow. BSP Chief Mayawati casts her vote at a polling booth in City Montessori Inter College in Lucknow. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/h28DExxZ8E ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 6, 2019 8:10am: Largest human logo of ECI made at Lohagarh Stadium. Largest human logo of Election Commission of India made at Lohagarh Stadium, Bharatpur by 11559 people. Bharatpur also received the India Book of Record certificate @PIB_India today.@DDNewsLive @airnewsalerts pic.twitter.com/esvhin5Jo2 Sheyphali Sharan (@SpokespersonECI) May 2, 2019 7:59am: Visuals from Pulwama. Jammu and Kashmir: Visuals from polling booth 66 in Govt High School in Pulwama( Anantnag Lok Sabha seat) #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/EKLbGTmkX3 ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 7:55am: Here's how to find your registered polling booth: Electors can call the helpline number '1950' after adding their respective STD codes to check their polling station. Voters can visit National Voters' Service Portal's website and enter details like name, DOB, Father's/Husband's name, local consistency to find their polling booth. Election Commission of India has also set up a voter helpline app for helping registered voters to check their polling station. Voters can also send an SMS to 1950 in the format- ECIPS *space* EPIC No- for polling booth's location. 7:43am: Home Minister Rajnath Singh casts his vote in Lucknow. Home Minister and Lucknow BJP Candidate Rajnath Singh casts his vote at polling booth 333 in Scholars' Home School pic.twitter.com/BXSZTvFeGS ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 6, 2019 7:45am: Voting yet to begin in booth numbers 289/ 291/292 in West Bengal's Howrah, after reported glitches in EVMs and VVPATs. 7:35am: First time voters can keep the following steps in mind when voting: First polling official will check your name on the voter list and photo ID proof. Second polling official will mark your finger with ink, give you a slip and take your signature on a register (Form 17A). Deposit the slip with the third polling official and show your inked finger and head towards the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Cast your vote by pressing the ballot button opposite the symbol of the candidate of your choice on the EVM; You will hear a beep sound after pressing the button. Check the slip that appears in the transparent window of the VVPAT machine. The slip with the Candidate's name, serial number, and symbol shall be visible for almost 7 seconds before it falls in the sealed VVPAT box. However, if you don't want to give your vote to any Candidate, you can press None of the Above (NOTA) button, which is always the last button on the EVM. 7:32am: Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and his wife Gayatri Rathore arrive at a polling station in Jaipur. Rajasthan: Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and his wife Gayatri Rathore arrive at a polling station in Jaipur to cast their vote for #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/BKamqz0xut ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 7:31am: Visuals from Jaipur. 7:30am: Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha and wife Nilima Sinha arrive at a polling booth in Hazaribagh. Hazaribagh: Former Union Min Yashwant Sinha & wife Nilima Sinha arrive at a polling booth to cast vote for #LokSabhaElections2019 . His son & Union Minister Jayant Sinha is contesting against Congress' Gopal Sahu & CPI's Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta from the constituency. #Jharkhand pic.twitter.com/r0F9V9Fffr ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 7:28am: Visuals from Barrackpore. West Bengal: Voters queue up outside a polling station in Barrackpore; Voting in 51 parliamentary constituencies across 7 states for 5th phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 will begin shortly pic.twitter.com/YoAJB8cvUK ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 7:27am: Visuals from Ayodhya. Voters queue up outside a polling station in Ayodhya; Voting in 51 parliamentary constituencies across 7 states for 5th phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 will begin shortly pic.twitter.com/22M7jsfXU4 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 6, 2019 7:25am: Visuals from Lucknow. #Visuals from polling booth no. 333 in Lucknow; Voting in 51 parliamentary constituencies across 7 states for 5th phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 to begin shortly pic.twitter.com/9dpuypq1K5 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 6, 2019 7:20am: Visuals from a model polling booth in Saran. Bihar: #Visuals from a model polling booth in Saran; Voting in 51 parliamentary constituencies across 7 states for 5th phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 to begin shortly pic.twitter.com/TLN3jBRHIE ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 7:16am: Amethi is one of the constituencies that is going to the polls today. Congress President Rahul Gandhi and BJP's Smriti Irani will fight for the Congress' pocket borough seat. #Visuals from a polling booth in Amethi; Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister Smriti Irani are contesting for the Lok Sabha seat. Voting in 51 parliamentary constituencies across 7 states for 5th phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 to begin at 7 am today. pic.twitter.com/iaFeUjEkZY ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 6, 2019 7:15am: Residents of Garauli village held protests yesterday saying they would boycott the elections due to inaction on issue of water scarcity in the area. Mergers & Acquisitions (M&As) in India have been growing multi-fold each year with 2018 being the benchmark for the highest number of M&As with the total transaction value crossing the $125 billion mark (according to data compiled by market-tracker Thomson Reuters Deals Intelligence). However, the number of hostile acquisitions in such deals has been fairly limited. Although, this is not to imply that there haven't been sufficient attempts in the Indian M&A history for hostile takeovers. While these hostile acquisition attempts may not have reached Indian courts often enough for substantial jurisprudence, India has seen its fair share of hostile takeover attempts and acquisitions. For instance, there have been successful acquisitions like those of Raasi Cements by India Cements and Zandu Pharmaceuticals by Emami, to numerous attempted hostile takeovers over the years. Indian entities are facing an increase in dilution of promoter shareholding, specifically in the distressed acquisitions context, given that promoters leverage their shareholding to lenders for debt undertaken by the target entity. While hostile takeovers are typically associated with tender offers being put in place, given the distressed acquisitions boom in India, there are a number of opportunities available for hostile acquisitions of such distressed entities. Also Read: BT Buzz: Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting - The other billion dollar Wipro The jurisprudence around hostile takeovers comes primarily from other jurisdictions, particularly the USA, given the evolved status of the law on the same. A highly celebrated rule in this regard, across the globe, is the Revlon rule. The Revlon rule, simply put, substantiates the need for the management of a company to focus on maximization of value for shareholders over preservation and long-term strategies of the company, in situations where a hostile takeover is impending and, in some cases, inevitable. There is a lot of emphasis placed on value maximisation in the Indian corporate governance context. Accordingly, one may argue that the sale of shares of the target entity by the existing shareholders does not maximize value for them since the target entity may have recently capitalised its costs and would begin sharing higher returns with shareholders. Hence, value for shareholders is maximized by retention of their shares and not sale thereof. However, this is based on potential maximization of share value, a consideration that seems too far-fetched to be taken into account for the Revlon analysis. On the other hand, a safe poison pill that target entities may employ to increase the share price is the declaration of dividends. Poison pills refer to strategies and actions undertaken by the management to ward off attempts of a hostile takeover or increase the price that would have to be offered by the hostile acquirer. Declaring dividends is usually effective as it tends to raise share prices making it more expensive for the acquirer to go through with the acquisition and depletes the cash reserves of the target entity, making the acquisition less valuable in itself. This, being a safe choice in terms of attracting any adverse corporate governance scrutiny, is often one of the first resorts undertaken by target entities. However, attempts to raise share prices are not always successful if the increase in share price is not significant, and is largely dependent on market sentiment, as is evident from the dividend declaration by Mindtree, arguably, to ward off L&T's hostile bid. Mindtree's share price has not seen a significant rise post the declaration of dividend on 17 April, 2019. Also Read: BT Buzz: Pepsi chickens out, should farmers rejoice? Similarly, target entities may argue that absence of operational synergies between the target entity and the acquirer does not create the best value for shareholders or the target entity in the long run. Continuing the discussion on the current bid for Mindtree by L&T, Mindtree promoters have cited such lack of synergies for the potential acquisition. This is pertinent given L&T does not plan to merge Mindtree with its IT services arm for at least next two years, bringing the question of operational synergies into the spotlight. Typical strategies deployed for warding off hostile takeovers include 'flip-in' and 'flip-over' strategies, which allow differential issue of shares of the target entity to existing shareholders except the hostile acquirer. However, this may attract oppression and mismanagement concerns in India, and hence may not be a viable strategy. These strategies may only work in situations when undertaken prior to the hostile acquirer having acquired any stake or having insignificant stake. They may also be incorporated in the charter documents of the target entity as a pre-emptive measure, with careful consideration to their enforceability. While negotiating one's way out of a hostile bid is rare, and highly dependent on the individual considerations of the hostile acquirer in relation to the target entity, one of the negotiating strategies worth considering for diversified entities is the compromise of a non-core segment of their business in order to retain the larger umbrella entity. This strategy had been successfully exercised 20 years ago, ironically, by L&T, to ward off the Birlas by selling L&T's non-core business of cement to them. Typically, a hostile takeover attempt follows an acquisition of a large stake by such hostile acquirers. Target entities may consider blocking such attempts from this stage itself. A pre-emptive measure that may be undertaken by companies, especially where shareholding is particularly scattered, is housing material assets of the potential target entity in another entity that cannot be subject to a hostile acquisition. For instance, companies with an established brand may house the intellectual property in relation to the brand in another group entity and use such brand on a license basis. At the time of a hostile takeover, the brand not being available to the target entity on such hostile acquirer coming in may act as a poison pill for the hostile acquisition. This strategy, however, may attract increased corporate governance compliances and some tax concerns. The Tata Group has successfully implemented this strategy by housing its brand name in a private company - Tata Sons. Another strategy worth considering is maintaining a 'white knight' entity, which could in itself be a promoter entity, for salvaging the target entity from such hostile takeovers, or at the least present potential poison pills for such hostile acquisitions. White knights are friendly investors, typically brought in by target entities' management that allow the current management to retain control while the white knight acquires stake in target entity, in place of the hostile acquirer. India is not unknown to such white knights, with certain instances in the past, including Reliance acting as white knight for EIH to ward off ITC's attempt of a hostile takeover. Hostile acquisitions for entities in the insolvency resolution process have already become popular with many acquirers entering into bidding wars with external, promoter-backed entities. Even for the non-distressed sector, hostile acquisitions in India may gain momentum in light of the increasing M&A activity in India, especially before potential target entities become cognizant of possible pre-emptive measures that they may undertake to ward off such attempts. Tanushree Bhuwalka (Principal Associate) and Kaushiki Agarwal (Associate) are lawyers with the corporate and M&A practice at Khaitan & Co. The views of the authors in this article are personal and do not constitute legal / professional advice of Khaitan & Co. Also Read: BT Buzz: Piramal-Shriram alliance to end New Delhi, Apr 11 (PTI) India and the Netherlands Thursday discussed ways to strengthen bilateral political and economic ties, including boosting cooperation at the United Nations and other international fora.The two countries held Foreign Office Consultations here, with the Indian side led by A Gitesh Sarma, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, and Johanna (Yoka) Brandt, Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leading the Dutch delegation."India and the Netherlands share a multi-faceted relationship. Both countries used this opportunity to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, economic, commercial, scientific and cultural cooperation," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.The two sides also exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues, including cooperation at the United Nations and other international fora, it added.India welcomed the participation of the Netherlands as the partner country for the 25th edition of the CII-DST Tech Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi in October 2019, the MEA said.Both sides underlined the importance of sustaining exchanges at all levels, including the high level, it said. PTI ASK IJT Representatives of over 100 American companies are visiting India as part of the US Department of Commerce's annual trade mission programme, Trade Winds, which started Monday. Besides New Delhi, the delegation would be visiting Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and would meet government leaders, market experts, and pre-vetted potential business partners during its eight-day stay in India. "Our goal at the US Department of Commerce is to use every available resource to ensure fair and reciprocal trade for US businesses selling their products and services all over the world," US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said. Ross is also scheduled to meet Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu later in the day. The US Department of Commerce is hosting the 11th Trade Winds Business Forum and Mission from May 6-13. US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster said the potential for growth in US-India trade is enormous given the size of our economies. Exports of US goods and services to India stood at USD 58.9 billion in 2018. Also Read: Slowdown Blues: CMIE paints not-so-happy picture for economy; urban consumption, credit growth to remain bleak Also Read: ICICI Bank profit drops 50% to Rs 3,363 crore in FY19 Also Read: Big Basket raises $150 million in fresh round of funding, eyes profitability in FY19 A corruption investigation into a former provincial Communist Party chief has shed light on the childhood friend who followed him across the country and earned a fortune through deals with a local state-owned oil giant. Yu Wei, chairman of chemical-maker Shaanxi Haian Industry Co. Ltd., was detained as part of the investigation into Zhao Zhengyong just days after the former chief of Northwest Chinas Shaanxi province fell from grace in January, Caixin has learned from multiple sources with knowledge of the matter. The Communist Partys top graft watchdog announced in mid-January that Zhao had been placed under investigation for serious violations of law and discipline a phrase that usually refers to corruption. The former party chief of the resource-rich region was the first provincial-level official to fall in 2019 to Beijings sweeping, years-long anti-corruption campaign. Zhao was governor of Shaanxi between 2011 and 2012 and the provinces party chief from December 2012 to March 2016. During his tenure, Zhao pushed Shaanxi to develop its energy, machinery and technology sectors to catch up with wealthier provinces to the east. Caixin has learned that Yu a hometown friend of Zhaos who followed him from East Chinas Anhui province to Shaanxi was able to earn a fortune through deals with Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Co. Ltd., an oil company controlled by the Shaanxi provincial government. Specializing in oil and gas exploration, Yanchang Petroleum ranked 288th in last years Fortune Global 500 list with revenue of $38.9 billion, making it one of Chinas five largest oil companies. It controls three listed companies, one in Hong Kong, another in Shenzhen and a third in Shanghai. Yu Weis company Shaanxi Haian set up a joint venture with Yanchang Petroleum, and earned hundreds of millions of yuan from the oil group. One could say that Yu was the private business owner who has made the most money from Yanchang, a Yanchang Petroleum source told Caixin. Sources told Caixin that most of Haians revenue comes from providing products and services to Yanchang Petroleum. According to public information, Shaanxi Haian was established in January 2008, and at that time Yu controlled 51% of its shares. He transferred all of his shares to a relative in 2015, but remains its chairman and is still the actual controller of the company. Caixin reported on Saturday that two former chairmen of Yanchang Petroleum have also been detained as part of the the Zhao investigation over the last few months. Sources say that one of the pair, Shen Hao, was responsible for Yanchang beginning to use Haians products on a large scale from 2011 onwards the same year Zhao became Shaanxis governor. Shen, who was Yanchangs chairman from 2007 to 2015, was detained in early February. The 66-year-old chemical company boss and the fallen official are both from the Anhui city of Maanshan. Sources told Caixin that Yu and Zhaos families had known each other for a long time before the two became friends in their adolescence, and that their wives are also close friends. Early in his career, Yu worked for the Anhui government, but later went into business and established a number of companies in Shaanxi and in the southern boomtown of Shenzhen. Sources told Caixin that Yus connections were common knowledge at Yanchang and that his nickname was head of underground organizations. Contact reporter Isabelle Li (liyi@caixin.com) With disastrous flooding becoming an annual event in parts of Canada, waterproofing properties is imperative. While some flood damage is well-nigh impossible to preventas residents in Montreal, Ottawa and Bracebridge have sadly learnedsome precautions can avert minor flooding from metastasizing into an astronomical remediation bill. Lee Strauss, owner of Strauss Investments, had the basement of an unoccupied investment property flood years back while he was out of town. By the time he returned, water had been flooding into the basement for five days, and with his insurance company reticent to step in, he rented a dump truck and paid the cost of remediation to prevent any further damage lest more mould accumulate. He eventually received his claim but because the property wasnt tenanted, the insurance didnt cover lost rental income. The whole remediation process took about six months, and with rent averaging about $1,800 a month, do the math, said Strauss. A property can flood for different reasons, including because of water lines running below old homes. The metals have had time to rot and decay, and one day they give in because theyre always under pressure and it can pool beneath the basement floor, then rise, said Strauss. One of the easiest ways to alleviate it before it even happens is to make sure the property has proper drainage. Make sure the downs spouts are directed away from the house. Far too often, youll see somebody take it off to cut the lawn, but if they get a torrential downpour and the spout isnt facing away from the house, it directs the water towards the foundation and it runs around the house until it finds its way in. Concrete basement walls can, fortunately, reduce the chances of water seeping in from the outside. Building code requires houses to be constructed with sump pumps, and plastic wrapping around the building structure also does its part to stop water from getting in. Claude Boiron, a real estate broker, author, university instructor, and founder of Boiron Group, actively seeks out the latest technical methods of flood prevention for his cleints, but he also has a simple recommendation. People have been doing exterior waterproofing of their foundation for decades, he said, but the newer mentality is, if you have exposed basement walls, its more beneficial and safer, not to mention cheaper, to waterproof the foundation from the inside. While its true that people typically think of their homes as investmentsand with good reasonBoiron also tells people whose homes were flood casualties that there are other things to consider, too. The conversation I like to have, as a parallel to the financial one, is about lifestyle and family, he continued. If a client says they have had flooding occur twice and that they cant stomach the thought of it happening again, even if they have good insurance coverage, I seriously speak to them about alternatives. 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. Warren Buffett said on Monday that a trade war between the United States and China would be bad for the whole world. Buffett spoke after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that he will raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent beginning on Friday. Trump also said he would soon slap a 25-percent tariff on $325 billion of Chinese goods that have not been taxed. Major stock markets fell worldwide on Monday in response to the tweet, which preceded scheduled trade talks this week, and was a rational response, Buffett said on CNBC television. Buffetts conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc owns or invests in many companies that do business in China, including Apple Inc, in which it has a more than $50 billion stake, and Chinese electric car maker BYD Co. If we actually have a trade war it will be bad for the whole world, Buffett said. A full-scale trade war is unlikely, he said, but would be bad for everything Berkshire owns. Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, also speaking on CNBC, said Trump was not totally crazy for wanting higher tariffs on some goods, but that a trade war would be massively stupid. Despite the concerns, Buffett said it would be nonsense for investors to sell stocks based on negative headlines, adding that the United States and China will be the worlds superpowers for the next 100 years and will always have tensions. He also said the battle would not affect how Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire operates. The company owns more than 90 companies including utilities, makers of industrial parts and chemicals, Geico autoinsurance and Dairy Queen ice cream, and ended March with $191.8 billion of equity investments. We will buy the same stocks today that we were buying last week, and would be delighted if a good Chinese business expressed interest in a Berkshire transaction, Buffett said. Higher Stakes for China Trump on Monday tweeted that the United States has for many years lost $600 billion to $800 billion annually on trade, and with China we lose 500 Billion Dollars. Sorry, were not going to be doing that anymore! Buffett said tough talk ahead of trade negotiations was understandable, saying that for some people the best technique is to act half-crazy, but it would be ineffective to shake your fist first and then shake your finger later on. He added that Trumps planned tariffs raise the stakes for Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Youre talking about two personalities who are very much used to getting their way in politics, and talking about how they will be perceived in their own country in terms of their behavior, Buffett said. It gets very complicated. Buffett said the trade dispute has already had an effect on Berkshires BNSF railroad. Meanwhile, Jim Weber, the chief executive officer of Berkshires Brooks Running unit, said in an interview last week that his company was ending most shoe production in China and moving it to Vietnam because of tariff concerns. Buffett also said the United States should bolster its trade relations with Canada and Mexico. Weve got lots and lots and lots of common interests, he said. Trade with Mexico and Canada is enormously important. We should treat them as neighbors, and not adversaries. Two insurance carriers filed separate lawsuits recently against medical doctors and their pain-management clinics, accusing them of submitting bills for unnecessary medical procedures performed on vehicle-accident victims. State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Co. filed suit in the U.S. District Court for Southern Texas against Dr. Nooruddin S. Punjwani as well as the clinic where he practiced, Pain Alleviation & Interventional Needs (PAIN), as well as the owners of the clinic. It is seeking $3 million in damages. Allstate Insurance Co. filed a racketeering lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against The Pain Center USA, Interventional Pain Center and Dr.s Rajendra Bothra and Erick Backos, seeking $860,000 in damages. The carrier in February filed a similar lawsuit against several other clinics, seeking $3.5 million. State Farm alleges that Punjwani performs epidural steroid injections for nearly all patients he sees at his Baytown, Texas practice without performing legitimate medical examinations. He reviewed magnetic resonance imaging scans and documented conditions that did not exist or exaggerated the severity of existing conditions, the suit says. State Farm said PAIN charges $1,500 for the use of fluoroscopic guidance with the injections, but could not produce any fluoroscopic images when asked.Punjwani charged $8,000 for each epidural steroid injection and $500 for an examination in addition to the fluoroscopic charge, the carrier said. The clinic billed State Farm for 810 epidural steroid injections out of 821 patients examined. All of them sere diagnosed with spondylosis and stenosis, according to the suit. Defendants Barketali M. Roopani and his sons, Anil B. and Sohail B. Roopani, are laymen owners of the PAIN clinic, the suit says. State Farm alleges that they shared in the proceeds from the fraudulent scheme. Allstates April 22 suit against The Pain Center USA and the other Detroit-area clinics is the latest of several racketeering lawsuits that it has filed against medical providers for allegedly taking advantage of the states no fault auto-insurance law. The carrier says Bothra controlled and operated The Pain Center USA and Interventional Pain Center, both in Warren, Michigan. Backos participated in the control of both clinics, according to the suit. While Bothra has claimed that the Pain Center treats only patients with chronic pain who have not been helped through conservative treatment, many patients started treatment there within days of their alleged motor vehicle accidents, the suit says. Once the patients arrived, The Pain Center and Interventional Pain performed bilateral procedures that are normally performed on the say day into two separate dates to multiply the amount of fees charged.The carrier charges that the doctors prescribed patients opioids as an inducement for them to return to the practice, knowing full well that they were contributing the nations opioid addiction crisis. Those opioid prescriptions led to urine drug screening, which could also be billed to insurance carriers, the suit says. Allstate says Bothra found a way to expand his billings in March 2016, when he opened the Interventional Pain Centers ambulatory surgery center. The surgery center billed Allstate for facility fees for dates of service more than three months before it opened, according to the suit. The clinics billed for blood tests that were not performed, urine drug tests that werent performed, physical therapy that wasnt performed and injections that were never given, the suit says. Backos wrote out disability certificates for the overwhelming majority of patients who he treated at the clinics. The defendants goal in treating patients was to perform as much treatment as possible, regardless of whether such treatment was reasonably necessary to the patients care, recovery, or rehabilitation, and/or arose out of an alleged motor vehicle accident, in order to generate bills to Allstate, the suit says. Allstate in February filed a similar lawsuit against several other pain clinics. The defendants are Michigan Pain Management, Dearborn Pain Specialists, Southfield Pain Management, Sterling Heights Pain Management, Precision MRI of Michigan, Advanced Surgery Center, North Shore Injury Center, and Medi Transit. The lawsuit also names as defendants three chiropractors, four physicians and three other people. Allstate is seeking $3.5 million in damages. *This story appeared previously in our sister publication Claims Journal. Photo: Israel Defense Forces The Israeli military lifted protective restrictions on residents in the south on Monday, while Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group reported a cease-fire deal had been reached to end the deadliest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. The escalation had killed 25 on the Gaza side, both militants and civilians, while on the Israeli side four civilians were killed by incoming fire. The Islamic Jihad militant group, which Israel accused of instigating the latest violence, confirmed that a "mutual and concurrent" truce had been brokered by Egypt. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Egyptian mediators, along with officials from Qatar and the U.N., helped reach the deal. He said Hamas could still use "different pressuring tools" to get Israel to ease a crippling blockade of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointedly noted that "the campaign is not over, and it requires patience and judgment." The intense fighting over the past two days came to a halt early Monday and residents on both sides went back to their daily routines. Schools and roads had been closed, and Israelis had been urged to remain indoors and near bomb shelters as intense rocket fire pounded the area. Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars and numerous smaller battles since the Islamic militant group seized Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. In the latest fighting, which erupted over the weekend, Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, while the Israeli military responded with airstrikes on some 350 militant targets inside 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. A Hamas commander allegedly involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group was killed in an airstrike, in an apparent return to Israel's policy of targeting militant leaders. Palestinian medical officials reported 25 deaths, including at least 10 militants as well as three women, two of them pregnant, and two babies. The four Israeli civilians killed were the first Israeli fatalities from rocket attacks since the 50-day war in 2014. One was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border. The Gaza public works ministry said 130 housing units were destroyed in Israeli airstrikes, including a five-story building in the northern Gaza Strip where six people, including a 12-year-old boy and an infant, were killed. Egyptian mediators had been working with the U.N. to broker a cease-fire. Under past Egyptian-brokered deals, Israel has agreed to ease its joint blockade of Gaza with Egypt in exchange for a halt to rocket fire. The latest fighting broke out after Palestinian militants accused Israel of not honouring an earlier cease-fire deal from March and opened fire on soldiers on the Israeli side of the Gaza frontier. The terms of the latest deal were not known, but recent cease-fires have been short-lived. In weary communities in southern Israel, there was criticism that the latest round of fighting had ended without tangible results and no hope that it would not recur soon. "When we have the upper hand, we need once and for all to finish the terror because this will repeat itself and will not stop," said Jacque Mendel, a resident of the coastal city of Ashdod, where a man was killed in his car by a rocket Sunday night. A federal indictment has been issued against Brandon Chase Summey charging that he had illegal weapons in October and November 2017 and again in May and July of last year. Summey, 21, is charged with multiple drug and gun violations. The 15-count indictment says on Oct. 12 and Nov. 10, 2017, he was using drugs while carrying a firearm. It says on May 25, 2018, he was dealing in marijuana and was caught with a stolen firearm. The indictment says he was caught with a silencer as well a sawed-off rifle. In the May 25, 2018 incident, police said a concerned community member asked them to check into suspicious activity on Garfield Street. Police investigated and wound up arresting Summey and Dylan Heard, who was 18 at the time. Officers seized four firearms, nearly two kilos of marijuana, ammunition and drug paraphernalia. Summey in that incident was charged in state court with alteration of serial numbers, possession of a firearm while in commission of a felony, unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon, unlawful sale, loan, or gift of a firearm, drug violations, and unlawful drug paraphernalia. . Since 1949, more than five million students have been impacted through the citizenship and leadership programs of the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. Recently 10 students from Hamilton County were able to visit the organizations headquarters in Pennsylvania and immerse themselves in the varied and intense hands-on educational activities. Their participation was made possible through an essay contest sponsored by the Chattanooga Chapter of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. The winners awarded the honor and their schools were Lexi Bacon (Hilger), Mollie Bishop (Hixson), Dayonna Carson (Central), Jaelyn Curtis (Red Bank), Isabel Levielle (Sale Creek), McKinzie Marcus (Silverdale), Taylor Petty (Red Bank), Alyssa Prather (Ooltewah), Alaina Washington (Ooltewah) and Danae Wnuk (Central). Chaperones for the trip were chapter president Stephen Pike and chapter members Charlotte Ellington and Lebron Sterchi. Mr. Pike said, Im 52 years old and Ive been able to participate in lots of things with church and other organizations. This is, by far, the best thing Ive ever done. Miss Ellington, a teacher, remarked, The program content is rich and quite accurate, while Mr. Sterchi said there were over 100 people present, the largest group the organization had ever hosted. Five of the girls who traveled to Valley Forge, were present at the chapters Essay Contest Winners Celebration on Sunday afternoon at the Harrison Ruritan Club on Highway 58 to talk about the trip. The girls, all juniors in high school, were delightfully articulate as they shared about their experiences. It was almost unanimous among them that their favorite part of the trip was the mock Congress. During this exercise they were presented with a bill and given the challenge of arguing it as if they were members of Congress. According to Alyssa Prather, It was my favorite by far. The bill we were presented violated the entire Bill of Rights. It made it evident that our rights granted in the Constitution are important. It was fun to share opinions and political ideas with people from all over the country. Alaina Washington, of Ooltewah High, also enjoyed the mock Congress and meeting people and sharing experiences. I enjoyed the entire experience, said Isabel Levielle. Chief among her favorite sessions was the Free Enterprise Challenge. A Shark Tank like event, the participants had to create, moderate and present a new design to a panel of judges. According to Miss Levielle, a volunteer at a local nursing home, it involved a lot of debating. McKinzie Marcus and Mollie Bishop also agreed that the opportunity to meet people from all over the United States was a great deal. Miss Bishop, from Hixson High, also remarked that, The process of how a bill became law the development and passing, was a fun experiencing. The opportunity to meet people and share the differences in cultures with people her own age was a wonderful experience for Miss Marcus of Silverdale Baptist Academy. The Freedoms Foundation states that more than 96 percent of FFVF alumni register to vote at their first opportunity, while the national average is 42 percent. When asked how this experience had influenced their own ideas about citizenship, Miss Prather, of Ooltewah High, related, It gave me a broader idea of what I could do as a citizen. That I could not only vote, but I could run for office or even be an entrepreneur. Sale Creeks Levielle answered, It made clear to me how important my rights were to me. The mock Congress brought out the importance of our Bill of Rights. Another impact of attending the educational experience is that more than 92 percent of FFVF students volunteer in a community service project or program. The national average is 26 percent. The group also had the privilege of visiting Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. The Chattanooga Chapter has been in existence for over 50 years, while the national organization was founded in 1949. It was founded by E.F. Hutton, Don Belding, Kenneth Wells, and General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Freedoms Foundation is located on 75 acres in the heart of Valley Forge. According to its website, it has a mission of bolstering our democracy for future generations by recognizing that civic education is no longer a priority in many schools. With social studies curricula being squeezed out by STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and standardized testing, American students are missing fundamental lessons on citizenship and civic responsibility. Mr. Pike reiterated that thought when, gesturing towards this years essay winners, This is our purpose. This is why we exist. The chapter would like to eventually send more students to the program at Valley Forge. Per Mr. Sterchi, Miami and Los Angeles currently send 100 students to the four opportunities each year. Chapter officials would like to partner with English and History teachers at our local schools to make this happen. The trips are funded through the donation of chapter members. According to Mr. Pike, while sophomores can participate, it is preferred that the focus be on juniors. For more information, go to the organizations website at www.freedomsfoundation.org. You may contact the local organization by mail at: Chattanooga Chapter, FVFF, P.O. Box 21443, Chattanooga, TN 37424-0443. (Contact Dennis Norwood at dennisnorwood56@gmail.com; follow him on Twitter at @DennisENorwood) Here are the new marriage licenses from the County Clerk's office: SAMUEL ROBERT EDGEMON JILL MARIE SULLIVAN 803 AUBURN STREET 803 AUBURN STREET CHATTANOOGA, TN 37405 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37405 ANTONIO DEWAYNE WATKINS ABRIA JERRI MITCHELL 3212 DODSON AVE 1305 UNION AVE CHATTANOOGA, TN 37406 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37406 CONNOR PHILIP LEE PERRY KATIE EMILY COUNTRYMAN 34 ROWANWOOD AVE 34 ROWANWOOD AVE BRANTFORD, ON N3S7B9 CANADA BRANTFORD, ON N3S7B9 CANADA DOUGLAS GLENN FOSS ROBBIE MICHELLE MASON 5522 NATIONS RD 2689 SWANSON RD OOLTEWAH, TN 37363 RINGGOLD, GA 30736 BRYAN KEITH DANIEL KATELYNN JEAN ROWE 5828 FORT SUMTER DR 5828 FORT SUMTER DR HARRISON, TN 37374 HARRISON, TN 37374 CODY LEVI WATTS CHLOE LEIGH SMALLWOOD 1866 COFFEE TREE LANE 1866 COFFEE TREE LANE SODDY DAISY, TN 37379 SODDY DAISY, TN 37379 RONALD JESS HARRIS TINA CHERISE STEELE 6951 LOVE LANE 6951 LOVE LANE HIXSON, TN 37434 HIXSON, TN 37434 MATTHEW AARON CALLOWAY OLIVIA MARIE CABLER 1420 TEMPLE JOHNSON RD 128 PILOT KNOB LN LOGANVILLE, GA 30052 HENDERSONVILLE, TN 37075 TODD CHRISTOPHER RENIER ASHLEY ANA RAMOS 3320 MONTVIEW DR 3320 MONTVIEW DR CHATTANOOOGA, TN 37411 CHATTANOOOGA, TN 37411 GEORGE DOUGLAS JOHNSON, SR KELLIE LUNDBERG COMELLA 155 OAK SPRINGS DRIVE 155 OAK SPRINGS DRIVE AYLETT, VA 23009 AYLETT, VA 23009 . DANIEL ALBERTO ARAGON DRUCILLA DANE THOMPSON 4891 TAYLOR CIRCLE ROOM#3523 4745 COLCORD DR APT V10 COLLEGDALE, TN 37315 COLLEGEDALE, TN 37315 MATTHEW STEPHEN TANOUS STELLA TOH 2758 WATERHAVEN DR 2758 WATERHAVEN DR CHATTANOOGA, TN 37406 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37406 RYAN JACKSON YOUNG MORGAN RUTH ROYER 6714 JORDAN RUN RD 936 MOUNTAIN CREEK ROAD CHATTANOOGA, TN 37412 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37405 JERRY MATTHEW LEE NAOMI RENEA HIGGINS 1008 HOLLAND JOHNSON RD 1008 HOLLAND JOHNSON RD HIXSON, TN 37343 HIXSON, TN 37343 ANTHONY JEROME PATTON, JR VICTORIA RENE KENYON 5357 RENEAU WAY 5357 RENEAU WAY EAST RIDGE, TN 37412 EAST RIDGE, TN 37412 MASON KALE WORTMAN KELSEY ELIZABETH TOMLIN 8416 PERSHING RD 1821 MCCRARY RD CHATTANOOGA, TN 37421 LEBANON, TN 37090 BRYAN KEITH RODEN GAIL DIANE WHITE 140 JOHNSON LN 140 JOHNSON LN JASPER, TN 37347 JASPER, TN 37347 SEAN PAUL FORD TARA MARIE HOFFMAN 9002 DOVETAIL LANE 9002 DOVETAIL LANE OOLTEWAH, TN 37363 OOLTEWAH, TN 37363 OLIVER FRANKLYN STRAWBRIDGE, III KRISTY AKIKO KUSUMOTO 1205 W 50TH ST APT 2 1205 W 50TH ST APT 2 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37409 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37409 JOHN THOMAS CECIL JESSE ALEXANDER MCDOWELL 3803 MONTE VISTA DR 3803 MONTE VISTA DR CHATTANOOGA, TN 37411 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37411 JAMES DANIEL EDGIN REBECCA JEAN LANE 148 MULBERRY ROCK RD 148 MULBERRY ROCK RD TEMPLE, GA 30179 TEMPLE, GA 30179 JORDAN ROBERT SCHAFF KAETLYN MARIE JACOBS 125 CLARENCE CIR 3535 MOUNTAIN CREEK RD #C5 RUTLEDGE, TN 37861 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37415 ALLEN DEWAYNE GREEN GERTRUDE HALL 267 WATER ST 267 WATER ST CHATTANOOGA, TN 37410 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37410 CODY AARON TOWE KELLY BETH CULPEPPER 1209 HANOVER ST 1209 HANOVER ST CHATTANOOGA, TN 37405 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37405 CRAIG ALAN DOCKERY HALEY OHARA KINSER 1303 HAMILTON AVENUE 1303 HAMILTON AVENUE CHATTANOOGA, TN 37405 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37405 GALEN DUSHEA ROBERTS KIMBERLY RENEE HANDLEY 5709 QUEEN AIRE LN 5709 QUEEN AIRE LN CHATTANOOGA, TN 37415 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37415 RICHARD JOSHUA PETTY MAKINZIE LAUREN REAVLEY 407 COLEMAN RD 135 GOTHARD ST SODDY DAISY, TN 37379 SALE CREEK, TN 37373 RONALD EDWIN CALHOUN, JR RUBY ELLEN MCDOUGAL 109 RENAISSANCE CT 109 RENAISSANCE CT CHATTANOOGA, TN 37419 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37419 MATTHEW THOMAS CASEY CHANCE ELIZABETH DAVIS 7245 E BRAINERD RD #124 7245 E BRAINERD RD #124 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37421 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37421 KYLE BASCOM DAVIS HAYLEY CIARA EISNAUGLE 936 MOUNTAIN CREEK RD APT N146 209 GREEN VALLEY BLVD CHATTANOOGA, TN 37405 FRANKLIN, TN 37064 JAMES EARL GALLMAN, JR CHICOYA MAQUAL SMITH 917 PRESTON COURT 917 PRESTON COURT ANTIOCH, TN 37013 ANTIOCH, TN 37013 TAYLOR CHRISTOPHER BROWN KELSEY DANIELLE WORKMAN 205 N HOWELL AVE 205 N HOWELL AVE CHATTANOOGA, TN 37411 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37411 TREVITT RYAN SCHULTZ TERRA DAWN LEE 204 MORNINGSIDE DR 204 MORNINGSIDE DR CHATTANOOGA, TN 37404 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37404 BRANDEN LYNN ELDER WHITNEY LASHAY NALE 23 NASON ST 23 NASON ST ROSSVILLE, GA 30741 ROSSVILLE, GA 30741 JOSEPH EDWARD BOYLE EMILY DANIELLE SMITH 5409 MARION AVE 530 OAL CREST LANE CHATTANOOGA, TN 37412 HIXSON, TN 37343 ANTHONY RAY BELK ZAIDA PATRICIA ROMAN 1043 REUNION DR 1043 REUNION DR CHATTANOOGA, TN 37421 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37421 CAMERON PATRICK SHAW JESSICA LYNN SHEA 7610 MEADOW STREAM LOOP #202 7610 MEADOW STREAM LOOP #202 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37421 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37421 TIMOTHY PAUL ALLEN MEGAN RENAE ROBINSON 90 CATTAIL DR 90 CATTAIL DR ROCK SPRING, GA 30739 ROCK SPRING, GA 30739 DARYL GENE JACKSON SHERRY LEE LUSK 1011 GADD RD #213 1011 GADD RD #213 HIXSON, TN 37343 HIXSON, TN 37343 RAMIRO VASQUEZ RAMIREZ EDILIA MACARIO GABRIEL 2100 FOUST ST 2100 FOUST ST CHATTANOOGA, TN 37407 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37407 DEMONTE RASHAD CHEELEY APRIL SHADALE HILLEY 987 CROSS ST APT 10B 987 CROSS ST APT 10B ROSSVILLE, GA 30741 ROSSVILLE, GA 30741 TROY JAMES LUTTRELL JENNIFER TALLEY LOFTY 16 PINECREST LANE 17 CINDY CIRCLE KIMBALL, TN 37347 FORT OGLETHORPE, GA 30742 CLAY HAMILTON WISER RACHEL LEE ANDERSON 116 GLADE DR 116 GLADE DR TULLAHOMA, TN 37388 TULLAHOMA, TN 37388 LUKE RILEY DAVIS AUBREY MEAGAN BUTTREY 2502 E 5TH ST 2502 E 5TH ST CHATTANOOGA, TN 37404 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37404 DUSTIN BRIAN HESS AMANDA GAYLE SCRUGGS 6331 TELETHA LANE 6331 TELETHA LANE CHATTANOOGA, TN 37415-1286 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37415-1286 CALEB LORENZO ROCKWELL SIMEY ESTHER EMERSON 708 DARTMOUTH ST 708 DARTMOUTH ST CHATTANOOGA, TN 37405 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37405 JONATHAN HAROLD WHITE TAYLOR MARIE DUNCAN 728 MARKET ST APT 518 728 MARKET ST APT 518 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37402 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37402 JUSTUS LAFARRELL MCGHEE DONNA RENEE HALES 9523 OLD HWY 411 156 BOWDON LN SW CHATSWORTH, GA 30705 ADAIRSVILLE, GA 30103 TIMOTHY DONNELLE BINFORD, JR QUANTEARRA LASHEA COLVIN 924 SHALLOWFORD RD 1315 CYPRESS ST COURT CHATTANOOGA, TN 37411 CHATTNOOGA, TN 37402 LUCAS GEOFREY LLOYD MEGAN BROOKE BODET 7170 SWEETENS COVE RD 7170 SWEETENS COVE RD SOUTH PITTSBURG, TN 37380 SOUTH PITTSBURG, TN 37380 LESLIE PARKER SHROPSHIRE MICHELLE HARRIS RICHARD 4072 HONOR CIRCLE 4072 HONOR CIRCLE CHATTANOOGA, TN 37416 CHATTANOOGA, TN 37416 BRIAN JOSEPH LEROY JESSICA ASHLEY BOWKER 255 DENTON HOLLOW RD 9177 INTEGRA PRESERVE CT APT 212 CLEVELAND, TN 37312 OOLTEWAH, TN 37363 MICHAEL RYAN SHAW LAUREN ELIZABETH ROBINETT 176 SONOMA LANE 7730 CHUMANI LN RINGGOLD, GA 30736 CINCINNATI, OH 45243 Thrive Yoga and Wellness kicks off its annual Spring Kitten and Puppy Yoga events on Saturday. Thrive is partnering with Nutrition World to hold Kitten and Puppy Yoga at The Retreat at The Wellness Corner, 6237 Vance Road Suite #8. Kitten Yoga is scheduled for 12:30-1:30 p.m. and Puppy Yoga is scheduled for 2:30-3:30 p.m. The classes will help raise funds for McKamey Animal Center. Thrive Yoga and Wellness Owner Jennifer Dixon said, "Join us again May 11 for Kitten Yoga back by popular demand and the first of its kind to Chattanooga, Yoga and Puppies. One hundred percent of the proceeds from these events go directly to this wonderful, local shelter providing help, medicine, and relief for so many animals. The kittens and puppies at our events will also be available for adoption." For more information about Thrive Yoga & Wellness visit www.thriveyogaandwellness.com/special-events La Paz announces its support for the Hamilton County Department of Education 2020 Proposed Operating Budget. The organization believes this budget is a step forward in improving public education in Chattanooga, particularly for Latino students. The Latino population in Chattanooga is growing but the group says its youth are facing barriers in their educational journeys. Achievement gaps, language barriers and low household earnings can affect a students education. According to state of Tennessee data, the overall dropout rate in Hamilton County in 2017-2018 was 2.5 percent but for Latino/Hispanic students it was 4.8 percent and 6.7 percent for English Language Learners. With more than 6,000 ELL students enrolled in Hamilton County schools as of last year, the group is advocating for more support for this growing demographic. La Paz has supported HCDE students and their families for years. It has provided Spanish-speaking volunteers for school registration days and parent-teacher conferences. The organization also provides case-management services through their Family Resource Program. While La Paz has taken steps to empower students and their families, it acknowledges that additional help is needed to decrease barriers. The proposed budget includes funds for counselors and social workers, ELL support staff and funding for career readiness programs among other operational support. Student success is about more than grades. The social and emotional wellbeing of students and their families matters as does preparing them for life after graduation. The proposed budget takes these factors into account. Our elected officials have the opportunity to create a positive impact on our students and on generations of students to come, said Stacy Johnson, executive director of La Paz. The organization is encouraging individuals to call school board members and county commissioners to discuss the proposed budget and attend the school board meeting. The budget will be presented for a vote in front of the Hamilton County School Board on Thursday. If approved, it will go to the Hamilton County Commission for a vote in June 2019. Lily Sanchez I am Hamilton spotlights teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Todays teacher spotlight shines on Tina Cotreau, a science teacher at Central High School. "I am Hamilton spotlights the contributions of alumni, teachers, parents, students, support workers and community members in providing opportunities for children in the classrooms of Hamilton County Schools. "Better opportunities for children today mean a brighter future filled with possibilities for our graduates, their families and the community," officials said."Tina is a light for anyone who comes into contact with her, said Chelsea Long, the counselor at Central High.She represents the best of Hamilton County Schools.Ms. Cotreau is known as an unsung hero for the kids at Central High School. She teaches science and goes the extra mile to make sure the teens in her class are successful. The other teachers also know her as an amazing co-worker who will step in and help anywhere there is a need.She contributes to staff morale by organizing potlucks for birthdays and brings food to the homes of co-workers who are struggling with personal issues, added Ms, Long. She does all of this because it genuinely brings her joy to make others smile, and this is the case for her students and her co-workers.A different teacher will be featured in I am Hamilton each day this week during Teacher Appreciation Week."If you know someone worthy of recognition in the 'I am Hamilton' series, let us know," officials said. "Send a short message that describes the difference the person makes in the lives of children each day in Hamilton County Schools. Include the persons name, connection to Hamilton County Schools, your name, and your connection to Hamilton County Schools. Send the nomination to communications@hcde.org. Your nomination could be the next 'I Am Hamilton'." Alzheimers disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and the only Top 10 cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. The disease is affecting more and more individuals as they are diagnosed or put into a caregiver role. Understanding the disease and how to manage the often-baffling effects is the key to effective management," said Amy French, manager of Programs for the local Alzheimers Association. The Alzheimers Association will provide a free conference on Alzheimers care on May 14. This event is specifically for anyone who is caring for a loved one with Alzheimers or other kinds of dementia. Dr. Mathew Kodsi, area neurologist and expert on dementia care, will cap the day off with Dinner With The Doctor, an interactive Q&A beginning at 5:30 p.m. Cleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks will welcome attendees. Mayor Brooks has been a strong advocate for persons with dementia and their caregivers throughout his career, helping raise awareness and pass important legislation during his tenure as a representative in the legislature. All About Alzheimers takes place Tuesday, May 14 from 2-7 p.m. at Westwood Baptist Church, 4001 Georgetown Road NW, Cleveland. It is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Dinner is included. For those who cannot attend the entire day, Dinner With The Doctor is from 5-7 p.m. and may be chosen as a registration option. Please RSVP to 265-3600. Police said a Qurayshawn Byrdsong fired two shots at them prior to their returning fire in the April 16 incident on Cleveland Avenue. Byrdsong on Monday was released from the hospital and was booked in the Hamilton County Jail. He was charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony, unlawful possession of a firearm and felony reckless endangerment. Three officers said they encountered Byrdsong in the 2100 block of Cleveland Avenue and he refused to obey orders to stop. A foot chase began, it was stated. During the chase, Byrdsong pulled a revolver from his pants pocket and fired the shots, police said. A silver revolver was recovered near Byrdsong. Police said numerous civilians were in the area when the gunfire was exchanged. They said Byrdsong has three convictions for domestic offenses, which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. Attending the Kentucky Derby has become a father-daughter tradition for Larry Birkhead and his daughter Dannielynn Hope. The photographer and his daughter, whose mother is the late Anna Nicole Smith, have attended the event for the past 10 years, People tracks. Every year the pair have made an effort to bring their playful, unique style to each event. Dannielynn Birkhead and Larry Birkhead |Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Churchill Downs Dannielynn is now 12 years old and is looking more and more like her mother. This year Birkhead and Dannielynn did something special for the Derby that honored Smith. What did they do and why is the Kentucky Derby an annual event for the pair? When Larry met Anna Smith met Birkhead when she was trying to reclaim her career, ABC News reports. She was coming off the fight for her late husband J. Howard Marshalls estate and was working to re-introduce herself to the public. While filming a reality show she met Birkhead who was working as a photographer at the Barnstable-Brown Gala, the night before the Kentucky Derby. She had totally transformed herself, he said. She dropped a ton of weight. But it wasnt just the weight. It was her whole attitude. It was as if she was back at her Guess days. She was back on top of her game again. He recalls she pursued him during the event. Shes waving at me and me and blowing kisses and I mean, she knew how to work the camera, he said. After the event, Birkhead was hired for a project Smith was working on and the two became romantically involved. Its complicated Birkhead told ABC News that Smith wanted to hide their relationship. No one ever knew one time that I was her boyfriend, he said. The whole time we dated, if you look at all the video, Im in the back carrying my camera bag she didnt want me in the spotlight. But when Smith became pregnant, she never named Birkhead as the father, but rather (eventually) Howard K. Stern. Stern was Smiths attorney and the couple married. But when Smith died from an accidental drug overdose only five months after Dannielynn was born, Birkhead found himself embroiled in a nasty custody battle. DNA evidence paved the way for Birkhead to gain custody of his daughter. And even though Stern fell in love with Smiths infant daughter, he handed her over to Birkhead and the two even formed a bond. The minute after the paternity test was over hes helping me change Dannielynns diaper, [showing me], This is how you feed her, its been nonstop since then, Birkhead told ABC News. The nod to Anna Nicole during the Kentucky Derby As a time-honored tradition for Birkhead and his daughter, the family attended the Derby with their famous style on display. Larry met Anna at the party. Larry was a photographer and guest and had been covering the party and met her there. He is from Louisville and they started dating. After Anna passed away, every year they come back to the party, Chris Barnstable-Brown told People. Larry has brought Dannielynn for years. Shes a beautiful young girl now and becoming a young woman. Dannielynn wore a gorgeous lively yellow dress with vibrant pink roses to the race. But for the gala she pulled a famous accessory from her mothers closet. Dannielynn is pretty in pink in her dress by Junona for The Kentucky Derby, Birkhead wrote on Instagram. Topping it all off in a very special hat her Mom wore to The Kentucky Derby in 2004. Two of the highest-profile women in the royal family could not possibly be more different. Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are often pitted against each other by certain unscrupulous members of the media, but it seems like theres no real feud between the two duchesses. However, there are very distinct differences in their personalities, style, and upbringing, which means their introductions into the royal family have been very different indeed. Kate Middleton knew Prince William for years Kate Middleton was widely referred to as a commoner when her relationship with Prince William went public in the early 2000s but in fact, she is a part of a distinguished upper-middle-class family. She met Prince William in college, and the two were even roommates for a time before they started officially dating. During this time, Middleton became very familiar with Prince Williams unique world and the responsibilities that awaited the young future king. Although the couple experienced their share of ups and downs during their first few years together and even broke up briefly before ultimately reconciling, Kate Middleton and Prince William seemed a perfect match from the start. Prince William never really seemed to consider any other girl as his bride-to-be, and their engagement in 2010 didnt really surprise anyone. Their wedding in 2011 was a huge media event, which people tuned in all over the world to watch as it happened on live television, and there was a lot of support both in England and abroad for Kate Middleton as she officially joined the royal family. Her first year of marriage to Prince William was certainly eventful. Middleton, at the age of 29 when she was married, took her time easing into her royal duties and seemed to undertake every task with gravity and grace. Meghan Markle was a complete outsider Meghan Markle had a completely different introduction into the royal family than Kate Middleton. Markle grew up in California, a child of divorced parents, and made her way into acting through grit and determination. She met Prince Harry through a mutual friend and they became inseparable almost immediately. When they got engaged in 2017, after about two years together, people were shocked Markle was American, an actress, and had been married before. All of these factors meant the British public would react very differently to Markle than they did to Kate Middleton. Markle and Prince Harry got married in May 2018, and unlike Middletons first year of marriage, Markle got started working right away. Prince Harry had been a working royal for quite some time, which meant his new wife would be joining him immediately for his various charity functions, royal gatherings, and trips abroad. Also quite unlike Middletons first year of marriage, Markle got pregnant almost immediately, with the couple announcing the pregnancy in October 2018. Kate Middleton, by contrast, didnt give birth to Prince George until several years after her wedding. Which royal had a more difficult first year? While both women certainly had their share of challenges and struggles as they adapted both to marriage and to life as a member of the royal family, it seems pretty clear that Meghan Markle has had a more difficult first year. The Duchess of Sussex has had to deal with an unprecedented amount of negative online publicity, including continuous drama from her estranged family and racist rants from haters on social media. In spite of all that, Markle seems truly happy with her new husband, as they both await the arrival of their baby, due any minute now. No doubt in the days surrounding the birth, she will be reaching out to her sister-in-law for advice and family support. Its a boy! Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have welcomed their first baby into the world. The baby boy was born at 5:26 am and Harry was by Markles side the entire time. The announcement was made via the royal couples Instagram. We are pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on May 6th, 2019, the photo posted this morning was captioned. Their Royal Highnesses son weighs 7lbs. 3oz. The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives. More details will be shared in the forthcoming days. New father, Harry, also made a statement this morning. Im very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a baby boy this morning, a very healthy baby boy, the Duke said from Windsor. Those closest to the royal couple were notified first. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news. The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 6, 2019 The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. The Duchesss mother, Doria Ragland, who is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, is with Their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage. Markle was in the 41st week of her pregnancy. When will we see baby Sussex? Markle and Harry have been very private throughout the pregnancy. We never knew the exact date that Markle was scheduled to give birth or even where she planned on having the baby. This secrecy probably wont change, even though baby Sussex is here. In the past, royals like Kate Middleton have stood on the hospital steps for a photo opp with their babies shortly after giving birth. It was announced last month that Markle would not be following this specific royal tradition. Buckingham Palace have announced media plans for the Duke & Duchess of Sussexs baby, royal correspondent Emily Andrews tweeted in April. Once #Meghan is in labour, we will be told (like #kate) but the couple will keep where private & wont be appearing on the hospital steps afterwards. There will be a photo op once theyre home. Where does baby Sussex fall in the line of succession? Markle and Harrys child is the eighth great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II. He is now seventh in line for the throne, after Prince Charles, Prince William, Williams three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and his father. How to send congratulatory letters to the couple If you want to send your congratulations to Markle and Harry, you can do so and may even get a response. Fans can send their letters to THR Duke & Duchess of Sussex, Clarence House, London, SW1A 1BA, United Kingdom. Though the Duke and Duchess have moved to Frogmore Cottage, their mailing address still remains the same. In the past, Markle and Harry have responded to letters from fans, even sending back personal notes and pictures. After the couples wedding, several well-wishers received cards with pictures from the iconic day inside. Read more: Royal Split: What Does Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Splitting the Royal Household Mean? Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! This afternoon, Prince Harry stood outside of his Windsor Estate home, Frogmore Cottage to confirm the arrival of his and Meghan Markles first child, a baby boy. Born at 5:26 A.M. BST and weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces, Baby Sussex and his mother are doing incredibly well, the Duke of Sussex beamed while making his announcement. Meghan Markle | Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage As expected, many of the birth details are still under wraps, including where Meghan Markle delivered her son. However, some pretty significant clues including one revealing hint in Buckingham Palaces statement point to a home birth. Where did Meghan Markle have her baby? Did Meghan Markle have a home birth at Frogmore Cottage? Its entirely possible. After all, its where the Duke of Sussex stood outside while sharing the news with members of the press. Additionally, Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming that Meghan Markles mother, Doria Ragland was with Their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage. Marie Claire notes that the possibility of a hospital birth is slim, as the announcement was made around 2:00 P.M. allowing little turnaround. Not to mention: How did they go unnoticed? That would be a very quick turnaround, to have Meghan deliver at a hospital at 5 a.m. [sic], then go back home, with no one spotting it, and now be home resting just after 2 p.m. [sic], the publication noted after Prince Harry and the palaces afternoon announcement. They also note how hospitals in the United Kingdom tend to send new moms home safely than in the United States. However, the press and others would have likely noticed such activity. Why did Meghan Markle want a home birth? Leading up to Baby Sussexs arrival, it was widely believed that the Duchess of Sussex was considering a home birth. And although her real reasons for one are unknown, we wouldnt be surprised if it had to do with privacy. In an announcement ahead of their due date, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made it clear that their birth plan will remain private and they did not plan on posing for photos shortly after their babys arrival like Prince William and Kate Middleton (as well as other royals). Because of that, Prince Harrys announcement this afternoon took us by surprise, but the fact that he was standing outside of Frogmore Cottage didnt. A home birth would have allowed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle the safety, security, and privacy they sought for this experience. There would be no rush to the hospital, no cameras or press anxiously waiting outside, and no sight of Meghan Markle and her son until she and baby are ready which, according to Prince Harrys interview, could be as early as Wednesday. The Duchess of Sussex wanted to have a birth experience of her own not one copied by countless other royal women. Most modern royal women have hospital births at St Marys in London. But, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs recent relocation to Windsor, it might have made more sense for the royals to welcome their child closer to home, or even in their home. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Baby Sussex is on its way! After months of speculating about when the baby would come, the newest member of the royal family has finally decided to make its way into the world. The Duchess of Sussex went into labour in the early hours of this morning. The Duke of Sussex was by Her Royal Highnesses side. An announcement will be made soon.https://t.co/hFq0te2Owe The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 6, 2019 Rumors of Markle inducing As everyone had been on pins and needles waiting for baby Sussex to arrive, fans started to wonder if the Duchess of Sussex was going to have to be induced to have her baby. Usually, doctors can wait until a woman is 42 weeks pregnant to induce, but with Markles age, the longer the wait, the riskier. Women aged 35 and older are encouraged to induce earlier. Markle is currently 37 years old. A change in birthing plans Last week, the palace announced that Prince Harry would go to the Netherlands from May 8-9, stopping in Amsterdam and then going to The Hague to launch the one-year countdown until next years Invictus Games. However, later his plans changed to only include The Hague, which is coincidentally just an hour flight away from London. Many fans wondered if this was due to a change in Markles birthing plan. Due to the logistical planning for the traveling press to cover visits and engagements by The Royal Family, we have taken the decision to postpone The Duke of Sussexs scheduled visit to Amsterdam on Wednesday 8th May 2019, a spokesperson told People. The Duke is currently scheduled to travel to The Hague on Thursday 9th May for the launch of the Invictus Games The Hague 2020 as planned. When will we see Baby Sussex? Markle might be in labor now, but it will still probably be a little while before the public lays eyes on the newest royal. Though we have gotten used to seeing royal children almost immediately after their births via the photo ops on the hospital steps that royals like Kate Middleton have done, Markle has said that she will not be following that route. Buckingham Palace have announced media plans for the Duke & Duchess of Sussexs baby, royal correspondent Emily Andrews tweeted last month. Once #Meghan is in labour, we will be told (like #kate) but the couple will keep where private & wont be appearing on the hospital steps afterwards. There will be a photo op once theyre home. The couple want to enjoy the first few days with #babysussex before a photo op at Windsor Castle grounds, Andrews continued. What happens now? When the baby is born, Queen Elizabeth II will be the first one to be notified. Shortly after, the public will find out through the media. In addition, a bulletin will be put on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. This bulletin will list the babys gender, time of birth, and how Markle and the baby are doing. When will we find out baby Sussexs name? Typically names are announced a few days after the baby is born. The Queen must approve of the childs name before it can be made official. Read more: Has Prince Harry Introduced Meghan Markle to Princess Dianas Family? Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Marrying someone means accepting them fully, being OK with their quirks, their strengths, their flaws, and everything in between. The same goes for royal couples such as Mehgan Markle and Prince Harry. Surely, Markle has had to make many changes since becoming part of the royal family e.g. sticking to nude shades of nail polish and following royal etiquette. But shes had to make another change at home because of one of Prince Harrys quirks. An easy task, one that Prince Harry is a stickler for can bother him when his wife doesnt follow through. Keep reading to learn what the task is and why Prince Harrys obsessed with it. Prince Harry is obsessed with turning all the lights off In an interview for the BBC One documentary, Prince, Son & Heir: Charles at 70, Prince Harry and Prince William discuss one of the habits their father, Prince Charles, instilled in both of them at a young age. Hes a stickler for turning lights off, Prince Harry said in the documentary. And thats now something that Im obsessed with as well. Agreeing with his younger brother, Prince William said, I know, Ive got serious OCD on light switches now, which is terrible. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have disagreements about the lights in their house Markle and Prince Harry, now the proud owners of Frogmore Cottage (a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II) have disagreed about the lights in their house probably since they first lived together in Nottingham Cottage. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 11, 2019, in London, England. |Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage In the documentary, Prince Harry continued to say how his habit of turning the lights off has become somewhat of a point of contention for he and his wife. Which is insane becauseI dont know whether your wife doesntmy wife certainly goes, Well, why turn the lights off? You know, its dark. I go, We only need one light, we dont need like six,' Prince Harry told Prince William laughing. The bigger reason why Prince Harry turns the lights off Prince Harry is big on conservation. He visits Africa almost every year to help with the animal conservation efforts going on there and is known to be big on helping the environment. He said in Prince, Son & Heir: Charles at 70, that turning the lights off, a small action, can have a big payoff in the long run. All of a sudden it becomes a habit and those small habit changes hes making, every single person can do, Prince Harry said. And I think its one of the key lessons that [Prince Charles] taught us. Prince William, Sir David Attenborough, Prince Charles, and Prince Harry attend the Our Planet global premiere at the Natural History Museum on April 04, 2019, in London, England. | John Phillips/Getty Images On an episode of the talk show, The Real Daytime, Adrienne Bailon and others on the show discussed Prince Harry and Markles situation with the lights. Meghan literally said she hates the dark I dont know if shes afraid of the dark but she hates the dark but literally shell walk out of a room and hell hit the light, Bailon said. Markle and Prince Harry are expecting their first child, Baby Sussex, any day or hour now. Its safe to say Prince Harry will likely instill the same habit his father taught him, of turning the lights off, in his child. Actor Ryan Reynolds is playing the beloved Pokemon character, Pikachu, in the new Warner Bros. film, Detective Pikachu, which is the first live-action Pokemon adventure, according to the films site. Pokemon, loved by children in the 1990s and early 2000s, is now setting its sights on younger generations. Detective Pikachu has a PG rating but apparently, an R-rated version is possible. Keep reading to get the details on the 18 or over version of the film. Reynolds had 85 options for any one joke During an interview with Kotaku in Tokyo, Japan, Reynolds discussed the details of filming an animated movie. Motion capture is a unique experience in which you are alone and you throw a billion things up against the wall, Reynolds told the publication. Detective Pikachu character attends the Pokemon Detective Pikachu U.S. Premiere at Times Square on May 02, 2019 in New York City. | Michael Stewart/FilmMagic Its up to somebody else to sift through it and figure out what they think is going to be applicable and what they feel they want to use, he said. Reynolds method is similar to what the late actor, Robin Williams, did in Aladdin. As part of his performance as the genie, Williams spent 16 hours on freestyle dialogue leaving it up to the production team to determine what parts made it into the film. Reynolds came prepared with nearly 100 versions of one joke. Id come out with 85 options for any one joke, he said. It was crazy, he added. In the Detective Pikachu trailer, Reynolds makes jokes about his character, Pikachu, being a caffeine addict. In another scene, he jokes about a mime Pokemon falling off a pretend bike. All of these jokes are clearly in the PG realm and dont come anywhere near his jokes in other films such as Deadpool. Detective Pikachu trailer by Warner Bros. | YouTube Reynolds jokes may have gotten some pushback Jokes Reynolds made in the film may have caused a little friction. The stuff they used, there mightve been some pushback, I dont know, Reynolds told Kotaku. Heres where it gets interesting. Reynolds didnt censor himself in the film. He made any and all jokes and left the censoring up to others. Everything ran the gamut from Rated R to PG, he said. R-rated version of Detective Pikachu is possible You could probably squeeze together a Rated-R cut if someone went looking for it in the edit, Im sure, Reynolds said. But God forbid they would, he added. So, there you go. An R-rated version of Detective Pikachu is possible but it probably wont happen. Pikachu is an iconic character beloved by children and an R-Rated version of the fluffy yellow guy just wouldnt jive with his image. When does Detective Pikachu premiere? Expect to see Detective Pikachu in theaters everywhere on May 10, 2019. Premieres for the film have already been underway. Ryan Reynolds and his wife actress Blake Lively attend the premiere of Pokemon Detective Pikachu at Military Island Times Square on May 02, 2019, in New York City. | ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images Blake Lively, Reynolds wife, attended the U.S. premiere of the film in New York City last week with her husband. Lively showed off her growing baby bump in a yellow dress, announcing that the couples preparing for baby no. 3. Lively and Reynolds have two daughters together, James and Inez. The royal baby countdown is officially over. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they have welcomed a baby boy to their family. As we moved further into May, many people speculated that the duchess was past her due date and would have to forego her original birth plans. So, did Meghan Markle get the home birth she had hoped for? Its a boy! Royal followers got the news theyve been waiting for when the couple shared the news of the birth on their official Instagram account. The official message read, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning of May 6. The baby weighed in at 7 lbs 3 oz. The royal family Twitter account provided a few more details about the birth. Meghan Markle gave birth at 5:26 am with the Duke of Sussex by her side. A later message revealed that Doria Ragland was with her daughter at Frogmore palace. A royal name (and pictures) are coming soon Meghan Markle gave birth to a boy! | Chris Jackson Pool/Getty Images In addition to the social media posts, the proud new father stepped out to say a few words. In what we would argue to be the cutest new father video ever, Prince Harry gushed over his new baby and wife. The Duke of Sussex couldnt stop smiling as he told the media that both mother and baby were doing very well. He added, How any women does what they do is beyond comprehension. Wrapping up his statement, Prince Harry said the couple is grateful for the support they have received from the public. The couple is still thinking about names, even though he was a little bit overdue. Harry revealed that the family will likely reveal the name and show off the baby in two days time (Wednesday). Congratulations came from across the globe Congratulations, Meghan and Harry! Barack and I are so thrilled for both of you and can't wait to meet him. #RoyalBaby https://t.co/mfE7uc6ooV Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) May 6, 2019 The royal family was the first to share their excitement about their newest member of the family. The Royal Family Tweeted The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news. Many celebrities also sent their congrats. Priyanka Chopra wrote, Congrats M & H above the couples birth announcement. Talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres joked, The #royalbaby is here! Congratulations, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The baby is 7th in line for the throne, which is crazy, because right now Im 7th in line for the key-making kiosk at my grocery store. @RoyalFamily. Former first lady, Michelle Obama also sent her well wishes, writing, Congratulations, Meghan and Harry! Barack and I are so thrilled for both of you and cant wait to meet him. #RoyalBaby. The biggest clue Meghan had a home birth The couple expressed their wishes to keep the birth of their child private and as such, elected to have a home birth. But many worried that the fact that Markle was overdue would force the duchess to have a traditional hospital delivery. While no official details have been revealed, it appears the duchess may have been able to have a home birth after all. The official royal family Twitter account Tweeted that Doria Ragland and her daughter were presently at Frogmore Cottage a huge clue to the location. Given that the new mom just gave birth a few hours earlier, it would be unlikely for the duchess to have already been released from the hospital. Prince Harry gave his interview at Windsor, further indicating that the birth happened at home. People also notes that the official announcement that resides outside of Buckingham Palace bears no doctor signature, another detail that would seem to confirm the duchess did not give birth at a hospital. The popular reality show 90 Day Fiance highlights the challenges that come with long distance relationships and the struggle of moving to somewhere completely new. On the show, people from the United States are in relationships with others from different countries. The couples live in the U.S. together for 90 days before deciding whether or not they should get married (90 days is the limit for a k-1 visa holder, which is the visa that allows a fiance to come to the U.S.). Some of the shows cast members dont stay in relationships for very long before things fizzle out, but for others, it works in the end. But which 90 Day Fiance couple has been together the longest? Here are some of the shows longest-running couples. Russ and Paola Mayfield of 90 Day Fiance | Amanda Edwards/Getty Images Mike and Aziza Eloshway have been together since 2014 This couple was featured on the shows first season. The two initially met in a language program, and they didnt hit it off right away. However, Mike was there for Aziza when her U.S. visa application was denied, and the two eventually became more than friends. In summer 2014, Aziza moved to the U.S. to be with Mike, and the two were featured on the show. Today, theyre still married and have one daughter. Danny and Amy Frishmuth were married in 2014 Another long-lasting couple are Danny and Amy Frishmuth, who first appeared on the shows second season. They met on a Bible study trip in Australia and instantly hit it off. Amy, who is originally from South Africa, moved to the U.S. to be with Danny, and the two were married in 2014. They welcomed a son in 2015 and a daughter in 2017. Russ and Paola Mayfield have been married since October 2013 Russ and Paola Mayfield were one of the shows first couples, and theyve been married since 2013. Paola first moved to the U.S. from Colombia after she met Russ while he was traveling for work. The two have since seemed to have an all-around happy marriage, despite hitting a few speed bumps during their season. They welcomed a son together in January 2019. Justin and Evelin Halas fell in love in August 2013 Justin and Evelin Halas fell in love quickly after they met at a 2013 rugby match. After spending the week together, they knew they needed more time with each other. Evelin then moved to the U.S. and changed the spelling of her name to Evelyn, and the two were featured on the second season of the show. They eventually wed and are still together, though they dont have any kids. Louis and Aya Gattone started dating in 2012 This couple originally debuted on the shows first season. They first met online, and after debating where to live, Aya moved to the U.S. Louis already has two sons from a previous relationship, and he and Aya welcomed their first child together in 2018. The couple is still happily married and is one of the longest-running couples from the series. Alan and Kirlyam Cox have known each other since she was only 12 Nobody has known each other longer than Alan and Kirlyam Cox, though when they first met, their relationship wasnt romantic. Kirlyam is from Brazil, and Alan was on a Mormon mission to the country when he met her; she was only 12 at the time. The two made it clear that there was nothing romantic when they met (Alan is eight years older), and that things didnt turn romantic until after Kirlyam was 18. Today, both are in their 20s, and theyre happily married with a young son. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Becoming a king at some point in the future is something that most people only experience in their dreams. However, for Prince William, it is a reality. Born to Prince Charles and Princess Diana, William is currently second in line to the British throne and will become king after his father. Knowing for your entire life that you will someday be the ruling monarch of the United Kingdom certainly comes with its fair share of pressure. After all, just about everything Prince William does is closely watched, and the entire world is very critical of both him and his wife, Kate Middleton. For the past few years, they have had very little privacy, with billions of people tuning in to watch them get married on live television, and millions more watching as they welcomed their three adorable children into the world. At one point in his life, it didnt seem that William was focused on being king. So, why did the Duke of Cambridge change his mind about becoming the ruling monarch? Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and future king | Hannah Peters/Getty Images Prince William is a former rescue pilot It wasnt too long ago that William was employed as a search and rescue pilot. He and Kate resided outside of London, and we didnt see nearly as much of them as we do presently. Although the world was interested in what William did, and there was also an intense interest in Kate, they were not in the royal spotlight as much as they are now. He lost his mother when he was young At the young age of 15, Prince William tragically lost his mother, Princess Diana. The loss affected him greatly, as he was very close to his mom and her death was sudden. Diana was known for spreading compassion and love all over the world. Often called the peoples princess, royal fans loved Diana from the time she married Prince Charles and long after their divorce. She was one of the most beloved royals of all time, and she made quite an impact on everyone she interacted with. It may be that William feels that he must continue his mothers legacy by serving the people of England and worldwide. William was able to be carefree As a young adult, William was able to live a carefree life. Even as a future king, he had close friends while away at college in Scotland, which is where he and Kate met. It is only natural that when he was younger, William wasnt thinking much about the fact that he would one day be the king of England. After all, it seemed so far in the future, and he was more intent on enjoying his freedom. He is now a dad Becoming a parent changes everything, even for royal family members. William takes his responsibilities much more seriously now that he is the father of three children. He knows that he must set a good example for Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and especially for Prince George, who will one day be a king himself. Most likely, William wants to appear as responsible and dedicated as possible in the eyes of his kids. William is very much aware of the legacy he wants to leave. William now has a different focus Now that his life is different, William is focused on becoming king and carrying out his royal duties to the best of his ability. At some point after his marriage to Kate, it seemed that he was ready to fully embrace his royal duties and do whatever he could to prepare for his important future role. It would appear that William is doing everything he can to make Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and of course, Princess Diana, as proud as possible. Nilfisk Dedicated vacuum solutions for health, safety and productivity Let us help you attain safety, hygiene, automation and product quality in pharmaceutical production Of all the product sectors that Nilfisk operates in, pharmaceuticals is certainly the most demanding. Standards of hygiene, safety and productivity are extremely high, as they should be when the ultimate aim is to provide the user, with an effective product. This is just one of the reasons why the manufacturing process of any type of medicinal product is often complex. 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The group unites the areas trade with devices and service under one roof, whereby it is possible, to look after the customer in all respects from a single source. The Labexchange Foundation is a sign for the assumption of social responsibility and supports projects in the areas health-care, art and culture, environmental protection and acts for the common good. With versatile knowledge, extensive competence and decades of experience in dealing with used laboratory and analysis equipment, Labexchange is not only a reliable and competent partner, but also world market leader. Labexchange will successively expand this market-leading position in the coming years. Thanks to the constantly high quality and the various guarantees Labexchange has become the number one in the sector and a very successful global player. Previously known as "Laborgerateborse Handelsgesellschaft fur Analysensysteme mbH", the company was renamed. The new company name "Labexchange - Die Laborgerateborse GmbH" that was accepted by the responsible Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Reutlingen, emphasizes the market leadership. As leading platform for used quality, each device is tested and checked extensively. As an independent provider with broad experience and knowledge, Labexchange is not bound to a brand or a manufacturer. So you can be sure that you are being advised independently and according to your needs. Dr Wolfgang Kuster Manager Child sex trafficking victims, ex-drug addicts find healing in 'Duck Dynasty' star's jewelry line Christian Post Contributor | 06 May, 2019 by Leah MarieAnn Klett Driven by her belief that God is a God of grace, forgiveness, and redemption, Missy Robertson is giving hurting and broken women a second chance at life through her new jewelry line. The former "Duck Dynasty" star told The Christian Post she created Laminin by Missy Robertson back in 2016 to provide jobs for women in the West Monroe, Louisiana, area coming out of the sex industry, addiction, and poverty, among other life issues. "When women come to apply for a job, they don't fear checking that box that says 'have you ever been convicted of a felony?' That doesn't scare us, and it doesn't stop us from hiring you," Robertson told CP. "I strongly believe in second chances, and Laminin is about second chances." But that wasn't always the goal. Robertson, a mother of three, admitted that when he first conceived of Laminin not without the help of her mother-in-law, Miss Kay, she said it was with the intention of helping women like herself. "I pictured women who had married early and didn't have a college degree but were working and at the same time trying to be involved in their children's lives," she said. "But God's will is different from ours, and it takes a while to see it." "The women who applied were nothing like me," she continued. "They'd had tumultuous backgrounds and many of them were basically the result of being on drugs, whether their choice or their parent's choice. Many of them were trying to stay out of trouble and had lost everything they had because they had been in prison." Continue reading about Laminin by Missy Robertson on The Christian Post. Great awakening on global scale is near, reminiscent of Welsh revival, Wallace Henley predicts CP Reporter | 06 May, 2019 by Brandon Showalter The great move of God known as the Welsh revival that touched Wales soon after the turn of the 20th century portends the "lightning" of yet another awakening, according to Wallace Henley. God is up to something huge, he says in his new book, Call Down Lightning: What the Welsh Revival Reveals About the End Times. And it's that particular revival and historical cycle that reveals the world is about to see a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. Henley, whose previous experience includes time as a journalist and a congressional and White House aide, is confident that we are about to see it happen. He is presently the senior associate pastor at Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, and what precipitated his latest book was the "immensity of the [political and cultural] crisis," he explained in a phone interview earlier this month with The Christian Post. When he left the nation's capital decades ago after serving in government, he became convicted that the most important institution in society was the Church. The problems plaguing society were beyond human capacity to solve and such problems have only intensified over the years. But as he looked into the Welsh revival he saw not only a profound move of God's Spirit springing up in the churches, but vast social transformation. "I grew up in the age of revivals in the 1950s, in the deep South, and we called them revivals but they really are not revivals until we see the fruit of revivals coming out of it, which includes the fruit of repentance," he said. The fruit of the Welsh revival was so extensive that, historians have noted, the donkeys that were used in the coal mines had to be retrained because the coal miners who had encountered Jesus stopped cussing and the animals no longer responded as they once did. Read more from "Great awakening on global scale is near, reminiscent of Welsh revival, Wallace Henley predicts" on The Christian Post. Pence at Louisiana church attacked by arson: 'Attacks on communities of faith must stop' 06 May, 2019 by Michael Gryboski , | Vice President Mike Pence gave remarks at a church in Louisiana that was recently the victim of arson, stating that "these attacks on communities of faith must stop." In a speech given at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas last Friday, Vice President Pence stated that "we live in a time when attacks on communities of faith have become all too frequent." "The fires here at Mount Pleasant, at Greater Union, at Saint Mary's are part of a story that continued last week in California at a synagogue; last fall, in Pittsburgh; at a mosque in New Zealand; and at churches on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka," said Pence. "No one should ever fear for their safety in a house of worship anywhere in this country, anywhere in the world. And these attacks on communities of faith must stop." Pence went on to commend the congregation for its faith and courage, noting that they and the other two Louisiana churches hit by the recent arson attacks "overcame evil with good." "And to think of churches burning one day after another, and how people might have responded, and to see the way people, here in these churches and this community and across Louisiana, responded is an inspiration to the nation," he continued. "I'm deeply inspired, as people are all across this country, by the courage and the resilience of these communities of faith, these families of faith, but also by the generous support of the people of Louisiana and people all across the country." From March 26 to April 4, three historically African-American congregations, Mt. Pleasant Church, St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre, and Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas, were set on fire. Police arrested a suspect, 21-year-old Holden Matthews, the son of a sheriff's deputy who had a strong interest in Black Metal, a musical genre known for anti-Christian themes, and reportedly often used racial slurs. Read more from "Pence at Louisiana church attacked by arson: 'Attacks on communities of faith must stop'" on The Christian Post. Gaza: Ceasefire after 29 killed in 48 hours Reached early on Monday (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, MAY 6 - The Israeli army on Monday morning, at 7 am local time, announced it was lifting security restrictions that had been in place in the south in an apparent confirmation of a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza groups. Previously, Hamas' al-Aqsa television had announced a ceasefire that went into effect at 4:30 am local time. Few details have emerged so far, however Israeli broadcasters quoted Palestinian sources as saying that Israel has allegedly pledged to abide by engagements concerning the truce in a week with the UN and Egypt acting as guarantors. The ceasefire, according to Haaretz, will be reciprocal and both sides have pledged to abide by the deal. Military radio has reported that the indirect agreement was reached thanks to the intervention of UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov. A reported 25 Palestinians were killed in Gaza during two days of fighting, according to the Maan news agency, which quoted the local health ministry. An additional 170 were reportedly injured. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad on Monday published their casualties after two days of silence. The Islamic Jihad has announced the death of eight of its militants while Hamas said two of its fighters died. Israeli sources said 15 militants were killed. Four Israelis were reported killed. (ANSAmed) Teen Vogue pushes prostitution as legit profession, like a medical doctor; feminists enraged CP Reporter | 06 May, 2019 by Brandon Showalter Teen Vogue is pushing the idea that prostitution is acceptable to its young readers. In a Friday op-ed called "Why Sex is Real Work," Tlaleng Mofokeng, a medical doctor, noted that sex tourist destination Amsterdam will soon legally bar guided tours through the red light district but that many "sex workers," a euphemism for prostituted persons but is often used to include brothel keepers and pornographers are opposing the ban. "Not all sex workers engage in penetrative sex, though, undeniably, that is a big part of sex work. Sex-worker services between consenting adults may include companionship, intimacy, nonsexual role playing, dancing, escorting, and stripping. These roles are often pre-determined, and all parties should be comfortable with them," she explained. Mofokeng then compared the experiences of prostituted people with her own profession as a doctor. "I exchange payment in the form of money with people to provide them with advice and treatment for sex-related problems; therapy for sexual performance, counseling and therapy for relationship problems, and treatment of sexually transmitted infection. Isn't this basically sex work?" she asked. "I do not believe it is right or just that people who exchange sexual services for money are criminalized and I am not for what I do. Is a medical degree really the right measure of who is deserving of dignity, autonomy, safety in the work place, fair trade and freedom of employment? No. This should not be so. Those who engage in sex work deserve those things, too." She went on to argue that continuing to criminalize prostitution harmfully impacts women and trans-identified males who call themselves women, and therefore, "sex worker rights" constitute a feminist and women's rights issue. Actual feminists and others opposed to decriminalizing prostitution are not having it. "Teen Vogue is grooming a generation of young girls into prostitutionone of the most violent, dehumanizing, and traumatizing industries on the planet and convincing them that this form of violence against women is a good 'job' option," said Laila Mickelwait, director of abolition at Exodus Cry, in a Monday interview with The Christian Post. "Promoting prostitution to young girls is not only pushing them toward sexual exploitation but is also effectively promoting sex trafficking, because according to both domestic and international law, anyone under the age of 18 that is prostituted is legally a victim of sex trafficking," she continued, adding that the publication should be reprimanded for pushing the normalization of sexual violence and exploitation upon the thousands of impressionable girls who read it. Writing on her Facebook page Monday, Gail Dines, a fervent anti-porn feminist and founder of Culture Reframed, concurred. "They sanitize the reality of prostitution by making the absurd claim that: 'The idea of purchasing intimacy and paying for the services can be affirming for many people who need human connection, friendship, and emotional support,'" Dines explained. "Yes, the john is absolutely looking for intimacy, connection, friendship and support as he pays to rape a prostituted girl or woman! How do you make sense of this as a girl growing up in a porn culture surrounded by a coherent narrative that women = sex?," she wrote. Continue reading about Teen Vogue on The Christian Post. After a weekend of violence, Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire with Israel. According to CBN News, Israel also lifted its restrictions for civilians living in the area. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, however, the country was still ready to defend itself. Over the last two days we struck Hamas and Islamic Jihad with great force. We hit over 350 targets. We struck at terrorist leaders and operatives and we destroyed terrorist buildings," Netanyahu said. "The campaign is not over and it demands patience and sagacity. We are prepared to continue. The goal has been and remains ensuring quiet and security for the residents of the south. I send condolences to the families and best wishes for recovery to the wounded," he said. Over the weekend, Israelis fled to bomb shelters as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched some 700 rockets at southern Israel. Those rockets are dangerous. Those rockets can be deadly. Those rockets are being fired by Hamas toward the civilian population here in Israel, said Israel Police National Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. During the attacks, a 58-year-old man was killed, according to reports. The Iron Dome intercepted more than 150 rockets and struck back at about 350 targets. The unfortunate situation is Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are able to smuggle into the Gaza strip as well as produce substantial amounts of rockets of different calibers cable of striking Israeli civilians, said IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus. We see Iranian fingerprints mostly in the Gaza Strip focused on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad but not limited to that materializes in money weapons logistic support, military training and of course political guidance. The IDF says it also blew up a PIJ tunnel. Conricus said, The moment that tunnel crossed into Israel we took the opportunity to strike and dismantle that tunnel, sending a clear message to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and to other terrorists in Gaza that we are aware of their activities and we have the ability to locate and destroy these offensive terrorist infrastructures. Photo courtesy: Robert Bye/Unsplash Renowned Christian author and pastor Warren Wiersbe passed away on May 2 at the age of 89, just two weeks shy of his 90th birthday. The author of more than 150 books, the pastors pastor is known for his Be commentary series which dive into the central themes of most books of the Bible. According to Christianity Today, Wiersbe who came to Christ after hearing Billy Graham preach at a Youth for Christ rally became an ordained minister in 1951 from the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. After receiving his ordination, Wiersbe began pastoring at Central Baptist Church in East Chicago, Indiana until 1957. From 1961 to 1971, Wiersbe pastored at Calvary Baptist Church in Covington, Kentucky before becoming the pastor at Moody Memorial Church in Chicago from 1971 to 1980. While at Moody Memorial Church, Wiersbes sermons were broadcasted on the churchs radio station, he regularly wrote for the churchs newsletter, and the prolific pastor began to teach and develop a curriculum for a DM in preaching at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. During this time, Wiersbe also began to mentor up and coming pastors. According to the Baptist Press, after leaving Moody, Wiersbe continued writing, sharing his sermons via radio and teaching. Wiersbe is regarded by many as a mentor, a friend, a champion for the Christian faith and remarkable preacher. After his passing on May 2, many took to Twitter to lament the loss of great man, and to rejoice in his Heavenly reunion with God. Former President of the Southern Baptists Convention Jerry Vines wrote of Wiersbe on Twitter, My great mentor and friend, Dr Warren Wiersbe, went to heaven May 2nd. Here is a tribute from a grandson. Warren Wiersbe is the man who taught me how to expound the Word of God. My great mentor and friend, Dr Warren Wiersbe, went to heaven May 2nd. Here is a tribute from a grandson. Warren Wiersbe is the man who taught me how to expound theWord of God. Blog https://t.co/7NPuS2FE6t https://t.co/ypJtRXYB1R Jerry Vines (@jerryvines) May 3, 2019 Pastor Lutzer of the Moody Church shared a reflection of Wiersbes life writing, "I have no doubt that he has already heard 'Well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of thy Lord.' And for us on Earth his legacy continues." "I have no doubt that he has already heard 'Well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of thy Lord.' And for us on Earth his legacy continues." Read Pastor Lutzer's reflections on the life, ministry, and legacy of Pastor Warren Wiersbe.https://t.co/37zNGv7h5w pic.twitter.com/lT58o9UQxA The Moody Church (@TheMoodyChurch) May 3, 2019 Christian Author Lee Strobel wrote a tribute to Wiersbe noting that the pastors work greatly influenced his life. Strobel wrote, Dr. Warren Wiersbe, author of 150 books, has gone to be with the Lord a few days before his 90th birthday. I'm among countless people who benefitted from his ministry of writing. Dr. Warren Wiersbe, author of 150 books, has gone to be with the Lord a few days before his 90th birthday. I'm among countless people who benefitted from his ministry of writing. A tribute: https://t.co/gq11Rb67Hf Lee Strobel (@LeeStrobel) May 3, 2019 Photo courtesy: Screenshot/Matt Schulte An estimated 80 percent of all persecuted religious believers around the world are Christians, according to new British report that also says the level of persecution in some areas is arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide. The report was prepared by a panel headed by Rt. Rev. Philip Mounstephen, bishop of Truro within the Church of England, and commissioned by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. The worldwide persecution of Christians, the report says, is only worsening. Christianity now faces the possibility of being wiped-out in parts of the Middle East where its roots go back furthest. In Palestine, Christian numbers are below 1.5 percent; in Syria the Christian population has declined from 1.7 million in 2011 to below 450,000 and in Iraq, Christian numbers have slumped from 1.5 million before 2003 to below 120,000 today. Christianity is at risk of disappearing, representing a massive setback for plurality in the region. Christians are fleeing some countries, the report says, due to persecution that is nearing genocide levels. In some regions, the level and nature of persecution is arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the UN, the report says. The eradication of Christians and other minorities on pain of the sword or other violent means was revealed to be the specific and stated objective of extremist groups in Syria, Iraq, Egypt, north-east Nigeria and the Philippines. An intent to erase all evidence of the Christian presence was made plain by the removal of crosses, the destruction of Church buildings and other Church symbols. The report cited other studies that said: Christians were targeted in 144 countries in 2016, an increase from 125 in 2015. A total of 245 million Christians suffered high levels of persecution according to a 2019 report an increase of 30 million from the previous year. 736 attacks on Indias Christians were recorded in 2017, up from 348 in 2016. As many as 2,000 churches in Chinas Zheijiang province were targeted between 2014 and 2016. They either were completely destroyed or had their crosses removed by government officials. More Christians were killed in 2018 in Nigeria because of their religious faith than in any other country in the world. Nigeria accounted for 3,731 of 4,136 fatalities in that category. About 200,000 Nigerian Christians are at risk of being killed. An estimated 80 percent of all persecuted religious believers are Christians, the report says. Given the scale of persecution of Christians today, indications that it is getting worse and that its impact involves the decimation of some of the faith groups oldest and most enduring communities, the need for governments to give increasing priority and specific targeted support to this faith community is not only necessary but increasingly urgent, it says. Mounstephens work was an interim report. The full report is expected to be released by the end of June. Related: Chinese Police Beat 60 Christians, Close Church and then Bury Bibles Muslim Fulani Herdsmen Massacre Christians after Baby Dedication in Nigeria Chinese Official Vows to Eliminate Christianity in China North Korea: 70,000 Christians 'Locked in Concentration Camps' Chinese City Pays Citizens $1,500 to Be a Mini Judas and Turn in Christians Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com. Photo courtesy: Pixabay A Pennsylvania state representative is being criticized after posting a video showing him chasing and harassing a pro-life protester, calling her an old white lady and threatening to demonstrate outside her house. Rep. Brian Sims, a Democrat, posted the eight-minute video Thursday. At the time of this writing the video had received more than 500,000 views and thousands of comments most of them negative. The pro-life group Live Action also re-posted the video on its Twitter feed. WATCH: Pennsylvania State Representative @BrianSimsPA harasses an elderly woman who is peacefully advocating for the lives of preborn human beings and women who are considering abortion. This is shameful. https://t.co/Xb9pkFZSXC Live Action (@LiveAction) May 5, 2019 The woman, apparently Catholic, was holding rosary beads and praying in front of a Planned Parenthood when Sims began the video. She is an old white lady, Sims told the audience before directly confronting her. ...How many children have you clothed today? Im sorry, I missed your answer, how many children have you clothed today? The unidentified woman tried keeping her back to the camera, but Sims circled her to ensure viewers could see her face. How many children have you put shoes on their feet today? he asked. Have you fed any children today or have you just stood out in front of a Planned Parenthood shaming people for doing something they have a constitutional right to do? Sims represents a district within Philadelphia County. The Planned Parenthood in question is the Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania. He called it the most heavily protested Planned Parenthood in the country. My hope is that youll donate $100 for every extra hour that this woman is out there, he told the audience. The woman remained mostly silent and paced up and down the sidewalk as Sims followed her. He urged viewers to find the womans address. She spoke only once, when Sims nearly bumped into her. She told him to get the camera out of her face. Lets go protest out in front of her house, Sims said. When she pulled out her cell phone, he said, Please call the cops. You have no right being out here. Sims acknowledged she had a legal right to protest but insisted she had no moral right to be there. Who would have thought that an old white lady would be out in front of a Planned Parenthood telling people whats right for their bodies? Shame on you. Shame at you for hiding your face at the same time youre shaming other people. What youre doing here is disgusting. Sims called her an old white lady four times. Theres no faith that tells you that youre right and everybody else is wrong, he said. ... Dont convince yourself that what youre doing isnt extremely racist. Referencing pro-life protesters, he said, This is what they deserve. There is nothing Christian about what you are doing. There is nothing loving. There is nothing kind. This is a racist act of judgment, he said. On Sims own Twitter feed, most people criticized his actions. Bullying a lady who is quietly praying? Cant believe you are proud of yourself, one person wrote. Another person wrote, Her example of peaceful fortitude is admirable. Like Gandhi, protesting in silent resistance. Love her. Live Action posted the video, urging its following to watch Sims harasses an elderly woman who is peacefully advocating for the lives of preborn human beings and women who are considering abortion. This is shameful. Sims was unapologetic, writing on Twitter, Bring it, Bible Bullies! You are bigots, sexists, and misogynists and I see right through your fake morals and your broken values. Related: Woman Who Survived Moms Abortion Tells Democratic Senators: I Do Exist Trump Blasts Abortion: All Children Made in the Holy Image of God 'The Infant Would Be Kept Comfortable': Is Virginia's Governor Pro-Infanticide? NY Legalizes Abortion up to Moment of Birth, Defines Person as Someone Who Has Been Born Democrat Admits: Her Bill Would Allow Abortion during Labor Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Rachel Murray/Stringer Yes, its beginning to look a lot like Christmaswhich, for many of us, feels like a rush into chaos. Celebrating Advent during this season slows us down and helps our hearts and minds be reoriented around the coming of Christ.Yes, its beginning to look a lot like Christmaswhich, for many of us, feels like a rush into chaos. Celebrating Advent during this season slows us down and helps our hearts and minds be reoriented around the coming of Christ. 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. 80 percent of persecuted religious believers are Christians: British govt interim report Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Approximately four of five people persecuted for their religious beliefs are Christians, according to an interim report prepared for the British government. The Rt. Rev. Philip Mounstephen, Anglican bishop of Truro, which is located in the United Kingdom, prepared an interim report focused on persecuted Christians, delivering it to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office last Friday. According to the lengthy interim report, 80 percent of persecuted believers around the world are Christians, with Bishop Mounstephen labeling it an inconvenient truth. In footnote number 344, Mounstephen explained that while the statistic derives from 10-year-old research by the International Society for Human Rights, it remains accurate. Although this figure no longer appears on the ISHR website this is simply because it is now ten years old, wrote Mounstephen in the note. However in private conversation with leading figures in ISHR they stand by the figure and suggest that it is now a conservative estimate. The interim report cited other research, including a Pew Research Center study from 2017 which found that Christians were targeted for their beliefs in 144 countries. Christians have been harassed in more countries than any other religious group and have suffered harassment in many of the heavily Muslim countries of the Middle East and North Africa, stated Pew, as quoted in the interim report. The report went as far as to say that Christian persecution worldwide was not only increasing, but arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide. The eradication of Christians and other minorities on pain of the sword or other violent means was revealed to be the specific and stated objective of extremist groups in Syria, Iraq, Egypt, north-east Nigeria and the Philippines, states the interim report. An intent to erase all evidence of the Christian presence was made plain by the removal of crosses, the destruction of Church buildings and other Church symbols. Mounstephen explained that a final report is expected to be completed sometime in the summer, including detailed information on focus countries where Christians face especially harsh treatment. Over the course of the next two months I will be engaging with FCO Embassies and High Commissions in a discussion about what actions have or have not been taken, he wrote. I will also be considering the role of Ministers and policies at the centre of the FCO. I will consider the role of the FCO in representing the UK with like-minded partners, both in bi-lateral partnerships and within a multi-lateral context. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement released last Friday that the interim report was a truly sobering read. There is nothing more medieval than to hate someone on the basis of their faith. That it is on the rise should shock us all, stated Hunt. I look forward to seeing the Bishops final report in the summer, and identifying further specific steps the FCO can take to do more to address the fate of persecuted Christians around the world. At NYCs largest ever pro-life rally, women, abortion survivors take a stand Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment NEW YORK For several hours on Saturday, the island in the middle of Times Square between Broadway and Fashion Avenue was transformed into an open-air church for pro-life advocates who rallied against abortion, singing praises to God and sharing testimonies of survival. I came here to tell a story, Mary Pendergraft began as the crowd sang How Great Thou Art. The sun had come up after a wet, cold and overcast morning. It had warmed up enough for people who had braved raindrops to maintain their spot at the historic anti- abortion Alive From New York rally, hosted by Focus on the Family that attracted almost 20,000. We were thrilled with Saturdays turnout, which far exceeded expectations. That close to 20,000 people would jam into New York Citys Times Square on a Saturday to celebrate life should encourage everyone who continues to champion and protect the most vulnerable and innocent among us. It was a triumph and the largest pro-life gathering in the history of New York City! Paul Batura, vice president of Focus on the Family, said in a statement to The Christian Post. Pendergraft had been listening quietly as other pro-life supporters like Manhattan resident Lee Mason talked about how refreshing and inspiring the event was for pro-life advocates like her in a city where abortion is now legal essentially up until the point of birth. Those of us who hold that life begins at conception in Manhattan are probably a pretty rare breed and to speak about it is almost to pick a fight because there are so many atheists and people who have no idea whats going on in the universe and dont care. So we just keep mum for the most part but this is an extremely wholesome development. I hope it happens every week from now on, Mason said. She had struck up a cordial conversation with Pendergraft while waiting for the speakers to take the stage for the formal Alive From New York program, but Mason had no idea of the journey Pendergraft traveled to declare abortion a horror on humanity. Mary My story is I was raised Catholic but I walked away from the church and I got married and I had a wonderful first son. But my second son, his head was small and he was challenged physically, Pendergraft said. He could not walk or talk. So when she got pregnant a third time, Pendergraft became scared and started down a path she would later regret. I was worried about having another son like [that]. So I had an abortion. For a long time I did not think about it. My husband and I got separated and I started seeing a man and in the process I got pregnant again. And the second time I had an abortion, she said. Pendergraft eventually found salvation in a Baptist church and stayed quiet about her abortions for a long time until Jesus told her this year to begin sharing her story. This year the Lord has laid it on my heart that I need to go tell people about this. I need to tell them the son that I had who is challenged is 47 years old. He goes to an activity center. He still cant walk or talk. Hes incontinent but he is the light of my life, she said. My older son, he and his wife could not have children. And they adopted a child and shes 13 years old. I just want to say there is life, there is joy, there is forgiveness. We need to tell the people that killing babies is not the way to make things better, she said. The parents, if they dont want the child, they should allow for that child to be adopted by someone because there are many women and men out there who want children and cannot have them. And the people in America have destroyed generations of our children up to this point. Across from the island on the western bank of Fashion Avenue, abortion advocates worked hard to drown out the pro-life message. A relentless band trumpeted attention to banners declaring statements like Thank God for Abortion and Focus on Your Own Family as people danced and shouted at the Christians singing praises. Cindy At 16, years old, I aborted my baby and the grieving for 40 years never ended until the Lord showed me I have to speak about it and it was very hard, Cindy Fiore of Suffolk County, New York, said. I went kicking and screaming. And once you speak about it by your testimony and the blood of the Lamb, they will know. The Smith Town Gospel Tabernacle member said her church runs a counseling program from women who have had abortions called Beauty for Ashes. We have had over 40 women now who are now free to speak to others and its just been the Lord. Six years He spoke this into us and were standing strong, Fiore said. The ministry is now seeking to raise money for a home to house at-risk pregnant women who are vulnerable to abortion. She absolutely, 100 percent supports overturning Roe v. Wade and praised President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for their pro-life advocacy. We have a president that went from being a sinner saved by grace [to] speaking Scripture in the White House right now with an amazing vice president praying him in. So it could be done. Thats why the enemy is going crazy right now cause he knows his time is short, Fiore said. She admitted that even though she supports overturning Roe v. Wade as a good thing, she believes changing the heart of the public on abortion is more important to her. Its beyond overturning Roe v. Wade. Its changing the heart of His people. Changing them. I mean, you had a sleeping giant that has now been awakened for such a time as this, she said. Leslie Leslie Dean, regional coordinator of Silent No More Awareness Campaign for Delaware and Maryland, wore a button that announced I regret my abortion. My abortions almost destroyed my life, she said. I believed the doctors when they told me it wasnt a real baby. It wasnt alive. And then I got pregnant with a baby that I wanted and saw my sonogram, the same age of the babies that I lost. I knew Id been lied to. And it almost destroyed me. I literally was suicidal, she explained. Dean wasnt a Christian at the time she had her abortion but once she was convicted about her actions she was ultimately able to find forgiveness and peace in God. I was actually pro-choice prior to that and it was through Gods grace that He put me in touch with somebody that He was continually talking to about my life and she led me to Jesus and thats when I finally found forgiveness. Up to that point, there was no hope, she said. [Im here today] because they (Focus on the Family) are showing people the truth and setting them free. She argued that abortion advocates have been spending a lot of money to lobby legislators to normalize the practice but she believes that pro-abortion legislators will eventually see the error of their ways. Alive From NY rally against abortion inTimes Square https://t.co/36NwWlXChn Leonardo Blair (@leoblair) May 4, 2019 I think that there are a lot of pockets lined with a lot of money to vote a certain way for certain things and abortion is one of them. And I dont want to mention any names but in the movie Unplanned, it says one of the biggest corporations in America, and Planned Parenthood lines a lot of pockets with a lot of money to vote for the way they want you to vote, she said. New York is going to have to wake up one day and realize what theyve been doing. And its going to be a sad day. I dont know when its going to happen or how soon its going to happen but somebody is going to finally wake up and see whats been going on. It happened with the Holocaust, it happened with slavery and at the times that those things were happening, it was accepted and then somebody went oh my god, this is so wrong. And thats going to happen in America. Gods not going to continue to let this happen. He cant, she said. She agreed that overturning Roe v. Wade shouldnt be the focus of the fight against the culture of abortion. I dont think thats the issue. I dont think having Roe v. Wade overturned is the issue. The issue is people knowing the truth, people knowing these are babies, these are human beings that are being murdered, and they are being torn apart and its wrong. And thats what has to happen. Its not about politics. Its about moral judgment and people just realizing what they are doing, she said. Andrea Andrea Coble of Stafford, Virginia, had been reeling. Had anyone heard the comments made by Democrat Alabama State Rep. John Rogers? Rogers recently argued against an abortion ban in that state by saying apparently in reference to black children that some kids are unwanted, so you kill them now or kill them later. You bring them into the world unwanted, unloved, then you send them to the electric chair. So you kill them now or you kill them later, he said. Andrea believes Christians must stand against the kind of hopelessness shared by leaders like Rogers. Heres where Christians have to understand something. When youve got leadership that tells its people that hope is gone, its better to kill your children now than to be on the streets and get killed on the streets or be in prison that is the devil in the flesh, period, she said. That kind of thinking is like their final solution. And that means no hope. That means no faith in God and we are finished. We have to speak up against these kind of representatives because they are leading this country. That is seriously scary that we have arrived at this point. These people are here to make a stand for life and make a stand for hope. Amy Amy Fling had traveled to New York City with her sister all the way from Columbia, South Carolina. Were very pro-life. We believe that life begins at conception and up to natural death. I for one was never able to conceive so when I see women who have conceived and have abortion after abortion after abortion, it hurts my heart because we try to look into adoption and its so expensive. And there are families out there that would love to have these babies, she said. I would love to see the money thats going to Planned Parenthood, go to adoption agencies and pro-life legislation so that people like me could adopt more easily, Fling, who suffers from cerebral palsy, explained. Silver lining The pro-life faction chanted J-E-S-U-S repeatedly as the pro-abortion group shouted under the watchful eyes of New York Police officers. Lee Mason thought about what the spectacle meant for the city and the conversation on abortion. The only silver cloud, historians say, is it doesnt necessarily come to physical fighting. A little hard to see how thats going to happen considering the mess were in but [it] amazes me, she said. I am interested in trying to have more gatherings like this because I think its extremely healthy it gives many of us [in the city] permission to speak up in a way in which many of us have felt afraid to do. My neighbors, theyre Columbia professors. As far as I can tell, they are completely insane on this matter. What am I going to do? Have them torch my apartment? No, she quipped. Morocco: Ramadan starts Tuesday, 422 clerics sent to Europe 29 women among clerics for nighttime prayers (ANSAmed) - RABAT, MAY 6 - The holy Islamic month of Ramadan is starting Tuesday, May 7, in Morocco, the ministry of Islamic affairs has announced. Morocco is among countries that, in line with the hadith of the Prophet Mohamed, rely on the sight of the crescent moon. Several other countries including Saudi Arabia, Australia, Qatar and all of Europe, kick off Ramadan on Monday. For the occasion, the ministry of Islamic affairs of Morocco has sent 422 official preachers to European countries, including 361 imams and 29 morchidates, or female preachers. Together they will ensure nighttime prayers in mosque ''in line with European laws''. The holy month of Ramadan coincides with the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Fasting is the second essential pillar of Islam after the preaching of faith (shahadah), prayers five times a day (salah), charity (zakaat) and pilgrimage to the Makkah (hajj).(ANSAmed). Conservative Anglican group may boycott global bishops conference over gay marriage Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A major conservative group of Anglican bishops and leaders may boycott an upcoming global bishops conference over the presence of bishops whose regional territories support gay unions. The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) released a statement on Monday regarding the Lambeth Conference, a major Anglican Communion gathering held almost every 10 years in Canterbury, United Kingdom. In a communique from the GAFCON Primates Council sent from Sydney, Australia, the conservative group expressed its concerns about the 2020 conference. Last year in Jerusalem our delegates urged us not to attend Lambeth 2020 if godly order in the Communion had not been restored. They respectfully called upon the Archbishop of Canterbury to effect the necessary changes that fell within his power and responsibility, stated GAFCON. We have not yet received a response from the Archbishop of Canterbury. We note that, as it currently stands, the conference is to include provinces who continue to violate Lambeth Resolution I.10 thereby putting the conference itself in violation of its own resolution: failing to uphold faithfulness in marriage and legitimising practices incompatible with Scripture. GAFCON went on to note that it has decided to host its own bishops conference on June 8-14, 2020, in Kigali, Rwanda, for bishops who refuse to attend Lambeth. On the one hand, we have no interest in attempting to rival Lambeth 2020. On the other hand, we do not want our bishops to be deprived of faithful fellowship while we wait for order in the Communion to be restored, continued GAFCON. In July and August 2020, Anglican bishops from across all over the world are scheduled to gather in Canterbury for the Lambeth Conference. The first conference was held in 1867, lasting four days and having 76 bishops present. In February, it was announced that the Anglican Communion specifically refused to invite the same-sex spouses of some of their church leadership. Other leaders with opposite sex spouses were invited. Invitations have been sent to every active bishop. That is how it should be we are recognising that all those consecrated into the office of bishop should be able to attend, stated Josiah Idowu-Fearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion. But the invitation process has also needed to take account of the Anglican Communions position on marriage which is that it is the lifelong union of a man and a woman. That is the position as set out in Resolution I.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference. The decision garnered objections from more liberal regional bodies like The Episcopal Church, which denounced the decision to not invite same-sex spouses. The spouse community understands that the Anglican Communion is not of one mind with regard to marriage, and that, in the life of the communion, this is a complex issue, stated the Churchs Bishops Spouses Planning Group. Exclusion of same-gender spouses, however, seems like a simplistic reaction to this complex issue. It saddens us that all are not welcome to walk, listen, and witness with us, and that all voices will not be heard at this gathering. Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion trustee Carl Hughes told the UK publication Premiere that he was calling on both sides to calm their rhetoric. I believe that everyone should speak in a measured and respectful way, acknowledging that there are clear differences of view, said Hughes, as reported by Premiere. I think that we are probably in the position where those differences in view are irreconcilable in that they are a matter of one's particular view of doctrine and what the Bible does and doesn't say. But that doesn't mean that everyone shouldn't treat each other with respect and listen carefully to what the others are saying. Comprised of 40 provinces and approximately 80 million members, the Anglican Communion is a global body representing churches from diverse communities. The Anglican Communion has long experienced division over theological issues, including gay marriage and ordination. Those rifts widened in 2003 when The Episcopal Church in the U.S. consecrated its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As a result of massive ad campaigns on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and so on, we are witnessing a strong surge of young elected officials. Sadly, talking points and wrong information rather than character and truth is influencing the next generation. As I recently wrote in an op-ed on socialism and borders, much of the division in our nation centers around a biblical worldview or a lack thereof. Students of Scripture understand that God uses governmental leaders to accomplish His purposes and plans. The president is not pastor in chief; he is commander in chief. Many are confused because they dont understand the role of government. The institution of government was created by God to govern mankindto protect and defend and to administer justice. We cant legislate morality, but we can restrain evil and deter wrongdoing. The real question is whose morality prevails? To young Christian leaders, silence is no longer an option. We can no longer hide behind the excuse I dont want to get involved. As leaders, we are given the privilege, for now, to place people in positions of leadership. Whether we like it or not, we are involved. The silent pulpit is not Gods pulpit. As stated in a recent article: What kind of nation do we live in where a newly elected congresswoman can tweet Impeach the (explicit)! about our president? Freedom of speech comes with moral responsibility, not moral degradation. Although many disagreed with Mr. Obamas policies, most held his position in high regard. This type of behavior from a member of Congress should never be allowed, yet it illustrates the direction we are heading. People will say or do anything to push their agendalying, manipulating, and manufacturing fake news is the new strategy for many. We are not voting for parties or people but for principles. What direction will those running for office take us? is the question we all should be asking. Our leader is to protect, administer justice, defend the nation, and allow religious freedom. The church is to care for the people, guard the Word of God, and serve as the conscience of the nation. You may want to commit this paragraph to memory before 2020. Granted, activists should not expect everyone to share their passion for politics, and those who believe Christians should stay out of politics must understand that God clearly calls some Christians to make a difference in Washington. God established the concept of government, why would He not desire godly leadership? Most pastors who want to avoid politics really just want to avoid stepping on toes, but we are called to be watchmen not cowards. Wake up before its too late! Again, why would God ordain a government such as ours in America and not ask us to be involved? Although my primary calling is preaching, I thank God for Christians who are involved and who influence Americas political climate. I wish that there were more. As the moral and cultural war rages between our shores, the need to be awakened from our spiritual slumber has never been greater. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is tested (Martin Luther). This battle is for the very soul of our nation. Its our choicestand or fall. Ive mentioned these points before, but we need to revisit them. These are comments that Ive heard recently that prevent involvement from younger leaders: 1. The Moral Majority (1980s) forever linked the church to the Republican Party. We vote for principles, not a particular party. We need to be principle driven rather than party driven. He who rules over men must be just (2 Samuel 23:3). We need more humble, God-fearing leaders. Humility does not mean that leaders become passive pawns, but that they live in total surrender to God; theyre more concerned with Gods opinion than opinion polls. 2. Christians are always against something. Christians are not magnifying certain issues at the expense of others; we are underscoring the enormous importance of them. All issues cannot be equal. If everything is a priority then nothing is. Those who are bold and strongly contend for biblical truths are often seen as always against something. But if were for marriage between a man and a woman, then we must be against gay-marriage. If were for the sanctity of life, then we must be against abortion. If were for equality, then we must be against the slave/sex trade, and so on. Speaking the truth in love often results in being against some controversial things. This cant be prevented, nor should it be. We are called to make the truth popular but to make it clear. We must contend for foundational issues: If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3). 3. Politics is bad, offensive, and divisive. We cannot gauge what we say by whether or not its offensive. The laws of a nation establish the foundation. The government cannot remain neutral, or separate, from the foundation on which it rests. Granted, many governments, including our own, often fall short; thats why we should strive to be on Gods side rather than always assuming that He is on ours. God ordained the institution of government, but He does not approve of every form of government. We dont have to abandon our ethics or compromise our principles to be involved in politicswhat good is salt left in the shaker, or a light that is hidden? Politics is not a bad word. In simple terms, politics refers to governing or leading a group of people. Politics wont save America, but in order to implement change, honor God, and help others, we must take action; hence the political process. We cannot change a persons heart by forcing a set of laws or rules upon them, but we can restrain evil and deter wrongdoing. To suggest that God does not want us to elect godly leaders and promote godly legislation runs contrary to His nature (cf. Romans 13). 4. The church and the state are to be separate. The Courts have used the infamous separation phrase to ban religious activities, primarily those promoting Christian principles. Sadly, many believe that separation of church and state appears in the Constitution, when, in reality, the phrase does not appear anywhere in the Constitution. Be very clear on this point, especially if you are a student in a public school or university, or even a Christian university. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, used the phrase in 1802 in a private letter written to the Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut. The Baptists feared that the government might someday try to regulate religious expression. Ironically, we are seeing this today. His statement was intended to protect religious expression by building a wall of separation between the church and the state; solidifying the fact that the federal government could not strike down religious freedoms. The government cannot establish a national religion, but it can openly and unapologetically acknowledge the sovereign hand of God. Acknowledgment is not establishment. 5. The Gospel doesnt allow for politics; its not our mission. This is really just an excuse against action. Granted, the No. 1 problem in America is not a political problem, but rather a spiritual problem called sin. The primary goal of the church is not to become a political movement, but a spiritual influence. Politics wont save America anymore than a dumbbell will save someone drowning. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore our God-given civic responsibility and the enormous impact that politics has on our society. Tell the millions of babies who have been slaughter that the gospel prevents you from being involved. Gods Word says to confront, confess, and turn from sinpolitical hot buttons cannot be avoided. Many argue, We shouldn't say or do anything political. All we need to do is preach the gospel. Be careful here, although the gospel is our primary focus, this shouldn't be an excuse against action. God has blessed and sustained America because of our spiritual foundation. Should we now neglect it? Christy Wimber on the church, healing, and wholeness this side of Heaven Christy Wimber grew up in the Quaker tradition before joining the Vineyard movement - her father-in-law is Vineyard founder John Wimber. She is a firm believer in God's healing power but has less faith in the church's interpretation. That's one of the reasons she has written her new book, Wholeness, published by Lion Hudson. It's an exploration of mental health, how Christians should understand wholeness and healing, and where the church stands - or should stand - on these issues. The book includes a chapter by the Archbishop of Canterbury's daughter, Katharine Welby Roberts, who has spoken openly about her own struggles with depression. Christy speaks to Christian Today here about what she thinks healing should look like through the lens of our Christian faith and salvation. CT: What prompted you to write this book? Christy: I was raised Quaker and then Vineyard and we had an emphasis on healing but several years ago, the Lord began to get my attention about some of the ways we were doing healing and how they were more damaging than helpful and that shifted me a bit. It's been a whole process. CT: What would you say has been damaging rather than helpful? Christy: I think the 'Heaven now' approach is really damaging because it leaves no room for suffering - the approach where we are trying to fix people for testimony or triumph, or festival and event models where we tend to highlight those things. I think that can be really damaging. But also approaches that leave people out or which put pressure on the person praying - and the person receiving prayer for that matter. I have come from that model, that's what we did, but in the last 10 years or so, it's become really popular and I think it's been taken to unhealthy places. The truth is that we don't always get healed from what we are struggling with, whether it's a physical ailment or a mental or spiritual issue. CT: So what is a healthy way to understand healing in the church? Christy: That's why I wrote the book and I ended up going and studying healing again. You can't discount healing because it's such a big part of what Jesus modelled for us and one of His names is Rapha, which means 'Healer', and He is healing us all the time. But I just think some of our manmade models and how we have interpreted healing in our own methods and methodology, this is what I believe is damaging. But Jesus' model is helpful! I absolutely believe in healing. But I also believe in suffering. If you read the Scriptures and Hebrews 11, all the great mothers and fathers of the faith were promised so many things and never saw it this side of Heaven. Many of them struggled with their own weaknesses and sicknesses and mental health. You can't take the Scriptures and say all is now because what we have now is not Heaven. I believe God is Healer and He is doing more than we realise and that His promise is that He will heal us, but He doesn't promise us when. This is what I believe the church has wrong most of the time. I believe that we pray for now and ask for God to heal us now and we keep praying and maybe it will be tomorrow or next week or whatever or maybe it's when we die and we're with Him. Either way, healing's coming, we just don't know exactly when it's going to be, because it's a battle. CT: You write in your book that some people struggle to come forward for prayer and help because it can be easily dismissed as a demonic influence. Christy: Absolutely, because a lot of the time, the things we can't explain, we tend to categorise and label them. And I think that's where some of the damage is done. And I think it also really depends on how you've been formed and your worldview, and what denomination you come from or the experience you've had in church. The more charismatic lean towards it being demonic while conservative evangelicals believe in suffering. I believe we have to land somewhere in the middle. CT: You also talk about shame being a big part of people's struggle with mental health. How does shame work against our healing? Christy: Shame just keeps you isolated and you can't walk in wholeness if you are isolated. So many people live in shame because of what they are struggling with. For example, there are people who have asked God for healing and they're not being healed and so they feel like maybe they don't have enough faith. There are countless people in the church who are stuck in addiction and they don't know how to get out. And when you're stuck in something and you don't know how to get out and you're afraid to ask for help because of the rejection or the retribution or whatever, then you tend to isolate and when you isolate, shame is just so empowered. The enemy really uses shame to keep people trapped. CT: Where does faith in God come into our healing? What is the right posture for us to walk in every day as people of faith? Christy: Well, the Bible tells us that faith is a gift so we have to receive the gift of faith every day. Every day I need faith to follow God and serve and love God. It takes God to love God! Faith is something God gives to us just to believe, even though we don't see the things that we would like to see. We can't even do that without God! So I believe walking in faith is just asking God to give us the faith that we need for today. For some it's 'help me to obey'. For others it's 'help me to get out of bed today', 'help me to trust you or to say no to this addiction'. For all of us, it's something very different. But faith is the defining mark of the believer. It's saying to God: 'I can't do life without you.' CT: You say you have to "unlearn" a lot of what you have learned about healing over the years. What is the biggest thing you've "unlearned". Christy: I've spent several years unlearning quite a bit. I've just been in a season where I feel like I've had to unlearn a lot of unhelpful theology that I don't believe is true. But I believe that our theology should grow and stretch and change because our relationship with God is like that. If our theology isn't growing, we're not growing. I've learned much more about mental illness, how complex the brain is, that not everything is spiritual or demonic. I used to believe that if you had depression and you lived that way then that was a choice and a weakness rather than brain chemistry. So I think those things have changed along the way and altered how I approach things. And one area where this has happened in particular is with suicide. Countless people have come up to me to tell me about someone they love who has taken their own life, which is horrific, and people have told them that their loved one is in hell. I think that's bad theology and it's wrong for us to say who is going to be in Heaven or Hell. You have to be in a tremendous amount of pain to take your own life but that is what, as a church, we have taught. CT: In your book, you write about how it's not so helpful for people with mental health issues to be told to read their Bible more. What would you say is a more helpful way to support people with mental illness? Christy: I would say get educated, especially the church. But it's not only the church. Every leader should be getting educated on mental health and mental illness. How can you serve effectively in something you are unaware of? I think getting educated about what someone is living with is one of the most loving things we can do because it's saying 'I care about you enough to try and understand what you live with'. I find that very loving actually. CT: You say in your book that Christians "won't see fullness on earth". What does fullness and wholeness look like for you in this life? Christy: We need to know what healing is and what it isn't and there's a chapter in my book in which I address that, called 'If God heals, why am I still sick'. What wholeness actually means is salvation. It means God saving every part of who we are and walking in the wholeness of that, body, soul and spirit. That's the most of what we encounter of God this side of Heaven. But the fullness is in Romans 8. We won't see the fullness of everything until we have the redemption of our bodies when Christ comes again, whether He comes to get us or He comes again. That's when we will see the fullness of all that we are supposed to see, body, soul and spirit. That's where our hope lies. Jesus the Palestinian or Jesus the Galilean Jew? Let's set the record straight. Jesus was a Galilean Jew, not a Palestinian Muslim. He celebrated Passover, not Ramadan, and he was called "Rabbi" not "Imam." His followers were named Yaakov and Yochanan and Yehudah, not Muhammad and Abdullah and Khalid. And he himself had one of the most common Jewish names of the day: Yeshua. As for the name "Palestine," it was not used in any widespread way to describe the land of Israel until 135 AD in other words, more than 100 years after Yeshua's death and resurrection. And it was renamed Palestine by the Romans to mock the Jewish people, thereby calling their ancient (and sacred) homeland the land of the Philistines. But it is not only anachronistic to label Jesus a Palestinian. It is also misleading. That's because the word "Palestinian" today speaks of non-Israelites, of non-Jews. It speaks of a people who claim that the land of Israel belongs to them, not to the Jewish people. And it speaks primarily of Muslims. That's what comes to mind when someone says, "Jesus was a Palestinian." And that's why Palestinian activists have tried to recast Jesus in their own image. Leading up to Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem last year, Fatah officials called Jesus "the first Palestinian". Five years earlier, in 2013, the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) declared, "Every Christmas, Palestine celebrates the birth of one of its own, Jesus Christ." Back in 2005, the Palestinian Authority stated that, "We must not forget that Messiah [Jesus] is a Palestinian, the son of Mary the Palestinian." And Fatah even declared Jesus to be "the first Palestinian martyr (shahid)" in 2015. Anything but declaring that Jesus, who is revered in Islam as a prophet (but not as the crucified Son of God), was a first-century Jewish rabbi. Instead, Jesus is recast as a Palestinian freedom fighter, born of a Palestinian mother, at war with the evil Jews, and (through Islamic eyes) a prophet of Islam. God forbid that he is recognized as Rabbi Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel. But it's one thing when Palestinian activists and Muslim propagandists recreate Jesus in their own image, calling him a Palestinian. It's another thing when a member of the House of Representatives does this same thing. Yet it was none other than Rep. Ilhan Omar who retweeted a tweet from Omar Suleiman which included the statement that "Jesus was a Palestinian." In fact, the tweet highlighted the suffering of Palestinian Christians at the hands of evil Israel, further separating Jesus from his Jewish ancestry. It was for good reason that Rabbi Abraham Cooper took umbrage to Omar's retweet, noting that "Palestine was a name made up by Romans after they crucified thousands, destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and exiled the People of Israel from their homeland." But Omar is not the only one to perpetuate this fraud. In an op-ed in the New York Times, published one day before the misleading tweet, Eric V Copage claimed that "Jesus, born in Bethlehem, was most likely a Palestinian man with dark skin." Jesus the Palestinian! And note carefully that, in an op-ed of roughly 700 words, the word "Jew" does not occur a single time. The same with the word "Israel." Not one single mention. Ironically, Copage was explaining why he, as a black Christian, was mystified as a child at the "fair-skinned, blue-eyed depiction of Jesus." And for good reason. Jesus was not a European Caucasian. But he was also not an African Black. Or a Palestinian. He was a first-century, Middle Eastern Jew. And he would have been recognized for his Jewish religious garb, including the fringes at the corners of his garments (see Numbers 15:37-41; and compare Matthew 9:20; 14:36 in the RSV; NRSV; ESV; NASB; NLT; TLV). That doesn't mean that Jesus is indifferent to the challenges faced by the Palestinians. Or that he doesn't identify with Palestinian Christians. Or that American Christians who support Israel should be anti-Palestinian. Not at all. True friends of Israel especially true Christian friends of Israel should want justice and fairness for both the Israelis and the Palestinians. As for Jesus, he is both the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world, giving his life for Jew and Gentile alike. But let's call out this hijacking of Jesus' identity by Palestinian activists, Muslim leaders, a US congresswoman, and the New York Times. Let's stop the lie in its tracks. Dr Michael Brown writes at www.askdrbrown.org and is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. More dialogue needed to resolve clash over religious and LGBT rights in schools, says Ofsted chief Ofsted Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman has said it would be a "huge step backwards" if schools become reluctant to teach relationships lessons because of opposition from parents of faith. Following protests in Birmingham, she said more dialogue was needed to find "sensible solutions" to differences over religious belief and the place of relationships education in schools. "The Equality Act is designed to enforce a number of different rights, and of course there are places where these different rights can bump into each other. We need to acknowledge and discuss this a bit more," she said in a speech to the National Association of Head Teachers annual conference. "One clear tension exists in places where equality between the sexes comes second to religious belief and cultural preferences. "Another tension arises between religious belief and relationship education, in the context of LGBT issues. "And that is all we are talking about here not sex education, but a simple understanding that just as families worship differently, families also love and marry differently." Earlier this year, hundreds of Muslim and Christian parents staged protests outside Parkfield Community School and withdrew their children from classes over its 'No Outsiders' programme, a teaching curriculum on the Equalities Act that covers LGBT relationships. READ MORE: Schools must teach children about same-sex couples regardless of faith background, says Ofsted chief It was created by Parkfield's assistant head teacher Andrew Moffat but was suspended at the school, where the majority of students are Muslim, following weeks of protests outside the school gates. Mr Moffat said at the time that he had received a death threat while Hazel Pulley, CEO of Excelsior Multi Academy Trust, which runs Parkfield, said staff had fallen ill due to stress brought on by the protests. Addressing the NAHT conference on Saturday, Mrs Spielman said it was "unacceptable to intimidate schools and teachers who are trying to do what is asked of them under the law". "It would be a huge step backwards if schools became reluctant to teach children about the diversity of modern Britain," she said. She said it was "worrying" that parents were staging protests at the school gates and withdrawing children from schools. "This is worrying on a number of fronts: the impact on community cohesion, the impact on teachers and most of all the impact on the children, in whose name - if not whose interest - the protests are made," she said. "I continue to hope that dialogue will remove misconceptions, help people see the bigger picture, and find sensible and workable solutions." Earlier this year, Mrs Spielman said that lessons on LGBT relationships were about "making sure [children] know just enough to know that some people prefer not to get married to somebody of the opposite sex and that sometimes there are families that have two mummies and two daddies". READ MORE: Christian school worker dismissed after sharing concerns about sex education on Facebook The Christian Institute has been critical of Mrs Spielman's response to the Parkfield protests. "The idea of teaching ever more detail about sex to ever younger children is deeply worrying. Treating parents who object as homophobes is not the answer. They just want to protect their child's innocence," said director Colin Hart. "Instead of listening to parents or allaying their concerns, the Chief Inspector of Schools seems to be casting doubts on their integrity, implying that parents' desire to protect their own children is from fear, ignorance or possibly even homophobia." Relationships lessons will become compulsory for all primary school aged children from September 2020, despite strong opposition from critics who argue that parents should retain the right to opt their children out. The Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Paul Butler, has raised concerns in the House of Lords, asking peers last week: "Why cannot parents' decision regarding what is appropriate for their children be respected?" Scottish faith leaders commit to working together on elimination of modern day slavery Faith leaders in Scotland have committed to working together with the Scottish Government and statutory services to eradicate human trafficking and modern day slavery in the country. They signed a declaration recognising the existence of human trafficking in Scotland and condemning the exploitation of people as a "crime against humanity". Signatories came from the major Church denominations in Scotland as well as the Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu and Jewish communities. They came together to identify areas of collaboration at a seminar last week hosted by SOHTIS (Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland), a newly launched charity fighting modern day slavery in Scotland. Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Humza Yousaf, was the keynote speaker at the seminar. "Faith-based organisations are at the very heart of communities, with the ability to make a difference in neighbourhoods and congregations," he told the faith leaders. "I have no doubt that today's event will inform positive action in the future, and that together we can make further progress in tackling trafficking and exploitation in our communities." SOHTIS said that victims of trafficking and slavery in Scotland include those bound in forced labour in areas such as domestic service, agriculture, fishing, nail bars and car washes, as well as those trapped in sexual exploitation and forced marriage. Former Moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Very Rev Dr Derek Browning, was at the seminar and signed the declaration. He said it was a "scandal" that human trafficking not only still existed in Scotland but appeared to be a growing problem. Dr Browning, who is minister of Morningside Parish Church in Edinburgh, said the enslavement of women, men and children was a "blight on the family of all God's children". "Organised crime has adapted swiftly and cynically to exploit some of the most vulnerable people in our world and in our communities for financial gain. It can only be concluded that they hold human life very cheaply," he said. "Faith groups in our country, along with other charities and statutory bodies, continue to work hard and highlight the plight of modern day slaves. "It is happening somewhere in your community, and one of the most effective things that church communities can do is to keep their eyes open. "And if they see anything that looks suspicious or abusive, in cities, towns and villages, report it to the police." The man who painted Jesus April 30 marked the 127th birthday of an artist whose name you probably don't know, but his work may be the most widely distributed of the 20th century. Despite never leaving Chicago, Warner Sallman influenced how many Christians the world over, for better or worse, picture Jesus. Anderson University in Indiana holds Sallman's collected works. Their collection notes explain how images like Sallman's may be objects of beauty, historical artefacts, mementos, articles of piety or propaganda in the service of an ideology. The truth is that religious images can serve all these purposes. They can also sell products. Reproductions of Sallman's warm, sympathetic, Nordic and very much non-historical "Head of Christ" hang in churches of every sort, and in confessional schools and hospitals on every continent. In his book, Icons of American Protestantism David Morgan of Valparaiso University in Indiana tells how millions of pocket-sized "Heads of Christ" cards were handed out by the YMCA and Salvation Army during the Second World War and carried to Europe and Asia by US soldiers. Sallman was a freelance illustrator and a devout member of the Swedish Evangelical Covenant Church. One of Sallman's 1924 black and white sketches for the Covenant Companion magazine received such praise he painted it in oils, creating, in 1940, the "Christ" that would go on to sell 500 million copies. That number multiplied exponentially when reproductions started appearing on clocks, lamps, buttons, laminated Bible verses, music boxes and night-lights. When the "Head of Christ" became a hit, Sallman followed up with "Christ at Heart's Door," and "Christ our Pilot." Mass produced kitsch Already in the 1930s, there was a long tradition of "Caucasian Jesus portraits" just as there had been, since the mid-18th century, literary "lives of Jesus." These "lives" tended to portray Christ as representing the best of European (male) culture. Visual images of Jesus painted by Europeans reflected those who painted him; only on rare occasions, such as when Jesus was portrayed as a red-headed youth, did historians object. From the time of the ancient Romans, Christians have always "contextualized" Jesus in their own image. What changed in the 20th century with Sallman, was that Jesus images met American advertising and mass production. Prayer met plastic. Is Sallman's portrait a kitsch Jesus? Certainly it wasn't for the artist. Despite his beard, the "Head of Christ" is anything but hipster irony. The image is a bit dated now. But for many there is nothing jarring in the high forehead, broad shoulders and long nose. For them this is, simply, what Jesus looks like. Masculine portrayal? Apparently, Sallman was attempting to create a more masculine Jesus than earlier portrayals. Ironically, many now find his Jesus effeminate demonstrating the extent to which definitions of "masculine" are cultural and fluid rather than biological. In Jesus' own day, and as a Jew in the Roman Empire, masculinity was as contested then as it is now. Of course, the historical Jesus was neither Nordic, nor American. The visual mono-culture of the United States, relatively new in Sallman's time, has since given way to the fractured image-production of the 21st century the end of a taken-for-granted singular way of seeing. The way Christians picture Jesus, whether in two- or three-dimensional art, says much about the way they perceive God. Devout Christian artists portray Jesus as Nigerian, South Asian, Korean or Indigenous. Jesus has been sculpted by Canadian Timothy Schmalz as a homeless street person and portrayed by other artists as a crucified woman or even as faceless, a mirror to our angst. Kitsch is in the eye of the beholder, or better, the attitude of the consumer. There are bobble-head Jesuses and inflatable Jesus pillows. The staying power of Sallman's 1940 Nordic "Head of Christ" tells us nothing about the first-century Mediterranean Jewish teacher. But the appeal of Sallman's painting reveals much about both globalized Americana and popular religious sentiment the kind of surprising piety that can surface when a "Jesus image" appears at a Tim Hortons in Cape Breton. Kitsch has always been slippery to define, and religious kitsch especially so. Were he still alive, Sallman would probably insist his paintings were just an aid to faith. They were certainly anti-elitist. However honest Sallman's own feelings, it is difficult to distinguish the distribution of his images from the wider ideological program of mid-20th century America. On this anniversary, it's important to remember how powerfully formative feelings can still attach to a well-marketed image. Matthew Robert Anderson, Affiliate Professor, Theological Studies, Loyola College for Diversity & Sustainability; Teaching Affiliate, University of Nottingham UK, Concordia University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Over 700 rockets and victims in Gaza-Israel confrontation 18 Palestinians, four Israelis killed, Netanyahu sends troops (by Massimo Lomonaco) (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, MAY 6 - The crisis in Gaza has escalated and risks turning into a real war. Southern Israel was hit in nearly two days by an estimated 700 rockets while other areas of the Jewish State were increasingly targeted in attacks that overall killed four people - the highest number of victims since a 2014 war. In the Strip, which was pounded by Israeli strikes in response to the bombings, Hamas' health ministry said that 18 Palestinians were killed. The victims included a second pregnant woman after another one was killed the previous day, a casualty that Israel blamed on the ''defective weapons'' of Gaza militias. Potential developments are connected to Premier Benyamin Netanyahu's decision to send to the border the 7th Armored Brigade in case there is a need for it beyond Israeli territory, he reportedly told the army. Along with the elite unit, the army has also deployed the Golani infantry brigade. ''I have instructed the armed forces to continue massive attacks against terrorist elements in Gaza'', Netanyahu said, stressing that ''Hamas is responsible not only for its attacks but also for those of the Islamic Jihad''. ''It will pay a very heavy price''. Netanyahu's decision was also ratified by the four-hour-long Defense Council held in Tel Aviv. The situation had deteriorated in such a way that UN envoy to the Middle East, Nickolay Maldenov, and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini condemned the rocket attacks while asking for a return to agreements preceding the flare in violence. Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi also stressed Israel's right to self-defense while calling for a ceasefire. Two facts highlight the situation on the ground. The first is that Israel has killed in Gaza, in the first targeted killing carried out in a while, Hamed al-Hudari, the envoy sent by Iran to the Strip to transfer Iranian money to Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. According to a military spokesman, al-Hudari represented the ''spearhead of Iranian infiltration in Gaza''. The second fact is that the Israeli woman killed aboard her car near the border with Gaza was hit by a Kornet anti-tank guided missile, a particularly sophisticated weapon. This shows, according to analysts, Hamas' intention to use the entire arsenal at its disposal. If diplomats, the UN and Egypt appear to be working in Cairo to overcome the impasse, the escalation on the ground has been visible. Israel, which has increased pressure, has hit over 250 targets in the Strip, mainly striking Hamas and Islamic Jihad positions. After foiling a cyber attack by Hamas, it also hit in Gaza City the headquarters of the faction in charge of the cyber war. Over one million people in Israel have been forced to repeatedly run to bomb shelters after hearing warning sirens. Shelters have also been open far from the Strip: an example is Netanya, which is 25 km north of Tal Aviv. Two victims in Israel were killed by a rocket that killed a factory in Ashkelon, a city that has been particularly targeted by rockets fired from the Gaza Strip and where the oncology department of the local hospital was also hit. The situation is precarious and quite a few experts in Israel fear it will not be easy to stop the conflict. (ANSAmed). San Jacinto College is taking steps to open an aerospace workforce training center at the Houston Spaceport, providing a talent pipeline that could help attract companies to Houston. Last week, the college received City Council approval to annex 154 acres of the Houston Spaceport. Moving this land into its taxing district will allow the school to collect money on future spaceport developments. The Offshore Technology Conference, the biggest international get-together for the offshore oil and gas industry, has had some tough years as oil prices plunged, abundant supplies kept prices well below their peaks and producers refocused investments to the Permian Basin and other U.S. shale plays. But the tide is shifting back to offshore development. Companies are finding ways to produce oil more efficiently, increase output and make discoveries, including significant finds in the Mediterranean Sea and off the Atlantic coast of South America. The discoveries, including three significant ones by Exxon Mobil, are expected to lift enthusiasm this year at OTC, the four-day conference that brings together manufacturers of deep-water drilling rigs and offshore platforms, suppliers that make all manner of equipment from hoses to drill bits, and providers of essential services from helicopters to boats. Conference attendance, which reflects the price of oil and the health of the industry, last year fell to its lowest level in more than a decade to just over 61,000, down from more than 108,000 in 2014, when crude sold for more a barrel. TOMLINSON: Offshore drillers must keep cutting costs Oil prices heading into this years conference are hovering around $65 a barrel, lower than last years $70 but still high enough to profit from rich offshore finds. Some of the worlds largest oil companies have authorized new multibillion-dollar offshore developments. The Gulf of Mexico is producing a record 2 million barrels a day. Conference chairman Wafik Beydoun is expecting this years turnout to match 2018. Producers, he said, will be looking for ways to drill faster and more cheaply offshore so theyre competitive with shale drillers. We need to lower the costs, he said. Sweet spots The industry has indeed found some new sweet spots offshore. Exxon Mobil, headquartered in Irving, last month announced its 13th discovery off the coast of Guyana in South America, where the company is exploring along with its partner, Hess Corp. of New York. In recent months, Exxon Mobil and Hess have boosted their reserve estimates offshore of Guyana to 5.5 billion barrels of oil, up from 4 billion. Offshore Guyana is Exxon Mobils biggest growth area now outside the Permian Basin. The Guyana finds, along with another Exxon Mobil find, the discovery of natural gas off the coast of Cyprus in the Mediterranean, represent nearly 40 percent of all new oil and gas discoveries made during the first quarter, according to the Norwegian research firm Rystad Energy. Other big finds included in the first three months of this year include a 250 million-barrel discovery in the North Sea off the coast of the United Kingdom by the China National Offshore Oil Corp. and Spain-based Repsols discovery of 1.5 trillion cubic feet of gas, or more than 250 million barrels of oil equivalent, off the coast of Indonesia, the biggest deposit found in that country in nearly two decades. The French energy major Total recently announced its first deep-water discovery in South Africa, which energy experts predict could trigger a rush of exploration by other countries. OFFSHORE: Trumps bid to expand offshore drilling slows Already this year, the pace of discoveries is up 30 percent compared to last year, according to Rystad. In just the first three months of the year, an estimated 3.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent have been discovered, compared to 9 billion barrels for all of 2018. Some of the newest discoveries are piggybacking off existing projects. The British oil major BP announced in January that it found another 1 billion barrels of oil at an existing oilfield about 150 miles south of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico and will build a new underwater production system from eight new wells to boost production by 38,000 barrels a day. BP, the biggest producer in the Gulf of Mexico, also announced two offshore oil discoveries in the Gulf in January but did not include estimates of potential reserves. The burst of exploration comes after years of decline for the offshore oil and gas industry. In the past four years, global capital expenditures of offshore projects fell by nearly half to $120 billion, compared to $210 billion in 2015, according to the research and consulting firm IHS Markit. The onshore sector has downsized, too, after the two-year oil bust that pushed scores of companies into bankruptcy and slashed tens of thousands of jobs. But onshore investment has not taken as big a hit. Companies are spending $380 billion onshore this year, down about 30 percent from $550 billion in 2015. Renewed optimism Bob Fryklund, chief strategist for the upstream energy group at IHS Markit, calls it a reset. Offshore exploration and production activities have borne the brunt of the decrease in capital investments. Offshore is always the last to recover because its a longer business cycle, but companies have shortened the timeline from discovery to production to three years from seven years, he said. As the cycle speeds up, offshore producers have become more competitive with onshore producers. Optimism is coming back to the industry because of the discoveries, he said, especially in waters that havent traditionally seen a lot of drilling. Its slowly coming back, said Fryklund, adding the oil and gas industry both onshore and offshore will never get back to what it was just four years ago. Oil recovered from early declines after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to escalate his trade war with China but also dispatched warships to the Middle East in a warning to Iran. Futures in New York climbed 0.5 percent as Trump's national security adviser announced an aircraft carrier strike group and bomber force were on their way to the Middle East. That erased a steep plunge earlier in the session after the president's tweets suggested U.S.-China trade talks were in jeopardy, stoking fears about the global economy. U.S. crude has retreated around 6 percent since hitting a six-month high in late April amid signs global markets may not be as tight as feared. While the possibility that the world's two largest economies won't reach a trade truce undermined prices, the decision to dispatch forces to the heart of global crude production posed a new risk to supplies, after Trump tightened sanctions on Iran last week. PREVIOUSLY: Oil advances as jobs growth adds strong demand to supply strains "The drop was due to fears that a trade war with China could cause a recession that sends oil prices lower," said Ellen Wald, president of Transversal Consulting, an energy and geopolitics consultancy in Jacksonville, Florida. "The recovery is basically saying, maybe we shouldn't have pushed it so far." West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery added 31 cents to $62.25 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange as trading closed. Brent for July settlement climbed 39 cents to $71.24 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Trump threatened on Twitter Sunday to not only more than double existing tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S. but also raised the possibility of penalties on an additional $325 billion of goods. Chinese Vice Premier Liu was set to arrive in Washington Wednesday for what had been shaping up as a potential final round of talks. After Trump's warning, Beijing was said to be considering a delay. Hours later, National Security Advisor John Bolton announced the carrier deployment, calling it "a clear and unmistakable message" to Iran that any attack on U.S. interests or on those of its allies will be met with "unrelenting force." PRODUCTION: Drilled but uncompleted wells reach record heights Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for crude shipments out of the Persian Gulf, after Trump tightened sanctions on Iranian barrels last week. While the U.S. isn't likely to allow any major disruptions to the Strait, "you're sending more ships to a region that's already really, really tight," Wald said. "Even if there's no actual closure, that kind of saber-rattling can get people on edge." Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, cut the cost of all crude grades to the U.S. for June, even as it raised prices for other regions. The announcement appeared to be aimed at easing concern over supplies. But Aramco may also have offered a discount to compete with record American crude stockpiles. U.S. inventory data helped push oil prices lower last week, but the market has become "overly bearish," said Bjarne Schieldrop, Oslo-based chief commodities analyst at Norwegian bank SEB AB. --With assistance from James Thornhill. 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Occidental Petroleum said Sunday it will add even more cash to its offer for Anadarko Petroleum as the bidding war with Chevron continues to escalate. Houston-based Oxy said it will up its bid from 50 percent cash to nearly 80 percent cash, although it will keep the offer at $76 per share for The Woodlands-based Anadarko, or more than $38 billion. Chevron was offering about $33 billion at $65 per share but with more of it being based on Chevron shares. Critically, the enhanced cash offer also lowers the amount of stock to the point that the proposed Anadarko acquisition would no longer require a vote of Oxy shareholders, potentially staving off opposition from investors that were concerned Oxy was biting off more than it could chew. Oxy has gone from initially offering close to 25 percent cash to about 78 percent cash because the Anadarko board and shareholders were nervous about accepting a stock-heavy offer from Occidental. The new offer of $76 per share includes $59 in cash and 0.2934 shares of Occidental stock per Anadarko share. Oxy Chief Executive Vicki Hollub said Monday morning that she didn't necessarily want to eliminate the shareholder vote, but that it would help convince Anadarko's board to proceed with Oxy. It was either that or increase the overall offer, she said. "We saw the two options as increase the share price or provide clarity of closing," she said, choosing the latter option. Earlier Sunday, Oxy said 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. If Oxy ultimately loses to Chevron it won't be for a lack of effort. Oxy is fighting 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. RELATED: Oxy agrees to sell Anadarko's Africa assets for $8.8B to Total 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 a 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 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. Elliot Sudal had been fishing for more than a day when he landed a tiger shark off the Gulf Coast early last week. Sudal and a friend had been fishing for 25 hours near the shore in Captiva Island, Florida, without a single bite when the two decided to call it a day, Sudal told Chron.com. The Trump administration has denied a steel tariff waiver for a natural gas pipeline being developed in the Permian Basin by Houston-based operator Kinder Morgan. In a pair of memos signed late last month, the Department of Commerce denied two requests from Kinder Morgan to buy tariff-free steel pipes from Turkish manufacturer Borusan Mannesmann in order to build the Gulf Coast Express Pipeline. With a target service date of October 2019, Kinder Morgan is building the $1.75 billion and 514-mile pipeline to move 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Permian Basin of West Texas to the Agua Dulce hub near Corpus Christi. In their review of Kinder Morgan's requests, Department of Commerce officials determined that there is a reasonable amount of pipeline available in the United States with "satisfactory quality" for the project. Midstream Moves: Kinder Morgan to build third natural gas pipeline in Permian Basin Kinder Morgan officials declined to comment but wrote in the company's May 2018 waiver requests that the Houston pipeline operator's contract with Borusan Mannesmann predated President Donald Trump's steel tariff proclamation. In a March 2018, decision, Trump imposed a 25 percent import tax on steel and a 10 percent import tax on aluminum on most countries and extended them in June to Mexico, Canada and the European Union. The administration allowed for companies to seek waivers based on a national security basis. Kinder Morgan argued that the Gulf Coast Express Pipeline would boost exports, unlock more oil production in the Permian Basin and strengthen ties to Turkey, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox In addition to the Gulf Coast Express Pipeline, Kinder Morgan also plans to build the $2.1 billion Permian Highway Pipeline to move 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Waha Hub to the Katy Hub near Houston by October 2020. The company is in discussions to build a third pipeline project to move natural gas from the Permian Basin to the Gulf Coast. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Houston, Kinder Morgan has more than 11,000 employees across the United States. The company reported making a $556 million profit on $3.4 billion of revenue during the first quarter. Denny Loonam is dancing an Irish jig. Privately, of course. Following the passage and adoption of a local sales and use tax at the rate of 1 percent, the Irish guy and board president for Emergency Services District No. 3 says he can finally breathe. ESD No. 3 covers just south of Dayton to the county line near Mont Belvieu and provides funding for Westlake Fire Department in Liberty County. The third time was a charm, he said, maybe a lucky charm. Twice before, the district went out for a property tax. Both times the measure failed. The last time by one vote. This time the approach was differenta sales and use tax that could be equally shared by only those who consume products at their local businesses. That means not just residents, but anyone who comes through here, he said. Loonam said with the 1 percent sales tax, according to the state they should average in the $70,000 per year range. The amount will double their current income without having a property tax increase. The area has 28 pipelines, two cell towers, a Dollar General, three convenience stores and multiple small businesses that should help generate a better income for the district and it couldnt come at a better time. They are projecting between 14,000 to 21,000 new homes out here, and well get a large portion of that, he said. Loonam spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out how to help his ESD provide for Westlake Fire Department. When we first opened, we had an ambulance service, but it was too expensive for us to keep and we had to let it go, he said. He pointed out that just to outfit a single firefighter with the necessary equipment costs the district $10,000 per firefighter. Thats bunker gear, air packs and it doesnt include training, he said. The station itself will finally receive some attention. When we bought the building, it was torn down in Liberty in 1995 and reassembled here. At the time it was already 20-30 years old, he said. The boards intention is to put in a substation in the Old River area. Weve got a lot of plans, but we wont be making anything until we know how much well actually be receiving, Loonam said. The funds wont begin to flow until next year. The tax goes into effect Jan. 1, 2020 and the state pays quarterly, meaning funds from January through March wont be paid until April of 2020. The first year the department was in operation as a rural fire department, they received a mere $13,000 for operations. And that was with three cents property tax. Here we are 27 years later with that same amount. We were in a desperate situation, he said. County Road 1413 will soon be cutting through the area and he knew the stress was on to get something to help preserve the fire department and the district. Three years ago they bought a 2010 fire truck for $65,000 and they are still making the payments. I can breathe a sigh of relief, the veteran firefighter said. He has spent 52 years in fire service, 22 of them as the fire chief of Westlake but the passage of the referendum may be his best gift to his beloved department and legacy. In other races, Ames mayor John White was returned to office. He will have three new councilmembers to work with in Emmett Albro, Brittney C. Allgood, and Audrey Harrison. Cleveland ISD voters turned down the $250 million bond referendum by a narrow 312 for and 354 against. At the same time, voters ousted the two incumbents, Ronnie Lewis and Sharica Lewis, in favor of Willie Carter and Amanda Sandoval. In the Dayton ISD trustees election, Luke Chachere was unopposed and will return to the board. In Position 2, Chris Shumaker and Barry Pruitt both finished with 283 votes each in a field of four candidates. Liberty County Clerk Lee Haidusek said she will consult the Secretary of States office on Monday on how to proceed. In the city of Hardin, voters overwhelmingly out former mayor Stephanie D. Blume favoring Harry Johnson instead. He will have Chris W. Goodwin and Harvey Finley serving at his side following their unopposed election. In the city of Liberty, Diane Huddleston, Dennis Beasley, and Libby Simonson will be returned to city council. In the special election held to fill the term of former councilman Paul Glazener, Neal Thornton narrowly defeated Ed Seymour, 178-163 for the seat. The city of Dayton has elected their first woman mayor. Caroline Wadzeck ran unopposed and will serve with returning councilmen John Johnson, also unopposed, and Troy Barton who defeated Meadow Noyer Coward for the Position 5 seat. All results are unofficial and will be canvassed in upcoming public meetings. CITY OF AMES Mayor John White 75 Reuben Williams 37 City Council Pos. 1 Emmett Albro 62 City Council Pos. 3 Brittney C. Allgood 62 Loriane Coates 35 City Council Pos. 5 Brandy C. Pruitt 43 Audrey Harrison 60 CLEVELAND ISD Trustee Pos. 4 Willie Carter 345 (I) Ronnie Lewis 293 Trustee Pos. 5 (I) Sharica Lewis 284 Amanda Sandoval Brooks 333 Proposition A For 312 Against 354 DAYTON ISD Trustee Pos. 1 L. R. (Luke) Chachere 557 Trustee Pos. 2 Chris Shumaker 283 Barry Pruitt 283 Mark Richter 32 Juan Carranco 63 CITY OF HARDIN Mayor Harry Johnson 116 Stephanie D. Blume 20 Phyllis Lognion Lewing 5 Heather West-Seward 3 City Council Pos. 1 Chris W. Goodwin 120 City Council Pos. 5 Harvey Finley 120 CITY OF LIBERTY City Council Members (only 3 win) Diane Haywood Huddleston 216 Ron W. Blake 26 Libby Simonson 181 Dennis Beasley 216 Troy D. Beasley 86 Jennifer Regen 107 City Council Special Election Ed Seymour 163 Neal Thornton 178 LIBERTY COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT NO. 3 Proposition A Yes 63 No 48 CITY OF DAYTON Mayor Caroline R. Wadzeck 383 City Council Pos. 4 John S. Johnson 212 City Council Pos. 5 Meadow Noyer Coward 177 Troy E. Barton 243 dtaylor@hcnonline.com 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. Haftar launches appeal to go on with battle for Tripoli Despite UN request for truce and the beginning of Ramadan (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, MAY 6 - Despite the beginning of Ramadan and an appeal from the UN for a humanitarian truce of at least a week, General Khalifa Haftar is pushing his fighters to continue the battle to take the Libyan capital. A statement read on Sunday evening on television by a spokesman for the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by General Haftar, called on his soldiers to ''continue in the battle of the fight against terrorism'', according to the Alwasat website. In addition to reiterating that he considers the militias defending the capital in which Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj holds office to be ''terrorist groups'', Haftar called for a continuation of ''Operation Dignity'', which began on May 16, 2014, implicitly referring to the taking of Benghazi (2017) and Derna (2018). Haftar urged his soldiers to ''teach the enemy a lesson'' and to ''wipe out'' their rivals. In the statement read by LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari and summarized by Alwasat, the general did not refer to a UNSMIL call for a ceasefire and claimed that mercenaries were being used for terrorism in the country, ''supported by money and weapons'' from different sides. Haftar also urged his forces to avoid civil victims and to act quickly by identifying the enemy and then conducting rapid, precise attacks.(ANSAmed). Amy Woodeshick was a the type of teacher who believes books are powerful and aspired to make a positive impact in her students lives. Woodeshick, a fourth-grade teacher at Groves Elementary in Atascocita, died on May 3 around 8:30 p.m. on the 4500 block of Kingwood Drive. She hit a downed tree due to the heavy storms that occurred that day. She was 25 years old. The young educator joined Humble ISD in 2017 as sixth-grade english teacher at Humble Middle School. She shifted to becoming a fourth-grade reading and language arts teacher at Groves Elementary this year. Woodeshick went to Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball and then graduated from the University of Houston. Groves Elementary Principal Brian Peters remembers Woodeshick as a woman who is strong in her faith and dedicated to her students, wanting to be the very best that she can be. WEATHER WATCH: Storms could bring river flooding to the Houston area this week Peters said if God were to create a perfect example of a teacher it would be Woodeshick. Amy was passionate about teaching beyond the walls of her classroom, Peters said. As a teacher, shes all in. Counselors were available at Groves for students and staff needing support. Peters said Woodeshick would always go by the word inspire. The word was in her Twitter handle and cover photo. She would always think of ways she could inspire her students. Peters remember her as always being optimistic and coming to school every day with a smile. Amy was passionate about writing. She loved to write herself and she loved to teach writing, Peters said. One thing that stood out about Woodeshick was her love for alpacas. Several alpaca-based stuffed animals were brought to Groves Elementary on Monday as a way to remember the young and dedicated educator. BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox She had this thing for alpacas, and there were several alpacas that were brought in today in her honor, Peters said. The kids were kind of talking about ways to remember, and Im sure were going to have to steer them away from this idea of lets adopt an alpaca, and lets have it in the back of the school. Her students would describe her as a fun, passionate and caring teacher, he said. Peters said she would attend her students events outside of school to show them her thoughts for them extended past the classroom. Amy loved all of her students. She loved all of the staff. She was very caring of everybody, and I think if theres a message that she would want to leave for all of us is lets care for each other and lets live each day to the fullest, Peters said. A memorial service will be held for Woodeshick on May 11 at Second Baptist Church in Kingwood. kaila.contreras@chron.com 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 On the eve of Saturday's Kentucky Derby, "Hats, Hearts and Horseshoes" event chair Hallie Vanderhider was feeling the pressure. Stakes were high. And not just for bookies, two dozen Thoroughbreds and their jockeys. Yes, the 2019 purse for the winner of Churchill Downs' race was a historic $3 million. And weather forecasts in both Louisville, Ky. and the Bayou City predicted soggy conditions. PREVIEW HOUSTON: Find out about the city's best parties before they happen. Sign up at HoustonChronicle.com Though for Vanderhider, there was more on the line than horse bets and damp party guests. As chair of Bo's Place's third annual derby soiree, she was charged with leading fundraising efforts for the non-profit, free-of-charge bereavement center. It's an organization that's particularly close to her heart. Vanderhider, managing director of SFC Energy Partners, is the mother of twins; one of her sons passed away unexpectedly in his mid-20s. "If it weren't for my other son, Michael (Vanderhider), I'm not sure I'd be standing here today," she bravely told the sellout crowd. "I could've benefited greatly from something like Bo's Place." Similar to the derby race itself, famously dubbed the "most exciting two minutes in sports," "Hats, Hearts and Horseshoes" is a fast and furious event punctuated by epic people-watching and one gripping, central moment. Last year, Hannah McNair, wife of Houston Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair, shared the couple's heartbreaking loss of their newborn son, Jackson. The couple returned to cheer Vanderhider on, joining the 400-strong assembly, including fellow honorary co-chairs Megan and Luke Hotze, that gathered in the Fertitta family's River Oaks backyard. Much like Vanderhider's shining moment, sun poured over the al fresco parade of hats, fascinators and fedoras. All of the usual derby trimmings prevailed. Colorfully outfitted party-goers sipped on Woodford Spires or Woodford Thoroughbred cocktails in addition to Woodford Reserve Mint Juleps, the unofficial derby drink of choice. Kathy Ruiz, Landry's Inc. corporate executive chef, oversaw fare from Vic & Anthony's, Mastros, Willie G's, Brenner's on the Bayou and Grotto. Guests sampled shrimp and grits, prime rib sliced from live carving stations and Trentino Gelato. Minutes before the big race, emcees Stephen Lewis and Chita Craft led a poolside game of "Heads of Tails" for an $2,500 I.W. Marks gift card. Then the horses were off - and oh, what a sprint it was. Technically speaking, Maximum Security crossed the finish line first, but was later disqualified for swerving into the path of Long Range Toddy and War of Will. Country House was eventually declared victor. Bettors watched the drama unfold on strategically-placed flat screens while Bo's Place supporters celebrated $350,000 raised for local grief support services, a worthy and uncontested cause. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. Montgomery County prosecutors say a 12-year-old boy charged in the shooting death of his 10-year-old brother in Conroe Saturday does not qualify to be charged as an adult but will undergo a mental health evaluation. According to the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, the youngest age at which the state may seek to certify a juvenile as an adult is 14, and only for certain crimes. MORNING REPORT: Get the day's top headlines delivered to your email at HoustonChronicle.com Police were called to the home on Stidham Road just south east of Conroe around 2:40 p.m. and found a 10-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was rushed to HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe hospital where he died, according to law enforcement authorities. The incident is still under investigation. Officials have declined to release the names of the children or parents. Marc Brumberger, chief of the juvenile division for the Montgomery County Attorneys Office, described the child who appeared in court Monday morning as looking younger than his 12-year-old age. STAY INFORMED Text CHRON to 77453 to get breaking news alerts by text | Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. See More Collapse Im sure there are developmental issues there that may have had an impact on psychological development as well, Brumberger said. Right now, it seems it was intentional because he was mad at his brother. So, our focus right now is his background and the family situation. We always are open to the prospect, especially with a kid this age doing something like this, there is probably a mental health issue. Presumably, the focus is going to be more on getting this child mental health treatment in a secure facility. Montgomery County Sheriffs Office Lt. Scott Spencer said that following a complete investigation, the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office will review how the child had access to it to the weapon used in the shooting. He added that as of Monday, those details were unclear. Spencer said neither parent had been charged with any crime in the incident. Obviously the parents are extremely distraught and suffering right now, Spencer said. Its a slow process on how they figure out how to put one child to rest and the loss of that child by a sibling. The boy is due back in court May 16. cdominguez@hcnonline.com Residents approved Cy-Fair ISDs $1.76 billion bond, but voters in northwest Harris County also decided on bonds and three director positions within several northwest Harris County municipal utility districts during the May 4 election. Harris County Ballot Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, Bond Election Prop. A: The issuance of $1,762,000,000 of bonds for the construction, acquisition, renovation, and equipment of school buildings in the district, including safety and security infrastructure, for the purchase of the necessary sites for school buildings, and for the purchase of new school buses and levying of the tax in payment thereof. Voting result: Voters approved the CFISD bond with 69.79% in favor 10,499 votes for and 4,544 against. Explanation: CFISD will receive $1.76 billion in bond funds for school improvements into 2025, including new schools, a performing arts center, a new instructional support system and an improved bus system. The bond was formed by the Long-Range Planning Committee, a group of students, faculty and community members who designated where funds would be used. For more information on the bond, visit the CFISD website. Related: See whats being considered for Cy-Fair ISDs potential bond program Bridgestone Municipal Utility District, Bond Election Prop. A: The issuance of $75,000,000 bonds and levy of taxes adequate to provide for payment of principal and interest on the bonds for the construction, repair and replacement of water, sanitary sewer and drainage facilities and the refunding of up to $75,000,000 of any outstanding bonds. Voting result: Voters approved the Bridgestone MUD bond with 57.63% in favor 34 votes for and 25 against. Explanation: Bridgestone MUD serves neighborhoods in the Klein/Spring area. According to the authorization summary of costs, the Bridgestone MUD will use $7,534,000 of the funds on water plants, $10,283,000 for wastewater treatment plants and $5,000,000 for reimbursing developers. For more information, visit the Bridgestone MUD website. Faulkey Gully Municipal Utility District, Directors Election Position 1 candidates: Michelle Missy Steadman, Ken Kana Voting result: Michelle Missy Steadman won with 72.51% 240 votes. Position 3 candidates: Lee W Evey, Mark H Szyman Voting result: Mark H. Szyman won with 69.51% 228 votes. Position 5 candidate: Bill F Cheves Voting result: Bill F. Cheves rain unopposed. Explanation: Faulkey Gully MUD serves subdivisions in the southern Tomball and northeast Cy-Fair areas. For more information, visit the Faulkey Gully MUD website. Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 44, Bond Election Prop. A: The issuance of $10,000,000 in general bonds and the issuance of $10,000,000 in refunding bonds and the levy of ad valorem taxes in payment of the bonds (water, sanitary sewer, drainage, and storm sewer; organization; and administration). Voting result: Voters approved the MUD 44 bond with 61.90% in favor 13 votes for and 8 against. Explanation: Harris County MUD 44 is located in the Champions/Klein area. For more information, visit the MUD website. Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 5, bond elections Prop A: The issuance of $44,000,000 bonds for water, sanitary sewer, drainage and storm sewer systems and the levy of taxes, without limit as to rate or amount, in payment of the bonds. Voting result: Voters approved the MUD 5 Proposition A with 55.56% in favor 10 votes for and 8 against. Prop B: The issuance of $7,500,000 park and recreational facilities bonds and the levy of taxes, without limit as to rate or amount, in payment of the bonds. Voting result: The MUD 5 Proposition B resulted in a tie vote 9 votes for and 9 against. According to Election Advisory No. 2019-05 on the Texas Secretary of State website, A tie vote in an election on a measure (i.e., a proposition election with for-against votes) means the measure failed, because there were not more votes For than Against. There is no automatic recount procedure, since Chapter 216 of the Texas Election Code, which regulates automatic recounts, only applies to candidate elections. Explanation: Harris County MUD 5 serves subdivisions in the southern Spring area. Cypress Klein Utility District, Bond Election Prop. A: The issuance of $7,000,000 in general bonds and the issuance of $7,000,000 in refunding bonds and the levy of ad valorem taxes in payment of the bonds (water, sanitary sewer, drainage, and storm sewer, organization and administration). Voting result: Voters approved the Cypress Klein UD Proposition A with 55.56% in favor 15 votes for and 12 against. Explanation: The Cypress-Klein Utility District is located at the southeast corner of Louetta Road and Stuebner Airline in the Champions/Klein area. According to the official bond election fact sheet, the Cypress Klein MUD will use funds for renovation of their service facilities over several years. For more information, visit the MUD website. Encanto Real Utility District, Bond Election Prop. A: The issuance of $75,000,000 bonds for water, sanitary sewer, drainage, and storm sewer systems and the levy of taxes, without limit as to rate or amount, in payment of the bonds. Voting result: Voters rejected the Encanto Real UD Proposition A with 66.67% in opposition to the measure 6 votes for and 12 against. Explanation: Encanto Real Utility District serves the Fox Hollow and Rothwood areas around the Spring Klein Softball Park and Grand Parkway in Spring. For more information, visit the MUD website. Separate Ballots Jersey Village General Municipal Election Mayoral candidates: Andrew Mitcham Voting results: Andrew Mitcham ran unopposed. Councilmember, Place 2 candidates: Greg Holden, Merrilee Rosene Beazley Voting results: Greg Holden won with 538 votes. Merrilee Rosene Beazley received 240. Councilmember, Place 3 candidates: Bobby Warren Voting results: Bobby Warren ran unopposed. Harris County Emergency Services District No. 13 Prop. A: "Local sales and use tax. The adoption of a local sales and use tax in Harris County Emergency Services District No. 13 at the rate of one percent." Voting result: Voters passed the sales tax increase with a vote of 565 to 295. Explanation: Voters decided on a 1% sales tax increase for sections within the Cypress Creek Fire Department service area that do not already implement an 8.25 percent sales tax. These areas will see the sales tax increase from 7.25 to 8.25 percent, and no higher. The extra 1 percent sales tax revenue will go to CCFD/HCESD 13. Voting results for the May 4 elections remain unofficial until canvassed. chevall.pryce@chron.com A 46-year-old Katy woman who has raised $2,000 or more for breast cancer awareness every year since 2009 was inducted into the Susan G. Komen 2019 Pink Honor Roll and Pink Power League. Jennifer Butlers fundraising efforts are being acknowledged after she raised in 2018 $12,707 individually and $13,973 as team captain of Just Cure It, supported by team members from PV Fluid Products. She was the second-highest earner for the year. Butler said she started fundraising to remind herself and other women that they are not alone Im a survivor, Butler told the Katy Rancher. It never really hit home until I got diagnosed. The work that (Susan G.) Komen does is so important to breast cancer and the city of Houston. I dont think people realize how many resources are out there for women. Butler, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and has supported the Race for the Cure for nine consecutive years, attended last months annual dinner event at The Houstonian Hotel and Conference Center, where Susan G. Komen celebrated volunteers whose commitment and dedication jointly raised more than $300,000 to fight breast cancer. Butler has raised more than $43,000 since she began contributing in 2009. She has made the Pink Honor every year since. The company she currently works for matched her contributions dollar-for-dollar. Julie Voss, Executive Director of Susan G. Komen Houston, said the organization is committed to saving lives locally and fighting cancer globally. Susan G. Komen invests more than $1 million in the community through research, grants and direct services, she said. Every major advance in the fight against breast cancer has been touched by us, and many of those advances have taken place right here in Houston at the world-renowned Texas Medical Center, Voss said. Butler, who is a competitive dancer, was 36 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she said. I felt something, and I thought, Hmm, thats really odd. Butler said. We as people tend to think Oh it will go away. I waited a couple of weeks and it didnt go away. A biopsy revealed it was, in fact, cancer. It was hard at first, but I think everyone will tell you, Im a fighter and Im stubborn, Butler said. I luckily did not get any ill effects from chemo and radiation. We are so blessed to live in Houston and have the medical community we have here. After 18 months of treatment, which included a mastectomy and plastic surgery, she beat cancer and remains cancer free to this day. The HR director for a privately-owned company said she has a message for women who have just discovered they have breast cancer. Dont panic, she said. Make it your own. Face it head on, right away. Dont put your head in the sand. She also encourages women to blog about their experiences and share their journeys with their friends and families. She is married with two step-children. michelle.iracheta@chron.com A person was pulled out of a vehicle Sunday afternoon after it rolled into Lake Conroe in Willis. No injuries were reported after Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constables deputies pulled the driver out of the truck, who authorities said did not place the car in park before it rolled into the lake in the 11800 block of Palms Marina Drive. The drivers prosthetic leg was wedged between the brake and gas pedal after trying to stop the vehicle, according to a Pct. 1 Constables Office release. Other Montgomery County incidents Fatality One person died in a pedestrian-and-vehicle wreck Sunday night. Following multiple calls about the incident, Montgomery County Hospital District EMS and the Porter Fire Department arrived on the scene around 9:09 p.m., finding one person dead at the scene and two other with no injuries, according to an MCHD release. Wanted The Conroe Police Department is looking for a man identified as the alleged perpetrator in an auto theft April 4 at the Wiesner of Conroe car dealership. Cardell J. Bassue, 38, of Houston, is wanted for felony theft, according to a release. Anyone with information about Bassues whereabouts is asked to contact their local police department, referencing Conroe Police case number 19040140. Fires Lightning was the cause of multiple house fires in Montgomery County on Thursday night, leading to significant damage, but no reported injuries, according to a Montgomery County Fire Marshalls Office press release. The Montgomery Fire and Magnolia Fire departments responded to a residential fire on FM 1486. The Woodlands Fire Department responded to two residential fires on Windfellow Place and Rainbow Ridge. Woodlands Fire, assisted by fire departments from Needham and Magnolia, responded to a third fire on the second and third floors of a home on Lyreleaf Place. South Montgomery County Firefighters responded to lightning-related fire in a home on Baker Lake Drive House fires were were reported on Huron Bend Drive in Porter and Sabine Drive in New Caney, East Montgomery County Fire and Porter Fire departments responding. ROME - Italian premier Giuseppe Conte on Tuesday morning will meet with the prime minister of the Libyan national unity government, Fajez Sarraj, sources said Monday. The Libyan premier is expected to land in Rome over the next few hours. The number of victims has risen to 432 while the wounded are 2,069 since the start of clashes in Tripoli and its surroundings, the World Health Organization (WHO) in Libya tweeted. An estimated 50,000 people have been displaced by the violence. ''Each day of violence means more people killed, wounded or displaced'', the organization said on Twitter. The search for 4-year-old Maleah Davis intensified Monday with members of Texas EquuSearch combing a field in north Houston and her distraught mother passing out photos of her child in Sugar Land. The hot sun beamed down on Tim Miller, founder of Texas EquuSearch as crews worked on foot, by car and on ATVs near Interstate 69 and Greens Road where the child may have been abducted Friday night. The searchers looked for garbage bags, tire tracks and went through several dumpsters. "We're looking in any areas where someone could possibly pull in and dump something," said Tim Miller, founder of Texas EquuSearch. "We're hoping for the best, we're expecting the worst." The search will continue Tuesday, but Miller was unsure if his crew would continue to look in the same area. "We know where she is not," Miller said. The girl's mother, Brittany Bowens, broke down into tears Monday evening outside Sugar Land City Hall while sharing missing person fliers for her daughter. "I just want to find Maleah," Bowens told reporters. "I just love her so." ORIGINAL STORY: Police searching for 5-year-old possibly taken by three men in north Houston The girl was reported missing late Saturday by her stepfather, Darion Vence, who told police he was attacked by three men who took the child, police said. A news conference was held Sunday in an attempt to help learn where the stepfather was from 9 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. the next day after a strike to the head left him unconscious and unable to remember what happened to him Maleah has undergone several brain surgeries in the last two months that have left her with a scar on her forehead. She is need of medical care, Houston police Sgt. Mark Holbrook earlier said. Authorities initially said the girl was five, but later corrected the age. The child and her family were the subject of a CPS investigation because of a head injury that prompted the surgeries, officials said. The girl and her siblings, two boys who were then 5 and 1, were taken into state custody in August after a report was made that the injury was sustained from "possible physical abuse," CPS spokeswoman Tiffani Butler said. The children were placed into the care of a relative until a judge in February ordered that they be returned and periodically monitored by CPS caseworkers. "CPS still has custody," Butler said. "We were going to the home at least once a month." Since Maleah's disappearance, additional caseworkers have been assigned to her case, Butler said. In similar situations of missing children involved with CPS, Butler said caseworkers will conduct their own search by checking old addresses and relatives. Holbrook on Sunday said the cause of Maleah's head injury was "not something violent." The 1-year-old child was with Maleah's stepfather at the time of her disappearance. The family was on their way to pick up Bowens from a flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport when he heard a "popping noise" and pulled over for what he believed was a flat tire, police said. The stepfather recounted that three Hispanic men in a Chevrolet pickup truck pulled up behind his car and approached him. One of the men told him that Maleah "looks very nice, looks very sweet," he told investigators. He was assaulted and in-and-out of consciousness for nearly 24 hours. He came to when the suspects dropped only him and his son off near Highway 6 in Sugar Land, police said. The car Vence was driving on Friday night was reported stolen but appeared in traffic cameras the next day in Sugar Land, authorities said. At this time, Holbrook said investigators do not consider Vence a suspect or person of interest. "I realize there's a lot of blanks in that story, but we're hoping that the public fill in the blanks," Holbrook said Sunday at a news conference. Maleah was last seen wearing blue jeans with a pink bow in her hair. She also wore a light blue zip jacket and gray, white and pink shoes, according to Texas EquuSearch. Anyone with information should contact HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Julian Gill contributed to this report. massarah.mikati@chron.com nicole.hensley@chron.com 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. To Muslim residents of The Woodlands, Monday, May 6, marks one of the most important time periods of the Islamic faith: the holy month of Ramadan, when Islamic worshippers fast from sunrise to sundown each day. Local Imam Rihabi Mohamed Rihabi, who is the imam at The Woodlands Al-Ansar Islamic Center and a professor at the Lone Star College System, joined a local Islamic family to host an informational dinner where Rihabi explained the background, traditions of the holy month. Ramadan, Rihabi said, is the fourth pillar of Islam and is celebrated in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During the month, adults and children who have passed puberty will engage in daily fasting from sunrise to sunset during which time they refrain from not only eating and drinking. (Ramadan) is not a new thing in Islam, it is what people used to do. It is an act of deep personal worship. The goal is to be a righteous person, Rihabi said. We believe if (a person) follows (the guidelines), he will become after Ramadan a more righteous personyou will be like an angel living on this Earth. There are exceptions to whom must participate in Ramadan, he noted, including exceptions for pregnant women who may not be strong enough to fast, mothers who are breastfeeding, children who have not reached puberty yet, and anyone who may be sick or hospitalized, or who may be traveling. Allah said, all of the deeds of man are for himself, except fasting, which is for me. And I shall reward it myself, Rihabi said. (During Ramadan) we build control of ourselves there is a huge reward for fasting. It is a month of training, practicing and fighting evil desires. The process of Ramadan is considered a healthy activity, too, Rihabi added, because the fasting often times leads to weight loss, lower blood pressure and helps by improving digestion. It is good for our body, it renews the blood. When then body refrains from food and drink for 15 hours, the body will use the fat (for energy), he said. A lot of people lose weight during Ramadan. It helps build the character of human beings not to show you are pious, but to be pious because we are fulfilling the rules of the almighty. It is for our own benefit. One of the main tenets of Ramadan and the fasting that is done is the element of self control from bad urges, Rihabi explained. He described the giving up of food, drink and sexual actions as training for the next 11 months, because the goal of Ramadan is to build character and self control under the guidelines of the Quran. About Ramadan God says in the Quran: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious). (Fasting) for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (i.e. an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a poor person (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know." (2:183-84). God says in the Quran: "The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan), he must fast that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number (of days which one did not fast must be made up) from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him" (2:185). Prophet Muhammad: "Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever prays during the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And he who passes Lailat al-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven." Source: Imam Dr. Rihabi Mohamed Rihabi, Lone Star College. See More Collapse Rihabi said the month of fasting is a way to spiritually X-ray a persons life. Ramadan is a good time to introspect whether or not your life is being led according to the Quran and Sunnah. It is an exercise in improving the self and setting goals for the present and the future, he said. This month should make us reflect on the endless bounties that God has bestowed on us and thank Him profusely for the same. It is also time for Tawbah (repentance with a pledge not to repeat) for the past sins. Each day of Ramadan is broken down into segments, with pre-sunrise meals called suhoor and then after sunset, iftar which is the breaking of the daily fast, Rihabi added. Prophet Muhammad recommended to eat suhoor. This is a meal we take early in the morning preparation for fasting because God doesnt like us to suffer. He gives us tools and tips to performing fasting in a safe and easy way, Rihabi said. Iftar is breaking the fast at sunset. When sunset is done, we have to break our fast. Muslims are required to pray five times a day, and during Ramadan, there is an extra sixth prayer called tarawih, Rihabi said. During the month, it is also highly recommended that all Muslims read and recite the entire Quran, which consists of 114 chapters, 30 parts and an average of 600 to 700 pages, depending on how the Quran was printed some include text in both English and Arabic. After Ramadan ends, there is a festival called Eid that is a celebration of the previous month of fasting and includes large meals, prayers and congregational activities. The spiritual aspect of Ramadan is the most critical element of the month, Rihabi said. He also invited anyone who is interested in learning about Ramadan, Islam or other aspects of Muslim beliefs and culture to visit the center. Interested parties can email Rihabi at Woodlandsimam@gmail.com. Allah commanded us to share peace and love among all people. Ramadan is a good time for all Muslims to understand the message of Allah, Rihabi said. A message of peace and love. Mercy for all mankind is a message of the Quran. jeff.forward@chron.com Its no secret that the health care community in Houston is growing more than ever, but as in previous years, the nursing shortage is ever-present. One need in particular is for medical-surgical nurses, particularly at Harris Health Systems Ben Taub and Lyndon B. Johnson Hospitals. According to Alicia Hernandez, administrative director of nursing at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, nursing has evolved in the sense of how hospitals hire. Medical-surgical nursing was, and still is, a great place for new graduate nurses to start to gain foundational skills before going into a specialty, but with such a large need for nurses in general, many new nursing school graduates are going straight to those specialty areas and thus bypassing these foundational skills, which are fundamental skills for any nurse. I think every nurse should start in these units to get basic skills. You want to make sure you hone in on the education you received from your school of nursing, Hernandez said. A lot of medical-surgical areas are not as attractive to many nurses with an ultimate goal such as being an emergency room nurse, and if offered a medical-surgical position, they probably are not going to take it, instead going straight to that specialty. So a lot of medical-surgical areas have vacancies and its difficult for hospitals to try to fill those openings. Harris Health is currently hiring both new graduate and experienced medical-surgical nurses, with eight openings currently available. Some positions are for days and some nights; both will follow an intermediate care model and will be cross-trained. Under the umbrella of medical-surgical nursing, Harris Health has sub-specialty positions in areas such as neuro-stroke, orthopedics, oncology, med-surg-psych and med-surg-telemetry. These are attractive to graduate nurses who want to gain key skills while still working in a specialty area, said Mark Fanning, administrative director of nursing, Ben Taub Hospital. The medical-surgical platform serves all of these patients at various stages of care, and the opportunity to enhance your skills is unlimited, he said. Candidates for these positions should have a bachelors degree in nursing to provide the fundamental skills they would gain from that curriculum. Harris Health will then provide the hands-on training, which includes an orientation period of 14 to 16 weeks for a new graduate nurse, and eight to 12 weeks for an experienced nurse. All new graduates also participate in a one-year nursing residency program. Salaries for new graduate nurses start at $28 per hour, with a shift differential if they work nights. Nurses also have the opportunity to receive merit raises after one year, which is based on performance and meeting expectations. Our goal is for nurses to have a supportive environment where they can grow once they come on board and their value is recognized so that we can hopefully retain them and they wont want to leave, Hernandez said. We predominantly work with the underserved and are very mission-driven, so its important for us to have compassionate caregivers working at the bedside. Nursing in general is a challenging, but rewarding career, Hernandez said. However, there are so many tracks and opportunities to different things in the profession. Compassionate people with excellent communication and listening skills would be great candidates for nursing positions. Nurses also need advanced critical thinking skills and a vast knowledge of disease processes, Fanning added. For more information about Harris Health System, visit www.harrishealth.org. JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Voting, like life itself in South Africa, has long been divided along racial lines. The black majority mostly backs the African National Congress, which has ruled since the fall of apartheid in 1994, and most white voters choose the opposition Democratic Alliance, whose power is strongest in the white-majority state that includes Cape Town. When South Africans vote on Wednesday, polls show, those color-coded patterns will remain mostly true: The ANC is widely expected to remain in power. But those same polls also show growing white support for the ANC, and growing black support for the DA and other parties, underlining a decline in traditional allegiances that could reshape a new generation of politics here. "The broad frame is changing, and there's lots of flux, emotionally and intellectually, for all South Africans," said David Everatt, the head of the School of Governance at the University of the Witwatersrand, whom the ANC hired to lead its internal polling. "It is not a truism anymore that South African elections are essentially a racial census." A quarter century has passed since South Africa ended white-minority rule with its all-encompassing system of segregation and monopoly on force. But apartheid has survived both geographically and economically: South Africa is one of the world's most unequal societies. White South Africans make up less than one-tenth of the population but own most of the country's land and control almost all its wealth. Less than half of the working-age black population is employed. The indelible apartheid-era patchwork of dense black "townships" and fenced-off white suburbs persists across the South African landscape. The country has the continent's most industrialized economy, but black South Africans live on the periphery of its main engines. An increasing number of black voters feel that the ANC, the party of Nelson Mandela, has betrayed its quest for black empowerment and has become corrupt, nepotistic and mediocre. At the Democratic Alliance's final campaign rally in Soweto, the vast suburb of Johannesburg home to mostly poor and middle-class black South Africans, the crowd was full of the disaffected. Katie Kobedi, 67, said she applied for a house 23 years ago under the ANC's ambitious plan to build millions of them for the vast population crammed into slums under apartheid. She's still waiting. "I hate the ANC," she said at the DA rally. "If you don't have any connections in the party, then you don't get any benefits. I am an old woman and I still live in my mother's house." Nkele Huma, 71, lives down the street from the stadium where the DA rallied. She lives alone and uses a walker to stand. Recent rolling blackouts meted out by the mismanaged state-owned power company Eskom have left her sitting helplessly in the dark for long stretches. "I used to vote for the ANC because they took us out of apartheid," she said. "But now they are stealing. We voted for them and now they abandoned us." The DA, for whom Kobedi and Huma both plan to vote, argues that capitalism, not the ANC's welfare state, is the key to reducing inequality. The party is capitalizing on the anger of older South Africans who feel betrayed, and younger ones, like Khathu Rasilingwane, 29, who have degrees but can't find jobs and feel the country "has moved backward since the end of apartheid." Dozens of black attendees at the DA rally said they were fine with disproportionate white ownership and voting for "the white party," if it meant they could get jobs. The tide of mistrust in the ANC has propelled the DA to power in some South African cities, including Johannesburg, its largest city, and Pretoria, the capital. The DA elected its first black leader in 2015, Mmusi Maimane, the first in party history to speak passionately about racial justice. But the perception that the DA is fundamentally a white party, fueled by the obvious disdain many of its members have for the 38-year-old Maimane, has meant its support base is still mostly white. Meanwhile, some white South Africans have pledged to vote for the ANC for the first time in their lives. In Gauteng, the state where both Johannesburg and Pretoria are located, almost a quarter of white respondents were considering voting for the ANC, according to Everatt's polling, up from less than 5 percent in past elections. The shift comes as the ANC's leadership has passed from Jacob Zuma to Cyril Ramaphosa, a former business magnate who many South Africans perceive to be less corrupt. Zuma was accused of racketeering and embezzlement. A judicial commission is conducting a "state capture" inquiry into alleged ties between Zuma and the Gupta family, business executives who have won giant state contracts. Zuma faces 18 charges of corruption, including more than 700 counts of fraud and money laundering. Both Zuma and the Guptas have denied wrongdoing. Ramaphosa's popularity in the white community in particular has opened up the possibility for the ANC of winning back lost ground in South Africa's wealthier cities. Ramaphosa was a central figure in the ANC's anti-apartheid struggle but has since become one of the country's wealthiest men, working closely with powerful white business owners in a way that other ANC leaders have shunned. "With Cyril, the ANC feels like it has a chance and is campaigning in white areas for the first time, where you can't just go around blaring liberation songs," Everatt said. "They're having to pull up to quaint farmers markets or present at business expos. It's unheard of." Still, many white South Africans expressed embarrassment at the prospect of voting for a party associated with corruption. None of the half-dozen white voters who told The Washington Post they planned to vote for the ANC for the first time agreed to be quoted by name, for fear of social repercussions from white friends, colleagues and family. "It's quite exciting to me to vote for the ANC finally. I've always admired them but didn't want to contribute to their monopoly on power, which led to so much corruption," said a 38-year-old architect in Johannesburg who has always voted DA. "But with Cyril, it's different. They could be the good guys now. I feel like I'm coming home." Others echoed his comfort with Ramaphosa, who is commonly referred to by his first name by many white South Africans. Ramaphosa's proposal to redistribute wealth by expropriating some white-owned land without compensation has been dismissed by many as a ruse to shore up black support. Belief among black voters that Ramaphosa isn't serious about redistributing wealth spurred the formation of a breakaway party, led by the ANC's former youth league president, Julius Malema. Malema advocates the nationalization of all land; his Economic Freedom Fighters have a groundswell of support in black townships and even among a small number of left-leaning white voters. July Eccles, a 33-year-old graphic designer, plans to vote for the party on Wednesday. "You have to be quite sick to not want to change the spatial apartheid and gross inequality that is everywhere in our society," she said. "Our humanity must override our instinct for self-preservation. We need radical change and redistribution because the real scandal in this country is that millions of black South Africans are essentially homeless in their own country. What my friends and I say is we need to end apartheid a second time. All white people have to fear is equality." Once again, the Houston Chronicles annual Salute to Nurses Top 10 nurse award nominations poured in from all across the greater Houston area, with nominations coming in from medical professionals from the Texas Medical Center, specialty clinics, community health care centers and suburban hospitals, as well as from numerous schools and facilities in the region. This event is traditionally held during National Nurses Week, which is May 6-12, to mark the birthday of nursing founder Florence Nightingale. The luncheon was Thursday, May 2, at the Omni Hotel, 4 Riverway, and was presented by the Houston Chronicle. The Top 15 Nurses received an award and a $250 gift card, and three nursing students received a $1,000 scholarship at the luncheon. Stress is evident in every aspect of peoples lives, but if it affects you in your workplace, its time to take a breath and regroup. At Houston Methodist hospitals, nurses are doing just that to embrace a de-stressing moment. Becky Chalupa, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR, vice president/chief nursing officer at Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital, said that much has recently been discussed in literature concerning nurses feeling stressed and overwhelmed, as well as experiencing some level of burn-out. This can lead to a decrease in productivity. It can also impact patient outcomes. According to Chalupa, Houston Methodist recognizes this and has devoted many resources to ensuring its nursing staff is engaged and their needs are being met. Each location has developed and implemented different approaches. With an entire department devoted to employee wellness, each location provides an on-site gym for employees use, with group and individual fitness groups. There are also wellness classes such as nutrition and stress-reduction techniques. Acupuncture and massage are available as well. Calling a Code Lavender In addition, the Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital nursing staff came up with the Code Lavender project. Whenever a staff member is feeling stressed or overwhelmed, they can call a Code Lavender. When a Code Lavender happens, team members come together, and each nurse takes a task from the overwhelmed nurse. Tasks get done quickly, giving the nurse a chance to recover and take a deep breath. A team member may also call a Code Lavender if they recognize signs of stress. The nurses say that even if they dont use the code, it decreases their stress level knowing its available to them, Chalupa said. Its the perception of stress that has decreased. These are 12-hour shifts, and theyre taking care of multiple patients, Chalupa said. The response has been positive. Because we have multiple patients, I never have to worry that they wont get what they need because of competing priorities. I feel like Code Lavender has changed my workflow and my stress levels, said Sasha Coffey, BSN, RN, Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital. As a new nurse, Code Lavender has given me a sense of comfort on my unit. I know that when I am feeling overwhelmed with tasks, my unit is there to help when I need it, said Hannah Nieto BSN, RN, 3 West Staff Nurse, Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital. The Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospitals nursing staff chose a different option for decreasing their stress levels. They have the Zen Den and Lavender Room two rooms dedicated to stress reduction. The units are equipped with a massage chair, foot massage, aromatherapy, sound machines and dimmed lighting. They reported a significant decrease in staff members blood pressure after using the rooms. Approximately 50 percent of the staff utilizes the room during each shift. The Willowbrook location of Houston Methodist Hospital chose a mindfulness initiative improving well-being, and physical and mental health. Staff members are working with the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society to implement a multi-tiered program that provides varying levels of mindfulness training. South Africa: Special voters make their X About 774 094 citizens, who applied for special votes, will be making their mark today and Tuesday. About 452 418 (58.4%) of those who applied will cast their votes during a home visit by election officials accompanied by party agents and observers. The home votes are granted for those who have physically infirmity, disability and are pregnancy. The remaining 321 676 voters (41.6%) will cast their special votes at their voting stations between 09H00 and 17H00. The special voting process involves using a double envelope system, in which the marked ballot of the voter is placed in an unmarked envelope, which is then placed inside a second envelope that contains the voters ID. The outer envelope is used to ensure an accurate register and verification of special votes and is removed when the envelope is opened at the close of voting on Election Day, 8 May. Once its removed from the larger envelope, the inner envelope is placed in a ballot box to ensure secrecy of the vote and de-link the marked ballot from the details of the voter on the outer envelope. Special votes will then be transported and stored securely overnight at municipal warehouses and other secure locations, including local police stations before being transported back to the voting station on Wednesday for inclusion in the count. The Electoral Commission has assured that the overnight security facilities are vetted by the State Security Agency to ensure adequate security arrangements. Voters, who applied for a special vote, can check the status of their application on the website at https://www.elections.org.za/IECOnline/Check-My-Special-Vote-Application... or SMS their ID number to 32711 (charged at R1). On Wednesday, the IEC will open 22 924 voting stations for the rest of the South Africans to cast their votes. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A machete-wielding felon is behind bars after allegedly killing a man at a bus stop, and attacking another in northeast Houston, telling police he was only trying to protect "all of the women and children in the world" from being raped, prosecutors said. Bernardino Cueva, 40, admitted to attacking a man on April 28 at a bus stop along Lyons Avenue, prosecutors said during a probable cause hearing Saturday afternoon. The man later told police he was catching a ride to church when Cueva started yelling at him from the other side of a fence on nearby property, prosecutors said. As the victim started to walk away, Cueva allegedly jumped the fence and chased the man down, pulled out a machete and hacked at the man's arm, prosecutors said. The victim was able to run away from Cueva, who fled the scene. IN CONROE: Boy accused of fatally shooting 10-year-old brother to undergo mental health evaluation Then, shortly after 12 a.m. on the morning of May 2, Cueva allegedly attacked another man at the bus stop in the 2100 block of Lyons Avenue this time, fatally. That victim was identified in court documents as C.J. Jones, Jr. Police said Jones died of blunt force trauma to his head. As he was being loaded up into an ambulance, he told officers the attack was unprovoked shortly before losing consciousness. Paramedics rushed him to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Stay Informed Text CHRON to 77453 to get breaking news alerts by text | Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. See More Collapse After police caught up with Cueva later that day, he confessed to the attacks, prosecutors said. Officers found bloodied jeans and a shirt in Cueva's backpack after the alleged confession, prosecutors said. "On both incidents, the (victims) were waiting at the bus stop, which the suspect believed was his property," the prosecutor said in court. "(Cueva) believed they were going to rape him and all of the women and children in the world, and so he felt he needed to protect them." Cueva is charged for each attack, one for aggravated assault and the other for murder. He is being held without bond, and was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. This isn't Cueva's first run-in with the law. Court records show he was charged with misdemeanor assault in January and was out on bond during the recent attacks. He was also convicted in a home burglary in 2004 and aggravated assault in 2013, both felonies out of Nueces County. He faces between five and 99 years, or life in prison, if convicted. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message Hundreds of patrons evacuated a bar in Montrose after a neighboring utility pole caught fire Sunday evening. Firefighters and police were called to Eagle Houston in the 600 block of Hyde Park Boulevard just before 6 p.m. A utility pole caught fire next to the bar caught fire prompting owners to temporarily evacuate the building as precaution. Firefighters examined the pole and the building is expected to remain closed until Monday. No injuries were reported. Text CHRON to 77453 to get breaking news alerts by text | Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. Two people apparently stabbed each other outside a Museum District apartment complex Monday, police say. A caller dialed 911 claiming a man and woman allegedly stabbed each other during an altercation, police said. The two were rushed to an area hospital in an unknown condition. IN CONROE: Boy accused of fatally shooting 10-year-old brother at Conroe home,to undergo mental health evaluation Houston police officers are on scene investigating the circumstances. No other information was available. Check back for updates as they come in. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message TOP GUN and other elite U.S. Military aerial combat schools are getting some getting some major air support from one Texas private defense contractor. The U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy use elite fighter jets such as the Super Hornet and the F-35 Joint Strike fighter. But those military branches do not have enough aircraft to simulate aggressor planes when training their elite pilots in live-combat exercises, according to a report from foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com. On HoustonChronicle.com: Oil and gas exec raises more questions about $580M tax break program So, Airborne Tactical Advantage (ATAC), a company headquartered near Fort Worth, contracts out more than 90 fighter and attack jets to fill the void. Those training jets often come with retired military pilots to fly them. ATAC is a Private Military Contractor (PMC), which the armed forces are using increasingly for aviation training. According to Jane's Defense Weekly, ATAC executed one of the largest government-to-private fighter jet transfer in U.S. history a little over a month ago when it purchased 63 Dassault Mirage F1 fighter jets from the French Air Force Other jets ATAC jets include Israeli-made F-21 Kfir jets and the L-39 Albatross jet trainer. Airborne Tactical Advantage is a subsidiary of U.S. defense contracting company Textron. Chron.com reached out to ATAC about the price of the transactions described above. But a spokesperson said the company was unable to comment at this time. The Foxtrot Alpha report cites cost as the main reason behind the process. The Navy's Super Hornet cost $15,000 per flight hour and the F-35 Joint Strike fighter costs even more at $35,000 an hour. At this time, neither records, nor reports say how how much ATAC jets cost to fly per hour. The report states that while jets like the F1 aren't capable of the same maneuvers as the top jets if Russia and other potential enemies, ATAC's jets can still give military pilots valuable flying experience. ATAC's fleet gives pilot experience flying against other types of airplanes, according to the report. They can also be used to simulate incoming missiles. In conclusion, the report says, "Hiring private contractors is also cheaper than having the latest and greatest fighters sparring against one another." Peter Dawson is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | Peter.Dawson@chron.com | NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. 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. 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. Right now, there is a fight going on at the state level between Dealer Management Systems companies and auto dealers. DMS companies secure car manufacturer data, as well consumer data (some of it sensitive) for car dealers and enter into legally binding contractual arrangements with those dealers. A number of states, actively encouraged by dealers, are proposing legislation that would allow third party authorized integrator companies access to DMS systems without permission from the DMS company. These integrator companies integrate different databases and computer systems for the dealers, but they do not make the upfront investments in data gathering and curation that the DMS providers undertake. Most relevantly in this context, the proposed state laws in effect appear to give these firms permission to hack into proprietary systems. So, what is a Dealer Management System? And why is there sometimes a conflict between DMS providers and dealers? A DMS system is a platform that integrates all the data car dealerships need in order to function like accounting, spare parts inventory, price trends, marketing, website management, customer data, payment information. The list is practically endless. With the Internet of Things, connected cars, automated vehicles, the need for state of the art DMS systems will likely grow exponentially. Many dealers, who are perhaps more interested in the business of persuading people to buy cars, not in IT systems, are frustrated with the expense and the complications associated with running what are, in effect, growing data centers. They may associate those centers with cost centers, rather than revenue generators, which perhaps explains some of the tension between DMS providers and car dealers. One way for dealers to reduce costs is to shift more work to the authorized data integrators. This is a fascinating case study because it involves many of the facets of todays technology policy debate: competition, proprietary data, privacy, intellectual property, cybersecurity, and more. But, this is not just interesting from a political economy perspective. There are enough concerns about the proposed state bills to suggest that states should slow down and understand the cybersecurity, privacy, and possible conflict of law implications of these bills. Our view is that the bills could conflict with rights and duties established by federal statutes and are, from a cybersecurity view, likely harmful public policy. Competition is a separate issue requiring consideration of competition remedies if appropriate The two largest DMS companies are CDK Global Inc. and Reynolds & Reynolds, which together control about 70% of the U.S. market. This helps explain the sometimes-tense relationship between DMS firms and auto dealers. And, in fact, a number of car dealers filed an antitrust case against CDK Global Inc. and Reynolds & Reynolds. Reynolds & Reynolds announced on October 3, 2018 an agreement in principle to settle a federal class-action antitrust lawsuit. The agreement does not include CDK Global Inc. It also does not include non-dealership plaintiffs including competitors such as Cox Automotive, Authenticom, Motor Vehicle Software Corporation, and Autoloop. But the bottom line is that the competition element of this fight continues to be litigated in court. And while dealers continue to complain about the competition environment, James B. Treece wrote in an April 30, 2018 piece called DMS vendors enter a new era of competition that competitors are now not just competing on price. They are offering fundamentally different business models as well, which at least suggests that the competitive environment is changing without legislation. But whatever happens with respect to the lawsuits and this market, if regulators find a breach of antitrust law, then they should impose competition remedies. It just does not make sense for the states to pass laws that allow entry into protected computer systems to solve what some observers perceive to be a competition problem. State laws propose laws allowing authorized integrators access to DMS company databases without those firms permission Arizona 2418-541R- H Ver, Oregon House Bill 3152, North Carolina General Assembly House Bill DRH 40206 MW- 61 T , and Montana House Bill No 617, ban DMS companies from preventing access by third party authorized integrators to the databases maintained by the DMS dealers. There is also a ban on what the authorized integrators can do with data, some of which is personal consumer information. There are many legal and public policy issues associated with these bills. How is personal data protected by an authorized integrator? What data could an authorized integrator share and/or sell? Any maybe most importantly, how can high cybersecurity standards be maintained if third-party authorized integrators are, in effect, given the right by state legislatures to hack into DMS systems? Contrary opinions against these proposed state laws On March 29, 2019, K Royal wrote about the proposed Arizona law in a piece entitled Arizona legislators propose opening secure networks to hackers and said this: HB 2418 is about auto dealers giving third parties, consultants and business associates, free access into otherwise secure computer networks with no meaningful limitations on what these people can do with our data. Thats frightening as some of these consultants have been sued for hacking corporate networks. Chris Apgar wrote on April 8, 2019 an opinion piece entitled Opinion: Bill would give auto dealers too much control over customers information. Apgar said: A lay person might read House Bill 3152 as authorizing standard information-sharing arrangements between auto manufacturers, dealers and the companies that build specialized computer systems for the industry. Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, this bill would require very secure and highly-regulated computer networks to become less secure so much less secure that millions of Oregonians Social Security and credit card numbers would be at a greater risk of being stolen. Although the April 8, 2019 testimony by Reynolds & Reynolds representative, Jonathan Emmanual, might be considered biased, it is worthwhile reading, in part because Emmanual notes that the Oregon bill has no restrictions on what authorized integrators can do with the data. In fact, they can even sell personal data if they wish. Cybersecurity concerns, possible state and federal privacy legislation, and possible conflict with federal law should prompt state lawmakers to slow down The Arizona, Oregon, North Carolina, and Montana bills raise a number of challenging issues. Each state has its own computer security laws, as does the federal government. First, Section 1030 of title 18 is the federal anti-hacking statute. Among other things, it protects every computer involved in interstate commerce (e.g., every computer) from a person who either accesses that computer without access or exceeds authorized access. Congresss intent on how this statute is said to apply seems fairly clear: its a broad protection for the public. Whether unauthorized access or exceeding unauthorized access can be determined by reference to state laws (especially contract) is an unsettled question, especially in the presence of non-authorization by the hacked business. Granting anyone carte-blanche entry into another persons computer systems under the guise of you have our data should be an area of enormous policy concern and careful examination. These bills appear to be missing that component. Second, even assuming that state law has some role to play in this, requiring access to a cloud service of any kind implicates more than the data that the dealer allegedly owns. In addition to using the cloud services servers (their personal property) these services run on software, which is federally protected intellectual property. Attempts by states to regulate those rights are routinely preempted. For example, attempts by states to restrict first-run motion pictures and require licensing in expanded distribution areas have been preempted by federal statutes. These bills have similarities, in that they prohibit certain provisions of software licenses that would restrict the IP owners federally granted exclusive rights. In addition, federal IP laws prevent circumventing technological protection measures that control access to copyrighted works. Civil (and criminal) liability for those acts would still exist. Third, on the privacy front, open questions remain about whether the car dealers use of this information would violate consumer expectations of what happens to their data. A federal privacy law is now a serious possibility, and California has already passed a comprehensive privacy law, which will enter into effect in 2020. The use of that information by dealers in a way that is consistent with reasonable consumer expectations of what is (and is not) being done with their information is also something that should be studied before passing these kind of laws. The bottom line: dont rush The states should tread carefully in this era of changing views on competition, privacy, and the emphasis on high cybersecurity standards. From a public policy standpoint, the cybersecurity implications of these state laws cannot be stressed enough. For example, at least one DMS company, CDK Global Inc., has been designated as Critical National Infrastructure. Surely this suggests that the states should proceed very carefully. It is true that some of the proposed legislation makes an effort to ensure that authorized integrators comply with cybersecurity standards. For instance, the Arizona bill says that third party vendors have to comply with the STAR standards or other generally accepted cybersecurity standards that are at least as comprehensive as the STAR standards. But this is a vague standard. It seems reasonable for state legislatures to allow for more time to permit professionals to assess the cybersecurity implications of uncontrolled access to DMS systems, as well as the legal considerations. The scramble is on for Rep. Jose Serranos House seat in the Bronx, as a slew of young politicians line up to run for the retiring congressmans seat. Many of them, including New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres, 31, and Assemblyman Michael Blake, 36, are part of a rising class of elected officials in New York City who are young, ambitious progressives of color. The demographics and ideology of the citys political leadership is catching up that of its rank-and-file voters. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 29, is the most famous example of this new generation, but she hardly stands alone. First-time candidates Zellnor Myrie, 32, Jessica Ramos, 33, and Julia Salazar, 28, swept establishment state senators out of office in the 2018 primaries, with campaigns that turned out large numbers of young voters. Last year also saw then-City Councilman Jumaane Williams, 42, nearly unseat Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, winning a New York Times endorsement over his incumbent opponent and setting the stage for his triumphant run for public advocate. Members of the City Council like Torres, Antonio Reynoso, 35, and Rafael Espinal, 34, have made names for themselves by getting front and center on issues like pedestrian and bike safety, public housing and the citys inexplicable laws against dancing. In all of these victories and headline-grabbing work, these officials have established themselves as different kinds of progressive leaders than previous generations of politicians of color in the city were. Speaking about how politicians of color in New York City today are changing the political landscape, Espinal told City & State that is a generational shift. I would say that there's probably one striking difference and it's our ages, the councilman from Brooklyn said. The ones who are here now on the council, we came in into politics at a much younger age than, let's say, Bill Thompson and Mayor (David) Dinkins did, and I think our youth has has been able to give us a different perspective of how we approach certain issues. Espinal, who took a leading role in doing away with the citys Cabaret Law, told City & State that his entrance into politics was driven in part by frustration in watching legislation get crafted and implemented without the input of communities on which the laws wound up having the largest impact. I think it's important to have representation of someone who actually experienced or experiences what what those policies and changes do to our own lives to be able to lead the conversation, he said. With the 2017 repeal of the Cabaret Law, Espinal fought to abolish a requirement that establishments get a special license to allow dancing, which critics called racist. He also sponsored the bill that created a night mayor, an official intended to serve as a liaison between bars, restaurants and clubs and the communities around them. These issues were a logical fit for Espinals district, which spans blue-collar black and Latino areas from East New York to gentrifying Bushwick. While Espinal took a more conventional path to elected office, working for City Councilman Erik Martin Dilan and winning the backing of former Assemblyman Vito Lopez's machine, many of his cohort ran successful insurgent campaigns including Ramos, Myrie and Salazar and Reynoso, who was chief of staff for his predecessor Diana Reyna but also defeated Lopez in a primary for the seat he currently holds. They're going outside of the traditional model, said Fordham political science professor Christina Greer. And they're making the case to their voters that, Well we've had politics as usual for 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, what have our communities gotten? And so why don't you take a chance and actually see if you can imagine, or reimagine a different type of politics? Ironically, many of these African-American and Latino officials were elected in part because of the votes of mostly white, relatively affluent artists and professionals who recently moved into their districts. Salazars support came heavily from the gentrified areas of her North Brooklyn district, including Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Ocasio-Cortez and Ramos did best in the gentrifying Western Queens neighborhoods, such as Astoria and Woodside, in their overlapping districts. Adem Bunkeddeko, 31, who won the New York Times endorsement and came within 1,100 votes of unseating Rep. Yvette Clarke, also did best in the gentrified sections, including Park Slope and Windsor Terrace, of Clarkes predominantly African-American and Caribbean-American district. Myrie won in part by carrying the gentrifying areas of the 20th state Senate District in Brooklyn, such as Prospect Heights. But Myrie also hung tough in neighborhoods where incumbent Jesse Hamilton had the most support, such as eastern Crown Heights. He argued that his vision for fixing the citys housing crisis was what put him over the top and that his policies will specifically help the black and Latino voters of the district. The issues that affect the working-class people in our district, primarily housing, has been one that has been persistent, and the crisis has occurred under the old way leadership, Myrie told City & State. These are people that claim to have been carrying the mantle for the black working class, and who were selling themselves out to the real estate industry, and so the fact that I ran explicitly on stemming and mitigating our affordable housing crisis, I think is tells you very clearly who the victor is going to be. Salazar made a similar argument against then-state Sen. Martin Dilan, whose tenure coincided with rapid housing cost increases in the district. The focus on bringing in newer voters and a fresher message than the previous or entrenched leaders in government has also allowed this younger generation of electeds to penetrate institutions that historically usually backed white politicians. The Times, for example, endorsed Mark Green over Fernando Ferrer for mayor in the 2001 Democratic primary and Christine Quinn over Bill Thompson in 2013, but it picked Williams over Hochul and then tapped Williams again for public advocate this year. According to Greer, elite, mostly white, liberal institutions like the Times editorial board are increasingly willing to hear out candidates with campaigns based on issues instead of resumes. Greer said that Williams got the Times endorsement because he was a candidate that had some really interesting ideas. Whereas, what was the point of Kathy Hochul? Greer continued. She hadn't done anything for four years years, whereas Jumaane actually had ideas. I don't think that people were voting for him because you know, he was some young, quote unquote, articulate black man, I think the people were voting for him because he actually represented someone who wanted to work in the job, and actually had an agenda. The new public advocate himself echoed that idea. Identity politics, your race, religion, gender, where you live, it's still a thing, for various reasons, good and bad, you can never discount, Williams told City & State. But I believe that we're seeing that people, if your message is stronger than the person you identify with, are willing to listen. The landscape for running for office has changed for new candidates as well. Term limits for the New York City Council and citywide offices have opened seats to new contenders who dont have to take on entrenched incumbents every election cycle. Williams and other elected officials credited the citys public campaign financing system as a change that has helped the next generation of progressive leaders of color who were previously put at a disadvantage against older politicians and those with more access to large donors. Most importantly, I think public financing helped a whole generation of people who normally would not get into this arena, Williams said. As a community organizer, without campaign finance reform, I don't know if I would have been elected to the City Council. Referring to Cuomos campaign war chest last year, he contrasted the state and city election systems. I had a message that people liked when I ran for lieutenant governor, but I didn't have the money to compete with $30 million, Williams said. On the city level, I did, because of public financing. Espinal echoed Williams endorsement of public financing, telling City & State it helps candidates from less-wealthy areas get citywide reach. Especially representing the neighborhoods like East New York, where there is very little wealth for me to tap into to run in the citywide race if it wasn't for public financing, I wouldn't have a shot at running, Espinal said about his recent public advocate campaign. The internet has also broken down fences that younger, less-connected candidates would previously have had to climb over, both in terms of fundraising appeals and media coverage from newer local outlets and national sites that promote younger insurgent voices. And, of course, the internet gives opportunities to candidates to communicate outside of traditional media avenues. The biggest change (in city politics), I would say, is how we're able to communicate, Espinal said. And I think that social media plays a large role in that, we all now now have an avenue to be able to talk about the issues were working on and are able to reach a much broader audience. That has allowed folks who might have a tougher time gaining traction in the media to be able to get the word out. And I think that has opened up the opportunity for more folks who probably wouldn't normally be tuned in to local politics and see what's happening and also help fuel like candidacies, like AOC, and future young leaders. And so while, for example, the Queens machine is nodding to demographic changes in their borough by replacing Joe Crowley as county leader with African-American Rep. Gregory Meeks, younger, more progressive-minded candidates in communities of color are embracing avenues that dont rely on machine politics to get started or advance in local politics. Seeing these electeds be successful is having a huge impact, Brandon West, the president of the reformist New Kings Democrats, told City & State. I think its also the realization that you can create your own models for power. It's not just, OK, you have to talk to your elected, and theyre the district leader also, and then youve got to join this club, and you have to follow our leaders and go get signatures for our judges before you can really be involved. You don't have to do that. You just speak to people about what matters to you, show up and start applying pressure. The visibility of these young elected officials may even inspire people in their neighborhoods to pay more attention to politics. One of my favorite stories that Ive heard, Williams said, was somebody telling a friend of his, whos probably a bit more into street life than they are into politics, that they worked for an elected official. And the first thing that person said was, I dont really dabble in politics. And then once she told him who she worked for, the person said, Oh I fucks with him, Williams said, laughing as he recounted the constituents profane expression of approval. That's a highlight for me of why we need to continue doing what we're doing, because were reaching people who may not be engaged, getting them engaged, and seeing the transformation that happening around them in a positive way. The first child of Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan, was born this morning. After seven months of anticipation, British tabloids like The Sun and The Daily Mail posted word that Meghan was in the early stages of labor, and later announced: Its a boy!a message echoed by Harry and Meghans new Instagram account @SussexRoyal. Next, palace and press scrambled to accommodate Harrys request for an audience with the media at Windsor Castle. Abandoning the usual formality of royal birth announcements, he stood outside the castle stables and giggled with joy. I am so incredibly proud of my wife, he said. On his way out, he thanked everyone, including the royal horses. It was an unexpectedly personal moment with the best-loved member of Britains royal family. Almost a month ago, on Thursday, April 11, Kensington Palace announced that the press would receive no details of the birth of Baby Sussex until after the Duke and Duchess have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family. Furthermore, the Palace said, the couple would not participate in a photo call, perhaps the British medias best-loved rite, as they left hospital. ICYMI: I wrote a story that became a legend. Then I discovered it wasnt true. The British tabloids were furious. The sudden desire for privacy comes from a Duke and Duchess very happy to enjoy the other trappings of life as full-time royals, Lauren Clark wrote in The Sun. Whether that be the taxpayer-funded 30m royal wedding and 3m renovation of their new ten-bedroom home Frogmore Cottage, or the almost two million well-wishes on the social media announcement of the pregnancy, a star-studded 300k baby shower and 30k babymoon. In recent years, the Windsors have grown less dependent on the tabloids for their publicity. Traditionally, the palace has held official press calls, during which correspondents photograph the royal childrena tradition Prince Harry promised to return to in two days time with a small group of photographers of his choosing. But Prince Harrys sister-in-lawCatherine, the Duchess of Cambridgehas harnessed the new autonomy social media offers, opting to take and distribute photographs of her children herself. Harry and Meghan have followed suit. When Harry brought Meghan Markle into the family, the couple demanded a new style of control over press and public access. After they announced their engagement, in December 2017, they modeled themselves more as a Hollywood couple than as senior royals. Duncan Larcombe, a former royal correspondent for The Sun, calls Harry and Meghan a front-page sensation in the United Kingdom, even by historic standards: When Charles and Camilla married, in 2005, there were eight royal correspondents across television and newspaper outlets; now, Larcombe estimates, there are 40. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Meghan, a former American television celebrity and lifestyle blogger, works the camera and the press behind it with only partial deference to Palace protocol. Her thinly veiled leaksusually flattering details conveyed through a close friend to the presshave the savvy of a celebrity. In February, for instance, five of her best friends, including one longtime friend and former costar, spoke to People in order to stand up against the global bullying we are seeing and speak the truth about our friend. Larcombe says, I cant confirm it came from Meghan, but it appears she took matters into her own hands. As soon as the Palace announced her pregnancy, on October 14, 2018, the press noticed that she began to hold her abdomen in public whenever photographers were present. Those who watched her public appearances closely also noticed that she flicked her coat open to reveal her bumpoften stopping in the course of conversation to do so. But even as Meghan has courted press and public obsession, the couple has been reticent with access. When she and Prince Harry announced their engagement, they did not host a traditional press reception. The press reacted by criticizing Markles gown, worth $75,000. Thats almost twice the average national wage, The Mirror reported. Meghan Markle has polarized the public, The Independent scolded. The couple did not invite royal correspondents to their wedding, nor did they hold a reception for royal correspondents on their first royal tour: to Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand. Stories about Meghans extravagance have persisted. In 2018, Meghan spent $508,258 on clothing for public appearances, not including her $260,000 Givenchy wedding gown. In February, the tabloids published details of Meghans $430,000 baby shower in New York City. If you visit the families whose loved ones died in a fire and then take a private jet to New York and stay in a $30,000-a-night hotel suite with Serena Williams and Amal Clooney, on a trip that would have cost five years wages for the average person, that doesnt work, Larcombe says. Larcombe believes that Harrys aversion to tabloids has to do with the role of the press in the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997. Harry has an enormous chip on his shoulder, Larcombe says. It is totally understandable. When he was twelve, his mother died. What were seeing now with Meghan and Harry is a policy where, effectively, all his anger and hatred for the press is seeping through everything hes doing. But, Larcombe adds, Harrys privacy has led to a festival of speculation about the birth, and inevitable questions about the difference between royalty and celebrity. Meghans expenditure matters because the royal familys income is bolstered by millions of pounds annually in public tax money (44.6 million during the 2016 to 2017 fiscal year). That helps explain the obsession with Baby Sussex, too. Of course, when the tabloids dont have access, they reach for stories. On the same day as the Palaces announcement, The Sun ran 10 articles about the baby: The Duchess had planned a water birth or a home birth, or would copy Amal Clooneys birthing plan. Are these stories fact or fiction? Its hard to say. Im not defending journalists that make stories up, Larcombe says. But speculation occurs when there is no announcement of facts. This isnt a tap they can just turn on and off when it suits. Not in a democracy with a free press. ICYMI: A reporter asked for 20 years of lottery winner data. After analyzing the records, he noticed something unusual. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Amanda Darrach is a contributor to CJR and a visiting scholar at the University of St Andrews School of International Relations. Follow her on Twitter @thedarrach. AUKEGAN, Ill.Three people missing after an overnight explosion and fire at an Illinois silicone plant are believed dead, authorities said Saturday. Waukegan Fire Marshal Steven Lenzi said crews suspended their search for three employees due to concerns about the stability of the structure. Lenzi said its not likely that the three survived the Friday night explosion at AB Specialty Silicones in the Waukegan, about 50 miles north of Chicago. The coroner was on scene and crews are classifying the search as a recovery, he said. The conditions are really rough in there, Lenzi said. Theres a lot of damage. There was a lot of fire throughout. Nine employees were inside the plant when the explosion occurred. Four were taken to hospitals and two declined treatment. Authorities have not identified the employees. Lenzi said the cause of the explosion has not been determined, and it could be days before crews are able to resume their search because heavy piping and other materials that were inside the 30,000-foot structure pose a danger to firefighters and investigators. He said the plant typically operates 24 hours a day, mixing chemicals and other materials to make silicone. The state fire marshal is investigating, along with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Residents in the area said they heard the explosion and felt their homes shake. Five buildings nearby were damaged, with glass on windows and doors shattering, Lenzi said. Nancy Carreno, who lives near the plant, told The Chicago Tribune the explosion didnt break any windows but it was loud. She said electricity flickered then came back on. Lenzi says more than 100 firefighters from at least 30 departments responded to the scene. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. About the photo: This photo shows Mark Mathis, owner of Ry-Con Service Dogs, during a training session with Ella Peluso and her service dog, Puzzle 2. It was taken May 23, 2018, at Ry-Cons former facilities in Raleigh, N.C. APEX, N.C. 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 familys 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 1/2 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 persons disability, but it doesnt 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 its 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 dont have the time, wherewithal or confidence to do so, and that puts needy families in a calamitous situation. Theyre 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, Noelles 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 states 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 its 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 arent 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 hed 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 Mothers 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 Briards jaws from the other dogs throat. When Mathis refused to refund their money, they sued. They were unaware that they werent 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 Steins 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, werent 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 Katies 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. Steins 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. Steins office also contends that Mathis may have siphoned as much as $240,000 of the nonprofits 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 sons meltdowns cold. Shes 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 didnt 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 daughters 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 lights 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. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A charter plane carrying 143 people from the U.S. military base in Cuba to north Florida ended up in a river off the end of a runway Friday night, and while some passengers were hospitalized, no critical injuries or deaths were reported, officials said. A Boeing 737 arriving at Naval Air Station Jacksonville from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with 136 passengers and seven aircrew slid off the runway into the St. Johns River, a NAS Jacksonville news release said. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office posted on Twitter that a marine unit responded to assist. The plane was in shallow water and not submerged. Everyone on the plane was alive and accounted for, the agency posted, with 21 adults transported to local hospitals in good condition. A photo posted by deputies shows a Miami Air International logo on the plane. The company didnt immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press. Capt. Michael Connor, the commanding officer of NAS Jacksonville, said during a news conference that passengers were a mix of civilian and military personnel. Some were staying in the area, while others were set to fly on to other parts of the country. While the crash certainly wasnt ideal, Connor acknowledged that it could have been much worse. I think it is a miracle, Connor said. We could be talking about a different story this evening. It wasnt known how long it would 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. He said crews began working to contain any jet fuel leaks almost immediately after securing the passengers safety. Liz Torres told the Florida Times-Union that she heard what sounded like a gunshot Friday night from her home in Orange Park, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of NAS Jacksonville. She then drove down to a Target parking lot where police and firefighters were staging to find out more. Ive never seen anything like this, she said. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department posted on Twitter that approximately 90 personnel responded to the scene, adding that the departments special operations team had trained with marine units for a similar incident earlier Friday. Navy security and emergency response personnel were on the scene and monitoring the situation, the Navy release said. Family members who were expecting the arrival of passengers were instructed to stand by. Officials did not immediately say what caused the plane to leave the runway. Boeing said in a tweet Friday night that it was investigating: We are aware of an incident in Jacksonville, Fla., and are gathering information. The Federal Aviation Administration was referring media inquiries to NAS Jacksonville. Connor said National Transportation Safety Board investigators were already on their way. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Two decades ago, in the midst of an energy crisis and rampant power market manipulation, California took the radical step of buying electricity for millions of residents. Now, with the states biggest utility in bankruptcy, its considering doing that again. Lawmakers are weighing a bill that would allow a government agency to sign contracts with power generators, a role traditionally played by utilities. The idea, backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, is to ensure the state can meet its clean energy goals and avoid blackouts as utilities struggle to adjust to a changing landscape. The push underscores the challenges facing Californias grid as liabilities from wildfires suspected of being sparked by power lines have pushed utility giant PG&E Corp. into Chapter 11 and hobbled the credit ratings of others. It could also become a model for other states to establish safety nets as customers turn away from big utilities and get power from rooftop panels, smaller cooperatives or directly from wind and solar farms. If we wait until theres a crisis to set something like this up, its too late, said Matthew Freedman, an attorney for the Utility Reform Network, a consumer group backing the bill. It wont be easy. Buying and selling electricity is risky. California could expose itself to losses if the market turns. While other states have entities that buy power including New York and Illinois California has a litany of regulations and mandates that could make it far more difficult. Still, two of Californias largest utilities are open to the idea. Sempra Energys San Diego Gas & Electric said it would support the bill with a few changes. PG&E said its open to the concept. They dont profit off buying power for customers, because they arent allowed to mark up the price. But Edison Internationals Southern California Edison opposes the measure, saying it will raise costs. Meanwhile, the states association of small municipal power providers, called community choice aggregators, see it as an overreach. The groups, whose membership has swelled in recent years, are better positioned to develop clean energy than a state agency, said Geof Syphers, vice president of the California Community Choice Association. As drafted, he said, the bill would give the state power to buy an unlimited amount of energy, even energy we cant use. The groups would, however, support a more limited role for the state if power was purchased only if needed to keep the lights on. The initial push for the bill came in response to large utilities hemorrhaging customers to community choice aggregators. By some estimates, traditional power companies could lose more than half of their sales over the next few years. That has state officials worried there wont be players large enough to ensure theres enough power statewide. Those concerns have only worsened after the wildfires and as California pushes to derive all its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045. My fear is that unless we put some protections in place, or come up with a consistent model, then we could drift back into the same problems we saw in 2000 and 2001, California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Picker recently told state lawmakers, referring to rolling blackouts. For its part, the California Community Choice Association said aggregators have already met their 2020 targets, citing California Energy Commission data, and are on track to meet state renewable energy requirements beyond 2020. Theyve collectively signed long-term contracts for more than 2,000 megawatts from new renewable energy resources in the state as of November 2018 and more will be announced this year, the group said. The California power crisis of 2000-2001 that Picker alluded to began when the state partially deregulated its market and required utilities to buy from wholesale providers. When supplies were tight and bad actors such as Enron Corp. took advantage, prices soared. Utilities at the time were limited to how much of the costs they could pass onto consumers and lost hundreds of millions of dollars. Blackouts ensued. PG&E went bankrupt. The state stepped in to buy power to keep the lights on. Once the crisis passed, California went back to relying on utilities to buy power. Now officials are rethinking that strategy. The pending bill, introduced by Democratic Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, would allow regulators to empower a state agency to buy electricity to meet clean energy and reliability goals. The state wouldnt take over the entire job of buying power but rather fill in gaps. State regulators would review and approve contracts. Its somewhat of a backstop, Garcia said. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office has filed charges against 15 chiropractors in a $6 million insurance fraud and illegal kickback scheme involving automobile collision medical claims. The felony complaint in case BA477147 lists a total of 18 felony counts, including charges against all of the defendants of insurance fraud and participating in patient referral rebates when licensed in the healing arts or as a chiropractor. Most of the defendants were arrested in a sweep on Thursday and were expected to be arraigned today. The case was filed on April 26 and announced on Friday. The alleged ringleader of the operation, Yury Chernega, 47, of Studio City, faces four counts of insurance fraud as well as four counts of failure to file an income tax return and one count of money laundering. The charges include allegations of taking more than $500,000 from about 30 insurance companies through fraud and embezzlement. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 18 years and nine months in state prison if convicted as charged. Prosecutors are requesting that his bail be set at $325,000. Chernegas alleged co-conspirators, their recommended bail and possible maximum prison sentence are: BEREA, Ohio -- Twenty-two second-graders at St. Mary School celebrated Arbor Day with brand new pine seedlings. The trees were presented to the students in Donna Giblins class on May 2 by the Rotary Club of Berea. Judy Stull, past president of Berea Rotary, played a game with the children, asking them whether items they picked from a bag originally came from trees or not. They had a choice of an orange, coconut milk, tomatoes, maple syrup, an apple and canned corn. The kids scored an A on those but Stull stumped them with olives. Plus, her gold-plated earrings were originally leaves that had been fashioned into jewelry. The class discussed how trees are useful, and Stull taught them the American Sign Language symbol for trees raise your right arm, supported by your left at the elbow, and wiggle your fingers. Some of the children decided to name their new Arbor Day friends. One little boy declared his tree would be known as Billy Bob. The pine tree seedlings came with planting and growing instructions courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation. Giblin got to take home a seedling, too. Ive just moved into a new house and we have no landscaping, she said. This will come in handy. Arbor Day is usually observed on the last Friday in April. The day was founded by a Nebraska newspaper editor in 1872. The local 2019 Arbor Day program was a joint project with Strongsville Rotary, which supplied the trees. LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Mayor Mike Summers and his wife, Wendy, recently returned from Africa after visiting their daughter, Barbara, who for the past three years has been working as an urban planner in Nigeria helping residents of shantytowns improve their lives. My trip was as a father interested in supporting a daughter doing a job that really her mother and I are very worried about, Summers said. Of course, as a mayor who thinks about urban issues, I was very interested to understand the challenge that shes trying to address and how her organization is designed to do it. The 13-day trip last month included visiting four Nigerian cities where Barbara, a 2007 Lakewood High School graduate, is trying to create leadership in the informal settlements to improve their communities, which lack access to water, sewers and sanitation. Lakewood native Barbara Summers is working for the Collaborative Media Advocacy Platforms Human City Project in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Barbara is working for the Collaborative Media Advocacy Platforms Human City Project, which is a community-driven media, architecture, urban planning and human rights movement in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. One of the most important aspects of our work is giving people the information, skills and tools to take hold of and change their narrative, Barbara said via email. The young people that we are training live in waterfront slum communities not recognized on any formal map and often at risk for demolition or forced eviction under the guise of being a den for criminal activities. By documenting what they have on the ground and who lives there, theyre able to change their story and amplify their voice to negotiate with policy makers to improve their communities. Mike Summers said the issue in Nigeria isnt immigration related, as much as a migration from rural to urban living. The mayor said the influx of people would be a problem for any city. Id say the strategic interest by the funders, whether its the world bank or otherwise, is that if these cities dont become more viable, these people are going to be on the move, Summers said. We know when people in the region are on the move, it becomes very destabilizing for regions. Destabilization creates conflict, and conflict becomes war and violence. I had a chance to meet with several residents of one of the communities and, of course, talk with my daughter at great length during our visit. Barbara said it was wonderful to be able to share her work firsthand with her family. I had been explaining what I do for the past few years, but I think for the first time my parents really understood what I do and why I chose to live in the oil capital of Nigeria, Barbara said. The Niger Delta is definitely not your normal vacation destination, but I think through my work here they were able to experience the local culture and communities in a way that most foreigners would never be able to. Another factor the mayor learned about was the massive amount of apparent corruption in Nigeria, which has an oil-based economy. Its a top-down economy and not a healthy one, Summers said. The point is, you add all that together and thats a big challenge. My daughter is working at the bottom of all of that, trying to push from the bottom up. Thats part of the conversation we had. Summers said the trip opened his eyes to humanity efforts, whether they take place in Lakewood or halfway around the globe. I found it heartbreaking that these neighborhoods were not only being ignored but opposed by their government, Summers said. I found it heartwarming that citizens -- when given the tools, knowledge and support -- feel empowered and determined to improve their community. I also re-learned the power of storytelling as a most effective way to educate and empower citizens. Read more news from the Sun Post Herald here. SEVEN HILLS, Ohio -- Seven Hills resident Tom Jaros this week will begin to circulate an initiative petition to switch the city law directors position from elected to a mayoral appointment. He will need to gather at least 800 signatures to put the charter amendment on a future ballot. This comes after city council failed to pass a resolution to add a similar charter amendment to the May 7 ballot. Everybody Ive talked to likes the idea of the initiative petition, Jaros said. They really dont have a choice (to decide the law director position) based on the way things are right now because (Law Director Richard) Pignatiello always runs unchallenged. Theyre also seeing funny stuff happening at city hall and in the law department. There are a lot of people questioning this (charter amendment) not getting through council. Theyre not happy about that. Initially presented by the Charter Review Committee last summer to city council, the law director-related charter amendment did receive three readings earlier this year. At a Feb. 25 meeting, a no vote by Councilwoman-at-Large Leslie Stager, due to recusals by City Council President Biasiotta and Councilman Randolph Greenwald, led to its defeat 4-1. When an ordinance is on emergency, it requires five yes votes to pass. Another vote was set for March 4, which was the deadline to put it on the May 7 ballot; however, a procedural error kept the law director charter amendment from being voted on. In addition, earlier in the day on March 4 -- which that evening city council was presumably going to vote on a charter amendment that if passed by voters would directly affect his position with the city -- Pignatiello announced via a letter that Councilwoman Stager, Councilwoman Stacey Kelly, Councilman Tom Snitzky, Councilman Pat Elliott and former Councilman Bob Wrobel may have violated Ohios Sunshine Law. Pignatiello suggested a quorum of council members discussed via email an ordinance. While the law director said the matter is still being looked into, Kelly previously told cleveland.com she was told by the law director that he didnt think any violation took place. Jaros said he saw the emails in question. I received three pieces of paper with disjointed emails, Jaros said. I cant see anything you could even begin to say there was a Sunshine Law violation. I think it was retaliation. I think it was a stall tactic. He just doesnt want that appointed law director (charter amendment) hitting the ballot. Thats my opinion. At this point, some residents and city leaders are questioning whether what appears to be isolated incidents are actually a pattern of behavior aimed at intimidating members of the Seven Hills City Council and Charter Review Committee from putting the charter amendment on the ballot Now cleveland.com has learned on two separate occasions last spring Pignatiello called two Charter Review Committee members -- Phyllis Glaeser and Carol Paladin -- at home asking about the law director-related charter amendment that was being discussed at the time. We worked on (the appointed law director question) at two different sessions, said Glaeser. Well, somebody on our committee leaked to him thats what we were working on. The second night I received a call from Richard, which was inappropriate. He had no right to call me and ask me what my opinion was. Our opinions were within the room. I know he was trying to protect his PERS (Public Employees Retirement System). Paladin said because the Charter Review Committee sessions took place at the same time as various city meetings, she often ran into Pignatiello at city hall. She said at least one time he asked her if the Charter Review Committee was going to be meeting on the law department section. Paladin, who as part of the Charter Review Committee was instructed to research the finances related to changing the law director from an elected to appointed position, said she also received phone calls at her home from Pignatiello. I shared with him I was one of nine members, and I dont know what the body will decide after deliberating the materials, Paladin said. I didnt share my decision. What Mr. Pignatiello wanted to impress upon me was that he loved the city. Hes lived here all of his life. He loves what hes doing as law director -- its been like 20 years or so. Hes a good husband, good father and he needs to put his children through college. He was worried about his job. Paladin added, Honestly, I was a bit uncomfortable because we were a deciding body for this particular mans job. I felt his discussion to me describing being a good father, good husband was a little bit too close for comfort. It was borderline influential. When asked if he called Charter Review Committee members at home prior to the commission finishing its work, Pignatiello replied via text, These accusations are nothing more than the latest attempt by some members of council to advance their own personal agendas. For months, some council members have been enraged that I will not use my elected office to increase their personal political power. So now they have come after me with ridiculous accusations, threats and outright attempts to remove me from office. Charter Review Committee Chairperson Tom Littlepage said while Pignatiello never called him at home, the law director did talk to him about the potential charter amendment. He never asked me for my opinion on it, Littlepage said. He never asked me to do anything specifically. He expressed concern that for him personally it was a bad thing and that was it. Glaeser said Pignatiellos actions over the past year are nothing short of intimidation. When he came into that (March 4) caucus meeting with the Sunshine Law (violation) bit, I did all I could do to keep my mouth shut, Glaeser said. Whatever the hell that Sunshine Law business was, it was a way to stop any vote. For him to use that ploy, Im sorry, I think the people of the city have been tricked by him. Read more news from the Parma Sun Post here. CLEVELAND, Ohio Two men suffered gunshot wounds to their legs in separate shootings, according to police. Police were called to the 6400 block of Lorain Avenue in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood just after 5 p.m. Saturday. An unidentified male was taken to the hospital with a wound to his leg. No information was released on a motive or possible suspects. At 1:14 a.m. Sunday, a 30-year-old male was shot in his left leg near the intersection of East 116th Street and Buckeye Road in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood, police say. The man was taken by a private vehicle to University Hospitals. Additional information was not released Sunday. To comment on this story, go to the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. POMEROY, Ohio A former corrections officer could be sentenced to more than 100 years in prison after he was found guilty on multiple charges for the sexual assault of a dozen women. The Ohio Attorney Generals Office says Larry Tucker, 56, of Pomeroy, was convicted of six counts of kidnapping, five counts of sexual battery, five counts of attempted sexual battery, four counts of gross sexual imposition, one count of soliciting, one count of attempting to compel prostitution and one count of theft in office. Tucker was a corrections officer at the Middleport Jail and also was a Meigs County Common Pleas Court probation officer. Authorities say that between January 2011 and November 2017, Tucker sexually assaulted or attempted to sexually assault 12 different inmates and/or probationers. This predator, masquerading as a jailer and a probation officer, should now find himself on the opposite side of iron bars, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement. A date has not been set for Tuckers sentencing. His bond has been revoked and he is being held in jail, authorities say. To comment on this story, go to the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. Note: After this story was published on Monday, organizers of the merger proposal for Greater St. Louis said they were dropping their plans. Click here to find an update of this story that reflects the news that the merger campaign was abandoned. ST. LOUIS, Missouri - Missouri voters might get a once-in-a-lifetime chance next year to dramatically reshape the destiny of their states largest metro area by approving the merger of St. Louis with neighboring St. Louis County. Proponents envision a Metro St. Louis government that would greatly enhance the regions potential for job growth and save taxpayers up to $1 billion a year by eliminating redundant services now provided by the city, the county and 88 smaller municipalities. They plan to take that sales pitch to statewide voters in November 2020 in the form of a proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution. If approved, the amendment would largely dissolve the fragmented political landscape that many blame for the regions economic woes. Today, cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer launch Cleveland 2030, A Way Forward, a project that looks at the merger proposal with an eye for ideas that might address similar problems facing Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Cleveland 2030 is part of Cleveland Connects, a series of civic dialogues sponsored by PNC Bank since 2012. Like the Cleveland area, Greater St. Louis lags behind its peers in the ability to create a robust, sustainable economy, and both regions suffer from racial inequality, population loss and generational poverty. Unlike Cleveland, the St. Louis region has made several failed attempts at consolidation since 1876, when an act of the Missouri legislature separated the city from county, a decision known here as the Great Divorce. This latest effort is spearheaded by Better Together, a nonprofit that formed in 2013 at the urging of civic leaders to consider the possible benefits of a merger. Since then, Better Together has produced several studies on economic and social conditions in the Balkanized region. The group also consulted other relevant studies, including, Forward Through Ferguson, a report produced in the wake of the riots that followed the 2014 shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, an unarmed, African American, by a white Ferguson police officer. The task force also consulted a report chronicling the regions health disparities between poor and affluent areas. In analyzing the data, Better Together researchers concluded that: Competition between the many municipalities for sales-tax revenue needlessly drives up the value of incentives paid to developers. Cities and villages have their own business-licensing requirements that make it costly and time-consuming for contractors who do business in multiple municipalities. Some cities rely too much on fees collected by their municipal courts to fund their budgets. The quality of policing varies greatly among the 55 separate departments that serve the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and the 88 municipalities. Fragmentation prevents the region from forming a collective vision and speaking with one voice when trying to recruit businesses to the area. Life expectancies can vary greatly from one zip code to another. The area spends $213.16 per person to administer government, compared to $126.73 in Louisville, a city considered to be a peer. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson supports a merger of the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County. Better Together then formed a task force with the support of local leaders, including St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, to recommend a path forward. The task force looked at Indianapolis, Louisville and Nashville, three cities that have merged city and county governments, to come up with the best model for St. Louis. What has emerged is a plan to combine the city and county into one jurisdiction with a population of 1.3 million, making it one of the 10 largest cities by population in the nation. After a two-year transition period, voters in the new Metro St. Louis would elect a mayor and 33-member council. The 88 municipalities in the county would become semiautonomous municipal districts. The districts could keep their elected offices and continue to provide services such as fire protection, trash collection and park maintenance. Public schools also would remain under the control of voters in their communities. But Metro St. Louis would take charge of policing and economic development. The municipal districts would continue to collect property taxes, utility taxes and fees to fund their limited services, but most of the sales taxes they now receive would be used by the new Metro St. Louis government to provide for police, economic development and other services. The 55 police departments that serve the region would be merged into one Metro St. Louis unit. The plan also calls for consolidating the nearly 80 municipal courts into one, thus eliminating the ability of cities to use their municipal courts as cash cows. Perhaps most dramatically, the merger would eliminate costly redundancies in the 88 municipal districts, while delivering services with greater efficiency. By some estimates, the savings would reach $1 billion a year by 2032. While the benefits are considerable, the proposed merger will be tough to sell in some sectors. Some African-American leaders in St. Louis fear that a merger would dilute black political influence. And the elected officials of many surrounding municipalities are expected to want to hold on to their jobs and the power they wield. While municipal districts would be allowed to maintain their identity under the proposed merger, diminishing revenues probably would force some of them to dissolve and become part of the larger city, said Pat Kelly, executive director of the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis. For those reasons, and others, the Municipal League opposes a merger. Kelly claims Better Together is simply doing the bidding of one of its supporters, Rex Sinquefield, a polarizing, mega-rich conservative who supports the initiative because it would eliminate the one percent earnings tax in the city. Better Together Executive Director Nancy Rice acknowledged that Sinquefield wants to eliminate the earnings tax, but said that is not why the merger movement got started. She also said keeping the earnings tax, which is paid only by those who work or live in the city of St. Louis, would be a deal killer. You think Im going to go out to St. Louis County and say, hey, lets get together, lets merge the city and county and you guys can start paying the earnings tax? No. Kelly said Better Together could make the merger proposal more palatable by including ballot language requiring separate approval from voters in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County. But Kelly said he doesnt expect Better Together to oblige. Lewis Reed, the president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, said he will not support a proposal that is subject to a statewide vote rather that a vote of the residents of St. Louis and St. Louis County. But he is intrigued by some of the benefits of a merger. An African American, Reed said he is focusing less on the dilution of black political power and more on how a merged government could create economic empowerment. A proposal worthy of his support, he said, would need to contain assurances that savings from consolidation would be used to create jobs and uplift communities that have been left behind. Its in everybodys best interests that that happens, he said, because if we have a stronger, more engaged workforce, thats going to drop crime. Dr. Will Ross, associate dean for diversity and professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, helped draft Better Together's merger recommendations. One prominent African-American who supports the proposal is Dr. Will Ross, associate dean for diversity and professor of medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Ross is not just a supporter. He also served on the task force that drew up the proposed unification plan using three years of research from Better Together. And he contends that African Americans stand to benefit from a merger. As a doctor, Ross has been outspoken about health disparities between minorities in the city and more affluent white populations elsewhere in the region. Those and other long-ignored disparities could be better addressed under a metro government, Ross told cleveland.com, because the region would no longer be carved up into affluent and poor communities. You would no longer say, well, thats their problem, Ross said. Read more from Cleveland 2030, A Way Forward https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/05/will-st-louis-help-cleveland-see-a-way-forward.html https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/05/combine-police-departments-to-help-fight-crime-st-louis-merger-advocates-say-cleveland-2030-a-way-forward.html https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/05/african-american-leaders-had-little-faith-in-st-louis-merger-proposal-cleveland-2030-a-way-forward.html https://expo.cleveland.com/news/g66l-2019/05/2bc54825cf42/cleveland-and-st-louis-two-rust-belt-cities-with-a-lot-in-common-cleveland-2030-a-way-forward.html https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/05/failed-st-louis-merger-proposal-offers-lessons-to-greater-cleveland-partnership-cleveland-2030-a-way-forward.html https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/05/what-a-merged-st-louis-would-have-looked-like-and-why-cleveland-2030-a-way-forward.html The state of Ohio on Monday appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court a ruling by a three-judge federal panel that tossed out Ohios congressional district map as an unconstitutional gerrymander. The judges - two appointed by Democratic presidents (Bill Clinton and Barack Obama) and one appointed by Republican George W. Bush - in Fridays ruling gave the state until June 14 to adopt a new map that could be used for the 2020 election. Ohio Attorney Dave Yost on Monday both appealed the ruling and sought to block it from being enforced until the appeal could be heard. Cases like this go automatically to the U.S. Supreme Court, which already is considering gerrymandering cases from Maryland and North Carolina. Arguments in those cases were heard in March. Rulings are expected by the end of June. Yost, in his request to block the ruling, argued that decisions on the North Carolina and Maryland cases will impact Ohios case. If the Supreme Court holds that partisan gerrymandering is not unconstitutional, or that such claims are not non-justiciable, then it will reverse" the Ohio decision, the attorney general said in Mondays court filing. And, even if the Supreme Court rules that the North Carolina and Maryland maps are illegal, the criteria used may have to be applied to the Ohio case, Yost wrote. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, on behalf of the League of Women voters and others, filed the suit a year ago in an attempt to move up the timetable for congressional redistricting reform in the state. Separately, Ohio voters approved reform that will take place beginning with the 2022 election. The judges in their ruling said of the current map: We are convinced by the evidence that this partisan gerrymander was intentional and effective and that no legitimate justification accounts for its extremity. The election-law case is different than typical lawsuits filed in federal courts. Instead of being heard at the district level, this case was handled by a three-judge panel. Two district judges and one appeals court judge conducted the trial in Cincinnati. Appeals go directly the the Supreme Court. Cleveland.com federal courts reporter Eric Heisig contributed to this story. Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner. Find gerrymandering-related stories at this link at on cleveland.com. Rotunda Rumblings Timeline: State lawmakers dont have a lot of time to redraw Ohios congressional lines, after a federal three-judge panel said the map is an unconstitutional gerrymander, as cleveland.coms Rich Exner reports. Cleveland.coms Eric Heisig explains that the legislature is in the middle of deciding a two-year state operating budget and legislation that could bail out FirstEnergy Solutions nuke plants. However, Republicans may buy more time with their appeal of the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Where the Dems could make gains: If the Friday court decision were to prevail at the U.S. Supreme Court, Hamilton County could get a district where a Democrat stands a high chance of winning, writes cleveland.coms Seth Richardson in an analysis. However, it may not all be good for Democrats. For instance, some of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryans constituents have been recently voting Republican and new lines could provide a win for the GOP. Best things in life are free: If you havent signed up yet for Project Text, heres your chance to do it for free. For the month of May, youll get behind the scenes insights and observations via text messages from the reporting team that produces Capitol Letter. No obligation and no credit card needed. After that, you can decide whether to subscribe for $3.99 a month. You can sign up for the free trial here. And if youre interested in other exclusive texts on subjects like the Browns, Buckeyes and even beer, theres more info here. Happy warrior: If Gov. Mike DeWine is upset about House GOP leaders slicing and dicing his state budget proposal, he didnt show it on Friday. Asked about Speaker Larry Householders decision to drain his $900 million H2 Ohio water-protection fund, with the idea of borrowing the money for the program instead, DeWine told reporters: Sure, I would have preferred that we do this without bonding. But as you know, this is a work in progress. And as long as we can stay focused on the essential principles, Im going to be very happy. Power struggle: A PAC called Generation Now has launched a TV ad campaign urging support for House Bill 6, which would bail out two Ohio nuclear power plants owned by FirstEnergy Solutions. The reservation cost $616,000, and the ads are airing in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Lima, Youngstown, and Zanesville, and on multiple TV stations in West Virginia. Generation Now in the 2018 election gave $1 million to a pro-Householder dark money group. FCC files show the ads buyer is Strategic Media Placement, run by Columbus GOP political consultant Rex Elsass. Pull out a chair: David Betras announced Friday that he will resign as chair of the Mahoning County Democrats on May 15, citing time commitments and a reluctance to publicly criticize President Donald Trump while his son is in the army. Betras has been Ohio Democrats most vocal internal critic of the partys election strategy in 2016 and 2018. The Youngstown-area attorney had already said that he wouldnt run for re-election as chair because hes fed up with his partys losses. Repairing past injustices? Cleveland.coms Sabrina Eaton writes about the increased focus by 2020 Democratic presidential candidates on the issue of reparations to descendants of slaves. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan plans to co-sponsor a House bill to study and quantify effects of discrimination against black Americans. Feds frustrated: Thousands of Ohioans who have applied for Ohio Medicaid arent receiving notice of whether theyre eligible in a timely manner, the Dispatchs Cathy Candidsky writes. At one point last year, the backlog was 110,000 applications. The federal government is concerned because its rules require a 45-day turnaround for non-disability requests and 90 days for disability ones. Commending Cole: Ohio U.S. Sens. Rob Portman, a Republican, and Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, together announced they support President Donald Trumps nomination of Douglas R. Cole to serve as U.S. Federal District Court Judge for the Southern District of Ohio. Cole, who works as a Columbus attorney, was recommended by the Senates bipartisan judicial selection commission. All in the family: Scott Pullins, a Republican consultant and political adviser to House Speaker Larry Householder, announced in a release Friday that hes running as an independent for Mount Vernon City Council. Even more interesting is Pullins pick to be his campaign manager: his 15-year-old daughter Aliana, a high-school freshman. Full Disclosure Five things we learned from the Jan. 2, 2018 financial disclosure of Rep. Casey Weinstein, a Hudson Democrat. 1. Before the Ohio House, where he is serving his first term, Weinstein was a Hudson City Council member, earning less than $16,000 a year. 2. He reported working full-time for Gartner Inc. He wasnt required to list his income because he wasnt yet in the legislature. 3. At one point in 2017, he owed at least $1,000 on Citi, Visa and America Express cards, as well as to USAA Federal Savings Bank. He and his wife served in the Air Force. 4. Hes a Tesla Motor fan. He drives one and owned shares in its stock. 5. He had money in the USAA S&P 500 Index Fund. On the Move Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday announced his appointments of: Tina Husted, the wife of Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, to the Ohio Arts Council Allen L. Ryan Jr, the brother of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, to the Youngstown State University Board of Trustees Timothy J. Cosgrove of Kirtland to the Cleveland State University Board of Trustees Matthew T. Evans to the Ohio University Board of Trustees Justin P. Kelley as the student member of the Ohio University Board of Trustees Frances B. Henry of New Albany to the state Banking Commission Birthdays Darryl Jones Jr., legislative aide to state Rep. Terrence Upchurch Bill ONeill, ex-Ohio Supreme Court Justice and 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Straight From The Source Theres a charade going on right now. 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. Cincinnati-area resident Cynthia Warmbier, the mother of Otto Warmbier, who was believed to have been tortured in North Korea and died as a result of his injuries, on Friday at the Hudson Institute in Washington, according to the New York Times. She was referring to the U.S. talks with Kim Jong-un. Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free. COLUMBUS, Ohio--As state lawmakers sink their teeth into a state budget plan and other high-profile bills, theyll also have a culinary controversy on their plate: should the sugar cookie become the state cookie of Ohio? Thats what a pair of Cincinnati-area Democrats are proposing in legislation introduced Monday. State Reps. Brigid Kelly and Jessica Miranda say they introduced the bill at the request of a third-grade language arts class from All Saints School in Cincinnati. Currently, at least two states -- Massachusetts and New Mexico -- have an official state cookie. In a letter to Kelly, the class laid out a historical argument for why Ohio lawmakers should give that designation to the sugar cookie. Long ago when pioneers were first coming to this area, they traded their goods for sugar, which was considered a treat, the letter stated. Consequently, enjoying a sugar cookie was thought of as having something special to eat. In addition, the class noted that there are many variations of sugar cookies, so most everyone in our state has a favorite. The bill has quickly drawn criticism on social media -- not from sugar cookie haters, but from those who felt the lawmakers should be focused on more serious issues. But both Kelly and Miranda said there is a legitimate reason for introducing the legislation: it will give young students a chance to learn first-hand about the legislative process. Miranda, who served as president of the Winton Woods City School Board before becoming a lawmaker, said shes seen in her school district how effective project-based learning can be. So when I received the letter from the All Saints school, I was immediately jazzed, because they specifically said in their letter that this was a project they were working on, Miranda said in an interview. We thought it was such a good idea to let this class of children have the opportunity to come up and have hands-on experience about how a bill becomes a law -- or doesnt. Kelly noted that the legislature has made other state designations at the request of schoolchildren, including labeling April as Ohio Native Plant Month and making the monarch butterfly the states official butterfly. Kelly said the class is preparing to come up to Columbus to testify before a House committee in favor of the bill. I would expect for it to be a very interesting hearing, she said. But is the sugar cookie the personal favorite of Miranda and Kelly? Miranda said her favorite cookie is the snickerdoodle -- which, as she pointed out, is a type of sugar cookie. Kelly gave a more political answer. When it comes to cookies, I do not discriminate, she said. If the sugar cookie becomes the state cookie of Ohio, it will always be my first choice." Melting away some of those barriers is what Kowalewski does as education chair. She teaches her fellow students necessary Spanish phrases and vocabulary, along with medical vocabulary to talk to patients about their symptoms and medical needs. She also gives the group a background lesson in the history, culture and customs of the country. There's a lot of planning that goes into the trip in other areas, Kowalewski said. The group meets weekly from September through March to run mock clinics in Spanish, organize fundraisers and practice how to take blood pressure and use autorefractors. They also staff weekly shifts at Rite-Aid to collect medications and supplies, run a CMU Crowdfunding project to raise additional funds and catalogue hundreds of pairs of glasses annually for their in-country vision station. The meticulous planning helps students assist as many patients as possible during the trip. At the medical clinic, the students help with initial patient intake, by recording patients' symptoms, taking vitals, referring patients for consultations, distributing medications and supplies, and using autorefractors to measure eye prescriptions. They also provide public health information - this year, they met with children in Pueblo Nuevo to practice nutrition and hygiene education. Kowalewski said one of the most rewarding aspects is helping community members to see better. Carnegie Mellon Global Medical Brigades was one of the first chapters to pilot a vision station in 2015. "We have an inventory of roughly 700 or 800 glasses that we bring with us every year," Kowalewski said. The group measures the prescription of the glasses they collect at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and catalogues them in an inventory programmed by Jaehyun Lee, a junior biological sciences major and vice president of GMB. While in-country, they can input the prescription of the patient's eyes, as measured by the optometrist, into the program to find the best match and style of glasses for the patient. "I think the vision station has one of the most immediate and sustainable impacts," Kowalewski said. After giving one community member a pair of glasses, she recalled his relief that he could see better and his excitement that he could finally play his guitar again. Seeing this impact on previous trips gave Kowalewski another idea. She said she noticed that many in the community work outside and are unable to protect their eyes from preventable problems, such as exposure to ultra violet radiation. Kowalewski and Fundraising and Co-Vision Chair Jakub Kowalewski, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, rallied their efforts to set up a sunglasses collection. With the help of the Mellon College of Science and other colleges across Carnegie Mellon, they collected and distributed 300 pairs of sunglasses to patients who came through their clinic. The moments outside of the clinic are equally as impactful. One of the best feelings, Kowalewski said, is being welcomed into the community and getting to know the people they are working with. The students often get to spend time playing games with the younger kids, connecting with people their own age about their hopes for the future and learning from older community members. "GMB has been one of the most meaningful and eye-opening experiences of my life, and the interactions and connections that I have made with community members are things that I will remember for the rest of my life and carry with me wherever I go," Kowalewski said. Carnegie Mellon University is committed to educating, empowering and aligning its community around the world to address the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, which aim to create a more peaceful, prosperous planet with just and inclusive societies. Recognizing the critical contributions that universities are making through education, research and practice, CMU publicly committed to undertaking a Voluntary University Review of the Global Goals. The 17 Global Goals cover wide-ranging issues, including reducing violence, ending extreme poverty, promoting equitable education, fighting inequality and injustice, advancing economic growth and decent work, and preventing the harmful effects of climate change by 2030. The preceding story demonstrates CMU's work toward attaining Global Goals 3 and 10. The Securities and Exchange Commission takes a fine-toothed comb through any suspicious activity, but rarely do allegations include a suspect searching online how to avoid the agency. Massachusetts Institute of Technology research scientist Fei Yan was arrested Wednesday on federal charges of insider trading. Prosecutors say Yan searched "how sec detect unusual trade" before he bought numerous stocks and options that netted him around $120,000 in illicit profits. Yan also searched for phrases such as "insider trading in an international account." The SEC alleges that Yan's profits came from confidential information he obtained from his wife, who was an associate at international firm Linklaters. The London-based law firm announced it suspended Yan's wife, and will be cooperating with the SECs investigation. Yan bought holdings in Mattress Firm and Stillwater Mining, both companies his wife's firm was working with on acquisition deals. After the acquisitions were made public, Yan sold. His wife is not listed in the charges. To hide his illegal activity, prosecutors say, the Chinese national placed the trades in a brokerage account under his mother's name. "Yan attempted to evade detection by researching prior SEC cases against insider traders and using a brokerage account in a different name, but we identified the profitable trades in deals advised by the same law firm and traced them back to him," said Joseph G. Sansone, co-chief of the SEC Enforcement Division's Market Abuse unit. MIT spokeswoman Kimberly Allen confirmed Yan was employed in MIT's Research Laboratory of Electronics as a postdoctoral associate. Following his arrest in Massachusetts, Yan was charged with securities fraud and wire fraud. After a hearing in federal court in Boston, authorities released Yan on a $500,000 unsecured bond. Reuters contributed to this report. How can a formerly failing freshman in a South Carolina high school ultimately build a path to prosperity for millions of poor people nationwide? Through the U.S. tax code, of course. Born into poverty in North Charleston, South Carolina, and raised by a single mother, Tim Scott struggled economically and educationally early in life, like many of the 39 million low-income Americans facing a poverty threshold of $25,750 per year for a family of four. Ultimately, Scott found a mentor, graduated high school and college, built a business and subsequently served on the city council and in the state legislature, and became the only African-American to become both a U.S. Representative and Senator. More from Impact Investing: Not just millennials have impact investing in their game plan: Study Homeowner ditches 'energy guzzlers' for more efficient options Trump order brings scrutiny to eco-conscious 401(k) investments In late 2017, Sen. Scott (R-South Carolina) co-sponsored with Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) an innovative addition to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, whereby 8,700 low-income census tracts called Opportunity Zones could benefit investors with unrealized capital gains to sell existing investments and re-invest those gains in new ventures, business expansions and real estate in high-poverty areas. (An interactive map of all OZs can be found online at https://eig.org/opportunityzones.) According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, "low income" census tracts have "at least 50% of households with an income less than 60% of the Area Median Gross Income (AMGI)." Some OZs are in higher-population counties (such as Bronx County in New York, with 25% of residents, or Milwaukee, Wisconsin county 10% of residents). Some OZs are in rural counties with less than 3,000 people (like Baca County in Colorado, with 57% of residents, or 72% of residents in Modoc County, California). All of Puerto Rico qualifies, including three major counties of San Juan, Bayamon and Carolina, totaling more than 700,000 people, with median income of $19,775. However, with Opportunity Zones chosen by governors, some OZs may not be as needy. While Loving County in Texas has an OZ, its 82 people have the highest income per capita in Texas. Downtown Houston neighborhoods have also qualified as OZs in Harris County, Texas. Sources: U.S. Census, HIP Investor More than $2 trillion in unrealized gains sit on the ledgers of investors and corporations, according to the Economic Innovation Group, based in Washington, D.C., and partly funded by investor Sean Parker of Napster and Facebook fame. Investing directly in 8,700 Opportunity Zones (or 1 in 8 U.S. Census tracts) for 10 years or more would eliminate any federal taxes due on those gains and potentially reduce poverty via job creation and income growth related to those investments. So where can investors deploy their capital today? The IRS is formalizing rules and policies, so capital is generally not yet flowing, though a wave of Opportunity Zone fund offerings is emerging. Investors seeking impact and profit are optimistic and cautious. Institutional investors, such as Alliance Bernstein's Eric Glass, portfolio manager for fixed income impact strategies, are ready to invest. "Opportunity Zone investments that align with the spirit and integrity of uplifting historically marginalized communities, empowering them to catalyze, drive, own and operate the community investment" is what impact investors are seeking, he said. Stan Litow The days of traditional retirement may be over. Potential retirees at the lower and middle end of the economic spectrum simply can't afford to stop working, given the high costs of health care and housing, especially when you consider that only 1 in 3 Americans have access to retirement benefits through their employer. That means that a larger and larger percentage of Americans at or near retirement age need to work longer and longer. In fact, only about 20% of Americans expect to stop working at the traditional retirement age, according to Pew Research. Sadly, given their education and skill levels, the jobs that they are qualified for and may be able to fill are likely to be at wages lower than they earned previously. A recent Urban Institute study using Labor Department data found that of the 40 million Americans age 50 or above in the workforce, 22 million are facing forced retirement and 90% will earn less than they did before. More and more of the jobs being created require more and more education and skill levels. According to studies by Anthony Carnevale at Georgetown University, the percentage of jobs requiring a postsecondary degree jumped to 60% in 2008 from 28% in 1973, and that number only continues to increase. A skills shortage All too often, the required education and skill levels are in short supply for those entering the workforce. The situation is even worse for those nearing retirement age who need to keep working longer to cover their living expenses. And this problem is becoming even more troubling as more employers force people out of the workforce between ages 50 and 60. Often, it's not because of their age, but for a more compelling reason; a lack of education and the necessary skills to stay employed. Potential retirees at the lower and middle end of the economic spectrum simply can't afford to stop working, given the high costs of health care and housing. Without a solution this problem is likely to exacerbate an economic storm cloud. The skills crisis runs the risk of slowing economic growth, leaving employers without the workforce they need to sustain economic stability. Perhaps even more troubling is that those workers who had been thinking of retirement are forced out of their jobs early due to their lack of education and skills and are left to toil at ever lower wages. So what actions should be taken? While saving for retirement (a staple of retirement planning) is sound advice, so is investing in education and skills. And putting the focus on skills and education is directly connected to keeping older workers employed longer or having the credentials likely to benefit them in an "encore career" job search. Employers who obsess about the inability to find people entering the workforce with the right skills should think long and hard about making investments in building both the education and abilities of those in their workforce now. Those investments will likely pay an economic return in the long run that's greater than the "replacement" costs. Public-private partnerships Anadarko Petroleum's board of directors is likely to determine on Monday that Occidental Petroleum's buyout offer is superior to the agreement the board reached last month to sell Anadarko to Chevron, sources tell CNBC's David Faber. The decision would flip the momentum of the bidding war in Occidental's favor and put pressure on Chevron to sweeten its $33 billion offer. Occidental has taken several steps to outmatch the much larger Chevron since launching its $38 billion rival offer nearly two weeks ago. On Sunday, Occidental revised its bid, offering to purchase Anadarko for 78% cash and 22% stock, compared with its earlier 50-50 cash-and-stock proposal. Increasing the cash component of the deal means Occidental will not have to hold a shareholder vote on the acquisition, making it more certain that the driller could complete the deal. Occidental was able to offer more cash after securing a $10 billion preferred stock investment from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. Occidental also inked a deal to sell Anadarko's African oil and natural gas assets to French oil major Total for $8.8 billion, which would also fund the cash component of the acquisition. If Anadarko's board does deem Occidental's bid superior, Chevron will have four days to put another offer on the table. Anadarko would have to pay Chevron a $1 billion breakup fee if its board ultimately chooses Occidental's offer. Shares of Occidental initially fell following Faber's report, but were last up more than 1.6% after the driller announced first quarter earnings that beat Wall Street's expectations. Chevron's stock price was up about 1.1%. Anadarko's stock price spiked nearly $3 per share, or about 4%. The jump may signal the market expects Chevron to counter Occidental's revised offer. Anadarko did not return a request for comment. A spokesperson for Chevron referred inquiries to Anadarko. Apple buys a company every two to three weeks on average, CEO Tim Cook told CNBC. In roughly the last six months alone, Cook said, Apple has bought approximately 20 to 25 companies. Apple often doesn't announce these deals because the companies are small and Apple is "primarily looking for talent and intellectual property," Cook told CNBC's Becky Quick in an interview from Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting over the weekend. The aggressive acquisition style highlights Apple's massive purchasing power. In its fiscal second-quarter earnings statement, Apple reported a $225.4 billion cash hoard, making it one of the most cash-rich companies in the world. Apple has pledged to contribute $350 billion to the U.S. over five years through expansion and taxes on repatriated cash. Cook said that after investing in initiatives like its new $1 billion campus in Austin, Texas, the company turns its attention and spending to other goals. "If we have money left over, we look to see what else we [can] do," Cook said. "We acquire everything that we need that can fit and has a strategic purpose to it. And so we acquire a company on average, every two to three weeks." This strategy shines through in some of Apple's more high-profile acquisitions. Its 2018 acquisition of digital magazine subscription service Texture, for example, was a prelude to its new Apple News+ service that offers access to a variety of publications for a flat fee. Even though Apple acquires several companies a year, it's famous for not making major acquisitions. Its largest in recent memory was its $3 billion purchase of Beats in 2014. Apple turned Beats into its Apple Music streaming service and continues to sell Beats headphones as part of its growing wearables category. Apple has also reportedly mulled other major acquisitions, including Time Warner in 2016, according to a Wall Street Journal report at the time. Some have called on Apple to use its cash pile to make large acquisitions of companies like Tesla or Netlfix. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Watch: Buffett: I'm 'wildly' in favor of Apple repurchasing shares Apple CEO Tim Cook attended Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting for the first time this weekend. During the event, Cook sat down with CNBC's Becky Quick to discuss how he first learned Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett was investing in his business and the advice he had on buyback for Apple. Cook also shared details about Apple's acquisition strategy and his thoughts on being targeted by politicians in calls for tech regulation. Read the full transcript of Cook's interview below. The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity: BECKY QUICK: Let's talk about being here. This is your first time at Berkshire Hathaway. TIM COOK: Very first time. I'm a rookie. BECKY QUICK: What do you think of the annual meeting so far? TIM COOK: I think it's incredible. I've never been to an annual meeting like this before. You know, I thought ours was lively, but there's 40-plus thousand people here. And I love the fact that Warren and Charlie take every question, and of course through all of it, not just the wisdom that they exude, but you can feel the integrity and the humility coming out. I think it's a great learning experience for me and for everybody in the audience I'm sure. BECKY QUICK: Yeah, it's definitely unique. Let's talk a little bit about how you first found out that Warren Buffett was investing in your company. What happened? I don't know the story. TIM COOK: Well, I found out probably like you did. Which is the 13F gets filed, and somebody tells me about it, and I went, "Oh, this is really cool. Warren Buffett is investing in Apple." You know, we welcome all shareholders, but we run the company for the long term. And so the fact that we've got the ultimate long-term investor in the stock is incredible because our interests are aligned. But, I knew Warren before then. But we had no idea they were looking at the company. They do all that obviously secretly and have their own method of doing that. And it's been a privilege, and I'm super happy they've been accumulating. BECKY QUICK: What happened when you found out? Was there talk around the office? Were there any high-fives? Or was it a, "Oh boy, now what?" TIM COOK: It seemed like recognition in a way, like an honor and a privilege. And I don't mean that in a lighthearted kind of way. I mean, wow, it's Warren Buffett is investing in the company. And, yeah, so it felt great, I think for the whole company. Because we knew that he didn't, he's been very clear, he didn't invest in technology companies and companies he didn't understand. He's been totally clear with that. And so he obviously views Apple as a consumer company, and in a different kind of way. I think that's really special. BECKY QUICK: Well, I wanted to talk to you about that too. Warren, since he bought the stock, and a lot of other people since then have also said the same thing, that it's a consumer company, not a technology company. How do you feel about that? Because I still think of you as a tech company too. TIM COOK: We're in the tech industry, but we work at that intersection of technology and the liberal arts and the humanities. And so we make products for people, and so the consumer is at the center of what we do. And so I love the fact that he looks at us like that, because we want consumers to look at us like that. We believe that technology should be in the background, not the foreground, and that technology should empower people to do things and help them do things they couldn't do otherwise. But if things appear as technology, they're not used very much, you know. They are for other people, not for all of us. And so I love the fact that he looks at it like that. BECKY QUICK: Well, how do you think of the company just in terms of what your mission is, how do you go about doing things? We hear from different companies. Amazon's always talking about how it's about the customer. What is your kind of modus operandi? TIM COOK: Our mission is to make the best products in the world in those areas that we choose to participate that enrich people's lives. And so, if we can't make the best product, we don't go in. If we can make a great product, but it doesn't help anybody, it doesn't enrich their life, then we're not gonna go in that either. That's a pretty narrow funnel then, because you're working on a few things. And we know that in order to do them at the quality level that we want to do them, we can only do a few. And, you know, we can do more than we used to do, because we're a bit larger now. But still, in the scheme of things, relative to the size of Apple, we do a very few things. BECKY QUICK: How does that work, just in terms of processing? Are there dozens or even hundreds of projects that are taking place that eventually funnel their way to where you make that decision about which one's gonna be the next one you jump on? TIM COOK: It's not nearly as formal as that. Apple is, in some ways, it's like a big start-up, in that it has an informality about it. And the company tends to run itself horizontally. And so we're functionally organized, but teams work together on projects. And these teams are empowered to come up with new things. And people are coming up with new things that are not in those teams as well. And so there's a nice heavy debate culture in Apple where the best ideas are debated. And then we choose from the best of the best to decide what to spend our time on. BECKY QUICK: I think Apple has probably always had a culture of debate. Is it a culture of nicer debate these days? TIM COOK: Is it nicer? Oh, some people think I'm nice, and some people think I'm not. And I don't, you know, I let other people conclude that. What I believe in, I think collaboration is very key for us. You can't run a structure where you want all the products in the company to work together well, if the company isn't working together well. You know, or otherwise, that shows up at the customer. And so, I think collaboration is key, but debate is also key. And to have a healthy tension and debate is fundamental to coming up with great ideas. And so, I suspect if some people could be invisible and step into some of our meetings, they would think, "Oh, these folks don't like each other." But really and truly, people at Apple ... it's like a big family in a way. But big families argue and debate things as well, and we do that too. BECKY QUICK: What's a topic of debate at headquarters these days? TIM COOK: There's always a debate on what will happen, what categories we should go in, what categories we should not go in. We debate about features. We debate about trends. We debate about new technologies, because choosing which technology to bet on many years before that technology makes itself to a customer and makes a difference is really key, because these things are very long-term investments. We debate about where to put our emphasis in geographies. We debate everything, but in a good way. BECKY QUICK: I won't ask you to tell me about a debate that's taking place specifically right now, because obviously that's proprietary. But tell me about a hotly debated subject that we might already know the answer to. Just give me a story about how something that works. One that you remember saying, "Oh, this was a big debate." TIM COOK: Well, there was a healthy debate about going into the watch space. Right, a very healthy debate. And about what it could eventually do for people, and how much emphasis to place on the health and fitness side of that. You know, where to put the relative balance. You could imagine, there's an incredible set of features in the watch just to do things like curate when you're interrupted, and people are now taking calls on them. And sort of the things that you would think is part and parcel to the iPhone, but in a curated manner. And, or you could, to put the emphasis on fitness and health and so forth, and we've elected to do some of this in a great way. But we put an enormous amount of energy in the health and-fitness and wellness side as well. And that was a new area for us. And so a healthy debate should have happened, and it did. BECKY QUICK: Obviously, you were on the side of really embracing that in the end, because nothing's gonna get made without you signing off on it. Were you always on that side, or did you come around in the debate? TIM COOK: You know, I've always thought that if you want to enrich somebody's life, one of the most important things, or certainly in the top two or three is their well-being. And I think because of a number of factors in society and so forth, people have sort of outsourced a bit of how they wanna feel to their doctor. And we've always been about empowering the person and democratizing things. And now all of a sudden, you can do an E.C.G. on your wrist. Now all of a sudden, this thing will alert you if it believes you have A-fib. And it doesn't replace the doctor, obviously. But people don't wake up one day and say, "Oh, let me get an E.C.G. today," right? It's, maybe you have one or two or three in a lifetime. And maybe you only have them if you have a really serious thing that's happened a number of times. Now you can do it anytime. And I'm getting so many notes from people that have found out they do have A-fib, and they've told me that their doctor has told them that, if they would not have reached out, they would have had a very serious, very, very serious health issue. And, you know, these are profound things. The notes I get from people that have lost a ton of weight, because this thing gets you in a mode where you want to close these rings. And it is. It's sort of a true North. BECKY QUICK: In terms of counting how many steps or counting how much activity you've done? TIM COOK: Exactly, because we can all kid ourselves. "Oh, I think I've done a lot today." But, you know, this thing tells you the truth. And so I just see all of these tentacles for people. I've seen where people went off, they didn't have their phone with them, they got into an extraordinary issue. One guy turned over in a car. He sent me a note saying, "My phone went out the window when the car rolled over. I was on this country road, nobody within a distance. I would have been left for dead, if I wouldn't have been able to contact emergency services." I've had both young people and older people tell me that the fall detection on here has gotten them out of a huge jam because they had a problem and they fell. And not in a way that they could get back up, right? And so I look at these things, and I see the kind of things we're doing with health records. I see the kind of things we're doing with the V.A. And I just think we're on the cusp of a very long path to helping people. And if you can help people, you can build a big business out of that. BECKY QUICK: Yeah. Let's talk about a debate that you've been front and center on in the public sphere, and that's privacy. TIM COOK: Yes. BECKY QUICK: You have been very outspoken about this. TIM COOK: Yeah. BECKY QUICK: When did Apple make that decision to say, we are not going to sell our customers' data, we're gonna protect it, we think that's an important one? TIM COOK: It's sort of foundational to the way we think, because we work for the consumer. And so we if we can convince you to buy an iPhone, we'll make a little bit of money. But we don't want to use you as our product. And we just have a fundamental issue with doing that. And we've always thought that the building of a detailed profile about your life ... could result in tragic things, whether it's a breach of your own privacy or something where the data itself could be used in a nefarious way. And so, we've never thought it was right to do it, and we've always thought that you own it. I don't own your data; you do. And we've sort of got ourselves that we feel a level of responsibility, that we know that more about you is on your phone than anywhere else in your life. I mean, your phone knows your thoughts. Your phone knows your friends, your kids, maybe where they are. It knows your financials. It knows your health data. It has all of this information far beyond anything else in your life. If a burglar broke into a house and went through every drawer in your home, they would know a lot less than if they opened your phone. And so, we think with that comes a great responsibility on us to help you, because everybody can't be a computer scientist and figure out how to do all of these things. BECKY QUICK: Facebook and others have taken a different tack. A different business model. And I think some of what's happened from that may be part of the reason that Washington and other regulators are really looking to crack down on big technology. They've lumped you in with the bunch that they'd like to kinda break up potentially. Do you get frustrated by that? TIM COOK: I'm frustrated that tech is painted as monolithic. Tech is not monolithic. That would be like saying, "All restaurants are the same," or "All TV networks are the same." You know, they all have their own personality and characteristics and so forth. And so, if you look at Apple, we're large, and we're geographically in the same location as a lot of tech companies. And that is about the extent of the commonality. Market cap may be another one perhaps, but put those aside. I don't think anybody would call us a monopoly, or anybody that has a very deep, antitrust kind of mindset. Because you look at our share. We have 15% share in the world on smart phones and eight or nine on personal computers, and so on and so forth. And so the share is clearly not a dominant kind of company or dominant market. That's different depending upon which of these companies you look at, right? The privacy thing is a huge difference. We don't traffic in your data. We very much are on your side. We also curate our platform. We've always viewed that there's a web, and we support a free and open web. And we support net neutrality. But we've never viewed that our platform should just be a replication of this. We think it should be ... unique and curated, and we think our customers want that. That they want the safety, security, and privacy that goes along with that. And so we've always curated ... we don't get wrapped up in a pretzel about saying, "No, that doesn't go on our platform, no that app doesn't work, and therefore it's not going in the App Store." I know that that has opened us for criticism. But it's a part of being a shop owner or whatever. If you own the shop on the corner, you decide what goes in your store. And so I think a lot of these kind of things make sound bites and maybe play in politics with elections and these sort of things. But I don't view them as having deep substance in them, and I believe they are at the root, as you point out, tech is being painted with a big roller. And it needs to be painted with a fine-tipped brush. BECKY QUICK: When Steve Jobs was running Apple, and Bill Gates was running Microsoft, they were kind of each other's nemesis. They had a frenemies type of relationship, where they respected each other, but they definitely competed pretty harshly. Who's your nemesis? TIM COOK: I don't view that I have one. I'm sure there's a lot of people who don't like me. And I hope there's a lot of people that do. But, I mean, for us we compete with a whole bunch of people. It's a fierce market. We compete on the operating system side with Google and Microsoft. We compete in the hardware space with Samsung and Huawei and many other prominent Chinese companies, in particular. We compete in the PC space with Dell to H.P. to Lenovo. And so each one of these markets we're in has a significant number of competitors. But ... I don't fixate on the personalities or the company. We focus on the customer, and always ask ourselves, "What more can we do for the customer?" You know, and so that's how we look at it. BECKY QUICK: Finally, I just want to ask you about the share buybacks. Another $75 billion that's been authorized for repurchases. Warren Buffett's been talking about that today. He's a huge fan of it. Have you spoken with him at all about that? TIM COOK: You know, this is a funny story a bit, is back in 2012, I'd been in the CEO spot maybe a year or so. We had a growing amount of cash. I think we had just crossed the $100 billion mark, if my memory is correct. And I was getting lots of input from a lot of different people, as you can guess. And when I don't have experience in something, I always make a list of the people that I think are the smartest people that I can contact to talk to them and get advice. And Warren was on the top of the list. As you can imagine, I'd never met Warren before. And so I get his number. I call out into Omaha. And I'm think I wasn't sure he'd take the call. You know, I'm just sort of calling outta the blue. He doesn't know me from Adam. But he took the call, and I had a great conversation with him. And that was the first time that I'd met Warren. And he was very clear to me. I still remember it. He said, he goes, "Let me just cut through it. If you believe your stock is undervalued, you should buy your stock." And I thought that was just the simplest way of looking at it. So here's what we do is, we first and foremost take care of our people, and we take care of the company and the future of the company. And we've been investing a ton in both this country and some others. We're gonna spend $350 billion in the United States in building new sites. And we've just got the new expansion in Austin and so forth. So all of that is number one, right? And then if we have money leftover, we look to see what else we do. We acquire everything that we need that can fit and has a strategic purpose to it. And so we acquire a company on average, every two to three weeks. BECKY QUICK: Small companies. TIM COOK: They're small companies. We don't announce them. We are primarily looking for talent and intellectual property. BECKY QUICK: Every two to three weeks, you're buying a company? TIM COOK: Every two to three weeks. BECKY QUICK: I had no idea. TIM COOK: We bought probably 20 to 25 companies in the last six months or so. And then, we look at, what do we have leftover? And if we've got something leftover, we look at where we can place it. And the top value that we believe we can place it is investing in ourselves and investing in Apple. And so we do that. We're fortunate in that, when we buy our stock we think that almost 50% of U.S. households own Apple stock, either directly or indirectly through indexes and mutual funds and so forth. And so it helps everybody or helps a large number of people. Watch: Buffett: I'm 'wildly' in favor of Apple repurchasing shares Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. The United States is deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a clear message to Iran that any attack on U.S. interests or its allies will be met with "unrelenting force," U.S. national security advisor John Bolton said on Sunday. Amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, Bolton said the decision was "in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings." "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or regular Iranian forces," Bolton said in a statement. It marked the latest in a series of moves by President Donald Trump's administration against Iran in recent weeks. Washington has said it will stop waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero. It has also blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Trump administration's efforts to impose political and economic isolation on Tehran began last year when it unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal it and other world powers negotiated with Iran in 2015. "The United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," Bolton said. Bolton, who has spearheaded an increasingly hawkish U.S. policy on Iran, did not provide any other details. A U.S. official said the forces "have been ordered to the region as a deterrence to what has been seen as potential preparations by Iranian forces and its proxies that may indicate possible attacks on U.S. forces in the region." The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the United States was not expecting any imminent attack on U.S. forces. Muslim properties were attacked yesterday. The police did not announce any arrests or injuries. Public schools reopened today but were deserted. For Christians, Sunday liturgy was in front of the TV. Some 600 foreigners have been expelled, including 200 Islamic clerics. Colombo (AsiaNews/Agencies) Card Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo, is calling on his fellow Sri Lankans to remain calm, this after Christian and Muslim groups clashed yesterday in Negombo. This is the first time that violence breaks out between members of the two religious communities, a sign of the tensions that reign in the country after the Easter Sunday attacks against three churches and three hotels in Colombo that left 257 people dead. "I appeal to all Christians, Buddhists and Muslims to be patient, show restraint and ensure the peace we maintained after the Easter bombings," Card Malcolm Ranjith said on national television this morning. Some videos posted online show Muslim-owned homes damaged in Negombo, windows shattered by stones, cars overturned. The police did not release any information about any arrests or injuries. The town, which is located north of the capital, is home to St Sebastian, one of three churches attacked. As a result of the clashes, the authorities imposed a local curfew until 7am this morning, to avoid further violence. Sri Lanka'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. Meanwhile, the country's public schools reopened today, after being closed as a result of the bombings. Catholic schools will however remain closed for the foreseeable future. Before reopening, the authorities carried out checks in all of the countrys 10,900 schools. Despite reassurances, very few parents took their children to school today. At Royal College, only about 5 per cent of its 6,000 students were back in classes, a school official said. Yesterday, churches stayed closed as well, whilst Card Ranjith celebrated the liturgy live on TV. He had initially announced the resumption of Masses but was forced to change his mind after receiving warnings from "reliable foreign sources". Recently, the archbishop slammed the Sri Lankan government for failing to properly manage the emergency situation. In connection with the investigations, Sri Lankan authorities announced the expulsion of 600 foreigners, including 200 Islamic clerics. Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said that the clerics had overstayed their visas. He did not elaborate about their country of origin, but police said many foreigners who overstayed their visas were from Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Pakistan. Cabot Oil & Gas rose Monday morning as the rest of the stock market dropped after one of Wall Street's up-and-coming hedge fund managers named the stock one of his top investment ideas. Matthew Smith of Deep Basin Capital, a nascent energy-focused fund based in Stamford, Connecticut, said he's long Cabot thanks to the company's solid production. The company is a leader in the Marcellus Shale region of New York, one of the biggest and most prolific sources of natural gas in the country, Smith said from the Sohn Conference in New York. "Many of Cabot's peers are materially, structurally and terminally disadvantaged and, should Cabot not be acquired, we think in very short order, Cabot will be just one of very few natural gas E&Ps left standing," Smith said. Smith said that the company will also benefit from a its 10% stake in the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline, which will help it deliver gas to the Washington, D.C. and New York metro areas, where gas sells for a premium on a seasonal basis. He projected that the upside scenario for the stock puts it in mid-$40 range it opened at $25.15 Monday with downside risk to low-$20 range. His base case puts in the stock in the mid-$30 range. Cabot Oil & Gas shares rose as much as 0.4% Monday while the S&P 500 fell more than 1%. Energy was the best-performing and only positive sector on the large-cap index during the morning decline. The measles outbreak in New York drove another increase across the U.S. in an already historically bad year for the disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. The federal health agency confirmed 60 new cases last week, bringing the 2019 total to 764 highest in 25 years. It's also a record number of cases since the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. Of the new 60 cases, 52 were reported in New York, where two large outbreaks are occurring. In New York City, 41 new cases were confirmed, the CDC said. Eleven new cases were confirmed in suburban Rockland County. Health officials in both communities are urging people to vaccinate and are trying to control the disease from spreading. Cases have now been confirmed in 23 states this year, with Pennsylvania being the newest addition. Measles is highly contagious yet preventable with a vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. More parents are refusing to vaccinate their children, sometimes based on false information that vaccines cause autism. The disease spreads quickly and easily among people who aren't immunized, leaving communities with high rates of people who aren't protected vulnerable. Six of the 13 outbreaks in the U.S. were associated with close-knit religious or cultural communities with lower immunization rates, the CDC said last week. Yet they accounted for 88% of all cases this year, highlighting how easily the disease can spread among people who are not vaccinated. The agency defines outbreaks as three or more cases. 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. Health officials are warning that the longer the outbreaks continue, the greater the chance that measles will "again get a sustained foothold in the U.S." Measles starts with a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and sore throat. It then causes a rash. Some people develop severe complications, such as pneumonia or brain swelling. Children younger than 5 and adults older than 20 are more likely to experience complications, making the disease especially dangerous for them. China said Monday its negotiators are still preparing to travel to the U.S. for trade talks this week despite President Donald Trump threatening Beijing with increased tariffs. That wasn't quite a confirmation that the talks would still go on, but it quieted some concern following multiple reports that the Chinese side was reconsidering its involvement in the negotiations. Trump said in a Sunday afternoon Twitter post that the current 10% tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods will rise to 25% on Friday. He also threatened to impose 25% levies on an additional $325 billion of Chinese goods "shortly." Chinese Vice Premier Liu He had planned to bring a large delegation to Washington on Wednesday to hash out a trade deal and there'd been talk in recent days that something resembling a deal could result. Instead, two sources briefed on the talks said the Chinese side may be weighing backing out of this week's negotiations. That was pegged to Trump's new threats, they said, which abandon a six-month truce after Beijing waffled on some previously discussed commitments. One source had said the Chinese vice premier would likely cancel the trip he'd planned for himself and a 100-person delegation for the final round of talks that U.S. officials had previously said could yield a deal by Friday. Chinese officials canceled a trip in late September 2018 in similar circumstances. A second source said Trump's decision to more than double the tariff rate on $200 billion of goods was meant to send a message to Liu to not come to the U.S. with more "empty offers." During a Monday news conference, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said through a translator that the country's team "is preparing to travel to the U.S. for the trade talks." He did not confirm whether Liu would be among that group. The spokesman, Geng Shuang would not elaborate on the number of people on the Chinese team, the length of the trip, or the date of departure. Instead, he told reporters to contact the relevant authority. The Ministry of Commerce did not respond to a CNBC faxed request for comment. Geng also emphasized that such back-and-forth in the trade negotiations have happened before, and that the latest round of talks saw "positive" progress. The White House, the Treasury and the U.S. Trade Representative's office did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is expected to join a delegation in the United States this week, a potentially positive sign for a trade agreement between the U.S. and China even as the Trump administration says it will hike tariffs on Chinese goods. The tariff increase will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told reporters on Monday. But the U.S. would reconsider the duties if talks get back on track, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also said. Liu's presence could be telling: market watchers considered it more likely that the U.S. would hike tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25% from 10% if he did not attend the talks. Still, some new roadblocks have emerged ahead of the next round of negotiations. U.S. officials on Monday accused China of reneging on commitments made as part of the negotiations. Lighthizer described an "erosion of commitments" on the part of the Chinese. The Chinese team is set to come to Washington on Thursday and Friday, according to Lighthizer. Talks continue, and the two sides are not cutting off discussions after President Donald Trump threatened to increase tariffs already placed on Chinese products and add new duties, the trade official said. China's Commerce Ministry confirmed Tuesday that Liu will visit the U.S. on May 9 and May 10, according to Reuters. U.S. stocks did not move drastically in extended-hours trading following the remarks from Lighthizer and Mnuchin. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, which tracks the S&P 500 index, was down about 0.5% in extended trade. The comments from top U.S. trade officials follow a choppy day in both Asian and U.S. stock markets sparked by Trump's tweeted tariff threat. Stocks initially fell Monday after Trump first announced the tariff increase in a tweet Sunday. While U.S. equities initially plunged Monday, they recovered throughout the day as investors surmised that the president may not have upended the talks. CNBC previously reported that a Chinese team would still come to the U.S. this week for talks, although it may be smaller than originally planned. U.S. officials said they saw a shift in tone in the talks over the weekend. Mnuchin said China wanted to go back on clear commitments that had the potential to change the deal significantly. Lighthizer and Mnuchin did not comment on the separate tariffs on $325 billion in Chinese products that Trump threatened in a tweet Sunday. CNBC's Stephanie Dhue contributed to this report Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. A Chinese delegation will come to the U.S. this week for trade talks after President Donald Trump upended negotiations by threatening new tariffs on Sunday, according to sources familiar with the matter. One of the sources briefed on the status of talks said the Chinese would send a smaller delegation than the 100-person group originally planned. It is unclear whether Vice Premier Liu He would still helm this smaller group, an important detail if the team were traveling to Washington with an eye toward sealing a deal. Two senior administration officials described Liu as "the closer," since he had been given authority to negotiate on President Xi Jinping's behalf. The team from Beijing was set to start talks with American negotiators on Wednesday as the world's two largest economies push for a trade agreement. It is unclear whether the talks will still start Wednesday. The White House, Treasury Department and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative did not immediately respond to requests to comment. This chip dip could be your chance to buy. The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF and the iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF, two of the top exchange-traded funds tracking chipmakers, both lost more than 2% in intraday trading Monday following a hiccup in U.S.-China trade negotiations. The market-cap-weighted ETFs, both of which count Qualcomm and Intel among their top holdings, have managed to skirt trade-related weakness for much of 2019, until this week. Both are still up more than 32% year to date. That's why some experts, like Todd Rosenbluth, senior director of ETF and mutual fund research at CFRA, think this group's decline is more of an opportunity than a doomsday. "We at CFRA are still positive on a number of those semiconductor companies that you find in the concentrated SMH and the SOXX ETFs," Rosenbluth told CNBC's "ETF Edge" on Monday, referring to the ticker symbols for VanEck's and iShares' ETFs. "Larger-cap companies tend to hold up better in times of market volatility." Not only have most of the semiconductor makers' earnings reports come in better than feared this quarter, but much of Monday's weakness largely tied to a series of tweets from President Donald Trump on Sunday threatening higher tariffs on Chinese goods was a "knee-jerk reaction" when it comes to their stocks, Rosenbluth said. Morningstar's Ben Johnson, who runs the firm's global ETF research arm, largely agreed. "Clearly, what we're seeing today is people are selling first and asking questions later," Johnson said in the same "ETF Edge" interview. "This is a segment of the market that's done phenomenally well over the course of the past one, three, five and 10 years, but the price investors have paid for that great performance has been measured in increments of volatility." "An ETF like SMH, which stands for 'shake my head,' has really earned its ticker today on a day where that volatility is, again, rearing its ugly head," he said. Rosenbluth wasn't exactly shaking his head at the SMH, which he said his firm preferred over SOXX, the iShares fund. "When we look inside the portfolio ... we like a lot of the stocks that are heavily weighted, so Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor, a couple of them," he said. "So, Ben talked about the historical performance, but as you look forward, we at CFRA like SMH also for its liquidity and its below-average expense ratio, of those two products." The SMH and SOXX ETFs each ended Monday trading roughly 1.5% lower, having reversed course with the broader market. Eileen Murray, co-chief executive officer of Bridgewater Associates LP, speaks during the Bloomberg Business of Equality conference in New York, U.S., on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. A co-CEO of the world's largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, is considering leaving the fund, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Eileen Murray, who has been with the fund for more than a decade, has been approached by Wells Fargo about its open executive role, the Journal said. Murray has spoken both internally and externally about leaving Bridgewater, people familiar with the matter told the Journal. Wells Fargo has been searching for a CEO since Tim Sloan stepped down in March after the three-decade Wells Fargo veteran was unable to rectify a scandal his predecessor left. The scandal involved employees at the fourth-biggest U.S. bank creating fake accounts to meet sales quotas. Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, whose company owned more than $20 billion worth of Wells Fargo stock at the end of last year, didn't approve of the way Sloan left the company, saying he was forced out by unnecessary political pressure. "I was 100% behind Tim Sloan the day it was announced he resigned," Buffett told CNBC's Becky Quick on Thursday, ahead of Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Buffett says that although there are plenty of qualified Wall Street bankers to fill Sloan's place, any banker who "is good enough to take the job shouldn't want it." Buffett said that anyone in that role would be a "pinata" from now until election time and would face scrutiny from politicians trying to make a political statement. Murray, 61, would be the ultimate Wall Street banker to fill the role, having leadership roles at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse during her two decades-plus tenure in the financial services industry, according to Bridgewater's company website. Murray is reportedly not unhappy in her role at Bridgewater. Since joining the Ray Dalio-founded fund in 2008 Murray has spearheaded its partnership with BNY Mellon and Northern Trust, overseen Bridgewater's long-term real estate fulfillment strategy and started the firm's Diversity and Inclusion Council. Bridgewater is not only the world's largest hedge fund with about $160 billion assets under management, but the fund posts returns that regularly outperform the benchmark indexes as well as its peers. Bridgewater's flagship Pure Alpha fund finished 2018 with a 14.6% return of net fees, a person with knowledge of the matter told CNBC. Bridgewater Associates could not be immediately reached for comment. Wells Fargo declined to comment. Here's the full Wall Street Journal story. The euro zone economy limped into the second quarter with lackluster growth as weakness in the manufacturing sector is increasingly affecting the bloc's dominant services industry, a survey showed on Monday. IHS Markit's Euro Zone Composite Final Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), considered a good measure of overall economic health, dipped to 51.5 in April from March's 51.6. That was higher than an earlier flash reading of 51.3 but close to the 50-mark separating growth from contraction. "The survey is indicative of the economy growing at a quarterly rate of approximately 0.2%, but manufacturing remained mired in its steepest downturn since 2013 and service sector growth slipped lower," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit. In the first quarter the economy grew a surprisingly strong 0.4%, official data showed last week, but an April Reuters poll suggested growth would slow to 0.3 percent this quarter. Once again some of that activity was generated by firms filling in past orders. The backlogs of work index was well below the breakeven mark at 48.6, not much higher than March's more than four-year low of 48.2. "Worryingly, growth of output continues to run ahead of that of new orders, meaning even the modest current growth of business activity is only being sustained by firms eating into orders placed in prior months," Williamson said. A PMI covering the services industry fell to 52.8 from 53.3. A factory PMI released last week showed activity contracted for a third consecutive month in April. As a downturn in manufacturing usually spreads to services, optimism waned. The business expectations index for services firms dipped to 62.2 from 62.3. European stocks saw a sell-off on Monday, after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hike tariffs on goods from China. Germany's DAX and France's CAC closed down by around 1%, trimming some heavy losses seen earlier in the session as sentiment improved on Wall Street. In the U.K., markets were closed due to a public holiday. The sell-off was quite significant in auto stocks, which dropped more than 2% by the end of the session. Trading was mostly affected by news overnight that the U.S. could impose further duties on China. Trump said he had decided to raise current tariffs from 10% on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25% on Friday. In a Twitter post, he also threatened to impose extra 25% levies on an additional $325 billion of Chinese goods "shortly". Chinese markets plunged more than 6% on the news. Officials in Beijing are considering whether to back out of trade talks with the U.S. that were scheduled for this week. Both countries had indicated over the last weeks that they had made progress in their trade discussions. In the U.S., stocks fell but managed to recover a good chunk of those losses around late-morning trading. In the corporate world, ThyssenKrupp said it is still looking to reach an agreement with European antitrust regulators on a planned joint venture with Tata Steel, Reuters reported. Elsewhere, the European Commission is reportedly set to launch a formal investigation into Apple in the next few weeks. According to the Financial Times, this is on the back of a complaint filled by Spotify earlier this year. Glenview Capital Management CEO Larry Robbins said Monday that he's shorting shares of industrial conglomerate 3M. Robbins underscored 3M's mounting litigation headaches, which span multiple states and center on pollution as a result of its operations. The manager added that, since 2015, 3M's lawsuits have soared eightysevenfold and now pose a significant liability to the company's earnings. Glenview estimates that 3M will lose between $4 billion and $6 billion as a result of the litigation. "You don't have to be Erin Brockovich to realize it's not a good pattern," Robbins said. "This company, 12 days after filing their 2017 10-K in 2018 paid out" an $850 million settlement to Minnesota, which claimed the manufacturer contaminated water in the state for at least 50 years. New Jersey officials filed a similar suit against 3M in March to pay to clean up water and soil contamination. The suit in New Jersey court came days after the state's environmental department directed five companies to take action on contamination caused by toxic chemicals commonly known as PFAS. Shares of 3M fell 1.9% Monday versus the S&P 500's 0.8% decline. Long a fan of health-care stocks, Robbins also said he likes HMO health-care names like Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealth Group, but he doesn't like pharmaceutical stocks due to the political risk. He highlighted that many Democratic presidential hopefuls as well as President Donald Trump are opposed to lofty drug prices. "In pharmaceuticals ... the president can act unilaterally to reduce drug pricing," Robbins warned from the 2019 Sohn Conference in New York. "The same drug in the United States costs three times as much as other" developed countries. Robbins spoke at length about possible changes to the health-care system, calling the "Medicare for all" plan favored by many progressives "dead on arrival." Robbins said Glenview has three long and 16 short positions in the pharmaceutical space and recommends investors short any ETF that tracks the space. Last year, he picked Express Scripts-Cigna, CVS-Aetna and McKesson as his winners in the field. The holy month of fasting will end on June 4 with the feast of Eid al-Fitr. Public offices and companies reduce working hours. Saudi newspaper praises the acts of charity of "Muslims and Christians". After years of war, in Syria the markets are again crowded. In Iran there are fears of the announcement of new US sanctions. Beirut (AsiaNews) - More than a billion Muslims today celebrate the beginning of Ramadan, the sacred month that Islam dedicates to fasting and prayer, which varies from a few hours between different nations across the world depending on the first sighting of the crescent moon. The Saudi Supreme Court has affirmed that "today, May 6, is the first day of Ramadan of the year 1440", with the star sighted - the procedure can vary according to the atmospheric conditions and the distance between sun and moon on the horizon - in different cities and rural areas of the kingdom. Together with the Saudis, also the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Syria, Egypt, Australia, Turkey, Indonesia and Morocco - to name a few - celebrate the beginning of the holy month for Islam today. It is the first day of fasting and prayer also for Muslims in the United States and Europe. The beginning is instead postponed for a few hours in other countries including India, Pakistan and Iran, the cradle of Shiite Islam. For almost a month, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset; smoking and sexual relations are also prohibited. The ifa, which breaks the fast, is the main meal within 24 hours and is consumed in the evening. According to tradition this month, God revealed the Koran to the prophet Muhammad. Ramadan will end on the evening of June 4th with the great feast of Eid al-Fitr, marked by celebrations and banquets, which will last until the evening of the following day. The period of fasting and prayer opens with the sighting of the first glimpse of the new moon, which can vary from country to country. It is one of the five pillars (duties) of Islam together with the pilgrimage to Mecca, canonical prayer, the witness of faith and almsgiving. Its institution dates back to the second year from the "egira" (622 AD), in correspondence with the escape of Muhammad from Mecca to the oasis of Medina. Tradition has it that daily fasting begins when a white thread can be distinguished from a black thread. Every person who has passed puberty and is healthy of mind and body must follow the precept. Those with psychological problems are exempt, children under the age of puberty, the elderly, the sick, travelers and pregnant, nursing, or just entering the menstrual cycle. Whoever does not fast, however, must pray and carry out an act of charity towards the poor every day. Many parents make children fast (half a day). In Muslim-majority countries, companies and offices reduce working hours and many restaurants close during the day. People greet each other using traditional formulas such as "Ramadan Mubarak" and "Ramadan Kareem", wishing the recipient a "blessed" and "generous" month. At the same time, the sacred month in recent years has highlighted elements that have little to do with faith, but rather with commerce and business, with advertising pushes to purchases and spend evenings in luxurious hotels. Presenting the beginning of Ramadan, the Saudi Arabian newspaper Arab News points out that in this period there is greater "unity and closeness" and that "Muslims and Christians promote acts of charity, including meals [for the poorest] all 'outside of the mosques'. In Egypt children light small lanterns (fanoos) and sing traditional songs, while parents decorate streets and squares, as well as prepare traditional foods. In Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation in the world, children wear traditional clothes, participate in processions and songs on the day of the beginning of the fasting month. Despite the war, markets in Syria have been crowded by families buying traditional food or drinks, such as tea. Among the other traditions there is the hakawati, which derives from the word "history" and consists in telling stories, myths, fables and passages from the Koran. In neighboring Lebanon, although 40% of the population is Christian, the month of Ramadan involves the entire population, with NGOs and activists promoting common charity initiatives, such as the distribution of food outside mosques and churches. In Iraq, after years of evening curfews the streets (decorated) are once again being crowded with people; people prepare traditional meals, take part in games that characterize the past and enjoy drinks and food inside the premises. In Iran, on the other hand, the consequences of American sanctions are being increasingly felt and are affecting the population, impoverishing it. Furthermore, according to rumors from Washington, President Donald Trump is ready to announce new sanctions against the Islamic Republic in conjunction with the festival, as happened on other occasions in the past. A timing that is convincing more and more Iranians of the US governments "blatant hostility" towards them. Referring to Trump's latest gambit, Goldman economists said: "This represents a shift from the optimistic statements from US officials over the last few weeks and suggests that the probability of a near-term agreement is at least slightly lower than it seemed to be recently." The bank said in a note that chances of a successful deal are now lower, but suggested that an increase in tariffs could still be avoided especially if the Chinese delegation still attends its meeting with U.S. negotiators this week. U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of increased tariffs on Chinese goods is an indication that U.S.- China trade negotiations "might have reached a sticking point," Goldman Sachs said on Sunday. U.S. officials had claimed in recent weeks that trade talks were going well, and sources had told CNBC that a deal was possible by this Friday. But major sticking points were said to remain, such as intellectual property theft and a disagreement as to whether tariffs should remain in place as a way to ensure Beijing sticks to its commitments. Trump said in a Sunday afternoon Twitter post that the current 10% tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods will rise to 25% on Friday. He also threatened to impose 25% levies on an additional $325 billion of Chinese goods "shortly." Yet Goldman said it believes an agreement could still be reached, adding that it is still "slightly" more likely to happen than an increase in duties. It put the odds of a tariff escalation by the end of the week at 40% currently. Investors will have a very clear signal to monitor, the bank added. "The most important near-term indicator to watch will be whether the large delegation of Chinese officials comes to Washington on May 8, as scheduled. If they do, this would indicate that they believe a deal is still reasonably likely," Goldman said. If both sides end up meeting after all, the tariff rate would rise only if they are unable to reach an agreement by Thursday before the hike takes effect on Friday, it added. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He had planned to bring a large delegation to Washington on Wednesday to hash out a trade deal. But two sources briefed on the talks told CNBC the Chinese side may back out of this week's negotiations. Goldman warned that could be a sign of an extended trade war: "If the upcoming visit is canceled, an agreement in the coming week would then seem very unlikely. In such a scenario an increase in the tariff rate to 25% would become the base case." 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. But there is still hope yet, as Trump has the power to "walk the policy back through an executive order if negotiations progress favorably throughout the week," Goldman said. CNBC's Spencer Kimball contributed to this report. Shopper on Fifth Avenue in New York with a Lord & Taylor shopping bag. Saks-owner Hudson's Bay Company said Monday it is exploring strategic alternatives for its Lord & Taylor brand, including a possible sale or merger. The news sent the stock sharply higher, up 3.4% by late morning. Like other U.S. department stores, Lord & Taylor has been struggling as customers shop less at malls and more online. As a result, many department stores have been shuttering locations rather than opening them. Lord & Taylor's footprint has fallen to 45 department stores as of Feb. 2, down from 50 a year ago. Among its store closures is its iconic Fifth Avenue location, which went dark earlier this year after the building was sold to WeWork. Lord & Taylor's parent company has been trying to simplify its organization, strengthen its retail operations and improve its cost structure. "This review of strategic alternatives for Lord + Taylor is another example of how we are exploring options to position HBC for long-term success," Hudson's Bay CEO Helena Foulkes said in a statement. Last month, Hudson's Bay reported that fourth-quarter same-store sales for Lord & Taylor, Home Outfitters and its namesake brand declined by 5.2%. Its luxury department store brand Saks Fifth Avenue reported same-store sales growth of 3.9%. The company announced Monday that it has retained PJ Solomon as its financial advisor for its review of the department store brand. Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, on May 05, 2019. The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday it responded to a cyberattack from a Hamas-controlled compound in Gaza with an airstrike, a rare mix of physical and cyber conflict on the world stage. The cyberattacks emanating from the Gaza facility were aimed at harming Israeli civilians and was thwarted online before the strike, the IDF said, though they did not immediately release further details about the cyberattack. In Gaza, Hamas militants have launched 600 rockets into Israel, while the country has retaliated with hundreds of strikes on military targets there. International organizations and militaries have long debated how or when countries should use military force to respond to cyberattacks that could harm citizens. The incident is certain to spark further debate on how cyberattacks and live conflict should mix. It's an important distinction as countries including the United States grow increasingly concerned at the possibility a cyberattack on the electric grid, water supply or other infrastructure could lead to loss of human life, and create norms for how they will respond to those threats, either immediately or preemptively. Jeffrey Gundlach speaking at the 24th Annual Sohn Investment Conference in New York on May 6, 2019. Jeffrey Gundlach is not shy when it comes to ridiculing the Democratic presidential hopefuls. The so-called bond king and DoubleLine Capital CEO first fired shots at former Vice President Joe Biden, who last month announced his presidential bid amid accusations by several women that he touched them in ways that made them feel uncomfortable. "Now, Joe is grabbing the spotlight ... but no, Joe, I don't want your hands on my shoulders," Gundlach said Monday from the Sohn Conference in New York. He added Biden's touching reminds him of the college game "Space Invaders." Gundlach also made fun of entrepreneur Andrew Yang's proposal to give Americans a check of $1,000 every month, saying the recipients would also include one of the richest people in the world Jeff Bezos. With a photo of Yang on the screen wearing a hat saying "math," Gundlach said Yang "isn't even good that math," and most Americans don't like math. Gundlach went on throwing shade at former U.S. congressman from Texas Beto O'Rourke, calling him a "snowflake" and saying his real name is Robert. Senator Elizabeth Warren also didn't escape from Gundlach's scathing critique. He called Warren "the mother-in-law from hell." "I say short them all," Gundlach said referring to all the Democratic candidates he mentioned. The former Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a baby boy on Monday her first child with Prince Harry. The duchess went into labor early Monday morning with Harry at her side, the palace announced on Monday afternoon local time. Harry was with his wife when she gave birth at 5:26 a.m. local time. The baby weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces. Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, is with the couple at their home, Frogmore Cottage, the palace said in the birth announcement. "It was amazing," said a beaming Harry in an impromptu press conference. "As every father and parent will ever say your baby is absolutely amazing... I'm just over the moon." The child will be seventh in line to the throne, following Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince Harry. The baby is Queen Elizabeth II's eighth great-grandchild. They are still deciding on a name for the newborn, Harry said, adding that they would introduce the baby to the world in two days. "I'm so incredibly proud of my wife," he said. Prior to the birth, few details of the couple's plans were released. Last month, Kensington Palace said that the birth would be revealed only once Harry and Meghan had the opportunity to celebrate privately. Unlike Harry's brother, Prince William, they didn't share where the baby would be born. Harry and the former "Suits" actress married last year in a chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle, about 20 miles west of central London. The celebration saw movie stars mingling with royalty. Prior to Meghan's pregnancy, Harry made no secret of wanting to start a family. In an interview with the BBC in November 2017, Harry was asked if he and Meghan had talked about having children. "Of course, one step at a time and hopefully we'll start a family in the near future," he responded. The palace announced Meghan's pregnancy in October at the start of a 16-day tour of the South Pacific and Australia. The duchess has attended royal engagements throughout her pregnancy, including a trip to Morocco where she and Harry visited a program promoting education for girls as well as programs for young people with mental health challenges. In early March, the palace announced that Harry and Meghan would create their own household, complete with their own communications staff based at Buckingham Palace. The move means that their operations would be separate from those they had shared with Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Since joining the royal family, Meghan has been an outspoken advocate for women's rights and education. On International Women's Day on March 8, she talked about her husband's feminism and said she hoped her child would be too. "Boy or girl, whatever it is, we hope that that's the case," she said. In keeping with royal tradition, the baby's exact due date remained a secret, with both the palace and the royal couple saying only that Meghan was due in the spring. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, speaks with Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen AG (not pictured), at a "fireside chat" to the media about a joint project between the two companies called the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud on February 27, 2019 in Berlin. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Monday addressed thousands of developers at the Build conference in Seattle on Monday with a clear message: Microsoft is open. It's different from the approach that was in place under Nadella's two successors, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. In past years Microsoft competed aggressively against open-source technologies and collected revenue with patent royalties. Under Nadella, the Azure public cloud has become a higher priority at Microsoft. Correspondingly Microsoft's attitude toward open-source has changed. Software developers might want to use technologies that don't come from Microsoft in their applications and while building those applications. Microsoft has accepted this reality and has become less headstrong about putting Windows and other proprietary technology first, as long as developers turn to its cloud. Microsoft even bought GitHub, arguably the most prominent place where people go to download and contribute to open-source software. Microsoft has become one of the top organizations when it comes to posting code on GitHub. Over time, this strategy could help make developers more willing to make Azure the destination for new applications. AWS has business from growing apps like Airbnb, Lyft and Uber. Being more open and flexible could help Microsoft land more business from hot new start-ups, and not just pick up business from the large companies it has been selling to for years. On Monday Nadella made some more statements pointing to a continuing commitment to openness: The ElectionGuard software development kit, which voting system vendors can draw on to make election results more transparent and verifiable, will be available on GitHub by the end of this month, Nadella said. Nadella pointed to Microsoft's support of the ONNX open-source software, which enables people to take an artificial-intelligence model trained with one AI framework and deploy the model with other frameworks. In the past Microsoft promoted its own framework but changed course when the technology had less adoption than alternatives such as Google's TensorFlow. Microsoft recently made the open-source Chromium technology, pioneered by Google, the new core of its Edge browser and brought Edge to Apple's MacOS and other operating systems. All browsers that rely on Chromium will be able to tap the contributions Microsoft is contributing, Nadella said. Nadella also articulated a vision of not having one single digital assistant to run your life; he talked instead about an "open assistant future." Microsoft's Cortana assistant, a major feature of Windows 10 when it debuted in 2015, will still be around in places like the Outlook email software, but there is room for Amazon's Alexa to pop up in Microsoft's Teams collaboration app, Nadella said. This follows Microsoft's move to make Cortana accessible to people from Alexa. Nadella said that Microsoft wants to ensure that infrastructure remains open. That is, people won't be tied necessarily to just one cloud if they want to use AI systems inside applications. "We are fully participating in the OSS community," Nadella said. Nadella ended the talk on a fun note. He said that DONKEY.BAS, a game Gates wrote before the PC DOS operating system came out, is available on GitHub. "I don't know what the pull request status is," Nadella said, drawing on GitHub parlance that refers to proposed project changes. Earlier on Monday Microsoft announced a slew of cloud updates. One of them is better support for the PostgreSQL open-source database software. Microsoft also introduced Visual Studio Online, making it possible for people to use the open-source Visual Studio Code text editor on mobile devices like Apple's iPad. WATCH: Microsoft gets a target boost at Wedbush Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, sits in the Volkswagen Digital Lab in Friedrichshain, Germany, for a joint press conference with the chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen on Feb. 27, 2019. Microsoft on Monday used the start of its Build developer conference in Seattle as an opportunity to unleash a slew of updates to its lineup of cloud services. For instance, Microsoft is letting users of its GitHub code hosting service provide their login credentials in order to access Azure cloud tools. At the same time, the company is making GitHub's enterprise tier compatible with the Microsoft Azure Active Directory service, so administrators will be able to more easily manage employees' GitHub use. These changes and other enhancements could lead to greater adoption of Microsoft's overall Azure public cloud for hosting applications and storing data. That's critical as Amazon continues to maintain a big lead in the market and Google, which is thought to be behind Microsoft, is doubling down on its cloud efforts under its new chief, Thomas Kurian. Amazon had 32% of cloud market share at the end of 2018, according to Canalys. Microsoft had 13.7% and Google had 7.6%. Microsoft has talked about cloud at its Build shows in past years, but this year it seems to be at the very center of the company's appeal to developers. Executives onstage are spending less time this year talking about consumer products like Windows and Surface computers. GitHub, which Microsoft bought last year for $7.5 billion, could represent an on-ramp of sorts for Microsoft public cloud services. "As the companies [Microsoft and GitHub] work together even more, there is an opportunity to educate them on Azure and how they should think about developing apps on top of Azure. And so we will certainly be promoting Azure to the GitHub community, but for the GitHub developers, really it's whatever cloud they want to build on and we're going to support that," Dave O'Hara, chief financial officer of Microsoft's commercial business, said at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in February. On Monday, Microsoft said it will release an Azure SQL Database tool that can handle computing in a "serverless" capacity. This means developers won't have to set up and manage underlying resources for databases. Amazon and Google have also come out with serverless database technologies. For almost two years now Microsoft has worked with partners, including third-party software makers, to sell Azure to companies, benefiting both Microsoft and its partners. The so-called co-sell initiative has led to more than $5 billion in partner annual contract value in the past year. Now Microsoft is expanding the program to Microsoft 365 a bundle that includes Windows 10, Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility & Security software and the Dynamics suite of enterprise software, including the cloud-based sales management application that competes with Salesforce's core Sales Cloud. In the first quarter, Amazon picked up $7.7 billion in revenue from AWS. Microsoft does not specify revenue from Azure, but analysts Alex Zukin and Scott Wilson of Piper Jaffray estimated that Azure produced around $3.6 billion in revenue in the quarter. Microsoft did say that Azure revenue rose 73% year over year. Correction: This story has been updated with the correct value of annual contract value for Microsoft's Azure co-sell initiative. WATCH: Microsoft tops revenue estimates in third quarter President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a National Day of Prayer service in the Rose Garden at the White House May 02, 2019 in Washington, DC. The U.S. could become one of the most protectionist countries in the world, if President Donald Trump's latest tariff threat materializes. Trump tweeted Sunday that the current 10% tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods will rise to 25% on Friday. He also threatened to impose 25% levies on an additional $325 billion of Chinese goods "shortly." U.S. duties, already higher than those of most developed economies, would surge to levels above those of many emerging-market countries, where tariffs are more commonplace, CNBC's Steve Liesman pointed out. Tweet "If the U.S. follows through on the latest trade war threats it will raise the overall US tariff level to 7.5%, which is higher than in many emerging markets," Torsten Slok, Deutsche Bank's chief economist, said in an email on Monday. Vicki Hollub, CEO, Occidental Petroleum Mary Catherine Wellons | CNBC Occidental Petroleum on Sunday put a revised buyout offer in front of Anadarko Petroleum, offering to pay shareholders in mostly cash as it seeks to derail Chevron's acquisition of the international oil and gas driller. Occidental is still offering to buy Anadarko for $76 a share but would now pay 78% in cash and 22% in stock. The $57 billion transaction was initially structured as a 50-50 cash-and-stock deal when Occidental first made its public bid for Anadarko nearly two weeks ago. Anadarko agreed to sell its business to Chevron last month for $65 a share in a 75% stock and 25% cash deal worth $50 billion including debt. Anadarko's board of directors resumed negotiations with Occidental last week after determining the rival bid could be superior to Chevron's offer. Occidental says the revised offer creates immediate value and makes it more certain the deal will close. By offering more cash, Occidental will no longer have to seek approval from shareholders to purchase Anadarko. The risk of Occidental shareholders voting down the purchase created uncertainty that Occidental's management could bring the buyout over the finish line. "Our revised proposal and merger agreement represents our comprehensive response to all points that your counsel has raised with ours over the course of the past week," Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub said in a letter to Anadarko's board of directors. Hollub revealed in the letter that counsel for Anadarko's board requested three seats on Occidental's board of directors. Occidental's new offer does not include that provision because the improved bid does not warrant giving up the three seats, she said. Earlier on Sunday, Occidental announced it had reached a deal to sell Anadarko's African assets to French oil major Total for $8.8 billion. That would achieve most of Occidental's goal of divesting $10 billion to $15 billion in assets as part of the buyout. The announcement followed a commitment by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway last week to invest $10 billion in Occidental to help fund the Anadarko buyout. Some investors and analysts, including CNBC's Jim Cramer, have criticized the sale of preferred stock to Berkshire because it comes with a steep 8% annual dividend. Signage for the People's Bank of China is displayed on its headquarters building in Beijing, China, on Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. China's central bank said on Monday it will cut the reserve requirement ratios (RRRs) for small and medium-sized banks effective from May 15, in a targeted policy measure to help support companies struggling amid an economic slowdown. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) said in a statement that the reduction will release about 280 billion yuan ($41.23 billion) in long-term funding, which will be used for loans to small and private companies. The central bank said it will cut the RRR for about 1,000 rural commercial banks operating in counties to 8 percent, equal to the RRR for smaller rural credit cooperatives. The move will help lower funding costs for small and micro firms, the PBOC said. Small and medium-sized banks currently have RRRs ranging from 10 percent to 11.5 percent. The cut, while widely expected, came after U.S. President Donald Trump sharply escalated trade tensions between the world's two largest economies with comments on Sunday that talks toward a trade deal with China were proceeding "too slowly", and that he would raise tariffs on $200 billion of goods to 25 percent on Friday from 10 percent. "I think it is a move to calm the market, to offset the impact from the trade talks, telling you that 'I can give some stimulus during the most difficult times, but I will not give too much'," said Zhou Hao, analyst at Commerzbank in Singapore, noting the PBOC's targeted cut showed Beijing's resolve to keep its debt level in check. Trump's tweets upended the previously calm market mood that had benefited from signs of robust growth in China and the United States, and from comments from Trump and other senior U.S. officials that trade talks were going well. The State Council, or cabinet, said on April 17 that a policy framework would be set up to implement relatively low RRRs for small- and medium-sized banks. The PBOC is likely to cut RRRs for small banks to encourage more lending to small and private firms which are vital for economic growth and job creation - policy insiders told Reuters previously, who penciled in at least one such "targeted" RRR cut this year. Commerzbank's Zhou said the PBOC announcement showed Beijing has made preparations in the event that the trade talks fail. "I think the market had underestimated China's determination to deleverage, while overestimating China's willingness to reach a trade agreement," he said. China's Vice Premier Liu He, who was scheduled to go to Washington this week, is "very unlikely" to follow through after Trump's "threat" to hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, editor-in-chief of China's Global Times newspaper said on Monday. In a meeting on peace with Orthodox, Jewish, Protestant, Armenians, and Muslim clerics, Francis called for cooperation to achieve the human right of peace. Religious, political and cultural leaders must work together to this end in their own domain. Sofia (AsiaNews) Pope Francis took part in an open-air meeting on peace with Orthodox, Jewish, Protestant, Armenian, Muslim and Catholic representatives in central Sofia, at the site of the old Roman settlement of Serdika. In his address under a light rain, he said that making peace is a human right for which people, whatever their religion, political view or culture, must work together. Like in the meetings in Assisi, the pontiff and the representatives of other religions and traditions stood on a platform in the middle of which stood a candle with the papal log, an olive plant as the symbol of peace, and roses, symbol of Bulgaria. After reading the Canticle of the Creatures of Saint Francis and the recitation of Psalm 122, a candle and six torches were lit to symbolise the religious confessions present. After the prayers of each religious leader, the prayer of St Francis was recited, at the end of which Francis spoke of the common commitment to prayer. We have prayed for peace in words inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi, who was so greatly in love with God the Creator and Father of all. A love that he showed with similar passion and deep respect for the beauty of creation and for all those whom he encountered on his pilgrim way. That love also led Saint Francis to become a true peacemaker. Each of us is called to follow in his footsteps by becoming a peacemaker, an artisan of peace. Peace is both a gift and a task; it must be implored and worked for, received as a blessing and constantly sought as we strive daily to build a culture in which peace is respected as a fundamental right. An active peace, fortified against all those forms of selfishness and indifference that make us put the petty interests of a few before the inviolable dignity of each person. Peace requires and demands that we adopt dialogue as our path, mutual understanding as our code of conduct, and reciprocal understanding as our method and standard (cf. Document on Human Fraternity, Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019). In this way, we can focus on what unites us, show mutual respect for our differences, and encourage one another to look to a future of opportunity and dignity, especially for future generations. This evening, we have gathered to pray before these lamps brought by our children. They symbolize the fire of love that burns within us and that is meant to become a beacon of mercy, love and peace wherever we find ourselves. A beacon that can cast light upon our entire world. With the fire of love, we can melt the icy chill of war and conflict. Our celebration of peace takes place on the ruins of ancient Serdika, here in Sofia, the heart of Bulgaria. From here, we can see the places of worship of the different Churches and religious Confessions: Saint Nedelya of our Orthodox brothers and sisters, Saint Joseph of us Catholics, the synagogue of our older brothers, the Jews, the mosque of our Muslim brothers and sisters and, closer to us, the Armenian church. For many centuries, the Bulgarians of Sofia belonging to different cultural and religious groups gathered in this place for meetings and discussions. May this symbolic place become a witness to peace. Tonight, our voices blend in expressing our ardent desire for peace. Let there be peace on earth: in our families, in our hearts, and above all in those places where so many voices have been silenced by war, stifled by indifference and ignored due to the powerful complicity of interest groups. May all work together to make this dream come true: religious, political and cultural leaders. May each of us, wherever we may be, in all that we do, be able to say: Make me an instrument of your peace. It is a plea that the dream of Pope Saint John XXIII will come true: the dream of an earth where peace is always at home. Let us share in that aspiration and, by the witness of our lives, let us say: Pacem in terris! Let there be peace on earth to all those whom the Lord loves. In his meeting with the Catholic community in the church of St. Michael the Archangel in Rakovsky, Pope Francis urges them to live as builders of hope. "He who loves does not waste time crying on himself, but he always sees something concrete that he can do". To love others without paying attention to the "adjectives", but to the "nouns": "this is a person, in the image of God". Find ways to "translate the love God has for us in a concrete and understandable way". Rakovsky (AsiaNews) - To help "see with eyes of faith and love" and "try to translate God's love in every moment of history": these are the two poles that Pope Francis offered to strengthen the faith of Bulgarian Catholics during his meeting with the Catholic community, which took place in the church of San Michele Arcangelo in Rakovsky. This is a predominantly Catholic town, but throughout the country this community does not exceed 70 thousand faithful, being the third religious community in Bulgaria after the Orthodox and Muslims. The Pope spoke of the great love for this land and the Orthodox brothers expressed by John XXIII, when he was apostolic delegate in Bulgaria (1925-1934), and recalled the great tradition of Cyril and Methodius, who knew how to "translate" the Gospel into the local language . At the entrance of the church, the pontiff was greeted by some members of the community. He then stopped in silence before a relic and a bas-relief of the "good pope". A small choir of young people sang the hymns of the World Youth Days. There was also a group of boys and girls who performed some traditional dances. After a brief greeting from the bishop of Sofia and Plovdiv, Msgr. Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev, the Pope listened to some testimonies: from a Sister of the Eucharist, Sister Maria Evrozia Gudzerova; from a married couple with their child, Mikto Mihaylovi and Miroslava Mihaylovi and Bilyana; from a priest, Don Boris Stoykov. Sister Maria Evrozia, spoke of how she is one of five vocations who entered the convent after a break of more than 20 years, welcomed by the elderly nuns "survivors of the atheist regime". The priest spoke of his joy in living his vocation and concluded with a prayer: "Lord, make that even today many young people discover this treasure of vocation, because "the harvest is great, but the workers are few! ". The Mihaylovi couple spoke about daily life made up of love and mutual forgiveness, supported by the testimony of other families in their parish. Taking the floor, Francis asked all of them to be people who let themselves be "guided by the power of the resurrection", who while acknowledging that there are "there will always be painful times and unjust situations, yet they do not wring their hands, shrink back in fear or, even worse, create a climate of scepticism, discomfort or disruption, since this does nothing but harm the soul, causing hope to flag and hindering every possible solution". "He who loves - he adds - does not waste time crying on himself, but always sees something concrete that he can do". And he remembered his experience at the Vrazhedebna refugee camp earlier in the morning, where the Caritas volunteers dedicate themselves to the people present there attentive not to the "adjectives", but to the "nouns": "this is a person, in image of God". Then the Pope emphasized the value of the parish, "a home in the midst of all the homes ... It manages to make the Lord present there, where every family, every person tries to earn their daily bread." The community is united: "Never separated, but united, where everyone learns to be a sign and blessing of God for others. The priest without identity loses his identity and the people can fragment without their pastors ". In a long interlude, Francis underlines the value of the Church as a mother, as an open community, always ready to welcome, making its own "nodes" from the existence of its children. Finally, "following in the footsteps of Cyril and Methodius," Francis asked the faithful to find ways to "translate the love God has for us in a concrete and understandable way to young people". The young, he explained, "Our young people, when they feel called to express all the potential they possess, often give up half-way because of the frustrations or disappointments they experience, since they have no roots to rely on as they look to the future (cf. ibid. 179-186). How much more so, when they are forced to leave behind their homes, their country and their family.. This is why it is important to bring together young and old, the two groups of people who suffer most in our society and "the elderly are the roots". Young people "can reach for the future" only if they "have the roots of the old". He concluded: "Never tire of being a Church that continues to give birth, amid the contradictions, sorrows and also much poverty, the Church-who-is-a-mother that continually has children, that gives life to the sons and daughters that this land needs today, at the start of this twenty-first century. Always listen with one ear to the Gospel and the other to the heart of your people. Participants hold signs as Democratic U.S. presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks at a news conference to introduce the "Medicare for All Act of 2019" on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 10, 2019 Wall Street sees the chances of the U.S. shifting to a government-run health-care system as incredibly slim. But unpredictable politics over the last three years has investors worried and punishing health-care stocks all the same. Health care is the worst-performing sector in the this year as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and other Democratic presidential hopefuls push "Medicare for All," a plan to replace private health insurance with public coverage, as part of their 2020 campaigns. While it's a long shot, President Donald Trump's unexpected election and the U.K.'s surprise support for Brexit in 2016 make investors worry that Sanders could actually win and some sort of universal health-care plan could pass, say market analysts, including Ross Munken at Evercore ISI. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund, an ETF that tracks the health-care industry's biggest companies, has risen by 4.2% year to date as of Friday, significantly lagging the S&P 500's 17% rally. Switching to publicly run health care would be "massive. Even if its chances are 1% or 2%, the market is being overly cautious," said Munken, who said he doesn't expect the U.S. to transition to "Medicare for All" any time soon. A number of Democratic proposals call for eliminating private health insurance and replacing it with a universal Medicare plan, saying it would help reduce administrative inefficiencies and costs in the U.S. health-care system. Most recently, Sanders unveiled a bill that would create a government-run system to provide health insurance for all Americans. Along with former Vice President Joe Biden, Sanders is a favorite among Democratic primary voters, early polls show. Sanders also led the crowded Democratic 2020 field in fundraising during the first quarter with $18 million. Actually implementing Medicare for All would be tough even if Sanders won, said Ana Gupte, a senior health-care services analyst at SVB Leerink. Democrats would need to hold on to their edge in the U.S. House and win at least three new Senate seats in the 2020 election to regain control of Congress. Then they would likely need 60 votes in the Senate and two-thirds of the House to overcome any potential filibusters. "Investors realize this but view the headline risk as an issue til at least the primary is won by a moderate such as Joe Biden," Gupte said. Trump's presidency, however, has been marked by a series of unprecedented actions, historical compromises and conflicts that have often shocked the markets. Trump caught investors off guard again Sunday after he said that the U.S. will hike tariffs on goods imported from China, despite repeated claims in recent weeks that trade talks with Beijing were going well. Investors are "twitchy," said Jeff Goldsmith, a national advisor for Navigant Consulting. "The chances of Medicare for All without a Democrat in the office is zero. The chances with a Democrat in office where the Dems have less than 60 Senate votes is maybe 5%," he said. The possibility has CEOs of major health-care companies worried too. Last week, CVS Health CEO Larry Merlo and Humana CEO Bruce Broussard spoke out on the legislation. Merlo said attention around "access to affordable quality health care" is an "important discussion" and that CVS will continue to be "an active participant" in the debate. Broussard said he wouldn't back the legislation and that it could end up harming the U.S. rather than helping. The sharpest rebuke came from UnitedHealth Group CEO David Wichmann, who said last month that "Medicare for All" would "surely destabilize" the U.S. health system. Munken of Evercore said there is a sentiment in the industry that lawmakers in Washington are going to address the issues of high health-care costs in the U.S. and change coverage in some way, even if it's not as radical as "Medicare for All." "We will certainly have winners and losers" in the health industry, Munken said. Berkshire Hathaway's major investment in Apple shows that Warren Buffett understands the iPhone maker is really a consumer products company at its core rather than a technology company, Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC. "[Buffett] has been very clear, he didn't invest in technology companies and companies he didn't understand. He's been totally clear with that. And so he obviously views Apple as a consumer company," Cook told CNBC's Becky Quick in an interview that aired Monday. "We believe that technology should be in the background, not the foreground, and that technology should empower people to do things and help them do things they couldn't do otherwise," said Cook, who attended this weekend's Berkshire shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, for the first time. "We're in the tech industry," Cook acknowledged. "But we work at that intersection of technology and the liberal arts and the humanities. And so we make products for people, and so the consumer's at the center of what we do." As sales growth of its hardware business slows, Apple has been growing its services. For example, in the March quarter, iPhone revenue, which accounts for more than half of Apple's revenue, fell 17% from a year earlier. However, Apple has recently been signaling to investors that iPhone sales are not the critical number to watch. Instead, it's been highlighting revenue from its services including subscriptions like Apple Music and iCloud as well as products like AirPods and Apple Watch which grew 16% in the first three months of 2019 compared with a year earlier. While discussing what it means to have Berkshire in Apple's corner, Cook said Buffett's faith in the company "seemed like recognition" of this continuing evolution. "We run the company for the long term. And so the fact that we've got the ultimate long-term investor in the stock is incredible." Buffett, known as the Oracle of Omaha, has historically invested in technology sparingly, ending a difficult chapter last year in IBM while ramping up Berkshire's now massive stake in Apple. Last week, Buffett revealed to CNBC that Berkshire has been buying shares of Amazon but he's not the one behind the purchases. Buffett has long admired Amazon and its founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos. He's also many times talked about how he wished he invested in Amazon years ago. Your 20s can be dizzying. You may feel you're stepping off the ledge without knowing if you can fly. To make things more complicated, it's time to get serious about money. That means getting a grip on spending and saving, and learning to invest. Investing is not just for rich people. It's not just for older people. You don't have to be Warren Buffett (though it certainly helps to know his strategies). Investing is the surest way to build wealth when you learn certain basic principles. Keep your eyes open If you want to succeed at investing, it pays to be observant. James Grannell Jr., 20, is from a very small Michigan town in Huron County that he says has more cattle than people. James Grannell Jr., 20, likes dividend stocks, commodities and working with his hands. Source: James Grannell Jr Grannell, a machine repair apprentice and part-owner of a cattle farm, invests through his company's 401(k) and as an individual investor buying single stocks. As a teenager, he learned to evaluate livestock. He was immediately aware of environmental issues that raise and lower livestock prices. At 16, he began working at a dairy farm, milking cattle and then raising calves. He was asked to take over calf management. "With cattle, it's supply and demand," Grannell said. He uses the Michigan State Extension average to gauge costs for suppliers amid the market's many fluctuations. "Two years ago, Holstein calves were going for $175 apiece," Grannell said. "Right now, Holsteins are going for $35." Grannell's ease at assessing cattle prices may have played a factor in his interest in the stock market, as well as his confidence. He studies a stock's performance before buying, and is a fan of Buffett's strategies. More from Invest in You: What surprises people most about Roth IRAs Here's what it takes to become a 401(k) millionaire at any age What people wish they'd done before a tragic accident "You're always going to have ups and downs [in the market]," he said. "That is one reason I enjoy dividend stocks." He purchased Coca-Cola, which he believes is stable company, at $50.17, watched it drop down to around $45. Now it is around $48. Initially, he took the dividends but is now in a dividend reinvestment program, which he likes because it's a way to purchase stock without a commission. As always, spending plays a big part in smart money management. Grannell says the best piece of financial advice he knows comes from his mother. "She used to always say, 'Just because you've got $10 in your pocket doesn't mean you have $10 to spend.'" Grannell took that to heart and always puts money aside. The worst advice comes from an acquaintance: "We're all going to die. You're probably just better off buying what you want now and spending all your money." A year ago, Grannell paid $3,000 for a 2004 sedan. "It gets me from A to B," he said. Many of his co-workers drive late-model pickups, complain about their lack of cash and occasionally borrow money. You're not gambling The best thing to do if you freeze at the idea of investing is to arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can. Keep learning on a regular basis. The more you know, the more confident you'll feel. Younger people often find investing frightening. There's fear, of course, and then there's simple lack of understanding. "The most common misconception is that investing is like gambling," said Priya Malani, a founding partner at financial planning firm Stash Wealth. For instance, Malani says, younger investors think you pick some stocks, cross your fingers and hope you don't lose all your money. "All other misconceptions we encounter, especially about concepts like diversification and risk, trace back to this one," she said. A simple, no-brainer investment method is through a target-date fund, either in a 401(k) or individual retirement account. "These funds are diversified between stocks and bonds across the market and balanced for a specific target retirement age," said Tony Steuer, a personal finance educator and author of a book on financial-planning basics. Target-date funds, which are often named for the year of a targeted retirement, generally have more risk in the early years and then change their allocation as the investor moves closer to retirement. Getting started Marsha Lofton, 25, started investing in penny stocks when she was 19. It was frustrating at first in the beginning, she said, her goal was simply to make some money. "I didn't know much, and I lost some money," she said. Marsha Lofton, 25, says not knowing where to start was the biggest investing challenge. Source: Marsha Lofton After a couple of years, she changed course and sought out a professor for investing advice. "Pick companies you know something about," he told her. Lofton opened a traditional IRA and bought some shares of Disney, Apple and Netflix. As an associate at Amazon in Richmond, Virginia, Lofton will receive three shares of its stock if she stays at the company till next year, which she says holds definite appeal. At the moment, she is not participating in the 401(k) plan because she is paying off debt, but she plans to. The biggest challenge was not knowing where to start. "In the beginning, I was doing what my dad did," Lofton said. Now she has a long time horizon and isn't as impatient about seeing immediate results. The hardest thing about investing is all the variables that affect the stock market. You're always going to have ups and downs. That is one reason I enjoy dividend stocks. James Grannell Jr. machine repair apprentice But those variables can work in your favor. Lofton recommends looking at the world around you. "When Obamacare went through, insurance rates sky-rocketed and stock prices went up a lot," Lofton said. "I felt it was a little immoral [to profit from]. But also good from a financial perspective." Her friends just brush off the idea of investing. "Friends treat it like it's Chinese, too difficult to learn," she said. Another stumbling block for people in their 20s: "They don't really see the importance of investing for retirement, but it's better to do it young than too late," Lofton said. Her best advice for beginning investors: Look at the stocks of companies you know and understand. Read books, look at the patterns of the stock's performance, watch lectures and videos online. In other words, don't simply throw up your hands and decide it can't be done. Worth $80,000 at 19 In middle school, Dylan O'Byrne became fascinated with trading equities when he took a class in stock market analysis. O'Byrne, now a 24-year-old logistics transportation technician in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, carefully researched the company GameStop, which he added to his paper trading, and says he was making more money (at least virtually) than the rest of the online community. Dylan O'Byrne, 24, bought his first stock when he was 14 after a year of study and research. Source: Dylan O'Byrne When he was 14, he asked his mom for some real money to buy real stock in the company. She said no. So he went back to his classes, continued playing the Stock Market Game and trading on paper. A year later, he showed his mother the returns he'd gotten. She wasn't sure if he'd gotten lucky or actually learned something of value, but she agreed to give him $1,000. Because he was still underage, O'Byrne could only make suggestions for investments to his parents, the account holders, and they went over them together. Using eTrade, he recommended some shares of GameStop. He didn't choose any other stocks, because he was already upset about the cost of the $6.95 commission. As the portfolio gained in value over the next couple of years, his mother gave him more money. He added his own savings from his 20-hour-a-week job. Year after year, he got solid returns and, by the time he was 19, the portfolio was worth $80,000. O'Byrne's net worth he says it's just north of a quarter of a million is a combination of working ferocious hours (currently 80 to 100 per week), aggressive investing and constant attention to his money. He lives with his parents in order to live far below his means, and he invests about 75% of his salary. If you can't manage $1,000, you'll never be able to manage $100,000 or $1 million. Dylan O'Byrne logistics transportation technician The ongoing U.S.-China trade talks appeared to turn sour when President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a tariff hike on Chinese goods. China, in turn, is said to be considering skipping this week's planned negotiations. According to the director of Korean Studies at think tank the Center for the National Interest, that recent downturn in Washington-Beijing relations may not bode well for Trump's denuclearization dialogue with North Korea. "Donald Trump today tweeting out about increasing tariffs and things of that nature, he needs to be a little careful because his North Korea policy could blow up in his face," Harry Kazianis told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Monday. On Sunday, North Korean state media showed its leader Kim Jong Un overseeing live firing drills of rocket launchers and short-range missiles. This comes two months after denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang collapsed in Hanoi. Negotiations have been in a "lull state" since. The Trump administration has typically taken a "maximum pressure" strategy toward Pyongyang, which consists of military threats, diplomatic actions and harsh tariffs. However, this policy was "always" ultimately enforced by Beijing and not Washington, according to Kazianis. "Think about it this way: 90% of North Korea's exports go to China," he added. That all means that China can use its North Korean ties as a form of leverage over Washington. If the U.S.-China trade deal falls apart, Beijing can use North Korea "as a weapon against the United States," Kazianis said. "(China) could end maximum pressure in days by just opening up the border." An American flag flies as cranes for shipping containers stand in the distance at the Port of Los Angeles. LOS ANGELES An escalation of trade tensions between the U.S. and China, including President Donald Trump's threat to punish Beijing with additional tariffs, could deal a severe blow to California's ports and economy, potentially putting at risk thousands of jobs, according to experts. They say the major California ports, which serve as a gateway to trade with China, have already been hit on the export side due to Beijing's retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural and other products. For one, China represents about 60% of the trade volumes at the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container port in the nation. On Sunday, Trump tweeted he was prepared to increase tariffs from 10% to up to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods this week. In February, Trump announced he would delay an increase in Chinese tariffs, citing progress in talks and then in early April the president indicated a deal was "very close." "On the export side, we've been hammered," said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. "We call for a negotiated settlement so we can get moving in the direction that we need to." Seroka said exports to China last year declined by about 25%, and as a region and port declined on exports to China by about 22%. He said cargo that goes through the port includes items not only produced in California but coming via rail from Midwestern states, including soybeans. "We imported a heck of a lot more last year than we exported," he said. Besides food and agricultural items, Seroka said other sectors already hit by the trade war on the export side are electronic products, household goods and recyclables. He said many were down double-digit percentage levels in 2018 from the prior year. Overall, California represented a 15.4% share of total U.S. exports to China in the year-to-date period through February, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The Golden State also accounted for nearly 30% of all imports from China, which includes goods received at seaports and airports. Experts warn California ports could see a further slowdown in volumes of trade between the U.S. and China from new tariffs. "The impact of that will be felt most directly at the ports of LA and Long Beach, and all of the tens of thousands of people whose livelihoods are directly tied to the fluid movement of containers through those two maritime gateways," said Jock O'Connell, a Sacramento, California-based international trade advisor for Beacon Economics, a research and consulting firm. "That in itself could have a very dramatic effect on employment in Southern California." Jobs at risk include dock workers and truckers, as well as rail and other trade-related jobs. According to Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. estimates, the international trade sector is responsible for over 160,000 jobs in that county alone. Other estimates indicate the twin LA and Long Beach ports represent more than 500,000 jobs when including the five-county Southern California region. "We're concerned about the potential impact, not only with regard to the tariff as it applies to Chinese imports but of course the expected action by China some form of retaliation on American exporters," said Mario Cordero, executive director of California's Port of Long Beach, the nation's second-largest container port. "Any time you have market uncertainty by way of tariff applications, I think that does put an additional factor that could impact the economy." Also, on the import side, experts say the uncertainty of not knowing how long the trading war will last and where it will go is a headache for U.S. retailers and others. Last year, some importers rushed to beat increased tariffs of 25% that the administration had previously threatened would go into effect Jan. 1, 2019. So far, observers say expansion of tariffs will likely impact everything from clothing and footwear to consumer electronics. "The public will definitely begin to feel the impact of the tariffs," said O'Connell. "That will happen nationally, but to the extent that California consumers are sensitive to higher prices because of other high costs of living here, that will have a particularly egregious effect." Moreover, O'Connell said he expects Beijing will likely retaliate if they can't work things out in Washington. O'Connell said China could impose new tariffs on electronic components and chips, including items made by companies such as San Diego-based Qualcomm. The economist added that Boeing commercial aircraft also could face tariffs from China and noted that up to 2,600 vendors in California supply components on those planes. China's foreign ministry indicated Monday that a trade delegation still plans to visit Washington later this week. However, the ministry didn't say whether the delegation would be headed by a high-level trade official, such as Vice Premier Liu He. "It is concerning in terms of the length of the trade war and tariff discussions," said Cordero. "However, we remain optimistic that there will be some resolution." Graphics by CNBC's John Schoen. Francis visits a refugee center in private. Other children, about fifty, in celebration, awaited the Pope in the church of the Sacred Heart of Rakovsky, for the celebration of the Mass with first Communions. Sofia (AsiaNews) - "Today the world of migrants and refugees is a cross, a cross of humanity, and the cross is [represented by] a lot of people who are suffering". Even during this trip to Bulgaria, Pope Francis refocused his attention on and concern for the world of migration. The second day of his visit to the "Land of Roses" began with a private visit to the Vrazhdebna refugee reception center (pictured), located in the old building of a former school on the outskirts of Sofia. It welcomes about fifty people. A special morning that saw Francis, after visiting the refugee center, travel by plane to Plovdiv and then drive to Rakovsky. Here in the church of the Sacred Heart, he celebrated Mass with First Communions. At the refugee center, the interim director of the Vatican Press Office, Alessandro Gisotti, described, "a very brief meeting and, in about 25 minutes, the Holy Father and these children, really protagonists of this meeting at the refugee center, they also gave a sense of what Pope Francis is saying with his words and with his gestures, since the beginning of the pontificate. The closeness to the suffering flesh of Christ, the existential peripheries and in this case really, with one more element, that is children: children who come from Syria, from Iraq, and who are welcomed in this center, in particular by Caritas, who were able to joyfully meet the Holy Father . "It was very beautiful - said Gisotti they gave the Pope drawings, the most natural gift for children, and a gift that the Pope appreciated very much. The drawings have a particular meaning of beauty, of joy: their faith certainly struck the Holy Father, as it did us. They were beautiful, joyful pictures, as well as the children's choir that accompanied the whole visit, we are talking about children from primary school age from 6 to 10 years, and they really cheered up the whole meeting with these songs. The Pope was very pleased and these children also felt happy, this was visible as they gave their gifts and in the greeting that followed. The Holy Father left an icon of Our Lady, this to say the fundamental presence of Mary, of motherhood, in a place of such great suffering, but also of hope as is this reception center for refugees ". "The Pope emphasized, in a brief greeting to the children and their parents and to all the volunteers present in the center, that children always help us to better understand what is happening. The Pope said, of these children, of their families, in fleeing war, poverty, leaving their homeland and trying to enter other areas of the world, but also a sense of hope ". "And then the Pope thanked these children, these families, for their good will also in this Way of the Cross, in this journey of suffering in bringing good will even where they are, to the countries where they arrive with great difficulty and great suffering. He asked for prayer for him and we know how important the prayer of those who suffer, especially these children and these families, is for the Pope. " Other children, 245 in a festive atmosphere, awaited the Pope in the church of the Sacred Heart of Rakovsky. " I am looking at you, dressed in your white robes. What a meaningful and beautiful sign. You are dressed for a celebration! First Communion is, above all, a celebration. We celebrate Jesus, who wants to remain always by our side. He will always be with us. This celebration was made possible also thanks to our parents and grandparents, our families and our communities, who have helped us to grow in the faith. " Dear boys and girls, I am happy to share this great moment with you and help you meet Jesus. For you, this is a day to be celebrated in a spirit of friendship, joy and fraternity. A day of communion among yourselves and with the whole Church, which, especially in the Eucharist, expresses the communion that makes all of us brothers and sisters. This is our identity card: God is our Father, Jesus is our brother, the Church is our family. Al of us are brothers and sisters, and our law is love. BOLLETTINO N. 0376 - 06.05.2019 5 I ask you always to pray with the same enthusiasm and joy that you feel today. Remember that this is the sacrament of your first Communion, not your last! Remember too, that Jesus is always there, waiting for you. I hope that today will be the beginning of many Communions, so that your hearts may always, like today, be festive, full of joy and, above all else, gratitude. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, arrives at the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, May 6, 2019. Disgraced lawyer Michael Cohen entered federal prison on Monday to begin his three-year sentence for crimes that include ones he committed to benefit his former client, President Donald Trump. Cohen, 53, arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, less than two hours after telling reporters outside his Manhattan residence that, "I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm." "There's still much to be told, and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth," Cohen said. After exiting a black SUV, Cohen took off his suit jacket and left it in the vehicle before walking into the facility shortly before noon. He is to serve in the prison's minimum-security camp for nonviolent offenders. Cohen pleaded guilty last year to campaign finance crimes, lying to Congress and to financial crimes. He admitted facilitating payments to two women, porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, at the behest of Trump in ordered to keep them quiet in the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election about their alleged affairs with Trump years earlier. The president has denied having sex with either woman. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, leaves his Manhattan apartment to report to prison, May 6, 2019. President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen headed to prison Monday to begin serving a three-year sentence, taking yet another shot at his ex-boss. "I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm," Cohen, 53, told a throng of reporters in Manhattan before departing for the federal prison in Otisville, New York, about 80 miles away. "There's still much to be told, and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth," he added. His brief comments suggested that he had not said everything about Trump during his many hours of testimony earlier this year before several congressional committees. Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, tweeted in support of his client Monday, saying "the truth has no walls." 1) I am proud of .@MichaelCohen212 courageous decision on July 2, 2018, to tell the truth about why @realDonaldTrump represented a danger to our constitution, our freedoms, and our nation's fundamental values. 2) I have been and will continue to remain vocal on selective prosecution & disproportionate sentencing against @MichaelCohen212. Why is @MichaelCohen212 the only person within the Trump organization to be prosecuted 4 crimes committed @ the direction of @realDonaldTrump 3) .@MichaelCohen212 may be sentenced within the walls of a federal correctional institution. But the truth has no walls. Michael will continue to be accessible to congress and to federal, state, and local law enforcement. Cohen pleaded guilty last year to arranging secret hush-money payments to two women who claim they had affairs with Trump years before he became president. He also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about details of an aborted plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, and to financial crimes. Cohen told a federal judge in Manhattan that Trump had directed him to buy the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal so they would not reveal in the months leading to the 2016 election their alleged trysts with the New York real estate developer years earlier. Cohen directly paid off Daniels and was later reimbursed by Trump while the Trump-friendly publisher of The National Enquirer paid McDougal. Trump has denied having sex with either Daniels or McDougal and has also called Cohen a liar. Cohen, a former Trump Organization executive vice president, had been one of Trump's most loyal associates for years, and an attack dog when he faced unfavorable coverage from journalists. He once said he would be willing to "take a bullet" for Trump. But their relationship fell apart in the months after FBI agents raided Cohen's New York office and hotel room in April 2018, seizing evidence that led him to plead guilty. Cohen eventually began cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, possible collusion by Trump campaign officials in that meddling and possible obstruction of justice by Trump himself. Mueller concluded that Russians actively tried to effect the outcome of the election with a campaign to sway voters to Trump. But the special counsel did not find evidence that Trump campaign officials coordinated with the Russians in their effort. Attorney General William Barr has ruled that the evidence presented by Mueller did not warrant charging Trump with obstruction of justice. Mueller did not say whether or not Trump should be charged with obstruction, but also said his report did not exonerate the president on that question. In an email to its customers, uBiome, a start-up that sells health tests, said on Monday that it is suspending clinical operations for its health tests, including SmartGut and SmartJane. That decision follows the news that the FBI searched the company's San Francisco offices as part of an ongoing investigation into the start-up's billing practices. The company noted that it would continue to sell its direct-to-consumer product, Explorer. Any recent SmartGut or SmartJane tests will be cancelled, and payments for any out-of-pocket tests will be refunded, it said. In the months before the FBI search, the company would often bill insurance multiple times for its tests without patient consent, insiders told CNBC. In an interview, one customer, Marc Harris, told CNBC that he sent in two samples, but the $2,970 test was billed to his insurance five times. The company's founders, Jessica Richman and Zac Apte, are on "administrative leave," the company announced last week, and John Rakow, its general counsel, was named interim CEO. The board also said that it would launch an independent investigation into uBiome's billing practices. UBiome declined to comment on the email. Here's the full email, obtained by CNBC: On Friday, April 26, 2019, federal authorities, pursuant to a search warrant, searched uBiome's facilities in San Francisco. We are cooperating fully with federal authorities on this matter. Our Board of Directors has appointed John Rakow, our General Counsel, as Interim CEO of uBiome, effective immediately. Our Co-CEOs, Jessica Richman and Zac Apte, are currently on administrative leave as we conduct an independent investigation into the company's billing practices, to be overseen by a Special Committee of the Board. Once complete, we will take any corrective actions that are needed to ensure we can become a stronger company better able to serve patients and healthcare providers. We will also be temporarily suspending clinical operations. At this time and until further notice, uBiome will not be offering SmartGut or SmartJane. We will continue to offer and process our Explorer product. It is important to reiterate that this is a suspension. This does not mean we will not offer clinical products in the future, nor does this insinuate a lack of value or utility in our products. There is significant clinical evidence that demonstrates the utility and value of uBiome's products as important tools for patients, healthcare providers, and our commercial partners. We look forward to continuing to demonstrate this clinical utility and value. Any SmartGut or SmartJane request or order that is pending on your account has been canceled. If you made any out of pocket payment upfront, this will be refunded to you within 3-5 business days. We will not be releasing clinical reports, processing samples, billing health insurance, or shipping new collections kits, at this time. If you would prefer that any of your pending samples be destroyed, simply reply to this email. Our team will ensure this is taken care of for you expeditiously. WATCH: How Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes became a master of deception The majority of small business owners in the US are optimistic about current business conditions, according to multiple polls. But if you're one of the many Americans who dream about opening your own business, it's important to remember that starting a business is never a sure bet and it's worth researching which areas have the best conditions for getting started. Financial website WalletHub published a study on Monday that looks at 100 large US cities to determine which ones offer the best conditions for launching a new business. Three Florida cities are among the five best large cities for starting a business, according to WalletHub, while New York City and Los Angeles don't even crack the top 25. For its study, WalletHub compared 100 different cities ranging in size from Baton Rouge (population of roughly 225,000 people) to New York City (8.6 million population) and evaluated them based on three elements: the business environment, access to resources and business costs. Within those three categories, WalletHub rates each of the 100 cities based on 19 key metrics, including start-ups per capita, the number of working age and college-educated residents in the area, local cost of living and labor costs, among others. Each city received a total score on a 100-point scale based on how it performed in each metric. Orlando, the Florida city of over 280,000 people landed the top spot on the site's ranking. The home of Walt Disney World scored the top spot thanks to ranking sixth overall in terms of the local business environment, while WalletHub ranked the city 17th overall in terms of business costs. On the other hand, Orlando ranked 50th in the "access to resources" category. Oklahoma City, which topped WalletHub's 2018 ranking of the best large cities for starting a business, placed second on this year's list. Meanwhile, two other Florida cities Miami and Tampa landed top-five spots on WalletHub's ranking, finishing at third and fifth, respectively. Austin, Texas landed in the fourth spot. Here are the top 10 best large cities in which to start a business, according to WalletHub. 1. Orlando, Florida 2. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 3. Miami, Florida 4. Austin, Texas 5. Tampa, Florida 6. Charlotte, North Carolina 7. Durham, North Carolina 8. Raleigh, North Carolina 9. Atlanta, Georgia 10. Denver, Colorado The two biggest US cities by population, New York City and Los Angeles, ranked 66th and 25th overall on WalletHub's list. Both cities' rankings were weighed down by the high costs that business-owners face in those areas, as both New York and Los Angeles are among the 10 least affordable metro areas in the country in terms of the cost of living. Cleveland and Pittsburgh are two of the cities that fell to the bottom of WalletHub's rankings for the best large cities for starting a business they're 98th and 99th, respectively while Chesapeake, Virginia (population: 240,000) ranks last. Other details WalletHub found in compiling the rankings include the fact that Toledo, Ohio, while ranked 96th overall, offers the lowest annual rent for office space, at $11.93 per square foot. That's 6.7 times cheaper than San Francisco, where the price is $80.22 per square foot, according to WalletHub. Meanwhile, Miami boasts the most start-ups per 100,000 residents, with 234.7. And 57th-ranked Detroit has the lowest labor costs, with a median annual income of $27,838, compared to Fremont, California (ranked 90th overall), which has the highest labor costs at a median annual income of more than $122,000. Don't Miss: These are the 20 best small American cities for starting a business Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Billionaire investor Warren Buffett told CNBC on Monday that an escalation of the U.S.-China trade fight would be "very bad" for the whole world. The stock nosedive in premarket trading on President Donald Trump's weekend threat to increase tariffs on China is "rational," Buffett said, acknowledging the high stakes of the "dangerous game" being played by the world's two biggest economic superpowers. "It doesn't mean it's a game that shouldn't be engaged in." "If we actually have a trade war, it would be bad for the whole world, and could be very bad, depending on the extent of the war," Buffett said, but added: "There are times in negotiations when you talk tough." Buffett refused to put odds on how the trade talks would turn out or whether Trump would follow through on his tariff threat: "With some people in negotiations, the best technique is to act half crazy." Different people negotiate deals in different ways, Buffett noted. He added that the way Trump is negotiating with China is not how he would handle it "at all," suggesting a more take-or-leave it approach. "I've had a consistent way of negotiating," Buffett said. "I just say what I'll do, and I don't do anything else. People really know that's what I mean." Without mentioning the former real estate dealmaker Trump by name, Buffett said "lots of people in acquisitions ... really like to play games" but it takes too long to figure out if a deal is ever achievable. "It would be a huge time waster if we did it" in our business. The Oracle of Omaha appeared on "Squawk Box" for a wide-ranging interview on Monday, following the weekend festivities at Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting. The Berkshire chairman and CEO held court on Saturday before a crowd at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, talking about the company's purchase of Amazon shares, and why he stepped in to help finance a potential mega energy deal. He also bashed bitcoin again, calling it a "gambling device." Buffett also said any CEO of a bank that needs a government bailout should lose his or her net worth. Warren Buffett on Monday rejected the type of socialist ideas gaining favor on the far left of the Democratic Party delivering a full-throated endorsement of free market capitalism. "If you look at what was here in 1776 and you look at what's here now, this country has done an incredible job in terms of the deployment of resources and human ingenuity," Buffett told CNBC's Becky Quick, in an interview from Omaha, Nebraska where Berkshire Hathaway held its annual shareholders meeting this weekend. "The idea of people unleashing their potential ... it's absolutely a miracle." On stage Saturday, before a crowd of tens of thousands of investors and fans of his investment philosophy, Buffett affirmed, "I'm a card-carrying capitalist." With a rising tide of 2020 presidential candidates including democratic socialist Bernie Sanders who are advocating more government control over the economy, Buffett argued on "Squawk Box" that compared with countries with central planning at the heart of their economic and political systems, "we win hands down" in the United States. "We're just getting started with what capitalism can do." "Does that mean that every decision should be made by open market determinants? No, there's need for regulation," said Buffett, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race. "Human ingenuity is incredible, and you want something that maximizes its use; and then curbs, on a few of the ideas that some of those people may have to sort of have it for all themselves." Sitting next to Buffett, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates told CNBC on Monday, "Some people think when you defend capitalism you're defending the tax rates." He said that is not the case. Gates and Buffett for years have called for higher taxes on wealthy individuals, like themselves, to fund social safety nets and pay down the country's debt. They have also maintained the rich are being undertaxed compared with working Americans. Other titans of industry such as J.P Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon and hedge fund founder Ray Dalio have expressed similar views when it comes to the need to reduce wealth inequality in the United States through higher taxes and investment. The candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination Sens. Sanders and Elizabeth Warren included are running on this very platform of getting the rich to pay more of their fair share. President Donald Trump has sought to narrow the income gap by spurring economic growth with tax cuts for individuals and businesses, on the thought that more money in the pockets of consumers and corporations will mean more money finding its way into the economy. 1 / 11 A statue of St. James stands on a wall speckled with fragments of shrapnel at St. Sebastian's Church, where a suicide bomber blew himself up in Negombo, north of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Nearly a week later, the smell of death is everywhere, though the bodies are long gone. Yet somehow, theres a beauty to St. Sebastians, a neighbourhood church in a Catholic enclave north of Sri Lankas capital. You can see the beauty in the broken stained-glass windows. Its there as the sun shines through the roofs gaping holes. Its there in the little statues that refused to fall over, and despite the swarms of police and soldiers who seem to be everywhere now in the streets of the seaside town of Negombo. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) 2 / 11 Protesters against an extradition law march along a downtown street in Hong Kong. Thousands of people protested to express their concerns about the proposed new extradition law that would make it possible for people to be sent to mainland China to face the justice system there. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) 3 / 11 Thai workers prepare to transport a giant portrait of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn by truck to a buyer's house in Bangkok, Thailand. The coronation ceremonies for 66-year-old King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as King Rama X, will be held on May 4-6, 2019. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) 4 / 11 Japan's Emperor Akihito, right, leaves after a ritual to report his abdication to the throne, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The 85-year-old Akihito ends his three-decade reign on Tuesday when he abdicates to his son Crown Prince Naruhito. (Japan Pool via AP) 5 / 11 Japan's new Emperor Naruhito and new Empress Masako are driven to Imperial Palace to greet Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko in Tokyo. Naruhito succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne Wednesday after his father Akihito abdicated Tuesday. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) 6 / 11 Chinese President Xi Jinping, centre, applauds as he attends a commemoration ahead of the 100th anniversary of the May 4 Movement at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The 100-year-old movement sought to overturn what was then called "feudal" thinking that opposed their calls for civil and women's rights. China's authoritarian Communist Party rulers now embrace the movement as a seminal moment in China's transition to a modern nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) 7 / 11 Staff at a government waste management facility arranges seized ivory tusks before destroying them, outside Seremban, Malaysia. Malaysia has destroyed nearly four tons of elephant tusks and ivory products as part of its fight against the illegal ivory trade. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) 8 / 11 North Korean soldiers look at the South side, seen during a press tour at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea. South Korea on Wednesday resumed the southern side of Panmunjom tour to tourists. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) 9 / 11 Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions hold up their banners during a May Day rally in Seoul, South Korea. Thousands of trade union members and activists are marking May Day by marching through Asia's capitals and demanding better working conditions and expanding labour rights. The signs read "Let's win the wage struggle." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) 10 / 11 A protester runs around a burning effigy of President Rodrigo Duterte during a rally near the Presidential Palace in Manila, Philippines, to pay tribute to workers in celebration of International Labor Day. The workers scored Duterte allegedly for reneging on his campaign promise three years ago to end temporary hiring known as "contractualization" or "ENDO" (End of Contract). (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) by Sumon Corraya Although the problem is growing, few victims complain. In April three students were killed and seven raped. For one school principal, "The problem is due to mixed classes. For another, girls are unruly. A consultant slams immoral teachers. Dhaka (AsiaNews) Anyone who commits sexual abuse "must be punished according to the law. No one should ever be killed like Nusrat Jahan Rafi, burnt alive," said Rasheda K Chowdhury, a consultant with the Bangladeshi government, speaking with AsiaNews about the violence female madrassa students experience. Nusrat filed harassment charges against the headmaster of her school and refused to withdraw them. Her murder in early April sparked outrage, but also shed light on sex abuses against students in female madrassas (Quranic schools) In Bangladesh about six million girls study in Quranic schools, which many parents choosing this type of education because they are free. There are two types of madrassas: private Qawmi schools, and government-sponsored Alia schools. Education Ministry rules require teachers in such schools to be women, but female teachers represent at best 30 per cent of the total. According to Chowdhury, the "government should better check teachers resumes. Morality should be the priority. The serious thing is that in the past physical violence was carried out by male students, now teachers are doing it. There are no data on abuse allegations because most victims are to afraid to speak out. This is the case of Nupor Akter (not her real name), who managed to escape rape. "One day my teacher told me to stop at the end of the lesson, the 19-year-old explained. When all the other students had left, he forcibly hugged me. I realised what he wanted to do and I threatened to scream. At that point he let me go." The young woman did not however have the strength to tell her parents. She eventually dropped out of school and got married, according to their wishes. "I didn't feel safe in the madrassa, she said, because some teachers try to take advantage of the situation and assault students. Things are significantly different if the teachers are women. Nilufar Begum studies at the Uttara Mohila Madrassa, a girls' school on the outskirts of Dhaka. "There are only female teachers, who treat us very kindly, she explained. I have never had unpleasant experiences in my school." According to Abdul Odud, president of the Darul Ulum Uttara Madrassa, "the rise in sexual assaults is due to mixed classes. Males and females should study in separate classes and for girls there should only be female teachers." According to Gazi Mashudor Rahman, principal of another madrassa in the capital, "I think purdah might help (wearing the burqa). Today, instead, female students have mobile phones, they do not follow dress code, and lead an undisciplined life. Thus, they become victims of bad men. Madrassas should exercise strict control over teachers." CAMBRIDGE, Mass. The need for new Wi-Fi spectrums is expected to grow as infrastructure becomes increasingly more connected through IoT sensors, leaving U.S. government agencies in need of a database that can dynamically record and monitor their use. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants a spectrum track-and-trace technology to be open-source, distributed and secure, so not surprisingly, it has begun to explore the use of blockchain ledgers. [ Free download: Mobile management vendors compared ] "If you think about a world of the Internet of Things with 50 billion devices and wireless functionalities and input to all of them, we should figure out how we can have a real-time market for those spectrum inputs instead of this clunky system we have today with these exclusive-use licenses," FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel told attendees of MIT Technology Review's Business of Blockchain conference here last week. The total number of connected Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices is expected to leap from 21 billion this year to 50 billion by 2022, according to recent data from Juniper Research. Blockchain runs business automation applications known as "smart contracts" that could offer a standardized method for accelerating data exchange between IoT devices. As a distributed ledger technology (DLT), blockchain databases use a peer-to-peer computer model to share the same information in near real time across a limitless number of nodes. Everyone allowed onto the chain has access to the same information, so the process of tracking spectrums would be transparent. Using an open, distributed ledger to track radio wave spectrums would also give the FCC a better sense of how they're being used, something the agency doesn't have today. "We have this registry from all of these licenses, but on a day-to-day basis we don't actually know with great clarity what's being used and what's not being used," Rosenworcel said. "So if you put this on a public blockchai,n you'd have this record of where demand is for what airwaves." Knowing which frequencies are being used, and which aren't, could change the way wireless technology is developed, including how antenna systems and chipsets are fashioned to make them more effective based on location. The FCC's current process for issuing new wireless licenses is to hold an auction, one at a time and only occasionally. For example, the agency recently held an auction for the 28GHz spectrum licenses for 5G networks in the U.S. The time consuming and administratively complex process of running the auction cost the FCC millions of dollars. More complex spectrum auctions can cost tens of millions of dollars to administrate, Rosenworcel said. "There's a lot of software involved and verifying financial and technical data. We take in bids, and manage those bids and issue licenses," she said. Radio spectrums today are scarce, and Rosenworcel described the current system for issuing new ones as a process that creates more scarcity, as they typically go to big wireless companies who have exclusive rights. In 2015, the Obama administration began putting forward ideas about sharing airwaves; when one Wi-Fi network is not being used by a service, for instance, another could pick it up. The idea was to develop a hierarchy of rights and spectrum bands. For instance, the U.S. Department of Defense uses the 3.5GHz band for military radar communications, but does so only occasionally. The idea would be to allow other entities to use that band when it's free. The FCC would create secondary rights for licenses and tertiary rights for Wi-Fi use. "So we just started moving away from this binary system of exclusive versus Wi-Fi and came up with this newer system where we thought maybe we can be more creative about how we distribute airwaves because we can make this resource less scarce," Rosenworcel said. What the FCC and other agencies need to figure out, she said, is a way to have a real-time marketplace for new spectrum inputs, where licenses can be issued dynamically on the fly and artificial intelligence can be used to enable devices to opportunistically identify the best spectrum to use at a given moment. "If they can prove that, we can be much more efficient with all the devices around us and we're going to change spectrum policy" from one largely defined by scarcity to one that can handle abundance, Rosenworcel said. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is currently holding a Spectrum Challenge where participants are asked to demonstrate a protocol governing how the radio frequency (RF) spectrum should be used moment to moment. The results are due out later this year. The FCC has mainly conducted its exploration of blockchain to manage new spectrums as a "thought exercise," but it has held discussions with legislators on Capital Hill and with Silicon Valley executives, Rosenworcel said. "We've seen engineering organizations like IEEE start working groups to talk more about dynamic spectrum access and the use of blockchain," she said. "And then we've even seen the International Telecommunications Union, which is a U.N. organization to address communications, start to address this intersection, too." Rosenworcel believes an FCC-managed blockchain-based dynamic ledger that can track spectrums is still five to 10 years away; in the mean time, testing is being conducted using conventional databases. If those databases work well, blockchain may not be needed in the U.S. But blockchain could still be considered a tool for economies abroad that have no central authority to track airwaves. A distributed blockchain ledger may also be needed because of the sheer volume of transactions created by a world where infrastructure is connected making databases obsolete simply because of the size of dynamic data stores needed. "This might be something we could do at a lower cost," Rosenworcel said, referring to blockchain over traditional databases. "Spectrum exists all around us; it's not confined to the United States or our economy, and the power of making those airways work for connectivity is something that can change economies, it can change agriculture, it can change healthcare. "Can we come up with more effective ways to push them out to market innovators not just domestically but worldwide?" she asked. Cllr Gareth Lyon is a councillor in Rushmoor and the Chairman of the Aldershot and North Hants Conservative Association. The local election results throughout Hampshire and Surrey make grim reading for our Party. The blame for this is rightly being laid at the feet of the Prime Minister and our Parliamentary party. As predicted, the very public and constant drip of stories about Brexit completely overshadowed every other issue in this campaign. A notable exception to this tale of woe was in Rushmoor (Farnborough and Aldershot) where our hard-working, tight-knit team of councillors and activists withstood everything the other parties could throw at us and ended the night with the same number of seats as we started it (having lost two and gained two, one from Ukip one from Labour). I am hugely proud of our team here and everything we did to stand firm. Some of the biggest factors in our success were: Teamwork . Before the campaign even started we made a point of getting our candidates together to build a shared view on which were our target and at-risk wards. By getting candidates to take the lead in the process we secured an impressively self-sacrificial level of buy-in from them in terms of where we chose to target our resources. In years gone by our hard-working ward councillors launched themselves into election time primarily focussing on their own wards. This is commendable but often led to massively inflated majorities in safe blue areas whilst we fell just short in other wards. This year we got the agreement of candidates in safer seats to spend a great deal of time helping elsewhere. This meant that we were able to focus on the second key plank of our strategy: Putting Labour on the back foot . We knew we would be up against an unfavourable national picture this year and that the socialists would be doing all they could to capitalise on it. We countered this through some of our most energetic and effective campaigners making moves on Labour wards early in ways which the socialists had not seen us do in the past. This very quickly induced panic in the Labour ranks and led to them diverting resources which might otherwise have been targeted entirely at our marginal wards. We started by not expecting very much of these campaigns but in the end, we slashed Labour majorities, which will in itself pay dividends next year. The main advantage though was that we were on the front foot for the whole campaign and the socialists were never quite able to implement their plans. Finding new areas of support. In Rushmoor we are proud to be home to a large Nepalese community, a legacy of the long relationship Aldershot has with the Gurkha regiment. For a number of years, Labour have tried to treat these residents as a kind of client group, and made all sorts of unrealistic and misleading promises of future handouts. Over the past couple of years though we have tackled this. The leadership of our local council has worked on building friendship and rapport with the Nepalese community. We have attended their events, supported their fundraisers and made more of an effort to welcome them into the heart of our community. As this has happened we have discovered that key planks of Nepalese traditional culture respect for the family, history and the military, patriotism, self-reliance and support for small business are actually profoundly Conservative. Not only that but the Nepalese have seen through the smoke and mirrors promises of the Labour Party and seen how in Conservative run Rushmoor we can actually deliver and do not over-promise. This alliance led to a surge in Nepalese support for our candidates this year which made the difference in many wards. It also now has a visible symbol in Rushmoors first Nepalese candidate the impressive Prabesh KC who took a Ward of Labour into the bargain! Sticking to our great local record. In Rushmoor we have one of the lowest rates of council tax in the region and are on course in future to start freezing then cutting our rate. This is possible because our investment strategy is bringing in an ever increasing proportion of council income, saving our residents money and ensuring that our local services remain well funded. Indeed, alongside becoming more customer-centric and efficient this is one of the main reasons we have been able to improve rather than cut any local services. Thats not all we are working with private sector partners to leverage hundreds of millions of pounds into hugely ambitious town centre regeneration projects in Aldershot and Farnborough. We know that we are a well run local council and that residents respect us for it. No matter how any conversation on a doorstep started this year we made sure we finished by talking about our local record. We even went so far as to describe ourselves as Local Conservatives on ballot papers. We are proud members of the Conservative Party here and know we have a great record in Government, but to ask our candidates to go out to bat on European issues would have been both cruel and stupid. Countering opposition lies. This is one we developed in the course of the campaign and are still learning to do better. At least two parties running against us this year made entirely false and deceptive claims about our town centres and local services. It took us a while to wake up to the fact that some residents were actually believing such nonsense but when we did so we started to allow activists far more time on the doorstep to set people straight. We didnt get round to everyone who was deceived but those we did will never vote for the deceivers again. We will keep upping our game in this area and more importantly will prove them wrong as we continue to deliver for our residents in future. Our campaign faced the same issues as all Conservatives around the country, and it is frustrating to think that we could very well have made some very significant gains if we hadnt been up against such a self-inflicted malaise. Steve Baker: What madness is this that a Conservative Prime Minister would rather negotiate with Corbyn than deliver on democracy? Steve Baker is a member of the Treasury Select Committee, and is MP for Wycombe. The local election results are well-known to every reader here. Their interpretation and their meaning for our future actions is contested. But with such heavy losses for us, moderate losses for Labour at this stage of the political cycle and gains for independents, we should agree there is no market for political parties which fail to honour fundamental policies. For that is what our Government has done. In treating Brexit as a damage-limitation exercise, diluting the referendum result and negotiating as if on the same side of the table as the EU, we have wrecked our reputation. The task ahead is not merely to save our Party, but to save the country from political chaos through the rise of a party whose only coherent policy is single-issue protest, but which found itself at the top of polls so soon after launching. This is the scale of our failure and our challenge: we must become again a national party of government, one which looks serious about the long-term future of a major world power, the region and the world. Our immediate choices are few: Revoke and Remain, pass the present deal or find another way out of the European Union. In 2016, during the run-up to the EU referendum debate, Philip Hammond opened a general debate in the Commons on European affairs. He said: The propositions on the ballot paper are clear, and I want to be equally clear today. Leave means leave, and a vote to leave will trigger a notice under article 50. To do otherwise in the event of a vote to leave would represent a complete disregard of the will of the people. No individual, no matter how charismatic or prominent, has the right or the power to redefine unilaterally the meaning of the question on the ballot paper. And in this, he was right. The idea the Conservative Party can abandon our exit from the EU and survive after inviting the decision and pledging to carry it through is for the birds. If we revoke, our Party will die, and it will deserve to. Let those Conservatives who take another view make their case. Our party line on the local election result is simple This gives a clear message to the two main parties that the public is frustrated, and want to see us get on and deliver Brexit. Unspoken in that message is the exhausted trope that we must therefore get this rotten, Brexit-in-name-only deal over the line. It wont work. It is too late to vote for this failed deal. There are two main reasons. First, the deal is rotten and the interested public know it. Second, it would destroy the Government and our Party. The first meaningful vote was a devastating, historic defeat for a reason: this Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration stinks. It converts a clear instruction to take back control into a further surrender of our capacity for self-government, forever. It includes a customs union in all but name, as many of us have been explaining and as Government negotiators have apparently told Labour flat contrary to our 2017 manifesto and to all reason. Politicians and parties just cannot expect to get away with this. And we havent. The local election results shout, A plague on all your houses!, and rightly when we have tried to pull the wool over the eyes of a nation. The ascendant Brexit Party knows the deal is rotten too. I understand Nigel Farage has said they will not stand against those of us who have always opposed this BRINO deal, to which I reply, so what?: for if we reach that point, all is lost. But what we learn is that the Brexit Party will call out this deal as a betrayal of the referendum result. I am not surprised. Many of the leading Brexit Party figures were Conservatives. And I was in close touch with them. They were among the loudest voices demanding Eurosceptic Conservatives reject this deal at every stage. I am not expecting them to change their view now that they are soaring with the public. If it is passed, the Brexit Party will savage this deal and savage us. Passing this deal would destroy us at the next election. And the next election would happen imminently. How does anyone suppose that it would or could not? In such circumstances I would not be surprised if we were outpolled by the Brexit Party. I would be surprised to see even a majority of my current parliamentary colleagues back on the green benches after such an election. Still more immediately, this deal may yet destroy the Government and in doing so precipitate that general election. How can we possibly expect our confidence and supply partners, the DUP, to give confidence to a Government which has passed, and is legislating for, a deal which they cannot support, because of the damage it does to the Union? I cannot speak for them, but I cannot see how it would be otherwise: a Conservative minority government would be at the mercy of Corbyns Labour party. Now what do Labour want? Power. Of course. And persistence with this rotten deal has now made the route to it simple. Agree a customs union for inclusion in the political declaration, thus dividing Conservatives, and vote through this Withdrawal Agreement, with its union-splitting backstop and so on, separating this Conservative Government from its majority. For the Government to proceed in this way is to offer an open goal to the hard Left. To do a deal with Labour over the heads of both our confidence and supply partners and Conservative MPs who have scrutinised the deal minutely and said loudly and explicitly what we have found would be an act of unconscionable folly and of stupendous lack of foresight. Even to contemplate it is to declare surrender to Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister. And there are Labour MPs who cannot tolerate that. What madness is this that a Conservative Prime Minister would rather negotiate with such a Labour leadership than deliver on democracy? The only tenable way forward is to deliver a Brexit worth having. Working with others after the historic defeat of the deal in January, I published an alternative written ministerial statement setting out how to do it. Circumstances have evolved since. Not least that a Malthouse Compromise has been negotiated within our Party and delivered a majority with the DUP for the Brady amendment requiring alternative arrangements on the Irish border which underpins the necessary changes to the Withdrawal Agreement. In Plan A Plus, we know how to deliver a trade and regulatory policy for a prosperous post-Brexit UK. We also have an alternative defence and security treaty, thanks to Briefings for Brexit. Lord Guthrie (former Chief of the Defence Staff), Sir Richard Dearlove (former Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service) and Professor Gwythian Prins have prepared a treaty which may be found here. We have a draft free trade agreement and a draft protocol on the Irish border. Prosperity UK will be fully working up Irish border arrangements, as the Government would have done long since if it were serious about a Brexit worth having. Much more besides has been worked out, written down and published. There are those of us who have worked together who know why we must leave, what we must do and how to do it. The outstanding element is this question, What if we dont? To answer that, Conservative MPs must face the results of the European elections. Only then might we come to our senses and stand together behind the promises we have made, courageously committing to exit without a Withdrawal Agreement through Malthouse B plan, while tabling treaties to deliver an exit of the kind the EU offered us last March for the whole UK. It is that or political oblivion. And deservedly so. Six years ago, the TaxPayers Alliance reported that in the last year, five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories. Since then, the figures have varied, and some Conservative members or supporters have been selected to fill important posts. Nonetheless, it remains the case that, since it took office in 2010, our Party has punched beneath its weight when it comes to public appointments. One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply dont apply in the same number as Labour supporters. To help remedy this, every week we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives might be aware of the opportunities presented. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Chair The Chair of NICE will: lead the board in an open and positive way, representing the Institute to the health and social care communities, life sciences industry, and the public, and build on the Institutes international status; set the tone for excellent working relationships between the Institute and key stakeholders responsible for the successful operation of the health and social care system, and supporting innovation and the UK life sciences; ensure that the Board puts policies in place to secure the effective management and development of all its staff; that it is clear about the values it holds as an organisation and communicates them effectively to the Institutes staff and to its external partners Time: 2.5-3 days per week. Remuneration: 74,000 per annum. Closes: 07 May Historic England Commissioners Historic England is the public body that helps people care for, enjoy and celebrate Englands spectacular historic environment, from churches and battlefields to parks and high streets. We champion and protect the places that define who we are and where we have come from as a nation. We champion the historic environment, helping people discover the great places that add colour and character to our lives. We include everyones history because we know every community has made a contribution that is worth understanding and celebrating. We protect by identifying the most important parts of our heritage, by listing and conserving, and by speaking up for places that are at risk. We care by helping communities and professionals to look after their local heritage. Time: 15-20 days per annum typically. Remuneration: 4,133 per year plus reasonable expanses. Closes: 15 May Health Research Authority Chair The Chair will be required to lead the board in setting the strategic direction of the HRA and overseeing its governance and performance management. HRAs core purpose is to protect and promote the interests of patients and the public in health and social care research. It ensures that health and social care research involving them is ethically reviewed and approved, that people are provided with the information they need to help them decide whether they wish to take part, and that their opportunity to do so is maximised by simplifying the processes by which high quality research is assessed. In doing this, HRA helps to build both public confidence and participation in health research, and so contribute to improving the nations health. Time: Two days per week. Remuneration: 45,000 per annum. Closes: 16 May Imperial War Museum Business Trustee IWM is seeking to increase the business and commercial skills on its Board of Trustees as the generation of commercial revenue forms a critical part of IWMs income and operating model. The commercial and learning activities of IWM, including retail, corporate hospitality and the IWM Duxford Air Shows are operated through the IWM Trading Company plc, a wholly owned subsidiary incorporated in 1999. The business trustee will also be Chair of the IWM Trading Company Ltd. Candidates for this particular post will have significant experience in an area of business or commerce. Time: Up to one day per month. Remuneration: Expenses reasonably incurred. Closes: 22 May Theatres Trust Trustee Theatres Trust is the national advisory public body for theatres. We believe that current and future generations should have access to good quality theatres where they can be inspired by and enjoy live performance. We champion the future of live performance, by protecting and supporting excellent theatre buildings, which meet the needs of their communities. Established by the Theatres Trust Act 1976 and the Theatres Trust (Scotland) Act 1978 to promote the better protection of theatres the Trust is a statutory consultee on planning. Local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are required to consult the Trust on planning applications for all theatres. Time: Four meetings a year. Remuneration: Reasonable expenses. Closes: 22 May Ofgem Non-Executive Director GEMA is the Governing Body of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), a non-ministerial department and an independent National Regulatory Authority. GEMAs powers are provided by inter alia the Gas Act 1986, Electricity Act 1989 and the Utilities Act 2000. Following the recent appointments to the Ofgem board, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is seeking to recruit a further two Non-Executive board members (NED) with an accountancy and digital transformation background respectively. Time: 16+ days per annum approx. Remuneration: 20,000 per annum (part-time) plus expenses. Closes: 26 May Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise Commissioner The Department for Transport is seeking an individual to serve as a Commissioner of the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise (ICCAN), a body which is being established to become a credible and authoritative voice on civil aviation noise issues. The Commissioner for Acoustics and Aviation Noise will work with the Head Commissioner, steering and developing the overall work of the Commission. The Commissioner will be required to work approximately two days per month, while maintaining sufficient flexibility to respond to additional ad hoc duties. They will also represent ICCAN and promote its strategy and overall direction. Time: Two working days per month. Remuneration: 12,000 per annum. Closes: 03 June The Royal Armouries Chair The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is seeking to appoint an outstanding individual as the next chair of the Royal Armouries, to take the Museum forward as this new critical period in its history. The ideal candidate will have a passion for cultural heritage, a commitment to public service, strong commercial acumen and a successful track record in public service, heritage management, or business. This is a very exciting time for the Royal Armouries, having substantially increased its commercial operations, and now in the process of devising a masterplan to transform the museum brand and its offer at the main museum site in Leeds. Time: ~4 working days per month. Remuneration: Reasonable expenses. Closes: 05 June Air Quality Expert Group Chair AQEG plays a vital role in providing advice to officials and key office holders in Government and the Devolved Administrations (DAs) on the evidence base supporting air quality policies and operations. The independent advice from AQEG helps shape Defras evidence base to robustly support policy development and implementation. While AQEGs primary role is in the provision of scientific advice to assist Defras strategic vision, members and the Chair are also called upon to provide ad hoc advice on occasion. The role of the AQEG is particularly significant at present as Government begins to implement its Clean Air Strategy. Time: 4-6 meetings per annum. Remuneration: 226 per diem. Closes: 10 June 60% Website civilsprep.in uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery and Boostrap. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 7537 bytes (7.36 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-09-19, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 90% Website lexa.de uses latest and advanced technologies. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 57156 bytes (55.82 kb uncompressed) and 12268 bytes (11.98 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-09-28, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 100% Website waf-seminar.de uses latest and advanced technologies. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 348528 bytes (340.36 kb uncompressed) and 76267 bytes (74.48 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-10-11, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 100% Website webnode.cz uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 12979 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 43977 bytes (42.95 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-07-17, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. by Mathias Hariyadi Archbishop Agus wants to create opportunities for Catholics in uniform to meet. He appointed the military chaplain in the Archdiocese of Pontianak for the next three years. "The commitment and good example of the Church have been fruitful", said an Armed Forces general. Jakarta (AsiaNews) About 600 Catholic senior officers from Indonesias National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) stationed in Pontianak (West Kalimantan province), took part in a Mass celebrated on Friday by the local archbishop, Mgr Agustinus Agus. The prelate told AsiaNews that the service, which was followed by a pleasant meeting, was only the latest of a series of initiatives undertaken by the Archdiocese to foster good relations with Catholics who serve in local military and law enforcement commands. At Easter, Mgr Agus had invited the local military and police commanders to participate in the event at the parish of Saint Cecilia. Several prominent military leaders heeded the call: Major General Herman Asaribab, head of the TNI Tanjungpura Regional Military Command (Kodam); Brigadier General Sri Handayani, deputy chief of police of West Kalimantan; and Brigadier General Palito Sitorus, commander of the Supadio Air Base. All three high-ranking officers are Catholic, as are the soldiers who joined them at the ceremony. At the end of the service, Mgr Agus announced the decision to appoint Fr Laurentius Prasetyo, a priest with the Disciples of the Lord (CDD), as military chaplain in the Archdiocese of Pontianak for the next three years. At the reception, the bishop stressed his desire to "create good opportunities like this, so that Catholic men and women in uniform can meet within a liturgical context. We do not have so many opportunities to meet informally, like today," he explained. The archbishop expressed his appreciation for the "not so simple" task the military perform, i.e. protecting the interests of the nation and the unity of its people. "I am convinced that these are not easy things to do, he said. For this reason, a personal touch and approach are urgent on the part of a prelate of the local Church. I really hope the new chaplain can give them moral support." Major General Asaribab expressed the satisfaction of Army, Air Force and Navy at Mgr Aguss initiative. "The commitment and good example of the Church, shown by the local archbishop, our moral pastor, have been fruitful; in particular, because we have the obligation to the public to be leaders, called to become the light and salt of society." (Sister Maria Seba, SFIC contributed to this article) (Photo credit: Sister Maria Seba, SFIC). Close Approximately one out of every five adults that you meet on any given day has suffered or is suffering from a mental illness, diagnosed or otherwise. In fact, mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder and major depression, are the third most common reason why adolescents and adults aged 18-44 are hospitalized in the US each year. According to a study published in 2018 by The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, the United States saw a rise of depression diagnoses by roughly 33% between 2013 and 2016. The study, called Major Depression: The Impact On Overall Health, also discussed the different demographics that were most affected. And it's no surprise that a big percentage of those suffering from major depression belongs to those in the labor force. Cultural norms and mental health In America, we are often told to "suck it up and deal with it" when it comes to problems outside of work. If you wake up feeling down in the dumps or emotionally battered, it doesn't matter; you still have to dress up and pretend like everything's fine. Even if you're at the lowest of lows, you're still expected to show up to work with a pleasant smile on your face. Regardless of what you're feeling, you're still expected to prioritize work over anything else, since that's what 'adults' are supposed to do: they "suck it up and deal with it". The culture here, as in most parts of the world, is to leave personal problems at home where they supposedly belong. But in the case of mental illnesses, there remains a single, important question - one that employees and employers alike have been trying to solve for quite some time now. How do you 'leave' a problem behind if the problem lies in your brain? The truth, which some are still finding hard to accept, is that mental illnesses can't just be left at home. A person suffering from severe anxiety struggles with work responsibilities in the same way that a person suffering from a severe migraine struggles, too. Mental health and the economy A Gallup poll from 2013 revealed that U.S. workers from all over the country who were suffering from depression missed more workdays in a single year compared to workers who were not suffering from depression. In total, these employees missed 68 million more workdays than their co-workers who weren't going through the same ordeal. This is certainly a struggle, not just for the employees themselves, but also for their employers who have to deal with missed deadlines, impaired work performance, and the possibility of a work injury delaying outputs. Based on statistics, such mood disorders cost the global economy roughly $1 trillion each year due to lost productivity stemming from these disorders. Not to mention, employees who are not mentally healthy also cost the company more in healthcare. On average, a person suffering from depression accrues roughly $14,967 in annual healthcare costs, almost three times higher than the average $5,929 for the rest of the population. They also visit the emergency room six times more than the overall population, on average, which contributes to the higher cost of healthcare. If you're an employer and would like to improve the situation in your company, you can start by simply paying more attention. After all, if you can't even recognize the problem, you won't be able to solve it no matter how hard you try. Recognizing problems in the workplace The first thing you can do is to assess the working environment of your employees. Is it relaxed? Hostile? How are your employees treating each other? You have to learn how to recognize the signs of a toxic environment, as that could add burden to a person already struggling from a mental disorder. Toxic workplace environments could also further worsen developing mental disorders. The second thing you can do is to be more hands-on in your approach to mitigating the problems that could contribute to mental illnesses. Even in the U.S., there's still negative stigma surrounding mental health disorders, so your employees may feel uncomfortable or ashamed to step forward. You can help ease employees into talking about the topic by giving out anonymous employee questionnaires meant to assess the overall mental health in the workplace. And if you do find someone who is suffering from a mental disorder or is at risk of developing one, the next thing you can do is to immediately extend help to them. Of course, you can always make sure that employees have access to a mental health care provider whenever they need it. Pushing for mental health awareness at work The U.S. still has a lot to go in terms of mental health awareness and there's still plenty of room to improve. But while there is still negative stigma associated with the topic inside and outside the workplace, you, as an employer, can always do your part in reducing its damages. By fostering a holistically healthy working environment where employees are happy and free from both physical and mental disorders, you're also fostering a workplace that maintains an optimum level of productivity at all times, perfect for a job well-done. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Close Intelligent machines are becoming a more central aspect of our lives on a daily basis, with AI having already ingrained itself into how modern hospitals and healthcare providers deliver positive patient solutions. Despite the fact that AI is more important now than ever before, however, many in the public still now very little about how these intelligent machines are coming to deliver personalized healthcare that's specifically tailored for you. Hospitals and medical researchers around the country are already proving that AI has a promising role to play in healthcare. Here's a breakdown of how AI is making healthcare personal, and the methods by which an intelligent machine will make your future hospital visits more customized. AI is supercharging precision medicine Few areas of the medical industry are finding themselves as upended by the injection of intelligent machines into the equation as precision medicine, or the approach to patient care where doctors can personalize the treatment to match the patient in question. Historically, precision medicine has been particularly important when it comes to certain diseases that are hereditary and thus more likely to show up in certain patients than in others. These days, however, AI is helping make precision medicine the go-to-means by which all healthcare professionals can address the needs of their patients. This approach may even help lower healthcare services insurance costs. A recent study into the role of AI in precision medicine details how practicing medicine has always been highly dependent on the collection of huge sums of patient information. If doctors don't know what's going on inside of your body or what your medical history is, after all, they'll be hard pressed to help you in any meaningful way. In the future, though, medical treatment is going to become more data-driven than ever before, with massive patient portfolios being assembled by clever software programs that know more about you than you yourself may. In a way, it's easy to imagine the field of precision medicine morphing from a specialized practice only useful to a select few patients into a generalized form of treatment that everyone can expect. After all, with the help of intelligent software, doctors can learn more about patients and diagnose them with greater accuracy than ever before. A recent review of how AI is transforming diagnostic imaging found that intelligent software is much more capable of detecting certain patterns than humans are, and can supercharge the ability of medical professionals to deliver news to patients sooner than ever before, which means that treatment can be started right away. AI won't replace doctors Despite all of these impressive achievements brought about by the rise of AI, many patients and healthcare providers alike continue to live in fear of intelligent machines that they worry will come to replace them in all elements of life. In reality, though, there are few reasons to believe that AI will supplant humans and plenty of reasons to believe that they won't replace doctors so much as work alongside of them. These intelligent machines are still only that - machines - at the end of the day, meaning they can't take responsibility when things go wrong or make the sudden calls that human experts are required for. Thus, you can sleep soundly that AI won't replace doctors. It will make them better than ever before, though, largely by automating the more mundane aspects of medical treatment and cutting down on things like paperwork. This will free up human experts to spend more time with patients or give them additional opportunities to review and study patient data, which can offer useful insights into how to save lives. Thus, by taking care of the busy-work that engulfs many hospital staffers, AI will be making healthcare more personal by delivering you more one-on-one time with the experts you come to know and trust. Outside of more serious medical treatments and diagnostics, AI will also help make healthcare personal by making your stay in a hospital more enjoyable. Meridian Health is currently experimenting with a groundbreaking Concierge Care program that aims to deliver a better guest experiment when it comes to nonmedical needs like reading materials or hotel reservations. In the future, family members and close friends of those in the hospital will find it easy to stay in touch with their injured loved ones because an AI program helps them book a local room in an otherwise busy city. All of this is only the start, too, as the ways that AI makes healthcare more personal are going to become more complex as the algorithms themselves do. Human experts aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so don't fear that hospitals will be entirely operated by robots in the near-future. As it turns out, the introduction of artificial intelligence into the healthcare industry has made things more efficient and customizable than ever before. Whether you're a patient in need of help or a doctor trying to deliver it, AI going to make your next stay in a hospital personal and unique. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Norwegian Cruise Line awarded cruises to 30 educators as well as thousands of dollars to their schools as part of its Giving Joy campaign as the Joy arrived in North America. The program was an effort to reward teachers who inspire students and bring joy into the classroom, the company said. The month-long campaign, which recognized the powerful connection between travel and education, launched in advance of the Norwegian Joys North American inaugural sailing during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-10, 2019). The 30 teachers with the most votes won a seven-day cruise for two and were provided with airfare and accommodations for an award ceremony in Seattle on May 3, 2019. There, at the event hosted by Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Andy Stuart and nationally syndicated radio personality Elvis Duran, the three grand prize finalists were awarded with $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000 for their schools. The grand prize winners are: - Nicole Conlisk from One World Middle School in Bronx, N.Y. ($25,000) - Jason Seaman from Noblesville West Middle School in Noblesville, Ind. ($15,000) - Ashley Kuzma from McDowell Intermediate High School in Erie, Penn. ($10,000) Conlisk was surprised with additional prize money for her school thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line partners and others who were moved by her story and the Giving Joy campaign. In addition to the $25,000, Conlisk walked away with: - $15,000 from PepsiCo - $15,000 from MJM Marine - $15,000 from Margaritaville - $10,000 from ExxonMobil - $5,000 from Scanship - $5,000 from Samsung - $5,000 from Wilhelmsen - $3,000 from Greater Victoria Harbour Authority - $2,500 from Allen Marine Tours Education technology company Nearpod and its recently-acquired Flocabulary business offered 30 one-year-long Platinum memberships ($10,470 value) and 30 one-year-long Lite memberships ($3,600 value) respectively to the 30 winners. Nearpod is also extending a three-month Gold membership trial for any teacher, using the code NP-GivingJoy. In addition, the teachers were rewarded with $100 hotel coupon codes ($3,000 value) from Expedia Group; $100 Norwegian Cruise Line gift cards ($3,000 value) courtesy of iHeartMedia for winners to use onboard during their cruise; and $50 gift cards ($1,500 value) from Costco Travel. PepsiCo donated $5,000 towards the Big Moment of Joy event and Chateau Ste. Michelle provided the wine for the evening. I could not be happier with the tremendous response our Giving Joy campaign has received, said Stuart. Through this effort, we were able to raise awareness of the important work teachers do every day and reward truly amazing educators for their meaningful contributions. The teachers were invited to join a public pier side celebration at the Port of Seattles Bell Street Pier prior to Norwegian Joys first sailing from Seattle, Wash. The event featured a performance by Norwegian Joys cast of Footloose; the live music of Caety Sagoian and band; a dance performance from the Northwest Tap Connection youth program; free Starbucks beverages; and a variety of family-friendly activities including a Wall of Joy, which invited attendees to share what brings them joy. To recognize the occasion, the mayor of Seattle also proclaimed the day, May 4, 2019, as the Day of Joy. Ive been a part of the cruise industry for over 30 years and I cant remember a time when we launched a ship with so much joy, said Stuart. We have been sailing from Seattle for 20 years - the first cruise line to do so. I am tremendously grateful to the Port of Seattle for our partnership and to Mayor Jenny Durkin for the proclamation of Seattle Day of Joy! The increase would be from 10 to 25% for 200 billion of goods imported from China. The meeting of 8 May between delegations is in doubt. In the morning session, the Shanghai stock market fell 5% and the Shenzhen one fell 6.5%. Doubts about how to implement and verify non- transfer of technology. Washington (AsiaNews / Agencies) - US President Donald Trump has announced that by 10 May he will raise taxes on some 200 billion Chinese imports from 10% to 25%. In a tweet released last night, he criticized the fact that the trade negotiations between the two countries are advancing "too slowly". Trump's decision follows what had already been decided during the one-year duty war. This increase - from 10 to 25% - was to be implemented on March 1, but was then delayed after a meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping in Argentina for the G20. The dialogue between the two parties seemed to work. Last week the US delegation called them "productive" and expected a positive conclusion in a meeting this week, on May 8, in Washington. Chinese personalities cited by Bloomberg question the possibility of a meeting this week. Meanwhile, in the morning session, the Shanghai stock market fell by 5% and the Shenzhen one fell by 6.5%. Unconfirmed rumors state that Trump's sudden hardening is due to a step backwards by China on guarantees of non- transfer of technology and verification methods. In fact, US requests focus on a greater opening of the Chinese market to American products, and above all on the end of the forced transfer of technologies, as well as on the defense of intellectual property and the end of state subsidies to state enterprises. Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media BRIDGEPORT A 73-year-old woman who did prison time for mailing baked goods laced with rat poison to federal officials faces up to five more years behind bars for allegedly walking away from a halfway house last year. In a prepared statement, U.S. Attorney John Durham said the woman, Barbara March, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. District Court Judge Kari A. Dooley to one count of escaping from federal custody. STRATFORD An FAA investigation of an airplane owned by a Milford man led to a 2017 bust of 400 pounds of weed at Sikorsky Airport and guilty pleas this month in a multi-million dollar marijuana trafficking operation, according to federal prosecutors. In a prepared statement, U.S. Attorney John H. Durham said the Milford man 61-year-old Donald Burns and two other state residents now face life in prison after pleading guilty to federal drug dealing charges. Durham said the investigation began in 2016 when the Federal Aviation Administration began investigating a Piper single-engine aircraft, owned by Burns, that was making regular flights between Stratford, Connecticut, and northern California via the southwest United States. On June 28, 2017, Burns flew the plane from California to Lubbock, Texas, and then to Arkansas, West Virginia and Connecticut, where he landed at Sikorsky Airport. After it landed, a law enforcement search of the plane revealed approximately 400 pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed packages, Durham said. Investigators determined the weed was intended for distribution by 34-year-old Terrell Givens, of Beacon Falls, and 40-year-old Scott Pep Bodnar, of Ansonia. The investigation revealed that, over a period of approximately two years, members of the conspiracy earned millions of dollars by trafficking nearly two tons of marijuana from California to Connecticut, Durham said. Bodnar, Givens and others also laundered approximately $6 million to purchase marijuana in California, pay for their travel to and from California, and pay Burns to transport the marijuana. Bodnar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments May 2. Givens pleaded guilty to the same charges on May 3. On Monday, Burns pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana. Though the charges carry a maximum punishment of up to life in prison, plea agreements indicate the defendants will likely be sentenced to 10 years each the mandatory minimum prison terms for the charges. Charges remain pending against a fourth man charged in the case, Robert Capelli. According to the plea deals, the defendants agreed to forfeit cash and various items, including Burns Piper aircraft, a 2012 Toyota Camry belonging to Bodnar and a 2009 Jaguar XF and approximately $8,000 in jewelry belonging to Givens. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Aviation Administrations Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP), the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division, and the Stratford, Bridgeport and Derby Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale and Marc Silverman. STORRS - University of Connecticut firefighters at Storrs carried out a "confined space rescue" Sunday afternoon to reunite eight ducklings with their mom and siblings after they fell into a catch basin near the school's chemistry building. Bystanders called for help after seeing the distraught mother duck and two ducklings called for the others who were in a nearby catch basin, according to the UConn Public Safety Facebook page. GREENWICH Lawyers for the accused killer in the murder of Valerie Reyes, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase beside a road in Greenwich in February, are undertaking a process that may result in a plea bargain. Javier Da Silva, 24, a recent immigrant from Venezuela, was arrested Feb. 12, a week after the body of his former girlfriend was found off Glenville Road. Da Silva has been in custody since then on a federal charge of kidnapping resulting in murder. The government and defense counsel have had discussions regarding a possible disposition of this case as recently as March 2019, according to court papers filed this week by a federal prosecutor. The negotiations have not been completed and we plan to continue our discussions. The prosecutor has been given another month for negotiations, into early May. Da Silva made an initial appearance in the U.S. District Court in White Plains, N.Y., for a proceeding called a presentment. He has not entered a plea of guilty or not guilty in the case, and he has not yet been formally arraigned. A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice, Nicholas Biase, said a plea deal was being discussed in the case. There are discussions, working to find a resolution of the case without a trial, Biase said Friday. A judge must sign off on any agreement that is reached. Discussions and negotiations over a settlement can also lead to an impasse and then a trial. Da Silvas lead attorney, Jason Ser, did not respond to a request for comment. According to the federal complaint, Da Silva, who was living in Queens, N.Y., and working as a barista in New York City, claimed Reyes fell in her New Rochelle apartment on Jan. 29 while the two were together. He then bound her with tape and transported the body to Greenwich in a suitcase, where it was found about a week later by a town public works foreman. Da Silva allegedly used Reyes debit card to withdraw $1,000 at a New Rochelle bank branch at 5 a.m. Jan. 29, the federal complaint said. Reyes had sustained a severe wound to her head, which Da Silva blamed on a fall. There were obvious signs of head trauma, including bruising around the face and a large hematoma to the deceased females forehead, the federal complaint says. The Connecticut state medical examiners office has not released the cause of death. Reyes worked at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Eastchester, N.Y. She dated Da Silva for a short time about a year ago, her family said. Relatives of the slain woman said Da Silva was controlling and stubborn. Her family had reported Reyes missing at the end of January. Her body was found on Feb. 5. Greenwich police worked on the investigation with the FBI and detectives in New Rochelle. Da Silva was arrested in the early morning hours at his apartment in Queens. Da Silva, who also holds Portuguese citizenship, came to this country in May 2017 and overstayed his visa. The federal criminal charge he faces carries a sentence of death or life in prison. rmarchant@greenwichtime.com by Kamran Chaudhry The Youth Development Foundation is behind "peace camps" for young people of different faiths. Prejudices against other religious traditions are fuelled by "semi-illiterate and biased preachers who are responsible for misleading worshipers in our mosques." Lahore (AsiaNews) The Youth Development Foundation (YDF) organised a meeting held yesterday in Lahore to focus on how faith can help build harmony and promote social cohesion among young people of various religions. The Youth Tolerance Summit drew more than 250 students from various universities and madrassas, as well as activists and religious leaders. Muzni Fatima, 21, was one of them. Speaking to AsiaNews, she said that after nine years studying in a madrasa (Quranic school) in Multan, she had become very critical of Shiism. My religiously conservative family always warned me against becoming friends with girls from sect other than mine. I developed several misconceptions like if they had a different Quran. Similarly, some of their mourning practices like turning off lights during Shaam-e-Ghariban, the night following Ashura seemed quite odd, she said. The event commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The young woman studies at Jamia Hafsa Lil Binaat, a madrasa for girls and young women in Multan. In the past she was even more critical of female students studying in the nearby university. "Their clothing and lifestyle seemed too Western to me and against the true teachings of our faith." Yesterday's meeting followed "peace camps" the YDF holds in Punjab every year. Fatima attended the February camp, along with 24 other women aged 18 to 27 with different religious backgrounds. My parents only allowed me to attend the camp because our elderly teacher accompanied us. During the five-hour journey, I was made to sit with a university girl. We didnt talk all the way, Fatima said noting however that she made many friends during the group activities and peace sessions. For her teacher, Mawlana Abdul Majid Wattoo, the differences between religious traditions are one of the main factors in the radicalisation of young people. "A madrassa student will meet other university students, but will never visit the madrasa of a rival sect. Semi-illiterate and biased preachers are responsible for misleading worshipers in our mosques." "Cultural sensitivities and religious barriers make it more challenging, said YDF executive director Shahid Rehmat. In fact, Most Church-run groups avoid peace programmes in the madrasas. Even we have to be very careful when speaking of interfaith harmony. We do not discuss religion." "Our goal is harmony between religions and the promotion of human relationships. Organising visits to various places of worship can help counter extremist narratives." The demilitarisation of madrasas is one of the main goals of the National Action Plan launched in the wake of an attack against a military school in Peshawar in 2014, that left 150 people dead, including 132 students. Pakistani Armed Forces spokesman, General Major Asif Ghafoor announced last month a government plan to rein in the network of over 30,000 madrasas and place them under government control. For those who love history, few experiences are more stirring than taking in the Renaissance-era monuments, grand, Gothic cathedrals, and medieval walled villages on the antique streets of Europe. But we've got news for you, Old World obsessives: Despite being a relatively young country, America punches way above its weight when it comes to historic cities. In the United States, history is very much a living thing. As Shakespeare said, past is prologue: Many of those events, battles, and social movements that altered the trajectory of the nationand sometimes the worldalso shaped the homes, neighborhoods, and cities we live in today. Some of our top metros retain historic districts from their formative days, filled with beautiful, older homes that connect the present day to the past. And that makes these places extremely attractive destinations for buyers fascinated by times gone by. Where can you find them? The realtor.com data team set out to find America's most historic cities. We looked at the 500 largest urban areas, focusing on the per capita number of properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the number of National Historic Landmarks. (These are both federal destinations that deem historic sites to be preserved.) Finally, we looked at the property description of homes in these markets on realtor.com to calculate a share of historic homes. Hartford, Conn. comes in at number seven with 144 properties listed on the Historic Register and eight national historic landmarks. Scroll down to read more and click through the slideshow to see some of SW Connecticut's most historic buildings. Claire Widman These places include the ones you'll remember from history class, where the Revolutionary and Civil Wars were fomentedas well as lesser known ones that nevertheless played a crucial role in this country's past. So what are the advantages of living in a historic place? "Historic districts tend to hold their value better during economic downturns, and they appreciate more during upswings," says Tom Mayes, vice president for the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, DC. Historic homes "come with a built-in character. They have a uniqueness and distinctiveness. ... They give you a sense of perspective in our own lives and help us to understand where we are on that [historic] timeline," says Mayes. But buyers need to do their research before snagging an old home, adds Mayes, also the author of "Why Old Places Matter." Many of these antique abodes require costly maintenance and updating. (A century-old plumbing system? Shudder.) And there are often restrictions on what sorts of changes can be made on homes in historic districts, such as the type of doors or windows that can be put in in keeping with the character of the neighborhood. This can add up to big bucks for homeowners. OK? Let's take a tour of America's past. Best of all, you didn't have to ace history to appreciate these historic cities. Median list price: $949,000 National Registerlisted properties: 209 National Historic Landmarks: 19 In the days of Colonial America, a handful of wealthy British aristocrats, known as Tories, built large Colonial, Queen Anne, and Italianate homes in Cambridge with the inflow of money from their plantations in the West Indies. But they didnt keep them for long. Soon these aristocrats were driven out of the country once a band of patriots won the American Revolution. Cambridge and its massive estates wouldnt sit empty for long. The growing upper ranks of American society would come to occupy the city that was home to Harvard University, which was founded in 1636. There were sections of the city that became enclaves for the working class, who toiled in nearby factories making everything from soap to machine parts. They mostly lived in multifamily homes made out of clapboard. But once World War II ended, the city went through a transformation. Industrial smokestacks would be replaced by corporate firms and startups that were sapping up grads from Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also in Cambridge. "We have strong historic preservation here," says Charles Sullivan, executive director of the Cambridge Historical Commission. "We've had very little teardown culture. A lot of developers are focused on upgrading existing homes." The boxy, clapboard, three-story homes that the working class occupied have been rebuilt into upscale housing. These homes can easily exceed $1 million and attract wealthy financiers from nearby downtown Boston and affluent academics and techies from Harvard and MIT. Architecture enthusiasts may want to check out Tory Lane, near Harvard. Built by a handful of British aristocrats in the 18th century, it consists of about a half-dozen stately, three-story Colonial estates. Median list price: $305,000 National Registerlisted properties: 100 National Historic Landmarks: 33 Charleston, founded by English colonists in the 17th century, is known to history buffs for playing a starring role in the start of the Civil War. The conflict that would divide America was ignited when secessionists attacked Fort Sumter in 1861, shortly after President Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated. Charleston had a vested interest in the outcome of the war: It's estimated that about 40% of slaves in North America landed in the city's port from their homelands. After losing the war, the city was deeply hobbled. It wasn't until the Charleston Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s that the area began seeing cultural and corporate growth again. The city's distinct eras each had an impact on its architectural landscape, ranging from Colonial and art deco homes to Georgian and Gothic Revival residences. Today that architecture, along with the town's beaches, seafood, and cobblestone streets, are big draws for its tourism industry. "The residents are invested in preserving their city, so we have many zoning laws and preservation initiatives in favor of saving that historical architecture," says Carl Borick, director of the Charleston Museum. "South of Broad Street in the historic district is our crown jewel. That was the heart of the original Charleston from all those years ago." But these older homes aren't cheapand neither is the upkeep. Median list price: $139,900 National Registerlisted properties: 251 National Historic Landmarks: 0 The most iconic building in Davenport, IA, on the Mississippi River, is its grand clock tower built in 1895 as part of City Hall. Local legend has it the roughly $90,000 price tag wasn't paid for by the city's most devout churchgoers, but by taxes on local brothels and saloons. Whether or not that's true, Iowa's third-largest city was indeed home to a plethora of rowdy speak-easies and dance halls in the Bucktown neighborhood, earning Davenport a rep as "Wickedest City in America." Bucktown, founded by German immigrants in the mid-1800s, has since been transformed with many of its older buildings and factories being turned into loft apartments. But Davenport's checkered past extends beyond speak-easies. Dredd Scott, a slave who sued for his freedom in 1846 and lost, lived for a time in a large, brick estate near downtown. The case, Dred Scott v. Sandford, led to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1857 that slaves didn't have the legal rights of American citizenship. It substantially increased tensions between the North and South leading up to the Civil War. Those who want to own a bit of history here can purchase one of the area's older homes dating to Davenport's industrial roots. Among homes for sale on realtor.com, 25% in the Davenport region are at least 75 years old. Many are two-story homes with front porches and hardwood floors priced under $100,000. Median list price: $174,900 National Registerlisted properties: 435 National Historic Landmarks: 17 Many Americans aren't aware of the rich history of St. Louis. In summer 1904, athletes from around the world ascended on St. Louis for the third-ever Olympic Games. It helped put this rising city, founded in 1764, on the world map. The city's growth was spurred in the early 20th century by industrial firms, including beer titan Anheuser-Busch. It brought a flood of immigrants, many of them German, who built up the city and the homes within it. Some of those older homes are hot commodities today. "Buyers like the fact that each historical house here has a story," says Mark Johnson, a real estate agent with Keller Williams. In neighborhoods such as Soulard, Lafayette Square, and Benton Park, buyers can find everything from brick bungalows built in the early 1930s to newer, three-story mansions. According to historians, the southeastern neighborhood of Carondelet has homes dating to the 1700s. Median list price: $496,500 National Registerlisted properties: 61 National Historic Landmarks: 7 Most Western cities are younger than their East Coast counterparts. But not Santa Fe, NM. The area was occupied by Native American tribes as far back as the 1100s and incorporated in 1610 by the Spanish. The Palace of the Governors dates to the 1600s and is the oldest continually used government building in the nation. The unique pueblo-style and adobe architecture of Santa Fe is inspired by the climate and available materials. The Spanish used mud and clay brick to build sandy-colored, boxy homes with flat roofs and small windows, designed to stay cool during the day and warm in the night. Over the years they've become a prime tourist attraction, Historic neighborhoods such as the Plazahome to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and much of the city's art scenehave seen home costs soar. Unfortunately this has priced out some of the city's original descendants, with lineage to the Spaniards. "They're not able to live in the areas in the historic places where their grandparents and parents lived," says Andrew Lovato, historian for the city of Santa Fe. Median list price: $599,000 National Registerlisted properties: 596 National Historic Landmarks: 71 After the American Revolution, Washington, DC, was created in 1790 from land donated from Virginia and Maryland. But the city's position as the U.S. capital was far from secure. It was almost moved after British soldiers invaded the city in 1814 and burned the White House to the ground. But the War of 1812 would soon pass and the capital remained where it was. Over the next 200 years many of the country's most significant events would take place herefrom Abraham Lincoln's assassination, to the Watergate break-in, to the Supreme Court ruling in favor of gay marriage. In fact, it's hard not to find history in this city. History buffs should check out Capitol Hill, lined with beautiful 100-year-old Colonial row homes. The upscale neighborhood Georgetown, which has been the home to scores of famous Americans like Jack Kennedy, is packed with two-story brick homes built 150 years ago. And Brightwood, where Lincoln became the first sitting president to receive enemy fire, has gorgeous Colonial-style brick homes. Median list price: $224,900 National Registerlisted properties: 144 National Historic Landmarks: 8 Favorite son Mark Twain, who lived in Hartford from 1874 to 1891, wrote Adventures of Huckleberry Finn here. The Mark Twain House, a National Historic Landmark, looks like a brick medieval fortress and is built in American high Gothic style. And next door is the three-story cottage where Harriet Beecher Stowe lived for the last two decades of her life, another landmark. But these are far from the only historic homes youll find here. Neighborhoods such as Asylum Hill are lined with huge 19th-century Victorian houses priced under $300,000. Founded in 1636 by Puritans seeking religious freedom, the city finally made a name for itself nearly 200 years later, as a manufacturing juggernaut and one of the wealthiest cities in America. As one of the nation's oldest cities to boot, Hartford has the oldest publicly funded park (Bushnell Park) and the oldest continuously operated public art museum (Wadsworth). Median list price: $239,900 National Registerlisted properties: 170 National Historic Landmarks: 12 Roger Williams, a Puritan minister who was banished from the repressive Massachusetts Bay Colony, crossed the river and founded Providence, RI, in 1636. "Once he settled in, he built Providence without a central church, so residents could worship as they pleased," says Geralyn Ducady from the Rhode Island Historical Society. "So unlike most New England towns, there wasnt a church in the middle. All the homes were built along the river. The properties were built so that everything went straight back. Youd have your main house on the river, and behind that the carriage house, behind that the orchard, and behind that the family burial plot." After the Revolutionary War, Providence transitioned into an industrial city with factories popping up around town. Many of the spacious Victorian homes built during this period are still around, including the three-story William F. Sayles house, which was built in 1878 and now priced at $1.7 million. More than a few of these multibedroom homes have become popular options for cash-strapped students at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, sparking fears that they're driving up local housing prices. Local politicians have been looking at ways of limiting the number of undergraduates who can stay in the homes as a result. Median list price: $241,300 National Registerlisted properties: 263 National Historic Landmarks: 18 When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Richmond, VA, one of the country's largest slave trading hubs, became the capital of the Confederate States of America. Tredegar Iron Works, which produced military equipment and ship parts, was considered a backbone of the Southern war efforts. Long before the Civil War began, Richmond was already a historically significant city. The 1775 speech by Patrick Henry in which he declared Give me liberty or give me death was delivered at the still-standing St. Johns Church. Today Richmond has a number of historic neighborhoods oozing Southern charm. Jackson Ward is a historically black neighborhood that has become a pioneering mecca for jazz, ragtime, and swing music, and was once dubbed Harlem of the South. And buyers won't go broke buying a home in the area. This one-bedroom condo in a row house built in 1870 is priced at $229,000. Median list price: $199,900 National Registerlisted properties: 243 National Historic Landmarks: 5 The capital of Arkansas may be best known for one of the more shameful periods in American history. During the height of segregation, a group of nine black students enrolled at the all-white Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Gov. Orval Faubus called in the Arkansas National Guard to block the students from entering the school. The students, who came to be known as the Little Rock Nine, were finally able to enroll after President Dwight Eisenhower stepped in. "Race remains a prominent theme of life in Little Rock. A number of the neighborhoods and schools are [still] virtually segregated," says Jess Porter, chair of the History Department at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Things are improving, but progress is slower than most would like. Homes in the Little Rock Central High School District, where the famed school is located, tend to be bungalows, Victorians, Tudor Revivals, and Colonial Revivals, many of which are in need of some TLC. That's reflected in the neighborhood's median price of just under $90,000less than half of the median price tag in the city proper. Sources: realtor.com and the U.S. National Park Service Allison Underhill contributed to this report. The post National Treasures: Top 10 U.S. Cities Where You Can Live in a Piece of History appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. California and Nevada credit union leaders met with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger is Los Angeles Tuesday to discuss credit union issues. Credit union leaders in attendance stressed the need for tailored regulations from the CFPB. Specific Issues discussed include the need for strong Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loan regulations, reconsideration of the CFPBs Remittance rule coverage and safe harbor threshold, payday lending exemptions and the need for the CFPB to define abusive under Unfair, Deceptive or Abusive Acts or Practices (UDAAP). It was clear the Director has heard loud and clear the need for tailored regulations, and she said she is open to looking for exemption opportunities, said Sharon Turley, vice president of regulatory advocacy for the California and Nevada Credit Union League. The League valued this opportunity to meet with Director Kraninger for the second time. We find the director open and attentive to credit union issues. Report finds ALDIs operations contributed $3.2 billion to Australias GDP ALDI Australia has released a new report Making a Good Difference: how ALDI contributes to the Australian Economy. Prepared in partnership with PwC, the report measures the impact of its entry into Australia and the contribution it has made to the state and national economy over the past 18 years. The report found that in 2018, ALDIs operations contributed $3.2 billion to Australias gross domestic product (GDP). Since entering the market in 2001, PwC estimates that ALDI has made a total contribution to GDP of almost $23 billion ($22.983 billion). Highlights of the report include: ALDI saves its shoppers $2.2 billion per year compared to shopping at national competitors compared to shopping at national competitors Shoppers at other major supermarkets saved $450 million in 2018 and $5.68 billion over the last 18 years as a result of the increased competition brought by ALDI and the downward effect on grocery prices and as a result of the brought by ALDI and the The largest contribution to GDP in 2018, at $1.5 billion , was through ALDIs business partnerships with suppliers of products sold in store (merchandise suppliers) , was through ALDIs business of products sold in store (merchandise suppliers) ALDIs business partners (suppliers) in 2018 voted ALDIs commercial conduct to be 80% more favourable than its nearest major competitor* than its nearest major competitor* ALDIs leadership in private label has induced the entire market to expand their own private label offering, resulting in all grocery customers saving $3.48 billion in 2018 and $18.67 billion over the last 18 years of ALDIs operations in Australia John Sackett and Phil Browarsky are two long-time credit union board members who are dedicated to meeting the needs of their members in every stage of life. Sackett is a board member at Royal Credit Union in Eau Claire, Wis., and a member of the CUNA Board. Browarsky is board chair at Glass City Federal Credit Union in Maumee, Ohio. In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast, recorded during the 2019 CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference, Sackett and Browarsky discuss what members want from their credit unions, how they attract and retain new board members, and advice they offer other directors about succeeding in this role. Our own Bruce Siwy and Eric Kieta talk about their true-crime cases in Return To View: The Roundtable By David Hamilton, PhD Candidate in Zoology, University of Tasmania Shutterstock/PARFENOV Tasmanian devils have a reputation as a fearsome animal most of the time this is undeserved. When it comes to the mating season, however, its a fair judgement. Between February and April, mating can be incredibly aggressive, with male and female devils prone to biting one another both during and after the act. That could be deadly for the devils, according to new research published online in the journal Behavioral Ecology. Unfortunately, biting drives the spread of devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) a transmissible cancer that has been afflicting the species since the mid-1990s. Read more: Survival of the fittest? Perhaps not if you're a Tasmanian devil DFTD is highly unusual for a cancer because it can transfer between individual devils and grow in its new host. The fact that devils regularly bite one another around the mouth means tumour cells can easily transfer from an infected devil to an open wound on a healthy devil. This makes the buildup of wounds in devils extremely important to our understanding of this disease. When devils mate In our study, we examined the accumulation of bite wounds in a population of wild devils in northwest Tasmania. We found males were much more likely than females to pick up high numbers of bite wounds. But these wounds appear to be related to the amount of time males spent in mating season interactions with females, as opposed to fights with other males (as we had previously thought). In the mating season, after male devils have mated with females, they spend an extended period either confining the female in a den, or closely following her to make sure other males are unable to mate with her. During our study we found this behaviour could go on for up to two weeks in the wild. The process is known as mate guarding and is relatively common in the animal kingdom. We found the longer males spent engaging in mate guarding behaviour, the more bite wounds they received. This would seem to put successful males, who mate with a high number of females, in the firing line when it comes to acquiring DFTD. But no pattern of sex bias in DFTD prevalence has ever been observed in the wild. So how does this fit with our study on the increased vulnerability in males? https://images.theconversation.com/files/272155/original/file-20190502-1... 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272155/original/file-20190502-1... 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272155/original/file-20190502-1... 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272155/original/file-20190502-1... 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272155/original/file-20190502-1... 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"> Menna Jones/PLOS ONE, CC BY Disease transfer A crucial unknown in the DFTD transmission process involves directionality which way the deadly disease is passed on by a devil. There are two possibilities: an infected devil bites an uninfected animal, transferring tumour cells (from its teeth or saliva) directly into the wound it causes an uninfected devil bites into tumours on an infected animal, and cells transfer into an open wound inside the biters mouth. The reality is likely to involve a combination of the two. Our results indicate that most disease transmission occurs during extended mating season interactions, when females appear to be causing high numbers of wounds to their mates. If DFTD can transfer in either direction during these encounters, then both the males receiving the wounds and the females causing them would be equally at risk of acquiring the disease. Future of the devil We have highlighted mating season encounters between the sexes as crucial transmission points for the spread of DFTD. The behaviour of male devils appears to be driving patterns that support transmission of the disease. This information is important for potential disease management options, as it pinpoints males in good condition who are likely to be reproductively successful as targets for management interventions, such as vaccinations. Most importantly, these results add one more piece to the puzzle of rapid evolution in the Tasmanian devil, in response to the strong evolutionary pressure DFTD is placing on this iconic species. With almost 100% mortality once devils reach breeding age, any advantage an individual devil might have to survive a little longer and reproduce should over time spread through the population. The species has already shown remarkably rapid shifts in their life history and genome, while some are able to mount an immune response and recover from the tumours. DFTD is spread through biting so we can expect strong evolutionary pressure for devils to become less aggressive towards each other over time. With these new results, we can now pinpoint for the first time who (healthy, successful males) and when (guarding females after mating) the intense selection pressure on aggressive behaviour in devils will operate. Read more: Could Tassie devils help control feral cats on the mainland? Fossils say yes Ultimately, devils will solve the DFTD problem themselves by evolving resistance, tolerance and changing their behaviour. One of the best things we can do is let evolution take its course, giving a helping hand along the way via well guided management actions. David Hamilton receives funding from the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment. Elissa Cameron receives funding from Australian Research Council, the Holsworth Wildlife Trust, Marsden Fund. Menna Elizabeth Jones receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Ian Potter Foundation, the US National Institute of Health, the US National Science Foundation, the Holsworth Wildlife Trust, the University of Tasmania Foundation Dr Eric Guiler grants. Rodrigo Hamede receives funding from Australian Research Council. Originally published in The Conversation. Boy, is our political discourse going to the dogs. The Washington Post reports Donald Trump is the first U.S. president in 100-plus years not to have a dog though others, including Ronald Reagan, didnt have dogs until their second terms. During a February rally, reports The Post, Trump said he doesnt have a dog because the idea of getting one seems phony to him. Using presidential pets to score political points is not without precedent. The Hill says avid dog lover Herbert Hoover was among the first to do so, while running for the nations highest office. Following campaign advice, with hopes of shaping his image into something warmer and more charismatic, he released a photograph of himself with his German Shepherd, King Tut, says The Hill. King Tut helped Hoover win the White House, but after he presided over the 1929 stock-market crash, Hoover was routed by FDR in the 1932 presidential election. According to The Hill, some suggested Bill Clinton got Buddy, his beloved chocolate Labrador, to help his image at the peak of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Maybe so, but photos clearly show Clinton enjoyed Buddys company. George H.W. and Barbara Bush had Millie, an English springer spaniel who famously birthed six White House puppies. Millies book was a huge seller. Their presidential son had a dog, too. President George W. Bushs Scottish terrier Barney became a celebrity in his own right, appearing in more than 10 films while he was at the White House, says The Hill. The Obama family chose Portuguese water dogs Bo and Sunny, in part because Malia Obama required a hypoallergenic breed. The canines brought joy to the Obama family and were a delight at various White House events. But no dog for the Trumps? Ever since President William McKinleys administration which began in 1897 every single occupant of the White House, save for Trump, has had a dog at some point, reports The Post. Trump said hed feel odd walking a dog on the White House lawn and just doesnt have the time to do so. And that resulted in a loud negative response, in these over-charged times, that the current occupant of the White House loathes all things canine. WHY DOES PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HATE DOGS? asks Newsweek. Instead of having dogs, which tend to crave attention and often are scene stealers where photography is involved, Newsday columnist Anne McFeatters tells us, Trump frequently calls women he disdains a dog.' In a New York Times column, Timothy Egan writes: We know that Donald Trump, the first president without a pet since James K. Polk, appears to hate dogs. The Trump hates dogs narrative got to a point in which it prompted fact-checking website Snopes to investigate whether Trumps critics are barking up the wrong tree. Snopes conclusion? The claim that he hates dogs appears to be based on shaky logic and relatively scant evidence . It is also contradicted by photographic evidence and first-hand accounts of Trumps cheerful demeanor around dogs. Like or dislike Trump goodness knows he evokes powerful passions among supporters and opponents alike its troubling to me that so much ink and bandwidth would be spent on so trivial a subject, when so many matters of larger importance are begging for our attention. Just another sign that our political discourse is really going to the dogs. Tom Purcells column is distributed by the Cagle Cartoons Inc. syndicate. Readers may write to him via email at Tom@TomPurcell.com. Over the past two decade with much of PRIDEs focus being on trans and QPOC activists involved in the Stonewall Riots and PRIDE we continually overlook one of the most important gay activists of that era without whom the movement and PRIDE itself would not even exist. I am talking about Craig Rodwell, the Father of PRIDE. Rodwell was born in Chicago, IL in 1940 and a former Christian scientist, He later studied ballet in Boston before finally moving to New York City in 1958. It was in New York that he first volunteered for a gay rights organization, The Mattachine Society of New York. Rodwell opened the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop in 1967, and began the group Homophile Youth Movement in Neighborhoods (HYMN) and began to publish its periodical, HYMNAL. Rodwell helped conceive the first yearly gay rights protest, the Annual Reminder picketing of Independence Hall held from 19651969; and the Homophile Youth Movement rallies in 1967. On September 19, 1964, Rodwell, along with Randy Wicker, Jefferson Poland, Renee Cafiero, and several others picketed New Yorks Whitehall to protest the militarys practice of excluding gays from serving and, when discovered serving, dishonorably discharging them. This is the first recognized gay rights protest in American history. On April 18, 1965, Rodwell led the picketing at the United Nations Plaza in New York to protest Cuban detention and placement into work camps of gays, with about 25 other protesters. On April 21, 1966, Craig Rodwell, along with Mattachine President Dick Leitsch engaged in the infamous Sip-In at Julius, a bar in Greenwich Village, to protest the (NY) State Liquor Authority rule against the congregation of gays in establishments that served alcohol. Rodwell had at an earlier date been thrown out of Julius for wearing an Equality for Homosexuals button. Rodwell and the others argued that the rule furthered bribery and corruption of the police. The resultant publicly led eventually to the end of the SLA rule. Rodwell who is actually verified as being present and a participant at the Stonewall Riots in 1969 said of that fateful night: A number of incidents were happening simultaneously. There was no one thing that happened or one person, there was just a flash of group, of mass anger. There was a very volatile active political feeling, especially among young people when the night of the Stonewall Riots came along, just everything came together at that one moment. People often ask what was special about that night There was no one thing special about it. It was just everything coming together, one of those moments in history that if you were there, you knew, this is it, this is what weve been waiting for. In November of 1969 just five months after the Stonewall Riots, Rodwell proposed the first gay pride parade to be held in New York City by way of a resolution at the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations meeting in Philadelphia, along with his partner Fred Sargeant (HYMN vice chairman), Ellen Broidy and Linda Rhodes. The first march was organized from Rodwells apartment on Bleecker Street. That the Annual Reminder, in order to be more relevant, reach a greater number of people, and encompass the ideas and ideals of the larger struggle in which we are engaged-that of our fundamental human rights-be moved both in time and location. We propose that a demonstration be held annually on the last Saturday in June in New York City to commemorate the 1969 spontaneous demonstrations on Christopher Street and this demonstration be called CHRISTOPHER STREET LIBERATION DAY. No dress or age regulations shall be made for this demonstration. Craig Rodwell continued fighting the rest of his life for gay rights and died in 1993 of stomach cancer. His determination, persistence, inspiration, and understanding, have made people aware of their power through activism. Delusional is the only word for it. I am referring to Labour's magic recipe for an agreement with the Government to enable Brexit almost three years after the country voted to leave the EU. Yesterday, on the main TV politics shows (Marr on the BBC and Sophy Ridge on Sky), the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and the Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon both declared that what they wanted was for Theresa May to agree to sign up to a 'permanent customs union' with the EU, in which the UK would 'have a say' in any future trade deals that the union makes. The Prime Minister might to the fury of Brexiteers and yet more Cabinet resignations agree to make such a proposal to the EU. But here's the bigger problem: Brussels won't buy it. This was made clear in an article largely ignored written last month for the British press by the EU's former trade commissioner and ex-director general of the World Trade Organisation, Pascal Lamy. Pascal Lamy, former EU trade commissioner and ex-director general of the World Trade Organisation, said: 'In a customs union, all the power would rest with the EU, with the UK as a follower' Brutal The formidable M Lamy started by observing: 'At the heart of the Labour proposal is to stay in a customs union and continue to have a say over EU trade policy.' Then he spelt it out: 'It is not so simple. Article 207 of the Lisbon Treaty makes clear that a common commercial policy is exclusive to the EU's direction. 'Turkey, which is in a partial customs union with the EU, has to follow EU trade agreements with third countries but has no say on them.' Lamy's conclusion was brutal: 'The reality is that in a customs union, all the power would rest with the EU, with the UK as a follower.' I admire both Andrew Marr and Sophy Ridge as political interviewers. So it was all the more astonishing that neither raised this fundamental point with McDonnell and Burgon, let alone asked them if Labour had received any indication from Brussels that it would agree to a non-EU country having any influence within the Customs Union. Actually, it got even odder. Burgon argued that the main reason Labour opposes the UK having an independent trade policy after Brexit, is that a British government might sign a trade deal with the U.S. which would allow American private companies unrestricted access to the NHS. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said he wanted Theresa May to agree to sign up to a 'permanent customs union' with the EU Leave aside whether or not a Conservative government might or might not agree to such a deal, or whether it would be a good thing or not. It was only a few years ago that the EU was negotiating a trade deal, known as TTIP, with the U.S. The trade union Unite complained bitterly that this would give U.S. health companies an absolute right to bid for contracts within the NHS. The union, which is Labour's biggest financial backer, called on the British government to block such a trade deal. In the end, the EU-U.S. talks failed on other grounds. But here's the stinger: if a post-Brexit UK were in 'permanent customs union with the EU' as Burgon and McDonnell say they want then Brussels could at any point in the future negotiate exactly such a trade deal with the U.S. and we would have no right to obstruct it, let alone a veto. The amazing thing is that Labour's own Shadow Trade Secretary, Barry Gardiner, pointed this out in 2017 (before his party changed tack, and began advocating membership of 'a' customs union): 'Turkey has a customs union agreement with the EU. If we were to have a similar agreement . . . and were the EU to negotiate an agreement with the U.S. that was in their best interests but against our own, our markets would be obliged to accept American produce with no guarantee of reciprocal access for our own goods into the U.S.' Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon wants the UK to 'have a say' in any future trade deals that the 'permanent customs union' makes So why is Labour pushing for such a deeply unfavourable settlement with the EU? Perhaps it thinks that if Mrs May won't agree to this (which after all would make a mockery of her pledges on Brexit) then the Tories could be blamed for the breakdown in cross-party talks. Of course, Labour denies this is its motivation, insisting that its customs union membership proposal has the entirely constructive purpose of avoiding a so-called hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Surrender But Pascal Lamy has also poured the iciest of cold water on that, saying: 'A customs union would not be enough to settle the Irish border question. To take just one commonly-cited example: if the UK remains in the customs union with the same external tariff but imports chlorinated poultry from the U.S., there has to be a border because the EU does not accept the marketing of chlorinated poultry.' It is true that big multinational businesses would prefer it if the UK remained tied to the Customs Union: it would be more convenient for them, and they couldn't care less about an abject surrender of British sovereignty over trade. But still, it was grotesque to see the Marxist McDonnell claim to Marr that Labour's policy meant that they, and not the Conservatives, 'are now the business-friendly party'. What nerve from a man who seeks to expropriate investors across a range of industries, as soon as he realises his dream of becoming Chancellor. And what cynicism to promote a Brexit deal which he knows is delusional. Planes, Hypocrites and Automobiles Poor Dame Emma Thompson: photographed in seat 2F of the first-class cabin of a British Airways flight from London to New York, while tucking in to her complimentary beef carpaccio canapes only a fortnight after flying to the UK from Los Angeles to play her revolutionary part in the Extinction Rebellion demonstrations against climate change. Thompson is charged with extreme hypocrisy, as Extinction Rebellion insists that flights (even economy ones) should only be taken in 'an emergency'. But I think we should give the Corbyn-supporting actress a bit of credit. She could, as she has in the past, have taken a private jet which is even more CO2-generative per traveller. Instead, she decided to slum it in the first-class cabin of a commercial airliner. That's a true sacrifice. A fortnight ago, Thompson flew to the UK from Los Angeles to play her revolutionary part in the Extinction Rebellion demonstrations against climate change And it's hard to be a passionate advocate of carbon emission reduction without wanting a little bit of the high life, too. For example, the leading article of the left-of-centre Observer newspaper yesterday called on the world to do more to prevent 'the life-threatening dangers of global warming in the Arctic'. It added: 'As the world's leaders turn their backs on the environment, we are at a crisis point. Individual consumer choices are important.' Presumably, choices such as buying cars with much smaller engines, and certainly not monstrous gas-guzzlers of the sort which only those with no care for the planet's future would zoom around in. But what's this, popping up on the Guardian/Observer website at exactly the same time as that stern lecture? A gushing review of the new 159,000 Bentley Continental GT, capable of reaching 207mph (almost three times the motorway speed limit). The reviewer exults about his driving experience in this beast: 'Its vast engine is chortling happily. It weighs more than 2 tonnes, yet it can surge from 0-62mph in under 4 seconds. Sitting up front, the limitless potential of the W12 engine hovering beneath your toe, is a truly wonderful place to be.' Indeed, it must be wonderful to call on us all to consume less petrol in order to 'save the planet', but get free rides in what the Left's paper of choice salutes as 'one of the most successful luxury performance cars of all time'. The revolution continues! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their first child - a baby boy - in the early hours of this morning, and Prince Harry is likely to take two weeks of paternity leave, just like his brother William. The proud new dad stood outside Windsor Castle today to announce the happy news, saying he was 'over the moon'. He added that mother and baby are doing 'extremely well' after Meghan gave birth at 5:26am, with the new arrival weighing 7lb 3oz. Prince Harry, 34, is expected to take two weeks of 'unofficial paternity leave' to spend with his wife and child, which is the same amount of time working fathers get in the UK. Proud new dad Prince Harry stood outside Windsor Castle today to announce the happy news, saying he was 'over the moon' This is not 'official' leave as he isn't in a named post like his previous role as Captain in the Army, but he's expected to take time away from official royal duties. His official visit to The Netherlands on May 9 to launch the one-year countdown to the 2020 Invictus Games in The Hague may cut into his time off, however he could choose to add a few extra days on at the end. He has already cancelled the first day of what was supposed to be a 48-hour trip, citing 'logistical planning' reasons. Harry's older brother Prince William, 36, also took two weeks off after the birth of his three children with Kate Middleton. The happy news was announced on the Sussex Royal Instagram page, where the new parents thanked well wishers for their support The Duke of Sussex said mother and baby are doing 'extremely well' after Meghan gave birth at Frogmore Cottage, with the new arrival weighing 7lb 3oz In 2013, after the birth of his first child Prince George, now five, on July 22, William took a two-week break from his duties as an ambulance helicopter pilot and received a total of 273.56. As a working royal, Harry could also be eligible for statutory paternity pay, which is either 148.68 a week or 90 per cent of his average weekly earnings - whichever is lower. And new mother Meghan will have more time to recover from her pregnancy and delivery. The Duchess started her maternity leave on March 20, over a month before the birth of the new royal baby. Kate, who also went on maternity leave a month prior to Louis' birth in 2018, and had a six-month break from royal duties to care after her child. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have welcomed their first child Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaving Westiminster Abbey on Commonwealth Day, their penultimate joint public appearance before the start of Meghan's maternity leave However after Prince George was born in 2013, the Duchess took just five weeks off, and her maternity leave for Princess Charlotte lasted four months. Most working women in Britain are offered a year off for maternity leave, with their employers paying for part of the leave, and the government funding the rest. Although nothing has been confirmed, it is thought Meghan could take up to six months off to care for her firstborn. The hardworking mother-to-be, who is passionate about charity work and was confirmed as the patron of four organisations earlier this year, is said to be attending the annual summit for One Young World in in October 2019. Meghan Markle on her last public appearance before her maternity leave at New Zealand House on 19 March 2019. There was much speculation over when and how the baby would be born Royal baby name announcements Baby boys names odds Arthur 16/1 James 16/1 Edward 25/1 Albert 33/1 Alexander 33/1 Christopher 33/1 Daniel 33/1 Philip 33/1 Henry 33/1 Joseph 40/1 Advertisement There is no royal tradition regarding revealing the name of a Royal baby. Kate Middleton and Prince William revealed Prince George's name on July 24, 2013, two days after he was born. With Princess Charlotte, they revealed her name on May 4, 2015 also two days after her birth. But it took five days for Prince Louis' full name to be announced after his birth. As the gender of the royal baby was kept under wraps until it was born, speculation over the name is as rife as ever. Royal godparents In the past royal children have been given six godparents, announced during their christening. Rumours have begun swirling that Prince Harry and Meghan could choose individuals who are already godparents to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children. Stylist Jessica Mulroney, model Misha Nonoo and Harry's cousin Zara Tindall are among the names rumoured to become the godmothers to the royal baby. Meanwhile Harry's 'second father' Mark Dyer, his close friend Nicholas Van Cutsem and his school friend Tom Inskip could all very well make the cut for godfather. Amal Clooney, a human right lawyer and the wife of actor George Clooney, could be one of the royal baby's godparents. Pictured: Amal Clooney attends the People's Postcode Lottery Charity Gala at McEwan Hall on March 14, 2019 in Edinburgh Nicholas Van Cutsem and his wife Alice are also in the running to become baby Sussex's godparents. Pictured: The Van Cutsem on their wedding day on 14 August 2009 The fashion Many expectant mothers try not to splash out too much on maternity clothes that they might not wear again for a long time, if ever, but when you're royal then you need a wardrobe to match the job. And the Duchess of Sussex, 37, has certainly made sure her bump was well dressed throughout her first pregnancy, with her maternity outfits totting up to an eye-watering 514,000 ($675,000). Researchers from fashion comparison website lovethesales.com totted up the cost of 75 outfits Meghan has worn between early in her pregnancy in August to her final engagement before maternity leave at Westminster Abbey last week. The calculations include estimates for some of the bespoke creations she has worn over recent months but not all, meaning the actual value could be much higher. For a visit to a pet charity, Meghan opted for all cream including a 26 from H&M's MAMA collection Wearing an Oscar de la Renta cotton-twill coat worth 2,252, Meghan visited Smart Works in London in January Pregnant Meghan Markle on January 30 in London. Throughout her pregnancy the Duchess wore some amazing outfits, like this nude ensemble from Brandon Maxwel. The outfit was worth a total of 4,641 . The relationship between the Duchess of Sussex and the Duchess of Cambridge has come under the spotlight over the past year, as talk of a feud has spiraled. Publicly the duchesses haven't shown any animosity towards each other, however sources close to them have claimed the duo are 'very different people'. The rumours first began in the summer of 2018, when reports surfaced claiming that Kate, 37, broke down in tears during Charlotte's dress fitting for Meghan's wedding, before claims of disagreements on how to manage their staff followed. And the announcement that Meghan, 37, and Prince Harry, 34, had split their households from Prince William, 36, and Kate, as they moved away from Kensington Palace and to the grounds of Windsor Castle has done nothing to quell the talk. Then Harry was spotted appearing to 'avoid' William during the Easter service at St George's Chapel in April, before reports emerged claiming Kate had initiated a surprise visit to the Sussex's new home in an effort to heal the rumoured rift. Kate is said to have advised Harry to offer his older brother 'an olive branch' in a bid to put tensions between them to rest, according to Harper's Bazaar. But now following the arrival of Baby Boy Sussex, who weighed a healthy 7lbs 3oz, on Monday 6 May, a parenting expert has told FEMAIL how the birth of a new baby can unexpectedly heal broken family ties, even for royalty. A parenting expert told how the addition of a new Royal baby could ease the alleged feud between the Duchess of Cambridge (left) and Duchess of Sussex (right) Rumours of tensions between Meghan (pictured) and Kate began swirling last year when sources claimed the pair were experiencing culture clashes Revealing how the birth of a new baby could be Meghan's way of bonding with mother-of-three Kate, Richard Conway who is the founder of Childcare.co.uk said: 'When you introduce a baby into a family its inevitable the family dynamic will change. 'The arrival of any new baby will bring a warmth to the family like no other, uniting them to together to welcome the newborn. 'Although the royals are a bit different from the rest of us it will undoubtedly be the same for them, even if Meghan and Kate have a tense relationship. Kate (pictured left with Meghan at Christmas Day service in 2018) was reportedly left in tears during Charlotte's bridesmaid dress fitting ahead of Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry in May Sources have said that Meghan and Kate (pictured with Prince Harry and Prince William at the Centenary of the Armistice in November 2018) also clashed over how to manage staff 'Every parent will have an opinion on how others bring up their children and the parenting methods they implement, whether they are an authoritarian, permissive or very hands off. 'The royal family are in the public eye and have a lot of expectation and pressure on them when it comes to how they need to behave, so it's likely that Prince William and Kate will be quite strict with their parenting - especially as their son will grow up to be the king of our country.' She continued: 'However, Meghan and Harry's child won't have this initial pressure, so ultimately they might have a different outlook on how they parent. 'Meghan is from a very different background than the others in the family and will have her own ideas and values from her own childhood. 'However, despite this she will have to follow the royals' rules, meaning although some elements might differ, Meghan and Kate will both have to bring their children up in similar ways.' Richard Conway of chilcare.co.uk believes Harry and Meghan could raise their child differently to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) as they won't have the same pressures The parenting expert believes the duchesses will bond over motherhood The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry have moved to ten-bedroom Grade II listed Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, to bring up their first child together. The property, which is some distance from Kate and Prince William's 22-room home in Kensington, has been given to them by the Queen. Close sources have tried to squash the rumours of a rift between the duchesses by stating there isn't an official royal residence available for Meghan and Harry in London. A Channel 5 documentary exploring the rift between Meghan (pictured) and Kate, suggested the Royal feud is actually between Prince Harry and Prince William She's not the first inhabitant to shake up Royals! Transformation: Frogmore Cottage in Windsor has undergone a major renovation It was once home to Mohammed Abdul Karim, the controversial Indian attendant who caused friction at court during his 14 years' service for Queen Victoria. Now Frogmore Cottage has become home to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry with the arrival of their first child. The 10-bedroom Grade II listed building, nestling in the picturesque grounds of the Windsor Estate, is on the site of Frogmore House, a 17th Century manor and a Royal residence since 1792. The couple have reportedly spent a record 3million renovating it and 50,000 on a soundproofing unit for their new home in order to block out the noise from Heathrow jets. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were gifted Frogmore Cottage by the Queen and the building work was covered by the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant. According to reports it has been adapted to include a yoga room, nursery and annex for Meghan's mother when she visits. Victoria loved Frogmore's peaceful environment and it is said to have been her favourite retreat when she became a widow. She installed Karim there and gave him the title 'Munshi' or teacher, much to the chagrin of other members of her household who felt superior to him. The Mausoleum where Victoria is buried with Prince Albert is at Frogmore, as is the Royal Burial Ground, where Harry's great-great uncle, the abdicated King Edward VIII, is buried with his wife Wallis Simpson. Wallis preceded Meghan as the first American divorcee to marry into the Royal Family. Last year, the Queen described Frogmore as holding 'a special place in her family's affection'. Advertisement Commenting on how distance could impact Prince Harry and Meghan's child's relationship with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Richard said: 'When families don't live near to each other there is always an initial worry that the child won't bond with those who live further away. It's likely Meghan and Kate will face this, especially with them both taking on royal duties and traveling a lot. 'Although it can be an issue, I doubt it will cause any dent in Kate's love for the baby and her children's friendship with their new cousin. 'I believe the birth of the new baby will bring both women together, bedding any past disagreements, helping one another tackle motherhood and the challenge of bringing up children in the spotlight.' Channel 5 documentary Kate V Meghan: Princesses At War, suggested the alleged royal feud is in reality between Prince Harry and William rather than the duchesses. According to royal author Katie Nicholl, the brothers' relationship hasn't been the same since the Duke of Cambridge voiced concerns over the speed Harry's relationship with Meghan was moving. She said: 'I think what was meant as well intended brotherly advice just riled Harry. 'Harry is hugely protective of Meghan, he saw that as criticism, he interpreted that as his brother not really being behind this marriage and I don't think things have been quite right ever since.' Other royal commentators who featured in the documentary claimed any tensions between Kate and Meghan could be due to the Duchess of Cambridge seeing the Duchess of Sussex as a 'threat'. His daughter Meghan has just given birth to her first child, a baby boy after going into labour in the early hours of this morning. Meghan's mother Doria Ragland is by her side at Frogmore Cottage, but one relative who is very unlikely to meet the newborn is Thomas Markle Senior. Relations between Meghan, 37, and her father, 74, became strained in the run-up to the royal wedding in May 2018, and it's believed they are no longer on speaking terms. Today's royal baby announcement indicated that Meghan's father had not been informed of the birth of his first grandchild, as he was not mentioned on the statement released by the palace. The official announcement of the birth of Harry and Meghan's son stated that the Queen and other members of the royal family, as well as Princess Diana's siblings had been informed - but made no mention of Thomas Markle. Thomas Markle first fell out of favour with the royal family when he staged a paid paparazzi shoot ahead of Meghan's nuptials to Prince Harry. Thomas Markle Senior, 74, pictured in LA this year, may never meet the royal baby after a string of public attacks on his daughter Meghan Markle, 37, resulted in strained relations between the duo When news of his set-up photoshoot emerged, Thomas pulled out of the wedding due to poor health, leaving Meghan to walk up the aisle by herself. The ceremony took place without Thomas in Windsor on May 19, and while Meghan was publicly supportive of her father at the time, communication between the duo reportedly became strained. To add fuel to the fire, Thomas then gave a series of public interviews where he disclosed several pieces of private information. In the months following the wedding Thomas appeared in an uncleared interview with Piers Morgan on ITVs breakfast show Good Morning Britain, revealing Harry had said Donald Trump ought to be given a chance, and that he was open to the experiment of Brexit. It was reported that Meghan Markle and her father no longer communicated with each other following the royal wedding in May 2019, which saw Thomas set up a staged paparazzi shoot before failing to attend the wedding Continuing his less than delicate approach to the royal family's private lives, he then discussed the prospect of Meghan becoming a mother, remarking theres got to be a child in the making, somewhere soon. Making things worse after he was reportedly met by radio silence from Meghan and the palace, he then followed up the clumsy interviews with further scathing remarks. 'Meghan would be nothing without him, he declared in a follow-up interview, before he added: I made her the duchess she is today. Everything Meghan is, I made her. Thomas doted on Meghan and played an important role in her education, with the pair enjoying a close relationship as she grew up. Pictured: Meghan Markle as a child with her father However things soon became strained and last summer Thomas Markle spoke to Good Morning Britain by satellite, where he said he feared he would never meet his grandchild Revealing that he had been totally ostracised by the royal family, he then proclaimed: Perhaps it would be easier for Meghan if I died. Disclosing further private information, Thomas then claimed that when Harry phoned him after his heart attack, the prince had been so rude to him about the interviews, that he was 'forced' put the phone down on his son-in-law. Meghan was said to be so upset by her estranged father's repeated attacks in the media, that she wrote him a letter begging him to stop 'victimizing' her. In January five 'close unnamed friends' of the Duchess told People that Meghan penned a letter to her father, Thomas Markle, shortly after her wedding to Prince Harry. Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland, 62, won the hearts of the nation with her demure and discreet appearance at the royal wedding and is set to play an active role in her grandchild's life. Pictured: Doria at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on the day of her daughter's wedding to Prince Harry Doria's discretion is miles away from her former husband's series of interviews. The grandmother is set to play an important role in raising her grandchild. Pictured: Doria on the steps of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sharing their first kiss outside of St George's Chapel in front of the thousands of people who came to witness their union. Thomas Markle could not attend the wedding of his daughter for health reasons The letter, which was written following his flurry of interviews on her last summer, was released in January and read: 'Dad, I'm so heartbroken. I love you. I have one father. 'Please stop victimizing me through the media so we can repair our relationship'. The five female friends, reported to be in Meghan's innermost circle, then claimed Thomas responded with a long letter of his own - in which he asked his daughter for a photo shoot. 'I think she will always feel genuinely devastated by what he has done,' they told the magazine. The group of anonymous friends also voiced their concerns over his public rants about her, suggesting at the time that they could be taking its toll on Meghan and Harry's unborn child. 'We worry about what this is doing to her and the baby,' they said. 'It's wrong to put anyone under this level of emotional trauma, let alone when they're pregnant.' Thomas Markle in June 2018, in Rosarito, Mexico. Meghan Markle's father may never meet his grandchild due to a series of clumsy public interviews Samantha Markle (pictured) criticised her half sister Meghan's behaviour several times and accused her of playing the victim following the fall-out with Thomas Months earlier Thomas spoke out to criticize his daughter for her ongoing refusal to speak with him, confessing that he was 'really hurt that she's cut me off completely', while hitting out at his daughter over her 'sense of superiority'. However, Meghan's friends insisted that Thomas knew exactly how to reach his daughter, but reportedly never tried to get in contact. 'He knows how to get in touch with her,' added one longtime friend, saying that Meghan's phone number had stayed the same, despite Thomas insisting previously that her contact information had been changed. 'He's never called; he's never texted. It's super painful because Meg was always so dutiful. And at the same time, because she's a daughter, she has a lot of sympathy for him,' the unnamed friend added. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry walking toward Westminster Abbey on 11 March on their penultimate public outing before the birth of Baby Sussex. In January a letter emerged in which Meghan pleaded with her father for him to stop attacking her publicly According to reports Thomas Markle was not an attentive father to Samantha, 51, and Thomas Junior, 53, - who is also estranged from him by his own attempts to cash in on Meghans ascent to the Royal Family. His relations with them are said to be cordial but distant. However, he is said to have doted on Meghan whom he called his little buckaroo from the day she was born, devoting his time to her upbringing. Her parents divorced when she was seven, sharing custody, but during her teens when her mother often worked away she lived mainly with her father. Two years ago, she acknowledged her enormous affection for him with an internet Fathers Day message. Accompanied by a picture of her father holding her as a baby, she wrote: Im still your buckaroo and to this day our hugs are still the best in the whole wide world. Thanks for my work ethic, my love of Busby Berkeley films and club sandwiches, for teaching me the importance of handwritten thank you notes, and for giving me the Markle signature nose. I love you. Meghan's half brother Thomas Junior begged for the family to be reunited after the birth and said he hoped they could get back onto better terms - however his previous tell-all interviews will surely not stand in his favour But following his series of public outbursts, insiders claim he alienated himself from his daughter so completely, that the Duchess did not call him when she discovered she was pregnant. A friend of Mr Markle told the Mail that, in his letter of congratulation concerning the pregnancy, he had told Meghan she would make a great mother because - despite their recent difficulties - he believed she remained a very loving and compassionate woman. He thinks she will be naturally maternal, the source added. He said he had been remembering when Doria found out she was pregnant with Meg, and how emotional he felt. He only hopes he can share some of the joy. The statement, delivered through a friend, was perhaps Thomas way of apologising - his first, tentative attempt at effecting a rapprochement, but fans have yet to see whether their rift can be repaired. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their first child in the early hours on Monday, weighing 7lb 3oz. That means baby Sussex weighs 1lb 4oz less than his cousin Prince Louis, who was 8lb 7oz when he was born. In 2013, when George was born, he was named the heaviest future king to be born in recent history, at 8lb 6oz. And when Louis was born on 23 April 2018, he became the biggest royal baby to be born in the past 100 years. The Duchess of Cambridge spent 10 hours in labour with Prince George, in contrast to just two hours with Princess Charlotte. So how does the latest addition to the royal family compare to its cousins? Prince George The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after the birth of Prince George on 22 July 2013. He was named the heaviest future king to be born in recent history, at 8lb 6oz Kate remained in hospital for just over 24 hours when she gave birth to her first child, George, on July 22, 2013. Pictured: Prince George, the eldest of the Cambridge children Weight: 8lb 6oz Date of birth: July 22, 2013 Time of birth: 4.24pm Time in labour: More than ten hours Kate remained in hospital for just over 24 hours when she gave birth to her first child, George, on July 22, 2013. She gave birth 10-and-a-half hours after being admitted to the Lindo Wing, at 4.24pm. At the time, George was named the heaviest future king to be born in recent history, at 8lb 6oz. Two days after Prince George was born, and one day after Kate left hospital, an announcement was made confirming his name as George Alexander Louis. Prince George was christened on Wednesday, 23rd October 2013 at The Chapel Royal, St Jamess Palace by The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby. In keeping with royal tradition, Prince George wore the hand-made replica of the royal christening robe, made by Angela Kelly, dressmaker to the Queen. The Lily Font and water from the River Jordan were also used during the baptism. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chose the following people to be godparents to Prince George: Oliver Baker, David Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor (Hugh), Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, The Hon Mrs Michael Samuel, Michael Tindall and William van Cutsem. Princess Charlotte Kate Middleton and Prince William posing on the step of the Lindo Wing after the birth of Princess Charlotte in 2015 Princess Charlotte was the smallest of the Cambridge children, weighing 8lb 3oz when she was born on 2 May 2015 Weight: 8lb 3oz Date of birth: May 2, 2015 Time of birth: 8.34am Time in labour: Just over two hours When Princess Charlotte was born on May 2, 2015, Kate was in and out of the hospital in just 10 hours. Kate was admitted at 6am and Charlotte was born two hours and 34 minutes later, weighing 8lb 3oz. At 11am on May 2, Kensington Palace announced the birth via Twitter and a website statement. Princess Charlotte was named two days after she was born, on May 4, with a formal announcement revealing her name as Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. As the second child of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge she is fourth in line to the throne. Charlotte was christened at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham, her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth's country estate in Norfolk. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge asked the following people to be godparents to Princess Charlotte: Sophie Carter, James Meade, Adam Middleton, The Hon. Laura Fellowes and Thomas van Straubenzee. Prince Louis Prince William and Kate Middleton on the steps of the Lindo Wing in 2018 after the birth of Prince Louis - who took just five hours to emerge Big baby. Prince Louis is the biggest Cambridge baby, and the biggest royal baby in the past 100 years, weighing 8lb 7oz when he was born Weight: 8lb 7oz Date of birth: 23 April 2018 Time of birth: 11:01am Time in labour: Just over five hours The duchess was taken to the private Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, before 6am on Monday in the early stages of labour, with the Duke of Cambridge at her side. At 8.24am Kensington Palace confirmed she had been admitted to hospital in the early stages of labour. At 11.01am, she gave birth to a baby son and at 1.02pm Kensington Palace announced the birth of the prince and revealed the baby weighed 8lb 7oz. Soon after the birth the duchess headed home to the sanctuary of Kensington Palace, just as she did with Charlotte in 2015 - but not before introducing the new royal baby to world on the steps of the Lindo Wing. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge asked the following people to be godparents to Prince Louis: Nicholas van Cutsem, and Lucy Middleton, along with Guy Pelly, Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, Lady Laura Meade, and Mrs Robert Carter. A female high school student has hit back at her high school after it was revealed that girls were not permitted to wear pants to an upcoming graduation ceremony. Hannah Kozak, 18, said she was both disappointed and disgusted when she found out she, and other female students at Norwin High School, Pennsylvania, wouldn't have the option to wear trousers to their upcoming graduation. The senior, who is due to begin studying at Chatham University in the fall, said such limitations should not be 'put on young girls'. Standing up: Hannah Kozak, 18, a senior at Norwin High School, Pennsylvania, has fought back at the school for saying female students were not permitted to wear pants to graduation Disappointed: The student said she felt 'disappointment' and 'disgust' when she heard about the dress code, as she said: 'I also think it sends out the wrong message' Changes: 'Women have been wearing pants as formal wear for nearly a century, and I don't think limitations should be put on young girls,' Hannah said According to KDKA-TV parents of students at the school received a letter from the school district in April. The letter stated that girls weren't permitted to wear pants to the commencement. It also stated that if they chose to wear pants, they would receive their diploma one week later. Determined: After Hannah, who will attend Chatham University in the fall, spoke at the school's board meeting, which led to the principle being informed about the matter The letter also stated that if a student wanted to wear trousers, they needed to contact the principal or an administrator in order to get permission. Speaking to the TV station, Hannah said: 'I don't see that as very right. I don't see that as just, and I think it's kind of discriminatory.' She added that she felt 'disappointment, maybe a little bit of disgust' at the rule. 'In modern times,' she said, 'Women have been wearing pants as formal wear for nearly a century, and I don't think limitations should be put on young girls. 'I also think it sends out the wrong message,' the student added. Hannah, who will major in political science at Chatham University, spoke about the dress code at the school board meeting. This led to the board speaking with the school's principle, who agreed to let Hannah wear pants to the graduation if she wants to. A statement from the Norwin School District read: 'The outcome of the principal-student meeting was that it would be acceptable for the student to wear professional business attire, including pants. Result: It was then decided that Hannah would be allowed wear pants to the graduation at Norwin High School (pictured), however, she wanted the option extended to all students Change: Since Hannah brought the issue to the schools attention, the original dress code was changed to 'white or light-colored dress clothing and white or light-colored shoes' 'The student indicated that she would like that opportunity extended to all students.' However, this wasn't enough for Hannah, who wanted the option extended to all students in the school. According to KDKA-TV the district said on Thursday, May 2 that they have had several meetings and discussions about the dress code. As a result, changes have been made to original dress code, which is now 'white or light-colored dress clothing and white or light-colored shoes'. The controversial incident has lead several people to air their thoughts on social media. One Twitter user said: 'As a Norwin HS alum I am surprised to hear that women would have to ask permission to wear pants. The school district is one of the most progressive in Westmoreland County.' Another said: 'Really Norwin? Its 2019. We fought these sorts of silly rules *decades ago* when I attended high school there.' 'My mother protested this in 1971. That was 48 years ago. Get it together Norwin High School - #WhyDoWeHaveToKeepProtestingThisS**t' another added. 'REALLY? IT'S 2019!!!!' another wrote. Ninety-seven-year-old style icon Iris Apfel has been unveiled as the new face of ice-cream brand Magnum's latest international campaign. The New York native, who recently landed a modelling contract with IMG Models, teamed up with the ice-cream brand to launch its #TrueToPleasure campaign. The campaign, which sees Iris posing in a series of vibrant, colorful clothing as well as featuring in two short films will be unveiled at the 72nd Cannes Festival, which takes place from May 14 until May 25. Adorable! Style icon Iris Apfel, 97, has been unveiled as the new face of Magnum ice-cream as she stars in its new #TrueToPleasure international campaign Fun! The campaign, which is all about living freely and having a playful approach to life, is set to be unveiled at the 72nd Cannes Festival, which takes place from May 14 until May 25 Speaking about her involvement in the campaign, Iris said: 'I have done many things in my life and throughout, I have always tried to live without fear of judgment. Otherwise, you miss out on all the fun! 'I was thrilled to collaborate with Magnum to bring this attitude to life and I hope we inspire you to do the same. 'Feel empowered to be a little more lighthearted and playful I know I will continue to do so!' she added. Inspirational: Pictured last summer, the style icon recently landed a modelling campaign with IMG Models - the same agency that manages Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss The star shared a photo from the shoot to her 1.2 million Instagram followers in order to share the exciting news, as she said: 'I can't tell you how delighted I am to be the latest @Magnum ice cream ambassador, shot by the amazing @mertalas and @macpiggott! 'Aside from the fact that Magnum is truly delicious, I adore their message about pursuing pleasure. Never stop playing, no matter who you are! #NeverStopPlaying,' she added. As well as being featured in the campaign itself, Iris will also be seen on Magnum beach, one of the most popular beaches during the two weeks of the iconic film festival. To capture this year's campaign images, Magnum has collaborated with fashion icons and photographers, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. Speaking at the shoot in Miami, Mert said: 'We have been lucky enough to shoot many of the great icons, so adding Iris to our hall of fame was a true pleasure. 'Iris is the posterchild of living life with a playful twinkle in your eye, exactly they kind of strong women we love to capture. This is what we really aimed to capture in the stills,' the photographer added. Meanwhile, the short films, which were directed by Martin Werner, set out to capture on film the 'true essence of Iris'. He said: 'I really wanted this campaign to capture the true essence of Iris and what makes her such a captivating and inspiring icon. 'The films show how, even at 97, she pursues what brings her pleasure in life - her wicked sense of humor and her bright colorful outlook made it a joy to create.' Beauty: Iris's collaboration with the brand comes after Cara Delevingne and Jeremy Scott featured in it in 2017, while Bella Hadid and Alexander Wang were the star of the show in 2018 Chic! The businesswoman and modern-day muse said: 'I was thrilled to collaborate with Magnum to bring this attitude to life and I hope we inspire you to do the same' Iris's collaboration with the brand comes after Cara Delevingne and Jeremy Scott featured in it in 2017, while Bella Hadid and Alexander Wang were the star of the show last year. And it certainly isn't the businesswoman and modern-day muse's first collaboration. Icon: Over the past decade Iris, as seen in September 2018, has modeled for a wide range of big-name fashion and beauty brands including MAC, Macy's and Kate Spade She has been the subject of several different museum exhibitions, a documentary, a book and a campaign for MAC cosmetics. One of her most recent accomplishments saw her getting a contract with IMG Models - the same agency that manages the careers of Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss, and Miranda Kerr, among many others. While IMG will represent her for modeling, appearances, and endorsements, fans of Iris shouldn't expect to see her parading down a catwalk any time soon. Iris said: 'How can I compete on runway? Thats ridiculous. 'We'll be doing hopefully collaborations, or maybe I'll be a spokesperson. I leave it to them. They know better than I. 'I've had all kinds of interesting commissions in my limited career. 'Everything from vodka and automobiles to beauty products, and I've also had a number of interesting collaborations with big stores like Bon Marche in Paris, the Landmark Mall in Hong Kong, Macys and Bergdorf Goodman,' she explained. Over the past decade Iris has modeled for a wide range of big-name fashion and beauty brands. She's faced campaigns for Kate Spade, MAC Cosmetics, Alexis Bittar, Macy's INC, Blue Illusion, HSN, Le Bon Marche, and the German brand Aigner. Back in the day, Apfel studied art history at New York University and attended art school at the University of Wisconsin. When she was younger, the style icon worked for Women's Wear Daily and interior designer Elinor Johnson. She has also acted as an assistant to illustrator Robert Goodman. Shocking footage has revealed the terrifying situation faced by police officers in Britain, on Channel 5's Police Code Zero: Officer Under Attack. On Monday night's episode, PC Mark Lee, from Wales, is seen fighting for his life after being mowed over by a driver he is attempting to stop. However as he gets out to talk to the suspect, who he has flagged down in a petrol station after he was seen appearing to behave erratically, the driver begins to reverse - before ploughing into officer Lee. The police man is propelled onto the windscreen where he stays for a few metres before flying off onto the concrete where he lays motionless. On Monday night's episode of Channel 5's Police Code Zero: Officer Under Attack PC Mark Lee, from Wales, is seen fighting for his life after being mowed over by a driver he is attempting to stop Nerve-wrecking footage sees his colleague PC Debbie Moore flying out of the passenger side to run to his aid as she calls for backup. After following a driver who has been behaving erratically into a petrol station, PC Mark Lee gets out of his car to go over to talk to him. But instead of waiting to see what the copper has to say, the driver simply ploughs straight into him. Mark's colleague, PC Debbie Moore, was with him that day and describes the aftermath of the distressing events. Getting emotional, she admits: 'It was like something from an action movie [] Mark was on the floor and lifeless. 'I was waiting for him to get up but he didn't'. The officer gets out to talk to the suspect, who he has flagged down in a petrol station after he was seen appearing to behave erratically Mark, who was left with severe concussion following the incident, says: 'The part that bothers me the most is definitely the why?' 'I understand people have a dislike for the police and I know that people will do pretty much anything to get away but I never expected someone to run me over.' 'Why didn't he stop afterwards? His windscreen was completely shattered, he couldn't see where he was going. He didn't get out to ask if I was, because he didn't care.' 'Our role is to protect the public, but it would be nice if we felt protected ourselves.' Mark's colleague, PC Debbie Moore, was with him that day and describes the aftermath of the distressing events The driver begins to reverse after being told to stop - before ploughing into officer Lee The driver was later caught and charged with dangerous driving and other motoring offences. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a 12-month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work and was disqualified from driving for 12 months. Meanwhile in Liverpool, PC Dave Cullen has his police car stolen by a man he's trying to arrest - and is left hanging out of the passenger door as the criminal drives off at speed. On patrol one night, Dave pulls over a van for a document check. When a drug wipe on the driver comes back positive for cocaine, Dave puts the man in cuffs in the back of his car. But as he is talking to the offender's brother, the criminal climbs into the front seat and tries to drive off. The police man is propelled onto the windscreen where he stays for a few metre before flying off onto the concrete where he lays motionless Nerve-wrecking footage sees his colleague PC Debbie Moore flying out of the passenger side to run to his aid as she calls for backup Speaking about the frightening incident, Dave says: 'I immediately reacted - opened the passenger door and dove at him to grab hold of him. 'The engine of the car was revving and this lad just floored it. The passenger door was open, I obviously didn't have my seatbelt on. And I remember thinking: am I going to make it home tonight?' 'I said to him: Mate, you're gonna kill us. And he said I know, yeah'. The car stalled after a few seconds and the driver ran off. Though Dave was uninjured, he has struggled to come to terms with the attack. 'I'd never experienced feelings like that in 18 years. I started getting panic attacks and nightmares. I couldn't police properly. I was fearful all the time that it would happen again,' he admits. The driver was charged with aggravated vehicle taking, escaping custody and assault with intent to resist arrest. He was sentenced to five months in prison and disqualified from driving for 8 years. Police Code Zero: Officer Under Attack will be shown on Channel 5 on Monday 6th May at 10pm. Mark, who was left with severe concussion following the incident, says: 'The part that bothers me the most is definitely the why?' My first job paid 75p an hour. This was in the late Eighties and it was a summer holiday job as a sweets girl at the flock-carpeted, Bisto-hued Tudor Rose Restaurant on Guildford High Street. In theory, as I navigated crumble toppings and constructed my knickerbocker glories, I was saving to go Interrailing. In practice, even in 1988, there was no hope of reaching the continent on 75p per hour. Over the next decade, I did scores of unskilled jobs. I sold clothes, babysat, pulled pints, ironed, waitressed, photocopied, packed CDs, typed, worked events. There was a time when I played a receptionists vast switchboard like a pro and had a ready answer for the question: Do you have silver service? Literary expert Patricia Nicol shared a selection of books focused on challenging bosses including Nina Stibbes Reasons To Be Cheerful (left) and Renee Knights The Secretary (right) Some jobs were really random, such as dental nursing or the fortnight spent entirely alone transcribing depressed patients notes in a psychiatric hospital. In those days, being a fresh-faced temp seemed to semaphore to men rather like a red bulb in an Amsterdam window, so work would be regularly interrupted by friendly, but vaguely predatory, chit-chat. So many jobs; so many bosses: the good, the bad and the ugly sexist. Nina Stibbes funny, recent Reasons To Be Cheerful also involves dental nursing. It is 1979, and 18-year-old Lizzie Vogel has secured her first job as a dental nurse in Leicester to J.P. Wintergreen, who is sexist, racist and obsessed with the Freemasons. A more dangerous boss is depicted in Renee Knights The Secretary. Mina Appleton is a supermarket heiress and an aspirational superbrand, the glamorous public face of her empire. But is she also an exploitative, devious potential psychopath? Her most diligent employee, Christine, has been taking minutes on everything. Charles Dickenss Oliver Twist revels in terrible bosses, from the beadle Mr Bumble to the brilliantly named lugubrious undertaker Mr Sowerberry, and, most famously, that sinister East End merry old gentleman Fagin. As this is a Bank Holiday, enjoy being your own boss. Q: Im in my 60s and have lost weight with a resulting unsightly pouch of slack skin under my chin. What are my options? Massages and creams havent worked. A: Dont hate me, but truly improving lax skin is expensive, and to make matters worse, most doctors advise a combination of treatments one to tighten, one to densify skin to really make a difference. So dont shoot the messenger. The option suggested by aesthetic surgeon Miss Sherina Balaratnam (stethics.co.uk) is a series of sessions of fractional radiofrequency (RF) micro- needling (brand names include EndyMed Intensif and Intracel). An anonymous reader asked for advice on reducing the appearance of saggy skin after weightloss (file image) The technology introduces collagen-stimulating heat to the deep skin layer via a handpiece studded with small needles. The punctures these cause have their own cell-boosting power, making for a double whammy of tightening skin-regeneration, the results of which will be visible after three months. Expect two days of swelling, pinpoints bleeding and crusting afterwards. The treatments themselves Balaratnam recommended three, spaced 4-6 weeks apart (1,950 for all three) are bearable thanks to numbing cream. On top of this, she would use strategically placed filler (costing 450 per syringe) to support slackening skin. If done properly (ask your doctor for their before-and-after patient photos and study them) this can lift jowls and even the chin area without you ending up looking pugnacious. Beauty director Inge van Lotringen (pictured) advised the reader to try a combination of treatments including strategically placed fillers Ingeborg van Lotringen is beauty director at Cosmopolitan. Email questions to inge@dailymail.co.uk. Like the kitchen, the bathroom is one of those key rooms in the home for adding value to a property. But while they are one of the smallest areas in the house, they are up there with the most expensive to renovate. When done correctly, experts say bathrooms can add up to 10 per cent in value to the price of your home, according to the experts. So what are the biggest rip offs and renovation mistakes you should be avoiding? When done correctly, experts say bathrooms can add up to 10 per cent in value to the price of your home, according to the experts - so what are the biggest rip offs? (stock image) 1. Trap one: Spending too much or too little According to the experts at Choice, the first thing you should think about is whether you are spending too much or too little. 'How much you spend on your bathroom renovation will vary depending on your individual needs, the overall value of the property, the style of your home and the bathroom space,' the experts told Choice. For example, a family home bathroom will look very different to that of a retired couple in an apartment. Immediate past national president of the Building Designers Association of Australia (BDAA) Ray Brown told Choice that if you're planning on renovating a bathroom, you should do your homework. 'In the building industry, we've always maintained that we get three quotes for anything, and that starts from basically the fundamentals - the renovating, waterproofing, tiling and then all your prime cost items.' And as with over spending, you should also avoid under spending - as this can de-value your property if you want to sell. According to the experts at Choice, the first thing you should think about is whether you are spending too much or too little (stock image) 2. Trap two: Doing a full renovation when a cosmetic one would do When it comes to renovating, countless people say you should never rip out the whole thing - and rather just do a cosmetic refresh. Renovating expert Cherie Barber said 'there are are lots of hideous bathrooms out there with wild and wacky tiles but, once you take a closer look, you'll see that structurally you might have one in great condition.' Contemplate carrying out a cosmetic refresh before you rip out every installation and fitting. This will not only help with the look, but with costs too. What is the average cost of a bathroom renovation? * The average cost of a bathroom installed in new homes in this period is $16,430, and $17,522 as part of a renovation. * Archicentre Australia recommends you allow between $12,000 and $27,000 to fit out a bathroom or ensuite. Source: Choice Australia Advertisement 3. Trap three: Contracting dodgy people It's a natural impulse to want to save money wherever possible on a bathroom renovation. But Choice said there are some things which should never be scrimped on - including the people doing the actual work. 'Experience is the mother of all knowledge,' Ray Brown told the publication. Be sure to choose tradespeople who are licensed, insured and experienced in their renovation works. While you might think a trendy pink bathroom is exactly what you want right now, picking fashion over function will only ever end in tears (stock image) 4. Trap four: Choosing trendy over functional While you might think a trendy pink bathroom is exactly what you want right now, picking fashion over function will only ever end in tears. 'Bathrooms can date very easily so sometimes less is more, by which I mean not being overly pretentious with regards to your selection of materials and tiles,' Ray Brown told Choice. Instead, you should think about what style your home is - and go from there with regards to how you style your bathroom. 'You don't want to just do the bathroom and make it completely different to the rest of the house, unless you've got a full renovation in mind for the whole lot,' he said. Lastly, you should never try and do the entire renovation yourself, as unless you're a professional, it will not necessarily work out well 5. Trap five: Doing it all yourself Lastly, you should never try and do the entire renovation yourself. Instead, you should always make sure you get in a professional: 'If you've got some sort of practical background in the industry, I would say it's a no brainer... you can save a lot of money doing it yourself,' Ray Brown said. 'But if you don't have that experience, and you're really money conscious and want to do it cheaply... there are dangers that you've got to be careful of.' An Australian model and mother-to-be has been forced to defend her tiny baby bump after new critics came forward to say she should feel 'ashamed' of her small stomach. Belle Lucia surprised some of her 1.3 million Instagram fans last month by announcing her pregnancy but many of them found it difficult to comprehend given her svelte frame. Now 18 weeks along, the 24-year-old from Sydney has shared yet another vile troll comment to her social media account, with the anonymous person saying Belle's way of showing off her pregnant belly is inappropriate. Scroll down for video Belle Lucia has been forced to defend her tiny baby bump again after new critics came forward to say she should feel 'ashamed' at her small stomach 'Sorry but how can you as an expecting mother be proud of not having a stomach in the fourth month? And then feed this belly constantly and take half naked pictures,' they said. 'That's really not normal, Instagram has destroyed your character.' Belle replied with a frustrated emoji but other comments have since littered her photos. 'Lucia...SERIOUSLY!!!! Where are you hiding your unborn child????' One said. 'There is no way you're pregnant. This is a joke right?' Another said. Belle only replied with a frustrated-looking emoji (pictured), but other comments have since littered her photos Belle Lucia, who is from Sydney but is currently based in London, announced the happy news on April 2 to her 1.3 million Instagram followers (pictured at 16 weeks pregnant) A week ago Belle attempted to silence the haters by sharing a photo of other women who are at the same stage of pregnancy as she is. Belle captioned the image: 'Here's more women the same week as me. As you can see women show very differently but are all carrying a little life'. 'Just because I'm not showing as much as you like doesn't mean my pregnancy is "unhealthy" or that I'm promoting a "skinny" pregnancy,' she said. 'It's just my body and I can't help if it doesn't look the same as other women. Body shaming is not okay no matter how "big" or "small" someone is.' Belle has been giving her followers weekly updates on her pregnancy (pictured at 17 weeks and 18 weeks respectively) Sharing a photo of other women who are at the same stage of pregnancy as she is, Belle captioned the image: 'Here's more women the same week as me. As you can see women show very differently but are all carrying a little life' Not everything has been smooth sailing for the young mother-to-be. In a separate photo she addressed some of the more tedious side effects of growing a baby. 'Don't get me wrong, I did experience morning sickness and breast pain and definitely a lot of anxiety in the beginning because of the fear of miscarriage (I had no idea how common they were) but I've learnt to embrace everything - the downs and ups,' she wrote. In a separate photo she addressed some of the more tedious side effects of growing a baby. An Australian model and Instagram influencer has announced she's four months pregnant (pictured), but was forced to delete an ultrasound video because of 'rude and creepy' people Belle Lucia, 24, who is currently in London but usually resides in Sydney, posted a sweet photo of herself with her boyfriend sharing the joyous news with her 1.3 million followers Earlier this month Belle shared her pregnancy just after the 12 week mark. 'So 1 + 1 really does equal 3? Mum + Dad #comingsoon #4monthspregnant #librababylikeme #stillmodelling P.s Not April fools. It's the 2nd here in the UK,' she captioned the image. In between the thousands of congratulatory messages, there were many people wondering how Belle could be four months along without any visible bump. 'You don't look pregnant I would have never guessed,' one person said. 'She'll be skinnier than me at nine months,' another said. In between the thousands of congratulatory messages, there were many people wondering how she could be four months along without any visible bump (pictured in December last year) 'I don't have a bump yet. Women grow at different rates. Just because I have no bump doesn't mean I'm not pregnant. Why would I lie about this?,' Belle responded to the criticism. Belle decided to supplement her good news post by uploading an ultrasound video on her Instagram Stories, but deleted it shortly after. 'Had to delete my ultrasound video because people were being rude and creepy,' she said. 'I don't have a bump yet. Women grow at different rates. Just because I have no bump doesn't mean I'm not pregnant. Why would I lie about this?' She responded to the criticism (pictured here at four months pregnant) It was likely she was receiving inappropriate direct messages about the video, but these were not published online. In a series of other videos the 24-year-old mother-to-be showed how pregnancy wasn't going to keep her away from the cameras, as she travelled to Manchester for a PrettyLittleThing photo shoot. 'Still modelling normal clothes (not maternity) at four months,' she captioned one shot. If you're in the market for a new television, ALDI Australia is set to sell smart screens for a fraction of the price. The German discount chain will launch the new technology range as part of their Special Buys for Saturday, May 11. Shoppers can get their hands on a 55-inch Ultra HD Smart TV with HDR for just $599. The product features 3840 x 2160 resolution, 4K ultra high definition, USB media playback along with Netflix, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pre-installed. Giving retailer The Good Guys a run for their money, a similar 55-inch smart Panasonic TV with ultra HD will set you back $1,695. Whereas a Samsung 55-inch smart TV is on sale at Harvey Norman for $1,295. The ALDI screen is part of the upcoming sale, which also includes $69.95 wireless earphones, $39.95 portable radio and $39.95 Bluetooth speakers. The sale gives retailers Harvey Norman (right retailed at $1,295) and The Good Guys (left retailed $1,695) a run for their money The ALDI screen is part of the upcoming sale, which also includes $69.95 wireless earphones, $39.95 portable radio and $39.95 Bluetooth speakers There will also be pet products available for sale, including plush toys $4.95, bed $9.99, dog jacket $19.95, couch cover protector for $24.95 and heating mat $34.95 There will also be pet products available for sale, including plush toys $4.95, bed $9.99, dog jacket $19.95, couch cover protector for $24.95 and heating mat $34.95. The products are limited and vary between stores. 'Despite our careful planning, we apologise if selected items may sell out on the first day due to unexpected high demand,' the company said on its website. 'In the event of unexpected high demand, reserves the right to limit purchases to reasonable quantities.' A mother has given birth to her thirteen pound son naturally without an epidural, with doctors still not able to explain why he was born so big. Nicolina Newcombe, 33, and her husband Jamie, 27, were completely surprised by their new arrival Tobias, who was born a hefty six kilos in Waikato Hospital, New Zealand, last week. The newborn weighed as much as a baby who is just shy of three months old and the family were forced to purchase an entire new wardrobe to clothe him. Nicolina Newcombe, 33, and her husband Jamie, 27, were completely surprised by their new arrival Tobias, who was born a hefty six kilos in Waikato Hospital, New Zealand, last week How large is the average sized newborn? The average birth weight for babies is around 7.5 pounds (3.5 kg), although between 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) and 10 pounds (4.5 kg) is considered normal. In general: * Boys are usually a little heavier than girls. * First babies are usually lighter than later siblings. * Large parents generally have large babies, while small parents generally have small babies. Source: UM Health Advertisement Mrs Newcombe's midwife Anneka Reid described him as a 'Hercules baby' and told Stuff she had never seen a child naturally delivered at that size in her career before. 'I remember looking at him on her belly and he was just enormous... and when you pick him up he's just so heavy,' she told the publication. While some women who test positive to diabetes have a greater chance of having a larger baby, this was not the case for Mrs Newcombe. She tested negative to diabetes during her pregnancy, so doctors suspect her 175cm height might have played a small part in Tobias' size. His father Jaimie is smaller in stature and is not believed to have contributed height-wise to his second son. The couple's first child, Sage, 14, was a whole four pounds six ounces (1.9 kilos) lighter than his brother and Mrs Newcombe didn't require any pain relief to have him. But she did opt for some help when Tobias' true size was revealed in the delivery room. 'It got a bit much. I did have gas and I did have remifentanil... but I did not have an epidural,' she said. His father Jaimie is smaller in stature and is not believed to have contributed height-wise to his second son 'I think the fact that we didn't know about his size was a blessing in a way because I think if we had have known... there would have been a lot of pressure to have a c-section.' She never had any fears that he 'wouldn't fit' because she was so surprised by his entrance into the world, but she did praise her midwife for remaining calm throughout the labour. Viewers of Line of Duty are convinced they've uncovered who the fourth bent copper is in the force, after last nights explosive series five finale. The 90 minute long episode - which is estimated to have been watched by 10 million people - revealed that 'H' is not just one crooked policeman but instead a group of four bent people within the force. And with three unmasked so far, that leaves one bent copper still at large. Fans took to Twitter to share their theories, with many pointing to PC Tatleen Sohota, who often appears with useful information at key moments in the series. 'Rule number one, never trust the helpful ones,' one wrote,'I've got my eye on you too Tatleen.' Fans discovered last night there is still a fourth bent copper in the AC-12, with many taking to Twitter to point at 'too perfect' Tatleen, who often appears at key moments and presents the core team with information The character was introduced at the beginning of season five, but fans are positive she is 'too helpful', and is somehow always involved in key conversations Another commented: 'I feel like Tatleen is involved somehow.' Tatleen has been a fixture in the series since the beginning of season five, and often appears to present useful information to key characters. This season she has been key in uncovering the secrets of John Corbett's true identity. And in last night's episode, she discovered that Hastings had been questioned over the disappearance of Corbetts mum, Ann-Marie McGillis, who disappeared in 1989 after accusations of being a police informant, at which point Corbett, was adopted by her sister in Liverpool. Fans were convinced there's something shifty about the copper, saying she is too 'helpful'. Many fans are theorising that Tatleen is the fourth bent copper in the force, with some sharing the hashtag #ShiftySohota Viewers discovered the secrets behind Dot's deathbed confession as Steve realised they'd missed a key clue Line of Duty viewers took to Twitter to share their theories, with many convinced that Tatleen was still to be unmasked Some noted that she is often 'ear-wigging' in the background of conversations, suggesting she was trying to listen in on conversations. 'Tatleen...Is she related to Bannerjee? I'm convinced she's bent #shiftysohota,' one wrote. One commented:'After everything that happened today, I still don't trust this woman.' One announced:' The 4th H is Tatleen, the PC with all the info in AC-12. Goodnight.' Many suggested they hadn't trusted the copper since she joined the force in the first episode of season five. While PC Tatleen Sohota (Taj Atwal) may appear like an 'unsung hero' in the series, some believe she is too perfect One wrote:' I said she was suspicious from episode 1. I still think she's involved.' Another wrote:'From day one when she could be seen in the background watching and ear wigging everything.' Others were a little less sure of the theory, arguing that she was just good at her job, and she couldn't be bent. One wrote: 'You leave Tatleen alone!' While another commented:' she's the only one getting any real police work done on this program.' Many fans were stunned last night as they'd hoped the series would end with the unmasking of who the mysterious 'H' character was. Reaction: Viewers of Line of Duty have been left reeling after the series five finale revealed the secret behind crooked policeman ' 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 Viewers 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'. However, in last night's 90 minute series finale, DC 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. 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.' It was revealed that Gill Biggeloe had been desperately trying to pin John Corbett's murder onto Hastings The character has been key to uncover John Corbett's true identity this series, and last night discovered that Hastings had been questioned over the disappearance of Corbett's mother But DC Steve Arnott managed to spot something in Dot's deathbed confession which made him realise there could be more corruption to come Many fans were convinced that Tatleen was too helpful and often appeared at key moments with vital information for the characters A midwife who appeared on Lorraine this morning revealed how a home birth could be safer than a hospital delivery - as Meghan prepares to welcome baby Sussex any day now. Leah Hazard, who appeared on the sofa to speak about her new book, Hard Pushed: A Midwifes story,' told the presenter that 'theres lot of evidence to suggest that for a healthy woman, a home birth can be at least as safe, if not safer than having a baby in the hospital.' It's previously been reported that the Duchess of Sussex, 37, wishes to give birth naturally in the calm surroundings of her secluded Windsor home. But now a week overdue and with no sign of the royal baby's arrival, the mother-to-be was last night facing the disappointing prospect of induced labour and a hospital birth. Leah Hazard appeared on Lorraine this morning to speak about her new book, Hard Pushed: A Midwifes story', which she called a tale of 'love letters' and also a 'cry for help' Speaking to Lorraine, she revealed how 'theres lot of evidence to suggest that for a healthy woman, a home birth can be at least as safe if not safer than having a baby in the hospital' The Scottish presenter pointed out that since BBC drama Call the Midwife started, most women opted for home births, then it moved to hospital and now there seems to be a trend going back to home births. As she proceeded to ask Leah whether home births make her job harder, the midwife explained: 'As midwives we have the responsibility to honour an informed choice.' 'When a woman has the first point of contact with the midwife, one of the first things she should really be asked is, "where would you like to have your baby."' 'From there on, its the conversation between the woman and the midwife - and what the woman wants, ultimately.' Leah's claims come following reports that the Duchess of Sussex, 37, wishes to give birth naturally in the calm surroundings of her secluded Windsor home The midwife also compared her role to that portrayed in the BBC series Call the Midwife and said: 'Midwifery has always been a skilled art and a craft. Its even more complex than its ever been, its really challenging' Speaking of the hit BBC series, Leah explained that a lot of midwives nowadays would agree that the programme is not a world many midwives recognise any more. 'Our role is very different nowadays,' she said. 'Midwifery has always been a skilled art and a craft. Its even more complex than its ever been, its really challenging.' 'The women we work with have really complex, diverse needs and we have to coordinate that care and meet those needs.' Leah also told the presenter how her new book is not only a 'love letter' to the women she looks after and her fellow midwives, but is also a 'cry for help.' 'In the course of my job Ive learned women are so much stronger than they themselves believe and thats speaking of the patients and the staff,' she explained. The Scottish presenter pointed out that since BBC drama Call the Midwife started, most women opted for home births, then it moved to hospital and now there seems to be a trend going back to home births Speaking of how the ups and downs that come with her role, Leah said: 'I think every midwife has her own way of coping with that and tragedy and joy do go hand-in-hand as part of our job' 'Ive seen incidents of incredible heroism, tragedy, joy - and I really wanted to share that with the world. 'I also wanted to let the world know the NHS is really at a difficult stage and as midwives, we always want to give the best care, but with the way the health services are at the minute, were not able to do that.' And while many midwives experience joy when theres a new life brought into the world, they also encounter the absolute tragedy when things go wrong. 'I think every midwife has her own way of coping with that, and tragedy and joy do go hand-in-hand as part of our job,' she explained. 'And I think thats the part of the job some people aret aware of. Were getting better at talking about loss in society and these are part and parcel of the midwifes work.' She continued: 'Any midwife will have stories of women that will stick with them forever.' 'Its difficult to switch off on your days off and from shift to shift - every midwife will have names and faces that they think about. The first thing they want to know when they get back to work is how did she get on its just a part of the job.' The Duke of Edinburgh headed out for a Bank Holiday Monday ride this morning, as the royals anxiously await news of Baby Sussex. Prince Philip, 97, was accompanied with one female grooms on his carriage as he took a ride around the grounds at Windsor castle. The royal wrapped up warm in a flat cap and green anorak, as well as gloves. A blanket had been placed over his legs to ensure he stayed comfortable while on the ride. It comes as Philip prepares to become a great-grandfather for the eighth time, with his grandson Prince Harry expecting to welcome a baby with his wife, Meghan, any day now. Prince Philip looked relaxed as he went for a ride this Bank Holiday Monday around the grounds of Windsor Castle Philip looked relaxed as he rode around the grounds on the sunny spring morning, just two days before the Royal Windsor Horse Show is planned. He took the reins and appeared to be covered by a black leather blanket during the ride. The carriage was pulled by two Fell ponies, a favourite breed of the royals. Since his retirement, Philip has had more time to enjoy carriage-driving, one of his favourite pastimes since the 1970s. The 97-year-old is anxiously awaiting the birth of his eighth great-grandchild, as his grandson Prince Harry is expecting a baby with wife, Meghan, any day now Prince Philip appeared to wrap up warm for the ride, and took the reigns, accompanied by one female guide It's likely he's looking forward to the Royal Windsor horse show, which takes place later this week. The Queen and Prince Philip are likely to attend the show, which is just a short distance from Windsor Castle, and occurs between 8th-12th May. The Royal Windsor horse show is one of the pair's favourite equestrian events of the year, and the only occasion on which members of the public are able to enjoy the palace grounds. It sees competitors taking part in a range of events from show jumping to dressage, along with displays from The Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery and DAKS Pony Club. The Duke and his aide seemed to enjoy their morning carriage ride through the grounds of Windsor Castle, as the royals await news of the latest addition to the family Prince Philip will be looking forward to the The Royal Windsor horse show, which begins on 8 May, and is one of the royal family's favourite equestrian events of the year The five-day event, held in Berkshire, is now in its 76th year and attracts well-heeled visitors from all over the world. The Queen is believed to have attended every single year since it began as a wartime fundraising event back in 1943. The event is intrinsically linked with the royal family; both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh competed at it during their younger years, with Prince Philip entering the Carriage Driving at Royal Windsor Horse Show for 30 years, winning it just once in 1982. In more recent years, the Queen has watched many of her own horses take part in the showing class competitions. A youngster who has been in trouble with the law for anti-social behaviour struggles to handle life behind bars in Banged Up: Teens Behind Bars. In tonight's second episode of the channel 4 show, Hugh Connell, 16, from Leicestershire, who has been excluded from school and was arrested when he was 16 for carrying a machete, is just three days into the programme when he admits to struggling without his girlfriend and family by his side. 'I woke up like it was a normal day, and then I looked around and thought f*** it, this is the last place I want to be,' he says. 'All I want to do is go home. I can't wait get back and see my mum.' The programme sees eight British teenagers sent to one of Americas toughest prisons, as part of a radical intervention programme for unruly teens. They are pushed to their limits at Florida's Brevard County Jail in the hope that life on the inside can change their lives on the outside. Hugh, 16, from Leicestershire, who has been in trouble with the police for anti-social behaviour, struggles with life in prison in tonight's episode of channel 4's Banged Up: Teens Behind Bars. Six males and two females are sent to the tough jail for a week of 'radical' intervention in the hope that life on the inside can change their lives on the outside The first episode saw the teens have their first taste of prison life as they were put to work alongside regular inmates. Hugh wanted to leave but was persuaded to stay, while 17-year-old Tundes defiant behaviour led to the entire group being punished. And at first, it seems Hugh's feelings haven't changed. This is the last place I want to be,' he complains to Lieutenant Stokes. 'Its just horrible. I just want to go home and see my girlfriend, my friends.' But according to his mum Helen, a former prison officer, it's typical that he's missing his loved ones - because he relies on them so much to get him out of trouble. 'He thinks that somebody will bail him out,' she explains. 'Lifes on a plate for Hugh. He says he wants it and ten out of ten times hell get it. Speaking to the camera, the teen admits: 'Im quite a nice guy but if you get on the wrong side of me, its not great.' Two days into the behaviour programme, the prison officers ratchet up the pressure on the teens. They are put to work on the jail's chain gang, clearing rubbish in the baking Florida heat. 'If you ask one of my friends to describe me, theyll be like: "This guy does not care - he just likes getting the job done,"' explains fellow inmate for the week, Tunde. Hugh (pictured) is one of eight troublesome teenagers locked up at the prison, which houses murderers and rapists for Channel 4 documentary Banged Up: Teens Behind Bars 'They say Im ruthless. I really dont like being told what to do. I dont give a s***.' 'Im not a criminal but Ive done stuff which people would say is criminal like shoplifting and biting, but Im not a bad person. But it's not long until he's put into his place. Wanting to shock the teens away from a life of crime, Lieutenant Stokes puts them in a room with two young men, barely older than the teens, who have been charged with murder. I've seen y'all laughing and s*** like its a game,' says one. 'This aint no game. Hanging around with the wrong crowd got me here.' 'I went to a party one night and it was a big old shoot out and just happened to be in the mix. Two people got killed and my name was brought up, so now Im facing two first degree murders. I can get the death penalty.' The second then explains his story: 'Every sport you can think of I played, but then I started selling drugs crack cocaine, meth, heroin.' Hugh Connell, 16, broke down within hours of arriving at Florida's Brevard County Jail and his feelings haven't changed - until the end of the episode 'I thought money was everything. If I had money in my pocket no one could tell me nothing. Do you know what that led to? Murder. Drug deal, gone bad. One tells Tunde: 'You like to fight boy? Trust me, this ain't where you wanna be.' He bites his tongue and then calls his mother Ola, who he reveals he used to be really close to before hanging out with the wrong people. 'As a kid me and mum was really close and we talk about everything but nowadays Im barely at home to speak to her,' he says, before giving her a call. Hugh's mother Helen (pictured with Hugh) says of her son: 'He thinks that somebody will bail him out. Lifes on a plate for Hugh. He says he wants it and ten out of ten times hell get it' 'I dont even care that I just told her "I love you" - thats the way its supposed to be. Half way through the behaviour modification programme, the officers then introduce a new form of discipline. For the mornings physical drill, the team is put through an obstacle course usually used for training police officers in the hope they'll work together. Finally, Hugh turns a corner and is determined to see the programme through to the end, despite wanting to leave on the first day. 'At school I didnt want people to see how much I was struggling,' he admits. 'I didnt want people to think I couldnt handle myself and I was a bit weak. 'I always hated school and college and everything this is making me look forward to it. Im just going to try and do it. And his mother adds: 'I think he needs a bit of pride. A bit of recognition that he is a nice boy and that he can be anything he wants to be if he chooses to be it. Banged Up: Teens Behind Bars on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight Tunde, who has previously shoplifted, comes crashing down to earth when a prisoner says: 'You like to fight boy? Trust me, this ain't where you wanna be' Florida's Brevard County Jail is surrounded by wire fences and alligator swampland, and packed with 1,600 inmates with crimes ranging from theft and prostitution to multiple murders After weeks of frenzied anticipation, the wait is over as Meghan has given birth to a baby boy. Meghan went into labour in the early hours of this morning with husband Prince Harry by her side, and has delivered a healthy baby weighing 7lbs 3oz. The couple won't pose for their first pictures until they've had time to celebrate 'privately'. As the world awaits further news of Baby Sussex, here's everything you need to know about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's newborn. Meghan went into labour in the early hours of this morning with husband Prince Harry is currently by her side, Buckingham Palace has announced Are Meghan and Harry having a girl or a boy? Meghan has insisted they do not know whether they are having a girl or a boy and that it will be a surprise. How and when will the birth be announced? When Harry and Meghan are ready. The couple have said they will only share the news of the baby's arrival once they have had a chance to celebrate privately as a family. The news is likely to be announced via their Instagram account @SussexRoyal and then by @RoyalFamily on Twitter, as well as in a timed announcement to the press. Where is Meghan giving birth? The duke and duchess are keeping this a secret if they can. Reports vary between Meghan having a home birth at Frogmore Cottage to opting for a midwife-led maternity unit at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey or going private, such as the Kensington Ward of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. Where will the baby fall in the line of succession? Seventh in line. The baby will move Harry's uncle, the Duke of York, down into eighth place in the line of succession. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will shift into ninth and 10th place, and the Earl of Wessex - the Queen's youngest son - will drop out of the top 10 for the first time to 11th in line. How will the baby be related to the Queen? The baby will be a great-grandchild of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh - their eighth - and the Prince of Wales's fourth grandchild, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's niece or nephew, and a cousin for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Will he or she ever be monarch? Unlikely. Future king George, plus Charlotte and Louis, are all further up the line of succession than Harry and Meghan's baby, so it is a safe bet that the throne will stay on the Cambridge side of the family in years to come. What will the baby be called? Latest odds at the bookmakers have either Diana or Elizabeth as the favourite for a girl, followed by Alice and Victoria. For a boy, Arthur, James, Philip, Edward and Albert are among the predicted choices. William and Kate chose royal favourites for their children. But Harry and LA-born Meghan could break the royal mould and take inspiration from American traditions, or perhaps the former actress will follow the celebrity trend of picking an unusual first name for her offspring. Will the baby be a prince or princess? Not at this stage. They will not be a prince or princess, nor an HRH, because George V limited titles within the royal family in 1917. So what will their title be? A son can be known as the Earl of Dumbarton - because a first son of a duke is allowed to use one of his father's other lesser titles as a courtesy title. Harry was made Earl of Dumbarton by the Queen on the morning of his wedding, as well as being given a dukedom. A daughter would be Lady (first name) Mountbatten-Windsor, rather than the Countess of Dumbarton as daughters are not allowed to take on such titles due to male bias surrounding the rules of hereditary peerages. A boy will one day inherit the title the Duke of Sussex from Harry, but a girl will not. But the Queen could make the baby a prince or a princess? Yes. The Queen stepped in ahead of George's birth to issue a Letters Patent to ensure all the Cambridges' children would have fitting titles, but that was done well ahead of time and this royal baby is much further down the line of succession. Under George V's rules, Harry and Meghan's child and any future children would eventually become princes or princesses when Charles becomes king, because they would be the children of a son of a sovereign. So even though the baby will be quite far down the line of succession, the Queen may decide to introduce the titles early so they do not have to be changed later on - unless Harry and Meghan prefer to adopt more low-key titles for their children. Will Harry and Meghan hire a nanny? There have been rumours that Meghan will turn to her mother, Doria Ragland, for help initially. But it is likely they will hire a nanny eventually. Harry has been close to all his nannies, especially Tiggy Legge-Bourke, and it is expected he and Meghan will arrange for a nanny to care for their baby while they are on official engagements. Kate and William have the help of their full-time live-in nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo. Meghan's close friend, Jessica Mulroney, had two nannies to help her with her twin boys and younger daughter. There have been reports the duchess favours employing an American for the role and would consider a "manny" - a male nanny. Where will the baby live? Harry and Meghan have set up home in Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate. It was gifted to them by the Queen and has undergone renovations costing taxpayers an estimated 3 million. Will the baby have dual citizenship? Harry and Meghan could apply for their child to have dual US-UK citizenship. Meghan is planning to become a British citizen - but at present is still a US citizen. According to the American Embassy in the UK, a child born outside the US and in wedlock to a US citizen parent and a non-US citizen parent may acquire US citizenship at birth if the US parent lived in America for five years - two of which were after the age of 14. Will they be moving to Africa? Plans are being made for the couple to spend an extended period abroad, possibly in Africa, as a way of harnessing their international appeal and expanding on their Commonwealth work. A decision is unlikely to be taken until 2020, when they have settled down with their baby. A Palace spokesman said the plans were speculative. The idea has raised concerns about the security cost to UK taxpayers. Michelle Obama has led an outpouring of congratulations to Meghan and Harry on the birth of their first child. The former First Lady took to Twitter to wish the couple well, saying: 'Barack and I are so thrilled for both of you and can't wait to meet him'. She wasn't the only former First Lady to send good wishes, with Hillary Clinton tweeting: 'Bill and I send our warmest congratulations to Meghan, Harry, and the entire @RoyalFamily for the new addition! What a blessing.' Meghan's former Suits co-stars Sarah Rafferty and Patrick J Adams sent good wishes to the 'incredible parents', alongside figures from the world of showbiz including Liam Payne, Ryan Seacrest and Ellen DeGeneres. Meanwhile, Meghan's friend and makeup artist Daniel Martin described himself as a 'proud gay uncle.' Meghan Markle 's makeup artist Daniel Martin (above) has led the tributes congratulating his long-term friend on the birth of her royal baby this morning The talented makeup artist retweeted the blue graphic posted on Prince Harry, 34, and Meghan's 'Sussex Royal' account (above) which reads: 'It's a boy! Their Royal Highness the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to announce the birth of their child' Former First Ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton both offered their congratulations to the new parents Celebrities have been quick to share their congratulations with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, including Meghan's former co-star Sarah Rafferty and popstar Liam Payne Shortly after the news broke to the world, the makeup guru, from the US, took to Instagram and retweeted the blue graphic posted on Prince Harry, 34, and Meghan's 'Sussex Royal' account . Delighted for the new parents, he added the caption '#regram Proud #guncle' for his 128k followers to see. He was joined by other famous faces, including Meghan's former co-star Sarah Rafferty, who took to Twitter to share her best wishes with the couple. She wrote: 'Hearts are leaping for a beautiful, wonderful and healthy baby boy! Sending much love and wishes for every blessing across the pond today and everyday.' Blast from the past! The official Twitter account for Suits, which Meghan starred in before marrying Harry, shared congratulations for the royal couple Meghan's pal Priyanka Chopra took time out from the Met Gala festivities to congratulate the royal couple Several A-listers posted their congratulations messages on the Sussex royal Instagram post announcing the birth, including Gordon Ramsey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jordin Sparks and Tom Daley Sarah has remained good friends with the Duchess since starring in the television programme together. One Direction star Liam Payne was also quick to congratulate the royal pair, taking to Twitter to write:' Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of your baby boy. So happy for the both of you.' The royal couple watched the popstar perform during the Commonwealth Day service last year. They were joined by a whole host of other A-listers who sent their best wishes to the royal couple, with many posting onto the Instagram post with their messages of good will. Speaking with beauty website Into The Gloss, he said: 'One day I looked up and she was dating a Prince! I was in Greece at the time, and my husband was like, "Your friend is on the paper." Pictured: Meghan and Prince Harry at the Commonwealth Day service in London in March Daniel previously told Harper's Bazaar he was too busy to travel to London before the Duchess's wedding (Meghan, pictured on her wedding day) so didn't get to trial the look beforehand - despite some 17 million people tuning in to watch the big day On a highly personal note, those intimately involved with the royal wedding shared their congratulations with the couple. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who married the couple last May posted on Twitter: Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their baby boy. May God bless the new family with love, health and happiness.' Meanwhile American priest PB Michael Curry, who gave the now infamous passionate sermon during the ceremony also sent his best wishes. He said:'The Jewish tradition reminds us that the birth of every child is a reminder that God is not finished with us yet. There is hope. Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and prayers of blessings for them and their baby.' Justin Welby, who married the couple last May, was joined by Michael Curry, who gave the now infamous sermon during the ceremony, in offering their congratulations to the happy couple Best wishes flooded in from across the pond, as American and Canadian politicians shared their joy to hear about the new baby. Joe Biden posted:' Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan on the birth of their baby boy! The truth is there's no better job than being a parent. Jill and I wish you the best of luck on your next chapter.' They were joined by Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau in sending his best wishes. Politicians from across the pond sent their best wishes to the happy couple, with Justin Trudeau and Joe Biden all posting messages Daniel, who was one of the first to send his best wishes, revealed last week that he didn't know the former actress was dating Prince Harry until he saw her 'face on the front of a newspaper'. The talented make-up artist, who won high praise after creating Meghan's natural makeup look for her wedding to the Duke of Sussex last year, discovered the royals were seeing one another while on holiday in Greece with his husband. 'One day I looked up and she was dating a Prince!' Seattle-born Daniel told beauty website Into The Gloss. 'I was in Greece at the time, and my husband was like, "Your friend is on the paper." Earlier this month, he told Grazia magazine that Meghan (pictured with Prince Harry) 'makes me go on YouTube to learn about things. She'll be like, "Oh I follow this person and they did it this way" - and I'm like, "Oh OK".' 'She was literally on the front page of every newspaper in Greece, but everything was in Greek, so I was like, "What is going on?" I didnt know!' Daniel also revealed that he's known Meghan for 'almost a decade' as the pair met when Suits first started. As the Duchess of Sussex didn't have a publicist, she personally reached out to Daniel's agent at The Wall Group - and he described how they both had an 'instant connection.' 'I knew what she wantedit was one of those things where, she looked at herself in the mirror and was like, "Oh my God, this is what I always wanted, but I didnt know how to get there," he told the publication. The pair then kept in touch and while working on her former blog The Tig, Meghan asked Daniel to give her a helping hand. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have included a touching tribute to the late Princess Diana in their announcement confirming they have welcomed a baby boy today. A statement released by the Palace revealed that, in line with royal protocol, the Queen was among the first to be informed of the news. However - along with the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - Diana's siblings Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer were also notified of the news. This differs from the birth of Prince Louis in April 2018, when Prince William and Kate informed The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry, along with 'members of both families'. The Palace also confirmed that Meghan's mother Doria Ragland was staying with the couple at Frogmore Cottage, however there was no mention of whether her father Thomas Markle had been informed of the news. Baby Sussex is here! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have included a touching tribute to the late Princess Diana in their announcement confirming they have welcomed a baby boy today. They are pictured at Westminster Abbey in May Confirming the news of Harry and Meghan's firstborn on Monday afternoon, the Palace wrote: 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex was safely delivered of a son at 0526hrs this morning. 'The baby weighs 7lbs 3oz. The Duke of Sussex was present for the birth. 'The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news. 'The Duchess's mother, Doria Ragland, who is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, is with Their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage. 'Her Royal Highness and the baby are both doing well.' Along with the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - Diana's siblings Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer were also notified of the news in a new move A statement released by Palace revealed that, in line with royal protocol, the Queen was among the first to be informed of the new Harry was particularly close to his mother Diana, who tragically died on the 31 August 1997. In interviews last year to mark the 20th anniversary of his mother's death, Prince Harry admitted how bottling up his emotions made a devastating impact on his mental health. He had, he confessed, been very close to a complete mental breakdown on numerous occasions. The turmoil over his emotions saw him endure two years of what he described as total chaos before seeking professional counselling on the advice of Prince William. He disclosed that he had only begun to address this grief when, at the age of 28, he had felt himself to be on the verge of punching someone while also facing anxiety when carrying out official engagements. Diana's brother Earl Spencer,seen in February 2018 in London, was among the first to be informed of the birth of his late sister's grandchild Diana's sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale, seen at her daughter Celia's wedding last year, was among the first to be informed of the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby Diana's sister, seen Lady Jane Fellowes attending the wedding of Celia McCorquodale Wedding of Celia McCorquodale and George Woodhouse, was also informed of the news In a video filmed for the Heads Together campaign last year, Harry and William admitted that they hadn't spoken to each other enough in the past about their mother's death. Harry said: 'We've never really talked about losing a mum at such a young age.' 'I always thought, what's the point of bringing up something that's only going to make you sad. It ain't going to change it. It ain't going to bring her back'. Before the announcement of the birth of the little boy today, Diana was among the top names predicted if the couple had a little girl. And a beaming Prince Harry confirmed the news of their firstborn on TV today, revealing Meghan gave birth to a baby boy early Monday morning. In a statement, Harry said he's 'incredibly proud' of his wife, and that they have a healthy baby boy who weighs 7 pounds 3 ounces who has not yet been named. This differs from the birth of Prince Louis in April 2018, when Prince William and Kate informed The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry , along with 'members of both families' A beaming Prince Harry confirmed the news of their firstborn on TV today, revealing Meghan gave birth to a baby boy early Monday morning Harry explained that as the child was overdue, they had been given them more time to contemplate names. He added that he is ecstatic about the birth of their first child and said more details will be shared in the coming days. 'This little baby is absolutely to die for,' he said. 'I'm just over the moon.' The infant will be seventh in line to the British throne and Queen Elizabeth II's eighth great-grandchild. Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles, the next in line to the throne, and the late Princess Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997. The child will be eligible for dual British-U.S. citizenship if Meghan and Harry want to go through the application process. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have congratulated Prince Harry and Meghan on the birth of their royal baby. Prince William and Kate are 'delighted with the news' and are looking forward to meeting their new nephew, Kensington Palace has announced. An Instragram post on @KensingtonRoyal said: 'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news of the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son today, and look forward to meeting the latest addition to the family.' The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed a baby boy at 5:26am GMT on Monday, weighting 7lbs 3oz. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have congratulated Prince Harry and Meghan on the birth of their royal baby. Pictured together at the Commonwealth Service 2019 at Westminster Abbey in London, on March 11 An Instragram post on @KensingtonRoyal said: 'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news of the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son today, and look forward to meeting the latest addition to the family.' A palace aide told the Mail that William and Kate were itching to see their new nephew, saying they are overjoyed. Harry's uncle, the Duke of York was the first family member to publicly congratulate the couple directly, writing on Twitter: 'Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the safe delivery of your baby boy.' Meanwhile, the former Princess of Luxembourg, Tessy Antony, warmly congratulated the couple and wished them 'much happiness' on Instagram. Speaking in Windsor, a beaming Prince Harry said both mother and child were doing well, that he was 'incredibly proud of [his] wife' and that 'this little thing is to die for.' Prince Andrew, 59, led the individual royal congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan who welcomed their first child on 6 May at 5:26am GMT. Pictured: The Duke of York Prince Andrew with his daughter Princess Beatrice Former Princess of Luxembourg Tessy Antony wished the couple 'much happiness' and good health in an Instagram post following the birth of Baby Sussex. Pictured: Tessy Antony in London, November 2017 Prince Andrew shared his well wishes con Instagram and congratulated the couple on 'the safe delivery of [their] baby boy' Tessy Antony, who recently divorced from Prince Louis of Luxembourg, posted a gushing tribute to the new family on Instagram on behalf of herself and her two sons, Prince Gabriel and Prince Noah. 'Congratulations dear Harry and Meghan on the arrival of your new baby boy,' she wrote. 'Gabriel, Noah and I wish the three of you - now a little family - only the best, much happiness and good health. 'This is extremely exiting and we can not wait to meet the little man in due course,' she went on. Tessy Antony sent her congratulations on Instagram and said she could not wait to 'meet the little man in due course' Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana and Harry's uncle congratulated the couple for the 'lovely news' Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana and Harry's uncle, also expressed his best wishes to the couple 'Really very lovely news today - many, many, congratulations! (Good to have another Taurean in the family....),' he wrote on Twitter. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said Meghan and her child were 'both doing well', and that the Queen and other members of the royal family were 'delighted' with the news. Charles Spencer, Harry and William's uncle wished the couple congratulation and rejoiced to know another taurean would be joining the family Meghan's mother Doria Ragland, who was present during the delivery, was said to be 'overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild,' according to Buckingham Palace. Speaking from Windsor, a visibly-excited Duke of Sussex said the little boy 'was absolutely to die for' as he shared his immense pride for his newborn son and his wife. An overjoyed Prince Harry said: 'I'm very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a baby boy this morning, a very healthy baby boy. I'm so incredibly proud of my wife.' Buckingham Palace said the close royal family was delighted with the news of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first child 'It's brilliant, I'm absolutely thrilled. We're really grateful for all the love and support shown to us. It's been overdue so we have had a little bit of time to think about names so that's the next bit. I haven't been at many births. This is my first birth. It was amazing and absolutely incredible. I'm incredibly proud of my wife. 'Every father and parent will say your baby is absolutely amazing but this little thing is absolutely to die for. I'm over the moon.' It also revealed the duchess' mother Doria Ragland is currently by her daughter's side at Frogmore Cottage, suggesting that Meghan had undergone a home birth. A beaming Prince Harry (pictured) announced the birth of his baby boy in Windsor, and said 'this little thing is to die for' An overjoyed Prince Harry said: 'I'm very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a baby boy this morning, a very healthy baby boy. I'm so incredibly proud of my wife.' 'It's brilliant, I'm absolutely thrilled. We're really grateful for all the love and support shown to us. It's been overdue so we have had a little bit of time to think about names so that's the next bit. I haven't been at many births. This is my first birth. It was amazing and absolutely incredible. I'm incredibly proud of my wife. 'Every father and parent will say your baby is absolutely amazing but this little thing is absolutely to die for. I'm over the moon.' The baby's sex was a surprise for the duke and duchess, who had chosen not to find out what they are having until after the birth. Following what has been dubbed the 'Sussex Standby', the baby prince or princess will be seventh in line to the throne, after their father Harry and his niece and nephews Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Meghan's doting mother Doria Ragland had flown to Britain to be at her daughter's side for the birth of the baby at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, having cancelled her yoga classes in Los Angeles and hired a dog sitter. Her 62-year-old mother is said to have landed in Britain last month well before Meghan was due to give birth. Sources close to the family have said that Ms Ragland wanted to be by her side for the event. Prince Harry was forced to cancel part of a planned trip to the Netherlands this week amid rumours that Meghan's first baby was due last weekend. Harry is still expected to carry out an engagement at The Hague on March 9 to launch the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games, his Paralympic-style event for injured service personnel. Prince Harry melted hearts across the world today as he announced the arrival of his first child - and paid tribute to his 'amazing' wife Meghan Markle. Royal fans flocked to social media to praise his 'adorable' statement, in which he described his son as 'absolutely to die for'. The Duchess of Sussex, 37, gave birth to a little boy, weighing 7lb 3oz, at 5:26am this morning, with her husband by her side. Gushing new dad Harry, 34, said being at the birth - which he joked was 'his first' - was 'absolutely incredible', adding: 'How any woman does that, what they do is beyond comprehension.' Prince Harry's sweet words about his wife and new baby went down a treat with fans, with many calling his obvious enthusiasm and delight 'adorable' He assured the public that mother and baby are 'doing well' and told how 'proud' he is of his wife - joking that he got just two hours of sleep last night. His sweet words went down a treat with fans, with many calling his obvious enthusiasm and delight 'adorable'. One tweeted: 'You gorgeous human Harry. Your mum would be so proud of you. Congratulations to you and your beautiful wife and welcome to the world little man.' Another wrote: 'Bless, how gorgeous is Prince Harry with his awe at his wife and all women. So beautiful when men are in awe of women, it's an incredibly attractive quality/state of being. Love it.' And one quipped: 'Okay. Prince Harry talking about their new baby is ADORABLE. Happy for them,' followed by a heart emoji. Royal fans flocked to social media to praise Prince Harry's 'adorable' statement, in which he described his son as 'absolutely to die for' Many fans praised the Duke of Sussex for his reaction to the birth, with one tweeting: 'You gorgeous human Harry. Your mum would be so proud of you. Congratulations to you and your beautiful wife and welcome to the world little man' In a statement shortly after the birth was announced, Buckingham Palace said Meghan and her baby were 'both doing well', and that the Queen and other members of the royal family were 'delighted' with the news. Meghan is now recovering at Frogmore Cottage, the couple's home set within the grounds of Windsor Castle, with her mother Doria Ragland by her side. The couple's attentions will now turn to the baby's name, which Harry referred to as 'the next bit' of his newfound parenthood. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son is seventh-in-line to the British throne. The Duke of Sussex, 34, looked visibly blown away by the experience as he described being by his wife's side as she gave birth The baby boy comes behind their father Prince Harry in the line of succession, bumping his uncle, the Duke of York, Prince Andrew further down the line into eighth place. But the child will not be given the title of prince and he will instead be known as the Earl of Dumbarton. Prince Harry is expected to take two weeks of 'unofficial paternity leave' to spend with his wife and child, which is the same amount of time working fathers get in the UK. This is not 'official' leave as he isn't in a named post like his previous role as Captain in the Army, but he's expected to take time away from official royal duties. His official visit to The Netherlands on May 9 to launch the one-year countdown to the 2020 Invictus Games in The Hague may cut into his time off, however he could choose to add a few extra days on at the end. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son is seventh-in-line to the British throne, behind his father Prince Harry Meghan's best friend Jessica Mulroney has admitted she has baby fever, just hours after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed a little boy. Jessica, 39, who shares three children Isabel, John and Brian with husband Ben Mulroney, posted a picture as she posed with her friend's little boy - who she was styling for a wedding. 'I have baby fever @benmulroney', she wrote on the Instagram story, before deleting it just moments later. Meghan's best friend Jessica Mulroney has admitted she has baby fever, just hours after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, seen in Morocco in February, welcomed a little boy The sweet admission comes just hours after Meghan, 37, and Harry, 34, welcomed their first child. Jessica, who is a stylist, is understood to have taken Meghan under her wing when the then actress was living in Toronto while starring in Suits. Jessica attended Meghan's wedding and baby shower, and her daughter Ivy, five, was also in the wedding as a flower girl at the wedding, while her twin sons Brian and John were page boys given the special task of holding the bride's train. On Monday afternoon Buckingham Palace confirmed the news, writing: 'We are pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on May 6th, 2019. Their Royal Highnesses son weighs 7lbs. 3oz.' Jessica, 39, who shares three children Isabel, John and Brian with husband Ben Mulroney, posted a picture as she posed with her friend's little boy - who she was styling for a wedding And later in the afternoon Harry confirmed he had become a father in joyful TV interview. Clapping his hands together and grinning from ear to ear, he said: 'A very healthy boy, mother and baby are doing incredibly well, its been the most amazing experience I could have ever possibly imagined. 'How any woman managed to do with she does is beyond comprehension. We are thrilled by the love and support from everyone out there. 'Still thinking about names, the baby is little bit overdue so weve had a bit of time to think about it, so thats the next bit. 'Well be seeing you guys in two days time to share it with you guys and everyone can see the baby.' Jessica, who is a stylist, is understood to have taken Meghan under her wing when the then actress was living in Toronto while starring in Suits. They are pictured in Toronto in 2016 He added: 'I havent been at many births, this is definitely my first. It was amazing, absolutely incredible, Im so proud of my wife. 'As every father and parent would say, your baby is absolutely amazing, but this little thing is absolutely to die for so Im absolutely over the moon'. The baby boy is seventh in line to the throne, and the Queen and the Duke of Edinburghs eighth great-grandchild. Ahead of the birth, the duke and duchess made a personal decision to keep their arrangements private, amid speculation that they had opted for a home birth at their new home, Frogmore Cottage, close to the Queens Windsor Castle home. Anna Wintour opted to wear funky mixed prints to preview the Metropolitan Museum of Arts new Costume Institute exhibition ahead of Monday's star-studded gala. The 69-year-old Vogue editor-in-chief, who has chaired the black-tie fundraiser since 1995, was joined by one of her co-chairs, Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele, while touring the 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' exhibit. Wintour, who is known to favor ladylike pieces and classic staples, showed off her edgier side on Monday afternoon when she stepped out of The Mark Hotel in New York City ahead of the gala. Busy day: Anna Wintour previewed the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute exhibition on Monday ahead of the 2019 Costume Institute Met Gala Out and about: The 69-year-old Vogue editor-in-chief wore a green printed dress, snakeskin boots, and her signature sunglasses The look: Wintour appeared to be paying homage to the exhibition's theme, 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' Keeping with the theme of both the exhibition and gala, Wintour chose one of her campiest outfits to date, a green patterned dress that she paired with snakeskin boots. This year's theme is a nod to Susan Sontag's 1964 essay 'Notes on "Camp,"' which was dedicated to 19th century poet and playwright Oscar Wilde. In the essay, the writer explains 'the essence of Camp is its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.' The annual event, which has been dubbed the 'Oscars of Fashion,' corresponds with the opening of the museum's new spring fashion exhibit. Fittingly, the dress code always pays homage to the exhibition, which often leads to unforgettable red carpet looks. Thinking of last minute details? Wintour appeared to be deep in thought while previewing the exhibition in the afternoon In good company: Wintour was joined by Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele, who is one of her co-chairs this year Good mood: The editor had a smile on her face while sitting next to Michele, and both she and the designer left their sunglasses on Keeping with the theme: Michelle channeled the '60s in a light blue blazer with a floral pattern and bell-bottoms, topping off his outfit with layered beaded necklaces and sunglasses A-listers: Lady Gaga, Serena Williams, and Harry Styles (left to right) are also co-chairing this year's gala Wintour recently admitted that she has 'no idea' what people will be wearing when the show up to the Met Gala on Monday evening, but she was already honoring the theme when she headed to the press preview earlier in the day. The editor accessorized her bohemian ankle-length dress with layered gemstone necklaces, a brown leather watch, and her signature dark sunglasses that she wore while inside the museum. Like Wintour, Michele appeared to have taken a strategic approach when styling his look for the press preview. He channeled the '60s in a light blue blazer with a floral pattern and bell-bottoms, topping off his outfit with layered beaded necklaces and sunglasses. If he and Wintour's over-the-top looks are any indication, there will be a lot of funky prints and nods to the 1960s at tonight's extravaganza that is also being co-chaired by Lady Gaga, Serena Williams, and Harry Styles. Added touch: Wintour accessorized her bohemian ankle-length dress with layered gemstone necklaces Mixed prints: Wintour showed off her edgier side on Monday afternoon when she stepped out of The Mark Hotel in New York City ahead of the gala Theme: The 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' exhibition is a nod to Susan Sontag's 1964 essay 'Notes on "Camp,"' which was dedicated to 19th century poet and playwright Oscar Wilde Man in charge: The exhibition was curated by Andrew Bolton (pictured), the head curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute A lot to see: The exhibit features more than 250 outfits, accessories, and objects dating from the 17th century to the present Hard to miss: The word 'camp' is splashed across a pink wall at the exhibition The exhibition, which opens to the public on Thursday, May 9, was curated by Andrew Bolton and features more than 250 outfits, accessories, and objects dating from the 17th century to the present. With Sontag's essay serving as a framework, the exhibit explores how 'camp' elements such as humor, artifice, and theatricality are expressed in fashion. The exhibit includes the Bjork's unforgettable swan dress Bjork from the 2001 Academy Awards and the 'Venus' crinoline sheath gown from Thierry Mugler's Fall 1995 couture collection, which Cardi B wore to Grammys earlier this year. 'We are going through an extreme camp moment, and it felt very relevant to the cultural conversation to look at what is often dismissed as empty frivolity but can be actually a very sophisticated and powerful political tool, especially for marginalized cultures,' Bolton said of the theme in an interview with The New York Times. Inspiration: With Sontag's essay serving as a framework, the exhibit explores how 'camp' elements such as humor, artifice, and theatricality are expressed in fashion Definition: In Sontag's essay, the writer explains 'the essence of Camp is its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration' Iconic: The 'Venus' crinoline sheath gown from Thierry Mugler's Fall 1995 couture collection (right) is one of the many designer looks featured in the exhibit In real life: Cardi B wore Thierry Mugler's 'Venus' dress to the Grammys earlier this year Unforgettable: One person as the press preview couldn't' resist taking a photo of the famous swan dress worn by Bjork (inset) Red carpet moment: Bjork wore the funky dress to the 2001 Academy Awards 'Whether its pop camp, queer camp, high camp, or political camp Trump is a very camp figure I think its very timely.' The Met Gala began in 1946 as a way to raise money for the Costume Institute, but over the years, Wintour has turned the fundraiser into the hottest ticket in town. In honor of her hard work and dedication, the institute was renamed the Anna Wintour Costume Center in 2014. Last year's gala raised over $12 million for the museum, and tickets are notoriously expensive. A single chair costs a whopping $35,000, while many major designers are known to purchase entire tables for $200,000 to $300,000. However, Women's Wear Daily reported in April that three big names in the fashion world might not be schilling out as much for this year's fashionable fundraiser. Anyone's guess: Wintour recently admitted that she has 'no idea' what people will be wearing to keep with the event's theme Fitting: In a recent interview, Bolton said that 'we are going through an extreme camp moment' in today's culture Tribute: The exhibition paid homage to Frederick Park and Ernest Boulton, aka Fanny and Stella, who were arrested for crossdressing in the 19th century Good time: Members of the press were seen taking photos while touring the exhibit Defined: Bolton said he has heard that 'camp is gender without genitals,' a sentiment he put on display in the exhibit Unique: A head piece designed by Stephen Jones is in a display case at the museum First look: The exhibit opens to the public on Thursday, May 9 Ralph Lauren, Dior, and Calvin Klein reportedly didn't buy tables to fill with celebrity guests at this year's 'Oscars of the East.' However, this news doesn't mean the design houses won't be represented at the Met Gala at all they may just be planning on a smaller presence. A source with knowledge about the event told DailyMail.com that at least some of the designers named by WWD have purchased tickets to the event, suggesting it is likely that they will dress at least one or two celebrity attendees. In the past, bigger brands like Ralph Lauren and Dior have bought up entire tables and invited several celebrities to sit with them and, naturally, be dressed by them. For instance, in 2018, Ralph Lauren's guests included Kerry Washington, Priyanka Chopra, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lily Aldridge, and Shailene Woodley. Stunning: Wintour wore Chanel to last year's Met Gala, which was titled titled 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination' Icon: Wintour (pictured left in 2006 and right in 2007) has chaired the black-tie fundraiser since 1995 Tribute: In honor of her hard work and dedication, the institute was renamed the Anna Wintour Costume Center in 2014. Wintour is pictured in 2008 (left) and 2010 (right) Hint: Wintour (pictured in 2003) has already teased her outfit for the night, saying it will have 'millions of feathers' It is worth noting, however, that Calvin Klein skipped the event altogether last year. It hasn't been reported why the brands have opted for the change, whether it be money trouble, brand restructuring, or simply a desire to pull back from the star-studded extravaganza. Even if Dior, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren don't show up, it's sure to be a designer-packed even. Other brands expected to be there are Gucci (which is sponsoring the event), Louis Vuitton, and Burberry. Wintour has already teased her outfit for the night. While she didn't confirm it's by Chanel, she has worn the designer to the Met Gala nearly every single year with the exception of 2012, when the theme was 'Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations.' That year, she wore Prada. Speaking to CNNs Christiane Amanpour, Wintour promised that her look for the night will have 'millions of feathers' a clear reference to this year's theme. Advertisement Since announcing her pregnancy, the Duchess of Sussex has been photographed in at least 75 outfits. But not for her the stretchy dresses or comfy leggings most of us would favour when expecting. Instead, Meghan has brilliantly navigated a pregnancy in the spotlight without forfeiting her impeccable fashion credentials. Avoiding most of the usual maternity brands, shes stuck to bespoke, custom-made outfits by her favourite designers some of the biggest fashion names in the world, including Dior, Givenchy and Valentino. Coming in at 361,070, her maternity wardrobe is rumoured to have cost almost seven times more than the Duchess of Cambridges. Her choices have been eclectic as well as expensive. With an extraordinary mix of styles, shapes, lengths, details and accessories, nothing has been predictable. The one consistent factor has been Meghans signature colour palette navy, cream, white and black, with the occasional splash of a block colour such as the red Sentaler coat, matching heels and purple Aritzia dress for a royal visit to Birkenhead. Here, Dinah Van Tulleken casts an eye over Meghans maternity wardrobe and puts a value on each outfit, including shoes, accessories and jewellery... Left: Meghans berry-hued Club Monaco coat, 360, and dress, 166, with Givenchy shoe-boots, 754, were perfect for a London event last autumn. Centre: Early in her pregnancy, Meghan stepped out in New Zealand in a white Antonio Berardi tuxedo dress, 2,000, and navy Manolo Blahnik heels, 511. Right: The Duchess layered a red coat by Sentaler, 1,100, over a purple dress from Babaton by Aritzia (100) and red suede court shoes by Stuart Weitzman, 350, for a visit to Birkenhead in January Left: Meghan picked a 185 mini dress from High Street store Reiss for an event in London in March. Right: Meghan chose favourite designer, Givenchy, to create her white shirt and black skirt combo, 4,500, for a London awards ceremony The Duchess joined Prince Harry for a service at Westminster Abbey in a navy peplum top with bateau neckline and a matching skirt, believed to be Prada, 1,500 A bright red Valentino dress, est. 6,000, gave a nod to the Moroccan flag when Meghan arrived in the country in February. She also wore nude Dior heels, 600 Dazzling in a bespoke Dior kaftan, 16,000, on her trip to Morocco (left). Pretty in a pink floral silk dress by Figue, 1,130, on the tour of Australia (right) Victoria Beckhams chain-print dress, 1,668, and coat, 2,250, were Meghans choice at Westminster Abbey last month Stunning blue Carolina Herrera, 5,000, for the final day in Morocco (left). Forest green Erdem coat and dress, 8,000, at Canada House in London (right) Meghan at The British Fashion Awards in an asymmetric black bespoke Givenchy gown, 8,000 Loyd/Ford dress, 426, Babaton jacket, 150, and Manolo Blahnik heels, 575 (left). In a stunning Oscar de la Renta gown, 4,600, for a gala dinner in Sydney (right) Anna Wintour and her daughter Bee Shaffer dazzled on the red carpet at the Met Gala on Monday evening, but the fashionable mother-daughter duo opted for two very different outfits. The Vogue editor-in-chief recently hinted that her outfit would feature 'millions of feathers,' and she wasn't joking. The 69-year-old fashion icon wore a flamingo-inspired pink and black feather cape over pink floral beaded gown by Chanel. Meanwhile, Shaffer, 31, was joined by her Italian husband Francesco Carrozzini on the red carpet, where she modeled a sleek black suit adorned with a large red satin rose and matching train. Mother-daughter duo: Anna Wintour, 69, walked the red carpet with her daughter Bee Shaffer, 31, at the Met Gala on Monday evening Juxtaposition: Wintour and Shaffer opted for two very different interpretations of this year's Met Gala theme, 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' Look of love: Shaffer was joined by her husband Francesco Carrozzini, the son of the late Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani Both mother and daughter looked stunning while showing off their unique interpretations of this year's Met Gala theme, 'Camp: Notes on Fashion,' which is a nod to Susan Sontag's 1964 essay 'Notes on "Camp."' In the essay, the writer explains 'the essence of Camp is its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.' Wintour's version of 'camp' was undoubtedly sophisticated, and her feathered cape was what added some edge to her otherwise elegant outfit. It appears as though the editor took inspiration from the flamingo head piece designed by Stephen Jones, which is displayed in the exhibit. Dazzling: Wintour donned a flamingo-inspired pink feather cape and a floral beaded gown by Chanel Devoted: Wintour has worn the Chanel to the Met Gala nearly every single year Jewels: Wintour topped off her outfit with a diamond necklace that sparkled under the lights Not your basic black: Shaffer modeled a sleek black suit adorned with a large red satin rose Make room: The suit also featured a lengthy red satin train that added an element of drama Helping hand: Shaffer had someone carry her train while she walked up the steps at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Shaffer alternated between posing for photos with her mother per tradition and her husband, who is the son of the late Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani. Carrozzini, 36, looked dapper in a gray double-breasted suit featuring black lapels, which he paired with a black bowtie. Earlier in the day, Wintour opted to wear funky mixed prints to preview the Metropolitan Museum of Arts new Costume Institute exhibition on Monday ahead of the star-studded gala. The editor, who has chaired the black-tie fundraiser since 1995, was joined by one of her co-chairs, Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele, while touring the 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' exhibit. Double duty: Shaffer alternated between posing for photos with her mother and her husband Sleek: Shaffer wore her long dark hair in a braid down her back, drawing attention to her earrings and necklace Making an exception: Wintour is know for wearing her sunglasses while indoors, but she removed them to pose on the red carpet ahead of the event All smiles: Wintour and Shaffer looked delighted as they watched attendees enter the bash. The editor was quick to put her signature dark sunglasses back on when she was done posing Wintour, who is known to favor ladylike pieces and classic staples, showed off her edgier side on Monday afternoon when she stepped out of The Mark Hotel in New York City ahead of the gala. Keeping with the theme of both the exhibition and gala, Wintour chose one of her campiest outfits to date, a green patterned dress that she paired with snakeskin boots. The annual event, which has been dubbed the 'Oscars of Fashion,' corresponds with the opening of the museum's new spring fashion exhibit. Fittingly, the dress code always pays homage to the exhibition, which often leads to unforgettable red carpet looks. Busy day: Wintour previewed the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute exhibition on Monday ahead of the 2019 Costume Institute Met Gala Out and about: The editor wore a green printed dress, snakeskin boots, and her signature sunglasses The look: Wintour appeared to be paying homage to the exhibition's theme, 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' Thinking of last minute details? Wintour appeared to be deep in thought while previewing the exhibition in the afternoon In good company: Wintour was joined by Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele, who is one of her co-chairs this year Good mood: The editor had a smile on her face while sitting next to Michele, and both she and the designer left their sunglasses on Keeping with the theme: Michelle channeled the '60s in a light blue blazer with a floral pattern and bell-bottoms, topping off his outfit with layered beaded necklaces and sunglasses A-listers: Lady Gaga, Serena Williams, and Harry Styles (left to right) are also co-chairing this year's gala Wintour recently admitted that she has 'no idea' what people will be wearing when the show up to the Met Gala on Monday evening, but she was already honoring the theme when she headed to the press preview earlier in the day. She accessorized her bohemian ankle-length dress with layered gemstone necklaces, a brown leather watch, and her signature dark sunglasses that she wore while inside the museum. Like Wintour, Michele appeared to have taken a strategic approach when styling his look for the press preview. He channeled the '60s in a light blue blazer with a floral pattern and bell-bottoms, topping off his outfit with layered beaded necklaces and sunglasses. If he and Wintour's over-the-top looks are any indication, there will be a lot of funky prints and nods to the 1960s at tonight's extravaganza that is also being co-chaired by Lady Gaga, Serena Williams, and Harry Styles. Added touch: Wintour accessorized her bohemian ankle-length dress with layered gemstone necklaces Mixed prints: Wintour showed off her edgier side on Monday afternoon when she stepped out of The Mark Hotel in New York City ahead of the gala Theme: The 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' exhibition is a nod to Susan Sontag's 1964 essay 'Notes on "Camp,"' which was dedicated to 19th century poet and playwright Oscar Wilde Man in charge: The exhibition was curated by Andrew Bolton (pictured), the head curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute A lot to see: The exhibit features more than 250 outfits, accessories, and objects dating from the 17th century to the present Hard to miss: The word 'camp' is splashed across a pink wall at the exhibition The exhibition, which opens to the public on Thursday, May 9, was curated by Andrew Bolton and features more than 250 outfits, accessories, and objects dating from the 17th century to the present. With Sontag's essay serving as a framework, the exhibit explores how 'camp' elements such as humor, artifice, and theatricality are expressed in fashion. The exhibit includes the Bjork's unforgettable swan dress Bjork from the 2001 Academy Awards and the 'Venus' crinoline sheath gown from Thierry Mugler's Fall 1995 couture collection, which Cardi B wore to Grammys earlier this year. 'We are going through an extreme camp moment, and it felt very relevant to the cultural conversation to look at what is often dismissed as empty frivolity but can be actually a very sophisticated and powerful political tool, especially for marginalized cultures,' Bolton said of the theme in an interview with The New York Times. Inspiration: With Sontag's essay serving as a framework, the exhibit explores how 'camp' elements such as humor, artifice, and theatricality are expressed in fashion Definition: In Sontag's essay, the writer explains 'the essence of Camp is its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration' Iconic: The 'Venus' crinoline sheath gown from Thierry Mugler's Fall 1995 couture collection (right) is one of the many designer looks featured in the exhibit In real life: Cardi B wore Thierry Mugler's 'Venus' dress to the Grammys earlier this year Unforgettable: One person as the press preview couldn't' resist taking a photo of the famous swan dress worn by Bjork (inset) Red carpet moment: Bjork wore the funky dress to the 2001 Academy Awards 'Whether its pop camp, queer camp, high camp, or political camp Trump is a very camp figure I think its very timely.' The Met Gala began in 1946 as a way to raise money for the Costume Institute, but over the years, Wintour has turned the fundraiser into the hottest ticket in town. In honor of her hard work and dedication, the institute was renamed the Anna Wintour Costume Center in 2014. Last year's gala raised over $12 million for the museum, and tickets are notoriously expensive. A single chair costs a whopping $35,000, while many major designers are known to purchase entire tables for $200,000 to $300,000. However, Women's Wear Daily reported in April that three big names in the fashion world might not be schilling out as much for this year's fashionable fundraiser. Anyone's guess: Wintour recently admitted that she has 'no idea' what people will be wearing to keep with the event's theme Fitting: In a recent interview, Bolton said that 'we are going through an extreme camp moment' in today's culture Tribute: The exhibition paid homage to Frederick Park and Ernest Boulton, aka Fanny and Stella, who were arrested for crossdressing in the 19th century Good time: Members of the press were seen taking photos while touring the exhibit Defined: Bolton said he has heard that 'camp is gender without genitals,' a sentiment he put on display in the exhibit Unique: A head piece designed by Stephen Jones is in a display case at the museum First look: The exhibit opens to the public on Thursday, May 9 Ralph Lauren, Dior, and Calvin Klein reportedly didn't buy tables to fill with celebrity guests at this year's 'Oscars of the East.' However, this news doesn't mean the design houses won't be represented at the Met Gala at all they may just be planning on a smaller presence. A source with knowledge about the event told DailyMail.com that at least some of the designers named by WWD have purchased tickets to the event, suggesting it is likely that they will dress at least one or two celebrity attendees. In the past, bigger brands like Ralph Lauren and Dior have bought up entire tables and invited several celebrities to sit with them and, naturally, be dressed by them. For instance, in 2018, Ralph Lauren's guests included Kerry Washington, Priyanka Chopra, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lily Aldridge, and Shailene Woodley. Stunning: Wintour wore Chanel to last year's Met Gala, which was titled titled 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination' Icon: Wintour (pictured left in 2006 and right in 2007) has chaired the black-tie fundraiser since 1995 Tribute: In honor of her hard work and dedication, the institute was renamed the Anna Wintour Costume Center in 2014. Wintour is pictured in 2008 (left) and 2010 (right) Hint: Wintour (pictured in 2003) has already teased her outfit for the night, saying it will have 'millions of feathers' It is worth noting, however, that Calvin Klein skipped the event altogether last year. It hasn't been reported why the brands have opted for the change, whether it be money trouble, brand restructuring, or simply a desire to pull back from the star-studded extravaganza. Even if Dior, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren don't show up, it's sure to be a designer-packed even. Other brands expected to be there are Gucci (which is sponsoring the event), Louis Vuitton, and Burberry. Wintour has already teased her outfit for the night. While she didn't confirm it's by Chanel at the time, she has worn the designer to the Met Gala nearly every single year with the exception of 2012, when the theme was 'Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations.' That year, she wore Prada. Speaking to CNNs Christiane Amanpour, Wintour promised that her look for the night will have 'millions of feathers' a clear reference to this year's theme. Arizona is seeing a surge in hepatitis A cases, and the outbreak could take months to rein in, health officials say. State data shows there have been 212 confirmed cases in 2019, higher than any yearly statewide total in more than a decade. Many cases have been reported among homeless people, individuals with precarious housing situations and those who use illicit drugs. Although there have been no deaths from the disease this year, public health officials say many of those infected had to be hospitalized, reported the Arizona Republic. Arizona has been hit with 212 cases of hepatitis A in 2019, mostly among homeless people and those who use illicit drugs. Pictured: Homeless people gather on the sidewalk at an encampment in Phoenix, Arizona, in May 2019 The outbreak of the viral disease that affects the liver began in November and cases have continued to rise since then despite efforts to step up vaccinations. The majority of Arizona's hepatitis A cases have been concentrated in the Tucson area, said the Pima County Health Department's Deputy Director Paula Mandel. In Phoenix, the state's capital, health providers are working to vaccinate those at risk, Dr Rebecca Sunenshine, medical director for disease control at the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, told the Arizona Republic. She said that hepatitis A has been detected among people who have recently been in jail, along with the homeless and those who misuse drugs Dr Sunenshine added that more than 90 percent of the cases in the county have required hospitalization. WHAT IS HEPATITIS A AND HOW CAN IT BE TREATED? Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that can have both minor and severe symptoms for the person infected. It is primarily spread when a person who isn't vaccinated ingests food or water that has been contaminated with feces of an infected individual. The virus is one of the most frequent causes for foodborne infections. The incubation period of hepatitis A is normally 14 to 28 days. Symptoms: Fever Loss of appetite Diarrhea Nausea Dark-colored urine Jaundice Acute liver failure Who is at risk? Anyone who has not been vaccinated or has never been infected with the hepatitis A virus is at risk. Other factors that increase risk include: Poor sanitation Lack of clean water Recreational drug use Living with an infected person or having sexual relations with one Traveling to areas with high risk without a vaccination Treatment: There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. It may take some people a couple weeks to a couple months to recover from the symptoms. Doctors recommend everyone to get a vaccination to help prevent the risk of getting infected by the virus. Source: World of Health Advertisement 'The hepatitis A vaccine is really effective and the first dose is 95 percent effective,' Sunenshine told the Arizona Republic. 'Vaccination is the primary strategy we are doing to prevent spread. We really believe that vaccination is what's going to stop this in the long-term.' The vaccine consists of two doses administered six months apart. Hepatitis A is a virus that attacks the body through liver inflammation. It is highly contagious and is typically spread through sexual contact, needle sharing, or by consuming food that has been contaminated by someone infected with the virus. Symptoms - which include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and dark urine - can take anywhere from two to seven weeks after exposure to appear. Although many who are infected show no symptoms, it can take a few months for the illness to pass. The homeless are more vulnerable to hepatitis A, which easily spreads when people do not have access to good hygiene and do not wash their hands after using the restroom. The disease can also spread through contaminated food and water. Hepatitis A has been a recommended childhood vaccine since the mid-1990s. Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, requires the vaccination for preschool children, but not for those in grades K-12. Along with getting vaccinated, public health officials suggest strategies that include hand-washing with soap and water after going to the bathroom and before eating or preparing food. Other prevention strategies include avoiding sex with anyone who has hepatitis A and not sharing towels, toothbrushes, eating utensils, food, drinks, smokes or drug paraphernalia with other people. 'This is not going to be something where we are done in a couple of weeks,' Mandel told the Arizona Republic. 'This is something that is going to be an ongoing effort for a while.' Pricey pre-natal vitamins prescribed by doctors are no more effective than over-the-counter alternatives at less than half the price, a new study finds. Research comparing eight of the top prescription supplements, and eight generics, showed none of them contained all the vitamins they should. On balance, they were just as effective as each other. And yet, prescription vitamins can cost up to $180 a for a month's supply. Researchers at the University of Nevada compared eight of the top prescribed pills versus eight OTC pills and found neither met the guidelines for nutritional content, despite the price gap 'We found no meaningful difference in nutritional adequacy of prescription versus nonprescription pre-natal vitamins,' researcher Rachel Kelly, at the University of Nevada, said, presenting the findings at the conference for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 'despite appearance of a large cost difference.' Health authorities in the US recommend that all pregnant women take pre-natal vitamins as early as possible. ACOG cites evidence that at least one month of folic acid reduces the risk of a baby being born with brain or spinal cord defects. Over the course of the pregnancy, the list of recommended vitamins gets longer, so pre-natal vitamins are designed to make it a digestible experience. SOME OF THE PILLS ANALYZED PRESCRIPTION PrimaCare - $249 Prenate Mini - $ 238 Vitafol - $135 VitaPearl - $150 OB Complete - $209 NON-PRESCRIPTION Alive - $22 Nature Made - $21.43 Advertisement Ideally, a pre-natal vitamin should include 400 mcg of folic acid, 400 IU of vitamin D, 300 mg of calcium, 70 mg of vitamin C, 3 mg of thiamine, 2 mg of riboflavin, 20 mg of niacine, 6 mcg of vitamin B12, 10 mg of vitamin E, 15 mg of zinc, 17 mg of iron, according to WebMD. At least two-thirds of women leave their first pregnancy check-up with a prescription. Generally, prescription pills are held up as having higher concentrations of nutrients. But according to the new study, while all of them at least 800 mcg of folic acid, none met all of ACOG's nutrient recommendations for calcium, folic acid, iron, and vitamin D. What's more, the price of the cheapest prescription vitamins was almost double that of the most expensive non-prescription vitamin pill. The findings come on the heels of a survey that found 84 percent of new mothers doubt the choices they make during pregnancy. While two-thirds of the 2,000 women surveyed had been recommended pre-natal vitamins, few were sure that it was the right thing, and what they should be taking. 'With new advancements in medical research each year, that can lead to confusion for mom, especially when decades of great moms before her likely weren't privy to the latest guidance,' New York OBGYN Dr Alyssa Dweck said. 'Of course, there are core guidelines that have stood the test of decades, but as the years progress, there are discernible generational shifts in pregnancy practices given the new information available.' The research team at Nevada recommend women have a frank discussion with their provider about the cost-effectiveness of their vitamins compared to others on the market. Staying fit reduces your risk of both dying from cancer and getting the disease in the first place, research suggests. In the largest study of its kind, researchers found being active slashes your odds of developing lung cancer by 77 per cent. And those with bowel cancer reduce their risk of dying from it by an astonishing 89 per cent if they exercise regularly, the research added. Being active has been shown to boost the health of the heart, lung and immune system health, which may lower the risk of cancer, the scientists believe. Regular exercise also reduces inflammation in the body, which could trigger some forms of the disease. Exercise reduces our risk of dying from cancer and getting the disease in the first place (stock) The research was carried out by John Hopkins University and led by Dr Catherine Handy Marshal, assistant professor of oncology. 'Our findings are one of the first, largest, and most diverse cohorts to look at the impact of fitness on cancer outcomes,' Dr Handy Marshal said. 'Fitness testing is commonly done today for many people in conjunction with their doctors. IS IT SAFE TO EXERCISE WHILE BATTLING CANCER? There are no guidelines in the UK about exercising while battling cancer. However, studies have shown it to be safe and beneficial for many patients. For cancers of the breast, prostate and bowel, studies have found the same level of exercise as is recommended for the general population may be helpful. Doctors usually advise at least half-an-hour of moderate exercise, like walking, a day, five days a week. One study found women battling breast cancer were less likely to be anxious or depressed if they worked out for half-an-hour four times a week. Another trial introduced an exercise programme at hospital for patients being treated for breast or prostate cancer. The scientists found these patients were less tired at the end of their therapy. However, cancer that affects the bones may increase the risk of a break. And patients whose immunity has been suppressed due to treatment should avoid exercising in public gyms. Women with breast cancer should also be cautious about upper body training. And many patients experience pins and needles as a result of their cancer treatment, which can make weight bearing exercise dangerous. Cancer sufferers should always talk to their doctor before embarking on a new exercise regimen. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement 'Many people might already have these results and can be informed about the association of fitness with cancer risk, in addition to what fitness levels mean for other conditions, like heart disease.' Lung cancer kills more adults in the US than any other forms of the disease and was responsible for 1.8million fatalities last year alone, according to the American Lung Association. Bowel cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US and is expected to kill 51,020 people this year, American Cancer Society statistics show. In the UK, 35,419 people died from lung cancer in 2012, according to the British Lung Foundation. And more than 16,000 people die from bowel cancer every year, Bowel Cancer UK statistics reveal. Exercise has been shown to help food move through the digestive tract. This reduces the amount of time any harmful chemicals found in human waste are in contact with the bowel, lowering the risk of colon cancer. Being active also lowers inflammation, which, if excessive, causes cells to divide more often. Uncontrolled cell division can lead to the formation of tumours. But despite its benefits, only two in five adults exercise for two-and-a-half hours a week as recommended by the NHS, The Times reported. And one in six deaths can be linked to inactivity, according to Public Health England. To uncover how exercise affects cancer risk, the researchers analysed 49,143 people with an average age of 54. The participants underwent treadmill fitness tests between 1991 and 2009, and were each followed for around seven years. From the start of the study, 388 of the participants went on to develop lung cancer and 220 had bowel tumours. Of which, 282 lung-cancer patients, and 89 of those with bowel cancer, died. Results - published in the journal Cancer - revealed the fittest fifth of the participants were 77 per cent less likely to develop lung cancer and 61 per cent less at risk of bowel tumours. And of those who did develop the disease, the fittest fifth lung-cancer patients were 44 per cent less likely to die, while the most active bowel-cancer sufferers were 89 per cent less likely to pass away from the disease. The researchers hope future studies will investigate whether improving our fitness influences our cancer or mortality risk. A former soldier who was classed as being dead for 23 minutes has been reunited with the man who saved his life. James Shannon, 66, fell to the floor 'like a sack of spuds' when he suffered a cardiac arrest - when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood. Luckily, Chris Massingham, 26, was on hand to perform CPR for almost half an hour until paramedics turned up - despite having no first aid training. When the pair reunited on the same road where the incident happened, the retired army veteran hugged Mr Massingham, who he said is a 'good lad'. Mr Shannon, from Merseyside, also gave him a teddy bear for his newborn son, Leo, emblazoned with 'my daddy's a superhero'. James Shannon (right), 66, fell to the floor 'like a sack of spuds' when he suffered a cardiac arrest - when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood. Luckily, Chris Massingham (left) was on hand to perform CPR for almost half an hour until paramedics turned up - despite having no first aid training Mr Shannon doesn't remember anything that happened on the day of his cardiac arrest - February 24. He said: 'I can only go on what I was told as I dont remember anything about that day, but I know I was technically dead for 23 minutes. Mr Shannon said he wasn't originally planning on going to the shop - but ventured out to put a bet on and pick up food for his dinner. He added if he hadn't have gone to the shops, he would have been in the flat on his own and would have died. Mr Shannon, who was in the forces for nearly four years, said: 'Since looking back and putting everything in order it becomes more and more unbelievable. 'Someone is definitely looking down on me, theres just too many factors there that dont make sense.' Mr Shannon doesn't remember anything that happened on the day of his cardiac arrest (pictured meeting the Queen in 1972, closest to her) When the pair reunited on the same road where the incident happened, the retired army veteran hugged Mr Massingham. Mr Shannon, from Merseyside, also gave him a teddy bear for his newborn son, Leo, emblazoned with 'my daddy's a superhero' WHAT IS A CARDIAC ARREST? A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body, which is usually due to a problem with electrical signals in the organ. This causes the brain to be starved of oxygen, which results in sufferers not breathing and losing consciousness. In the UK, more than 30,000 cardiac arrests occur a year outside of hospital, compared to over 356,000 in the US. Cardiac arrests are different to heart attacks, with the latter occurring when blood supply to the heart muscle is cut off due to a clot in one of the coronary arteries. Common causes include heart attacks, heart disease and heart muscle inflammation. Drug overdose and losing a large amount of blood can also be to blame. Giving an electric shock through the chest wall via a defibrillator can start the heart again. In the meantime, CPR can keep oxygen circulating around the body. Advertisement Mr Massingham, a freight operations clerk, recalled how the scene unfolded during his trip to get mushrooms. He said: 'I heard a thump across the road and I looked over and saw two ladies helping a man on the floor. 'I went over and noticed they didnt have him in the recovery position so I moved him into that.' Mr Massingham added: 'His eyes were glazed and barely open and his tongue was at the roof of his mouth. 'One of the women started performing CPR but it didnt seem to be working so we agreed between us that I should take over. 'After the ambulance service arrived, I said "I only popped out to get mushrooms" and one guy patted me on the back and said "well youve saved a life".' Mr Massingham performed CPR until ambulance crews finally arrived and whisked Mr Shannon to Liverpool's Broadgreen Hospital. Paramedics have since told Mr Shannon, who was based in Germany for the entirety of his service and left the army as a Lance Corporal Section Commander, that his life was saved by the quick-thinking strangers who helped him when he collapsed. After he was discharged from hospital around 10 days after his cardiac arrest, Mr Shannon, a grandfather-of-six, was eager to meet his hero. They met again on March 16. Mr Massingham performed CPR until ambulance crews finally arrived and whisked Mr Shannon to Liverpool's Broadgreen Hospital Mr Massingham said: 'I didnt feel scared when I was doing it, I think I just had a rush of adrenaline, I just knew it had to be done. 'But when they asked me to stop and I started looking at the scene and thinking about his family, the situation started to dawn on me a bit. 'I was shaky for a few hours after it had happened, as soon as I got back home I got a beer from the fridge. As I left everyone involved was saying well done to each other. 'When I met James in person it took me back because I could see the life in his face, it was quite strange but Im so thankful I popped out for mushrooms that day.' Mr Shannon added: 'I think Ive dodged a bullet. I think about it all the time. Theres no way I can pay him back for what he did that day. 'Meeting up was quite emotional because I know it could have been the end for me. 'I gave him a hug and shook his hand. We sat and had a chat and we exchanged phone numbers. Hes a really good lad.' A mother has revealed how her baby spent six days fighting for his life in hospital after catching measles. Sophie Dale, 22, claims her son Levi endured 'terrifying' seizures at just 11 months old last November while she was baking his birthday cake. Levi, who was due to have his routine measles jab the next month, was blue-lighted to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire. The youngster spent his first birthday in hospital where he was treated for the complications of measles. These included 'presumed sepsis', an upper respiratory infection and febrile seizure, which is a fit that occurs when a child has a fever. After her son pulled through, Miss Dale, of Chesham, is urging other parents to 'learn from Levi and vaccinate your children'. Her story comes after scientists have warned the UK is facing a measles epidemic time bomb due to 'the rapid rise of anti-vaccination scares on social media causing many to question the need for vaccines'. Sophie Dale's son Levi (pictured together left after his recovery) spent six days in hospital fighting for his life after contracting measles at just 11 months old. The youngster was blue-lighted to hospital when he developed seizures. He is pictured right being treated Levi also developed the tell-tale measles rash all over his legs (pictured) Miss Dale, a single mother, said: 'Measles causes an onset of infections. It is life threatening. It is scary and my son could have died. 'Seeing my son in hospital was the most terrifying six days of my life and I want all parents to know what could happen and what to watch out for. 'Some people think measles is just having a few spots and a fever but one in 15 children will develop very serious complications including encephalitis, convulsions, meningitis, deafness, bronchitis or pneumonia.' Miss Dale planned to have Levi vaccinated after his birthday, with the first measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) dose typically being given when a child turns one. However, disaster struck just before the youngster was due to get immunised. 'I was baking Levi's birthday cake and preparing for his party when he began to have terrifying convulsions,' Miss Dale said. 'His face was swollen, his body was sore, he didn't eat, he had the highest temperature I've ever seen, he had seizures and he just stared unnervingly into space. It's something no parent ever wants to see. 'He was blue lighted by ambulance to hospital and taken straight to the high dependency unit where he was checked and treated for sepsis, encephalitis, pneumonia, meningitis and a whole heap of other things. 'Intensive care was put on standby as my poor little baby had MRI scans, lumbar punctures, EEGs, cannulas, drips, antibiotics by the multitude and was sedated.' Levi (pictured left with his mother in hospital) could not understand 'why mummy - his protector - was letting medics stab him every 30 minutes with needles'. Pictured recently on the right, the youngster has made a full recovery but had to relearn how to walk The measles rash (pictured on Levi's ankle and foot) usually breaks out three-to-five days after other symptoms, like fever. The flat, red spots typically start at the hairline and spread down WHAT IS MEASLES, WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND HOW CAN YOU CATCH IT? Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily from an infected person by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing. Symptoms develop between six and 19 days after infection, and include a runny nose, cough, sore eyes, a fever and a rash. The rash appears as red and blotchy marks on the hairline that travel down over several days, turning brown and eventually fading. Some children complain of disliking bright lights or develop white spots with red backgrounds on their tongue. In one in 15 cases, measles can cause life-threatening complications including pneumonia, convulsions and encephalitis. Dr Ava Easton, chief executive of the Encephalitis Society told MailOnline: 'Measles can be very serious. '[It] can cause encephalitis which is inflammation of the brain. 'Encephalitis can result in death or disability.' Treatment focuses on staying hydrated, resting and taking painkillers, if necessary. Measles can be prevented by receiving two vaccinations, the first at 13 months old and the second at three years and four months to five years old. Source: Great Ormond Street Hospital Advertisement Doctors eventually diagnosed Levi with measles and set about treating the infection. 'He was hospitalised for six days and they were the scariest six days of my entire life,' Miss Dale said. 'He was prodded and poked left right and centre. I just wanted to scream at the doctors and nurses to leave him alone but I knew they were saving his life. 'I was heartbroken about how scared and confused my poor baby must be. 'He wouldn't have been able to understand why mummy - his protector - was letting medics stab him and jab him every 30 minutes with needles. 'He would be crying for me when I wasn't allowed in the room for some procedures. He spent his first birthday in hospital attached to machines and I was terrified he would lose his spark and never smile again.' Miss Dale was even contacted by Public Health England in the middle of the night to ask her where her son had been and who he had been in contact with. 'It was then I realised how very serious a measles epidemic could be,' she said. Levi recovered but was forced to relearn how to walk. He has since had his MMR jab. Miss Dale is sharing her family's ordeal to encourage other parents to get their children vaccinated. 'Our experience shows vaccinations shouldn't be feared,' she said. 'They save lives. 'There are so many posts online about encouraging parents not to vaccinate and claiming is causes autism and cot death. Please learn from Levi and I and please vaccinate your children.' Following a baby's first MMR jab at around one-year-old, they then have a second injection before starting school, which is usually at three years and four months, the NHS states. The MMR vaccine may be given to babies from six months old if they have been exposed to the measles virus or during an outbreak. Younger infants are not routinely given the jab due to the antibodies to measles, mumps and rubella being passed from the mother to her baby at birth. These are almost all gone after one year. Pictured with her son after the ordeal, Miss Dale is urging parents not to 'fear' vaccines Levi (pictured left recently) nearly died from the scare. The rash also covered his hand (right) Miss Dale (pictured recently on the left with her son) wants parents to 'learn from Levi'. The rash also covered the youngster's torso (right). Other symptoms he endured including a loss of appetite, aches and pains, and 'staring unnervingly into space', his mother claims Dr Helen Bedford, professor of Children's Health at University College London (UCL) Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, led a study into the damaging effects of anti-vaxx messages. 'While the majority of parents are happy to vaccinate, the rapid rise of anti-vaccination scares on social media is causing many to now question the need for vaccines,' she said. 'Due to a long-standing successful vaccination programme, as a nation we have forgotten the terrible toll these diseases can take on children. 'While the anti-vaccination sites may concentrate on perceived side-effects, they don't show the real and often life-changing impact of catching a disease we vaccinate for.' According to Unicef, 500,000 children in the UK over the past eight years have not been vaccinated against diseases like measles. The charity has blamed a recent global surge in the potentially-fatal disease on plummeting vaccination rates. Researchers at UCL found around half of the 1,000 parents polled feel the anti-vaxx phenomenon is becoming more influential. And as many as 59 per cent of mothers and fathers under 25 may be swayed by anti-jab propaganda. Overall, one in five parents claimed the anti-vaxx movement has made them less likely to vaccinate their child. And one in seven admit to 'questioning the need to give vaccines', which soars to a quarter of mothers aged 25 and under. The study further found an astonishing 83 per cent of young parents with children aged five and under - when most vaccines are administered - admit reading anti-jab scare stories, compared to 65 per cent of parents overall. And just over half of parents carry out their own 'research' before deciding whether to vaccinate their child, with Facebook being an 'information site' for 44 per cent of UK parents. One in ten of the study's participants also admitted to looking up misleading material on Instagram. Worryingly, only 41 per cent trust official information that proves vaccines are safe and effective, with 15 per cent believing this data is 'promoted by drug companies'. And one in five actively search out alarmist vaccine stories as part of their research, while one in ten has an 'anti-vaxxer' friend they discuss immunisations with. The study also showed young parents are more likely to view anti-vaxx sites than talk to their midwife about having their child vaccinated. However, three in five parents believe children should be banned from attending school or nursery if they have not been vaccinated. Siobhan Freegard, founder of ChannelMum.com - which was involved in the research - added: 'When it comes to vaccinations, there has been a breakdown in trust between some parents and the authorities. 'But it will be children who pay the price if they are not vaccinated. 'While it's essential voices on both sides of the debate are listened too, we have to examine the reasons why parents are prepared to put their child's health at risk? 'There needs to be an honest debate on all sides about what we can do better. ''Your child, your choice' is a common parenting mantra, but not vaccinating can have implications far wider than just your child alone.' A mother-of-three claims her life has been destroyed after she suffered a stroke during a 'botched' emergency C-section. Samantha Wilkinson, 37, was rushed to the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan after going into labour with her third child in August 2010. Mrs Wilkinson claims the operation caused her to have a haemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when blood spills into the brain and destroy its tissues. She alleges this went unnoticed by hospital staff for an hour, who dismissed the numbness down the left side of her body as the anaesthetic wearing off. By the time medics realised how serious her condition was, Mrs Wilkinson alleges she had accumulated a 'lemon-sized' pool of blood in her brain. Now epileptic and wheelchair-bound for life, Mrs Wilkinson endures night-time seizures that have caused her to fall down the stairs and battle headaches that are so painful she bangs her head against the wall. The mother-of-three even attempted suicide in 2017 after being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which she also puts down to the botched operation. Samantha Wilkinson (pictured left) claims her life has been destroyed after she suffered a stroke during a 'botched' C-section. Eight years on, Mrs Wilkinson blames the operation for the onset of her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which she requires oxygen for (seen right) Mrs Wilkinson is pictured at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan with her newborn son Billy in August 2010. She claims her C-section sent her blood pressure sky high and caused her to have a haemorrhagic stroke. Mrs Wilkinson alleges her stroke went unnoticed for an hour Speaking of the ordeal, Mrs Wilkinson said 'I can't even explain how all this makes me feel. I'm on oxygen every night now - I just exist, at the moment. 'You don't read anywhere about the fact you could have a stroke [due to a C-section] - they can ruin your life in an instant, they can ruin everything for you.' Mrs Wilkinson claims she has also been forced to accept she will not beat her COPD. CAN A C-SECTION TRIGGER A STROKE? C-sections are not a recognised risk factor for stroke, however, studies suggest there may be a link. A study review of 60 papers found women who have a C-section are four times more likely to develop a blood clot than those who give birth vaginally. If the clot blocks an artery that supplies blood to the brain, a stroke can occur. And emergency C-sections are the riskiest, the study review found. However, the overall odds are still low. C-sections may trigger a stroke due to 'haemodynamic changes'. This describes how the body regulates blood flow in response to changes to its environment. These changes may then result in a decrease or increase of blood flow through the brain. C-sections may also induce a 'stress response'. This could involve tissue being damaged, which triggers the activation of the clotting system. And finally the administration of anaesthesia may also change a woman's blood flow. Advertisement 'The fact is the COPD is killing me and I'm going to die because of it,' she said. 'I just know I'm not going to see what most people get to see. I'm not going to see my children grow up and I'm not going to meet my grandchildren.' A stroke is not considered a risk factor for COPD, however, both conditions are linked to inflammation. Mrs Wilkinson was rushed to Wigan Infirmary on August 28, 2010 to have her third child Billy. Medics quickly wheeled the mother into the operating theatre to have a C-section. During the procedure, the then 29-year-old suffered a massive stroke after blood from one of her arteries bled into her brain. Mrs Wilkinson, who had always been healthy, claims her entire left side became paralysed, which doctors dismissed as the anaesthetic wearing off. 'I remember the anaesthetist was standing by me during the C-section and he just went off - he knew my blood pressure was high because I was bleeding from the incision,' she said. 'And bear in mind I wasn't smoking and I wasn't drinking either, because of the pregnancy, and I had nothing wrong with me.' When medics finally realised what was happening, she was eventually taken to an intensive care unit. Mrs Wilkinson's mother Debbie, 59, and husband Darren, 45, were told a lemon-sized pocket had filled with blood in her brain's frontal lobe. The doctors gave Mrs Wilkinson a 50-50 chance of surviving the next 48 hours and a 20 per cent chance of walking again if she did pull through. Believing they were going to lose her, Mrs Wilkinson's family gathered in the care unit while a vicar gave Mrs Wilkinson her last rites. Now epileptic and wheelchair-bound for life, Mrs Wilkinson's husband Darren (pictured together left) gave up his job as a lorry driver to be her carer. Mrs Wilkinson is pictured right in hospital in a neck brace after falling during a seizure, which she has around once a week After pulling through, Mrs Wilkinson was moved to a private ward two days after her C-section. She stayed there for two weeks while being fitted with a urinary catheter. When staff took her catheter out, they discovered her bladder had been accidentally cut during the procedure. She now has urinary incontinence and has to wear pads. Mrs Wilkinson spent a further week in hospital having physio and rehabilitation therapy, before finally being allowed home. Her house then had to immediately be re-equipped with a stair lift, door rails and a commode chair. Eight years on, Mrs Wilkinson still endures severe epilepsy, which she puts down to her stroke. She even has to sleep downstairs away from her husband due to her night-time seizures, which she endures on average once a week. Although wheelchair bound when out and about, Mrs Wilkinson manages to use a Zimmer frame in the house, which she believes brought on her arthritis. The mother-of-three also took medication to go into an early menopause at just 37 after being told it would be too risky for her to have any more children. But it was being diagnosed with stage III COPD that had the biggest effect on Mrs Wilkinson when it led her to attempt to take her own life. After taking an overdose, she called her daughter-in-law Jayne, 22, who dialled 111, where paramedics told Mrs Wilkinson to go to hospital. Mr Wilkinson drove his wife to Wigan Infirmary, where she claims staff told them it was a seven hour wait to be seen. 'They said to me the overdose I took was enough to make me sleepy but not enough to kill me, so I was in such a state Darren drove me home,' Mrs Wilkinson said. Now in a better place, Mrs Wilkinson is cared for by her husband, who also looks after their severely-autistic son Billy. The former lorry driver gave up his job to be there for his family, however, he has suffered depression and PTSD as a result of his wife's ordeal. 'He came in one day after being at the doctors, and he sat at the end of the sofa and started crying - he's on medication now,' Mrs Wilkinson said. Pictured during happier times on their wedding day, Mrs Wilkinson claims she used to be healthy. Her husband has suffered depression and PTSD as a result of his wife's ordeal The Wilkinsons, who are also parents to 19-year-old Kieran, claim they cannot afford to take out a loan. The family allege they live on 19,920 worth of benefits a year, from which they pay council tax and bills. Of that, Mr Wilkinson claims to get 8,960 income support each year or 320 every two weeks. And the couple receive 100 a week for Billy. Mrs Wilkinson herself gets 5,760 a year, of which 2,160 goes towards a custom mobility car, which her wheelchair fits into and her husband drives. She claims applying for benefits was humiliating but she had no choice. And all she wants now is an electric wheelchair. 'What would having an electric wheelchair mean to me?,' she said. 'Freedom - to be able to move. To be happy. To be free.' Mr Wilkinson also cares for their son Billy (pictured) who has severe autism A spokesperson for Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust said: 'Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust can confirm that in 2010, we received a request from a solicitor acting on behalf of Ms Wilkinson with regard to providing copies of her medical records. 'As per the request we provided copies of Ms Wilkinson's medical records. We did not hear anything further from the solicitor and the case was closed in 2015.' A doctor's note sent to the solicitors during the investigation implied the staff operating on Samantha misheard instructions to give her ephedrine. Ephedrine is used to lower blood pressure during spinal anesthesia. The note suggests medics instead administered her epinephrine. Also known as adrenaline, this causes blood pressure to rise. 'I have encountered - rarely - patients with surprisingly exaggerated responses to small doses of vasopressor,' the note read. 'However - and this is mere speculation - I just wonder if in this case adrenaline might have been administered in error, instead of ephedrine. 'Both BP and heart rate "overshot" considerably. 'The recommended International Nonproprietary Name for adrenaline is epinephrine. The names epinephrine and ephedrine are easy to confuse.' Anyone seeking help can call Samaritans 24/7 for free on 116 123 or visit Samaritans.org Scientists have recorded the immune system killing bacteria in blood by making 'bullet holes' inside its targets. The holes have a diameter of just 10 nanometres around 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Researchers at University College London say the immune system is able to tell if the cell is harmful or friendly by making holes in them. The holes have a diameter of just 10 nanometres around 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair Researchers at University College London say the immune system is able to tell if the cell is harmful or friendly by making holes in them Dr Edward Parsons, one of the scientists behind the clip, said: 'It appears as if these nanomachines [the attackers] wait a moment.' This would allow one of the body's own cells to intervene and relay a message back to the immune system before it was dealt the 'killer blow'. The footage helped scientists discover the key 'bottleneck' in the killing process which helps to protect the body's own cells. Dr Parsons and colleagues say it could lead to new therapies that bolster the immune system in tackling bacterial infections. The holes are formed by the membrane attack complex (MAC), known to be one of the immune system's first responders. Dr Parsons and colleagues first found evidence of bacteria being hit with 'bullet holes' in earlier scientific imaging of the attack. The holes are formed by the membrane attack complex (MAC), known to be one of the immune system's first responders (pictured, how the holes develop) WHAT IS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM? The immune system is the body's defence system against harmful invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. It tries to keep out as many microorganisms as it can, and seeks to destroy the ones that make it through. The immune system is made up of an array of cells and organs, including the bone marrow, spleen, tonsils, blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. The organs, known as the lymphoid organs, help to release infection-fighting white blood cells called lymphocytes through the body. There are two types of lymphocytes - B and T. The former seek out invaders through the body, the latter destroy them. Advertisement In the new study, they mimicked how the MAC would create holes in E. coli bacteria in a sample of blood and then recorded it. The scientists used an ultrafine needle-probe to get a glimpse of how the tiny cells were being killed at a few seconds per frame. The needle repeatedly scans the surface to produce an image that refreshes fast enough to track how immune proteins cut into the bacterial surface. Shortly after each hole starts to form, the killing process stalls. This offers a reprise for the body's own cells, the researchers said. The method is halted because 18 copies of the same protein are needed to complete a hole in a target. However, there is only one copy of the protein which dents the bacterial surface at first. Other copies are then made. Professor Bart Hoogenboom was involved in the research, funded in part by the European Union and Medical Research Council. He said: 'It is the insertion of the first protein of the membrane attack complex which causes the bottleneck in the killing process. 'Curiously, it coincides with the point where hole formation is prevented on our own healthy cells, thus leaving them undamaged.' Dr Parsons and his team of colleagues published their findings in the scientific journal Nature Communications. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been urged to cuddle their newborn son on their bare chests to help him adjust to life outside the womb. Meghan went into labour in the early hours of this morning and gave birth to a boy weighing 7lbs 3oz at 5.26am, having been more than a week overdue. Val Willcox, an antenatal teacher at the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), has urged the royals to get to know their new arrival through skin-to-skin contact. Kangaroo care, where the baby is cuddled on a parent's bare chest, is one of the best ways of bonding with a baby soon after their birth, she said. The NHS states it has been found to help calm and soothe a baby, regulating their heartbeat, temperature and breathing. Ms Willcox said: 'If Meghan's able to do skin-to-skin, we know that that really helps with the baby adjusting to life outside of the womb. Speaking hours after his wife went into labour, an overjoyed Prince Harry (pictured) revealed that his wife had given birth to a healthy baby boy this morning Meghan is pictured at King's College, London in March (left) and with Harry at at Buckingham Palace in the same month (right) The birth was officially announced on the Instagram page of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex this afternoon, after Meghan went into labour in the early hours of today 'It also helps the mother, if Meghan is intending to breastfeed. 'Lots of early skin-to-skin between the mother and baby can really help with getting breastfeeding off to a good start.' The concept, which is often used for premature babies, will also help Harry develop his own bond with his child, and is beneficial for the baby too. 'Harry can also do skin-to-skin with the baby if he wants. It will help calm and soothe the baby and help the baby regulate their temperature and heart rate,' said Ms Willcox. She added: 'I encourage couples to spend a lot of time cuddling and holding their baby. You can't spoil a newborn baby. 'Rather than Harry thinking that the only thing he can do is changing dirty nappies, actually, if he spends a lot of time soothing and comforting and cuddling his baby, it really helps build that early initial bond between the baby and the baby's primary caregivers.' A visibly-excited Prince Harry shared news of the birth were the world's media in Windsor today, prompting wellwishes from all members of the royal family The new baby with live at Frogmore Cottage with first-time-parents Harry and Meghan, with her mother Doria having flown in Royal super fans John Loughery and Anne Daley pose with Union flags and baby-themed balloons as they wait near Windsor Castle for news of the birth today Ms Willcox advised the duke to help wind the baby and to ensure both he and the duchess get plenty of rest and nutritious food. 'It's about dividing the load between them of caring for the baby and making sure each other gets the opportunity to rest,' she said. 'Harry can make sure that Meghan gets good stuff to eat and drink, as well as making sure that he's feeding himself as well - probably a bit easier if you're a member of the royal family. 'You've probably got a bit more help around you than some of us get.' Encouraging the new royal parents to take the time out to cuddle their baby, she said: 'If you're sat one afternoon with your baby on your chest while your baby is having a little nap and you're just sitting counting every eyelash and every hair on the baby's head, that's absolutely fine. 'That's part of getting to know your baby.' US states that passed laws to allow pharmacists to sell the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone, to customers without a prescription saw overdose death rates fall by up to 34 percent, a new study reveals. Expanding access to naloxone is one of the five key strategies laid out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the hopes of combating the ongoing opioid epidemic. As of 2016 (the most recent data included in the new study), 47 US states had passed laws to improve access to the drug. But only nine had made it legal for pharmacists to give out naloxone with out prescriptions, and those states saw far and away the most dramatic reductions in overdose deaths, the new RAND Corporation study reports. Now, Washington DC and all US states except for Wyoming and Hawaii permit naloxone to be sold over-the counter, and the new study suggests the shift will help reduce drug deaths. Within three years of adopting laws that made it legal for pharmacies to sell naloxone over the counter, the number of opioid overdoses fell by a third (teal) in states that made the change Naloxone has earned the nickname the Lazarus drug because it can so effectively save the life of a person who has taken an otherwise fatal dose of heroin, fentanyl or prescription opioids. In the last 14 years, the number of annual overdoses has quadrupled. And in their wake, distribution of naloxone has surged, too, as the drug's prevalence continues to show the most tangible promise for curbing the deadly effects of the drug epidemic. More than 26,500 lives were saved from opioid overdoses by lay people with naloxone beween 1996 and 2014, according to data from the CDC. Since 2005, more and more states have passed laws to make naloxone easier to access. Now, nearly every US state has made some measure to that effect, but only a handful permitted the life-saving shots and sprays to be sold over the counter in 2016. The RAND Corporation researchers examined data on how fatal overdose rates shifted from state to state after various naloxone access laws. Laws that allowed doctors to issue 'standing orders' for naloxone - meaning they could call in prescription that the patient could essentially pick up at will, but still requiring the patients to be assessed by a doctor before they're allowed the drug - were not followed by any significant changes in death rates. But in the nine states that had laws making naloxone an over-the counter drug, death rates fell considerably, but it took some time for the shift to be evident. In the first year after each state adopted over-the-counter measures, rates were about the same, but in the second year after these laws were adopted, researchers saw an average of 27 percent declines in opioid overdose deaths. And the following year, over-the-counter naloxone state shad 34 percent lower rates of overdose deaths. 'This is strong evidence that greater use of naloxone can help reduce opioid-related deaths,' said David Powell, a RAND economist and study co-author. His co-author, Rahi Abouk, who was lead investigator, said: 'These findings highlight the importance of coupling naloxone access laws with effective interventions and connections to treatment for patients seen in emergency departments for overdoses. 'This is the location where such programs may be the most effective.' Now, naloxone is available over the counter in almost every state, and the new study suggests that in the coming years, its impact may help to curb staggering opioid overdose death rates in the US. The mother of the first baby with a confirmed case of measles in Alabama amid the US' ongoing outbreak has blamed 'the carelessness of other mothers' for failing to vaccinate their children. Audrey Peine's five-month-old daughter Emma tested positive for the virus after she was taken to her GP with a runny nose, fever and rash. Mrs Peine, of St. Clair County, vented her frustrations on Facebook, saying she 'kept her daughter up to date on her vaccinations' but Emma was 'too young' to be immunised against measles. She went on to accuse other parents of being 'negligent' when it comes to jabs, adding '[Emma] got sick because measles is on the rise due to [the] carelessness of other mothers'. Emma is said to be recovering from the ordeal, however, Mrs Peine worries about the long-term complications she may suffer. Audrey Peine's five-month-old daughter Emma (pictured together left when Emma was a newborn) has the first confirmed case of measles in Alabama amid the US' ongoing outbreak. Emma is pictured right while battling the virus with the tell-tale rash on her face The rash can also be seen on Emma's legs. And the youngster endured a fever and runny nose Speaking of her daughter's diagnosis, Mrs Peine wrote on Facebook: 'I breastfed her for her entire life. I kept her up to date on her vaccinations. I took her to the doctor when she was sick. 'And she tested positive for something she was too young to be vaccinated for. 'She got sick because of the negligence of other parents who choose not to vaccinate their children. 'She got sick because the measles is on the rise due to carelessness of other mothers. Read the statistics. 'This disease was not something to worry about a few years ago. Now my daughter has it. I feel like my community failed us.' WHAT IS MEASLES, WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND HOW CAN YOU CATCH IT? Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily from an infected person by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing. Symptoms develop between six and 19 days after infection, and include a runny nose, cough, sore eyes, a fever and a rash. The rash appears as red and blotchy marks on the hairline that travel down over several days, turning brown and eventually fading. Some children complain of disliking bright lights or develop white spots with red backgrounds on their tongue. In one in 15 cases, measles can cause life-threatening complications including pneumonia, convulsions and encephalitis. Dr Ava Easton, chief executive of the Encephalitis Society told MailOnline: 'Measles can be very serious. '[It] can cause encephalitis which is inflammation of the brain. 'Encephalitis can result in death or disability.' Treatment focuses on staying hydrated, resting and taking painkillers, if necessary. Measles can be prevented by receiving two vaccinations, the first at 13 months old and the second at three years and four months to five years old. Source: Great Ormond Street Hospital Advertisement Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US and the NHS recommend babies get their first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine after their first birthday. They then have a second injection around the time they start school. The Alabama Department of Health confirmed Emma's diagnosis and are trying to get to the bottom of where she picked up the virus. A statement released by the department claimed she was 'considered contagious from April 23, through May 1'. Emma does not attend daycare and had not left the state, it adds. Her mother used paracetamol and ibuprofen to try and control her fever, and followed her doctor's advice to 'stay home and self-isolate', WVTM reported. The youngster is said to be on the mend, however, Mrs Peine's concerns persist. She told WSFA 12 News: '[Im] just scared for her because I know there is a lot of complications that can happen after.' Complications of measles can range from ear infections to pnuemonia and even 'deadly encephalitis', according to The Alabama Department of Health's statement. Encephalitis occurs when the brain becomes inflamed. These complications affect between 20 and 30 per cent of patients, particularly those under five. For every 1,000 people who contract measles, one-to-two will die. Mrs Peine is speaking out to encourage other parents to immunise their children. '[Measles] is not something you want your kids to get,' she said. 'If there is anything you can do to prevent it, its to vaccinate them.' Mrs Peine claims she 'kept her daughter up to date on her vaccinations' but Emma (pictured left as a newborn) was 'too young' to be immunised against measles. Her rash is seen right Mrs Peine claims she was forced to change her Facebook post from public to private after enduring a backlash of negative comments from anti-vaxxers, Al.com reported. Vaccination fears soared following a study by the disgraced gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield that the MMR jab can lead to autism in 1995. His controversial views have since been widely discredited and Wakefield has been struck off - but vaccination rates plummeted in the wake of the study. Emma's diagnosis comes after another 60 cases of measles were confirmed in the US over the last week alone, according to the CDC. This brings the total number of sufferers to 764 people across 23 states. The ongoing outbreak has shattered the previous record of 667 cases in 2014 since the disease was declared 'eradicated' in the US in 2000. Measles has reappeared, particularly in close-knit and religious communities, and its rise trails growing anti-vaccination sentiments among Americans. Last week, the Washington outbreak of the disease was declared over, however, Pennsylvania was added to the list of states with outbreaks this week after five cases were confirmed. Another 60 cases of measles were confirmed in the US in the last week alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed Monday. Now, a total of 764 people in 23 states have been sickened by the highly contagious virus. The current outbreak has now shattered the previous record - 667 cases in 2014 - since the disease was declared 'eradicated' in the US in 2000. Measles has reappeared, particularly in close-knit and religious communities, and its rise trails growing anti-vaccination sentiments among Americans. Last week, the Washington outbreak of the disease was declared over, but this week Pennsylvania was added to the list of states with outbreaks with five cases. Measles has struck 764 people across the US in yet another surge driven by the disease's spread in New York, accounting for 50 out of the 60 new cases this week Once more, the vast majority of the new cases are in New York. The state contributed 50 out of this week's 60 new cases. In New York, measles has spread like wildfire in Orthodox Jewish communities where some believe that a vaccine constitutes a foreign body, which the Torah forbids Jews from allowing to enter their own bodies. 'Outbreaks in New York City and state are the largest ...the longer they continue, the greater the chance measles will once again get a foothold in the United States,' said Dr Nancy Messonier. And infectious disease experts expect the numbers of cases will just continue to grow. 'One of the problems is that because these outbreaks are so large, they take forever,' says Dr Frank Esper, an infectious disease specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. 'Think of it like wildfires in California: when it's a lot of smaller ones, it's quickly controlled, but, like a fire, measles is extremely infectious and when it gets huge it can take a while [to get under control].' In an effort to stem the spread of measles, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio declared a state of emergency requiring everyone of all ages in the zip codes hit by the measles outbreaks there. The mayor's declaration was met with a lawsuit filed by Orthodox parents, which he defeated last week. Most measles outbreaks began with international travelers, but all of those visitors to the US were old enough to have been vaccinated. These travelers have primarily come from Israel, Ukraine and the Philippines. One such traveler also spread the virus to Detroit, Michigan. CDC officials also underscored the role of misinformation in the current outbreaks. Social media and on-the-ground community agents have been disseminating misconceptions among many communities about the safety and efficacy of the MMR vaccine. Vulnerable, religious and insular communities are particularly 'targeted' by disinformation campaigns, said Dr Messonier, though officials said they could not determine why these groups are 'targets.' Measles outbreaks have been reported in 23 states, with the highest proportion occurring in New York. The Washington outbreak was declared over last week, but a new one was announced in Pennsylvania on Monday The Washington state outbreak has now been declared over, after sickening 72 people there in total. Dr Messonier confirmed that not all of the 704 people who have been diagnosed with measles are unvaccinated. She explained that in places where there are 'extreme disease pressures, we know that there can be vaccine failures.' Anyone who received both doses of the MMR vaccine after 1967 should be protected against measles. Those who were born before 1957 are believed to been exposed to the disease already. Health officials say that so far they haven't seen signs that immunity is waning, but urge everyone to speak to their health care providers and check their shot records. Anyone over 30 may not still have the antibodies they need to fight the infection circulating. The year is only a third over, and already there have been more measles cases in 2019 than the US has seen in 25 years, though weekly diagnoses slowed this week However, Dr Esper notes that tests of the MMR vaccine found that it is effective against the strain currently sweeping the US. Last week, President Trump joined the chorus, urging parents to vaccinate their children in a shift from his tweets from several years ago warning over links between the MMR vaccine and autism. When asked if he thought President Trump should publicly decry his previous tweets and sentiments, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar defended Trump. 'Some years ago, there was a debate about that issue,' Azar said. 'We can definitely reassure every parent there is no link between vaccines and autism,' he said, adding that the president's statement last week marked a 'strong' stance on vaccination and the measles outbreaks. 'The president has been very clear that people should get their shots...and make sure they are up-to-date,' said Azar. Dr Esper says that changing tunes as President Trump has done is 'actually exactly what we'd like to see. 'Someone that was against the vaccine in 2014 now says go get your vaccine and that is what we'd like to see.' Although one state outbreak has been declared over, health officials said they do expect more cases to be reported in the days to come. 'I would guess that we're still going to see more cases, but the rate at which it goes up will depend on how well-contained the current outbreaks are,' says Dr Esper. Transgender and non-binary students are at a greater risk of sexual assault than those whose sex matches what it says on their birth certificates, a new study says. Researchers found that one in four transgender and non-binary teens in middle schools and high schools reported being sexually assaulted in the previous year. They were also more likely to be assaulted when they used school bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity rather than their sex assigned at birth. For transgender girls, their risk doubled at schools with restrictive bathroom and locker room policies. The research team, from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, are now calling on states to require schools to let students use facilities the gender or sex they identity as. A new study from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health found that about 19% of transgender girls, 27% percent of transgender boys, 18% of non-binary teens assigned male at birth and 27% of non-binary youth assigned female at birth reported being sexually assaulted For the study, published in the journal Pediatrics, the team surveyed more than 3,600 teens who are transgender and non-binary, meaning they don't identify as male or female. The students were in grades seven through 12 and were about 15 years old on average. Overall, 26 percent of them reported experiencing sexual assault in the previous 12 months. Broken down, the prevalence of sexual assault was about 27 percent among transgender boys - who identify as male but are labeled female on their birth certificates - and 27 percent among non-binary youth assigned female at birth. Roughly 19 percent of transgender girls - who identify as female but were assigned male at birth - and 18 percent of non-binary teens assigned male at birth reported being sexually assault. Sexual assaults can put teens at risk of a number of issues including major depression, PTSD and substance use disorder. Meanwhile, previous studies have found that teenagers who do identify as the sex they were assigned at birth have lower rates of assault: 15 percent for girls and four percent for boys. Most transgender students say schools have placed limits on their restroom or locker room use, the team noted in its study. Often, they are required to use facilities based on their sex assigned at birth or sent to designated 'unisex' restrooms that are not used by other students. So the researchers decided to test if these policies increased the risk of being sexually assaulted. They found that transgender boys were 26 percent more likely to experience sexual assault under policies that blocked them from using boys bathrooms. And transgender girls had more than twice the assault risk when they had to use restrooms and locker rooms for boys. At schools with restrictive bathroom and locker room policies, the rate of sexual assault for trans and non-binary students climbed to 35 percent, overall. 'We can't tell from this study whether restrictive restroom and locker room policies cause sexual assault,' said lead author Gabriel Murchison, a PhD student at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. 'However, at the least, they seem to be a marker for an environment where trans and non-binary youth are at risk. This gives us a concrete place to start when it comes to making schools safer.' In an accompanying editorial, Dr Stephen Rosenthal and Dr Diane Ehrensaft, both of the University of California, San Francisco, noted that California is the only state that requires schools to let students use facilities that match their gender identity rather than on the gender they were assigned at birth. They said that the new study's results seem to add to a growing body of evidence suggesting failure to support trans and non-binary youth can endanger both their physical and mental health. 'Transgender youth who express their gender identity but are required to use facilities matching their genitalia are not only at risk for verbal and physical harassment, including sexual abuse, but, not surprisingly, some will avoid using restrooms altogether, ' they wrote. '[This results] in increased risk for inadequate fluid intake, urinary retention, urinary tract infections, impacted bowels and school avoidance.' After more than two decades of almost constant misery, Debbie Dowd has a new career and a fresh outlook on life. My whole existence has been transformed, she says. And the reason for this is an incontinence treatment that has been available for years. I have so much confidence compared with how I was before. What I cant understand is why no doctor ever thought to offer me this treatment years ago. Like vast numbers of women, Debbie underwent an operation in 2002 to insert a plastic mesh tape, meant to treat the post-childbirth bladder leakage experienced by an estimated two in five women. As Good Health has highlighted, while the tape worked for many women, thousands have suffered crippling permanent injury, caused by the disintegration of this internal tape, which is used to help prop up pelvic organs. As Good Health has highlighted, while the tape worked for many women, thousands have suffered crippling permanent injury, caused by the disintegration of this internal tape, which is used to help prop up pelvic organs (file photo) In Debbies case the tape worked for only a short time before the leaking returned, but it was a further 15 years before she was offered a less risky alternative: an injectable bulking agent. Here, collagen tissue or gel is injected into the walls of the bladder neck. This reduces its diameter and creates greater resistance to the pressure from the urine filling the bladder. And it can be done in minutes under local anaesthetic. For Debbie, who is 59 and has three grown-up children aged 32, 27 and 25, it has proved life changing. I had suffered with incontinence ever since I had my third child, she says. I had tried everything, but nothing worked. At first, the tape seemed to have worked, but after a couple of years, I was back worrying about incontinence, says Debbie, who lives in South Croydon with her husband, Trevor, 50. I saw a gynaecologist and asked if the mesh could be taken out, but was told it would be impossible as it was embedded in tissue. She was lucky in that it didnt cause her any pain. I was given a drug called tolterodine, which is meant to reduce the urge to go to the loo by blocking the nerve signals, but it didnt really work either. In October 2017, I finally went back to the GP, who suggested a treatment called Bulkamid. Its been amazing. Since I had it I have changed jobs and have so much more confidence. Bulkamid, an organic injectable gel, has been in use since 2006. Its main drawback is that the effects last only a few years. Potential side-effects include the risk of the material being incorrectly placed and blocking the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder. Debbie, however, is delighted with its effects. I could have literally cried with relief when I finally got something that works, she says. Ive been on walking and climbing holidays, and stayed in a tree house in the Costa Rican rainforest all things I could never have done before. If only I had known this treatment was available before. Bulkamid has been available on the NHS for seven years, and has been used on 60,000 women worldwide. The manufacturer reports no adverse events, and if it doesnt work the first time, patients can be given a top-up injection. Like vast numbers of women, Debbie Dowd underwent an operation in 2002 to insert a plastic mesh tape (pictured), meant to treat the post-childbirth bladder leakage experienced by an estimated two in five women However, updated guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on treating post-childbirth injuries and incontinence said there is little evidence to support the use of bulking agents. Insisting there is limited evidence on the long-term adverse events [from mesh], and continuing to recommend its use in some cases, the document has outraged campaigners representing more than 6,000 mesh-injured women. Steve Foley, a consultant urologist at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, said it is equally infuriating that women are not offered other solutions for incontinence, such as bulking agents. I think, if they were given this option, most people would choose an injectable bulking agent first, he told Good Health. They have been around for more than 15 years and have got better and better, but NICE bases its opinion of them on data from ten years ago. Data from 224 Finnish women in a Helsinki University study comparing bulking agent success rates with mesh repair, reported last year that the former cured incontinence in 92 per cent of cases. The study results, discussed at the European Urogynaecological Association meeting in Milan in October, showed that, while 100 per cent of women receiving mesh were cured of incontinence, 5 per cent suffered internal injuries, 5 per cent experienced extreme pain and 9 per cent could not empty their bladder normally. Now, another option, an experimental laser treatment to stimulate collagen tissue regeneration, is gaining attention. The Fotona laser has been studied across Europe, Asia and the U.S. for up to a decade, producing good results in reducing incontinence. It works by remodelling collagen in the pelvic area. The laser is inserted into the vagina and burns away collagen, which is the bodys tissue scaffolding. Now, another option, an experimental laser treatment to stimulate collagen tissue regeneration, is gaining attention (stock photo) This triggers new collagen production, which tightens and narrows the vagina so it is better able to support the adjacent bladder. However, the need for rigorous data on its safety and efficacy means it is not expected to be available to NHS patients for some years. The situation over mesh surgery shows that the rapid introduction of a new treatment without proper evaluation can lead to poor outcomes, says Professor Christian Phillips, a specialist at Basingstoke Hospital, Hants, who has been involved in a Fotona research project for four years. Most lasers work by damaging, then remodelling collagen in the tissues. During my research, I discovered that Fotona has the ability to cause tissue remodelling simply by promoting new collagen production. However, some specialists are worried about this new treatment. The concept of vaginal laxity has not been precisely defined, says Chris Harding, a consultant urologist at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, and a spokespersonman for the British Association of Urological Surgeons. The vagina is in folds, so it can expand to accommodate a baby. I would be a bit sceptical about it regenerating enough collagen to make a difference. Theoretically, its possible, but you would have to regenerate it in a precise area and its not clear that can be done. In the U.S., there have been reports of women suffering vaginal damage and lacerations following treatment with lasers and other energy-based medical devices such as those using radiofrequency, prompting the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates healthcare, to issue a warning. The use of energy-based devices to perform vaginal rejuvenation, cosmetic vaginal procedures, or non-surgical vaginal procedures to treat symptoms related to menopause, urinary incontinence or sexual function may be associated with serious adverse events, the FDA said in a statement. Mayoni Gooneratne, a private plastic surgeon in North London, offers Viveve radiofrequency treatment for vaginal laxity and incontinence, at a cost of 1,500, and points out that the Viveve system was not included in the list of named devices attached to the FDA warning, and insists the treatment is safe and effective. I have treated 40 women aged between 35 and 72 over the past 18 months, and it has only failed in two of them, she says. Dr Gooneratne said Viveves Colorado manufacturer had told her its system is due to be trialled for future NHS use by specialists at Imperial College, London. However, in a statement to Good Health, the manufacturer subsequently said the conversations were at a conceptual stage. Despite its claim that it is designed to treat women experiencing urinary incontinence, they also said they would never recommend it for that purpose. Swati Jha, a consultant gynaecologist at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, is cautious about these innovations: Radio frequency devices emit focused electromagnetic waves which stimulate production of newer collagen leading to tissue tightening and formation of new blood vessels, she says. However, this does not equate to a cure of stress urinary incontinence or improved sexual function. To prove this we need longterm follow-up studies. Drugs are up to four times more expensive in the US, on average, than in other countries like the UK, Japan and parts of Canada, a new study reveals. Brand name prescription drugs are more expensive in the US than they are in any other country on the planet. Some individual drugs were a staggering 7,000 percent more expensive in the US than the same medication was in other countries. The Johns Hopkins University study authors suggest that if brand name drug prices were cut to match those of other countries, the US could save nearly $73 billion on Medicare costs. Drugs are more expensive in the US than in any other country, costing Medicare tens of billions of dollars and forcing US taxpayers and patients to pay four time more than those in the UK Over a quarter (26 percent) of the federal budget in the US goes to combined health services, including Medicare, Medicaid the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and healthcare subsidies. The majority of that allocation - $597 billion - was spent on Medicare in 2017. Government-funded insurance through Medicare covers the needs of some 59 million Americans who have disabilities or are over the age of 65. These older or chronically ill Americans tend to need more medications and have higher health care costs overall, compared to other citizens. And in the US, those medications are notoriously expensive - far more so than in other countries. To estimate how much more expensive they are, researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health compared analyzed price data on the 79 brand name -only drugs that cost Medicare the most in 2017. These are drugs whose patents in the US have not yet expired, meaning competitors are not allowed to make generic versions of the medications. Drugs included in the study included common diabetes and blood clotting drugs and antivirals. Unsurprisingly, the US's drug prices were considerably higher than those in other countries. On average, medications cost about 4.3 times as much in the US as in the UK, 3.2 times higher than in Japan and 4.1 times higher than in Ontario, Canada, the study found. Price differences varied wildly from drug to drug. When the researchers compared the price tag for the same rugs in the US and other countries. The most extreme cost differential was between diabetes drugs, which were nine times more expensive in the US than in the UK. And injectable diabetes drugs were 11.5 times more expensive than in the UK. When the research time re-adjusted the drug prices to match those of other countries, they found the lower price points would have cut Medicare costs by 67 percent, savings totaling an estimated $73 billion for 2018 alone. 'Every year we pay more for brand-name drugs and other countries pay less for the same drugs,' said senior study author Dr Gerard Anderson, a professor of health policy and management. 'Medicare beneficiaries pay much higher prices for the same drugs that seniors in other countries pay. 'If they paid the same prices as other countries, their drug bills would drop considerably.' But year after year, pharmaceutical companies keep raising their drug prices, simply because they can. Pharmaceutical companies commonly claim that their drugs become more expensive due to research and development. Although the Johns Hopkins study did not try to explain why the hikes happen, public health experts generally agree that drug prices can continue to climb in the US due to holes or slack in the American regulatory system and lack of competition. 'Given that many Medicare beneficiaries cannot afford their drugs, this is a serious problem that does have a solution,' said Dr Anderson. Streaming, itchy eyes, sneezing and blocked noses: the symptoms of hay fever lead to months of misery for an estimated 15 million people in this country. Cases, caused by the body mistakenly reacting to pollen, have been steadily growing for decades. In the Seventies, only 10 per cent of the population had it, but these days around 30 per cent of adults and 40 per cent of children are affected. We are selling more antihistamines year on year, says Sultan Dajani, a community pharmacist in Eastleigh, Hampshire. As well as the usual symptoms, some people suffer terribly with sleep problems and this makes them fatigued and depressed, and impairs their concentration. Now there are worrying signs that hay fever, once regarded as a minor complaint, is not just becoming more common, it is also starting to cause more severe symptoms due, in part, to rising pollution levels. Streaming, itchy eyes, sneezing and blocked noses: the symptoms of hay fever lead to months of misery for an estimated 15 million people in this country (stock photo) Pollen particles are now more allergenic and more likely to cause reactions because they have evolved to produce proteins to protect themselves and survive, says Dr Helen Brough, a consultant paediatric allergy specialist at the private Portland Hospital For Women And Children. Pollutants such as diesel can also break down pollen cells, making them smaller, so that they can get into the lungs and trigger asthma attacks in asthmatics and other people who are allergic to pollen. Ozone gas the main ingredient of smog is also an irritant to the respiratory tract and can make hay fever symptoms seem worse, making your nose and eyes prickle and sting, adds Dr Jean Emberlin, a hay fever expert with Allergy UK. Adding to the problem is the fact that nitric oxide, emitted from traffic fumes, slows the beat of cilia, tiny hair-like projections in the respiratory tract. This means pollen stays around for longer and is more likely to cause allergic symptoms. The misery is being compounded by the fact that the effects of pollution mean pollen levels no longer need to be high to provoke hay fever symptoms. Because pollution makes the pollen more allergenic, it may also push people who might not have had symptoms above the threshold for a reaction, says Dr Patrick Yong, a consultant immunologist at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford. There are other issues too: increasing numbers of people with hay fever triggered by birch tree pollen are also developing oral allergy syndrome, where the body mistakes the proteins in fruits, some vegetables or nuts as pollen and reacts to them, partly because warmer weather means the birch pollen season is extending. The birch tree pollen season is starting on average a month earlier in mid-March compared with mid-April in the Seventies and Eighties, says Dr Emberlin. Calls about oral allergy syndrome to Allergy UKs helpline rose by more than 70 per cent between 2014 and 2018. And unlike hay fever, oral allergy symptoms can last all year. Indeed, as these people reveal, hay fever can be a life-changing condition that may lead to hospital treatment for some. I GET SWOLLEN LIPS IF I EAT AN APPLE Stephen Carter, 54, is a designer and lives in Langport, Somerset, with his partner Peter, 55, a bakery and restaurant owner Stephen Carter, 54, is a designer and lives in Langport, Somerset, with his partner Peter, 55, a bakery and restaurant owner. He says: There have been times when my hay fever has been so bad, and my eyes so unbearably itchy, that I have wanted to scratch them out of my head. Occasionally I have had to pull over while driving because my eyes were streaming so much. Some mornings I have woken up struggling to breathe. I had none of this until my late-40s when, after moving house, I suddenly started to develop itchy, streaming eyes in the winter. In the evenings Id feel like I had gritty sand under my eyelids. Id also have sneezing fits Id sneeze 15 times in a row and get a runny nose. It was miserable and it left me feeling really fatigued. To try to control my symptoms, I bought antihistamine tablets, a nasal spray and eye drops, but it was still a struggle. Ive also started reacting to pollen from fields of oilseed rape planted round my home. Another complication is that I also develop swollen lips and my throat starts to close up when I eat raw apple or almonds, a symptom of pollen allergy syndrome. It usually dies down in a few minutes but is just another thing to deal with. Its taken me years to get my hay fever under control and even now I sometimes have to take two of the one-a-day tablets to cope with it if Im not driving. EXPERT COMMENT: Taking two one-a-day antihistamines doesnt give you any more relief but it may slow down your reaction times when driving, or make you get drunk quicker if you drink alcohol, so its not a good idea, says Sultan Dajani. Some people just dont get control of their symptoms with standard antihistamines, though, so in those cases its worth seeing your GP for a prescription of a stronger drug. There is also a new generation faster-acting, longer-lasting corticosteroid nasal spray, called Clarinase, which is available over the counter. Holly Shaw, a nurse adviser with Allergy UK, says usually people only develop hay fever in middle age when exposed to environmental triggers they havent experienced before, for example as a result of moving from the country to the city. But sometimes people develop allergies later in life and we dont know what causes the switch in their body to flick, she adds. SYMPTOMS LANDED ME IN INTENSIVE CARE Nicole Gray, 25, is a part-time student and lives in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, with her parents Nicole Gray, 25, is a part-time student and lives in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, with her parents. She says: I dread the summer as pollen doesnt just lead to sneezing and runny eyes for me it can trigger a bad asthma attack. My worst one occurred when I was 17, on holiday in London right at the height of the grass pollen season. I was on the Underground and suddenly felt my throat close up. I started struggling to breathe and my inhaler wasnt relieving my symptoms. My boyfriend called an ambulance; I was so scared, I thought I was going to die. At the hospital, doctors tried to stabilise my symptoms with oxygen, steroids and other asthma drugs. I was distraught and cried. My symptoms subsided over the following three hours, but I needed to stay overnight in intensive care. My hay fever is caused by tree and grass pollen my symptoms start in March and last until the end of August, and despite regularly using antihistamines, the attacks it provokes are so hard to cope with. I have been regularly admitted to hospital fighting for my breath, and on one occasion I spent two days in intensive care. Although I get asthma attacks in the winter, too, my attacks are always more severe and more frequent in the pollen season, and more likely to happen in cities. Im now on two different types of antihistamine, all year round, as well as using three types of asthma inhalers and a nebuliser, a machine that helps you breathe in medicine as a mist. People think of hay fever as a minor inconvenience, but for me its a nightmare. EXPERT COMMENT: GP Dr Andy Whittamore, clinical lead at Asthma UK, says that pollen can cause problems for those with asthma in two ways. First, the pollen particles can be a trigger for an asthma attack, then the hay fever symptoms themselves can trigger an asthma attack so you get this double whammy effect, he explains. The tissue in the lungs is very similar to those found in the nose, so what we sometimes find is that some people with hay fever later go on to develop asthma as the allergic reactivity spreads downwards. A LINE OF BIRCH TREES WAS THE TRIGGER Jayne Weeden, 50, is a school admissions officer and lives in Dorking, Surrey, with husband Chris, 50, an IT consultant, and their children Josh, 13, and Daisy, 11. She has been advised to carry an EpiPen at all times Jayne Weeden, 50, is a school admissions officer and lives in Dorking, Surrey, with husband Chris, 50, an IT consultant, and their children Josh, 13, and Daisy, 11. She says: These days I have to carry an EpiPen with me at all times to provide an emergency shot of adrenaline in case I have a serious allergic reaction to fruit and vegetables, which is all part of my hay fever. I also have to wear rubber gloves to chop vegetables or soak them in water, otherwise I develop hives big red welts on my arms. I developed hay fever aged 37 just after I moved to a new home backing on to a line of birch trees, which my GP believed was probably the trigger. I start taking daily antihistamines in January so theyll be effective by the start of the tree pollen season in February. But even if I take a pill in the morning, my eyes are streaming and Im sneezing. My hay fever symptoms the congestion, sneezing last from February until May; the oral allergy syndrome lasts all year and is really annoying. It started three years ago, when I peeled carrots or potatoes. Not only did I get hives, if I touched my eyes, they would also become red and itchy. Id previously noticed a tingling and slight swelling in my mouth and lips when I ate raw fruit such such as apples and plums. I didnt realise that all these symptoms can be connected to hay fever until I mentioned it to an instructor on a first aid course. I react to apples, stone fruits, raw carrots and potatoes. Usually, the hives will die down if I take an antihistamine and thoroughly wash my arms with soap and water but its a constant worry. EXPERT COMMENT: Stephen Durham, a professor of allergy and respiratory medicine at Imperial College London, says as many as 50 per cent of those people suffering from birch tree hay fever have oral allergy syndrome. It can cause skin reactions as well as swelling of the lips and tongue if the proteins in the fruit, vegetable or nuts come into contact with the skin, but the effects are short lived and are not life threatening, adds Dr Emberlin. I WAKE EVERYONE UP WITH MY SNEEZING Siobhan Godwood, 43, is a journalist and lives in Linton, Cambridge, with husband Alex, 44, a statistician, and their sons Conor, 16, Aaron, 13, and Jamie, 11 Siobhan Godwood, 43, is a journalist and lives in Linton, Cambridge, with husband Alex, 44, a statistician, and their sons Conor, 16, Aaron, 13, and Jamie, 11. She says: Im famous for my non-stop sneezing. It kicks off at the end of February with tree pollen and Im still suffering come the autumn because of allergies to weed pollen and mould spore. My hay fever started at 13 and it has a huge impact on my life. We take the kids camping a lot in the summer, and I always wake everyone up with my sneezing and then I cant get back to sleep. In the past few years pollen has become a trigger for my allergic asthma, causing wheezing and breathing difficulties. I have to use a preventer inhaler every day and carry a reliever pump with me in case I get an attack. I can feel my throat get itchy, my chest whistle and feel tight and I start to cough. I always have to be on my guard. I used to cycle to work by some rapeseed fields and had to change my route because I reacted so badly to the pollen and volatile compounds they give off. EXPERT COMMENT: Were seeing that people need hay fever products for longer now which in some cases may be because people now have multiple pollen allergies to tree, grass and weeds and because the pollen season is extending, says Sultan Dajani. Asda is plotting a listing on the UK stock market following the collapse of its planned 12billion merger with Sainsburys. City sources said Walmart is exploring a float of Asda which would mark its return to the London Stock Exchange, 20 years after it was delisted. There is speculation that Walmart is also exploring other options for Asda as well as a float, such as a sale. Walmart is exploring a UK stock market listing or a sale of Asda, according to City sources Private equity firms and other potential bidders are understood to be circling the supermarket. Bargain chain B&M is among those touted as taking an interest. Asda was reportedly eyeing a 4.4billion takeover of B&M in 2017, but analysts suggested a reverse takeover was a more likely option. The supermarket industry is undergoing a period of rapid change as German discounters Aldi and Lidl snatch customers from the Big Four grocers Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons. Meanwhile, more families are going online to do their weekly grocery shop, with internet-only firm Ocado becoming increasingly popular. Sainsburys plan to merge with Asda was blocked by the Competition and Markets Authority last week. Analysts suggested that a reverse takeover by FTSE 250-listed B&M of Asda would be a more plausible route than an independent listing on the stock market, with British grocers becoming a less attractive investment option. Analysts suggested that a reverse takeover by FTSE 250-listed B&M of Asda would be a more plausible route than an independent listing on the stock market Richard Hyman, an independent retail analyst, said: Buying shares in retailers generally is tricky, having said that, the world of investment banking is such that there will be loads of banks that have got a fantastic story to tell about why an IPO would be the best thing since sliced bread. Id be amazed if B&M are not looking at how they could do some sort of a deal, and I think thats a much smarter way of floating Asda. Walmart, which bought Asda for 6.7billion in 1999, is keen to make a swift exit from the UK and focus on running its core business in the US and growing in developing markets such as India. Private equity firm KKR has been named as one of the frontrunners looking to make a grab for Asda. But analysts suggested that a takeover by private equity was unlikely to reap rewards for the buyer as there was no obvious exit route. Hyman added: The options are quite limited, Im not sure what the exit is for a private equity buyer as there is not much of a growth story. Asda and B&M declined to comment. American investment guru Warren Buffett wants to invest more in the UK and other parts of Europe despite uncertainty over Brexit. And the 88-year-old tycoon said he could do it by taking over a big British company. Buffett said he would like to see his firm, Berkshire Hathaway, raise its profile on the other side of the Atlantic. Not scared of Brexit: Warren Buffett said he could take over a big British company Speaking at an annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Buffett said: Were hoping for a deal in the UK and/or in Europe, no matter how Brexit comes out. He added: Brexit doesnt destroy my appetite in the least for making a very large acquisition in the UK. But speaking about the UKs vote to leave the European Union in 2016, he said: I have the feeling that it was a mistake. Berkshire Hathaway, which has significant holdings in companies such as Kraft Heinz, Wells Fargo and Apple, reported a profit of 16.5billion in the first quarter. It made an 835million loss in the same period of last year. It feels incongruous to be in a drugstore in Deerfield, Illinois, and to see shelves of Boots No 7 creams, those most quintessentially British of beauty products. Most people who shop in Boots in the UK and that's eight out of ten of us have no idea that the pharmacy chain has for the past five years been part of a 37billion transatlantic giant, Walgreens Boots Alliance. The company, which is listed on the US stock market, has its headquarters in Deerfield, a suburb about 45 minutes outside Chicago. Pharmacy chain Boots has for the past five years been part of a 37billion transatlantic giant, Walgreens Boots Alliance Converting American women to the anti-wrinkle properties of No 7's cult Protect & Perfect serums and the Soap & Glory skincare range is just one of the ambitions harboured by Stefano Pessina, the 77-year-old chief executive. The Italian billionaire, who started his career after taking over a small family pharmacy business in Naples, bought Boots in 2006 with private equity backing and merged it with Walgreens in a 16billion deal in 2014. Pessina whose 65-year-old partner Ornella Barra is co-chief operating officer has a phenomenal track record but makes no bones that, recently, times have been tough. He warned last month that Walgreens Boots Alliance had just experienced the most difficult three months since the merger, due to weak sales on both sides of the Atlantic. The company slashed its profit forecast and the shares are down 22 per cent this year so far, at a time when the S&P 500 index of leading US shares is up strongly. As Alex Gourlay, 58, the Scottish-born co-chief operating officer, said: 'We clearly need to improve.' Walgreens Boots Alliance is being hit on several fronts. In the UK, where former Dixons Carphone boss Seb James is at the helm, it is suffering from a cocktail of familiar woes on the High Street: hefty business rates and online competition among them. Working closely: Stefano Pessina with Ornella Barr Sales at Boots, which has almost 2,500 stores, fell by 1.3 per cent in the most recent quarter. Operating income was down by 22.6 per cent and gross profit by nearly 9 per cent. In the US, profits and sales were down because of a fall in generic drug prices and because, like its rivals, Walgreens was hit as pharmacies are receiving less money in reimbursements when they dispense prescriptions. It doesn't help that Amazon has its tanks on the lawn it bought online pharmacy Pillpack, which delivers drugs through the post, for 760million last summer. Gourlay, who oversees Walgreens and Boots, is not taking the setback lying down. The plan is to fight back through cost savings, with the aim of cutting 1.2bilion a year by 2022. In addition, he wants to drive improvements in the business through digitisation along with better service and products for customers. In the UK, James is overhauling stores and opening new beauty halls, including a flagship in London. The company is also bringing No 7 and other brands to the vast Chinese market through the launch of a flagship online Boots store on Tmall Global, a platform run by ecommerce giant Alibaba. The idea is for Walgreens Boots Alliance to become a 'mass specialist' delivering healthcare to large numbers of people around the world. 'There are three platforms that will survive in most market places,' says Gourlay. 'There are the mass retailers, such as Tesco, Walmart or Carrefour; then there are the new retailers, such as Amazon, and finally the mass specialists, which is where we want to be.' British invasion: Boots quintessentially British No7 cosmetics being sold in a US store The Walgreens store in Deerfield is a bright, airy space but, despite the No 7 products, is very different from Boots for a start, there are shelves full of booze and supermarket foodstuffs. 'There have been some ideas exported from Boots,' says Gourlay. 'We have no ambition to copycat Boots here, as that isn't right, but some of the philosophy about health and beauty is really similar.' Traditionally, the US market divides into premium beauty brands sold in upmarket shops, and very cheap cosmetics in drugstores. So mid-market offerings such as No 7 have scope to grow. The Deerfield store has an optician and hearing care. There is also a 'Feel More Like You' facility for people who have had cancer, helping them find the best wigs or hairpieces and make-up tips about how to draw on eyebrows lost to chemotherapy. Walgreens is embarking on a number of partnerships that will allow it to experiment with new directions. These include a venture with supermarket group Kroger to sell its goods in a number of stores in Kentucky. It has also embarked on a seven-year partnership with Microsoft, with the aim of using apps, data and new technology to help deliver cheaper and better personalised healthcare. It has also done a deal with Verily, a Google company, initially aimed at helping people to take their pills as prescribed. The company will work with Verily on other projects aimed at helping people with chronic conditions, and on advanced technologies such as sensors and software to prevent, detect, and manage diseases. There is speculation that Pessina might be eyeing his next big deal and that he will emulate rival US drugstore CVS, which last year sealed a 53billion merger with health insurer Aetna. No doubt Pessina would be open to doing a similar transaction at the right price if an opportunity arises. Boots has come a long way since its founder, John Boot, started selling herbal remedies in Nottingham in 1849, but it is facing one of the most challenging periods in its long history. Its Italian boss, who colleagues say, despite being in his eighth decade, still works harder than anyone else, is dispensing some strong medicine. Kraft Heinz has uncovered a 140m error in its accounts Food firm Kraft Heinz has uncovered a 140million error in its accounts and warned it will have to restate almost three years of results. The US conglomerate, which owns the famed baked beans brand as well as Philadelphia cheese and Capri Sun drinks, said it had discovered employee 'misconduct' after launching an investigation. The probe was prompted by the US Securities and Exchange Committee in October, relating to Kraft's procurement accounting. It revealed 'misstatements' in results for 2016, 2017 and the first nine months of 2018. Kraft said the errors will not have any significant impact on its finances. Last year, the firm made more than 20billion in revenues. Kraft added that it had taken action against staff members, and had made improvements to its internal controls. The SEC investigation is continuing. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new son will not be titled His or Her Royal Highness (HRH) unless the Queen intervenes. Harry and Meghan's baby boy is not officially a royal, despite being seventh in line to the throne, after George V limited titles within the family during the First World War. HRH status normally lapses after two royal generations - except for the eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son of the monarch, which is Prince George. But the Queen decreed all of William and Kate's children should be HRH - which is why Princess Charlotte is not Lady Charlotte, and Prince Louis is not Lord Louis. Harry and Meghan's baby boy is not officially a royal, despite being seventh in line to the throne Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Princess Eugenie's wedding in Windsor last October Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte are both HRH along with Prince George after the Queen changed the rules on royal titles in 2012. They are pictured with William and Kate last autumn King George V, pictured on his coronation day in June 1911 with his consort Queen Mary, limited titles within the royal family during the First World War This is why George V's grandchildren the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra are HRH but their children are not. However, the rules can be changed if the monarch wishes - so Baby Sussex could still officially become a royal. Additionally, once Prince Charles becomes King, the baby will automatically become HRH because they will then be the grandchild of a reigning sovereign. Just seven years ago the Queen changed the rules for the benefit of the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who had yet to start a family at that time. Princess Eugenie (left) and Princess Beatrice, pictured with their grandmother the Queen in 2010, are both HRH because their father is Prince Andrew The two children of the Earl and Countess of Wessex Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn are both HRH, but their parents prefer them not to use their royal titles She decreed all of their children should be HRH, not just Prince George - which gives Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis their royal titles. How HRH titles work George V decried during the First World War that royal titles should be limited. HRH status therefore normally lapses after two royal generations. That is except for the eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son of the monarch - which is Prince George. Royal status can also only be given to a monarch's grandchildren through sons rather than daughters. But the Queen has varied the rules for specific couples in recent years. This has led to William and Kate's children all becoming HRH, despite George being the only one who should have the title under George V's plans. She also offered Princess Anne a royal title for her daughter Zara Phillips in 1981, but this was declined. Advertisement Another example is of the two children of the Earl and Countess of Wessex Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn who are both HRH. They could therefore be called Princess Louise and Prince James, but their parents prefer them not to use their royal titles - and the Queen has agreed. Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, the daughters of the Duke and Duchess of York, are both HRH by being children of the Queen's son Prince Andrew. Meanwhile Mia Grace Tindall and Lena Elizabeth Tindall, who are the children of the Queen's granddaughter Zara Tindall, did not automatically get an HRH title. Zara Tindall, nee Phillips, whose mother is Princess Anne, was not entitled to royal status because it can only be given to a monarch's grandchildren through sons rather than daughters. The Queen did famously offer Princess Anne a royal title for Zara to become a princess when she was born in 1981, but she turned it down. The Queen offered Princess Anne a royal title for Zara Tindall, nee Phillips (right, together in 2015) to become a princess when she was born in 1981 (left), but she turned it down HRH Princess Alexandra (pictured at Buckingham Palace in 2006) is still a royal by being the granddaughter of a ruling sovereign, George V, even if she is now 54th in line to the throne HRH Princess Alexandra meanwhile is still a royal by being the granddaughter of a ruling sovereign, George V, even if she is now 54th in line to the throne. Baby shares a similarity at birth with the Queen Baby Sussex is not expected to ever become monarch, but it is not unheard of for children of second-born royal sons to become king or queen. The Queen was, like Baby Sussex, the child of a second-born royal son - George VI - and Princess Elizabeth was never thought likely to be a sovereign when she was born. When Edward VIII abdicated and had no heirs, his younger brother the Duke of York was forced to become king as George VI, eventually paving the way for the princess to reign as Elizabeth II. Queen Anne - depicted by actress Olivia Colman in The Favourite - was also the second daughter, and fourth child, of a second son - James II - who was a brother of Charles II. But monarchy expert Dr Jonathan Spangler said Harry and Meghan's son, who will be seventh in line, will not wear the crown unless there is a 'twist of dynastic fate'. This is unlikely, given that the Duke of Cambridge has three children - future king Prince George, and two spares Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Advertisement Dr Jonathan Spangler, of Manchester Metropolitan University, who specialises on the institution of monarchy, explained why Harry and Meghan may be keen for their baby not to become HRH. He said: 'People who are not HRHs are free to go off and start business ventures and companies and whatever they like. 'Harry and Meghan's baby could grow up to be a bit more normal, or as normal as they can be in this media-centred world.' He added that Harry and Meghan's offspring will not wear the crown unless there is a 'twist of dynastic fate'. Dr Spangler said: 'It is possible through the twists of dynastic fate, although much less likely given we have modern medical practice and science. 'An entire (side of the royal) family won't be wiped out from smallpox like it would in the 17th century. 'I'm sure (royal babies) are taught from the very moment they're breathing that this is a potentiality and that even if you do pursue a normal life, there's still some inkling of a future, more prominent, role.' The public's affection for Harry will also raise the profile of this royal youngster, the senior lecturer on early modern European history suggested. 'Harry is so popular, now more popular than William. By default, the child will be very much in the public eye,' he said. A schoolboy suffering from an extremely rare and incurable condition is in danger of a having a mini stroke every time he is excited or tired. Corey Adey, eight, of Houghton-Le-Spring, County Durham, was diagnosed with MoyaMoya disease, an extremely rare blood vessel disorder which affects his brain, last year. Every day is a constant battle for his mother Jade Snowdon Abbott, 29, who has to prevent her son from doing the things he loves in order to keep him safe. Corey was first rushed to hospital after he lost the ability to speak while having a bath. Medics told Ms Snowdon Abbott he had suffered a stroke and multiple mini-strokes. Corey Adey, eight, of Houghton-Le-Spring, County Durham, was diagnosed with MoyaMoya disease, an extremely rare blood vessel disorder which affects his brain, last year Ms Snowdon Abbott explained: 'When he had his first stroke it was terrifying. He was watching television and said he was tired. 'I ran him a bath but while he was in it he went floppy and started mumbling. My mother had suffered a stroke so I knew the signs. 'I'd never heard of the disease. I thought the doctor was joking. Strokes are something that happen to old people, not little boys. Our life changed completely overnight.' In March 2019, Corey had surgery for more than five hours on both sides of his brain at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. Every day is a constant battle for his mother Ms Snowdon Abbott Snowdon Abbott, 29, who has to prevent her son from doing the things he loves in order to keep him safe Corey was first rushed to hospital after he lost the ability to speak while having a bath. Medics told Ms Snowdon Abbott he had suffered a stroke and multiple mini-strokes It was to increase the blood flow to his brain as disease is a progressive one and means the carotid artery in the skull becomes blocked or narrowed. Ms Snowdon Abbott said 'Corey has around five mini strokes a week. Getting too excited can trigger one. WHAT IS MOYAMOYA SYNDROME? The disease is a rare disorder affecting the blood vessels at the base of the brain. It causes the arteries supplying the brain with blood to narrow, thereby restricting blood flow to the brain. The condition can cause a mini stroke, also known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA), as well as a stroke. The disease mainly afflicts children, but adults can also suffer the condition. A TIA is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain. It results in a lack of oxygen to the brain. It can trigger symptoms similar to a stroke, such as speech and visual disturbance, numbness or weakness in the face, arms and legs. However, a TIA does not last as long as a stroke, the effects only last a few minutes or hours, and fully resolve within 24 hours. Source: Mayo Clinic and NHS Choices Advertisement 'We let Corey on his trampoline ten minutes here, ten minutes there. You have to question everything - is he going to be okay? Are we close to a hospital? 'Going to the park can set him off. We have to tell him not to stroke dogs because he can get hyper. He loves dogs so it's heartbreaking.' Corey managed to stay free of all mini strokes following his operation until he was recognised at the Best of Wearside Awards for the Child of Courage. The ceremony had just started when Corey's hand went limp and his speech was slurred as he had a mini-stroke, which lasted more than 20 minutes. Remarkably, he recovered in time to hear his name being called out as a Child of Courage winner. As the audience rose to give a standing ovation, Corey even went up to the stage to collect the trophy himself. The youngster is on medication to minimise the risk of strokes, and Ms Snowdon Abbott manages the condition as best she can by trying to keep him calm. She says she has received a lot of support from the Stroke Association. Ms Snowdon Abbott added: 'I couldn't be any prouder of Corey. He takes everything in his stride. 'He's such a funny lad who despite everything he has gone through, is a really loving little boy. 'It's very difficult as a mother having to put a limit on how much fun he has, but as a parent I have no choice. 'I want to get the awareness out there because I didn't have a clue about the disorder before. I want people to know about it, as another parent could find themselves in my situation.' US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hasn't endorsed a Democratic presidential candidate yet, but she took time out of her schedule yesterday to campaign for one of her closest friends from college who is running for a local office. The 29-year-old visited the First Parish Unitarian church in Brookline, Massachusetts Saturday morning to speak on behalf of Select Board candidate Raul Fernandez. He and AOC attended college together at Boston University, where she graduated in 2011, seven years before she was elected to Congress. 'I was proud and pleased to support her along her journey and I still do,' Fernandez told the crowd inside the Parish sanctuary on Saturday. 'There are few people in this world who I tell these words, "When you call, I come, and I got your back," and she's one of those people,' he added before introducing Cortez. US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (left) (D-New York) speaks to campaign rally attendees at First Parish Unitarian church in in Brookline, Massachusetts Saturday morning. Cortez went to the event to show support for her college friend Raul Fernandez (right) Raul Fernandez (left) speaks to AOC during a April 25 Facebook livestream ahead of their campaign rally on Saturday. Fernandez and Cortez have been friends since attending college together at Boston University AOC received a standing ovation when she took the stage, where she officially endorsed Hernandez and shared her views on the importance of local civic engagement. 'To come here for a candidate like Raul, I mean there's just no question as to why this race is important,' the congresswoman said. 'In order for us to transform the country... it's not enough for us to go pointing at others and say, "This is how you need to change. This is what you need to do. This is how you're wrong," ... We need to transform our communities to become not just inclusive, but to realize that we are linked.' Hernandez's campaign platform in Brookline mirrors AOC's progressive policy agenda, the Green New Deal, in at least a few ways. He supports expanding the city's community solar power program to install and finance solar panels on properties of locals who can't afford them. Hernandez also wants to increase low income 'inclusionary zoning,' from 15% to 25% as well as a middle income households 'requirement' to pay an additional 5% for the program, according to his campaign website. Cortez (left) told Hernandez's supporters national lawmakers like her need the support of people like those living in Brookline to help transform the country in a progressive way Cortez holds a community town hall at Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities in Queens NY on April 27. The congresswoman has been a constant target for right-wing critics, including Trump administration surrogate Kellyanne Conway, who recently criticized AOC for not tweeting about the Easter church massacre in Sri Lanka The inclusionary zoning program and a local transfer tax on luxury real estate transactions are Hernandez's ideas for increasing housing equity and decreasing income inequality, similar to policy issues raised in AOC's resolution. The congresswoman talked a lot about America's racial disparities with the predominantly white crowd in Brookline, saying Democrats in Congress won't be able to achieve their progressive policy goals unless progressive white Americans support them on the local and national level. 'In swing districts, when you talk to white voters about progressive issues, if we educate white voters on some of the racial justice issues behind health disparities, income disparities etc., they actually become more supportive of progressive issues,' she said. 'What we realized is that, a lot of people are scared to talk about race. That's why I'm here to say we need Brookline. We need you. We need this community to pave the path forward for the country... We need you to show that ally-ship. Comprehensive, integrated ally-ship is how we are going to move forward as a nation.' Ocasio-Cortez's unfavorability rating rose 15 points between January and March after she was blamed for Amazon pulling out of its deal to build a new worldheadquarters in Queens, New York Cortez has been a constant target for right-wing critics, including Trump administration surrogate Kellyanne Conway who recently denounced the congresswoman for not tweeting about the Easter church massacre in Sri Lanka. And her national unfavorability rating among registered voters rose 15 points, from 29 percent in January to 44 percent in March, according to CNBC, after Amazon nixed its plans to open a new headquarters in Cortez's district following staunch opposition from her and protests from local activists. Australia has one of the highest rates of child suicide in the world as the number of young Aboriginals who are taking their own lives continues to rise. So far in 2019, 56 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have taken their own lives, with more than half of them being under the age of 25. Of that total, 14 were under 18, including two children as young as 12, according to The Australian. The staggering rates have sparked a national campaign to tackle mental health issues and the suicide crisis among the indigenous community. In 2019, 56 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have taken their own lives, with more than half of them being under the age of 25 Figures show 40 per cent of people who took their own lives before turning 18 were Aboriginal. Last year, a total of 180 indigenous Australians took their own lives, with children accounting for one-third of that figure. Gerry Georgatos, the former coordinator of the National Indigenous Critical Response Service, revealed he has met with families who lost a nine-year-old child to suicide, and in one case, a child of the tender age of six had attempted to take their own life. 'It should be steadfastly unimaginable that a six-year-old can contemplate ending their life but it's the grim reality and our political and moral obligations should be to authentically prioritise and abate this crisis,' he said. Mr Georgatos said there is not enough being done to help those in need, particularly in remote communities. Gerry Georgatos (pictured) the former coordinator of the National Indigenous Critical Response Service, revealed he has met with families who lost a nine-year-old child to suicide, The crippling epidemic has led mental health organisation R U OK? to launch a suicide prevention campaign for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities He called for more programs aimed at suicide prevention, including around-the-clock and on-the-ground services. The National Indigenous Critical Response Service currently provides counselling to grieving families on site, and credits the method with its success in prevention. CHILD SUICIDES AMONG THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY In January, five Aboriginal girls committed suicide within two weeks. Rochelle Pryor, 14, from Perth, took her own life shortly after posting she had been bullied. Within nine days, a 15-year-old girl from Western Australia died after committing suicide, followed by a 12-year-old girl in Pilbara. In East Kimberley, a 14-year-old girl also took her life. A second 12-year-old girl from Adelaide also died from suicide that month. Around the same time, it was reported a 12-year-old indigenous boy from Brisbane was rushed to the hospital following a suicide attempt. Five young indigenous girls took their own lives across Australia in January (pictured Rochelle Pryor, from Perth, took her own life after a cry for help on social media) Advertisement In the past three years, the organisation has assisted more than 300 families who have lost a loved one to suicide, and has not seen a subsequent suicide among these groups. According to the research, the majority of these deaths occurred among impoverished indigenous people. Mr Georgatos further identified that of the 56 suicides, 51 were residents of social housing 'where after the homeless, the most impoverished Australians live.' Three of the remaining five were homeless. 'Poverty kills. Domestic violence, sexual abuse, bullying, substance misuse, mental unwellness, are many times more likely for those experiencing chronic poverty than for people living in relative affluence,' Mr Georgatos said. He stepped down from the organisation last week to now lead and establish the suicide prevention National Critical Response Trauma Recovery Project. 'Suicide prevention is not complex, it is about validating people, believing in them, spreading the love, doing everything to improve their life circumstances,' he said. 'The suicide prevention narratives and the subsequent discourses and policy frameworks omit and censor much of the facts. The raw data cries out ever so loudly.' 'Thus far this year an estimate 1,000 Australians have died by suicide, with tragically more children lost than this time last year.' A 2019 Closing The Gap report found indigenous Australians are still more likely to be disadvantaged than non-indigenous Australians in regards to employment, education and health. In January, five Aboriginal girls committed suicide within two weeks, including 14-year-old Rochelle Pryor from Perth. The crippling epidemic has led mental health organisation R U OK? to launch a suicide prevention campaign for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities. Last month, the government revealed $461million would be spent on youth mental health - but only $5million over four years would go towards indigenous youth suicide. For confidential support in Australia LIFELINE: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au . Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 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. A father who sexually abused his own daughter from the age of 12 has been jailed after the girl's boyfriend reported it to police. The 40-year-old, who cannot be identified to protect his victim, fronted Hervey Bay District Court in Queensland on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his own child. Over a three-year period, the man molested the girl, orally and digitally penetrated her, and masturbated in between her legs, the Fraser Coast Chronicle reported. A father who sexually abused his own daughter from the age of 12 has been jailed after the girl's boyfriend reported it to police When the horrific charges were read out in court last week, the girl, now 17, was sitting in the public gallery to see the man who offended her come to justice. Crown prosecutor Jane Shaw on Monday said the offending not only had the potential to corrupt a child but also the potential to destroy them. 'He was her father which makes it all the worse. It was the most egregious breach of trust,' Ms Shaw said. The man's actions weren't that of a father because there was a complete breach of trust and he treated the girl as an 'object of his own sexual gratification', she said. Ms Shaw said the offending usually took place late at night, when the girl's brothers were sleeping, and if she reused the man would threaten to take away privileges. On one occasion, the man attempted to sodomise the girl, and another time, she awoke to find her father filming her genitals with his phone, the court heard. At the time, the girl demanded her father delete the images, and shortly afterwards she told her boyfriend - who reported the abuse to her school. Police later issued a warrant to search the 40-year-old's home, at which point he admitted some of the offending, the court heard. Ms Shaw said the man tried to make it appear as though the victim has seduced him, which she said is not accepted by the crown, nor is it an excuse. She described how the girl has also had to endure the pain of losing her family and support system as a result of the abuse being reported. The 40-year-old, who cannot be identified to protect his victim, fronted Hervey Bay District Court (pictured) on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his own child The 17-year-old is still attending school but now finds herself with no family support, no money and suffering from mental health issues, she said. The man's defence barrister, Peter Ruttledge, instructed by McGarvie Family Law Practice, told the court the man himself had been a victim of sexual abuse. He described how the man suffered from anxiety and depression, and how alcohol had been a problem for him, resulting in the breakdown of his marriage. 'There has been a move from a position where he lacked insight into his offending to understanding he has abused his position of trust,' Mr Ruttledge said. When handing down his sentence, Justice Martin Moynihan acknowledged the man's limited criminal history, his plea, cooperation and willingness to undertake therapy. Justice Moynihan also pointed out that on occasions the man provided the girl with sex toys, which he had encouraged her to use. 'I note the complainant's brave presence here today,' he said. The man was sentenced to seven years jail and will be eligible for parole in 2021. He appeared in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court two days later, charged with two breach of bail - but no further penalty was imposed. A grieving mother has pleaded with other parents to think twice about letting their children watch a popular Netflix show after he daughter killed herself after finishing it. Rachael Warburton, says her daughter Jessica Scatterson, 12, left a suicide note with 'six reasons to kill herself' before she hanged herself. She had told her mother that she had been watching 13 Reasons Why, a show about a teenager who commits suicide and leaves a series of recording that attempt to explain her irrational decision. A new US study has also found that teen suicides spiked 30 per cent after first season of 13 Reasons Why aired, with the rise mainly driven by boys, although no direct causal link could be made. Jessica Scatterson, 12, killed herself after watching the series, and left a suicide note of 'six reasons' why she thought she should kill herself 'Jessica was watching this show with her friends and listed six reasons why she wanted to die,' Rachel told the Mirror. 'It should be banned, because my daughter watched it and it gives children the idea to self-harm.' An inquest into the young girl's death heard she and her friends had self-harmed, and that she had made superficial cuts to her leg in the shape of lettering. Devastated mother Rachael Warburton has pleaded for other parents not to allow young children to watch the 15-rated Netflix series Jessica's friends had called police after she posted a photo of her foot with 'RIP' written on it. He found her hanged in her bedroom at her father's home in Warrington, Cheshire, just two days short of her 13th birthday. A small blade from a pencil sharpener was found in her room, as well as notes that referred to suicide, and the name of an alleged bully and a drawing of someone being hanged. Her death came three weeks after 13 Reasons Why was first shown on Netlfix. Most episodes received a 15 age certificate from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). Four were given an 18 rating, including one in the first series in which lead character Hannah Barker (Katherine Langford) kills herself. Mother Rachael, a care support worker from Leigh, Greater Manchester said of the programme she had been watching: 'Its intentions are to raise suicide awareness but I believe it encourages young people to commit suicide. 'All Jessica's friends were messaging each other discussing the series. Parents should be warned not to let their children watch it.' According to the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, there were 195 more suicides than expected in the nine months after the series was released. 'It should be banned, because my daughter watched it and it gives children the idea to self-harm,' said mother Rachael Labour MP Stephen Doughty said: 'We should be doing all we can to protect and safeguard children and young people from suicide narratives whether online or on streaming TV services. 'Providers like Netflix are simply not doing enough to ensure that appropriate age verification is in place for easily accessible TV services.' A Netflix spokesman defended the series saying: 'It is a critically important topic and we have worked hard to ensure that we handle this sensitive issue responsibly.' Teen suicides spiked 30% after first season of 13 Reasons Why - mainly driven by boys Researchers in America found that suicides by young Americans rose by nearly a third in the month following the 2017 debut of Netflix drama series '13 Reasons Why,' in which a teenage girl kills herself. The increase was driven primarily by young boys, the researchers said. The researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio said the study had limitations and they could not make a direct causal link between '13 Reasons Why' and the increase in suicide rates or rule out other factors. A previous study had found watching the programme was associated with a reduced risk of self-harm for some young adults. The rate of suicide in April 2017 was 28.9 percent higher among US youths aged 10 to 17 than would be expected based on suicide counts and trends observed in previous years. In another survey, of 18- to 29-year-olds, University of Pennsylvania researchers found students who watched all of season two of '13 Reasons Why' were less likely to report self-harm and suicidal thoughts than others who did not watch the series at all. The production team defended the show but Netflix said they are looking into the new research. Advertisement If you have been affected by this story, and are in the UK, call The Samaritans at any time, from any phone for FREE, on 116 123, or call Mind's Infoline from Monday to Friday on 03001233393 or text 86463. A bumbling thief has been filmed wearing a Donald Trump mask as a disguise while he looted shops in Queensland. The burglar was caught on CCTV footage with the mask falling off the back of his head to reveal his face as he tried to steal from a business in the Strathpine shopping centre north of Brisbane at 5.30am on Sunday. Police said the thief smashed his way into the shopping centre through a glass door. Once inside, CCTV footage shows him using what looks like a small metal hammer to break a hole through the display window of an Angus & Coote jewellery store. The vision shows the thief becoming impatient and kicking the window twice to try to smash through after repeated blows with the hammer failed to smash the pane. When he finally succeeded, he reached in to steal watches. The thief used a small metal hammer to smash a hole in a jewellery shop window at the Strathpine shopping centre, north of Brisbane He became impatient and decided to kick at the glass display front, damaging it and making a hole through which he reached in to steal watches The robber also broke into an electronics store where he stole more items. He stashed his loot in some Uber Eats bags before running away. Queensland police have described the thief as being aged in his 20s, of Pacific Islander appearance with black hair and a proportionate build. The thief's face was revealed when his mask fell off, and police are now looking for a man described as aged in his 20s, of Pacific Islander appearance, wearing white Nike shoes, a black Nike hooded jumper, black track pants and carrying Uber Eats bags. Call 1800 333 000 if you have information He was wearing what appeared to be a Donald Trump mask, a black Nike hooded jumper, black track pants, white Nike shoes and was carrying a number of Uber Eats bags, police said. The video also appears to show him wearing white gloves as he committed his crimes. Queensland police have released the CCTV footage in the hopes that someone can identify the man. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. An Iraqi refugee claims he was attacked by guards at the detention centre where he is being held, leaving him with a broken wrist. Ali Yousuf claimed fights between staff and detainees are not uncommon at the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation north compound in Broadmeadows. The 27-year-old claims he was most recently attacked by up to 13 guards after he made a request to return to his room after returning from the medical compound. 'I said, "I just want to go to my room, just open the door and let me in",' Mr Yousuf told the Herald Sun. But a spokeswoman for Border Force Australia denied the allegations, stating there was no evidence of excessive force. She said force was only ever used to protect the safety of both staff and inmates. Mr Yousuf claimed he was not treated by medical staff for four days, who confirmed a fracture in his right hand 'They said, ''Don't tell me what to do, I tell you what to do.'' I said, ''And where's the attitude coming from? What have I done to you to give me that kind of attitude to treat me like a slave''.' 'Next minute I was on the floor and my hand is twisted on my back I hear a crack and then I said, ''my hand, my hand.'' No one listened.' In footage of a physical altercation between guards and an inmate - believed to be Mr Yousuf - the inmate could be heard screaming in pain. Another inmate who recorded the incident from afar is heard saying 'that was an assault'. Mr Yousuf claimed he was not treated by medical staff for four days, who confirmed a fracture in his right hand. Ali Yousuf claimed fights between staff and detainees are not uncommon at the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation north compound in Broadmeadows An Iraqi refugee claims he was attacked by guards at the detention centre where he is being held, leaving him with a broken wrist But the Australian Border Force spokeswoman said all detainees had access to medical care. Only five months prior to the incident, Mr Yousuf said another verbal altercation led to a physical assault, leaving him with a broken left hand. The staff accused of being involved in the attack were temporarily replaced by other workers within the facility. Serco, the company who manages the facility for the Federal Government, confirmed it received a written complaint after the assault. The letter had been signed by every single detainee in the facility and called for action against the excessive force, violence and provocation they experienced during detainment. The 27-year-old claims he was most recently attacked by up to 13 guards after he made a request to return to his room after returning from the medical compound The City of Sydney will consider introducing new 24-hour trading across the entire city centre which could encroach on the state government's controversial lockout laws. The City of Sydney council are proposing new plans to re-energise Sydney's $4billion nightlife economy. More than 10,000 people told Sydney council that they wanted a 24-hour city centre stretching from Darling Harbour in the west to Hyde Park in the east and down to Central Station. The City of Sydney will consider introducing new 24-hour trading across the entire city centre which could encroach on the state government's controversial lockout laws The City of Sydney council are proposing new plans to re-energise Sydney's $4billion nightlife economy Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the city was responding to feedback from thousands of residents calling for a better night time economy. 'More than 10,000 people told us they want Sydney to have a diverse and exciting night-time economy with events and activities for people of all ages and interests,' Ms Moore said in a statement on Monday. 'What they don't want is a city that is unsafe or that shuts down as soon as the sun goes down.' The changes, some of which are subject to the NSW government's lockout laws, are set to be considered by council on May 13. As well as the 24-hour centre, a new 24-hour cultural precinct will be introduced in Alexandria. Low impact businesses on Crown Street, Redfern Street, Union Street and Glebe Point Road will be allowed to trade until 2am instead of midnight. This means the possibility of more small bars, restaurants and small venues for locals to enjoy. The 24-hour city centre hopes to stretch from Darling Harbour to Hyde Park and down to Central Station Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore (pictured) said the city was responding to feedback from thousands of residents calling for a better night time economy Late night trading proposals will also be considered for bustling areas including Barangaroo, Green Square, Zetland, Waterloo and Walsh Bay. City of Sydney Councillor Jess Scully told Nine News the proposal aims to open up the opportunity for businesses to extend their trading hours. 'We have to give residents the opportunity to have social spaces, cultural, creative spaces, as well as getting the stuff done they need to get done for everyday life,' she said. Keep Sydney Open's Tyson Goh told Seven News that lockout laws need to go. 'They are holding Sydney back from being a global city,' he said. A woman suffered severe injuries after falling from the roof of her Manhattan building 'while taking pictures with friends.' Reilly Hamilton, 22, plunged five stories from the roof of her building on East 25th Street near Third Avenue around 8pm on Saturday, officials said. Emergency responders brought Hamilton to Bellevue Hospital with a fractured pelvis, broken right ankle and broken right arm. She was in a critical but stable condition Sunday. Reilly Hamilton, 22, plunged five stories from the roof of her building on East 25th Street near Third Avenue around 8 pm on Saturday, officials said. She suffered multiple injuries Dayo Adebanjo, 22, said he heard a loud crash and then heard screaming from the top of the building when the incident happened. He told the New York Daily News: 'I kind of thought that someone fell but I was like, "No way."' Then there was a brief period of silence when the girls were running down.' Adebanjo heard the women saying: "Reilly, oh my God, oh my God, Reilly, Reilly, is she dead? Is she dead?." She looked out her window and saw Hamilton lying on the ground of an open space between two buildings. 'It was really, really obviously horrible to witness. I heard her crying as her friends screamed that she was going to be okay. 'And when they were moving her, she was conscious. She was saying her legs hurt.' Hamilton and her two roommates reportedly had access to the roof. Another neighbor, who did not wish to be named said: 'She was taking pictures, and she fell, and apparently she hit the AC unit and landed in the trash area, which is like, horrendous. A neighbor claimed Hamilton was taking pictures with friends on the roof of a building when she fell suddenly 'Horrible. Im just completely shocked.' Adebanjo said the West Virginia native graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2018. She also works in human resources for a digital technology company, according to the New York Post. A neighbor in the building who didnt want to identify himself told New York Daily News that he heard 'a massive party' for the past two days. 'I went to work and they were partying. Even when I got back at 6 am, they were partying.' Last month Sydney Monfries, 22, fell between a gap in the stairs inside the clock tower in the early hours of Sunday morning. She plunged 40ft and sustained fatal injuries to her head The incident comes one month after after Fordham senior Sydney Monfries, 22, fell 40 feet to her death inside the Bronx campuss Keating Hall clock tower. The journalism student and her friends had broken into the off-limits structure because they saw it as a 'rite of passage' as seniors and wanted to get photographs for their Instagram pages, according to their peers. Sydney uploaded a video to Snapchat moments before she died from inside, captioning it 'bell tower'. After she fell, she was rushed to Saint Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. Sydney was due to graduate this month. The university has said it will award her her degree posthumously. Bill Shorten has laughed off claims he runs like Phoebe from the US sitcom Friends. The Opposition Leader took time out of the campaign trail to sit down with Kyle and Jackie O on their KIIS breakfast radio show on Monday morning. 'That's mean isn't it!,' Shorten joked when asked about his 'odd' running style. The Labor leader, who is often spotted exercising in public, was filmed sprinting across the Martagarup Bridge in Perth last week, to the amusement of social media. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten took time out of the campaign trail to sit down with Kyle and Jackie O on their KIIS breakfast radio show on Monday morning, and laughed off claims he runs like Phoebe from the show Friends 'Next journalist who says that, come for a run with me and see how you're going after 5km,' he quipped. 'I'm getting under 25 minutes for my 5km,' he added, unfazed by the social media storm his unusual running style attracted. Shorten went on to say he runs five or six mornings a week. 'Oh that is a whack run!' Sandilands joked, as the three re-watched footage of the jog in their studio. 'You're better than me! I tell you, I'm not running anywhere,' he added. 'I probably run even worse than what you do,' Jackie O Henderson then joked, offering to run alongside Shorten. 'I'm not saying I'd win the style points, but I probably didn't need to even say that...But I never give up,' the Opposition Leader joked. Social media erupted over the video of Shorten's very unique running style last week. After footage of the morning jog was posted on Instagram, social media users were quick to share hilarious comments ridiculing the politician's awkward stride. 'Dude runs like he's about to s**t himself. Hope you make it to Maccas in time,' one person said. Run, Shorten, Run: Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten was captured on video going for a morning jog in Perth last week Morning jog: Social media users were quick to ridicule the politician for his awkward stride Shorten is often spotted exercising in public. Some users compared his running style to that of Forrest Gump's or Friends' character Phoebe Buffay's famous over-enthusiastic run 'For some reason I reckon he's snatched a purse or two in his youth and ran off that exact same way,' another quipped. One user said: 'How can you trust a socialist with the stride of a duck.' 'Can't RUN a country,' another said. Some also pointed out Shorten's seemingly large shoe size, saying he looked like he wore a size 18. 'It's either Ian Thorpe or he's straight out of the barrier reef and realised he's left the straightener on at home and hasn't had time to take the flippers off!' the user joked. 'Those feet - RONALD MACDONALD,' user porchandbutler said. Shorten's running style also drew comparisons to that of Forrest Gump and Friends' character Phoebe Buffay's famous over-enthusiastic run. This is not the first time Shorten has caused a stir over his awkward moments in public. In 2016, Shorten was widely criticised for his odd sausage-eating technique 'That's the run of a sideways sausage eater #neverforget,' one user commented, referring to when Shorten infamously bit into a sausage roll from the middle and set social media alight. Mr Shorten attended Strathfield North Public School polling booth in Sydney's west in 2016 for a traditional Election Day sausage sizzle. There he was photographed chomping down on a sausage roll sideways and was criticised for his unconventional sausage-eating technique. He later tried to justify the incident, saying the roll was so crusty the 'teeth of a great white' would have been needed to bite into it. A hiker who ended up getting lost for four days in Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park managed to survive despite having no food, and being caught in snowy, freezing cold weather, wearing only a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. John Harm Wiersema, 39, of Jerome, Idaho, set off on a four-mile trek on Monday afternoon without any food, and just a single bottle of water. By the time rescuers found him on Friday afternoon, he was dehydrated but incredibly had only minor scrapes and bruises. John Harm Wiersema, 39, was found injured and extremely dehydrated in Bryce Canyon after a call from a worried family member prompted an extensive search Wiersema had left his home in Jerome, Idaho, to hike through Bryce Canyon, Utah, pictured Crews had been searching the national park in Southwestern Utah by helicopter and on foot for several hours after spotting his car earlier that morning. 'With recent weather conditions being very cold and having snowed, it was hard to believe someone could survive alone in the area,' the sheriff's office said. Wiersema had set out to hike the Swamp Canyon Trail. The 4.1-mile trek offers incredible views of the park's iconic red rock formations. Bryce Canyon covers an area of more than 59 square miles. A rescue search was conducted by air and also on the ground along snow-covered trails (file) Some four days after he began his hike, rescuers found Wiersema who was suffering from dehydration, scrapes, cuts and bruises (file photo) Rescuers had only been searching since Thursday after receiving a report that he had gone missing, the sheriff's office said. They began looking for his car which was quickly found. Wiersema told officers he survived by drinking water from streams. He 'just wandered around not knowing how to find his way out,' police said. 'John Wiersema thought he was going on a two-hour hike on the Swamp Canyon Trail in Bryce Canyon but had somehow got lost,' officials said. The sheriff's office thanked volunteer rescue crews, park rangers and the Utah Department of Public Safety, which supplied the helicopter. It also urged hikers to research the area, equip themselves with maps and stay prepared for any conditions. He had set out Monday wearing a T-shirt and shorts with one bottle of water to complete a two-hour hike on the Swamp Canyon Trail In a lengthy Facebook posting on Saturday, Wiersema explained what had happened when he arrived at Bryce canyon late on Monday afternoon. 'I got to the first outlook, Swamp Canyon. I thought it would be nice to go for a hike. Once I got a ways down I wanted to go further. Once I decided I should turn back before it gets dark, I lost my trail. I was a little frustrated the first night when I found a stream, in the dark, by stepping in it. So now it's cold, windy and I have wet socks. I wish that was the worst that happened.' After spending the night out in freezing conditions he said he had renewed hope that he might find his way out on the Tuesday. 'I got the bright idea to climb the rocks to see if I could find where I was but I was again in unfamiliar surroundings. I climbed the rocks many more times over the next few days and at one point a branch snapped. I was easily over 150 feet high. I lost all control, started sliding and thanks to this lone bush, I was saved from certain doom. 'I slept in the rain, chilling wind and even snow, during the day that hot sun burned me. I survived on water from a stream and snow and even tried chewing on some pine needles get some moisture from them. I suffered from delusions and auditory hallucination. I was bushwhacked so much I have abrasions all over. 'So many times, I lost all hope and accepted, I'm going to die down here. I would lay my head down and drift off not knowing if I would wake up. When I did, I had bursts of reality, I refuse to die here,' he told of his harrowing experience. Wiersema told how he became lost and 'basically wandered around for the next four days trying to find a way out of the canyon' until he was found by search teams It wasn't until the fourth day that he finally came across other human beings. 'Friday morning I came across these 3 guys on horses who had some dogs with them were apparently bear hunting. These were the first people I'd seen since Monday evening. They were son, father and grandfather. The son immediately hands me an ice cold Powerade. My hero! The father jumps off his horse and gets me on, taking me to where they are parked. 'A couple hours later a couple guys in dune buggy with Sheriff's office written on the side pulled up. I don't think they saw me saw me at first but I slowly was able to stand up and said something like, "I'm the dude that's been missing since Monday". One looks at the other and says, "Wow! I'm glad they were wrong!"'. Wiersema is currently recuperating at Intermountain Garfield memorial hospital in Panguitch, Utah. He ends his dramatic post by thanking his family, friends and rescuers along with the medical staff who are currently looking after him. He should be released from hospital in a few days. 'Again, I can't believe the support and love from you guys. I cried after hearing from my family and closest friends and saw how many reached out to show how worried they are. You guys saved my life!' Wiersema wrote. 'Now that my kidneys are working, is it too soon for that celebratory near death experience beer?' he asked. A blog post laid bare Elisha Greer's carefree Australian holiday - before it was interrupted by the 'psycho' Marcus Martin A British backpacker described herself as struggling with money, open-minded and 'hoping to meet interesting people' in a carefree holiday blog in the months before she was abducted by a madman. Elisha Greer, 23, from Liverpool, England, was road tripping around Australia in early 2017 when she met Marcus Martin at a 'bush doof', or outdoor dance party, in Cairns. She thought Martin was a 'just a nice guy' - and did not realise how dangerous and deranged he was until it was too late. Over five days in March, the 'psycho' forced her to drive 1600km through the Queensland outback, beat her and even tried to get her pregnant so she would feel as if she couldn't leave him. While Ms Greer escaped, and bravely spoke out on Channel Seven's Sunday Night program this week, a blog post has made clear how Martin shattered her carefree existence. Ms Greer's accommodation website profile was like any other backpacker's - displaying happy tourist shots and detailing skills that could help her get by, such as hairdressing Writing on accommodation website Couchsurfing.com, Ms Greer posted pictures of her happy holiday up the country's east coast and described how she had travelled from Brisbane to Cairns. 'My name is Elisha, I'm from England, Liverpool,' she said. 'I'm an open minded person. '(I'm) here (on couchsurfing.com) because I'm travelling up to Cairns and staying in certain towns for a night or 2. 'Hoping I'll meet some interesting people on the way! 'Also, I am really struggling with money at the moment as I have spent it all on a trip from Brisbane to Cairns.' Ms Greer said she had some helpful skills including hairdressing, barbering and applying make-up. 'I'm spending over a month travelling the whole east coast, I'm going to be doing some amazing things on my way up,' she said. Little did she she know just what she would be subjected to after meeting Martin in the country's north. Ms Greer spoke out about her terrifying ordeal on Sunday as graphic photos of her battered and bruised face were shown for the first time. It all began when she met Martin at the dance party on Australia Day (January 26) 2017. At the time, friends said the backpacker appeared to be under her attacker's 'spell'. Within days their relationship began to sour as he became 'obsessive and clingy.' Martin would apologise for beating her but he continued to perpetrate the horrendous abuse Martin raped Ms Greer in a hotel room in Cairns and kidnapped her. 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 recalled how Martin held a gun to her head as they drove 1600km through the Queensland outback for five days from March 1. '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'. 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. Ms Greer suffered extensive injuries (pictured) at the hands of her kidnapper Marcus Martin '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. '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. '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".' Ms Greer was driving a white Mitsubishi Pajero through Mitchell when she stopped at a petrol station to fill up. 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) 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 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. '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... 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. 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 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. 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 Martin was arrested and charged before pleading guilty in October last year to three counts of rape and one count of deprivation of liberty. 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.' It is Europes biggest infrastructure project, which has been marred by controversy due to severe delays and overspending in the billions. Now, Crossrail has come under fire again after it was revealed that it has employed 479 train drivers at a 25million-a-year cost to the taxpayer even though the project will not be fully open for another two years. Hundreds of them are on annual salaries of more than 59,000. The majority of Crossrail drivers are working on the projects partially open tracks on the outskirts of London. Critics want Crossrail, and its parent organisation Transport for London, to divert trained drivers to other areas that need them [File photo] The Elizabeth Line, stretching from Reading in the west to Shenfield, Essex, in the east was due to be opened by the Queen last December. But due to a litany of failings including delayed engineering works, the project will now not open until March 2021. Most of the drivers were employed before the decision was made in August 2018 to delay the project, The Sunday Times reported. How to sort out HS2? Hire Huawei... Britain risks repeating the Huawei security affair by speaking to Chinese state firms about building the HS2 rail line, senior Tories warned yesterday. They say relationships with allies such as the US will be put under further strain by encouraging Chinas involvement. Mark Thurston, boss of the government-owned firm responsible for HS2, flew to Beijing last month for talks with five rail firms, which are ultimately owned by the communist state. Chinas National Development and Reform Commission said the discussions related to a wholesale package to build the HS2 line. Last week, Gavin Williamson was sacked as defence secretary after being accused of leaking information about a decision by Theresa May to allow Huawei to help build the UKs 5G network. Tory MP Julian Lewis said: This is another deeply worrying example of a failure to appreciate the totalitarian nature of the Chinese communist regime. Advertisement Fully trained Crossrail drivers with at least a years experience get a salary of 59,231. They also get a four-day week in a deal negotiated by the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen. For drivers in training, salaries are much lower at 29,000. Of the 479 drivers employed only 114 about a quarter are in training. This comes amid a national shortage of train drivers, which has led to the cancellation of thousands of services. Some of the Crossrail drivers are being used to test trains. The majority are working on the projects partially open tracks on the outskirts of London. Critics want Crossrail, and its parent organisation Transport for London, to divert trained drivers to other areas that need them. Andy McDonald, Labours transport spokesman, said: Its frankly ridiculous that hundreds of staff on Crossrail who are employed yet not operational cannot provide cover for other parts of the rail network where shortages of staff exist. Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat deputy chairman of the London Assembly transport committee, said: Crossrails escalating costs are already an embarrassment, without train drivers being paid for not working. Last week a damming report revealed that Crossrail started veering off the tracks four years ago, but bosses failed to stop it. The Elizabeth Line, stretching from Reading in the west to Shenfield, Essex, in the east was due to be opened by the Queen last December. But due to a litany of failings including delayed engineering works, the project will now not open until March 2021 The report by public spending watchdog the National Audit Office said management exerted little pressure on key contractors to deliver the programme efficiently, which led to costs spiralling by up to 500 per cent. Delays in engineering works at the start of the project meant contracts for the building of stations, tunnels and installing of signalling systems were also delayed. Last October, the Government was forced to give the project a 350million bailout. A TfL spokesman said: Drivers have to be competent and qualified for both the types of train they are driving and their specific routes, so it is usually not possible for them to be deployed to other operators and services. Alarmingly, surveys show that only a small percentage of us knows what to do in a health emergency. That's why the Daily Mail has teamed up with St John Ambulance to produce this first aid series to give you the confidence and skills to act in a crisis. Today, we address common health hazards affecting babies and children. Would you know what to do if your child started choking on a strawberry during a picnic in the park? Or if your neighbour knocked at your door with her unresponsive toddler in her arms? Childhood presents its own set of first aid emergencies to contend with occasionally life-threatening, usually less serious, all potentially terrifying for family and friends. We all want to help, yet surveys show that many of us either don't know what to do or are too fearful of getting something wrong. But knowing what steps to take in an emergency can improve a child's chances of making a quick recovery and could even save a life. Many first aid situations involving children occur because of their immaturity. They may stumble and hurt themselves because they are not yet steady on their feet, for instance, or choke because they have put an object into their mouths out of natural curiosity. Alarmingly, surveys show that only a small percentage of us knows what to do in a health emergency. That's why the Daily Mail has teamed up with St John Ambulance to produce this first aid series to give you the confidence and skills to act in a crisis. Today, we address common health hazards affecting babies and children 'Many of the accidents that befall children come about as part of life's rich tapestry, as they grow up and explore the world around them,' says Alan Weir, head of clinical operations at St John Ambulance. Accidents that might be unpleasant and painful for an adult such as knocking a hot cup of tea over themselves can be more serious for a child. Because they are small, the scald affects a much larger proportion of their bodies. And, as their bodies are still developing, they can respond differently to things such as having a high temperature. Some children will experience convulsions, as the part of their brain that deals with temperature regulation is not yet sufficiently developed. Here's how to cope when a little one has an emergency. TEMPERATURES All children suffer high temperatures from time to time. A normal temperature for a baby or child is between 36.4c and 37c, depending on where it is taken from a fever is a temperature of 38c or above. SYMPTOMS He or she feels clammy or sweaty and has flushed cheeks n he or she feels hotter than usual to the touch (on their forehead, back or stomach) WHAT TO DO You can usually look after your child at home the important thing is to give them plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. If you are breastfeeding, offer more feeds than usual. Check their temperature use a digital thermometer, as they are the most accurate. Seek urgent medical advice or take them to hospital if: Your child has other worrying symptoms such as a rash (see back page of this supplement for how to deal with possible meningitis and sepsis). Your baby or child's temperature is 39c or higher and your child is under the age of four. SEIZURES Sometimes babies and young children can suffer a seizure or convulsion as a result of having a temperature, often following an infection. This is most common in children aged between six months and three years. This type of seizure, known as a febrile seizure, occurs because the brain is not mature enough to cope with the body's high temperature. Suffering from febrile seizures does not necessarily mean a child will develop epilepsy later on. Occasionally, a seizure can follow a head injury. SYMPTOMS High temperature Unresponsiveness Clenched fists Muscle contraction and tensing Jerking movements WHAT TO DO Clear away objects that may cause injury. Put soft padding such as blankets or pillows around them to protect them. Do not restrain them. Cool them, if appropriate, by removing a layer of clothing. When the seizure has stopped, put them in the recovery position (see page 3 of this supplement). Call 999 or 112 for help. Monitor their level of responsiveness while you wait for help to arrive. The best devices to take an infants' temperature DR Judith Holmes, an NHS GP at Warwickshire and Spire Parkway Hospital, selects her top child-friendly thermometers. BRAUN THERMOSCAN 3 34.99, boots.com I use this in my clinics. It measures 'tympanic' [ear] temperature in one second, giving four beeps if it's too high. Tympanic is more reliable than skin temperature as it's less affected by environment, such as clothing or a hot bath. JELLYWORKS PEPPA PIG 4.50, amazon.co.uk I like the addition of the character to this simple choice. It measures oral or armpit temperature in ten seconds and has a handy memory function to store previous readings so you can track changes in your child's temperature. Make sure you clean it between uses. BROTHER MAX 6-IN-1 PROJECTION 59.99, boots.com This is a no-touch device so is very hygienic. You hold it an inch from a child's forehead. It uses infrared to take the temperature in seconds, which it then projects on to the forehead. BRANNAN FOREHEAD STRIP 2.95, amazon.co.uk You hold this plastic strip across the forehead for 15 seconds to get a reading. It is simple and pretty non-invasive so won't upset a child. Results are not as accurate as a digital thermometer, but it is good as a short-term solution such as for holidays. Advertisement From choking to concussion CHOKING If the airway is completely blocked, a choking baby or child may suffer a cardiac arrest and die before an ambulance arrives. But quick reactions can save their life. Symptoms Coughing Difficulty breathing, talking or crying Red, puffy face If the airway is completely blocked, a choking baby or child may suffer a cardiac arrest and die before an ambulance arrives. But quick reactions can save their life BABY As your baby starts eating solid foods and playing with small objects, they may be at risk of choking. This advice will help you know what to do if a baby aged one or under chokes. What to do Slap it out: Lie the baby face down along your thigh and support their head. Give up to five back blows between the shoulder blades, checking to see if there is anything in the baby's mouth afterwards. Squeeze it out: Using two fingers, give up to five sharp chest thrusts on the lower part of the breastbone. Check the mouth afterwards. Call 999/112 for emergency help, taking the baby with you to make the call. Repeat slapping and squeezing steps until help arrives. CHILD A choking child may be able to clear a blocked airway by coughing.If they can't, you will need to help them immediately. WHAT TO DO Ask if the victim is choking. If they can breathe, they may be able to clear their own throat if not, they need help. Cough it out: Encourage them to cough and remove any obvious obstruction from their mouth. Slap it out: Ask them to lean forwards, supporting their upper body with one hand. With the heel of your hand, administer up to five sharp blows between their shoulder blades, checking to see if there's anything in their mouth afterwards. A choking child may be able to clear a blocked airway by coughing.If they can't, you will need to help them immediately Squeeze it out: If the obstruction is still there, stand behind the child and put your arms around their waist. Place one hand in a clenched fist between their belly button and the bottom of their chest. With your other hand, grasp your fist and pull sharply in and upwards, up to five times. Check the mouth again afterwards. If the obstruction has not been cleared, call 999 or 112 for emergency help. Repeat five back blows and five thrusts until help arrives. If the person becomes unresponsive, prepare to start CPR (see box, right, for how to do this). OBJECT IN THE EYE, EAR OR NOSE Foreign objects such as grit, a loose eyelash, or sand that lie on the surface of the eye can easily be rinsed out, but sharp fragments like metal or glass may become embedded. If this happens, do not attempt to remove the fragment yourself but cover the eye and seek medical help as soon as possible. SYMPTOMS: EYE Pain in the eye or eyelid Redness, watering eyes Bloodshot or visible wound Blurred vision WHAT TO DO: EYE Tell them not to rub the eye. Ask them to sit down facing a light. Stand behind them and, with their head tilted back, gently open the eyelid with your thumbs. Inspect the eye by asking them to look up, down, left and right. If there is something on the surface of the eye, wash it out by pouring clean water from the inner corner. If this doesn't work, remove the object with a moist piece of gauze. If you still can't remove it, seek medical advice. WHAT TO DO: EAR OR NOSE If you think a baby or child has an object in their ear or nose, take them to hospital straight away. Do not attempt to remove it yourself, as you could push it further in. Keep the child calm. If there is an insect in their ear, support the child's head with the affected ear facing upwards. Gently flood the ear with tepid water, which should allow the insect to float out. If that fails, seek medical advice. If you think the child or baby has ingested a button battery or pushed one up their nose or into their ear, dial 999 immediately, as these can cause chemical burns. DIARRHOEA OR VOMITING This is more serious in a child than an adult, as dehydration sets in sooner. Keep them topped up with fluids and seek medical advice if they don't improve after 24 hours. DISLOCATED JOINTS The joints of babies and young children are delicate and can become dislocated if too much force is exerted on them. Dislocations can be serious. SYMPTOMS Pain Inability to move the joint Swelling, bruising or deformity WHAT TO DO Try to keep your baby or young child still. Don't try to replace the dislocated bone in its socket, as this can cause further injury. Immobilise the injury. Call 999 or 112 for emergency help or take them to hospital. Treat them for shock if necessary (see below). While waiting for help to arrive, monitor their responsiveness. FRACTURES In an open fracture, the bone may pierce the skin; in a closed fracture, the skin is intact. Broken bones may cause internal bleeding and shock (see above). SYMPTOMS Deformity, unusual bend, swelling or bruising on limb Pain in moving Grating noise or sensation caused by the ends of the broken bones rubbing together WHAT TO DO Cover any wound with a sterile dressing or clean, non-fluffy cloth. Apply pressure to the wound but not to the protruding bone to control any bleeding. Secure with a dressing. Try to prevent the child from moving. Stop the limb moving and place padding around it. Secure an arm fracture with a sling; a leg fracture with a broad-folded triangular bandage. Call 999 or 112. ANIMAL BITES Children are naturally curious with animals, so they are prone to being bitten. Bites allow germs in, so you must prevent infection. WHAT TO DO Wash the wound thoroughly. Raise and support the wound. Cover with a sterile dressing. Seek medical help if you are not sure the child has had a tetanus jab. Call 999 or 112 straight away if there is a risk of rabies. Concussion All head injuries, even minor ones, are potentially serious as they can damage the brain. Concussion is common. SYMPTOMS Briefly unresponsive Scalp wound Dizziness or nausea Loss of memory of events before or during the injury Headache Confusion WHAT TO DO Sit the patient down and provide something cold to hold to the injury. Treat scalp wounds like a bleed, applying pressure. If they're not responsive, and are suffering from persistent headaches, vomiting or visual disturbances, call 999 or 112. Advertisement I stopped a scald scarring Archie's ankles Burns and scalds Laura Chambers, 30, is a part-time estate agent. She lives in Cheshire with her partner, Sam, 30, a joiner, and their son, Archie, 20 months. She says: We were in a cafe on a break in the Lake District last month when Archie pulled a cup of coffee over and the hot drink scalded his legs. You never think something like that will happen to you, and had it happened two weeks earlier, I'd have frozen in panic, looking for someone to help me. Fortunately, a week before the accident I'd been to a mini first aid class in Warrington, where I'd learned basics such as CPR and how to treat burns. I'd nipped to the bathroom after ordering drinks, and my partner, Sam, had taken our drinks and Archie to a table outside. When I returned a minute later, I found Archie screaming and Sam had jumped out of his seat. I knew immediately what had happened, and grabbed Archie and ran to the bathroom. I yelled to Sam to bring the nappy bag as I had packed a simple first aid kit. Laura Chambers, 30, is a part-time estate agent. She lives in Cheshire with her partner, Sam, 30, a joiner, and their son, Archie, 20 months I got him under the water with all his clothes on for a bit before I tried to take his clothes off. I learned on the course that if it's a bad burn the clothes will be stuck to it, so taking them off can take the skin off too. I got his legs under the cold water for a while before I tried to take his trousers off. Thankfully his trousers had protected most of his legs. But his ankles had been exposed and were red and swollen. I put Archie's legs back under the cold water. He was being sick and screaming in pain but I was surprisingly composed as I tried to calm him. I kept Archie under the cold water for about 20 minutes, while Sam went to get the car to take him to hospital. When Sam arrived, I took Archie out of the sink, applied burn gel on his ankles and covered them loosely in cling film. I'd learned that it was important to keep the burn clean, so I asked the cafe staff for the cling film they looked a bit confused. Then we got him in the car; this all happened within half an hour of the coffee being spilt. The 40-minute journey to hospital seemed so long I remained calm but Archie was crying and I had to stop him touching his legs. When we got to the hospital, Archie had calmed down. The nurses checked his ankles, which were still red, but they said I'd done all the right things. Cooling the skin had really helped and he didn't need to be admitted. The burn covered a 5cm diameter on both ankles. They bandaged him up and we were told to come back every 48 hours to check the wound. A week later, they took the bandages off and Archie has healed incredibly well. The hospital staff said that everything I'd done had helped prevent scarring. It was only after we'd come out of hospital that first time that I broke down in tears, the emotion of it hitting me. But I'm so thankful I took that first aid course. I'd seen an advert on Facebook that it was taking place at the local church and it was only 20 for a two-hour course. I'd always wanted to do one, but when I checked they were always too expensive. Cool under pressure: Archie, with mum Laura and, inset, Archie's feet, bandaged for his trip home from hospital I don't like to think what would have happened if I hadn't done it. The hospital staff said that by keeping him under the cold water for 20 minutes, I'd ensured the burn hadn't gone into the deeper layers of the skin. And now the skin looks normal and Archie is toddling about, happy as ever. treating burns and scalds Burns and scalds are damage to the skin caused by heat. A burn is usually caused by dry heat, such as from the sun or a hot iron. A scald is caused by wet heat, such as steam or a hot cup of tea. One of the most common causes of burns in children is accidentally scalding themselves with a hot drink. This can be very serious for a very young child because of the relative size of the surface area involved. SYMPTOMS Red skin Swelling The skin may appear white or scorched, and may peel Blisters may form later on WHAT TO DO Move the casualty away from the source of heat immediately. Start cooling the burn as quickly as possible. Run it under cool water for at least ten minutes. Don't use ice, creams or gels these can damage tissues and increase risk of infection. Assess how bad the burn is. It is serious if it is: larger than the size of the casualty's hand on the face, hands or feet a deep burn For a serious burn, call 999 or 112 for emergency medical help. If in doubt, seek medical advice. Remove any clothing near the burn (unless it is stuck to it). Cover the burned area with cling film or another clean, non-fluffy material, such as a clean plastic bag. This will protect it from infection. n If necessary, treat for shock as detailed below (shock is a life-threatening condition, not to be confused with emotional shock). SHOCK A child suffering a serious burn or scald will develop shock, which is a potentially life-threatening condition requiring urgent medical intervention. WHAT TO DO After tending the burn and calling 999, lay the child down with their legs raised to improve blood supply to their vital organs. Cover them (excluding any burnt areas) to keep them warm. Loosen tight clothing to avoid constricting the blood flow around the body. Try to encourage them to keep calm and breathe regularly. If they become unresponsive, perform CPR (see right). HOW TO: RECOVERY POSITION AND CPR RECOVERY POSITION If a baby or child is not responding but is breathing, use the recovery position to keep their airway open and prevent choking. WHAT TO DO: BABY Cradle them in your arms with their head tilted downwards Call 999 or 112 for emergency help Monitor the baby's response If a baby or child is not responding but is breathing, use the recovery position to keep their airway open and prevent choking WHAT TO DO: CHILD Put the child's nearest arm at a right angle to their body, with the elbow bent Place the back of their far hand against their cheek and hold it there Pull the far knee up until their foot is flat Pull on the bent leg to roll them towards you Tilt their head back to open airway Call 999 or 112 for help Monitor their response GIVING CPR TO A BABY OR CHILD IF a child is not responsive and not breathing, start CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) straight away. WHAT TO DO If someone is with you, get them to call 999 or 112. If you're on your own, give one minute of CPR before you call 999 or 112. Kneel down beside the baby or child on the floor, level with their chest. Give five rescue breaths to begin with, before starting the classic sequence of 30 chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths. Perform rescue breaths on a child by putting your mouth over their mouth to form a seal. For a baby under one, cover the mouth and nose. Blow steadily so that the chest rises. Remove your mouth, allowing the chest to fall. Then repeat. Now give 30 chest compressions. Place the heel of one hand towards the end of their breastbone, in the centre of their chest, making sure you keep the fingers off the ribs. For a baby, place two fingertips of your lower hand on the centre of the baby's chest. Lean over the child, with your arm straight, pressing down vertically on the breastbone, and press the chest down by at least one-third of its depth. Release pressure without removing your hand from their chest. Allow the chest to come back up fully this is one compression. Repeat this 30 times, at a rate of about twice a second mentally repeating the Bee Gees song Stayin' Alive or the children's rhyme Nellie the Elephant can help you maintain this rhythm. Repeat the sequence of two breaths and 30 compressions until help arrives. If the baby or child begins breathing, put them in the recovery position until help arrives. Advertisement DROWNING A drowning child may not scream for help or thrash around, and does not always realise they are in trouble. This is why many drownings can go unnoticed, even if family and friends are nearby. WHAT TO DO Once out of the water, check if they are breathing and responsive. If they are not, begin CPR and call 999 or 112. If the child begins breathing, put them in the recovery position and keep them warm while waiting for help. It's not just accidents such as falls and fractures that children may encounter. They can also suffer allergies and infections that could become serious. Here's how to react to five common concerns. The signs of sepsis and other serious reactions ALLERGIC REACTIONS An allergy is an abnormal reaction to an allergen or 'trigger'. One of the most common is pollen, causing hay fever. Others include animal hair, bee stings, medication (especially penicillin) and food such as nuts and shellfish. Allergies are when the body has an abnormal immune reaction to a normally harmless substance, mistaking it for a threat. SYMPTOMS Red blotchy skin Itchiness Difficulty breathing Swelling of hands, face or feet Abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea WHAT TO DO Assess the child's symptoms. If they are old enough to talk, ask if they have a known allergy. Separate them from the trigger. Treat the symptoms. If it's a known allergy and the child has medication, help them take it. Seek medical assistance. ASTHMA ATTACK During an asthma attack, the muscles of the air passages go into spasm and the airways narrow, making breathing difficult. Sometimes, but not always, there is a known trigger, such as a cold, a drug or an allergy. SYMPTOMS Wheezing and coughing Anxiety Difficulty breathing or speaking Blue-grey tinge to lips, earlobes or nailbeds A severe attack will also result in exhaustion WHAT TO DO Reassure them and help them use their reliever inhaler. If no inhaler, call 999 or 112. Sit them down and ask them to breathe slowly and deeply. If the attack does not ease, advise one to two puffs of the reliever inhaler every two minutes for up to ten puffs. If they don't improve, call 999 and monitor until help arrives. CROUP Croup is an inflamed windpipe and voice box, often developing from a cold or cough. SYMPTOMS Distinctive short barking cough often likened to a seal's bark Difficulty breathing Flushed appearance Distress Blocked or runny nose as it often follows a cold WHAT TO DO Sit the child on your knees, supporting their back in order to reassure them and help them breathe regularly. If croup is severe, with a high temperature, call 999 or 112. There is a small risk they may have a rare but similar condition called epiglottitis. The epiglottis is a flap of tissue at the base of the tongue which keeps food from going down the windpipe when swallowing. If this gets infected and swollen it can block the airway. If you suspect epiglottitis you should call 999 or 112. Monitor breathing and responsiveness until emergency help arrives. SEPSIS Sepsis (also known as septicaemia or blood poisoning) is a potentially life-threatening condition affecting 25,000 children in the UK each year. It is the immune system's over-reaction to an infection or injury. If not treated immediately, sepsis can result in organ failure and death. Yet with early diagnosis, it can be treated with antibiotics. Sepsis is most commonly caused by a bacterial infection. It can develop as a complication of meningitis but sometimes doctors cannot find the source of the infection. Sepsis can initially look like flu, gastroenteritis or a chest infection. If your child is ill with a fever, very low temperature, or has had a fever in the last 24 hours, it is possible they have sepsis. There is no one sign, and symptoms in children can appear different from those in adults. SYMPTOMS: UNDER FIVE Not feeding Vomiting repeatedly Has not passed urine for 12 hours SYMPTOMS: FIVE AND OVER Rapid breathing Has a 'fit' or a convulsion Mottled, blue-ish or pale Has a rash that does not fade when you press it Lethargic or hard to wake Feels abnormally cold to the touch WHAT TO DO Call 999 or 112 immediately. Try to reassure the child. Cover them with a blanket if they feel cold while waiting for help to arrive. Meningitis Meningitis is an infection of the linings surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Babies, children and teenagers are particularly susceptible to certain strains. Meningitis can be successfully treated with antibiotics if it is identified quickly. However, it can be fatal or lead to life-changing complications including brain damage, epilepsy, amputations and blindness if not caught in time. Many parents associate meningitis with a distinctive purple rash, but often this does not appear until the disease is very advanced, by which point it may be too late for antibiotics to work. This is why it is vital not to wait for this symptom but to seek urgent medical help if you have any concerns. A rash of red or purple spots may develop as the infection progresses. These will not fade when pressed and viewed through a glass SYMPTOMS A child may have some but not all of the following symptoms: Feeling very unwell, 'flu-like' and with a high temperature Mottled or pale skin Hands and feet may feel cold to touch Joint and limb pain A severe headache Neck stiffness Vomiting Eyes sensitive to light Drowsiness Babies may have a high-pitched moaning or whimpering cry. They may be floppy and the soft spot on the top of the skull (known as the fontanelle) may be tense or bulging A rash of red or purple spots may develop as the infection progresses. These will not fade when pressed and viewed through a glass WHAT TO DO Call 999 or 112 immediately While waiting for help, try to treat the fever by keeping the child cool. While waiting, check any rash with a glass test to see if the spots don't fade. Reassure the child and keep them as cool as possible, monitoring their responsiveness. Advertisement Book a baby first aid course at sja.org.uk/babyfirstaidcourse COMPILED BY: JUDITH KEELING, JILL FOSTER AND CAROLINE JONES When Extinction Rebellion laid siege to London over Easter, Jeremy Corbyn eagerly and some might say cynically wrapped himself in the eco-protesters colours. With his fudged position on a second EU referendum costing him the support of many younger voters, he then used a Labour Opposition Day debate in the Commons last week to declare a climate emergency. As leader of the Opposition since September 2015, you might think Comrade Corbyn had been banging on about green issues for years. Jeremy Corbyn used a Labour Opposition Day debate in the Commons last week to declare a climate emergency. As leader of the Opposition since September 2015, you might think Comrade Corbyn had been banging on about green issues for years In fact, the reverse is the case as Environment Secretary Michael Gove brutally observed during the debate. One thing I want to emphasise is that actions and a higher level of ambitions count, but when people across this House say that this situation is an emergency, we need to look at the record, Gove said. Since I became Environment Secretary nearly two years ago, the Leader of the Opposition has not used a single Opposition Day to debate climate change or the environment until today. He has not asked a single question not one of the Prime Minister about climate change or the environment, despite more than 400 opportunities to do so. When Extinction Rebellion laid siege to London over Easter, Jeremy Corbyn eagerly and some might say cynically wrapped himself in the eco-protesters colours. Protesters from Extinction Rebellion are pictured outside Parliament last week Environment Secretary Michael Gove (above) said: One thing I want to emphasise is that actions and a higher level of ambitions count, but when people across this House say that this situation is an emergency, we need to look at the record' [File photo] When climate change protesters went to his own home, literally, to bring home the scale of the challenge that we face, he was not able to stop and talk to them . . . Rounding on Corbyn for trying to score party political points, he added: We should not try to say that any one party in this House has a monopoly of virtue. He might have added that one party leader does seem to have a monopoly on jumping on political bandwagons. Mrs Ts iron discipline Lord Tebbit, one of Mrs Thatchers most loyal and effective ministers, recalling the 40th anniversary of her first general election victory in May 1979, said: I always think back to a particularly contentious Cabinet discussion. She looked round the table and said: Gentlemen they all were [men] then shall we have the facts first and the discussion afterwards? Arise, Lord Baldrick? Former Blackadder star Sir Tony Robinson, who quit Labour last week after 45 years he despairs of Comrade Corbyns leadership isnt short of suitors. Join us @Tony_Robinson. A warm welcome awaits! tweeted the Liberal Democrat group in the Lords. Quote of the week: Sir Ed Davey, a former Lib Dem Cabinet minister, says of Labours position on the Brexit referendum Misleading the many, not the few. Housing minister Kit Malthouse will never live down the Malthouse Compromise, the briefly fashionable Brexit breakthrough he devised but which was ignored by Theresa May. What a wonderful thing to have on your gravestone, BBC presenter Adrian Chiles caustically told the MP. It might be a GCSE Question one day, countered Malthouse, optimistically. Sajid's 'Huawei' with words The row over Huawei surfaced at a private meeting of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs which was grilling Home Secretary Sajid Javid (above) last week [File photo] The row over Huawei surfaced at a private meeting of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs which was grilling Home Secretary Sajid Javid last week. Ed Vaizey, one of the first to speak, said: As a former Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, I have been invited to a party by a company called Huawei. Do you recommend that I accept the invitation or not? Javid retorted: Ed, when you were the Minister, I was your boss, and I remember you completely ignoring whatever advice that I gave you. So Im not going to waste my time answering that question. Cue loud banging of the desks. Contrary to what he said to the BBCs Andrew Marr yesterday, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell did forecast big gains for Labour on the eve of the local elections. I expect Labour to make around 400 gains, he had said. In the event, the Party lost 82 council seats. Lets hope hes better with his forecasts if, God forbid, he ever becomes Chancellor of the Exchequer. Grieving relatives of victims of the London Bridge terror attack have not received a penny in legal aid in their quest for justice. The inquest into the eight who were killed starts tomorrow and is expected to expose serious failings by the security services. Government agencies have used public funds to hire some of the best lawyers to represent their interests at a cost of almost 1million. Grieving relatives of the victims of the horrific London Bridge terror attack in 2017 have still not received a penny in legal aid But families of the victims have not received any public money to help them uncover the truth about what happened during the London Bridge atrocity in June 2017 when three attackers drove a van into pedestrians and launched a knife attack. Instead, the families are being forced to go through a complicated and circuitous application process, filling out intrusive means-testing forms which require them to list their assets and those of their dead relatives. The families of loved ones who died in the Westminster terror attack in March 2017, in which five people died, are also still waiting, possibly in vain, for legal aid payments seven months after the inquest into the deaths. Some believe they will never see a penny from the Government. The Westminster families had their claim rejected because their terrorism experts were not on an approved legal-aid list. They are appealing against the decision. John Frade, whose wife Aysha was killed in the Westminster attack, said he has lost faith in the system The London Bridge families are using the same lawyers but have attached their claim to a legal aid firm in an attempt to get their funding approved. They submitted their claim last month and await a decision. By contrast, jihadi bride Shamima Begum was swiftly granted legal aid three weeks ago to fight the decision to remove her British citizenship By contrast, jihadi bride Shamima Begum was swiftly granted legal aid three weeks ago to fight the decision to remove her British citizenship. It means taxpayers face a legal bill which could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds to fund the former London schoolgirl's fight to return to the UK from a refugee camp in Syria. Last night there was fury that relatives of the London Bridge atrocity must rely on the goodwill of lawyers to represent them free of charge at the two-month inquest at the Old Bailey. John Frade, whose wife Aysha was killed in the Westminster attack, said: 'I have now lost faith in the system. It is incredible that someone who supports terrorism like Shamima Begum can be granted legal aid, but the victims of terrorism are forgotten. That is not the action of a normal civilised country.' Mr Frade, 43, described the legal aid process as 'incredibly intrusive' and said he was forced to put down the value of his wife's wedding ring. 'It was a very difficult time as I was trying to write a tribute to Aysha for the inquest and work out what questions I wanted answered about how she died. 'The level of detail they were seeking was very intrusive and the process was emotionally sapping.' Motley crew who DID get public cash Here are some of those who DID get legal aid... Jihadi bride SHAMIMA BEGUM is receiving legal aid to fight the decision to remove her citizenship. Taxpayers will pay hundreds of thousands of pounds to fund her possible return from Syria. JACK SHEPHERD, 31 who killed a woman in a speedboat crash was awarded more than 100,000 to mount his defence at trial. He was then handed more public money to appeal. He was finally jailed last month after being extradited from Georgia. MICHAEL ADEBOLAJO, 34, and MICHAEL ADEBOWALE, 28, murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby in London in May 2013. The pair, who were jailed for life, received 200,000 in legal aid to fund their defences. Adebolajos appeal cost 50,000. Hate preacher ANJEM CHOUDARY, who has himself received 140,000 in legal aid, supposedly inspired the two killers. Paedophile GARY GLITTER was given more than 21,000 to fight child sex charges despite earning 300,000 a year in royalties. Advertisement The father-of-two added: 'I felt I didn't have a voice. All the Government agencies were being represented, and most had two or three people in court. It was almost as if our voices did not matter. It felt like we were in a David and Goliath battle.' He said it is 'highly unlikely' that the law firm he used will get paid which 'makes a complete mockery' of the process. The Westminster inquest lasted three weeks and contained 6,500 documents. Government agencies claim they spent 493,000 on legal fees. The state legal bill for the two-month London Bridge inquest is likely to be double this sum. Chief coroner Mark Lucraft QC, who presided over the Westminster inquest and will do the same for the London Bridge hearings, highlighted the lack of financial support for families in a report in 2017. The Government rejected his suggestion. Lawyer Helen Boniface, of Hogan Lovells, who is representing six families at the inquest, said: 'It is incredibly difficult to understand that people who have been through what they have, and been promised all the support, are left with all this uncertainty.' The Government insists that there is no right to legal aid at inquests because they are not considered 'adversarial', even though it is paying around 1million to lawyers to avoid blame for the killings. Deborah Coles, director of campaign group Inquest, said: 'It flies in the face of the government's so-called concerns for victims of terrorist attacks. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'While our review of legal aid showed that legal representation is not necessary for bereaved families at the vast majority of inquests, we are making changes to ensure there's more support for them.' WRAP estimates 100,000 tons of edible food goes uneaten each year Michael Gove last night became the first to sign up to a landmark pledge not to throw out uneaten food as part of a bid to halve wastage by 2030. The Environment Secretary said it was a 'moral, economic and environmental scandal' that 100,000 tons of edible food goes uneaten every year. He urged supermarkets, manufacturers and suppliers to 'step up to the plate' and sign the pledge to stop good food going to waste in their industries. Ministers want social media 'influencers' and chefs to sign the pledge to urge others to make better shopping decisions. Environmental Secretary Michael Gove last night said it was a 'moral, economic and environmental scandal' that 100,000 tons of edible food goes uneaten every year' The initiative, spearheaded by Ben Elliot, the Government's food surplus and waste champion, calls on firms to set 'ambitious' reduction targets. The charity WRAP estimates that 100,000 tons of edible food equivalent to 250 million meals goes uneaten each year. Instead, this food is sent away for generating energy or used as animal feed. Mr Gove said: 'I want to thank our marvellous food surplus and waste champion Ben Elliot for his brilliant work in bringing together the biggest players from the world of food to commit to tackling food waste. 'Together we must end the moral, economic and environmental scandal of food waste. 'The UK is showing real leadership in this area but I urge businesses to join me in signing the pledge so we can bring about real change. Mr Gove urged supermarkets, manufacturers and suppliers to 'step up to the plate' and sign the pledge to stop food going to waste 'Every year, around 100,000 tons of readily available and perfectly edible food goes uneaten. It's time to join together and 'step up to the plate' to stop good food going to waste.' As part of the pledge, Mr Gove will check his fridge before he shops to ensure he does not buy unnecessary food. He will use shopping lists and plan his household's meals. The Environment Secretary will also ensure he eats what he buys by freezing what he cannot consume right away and ensuring his fridge is at the right temperature. He will 'strive to achieve the behaviour he wants to see in others'. Mr Elliot is asking nearly 300 organisations and individuals due to attend a major gathering on food waste this month to adopt a package of pledges. The charity WRAP estimates that 100,000 tons of edible food equivalent to 250 million meals goes uneaten each year Businesses are expected to set their own targets to help contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving per capita global food waste by 2030. Ministers also want wider adoption of the 'food waste reduction roadmap' to help companies measure and report on efforts to cut waste. Devised by sustainability charity WRAP, it has Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons among the signatories. Mr Elliot will host the 'Step Up To The Plate Symposium' alongside Mr Gove at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London next Monday. A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was unable to reveal who would be attending but said it ranged from large retailers to public figures. Mr Elliot said: 'Wasting food is an environmental, moral and financial scandal. We intend for the symposium and pledge to spark action, not just conversation, and inspire us all to champion change.' The Government has committed to investing 15 million in tackling food waste. A married Seattle Times journalist has been suspended after it was revealed he harassed a female journalist with sexually explicit messages on Twitter. Talia Jane exposed Mike Rosenberg's messages after sharing a thread about the experience to illuminate what many women must deal with on social media. Jane, 29, initially did not reveal Rosenberg's identity on Sunday morning when she shared direct messages he had sent her through Twitter following their conversation about her plans as a freelance journalist. 'Anyway you're so beautiful,' he suddenly writes at 3.10am. Three minutes later, Rosenberg sends 'Anyway you are hilarious'. Around 40 minutes later, Rosenberg tells Jane: 'There is so much c*m on your face'. Married Seattle Times journalist Mike Rosenberg has been suspended after it was revealed he harassed journalist Talia Jane with sexually explicit messages on Twitter Jane, 29, initially did not reveal Rosenberg's identity on Sunday morning when she shared direct messages he had sent her through Twitter following their conversation about her plans as a freelance journalist Jane, who is based in Brooklyn, shared grabs of the conversation with the sarcastic caption: 'being a woman is totally normal and very cool'. 'Feeling supes chill that an established, married journalist is so comfortable using my lack of a job to get me to chat so he can tell me i have c*m on my beautiful, hilarious face,' she tweeted in a separate post. 'laughing beautifully through buckets of c*m that anyone thinks I, of all people, wouldn't post this'. Jane then shared more grabs of her conversation with Rosenberg after she replied and told him his messages weren't 'appropriate or acceptable'. Jane, who is based in Brooklyn, shared grabs of the conversation with the sarcastic caption: 'being a woman is totally normal and very cool' Jane then shared more grabs of her conversation with Rosenberg after she replied and told him his messages weren't 'appropriate or acceptable' Rosenberg then told Jane he was 'f*****g miserable' and claimed he couldn't tell his wife or delete his Twitter because it would ruin his job and marriage 'Holy s**t you're entirely right, that wasn't intended for you, I am incredibly sorry,' he wrote back. '(If I were you I would kill me)'. 'That's an inadequate excuse given the time stamps make it clear you could've noticed the error for 45 full minutes and instead kept going,' she replied. 'Dude, I'm sorry, I really am,' Rosenberg messaged back. 'If I were you I would block me and kill me. Nothing I can say will help, so I will leave you alone for good again, I am incredibly sorry, and I royally screwed up a potential friendship.' Rosenberg then told Jane he was 'f*****g miserable'. 'To take it out on you is an all-time Piece Of S**t Move. And really, anything I can do, I would (though I realize it's too late).' Jane told Rosenberg he needed to show his wife what he had sent her as well as permanently delete his Twitter account and 'any other social media' so that he couldn't 'engage in predatory behavior from behind the safety of a screen'. Jane shared with her followers that the experience had left her 'shivering' and that she did nothing to invite Rosenberg's harassing messages Jane told Rosenberg he needed to show his wife what he had sent her and permanently delete his Twitter account and 'any other social media' so that he couldn't 'engage in predatory behavior from behind the safety of a screen' 'And figure out how to handle your s**t like an adult without putting the onus on someone else to tell you how to act,' she added. 'You're right. However I can't just delete my Twitter or else I will get fired and be unemployed,' Rosenberg replied. 'Not to mention the fact that my wife will be devastated.' 'I told you what you need to do,' Jane shot back. 'If you can't handle the consequences of your actions then you shouldn't do them.' 'All right,' Rosenberg replied. 'Talia, I'm sorry, it was a humongous mistake. There is no excuse for it.' Rosenberg then claimed Twitter wasn't letting him deactivate his account. 'Okay then go ahead and tweet that you're the one who sent this,' Jane replied. Jane then shared a grab of the email she sent to the editors of the Seattle Times. At this point, she did not disclose Rosenberg's name or where he worked in her tweets. Jane then shared a grab of the email she sent to the editors of the Seattle Times. At this point, she did not disclose Rosenberg's name or where he worked in her tweets The executive editor responded and said Rosenberg's behavior was 'not okay' and that the newsroom's senior leadership would discuss how to deal with the situation 'I am bringing this information to your attention because the media landscape is filled with men who abuse their platforms to engage in predatory sexual harassment with less established voices,' she wrote in the letter to the editors. 'This behavior routinely discourages women and marginalized voices from entering the field and sets a precedent for other men to follow suit.' 'Typically, toeing-the-line/faking an accidental send are behaviors learned through practice and suggests Im not alone in receiving content of this nature from...' she said, redacting Rosenberg's name from the end of the email. Jane then shared an email she received from the paper's executive editor. 'You're right that his kind of behavior is not OK and I'm sorry you had to be subjected to that,' it read. 'We'll definitely discuss this among the newsroom's senior leadership and talk to [redacted] about it and deal with it appropriately. Thank you again for forwarding this.' Rosenberg then sent Jane an email asking for 'empathy to not our him' and promised to donate $1,000 to the National Organization for Women, prompting her to reveal his identity on Twitter By this point Rosenberg had deactivated his Twitter account, and Jane told his editors that she didn't want to get him fired. 'Before this, Mike's coverage of the Seattle and Bay Area housing crises were some of my most essential reads,' she told them. 'Mike has since deactivated his Twitter account, which is what I initially sought and I'm confident is the main outlet through which deeper problems manifested. He clearly needs help and this may be the opportunity needed for him to receive it and to grow.' But then Rosenberg sent Jane an email asking for 'empathy to not out him' and promised to donate $1,000 to the National Organization for Women. 'Wrong move,' she tweeted. 'Women are not toys. We certainly should not be played with and efforts to manipulate us will not be tolerated. Live with your choices.' Included alongside the tweet was a picture of the original grab that showed the harassing messages. This time, Rosenberg's name and photo were no longer redacted. Jane later shared a letter from Don Shelton, the executive editor of the Seattle Times, informing her that Rosenberg had been suspended while the paper 'investigates the situation' Jane later shared a letter from Don Shelton, the executive editor of the Seattle Times, informing her that Rosenberg had been suspended while the paper 'investigates the situation thoroughly'. 'Thank you again for bringing this to our attention so we could deal with the situation. We are taking this very seriously and do not tolerate this kind of behavior,' Shelton added. Jane shared with her followers that the experience had left her 'shivering'. 'I've done nothing to encourage this or signal in any capacity that this behavior would be welcome,' she wrote. 'All I did wrong was exist!' Rosenberg has been a real estate reporter for the Seattle Times since May 2016. He previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News. Jane has written for Vice, Cracked, Fusion, and Mic. She made headlines in 2016 after publishing an open letter to the CEO of Yelp, where she had been working as a customer service representative for its Eat24 food delivery service, to criticize the company's low wages and lack of vacation days. She was fired shortly after. The Police Federation has cancelled its annual conference after it fell victim to cyber attacks. The conference, usually attended by the Home Secretary, was due to be a celebration of the federation's centenary. Writing in Police magazine, John Apter, the national chairman, said two cyber attacks took place in March which forced it to cancel the event, due to take place in June. The Police Federation has cancelled its annual conference after it fell victim to cyber attacks The attacks infected computers with malware malicious software designed to cause damage to a computer or network which resulted in data being deleted or encrypted. He said there was 'no evidence' that data was stolen, but that it could not be ruled out and that investigations were ongoing. He added that both attacks are subject to a criminal investigation, led by the National Crime Agency. Both of the March attacks are subject to a criminal investigation, led by the National Crime Agency He said it is likely the federation was not specifically targeted in the first attack which was 'part of a wider campaign'. The two attacks took place on March 9 and March 21. The March 9 cyber attack infected computers with malware, which resulted in data being deleted or encrypted - with the National Cyber Security Centre, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Information Commissioners Office informed immediately. The second attack happened on March 21, which also had an impact on Federation branches across the country. A new free-to-air 24-hour movie channel is coming to Australia and will feature more than 700 different films a year. SBS announced on Monday it will be launching the channel dedicated to international cinema, which will include free to air and HD offerings, on July 1. The 24-hour channel has been developed to build on the network's catalogue of films from around the globe - with an emphasis on diversity and multilingualism. A new free-to-air 24-hour movie channel is coming to Australia and will feature more than 700 different films a year The channel will feature more than 700 unique titles, including Killing of a Sacred Deer, starring Nicole Kidman (pictured) SBS Managing Director, James Taylor, said movies have the potential to not only entertain people, but also inspire, make them think, laugh and even cry. 'International cinema does this in a truly unique way, and has been an important part of SBS's offering for decades, giving Australians the opportunity to delve into cultures through cinematic masterpieces captivating audiences around the world, Mr Taylor said. SBS World Movies will broadcast more than 700 unique films a year, with at least half of the titles being recorded in a language other than English. Everything from European art-house films to the best of Bollywood cinema, romantic comedies to anime, and award-winning favourites and new releases will be included. 'People come to SBS for content they don't find anywhere else,' Mr Taylor said. Another key feature is specially curated programming to mark cultural events and celebrations, such as Lunar New Year, International Womens Day and Mardi Gras. At least half of the titles on SBS World Movies will be in a language other than English, such as Ash is the Purest White (pictured) The channel will also inlcude a weekly 'Women in Film' double bill of female filmmakers and actors, as well as festival favourites and films from far-away places. 'SBS World Movies has a proud tradition of showcasing the best international films, reflecting the diversity of global cinema,' Mr Taylor said. 'We're excited to further evolve this offering and make it available to all Australians for free this July.' SBS World Movies will broadcast in HD on channel 32 alongside SBS existing channels, SBS, SBS VICELAND, SBS Food and NITV. A 'compassionate' couple let a single mother and her six children stay in their beloved family home, only for it to be horrifically trashed within months. Solomon Rolfe and Jody Williamson rented their house in Mt Nasura, in Perth's southeast, to the woman named Melissa earlier this year. When she was evicted last month for more than $950 in unpaid rent and bills they were shocked at the disgusting state the home was left in. Jasmine Hrodwulf (pictured) described how her parents' home in Perth was left in such a horrible state it took her a week of 11-hour days and more than $6,000 to fix Rubbish including children's toys was strewn across every room, holes punched in walls, doors, locks and fly screens broken, and all the drains clogged. Even worse, human faeces was smeared on walls and cabinets, carpets stained with excrement, and drawings were 'all over the walls'. 'I can't even explain the stench it had when we walked in,' Ms Williamson's daughter Jasmine Hrodwulf told Daily Mail Australia. 'My mum walked around her house bawling her eyes out and my dad was furious. They didn't even have words. 'Dad is a heart patient so we've had to keep an eye on him through all the stress and my mum is so worn down.' The house (pictured) in Mt Nasura, in Perth's southeast, to a single mother with six children named Melissa earlier this year When she was evicted last month for more than $950 in unpaid rent and bills they were shocked at the disgusting state the home was left in The kitchen, shown in a rental advertising photo, before it was trashed by the unruly tenants Human faeces was smeared on walls and cabinets, carpets stained with excrement, and holes punched into walls Rubbish including children's toys was strewn across every room and doors, locks and fly screens broken The young woman said she spent the past week cleaning the house for 11 hours a day and fixing the damage would cost more than $6,000. Ms Hrodwulf said the couple spent thousands upgrading the house with new carpet, lino, curtains, and appliances before renting it out. Melissa applied and they accepted her application despite their misgivings about renting to a single mother of six. 'They decided to give her a chance because my parents are compassionate people who do everything they can to help those in need,' she said. Ms Hrodwulf said the tennant had not offered to pay any of the costs and her family was unsure of how they would recover any of them The owners spent thousands upgrading the house with new carpet, lino, curtains, and appliances before renting it out The bathroom in mint condition before it was badly mistreated by the tenants The pristine condition the home was polished to before being put on the market The first warning sign was when Ms Hrodwulf drove past the house and saw some of the children playing on the roof. Melissa than failed home inspections and failed to pay rent and bills and was told to move out in March, but refused to do so. The owners went to court and got a vacant possession order, leading to her finally moving out on April 29. That was when they discovered their perfect family home had been ruined. 'My mum walked around her house bawling her eyes out and my dad was furious. They didn't even have words,' Ms Hrodwulf said of the state of the house Some of the rubbish left all over the floors of the house when the tenants moved out Human faeces was also left on the side of a cabinet in the laundry next to dirty floors A cabinet left trashed in one of the rooms of the house after the tenants moved out 'She destroyed our home and not only that she put my parents in debt and they're now struggling to get by because of all the damage done,' Ms Hrodwulf said. 'This is why there's no nice people left in the world because they do nice things only to get stomped on by horrible people like her.' Ms Hrodwulf said Melissa had not offered to pay any of the costs and her family was unsure of how they would recover any of them. A German politician who posed in her kitchen in front of Adolf Hitler-themed wine bottles has been allowed to stay in her party. Jessica Biessmann, an AfD (Alternative for Germany) party member serving in Berlin's state parliament, came under fire after pictures emerged of her draped across a kitchen worktop in front of the controversial bottles. A chapter of the far-right AfD party started proceedings to force Biessmann out, German news agency DPA reported last week. But a party hearing at the weekend decided to limit disciplinary measures against her to a formal warning - meaning she can carry on representing the party in the regional parliament. Jessica Biessmann posing in front of the photos in social media photos taken several years ago The far right AfD party of which Biessmann is a member had faced calls from within her party to be ousted The bottles appeared in photos from social media posts that Biessmann says are a decade old. Ms Biessmann said she had no idea the wine bottles were there when she posted them on social media. 'We just wanted to take some beautiful pictures,' she said. They are available for purchase in Italy, but publicly displaying Nazi symbols is illegal in Germany. There have been calls for Germany's domestic intelligence agency to monitor the Alternative for Germany over extremism concerns. The regional group of the AfD in Berlin said it would appeal to the party's national executive to overturn the ruling that allowed Biessmann to stay in the party. Separately, daily newspaper Thueringer Allgemeine reported that a senior AfD member in Thuringia state quit after photos surfaced showing him posing behind a swastika tablecloth while visiting Hitler-related sites in 2015. Bjorn Hocke, a high-ranking party member, provoked outrage in 2017 when he claimed Germany was too hung up by guilt over the Holocaust. He was nevertheless backed by AfD co-leader Jorg Meuthen and deputy leader Alexander Gauland at the time. The same year, parliamentary candidate for the AfD Elena Roon, shared an image of the Fuhrer in a WhatsApp group with the cation 'Missed since 1945' and 'Germany needs you!'. A 73-year-old woman accused of torturing and mutilating animals inside her house before has been charged with horrific acts of animal cruelty. Police began investigating the woman last year, but she was only arrested late last month after allegedly stealing a pelican from a river in Tuncurry, New South Wales. The woman was allegedly spotted feeding fish to the pelican at a boat ramp before forcing the bird into her car and slamming the boot on its wing. Police were called but the woman allegedly released the bird as officers arrived. Police released an image of birds, including a magpie, that were rescued from the property A woman has been charged with multiple acts of animal cruelty after she was allegedly caught stuffing a pelican into her car boot late last month at a boat ramp in Tuncurry (pictured) After further investigation, police searched the woman's home on Friday morning and allegedly found a caged magpie with its beak removed, which had to be taken to the vet and be put down. They also allegedly found phones containing pictures and videos of animals, including a dog and a rabbit, who were mutilated in public places. Police allege the woman has a pattern of abusing the animals. She is accused of finding the animals in public places in Tuncurry and nearby Forster and gaining their trust by feeding them, before taking them home and torturing them over an extended period of time. Officers allege she than takes the injured animal to the vet, claiming to have found it in its mangled state, and asks for it to be put down. The woman is facing nine charges of animal cruelty, including dealing in animals, being in charge of an animal and failing to provide veterinary treatment and committing an aggravated act of cruelty on an animal. She was given strict conditional bail to appear at Forster Local Court on Wednesday May 22. A teenage drink-driver has pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol in his system after he crashed into another car and killed a young mother and her daughter. Aizaeah Kori-Lee Tarawa, 19, from Auckland's North Shore, appeared in the Whangarei District Court on Monday over the crash that killed Janiah Fairburn, 20, and daughter Azarliyah, 2. Fairburn's boyfriend Henare Hadfield, 20, and their son Te Tairawhiti, 1, were also injured in the incident on March 30, Stuff reported. Aizaeah Kori-Lee Tarawa, 19, from Auckland's North Shore, appeared in the Whangarei District Court on Monday for the crash which killed Janiah Fairburn, 20, and daughter Azarliyah, 2 (pictured together) Tarawa pleaded guilty to the charges of drink-driving causing the deaths of two and the injuries of two others and was remanded in custody. As he was leaving the courtroom a member of the public gallery stood up and shouted 'I love you my son' at Tarawa. 'I'm really sorry bro,' Tarawa shouted back as he was led away. Tarawa also faces a further charge of failing to stop and ascertain injury without reasonable excuse. That charge is still under review by the court. Tarawa awaits a case review on June 10 and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 2. On Saturday, March 30, Tarawa was driving along State Highway 1 near Topuni when the incident occurred, killing Miss Fairburn and her daughter. Westpac Rescue helicopter crewman Ati Wynyard told Stuff that both vehicles were 'extensively damaged' leaving behind a massive mess of debris. Police alleged at the time Tarawa returned a blood alcohol level of 768 micrograms per litre. The legal limit in New Zealand is 250 micrograms for people over 20. Tarawa was 19 at the time of the incident. Bill Shorten had a withering comeback for Kyle Sandilands on Monday morning when the radio host asked him how he married someone 'that good'. The Opposition Leader chatted with Kyle and Jackie O on their KIIS breakfast radio show in Sydney after appearing on Sunrise just two hours earlier. The hosts asked Mr Shorten about his wife, Chloe, who was widely praised after her heartfelt speech at the Labor campaign launch in Brisbane on Sunday night. 'Chloe, how's she handling it all? Because she's getting a lot of attention,' Jackie O asked. Bill Shorten (pictured on Monday) had a withering comeback for Kyle Sandilands on Monday morning when the radio host asked him how he married someone 'so good.' The hosts asked Mr Shorten about his wife, Chloe (pictured together), who was widely praised after her heartfelt speech at the Labor campaign launch in Brisbane on Sunday night Kyle, who has been dating 28-year-old model Imogen Anthony (pictured together) for seven years, asked the Labor leader: 'How'd you get someone that good?' Kyle, who has been dating 28-year-old model Imogen Anthony for seven years, then interrupted and asked the Labor leader: 'How'd you get someone that good?' 'It's a question I'm sure you get asked too,' Mr Shorten replied to the 47-year-old host. Also in the interview, Mr Shorten laughed off claims he runs like Phoebe from the US sitcom Friends. 'That's mean isn't it!,' Shorten joked when Jackie told him some people find his running style 'odd'. The Labor leader, who is often spotted exercising in public, was filmed sprinting across the Martagarup Bridge in Perth last week, to the amusement of social media. 'Next journalist who says that, come for a run with me and see how you're going after 5km,' he quipped. 'I'm getting under 25 minutes for my 5km,' he added, unfazed by the social media storm his unusual running style attracted. Mr Shorten went on to say he runs five or six mornings a week. '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 'Oh that is a whack run!' Kyle joked, as the three re-watched footage of the jog in their studio. 'You're better than me! I tell you, I'm not running anywhere,' he added. 'I probably run even worse than what you do,' Jackie O Henderson then joked, offering to run alongside Shorten. 'I'm not saying I'd win the style points, but I probably didn't need to even say that...But I never give up,' the Opposition Leader joked. Social media erupted over the video of Shorten's very unique running style last week. After footage of the morning jog was posted on Instagram, social media users were quick to share hilarious comments ridiculing the politician's awkward stride. 'Dude runs like he's about to s**t himself. Hope you make it to Maccas in time,' one person said. Run, Shorten, Run: Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten was captured on video going for a morning jog in Perth last week Morning jog: Social media users were quick to ridicule the politician for his awkward stride Shorten is often spotted exercising in public. Some users compared his running style to that of Forrest Gump's or Friends' character Phoebe Buffay's famous over-enthusiastic run 'For some reason I reckon he's snatched a purse or two in his youth and ran off that exact same way,' another quipped. One user said: 'How can you trust a socialist with the stride of a duck.' 'Can't RUN a country,' another said. Some also pointed out Shorten's seemingly large shoe size, saying he looked like he wore a size 18. 'It's either Ian Thorpe or he's straight out of the barrier reef and realised he's left the straightener on at home and hasn't had time to take the flippers off!' the user joked. 'Those feet - RONALD MACDONALD,' user porchandbutler said. Shorten's running style also drew comparisons to that of Forrest Gump and Friends' character Phoebe Buffay's famous over-enthusiastic run. This is not the first time Shorten has caused a stir over his awkward moments in public. 'That's the run of a sideways sausage eater #neverforget,' one user commented, referring to when Shorten infamously bit into a sausage roll from the middle and set social media alight. Mr Shorten attended Strathfield North Public School polling booth in Sydney's west in 2016 for a traditional Election Day sausage sizzle. There he was photographed chomping down on a sausage roll sideways and was criticised for his unconventional sausage-eating technique. He later tried to justify the incident, saying the roll was so crusty the 'teeth of a great white' would have been needed to bite into it. Europcar-owned company has offices in 140 countries around the world British holidaymakers have been warned which car rental firms to avoid this summer. And consumer watchdog Which?s annual survey reveals how travellers are often faced with pressure-selling tactics, rude staff and shock charges. Spanish firm Goldcar came bottom of the rankings for the fifth time in six years, with 38 per cent of customers saying they would never consider using it. Consumer watchdog Which? has revealed which car rental firms to avoid this summer following an annual survey Although its prices are cheap, two in five customers reported problems, most often relating to customer service or credit card charges. The company is owned by Europcar, which has offices in 140 countries around the world and was the worst performing of the major brands. Canary Islands company Cicar came top in the rankings, dethroning local rival Auto-Reisen. Enterprise and Alamo were the best major firms. Which? Travel editor Rory Boland urged drivers to look beyond headline prices. One wrong turn at airport arrivals could easily make or break your holiday. In an industry dogged by unscrupulous practices, making the right choice is paramount, he said. Actress Paz de la Huerta was rushed to hospital on Sunday after she allegedly locked herself in the room of a Manhattan building. The New York native, 34, was rushed from an Upper West Side building to a nearby hospital around late afternoon after a third party called 911 to report 'an emotionally disturbed person' who needed help. TMZ reports that the 911 caller said she had locked herself in a bedroom and wanted the NYPD to respond so she could receive medical attention. TMZ claimed that the person who called 911 stated Paz was suicidal, according to law enforcement sources. Emergency responders arrived at the scene quickly and transported Paz to a nearby hospital for treatment. Actress Paz de la Huerta, (pictured) was rushed to hospital late on Sunday afternoon after she allegedly locked herself in the room of a Manhattan building. She is pictured here at her most recent public event attending the Jean-Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Fall/Winter show on July 4 News of her hospitalization comes months after de la Heurta filed a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein over her allegation that he raped her twice in her New York apartment in 2010 It is unclear what her condition is at this point or what led to her hospitalization. However it comes after a turbulent period for the troubled actress, after she filed a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein in November over her allegation that he raped her twice in her New York apartment in 2010. The suit also speculates that Weinstein used his influence to get de la Huerta fired from her job on Boardwalk Empire in 2012. Her character Lucy Danziger did not appear after the show's second season. She reportedly has not worked much since the allegations against Harvey Weinstein surfaced, but has been spotted out and about with friends in New York where she lives. Paz De La Huerta as Lucy Danziger on Boardwalk Empire Paz De La Huerta with Steve Buscemi on the show The lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein claims assault, sexual battery and emotional distress was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, de la Huerta's attorney Aaron G. Filler told DailyMail.com. The legal action seeking unspecified damages comes a year after the Boardwalk Empire star gave interviews publicly accusing Weinstein of the rapes. Weinstein, the subject of dozens of misconduct allegations, has strongly denied any claims of non-consensual sex. Speaking to Vanity Fair on the day Weinstein was first arrested over allegations by several women in May 2018, de La Huerta claimed she 'couldn't stop crying.' She told the publication: 'I just felt extremely emotional today. I couldnt stop crying. I dont know why. It should be a day of celebration, but I feel melancholic about it all.' After initially being interviewed by police in New York after first making the allegations against him in November 2017, de la Huerta spent a time living in France, painting and trying to raise money to finish a film project. It is not known what she is seeking treatment for in hospital but reportedly claimed she needed medical attention from an individual with her on Sunday night. She is seen here stepping out with a male friend in New York wearing pink leggings and a yellow t-shirt in August Her suit also speculates that Weinstein used his influence to get her fired from her job on Boardwalk Empire in 2012. Her character Lucy Danziger did not appear after the show's second season. Weinstein's lawyer Benjamin Brafman told DailyMail.com back in November that de la Huerta's suit is 'the product of an unstable personality with a vivid imagination.' The lawsuit claiming assault, sexual battery and emotional distress was filed on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, de la Huerta's attorney Aaron G. Filler told DailyMail.com. The legal action seeking unspecified damages comes a year after the Boardwalk Empire star gave interviews publicly accusing Weinstein of the rapes. Weinstein, the subject of dozens of misconduct allegations, has strongly denied any claims of non-consensual sex. His lawyer Benjamin Brafman told DailyMail.com that de la Huerta's suit is 'the product of an unstable personality with a vivid imagination.' In the lawsuit, de la Huerta recounts her version of events on December 7, 2010, when she and Weinstein attended a party at the Boom Boom Room on Manhattan's High Line. The actress knew Weinstein from the neighborhood in Tribeca, as well as from working on his 1999 film Cider House Rules when she was 14, and accepted when he offered her a ride home, according to the suit. The lawsuit claims that this photo of Weinstein and de la Huerta taken on December 13, 2010 was part of the movie mogul's 'protective program' of taking pictures with women he raped Paz de la Huerta is seen at a Paris Fashion Week event in July. Her new lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for assault, sexual battery and emotional distress The suit says that when they arrived, Weinstein 'insisted on coming up to De La Huertas apartment to avoid discussing business and personal matters in the public lobby'. Once in the actress' apartment, the lawsuit claims that Weinstein warned de la Huerta 'about harm to her career if she did not submit to sex' and then forced himself upon her and raped her. For weeks afterwards, Weinstein and his employees persistently called de la Huerta's phone, and would even show up unannounced to hang out outside her building or in her lobby, according to the suit. The actress said she ducked the calls and avoided going home. The complaint claims that Weinstein had a 'protective program for his assaults' which included having his photo taken with alleged victims soon after any attack, and noted that Weinstein and the actress were photographed together at a screening on December 13, 2010, six days after the alleged rape. De la Huerta claims that she was raped again on December 23, 2010, when Weinstein called her and told her he would be waiting at her apartment until she got home. The actress says that she decided to confront Weinstein, but on the ride home consumed 'a very large quantity of alcohol out of fear and depression, thereby rendering herself unable to consent to any disputed sexual encounter.' On arriving at the apartment, she asked him to leave, but he entered the apartment and raped her using 'overpowering physical force', the suit claims. The lawsuit also contains fresh allegations about a January 15, 2011 encounter de la Huerta says she had with Weinstein at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. She claims that he opened his robe 'prominently exposing his penis' to her as soon as he opened the door to his room, and invited her to participate in a threesome with himself and a naked woman already in the room. The actress says she declined the invitation and warned Weinstein to stop 'stalking and harassing' her. De la Huerta previously reported her rape claims to the NYPD. The Manhattan district attorney's office declined to file charges in her case, though it is pursuing charges related to two other Weinstein accusers. He has pleaded not guilty. Brafman, Weinstein's high-profile attorney, said in a statement to DailyMail.com: 'It is our understanding that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office carefully reviewed Ms. De la Huerta's claims of sexual assault by Mr. Weinstein many months ago and made a conscious decision to reject her as a complainant for obvious reasons.' 'We also believe that her newly minted version of events including her new California claims are equally preposterous and unfortunately, the product of an unstable personality with a vivid imagination,' Brafman said. De la Huerta's lawsuit also names the Four Seasons and Weinstein's defunct production company as defendants. Home owners in some suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne have seen the price of their properties double in the past five years despite recent falls in the rest of the country. Prices have jumped in Australia's two most populous state capitals as sustained run-ups in values outweighed the falls of the last 12 months which saw prices tumble after the market peaked in late 2017. Figures from the latest Domain House Price Report show suburbs on the outskirts of Melbourne and Sydney have been a boon to property developers selling to cash-strapped home hunters chasing cheaper areas out of town. Top five Melbourne suburbs by house price growth in the past five years SUBURB MEDIAN PRICE 5-YEAR CHANGE Fraser Rise $602,500 115.2% Hawthorn East $1,832,500 90.8% Ardeer $621,000 81.8% Frankston North $495,000 80.0% Melton South $410,000 74.5% Source: 2019 March quarter Domain House Price Report Domain senior research analyst Nicola Powell said families had been moving out of the city centre to look for better value, while the lower end of the market was boosted by first-home buyer grants and a bank preference for smaller home loans. The new suburb of Fraser Rise, 30km northwest of Melbourne's CBD, topped the table by more than doubling over five years with a price increase of 115 per cent to reach a median price of $602,500. Fraser Rise was previously part of Plumpton, on the outskirts of Melbourne, and only had its name gazetted in 2017, following a proposal for 11 new suburbs in the area. Top five Sydney suburbs by house price growth in the past five years SUBURB MEDIAN PRICE 5-YEAR CHANGE Pitt Town $1,180,000 91.9% Manly $2,955,500 78.0% Fairlight $2,200,000 77.4% Five Dock $1,738,000 76.4% Budgewoi $520,000 76.3% Source: 2019 March quarter Domain House Price Report Frankston North, 38km southeast of central Melbourne, was the fourth-fastest growing suburb in price terms, rising 80 per cent over five years to $495,000. Melton South, which came in at number five, is also on the outskirts of town, 35km west of Melbourne's CBD. It grew by 74.5 percent in five years to reach a median price of $410,000. Not all of Melbourne's five-year price hikes came on the outskirts, though. Hawthorn East, an established inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, came in at number two on the list, with a 90.8 percent rise over five years bringing its median house price to $1.8 million. Prices peaked in late 2017 before falling amid regulatory pressure for banks to crack down on lending. A house advertised for sale in Fraser Rise, a new suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne that has had the biggest recorded median house price rise in the five years to March Martin North, founder of Digital Finance Analytics, a property price and economics analysis firm, said the rate of bank lending drives house prices. 'Very generous lending standards from 2010 onwards allowed house prices to rise significantly and that has created a debt problem. The rise in capital values is about a rise in debt as well,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. Australia's most populous city, Sydney, also experienced price growth over the past five years despite declines in the past 12 months - and just like Melbourne, some of the best performing suburbs were on the very far outskirts of town. Manly, on Sydney's northern beaches, also showed price growth, with the median house price nearly doubling in the five years to March Pitt Town, a suburb on the Hawkesbury River that lies 59km northwest of the CBD and more than two hours' drive away, showed the largest price increase. Pitt Town jumped by 91.9 percent from a median price of $614,900 five years ago to $1.2 million according to Domain's March quarter property price figures. Budgewoi, a suburb on the NSW Central Coast about 100km north of Sydney's CBD almost doubled in price from just under $300,000 five years ago to reach $520,000 in the March quarter. Other suburbs to rise in value were Manly on the northern beaches and neighbouring Fairlight, both in former prime minister Tony Abbott's electorate of Warringah. The stylish inner-Melbourne suburb of Hawthorne East also had a large enough median price rise over the past five years to buffer it from prices that are tumbling from their 2017 peaks The inner-western Sydney suburb of Five Dock, located on the Parramatta River, also nearly doubled to $1.7 million over five years. Mr North said long term holders of property still had significant gains but those who bought in the last couple of years were not enjoying any of the benefits. 'It depends when, where and the timing,' he said. The five-year price rises seen in Sydney and Melbourne have not been seen in other state capitals. 'The massive run ups in Sydney and Melbourne mean they are the best five year stories, but Perth has fallen about 18 percent over the past four to five years. There's been no upside in Perth at all,' Mr North said. 'Hobart and Adelaide have risen in the last couple of years. So it varies in different locations.' Line Of Duty's series five finale left fans with more questions than answers after airing on Sunday night. Fans of the show have been following it avidly to discover the identity of a bent copper ever since murdered Dot Cottan's deathbed confession - which appeared to suggest their first name began with a 'H'. But in an unexpected twist, the episode revealed that 'H' is not just one crooked policeman but instead a group of four bent people within the force. The surprising turn of events left many viewers reeling and looking for answers - yet there are certain puzzles that won't be solved until the next series. Here, we explore the burning questions left unanswered... Fans of the show have been following it avidly to discover the identity of a bent copper ever since murdered Dot Cottan's deathbed confession - which appeared to suggest their first name began with a 'H' 1. Who really is H? The identity of H was shrouded in even more mystery in Sunday night's episode, as it was revealed there were four corrupt coppers not just the one. Viewers discover 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. The identity of H was shrouded in even more mystery in Sunday night's episode, as it was revealed there were four corrupt coppers not just the one. Dot Cottan was tapping out morse code with his fingers duirng his deathbed confession So the question remains, who is the mastermind that, for instance, ordered Sgt Tina Tranter to assassinate Biggeloe to stop her from talking? 2. How did Gill Biggeloe get immunity? Gill Biggeloe was revealed as corrupt, having used her influence to pick DS John Corbett for the undercover job on Operation Peartree - a false mission to unmask Ted Hastings as H. She also led Corbett to believe the superintendent was responsible for the murder of his mother in Belfast. The corrupt lawyer stole Hastings DNA from a hairbrush when she spent the night with him to plant on Corbetts body and frame him for murder. It was revealed that Gill Biggoloe was corrupt - but that she was just one of four corrupt coppers working in the force And as Biggeloe was caught out and cuffed, DI Fleming said she would want to do a deal as she is too fond of the finer things to do a prison stretch. DI Fleming proved to be spot on as Biggeloe was shown starting a new life at the end of the show as a reward for assisting with subsequent prosecutions. Yet, many fans have questioned why she was given immunity when she failed to reveal the fourth member? Hopefully this is a question answered in the next series. 3. What role will Ryan Pilkington, gang member turned police cadet, play in the next series? The series five finale saw Ryan Pilkington's future mapped out as he was accepted onto the police training scheme while being the only surviving member of the OCG (aside from a supposedly rehabilitated Lisa McQueen). Ryan had a key role in the OCG in series five, even being the one to murder undercover cop John Corbett in episode four. The series five finale saw Ryan Pilkington's future mapped out as he was accepted onto the police training scheme while being the only surviving member of the OCG (aside from a supposedly rehabilitated Lisa McQueen) He was also seen discussing his plan to get into the police force, following in the footsteps of Dot Cottan, AKA the Caddy who acted as an informer for the gang during his time in the force. After telling Lisa and co that he was sitting his exams in episode four, he then revealed he had a date for his interview. The epilogue of the series five finale saw Ryan being accepted onto the force, and shown in uniform. Gang member: The series five finale saw Ryan's future mapped out as he was accepted onto the police training scheme after first appearing in series one as part of the OCG (right) Ryan has been a part of the show since the second episode of series one, when he was supplying burner phones to members of the OCG, while riding around the estate on his BMX bike. But it is unclear how his future role in the programme will plan out. 4. Is Ted Hastings corrupt? While Biggeloe tried to frame Ted Hastings, the question remains as to whether he is corrupt? It was never revealed what he told Organised Crime Group member Lee Banks upon visiting him at Blackthorn Prison. Lisa McQueen claimed Lee discovered the superintendent was a rat. And to further tarnish Hastings innocence, it seems he kept onto 50,000 of Mark Moffatts dodgy cash and handed it to Corbetts wife. A closing scene showed Hastings approaching Corbett's widow at his graveside, with 50,000 in his hand A closing scene showed Hastings approaching Corbett's widow at his graveside, with 50,000 in his hand. Viewers are also told at the end of the programme: 'A formal misconduct hearing into unauthorised undercover operations found Superintendent Hastings guilty of discreditable conduct. 'Following a final written warning Hastings continues to command anti-corruption unit 12.' 5. What will DI Kate Fleming's next killer line be? The Line Of Duty series five finale got off to a rip-roaring start on Sunday night, as Kate Fleming was applauded by fans for delivering 'the best line of the series.' As Fleming and Steve Arnott were left reeling from their gaffer Ted Hasting's arrest, they were interrupted by new recruit DI Michelle Brandyce who insisted they share any information with AC-3 who were investigating Hastings. Protecting her boss, Kate bit back with a stellar line that had fans cheering. Killer line: Vicky herself called the line her favourite of the show, tweeting after the finale aired: 'And that was my favourite line in the Line of Duty!!' 'It's Michelle isn't it? Listen Michelle we're AC-12. We do this to other units week in, week out so don't try telling me how it works,' she replied when told her unit would have to share new information on Hastings. 'We're witnesses not suspects so stop making a t*t of yourself and p**s off.' 'One of my fave lines of the series,' declared one delighted viewer, while another simply wrote: 'Ladies and gents, Queen Kate Fleming!' And fans cannot wait to see what stellar line the officer will come up with in the next series. Sass: The Line Of Duty series five finale got off to a rip-roaring start on Sunday night, as lead Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) was applauded by fans for delivering 'the best line of the series' 6. How did DS Arnott notice the hand signal? Arnott saw Dot moving his hand to sign out Morse even though the video frame was paused. And many viewers were left sceptical that even a highly capable police officer would be able to notice the slight movement of a person's hands on a frozen image. In last night's episode he told Hastings: 'We've been re-examining Dots dying declaration. 'The frame it was frozen on during your interview made me spot something weve all missed. Look at Dots left hand.' Many viewers were left sceptical that even a highly capable police officer would be able to notice the slight movement of a person's hands on a frozen image DS Arnott saw Dot moving his hand to sign out Morse even though the video frame was paused 7. If Hastings didnt send computer messages, who did? Last night's episode revealed Biggeloe could not have been sending them, so who did? And after the fourth rogue police officer was left unnamed, many have speculated it could be this mysterious fourth person. 8. Does Arnott have painkiller addiction? Will it make him vulnerable to bribery or take him out of action in next series? Usually a hit with women Arnott has been doing less womanising in series five. And he has been spotted taking painkillers a number of times since he was injured in series four in an attack that left him temporarily wheelchair-bound. In episode one he was swiping through dating apps while taking a painkiller. And after failing to perform with former flame Sam Railston he hid in the bathroom clutching his back. So is he now addicted to them? And could this mean trouble for future episodes as he is left vulnerable to bribery? Usually a hit with women PC Arnott (left) has been doing less womanising in series five 9. Is OCG really finished? Lisa McQueen disclosed information on organised criminal activity, and those carrying it out, in return for witness protection. Under an new name she educates teenagers on how to avoid crime. But viewers doubt turning her back on a life of crime will be so easy. She knows witness protection will not keep her safe after what happened to Tommy Hunter. Biggeloe was shown starting a new life at the end of the show as a reward for assisting with subsequent prosecutions And she lied to police during her interview when she claimed deceased Miroslav Minkowicz had killed Corbett when it was actually Ryan Pilkington who delivered the fatal blow. But she also claimed the OCG was over because there were no members left - leaving viewers asking whether it's actually still very much not finished. Pilkington joined the police academy at the end of the episode after a life in organised crime. He delivered burner phones in series one and it is unlikely he has now suddenly gone straight. PC Simon Bannerjee was mentioned as his inspiration for joining the police force but he has not been seen since series one. Is he also corrupt? 10. Why did Gill get the search evidence dismissed when she was stitching Ted up all along? Gill Biggeloe, as the PCC's senior legal counsel, objected to the search of Hastings' hotel room. Section 18-5 is listed as the legal grounds for the search which found 50,000 in his room. But, originally, section 32 was the legal power used to carry out the search. SI Brandyce admits 'there was some confusion' but it was the incorrect legal power and the evidence is dismissed. But why would Biggeloe make the evidence inadmissible in court if she was trying to stitch up Hastings? 11. Why did Hastings choose that exact moment to ditch the laptop? Carmichael plays footage that shows Hastings carrying a laptop, via a taxi, to an electronics disposal company During questioning Hastings is asked whether he has ever disposed of a 'communications device'. He chooses to lie before Carmichael plays footage that shows Hastings carrying a laptop, via a taxi, to an electronics disposal company. Pressed on why he was disposing of his laptop Hastings says: 'I was looking at pornography. Nothing illegal, nothing extreme. I just did not want it to be found, that's all. Look, it was private stuff, so... my wife has left me. Look, I really don't want to discuss it.' But why did he choose to ditch the laptop at the exact moment he did? 12. Is Hastings really just a bad speller why is defiantly spelt wrong? Fans of the show have started coming up with theories as to why an intelligent police officer would misspell the word definitely. Some have claimed the spelling was deliberately copied - perhaps as a secret code. But could it just be a coincidence? Hastings receives a message which reads 'Eastfield Depot is definately high risk'. But instead of ignoring the misspelling of definitely he appears to copy it 13. Who was the person in the photo wearing a cap going into the brothel? In the third episode of series five AC-12 found a former residential complex was being used as a brothel and hub for sex-trafficking. They had photos of McQueen and a string of other men entering the building. But one of those pictures shows a man in a flat cap and coat - and he looks a lot like boss Ted Hastings. And when police questioned one woman working at the brothel she described a man with light hair and a non-local way of speaking - but she did not know what accent it was. Viewers think it could have been Hastings' Northern Irish lilt. But after the final episode aired we still do not know who it was. The firm launched a 3 lettuce, guacamole, bacon and tomato snack to mark this year's gay Pride parade In simpler times, a Marks & Spencer sandwich meant egg and cress, prawn cocktail and, for the more adventurous, maybe a BLT. But with the launch of its 3 lettuce, guacamole, bacon and tomato snack to mark this year's gay Pride parade, the store seems to have bitten off more than it can chew. The special edition sandwich, which is boxed in rainbow packaging, has had guacamole added to the traditional BLT so that the ingredients spell out the acronym LGBT, which for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. The company has also said it will donate more than 10,000 to charity as part of its campaign. But despite its best intentions, the sandwich, pictured, has sparked a backlash from shoppers and those within the LGBT community. Aaron Wright, an artistic director, wrote online: 'I felt so enraged I left. Basically equating us to a sandwich? Can't imagine them doing this with other marginalised groups.' The special edition sandwich, which is boxed in rainbow packaging, has had guacamole added to the traditional BLT so that the ingredients spell out the acronym LGBT, which for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Another critic added: 'Whilst it is 'good' a national company is raising awareness, this is blatant exploitation of a marginalised community for a huge profit.' Piers Morgan even found time to weigh in, tweeting: 'Gay sandwiches? Is there no cynical virtue-signalling depth struggling companies won't now plunge to make a profit?' He then claimed the firm makes nearly 1,000 a minute, adding: 'So this magnificent gesture of pathetic tokenism will take them around ten minutes to pay off...' However, others were quick to praise Marks and & Spencer, including the charity which received a 10,000 donation. Carrie Reiners, from the Albert Kennedy Trust which supports homeless LGBT people, said: 'We're thrilled to see M&S show visible support for the LGBTQ+ community this Pride, and are extremely grateful. The donation will enable us to continue providing safe homes and better futures for the young LGBTQ+ people we work with.' A further 1,000 euros will go to charity BeLong to Youth Services in Ireland. A Marks & Spencer spokesman said: 'The BLT is one of our most-loved sandwiches and we're really excited to give it a delicious twist for our customers to enjoy while celebrating Pride season.' M&S is appealing against a court ruling that when it 'gave away' a bottle of wine with its Dine In for 10 deal, it should have been subject to VAT. It said the wine was 'free' so no tax was due, but HM Revenue & Customs argued it was a proportionate part of the 10 offer. The parents of tragic Thomas and Stuart Kelly say they were made out to be 'greedy and self-interested' after the family charity paid the boys' father a $125,000 salary. In a new book, the boys' mother and father, Ralph and Kathy Kelly reveal the desperately sad circumstances that led to the deaths of their sons. Stuart, 18, took his own life just four years after Thomas, 18, died from a sickening, unprovoked punch during his first night out in Sydney party district Kings Cross. In Too Soon, Too Late, the couple reflect on the trolling backlash they suffered after Sydney's lockout laws took effect, describing it as a tidal wave of hatred'. In a new book, Ralph and Kathy Kelly reflect on the desperately sad circumstances of their sons' deaths - and explain their side of the $125,000 salary controversy Stuart Kelly died by suicide four years after his brother Thomas's death. Mr and Mrs Kelly detail the impact the backlash had on Stuart, who died just months after attending a university party. They also seek to draw a line under the controversy about Ralph being paid a $125,000 salary by the charity they founded in their son's name. The couple said the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation's board approached Mr Kelly and offered him the salary at a time of financial and personal strife. They wrote: 'The true story was that in 2013 the board members had approached Ralph at a board meeting and said, 'We know that you work for us seven days a week, you've lost nearly all your clients and income from your hospitality business. 'It was true. When Thomas died, Ralph had about 30 clients. We were now down to two ... 'Ralph neglected his business, driven as he was to work sixteen to eighteen hours a day at the foundation'. The couple said their finances had 'fallen off a cliff' after Thomas died. Thomas Kelly died on his first night out in Kings Cross. He was 18 The Kellys said the director of the board had asked Mr Kelly: 'How are you surviving?' 'I'm not,' he replied. The board then decided to pay him a salary 'much less than Ralph had been earning before Thomas's death', the Kellys recall. 'Ralph didn't need to defend his salary. The information ... was posted openly on our own website ... We had nothing to hide,' the couple wrote. Press reports revealed Mr Kelly was being paid the six-figure sum four years ago, with some pointing out the number constituted 51 per cent of the charity's revenue. But Mr and Mrs Kelly said that statistic was risible as it did not include the $450,000 the foundation gave to the Salvation Army to operate its 'safe spaces''. In the book, the couple bluntly state they never profited from media appearances and 'our finances had fallen off a cliff since Thomas's death'. They claim the salary story played into a bigger and 'even nastier' campaign which 'at times felt like a tidal wave of hatred directed at us'. They recall Mr Kelly received death threats and online comments said 'let's kill the rest of the Kelly dogs'. Thomas Kelly was punched in head by Kieran Loveridge, who is now behind bars They believe Stuart would have read some of what was said about the family online and was bullied over his connection to the lockout laws controversy. Prior to his death, Stuart locked himself away in his room playing Playstation. he shut down all of his social media pages the weekend before he died. Stuart was found dead in a car on Sydney's northern beaches in July 2016. Mr and Mrs Kelly said their foundation will be renamed Stay Kind (SK being Stuart's initials) to mark the launch of 'Kind July' this year. The foundation will raise awareness about youth suicide. 'We hope and pray that it will be the beginning of a movement where all of us, every day, show acts of kindness to each other'. Too Soon, Too Late, is published by Allen and Unwin and is available now. For confidential support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 Anyone caught drink-driving in NSW will lose their licence immediately under a tough new penalty regime that will also see offenders fined almost $600. From May 20, low-range drink-drivers will be slapped with an on-the-spot suspension of their licence for three months and a fine of $561 - even if it's their first time. Roads Minister Andrew Constance said NSW is taking a 'zero-tolerance' approach to drink and drug-driving. Anyone caught drink-driving in NSW will lose their licence immediately under a tough new penalty regime that will also see offenders fined almost $600 'This means anyone caught drink-driving in NSW, at any level, including low-range, can now lose their licence immediately,' the minister said in a statement on Monday. The penalties have been strengthened as part of the Road Safety Plan 2021, which aims to deter drink driving and reduce alcohol-related trauma on NSW roads. Similar changes are being implemented for drivers who get caught with an illegal drug in their system, which is typically detected through Mobile Drug Testing (MBT). From May 20, first time, low-range drink-drivers will be slapped with an on-the-spot suspension of their licence for three months and a fine of $561 Prior to the crackdown, all drivers had to appear in court and there were no on-the-spot fines, a NSW Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia. 'High-range drink drivers were given an automatic suspension, while mid range were at the discretion of police, and low-range weren't at all. 'But now everyone will have their licence automatically suspended on the spot. 'They are trying to free up the courts a little bit, in terms of low-range PCAs, by saying everyone will now have their licence suspended,' the spokeswoman said. Some 68 people died in alcohol-related crashes on NSW roads last year. Drug-driving resulted in a similar number of deaths. Capping a week in which her testy exchange with Attorney General William Barr went viral, Senator Kamala Harris told a crowd of thousands gathered at a dinner hosted by the country's oldest NAACP chapter that Barr '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. Harris' comments came a day after she called for the Department of Justice's Inspector General to probe whether Trump urged Barr to investigate his opponents. Kamala Harris Harris told a crowd of thousands gathered at a dinner hosted by the country's oldest NAACP chapter that Barr 'lied to Congress' and 'is clearly more interested in representing the president than the American people.' 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. As of Sunday, 4.8 million people had watched the C-SPAN video circulating on Twitter of Harris 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.' '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. Sen 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.' Ten teenagers were burned by suspected acid thrown from above them during a Manhattan basement party advertised on social media after neighbors complained when up to 300 people showed up. Police say the youngsters - aged between 15 and 18 - who went to the event in New York's East Village on Saturday night were burnt when someone tossed a caustic substance and white paint on them from above. Authorities were investigating after the victims, six girls and four boys, reported burns or irritation to their skin following the gathering in a courtyard in a public housing complex. Police don't yet know exactly where the substance - possibly drain cleaner - was thrown from. Valerie Vail told The New York Times that her daughter, a high-school sophomore at Brooklyn Technical High School, suffered coin-sized burns on her back, chest and arms. She said police believe a man living who lived in the building threw an orange-colored drain cleaner on the student's below, adding: 'We are shocked. I try to teach my kid to be resilient, but its also traumatic and upsetting.' Ten teenagers were burned by suspected acid thrown from above them during a basement party in New York's East Village, pictured, which had been advertised on social media Residents had called police to complain about noise from the large party, according to reports. The teens were said to have paid $10 to enter the party held in a basement room usually reserved for tenant meetings. It is not thought the organizer of the party lived in the building and Heyward Walker, the tenants association president, said he had not rented out the space. Valerie added: 'A lot of the kids were afraid to tell their parents and have not had help yet. Theyre just scared.' Neighbors are said to have called police around 10pm - an hour after the event started. Chaz Rosario, 30, who lives on the fourth floor, told The New York Times: 'I heard a huge ruckus and when I looked out the window I saw a ton of kids below. I hadnt seen anything like that here before. I didnt know what was going on.' Michael Strachan, 60, who lives in the building, added: 'It was nuts. I came home and there were all of these teenagers and smashed beer bottles everywhere, all of these cop cars were here, nobody knew what was going on.' He said a window was broken as some partygoers attempted to get into the building as the chemicals were poured over them. The group is said to have dispersed when one resident showed her government ID badge and police arrived. The ten teens were treated for minor burns at nearby hospitals. They are said to have initially ran into a nearby deli using milk to treat their injuries. A Florida man was arrested after his attempt to escape from police by disguising his identity with a 'hideous wig' failed spectacularly. Florida's Brevard County Sheriff's Office revealed that it had arrested Robert 'Bobby' Walls Thursday and charged him with conspiracy to possess controlled substance, solicitation to sell controlled substance and unlawful use of a two-way device. In a sarcasm-laced Facebook post attributed to Sheriff Wayne Ivey, it was revealed that Walls was arrested during a drug investigation that was carried out by the police department's Game Over Task Force earlier that day. Florida police released this image of Robert 'Bobby' Walls, taken after he was arrested during a drug bust. Walls allegedly told officers he had put on the wig in an effort to disguise himself The sheriff's office also shared a photo of Walls that was apparently taken during the arrest process. In the image, Walls, looking worse for the wear, is sporting a long, peroxide blonde-colored wig, a blue t-shirt, knee-length camouflage shorts and black sneakers. According to the post, police had gone to a Brevard County residence with an arrest warrant for Walls and, after determining that he was inside the home, had formed a perimeter around it to catch him in case he ran. After police arrived, Ivey wrote, a task force agent 'observed a white male subject leave the residence on a bicycle who matched the description of Walls. The only exception to the description was that the subject on the bicycle had long blonde hair.' Ivey went on to say that the police were 'Not being fooled by this incredible disguise (insert sarcasm).' They followed the man and caught up with him, at which point they verified that the wig-wearer was, in fact, Walls, before arresting him. Officers were apparently not fooled by the bewigged Walls (mugshot pictured), following him as he fled the scene and eventually arresting and charging him on a variety of offenses When interviewed by police, Walls apparently said that he 'was using the wig as a disguise to avoid arrest.' Ivey noted that Walls was booked 'without his wig' and 'under his real name and the aka of "Master of Deception."' The sheriff then wrapped up the post by noting: 'So here is the moral of the story...dont sell drugs and you dont have to worry about going to jail, dont try to hide from Law Enforcement if you have a warrant, and above all else DO NOT wear a hideous wig while trying to run from the Po/Po on a bicycle. I mean come on man have a little dignity!!' Online booking records indicate that Walls is currently still in custody and awaiting trial. He appears to have court dates scheduled for May 21 and June 4. Australian bakery chain Michel's Patisserie has admitted to extending the shelf life of its products after it was accused of selling customers cakes that were several months past their use-by dates. The company's owner, Retail Food Group, announced on Monday it will withdraw those goods from sale by franchisees. RFG acknowledged that it asked less than one per cent of its 1,000 suppliers to request shelf life extension 'where appropriate and safe to do so'. Michel's Patisserie was accused of selling cakes which had been several months past their use-by dates. Leaked memos reveal stores were asked change the January 15, 2019 use-by date of 'coloured plaques' cakes to July 15 The bakery chain's owner, Retail Food Group announced on Monday it will withdraw the tainted goods from sale by franchisees The decision comes one day after leaked memos exposed the bakery chain's practices, in which the franchisees were told to extend the shelf life of birthday cakes, chocolate cakes, and even vegetable scrolls, by months. Memos obtained by the Sydney Morning Herald revealed stores were asked change the January 15, 2019 use-by date of 'coloured plaques' cakes to July 15. 'If you receive coloured plaques from this batch number that still denotes the original January expiry date, please disregard this and ensure staff are aware of the new expiry date,' the note said. The best-before dates on vegetable and spinach and feta scrolls were also stretched out for an additional two months if they had 'been stored at the correct frozen temperature and handled correctly.' According to employees, most products are shipped to the stores as frozen before being thawed and put on the shelves. The franchise, which also sells savory pastries and sausage rolls, also told certain stores to extend the best-before dates on vegetable and spinach and feta scrolls by an additional two months Former franchisee, Wayne Hong, who was forced to shut his store last year, told the publication he had complained to the company about the products tasting bad. He said some of the desserts had hairs in the frosting, had been refrozen, and some cakes had been cracked. The Food Standards Australia New Zealand told the publication said it was illegal to sell the products past their use-by dates as they could be unsafe to consume, but noted it was still legal to sell goods after the best-before date. RFG's share price has collapsed over the past two years after it was accused of badly mistreating franchisees, and a parliamentary inquiry this year said management had been either 'unethical' or 'incompetent'. A social media post by Queensland Police marking the beginning of Ramadan has caused a stir with some social media users claiming the officers are biased because they didn't do the same for Easter. 'From all of us, to all in our Muslim community observing the start of the holy month of Ramadan tonight,' the post read. A picture posted alongside the status update was an image of the symbol of Islam and the words 'Ramadan Mubarak'. A social media post (pictured) by the Queensland Police Service marking the beginning of Ramadan has caused a stir among the public with some claiming the officers didn't do the same for Easter The post did not sit well with a number of social media users who quickly hit out at the QPS, who then pointed out they posted Easter messages too The term 'Ramadan Mubarak' is a greeting meaning 'happy Ramadan'. However, the post did not sit well with a number of social media users who quickly hit out at the QPS. 'I think this is great but sad you didn't do this for my Christian faith at Easter bit sad and one sided don't you rate us the same,' one user responded. 'No happy Easter? Just double demerit points,' another posted. 'Did u (sic) wish Christians a Happy Easter?' a third added. The QPS social media team was quick to respond and remind people they did send best wishes on all other religious holidays including Easter. 'We did a number of posts for Easter,' QPS responded to one comment. 'Unfortunately we didn't do a Pesach [Jewish passover holiday] post this year, but we did do a post for Hanukkah - a few of our officers were down at the Menorah lighting ceremony in the city in December!' One user asked why the police service had not wished people a happy Catholic day. 'Double check with the Pope and come back to us. Happy to oblige if it's a real thing,' the QPS responded. Some users were quick to call out the QPS for the post despite the fact the officers post messages on all major religious holidays each year The QPS social media team took the negative comments in their stride and responded with witty comebacks about posting for other religious holidays The witty replies from the QPS also prompted praise from some social media users. 'Whoever is responsible for writing replies to some of these comments..... you sir or mam deserve recognition,' the user wrote. The number of comments jumping on the QPS about missing Christian holidays eventually led the social media team to just share a link to their Easter posts. Despite the number of negative comments an overwhelming number of people supported the QPS. 'Thank you very much QPS. Thank you for wishing us a blessed Ramadan and keeping everyone safe and everything you do,' a thankful user wrote. 'A nice inclusive post from the QPS. I wish my Muslim friends a Happy Ramadan,' another added. Ramadan is the ninth and holiest month on the Muslim lunar calendar and sees Muslims fast from dusk until dawn for 29 to 30 days, depending on when the new moon is first sighted. During the holy month Muslims wake before dawn to enjoy a meal known as 'suhoor' before breaking their fast after dusk with a meal called 'iftar'. Different cultures also employ different traditions during the holy month. Fasting is considered one of the five pillars of Islam and a verse in the Quran encourages healthy adults to fast for the full day as an act of worship, as well as a way to become 'closer to those in need'. A woman who ran a drug syndicate and her male associate have both been jailed for at least 30 years for murdering a meth cook and his girlfriend. Dung Thi Ngo, 43, and Kevin Ly, 27, were each found guilty in November by a NSW Supreme Court jury of murdering Son Thanh Nguyen and Thi Kim Lien Do. The couple's bodies were found wrapped in bedspreads and dumped in Bankstown and West Hoxton respectively. Dung Thi Ngo, 43, Ngo closed her eyes and sunk into the chair in the dock when an interpreter conveyed her 40 year sentence to her Kevin Ly, 27, was found guilty of murdering a meth cook and his girlfriend in 2013. He offered no expression when he was sentenced to 40 years in prison Both were killed in April 2013 but Ms Do's body wasn't found for nine months. The trial had been told Ngo - who headed an illicit drug group - suspected Mr Nguyen staged a break-in at the Canley Vale house she had leased for him that year to set up a meth lab. Ly and a group of four or five men dragged the pair inside and bound them before demanding Mr Nguyen return the drugs, a sentencing hearing on Monday was told. Ms Do pleaded for her life while in the house, screaming: 'Don't kill me, I don't know anything.' Thi Kim Lien Do (left) and her boyfriend Son Hanh Nguyen (right) were killed, wrapped in bedspreads and dumped at separate homes in western Sydney in 2013 Ly strangled Mr Nguyen but Ms Do's body was so badly decomposed when it was found it's unclear how she died. Justice Geoffrey Bellew heard smothering, asphyxiation and choking were all suggested possibilites. The judge described the murders as 'brutal and callous'. Ms Do was likely killed just to ensure her silence. Ly and Ngo were both handed maximum terms of 40 years in prison - backdated to September 2016 - with non-parole periods of 30 years. Ngo closed her eyes and sunk into the chair in the dock when an interpreter conveyed the sentence. Ly took a sip of water - he showed no emotion. The pair will first be eligible for parole in September 2046. A New York State man who was acquitted of a 2015 triple homicide was fatally shot in a car Saturday evening. Authorities said they found Jalen Everett, 24, of Rochester, New York, shot at least once in the torso while he was in a car on Saturday at about 8pm. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the Democrat & Chronicle. Everett was acquitted during a 2017 retrial for the triple homicide of three men Jonah Barley, Johnny Johnson and Raekwon Manigault who were shot in the head during a drive-by shooting at a local Boys & Girls Club in 2015. Four others were injured during the shooting, but they recovered. Police said they found Jalen Everett, 24, shot in the torso while in a car on Saturday night. The father of two was declared dead at the hospital The Rochester Police Department said that officers had been in the area on an unrelated call when they heard gunshots and found Everett wounded in the car, Rochester First reported. Police said they did not have any shooting suspects in custody yet, but noted that there were witnesses to the crime. Everett's shooting occurred the day before what would have been Manigault's 23rd birthday. Manigault was born on May 5, 1996. On Saturday night, Lt. Naser Zenelovic of the Major Crimes Unit, told reporters that 'Retaliation certainly could be a motive but were looking at that' and noted that 'There could be a number of reasons' why the shooting occurred. Police were in the neighborhood on a different call when they heard gunshots and later found Everett wounded in the car at this Rochester intersection Everett had been acquitted of a 2015 triple homicide during a 2017 retrial. His death came just one day prior to what would've been the 23rd birthday of one of the homicide victims But, during a press conference Sunday, Rochester Police Interim Chief LaRon Singletary urged people not to speculate on the motive behind the shooting or carry out any retaliation for Everett's death, remarking that authorities were still investigating. Everett was originally found guilty of three counts of second-degree murder, but the verdict was set aside following allegations of juror misconduct involving racial bias 'What we want to be able to do is focus on the task on hand,' Singletary said, according to Spectrum Local News. He added that 'for those who believe they want to become involved in future acts of retaliatory violence, let us handle it. Let the police department do its job, make the arrests and do so accordingly.' During Everett's vigil Sunday afternoon, his cousin, Camille McIntyre said that Everett had two sons, one of which is a newborn, remarking that 'He did everything for those boys.' McIntyre said she suspected that Everett's shooting might have been tied to the 2015 deaths he was acquitted of, but told Spectrum, 'No matter your anger, no matter how you feel or if you think it's karma, we all have some type of karma, nobody deserves to be snatched out like this.' Everett was among three men who were charged in association with the 2015 Boys & Girls Club deaths. Johnny Blackshell, 24 (left), and Michael Mathis, 21 (right), were also charged with the 2015 murders. Johnny Blackshell was convicted, but Mathis was acquitted A picture of the scene in the wake of the 2015 drive-by shooting murders which occurred outside a local Boys & Girls Club in Rochester The victims of the 2015 drive-by shooting (L to R): Jonah Barley, Raekwon Manigault, Johnny Ray Johnson. Everett's shooting occurred the evening before what would've been Manigault's 23rd birthday Although Everett was initially convicted of three counts of second-degree murder, the verdict was set aside following allegations of juror misconduct involving racial bias during deliberation, according to the Democrat & Chronicle. Everett was then acquitted during his January 2017 retrial. Michael Mathis, 21, was also acquitted of the 2015 murders, but Johnny Blackshell, 24, was convicted and sentenced to life without parole. In February, Mathis was stabbed during a fight at a pub in Rochester. Authorities said that he refused to cooperate during the investigation. Former Prime Minister Paul Keating has slammed Australia's security bosses as 'nutters' in a bizarre interview less than two weeks from the Federal Election. Speaking to ABC, Mr Keating discussed the economic impact Labor's policies would have on the nation, before slamming ASIO and ASIS, accusing them of being anti-China and 'running Australia's foreign policy'. 'When the security agencies are running foreign policy, the nutters are in charge,' he said. Mr Keating, who was Labor prime minister between 1991 and 1996, has called for spy chiefs to be sacked in a bid to improve relations with China, saying he would 'clean them out'. The politician said problems began to mount in the security council after former journalist John Garnaut helped to write a classified report for ASIO on Chinese influence in Australia. 'Once that Garnaut guy came back from China and [Malcolm] Turnbull gave him the ticket to go and hop into the security agencies, they've all gone berko ever since,' he said. Paul Keating said Australia's security agencies went 'berko' after former journalist John Garnaut helped write a classified ASIO report on China 'When you have got the ASIO chief knocking on MPs' doors, you know something's wrong.' Mr Keating said any incumbent government needed to rethink Australia's relationship with China. 'You know, China, whatever you think, China is a great state,' he said. 'It's always been a great state and now has the second-largest economy, soon the largest economy in the world. 'If we have a foreign policy that does not take that into account, we are fools.' Following the inflammatory comments, Prime Minister Scott Morrison called on Bill Shorten to denounce Mr Keating's remarks, noting the agencies had prevented 15 terror attacks in Australia. 'For what the Labor Party calls a Labor legend to go out there and attack the credibility of our security agencies that have been saving lives in this country, I think is very disappointing,' the PM told reporters in Nowra on Monday. 'I think that should be disowned and I think the leader of the Labor Party, Bill Shorten, should be having something to say about that in denouncing what Paul Keating had to say.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison called on Labor to denounce Mr Keating's remarks, with Labor Leader Bill Shorten telling reporters there would be no 'clean out' of Australia's security agencies under a government he led Labor's deputy leader Tanya Plibersek said there would 'absolutely not' be a full-scale clean-out of Australia's security agencies under a Shorten government. 'People love Paul Keating for his colourful language,' she told ABC Radio National on Monday. 'We have a very good relationship with Australia's security agencies.' She said Mr Keating did not run Labor policy, noting the opposition valued regular briefings it receives from agencies. 'Paul Keating is right to say that China is an absolutely vital economic partner for Australia and we have to have a good relationship with China,' Ms Plibersek said. Israel is 'preparing to continue' its military action in Gaza despite a shaky ceasefire agreed last night, Benjamin Netanyahu has said. The prime minister declared the battle was 'not over' after an alarming outbreak of violence across the Israel-Gaza border this weekend. Hailing the success of Israeli air strikes which 'struck at terrorist leaders and destroyed terrorist buildings', Netanyahu said his military had hit Hamas, the rulers of Gaza, with 'great force'. 'The campaign is not over and it demands patience and good judgment,' the Israeli leader warned. The air strikes - which killed at least two babies in Gaza - followed massive rocket fire from Gaza in the worst flare-up between Israel and the Palestinian militants since a 2014 war. Egypt last night brokered a deal to stop the escalation, which left at least 29 people dead and threatened to widen into a new war. Rescue: An injured boy is carried from an ambulance at a hospital in Beit Lahia in the Gaza strip, during violent exchanges between Israel and Gaza over the weekend Palestinian leaders in Gaza agreed a ceasefire with Israel on Monday to end a deadly two-day escalation in violence that threatened to widen into war. Pictured is a man carrying the body of Palestinian child to a hospital following an Israeli airstrike in in the northern Gaza Strip Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (centre) warned Israel was 'prepared to continue' its military action after a two-day escalation with Gaza Wreckage: A Palestinian girl stands in front of the rubble of a building that was destroyed during Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City During the violent exchange, Israel's military said it had killed Hamed Ahmed Abed Khudari, a Hamas operative described as the group's 'money man'. It was the first targeted killing of a Hamas leader by Israel's military since 2014, according to Israeli media. President Donald Trump said he backed Israel '100 per cent in defense of its citizens' and condemned Gaza for its 'terrorist acts' against its Middle East neighbour. Meanwhile Israel's former national security adviser Yaakov Amidror said the violence was being instigated from Iran. The escalation began Saturday with massive rocket fire from Gaza, drawing waves of Israeli retaliatory strikes, and continued throughout Sunday. Islamic Jihad, a group allied to Hamas, had warned that the violence 'could lead to an open war', according to Israeli media. Israel warned it was making plans for a ground offensive and said the military had been 'given orders to prepare for a number of days of fighting'. At least 25 Palestinians, including at least nine militants, were killed, while four civilians died in Israel. Two of the bodies were discovered under rubble in the Gaza Strip on Monday. Explosion: Smoke and debris are flung through the air in Gaza City yesterday after a building is hit by an Israeli airstrike Debris: Palestinian youngsters gather among the rubble of a building that was destroyed during the two-day escalation across the Israel-Gaza border The body of Palestinian man arrives at a hospital following an Israeli airstrike in Sheikh Zayed district, in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday. At least 23 Palestinians and four civilians in Israel have been killed since Saturday Flattened: The remains of a building that was destroyed by Israeli air strikes are seen in Gaza 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 faced pressure to seek to restore calm and put an end to the rocket fire hitting communities in the country's south. It commemorates its 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 is set to begin. 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. Victim: An injured Palestinian baby lies on a hospital bed in Beit Lahia in the north of the Gaza strip yesterday Rubble: A Palestinian boy stands by a pile of debris on Monday as Palestinian and Israeli leaders agreed a ceasefire to pull back from the brink of war Palestinian leaders in Gaza agreed a ceasefire with Israel on Monday to end a deadly two-day escalation in violence that threatened to widen into war Smoke billows over Gaza City after Israel carries out an air strike in response to a barrage of rockets fired by Palestinian militants on Saturday Among the steps, he said, were the relaxing of limits on fishing and improvements in Gaza's electricity and fuel situation. Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008 and the escalation brought them to the brink of another. Sunday was particularly bloody, with 19 Palestinians and four civilians in Israel killed. 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 on Sunday he instructed the military 'to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip.' Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said in a statement on Sunday night that 'returning to a state of calm is possible' if Israel committed to a complete ceasefire. Emergency: Paramedics push a stretcher carrying a wounded Palestinian man at a hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza strip, on Sunday Israel faced pressure to seek to restore calm and put an end to the rocket fire hitting communities in the country's south. Officers are seen inspecting damage to a home in Gaza on Saturday lestinian children are seen seated in front of their house which is was destroyed during the Israeli air strikes in Gaza City on Sunday Without it, 'the arena could face many rounds of confrontation,' he said. Israel said its strikes were in response to Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing some 690 rockets or mortars across the border since Saturday, with Israeli 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. At least 35 of the rockets fell in urban areas, according to the army. The army said its tanks and planes hit some 350 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. Palestinians are seen inspecting the remains of a building which was destroyed during the Israeli air strikes in Gaza City during the week Egyptian and UN officials held talks to reach a truce, as they have done repeatedly in the past, and there were international calls for calm 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. Israel strongly disputed the claim, with Conricus saying 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. 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 missile. Inspection: A Palestinian man checks the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes inside a buidling in Gaza City early on Monday Conricus said a Kornet missile had hit a vehicle and killed an Israeli civilian. Egyptian and UN officials held talks to reach a truce, as they have done repeatedly in the past, and there were international calls for calm. 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 April 9 general election. 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. A three-year-old girl has died in a burning car after she was reportedly locked inside. Zoey Pereira was found in the backseat of a blazing Audi A6 Sedan in Queens, New York just before 9pm on Sunday. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she died from her injuries. The girl's 39-year-old father, whose name has not been released, was taken into custody. Scroll down for video A three-year-old girl has died after she was reportedly locked inside a burning car in Queens, New York on Sunday night One gas canister was found in the backseat of the car and another was discovered nearby in the street (pictured) Officers arrived on the scene following reports of a car in the middle of the street. Sources said they discovered that the back doors of the car had been chained shut, according to the New York Post. The windows of the car were also shut. One gas canister was found in the backseat of the car and another was discovered nearby in the street. Heat from the blaze melted the handle, which allowed firefighters to open the door and grab the girl. The girl, whose name has not been released, was found in the backseat of a blazing Audi A6 Sedan in Queens, New York just before 9pm on Sunday The girl's 39-year-old father, whose name has not been released, has been taken into custody Sources said the man, who had been driving erratically beforehand, then sprinted out of the car. 'This guy was fully engulfed in flames,' one witness told the New York Daily News. 'I heard a boom, like something explode. When I came out, I saw smoke,' added witness Lisa Silvera. Silvera said someone directed the man to run to nearby Baisley Pond Park. 'She told him to run, run to the water,' she said. Sources said authorities discovered that the back doors of the cars had been chained shut Heat from the blaze melted the door handle, which allowed firefighters to open the door and grab the girl The man jumped into the pond. Officers found him there and took him into custody. 'He was on a stretcher,' Silvera said 'He's burned. He looked white. So burned. With a mask on his face.' The man, who suffered second and third degree burns, was hospitalized. No charges have been filed but authorities said he is being questioned as a person of interest in the case. The investigation is ongoing. The husband of a woman who allegedly stole $3.5 million from her employer has escaped having to repay $800,000 as he 'thought it came from gambling winnings'. He also told the court his wife controlled all the finances, he didn't know how to use an ATM and was hopeless with technology and so he had no idea the funds might be stolen. The extraordinary details have come to light in two separate legal cases: a civil case before the NSW Supreme Court in which the employer, Silversea Cruises, tried to recover the missing millions; and an ongoing criminal case against Mrs Abellanoza before the Downing Centre Local Court. Perven Salas Abellanoza and his wife Mary Ann Abellanoza. Mary Ann is accused of 98 fraud offences relating to the embezzlement of $3.5 million from her employer, Silversea Cruises Perven Salas Abellanoza, 56, who worked in refrigeration, married his sweetheart Mary Ann in the Philippines before the couple migrated to Australia in 2002 and settled in Plumpton, in Sydney's western suburbs. Mary Ann Abellanoza found work as an in-house accountant for Silversea Cruises, with a salary package of $88,000 and a free yearly voyage on one of the company's luxury cruise vessels. But the NSW Supreme Court found the 53-year-old mother-of-two misappropriated $3.5 million from Silversea during her employment by depositing it into seven different bank accounts she controlled and used a downloadable generator to create fake invoices. Justice John Sackar ruled the cruise company is entitled to recover the $3.5 million in misappropriated funds from Mrs Abellanoza. But the company is not permitted to pursue her husband, Perven, for $811,565 that went through joint bank accounts he owned with his wife, and that he had the benefit of, as he successfully argued that he didn't know the money was stolen. Justice Sackar accepted that Mr Abellanoza believed his wife's newfound wealth was 'pure luck' after she developed a daily poker machine gambling habit. 'I am satisfied the second defendant trusted his wife, and his wife was demonstrating to him that she was indeed lucky, confirming his belief,' Justice Sackar wrote in his decision. The court heard that when Perven married Mary Ann in 1990 she took complete control of the couple's household finances. Mr Abellanoza told the court that he did not know how to use an ATM and that he only opened his own account with the Commonwealth Bank in 2004 with his wife's assistance. He said he did not even know the PIN for the debit card on the account nor the details of his credit card account because he is hopeless with technology. Mr Abellanoza told the court that he and his wife would go gambling on the poker machines in RSL clubs in Rooty Hill, Lakemba and Canterbury. Mary Ann Abellanoza found work as an in-house accountant for Silversea Cruises, with a salary package of $88,000 and a free yearly voyage on one of the company's luxury cruise vessels (pictured one of Silversea cruises luxury ships) Mr Abellanoza said he didn't know how much his wife was putting into the poker machines because his wife didn't let him gamble beside her. She said he was 'bad luck'. They would go their separate ways inside the club. He would gamble to a $500 limit then wait in the car for his wife, the court heard. He said he thought his wife was using her salary in the poker machines and was just very lucky. The couple had travelled up to 10 times with their children to the Philippines since 2014, and also visited Surfers Paradise, Cairns, Darwin, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Singapore, Fiji, Taiwan, Brisbane and Melbourne, the court heard. Mr Abellanoza believed his wife had the 'golden touch' as she would spend hours on the $6-10 per press machines, giving him money from the 'winnings', the court heard. Mrs Abellanoza would gamble seven nights a week, on average, staying until 10pm on weeknights and 2am on weekends. Between May 2017 and April 2018, Mr Abellanoza cashed out more than $100,000 in what he told the court he thought were 'poker machine winnings'. The day after Silversea served Ms Abellanoza with a court summons, her husband withdrew $20,000 from his bank account which he said was to pay for his wife's lawyer. He was also seen carrying two large cardboard boxes from his house which he said were full of clothes as he was going to leave his wife. While Justice Sackar said Mr Abellanoza was an unsatisfactory witness, who 'tried far too hard to project the image of a hapless male entirely unaware of his surroundings,' he accepted that he had trusted his wife. The NSW Supreme Court ruled that Silversea is only allowed to pursue Mr Abellanoza for $1,829.08, which was all that remained in two joint bank accounts held by the couple. Mrs Abellanoza did not file a defence in the Supreme Court case. No criminal charges have been filed against Mr Abellanoza. Mary Ann Abellanoza faces 98 criminal charges for fraud offences including deliberately obtaining a financial advantage by deception and dealing with the proceeds of crime. The criminal case against Mrs Abellanoza will return to Downing Centre Local Court on May 23. The US military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea today in a move that has angered Beijing at a tense time between the world's two biggest economies. The busy waterway is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the US-China relationship - which also include a trade war, US sanctions and Taiwan. President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal by threatening to hike US tariffs on $200billion worth of Chinese goods this week and soon target hundreds of billions more. The US guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung Hoon traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, a US military spokesman said. The US guided-missile destroyers Preble (pictured) and Chung Hoon traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the Seventh Fleet, said the 'innocent passage' aimed 'to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law'. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the US ships entered the waters near the islets without the Chinese government's permission, and the Chinese navy warned them to leave. 'The relevant moves by the US ships infringed upon Chinese sovereignty, and damaged the peace, security and good order of the relevant seas. China is strongly dissatisfied with this and resolutely opposed to it,' he told a daily news briefing. 'China urges the United States to stop such provocative actions,' Geng said, adding that China would continue to take the necessary steps to defend its sovereignty and security. The US military has a long-standing position that its operations are carried out throughout the world, including areas claimed by allies, and that they are separate from political considerations. The operation was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing's efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate. China claims almost all the strategic South China Sea and frequently hits out at the US and its allies over naval operations near Chinese-occupied islands. A Beijing spokesman said the move, featuring the US destroyer Chung Hoon (pictured), 'damaged peace, security and good order of the seas' Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims in the region. China and the US have repeatedly traded barbs in the past over what Washington says is Beijing's militarization of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs. China defends its construction as necessary for self-defense and says the United States is responsible for ratcheting up tension in the region by sending warships and military planes close to islands Beijing claims. Last month, China's navy chief said freedom of navigation should not be used to infringe upon the rights of other nations. The freedom of navigation operation comes weeks after a major naval parade marking 70 years since the founding of the Chinese navy. The US sent only a low-level delegation to the Chinese navy anniversary events. A learner driver has apologised in court for a hit-run which left a toddler seriously injured on a Melbourne road as he continued his trip to collect takeaway food. Zachery Davin Larkins, 21, has pleaded guilty to failing to stop and render assistance after the two-year-old boy ran onto the road at Laverton last September. He has also admitted failing to display L plates, driving unaccompanied and failing to report the crash to police. Zachery Davin Larkins (pictured), 21, has pleaded guilty to failing to stop and render assistance after the two-year-old boy ran onto the road at Laverton last September In the Koori Court in Melbourne on Monday, Larkins told the mother of his victim 'I'm very sorry for my behaviour,' adding he wished he hadn't done what he did. Larkins had been on his way to pick up Subway in his partner's car on the night of September 9 when the toddler ran onto Railway Avenue, the court was told. The 21-year-old was unable to stop in time and knew he hit the child but drove off in shock. Larkins' lawyer said because the man could tell the little boy's family were at the scene to provide assistance, it was different from a case where there was no one around to help. Larkins had been on his way to pick up Subway in his partner's car on the night of September 9 when the toddler (pictured) ran onto Railway Avenue Larkins kept going to Altona Meadows Shopping Centre, where he left the car after inspecting it and collecting his food, walking home to Railway Avenue where both he and his victim's family lived. No driving error or mechanical fault contributed to the crash, prosecutors said. It left the boy in a coma, with injuries including a lacerated liver and bruised lungs, and unable to eat or walk properly. The child's mother told the court her son remained scared to get into cars and was 'behind in everything', in contrast to his development before the crash. Larkins remains on bail and is expected to return to court on July 29. A shocking surge in flu cases across Australia is leaving medical experts scratching their heads as the 2019 peak season hits. The Communicable Diseases Weekly Report, released by New South Wales Health on April 21, revealed there had been a 300 per cent surge in recorded flu cases compared to last year. 'For the year to date there have been 10,121 confirmed influenza notifications reported, much higher than for the same periods in 2018, (with) 3,803, and in 2017, (with) 2884,' the report read. Medical experts are baffled by a huge surge in flu cases as the 2019 peak season hits 'It remains impossible to predict how the higher than usual influenza activity in recent months will affect this year's winter influenza season. However, the current influenza activity reinforces the importance of annual flu shots.' In the four weeks leading up to March 31 there were 2481 confirmed influenza cases in NSW, much higher than the 972 for the same period in 2018. So far in 2019 there have been 27 cases of influenza outbreaks in NSW, while there were a total of 46 in 2018. So far 2017 holds the record for recorded flu cases with 103,852 reported for the year. A total of 17,495 confirmed cases of flu were recorded in 2018. NSW Health communicable diseases expert Vicky Sheppard told the publication the surge in flu numbers had not been seen before, ABC News reported. 'We don't know what it means because this is a new phenomenon,' she said. NSW Health communicable diseases expert Vicky Sheppard (pictured) told the publication the surge in flu numbers had not been seen before 'We don't know if this activity will decrease and then the influenza season will come later in the year or potentially this activity could be ongoing. 'We've had an unusual start.' However, Dr Sheppard did say most of the recorded cases from January and February were introduced from overseas. NSW Health's 2019 flu awareness program will now focus on a range of creative sources to help highlight the importance of immunisation. 'Supported by interactive social media techniques to raise public awareness about personal measures to reduce the spread of flu and strongly encourage more people to be vaccinated, particularly those people at greater risk of severe flu,' the report read. 'Annual flu shots remain the best protection against influenza so the campaign will again promote vaccination against influenza among our most vulnerable groups, including the elderly.' A new and enhanced flu vaccination has also been made available for people 65 years of age and older. NSW Health's 2019 flu awareness program will now focus on a range of creative sources to help highlight the importance of immunisation Influenza activity is so far highest in the Murrumbidgee region in central NSW, western Sydney and northern Sydney. The NSW Government has invested a record $22.75million in state-wide immunisation programs in 2018-19, including $3.5 million for free flu shots for children up to five years of age and a $1.75 million immunisation and influenza prevention campaign. The flu vaccine is free for pregnant women, Aboriginal people, those aged 65 years and over, and those who have medical conditions such as severe asthma, diabetes and heart problems. 'Pregnant women in their final trimester who are due to give birth before April should get along to their GP, or their trained pharmacist, and get a free flu shot,' Dr Sheppard said. 'For the rest of us, it is best to wait until the 2019 flu vaccine becomes available in April or May but if you are already unwell, avoid visiting hospitals, aged care facilities or infants.' The skipper of a speedboat believed to have hit and killed a diver near Melbourne has handed himself into police. The driver, 41, contacted police and was arrested on Monday after a 29-year-old diver was struck and killed about 1pm on Sunday in Victoria's Port Phillip Bay. Investigators had earlier on Monday pleaded with the skipper to come forward as they maintained a close watch of nearby boat ramps to locate the suspect vessel. The skipper of a speedboat believed to have hit and killed a diver near Melbourne has handed himself into police The Blackburn man, from South Korea, was skin diving with a mate when he was struck and killed in what a coast guard has described as a 'hit-and-run on the water'. The pair had been spear fishing several hundred metres offshore from Canadian Bay when the tragedy happened. After surfacing from his dive, the friend made contact with a skipper from a nearby boat to warn them that the two were diving in the area - unaware his mate had already been struck. Water police Senior Sergeant Alistair Nisbet described both men as experienced divers who were following the rules. 'They were using buoys and floats and flags, everything that's required to obviously display that they are swimming out in the water,' he said. The victim's friend spoke with the skipper of a boat from the water before discovering his friend in distress, Snr Sgt Nisbet added. 'He'd surfaced and he'd seen that (those on the boat) were close by to where they were swimming and he just wanted to make sure that they could see where they were,' the officer told reporters on Monday. After finding his friend with 'significant injures', he hailed a nearby commercial boat which ferried the pair to Frankston Pier where attempts to revive the victim failed. It was too early to tell if the suspect boat was speeding, Snr Sgt Nisbet added. There is a is five knot limit in Port Phillip Bay within 100 metres of diving flags and within 200 metres of the waters edge, a speed the senior sergeant described as walking pace. 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 The accident happened offshore from Point Eliza, in the southern end of Port Phillip Bay. Investigators shut down boat ramps in the bay following the accident, as they searched for the vessel. 'It's your responsibility as a vessel operator to ensure that you keep a look out for everything and operate safely. It's all responsibility back on the operator.' Australian Volunteer Coast Guard spokesman Jeremy West said it was unlikely the skipper would have been unaware of the collision. 'It's usually fairly obvious that you've hit something, particularly a solid object,' he told ABC radio. 'In this case, obviously, a person is quite solid. Hitting anything on the underside of a boat will typically give the noise to suggest that something has been struck.' Investigators have urged 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. A restaurant has been slammed online after they shared a photo of a food blogger in a revealing top as part of a marketing campaign. Fine and Fettle in Magill Rd, Adelaide, recently partnered with popular food blogger Karylle Banez in an attempt to promote the restaurant's new menu. But when the eatery shared a photo of Ms Banez wearing a barely-there bralette on its Facebook page, the restaurant was met with plenty of criticism from customers. When Fine and Fettle shared a photo of Karylle Banez (pictured) wearing a barely-there bralette on its Facebook page, the restaurant was met with plenty of criticism from customers A South Australian eatery has been slammed online after they shared a photo of food blogger Karylle Banez (pictured) in a revealing top as part of a marketing campaign 'It's meant to be promoting a restaurant not a night club. Nothing against the girl she is stunning but I don't think it's the right image for a restaurant,' one person wrote. 'Sorry but this doesn't give the restaurant a good look what's with the girl in the bra,' another person said. A third person added: 'I was under the impression it was a restaurant/cafe...not a Gentlemen's club.' In a follow-up message, Fine & Fettle addressed the negative feedback, saying they were 'shocked' at some of the comments that had been posted. 'It was never our intention to offend, however, we also do not appreciate this type of offensiveness from our community,' the message stated. Fine and Fettle chef Sam Worrall-Thompson, the son of British celebrity chef Antony Worrall-Thompson, told Daily Mail Australia Ms Banez dined at the eatery on April 26 by invitation to sample its new dinner menu. He said while the restaurant does not have a strict dress code and encourages customers to wear what they like, Ms Banez had received unwarranted online abuse. 'The online bullying that Karylle has experienced as a result of her outfit is absolutely unacceptable,' Mr Worrall-Thompson said. Fine and Fettle chef Sam Worrall-Thompson told Daily Mail Australia Ms Banez (pictured) dined at the eatery on April 26 by invitation to sample its new dinner menu Fine and Fettle (left and right) in Magill Rd, Adelaide recently partnered with popular food blogger Karylle Banez in an attempt to promote the restaurant's new menu The Facebook post also stated 'Our food does and has always spoken for itself. We are simply promoting our nights and sharing Karylle's experience at Fettle. 'Before commenting we'd appreciate if you had some thought on the fact this is a real person, with real feelings. Thank you,' the message stated. Despite the backlash, not everyone found Ms Banez's outfit a culinary distraction. 'She's famous on instagram and goes to all different restaurants around Adelaide doing the same thing. Grow up and get over it people,' one person wrote. 'Women should be supporting one another, not bringing each other down, there is enough negativity in the world!' another person said. 'A third person added: 'Look amazing girl. So does the food #nohate #girls empowering girls'. Child sex killer Martin Ney is not the new Madeleine McCann suspect Portuguese police are investigating, it was claimed today. Convicted triple-murderer Ney, 48, was reportedly named as a 'person of interest' by Portuguese police following a tip off from Scotland Yard. The killer, known as the 'masked man', is said to have visited the Algarve region and travelled extensively throughout Portugal in the 1990s. However leading Portuguese tabloid Correio da Manha claimed that Ney was not the 'new suspect' currently being investigated by detectives. It reported today: 'A German paedophile, serving life for the murder of three children and the sexual abuse of dozens more youngsters, was named by the British press as a Madeleine McCann suspect. Scroll down for video Child sex killer Martin Ney (left) is not the new Madeleine McCann suspect Portuguese police are investigating, it has been claimed (right, a previously released e-fit) Madeleine McCann disappeared from the Ocean Club resort in Portugal's Praia da Luz as a three-year-old in May 2007 'However this is not the new suspect that the Policia Judiciaria in Porto is investigating.' There was no immediate reaction from the PJ or Portugal's Attorney General's office. The PJ said in a statement on Friday, after Correio's revelations about a new suspect said to have been flagged up to Portugese police by Scotland Yard: 'The investigation into the disappearance of an English child in Praia da Luz in 2007, remains open within the framework of an investigation supervised by Portimao's Public Ministry. 'This investigation has been developed in conjunction with international authorities, following police and judicial rules of cooperation justified by the circumstances of the situation. 'The PJ does not feel it is appropriate to make any further clarifications in the interests of the investigation.' Portugal's Attorney General's Office, repeating the same statement it made last month when asked if British authorities had formally requested more help from Portugal via rogatory letters, added on the same day: 'Regarding these facts, as is public knowledge, an inquiry in the Portimao section of the Faro DIAP Public Prosecutors Office is ongoing. It is under investigation.' Neither is expected to react officially to the new claims by Correio about Ney not being the new suspect. He has previously been interviewed by detectives investigating Madeleiene's disappearance but has denied any involvement. Ney is believed to have leapt out at children from behind bushes wearing a mask and dressed all in black (photofit pictured) Police are reportedly pursuing two theories and two potential suspects including the German paedophile and another revolving around a suspect in another country Shortly after Correio revealed a new suspect was being probed, Portuguese news website Expresso said the focus of the PJ investigation was an alleged foreign paedophile. The website said he was known to Portuguese police, was in Portugal when Madeleine disappeared, and had been investigated on suspicion of involvement in paedophile cases. Scotland Yard officers involved in Operation Grange, the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance being run separately from the one in Portugal led by officers based in the northern city of Porto, are understood to have asked the PJ to look at him after receiving a new tip. He was linked to an English-speaking masked sexual predator who was active in the Praia da Luz area, although Expresso did not claim the new suspect and the masked intruder, who in one case woke up a little girl and told her 'Yes' when she asked 'Is that you Daddy?' were the same man. Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are focusing on a convicted German paedophile Former Portuguese detective Goncalo Amaral sparked claims Hamburg-born Ney, who sometimes entered the apartments or tents of his victims wearing a mask, was the new suspect by claiming last week British police were probing a 'German paedophile who is in prison.' Ney looks a photofit of a man seen acting suspiciously before Madeleine vanished from her family's Algarve holiday apartment on May 3, 2007 as her parents ate tapas nearby. He was reportedly working for an evangelical church on a project for the homeless in Portugal when Madeleine vanished. He is understood to have been questioned about a six-year-old German boy who went missing from a beach near the Algarve in June 1996, but was never charged. Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry said at the weekend when asked about Ney: 'He fits the profile - he is a known predatory paedophile and he's a foreigner. 'It is quite plausible police are looking at him again but it could be someone else. 'If he is the person of interest, a German force will have to get involved to interview him on their soil.' Mrs McCann's uncle Brian Kennedy added: 'If police start broadcasting names of suspects, it will only send them running.' The Met Police has also refused to comment, saying only: 'The investigation remains ongoing. We are not providing a running commentary.' NSW judge found The Daily Telegraph defamed actor Geoffrey Rush (pictured The Daily Telegraph and journalist Jonathan Moran are appealing after a NSW judge found the newspaper defamed Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush in articles which made him out to be a pervert and a sexual predator. Justice Michael Wigney in April ruled publisher Nationwide News and Moran were reckless regarding the truth of their story when they reported Rush had been accused of inappropriate behaviour in 2017. Court documents show the news organisation lodged a notice of appeal in the Federal Court in Sydney last week. The Daily Telegraph reports it's appealing on the ground the judge's conduct 'gave rise to an apprehension of bias'. Justice Wigney found a poster and two articles contained several defamatory meanings but the news organisation didn't prove they were substantially true. 'This was ... a recklessly irresponsible piece of sensationalist journalism of the worst kind - the very worst kind,' the judge said on April 11. The Telegraph and Moran largely relied on the evidence of actor Eryn Jean Norvill during a Federal Court defamation trial in 2018. She alleged Rush sexually harassed her during a Sydney Theatre Company production of King Lear in 2015-16 during which she played the daughter of his titular character. But Justice Wigney found Norvill was at times 'prone to exaggeration and embellishment'. He said he wasn't persuaded she was entirely credible and awarded Rush $850,000 for general and aggravated damages. The parties were due back in court on Friday for a hearing on special damages for Rush's lost earnings that could run to many millions of dollars. Advertisement Brits celebrated the Bank Holiday in style by hitting the town and partying until the early hours of the morning. Party-goers were in high spirits as they laughed and joked with friends, taking advantage of the long weekend. Well-dressed men and women were seen letting their hair down on the streets of Blackpool, which is bursting with clubs and bars. In one image a young woman can be seen dancing up the street, enjoying the extended break, while in another snap a group of friends sings and dances in the street. But as has become sadly traditional, some revellers took it a bit too far with one man hunched being sick, as his worried friends look after him. In another snap a man's face is covered in blood, while in another people queue up at a kebab shop to get a late night snack. A group of women in fancy dress walk in the streets of Blackpool getting ready for a fun night out over the long weekend One young man carries his friend over his shoulder as they enjoy a night out in Blackpool. Close by two other men enjoy a late night snack One young woman enjoying herself on the extended weekend as she walks in Blackpool, and walking the other way two friends share a joke A group of people enjoy themselves on the streets of Blackpool. The town is well-known for its friendly nightlife and has a number of bars and clubs A man in a cowboy hat wanders out into the cold Spring air topless, wearing only short and loafers, while his friend strides alongside him in a slightly more weather appropriate t-shirt and shorts A man busks on the street as two women sing along having a great time on the streets of Blackpool Two men look after their friend who is a bit worse for wear. He clutches a bottle of water as they look on, concerned for his well-being A woman guards herself against the chilly weather as groups of people can be seen enjoying their night out in Blackpool A man helps his friend home in the early hours of the morning in Blackpool after a big night out in the popular town Two men walk back from their night out in Blackpool. One man's face is covered in blood which is dripping from his nose A good friend holds her friend's hair back as she is unwell on a night out in Blackpool over the Bank Holiday weekend Young man wearing a cheerleaders dress helps a woman wearing a crucifix cross the road by carrying her on his shoulders Four youngsters wearing branded shirts and bum-bags make their way along a Blackpool street. One is brandishing a white piece of tubing A group of six guys wearing polo shirts that read 'Blackpool 2019' and have a logo of the Blackpool tower and animal A number of men wearing colourful tracksuits enjoy their night out in Blackpool. One of the men can be seen tucking into a kebab A man perched on a step tries to whisper in a woman's ear as the pair take a break from the big night out in Blackpool Three girls smile as they munch on pizza while sitting on top of the counter in a kebab shop in Blackpool over the weekend Revellers donned in offensive t-shirts, such as one that read 'If we hook up I'll c** quicker than Brexit' and 'Tease me, Please me, Don't disease me' Binge drinking can increase your risk of accidents, cause you to misjudge risky situations and mean you to lose an element of self-control, according to the NHS. For help in cutting down on your alcohol intake click here Jacinda Ardern has revealed more details about her romantic surprise proposal and why she doesn't wear her engagement ring on the correct finger. The New Zealand prime minister confirmed last week that long time partner Clarke Gayford popped the question over the Easter break after she was spotted wearing what appeared to be an engagement ring on her left hand. A coy Ms Ardern was unable to dodge reporters' questions about her recent proposal during a post-cabinet press conference in Wellington on Monday, where she was reluctant to spill too many intimate details. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) was reluctant to give too much away about getting engaged at a press conference in Wellington on Monday 'There are some things I don't mind keeping for ourselves,' Ms Ardern told reporters. 'This is a very public job and I'm quite happy to put quite a bit of ourselves out there. But there are some things I wouldn't mind keeping to ourselves.' But Ms Ardern confirmed the proposal took place with a beautiful backdrop at the top of Mokotahi Hill in Mahia on North Island's east coast. 'It was Clarke, myself, a member of the DPS (Diplomatic Protection Squad), a couple of locals from Mahia and a dog which tried to eat the chocolate that Clarke bought me at the same time, so it was very romantic.' The beautiful engagement ring on her middle finger belonged to Clarke's grandmother She admitted her long term partner didn't get down on one knee. 'The DPS had no idea what had happened so that should be a giveaway,' she said. There's a reason why the ring, which belonged to Clarke's grandmother isn't on her her ring finger. 'I have not been trying to hide our news from anyone,' she said. 'It simply doesn't fit on the right finger, so that's why it's sitting in the middle.' Jacinda and her fishing show host fiance Clarke Gayford got engaged over the Easter break Ms Ardern says she has 'absolutely no idea' when she will walk down the aisle. 'We haven't made any plans at all,' she said. 'I was surprised by the question and as with probably many other couples we haven't made any plans at all,' she said. Ms Ardern was reluctant to flash her ring when prompted and shut down further personal questions on her engagement with 'I think we're done? Good.' Ardern, 38, and Gayford, 41, first met at an awards event in 2012 a but didn't begin dating until the following year. The newly engaged couple, pictured with daughter Neve, have been together since 2013 The surprise engagement comes 10 months after the birth of daughter Neve Te Aroha in June last year. Gayford is Neve's primary carer while his fiancee runs the country. Ms Ardern was only the second elected female leader to have a child while in office and the first since Benazier Bhutto in 1990. If Ms Ardern weds while in office, she will become the first major leader to do so in recent years. This is the horrific moment a female bullfighter has her jaw, cheeks and eye socket broken after being gored in the face and forced against a wall by a half-ton bull. Hilda Tenorio, 32, from Mexico, was hurt as she faced down the bull on her knees in the city of Puebla. She received emergency medical attention at the scene before being taken to hospital yesterday for an operation to mend her broken jaw. This is the dramatic moment before female bullfighter Hilda Tenorio has her jaw, cheeks and eye socket broken after being gored in the face and forced against a wall by a half-ton bull. Hilda Tenorio, 32, from Mexico, faced down the bull with her yellow and pink cape in the city of Puebla, central Mexico Footage of the dramatic moment she was knocked over shows the half-ton bull, called 'Querido Viejo' which translates as 'My Dear Old Friend', charging her. Ms Tenorio waves a pink and yellow cape at the bull as it runs at her, but the animal does not slow down. Instead, it violently collides with the bullfighter, forcing her against the side of the arena. She is left motionless in the dirt as onlookers rush to help. Pictures taken of the moment of the collision show a resolute Ms Tenorio just before the bull ploughs into her. Others show her being carried away with her mouth and nose covered in blood. The animal violently collides with the bullfighter, forcing her against the side of the arena. She is then left motionless in the dirt as onlookers rush to help After the operation to treat her injuries, Ms Tenorio took to social media to thank her fans. 'I want to thank you all for your messages of support,' she said. 'My injuries are very serious and I have not been able to sleep all night, sat up in bed because there was no other option. 'The doctors have said my upper jaw is broken and my cheeks are fractured from my eye socket.' After the operation to treat her injuries, Ms Tenorio took to social media to thank her fans. In 2010, when she was only 23, Hilda was gored in Mexico City and needed 80 stitches Showing she had still retained her sense of humour, she added: 'At least I'll have a new platinum face, although I wish it was worth more, like the Grammys. In 2010, when she was only 23, Hilda was gored in Mexico City and needed 80 stitches. Mexican media have said she is expected to have to take a six-month rest from bullfighting. Advertisement Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn was nearly upstaged by his daughter as the family greeted thousands of their subjects from a balcony of his Grand Palace today to mark the third and final day of coronation ceremonies. Thousands of spectators gathered around Bangkok's Grand Palace in the hope of getting a glimpse of King Vajiralongkorn and his new bride, Queen Suthida. King Vajiralongkorn appeared alongside his new wife, who he married in a surprise ceremony on Wednesday, his daughters Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana and Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, plus his son Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti. But Princess Nariratana risked upstaging her father and his new bride as she waved to the crowd and filmed the new king from the balcony greeting thousands of his subjects. The stylish princess, who has featured on the front cover of Vogue Thailand, Prestige and Harper's Bazaar, often shares glamorous photo shoots as well as playful family snaps with her 164,000 Instagram followers. During the third day of her father's coronation ceremony today she got her phone out and recorded King Vajiralongkorn and the crowds that gathered outside the Grand Palace. Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn (second right) and Queen Suthida (right) wave to well-wishers with his children Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana (left), Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (second left) and Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol from the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana waves from the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall with her phone in her hand. She posted a clip of her father greeting his subjects on her Instagram account Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida wave to well-wishers from the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall of the Grand Palace as they grant a public audience on the final day of his royal coronation Thailand's newly crowned King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida are seen at the balcony at the Grand Palace where the king grants a public audience to receive the good wishes of the people in Bangkok A woman holding a portrait of Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn as thousands of people wait for him and Queen Suthida to appear on the balcony Supporters hold portraits of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn as they wait outside Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall. He was officially crowned amid the splendour of the country's Grand Palace Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana posted a clip from the balcony of the Grand Palace in Bangkok today to her 164,000 followers Thailand's Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana waves balcony (left) and posts updates on social media (right) about the celebrations Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana posted a playful picture of her with her half brother, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, just before they went out on the balcony with their father Before waving to the crowds of thousands, Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana posed for a selfie with her brother Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, who did not seem impressed with the attention The fashion designer and former athlete also posted a pictures on social media of her half brother, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, moments before the family went out onto the balcony. Over the weekend Princess Sirivannavari also took to Facebook to post personal shots of her and her family members, garnering more than 120,000 shares. The king's eldest sister Princess Ubolratana has long used Instagram as a way to communicate with fans. Who is Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, the Instagram-loving daughter of Thai king? Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana was featured on the front cover of Vogue Thailand as well as Prestige and Harper's Bazaar Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana is the second daughter of King Vajiralongkorn and his former consort Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, who now lives in the United States. Along with her royal duties, the 32-year-old works as a fashion designer specialising in couture. She is often seen at fashion shows around the world and has featured on the front cover of Vogue Thailand, Prestige and Harper's Bazaar. Sirivannavari is also an athlete who once played professional badminton, winning gold for Thailand at the Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines in 2005. Princess Sirivannavari often shares glamorous Instagram images She is also an equestrian who has won competitions for her country in dressage and has suffered a broken leg and foot in the past. Princess Sirivannavari studied fashion as an undergrad at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok She was invited by the French luxury fashion house of Pierre Balmain to go to Paris to debut her collection at Paris Fashion Week in 2007. In 2008 she was named as 16th on the list of the '20 Hottest Young Royals', as compiled by Forbes magazine. She often posts pictures of her in stylish costumes as well as playful snaps with her family. Over the weekend of her father's coronation, Princess Sirivannavari took to Facebook to post personal shots of her and her family members, garnering more than 120,000 shares. Advertisement She drew headlines in February when she tried to stand for prime minister with an anti-junta party. The king thwarted the bid with a royal command and the party was later dissolved. Though she was seen hugging the king at the ceremony, she was asked in the comments section of a photo she posted Saturday why she did not receive a royal title during the event. 'Because my work is in this style,' she said. 'It's more convenient and effective this way.' The king and queen were greeted with a band playing the royal anthem and a 21-gun salute. The monarch and new Queen Suthida waved to a big crowd wearing yellow, the colour associated with the king, and waving flags in a royal audience, a day after a grand procession through Bangkok. The three branches of the armed forces saluted the king before the prime minister led the crowd in chanting 'Long live the king!'. 'I and the Queen are very pleased and delighted to see all the citizens together to express goodwill for my coronation', he told them in his speech, thanking citizens for their blessings and wishing them happiness and success. Walking onto a wooden balcony to the roar of the crowd, Vajiralongkorn said he was 'truly happy' with the display. 'I want the unity shown here with this goodwill to be an encouraging sign for everybody, all sides to perform their duties for the prosperity of our country,' he said. Before the remarks, junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha addressed the king from the ground, pledging 'loyalty to his majesty and the great Chakri dynasty with our lives'. The coronation started on Saturday, after a long period of official mourning for the king's revered father, who died in October 2016 having reigned for 70 years. On Sunday, the king was carried through the streets on a gilded palanquin for the royal procession. Well-wishers, all wearing yellow, gathered from early morning along the four-mile (7 km) route from the Grand Palace to three royal temples. Later on Monday, which has been declared a national holiday, the king will meet diplomats. Since becoming king 18 months ago, 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 the military government. Vajiralongkorn succeeded to the throne after the 2016 death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for seven decades, but it wasn't until Saturday's formal coronation that he was established as full-fledged monarch with complete regal powers based on the Southeast Asian nation's traditions. People began lining up early on Monday so they could be scanned by a metal detector and get close to the throne hall balcony where the king was later to appear. Large video screens were placed nearby so those unable to make their way to the front could watch the proceedings. It was not certain whether the king would speak. The diplomats were to have an audience with the king afterwards. Not as well known, Vajiralongkorn spends a great deal of time in Germany and has been divorced three times. Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana films the proceedings as King Maha Vajiralongkorn and the Royal family wave to the public on a balcony Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana waves to the crowd as Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida are all seen at the balcony An aerial view of the Democracy Monument lit up at night as people gather to watch the coronation process of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok last night Thailand's Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana (left) waves from the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall of the Grand Palace with her father Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn People waiting outside the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall at the Grand Palace with flags and portraits of the new king Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Queen Suthida, Princess Bajrakitiyabha, Prince Dipangkorn and Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Thai people sit on a side-road, anticipating access to Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall, in which Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn Supporters help a man in a wheelchair get to see the new king and queen make an appearance as they wait outside Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida greet their subjects during the third day of coronation ceremonies Whether a part of the palace's PR campaign or just a result of modern smartphone-savvy royals, the informality of posting social media updates drew a positive response from Thais. 'Seeing another side (of them) which is not official is nice,' said a supporter who declined to be named due to sensitivity over discussing royal life. 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. The king and other top royals are protected by one of the world's strictest lese majeste laws, which makes criticism of them punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The monarchy is shielded by some of the world's harshest laws, making any critical discussion about the king all but impossible. But wall-to-wall coverage and social media posts of the ceremony provided rare glimpses into the private lives of the ultra-guarded royal family. The arch-royalist junta that seized power in 2014 in a coup has claimed the popular vote, but a coalition of 'pro-democracy' parties say they have a lower house majority. Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida. Large video screens were placed nearby so those unable to make their way to the front could watch the proceedings as the new king greeted his people today A group of indigenous women waiting outside the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall at the Grand Palace Thousands gathered in anticipation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his queen appeared during the third day of coronation festivities People sit on a side road, anticipating access to Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall where Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn is scheduled to grant a public audience in Bangkok Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn re-entering the Grand Palace on his palanquin at the end of his coronation procession in Bangkok on Sunday The Palang Pracharat party - aligned with the arch-royalist junta that seized power almost five years ago - claimed the popular vote, but a coalition of 'pro-democracy' parties say they have a lower house majority. Analysts say the sequencing of events is important. 'The powers that be are clearly calculating that Thais will be more pliant at this moment in time - and thus less likely to mount protests' after results, said Karen Brooks, adjunct senior fellow for Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. 'We will know soon enough if that calculation is correct.' As the crowd waited Monday in the blazing tropical heat, some broke into cheers whenever a passing cloud blocked the sun. Utain Sanggun, a Bangkok resident who was lined up on Monday for a souvenir pin and royal logo cap, said: 'Today, our family of 13 people came here out of loyalty to the king. 'We are so happy. Yesterday, we waited until midnight to send off His Majesty. It was such an impressive image that I shed tears.' Thousands gathered around the streets of Bangkok to celebrate the coronation of the new king. Pictured is Democracy Monument lit up on Sunday night People holding portraits of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn as they wait for him and Thailand's Queen Suthida to appear at the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall A woman holding a banknote featuring an image of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn. On Sunday evening King Vajiralongkorn was carried on a golden palanquin in a spectacular six-and-a-hour procession through Bangkok's historic quarter Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn being carried on a palanquin through the streets outside the Grand Palace yesterday Coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday Crowds wait for the coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Vajiralongkorn at the Democracy monument in Bangkok On Sunday evening Vajiralongkorn was carried on a golden palanquin in a spectacular six-and-a-hour procession through Bangkok's historic quarter. His wife, Queen Suthida, and eldest daughter, Princess Bajrakitiyabha, marched alongside. Thousands lined the streets under Bangkok's blazing sun on Sunday for the royal procession. 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. The king was carried through Bangkok's historic old quarter on a gilded palanquin flanked by royal guards in a colourful seven-hour procession. King Rama X, the Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his wife, Queen Suthida, during the coronation ceremony at the Grand Palace 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 on Sunday People hold portraits of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn in anticipation of the royal family appearing in public A Thai woman holds a portrait of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn as she stands on a side road awaiting access to Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall Thai well-wishers hold the portraits of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn is seen during his coronation procession carried by soldiers through the streets on Sunday Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana waves to the crowd from the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall at the Grand Palace, with King Maha Vajiralongkorn in the background Thousands of Thais packed outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok to welcome their new king and queen on the third day of coronation celebrations Thailand's newly crowned King Vajiralongkorn returning to the Grand Palace during his coronation procession in Bangkok on Sunday evening An aerial view of Democracy Monument with crowds gathered waiting for the coronation procession of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok on Sunday The royal ceremonies were wedged between a disputed election in March and the expected announcement of poll results later this week. 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 11.40pm. 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. Vajiralongkorn is also known as King Rama X, because he is the tenth king in the Chakri dynasty, which began in 1782. His coronation has involved a series of elaborate, centuries-old rituals rooted in Buddhist and Brahmanic traditions. The coronation proceedings have been broadcast live on all television networks, allowing viewers a rare glimpse of historic royal rituals and interactions among members of the royal family. Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn during the second day of his coronation procession Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn was carried on the royal palanquin during his coronation procession in Bangkok on May 5 King Maha Vajiralongkorn greeted thousands of his subjects from a balcony of his Grand Palace todayas many held up portraits of him and waved the Thai flag 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 The Thai king's daughter Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana (right) taking pictures and the king's younger sister Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (left) during King Vajiralongkorn procession around the city A Thai woman uses a fan while waiting on a side-road ahead of King Maha Vajiralongkorn scheduled granting of a public audience in Bangkok today Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn (front left) taking part in a ceremony in Wat Pho or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, as Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol (middle row left) and Queen Suthida (middle row right) watch A final coronation celebration will be held around late October, when there will be a royal barge procession on Bangkok's Chao Phraya River. 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. 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. 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. The next morning, the king granted new ranks and titles to members of the royal family. He was then 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. Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn sitting on a palanquin and being carried by Royal Guards during a procession Bangkok on Sunday to mark the second day of coronation celebrations Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida, both wearing a yellow sash, during a coronation ceremony in the Grand Palace in Bangkok A general view of the coronation ceremony for Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn in the Grand Palace in Bangkok People watch the coronation procession for Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok from outside on a screen Ashleigh McMahon revealed she was gay to her line manager in her first week A lesbian who was told not to tell colleagues about her sexuality at a textile firm run by an 'old school' owner has been awarded 9,000 for hurt feelings. Ashleigh McMahon revealed she was gay to her line manager shortly after joining Lancashire textile firm Redwood TTM in May 2017. But her boss Darren Pilling told her to keep her sexuality a secret as the company 'did not have any other gay people working for it', adding that owner Brian Atherton was 'old school'. After her role at the struggling firm was made redundant for economic reasons in December 2017, she took the firm and Mr Pilling to a tribunal alleging discrimination. The judge in Liverpool found Mr Pilling was 'not homophobic in any way' but awarded her 8,000 plus interest, for injury to feelings, on the grounds no heterosexual person would have had that request made of them. Ms McMahon joined Redwood TTM, in Skelmersdale, a specialist fabrics manufacturer with 170 staff, as quality manager in May 2017. After receiving the warning about secrecy from Mr Pilling in the first week of her new job she told no-one else about her sexuality during her eight-month employment. She said she found the request 'odd and uncomfortable' but went along with it fearing it would negatively impact her new job. At a tribunal in Liverpool, employment Judge Jim Wardle said: 'According to the claimant, whose sexual orientation is towards persons of the same sex, she was asked during her first week of employment by Mr Pilling, having shared her sexual orientation with him, not to make it common knowledge that she was gay as the owner of the business, Brian Atherton, was old school and that the company did not have any other gay people working for it. 'She says that despite finding the request to be odd and uncomfortable she complied with it as she was mindful of the impact of it on her job having only just started. He added Mr Pilling denied the interaction ever took place claiming the first time he heard Ms McMahon was gay was when she appealed her redundancy. Lancashire textile firm Redwood TTM, pictured, was 'genuinely struggling' when it made Ms McMahon redundant But Judge Wardle dismissed his version of events, saying an account of Mr Atherton wanting his quality control team to have a more visible presence on the factory floor gave the suggestion he was 'old school' a 'ring of authenticity'. Mr Wardle explained: 'In terms of these alleged discriminatory acts we believed that the claimant did make Mr Pilling aware of her sexuality early into her employment, despite his protestations to the contrary and while not considering him to be homophobic in any way we also believed that he did suggest that she kept it under wraps as we felt that the reference to Mr Atherton being 'old school' had a ring of authenticity about it, which we found support for in the references to him wishing to see more visibility from the quality control team on the factory floor. 'In such circumstances we concluded that the claimant had been directly discriminated against on the grounds of her sexual orientation in respect of this one matter as we considered that she had been less favourably treated by being asked not to disclose her sexuality by comparison with a hypothetical person not sharing her protected characteristic in the employment of the respondent. 'We could not conceive that such a person would have been asked this and that with such discriminatory treatment having lasting effect until the termination of her employment.' He ruled she was entitled to an injury to feelings award. Making the award last month Judge Wardle said: 'The judgment of the Tribunal is that the claimant is awarded by way of remedy following its earlier decision that she was directly discriminated against on the grounds of her sexuality the sum of 8,000 in the form of an injury to feelings award, to which sum an amount of 1,244.93 was added by way of interest.' Ms McMahon also claimed Redwood TTM dismissed her not for redundancy reasons but for whistle-blowing and that she was punished with longer working hours because of it; but these claims were dismissed. Mr Pilling explained the drop in the value of the pound following Brexit saw the cost of raw materials and production shoot up, which was the reason for the redundancy. Judge Wardle noted the firm 'was genuinely struggling at the time as a result of increasingly difficult trading conditions which saw it having to cut costs across a range of areas including staffing ultimately and that throughout the process Mr Pilling was reluctant to lose the claimant's role.' Donald Trump has floated the idea of adding two years to his presidency after claiming they were 'stolen' from him by the Mueller probe. The President retweeted a message from Jerry Falwell Jr, the president of Liberty University, Virginia, on Sunday suggesting that his term should be extended to 2022. Falwell, whose father was an evangelical preacher and who has been a vocal supporter of Trump, wrote: 'After the best week ever for Trump - no obstruction, no collusion, NYT admits Obama did spy on his campaign, & the economy is soaring... Donald Trump has floated the idea of extending his first term in office to until 2022 to make up for time that he claims was 'stolen' by the Mueller investigation Trump retweeted a message from Jerry Falwell Jr, a university president from Virginia who has been a vocal supporter, calling for 'reparations' 'I now support reparations - Trump should have 2 years added to his 1st term as pay back for time stolen by this corrupt failed coup.' Trump then used similar language in a later tweet of his own, writing: 'Despite the tremendous success that I have had as President, including perhaps the greatest ECONOMY and most successful first two years of any President in history, they have stolen two years of my (our) Presidency (Collusion Delusion) that we will never be able to get back... 'The Witch Hunt is over but we will never forget. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Trump's tweet came after Nancy Pelosi, leader of House Democrats, told the New York Times that she fears Trump will not respect the result of the 2020 election. Any result short of an overwhelming defeat is likely to draw challenges from Trump which will descend into a messy brawl, she added. Speaking about Democrats winning the House in 2018, she recalled thinking: 'If we win by four seats, by a thousand votes each, hes not going to respect the election. Trump later echoed Falwell's language in a tweet of his own that stopped short of calling for an extended term, but said two years had been 'stolen from him' 'He would poison the public mind. He would challenge each of the races; he would say you cant seat these people. 'We had to win. Imagine if we hadnt won oh, dont even imagine. So, as we go forward, we have to have the same approach.' Meanwhile Trump hit out at the House Judiciary Committee, led by Democrat Jerry Nadler, for trying to have Mueller testify about the report on Capitol Hill. David Cicilline, another member of the committee, told Fox News that a tentative date of May 15 had been set for the testimony, though added that no exact date had been set. The President insisted that Mueller should not be brought before Congress, despite previously saying that the decision was up to Attorney General Bill Barr. He 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 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. It comes after Trump said that Robert Mueller should not be allowed to testify in front of Congress, despite earlier saying that decision should be left up to Bill Barr Jerry Nadler, leader of the House Judiciary Committee, said he is in talks with Mueller about testifying, with another committee member saying a tentative date of May 15 has been set 'Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!' The report cleared the Trump campaign of conspiring with the Russian government to swing the 2016 election, but said they 'expected to gain' from those efforts. It also left open the possibility that Trump obstructed justice in trying to shut down the investigation itself. Bill Barr refused to appear before the House Judiciary Committee himself last week in order to explain his handling of the report after he released a four-page summary in advance of a redacted document. Mueller himself, in a letter to Barr, complained that the summary distorted the conclusions of the report and undermined public confidence. Barr had earlier answered questions in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he remained defiant over his actions. A Royal Navy patrol boat intercepted a Spanish vessel which had entered the territory of Gibraltar yesterday. The Spanish Navy craft Infanta Cristina was spotted in the British Overseas Territory's waters on Sunday. Pictures taken from the shore showed British vessel HMS Sabre - part of the Navy's Gibraltar Squadron - challenging the Spanish incursion. It is one of two Fast Patrol Boats - along with HMS Scimitar - with a top speed of 32 knots which keep watch over Gibraltar's shores. Little and large: The British patrol boat HMS Sabre (pictured front) intercepts the Spanish vessel Infanta Cristina (the larger one) off Gibraltar yesterday The Gibraltar Squadron has 21 personnel and three Pacific ridge-hulled inflatable boats, according to the Navy's website. A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We can confirm an incursion by the Spanish navy occurred yesterday. 'As with all incursions, the Royal Navy challenged the vessel. When challenged, the Spanish navy vessel left British Gibraltar territorial waters. 'Incursions are a violation of sovereignty, not a threat to it. We have no doubt about UK sovereignty over Gibraltar, including British Gibraltar territorial waters.' After a previous incursion in 2016 HMS Sabre fired flares at a Spanish research vessel when it strayed into Gibraltar's waters. The Royal Navy said at the time that it 'challenges all unlawful maritime incursions into British Gibraltar territorial waters'. Incursion:The Spanish Navy craft Infanta Cristina is seen on Sunday when it entered the British Overseas Territory's waters. A British ridge-hulled inflatable boat is seen nearer the front 'We back this up by making formal diplomatic protests to the Spanish government,' they said in November 2016. The latest clash comes amid fears that a contract to build supply vessels for the Royal Navy could go to Spain. The GMB said the 1billion contract for Fleet Solid Support ships could go to the Navantia naval yard in northern Spain. Union leaders said they had heard rumours that a decision to give the work to Spain could be linked to Brexit-related negotiations over the future of Gibraltar. The latest clash in Gibraltar comes amid fears that the UK will give a 1bn Navy contract to the Navantia shipyard (pictured) in northern Spain Defence chiefs said they were required by law to have 'open international competition' for the contracts. Gibraltar's status flared up last year when Spain threatened to veto a Brexit deal if Madrid was not given guarantees over the Rock's future. Spain had demanded that the territory's future be considered a bilateral issue between London and Madrid rather than between the EU and UK. Britain's ambassador to the EU promised in a letter that the Brexit deal did not restrict the 'territorial scope' of a future agreement. Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez claimed victory and withdrew the threat of a veto. UK officials said today they had 'no doubt about UK sovereignty over Gibraltar (file photo), including British Gibraltar territorial waters' Madrid's foreign minister Josep Borrell went further, saying the agreement is 'highly positive for Spain'. Mrs May said it made no difference to Gibraltar's constitutional status but was accused of 'caving in' to Spain's demands. Some 96 per cent of Gibraltar's voters had backed Remain in the 2016 referendum. Spain ceded control of the territory to Britain in a treaty signed in 1713 but has never relinquished its claim to Gibraltar. Referendums held in 1967 and 2002 showed overwhelming support for continued British sovereignty in the territory. Advertisement A British couple have compared their 'hell hole' holiday resort to a war zone after finding the Greek village strewn with rubbish and building materials. Mick and Jayney Clark claim they are stranded in Agios Georgios on the popular island destination of Corfu with no running water as they cannot afford to fly home early. The couple, from Cranbrook in Devon, paid 499 for the inclusive two-week break with TUI after spotting a Facebook post they said looked 'too good to be true'. Upon their arrival on Friday, their suspicions proved correct, as they shared shocking photographs of the resorts beaches and local amenities overflowing with garbage. Former soldier Mr Clark has even claimed that the village resembles war-torn Bosnia, where he served in 1994. One of the resort's many unfinished building sites surrounding the couple's hotel, with building materials shown lying on the ground. Mick and Jayney Clark, from Cranbrook in Devon, paid 499 for the inclusive two-week break with TUI Rubbish bins are shown overflowing with bin bags (pictured) at the entrance to the couple's hotel as locals are not expecting an influx of tourists until the start of the holiday season in two weeks time The couple (pictured left) arrived at the resort, which they complained was a mess (pictured right, rags left on stairs near the hotel) and completely deserted, on Friday. The resort is closed for another two weeks until the official start of the holiday season A wooden pallet acts as a makeshift bridge across a stream of water which runs along the beach on the closed resort. Jayney, 50, compared the resort to being sent 'self-catering to Beirut' Jayney, 50, said: 'Mick said this place resembles war torn Bosnia in 1994 when he served in the Bosnian conflict. They might as well have sent us self-catering to Beirut. 'I'm not kidding, that's what it looks like - they might as well have packed us off to Libya or Syria for a week.' Mrs Clark, who suffers from a rare blood disorder, now claims the stress 'has flared up' her symptoms and is making her ill. They are unable to leave the resort early due to the flight costs, with the couple struggling for cash after Mrs Clark quit a PA job last year due to her illness. Mrs Clark added: 'Other guests are paying 200 each to get a flight home today. That's how bad this place is. 'Two girls from Cheshire arrived at the same time as us and they were so upset they paid for their own flights home.' The couple said they are waiting for answers from TUI, but a '24/7 helpline to a UK number actually puts you through to Portugal and India'. Mrs Clark added: 'When we saw this Facebook post about a 499 all inclusive holiday flying from Exeter our first thought was "it's too good to be true" so we went into Hays Travel in Topsham and asked "what's the catch; why is it so cheap?" The couple during a previous holiday to Mallorca. Jayne, who suffers from a rare blood disorder, says the stress of being stranded has 'flared up' her symptoms and made her more ill. Posting this photo to Twitter she captioned it: 'Looking forward to doing this again next month!' Rubble and dirt piled up on the side of a path close to the resort's beach, which the couple claimed was filled with dog excrement One of the showers on the beach outside the hotel. Duct take holds the pipe to a wooden beam. The couple say their hotel has no hot water and nothing has been done to fix it The couple, from Cranbrook in Devon, paid 499 for the inclusive two-week break with TUI after spotting a Facebook post (shown) they said looked 'too good to be true' The couple took this photograph of a wooden pallet used by tourists to pass over a big hole in the sand of the beach Jayne tweeted TUI saying they have been 'abandoned' in a 'derelict village' and nothing is being done to help them. Conditions are so bad other guests have paid 200 to fly home The pair said the resort's beach (pictured) was strewn with rubbish despite the protestations of other holidaymakers While TUI apologised over Twitter Jayney says all they have been offered in compensation is car or bike hire. She says being flown home is not too much to ask Another photograph shows one of the resort's main roads with rubbish lying across the tarmac 'We were told "It's the first week of their summer season and they are trying to encourage people to come".' Mrs Clark said the hotel where the couple are staying is nice - despite not running water for three days - but complained that the rest of resort was 'basically closed'. We went for a walk to see what we thought would be a nice, quiet fishing village its a ghost town. Nothings open. Weve got building sites, dereliction and overflowing bins,' she added. 'All the locals are outside painting their shops and they say the holiday season doesn't start for another two weeks. 'This holiday was supposed to help end a really bad time in our lives. I was really ill last year. The stress and upset of this has caused my symptoms to flare up today.' A TUI spokesperson said: 'We're sorry to hear about Mr and Mrs Clarke's experience in Corfu. 'We are currently investigating their concerns and will be in contact with them very soon to resolve the matter.' Another photograph taken by the couple shows rubbish and building materials strewn across a yard near the hotel Drains sitting along the side of one of the resort's roads are shown filled with grass and standing water Photographs show many of the resort's buildings derelict and half-built, with the streets are strewn with building waste and rubbish Hillary Clinton was heckled during the last night of her nationwide speaking tour alongside husband Bill in Las Vegas on Sunday. A man who identified himself online as a Trump supporter and combat veteran stood up during the opening stages of the evening, yelling: 'You're going to jail lady.' His shouts drew a response from Hillary - 'we have some people who'd rather shout than talk and listen' - before he was escorted out by security. Hillary Clinton appeared alongside husband Bill for the final night of their cross-country speaking tour in Vegas on Sunday As the pair were starting the 90-minute talk a heckler shouted 'you're going to jail lady' from the crowd, before being escorted out by security The Clintons spoke in front of an auditorium that was around two-thirds full after ticket prices were slashed at the last minute in order to fill seats The Clintons then settled in for an evening criticizing the Trump presidency, accusing the Commander in Chief of being 'played' by Russia. Putin's KGB training, she said, had allowed him to size up and pull the strings of Trump on issues ranging from 2016 election interference to North Korea. 'I don't understand exactly the pull out Putin has over him,' Clinton said, according to the Washington Examiner. 'A lot of these tough guys on the international scene expect you to push back. Right now, we are ceding so much territory to him.' Clinton also bemoaned what she described as a double-standard in politics which sees women treated 'more harshly.' 'It is unfortunately still true that sexism and misogyny are alive and well in our political system,' she said. 'Women are held to a higher double standard and often more harshly, and weve got to get over that, my friends.' Hillary then went after the Trump administration, accusing the President of being easily manipulated by Russia's President Putin Bill Clinton also spoke about Russian election interference, saying that efforts to swing the vote should worry both sides of the political spectrum The pair spoke in front of an auditorium that was around two-thirds full, after tickets priced in the hundreds of dollars were cut to a tenth of their price at the last minute in order to boost attendance. During the Los Angeles leg of their tour, which came immediately before Vegas, seats had been selling for as little as $2. From the start, the Clintons have struggled to fill arenas for their tour, with opening night in Toronto last fall only being at half capacity. Since then they have appeared at 13 events around the country, and on Thursday last week they graced the stage in Vancouver 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. Jim Murren (right), the MGM Resorts International Chairman, introduced the Clintons as they appeared at the Park Theater, inside the MGM Park hotel Jan Jones Blackhurst, a senior executive for Caesars casino, moderated the evening - joining a line of comperes that has included the likes of Ben Stiller and Sophia Bush 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. 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. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the powerful 1922 Committee said Mrs May should announce a 'road map' for her departure after the European elections set for May 23 Theresa May will meet the chairman of the powerful 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers today as pressure for her to set a firm departure date intensifies. The Prime Minister is set to have discussions with Sir Graham Brady in the wake of the 1922 Committee requesting 'clarity' about Mrs May's timetable for standing down and triggering a leadership contest. She has been told to lay out a clear 'schedule' for her departure as Tory leader by a senior backbencher who bluntly said: 'We should move on as Conservatives.' Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the powerful 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, said Mrs May should announce a 'road map' for her departure after the European elections set for May 23. It came as the Prime Minister was reeling from the Tories' worst hammering in local elections in almost a quarter of a century, losing more than 1,300 seats in a furious Brexit backlash. Voters return to the polls in three weeks time for local elections - which are now seen as unavoidable - with the Conservatives fearing a second mauling from apoplectic Leave voters who wanted to leave on March 29. Many Tory MPs have called for Mrs May to quit - or at least point the way towards her departure date. But Sir Geoffrey's intervention will raise suggestions that fresh attempts could be made to eject her. Reports that Mrs May is poised to propose a temporary customs arrangement with the EU as part of the talks with Labour also drew criticism Under Tory rules she cannot be ousted by a confidence vote until December. But the 1922 committee has been coming under pressure to change the rules to allow her removal before the winter. European election costs soar The cost of the European elections has spiralled to more than 150 million after Theresa May delayed preparations by insisting the poll would not be necessary, the Daily Telegraph reported. The extra cost - which is 50 per cent higher than originally thought - is said to include millions of pounds in contingency spending. This would be paid out in the case that parties have to be reimbursed for the cost of fielding candidates who never get to take their seats in the European Parliament, it said. The paper reported that the Government is expected to announce later this week that the cost of the elections will be 156m, compared to 108.7m when they were last held. The biggest expense is in training and paying the returning officers and council staff who will administer the count, which will cost 96m, followed by 50m for mailing out polling cards and information about the election. However, a further 4.5m is said to have been set aside for contingency costs in case the election does not go ahead as parties would have their deposits returned if the election is cancelled. The remainder will cover the cost of the elections in Northern Ireland, which includes the cost of security at some polling stations. Advertisement He told the BBC: 'We are now having to face the prospect of European elections which none of us wanted to face. They are going to happen. 'And, I would have thought that fairly soon after that would be time for her to think about setting a schedule to find her successor. 'That is regardless of whether there is a deal on offer or not. We should move on as Conservatives.' Mrs May has said she will step down if her Withdrawal Agreement is ratified, but - with the deadline for Brexit extended to the end of October - has not made clear how long she intends to stay if no deal is reached. Reports that Mrs May is poised to propose a temporary customs arrangement with the EU as part of the talks with Labour also drew criticism from Sir Geoffrey. He said: 'It is unlikely that I will vote for a deal containing a customs union.' Shadow chancellor John McDonnell yesterday accused the Prime Minister of jeopardising the talks, claiming she had 'blown the confidentiality' of the discussions. He said he no longer trusts Mrs May, following the reports that she was prepared to give ground in three areas: customs, goods alignment and workers' rights. Referring to talks with Labour, Children's Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: 'Currently, if you look at the Withdrawal Agreement, the customs arrangements, or the alignment with the EU would go on until December 2021, if Labour believe, actually, that they would rather go to the next general election, which is 2022, for example, then, actually, that's still a temporary customs arrangement. 'And then, whoever is leader of the Conservative Party can then lay out their stall as to the next instalment of negotiations.' Mr Zahawi said a new referendum with Remain as an option would be bad for the country and seen as an attempt to 'unpick' the result of the 2016 poll. An extraordinary nine sets of twins in the same school are preparing to take more than 360 GCSE exams between them this month. The siblings, who make up seven per cent of their year group at Robert May's School in Odiham, Hampshire, are revising for exam season which begins next week, and many are being driven by sibling rivalry as they take on hundreds of hours of revision. All of the twins joined the school in year seven, and amazing photos capture how they've grown from their first weeks in year seven to sitting their final exams in year 11, starting May 14. Slide me The nine sets of twins who make up more than seven per cent of their year group in robert May's School in Odiham, Hampshire. Pictured then (left) in September 2014 and now (right) Among them are a pair who are predicted top grades in the 49 exams they will take between them, and a high-flying pupil who earned one of just nine places on a prestigious course run by F1 team Williams. Rosie Dolan, 15, has been the team manager for her school's formula one team, Origin, for the last two years. She and her sister, Helena, who wants to study medicine, said childhood competitiveness had allowed them both to excel in academic subjects. Helena and Rosie Dolan pictured five years ago in September 2014 (left) and now (right). The 'very academic' pair say they did a lot of the same things when they were young as they are both competitive Engineering scheme 'F1 in Schools' pits teenagers around the world against each other to design a miniature F1 car and compete in races, and took Rosie to Singapore in 2018 and Malaysia in 2017. Led by Rosie, Origin finished 5th in the world finals and was the highest placing British team in 2018. Rosie, who has dealt with the team's sponsorship and marketing as well as said: 'I've got a place at the Unilever and Williams Engineering Academy, there are only nine places in the world.' Jaiden and Cameron Hall pictured five years ago in September 2014 (left) and now (right). The non-identical twins have remained around the same height difference Slide me The staggering nine sets of twins at the same school, all in year 11, are preparing to take more than 360 GCSE exams between them this month. The twins pictured in Year 7, September 2014 (left) and now With predicted eight grades for her best subjects, she plans to study Maths, Further Maths and Physics at college while her sister Helena, also 15 but two minutes older, will study Chemistry, Biology, Maths and Further Maths, and has predicted nine grades. Helena said: 'When we were little we did a lot of the same things and we became very good at them because we were quite competitive.' Rosie added: 'We're both very academic.' Among the 18 year 11 students, all aged 15 or 16, many are planning to attend the same college or sixth form as their sibling. Hattie and Clara Miles pictured five years ago in September 2014 (left) and now (right) Nya and Lyndon Halliday pictured five years ago in September 2014 (left) and now (right). Nya said she spends 22 hours per week revising, compared to her brother, born one minute after her, who spends 13 hours studying each week The school, rated 'good' by Ofsted in 2012, had impressive GCSE results last year, with 76 per cent of students achieving A* - C grades in English and Maths, and 15 per cent getting at least one A* grade. Last year, new exams and grading systems were introduced for GCSE exams, with a number scale replacing the traditional A*-C grades. A number four is equivalent to a C grade or pass, and a number nine is the highest grade that can be reached - equivalent to the top range of an A* grade. Eleanor and Lucy Whittaker pictured five years ago in September 2014 (left) and now (right) Holly and Lauren Collins pictured five years ago in September 2014 (left) and now (right) Twins Lyndon and Nya Halliday, both 15, are sitting 49 exams between them, and are both expected to score eights and nines in their top subjects, Maths, Computer Science, German and Science. Nya said she spends 22 hours per week revising, compared to her brother, born one minute after her, who spends 13 hours studying each week. Nya said: 'I want to get better results than him, and we're kind of competing on how many we can do better. 'But I'm stronger in science and Lyndon is stronger at maths. Neither of us are so good at English. Jack and Harry Wall pictured five years ago in September 2014 (left) and now (right). The 16-year-old identical twins, are looking forward to going to separate colleges 'But we've just had our mocks and we both got exactly the same average grades - 6.5.' Lyndon added: 'I'm aiming to get better results than Nya.' Both twins plan to go to Farnham Sixth Form College for their A-levels, where Nya will study Chemistry, Biology and Psychology, and Lyndon Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Ecology. But Jack and Harry Wall, 16-year-old identical twins, are looking forward to going to separate colleges. Jack, who is predicted to get sevens in his best subjects, Design Technology and Photography, said: 'We're looking forward to being separate as we've been together since we were born.' Cara and Ellie Holmes-Henderson pictured five years ago in September 2014 (left) and now Ashley and Liam Thompson pictured five years ago in September 2014 (left) and now (right) Harry, who is hoping for an eight in Computer Science, added: 'It's nice to have a bit of independence.' Also studying are Harry and Jack Wall, 16, Cara and Ellie Holmes-Henderson, 16, Jaiden and Cameron Hall, 15, Clara and Hattie Miles, 16, Eleanor and Lucy Whittaker, Holly and Lauren Collins, and Ashley and Liam Thompson. The nine sets of twins, who have all been at the school since age 11 in year seven, will collect their exam results on August 22. A 12-year-old 'cannibal' girl boasted to classmates she 'cooked and ate human flesh' with a 22-year-old man who called her his 'girlfriend'. The child - named Valeria - was involved in a high-profile cannibal and paedophile case in Russia after she last year absconded with Arkady Zverev. He died in custody earlier this year ahead of his trial for murder, cannibalism and raping his child victim. Angry parents have demanded the girl is expelled from school after she 'told classmates how she cooked and ate human flesh and other body parts'. She told other students 'about what brains taste like', it is alleged. The 12-year-old schoolgirl allegedly told classmates that she 'cooked and ate human flesh and other body parts' Arkady Zverev died in custody earlier this year ahead of his trial for murder, cannibalism and raping his child victim Valeria was below the age of criminal responsibility and did not face legal action despite law enforcement sources saying she confessed to police how she used a frying pan to cook and eat the heart of the murdered man - saying the taste was 'too sweet' while 'the brains turned out to be much more tasty'. The girl - present when victim Alexander Popovich, 21, was killed - was instead sent to an orphanage and a state school in Krasnodar region. A parent said: 'No-one would have known her identity but for the fact that after a month at this school with our children, she started telling them details of what happened. She told them about the taste of human brains.' Parents immediately protested to the headteacher and demanded the girl's exclusion. A video shows a meeting attended by 100 irate parents with education chiefs and local leaders at the school in Medvedovskaya village. 'My child is afraid to go to school after talking to this girl,' said one mother. Zverev showed officers how he stabbed Alexander Popovich, 21, to death before dismembering his body and eating parts of him The house in the Leningrad Oblast region, near St Petersburg, where the attack took place Zverev is pictured in court during his initial appearance, when he was charged with murder 'We demand she is removed from the village and transferred to a special school away from our children.' They threatened to keep their own their children at home unless the authorities acted. Antonina Tsibulevskaya, orphanage director, claimed Valeria was 'an absolutely normal child with no deviations'. Other children approached the girl and asked her for details of her cannibalism, she said. It was 'lies' the girl told classmates 'about the taste of human meat or talked in detail about the murder. 'She didn't kill anyone. I know that the other children approach her and questioned her about it all.' After the protest, it is understood the girl will not return to the school. Arkady Zverev, 22, fell into a coma four months ago after trying to take his own life inside his prison cell and died in hospital several months later, Russian police say The girl, who has not been named, told officers how she cut out and fried the victim's heart but found it 'too sweet', while his brains tasted 'much better' Instead she be taught by a teacher going to her orphanage while a long term plan is made. Before he was found dead in his cell, Zverev had told a Russian court how he gouged out an eye of his victim, boiling and eating it along with the heart and brain in the company of Valeria who he called his 'girlfriend'. He explained how he used an axe to dismember Popovich and put the severed head of the victim in a microwave oven, turning it on the highest setting for three minutes. He admitted having sex with the 12-year-old who he took on a car journey some 1,500 miles from the Black Sea resort of Sochi to St Petersburg without her parents' permission. Zverev showed detectives in a macabre video how he killed his victim in Novinka village near St Petersburg. Valeria could not be charged despite her alleged confession that she stabbed the victim and opened his abdomen with a knife after his death. Zverev had been charged with murder and was expected to be charged with rape of a minor after he told police how he killed a man and ate him along with his 12-year-old 'girlfriend' She said she 'cooked the human meat'. Galina Popovich, mother of the murdered man, said: 'We received a phone call and were told the criminal case will be closed now Zverev is dead. 'The suspect passed away, and the schoolgirl is too young. What can I say? I don't care what happened to this suspect.' She said that he 'expressed remorse' before his death, 'but the schoolgirl did not'. Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper cited Russian Investigative Committee officials saying 'the young girl took part in this massacre'. But because she was below 14, she was 'interrogated as an underage witness and placed into a special detention centre for children'. Later she was released to the orphanage. Zverev, from the Altai mountains in Siberia, previously had a relationship with another underage girl called Olga Semibokova who died after falling from a window. This girl was 15 when they began having sex and died last year when she was 18. Her parents demanded that police should reopen the investigation into her death. Pictures have been released of an Indian restaurant kitchen that health inspectors found had mouldy chopping boards, no hot water or soap, and wastewater leaking onto the floor. The Curry Club Indian Restaurant in Fremantle, in southern Perth, was visited by authorities for a routine inspection in December 2018. The restaurant has been named by the City of Fremantle this week as the fourth retailer this year to be convicted of Food Act breaches. Pictures have been released of an Indian restaurant kitchen that health inspectors found had mouldy chopping boards, no hot water or soap, and wastewater leaking onto the floor The Curry Club Indian Restaurant in Fremantle, Western Australia, was visited by authorities for a routine inspection in December 2018 Pictures of the restaurant kitchen show mouldy chopping boards and heavily rusted saucepans being used to prepare food. A spokesperson for the City of Fremantle told The West Australian that inspectors found a raft of breaches, including an open drain in the floor 'covered in mould and slime'. 'Waste water appeared to spill from the wash sink, drains and bucket trap and flow around into the cool room, posing a further risk of cross contamination.' the spokesperson said. They also said a chest freezer was observed to be 'rusty, mouldy and full of old food scraps' and the cool room door 'covered in a build-up of dirt, mould and grease'. Authorities found there was no chemical sanitiser to clean surfaces and the freezer was found to be rusty Among other disturbing discoveries in the restaurant kitchen were that there was no chemical sanitiser to clean food surfaces, the dishwasher was not working, and dishwashing racks were mouldy. There was also no hot water, hand soap, or hand towels for staff to use. The business owner, Nilish Dokhe, was not present at the inspection but told the publication the kitchen was cleaned to the proper standard the next day. Other issues, such as cracked ceiling tiles were fixed in the following weeks. The breaches amounted to a fine of $25,000 for the restaurant. It is the fourth business to be named as breaching the Food Act by the City of Fremantle this year. Krusty Kob bakery was fined $10,000 for selling a mouldy birthday cake. An IGA supermarket had to pay $45,000 for selling food passed the used by date. A barbecue business was also convicted of Food Act breaches and fined $30,000 in January. Hundreds of parents could be investigated by police for smacking their children under new laws in Wales, campaigners have warned. The Welsh government has drawn up plans to end the defence of reasonable punishment for smacking a child that has been in force since the Victorian times. Ministers in Cardiff are hoping to pass the Children (Wales) Bill, in what would act as the first divergence of core criminal law between Wales and England. But campaigners have warned the Welsh government they are 'playing with fire' and that hundreds of parents will be investigated by police under the new laws. Hundreds of parents could be investigated, and even jailed, for smacking their children under new laws in Wales, campaigners have warned Jamie Gillies, a spokesman for campaign group Be Reasonable, told the Welsh Assembly's Children, Young People and Education Committee: 'The Government is playing with fire if it thinks it can make this change in the law and not affect the lives of parents and by extension children.' Mr Gillies added that changing the law would be 'disproportionate'. Referring to data from the Police Liaison Unit, Mr Gillies told the Committee that it deduced there 'could be around 1,300 investigations into smacking as an assault after the law changes in the first 5 years of implementation'. Smacking: What is the law? At the moment it is illegal for any parent to smack their child, except where it amounts to 'reasonable chastisement.' This loophole has been used in law since 1860 and is currently available in England and Wales for parents or adults acting in loco parentis against charges of common assault. The defence is stipulated in section 58 of the Children Act 2004. The most recent figures available show between 2005 and 2007 there were 12 cases where the use of the defence resulted in an acquittal of a defendant or a discontinuation of proceedings against them in England and Wales. A change in law is also being considered via a private members bill in Scotland which is being considered by MSPs which would remove the defence of 'justifiable assault' in Scottish law as well. If the Scottish Parliament and Welsh National Assembly pass their respective pieces of legislation it means both countries will outlaw smacking children. But, at the moment, the Victorian loophole will still be available for English parents. Advertisement He continued: 'So how many parents are we going to see criminalised for actions which we now call smacking or reasonable chastisement? 'How many parents are going to have police cautions, which would appear on DBS checks which could affect potentially their employment?' The bill will now be scrutinised by AMs, with Welsh Government sources confident it will be passed by the National Assembly and brought into law after achieving Royal Assent by Spring 2020. If the legislation is passed Wales would join the 54 countries around the world which have already banned the physical punishment of children, including Greece, Latvia, Albania, DR Congo, Kenya, with Sweden being the first to do so back in 1979. Viv Laing, head of policy at NSPCC Cymru, said: 'It's wrong that children in Wales have less protection from assault and that a legal defence which does not exist when an adult is hit can be used to justify striking a child. 'We have long campaigned for equal protection for children and we strongly believe a change in the law is a common-sense move. Closing this loophole brings Wales in line with dozens of countries across the world and is simply about fairness and equality for our children.' Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: 'When a parent raises a hand to a defenceless child, whether that's a smack, slap or another physically harmful behaviour, they have lost control. 'Research tells us that children who are physically punished are more likely to have poorer mental health and physical well-being and when they grow up, are more likely to engage in self-destructive or antisocial behaviour. Hurting a child isn't acceptable and it is a form of child abuse.' Two preschool sweethearts who lost touch when they were five have got married 19 years later after reconnecting through Facebook as teenagers. Natalie and Austin Tatman, both 24, grew up together in Florida and were said to be devoted to each other even at a prekindergarten class in Ocala. The couple lost contact after Natalie had to move to Connecticut but reconnected 12 years later and finally tied the knot this year. Natalie and Austin Tatman, both 24, grew up together in Florida but lost touch after Natalie's parents divorced and she moved to Connecticut. On their wedding day (left) they recreated a childhood photo of them in a Jeep (right) In 2012, Natalie found her mother's old address book and flicked through to see if Austin was in it. He was and she sent him a message on Facebook They realized Austin lived near Natalie's father in Florida and they started seeing each other after swapping phone numbers They would hold each other's hand when they went trick or treating or sailing on Natalie's father's boat as children. But Natalie's parents got divorced and she had to leave for Connecticut with her mother. Natalie said she used to ask her mother if Austin remembered her, to which she would reply: 'If you remember him, then he remembers you.' They both went to university in Florida and continued to date In summer 2012, she came across her mother's address book and looked to see if Austin was in it. She told Today: 'For whatever reason, the first person to come to my mind was Austin.' She added: 'Still to this day, I have no idea why I went to it.' Despite having not seen each other for 12 years, Natalie searched for him on Facebook. They swapped phone numbers and realized Natalie's father lived 10 minutes away from Austin in Florida. They started seeing each other and Austin went to the University of Florida while Natalie studied business administration at the University of Central Florida. Austin said: 'It was just like being back with your best friend that you haven't seen, which was the craziest experience for me. 'You can never replicate that ... being away from someone and reconnecting.' In a twist of fate, My Old Friend by Tim McGraw came on the radio on their second date. Austin said: 'It was just like being back with your best friend that you haven't seen, which was the craziest experience for me' Natalie said: 'The song was really key to our relationship. It was so spot on to our journey.' Austin proposed on a beach in Fort Lauderdale in 2017 and the couple got married in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on April 13. At the ceremony, they remade a photo of them in a Jeep from when they were preschool sweethearts. Natalie said: 'Our parents pretty much told us that it was a very, very special bond that we shared' And Austin decided to make the guest book at their wedding look like an address book - to remind them of how Natalie found him. Natalie said: 'From the second that we met in pre-K we were best friends. 'Our parents pretty much told us that it was a very, very special bond that we shared. Austin proposed on a beach in Fort Lauderdale in 2017 and the couple got married in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on April 13 'They were both over the moon about us getting together.' Austin added: 'Both sets of our parents were so supportive when we first reconnected. 'They were just as excited, if not more excited, than we were.' Dr Palaniappan Saravanan, who used to work at Wirral University Teaching Hospital, has been banned from medicine for life after groping five female colleagues An NHS consultant sacked for groping five of his female colleagues has been banned from medicine for life. Dr Palaniappan Saravanan, was working at Wirral University Teaching Hospital in Birkenhead when he inappropriately touched five female doctors between November 2014 and February 2017. One victim said she 'felt sick' after the cardiologist touched her bottom while she carried out a scan of a patient's chest. He was sacked in 2018 but has been banned from practising medicine in the UK after a hearing of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester. The hearing was told there was an 'element of grooming' in the doctor's behaviour and he only targeted junior doctors - staying away from senior colleagues. It was told the medic made sexual comments towards one junior doctor, telling her she 'looked stunning' dressed in black and that she had a 'very beautiful' ID picture. He also stroked the knees, thighs, backs and bottoms of some of his victims, often while they treated patients and were unable to say anything about it. In a statement read at the hearing, one of his victims described the incident that happened while she scanned a patient's chest. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: 'The patient was considerably larger and I felt I would struggle to reach across to the left side of their chest. The cardiologist was working at Wirral University Teaching Hospital in Birkenhead when he inappropriately touched five female doctors between November 2014 and February 2017 'Dr Saravanan told me to kneel on the patient's bed. At this point, I voiced my concerns about this and they were disregarded. 'The entire time I [was knelt and carrying out the scan], Dr Saravanan had his hand on my bottom. He held my left buttock cheek in his left hand. 'I was mortified and did not know what to do. I never thought I would be in such a compromising position in the workplace. 'I felt sick and wanted this to be over as soon as possible.' The hearing also heard a statement from another of his victims, who said: 'He is a touchy feely person. He would always stand quite close. 'It felt like Dr Saravanan was taking advantage of the fact that I was a junior doctor.' Saravanan told the hearing he was just a 'tactile' person and intended no sexual misconduct. But the three-person panel hearing the case was not convinced. Banning him from working as a doctor, they said: 'The Tribunal considered there was an element of grooming to Dr Saravanan's behaviour. 'He specifically chose young female doctors to accompany him on ward rounds. 'This selectivity suggests an element of deliberate planning on his part in order to facilitate opportunities to make physical contact. 'In the tribunal's view, there was a pattern of behaviour by an older male doctor directed solely towards younger female doctors. His conduct was sexually motivated.' Pope Francis has urged Bulgarians not to 'close their hearts' to migrants and refugees, in a direct challenge to the country's right-leaning government. The 82-year-old pontiff said the plight of suffering migrants was the 'cross of humanity' to bear as he visited a refugee centre in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia. His comments put him at odds with Bulgaria's government which has built a fence along its border with Turkey. It has also stepped up controls on its border with Greece, and urged the EU to close its external borders to migrants and set up refugee centres outside the bloc. Pope Francis (pictured) has urged Bulgarians not to 'close their hearts' to migrants and refugees, in a direct challenge to the country's right-leaning government Francis said: 'Today, the world of migrants and refugees is a bit like a cross, the cross of humanity, a cross that many people suffer.' Shortly after his arrival in Bulgaria on Sunday, he urged government leaders directly to 'not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands, in accordance with your best tradition, to those who knock at your door'. Bulgaria 'must deal with a the demographic winter that has descended like an ice curtain on a large part of Europe, the consequence of a diminished confidence in the future,' he warned. 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.' The pontiff later flew to Rakovski in southern Bulgaria, a predominantly Roman Catholic town in the overwhelmingly Eastern Orthodox country, to say a mass. An organiser at the refugee centre told the Pope that people of all faiths, including many Muslims, had volunteered to help the migrants. Pope Francis (pictured second right) is seen celebrating Holy Mass and First Communions in the Catholic Church of the Sacred Hearth in Rakovski, Bulgaria today Children taking their first communion during a mass led by Pope Francis at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Rakovski Bulgaria, the EU's poorest country, has taken an anti-immigrant stance even though it has a rapidly ageing population and a low birth rate. More than two million Bulgarians have left the country since the fall of communism in 1989 in search of better opportunities in western Europe and beyond. General dissatisfaction over slow economic growth, security threats posed by Islamist militants and a backlash against migration across open EU borders have boosted support for eurosceptic nationalists in many EU member states. One purpose of the pope's three-day trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia is to improve ties with the Orthodox churches. The mission is part of the Vatican's push for eventual unity between the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity that split in 1054. The Bulgarian Orthodox community is one of the most hardline in relations with the Vatican. It is the only one to have boycotted the recent meetings of the official Orthodox-Catholic dialogue. Overseas news viewers might expect live coverage from Windsor in England to include Union Jack bunting, castle walls, and - if they're very lucky - a glimpse of the much-anticipated Baby Sussex. But as the world waits for the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first child, reporters from around the globe are filling time in the Berkshire town and they cannot always control what the cameras capture. That was the lesson learned by one intrepid Australian TV journalist, who received a most un-regal welcome from a local youngster who cheekily flipped a middle-finger behind her from the window of a slow-moving car. Edwina Bartholomew, reporting for Australia's most-watched breakfast show Sunrise on 7, had just wrapped up a report in the dark. Then a white SUV drove slowly behind her and a boy of about five in the back seat wearing a bright blue top grinned wildly out the window with his middle finger raised. Rewatching the clip, joking about the sights to be seen on the 'mean streets of Windsor', the presenter called him a 'little rotter' as the clip was played back in slow motion. Edwina Bartholomew, reporting for Australia's most-watched breakfast show Sunrise on 7, had just wrapped up a report in the dark when the youngster decided to share his verdict The Duchess of Sussex will have to give birth in hospital unless nature takes its course soon 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 It comes as the eyes of the world are trained on Windsor, where the Duchess of Sussex is now up to a week overdue to deliver the child who will be seventh in line to the throne and has become lovingly known on social media as Baby Sussex. Bookmakers this weekend stopped taking bets on a delivery date, with speculation mounting the little royal may already have been born. If Meghan has still not given birth in a day or two, her plans for a home birth may have to be scrapped and she will be induced in a nearby NHS hopsital. 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 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. CBS News is replacing its evening anchor and revamping its morning show lineup as it seeks to boost ratings. The network announced Monday on CBS This Morning that co-host Norah O'Donnell will replace Jeff Glor as anchor of the CBS Evening News this summer. CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell will relocate to Washington D.C. this fall. Glor has anchored the newscast since December 2017 and is still negotiating his next steps. Gayle King announced on Monday that will remain co-host of CBS This Morning but Norah O'Donnell and John Dickerson are moving to different roles within the network O'Donnell was chief White House correspondent when she joined CBS This Morning in 2012, teaming up with Charlie Rose and Gayle King. King will remain co-host of CBS This Morning. The 64-year-old newscaster will be joined by longtime journalist Anthony Mason and correspondent Tony Dokoupil on May 20. John Dickerson, who hopscotched from political director to Face the Nation moderator in 2015 to CBS This Morning as Rose's replacement in January 2018, will become a correspondent for 60 Minutes. Rose was dismissed following sexual misconduct allegations. King opened the show on Monday, saying: 'We have some headlines of our own'. She went on to put deny rumors that she had wanted O'Donnell dropped from the morning show. Norah O'Donnell will replace Jeff Glor as anchor of the CBS Evening News this summer. She was chief White House correspondent when she joined CBS This Morning in 2012 John Dickerson, who hopscotched from political director to Face the Nation moderator in 2015 to CBS This Morning as Charlie Rose's replacement in January 2018, will become a correspondent for 60 Minutes 'It's so amazing to me, Norah, that after seven years together that now people would say that you and I have some beef,' King said. 'I have no beef with you, you have no beef with me.' 'This is a business about ratings and when the ratings don't work they make changes and so they're making changes that they hope will lead to better things.' O'Donnell added that King was her 'work BFF'. 'You made me better in everything I have done,' O'Donnell said. The sweeping changes is among the first moves by CBS News president Susan Zirinsky. She became the network's first female president in March The anchor changes mark the first big moves by CBS News president Susan Zirinsky, who took became CBS News' first female president in March following the Rose allegations. The stepfather of a missing four-year-old girl told police that three Hispanic males knocked him unconscious and kidnapped her. An Amber Alert was issued in Texas on Sunday for Maleah Davis after she was taken by the three men while traveling with her stepfather, Darion Vence, and his two-year-old son, police say. Authorities said Maleah had a brain surgery in early April, just weeks before the kidnapping. They were on their way to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston to pick up Maleah's mother, who was flying in from Massachusetts, on Friday night, but they never made it to the airport. Vence, 26, told investigators that the attack occurred around 9pm when he heard a 'popping noise' that prompted him to pull over and check his tire. Shortly after pulling over, Vence told police that a blue Chevrolet Crew Cab pick-up truck pulled up behind him and two Hispanic males in their 30s approached his vehicle. One of the men reportedly made a comment that 'Maleah looks very nice, looks very sweet,' before the second man knocked Vence over the head, Sgt Mark Holbrook of the Houston Police Department's Homicide Division said during a press conference. Darion Vence, 26, the stepfather of missing four-year-old, Maleah Davis, told Texas police that three Hispanic males knocked him unconscious and kidnapped his stepdaughter on Friday night An Amber Alert was issued on Sunday for Maleah (pictured) who was reportedly taken by the three men while traveling with her stepfather They were on their way to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston to pick up Maleah's mother, who was flying in from Massachusetts, on Friday night, but they never made it to the airport Vence told police he was in and out of consciousness but at some point he woke up in the back of the blue pickup truck with Maleah and his son as the Hispanic men were driving. According to police, Vence remained unconscious for nearly 24 hours before fully waking up around 6pm on Saturday on Highway 6 and realizing that Maleah was gone. Vence then walked to the Houston Methodist at 11pm Saturday where he received treatment and reported Maleah missing. A photo released by police show Vence suffering from an injury on his forehead. Police said they were able to look at the license plate of the vehicle that Vence was driving, which belonged to Maleah's mother. Photos displayed at the media briefing showed the victim's stolen car, a silver 2011 Nissan Altima. Police said the car was seen on a traffic camera near Highway 59 & State Highway 6 in Sugar Land around 3pm on Saturday. Sgt Holbrook said Sunday: 'I realize there's a lot blanks in the story, but we are hoping the public can help fill in the blanks.' Shortly after pulling over, Vence told police that a blue Chevrolet Crew Cab pick-up truck (photo shows the likeness of the truck involved) pulled up behind him and two Hispanic males in their 30s approached his vehicle. One of the men knocked Vence over the head Police said they were able to look at the license plate of the vehicle (pictured) that Vence was driving. Police said the car was seen on a traffic camera near Highway 59 & State Highway 6 in Sugar Land around 3pm on Saturday DailyMail.com reached out to the Houston Police Department for more information in an attempt to try and fill in those blanks, but were told that no other information would be released at this time. Holbrook also said that Maleah had had multiple brain surgeries. Her most recent surgery was in late March, early April, Holbrook said. The surgeries were to help an injury heal, Holbrook said, adding that 'she's needed a lot of care'. 'This week she was sick too,' he added. Maleah's mother, Brittany Bowens, told ABC 13 that she's 'terrified' for her daughter. 'My spirit is so broken. I feel so lost,' Maleah's mother said through tears. Maleah was last seen near the Southwest Freeway and Highway 6 in Sugar Land, Houston. Police do not know the motive behind the kidnapping. She was last seen wearing a pink bow in her hair, a light blue zip jacket and gray/white/pink sneakers. Maleah is described as an African-American female with black hair and brown eyes. She stands 3 feet tall and weighing 30 to 40 pounds. Investigators are also interviewing family members. Anyone with information on Maleah's whereabouts is urged to contact HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600 or at 713-222-TIPS. Donald Trump said Monday morning that Democrats 'cant win the election fairly' and so they are seeking to impeach him. He predicted they will not muster the votes to remove him from office, given the positive economic outlook. The latest jobs numbers reflected a 49-year-low in unemployment. U.S. GDP grew by 3.2 percent in the first quarter of the year. 'You cant impeach a president for creating the best economy in our countrys history,' he tweeted. The president's tweet came before the stock market opened more than 400 points down. It recovered by half but was still down 200 points midday. Donald Trump said Monday morning that Democrats 'cant win the election fairly' and so they are seeking to impeach him Trump was tweeting about impeachment efforts early Monday morning - claiming that he can't be ousted when the economy is doing so well Democratic Rep. Al Green is seen on Capitol Hill. He is one of the leading congressional voices on impeachment Markets around the world were reacting to Trump's latest pledge to raise tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump's focus was elsewhere at opening bell. He was complaining in tweets about disaster relief funds for Puerto Rico and a 'power grab' he said Democrats are gunning for in the states. Before that, he was tweeting about the Mueller investigation, however, saying in a tweet that followed the one on impeachment: 'Also, there are No High Crimes & Misdemeanors, No Collusion, No Conspiracy, No Obstruction. ALL THE CRIMES ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE, and thats what the Dems should be looking at, but they wont. Nevertheless, the tables are turning!' Some Democrats would like to try to impeach Trump, and the party continues to investigate allegations of criminal wrong doing by the president. A leading Democratic congressman moved Monday to hold Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt for refusing to provide Congress with an unredacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's final report even portions dealing with secret grand jury testimony. House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler has continued his insistence that Congress should see raw evidence from the Russia probe, citing 800,000 pages of 'sensitive investigative materials' related to the Hillary Clinton email investigation that the Trump administration shared with a Republican-led House during 2017 and 2018. Democratic House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler is demanding secret grand jury materials related to the Mueller probe along with a large volume of evidence and other documents related to Mueller's final report Attorney General Bill Barr has defied Nadler's subpoena, saying it would be illegal for him to turn over grand jury materials, even to Congress Nadler says he will invoke a clause that was used in the Watergate investigation, when federal courts allowed the special prosecutor's office to see grand jury information because Congress had authorized the Judiciary Committee to open a formal impeachment probe. A federal court last month agreed with that standard, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has so far refused to entertain the idea of moving to impeach Trump. The D.C. federal appeals court decision on April 5, however, also upheld the broader idea that not even Congress can intrude on grand jury proceedings without a constitutionally more important reason. The case, McKeever v. Barr, was an unrelated victory for the attorney general that will likely help him defend Trump. The appeals court ruled that a historian couldn't get access to grand jury records from 1957, even though none of the people involved with it were still alive. Nadler also says hewants Barr to allow a broader group of lawmakers to look at a version of the Mueller report that is less redacted than the one he released to the public. The Justice Department prepared a copy last month that unmasked all of the redactions except the grand jury material. But to date only a handful of leaders from both parties have been authorized to see it and they are under strict orders not to discuss with lower-ranking members the things what they read. Although half of those authorized readers are Democrats, only two Republicans have checked into the secure room in the U.S. Capitol where it is held. One Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. The other is Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, the ranking GOP member on Nadler's panel. Nadler's subpoena, which included a deadline that passed this week, demanded access to all the 'investigative and evidentiary materials' that Mueller cited by name in his report. Nadler wrote that the category would include FBI reports from witness interviews and notes taken by witnesses, and he contrasted the standoff with the administration's willingness to share similar information with a GOP-led Congress about Hillary Clinton's private emails. Clinton was the subject of a Justice Department probe into allegations that she mishandled classified materials on a private server she used exclusively for government emails while she was secretary of state. As with the claims that the Trump campaign conspired with Russian agents and that the president obstructed justice, the DOJ declined to file criminal charges against Clinton. But Congress conducted its own investigations, aided by massive document disclosures from the executive branch. 'As recently as last Congress, the Department produced more than 880,000 pages of sensitive investigative materials pertaining to its investigation of Hillary Clinton, as well as much other material relating to the then-ongoing Russia investigation,' Nadler wrote on Friday. 'That production included highly classified material, notes from FBI interviews, internal text messages, and law enforcement memoranda. The volume of documents cited in the Special Counsel's report is surely smaller.' He also noted that during Independent Counsel Ken Starr's investigation of President Bill Clinton, his office 'produced a 445-page report to Congress along with 18 boxes of accompanying evidence.' Starr was required to submit a report to Congress, under the terms of different law from the one that gave Mueller his power. That law expired in 1999. Barr skipped a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday, refusing to testify because Nadler planned to give his staff attorneys a half-hour to grill him courtroom-style. Congressional hearings typically limit questions to elected lawmakers. Barr testified in a similar Senate hearing on Wednesday. Police in Mississippi are looking for a gunman who approached a uniformed officer outside a Biloxi police station and shot him dead overnight, just months before the veteran cop and married father-of-three was set to retire. Authorities say the suspect walked up to on-duty Biloxi officer Robert McKeithen in the station's parking lot on Porter Avenue at 10.30pm on Sunday, shot him multiple times and then ran off. Firefighters rushed McKeithen to the Merit Health emergency room down the street, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries about two hours later. Smiling suspect: Police in Mississippi are searching for a man in a red beanie (left), who is suspected of walking up to on-duty police officer Robert McKeithen (right) overnight and shooting him multiple times, killing him The shooting took place at 10.30pm outside the Biloxi police station on Porter Avenue Biloxi police Chief John Miller said at a press conference on Monday that McKeithen had served on the force for 24 years and had plans to retire at the end of the year. He is survived by his wife, two stepsons and a stepdaughter. 'He was a wonderful family man,' the chief said of the fallen officer. 'He was a very gentle man for a policeman, a likeable man who treated people with respect and dignity, and were going to miss him sorely.' Miller called the gunman who took the officer's life an 'animal' and expressed a belief that he is still in the area. Chief Leonard Papania, of the Gulfport Police Department, is leading the investigation, along with the Harrison County sheriff and prosecutors' offices. Authorities released images showing the suspect with a wide grin on his face wearing navy blue shorts, a black T-shirt, a red beanie cap and dark high top sneakers with red caps. The wanted man was described as having a thin build and standing between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10 tall. Biloxi Police Chief John Miller is pictured laying a bouquet of flowers on Officer McKeithen's car in the police station's parking lot Monday The wanted man was described as having a thin build and standing between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10 tall Police are searching for the accused gunman on the ground and from the air Monday A law enforcement helicopter has been flying over Biloxi as officers search the area. Officials are pleading for the publics help, saying theres a $5,000 cash reward being offered through Crime Stoppers. WLOX reported that Sunday's shooting marks the fifth time that the Biloxi Police Department lost an officer. Igor Vorotinov (pictured), 54, has pleaded guilty to faking his own death eight years ago in Eastern Europe to collect a $2million life insurance policy A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to faking his own death eight years ago in Eastern Europe to collect a $2million life insurance policy. Igor Vorotinov, 54, formerly of Maple Grove, will be sentenced for mail fraud on July 29 in US District Court. Vorotinov in 2011 arranged for a corpse to be dressed in his clothes and planted his passport on the body before placing it along a road in the former Soviet republic of Moldova. Vorotinov hatched the scheme alongside his wife Irina, 51, and 29-year-old son Alkon in 2010. The couple took out the life insurance policy in spring that year with Irina as the primary beneficiary before they divorced. The following year, while on a trip to Moldova in eastern Europe, Igor apparently died and remains were found at the side of a road. Irina flew to Moldova where she falsely identified the body as her husband in the presence of US Embassy official. She then had the remains cremated and put into an urn which she brought back to the US an had interred in a mausoleum in Minneapolis. Insurance company, Mutual of Omaha, sent his ex-wife a $2million check in 2012. After cashing the check, money was then transferred to her son and to accounts in Switzerland and Moldova, authorities said. The scheme also included a 2011 funeral service at a Minneapolis cemetery, where an urn was placed in a niche. The scheme also included a 2011 funeral service at a Minneapolis cemetery (pictured), where an urn was placed in a niche But in 2013 a tipster in Moldova contacted the FBI and claimed that Igor Vorotinov was living in Ukraine under an assumed name. In November that year customs agents stopped Alkon as he came back from a trip to Moldova and found pictures of his father alive in April and May 2013 - more than a year after his supposed death. Alkon later admitted that his father had been living in various locations across Ukraine and Moldova under the name Nikoly Patoka. Investigators also discovered that between 2013 and 2015, $1.5million was transferred to bank accounts in Switzerland and Moldova, though they don't know where it ended up. Vorotinov hatched the scheme alongside his wife Irina, 51, and 29-year-old son Alkon (pictured) in 2010. Alkon was sentenced to three years of probation for his involvement In 2015 the ashes supposedly belonging to Igor were disinterred by FBI agents and found to be fake. The agency says they do not know who they really belonged to. Dailymail.com reached out to the Department of Justice for more information on how Vorotinov would have obtained access to a corpse in Moldova, but the agency says they aren't sure how he managed to get the body. Igor Vorotinov was indicted in February 2015 for fraud but agents could not find him. In May 2016 prosecutors did managed to speak with with Igor Vorotinov in hopes of persuading him to return to the US. But he told investigators he would rather live with his new love interest on an apple farm, according to a judge's filing. Vorotinov was captured on November 14 in Moldova, extradited to the US three days later, and made his first court appearance that same month. Irina Vorotinov pleaded guilty in 2016 to fraud charges and was sentenced to about three years in prison. Their son Alkon Vorotinov was sentenced in 2015 to three years of probation for his involvement in concealing a felony. Advertisement Michael Cohen, a former fixer and lawyer to President Donald Trump, left his Manhattan apartment Monday to report to prison in upstate New York taking one last shot at President Trump as he embarks on a three-year sentence. 'I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country,' Cohen told reporters outside his apartment. 'There still remains much to be told and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth,' he said shortly before heading to a Club Fed prison in Otisville, New York. He made his way through a scrum of reporters and camera crews outside his $9 million apartment in Trump World Tower on Park Avenue. Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump Tower project in Russia and admitted to financial crimes, including a hush-money payoff to an adult film actress who says she had an affair with the president. Last glimpse of freedom: Michael Cohen on the final stage of his journey to Otisville federal prison Monday, where he has started a three-year term Get used to law enforcement: An officer stopped Michael Cohen's Cadillac Escalade at the entrance to the prison's private road Arriving in style: Cohen was driven to begin his sentence in a Cadillac Escalade, starting off in the back then moving into the passenger seat for most of the journey New home: The Otisville Federal Correctional Institution has a medium-security facility where Cohen will start his sentence, and a prison camp which he is expected to move to within a month Welcome committee: Michael Cohen got a high-profile reception at Otisville but he will find life inside much different Not your average prisoner: Michael Cohen reported for the start of his three-year sentence in a Cadillac Escalade 'There still remains much to be told and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth,' Cohen said as he left his apartment to report to prison The ex-attorney to the president claims Trump directed him to pay Stephanie Clifford, who goes by the stage name Stormy Daniels, for her silence about the romantic tryst, in violation of campaign finance laws. Trump says he did no such thing and the public should not trust an admitted liar like Cohen, 53 although Cohen furnished copies of checks signed by Trump and other Trump Organization executives that reimbursed him for the $130,000 payment to Daniels that he made just weeks before Election Day 2016. After reporting to Otisville, Cohen was to undergo mental health screening and be assigned a job. Inmates at the minimum security facility take part in landscaping, do laundry, and other tasks. He also gets assigned a uniform and bedding materials. It offers kosher meals and a rabbi offers services there. Activities include tennis, basketball, and bocce. A former Trump Organization attorney who lost his license this year after he was convicted of crimes, Cohen was once a trusted employee of the billionaire businessman who would become president. Cohen famously said he'd 'take a bullet' for the real estate mogul. That was before the authorities caught him in lies, and Cohen turned on Trump. He met for hours with prosecutors that were part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team as he investigated Trump campaign links to Russians. Cohen left his apartment in Manhattan as he headed to prison in upstate New York Cohen makes his way through a swarm of reporters as he heads to prison in an event carried live on cable networks Cohen didn't mention President Trump by name, but said: 'I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country' Michael Cohen is seen in his car as he leaves his apartment before heading to Otisville to serve a three-year prison sentence, on May 6, 2019 in New York City Hoards of media await Michael Cohen leaving his New York Park Avenue apartment to head to prison Cohen Trump directed him to pay Stephanie Clifford, who goes by the stage name Stormy Daniels, for her silence about the romantic tryst, in violation of campaign finance laws Among the materials seized in an FBI raid of Cohen's home and office was a tape of him discussing with Trump another hush payment $150,000 that American Media Inc. made to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also claims she had an affair with Trump. The president says he made information up to get a reduced sentence. During dramatic congressional testimony, Cohen also provided information that he said proved Trump 'inflated' his balance sheet when seeking financing to purchase the Buffalo Bills in 2014. Prosecutors in New York are investigating the claim. Cohen had until 2 pm to turn himself into a medium-security prison in the state of New York. He'll be serving out his term in a minimum-security satellite camp on the property, and arrived on time. He's due to spend the next three years at Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, a little more than 70 miles to the north and west of New York City. The prison for white-collar criminals is currently home to 'The Situation' and Fyre Festival conman Billy McFarland. Cohen's reckoning with a federal penitentiary follows a series of attempts to get his sentence reduced or delayed. It was put off once so that he could have shoulder surgery. LONGSTANDING TIES: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen stands behind Trump after a group of supporters plus vice presidential nominee Mike Pence laid hands on Trump in prayer during a campaign stop at the New Spirit Revival Center church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, U.S. September 21, 2016. Picture taken September 21, 2016 Cohen served as Trump's attorney for more than a decade and during Trump's presidential campaign. Monday he said there was 'xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country' Close to home: The Club Fed prison is just south of the Catskill mountains. The parking lot for visitors is outside the main fence then all new arrivals go through the main gate Security stand at the entrance to the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, N.Y. General view of the entrance to the Federal Correctional Institution on Monday, May 6, 2019 in Otisville, N.Y. ahead of Cohen's arrival Doormen watch media outside Michael Cohen's apartment before he heads to Otisville Cohen also appeared before Congress at the end of February, where he delivered a stinging rebuke to Trump and warned the U.S. leader would not go quietly if he loses his next election. He claimed that some crimes he committed were at 'Mr. Trumps behest' and insisted he 'blindly followed' his bosses' orders. 'My loyalty to Mr. Trump has cost me everything: my family's happiness, friendships, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my honor, my reputation and, soon, my freedom. And I will not sit back, say nothing, and allow him to do the same to the country,' he said in his closing statement. 'Indeed, given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020 that there will never be a peaceful transition of power, and this is why I agreed to appear before you today.' Inside Otisville: What's on offer at the federal prison which has a medium-secure prison and a prison camp Last days of freedom: Michael Cohen will spend the start of his three-year sentence for tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes on Monday New friends? Billy McFarland (right), the conman behind the notorious Fyre Festival - whose business partner was Ja Rule - is already an inmate at Otisville Plenty of time for GTL: Otisville prisoners who now include Michael 'The Situation' Sorrentino can use the camp's cardio equipment, be outside in the sunshine all day, and have work tasks which include washing the prison uniforms Cohen used the final moments of his testimony to put a spotlight on political disagreements that Democrats have with Trump over family separation and other topics that are unrelated to his prison sentence. He said, 'This behavior denigrates the office of the president, and its simply un-American. And its not you. 'So to those who support the president and his rhetoric as I once did, I pray the country doesnt make the same mistakes that I have made or pay the heavy price that my family and I are paying.' The appeal to congressional Democrats was not enough to keep him out of jail, however, and Cohen's chickens were coming to roost on Monday. Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis issued a statement saying: 'I am proud of Michael Cohens courageous decision on July 2, 2018, to tell the truth about why Donald Trump represented a danger to our constitution, our freedoms, and our nations fundamental values.' 'I have been and will continue to remain vocal on the topics of the selective prosecution and disproportionate sentencing against Michael. I will continue questioning why Michael is the only person within the Trump organization to be prosecuted for crimes committed at the direction of and for the benefit of Mr. Trump,' Davis continued. 'Michael may be sentenced within the walls of a federal correctional institution. But the truth has no walls. Michael will continue to be accessible to congress and to federal, state, and local law enforcement. Of that I am certain,' Davis added. Two men were killed and another two injured when a wall collapsed on a farm in Scotland this morning. The tragedy happened at Manuel Farm, just after 10am at a farm in Whitecross, Linlithgow, West Lothian. Two men had died from their injuries at the scene, just off the A803, between Linlithgow, West Lothian, and Falkirk. Two men have died and another two were injured when a wall collapse on a Scottish farm Police and forensics are the scene at Manuel Farm, just after 10am at a farm in Whitecross, Linlithgow, West Lothian Another two men were injured but are not believed to be in a life-threatening condition. One was taken by ambulance to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, while the other was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. An air ambulance was scrambled, and firefighters rushed to the scene to help the rescue operation. Inquiries to establish the full circumstances are ongoing and the Health and Safety Executive have been informed. Chief Inspector Damian Armstrong, Local Area Commander for Falkirk said: 'My thoughts and sympathies are with the family of those affected by this incident and a multi-agency inquiry at the farm is ongoing. 'If anyone believes they have any relevant information that may be of use to this investigation then please come forward.' Workers comfort one another after the tragedy at 10am this morning A notorious ex-bikie has confirmed he has split with his glamorous girlfriend in an heartfelt social media post. Ben 'Notorious' Geppert has taken to Instagram to inform his followers in a lengthy post and set the record straight about his relationship with model girlfriend Allaina Vader. Geppert, a former Hells Angels bikie who made headlines last year over a violent brawl with a rival bikie in a KFC car park on the Gold Coast, says he wanted to end speculation after receiving a recent influx of messages. Ben Geppert has part ways with Instagram famous model girlfriend Allaina Vader (pictured) 'I'm sick of telling people, I honestly I am, I've been working through my life as it is now and I don't talk to her about anything, let alone you people,' Geppert wrote. 'I appreciate your kindness and I don't care who she's with or she follows. I'm not a kid or spiteful.' The cryptic post hinted things may have ended badly with Vader but Geppert had decided to take the higher ground. 'The sad fact is we grew apart and lost what we had. Every relationship starts happy and ends unhappy! poison,' he wrote. 'I've not spoken to her and I'm just writing this to tell her and you all I'm fine. I'm doing good and I want nothing but the best in the future for you Allaina. I hope you settle down and find a man who can give you what you want.' With a fresh perspective on life, Geppert has vowed to stop responding to messages. 'I honestly just hang alone and evaluate what I become and now I can move forward with peace cause of my new self vale. It was fun and I'll always have your back no doubt,' he ended the post. Allaina Vader hinted her relationship with Geppert was over in an Instagram story last month Ms Vader hinted she and Geppert were over in an Instagram story update last month after she reconciled with cousin Rikki Sutton after a year long feud while dating rival bikies. Photos of the couple had been wiped from her social media. 'I might look silly but family is family at the end of the day,' Ms Vader wrote. 'P.s I'll never date again.' The former Hells Angel bikie took to Instagram to end speculation about his relationship Ben Geppert wished his ex-girlfriend Allaina all the best for the future in the lengthy post Geppert was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for three years when he exchanged blows with a bikie rival in front of a Gold Coast KFC in May last year. The fight was filmed by Ms Vader, who can be heard in the background calling 'you go Ben'. Geppert recently revealed on Nomads bikie Moudi Tajjour's podcast, Can't Fight Fate that it was his girlfriend who pushed him into the fight. He claimed it was Ms Vader who pointed out the rival bikie, telling him to 'get out of the car and have a crack'. Geppert made headlines last year over a violent brawl (pictured) with a rival bikie in a KFC car park on the Gold Coast which he recently claimed was sparked by his then girlfriend Ben Geppert (right) has a fresh perspective on life after recent breaking up with Allaina (left) The pair scuffled and swore at one another until the second man toppled into a white Range Rover. Ms Vader taunted Geppert's counterpart by yelling 'suck s**t' but also tried to defuse the incident by warning police would be on their way. The couple were also kicked off Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays in February 2018 after they were issued with infringement notices for threatening behaviour in or near a licensed premises. The pair had been celebrating Geppert's 26th birthday. The split comes after ex-Nomads boss Moudi Tajjour was dumped by his latest love interest just days after whisking her away on a romantic Hamilton Island getaway. Jessica Foster broke up with him over text on Monday after becoming overwhelmed with the sudden media attention. Tajjour had just days earlier boasted about deleting all of his female fans on Instagram 'out of respect' for his new girlfriend. Hundreds of bikers riding the May Day run between London and Hastings were stuck on the A21 in Kent after a motorbike crash closed the road in both directions shortly before 10am this morning. A man was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries following the incident that took place coastbound on the Tonbridge, Southborough junction in Kent. Pictures of the A21 at a standstill with cars surrounded by bikers milling around the road have been shared on social media. Hoards of bikers who have moved to the front of the traffic standing among cars and sitting on motorway barriers A21 crash: Bank Holiday chaos after serious motorbike smash shuts road leaving bikers and cars stranded A spokesman for Kent Police said: 'Kent Police was called at 9.33am to a collision on the A21 coastbound, close to the junction for Tonbridge. 'Officers and the South East Coast Ambulance Service attended the scene. 'A motorcyclist suffered serious injuries and was taken to a London hospital. 'The road was closed in both directions, but has since been reopened.' The road was closed both ways between A26 Quarry Hill Road, Tonbridge, Kent, and A26 Woodgate Way, near Tonbridge as an air ambulance attended the scene. All lanes are now reopen with drivers warned to expect long delays. A map of the closures on the May Day Run route this morning before 10am on the A21 Mark, a motorcyclist at the scene said: 'Once everyone realised they were not going anywhere for a while, bikers and car drivers were standing about chatting and sitting on the barriers and floor. 'There were no impatient bikers or car drivers, people were thinking of the injured biker that had been air lifted to hospital.' This year marks the 41st annual Mayday Run from Locksbottom to Hastings. The MailOnline has approached Hem Events Ltd, organisers of the May Day Run for comment. Hastings Mayday Run is believed to be one of the largest free motorbike events in Europe - with over 40,000 motorbikers attending in previous years. The motorcycle enthusiasts taking part in the event were unable to complete their May Day Run until the road was cleared several hours later Highways England announced that the A21 Northbound carriage was open at 11:49am this morning An ice cream van stuck in the jam opens up shop for those waiting in the A21 traffic A primary school teacher posed for a selfie with his pals just hours before he was stabbed in the street by thugs trying to steal his phone. Ryan Wayne, 26, was left bleeding in a Birmingham city centre street after two thrusts of a knife lacerated his liver and punctured his lung. The muggers wanted the phone visible in the picture he took in the mirror with his friends before going on a night out on February 17. Ryan Wayne (centre), 26, took this selfie in a lift mirror just hours before he was stabbed on a city centre street in Birmingham. Pictured, James Traynor (left) and Craig Butler (right) As they walked home, Ryan and his friend Brody were stopped by two men who demanded their phones and money. When Ryan refused, they stabbed him. Brody's prompt action saved Ryan's life and he was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he underwent surgery, and spent a week in a coma. Less than three months on, as knife crime continues to spiral, Ryan is determined to raise awareness about the dangers of carrying a knife and convince people to ditch their weapons. Ryan said: 'I'd been on a night out with my friends in the city centre, and I was walking home with a friend. 'These two guys approached us and demanded we hand over our things. I'm quite stubborn and I just said "No you're not having it". 'That's when he attacked me. I didn't insult him in any way, I didn't tell him to f***off. He just stabbed me.' Ryan Wayne (right) and his friend James Traynor (left), pictured just hours before Ryan was stabbed on February 17, 2019 Ryan, a school teacher in Yardley, said: 'The hardest part wasn't the wounds or the pain. It was seeing my mum, dad and sisters so upset'. Pictured, Ryan with his father Kevan Wayne At first Ryan didn't realise that he'd been knifed, and fled his attackers. But it quickly became clear he was seriously injured. Soon, he was bleeding badly. Ryan said: 'Adrenaline and shock takes over at that point, and I tried to run home and get some help. I didn't know what had happened. 'But then I looked down and I saw it all. And I thought "Oh my God, I've been stabbed". 'My friend Brody helped me. If it wasn't for him I think I definitely wouldn't be here today. I'm so thankful for what he did that night. He stayed with me, he kept me awake while the paramedics came.' Within five minutes an ambulance and police arrived at the scene and rushed Ryan to the trauma centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Ryan said: 'I was absolutely terrified. I thought I was going to die. I thought "This is it". 'From the moment the paramedics arrived I don't remember anything, and I was asleep for a week. It's so strange to wake up and a week has passed. I didn't know where I was.' Pictured outside Queen Elizabeth Hospital with his mother while he was recovering from the attack. One comment on the Facebook post reads: 'Glad you're on the mend' While Ryan was in a coma, surgeons had performed two life-saving operations, repairing his liver and lung. After a week in intensive care and a week on Ward 726, Ryan was discharged on March 1. Ryan, a school teacher in Yardley, said: 'The hardest part wasn't the wounds or the pain. It was seeing my mum, dad and sisters so upset. 'It was gut-wrenching - but I just felt so amazed that my life had been saved. The care I received was absolutely incredible. The main thing is that I'm still here.' While he was in hospital, best friend Craig Butler, who was also out with Ryan on that fateful night, decided to raise money for the hospital that had saved his life. Craig raised 1,162 to help fund a mobile CT scanner, which will help save others. Ryan has made a near miraculous recovery, and following his latest scan was told that his liver is now healed. Ryan has made a near miraculous recovery, and following his latest scan was told that his liver is now healed But he says that while he physically recovered, it is the long-term emotional damage that will be the most challenging to overcome. He has become understandably wary about walking around the city alone after dark, and is now more aware of the potential dangers that face us every day. Ryan said: 'I'm still reluctant to go out at night in the dark. It instils more anxiety and fear in you. But to combat that I've thrown myself into knife crime awareness.' Just weeks after being discharged from hospital, Ryan has written and produced an educational knife crime workshop, which he plans to present to the pupils at his primary school. Following that, he hopes to present his workshop at other schools across the city, sharing his story with children before they might consider carrying a knife. Ryan said: 'I really feel that educating children and intervening at a young age is vital in reducing knife crime. 'It's about teaching children about how to act if their friend or brother or sister decide to start carrying a knife. How can we save lives?' Ryan has written a passionate letter to Home Secretary Sajid Javid about his experience, outlining what he thinks needs to be done to tackle the knife epidemic. Pictured, with his mother Ryan has written a passionate letter to Home Secretary Sajid Javid about his experience, outlining what he thinks needs to be done to tackle the knife epidemic. Ryan said: 'He wrote me a personal reply saying he was totally on board with what I was saying, and that he would be putting more money into workshops in primary and secondary schools. That's when I had the idea to do my own.' Ryan says people need to remember that knife crime has a ripple effect. As well as putting himself and his family through heartache, the same can be said for the families of the attackers Ryan admits that the workshops have helped him turn this night of horror into something positive, and have also helped him with his emotional recovery. Quite simply, he feels like he can make a difference. Ryan said: 'The knife crime numbers are astronomical at the moment. But we all live in a this "risk-free" bubble and think it couldn't happen to us, it happens to other people. 'There were 40,000 knife incidents last year up to September, and still you think 'That won't happen to me'. 'I've got a good job, I live in a nice area - you don't think it will affect you, you're not part of a gang. 'So when it happened to me it was like that bubble had been popped, and I was terrified. I didn't know if I was going to make it or not. 'At that point I was very close to death.' Ryan says people need to remember that knife crime has a ripple effect. As well as putting himself and his family through heartache, the same can be said for the families of the attackers. Ryan said: 'It's not just one person. This violence causes pain to me, but also my family, to my friends, to the pupils I teach, to their parents. 'The ripple goes on and on. And it also affects the assailants. 'I worry that people have become desensitised to stabbings because they are happening all the time. That's why I want to share my story. 'I almost got killed for what? A mobile phone and some change? 'I'll never know whether I still would have been stabbed if I'd handed over the phone. 'But people shouldn't feel like they need to carry knives. It needs to stop. We need to understand the reasons behind it. 'The next person might not be so lucky.' Ryan has organised an 18-mile charity awareness walk on June 30 from Lichfield city centre to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. To donate click here. Ismael Huazo-Jardinez, 33, was booked on DUI and vehicular homicide charges A California family has been devastated after an alleged drunk driver crashed into a trailer home 'at high speed' and killed a mother, father and their 10-year-old son while they slept. Ismael Huazo-Jardinez, 33, has been accused of driving under the influence in the incident that took place 9.50pm on Saturday. A 38-year-old man, 34-year-old woman and the boy died at the scene where the Chevy Avalanche crushed their home. An 11-year-old girl inside the mobile home in Knight's Landing, Sutter County, initially survived the collision that occurred when the suspect 'failed to negotiate' an 'S' curve while heading northbound on State Route 113 south of Jennings Court. 'We heard a big bang in and we dropped everything and ran outside towards the accident,' neighbor Jon Cooney told CBS Sacramento. He added to KCRA 3: 'She was trying to move, and I was trying to keep her calm.' Another neighbor claimed Huazo-Jardinez tried to flee the scene. California mother, father and their 10-year-old son died when the car crashed into trailer they slept in on Saturday night in Knight's Landing, Sutter County Highway patrol said the driver 'failed to negotiate' an 'S' curve on State Route 113. A spokesperson said: 'If you add alcohol and speed, it's a recipe for disaster' 'He tried to run but he got a beat down trying to do it. A couple of guys grabbed ahold of him,' Steve Martinez told CBS. 'That little girl the motorhome was on top of her and a bunch of guys got there to try to lift it off of her saw her scream but I didn't see anybody else.' The child was airlifted and hospitalized at U.C. Davis Medical Center with major injuries. The grandparents of the child lived next door to the now-collapsed trailer and have been forced to move out of their home due to damage from the crash. Names of the victims were not revealed pending a coroner's report. However landlord Frankie Gonsalves identified the family affected as the Pachecos. 'Model family. Two very hardworking parents, farmworkers, well-behaved kids. They are, were, I would say, (among) my top five tenants here. Really good people, pay their rent on time,' Gonsalves said. Neighbors rushed to help 11-year-old girl who survived and was trapped under the trailer rubble and they claim the DUI suspect tried to flee the scene Next door neighbor Brian Nunez, 13, said he's a friend of the family and was praying for them. 'I met them when we were little kids. Very little,' Nunez told Fox Sacramento 40. 'I played with them. It's horrible that this happened.' Neighbors shared that they had asked for a guardrail to be installed in the area which they say has seen a number of car accidents. 'Those who are drinking and driving, you have got to stop. Look at what you are doing to people. And all you do is wake up with a damn hangover,' neighbor Debra Franklin told Fox. 'You are destroying families.' Neighbor Steve Martinez said the suspect 'tried to run but he got a beat down trying to do it' Neighbor Jon Cooney said they heard a big bang, dropped everything and ran outside 'It's got to stop. Whoever is in charge of this highway you need to do something about it,' Franklin said. 'Because there's speeding and there's no way to protect the people who live here.' Neighbor Jeff Jensen told KCRA: 'I hope they do something about this road. Put some kind of slowdown.' Huazo-Jardinez of Yuba City was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) and was taken to the Rideout Emergency Room with moderate injuries. He appears in a mugshot with scratches on his head, nose and cheekbone. The suspect was booked into Sutter County Jail on felony DUI and three counts of vehicular manslaughter charges. His bail was set at $100,000. 'If you add alcohol and speed, it's a recipe for disaster,' said California Highway Patrol spokesman David Hernandez. West acknowledged he 'saw the horse move out,' but insists that violation could be flagged every year. He also blamed the crowded 20-horse field West also told NBC that he does not envision Maximum Security running the Preakness on May 18: 'There's no reason to run a horse back in two weeks' Country House, a 65-1 longshot, was later ruled to be the winner despite Maximum Security actually crossing the finish line first The owners of the horse that had its Kentucky Derby victory overturned on Saturday intends to file an appeal with the state racing commission. Maximum Security co-owner Gary West told NBC's Today that he will be filing the appeal on Monday after seeing his horse get disqualified in Louisville when, race officials ruled, it moved out of its lane and collided with another horse, War of Will. Country House, a 65-1 longshot, was later ruled to be the winner despite Maximum Security actually crossing the finish line first. 'We were stunned, shocked, and in total disbelief,' West said. West did acknowledge that Maximum Security was out of its lane. 'Yes, I saw the horse move out,' West said. 'Every Kentucky Derby you could sit down two, three, four horses if you want to. It's like a rodeo out there.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Maximum Security co-owner Gary West told NBC's Today that he will be filing the appeal on Monday after seeing his horse get disqualified in Louisville when, race officials ruled, it moved out of its lane and collided with another horse, War of Will We are going to file an appeal today with the State Racing Commission, Maximum Securitys owner Gary West says pic.twitter.com/MzFikO9wqQ TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 6, 2019 Maximum Security crossed the line in first place, but the victory lap was short-lived, with the thoroughbred subsequently disqualified in a stewards' call West also told NBC that he does not envision Maximum Security running the Preakness on May 18. 'I think there's no Triple Crown on the line for us,' West said. 'And there's no reason to run a horse back in two weeks when you don't have to.' It remains unclear if West will have grounds for an appeal after race stewards disqualified Maximum Security. According to racing commission statutes, stewards' 'findings of fact and determination shall be final and shall not be subject to appeal.' On Saturday, Stewards cited a section of the rule that calls for disqualification if 'a leading horse or any other horse in a race swerves or is ridden to either side so as to interfere with, intimidate, or impede any other horse or jockey.' Chief steward Barbara Borden said in a news conference that she and two other stewards interviewed riders and studied video replays of the incident during a 22-minute review after the finish. The stewards did not take questions from reporters. Stewards cited a section of the rule that calls for disqualification if 'a leading horse or any other horse in a race swerves or is ridden to either side so as to interfere with, intimidate, or impede any other horse or jockey.' Chief steward Barbara Borden said in a news conference that she and two other stewards interviewed riders and studied video replays of the incident during a 22-minute review after the finish. The stewards did not take questions from reporters West said the earliest he could see the stewards' video evidence would be Thursday, which could determine if he files an appeal in a process he was still trying to understand. 'Well, obviously, you can't appeal to the stewards who made the decision,' West told NBC. 'It's a state racing commission, if they refuse to hear about it, I think this is something that's big enough that the entire racing world is looking at this and I think they deserve an opportunity to really know what was going on. 'I was a bit shocked and surprised that the stewards wrote a statement that was probably prepared by their lawyers and refused, literally refused to take a single question from the media. So they've been about as non-transparent about this whole thing as anything I have ever seen in my life.' West blamed his horse's disqualification on the crowded field at Churchill Downs. ' Churchill Downs, because they are a greedy organization, has [20 horses] rather than 14 like you have in the Kentucky Oaks, Breeder's Cup, every other race in America, because they can make more money they are willing to risk horses and people's lives because of that.' A 14-year-old boy suffered life-changing injuries when he was hit by a minibus yesterday evening, police have said. The youngster, who has not been named, was knocked off his bike in Tipton, West Midlands around 9pm yesterday evening. A police spokesman said: 'Police are investigating a collision between a minibus and a teenager on Toll End Road, Tipton at 9.15pm yesterday. 'A 14-year-old boy was on a push bike when he was struck by the minibus. He was taken to hospital where he remains with life changing injuries. The crash happened on Toll End Road, Tipton at 9.15pm yesterday, West Midlands Police said 'The driver of the bus stopped at the scene and is assisting police with their enquiries.' Witnesses or anyone with information can call West Midlands Police on 101. Alex Roy, 47 (pictured), founder of The Human Driving Association, is calling for a constitutional amendment to guarantee the right for humans to drive their own cars amid fears that fully automated cars will infringe on freedom of movement and privacy The Human Driving Association is calling for a constitutional amendment to guarantee the right for humans to drive their own cars amid fears that fully automated cars will infringe on freedom of movement and privacy. The organization, which has around ten thousand members and was founded by Alex Roy, is also calling for laws requiring a steering wheel in every vehicle. Roy's fear is that one day, driving our own cars will be made illegal due to safety concerns, which he thinks are misguided, according to a recent interview he gave to The New Yorker. Instead, through the HDA Roy advocates for raising the bar for drivers' licensing standards and increased regulation of vehicles. 'Its easier to imagine that technology can solve a problem that education or regulation could also fix,' Roy, a 47-year-old rally car driver, said, referring to vehicular deaths attributed to human error. Former rally car driver Roy worries a ban on driving ourselves will infringe on freedom of movement. The self-driving Cruise AV is shown The landing page for the HDA website reads in bold text, 'The war on driving is here. Pick your side,' with options to click on a older style car or an autonomous-driving vehicle. When you click on the more high-tech car, it takes you to a screen that reads, 'Wrong answer. Try again.' Fearing a future where driving our own vehicles has been outlawed for alleged safety and efficiency reasons, Roy and his organization want to amend the constitution to create a right to drive ourselves, according to HDA's 'Human Driving Manifesto.' The landing page for the HDA website (shown) reads in bold text, 'The war on driving is here. Pick your side,' with options to click on a older style car or an autonomous-driving vehicle When you click on the more high-tech car, it takes you to a screen (shown) that reads, 'Wrong answer. Try again.' Fearing a future where driving our own vehicles has been outlawed for alleged safety and efficiency reasons, Roy and his organization want to amend the constitution to create a right to drive ourselves, according to HDA's ' Human Driving Manifesto' The last item on their 12-point platform declaration reads: 'We Are Pro-Constitutional Amendment, creating a right to drive, within the limits of safety technologies that do not infringe upon our freedom of movement.' Item four on the list appears to be contradictory, however, reading: 'We Support Raising Driver Licensing Standards. Driving is a privilege, not a right. Abuse it, lose it. Periodic retesting is essential.' The group would also like a law requiring a steering wheel in every personal use vehicle. 'No vehicle should be deployed without a steering wheel,' the manifesto reads. Steering wheels are currently legally mandatory in the U.S., according to the New Yorker, but the Self Drive Act, which stalled in the U.S. Senate after passing the House of Representatives in 2017 would allow the autonomous vehicle industry to seek exemptions. Self-driving cars are currently in production, labeled on a scale from one to five, with one being the least autonomous and five being the most functional without human involvement. Just last year, General Motors announced a $100million investment in the Cruise AV, which is considered a 'level five' autonomous vehicle, because it has no steering wheel, gas pedal, or human-operated brake. Just last year, General Motors announced a $100 million investment in the Cruise AV, which is considered a 'level five' autonomous vehicle, because it has no steering wheel, gas pedal, or human-operated brake. People are shown assembling a Cruise AV Australian artificial-intelligence researcher Toby Walsh told the New Yorker he agrees that we are heading toward laws prohibiting the driving of our own cars, but feels that concern over a future overrun by self-driving vehicles is unwarranted. He makes a prediction in his 2018 book,'Machines That Think: The Future of Artificial Intelligence,' that self-driving vehicles will be ubiquitous by 2050 because autonomous cars will be much safer. Unlike Roy, he believes that we will neither notice nor care. In Walshs view, a constitutional amendment protecting the right to drive would be as misguided as the Second Amendment. 'We will look back on this time in fifty years and think it was the Wild West,' Walsh said. 'The only challenge is, how do we get to zero road deaths? Were only going to get there by removing the human.' On the flip side, Roy and his 10,000-member organization are not the only people concerned about laws potentially preventing humans from driving. Around 35,000 people in the U.S. die in vehicle crashes each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and 94 percent of serious crashes are attributed to human error. 'People may outlaw driving cars because its too dangerous,' Tesla founder Elon Musk said in 2015. Musk followed that up with two tweets that read: 'To be clear, Tesla is strongly in favor of people being allowed to drive their cars and always will be. Hopefully, that is obvious. 'However, when self-driving cars become safer than human-driven cars, the public may outlaw the latter. Hopefully not.' 'People may outlaw driving cars because its too dangerous,' Tesla founder Elon Musk said Musk followed that up with two tweets, reading: 'To be clear, Tesla is strongly in favor of people being allowed to drive their cars and always will be. Hopefully, that is obvious' Musk tweeted, 'However, when self-driving cars become safer than human-driven cars, the public may outlaw the latter. Hopefully not' Roy and others dispute the argument that self-driving cars are safer than those being driven by humans. Former software developer and current data journalism professor at New York University Meredith Broussard (pictured) argues the self-driving automobile industry has taken an assumption of safety of their products for granted, along with the certainty of widespread adoption Roy and others dispute the argument that self-driving cars are safer than those being driven by humans. Former software developer and current data journalism professor at New York University Meredith Broussard argues the self-driving automobile industry has taken an assumption of safety of their products for granted, along with the certainty of widespread adoption. 'We can challenge the notion that autonomous vehicles are inevitable,' Broussard said. 'They are not even legal right now.' Referring to the safety issue, the author of 'Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World' continued: 'The logical fallacy is where they say, "If you dont adopt our technology, people will die." 'It shuts down the conversation. No one wants someone to die.' Broussard has coined her own term to describe the believe that computers are automatically better than humans at doing everything. 'Most of the autonomous-vehicle manufacturers are technochauvinists,' she said. 'The big spike in distracted-driving traffic accidents and fatalities in the past several years has been from people texting and driving. The argument that the cars themselves are the problem is not really looking at the correct issue. We would be substantially safer if we put cell-phone-jamming devices in cars. And we already have that technology.' 'There comes a point at which you have to divorce fantasy from reality, and the reality is that autonomous vehicles are two-ton killing machines. They do not work as well as advocates would have you believe.' Roy has also pointed out there is no uniform safety standard by which autonomous vehicles are measured at this time. Seemingly ironically, the HDA founder works as a director of special operations at the autonomous-vehicle company Argo AI. Roy, however, isn't entire opposed to self-driving cars. He just doesn't want to be forced to use one when he doesn't feel like it. He described the leaders of Argo AI as 'realists' who aren't pushing a narrative of self-driving vehicles as inevitable and all encompassing. 'They arent utopians,' Roy said. 'The company is full of people who love driving. They see automation as extending freedom, not taking it away.' Still, Roy continues to build his alliance of people devoted to preserving the freedom to drive our own cars, should we so choose. He'd also like to see an option in self-driving vehicles to disconnect from communication systems, to protect privacy. Less than a week before the Federal Election is due to commence the Labor party has driven straight into a stumbling block. A Labor campaign trailer was forced to an abrupt halt on Monday after it drove straight into the pathway of a low bridge despite the bridge's low clearance being clearly signposted. Even though the red and white campaign poster - which read,'Mr Morrison, your time's running out' - was evidently much larger than the bridge, the campaigners failed to notice the stark height difference. Scroll down for video A Labor campaign trailer was forced to an abrupt halt on Monday after it drove straight into the pathway of a low bridge Presumably the campaigners were forced to turn the trailer around and take a different route, but not before a passer-by seized the opportunity to take a picture of the amusing scene. It wasn't long before the humorous image was hijacked by Mr Shorten's critics on social media. 'Today Bill Shorten's team demonstrated they can't drive a trailer....It's got me asking how he expects to drive our economy,' Queensland senator and leader of the One Nation party Pauline Hanson wrote. 'BREAKING NEWS Bill shorten announces nationwide he will be making all bridges taller under labor government's tax scheme,' one user joked. Bill Shorten's (pictured) campaigners have been mocked on social media for making the avoidable error 'This is labor. Can't even drive a trailer. Can't run a country,' a third wrote. Another social media joker said: 'They should have to pay the repair BILL. Wouldn't happen if they SHORTEN the height of the trailer'. While other strong Labor supporters stuck up for Bill Shorten and his team. 'The labor party isn't here to drive trailers. The labor party is here to get us back to a national debt of 500 billion,' wrote one. 'Agreed,' another simply wrote. Despite the mishap, Labor is on the way to winning the federal election despite the party's primary vote dropping, according to the latest Newspoll figures. The two-party preferred split showed Labor in the lead with 51 per cent, and 49 per cent for the Coalition, the poll figures released in The Australian show. Nude photos of a political candidate from Pauline Hanson's One Nation party have emerged online. Jackson Wreford, who's vying for a seat in the city of Canning, in Perth's southeast, posted a series of risque photographs of himself on Instagram last year. The images show Jackson in various states of undress as he flexes and poses in body-building positions. Jackson Wreford (pictured, who's vying for a seat in the city of Canning, in Perth's southeast, posted a series of risque photographs of himself on Instagram last year. In one photo, Mr Wreford poses in his room with nothing but a towel to cover his modesty as she shows off his tattoos and muscles. '71 days out and it's starting to coming together. I know what you're thinking ''wow that guys beard is great also the room is messy and his legs are far too pale'' and you would be right on all those things but I hope that's not what you're focusing on in this photo,' he wrote in the caption. In another photo, he appears to be fully naked as he sunbathes on his stomach and pokes his tongue out at the camera. In one particular photo, Mr Wreford appears to be fully naked as he sun bakes on his stomach and pokes his tongue out at the camera In a video uploaded in 2017, Mr Wreford appears to be receiving acupuncture and is heard moaning and saying: 'Oh, you're so deep inside me Craig, it feels so good'. Mr Wreford works for a Perth fitness equipment company and appears to have competed in body building competitions, his last in June 2018. 'I already want to compete again! Just need to get bigger and better for the next one,' he wrote in the caption alongside an image of him posing on stage. His Instagram account is filled to the brim with shirtless selfies of him showing off his physique Mr Wreford works for a Perth fitness equipment company and appears to have competed in body building competitions, his last in June 2018 Daily Mail Australia has reached out to One Nation for comment. The posts come after scandals have plagued Pauline Hanson's One Nation party in recent weeks. One Nation Senate candidate for Queensland Steve Dickson resigned from the party last Tuesday after footage from an Al Jazeera sting was made public, showing him groping strippers and making derogatory comments about women. 'White women **** a whole lot better, they know what they are doing, Asian chicks don't,' Mr Dickson was recorded saying in the footage aired on Monday. Steve Dickson, One Nation's candidate for a Queensland Senate seat and Senator Hanson's right-hand man, resigned from the party after secretly-filmed video of him at a strip club (pictured) Mr Dickson (pictured) resigned from the party on Tuesday morning after the strip club video was revealed 'I've done more Asians than I know what to do with.' The footage showed Mr Dickson groping the breasts of one dancer before putting money into the underwear of another. 'I've asked her, she said she wants to come home and suck my d***,' he said while receiving a lap dance. Senator Hanson said she was 'shocked and disappointed' after seeing the footage. Six French firemen from the 'Heroes of Notre Dame' brigade have been accused of gang-raping a tourist at a Paris fire station. The victim in the horrific case is a 20-year-old Scandinavian student, who cannot be named for legal reasons. She claims she agreed to sex after meeting an off-duty fireman in a bar last Friday, but was then attacked by his colleagues at their quarters in south Paris. Firefighters use hoses to try to dampen down the raging flames as they engulf the roof of the cathedral. Six firefighters hailed the 'Heroes of Notre Dame' have been accused of gang-rape a tourist in Paris It comes after all members of the Paris Fire Brigade were hailed as 'heroes' for saving Notre Dame Cathedral from complete destruction in a horrific blaze on April 15. President Emmanuel Macron invited 500 of them to the Elysee Palace and, announcing they would receive gold medals, said: 'The country and the entire world were watching us and you were exemplary.' The source close to the rape enquiry said: 'The complainant reported being attacked by a number of men last Friday. The alleged incident occurred last Friday in the south of the city. Picture shows the spire of the cathedral collapsing 'She had met an officer in a bar, and agreed to sex with him, and he is not a suspect. He bought the woman back to his fire station and that is where the multiple attacks took place.' The crimes are said to have taken place at the Plaisance fire station, which is less than three miles from Notre Dame. Paris firefighters are all in the military, meaning they stay in barrack-style quarters, complete with individual bedrooms, as well as dormitories. President Emmanuel Macron invited 500 of the firefighters to the Elysee Palace and announced they would receive gold medals. The turret falls through slightly before 8pm (left), leaving behind a few timber beams. Shown right, nothing remains of the turret by 8.10pm The room where the attack is said to have taken place is currently being viewed as a crime scene, with forensics officers carrying out tests. The six suspects who have not been named are aged between 25 and 35, and face charges ranging between rape and 'failing to report a crime,' said the Paris source. 'They were said to have been drinking heavily at the time of the attack, which took place early on Saturday morning,' he added. 'Other women visitors were in the station too. The victim was found in a state of considerable shock, and reported her ordeal to prosecutors.' All the men were arrested over the weekend, and on Monday presented to a Paris judge, who has launched a criminal enquiry. The defendants have denied the allegations. Rape is punishable by up to 15 years in prison in France, and this can go up to 20 years if there are aggravating circumstances, such as a mob attack. Gabriel Plus, a spokesman for the Paris Fire Brigade, said all the suspects had been suspended from duty. He said the allegations were 'against the values upheld by Paris firefighters who must be exemplary.' In January, two Paris policemen were sent to prison for seven years for raping a tourist from Canada in a room at their headquarters next door to Notre Dame Cathedral. Firefighters in Jacksonville, Florida, saved a paraglider stuck in a tree 80ft off the ground on Sunday. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department said the unidentified man was attempting to power paraglide out of Palmetto Leaves Regional Park around 6pm when he 'misjudged the wind.' Video of the incident shows the man wearing a motor powered fan and a parachute on his back while attempting to ascend into the sky. He rises and falls a few times after taking off from a grass field before crashing into some nearby tree tops 30 seconds later. Scroll down for video The accident happened around 6pm on Sunday at Palmetto Leaves Regional Park in Jacksonville, Florida Authorities say the unidentified paraglider temporarily took flight, but 'misjudged the wind' before crashing into some tree tops An emergency responder from Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department's Special Operations Unit climbed the tree and cut the victim out of his harness The fire department said the man was uninjured and they safely managed to get him down A witness called 911 after the man's orange and white parachute flew into the foliage. Onlookers gathered below as emergency crews arrived and began their rescue. 'I would never expect to see someone parasailing in a park, especially with all these trees,' local resident Shikhar Jhalani told News Jax 4. The fire department said the man was uninjured and they were able to bring him down without any problems. Onlookers gathered and stared in disbelief as emergency crews arrived and began their rescue efforts 'A great job done by our crews getting a man and his equipment out of a tree at about 80 ft....no injuries reported and he walked away. #justanotherday #itswhatwedo,' the department tweeted Sunday night. A man confessed to murdering his mother inside their home in Brazil on Sunday because she refused to give him money to buy cocaine. Victor Sanchez, 32, told agents from the Civil Police in Sao Joao da Boa Vista that he bashed Lucia Elisa Sanchez, 51, with a jar and then murdered her on Sunday at the condominium they shared. After hitting the school teacher with the glass jug, Victor Sanchez stabbed his mother at least 50 times and left her lying in a pool of blood. Brazilian school teacher Lucia Elisa Sanchez (pictured) was killed by her son inside the home they shared Sao Paulo on Sunday after she refused to give him money so that he could purchase cocaine Victor Sanchez (pictured) confessed to the shocking attack of his mother, Lucia Elisa Sanchez, inside the condominium they both lived at that left her dead as a result of 50 stab wounds The killer admitted to cops that he was angry after his mother told him she would not loan him her bank card to withdraw money to feed his cocaine habit. The son tried to clean the crime scene evidence and took his mother's ATM card from her wallet and went to a local gas station to get cash. Sanchez called the cops and attempted to pin his mother's murder on her boyfriend. Lucia Elisa Sanchez (pictured) was found lying dead in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor of her Sao Paulo apartment on Sunday. Police investigators said her son attempted to pin the death on her boyfriend before he confessed to the killing An investigator to Brazilian outlet G1 that Victor Sanchez had used cocaine on Saturday night and was looking to do again Sunday but noticed he had no money Investigators arrived at the Sao Paulo apartment and discovered the victim's body in the kitchen. However, after cops found Sanchez's blood stained clothes in the bathroom, examined footsteps with blood streaks on the floor and spoke to neighbors, who said no one had entered or left the building, the son confessed. According to Brazilian outlet G1, Sanchez had been admitted to a substance abuse clinic on at least three separate occasions. 'He said he had snorted cocaine the night before and on Sunday morning he had no money,' investigator Sergio Ferreira do Carmo. 'He then decided to kill his mother to get her bank card and get money to buy drugs.' More than 1,300 members of a Mexican indigenous group fell ill with food poisoning after eating cake 'not fit for human consumption' at a Children's Day event. In total 1,358 people - including at least 200 children - received medical attention after eating cake at a party thrown by humanitarian organization World Vision. The government of Veracruz, where the incident took place on April 30, said it was investigating the poisoning while World Vision promised to work fully with officials. At least 200 children were among 1,300 people sickened after eating cake described as 'not fit for human consumption' during a Children's Day event in Mexico The event, which was thrown for indigenous peoples in the Veracruz region, took place in a local school and was put on by humanitarian organization World Vision The incident took place at a local school where the cake was served, and shortly afterwards people began complaining of symptoms such as dizziness and vomiting. Private vans from the Mexican Social Security Institute took the victims to a nearby hospital where the majority of them were given fluids to counter-act the symptoms. However, some needed intravenous drips after becoming badly ill and two children are reportedly still in a serious condition in hospital. Children's Day is an annual celebration of youngsters held in Mexico on April 30 each year. World Vision said it has been involved in Children's Day celebrations for more than 10 years, and is 'deeply concerned' by the poisoning. Silvia Novoa, director of World Vision Mexico, said: 'We are still working with the authorities to determine the causes of this incident, one that has never happened before. Medics said most people had to be given oral fluids to counter-act the symptoms, but a few needed IV drips and reports suggested two children are still in hospital World Vision, which has helped organise Children's Day events for 10 years, said it is 'deeply troubled' by the news and pledged to 'fully cooperate' with investigators 'As an organization, we have worked for more than 10 years to improve the life conditions of these communities in terms of teacher training, drinking water systems, school improvement, nutrition and economic development. 'Our commitment is firm and we will make sure that each child is fully recovered.' Zenyazen Escobar Garcia, the secretary of Education of Veracruz, said that the incident had been serious and could have been tragic. World Vision Foundation is a humanitarian organisation working for the children living in Mexico to help them live free of poverty, protected and in sustainable communities. The Foundation sent a press statement saying that it was extremely concerned about what had happened, and confirming that they were ready to help authorities to find out what caused the poisoning. The investigation is ongoing. Bones, believed to be human, have been found in a creek in an outer Melbourne suburb. Railway workers made the discovery at about 12pm on Monday in the south western suburb of Altona under a railway bridge. Homicide detectives were at the scene this afternoon as an investigation was launched and officers searched the area for clues. Scroll down for video Bones, believed to be human, have been found in a creek in an outer Melbourne suburb Homicide detectives were at the scene this afternoon as an investigation was launched and officers searched the area for clues Forensic examination and testing of the bones is now required to determine if they are human. A grassfire also broke out just metres from where the bones were found as police combed the area on Monday afternoon. Officers said they were treating the fire as suspicious. Fire crews arrived at the scene and had the fire under control in minutes. Advertisement It may sound too good to be true, but an Italian town is set to sell 500 homes for less than 1. Mussomeli in southern Sicily has put 100 empty properties up for sale online for 1, or 85p, with another 400 expected to follow. Some of the homes are very small, but are made up of multiple bedrooms and offer stunning views across the Italian countryside. Mussomeli in southern Sicily has put 100 empty properties (pictured) up for sale online for 1, with another 400 expected to follow Mussomeli (pictured), which sits on a hill two hours south east of Palermo, has Byzantine caves, a medieval castle as well as numerous ancient churches The historical town has numerous side streets despite its dwindling 11,000 population. Residents have left for the cities across Italy in recent years The local government signalled the houses were available by putting signs on the doors - but there is a catch. Anyone who buys a house has to renovate it within three years or face losing their deposit, which is reportedly $8,000 (4,270). Restoring the homes has been valued at about $107 (81) per square foot as well as admin costs of $4000 (2,135) to $6450 (3,443). The catch is that anyone who buys one of the abandoned houses has to renovate it within three years or face losing their deposit, which is said to be $8,000 (4,270) The local government signalled the houses were available by putting signs on the doors (pictured) and a link to the website to buy them Some of the homes are run down and need a lot of work, but others have multiple bedrooms and boast views across the Italian countryside Local architects and engineers are on hand to help with the work but buyers can chose to get outside help if they prefer. the houses remain boarded up until they are sold Local architects and engineers are on hand to help with the work but buyers can chose to get outside help if they prefer. The move comes as Italians have left the rural areas for cities in recent years. It has forced local authorities to sell off empty houses for the knock-down prices. Mussomeli, which sits two hours south east of Palermo, has Byzantine caves, a medieval castle as well as numerous ancient churches to sweeten the deal. It comes as Italians have left the rural areas for cities in recent years, forcing local authorities to sell off empty houses for the knock-down prices Restoring the homes has been valued at about $107 (81) per square foot as well as admin costs of $4000 (2,135) to $6450 (3,443) The houses are on the doorstep to incredible scenery of the town's hilly landscape, which is currently only appreciated by its 11,000 residents Last year, Ollolai, which is nestled in the mountain region of Barbagia on the island of Sardinia, offered 200 abandoned stone dwellings for just 1 (90p) each. The town's population had halved over the past three decades, with just 1,300 people mostly middle-aged childless couples left. With just a small number of babies born each year, Ollolai's mayor decided to prevent the population plummeting further by launching the 'houses for 1' scheme in 2015. Again, there was a catch, as buyers had to commit to refurbishing each house, which were all in poor conditions, within three years at an estimated cost of up to 30,000 (26,000). The House Judiciary Committee on Monday issued a report citing Attorney General William Barr for contempt over a panel subpoena seeking Special Counsel Robert Mueller's full un-redacted report on his Russia investigation. The committee set a meeting to consider adopting the report for Wednesday at 10 a.m. A committee vote to adopt the report would send the document to the full House of Representatives for a vote, according to an aide. Panel Chairman Rep. Jerold Nadler of New York had given the Justice Department until Monday morning to provide materials that accompanied Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report. Attorney General Bill Barr has defied Nadler's subpoena, saying it would be illegal for him to turn over grand jury materials, even to Congress The Judiciary Committee's report calls on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take 'all appropriate action' to enforce the subpoena issued by committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler on April 19. 'Attorney General Barr failed to comply with the committee's request for these documents and thereby has hindered the committee's constitutional, oversight and legislative functions,' the committee's contempt report said. The Trump administration is stonewalling multiple probes by House committees that were taken over by Democrats in January after Americans voted to end the House Republican majority in the November 2018 election. The Judiciary committee will meet on Wednesday to consider adopting the contempt report. If it votes to do so, the full House would then vote on holding Barr in contempt of Congress, according to a congressional aide. A contempt citation could lead to a civil court case against Barr, raising the possibility of fines and even imprisonment for failure to comply. The committee report calls on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take 'all appropriate action' to enforce a subpoena issued by committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler. Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. has scheduled a Judiciary Committee markup on a contempt citation against Attorney General William Barr UNITED STATES - MAY 2: Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., conducts a House Judiciary Committee hearing in Rayburn Building that was scheduled to feature testimony by Attorney General William Barr on Russian Interference in the 2016 election and the Robert Mueller report on Thursday, May 2, 2019. Barr did not show up for the hearing citing displeasure with the format President Donald Trump has hailed his attorney general and said Special Counsel Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress Special CounselA Robert Mueller's report has set off a clash between Democrats in Congress and the president over documents and testimony Barr released a redacted version of the report last month but the Democrats also want to see the full report and underlying evidence that informs it. 'The attorney general's failure to comply with our subpoena ... leaves us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings,' Nadler said in a statement. 'If the department presents us with a good faith offer for access to the full report and the underlying evidence, I reserve the right to postpone these proceedings,' he said. The Justice Department had no immediate response. Republicans reject Nadler's efforts as political theater, which they say is intended to satisfy the Democrats' voters. Senior Judiciary Committee Republican Doug Collins said Democrats were pursuing a contempt citation even as Justice Department officials continue to negotiate with the panel. 'Democrats have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general when their anger actually lies with the president and the special counsel, who found neither conspiracy nor obstruction,' Collins said in a statement. Some Democrats have called on Barr to resign, accusing him of protecting Trump by effectively clearing the president of criminal obstruction of justice and excusing actions viewed by them as evidence of misconduct. Pelosi has charged that the attorney general lied to Congress, adding: 'That's a crime.' Nadler's committee views the full Mueller report as vital to its own corruption and obstruction of justice investigation of Trump. The chairs of five other House committees investigating the president have also called for its release. The Mueller report details extensive contacts between Trump's 2016 campaign and Moscow, but did not find that there was a conspiracy between Moscow and the campaign. The report also describes actions Trump took to try to impede Mueller's investigation. If lawmakers established that Trump obstructed justice by seeking to impede Mueller, Nadler's panel could move to impeachment proceedings against the president for high crimes and misdemeanors. Trump denied any wrongdoing in a tweet on Monday. 'Also, there are 'No High Crimes & Misdemeanors,' No Collusion, No Conspiracy, No Obstruction. ALL THE CRIMES ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE, and thats what the Dems should be looking at, but they wont. Nevertheless, the tables are turning!' the president wrote on Twitter. Some Democrats on Nadler's panel say lawmakers could also exercise their own little-used 'inherent' authority to act outside the U.S. judicial system to apprehend, fine and even imprison officials who do not comply with congressional subpoenas. Democratic House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler is demanding secret grand jury materials related to the Mueller probe along with a large volume of evidence and other documents related to Mueller's final report Barr also skipped a hearing before Nadler's committee last Thursday, after Democrats adopted an aggressive format that would have subjected the attorney general to questions from staff attorneys. Collins fumed Monday in his statement: 'Chairman Nadler knows full subpoena compliance requires Attorney General Barr to break the law. Yet, instead of introducing legislation allowing the attorney general to provide Congress grand jury material, Democrats move to hold him in contempt.' 'They know the Justice Department is working to negotiate even as they pursue contempt charges, making their move today illogical and disingenuous. Democrats have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general when their anger actually lies with the president and the special counsel, who found neither conspiracy nor obstruction.' The dramatic action comes just days after Barr refused to appear before the panel as scheduled to discuss the Mueller report and his own handling of its release. The movement on a contempt citation comes amid a clash between the White House and congressional documents on a number of fronts, as White House lawyers did in on releasing documents and making witnesses available for congressional inquiries. Trump tweeted on Sunday: 'Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!' Trump had told reporters las week the issue of Mueller's testimony was 'up to our attorney general.' Barr said that he had no objection to Mueller appearing before Congress during testimony where he revealed there were areas of detail in the Mueller report that he was not familiar with, such as campaign polling data that former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort passed on to a contact with Russian intelligence ties. Nadler last week continued his insistence that Congress should see raw evidence from the Russia probe, citing 800,000 pages of 'sensitive investigative materials' related to the Hillary Clinton email investigation that the Trump administration shared with a Republican-led House during 2017 and 2018. And he threatened Barr with a contempt of Congress citation if he refused, setting a deadline of Monday morning. Last week Nadler told Barr he wants the Justice Department to 'seek a court order permitting disclosure of materials covered by Rule 6(e).' That clause in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure covers grand jury secrecy, a concept considered untouchable because it prevents the escape of people who might be indicted, discourages perjury and protects the reputations of people who are investigated but not charged with crimes. Nadler argued Friday against Barr's determination that the rule 'contains no exception' that would allow him to show Nadler what he has subpoenaed. 'Courts have provided Rule 6(e) materials to Congress under the rule's 'judicial proceeding' exception in the past,' he wrote. That's a reference to one of very few exceptions to grand jury secrecy: disclosing information 'preliminary to or in connection with a judicial proceeding.' The most famous example of invoking it came in the Watergate investigation, when federal courts allowed the special prosecutor's office to see grand jury information because Congress had authorized the Judiciary Committee to open a formal impeachment probe. Nadler also wrote on Friday that he wants Barr to allow a broader group of lawmakers to look at a version of the Mueller report that is less redacted than the one he released to the public. The Justice Department prepared a copy last month that unmasked all of the redactions except the grand jury material. But to date only a handful of leaders from both parties have been authorized to see it and they are under strict orders not to discuss with lower-ranking members the things what they read. Although half of those authorized readers are Democrats, only two Republicans have checked into the secure room in the U.S. Capitol where it is held. One Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. The other is Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, the ranking GOP member on Nadler's panel. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Friday at the White House: 'Not a single Democrat has yet to go read the less-redacted version of the report.' The body of an eight-year-old girl who was murdered by a serial killer in Cyprus is believed to have been found in a lake. The corpse, discovered in a suitcase near the village of Mitsero yesterday, is thought to be that of Elena Natalia Bunea, who vanished in 2016. Army officer Nicos Metaxas - who has allegedly confessed to seven killings - has told police that three of the bodies are in the lake. One of them, Elena's mother, is believed to have been found already. The other two named by Metaxas are a 31-year-old woman and eight-year-old Elena. According to the Cyprus Mail the corpse is likely to be that of a child, making Elena the probable victim. Police are today scouring the lake for a possible third suitcase. A corpse discovered in a suitcase near the village of Mitsero yesterday is thought to be that of Elena Natalia Bunea (right) whose mother Livia (left) also died Nicos Metaxas, 35, dubbed 'the first serial killer of Cyprus', appeared in court today after confessing killing five women and two girls Who are the seven alleged victims? Three victims allegedly dumped in the lake near Mitsero 1. Livia Florentina Bunea, 36 - body believed found on April 28 2. Elena Natalia Bunea, eight - body believed found yesterday 3. Maricar Valdez Arquila, 31 - body still missing Four victims buried elsewhere 4. Mary Rose Tiburcio, 38 - body found in disused mine shaft on April 14 5. Her daughter Sierra, six - body still missing 6. Arian Palanas Lozano, 28 - body found in same shaft on April 20 7. Nepalese woman, possibly Ashita Khadka Bista - body found in a well on April 25 Advertisement Elena, eight, vanished with her mother, Livia Florentina Bunea, 36, three years ago. Her mother's body was reported to have been found in the lake eight days earlier. The corpse believed to be Elena's was found in an 'advanced state of decomposition', police spokesman Andreas Angelides said. 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 allegedly said that Maricar Valdez Arquila, 31, from the Philippines, is the third victim whose body is in the lake. The killings came to light in April when heavy rains brought one of the bodies to the surface of the disused mine shaft where it had been hidden. Maricar Valtez Arquiola, 31 (left) and Arian Palanos Lozano, 28, (right) - have been named by Cypriot media as victims 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 The body was identified as that of 38-year-old Filipina Mary Rose Tiburcio. Her six-year-old daughter Sierra's body remains missing. Days later, authorities found the body of a second woman in the shaft, believed to be Arian Palanas Lozano, 28, also from the Philippines. Metaxas was arrested on April 18. He later guided investigators to a well near an army firing range where a third victim's body was found - a woman thought to be from Nepal. Metaxas was accused by police of raping a teenager during a court appearance on Sunday. The police chief told the court that the suspect denied the allegation when questioned about it. Forensic police officers and investigators gather near a boat equipped with a sonar system before it sails on the acidic Red Lake Firefighters and investigators search the manmade lake near the village of Xiliato for the remains of more victims 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 almost all the women and girls that the army officer has admitted to killing were reported missing to police. The only one who was not was the woman from Nepal, who was reported to immigration for being absent from her place of employment. A number of passengers were examined by medical staff after severe turbulence on a British Airways flight from London to Florida. The flight took off from London Gatwick last night and was headed to Tampa Bay, Florida, when according to one passenger, the plane suddenly dropped without warning. Ollie Richmond, who was on the flight, filmed the aftermath of the incident and put it on social media. He said: 'Crazy scenes on the #BA2166 LGW to TPA today. Plane dropped suddenly without warning - loads of people hitting the ceiling! 'Was like something out a film! Lots of people sent to hospital. Well done staff for managing the situation well!' Ollie Richmond was on the flight to Tampa Bay, Florida, and filmed the aftermath of the turbulence After the severe turbulence luggage and magazines could be seen on the floor of the plane Mr Richmond showed what appeared to be some damage to one of the grates of an air vent At the start of the footage a number of newspapers and bits of luggage can be seen on the floor, as passengers look on, concerned. As the camera phone pans round an air grate in the ceiling of the plane appears to have been dislodged. The short clip continues and the passenger sat next to Mr Richmond says 'oh my god.' A number of pieces of luggage can be seen on the floor of the plane, as shocked passengers chat among themselves. Mr Richmond added in a further post on Twitter that he attended hospital with his pregnant wife after the incident. Fourteen passengers were seen by medical staff as a precaution. A spokesman for BA said the plane was suffering from severe turbulence, and it was not a fault with the plane or a technical issue. They added: 'Safety is our always our number one priority, and our cabin crew did everything they could to look after our customers after experiencing unexpected severe turbulence. 'They asked paramedics to meet the aircraft and some customers were examined by medical staff as a precaution.' A Massachusetts man who sent 30 years in prison for a rape he claimed he didn't commit, has been arrested in another rape case. George Perrot, 50, is accused of raping an unconscious woman on a sidewalk in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on January 4 - less than three years after he was exonerated in a 1985 rape case. He is expected to be arraigned in Essex Superior Court Monday. He faces charges of rape, assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, and open and gross lewdness. He pleaded not guilty in the Lawrence rape case at his arraignment on January 7. A grand jury indicted him on the charges in March and the case was moved to Essex Superior Court. Massachusetts man George Perrot, 50, was arrested on January 4, accused of raping an unconscious woman on a sidewalk in Lawrence - less than three years after he was exonerated in a 1985 rape case. Pictured above with his mother following release from prison in 2016 In the January incident, cops reportedly found him and the woman unconscious and partially clothed on the street. He was found with his face in between her legs. When cops nudged Perrot awake, he became aggressive and charged at the officer, leading the officer to use his baton on Perrot to subdue him. The woman had overdosed on heroin and was revived with Narcan. She told police she last remembered Perrot offering her a powdery substance and encouraging her to snort it, according to The Republican. She said she didn't consent to sex before losing consciousness. She said she knew Perrot but they were not in a 'dating relationship'. Perrot spent 30 years behind bars after he was convicted of raping a 78-year-old woman in Springfield in 1985 when he was 17. Perrot pictured above in his 1985 mugshot after he was arrested for allegedly raping a 78-year-old woman at the age of 17 He spent 30 years behind bars but was given a retrial in 2016 and exonerated of the charges The state Supreme Judicial Court ruled he was wrongly convicted on flawed testimony about microscopic hair evidence found on the woman's bed sheet. Perrot pictured hugging his mother Beverly Garrant on February 20, 2016 when he was ordered to be released In that incident he was charged with indecent assault and battery, rape and burglary after he allegedly broke into the woman's home on October 30, 1985. He was arrested five weeks later, charged with two separate break-ins. He admitted to one of them, but not assaulting the 78-year-old woman. He maintained he was innocent and wrongfully convicted. He was freed in 2016 after he was granted a new trial and the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled he was wrongly convicted on flawed testimony about microscopic hair evidence found on the woman's bed sheet. He was released in February 2016. He faces charges of rape, assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, and open and gross lewdness for the Lawrence case and pleaded not guilty to those charges at an earlier arraignment. Pictured above in a Facebook photo His release was thanks to the work of The Innocence Project, a program at the Cardozo School of Law that seeks to exonerate the wrongly convicted and the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University. 'Originally sentenced to life in prison, for a horrific Springfield rape, which was negated in 2016 by a superior court judge granting a new trial. He just re-offended in Lawrence,' Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni wrote on Facebook. 'Regrettably, there is another victim who has now allegedly suffered at his hands, three decades later,' Gulluni added. Police in Delaware have arrested a fake ride-share driver accused of sexually assaulting a woman at knifepoint near the University of Delaware campus over the weekend. Roberto Rodriguez, 41, of Newark, has been charged with first-degree rape, possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, unlawful sexual contact, theft and malicious interference with emergency communications. The last two counts have to do with the suspects allegedly taking away the victims phone to prevent her from calling 911. The registered owner of this silver GMC pickup truck, Roberto Rodriguez, has been arrested on rape charges after pretending to be a ride-share driver According to investigators, shortly after 1am on Saturday, a 21-year-old woman was walking from a friend's house on South Chapel Street in Newark when a silver GMC pick-up truck pulled up next to her. The driver, later identified by police as Rodriguez, told the pedestrian he was working for Uber and offer her a ride home. 'The victim had not called for a ride,' a press release from the police department stated. The woman got into the pickup truck anyway and the driver headed northbound on North Chapel Street. According to court documents, the woman later explained that she was intoxicated and 'didnt really think about her decision.' At one point during the drive, the motorist stopped the vehicle and groped his passenger's breast, according to police. The woman tried to get out of the vehicle, but found that the doors were locked. the driver then allegedly pulled a knife on the woman, pressed the blade against the woman's back and threatened to kill her if she did not perform oral sex on him, reported Newark Post. The 41-year-old allegedly forced a 21-year-old woman to perform a sex act inside the vehicle after offering her a ride home early Saturday Police arrested the suspect after locating this truck parked outside a home in Newark Following the sexual assault, the man continued driving the victim. About 50 minutes after she first got into the bogus Uber driver's vehicle, the victim jumped out of the pickup truck's window on Vassar Driver and called 911 from a nearby home. She was later taken to an area hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Less than 24 hours later, police following leads made an arrest after locating the suspect's GMC pickup truck parked at a home on Nottingham Road in Newark. Detectives ran the plates on the truck and found that it was registered to a person who they said matched the description of the rape suspect. When Rodriguez attempted to leave, police detained him and found a pocketknife in his possession. During questioning, the 41-year-old suspect allegedly admitted to groping the woman, having oral sex with her and producing a knife during the encounter. He also said he had been drinking and doing drugs that night. Rodriguez made his initial court appearance on Sunday and had his bail set at $63,000. In March, University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson, 21, was murdered after mistakenly getting into the car of 21-year-old Nathaniel David Rowland, thinking it was her Uber ride. President Donald Trump blamed Democrats on Monday for blocking disaster relief to U.S. states in demanding more money be sent to Puerto Rico following devastation from Hurricane Maria. Trump said Puerto Rico received much more disaster relief funds than 'any state in the history of the U.S.,' including billions given to Florida and Texas after Hurricanes Irma and Harvey hit the states 'Puerto Rico has been given more money by Congress for Hurricane Disaster Relief, 91 Billion Dollars, than any State in the history of the U.S. As an example, Florida got $12 Billion & Texas $39 Billion for their monster hurricanes,' Trump tweeted Monday morning. 'Now the Democrats are saying NO Relief to Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and others unless much more money is given to Puerto Rico,' Trump continued in his post. 'The Dems don't want farmers to get any help. Puerto Rico should be very happy and the Dems should stop blocking much needed Disaster Relief!' President Donald Trump said Democrats are inhibiting disaster relief to states and hurting farmers in the process by requesting even more money be sent to Puerto Rico in the fallout from devastation following Hurricanes Irma and Maria San Juan, Puerto Rico's Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz has been critical of the president, and claims he contributed to 3,000 deaths by neglecting the island following the hurricanes Trump visited Puerto Rico in October 2017, and was widely criticized for throwing out paper towels to a crowd of Puerto Ricans gathering in a hurricane relief distribution center On April 1, Trump claimed money had been allocated for the island's recovery from the September 2017 hurricane 'The Democrats today killed a Bill that would have provided great relief to Farmers and yet more money to Puerto Rico despite the fact that Puerto Rico has already been scheduled to receive more hurricane relief funding than any 'place' in history,' Trump tweeted. 'The people of Puerto Rico are GREAT, but the politicians are incompetent or corrupt,' he added. Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Carmen Yulin Cruz in a vocal critic of Trump and has often criticized him for his handling of U.S. response and relief aide following the storm. 'Pres Trump continues to embarrass himself & the Office he holds,' Yulin Cruz tweeted in response to the president's post. 'He is unhinged & thus lies about the $ received by PR. HE KNOWS HIS RESPONSE was innefficient [sic] at best. 'He can huff & puff all he wants but he cannot escape the death of 3,000 on his watch,' she continued. 'SHAME ON YOU!' Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts touted a piece of legislation she introduced that would provide comprehensive debt relief to Puerto Rico, and she linked to a page where people could sign on in support of the legislation It's been almost two years since Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico, and the leadership in Puerto Rico is still seeking assistance from the U.S. in rehabilitating the island Last month Yulin Cruz re-upped attacks for Trump's October 2017 visit to Puerto Rico, where he threw out paper towels to citizens gathered at a hurricane relief distribution center the month after the hurricane hit. 'He made sure that the people that needed help didn't get the help,' Yulin Cruz said at a rally supporting presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in Pittsburgh on April 14. 'You can kill people with a gun or you can kill people with neglect.' She said thousands of Puerto Ricans died as a result of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, 'because President Trump did not have it in him to get the job done.' Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren touted a piece of legislation she re-introduced last week that she said would help with debt relief for the island. 'We won't stop fighting until the people of Puerto Rico get the respect they deserve. Add your name here to say you're with me on this,' Warren tweeted Monday with a link to a page where supporters could sign that they 'support comprehensive debt relief for Puerto Rico.' Warren is one of the 21 Democrats running for the party's nomination to run for president in 2020. Advertisement Huge crowds have gathered outside Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace to celebrate the birth of the royal baby this morning. Members of the public were pictured popping the corks on bottles of champagne and cheering outside the royal palaces as they gathered to celebrate on Monday evening. It comes as thousands of well-wishers take to social media to congratulate Harry and Meghan on birth of Baby Sussex - the couple's Instagram announcement surpassed one million likes in less than an hour this afternoon. Meghan went into labour in the early hours of this morning and gave birth to a boy weighing 7lbs 3oz at 5.26am, having been more than a week overdue. Unofficial town crier Tony Appleton welcomes the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby outside Windsor Castle Royal super fan John Loughery pops the cork and sprays a bottle of champagne, as they stand near Windsor Castle Scenes around Windsor Castle after the announcement of the birth of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex baby on May 06, 2019 Tourists and members of the public gather at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London awaiting the royal easel notice A combination of pictures shows the congratulatory banner message circling the BT Tower reading 'Congratulations Harry and Meghan It's a Baby Boy!' A tourist taking a selfie with his family which turned red, white and blue in honour of the birth of the royal couple's baby boy Well wishers gather outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, south England, Monday May 6, 2019, after Prince Harry announced that his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to a boy After hours of waiting it is time to crack open the champagne for these two royal fans, as they cloak themselves in union jacks Smiles all round as devoted fans raise a glass, or a polystyrene cup and commemorative mug, to the happy news of the royal baby's birth, a week later than expected This couple celebrate with a bottle of bubbly served from a commemorative royal mug while dressed in union jack attire and royal memorabilia Royal fan Skye London celebrates the birth of Prince Harry's son, outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London Royal fans speak to media and toast the announcement of the birth of baby son to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex, outside Windsor Castle Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson set up an official notice on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London on May 6, 2019, announcing the birth of a son to Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex A notice is placed outside Buckingham Palace announcing the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, gave birth on Monday to a 'very healthy' boy, Prince Harry announced. 'We're delighted to announce that Meghan and myself had a baby boy early this morning - a very healthy boy,' a beaming Prince Harry said Sarah Thompson, Footman, carries an official notice to be set up on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London Creative fans and artists created e-cards featuring the couple to send the family, with pictures of the royal baby are yet to be released. Amongst those congratulating the pair was Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, tweeting: 'Congratulations to Meghan and Harry on the birth of their baby. I hope they're all doing well. #royalbaby'. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted her congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. She wrote: 'The birth of a baby is a joyful occasion - congratulations to Harry and Meghan.' Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted: 'Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the arrival of their baby boy. Wishing you all the best at this happy time.' Prime Minister Theresa May congratulates the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the arrival of their baby boy Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn congratulate's the couple on the birth of their baby, and hopes that they are all doing well Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson tweeted about Harry's announcement: 'He can barely keep the grin off his face! Lovely stuff. Congratulations to the whole family on their new arrival' The Arch Bishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who married the couple in May last year, tweeted his congratulations to the new parents Tourists and members of public gather at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London after the announcement made by Harry Members of the public read the official notice of the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex outside Buckingham Palace Members of the media gather outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, south England, Monday May 6, 2019, after Prince Harry announced that his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to a boy Royal fans celebrate outside Windsor Castle in Berkshire after Buckingham Palace has announced the news of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new baby boy Three royal fans hold a banner especially made for the occasion reading congratulations on the birth of your baby boy A Royal fan carrying a banner is interviewed by a member of the media, outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, south England, Monday May 6 Well wishers gather outside Windsor Castle in Windsor with congratulatory balloons, as crowds grow Well wishers gather outside the gates of Buckingham Palace in London in the hopes of getting a glimpse of the easel announcing the news Members of the public queue to view an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London - the traditionally only displayed for 24 hours A woman holds a sign that reads 'It's a boy' outside the gates of Buckingham Palace in London on May 6, 2019 following the announcement of the birth of a son to Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Members of the public gather to see an official notice set up on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London Members of the public gather to see an official notice set up on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London A scroll reading 'God bless America and God save the Queen' is held by a 'royal' crier at Windsor Castle as he announced the news to crowds A man dressed as a town crier outside Windsor Castle in Berkshire following the news of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new baby boy A shop in Windsor announces the news with its own sign, pointing to the word Prince and displaying the weight of 7lb 3oz Tourists and members of the public gather at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London today following the announcement that Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has given birth to a son Members of the public gather to view and photograph an official notice set up on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace, a large section of the pavement is cordoned off to avoid overcrowding The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted his congratulations to the new parents. Mr Welby, who married the couple in May last year, said: 'Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their baby boy. 'May God bless the new family with love, health and happiness.' In an Instagram post, the Duke of York said: 'Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the safe delivery of your baby boy!?' Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson tweeted about Harry's announcement: 'He can barely keep the grin off his face! Lovely stuff. Congratulations to the whole family on their new arrival.' Former Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: 'Heartfelt congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the arrival of their baby boy. Such wonderful and happy news! Sending love and very best wishes' Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, congratulates Harry and Meghan tweeting: 'The birth of a baby is a joyful occasion - congratulations' Kate Garraway, presenter on Good Morning Britain, also congratulated the pair tweeting 'always exciting news xxx' Ellen DeGeneres made a joke out of the royal baby's position in line, saying she was also 7th in line... for the key making kiosk Paddy McGuinness gave Harry and Meghan a glimpse of what they can expect as new parents as his child puts a banana skin on his head The couple's announcement from the 'Sussexroyal' official Instagram has gained over one million likes in an hour An artist sketches the baby's 'new nurse' as speculation over the baby's name grows online The view of the BT tower in London announcing the birth of the Royal Baby boy Stag Wood Burners congratulate the couple speculating over if they will have 'sleepless' nights like most parents Creative fans design e-cards to send to the couple online using the hashtag #royalbaby. One fan account added a picture of princess Diana to the announcement along with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex A custom pet portrait artist congratulates the royal family with a picture of a king Charles spaniel John Lewis welcomed 'His Royal High-ness' and sent their 'warmest congratulations' Art work featuring a royal guard and corgis within a crown to celebrate the royal birth. Many brands in America featured the announcement, congratulating the couple on the birth of their son A cute baby elephant illustrates this card sent to the couple by an estate agent A brand hashtags #mom #momlife on a photo of Meghan and Harry as they become parents An account which follows the fashion of the duchess said it had predicted it was a boy Officials in Cape Cod are searching for ways to prevent shark attacks as the number of great whites in their waters grows. A shark safety report has been commissioned, with local groups lobbying for approaches ranging from early-warning systems to baiting and killing the animals. Heather Doyle, founder of Cape Cod Ocean Community, argues in favour of warning systems and says fear of sharks is being driven by 1975 film Jaws. A growing number of great white sharks are being lured into the waters off Cape Cod, leading to some officials calling for beach closures while others want the animals culled (file) '[The film] was so cartoonish, so ridiculous. And the idea that all sharks are bad and out to get you of course theyre not,' she told The Times. Reactions to the new surge range from 'close the beaches' to 'don't close the beaches' to 'what do we do?', she added. But Ronald Beaty, a commissioner for nearby Barnstaple county, said the needs of animals are being put above the needs of humans. He would like to see a cull of great whites, a vulnerable species, arguing: 'Human lives matter more.' The furore comes after two people were bitten last year, including 26-year-old Arthur Medici who was killed while boogie-boarding at Cape Cod National Seashore. But campaigners say early warning measures will help mitigate attacks and say fears are being driven by 1975 film Jaws, calling it 'cartoonish' His death marked the first fatal shark attack in Massachusetts since 1936. Scientists have shown that the population of sharks visiting Cape Cod has increased significantly over the past few years. In 2014, just 80 sharks were identified in waters around the cape, while in 2017 that number rose to 147. Researchers believe they are being drawn in by an increasing number of seals, which they prey on. Between 2012 and 2015, the seal population increased from 12,000 to around 17,000. As a result, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was commissioned to carry out a survey into the sharks and recommend measures to keep them out of harm's way. The report is due next month and is expected to include measures such as a contraception programme for seals and enclosures around beaches. Advertisement An urban explorer camped out in homes abandoned after the Chernobyl to capture photographs of eerie deserted buildings inside the contaminated nuclear site. Ryan Longstaff, 22, spent four days traversing the 1,000 sq mile Chernobyl Exclusion Zone last April with three friends and captured these remarkable images. They fed on army rations and camped out in homes abandoned after the 1986 nuclear accident. The credit controller, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, gained access after contacting two Ukrainian guides who know how to breach the site's security measures. Two Ukrainian stalkers helped the group organise the illegal tour for just 500 through their Instagram account. Over the four days, Ryan survived on 'army rations' - which consisted mostly of tinned beef, protein bars, noodles, chocolate rice, and tea and coffee, made by boiling water using a bunsen burner-type his tour guides smuggled into the Zone. Ryan said the nights were so cold - plummeting to -10C - that he would sleep in three layers - coat, jumper, tracksuit bottoms, thick socks -in his sleeping bag. Abandoned gas masks were seen hanging in derelict buildings in the 1,000 sq mile Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine by the group of urban explorers In one building parts of a TV and pieces of gas masks were left scattered around the floor. Ryan Longstaff said: 'The Zone was so eerie, but it really took your breath away. I was lost for words at times - I think the pictures speak for themselves' Piles of gas masks were left strewn across the ground of an abandoned building. This images was taken on the urban explorer's trip to the contaminated site In one of Ryan's images a child's doll could be seen left lying on a makeshift bed. Ryan and his group met their Ukrainian guides in Kiev at 7pm on April 1 and travelled 90 miles north to the abandoned former No. 4 Soviet nuclear city An abandoned school was left with debris strewn across the top of desks with images of Soviet leaders on the back wall Another creepy child's toy was left on top of piano with sheet music lying across the instrument. The group of explorers hiked seven miles in the dark until 2am the following morning, when they spent the night in the attic of an abandoned cottage in neighbouring Kopachi An abandoned Ferris wheel can be seen standing inside the contaminated Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The morning after their hike, the group set off on another five mile walk to reach Pripyat, the ghost town on the Ukrainian-Belarus border, and located an abandoned high-rise apartment where they bunked for the second night One of the buildings the group explored was an empty administration block. Mr Longstaff said: 'It was just an unbelievable experience - a once-in-a-lifetime trip' A graffiti covered swimming pool that had not been used since the 1986 nuclear disaster was captured in the set of images taken by the group Musical instruments including a tambourine and a piano with the front ripped off were discovered in one of the abandoned buildings Mr Longstaff added: 'Going to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was something that I'd always wanted to do - but you have to do it properly, and go into the parts they cordon off. 'Chernobyl was frozen in time - it was like history had stood still, in the 80s' Though Mr Longstaff hopes to travel to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan in the years ahead, the Chernobyl trip is one that Ryan said he'll never forget Sleeping through April 3 to rest, the urban explorers reached an administrative block located around two miles from the Chernobyl reactor for their last evening On April 4, the group made their way back to the pickup point nearly 18 miles away, and took a ride back to Kiev - after which the first thing Ryan did was shower The group of urban explorers were taken to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone on an illegal tour for 500 by Ukrainian tour guides Shoes and boots were left among broken pieces of wood and damaged floor boards in the derelict area of the abandoned town Ryan Longstaff pictured at the top of an abandoned building in Chernobyl. Ryan woke at 4am to watch the sunrise from the top of the building before exploring iconic ghost locations including Pripyat City Prison, the Azure Swimming Pool, Middle School No. 3, and Cheburashka' Kindergarten No. 10 A zookeeper who was mauled by two lions forgot the 'golden rule' of checking to see if they were in their enclosure before he entered, an investigation has found. A probe launched by Serengeti Park in northern Germany found the attack on Saturday was a result of 'human error'. Asta Knoth, spokesman for the zoo, said it was not clear why the experienced 24-year-old keeper had not followed procedure in entering the cage. Scroll for video German bosses said it was a 'miracle' that the 24-year-old keeper survived the attack when he entered the lion enclosure. The two males were kept separately from the main pride (pictured) The entrance to the enclosure where the attack happened was released by the zoo yesterday Two male lions have seriously injured a 24-year-old keeper at a north German zoo when they entered the animals enclosure to feed them But the victim's colleagues have speculated it was to perform a routine fence check - despite being during the lions' feeding time. Ms Knoth said the zookeeper suffered 'many deep bite wounds' from the two male lions, which punctured his chest and shattered his ribs. The zoo's owner added: 'It's a miracle that our young colleague is still alive.' Fellow keepers noticed the attack and fought off the lions before pulling the man to safety. The 280kg big cats, who had already been separated from the main pride and placed in a separate enclosure, were being fed when the attack happened. Directors Fabrizio Sepe (right) and Frank Ahrens (left) said their colleague was recovering well in hospital after the attack at Serengeti Park, in Hodenhagen, north Germany Fellow keepers pulled their colleague to safety and he was flown to hospital with non-life threatening injuries He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in the Lower Saxony region with non-life threatening injuries - but still had to undergo a five-hour operation. Ms Knoth said he 'got away lightly considering the circumstances' and is expected to make a full recovery. The park's lions have previously hit the headlines when a lioness attacked a full safari bus, injuring a family. The park, which visitors drive through in their cars, contains more than 1,500 animals that live on 296 acres of land. Elephants, leopards, giraffes and macaques call the park home alongside the pride of lions. Since its foundation in 1974, the park has also worked to conserve endangered species. One of its most important achievements, according to the zoo's website, was the release of a white rhinoceros it had reared back into the wild. Abdirizak Wehelie was arrested Saturday. The 66-year-old former contract translator for the federal agency faces an initial appearance Monday in federal court in Alexandria A former FBI linguistics expert has been arrested accused of obstructing a federal investigation after a terror suspect allegedly left a voicemail on his cell phone, it has been revealed. Federal authorities charged the former translator with making false statements after they say he altered transcripts of calls in which his own voice was caught on intercepts. Abdirizak Wehelie, aka Haji Raghe, was arrested Saturday night at an airport after returning to the U.S. on an international fight, according to Josh Stueve, a spokesman for the US attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. The 66-year-old, who lives with his family in St. Burk, Virginia, is a former contract translator for the federal agency. His son, Yusuf Wehelie, is already serving 10 years in prison for transporting weapons in a case where he is said to have spoken with an undercover witness about his desire to shoot up a military recruitment center on behalf of the Islamic State group. FOX5 reported in 2016 Yusuf also told undercover agents he wanted to travel to Libya to join ISIS. He and another son, Yahya, were also barred from returning to the U.S. in 2010 on an overseas trip until they successfully overturned their status on the no-fly list. Both brothers were said to have been detained in Cairo after returning from Yemen. An indictment unsealed Monday states that Wehelie worked as a contractor for the FBI from 2012 to 2015. In December 2012, a man targeted by the FBI in an investigation connected to the Al-Shabab terrorist group in Somalia called and left a voicemail message for Wehelie, court documents say. The call was intercepted under court-ordered surveillance, and Wehelie was tasked the next day with translating the call, according to authorities. But he allegedly marked himself down as 'unidentified male' even though the voicemail message on Wehelie's cellphone identified him as 'Abdirizak Wehelie.' Abdirizak Wehelie, left, has been arrested accused of obstructing a terrorism investigation after the suspect allegedly left a voicemail on his personal phone. He is pictured with wife Shamsa Noor and son Yusuf Wehelie in 2010 after Yahya Wehelie was detained in Cairo Abdirizak Wehelie was arrested Saturday. A judge ordered Wehelie to be freed on bail following his initial appearance on Monday in a federal court in Alexandria The FBI questioned Wehelie about his actions in 2016. At the time, according to the indictment, Wehelie admitted that he should not have identified himself as an 'unidentified male' on that translation. He also reportedly told FBI agents that he had never actually had a phone conversation with the person who called him and that he didn't know the person very well. But a subsequent FBI investigation is said to have revealed that the two had nearly 180 phone contacts from 2010 to 2017. The FBI employed Wehelie as a contractor even though his adult children had been placed on the no-fly list and denied re-entry to the U.S. for several weeks in 2010. A judge ordered Wehelie to be freed on bail following his initial appearance on Monday in a federal court in Alexandria. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Prosecutors did not object to his release on $20,000 unsecured bail. An FBI spokesman declined to comment Monday and court records do not yet list an attorney for Wehelie. President Donald Trump on Monday pushed for Republicans to fight back against what he called a Democratic 'state by state power grab' - a reference to the redistricting battles happening in several key states ahead of an expected Supreme Court decision on the partisan gerrymandering of House districts. Trump touted an op-ed piece written on FoxNews.com by former GOP Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, whose state is in a protracted legal battle over the drawing of its House districts. 'Scott Walker is 100% correct when he says that the Republicans must WAKE UP to the Democrats State by State power grab. They play very dirty, actually, like never before. Dont allow them to get away with what they are doing!,' the president wrote on Twitter on Monday. President Donald Trump pushed for Republicans to fight back against what he called a Democratic 'state by state power grab' In his op-ed piece, Walker charged Democrats with using a strategy of 'Pick a state, any state, and sue until its blue' to change House maps in order to favor their candidates. 'Their primary goal has nothing to do with fighting gerrymandering as they repeatedly claim, but to put redistricting in the hands of unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats and lifetime-appointed judges,' Walker argued. Walker, who is now the National Finance Chairman for the National Republican Redistricting Trust, was referring to the cases happening in several states surrounding the drawing of congressional districts. The cases, several of which are being brought about by Democratic-leaning groups, have sued on the basis of bipartisan gerrymandering - the drawing of a district to benefit one party or another - complaining such a move infringes on voters' rights. Cases in Maryland - where the map of House seats was drawn by Democrats - and North Carolina - where the map was drawn by Republicans - have already reached the Supreme Court, which is weighing whether or not judges should even have a role in such disputes. While the high court has interfered in cases involving racial gerrymandering, it has yet to weigh in on efforts of partisan gerrymandering. The Supreme Court's decision on the matter is expected by the terms end in June. The outcome of the decision would go into effect before the 2020 election, when Republicans are vying to win back control of the House of Representatives from the Democrats. In two recent cases, judges have ordered Ohio and Michigan to redraw their maps, which favor Republicans. Ohio's suit complained the state's map is 'one of the most egregious gerrymanders in recent history,' and that it has created a 12-to-4 advantage for Republicans in the state's congressional delegation despite Republicans only having about half the state's votes. A three-judge panel ordered the map redrawn by the 2020 election. And, in Michigan, a three-judge panel ordered that state's House map redrawn by August 1, finding it favored Republicans. Both states are expected to appeal the decisions to the Supreme Court. Trump with Scott Walker at an October 2018 campaign rally in Mosinee, Wis. A map of Congressional districts in the United States In Walker's home state of Wisconsin, the case brought against gerrymandering goes on trial in July. The battle over gerrymandering has been going on in that state for years. Lat year, the Supreme Court found that the Democratic groups who brought the case hadn't proved they had legal standing to sue and sent it back to the lower court. It is now working its way through the federal system again. Walker complained judges' rulings in these cases have favored Democrats. 'There are plenty of unelected federal judges presiding over these redistricting cases who will enthusiastically toss out constitutionally drawn maps to help elect more Democrats,' Walker wrote in his op-ed. 'Thats exactly what happened recently in both Michigan and Ohio, despite the entirely dubious and suspect arguments from the left. It will also not be a surprise if liberal federal panels do the same thing in other states in the coming weeks,' he added. Seven men have been added to a new most wanted list by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in a bid to track down criminal illegal immigrants. The most wanted list contains the names of the seven fugitives from Mexico or Central America. All of them have been accused of vehicular manslaughter in various parts of the United States. ICE has multiple most wanted lists, including one of suspected terrorists and major criminals, one of deportation targets and another for human traffickers. The latest most wanted fugitive list was created by ICE's Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office. Seven illegal immigrants have been added to a new most wanted list by ICE, including Mexicans Saul Chavez (left) and Alan Jacob Mogollon-Anaya (right) The office, which was created by President Donald Trump in 2017, aims to help victims and their families who have been affected by crimes committed by illegal immigrants in the U.S. The men named on the most wanted list are all listed as criminal fugitives, as well as being ICE immigration fugitives or illegal aliens. One of the men, Saul Chavez, is a Mexican national who was charged in Cook County, Illinois with vehicular homicide over the 2011 death of 66-year-old William Dennis McCann. ICE said that despite a detainer lodged following his arrest, Chavez was released from custody and has evaded authorities since. Esteban Juarez-Tomas, of Guatemala, was charged in January 2017 with killing 45-year-old LaDonna 'Jeannie' Brady in Champaign, Illinois. Juarez-Tomas, who was charged with reckless homicide, has previously been removed from the U.S. three times, according to ICE. Mexican national Jesus Maltos-Chacon (left) was charged in Baton Rouge, Louisiana over the 2006 death of 20-year-old Blake Zieto. Esteban Juarez-Tomas (right), of Guatemala, was charged in January 2017 with killing 45-year-old LaDonna 'Jeannie' Brady in Champaign, Illinois Honduran national, Edwin Mejia, (left) was charged in Omaha, Nebraska with motor vehicular homicide in the death of 21-year-old Sarah Root in January 2016. Gonzalo Harrell-Gonzalez, (right) of Mexico, was indicted by a grand jury in Gilmer County, Georgia over the 2001 death of 16-year-old Dustin Inman Mexican national Jesus Maltos-Chacon was charged in Baton Rouge, Louisiana over the 2006 death of 20-year-old Blake Zieto. Maltos-Chacon, charged with homicide and vehicular manslaughter, had previous convictions for DUI and assault. Authorities say he was ordered to be removed from the U.S. in October 2006. Alan Jacob Mogollon-Anaya, a Mexican national, was charged in April 2017 for aggravated vehicular homicide, DUI and aggravated assault following a crash that resulted in the death of Shirra Branum, 37, in Washington County, Tennessee. Luis Alberto Rodriguez-Castro, a Honduran national, was charged in October 2011 in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina over the death of 51-year-old Joseph Storie Mogollon-Anaya, who had two prior DUI convictions, entered the country without inspection at an unknown place in 2003, according to ICE. An order to remove him from the U.S. was issued in October 2017. Honduran national, Edwin Mejia, was charged in Omaha, Nebraska with motor vehicular homicide in the death of 21-year-old Sarah Root in January 2016. Mejia, who ICE says entered the country unlawfully as an unaccompanied minor in 2013, was ordered to be removed in April 2016. Gonzalo Harrell-Gonzalez, of Mexico, was indicted by a grand jury in Gilmer County, Georgia over the 2001 death of 16-year-old Dustin Inman. He was charged with homicide by vehicle in the first degree, two counts of serious injury by vehicle and reckless driving. Luis Alberto Rodriguez-Castro, a Honduran national, was charged in October 2011 in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. He was charged with negligent homicide and vehicular manslaughter linked to the death of 51-year-old Joseph Storie. ICE say he entered the country illegally at an unknown place in 1998. Telecoms giant Orange went on trial today accused of driving 19 of its workers to suicide through what one desperate employee called 'management by terror'. The company itself, its former CEO Didier Lombard and several other bosses are on trial for 'moral harassment' at a criminal court in Paris. Prosecutors say the company imposed 'excessive and intrusive control' on its workers, assigned workers to demoralising tasks, failed to provide training, isolated staff and used 'intimidation manoeuvres or threats and pay cuts.' The defendants could face a year in prison and a fine of 15,000 if they are found guilty, while the company could be handed a 75,000 sanction. Accused: Didier Lombard, former CEO of France Telecom, arrives to attend his trial in Paris today where the company - now known as Orange - is accused of driving employees to suicide Hundreds of people protested outside the courthouse ahead of the trial opening, urging that justice be served for the former executives. One former employee - who tried to kill herself in 2011 and has been on sick leave ever since - said her life had been 'ruined' by the company, which she joined in 1982. Prosecutors allege that the company tried to unsettle employees in order to make them quit during a restructuring process. Lombard himself is accused of 'creating a professional climate which provoked anxiety' and deliberately undermining his staff. The company's former number two Louis-Pierre Wenes and the former head of human resources Olivier Barberot are also in the dock. At the height of the crisis Lombard spoke of a 'suicide fad' and told staff in now notorious comments: 'I'll get people to leave one way or another, either through the window or the door.' His lawyers claim he could not possibly know have known what was going on in France Telecom's whole network of more than 100,000 employees. 'Mr Didier Lombard is suspected of harassment of people he never saw,' Veil said in 2012, when Lombard was handed preliminary charges. 'Now there's a surprising accusation.' Lombard says the deaths were caused by 'local difficulties with no links to each other' and had no relation to the company's job cuts at the time. He resigned in March 2010 after the wave of suicides which shocked France. Protests: French unions members demonstrate today at the start of the trial of French group France Telecom, which became Orange in 2013 Unions and management accept that 35 France Telecom employees took their own lives between 2008 and 2009. In July 2008, a 51-year-old technician from Marseille killed himself, leaving a letter accusing the bosses of 'management by terror'. The note also denounced the 'the permanent sense of urgency, overwork, absence of training, the total disorganization of the company'. 'I'm taking my life because of my work at France Telecom. It's the only reason,' the note said. Two months later, a 32-year-old woman jumped out of the window of her Paris office as horrified colleagues looked on. In March 2009, 52-year-old Herve was preparing to jump from an office window but the noise he was making drew others to his rescue. An investigation into the wave of employee suicides between 2007 and 2010 was opened following a complaint from the Sud union. The trial marks the first time that representatives from a blue-chip company in France's CAC-40 stock index have gone on trial for moral harassment. Formerly a public company, France Telecom was privatised in 2004, a move which led to major restructuring and job losses. Advertisement The last surviving armoured train used to pull munitions to the front line in World War One has been painstakingly restored a century later. Volunteers at Greensand Railway Museum Trust in Bedfordshire have spent the past decade bringing the historic Simplex 40HP LR2182 back to full working order as part of a 20,000 project. The 8ft high, 10ft long locomotive, which resembles a tank, was fitted with full armour plating to protect it from enemy fire. The 8ft high, 10ft long locomotive, which resembles a tank, was fitted with full armour plating to protect it from enemy fire Before: Following the war, the machines were put to heavy industrial use where they were allowed to fall into disrepair before being scrapped. LR2182, which had been languishing at a scrapyard in Barrow, Cumbria, was destined to endure the same fate until an enthusiast stepped in and saved it in 1971, paying 150 The trains pulled troops and munitions up to the front line. In a world before health and safety the brave driver sat on the noisy engine, with the petrol tank and a radiator next to him in a fume filled cabin - but despite these privations he was infinitely safer inside than out Volunteers have spent the past decade bringing the historic Simplex 40HP LR2182 back to full working order as part of a 20,000 project Its petrol engine made it more discreet to use close to the front line than larger, noisier steam trains, which were easier for the Germans to spot and shoot at. The eight tonne train was manufactured in 1917 by the Motor Rail & Tram Car Company of Bedford, at the request of the War Department of Light Railways. It only had room for one driver who was perilously perched right beside a petrol engine which could ignite at any moment. Its petrol engine made it more discreet to use close to the front line than larger, noisier steam trains, which were easier for the Germans to spot and shoot at The driver had to rely on small vision slits to see out of the train and it would have been extremely hot inside the steel chamber Only 34 armoured trains were made, which operated on thousands of miles of 2ft gauge light railways laid down to take supplies the final ten miles to the troops in the trenches The plating would have offered some protection against bullets and shell fragment but it would not have withstood a shell exploding nearby. The driver had to rely on small vision slits to see out of the train and it would have been extremely hot inside the steel chamber. Only 34 armoured trains were made, which operated on thousands of miles of 2ft gauge light railways laid down to take supplies the final ten miles to the troops in the trenches. Following the war, the machines were put to heavy industrial use where they were allowed to fall into disrepair before being scrapped. LR2182, which had been languishing at a scrapyard in Barrow, Cumbria, was destined to endure the same fate until an enthusiast stepped in and saved it in 1971, paying 150. The trains used to pull munitions further towards the front line during the first world war. The outside of the machine was armoured to give drivers an element of protection as the neared the fighting. It only had room for one driver who was perilously perched right beside a petrol engine which could ignite at any moment The train has subsequently had several homes before falling into the hands of the Greensand Railway Museum Trust who have restored it at Leighton Buzzard Railway, Beds. One of the major tasks has been the restoration of its original Dorman petrol engine, which had not been fired up for over 50 years. It was a mammoth undertaking as two of the four pistons broke apart on removal from the cylinder bores, among other setbacks. The restorers have also removed its corroded steel framework, added a new fuel tank and constructed a new steel roof in the style of its original. Cliff Thomas, chairman of the Greensand Railway Museum Trust, said: 'This train is one of only two armoured Simplex 40HP in existence, with the other one in Antigua where it was used in the sugar industry. 'However, that one had an extensive makeover and importantly its engine was removed. Ours is the only surviving one with its original Dorman petrol engine, making it unique. 'We have had the engine professionally repaired when it would have been far cheaper to put in a new one. 'The restoration has taken quite a long time and required grants, donations and a lot of hard work from volunteers, but we've got there. The restorers have also removed its corroded steel framework, added a new fuel tank and constructed a new steel roof in the style of its original 'There was just one driver inside and they were sat to the side of the petrol tank and the engine so it is fair to say health and safety didn't apply in World War One. 'Some protection was offered from the heavy armoured doors and roof but there was very limited visibility. 'At the end of the war, the armoured trains went into industrial use and over time fell into terrible condition. 'If an enthusiast had not stepped in and saved this one, it would have scrapped like the others.' LR2182 was bought by Furness Brick & Tile Co Ltd of Askham Brickworks, Cumbria, in 1921. During the ensuing decades of industrial service it lost its distinctive upper bodywork. It was disused by 1963 and at some stage went to Morgan's, a scrap dealer at Barrow. At this yard, it seems to have lost its number plates, works plates, carburettor, brake handwheel and brass Dorman engine works plate. It was bought for 150 by Michael Jacob in 1971 and displayed at the former Narrow Gauge Railway Centre near Ffestiniog, north Wales, before going on show at the Museum of Army Transport at Beverley, Yorks. Mr Jacob donated LR2182 to the army in 2001, who loaned it to Leighton Buzzard Railway in 2005. Four years later, the Greensand Railway Museum Trust took on the restoration project. LR2182 will remain at Leighton Buzzard Railway where it will go on display, and also travel to other heritage railways for exhibitions. A popular dating show sent two bisexual men to the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia - where gay sex carries a prison sentence of ten years. Jordan Shannon and Jesse Drew met on Channel 5's Blind Date on Sunday night. After the match was made the show's host 63-year-old Paul O'Grady told the couple their first date would be on the glamorous Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. Jordan Shannon and Jesse Drew met on Channel 5's Blind Date on Sunday night After the match was made the show's host 63-year-old Paul O'Grady told the couple their first date would be on the glamorous Caribbean island of Saint Lucia Jordan, a beautician, told the Daily Star he had no idea until he was already on the way to the hotel A Channel 5 spokeswoman said: 'We didn't know and are taking this up with the production company.' Their date is set to air at 8pm on Sunday evening But anyone found performing sex acts with a member of the same sex could face up to ten years in jail. And Jordan, a beautician, told the Daily Star he had no idea until he was already on the way to the hotel. He said: 'I didn't know this until I was told on the way to the hotel. I thought: 'What the f**k?"' Jordan at St. James's Club Morgan Bay in Saint Lucia. The couple, who were the show's first bisexual pairing, got through the date and made it back to the UK Jesse added: 'I was nervous. The hotel security woman told me how most gay men were in the closet there as homosexuality is illegal. It's ten years in prison if caught.' The couple, who were the show's first bisexual pairing, got through the date and made it back to the UK. A Channel 5 spokeswoman said: 'We didn't know and are taking this up with the production company.' Their date is set to air at 8pm on Sunday evening. President Donald Trump hit his highest approval rating of 46 per cent in a Monday Gallup Poll. In the first part of April he jumped to 45 per cent from the March approval of 39 per cent after Attorney General Bill Barr released a four-page summary of Special Counsel Robert Muellers Russia report. It jumped another per cent in this poll conducted April 17-30, landing him at a new high in Gallups record of his approval rating. The latest was taken after a redacted version of Muellers Russia report was handed over to Congress and made public. The report found no evidence that Trump, including his associates, administration or campaign, colluded with the Russian government to influence the 2016 elections. It was inconclusive on whether Trump obstructed justice throughout the almost two-year investigation. A new Gallup Poll has President Donald Trump's approval at a new high of 46 per cent The impressive approval rating was conducted the second half of April and comes after Attorney General Bill Barr handed over a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report to Congress. The report was soon after publicized The poll, however, did not include the time when news emerged that Mueller disagreed with Barr's classification of the report and felt he misled the public on the report's findings Trump said the report fully exonerated him from all crimes, including obstruction, which Democrats claim there is enough evidence of to begin impeachment proceedings. The 46 per cent approval also follows an April 5 strong jobs report, news that the U.S. gross domestic product increased by 3.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 and U.S. stocks reaching new highs. Despite the new high, the poll was conducted during a period before reports that Mueller disputed the attorney generals summary of the report, where Barr claimed the report found no collusion or obstruction. Mueller claimed Barr misled the public in his classification of the report. Barr also appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week where he fielded questions regarding the report and his summary of it. Both parties approval of the president have risen lately. Among Republicans, Trump has 91 per cent approval, almost matching his record high of 92 per cent from November 2018. Democrat approval remains relatively low with 12 per cent, which is still higher than usual, and matches their record high from April 2017. President Trump claims the report full exonerates him from obstruction of justice and collusion charges. And the Gallup approval rating poll high also comes amidst positive economic news Independents approval has not changed much and is at 37 per cent. The last approval rating among independent voters was at 39 per cent. Rasmussen Reports released a new poll on April 9 where Trumps approval hit 53 per cent. The pollsters there have been tracking Trumps approval since March 23, 2017, a bit over a month after he took office, and the latest was a high since the months directly after his inauguration. Rasmussen has the only remaining daily presidential approval tracking poll and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. Robb Alexander Stout, 48, was arrested after he gave his former friend a homemade dog poop bomb as revenge for not returning something he borrowed An Oregon man who made a homemade bomb filled with dog feces is now facing criminal charges. Robb Alexander Stout, 48, created the device by filling a toolbox with dog poop he collected from his own dog and others in the area that exploded when opened. He gave it to a former friend he was angry at for not returning something of his, according to a probable cause affidavit. When the friend noticed the suspicious toolbox on the back of his car, he called police on April 16, according to the Oregonian. Despite concerns that Stout had deliberately left the box, the victim opened it anyway and was shocked when it violently spewed out dog feces. He said the device 'exploded with such force that it sounded like an M80 going off and the dog scat was blown out of the toolbox.' The man wasn't hurt in the attach. Police investigated and determined that the toolbox was rigged with a battery, wiring, switches and a car's air bag. When confronted by police, Stout said that he and the former friend watched a series of prank videos on YouTube and he was inspired to make the bomb. Stout created the bomb by rigging a tool box with a battery and a car air bag and feces he collected from his dog and other dogs in the area. Pictured right in a Facebook photo with his dog He was booked into jail on Thursday and released the same day after posting $2,000 bond. He was arraigned on Friday in Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland on a felony charge of unlawfully manufacturing a destructive device. Police searched Stout's home and found methamphetamine and a sawed-off shotgun. He was subsequently hit with additional charges of meth possession, being a felon in possession of a firearm and unlawfully possessing a short-barrel shotgun. Russian state investigators are digging up a mass grave of Nazi victims where around 3,700 people including women and children were shot, stabbed or buried alive. Many skeletons had gun shot wounds to their skulls and were civilians of different ethnic backgrounds. Some were also stabbed and others buried alive and an operation has been launched to recover the fractured bones. As many as 3,700 skeletons were discovered in the grave know as Batetsky Auschwitz, near Veliky Novgorod city, 360 miles northwest of Moscow Hitler's (right) forces carried out the killing (left) between 1941 and 1943, it is believed. Some of the victims who were shot, stabbed or buried alive The macabre site at a Second World War mass execution range has been called the Batetsky Auschwitz near Veliky Novgorod city, 360 miles northwest of Moscow. Hitler's forces carried out the killing between 1941 and 1943, it is believed. Investigators have found 'cartridges from foreign-produced automated weapons' at the Zhestyanaya Gorka village site. The area was known as a site of mass execution by the Nazis but only now is a full-scale attempted being made to dig up the human remains and give the thousands of victims a proper burial. A painstaking operation is underway to remove the bones and seek to establish the age, sex and causes of death. Investigators are studying archives to establish all the circumstances of the Nazi executions. Chilling pictures exist of firing squads shooting dead victims at the site. The work involving Search Expedition group - which actively searches for the graves of victims of war and repression - will continue until all the bodies are exhumed, say reports in Russia. At least 2,600 people were shot and buried at the site, say experts, but the likely total will be over 3,000. Investigators have found 'cartridges from foreign-produced automated weapons' at the site in the village of Zhestyanaya Gorka A monument stands for Soviet soldiers and officers executed at the Zhestyanaya Gorka village site between 1941-1943. Currently there are several memorials including the granite obelisk (pictured) The highest estimate of the human slaughter is 3,700. Sergei Sevastyanov, head of Novgorodets volunteer search unit, said: 'We are investigating and will set up a camp here for three weeks to work. 'The territory is rather big, 32 hectares. 'The main aim is to find six pits and then check the rest of the territory [for remains].' When the search is completed, the area will be landscaped and a memorial set up. Currently there are several memorials including a granite obelisk at a nearby military burial where nearly 800 Soviet soldiers and officers lie. The highest estimate of the human slaughter is 3,700 in the atrocity that saw men, women and children shot, stabbed or buried alive There is also an existing memorial - a cross - in the memory of executed civilians. A memorial rock marks the site of Jews executed here. Father Sergyi Vasilyevm of the nearby Orthodox Church of the Repose of Madonna, said: 'Executioners were working non-stop. 'Victims were brought in trucks from Leningrad region. Chilling pictures show the firing squads shooting dead victims at the site and are at the memorial near Zhestyanaya Gorka 'Partisans, paratroopers, captives, Jews, gypsies. 'Sometimes they saved bullets and stabbed helpless people with bayonets or buried them alive.' A German sub-division was responsible for the executions, but under their command were people of Russia, Estonian and Latvian nationality, say local sources. The Russian Investigative Committee has launched an initial probe into the discovery of human remains. Sergei Sevastyanov, head of Novgorodets volunteer search unit, said: 'The main aim is to find six pits and then check the rest of the territory [for remains]' 'During an initial inspection of the site, five skeletal corpses were removed,' said a statement from the committee. The first five human remains had 'gunshot wounds to the skull'. Investigators located 'fragments of personal belongings and clothing' of the victims. 'In the immediate vicinity of the cemetery, cartridges from foreign-made automatic weapons were found and removed. Father Sergyi Vasilyevm of the nearby Orthodox Church of the Repose of Madonna, said: 'Executioners were working non-stop' 'Judicial, medical and forensic examinations were arranged to determine the age, sex, and cause of death of the remains.' The opening of the mass graves comes ahead of Russia on Thursday holding sombre commemorations marking the 74th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. The ceremonies on Red Square and all around Russia will be led by Vladimir Putin. Advertisement Personal belongings of a hero RAF pilot who flew Spitfires in the Battle of Britain including his flying jacket, RAF logbook, canvas bag and boots are being sold at auction for 8,000. Flying Officer Ken Wilkinson, who died aged 99 in 2017, was one of the last surviving Battle of Britain pilots who are known as The Few and were immortalised by Winston Churchill's famous 'never was so much owed by so many to so few' speech. Mr Wilkinson once jokingly told off Prince William at an event at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire in 2015 for 'flying choppers instead of proper aeroplanes'. His daughter, Penny Cooper, has now decided to sell some of his wartime mementoes because she feels she is unable to keep them in good condition. Flying Officer Ken Wilkinson was one of the last surviving Battle of Britain pilots who were immortalised by Winston Churchill's famous 'never was so much owed by so many to so few' speech'. Mr Wilkinson is pictured in front of a Spitfire in 2010 at the 70th celebrations of the Battle of Britain at Northolt Air Base The items, which also include his papers and photos, will be sold at Dominic Winter auctioneers, of Cirencester, Gloucestershire for 8,000. Mrs Cooper, 74, of Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, said she was selling the items 'with a heavy heart' and had sought her father's permission to do so before he died. She said: "We didn't want to sell his items but I live in a very small house and my son doesn't live in a big house and the truth is we can't do them justice. "The items, for example his flying jacket, are 80 years old and they need to be looked after properly and we don't have the facilities to do that. They will deteriorate otherwise. "So, with a heavy heart, we are selling them. We spoke to my father about this before his death and he gave us his permission. "Every time he went up, it must have been so frightening. These men were heroes who knew they were our last hope against Hitler. Without their bravery, Britain would have been lost. "My father was very reluctant to talk about the war, he would only really do so with other Battle of Britain veterans as only they would have truly understood what they went through. "My father once showed me a photo of four smiling pilots holding their beers outside a pub and told me they were all killed in the space of 24 hours. You just can't comprehend it." Mr Wilkinson was born in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, in 1918 and educated at Cheltenham Grammar School before joining the RAF Volunteer Reserve in March 1939. Spitfire pilot Ken Wilkinson's jacket, boots, canvas bag and a mahogany propeller blade are some of the items going under the hammer Mr Wilkinson once jokingly told off Prince William at an event at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire in 2015 for 'flying choppers instead of proper aeroplanes' He was called up for service at the outbreak of WWII and completed his flying training in August 1940. He initially joined 616 Squadron before moving to 19 Squadron that October who were based at RAF Duxford, Cambs. He flew Spitfires for the unit which was part of legendary Group Captain Douglas Bader's 'Big Wing'. The Spitfires engaged the Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter escorts so Bader's Hurricanes could attack the German bombers heading for industrial targets in the Midlands, Yorkshire and Lancashire. Recounting later his Battle of Britain experience, he said: "The first time you see that gaggle of German bombers coming towards you, you think how on earth are we going to deal with them? There are so bloody many, an awful lot. "At Duxford we were often scrambling at noon, climbing up over the Thames Estuary with the midday sun in our faces - that made us vulnerable so the Germans often engaged us as we were still climbing and couldn't spot them. "I was 'tail end Charlie', weaving left and right at the back of the squadron, scanning the sky above and to the rear for 109s attempting an ambush. "In that position you'd be the first to get the chop so you keep your eyes open, within a matter of seconds you split up and you're not looking around for a beautiful sunset, you are concentrating as hard as you can on the business of either being on the tail of a German or getting away from a German who's on your tail." Later in the war he served as a pilot gunnery instructor before once again flying Spitfires in 165 Squadron. He left the RAF in November 1945, although he once again served in the RAFVR from 1947. He worked as a quantity surveyor on projects including the Birmingham New Street Railway Station and also caused headlines in 2015 when he cheekily told Prince William off for 'flying choppers'. During the encounter at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, he also told a 'dirty story' at the Prince's request after stating he had been banned from doing so. One of the marquee lots in the collection is Fly Off Wilkinson's brown leather Irvin flying jacket with a sheep fleece. Also being sold are his 1936 black leather flying boots, Air Ministry canvas bag and two logbooks, which reveal he flew over 1,200 hours. Mr Wilkinson, of 19 Squadron, flew in Spitfires which duelled in the skies with the German Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. He is pictured sitting on a Spitfire in 1940 Mr Wilkinson, who once jokingly told off Prince William for 'flying choppers instead of proper aeroplanes', died aged 99 in 2017. One of his photos which is going under the hammer is pictured The items, which also include his papers and photos, will go under the hammer at auctioneers Dominic Winter, of Cirencester, Gloucetershire for 8,000. One of Mr Wilkinson's photos is pictured Mr Wilkinson was born in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, in 1918 and educated at Cheltenham Grammar School before joining the RAF Volunteer Reserve in March 1939. Papers and magazines belonging to him are being put up for auction The first dates from March 3, 1939 to January 29, 1943, and the second covers February 25, 1943 to his final entry, November 6, 1945, which is signed off 'end of service'. There is a dried rose in one of the logbooks and the collection also boasts personal photos and papers. Henry Meadows, specialist at Dominic Winter, said: "The sale includes photos relating to his service, paperwork, his logbooks taking you all the way through the Battle of Britain, his flying jacket, flying boots and kit bag - all sorts. "He was a hero, one of the last surviving members of what were dubbed by Churchill as The Few. "It is an important sale and we expect a lot of interest from collectors, particularly in flying jacket and logbooks." In the summer of 1940, 2,937 aircrew took part in the Battle of Britain, of which 544 were killed. Churchill summed up the contribution of RAF Fighter Command to the war effort with the words 'never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few'. The sale takes place on May 16. A family's rescue dog has saved three children from potentially being abducted after a man admitted to breaking into their home to kidnap them but ended up being scared away by their pet. Thom and Melissa Lambert are crediting their dog Edgar for saving their three daughters - aged three, six and eight - following the ordeal at their home in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The couple said their dog woke them up at about 3.45am on April 28 when he started acting strangely by growling and barking repeatedly. They called 911 after then hearing someone's footsteps on their staircase but police were unable to find any sign of an intruder. Thom and Melissa Lambert are crediting their dog Edgar for saving their three daughters - aged three, six and eight - following the ordeal at their home in Franklin County, Pennsylvania The couple said their rescue dog woke them up at about 3.45am on April 28 when he started acting strangely by growling and barking repeatedly Police arrested 20-year-old Thomas Dewald the following day after he allegedly snatched a four-year-old girl from her bed and stuffed her into a wooden trunk at his grandmother's house. The young girl was reported missing at about 3.30am on April 25 but was found safe several hours later when she managed to escape from the home. Thomas Dewald, 20, was arrested last week and admitted to breaking into the Lambert's home. He has also been charged with abducting a four-year-old in an unrelated case After his arrest, Dewald allegedly told police that he had also broken into the Lambert's home through their kitchen window on Sunday night and intended to take one of their three sleeping children. Dewald allegedly said he had been canvassing neighborhoods looking for unsupervised children who seemed to live in 'deplorable conditions' and in homes with no video surveillance nearby. In addition to being scared of the dog, Dewald allegedly told police that he chose not to abduct one of the three Lambert girls because he decided their living conditions were acceptable. Thom and Melissa say they will be forever grateful they decided to adopt Edgar several months ago from an animal shelter, calling it 'one of the best decisions' of their lives. Melissa admitted that she had never considered herself a dog person but was immediately drawn to him when she took her daughters to the humane society. Thom and Melissa, who adopted Edgar several months ago, said their dog woke them up at about 3.45am on April 28 when he started acting strangely by growling and barking repeatedly The Lamberts called 911 after hearing someone's footsteps on their staircase but police were unable to find any sign of an intruder Thom and Melissa say they will be forever grateful they decided to adopt Edgar several months ago from an animal shelter 'Yes, he has brought tons of love to my life but this week he literally saved my girls. If it were not for him waking us to make us aware someone was in our home, ours and daughter's lives would be tremendously different,' Melissa said. 'He will forever be one of my biggest heroes. He has come from a shelter dog, who was not adopted in West Virginia and sent to Antietam Humane Society, to the reason my girls are sleeping sound in their beds right now. Thom described Dewald as a 'human monster' and was struggling to think of what could have happened. 'Edgar awoke and startled the intruder out of the house in the process. We're incredibly lucky to have this dog,' he said. Dewald is now facing multiple charges, including kidnapping, criminal attempt kidnapping, burglary, false imprisonment, unlawful restraint, criminal trespass and indecent assault. The charges stem from the incident involving the Lambert family and the four-year-old girl who was kidnapped. A white police officer who killed a black motorist by shooting him at least 15 times through the windshield of a moving car has been fired. Police spokesman Michael Ford from Little Rock, Arkansas, said Officer Charles Starks was terminated on Monday. Ford said Starks has 10 business days to appeal his firing, although he didn't know if he plans to do so. Police spokesman Michael Ford from Little Rock, Arkansas, says Officer Charles Starks (pictured above) was fired on Monday Starks hasn't been charged in connection with the death of 30-year-old father of five, Bradley Blackshire, after prosecutors on April 19 declined to pursue a case. Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley determined that Starks was justified in the February 22 fatal shooting of Little Rock resident Blackshire after a traffic stop. It was noted that the vehicle driven by Blackshire was moving toward Starks and was therefore considered a deadly weapon. Starks was responding to a call on the day of the incident about a stolen Nissan Altima that Blackshire was driving. Starks fatally shot Bradley Blackshire, 30, during a traffic stop February 22 at West 12th Street and Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock The Little Rock Police Department has previously released footage from the shooting that shows Starks on the hood of the slowly moving car firing at least 15 times into the windshield. Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott said the department, along with an outside marketing group, compiled dashcam footage, video from nearby businesses' security cameras and radio traffic from the February 22 incident. The nearly 25 minute-long video shows various angles of the confrontation between Starks and Blackshire. The Little Rock Police Department has previously released footage from the shooting (Starks pictured above) In the nearly 25 minute-long video, various angles show the confrontation between Starks (pictured above) and Blackshire In the videos Blackshire's car is shown backing into a parking space on Kanis Road. A police SUV soon arrives with lights on and stops nearby. Starks then walks to the driver's side window with his gun drawn and instructs Blackshire to get out of the car multiple times. Blackshire refuses and asks, 'What did I do?' and 'What are you going to shoot me for?' Blackshire then begins to drive away slowly. 'Get out of the car, dude!' Starks yells at the driver as the Nissan continues to roll forward. According to initial police accounts, the vehicle was stopped when Blackshire accelerated and hit Starks. Starks then opened fire Starks (pictured above) stops shooting and gets off the car after a second officer, Michael Simpson, arrives and crashes into Blackshire's vehicle Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott said the police department, along with an outside marketing group, compiled dashcam footage, video from nearby businesses' security cameras and radio traffic from the February 22 incident Starks is knocked by the car and fires into the windshield four times. Blackshire stops momentarily and Starks maneuvers in front of the vehicle, partially laying down on the hood. When Blackshire continues to drive, Starks, who is now on top of the hood, shoots at least 11 more times into the windshield. He stops shooting and gets off the car after a second officer, Michael Simpson, arrives and crashes into Blackshire's vehicle. After the car stops, Starks tells a female passenger, Desaray Clarke, to get on the ground. He handcuffs her and she says Blackshire had just picked her up and that he has a gun. Clarke also tells the cops she had just been released from jail and she is not going to run away. The officers then radio for an ambulance. Blackshire (pictured above) was a father of five who had a pending trial on drug-trafficking charges at the time of the shooting Starks (pictured above) hasn't been charged in connection with the death of Blackshire after prosecutors on April 19 declined to file charges In the video, Interim Chief of Police Wayne Bewley, who narrates parts of the footage, says Blackshire died at the scene. Police also said Starks sustained an unspecified injury to his right leg. Neither the passenger nor Simpson were hurt. In March it was announced that an administrative investigation was ongoing to determine if the officer's actions were in compliance with department policy. The FBI also contacted Little Rock police to conduct a civil rights review on behalf of the federal Department of Justice. Upon the video's release and through an attorney, Blackshire's family said 'the video confirms our assessment that Charles Starks employed an unreasonable and excessive amount of force.' Blackshire with his mother Kim Blackshire-Lee. Lee says her sons fatal shooting could have been prevented They pointed to the slow speed at which the car was moving and the number of times Starks fired. Kim Blackshire-Lee, Bradley's mother, previously said her sons fatal shooting could have been prevented. Blackshire had a pending trial on drug-trafficking charges at the time of the shooting. He is survived by his five young children. Starks was relieved of duty three days after the incident and had been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation, in accordance with department policy in officer-involved shootings. Kimberly Blackshire-Lee (pictured right) addresses the death of her son, Bradley Jamal Blackshire, during a news conference Monday, March 4, in Little Rock as her husband DeAngelo Lee looks on Starks was suspended for 25 days in 2016 as a result of two internal investigations, according to disciplinary records. Since joining the Little Rock force in 2013, Starks had been disciplined 10 times by the police department. A commanding officer wrote in a 2016 memo that he felt Starks should be fired after he got into a fight inside a movie theater and failed to identify himself as a police officer. Gerard Batten has announced that he will stand down as leader of UKIP on June 2. The announcement comes after months of speculation as to when the 65-year-old would end his tenure as party chief, following a promise that he would not remain in charge for more than a year. Mr Batten, who will step down 10 days after the European elections on May 23, took over the party on April 14 2018. His departure will trigger a leadership contest to replace him, according to a UKIP spokesman. It will mean that UKIP has had seven leaders since September 2016 when Nigel Farage resigned from the party leadership. Mr Batten has not confirmed whether he will stand in next month's leadership contest, but his support for former EDL member Tommy Robinson has courted controversy within the party. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is a special advisor to Mr Batten but cannot stand in this month's European elections because he is banned from the party. Currently, UKIP has a blanket ban on allowing former members of EDL (English Defence League) and the BNP (British National Party). Mr Batten won the UKIP leadership election unopposed after the party's interim leader Henry Bolton was removed in February 2018. When the 65-year-old took over as leader, he said: 'I intend to resign on 13th April 2019 so that a full leadership contest may take place'. The delay for the leadership contest is believed to have been caused by Brexit and two sets of elections: local and for the European Parliament. While UKIP did not suffer the same kind of losses as Labour and the Conservatives at the local elections, they did lose 36 seats comprising of 80% of their seats. UKIP is now polling at approximately 5% for the upcoming European Parliament elections, marking a sharp downturn from five years ago when it won with 26.6% of the vote. Two days after a milkshake was thrown in the face of Tommy Robinson, the former EDL member was seen enjoying a different kind of dairy product in Blackpool today. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was spotted treating himself to an ice cream while campaigning to become an MEP for the North-West in the upcoming European Parliament elections this month. The hard-right activist is held a rally in Blackpool this morning to drum up support for his candidacy, according to local media. Around 100 people turned out in support for the EDL founder. Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, is campaigning to become the MEP for the North West in upcoming EU elections Although he is a special advisor to UKIP leader Gerard Batten, the 36-year-old is standing as an independent candidate because he is banned from having UKIP party membership. His visit to Blackpool was marred by a group of anti-Tommy Robinson protestors who taunted the activist over his milkshake onslaught in recent weeks. On two separate occasions, milkshakes were thrown at the activist in the greater Manchester area. Chris Webb, Labour's MP candidate for Blackpool North and Cleveleys, who led the protests said to the Blackpool Gazette: 'It's to show Stephen Yaxley-Lennon aka Tommy Robinson and his racist views are not welcome in our town. 'A violent, racist thug preying on the problems working people face in our town, offering no solutions to the issues, only hate. His visit to Blackpool was marred by a group of anti-Tommy Robinson protestors who taunted the activist over his milkshake onslaught in recent weeks On two separate occasions, milkshakes were thrown at the activist in the North-West area 'Regardless if you voted leave or remain we must stand up to racism and show via the ballot box it has no place in our society.' Mr Robinson's appearance in Blackpool was kept relatively peaceful, although a lone heckler interrupted the UKIP adviser's speech with a megaphone. He was soon chased off by pro-Robinson supporters. Last week, Danyaal Mahmud, 23, who threw a McDonald's milkshake at Robinson in Warrington town centre, admitted facing death threats for his actions after the EDL founder goaded him over Muslim grooming gangs. 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, who threw a McDonald's milkshake at Robinson in Warrington town centre He admitted facing death threats for his actions after the EDL founder goaded him over Muslim grooming gangs Mahmud continued: '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 Robinson claimed that he was a 'politically targeted' victim let down by the law, despite being protected by a police escort out of Warrington. 'No amount of punches, milkshakes, attacks or anything is going to stop me,' he said in a video recorded last week. He described Mahmud as 'a young Muslim agitator'. Mr Robinson is expected to continue canvassing in the North-West for the next three weeks until voting for the EU elections open on May 23. A police officer who was caught speeding for the second time had his penalty points removed so he can carry on working as an advanced driver. David Newell, 49, had admitted driving on the A443 in Holt Heath, Worcestershire at 50mph in a 30mph road at around 1pm on September 10 last year. During an earlier hearing at Worcester Magistrates Court he was given a five point penalty. The court heard David Newell, 49, who is based in London, had been employed with the police for 29 years and had performed his role as a police driver for 18 years. He was caught speeding for the second time had his penalty points removed so he can carry on working [File photo] The guidelines for punishing speeding offence are for between four and six penalty points. The officer, who is based in London, was also handed a 415 fine after already having three points on his licence for a previous speeding offence. He had driven at 35mph in a 30mph road. The 49-year-old had been restricted to administrative duties after he was clocked speeding. Appearing at Worcester Crown Court on Friday, Newell, of Shrewsbury, successfully appealed his sentence. Appearing at Worcester Crown Court on Friday, Newell, of Shrewsbury, successfully appealed his sentence. The number of points on his licence were slashed from five to three so he could carry on his role as an advanced police driver [File photo] The number of points on his licence were slashed from five to three so he could carry on his role as an advanced police driver. Judge Nicolas Cartwright said: 'For someone who has been driving for that length of time and acquired only that one endorsement for that offence. 'We are just persuaded that is mitigation sufficiently powerful to drive the number of penalty points down to the bottom of the available statutory range, namely three penalty points. 'With considerable reservation we have come to that view. The fine and other financial orders stand.' Prosecutor Patrick Kelly said: 'It's accepted there are no criminal convictions, cautions or warnings. 'The previous speeding matter was relevant. 'Newell had been employed with the police for 29 years and had performed his role as a police driver for 18 years. 'It's a matter entirely for your Honour in relation to sentence. David Newell, 49, had admitted driving on the A443 in Holt Heath, Worcestershire at 50mph in a 30mph road at around 1pm on September 10 last year. A file image of the A443 leading into Holt Heath is pictured above [File photo] 'Someone in that position with three points on their licence should already be aware of the rules and regulations.' Defending Newell, Patrick Hill asked the if court could 'step outside the bracket' and impose three penalty points instead of the five originally or disqualify him for between seven and 28 days. He said: 'Mr Newell was a man of good character who had entered a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity. 'The effect of the eight points is that he's currently restricted to administrative duties. 'As matters stand that would be the position until the autumn of next year, a further 17 months.' Leaked video from a cattle farm shows how young calves are being brutally attacked with sticks and aggressively pushed by workers. The veal calves were being prepared for transport across Europe, despite having recently traveled in poor conditions for over 18 hours. The footage, taken from a centre near Cherbourg, France shows the animals being violently treated. Young cows can be seen being struck with sticks and pushed around by workers as they try to eat. In one scene, one of the two workers supposed to be looking after them jumps on the back of a calf which is struggling on the floor. The centre is believed to just be a resting area, with the animals having made an 18-hour journey from Ireland days before. The video was taken in a 'resting area' for the transported calves in Cherbourg, France, the two men seen in the video are alleged to have been tasked with looking after them One of the workers appears to get frustrated with the cows and pushes them aside Animal rights groups have said that the centre has been certified as 'high-quality' by EU standards, and had received subsidies for renovations. L214 and Eyes on Animals carried out a three-week investigation and found 2,500 calves were being unloaded at the centre every 12 hours. The cows would then go onto a Dutch Veal Farm for export across Europe. A worker crams the cows into a small pen and shuts the door on a diagonal, leaving ones at the end to squash tightly together One friendly cow approaches the set of feeding stalls after not finding a space on the other, but seconds later the man hits the it away One poor cow is seen struggling on the floor as it sits on its back legs while others are crammed into small pens L214 and Eyes on Animals are lobbying the EU to ban the transport of all animals that have not been weaned off their mother's milk. According to the Independent, witnesses said calves were routinely transported on lorries over the maximum journey time of 19 hours without adequate water supplies. 'The calves were suffering stomach upsets, especially diarrhoea, and were already very weak, suffering exhaustion, lack of feed, lack of water and lack of rest due to overcrowding,' Nicola Glen, of Eyes on Animals told the Independent. One calf is spotted lying on the floor in exhaustion. According to Irish farming website Agriland, a man has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty Sebastien Arsac, co-founder of L214 said: 'The transport of young calves over long distances is intolerable. 'These calves, just out of their mother's womb, endure more than 50 hours of transport in terrible conditions: piled up to 300 in 3-level livestock, thirsty, manipulated with violence, they live a real hell. According to Irish farming website Agriland, a man has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty. An illegal immigrant day laborer has pleaded guilty to bludgeoning a socialite to death at her family's suburban New York estate. Esdras Marroquin Gomez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Monday and admitted to killing 83-year-old Lois Colley, the wife of millionaire McDonald's franchisee Eugene Colley, at her 300-acre North Salem estate in November 2015. Gomez admitted to Assistant District Attorney Julia Cornachio in court that he killed Colley with a fire extinguisher during a confrontation. Cornachio also said authorities believe 'he probably wanted money'. Day laborer, Esdras Marroquin Gomez (center, in court on Monday), who bludgeoned socialite, Lois Colley, 83, to death at her family's New York mansion has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder On November 9, 2015, Colleys (pictured) body was discovered in the laundry room of her home by another caretaker who worked on the property. She died from blunt force trauma Colley's body was found inside her 300-acre North Salem estate (pictured) in November 2015 Westchester District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr, said during a press conference on Monday: 'Sending Marroquin Gomez to prison will not bring Lois Colley back but we hope it will bring some closure to her family knowing that justice has been done.' During a press conference on Monday, Colley's husband of 65 years, Eugene, spoke. 'We the family had a tough time, but this will help,' he said through tears. He thanked detectives and prosecutors for the work they did on his wife's case. According to authorities, Gomez claimed he had been injured at the family's property, Windswept Farm, and had been pursuing a worker's compensation claim before Colley's death, according to the Journal News. On November 9, 2015, Colleys body was discovered in the laundry room of her home by another caretaker who worked on the property. She died from blunt force trauma. She was the wife of millionaire McDonald's franchisee Eugene Colley (both pictured) During a press conference, Colley's husband of 65 years, Eugene (pictured), also spoke. 'We the family had a tough time, but this will help,' he said through tears. He thanked detectives and prosecutors for the work they did on his wife's case At the time, police discovered a pin from a fire extinguisher next to Colleys body. There was no sign of forced entry, according to police. No valuables were taken. All that was missing was the extinguisher. A few days later, the extinguisher was recovered in a pond on the property. It was wrapped in a plastic bag and had Colleys DNA on it. The Westchester County judge said Gomez will get at least 20 years to life in prison when he's sentenced on June 13 During the investigation, authorities learned that Gomez, an illegal immigrant, had fled to his native Guatemala and then Mexico by the time they realized he was a suspect. The 34-year-old had worked part-time as a day laborer on Colley's horse farm around the time she was murdered. Authorities had been planning to get him extradited back to the US when he was deported. Gomez was arrested in November 2017 after authorities tracked him down in Miami, Florida. Colley is the mother of Bruce Colley, the wealthy playboy whose 2003 affair with Kerry Kennedy resulted in the end of her marriage to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Eugene gained his wealth through more than 100 McDonald's franchises. The Westchester County judge said Gomez will get at least 20 years to life in prison when he's sentenced on June 13. The U.S. dispatched an aircraft carrier battle group to the Persian Gulf region due to a 'credible threat' from Iranian regime forces, the Pentagon said Monday. And the U.S. is vowing to hold Tehran responsible for any actions carried out by its 'proxies' including Hezbollah. Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan said he approved the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to unspecified waters in the vicinity of Iran in response to 'indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces.' 'We call on the Iranian regime to cease all provocation. We will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests,' Shanahan tweeted. Said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: 'It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests,' Pompeo. The nation's top diplomat warned: 'If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that.' The United States says it is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln, seen here with F/A-18F Super Hornets, in response to 'escalatory indications' from Iran In this Aug. 7, 2012, file photo, Navy shore crew haul in lines as the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrives at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Va. In this May 3, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Navy, An F/A-18E Super Hornet from VFA 25 launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln The Pentagon is dispatching the USS Abraham Lincoln and other military resources to the Middle East following 'clear indications' that Iran and its proxy forces were preparing to possibly attack U.S. forces in the region, according to a defense official 'It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians,' said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Pompeo, traveling in Finland, added: "Our objective is to get the Islamic Republic of Iran to behave like a normal nation. When they do that, we will welcome them back.' Fears of conflict rose Monday as the administration vowed to send a message by deploying an aircraft carrier strike group, amid a report that Tehran would scale back its commitments under a nuclear deal after mounting pressure by President Donald Trump. The deployment was first announced late Sunday by John Bolton, Trump's national security advisor, who said the move was 'a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.' Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a meeting with tribal leaders in Kerbala, Iraq, March 12, 2019 Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan (R) cited the 'credible' threat form regime forces. He is seen here with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford According to Bolton: 'In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.' Bolton, a longtime Iran hawk, continued: 'The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces.' U.S. officials did not give more details on the alleged threat and the Pentagon had already announced in April that the USS Abraham Lincoln had headed on a 'regularly scheduled deployment' out of its base in Norfolk, Virginia. Iran's supreme national security council spokesman Keyvan Khosravi dismissed Bolton's statement, calling it a 'clumsy use of an out-of-date event for psychological warfare.' John Bolton, the White House national security advisor, is a longtime hawk on Iran Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, seen here in April 2019 addressing a military ceremony, will reportedly announce retaliatory measures against the United States for withdrawing from a multinational nuclear deal The news site Axios said Bolton's warning came after Israel, which has pushed to isolate Iran, passed along intelligence of a possible plot by Tehran 'against a US target in the Gulf or US allies like Saudi Arabia or the UAE.' Quoting an unnamed Israeli official, Axios said the intelligence was 'not very specific at this stage' but that the 'Iranian temperature is on the rise' due to pressure. Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which advocates a hard line on Iran, said he had heard of a 'spike' in intelligence in recent days about planned attacks. He believed Iran had given the green-light to Islamist movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad to fire missiles into Israel in a weekend flare-up. The strikes sought 'to tie down Israeli forces and create a crisis to distract the US and Israel from IRGC plans elsewhere,' he said, referring to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards. Other observers were much more skeptical of the intentions of Bolton, who advocated attacking Iran and enjoyed close ties to the country's formerly armed opposition before Trump hired him. The deployment announcement came almost a year to the day after Trump pulled the United States out of a multinational accord under which Tehran drastically scaled back its sensitive nuclear work. Iranians visit the shrine of the Shiite Saint Imam Abdulazim in Shahr-e-Ray prior to the month of Ramadan, south of Tehran, Iran, Sunday, May 5, 2019 'I think this is manufactured by Bolton to try to justify the administration's very harsh policy toward Iran despite the fact that Iran has been complying with the nuclear deal,' said Barbara Slavin, the director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council think tank. 'Given Bolton's record,' she said, 'I wouldn't put it past him to try to manufacture a crisis here.' With frustration mounting in Iran over the lack of dividends from the nuclear accord, the semi-official ISNA news agency said that President Hassan Rouhani would announce 'retaliatory measures' on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the US pullout. The news agency said that Rouhani would invoke sections of the accord under which Iran can cease some or all of its commitments if other parties fail to adhere to their part, notably on ending sanctions. The Trump administration instead has imposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran and in recent weeks has hit even harder, moving to ban all countries from buying Iran's oil, its top export, and declaring the Revolutionary Guards to be a terrorist group -- the first such designation of a unit of a foreign government. UN inspectors say that Iran has remained in compliance with the nuclear deal, which is still backed by European powers as well as Trump's Democratic rivals seeking to unseat him next year. Britain, France and Germany have set up a special payments system to let European businesses operate in Iran and avoid US sanctions, although few firms have been willing to incur Washington's wrath. The Black Death wiped out millions in the Middle Ages but cases are now rare Tourists from Russia and western Europe were held in a lockdown for days A Mongolian couple has died of the bubonic plague after eating raw marmot kidney. The ethnic Kazakh couple died last week near Mongolia's western border with Russia and China. A six-day quarantine was declared on residents in the region, preventing nine tourists from Russia, Germany and Switzerland from leaving. The ethnic Kazakh couple died from the bubonic plague last week after eating meat from a marmot, which is a type of large squirrel. Some people believe that consuming the innards of the rodent is good for their health [File photo] Public health services in neighboring Russian Altai and Tuva republics are on high alert following news of the outbreak. The Black Death wiped out millions of people in the Middle Ages but cases are now very rare The quarantine was expected to be lifted late Monday after no other cases of the plague were reported. Authorities have warned people against eating raw marmot meat because it can carry Yersinia pestis, the plague germ. At least one person dies of the plague every year in Mongolia, mostly due to consuming such meat, according to the National Center for Zoonotic Disease. Some of the tourists are pictured together above during the quarantine. A six-day quarantine was declared on residents in the region, preventing nine tourists from Russia, Germany and Switzerland from leaving "We are all fine. No one is ill," said a German tourist named Teresa, who did not want to give her last name. Some people ignore the warnings as they believe that consuming the innards of the large rodent is good for their health. The Black Death wiped out millions of people in the Middle Ages but cases are now very rare. Its most common form is bubonic, which is spread by fleas and causes swelling of the lymph node. The more virulent form is pneumonic plague, which can be transmitted between humans through coughing. Authorities have warned people against eating raw marmot meat because it can carry Yersinia pestis, the plague germ. The Black Death wiped out millions of people in the Middle Ages but cases are now very rare [File photo] A high school principal has been accused of grooming an 18-year-old student for sex through explicit text messages and semi-naked selfies before assaulting her in his office on campus last week. Charles Regan, 48, 'targeted this particularly vulnerable girl at Riverhead High School Principal in Long Island, New York for months, according to documents filed on Monday. Anastasia Stapon, 18, came forward and identified herself as the victim of the alleged abuse in a press conference on Monday. She claims Regan, who is married and has been the principal of the Suffolk County school since 2013, sent the alleged victim, a senior, a pornographic meme and a photo of himself covering his privates with a pink towel. Regan also encouraged her to masturbate, then sexually assaulted her in his office last Monday,' alleged the attorney, who is expected to file a civil lawsuit against the Riverhead Central School District and the principal seeking $10million. Speaking out: Long Island high school senior Anastasia Stapon, 18 (left), claims she was sexually assaulted by her school principal, Charles Regan, 48 (right) in his office last week Stapon and her lawyer shared with the media a selfie that Regan had allegedly sent her, which purports to show the man in the shower with only a towel covering his genitals During a bombshell press conference held on Monday, Ray's client, Anastasia Stapon, spoke out publicly about her alleged ordeal, as Riverhead News-Review reported. I am here to expose this evil dirty man,' Stapon, who was adopted from Russia by a same-sex couple from Long Island, told reporters. I am a victim. The Riverhead police have done nothing. Charles Regan and the Riverhead school have destroyed me. Stapon claimed that last Tuesday, she entered the principals office on the school campus and he 'shoved his tongue into her mouth.' According to the teen, she and Regan 'made out for a minute' before she walked out of the office 'as quickly as possible.' Stapon's attorney shared with the media screenshots of a text message exchange between Regan and his client, as well as the selfie purportedly showing the married principal standing naked in the shower and holding the pink towel in front of his genitals. Regan has been principal at Riverhead High School since 2013, earnng a salary of nearly $190,000 last year At a press conference on Monday, Stapon described Regan as an 'evil dirty man' and said that he and the school have destroyed her Regan is alleged to have texted the high school senior: 'I've come to the conclusion that if were were to his [sic] the sheets together We would rock eachother [sic] pretty hard. It would be one for the ages. Complete exhaustion and would last for hours.' According to the plaintiffs attorney, Regan later tried to force Stapon to destroy evidence documenting their relationship. Calling Regan a 'foul creature,' Ray claimed that other administrators in the school district were of his behavior but failed to put a stop to it. Stapon was adopted from Russia by a same-sex couple. Pictured right is one of her mothers with the teen dressed in her ROTC Navy uniform He also claimed that the Riverhead Police Department failed to bring criminal charges against Regan because the alleged victim is 18 years old. Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said only that the matter is under investigation and that there is more evidence to review. According to court filings, Regan, who last year earned a salary of nearly $190,000, began mentoring Stapon in January, but it was not until this March that he allegedly took their relationship to another level. When Stapon texted the principal on April 19 that a male student at the school had shown interest in her, Regan allegedly threatened to kill the teen. Last week, the school district announced that Regan, who had worked as assistant principal since 2006 before being tapped for the top job in 2013, had been 'administratively reassigned' over a personnel matter, but declined to go into any details. Ellie Gould was pronounced dead following the arrival of the emergency services A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of Ellie Gould, 17, Wiltshire Police said. 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. Police detained the suspect, who was known to Ellie, in nearby Chippenham a few hours later on Friday afternoon. The suspect, who cannot be named because of his age, was remanded in custody ahead of a court appearance at Salisbury Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. A cordon was in operation around the house on Saturday 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. Inspector Don Pocock said: 'I would like to again thank the communities of Calne and Chippenham for the support and patience they have shown so far to our officers as they have carried out inquiries as part of this murder investigation. 'A case like this takes time and will understandably have an impact on the local community - so thank you for your help and understanding. 'Over the past few days, people living in Calne and Chippenham would have seen an increased police presence which I appreciate can add more anxiety and upset to what is already a tragic situation. 'However, I want to reassure everyone that the officers and detectives involved have been working hard to carry out their duties as swiftly as possible to minimise the impact on those living and working here. 'Inevitably there has been a lot of interest and discussion into this case on social media and the like - however, now that a person has been charged and court proceedings have started, please be mindful not to speculate or comment publicly on anything to do with the investigation.' 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 Lisa Percy, head teacher of Hardenhuish School, said: 'I would like to thank everyone for all of the messages of support that we have received from past, present and future parents, colleagues and other members of the community. 'We would like to express our thanks to all partner agencies who have supported us too. 'The students, staff and parents have found comfort in being together and paying their respects to Ellie and our thoughts remain with her family and friends at this time.' 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.' 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.' Forensics officers spent Saturday working at the scene in the search for evidence 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.' 'Our thoughts remain with Ellie's family, her friends and schoolmates,' said Superintendent Conway Duncan. '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.' The city of Denver a leader in the movement to legalize recreational marijuana could achieve a new first, as residents prepare to vote Tuesday on a public referendum that would decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms. Psilocybin mushrooms have been banned by the federal government since 1970 due to their hallucinogenic effects, which have long been used by some cultures for religious purposes, according to The Washington Post. The public referendum to 'Decriminalize Denver' is a first in the U.S., though a similar idea was proposed in California last year but failed to get enough support to make it on the ballot. Supporters argue the substance has many benefits, particularly for people suffering from depression and other mental health issues. If approved, the law would instruct law enforcement to consider possession of the mushrooms 'the lowest law enforcement priority in the City and County of Denver,' while still maintaining the drug's illegal status. This file photo shows a cluster of psilocybin mushrooms, which have hallucinogenic affects when consumed by humans Mushrooms would not be available for purchase in Denver's many marijuana dispensaries, and dealers would still be facing felony charges if they were caught selling the drugs. Psilocybin mushrooms, like marijuana, are classified as a Schedule I drug at the federal level, meaning there is 'no currently accepted medical use and high potential for abuse.' That, coupled with users' descriptions of vivid, often beautiful and disorienting eight-hour hallucinations, could be an obstacle for supporters of the Denver Psilocybin Initiative. Mushrooms are what saved my life, from a lifetime of major depression. Using psilocybin ... brought me back from the depths of despair. -Kevin Matthews, Denver Psilocybin Initiative However, many argue that the substance has the potential to help with issues including: addiction, depression, chronic pain, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to The Post. The Food and Drug Administration has even granted 'breakthrough therapy' status to the substance for the treatment of depression. Psilocybin occurs naturally in some fungi and is not addictive. It is not possible to overdose on the drug, and research has indicated that it does not have long-term side effects. Kevin Matthews, the campaign manager for the initiative, told DailyMail.com that he was in the midst of depression when he tried psilocybin mushrooms for the first time. 'Mushrooms are what saved my life, from a lifetime of major depression,' he said. 'Using psilocybin just opened me up to a new perspective and cleared the fog and brought me back from the depths of despair.' 'I (had) felt negative and alone, (with) a lot of negative self-talk, and that changed almost overnight for me,' he added. 'The benefits lasted weeks and weeks and weeks afterward. It helped me get a handle on my life so I could create healthier habits.' Organizers have raised about $45,000 for advertising and promotion of their cause, he told The Post. However, law enforcement officials may not be convinced. Denver police declined to comment to The Post, and Denver District Attorney Beth McCann told the paper she doesn't think it's 'a good idea.' 'We're still figuring out marijuana, and even though things are going well so far, we're still measuring the impacts on the people of Denver,' McCann said. Since legalization of recreational cannabis, McCann said the city has not seen a rise in violent crime but more young people and children have been showing up in hospitals after consuming marijuana. McCann said she wanted to see more research on benefits and side effects of the drug, and worries deprioritizing the drug among law enforcement could make Denver a magnet that attracts all kinds of drug users. This file photo shows downtown Denver, Colorado - a city considering decriminalization of hallucinogenic mushrooms A spokeswoman for McCann's office told DailyMail.com that the Denver DA's office filed more than 9,200 drug cases from 2016-2018, of which 11 involved psilocybin. Of those 11, three cases involved possession with intent to manufacture or distribute psilocybin. The spokeswoman noted that McCann does support the provision of the initiative that would create a committee to study the effects of use and impacts of the proposal's passage. 'Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population,' according to a 2015 paper from the University of Alabama. Separate research papers published by the Imperial College London found psilocybin had positive effects on depression. Additionally, researchers at Johns Hopkins University in 2006 studied 36 people who took high doses of psilocybin and then relaxed a couch and listened to classical music for eight hours. '67 percent of the volunteers,' the Hopkins study found, 'rated the experience with psilocybin to be either the single most meaningful experience of his or her life or among the top five most meaningful experiences of his or her life to be similar, for example, to the birth of a first child or death of a parent.' However, '31 percent of the group experienced significant fear,' study authors wrote. Shocking photos taken from by an anonymous source reveal severely neglected lions covered in mange at a captive breeding facility in South Africa, offering a horrifying insight into an industry that breeds an estimated 12,000 lions on around 200 farms across the country. Between 6,000 and 8,000 lions are bred in captivity in some 260 facilities across South Africa, marketed to tourists as lion interaction experiences. Photos of the lions show the animals almost entirely bald due to acute mange and poor, overcrowded living conditions. Photos of the lions show the animals almost entirely bald due to acute mange and poor, overcrowded living conditions Lion breeding farms in South Africa are part of what campaigners call the 'snuggle scam' because they supply lion cub petting tourist attractions where visitors from around the world take selfies, oblivious to the suffering behind their holiday photos. Upon investigation of the facility at Pienika Farm, officers at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals discovered 108 neglected lions, as well as caracal, tigers, and leopards living in horrendous conditions. The South African government sanctions the captive lion breeding industry and has established a quota for the international lion bone trade, despite growing global outrage. A recent expose by former Conservative Peer Lord Ashcroft of the United Kingdom highlighted serious non-compliance issues at South African breeding facilities, including alleged illegal 'green-hunts', where animals are darted with an immobilising agent as opposed to live ammunition of lions, cross breeding of lions and tigers to produce larger offspring (ligers and tigons), and even plots to illegally export lion skins hidden in deer skin hides. Lion breeding farms in South Africa are part of what campaigners call the 'snuggle scam' because they supply lion cub petting tourist attractions In the wild, lion cubs remain with their mothers for 18 months, and females rest for at least 15-24 months between litters. Cubs born on breeding farms are taken from their mothers when they are a few days or even hours old to be used as living photo props. The removal of cubs forces the mother into an exhausting and continuous breeding cycle while incarcerated in enclosures, sometimes without adequate food, hygiene, or the ability to express their natural behaviour. Officers at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals discovered 108 neglected lions, as well as caracal, tigers, and leopards living in horrendous conditions Audrey Delsink, Wildlife Director at Humane Society International/Africa, said: 'South Africa's captive lion breeding industry is a vicious cycle of exploitation, from cradle to grave. 'Lion cubs are ripped from their mothers at just a few days old, to be hand-reared by paying volunteers from countries around the world such as the United Kingdom, who are misled into believing the cubs are orphans. 'The cubs are exploited their whole lives, first as props by paying tourists looking for selfie shots whilst petting or bottle-feeding the animals, then later as part of 'walking with lion' safaris.' The South African government sanctions the captive lion breeding industry and has established a quota for the international lion bone trade, despite growing global outrage South Africa is a popular tourist destination that welcomed approximately 10.3 million foreign tourists and facilitated 17.2 million domestic tourism trips in 2017, according to the South Africa Tourism Report 2017. Most tourists unwittingly contribute to the suffering of lions by visiting cub petting or walking with lions tourist attractions. The NSPCA's senior inspector Douglas Wolhuter detailed how two lion cubs found at Pienika Farm appeared to be suffering from a neurological condition and were unable to walk. The removal of cubs forces the mother into an exhausting and continuous breeding cycle while incarcerated in enclosures The cubs were confiscated for assessment and veterinary treatment by a specialist carnivore veterinarian. Wolhuter stated: '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. 'Twenty-seven of the lions had mange and the caracals were obese and unable to properly groom themselves.' With fewer than 3,000 wild lions, South Africa has more lions languishing in captivity than in the wild. The eventual fate of the lions is uncertain and will depend on the outcome of the legal process. Even if the NSPCA is able to prove that the neglect was so severe as to justify confiscation of all the lions, there are no reputable facilities in South Africa able to immediately take in such a large number of lions. Audrey Delsink, HSI/Africa Wildlife Director said 'In the face of so much evidence supporting the significant welfare atrocities and illegal activities, and the bogus standards presented by the industry, the South African government cannot stand idle. 'We demand that the government shut down this industry once and for all; that is the only way brand South Africa can recover from this significant scourge.' More than 400 prosecutors have signed onto a letter arguing that if he were an ordinary citizen, President Trump would be facing 'multiple felony charges' of obstruction of justice. The prosecutors, consisting of former U.S. attorneys, Justice Department officials, lawyers, and senior Justice Department officials, cite the Mueller report, and say Trump would have been charged were it not for internal DOJ guidelines that state a president can't be prosecuted while in office. 'Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Muellers report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting President, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice,' the prosecutors wrote, in a letter posted on Medium. President Donald Trump would be charged with obstruction if it weren't for internal Justice Department guidelines shielding presidents, a group of nearly 400 prosecutors wrote 'The Mueller report describes several acts that satisfy all of the elements for an obstruction charge: conduct that obstructed or attempted to obstruct the truth-finding process,' they continued, before examining several episodes that Mueller's team probed at length. 'We emphasize that these are not matters of close professional judgment. Of course, there are potential defenses or arguments that could be raised in response to an indictment of the nature we describe here,' they continue. 'In our system, every accused person is presumed innocent and it is always the governments burden to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. But, to look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution runs counter to logic and our experience.' Prominent officials signing on to the letter include Paul Rosenzweig, a former senior counsel to Independent Counsel Ken Starr, Jeffrey Harris, a top assistant to Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani when he was a Justice Department official, and William Weld, a former U.S. attorney who is running against Trump for the 2020 GOP presidential nomination. Attorney General Bill Barr has defied a Judiciary Committee subpoena, saying it would be illegal for him to turn over grand jury materials to Congress The letter came on a day Trump lawyer Michael Cohen reported to prison for a three-year sentence for lying to Congress and a campaign finance violation Twenty of the signers are former U.S. attorneys, according to the Washington Post. The letter cites Trump's efforts to fire Mueller 'and to falsify evidence about that effort,' his efforts to limit the scope of the Mueller probe, and to 'prevent witnesses from cooperating with investigators probing him and his campaign.' 'As former federal prosecutors, we recognize that prosecuting obstruction of justice cases is critical because unchecked obstruction which allows intentional interference with criminal investigations to go unpunished puts our whole system of justice at risk,' they wrote. 'We believe strongly that, but for the OLC memo, the overwhelming weight of professional judgment would come down in favor of prosecution for the conduct outlined in the Mueller Report.' A group called Protect Democracy published the letter. It notes that the signatories are Republicans and Democrats from different levels in the justice system. The letter came on a when longtime Trump fixer Michael Cohen reported to prison, and House Judiciary Committee Democrats prepared to hold Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt for refusing to comply with a subpoena for the full, un-redacted Mueller report. The Mueller report details Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey as one of ten episodes investigated for possible obstruction White House Counsel Don McGahn said Trump directed him to tell the deputy attorney general that Mueller had to go The letter was signed by more than 400 prosecutors Some signers held senior Justice Department positions in the past Efforts to get rid of Mueller The report provided new details on Trump's actions to stifle the probe that he has long derided as a 'witch hunt.' The report states that Trump called White House counsel Don McGahn 'and directed him to have the Special Counsel removed because of asserted conflicts of interest. McGahn did not carry out the instruction for fear of being seen as triggering another Saturday Night Massacre and instead prepared to resign. ' It also states that Trump asked McGahn to write a memo 'for our files' denying Trump had told him to fire Mueller. Former chief of staff Reince Priebus recalled McGahn said the president had asked him to 'do crazy s***.' Efforts to limit the probe On efforts to limit the Mueller probe, the letter states: The president 'repeatedly pressured then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reverse his legally-mandated decision to recuse himself from the investigation. 'The Presidents stated reason was that he wanted an attorney general who would protect him, including from the Special Counsel investigation. He also directed then-White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to fire Sessions and Priebus refused.' The Mueller report quotes contemporaneous notes by Priebus from a 2017 trip aboard Marine One with Trump. Trump told him that he 'need[ed] a letter of resignation on [his] desk immediately' and that sessions had 'no choice' but 'must immediately resign,' according to his notes in the report. Witness tampering and intimidation According to the letter: 'The Special Counsels report establishes that the President tried to influence the decisions of both Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort with regard to cooperating with investigators. Some of this tampering and intimidation, including the dangling of pardons, was done in plain sight via tweets and public statements; other such behavior was done via private messages through private attorneys, such as Trump counsel Rudy Giulianis message to Cohens lawyer that Cohen should [s]leep well tonight[], you have friends in high places. The Mueller report says campaign Chair Paul Manafort told his deputy Rick Gates that he spoke to Trump's personal counsel and they were 'going to take care of us.' Manafort also told Gates it would be 'stupid to plead,' according to the report. Trump stated publicly that he felt 'badly' about how Manafort had been treated. However when it came to Michael Cohen, who was assisting prosecutors, Trump called him a 'rat.' Former Italian prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi has been released from hospital after undergoing an operation for a bowel obstruction. The billionaire, 82, said he thought he had 'reached the end of the line' as he left the San Raffaele hospital in Milan, on Monday. He explained: 'Many things have happened recently that made me think I had reached the end of the line, but instead I've recovered amazingly well.' The three-time premier was admitted last Tuesday with acute abdominal pain, forcing him to miss a rally of his Forza Italia party ahead of this month's European parliamentary elections. Former Italian prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, 82, smiles as he leaves the San Raffaele hospital in Milan, on Monday 'I promised those who looked after me: I will campaign for the elections,' he said Monday, though he added that he would limit his appearances to television, radio and newspaper interviews, rather than attending public rallies. A former crooner turned property and media magnate, Berlusconi was Italian prime minister for his centre-right Forza Italia on three occasions between 1994 and 2011. Despite his regular brushes with the law and health concerns - including open heart surgery three years ago - the man known as 'the immortal' for his longevity in politics led the Italian right for more than two decades. Berlusconi has faced a string of charges over the so-called Rubygate scandal linked to his parties and the underaged prostitute Karima El-Mahroug, also known as 'Ruby the heart-stealer'. The businessman is currently on trial accused of paying a witness to give false testimony about his notoriously hedonistic parties. Berlusconi waves as he leaves the San Raffaele hospital where he underwent laparoscopic surgery for an intestinal obstruction last week Berlusconi is also being investigated or prosecuted for alleged witness tampering in Milan, Sienna, Rome and Turin, each time accused of paying people to keep quiet about his so-called 'bunga-bunga' parties. Forza Italia is currently in opposition, with 105 MPs in Italy's 630-seat lower house. After getting out of the hospital, Berlusconi didn't waste time blasting the populist coalition now governing Italy, saying the two coalition partners 'can only do one thing, squabble.' One of the governing parties is the right-wing, anti-migrant League party, which was a key ally in Berlusconi's own coalition governments as premier in three stints. Led by hard-line Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, the party has seen soaring popularity in opinion polls and tension with its governing partner, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement. Berlusconi said he hopes Forza Italia will be a linchpin of a majority centre-right alliance in the European Parliament that could keep nationalist forces at bay. He laid out a vision for a trans-European centre-right partnership, including perhaps Salvini and 'that crazy head of Orban,' a reference to right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Salvini has been wooing Orban for a different political alliance, and the two bonded in Hungary last week over their determination to keep migrants and asylum-seekers out of Europe. He has been working with far-right movements in France, Germany and other northern countries to create a strong populist group in the European Parliament, with the aim of completely reshaping the continent's policies. Berlusconi said he wants to see the European Union become a world power on a military level and to 'assume the role of unifying the West, which today is divided.' If elected to a seat in the European Parliament, it would be Berlusconi's first public office since he was forced to give up his Italian Senate seat due to a ban from a 2012 tax fraud conviction. Citing his good conduct, a court last year ruled that Berlusconi could be a political candidate again. A 2 coin commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings has been launched by the Royal Mint. The Mint said the coin was designed as a tribute to those who planned and participated in the epic landing operations on June 6, 1944. The commemorative 2 coin, designed by the Royal Mint's graphic designer Stephen Taylor, takes inspiration from military maps to depict the strategy taken by the Allies to land on five Normandy beaches. The Royal Mint are commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings with a new 2 coin The coin represents the huge scale of the operation, which is often cited as the day that turned the tide of the Second World War and was an all-out assault by land, sea and air, the Royal Mint said. With a huge invasion force, the Allies stormed five beaches, codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. Overcoming a series of defences known as the Atlantic Wall, the Allies were able to secure a foothold on the continent and begin the liberation of occupied Europe. Created in association with Imperial War Museums (IWM), the commemorative coin is not going into general circulation and is available to buy from the Royal Mint's website, with prices ranging from 10 for a brilliant uncirculated version to 845 for a gold proof coin. The coin represents the huge scale of the operation which is often cited as the day that turned the tide of WWII A donation from every D-Day coin purchased from the Royal Mint goes to IWM to help them continue its work. Nicola Howell, director of the consumer division at the Royal Mint, said: 'The D-Day landings is one of the most significant events in our nation's history, and it's important that we remember the instrumental impact that the landings had on the outcome of the Second World War. 'Seventy-five years on, our commemorative 2 coin is a fitting tribute to the significance and scale of the operation, and is an important recognition of the bravery of those that made D-Day possible.' Six black former employees have filed a lawsuit against a New Jersey solar energy company for racism and discrimination, claiming the n-word and racist comments were made on a daily basis and workers were fired if they complained. The lawsuit against Momentum Solar - the number two energy company in the nation - was filed on Monday in New York by the employees represented by Wigdor LLP. The lawsuit claims that the solar panel company, which has more than 1,200 employees and rakes in over $100million in revenue per year, has created a work environment 'permeated with vile racism' at its New York-based warehouse. Workers allegedly made racist jokes daily, openly used the n-word, while black employees were paid less and given less opportunities than their co-workers. Anyone that complained was subsequently fired, according to the lawsuit. Six black former employees of Momentum Solar are suing the company for racism and discrimination at their New York warehouse The energy company that specializes in solar panels is accused of allowing a culture of racism and discrimination where racist jokes were used daily, the n-word was said openly, and black employees were allegedly paid less and offered less opportunities Three workers are named in the suit - a foreman and two heads of operations at the New York warehouse. The lawsuit alleges that foreman Adam Murawski used the n-word in front of his employees and directed it towards black employees. On one occasion he said that work on a project didn't go as planned because it was 'n****red up'. One white employee heard Murawski refer to a broken table as 'n*****ed'. He was also heard referring to himself, a white employee, and a black employee as 'two and a half people', an allusion to the slavery-era three-fifths compromise that deemed slaves as 60 percent the value of a free person. On another occasion he further criticized the project to a black employee saying, 'This [project] is a clusterf**k. It is a n****r like you'. On one occasion when an employee complained that Murawski called him the demeaning term 'boy', Murawski allegedly replied, 'I don't give a f**k about how a n****r thinks. Murawski also allegedly drives a car with a bumper sticker that says, 'This is OUR America - Get the F**k Out!' The New York warehouse was run by white and Indian head of operations Rajan Silberman from December 2017 to April 2018 who made these Facebook posts allegedly after black employees complained about discrimination The lawsuit states that white employees commonly made racist jokes and innuendos, making fun of the way Jamaican employees spoke English and questioned whether black employees could 'afford' to buy certain clothing, insinuating they were poorer than white people. The lawsuit also claims that black employees are paid less than white employees, black employees are ostracized and handed the least desirable jobs with few opportunities for advancement. The New York warehouse was run by manager Rajan Silberman, who is white of Indian descent, from December 2017 to April 2018. Employees have accused him of harassment, saying after they complained of discrimination he posted on Facebook saying 'man f**k these n****s' and 'whackkk a** n****s'. Silberman was replaced as head of operations for the New York warehouse by Jessica Adams, with whom he shares a child. She's accused of also fostering a discriminatory and retaliatory environment, firing black employees who complained about racism. The lawsuit: The lawsuit was filed by six former black employees on Monday The shocking lawsuit lists the alleged racism and discrimination that took place at Momentum Solar's New House warehouse One employee, represented by Wigdor, claims that they complained to Adams about Murawski's use of the n-word around October 2018. The meeting was recorded and Murawski admitted to using the n-word on multiple occasions, but no disciplinary action was taken. Later Murawski joined his colleagues and alleged huffed, 'can you believe he though he could make a complaint against me?' The employee who complained says he was subjected to increased discriminatory harassment and retaliation after that meeting. He complained a second time and the following day he was fired. Three other black employees were also fired after complaining about discrimination or racial slurs in the office. Now there are two black employees out of the 40 workers in the New York office as foremen and installers. None of the foremen are black, the lawsuit states. 'As alleged in the class action complaint, rather than occurring sporadically, acts of vile racism occurred on a near-daily basis and were part and parcel to the culture of Momentums NY operations,' Wigdor LLP partner and associate Michael J. Willemin and Tanvir H. Rahman said in a statement. 'Despite being well aware of this racism, Momentums NY managers did nothing whatsoever to remedy it. When white supervisors admitted to using the n-word, no disciplinary action was taken. When Black employees complained about racism at Momentum, they were fired. As alleged in the complaint, Momentum treated its Black employees as second class citizens - it is time for Momentum to be held accountable for that,' the statement added. Momentum Solar was ranked as the number two energy company in the U.S. The company, founded in 2009, has operations in New Jersey, New York, Florida, Texas, California, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. A spokesperson for Momentum Solar dismissed the allegations saying in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'There is no basis in law or fact for the claims asserted against Pro Custom Solar LLC in the purported Complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York,' the statement read. 'The six disgruntled former hourly employees were terminated for legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons including unacceptable workplace behavior, fighting, poor performance, failure to show up for work and violations of material company policies and procedures. The Company intends to vigorously defend all claims,' it added. Milwaukee Police are searching for Victor Cintron Jr., 23, who was identified as the man who fatally shot his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend at a Milwaukee intersection Friday Police in Wisconsin are searching for a man accused of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend at a traffic stop on Friday. Victor Cintron Jr., 23, was identified as the man who fatally shot Jose Rodriguez, 22, at an intersection in the Milwaukee's Layton Park neighborhood three days ago. Rodriguez's pregnant girlfriend, Lexi Rivera, who said she's carrying Cintron's child, told TMJ 4 she and Rodriguez were on their way to get some food on Friday when they were attacked. The couple was driving west on Forest Home around 2.50pm on Friday when they stopped at a red light at the intersection of South 27th. Rivera said Cintron was driving a Porsche, which drove past her and her boyfriend's vehicle from behind and moved into the middle of the intersection to cut them off. He then fired a barrage of bullets through their windshield, which shattered. "All of a sudden we're at the stop, and here he came flying around us, around from my door, cut us off and just wouldn't stop shooting,' Rivera told TMJ 4. Scroll down for video Jose Rodriguez (left), 22, was shot dead Friday afternoon at a red light in Milwaukee's Layton Park neighborhood. His pregnant girlfriend, Lexi Rivera (right), said she and Rodriguez were on their way to get some food that day when they were attacked by Cintron, who is the estranged father of her unborn child. Rivera (right) said her Rodriguez (left) shielded her and her unborn baby from the barrage of bullets during the attack She said Rodriguez used his body to shield hers from the gunfire. 'He just looked at me and covered me. That's it. Just said "Babe," and threw himself over me,' Rivera said. It was the sad fulfillment of a loving pledge Rodriguez made to Rivera previously. 'He told me every day that he loved me and there was nothing that was going to happen to me. His exact words, that he'll lay his life down on the line for me,' Rivera said. Rivera later told reporters Rodriguez previously told her was willing to, 'lay his life down on the line' for her Milwaukee Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the shooting. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel said Friday that police were looking for Cintron. The 23-year-old is 5-foot 11 inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. Milwaukee police ask anyone with information on Cintron's location to call (414) 935-7360. The baby born on Monday to the United Kingdom's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could have dual British and U.S. citizenship. Baby Sussex, as he is being called since his name has not yet been released, is the first British-American baby born into the British royal family, according to CNN. The child is automatically a British citizen based on Prince Harry's citizenship status and being born in the UK. Assuming that Meghan hasn't voluntarily given up her U.S. citizenship, which she would not have to do in order to become a UK citizen, the baby could be granted U.S. citizenship based on her status. However, U.S. tax implications might prevent the couple from seeking American citizenship for their new bundle of joy. Scroll down for video The baby born on Monday to the United Kingdom's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could have dual British and U.S. citizenship if the couple chooses to seek it. Baby Sussex is already a UK citizen. Meghan and Prince Harry are pictured in March Speaking from Windsor, a visibly-excited Prince Harry (pictured) shared his immense pride on Monday after his son's birth In order for a child who was born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent who is married to a non-US citizen, the citizen, who would be Meghan in this case, must have lived in the United States for at least five years, and two of those years must have been after the age of 14, according to the U.S. Department of State. The birth of Baby Sussex must be reported to an American consulate in order for him to obtain U.S. citizenship. U.S. law doesn't officially recognize dual citizenship, but it doesn't prohibit it either. 'A U.S. citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to his or her U.S. citizenship,' the Department of State website reads. However, people who choose to relinquish U.S. citizenship may do so if they would like to. In order to get U.S. citizenship, thanks to Meghan's status, the couple would need to report his birth to the American consulate 'In order to relinquish U.S. nationality by virtue of naturalization as a citizen of a foreign state, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign nationality voluntarily and with the intention to relinquish U.S. nationality,' the site reads. 'Intent may be shown by the persons statements and conduct.' Baby Sussex's British citizenship will not be affected if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex choose to obtain U.S. citizenship for their child. There are U.S. tax implications, however. The Internal Revenue Service website reads: 'If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien, you must report income from all sources within and outside of the U.S.' Baby Sussex was born weighing seven pounds, three ounces at 5.26am local time. A North Carolina woman has been arrested for allegedly trespassing at the CIA headquarters and asking to speak with 'Agent Penis'. Jennifer G. Hernandez, 58, is accused of trying to sneak into the CIA headquarters in Virginia on four separate occasions last week. Hernandez was arrested following her final attempt to gain access to the facility on Friday. An agent said he spoke to Hernandez at the CIA's visitor control center at about 4.35pm after she said she was there to pick up her North Carolina identification card. Jennifer G. Hernandez, 58, is accused of trying to sneak into the CIA headquarters in Virginia (above) on four separate occasions last week Hernandez then requested to speak to 'Agent Penis', according to court documents. The agent said he reviewed records and realized Hernandez had several other encounters with officials at CIA headquarters in the days prior. According to the court documents, CIA police had 'unintentionally' kept Hernandez's ID card from when she came to the facility a day earlier. Officers returned Hernandez's ID card on Friday and asked her how she was planning to leave the CIA headquarters. Hernandez told them she was taking a bus so multiple officers accompanied her to the nearby bus stop and waited. When the bus arrived, Hernandez allegedly said to the officers: 'Do you really think I'm going to leave?' The officers warned her she would be arrested if she didn't leave, but Hernandez allegedly refused to get on the bus. Hernandez was arrested on her final attempt to gain access to the CIA on Friday. She told an officer on her last attempt that she wanted to speak to 'Agent Penis' She was subsequently arrested for remaining on an Agency property after being ordered to leave. The day before her arrest, Hernandez allegedly arrived at the CIA headquarters in an Uber. She told officers she needed to 'speak to her recruiter' and that she knew to come to the headquarters because 'phone was off'. Hernandez was cited for trespassing before she left on a public bus. On May 1, Hernandez had arrived at the facility in the back seat of a Lyft and told officers via the video phone at the entrance that she was meeting with her recruiter. She was issued a written warning for trespassing once authorities realized she had no official business at the CIA. Hernandez first came to the CIA headquarters on April 22 on foot and explained to an officer that she had applied for a job at the CIA and a recruiter had told her to come to the facility directly. The officer told her she was trespassing and she left on foot. Hernandez was charged with criminal trespassing and remains at Alexandria City Jail. Prince Charles will ask politicians to protect Britain's historic bond with Germany in a speech Prince Charles will tonight ask politicians to protect Britain's historic bond with Germany. In what may be seen as a push for a softer Brexit, the heir to the throne will point out that the two nations have transcended years of conflict to become friends and partners. And he will say he hopes any future relationship stays strong for the sake of young people today and generations to come. The prince is to speak in Berlin at an event to celebrate the Queen's birthday following a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. He will acknowledge the Brexit crisis, saying of Anglo-German ties: 'It is a relationship in transition. 'But whatever the shape of our future relationship, and whatever is negotiated and agreed between governments and institutions, it is more clear to me than it has ever been, that the bonds between us will, and must, endure and that our young people, and future generations, will have as much cause to cherish those bonds as our generation has had. 'Our countries and our people have been through so much together. As we look towards the future, I can only hope that we can also pledge to redouble our commitment to each other and to the ties between us. 'In so doing, we can ensure that our continent will never again see the division and conflict of the past; that together, we will continue to be an indispensable force for good in our world; and that the friendships and partnerships that bind us together will continue to create opportunity for us all.' The Prince of Wales will acknowledge the Brexit crisis in his speech and say it is a 'relationship in transition'. He is pictured with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Theresa May at St James's Palace in London on July 10 last year Prince Charles's trip begins in Berlin today as the royal couple meet Mrs Merkel and German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Charles and Mrs Merkel are pictured in Paris in 2015 Charles's speech will come at the start of a four-day trip to Germany with his wife, Camilla. Undertaken at the request of the British Government, the visit will highlight the depth of the bilateral relationship and its 'enduring importance to both countries'. Charles and Camilla's trip was supposed to come in the wake of Britain's departure from the EU on March 29. It was decided the visit should go ahead despite Brexit being delayed. Since the Queen no longer travels abroad, any visit by Charles is akin to a state visit and viewed by the Government as a weapon in its diplomatic armoury. Senior royals are seen to have the ability to open doors that politicians cannot. The trip begins in Berlin today as the royal couple meet Mrs Merkel and German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier. They will lay a wreath to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Berlin airlift, in which Britain played a significant part, as well as attend a dinner hosted by the British ambassador at which Charles will deliver his speech. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (pictured on April 10) will meet the royal couple as part of the trip which was scheduled to take place after the March 29 Brexit Tomorrow they will travel to Leipzig and then to Munich, where Camilla will highlight projects working with victims of domestic violence. It is the prince's speech, however, that is expected to capture the headlines. One aide said Charles, who has spent weeks crafting his words in Highgrove and Birkhall, his English and Scottish country retreats, feels passionately that 'despite whatever may happen in the political process we cannot lose the cultural ties that bind us'. 'It was written from a deeply personal perspective given his family connections,' the source added. He will highlight his family's German ancestry an interesting move given that his ancestors spent many years playing this down. George V changed the family name from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor because of anti-German sentiment in the First World War. Since the Queen no longer travels abroad, any visit by Charles is akin to a state visit and viewed by the Government as a weapon in its diplomatic armoury, representing the interests of the government abroad. Mrs Merkel and Mrs May are pictured on April 9 in Berlin Charles will say today: 'For some of us, of course, these connections are particularly personal. For me there are so many family connections and associations with Germany, as indeed with so many parts of Europe, going back for generations. 'This year, for instance, we celebrate the bicentenaries of my great, great, great grandparents, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who were both born in 1819. 'Prinz Albert von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha was the most remarkable man who, in his all-too-short life, had such far-reaching influence on the arts, science, trade and industry in Britain. 'To my family, he brought not just familial ties to what is now Germany, which we still cherish, but an affinity with German culture, and tradition, and a wish to share it across national borders. 'Today, we are so much more than simply neighbours: we are friends and natural partners, bound together by our common experience, mutual interests and shared values. 'These past decades have seen extraordinary change across Europe and Berlin is a proud statement of just how far we have come and of the enduring hope of past, present and future generations. 'We must take nothing for granted, and of how today, as for centuries, the fortunes of all of us who share this small continent are so tightly interwoven by the myriad connections between us.' The Queen was also seen as having entered the Brexit fray, telling her local Women's Institute in Sandringham, Norfolk, of the need for common ground and 'never losing sight of the bigger picture'. It echoed her Christmas address when she said that treating others with respect was 'always a good first step towards greater understanding.' And the Duke of Cambridge has also urged people to 'come together in times of trouble and work for the common good'. One of the 41 people in a fiery crash of a plane in Russia on Sunday was an American citizen who was on his way to work as a fishing guide. Jeremy Brooks, 22, had just graduated college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, his friends told the New York Post. Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, he was heading to the city of Murmansk for Summer work when the plane he was on became engulfed in flames following an emergency landing, and he didn't make it out alive. 'He was very excited about it,' Cruze Armendariz,a longtime friend of Brooks told The Post. 'He knew that after that season, he was going to be set. He wanted to go to Alaska. He wanted go to Argentina. He had a lot of plans.' At least two children and one crew member were killed in the inferno which engulfed the Aeroflot flight on Sunday. Scroll down for video One of the 41 people in a fiery crash of a plane in Russia on Sunday was American citizen Jeremy Brooks, 22, who had just graduated college and was on his way to work as a fishing guide in the city of Murmansk Russian officials are still probing the cause of the tragedy, suggesting three theories: insufficient pilot qualifications, equipment failure, and weather. They do not intend to ground the type of aircraft. Both flight recorders have today been recovered, which will allow investigators to examine what went wrong aboard a plane which pilot Denis Evdokimov - and some passengers - said had been hit by lightning. Survivor Petr Egorov said: 'We took off and lightning hit the plane. The aircraft returned and the landing was tough. We all nearly fainted from fear. The plane jumped on the runway like a grasshopper and it caught fire on the ground.' Friends of Brooks, who died in the blaze, called him 'magnetic' and noted his love for the sport of fishing. Everyone always wanted to be around him, he was so positive,' friend Liam Daly said. Another friend, Stewart Ottersberg, said, 'Fly fishing 'was all [Brooks] ever talked about. It was what he loved to do.' At least 41 people died, including two children and one crew member along with Brooks, after the jet crash landed and burst into flames at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on Sunday. The plane's captain said the crash was due to a lightning strike Passengers scrambled to evacuate the jet after it made an emergency landing in Moscow on Sunday, with survivors complaining that some people stopped to grab their bags, slowing the operation down Brooks' loved ones were shocked that he was among the many who perished in the tragedy on Sunday. 'My friend called me saying [Brooks] was aboard that plane that caught on fire and he didnt make it. And at first, I couldnt believe it,' Armendariz said. 'We have this theory, just from knowing him, he was such a sweet soul. We kind of in our minds believe that he might have tried to help people [when he died].' Another of Brooks' friends, Koa Forese, had the same guess, telling the Post that Brooks was in the back of the plane, apparently seated across the aisle from where the first started. 'I guarantee you that he never stepped in front of or took any initiative to pass a woman or child,' Forese said. Survivors described how people panicked as the plane came in to land trailing thick smoke and flames, rushing to the escape exits at the front of the aircraft The rear of the aircraft, a Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet, was completely burned away by the fireball. Survivors and crew told how a lightning strike was to blame, despite early reports of an electrical fault The charred remains of the Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet on Monday. It is still unclear as to what caused the inferno The Russian TASS news agency identified Brooks as the U.S. victim. Brooks was the only American killed in the plane fire, according to a representative for the U.S. embassy in Russia, as confirmed to the Moscow Times. Aeroflot and Sheremetyevo airport on Monday expressed 'deep regret' over the plane fire tragedy. 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. The majority of the fatalities are likely to be Russians, officials said, since the flight was domestic, set to fly from Moscow to the Arctic Circle city of Murmansk. There were 73 passengers and five crew member on board the plane. Reports have emerged that the death toll may have risen due to passengers wasting time by grabbing their carry-on luggage before evacuating the plane, preventing others from getting to safety. The authorities in Murmansk have declared three days of mourning over the loss of life. The SSJ-100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines on fire during an emergency landing in Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia West Park Hospital has gone now. It was demolished more than 20 years ago to make way for a row of houses as newly affluent couples moved into the Los Angeles suburb of Canoga Park. But back in the early 1980s, when Thomas Markle, then a hotshot Hollywood lighting director, and his pretty new bride, Doria Ragland, moved into the area, its maternity unit was much in demand. In those days, Dr Malverse Martin was a recently-qualified gynaecologist working at the hospital. Meghan was born in West Park Hospital in Los Angeles 37 years ago, delivered by Dr Malverse Martin. She is pictured with her mother Doria Ragland hours after her birth Today, he runs his private practice from a clinic on the opposite side of the road. Dr Martin, now 69, was the clinician the Markles came to see when Doria fell pregnant. Husband and wife were certainly an incongruous pair: he a 35-year-old, balding, and slightly ungainly bear of a man of Caucasian stock; she a petite black woman, 12 years his junior, who wore flowers in her braided hair and flowing hippie clothes. It was in the small hours of August 4, 1981, that Dr Martin was called to West Park's maternity wing where he delivered their baby a strikingly gorgeous girl with shiny eyes and wispy curls. Her birth certificate shows that he brought Rachel Meghan Markle into the world at 04.46 that morning. This month, the Daily Mail became the first newspaper to track down Dr Martin. Of course, having overseen the birth of more than 20,000 babies, he cannot remember delivering Meghan who arrived in rather different circumstances to those of the new royal baby. But he was thrilled to learn his name was on the duchess's birth certificate. Meghan was born without fanfare, in a rather drab room overlooking a thrumming freeway. It is unclear whether her father Thomas was there at the birth From my extensive research into Meghan's background, however, I can well imagine how her earliest moments contrasted with those of her son and her husband Harry 'This is something! I delivered a duchess. I'm honoured. It's very exciting,' he told us. 'Believe it or not, I saw her wedding [to Harry]. It was beautiful,' said Dr Martin, whose career suffered a blip in 2007, when he had his licence suspended for 30 days for failing to maintain proper medical records. From my extensive research into Meghan's background, however, I can well imagine how her earliest moments contrasted with those of her son. No doubt Harry was at her side and there was a team of eminent experts on call. Meghan was born without fanfare, in a rather drab room overlooking a thrumming freeway. By some accounts, her father was there at the birth. But others suggest relations between Thomas and Doria were already strained, although they weren't divorced until Meghan was six. In any case, Doria's mother, Jeanette Ragland was with her when she went into labour at West Park Hospital. A photo of Doria holding Meghan a few hours after the birth says much about the circumstances. Though the new mother is clearly overjoyed, something about her expression seems to betray her vulnerability, loneliness and exhaustion. Dr Martin said he was 'honoured' to have delivered a duchess and watched Meghan and Harry's wedding last year Moreover, she had little time to bond with her daughter, for within a few weeks she returned to work. As Thomas also spent long hours in the TV studios, Meghan was often left in the care of her Granny Jeanette. Despite these fractured beginnings, however, she was such a delightful baby both in looks and temperament that she was doted on by everyone in her extended family. Everyone, I should say, apart from her teenage half-sister, Samantha (then called Yvonne), who, according to several relatives I spoke to, was bitterly envious of Meghan from the outset. In fairness, she had reason to be jealous. The product of their father's first marriage, Samantha, 16, and her brother, Thomas Junior, 15, were then living with Thomas Senior and Doria, in Woodland Hills, a fashionable residential neighbourhood not far from the maternity hospital. Until Meghan arrived, Samantha a budding model and actress had been the apple of her father's eye. He showered her with attention, spent lavishly on her, and used his influence to help her gain her first modelling assignment, in a jeans commercial. However, from the moment he brought her cute little half-sister home to a bedroom filled with fluffy toys and decorated with colourful mobiles Meghan became his clear favourite and Samantha felt frozen out. As her half-brother, Thomas Junior, told me, this made for a constantly strained domestic atmosphere. It was exacerbated by his own bitter feuding with his sister, and the simmering friction between Samantha and her youthful step-mother. One must wonder, too, whether Meghan's upbringing was affected by the use of recreational drugs by some members of her family. Thomas Junior admitted to me that he and his friends smoked marijuana in the house, and says Samantha did likewise. He also recalls how his father threw wild parties for his Hollywood friends, bringing baby Meghan down in her dressing gown to show her off. Additionally, Thomas Senior has confessed to taking 'the occasional sniff' of cocaine when Meghan was little. Meghan's childhood was made yet more challenging by the undercurrent of racism that ran through the predominantly white, middle-class suburb where she spent her first few years. The bigotry was so virulent that, when Doria took her months-old daughter out for walks in her pushchair, some neighbours 'mistakenly' supposed she was Meghan's black nursemaid. And yet, despite all this turbulence, the little girl caught in the middle of it all appears to have emerged largely unscathed. In fact, amid the discord Meghan unwittingly became a unifying figure, acting as a conduit between her warring parents, both of whom doted on her, and bringing factions together by her magnetic presence at family gatherings. She has never bemoaned her difficult childhood. Rather, she depicts it as an idyllic time, when she and her father fished for trout in the wilds of California, and he helped stage her school stage productions. And when her mother taught her to cook exotic dishes, went jogging with her around the neighbourhood streets, and took her to the poorest parts of Jamaica and Mexico to broaden her awareness. A very different upbringing awaits Baby Sussex, of course, but it will surely be informed by his mother's early experiences in Los Angeles. A Vermont man charged with killing five teenagers in a wrong-way crash almost three years ago was psychotic and delusional at the time and thus legally insane, his lawyer argued Monday during opening statements in his client's murder trial. The lawyer for Steven Bourgoin acknowledged his client was driving the vehicle that killed the teenagers but said that Bourgoin was 'totally out of his mind' at the time, and the attorney said he will present evidence to that effect. In the days leading up to the Oct. 8, 2016, crash in Williston, Bourgoin believed he was on some sort of secret mission, said Defense Attorney Bob Katims. 'In the days before the crash he became more and more delusional, thinking he was seeing or getting some sort of messages about a government mission he was to participate in,' Katims told the jury. Steven Bourgoin, 38, appears for the first day of his trial in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington on Monday Bourgoin (left) faces five counts of second-degree murder. If convicted, he could receive between 20 years to life for each count. He is seen right in May 2017 On October 8, 2016, Bourgoing was driving his truck the wrong way at high speeds on Interstate 89. The truck crashed into a car carrying five teenagers, all of whom were killed Video courtesy My Champlain Valley 'This is a tragedy,' Katims said. 'The death of these children, horrible.' Katims said that in the days prior to the crash, Bourgoin didn't sleep and broke his phone because he was suffering from paranoia and delusion, WCAX-TV reported. Bourgoin, he said, doesn't even remember the crash. 'The evidence will be that Steven Bourgoin was totally psychotic and delusional at the time of the crash,' he said. Deputy Chittenden County State's Attorney Susan Hardin said that during pretrial interviews with mental health professionals, the experts differed on Bourgoin's mental health at the time of the crash. But she said that Bourgoin, while troubled, would meet the legal definition of being sane. 'How could this have happened? Why would someone do this, they'd have to be crazy, right?' Hardin said during her opening statement. 'But that's not the question you are being asked to decide. You are going to decide whether he was legally insane at the time.' Mary Harris (left), 16, of Moretown, and Cyrus Zschau (right), 16, also of Moretown, were killed The other victims were identified as Liam Hale (left), 16; Janie Cozzi (center), 15; and Eli Brookens (right), 16 The families of the victims are seen above in the courtroom in Burlington on Monday Bourgoin, 38, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of second-degree murder and other charges stemming from the crash. Prosecutors allege that Bourgoin left his home that night, got onto the interstate going south and then turned around, heading at speeds approaching 90 miles per hour north in the southbound lane. Just after cresting what's known locally as French Hill, he collided with the car that carried the five teenagers. The crash killed Mary Harris, 16, of Moretown; Cyrus Zschau, 16, of Moretown; Liam Hale, 16, of Fayston; Janie Cozzi, 15, of Fayston; and Eli Brookens, 16, of Waterbury. Four of the teenagers attended Harwood Union High School in Duxbury. Cozzi attended Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire. After the initial crash, Bourgoin allegedly stole a Williston police cruiser and again headed south on the interstate before turning around and crashing again. He was initially arraigned at the hospital. Katims said that he would show how Bourgoin's life deteriorated in the days leading up to the crash. Bourgoin is seen above during his arraignment in a makeshift courtroom at the University of Vermont Medical Center on October 14, 2016 He wasn't sleeping and, in the hours before the crash, he even sought help at the University of Vermont Medical Center emergency room. 'He thinks some government agency is trying to connect with him, FBI, state police, NSA (National Security Agency),' Katims said. If Bourgoin is found to have been legally insane at the time of the crash, the charges against him would be dismissed and the judge would determine whether he should be hospitalized or treated in the community. If the jury rejects the insanity defense and convicts him of some or all of the criminal charges, the judge would impose a sentence. Under Vermont law, a conviction of second-degree murder carries a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Michelle Murphy, 37, claims Michael Gargiulo stabbed her 'seven or eight times' during an attack at her Santa Monica apartment in April 2008 The lone surviving victim of the 'Hollywood Ripper' struggled to fight back tears in court today as she told of how she woke up naked in bed to find a hooded attacker straddling her and repeatedly stabbing her with a serrated knife. Michelle Murphy, 37, claims Michael Gargiulo stabbed her 'seven or eight times' as she 'grabbed the knife with both hands to try to stop him' during the 2008 attack, she told a Los Angeles courtroom. Gargiulo, 43, is accused of attempting to murder her and killing two other women - Ashton Kutcher's girlfriend Ashley Ellerin and mother-of-four Maria Bruno. During the frenzied attack at her Santa Monica apartment, Murphy testified that she screamed at her attacker, 'Why are you doing this?' But he said nothing - until he ran out the door of her apartment and said 'I'm sorry' before he was gone, she said. During Murphy's more than two hours of dramatic testimony, the jury was shown graphic photographs of the deep and bloody gashes inflicted to her right arm, chest and hands - wounds she still bears the scars of today. Gargiulo, 43, (pictured) is accused of attempting to murder Murphy and killing two other women - Ashton Kutcher's girlfriend Ashley Ellerin and mother-of-four Maria Bruno. Pictured: Gargiulo in LA Superior Court last Thursday Murphy, is the prosecution's star witness, since she is the only one who survived an alleged attack by Gargiulo (pictured) after she kicked her hooded attacker off of her Brown-haired Murphy, who wore a black shirt and black pants, is the prosecution's star witness, since she is the only one who survived an alleged attack by Gargiulo. The shaven-headed former air-conditioning and heating repairman was dressed in a striped blue and white shirt, blue patterned tie and dark pants, as he stared blank-faced at Murphy. She sat in the witness box recounting how on April 28, 2008, she returned from work to her apartment - across the alley from where Gargiulo was living at the time. After doing her laundry, Murphy - then 26 - worked out in the alley next to her home, skipping rope and doing sprints. Then, after showering and watching some TV, she went to bed, naked, around 10.30pm, she told the court. The next thing she knew, she woke up and 'there was someone on top of me stabbing me. My arm was being stabbed.' Murphy - whose roommate was away for the night - said her attacker straddled her with one foot on the ground and one on the floor. Motioning with her left hand, she demonstrated to the court how the man kept stabbing her with his left hand. 'I could tell it was a knife. I though it was serrated,' she said. 'I grabbed at the knife with both hands to get some leverage to keep him from stabbing me. But he still stabbed me.' Pictured: The bloody hands of survivor Michelle Murphy were shown to the jury after she fought off her attacker and survived. The defendant, dubbed 'the boy next door killer', is said to have stabbed Michelle multiple times at her Santa Monica home Prosecutor Daniel Akemon told the jury that Gargiulo - a neighbor of each victim at the time of the attacks - could watch Michelle, who said she woke to find him in her home one night. They also argued his DNA was on her comforter (pictured) Pictures from inside Murphy's bathroom (left) show the aftermath of her attack as she tried to stem her heavy bleeding. Diagrams of the wounds to Ashley Ellerin's body are pictured right Murphy - who is only 5ft 1in tall - told how she battled her assailant, who was wearing a dark hoodie with the hood up, and at one point screamed at him: 'Why are you doing this?' But he 'said nothing,' Murphy said. As she struggled for her life, Murphy recalled to the court: 'I brought my legs up toward my chestand I kicked him off me. He fell off the bed and ran out.' Murphy said the knifeman ran down the hallway, into the living room, where he allegedly said 'I'm sorry' before running out of her front door and into the night. A hysterical Murphy ran to the front door, slammed, and locked it. Then she called her boyfriend, Vincent Bruno, who is now her husband, the court heard. 'I just wanted someone else to know what happened,' sobbed Murphy, recalling why she called Bruno first, before calling 911. Assistant district attorney Garrett Dameron played the jury a recording of Murphy's 911 call in which she cries and sobs as she tells the police about her terrifying encounter with a would-be killer who had entered her apartment by cutting the screening on an open window in her living room. The jury was also shown pictures of her blood-spattered sheets and comforter, a trail of blood along the apartment hallway, bloodstains on her front door and a bloody hand-print on the floor where Murphy had put her hand down to steady herself 'when I felt like I was going to pass out,' after the attack. Santa Monica police officer Stephen Smetzer was first on the scene. Smetzer told the court that, after making sure the attacker was gone, he checked out Murphy's apartment and found a 'large amount of blood' in her bedroom and living room. When he examined the crime scene, he also spotted a shoe print on the railing below the open window where the attacker had cut the screen to gain entry. He also found a trail of blood leading from Murphy's front door and out along a walkway toward the back alley where Gargiulo's apartment was just 100 feet away. Gargiulo is believed to have killed up to 10 women, including Maria Bruno, 32,(right) in 2005 and 18-year-old Tricia Pacaccio in 1993(left) Murphy was so traumatized by her brush with near death that she 'never returned' to that Santa Monica apartment, instead moving to a new place and having friends and family pick up her belongings. After leaving the hospital following the attack, she needed surgery on her right hand, then physical therapy. She also sought counseling to help her through the post traumatic effects of the violence she suffered. She told the court that she's much more careful in her life today, saying: 'I'm much more aware of the people around me and my surroundings. And I make sure everything is always locked.' Another of Gargiulo's alleged victims, Kutcher's ex Ellerin, was found dead in 2001 in her Hollywood Hills home. The actor told police he went to pick up the fashion student-model for a post-Grammy Awards party, but she did not answer the door. He checked a back window and spotted what he thought were red wine stains on the carpet and then left. Her body was discovered the next day by a friend. Another of Gargiulo's alleged victims, Ashton Kutcher's ex Ashley Ellerin (left), was found dead in 2001 in her Hollywood Hills home. The actor told police he went to pick up the fashion student-model for a post-Grammy Awards party, but she did not answer the door This map shows the floorplan of Ellerin's Hollywood Hills bungalow where she was murdered. It depicts where her body was found stabbed to death The prosecutor showed diagrams of the stab wounds next to the actual photos of Ellerin's body to the jury as the trial got underway Thursday. Ashley was stabbed to death in the hallway outside her bathroom,' Akemon told the jury. 'She was stabbed over 47 timesshe was almost decapitated.' Ellerin was left with gaping wounds - some up to six inches deep - by a knife-wielding intruder who attacked her while she was taking a shower. Akemon also showed horrifying images from inside the home of 32-year-old Maria Bruno, found stabbed to death in suburban El Monte in 2005. Bruno's breasts had been cut off during the brutal attacks and the jury were shown the graphic pictures from the crime scene after her estranged husband, Irving Bruno, found her lying in a 'pool of blood'. The knife pack used to mutilate her was found on the kitchen floor with the chef's knife missing, pictures showed. A desperate Irving Bruno called 911, saying: 'They took her breast...my wife has breast implants...they placed it over her mouth.' In earlier testimony, Gargiulo's one-time business partner Gustavo Bone - who ran a firm called Gus the Plumber with the accused killer from 2006 to 2008 - told the court that a white van with the name 'Gus the Plumber' on the side and parked under Gargiulo's apartment across the alley from Murphy's home, belonged to Gargiulo. Bone also told the court that in his work van, Gargiulo always kept a large supply of blue bootees that he used when working in customers' homes - the same kind of bootees as the one found at the scene of the Bruno's murder. Gargiulo has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and an attempted-murder charge stemming from attacks in the Los Angeles area between 2001 and 2008. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. He will be tried separately for Pacaccio's murder in Illinois in 1993. The birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son isn't just a momentous occasion for the new parents it's a symbolic moment for mixed race people across the UK. For the first time, a member of the Royal Family is mixed race, which means that after decades of white English blood the royals are finally starting to reflect the situation in Britain. Mixed race is the fastest-growing ethnic minority group in Britain. The census has only been recording mixed races since 2001 it categorises them as white and black Caribbean; white and black African; white and Asian; other mixed when 1.3 per cent of the population of England and Wales used them. Meghan has spoken previously about her struggles growing up mixed race in the US where she saw her mother racially abused By the time of the 2011 census, this had almost doubled to 2.3 per cent, but experts believe the real figure is double this, meaning there are more than two million mixed race people in England and Wales. Dr Reenee Singh, director of the London Intercultural Couples Centre, who has a half-Indian, half-white 13-year-old son, believes that the rise of the mixed-race population shows just how much the UK is changing in terms of shifting social attitudes and greater integration. She said: 'There has been progress but it's more complicated than people realise. Inter-racial families often struggle with discrimination and identity issues about how difficult it is to express their identities in a mixed family.' The new royal prince is one-quarter black as Meghan Markle was born to her white American father Thomas Markle and African-American mother Doria. The new royal prince is one-quarter black as Meghan Markle was born to her white American father Thomas Markle and African-American mother Doria In 2015, two years before she met Prince Harry, Meghan wrote a candid article for American Elle magazine in which described her experiences of growing up mixed-race. While her dark-skinned mother was subjected to racist abuse, Meghan struggled to find her own identity as a child 'with a foot on both sides of the fence', and then later as an aspiring young actress desperate for her first break. Meghan's parents met at a TV studio in Los Angeles, where Thomas was working as a lighting director and Doria was a temp in the studio. Meghan said after marrying and having her they settled in a 'leafy and affordable' neighbourhood where Doria, 'caramel in complexion with her light-skinned baby in tow was asked where my mother was, because they assumed she was the nanny. 'I was too young at the time to know what it was like for my parents, but I can tell you what it was like for me how they crafted the world around me to make me feel like I wasn't different, but special.' She described a touching story of how Doria and Thomas, although they divorced when Meghan was six, worked hard to make sure their daughter felt included. 'When I was about seven I had been fawning over a boxed set of Barbie dolls. It was called the Heart Family and included a mom doll, a dad doll and two children. 'This perfect nuclear family was sold in sets of white dolls or black dolls. 'I don't remember coveting one over the other, I just wanted one. On Christmas morning, there I found my Heart Family a black mom doll, a white dad doll and a child in each colour. My dad had taken the sets apart and customised the family.' For the first time, a member of the Royal Family is mixed race, reflecting the situation in Britain Meghan went to the Immaculate Heart High School, a private Roman Catholic school in Los Angeles, where she said her parents could no longer protect her as much as they would like from the challenges her mixed heritage would present. She recalled a mandatory census the children had to complete in her English class, when she was aged about 12, where they had to tick one of the boxes to indicate ethnicity white, black, Hispanic or Asian. Meghan had no idea which one to pick. She wrote: 'There I was my curly hair, my freckled face, my pale skin, my mixed-race, looking down at these boxes, not wanting to mess up, but not knowing what to do. You could only choose one, but that would be to choose one parent over the other and one half of myself over the other. 'My teacher told me to check the box for Caucasian. 'Because that's how you look, Meghan,' she said. I put down my pen. Not as an act of defiance, but rather a symptom of my confusion. I couldn't bring myself to do that to picture the pit-in-her-belly sadness my mother would feel if she were to find out. 'So I didn't tick a box. I left my identity blank a question mark, an absolute incomplete much like how I felt. 'When I went home that night I told my dad what had happened. He said the words that have always stayed with me 'If that happens again, you draw your own box'.' Yet she still encountered 'closed mindedness' about her parentage when she headed to university in Illinois to study theatre and international studies. She recalled: 'A dorm mate I met in my first week asked if my parents were still together. 'She said "You said your mom is black and your dad is white, right?" I smiled meekly, waiting for what could possibly come out of her pursed lips next. "And they're divorced?" I nodded. "Oh, well that makes sense." 'I understood the implication and I drew back I was scared to open this Pandora's box of discrimination so I sat stifled, swallowing my voice.' A nastier encounter of racism occurred one day when the adolescent Meghan returned from university to visit her mother in Los Angeles. Meghan wrote: 'She was called the 'N' word. We were leaving a concert and she wasn't pulling out of a parking space quickly enough for another driver. I looked to my mom Her eyes welling with hateful tears. We drove home in deafening silence, her chocolate knuckles pale from gripping the wheel so tightly.' Meghan said that in her career as an actress she found that she could play a number of races because she was 'ethnically ambiguous'. But she ultimately discovered 'I wasn't black enough for the black roles and I wasn't white enough for the white ones, leaving me somewhere in the middle as the ethnic chameleon who couldn't book a job.' Meghan stressed: 'While my mixed heritage may have created a grey area surrounding my self-identification, keeping me with a foot on both sides of the fence, I have come to embrace that. To say who I am, to share where I'm from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman.' In the article, Meghan described how she was asked 'every week of her life, often every day' what she was and where she came from as people struggled to place her ethnicity. Sometimes she tried to swerve the question, describing herself as a 'good cook and a firm believer in hand-written notes'. Now, as the mother of a little boy who is seventh in line to the throne, it's a question she will never have to answer again. Gently does it: Harry cradles newborn Jean-Luc Jordan at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Bridgetown, Barbados, in 2010 So here at last is the moment that Prince Harry admits he has been longing for since he was very young. Not a common yearning in the younger generation, most of whom are having their first child later and later these days. Imagine his excitement now, and the easing of his envy of William. Like his elder brother, Harry, too, is a family man at last. How poignantly that word family sits on him. For while the early death of Princess Diana bestowed a steely independence on the then 15-year-old Prince William, it had the opposite effect on Prince Harry, then 12, plunging him into a cycle of gloom. He never really broke free until he met Meghan. Now that rehabilitation is, surely, complete, with the arrival of a baby boy. No one observing the 34-year-old princes interaction with children all over the world in recent times can have many doubts about the kind of father he is likely to be attentive, concerned, patient, and full of fun a big kid himself. Blowing bubbles: Prince Harry makes faces with Lintle at a childrens home on his return to Lesotho in 2006 to launch his charity Sentebale One clergyman close to the Royal Family for three generations has watched Harry since he was a child, and says: One thing Harry will never be is an absentee father. He will want to be involved with everything even changing the little ones nappies. Like William, Harry has emerged from the wreckage of his parents acrimoniously shattered marriage determined that his own children would never suffer similarly. He sees the bringing up of his and Meghans baby, and any that follow, as a modern partnership, probably spending as much time in the nursery as his wife. He has already told friends that he intends to do his share of getting up in the night to help. This is everything that Harry has always wanted but there are dangers. Even the priest acknowledges albeit with a smile that Harrys broken family background is likely to make him an over-indulgent father. Prince of fun: The child in Harry was never more apparent than when he made time to entertain the babies in the crowds during his and Meghans royal tour of New Zealand last year This happens all the time, he says. And here we have two parents from broken homes. And yet the general feeling among their friends is that Meghan will be the firmer parent, laying down the law when Harry takes a softer line. It must be said that although Charles and Diana were besotted parents, they could scarcely have been called hands-on. Even so, Harry has many wonderful memories of his own childhood. From the moment of his birth, there was a nursery nurse, nannies and other domestic staff ever ready to take charge. When they first became parents, Diana had to insist on Charles making time to visit the Kensington Palace nursery, morning and evening. It had to be written into his schedule. With Harry, the problem will be keeping him out, quips one of their close friends. He loves kids. So will fatherhood change Prince Harry? Intriguingly, William has admitted that it certainly changed him. No one observing the 34-year-old princes interaction with children all over the world in recent times can have many doubts about the kind of father he is likely to be attentive, concerned, patient, and full of fun a big kid himself. He is pictured above in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2015 Im a lot more emotional that I used to be, weirdly, he said when his second child, Charlotte, was born in 2015. Now the smallest little things, you well up a little more, you get affected by the sort of things that happen around the world or whatever, a lot more, I think, as a father. One could certainly attach those thoughts, too, to Harry, who in March made an impassioned speech to 12,000 youngsters at Wembley Arena about the dangers to the world of climate change. When Hope met Harry: This Is the moment five-year-old Hope Hillis from Lisburn, who endured more than 50 major operations, gave the Prince a lick on his right cheek when they met in 2012 The impending birth of his own child was clearly on his mind when he told them: Every blade of grass, every ray of sun and every raindrop is crucial to our survival. With his child having an American mother and grandmother, Harry has already privately made it plain that he expects him to be a citizen of the world rather than to have a central role in royal life, despite being seventh in line to the throne. Its very much in keeping with this that the babys arrival was not instantly announced to an excited world. Similarly, their original plan for a home birth (which would not follow recent royal tradition) was seen at the time as the laying down of a marker that things were going to be different. Harry was determined that Meghan should avoid the circus of publicity that surrounded the birth of all three of Williams children. So it is perhaps, symbolic of the future that Meghans mother, Doria, who has been staying with the couple at Frogmore Cottage (their new home in Windsor Great Park) saw the new grandchild before the Prince of Wales. The same happened with Williams first child, when Carole and Michael Middleton got a peep at Prince George, now five, before either Prince Charles or the Queen. Like Kate and her mother, Meghan and Doria, who was her sole family member at the couples wedding, have the warmest mother-daughter relationship. Harry has also become very fond of Doria and is determined that as his childs only grandmother, she will have a meaningful role in the babys upbringing. It must surely be likely that Baby Sussex will spend at least part of his schooling in America something Diana hoped would be the case for both William and Harry. Harrys memories of his own childhood include very different experiences with his mother and with his father. Princess Dianas informality, even in public, scooping him and his brother up into her arms and taking them to theme parks has made a lifelong impression on him. Hold tight: Diana and seven-year-old Harry enjoy the thrills of Thorpe Park. Like his elder brother, Harry, too, is a family man at last When the time comes, hell want to tell his first-born, and any who follow, all about the wonderful grandmother they never knew. Unlike Diana, though, Charles has always been awkwardly formal in public with his children. Typically, when he took Harry, then 13, to meet the Spice Girls backstage after a concert in South Africa, the star-struck boy had to wear a jacket and tie. Some said, wrongly, that this showed Charles to be a cold-fish father. In fact, he was just as demonstrative as Diana, but only in private. Gap year: Harry helps Mutsu plant a tree at a childrens home in Lesotho in 2004 His valet was always having to clean sheep droppings off his suits. The reason? Whenever Charles arrived by helicopter at Highgrove when the children were small, they would rush out to greet him across a field of grazing sheep. As he swept them up into his arms, everything they had trodden in en-route was transferred to his clothes. No one expects Harry to take his fathers approach with his own children in public. He has inherited the tactile informality of his mother. The way he gets down on his knees to the level of small children is so reminiscent of Diana. So we can expect to see Prince Harry carrying his toddler son on his shoulders, and romping in the sand by the sea. A key question will be how independent the young family will be in their relatively isolated home, 30 miles from the bustle and attention of the capital. Having her mother at Windsor for the early days will be crucial for Meghan, who will be 38 in August. For she and Harry are understood to want to stave off having a full-time nanny for as long as possible. Eventually, however, Doria will return home to her own life in California, where the former make-up artist has most recently worked as a yoga teacher and social worker. Harry tickling his two-year-old cousin Mia Tindall. He sees the bringing up of his and Meghans baby, and any that follow, as a modern partnership, probably spending as much time in the nursery as his wife The zeal with which Meghan has joined Harry in humanitarian campaigning will ultimately force them to employ full-time help. Unlike William and Kate, for whom the very capable and willing Granny Carole was always on hand to help, Harry and Meghan will be left with just one blood grandparent Charles. Not exactly the ideal choice as a babysitter! Certainly, Charles will hope to be more involved with his fourth grandchild than he was with the first three, when, at times, he complained that he felt he had been excluded. Happily, he has a much warmer relationship with Harry than he does with William. As for Harrys paternity leave, he is said to be keen to have as much time as possible. Aides have been told that he might want to take a month off. And he will want to cherish every minute of it. A Pakistani popcorn seller has built his own plane using sack-cloth and bits of a rickshaw - for just 500. Muhammad Fayyaz saved everything he could by working as a popcorn seller and a security guard, in order to realise his childhood dream and build a plane. Remarkably, Mr Fayyaz, who lives in the village of Arifwala, learned to build his fantastic flying machine by mainly viewing TV clips and looking at online blueprints. The plane is made from everything you wouldn't imagine an aircraft to be made from such as a roadcutter engine, wings constructed of burlap, and wheels taken from a rickshaw. His stunning work has caught the attention of the country's air force whose representatives have now visited him multiple times and even issued a certificate to commend his work. The engine is from a roadcutter, the wings are burlap, the wheels are borrowed from a rickshaw: a Pakistani popcorn seller has caught the attention of the Air Force by building his own plane Muhammad Fayyaz claims Pakistani military representatives have now visited him multiple times and issued a certificate to commend his work Speaking of his first flight, Mr Fayyaz said: 'I was literally in the air. I couldn't feel anything else.' Visitors have flocked to see Mr Fayyaz's unique creation, which now sits in the empty courtyard of his three-room home in the village of Tabur in central Punjab province. Mr Fayyaz, 32, dreamed of joining the air force as a child, but his father died while he was in still in school, forcing him to drop out at the eighth grade and do odd jobs to feed his mother and his five younger siblings. He was inspired to make his plane by watching episodes of the National Geographic Channel's Air Crash Investigation for insight into thrust, air pressure, torque and propulsion. He looked at blueprints online thanks to cheap internet cafe in a nearby city, with Mr Fayyaz claiming he spliced blueprints of planes he found online for his own creation. He also sold a piece of family land, and took out a 50,000 rupee ($350) loan from a micro-finance NGO, which he is still paying off. He used his meagre funds creatively, buying burlap sacks wholesale and persuading a kind workshop employee who had seen him scouting for materials to build him a propeller. Building the propeller was very much a trial and error process. Some equipment needed to be replaced, designs had to be altered, the wiring had to be reworked. And while he was throwing himself into making sure his design worked his family worried he was obsessed. 'I kept telling him to stop. I kept telling him to concentrate on his family and work, he was being crazy over nothing. But he didn't listen to a single word,' his mother, Mumtaz Bibi, recalled. But Mr Fayyaz kept going. And, at the end of it all produced a plane -- tiny, fragile, and painted a bright blue. In February this year, he said, after more than two years of ridicule, he was ready. Fayyaz claims his friends helped him to block a small road which he used as a runway for that first flight attempt in February. The plane reached 120kph before taking off, Ameer Hussain, a witness who claims to have ridden alongside the plane in a motorcycle, told AFP. 'It was between two and two and half feet off the ground,' he said. 'It flew for about two to three kilometres before landing.' AFP has been unable to verify the claim. But the attempt made Fayyaz bold enough to want to try again in front of the rest of his village, many of whom had mocked his efforts. He picked March 23, Pakistan Day, for the unveiling. Police said hundreds of people crowded around his tiny plane, many clutching national flags. Mr Fayyaz learned to build a plane mainly from viewing TV clips and looking online blueprints. Fayyaz, who sells popcorn on streets to earn his livelihood, build this aircraft with a cost of around 490 Mr Fayyaz claims Pakistani military representatives have now visited him multiple times and issued a certificate to commend his work But before Fayyaz could even start the engine, the police arrived and arrested him, confiscating his plane. 'I felt as though I had committed one of the worst acts in the world, as though I am the worst person in Pakistan,' he explained, adding: 'I had been locked up with criminals.' The court released him with a 3,000 rupees (13) fine. When AFP visited the local police station, officers said they had arrested Mr Fayyaz as his plane was a safety threat. Mr Fayyaz sold a piece of family land, and took out a 50,000 rupee ($350) loan from a micro-finance NGO, which he is still paying off Mr Fayyaz sits with his family as he talks with journalist at his home in a village in Arifwala, near Multan, Pakistan Representatives from the Pakistan Air Force have made two visits to view the plane and the commander of a nearby base issued him a certificate which praises his 'passion and dexterity' in building what it described as a 'mini basic airplane'. Fayyaz's misfortune resulted in social media fame, and he was called a 'hero' and an 'inspiration' by some netizens. Mr Fayyaz finally realised his childhood dream by constructing the aircraft which has a roadcutter engine, wings constructed of burlap, and wheels taken from a rickshaw Officer Zafar Iqbal explained: 'The plane was returned to him as a goodwill gesture. Should he obtain a flying license or permit, he is free to fly.' Fayyaz's misfortune resulted in social media fame, and he was called a 'hero' and an 'inspiration' by some netizens. Representatives from the Pakistan Air Force have made two visits to view the plane and the commander of a nearby base issued him a certificate which praises his 'passion and dexterity' in building what it described as a 'mini basic airplane'. In 2012 a Pakistani engineer claimed that he had invented a car that could run on water - but this was later debunked by scientists. Gary Anderson, 68, crashed a lawn mower into a cop car Saturday in Florida. Anderson has been convicted of DUI twice in the past and his driver's license has been suspended since 1978 A Florida man accused of driving a lawnmower under the influence has claimed police poisoned him with class A drugs before he crashed the grass trimmer into a patrol vehicle. Gary Anderson, 68, was heading down the highway with a trailer attached to the electric powered vehicle on Saturday around 7pm but struck the cop car in Haines City. No one was inside the cruiser at the time and no one was harmed but the car received minor damage to the bumper. An image shows the trailer outside Rodriguez Fashion on US-17/92 North with a drinks cooler inside. Law enforcement stated they observed strange behavior from the man when they confronted him. They reported his attitude 'ranged from laughing to aggressive' then admitted he was intoxicated. 'F**k it, I'm drunk, take me to jail,' Haines City Police Department says he told an officer. It may not have been difficult for cops to guess as they note he had a 'strong odor' of alcohol and fell to the ground multiple times. They claim he was three times the legal limit with a blood alcohol level of .241 when he reached Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center after failing to take field sobriety tests. He drove the lawn mower on the highway with a trailer attached and later claimed cops poisoned him with cocaine when the drug was found in his system and his blood alcohol level read three times the legal limit Authorities say cocaine was also found in Anderson's system however he retaliated that police poisoned him with the narcotic. Police said he made the accusation 'while directing profane language and racial slurs at the officer'. Anderson has been convicted of DUI twice in the past. His driver's license has been suspended since 1978 but he was also found guilty of DUI in Osceola County in 1987. 'I'm proud of the professional demeanor our officers showed when dealing with this heavily-intoxicated, belligerent offender,' WFLA reported Chief Jim Elensky said. He added about the bizarre lawn mower journey: 'It's never a good idea to get behind the wheel drunk, even if that wheel is to a Craftsman, Massey Ferguson or John Deere.' As they strolled arm in arm with their wives on Christmas morning, William and Harry radiating goodwill, no one had any idea that their brotherly bond of affection had perilously gone missing. For years we have grown accustomed to it on display with their father, with their late mother, and, of course, at each others weddings. Standing together before their respective ceremonies, many found their support for each other as best man utterly touching, not least because both had moved from childhood into manhood without the guidance of a mother. Hidden stresses: William, Kate, Harry and Meghan stroll to church on Christmas Day last year. Inevitably, the endless contrasts between their wives has affected the relationship of the brothers Indeed, their mutual reliance has been an enduring and endearing part of the royal story. Which is why, just weeks after that Sandringham picture was taken, talk of a rift between William and Harry coupled with murmurs that all is not well between Kate and Meghan has been so upsetting for many people. But now the brothers have a new shared passion: fatherhood. Surely the challenges of being parents that both couples now face will help them overcome whatever differences they may have had. The princes are acutely aware of the importance that Diana placed in them looking out for each other which is something she wanted them to continue to do all their lives. The princes are acutely aware of the importance that Diana placed in them looking out for each other which is something she wanted them to continue to do all their lives. The pair are pictured together in 2006 I think it has taken the awareness of the birth of Harrys first child to remind both brothers of their responsibilities to each other and to each others children, says one of Prince Charless aides. Of course, it didnt help that stories of differences first began to emerge during 37-year-old Meghans pregnancy. What was being said was that William had earlier questioned the haste with which his younger brother was wanting to marry the American actress. William, of course, dated Kate Middleton for eight years before giving her an engagement ring. Meghan and Harry announced the birth of their baby boy to their online fans by using the graphic above. For Harry, having a child means so much more than simply being a father Harry, on the other hand, had made up his mind almost immediately after being introduced to the star of the American TV legal drama Suits a woman three years his senior at a London dinner party. To William, advising caution was simply common sense. But Harry, ever sensitive, is understood to have interpreted his brothers words, as well as those from others in his circle, as an implied criticism of his choice of bride. To some extent, this explains his touchiness in the run-up to last Mays wedding at St Georges Chapel in Windsor. There was the row over the emerald-encrusted bridal tiara that Meghan wanted to wear, and the incident in which Kate, whod only just given birth to Prince Louis, apparently burst into tears over the outfit that Princess Charlotte was to wear as a bridesmaid. It emerged that at the height of the tiara issue, Prince Harry had declared: What Meghan wants, Meghan gets! That wasnt entirely accurate, as the Queen herself ruled that the chosen tiara was inappropriate. She selected instead the diamond lozenge bandeau tiara made for Queen Mary in 1932 and last seen in public on the head of Princess Anne in 1965. So stressed were Harry and Meghan before the ceremony that they resorted to acupuncture to calm themselves. But after the wedding, came two further shocks. One was the announcement that Harry and Meghan were decamping from Kensington Palace, where they lived next door to William and Kate, and moving to Windsor. The other was that the two brothers, whose public lives had been so entwined, were ending their joint office in Kensington Palace, with Harry setting his up separately in Buckingham Palace. Together, these two upheavals inevitably meant the break-up of the crowd-pleasing Fab Four. In many ways, of course, this was a sensible and entirely natural arrangement. Meghan is pictured at King's College, London in March (left) and with Harry at at Buckingham Palace on March 14 (right). Surely the challenges of being parents that both couples now face will help them overcome whatever differences they may have had Prince William, as a future king, has a very different role and destiny from his brother. Nevertheless, it was seen as a further sign that all was not well between the two couples. What cannot be overlooked is that from the earliest days of the marriage, Meghan had been unable to escape comparison with the royal wife next door the poised, uncomplicated Kate. As for Harry, criticism of Meghan as being too showy and too outspoken has been painful. Inevitably, the endless contrasts between their wives has affected the relationship of the brothers. No one expected them to live in each others pockets for ever; but, equally, no one would have expected Dianas boys to take such divergent paths so soon. Yet it makes absolute sense that while William continues his lifelong training for the throne, the campaigning Duke and Duchess of Sussex may spend time in Africa a continent that is close to both their hearts as has been suggested. Meghan is pictured with Harry at Westminster Abbey in March. William, of course, dated Kate Middleton for eight years before giving her an engagement ring. Harry, on the other hand, had made up his mind almost immediately after being introduced to the star of the American TV legal drama Suits a woman three years his senior at a London dinner party [File photo] While no plans are yet set in stone, few would be surprised if, over the next few years, Harry, Meghan and their son spend much of their time there together. This natural split would enable Willam and Harry and their wives to grow into the meaningful roles that Diana always wanted for them. And I can report that a rapprochement is already under way. On Easter Sunday, William and Kate dropped into Frogmore Cottage, Harry and Meghans new home, with a housewarming gift. They stayed for an hour, having tea and looking over the property following its renovation. For Harry, having a child means so much more than simply being a father. He and William have grown up valuing the closeness of their cousins, especially Princess Annes children Peter and Zara Phillips, who each have two children of their own now. It is a club which Harry has yearned to join, especially since becoming an indulgent uncle to Williams brood. Which is why the birth of his son will draw him not only closer to those cousins he adores but pull the brothers back to where they used to be in each others lives. Harry especially hopes that his nephew George, who will be six in July, will mentor his first child with the same affection that he and William were guided by Peter Phillips, now 41. It was Peter, then aged 19, who took over in a big brother capacity to watch over and occupy William and Harry in the aftermath of their mothers death in 1997. Diana, of course, remains the constant in the brothers lives. Even now, their mother is the figure to whom they frequently refer, even publicly in speeches. Both are well aware of what she would expect of them now that both are fathers, says one of her oldest friends. There wouldnt be any kind of feud if she were here. Robert Leeming, 34, was named as the prime suspect over the disappearance of his lover Jasmine Lovett, 25, and her 22-month-old daughter Aliyah Sanderson (pictured), who were reported missing on April 16 after not showing up for a family dinner Canadian police have rearrested a British man after the bodies of his former lover and her daughter were found. Robert Leeming, 34, was named as the prime suspect over the disappearance of his lover Jasmine Lovett, 25, and her 22-month-old daughter Aliyah Sanderson, who were reported missing on April 16 after not showing up for a family dinner. Leeming, who previously lived in Wiltshire, was arrested last month and released without charge after questioning and a search of the home he shared with the mother and her daughter in Calgary, Canada. Police found the bodies at 4am yesterday in Kananaskis 70 miles west of the home and after the horrific discovery, police re-arrested Leeming who is a HGV mechanic. In a statement, police said: 'At approximately 4am on Monday, May 6, 2019, we located the bodies of a woman and child, believed to be that of Jasmine Lovett and Aliyah Sanderson, in Kananaskis. 'The investigation led officers to a heavily wooded area near Grizzly Creek located off Highway 40, where the bodies were discovered. 'Autopsies are expected to begin today. Formal identification of the deceased will be done by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. 'A suspect has been taken into custody and charges are pending. 'The suspect cannot be named by police until charges are officially laid by the Justice of the Peace. 'However, police can confirm the suspect is the same man who was taken into custody two weeks ago.' Police had been searching for the bodies in the Bragg Creek area which is located 40 miles closer to where Leeming said he last saw the pair at his house. But after making a breakthrough they moved their search near Grizzly Creek where the pair were found. Leeming claimed he was once romantically involved with Miss Lovett (pictured) following the divorce from his wife last year Leeming (pictured) had previously been in an intimate relationship with Ms Lovett, who had lived with him for the past seven months It comes just three days after Leeming said that he had nothing to do with the mother and daughter's disappearance and had gone on another date with another woman when the pair vanished. He told reporters outside a bar while a forensics team searched his house: 'They will find nothing because I did nothing wrong.' Last week the Mirror tracked down Leeming where he denied any involvement in the Jasmine and Aliyah's disappearance. He said he was on a date with another woman when the pair vanished. The mother and daughter were lodging with Leeming. Leeming had previously been in an intimate relationship with Ms Lovett, who had lived with him for the past seven months. Leeming, who was born on a British Army base in Germany and later lived in Wiltshire, told police he went for a picnic with the pair on April 17. Ms Lovett's bank card was used for an online purchase the following day. Advertisement Meghan is pictured at King's College London on March 8 Meghan's hopes of a home birth were dashed when she was taken to hospital on Sunday by Harry and their Scotland Yard security team. The Mail understands that the Duchess of Sussex who was a week overdue was whisked off amid such secrecy that even senior royals weren't told. It is understood she was taken to a London hospital most likely the Portland where even a 'basic' delivery costs upwards of 15,000. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were delivered there. It is not known whether Meghan, 37, was induced but sources say she remained there overnight before her baby was born at 5.26am on Monday morning, with an elated Prince Harry at her side. Buckingham Palace declined to comment but sources confirmed to the Mail that a hospital delivery had taken place. In a break with tradition, the Sussexes announced last month that they wanted to keep details surrounding the birth of their first child private. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, by contrast, had faced a mass photocall at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, Paddington hours after all three of their children were born. Meghan is said to have considered the idea of posing for pictures and well-wishers straight after the birth as archaic. In a statement at the time, Buckingham Palace said: 'Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family.' Royal staff confirmed the news of the birth with a traditional message on an easel outside Buckingham Palace. The notice pointedly failed to name the physicians who helped with the birth, as is tradition Prince Harry was clearly delighted to be a new father as he discussed the news in an impromptu press conference at Windsor Castle The Mail also revealed last month how Meghan planned to have a home birth, although sources acknowledged that she was willing to go hospital if that was what was best for the baby. Both she and Harry had studied hypnobirthing techniques and were hopeful of having an all-female midwife-led delivery in the privacy of their own home at Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate. But as the week dragged on, it began to look increasingly unlikely it would be possible. Indeed, experts had long warned that as a first-time mother and one who at 37 is classed in medical terms as 'geriatric', there would be a strong chance that the duchess would require some sort of medical intervention. Peter Bowen-Simpkins, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, said there are many reasons why a home birth may not have gone to plan for the Duchess. He said: 'When you have your first baby you essentially have an 'untried pelvis'. You don't know what's going to happen when the body prepares for labour and birth. 'If a woman is on her second or subsequent baby and has had a normal delivery before then it's likely there wouldn't be any problem at all. But you don't know that's going to be the case until you have your first baby.' A study in 2011 showed that the transfer rate from home into hospital was 45 per cent for first time mothers and ten per cent for women in subsequent pregnancies. Crowds throng the streets outside Buckingham Palace following the arrival of the newest addition to the royal family Meghan and Harry are thought to have welcomed their first son into the world at the private Portland Hospital in London, where even a 'basic' delivery costs 15,000 A man dressed as town crier outside Windsor Castle proclaimed news of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby And that is indeed what happened on Sunday afternoon when Meghan was secretly driven out of Frogmore with Harry and, it is believed, her mother Doria, who has been studying in the US with a doula and birthing expert. The official time of birth given by Buckingham Palace was 5.26am, three minutes after daybreak on Monday morning. But the palace announced that Meghan had gone into labour until several hours after the baby had actually been born yesterday at 1.49pm. Less than an hour later at 2.40pm a second statement was put out announcing that the couple were delighted to welcome a son. Although the Palace had assured that when the news was disseminated it would including the baby's sex, weight and place of birth, the final crucial detail was missing. Aides refused to disclose any more details. At 4.45pm the traditional easel was finally erected at Buckingham Palace. Meghan was supported in the delivery room by her husband Prince Harry and her mother Doria Ragland (far left) Gill Walton, chief executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, later issued a statement suggesting that midwives were still involved, saying: 'We wish them the best of health and happiness in the future. I would also offer our thanks to the midwives and other health professionals who have supported the Duchess and her family through her pregnancy and who will support her after the birth.' How the new baby is a lightweight (in a nice way) The new arrival weighed 7lb 3oz, making him the lightest baby among his cousins. Prince Louis of Cambridge was 8lb 7oz when he was born in April last year, while his elder brother George was 8lb 6oz at birth in 2013. Their sister Charlotte was 8lb 3oz when she arrived in 2015. But the newborn will soon shoot up if his father (6lb 14oz when he arrived in 1984) and uncle (William was 7lb 1oz in 1982) are anything to go by. Advertisement Full details should be included on the baby's birth certificate, which is likely to be completed by the Sussexes in the next few days. Announcing the happy news on Monday, Prince Harry could not hide his joy as he spoke of his 'amazing' baby son. A picture of pride, the prince said the newborn was 'absolutely to die for' and he and wife Meghan were 'absolutely thrilled'. A palace aide told the Mail that William and Kate were itching to see their new nephew, saying 'they are overjoyed and look forward to meeting the latest addition to the family'. Within hours of the dawn birth, the couple were back at Frogmore where Harry, 34, gave an impromptu press conference to break the news to the world. He confessed he had snatched only a couple of hours of sleep, adding with a broad grin: 'This little thing is absolutely to die for, so I'm over the moon.' Royal watchers read the official announcement of the birth on a traditional easel through the gates of Buckingham Palace A woman holds up a banner informing passers-by outside Buckingham Palace about the happy news The BT Tower in London broadcast a congratulatory message across the capital after the birth was announced Baby Sussex, as the new arrival has been dubbed until he is formally given a name, is the Queen's eighth great grandchild and seventh in line to the throne. Tide of delight of blessings for the baby Congratulations flooded in for the new parents last night. Former US First Lady Michelle Obama tweeted: 'Barack and I are so thrilled for both of you and can't wait to meet him.' Prince Andrew wrote on Instagram: 'Congratulations on the safe delivery of your baby boy!' Harry's uncle Earl Spencer said: 'Really very lovely news many, many congratulations! (Good to have another Taurean in the family.)' The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who married the couple, wrote: 'May God bless the new family with love, health and happiness.' Bishop Michael Curry, who gave a rousing sermon about love at the royal wedding, tweeted: 'Congratulations and prayers of blessing for them and their baby.' Patrick Adams, Meghan's TV co-star, said: 'Much love to him and his incredible parents.' Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted: 'Congratulations. Wishing you all the best at this happy time.' Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, a new mum herself, wrote of Harry: 'He can barely keep the grin off his face! Lovely stuff.' Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'Congratulations to Meghan and Harry. I hope they're all doing well.' Advertisement He is also the first mixed race baby to be born to a senior royal. As the Queen and other senior royals expressed their delight: Harry used the palace's formal announcement to pay a touching tribute to his late mother, Princess Diana, by including her surviving family in the message they were also among the first to know; Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, was by her side as the new family enjoyed their first, precious few hours together at Windsor; The duchess's estranged father Thomas Markle learnt the news through the media but, in a conciliatory statement, told of his pride; It emerged that the newest addition to the Windsor dynasty may not be given a royal title; Baby Sussex will be the first senior royal to have the right to dual UK-US citizenship; Harry said the baby was a few days overdue and he and Meghan had spent that extra time discussing possible names; Although tradition was maintained by Buckingham Palace erecting an easel containing details of the birth, Harry and Meghan put their official announcement out first on Instagram; Michelle Obama led the global tributes in another a signal of the couple's wide appeal and their son's American heritage. Standing in the Queen's stables at Windsor Castle on Monday lunchtime, the casually dressed prince, who had once despaired of finding lasting love, let alone of becoming a father, radiated an infectious excitement, laughing and smiling as he paid tribute to his wife. 'I'm very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a baby boy earlier this morning, a very healthy boy,' he said. A tourist takes a selfie with his family at the London Eye, which turned red, white and blue in honour of the birth of the royal couple's baby boy on Monday 'Mother and baby are doing incredibly well. It's been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined. 'How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension but we're both absolutely thrilled and so grateful to all the love and support from everybody out there. It's been amazing so we just wanted to share this with everybody.' He confirmed he had been at his wife's side during the birth and was clearly moved by the experience. 'I haven't been at many births, this is definitely my first,' he joked. 'It was amazing, absolutely incredible and, as I said, I'm so incredibly proud of my wife. As every father and parent will ever say, you know, your baby is absolutely amazing, but this little thing is absolutely to die for so I'm just over the moon. Within hours of becoming new parents, the happy couple had returned to their home, Frogmore Cottage (above), with their infant son Fans of the royal family gathered outside Buckingham Palace to celebrate after news of Harry and Meghan's baby was announced He said he and his wife were still thinking about names: 'The baby is a little bit overdue so we've had a little bit of time to think about it. That's the next bit.' At around the same time, Buckingham Palace said in a statement: 'Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Sussex, was safely delivered of a son at 0526hrs. The baby weighs 7lb 3oz. The Duke of Sussex was present for the birth. 'The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news. 'The Duchess's mother, Doria Ragland, who is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, is with their royal highnesses at Frogmore Cottage. Her royal highness and her child are both doing well.' Harry and Meghan also thanked the public for their 'support and kindness during this exceptionally joyful time in their lives' on their Instagram site. Michelle Obama, the former first lady, tweeted: 'Congratulations, Meghan and Harry! Barack and I are so thrilled for both of you and can't wait to meet him.' The newborn is by no means sure to receive a title, nor will he be a prince. George V limited the use of the title 'His Royal Highness' in 1917, although Harry's son could theoretically be made prince when Charles becomes king, as the child of a son of a sovereign. If the couple do decide to allow him to use a courtesy title, it will most likely be that of the Earl of Dumbarton, one of Harry's lesser honours. The prince was granted this title by the Queen on the morning of his wedding last year. Sources have suggested the couple may choose to reject any kind of title though, effectively making their son a private citizen. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speaks to the media at Windsor Castle following the birth of his son Alexander the great tip... or even Spencer Alexander is the bookmakers' favourite name for the royal baby followed by Arthur, Albert and James. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have followed tradition in not announcing their new baby's name and are likely to wait until they have informed the Queen and the rest of their family. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge publicly announced the names of their first two children, George and Charlotte, within two days of birth while Louis took two days longer. Arthur was the bookies' favourite for Harry and Meghan's baby all weekend but yesterday saw a surge for Alexander. Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: 'Punters have been going crazy for Alexander and a flurry of bets have forced us to slash the odds.' Alexander would represent a break from the past, with the only current Windsor so named being Alexander, Earl of Ulster who is the Queen's first cousin, once removed. Arthur would maintain a family tradition as Charles and William both have it as one of their middle names. It also harks back to Arthur, Britain's legendary king. Another possibility is Spencer, to honour the family name of Princess Diana, or Henry, which is Prince Harry's full name. However, the couple might choose a more modern option. Meghan has said one of her favourite baby names is Grey. Advertisement Snub for grandpa Thomas: But despite not being told personally of birth, he sends gracious congratulations Thomas Markle sent a gracious message to Harry and Meghan yesterday despite his daughter not informing him of the birth. Mr Markle only learned about his new grandson from a friend who had heard the news on television. But despite the royal snub, the 74-year-old declared: 'I am delighted to hear that mother and child are doing well. 'I am proud that my new grandson is born into the British Royal Family and I am sure that he will grow up to serve the Crown and the people of Britain with grace, dignity, and honour. A baby Meghan with her father, Thomas Markle. They fell out after he staged paparazzi photographs and later released a letter Meghan had written to him exposing her despair over their rift 'God bless the child and I wish him health and happiness, and my congratulations to my lovely daughter, Duchess Meghan, and Prince Harry, and God save the Queen.' However, last night a friend said: 'I think it is fair to say he is not expecting them to name the boy Thomas.' Although Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, was with her daughter for the birth, Mr Markle was ignored by the royals. He heard the news at around the same time as the rest of the world, when it broke at 1.50pm yesterday. It was 5.50am in Mexico, where Mr Markle lives in a retirement home in the coastal town of Rosarito. Friends sent him text messages after TV news channels began reporting that the duchess had gone into labour. In fact, she had already given birth to her son eight and a half hours earlier, at 5.26am UK time. A statement from Kensington Palace later revealed that six members of the Royal Family and three members of Princess Diana's Spencer family had been officially 'informed and are delighted'. Meghan Markle with her father, Thomas. He was not officially informed of the birth, and only learned about his new grandson from a friend who had heard the news on television It added that Doria Ragland was 'overjoyed at the arrival of her first grandchild' and was 'with Their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage'. Mention of Meghan's father was conspicuously absent. Last night a friend of Mr Markle said: 'He got the news from me sending him a text message, which was when the news broke on every news channel. He did not hear it direct from Meghan, Doria or the palace and he is hurt at not being part of this like Doria has been. 'But he is trying to rebuild his relationship with his daughter, and he wanted to send a very positive statement as soon as the birth was announced. He wrote it in advance, and wrote 'child' in his pre-prepared statement because he did not know the gender, and then he just added in the word 'grandson' once he knew. He basically wanted to send the message that he is just really, really happy for them.' But there is a question mark over whether Mr Markle will ever meet his new grandson. The ex-Hollywood lighting director has not seen his daughter since before her wedding last May. He missed the occasion after suffering a heart attack. He had earlier upset Meghan after he staged paparazzi photographs. Their relationship soured further when he released a letter Meghan wrote to him exposing her despair over their rift. Meghan as a teenager with her father, Thomas Markle. His bahaviour after her engagement to Prince Harry led to a family bust up and it is believe father and daughter no longer have any contact Meghan would be 'nothing' without him, he declared in a follow-up interview, before he added: 'I made her the duchess she is today. Everything Meghan is, I made her.' Moaning that he had been ignored by the Royal Family, he then proclaimed: 'Perhaps it would be easier for Meghan if I died.' Mr Markle then claimed that when Harry phoned him after his heart attack, the Prince had been 'so rude' to him about the interviews, that he was 'forced' to put the phone down. Meghan was said to be so upset by her estranged father's repeated attacks in the media, that she wrote to him begging him to stop 'victimising' her. In January, five 'unnamed friends' of the duchess told People magazine that Meghan had written to her father. They claimed she had said: 'Dad, I'm so heartbroken. I love you. I have one father. Please stop victimising me through the media so we can repair our relationship.' The friends then claimed Mr Markle responded with a long letter of his own in which he asked his daughter for a photoshoot.'I think she will always feel genuinely devastated by what he has done,' they told the US magazine. The group of anonymous friends also voiced their concerns over his public rants about her. 'We worry about what this is doing to her and the baby,' they said. 'It's wrong to put anyone under this level of emotional trauma, let alone when they're pregnant.' Months earlier, Mr Markle criticised Meghan for refusing to speak to him, while hitting out at his daughter for her 'sense of superiority'. However, Meghan's friends insisted that Mr Markle knew how to reach his daughter. 'He knows how to get in touch with her,' added one friend, saying that Meghan's phone number had stayed the same. 'He's never called, he's never texted. It's super painful because Meg was always so dutiful. And at the same time, because she's a daughter, she has a lot of sympathy for him.' Harry and Meghan's son is Mr Markle's sixth grandchild. His other daughter, Samantha, 54, of Virginia, is mother to Ashleigh, 33, a lawyer, Chris, 31, a pilot, and Noel, 21, a sociology student. Mr Markle's eldest son, Thomas Jr, 52, is father to Tyler, 26, who recently appeared on the MTV reality show The Royal World and makes his living as a marijuana farmer in Oregon. His other son, Thomas III, 27, lives in Mammoth Lakes, California, with his husband and runs a branch of Domino's Pizza. Sadiq Khan has been branded a hypocrite for campaigning on green issues while he and his team have racked up enough air miles to reach the Moon since he became Mayor of London. Mr Khan and his senior staff have travelled 280,000 miles around the world despite his warnings of a climate emergency threatening the planet. Their globetrotting has produced 180 tons of carbon dioxide so much that it would reportedly take two-and-a-half acres of trees 34 years to cleanse it from the atmosphere. Sadiq Khan has been branded a hypocrite for campaigning on green issues while he and his team have racked up enough air miles to reach the Moon since he became Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has jetted off to a number of far-flung places around the world It comes after actress Emma Thompson flew first class to New York on Friday, having flown from Los Angeles to London at Easter to join the Extinction Rebellion climate change protests that brought the capital to a standstill. At the time, she said: We should all fly less. Mr Khan is keen to flaunt his credentials as a green campaigner, and met the eco protesters last week. Last year, he declared a climate emergency and vowed to step in if the Government failed to act. The mayor insisted he and his aides were doing everything in our power to slow climate change. But records from City Hall reveal that he has travelled nearly 32,000 miles on official business outside the UK since entering office in 2016. It comes after actress Emma Thompson flew first class to New York on Friday, having flown from Los Angeles to London at Easter to join the Extinction Rebellion climate change protests that brought the capital to a standstill. She is pictured in a pink boat during the protest Criticism of Sadiq Khan comes after he introduced his Ultra Low Emission Zone in London. The graphic shows the boundary of the zone He has taken trips to the US, India and Germany that were dismissed by critics as self-promoting tours to generate publicity. National grid goes coal free for 100 hours Britain set a record at the weekend as the National Grid went coal-free for 100 hours. Coal now accounts for less 10 per cent of the countrys power output as more wind and solar energy is harnessed. The UK has already had more than 1,000 coal-free hours this year, and should far exceed the 1,800 hours generated over the whole of 2018. Ministers plan to phase out Britains last coal-fired power plants by 2025 to cut carbon emissions. A National Grid spokesman said: We believe that by 2025 we will be able to operate Britains electricity system with zero carbon. Advertisement Mr Khans eight deputies have also embarked on lengthy foreign trips. Between them they have accumulated a total of 280,000 miles of travel abroad, mostly by aircraft. Opponents accused Mr Khan of not living up to his green rhetoric. Susan Hall, a Tory member on the London Assembly, told The Sun: Sadiq Khan goes to great lengths to brandish his green credentials, including cosying up to the Extinction Rebellion protesters and reassuring them that he is on their side. While the mayor talks a good game when it comes to the environment, it is clear that his own actions fail to match his words. She claimed the environmental damage he and his elected deputies have caused leaves the mayor open to the charge of rank hypocrisy. But a spokesman for Mr Khan said: Trips abroad made by Sadiq and his team bang the drum for London, helping deliver prosperity, growth and jobs for the capital. All London mayors have promoted the city overseas, including Boris Johnson, who in one three-month period made three long-haul visits, including twice to the US. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has declared the Indigenous Australian suicide rate is a national emergency. The Labor leader made the announcement during a solo appearance on ABC's Q&A program on Monday night. 'I think it's a national disaster, national emergency,' Shorten said. 'The issue of suicide is massive. But also the issue of our first Australians and the inequality of the lives that many of them live is massive. There's an intersection.' Australia has one of the highest rates of child suicide in the world as the number of young Aboriginals who are taking their own lives continues to rise. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has declared the Indigenous Australian suicide rate a national emergency In January, five Aboriginal girls committed suicide within two weeks, including 14-year-old Rochelle Pryor from Perth (pictured) So far in 2019, 56 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders have taken their own lives, with more than half of them being under the age of 25. Of that total, 14 were under 18, including two children as young as 12, according to The Australian. Figures show 40 per cent of people who took their own lives before turning 18 were Aboriginal. Last year, a total of 180 Indigenous Australians took their own lives, with children accounting for one-third of that figure. Mr Shorten noted his party and the coalition had committed to a range of suicide prevention projects, particularly ones aimed at young people, during the lead-up to the May 18 election. He revealed Labor also had a unique idea to help make sure indigenous people received holistic solutions: making an Indigenous man, Patrick Dodson, the Indigenous Affairs Minister. Mr Shorten has promised to instate Mr Dodson to the position if his party wins office at the upcoming election. In that case, Mr Dodson would be the first Aboriginal person to hold the position in the country's history. Known as the 'Father of Reconciliation', Mr Dodson entered parliament in 2016 and currently chairs a parliamentary committee that examines constitutional recognition of Indigenous people. He received the Sydney Peace Prize in 2008 for his work in the Indigenous Australian community and continues to push for justice and recognition of Aboriginal sovereignty over the land. 'Sometimes we judge ourselves by how many billionaires we have on the Forbes Rich List,' Mr Shorten said. 'I have a view we should judge ourselves by if we have great disadvantage.' Australia has one of the highest rates of child suicide in the world as the number of young Aboriginals who are taking their own lives continues to rise (young Indigenous Australians in Redfern, pictured) Mr Dodson released the party's plans for working with Indigenous people while speaking at Labor's campaign launch on Sunday. They include creating a system of regional assemblies and a voice to the national parliament, establishing a national Makarrata (treaty) commission and local truth-telling programs, building a national resting place for the unknown warriors, and giving justice and compensation to survivors of the stolen generation. The staggering suicide rates have also sparked a national campaign to tackle mental health issues and the suicide crisis among the Indigenous community. Gerry Georgatos, the former coordinator of the National Indigenous Critical Response Service, revealed he has met with families who lost a nine-year-old child to suicide, and in one case, a child aged just six had attempted to take their own life. Former National Indigenous Critical Response Service coordinator Gerry Georgatos (pictured) revealed he has met with families who lost a nine-year-old child to suicide The crippling epidemic has led mental health organisation R U OK? to launch a suicide prevention campaign for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities 'It should be steadfastly unimaginable that a six-year-old can contemplate ending their life but it's the grim reality and our political and moral obligations should be to authentically prioritise and abate this crisis,' he said. Mr Georgatos said there is not enough being done to help those in need, particularly in remote communities. CHILD SUICIDES AMONG THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY In January, five Aboriginal girls committed suicide within two weeks. Rochelle Pryor, 14, from Perth, took her own life shortly after posting she had been bullied. Within nine days, a 15-year-old girl from Western Australia died after committing suicide, followed by a 12-year-old girl in Pilbara. In East Kimberley, a 14-year-old girl also took her life. A second 12-year-old girl from Adelaide also died from suicide that month. Around the same time, it was reported a 12-year-old Indigenous boy from Brisbane was rushed to the hospital following a suicide attempt. Advertisement He called for more programs aimed at suicide prevention, including around-the-clock and on-the-ground services. The National Indigenous Critical Response Service currently provides counselling to grieving families on site, and credits the method with its success in prevention. In the past three years, the organisation has assisted more than 300 families who have lost a loved one to suicide, and has not seen a subsequent suicide among these groups. According to the research, the majority of these deaths occurred among impoverished Indigenous people. Mr Georgatos further identified that of the 56 suicides, 51 were residents of social housing 'where after the homeless, the most impoverished Australians live'. Three of the remaining five were homeless. 'Poverty kills. Domestic violence, sexual abuse, bullying, substance misuse, mental unwellness, are many times more likely for those experiencing chronic poverty than for people living in relative affluence,' Mr Georgatos said. He stepped down from the organisation last week to now lead and establish the suicide prevention National Critical Response Trauma Recovery Project. 'Suicide prevention is not complex, it is about validating people, believing in them, spreading the love, doing everything to improve their life circumstances,' he said. 'The suicide prevention narratives and the subsequent discourses and policy frameworks omit and censor much of the facts. The raw data cries out ever so loudly.' 'Thus far this year an estimate 1,000 Australians have died by suicide, with tragically more children lost than this time last year.' A 2019 Closing The Gap report found indigenous Australians are still more likely to be disadvantaged than non-indigenous Australians in regards to employment, education and health. In January, five Aboriginal girls committed suicide within two weeks, including 14-year-old Rochelle Pryor from Perth. The crippling epidemic has led mental health organisation R U OK? to launch a suicide prevention campaign for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities. Last month, the government revealed $461million would be spent on youth mental health - but only $5million over four years would go towards indigenous youth suicide. For confidential support in Australia, you can reach LIFELINE: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au; Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 The father of a three-year-old girl burned alive in a car with its doors chained shut allegedly told the child's mother: 'You'll never see your daughter again' just before her tragic death. Zoey Pereira's mother Cherone Coleman spoke out on Monday night hours after her daughter's charred body was pulled from the backseat of a blazing Audi A6 in Queens the night before. 'I always thought he was going to hurt me,' Coleman, 36, said of her estranged husband and Zoey's father Martin Pereira. 'I never thought he was going to hurt my daughter.' Surrounded by grieving loved ones in front of her home in Springfield Gardens, Coleman said: 'My daughter was perfect. She was loving, always smiling, and oh so caring. She was my only child, and I can't have any more.' Martin Pereira, the father of a three-year-old named Zoey who was burned alive in a car with its doors chained shut, allegedly told the girl's mother Cherone Coleman: 'You'll never see your daughter again' just before her tragic death Coleman told The New York Daily News that she and Pereira had been embroiled in a bitter custody battle over Zoey in recent weeks. The mother said she had tried to modify their visitation agreement to block Pereira from seeing the girl as he became increasingly vindictive, but the court ruled against her. Pereira was subsequently allowed to watch Zoey over the weekend with the court's blessing. It was only the second time he'd been entrusted with the young girl since he and Coleman split. Coleman has now said she wishes she had disobeyed the judge and blocked Pereira from taking her daughter. 'I should've just kept her and gone to jail,' she said Monday. Describing a call with Pereira on Sunday morning, Coleman said: 'Just before he burned my daughter he called saying crazy things. 'I couldn't even understand some of them, but he said: "Do I have your attention now, bitch? I got your attention now, bitch. You're never going to see your daughter again."' Zoey Pereira, three, burned to death inside a car with its doors chained shut on Sunday night in Queens, New York. The girl's father, who was found hiding near the crime scene, shared the photo above of Zoey in a hair salon on Facebook hours before she was killed Sources say Martin Pereira, 39, was taken into custody after Zoey's body was discovered but has not been charged in her death. The pair are seen above in a Facebook photo Police responded to reports of a car burning in the middle of the street by Baisley Boulevard and 155th Street at around 9pm Sunday. The Audi's back doors had been chained shut, but the heat from the blaze melted the handle, which allowed firefighters to open the door and grab the girl. That's when the man in the front seat, who had been driving erratically beforehand, sprinted out of the car. The driver was believed to be Pereira, 39. 'This guy was fully engulfed in flames,' one witness told the New York Daily News. 'I heard a boom, like something explode. When I came out, I saw smoke,' added witness Lisa Silvera. Authorities found Pereira hiding in Baisley Park Pond a few hundred feet from where his daughter burned alive. A police source told the New York Post: 'The only reason [officers] found him was that a piece of his clothing was on fire. He was stripped down to his underwear.' Pereira was treated for second- and third-degree burns before being taken into custody. He has not yet been charged in Zoey's death, which was ruled a homicide on Monday. Officials believe Pereira was in the middle of a contentious custody dispute with Zoey's mother Hours before Zoey was killed, Pereira shared a photo of the youngster sitting in what appears to be a hair salon on Facebook. He had previously posted several photos of himself with Zoey alone and with her mother. Two of Zoey's aunts decried her death while standing outside of the mother's home on Monday. 'He did that to her. That's not even human, that's an animal,' one of the aunts said, according to the Post. The other added: 'Hopefully he dies. I'm just being honest. I hope he dies.' The Audi A6 Zoey was trapped in is seen above after emergency crews extinguished the blaze Heat from the blaze melted the door handle, which allowed firefighters to open the door and grab the girl. Emergency crews are pictured at the scene after the fire was extinguished The BBC's royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell has concerned viewers after a rambling and stuttering broadcast outside Buckingham Palace this evening. The veteran broadcaster had to hand back early to Ben Brown in the studio after he repeatedly struggled to get his words out. Mr Witchell was telling viewers about Harry and Meghan's Baby Sussex, the first Anglo-American birth in the British Royal Family. Royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell appeared to lose his train of thought during a piece to camera outside Buckingham Palace this evening In the piece to camera, he spoke of how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex considered themselves 'global ambassadors' and they might spend time in Africa later this year. But then the royal correspondent appeared to trip over his words and told viewers: 'Excuse me, let me just collect my thoughts.' But on the second time of trying, he still failed to express what he was trying to say. He said: 'I'm so sorry, let me just once again hand back to you Ben.' The veteran broadcaster failed to express himself and told viewers: 'I'm so sorry, let me just once again hand back to you Ben.' After the BBC cut back to the newsreader in the studio, viewers started to air their concerns on social media for Mr Witchell's well-being, which resulted in the broadcaster trending on Twitter. Many said they would not make jokes about the broadcast, saying it was 'rather worrying' for such an experienced correspondent. Others tweeted at the BBC asking for them to clarify if he was well after the concerning appearance. Many fellow broadcasters showed their support to Mr Witchell. His BBC colleague Jeremy Bowen said: 'I've seen some snide comments about Nick Witchell. Please stop, they're not deserved. 'He's a respected and experienced broadcaster, doing his job. I don't know what happened tonight but it's certainly no reason to be nasty.' Sky News anchor Adam Boulton wrote on Twitter: 'What just happened to Nicholas Witchell? Great reporter. Something must have been distracting him.' Colleagues have shown their support to Mr Witchell who the BBC confirmed was well and just had a rare lapse Viewer Paul McGlynn said: 'Just seen Nicholas Witchell on a live BBC news broadcast, he had to pass back to the studio, one of the most experienced presenters so it wasn't nerves etc, before he gets panned online can everyone at least wait until he is confirmed ok, he deserves that.' Another, Angela Haggerty, said: 'That was a wee shame for Nicholas Witchell on the 10 O'Clock news there, he had a bit of a brain freeze and had to hand back to the studio. But to be fair there are only so many things you can say about a baby being born.' Huw Edwards tweeted: 'For the record. Nick Withchell's supreme professionalism is - and always has been - the envy of all his colleagues.' The veteran reporter has been the subject of royal controversy previously when Prince Charles called him an 'awful man'. He earned the Prince of Wales's wrath in 2002 when he slipped up during a live broadcast by wrongly saying Prince Harry had been caught taking cocaine. He also angered the Prince in 2005 when he asked William and Charles about their father's wedding, a question that had already been cleared by the palace. Charles was caught telling his sons: 'Bloody people. I can't bear that man. I mean, he's so awful, he really is.' Paul Royall, editor of the BBC News at Six and Ten, tweeted: 'For those asking about Nick Witchell - he's absolutely fine. 'Highly unusually for Nick he lost his train of thought on the #BBCNewsTen and decided to hand back to the studio. 'This can happen sometimes even to the most experienced and respected in busy live news broadcasting.' Advertisement Nature is in more trouble now than at any time in human history with extinction looming over one million species of plants and animals, experts say. That's the key finding of the United Nations' (UN) first comprehensive report on biodiversity - the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat. Today's report says species are being lost at a rate tens or hundreds of times faster than in the past. Many of the worst effects can be prevented by changing the way we grow food, produce energy, deal with climate change and dispose of waste, the report said. Scroll down for video The report's 39-page summary highlighted five ways people are reducing biodiversity. They include habitat loss, overfishing, global warming caused by burning fossil fuels, air and water pollution and invasive species That involves concerted action by governments, companies and people. Individuals can help with simple changes to the way they eat and use energy, said the co-chairman of the report, ecological scientist Josef Settele of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Germany. That doesn't mean becoming a vegetarian or vegan, but balancing meat, vegetables and fruit, and walking and biking more, Sir Robert said. 'We can actually feed all the coming billions of people without destroying another inch of nature,' Professor Lovejoy added. Much of that can be done by eliminating food waste and being more efficient, he said. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST THREATS IN THE REPORT? The report's 39-page summary highlighted five ways people are reducing biodiversity: - Turning forests, grasslands and other areas into farms, cities and other developments. The habitat loss leaves plants and animals homeless. About three-quarters of Earth's land, two-thirds of its oceans and 85% of crucial wetlands have been severely altered or lost, making it harder for species to survive, the report said. - Overfishing the world's oceans. A third of the world's fish stocks are overfished. - Permitting climate change from the burning of fossil fuels to make it too hot, wet or dry for some species to survive. Almost half of the world's land mammals - not including bats - and nearly a quarter of the birds have already had their habitats hit hard by global warming. - Polluting land and water. Every year, 300 to 400 million tons of heavy metals, solvents and toxic sludge are dumped into the world's waters. - Allowing invasive species to crowd out native plants and animals. The number of invasive alien species per country has risen 70% since 1970, with one species of bacteria threatening nearly 400 amphibian species. Advertisement One leading expert has said that humanity is 'throttling' the planet and, perhaps, its own future. More than half a million species on land lack sufficient habitat for long-term survival and are likely to go extinct - some within decades - and the oceans are not any better off. Researchers caution that the problem starts with people and say that it's not too late to fix it. Conservation scientists from around the world convened in Paris to issue the report, which exceeded 1,000 pages. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) included more than 450 researchers who used 15,000 scientific and government reports. The report's summary had to be approved by representatives of all 109 nations. 'Humanity unwittingly is attempting to throttle the living planet and humanity's own future,' said George Mason University biologist Professor Thomas Lovejoy, who has been called the godfather of biodiversity for his research. He was not part of the report. 'The biological diversity of this planet has been really hammered, and this is really our last chance to address all of that,' Professor Lovejoy said. Some nations hit harder by the losses, like small island countries, wanted more in the report. Others, such as the United States, were cautious in the language they sought, but they agreed 'we're in trouble,' said Dr Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, who observed the final negotiations. 'This is the strongest call we've seen for reversing the trends on the loss of nature,' Dr Shaw said. The findings are not just about saving plants and animals, but about preserving a world that's becoming harder for humans to live in, said Sir Robert Watson, a former top NASA and British scientist who headed the report. 'We are indeed threatening the potential food security, water security, human health and social fabric' of humanity, Sir Robert told The Associated Press. He said the poor in less developed countries bear the greatest burden. Fighting climate change and saving species are equally important, the report said, and working on both environmental problems should go hand-in-hand. Both problems exacerbate each other because a warmer world means fewer species, and a less biodiverse world means fewer trees and plants to remove heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the air, Professor Lovejoy said. The world's coral reefs are a perfect example of where climate change and species loss intersect. If the world warms another 0.9F (0.5C), which other reports say is likely, coral reefs will probably dwindle by 70 per cent to 90 per cent, the report said. At 1.8 F (1C), the report said, 99 per cent of the world's coral will be in trouble. 'Business as usual is a disaster,' Sir Robert added Commenting on the IPBES report, Mark Wright, Director of Science, at WWF said: 'The 1,800 pages of evidence released today by the world's foremost experts in wildlife and the natural world paint a terrifying picture of a broken world. More than 40 per cent of the world's amphibian species, more than one-third of the marine mammals and nearly one-third of sharks and fish are threatened with extinction. A study, released in conjunction with the report, found that amphibians may be at the highest risk of extinction of all animal groups, in a dramatic rise from earlier estimates Species are being lost at a rate tens or hundreds of times faster than in the past, the report warns. More than half a million species on land lack sufficient habitat for long-term survival and are likely to go extinct - some within decades - and the oceans are not any better off RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT by Victoria Allen for the Daily Mail People in rich Western countries like Britain must cut their consumption of material goods to avoid the biggest mass extinction in human history. That is the warning of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services environmental report. The UN-backed report, drawn up by 455 experts in 50 countries, says the natural world is 'essential for human existence'. The landmark report concludes that the world's human population, which has doubled in the past 50 years, cannot keep growing and we cannot continue consuming and wasting more each year. Plastic waste has increased tenfold since 1980, affecting at least 267 species, while fertilisers entering the ocean have created 'dead zones' devoid of life taking up an area larger than the whole of the UK. Wildlife is declining at an 'unprecedented' rate worldwide, according to the study, which says many of the one million threatened species could vanish within decades. The main cause is our use of land and sea for farming and fishing, which has seen tropical forests flattened to make way for cattle ranches and a third of land worldwide given over to crops and animals. Pesticides and habitat loss from farming could put our future food supply in danger, as they are believed to be killing vital pollinating insects like bees which we rely on for three-quarters of the world's crops from vegetables to coffee. The report's authors also point the finger at hunting and the third of marine fish stocks being overfished. Currently, climate change is only the third biggest threat to the natural world, followed by pollution and invasive alien species like the grey squirrels which threaten to wipe out Britain's native reds. The three-year global assessment concludes that the threat to animals is a threat to humanity, as we rely on animals and plants for food, while trees and plants keep the air clean and provide wood for fuel. Some 70 per cent of cancer drugs come from natural sources. Based on evidence from 15,000 scientific and government sources, it advises slowing down the rapid growth of the human population, while stating that a 'good life' does not have to mean 'ever-increasing material consumption'. Advertisement 'It shows we are chopping down our forests, overfishing our seas and melting the Arctic and driving the other life we share this planet with to extinction at an unprecedented rate. In short, we are destroying our own home. 'Last week, MPs approved a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency. This report shows we have no time to waste in turning those words into action. 'We are the first generation to truly understand what we are doing to our world and the last who can do anything about it.' At least 680 species with backbones have already gone extinct since 1600. The report said 559 domesticated breeds of mammals used for food have disappeared. More than 40 per cent of the world's amphibian species, more than one-third of the marine mammals and nearly one-third of sharks and fish are threatened with extinction. A study, released in conjunction with the report, found that amphibians may be at the highest risk of extinction of all animal groups, in a dramatic rise from earlier estimates. The spike stems from the inclusion of roughly 2,200 species that were previously under-represented due to lack of data; now, based on the new models, researchers say at least another 1,000 species are facing the threat of extinction. In the new study published to the journal Current Biology, researchers used a technique dubbed trait-based spatio-phylogenetic statistical framework to assess the extinction risks of data-deficient species. This combined data on their ecology, geography, and evolutionary attributes with the associated extinction risks of each factor to make a prediction. Only about 44 per cent of amphibians currently have up-to-date risk assessments, the team notes. 'We found that more than 1,000 data-deficient amphibians are threatened with extinction, and nearly 500 are Endangered or Critically Endangered, mainly in South America and Southeast Asia,' said Pamela Gonzalez-del-Pliego of the University of Sheffield and Yale University. The IUCN calculated in March that 27,159 species are threatened, endangered or extinct in the wild out of nearly 100,000 species biologists examined in depth. That includes 1,223 mammal species, 1,492 bird species and 2,341 fish species. Nearly half the threatened species are plants ARE AMPHIBIANS AT RISK OF EXTINCTION? More than 40 per cent of the world's amphibian species, more than one-third of the marine mammals and nearly one-third of sharks and fish are threatened with extinction. Analysis of the risks faced by the 8,000 or so known amphibian species by the UN and published in the IPBES report has found that up to 50 percent may be at risk of extinction, in a dramatic rise from earlier estimates. The spike stems from the inclusion of roughly 2,200 species that were previously under-represented due to lack of data; now, based on the new models, researchers say at least another 1,000 species are facing the threat of extinction. Researchers used a technique dubbed trait-based spatio-phylogenetic statistical framework to assess the extinction risks of data-deficient species. This combined data on their ecology, geography, and evolutionary attributes with the associated extinction risks of each factor to make a prediction. Only about 44 percent of amphibians currently have up-to-date risk assessments, the team notes. We found that more than 1,000 data-deficient amphibians are threatened with extinction, and nearly 500 are Endangered or Critically Endangered, mainly in South America and Southeast Asia, said Pamela Gonzalez-del-Pliego of the University of Sheffield and Yale University. Urgent conservation actions are needed to avert the loss of these species. According to the researchers, the species most at risk likely also include those we know the least about, further adding to the complexity of their protection. A study published earlier this year found 90 amphibian species have been wiped out thanks to a deadly fungal disease. It affects frogs, toads and salamanders and has caused a dramatic population collapse in more than 400 species in the past 50 years. The disease is called chytridiomycosis which eats away at the skin of amphibians and is threatening to send more animals extinct. Originally from Asia, it is present in more than 60 countries - with the worst affected parts of the world are tropical Australia, Central America and South America. Advertisement 'Urgent conservation actions are needed to avert the loss of these species.' According to the researchers, the species most at risk likely also include those we know the least about, further adding to the complexity of their protection. The report relies heavily on research by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, which is composed of biologists who maintain a list of threatened species. Publication of the report has been accompanied by an open letter from 'Call4Nature' - an initiative backed by 600 conservation experts and birthed by the WWF. The letter eludes to the necessity of preserving nature and also points out the reliance humankind has on our natural environment - saying humans 'must radically change the way we live'. A section of the letter reads: 'Nature provides us with the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink. 'We depend on it to grow our crops, to source our medicines, to house us and to clothe us. When we destroy nature, we destroy the essentials on which we all depend.' WHAT DOES THE WWF'S 'CALL4NATURE' LETTER SAY? Publication of the IPBES report by the UN has been accompanied by an open letter from 'Call4Nature' - an initiative backed by 600 conservation experts and birthed by the WWF. High profile names such as Jane Goodall, Juliette Binoche and Chris Packham have lent their support to the initiative and the letter. The report eludes to the necessity of preserving nature and also points out the reliance humankind has on our natural environment. It can be read in its entirety below. Dear world leaders Nature provides us with the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink. We depend on it to grow our crops, to source our medicines, to house us and to clothe us. When we destroy nature, we destroy the essentials on which we all depend. Today IPBES1 the independent global scientific body on biodiversity of more than 130 Governments publishes its report on the current state of life on Earth. The report paints an alarming picture of species extinctions, wildlife population declines, habitat loss and depletion of ecosystem services adding to the existing wealth of evidence that we are losing nature at a dramatic and unsustainable rate. The report also makes clear the cause of this destruction: us. We are cutting down our forests, overfishing our seas, polluting our rivers, degrading our soils and changing our climate. This poses an urgent threat to all life on Earth including ourselves. There is still time to protect what is left and to start restoring nature. But to do that, we must radically change the way we live, including how we use energy to power our societies, grow our food, and manage our waste. This is an immense task but many of the solutions are already at hand. Each of us has a role to play in bringing about this transformational change. But we need you, our political leaders, to lead and to set us on a path to a future where people and nature thrive. Next year, there is an unmissable opportunity to choose a new direction for people and the planet. Important global decisions will be made on biodiversity, climate change and sustainable development at a series of UN meetings in 2020. Together, these form an action plan for change, a real New Deal for nature and people. But for this to happen, we need decisive and ambitious action from you. That's why today: We call on you to stop funding activities that destroy nature. We call on you to put an end to deforestation and land degradation. We call on you to protect our oceans and marine life, especially against plastics. We call on you to encourage the transition to sustainable agricultural practices. We call on you to implement the Paris Agreement to halt climate change. The future of all life on Earth lies in the balance. We urge you to act now. Advertisement The IUCN calculated in March that 27,159 species are threatened, endangered or extinct in the wild out of nearly 100,000 species biologists examined in depth. That includes 1,223 mammal species, 1,492 bird species and 2,341 fish species. Nearly half the threatened species are plants. Scientists have only examined a small fraction of the estimated 8 million species on Earth. The report comes up with 1 million species in trouble by extrapolating the IUCN's 25 per cent threatened rate to the rest of the world's species and using a lower rate for the estimated 5.5 million species of insects, Sir Robert said. Outside scientists, such as Professor Lovejoy and others, said that's a reasonable assessment. The report gives only a generic 'within decades' time frame for species loss because it is dependent on many variables, including taking the problem seriously, which can reduce the severity of the projections, Watson said. 'We're in the middle of the sixth great extinction crisis, but it's happening in slow motion,' said Conservation International and University of California Santa Barbara ecologist Lee Hannah, who was not part of the report. The report was careful not to refer to a sixth mass extinction because its numbers do not come close to the 75 per cent rate of past extinctions, Sir Robert said. The report goes beyond species. Of the 18 measured ways nature helps humans, the report said 14 are declining, with food and energy production noticeable exceptions. The report found downward trends in nature's ability to provide clean air and water, good soil and other essentials. Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats, and it's happening worldwide, Watson said. The report projects 15.5 million miles (25m km) of new roads will be paved over nature between now and 2050, most in the developing world. Tom Oliver, professor of applied ecology and leader for ecology and evolution, University of Reading, said of the report: 'This highlights how we failed in the 2010 global target to halt biodiversity loss, and again in the revised 2020 target to do the same. 'As our global impacts on the natural world continue to accelerate, we cannot afford to fail a third time. 'We need governments to develop strong policies to tackle the impacts of intensive agriculture, as well as better quantifying overseas impacts.' Many of the findings and suggestions in the UN report echo the sentiment and guidelines outlined by the UK Government in another landmark report published last week. WHAT IS THE STATE OF THE EARTH'S SPECIES? - Two species of vertebrate, animals with a backbone, have gone extinct every year, on average, for the past century. - Currently around 41 per cent of amphibian species and more than a quarter of mammals are threatened with extinction. - There are an estimated 8.7 million plant and animal species on our planet and about 86 percent of land species and 91 percent of sea species remain undiscovered. - Of the ones we do know, 1,204 mammal, 1,469 bird, 1,215 reptile, 2,100 amphibian, and 2,386 fish species are considered threatened. - Also threatened are 1,414 insect, 2,187 mollusc, 732 crustacean, 237 coral, 12,505 plant, 33 mushroom, and six brown algae species. - The global populations of 3,706 monitored vertebrate species - fish, birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles - declined by nearly 60 per cent from 1970 to 2012. - More than 25,000 species of 91,523 assessed for the 2017 'Red List' update were classified as 'threatened'. - Of these, 5,583 were 'critically' endangered, 8,455 'endangered', and 11,783 'vulnerable'. Advertisement The influential Committee on Climate Change said changes to diet, such as eating less red meat, and subtle adjustments to daily routines could have significant benefits. The recent UN-issued document says that trimming down waste and being more efficient with food could allow us to feed the predicted ten billion people who will live on Earth by 2050. 'Could we feed sustainably 9 or 10 billion? I would argue the evidence says yes if we reduce food waste and increase agricultural productivity in Africa where they get one tonne of maize per hectare,' said Sir Robert. He also stated that what we eat is a crucial decision that has serious repercussions on the wider environment. 'Healthy dietary choices' and 'moderate animal protein consumption' were specifically mentioned in the report, and strikingly similar suggestions were made by the UK as it outlined its ambitions to be carbon neutral by 2050 last week. Britons were encouraged to turn the heating thermostat down, households were urged to ditch gas boilers, people encouraged to cut their meat consumption, shun air travel and get out and walk more. The blueprint warns a reduction in greenhouse gases is needed to prevent a global catastrophe. If average temperatures rise by 3-4C by the year 2100, we are heading for devastating heat waves, melting polar ice caps and rising sea levels, it said. Many of the findings and suggestions in the UN report echo the sentiment and guidelines outlined by the UK Government in another landmark report published last week. The influential Committee on Climate Change said changes to diet, such as eating less red meat, and subtle adjustments to daily routines could have significant benefits (stock) SUGGESTIONS FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD TO HELP THE UK MEET CLIMATE TARGETS Eating 20 per cent less lamb, beef, and dairy Heating homes at no more than 19 both Building thousands more offshore wind turbines Planting enough forest to cover an area the size of Yorkshire - 5 per cent of the UK surface area Banning the sale of new petrol cars by 2030 instead of the current 2040 The report also recommends households replace boilers with heat pumps Homes could be fitted with 'smart' systems to help control heat and power use, as well as improvements in insulation and double glazing Advertisement Currently, temperatures are on course to rise by 3C at least and have already warmed by 1C since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. The report had a mix of measures, some of which require government action, and others which households can carry out voluntarily. The 'Paris Agreement' - signed by virtually all nations on Earth - commits the UK to keeping average temperatures down to below 2C, with an ideal target of 1.5C. Cutting emissions to net zero, the report said, is 'achievable with known technologies alongside improvements in people's lives'. But, Lord Deben, the committee chair, added: 'We're not asking people to lead a miserable life.' And critics said adopting the report would be akin to 'economic suicide' with the UK unable to turn around a global problem on its own. The report says Britain, as the first nation to industrialise, also has a moral obligation to show leadership, as it historically produced a bigger share of the world's greenhouse gas. The report recommends that householders can do their bit to help the UK meet the 'net zero'. Changes in the planet's atmosphere caused by human activity can now be tracked in greater detail than ever before thanks to an instrument launched into orbit by NASA. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3) brings a new view to studies of Earth's carbon cycle, experts say. OCO-3 will observe near-global measurements of carbon dioxide on land and sea from its perch on the International Space Station (ISS). The craft will take measurements from just after sunrise to just before sunset, replacing its less versatile and less powerful predecessor, OCO-2, launched in 2014. OCO-3 hitched a ride to the International Space Station on a SpaceX Dragon capsule, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, on Saturday. Scroll down for video Changes in the planet's atmosphere caused by human activity can now be tracked in greater detail than ever before thanks to an instrument launched into orbit by NASA. This image shows it arriving at the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule The Dragon capsule reached the orbiting complex today, delivering 5,500 pounds (2,500 kilograms) of equipment and experiments. Two robotic arms welcomed OCO-3 at the station - one to pull OCO-3 out of the capsule's trunk, another to grab it and install it on the Japanese Experiment Module-Exposed Facility module. All this happened while OCO-3 was without power, so it had to be installed before it got too cold. 'OCO-2 revisits areas on Earth at roughly the same time of day due to its sun-synchronous orbit,' said Matt Bennett, OCO-3's project systems engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. OCO-3 will expand the time period of that coverage and observe the presence of carbon dioxide at varying times of day. Since the space station orbits Earth every 90 minutes, OCO-3 will complete 16 passes a day. 'The point of the mission is to continue the legacy of OCO-2 but from the perspective of the International Space Station,' Mr Bennett said. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3) brings a new view to studies of Earth's carbon cycle, experts say. This image shows the SpaceX capsule waiting to dock OCO-3 will observe near-global measurements of carbon dioxide on land and sea from its perch on the International Space Station (ISS). This image shows the SpaceX capsule docking The OCO-3 space instrument is the immediate successor to OCO-2, which has been studying carbon dioxide distribution and detecting emission hotspots and volcanoes since 2014. OCO-3's new capabilities depend heavily on an innovative swivelling mirror assembly, which Bennett described as a 'very agile pointing mechanism.' 'When OCO-2 points toward an observation target, the entire spacecraft has to rotate,' Mr Bennett said. 'Since OCO-3 is a 'passenger' on the space station, we had to add the pointing mirror assembly to point independently of the station.' The pointing assembly uses two pairs of mirrors to rotate in two complementary directions - one parallel to Earth's surface, the other perpendicular. This setup allows OCO-3 to point to just about anywhere within view of the space station but also allows it to capture 'snapshot maps' - detailed mini-maps of carbon dioxide - over areas of interest. This snapshot mapping mode can measure emissions from sources ranging from relatively small areas surrounding power plants to large urban areas up 1,000 square miles (2,590 square kilometers) in just two minutes. That means OCO-3 can measure the entire Los Angeles Basin in just a single pass - a task that would take OCO-2 several days. Measuring large urban areas is particularly important to scientists since about 70% of total fossil-fuel emissions come from large cities. 'These targeted measurements will help us disentangle which sources of carbon dioxide are in nature and which are anthropogenic, or human-caused,' Mr Bennett said. Changes in the planet's atmosphere caused by human activity can now be tracked in greater detail than ever before thanks to a tool launched into orbit by NASA. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (pictured) brings a new view to studies of Earth's carbon cycle, experts say EXPLAINED: THE $100 BILLION INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SITS 250 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth. It has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000. Crews have come mainly from the US and Russia, but the Japanese space agency JAXA and European space agency ESA have also sent astronauts. The International Space Station has been continuously occupied for more than 20 years and has been expended with multiple new modules added and upgrades to systems Research conducted aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low-gravity or oxygen. ISS studies have investigated human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology. The US space agency, NASA, spends about $3 billion (2.4 billion) a year on the space station program, with the remaining funding coming from international partners, including Europe, Russia and Japan. So far 244 individuals from 19 countries have visited the station, and among them eight private citizens who spent up to $50 million for their visit. There is an ongoing debate about the future of the station beyond 2025, when it is thought some of the original structure will reach 'end of life'. Russia, a major partner in the station, plans to launch its own orbital platform around then, with Axiom Space, a private firm, planning to send its own modules for purely commercial use to the station at the same time. NASA, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are working together to build a space station in orbit around the moon, and Russia and China are working on a similar project, that would also include a base on the surface. Advertisement While measuring carbon dioxide, OCO-3 can simultaneously measure how well plants are performing photosynthesis by measuring how much their chlorophyll 'fluoresces' - or emits a specific wavelength of light - while illuminated by the Sun. This will help carbon-cycle scientists observe how well vegetation is absorbing carbon dioxide on the ground and how the surrounding atmosphere is responding. 'We will get to see how different sources of carbon dioxide, and sinks - areas that collect carbon, such as forests and oceans - vary by day, by season and annually,' Mr Bennett said. Since OCO-2 is still gathering data, the two missions will cross-calibrate by measuring carbon in some of the same areas on Earth, which improves verification of data. JPL's director for Earth Science and Technology, Diane Evans, said combined observations from both OCO missions will provide more comprehensive information about the state of carbon on our planet. 'They will add to the growing body of research from multiple Earth-observing missions,' Evans said. 'And combining these data with data sets from other instruments on the space station like ECOSTRESS and GEDI will make it possible to answer key questions about the interactions of the carbon and water cycles.' Like courteous houseguests, OCO-3 and its team will follow certain 'rules of the house' of the space station. For example, when resupply missions from Earth arrive to drop off essentials and science experiments to the astronauts, OCO-3 will 'take a break' during the docking process and roll with it - literally, as the station rotates to different attitudes, including, Mr Bennett noted, 'belly-up, with no view for the instrument.' The instrument also has to point around the station's solar arrays. And of course, sometimes the astronauts on the station have to perform an EVA - an extravehicular activity, aka a spacewalk. OCO-3 will power down for EVAs performed nearby to keep the astronauts safe from the moving pointing mechanism and high-voltage equipment. Mr Bennett says while these factors present new challenges for the OCO-3 team, he and his colleagues are excited about seeing how this 'room with a view' and the instrument's swivelling mirrors offer up new insights into Earth's carbon cycle. Cashless payments are all the rage but people in Sweden have been told to squirrel away notes and coins in case of a cyber attack on the nation's banks. Digital payments offer convenience for both buyers and sellers alike and the Scandinavian nation has been an eager adopter of the technology. Now, government experts are concerned that people could be left without any money should its computer networks become victim to an attack. Sweden's Civil Contingencies Agency has issued guidance to every household telling residents to stockpile 'cash in small denominations' for use in emergencies. The warning will ring alarm bells around the world as developed nations increasingly make the move to a cashless society. Scroll down for video Cashless payments are all the rage but people in Sweden have been told to squirrel away notes and coins in case a cyber attack on the nation's banks renders contactless payments (pictured) impossible (stock image) THE WORLD'S FIRST CASHLESS SOCIETY? Figures from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm show that only 18% of all payments made today in Sweden are in cash a 15% drop from the previous year. Meanwhile figures from the Swedish Trade Federation show that most Swedish retailers say that 80% of their commerce is from card payments. A number that probably will be 90% by 2020. Such is the appetite for digital commerce in Sweden that many predict it could become the worlds first cashless society. Advertisement Emergencies envisioned by the Swedish government range from power cuts and other accident interruptions to computer networks, through to terrorism and cyber-warfare. The government recommends that each citizen keep cash under their bed, according to a report in the Times. Natalie Ceeney, who chairs an independent review into access to cash, told a conference last week: 'If we don't take action now in this country, we're only a couple of years away from Sweden. 'Sweden's big message to us is, "Plan now before you get into a mess." Sweden hit its crisis when its equivalent of the NHS declared it was going cashless.' Sweden became the first European country to issue modern banknotes, in 1661 - ahead of the Bank of England, which followed in 1694. Government figures suggest that 15 per cent of the nation's citizen would find life difficult if they could not access and spend their money immediately. Sweden's Civil Contingencies Agency has issued guidance to every household telling residents to stockpile 'cash in small denominations' for use in emergencies. The warning will ring alarm bells around the world (stock image) Riksbank, the country's central bank, last week called for an inquiry into the risks posed by a future cashless society. It suggested that Swedish politicians should create the world's first state backed form of digital money. Officials told parliament that hard cash was important 'not just in times of crisis and war, but also in peacetime'. Stefan Ingves, head of Riksbank, last year warned that a cashless society of the future put too much power into the hands of the company's responsible for processing payments. A killer tree disease is predicted to cost Britain billions of pounds over the next decade. Ash dieback, the fungus some experts fear could wipe out the UKs 125 million ash trees, will cost the UK almost 15 billion, according to scientists. Almost half of this cost will come in the next decade, as dangerous roadside trees are felled and large woods need to be replanted. A killer tree disease is predicted to cost Britain billions of pounds over the next decade. Ash dieback, the fungus some experts fear could wipe out the UKs 125 million ash trees (infected tree, pictured), will cost the UK almost 15 billion, according to scientists The ash dieback fungus came to the UK seven years ago from continental Europe and it is feared it may cause a repeat of the devastation caused by Dutch elm disease. It has no cure, leaves diamond-shaped scars on the bark of trees, causes them to lose their leaves and kills up to 99 per cent of the trees it infects. Researchers led by the University of Oxford say ash dieback is estimated to cost Britain a third more than the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2001. The predicted cost of 14.8 billion includes the lost benefits provided by the trees, such as absorbing harmful pollution from the air. Dr Louise Hill, who led a study on the disease from the department of plant sciences at the University of Oxford, said: The numbers of invasive tree pests and diseases are increasing rapidly, and this is mostly driven by human activities, such as trade in live plants and climate change. Nobody has estimated the total cost of a tree disease before, and we were quite shocked at the magnitude of the cost to society. Co-author Dr Nick Atkinson, a senior conservation adviser for the Woodland Trust, said: To see how this has also affected our economy speaks volumes for how important tree health is, and that it needs to be taken very seriously. It is clear that to avoid further economic and ecological impacts, we need to invest more in plant biosecurity measures. This includes better detection, interception and prevention of other pests and diseases entering the country. Almost half of this cost will come in the next decade, as dangerous roadside trees are felled and large woods need to be replanted. This image shows and infected tree The ash dieback fungus came to the UK seven years ago from continental Europe and it is feared it may cause a repeat of the devastation caused by Dutch elm disease. This image shows a closeup of the fungus Ash dieback, first spotted by scientists in Poland in 1992, is believed to have reached Britain through imported plants and on the wind. It was first reported in 2012 after being found in saplings sent from the Netherlands to a Buckinghamshire nursery. The 14.8 billion ash dieback bill is for the next century, but researchers say it will cost almost half that amount, or 7 billion, over the next ten years. Millions of ash trees line Britains roads and urban areas, and once infected need to be cut down for safety reasons where people travel in cars or use footpaths. The cost also takes into account lost profits for forestry and plant nurseries, as well as the price of surveying affected trees and replanting hedgerows. Researchers used freedom of information requests to councils to work out clean-up and replacement costs. The study, published in the journal Current Biology, states: Invasive tree pests and diseases present some of the greatest global threats to forests, and the recent global acceleration in invasions has caused massive ecological damage. Researchers have identified 47 other known tree pests and diseases which could arrive in Britain and which may cost an additional 1 billion or more. However the scientists say the cost could be slashed by 2.5 billion by replanting lost ash trees with other native trees, while recommending better controls on imported ash trees. Microsoft's annual Build developers conference started off with a bang, albeit perhaps not how the firm had intended. The internet giant was all set to show off a simulation of the Apollo 11 mission using the HoloLens 2, Microsoft's latest augmented reality headset, but some technical glitches got in the way. Space historian Andy Chaikan and John Knoll, chief creative officer of visual effects firm Industrial Light and Magic, stepped on stage wearing HoloLens headsets and ultimately left with palpable awkwardness after their demo failed to load. Scroll down for video Space historian Andy Chaikan and John Knoll, chief creative officer of visual effects firm Industrial Light and Magic, experienced an awkward moment when the HoloLens demo failed 'We're going to recreate the [Apollo] mission using some 21st century technology and the power of Unreal Engine and HoloLens 2,' Knoll said on stage. Both men stepped back, suggesting that they were waiting for an animation to play. However, after a minute or so passed in silence, the same galactic space background was still being shown. 'Well, it seems that doing a live demo is actually harder than landing on the moon,' Chaikan said in a noticeably uncomfortable tone. 'Thank you for your time,' he added, before they both swiftly exited the stage. The firm was all set to show off a simulation of the Apollo 11 mission using the HoloLens 2, Microsoft's latest augmented reality headset, but some technical glitches got in the way Microsoft unveiled its second-generation HoloLens headset earlier this year. At its Build conference, the firm was expected to detail a new integration with the Unreal Engine 4 HOW DOES HOLOLENS WORK? The HoloLens uses a visor to project 'holographic' images onto the wearer's field of view. It uses sensors to track the wearer's head to ensure the hologram is in the same way. A projection system them beams the holographic images into the wearer's eye, fooling the brain into thinking they are real. However, Microsoft has not revealed exactly how it does this. The headset also has a camera to track the user's hands, allowing them to interact with the holographic images. Advertisement The moment served as an unexpected beginning to the Build conference, which is focused around announcements relating to Microsoft's Azure cloud service, as well as other buzzy topics like AI and internet of things technology. Not long after the failed HoloLens demo, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took to the stage to deliver a keynote address, during which he touted Azure's expansion. Azure now has 54 data center regions around the world, including in South Africa, Nadella said. Microsoft is working with a range of big businesses that are using Azure, including Starbucks. Starbucks has begun rolling out AI-enabled drive-thru menus that use an AI application called 'DeepBrew' to suggest what users should order. Recommendations are based off of store transaction histories, as well as other store-level criteria, instead of individual order histories, Microsoft said. A similar version is also launching for the Starbucks app. Starbucks has begun rolling out AI-enabled drive-thru menus that use an AI application called 'DeepBrew' to suggest what users should order, based on store-level transaction histories A similar version of the DeepBrew AI is also launching for the Starbucks app. The AI takes local trends into account when making suggestions, as well as some user preferences Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talked up the internet giant's Azure cloud computing service at Build, including a new partnership with Starbucks that brings internet-connected menus The AI takes local trends into account when making suggestions. 'Not all Starbucks local markets are the same,' a Microsoft employee said on stage. 'Notice that the choices are different, reflecting the unique local preferences of the store.' Additionally, it can mold suggestions around other user preferences. For example, if a user is lactose intolerant, the app will pick up that they order dairy-free beverages and suggest drinks or food based on that preference. Nadella also briefly discussed the importance of privacy in technology. 'Privacy is as much a human right as an engineering principle,' Nadella said. 'Same thing with cybersecurity and same thing with AI. These are core engineering questions.' To that end, Microsoft debuted an ambitious effort intended to make U.S. voting more secure and verifiable. Called 'ElectionGuard,' the free and open source software uses encryption to ensure 'real transparency and viability in election systems,' Nadella noted. Each voter is given a tracker with a unique code that can be monitored securely through a web portal. 'During the process of vote-casting, voters have an optional step that allows them to confirm that their trackers and encrypted votes accurately reflect their selections,' Tom Burt, corporate vice president of customer security and trust, wrote in a blog post. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella delivers the keynote address at Build, the company's annual conference for software developers in Seattle. The conference runs until Wednesday 'But once a vote is cast, neither the tracker nor any data provided through the web portal can be used to reveal the contents of the vote.' Once the election is complete, voters can use the tracker code to confirm that their vote was counted. 'It will not be possible to hack the vote without detection,' Burt added. ElectionGuard is being developed in partnership with Oregon-based startup Galois, which is separately creating a secure voting system prototype under contract with the Pentagon's advanced research agency, DARPA. The company will offer free open-source software that several top U.S. elections vendors say they will explore incorporating into their voting equipment. Microsoft says the kit will be available beginning this summer with prototypes ready to pilot for next year's general elections. Samsung may be closer to releasing a truly 'full screen' smartphone than previously thought. According to Korean outlet, MyDrivers, Samsung's new handset, which will place cameras and sensors beneath the display making it almost entirely edge-to-edge, is currently under development. A prior report in March estimated that the new seamless display would take several years to go to market, but MyDrivers suggests that Samsung could have the feature ready in a year, just in time for the release of Samsung's Galaxy S11. Scroll down for video Samsung could be getting closer to releasing a truly 'full screen' smartphone. The tech giant is working on a new handset that will place cameras and sensors beneath the display. The Galaxy S10 is pictured Samsung's newest device lineup includes the Galaxy S10, which is the first smartphone to feature its futuristic 'Infinity O' display. The Infinity O display is named for the hole-punch design in the upper left corner, where the selfie camera, along with other sensors, are housed. Yang Byung-duk, vice president of Samsung's Mobile Communications R&D Group Display, hailed the Infinity O screen as a 'milestone' for the company, but said it's looking at even more boundary-pushing designs. By moving the camera under the screen, it would remove the need for any kind of cutout on the front display and also avert the need for a pop-up camera like those used in increasingly popular Huawei smart phones. A new report suggests that Samsung could have the phone ready in a year, however, recent design foibles could push the release back. File photo GALAXY FOLD SPECS Starts at $1,980 7.3-inch main display with Infinity Flex technology 4.6-inch outer display when folded 512 gb of Universal Flash Storage 3.0 7 nanometer processor 12gb of RAM Three rear-facing cameras Two front-facing cameras on main display, one camera when folded 'App continuity' technology to run three apps at once Comes in cosmic Black, Martian Green, Astro Blue and Space Silver Advertisement Samsung has proven in the past that it's capable of releasing ambitious phone designs, for better, or in the case of a recent release, far worse than expected. Throughout the past month, Samsung has caught flack for issues relating to its Galaxy Fold, a fordable smart phone, that contained major flaws with its display, causing bumps under the screen and in some cases, completely broken displays. The release of the device has since been postponed. For the time being, however, Samsung seems intent on plowing ahead with its design-heavy products. In a presentation last October the company said it was looking into several different technologies to maximize screen space, according to The Verge. Among the other designs Samsung is considering are in-display speakers, as well as haptic feedback sensors embedded in the screen. The company also opened up a pop-up shop late last month to showcase a new wave of conceptual TV's, including the 'Sero' which is capable of switching between horizontal and vertical alignments. Samsung hopes the TV will encourage millennials to cast social media content -- often made vertically -- onto the device. Hard evidence of the use of cocaine and the hallucinogenic concoction ayahuasca a thousand years ago has been uncovered, a new study reveals. Native Americans used multiple psychotropic plants - possibly at the same time - to induce hallucinations and an 'altered consciousness', researchers found. That's a millennium before hippies first turned on, tuned in and dropped out, in the swinging '60s. Experts were searching for ancient occupations in the dry rock shelters of the now-dry Sora River valley in south western Bolivia when they found a ritual bundle. The bundle, part of a human burial, bound in a leather bag contained two snuffing tablets used to pulverise psychotropic plants into snuff. It also contained a snuffing tube, used to inhale hallucinogenic plants, and a pouch made of three fox snouts. Hard evidence of the use of cocaine and hallucinogenic drugs a thousand years ago has been uncovered, according to a new study. Researchers found that Native Americans used multiple psychotropic plants, thanks to this bundle Dr Jose Capriles said: 'We already knew that psychotropics were important in the spiritual and religious activities of the societies of the south-central Andes, but we did not know that these people were using so many different compounds and possibly combining them together.' Dr Capriles, assistant Professor of anthropology at Penn State University, added: 'This is the largest number of psychoactive substances ever found in a single archaeological assemblage from South America.' The team used accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the outer leather bag and found that it was about 1,000 years old. Dr Capriles said: 'This period in this location is associated with the disintegration of the Tiwanaku state and the emergence of regional polities.' The research team also used a scalpel to obtain a tiny scraping from the interior of the fox-snout pouch and analysed the material using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Melanie Miller, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Otago in New Zealand, and research affiliate at the University of California, Berkeley, was responsible for analysing the samples. Dr Miller said: 'This method is highly sensitive and very effective for detecting the presence of minute amounts of specific compounds from very small samples.' The researchers identified the presence of multiple psychoactive compounds - including cocaine, benzoylecgonine - the primary metabolite of cocaine - harmine, bufotenin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and possibly psilocin - a compound found in magic mushrooms - from at least three different plant species. Dr Capriles said the fox-snout pouch was likely to have belonged to a 'shaman' - a type of witch doctor. He said: 'Shamans were ritual specialists who had knowledge of plants and how to use them as mechanisms to engage with supernatural beings, including venerated ancestors who were thought to exist in other realms. 'It is possible that the shaman who owned this pouch consumed multiple different plants simultaneously to produce different effects or extend his or her hallucinations.'' The bundle - bound in a leather bag - contained, among other things, two snuffing tablets used to pulverise psychotropic plants into snuff, a snuffing tube - for smoking hallucinogenic plants, and a pouch made of three fox snouts. Dr Capriles said that finding harmine and DMT - the primary ingredients of ayahuasca, a drink reported to induce hallucinations and altered consciousness - in the pouch suggests the use of the brew as one of the drugs in the shaman's kit. He added: 'Some scholars believe that ayahuasca has relatively recent origins, while others argue that it may have been used for centuries, or even millennia. 'Given the presence of harmine and DMT together in the pouch we found, it is likely that this shaman ingested these simultaneously to achieve a hallucinogenic state, either through a beverage, such as ayahuasca, or through a composite snuff that contained these plants in a single mixture. 'This finding suggests that ayahuasca may have been used up to 1,000 years ago.' The find also indicates 'intricate botanical knowledge' by the owner of the pouch and an effort to acquire hallucinogenic plants - as the plants came from different regions of mostly tropical South America, according to the researchers. The research team was searching for ancient occupations in the dry rock shelters (pictured) of the now-dry Sora River valley in south western Bolivia when they found a ritual bundle as part of a human burial. Dr Miller said: 'The presence of these compounds indicates the owner of this kit had access to at least three plants with psychoactive compounds, but potentially even four or five. 'None of the psychoactive compounds we found come from plants that grow in this area of the Andes, indicating either the presence of elaborate exchange networks or the movement of this individual across diverse environments to procure these special plants.' She added: 'This discovery reminds us that people in the past had extensive knowledge of these powerful plants and their potential uses, and they sought them out for their medicinal and psychoactive properties.' The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Apple will be the subject of an anti-competition investigation by the European Union according to a report by the Financial Times. The investigation will focus on allegations by music-streaming platform, Spotify, who filed a complaint with the EU in March. According to the company, Apple -- which offers its own music streaming service called Apple Music -- has unfairly used the popularity of its platform to put Spotify and other companies like it at a disadvantage. This includes it's operating system, iOS, and the App Store. Spotify says Apple puts companies at a disadvantage by leveraging its App Store and iOS to lock companies out and charge them lofty fees. File photo 'In recent years, Apple has introduced rules to the App Store that purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experienceessentially acting as both a player and referee to deliberately disadvantage other app developers,' said Spotify founder and CEO, Daniel Ek in a statement from March. In addition to locking Spotify out of certain devices and features like the iPhone's voice-assistant, Siri, and Apple's smart-speaker, the Homepod, the company says it has been forced to contend with unfair financial and marketing restrictions relating to Apple's App Store. Specifically, Spotify says, Apple imposes a 30 percent tax on all sales made through its App Store. If Spotify chooses not to pay the fee, it is then prevented from sending customers promotional and marketing material outside of the Spotify app. If Spotify were to comply with Apple's fee and opt-in to Apple's payment system, it would be forced raise its monthly prices, which the company says would make it non-competitive with Apple's own streaming services. Throughout the past several years, the EU has shown a willingness to take big tech companies to task, including Google who was fined $1.7 billion in March for antitrust violations relating the the search giant's ad practices. Apple Music has been outpaced by Spotify worldwide. In April, Spotify announced that it has reached 100 million paid subscribers around the globe. File photo Google's March fine proceeds a $5 billion violation handed down by the EU last year. In the record-setting violation the EU said that Google abused its Android platform, leveraging its popularity to box out competition. For Spotify, a successful complaint would represent a major boon for its service which, despite its popularity, has often struggled to achieve profitability. In February, Spotify announced that it turned the first quarterly profit in its 13-year history. In spite of the company's struggles to gain profitability, it has far outpaced the subscriber base of its competitors, including Apple. Last month, Spotify announced that it has reached 100 million paid subscribers and more than 200 million subscribers worldwide. Latest numbers show Spotify's subscriber base nearly doubles that of Apple's which reportedly totaled 56 million users last month. Advertisement Bhutan prides itself as being one of the world's happiest places. And after feasting your eyes on these stunning images it's clear to see why this might be the case. The landlocked country in the eastern Himalayas is home to a mesmerising mix of breathtaking scenery, from gaping valleys to soaring snowy peaks, and ancient Buddhist architecture. Even the international airport there is a sight to behold. It's famed for having one of the world's most dangerous approaches, with towering 18,000ft peaks on each side and vicious winds whipping through the steep valley. For a less turbulent flight through one of the world's most fascinating spots, which was virtually closed to the outside world until the early 1970s, scroll down and soak up some of the standout sights... Bhutan is home to some 677 glaciers and 2,674 glacial lakes. Above, a lake high in the northern glacial region. The image was shot by Andrew Studer for MyBhutan, an in-country firm supported by Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck that arranges bespoke tours and supports local economies A hiker admires the view while undertaking the Nub Tsho Na Pata trek. It crosses Bhutan's most uninhabited region, journeying through high altitude meadows, alpine lakes and mountains passes. There is the possibility of seeing a mix of wildlife on the track, including snow leopards, blue sheep, black bears and jara a type of deer. The trek runs for 50km (31 miles) and people usually complete it over the course of five days The iconic Tiger's Nest is Bhutan's most popular tourist attraction. It is located halfway up a sheer cliff-face, 3,000ft above the bottom of the Paro Valley The Tiger's Nest temple complex was first constructed in 1692. In 1998 a fire caused major damage and the structure was burned to the ground. Thanks to an injection of around 135m ngultrum (more than 1.3m) by the Bhutanese King, the place of pilgrimage was fully restored and back to its former glory by 2005 A Buddhist nun is pictured here walking down a stairway at Larung Gar on a warm and foggy morning. The population of 40,000 mostly comprises monks and nuns. It's the site of the Larung Ngarig Buddhist Academy A view over the Rinpung Dzong monastery and fortress in the Paro district. The place of worship was constructed in the 17th century. It survived an earthquake in 1897 but was severely damaged by a fire in 1907. The earthquake, which originated about 80km (49 miles) south of Bhutan in Assam, was one of the most devastating natural disasters to hit the country and it had an estimated magnitude of 8.7 on the Richter scale Bhutan is the only country in the world that is carbon negative, meaning it removes more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it adds. It protects its forests in its constitution and more than 70 per cent of the country is carpeted with trees. In 2016, when the new prince was born, tens of thousands of people turned up to plant 108,000 tree saplings in his honour. Above, an aerial shot of some of Bhutan's densely-forested areas A view through a valley to the mountains beyond during the Laya Trek. The hiking route winds along the Tibetan border and is considered to be one of the world's most beautiful with remote villages and pristine landscapes passed along the way. It can take up to four days at a leisurely pace Two Buddhist monks seen in the entryway of the Jambay Lhakhang monastery. The temple is located in the central-eastern town of Bumthang. The majority of people in Bhutan are Buddhist. It was introduced to the country in the 8th century A view down the runway of Paro International Airport. It is the only international airport in the country and it is famed for having one of the world's most dangerous approaches Another view of Paro Airport. The runway is surrounded by towering 18,000ft peaks and planes are rocked by vicious winds that whip through the steep valley. The sole landing strip is just 6,500ft long - one of the few in the world shorter than their elevation above sea level Thimphu is the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Bhutan. It is also the fourth highest capital in the world by altitude, hitting 8,688ft at its highest point. Paro Airport lies just over 30 miles away Rearing yaks is the main source of livelihood for the Bhutanese people, who live at high altitudes. Along with being useful to transport goods, the sturdy animals provide milk, meat and their hair is plucked to make wool for clothing. The manure, meanwhile, is used as fertiliser for crops and to fuel fires Bhutan's mountainous landscape is ideal for terrace farming, an effective farming technique that cuts a piece of sloped land into receding flat platforms. Because terraced fields decrease erosion and surface runoff, the practice is often used to grow crops that require irrigation, such as rice. Rice paddy terraces are a common sight in Bhutan because of rice's prominence in Bhutanese cooking. Above, a photo showing the terraced farming technique by Michael Marquand A view over the Haa Valley, which is peppered with houses and temples. People grow a variety of crops in the area, including wheat, sweet buckwheat, potatoes, chilis and apples. Almost every household owns livestock of some type Punakha valley, located at 4,265ft, is considered one of Bhutan's most scenic destinations with terraced paddy fields and forested hillsides. Above, a shot of the area showing the Mo Chu river. The waterway is popular with rafters Paro boasts many sacred sites and historical buildings. Bhutan banned the TV and the internet right up until 2001 The Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten sitting majestically on a ridge overlooking the Punakha valley. The four-storey temple, located in the Punakha district, was unveiled in 2004 by the then Queen of Bhutan and took almost a decade to construct. It was built to ward off evil spirits and bring peace A view of the Jomolhari mountain from a valley in Bhutan. The peak, also known as 'the bride of Kangchenjunga', is located in the Himalayas, straddling the border between Tibet, China and the Thimphu district of Bhutan. It is Bhutan's second-highest peak at 24,035ft For those travelling to Bhutan, tour company MyBhutan recommends reading Treasures of The Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan. The tome, published in 2006, was written by Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, Queen Mother of Bhutan, and details her visits to the farthest reaches of the country on foot and the changes she witnessed after Bhutan opened its doors to the world. The country, which was once regarded as the Forbidden Land, was virtually closed to the outside world until the early 1970s. Above, a view of east Bhutan This farm boasts an epic location, with the main property looking out to the mountains beyond. The farm is near the town of Trashigang, which is home to traditional architecture and charming narrow streets The Punakha Dzong, which means 'the palace of great happiness or bliss', is the administrative centre of the Punakha District and it was built in 1638. It is the second oldest and second largest dzong (a type of fortified building) in the country. It is also where the first national assembly was hosted in 1953 An iron chain bridge leading to the Tamchog lhakhang temple. The place of worship is located across a river from the Paro to Thimphu highway. It is a private temple but tourists are allowed to visit if they are given permission. The Tourism Council of Bhutan notes on its website that 'crossing this very old bridge with its swaying and undulating movements can be quite an experience' Bhutan was closed to tourists right up until 1974. Today it costs $250 for a visitor's permit Britain's Got Talent viewers struggled to hide their tears on Saturday, after auditionee Mark McMullan delivered an emotional tribute to his sick brother Declan. Fans took to Twitter to praise the Irishman after his stellar rendition of Bring Him Home from Les Miserables, which earned him four yeses from the judging panel. Before his audition, Mark explained that music had been a 'great comfort' to his brother Declan, who suffers from Locked-In Syndrome. Sweet: Britain's Got Talent viewers struggled to hide their tears on Saturday, after auditionee Mark McMullan delivered an emotional tribute to his sick brother Declan Upon taking to the stage, Mark explained: 'Bring Him Home is a very, very personal song for me and my family. Nearly six years ago, my older brother took sick from a brain injury. 'Hes here today, but he was left with a condition called Locked-In syndrome, which means hes trapped inside his own body. The only thing he can really do is hear. My music became a big comfort for him.' As he began to sing, much of the audience were moved to tears by Mark's incredible vocals. Sad: Before his performance, Mark explained that he had chosen the song in honour of his brother Declan (above) who suffers from Locked-In Syndrome Lovely: As he began to sing, much of the audience were moved to tears by Mark's incredible vocals Sweet: Mark also explained that his brother had been left with the condition after a brain injury six years ago, but still found music a great comfort WHAT IS LOCKED-IN SYNDROME? Locked-in syndrome is a rare brain disorder that causes complete paralysis of all voluntary muscles except the ones that control eye movements. Sufferers are conscious but cannot speak or move. Their cognitive function is usually affected. Locked-in syndrome is caused by damage to the brainstem that contains nerves that transmit information to other parts of the body. Such damage usually occurs due to a lack of blood flow or bleeding following trauma. Patients are unable to chew, swallow, speak or move, aside from their eyes, however, they can see and hear. Most sufferers are bedridden and dependent on their carers. Treatment focuses on relieving the underlying disorder, such as bleeding, if possible. Patients may need tubes to help them breathe. Small tubes are also inserted in their stomachs for eating and drinking. Sufferers can be taught to communicate via their eyes. Source: National Organization for Rare Disorders Advertisement Amanda Holden gushed: 'You have the most gorgeous tone and quality to your voice, when you listen to the words and you know the background to your story it was beautifully done.' But it was Simon's words that proved the most poignant, as he said: 'He's lucky to have a brother like you 'You brought meaning to that song, you managed to combine a real tenderness and then went into the strengths and I wouldn't be surprised if off the back of this if you start getting calls from West End producers, I really like you.' Many viewers were also left in tears by the emotional audition, and took to Twitter in droves to brand Mark a star in the making. Elated: Many viewers were also left in tears by the emotional audition, and took to Twitter in droves to brand Mark a star in the making One posted: 'I have cried at least once at every #BritainsGotTalent episode this season,' while another added: 'I had to make my excuses to leave the living room, then blubbed like a baby, in bathroom!' A third also posted: 'Wow how beautiful and poignant was that!' 'Tugging on the old heart strings... Mark McMullan... absolutely fantastic... 100% Golden Buzzer for me,' another posted. Amazing: After revealing he was auditioning to honour his late friend Martyn Hett, Rob King also wowed the panel with his incredible rendition of a Eurovision classic And After revealing he was auditioning to honour his late friend Martyn Hett, Rob King also wowed the panel with his incredible rendition of a Eurovision classic. Singing Rise Like A Phoenix, the theatre worker was branded a future star by Simon, who added: 'It's like we're in a movie now, where the guy has been backstage, has through OK I'm gonna take a risk. 'I think it's a huge compliment for me to say you should be in the West End because you've got this amazing charisma and energy.' David added: 'Rob, I used to work in a theatre as well and everyone who worked there wanted to get on the stage, I'm so glad this show exists and you walked onto the stage today because my goodness me you deserve a chance.' Stunning? Singing Rise Like A Phoenix, the theatre worker was branded a future star by Simon Touching: According to The Mirror , Rob revealed that he was thinking of his late friend Martyn, who passed away after the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack According to The Mirror, Rob revealed that he was thinking of his late friend while he performed for the judges helped to calm his nerves. Martyn was a popular PR manager who passed away after the devastating Manchester Arena terrorist attack on May 22, 2017 after an Ariana Grande concert. He said: 'His friendship, and loss, has been a vital life lesson. He never wasted a second and seized every opportunity. 'After he was taken, the hashtag BeMoreMartyn inspired people to be more positive and go-ahead like him. I think of him every day. 'Martyns the reason I applied for BGT. He was on my mind as I stood on stage trembling in front of Simon Cowell. He gave me that strength.' Rob also said that Martyn would attend his pub gigs and sing the lyrics back to him from the audience. Tough time: Irish duo Dance Dynamics sadly failed to win over the judging panel with their medley of hits Daring: Jay Rawlings was next to take to the stage in a bid to break a Guinness World Record, by lifting more than nine chairs, and balancing them on his chin After Irish duo Dance Dynamics failed to win over the panel, Jay Rawlings was next to take to the stage in a bid to break a Guinness World Record, by lifting eleven chairs, and balancing them on his chin for ten seconds. With the official adjudicator Mark McKinley present, Jay eventually succeeded in breaking the record and earned a thunderous response from the audience. Of course it now remains to be seen how Jay will top his audition, after earning four yeses from the panel. Magician Graeme Mathews also won over the crowd with his comedic act, and after inviting Amanda onto the stage as a 'glamorous assistant', earned four yeses. Hilarious: Magician Graeme Mathews also won over the crowd with his comedic act, after saying he'd always wanted to make children laugh Great show: After inviting Amanda onto the stage as a 'glamorous assistant', the Essex native earned four yeses Sizzling: And Dutch troupe Angels Inc also got the judges - and viewers - hot under the collar, as they were praised by the judges for their Girl Power performance of magic and dance Jaw-dropping: As David joked the audition was 'one for the dads,' Alesha countered that it would also be inspiring for young girls Non-stop: The girls delivered an incredibly energetic routine, that delighted the audience in the theatre and at home And Dutch troupe Angels Inc. also got the judges - and viewers - hot under the collar, as they were praised by the judges for their Girl Power performance of magic and dance. As David joked that it was 'one for the dads,' Alesha countered: 'This is for girls as well, because little girls will be watching you on stage and cheering you on, it makes me proud to be a woman, that was a breath of fresh air.' Simon added: 'Normally on a magic act mainly it's been guys with a girl pulling the rabbit out and that is boring. I think what this show is about is hopefully finding a star, and I think you have that.' Sensational: But it was real-life couple Alex and Julia - or Duo A&J - who brought some drama to the auditions, with their dangerous acrobatic and contortion display Taut: The Ukranian hunk and his Coventry-born partner earned four yeses with their incredible display of acrobatics Don't try this at home! At one point Alex had even lifted Julia using a band placed in his mouth But it was real-life couple Alex and Julia - or Duo A&J - who brought some drama to the auditions, with their dangerous acrobatic and contortion display. After earning four yeses, David joked that the pair could probably lift him, and so Alex immediately offered to test the comic's theory. David was then lifted several feet off the group by Alex, who used a band that had been placed inside his teeth, which luckily were still intact by the audition's end. Scary: After the audition, David joked that Alex could probably lift him, and the performer immediately offered to test the theory Lift-off! David was then lifted several feet off the group by Alex, who used the band in his teeth Dance troupe Iconic then brought the show to an uplifting end, as they performed a medley of some of the greatest artists in history, from Madonna to the Spice Girls to Freddie Mercury. After admitting that he was not a dance expert, Simon said he judged the acts on which ones he would remember, and said Iconic were something he had 'never seen before and ticked every box.' David added: 'Everyone else might as well just pack up and go home because that was incredible! 'It's a lovely idea that can run and run and run and run because although you picked loads of superstars there's lots more to do.' Britain's Got Talent continues on Saturday 11th May at 8pm on ITV. Best till last: Dance troupe Iconic then brought the show to an uplifting end, as they performed a medley of some of the greatest artists in history, from Madonna to the Spice Girls High profile chefs and restaurateurs have imposed a ban on reality TV stars and influencers who request free food in exchange for Instagram posts. However, many reality stars are said to be furious after being shunned, with some claiming the ban is bad for business. Former Married at First Sight star, Nick Furphy, 32, told Daily Mail Australia on Monday that reality stars and influencers are the way of the future. Endless freebies: Melbourne restaurants Fourth Chapter and Legacy Camberwell have quickly become go-to brunch destinations for reality stars in search of a free meal. Pictured: Former Married at First Sight star, Nick Furphy 'These guys obviously don't know how to run a a business,' he said. 'Banning certain people like me only limits the amount of people that a cafe appeals to.' Melbourne restaurants Fourth Chapter and Legacy Camberwell have quickly become go-to brunch destinations for D-listers in search of a free meal. Furious: Nick (right) has slammed high profile chefs banning reality stars and influencers who ask for free food in exchange for an Instagram post. Nick is pictured at Fourth Chapter with The Block 2018 winners, Sara and Hayden Vale Free publicity: Nick, who has over 55,000 Instagram followers, said he can reach thousands of people with a single post - which ultimately helps drive business. Pictured with fellow season 4 MAFS star, Telv Williams Season 4 MAFS star Nick, who has over 55,000 Instagram followers, said he can reach thousands of people with a single post - which ultimately helps drive business. Branding expert, Nicole Reaney, of InsideOut Public Relations, agrees, telling Daily Mail Australia that more businesses should embrace influencers and the like rather than banning them. 'Influencer marketing continues to rise and figures show 71 percent of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on a social media,' she said. She's a fan! Former Bachelor star, Keira Maguire (pictured), is also a fan of influencer hot spot, Fourth Chapter Plug: Former Bachelorette, Georgia Love, made sure to tag Legacy Camberwell in a public post last year Promo: Love Island Australia's Cassidy McGill has also jumped on the Fourth Chapter bandwagon 'Social influencer engagement is generally affordable, fast and effective. It definitely works - we have witnessed its success first-hand for brands, however where it comes unstuck is the lack of strategy as well as incorrect selection of influencers. 'It's not necessary for every brand. In this instance where restaurants and venues have a reputable name that achieves the desired patronage, the chef or owner behind the brand, is the effective influencer in their own right - and no C-grader will add any commercial value.' Last month, Adelaide chef, Duncan Welgemoed, left former My Kitchen Rules star, Andy Vignati, humiliated after posting an email she sent him requesting a free meal in exchange for a post to her 11,000 Instagram followers. Awkward: The ban comes after Adelaide chef, Duncan Welgemoed (left), left former My Kitchen Rules star, Andy Vignati (right), humiliated after recently posting an email she sent him requesting a free meal in exchange for a post to her 11,000 Instagram followers Celebrity chef, Matt Moran, told The Daily Telegraph last month that he too is often bombarded with similar requests, however, he has now put a stop to it. '...Now I just say no... It has gotten worse in the last couple of years. Because you have more of these 'reality TV' celebrities everywhere. Shows like MKR, the Bachelor shows like that,' he said. 'They have a few thousand followers then they hit you up for free food... But I always enjoy watching the bill go out to the table.' Fed up: Celebrity chef, Matt Moran (pictured on April 6) , revealed last month that he too is often bombarded with requests for free food, however, he has now put a stop to it However one restaurant owner told Daily Mail Australian that reality stars like Nick and social media influencers are great for business. 'I don't feel taken advantage of at all when they keep coming back because their Instagram posts pay off for us,' the source said on the condition of anonymity. 'We're the place to be right now. It's hard to measure [but] I'm sure one $20 meal will come back five times... the exposure you get from Instagram is a powerful tool.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Matt Moran for comment. She had a karaoke bonding session with her daughter the day before. Alessandra Ambrosio spent some quality time with her six-year-old son Noah on Sunday when the two went for a ride by the beach in Santa Monica. The 38-year-old model favored a pair of rollerblades, while her son rode ahead on a bike. Day at the beach: Alessandra Ambrosio, 38, spent some quality time with her six-year-old son Noah on Sunday when the two went for a ride by the beach in Santa Monica Alessandra opted for bright colors for her day in the sunshine. She had on a long sleeve white shirt with rolled-up navy blue sleeves and chevrons of pink and blue shades. The 5ft9in Brazilian beauty had on a pair of matching booty shorts that highlighted her long, toned gams. Her hair was held back in a casual ponytail, and she wore a black hat with a parody of the California state flag reading 'Koalafornia,' from an exhibit at the San Diego Zoo. Colorful display: She had on a long sleeve white shirt with rolled-up navy blue sleeves and chevrons of bright pink and blue shades Legs for days: The 5ft9in Brazilian beauty had on a pair of matching booty shorts that highlighted her long, toned gams Alessandra and Noah road along the busy path next to the beach. She shared her own Instagram video of the outing, opening with a close-up, before zooming ahead to pass Noah. The former Victoria's Secret Angel, who's now based in Southern California, can often be seen frolicking with friends an family at the beach. 'I live in my bikini,' she told Vogue last month during an explanation of her makeup routine. On Friday, Alessandra posted a beach photo of herself and her daughter Anja, ten, as she held their adorable fluffy white cat aloft against a gorgeous golden sunset. Fun in the sun: She shared her own Instagram video of the outing, opening with a close-up, before zooming ahead to pass Noah Motherson time: Alessandra and Noah road along the busy path next to the beach Happy family: On Friday, Alessandra posted a beach photo of herself and her daughter Anja as she held their adorable fluffy white cat aloft against a gorgeous golden sunset Absent from her recent beach outings was her current beau, Nicolo Oddi, who founded and runs the Italian knitwear brand Alanui. The two were first linked together in July 2018, when they were seen getting close at the HQ2 Nightclub in Atlantic City, New Jersey, according to Page Six. 'The two were very affectionate with each other, kissing and, when she wasn't dancing, they had their arms around each other,' a source told the site at the time. Since then, the two have been nearly inseparable. Prior to that, Alessandra was engaged to the father of her children, Jamie Mazur, for ten years. The couple split in March of last year, though they reportedly have an amicable relationship due to their two shared children. She's gearing up for fashions biggest night of the year at the Met Gala on Monday. And Bella Hadid made sure she was as fragrant as ever, as she dropped by the Carine Roitfeld perfume pop-up in SoHo, New York City. The 22-year-old model looked elegant in a blush suit, as she stepped out on Sunday. Stepping out: Bella Hadid dropped by the Carine Roitfeld Perfume Pop-Up in SoHo, New York City on Sunday The beauty, who has been a mainstay at the prestigious Met Gala since her first appearance in 2015, showcased her long legs in the fitted pant suit, which was a delicate shade of pink. She made sure to keep her edge, adding fingerless black leather gloves and a Prada waist-bag, which she slung diagonally over her shoulder. Bella, whose sister Gigi is also a model, chose black ankle boots and added a pair of lightly-tinted sunglasses. Stylish: The beauty, who has been a mainstay at the prestigious Met Gala since her first appearance in 2015, showcased her long legs in the fitted pant suit, which was a delicate shade of pink Her hair looked incredibly glamorous, as it was styled in a centre parting with teased curls that fell seductively across one eye. Bella, the daughter of a real estate man and a former Real Housewife Of Beverly Hills, was carrying a bouquet of roses. The catwalk superstar is no stranger to luxury and got to bask it in once again recently courtesy of her on-again boyfriend The Weeknd. Edgy: She added fingerless black leather gloves and a Prada waist-bag, which she slung diagonally over her shoulder Stunning: Bella, whose sister Gigi is also a model, chose black ankle boots and added a pair of lightly-tinted sunglasses Her man, who during one of their off periods also dated Selena Gomez, recently gifted Bella a $72,000 watch she showed off on social media this week. She gushed that the timepiece was 'The most insane/beautiful thing you ever gave me, although it still comes 2nd to your luvvv @theweeknd.' The Washington, D.C.-born brunette bombshell used her Insta Stories to show off her brand new piece of jewelry to her legions of fans. Sparks flew between Jett Kenny and Lily Cornish on Dancing with the Stars amid rumours they had fallen 'head over heels' in love with each other. But Jett and Lily's romance has reportedly come to an end, with Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny's model son being left 'devastated' over their split. Sources have told Woman's Day that Lily called time on their relationship to head back home to Tasmania and their break up has been especially 'hard' on Jett. 'It's been hard': Dancing with the Stars' Jett Kenny (left) was reportedly devastated by his split with Lily Cornish (right) 'because he'd never had his heart broken before' The insiders claimed that Jett's romance with dancer Lily had been his first 'real relationship'. 'He was hoping for something more long term, so her leaving has been hard on him,' said a close friend. Jett, who is based on the Sunshine Coast, had been hoping to make their long-distance relationship work - but it's believed Lily had other ideas. All over? Jett, who is based on the Sunshine Coast, had apparently been hoping to make their long-distance relationship work - but it's believed Lily had other ideas. Pictured on DWTS Dancing duo: Heartbroken Jett had been partnered with Lily, 20, on the latest season of Dancing with the Stars. The pair finished fourth in the competition Heartbroken Jett had been partnered with 20-year-old Lily on the latest season of Dancing with the Stars, which concluded last month. During their stint on the show, they found themselves at the centre of romance rumours, with reports claiming Jett had fallen 'head over heels'. The pair were eliminated just before the finale, and Jett said at the time he hoped to 'stay connected' with Lily following the show. Smitten: During their stint on the show, they found themselves at the centre of romance rumours, with reports claiming Jett had fallen 'head over heels' They were later pictured holding hands on the Gold Coast, fueling speculation they were more than just friends behind the scenes. Back in March, Jett had confessed he was attracted to Lily during an interview with The Courier Mail. 'I'd be lying if I said I didn't have feelings for her,' he said, before adding: '[When the show ends] it will almost be like breaking up. 'We'll be going back to reality and living our normal lives.' She may live a low-key lifestyle in Byron Bay, but Elsa Pataky certainly knows how to dazzle in front of the camera. The wife of Chris Hemsworth has appeared in a sizzling fashion editorial for Harper's Bazaar Australia this month, modelling a series of luxurious ensembles by Christian Dior. For one photo, Elsa left little to the imagination by going completely braless beneath a semi-sheer Christian Dior in gold sequins. All that glitters! Elsa has appeared in a sizzling fashion editorial for Harper's Bazaar Australia this month, modelling a series of luxurious ensembles by Christian Dior including this semi-sheer frock Wearing her hair slicked back and accenting her decolletage with a thick gold lariat, the mother-of-three oozed glamour as she peered at the camera. Elsa completed her look with a thick gold bracelet and an elegant gold ring. For makeup, the mother-of-three wore a generous sweep of bronzer, a terracotta-hued lipstick and accentuated her eyes with a subtle smokey shadow throughout the entire shoot. Lady in lace! In one sultry snap, the Spanish-American actress is seen posing in a long-sleeved black maxi dress in sheer lace by Christian Dior In another sultry snap, the Spanish-American actress is seen posing in a long-sleeved black maxi dress in sheer lace by Christian Dior. Revealing a glimpse of skin, the slender star wore nothing but a pair of Christian Dior briefs beneath her webbed dress. A third shot saw Elsa perched on a wooden bench, clad in a sheer printed Christian Dior dress that revealed her black bra beneath. Sheer delight! A third shot saw Elsa perched on a wooden bench, clad in a sheer printed Christian Dior dress that revealed her black bra beneath The glamorous editorial was photographed by Pierre Toussaint at Vivien's Creative, and was taken at Rae's on Wategos in Byron Bay. In an accompanying interview with Harper's Bazaar Australia, Elsa spoke about the pressures of juggling motherhood with a career in showbusiness as well as the joys of her laid-back coastal lifestyle. 'This place makes you enjoy life and let go of ambition and ego,' she said of Byron Bay. 'My dream was to be immersed in nature and surrounded by animals. And that's definitely what I've got here.' Laura Byrne, 33, and Matty 'J' Johnson, 31, got engaged during a romantic holiday in Fiji last month, and now a report claims they're already planning their big day. An insider told Woman's Day on Monday that the former Bachelor stars are having two weddings, however, heavily pregnant Laura has denied the claims. 'This is certainly news to the both of us. No we are not having two weddings. Disney movies are more factual than Woman's Day,' Laura told Daily Mail Australia. Fake news: Newly-engaged Laura Byrne has denied a Woman's Day report claiming she and Matty 'J' Johnson area planning two weddings The magazine bizarrely claimed the first event will be an inmate affair with their close friends and family, while the second will a more lavish celebration for their 'extended Bachelor family'. While most people would balk at the idea of inviting their partner's ex-girlfriends to their wedding day, Woman's Day claimed Laura has maintained contact with Matty's exes from The Bachelor and wants them all there - however she said this is also false. On April 28, the couple announced their engagement in a heartwarming Instagram post. No bad blood: While most people would balk at the idea of inviting their partner's ex-girlfriends to their wedding day, Laura has maintained contact with Matty's exes from The Bachelor and reportedly wants them all there. Laura is pictured with her former love rivals Elise Stacy (left) and Tara Pavlovic (right) 'You are my favourite everything @matthewdavidjohnson. YES to a lifetime of love and flamboyant dance moves with you my honey,' a heavily pregnant Laura captioned a stunning ring photo. Matty shared a romantic video, which showed him dropping down to one knee and popping the question at a Fiji beach. 'There's absolutely no one else I'd rather grow old and senile with. I can't wait to start a family together and now I can't wait to be your husband!' he wrote. Matty recently told Who magazine that a lot of thought and preparation went into his romantic proposal. 'On the second night I asked Laura to come down for a photo at sunset and I put the ring box down my pants,' he said. 'I walked over and had all this stuff planned to say and then I just went totally blank. I kind of just stood there and had a couple of tears.' She's wrapped principal photography on her new movie Ammonite which was shot in the UK. And for the past few days, Saoirse Ronan has been spending some time in New York City ahead of Monday's 2019 Met Gala. On Sunday, the Irish-American actress, 25, was spotted heading to pre-gala fittings at the Mark Hotel accompanied by her stylist Elizabeth Saltzman. Relaxed: Saoirse Ronan has been spending some time in New York City and on Sunday, the Irish-American actress, 25, was spotted enjoying a low-key outing ahead of the 2019 Met Gala Ronan wore a green plaid jacket over a pink 'Je t'aime' sweatshirt which she paired with blue jeans rolled up at the bottom. She added blue socks and white trainers and carried a plaid knapsack. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was loose and she accessorized with hoop earrings. Casual style: Ronan wore a green plaid jacket over a pink 'Je t'aime' sweatshirt which she paired with blue jeans rolled up at the bottom. She added blue socks and white trainers Had company: Ronan was accompanied by her stylist Elizabeth Saltzman who is helping her get ready for the prestigious Met Gala happening Monday night Preparations: The Lady Bird and Mary Queen of Scots star was snapped leaving the hotel a little later Last Thursday, the star of Lady Bird and Mary Queen Of Scots had been feted at the Ireland Funds annual gala in the Big Apple. The actress was presented with the organization's 2019 Performing Arts Award in recognition of her work on stage and in film. The event raised more than $2.3 million which will go towards supporting charitable causes in Ireland, according to IrishCentral.com. Honored: Last Thursday, the actress feted at the Ireland Funds annual gala in the Big Apple. She's pictured leaving her hotel earlier in the day on May 2 In Ammonite, Ronan stars with Kate Winslet in a period drama set in 19th century England. Winslet plays Mary Anning who is famous for having discovered Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs at Lyme Regis and Charmouth. Her work contributed to important changes in scientific thinking about prehistoric life but, because she was a woman, she was prevented form joining the Geological Society of London and did not receive full credit for her findings. Ronan plays Charlotte Murchison, who, according to the film, embarked on a lesbian love affair with Anning. However, this has been disputed by Barbara Anning, a distant niece who still lives near the Jurassic Coast where the fossil hunter made many discoveries. 'The lesbian storyline is pure Hollywood as far as I know and there was no suggestion that she was a lesbian at all. That's just what they do I suppose,' Barbara Anning has said. She is half of the bubbly husband-and-wife duo who has look a picture of happiness in the new Channel Nine series Lego Masters. But Maddy Tyers, 29, has revealed she suffered dangerous weight loss in her teenage years, which was so severe doctors told her she risked having a heart attack. Maddy - who features with her husband Jimmy Eaton in the Channel Nine show - told New Idea she was admitted to hospital at the age of 15 for an eating disorder. 'I didn't think I had an eating disorder - I was very much in denial': Lego Masters' Maddy Tyers, left, has revealed she lost so much weight at the age of 15 she risked having a heart attack 'I didn't think I had an eating disorder - I was very much in denial,' she said. The quirky Lego fanatic said it was a 'rude awakening' when doctors warned her of the potentially deadly consequences. She explained her weight dropped dramatically when she was in Year 10 after a period of barely eating and exercising a lot. 'A few years have passed and it's still a struggle - but I'm at a point where I am learning to love myself,' she said. Talking about their appearance on Lego Masters, Maddy said she and her partner were a couple of big children and that it was surreal they were chosen for the show. 'A few years have passed and it's still a struggle - but I'm at a point where I am learning to love myself,' she said. She stars on the show alongside her husband Jimmy She and Jimmy celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary on Friday - just in time to watch themselves come out victorious in Sunday night's episode. Their haunted house-inspired apartment took the crown. An ode to iconic films such as The Shining and Ghostbusters, the couple's build had not only Hamish and Ryan staring in wonder, but fellow contestants too. Happy couple: Maddy and Jimmy celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary on Friday - just in time to watch themselves come out victorious in Sunday night's episode What a build: Maddy and Jimmy's haunted house-inspired apartment took the crown 'I think for the first time you've actually hit your ambition level, I'm really proud of you guys,' the show's judge 'Brickman' Ryan McNaught said. 'I think you guys are on a incredible trajectory.' It comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed the Lego Masters contestant is an actress who once kissed Liam Hemsworth in the 2008 TV series The Elephant Princess. Maddy played a leading role in the show, starring alongside the now-husband to Miley Cyrus from 2008 to 2011. The show is Maddy's most notable credit as an actress, but she has also had minor roles in Neighbours and City Homicide. Maddy lists her occupations on Facebook as 'children's author' and 'movie maker'. It was the crossover between a Desperate Housewife and a Real Housewife of New York on Saturday night. And both Teri Hatcher, 54, and Luann de Lesseps appeared as thrilled as all of us when they posed for a photo together following the reality star's cabaret show in Vegas. The 53-year-old beauty was performing at The Mirage in Las Vegas, to which the actress popped in to watch. Iconic! Desperate Housewife star Teri Hatcher was seen attending Real Housewives Of New York star Luann de Lesseps cabaret show on Saturday night in Vegas 'Housewife meets housewife. thank you so so much for coming to #countessandfriends @officialterihatcher,' Luann captioned a photo. The image saw the performer dazzle in a silver sequin and bedazzled gown that ensured all eyes were on her ample cleavage. She teamed the look with a statement diamond necklace and earrings for the sell out show. Love: And it appeared as though the mom-of-one was just as flattered to meet the performing reality star Luann styled her brunette hair back into a glamorous updo while her makeup was kept bold with blushed cheeks, fake lashes and a glossy lip. Teri was a ray of sunshine in a yellow number while keeping her hair out and makeup more natural. And it appeared as though the mom-of-one was just as flattered to meet the performing reality star. 'Nothing desperate about you!!! Okay I had to say it. enjoyed watching you own the stage and the audience. They love you and I see why! Congrats,' she replied in the comments section. Sharing the love: And spending her Sunday relaxing after the stellar performance, Luann took to social media to share some photos relaxing by the pool while wishing her fans a Happy Cinco de Mayo, before they accused her of drinking again despite her court order prohibiting alcohol And spending her Sunday relaxing after the stellar performance, Luann took to social media to share some photos relaxing by the pool while wishing her fans a Happy Cinco de Mayo. 'Performing at @themiragelv was a dream. Happy #cincodemayo #cincodemayoinvegas,' she captioned. The innocent post saw Luann take a selife with shades in her bathrobe, to which many fans were outraged. While she didn't reveal whether or not she was or had been drinking, many found her post irresponsible considering she's currently on a court order prohibiting her consumption of alcohol. She was arrested on Christmas Eve in 2017 for attacking and threatening to kill a police officer during a drunken night out in Palm Beach. Bad times: Luann was arrested on Christmas Eve in 2017 for attacking and threatening to kill a police officer during a drunken night out in Palm Beach Recent reports have revealed the New York Housewife has not been taking her probation seriously, after 'admitting to drinking two glasses of mimosas after a performance she had in Chicago,' revealed her New York probation Officer to Page Six last week. Luann had been ordered a no drinking on a 12-month probation period but she came back as positive following an alcohol test conducted on 21 April, 2019. Following the positive results, she was encouraged to 'immediately enroll in outpatient treatment' but she 'declined due to her touring schedule,' revealed the court documents. She also opted to decline an ankle monitor as it was 'too intrusive'. Calling out Luann: Comments on Luann's Instagram page were less than supportive on Sunday, with many blankly accusing the star of being 'drunk', 'drinking' and appearing 'hungover' 'I take my sobriety very seriously and like many in my situation, it is a daily struggle,' Luann told Page Six, last week. 'I remain committed to doing whatever it takes to continue living a healthy sober lifestyle.' The court documents also revealed that Luann had 'failed to provide sufficient documentation of completed AA meetings which she was ordered to complete 2 AA meetings per week. At the time of this writing, only 5 have been received.' She is required to attend two AA meetings per week and take random sobriety tests, but her probation officer said earlier this year that she hasn't complied with the orders stemming from her arrest in 2017, according to legal documents. Comments on her Instagram page were less than supportive on Sunday, with many blankly accusing the star of being 'drunk', 'drinking' and appearing 'hungover'. One wrote: 'She looks hung over big time! NEWS ALERT: getting drunk when your an alcoholic and on probation isn't living your best life!' Luann opted not to reply to any of the haters, rather shared another photo with a breakfast spread. Khloe Kardashian and Scott Disick famously art shamed Kris Jenner last season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. And Khloe was back trying her hand at painting, in this Sunday's brand new episode on E! The star didn't get much praise for her efforts alas, as they were dismissed by an art expert as being 'distasteful.' Woman of many talents: Khloe Kardashian has proven her abilities stretch across many fields but possibly not art Scott Disick got a rude awakening when wanted to determine the value of some paintings by Khloe, whose eldest sister Kourtney is the mother of Scott's three children. He bought Khloe an easel and told her that she would be a new sexy artist. The mother-of-True stripped down topless underneath her apron. They tried to call Kris, but got through to Jennifer Lawrence on Facetime instead. Sexy artist! Khloe stripped off to paint Virtuoso: Khloe could be seen on the show working hard at her craft Peachy! Scott was surprised to learn it wasn't an orange apple 'IT'S A HAIRLESS PEACH!': Scott had an accurate and surprised summary of Khloe's artistic endeavours Kourtney then posed with a salad for Khloe to paint her portrait, which Khloe named 'The Kourt'. Scott consulted art appraiser Michael Goodman with the works, but the 35-year-old was crestfallen to hear that 'a three-year-old could've done a better job' than Khloe. At the beginning of the meeting, Michael began putting on gloves, but Scott assured him: 'You don't need gloves for these pieces.' The charmer dished: 'You're gonna wanna touch these items. The only hands that have touched these are pretty similar to God's.' He placed two paintings on a coffee table in front of Michael - 'the Kourt' and the hairless peach. In a confessional, Scott dished: 'I know I wasn't really supposed to bring the Kourt, because Khloe doesn't feel like this was one of her real pieces of work.' Star turn: They Facetimed Jennifer Lawrence to show her the art Is that her middle name? The Oscar winner was on the phone Jokers: Khloe had fun with Scott as she got stuck into painting Van Gogh or Van no? She kept abreast of the techniques used to paint The reality TV heartthrob explained: 'But in my eyes, everything she's made's amazing, so I feel like it's gotta be worth something.' 'All right, lemme know how rich I am,' said Scott to the appraiser during the meeting, prompting a long pause and a bit of nervous laughter from Michael. 'You know, I rarely say this about abstracts, but this one - this one's - yeah, this one, I'm not sure what that is,' said Michael haltingly. 'This artist is very talented at making distasteful paintings,' he added, and Scott replied: 'Okay, that's hurtful, because I'm close with her.' Scathing: Michael concluded: 'I really don't know what someone would genuinely pay for these,' and told Scott of the artist: 'And tell her to stay away from glitter' Loyal: During a confessional, Scott said pointedly: 'I mean, the last time I checked, I thought artists and people in the art world were open-minded' Judgment call: In a confessional, Scott dished: 'I know I wasn't really supposed to bring the Kourt, because Khloe doesn't feel like this was one of her real pieces of work' Masterworks: He placed two paintings on a coffee table in front of Michael - one called 'the Kourt' and another of an orange heart-shaped apple Unsparing: But when he consulted appraiser Michael Goodman, he was crestfallen to hear that 'a three-year-old could've done a better job' than Khloe Loyal: The 35-year-old hunk wanted to determine the value of some paintings by Khloe Kardashian, whose elder sister Kourtney is the mother of Scott's three children During a confessional, Scott said pointedly: 'I mean, the last time I checked, I thought artists and people in the art world were open-minded.' After Michael's remark about the 'three-year-old,' Scott said optimistically: 'What are we thinking, couple hundred grand each?' 'I would say this is worth less than the materials,' said Michael. 'Normally, I could give you a material value, meaning what the canvas costs, but this is actually less, because now we don't have the materials. They're not intact.' He concluded: 'I really don't know what someone would genuinely pay for these,' and told Scott of the artist: 'And tell her to stay away from glitter.' 'Not everyone is going to like a Van Gogh,' defended Khloe. Cheeky! Scott then took a nude drawing class with Kris Racy! The model stripped off while they struggled to concentrate on their etchings Don't give up the day job: Kris revealed her artistic prowess Meanwhile, Scott revealed his playful relationship with his ex-girlfriend's mom as he then set up a nude male model for Kris Jenner to paint. Their playful friendship spilled over into their joint confessional. As Disick slurped down a coffee, Jenner gently ribbed him for the noisy drink, telling him, 'Wild, you are wild.' Clapping back, Disick joked, 'By the way, I don't know what you've done, but it's getting to the point that I'm nervous.' 'I can't even work with you,' Jenner responds, with Disick adding, 'I can't breathe.' Stressed out: Kim Kardashian is feeling the stress as she ramps up to not only start her career track on becoming a lawyer, but also prepares to welcome her fourth child Loving husband: Kanye listened to Kim's concerns and offered her support and advice Guardian angels: 'Like it's beautiful, it's like your dad,' West said Kind Kanye: 'Sit back and analyze, what are your distractions?' the rapper advised Stressed sister: 'I don't know what to do. How am I gonna have another kid? How am I gonna study? How am I gonna read? How am I gonna do this all?' Kim asked As the father of Jenner's grandchildren begins to cough, Jenner chides him for yet another loud outburst, asking, 'Do you realize when somebody sits next to you and [coughs] that's it's a little distracting?' 'Same way I feel as when you're on your phone,' he snaps back, prompting Jenner's exasperated, 'Jeez.' Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian was feeling the stress as she ramps up to not only start her career track on becoming a lawyer, but also prepares to welcome her fourth child. 'My goal would be to give up being Kim K and really fight for people,' she explained. The 38-year-old vocalized her worries about being too busy, explaining to husband Kanye: 'I just had a 14 hour day. It's a lot a lot of work. I kinda don't know if I wanna take away time from the kids and from you'. She revealed she's flying to San Francisco every week to concentrate on her studies. The KKW Beauty mogul then said she felt it was not possible to have it all. 'I don't know what to do. How am I gonna have another kid? How am I gonna study? How am I gonna read? How am I gonna do this all?' Kim asked. Her husband Kanye, 41, had a few words of encouragement for her that seemed to make his wife feel at ease. Busy: Kim revealed she's going to San Francisco to study law each week Legal minds: Kim wants to follow in her late father's footsteps, he was the lawyer who defended his friend OJ Simpson Studious: She's having to read a lot of books Cup runneth over: Kim explained all of her concerns about juggling so much with another baby arriving soon by surrogate 'Sit back and analyze, what are your distractions? Once you manage your time you'll be able to manage your time to be able to give attention to me, attention to the kids and attention to law that you're passionate about,' Kanye advised. The artist recalled the memory of his wife's dad - the late lawyer Robert Kardashian, who defended OJ Simpson - to inspire Kim. 'You know what's fire about that and just why we're so blessed? ...To be able to get the mentors, that means the universe really wants this to happen. Like it's beautiful, it's like your dad,' West said. In a direct to camera interview, Kim said Kanye has always had her back. Pushing buttons: Kris and Scott sparred on camera Cough it up! Kris was grossed out by noises Scott was making 'From day one Kanye has always been someone in my life who has always pushed me to do what I want to do no matter what the rules are,' she said. 'The fact that he is supporting me in this journey knowing that for the next four years it would take time away from him and our kids means a lot to me and gives me the confidence that I really need and that extra push of someone around me to be like 'I know you can do it,' like 'you got this,'' Kim said. The songwriter and producer lightened the mood at the end of the conversation, joking to Kim that she'll have to help him get out of his bad deals. 'My wife a lawyer now bet you I can get out of this contract you know what I'm saying?' Kanye teased. 'I know you can't wait till then but in four years I can go to court for you,' Kim replied. Keeping Up With the Kardashians airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on E! Line Of Duty was bewildering. But not in the way you might have expected. The way we actually wanted. The denouement Jed Mercurio gave his notoriously labyrinthine, brilliantly cryptic, cop-show was so uncharacteristically simplistic it felt not so much wrong as bordering on nonsensical. Whereas Jed is usually admirably ruthlessness, in fact this was virtually a happy ending, even sentimental. Very strange and frankly unsatisfactory... More questions than answers: Line Of Duty was bewildering. But not in the way you might have expected. The way we actually wanted The good news was that Supt. Ted Hastings turned out to be exonerated and as noble in his intentions/actions as ever. Unfortunately, this meant the main storyline was simultaneously completely predictable and decidedly questionable. We knew Ted would not be H, the police officer behind an organised crime network - no matter how guilty Mercurio had made him look. Jed tried to get his hero out of the mess he had put him in but the line Ted had trodden between seeming and being corrupt was too fine. Mercurio could not square this circle. Not in a way that was convincing anyway. As ever the highlights were the agonisingly intense, extended, interrogation scenes with Detective Chief Superintendent Carmichael putting Ted call me Superintendent Hastings through the wringer. Highlight: As ever the highlights were the agonisingly intense, extended, interrogation scenes with Detective Chief Superintendent Carmichael putting Ted through the wringer The AC-3 ice queen versus AC-12s valiant figurehead and for once Adrian Dunbar met his match in Anna Maxwell Martin. In a way it was a shame she didnt come out on top. Hastings, DS Steve Arnott, and DI Kate Fleming remaining in situ for the next series seemed a little safe if not a cop-out. A post-script to the final scene revealed Hastings had consequently been given a final written warning after a hearing found him guilty of discreditable conduct. And quite right too... His story didnt really stack up. Disappointing: Hastings, DS Steve Arnott, and DI Kate Fleming remaining in situ for the next series seemed a little safe if not a cop-out It transpired that former detective Mark Moffatt had given Ted 100, 000 in cash, not the 50, 000 we knew about and Carmichaels officers duly found in his grubby hotel room. Mercurio didnt bother to explain where Hastings had supposedly hidden the other 50K or how AC-3 hadnt located it. It wasnt clear why Hastings had taken the money from Moffatt either. He had lost everything (including the family home) by investing in the disastrous and absurdly named Kettle Bell Complex so was hardly likely to accept Moffatts invitation to do so again. Or believe that Moffatts offer to loan him 100, 000 was legit or something he should consider, let alone accept, particularly as the head of the Anti-Corruption Unit. And yet he did all of these. Comeuppance: A post-script to the final scene revealed Hastings had consequently been given a final written warning after a hearing found him guilty of discreditable conduct' Hastings justified this to DCS Carmichael claiming Moffatt had given him the money under false pretences and that hed been in the process of returning it. Not so much tenuous as just not true, as was proven when the very final scene saw Hastings seemingly about to give the extra cash to John Corbetts widow Steph. All highly unethical or at best unintelligent: not very Ted-like. Hastings explanation for furtively disposing of a laptop allegedly used to communicate with the OCG at an Electronics Disposal Centre was even worse. Its not relevant to this enquiry, Ted told Carmichael shakily. Again, not strictly accurate... Suspicious: The very final scene saw Hastings seemingly about to give the extra cash to John Corbetts widow Steph Carmichael pointed out that if AC-3 had found the laptop, it would have proved beyond any doubt he was H. To be honest you wondered if this would have been preferable when Ted blurted out the real reason hed disposed of it (supposedly). I was looking at pornography. Nothing illegal. Nothing extreme. I just did not want it to be found thats all! So youre not corrupt, youre a pervert? Thats great Ted! (He also had a disturbing resemblance to the figure photographed exiting the brothel where the OCG had kept the underage girl theyd sex-trafficked.) Carmichael was understandably sceptical. So it was nothing illegal or extreme but you went to the lengths of disposing of the computer? Questionable: Hastings explanation for furtively disposing of a laptop allegedly used to communicate with the OCG at an Electronics Disposal Centre was even worse It was private stuff Jesus Christ! Hastings spluttered, as if any suggestion of impropriety was outrageous, before concluding I really dont want to discuss it. I bet you dont ! Ted had cleared up his now-notorious spelling of definately by claiming that he had been aping H (rather than actually being H). Fair enough, although he had seized control of AC-12s dialogue with the OCG suspiciously abruptly and over-ridden its cyber-crime experts lexicon designed for that specific purpose. Why he had gone to see OCG member Lee Banks in prison unaccompanied by another officer, without recording their conversation, or even informing AC-12 of his visit was another matter. Hastings claim that he had been attempting to elicit information about the OCG was, again, tenuous. (He could have told Arnott or Fleming about it afterwards.) And when Banks (predictably to us, but not apparently to Ted) refused to corroborate his version (or even say anything more than no comment), the AC-12 boss had nothing to counter the accusation that he had been tipping off the OCG that John Corbett was an undercover police officer, thereby sealing his execution. Not buying it: Carmichael was understandably sceptical of Hastings' explantations Teds entire defence was basically that he had conjured up a cunning plan to identify and entrap H by pretending to be H but just hadnt told anyone. It didnt seem to have occurred to him that if the plan was successful it might lead to AC-12 or AC-3 arresting him - for being H. Not that it had been, or was ever likely to. Lee Banks hadnt told him anything and Lisa McQueen quickly saw through his ruse because Ted was behaving exactly the opposite way that H would (breaking cover after years operating in the shadows). It never was clear how/why he thought his plan could succeed anyway: the real H would know that he was not H so never likely to be caught that way. OCG: Lee Banks hadnt told him anything and Lisa McQueen quickly saw through his ruse because Ted was behaving exactly the opposite way that H would Even if he wasnt corrupt, poor Teds actions throughout the series were so dumb or misguided that retirement did seem best. In the end it was DS Arnott and DI Fleming who saved him by discovering Gill Bigelow had been instrumental in John Corbetts selection as the undercover officer embedded in the OCG, and then finding the recording of Bigelow telling Corbett: were setting up an operation to bring down the man who had your mother killed. In fact if Steph Corbett hadnt given it to them, Hastings would have been well and truly scuppered framed not so much by Bigelow as by himself. The head of AC-12 didnt have a clue what she was up to, but viewers had rumbled her weeks ago. Villain: In the end it was DS Arnott and DI Fleming who saved him by discovering Gill Bigelow had been instrumental in John Corbetts selection as the undercover officer Ted Hastings story aside, the rest of the final episode was disappointing too. The collective slackness of the AC-3 and AC-12 officers when Kate Fleming turned the tables on Gill Bigelow by telling her she was under arrest was astonishing. The woman whod framed Ted Hastings was allowed to get her mobile out (on the pretence Id like to make my own personal recording), keep it under the table (rather than on it), and then send the OCG a pre-written text (urgent exit required). Exactly as their nemesis/corrupt colleague Dot Cottan had! Youd think Steve and Kate would be more alert considering the carnage that prompted. Then, when the danger of rogue AFOs had ended, Arnott, Fleming, Hastings, and Carmichael casually wandered off to the lift to say goodbye to each other leaving Bigelow to go to the loo with only Tina Trantor watching her. Twist: Mercurio produced the biggest shock of the evening the AC-3 DS bursting into Gills cubicle trying to stab her I could murder a cuppa, sighed Kate to Steve just as Mercurio produced the biggest shock of the evening the AC-3 DS bursting into Gills cubicle trying to stab her. They grabbled for the knife until Steve eventually shot Trantor but even then she didnt die as Mercurio uncharacteristically gave her a reprieve. Why he didnt just kill Bigelow off as he had so many baddies (and goodies) in Line Of Duty was anyones guess. Even more bewilderingly, he went further when the post-script showed Bigelow not in prison but parking her car at the seaside, having received a new identity in return for assisting subsequent prosecutions. Similarly, Lisa McQueen was in witness protection and happily giving seminars educating teenagers to avoid crime. Only the relatively unimportant/uninteresting Mark Moffatt had been convicted (of bribery). Desolate: The person suffering most was Steve Arnott, still living a fairly desolate life drinking too much and taking pills for his bad back' Otherwise the person suffering most was Steve Arnott, still living a fairly desolate life drinking too much and taking pills for his bad back. (Not his worst physical affliction judging by last weeks embarrassment in bed with his hot ex-girlfriend DS Sam Railston, who had clearly stopped trying to get back together by throwing herself at him.) One other element of the finale represented an even more humiliating failure for everyone: the viewers, AC-12, and particularly Mercurio. The video of Dot Cottans dying revelation to Kate Fleming about H had been shown during Ted Hastings interrogation and, conveniently, happened to have been left up on the screen. It was only then that Steve Arnott noticed that as he lay then Dot was tapping his fingers on the ground: more code. For years now, AC-12 had based their search for the kingpin behind the OCG on the notion that Dot had answered Kates desperate questions about the identity of the police officer running the gang by blinking his eyes (when she ran through the alphabet and reached, you guessed it, H). In fact, as DS Arnott said, it turned out: H is not an initial. Its a clue. The pattern of Cottans tapping led Steve to conclude: Its four Dots - four Caddys, four police staff linked to organised crime! And the last ones still out there! gasped Kate Fleming, realising, as we did, that the search for H in this series and the one before had been what is now known as a Jed herring. Bachelor in Paradise star Zoe O'Brien has been left devastated after her co-star Bill Goldsmith shared a photo of her and Ivan Krslovic cuddling on a couch, along with the caption 'secret's out', on his Instagram story on Sunday. Taking to her own Instagram account on Monday, Zoe slammed Bill for suggesting she's romantically involved with the 29-year-old topless dancer. 'Just to clarify, there is nothing going on with Ivan and I, we are friends,' she began in the post. 'I am so disappointed that he has maliciously posted this joke!' Bachelor in Paradise's Zoe O'Brien (left) has slammed Bill Goldsmith (right) for starting false rumour she's dating co-star Ivan Krslovic Zoe said the photo of her cosying up with Ivan is a 'joke' that Bill, 31, orchestrated during a recent group dinner. 'This photo is a joke that Bill got us to pose for on my couch when I was kind enough to have them both over at my house for dinner and to watch an episode,' she explained. Zoe went on to reveal Bill's actions are particularly 'disappointing' because the point of their catch-up was to check in on his 'mental health' amid the fan furore levelled at him. 'The point of having them over was that I was going to checking in on Bill's mental health as he was getting so much hate on social media,' she wrote. 'Bill got us to pose on my couch!' Zoe (left) claims a photo of her cosying up with Ivan Krslovic (right) is a 'joke' that Bill orchestrated during their group dinner Speaking out: Zoe was less than impressed with the Melbourne plumber's 'joke' as she took to her Instagram stories on Monday to slam Bill for starting a false rumour she's romantically involved with Ivan, 29 'The last thing I ever want is anyone to be struggling or upset and think they have no one to turn to, to talk about it. 'I have been nothing but kind to Bill and I am so disappointed that he has deliberately and maliciously posted this joke to provoke a reaction and cause unnecessary drama,' she concluded. Zoe was forced to clarify her 'friend' status with Ivan once again on Monday after she revealed she received 'one million' messages about the false romance rumours. 'Me and Ivan are just friends': Zoe (left) was forced to clarify her 'friend' status with Ivan Krslovic (right) once again in a separate post shared to her Instagram story on Monday Clap back: Zoe shared another post on her Instagram story on Monday regarding the false romance rumours about her and Ivan 'OK so a million people are messaging me about the photo Bill posted of me and Ivan,' she began in a separate post shared to her Instagram stories. 'Me and Ivan are just friends (and I'm actually staying in Brisbane with Tenille Favios tonight). 'This is my response to the photo that has been re-posted on one of the Bachy meme pages (sad I have to post this but also, I've been honest all season so why stop now?),' she concluded. Villain: During this year's season of Bachelor in Paradise, Bill was been portrayed as one of the show's major 'villains' thanks to his involvement in a love triangle with Alex Nation and Florence Moerenhout Upset: Bill faced a fan backlash after he denied Florence's accusations that he had sexually propositioned her during their overnight date, and later accused her of' lying in an attempt to sabotage his romance with Alex. Pictured: Florence Moerenhout During this year's season of Paradise, Bill was portrayed as one of the show's major 'villains' thanks to his involvement in a love triangle with Alex Nation and Florence Moerenhout. Bill faced fan backlash after he denied Florence's accusations that he had sexually propositioned her during their overnight date, and later accused her of lying in an attempt to sabotage his romance with Alex. He was branded a 'disgrace' on Twitter and later issued a public apology to Florence. Regrets? Bill was branded a 'disgrace' on Twitter and later issued a public apology to Florence. Pictured with Alex Nation on Bachelor in Paradise Of course, Bill isn't the only contestant who has taken issue with the way they've been portrayed on Bachelor in Paradise this season. Sources have told Daily Mail Australia that several participants were left 'horrified' after watching back the show. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 for comment. Paddy Colliar recently said he was 'ashamed' of his laddish behaviour on Bachelor in Paradise and was taking time to 'work on himself'. But one thing Paddy won't be changing anytime soon is the tightness of his pants. Over the weekend, the 28-year-old gym manager enjoyed a night out in Melbourne wearing spray-on white chinos. 'You'll need a can opener to get those pants off!' Bachelor in Paradise's Paddy Colliar (left) has been trolled for wearing VERY tight trousers on a night out in Melbourne over the weekend Paddy, who hails from the UK, paid a visit to the Piccolo Mondo restaurant in Carlton, where he sipped on espresso martinis. While posing for a photo with a male friend, the reality TV star flexed his muscular legs in the exceedingly tight pants. It didn't take long for Paddy's Instagram followers to remark on his 'snug' attire. Living the high life: Paddy paid a visit to the Piccolo Mondo restaurant in Carlton, where he sipped on espresso martinis. Pictured on Bachelor in Paradise 'Snug': While posing for a photo, Paddy flexed his muscular legs in the tight white chinos - and it didn't take long for his Instagram followers to notice the remarkably 'snug' fit 'When did 2XU start making Skins in white?' one person asked, comparing Paddy's pants to compression leggings. Another wrote: 'OMG [you'll need] a can opener to get those pants off, Paddy.' Similar comments included: 'My those pants are snug' and 'A man in tights!' Last week, a remorseful Paddy spoke about his questionable behaviour on Bachelor in Paradise during the After the Final Rose special. 'I was ashamed of myself': Last week, a remorseful Paddy (pictured) spoke about his behaviour on Bachelor in Paradise during the After the Final Rose special He confessed that watching himself back on TV made him feel 'ashamed', adding that he hopes to learn from his mistakes. 'It was hard to watch back, I'm not going to lie. But it's also taught me a lot,' he said. 'I've never seen that side of me, I was a bit ashamed of myself to be honest. 'It is probably a blessing in disguise I've seen that [because] now I can work on that, I can change that.' Back in April, Bachelor in Paradise viewers took to Twitter to accuse Paddy of 'gaslighting' his co-star Brooke Blurton. He'd also been criticised for having a '24-hour romance' with Alisha Aitken-Radburn that ended almost as soon as it had begun. She's been on cloud nine ever since rekindling her romance with beau Bradley Dack last month. But Olivia Attwood enjoyed some time with her gal pals as she joined TOWIE's Shelby Tribble, Clelia Theodorou and Fran Parman to ring in her 28th birthday celebrations at Manchester's Menagerie Restaurant & Bar, before partying at Impossible bar on Sunday evening. The Love Island star caught the eye as she slipped into a sparkling asymmetric skirt, putting her enviably lean legs on full display. Here comes the girls! Olivia Attwood joined TOWIE's Shelby Tribble, Clelia Theodorou and Fran Parman to ring in her 28th birthday celebrations at Manchester's Menagerie Restaurant & Bar, before partying at Impossible bar on Sunday Injecting even more glamour into her head-turning appearance, the TV personality teamed her thigh-skimming ensemble with a 320 logo T-shirt by Givenchy, and boosted her frame in pointed heels. The former glamour model ensured focus remained on her striking outfit as she toted a quilted chain-bag, and opted for minimal accessories. Olivia styled her blonde tresses into loose waves and accentuated her stunning features with a full face of make-up. Meanwhile, Essex beauty Shelby, 26, commanded attention in a ruched peach mini dress, paired with studded perspex heels. Birthday girl: The Love Island star caught the eye as she slipped into a sparkling asymmetric skirt, putting her enviably lean legs on full display Centre of attention: Injecting even more glamour into her head-turning appearance, the TV personality teamed her thigh-skimming ensemble with a 320 logo T-shirt by Givenchy, and boosted her frame in pointed heels With her chocolate brown locks favouring Olivia's 'do, the former beauty pageant queen complemented her look with a pair of gold door-knocker earrings. Olivia and Bradley's relationship appears to be going strong as the couple frequently share loved-up snaps on their social media accounts. The pair's fiery relationship was tested when they went their separate ways in recent weeks after a reportedly furious row. Blonde bombshell Olivia wrote on Instagram at the time: 'Just to put any speculation to bed. Brad and I are no longer in a relationship.' Having fun: The former Motorsport Grid Girl appeared in great spirits as she sported a kooky hat for the special occasion Ooh-la-la: Charlotte Dawsy was pictured playfully grinding on the birthday girl as they celebrated Olivia's birthday with a wild night out However, the couple found they were much stronger together as reports soon followed the pair had decided to give their love another go. Earlier this year, Olivia revealed that she and Bradley were moving from their Manchester home days after the property had been raided by thieves. She told The Sun: 'It was horrible. We were in bed, someone had a key, we don't know who it was... We're moving anyway, we're moving this week.' The former Motorsport Grid Girl found fame on Love Island where she met and fell for Chris Hughes but the couple split months after the show finished. She's on the east coast ahead of Monday's Met Gala. And Kris Jenner was taking a walk on the wild side as she celebrated the Damehood of Harper's BAZAAR's Glenda Bailey on Sunday. The 63-year-old reality television star added a little leopard print to her outfit, at the Carlyle Hotel In New York City. Animal print: Kris Jenner was taking a walk on the wild side as she celebrated the Damehood of Harper's BAZAAR's Glenda Bailey on Sunday The mother-of-six covered a sexy black satin slip dress with a quirky embellished duster coat. The floor-length garb had a red pattern trim and leopard print sleeves. She sleeked her dark crop into a voluminous wave, and added perfectly applied smokey eyes and a nude lipstick. Sexy: The mother-of-six covered a black satin slip dress with a quirky embellished duster coat as she joined Corey Gamble Celebration: The couple chatted to Dame Glenda Bailey, 60, who is the editor-in-chief of monthly fashion publication Kris - who was joined by her boyfriend Corey Gamble - praised her glam team of make up and hair artist Etienne Ortega and hair stylist Jorge Serrano. She shared a snap to her 26.5 million Instagram followers, before arriving at the bash, in which she's seen posing by an interior wall. 'Love you NYC Glam: makeup @etienneortega hair @jorgeserranohair,' she captioned. Meanwhile, Corey, 38, looked handsome in an all-black ensemble. Looking good: Kris praised her glam team of make up and hair artist Etienne Ortega and hair stylist Jorge Serrano Guests: The Kardashian momager posed for a photo with Dame Joan Collins Dames: Dame Joan, 85, also warmly greeted new Dame Glenda, 60, who is editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar The couple chatted to Dame Glenda Bailey, 60, who is the editor-in-chief of monthly fashion publication. The British-born fashionista was made a Dame Commander (DBE) in the Queen's 2019 New Year Honours. Other famous faces at the event included Dame Joan Collins, VS Angel Sara Sampaio and actress Demi Moore. Famous face: Demi Moore, 56, was also on hand to celebrate with Bailey Honored: Victoria's Secret Angel Sara Sampaio, 27, also congratulated the magazine editor and fashionista Stylish: Fashion designer Tory Burch arrived in a burnt orange hued ensemble Stunning: Lauren Hutton donned a pink number with black bottoms and boots Good times: Avril Graham and Lewis Hamilton posed inside the bash Happy: Char Defrancesco, Marc Jacobs, Glenda Bailey and Lewis More: Dee Hilfiger, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs and Char Defrancesco pictured inside So cool: Marc Jacobs, Demi Moore and Char posed up a storm She has been the subject of boob job rumours for well over a decade. But Sophie Monk has officially denied having a breast enlargement, telling her Instagram followers on Sunday she is all natural. After fans were left gobsmacked by footage of her on holiday in the Maldives, the former Bardot star denied she was showing off her 'new boobs'. 'They're 39 years old and going south!' Sophie Monk has denied longstanding rumours she had a boob job... after flaunting her jaw-dropping figure on holiday in the Maldives (pictured) The speculation began after Sophie shared a video of herself walking out of the ocean dripping wet in a skimpy red bikini. 'New boobs?' one of her followers commented, to which Sophie swiftly replied: 'They're 39 years old and going south.' Sophie, who turns 40 in December, has long been accused of going under the knife. 'Have your boobs somewhat grown?' After fans were left gobsmacked by footage of her on holiday in Maldives, Sophie denied on Sunday she was showing off her 'new boobs' Rumour has it! The speculation began after Sophie shared a video of herself walking out of the ocean dripping wet in a skimpy red bikini. One person commented, 'New boobs?' She's all natural! Sophie swiftly replied, 'They're 39 years old and going south' She previously denied having a breast enlargement in 2014. Speaking on 2DayFM's breakfast show, Sophie claimed that that if she were to have surgery on that area it would be a breast reduction. 'I want a boob reduction. They're a 32D and at times a DD, and they get in the way when I do sports,' she said at the time. 'But doctors told me to leave them alone, women die for those things!' Love Island! Sophie is currently on holiday in the Maldives with her new boyfriend, Josh Gross Gossip: Sophie previously denied having a breast enlargement in 2014. Pictured in West Hollywood, California on July 8, 2010 Last year, Sophie sparked rumours she'd undergone Botox and lip fillers after displaying noticeably fuller features during a TV appearance. While being interviewed on the Today show in November 2018, her lips appeared much plumper compared to when she filmed Love Island earlier that year. At the time, Beverly Hills-based cosmetic surgeon Dr. Randal Haworth said Sophie had likely 'taken full advantage of some non-surgical cosmetic options'. Fiona O'Loughlin once accidentally swore in front of the Queen and Prince Philip while meeting the Royals for the first time. The 55-year-old comedian recalled the awkward experience on Today Extra on Monday, admitting the F-word slipped out when she was trying to apologise for the fact her husband Chris had broken Royal protocol. Unfortunately, the gaffe resulted in further embarrassment for the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia winner. A right royal gaffe! Comedian Fiona O'Loughlin (pictured) has revealed the awkward moment she said the F-word in front of the Queen and Prince Philip Fiona explained that she had mistakenly asked Prince Philip if her husband had 'f**ked up' by shaking the Queen's hand. It is understood that when meeting a member of the Royal family, you should not touch them. The mishap occurred when Fiona and Chris were invited to meet the Queen and Prince Philip during their visit to Alice Springs many years ago. 'The Queen was coming to Alice Springs and they invited 50 of the flashiest people they could find,' she said. Whoops! Fiona explained that she had mistakenly asked Prince Philip if her husband Chris had 'f**ked up' by shaking the Queen's hand during a visit to Alice Springs several years ago Fiona continued: 'I'm pretty sure my husband and I came in at 49 and 50! We were the only two people that hadn't met her. 'I saw my husband break protocol and shake the Queen's hand. 'He said, "G'day, I'm Chris!" and I raced from one side of the room to the other... but I'd had a few glasses of personality. 'I turned to a stranger on my left and said, "Did he just rhymes-with-duck [f**k] up?" and Prince Phillip lent down and said,"Not as much as you just did, sweetheart!"' Moving swiftly on! Taking the cringeworthy gaffe in her stride, Fiona said on Today Extra: 'I don't care what anyone says, [Prince Philip] is a funny guy' Taking the cringeworthy gaffe in her stride, Fiona added: 'I don't care what anyone says, [Prince Philip] is a funny guy.' 'Some of the stories I tell, I've told them so many times, I'm not even sure they actually happened, but I'm pretty sure this one happened.' Fiona and Chris, who share five children together, previously split in 2012 before later reconciling. She is a recovering alcoholic who spoke candidly about her recovery while on the Australian version of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! last year. British fashion designer Ozwald Boateng showed off his latest creations at a live streamed show on Vero, held at the famed Apollo theater in Harlem, New York, on Sunday. And Grey's Anatomy star Jesse Williams was among the high profile guests. The actor, 37, who is locked in a bitter divorce from Aryn Drake-Lee, the mother of his two young children, was accompanied to the event by girlfriend Taylour Paige. Stylish couple: Grey's Anatomy star Jesse Williams held hands with girlfriend Taylour Paige as they arrived for British fashion designer Ozwald Boateng;s show in Harlem on Sunday The couple held hands and shared a joke as they posed for photos on the red carpet. The two were first linked romantically back in January when they were seen together at the Sundance Film festival in Park City, Utah. The actress, 28, is best known for the VH1 series Hit the Floor. Williams filed for divorce from Drake-Lee in April of 2017, ending a five-year marriage that began in September of 2012. They are parents to five-year-old daughter Sadie and three-year-old son Maceo. It's complicated: The actor, 37, who is locked in a bitter divorce from Aryn Drake-Lee, the mother of his two young children, was first linked with Paige in January Close: Williams and Paige, 28, who is best known for the VH1 series Hit the Floor, shared a joke as they posed for photos together Another couple who came out to show support for Boateng was Idris Elba and new bride Sabrina Dhowre. The Luther star, 46, wore a bespoke suit by Boateng when he tied the knot with the model in Marrakesh on April 26. The genetically-blessed newlyweds held hands and smiled happily for the cameras. It's the third marriage for the actor who has two children from his previous relationships. French model Cindy Bruna was also on the guest list and the 24-year-old turned heads in a stripy ensemble. Just wed: Idris Elba and new bride Sabrina Dhowre also came out to show support for Boateng. Elba, 46, wore a bespoke suit by Boateng when he married the model in Marrakesh on April 26 Honeymoon phase: The genetically-blessed newlyweds held hands and smiled happily for the cameras Striking: French model Cindy Bruna was also on the guest list and the 24-year-old turned heads in a stripy ensemble It was another thrilling edition of American Idol Sunday night, with six contestants vying for four top spots. And judge Katy Perry pulled out all the stops in her choice of outfit for the big night. The pop star, 34, arrived for the live show flaunting her legs in a thigh-skimming colorful striped mini dress. Vibrant: Six contestants vied for four top spots on American Idol Sunday night and judge Katy Perry pulled out all the stops in her choice of outfit for the big night Perry's sequin dress shimmered in the light and featured a round neck and long sleeves. She paired it with red platform-soled sandal heels. The Roar hitmaker covered up her platinum pixie cut with a long blonde wig that was styled into an elegant updo with tendrils left loose to frame her face. She completed her look with gold pendant earrings and glossy red lip color. Eye-catching: The pop star, 34, arrived for the live show flaunting her legs in a thigh-skimming colorful striped mini dress with a round neck and long sleeves New look: The Roar hitmaker stepped out in red platform-soled sandal heels and wore gold pendant earrings. She covered up her platinum pixie cut with a long blonde wig Also posing for photos ahead of the episode were Perry's fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Country music star Bryan, 42, opted for a black t-shirt and black jeans with a burgundy and black shirt left unbuttoned. Richie, 69, also chose a black ensemble, pairing a t-shirt and trousers with a sparkly zipper jacket. There are just two more weeks to go in the competition and in a surprising twist, there will be five contestants going through to the semi-finals, not four. After the nationwide vote, Madison VanDenberg, Laine Hardy, Alejandro Aranda and Wade Cota all advanced as the final four finalists. However, the judges finally decided to use their 'save' and kept Laci Kaye Booth on the show. That meant only Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon was sent home. Country rocker: Perry's fellow judge Luke Bryan, 42, opted for a black t-shirt and black jeans with a burgundy and black shirt left unbuttoned She's one of a slew of A-Listers gearing up for fashion's biggest night on Monday. And Gwen Stefani looked as dynamic as ever as she was spotted heading into the Mark Hotel in New York City, on Sunday. The 49-year-old former No Doubt front-woman rocked plaid as she arrived at the venue, which had seen celebs coming and going all day for their final fittings. Plaid-tastic: Gwen Stefani looked as dynamic as ever as she was spotted heading into the Mark Hotel in New York City, on Sunday The mother-of-three stood out in a red tartan checked bomber jacket with black shoulder trim and denim collar. The You Make It Feel Like Christmas songstress added cropped blue denim jeans with black and white checkered chef's shoes. Beaming with a smile, the beauty covered her eyes with quirkly round-framed sunglasses. Striking: The 49-year-old former No Doubt front-woman rocked plaid as she arrived at the venue, which had seen celebs coming and going all day for their final fittings Her trademark platinum tresses were in a soft updo, with loose tendrils around her pretty face. She had a patterned headband across her forehead. Rarely seen without make-up, this was no exception as the star enhanced her natural beauty with a little candy blush and bubblegum pink lip-gloss. Stunning: Her trademark platinum tresses were in a soft updo, with loose tendrils around her pretty face Friendly: Gwen, who shares her three sons, Kingston, 12, Zuma, 10, and 5-year-old Apollo with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, high-fived a fan as she made her way inside Her nails were extra long as she clutched her cellphone, as she stepped out without long term boyfriend Blake Shelton. Gwen, who shares her three sons, Kingston, 12, Zuma, 10, and 5-year-old Apollo with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, high-fived a fan as she made her way inside. Fashion fans are anxious to see how the celeb set does on Monday with this year's slightly avant-garde theme, Camp: Notes On Fashion, which is inspired by the similarly titled Susan Sontag essay Notes On Camp. Defining 'camp,' the public intellectual described the concept as 'the metaphor of life as theater.' She had the same hairstyle for 22 years but recently decided to change it up. And on Sunday, TV's Judge Judy Sheindlin showed off her new do on the red carpet at the Daytime Emmy Awards in Pasadena, California. The 76-year-old has swapped her bob for a small ponytail at the base of her neck and taken years off her appearance as a result. Change of look: TV's Judge Judy Sheindlin showed off her new hairdo on the red carpet at the Daytime Emmy Awards in Pasadena, California, on Sunday For her awards show appearance, Judge Judy wore a tailored black tuxedo suit with long flared pants. She added a white lacey top with asymmetrical neckline and carried a small shiny octagonal purse. She completed her look with diamond stud earrings. Stylish: For her awards show appearance, Judge Judy wore a tailored black tuxedo suit with long flared pants along with a white lacey top with asymmetrical neckline Fan favorite: The 76-year-old carried a small shiny octagonal purse and wore diamond stud earrings. After 22 years, she has swapped her bob for a small ponytail at the base of her neck Surprise: Judge Judy was at the Daytime Emmys to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award which was presented to her by comedienne and actress Amy Poehler, a self-confessed fan Judge Judy was at the Daytime Emmys to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Her TV court premiered on September 16, 1996, and has racked up 23 seasons. In a huge surprise, comedienne and actress Amy Poehler took the stage to present the award to the television personality. In her speech, Poehler said: 'We all watch because we know that maybe just once something will turn out fair, that two people will come together and work it out in front of a woman who takes them and her job very seriously.' 'She is the Jewish mother that we all want,' the self-confessed Judge Judy fan added. After accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award, Judge Judy explained to the audience: 'I have a profession thats always been my passion. And tonight, I have this lovely honor which says Ive done my job well.' She went on: 'Life has a beginning, a middle and an end. As most of us, I dont remember the very beginning, Im having an absolute blast in the middle, and if my luck holds, I wont be around for the end.' Ratings winner: Judge Judy's TV court premiered on September 16, 1996, and has racked up 23 seasons Tribute: SNL alum Poehler described Judge Judy as 'the Jewish mother that we all want' Proud: After accepting her award, Judge Judy explained: 'I have a profession thats always been my passion. And tonight, I have this lovely honor which says Ive done my job well' Signature look: The 76-year-old jurist went 22 years with her short bob for her popular syndicated show. She's pictured in 2018 Romee Strijd sported spring colors Sunday while grabbing a healthy drink with her boyfriend Laurens van Leeuwen in West Hollywood, California. The 23-year-old Dutch model wore a light purple coat over a baby blue crop top that showed her decolletage and flat stomach. She completed her outfit with faded blue skinny jeans and white trainers. Spring colors: Romee Strijd wore a purple jacket over a blue crop top on Sunday while grabbing matcha with her boyfriend Laurens van Leeuwen in West Hollywood, California Romee had her long blonde hair down and accessorized with Sunday Somewhere sunglasses, Adina's Jewels earrings and a white purse. Laurens, 28, kept it casual in a long-sleeved grey T-shirt, black pants and grey trainers. The Victoria's Secret model on her Instagram page shared that she just returned to Los Angeles. Romee told her fans on social media that she wanted matcha and also shared a clip of her and Laurens enjoying the green tea drink. Cute couple: The 23-year-old Dutch model accessorized with Sunday Somewhere sunglasses and Adina's Jewels earrings as she and her boyfriend went out for the green tea drink together The blonde, blue-eyed beauty was a newcomer in 2014 at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2015. She told Victoria's Secret at the time that she couldn't believe it when she got the offer in 2015 for a coveted Angel contract. 'My agency said I got the contract, I was really in shock. Becoming an Angel means a lot to me because the brand stands for confident women and the Angels always inspired me,' Romee said. Going strong: Romee and Laurens have been dating since at least 2014 She was chosen in 2018 to wear the Shooting Star Swarovski Look during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Romee's been dating business consultant Laurens since at least 2014. She also has walked for Alexander McQueen, Badgley Mischka, Calvin Klein, Marchesa, Prada and Vera Wang and other top designers and brands. She's one of Britain's leading actors with roles in films like Suffragette and Mudbound. And Carey Mulligan cut a casual figure as she arrived at the Mark Hotel in New York City on Sunday for fittings ahead of Monday night's Met Gala red carpet extravaganza. The film star, 33, donned a long camel coat which she paired with a white top and high-waisted blue jeans. Out and about: Carey Mulligan cut a casual figure as she arrived at the Mark Hotel in New York City on Sunday Chatting on the phone, Carey also wore a blue 'Doing Things' cap and white Gucci trainers as she made her way toward the luxurious five-star hotel. The actress was toting a canvas 'with la bande' bag, no doubt in reference to her marriage to Mumford & Sons frontman Marcus Mumford, 32. Also staying in the same hotel are Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and model Doutzen Kroes who are undoubtedly preparing for Monday night's annual Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The event, which serves as a black-tie fundraiser for for the museum's Costume Institute, is celebrating its 71st year with the theme, Camp: Notes on Fashion. Style: The film star, 33, donned a long camel coat which she paired with a white top and high-waisted blue jeans Casual: Chatting on the phone, Carey also wore a blue 'Doing Things' cap and white trainers as she made her way toward the luxurious five-star hotel Carey has attended the gala several times in the past including the 2015 event where she wore a black Balenciaga gown with an embellished collar. Carey and husband Marcus were pen pals in childhood who lost touch, but reconnected as adults in 2011 and tied the knot nine months later in 2012. Their first child, daughter Evelyn Grace, was then born three years later in 2015. US Weekly then announced the pair had welcomed their new arrival in September, with a source claiming: 'They have been loving being parents and their friends and family are thrilled.' Outfit: Carey completed her look with a gold necklace and earrings and also carried a white bag Family: Carey is mother to daughter Evelyn Grace, three, with husband Marcus Mumford Relationship: The couple were pen pals in childhood who lost touch, but reconnected as adults in 2011 and tied the knot nine months later in 2012 (pictured in 2018) When asked by People magazine about being a mother-of-two at the premiere of her film Mudbound last year, she simply replied: 'It's good, thank you!' However, Carey has previously spoken about her first daughter with New York Daily News - revealing the life lessons she would teach Evelyn are: 'No make-up, no piercings, no tattoos.' Mumford & Sons have released three studio albums since forming in 2007. Their first one, Sigh No More (2009) peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and the Billboard 200 in the U.S. There proceeding albums, Babel (2012) and Wilder Mind (2015) debuted at number one in both countries. Her flair for fashion made her the face of boho chic in the noughties. So it was little surprise Sienna Miller and her boyfriend Lucas Zwirner landed a coveted invite to Anna Wintour's pre-Met Gala party in New York on Sunday. The actress, 37, looked very bleary-eyed as she left the bash, held at the Vogue editor's townhouse, with her 28-year-old toyboy beau. All partied out: Sienna Miller and her boyfriend Lucas Zwirner landed a coveted invite to Anna Wintour's pre-Met Gala party in New York on Sunday Sienna could barely keep her eyes open and looked unsteady on her feet as the couple headed up Anna's steps holding hands. The Alfie star looked stunning in a green foil dress, which came complete with a plunging neckline and fringed hemline but did appear a little worse-for-wear as the night's festivities caught up with her. She added a boost to her model frame with moss green heels and complemented the look with a black designer bag. Bleary-eyed: The actress, 37, looked very bleary-eyed as she left the bash, held at the Vogue editor's townhouse, with her 28-year-old toyboy beau Lucas, meanwhile, looked dapper in a black suit but dressed down the look with a pair of white trainers. The art gallery owner was every inch the doting boyfriend as he held a umbrella for Sienna in one hand, while helping her up the stairs. The couple were joined by James Corden, Harry Styles and Serena Williams for the bash, which comes ahead of Monday's Met Gala. Stumble: Sienna could barely keep her eyes open and looked unsteady on her feet as the couple headed up Anna's steps holding hands Sweet: The art gallery owner was every inch the doting boyfriend as he held a umbrella for Sienna in one hand, while helping her up the stairs Gorgeous: The Alfie star looked stunning in a green foil dress, which came complete with a plunging neckline and fringed hemline This year's Met Gala theme is inspired by Susan Sontag's seminal essay, Notes On 'Camp.' The difficult to define concept is an aesthetic that can be difficult to define: 'an intentional over-the-top-ness, a slightly (or extremely) 'off' quality, bad taste as a vehicle for good art,' according to the New York Times. And it seems Sienna and Lucas are going from strength-to-strength since the confirmed their romance back in January. Handsome: Lucas, meanwhile, looked dapper in a black suit but dressed down the look with a pair of white trainers In February, the British-American actress was seen looking smitten as she and her art gallery owner boyfriend, Lucas, enjoyed ice cream during a romantic stroll around New York City. The pair, who went public with their romance in January, appeared in good spirits as they enjoyed the mild weather during their day out. The couple, who met through mutual friends in New York, went public with their romance last year when they attended her ex Tom Sturridge's birthday party in London together. Lucas, who currently oversees 25 book releases a year as editorial director of David Zwirner Books, is a Yale-educated literature aficionado. The blonde beauty has a daughter, Marlowe, six, with her ex-fiance, Tom Sturridge, the two started dating in 2011 but ended in 2015 following a four year relationship. Kim Kardashian has revealed she is willing to give up her highly lucrative media career in order to focus on the rather more challenging task of prison reform, and has already taken on an apprenticeship at a law firm. The TV personality is keen to emulate late father Robert Kardashian by studying law, and has been buoyed by her successful campaign to free Alice Marie Johnson. Johnson was serving a lifetime sentence for a non-violent, first time drug offence until Kim, 38, petitioned President Donald Trump for her release from Aliceville Correctional Facility in Alabama. Quite a difference: Kim Kardashian has revealed she is willing to give up her highly lucrative media career in order to focus on the rather more challenging task of prison reform Speaking on the latest episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the reality star admitted she was studying law while juggling her responsibilities as a working mother of three. 'Its kind of crazy because Im learning it all as I go,' she explained. 'I spend more time on this than I do anything else. Its insane but its so fun to be around people that are super smart and get it and want the same thing.' Kim's passion for law was inspired by her father Robert, who famously formed part of OJ Simpson's defense during the disgraced former sportsman's trial for the murder of ex-wife Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman. Triumph: The TV personality has been buoyed by her successful campaign to free jailed Alice Marie Johnson, who was serving a lifetime sentence for a non-violent, first time drug offence until Kim petitioned President Donald trump for her release But she admits her father, who passed away in 2003, was not keen on her decision to follow him into law when she broached the subject with him. 'I told my dad years ago that I was really into criminal justice and he was like, "This will stress you out so much, you do not really want to take this on,"' she recalled. 'My dad always taught me that hard work is really important and to really commit to things, so my goal would be in like, 10 years, to give up being Kim K and just focus on this and be an attorney and fight for so many deserving people.' Opening up: Speaking on the latest episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the reality star admitted she was studying law while juggling her responsibilities as a working mother of three Kim won plaudits in 2018 after successfully petitioning President Trump for the release of Johnson, and the experience has encouraged her to continue fighting for those in a similar position. 'I think now having gotten so deep in helping Alice Im really motivated to get to know the law more and fight for people who deserve a second chance like her,' she said. Currently studying to take the bar exam in 2022, Kim is also tackling an apprenticeship at a law firm - a huge undertaking given her already hectic schedule. The seat of power: Kim won plaudits in 2018 after successfully petitioning President Trump for the release of Johnson 'Im dealing with my three kids, Im dealing with my career, the fourth baby coming and the stress of law school,' she said. 'Just because you do an apprenticeship does not mean that its anything less I mean, you have to put in 18 hours a week. 'It is a full commitment. I wont have time for events, for favors, for friends, for literally anything, for four years. 'Im not afraid to work hard. Its going to be really hard but its also really important to me to keep this quiet for a while so I can stay committed and focused.' She's one of the world's most iconic models having carved out a successful fashion career spanning 20 years. But away from the glamour of the catwalk, Alessandra Ambrosio nailed off-duty chic as she joined her sister at a local bakery in Los Angeles, California on Sunday. The Brazilian model, 38, looked effortlessly cool as she went braless in a black tank top, teamed with a red boiler suit which she rolled down and tied the arms around her waist. Casual day out: Alessandra Ambrosio nailed off-duty chic as she joined her sister at a local bakery in Los Angeles, California on Sunday The star added a pair of black pumps and slung a slim stone coloured bag over her shoulder. Completing her look, the model added a pair of dark aviator sunglasses and accessorised with a smattering of simple jewellery. The mum-of-two swept her brunette tresses up in a high ponytail and wore minimal make-up for her casual day out. Former Victoria's Secret angel Alessandra looked happy and relaxed as she picked up some sweet treats from the eatery with her sister. Daring: The Brazilian model, 38, looked effortlessly cool as she went braless in a black tank top, teamed with a red boiler suit which she rolled down and tied the arms around her waist Absent from her day out was her current beau, Nicolo Oddi, who founded and runs the Italian knitwear brand Alanui. The two were first linked together in July 2018, when they were seen getting close at the HQ2 Nightclub in Atlantic City, New Jersey, according to Page Six. 'The two were very affectionate with each other, kissing and, when she wasn't dancing, they had their arms around each other,' a source told the site at the time. Couple goals: Absent from her day out was her current beau, Nicolo Oddi, who founded and runs the Italian knitwear brand Alanui Since then, the two have been nearly inseparable. Prior to that, Alessandra was engaged to the father of her children, Jamie Mazur, for ten years. The couple split in March of last year, though they reportedly have an amicable relationship due to their two shared children Anja, 10, and Noah, six. He's been training hard in a bid to reprise his role as Daniel Craig for Bond 25 - and the results were clear to see on Monday. The actor displayed his muscular physique on set of the new movie in Jamaica as he emerged from the water, with a towel wrapped around his body. As he dried himself off after filming a water scene, the 51-year-old actor showed off his toned abs as he walked along the jetty from the ocean and back onto the sand. Double '0' heaven: Daniel Craig, 51, displayed his very muscular physique on Monday as he dried himself off after filming Bond 25 scenes in the ocean in Jamaica On the run: The star was pictured dashing across a wooden jetty after trying to defeat an evil nemesis Daniel was soon back at his trailer after filming in the blazing sunshine. No doubt Bond fans will be thrilled with the latest snaps as the shirtless images are reminiscent of those famous 2006 Casino Royale snaps. Daniel drove viewers wild when he stepped out of the ocean, wearing nothing but La Perla Grigioperla blue swimming trunks. Chest a glimpse: The actor dried himself off with a towel as he ran along in flip-flops On Saturday, Daniel was pictured filming yet more scenes on the jetty as he brandished a powerful Walther PKK pistol and a spear gun while fishing. He was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts for the stills, before the secret agent caught a red snapper and shared it with his cat. Like the cat, Daniel is being well looked after with a physio, trainer and chef to ensure his physique is impressively ripped for Bond's 25th outing, and the actor's fifth as the British spy. Who could forget? No doubt the new scenes, filmed by the water's edge will remind fans of that famous moment in 2006 movie Casino Royale More to come: The unnamed film scheduled for release next April and rumoured to be a remake of 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service starring George Lazenby opens with Bond having left active service The unnamed film scheduled for release next April and rumoured to be a remake of 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service starring George Lazenby opens with Bond having left active service. Unfortunately his retirement is interrupted by the arrival in Jamaica of his CIA friend, Felix Leiter, who persuades him to help rescue a kidnapped scientist. Bond's arch-enemy will be played by Oscar-winner Rami Malek, who starred as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. She celebrated her 21st birthday with a party with friends early last month. And Paris Jackson cut a casual figure as she headed toward the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles to perform live on Sunday. The daughter of Michael Jackson donned a tie-die dungarees which she paired with a white t-shirt and Converse trainers. Out and about: Paris Jackson cut a casual figure as she headed toward the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles to perform live on Sunday The musician also sported a beanie hat and carried a bag on her back as she made her way toward the venue. Paris recently celebrated her one-year anniversary with boyfriend Gabriel Glenn, both of whom are members of the band The Soundflowers. In the caption she wrote, 'Youre the light of my life. thank you for making me the happiest and luckiest girl in the world.' She added: 'Happy anniversary baby (heart emoji) cant wait for another trip around the sun.' Casual: The daughter of Michael Jackson donned a tie-die dungarees which she paired with a white t-shirt and Converse trainers The photos shared by Paris showed the couple fully enamored with one another as the kissed, played music and smiled alongside one another. The group had a concert recently in which Paris' mother Debbie Rowe and her brother Prince, 22, both attended. Paris has been fiercely denying rumors that she was hospitalized after attempting to take her own life. LAPD public information officer Tony Im alleged to People: 'At about 7:28 a.m., officers responded to the 7200 block of Hillside for an ambulance attempt suicide. The victim was transported to a local hospital.' Romance: Paris recently celebrated her one-year anniversary with boyfriend Gabriel Glenn, both of whom are members of the band The Soundflowers After TMZ tweeted on March 16: 'Paris Jackson Hospitalized After Attempted Suicide' over an article alleging as much, she replied: 'f*** you f***ing liars'. Sources later confirmed to DailyMail.com that the King of Pop's daughter had been 'partying' very hard and cut herself with kitchen scissors after she had gotten out of control. The insiders claimed that Jackson continued to act wild once in the hospital and doctors wanted to hold her but her family agreed to send her to rehab in order to secure her release. Love: In the caption she wrote, 'Youre the light of my life. thank you for making me the happiest and luckiest girl in the world Paris, however, told friends that she didn't think she needed any sort of treatment. The Sun previously claimed that Paris was worried for her professional future in the wake of Leaving Neverland, a documentary about Michael. An insider said: 'She was in a movie last year but believes the documentary is already scaring directors away because the abuse her father is accused of may put movie goers off her.' They began dating in late 2018 and went public with their relationship in March. And Scarlett Moffatt has branded her new boyfriend, police constable Scott Dobinson, her 'soulmate' in a gushing photo caption posted to her Instagram page on Monday morning. The TV personality, 29, posted a snap of the couple at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, and told her followers to 'never give up on love' because Scott came into her life 'unexpectedly' and made her heart 'even fuller'. Loved up: Scarlett Moffatt has branded her new boyfriend, police constable Scott Dobinson, her 'soulmate' in a gushing photo caption posted to her Instagram page on Monday morning She former Gogglebox star wrote: 'SOPPY POST ALERT. After being broken a couple of times I decided I owed it to myself to give me as much love as I had given others, I put my efforts into self love and for once I felt truly happy (flaws and all). 'Then all of a sudden this man came into my life unexpectedly and now my heart is even fuller. No one has ever made me feel this way. You truly are my soul mate. 'Never give up on love and most importantly never give up on yourself.' The smitten couple have been enjoying soaking up the sights of the French capital, with Scarlett sharing snippets of their break on her Instagram page. Gushing: The TV personality, 29, told her followers to 'never give up on love' because Scott came into her life 'unexpectedly' and made her heart 'even fuller' Love locked down: The smitten couple have been enjoying soaking up the sights of the French capital, with Scarlett sharing snippets of their break on her Instagram page Scarlett and Scott first met through a mutual friend in her hometown of Durham late last year. The relationship came after a series of romantic woes for the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! winner. Scarlett had split from personal trainer Lee Wilkinson for a second time in July 2018 after a tumultuous on-off year-long romance. The television star previously dated hairdresser Luke Crodden for 18 months on and off. Wine and dine: Scarlett sipped a glass of champagne as she enjoyed dinner at Restaurant 58 Tour Eiffel on Sunday evening Scarlett heaped praise on Scott in an exclusive chat with MailOnline last month. She said: 'I dont know if I want to give all of him the credit of being happier but I think yeah I am happier in myself, he makes me feel good about myself.' The Geordie star previously admitted she falls for 'pathological liars' and always chooses 'lying cheats' as boyfriends. In April 2018, she wrote on her Facebook page: 'Just always seem to choose cheating pathological liars... I just choose lying cheats, its a skill.' They are set to tie the knot in front of their showbiz pals later this year. And Cara De La Hoyde, 28, and her fiance Nathan Massey, 26, couldn't keep their hands off each other, while on a romantic holiday in the Canary Islands. Lounging by the pool at Fantasia Bahia Principe Tenerife, the Love Island stars packed on the PDA as they enjoyed some time off from parenting their 16-month-old son Freddie. Lovebirds: Cara De La Hoyde, 28, and her fiance Nathan Massey, 26, couldn't keep their hands off each other during their romantic holiday in the Canary Islands Showcasing her incredible figure in a white patterned bikini, Cara was waited on hand and foot by Nathan. The television personality certainly got very hands on as he generously applied sun cream on her back, face and bust, before giving Cara a shoulder massage. The reality beauty kept her hair out of her face with a geometric headband and showcased her natural beauty with a minimal make-up look. Hands on: Lounging by the pool, the Love Island stars packed on the PDA as they enjoyed some time off from parenting their 16-month-old son Freddie Bikini babe: The reality beauty showcased her incredible figure in a white patterned bikini Doting fiance: Cara was waited on hand and foot by Nathan Affectionate: The lovebirds wrapped their arms around one another as they stood by the pool Pucker up: Cara and Nathan enjoyed a kiss as they soaked up the glorious sunshine Packing on the PDA: The television personality certainly got very hands on as he generously applied sun cream on her back, face and bust Nathan donned a pair of blue patterned board shorts for their sunbathing session. After topping up their tans, the pair cooled off their feet in the water. Cara and Nathan are now preparing for a low-key wedding, 16-months after they welcomed son Freddie, their first child. Holiday glow: The reality beauty kept her hair out of her face with a geometric headband and showcased her natural beauty with a minimal make-up look Cool: Nathan donned a pair of blue patterned board shorts for their sunbathing session Gazing into his eyes: Cara lifted up Nathan's sunglasses as they perched by the pool Cara recently admitted she wants to lose 'a few more pounds' off her 'mum tum' ahead of her wedding day, and plans to surprise everyone with an unconventional wedding dress choice later this year. She told FEMAIL: 'Im hoping to lose a couple more pounds and a bit more of my mum tum before the wedding. 'I want my skin to look its best so I will be getting facials and Im upping my water intake to three litres a day.' Topping up their tan: The couple looked thoroughly relaxed as they hit the sun loungers Can't keep his hands off her: Nathan patted Cara on her posterior Feeling refreshed: After topping up their tans, the pair cooled off their feet in the water She added: 'Motherhood has changed my body majorly. I was a dancer and was always active, so when I had Fred that changed a lot. 'Like every mum I have days when I embrace my mum tum and then I have days when I miss my old body, but Nathan loves me this way so thats good enough for me.' Set to be a star-studded affair, Cara shared her wedding will see the likes of TOWIE's Tommy Mallet and Georgia Kousoulou, fellow Love Island star Rykard Jenkins, actor Scott Thomas, Loose Women's Stacey Solomon and I'm A Celeb star Joe Swash. Of her impending nuptials, she previously told OK! 'We wont be inviting people we met one time. The wedding is for us, not for the pictures'. The mother-of-one also confirmed that X Factor finalist Scarlett Lee will sing at their nuptials, weeks after the 21-year-old told Heat magazine about her upcoming performance. Impending nuptials: Cara and Nathan are now preparing for a low-key wedding, 16-months after they welcomed son Freddie, their first child Cheeky: Nathan showed off his jokey side as he slapped Cara on the bottom Lathering up: He ensured Cara didn't get any sunburn as he applied a dollop of sun cream to her back Wedding plan: Cara recently admitted she wants to lose 'a few more pounds' off her 'mum tum' ahead of her wedding day Cara shared: We were talking about her singing...she said: "Id love to!"' While the parents are busy planning their upcoming wedding, they insisted they'd love to welcome another baby by next year. Cara explained: 'By the end of next year Id like to be pregnant. I love being pregnant. I miss my belly!, while Nathan added: 'Id love a girl.' In April last year, the former Playboy star and ex-carpenter split following the 'best summer of their lives'. After describing their break-up as the 'worst feeling in the world', the couple reunited seven months later. Fitness: She told FEMAIL: 'Im hoping to lose a couple more pounds and a bit more of my mum tum before the wedding' Preparations: 'I want my skin to look its best so I will be getting facials and Im upping my water intake to three litres a day' She added: 'Motherhood has changed my body majorly. I was a dancer and was always active, so when I had Fred that changed a lot. Loved: She continued: 'Like every mum I have days when I embrace my mum tum and then I have days when I miss my old body, but Nathan loves me this way so thats good enough' Star-studded: Cara shared her wedding will see the likes of TOWIE's Tommy Mallet and Georgia Kousoulou, fellow Love Island star Rykard Jenkins, actor Scott Thomas Broody: While the parents are busy planning their upcoming wedding, they insisted they'd love to welcome another baby by next year Wanting a baby: Cara explained: 'By the end of next year Id like to be pregnant. I love being pregnant. I miss my belly!, while Nathan added: 'Id love a girl' Lifting the lid on their brief time apart, Nathan attributed their split to him needing to 'grow up', branding their split 'the best thing we've ever done'. Cara admitted: 'We had months where we didnt even talk! It was so hard because people were asking me about Nathan; he was there at the pregnancy scan but we didnt really like each other.' She went on to reveal that the pair didn't want to speak negatively about each other for the sake of their child Freddie. 'I went on This Morning and I was singing his praises and in my head I was thinking, I cant stand him! 'Freds already going to get slated enough in the playground because his mum and dad were on Love Island', she added. Love Island Australia winner Grant Crapp and girlfriend Lucy Cartwright bought their first home together in Malua Bay, New South Wales, back in February. And on Monday, just three months after celebrating the relationship milestone, the pair announced that they have now purchased a second home in the same area. Taking to Instagram, the former reality TV star, 23, struck a pose with his lady love next to the 'sold' sign resting in front of the stunning country-style home. 'Joined the top 7.9% of Aussies': Love Island winner Grant Crapp (R) and girlfriend Lucy Cartwright (L) bought their SECOND home together in just three months on Monday 'Joined the top 7.9% of Aussies #two,' proud home owner Grant captioned the photo. Surrounded by breathtaking greenery, the property features two dwellings according to the LJ Hooker listing. The main house has two luxurious bedrooms, two bathrooms and a chic wood burning fireplace amid a modern living room. Stunning: Surrounded by breathtaking greenery, their latest purchase in Malua Bay, New South Wales, features two dwellings according to the LJ Hooker listing Luxe: The main property has two luxurious bedrooms, two bathrooms and this chic wood burning fireplace amid a modern living room Meanwhile, the holiday cabin rests beside a peaceful creek, a short stroll away. Featuring one bathroom and two bedrooms, the holiday cabin even has a room designed for horses. Overall, Grant's new property also boasts 100 acres of forests, two stables, two dams and is a just short drive to the beach. Palette: The house features a neutral toned colour palette throughout its interior design The perfect home: Overall, Grant's new property also boasts 100 acres of forests, two stables, two dams and is a short drive to the beach. Pictured: One of the bedrooms It comes after Grant purchased a $380,000 property with Lucy in February - after rekindling their romance shortly after he won Love Island Australia in June, 2018. Despite leaving the reality show in a relationship with Tayla Damir, it was quickly revealed that he had a 'secret girlfriend' back in Canberra. The former TV flames then then split up, with the star getting back together with Lucy in the weeks that followed. Grant and Tayla were rewarded $50,000 after being crowned winners - taking home $25,000 each. Another addition to Australian acting royalty is expected this week, when Matilda Brown gives birth to her first child with former My Kitchen Rules star Scott Gooding. Matilda, 32, who is the daughter of veteran Australian actors Bryan Brown, 71, and Rachel Ward, 61, is due to give birth to a baby boy on Friday. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph on Monday, Scott, 43, who starred on MKR in 2013, confessed that he was feeling on edge ahead of the baby's arrival. Special delivery! Matilda Brown (left), the daughter of acting legend Bryan Brown (right), is set to welcome a child with My Kitchen Rules star Scott Gooding. Pictured in June, 2017 'I am a little bit nervous because there has been so much time between my first and this one, I kind of worry that I've forgotten it all,' the former reality star said. 'But I have no doubt that once he is here it will all fall into place and it will be second nature. I am very excited. I want to meet him and see his little face,' he added. Scott already has a ten-year-old son from a previous relationship, whereas this will be Matilda's first child. ' 'I am a little bit nervous': On Monday, Scott, 43, who starred on MKR in 2013, opened up about his growing family during an interview with The Daily Telegraph. Pictured Scott in July, 2016 Actress and director Matilda has two siblings, Rosie Brown, 35, and Joe, 27. Viewers will recognise her best from starring alongside her famous father Bryan in the short film series, Lessons from the Grave, in 2014. She has also appeared in Australian TV series' Rake and Offspring. Parents-to-be! 'But I am very excited. I want to meet him and see his little face,' added Scott. Pictured Scott and girlfriend Matilda during a recent outing Since dabbling in reality TV, Scott has gone on to have a successful career as a personal trainer and chef. The fitness fanatic and author opened his own restaurant, The Good Place, in Sydney's Miranda last month. She gained international recognition for portraying Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequels' over 20 years ago. And now Natalie Portman has opened up on the backlash the George Lucas directed films faced, stating the negative reaction was a 'bummer'. The actress, 37, was just a teen when the first of the trilogy, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace hit cinemas in 1999, with sequels Attack of the Clones and The Revenge of the Sith later released. Reflecting: Natalie Portman, 37, has opened up on the backlash on the Star Wars prequels', stating the negative reaction was a 'bummer' Opening up on how the criticism was hard to digest, Natalie told Empire magazine: 'It was hard. It was a bummer because it felt like people were so excited about new ones and then to have people feel disappointed. 'Also to be at an age that I didn't really understand that's kind of the nature of the beast. When something has that much anticipation it can almost only disappoint.' The films were panned by critics and fans alike, after it failed to live up to expectations. It was also slated for poor use of CGI and for the unlikable comedic alien, Jar Jar Binks. Big role: The actress was just a teen when the first of the trilogy, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace hit cinemas in 1999, with sequels Attack of the Clones and The Revenge of the Sith later released However, Natalie insisted that time has been on the franchise's side, with fans now 're-evaluating' their initial reaction to the films. She added: 'With the perspective of time, it's been re-evaluated by a lot of people who actually really love them now.' She went on to say that these days, there's an 'avid group' of people who believe the three films are the 'best ones', but added that she didn't have enough 'perspective' to weigh in with her opinion. Natalie played Padme - Queen of Naboo, Galactic senator and mother of Luke and Leia Skywalker - throughout all three films between 1999 and 2005. Playing her part: Natalie played Padme - Queen of Naboo, Galactic senator and mother of Luke and Leia Skywalker - throughout all three films between 1999 and 2005 Let down: ''It was hard. It was a bummer because it felt like people were so excited about new ones and then to have people feel disappointed' Despite the films being panned, the backlash didn't affect Natalie's career, with the Hollywood star going on to appear in a number of hit films including Black Swan, Thor, Jackie and Vox Lux. Meanwhile, Star Wars fans have been mourning the death of actor Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the franchise. The legendary 7'3" actor passed away aged 74 last week, surrounded by family and friends. While Star Wars creator George Lucas described him as a 'wonderful man' who was 'the closest any human being could be to a Wookiee', actor Warwick Davis also paid a heartfelt tribute. Change of heart: 'With the perspective of time, it's been re-evaluated by a lot of people who actually really love them now' Speaking on This Morning one day after the actor's death, Warwick, 49, who played Ewok Wicket W. Warrick, said: 'I first met Peter when I was 11 and I was enthralled by Chewbacca. But I soon learned that Chewbacca was Peter. 'He had a big heart and lovely humour, and he brought that through the yak hair that made Chewbacca's costume.' The Harry Potter actor went on to praise his late co-star's talent, explaining it is difficult to 'convey such emotion' through a costume. He said: 'Testament to him, it is hard to convey such emotion when you really don't have your facial features to work with but Peter managed to do that. 'So we all felt empathy and emotion towards Chewbacca he was always such a fan favourite, he'll be very sadly missed.' Made In Chelsea star Olivia Bentley has revealed she has been suffering from hair loss condition alopecia since she was a teenager. The reality star, 23, has attempted to hide her 'bald patches and receding hairline' with hats and hairpieces after her locks began falling out when she was prescribed the contraceptive pill at the age of 16. The television personality detailed her battle with the condition in a new interview with this week's Hello! magazine, admitting she's been struggling with 'feelings of insecurity over the years' following her diagnosis. Battle: Made In Chelsea star Olivia Bentley has revealed she has been suffering from hair loss condition alopecia since she was a teenager Olivia has now decided to speak out on the 'taboo' subject in the hope of encouraging other women 'to not feel upset or embarrassed anymore'. She said: 'I suffer from hair loss, from alopecia. It's left me with feelings of insecurity over the years, so I've tried to hide my bald patches and receding hairline by wearing hats and hairpieces, and dyeing my naturally dark brown hair blonde. 'Not enough is spoken about alopecia in women; its still a taboo subject we tend to hide. Now I hope that by coming forward, I will encourage other women and girls in the same situation not to feel upset or embarrassed any more'. The Made in Chelsea star said she noticed balls of hair in her shower after she was prescribed the contraceptive pill at 16. Confession: The reality star, 23, has attempted to hide her 'bald patches and receding hairline' with hats and hairpieces after her locks began falling out at the age of 16 Hidden: The television personality detailed her battle with the condition, admitting she's been struggling with 'feelings of insecurity over the years' following her diagnosis The aspiring fine art photographer said she would feel 'clumps of hair' falling into her hand whenever she washed it. She said: 'Every time I washed my hair in the shower, I could feel clumps of hair falling out in my hand. And whenever I brushed it, there would be masses of hair in the bristles. To go through that as a young girl was awful.' Olivia will be seen revealing her condition to members of the Made In Chelsea cast on Monday night's episode. In teaser scenes aired at the end of last week's show, she was seen breaking down to model boyfriend Digby Edgley amid fears he would leave her for a girl with 'long, flowing hair'. Speak out: Olivia has now decided to speak out on the 'taboo' subject in the hope of encouraging other women 'to not feel upset or embarrassed anymore' (pictured in March) Read the full interview in this week's Hello! magazine, on sale now Olivia and Digby confirmed they were back together in February after calling time on their tumultuous on-off relationship while filming the Made In Chelsea spin-off in Croatia last summer. 'It was nice having the break between the series,' Liv said, speaking to MailOnline in October. 'And it 100 percent gets really horrible. 'It's not been like when I broke up with Fred [Ferrier]. Because this relationship with Digby - well, I loved him. And having to see an ex is savage. We have all the same friends so it's not easy. 'Digby never listened when I tried to talk to him. 'I would have a conversation about things and if it didnt go well we'd have an argument in Croatia and because everyone else was out there they'd get involved and it all just turned nasty.' Read the full interview in this week's Hello! magazine, on sale now Opening up: Olivia will be seen revealing her condition to members of the Made In Chelsea cast on Monday night's episode Tough time: In scenes aired at the end of last week's show, she was seen breaking down to model boyfriend Digby Edgley amid fears he would leave her for a girl with 'long, flowing hair' MasterChef's Huda Al Sultan was the first hopeful to be sent home from the competition during Sunday night's episode. And viewers were devastated once again on Monday as contestant Dee Williams was sent packing from the Channel 10 show. Following the shock result, viewers flocked to Twitter to express their dismay. 'I wanna cry!': MasterChef Australia viewers were left devastated on Monday as favourite Dee Williams (pictured) was eliminated ...after Huda Al-Sultan was sent home on Sunday 'Huda and now Dee?! You guys are killing me, was so looking forward to seeing these women smash it in the kitchen,' one viewer wrote. Another penned: 'Huda and now Dee, huge losses in the first week! I saw them in the final 10 or winning! wow... Thank you ladies for bringing the power of women.' 'I'm actually sad to see Dee go. I really thought there was potential there to go a long way. One of my favs down, let's hope that's the only one for a while,' a third fan said. 'I'm actually sad to see Dee go home. I really thought there was potential there to go a long way': Following the shock result, viewers flocked to Twitter to express their dismay Game on: During Monday's episode, Dee (right) participated in the first pressure test against co-stars Nicole and Yossra (left) Another user wrote: 'Oh lovely Dee how sad you were the one to be eliminated. There was so much more to see of your cooking. Good luck with your dream.' 'Ummmm...What???? NOOOOOOOOO!!! I will NEVER watch this show again (till tomorrow night)!' one user joked. During Monday's episode, Dee participated in the first pressure test against co-stars Nicole and Yossra, while recreating Darren Purchese's Bombe Alaska dish. Challenge: The task was to recreate Darren Purchese's tricky Bombe Alaska dish (pictured) 'Sadly in the tasting, one of the dishes had too many flaws to over look. I'm sorry, that dish belong to you, Dee, and that's why you're going home,' Judge Matt Preston (L) said Shortly afterwards, judge Matt Preston revealed: 'Sadly in the tasting, one of the dishes had too many flaws to over look. 'I'm sorry, that dish belonged to you, Dee, and that's why you're going home.' A tearful Dee hugged her co-stars while judge George Calombaris gushed: 'You know Dee, you've only been here for a short time but everyday that you've walked into this kitchen you've made us happy.' Farewell: A tearful Dee hugged her co-stars while judge George Calombaris gushed over her culinary dream of opening a Sri Lankan cooking school 'You know Dee, you've only been here for a short time but everyday that you've walked into this kitchen you've made us happy,' he said George added: 'One thing we know for sure your dream of opening up a Sri Lankan cooking school is a great one, 'cause you've nailed Sri Lankan flavours!' It comes after another MasterChef fan-favourite star, Huda Al Sultan, became 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. Former Hollyoaks actress Nicole Barber Lane has revealed she was rushed to hospital after she broke her ankle and sprained her wrist while getting out of an Iron man car. The actress, who played Myra McQueen in the Channel 4 soap, posted a photo on Instagram of herself with a crutch, with one leg in a cast and her wrist bandaged up after her ordeal on Sunday. The 48-year-old revealed she had been at a car showroom checking out a new Hyundai Iron Man special edition car before slipping and 'writhing in pain' from her injuries. Shock injuries: Former Hollyoaks actress Nicole Barber Lane took to Instagram on Monday to reveal she was rushed to hospital after she broke her ankle and sprained her wrist She told MailOnline: 'As I was looking for a new car, I sat in a couple of cars in a car showroom, one of them was the new Marvel car Iron Man which looked rather groovy. 'After getting out of it and going round to see more details, I didn't realise it was on a raised platform, and I went over the edge twisting my ankle, hitting the floor between the two cars that were there, injuring my wrist and my elbows. 'While writhing in pain and catching my breath, I thought it was very ironic that the Iron Man car didn't save me from my fall. Nicole revealed she was given some ice for her injuries before being taken to Warrington Hospital, where she credited staff on Instagram for their speedy care. Accident: The actress, who played Myra McQueen in the Channel 4 soap, was taken to Warrington Hospital (pictured in September) The actress, who has been dating boyfriend Dean Watson for almost four years, said: 'When I could speak finally, I was assisted into a chair and the car show room manager got some ice that I put on my injuries. 'Dean Took me to Warrington hospital where they were very quick in seeing to me, sorting an x-ray out and giving me treatment for my injuries. 'Then for the first time Dean cooked pasta and made dinner.' Nicole took to Instagram to thank medical staff following her short stint at Warrington Hospital, where she was taken with her injuries. Sharing a picture of her broken limbs, she wrote: 'Thank you so much to all the staff for looking after me, especially Jennifer'. Shock exit: Nicole recently shocked Hollyoaks fans after making a departure from the show and as the much-loved head of the McQueen family In the snap, the actress smiled as she pointed to her injured foot, while also sporting a wrist brace. Nicole, who first starred on the soap in 2006, also wrote on the photo: 'Warrington A&E so fast. Thank you'. Nicole was married to Emmerdale actor Liam Fox for 16 years - but they divorced in 2015. Nicole shocked Hollyoaks fans in March after making a departure from the show and as the much-loved head of the McQueen family. Her character decided to leave the soap and move to live in Alicante, Spain, after being jilted by her partner Sally St. Claire (Annie Wallace) after she cheated on her with a man. Nicole said of her exit: 'I loved working at Hollyoaks, I miss everybody. 'It just feels like home, but I feel like I need to do something different for me. I'm so proud of the show and I love it to bits.' 'My favourite storyline this time around was Myra meeting Sally and that relationship developing in to what it became.' Reality show 'Jess and Lisa: The Veronicas' is set to hit MTV later this year. And on Monday, a first look at the fly on the wall program featured twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso, both 34, clashing in one dramatic scene. 'Are you just totally checking out now having a f***ing attitude moment?' Jessica asked Lisa, as the pop star siblings sat in the back of a car. First look at The Veronicas' MTV reality show: Lisa (L) and Jessica Origliasso (R) clash in a backseat spat while discussing the 'difficult' things that 'separated' them during a fall out 'What? I'm letting you speak,' Lisa fired back in the heated moment. 'Okay,' Jessica responded, while sporting a disappointed expression. 'Well we'll just sit here in silence then.' While rolling her eyes, Lisa slowly turned her head to face the window. 'Are you just totally checking out now having a f***ing attitude moment?' In a brief teaser for the upcoming series, Jessica is seen hitting out at her twin sister A voice over by Jessica then added: 'We went through a very rough year last year. There was things going on there that separated us that was difficult to navigate.' The series, currently with a working title of Jess and Lisa: The Veronicas, is set to air later this year and promises fans an all-access pass into the girls' lives. Jessica and Lisa confirmed the series on Sunday while speaking to Media Week. 'What? I'm letting you speak,' Lisa fired back in the heated moment 'We grew up with MTV and to be able to create a show together, bringing people closer inside our lives of music and as sisters - going to be a wild ride,' they said. Jessica told The Sunday Telegraph: 'We've been surrounded by cameras our entire career, so this is really just the next step to bringing people closer into who we are.' Agreeing that the show will be an 'in depth' look at their lives behind-the-scenes, Lisa added that it will explore Jess and Lisa's differences as both sisters and artists. The third chapter in the John Wick franchise is set to hit cinemas later in the month. And Keanu Reeves appeared to channel his brooding titular character as he attended a press event for the film in Berlin, Germany on Monday. Cutting a suave figure, the action star, 54, wore a sleek black blazer and slacks over a crisp shirt and tie in the same colour. Suave: Keanu Reeves appeared to channel brooding John Wick as he attended a press event for the third film in the franchise in Berlin, Germany on Monday He wore his raven locks loosely around his chiseled features, sporting a dark beard. The only pop of colour in the outfit came in the form of his suede brown loafers, which completed the look. The actor waved to the crowds who had turned out to see him ahead of the movie's release. He also posed with the film's director Chad Stahelski as they stood alongside one another at the Hotel de Rome. Greetings: The actor waved to the crowds who had turned out to see him ahead of the movie's release At the helm: He also posed with the film's director Chad Stahelski as they stood alongside one another at the Hotel de Rome Odd one out: The only pop of colour in the outfit came in the form of his suede brown loafers, which completed the look Sleek: Keanu wore his raven locks loosely around his chiseled features, sporting a dark beard. Puppy love: The titular hero and his on-screen pooch are seen bonding in a brand new teaser clip for John Wick 3: Parabellum The highly-anticipated third instalment in the film series is titled John Wick 3: Parabellum, with fans of the series delighted to know that the bond is stronger than ever between the titular hero and his on-screen pooch. As demonstrated in a teaser clip that was released last month, John and said dog - the same unnamed pit bull he saved at the end of John Wick and who was then featured in John Wick 2 - are seen in the back of a cab in the midst of a rainstorm in New York. The destination: the New York Public Library - for reasons yet to be discovered. Tick tock: The highly-anticipated third instalment in the John Wick franchise - John Wick 3: Parabellum - is set for release this month On the run: A new clip sees John and his dog climbing into the back of a cab in the midst of a rainstorm in New York But there's a change of plan when John decides suddenly he needs to get out - leaving his canine companion behind, with the driver. He instructs the driver to take his pet to The Continental and leave him with the concierge. Fans of the franchise will no doubt wonder what this means for the hit man's status within the assassin network, given that at the end of John Wick 2 he was banned from every Continental service. Surely, if this was still the case, his dog would not be welcome there either. Change of plan: John decides suddenly he needs to get out of the car - leaving his canine companion behind, with the driver Instructions: He instructs the driver to take his pet to The Continental and leave him with the concierge What's next? The plot for the third chapter in the trilogy sees John on the run, after killing Santino D'Antonio, with a $14 million global contract on him, triggered at the end of the sequel Behind-the-scenes photos made their way on to Instagram during production, revealing the real name of the dog was ChaCha - and a female. The plot for the third chapter in the trilogy sees John on the run, after killing Santino D'Antonio, with a $14 million global contract on him, triggered at the end of the sequel. The story sees him attempting to flee New York City with the help of Sofia - played by Halle Berry, a new addition to the franchise. The movie's subtitle comes from a 4th century Roman military quote - 'Si vis pacem, para bellum'. Translated, this means, 'If you want peace, prepare for war.' John Wick 3: Parabellum is released on May 17. Katie Holmes' latest role is commencement speaker. The 40-year-old actress returned to her hometown of Toledo, Ohio on Saturday to address the 2019 graduating class of The University of Toledo. Donning a cap and gown, Holmes took to the stage and delivered an inspiring message to the next generation of thinkers, workers and entrepreneurs. Graduation day! Katie Holmes returned to her hometown of Toledo, Ohio on Saturday to address the 2019 graduating class of The University of Toledo 'Don't be intimidated about that first job or internship or audition. And if you get it, well I have some tips for what you'll need when you're first starting out,' Holmes said. The ceremony was held in the University's Glass Bowl and Katie's remarks lasted 15 minutes. In addition to being the commencement speaker, the actress was given an honorary degree of humane letters. Holmes was accepted to Columbia University when she was younger but deferred to continue her on-camera career and never ended up attending college. Her older brother Martin is an alumnus of The University of Toledo so Katie was able to recollect some personal memories of the campus. Wow! In addition to being the commencement speaker, the actress was given an honorary degree of humane letters A class of 2,000 undergraduates sat in rapt attention as the former Dawson's Creek star dolled out pearls of wisdom that she'd learned over her career as well as a few wise cracks. 'We live in a country where we have so many options, and for so many people in the world, our worst days would almost be a dream come true for them. Try to continue your education for yourself on your own terms,' she said. In a more humorous piece of advice, Katie joked: 'Another thing I learned, don't use a fake ID to buy wine and then try to pay with a check. I'm aware that no one pays by check these days, but that's just more reason not to do it. That'll be extra confusing.' 'We live in a country where we have so many options, and for so many people in the world, our worst days would almost be a dream come true for them. Try to continue your education for yourself on your own terms,' she said. The star offered tips on everything from auditioning to what to do in a natural disaster to finances. She also took a moment to address women's rights. 'For the young women in the audience, I want to encourage you to lift up, listen to, and trust one another,' she said from the podium. 'I would not have been able to direct the films I've directed without a chorus of talented, creative, and brilliant women to give me support. 'Women need each other now more than ever, to continue the fight over equal pay, mutual respect and the war against systemic abuse and mistreatment.' 'Women need each other now more than ever, to continue the fight over equal pay, mutual respect and the war against systemic abuse and mistreatment.' (photographed with daughter Suri in 2018) The mother of one ended by advising the female graduates that 'especially now, women supporting women could not be more important.' During her speech, Katie reflected on her career as an actress and vaguely referenced her co-stars from her most famous show, Dawson's Creek, which she shot at 18 years old. 'When I moved from Toledo to North Carolina at the age of 18 to start working on Dawson's Creek, we were four unknown actors working for a network that had just begun,' Holmes said. 'When I moved from Toledo to North Carolina at the age of 18 to start working on Dawson's Creek, we were four unknown actors working for a network that had just begun,' Holmes said. 'No one knew what was supposed to happen. Luckily, something did.' 'No one knew what was supposed to happen. Luckily, something did. The odds were totally stacked against me, but guess what the odds are stacked against everybody,' she continued. 'So if you're waiting for a sign, this is it.' While many in the crowd enjoyed the speech by Tom Cruise's ex, not everyone was on board with the choice of commencement speaker. 'I wasn't really impressed by it,' a female graduate told the Toledo Blade. 'She's famous and stuff but she wasn't a UT [graduate]. I would have been more interested in an actual UT [graduate] who was famous and had given their presentation. 'That would have been more relatable. I think they just kind of chose her because she's famous and she was probably willing to.' Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky just can't keep their hands off each other. During a family fishing trip in Byron Bay on Sunday, the superstar couple flirted up a storm while attempting to catch yabbies. Taking to Instagram on Monday, a bikini clad Elsa, 42, shared a video mounting her shirtless husband, 35, as they splashed around in the shallow water. Get a room! Get a room! Chris Hemsworth, 35, and Elsa Pataky, 42, couldn't keep their hands off each other during flirty fishing trip in Byron Bay on Sunday In the clip Chris is seen standing behind Elsa, as she attempted to extract the critters from the sand with a yabbie pump. 'You just pull and push, pull and push,' said Chris, as the couple struggled to catch. 'Very good technique,' the Thor star then joked while complimenting his wife. Candid camera! On Monday, Elsa shared a video to Instagram of her and Chris trying to catch yabbies - with the couple getting very hands-on in the process Chris, dressed only in board shorts and a black hat, then grabbed control of the pump and adopted a comical squatting position. 'You want to protect your back as well, nice deep squat,' he said as Elsa then climbed on top of him. Elsa captioned the footage, 'Very romantic way of showing me how to find yabbies!' The couple's three children joined them for the outing, with the family later setting up a camp fire among some friends. 'You just pull and push, pull and push,' teased Chris, as the couple struggled to catch while using a yabbie pump On Sunday, Elsa 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, told Harper's Bazaar Australia. 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. 'You want to protect your back as well, nice deep squat,' added Chris, as Elsa then climbed on top of her husband in the flirty footage 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. 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. Elsa captioned the footage, 'Very romantic way of showing me how to find yabbies!' '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. The beauty admitted that 'work was always there' which was one of the reasons she decided to relocate to Chris' native Australia. Advertisement Emma Roberts usually plays it pretty safe with quirky fashion for her magazine cover shoots. But her new beau Garrett Hedlund must be bringing out a sexier side to the niece of Julia Roberts as she posed topless for the June issue of Cosmopolitan. The 28-year-old brunette bombshell covered her chest with her arms as she wore only a pair of undies for her photo session with icon shutterbug Ellen von Unwerth. Va-voom: Emma Roberts usually plays it pretty safe with quirky fashion for her magazine cover shoots. But her new beau Garrett Hedlund must be bringing out a sexier side to the niece of Julia Roberts as she posed topless for the June issue of Cosmopolitan In her interview she touched a bit on her March split from Evan Peters with whom she was engaged. 'I never want to talk about relationships I'm in or that are ending or have ended,' said the Nancy Drew star. 'It's hard enough to be with someone by yourself, let alone with an audience. 'Growing up is hard. Sometimes it makes me sad that I can't have a private moment. Because of Twitter and Instagram, there's a whole other element where everybody can comment on what you're doing and no one knows the real story. No top here either: The 28-year-old brunette bombshell covered her chest with her arms as she wore only a pair of undies for her shoot with Ellen von Unwerth Risky business: And the daughter of Eric Roberts and Kelly Cunningham also went top-free when on a roof 'That's hard I think I know what's true, and I know what happened in my own life and so do the people who love me and who I love.' The LA native said she is single even though she has been photographed regularly with Hedlund. 'It's been fun to really choose how I'm spending my time. I've had days when I've woken up and haven't had to do anything other than what I want to do, and that's been so fun,' said Emma. So Cosmo of her: On the cover, the We're The Millers star was in black lingerie Her #1 supporter: 'I spend hours on the phone with my mom. She puts everything into perspective. She's never once judged me,' said the young star 'And something I've lost touch with over the years. To get to feel like time is mine is a really new thing for me.' The star also said she has been leaning on her family. 'I spend hours on the phone with my mom. She puts everything into perspective. She's never once judged me. A tiny tummy: The pinup wore a straw hat as she modeled a knotted top and floral undies She looks good in anything! Here Roberts wore a bright orange silk and lace gown 'I also have the most amazing group of friends. They come over and we lie in bed or talk, watch TV, or read short stories to each other. We open a bottle of wine. To me, that's the best whenever anything is going onto have everyone come over and be together.' On her book club, Belletrist (cofounded with BFF Karah Preiss): 'As a teenager, I felt like if you liked to read, you were a nerd, and if you cared about shoes, you were a girly girl. I wanted to create a place where you could do both and be both. We're living in a time when you can't opt out of being smart. You have to pay attention. You have to read. You have to nourish your brain every way you can.' Emma is starring in UglyDolls, in theaters now. Then she will be seen in the Netflix rom-com Holidate. She is currently filming The Hunt, then heads to Atlanta to shoot Holidate, and season 9 of American Horror Story, which she stars in, begins filming in June. Last week Emma sat down with Busy Philipps where she discussed what it's like to look so much like her 51-year-old aunt Roberts. Taking a bite out of life: The siren, here in a black floral minidress, enjoyed watermelon Family: Emma sat down with Busy Philipps on Tuesday where she discussed what it's like to look so much like her 51-year-old aunt Julia Roberts 'We have too many teeth when we smile,' she joked. 'When I'm talking to someone it's like whatever, and then I smile and it's like, oh my god, you look just like your aunt!' 'We have too many teeth when we smile,' she joked. 'When I'm talking to someone it's like whatever, and then I smile and it's like, oh my god, you look just like your aunt!' She recently went public with her new relationship with Garrett, 34, last month, just weeks after news broke of her shock split from her fiance Evan Peters. Garrett, who starred in the 2010 drama Country Strong and was featured in this year's action film Triple Frontier, dated Kirsten Dunst for four years until 2016. Emma and Evan first met on set of the 2012 film Adult World, and their relationship was complete with multiple breakups and a domestic violence episode where Roberts was arrested in 2013 following 'an unfortunate incident and misunderstanding,' according to Us Weekly. She recently had an 'amicable' split from fling Pete Davidson. And Kate Beckinsale made sure the SNL comedian knew what he was missing on Monday, taking to social media to share a sexy shot of herself in a leotard. The 45-year-old beauty sat on a staircase while striking a sultry pose for the camera. Making him jealous? Kate Beckinsale sure made ex Pete Davidson realize what he was missing when she took to social media on Monday to showcase photos of herself in sexy ensembles 'Its not at the bottom, its not at the top, but this is the stair where I always sit in booty shorts hoping thats not actually how you get piles,' she captioned. Kate opted for a black form-fitting turtle neck style top and a pair of matching colored booty shorts. Ensuring her long and lean legs were on display, she added a pair of stiletto pumps to her ensemble. Doing it for Pete? Just days ago Kate took to the gram to share another sultry look with her 2.9 million followers Kate's brunette tresses were styled out voluminously and she appeared to be wearing a minimal amount of makeup. And just days ago Kate took to the gram to share another sultry look with her 2.9 million followers. The mom to Lily Mo Sheen, 20, dressed in merely a towel while showcasing her gorgeous glam and long voluminous waves. 'With the help of @renatocampora I can feel like Im in a pantyliner commercial in the comfort of my own home without ever really having been sure what a pantyliners function even is or how I could possibly fit one into my schedule anyway,' she hilariously captioned. Baring all! The mom to Lily Mo Sheen, 20, dressed in merely a towel while showcasing her gorgeous glam and long voluminous waves Over: Kate's posts come after she 'amicably' split from short term fling, Pete Davidson at the end of April (pictured March 2019) Kate's posts come after she 'amicably' split from short term fling, Pete Davidson at the end of April. A source told E! News that the former couple remain in contact and are still friends. An insider from Page Six added that they wanted to slow things down and withdraw from the media attention. 'Even though Kate has been in Hollywood for a long time, she struggled with the attention on her relationship with Pete. He lives his life with his heart on his sleeve.' The Widow actress previously admitted to the Los Angeles Times that she was 'surprised by the interest' in her romance with the comic. She added: I've never been in this position before -- never dated anybody who comes with their own bag of mischief...' Got too much: 'Even though Kate has been in Hollywood for a long time, she struggled with the attention on her relationship with Pete. He lives his life with his heart on his sleeve' (pictured March 2019) New romance: Kate and Pete were first linked back in January, just months after his engagement to Ariana Grande ended (pictured March) 'It's all quite shocking, and something to get used to. I think if you liked the person less, you would bow out of it. If that were the main thrust of the relationship, there would be a problem. But it's not.' Kate and Pete were first linked back in January, just months after his engagement to Ariana Grande ended. The duo confirmed their romance back in March after they were spotted in New York City kissing in the stands of a Rangers game. 'She's very happy with Pete,' a source previously told People. 'They have really similar senses of humor and she's always laughing with him.' News of her split from her husband of less than a year Phil Elverum emerged last month. And Michelle Williams, 38, was seen spending some quality time with her daughter Matilda, 12, as they stepped out in New York City on Monday. The actress cut a chic figure in a nautical striped top and loose-fitting jeans during the outing with her sweet daughter - who she shares from her relationship with the late, Heath Ledger. Like mother, like daughter: Michelle Williams, 38, was seen spending some quality time with her daughter Matilda, 12, as they stepped out in New York City on Monday Michelle nailed her casual day style as she teamed a navy blazer atop the nautical striped number. She tamed her short blonde locks in place with a navy headband as she sauntered along in a pair of suede flat shoes. Meanwhile, even though Michelle's split from Phil made news a few weeks ago, the couple reportedly split at the beginning of the year - just months after they wed in secret over the summer. Back on April 19, a source told People magazine: 'It was an amicable split and they remain friends.' Bonding: The actress cut a chic figure in a nautical striped top and loose-fitting jeans during the outing with her sweet daughter Phil, of the indie rock groups The Microphones and Mount Eerie, was previously married to Canadian musician Genevieve Castree for 13 years before she died from inoperable pancreatic cancer in 2016. The Blue Valentine actress exchanged vows in a top secret ceremony witnessed by a handful of friends in the Adirondack Mountains, she told Vanity Fair. Both their daughters were present; Matilda and he has a 3-year-old daughter from his first marriage. 'I never gave up on love. I always say to Matilda, "Your dad loved me before anybody thought I was talented, or pretty, or had nice clothes,"' she said in the article which was released in July. Looking good: Michelle nailed her casual day style as she teamed a navy blazer atop the nautical striped number Michelle is heavily guarded about her privacy and has rarely spoken about her personal life, including her three-year romance with Ledger. 'Obviously I've never once in my life talked about a relationship,' she said. 'But Phil isn't anyone else. And that's worth something. 'Ultimately the way he loves me is the way I want to live my life on the whole. I work to be free inside of the moment. I parent to let Matilda feel free to be herself, and I am finally loved by someone who makes me feel free.' Relationship: Michelle shares her sweet daughter with the late Heath Ledger She admitted that it's difficult discussing Heath more than ten years after he died of cardiac arrest from an accidental overdose. 'I don't really want to talk about any of it,' she said. 'But there's that tease, that lure, that's like, 'What if this helps somebody? What if somebody who has always journeyed in this way, who has struggled as much as I struggled, and looked as much as I looked, finds something that helps them?' 'Don't settle. Don't settle for something that feels like a prison, or is hard, or hurts you. If it doesn't feel like love, it's not love.' Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have denied speculation that their fourth child, a son, has arrived. Tongues were sent wagging after the reality star, 38, took to Twitter to post a gushing message from her rapper husband on Monday, in which he reflected on her recent accomplishments, including being a mother of 'four children.' However, a puzzled Kim quickly took to Twitter to put the rumour mill to rest, claiming: 'Wait just saw news our baby boy came but thats not true! Its Met Monday, Im in NYC. I would be at the hospital lol.' 'Not true!' Kim Kardashian, 38, and Kanye West, 41, have denied speculation that their fourth child, a son, has arrived This comes after Kanye praised wife Kim's long list of life achievements in a bizarre morning text - after she helped free a prisoner and landed the cover of Vogue. The TV personality took to Twitter to post a screenshot of the message from her rapper husband on Monday as he gushed about her 'dreams coming true'. Alongside a photo of their backyard in the text, Kanye reflected on his wife's recent accomplishments and wrote: 'This your life. Married with four kids. Get people out of jail. Cover of Vogue. 'Go to church every week with your family. Dreams come true.' 'Mother of four': Tongues were sent wagging after the reality star took to Twitter to post a gushing message from her rapper husband on Monday 'I would be at the hospital': A puzzled Kim quickly took to Twitter to put the rumour mill to rest Kim tweeted: 'Wait just saw news our baby boy came but thats not true! Its Met Monday, Im in NYC. I would be at the hospital lol' Kim, a mother-of three who is expecting a fourth child by surrogate, captioned the photo and wrote: 'Morning Texts'. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star bathed in her husband's praise after revealing she is willing to give up her highly lucrative media career in order to focus on prison reform, after her successful campaign to free Alice Marie Johnson. Johnson was serving a lifetime sentence for a non-violent, first time drug offence until Kim petitioned President Donald Trump for her release from Aliceville Correctional Facility in Alabama. The TV star is now keen to emulate late father Robert Kardashian by studying law, and has already taken on an apprenticeship at a law firm. Proud husband: Kanye praised wife Kim's long list of life achievements in a bizarre morning text - after she helped free a prisoner and landed the cover of Vogue Quite a difference: Kim revealed she is willing to give up her highly lucrative media career in order to focus on prison reform Triumph: The TV personality successfully campaign to free jailed Alice Marie Johnson, who was serving a lifetime sentence for a non-violent, first time drug offence And Kim recently landed the cover of Vogue, something she said has said she dreamed of 'for so long'. Reveling in her first solo cover for the publication, the mother of three said it was an 'honor' to finally grace the May issue of the 'iconic magazine.' And on the most recent episode of KUWTK, Kim revealed her that Kanye encourages her dreams as she juggles becoming a lawyer and also preparing to welcome her fourth child. In a direct to camera interview, Kim said Kanye has always had her back. 'From day one Kanye has always been someone in my life who has always pushed me to do what I want to do no matter what the rules are,' she said. Match made in heaven: Kim revealed her that Kanye encourages her dreams as she juggles becoming a lawyer and also preparing to welcome her fourth child 'The fact that he is supporting me in this journey knowing that for the next four years it would take time away from him and our kids means a lot to me and gives me the confidence that I really need and that extra push of someone around me to be like "I know you can do it," like "you got this,"' Kim said. And Kim has reportedly been stressed by the preparations. She told People magazine: 'When you have a surrogate, for me, I realized that having a baby shower for Chi was actually so much more beneficial for my kids, because they saw people come. 'They actually saw that it was like, "A new baby is coming"', she shared. But late last month Kim found a way to ease her anxieties as she celebrated her son-to-be with a lavish CBD-themed baby shower. Honoured: Kim admitted covering Vogue alone has been a longtime 'dream' in a heartfelt Instagram caption celebrating her new issue 'Yesterday I had my cbd baby shower,' she wrote on Instagram. 'Thank you to everyone who celebrated baby #4 with us! It was perfect!' 'Because I'm freaking out and the baby is coming in, like, two weeks, I thought what better way to celebrate than to have a little CBD,' she added. CBD is related to the another component commonly found in cannabis, THC, but has been known to have therapeutic benefits without psychoactive effects, one of the many reasons for its growing popularity. And guests at the baby shower received a bevy of products to take home. Jamie has split up with his billionairess private equity heir girlfriend who he told he Je taimed a mere matter of months ago. 'It wasnt working for some reason,' he tells Mytton and Habbs, clearly perplexed as to why this is. How's this for a reason Jamie? Because shes 17 and youre 45. No, seriously, Jamie really liked Heloise Agostinelli and nobody would blame him for splitting up with her because that name of her's is a right mouthful. Mate date: Fred and Sophie are knocking back some oysters. Is this a date? Is it? No. These two are determined to just be mates - therefore Liv joins them He tells his pals that he 'dreads the thought of dating again' and Habbs says, 'I'm not dating at the moment'. Last week this was used in the teaser for this episode as a way of suggesting these two are going to hook up; yet there's about as much chemical frisson between Habbs and Jamie as a pair of blonde twin sisters, so don't get your hopes up. Elsewhere, having a much less-sombre time, Fred and Sophie are knocking back some oysters. Is this a date? Is it? No. These two are determined to just be mates, aphrodisiacs (and Sophie's sky-high libido) be damned. What this DOES allow, however, is a chance for Fred to tell a genuinely hilarious story about how a Scottish person once shaped his flowing Icelandic locks into a 'gel horn', leaving Sophie and Liv (who comes to join them) literally rolling in the aisles. Hilarious: Fred tells a genuinely hilarious story about how a Scottish person once shaped his flowing Icelandic locks into a 'gel horn' and the girls are beside themselves Single man: Jamie has split up with his billionairess private equity heir girlfriend who he told he Je taimed a mere matter of months ago Not just a pretty face/washboard stomach are you Fred? This scene is genuine hilarity so well done to all involved. James is finally taking Rosi on another date. He takes her to see artwork of women's lips and nostrils and eyelashes and of people with caramel trickling down their cheeks into their mouths. This is probably to evoke thoughts of lust in Rosi, but she hates the paintings and so it doesn't really work. No chance: If viewers were hoping for Habbs and Jamie to hoo up, there's about as much chemical frisson between them as a pair of blonde twin sisters, so don't get your hopes up Miles, meanwhile, is onto James and the weird I dont want to get hurt' reverse psychology thing he's been pushing around Chelsea. This later gets back to James, who decides that Miles must be threatened by his horrific treatment of women. He gets so upset that he starts to choke on his own arrogance. Freddie seems to have risen to the challenge that is Mark Francis. And so, rather than wilt in his charisma and presence, he seems to have flourished and risen to the challenge. He's upping the camp, talking about tweed and throwing the term 'darling' around like it's going out of business. Date two: James finally takes Rosi on another date. He takes her to see artwork of women's lips and nostrils and eyelashes and of people with caramel trickling down their cheeks Not a fan: This is probably to evoke thoughts of lust in Rosi, but she hates the paintings and so it doesn't really work Miles takes Sammy on a second date. He's chosen a jazz club because last week she happened to mention Miles Davis (we didnt see THAT coming) and he orders her a Sexual Revolution. No, we're not talking about the normalisation of contraception in 1960s America here. It's a drink. Side note: Sammy has come dressed as Maeva to this date. She is literally Maeva with an English accent and less of a thirst for evil. Magical night: Miles takes Sammy on a second date. He's chosen a jazz club because last week she happened to mention Miles Davis Success: The pair lock lips during their date after Miles insists it will make their date great In an attempt to distract him from throwing away the chance to marry a billionaire's daughter, several of the cast are suggesting ways Jamie can take his mind off it. You know, the normal stuff: horse riding, shopping, detoxing, painting, robot wrestling (guess which one Sophie suggested). In the midst of this, Liv and Jamie have a real heart-to-heart and it's a beautiful thing. Advice: Elsewhere, Liv and Jamie have a real heart-to-heart and it's a beautiful thing Good friends: Liv assures Jamie he will find love again and Jamie tells Liv that she mustn't feel self-conscious about having to sometimes wear a wig Liv assures Jamie he will find love again and Jamie tells Liv that she mustn't feel self-conscious about having to sometimes wear a wig. In what is yet another genuine moment on this episode, Liv explains that she has suffered from alopecia since she was 16 after taking the pill and that sometimes she worries about losing Digby for a Rapunzel-like substitute. Jamie assures her she's a catch and has nothing to fret about, before telling Mytton that he is worried the Ghost Of Christmas Past visited him in a dream and foretold that he will never have a wife or children. Concerned: Jamie tells Mytton that he is worried the Ghost Of Christmas Past visited him in a dream and foretold that he will never have a wife or children He then tells Mytton that he appreciates him greatly with a lilt in his voice. Everyone sounds like theyre about to burst into tears in this episode and it's really warming the cockles on what is an unseasonably chilly Bank Holiday Monday. Having insisted that kissing him will make their date even better, Miles heads home from his evening at the jazz club with Sammy, only to bump into James who is lurking in the shadows like Montague John Druitt on the streets of Whitechapel in 1888. They have it out about the alleged 'bitching' that Miles has been doing and James tells him that they need to look up 'bitching' in the dictionary. Encounter: Later on, Miles bumps into James who is lurking in the shadows like Montague John Druitt on the streets of Whitechapel in 1888 Tough talk: They have it out about the alleged 'bitching' that Miles has been doing and James tells him that they need to look up 'bitching' in the dictionary For reference, this is what it says: 'Bitching - to complain and make unkind remarks about someone or something. eg. She's always bitching about Tanya.' That Tanya is a menace! Mark Francis has coffee with Maeva and wishes he hadn't when she starts admitting that she'd like Miles to be dead/gay/burn alive in his house while he sleeps. Mark Francis is appalled. Not at the murder or the pyromania, just the gay inference. Another moment of heartfelt realness takes place in Marylebone between Liv and her mother Katie who have a chat about Liv's hair worries. But not before Katie manages to get one of her deeply inappropriate references into the conversation, with regards to her daughter's sex life. Better to tick that off the list early in the scene Katie, lest talking about your child's fears of baldness gets in the way of an innuendo or two. Eliza fans the flames of James arrogance by telling him he has now become a Lothario and that Miles is jealous of that. Not satisfied until he has upset every female within a five mile radius, James then scatters the seeds of doubt into Sammys... field. He tells her Miles is all about the third date and the sex, immediately putting Sammy off. Horrified: Mark Francis has coffee with Maeva and wishes he hadn't when she starts admitting that she'd like Miles to be dead/gay/burn alive in his house while he sleeps Everyone then skips off to see a band called Holiday Sidewinder which features a load of blonde women in spandex wearing sunglasses and headsets. Mark Francis seems to have inadvertently stumbled in. 'What is the postcode here? N? Or S?' he asks Freddie. Are these two the new Bert and Ernie? Having looked up what bitching means, Miles finds out that James has been doing it about his date with Sammy and confronts him about it. Amid more warbling voices, the boys tell one another that they don't want to be friends anymore and once again we find ourselves within the realm of legitimate emotional turbulence. Chuck in one more scene where Digby - despite wearing a horrid hat - tells Liv he's absolutely smitten with her and we are done! Absolute emotional wrecks after this one! They are attending the Met Gala on Monday evening. And Gwyneth Paltrow and her new husband Brad Falchuk, 48, were spotted heading out for a low-key lunch ahead of the glamorous bash in New York City on Monday afternoon. The actress, 46, opted for a casual look as she selected a pair of over-sized nude culottes and a beige double-breasted blazer. Hungry: Gwyneth Paltrow, 45, and her new husband Brad Falchuk, 48, were spotted heading out for a low-key lunch ahead of the glamorous bash in New York City on Monday afternoon The blazer was adorned with gold buttons and swathed her slender figure as she strolled out. The Se7en actress stepped out in a pair of box fresh trainers - resting her feet ahead of taking to the red carpet of the star-studded Met Gala event later on in the day. Her blonde hair was left down in a straight style that the tucked behind her ears and she covered her eyes in sunglasses. Brad selected black tracksuit bottoms with white stripes around the ankle and a long-sleeve T-shirt as they headed out for a bite to eat. Casual: The actress opted for a casual look as she selected a pair of over-sized nude culottes and a beige double-breasted blazer He accessorised with a pair of headphones around his neck and likewise to his wife sported shades. Gwyneth and Brad tied the knot in The Hamptons in September 2018, almost a year after announcing their engagement. Just three years ago the actress finalized her divorce from Chris Martin after 13 years of marriage and two children together. But the couple have clearly remained amicable, and even vacationed together with their significant others. Laid-back: She stepped out in a pair of box fresh trainers - resting her feet ahead of taking to the red carpet of the star-studded Met Gala event later on in the day Chris is currently dating actress Dakota Johnson, and the couple enjoyed a holiday in the Maldives with Gwyneth, her husband, and the kids. 'We just took our honeymoon in the Maldives and we had a big family honeymoon over Christmas,' Gwyneth said on Live With Kelly And Ryan. 'So, my new husband and his children, my children, my ex-husband, our best family friends. It was a very modern honeymoon.' She said the trip was far from awkward, despite the dynamics at play, adding: 'Oh, just great conversation and lots of kids. It was great. We had such a good time.' Jenelle Evans' husband David Eason reportedly beat then shot their family French bulldog, Nugget, last week. And now friends and family members are allegedly pushing for him to be removed from the house because they are worried he poses a danger to the rest of the family living there. TMZ reported that those concerned 'have now made their move with Child Protective Services.' Serious concerns: Jenelle Evans' husband David Eason shot their family French bulldog, Nugget, last week and now her family wants him out of the house; seen in 2017 Poor little dog! Here Jenelle is seen with her fur baby Nuggest who was killed by David According to the outlet, some of those closest to Jenelle have already called CPS and others will call as early as later Monday 'asking the agency to remove David from the family home.' The friends and family are worried about the three children still living in the home, two-year-old Ensley, four-year-old Kaiser and David's 11-year-old daughter, Maryssa. There is also concern surrounding Jenelle's pit bull, Jax, who David has previously 'shot with a BB gun.' Family: Friends and family members are pushing for him to be removed from the house because they are worried he poses a danger to the rest of the family living there; here he is seen with his other dog, a pit bull The outlet also reported 'the local Sheriff and people associated with Jenelle and David are frustrated because - without Jenelle's cooperation - they are unable to file criminal charges against him.' TMZ also learned that the back-up plan 'is Child Protective Services.' 'They want the agency to remove David from the home, on grounds he's a danger to everyone living there,' said a source. Making their move: TMZ reported that those concerned 'have now made their move with Child Protective Services'; seen in February In another article from TMZ, Jenelle Evans' ex-fiance, Nathan Griffith, also expressed concern about the wellness of his son Kaiser. In a 911 call obtained by the outlet, Nathan can be heard requesting police to perform a welfare check because he heard about David shooting the dog. He believed that his son was in the house at the time of the shooting. How to defend? The 30-year-old gun advocate has come under fire after he was accused of 'killing her dog' at their North Carolina home, and he defended his actions on social media Wednesday David admitted to murdering the family dog, Nugget, after the French bulldog nipped the face of their daughter. The the 30-year-old gun advocate has come under fire after he was accused of 'killing her dog' at their North Carolina home, and he defended his actions on social media Wednesday. In North Carolina, killing a dog is a Class H Felony under the Animal-Cruelty statute, but officials told TMZ on Wednesday that they will only go after David if Jenelle reports him. Reacting: David admitted to murdering the family dog, Nugget, after the French bulldog nipped the face of their daughterl seen in April in NYC In response to the accusations that he killed the defenseless animal, Eason shared a video on social media of the small dog being baited to nip the girls face. Eason took to his HickTownKing Instagram page and posted the clip showing Nugget on the couch with his daughter Ensley who tries to go in for a kiss. Instead of intervening between the animal, who is clearly uncomfortable as it cowers and pulls away from the little girl, Eason sits across the room and films the dog nip back at the girls face, causing her to cry. He also shared a photo of a tearful toddler after the incident with a slight red welt on her cheek, the skin having not been broken by the dogs teeth. Protection from a 20lbs dog? In response to the accusations that he killed the defenseless animal, Eason shared a video on social media of the small dog being baited to nip the girls face; seen in LA in 2016 'I dont give a damn what animal bites my baby on the face... whether it be your dog or mine, a dog is a dog and I dont put up with that s**t at all,' he wrote in the caption. 'I'm all about protecting my family, it is my lifes mission,' he continued. He wrote: 'Some people are worth killing or dying for and my family means that much to me. You can hate me all you want but this isnt the first time the dog bit Ensley aggressively. The only person that can judge weather or not a animal is a danger to MY CHILD is ME.' Full of fear: He wrote: 'Some people are worth killing or dying for and my family means that much to me. You can hate me all you want but this isnt the first time the dog bit Ensley aggressively. The only person that can judge weather or not a animal is a danger to MY CHILD is ME.' The horrifying dog murder came six months after Jenelle accused her husband of breaking her collarbone while violently 'pinning her down on the ground.' 'He got violent because he's been drinking,' Evans sobbed to the 911 operator in October. 'I'm recovering from a surgery on Monday. I can't breathe. I have four kids in the house with me right now. They're all sleeping. I don't know what to do. He left the house. I don't know what to do right now.' Wendy Williams' soon-to-be ex wants her to support him in the wake of their impending divorce. Kevin Hunter is asking a judge to grant his request for Wendy to pay him spousal support and child support, according to TMZ. Hunter recently filed his response to Wendy's divorce petition where he outlined his demands for not only his financial support but also for that of their one son, Kevin Jr. Money moves: Wendy Williams' ex Kevin Hunter is asking a judge to grant his request for Wendy to pay him spousal support and child support, according to TMZ (pictured in 2013) Interestingly, Kevin Jr is 18-years-old, and in most states child support ends when a child becomes a legal adult. There are some extenuating circumstances in certain states where that may be extended by a judge. In addition to child support, Hunter requested that Wendy be financially responsible for Kevin Jr.'s college expenses. Kevin's response comes weeks after Wendy served him with divorce papers at her television studio in New York. Demands: In Kevin's response to Wendy's divorce filing, he is asking for spousal support, child support and for the host to foot the bill for their son's college Wendy filed marriage dissolution paperwork after DailyMail.com broke the news of Kevin's decade long affair with a massage therapist named Sharina Hudson. News of the affair and, subsequently, the love child that Sharina quietly gave birth to earlier this year, pushed Wendy to an unfortunate relapse into drugs and alcohol abuse. She took a prolonged absence from her talk show at the end of 2018 and through the start of the new year and, at the time, claimed it was for medical reasons. It's over: Wendy filed marriage dissolution paperwork after DailyMail.com broke the news of Kevin's decade long affair with a massage therapist named Sharina Hudson After DailyMail revealed that she was actually seeking treatment for substance abuse, Wendy shared her story with fans. Following the continuation of Kevin's affair, which he flaunted in front of the public by taking the mistress out to dinners decked out in pricey clothes and in expensive cars, Wendy decided enough was enough. Williams has always been the breadwinner of the family and promptly cut Kevin off which included the bold move to fire him as her manager and executive producer of her talk show. No surprise: Wendy is the big breadwinner in the family and she recently fired her ex as her manager as well as axed him from his role as executive producer on The Wendy Williams Show After serving Kevin with marriage dissolution documents, sources told DailyMail that Wendy gave her husband 48 hours to vacate his belongings from their New Jersey mansion. Photos were also obtained at that time of Sharina Hudson's gold matte Ferrari Portofino, a gift from Kevin which is believe to have been paid for with Wendy's money, being loaded onto the bed of a tow truck. Sources have said that Kevin admitted that he stayed married to Wendy through his affair because he couldn't afford to be divorced. He is speculated to become Prince Harry and Meghan's first born son's potential godfather after sharing the same birthday. And George Clooney celebrated turning 58 as a host of Hollywood friends paid tribute to the actor on social media on Monday. Long-time friend and business partner Rande Gerber, who is married to supermodel Cindy Crawford, wished the Ocean's Eleven star a great day as he posted a fun snap of the pair. Birthday wishes: George Clooney celebrated turning 58 as a host of Hollywood friends paid tribute to the actor on social media on Monday, including a fun photo from long-time friend and business partner Rande Gerber In the snap, the duo appear in good spirits as they pose on a clifftop with their arms outstretched. Rande wrote: 'Happy Birthday to my friend George who always has my back and I can count on if I fall. Maybe next time we dont choose a cliff off the coast of Italy.' And supermodel Cindy also took to Instagram to wish her friend a Happy Birthday as she posted a photo of the trio wearing pilot outfits. The dashing actor flashed a smile and looked suave in the airline pilot ensemble as he posed for he camera with Cindy and Rande. Come fly with me! Supermodel Cindy also took to Instagram to wish her friend a Happy Birthday as she posted a photo of the trio wearing pilot outfits Cindy wrote: 'Happy birthday to our favorite co-pilot!' Hollywood star Julia Roberts also took to Instagram to post a sweet photo of the pair in their heydey. Julia, who starred alongside George in Ocean's Eleven, smiled for a camera with a sightly younger George sporting a black tie ensemble. It comes as the newest addition to the Windsors shares their birthday with George, who is rumoured to be a potential godfather. Potential godparents: It comes as the newest addition to the Windsors shares their birthday with George, who is rumoured to be a potential godfather, pictured with wife Amal at the royal wedding The joint birthday may push Hollywood star George, who is a close friend of the couple's, into prime position to be godfather. George and wife Amal, a British human-rights lawyer who shares a long-standing friendship with Meghan, are believed to socialise regularly with the royals. The Hollywood glamour pair flew Meghan and Harry via private jet to George's luxury residence on Lake Como after their May nuptials, where they received a crash course in parenting after meeting the pair's one-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander. And Amal was one of the friends who attended Meghan's star-studded baby shower in New York back in October. Kim Kardashian will be attending the Met Gala in New York City on Monday evening along with sisters Kylie and Kendall Jenner. This is far from the 38-year-old beauty's first trip to fashion's largest event of the year: she has already gone six times. And the Keeping Up With The Kardashians standout reminded her fans of that as she shared images from her previous visits to the event with brutally honest comments. She said that one year she was so insecure that she cried. Another year she was so nervous she almost threw up. Memory lane: Kim Kardashian walked her fans through her old Met Gala looks on Monday, just hours before hitting the event. Here she is seen in 2018 in Versace We can tell! The sister of Kourtney and Khloe said the dress 'fit like a glove' On Instagram she shared an image from Met Gala 2018 where she stunned in a gold mesh gown by Versace. 'Happy Met Monday!!!' she wrote in her caption. She also shared that the dress 'fit like a glove.' No frills: In 2017 the Selfish author had on a white Vivienne Westwood off-the-shoulder dress with no jewelry FRANK! The daughter of Kris Jenner said, 'Year 5 - 2017 Vivienne Westwood. This was my first year going solo. I was so nervous to go by myself I almost threw up on the way & I had to pee every second' Kardashian added, 'I knew exactly what I wanted and was most confident this year. 90's, chainmail, sexy and simple.' In 2017 the Selfish author had on a white Vivienne Westwood off-the-shoulder dress with no jewelry. The daughter of Kris Jenner said, 'Year 5 - 2017 Vivienne Westwood. This was my first year going solo. I was so nervous to go by myself I almost threw up on the way & I had to pee every second.. I was FaceTiming my sisters to meet up at the top of the stairs. Vivienne made me this beautiful dress from her archive.' She was 'insecure' this year: The siren said she still had baby weight on but she loved Kanye's eyes in 2016 Honest: She said on Monday: 'Year 4 - 2016 Olivier Rousteing for Balmain. I was back to insecure this year because I hadn't lost all of my baby weight. Big mistake to bleach the brows but Kanye looked so good this year with those blue eyes! It was super controversial that he wore denim.' It was just a few months after her Paris robbery and she didn't want to go over glam. In 2016 Kim wore Balmain. It was a shimmery silver dress that looked like a futuristic gown with a slit up the side. Sheer brilliance: In 2015 she went with a feathered Roberto Cavalli look that seemed see-through.'The beading is just SO beautiful,' Kim remarked Her take: The mother-of-three noted that Peete Dundas created the gown Husband Kanye West was also in the same designer. She said on Monday: 'Year 4 - 2016 Olivier Rousteing for Balmain. I was back to insecure this year because I hadn't lost all of my baby weight. Big mistake to bleach the brows but Kanye looked so good this year with those blue eyes! It was super controversial that he wore denim.' Earlier she had noted: 'I thought Balmain was the perfect choice for me and Kanye, especially. I think Kanye's look is a little bit more downplayed with the denim mixed with all the Balmain bling. 'I wanted a silver theme,' Kim says. 'I kind of thought everyone was going to go with that, but I still really wanted to do it...I just wanted to go for it and be a bling-y, sexy robot.' The gala's theme was 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technolog Blue magic: In 2014 she wore this royal blue gown as she had Kanye by her side Post Vogue: She just was on the cover of Vogue and she was invited on her own In 2015 she went with a feathered Roberto Cavalli look that seemed see-through.'The beading is just SO beautiful,' Kim remarked. She noted that Peete Dundas created the gown. In 2014, Kim had on a blue strapless Lanvin outfit as Kanye had on black. She said on Monday it was the first time she had been invited on her own. 'My dress was originally made of this amazing leather with metallic detailing,' Kim said earlier. 'But we decided at the last minute to redo it in blue satin.' When she went in 2013, she was pregnant with North and wore a floral print dress from Givenchy. The California native said on Monday that she was West's plus one. Sadly, after the gala she 'cried' because she was so insecure about everything. 'Year 1 - 2103 Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy. I was Kanye's plus one & so nervous! I didn't know anyone & I'm sure no one wanted me there lol. I did my own lipstick & the color is so off. I went home & cried after of insecurity but this is one of my fave looks now.' First time: When she went in 2013, she was pregnant with North and wore a floral print dress from Givenchy She cried: The California native said on Monday that she was West's plus one and she cried afterwards Amy Schumer welcomed her first child on Sunday evening with her husband Chris Fischer whom she wed in 2018. The 37-year-old comedienne shared the news on Instagram the next day with the caption: '10:55 pm last night. Our royal baby was born.' The movie star looked content as she held her baby boy who wore a white beanie and had a blue pacifier in his mouth. Chris kissed the star's cheek as she closed her eyes and smiled. This comes just hours before Meghan, Duchess of Sussex welcomed her son with Prince Harry. Amy has joked for months about their close due dates. Joy! Amy Schumer welcomed her first child on Sunday evening. The comedienne shared the news on Instagram the next day with the caption: '10:55 pm last night. Our royal baby was born' Her baby boy who wore a white beanie and had a blue pacifier in his mouth Earlier on Sunday Amy shared a very long post. 'Hey! We love @chancetherapper and hate to be the ones to tell him that Wendys is the only fast food chain refusing to protect farmworker women from sexual assault and rape in the fields. This is true,' she wrote. 'Please read that sentence again. Message for the people in charge: Instead of spicy nuggets, we want food that is harvested with dignity NOT violence. Please join the @fairfoodprogram and #BoycottWendys link in my bio of how you can help. Also we are having a boy.' Amy was referring to a social media campaign where Chance The Rapper pleaded with the fast food chain to bring back spicy nuggets, a request Wendy's is seemingly interested in and will fulfill after two million likes on their tweet. That was the first time she revealed the gender of her child. So close: This comes just hours before Meghan, Duchess of Sussex welcomed her son with Prince Harry . Amy has joked for months about their close due dates. Here Amy pasted her head on Markle's body and Chris' on Harry's body But Amy did it first! Harry and Meghan seen in mid January in Birkenhead, northwest England And also on Sunday, Amy managed to squeeze in a visit to the Metropolitan Museum in NYC before she headed to the hospital. A crew was already setting up the steps for the annual Met Gala where Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner will model the latest fashions. Amy has been very active on social media during her pregnancy. She stunned her fans on Friday afternoon when she shared an image of her very large naked baby bump to Instagram. Oh that Amy! Before heading to the hospital. Schumer went to the Met where she stood on the steps. On Monday evening the Met Gala with Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner takes place The blonde beauty lifted her yellow I Hate Mondays shirt to expose her tummy as she was in the doctor's office with her husband off to the side. 'Oh yeah does it feel to everyone like Ive been pregnant for a long time? It must be getting annoying to you all that Im still pregnant Well imagine how I feel mother f***ers!!!!!!' the blonde Trainwreck star wrote in her caption. The Inside Amy Schumer star added the hashtags, #soblessed #hatemondaysloveweekendstho. Amy looked over it as she sat on a table in the small room. It appeared as if she had just gotten an ultra sound. Proud mom! Schumer admitted she's having a baby boy in a long-winded post shared to Instagram on Sunday afternoon Her husband was looking down at his cell phone as he sat on a sofa. She also shared a long note. 'It was once explained to me that comparing hyperemesis gravidarum to morning sickness is like having an arrow through your skull and saying it's like just a minor headache,' she began. Schumer then said that she is happy to raise awareness. 'It is my hope that more women are heard when speaking up about this awful condition and receive the support we so greatly need.' A week ago she made another comment on healthcare and pregnancy. Her man at her side: Schumer stunned her fans on Friday afternoon when she shared an image of her very large naked baby bump to Instagram. The star lifted her yellow I Hate Mondays shirt to expose her tummy as she was in the doctor's office with her husband More jokes: 'Oh yeah does it feel to everyone like Ive been pregnant for a long time? It must be getting annoying to you all that Im still pregnant Well imagine how I feel mother f***ers!!!!!!' the blonde Trainwreck star wrote in her caption The I Feel Pretty star confirmed that she 'is still pregnant and puking' in a post she shared to her Instagram. 'Amy Schumer And Chris Fischer set pulses racing while the heavily pregnant Schumer flaunts her growing bump,' jabbed the actress beneath a photo of her pregnant self and her shirtless 39-year-old husband on a walk. She continued to address herself in the third person, confirming 'Amy is still pregnant and puking.' She spelled it out: She also shared a long note. 'It was once explained to me that comparing hyperemesis gravidarum to morning sickness is like having an arrow through your skull and saying it's like just a minor headache,' she began The Thank You for Your Service star then went on to make a much darker and more insightful comment on the healthcare industry at large. Amy explained that she is still continuing to suffer from a difficult pregnancy 'Because money rarely goes to medical studies for women such as hyperemesis or endometriosis and instead goes to things like dicks not getting hard enough or old guys who want harder d***s.' So excited for baby: The funny girl also shared this cute photo with her love as she modeled a polka dot hat and sunglasses with white frames According to a report from The Guardian in 2015, endometriosis receives just $7 million in annual funding. While in 2016 and 2017, The National Institutes of Health (NIH) had a total budget of $11 million allocated for research into the disease. Approximately one in ten women is affected by endometriosis. Confirmed: Schumer was seen walking with her husband in this pose from a week ago Ben Feldman and his wife Michelle Mulitz are now the proud parents of two. The 38-year-old Mad Men actor announced on Instagram this Monday that he and Michelle have welcomed a baby daughter in Los Angeles. His social media post was a birthday tribute to his wife, who could be seen in the photo peering into the baby bed at the hospital. 'You've got a lot going on right now': Ben Feldman announced on Instagram this Monday that he and his wife Michelle Mulitz have welcomed a baby daughter in Los Angeles The couple's son Charlie, who is a year and a half old, stood in front of his mother and held onto the legs of the bed - but was of course not tall enough to look in. 'Youve got a lot going on right now. Heres to future birthdays on beaches. hbd @michellehelyn,' wrote Ben affectionately in his caption. Ben and Michelle dished on Instagram last November that they had a second baby on the way, and in March he announced that the child would be a daughter. Dashing: Ben is currently known for his role on the NBC sitcom Superstore, which he is seen attending an event for in Beverly Hills last week At an Academy For Your Consideration event for his show Superstore, Ben joked he and Michelle were doing 'a lot of drinking' in anticipation of the birth, per Us Weekly. Shortly after Charlie was born, Ben told Extra of fatherhood: 'It's exhausting. It's a lot. I knew it was gonna be a lot, but it's more - it's about five times as much as that.' He added: 'But it's great. It's incredible, and he's super sweet and funny. And he's got a personality, which is really weird, that you can just make something from scratch and it turns out to be a human with its own personality.' 'Voting for 2': Ben and Michelle dished on Instagram last November that they had a second baby on the way, and in March he announced that the child would be a daughter Ben quipped that 'I think when he's being obnoxious, I see myself in him,' revealing: 'He looks a lot more like his mom than his dad.' The stage and screen personality vamped: 'But you know, fingers crossed, eventually he's gonna look only like me and not like his mom at all.' Michelle and Ben married on a farm in Maryland in 2013 with a guest list that featured Wolf Blitzer and Veep hunk Reid Scott, Us Weekly reported. She is known for her picture perfect life on Instagram, but things haven't always been easy for Tammy Hembrow. The 25-year-old activewear mogul has revealed she was targeted by bullies for years, long before becoming a social media celebrity. 'I actually changed schools because of it at one stage in my life,' she told the Gold Coast Bulletin on Tuesday. Tammy Hembrow's secret nightmare: The Instagram star, 25, revealed on Tuesday that she was forced to change schools due to bullying Tammy, who hails from Queensland, attended several different schools growing up, including the Australian International School in Singapore. She has partnered with the charity ICANIWILL, which aims 'to eradicate bullying from schools, especially against children with special needs'. Speaking of her own experience with bullying, the mother-of-two said she has learned to expect online abuse as a public figure. 'I get a lot of online abuse': The 25-year-old activewear mogul was targeted by bullies for years, long before becoming a social media celebrity 'I get a lot of online abuse but it's [not] something I monitor daily because I still have to live my life. In this industry I expect it, which is sad,' she revealed. Tammy added that she has 'grown a thick skin over the years' and is less upset by social media trolls and negative headlines. 'The difference between now and back then [her school days] is that now I know who I am, I'm tougher and my outlook on the bullies is different,' she said. Moving around: Tammy, who hails from Queensland, attended several different schools growing up, including the Australian International School in Singapore After attending an ICANIWILL event on the Gold Coast last month, Tammy revealed on Instagram she had been bullied 'her entire life'. 'I've dealt with bullies my entire life, so I love being able to work with an organisation that is doing such great work,' she wrote. 'They work towards preventing bullying and youth suicide which is such an important topic especially in today's world of online trolls etc.' Senior NSW Nationals are "dumbfounded" a figure linked to the recent alt-right infiltration of the party's youth wing has been appointed to a plum ministerial job, while Labor is demanding he be removed. Jeff McCormack, who managed Nationals leader John Barilaro's recent election campaign, has been appointed chief of staff to state Water Minister Melinda Pavey. AAP understands he'll take up the role within weeks. Mr McCormack was one of two people named in parliament in 2018 by Labor MP Walt Secord who demanded to know whether the Nationals planned to expel him over a branch-stacking exercise that resulted in dozens of alleged neo-Nazis and white supremacists infiltrating the organisation. The NSW Nationals in November 2018 issued a statement saying the party wouldn't rest until "every last one of these extremists" had been identified and removed. Screenshots of a Young Nationals Facebook page, seen by AAP, show Mr McCormack added to the group some of the people who were later ousted from the party for their links to the alt-right. About 20 young Nationals were either forced to quit or booted from the party in November after an internal investigation into the infiltration. However, Mr McCormack was cleared by a speedy initial review and was not referred to the party's ethics committee, which conducted a more comprehensive investigation of other members. There's no suggestion Mr McCormack holds neo-Nazi or white supremacist views. Senior Nationals ministers and sources have expressed concern that Mr McCormack has been appointed to such a senior position within Ms Pavey's office. "In what other party would someone who was tied up in a scandal that had the potential to derail a campaign be rewarded with a chief of staff role?" one senior Nationals source told AAP. A Nationals minister said he was shocked and "dumbfounded" at the appointment. "Certainly it will concern a lot of people within the party, both at the parliamentary level and the organisation level, given the reputation he has within the party," the minister told AAP. Interim Labor leader Penny Sharpe has demanded Mr McCormack not be given the job. She wants to know whether the appointment was approved by the premier's office. "This is an arrogant move - and flies in the face of decency," Ms Sharpe told AAP in a statement. "These groups have no place in Australian political debate and any individual linked to them should not serve in key government decision-making positions." Another Nationals source said the appointment would cause a lot of angst within the party. "To think that he's exerting some sort of influence or has some kind of status as a ministerial COS of a Nationals minister makes me question what the party is doing, what direction it's going and whether or not you still want to be part of it," they told AAP. "It's worrying." Mr McCormack and Ms Pavey been contacted for comment. Businesses would be worse off and jobs would be lost if the minimum wage was hiked up as much as unions want, a peak body representing Australian employers has warned. The Australian Industry Group has expressed the sentiment in a fresh submission to the Fair Work Commission's annual minimum wage review. In its original submission to the review, the business group argued the minimum wage should be lifted by two per cent this year, marking an increase of about $14.40 per week to the current level of $719.20. The modest increase is necessary because the economy has moved into the "slow lane" and businesses are struggling to cope, it said. The Australian Council of Trade Unions called in its submission for an increase of six per cent, equivalent to a weekly increase of $43. ACTU secretary Sally McManus said the significant spike is needed to ensure that no full-time worker is living in poverty. In a reply published on Monday, the Ai Group says what the unions want is "obviously unsustainable". "A minimum wage increase of this magnitude would be a certain way to destroy jobs, harm businesses and threaten Australia's long period of economic growth," the document reads. This month's federal budget acknowledged that Australia's economy is slowing by revising down forecasts for growth, it noted. The Ai Group says the budget also promised an increase to a tax offset for low and middle income earners, which will increase the disposable income of people earning the current minimum wage. The discussion comes after federal Labor last month urged the industrial umpire to lift the minimum wage but won't nominate a figure. That prompted grave warnings from the coalition about job losses and economic damage. Property auctions increased over the weekend heading into the Easter slowdown, but they remain significantly below this time last year. There were 2,268 homes taken to auction over the weekend in Australia's capital cities, up from 1,976 over the previous week but well below the 3,990 taken to the auction the week before Easter 2018, CoreLogic said on Monday. Still, that's the second-highest number of auctions so far this year. There was a preliminary auction clearance rate of 58.2 per cent, although that's subject to revision. The previous week saw a final clearance rate of 52.6 per cent, the fourth consecutive week it has held above 50 per cent. "Auction market results continue to point to improving conditions with both clearance rates lifting and withdrawal rates normalising," Westpac senior economist Matthew Hassan wrote in a research note. Melbourne saw 939 homes take to auction, compared to 2,071 in the week before Easter 2018. The preliminary auction clearance was 54.9 per cent. In Sydney, 927 homes were auctioned, with a 62.9 per cent clearance rate. The week prior to Easter 2018 saw 1,383 homes auctioned off. Mr Hassan said the results suggest the Sydney market is stabilising and improvement in Melbourne as well. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Labor rival Bill Shorten are yet to pencil a date in their diaries for a head-to-head debate in Perth. Mr Morrison has suggested April 29 or 30 as possible dates, The West Australian reported on Monday. But Mr Shorten was coy when asked if those dates suited him, saying instead he had suggested two possible days for a debate. "I hope Mr Morrison can fit in with us," he told reporters in Melbourne. Mr Shorten is reportedly planning to spend the week beginning April 29 - which is about midway through the campaign - in Perth. The Liberals are aiming to hold onto the 11 seats they hold out of WA's 16, and are also eyeing off Cowan, which Labor's Anne Aly holds by a margin of 0.7 per cent. A delegation of those opposed to oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight is heading for Norway in the fight against international energy company Equinor's plans to drill an exploration well off the coast of South Australia. The company will hold its annual meeting later this month where, among other issues, shareholders will vote on a motion banning exploration in sensitive areas. The Australian Bight Alliance delegation leaves on Monday and includes Wilderness Society South Australia Director Peter Owen, first nations leader Bunna Lawrie, Bight fisherman and former pro surfer Heath Joske and Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility executive director Brynn O'Brien. "We will be heading to Norway tomorrow to tell Equinor, its shareholders including the Norwegian Government and the Norwegian people just how unpopular Bight drilling is," Mr Owen said. "We will take our protests to Oslo's harbour and the Equinor AGM." Equinor wants to drill an exploratory well 370km off the SA coast. If Stromlo-1 receives all necessary regulatory approvals, drilling is expected to start in the summer of 2020/21. But the company said it would only carry out a drilling operation if it could do so safely and with the approval of the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA). "We will take the time necessary to ensure our operations are safe for people, communities and the environment," it said. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the Colombian border city of Cucuta for the final leg of his South American tour US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ended his tour of South America on Sunday with a brief visit to the Colombian border city of Cucuta, crossed through by thousands of Venezuelans fleeing crisis under President Nicolas Maduro. After attending a Sunday service in the Peruvian capital Lima, the chief US diplomat set off for the final leg of his tour of South America, which began Friday in Chile. In Cucuta, where he met with refugees alongside Colombian President Ivan Duque, Pompeo called upon Maduro to open the border to allow humanitarian aid to enter -- and step down. "Open these bridges, open these borders, you can end this today," he said. "I hope that you will care enough when you see the horror, when you see the tragedy, to change your ways and to leave your country." Pompeo talks with Venezuelan refugees during a visit to Cucuta, Colombia Branded illegitimate by over 50 countries, who instead recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido, Maduro closed four frontier bridges connecting Venezuela and Cucuta on February 22. That came after National Assembly leader Guaido declared himself interim president on January 23, kickstarting a power struggle with Maduro -- of which the entry of humanitarian aid has been a defining issue. Pompeo promised that the US would continue to use all political and economic means to help Venezuelans. All four countries featured on his itinerary -- Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Colombia -- are led by right-wing or center-right leaders favorable to Washington's uncompromising approach to Maduro. On Saturday, Pompeo paid tribute to Peru's welcome for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan refugees. But he became irritated when a reporter asked if that contradicted US President Donald Trump's harsh immigration policy at home. "Peru has felt first-hand the effects of the disastrous Nicolas Maduro and the pain that he has brought to the Venezuelan people," he said, following talks with President Martin Vizcarra and Foreign Minister Nestor Popolizio. He added that Peru had shown "enormous leadership in responding to this challenge." Over three million Venezuelans, around 10 percent of the population, now live outside the crisis-hit country, ravaged by shortages of food and medicine and repeated power outages. The United Nations predicts that number will hit 5.3 million by the end of 2019. Peru has received the most Venezuelans after Colombia: 750,000, according to Popolizio, testing the capacity of the country's public services. Another objective of Pompeo's whirlwind tour was to blunt trade rival China's growing reach in Latin America. In Chile, whose biggest trading partner is Beijing, he warned of links between Chinese trade and "their desire to steal intellectual property, to have forced technology transfer, to engage in activity that is not economic." The CEOs of America's biggest banks were summoned for the first time since the 2008 crisis by a congressional committee on April 10, 2019 On the campaign trail and in Congress, Democrats are challenging the titans of Wall Street, proclaiming a "new day" as they seek to channel the anger of their party and voters that has raged since the financial crisis. CEOs of America's biggest banks were summoned for the first time since the 2008 crisis by a congressional committee on Wednesday, raising their hands as they swore their oaths ahead of their testimony. It was a powerful image that underscored the recent change in control of the House of Representatives, which came under Democratic control in January after eight years of Republican rule. "This is a new way and it's a new day," said Maxine Waters, the first woman and first African American to chair the powerful House Financial Services Committee. Tim Sloan, the former CEO of Wells Fargo, testified at a previous hearing in March. Maxine Waters is the first woman and first African American to chair the powerful House Financial Services Committee This time, it was the turn of the heads of Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase & Co, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, State Street Corporation, BNY Mellon and Goldman Sachs. Waters had previously tangled with some of them at the peak of the crisis, when the global financial system was imperiled. The current round of cross-examinations has less to do with the stabilization of the financial system and more the social impact of Wall Street. "You, captains of the universe, are smart enough and creative enough and understand this business enough to see what you can do about these citizens, these young people," said Waters. Some of the Democrats on the committee have focused on spotlighting the gap between these executives, all male, white and fabulously wealthy, and the rest of society -- a tactic criticized by the panel's ranking Republican as headline-seeking. In one probing exchange, Nydia Velazquez, a Democrat of New York, pressed Citigroup Chief Executive Michael Corbat to justify his 2018 pay of $24.2 million, an estimated 486 times that of the average employee. Corbat said his pay was set by the board of directors and that, if he were an average employee who observed the yawning gap, "I would be hopeful that there's the opportunity to continue to advance." "This is why people who live in a bubble and in an ivory tower cannot understand the anger out there, especially among millennials," Velasquez shot back. - Counter-attack - Wall Street and its big bosses are already a key part of the of the presidential campaigns of several candidates vying for the Democratic nomination, spearheaded by ultra-progressives Bernie Sanders, shown here, and Elizabeth Warren It is this groundswell of anger, despite sold growth figures and plentiful employment, that Democrats are hoping to tap not only to keep their House majority in 2020 but also to seize the Senate -- and the White House. Wall Street and its big bosses are already a key part the of the presidential campaigns of several candidates vying for the Democratic nomination, spearheaded by ultra-progressives Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. "Our campaign is about taking on the powerful special interests that dominate our economic and political life," vowed Sanders, a socialist. The independent senator from Vermont -- who votes with the Democrats -- introduced a bill in October "to break up the nation's biggest banks." Ten years ago, Warren was deeply involved in the rescue and reforms that took place after the financial crisis, making regulation of Wall Street her defining issue. She has already inked out detailed proposals for dismantling tech giants, raising taxes on huge companies and tightening financial regulations. Warren has already inked out detailed proposals for dismantling tech giants, raising taxes on huge companies and tightening financial regulations Warren is already a powerful voice for these issues in the Senate, though her party remains in opposition there. But she is delighted to see her colleagues in the House on the offensive. "The Republicans have been trying as hard as they can to reduce oversight over the biggest banks and the Democrats are now fighting back," she told AFP. "The too big to fail banks are bigger than ever and they are up to their old ways of trying to hide risks on their balance sheets and at least some of them have been caught repeatedly cheating their own customers. "That's how we got into a big mess in 2008 that nearly broke the worldwide economy and that's why they should be better regulated today." It may already have Oscars under its belt, but Netflix's acceptance by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hangs in the balance It may already have Oscars under its belt, but Netflix's acceptance by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hangs in the balance. The prestigious body is set to reexamine whether the streaming giant will remain eligible for such awards, despite a warning from the US Justice Department that could violate antitrust laws. "We've received a letter from the Dept. of Justice and have responded accordingly," the Academy said in a statement, confirming reports in Variety magazine. Film director Steven Spielberg has suggested that Netflix films should not be eligible for Oscars, but instead for Emmy Awards handed to the stars and creators of television shows. "Once you commit to a television format, you're a TV movie," said Spielberg, who is set to work with new streaming platform Apple TV+. But for US authorities, "such conduct may raise antitrust concerns." In its letter to the Academy, the Justice Department expressed concerns that new restrictions could "suppress competition." The Academy, for its part, simply says it will meet on April 23 for an annual meeting on the rules of the Oscars. Netflix declined to comment, but last month tweeted: "We love cinema." "Here are some things we also love: Access for people who can't always afford, or live in towns without, theaters; Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time; Giving filmmakers more ways to share art," it added. "These things are not mutually exclusive." - Old vs new - Alfonso Cuaron received three Oscars in 2019 for "Roma," a Netflix movie US antitrust laws exist to regulate businesses to promote fair competition and protect consumers. Recently, authorities blocked the takeover of media giant Time Warner by telecoms group AT&T, on the grounds that it would cut out competition and raises prices for customers. In this case, the Justice Department "wants to avoid having to intervene by way of a lawsuit," said C. Kerry Fields, a business economics professor at the University of Southern California. The Academy did not reveal its response to the Justice Department's letter, but Kerry Fields suggested it "may cause the Academy to be more circumspect and cautious." "I'm sure there are many people on the Academy board that are uneasy about taking on the Department of Justice," he added. Fueled by Netflix's haul at this year's Academy Awards, including three statues for Mexican Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma," underlying all this is a battle between the world of old cinema and the new world of streaming services. For Kerry Fields, it is surprising the US authorities have sided with the latter. "It is a titanesque struggle: one that pits old formats against a new one," he said. "For a lot of young people, it's the right decision but I would have thought they would have sided with the Academy." It is Indonesia's biggest polls, with 190 million voters and 245,000 candidates standing for the presidency, parliament and local positions Dipping their fingers in halal ink to prevent double voting, Indonesians cast their ballots Wednesday in a bitterly contested presidential election, with the main rival to incumbent Joko Widodo already threatening to challenge the result over voter-fraud claims. The Muslim-majority nation's biggest-ever polls -- with more than 190 million voters and 245,000 candidates vying for the presidency, parliament and local positions -- is largely a referendum on Widodo's infrastructure-driven bid to rev up Southeast Asia's largest economy. But, looming in the background, two decades of democratic gains are at risk of being eroded, analysts said, as the military creeps back into civilian life under Widodo, and his trailing rival Prabowo Subianto, a former general, eyes reforms that harken back to the Suharto dictatorship. The election is largely a referendum on President Joko Widodo's infrastructure-driven bid to rev up Southeast Asia's largest economy If he loses, Subianto's camp has already warned it will challenge the results over voter-list irregularities. "It's high stakes in this election," said Evan Laksmana, a senior researcher at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies. "We simply don't know what (Subianto) would do if he won and we don't know if the institutional constraints in place would contain him." - Halal ink - Voting starts at 7:00 am local time Wednesday (2200 GMT Tuesday) in easternmost Papua and ends at 1:00 pm at the other end of the country in Sumatra. Ballots will be cast at more than 800,000 polling booths across the volcano-dotted country, from the tip of jungle-clad Sumatra and heavily populated Java island to beach paradise Bali and far-flung Sumbawa. Voters dip their finger in halal ink after casting their ballot, like this Indonesian woman shown after advance overseas voting in Malaysia Voters will punch holes in ballots -- to make clear their candidate choice -- and then dip a finger in Muslim-approved halal ink, a measure to prevent double-voting in a graft-riddled country where ballot buying is rife. A series of so-called "quick counts" are expected to give a reliable indication of the presidential winner later Wednesday. Official results are not expected until May. Most polls show the 57-year-old Widodo holding a double-digit lead over Subianto, 67, setting up a repeat of their 2014 contest, which Widodo won despite an unsuccessful court challenge over his narrow victory. The race has been punctuated by bitter mudslinging between the two camps, religion-driven identity politics and a slew of fake news online that threatens to sway millions of undecided voters. - 'Pragmatism over principle'- Widodo campaigned on his ambitious drive to build roads, airports and other infrastructure, including Jakarta's first mass-rapid-transit system. But his rights record has been criticised owing to an uptick in discriminatory attacks on religious and other minorities, including a small LGBT community, as Islamic hardliners become more vocal in public life. "(Widodo) has chosen pragmatism over principle on issues of Islamism and pluralism," said Dave McRae, a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne's Asia Institute. Widodo, a practising Muslim, blunted criticism that he was anti-Islam by appointing influential cleric Ma'ruf Amin as his running mate. Former general Prabowo Subianto has run on a fiery nationalist ticket, courting Islamic hardliners and promising to boost military spending But victory for Widodo and Amin -- known for his disparaging views towards minorities -- could be the latest knock to Indonesia's reputation for moderate Islam. "There is a longstanding track record of very conservative views," Kevin O'Rourke, an Indonesia-based political risk analyst, said of Amin. "It's inevitable that will affect policy making." Subianto -- joined by running mate Sandiaga Uno, a 49-year-old wealthy financier -- has run on a fiery nationalist ticket. He courted Islamic hardliners, promised a boost to military and defence spending and, taking a page from US President Donald Trump, vowed to put "Indonesia first" as he pledged to review billions of dollars in Chinese investment. Subianto's presidential ambitions have long been dogged by strong ties to the Suharto family and a chequered past. He ordered the abduction of democracy activists as the authoritarian regime collapsed in 1998, and was accused of committing atrocities in East Timor. - 'Low probability, high impact' - Widodo's own cabinet is stuffed with Suharto-era figures, and he raised eyebrows by agreeing to give civilian government jobs to military brass. Ballots will be cast at more than 800,000 polling booths across the volcano-dotted country, including tsunami-ravaged Palu on the island of Sulawesi But "there is no grand design for Jokowi to bring back military rule", Laksmana said. Subianto, however, is a military man keen to roll back reforms that ushered in direct presidential elections, analysts said. That has raised questions about what an upset victory for the retired general could mean for a system that is supported by most Indonesians. "Democracy itself would be very much at stake," O'Rourke said. "This is a low probability scenario, but one with very high impact." Many Indonesians just want a peaceful power transition -- regardless of the winner. "I hope there's no hostility," said 53-year-old Untung Sri Rejeki. "No matter who becomes our next president." Graveyard: Dozens of shipwrecks and abandoned barges litter the Lagos waterways The two men in the motorised wooden canoe look around warily as they leave a towering shipwreck in the Lagos lagoon, with the barrels of oil on board barely concealed under rags. The rusting hulk of iron and peeling paint has been battered by the elements and is half submerged in the water. Sprouts of green shoots on deck indicate how long it has been abandoned. But on closer inspection, the wreck is a working storage facility for stolen or "bunkered" oil, as it is known in Nigeria. "Oladele", a 30-year-old who did not want to publicise his real name, has plied the waters on his boat since he was 15. He says it's not the only wreck that stores illegally imported oil brought into the port by the huge tankers delivering petrol and gas, then sold on in neighbouring Benin and Togo. "Every ship does it. They will declare 10 tonnes but bring in 12," he told AFP. "We will store them in the tanks, deep inside the wrecks, then at night usually, it will be picked up." Middle men could typically make at least $80 to $200 (70 to 180 euros) a trip for several years. "It's big business," he said. - Marine cemetery - Scores of shipwrecks in Lagos' waterways, coastal waters and on the shores of its beaches have turned parts of its shoreline into a marine cemetery. In Kiri-Kiri, the lagoon corridor, scores of wrecks and discarded ship scrap provide useful cover to hide illicit goods and barrels of oil and gas. From there, the waters offer an easy route up the Lagos coast to Benin and beyond. Expensive scrap metal culled from unmanned wrecks can be sold for thousands of dollars. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer, churning out about two million barrels a day. But a lack of fully functioning refineries means crude is exported, processed and then imported for use. Much of it is shipped through the narrow marine corridor into Lagos. Hundreds of ships wait for days on the horizon of the Gulf of Guinea to get into the port and discharge their goods. On the way in and out they pass the skeletons of scuttled and abandoned ships, some of which have capsized because of the effects on the tides of the wrecks. Yet there are also suspicions that amidst lax marine regulation, companies treat Lagos' waters as a ship refuse site, avoiding incurring the expense of disposing of old vessels. Experts say the wrecks act as groynes, halting the flow of sand downshore and accelerating erosion. Lack of regulation on the waters has also helped illicit activity thrive, turning the ghost ships into hideouts for sea criminals. The wrecks are a perfect hiding place for traffickers Small groups of former crew lounge on several of the wrecks, lodging in dim, disused cabins, keeping watch for anyone seeking to strip the ships of valuable scrap. One crew member, who asked not to be identified, said he and three others had worked shifts to stay in the cabin all day and night for 15 months since the ship capsized. Copper and bronze and the brass from the ship's propeller could be sold for as much as 20,000,000 naira ($55,000), he said. "People will come and steal valuables that are still here," he added. - Policing the waters - The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, which polices the country's waterways, says it is proactive in removing the likely hundreds of wrecks but concede that removing them is expensive. Taibat Lawanson, a professor of urban planning at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), said the price of removal was prohibitive. "Because removing them is so costly, neither the state government nor the federal government takes enough responsibility for their removal," he said. Small groups of naval officials, some with uniformed t-shirts, others topless in the sun, bask on the upper decks of confiscated ships. Tunji Adejumo, a landscape architect and ecologist at UNILAG, says the navy has become the main monitoring agency on the coastline. "Yet even still, many of these shipping companies are able to avoid culpability for leaving their wrecks in the water," he said. "These shipwrecks hurt the aesthetics of the coastline. They degrade over time, dumped there but rarely dealt with. And they have serious environmental effects." - Night-time curfew - In Lighthouse Beach, a mostly quiet get-away lined by large beach houses, a wreck at the very end of the shore has been a landmark for visitors for years. Some of the wrecks have become havens for marine wildlife -- others are dangerous, both above and below the waves In parts of the waterways, scuba-diving and spearfishing capitalise on the wrecks aesthetics and the aquatic life it attracts. Yet many of the wrecks, below sea level and invisible above it, present numerous dangers. A 6:00 pm curfew exists for commercial boats, which is imposed in part to prevent accidents. White flags are hoisted on few of the below-the-water wrecks to warn approaching craft but most have no visible warning signs, meaning riders have to remember where they are. "It can be dangerous riding the boats at night," said Oladele. "But the curfew also protects all these crazy activities that you would see if you travelled here after dark." Engineers from Boeing, whose Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg is pictured here, idenftified a fault with a pilot warning system on 737 MAX planes over a year before deadly crashes that left nearly 350 people dead Boeing engineers identified a fault with a pilot warning system on its 737 MAX aircraft in 2017, a year before the deadly Lion Air crash, the company said Sunday. Boeing said that management was unaware of the issue until the crash in Indonesia, which killed 189 people, and the planes were not grounded until after another of the type operated by Ethiopian Airlines went down several months later, leaving a further 157 people dead. According to Boeing, a supposedly standard piece of equipment that tells pilot about disagreements between angle of attack (AOA) indicators -- which measure the plane's angle vis-a-vis oncoming air to warn of impending stalls -- did not in fact activate unless an additional optional indicator was purchased by airlines. That left airlines that did not buy the optional indicator -- including both Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines -- without the safety feature. Faulty angle of attack indicator information may have played a role in both of the deadly crashes, causing the 737 MAX anti-stall system to unnecessarily activate and push the nose down toward the ground even as pilots fought to maintain altitude. "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 aircraft manufacturer said in a statement. "The software delivered to Boeing linked the AOA Disagree alert to the AOA indicator, which is an optional feature," it said. "Accordingly, the software activated the AOA Disagree alert only if an airline opted for the AOA indicator." A Boeing review "determined that the absence of the AOA Disagree alert did not adversely impact airplane safety or operation," concluding that "the existing functionality was acceptable until the alert and the indicator could be delinked in the next planned display system software update," Boeing said. "Senior company leadership was not involved in the review and first became aware of this issue in the aftermath of the Lion Air accident." Boeing's entire 737 MAX fleet has been grounded since shortly after the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March, while investigators study the incidents and engineers work on solutions. French energy giant Total has waded into the fierce battle for Anadarko Petroleum between Occidental and Chevron French energy giant Total said it has reached a deal with Occidental to acquire Anadarko Petroleum's oil and gas assets in Africa -- but only if the mid-sized US firm Occidental wins its fierce takeover battle for Anadarko with the much bigger Chevron. The move further bolsters Occidental's hostile takeover bid for Anadarko after American mega-investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway got involved last week, investing $10 billion in Occidental. Anadarko's board had already approved an offer from Chevron when Occidental unveiled a higher bid last month, kicking off a tug-of-war over the company's assets in the shale-rich Permian Basin in Texas. On Sunday night Total waded into the dispute, announcing it would buy Anadarko's assets in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa for $8.8 billion -- but there was a catch. "The transaction is contingent upon Occidental entering into and completing its proposed acquisition of Anadarko," the French company said in a statement. CEO Patrick Pouyanne said the "proposed transaction is a win/win for Total and Occidental". "Total would get access to around over three billion boe (barrels of oil equivalent) of resources and Occidental would be able to strengthen its post-completion balance sheet by monetising immediately the international assets of Anadarko." The African assets would represent around 1.2 billion boe of proven and probable reserves, 70 percent of which is gas, as well as two billion boe of natural gas in Mozambique. After initially siding with Chevron, Anadarko reopened talks when Occidental raised its share price offer to $76, compared to Chevron's $65. Last week Occidental also upped its cash offer to $38 billion. Total said it expected Occidental's take-over of Anadarko to be finalised by 2020. Malian president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has announced a new executive of 37 members Mali's president has named a new government after its predecessor resigned last month amid widespread protests over an upsurge of deadly inter-communal violence, a presidency statement said. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Sunday announced the new executive of 37 members under Prime Minister Boubou Cisse, who was appointed on April 22 to oversee the formation of a "broad-based" government. Last week, Cisse signed a pact with opposition and majority party representatives in the capital Bamako, declaring their willingness to set up a "politically-inclusive" new government. Cisse's predecessor Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga and his entire cabinet resigned on April 18 following the massacre of some 160 members of the Fulani herding community on March 23 in the village of Ogossagou near Mali's border with Burkina Faso. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets on April 5 to protest against an upsurge of violence that has claimed around 600 lives, and which demonstrators said the government had failed to stop. The new executive has as its foreign minister Tiebile Drame, who led the election campaign of opposition member Soumaila Cisse against Keita in 2018. Cisse's URD party said it would continue to play a "constructive" opposition role. - UN scandal - The key portfolio of defence went to General Ibrahim Dahirou Dembele, former army chief of staff under the junta that emerged from a 2012 coup. The role of justice minister went to Malick Coulibaly, president of Mali's National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH), who has held the post before. UNAIDS chief Michel Sidibe, whose tenure at the agency was marred by allegations of serious mismanagement, was appointed health minister, the agency said. It was not immediately clear whether Sidibe will leave his UN post. But he had been scheduled to stand down in June following widespread concerns over his conduct in office, including his handling of sexual assault allegations against one of his top deputies. The new Mali government includes ten women, more than a quarter of the total but fewer than the previous team, which boasted about a third. Since the appearance of a jihadist group under preacher Amadou Koufa in central Mali in 2015, recruiting mainly among the Dogon -- a hunting and farming community -- clashes between the Dogon and the nomadic Fulani have intensified. Last week, the UN's MINUSMA mission said the Ogossagou massacre had been "planned, organised and coordinated" and could constitute a "crime against humanity." WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump wants to explore a twice-rejected proposal to send migrants to "sanctuary cities," but that is not the preferred solution to fix the straining immigration system, the White House said Sunday. Press secretary Sarah Sanders said it was one of many options, though she hoped Congress would work with the president on a comprehensive immigration overhaul. The Trump administration is dealing with an ever-increasing number of Central American migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, an influx that has pushed the immigration system to the breaking point. Laws make it hard to quickly return Central Americans, and many of them spend years in the U.S. waiting for their immigration cases to play out. Others claim asylum and wait just as long, living and working in the U.S. as they wait. "Sanctuary cities" are mostly left-leaning places such as New York City and San Francisco where laws prohibit local police and correction officers from working with immigration officials to help arrest and deport people living here illegally. Trump seized on reports last week of the proposal that sought to send migrants already detained to Democratic locations or transport migrants that have just crossed the U.S.-Mexico border to sanctuary cities. President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks about the deployment of 5G technology in the United States during an event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, April 12, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Sanders said the idea would be to spread out the number of migrants so the strain would not be on "one or two border communities." "The president likes the idea and Democrats have said they want these individuals into their communities so let's see if it works and everybody gets a win out of it," Sanders said. "Again, this is not the ideal situation." Trump tweeted on Saturday evening that the U.S. had the "absolute legal right to have apprehended illegal immigrants transferred to Sanctuary Cities." But the plan had already been eschewed twice. People with knowledge of the discussions say it was first brought to the Department of Homeland Security from White House staff in November, and was again discussed in February but was put down after DHS officials reviewed it and found it was too costly, a misuse of funds and would be too timely. The people were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. It actually could make it more difficult for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to arrest people facing deportation because sanctuary cities do not work with ICE. The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University announced last week that an analysis found that immigrants in sanctuary cities are 20% less likely to be arrested out in the community than in cities without such policies. Democrats criticized the White House proposal as a political stunt that used humans as pawns and would not work. "Look, you can't threaten somebody with something they're not afraid of," said Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington state, a candidate for president. "And we are not afraid of diversity in the state of Washington. We relish it. It is the basis of our economic and cultural success. We're built as a state of immigrants." The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., questioned the legality of the proposal. "This is again his manufactured chaos that he's created over the last two years on the border," Thompson said of Trump, adding Democrats were more than willing to sit down and talk about immigration legislation. But Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said sanctuary cities showed contempt for the law, though he didn't know whether there were any legal concerns with transporting migrants to the locales. "I mean, maybe he's just saying this to make everybody crazy," he said of Trump. Sanders appears on ABC's "This Week" and "Fox News Sunday." Scott was on CNN's "State of the Union" and Inslee was on NBC's "Meet the Press." Thompson appeared on ABC. WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. Ilhan Omar says she's faced increased death threats since President Donald Trump spread around a video that purports to show her being dismissive of the 2001 terrorist attacks. "This is endangering lives," she said, accusing Trump of fomenting right-wing extremism. "It has to stop." Her statement late Sunday followed an announcement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that she has taken steps to ensure the safety of the Minnesota Democrat and the speaker's call for Trump to take down the video. Soon after Pelosi's statement, the video disappeared as a pinned tweet at the top of Trump's Twitter feed, but it was not deleted. Pelosi was among Democrats who had criticized Trump over the tweet, with some accusing him of trying to incite violence against the Muslim lawmaker. An upstate New York man recently was charged with making death threats against her. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders defended Trump earlier Sunday, saying the president has a duty to highlight Omar's history of making comments that others deem anti-Semitic or otherwise offensive and that he wished no "ill will" upon the first-term lawmaker. But Omar said that since Trump retweeted the video Friday night, she's received many threats on her life that referred or replied to the posted video. FILE - In this March 6, 2019, file photo, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., sits with fellow Democrats on the House Education and Labor Committee during a bill markup, on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump is weighing in on the most recent controversy involving Omar, retweeting video edited to suggest that the Minnesota congresswoman was dismissive of the significance of the Sept. 11 attacks. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) "Violent crimes and other acts of hate by right-wing extremists and white nationalists are on the rise in this country and around the world," she said. "We can no longer ignore that they are being encouraged by the occupant of the highest office in the land." She said: "We are all Americans." Earlier, Pelosi issued a statement while traveling in London saying she had spoken with congressional authorities "to ensure that Capitol Police are conducting a security assessment to safeguard Congresswoman Omar, her family and her staff." Pelosi said officials will continue to monitor and assess threats against Omar, and called on Trump to discourage such behavior. "The President's words weigh a ton, and his hateful and inflammatory rhetoric creates real danger," Pelosi said. "President Trump must take down his disrespectful and dangerous video." The video in Trump's tweet included a snippet from a recent speech Omar gave to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, in which she described the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center as "some people did something," along with news footage of the hijacked airplanes hitting the Twin Towers. Trump captioned his tweet with: "WE WILL NEVER FORGET!" Critics accuse Omar of being flippant in describing the perpetrators of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. She later sought to defend herself by tweeting a quote from President George W. Bush, in which the Republican president referred to the attackers as "people" just days after 9/11. Neither Trump's tweet nor the video included Omar's full quote or the context of her comments, which were about Muslims feeling that their civil liberties had eroded after the attacks. The tweet was posted atop Trump's Twitter feed for much of Sunday, with more than 9 million views. It remained lower in the feed after Pelosi requested that the video be pulled. Sanders questioned why Democrats weren't following Trump's example and calling out Omar, too. Democrats who criticized the president over the tweet defended Omar, with some noting their past disagreements with her. "Certainly the president is wishing no ill will and certainly not violence towards anyone, but the president is absolutely and should be calling out the congresswoman for her - not only one time - but history of anti-Semitic comments," Sanders said. "The bigger question is why aren't Democrats doing the same thing? It's absolutely abhorrent the comments that she continues to make and has made and they look the other way." Omar repeatedly has pushed fellow Democrats into uncomfortable territory with comments about Israel and the strength of the Jewish state's influence in Washington. She apologized for suggesting that lawmakers support Israel for pay and said she isn't criticizing Jews. But she refused to take back a tweet in which she suggested American supporters of Israel "pledge allegiance" to a foreign country. Rep. Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat who represents Manhattan's financial district, which was targeted on 9/11, said he had no issues with Omar's characterization of the attack. "I have had some problems with some of her other remarks, but not - but not with that one," he said. Sanders commented on "Fox News Sunday" and ABC's "This Week." Nadler appeared on CNN's "State of the Union. ___ Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervillap DALLAS (AP) - Police canvassed a Dallas neighborhood during the weekend in search of anyone who may have witnessed the brutal beating of a transgender woman in an attack that happened in broad daylight in front of a crowd of people and that was caught on cellphone video. Detectives were seeking clues in hopes of identifying the woman's assailant or assailants, police said in a statement. They said the woman reported the assault while receiving hospital treatment Friday night. She told officers the attack happened earlier Friday after she was involved in a minor traffic accident near an apartment complex in the southern part of Dallas, according to the police statement released Saturday. A purported video of the attack posted on Facebook shows a man in a white shirt viciously beating the woman, apparently into unconsciousness, while the crowd looks on and homophobic slurs are shouted. Several women eventually carried the victim's limp body to safety. A Dallas police spokesman said the woman's identity and further information about the case would not be released Sunday. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said he is "extremely angry about what appears to be mob violence against this woman" and that those responsible do not represent how most residents feel about the city's "thriving LGBTQ community." "I am in contact with (Police Chief U. Renee Hall) and she assured me that the Dallas Police Department is fully investigating, including the possibility that this was a hate crime," Rawlings, who has viewed the video, said in a statement Saturday. Last November, the FBI reported that 7,175 hate crimes were committed in the United States in 2017, the most recent year for which the agency had compiled data. Of those, 1,130 were based on sexual orientation bias and 119 on gender identity bias. The data showed a 5% increase in hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation bias and a 4% decrease in hate crimes motivated by gender identity bias. Of crimes motivated by gender identity bias, 106 targeted transgender people, a 1% increase from 2016. New York Police Department log books for the officers given the task of protecting The Beatles from hoards of screaming fans as they conquered America have gone on show. The little piece of Beatles memorabilia shows the NYPD officers given the job of keeping the worlds hottest property from thousands of their adoring fans for their first visit to the US and their historic performance on the Ed Sullivan show on February 9, 1964. Detailed as the visit of Beatles singing group, the handwritten police blotter lists Sergeants OShea, Jones and McAuliffe, with officers Delgado, De Angelo, Lucarelli and Madden among the detachment looking after the four visitors from Liverpool. NYPD log book of officers detailed to look after The Beatles on their first visit to the US. (PA/Magical Beatles Museum, Liverpool) The logs were saved from destruction by NYPD officer Patrick Cassidy, whose father was one of the officers on the detail and who in January donated them to the Magical Beatles Museum in Liverpool. NYPD officer Patrick Cassidy who saved the log books from the scrap heap. (PA/Magical Beatles Museum, Liverpool) Mr Cassidy said: The Ed Sullivan theatre is in the confines of my precinct, so one day in 2013 I went into the storage area that holds these books. After 50 years they clean out and destroy them, so I looked up February 64 and found the book, which would have been destroyed the following year. His father told his son he found the four lads from Liverpool well dressed and well behaved, and that they unassumingly thought that the crowds outside the hotel were for someone else. Edward Cassidy, Patricks father, an NYPD officer who looked after The Beatles on their visit to New York. The log further records The Beatles first visit to Carnegie Hall and also an incident on February 12 1964 when an officer who was attempting to restrain the surging crowd was knocked off balance and sustained an injury outside the Plaza Hotel. NYPD blotter detailing the officers assigned to look after The Beatles for the visit in February 1964. The Beatles had already hit number one in the US charts and the anticipation surrounding their arrival from England had not been seen since Elvis Presley in the 1950s as Beatlemania crossed the Atlantic. Hoards of screaming youngsters and reporters shadowed the bands every move, with police on alert for fans posing as hotel guests to get close to them. Their first live TV performance in the US was watched by a then record 73 million people, with 60% of the TVs in the US tuned to the show. The police log books are now on display at the Magical Beatles Museum, Liverpool. A New Zealand nurse has been held captive by the Islamic State group in Syria for almost six years information long kept secret for fear her life might be at risk. The status of nurse and midwife Louisa Akavi, now 62, is unknown, but her employer, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), says it has received recent eyewitness reports suggesting she might be alive. On Sunday, The New York Times became the first media organisation to name Ms Akavi, ending a five-year news blackout imposed by the New Zealand government and Red Cross with the cooperation of international media. The collapse of IS has raised hopes Ms Akavi and two Syrian drivers kidnapped with her might now be discovered. We received information in December that Louisa was still alive. Sadly we never learned more about Alaa and Nabil. Louisa, a dedicated nurse from New Zealand, joined the Red Cross over 30 years ago. Alaa and Nabil, loving fathers, were drivers vital to our aid delivery in Syria. ICRC (@ICRC) April 14, 2019 The New York Times reported that as recently as December, Ms Akavi may have been seen by at least two people at a clinic in Sousa, one of ISs last outposts. There were also reported sightings in 2016 and 2017, Red Cross officials said. New Zealand nurse Louisa Akavi (International Committee of the Red Cross via AP) We continue to work together (with the Red Cross) to locate and recover her, New Zealand foreign minister Winston Peters said. This has been a uniquely complex and difficult case. Louisa went to Syria with the ICRC to deliver humanitarian relief to people suffering as a result of a brutal civil war and Isis occupation. Where a New Zealander is held by a terrorist organisation the Government takes all appropriate action to recover them. That is exactly what we have done here. The past 5 years have been extremely difficult for their loved ones. We cannot begin to imagine what Louisa, Alaa and Nabil have endured. We are desperate to know that they are safe and well. ICRC (@ICRC) April 14, 2019 Ms Akavi was taken captive in 2013 in the city of Idlib in north-west Syria. It is believed she was offered for ransom and may have been used as a human shield. The New Zealand government believed at one point she may have died, but there are hopes her medical skills might have caused her captors to spare her. The New Zealand government is reported to have opposed the ICRCs decision to allow The New York Times to report Ms Akavis name and nationality. Dominik Stillhart, director of operations for the ICRC, said the organisation had decided to permit publication in the hope it would elicit new information on her whereabouts. We have not spoken publicly before today because from the moment Louisa and the others were kidnapped, every decision we made was to maximise the chances of winning their freedom, Mr Stillhart said in a statement. I want to tell you, Louisa, Alaa and Nabil, we have continued searching for you throughout all these years and we wont give up hope to see you once again amongst us. For my full statement: https://t.co/HoCeSFWCxh pic.twitter.com/md1Ha4b71M Dominik Stillhart (@DStillhartICRC) April 14, 2019 With Islamic State group having lost the last of its territory, we felt it was now time to speak out, he added. He said the collapse of IS in Syria could bring new opportunities to learn more about Ms Akavis situation and that the ICRC also feared it risked losing track of her in the aftermath of the collapse. Ms Akavi is of Cook Islands descent and lives in Otaki, a small town north of Wellington. She is the longest-held captive in the history of the ICRC, and Mr Stillhart called her a true and compassionate humanitarian. He said strenuous efforts had been made to secure her release. Negotiations in 2013 and 2014 were not successful. In 2014 she was among a group of hostages moved by IS only hours before a raid by US special forces which aimed to free them. We call on anyone with information to please come forward, he said. If our colleagues are still being held, we call for their immediate and unconditional release. Pep Guardiola feels Manchester City will have to win all their remaining five games to pip Liverpool and retain the Premier League title. City briefly took top spot on Sunday afternoon following a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace, until the Reds went back to the summit by beating Chelsea. It means City remain two points behind but, crucially, they have a game in hand, and Guardiola believes they cannot afford a single slip-up during the run-in. We think Liverpool are going to win all their games, but the Premier League position is in our hands, he said. We have to win every game if we want to make back-to-back titles. We know that, and the players have shown they want to do it, and I didnt have any doubts about that. Selhurst Park has been a graveyard for title campaigns in the recent past, notably when Liverpools wheels came off in 2014 and City suffered a similar fate a year later. Pep Guardiolas Manchester City are battling Liverpool for the title (Steven Paston/PA) But Raheem Sterlings double and a late third from Gabriel Jesus, after Luka Milivojevic gave Palace brief hope with a free-kick, kept Citys bid to retain their crown firmly on track. Im so pleased, added Guardiola. The amount of games we have had Brighton, and three days later the Champions League, and now here, and the way we played for 75 or 80 minutes was really good. In two seasons weve got 83 points with five games left. Incredible numbers and it shows how consistent we are. City host Tottenham on Wednesday looking to overturn the 1-0 first-leg deficit in their Champions League quarter-final and keep their quadruple dream alive. Palace boss Roy Hodgson has no doubt they can pull off an unprecedented four-timer. I think they look in very good shape, he said. They came here with a fully-fit squad and they paid us the respect of putting a very strong team out. That doesnt make the task any easier. I can only say what everyone else knows. They are a very good team and will take some beating in any competition they play. Voters in Northern Ireland have signalled their desire for alternatives to traditional orange and green politics, the leader of the Alliance Party has said. Naomi Long hailed what she described as the expansion of the centre ground after her party, the Greens and People Before Profit all enjoyed success at the local council elections. The surge in support for parties not aligned as unionist or nationalist came ahead of a new talks process to restore the powersharing institutions at Stormont. Negotiations convened by the UK and Irish Governments will resume in Belfast on Tuesday afternoon more than two years since the executive collapsed. Efforts to restore Stormont have been injected with fresh urgency following the dissident republican murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry last month. Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has hailed her partys election result as one of the best in its history (Niall Carson/PA) Mrs Long said the election result was hugely, hugely important for the regions political landscape. Because, after what could have been an incredibly divisive campaign, what we actually saw was people coming out and saying they want something different, they want politics that is about solving problems, they want politics that is about co-operation, and they, more than anything else, want politics that is progressive, she told BBC Radio Ulster. Alliance saw its number of councillors soar by 65% from 32 to 53. However, it remains the fifth largest party in the region. While the DUP and Sinn Fein failed to make the gains many had predicted, they remain the regions two largest parties underlining that the fate of the Stormont talks is still very much in their hands. The DUPs vote rose by 1%, though it ended up losing eight of the 130 council seats it won in 2014 poll. Sinn Feins vote share fell slightly by 0.8% though it emerged from the election with the same number of seats 105. The Ulster Unionists and SDLP both suffered losses. The UUP lost 13 seats with a 2.1% fall in its vote percentage. The SDLP lost seven councillors, seeing its vote share drop by 1.6%. While the election was ostensibly about who sits on local councils, it appears many voters used it to express dissatisfaction at the ongoing lack of proper representation at Stormont level. The last DUP/Sinn Fein-led powersharing coalition at Stormont imploded amid a row about a botched renewable energy scheme. The rift between the erstwhile partners-in-government subsequently widened to take in disputes over the Irish language, same-sex marriage and the legacy of the Troubles. Many of the rows are linked to a controversial voting mechanism that enables blocs of unionists and nationalists to veto measures which command overall majority support in the Assembly. Alliance is among several parties calling for changes to the contentious petition of concern, believing its reform could unlock several logjams at the heart of Stormonts impasse. Sinn Fein talks negotiator Conor Murphy acknowledged that the Alliance result had been a surprise. I think there is a reaction to a kind of frustration in politics that things are in turmoil, the Assembly hasnt been functioning, the Brexit issue is not resolved, theres a huge uncertainty in politics and I suppose the vote came out of people perhaps expressing a frustration in all of that, he said. At the weekend, DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said his party had had a good election. We are taking extra new seats in places where we havent done before, and Im pleased that a lot of our sitting councillors have been returned, but we have also got some very good fresh blood coming through, he said. Green Party deputy leader Mal OHara (centre) celebrates after winning a seat on Belfast City Council (Mark Marlow/PA) The Green Party doubled its representation and now has eight seats, while socialist party People Before Profit increased its number of seats from one to five. The Greens deputy leader, Mal OHara, who won a seat on Belfast City Council, said: I think theres a hunger out there for alternative solutions outside what might be the traditional parties of unionism and nationalism. UUP leader Robin Swann denied the result was a disaster for the party that was once the pre-eminent voice of unionism. It is disappointing for us, Ill admit that, theres no point trying to dress this in any other direction, he said. Mr Swann added: The Ulster Unionist Party isnt going anywhere. We still have a message to give to unionism and the wider Northern Ireland. SDLP Assembly member Daniel McCrossan blamed his partys losses on former members who ran in certain areas and split the vote. Theres clear examples across Northern Ireland where the SDLP did very well; the areas where we fell short it was simply as a result of ex-SDLP candidates challenging sitting SDLP candidates and split the vote, he said. Thats the only reason the SDLP has lost a number of seats and youll see from any of the evidence there that that is the reason why. WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Sunday the United States fully supported Israel's response to a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza and called for an end to the Palestinian militant attacks, warning Gazans such actions would bring them "nothing but more misery." "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. (Reporting by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Peter Cooney) Vallarta Hosts 17th International Fireworks Symposium Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - From May 6-10, 2019 Puerto Vallarta will host the 17th International Fireworks Symposium, a world gathering of the pyrotechnic industry. This is the most important event of the Pyrotechnic industry in Mexico, and everyone is invited! This is the second time the symposium has been held here in Puerto Vallarta. The 11th International Symposium of Fireworks was held here from April 20-24, 2009, with 350 experts from 33 countries participating. According to Fred Wade, the coordinator of the 2009 event, the 11th edition was the largest international gathering of the pyrotechnic industry since it's inception in Montreal in 1992. In this 17th edition, forty internationally famous fireworks manufacturers and technicians will gather at the Puerto Vallarta Sheraton Buganvilias Resort and Convention Center to exchange the latest technologies and ideas with other members of the pyrotechnic industry. The fireworks symposium also gives pyrotechnical showmen the chance to showcase their various disciplines and specialties. Various product demonstrations and presentations will be open to the public during the event, including traditional displays evoking Mexican fiestas and folklore presented by fireworks companies from several states in Mexico, including Jalisco, Oaxaca and Mexico D.F., among others. Fireworks shows will be held on the Malecon every night, except Wednesday, when Pirotecnia El Caperuzo, Tultepec, Estado de Mexico will present a daylight pyrotechnics display - all of which are free and open to the public. 17th International Fireworks Symposium Events Schedule The following events are open to the public: Monday, May 6 20:00 "Sender of Light" procession from the Sheraton Buganvilias 20:30 Opening Ceremony by MHC 21:30 Fireworks - Pirotecnia Santiago / Oaxaca 22:00 Fireworks Union de Pirotecnicos del Estado de Jalisco Tuesday, May 7 21:00 Fireworks Piroshow / Puebla 21:30 Fireworks Fireworks Martarello Ramos / Zumpango, Estado de Mexico Wednesday, May 8 13:00 Daytime Fireworks Pirotecnia El Caperuzo, Tultepec, Estado de Mexico Thursday, May 9 21:00 Fireworks Union de Pirotecnicos de San Mateo, Tlalchichilpan, A.C. 22:00 Fireworks Mexico Bailando, Tultepec Friday, May 10 22:30 Fireworks Grupo de Pirotecnicos de San Pedro Zumpango, Estado de Mexico Since these events are open to the public and completely free of cost, droves of people will head downtown Puerto Vallarta to watch these pyrotechnical showmen showcase their various disciplines and specialties in dazzling displays of bright lights, colors and eye-popping entertainment. If you want to see the show without the crowds, head for higher ground. Many Puerto Vallarta restaurants, like the hilltop gourmet restaurant, bistro limon, boast spectacular views of Banderas Bay, which will give you a ring-side seat for the fireworks displays. Bunzl plc operates as a distribution and services company in the North America, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company offers food packaging, films, labels, counter-service packaging, foodservice disposables, take-out food packaging, first aid products, point of purchase displays, stationery, bags, and cleaning and hygiene supplies to grocery stores, supermarkets, retail chains, convenience stores, food wholesalers, ethnic grocers, and organic food outlets. It also provides food packaging, napkins, disposable tableware, food service disposables, guest amenities, light and heavy catering equipment, cleaning and hygiene products, and safety items to hotels, restaurants, caterers, the leisure sector, and food processors and packers; and footwear, gloves, safety helmets, workwear, harness equipment, tools, safety signs, traffic management, and ancillary site equipment, as well as ear, eye, respiratory, and face protection products to customers in the industrial and construction markets. In addition, the company offers cleaning systems, floorcare items, hand cleansing products, hygiene paper, janitorial products, cleaning machines, mops, polishes, and protective clothing and washroom chemicals to facilities management companies, contract cleaners, and other industrial and healthcare customers; and counter service packaging, point of purchase display items, stationery, and cleaning and hygiene products to department stores, boutiques, office supply companies, retail chains, and home improvement chains. Further, it provides gloves, aprons, bandages, facemasks, gowns, headwear, mattress covers, overshoes, procedure packs, tapes, wipes, incontinence products, and swabs to the healthcare sector, including hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, and doctors' surgeries and clinics; and various products to government and education establishments. Bunzl plc was founded in 1854 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. 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BHD, MANUFACTURING S.R.L., MOBOTEC AB LLC, Master Chemicals OOO, Meratech Rus Group LLC, Microtek Dominicana S.A., Microtek Italy S.R.L., Microtek Medical B.V., Microtek Medical Europe Limited, Microtek Medical Holdings, Microtek Medical Holdings Inc., Microtek Medical Inc., Microtek Medical Malta Holding Limited, Microtek Medical Malta Limited, Midland Research Laboratories, Midland Research Laboratories UK Limited, NALCO (SHANGHAI) TRADING CO. LTD., NALCO AB, NALCO ACQUISITION ONE, NALCO ACQUISITION TWO LIMITED, NALCO AFRICA (PTY.) LTD., NALCO ASIA HOLDING COMPANY PTE. LTD., NALCO BELGIUM BVBA, NALCO CHINA HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO COMPANY OOO, NALCO DANMARK APS, NALCO DE MEXICO S. de R. L. de C.V., NALCO DELAWARE COMPANY, NALCO DEUTSCHLAND GMBH, NALCO DEUTSCHLAND MANUFACTURING GMBH UND CO. KG, NALCO DUTCH HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO EGYPT LTD., NALCO EGYPT TRADING, NALCO ESPANOLA MANUFACTURING S.L.U., NALCO ESPANOLA S.L., NALCO EUROPE B.V., NALCO FINLAND MANUFACTURING OY, NALCO FINLAND OY, NALCO FRANCE, NALCO FRANCE SNC, NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO HOLDING B.V., NALCO HOLDING COMPANY, NALCO HOLDINGS G.m.b.H., NALCO HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, NALCO HONG KONG LIMITED, NALCO INDUSTRIAL OUTSOURCING COMPANY, NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (NANJING) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (SUZHOU) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (THAILAND) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES CHILE LIMITADA, NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO INVESTMENTS U.K. LIMITED, NALCO ISRAEL INDUSTRIAL SERVICES LTD, NALCO ITALIANA, NALCO ITALIANA HOLDINGS S.R.L., NALCO ITALIANA SrL, NALCO KOREA LIMITED, NALCO LIMITED, NALCO LUXEMBOURG HOLDINGS SARL, NALCO MANUFACTURING BETEILIGUNGS GMBH, NALCO MANUFACTURING LTD., NALCO NETHERLANDS B.V., NALCO NORTH AFRICA LIMITED, NALCO OSTERREICH Ges m.b.H., NALCO OVERSEAS HOLDING B.V., NALCO PAKISTAN (PRIVATE) LIMITED, NALCO PHILIPPINES INC., NALCO PORTUGUESA (QUIMICA, NALCO PWS INC., NALCO SAUDI CO. LTD., NALCO TAIWAN CO. LTD., NALCO TWO INC., NALCO U.S. HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO UNIVERSAL HOLDINGS BV, NALCO WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO ZAO, NALFLOC LIMITED, NALTECH INC., NANOSPECIALTIES LLC, NLC PROCESS AND WATER SERVICES SARL, Nalco (BN) SDN BHD, Nalco (China) Environmental Solution Co. Ltd., Nalco Anadolu Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Nalco Canada ULC, Nalco Company LLC, Nalco Contract Operations LLC, Nalco Grundbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, Nalco Gulf Response Corp., Nalco Japan G.K., Nalco Libya, Nalco Middle East FZE, Nalco Polska Sp. z o. o., Nalco Production LLC, Nalco Real Estate GmbH, Nalco Schweiz GmbH, Nalco US 1 LLC, Nalco Wastewater Contract Operations Inc., Nalco Water India Limited, Nalco Water Pretreatment Solutions LLC, Nalco Worldwide Holdings S.a.r.l./B.V., Nigiko, Nuova Farmec S.r.l., Oksa Kimya Sanayi A.S., Oy Ecolab AB, PT Ecolab International Indonesia, PT Ecolab Technologies and Services, Purate business - AkzoNobel, Quantum Technical Services LLC, Quimicas Ecolab S.A. de C.V., Quimiproductos S.A. de C.V, RP Adam Ltd, Research Fumigation Co., Royal Pest Solutions, Shield Holdings Limited, Shield Medicare Limited, Shield Salvage Associates Limited, Soluscope International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Soluscope SAS, Swisher Hygiene, Technical Textile Services Limited, Techtex Holdings Limited, Terminix, Ultrafab, Wabasha Leasing LLC, and vanBaerle Hygiene AG. 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 There is not enough analysis data for Hudson's Bay. 4.3 Community Rank Outperform Votes Hudson's Bay has received 521 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Hudson's Bay has received 295 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Hudson's Bay has received 63.85% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Hudson's Bay and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe HBC will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe HBC 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 Ingersoll Rand: 211 E. Russell Road LLC, Air-Relief, Belliss & Morcom Brasil, Belliss and Morcom, Boardwalk Enterprises, Charm Merger Sub Inc., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Canada, CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir Holman Ltd, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., CompAir UK Ltd, CompAir USA, Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Emco Wheaton, Emco Wheaton GmbH Branch, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton UK, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Propriety Limited (South Africa), GD Aria Holdings #2 Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First UK Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings, GD Global Holdings II, GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SA, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Services Ltd, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Hoffman, Gardner Denver Holdings, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica, Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd. Branch, Gardner Denver International, Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Intl Ltd Middle East Regional Rep Office, Gardner Denver Investments, Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan, Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd South Africa, Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd. Branch (Ireland), Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co, Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oberdorfer Pumps, Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Petroleum Pumps, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia, Gardner Denver SudAmerica S.r.l., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas, Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH, Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver UK, Gardner Denver Water Jetting Systems, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, Indonesia Foreign Trade Representative Office, LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MP Pumps Inc., Mako Compressors, Nash, Nash Elmo, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Robuschi, Rotary Compression Technologies, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Syltone, TCM Investments, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, TODO AB, Tamrotor Marine Compressors AS, Thomas Industries, Thomas Industries Inc., Tri-Continent Scientific, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, and Zinsser NA. Saga plc provides general insurance, package and cruise holidays, and personal finance products and services in the United Kingdom. The company operates in three segments: Insurance, Travel, and Other Businesses and Central Costs. It offers car, home, health, travel, landlord, boat, motorhome, caravan, pet, and personal accident, breakdown cover, building, content, renter, holiday, and holiday home insurance. The company also operates and delivers package tours and cruise holiday products; and provides equity release and care funding advice, savings accounts, credit cards, and wealth management services, as well as shares ISA and share dealing services. In addition, it offers mailing house services; retirement benefit schemes; and publishes Saga Magazine, as well as repairs automotive vehicles. The company was formerly known as Saga Limited and changed its name to Saga plc in May 2014. Saga plc was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Folkestone, the United Kingdom. Read More 2019 Cruise Season Sees Mexican Riviera Traffic Spike The West Coast cruise market, primarily composed of sailings from California to the Mexican Riviera, is seeing traffic spike thanks to new ships, new interest and new operators, according to the 2019 Cruise Industry News Annual Report. While security issues and economic doldrums sent traffic spiraling downward a decade ago, the West Coast is making its way back, supported not only by its own attractions but a booming Alaska cruise market that generates seasonal and winter traffic. Accounting for 3.5 percent of the global cruise market pie, the West Coast will be back to near record levels, and will post its best year since 2009 in terms of passenger capacity, which is up 12.5 percent year-over-year. It's still off 2008 levels, but the promise continues in 2020 and 2021, when more deployments include the new Carnival Panorama, and a number of planned startups that will exclusively feature Mexican Riviera ports, including Cruise and Maritime Voyages and Grupo Vidanta. With an expanded terminal in Long Beach, Carnival Cruise Line remains the biggest player in the market by far, with an estimated 57.1 percent of the capacity sailing mainly shorter, three- and four-night cruises. Other big players on the West Coast include Princess Cruises, with capacity coming mainly in the shoulder seasons due to its Alaska program, as well as Norwegian, Holland America Line and Disney. Norwegian will make its own moves this coming winter season as the Norwegian Joy will sail from Los Angeles following her Alaska program. The Los Angeles-based program will offer mainly week-long cruises, calling at Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, with 3 sea days. Traffic is also moving up in San Diego, where Disney operates a seasonal program with the Wonder, and Holland America Line remains a major home port customer. In addition, the Southern California port will welcome the Carnival Miracle on a seasonal deployment for the 2020-2021 cruise season. Deutsche BArse AG operates as an exchange organization in Europe, the United States, and the Asia-Pacific. The company operates through seven segments: Eurex (Financial Derivatives), EEX (Commodities), 360T (Foreign Exchange), Xetra (Cash Equities), Clearstream (Post-Trading), IFS (Investment Fund Services), and Qontigo (index and analytics business). The company engages in the electronic trading of derivatives, electricity and gas products, emission rights, and foreign exchange; operating of Eurex Repo over the counter (OTC) trading platform and electronic clearing architecture; and operating as a central counterparty for on-and-off exchange derivatives, repo transactions, and OTC and exchange-traded derivatives. It also operates in the cash market through Xetra, BArse Frankfurt, and Tradegate trading venues; operates as a central counterparty for equities and bonds; and provides listing services. In addition, the company offers custody and settlement services for securities; investment fund services; global securities financing services; and global securities finance and collateral management, as well as secured money, market transaction, and repos and securities lending transaction services. Further, it develops and markets indices, as well as portfolio management and risk analysis software; markets licenses for trading and market signals; provides technology and reporting solutions for external customers; and offers link-up of trading participants. Deutsche BArse AG was founded in 1585 and is headquartered in Eschborn, Germany. Read More Tableau Software, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides business analytics software products. It offers Tableau Desktop, a self-service, powerful analytics product with data; Tableau Server, a business intelligence platform for organizations; Tableau Online, a hosted software-as-a-service version of Tableau Server; Tableau Prep, a data preparation product for combining, shaping, and cleaning data; and Tableau Public, a cloud-based platform for analyzing and sharing public data. In addition, it offers Visual Query Language (VizQL) for databases, which is a computer language for describing pictures of data, including graphs, charts, maps, time series, and tables of visualizations; Live Query Engine that interprets abstract queries generated by VizQL into syntax understandable by database systems; and Hyper, an in-memory data engine technology that helps customers to analyze a range of data sets by evaluating analytical queries directly in the transactional database. Further, the company provides support, maintenance, training, and professional services. It serves organizations in various industries, including business services, energy and telecommunications, financial services, life sciences and healthcare, manufacturing and technology, media and entertainment, public sector, and education, as well as retail, consumer, and distribution industries. The company sells its products directly, as well as through indirect sales channels, such as technology vendors, resellers, original equipment manufacturers, independent software vendor, and distributors in the United States, Canada, and internationally. Tableau Software, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Read More 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. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. Ltd., Priority Air Express UK Limited, Priority Air Holdings Corp, Priority Solutions International, Promedica Pty Limited, Proxeon, Proxeon Biosystems ApS, Qiagen, REP GBP I-B Blocker Inc., Raymond A Lamb Limited, Remel Europe Limited, Remel Inc., Richard-Allan Scientific Company, Robbins Scientific LLC, Robocon Labor- und Industrieroboter Gesellschaft m.b.H, Rupprecht and Patashnick, Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P), Russell pH Limited, S.C.I. du 10 rue Dugay Trouin, SCI Inno 92, STC Bio Manufacturing Inc., Samco Scientific (Monterrey) LLC, Samco Scientific LLC, Saroph Sweden AB, Schantz Road LLC, Seradyn Inc., Shanghai Life Technologies Biotechnology Co. Limited, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (C-I) Trading Co. Ltd, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (S) Trading Co. Ltd, Southern Trials (Pty) Ltd., Specialty (SMI) Inc., Spectra-Physics AB, Spectra-Physics Holdings Limited, Spectra-Physics Holdings USA LLC, Spectronex, Staten Island Cogeneration Corporation, Sterilin Limited, Stokes Bio Ltd., Sweden DIA (Sweden) AB, SwissAnalytic Group GmbH, Systems Manufacturing Corporation, TFLP LLC, TFS Breda B.V., TFS LLC, TFS Singapore HK Limited, TFSL Financing GP LLC, TFSL Senior GP Holdings 2 LLC, TK Partnership, TKA Wasseraufbereitungssysteme, TMOI Inc., TPI Real Estate Holdings LLC, TSP Holdings I LLC, TWX LLC, Technology Design Solutions Pty Ltd, Thermedics Detection de Argentina S.R.L, Thermo Allen Coding Limited, Thermo Asset Management Services Inc., Thermo BioAnalysis LLC, Thermo BioAnalysis Limited, Thermo BioSciences Holdings LLC, Thermo CIDTEC, Thermo CRS Holdings Ltd., Thermo CRS Ltd., Thermo Cambridge Limited, Thermo Cayman Holdings Ltd., Thermo Corporation, Thermo DMA Inc., Thermo Detection de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Dutch Holdings Limited Partnership, Thermo EGS Gauging LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings I LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings II LLC, Thermo Eberline LLC, Thermo Electron (Calgary) Limited, Thermo Electron (Chile) S.p.A., Thermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH, Thermo Electron (Management Services) Limited, Thermo Electron (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Electron A/S, Thermo Electron Australia Pty Limited, Thermo Electron Export Inc., Thermo Electron Holdings SAS, Thermo Electron Industries, Thermo Electron LED GmbH, Thermo Electron LED S.A.S., Thermo Electron Limited, Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited, Thermo Electron Metallurgical Services Inc., Thermo Electron North America LLC, Thermo Electron Pension Trust GmbH, Thermo Electron Puerto Rico Inc., Thermo Electron SAS, Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC, Thermo Electron Sweden AB, Thermo Electron Sweden Forvaltning AB, Thermo Electron Weighing & Inspection Limited, Thermo Elemental Limited, Thermo Environmental Instruments LLC, Thermo Fast U.K. Limited, Thermo Finland Holdings LLC, Thermo Finland Holdings MT1 B.V., Thermo Finland Holdings MT2 B.V., Thermo Finnigan LLC, Thermo Finnigan Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Malta Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN-I) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (CN-II) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings I Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings II Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings 2) LLC, Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) II Limited, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Heysham) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Kandel) GmbH, Thermo Fisher CHK Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust II, Thermo Fisher Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Thermo Fisher Cyprus Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Detection Mexico LLC, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AB, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AG, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Aps, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Austria GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics B.V., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics K.K., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics NV, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.L.U., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.p.A. , Thermo Fisher Diagnostics SAS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Thermo Fisher Eurobonds Ltd., Thermo Fisher Financial Services Inc., Thermo Fisher GP LLC, Thermo Fisher German Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Germany B.V., Thermo Fisher India Divestco Private Limited, Thermo Fisher India Holding B.V., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Thermo Fisher Israel Ltd., Thermo Fisher Production et Services SAS, Thermo Fisher Project Cyprus LLC, Thermo Fisher Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia) C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Barbados) Holdings Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Breda) Holding BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (CN) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China-HK) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (DE) Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Ecublens) SARL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance II) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fuji) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Holding II) B.V. & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Johannesburg) (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mexico City) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Monterrey) S. De R.L. De C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (NK) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) Austria Holding GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-I) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-II) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN1) UK Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) Dutch LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Praha) s.r.o., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) GmbH & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Schweiz) AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Instruments Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Suzhou) Instruments Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific AL-1 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific AU II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Aquasensors LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V.B.A., Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (I) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (II) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics UAB, Thermo Fisher Scientific Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Biosciences Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brahms LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Instrumentos de Processo Ltda., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Servicos de Logistica Ltda, Thermo Fisher Scientific C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cayman Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chemicals Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific China (C-I) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China (S) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings IV B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings Aps, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus IV C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus V C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Denmark Senior Holdings ApS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie 1 Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Europe GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC Finance C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSUKHCO Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Falcon Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Finance Company BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific GENEART GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Germany BV & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific HR Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) I, Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) II , Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings Europe Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific IT Services GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Malta) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments Malta (Sweden Financing) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Invitrogen Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific LSI Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments III S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments IV S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life NL Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Netherlands Holding C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Switzerland Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Tech Korea Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Enterprise Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investments Holding LP, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Luxembourg Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Enterprise Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg German Holdings S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Life Technologies UK Holding S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings I S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings II S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malta Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Mexico City S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Middle East Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Milano Srl, Thermo Fisher Scientific NHK Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Holdings, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway Holdings AS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway US Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Operating Company LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 C.V, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Panama I Cayman Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Peru S.R.L., Thermo Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific SL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Financing LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Holdings Australia LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific South Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific SpA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg I S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Investments Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Switzerland Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific TR Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific West Palm Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Worldwide Investments (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific eCommerce Solutions LLC , Thermo Fisher Senior Canada Holdings LLC, Thermo Foundation Inc., Thermo Gamma-Metrics Holdings Pty Ltd., Thermo Gamma-Metrics LLC, Thermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd, Thermo Holding European Operations LLC, Thermo Hypersil Ltd, Thermo Hypersil-Keystone LLC, Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., Thermo Instrument Controls de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermo Kevex X-Ray LLC, Thermo Keytek LLC, Thermo LabSystems Inc., Thermo LabSystems S.A., Thermo Life Science International Trading (Tianjin) Co. 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. 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 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. 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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. Xem them (Construction) - On December 3, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Construction held a conference to appraise the General Plan for Construction Project of Cao Bang Border Gate Economic Zone to 2040. ... Tin bai cuoi cung Khong con du lieu e load Batero Gold Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Colombia. The company primarily explores for gold, copper, and silver deposits. It owns a 100% interest in the Batero-Quinchia project, which consists of 1,407-hectare tenement and two applications for a concession contract of 169 hectares situated in the municipality of Quinchia, Department of Risaralda, Colombia. The company was formerly known as Angus Resources Inc. and changed its name to Batero Gold Corp. in July 2010. Batero Gold Corp. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More BrightSphere Investment Group, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of asset management services. It also focuses on the development of new business opportunities in domestic and international markets. The firm operates through the following segments: Quant & Solutions, Alternatives and Liquid Alpha. The Quant & Solutions segment leverages data and technology in a computational, factor-based investment process across a range of asset classes and geographies, including Global, non-U.S., emerging markets and managed volatility equities, as well as multi-asset products. The Alternatives segment comprises liquid and differentiated liquid investment strategies that include private equity, real estate and real assets; including forestry, as well as a growing suite of liquid alternative capabilities in areas such as long/short, market neutral and absolute return. The Liquid Alpha segment comprises of specialized investment strategies with a focus on alpha-generation across market cycles in United States. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Boston, MA. Read More CAE Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and supplies simulation equipment and training solutions to defense and security markets, commercial airlines, business aircraft operators, helicopter operators, aircraft manufacturers, and healthcare education and service providers worldwide. The company's Civil Aviation Training Solutions segment provides training solutions for flight, cabin, maintenance, and ground personnel in commercial, business, and helicopter aviation; flight simulation training devices; and ab initio pilot training and crew sourcing services, as well as end to end digitally-enabled crew management, training operations solutions, and optimization software. Its Defence and Security segment offers training and mission support solutions for defense forces across multi-domain operations, and for government organizations responsible for public safety. The company's Healthcare segment provides integrated education and training solutions, including surgical and imaging simulations, curriculum, audiovisual and centre management platforms, and patient simulators to healthcare students and clinical professionals. The company was formerly known as CAE Industries Ltd. and changed its name to CAE Inc. in June 1993. CAE Inc. was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Saint-Laurent, Canada. Read More Domtar Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes communication papers, specialty and packaging papers, and absorbent hygiene products in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Pulp and Paper, and Personal Care. The company provides business papers, including copy and electronic imaging papers used in inkjet and laser printers, photocopiers, and plain-paper fax machines, as well as computer papers, preprinted forms, and digital papers for office and home use. It also offers commercial printing and publishing papers, such as offset papers and opaques used in sheet and roll fed offset presses; publishing papers, which include tradebook and lightweight uncoated papers for publishing textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels, and financial documents; and converting papers for envelopes, tablets, business forms, and data processing/computer forms. In addition, the company provides papers for thermal printing, flexible packaging, food packaging, medical packaging, medical gowns and drapes, sandpaper backing, carbonless printing, labels and other coating, and laminating applications; and papers for industrial and specialty applications, such as carrier papers, treated papers, security papers, and specialized printing and converting applications. Further, it offers absorbent hygiene products, including absorbent briefs, protective underwear, underpads, pads, washcloths, and body patches under the Attends, Indasec, IndasSlip, and Reassure brands; and baby diapers, training and youth pants, and bed mats under the Comfees, Chelino, Nene, and Bambino brand names. The company serves merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters, and end-users. Domtar Corporation was founded in 1848 and is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. Imperial Oil Limited explores for, produces, and sells crude oil and natural gas in Canada. It operates through three segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical. The Upstream segment explores for and produces crude oil, natural gas, synthetic oil, and bitumen. As of December 31, 2020, this segment had 138 million oil-equivalent barrels of proved undeveloped reserves. The Downstream segment is involved in the transportation and refining of crude oil, as well as blending, distribution, and marketing of refined products. It also transports crude oil to refineries by contracted pipelines, common carrier pipelines, and rail; maintains a distribution system to move petroleum products to market by pipeline, tanker, rail, and road transport; and owns and operates fuel terminals, natural gas liquids, and products pipelines in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. In addition, this segment markets and supplies petroleum products to motoring public through approximately 2,400 Esso and Mobil-branded sites. Further, it sells petroleum products, including fuel, asphalt, and lubricants for industrial and transportation customers, independent marketers, and resellers, as well as other refiners serving the agriculture, residential heating, and commercial markets through branded fuel and lubricant resellers. The Chemical segment manufactures and markets various petrochemicals and polyethylene, such as benzene, aromatic, and aliphatic solvents; plasticizer intermediates; and polyethylene resins. The company was incorporation in 1880 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Imperial Oil Limited is a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Colgate-Palmolive: 887357 Ontario Inc., COLGALIVE S.A., CP GABA GmbH, CP International Holding C.V., CP West East Investment Limited, Cleaning Dimensions Inc., Colgate (BVI) Limited, Colgate (Guangzhou) Company Limited, Colgate (U.K.) Limited, Colgate Business Services of the Americas S.C., Colgate Flavors and Fragrances Inc., Colgate Global Business Services Private Limited, Colgate Holdings, Colgate Inc., Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals Inc., Colgate Palmolive Ghana Limited, Colgate Palmolive Holding S.Com.P.A., Colgate Palmolive Nouvelle Caledonie Sarl, Colgate Palmolive Tanzania Limited, Colgate Sanxiao Company Limited, Colgate Venture Company Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Asia) Pte Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Blantyre) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Brunei) Sdn Bhn, Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc. y Compania Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive (Centro America) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (China) Co. Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Costa Rica) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominica) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominican Republic) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (East Africa) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Eastern) Pte. Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Egypt) S.A.E., Colgate-Palmolive (Far East) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Fiji) Pte Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Gabon) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Guyana) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (H.K.) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Hellas) S.A. I.C., Colgate-Palmolive (Hong Kong) Holding Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Kazakhstan) L.L.P., Colgate-Palmolive (Latvia) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Middle East Exports) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Myanmar) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (New York) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive (Proprietary) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Research & Development) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Romania) SRL, Colgate-Palmolive (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Uganda) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Vietnam) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Zambia) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Zimbabwe) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive A.B., Colgate-Palmolive A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Adria Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Treasury Services Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Belgium S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Bolivia Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Canada Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Caricom Service Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Central European Management Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Chile S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cia., Colgate-Palmolive Comercial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Commercial (Hellas) SP LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Commerciale S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive Commericale S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive Compania Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive Company Distr. LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Company GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Cote dIvoire S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cyprus Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Development Corp., Colgate-Palmolive East West Africa Region (Pty) Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Enterprises Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Espana S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Europe (Holdings) Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Europe Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Finance (UK) plc, Colgate-Palmolive Global Trading Company, Colgate-Palmolive Holding Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Holding Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Hungary Kft Limited Liability Company, Colgate-Palmolive IHQ Services (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Inc. S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Industrial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Industriel S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive International Holding LLC, Colgate-Palmolive International LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Investment Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (BVI) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (PNG) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Investments Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Israel Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Italia S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive JSC, Colgate-Palmolive Lanka (Private) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Latin America Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Manufacturing (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Marketing Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive Maroc S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Mocambique Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive NJ Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Nederland B.V., Colgate-Palmolive Norge A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Participacoes e Investimentos Imobiliarios Lda., Colgate-Palmolive Peru S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Philippines Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Pty Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Retirement Trustee Limited, Colgate-Palmolive S.A. de C.V., Colgate-Palmolive S.p.A., Colgate-Palmolive Senegal S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Services (Hellas) LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Services (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Services CEW GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Services S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Slovensko s.r.o., Colgate-Palmolive Support Services, Colgate-Palmolive Temizlik Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticart S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Transnational Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Ukraine LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Unipessoal Lda, Colgate-Palmolive de Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive de Puerto Rico Inc., Colgate-Palmolive del Ecuador S.A.I.C., Colgate-Palmolive del Peru (Delaware) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Eeska republika spol. s r.o., Colpal CBS S de R. L. de C. V., Consumer Viewpoint Center Inc., Cotelle S.A., Dimac Development Corp., Dominica Coconut Products Limited, EKIB Inc., ELM Company Limited, Elta MD Holdings Inc., Elta MD Inc., EltaMD, Filorga Americas Inc., Filorga Asia Limited, Filorga Benelux SA, Filorga Cosmetiques Polska, Filorga Middle East DMCC, Filorga Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Filorga RU Limited Liability Company, GABA Europe Holding GmbH, GABA International, GABA International Holding LLC, GABA Schweiz AG, GABA Therwil GmbH, Gamma Development Co. Ltd., Global Trading and Supply LLC, Hamol Ltd., Hello Products, Hello Products LLC, Hills Funding Company, Hills Pet Nutrition (NZ) Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Asia Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Canada Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Denmark ApS, Hills Pet Nutrition Espana S.L., Hills Pet Nutrition GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Holding B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Indiana Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Italia S.r.l., Hills Pet Nutrition Korea Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing s.r.o, Hills Pet Nutrition Norway AS, Hills Pet Nutrition OOO, Hills Pet Nutrition Pty. Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition S.p.A., Hills Pet Nutrition SNC, Hills Pet Nutrition Sales Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition South Africa Proprietary Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition Sweden AB, Hills Pet Nutrition Switzerland GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Taiwan Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition Trading (GZ) Co. Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hills Pet Nutrition de Puerto Rico Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition s.r.o., Hills Pet Products (Benelux) S.A., Hills Pet Products Inc., Hills Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Hills-Colgate (Japan) Ltd., Hopro Liquidating Corp., Hygiene Systemes et Services SA, IES Enterprises Inc., Inmobiliaria Colpal S. de R.L. de C.V., Inmobiliaria Hills S.A. de C.V., Innovacion Creativa S.A. de C.V., Kolynos Corporation, Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Espana S.L.U., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Italia S.R.L., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques S.A., Laser Brand Toothpaste, Lournay Sales Inc., Mennen Company, Mennen Interamerica Ltd., Mennen Limited, Mennen South Africa Ltd., Mennen de Chile Ltd., Mennen de Nicargua S.A., Mission Hills Property Corporation, Mission Hills S.A. de C.V., Norwood International Incorporated, Olive Music Publishing Corporation, PCA SKIN, Paramount Research Inc., Penny LLC, Pet Chemicals Inc., Physicians Care Alliance LLC, Productos Halogenados Copalven C.A., Purity Holding Company, Purity Music Publishing Corporation, Refresh Company Limited, Samuel Taylor Holdings B.V., Sanex, Sanxiao Company Limited, Services Development Co. Ltd., Societe Generale de Negoce et de Services (GENESE) S.A., The GDN - The Global Distributive Network SAS, The Lournay Company Inc., The MPDP - The Medical and Pharmaceutic Distributive Platform SAS, The Murphy-Phoenix Company, Tom's of Maine, Toms of Maine Holdings Inc., Toms of Maine Inc., Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Vipont Pharmaceutical Inc., and XEB Inc.. The following companies are subsidiares of V.F.: 1994 Inc. Ltd., 530 Park Ave 10-F LLC, 530 Park Ave 14-H LLC, ALL'CROWN SA, Administradora Mexicana de Servicios S de RL de CV, Administradora de Servicios Honduras S.A., Altra Footwear, Altra LLC, C.C.R.L. LLC, Chapter 4 Corp, Cherry SAS, Ciliegia Srl, Corporacion Distribiduidora de Dickies S de RL de CV, Cutler de Mexico SA, Czech Distribution Services s.r.o., DSI Enterprises LLC, Dickies de Honduras SA de CV, Dickies de Parras S de RL de CV, EAGLE CREEK EUROPE LIMITED, Eagle Creek, Eagle Creek Inc., GFYS LLC, GREENSPORT MONTE BIANCO, Horace Small, INVERSIONES INMOBILIARIES AUSTRALES SA, INVERSIONES VF CHILE DOS LTDA, INVERSIONES VF CHILE LTDA, IW Apparel LLC, IW Holdings LLC, IW Panama Trading S. de R.L., IceBreaker, Icebreaker Apparel LLC, Icebreaker Australia Pty, Icebreaker Australia Retail Pty, Icebreaker Europe Limited, Icebreaker Holdings Limited, Icebreaker Licensing LLC, Icebreaker Limited, Icebreaker Merino Clothing Europe Ltd., Icebreaker New Zealand Limited, Icebreaker Pure Merino GmbH, Imagewear Apparel Corp., Industrial Laundry Services LLC, Industrias Coahuila de Zaragosa S de RL de CV, JanSport Apparel Corp., Kipling Apparel Corp., Kipling Belgium, Kipling Holdings LLC, Kirsche GmbH, Kodiak Group Holdings CO., Lee Bell Inc., Lucy, Lucy Apparel LLC, Majestic Athletic Official Store, Mo Industries Holdings, NII Sales - Texas LLC, Napapijri, North East Rig-Out Limited, North Elm Properties LLC, RED KAP DE MEXICO S DE RL DE CV, RKI HONDURAS S de RL, Reef Holdings Corporation, Rock & Republic, SERVICIOS Y PROMOCIONES TEXTILES LTDA, South Cone, South Cone Inc, Supreme, Supreme Holdings Inc., Supreme Intermediate Holdings Inc., T.I. Venture Group Inc, TBL INVESTMENTS HOLDING GMBH, TBL Licensing LLC, THE NORTH FACE ITALY SRL, THE NORTH FACE SAGL, THE RECREATIONAL FOOTWEAR CO., TIMBERLAND EUROPE BV, TIMBERLAND HK TRADING LTD., TIMBERLAND LUXEMBOURG HOLDING ASIA S.A.R.L., TIMBERLAND UK LTD., The North Face, The North Face Apparel Corp, Timberland, Timberland Asia LLC, Timberland IDC Ltd., Timberland International LLC, VANS MADEIRA LDA, VANS SPAIN SL, VF (J) FRANCE SAS, VF (J) NEDERLAND BV, VF (J) NETHERLANDS SERVICES BV, VF APPAREL PORTUGAL LDA, VF ASIA LTD, VF Apollo Investments Limited, VF Apollo Singapore Pte. Ltd., VF Asia Sourcing Ltd, VF Austria GMBH, VF BRANDS MALAYSIA SDN BHD, VF BRANDS TAIWAN LTD., VF Belgium BV, VF Brands Pte. Ltd., VF CH Apollo Sagl, VF CH Holdings GmbH, VF CH Imagewear Canada GmbH, VF CH MEXICO INVESTMENTS SAGL, VF CH-MEX Holdings LLC, VF CHINA LTD., VF CIS LLC, VF COMERCIALIZADORA LTDA, VF CZECH SERVICES SRO, VF CZECH SRO, VF Corporation, VF DE ARGENTINA SA, VF DO BRAZIL LTDA, VF EGE GIYIM SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI, VF EUROPE BV, VF GERMANY TEXTILE-HANDELS GMBH, VF Germany Services GMBH, VF HELLAS EPE, VF HOLDING SAGL, VF HOLDINGS MEXICO LLC, VF Hong Kong Limited, VF IB Holdings LLC, VF IMAGEWEAR DE MEXICO S DE RL DE CV, VF IMAGEWEAR MAJESTIC (UK) LTD, VF INTERNATIONAL SAGL, VF INVESTIMENTOS DO BRAZIL LTDA, VF IP Holdings LLC, VF ISRAEL (APPAREL) LTD, VF ITALIA SRL, VF ITALY SERVICES SRL, VF Imagewear Canada Co., VF Imagewear Inc, VF Intellectual Property Services Inc, VF International Holding GmbH, VF Investments Holding GmbH, VF Investments Netherlands BV, VF JEANSWEAR ARGENTINA SRL, VF JEANSWEAR ESPANA SL, VF Japan KK, VF KOREA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, VF LUXEMBOURG SARL, VF Management Service Italy S.r.l., VF NL Holdings CV, VF NL Imagewear B.V., VF NORTHERN EUROPE LIMITED, VF NORTHERN EUROPE SERVICES LIMITED, VF Norway AS, VF OUTDOOR (CANADA) CO, VF OUTDOOR MEXICO S DE RL DE CV, VF OUTDOOR SERVICES S DE RL DE CV, VF Outdoor LLC, VF PANAMA SOURCING SERVICES S. DE R.L., VF PARTICIPACOES DO BRASIL LTDA, VF PERU SA, VF POLSKA DISTRIBUTION SP ZO O, VF Playwear Dominicana SA, VF Playwear LLC, VF Receivables LP, VF Receivables Services LLC, VF SAGEBRUSH ENTERPRISES LLC, VF SALES SAGL, VF SERVICIOS DE HONDURAS SA, VF SERVICIOS EL SALVADOR LTDA. DE CV, VF SHANGHAI SOURCING LIMITED, VF SOURCING THAILAND LTD, VF Scandinavia ApS, VF Services LLC, VF Servicios de Guatemala Srl, VF Servicios de Nicaragua Srl., VF Shanghai Enterprise Company, VF Shanghai Limited, VF Singapore Overseas Services Pte Ltd, VF Solutions LLC, VF Sourcing India Private Limited, VF Sweden AB, VF Switzerland Enterprises GmbH, VF Taiwan Limited, VF Transglobal GmbH, VF Treasury Services LLC, VFSE Investments LLC, VFSLA Commercial Services LLC, VFSLA Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Vans, Vans Inc, W-D APPAREL COMPANY LLC, W-D Licensing LLC, WD Europe SAS, WD Supply Holding Limited (HK), Walls Cayman Limited, Walls Holding Company LLC, Walls Industries LLC, Williamson Industries Ltd., Williamson-Dickie APAC Holding Company Ltd., Williamson-Dickie Apparel Trading (Shanghai) Ltd., Williamson-Dickie Canada Co., Williamson-Dickie Europe GmbH, Williamson-Dickie Europe Holdings Ltd., Williamson-Dickie Europe Ltd., Williamson-Dickie HK Holding Company Ltd., Williamson-Dickie Holding Co-Mexico S de RL de CV, Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company LLC, Williamson-Dickie Middle East FZE, Wooster GK, Workwear Sourcing S. de R.L., World Jeans VF Asia Ltd, Worldwide Workwear Ltd., and Ying Tao Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.. North American Construction Group Ltd. provides mining and heavy construction services to the resource development and industrial construction sectors in Canada and the United States The company's Heavy Construction & Mining division offers constructability reviews, budgetary cost estimates, design-build construction, project management, contract mining, pre-stripping/pit pioneering, overburden removal and stockpile, muskeg removal and stockpile, site preparation, air strip construction, site dewatering/perimeter ditching, tailings and process pipelines, haulage and access road construction, tailings dam construction and densification, mechanically stabilized earth walls, dyke construction, and reclamation services. Its Equipment Maintenance Services division provides fuel and lube servicing, portable steaming, equipment inspections, parts and component supply, major overhauls and equipment refurbishment, onsite haul truck brake testing, onsite maintenance support, under carriage rebuild, machining, hose manufacturing, and technical support services, as well as welding, fabrication/repairs, weld certification, and inspection services. As of December 31, 2020, the company had a heavy equipment fleet of 626 units. The company was formerly known as North American Energy Partners Inc. and changed its name to North American Construction Group Ltd. in April 2018. The company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Acheson, Canada. Read More NEXT plc engages in the retail of clothing, footwear, and home products in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through NEXT Retail, NEXT Online, NEXT Finance, NEXT International Retail, NEXT Sourcing, Lipsy, NENA, and Property Management segments. It operates retail stores; an online retail platform; and 190 franchise stores in 36 countries. The company also offers consumer credit; NEXT branded products; and women's, men's, children's, home, and beauty products under the LABEL and Lipsy's own brand, and other third-party brands. In addition, it provides property management services, including holding and lease of properties. The company was formerly known as J Hepworth & Son and changed its name to NEXT plc in 1986. NEXT plc was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Enderby, the United Kingdom. Read More Nuveen Tax-Advantaged Total Return Strategy Fund is a closed-ended balanced mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc. The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, and Symphony Asset Management LLC. It invests in the public equity and fixed income markets of the United States. The fund seeks to invest in securities of companies operating across diversified sectors. It primarily invests in dividend paying value stocks of companies that pay dividends which may be eligible for favorable federal income taxation, as well as in secured and unsecured senior loans, corporate bonds, notes and debentures, convertible debt securities, and other similar types of corporate instruments, including high-yield debt securities. The fund employs fundamental analysis with a bottom-up security selection approach, focusing on factors like balance sheet and cash flow statements to create its portfolio. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the S&P 500 Index and a blended benchmark comprised of 56% Russell 3000 Value Index, 16% MSCI EAFE ex-Japan Value Index, 8% Merrill Lynch DRD (dividends received deduction) Preferred Index, and 20% CSFB Leveraged Loan Index. Nuveen Tax-Advantaged Total Return Strategy Fund was formed on January 27, 2004 and is domiciled in the United States. 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 TBC Bank Group PLC, through its subsidiaries, provides banking, leasing, brokerage, and card processing services to corporate and individual customers in Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. The company operates through Retail; Corporate; and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises segments. It offers various current/settlement accounts, and term deposits; mortgage, consumer, retail, and corporate loans, as well as loans for micro, small, and medium enterprises; credit cards, credit lines, letters of credit, and guarantees; and money transfer and currency exchange services. The company also provides motor, life and personal accident, property, health, and other insurance products; investment, brokerage, and corporate finance solutions; and card processing, leasing, PR and marketing, real estate management, asset management, computer and software, e-commerce, and postal services. In addition, it offers internet and mobile banking services. The company operates through a network of 157 branches; 1,570 automated teller machines; 25,163 point of sale terminals; and 3,905 self-service terminals. TBC Bank Group PLC was founded in 1992 and is based in Tbilisi, Georgia. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Travelers Companies: 10762962 Canada Inc., 350 Market Street LLC, 8527512 Canada Inc., Aetna Life and Casualty Co, American Equity Insurance Company, American Equity Specialty Insurance Company, Aprilgrange Limited, Arch Street North LLC, Auto Hartford Investments LLC, Bayhill Restaurant II Associates, Camperdown Corporation, Constitution State Services LLC, Discover Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Discover Specialty Insurance Company, F&G UK Underwriters Limited, Farmington Casualty Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Underwriters Inc., First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Company, Gulf Underwriters Insurance Company, IHP Capital Partners Fund VIII L.P., Northbrook Holdings Inc., Northfield Insurance Company, Northland Casualty Company, Northland Insurance Company, Phoenix UK Investments LLC, SPC Insurance Agency Inc., Select Insurance Company, Simply Business Holdings Inc., Simply Business Inc., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, St. Paul Guardian Insurance Company, St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company, St. Paul Protective Insurance Company, St. Paul Surplus Lines Insurance Company, Standard Fire Properties LLC, Standard Fire UK Investments LLC, TCI Global Services Inc., TPC Investments Inc., TPC U.K. Investments LLC, The Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford Connecticut, The Charter Oak Fire Insurance Company, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, The Family Business Institute LLC, The Phoenix Insurance Company, The St. Paul Companies Inc., The Standard Fire Insurance Company, The Travelers Casualty Company, The Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company of America, The Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, The Travelers Lloyds Insurance Company, TravCo Insurance Company, Travelers (Bermuda) Limited, Travelers Brazil Acquisition LLC, Travelers Brazil Holding LLC, Travelers Casualty Company of Connecticut, Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America, Travelers Casualty UK Investments LLC, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of Europe Limited, Travelers Commercial Casualty Company, Travelers Commercial Insurance Company, Travelers Constitution State Insurance Company, Travelers Distribution Alliance Inc., Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Company, Travelers Global Inc., Travelers Indemnity U.K. Investments LLC, Travelers Insurance Company Limited, Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company, Travelers Insurance Group Holdings Inc., Travelers Lloyds of Texas Insurance Company, Travelers London Limited, Travelers MGA Inc., Travelers Management Limited, Travelers Marine LLC, Travelers Participacoes em Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Personal Insurance Company, Travelers Personal Security Insurance Company, Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, Travelers Property Casualty Corp., Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Company, Travelers Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Syndicate Management Limited, Travelers Texas MGA Inc., Travelers Underwriting Agency Limited, Ultramar Travel Management, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Xbridge Limited, Zensurance Brokers Inc., and Zensurance Inc.. The following companies are subsidiares of UnitedHealth Group: 1031387 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1070715 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1st Avenue Pharmacy Inc., 310 Canyon Medical, 310 Canyon Medical LLC, 4C MSO LLC, 4C Medical Group PLC, 5995 Minnetonka LLC, ABCO International Holdings LLC, ACN Group IPA of New York, ACN Group IPA of New York Inc., ACN Group of California, ACN Group of California Inc., AHJV, AHJV MSO, AHN Accontable Care Organization LLC, AHN Central Services LLC, AHN Target Holdings LLC, AMIL International, AMIL International S.a.r.l., APS Assistencia Personalizada a Saude Ltda., ARC Infusion, ASC Holdings of New Jersey LLC, ASC Network LLC, ASI Global, ASI Global LLC, Access Administrators Inc., Access HealthSource Administrators Inc., Access HealthSource Inc., Access I.V., Administradora Clinica La Colina S.A.S., Administradora Country S.A., Administradora Medica Centromed S.A., Advanced Care, Advanced Care Pharmacy, Advanced Pharma Inc., Advanced Surgery Center of Clifton LLC, Advanced Surgical Hospital LLC, Advantage Care Network Inc., Advocate Condell Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Sherman Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate-SCA Partners LLC, Alere Health, Alere Health Improvement Company, Alere Healthcare of Illinois, Alere Wellbeing, Alere Wellology, Alere of New York, Aliansalud Entidad Promotora de Salud S.A., All Savers Insurance Company, All Savers Life Insurance Company of California, Alliance Surgical Center LLC, Aloha Surgical Center LLC, Ambient Healthcare, Ambient Healthcare Inc., Ambient Healthcare of Central Florida, Ambient Healthcare of Georgia, Ambient Healthcare of Northeast Florida, Ambient Healthcare of S. Florida, Ambient Healthcare of West Florida, Ambient Holdings, Ambient Holdings Inc., Ambient Nursing Services, AmeriChoice, AmeriChoice Corporation, AmeriChoice Health Services, AmeriChoice of Connecticut, AmeriChoice of New Jersey, AmeriChoice of New Jersey Inc., American Health Network of Indiana Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Indiana II LLC, American Health Network of Indiana LLC, American Health Network of Ohio Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Ohio II LLC, American Health Network of Ohio LLC, Amico Saude Ltda., Amil, Amil Assistencia Medica Internacional S.A., Amil Lifesciences Participacoes Ltda., Antelope Valley Surgery Center L.P., Analisis Clinicos ML S.A.C., Apothecary Holdings Inc., Apothecary Shop of Phoenix Inc., AppleCare Medical Management, AppleCare Medical Management LLC, Aquitania Chilean Holding SpA, Arise Physician Group, Arizona Physicians IPA, Arizona Physicians IPA Inc., AssuranceRx, AssuranceRx LLC, Athens ASC Holdings LLC, Audax Health Solutions, Audax Health Solutions LLC, Austin Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Avella Patient Access Program Inc., Avella Specialty Pharmacy, Avella of Austin Inc., Avella of Columbus Inc., Avella of Deer Valley Inc., Avella of Denver Inc., Avella of Gilbert Inc., Avella of Las Vegas II Inc., Avella of Orlando Inc., Avella of Phoenix III Inc., Avella of Sacramento Inc., Avella of Scottsdale Inc., Avella of St. Louis Inc., Avella of Tampa LLC, Avella of Tucson II Inc., Avella of Tucson Inc., Aveta Arizona, Aveta Health Solutions Inc., Aveta Inc., Aveta Kansas City, Aveta Tennessee, AxelaCare Health Solutions, AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings, AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings LLC, AxelaCare LLC, B.R.A.S.S. Partnership in Commendam, Banmedica Colombia SpA, Banmedica Internacional SpA, Banmedica S.A., Beach Surgical Holdings III LLC, Behavioral Healthcare Options, Behavioral Healthcare Options Inc., Belleville Surgical Center Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, Benefit Administration for the Self Employed L.L.C., Benefitter Insurance Solutions Inc., Birmingham Outpatient Surgical Center LLC, Blackstone Valley Surgicare GP LLC, Blue Ridge GP LLC, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings I SRL, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings II SRL, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings III SRL, Bordeaux Holding SpA, Bordeaux International Holdings Inc., Bordeaux UK Holdings I Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings II Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings III Limited, Bosque Medical Center Ltda., Brandon Ambulatory Surgery Center LC, BriovaRx, BriovaRx, BriovaRx Infusion Services, BriovaRx Infusion Services 102 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 200 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 204 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 209 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 305 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 402 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services Inc., BriovaRx Specialty LLC, BriovaRx of California, BriovaRx of California Inc., BriovaRx of Florida, BriovaRx of Florida Inc., BriovaRx of Georgia, BriovaRx of Georgia LLC, BriovaRx of Hawaii, BriovaRx of Indiana, BriovaRx of Louisiana, BriovaRx of Louisiana L.L.C., BriovaRx of Maine, BriovaRx of Maine Inc., BriovaRx of Massachusetts, BriovaRx of Massachusetts LLC, BriovaRx of Nevada, BriovaRx of New York, BriovaRx of New York Inc., BriovaRx of Texas, BriovaRx of Texas Inc., CDC Holdings Colombia S.A.S., CLISA Clinica de Santo Antonio S.A., CMO Centro Medico de Oftalmologia S/S Ltda., CMS Central de Manipulacao e Servicos Farmaceuticos S.A., CNIC Health Solutions Inc., COI Participacoes S.A., COI Clinicas Oncologicas Integradas S.A., Cabin Enterprises LLC, Cabin Holdings LLC, California MedTrans Network IPA LLC, California MedTrans Network MSO LLC, California Medical Group Insurance Company Risk Retention Group, Camp Hill-SCA Centers LLC, Capital City Medical Group L.L.C., Cardio Management, Cardio Management Inc., Care Improvement Plus Group Management, Care Improvement Plus Group Management LLC, Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus Wisconsin Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus of Texas Insurance Company, Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha Ltda., Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha S.A., Castle Rock SurgiCenter LLC, Catalyst360, Catalyst360 LLC, Catamaran Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Catamaran Health Solutions, Catamaran Holdings I, Catamaran IPA III, Catamaran Mail, Catamaran PBM of Illinois II, Catamaran PBM of Puerto Rico, Catamaran PD of Pennsylvania, Catamaran PD of Puerto Rico, Catamaran Rebate Management, Catamaran S.a.r.l., Catamaran Senior Services, Catamaran of Pennsylvania, Cedar Park Surgery Center LLC, Cemed Care - Empressa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Cemed Care Empresa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Central Indiana Care Organization LLC, Central Ohio Care Organization LLC, Central de Compras SpA, CentriHealth Corporation, CentriHealth UK Limited, CentrifyHealth LLC, Centro Medico Hospitalar Pitangueiras Ltda., Centro Medico Odontologico Americano S.A.C., Centro Medico PJ Ltda., Centro de Entrenamiento en Reanimacion y Prevencion Limitada (CERP), Centro de Servicios Compartidos Banmedica S.A., Centromed Quilpue S.A., Centros Medicos y Dentales Multimed Ltda., Centurion Casualty Company, Channel Islands Surgicenter L.P., Channel Islands Surgicenter Properties LLC, Charleston Surgery Properties LLC, Charlotte-SC LLC, Childrens Surgery Center LLC, ChinaGate (Hong Kong) Limited, ChinaGate Company Limited, Citrus Regional Surgery Center L.P., Clinica Oftalmologica Danilo de Castro Sociedade Simples, Clinical Partners of Colorado Springs LLC, Clinica Alameda S.A., Clinica Bio Bio S.A., Clinica Ciudad del Mar S.A., Clinica Davila y Servicios Medicos S.A., Clinica Medico Cirurgica de Santa Tecla S.A., Clinica San Borja (La Esperanza del Peru S.A.), Clinica San Felipe S.A., Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Clinica Sanchez Ferrer S.A., Clinica Vespucio S.A., Clinica del Country S.A., Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare, Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare Inc., Coalition For Advanced Pharmacy Services, Coalition for Advanced Pharmacy Services Inc., Coastal Physicians Management Inc., Collaborative Care Holdings, Collaborative Care Holdings LLC, Collaborative Care Services, Collaborative Care Services Inc., Collaborative Care Solutions, Collaborative Realty, Collaborative Realty LLC, Colmedica Medicina Prepagada, Colonial Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Colorado Innovative Physician Solutions Inc., Colorado Springs Surgery Center Ltd., Comfort Care Transportation, Comfort Care Transportation LLC, Commonwealth Administrators, Connecticut Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Connecticut Surgery Properties LLC, Connecticut Surgical Center LLC, Connextions, Connextions HCI, Constructora e Inmobiliaria Magapoq S.A., Consumer Wellness Solutions Inc., Country Scan Ltda., Crescent Drug Corp., Cypress Care, Cypress Care Inc., DBP Services of New York IPA, DBP Services of New York IPA Inc., DTC Surgery Center LLC, DWIC of Tampa Bay, DWIC of Tampa Bay Inc., DaVita Magan Management Inc., Danbury Surgical Center L.P., Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company, Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company LLC, Definity Health, Dental Benefit Providers, Dental Benefit Providers Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of California, Dental Benefit Providers of California Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois, Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois Inc., Derry Surgical Center LLC, Diagnostico Ecotomografico Centromed Ltda., Diasnostico por Imagenes Centromed Ltda., Dilab Medicina Nuclear Ltda., Diplomat Pharmacy, Distance Learning Network, Distance Learning Network Inc., Doctor + S.A.C., Dry Creek Surgery Center LLC, Dublin Surgery Center LLC, Duncan Printing Services, Duncan Printing Services LLC, E Street Endoscopy LLC, ELG FZE, EP Campus I, EP Campus I LLC, East Brunswick Surgery Center LLC, Electronic Network Systems, Electronic Network Systems Inc., Elual Participacoes S.A., Empire Physician Management Company, Empire Physician Management Company LLC, Employers Health Choice PPO Inc., Empremedica S. A., Endoscopy Center Affiliates Inc., Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Equian, Equian LLC, Equian Parent Corp., Esho Empresa de Servicos Hospitalares S.A., Etho Empresa de Tecnologia Hospitalar Ltda., Evercare Collaborative Solutions, Evercare Collaborative Solutions Inc., Everett MSO Inc., Excellion Servicos Biomedicos Ltda., Excellion Servicos Biomedicos S.A., Excelsior Insurance Brokerage Inc., Executive Health Resources, Executive Health Resources Inc., Executive Surgery Center LLC, Eye Clinic Oftalmologia Clinico Cirurgica e Diagnostico Ltda., FMG Holdings, FMG Holdings LLC, FOR HEALTH OF ARIZONA, Family Health Care Services, Family Home Hospice, Family Home Hospice Inc., First Rx Specialty & Mail Services, Florida MedTrans Network LLC, Florida MedTrans Network MSO LLC, For Health, For Health Inc., For Health of Arizona Inc., Fortified Provider Network Inc., Fortify Technologies Asia LLC, Fortify Technologies LLC, Foundation Financial Services Inc., Franklin Surgical Center LLC, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Freeway Surgicenter of Houston LLC, Frontier MEDEX Limited, Frontier Medex Tanzania Limited, FrontierMEDEX, FrontierMEDEX (RMS), FrontierMEDEX (RMS) Inc., FrontierMEDEX Government Services, FrontierMEDEX Government Services LLC, FrontierMEDEX Inc., FrontierMEDEX Kenya Limited, FrontierMEDEX US, FrontierMEDEX US Inc., Fundacion Banmedica, GRANTS PASS SURGERY CENTER LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center Ltd., Gainesville Surgery Center L.P., Gainesville Surgery Properties LLC, Genoa, Genoa Healthcare Inc., Genoa Healthcare LLC, Genoa QoL Wholesale LLC, Genoa Technology (Canada) Inc., Genoa Technology Inc., Genoa Telepsychiatry Inc., Genoa of Arkansas LLC, Glenwood Surgical Center L.P., Glenwood-SC Inc., Golden Outlook, Golden Outlook Inc., Golden Rule Financial Corporation, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Golden Triangle Surgicenter L.P., Grapevine Finance LLC, Greater Hartford ASC LLC, Grove Place Surgery Center L.L.C., Guardian Health Systems Limited Partnership, H&W Indemnity (SPC), H&W Indemnity (SPC) Ltd., H.I. Investments Holding Company LLC, HCP ACO California LLC, HCP ACO Nevada LLC, HCentive Technology India Private Limited, HMI NewCo LLC, Harken Health Insurance Company, Hayes-Strub LLC, Health Business Systems, Health Care-ONE Insurance Agency Inc., Health Inventures Employment Solutions LLC, Health Inventures LLC, Health Net Insurance of New York, Health Net Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Health Plan of Nevada, Health Plan of Nevada Inc., Health Technology Analysts Pty Limited, HealthAllies, HealthAllies Inc., HealthCare Partners ASC-LB LLC, HealthCare Partners Management Services California LLC, HealthCare Partners RE LLC, HealthFirst IPA Inc., HealthMarkets Group Inc., HealthMarkets Inc., HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., HealthMarkets LLC, HealthMarkets NewCo Inc., HealthMarkets Services Inc., HealthSCOPE Holdings Inc., HealthScope Benefits Inc., Healthcare Partners Plan of Nevada Inc., Healthcare Solutions Inc., Heartland Heart and Vascular LLC, Help S.A., Help Service S.A., Highlands Ranch Healthcare, Highlands Ranch Healthcare LLC, Home Care I.V. of Bend, Home Infusion With Heart, Home Medical S.A., Hospice Inspiris Holdings, Hospice Inspiris Holdings Inc., Hospitais Associados de Pernambuco Ltda., Hospital Alvorada de Taguatinga Ltda., Hospital Ana Costa S.A., Hospital Maternidade Promater Ltda., Hospital Samaritano de Sao Paulo Ltda., Hospital Santa Helena S.A., Hospital de Clinicas de Jacarepagua Ltda., Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation (Canada), Hygeia Corporation (DE), Hygeia Corporation (Ontario), INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of New York IPA, INSPIRIS of New York Management, INSPIRIS of New York Management Inc., INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, IRX Financing I LLC, Illinois Independent Care Network, Imed Star Servicos de Desempenho Organizacional Ltda., Impel Consulting Experts, Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., Indian River Surgery Center Ltd., Indian River Surgery Properties LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Infusource, Ingram & Associates, Ingram & Associates LLC, Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Inspiris Services Company, Inspiris of Tennessee, Instituto do Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, International Psychological Services Pty Limited, Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria S.A., Isapre Banmedica S.A., Isapre Vida Tres S.A., Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, LHI, Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., LifePrint Health, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeStyles Marketing Group Inc., LifeWell Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization, Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Lifeprint East, Lifeprint East Inc., Logistics Health Inc., Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., MAMSI Insurance Resources, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MD Ops, MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association, MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MEDEX Insurance Services, MEDEX Insurance Services Inc., MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, MXMD Centros De Cancer, Mamoeco Mamografia e Ecografia Centro de Diagnostico, Managed Physical Network, Managed Physical Network Inc., March Holdings, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care, March Vision Care Inc., Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Maryland Ambulatory Centers, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, Mat-Rx Development, Mat-Rx Fort Worth GP, MedExpress Development, MedExpress Development LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach, MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, MedSynergies North Texas, Medalliance Net Ltda, Medalliance Net Ltda., Medica Health Plans of Florida, Medica Health Plans of Florida Inc., Medica HealthCare Plans, Medica HealthCare Plans Inc., Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Preparatory School of Allied Health, Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services, Medical Transportation Services LLC, Medication Management Systems Inc., Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memphis-SC LLC, Memphis-SP LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management, Metropolitan Medical Partners LLC, Metropolitan Medical Transportation IPA LLC, Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Surgery Holdings LLC, Mississippi Surgical Center Limited Partnership, Mobile Medical Professionals, Modern Medical Inc., Monarch Management Services, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Mountain View Medical Group LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings, NAMM Holdings Inc., NSC Fayetteville LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Nashville-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National MedTrans LLC, National Pacific Dental, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes, Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Medical Services LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., Newton Holdings LLC, North American Medical Management - Illinois, North American Medical Management California, North American Medical Management California Inc., North Puget Sound Center for Sleep Disorders LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd., Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care, Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care of Huntsville, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OSB Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Omesa S.A., OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., OneNet PPO, OneNet PPO LLC, Optimum Choice, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum, Optum Bank, Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics, Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Clinical Services, Optum Clinics Holdings, Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings, Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Solutions (India) Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions (Philippines), Optum Global Solutions (Philippines) Inc., Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Government Solutions, Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health & Technology (Hong Kong) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (India) Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology (UK) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (US), Optum Health & Technology (US) LLC, Optum Health & Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US), Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US) Inc., Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health Services (Canada) Ltd., Optum Health Solutions (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions (UK) Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services, Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio, Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs, Optum Labs Dimensions, Optum Labs Dimensions Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs International (UK) Ltd., Optum Life Sciences (Canada) Inc., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Nevada Accountable Care Organization LLC, Optum Operations (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 703 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Public Sector Solutions, Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket, Optum Rocket Inc., Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services, Optum Services (Ireland) Limited, Optum Services (Puerto Rico) LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Solutions do Brasil Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Optum Technology, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Women's and Children's Health, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360, Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO Florida LLC, OptumCare ACO Holdings LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Health Plan of California Inc., OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Holdings New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Financial Services, OptumHealth Financial Services Inc., OptumHealth Holdings, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight, OptumInsight Holdings, OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx, OptumRx Administrative Services, OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Illinois, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA, OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois, OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland, OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Puerto Rico LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Maryland, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada, OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings, OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet Services, OrthoNet Services Inc., OrthoNet West, OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the Mid-Atlantic, OrthoNet of the South, OrthoNet of the South Inc., Ovations, Ovations Inc., Oxford Benefit Management, Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance, Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans (CT), Oxford Health Plans (CT) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NJ), Oxford Health Plans (NJ) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NY), Oxford Health Plans (NY) Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, P2 Lower Acquisition, P2P Link LLC, PCCCV, PCCCV Inc., PCN DE Corp., PHC Subsidiary Holdings, PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYS Holding Corp., PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI, PMSI Holdco II, PMSI Holdings, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado, PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., PacifiCare of Nevada, PacifiCare of Nevada Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Paoli Ambulatory Surgery Center, Paoli Surgery Center L.P., Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Pasteur Plaza Surgery Center GP Inc., PatientsLikeMe, PatientsLikeMe LLC, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica - PANC., Payment Resolution Services, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Pharmaceutical Care Network, Pharmacy Review Services, Pharmacy Software Holdco Inc., PhyServe Holdings, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physician Care Partners, Physicians Health Choice of Texas, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians Plaza Holdings LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico, Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings, Plus One Holdings Inc., Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Precision Dialing Services Inc., Preferred Care Partners, Preferred Care Partners Holding, Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group, Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., Premier Choice ACO, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Prime Health, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network, PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley, PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona, PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley, PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley, PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley, PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands, PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside, PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino, PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City, PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula, PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success, ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success LLC, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Medical Management, ProHealth Physicians, ProHealth Physicians ACO, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management, ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, Procura Management, Procura Management Inc., Progressive Enterprises Holdings, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical, Progressive Medical LLC, Progressive Solutions, Promotora Country S.A., Pronetics Health Care Group, Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Management Services LLC, Pueblo-SCA Surgery Center LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., Quality Software Services, QuarterMaster Newco LLC, R&H Family Fitness Unlimited LLC, Rally Health, Rally Health Inc., Real Appeal Inc., Recaudacion y Cobranzas Honodav Ltda., Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management, Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rocky Mountain HealthCare Options Inc., SC Affiliates LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA California Surgical Holdings LLC, SCA Capital LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA EHSC Holdings LLC, SCA EWASC Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Nashville ASC LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA SSC Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Center of Cullman LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Partners LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Mokena Properties LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-ND VBP Inc., SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Shelby Development Corp., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Wilmington LLC, SCA-Wilson LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SPINETRACK 20/20 Inc., SRPS LLC, SXC Comet, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Savvysherpa Administrative Services LLC, Savvysherpa Asia Inc., Savvysherpa LLC, Scanner Centromed S.A., ScripNet, ScriptSwitch Limited, Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Senior Care Partners, Serquinox Holdings LLC, Serquinox LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Limitada, Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Limitada, Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., SharedClarity LLC, Shelby Surgery Properties Inc., Sierra Health Services, Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company, Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options, Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products, Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators, Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sirona Infusion, Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad Editorial para la Ciencia Limitada., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria S.A., Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Southwest Medical Associates, Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center of Bakersfield L.P., Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits, Specialty Benefits LLC, Spectera, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA, Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Spotlite, Spotlite Inc., St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, StoneRiver P2P Link, StoneRiver Pharmacy Solutions, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Streamlines Health LLC, Summit Home Infusion, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Clarksville L.P., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of Spokane LLC, Surgery Center of Summerlin LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Center of Vero Beach Inc., Surgery Center of Wilmington LLC, Surgery Center of Wilmington Properties LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Belleville LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings, Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, Symphonix Health Insurance, Symphonix Health Insurance Inc., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologias de Informacion en Salud S.A., The Advisory Board (Chile) SpA, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Lewin Group, The Lewin Group Inc., The Magan Medical Group, The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Thousand Oaks Endoscopy Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys, Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, TriMed LLC, Trinity Infusion, Trio Motion LLC, Tucson Arizona Surgical Center LLC, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UHC Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UHC Global Health Services BC Ltd., UHC International Services, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings (Ireland) Limited, UHCG Services (Ireland) Limited, UHCG FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHIC Holdings, UHIC Holdings Inc., UICI Funding Corp. 2, UMR, UMR Inc., USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors L.L.C., USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD Administrative Services, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD CT (Mo), USMD Cancer Treatment Centers, USMD Cancer Treatment Centers GP, USMD Diagnostic Services, USMD Holdings, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Inc., USMD PPM, USMD PPM LLC, USMD of Arlington GP, Ultima Rx, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Administrative Services, Unison Health Plan of Delaware, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A., United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Management Services Inc., United Resource Networks IPA of New York, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., UnitedHealth Advisors, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Finance Inc., UnitedHealth Group Global Healthcare Services Limited, UnitedHealth Group Global Services, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group Information Services Private Limited, UnitedHealth Group International Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth Group International GP, UnitedHealth Group International L.P., UnitedHealth International, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services, UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealth UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Canada Limited, UnitedHealthcare Global Medical (UK) Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare India Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia, UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International I S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International V S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VI S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Services Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas, UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado, UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida, UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky, UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana, UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi, UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England, UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico, UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York, UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina, UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma, UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon, UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania, UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas, UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah, UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington, UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic, UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands, UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest, UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UpFront Insurance Agency LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings, Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO, Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network, Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vida Tres Internacional S.A., Vidaintegra S.A., Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., WebInsure Benefits LLC, WellMed Medical Management, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida, WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., WellMed Networks DFW, West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, WillowB Labs LLC, Wilmington ASC LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, Your Health Options Insurance Services, Your Health Options Insurance Services Inc., Your Partner in Health Services, divvyDOSE, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative, inPharmative Inc., and ppoONE. "To not do what we've been doing for 20-something years, to have that taken away from us last year, you love something this much, once you have it back in your hands, you love it, you cherish it, protect it that much more. So I just want to put a guitar around my shoulders and stand out in stage center and say, 'Let's go.'" Senior Statesmen of Virginia will welcome state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, Del. R. Steven Landes and Del. David J. Toscano reporting on issues addressed in the recently concluded Virginia Assembly session, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Center at 491 Hillsdale Drive. (434) 974-7756. Virginia Humanities hosts civil rights lawyer Flint Taylor speaking about his recent book, The Torture Machine: Racism and Police Violence in Chicago, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Jefferson School African American Heritage Center at 233 Fourth St. NW. (434) 924-3296. National Active and Retired Federal Employees will present Jay Dymek, a financial advisor with First Command Financial Services, speaking about the Thrift Savings Plan and its minimum distributions at 10 a.m. Thursday at Wood Grill at 576 Branchlands Blvd. (434) 361-9035. Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club presents a forum on environmental issues with the candidates for Charlottesville City Council from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Charlottesville City Council Chambers at City Hall. Send news tips to news@dailyprogress.com, call (434) 978-7264, tweet us @DailyProgress or send us a Facebook message here. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 3. Skills development. A SCORE mentor can help you develop the skills necessary to manage your company successfully. Through a mentors advice and feedback, you can gain a better understanding of business financials, hone your leadership skills, increase your marketing know-how and fine-tune other essential elements related to business acumen. 4. Valuable connections. SCORE business mentors have formed strong relationships with other entrepreneurs and professionals within the local business community. Through your mentor, you will have the potential to meet prospective customers, vendors, investors, project partners and other individuals and organizations that open the door to opportunities for your company. 5. Someone in your corner. You are not alone in your business journey. When you face difficult days or disappointing downturns, a SCORE mentor can provide the encouragement you need to get through tough times. You can look to your mentor for help in seeing past the negatives and purposefully focusing on doing whats necessary to overcome whatever adversity you face. I feel a sense of relief that I dont have to pay for the full cost of a four-year university, he said. I also feel a sense of responsibility because many people saw something in me that I didnt necessarily see. Im going to pursue my education with that in mind. The Gates Scholars program selects 1,000 students each year and has now funded more than 20,000 students undergraduate and graduate education since 2000, according to its website. More than half of the students are the first in their families to go to college, and nearly all graduate college. Students receive an amount based on their financial need and their colleges costs, including tuition, fees, housing, books and other items. The program aims to increase the representation of African American, Native American, Native Alaskan, Asian, Asian American and Hispanic students particularly those high-achieving students with significant financial need in such fields as computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health and the sciences. For more information about the scholarship, visit gmsp.org. The Early College Scholars program will host a ceremony for graduating William Monroe High School students Thursday evening at PVCCs Eugene Giuseppe Center in Stanardsville. For more information on how to contribute to the program, visit pvcc.edu/donate-greene. Ruth Serven Smith is a reporter for The Daily Progress. Contact her at (434) 978-7254, rserven@dailyprogress.com or @RuthServen 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. [W]hat is not reflected is the day-to-day duties and responsibilities encumbered upon me as the Chief of Police for Charlottesville, she wrote. City spokesman Brian Wheeler estimated that a separate request for emails between Brackney or her secretary and the City Council or CRB members and emails between CRB members and councilors would cost $3,000 to fulfill. The city said it would require a $700 deposit to begin compiling the information. When asked to explain the charges, Wheeler said the city is not required to do so under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. State law allows localities to make reasonable charges not to exceed its actual cost incurred in accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for the requested records. The government is not required to provide a breakdown of the costs. However, Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said that although the law doesnt require a cost breakdown, providing one often has been a normal part of the process. In January, the project was recommended to receive about $2 million for the project through the Virginia Department of Transportations Smart Scale program. Funding will be finalized in June. Work includes closing the right-turn lane from West Main onto Ridge Street, allowing the concrete triangle with the statue of explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to be transformed into a pocket park. The statue will be part of Mondays discussion, according to the report. The project is under design with the understanding that it will not be moved to another location, but some community members have mentioned relocating it and Mayor Nikuyah Walker voiced her support for removal in November. Those opposed to the 1919 statue cite its depiction of Shoshone interpreter Sacagawea in a crouching, subordinate position. Equity In other business, council will receive a report about a study on organizational equity within the city government. The study examined the demographics of city employees overall and compared salaries. It also provides recommendations on how to increase equity and maintain it. More than 370 former federal prosecutors who worked in Republican and Democratic administrations have signed on to a statement asserting special counsel Robert Mueller's findings would have produced obstruction charges against President Donald Trump - if not for the office he held. The statement - signed by myriad former career government employees, as well as high-profile political appointees - offers a rebuttal to Attorney General William Barr's determination that the evidence Mueller uncovered was "not sufficient" to establish Trump committed a crime. Mueller himself had declined to say one way or the other whether Trump should have been charged, citing a Justice Department legal opinion that sitting presidents cannot be indicted, as well as concerns about the fairness of accusing someone for whom there can be no court proceeding. "Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting President, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice," the former federal prosecutors wrote. "We emphasize that these are not matters of close professional judgment," they added. "Of course, there are potential defenses or arguments that could be raised in response to an indictment of the nature we describe here . . . But, to look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice - the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution - runs counter to logic and our experience." The statement is notable for the number of people who signed it - 375, as of Monday afternoon - and the positions and political affiliations of some on the list. It was posted online Monday afternoon; those signing it did not explicitly address what, if anything, they hope might happen next. Among the high-profile signers are Bill Weld, a former U.S. attorney and Justice Department official in the Reagan administration who is running against Trump as a Republican; Donald Ayer, a former deputy attorney general in the George H.W. Bush Administration; John S. Martin, a former U.S. attorney and federal judge appointed to his posts by two Republican presidents; Paul Rosenzweig, who served as senior counsel to independent counsel Kenneth Starr; and Jeffrey Harris, who worked as the principal assistant to Rudolph Giuliani when he was at the Justice Department in the Reagan administration. The list also includes more than 20 former U.S. attorneys, and more than 100 people with at least 20 years of service at the Justice Department - most of them former career officials. The signers worked in every presidential administration since that of Dwight D. Eisenhower. The signatures were collected by the nonprofit group Protect Democracy, which counts Justice Department alums among its staff and was contacted about the statement last week by a group of former federal prosecutors, said Justin Vail, an attorney at Protect Democracy. "We strongly believe that Americans deserve to hear from the men and women who spent their careers weighing evidence and making decisions about whether it was sufficient to justify prosecution, so we agreed to send out a call for signatories," Vail said. "The response was overwhelming. This effort reflects the voices of former prosecutors who have served at DOJ and signed the statement." A spokesman for the special counsel's office declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the Justice Department referred a reporter to Barr's previous public statements on the subject. Many legal analysts have wondered since Mueller's report was released whether the special counsel believed he had sufficient evidence to charge Trump and was just unwilling to say it out loud. By the report's account, Trump - after learning he was being investigated for obstruction - told his White House counsel to have Mueller removed. And when that did not work, according to Mueller's report, Trump tried to have a message passed to Attorney General Jeff Sessions to limit the scope of Mueller's authority. Of that episode, Mueller's team wrote there was "substantial evidence" to indicate Trump was trying to "prevent further investigative scrutiny" of himself and his campaign. "All of this conduct - trying to control and impede the investigation against the President by leveraging his authority over others - is similar to conduct we have seen charged against other public officials and people in powerful positions," the former federal prosecutors wrote in their letter. They wrote that prosecuting such cases was "critical because unchecked obstruction - which allows intentional interference with criminal investigations to go unpunished - puts our whole system of justice at risk." Mueller's team, though, wrote that they determined not to make a "traditional prosecutorial judgment" in part because of the Justice Department opinion on not indicting sitting presidents, and that the evidence obtained "presents difficult issues that would need to be resolved" if they were to do so. "At the same time, if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state," Mueller's team wrote. After receiving Mueller's report, Barr said he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein reviewed the case themselves and determined the evidence was not there. He offered a robust defense of that decision at a recent congressional hearing, detailing for lawmakers possible defenses Trump could have raised in each episode. "The government has to prove things beyond a reasonable doubt," Barr said. "And, as the report shows, there's ample evidence on the other side of the ledger that would prevent the government from establishing that." But the Warmbiers, who won a $500 million judgment against North Korea in a federal court for the abuse of their son, had carefully refrained from casting judgment on the Trump administrations engagement with the country, which associates described as a good-faith effort to give the talks a chance to succeed. On Friday, Cindy Warmbier said that Kim is not making the right decisions, and she warned that the United States and other nations should not ease up on economic sanctions. Unless we keep the pressure on North Korea, they are not going to change, and I am very afraid they are going to let up on this pressure, she said. During a subsequent panel at the Hudson Institute, Tom Rose, a senior adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, defended the administrations approach to North Korea, asserting that Trump was emphatic and direct with Kim on human rights at both of their summits. Rose called suggestions that the Trump administration was putting human rights on the back burner inaccurate and unfair, noting that Pence met with North Korean defectors this week. It's Mueller time. As we saw on April 30, 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 Mueller's report before exonerating President Trump of obstruction of justice. Barr did this despite the line in Mueller's 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 didn't say yes but didn't say no. And questioning by other committee members revealed that Barr's 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. A reader posted this in the comments to the previous post. It's by an electrician in Melbourne, and describes some work he had done on the feasibility of installing EV charging points in a local apartment building. I was amused. I recently did some work for the body corporate at Dock 5 Apartment Building in Docklands to see if we could install a number of electric charging points for owners to charge their electric vehicles. We discovered: Our building had no non-allocated parking spaces (i.e. public ones). This is typical of most apartment buildings so we cannot provide shared outlets. The power supply in the building was designed for the loads in the building with no spare capacity. Only 5 or 6 chargers could be installed in total in a building with 188 apartments! How do you allocate them as they would add value to any apartment owning one? The car park sub-boards cannot carry the extra loads of even one charger and would have to be upgraded on any floors with a charger, as would the supply mains to each sub-board. The main switch board would then have to be upgraded to add the heavier circuit breakers for the sub-mains upgrade. When Docklands was designed, a limit was put on the number of apartments in each precinct and the mains and transformers in the streets were designed accordingly. This means there is no capacity in the Docklands street grid for any significant quantity of car chargers in any building in the area. It gets better. The whole CBD (Hoddle Grid, Docklands) and Southbank is fed by two sub-stations. One in Port Melbourne and one in West Melbourne. This was done to have two alternate feeds in case one failed or was down for maintenance. Because of the growth in the city/Docklands and Southbank, neither one is now capable of supplying the full requirement of Melbourne zone at peak usage in mid- summer if the other is out of action. The Port Melbourne 66,000 volt feeder runs on 50 or 60 year old wooden power poles above ground along Dorcas Street South Melbourne. One pole is located 40 cm from the corner Kerb at the incredibly busy Ferrars St/ Dorcas St intersection and is very vulnerable to being wiped out by a wayward vehicle. The infrastructure expenditure required would dwarf the NBN cost excluding the new power stations required. These advocates of all electric vehicles by the year 2040 are completely bonkers. It takes 5-8 years to design and build a large coal fired power station like LoyYang and even longer for a Nuclear one (thats after you get the political will, permits and legislative changes needed ). Wind and solar just cant produce enough. Its just a green silly dream in the foreseeable future other than in small wealthy countries. It will no doubt ultimately come, but not in the next 20 years. So dont waste your upcoming vote in the federal election on the Greens or Labor because electric cars wont be happening for a long time yet! In related news, Lord Deben and his colleagues at the CCC foresee few problems in converting the whole country to electric vehicles in the near future. According to the report, more than 200,000 incidents of scams and swindles are reported to authorities every year. But researchers say that figure is just the tip of the iceberg. They estimate only that about 1 in every 23.5 incidents gets reported. Comparitech says the actual figure is closer to 5 million cases annually, resulting in more than $27 billion in losses. The average theft per crime is $2,415.The report is disturbing but what makes it even worse is that in the ranking of states with the highest rates of elder abuse, Virginia comes in at No. 5. Comparitech says that last year "more than 1 in 5 senior Virginians fell victims to elder fraud." Larceny is the most popular method used to swindle our senior citizens (42%), followed by false pretenses (24%), and credit card/ATM fraud (11.8%). And in cases involving intimidation of the elderly, the majority of perpetrators were someone the victims knew. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd is scouting for a partner in China to help it win a larger piece of the world's second-largest drug market, where the government is on a mission to drive down healthcare costs. With recovery underway in its US business, Sun Pharma's billionaire founder Dilip Shanghvi is homing in on China and believes market watchers are underestimating the potential there for India's largest drugmaker. There is a big opportunity for us, Shanghvi said in an interview with Bloomberg News last week. That would create a significant new revenue stream, which is not factored in our valuation when analysts look at it. China has rolled out an ambitious multi-city bulk procurement programme that's driving down prices and providing an opening for Indian manufacturers like Sun Pharma to compete. It's importing more drugs, reimbursing more and speeding up approvals of new medicines to ensure they reach patients faster. The policy push comes as many generic drugmakers are still reeling from a brutal price war in the world's biggest drug market, the US. While Sun Pharma's Indian rivals, like Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd and Cipla Ltd are already expanding in China, Shanghvi has mostly kept mum about his plans there. India's top drugmaker will start scaling up its China business in six to nine months, according to Shanghvi. The unit will contribute some percentage to Sun's $4 billion of overall sales within three years from almost nothing right now, he added. The $160-billion Chinese drug market is now a focus for Indian generics as US-approved drugs are cleared faster, Jefferies analyst Piyush Nahar wrote in a Feb. 27 note. While the reforms make China an attractive market, ramp-up and profitability will have significant challenges, Nahar wrote. Unlike US, distribution is important in China and will need a local partner and higher spend. Analysts are split on the prospects of Sun Pharma's stock, which has lagged the rise in the S&P BSE Sensex this year. In the last four years, it has plummeted nearly 52 per cent compared to the Sensex's 42 per cent climb. The move marked a major escalation in tensions between the worlds largest economies and a shift in tone from US President Donald Trump, who had cited progress in trade talks as recently as Friday. Washington: President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal on Sunday, saying he would hike US tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. The move marked a major escalation in tensions between the worlds largest economies and a shift in tone from Trump, who had cited progress in trade talks as recently as Friday. Stock markets sank and oil prices tumbled as negotiations were thrown into doubt. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday night that China was considering cancelling this weeks trade talks in Washington in light of Trumps comments, which took Chinese officials by surprise. US officials did not immediately know if China would attend and the US Trade Representatives Office did not immediately comment. Chinas commerce ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the editor of an influential, Chinese state-run newspaper said Liu was unlikely to go. I think Vice Premier Liu He will very unlikely go to the US this week. Let Trump raise tariffs. Lets see when trade talks can resume, Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the tabloid the Global Times, tweeted. The newspaper is published by the ruling Communist Partys Peoples Daily, but it not considered an official publication and does not speak for the government. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had described last weeks negotiations in Beijing as productive. But a less than rosy update from United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, including details that China was pulling back from some commitments it made previously, prompted Trumps decision and jab on Twitter at Beijing, officials said. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No! Trump said in a tweet. Global financial markets, which had been largely pricing in expectations of a trade deal, went into a tailspin. US equity futures fell more than 2 per cent and stocks across trade-reliant Asia tumbled, with Chinas main indexes plunging 4 per cent. Trump said tariffs on USD 200 billion of goods would increase to 25 per cent on Friday from 10 per cent, reversing a decision he made in February to keep them at the 10 per cent rate after progress between the two sides. The president also said he would target a further USD 325 billion of Chinese goods with 25 per cent tariffs shortly, essentially targeting all products imported to the United States from China. Trump wants to keep some, if not all, of the existing tariffs on China as part of any final deal to ensure China lives up to its commitments, a White House official said on Sunday. Mindful of his 2020 re-election bid, Trump suggested the measures were not leading to price increases for US consumers. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China, he tweeted. Tariffs on Chinese goods are actually paid to the United States by the companies importing the goods. Most of those companies are US-based. American businesses, while largely supportive of Trumps crackdown on Chinas trade practices, are eager for the tariffs to be removed, not expanded. Raising tariffs means raising taxes on millions of American families and inviting further retaliation on American farmers, said Christin Fernandez, a spokeswoman for the Retail Industry Leaders Association. Nevertheless, the presidents aggressive strategy drew rare bipartisan support from US Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who urged Trump to hang tough in a tweet: Dont back down. Strength is the only way to win with China. One Chinese trade expert said recent signs of resilience in both economies were breeding over-confidence. The urgency is gone. So, its likely to see a longer trade war, the expert said, speaking on condition of anonymity citing the sensitivity of the topic. Not getting close? Trumps latest threat could be counter-productive, said Tai Hui, Asia-Pacific chief market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management. As we learnt a year ago, Beijing could be willing to walk away if the US applies negotiation tactics that they dont agree with, Hui said. That said, both sides have invested significant time and resource to come this far and are likely to want to preserve the progress achieved in recent months. As recently as Friday, Trump said talks with China were going well. Mnuchin expressed hope last week that the Beijing and Washington rounds would lead U.S. advisers to a recommendation to Trump on whether a deal was reachable, and a White House official told Reuters that dates were being looked at for a potential meeting between Trump and Xi in June. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox News that the presidents tweet was a warning to China. The president is, I think, issuing a warning here, that, you know, we bent over backwards earlier, we suspended the 25 per cent tariff to 10 and then weve left it there. That may not be forever if the talks dont work out, he said. But Michael Pillsbury, an informal trade adviser to Trump and the director for Chinese strategy at the Hudson Institute, said Kudlows remarks downplayed the presidents intent. I take the presidents tweet at face value. I was disappointed that Larry Kudlow downgraded it to a mere warning, which may tend to undermine American credibility as the Chinese delegation prepares its position ahead of this weeks talks, he said. Last week, industry sources said they believed the talks were in the endgame, but the Trump administration official said aides had told the president that significant hurdles remained. The increase in US tariffs on Friday will be the first move of that kind since Trump imposed 10 per cent tariffs on USD 200 billion of Chinese goods in September, coming on top of 25 per cent tariffs on USD 50 billion of goods enacted earlier last year. Negotiations about tariffs have been one of the remaining sticking points between the two sides. China wants the tariffs to be lifted, while some US officials believe at least some of them should stay in place as a way to enforce any eventual deal. Significantly, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) issued a Request for Selection (RfS) for 500 MW (Phase I) of grid-connected solar PV projects in Tamil Nadu on a Build Own Operate (BOO) basis. The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) will buy power from the above project. Kolkata: The ongoing general elections seem to have taken its toll on the countrys solar sector. In what is seen as a new low in the Indias domestic solar sector, not a single solar auction was conducted in April 2019. This, despite 799 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity was tendered in the same month. Several engineering procurement construction (EPC) tenders were also announced in April 2019, according to India Solar Tender Tracker from Mercom Capital Group. In an earlier study, Mercom had reported that the solar industry seemed to be progressing at a sluggish pace in the light of the Lok Sabha elections. In contrast, in March, 5.3 GW of solar capacity had been tendered and 750 MW of solar projects were auctioned. Even on a year-on-year basis, the solar tender and auction activity in April this year was significantly lower. In April 2018, which itself was a low month, nearly 1.3 GW of new solar projects had been tendered and over 1.6 GW of solar PV capacity had been re-tendered, and 40 MW of solar had been auctioned, the Mercom report said. Significantly, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) issued a Request for Selection (RfS) for 500 MW (Phase I) of grid-connected solar PV projects in Tamil Nadu on a Build Own Operate (BOO) basis. The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) will buy power from the above project. SECI will enter into a power purchase agreement with the successful solar project developers for 25 years. It has set the upper ceiling tariff at Rs 2.85 ($0.041)/kWh. The other major tenders announced during this time included the tender by NTPC for the turnkey installation of 3 MW of solar PV power projects at its Kahalgaon unit, located in Bhagalpur district of Bihar and another tender by the Rajasthan Electronics and Instru-ments Ltd to set up 1.7 MW of solar PV projects with battery energy storage system in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The two partners had formed the 50:50 joint venture, Connaught Plaza Restaurant Ltd (CPRL), which had the mandate to run the fast-food chain in the countrys northern and eastern regions through the franchise route. In 2017, McDonalds terminated CPRLs franchise agreement, citing non-payment of royalties. New Delhi: The five-year dispute between US fast food chain McDonalds and local partner Vikram Bakshi over franchise rights on the outlets is likely to be resolved soon, as both the parties on Monday agreed to an out-of-court settlement before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) to end their dispute. The two partners had formed the 50:50 joint venture, Connaught Plaza Restaurant Ltd (CPRL), which had the mandate to run the fast-food chain in the countrys northern and eastern regions through the franchise route. In 2017, McDonalds terminated CPRLs franchise agreement, citing non-payment of royalties. On Monday, both the counsels for McDonalds India Pvt Ltd and Vikram Bakshi told a two-member NCLAT bench, headed by Chairperson SJ Mukhopadhyay, that they are trying to work out a settlement soon. The bench directed that either of the parties may file an affidavit, including the terms of the settlement being arrived at, on the next date of hearing on May 13. McDonalds and Bakshi had in 1995 signed a 25-year partnership agreement to open outlets of the US fast food chain in India. After the termination of franchise, a long-winding legal tussle for control of the business ensued, with Bakshi keeping around 165 McDonalds branded outlets operational in the northern and the eastern regions. McDonalds outlets in the southern and western regions are mostly run by Westlife Development, led by Amit Jatia. In August 2017, McDonalds had submitted to the NCLAT that a settlement of dispute with its estranged partner Bakshi was not possible. The major tussle started after Bakshi was ousted as MD of CPRL in 2013. Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan worked his sweat off in Middle Easts oil fields for his upcoming movie 'Bharat'. Director Ali Abbas Zafar has shared the sneak peek of the most anticipated movie. Ali Abbas Zafar, shared a post on his Twitter handle saying, Bharat in oil fields #middle east @Bharat_TheFilm, picture by dop Marchin.. Bharat in oil fields #middle east @Bharat_TheFilm , picture by dop Marchin.. pic.twitter.com/aImusnBrXL ali abbas zafar (@aliabbaszafar) May 6, 2019 In the tweet, the actor is seen donning a jacket and a pair of jeans with a rugged look to keep the audience wanting for more before the release. The actor is seen casting an intense stare and a strong physical appearance by holding a hammer in the picture. After seeing this post, the fans cannot contain their excitement and are falling short of words to appreciate the actors look! The Salman Khan Ali Abbas Zafar would be seen working together for the third time, after giving hits like Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hain' in the past. In the upcoming movie, Bharat Salman Khan will be seen giving his fans a visual treat by taking them on a ride through six phases of his life, spanning six decades which denote the actors triumphs and struggles. The movie is based on the genre of a historical drama depicting the Partition Of India and the events followed after the same. After seeing the movies trailer and songs, the fans have gone gaga over Salman Khan and cannot wait anymore to appreciate the actors stellar performance on the big screen. Including stellar performers like Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Disha Patani, Tabu, and Sunil Grover, the Ali Abbas Zafar directorial boasts of an ensemble cast promising power-packed performances. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, 'Bharat' is produced by Atul Agnihotri's Reel Life Production Pvt. Ltd and Bhushan Kumar's T-Series releasing Eid, 2019. Mumbai: Rakul Preet, who kickstarted her Bollywood career with Yaariyaan in 2014, is ready to be seen in another Bollywood flick De De Pyaar De, alongside senior actors Ajay Devgn and Tabu. In the movie, the 28 year old actress will be essaying the role of a younger girlfriend of a married older man, played by the 50 year old Ajay. Talking about her times on the sets and working alongside Ajay, she says, We all are professionals. It is very robotic on film sets, one moment you are laughing, crying, romancing, and action. It is all structured in our head. As professionals, it is the emotion that you give as per the demand of the script. Ajay sir never made me feel like I was new and that he is a seasoned actor. Everyone was welcoming. If I was nervous it would show onscreen and people are talking about the chemistry. De De Pyaar De was also embroiled in a controversy for casting Alok Nath who was accused in the Me Too movement. Reacting to it, Rakul reiterates what the actors and the makers have already said. It was shot much before. People have already given their clarification and I would not like to comment on it. The makers and Ajay sir have already commented on it, she says. While the actress started out her Bollywood journey in 2014, she has only starred in three Bollywood movies so far. The big-eyed beauty has made herself quite a star in down South. But the actress claims that its not a conscious decision. When I did Yaariyan, I was very new; I was not aware of the film industry, and I was very young. I had a Telugu film that released two months before Yaariyan and it turned out to be a huge hit. I had big film offers there, so I decided to do that. It was not a conscious break, she reveals. Adding further, Rakul reveals her ambition is to have quality work to her credit. I want to keep doing good films. I can work for 24 hours. I hope people want to see more of me as much as I want to be in films. At the end of it all, I want to have some great films to my credit, irrespective of which language it is in. I would like to explore that more here (Bollywood), she says. Having worked in both film industries, the actress reveals that there is no shorter way to success and money as struggling is part and parcel of that journey. Talking about it, she says, There is always a struggle, nothing comes easy. Sitting and cribbing that this person got it easy does not work; each and every person has to struggle. There is beauty in those struggles as you are working towards something that you want to get. You know the shelf life is lesser (for heroines) so you want to push yourself more as you want to do better work. I am not running for money, money is something that follows. Elaborating on it, she gives the example of her successful stint in the South movie industry. I did not become big in the south just like that, I had to work towards it. The fact that you do not get it easy makes you love and respect your work more. If I want to do a Dharma Production film, of course, there is a struggle to get one. There are so many people competing for it. I am working towards it. Whatever is meant for me will happen, concludes Rakul. SOn Sundays episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the 38-year-old star talked about her four-year apprenticeship with a San Francisco law firm, with the goal of taking the bar in 2022. People.com reports that for months now, Kardashian West has already been working with author and CNN commentator Van Jones and attorney Jessica Jackson on criminal-justice reform visiting prisons, petitioning governors, and even attending meetings at the White House. My goal in 10 years is to give up being Kim K, be an attorney and fight for so many deserving people, says the actress, who admits its not easy. Im dealing with my three kids, my career, the fourth baby coming and the stress of law school, she says, adding, But Im not afraid to work hard. Meanwhile, husband Kanye West has apparently offered her his full support. For the first time in the history of Tamil cinema the court had to intervene and pass orders to the Central Board of Film Certification to certify the Tamil film Marina Puratchi within 7 days, starting from the day the director declares that the film has no harmful content. Finally, director M.S. Raj who made the film has succeeded in his ongoing tussle with CBFC, when his film was denied censor certificate on three earlier occasions. The Revising Committee in Hyderabad headed by actress Jeevitha has awarded 'U' Certification to MP, with many cuts and mutes. Marina Puratchi is a political thriller based on the 8-day revolutionary protest in January 2017 when Tamil people from across the world demanded a removal of the ban on Jallikattu. Speaking to DC, Raj reveals, I have just tried to tell the world a few truths which were concealed from the public during the Jallikattu protest. There is absolutely nothing against the government or the religious sentiments of people. Still, the film was denied a censor certificate after being viewed by the regional Examining Committee and was sent to the Revising Committee, without giving any reasons. Again, MP, watched by a committee under actress Gautami, was banned and sent to 2nd Revising Committee. I did not hear from them for many months and hence I approached court. The film has been screened successfully in several countries including USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Yemen, Singapore and Malaysia. Tamils across the globe welcomed the film with open arms. I even got a censor certificate from Singapore and Australia to prove my point that the film has the right content and is a visual registration of what had happened in Marina in Jallikattu protest in January 2017. What were the objectionable portions of the film from the censors point of view, we ask. The Censor Board insisted that the film should not speak anything against PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Then they asked me to remove dialogues, which they felt are against the central government. They objected to portions involving caste politics. I have a feeling that for some reasons they were favouring PETA. However, I still argued with them that my film is purely based on Jallikattu protests and the truth behind it. There is nothing exaggerated to make it dramatic. I had to give up at some point of time and agreed to mute and remove certain dialogues. The film features Naveen and Shruthi who had participated in the protests as the lead actors. Ace Velraj is the cinematographer. Impressed with the film, Jesu Sundarraman from California has come forward to release the movie worldwide through his J Studios during May end, is how Raj signs off! Brunei's sultan has announced death by stoning for gay sex and adultery will not be enforced after a global backlash. (Photo: AFP) Brunei: Brunei's sultan has announced death by stoning for gay sex and adultery will not be enforced after a global backlash, but critics Monday called for harsh sharia laws to be abandoned entirely. In a speech late Sunday, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said a moratorium on capital punishment that already applies to Brunei's regular criminal code would also extend to its new sharia code, which includes death by stoning for various crimes. The code, which also punishes theft with the amputation of hands and feet, fully came into force last month in the small sultanate on Borneo island, making it the only country in East or Southeast Asia with sharia law at the national level. The move sparked anger from governments and rights groups, the United Nations slammed it as a "clear violation" of human rights while celebrities led by actor George Clooney called for Brunei-owned hotels to be boycotted. In a televised address, the all-powerful sultan made his first public comments about the furore and took the rare step of addressing criticism, saying there had been "many questions and misperceptions" regarding the sharia laws. "Both the common law and the sharia law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country," he insisted, according to an official translation of his speech. Some crimes in Muslim-majority Brunei including murder and drug-trafficking were already punishable with death by hanging under the regular criminal code, which is enforced alongside the sharia code, but no one has been executed for decades. Hassanal said that "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 (sharia penal code), which provides a wider scope for remission." Human rights monstrosity But rights groups said the announcement did not go far enough. "It really doesn't change anything," Matthew Woolfe, founder of rights group The Brunei Project, told AFP. "This announcement does nothing to address the many other human rights concerns about the (sharia code)." The maximum punishment for gay sex between men under the sharia code is death by stoning, but perpetrators can also be sentenced to lengthy jail terms or caning. Women convicted of having sexual relations with other women face up to 40 strokes of the cane or a maximum 10-year jail term. Whipping and jail terms, as well as severing of limbs for theft, under the new code were not affected by the sultan's announcement. It was not clear how far other sharia punishments would be enforced. The sultan also vowed in his speech Brunei would ratify the United Nations convention against torture which it signed several years ago. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said that "the entire law is a human rights-abusing monstrosity that should be scrapped. "It's a quaint but unrealistic idea that a temporary moratorium on the death penalty is worth something in a royal dictatorship where the sultan's word is law." LGBT stigma still strong While gay Bruneians were relieved the death penalty for homosexual sex would not be enforced, they said the law still encourages discrimination against LGBT people in the former British protectorate of about 400,000 people. "There will still be hate against LGBT people," Khairul, a gay man in Brunei who gave only one name, told AFP. "This law should be changed -- as long as it exists, there will always be stigmatisation against LGBT people and non-Muslims in Brunei." The sultan -- one of the world's wealthiest men, who has been on the throne over five decades -- announced plans for the sharia 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 skipping Friday prayers, but introduction of the harsher penalties was delayed after criticism. Analysts say he is seeking to burnish his Islamic credentials and shore up support among the country's conservatives due to the waning fortunes of the oil-dependent economy, which has been ravaged by recession in recent years. London: England, in a bid to curb animal cruelty, announced that no animals would be used as a part of travelling circus shows. The Environment Secretary Michael Gove announced that the new Bill will prevent animals like reindeer, zebras and camels from performing in circuses, reported the LADBible. The Wild Animals in Circuses Bill made it illegal for all travelling circuses in England to use wild animals. "Travelling circuses are no place for wild animals in the 21st century and I am pleased that this legislation will put an end to this practice for good, said Gove. Today's announcement follows other measures we have taken to strengthen our position as a world leader on animal protection, he announced. This Bill also includes ban on ivory sales to protect elephants and also aims to strengthen the protection of service animals in the country. As of 2018, a reported 19 animals were used in circuses including camels, racoons and zebras. This Bill is set to take effect after the circuss license regulations expire in January 2020. "After years of waiting for this issue to be resolved, Born Free is delighted that Mr Gove will now bring this Bill forward. The use of wild animals in travelling circuses is outdated and unpopular, and this legislation will bring England into line with a long and increasing list of countries which have banned this practice, said Dr Chris Draper, Head of Animal Welfare & Captivity at the Born Free Foundation. The Born Free foundation has supported the campaign and is hoping for a quick implementation of the Bill in Parliament. David Bowles, Head of Public Affairs at the RSPCA said: "We really welcome the Government introducing a Bill to ban the outdated practice of using wild animals in circuses. We've campaigned against having wild animals in circuses for many years. "It's high time keeping wild animals in circuses is consigned to the history books and we look forward to the day that it is banned for good in England," he added. According to the scientific report, habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity and it's happening worldwide. (Photo: AP) The United Nations plans to issue its first comprehensive scientific report on biodiversity, looking hard at the threat of extinction for Earth's plant and animal species and what it means for humanity. Report Chairman Robert Watson said last month that there are five major threats to biodiversity: the conversion of forests and grasslands into farms, overfishing of the oceans, climate change and pollution and the spread of invasive species. Watson said governments are beginning to take the issue seriously because if they cannot solve the intertwined threats of extinction and climate change, the world may end up hungrier and thirstier. For the past week, scientists from around the globe have met in Paris to come up with an authoritative statement. The summary from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services must be unanimously approved by more than 100 nations. When the meeting started, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay told negotiators that the report "will force us to face this dramatic degradation of biodiversity and to share this evidence with society as a whole." UN report states that nature is in the worst shape currently in the entire course human history. Around a million species of plants and animals are at risk of going extinct. The report released Monday says species are being lost at a rate tens or hundreds of times faster than in the past. More than half a million species on land lack sufficient habitat for long-term survival and are likely to go extinct, maybe within decades. The oceans are not any better off. Researchers say the problem traces back to humanity, but it's not too late to fix it. Conservation scientists from around the world convened in Paris to issue the report, which exceeded 1,000 pages. "Humanity unwittingly is attempting to throttle the living planet and humanity's own future," said George Mason University biologist Thomas Lovejoy, who has been called the godfather of biodiversity for his research. He was not part of the report. "The biological diversity of this planet has been really hammered, and this is really our last chance to address all of that," Lovejoy said. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) included more than 450 researchers who used 15,000 scientific and government reports. The report's summary had to be approved by representatives of all 109 nations. Some nations hit harder by the losses, like small island countries, wanted more in the report. Others, such as the United States, were cautious in the language they sought, but they agreed "we're in trouble," said Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, who observed the final negotiations. "This is the strongest call we've seen for reversing the trends on the loss of nature," Shaw said. "We're in the middle of the sixth great extinction crisis, but it's happening in slow motion," said Conservation International and University of California Santa Barbara ecologist Lee Hannah, who was not part of the report. The report was careful not to refer to a sixth mass extinction because its numbers do not come close to the 75 per cent rate of past extinctions, Robert Watson, a former top NASA and British scientist, who headed the report said. The report goes beyond species. Of the 18 measured ways nature helps humans, the report said 14 are declining, with food and energy production noticeable exceptions. The report found downward trends in nature's ability to provide clean air and water, good soil and other essentials. Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats and it's happening worldwide, Watson said. The report projects 15.5 million miles (25 million kilometers) of new roads will be paved over nature between now and 2050, most in the developing world. Many of the worst effects can be prevented by changing the way we grow food, produce energy, deal with climate change and dispose of waste, the report said. That involves concerted action by governments, companies and people. Individuals can help with simple changes to the way they eat and use energy, said the co-chairman of the report, ecological scientist Josef Settele of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Germany. That doesn't mean becoming a vegetarian or vegan, but balancing meat, vegetables and fruit, and walking and biking more, Watson said. "We can actually feed all the coming billions of people without destroying another inch of nature," Lovejoy said. Much of that can be done by eliminating food waste and being more efficient, he said. Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI) was designated as the state nodal agency for Climate Change in Karnataka to provide technical support in conducting research, training and capacity building in climate change programs. It's been decades since the warning first sounded on climate change. Nations around the world have responded, at their own pace, ultimately managing to put in place policies to tackle climate change. India, however, might be heading in the opposite direction. The current NDA government boasts of faster environment clearances and the Congress manifesto has woken up to environmental concerns too. Cyclone Fani is a wakeup call, agree experts, at a time of rampant deforestation, reduction of urban green cover and illegal sand mining that puts our rivers in danger. It's time for a sustained political approach towards designing eco-friendly policy, reports Aksheev Thakur. Climate change has become a major global issue, but has the IT hub, Bengaluru, done enough to minimise its effects? With air pollution on the rise in the city and the government struggling to contain it, it clearly has a long way to go . Karnataka made a start in 2018 when it designated the Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI) as a nodal agency to provide technical support for conducting research, training and capacity building in programmes dealing with climate change. Read | Guest column: Forest conservation is top priority The state action plan was a follow-up of the National Action Plan on Climate Change 2008, which sadly was not a wholehearted plan in itself. It talked of eight missions and we have fallen short in every one of them nationally. The state action plan remains largely ineffective too. Action plans should be integrated into the existing policies and states must re-imagine the way they frame policies, stresses Mr Kshitij Urs, a professor at the National Law School of India University. Dr Sharachchandra Lele of the Centre for Environment and Development, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) blames lopsided and unsustainable development for Indias contribution to the factors responsible for climate change. We need to design strategies that primarily address these lacunae and work very hard to find win-win situations, he emphasises. Members of Greenpeace India believe that not just India, but all developing nations, need knowledge, resources, expertise, technology and funds to support them in dealing with climate change issues. It's an excellent idea to have a policy specifically for climate change. And the state action plan on climate change does deal with mapping regional climate vulnerability, examining future projections, arriving at sectoral implications, and framing actionable strategies. But policies and action plans need to be accompanied by urgent implementation. It would be worthwhile to take a leaf out of the school strikes for climate happening worldwide, including in India and declare a climate emergency, as UK has done, to stress the importance of immediate and decisive action, suggests Mr Pujarini Sen, programme specialist, Greenpeace India. Current leadership doesnt believe in climate change A year ago, in March 2018 , the Supreme Court asked the Union environment ministry to explain why a huge amount of Rs 75,000 crore in various funds for the protection of the environment was not spent. The government may have a variety of excuses, but it only goes to shows the priorty that the country gives to green issues. In the run- up to the Lok Sabha elections, however, both the BJP and the Congress seemed to turn environment- literate and in their hurry to show their concern for it, promised to treat air pollution as an emergency. As a political party, the BJP does not believe in climate change. Environmental assessment has to be sensitive. It should have read the critique on compensatory afforestation as it is not the same as having the old forests kshitij urs, Professor, National Law School of India University While the Congress manifesto highlighted major environmental concerns and promised to put an end to illegal sand mining, which is threatening the existence of rivers, the BJP boasted about its achievements in the clean energy sector and its plans to deal with pollution. It claimed to have speeded up environmental clearances for projects and added around 9,000 kms to the forest cover of the country. But Mr Kshitij Urs, a professor at the National Law School of India University , takes these claims with a pinch of salt. As a political party, the BJP does not believe in climate change. Environmental assessment has to be sensitive. It should have read the critique on compensatory afforestation as it is not the same as having the old forests, he says. But even the fact that the politicians are willing to acknowledge the need for steps to contain climate change is a start as India will need to come out with more sustainable and eco- friendly development policies in future to do its bit to fight it globally. With temperatures soaring at 2-3 degrees Celsius above normal, the persisting hot weather is leading to increased incidences of heat strokes, dehydration, and other heat-related ailments which are known to peak during the summer season. Dr Aftab Ahmed, a senior consultant physician at Apollo Hospital, explains the various conditions and the precautionary measures that should be taken to dodge the heat effectively. QWhat is a heat stroke? What causes it, and what are its symptoms? A heat stroke occurs when ones core body temperature rises above 40C (104F). It is caused by the failure of thermo regulation and is usually accompanied by central nervous system dysfunction. Ideally, sweating helps maintain a healthy body temperature as it enables the loss of heat through evaporation. However, when dehydrated, one may not sweat as much and that can lead to their blood becoming concentrated, thereby impairing organ function. Subsequently, several organs may suffer tissue damage. Symptoms of heat stroke include high body temperature, lethargy, dizziness, nausea, hot red dry skin, rapid pulse, and altered mentation. QWhat measures can one take to help someone who might have had a heat stroke? A heat stroke is a medical emergency and demands prompt medical attention. Below is a step-by-step guide to helping a patient who might have come down with a heat stroke: 1. Call for an ambulance. 2. While waiting, shift the patient to a cool place and lay them down, preferably on their side. 3. Take off excessive clothing and sponge the person with cold water and place ice packs or cold wet towels on the persons head. 4. Fan the patient. 5. Shift the patient to the nearest hospital for further care. However, one must avoid administering fluids to an unconscious patient. QHow can heat strokes be prevented? Some measures that can be taken to prevent heat strokes. 1. Drink plenty of water or other cool, non-alcoholic fluids. Avoid very cold liquids as they can lead to stomach cramps. 2. Avoid performing physical activities in hot weather, especially between 11 am and 3 pm. If unavoidable, try rescheduling such activities to the cooler hours of the day. 3. Rest often. 4. Spend as much time indoors as possible, and ensure ventilation. Draw your blinds or curtains and use air conditioning if possible. 5. Eat smaller meals often. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages. 6. Wear light-coloured, loose-fitting cotton or linen clothing. 7.Use hats, umbrellas, sunglasses, and sunscreens. 8. Check in on older people, sick and frail family members, friends, and neighbours who might need help coping with the heat. Call them at least once a day when the weather seems unbearably hot. 9. Never leave children, older people, or pets in cars. QA large number of people are resorting to consuming packaged fruit juices and carbonated drinks to combat the summer heat. Does this affect the body negatively? Packaged fruit juices and carbonated drinks are especially harmful during the summer. Most packaged beverages contain high amounts of artificial sugars, which essentially means extra calories, and caffeine which, in excess, can leave one feeling parched and uneasy. QWhat foods would you recommend for diabetics and blood pressure patients to consume during the summer? Tomatoes, zucchini, dark leafy greens, and salmon are considered very healthy for diabetics and blood pressure patients to consume during the summer. Additionally, fruits like watermelons, apples, oranges, figs, pears, apricots, avocados, blackberries, and raspberries can help patients in regulating body temperature without having much effect on blood pressure or sugar levels. Yogurt is also considered very effective in maintaining a healthy body temperature during the summer. QIt is considered harmful to consume more than 3 servings of coconut water daily. Why is it so? Coconut water is rich in electrolytes and potassium, which is excellent for hydration. However, too much coconut water can cause Hyperkalemia, a condition characterised by an abnormal increase in levels of potassium. Hyperkalemia is a common cause of life-threatening arythmia and ventricular fibrillation. Therefore, one must be cautious about limiting their coconut water consumption to 3 servings a day, which sums up to a litre every day. QWhat foods must be avoided during summers? A large number of cases of heat boils and rashes are noted during summers. Avoiding the following foods can help minimize the occurrence of such issues: Meats, spicy foods, fried foods and fast foods like french fries, burgers, salty snacks, sauces and alcohol should be avoided. QWhat basic precautions must be taken in order to maintain healthy body temperature? While it is essential to consume plenty of fluids, alcohol, packaged beverages and caffeine must be avoided as far as possible. It is also a better idea to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day than to eat three or four large meals every day. Also, one must avoid going outdoors during the hottest part of the day. With respect to clothing, loose-fitting clothes and hats and umbrellas can help prevent body temperature from rising. Lastly, sunscreen and sunglasses are recommended. According to the statement by the Buckingham Palace, Prince Harry was by Meghan's side through out the entire birth. (Photo: Instagram) London: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed a baby boy into their royal House of Sussex just a few hours ago. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and wife of Britains Prince Harry, went into labour in the early hours of Monday, Buckingham palace said in a statement. The Duchess went into labour in the early hours of this morning. The Duke of Sussex (Harry) was by Her Royal Highness side. An announcement will be made soon, the statement by the Kensington Palace previously mentioned. The baby boy will be the first bi-racial individual born into the British royal family. According to the statement by the Buckingham Palace, Prince Harry was by Meghan's side through out and the baby weighed 3.2 kgs (7lbs 3oz) at birth. While the woman died of burn injuries at a Pune hospital on Sunday, the man is battling for life with over 40 per cent burns, an official said. (Photo: Representational) Ahmednagar: A woman and her husband were set ablaze allegedly by her father and relatives in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district as they were opposed to the couple's marriage, police said on Monday. While the woman died of burn injuries at a Pune hospital on Sunday, the man is battling for life with over 40 per cent burns, an official said. Terming it an honour killing, Inspector Vijaykumar Botre of Parner tehsil here said Mangesh Chandrakant Ranasing (23) and his wife Rukmini Rama Bharathiya (23) were set ablaze as they married despite being from different castes. The incident happened on May 1 in Nighoj village, 60 kilometres from the district headquarters, he added. "Ranasingh, a construction worker and Rukmini got married in November last year against the wishes of her parents. On April 28, she came to Nighoj village to meet her parents. On May 1, Mangesh came to take her to their marital home," Botre said. However, her father Rama Bharathiya, her uncle Surendrakumar and maternal uncle Ghanshyam Ranej locked the couple in a room and set them ablaze on May 1, the official said. Neighbours who heard the couple's screams managed to rescue them and alert the police, he said, adding that all the accused managed to escape. "We rushed them to Sassoon Hospital in Pune where Rukmini died on Sunday while undergoing treatment. In her dying declaration, she has named the accused. We have arrested Surendrakumar and Ghanshyam. Accused Rama Bharathiya is absconding and efforts are on to nab him," Botre said. The passenger was attempting to smuggle in almost 3,300 gm of the yellow metal of foreign origin which is worth over Rs 1.04 crore. (Representional Image) Hyderabad: An air passenger from Hyderabad who attempted to smuggle in gold by concealing it in a cloth wrapped around his waist and in his shoes, was apprehended by the Air Intelligence Unit of Hyderabad customs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Monday. The passenger was attempting to smuggle in almost 3,300 gm of the yellow metal of foreign origin which is worth over Rs 1.04 crore. This is the third case booked by the customs department this month. The passenger arrived at RGIA in Shamshabad on a Scoot Airways flight from Singapore at around 12.45 pm (TR 574) on Monday. He was taken aside for checking and the gold found in his possession. The passenger, identified as Chowtipalli Suresh, who arrived at Hyderabad was booked for smuggling. He was carrying the gold concealed in a cloth wrapped around his waist with black tape, and also some was in his shoes. A total of 33 gold bars were seized worth about `1.4 crore. A case has been registered and the passenger is being questioned, said AIU official. 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.(Photo: Representational | AP) Pune: A man on 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. Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conducted an aerial survey to assess the loss and destruction caused by Cyclone Fani in Odisha. Modi was received by Governor Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on his arrival at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here. PM Modi, who has three rallies scheduled later in the day in West Bengal and Jharkhand, immediately proceeded towards his chopper to carry out the survey of the worst-hit Puri district and other affected areas. PM Narendra Modi conducts aerial survey of #Cyclonefani affected areas in Odisha. Governor Ganeshi Lal, CM Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also present. pic.twitter.com/ZO9XkRC7kK ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 PM Modi praised CM Patnaik saying that he has done a good job in preparedness for the cyclone and with the govt by his side, things can take a turn for the better. "Naveen babu ne bohot acha plan kiya, Bharat sarkar usmei unke saath reh karke sari cheezon ko aage badha payegi" At least 34 people were killed during Cyclone 'Fani', which barrelled through coastal Odisha on Friday last, causing widespread destruction and leaving hundreds grappling with water shortage and power cut. The Prime Minister had on Sunday tweeted, "Will be in Odisha tomorrow morning, where I will review the situation due to Cyclone Fani and hold meetings with top officials. The Centre is committed to provide all possible assistance in relief and rehabilitation measures underway." The PM also spoke to the Chief Minister on Saturday and discussed the situation in the aftermath of Fani, assuring continuous support from the Centre. According to an official, Modi is scheduled to review the relief and restoration work in the state on his return from the aerial survey. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, had on Sunday reviewed relief measures in affected areas of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. He also wanted to do the same for West Bengal and the Govt of India had written to the State about a review meeting of PM with state government officials. However, the state government has replied saying that the govt officials are busy with election duty and hence the review meeting should not be held. Cyclone Fani on Friday lashed Odisha, triggering heavy rainfall accompanied by wind touching the speed of 200 kmph, and left three persons dead besides over 160 injured, a trail of destruction that included damaged houses, uprooted trees and electricity poles. The cyclone, the worst April storm in 43 years, caused "huge damage" in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri and Khordha districts in the state, according to the Odisha government. PM Modi had announced that the Centre has released Rs 1,000 crore to Odisha and other states to deal with the devastation caused by Fani. The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging the Jammu and Kashmir government's order restricting civilian traffic for a day in a week on a stretch of the national highway from Udhampur to Baramulla for the movement of security forces. (Photo: File) New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging the Jammu and Kashmir government's order restricting civilian traffic for a day in a week on a stretch of the national highway from Udhampur to Baramulla for the movement of security forces. Counsel for the Jammu and Kashmir government told the bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta that the order restricting traffic on the national highway was taken due to the ongoing election and will remain in force till May 31. The bench, after hearing the submissions, said, "We are not inclined to keep this petition pending." Hyderabad: The Congress on Monday welcomed the income-tax departments notices to over 40 TRS MLAs, including Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, seeking explanation into huge rise in their assets in the last 5 years. The main opposition party in the state also demanded that the I-T department to conduct a detailed probe into the issue. There is no doubt that many ruling TRS MLAs have accumulated huge wealth through illegal means and their assets were disproportionate to their known sources of income. The I-T department should either conduct a high-level probe or recommend CBI or judicial enquiry into the swindling of public money by the ruling party legislators, said TPCC treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy. He also pointed out that the KCR family has officially entered the `100- crore club without doing any business. Around 50 turmeric farmers from Telangana state tried to file nominations in Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting to highlight the plight of the farmers. Nizamabad: All Indian Turmeric Farmers Association (AITFA) demanded action against police, intelligence and election officials in Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency of Uttar Pradesh. Around 50 turmeric farmers from Telangana state tried to file nominations in Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting to highlight the plight of the farmers, but officials deliberately prevented them, claimed the association leaders. They submitted a memorandum to the Election Commi-ssion in New Delhi on Monday. Speaking to newsmen, AITFA national president P.K. Deivasigamani, Telangana and Tamil Nadu state unit presidents Kotapati Narasi-mha Naidu and K. Rama Gounder said that election officials in Varanasi did not cooperate with turmeric farmers and accepted one out of the 25 nominations. 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. At the time of the crash, all the passengers, along with the reserve driver and cleaner, were fast asleep. (Representional Image) Vijayawada: As many as 35 passengers were injured, seven of them grievously, when a private bus overturned and fell into a ditch at Nawabpet in Panuganchiprolu mandal of Krishna district in the early hours of Monday. According to police, the bus, belonging to Hyderabad-based Ramana Travels, was on its way to Hyderabad from Yanam, overturned when it was negotiating a turn. Police described the health condition of 11-year-old Mandapati Chinni from K. Gangavaram, East Godavari district was worrisome. All the injured were initially taken to a hospital in Nandigama. Later, 10 of them were shifted to the Vijayawada Government General Hospital. The bus, carrying 40 passengers, had started from Yanam at 6.30 pm and had reached Nawabpeta on NH-65, at 3 am. At the time of the crash, all the passengers, along with the reserve driver and cleaner, were fast asleep. The passengers managed to exit the bus after breaking a window. However, the driver of the bus, identified as Sk. Vali, was trapped by his leg in the mangled mass of steel, between the steering column and the clutch pedal. The rescue workers freed him after 2.5 hours of effort. Hyderabad: The first phase of the Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) elections held on Monday went off peacefully, barring minor clashes between the TRS and the Congress workers. Around 80 per cent polling was recorded, though the final figure will be announced by the State Election Commission. In the first phase on Monday, the elections were held for 212 ZPTCs and 2,365 MPTCs. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao did not vote. This has been criticised by opposition parties. Mr Rao left for Kerala by special helicopter in the afternoon and could have voted in the morning as booths opened at 7 am. Seven people sustained injuries in Ayyagaripalle in Mudigonda mandal in Khammam district as the Congress and the TRS workers clashed. Police reached the spot and brought the situation under control. The injured were shifted to the Government Hospital in Khammam. In Tirumalayapalem mandal headquarters, tension prevailed as TRS and Congress workers clashed. At one stage, the situation got out of hand. But, the police reached the scene and the warring workers scattered. EC nod for polls to 3 MLC seats The Election Commission has given the green signal to hold MLC elections for three vacancies of local body seats elections for three vacancies in the Legislative Council. The election notification will be issued on Tuesday and elections will be held on May 31 and results will be declared on June 3. The MLC elections will be held for Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda and Warangal local body seats. Patnam Narendar Reddy (Nalgonda) and Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy were elected to the Assembly and resigned as MLCs. Konda Murali from Warangal district resigned as an MLC before joining the Congress from the TRS. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. DR Rakesh K. Mishra, director, CCMB, said that this genetic study on Lakshadweep islanders would lead to a study of their health profiles in the near future. Hyderabad: A strong genetic link has been found between the islanders of Lakshadweep and the inhabitants of the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India, with minor influences from East and West Eurasia. The genetic study was carried out by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and published in Scientific Reports on May 6 to understand the peopling of Lakshadweep. An analysis of 557 individuals from eight major islands for mitochondrial DNA and 166 individuals for Y chromosome markers was undertaken by scientists from the region. A strong paternal and maternal link was found between Maldives, Sri Lanka and India. It was also found that a small group of people share links with East and West Eurasia. Lakshadweep, which is located between Africa and the south-western part of India, has been the route of early human migration from Africa to Andaman and Australia. Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj, senior author and chief scientist of the study at CCMB, explained, We expected the presence of genetic signatures of ancient people such as Andamanese and Australian aboriginals. We found maternal ancestry closer to South Indian populations, whereas the paternal ancestry was more common to those in Maldives and North India. The first genetic data suggests that majority of human ancestry in Lakshadweep is largely derived from South Asia with minor influences from East and West Eurasia. The authors studied eight major islands of Lakshadweep, namely, Agatti, Andorth, Bitra, Chetlat, Kadmat, Kalpeni, Kiltan and Minicoy. Dr Gyaneshwer Chaubey, one of the senior authors of the study and professor at Banaras Hindu University, said that even after regular historic interactions with people from different regions of the world, it is extremely interesting that we could see only limited number of founders. The first genetic study has also brought to light that despite the islands being a global maritime destination, most of the genes are only from these three countries. Dr Thangaraj says the only island which has a diverse genetic population is Minicoy. This means that it was a popular destination for maritime sailors and hence the genes are from different regions in the populace. Dr Rakesh K. Mishra, director, CCMB, said that this genetic study on Lakshadweep islanders would lead to a study of their health profiles in the near future. The total population of the archipelago is approximately 65,000. It is not clear when the first human settlement occurred. According to surviving historical documents, Buddhism came to these islands in the 6th century BC, Islam in 661 AD brought by Arabs, and the Cholas ruled the islands in the 11th century AD, the Portuguese in 16th century, Ali Rajahs in the 17th Century, Tipu Sultan in the 18th century and finally it came under the British Raj in the 19th Century. BJP candidate from Hoogly Locket Chatterjee leaves the Dhaniakhali Police Station after lodging a complaint in Hoogly on Monday. At a booth in Belmuri in Hoogly seat, Ms Chatterjee was seen threatening a polling officer. She is contesting against Trinamuls two-term MP Ratna De Nag. (Photo: AP) New Delhi: A grenade attack on a polling booth in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama district, violence in West Bengal and EVM glitches were reported during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls on Monday across seven states, where the average voting percentage on 51 seats stood at 62.56 per cent. Deputy election commissioner Sandeep Saxena said, In the entire phase five, for corresponding constituencies in 2014 the turnout was 61.75 per cent and for Mondays poll the turnout is 62.56 per cent, as last reported. Among the seven states, the highest voter turnout of 74.49 per cent was recorded in seven seats in West Bengal. The lowest turnout of 19.55 per cent was reported in J&K. Over 57.93 per cent of 2.47 crore eligible people cast their vote in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, where political heavyweights like Congress Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani were in the fray. Prominent voters in the state capital Lucknow included home minister Rajnath Singh, BSP supremo Mayawati, and deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma and BSP general secretary S.C. Misra. In Rajasthan, 63.78 per cent polling was recorded in 12 seats, while it was 63.88 per cent in seven constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, 57.86 per cent in five seats in Bihar and 63.72 in four seats in Jharkhand. With Mondays polling in Rajasthan, voting on all 25 Lok Sabha seats has been completed. During the day, violence was reported from West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir. Arjun Singh, BJP candidate in West Bengals Barrackpore, alleged that he was attacked by Trinamul workers. The BJP sought repolling in Barrackpore from where former railway minister and senior Trinamul leader Dinesh Trivedi, who is also the sitting MP, is contesting. Bomb explosions were reported from outside a booth at Hingli in Bangaon constituency following a clash between two groups allegedly owing allegiance to the TMC and the BJP. Two persons were injured. There were reports that a CPM agent was beaten up and driven out of a booth in Arambagh constituency. Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu well may land in an embarrassing situation if government officials do not attend the cabinet meeting that he intends to hold if the Election Commission (EC) doesnt grant them permission to be there. In that case, Naidu will have to hold the meeting only with his cabinet colleagues sans officials. As per rule position, the Chief Secretary (CS) needs to circulate a note to all the officials to be ready with relevant information and to attend the cabinet meeting after the information from the chief ministers office comes to him on holding the cabinet meeting. Senior bureaucrats in the government pointed out that since the election code was in effect in the state, the chief secretary may seek the advice of the EC whether to attend the meeting and also whether to circulate the note or not. If the EC does allow the CS to circulate the note, then the officials will attend otherwise they will not. Mr Naidu who was visibly miffed with the chief secretary L.V. Subramanyam for not attending his review meeting on super cyclone Fani preparedness had said that he would hold a cabinet meeting and talk to the officials indirectly hinting at taking the CS to task for violating business rules. Mr Naidu is of the opinion that while the Chief Minister and his cabinet was supreme, the chief secretary was only a facilitator and had to attend his review meetings when necessary. In this case, the CS may seek advice from the EC whether to attend and circulate the note. If the EC agrees then fine, otherwise it will be only ministers who will take part in the cabinet meeting, a retired senior bureaucrat told this correspondent. When the retired bureaucrat was told about the Chief Minister pointing at the cabinet meetings that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been heading even after the poll code came to effect, he said it was not clear if the Centre had sought the ECs permission or not and whether a permission was accorded or not. New Delhi: The battle for Amethi got bitter on Monday as BJP candidate Smriti Irani, who has thrown a strong challenge to Congress President Rahul Gandhi, alleged booth capturing in the constituency. Amethi, which has almost always been held by the Congress with four members of the Nehru-Gandhi family representing it, barring a few short spells, went to polls in the fifth phase of polls along with 50 other constituencies in Eastern UP. Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani are tied a direct contest with the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance not fielding any candidates here. Rahul Gandhi is also contesting from Keralas Wayanad seat, which went to polls on April 23. This time, the BJP top brass has put in its might in a bid to defeat the Congress President with Ms 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. On Monday, Ms Irani upper the stakes alleging booth capturing in her constituency while taking a dig at her Congress opponent Rahul Gandhi. I tweeted an alert to administration and EC (alleging booth capturing in Amethi), hope they take action. People of the country have to decide whether this kind of politics of Rahul Gandhi should be punished or not, she said. The Congress on its part, dismissed the allegation claiming that the BJP candidate was staring at a defeat and so looking for excuses. It now is more than clear that she has lost. Now, she is looking for excuses. If Rahul Gandhi ji is capturing booths, and capturing votes, then what is the election commission doing that has been working in a biased manner in favour of Modi and Amit Shah, a Congress spokesperson said. The Union Textiles Minister had earlier tweeted a video of a woman at Gujartola booth in Gauriganj alleging that she was forced to press the button with the hand symbol (of the Congress). She also took a dig at Congress general secretary and Rahul Gandhis sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. New Delhi: A presiding officer at a booth in Tarakeswar was removed after one person, allegedly belonging to Trinamul, was seen casting votes on behalf of others there. In Jammu and Kashmir, polling took place in Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency and also in Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. In Shopian, two polling booths were set on fire. Militants lobbed a grenade towards Rohmoo polling station and set off an explosion at another polling booth in Tral in Pulwama but no one was injured in the two incidents. Barring a few reports of poll boycott and EVM glitches, voting was largely peaceful in Bihar. One person was taken into custody in Saran for damaging an EVM. The voting process was delayed by around 30 minutes in six polling stations of Saran, two in Madhubani, one each in Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur constituencies due to technical glitches in EVMs, said an official. Meanwhile, in a development which may send worrying signals within the BJP, senior party leader Ram Madhav told a foreign news agency that the party might fall short of simple majority. Speaking to the news agency, Mr Madhav said, If we get 271 seats on our own we will be happy. With NDA we will have a comfortable majority. The party will make up for expected losses in the north Indian states it swept in 2014 with new gains in the northeast, as well as in West Bengal and Odisha, Mr Madhav said. The NDA government will pursue pro-growth policies if it returns to power as it has not shifted from a focus on economic reforms to one based on populist cash handouts, he said. The conservative forecast by Mr Madhav, who is the BJPs national general secretary, is far below what other party leaders, including finance minister Arun Jaitley and party president Amit Shah, have publicly claimed. New Delhi: US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad Monday met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and briefed her about the Afghan peace process. Khalilzad has been holding talks with the Taliban in Qatar's capital Doha to hammer out a deal to bring lasting peace and stability to war-ravaged Afghanistan. MEA spokesperson tweeted: Appreciate Amb @US4AfghanPeace Khalilzad briefing EAM @SushmaSwaraj on peace efforts in Afghanistan in midst of ongoing Doha meetings. Both discussed role of all regional stakeholders in bringing peace & development in Afghanistan. India will work with key partners in days ahead. pic.twitter.com/Sw78HuV4xa Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) May 6, 2019 Last week, the US officials held their sixth round of talks with the Taliban to end the over 17-year-old conflict in Afghanistan. In March, India conveyed to the US that it should not withdraw its troops from Afghanistan without putting in place an elected "political structure" to govern the country. Major powers such as the US, Russia and Iran have been reaching out to the Taliban as part of efforts to push the stalled Afghan peace process. India has been a key stakeholder in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. In a significant move, India had sent two former diplomats in "non official" capacity to a conference on Afghan peace process in Moscow in November last year which was attended by a high-level Taliban delegation. The conference organised by Russia was attended by representatives of Afghanistan as well as from several other countries, including the US, Pakistan and China. India has been maintaining a policy of not engaging with the Taliban and pressing for an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace initiative to bring peace and stability in the war-ravaged country. Jharkhand: Addressing a rally here on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi challenged the Congress to fight polls in the name of the Bofors-accused former PM Rajiv Gandhi. Continuing his tirade against Congress, Modi dared the party that if it "cares" about the party veteran's respect, it should fight elections in Bhopal, Delhi, and Punjab where polls are due on the issue of his respect. PM Modi gave a reminded to the Oppositions that there are two more rounds of elections to go, which also includes the polls for the national capital, Delhi. "I challenge the Congress party, the family of dynasts, their courtiers, their minions... If you have the guts, fight the Delhi polls for the honour of that former PM of the Congress, who had serious allegations against him and for whom you have been shedding tears for the last two days," he said. "I have the courage to put this challenge in front of you. Now let's see whether Congress and Mahamilavi (highly adulterated) people accept this Chowkidar's challenge," Modi said, adding that he had just "recalled the old misdeeds of a member of the naamdar (dynast) family." "They (Congress) have been abusing the Prime Minister of the country for last one year. I just make people remember about corruption in the Bofors deal. It created a storm. Some people felt a very intense ache in their stomach. The more these people will cry, the more this generation will become aware of how a family looted and destroyed the country," Modi said. He also accused the Congress of patronising corrupt leaders in the Opposition. Launching a blistering attack on Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Uttar Pradesh last week said that the life of his father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi ended as ''corrupt number 1'' in an apparent reference to Bofors case. Modi said, "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as Bhrashtachari No 1 (corrupt number 1)''. Responding to PM Modi's remark on his father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Sunday: "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." Finance Minister Arun Jaitley backed PM in a series of tweets saying 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. The alleged Bofors scam led to the collapse of the Rajiv Gandhi-led government in the 1980s. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. 'Digvijaya Singh had turned Madhya Pradesh into a state of darkness and that era is coming back,' Chouhan said. (Photo: ANI) Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh CM and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday held a 'lantern march' in Bhopal along with other party leaders and supporters. Chouhan held a rally to target the ruling Kamal Nath government and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh over the issue of shortage of electricity in the state. "Ever since Congress has come, electricity has become a major issue. Digvijaya Singh had turned Madhya Pradesh into a state of darkness and that era is coming back. 'Lalten' is the symbol of the era of darkness, that is why we are doing this march to raise awareness among the public," Chouhan said while speaking to ANI. Digvijaya Singh is contesting against BJP candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur from Bhopal Parliamentary constituency in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. On Saturday, Chouhan had accused Congress of blatantly lying on farm loan waiver in the state stating that both Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath have given contradictory statements on loan-waiver to farmers. "Both Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Kamal Nath gave contradictory statements on farm loan waiver. While the former is saying that the loans of farmers were waived within two hours of forming a Congress government in the state, the latter has sent messages to lakhs of farmers on their mobiles stating that though the application for waiving loans have been received it cannot be granted as Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the Lok Sabha elections is in place," Chouhan had said. Voting in Bhopal will take place on May 12. The counting of votes will be held on May 23. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. New Delhi: The BJP expressed dismay at the "outrageous" statement made by disqualified SP candidate from Varanasi Tej Bahadur Yadav, who allegedly hatched a plot to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi in exchange for Rs 50 lakh. "We are stunned by the statements of disqualified SP candidate from Varanasi, Tej Bahadur Yadav. We can see on television how he is telling the people that he is willing to plot the murder of PM Narendra Modi for a sum of Rs 50 crore. The fact that he was sought to be drafted by the Samajwadi Party as a candidate from Varanasi, it really stuns us," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said. "Parties like Congress in the past have supported urban naxals who, in a similar way, hatched a plot to assassinate the PM. In the charge sheet filed in the Bhima Koregaon case in a Pune court, the plot to assassinate PM Modi was clearly elaborated," he added. "We expect all those who believe in democracy and all right-thinking people to strongly condemn this act," Rao contended. Yadav, a former BSF constable, came into limelight in January 2017 after he posted four videos on social media about unpalatable food at his camp along the Indo-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir. The SP had fielded Yadav as its candidate against Modi on April 29. Prior to that, he was in the fray as an independent candidate. The candidature of Yadav, a former BSF constable, was rejected on Wednesday after he failed to submit a certificate on whether or not he was dismissed from the service for corruption or disloyalty to the government. The fifth phase of polling stands completed as of May 6. Two phases now remain on May 12 and 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. Bengaluru: Indicating that the stability of the ruling coalition in Karnataka depended on the stand taken by disgruntled Congress legislators, state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa said Monday there will be "political ups and downs" after the general election results are declared on May 23. He ruled out any possibility of his party's alliance with the JD(S), if such a situation were to arise. The former chief minister, however, said that those in BJP were not "political sanyasis." Yeddyurappa said it was too early to speak about the stability of the state government. "I want to say one thing clearly: Kumaraswamy had betrayed me after deciding to share power 20 months each (in 2006). There is no question of coming to an understanding with JD(S). There is no question of coalition government (with that party)," Yeddyurappa said. Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi, he claimed more than 20 Congress legislators were feeling disgruntled. Let's wait and see what decision they will take, he said. "It's too early to say anything... I have never said the government will collapse and I shouldn't say it also. What I'm saying is there will be political ups and downs after May 23 results, anything may happen. I'm not saying we will form the government or we will come to power," he added. In 2006, the BJP and a section of JD(S) MLAs forged an alliance to form a government on the basis of a power-sharing deal, according to which Kumaraswamy and Yeddyurappa would be the chief minister for 20 months each. As JD(S) refused to transfer power to Yeddyurappa after 20 months, the BJP in October 2007 decided to withdraw support to the Kumaraswamy government, ending an uneasy and often bitter relationship, accusing the regional party of "betrayal." Pointing out that there is a "lot of confusion" in the state politics, Yeddyurappa said it is certain that Narendra Modi will become the prime minister of the country once again, and the results of Lok Sabha polls will have an implication on the politics here. "I'm not day dreaming to say that their (Congress and JD(S)) government should collapse. Let them concentrate on them being together. Am I responsible for Congress and JD(S) fighting each other; am I responsible for differences between them?" he questioned. To a question about BJP being held responsible for differences between the coalition partners, Yeddyurappa said, "Are we political sanyasis? Should we go and unite them?" There is a talk within political circles that any adverse results for the coalition in the Lok Sabha election, which they fought in alliance, would have implications on the Kumaraswamy-led government. Also, rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been hobnobbing with the BJP for some time has been threatening that he along with other MLAs would resign from the party soon in bulk, which has caused fear among the ruling coalition leaders as it would trigger the number game in the assembly. Adding to this is a meeting of "like-minded" MLAs that is likely to take place under the leadership Congress legislator S T Somashekar, soon after the by-polls for Kundgol and Chincholi assembly segments ends on May 19, to discuss issues faced by MLAs under the coalition government and long-pending development work, which is worrying the alliance leaders. Predicting the defeat of former Union ministers Veerappa Moily in Chikkaballapur and K H Muniyappa in Kolar, Yeddyurappa said, in Tumkur the chances of our candidate winning is more against former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, in Mandya independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh supported by the party will win "100 per cent" against Kumaraswamy's son Nikil, while there is a fight in Hassan, where Gowda's other grandson Prajwal Revanna is the JD(S) nominee. Yeddyurappa also said the party high-command will decide on the next state unit president, and he would continue as the leader of the opposition. Hyderabad: With the elections drawing to a close, Telangana Rashtra Samiti president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has stepped up efforts for the formation of the Federal Front. On Monday Mr Rao flew to Kerala on a special flight and will proceed to Tamil Nadu. He also talked to Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy. Mr Rao is assuming that neither the BJP nor the Congress will get a majority to form the government at the Centre and thus regional and other national parties will have a role to play if they are united under a Federal Front. Mr Rao met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Trivandrum on Monday and discussed the Federal Front and sought the support of Left parties. He will meet DMKs M.K Stalin in Chennai on May 13. The two leaders have discussed the formation of a Front earlier too and Mr Stalin welcomed the proposal. In fact, the DMK is a partner in the United Progressive Alliance led by the Congress and they have tied up for the elections in Tamil Nadu. Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy called up Mr Rao on Monday and discussed the latest political situation. According to the Chief Ministers Office (CMO), Karnataka Chief Mini-ster H.D. Kumaraswamy on knowing about the Chief Ministers visit to Kerala and Tamil Nadu had a telephonic talk with Mr Rao. Elections are over in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, hence Mr Raos visit to these states. The final phase of the elections will be held on May 19. In the weeks gap before the results are announced, Mr Rao is planning to meet Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav and other regional party leaders. He may also go to Delhi to meet some national leaders for the Front. Most recently, to deal with widespread elite complaints of voting machines being hacked though no credible evidence was ever available the EC enabled printing out of the vote. A duality of capacity and intent casts a patina over elections in India. At one end, battery-powered, surround-sound hologram discs worn around a party workers neck shock and awe while belting out the BJPs message in remote Himachal Pradesh. At the other end, the less well-endowed Aam Aadmi Party in metropolitan Delhi is falling back on traditional, direct public contact via volunteer foot soldiers, despite the attendant risks of getting physically assaulted by irate discontents in Delhis sweltering heat, as Arvind Kejriwal did. Duality also pervades the functioning of the Election Commission of India while ruling on complaints about breach of the Model Code of Conduct by the Prime Minister. Principled dissent by one commissioner dims the shine from the clean chits given, thus far, by the EC. On process, there is a delicious irony in the EC striving for international standards to protect the vote of large swathes of barely literate voters through state-of-the-art, standalone electronic voting machines, introduced two decades earlier as a manipulation-proof solution to the erstwhile pervasive problem of booth capture and the resultant stuffing of ballot boxes with fraudulent votes. Most recently, to deal with widespread elite complaints of voting machines being hacked though no credible evidence was ever available the EC enabled printing out of the vote. Each voter can now challenge the machine instantly, if an incorrect vote is registered. Never mind that one-third of voters cannot read. A triumph of process over substance. The Annual Survey of Education Report 2018 records that one-third of those schooled till Class 8 cannot even read a Class 2 text. This factoid illustrates the duality of State action deep commitment to protect the periodic political rights of the top two-thirds, while ignoring the basic human development needs, like functional education, of the bottom one-third, particularly women. The recent book by psephologists Prannoy Roy and Dorab Sopariwala, The Verdict, estimates that 21 million women are missing from the electors list. Despite one-fourth of people living away from where they were born, no arrangements exist for domestic work migrants to vote from where they work. But enthusiasm abounds for facilitating NRIs to do so. Duality is also embellished by the tradition of massive, hugely expensive election meetings with thousands of supporters taken in buses to a central point so that star campaigners the ECs nomenclature for top leaders of recognised political parties can jet hop daily to address several events across states. These jamborees achieve little. They dont allow a dialogue between national leaders and local voters. The rhetoric is anodyne and sufficiently generic to be repeatable, with minor variations, across multiple locations. But it becomes incomprehensible to local voters. National leaders often fail to engage the crowd beyond entertaining it via mud-slinging and bragging the more scathingly humorous the better in the earthy manner patented by Lalu Prasad Yadav. The BJP invariably highlights the strong government it has provided as evidenced by standing up to China in the Doklam crisis; launching the cross-border surgical strikes and airstrikes punishing Pakistan for covertly aiding terrorism in India and now its success in getting Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar labelled as a global terrorist by the UN Security Councils sanctions committee an illustration of Indias rising international clout and external stature. The riposte from the Congress remains that the strength or weakness of a nation should be judged by the results its government delivers on the ground income growth, jobs and the well-being of the bottom half and not linked merely to the rising prosperity of a few at the top or their overseas cheerleaders. Both accuse each other of being corrupt and self-serving. The BJP fingers the Congress for being soft on Islamists. The latter accuses the BJP of crony capitalism, being anti-dalit and anti-farmer. Visiting dignitaries launch their broadsides at each other and then scoot. But the reality of national politics lies in local, municipal issues, managed through quiet backroom work by local cadres stitching together alliances based on past affiliations, favours done and received and future promises. It is this ground level patchwork of loyalties which determine how people actually vote. The BJP has better community networks in urban areas courtesy the RSS. The Congress, ironically, is better placed in rural areas, where the sun has been setting for the past three decades, ever since economic liberalisation in 1992. Duality also afflicts the trope that secular governance is at risk if the BJP wins a second term. This narrative is roundly rejected by the BJP, which maintains it only seeks a level playing field especially so for Hindus, by ending the electoral muscle of the minority community pocket boroughs. Its multi-regional alliances are evidence of this. Besides the Shiv Sena, which has a history of Maratha chauvinism, the key allies of the BJP Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab, Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) in Bihar, the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu; as well as half-allies like the Biju Janata Dal in Odisha; potential allies like TRS in Telangana or Jaganmohan Reddys YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh; do not buy into Hindutva. Is it sheer opportunism which allows these parties to sleep soundly with the BJP even as Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh; the Left Front in Kerala; Sharad Pawars Nationalist Congress Party; Mamata Banerjees Trinamul Congress and the Congress see aligning with the BJP as abhorrent to their ideals? This begs the question whether the loose Opposition Mahagathbandan merely others the BJP just as the BJP others Muslims? Can it be that the BJPs Hindutva stance is just a periodical, political convenience during elections, rather than a binding, real-time, social objective? What future might Hindutva hold for lay Hindu leaders like Narendra Modi or Amit Shah versus the stoic mystique and spiritual prestige of a religious leader like Yogi Adityanath? Is there a yawning duality within the BJP, between the political convenience of playing the harsh, Hindutva tune just enough to keep the communal pot boiling versus working actively towards handing over real political power to the sants and mahatmas who represent the core of Hindutva? There are more questions than answers here. But these contrary, often conflicting themes are cracks through which the truth slips, thereby retarding an open, mutually rewarding, synergistic relationship between Indias voters and political parties. There are some striking similarities between what Winston Churchill had said about Indian independence in the British Parliament on March 6, 1947 and what The Economist wrote about India in general and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular in its latest issue, that hit newsstands over the weekend. In his speech, Churchill had argued that India should be given dominion status, still partially governed by the British King, versus full independence. Second, he argued: Let the House remember this. The Indian political parties and political classes do not represent the Indian masses. It is a delusion to believe that they do. A lot of water has flowed down the Thames and the Ganga-Yamuna since then but in the minds of the editors of The Economist, time has not changed. In such a time-wrapped mindset, its not surprising that they think they have better judgment than ordinary Indians about Indias own affairs. These apostles of British supremacy, who themselves cannot decide for the past two years about a pivotal issue in their country like Brexit, are questioning the wisdom of the Indian electorate. It is not the first time that The Economist has shown such a supremacist mindset. This magazine had even expressed disapproval of Indias space programme, and had argued: What if the 16,000 scientists and engineers now working on space development were deployed instead to fix the rotten sanitation? Of course, The Economist wont suggest scrapping the 400 million UK Space Agencys budget to partially fill the mega deficit of 4.3 billon in Britains public health system. Its indeed more than spare change. Coming to the specifics, The Economist has detailed a long list of so-called failures such as demonetisation. Even if we ignore that many items in this list are copy-pasted from the speeches of their favourite leader, Rahul Gandhi, the magazine has conveniently forgotten that the ruling BJP has won several elections after demonetisation. It also thinks that the rise of GDP growth from five per cent in 2014 to above seven per cent under the Narendra Modi government is only a marginal increase. So cluttered is the vision of this magazines editors that when the entire Opposition in India criticises Mr Modi for over occupying media space, The Economist claims that he appears only at major events. Its claim of a raging Hindu-Muslim divide by the current government is also equally baseless. This government hasnt discriminated against anyone on the basis of his/her caste, region, faith or gender while implementing any of its welfare and development schemes, be it be Ujjwala, microfinance, housing or critical healthcare. They all were implemented in a highly efficient and transparent manner and on the basis of uniform criteria. Of course, The Economist wont talk about it. On the contrary, despite accepting that the Congress is corrupt, inefficient and weak, there is wishful thinking in the minds of the editors of The Economist that Rahul Gandhi should lead the next government. Even in 2014, it endorsed Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister. They have given a long laundry list of the so-called misdeeds of this government, but didnt bother to mention even one for the Congress, conveniently forgetting the 1984 pogrom against Sikhs by Congress workers for which no one is convicted so far. They are full of praise for the unrealistic promises in the Congress manifesto. As a magazine which is focused on the economy, The Economist at least should have asked some tough questions on how a scheme like Nyay would be funded without increasing taxes and/or widening the fiscal deficit. One finds a few other striking similarities between the attitude of Churchill and that of The Economist and its editors as far as India is concerned. Churchills role in the deaths of millions in the 1943 Bengal Famine is well documented. But there are some historians like Allan Packwood, who have justified even this dreaded action of Churchill. It was a horrendous event but it needs to be seen within the context of the global war Churchill was running a global war at this point, and there are always going to be conflicting priorities and demands Its an incredibly complex and evolving situation and hes not always going to get everything right, wrote Packwood. Similarly, The Economist too argues that the Congress is corrupt, inefficient, but is still better suited to govern India (because the Congress has different priorities). Similarly, this is what Churchill said about Mahatma Gandhi: It is alarming and nauseating to see Mr Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple lawyer, now posing as a fakir striding half-naked up the steps of the Viceregal Palace. He even argued in favour of getting rid of the Mahatma. It seems The Economists editors feel equally nauseated seeing the backward Narendra Modi occupying the hearts and minds of over a billion Indians, rather than princely dynast Rahul Gandhi. While the arguments in The Economist editorial are full of arrogance, a we know better than you attitude and elitist, at the same time its a reflection of its defeatist mindset. Churchill was very saddened by the disappearance of Britain from the East, and he further said: It is with deep grief I watch the clattering down of the British Empire, with all its glories and all the services it has rendered to mankind But, at least, let us not add by shameful flight, by a premature, hurried scuttle at least, let us not add, to the pangs of sorrow so many of us feel, the taint and smear of shame. One finds a similar tone of accepting the eventual defeat of the Congress in the editorial of The Economist. Fortunately, not everyone in the United Kingdom is of the same mindset as The Economist. After Narendra Modis thumping victory in 2014, Londons Guardian newspaper wrote: Today, 18 May 2014, may well go down in history as the day when Britain finally left India. Narendra Modis victory in the election marks the end of a long era in which the structures of power did not differ greatly from those through which Britain ruled the sub-continent. India under the Congress was in many ways a continuation of the British Raj by other means. Therefore, its not the popularity and certain victory of Narendra Modi that is despicable and dangerous, but the elitist mindset of The Economist. The sooner it comes out this echo chamber, the more acceptability it is likely to gain. Otherwise, it can continue with its eternal daydream of making Rahul Gandhi Indias next Prime Minister. That daydream will not become reality on May 23, 2019, and not even in 2024! The banking system is creaky, LICs coffers were rifled to shore up public sector units as disinvestment was a flop, and foreign direct investment, which reflects the confidence that foreign investors have in the economy, is at a five-year low. Terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir were up 176 per cent even though the harebrained demonetisation drive was to cut off terror funding. Truce violations by Pakistan have increased by 100 per cent in the last five years. This partial glimpse of the report card of Narendra Modis five-year rule underscores the accusation of his predecessor, Dr Manmohan Singh, that he (Mr Modi) has left the economy in dire straits and its time to show him the exit door. Dr Singh is echoing the pain and suffering of vast sections of the population, particularly in rural India, where farmers were promised the cost of production plus 50 per cent bonus on their produce, but got nothing. One of the biggest failures of the Modi government has been on the employment front, where unemployment is at a 45-year high at 6.1 per cent. Mr Modi had promised two crore jobs a year, but barely a few lakhs have been created. Among the worst victims of Mr Modi reneging on his promise of jobs are the 7-10 million youth and others who enter the job market annually. In fact, five million jobs were lost due to the demonetisation of `1,000 and `500 currency notes. What is more deplorable is that Mr Modi tried to scuttle the release of the report on the labour situation by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). Every Indian should now be concerned at the finance ministrys latest report which indicates that the economy is in a slowdown mode. The GDP for the January-April quarter is at 6.5 per cent, down from the earlier 7-8 per cent. Added to this, growth in the core sector (infrastructure), which is a job creator, is at a two-year low. This means even fewer jobs. Interestingly Mr Modi rode to power hammering at the fact that the second UPA government suffered from policy paralysis. The tables have been turned now as he faces the same accusation from Dr Singh. There have been more than murmurs that decision- making on economic issues is concentrated in the Prime Ministers Office, with even senior ministers being mere rubber stamps justifying the lack of economic vision that Dr Singh accuses Mr Modi of. The face-off with the Reserve Bank on the use of its reserves is well known following the resignation of then RBI governor Urjit Patel, who objected to the RBIs autonomy being trampled upon. Mr Modi has not left a single institution untouched, including educational institutions, where the ideology of the Sangh Parivar is being pedalled. To make sure the brand makes inroads in the market, this wireless headphone are getting launched at a price of Rs 1,699 only. Blaupunkt has launched a Bluetooth wireless headphone BH01 for the Indian market. The leading German audio products brand, Blaupunkt entered India with its personal audio range of products in February 2019. Its initial offerings were all in in-ear space like earpods (BTW01) and the lightest BT earphone (BE-01). Carrying the same legacy forward of bringing the products only with the latest Bluetooth 5.0 technology, they have added the first on-ear headphone BH01 in the market. To make sure the brand makes inroads in the market, this wireless headphone is getting launched at a price of Rs 1,699 only. Counting on the unique features- it not only carries the latest 5.0 BT technology, but it also has a unique Equalizer button which will help you choose between Blaupunkt Music mode or Turbo Boost mode. The turbo bass mode is specially designed keeping Indian consumer music tastes in mind. This feature is unheard on in the market and especially in this price range. The beautifully designed headphone has metal bearings which will make it sturdy. With a 300mAh battery, the headphone will last up to 10 hours in a single charge. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. May is traditionally a time when school kids are on vacation and parents are trying their level best to ensure that work and family time is well-juggled. With smartphones being a tool to gain insight into the best possible activities for your kids or for you to just zone out and kick it with a few games of PUBG, there is never the need for an occasion to actually purchase a smartphone. Recognizing the needs of consumers, at this time period, smartphone manufacturers from across the globe are readying to launch their latest products. With the first slew of smartphones already being announced, the world is now awaiting the second onslaught of devices that are expected to launch in May. Brands like Google, OnePlus, Redmi and more are all preparing to launch their latest and greatest. Below we look at some of the handsets that could be launched this month. Nokia 9 Pureview The upcoming flagship from HMD Global has been teased and with Nokia hosting an event in India, it is widely expected that the Nokia 9 Pureview will finally make its first appearance on our shores. The smartphone is as unique as unique gets as it comes with not three or four cameras at the back but a Penta camera layout. This is by far the smartphones biggest selling point. Nokia handsets have long been known as having capable shooters due to their use of Zeiss optics and the Pureview is no different. The Nokia 9 Pureview comes with five rear cameras all comprising of 12MP shooters. HMD Global has shared that two of the five sensors are RGB sensors while the rest are monochromatic sensors. Also, we find a 3D ToF sensor on the handset. The front-facing camera is no slouch either with HMD Global adding a 20MP shooter up front with HDR support. The handset features a 5.99-inch OLED display with a QHD+ resolution and will include an in-display fingerprint sensor for authentication. The handset comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC which is clocked at 2.8GHz making it quite a beast. The battery is the only area where the handset is lacking in comparison to flagship devices as it features a lowly 3320mAh battery. However, for good measure, the handset is capable of supporting 18W fast charge. OnePlus 7/7 Pro After releasing banger after banger, OnePlus is gearing up to launch the OnePlus 7 Pro at a special event in New York. This handset will come with state of the art technology including a QHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. With this feature in tow, the HDR10+ screen will be buttery smooth and fall in the gaming smartphone category, giving competition to not just flagship handsets but also gaming handsets with tricked out hardware. Also, we expect the handset to feature stereo speakers but we arent quite sure how they will place it since the face of the OnePlus 7 Pro is an all-glass affair. As far as optics go, the OnePlus 7 Pro will come with three rear cameras which are said to comprise of a wide sensor, an ultra-wide lens and a telephoto lens. The last mentioned sensor is confirmed to feature a 3x zoom while the main sensor will be a 48MP shooter. A notable absentee on the device is the fingerprint scanner on the rear. This feature was removed with the OnePlus 6T and it only makes sense that the OnePlus 7 series will not come with it as well. Under the hood, the OnePlus 7 Pro will come loaded with a Snapdragon 855 chipset and its starting price is believed to be USD 700 which is about Rs 48,500. Google Pixel 3a/3a XL At Google I/O 2019, the search giant is set to unveil its first smartphones of 2019 and these are expected to be the Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL. These handsets are lite versions of the Google Pixel 3 that launched last year and while it may not come with flagship specs, it will offer the best hardware where it matters the most cameras. The Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL thankfully dont come with an unsightly notch but with a chin and forehead that adds a bit of class to a segment thats currently dominated by notches, cutouts and whatnots. As of right now, the specs havent been officially revealed but rumours claim that the 3a XL will come with a 6-inch FHD+ display, a Snapdragon 710 SoC, a 12.2MP rear camera, an 8MP front-facing camera, 6GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. There will be a USB Type-C port with support for 18W fast charging for the 3700mAh battery. The Pixel 3a is expected to feature identical specifications except for the screen size which is trimmed down to 5.6-inches. The battery here is expected to be 3000mAh and it too should come with fast charging. The Pixel 3a and 3a XL will come in three colour options Just Black, Clearly White and Purple-ish. Samsung Galaxy A80 The Samsung Galaxy A80 has already been announced overseas and it is expected to launch in India this month. The Galaxy A70 is currently the brands highest-end A-series device and with the launch of the A80, it will get a higher-end sibling. The Galaxy A80 features a unique camera mechanism where it not only pops-up but also rotates to capture selfies. When users select the selfie mode in the camera app, the three cameras automatically pop-up from the back of the phone and rotate. The camera mechanism delivers the same triple camera experience with the same lens, front and rear, so you never have to sacrifice on quality. Enabled by the rotating camera, people can experience an uninhibited view with Samsungs first New Infinity Display which measures at 6.7-inches and features an FHD+ Super AMOLED screen. The Galaxy A80s 3,700mAh battery and its Super-Fast Charging at 25W capabilities keep you connected for longer. Lastly, you can experience 360-degree audio experience with earphones or speakers because of Dolby Atmos which is featured here. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Trump said he is raising some tariffs because the trade talks are going too slowly. (Photo:AP) Washington: US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States will raise tariffs on USD 200 billion of Chinese goods -- a blunt warning to Beijing just days before what is being billed as a last-ditch round of talks to reach a deal or resume their trade war. To press China even more to accept US demands, Trump also threatened again to slap tariffs on all Chinese imports to the US -- worth USD 539.5 billion last year. The next round of talks with a major Chinese delegation is scheduled to start Wednesday in Washington. Trump said he is raising some tariffs because the trade talks are going "too slowly." "For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25 per cent on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10 per cent on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods," Trump tweeted. "The 10 per cent will go up to 25 per cent on Friday." The two sides have imposed tariffs on USD 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. Trump says he wants to reduce the huge US trade deficit with China, which in 2018 totaled USD 378.73 billion with services trade included. 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 intellectual property theft and subsidies to state-owned companies. The US president has insisted throughout the process that he will not accept a watered-down trade accord. And his administration warned recently that trade talks could not simply go on forever. The next round of talks could see Trump announcing a summit with President Xi Jinping to sign a trade accord with a potentially historic scope, or the trade war could resume and worsen. For now, the Trump administration insists that the trade hard has left US economy unscathed, unlike the Chinese economy, which last year posted its slowest growth in nearly 20 years. Trump asserted that so far the tariffs he slapped on Chinese goods "are partially responsible" for the robust US economy, which in the first quarter grew at an annual rate of 3.2 percent. But many economists are worried about the longer term effects on the US economy. Some US manufacturers who import Chinese products that are subject to tariffs are already complaining of higher costs. And economists warn that US consumers will end up paying more for everyday items. China's lead negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, and his people are expected to arrive in Washington on Wednesday. So far, the Chinese side in the talks has agreed for China to buy more US products, mainly in the farm and energy sectors. But one major obstacle to reaching a final deal continues to be a mechanism for enforcing any accord that is agreed upon. The Trump administration says it has seen promises and commitments ignored in the past, so this time it will not sign a deal unless it features measures that will allow Washington to verify that China is keeping its word. Beijing is pressing for the US to lift the tariffs it has imposed, which Washington is evidently not willing to do. Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that Trump is prepared to impose even more tariffs if no deal is reached. "The manner in which tariffs would come off is going to be a part of the enforcement mechanism and all of that is the subject of negotiations as we talk," Pence told CNBC. Trump's chief negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, told the Senate Finance Committee in March that America must keep open the option of raising tariffs on Chinese imports as a way to be sure China complies with the trade deal the two sides are working to complete. Dramatic footage shared on social media showed Aeroflot's Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft, land at Sheremetyevo international airport, flames and black smoke pouring from its fuselage. (Photo: Twitter) Moscow: Forty-one people including at least two children have died after a Russian passenger plane made an emergency landing and erupted in a huge ball of fire and black smoke at Moscow's busiest airport on Sunday, investigators said. 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, 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. "There were 78 people including crew members on board the plane," the Investigative Committee said in a statement, adding that the plane had been flying to the northwestern Russian city of Murmansk. "According to the updated info which the investigation has as of now, 37 people survived." A spokeswoman for the investigators confirmed the death toll was 41. Another 11 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 calmly towards the airport. "I believe they were in a state of deep shock." The jet carrying 73 passengers and five crew members had just left Sheremetyevo when the crew issued a distress signal, officials said. "Flight Su-1492 took off on schedule at 6:02 pm (1502 GMT)," said a statement from the airport. "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," it added. 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. The jet reportedly managed to land on its second attempt, hitting the ground with its landing gear first and then its nose. 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 had offered his condolences to the victims' loved ones, the Kremlin said. He has also said the investigation "should be as thorough as possible," the Kremlin added. 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's 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 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." The government offered subsidies to encourage Russian airlines to buy the Superjet and Aeroflot has become its main operator. In September 2018, it announced a record order of 100 Superjet-100s. After the tragedy some suggested that Russia may be better off abandoning the Sukhoi Superjet altogether. China: An extreme high security prison in China has installed a high-tech guard in every cell. The Yancheng prison, which is completely run by the countrys Ministry of Justice, has installed cameras in all the cells in a lavish attempt to use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to monitor all the inmates. The system, tentatively named as smart jail system involves a network of hidden sensors and surveillance cameras throughout the prison. The cameras and the whole system is designed in such a way that it will monitor every prison inmate and hand in hand flag anything that will seem shady and unusual, according to a report by South China Morning Post. The sensors and cameras will use facial recognition and body movement analysis to monitor convicts. Meng Qingbiao, the project representative, briefly explained the purpose of the system to South China Morning Post. He said, For instance, if an inmate is spotted pacing up and down in a room for some time, the machine may regard that as suspicious and will notify the guards to go and check the inmate personally. Experts insist that such advanced technology will make prison breaks almost impossible. Even if the guards are bribed by the convicts, they will not be able to stop the system from triggering the alarm. Qingbiao further stressed that the new cutting edge technology allows each camera to track as many as 200 faces at the same time. With this, even if the prisoners are able to blend in the crowd, they will never be able to slip away completely. Prison breaks will be a thing of the past. They will be history. A near boycott and violence marred the last phase of Lok Sabha elections in restive south Kashmir on Monday as majority of polling booths registered zero per cent polling. Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency which comprises four restive districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian, went to polling in three phases. In the first leg Anantnag district voted on April 23 while in the second phase voting was held in Kulgam district on April 29. The twin districts of Pulwama and Shopian, that saw majority of encounters between militants and security forces since 2016, went to polls in the last phase on Monday and most of the polling booths wore deserted look as people preferred boycott over ballot. At Imam Sahib area of Shopian, where three militants of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, including the last surviving member of Burhan Wani group - Lateef Ahmed alias Lateef Tiger, were killed last week, dozens of youth were on roads to ensure nobody votes, reports said. As per official reports, more than 100 polling stations registered zero voting while as many others registered voting in between ten to 50. Reports of clashes between stone pelters and security forces were received from several poll bound areas of the twin districts. At Khrew area of Pulwama, three youth sustained injuries during the clashes. At least four youth were injured in Shopian during the clashes that broke out in the evening. Reports of clashes were also received from Tral, many areas of Shopian and from several villages of Pulwama. Youth resorted to stone pelting which was retaliated with tear gas canisters by forces as they accompanied polling staff returning from the booths. Militants hurled a grenade towards Rohmoo polling station in Pulwama. Police said there were no reports of any casualties in the blast. This was the first attack by militants on a polling station during the Lok Sabha election in the state. Unknown persons also hurled a petrol bomb at a polling station stationed at government higher secondary school Shopian which exploded outside. Polling in southern Kashmir was keenly watched within and outside Kashmir, as the region has been on the edge since the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on 8 July 2016. In April 2017 the government fearing violence had to cancel by-elections that were necessitated for the Anantnag seat after PDP chief Mehbooba vacated it to return to state politics. Militants hurled a grenade towards a polling station in south Kashmirs Pulwama district, where polling is underway for the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency. Police said there were no reports of any casualties in the blast and the area has been cordoned off to nab the assailants. This was the first attack by militants on a polling station in the ongoing Lok Sabha election in the state. While polling has already ended in four out of six constituencies in the state, in the last phase of elections today, the polling is being held in Ladakh and two volatile districts of Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. The polls in Anantnag LS seat are being held in three phases due to security reasons. Anantnag district went to polls on 23 April, while voting in Kulgam district took place on 29 April. On May 2, indigenous militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen threatened to kill those who cast their votes in the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Shopian and Pulwama districts. Posters were seen posted on several walls and electric poles in Shopian carrying a warning by the Hizbul. The posters, according to locals, appeared in Nadpora, Karewa and adjoining villages in Shopian. The authenticity of the posters could not be verified independently. Weeks before the publication of the updated NRC in Assam, a lawyer of the Supreme Court from the state on Monday announced the formation of a new political party seeking re-verification of the multi-crore exercise. The lawyer, Upamanyu Hazarika, who contested Lok Sabha election for Guwahati seat as an Independent candidate said fighting for legal safeguards to the identity of the state's indigenous people and re-verification of the NRC exercise would be two major motos of the new party. "There is one very clear message that protection of indigenous identity which was the basis of our election campaign in Guwahati and also propagated all over Assam has found instant acceptance. There is the need now to carry it to the next level towards the formation of a political platform or a party on the issues of protection of indigenous identity. There is a need to seek a re-verification of the NRC to prevent inclusion of 60 lakh illegal migrants," Hazarika said, here. The Supreme Court has set July 30 as the deadline for publication of the updated NRC. The exercise is being carried out under the supervision of the apex court with March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date, which was decided in the Assam Accord of 1985. More than 40.07 lakh of the total 3.29 crore applicants found their names missing from the draft NRC, released on July 31 last year. The dropouts, however, has been allowed to submit claims seeking inclusion in the final NRC. He now leads Pravajan Virodhi Manch, an organisation campaigning against illegal migration, mainly from Bangladesh into Assam. Hazarika said the new party would fight for legislation to reserve land rights, employment, trade and business opportunities for state's indigenous people or the pre-1951 residents or their family members. He is also against the NDA's Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. "We will be carrying out extensive consultations in the next two months with the people of Assam, organisations, groups as to the structure and functioning of the new political entity," Hazarika said. Assembly elections in Assam will be held in 2021. Odisha has come a long way from its terrible experience of the 1999 super cyclone which killed over 10,000 people and caused unprecedented devastation in the coastal areas of the state. The cyclone Fani, rated extremely severe, which hit the state on Friday, caused 29 deaths and affected about 10,000 villages and towns, but the state authorities and others who were engaged in the evacuation, rescue and relief work deserve credit for limiting the human toll and damage. Odisha learnt its lessons from the handling of natural calamities, especially cyclones to which the state is prone, and prepared itself well to face the calamity this time. It has improved its performance with every one of the three major cyclones it faced since 2013, and has won international recognition and praise for its disaster management efforts. The United Nations has praised the states performance this time. It is not mean work to evacuate over 1.2 million people from the path of the cyclone in a short period of time, especially when the official machinery is busy with election work. But the state administration, with help and support from the central forces, disaster relief bodies, the armed forces, other agencies and non-profit organistations managed to accomplish the task. Cyclone shelters and relief camps were also set up and used extensively. Science and technology was effectively used to predict the occurrence, course and impact of the cyclone, and information from the meteorological department and satellite data helped much in this. Warnings were issued and precautions were taken well in time. Then media was put to use to convey timely information to the people and for communication among rescue and relief personnel. About 2.6 million mobile messages were sent to the people and radio, television and loudspeakers were put to good use. All this was backed up by adequate transportation facilities, which included special trains and other means of public and private transport. Rehabilitation of people and reconstruction of lost and damaged asserts are a major challenge. Buildings and other assets, especially in urban areas like Puri, and crops and trees everywhere have suffered much damage. Sustained efforts and large financial resources will be needed for rebuilding and to compensate people for their losses. In recent years, the idea of constructing less costly but stronger buildings for residential and other purposes has gained some popularity in the coastal regions of Odisha. But the idea needs to gather more currency. Disaster management capabilities need to be further improved in view of the possibility of the threat of extreme natural phenomena increasing in future. Such capacity building should receive greater attention in other states also. The first genetic study of Lakshadweep islanders by a team of researchers from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and Mangalore University has suggested that a majority of human ancestry in Lakshadweep is largely derived from South Asia with minor influences from East and West Eurasia. The results of a genetic study on the Lakshadweep islanders have been published in Scientific Reports on May 6, 2019. Dr K Thangaraj of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology has said that Lakshadweep islands are located between Africa and South Western part of India. Through earlier studies, we know that early human migration from Africa to Andaman and Australia happened through western coast of India. So, we presumed that Lakshadweep islands might have played a major role in early human migration and expected the presence of genetic signatures of ancient people, such as Andamanese and Australian aboriginals. Dr M S Mustak, first author of the study and associate professor of Department of Applied Zoology in Mangalore University, said, We analysed DNA samples of 557 individuals from eight major islands for mitochondrial DNA and 166 individuals for Y chromosome markers. We found a strong founder effect for both paternal and maternal lineages - a sign that the island population had limited genetic mixing. The authors have studied eight major islands of Lakshadweep Agatti, Andrott, Bitra, Chetlat, Kadmat, Kalpeni, Kiltan and Minicoy and demonstrated a close genetic link of Lakshadweep islanders with Maldives, Sri Lanka and India. According to a press release, the published paper can be found online at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43384-3 for details. Its graduation time and, mom, youre about to be thanked. Dad, youll likely get a shout out. Favorite English teacher, youre probably in there, too. After 15 years as a professor, I have heard graduates give touching speeches of gratitude to people who have helped them reach their goals. These acknowledgments are an important validation of the efforts associated with getting our students through college and turning them into contributing members of society but they regularly miss a nod to a selfless group. For over a decade now, I have been teaching a class that helps to connect students with professionals. I would find West Chester University alumni and local communication executives to come speak. I reached out to people working in every possible communication field and several completely novel industries. When I asked, these people took the day off work, moved around schedules, drove for hours. Executives from LinkedIn, Twitter, QVC, FOX News, Merck, ABC, the Sundance Film Festival, the U.S. State Department, CBS, the producer of the Jersey Shore, and more all came just because a professor asked. Thousands of professionals come to college campuses each day to selflessly offer their experience. They ask for nothing but deserve so much. If they provide just one piece of advice or example or can make the right introduction then when you hear your graduates speech of gratitude, take a minute and add your own thanks to all the professionals who helped them land that final leap. SALT LAKE CITY Curbing the national suicide rate may require more than simply increasing mental health services, such as therapy and medication, according to new research that demonstrates a link between suicide and the minimum wage. A working paper circulated by the National Bureau of Economic Research this week showed that among American adults without a college education, raising the minimum wage by 10 percent reduced suicides by 3.6 percent on average across states. Increasing the earned income tax credit by 10 percent decreased suicides by about 5.5 percent. A 10 percent increase in both the minimum wage and earned income tax credit a a refundable tax credit for low-income working individuals and families could prevent around 1,230 suicides a year, according to the paper's authors, economists Anna Godoey and Michael Reich from the University of California, Berkeley and public-health specialists William Dow and Christopher Lowenstein. To evaluate how policy changes like these might affect the rate of suicides, the research team looked at states that raised their minimum wage or earned income tax credit between 1999 and 2015 and measured the changes in suicide rates before and after. They also adjusted for national trends by evaluating states that didn't see changes in the minimum wage or earned income tax credit. When they implement these policies, suicides fall very quickly, Godoey told the Washington Post. Godey told Berkeley News that greater financial security is connected to improved life satisfaction and mental health. The strong link between changes to tax and wage policies should encourage policymakers to understand the full consequences of changes to economic policies, when debating increasing the federal minimum wage, Godoey said. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and the national suicide rate has increased by 33 percent in the past two decades, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many policymakers and individuals have called for more public funding for mental health care services in response to these alarming statistics. But a growing body of research that links mental health with economic policy and outcomes indicates a broader response may be necessary. For example, a 2014 study published in the American Economic Journal found mothers who received a higher earned income tax credit reported better mental and physical health. When there's an economic downturn resulting in increased unemployment, there tends to be an associated increase in suicide 18-24 months later, according to a 2015 study published by Psychology Research and Behavior Management. And a March study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that a $1 increase in a state's minimum wage was associated with a 1.9 percent decrease in suicides, even after adjusting for overall state economic conditions, like employment rates and productivity. "Ten years ago, we were talking about the need to do more therapies to prevent suicide, but in the last two or three years, we are starting to recognize that we are not going to therapy our way out of the suicide crisis," Raymond Tucker, a spokesman for the American Association of Suicidology and an assistant professor of psychology at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, told U.S. News. Theres no one-size-fits-all prevention strategy for at-risk people or a single program that will stop suicides from happening. But addressing some of the social ills associated with suicide through public health initiatives, like raising the minimum wage and improving economic and social inequality, could have a meaningful impact, according to Tucker. The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009. During a forum with union workers last week, six Democratic 2020 presidential candidates said they support raising the federal minimum wage, bringing the issue to the forefront of the presidential primary race, Voxreported. Changes to the minimum wage affect Americans with the lowest income. The association between minimum wage increases and suicide rates was strongest among young women and black and hispanic men because those Americans are the most likely to have minimum-wage jobs, according to the working paper. For those who think minimum wage hikes increase unemployment, raising wages may not seem like a reasonable solution for preventing suicides. Some studies find the minimum wage has either no or only a small effect on employment, while others find significant effects. Reducing taxes for small businesses and improving vocational training programs, in addition to expanding the earned income tax credit, are among alternative solutions for improving the prospects of working class Americans. However, minimum-wage scholar Arindrajit Dube of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst told the Washington Post that the Berkeley study provides important additional evidence on the possible impact of a higher minimum wage on the standard of living or living at all." Who's at risk Suicide isn't always associated with a history of mental health problems, so prevention efforts should involve more than mental health services, according to Monica H. Swahn, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Georgia State University. In fact, more than half of the suicide deaths in the U.S. did not have a known diagnosed mental health condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Suicide prevention is usually focused on the individual and within the context of mental health illness, which is a very limited approach. Typically, suicide is described as an outcome of depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns including substance use," Swahn wrote for Quartz. "And, these should not be trivialized; these conditions can be debilitating and life-threatening and should receive treatment." "While there are many reasons for raising concerns about our fragmented mental health system, the treatment gap and associated factors, I dont think it is sufficient to understand our increasing suicide rates," Swahn continued. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the rate of suicide is highest in middle-age white men. In 2017, white males accounted for 69.67 percent of suicide deaths. Young people, ages 15 to 24, were the least likely to commit suicide. Other research shows that people who live in rural communities are more at risk, in addition to people at both ends of the economic spectrum the very poor and very rich. Additional research suggests that inequality, or having lower status relative to one's neighbors, increases the chance of suicide. "We're brought up our entire lives to judge ourselves in comparison with our peers and to be economically successful, Simon Gunning, the CEO of Campaign Against Living Miserably (Calm), a UK-based award-winning charity dedicated to preventing male suicide, told BBC. When there are economic factors we can't control, it becomes very difficult." "Deaths of despair" is a phrase that was popularized by Princeton economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton in a pair of widely cited 2015 and 2017 papers. The term refers to rising death rates among middle-aged white Americans attributed to drug overdoses, suicides, and alcohol-related liver mortality particularly among those with a high school degree or less. According to the Berkeley study, mid-life mortality has been on the rise for white people without college degrees since the 1990's. Since 2013, the same has been true for Hispanics and African Americans. "It is a crisis of economic health," USA Today reported. "The economy is making a transition from muscle to mental or from muscle to microchip, as with the 1.7 million truck drivers predicted to be largely replaced by self-driving trucks." "With the United States neglecting vocational education, those with no high school degree have nearly three times the unemployment rate of those with a college degree," the article continues. In addition to addressing socioeconomic conditions, the World Health Organization suggests nations develop comprehensive suicide prevention plans that include efforts to reduce access to means of suicide (such as guns), raising awareness that suicides are preventable, more research and training for health workers, educators and police on crisis intervention. In an article for The New York Times, Matthew Desmond wrote that poverty can exacerbate stress and mental health issues. Poverty can be unrelenting, shame-inducing and exhausting. When people live so close to the bone, a small setback can quickly spiral into a major trauma, he said. Godoey said increasing the minimum wage and earned income tax credit could help alleviate such burdens. A lot of the time the discussion of higher minimum wages is framed in narrow economic terms, Godoey told Berkeley News. In short, Godoey added, our study shows that higher minimum wages are likely to save lives. If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 CHEYENNE, Wyoming When Utah celebrates the upcoming 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, a star visitor will be something called "Big Boy." Railroad buffs don't need to be told what that is, but for those who don't know a coal-tender from a caboose, here's the deal: Big Boy is one humongous locomotive. There were actually 25 of them and one just one will be back on the rails and heading for Utah in early May for the first time in more than a half-century. "They very rapidly became legendary because of what it was designed to do," said Ed Dickens, who oversees Union Pacific's Big Boy restoration project. "It's nearly a 7,000 horsepower locomotive." The massive steam engine weighs over 600 tons and it's 132 feet long, about half the length of a Boeing 747. The restoration project has been quietly underway for more than two years in a nondescript Union Pacific building called the Steam Shop near downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming. Railroad enthusiasts have been buzzing about it for months, looking forward to Big Boy's upcoming trip to Ogden. "Everyone is very excited about this," said Kristen South, Union Pacific's director of corporate communications. "This has been a lot of hard work." Big Boy is the biggest steam locomotive ever built and, arguably, the most powerful. Union Pacific developed it in the 1940s to provide muscle for the war effort as the pace of railroad activity picked up during World War II. The need was greatest in Utah's Echo Canyon which became a bit of a bottleneck for busy transcontinental train traffic. "That power was used to pull heavy, heavy trains out of Ogden, Utah, to Green River, Wyoming," Dickens said. "They reached a point where two tracks could only handle a specific amount or a certain amount of trains per day. They had to find a way to carry more cars per train. You needed a single locomotive that could pull a tremendous amount of tonnage. So when this locomotive came out, it was huge." The 25 Big Boys retired from active duty in 1960. Nonfunctional Big Boys still exist as huge stationary exhibits in city parks and historical displays. Engine 4014 in Cheyenne will be the first Big Boy in 59 years to hit the rails under its own steam. "The first time it will be on the rails," South said, "is when it leaves here and heads to Ogden." 4014 is being refurbished to play a role a big role in Utah's Golden Spike 150 celebration. It won't make it to the primary sesquicentennial festivities on May 10 near Promontory there are no longer any rails that Big Boy can travel on to reach the Golden Spike National Historical Park. Instead, Union Pacific is holding its own celebration May 9 at Ogden's Union Station. Big Boy will be the guest of honor, a 20th-century marvel, returning to Utah to help celebrate a 19th-century milestone. "There will be a lot of opportunities to see the locomotive," South said, "to see the steam firing and to hear the whistle and those kind of historic things that you really just feel deep down in your gut." OAKLAND In a major change to a century of Latter-day Saint wedding tradition and policy, members who marry in a civil ceremony no longer face an automatic yearlong wait before they can be eligible for a temple sealing, an ordinance that allows a marriage to continue after death. "The policy requiring couples who have been married civilly to wait one year before being sealed is now discontinued," the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Monday morning in a letter. "Couples who have been married civilly may be sealed in the temple when they receive their temple recommends." The change, effective immediately, came on the same day leaders of the church were in Oakland to show the newly renovated Oakland Temple to Bay Area journalists and dignitaries as it readies to welcome others before the temple is once again dedicated for sacred ordinances, including the sealings of men and women. Two hours after the announcement, it affected an exchange between "Jew in the Pew" columnist David A.M. Wilensky and Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. During a Monday morning media tour of the temple, Wilensky sat in a sealing room replete with Asian motifs and asked a natural question for a religion reporter: Given that temples may be entered only by worthy Latter-day Saints, what happens to family members who don't belong to the church while their loved ones are being sealed in a temple? "We answered that question today differently than we would have yesterday," Elder Stevenson said afterward. "I think it's another indication of a Heavenly Father looking down upon his children recognizing the diverse nature of the church today and the focus we have on families. Diverse family configurations are now blessed to be able to enjoy observing a civil union together, and then a couple can enjoy the blessings of a sealing ordinance that binds them eternally." The First Presidency said it anticipated the change will provide more opportunities "for families to come together in love and unity during the special time of marriage and sealing of a man and woman." For example, church spokeswoman Irene Caso said she married her husband in a civil ceremony at city hall in Madrid in 2005 with family present. Later that day, they were sealed in the Madrid Spain Temple. "After going to the temple, we all celebrated with music and dance," Caso said. "Most of my immediate family and friends are not members of our faith, so it was especially meaningful for us to have them witness our civil union and help them feel included in the festivities of the day. These changes announced today will bring the same happy and memorable experience to many families throughout the church." Church leaders said the policy change does not reduce the significance of the temple sealing, which they called a "crowning experience." An Oakland landmark Elder Stevenson and Elder Quentin L. Cook, also of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, led separate groups of Bay Area journalists through a cool, misting morning atop one of the green Oakland Hills and into the freshly renovated Oakland California Temple, called "one of the East Bays most stunning landmarks" by the East Bay Times when it closed for renovation a year ago. The media tours kicked off events leading up to the first public open house for the Oakland Temple in 55 years, which begins Saturday and runs through June 1. The temple, with its Asian-inspired five towers and spires and the waterfall cascading from its roof, has a dramatic place in the area's skyline, especially when lit up at night. The best view is from San Francisco, said Paul Cobb, CEO of the Post News Group. The media turnout and enthusiasm of others at the event indicated interest in the open house could be high. "I'm just so excited that the temple will be open to the public," Oakland City Councilwoman Sheng Thao said. "I've always wanted to see what it looks like inside." Thao said her sister, whose husband is a Latter-day Saint, was jealous of her place on Monday's tours. But the Oakland Temple has a larger place in Thao's personal history. She and her own son were homeless for a time while she attended Oakland's Merritt College "Every day that I would feel sad, I would just look up to the temple," the councilwoman said, "and (seeing) something so positive, always beaming out that positivity, really kept me going. ... It has driven me to where I am today, growing up as a daughter of refugees and as a survivor as well as going through (life) as a single mother. This temple, just the sight of it, has been such a positive beacon. So I thank you all so very much for welcoming us here and welcoming us to the temple to view it. It's just a blessing for me." Sealing preeminent Presidents Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring signed Monday's letter and sent it around the world to the churchs international and local leaders. But the change will be felt most keenly in the United States and Canada, where a one-year waiting period for a temple sealing after a civil marriage was the policy for about 100 years, according to a previous blog post by historian Ardis Parshall. Parshall wrote that among the reasons the one-year wait was instituted was a concern among leaders like church President Joseph F. Smith and the man who succeeded him in 1918, President Heber J. Grant, that elaborate public wedding celebrations among Latter-day Saints in Utah were turning the sacred temple sealing into an afterthought. Leaders addressed that concern Monday in a question-and-answer document enclosed with the First Presidency letter that continued to emphasize the difference between marriage and a temple sealing. "A civil marriage ceremony performed for a couple being sealed in the temple should be simple and dignified," the document stated. The document also called the sealing the central focus of marriage, saying it provides a spiritual basis for the start of a marriage. The First Presidency said the temple sealing offers eternal blessings available nowhere else and encouraged all couples to qualify for it. "This change in policy should not be interpreted as lessening the emphasis on the temple sealing," the document stated. "The sealing of a husband and wife in the temple is of eternal significance and a crowning experience on the covenant path. Where possible, couples should be encouraged to be simultaneously married and sealed in the temple." Changing global church The policy change is further evidence that church leaders are bringing the faith's programs and policies into alignment around the world to meet the needs of a global church of 16 million members in more than 180 countries. For example, the church began in 2013 to allow all men to serve missions at age 18, a policy that previously applied only to those in Mexico and South America. This year, the church implemented a new, standardized Sunday School and home study curriculum that is used worldwide and changed the North American seminary programs school-year based schedule to a calendar year one that fits the global church better. Next year, it will drop Boy Scouts and globally apply its own new programs for teens. Latter-day Saints often are married and sealed simultaneously in temples in the United States, Canada and many other countries where laws permit. But a majority of church members live in dozens of other countries where laws require couples to marry civilly first, Elder Cook said. In those places, the church for years has allowed a temple sealing to happen soon after a civil wedding, even on the same day. "The whole church gets on one footing with this change," Elder Cook said. "It's this way for 60 percent of the church already, so this makes sense." Elder Cook earned a law degree at Stanford and worked as an attorney and healthcare executive while living for 33 years in the Bay Area and serving for 15 of those years in the San Francisco Stake presidency before his call to general church leadership. He said leading tours Monday was a homecoming for him and his wife, Sister Mary Cook. He and other church leaders said there is no specific time frame for sealing after a civil marriage. "Worthy and prepared couples can be sealed as soon as circumstances permit," the church-released documents stated. Globally, many Latter-day Saints who live far from one of the faith's 163 temples first marry civilly and live without sealing for months or years before they can save money to travel. The church has engaged in an intensive 20-year building program that has brought the number of temples from 53 to 163, bringing them closer to members around the world. The church's tens of thousands of meetinghouses can be used for civil marriages. Newly baptized members will still need to wait a year before being sealed in the temple to provide time for them to prepare to receive another ordinance, the endowment. Correction: A previous version incorrectly identified columnist David A.M. Wilensky as Dennis A.M. Wilensky. SALT LAKE CITY The man who killed a West Valley code enforcement officer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Monday. But for the family of Jill Lanette Robinson, there will never be justice. "Life in prison for this man is not justice, said Jessica Knorr, Robinson's oldest daughter. "He doesn't deserve to live." Some cried openly, many talked about the profound pain they still feel, and many expressed their anger during an emotional hourlong sentencing for Kevin Wayne Billings at the Matheson Courthouse. Billings, 65, pleaded guilty in February to aggravated murder in the death of Robinson, 52, a mother of four. In exchange for his guilty pleas, prosecutors said they would not seek the death penalty. Billings was also convicted of aggravated arson, aggravated cruelty to animals and arson he was sentenced to additional years in prison for each count. As a statement to the severity of his crimes, 3rd District Judge Amber Mettler ordered all sentences to run consecutively. For some members of Robinson's family, however, life in prison isn't enough. "I was in favor of the death penalty. A lot of my family is happy with him rotting in jail every day for the rest of his life. But, for me, it's not fair. My mom didn't get to choose how she died. So why should he get to choose how he dies?" Knorr said outside the courtroom after the sentencing. "We'll never have justice. He'll never be able to pay for what he's done." On Aug. 9, Robinson arrived at Billings house, 4102 W. Wendy Ave. (2925 South), as part of a follow-up investigation. Billings, however, allegedly upset with a citation he had been issued for clutter in his yard, set up the meeting with Robinson and ambushed her as soon as she arrived. Without warning, Billings shot Robinson in his driveway. He then poured gasoline over her and her West Valley City truck, and then set the truck on fire. He also lit his neighbors' home on fire, believing they were the ones who called code enforcement on him. The home was declared a total loss. The owners were able to get out but they lost six dogs and two cats in the fire. During a subsequent search of Billings' property, investigators found 1,000 yards of detonation cord and more than 400 blasting caps, court records state. On Monday, the courtroom was filled with family members, co-workers and friends of Robinson, and family members of Billings. "Nobody will ever know the heartache and the pain that we are still suffering because of the vile acts of one person who decided to be judge and jury for my daughter," Robinson's mother, Ronny Robinson, told the judge. "We still hurt today as if it were happening today." Ronny Robinson said the night before her daughter was killed, she had a strong feeling she should call her but felt it was too late in the evening, and decided she would do it the next day. "Well, there was no tomorrow, and I will always regret that," she said. "She didn't do anything to deserve this. Our hearts will be broken forever. You cant image the hole it leaves in your life." Julie Egelund told the court how Robinson, her sister, was her best friend. "We did everything together and I miss her. I still reach for my phone to call her and text her. I have a deep empty place where she belongs, Egelund said. She ended her comments by saying she could not forgive Billings, and that God would be his judge. "For this I have to wash my hands and say 'God, this is for you I cannot bear it anymore and my heart is empty,'" she said. "My heart bleeds and it can't be fixed. "Live in your misery. Im done with you." Katie Merrill agreed that there was no justice for her mother's death, and referred to Billings as the "monster in this room" when speaking to the court. Billings' attorney, Nick Falcone, told the court that his client was "not well enough" to speak in court Monday. But he said his client did have remorse and made statements in his presentence report such as "I can't believe how stupid I am," "I can't believe I took somebody's life," and "I can't believe I've caused so much pain." Still, at one point while West Valley code enforcement officer Marco Patino was addressing the court, he looked at Billings and said, "He can sit there and smile all he wants " which prompted an outburst from Billings who said, "I'm not smiling." Billings' attorneys quickly spoke with him as a deputy in the courtroom moved closer to the defendant. Many of Robinson's co-workers also talked about justice not being served by the sentence. "Has no right to live. His purpose on this Earth has been served. He failed," one man said. Many of the code enforcement officers who addressed the court said their jobs had become more difficult because of Billings. Now, some officers are told "it should have been you" when the try to issue someone a citation, referring to the Robinson shooting. Knorr advocated for code enforcement officers to be able to carry a gun while on duty. She said her mom was police certified, even though it wasn't required for her job, and knew how to use a gun. Knorr said she wishes her mom had been given a fighting chance and that she would have been armed and shot Billings. Despite their anger, Robinson's family said they would also honor their mother by performing acts of kindness to others in their everyday lives. "There can be no justice for a crime like this. The world lost something. Of course, we're angry. But we also just want to honor mom and do constant acts of kindness for people. That's how she lived, that's how we're going to live," Merrill said. "Love was more powerful in her life than anything," her brother, Jaren Robinson said. "I wish that all violence could end." Jill Robinson was a bone marrow donor to her brother when he got leukemia. "Her DNA is more me than I am now," he said. Jaren Robinson compared his sister to a priceless vase, saying Billings' actions are the equivalent of knocking the vase off its shelf and shattering lives. He said he hopes everyone can "be more loving, be more forgiving, (and) control our tempers so no more beautiful vases are shattered." SALT LAKE CITY Prince Henry and Meghan Markle welcomed their first baby on Monday morning. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a baby boy, who will be the first interracial baby in the British monarchys recent history, according to The New York Times. The baby will be seventh in line to the British throne. The boy remains behind Prince Harry. Its unclear if the boy will be given a royal title. Buckingham Palace said in a statement that Meghan Markle gave birth at 5:26 a.m., hours after the palace announced she was in labor. The new baby weighs 7 pounds 3 ounces, The New York Times reports. Twitter celebrated the birth of the royal baby. Congrats to Meghan on a...Sussexful birth. Something tells me motherhood...Suits her.#royalbaby Declan Cashin (@Tweet_Dec) May 6, 2019 Who else thinks the baby is already born? #RoyalBaby #babysussex Erin (@pandabearerin) April 30, 2019 I dont want to hear any spoilers about Prince Harry & Meghan Markles baby! I wont be able to go watch the birth until this weekend & I want to be as surprised as possible. #DontSpoilTheEndgame Dominick J. Lioto (@dom____lioto) May 6, 2019 The Duke and Duchess did it their way. A beaming Prince Harry spoke to the media about the arrival of Baby Sussex. You could see the excitement and joy all over his face. #meghanmarkle pic.twitter.com/wIvjcfycV2 JanJ86920 (@j86920) May 6, 2019 No disrespect but people have babies every day every baby is a blessing #unpopularopnion #royalbaby Katie Marie (@banjeeboo) May 6, 2019 Great to see so many friends excited about the #RoyalBaby. Support for the monarchy is strong in and no one on the far left is going to take it away from us. Brett Parnell (@BrettParnell463) May 6, 2019 SALT LAKE CITY The Utah Wildlife Board approved 2019 big game hunting permit numbers, as well as several new hunts during a meeting last week. The recommended number of hunting permits each year is based on a few factors. There is always an opportunity vs. quality debate when it comes to managing wildlife, but for us, biology and the health of the herd is a big priority, Covy Jones, big game coordinator at the division, said in a statement. As a result, plans are an essential part of effective wildlife management. The board approved an increase in permits for doe deer, and for buck and doe pronghorn. According to the division, the statewide deer population increased slightly in 2018, bringing the total to 372,500 deer in Utah. The increase was primarily due to the growth of deer populations in the central and northern portions of the state. The total statewide deer population increased by about 8,850 animals, Jones said. The board also approved an additional 115 doe pronghorn permits, including several additional doe pronghorn hunts, and an additional 178 buck pronghorn permits. Several new hunts were also approved to help manage doe deer, cow elk and doe pronghorn populations. Five new doe deer hunts were approved to help address declining range conditions in certain parts of the state and reduce deer depredation on private lands. An additional 18 new cow elk hunts and eight new doe pronghorn hunts were also approved. A new rule amendment was also OKd that would allow handgun-archery-muzzleloader-shotgun-only hunts for big game. Weapons used in these hunts have to meet current specifications and no scopes will be allowed. Hunter orange will not be required if they occur outside an area where the any-weapon general-season bull elk or any-weapon general-season buck deer hunts are occurring. The hunt will be added in a future management plan and wont take place during the upcoming 2019 hunting season. The following are the total number of permits approved for Utahs 2019 big game hunts: General-season buck deer: 89,900 Premium limited-entry deer: 184 Management buck deer (including cactus buck): 74 Limited-entry deer: 1,144 Doe deer: 2,220 General any bull elk: 15,000 General spike bull elk: 15,000 Cow elk: 9,635 Youth any bull elk: 500 Limited-entry bull elk: 2,938 Buck pronghorn: 1,061 Doe pronghorn: 760 Bull moose: 97 Cow moose: 38 Bison: 225 Bison (archery only): 21 Desert bighorn sheep: 71 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep: 56 Mountain goat: 126 SALT LAKE CITY President Donald Trump sent a clear message to Gaza after violence there this weekend left more than 20 people dead: Leave Israel alone. His Sunday evening tweets on the topic wouldn't surprise those who have been following his presidency. Throughout his time in office, he's expressed support for Israel through words and actions, regularly blaming Palestinian leaders for the lack of peace in the region. What may be surprising is that U.S. Jews are split over Trump's pro-Israel tweets and policies. A new analysis from Pew Research Center shows that many American Jews want him to adopt a more balanced approach. 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.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2019 "Roughly 4 in 10 (42 percent) say they think Trump is favoring the Israelis too much, while a similar share (47 percent) say he is striking the right balance between the Israelis and Palestinians," Pew reported. U.S. Christians, on the other hand, are clearly supportive of Trump's relationship with Israel and the Palestinian territories. Nearly 60 percent of this faith group say he's struck the right balance, compared to 26 percent who say Trump favors the Israelis too much, according to Pew. The differences between Jewish and Christian reactions can be explained, in part, by partisanship, researchers said, noting that Republicans are more likely than Democrats to support Trump's approach to the region. Most Christian groups lean Republican, while more than 60 percent of Jews identify as or lean Democratic, according to an earlier Pew analysis. Trump's supporters are hoping to change that latter figure in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. They've called for a "Jexodus" (Jewish exodus) from the Democratic Party, arguing that Democrats don't do enough to address anti-Semitism and emphasizing Trump's bold, Israel-related policy moves. "Republicans are waiting with open arms," Trump tweeted on March 15. Beyond expressing support for Israel amid surges of violence in the region, Trump has officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the American embassy there from Tel Aviv. His administration also shut down its Jerusalem Consulate General in March, limiting how Palestinians can communicate with U.S. officials in the future, as NPR reported. Palestinians believe the shift signaled that "the U.S. is set on dealing primarily with Israel" in peace negotiations, the article noted. American Jews had a mixed reaction to many of these changes. Although around 70 percent feel "very" or "somewhat" attached to Israel, many members of this community worry that Trump's bold moves will lead to more bloodshed. "Jerusalem has always been the most delicate issue in every discussion about peace," said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, to The New York Times after Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "We're very concerned that (Trump's) announcement will either delay or undermine the very, very important resuming of a serious peace process." Jerusalem is religiously significant to Jews, Christians and Muslims, the Deseret News reported in 2017. These faith groups compete for control of and access to sacred sites. Other American Jews have hailed Trump has a hero. Attendees at the Republican Jewish Coalition's April convention changed the lyrics of a traditional Jewish song for Passover to honor him. "The amount of support that this president is getting in the Jewish community is growing exponentially," said Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency at the time. Pew's analysis shows that the Jewish community remains divided on Trump, confirming political experts' sense that a large-scale "Jexodus" from the Democratic Party is unlikely. "Jewish voters have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats for decades; the numbers during the presidential elections are particularly stark. About 80 percent of Jewish voters have cast their ballots for the Democrat in elections dating back to 1992," The Washington Post reported earlier this year. WEST JORDAN Shortly after West Jordan police began investigating the death of a 1-year-old boy as suspicious, five other children were removed from the house and placed into protective custody, according to police. On April 11, police were called to a house where Elliot Evans Keddington allegedly fell down the stairs and was unresponsive. Doctors at Primary Children's Hospital, however, discovered a broken leg, rib fractures and other bruises and "do not believe a fall down the stairs would result in a broken femur, head trauma then leading to no breathing and no heartbeat," investigators wrote in a search warrant affidavit filed in 3rd District Court. According to another recently unsealed warrant, West Jordan fire crews noted that the boy's body temperature was 93.4 degrees when they arrived and 92 degrees when he was taken to the hospital. "The body temperature is not typical for a child that age and could be an indicator that there was a delay between the possible fall and the notification of medical and law enforcement," the warrant states. As of Monday, no one had been arrested and no charges issued. West Jordan police detectives who attended the boy's autopsy "observed multiple bruising on (Elliot) that appeared more extensive than would be consistent with a fall down the stairs. These bruises include one on his left calf and hamstring area, this bruise appears to have happened when (Elliot's) leg was bent and covered most of the leg. There was also another large bruise on his right calf area. The autopsy also showed that (Elliot) had several subdural hematomas and detached retinas of both eyes. An injury was found on the back of (Elliot's) head that would correspond to one of the subdural hematomas," the warrant states. West Jordan police were later notified by the Division of Child and Family Services that "they removed the other children from the home after this incident. It is reported by DCFS that those children also had unexplained bruising and injuries," according to the warrant. Police say five children, ranging from ages 6 months to 4 years old, were removed from the home. Elliot's parents told investigators they "heard what sounded like someone falling down the stairs, according to the affidavit. Both said they heard the fall but did not hear Elliot scream or cry. Both said Elliot was found at the bottom of the stairs unresponsive," it states. Police noted that "the stairs were constructed of wood and had carpet pad and carpet on the stairs. The base of the stairs in the basement was finished with carpet pad and typical carpet, all upon a concrete floor," the warrant states. SALT LAKE CITY A federal judge wants to know more about a second woman who alleges a former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Missionary Training Center sexually assaulted her when she was a missionary in 1984. Attorneys for McKenna Denson argued in court Monday that the woman's accusation is relevant to her lawsuit against the church. The name of the woman, who reported the alleged assault to local church leaders in 2010, has not been publicly disclosed. "It tends to prove what our client says happened at the MTC," Denson's lawyer Craig Vernon said. Denson alleges Joseph Bishop raped her in a basement room while she was a missionary at the MTC. Bishop has denied the accusation. Church attorney David Jordan questioned the relevance of the woman's claim, saying there is no dispute that the church did not have that information prior to Bishop being assigned to the MTC. The accusation isn't admissible as evidence because one person's allegation can't be used to prove another person's allegation, he said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead intends to hold a closed hearing in his office to decide whether the church must reveal the woman's name as part of Vernon's sweeping request for evidence, including the names and contact information for thousands of former missionaries. A trial is scheduled for July 2020. The church issued a statement in March 2018 saying it was aware of one other woman who told her local ecclesiastical leaders that she was sexually abused by Bishop while he served as president of the Provo-based MTC. "When she reported the alleged abuse to her local church leaders in 2010, they provided emotional support as well as professional counseling services. Mr. Bishops local ecclesiastical leaders were contacted and they confronted him with her claims, which he denied, and local leaders did not feel they could pursue church discipline for Mr. Bishop," according to the statement. Jordan said in court that the woman was not at the MTC at the same time as Denson and that the alleged assault did not happen on campus. He said the woman was on temporary medical leave from the training center at the time. Denson sued Bishop and the church in April 2018 for sexual assault and battery, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud, fraudulent nondisclosure and fraudulent concealment. Judge Dale Kimball tossed out all but one of Denson's claims last fall, saying the statute of limitations had expired. He allowed to stand her contention that the church hid Bishop's predatory sexual behavior. Much of Monday's hearing centered on information Vernon wants the church to provide, including names, email addresses and phone numbers for 9,000 sister missionaries who went through the MTC during Bishop's three-year tenure as well for missionaries who served under him when he presided over a mission in Argentina. Pead narrowed down the request to names and last known addresses of missionaries who were at the MTC when Denson was there in January and February 1984. He also will consider paring down other requests in what he called a "challenging" case. Jordan argued that Vernon is "just fishing" and that the church's records don't capture all the information he's seeking. If you are a religious follower of Game of Thrones for the last 8 seasons, you would know that it takes a lot of attention to details even while watching the show. The show has always been big on Easter eggs and hidden clues in the frame that can say a lot about the shows upcoming plotlines. But sometimes, due to the amount of attention we fans pay to everything that is happening on the screen, we end up spotting things that the makers would rather not have us pay attention to. From laptop chargers to Starbucks coffee more recently, here are a few times Game Of Thrones either had an angle of time travel that we totally overlooked or the biggest show ever made some serious goof and albeit goof-ups. Daenerys Starbucks Coffee In the recent episode of the show, fans spotted a cup of Starbucks coffee sitting beside Daenerys in the Winterfell. Twitter almost immediately erupted with hilarious memes as soon as the goof up was spotted. Honestly speaking, given the way things are going for Daenerys right now, a good cup of joe would not be too bad also we can totally imagine a bustling Starbucks counter at the Winterfell with the number of people that live in the castle. Littlefingers Watch Believe it or not, but Littlefinger was actually seen wearing a pretty modern watch in one of the scenes from the fourth episode of season 6. Again, given the number of unimaginable things he has done in his lifetime, a little bit of time travel does not seem too far-fetched. Stannis Laptop Charger If you notice very carefully, in the scene where Stannis is shown lying dead in the snow outside Winterfell, we see a laptop charger sticking out from behind him. At this point, we do not even know what to question. Do we ask why is there a laptop charger in Westeros or do we ask why the makers were sticking a laptop charger into the actor Stephen Dillane while shooting his death scene? Margaery's Computer Notification Well, even Margaery was not immune to such a goof up. In the scene where she is seen talking to the kids at the orphanage in Flea Bottom, we can clearly hear the notification chime of a laptop or android phone. If only Margaery had the same phone while she was at the Sept of Baelor and Lancel could have sent her a message about the wildfire below the Sept, then she and her dresses with plunging necklines would still be a part of the show! We could not be more proud of the fact that Indias first Netflix Original turned out to be something as brilliant as Sacred Games. With an exciting storyline, world-class direction and top-notch performances, it was a show that made us realize the true potential of Indian content creators. Now that the much-awaited second season of the show is about to see the light of the day, we are delighted to meet Ganesh Gaitonde and Sartaj Singh once again. But what really piqued our interest are the two new addition to the cast, Kalki Koechlin and Ranvir Shorey. Just in case you were dying to find out what roles these stellar actors are going to play in the series, we have the answer for you. The show that is based on a book by the same name has a character named Shahid Khan that would be essayed by Ranvir Shorey in the series. According to the book, he has ties with a radical Islamic outfit and is working in disguise at the Pakistani Embassy in London. It would be interesting to see what chain of events he sets rolling for Gaitonde and/or Sartaj. Coming to another new addition to the cast, Kalki would be playing the role of Batya. Unlike Ranvirs character, her character is not there in the book and is an original creation of the makers of the show. From the looks of it, it seems she will be playing the role of one of Gurujis (Pankaj Tripathi) disciple and might wreak some havoc in the life of Gaitonde. There are also reports suggesting that Shobhita Dhulipala of the Made In Heaven fame might also join the cast of the show. Apart from the actors, direction Neeraj Ghaywan, who directed Masaan, would also be an addition. He would be replacing Vikramaditya Motwane who directed Sartaj Singhs track in the story in the last season. Well all of that is fine, but when are the new episodes premiering and when will we finally find out what on the earth happened to Trivedi? This years Google I/O will see the launch of Pixel devices, updates on the next iteration Android OS, AI-related enhancements and may be announcements regarding Google Stadia. Google will host its I/O 2019 event from May 7 to 9 this year and it is expected to show off innovation at this annual developer conference. Company CEO Sundar Pichai will deliver the keynote at 10am PT (10:30pm IST) at the Shoreline Amphitheater. This year, Google will launch the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL, talk about the Android Q, may bring updates in Google Maps, and could reveal more info on its gaming platform Stadia. The company will live stream the event on its official YouTube channel. Digit will also be keeping a close tab on the developments so can keep up to date with the announcement on our website. Below you can find the YouTube video so you don't have to go through the tedious process of searching the stream link. Following is a brief rundown of what may be launched at the event: Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL Google has already teased that it will launch a Pixel device at the event. Rumours are pointing that the company may announce two phones, the Google Pixel 3a( 30999 at flipkart) and the Google Pixel 3a. These phones are said to take on the phones selling in the Rs 35,000-Rs 45,000 segment. The Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are expected to come equipped with a 5.6-inch and 6.3-inch OLED displays, respectively. Under the hood, they are expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 670 platform coupled with 4GB RAM. Both the phones are expected to be announced running on Android 9 Pie and would be the first to receive the Android Q update when it gets rolled out eventually. Google could also bring back the headphone jack, which it killed off with the Google Pixel 3 smartphones. Rumours also suggest that the phones will feature Googles Pixel Visual Core chip for image processing as well as the Active Edge technology. The Pixel 3a could be backed by a 3,000mAh battery. Android Q Every year at I/O, Google discusses the next iteration in detail, and this year is not likely to be different. The company has already released the Beta 2 and we could get the Beta 3 at the event. The Beta 2 of Android Q brought the foldable emulator and Bubbles for multi-tasking. The foldable emulator will let developers make games and apps for the upcoming wave of foldable devices, and Bubbles is aimed at ease of multitasking. Google has also enabled Scoped Storage for new app installs in Beta 2. This will help developers and testers to easily see what is affected. This year, Google may also bring Pixel Themes that will let the Pixel owners change the accent colours, icon shapes and even the fonts. Maps Google has done a lot on Maps to make it a go-to app. Whether its providing notifications at a time when you approximately leave office, or using Augmented Reality to provide turn-by-turn navigation, the app has been at the centre of all innovation. Last year, Google spent a significant amount of time talking about Maps and its features, and this year as well, we can also see a dedicated time slot for announcements. As mentioned, Google showed off the ability to use Augmented Reality to navigate using Google Maps at I/O 2018. Earlier this year, the company gave access to Local Guides to test it. Local Guides is the community that reviews places for Google and provides feedback on them. It is expected that Google may roll out the feature to the masses. Moreover, Pichai shared a Story on Instagram showing off this feature. This is a strong hint that Google has something in store for Maps. Stadia Stadia is Googles game streaming service that was announced earlier this year and is set to launch later in in 2019. At the launch, Google said it was working with a large number of developers to bring their games to Googles platform. Although unlikely, we may see some announcements regarding Stadia and on how far have partnerships reached, and even a launch date. There may be some Google Assistant-related announcements as well. In a statement, Xiaomi says that it shipped more than 27.5 million smartphones in Q12019. After alleging certain market research institutions of providing inaccurate and unfair information about the smartphones it shipped in the first quarter of 2019, Xiaomi has released a statement noting the figures based on its own management accounts. It also said that the information on the shipment of Xiaomi smartphones, once finalised, will be included in companys results announcement [for the first quarter of 2019]. This announcement is made by Xiaomi Corporation (the Company and, together with its subsidiaries, the Group) on a voluntary basis to inform the shareholders of the Company and potential investors of the latest business development of the Group, Lei Jun, Xiaomi CEO and Co-founder, said in a statement. The board (Board) of directors of the Company (Directors) is aware that recently several media publications quoted some information from certain market research institutions about our estimated shipment of smartphones in the first quarter of 2019. The information is inaccurate and unfair, and deviates from our actual performance in terms of shipment of smartphones, he added. In order to protect investors from any misleading information, the Company hereby announces that based on our management accounts, our shipment of smartphones in the first quarter of 2019 exceeded 27.5 million, the top executive said. However, Xiaomi says that these figures are not final and it will give the exact numbers in its quarterly announcement, which is expected to be made soon. The information contained in this announcement has not been discussed with the Companys auditor. The ultimate number of smartphone sales to be recorded in the financial statements of the Company may be different from the number as shown in this announcement taking into account the applicable accounting rules for revenue recognition, he noted. Recently, several market research firms released their findings in which they talked about the smartphone market share as well as the number of phones shipped globally (in millions) in the first quarter of 2019. Xiaomi was placed among the top five brands in all of them. Counterpoint Research and Canalys Research reported that Xiaomi shipped 27.8 million phone in the quarter, while International Data Corporation (IDC) pegged the figures at 25 million. (See below) As evident, Counterpoints and Canalys numbers are close to what Xiaomi is claiming, but IDCs figures are around 2.7 million less than what the Chinese company claims. IDC said that while Xiaomi experienced a decline in volumes of 25.0 million, down 10.2 percent YoY, the brand remains strong in China, India, and Indonesia. While IDC hasnt released any official statement on this, Counterpoint and Canalys have. We have been meticulous in tracking quarterly data for all brands and provide you with accurate shipments in confidence. We can do this as we arrive at our estimates by tracking 55+ countries quarterly, conducting regular OEM/distributor/supply chain surveys and secondary research. We are unique in tracking both shipment (Sell-in) and monthly sales (Sell-through) that gives us the ability to accurately estimate inventory and demand every quarter, making our data robust. We do not just rely on public company documents. We use supply chain numbers, monthly distributor and retail checks (sample size 20% of the total market), also most of our senior analysts come from the industry: Nokia, Samsung, LG, Philips, Intel, TSMC etc, Counterpoint Research said in an email. Canalys has become the go-to-source of mobility industry research. We dont issue preliminary numbers, instead we publish the best quality data once our process is complete. That is why we are in the privileged position of serving so many industry leaders and financial institutions with high-quality information, Rita Chaher, Executive Vice President at Canalys, said in a statement. The updated Airtel postpaid plans offer a slew of benefits like data rollover, unlimited calling, daily free SMS, free Netflix and Amazon Prime subscription and more to lure consumers. With the competition heating up in the telecom sector, Airtel has revamped its postpaid offerings. The company reportedly slipped from being the second largest telecom operator to the third spot as Jio took over. Airtel is now revamping its postpaid offerings to make its services more attractive to users. As per its website, Airtel now offers only four postpaid plans, which start at Rs 499 and goes up to Rs 1,599. All of the four plans offer unlimited calling with SMS and some amount of data with rollover. However, the top-most plan that is priced at Rs 1,599 comes with unlimited data, calls and SMS messages. Heres what all the plans offer: Rs 499 postpaid plan With the Rs 499 postpaid plan, a user will be credited with 75GB data for a month, who is eligible for data rollover. Theres also unlimited calling, 100 free daily SMSes and free three months of Netflix subscription. Additionally, a user will get to avail one year of free Amazon Prime subscription, access to Airtel TV Premium, Airtel Handset Protection, and free access to ZEE5 shows and movies. Rs 749 postpaid plan The Rs 749 postpaid plan offers 125GB of high speed data access for a month, along with unlimited free calls and 100 daily SMS. This plan can be opted for three connections, two for regular ones and another one for data add-on. One will get the same free Netflix, Amazon Prime, Airtel TV Premium, Airtel Handset Protection, and ZEE5 access with this plan. There is also a data rollover facility that will credit any remaining data to a users data balance next month. Rs 999 postpaid plan The penultimate postpaid plan by Airtel is priced at Rs 999 and comes with 150 GB data per month, along with data rollover facility. This plan is eligible for a total of five connections, which include four regular and one data add-on connection. Theres 100 SMS per day, along with unlimited calls and all the additional benefits mentioned in the previous plans. Rs 1,599 postpaid plan The highest priced Rs 1,599 postpaid plan by Airtel offers a great deal with unlimited free data and calls for a month. One also gets 100 free SMS per day. This plan is eligible for two regular connections and comes with all the aforementioned benefits like free Netflix and Amazon Prime subscription, Airtel TV Premium, Handset Protection, and ZEE5 access. Subscriber content preview SEATTLE The city of Seattle said it intends to award Gary Merlino Construction Co. a contract to build the Alaskan Way and Elliott Way main corridors if Merlino provides final documentation in accordance with the bidding documents. The project is part of the makeover of the waterfront. (Editors note: The story has been updated. Due to early incorrect information from the city, the DJC reported the contract had been awarded.) . . . Subscriber content preview MIAMI (AP) 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. . . . Weve all been there. Staring nervously at our luggage rolling through the airport security scanner as authorities do double takes of your personal contents. Did they find something I wasnt aware of? Did your buddies accidentally place a phallic shaped instrument in there? Whatever it is, its probably not as intriguing as some of the stuff these airport security officers of Reddit have encountered on the frontline of commercial flying. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TSA (@tsa) on Oct 15, 2018 at 12:43pm PDT Whilst many of the flagged objects these authorities discovered were random, its their accompanying tales that make them something to behold. Take this first example. Spoons are nothing suspect but when one security officer noticed an entire bag packed with varying spoons, he had to conduct a duty of care to see what the story was. His kinky suspicions were swiftly answered. Saw a bag filled to the brim with all different types of spoons. Pulled it aside, asked the passenger what the deal washe looked me straight in the face and says he uses them to spank his wife in bed. Its their sex spoons. Not all of these flagged security items are bedroom related though. One security officer noted multiple oddball items that even included a severed head. Hunter returning from Canada with some unlicensed kills, said Reddit user Keplar. Un-prepped and still bleeding severed musk-ox heads wrapped in plastic. Whole baggage system for half the airport had to be shut down and cleaned, along with a couple of our machines. Other sightings included and elderly woman scanning through a sword cane who had no idea it was a sword cane. Her son was a service member and had sent it to her from the Philippines without mentioning what it was. Then there was a couple headed up to Alaska with a sink, complete with plumbing attached, in a large duffle bag. That doesnt come close to one particular arms dealer though who tried to check in an automatic grenade launcher built out of clear polycarbonate. The security officer discovered that it was so the dealers customers could see the weapons inner-workings. Would have been fine, if it hadnt been undeclared and accompanied by a small box of grenades. Then of course theres the purely delusional whom security have also noted. One particular female passenger was screaming the whole time her bag was getting scanned. She was screaming that x-rays werent real, and there was a midget in the machine going through her bag to steal things, explained one security officer. As a precautionary tale, airport security say that if youre still wearing money belts through scanners in fear of thievery, youll be flagged. Every time they fly internationally they strap themselves with a money belt under their clothes instead of just putting their money in their hand luggage, explains one security guard. They get taken aside and searched every single time, because it obviously looks suspicious as fuck, but when I say, Hey, why not just put it in your bag and you wont get searched? They say no because they think that someone will open their bag, find the money, take it out, close the bag again, and somehow run away in the time it takes to put the bag through security. Other noted oddities of the morbid nature include a dead squirrel stuffed in a bottle of soda, and a real human skull the passenger claimed to be a brain surgeon and used it as a teaching aid. Youve officially been warned. Read Next Jet flyers propose 'Roja' revival plan with airline staff Days after a section of employees floated the proposal to take over management control of the grounded Jet Airways and arrange up to Rs3,000 crore from external investors, a group of frequent flyers of the cash-strapped airline has come up with a leveraged buy-out plan (LBO) to revive the grounded airline. The group has approached the key lenders of airline, including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and Punjab National Bank, to submit the Revival of Jet Airways or Roja plan. The group of professionals, led by Sankaran P Raghunathan, has given a presentation on the airline's revival plan to various stakeholders, including pilots, engineers, employee unions and bankers. As per the plan, the employees of Jet Airways would first take control of the company. They will take loan from existing lenders and invest in the company, eventually becoming part-owners. "The banks can give Rs1,500 crore loan to the employees as personal loans. This, as per the presentation would be equivalent to six months' salary of the employees. The employees will use this money to buy out 51 per cent stake in the company from SBI and 12.5 per cent from Etihad. The balance Rs200 crore would be given to the company for new shares. Subsequently, banks may lend to the frequent flyers to buy two to and fro tickets (or four tickets), costing Rs10,000 each and valid for two years, to raise money through pre-selling of plane tickets. This way, according to the frequent fliers group, another Rs8,000 crore can be raised. Jet Airways employees who are in control of the airline, would then pass a resolution to authorise issue of additional shares on a preferential basis to all those who buy the ticket packets 100 shares each for Rs150 each to raise Rs12,000 crore. "The Rs20,000 crore raised will now be used for operational working capital and for repayment to creditors over five years," as per the presentation. This, however, will involve an additional burden of Rs9,500 crore on the lenders, in addition to the Rs7,251-cr overdue loans. This could be over leveraging bank funds, which lenders may not agree to. Jet Airways has total outstanding debt of Rs11,261 crore, which includes Rs7,251 crore from nine domestic lenders, another Rs4,000 crore of foreign borrowing and unpaid interest amount of Rs1,000 crore. The revival proposal floated earlier by the employees involved taking over management control of the grounded Jet Airways and arranging up to Rs3,000 crore from external investors. Facing severe financial crisis, Jet Airways had on 17 April announced temporary suspension of flight operations. The airline continues to be grounded and its revival depends upon fresh fund infusion by the investors. US cannot ensure cheaper oil to India, says Wilbur Ross The United States, which imposed sanctions against Iran and threatened sanctions on Asian buyers, including India, importing oil from the Persian Gulf nation, now says it will not and cannot ensure cheaper oil to India. The US government will not ensure sale of its oil to India at cheaper rates as the commodity is controlled by private companies, US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday. Oil is owned by private people so the government cannot force people to make concessionary prices, Ross said, when asked if the United States is considering selling oil to India at a concessional rates to make for loss of Iranian barrels. Ross, who is in India, leading a 100-member strong delegation of corporates as part of `Trade Winds Indo-Pacific Forum 2019, meet finance minister Arun Jaitley and commerce and industry minister Suresh Prabhu to discuss outstanding trade issues and future prospects. Top US companies from diverse sectors such as aviation and defence, energy, healthcare, digital services, automotive, consumer goods and agribusiness will be in India this week offering ``fair and reciprocal business opportunities to their counterparts in the country. Trade Winds Indo-Pacific features a three-day business forum in New Delhi, India, with additional trade mission stops in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Bangladesh. Representatives of US companies will meet directly with government leaders, market experts, and pre-vetted potential business partners, according to an official release of the US Embassy. Our goal at the US Department of Commerce is to use every available resource to ensure fair and reciprocal trade for US businesses selling their products and services all over the world, said Ross. Trade Winds is an important component of these efforts. The potential for growth in US-India trade is enormous given the size of our economies, said Kenneth Juster, US Ambassador to India. Exports of US goods and services to India reached $58.9 billion in 2018. I look forward to hearing of future successes from the companies taking part in Trade Winds, he said. A Donegal drama society will make history in 2020 when they become the first society in Donegal to host the All-Ireland Confined Drama Finals. To celebrate their coup, Ballyshannon Drama Society, on the cusp of competing in this years All-Ireland drama finals in Athlone, will celebrate the securing of next years finals and their bid for glory in Athlone later next week with a gala night in the newly refurbished Abbey Arts Centre in the town on Monday night, May 6. The night will include a special welcome for attendees with a wine and finger food reception, followed by what will be the final local production of the societys All-Ireland-bound play The Importance of Being Earnest. In what has been a hectic period of activity, Ballyshannon Drama Society have been busy on and off the field so to speak, with their actors doing the town and county proud as they amassed sufficient points to gain a place in the Open finals, while behind the scenes huge work has been done by society members to secure next years confined finals. John Travers, director of the hugely successful Ballyshannon Drama Festival, said the society was enjoying one of its best ever periods with multiple productions over the past few years entertaining people locally while productions that have gone into competition have won multiple awards for actors, production, lighting, set and more. Were having a good run of it for the past few years and we are very lucky to have such a wonderful facility at the Abbey Arts Centre as our home pitch, he said. The Abbey Centre has recently enjoyed a major refurbishment with investment in new lighting, seating, air conditioning, sound systems and more. The exterior of the building now boasts an eye-catching series of murals capturing the essence and history of the centre. Speaking about next years finals, Mr Travers said the society was thrilled to have been successful in their big to secure them: To get the finals to Ballyshannon next year from April 17 to 25 is a huge coup for us and is good news for the wider community, it will boost bed nights, restuarant takings, and people who support us year in, year out, will get a chance to see some of the finest drama this country has to offer. The festival will involve nine nights of drama featuring the nine best groups that qualified from 24 preliminary festivals all over Ireland. This is the first time the finals have been to a Donegal venue and having hosted the All-Ireland One Act finals in 1996 and 2014, we have the know-how and experience to ensure this works well for the groups, the audiences and the community, Mr Travers stated. He added: There will be something for all the community and the Drama Society will welcome the support of local business and community organisations. Gala night for ALL-Ireland Drama Finalists Ballyshannon Drama Society is once again through to the RTE All-Ireland Drama Finals on May 8 with Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of being Earnest. This will be the group's fourth time qualifying for this prestigious Festival, starting with Neil Simon's Gingerbread Lady' 2014, Yasmina Riga's 'God of Carnage' 2015, and Harold Pinter's play 'Old Times' in 2016. The group also came second in the All-Ireland One Act Finals with Shelagh Stephenson's play Five Kinds Of Silence 2017 . The Amateur Drama Circuit Competition has two sections, Confined and Open. In 2011 Ballyshannon drama society won the All-Ireland Confined Drama Finals in Wexford with Robert Hardings play Steel Mongolia's. This automatically qualified the group to compete in the open section. The group competed in eight festivals around the country. They were placed in all eight festivals, winning three festivals earned them maximum points to qualify for the finals in Athlone on May 8. During the festival run the production team with cast and crew picked up 39 awards across the board in Directing, Acting, Costume, Set/Decor, Lighting, Sound and Stage Management. You will get an opportunity to see this wonderful comedy in all its splendor at a gala performance of the production of 'The importance of Being Earnest in the Abbey Arts Centre this Monday, May 6, the performance will also coincide with the launch of the 2020 All-Ireland Confined Drama Finals. A wine and finger food reception at 7.45pm to mark these events and curtain goes up at 8.30pm. Tickets available at 071-98-51375. Please come along to celebrate and support this wonderful achievement before they give their final performance in Athlone on May 8 . A 73-year-old Marianna man died at his home Friday after a dump truck clipped a power line, causing the live wire to strike him. According to a Florida Highway Patrol press release, the accident occurred near the intersection of Mission and Turk roads in Jackson County. The driver of the dump truck, 63-year-old Terry Wilson of Altha, Florida, delivered a load of dirt to the home of Larry Brock. After dumping the dirt, Wilson pulled the truck forward to ensure all the dirt had been dumped. The motion caused the truck bed to contact a power line, breaking it. The line fell on Brock, causing his death. Jackson County Fire and Rescue pronounced Brock dead at the scene. FHP continues to investigate the incident, and charges are pending. It's our turn to hope that this shooting might be that catalyst for change, perhaps even locally or with state lawmakers. It's our turn to realize that it won't, that we're no different than Red Lake or Santa Fe or so many others. Except some things are different now. It's our turn to see that networks aren't breaking in to programming to cover this school shooting, that Twitter isn't putting snark on hold, that national newspapers aren't going to put this tragedy on their front pages. It's our turn to realize that if that notification on our phone was about gunfire in another city, we too might have mentally swiped it away. It's our turn to understand that it's no longer big news when someone walks into a classroom and starts firing, that mass shootings happen with such regularity that they've become more like all the other shootings with all the other guns. This is the new nightmare that we've become deadened to the worst in us because it no longer feels like the worst. It's just who we are, and it's our turn to live it. The Charlotte Observer 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. Research reveals financial and emotional burden of administration on small businesses ahead of new Single Touch Payroll reporting regulation Australian small businesses estimated to collectively spend over $20B a year on admin and payroll Half of small business owners also willing to sacrifice wellbeing Reckon launches hub to help small business owners get in the zone The engine room of the economy may be at risk of stalling, as new research reveals the weight of administration and red tape is costing small business an average of 541 hours in time, and $14,857 in money each year. This is a total annual cost of more than $20.16 billion per year for Australian small businesses. The In The Zone research from leading Australian accounting software provider, Reckon, revealed that almost half of small business owners (46%) say the admin and red tape of running their business is killing the dream that made them start it in the first place. The survey of more than 1,300 small business leaders across Australia sought to investigate the benefits and barriers to achieving peak performance or being in the zone at work. It comes ahead of the deadline to adopt Single Touch Payroll (STP), which is the biggest compliance change for employers since the introduction of GST almost 20 years ago, and will require more frequent reporting of payroll information to the ATO. Getting in the zone has proven financial benefit Most people can relate to the self-motivation idea of being in the zone that is, a flow state of heightened focus, efficiency and productivity, said Reckon CEO, Sam Allert. Over a fifth (22%) of small business leaders said that the pressure of admin makes it hard for them to get in the zone and do their best work to succeed and grow the business. Per week, many spend more time on administration and payroll (at an average of 10 or more hours) than they do operating at their peak (an average of fewer than 10 hours). Some of the biggest barriers preventing small business owners from achieving peak performance include having to do administrative tasks, feeling tired or stressed from work, or interruptions from phone calls and emails. Entrepreneur, and CEO and Founder of The Remarkable Woman, Shivani Gopal, encourages all small business owners to realise the financial and emotional benefits of seeking ways to get in the zone. Small changes can have big impact. This research shows that even simple steps such as moving to a more comfortable work space, using music or exercise can boost productivity and happiness to the point of positive financial returns, said Gopal. Sleep sacrificed for salary reporting To stay on top of their admin, payroll and compliance requirements, respondents are willing to make a number of sacrifices at the expense of their health and wellbeing. 84 per cent of small business leaders said they would make a lifestyle sacrifice because of admin workload or requirements, with 50 per cent specifically saying they would sacrifice their wellbeing, including sleep. The In the Zone research revealed that the average small business owner gets approximately 4.5 hours sleep per night, far less than the recommended 7-9 hours [1]. 13 per cent of respondents even say they do their admin and payroll before 6am. Health and wellbeing is a huge cultural conversation, but unfortunately it seems small business owners are not heeding advice, or simply not able to due to the demands placed on them, which is a real concern, said Gopal. Small business leader and Managing Director at T.E.C.K.nology Indigenous Corporation, Leslie Lowe, explains that the pressures of running a small business can make it difficult to create a work-life balance. Running your own business can be incredibly stressful. There have been a number of times when I found myself prioritising work over health and wellbeing, such as skipping on sleep, when the everyday demands of sustaining a profitable business and admin pressures build up. To stay on top of emails, admin and compliance reporting, Im often up at 4am to make an early start on the day, said Lowe. Netflix and admin costing business The research found that the pressure of administrative tasks and red tape has caused 58 per cent of small business leaders to make an error that has had a financial implication, such as over or underpaying a supplier or employee, or transferring payments to the wrong person. This could also be due to time-poor small business leaders trying to juggle several things at once. 84 per cent say they have done their business admin or reporting while multitasking for instance, a quarter have watched TV or used a streaming service while doing admin and payroll tasks. One fifth of small businesses not compliant, or unsure Concerningly, ahead of the STP requirements, 21 per cent or 659,000 of small business leaders in Australia dont believe or dont know if their business meets all existing compliance requirements, let alone upcoming changes from 1 July. Around a quarter (24%) also admit that they do not currently use an accounting and payroll software, which is a pre-requisite to getting STP-compliant with the ATO. [1] https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/how-much-sleep-do-you-really-need.html The following essay was written by my friend Krystle DuPree, a member of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party Executive Board (among many other roles she has) of which I am the Chair. It is in response to an article posted on MLive.com titled Ann Arbor areas cost of living jeopardizes veterans efforts to escape poverty. Since the article was published, some edits were made to make the story more accurate. But there is an underlying issue with how it was written that Krystle gets to here in her thoughtful essay. This post is a call for us all to make sure we dont succumb to trivializing important issues by focusing more on what Krystle calls the Poverty Porn aspects of the advocate(s) for the issue. And, equally (or even more) importantly, that we seek to know more about the nuances of an issue and take concrete steps in our spheres of influence to alleviate the core causes of inequalities of all types in our communities. Enjoy. Story tellin, my roots tell me to tell a story. For many people of color, the ability to take a tale of tragedy and turn it into story of triumph and motivation is a nearly innate skill passed on through generations. (Many communities of color hold on to cherished oratory history and fables which provide comfort and a sense of rejuvenation in times of struggle. People of African descent value stories of dedication and hard work as much as we love the charismatic and poetic delivery from community and national leaders. At times we look to stories of rebellion from our ancestors to learn lessons of leadership and social justice. We are taught tales of incomprehensible dedication among inhumane hardships and from these accounts, we are tasked to find inspiration. Many times, when we tell our own, we tend to shy far away from the light of victimhood and neediness. Rather, we position ourselves as just a complementing factor in the story. We share each story with the hope of motivating someone great to do something great. Rather than attempt to elicit sympathy or empathy, our presence in the story is merely a fact. However, what happens when someone else tells our story? What happens when our stories are collected, dissected, and served to the Pavlovian dogs who instantly salivate at the site of poor folks of color? What happens when our stories are told from perspectives that are not our own? We are touted as the exception bathed in stereotypical waters and that is where the Poverty Porn starts. If you read the phrase Poverty Porn with a raised eyebrow, do not fret as it is a new, yet accurate, title for the way people who are considered disadvantaged in some way are used and reduced to talking points. Many people and their personal narratives are used to frame or set the tone for an argument being made by someone who considers themselves more privileged; who may or may not share that lived experience. On my 34th birthday, a local news outlet dropped its latest installment to the collection of economic erotica. This partial personal narrative featured a 30-something combat veteran who is a graduate student at the University of Michigan. She is also a community organizer who recently accepted a paid fellowship with Mothering Justice with career hopes in activism as well as a leader within the Washtenaw County Democratic Party. The veteran persisted after a challenging upbringing and the economic shift of divorce. She is also a recent convert to Islam, a poet, an activist, and a single mother. Her sense of resilience and purpose was forged among struggle and bold choices and helped her to navigate systemic shortcomings and concerns. She has fond memories of watching shows like A Different World as a child that told her that, Hey! College aint just for them. Its for you too! Yes, this person is yours truly. SO MANY DIVERSITY BOXES, NOT ENOUGH CHECK MARKS!!! If you guessed that the diversity boxes that were chosen for the article were Veteran, Black, Single Mother, Poor, and Student, youre absolutely right. Just enough to capture the attention of the liberal/progressive hyper-local social media (at least a few for a couple hours or so) and elicit an emotional response to the present housing concerns in Ann Arbor. Yet, contrary to popular belief (or the tone of the article) I am struggling but not suffering. And, yes, the struggle is real for many of us. Women between the ages of 18 and 24 are the largest demographic living in poverty in Washtenaw County. The median property value in Washtenaw County, MI was $258,700 in 2017, which is 1.19 times larger than the national average of $217,600. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $244,700 to $258,700, a 5.72% increase. The homeownership rate in Washtenaw County, Michigan is 61.8%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. In 2017, full-time male employees in Washtenaw County, MI made 1.38 times more than female employees. The majority of single parents in Washtenaw County are single women. Yet, even in the light of these facts, I dont find it at all shocking that my directness was construed as anger and a wavering sense of loyalty in the article. I find it even less shocking that my sexuality and the whereabouts of my ex-husband (or the kids dad) became a topic of discussion among commenters. This is especially true considering the overall demonization of single parents, particularly black women, who are often seen as sexually irresponsible. The perceived lasciviousness of black women was a good selling point when AA/Black women were bought and sold for the purpose of breeding and bed warming. It is yet another item on the long list of stereotypes associated with black women. The book Sister Citizen by Michelle Harris-Perry speaks to these stereotypes explicitly, relating them to the overall policing of black female bodies and black motherhood. The story written with my and my sons faces featured, was riddled with troll traps and misleading information that incited responses that were built upon a foundation of sexual violence and racial discrimination. It essentially depicted me as the pitiful stereotype of a single mom living above her means while attempting to care for a child out of wedlock. I am not seen as a hard worker, but as a leech who is living off the government. The truth is that I am one of many divorced women who have primary custody of their children do not qualify for assistance due to means testing and who persist despite economic challenges. I am an EMU alumna who has been awarded for her volunteer services in Washtenaw County Democratic Party. I am a combat Veteran who served as a Mortuary Affairs specialist and was honorably discharged from military service in 2012. I am a poet who began writing in the 4th grade and who has performed at literary galas and spoken word events. I am a public speaker who has been invited to appear at The Survivors Art Show in Detroit this April and to speak at a rally with the Womens March on The Diag of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor as a survivor of sexual assault and someone who opposes Donald Trumps appointment of a man who had committed sexual assault in college to the Supreme Court of the United States. I am also a member of the Poor Peoples Campaign (the reporter who wrote the piece met me at one of our events) and an organizer for Mothering Justice. I am more than my boxes. Oh, to be a black woman in the Land of Liberalism. As you may guess, I am not offended by the visceral reaction to this version of my story. But, as my mentor once advised me, I want to make it a teachable moment. The article was written to elicit a response. It allowed the mostly wealthy (and mostly white) readers to live vicariously through my apparent trauma of poverty and the fear of inconsistency, ultimately learning something from the articles false presentation of my pain. They read it while sitting comfy on their couches and safely behind their keyboards and then, with a mere click of their mouse, my story fades into nothing. Out of sight, out of mind. Most of the articles misinformation was later corrected after I sent an email and made a phone call. But, like my mamma used to say, whats done is done. What is seen cannot be unseen. I once smoked a cigarette with a combat vet outside of a local bar and grill in downtown Ann Arbor. I was trying to ward off a small panic attack I was having due to the crowded conditions inside the bar. Together, he and I sat and had conversation. He shared with me that he was soon to be housed but was waiting on a housing voucher from a local service organization and had already been waiting a month. I shared my own worries and we ranted back and forth. We could do this because we shared each others pain, struggle, and disappointment. I say shared because we both experienced these situations, not wallowed in them. This is that teachable moment my mentor taught me about. Articles like this often fail to balance the lived experience of the subject with the lived experience of those who share their concerns within the community. This sort of writing effectively isolates the issue as a personal issue. As the thoughts and stereotypes about black single mothers rise to the surface, allow me to skim the top to clarify: If I were to hit the lottery for millions tomorrow, there will still be people being priced out of Washtenaw County. There must be actual local, state and federal changes to make housing affordable, wages livable, and communities equitable. In the interview I was asking for actual change just like the 49,600 people 14.5% versus the national average of 13.4% who live below the poverty line in Washtenaw County and are being priced out. This economic reality ensures that local elected positions are filled with people of generational affluence and privilege rather than those of us who have been on the receiving end of poorly thought out political responses. This is because one cannot run for city council in a city they do not live in. Of course we want our local government to represent the immediate community. But if people who have lived experiences are being pushed out and forced to live elsewhere, even as they continue to work and go to school in these areas, are THEIR interests truly being represented? Absent these valuable perspectives, how can we find equitable solutions? We are not seeking a handout or a leg up. We are asking for inclusion from the very people who profess to be our allies, express their awareness of their privilege, and claim they learn from OUR stories. In the words of Fred Hampton I dont want your mind on myself if you aint working for the people. SO, how will you work? How will you work your privilege to not just promote but become instrumental in developing polices that are not band-aids that cover the festering wounds of classism and racism. Which are based on stereotypes and ancient perceptions of penury and ethnicity? How are you going to work to ensure that local politics and politicians are community driven and that, together, they are instruments of change based in community empowerment, not perceived detriment? How do you plan to work WITH and not on behalf of those of us who are often pushed to the margins and amplify, not exploit, our voices? How will you work to deepen the understanding that working-class people are the people who live at or below the poverty line and who deserve to live with an abundance of resources, as well? Finally, how will you address these issues while recognizing that women of color, particularly those of African descent, are hit much harder by every political miss and are often minimized and demoralized for the sake of clickbait? Allowing our faces and stories to be devalued just enough to detract from the issue. Where will you do most of your work? Because bingeing on poverty porn is not work. No one knows for sure how many things are connected to the Internet, but the Federal Trade Commission reported last year that it was more than 8 billion, and that it would exceed 20 billion by the end of 2020! Astonishing as it seems, it turns out that U.S. privacy laws do not apply to all of those devices and the data they collect. So, for the third time in three years, the Senate has proposed a new law, the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2019, which actually would apply to IoT products but only those purchased by the U.S. government. It seems that the FTCs approach to IoT data privacy is put on your own mask first before helping those around you. What seems really unbelievable is that Internet-connected things communicate enormous volumes of data from our cellphones, watches, health devices, televisions, door bells, security cameraswell you get it, virtually everything is connected to the Internet in 2019. Should we feel that our privacy is properly protected? We would like to think so. For instance, everyone relies on maps on their cell devices to know which routes to drive to work or home, or to explore a new town. We know that when the maps show a green road we can safely assume there is no traffic, while yellow indicates traffic is slow, and red means traffic is not moving. However, most people do not stop to think about how the data is acquired. It comes from the cellphones in the vehicles on those roadways. How? Well, remember when you clicked that allow access button that popped up on your map application? You essentially consented to sharing your personal data. Either we are unaware of what allowing access means, or we do not really care. What Did Brittany Say? In 2018, Brittany Kasier, cofounder of the Digital Asset Trade Association, made the Cambridge Analytica revelation that much of the information people assume is private actually is provided freely to social media, apps on mobile devices, and online e-commerce companies. Brittany highlighted the fact that most of us are not really aware of what data we are sharing voluntarily or otherwise or how that data is being stored and used. Brittany also pointed out that the popularization of big data relates to IoT, social media and mobile devices, and all of the personal identifiable information (PII) from individuals is cobbled together into big data. Data aggregators buy this PII from various sources because the terms of service (ToS), click agreements, and privacy policies that no one reads give these IoT, social media and mobile devices the right to share our PII. FTC to the Rescue? The FTC is the U.S. government agency charged with the responsibility of protecting U.S. citizens personal privacy. In a report on big data it released a few years ago, the FTC disclosed some serious, and alarming concerns about where we are headed. Despite its concerning findings, the FTC only made recommendations for the consumer market, which arguably are more general questions than suggestions. For example, the FTC has made the following recommendations to manufacturers, software providers, and other related businesses: Take steps to protect data they collect and store; Identify who owns the data; Provide notice of how and what data is collected, and promptly notify individuals when that data is exposed. These are only recommendations, however. The Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2019 takes the next step: requiring that manufacturers of government devices comply with certain security standards. What about the rest of us, you ask? Well, according to Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., this legislation will use the purchasing power of the federal government to establish some minimum security standards for IoT devices. GDPR to the Rescue? Unlike the U.S., the EU has implemented stringent privacy protection laws. The EUs GDPR, which became effective last spring, appears to have had a larger impact around the world. Thats likely due to its application being based on the location of EU citizens, regardless of where they might reside in the world. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Because of the global application, many U.S. companies have proceeded under the assumption that they were obligated to protect all EU citizens data under GDPR a higher standard than the guidelines suggested by the FTC. As a result, many U.S. companies have upped their IT security standards. However, we have not seen any tests in court to see if the GDPR really might apply in the U.S. Under the GDPR, easy to understand is the critical legal requirement. GDPR requires that privacy policies be written in plain language, not legalese. For example, if you look at Googles Privacy Policy, in effect since May 2018 (and recently updated), you will see an easily comprehensible set of policies, complete with illustrative cartoons. California to the Rescue! Many U.S. companies believe it is impossible to verify whether someone living in the U.S. is in fact an EU citizen. These companies have refused to comply with GDPR requirements until U.S. courts direct them to do so. California last year established a new privacy law, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which is akin to the GDPR and goes into effect in 2020. Other states have been considering similar laws, and if enough states pass these new stricter data protection laws, it is possible that a federal law could be enacted. Which is what Brittany has been hoping for. 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Pope Francis has appealed for the care of migrants in Bulgaria which has not recently been welcoming of them, but his words during a trip seeking church unity riled a senior cleric in the dominant Orthodox Church in the eastern European nation. A consistent message of the Pope since the migrant crisis of 2015 has been for the need to welcome refugees, whom he has said been scorned by fear-mongering European nationalists, The New York Times reported as the papal visit began. "But rarely has he delivered it in a nation that has so few Roman Catholics they make up less than one percent of the seven million people in a country that is mostly Bulgarian Orthodox," said the Times, noting that migrants in Italy have also faced hostility. On the second day of his visit Vatican Media said that around ten thousand faithful gathered in the predominantly Catholic town of Rakovski, in southern Bulgaria after visiting a refugee camp earlier. He spoke of how every person there is recognized as a child of God, regardless of ethnicity or religious confession, and how there is "no need to ask for a curriculum vitae." The Pope said he met many Christians "who have learned to see with God's own eyes", a God who is not worried about details.. But on the second day of the visit Francis got a frosty reception from the dominant church in Bulgaria. A high-ranking figure in the Bulgarian Orthodox church, Metropolitan Nikolai of Plovdiv, dismissed the papal visit as political and condemned in strong terms Francis' efforts to improve ties between the churches, The Times reported. "The goal of all of this is to unite all the religions around the Pope, so that when the Antichrist comes, for the Pope to welcome him, and through him, all who are coming along with him," Nikolai told a congregation in a church in Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-largest city. "How to unite everyone?" he declared, in remarks first reported by Pod Tepeto, a Bulgarian news site. "It is not possible to unite the light and the darkness." Francis began his three-day visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia on May 5 aimed partly at improving relations with the Orthodox Church. Orthodox leaders said, however, they would not take part in joint services or prayers with the Pope in Bulgaria, the BBC reported. REJECTION OF JOINT SERVICES The Pope met Orthodox leaders in Bulgaria in a Sunday visit after they had rejected taking part in joint services or prayers with him. The Vatican has long been pushing for unity between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity, which split in 1054 in one of two major schisms in the history of Church. The second was the Reformation in 1517 when Protestants broke from the Church of Rome. At the presidential palace in Sofia, the pontiff spoke on the low birth rates and high levels of emigration in Bulgaria. "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 an ice curtain on a large part of Europe, the consequence of a diminished confidence in the future," he said, Reuters news agency reported. Francis called on 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." He also urged government officials "not to close your eyes, your hearts or your hands" to migrants. Regarding ecumenism with efforts to foster cooperation among different churches, the Pope's trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia is a delicate issue, as the majority of people in both countries are Orthodox Christians, Deutsche Welle reported. "Indeed, U.S. media cited the vice director of the U.S. bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs as saying that the Pope may need to be particularly careful and navigate many potential "minefields," said DW. (REUTERS / Sergei Gunyeev / Ria Novosti / Kremlin/Files)Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) and Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill arrive for the meeting with Russian Orthodox church bishops in Moscow February 1, 2013. As troops loyal to Russian President Vladimir Putin were seizing control of Crimea, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow deduced that an "internal political crisis" in Ukraine was threatening its territorial integrity. Picture taken February 1, 2013. Pope Francis will meet the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill for first time for an historic meeting in Cuba, the Vatican has said. The Holy See sees the meeting of great significance in Catholic-Russian Orthodox relations. The private meeting will last two hours and take place in Havana on Feb. 12 while the Pope is heading to Mexico for a pastoral visit. "After centuries it is the first time that the pope will meet with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is an event of extraordinary importance," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombarid said Feb. 5. The meeting will be the first top-level encounter beteen the two churches since the 11th century. "The Holy See and the Patriarchate of Moscow are pleased to announce that, by the grace of God, His Holiness Pope Francis and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will meet on February 12 next," the joint statement issued by the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church said.. "Their meeting will take place in Cuba, where the Pope will make a stop on his way to Mexico, and where the Patriarch will be on an official visit. It will include a personal conversation at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport, and will conclude with the signing of a joint declaration. "This meeting of the Primates of the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, after a long preparation, will be the first in history and will mark an important stage in relations between the two Churches. The Holy See and the Moscow Patriarchate hope that it will also be a sign of hope for all people of good will." Patriarch Kirill has been the head of the Russian Orthodox Church since February 2009, while Pope Francis took up his role in March 2013. The Roman Catholic Church has more than a billion members worldwide, while the Russian Orthodox Church numbers about 165 million and is the biggest Orthdox church. The Orthodox Church is made up of more than 10 separate churches. The Vatican has existing ties with the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew. The pace of reconciliation between Russia, the biggest country in the world, and the Vatican, the smallest, has been swift, The New York Times reported. The two agreed to establish formal diplomatic ties at the end of 2009, and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Francis in June 2015, in what was seen as a break of Russia's isolation from the West over the crisis in Ukraine. The Orthodox Church has close relations with the Kremlin and Kirill and Putin are said to have a close relationship. The Cuba meeting was not an "improvisation," Father Lombardi said, Catholic News Service reported. Tt took two years of intense planning and negotiations to schedule. Even when the idea of a meeting was just a vague hope, both Catholic and Orthodox officials insisted it would have to take place on "neutral" territory rather than at the Vatican or in Russia. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Infrastructure is a bridge to progress for all Calm can be restored only after stopping Israeli attacks' Palestinian people besieged in the Gaza Strip for more than 12 years demand their basic rights only, says Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Calm can be restored in the blockaded Gaza Strip only after stopping the Israeli attacks against Palestinian protestors, Hamas leader said late Sunday. 'PITILESS ATTACKS' "We stress that the more atrocious the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian civilians are, the stronger the Palestinian response will be," Ismail Haniyeh said in a written statement. "Hamas stresses that calm can be restored only after stopping the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and implementing the ceasefire understandings by the Israeli occupation," Haniyeh added. "The Palestinian people besieged in the Gaza Strip for more than 12 years demand their basic rights only, as per all international laws and conventions," according to the statement. Since Saturday, 25 Palestinians, including two pregnant women and two infants, were martyred and more than 100 others wounded by Israeli airstrikes. The escalation in the Gaza Strip started when four Palestinians were martyred, including a teenager, and 51 wounded on Friday in Israeli army attacks on Hamas-affiliated sites and a separate attack on a rally against the decade-long occupation and siege of the Gaza strip. The Israeli assaults were met by Palestinian resistance factions launching 600 rockets towards Israeli settlements, killing three people, according to Israeli figures. UB students, alums awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships UB-affiliated winners and honorable mention recipients of National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships are (from left) Destiny Diaz, Ty Santiago, Hailie Suk and Anthony Taboni. Not pictured: Meghan Capeling, Matthew Falcone, Emily Bonacquisti and Izzy Starr. Photo: Douglas Levere The award is one of the most competitive and respected scientific fellowships in the U.S. The National Science Foundations Graduate Research Fellowships are the most prestigious award for graduate students doing research-based masters and doctoral degrees. BUFFALO, N.Y. Two University at Buffalo students and two alumni have won the National Science Foundations prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship awards. Four other UB students received honorable mention. The UB students join 14 from other SUNY campuses as winners of what is widely regarded as one of the most competitive and respected scientific fellowships in the U.S. The UB students earning honorable mention are among 12 from SUNY institutions to receive this honor. The National Science Foundations Graduate Research Fellowships are the most prestigious award for graduate students doing research-based masters and doctoral degrees, says Elizabeth Colucci, director of UBs Office of Fellowships and Scholarships. Each Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of financial support within a five-year fellowship period, which amounts to a $34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to the graduate institution. That support is for graduate study that leads to a research-based masters or doctoral degree in a STEM field. UBs four Graduate Research Fellowship winners are: Meghan Capeling, who graduated from UB in 2017 with a bachelors degree in chemical and biological engineering, is now a graduate student at the University of Michigan studying biomedical engineering. While at UB, Capeling was an Honors College Presidential Scholar and a 2017 recipient of the SUNY Chancellors Award for Student Excellence. Destiny Diaz is completing a bachelor of science in mathematics with a minor in Spanish at UB; she will pursue graduate study in biostatistics at UB. A Buffalo native, Diaz is a recipient of a 2019 SUNY Chancellors Award for Student Excellence, a member of the University Honors College and a Prosperity Fellow. This award makes a difference in my career because it allows me to expand upon my passion for research. I feel very honored and blessed to be named a fellow, Diaz says. It means a significant amount to me that my hard work and my research interests are recognized at this level. Diaz has conducted research through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, an NSF-funded program. She also has participated in research in the Department of Health Behavior at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Matthew Falcone, a 2018 graduate of UB, has won the Graduate Research Fellowship in his first year at the University of Colorado Boulder after earning an honorable mention for the fellowship as a senior at UB. A native of West Seneca, Falcone earned a double bachelors degree in environmental engineering and civil engineering. While at UB, was an Honors College Scholar; he worked on the Tonawanda Coke Soil Study; and he travelled to Tanzania to study water treatment. Amherst resident Hailie Suk is a UB doctoral student in mechanical engineering. She graduated from UB in 2017 with a degree in environmental engineering and was a recipient of the SUNY Chancellors Award for Student Excellence. Suk is an Arthur A. Schomburg Fellow and a SUNY Diversity in Graduate Education Fellow. She participated in research as an undergraduate at UB, monitoring water quality at Lake Erie beaches through microbial source tracking methods. The support offered through this fellowship enables me to enhance my research and work toward making a difference in the world through sustainable energy systems, she says. As a growing researcher and scholar, I am also grateful for the continued support I have received from my professors and mentors in the school of engineering. I am honored and excited to receive this opportunity and complete my research at the University at Buffalo. Suk works with John Hall, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, where she works on sustainable design life with respect to microgrids and alternative energy systems. Suk was president of Engineers for a Sustainable World and has been a student mentor for several courses in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The four UB students to receive Graduate Research Fellowship honorable mention are: Tonawanda resident Anthony Taboni will graduate from UB with a bachelor of arts in mathematics and political science. A UB Honors College Presidential Scholar, Talboni is a recipient of a 2019 SUNY Chancellors Award for Student Excellence, as well as the Robert Stern Award for the best undergraduate political science paper. He worked as a research assistant with Rachael Hinkle, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, contributing to an analysis of publishing decisions made by U.S. Courts of Appeals. Taboni will attend Princeton University to pursue a PhD in political science, specializing in judicial politics. Emily Bonacquisti of Orchard Park is pursuing a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences at UB. Bonacquisti is working with Juliane Nguyen, associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, to explore the role of Connexin 43 in nucleic acid delivery using cells and exosomes via stable overexpression using lentivirus. She graduated magna cum laude from UB in 2017 with a BS in biological sciences. As an undergraduate, she conducted research in the Department of Biological Sciences, completed a Collaborative Learning and Integrated Mentoring in the Biosciences (CLIMB) Summer Fellowship and did research at Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute. Izzy Starr, a second-year UB doctoral student in biological sciences, uses computing to study how microbes living on human skin impact immunity. Starr was also recently awarded the Ada Lovelace Fellowship, a prestigious fellowship from Microsoft Research. Starr is one of the first five students to receive this award, which aims to increase the pipeline of diverse talent receiving advanced degrees in computing-related fields by providing a research funding for doctoral students from groups underrepresented in computing. Starr is an Arthur A. Schomburg Fellow and a SUNY Diversity in Graduate Education Fellow. She graduated from Wellesley College and then spent a year as a Fulbright research grantee in Turkey. Ty Santiago is pursuing a PhD in chemistry at UB. As an undergraduate, Santiago did research analyzing the effect of nanocarriers on living tissue. As a second year PhD student, he is working on developing an instrument capable of performing vibrational sum-frequency generation non-linear spectroscopy in both reflection and scattering modes. He also works with his graduate research adviser, Luis Velarde, assistant professor of chemistry, and a local high school to develop hands-on experiments for high school students to inspire them to pursue careers in STEM fields. Santiago is a CLIMB scholar. Founded in 1951, the National Science Foundations Graduate Research Fellowship is the countrys oldest fellowship program that directly supports graduate students in various STEM fields. The research fellowships program was established early in the foundation's history, to encourage the best basic research and ensure a comprehensive research program. This year, fellowships were awarded to 2,050 students around the country, with more than 1,500 students receiving honorable mentions. China won't take part in trilateral nuclear arms talks Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday that China will not participate in negotiations on any trilateral nuclear disarmament agreement. China on Monday dismissed a suggestion that it would talk with the United States and Russia about a new accord limiting nuclear arms, saying it would not take part in any trilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations. 'THERE WONT BE A DEAL' Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed on Friday the possibility of the new accord that could eventually include China in what would be a major deal between the globes top three atomic powers. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that the countrys nuclear forces were at the lowest level of its national security needs, and that they could not be compared to the United States and Russia. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang China opposes any country talking out of turn about China on the issueofarms control, and will not take part in any trilateral negotiations on a nuclear disarmament agreement, Geng told a daily news briefing, when asked about Trumps remarks. China has always advocated the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, Geng added. EU condemns Palestine on defense attacks Statement comes after Israeli attacks since Saturday killing 23 Palestinians, injuring at least 100 others. EU foreign policy chief on Sunday called for an immediate end to Palestines rocket attacks on Israel, and reiterated the Unions support to Israel. "SECURITY GUARANTEES FOR ISRAEL" "Indiscriminate rocket attacks from Palestinian militants in Gaza must stop immediately. The European Union reiterates its fundamental commitment to the security of Israel, Federica Mogherini said in a written statement. "These attacks provoke unspeakable suffering to the Israelis and serve only the cause of endless violence and of an endless conflict," Mogherini added. The statement came after Israeli attacks since Saturday martyred at least 23 Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her infant child, and left more than 100 others wounded. "A new escalation risks also to reverse the work to relieve the suffering of the people in Gaza who are already paying a high price with many victims that we mourn, Mogherini said and added: "And it puts in further danger the prospects for long-term solutions, which will require the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, credible security guarantees for Israel and a lifting of restrictions of access and movement." ISRAELI ASSAULTS WERE MET BY PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE The escalation in the Gaza Strip started when four Palestinians were martyred, including a teenager, and 51 wounded on Friday in Israeli army attacks on Hamas-affiliated sites and a separate attack on a rally against the decade-long occupation and siege of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli assaults were met by Palestinian resistance factions launching 600 rockets towards Israeli settlements, killing three people, according to Israel. More than 80 Israelis have received treatment since Saturday from Palestinian rocket attacks, including 62 for panic attacks, Israel's Megan David Adom emergency services said earlier Sunday. Since Saturday, Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have targeted at least 200 civilian sites including seven residential buildings. International court reverses decision to refer Jordan to UN Jordan had not arrested former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir despite calls by International Criminal Court (ICC). The International Criminal Court (ICC) said Monday it will not refer Jordan to the UN Security Council for its failure to arrest former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir when he visited Amman in 2017. JORDAN IS NOT ACCEPTED Al-Bashir, who was ousted last month after 30 years in power, has been accused by the ICC of war crimes in the Darfur province of Sudan. In Monday's statement the ICC said it had reversed its earlier decision to refer Sudan to the Security Council for failing to meet its obligations. The ICC had noted in a statement in December 2017 that it was Jordan's fundamental duty to arrest Al-Bashir and hand him to the court when he arrived to attend the Arab League summit in March of that year. Pendarovski claims victory in N.Macedonia presidential race Stevo Pendarovski, the candidate of governing social democrats, declares victory in Sunday's presidential runoff Speaking at a news conference at the party headquarters in the capital Skopje, Pendarovski, who is a supporter of North Macedonia's name change deal with Greece, said that he will be "everyone's president", adding the Macedonians had decided to "move forward together" in the elections. PENDAROVSKI WON THE RACE "I would like to thank all the citizens, Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish, Serbian, Ulah, Roman, Bosniaks, and others who gave me the responsibility to be the president for everyone. I will be the president of everyone," said Pendarovski. "The result of today's elections is proof that we are growing bigger, responsible and we deserve to advance. Our place is NATO, in the European Union," said Zoran Zaev, the leader of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia. Sunday's election is the sixth presidential election in the country's modern history, but the first since it made a momentous name change. Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova who won 44,73 percent in the first round of polls conceded defeat. Davkova was the candidate of the main opposition union. She has argued for canceling the countrys name change deal. Taliban attack killed 25 soldiers in Afghanistan At least 25 people have been killed and dozens wounded after Taliban fighters attacked a police headquarters in western Afghanistan. A Taliban attack killed 25 soldiers in western Afghanistan, an official confirmed on Monday. 25 DEAD Defying Afghan governments calls for truce during the holy month of Ramadan, the Taliban assaulted a military check post in the western Farah province bordering Iran. Shah Mehmood Naimi, deputy chairman of the provincial assembly, told Anadolu Agency that scores of Taliban insurgents stormed a military compound in an overnight attack on the main highway linking Herat and Kandahar provinces. He confirmed the death toll of the attack that began Sunday night and continued till early Monday morning. The Taliban took responsibility for the deadly attack. Qari Yosuf Ahmadi, the Taliban spokesman, said in a statement that a military check post was completely overrun in Gulistan district on the main highway. He claimed a large number of weapons and equipment were seized and two soldiers were taken captive. A day earlier, at least 13 security forces were killed in a Taliban assault on a police headquarters in Baghlan province. Eight insurgents were also killed in the attack. The attacks came despite President Mohammad Ashraf Ghanis call for peace and reconciliation during the month of Ramadan. I once again call on the Taliban to respect this holy month and address the demand of Afghans for peace and reconciliation which was reflected at the Loya Jirga (grand consultative council of elders) for peace, he said. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan also urged all parties to the conflict to halt the fighting. Turkish FM offers condolences to Russia over plane fire incident Turkeys Foreign Ministry Mevlut Cavusoglu expresses deep sorrow over aircraft accident at the Sheremetyevo Airport. Turkish Foreign Ministry Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday offered condolences to Russia over a fatal plane fire incident at the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow that killed 41 people. THE MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCES FROM TURKEY We received the news of loss of lives caused by the aircraft accident, that happened at the Sheremetyevo Airport yesterday evening with great sorrow, the ministry said in a statement. We share the sorrow of the people and Government of Russia, convey our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, wish speedy recovery to the injured, he added. A Superjet-100 plane with 78 people on-board, traveling from Moscow to northern port city of Murmansk, caught fire soon after taking off and asked for an emergency landing. Up to 41 people were killed. Two held after mobs attack Muslim property in Sri Lanka Curfew was imposed in a seaside town in Colombo as mobs attacked Muslim-owned shops, vehicles. Sri Lankan police arrested two people after mobs attacked Muslim-owned shops in one of the towns where a Catholic church was targeted in multiple suicide bombings in April that killed more than 250, according to local media reports. TWO ATTACKER ARRESTED Mostly-Catholic attackers stoned and vandalized shops which are largely owned by Muslims in Negombo, north of Colombo. Reports said that police had imposed an overnight curfew in the town, which was lifted early Monday. Local media cited police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara as saying that the violence was brought under control. Reports also cited locals saying attackers burnt a three-wheeler taxi and a motorbike while a gem-seller said about 400 people stoned his shop. Military spokesman Sumith Atapattu said Sunday several people had been injured in clashes in the town. Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith along with Muslim clerics visited the area Monday to appeal for peace. To control the situation, the government had blocked some social media sites overnight which was lifted early today. United Arab Emirates releases seized Qatar military vessel The vessel was seized last month after entering Emirati territorial waters, The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry says The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday announced it had released a Qatari military vessel that was seized late last month after entering Emirati territorial waters. According to a statement released by the UAE's Foreign Ministry, the boat had been carrying two Qatari military personnel, along with a Palestinian and an Indian national, when it was seized on April 30. The statement did not provide any further details, while Doha has yet to comment on the ministrys claims. Since mid-2017, the UAE along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain has imposed a diplomatic and commercial embargo on Qatar, accusing the country of supporting terrorist groups. Doha strenuously denies the allegation, describing the ongoing embargo as a violation of international law. US warships sail in South China Sea The US military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Monday. The busy waterway is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the US-China relationship, which also include a trade war, US sanctions and Taiwan. President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal by threatening to hike US tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and soon target hundreds of billions more. COMMANDER CLAIMS AN "INNOCENT PASSAGE" The US guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung Hoon traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, a US military spokesman told Reuters. Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the Seventh Fleet, said the innocent passage aimed to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the US ships entered the waters near the islets without the Chinese governments permission, and the Chinese navy warned them to leave. 1. Serious and potentially fatal infection of the genitals identified as a rare side-effect of SGLT2 inhibitors Awareness of this potential issue can inform prescriber-patient discussions about appropriate diabetes therapy Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M19-0085 URLs go live when the embargo lifts Physicians prescribing a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for type 2 diabetes should be on alert for symptoms of Fournier gangrene, a rare form of the necrotizing bacterial infection that affects soft tissue in the genitals. Fournier gangrene is a newly identified safety concern in patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors that should receive immediate attention, if suspected. Findings from a review of spontaneous postmarketing cases is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Fournier gangrene is a rare urologic emergency characterized by a rapidly progressive necrotizing infection of the external genitalia, perineum, and perianal region requiring broad-spectrum antibiotics and immediate surgical intervention. Diabetes is a comorbid condition in 32 to 66 percent of cases. SGLT2 inhibitors are a newer medication prescribed to improve glycemic control by inhibiting reabsorption of filtered glucose in the proximal tubules of the kidney, which increases urinary glucose excretion. The most common adverse reactions identified with SGLT2 inhibitors in clinical trials were genital mycotic and urinary tract infections, but the SGLT2 inhibitor class can also be associated with Fournier gangrene. Researchers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviewed adverse event reports to describe and compare reported cases of Fournier gangrene in patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors versus other antiglycemic agents. The researchers identified 55 cases among patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors during the 6 years since canagliflozin received U.S. marketing approval in March 2013. Serious complications and death are likely if Fournier gangrene is not recognized immediately and surgical intervention is not carried out within the first few hours of diagnosis. All patients in the case series were hospitalized, some required several surgeries, some had complications, and three died as a result of Fournier gangrene. The researchers found only 19 Fournier gangrene cases in 35 years among patients receiving other classes of antiglycemic agents. According to the researchers, awareness of the association between Fournier gangrene and SGLT2 inhibitor use may be an important factor in an informed prescriber-patient discussion regarding appropriate diabetes therapy. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To interview the lead author, Susan J. Bersoff-Matcha, MD, please contact Kristofer Baumgartner at CDERTradePress@fda.hhs.gov. 2. PFO associated with four-fold increased risk for ischemic stroke in patients with PE Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-3485 Editorial: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M19-1089 URLs go live when the embargo lifts The presence of patent foramen ovale (PFO) was associated with a four-fold increase in risk for ischemic stroke in patients admitted for symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE). Findings from a prospective cohort study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. PE is associated with increased risk for ischemic stroke, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Researchers hypothesized that paradoxical embolism through PFO could be the cause. Researchers for the French Department of Health studied 361 consecutive patients with symptomatic acute PE from November 2009 through December 2015 at four French hospital centers to determine the frequency of recent ischemic stroke according to whether PFO was detected. All of the patients underwent predefined and standardized MRI within 7 days of admission to identify the presence of a recent ischemic cerebral injury and contrast transthoracic echocardiography to detect the presence of PFO with each of the two examinations being interpreted without knowledge of the result of the other. They found that recent ischemic stroke was significantly more frequent in the PFO group than in the non-PFO group. According to the authors, this finding supports the hypothesis that paradoxical embolism is an important mechanism of ischemic stroke in patients with concomitant PFO and PE. Nevertheless, whether patients with PE should be screened for PFO in daily practice remains to be determined. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. The lead author, Emmanuelle Le Moigne, MD, PhD, can be contacted directly at emmanuelle.lemoigne@chu-brest.fr. 3. Supplement to Annals offers resources to help physicians talk with their patients about cost of care Eight articles and several support tools were funded by a grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Cost Conversation Projects Editorial: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M19-0537 Editorial: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M19-0778 Tools: http://www.acponline.org/costofcare URLs go live when the embargo lifts The findings of 8 projects published in a supplement to Annals of Internal Medicine suggest strategies for discussing the cost of care during clinical encounters. Funded by a grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) Cost Conversation Projects, the supplement includes links to tools designed to overcome barriers that may impede such conversations. The supplement and related resources are available for free at http://www.Annals.org. Out-of-pocket costs associated with health care are rising and many Americans find themselves paying higher deductibles or foregoing care altogether. For example, 35 percent of American adults under the age of 64 reported not getting needed medical care because of out-of-pocket costs. While patients and physicians have expressed a desire to talk about the cost of medical care, evidence shows that these conversations seldom occur. The American College of Physicians (ACP) partnered with RWJF, America's Essential Hospitals, the National Patient Advocate Foundation, Avalere Health and 8 research grantees to develop resources for clinicians to support conversations with patients about the expected costs of their care. The research grantees present their work in the following supplement articles: Cost-of-Care Conversations During Clinical Visits in Federally Qualified Health Centers http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-1608 Addressing Medication Costs During Primary Care Visits: A Before-After Study of Team-based Training http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2011 Perspectives on Conversations About Costs of Cancer Care of Breast Cancer Survivors and Cancer Center Staff http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2117 U.S. Internists' Perspectives on Discussing Cost of Care with Patients: Structured Interviews and a Survey http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2136 Community-Designed Messaging Interventions to Improve Cost-of-Care Conversations in Settings Serving Low-Income, Latino Populations http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2140 Development of a Framework and Tool to Facilitate Cost-of-Care Conversations with Patients During Prenatal Care http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2207 Using Public Cost Information During Low Back Pain Visits http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2223 Workflow Requirements for Cost-of-Care Conversations in Outpatient Settings Providing Oncology or Primary Care http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2227 Notes and media contacts: For an embargoed PDF of any or all of the articles, or for author contact information, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org with specific requests. 4. A substantial share of clinical trials go unreported Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M19-0440 Editorial: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M19-1273 URLs go live when the embargo lifts A substantial share of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) go unpublished and their results go unreported. The loss of evidence from these trials pertained to nearly 90,000 participants and affects the quality of data of available, published research. Results from a brief research report are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers from Stanford University searched ClinicalTrials.gov for studies with a start date after June 2, 2007 and completed before June 1 2012 to assess the preregistered RCTs that were still both unpublished and lacked reported results more than 46 months after completion. The researchers evaluated whether the trials or any of their results subsequently were published. Of 146 large RCTs without main publications listed or results posted on ClinicalTrials.gov, 60 had in fact been published by that time. Two additional trials had duplicate records, and 84 were unreported, meaning they had neither been published nor were their results posted. Seventy of them remained unpublished after another 30 months of follow up by early 2019. The authors noted that in fields with several available treatments, unreported large trials may represent a substantial share of the evidence. According to the researchers, this lost evidence threatens the credibility of the evidence that has been published. The authors of an accompanying editorial agreed and further said that not reporting results of clinical trials is academic misconduct. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To interview the lead author, John P.A. Ioannidis, MD, DSc, please contact him directly at jioannid@stanford.edu. ### Also New in this issue: Cases in Precision Medicine: Concerns About Privacy and Discrimination After Genomic Sequencing Deborah Stiles, JD; Paul S. Appelbaum, MD Precision Medicine Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2666 Using an infrared photodiode pointed to the sky, a new device harvests energy from the temperature difference between Earth and near absolute zero temperatures of deep space. WASHINGTON, D.C., May 6, 2019 -- The obvious drawback of solar panels is that they require sunlight to generate electricity. Some have observed that for a device on Earth facing space, which has a frigid temperature, the chilling outflow of energy from the device can be harvested using the same kind of optoelectronic physics we have used to harness solar energy. New work, in a recent issue of Applied Physics Letters, from AIP Publishing, looks to provide a potential path to generating electricity like solar cells but that can power electronics at night. An international team of scientists has demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to generate a measurable amount of electricity in a diode directly from the coldness of the universe. The infrared semiconductor device faces the sky and uses the temperature difference between Earth and space to produce the electricity. "The vastness of the universe is a thermodynamic resource," said Shanhui Fan, an author on the paper. "In terms of optoelectronic physics, there is really this very beautiful symmetry between harvesting incoming radiation and harvesting outgoing radiation." In contrast to leveraging incoming energy as a normal solar cell would, the negative illumination effect allows electrical energy to be harvested as heat leaves a surface. Today's technology, though, does not capture energy over these negative temperature differences as efficiently. By pointing their device toward space, whose temperature approaches mere degrees from absolute zero, the group was able to find a great enough temperature difference to generate power through an early design. "The amount of power that we can generate with this experiment, at the moment, is far below what the theoretical limit is," said Masashi Ono, another author on the paper. The group found that their negative illumination diode generated about 64 nanowatts per square meter, a tiny amount of electricity, but an important proof of concept, that the authors can improve on by enhancing the quantum optoelectronic properties of the materials they use. Calculations made after the diode created electricity showed that, when atmospheric effects are taken into consideration, the current device can theoretically generate almost 4 watts per square meter, roughly one million times what the group's device generated and enough to help power machinery that is required to run at night. By comparison, today's solar panels generate 100 to 200 watts per square meter. While the results show promise for ground-based devices directed to the sky, Fan said the same principle could be used to recover waste heat from machines. For now, he and his group are focusing on improving their device's performance. ### The article, "Experimental demonstration of energy harvesting from sky using the negative illumination effect of a semiconductor photodiode," is authored by Masashi Ono, Parthiban Santhanam, Wei Li, Bo Zhao and Shanhui Fan. The article appeared in Applied Physics Letters on April 23, 2019 (DOI: 10.1063/1.5089783). It can be accessed at http://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.5089783. A vaginal microbicide that could prevent sexual transmission of HIV-1 in women has tremendous potential for saving lives and helping staunch an epidemic. But the delicate milieu of microbes that naturally colonize the vagina and maintain a healthy mucosal barrier have made the search for such a microbicide challenging, thwarting clinical trials of the most promising candidates. Investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital led by Raina Fichorova, MD, PhD, in collaboration with an international team, tested a laboratory-made version of a naturally occurring protein (recombinant fragment of human Surfactant Protein D or rfhSP-D) on bioengineered vaginal tissues, immune cells and microbes to determine if the drug candidate could help prevent HIV transmission safely. In a paper published in Frontiers in Immunology, the team reports on the technique's success in preclinical testing, establishing it as a promising anti-HIV-1 vaginal microbicide. "To find a new drug that can most effectively help the immune system without causing adverse effects is a formidable task that requires both fundamental understanding of the mucosal ecosystem and biotechnological knowhow," said Raina Fichorova, MD, PhD, director of the Brigham's Laboratory of Genital Tract Biology. "Our team was able to combine expertise in both of these areas to carry out this work and build a strong case for clinical trials of rfhSP-D as a topical anti-HIV microbicide." The team designed a model of sexual transmission of HIV through bioengineered, multi-layered vaginal tissue toward the underlying white blood cells. Two major events generally lead to HIV infiltration and transmission: inflammation and the breach of the mucosal barrier. The research team reports, for the first time, a genetic signature that is tied to this breach. The activity of genes involved in inflammation and the tightness of the barrier were altered in the presence of the virus, helping promote infection. Fichorova and colleagues found that the drug candidate rfhSP-D not only prevented HIV transmission, but also reversed the genetic signature of vaginal tissue in the virus' presence. The molecule helped maintain vaginal tissue integrity and suppressed a pro-inflammatory response, preventing the virus from getting a foothold. In addition, multiple preclinical tests showed that the molecule could safely be applied without altering naturally occurring bacteria such as lactobacilli or disrupting vaginal mucosa. "Our study offers a highly reproducible, cost-effective model to study the effectiveness of candidate microbicides. Our results provide a strong argument for further evaluation of rfhSP-D as a potential topical anti-HIV microbicide." ### The team worked with collaborators from the ICMR National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health in Mumbai, India; the Genome Informatics Research Group at Bionivid Technology Pvt Ltd, in Bengaluru, India and Brunel University, London, Uxbridge, England. For this project, Fichorova's lab was chosen to host a predoctoral scholar by the UK HIV Research Trust, and a senior scientist supported by a program for Indo-US collaborative research. This study was partly supported by Medical Innovation Fund (Project no. 2011-16850) of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, India. Paper cited: Pandit H et al. "Surfactant Protein D Reverses the Gene Signature of Transepithelial HIV-1 Passage and Restricts the Viral Transfer Across the Vaginal Barrier" Frontiers in Immunology DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00264 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2019.00264/full Like finding a needle in a haystack, identifying genes that are involved in particular diseases can be an arduous and time consuming process. Looking to improve this process, a team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has developed a new bioinformatics tool that analyzes CRISPR pooled screen data and identifies candidates for potentially relevant genes with greater sensitivity and accuracy than other existing methods. The new analytical web-based tool also is quicker and more user friendly as it does not require bioinformatics training to use it. The study appears in the journal Genome Research. "This project arose from a collaboration with the lab of Dr. Huda Zoghbi, which studies neurological diseases. One of the lab's goals is to identify modifier genes that can be targeted with drugs," said corresponding author Dr. Zhandong Liu, associate professor of pediatrics and neurology at Baylor and director of the Bioinformatics Core in the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital. Modifier genes are genes that affect the expression of another gene. The idea behind identifying modifier genes is to attempt to treat a disease, not by directly affecting the gene that actually causes it, but through specific modifier genes that can reduce the negative effects of the gene causing the disease. To identify candidates of modifier genes, the Zoghbi lab uses CRISPR technology to screen the entire genome. "CRISPR screens generate data sets of many thousands of genes, so the researchers needed a tool to narrow the list to a number of candidates that would be practical to test in the lab," Liu said. "Although there are several computational methods available, to analyze CRISPR screen data accurately it is important to use analytical tools that model the natural characteristics of the data as precisely as possible. We though that the available computational tools did not fulfill these criteria." "CRISPR data usually come with a lot of variability that can make data interpretation difficult," said first author Dr. Hyun-Hwan Jeong, a postdoctoral associate in the Liu lab. "We developed a new method that takes into consideration the variability of CRISPR screen data; it can better capture both large and small variations in the data. When compared with the eight most commonly used methods, our web tool is more sensitive and accurate, quicker and more user friendly." The new computational tool, which uses beta-binomial modeling, enables lab scientists to better estimate the statistical significance of each gene that they measure. They also can generate a list of genes that are likely candidate targets for therapy including as many candidate genes as possible, but minimizing false positives. "What is really exciting about this computational tool is that researchers are not restricted to having a bioinformatics or computational biologist help them analyze their 'big data,'" said Zoghbi, who is professor of molecular and human genetics and of pediatrics and neuroscience at Baylor and director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital. She also is an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. "This tool empowers the wet lab scientist who is not trained in bioinformatics to analyze data to identify the best gene candidates." ### Seon Young Kim and Maxime W. C. Rousseaux also contributed to this work. The authors are affiliated with one or more of the following institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This work was supported by National Institute of General Medical Sciences R01-GM120033, National Science Foundation - Division of Mathematical Sciences DMS-1263932, Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas RP170387, Houston Endowment, and Chao Family Foundation. Support also was provided by Huffington Foundation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Parkinson's Foundation Stanley Fahn Junior Faculty Award PF-JFA-1762. BINGHAMTON, N.Y. The Global Health Impact Index, developed by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York to rank pharmaceutical companies based on their drugs impact on global health, is launching a new, more-robust model that addresses even more diseases worldwide. The Global Health Impact Index was first launched at the World Health Organization in Geneva in 2015 by Binghamton University Associate Professor of Philosophy Nicole Hassoun. Measuring the impact and effectiveness of essential treatments is crucial for a variety of stakeholders to determine where to allocate healthcare resources, and what medications initiatives meant to advance global health should prioritize, said Hassoun. We must ask ourselves, what medications offer the greatest relief for malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and neglected tropical diseases, and what pharmaceutical companies drugs have done the most to alleviate the global burden of disease? The new index confronts these uncertainties, and is a first step towards momentous change, said Hassoun. The new index also considers drugs impacts over time, across countries and diseases, and assesses different parts of the pharmaceutical supply chain showing how generics as well as originator companies contribute to getting drugs to the people who need them. A lot of attention has been paid in determining the need for different drugs, but the Global Health Impact Index actually addresses the impact that these drugs are having globally, said Hassoun. Having this information readily available could help improve the overall delivery of drugs and help save millions of lives. The index looks at three things: the need for several important drugs for tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria and multiple neglected tropical diseases; the drugs effectiveness; and the number of people who can access these drugs. Each companys score is the sum of its drugs impacts. According to the index results for 2015: The companies who came up with the drugs having the most impact on focus diseases are: Sanofi Novartis Pfizer The manufacturers and distributors who have the largest drug impact scores on the index are: Ajanta Pharma Ltd. Laboratorio Reig Jofre S.A. Svizera Europe B.V. The countries that had the most need alleviated by various drugs are: India Nigeria Uganda The diseases on which the drugs are having the largest impact are: Tuberculosis Malaria HIV/AIDS Previously, the Global Health Impact Index utilized a preliminary model to evaluate the impact of medications used to treat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis for one year. The Global Health Impact project has greatly expanded its scope to include a variety of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that primarily impact low-income communities around the world. The Global Health Impact Index is the first to measure the impact of drugs for malaria, TB, HIV, and NTDs in a simple, comparable, and consistent way over time and to look at different parts of the pharmaceutical supply chain. As the world moves forward in confronting detrimental diseases, and the social and economic ramifications that they bring, added Hassoun, it is essential that we continuously evaluate the impacts of various medications, to address the constantly changing scope of global health problems, and better evaluate the effects of treatment on devastating diseases around the world. (CINCINNATI, OH-- May 6, 2019) Clarigent Health, a technology company building a clinical decision support tool for mental health professionals, is partnering with The Children's Home of Cincinnati, a leading provider of education and mental health treatment for children facing significant challenges, to complete a pilot study using Clarigent's mobile decision support app. The Clarigent app uses artificial intelligence and advanced algorithms to analyze linguistic and vocal characteristics collected during therapy sessions, in this case for clients of The Children's Home. The app is designed as decision support software for the detection of early indicators of suicidality, violence and certain mental health disorders. "This technology was invented in response to a need expressed by medical professionals who work with young people in crisis," said Don Wright, CEO of Clarigent Health. "Are there early warning signs that, if detected, can guide a young person's treatment to the correct options and avert a crisis? This study is an important first step in moving the technology from the hospital and research bench, into the real world where kids are every day." In the pilot called CAMPUS (Classification and Assessment of Mental Health Performance Using Schematics), 20 therapists working in multiple elementary, middle and high school settings in southwest Ohio will deploy the mobile app to record regularly scheduled sessions with students. Participation in the pilot and recording requires the consent of the student and parent or guardian. The schools have also granted consent. The CAMPUS pilot marks the debut of the Clarigent app in a school environment. Previous clinical studies have tested the technology in hospital and emergency room ER settings, with results published in peer-reviewed journals. The goals for this first phase are to show the app can be integrated into a normal therapy session without interfering with the session, and to ensure the app can receive audio of sufficient quality in a school setting to enable analysis by the app. Investigators hope to obtain 400- 600 recordings in this initial phase, before progressing to a larger study in the fall involving several thousand students. The fall study will include control participants from the general student population in addition to screening for a more diverse set of behavioral health conditions. "The Children's Home of Cincinnati is proud to partner with the team at Clarigent Health on cutting edge innovations designed to save lives," said John Banchy, president and CEO of The Children's Home of Cincinnati. "Our 155 year legacy has been a story of adapting to reflect the needs of the community we serve, and we are frequently and tragically reminded the current need is significant. This technology, which has the potential to change how mental health services are administered on a global scale, could become a modern cornerstone in that story." ### Clarigent Health, based in Mason, Ohio, was formed in 2018 to commercialize technology originating from Cincinnati Children's Hospital. The technology is designed to analyze linguistic and vocal characteristics of sessions between health care professionals and patients to provide a near real-time assessment of a patient at risk for suicide or mental health conditions. Clinicians, who make the ultimate decisions on diagnosis and treatment, can use the app's assessment and recommendations to inform and guide their care decisions. ABOUT CLARIGENT HEALTH Clarigent Health is a platform technology company leveraging artificial intelligence and natural language processing to provide clinical decision support to mental health professionals. The initial focus is suicide prevention. ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S HOME The Children's Home is a private, nonprofit organization and a leading provider of education and mental health treatment for children facing significant social, behavioral and learning challenges. MEDIA CONTACTS: Peg Rusconi | CincyTech | 617.910.6217 (m) | prusconi@cincytechusa.com Steven Wilson | The Children's Home of Cincinnati | 859.240.1956 (m) Once a niche term within the travel industry, "overtourism" is a growing global issue that has gained media attention worldwide. Although the phenomenon is not new, the effects of unsustainable and rapidly growing tourism has led to increased concern about negative effects on local communities and places of natural beauty. De Gruyter's new publication, "Overtourism: Issues, realities and solutions", edited by Rachel Dodds and Richard W. Butler, is the first book to examine in detail the origin and "enablers" of overtourism. It places the much discussed and contentious topic in a conceptual context with other forms of tourism, including wider discussions of policy and planning. In a selection of global case studies in both urban and rural settings, the book discusses potential steps to reduce the impact on residents and the natural environment of affected areas. One of the chapters examines Barcelona, once viewed as one of the "coolest" destinations in Europe. As media reports show, the Catalan capital is now struggling under the weight of its popularity. In the chapter "Barcelona - Crowding out the locals: A Model for Tourism Management?" author Harold Goodwin focuses on the rise and development of Barcelona's extreme tourism and looks at its ambitious programme for addressing overtourism. In another chapter that examines the significant impact of social media such as Instagram, Ulrike Gretzel, author of the chapter "The Role of Social Media in Creating and Addressing Overtourism", outlines the significant influence on the tourist boom, as well as on visitor behaviour. While it is apparent that social media has contributed to the problem, Gretzel also posits the positive effect it can potentially have on, for example, prevention. "Social media also provides opportunities to share information about lesser visited places and reinforce sustainable tourist behaviours. It also allows for activism that heightens awareness of overtourism and facilitates discourse among diverse stakeholder groups." The discussions on the many aspects of overtourism as a global issue underline how important it is going forwards to develop tourism in line with the needs of the local residents. ### Rachel Dodds is a Professor in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson University in Canada. She has worked extensively in tourism, tourism development and sustainability and has published considerably on these topics. She is globally recognized for her work in sustainability from both an academic and industry perspective. Richard W. Butler is Professor Emeritus at the University of Strathclyde. He has published over twenty books on tourism and many articles and chapters on several aspects of tourism, particularly on destination development and associated impacts of tourism. He is a former president of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism and of the Canadian Association for Leisure Studies, and in 2016 was awarded the Ulysses Medal by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation for excellence in the creation and dissemination of knowledge. Ed. by Rachel Dodds and Richard W. Butler Overtourism: Issues, realities and solutions 2019, 289 pages Hardcover, English: EUR 107.95 eBook/EPUB, English: EUR 107.95 Paperback, English: EUR 42.95 ISBN 978-3-11-060408-5 De Gruyter Verlag, Berlin In hospital trauma centers, where life-or-death decisions are made in seconds, fractions of a second it takes even the best doctors to remember "what's next?" could be pivotal. With the goal of saving time and lives, Drexel University researchers have been working with doctors from Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. to create and implement the first digital procedural checklist for trauma centers. Over the last dozen years, the humble checklist has emerged as a valuable tool in medical settings. A seminal study at Johns Hopkins in 2013 showed that using a simple checklist - with basic reminders about proper hand-washing, sterilization of instruments and procedures to avoid contamination - dramatically reduced infection rates associated with a common intravenous insertion procedure in intensive care units. Similar lists are now common in health care, both as a cognitive aid and as an entry point for electronic health record-keeping. Due to their dynamic and often chaotic environment, trauma centers are prime candidates for using this type of tool, which can support team performance - but for the same reasons, implementing one is quite challenging. In a paper recently presented at the international Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Scotland, Leah Kulp, a PhD candidate and Aleksandra Sarcevic, PhD, an associate professor, both in Drexel's College of Computing & Informatics, laid out nearly a decade of research, design, development and testing that produced the first tablet-based digital checklist for trauma centers - and presented their extensive research showing that it can help doctors to stay on track and record valuable data without slowing trauma resuscitation process. "While it might seem intuitive that intense and dynamic setting of a trauma center could benefit from having a cognitive aid and a better way to record everything that's going on, introducing new technology can actually be a setback at first - and that's something doctors in trauma centers just can't afford," Sarcevic said. "Finding that our digital checklist did not have an adverse effect on the trauma teams' performance is an important indicator of success for our process of design and implementation." First, do no harm. With the development of digital checklist as their ultimate goal, the researchers embarked on a years-long journey of collaborative design and testing to smooth out any snags that might hamper the performance of trauma teams. Sarcevic first participated in the development of the checklist in paper form alongside co-author Randall Burd, MD, and his collaborators at Children's National. After nearly a year of revisions, the group settled on a list that included some 55 tasks, from steps to prepare for the arrival of a patient, to standard observations and checking vital signs, to more advanced examinations and tests. Over the next three years the Drexel team observed the doctors as they began to use it in trauma settings. To date, the Drexel team had analyzed 800 cases in which trauma team leaders had used the paper checklist. Through that analysis, which included reviewing video of trauma procedures and interviewing trauma team members, the group teased out the essential elements of the list and began translating them into digital form. Making a List Sarcevic's team used its findings from testing the paper checklist to narrow the list down to the most crucial tests and procedures, and sequence them in an intuitive order, while also accounting for the important eccentricities that worked their way into how the checklist was used. Features of the digital checklist include: Sections for "Pre-Arrival Plan," "Primary Survey," "Secondary Survey," and "Prepare for Travel" Collapsible lists for rarely occurring tasks Areas for note-taking Auto-checking when information is recorded Quick review of unchecked items Working with 11 medical experts, the team ran usability studies and preliminary tests with researchers taking notes alongside physicians as they were introduced to the tablet-based list. "The way we did it was to make a prototype and shadow teams in real clinical events. We got feedback on what parts are clunky, what team leaders wanted to see, and the Drexel team worked out how to visualize it - right down to font size and color," Burd said. "They sorted out a lot of those things before we put it in the hands of people in the trauma center." The group went through 10 major design updates and more than a dozen smaller changes before finalizing the checklist for full-scale testing. "It was exciting to see our work being used in real trauma settings and to get input from the team leaders who were the first ones to use it," Kulp said. "Listening to the doctors and understanding how they used the list both to take notes and to keep things in order really helped us to make informed design changes over time." Checking it, Twice Once they were ready to deploy the tablets, Sarcevic's group conducted training sessions with each physician leader and gave them the option of using either the paper or digital list. Over 15 months, the team conducted interviews, gathered an analyzed video from 94 trauma resuscitations - 47 conducted with team leaders using a paper list and 47 with team leaders using the digital list. They looked closely at the 18 most critical tasks in making a trauma assessment - tests like checking for blocked airway, breathing, and pulse - known as the Advance Trauma Life Support protocol, that are performed in nearly all trauma cases. "Any checklist used in a medical setting should help physicians get through a basic set of tasks that almost always need to be performed," Sarcevic said. "Our metrics for the trauma checklist looked at how often the teams got through all 18 tasks, how long it took them to initiate the tasks and how often they completed the checklist." They found that implementing the digital checklist did not slow the work of trauma teams, and that the teams using the digital list more frequently completed the 18 most critical tasks. The users wrote significantly more notes on the digital checklist, which is both a promising sign that the tablets were being fully adopted and that they could be used to collect this data. "We consider this a success for the digital checklist, because our results show that it did not slow trauma resuscitation time, and it even boosted compliance with the critical tasks." Sarcevic said. "But in addition to its function as cognitive aid, the checklist is able to capture a great deal of data from procedures that are often so complex and chaotic that it's difficult to record information in real-time." The List Goes On The most compelling indicator of the list's success is that trauma teams at Children's National are still using it. "I thought we'd have trouble in the beginning, but we did it and it went smoothly - credit to a lot of the work Drexel did to ensure that," Burd said "People used the checklist during the study and still use it now. It's fully deployed and if we took it away now I think a lot of people would be upset." Burd and Sarcevic are now expanding the scope of their research to take a broader look at the functions of a trauma team. Using video, image capture and sensors, in addition to data recorded on the tablets, they will look for other ways to integrate guidance and support systems in hopes of improving trauma outcomes. "We see human error in medicine all the time. And the typical response is to peg it as an individual's failure to know something or to execute something properly," Burd said. "But the reality is: These are human beings in a complex system. In order to make improvements we need to do what other industries have done - we need good people doing the work and we need to provide them with the support to make the right decisions." ### This research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. In addition to Sarcevic, Burd and Kulp, Megan Cheng and Yinan Zheng from Children's National Medical Center participated in the research. Brett Rosen, Keegan Cannon, and Alyssa Klein, all Drexel undergraduate students at the time, contributed to the design and development of the digital checklist. DURHAM, N.C. -- Tropical and subtropical fish are taking up residence on shipwrecks and other sunken structures off the North Carolina coast. This pattern may continue or even accelerate in coming years given predictions of warming oceans under climate change, a new study co-led by Duke University scientists suggests. "The artificial reefs created by these structures may be acting as stepping stones for fish that are moving northward and living at the edge of their geographic range, or beyond it, in search of suitable habitat," said Avery B. Paxton, a visiting scholar at the Duke University Marine Laboratory, who was lead author of the study. "Globally, there is broad evidence that many tropical fish species are shifting their ranges poleward and to deeper waters in response to changing ocean conditions, and what we see on these reefs seems to fit that pattern," she said. One of the most surprising findings of the study is that the tropical and subtropical fish observed off North Carolina exhibit a strong preference for hanging out on human-made structures versus natural rocky reefs found nearby, noted J. Christopher Taylor, a research ecologist at NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and a co-author of the study. "It could be that the zooplankton and smaller fish these species eat are more plentiful on artificial reefs. Or it could be that human-made reefs' complex structures give the fish more nooks and crannies where they can evade predators. We're still trying to figure it out," Taylor said. The fishes' preference for artificial habitats suggests networks of the human-made structures -- which are already commonly found up and down the East Coast and in other waters worldwide -- could act as underwater corridors the fish use to reach the habitats they need to survive, said Paxton, who also works with CSS Inc. under contract to NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. Paxton, Taylor and their colleagues published their peer-reviewed paper May 6 in Nature Communications Biology. To do the study, teams of scuba-diving scientists conducted population and species counts at 30 artificial and natural reefs off the N.C. coast between 2013 and 2015. To track seasonal differences in fish populations, most of the reefs were visited four times a year. Analysis of the data confirmed that the number and diversity of tropical and subtropical fish on deep artificial reefs was far greater than on nearby natural reefs. Common tropical species spotted on the artificial reefs included blue chromis, purple reef fish and bluehead wrasse. Common subtropical species spotted there included vermilion snapper, greater amberjack and bar jack. Temperate fish species such as black sea bass and tautog, on the other hand, were far more prevalent on the area's natural rocky reefs. The depth of the artificial reef mattered hugely, Paxton noted. "We didn't see these patterns on artificial reefs at shallow or intermediate depths, we only saw them on deep reefs, located between 80 to 115 feet below the surface, where water temperatures often experience less seasonal change," she said. ### Brian Silliman, Rachel Carson Associate Professor of Marine Conservation Biology at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment, co-authored the study with Paxton and Taylor. Other co-authors were Charles H. Peterson, Alyssa M. Adler and Emily A. Pickering of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Institute of Marine Sciences. Paxton conducted the field research for the study while she was a doctoral student in Peterson's lab. Funding for the research came from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (cooperative agreement #M13AC00006), the N.C. Coastal Recreational Fishing License Grant Program (grant #5115), a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (#DGE-1144081), a P.E.O. Scholar Award, and the Lenfest Oceans Program. CITATION: "Artificial Reefs Facilitate Tropical Fish at Their Range Edge," Avery B. Paxton, Charles H. Peterson, J. Christopher Taylor, Alyssa M. Adler, Emily A. Pickering and Brian R. Silliman. Nature Communications Biology, May 6, 2019. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0398-2 In Jules Verne's famous classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the iconic submarine Nautilus disappears into the Moskenstraumen, a massive whirlpool off the coast of Norway. In space, stars spiral around black holes; on Earth, swirling cyclones, tornadoes, and dust-devils rip across the land. All these phenomena have a particular shape in common: the vortex. From galaxies to stirring milk into coffee, vortices appear everywhere in nature - even in the subatomic world, when a stream of elementary particles or energy can spiral around a fixed axis like the tip of a cork-screw. When particles move like this, they form what we call "vortex beams". These beams are very interesting because they imply that the particle has a well-defined orbital angular momentum, which describes the rotation of a particle around a fixed point. What this means is that vortex beams can give us new ways of interacting with matter, e.g. enhanced sensitivity to magnetic fields in sensors, or generate new absorption channels for the interaction between radiation and tissue in medical treatments (e.g. radiotherapy). But vortex beams also enable new channels in basic interactions among elementary particles, promising new insights into the inner structure of particles such as neutrons, protons or ions. The strange thing about matter is that, along with its particle nature, it also has a wave-nature. This means that we can make massive particles form vortex beams by simply modulating their wave function. This can be done with a device called a "passive phase mask", which can be thought of as a standing obstacle in the sea. When waves at sea crash into it, their "wave-ness" shifts and they form whirlpools. So far, physicists have been using the passive phase mask method to make vortex beams of electrons and neutrons. But now, scientists from the lab of Fabrizio Carbone at EPFL are challenging this idea. Demonstrating for the first time that it is possible to use light to dynamically twist an individual electron's wave function, the researchers were able to generate an ultrashort vortex electron beam and actively switching its vorticity on the attosecond (10-18 seconds) timescale. To do this, the team exploited one of the fundamental rules governing the interaction of particles on the nanoscale level: energy and momentum conservation. What this means is that the sum of the energies, masses and velocities of two particles before and after their collision must be the same. Such a constraint is responsible for an electron to gain orbital angular momentum during its interaction with an ad hoc prepared light field, i.e. a chiral plasmon. In experimental terms, the scientists fired circularly polarized, ultrashort laser pulses through a nano-hole fabricated onto a metallic film. This induced a strong, localized electromagnetic field (the chiral plasmon), and individual electrons were made to interact with it. The scientists used an ultrafast transmission electron microscope to monitor the resulting phase profiles of the electrons. What they discovered was that, during the interaction of the electrons with the field, the wave function of the electrons took on a "chiral modulation"; a right- or left-handed movement whose "handiness" can be actively controlled by adjusting the polarization of the laser pulses. "There are many practical applications from these experiments," says Fabrizio Carbone. "Ultrafast vortex electron beams can be used to encode and manipulate quantum information; the electrons' orbital angular momentum can be transferred to the spins of magnetic materials to control the topological charge in new devices for data storage. But even more intriguingly, using light to dynamically 'twist' matter waves offers a new perspective in shaping protons or ion beams such as those used in medical therapy, possibly enabling new radiation-matter interaction mechanisms that can be very useful for selective tissue ablation techniques." ### Other contributors Politecnico di Milano University of Glasgow Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Ripon College (US) University of Ottawa CNR Istituto Nanoscienze The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology ICREA-Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats Reference G. M. Vanacore, G. Berruto, I. Madan, E. Pomarico, P. Biagioni, R. J. Lamb, D. McGrouther, O. Reinhardt, I. Kaminer, B. Barwick, H. Larocque, V. Grillo, E. Karimi, F. J. Garcia de Abajo, F. Carbone. Ultrafast generation and control of an electron vortex beam via chiral plasmonic near fields. Nature Materials 06 May 2019. DOI: 10.1038/s41563-019-0336-1 A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that prices for brand-name prescription drugs averaged 3.2 to 4.1 times higher in the U.S. when compared with prices in the United Kingdom, Japan and the Canadian province of Ontario. The study also found that the longer the brand-name prescription drug was on the market, the greater the price differential. If the Medicare program used the same prices as these other countries, the estimated savings to Medicare Part D would have been almost $73 billion in 2018 alone, the study found. Medicare Part D is an optional prescription drug benefit, available to Medicare beneficiaries for a premium and administered by private insurance companies. The findings will be published in the May issue of Health Affairs. U.S. prescription drug prices for brand-name drugs are the highest in the world. One approach to lower U.S. prescription drug prices is to benchmark drug prices to those paid in other countries using a pricing model known as external reference pricing. An estimated 29 European countries as well as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and South Africa use this approach for the purposes of setting and negotiating the price of a drug. "Every year we pay more for brand-name drugs and other countries pay less for the same drugs," says Gerard Anderson, PhD, professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management and the paper's senior author. "Medicare beneficiaries pay much higher prices for the same drugs that seniors in other countries pay. If they paid the same prices as other countries, their drug bills would drop considerably." The study examined drug prices of 79 single-source, brand-name prescription drugs that are under patent--meaning no generic versions are available--with the greatest spending on Medicare Part D in the United States. The study compares the prices to what is paid in Japan, the United Kingdom and the Canadian province of Ontario. The drugs covered by the study treat a range of illnesses including blood clotting, diabetes, with antivirals and immunosuppressants as well as other brand-name blockbuster drugs that had been on the market for at least three years. Researchers examined drug prices before and after rebates from drug manufacturers and calculated savings based on different assumptions. Pharmaceutical rebates are a type of refund of a purchase price from the drug manufacturer to a wholesaler or pharmacy benefits manager intended to increase sales and are often confidential. Researchers selected the countries of comparison based on their similar per capita incomes, large pharmaceutical markets and their unique price-setting approaches. The U.K. sets drug prices by looking at the value of the drug, while Japan uses external reference pricing and has a formula that continually lowers the price and Canada uses a combination of benchmarking models. They obtained foreign drug price information from public sources used by external reference pricing authorities. Domestic drug pricing and rebate information were obtained from published wholesaler acquisition costs and other public sources. Drug utilization information was obtained from Medicare Part D data to estimate the potential savings with various external reference pricing situations. The study found that these 79 single-source, brand-name prescription drugs accounted for over half of total Medicare Part D spending in 2018. Before rebates, the findings show average drug prices in the U.S. were 4.3 times higher than prices in the U.K., and 3.8 and 3.4 times higher in Japan and Ontario, respectively. After rebates, the U.S. had average drug prices 3.6 times higher than the U.K., and 3.2 and 4.1 times higher than Japan and Ontario respectively. The study also found large variations of drug prices for the same drug between the U.S. and the foreign counterparts. For some drugs the price was only 30 percent higher in the U.S., while other drugs were 7,000 percent more expensive in the U.S. Diabetes medications had the largest average price differential, 9 times more expensive in the U.S. than the same drug in the U.K. Injectable drugs were 11.5 times more expensive in the U.S. as compared to the U.K. and around 8 times higher than Japan and Ontario. If these prices were adopted the Medicare program, Medicare beneficiaries would pay considerably less than they do today. In one scenario using external reference pricing, the researchers found that if the U.S. purchased the same drugs at the U.K. pre-rebate price, Medicare spending would have been reduced by more than 70 percent in 2018. In another scenario, researchers used the average price for drugs sold in two or more countries and found more than a 67 percent reduction. "Ideally, the U.S. should be paying similar prices to other countries," says Anderson. "In fact, Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers are paying much more for the same drugs as other countries. Given that many Medicare beneficiaries cannot afford their drugs, this is a serious problem that does have a solution." ### This research was supported by Arnold Ventures. "Using External Reference Pricing In Medicare Part D to Reduce Drug Price Differentials With Other Countries" was written by So-Yeon Kang, Michael J. DiStefano, Mariana P. Socal and Gerard F. Anderson. The overincarceration of Indigenous people in Canada is a health crisis, causing more years of life to be lost than premature death from heart disease, injuries and cancer, argues a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Indigenous people make up a large part of the jail population in Canada. "The overincarceration of Indigenous people in Canada needs to be recognized as both fundamentally unfair and a health crisis," says Dr. Davinder Singh. "Indigenous people should not be 4 to 26 times more likely to be incarcerated than non-Indigenous people, as it results in more years of life lost directly to incarceration than to common health conditions, like heart disease and cancer." Negative health effects continue after people are released, with a higher risk of death than the average risk of death in the community. This risk is especially high in the first 2 weeks after discharge, with many deaths occurring through overdose or suicide. "If we consider the health and social consequences, from acute to chronic illness, and individual to family to community effects, the cost is crushing, both at a financial level and a human level," says Dr. Singh. "The good news is that the issue has been studied numerous times over decades; we just need to act on the recommendations from those reports." The authors call upon government to address this public health crisis by addressing well-documented racism in the Canadian justice system. ### Podcast permanent link: https://soundcloud.com/cmajpodcasts/181437-com Bottom Line: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that active ingredients in sunscreen absorbed into the bloodstream above a certain level undergo toxicology testing. Researchers from the FDA conducted this small randomized clinical trial of 24 healthy volunteers to determine bloodstream concentrations of four active ingredients (avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene and ecamsule) in four sunscreens applied four times per day for four days with blood samples collected from study participants over seven days. Researchers report that all four active ingredients were found in blood samples at levels exceeding the threshold recommended for toxicology testing. The effect of these concentrations is unknown and further studies are needed to determine the clinical significance of these findings. Some limitations of this clinical trial include that it was conducted under indoor conditions without exposure to heat, sunlight or humidity, which may affect the rate of sunscreen absorption, and the study wasn't designed to look at differences in absorption by the type of sunscreen formulation, skin type or age of the user. Researchers emphasize that their results don't suggest people refrain from using sunscreen, which prevents skin damage. Authors: David G. Strauss, M.D., Ph.D., U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, and coauthors (doi:10.1001/jama.2019.5586) Editor's Note: The article includes funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc. ### Embed this link to provide your readers free access to the full-text article: This link will be live at the embargo time https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2733085?guestAccessKey=e1ad4492-fe70-4f53-970d-d63bfa1cdccd&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=05062019 Phylogenetic analysis of the Sino-Tibetan language family, which includes Chinese, Tibetan, and Burmese, suggests that it originated about 7,200 years ago in North China and was linked to the Neolithic cultures of the late Cishan and early Yangshao The Sino-Tibetan language family includes early literary languages, such as Chinese, Tibetan, and Burmese, and is represented by more than 400 modern languages spoken in China, India, Burma, and Nepal. It is one of the most diverse language families in the world, spoken by 1.4 billion speakers. Although the language family has been studied since the beginning of the 19th century, scholars' knowledge of the origin of these languages is still severely limited. An interdisciplinary study published in PNAS, led by scientists of the Centre des Recherches Linguistiques sur l'Asie Orientale (Paris), the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (Jena), and the Centre de Recherches en Mathematiques de la Decision (Paris), now sheds new light on the place and date of the origin of these languages. Based on a phylogenetic study of 50 ancient and modern Sino-Tibetan languages, the scholars conclude that the Sino-Tibetan languages originated among millet farmers, located in North China, around 7,200 years ago. During the past 10,000 years, two of the world's largest language families emerged, one in the west and one in the east of Eurasia. Together, these families account for nearly 60% of the world's population: Indo-European (3.2 billion speakers), and Sino-Tibetan (1.4 billion). The Sino-Tibetan family comprises about 500 languages spoken across a wide geographic range, from the west coast of the Pacific to Nepal, India, and Pakistan. Speakers of these languages have played a major role in human prehistory, giving rise to early high cultures China, Tibet, Burma, and Nepal. However, while archaeogeneticists, phylogeneticists, and linguists have energetically discussed the origins of the Indo-European language family, the formation of Sino-Tibetan languages has previously received little attention. One of the world's most diverse language families "The Sino-Tibetan language family is one of the most diverse families in the world. It includes all of the different types of morphological systems, ranging from isolating languages, such as Chinese, Burmese, and Tujia, to polysynthetic languages, such as Gyalrongic and Kiranti languages," explains Guillaume Jacques of the Centre des Recherches Linguistiques sur l'Asie Orientale, co-first author of the study. "While our knowledge of how to compare these languages linguistically is improving, important aspects of the development of their sound systems and their grammar remain poorly understood." A database of core words from 50 Sino-Tibetan languages In order to shed light on the complex history of these languages, the scholars assembled a lexical database containing core vocabulary from 50 Sino-Tibetan languages. This database, published here for the first time, includes ancient languages spoken 1000 and more years ago, such as Old Chinese, Old Burmese, and Old Tibetan, as well as modern languages documented by field work. "In order to compare these languages in a transparent way, we developed a specific annotation framework that allows us not only to mark which words we identify as sharing a common origin, but also which sounds in the words we think are related," says Johann-Mattis List of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, who led the study. "A particular problem in identifying the truly related words were the numerous cases where languages borrowed words from each other," mentions Jacques. "Luckily, we know the history of particular languages rather well and could rely on techniques that we developed before to reveal the true history concealed by these borrowings." Evolutionary trees suggest that the language family originated about 7200 years ago Using powerful computational phylogenetic methods, the team inferred the most probable relationships between these languages and then estimated when these languages might have originated in the past. "We find clear evidence for seven major subgroups with a complex pattern of overlapping signals beyond that level," says Simon J. Greenhill of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. "Our estimates suggest that the ancestral language has arisen around 7,200 years ago." An agricultural analysis reveals the most likely origin and expansion scenario of the language family To further resolve the complex pathways of the evolution of the Sino-Tibetan languages, the authors looked at related words describing domesticates, because they may reveal how agricultural knowledge spread through the region. This agricultural analysis suggests an origin of the Sino-Tibetan family in Northern Chinese communities of millet farmers of the Neolithic cultures of late Cishan and early Yangshao. "The most likely expansion scenario of the languages involves an initial separation between an Eastern group, from which the Chinese dialects evolved, and a Western group, which is ancestral to the rest of the Sino-Tibetan languages," summarizes Laurent Sagart of the Centre des Recherches Linguistiques sur l'Asie Orientale, co-first author of the study, who carried out the agricultural analysis. "We are very excited about our findings," says List. "Our approach combines robust, traditional scholarship with cutting-edge computational methods within a computer-assisted framework that allows us to use our knowledge of today's languages as a key to their past." ### CORVALLIS, Ore. - Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new methodology for building computer models that paves the way to better understanding the flood risks faced by coastal communities. That's important because towns along the coast are often situated near estuaries, which makes them vulnerable to both storm tide inundation and river flooding. Estuaries occur where rivers flow into the ocean, meaning the rivers are influenced by tidal flooding and also experience frequent, periodic changes in salinity, sunlight and oxygen. The study site for this research was Washington state's Grays Harbor, but the methodology can be applied to any area subject to estuarine flooding. "Flooding in areas like the Pacific Northwest is complicated since many processes contribute, such as tides, large waves and river flow," said Kai Parker, corresponding author of the study published in Coastal Engineering. "We need to be able to predict water levels on several time scales." In the short term - i.e., flooding from a particular storm - predictions can inform decisions about actions like evacuations and road closures. And it's also critical to understand how flooding occurs across longer time scales - for example, so planners can have more information when deciding whether or not to develop a low-lying parcel of land. The new computer model involves "emulation" and uses statistical techniques, as opposed to traditional models that try to directly reproduce the wide collection of physical processes at play when estuaries flood. That direct reproduction, Parker noted requires a lot of time and processing power. "The computational expense makes it difficult to study flooding at long time scales," he said. "The key question we wanted to answer in this study is, 'is there a better way to handle long simulation times for computationally expensive flooding models?'" The research was part of Parker's Ph.D. program at OSU under professors David Hill of the College of and Engineering and Peter Ruggiero of the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. Also among the collaborators was Katy Serafin, an Oregon State alumnus soon to be on the faculty at the University of Florida. "We reduced the complexity of the model by using statistical methods," said Parker, now a Fulbright scholar at Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria in Chile. "Once the statistical model, or emulator, is built - once we create a training dataset and train the emulator - additional use of it comes at essentially zero cost. It's nearly instantaneous." The emulator performed well reproducing the extreme water levels of recent flooding events in Grays Harbor, Parker said. Roughly 140 miles northwest of Portland, Oregon, Grays Harbor is a shallow bay - average depth: roughly 5 meters - with a deep-water navigation channel maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Grays Harbor covers 235 square kilometers, is fed by five rivers that drain a watershed of greater than 7,000 square kilometers and is "subject to an energetic storm and wave climate," Parker said, providing a solid test for the model. "Our model is very useful since we can use it to explore an infinite variety of future flooding scenarios," Parker said. "This allows us to better understand the risk of flooding in coastal communities as well as how this risk will change moving into the future." ### The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration supported this research, as did the Quinault Treaty Area tribal governments. It has been few years since physical key boards have been replaced by on-screen touch sensors for wireless devices such as cellular phones. This even-tually triggered the modern day smartphone-era by introducing large-screen displays on portable devices. In which country was this technology first in-troduced? The answer is Republic of Korea. This time, an innovative 5G smartphone with optically invisible antennas that are embedded within super-resolution displays will be introduced to the market for the first time in the world - again from Korea. On the 27th of March, a University-Industry research consortium lead by Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and joined by industry partners such as Dong-Woo Fine Chem, SK Telecom, LG Electronics, Keysight Technologies, and Y.Tech announced the world's first 'Antenna-on-Display (AoD)' technology. Spearheaded by POSTECH Professor Wonbin Hong's re-search team, this was the first multilateral academia-industry research cooperation in Korea. The POSTECH research consortium has successfully completed field testing of this technology on a 28 GHz 5G Android smartphone platform and they expect this to expedite the deployment of new concepts for 5G devices in the near future. 5G is expected to be at least 20 times faster than the speed of 4G LTE. Among multiple wireless components, the antenna is one of the most critical differentiators that enable such technology jump. 5G relies on millimeter-wave frequencies which are at least an order of magnitude higher than cur-rent 4G LTE and Wi-Fi. Consequently, the signal attenuation at millimeter-wave becomes much greater, leading to the need to "clustering of the antennas" to form a dense electromagnetic beam at certain directions similar to how microscopes work. Naturally, this means 5G wireless devices requires dozens of antenna in contrast to single-digit number of antennas during the 4G era. However, in the mobile industry, the lack of space to place the 5G antennas within cellular devices has been the fundamental challenge. Future smartphones are expected to be ergonomically, esthetically and technically advanced-simultaneously. Using conventional antenna technology, more number of antennas to support 5G implies an undesired trade-off situation. Naturally this paradox has been slowing down the worldwide deployment of 5G cellular devices up to present. Professor Wonbin Hong of POSTECH and his research team developed an alternative that can embed antennas directly on a display and exemplified its possibility of commercialization in the future. This technology is fundamentally different from conventional antenna for cellular devices. Denoted as Antenna-on-Display (AoD), this concept enables an antenna that is de-signed using nano-scale fabrication technology to trick the human eye into thinking that the antenna is invisible. Using this technology, it is now possible to co-use the entire view area of high definition displays such as OLED and LCD for massive number of 5G antennas. This eliminates the trade-off relation between ergonomics, esthetics and technology. The research team developed a transparent thin film with Dong-Woo Fine Chem for the AoD. LG Electronics integrated the AoD within their cellular device prototype and this was used to conduct real-life 5G trials at 28 GHz with SK Telecom. This research is significant in demonstrating multilateral academia-industry cooperation for the first time in the nation. The research is published on IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, one of the leading journals in the field of electronics and electric engineering. Professor Wonbin Hong of POSTECH who led the research explained, "this is the first step of our collaborative research. Similar to how on-screen touch sensors redefined wireless devices, the Antenna-on-Display has the potential to trigger various possibilities for 5G and beyond. We expect it will contribute not only to creating innovative 5G smartphone concepts but serving as an enabling technology for many ideas beyond our imagination" Mr. Jong Kwan Park, Director of 5GX Labs at SK Telecom said, "SK Telecom will continue to collaborate with POSTECH research consortium to provide the world's leading 5G services related innovations." ### This research was partially supported by the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation which is an affiliated organization of Ministry of Science and ICT. Low oxygen levels are a well-known cause of brain injury in premature babies. But the mechanism by which low oxygen hurts the developing human brain has been unclear. Now, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a specific set of brain cells that are particularly susceptible to harm from low oxygen exposure in early development. This damage is congruent with brain abnormalities, particularly reduction in gray matter, seen among children who are born very prematurely. The researchers have also identified a compound that may be able to prevent the problem. The findings will be published online May 6 in Nature Medicine. "In the past 20 years, we've made a lot of progress in keeping extremely premature babies alive, but 70% to 80% of them have poor neurodevelopmental outcomes," said the study's lead author, Anca Pasca, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine and a neonatologist at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. Hypoxic brain injuries are thought to lead to neurological and psychiatric disease in some preemies, she said. Prior research has shown that children born before 28 weeks' gestation, or at least 12 weeks early, have a thinner cerebral cortex than children born after a full-term pregnancy. The cerebral cortex is the highly folded layer of gray matter that makes up most of the brain in humans and other primates. It is responsible for advanced brain functions, including cognition, speech and the processing of sensory and motor information. Neonatologists have also long recognized that lung development is incomplete in very premature babies. The babies have poor lung function, and the brain centers that control the infants' breathing are not fully mature. These factors raise their risk for drops in blood oxygen and subsequent brain injury. Severely affected cells Pasca and her colleagues found that many cells in the developing brain are unhurt by exposure to low oxygen. However, the intermediate progenitor cells of the subventricular zone, a region responsible the growth of the human cortex, are severely affected. These are cells that eventually give rise to mature brain cells, including neurons. The discovery was possible because the Stanford researchers previously figured out how to create three-dimensional cell cultures that mimic structural and functional aspects of the developing human brain. They call these brain spheroids. "Most of human brain development, specifically in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, is inaccessible for direct study," said senior author Sergiu Pasca, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. Sergiu and Anca Pasca -- who are married to each other and each run a lab at Stanford -- have previously published studies showing that the brain spheroids develop the same general organization, including deep and superficial layers of cortex, and on approximately the same timeline, as the developing human brain. "It is quite remarkable how these blobs of cells, if provided with the right cues, will differentiate, organize and mature in a dish," Sergiu Pasca said. In the new study, the team grew brain spheroids until they contained cell populations and gene-expression markers similar to human brain tissue at 19-24 weeks' gestation. The researchers exposed these cortical spheroids to low oxygen for 48 hours, then restored the oxygen levels to normal. They examined changes in gene expression at 24 and 48 hours into the low-oxygen period, as well as 72 hours after oxygen levels had returned to normal. As expected, the scientists saw gene-expression changes after 24 and 48 hours in genes known to respond to hypoxia. They also saw changes in a group of genes expressed in the subventricular zone, an area rich in progenitor cells that generate neurons in mid- and late pregnancy. Closer analysis showed these progenitor cells were not dying. Rather, a specific group, the intermediate progenitor cells, were differentiating into neurons sooner than normal, a change that led to fewer neurons in total in the mature brain. The pathway responsible, called the unfolded protein response, is a stress-response pathway that transitions cells from a "growth" mode to a "survival" mode. "We were surprised, but it was a good surprise," Anca Pasca said. "Looking back, it made sense." Testing a compound The researchers also tested whether a small molecule that restores aspects of the unfolded protein response could reverse the spheroids' response to low oxygen. The molecule, called ISRIB, prevented the differentiation of intermediate progenitors following low-oxygen exposure. "It's exciting because our findings tell us that pharmacologically manipulating this pathway could interfere with hypoxic injury to the brain, and potentially help with preventing damage," Sergiu Pasca said. Other Stanford co-authors of the paper are research scientist Jin-Young Park, PhD; visiting associate professor Huyn-Woo Shin, MD, PhD; postdoctoral scholar Omer Revah, DVM, PhD; Ruth O'Hara, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and Theo Palmer, PhD, professor of neurosurgery. ### Anca Pasca and Sergiu Pasca are members of the Stanford Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and Stanford Bio-X. Sergiu Pasca is a fellow of Stanford ChEM-H. Scientists from Seoul National University and the University of California-San Francisco also contributed to the research. The research was supported the National Institutes of Health (grants MH107800, K12-HD000850 and R01MH108659), the MQ Fellow Award, the New York Stem Cell Foundation, the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford Bio-X, the Kwan Research Fund, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs and the Stanford Maternal & Child Health Research Institute. Stanford's departments of Pediatrics and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences also supported the work. The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://med.stanford.edu/school.html. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health. For information about all three, please visit http://med.stanford.edu. Print media contact: Erin Digitale at (650) 724-9175 (digitale@stanford.edu) Broadcast media contact: Margarita Gallardo at (650) 723-7897 (mjgallardo@stanford.edu) WASHINGTON -- Researchers have developed a simple and stable device to generate the quantum states necessary for quantum key distribution. The device could make it more practical to develop a global data network that uses this very secure method of encryption to protect everything from credit card transactions to texts. New encryption techniques are needed because computers powerful enough to crack today's algorithm-based encryption codes will likely be available in the next decade or two. Rather than relying on math, quantum key distribution uses quantum properties of light such as polarization to encode and send a random key needed to decrypt encoded data. The method is exceptionally secure because any third-party intrusion is detectable. In the Optical Society (OSA) journal Optics Letters, researchers from the University of Padova in Italy report that their all-fiber device can switch the polarization of light more than 1 billion times per second. The device is also self-compensating, making it insensitive to temperature and other environmental changes. "Quantum key distribution is expected to have a deep impact in the privacy and security of citizens," said Giuseppe Vallone, who led this research within the QuantumFuture research group coordinated by co-author Paolo Villoresi. "Our scheme simplifies quantum key distribution for free-space communication -- such as from satellites to Earth or between moving terminals-- which is required to achieve a global quantum network." Developing a global network Because quantum encryption doesn't work well over long-distance fiber networks there is now a push to develop a satellite-based quantum communication network to link various ground-based quantum encryption networks around the world. Although various properties of light can be used to create quantum states for quantum encryption, polarization is particularly well suited for free-space links because it is not perturbed by the atmosphere and the decoding at the receiver can be performed without the challenging task of funneling the data into single mode fiber. "Our goal is to develop a quantum encryption scheme to use between a satellite and the ground, where the keys are generated in orbit," said Vallone. "However, today's polarization encoders aren't ideal for use in space because they are unstable, expensive and complex. They can even exhibit side-channels that undermine the security of the protocol." Fast and stable polarization encoding The new polarization encoder -- which the researchers call POGNAC for POlarization SaGNAC -- can rapidly rotate the polarization of incoming laser light thanks to a fiber-loop Sagnac interferometer. This setup splits the light into two beams whose polarizations are at right angles relative to each other. The beams then travel through the fiber-loop in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The current components could fit into a package measuring 15 X 5 x 5 centimeters, with further miniaturization possible if smaller components were incorporated. Inside the fiber loop, the researchers used a commercially available electro-optics modulator to change the polarization to create the quantum states necessary for quantum key distribution. Because the clockwise and anticlockwise components arrive to the modulator at different times, they can each be modulated independently. Modulators use an applied voltage to change the optical phase. However, the absolute value of the phase shift depends on many parameters that change with time. "In the POGNAC, only the relative shift between the two polarization components is relevant - this relative phase shift corresponds to a change in output polarization - while shifts that arise from temperature changes and other factors are self-corrected," said Vallone. "This makes the POGNAC very stable and eliminates polarization drifts that have affected other devices." The researchers tested their new device by measuring the polarization of quantum states generated by the POGNAC and comparing them with the expected values. They measured an intrinsic quantum bit error rate (QBER) as low as 0.2 %, well below the 1-2 percent QBER of typical quantum key distribution systems. "Our results show that data can be encoded using the polarization of light in a simple and efficient way," said Vallone. "We were able to accomplish this using only commercially available components." The researchers are continuing to improve on their approach and plan to perform further tests to see how the POGNAC performs when encoding quantum keys for encryption. ### Paper: C. Agnesi, M. Avesani, A. Stanco, P. Villoresi, G. Vallone, "All-fiber self-compensating polarization encoder for quantum key distribution," Opt. Lett., 44, 10, 2398-2401 (2019). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.44.002398 . About Optics Letters Optics Letters offers rapid dissemination of new results in all areas of optics with short, original, peer-reviewed communications. Optics Letters covers the latest research in optical science, including optical measurements, optical components and devices, atmospheric optics, biomedical optics, Fourier optics, integrated optics, optical processing, optoelectronics, lasers, nonlinear optics, optical storage and holography, optical coherence, polarization, quantum electronics, ultrafast optical phenomena, photonic crystals and fiber optics. About The Optical Society Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org. Media Contact: mediarelations@osa.org YELLOW BAY - Flathead Lake Biological Station Director and Bierman Professor of Ecology Jim Elser has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his distinguished and continuing achievements in scientific research. "We are so pleased that the scientific community has recognized Professor Elser as one of our country's most important scientists," said UM President Seth Bodnar. "The UM family proudly celebrates this well-deserved recognition." The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and - with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine - provides science, engineering and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations. "It is very exciting to join the ranks of the National Academy, as it is the home of so many scientific heroes of the past and present," Elser said. "I hope that membership in the NAS can help in elevating the importance of protecting precious water resources like Flathead Lake from potential threats from nutrient pollution, invasive species and climate change." Elser was elected to NAS by current members of the Academy, and will join them as they advise the nation on matters relating to science, engineering and medicine. As a scientist, Elser is best known for his role in developing and testing the theory of ecological stoichiometry, which is the study of the balance of energy and chemical elements such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in ecological systems. As director of the Bio Station, Elser has expanded the station's freshwater monitoring program, increased community outreach and launched a Flathead Lake Aquatic Research and Education (FLARE) K-12 program that now engages thousands of students each year. "I have collaborated with so many amazing scientists during my career, including some amazing graduate students and postdocs," Elser said. "This recognition is really a reflection of my good luck in having such wonderful students and collaborators." His current research is focused on Flathead Lake, as well as mountain lakes of western Montana and western China. Elser also works actively in advancing the cause of phosphorus sustainability in the food system to protect water quality. Though by far the most prestigious recognition Elser has earned, this recognition is by no means the first of his remarkable career. He has also been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; is an elected foreign member of the Norwegian Academy of Arts and Sciences; and has received the G.E. Hutchinson Award of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, the world's largest scientific association dedicated to aquatic sciences. He served as ASLO's president from 2014 to 2016. "This is a tremendous accomplishment, one of the very highest honors for an American scientist," said UM Provost Jon Harbor. "We are so proud of Professor Elser and thrilled that University of Montana faculty are yet again recognized among the most highly distinguished researchers in the world." Elser is just the second active member of the National Academy of Sciences in the state of Montana. For more information about Elser's research and career, visit the Flathead Lake Biological Station website at http://flbs.umt.edu. ### Today's hipster creatives and entrepreneurs are hardly the first generation to partake of ayahuasca, according to archaeologists who have discovered traces of the powerfully hallucinogenic potion in a 1,000-year-old leather bundle buried in a cave in the Bolivian Andes. Led by University of California, Berkeley, archaeologist Melanie Miller, a chemical analysis of a pouch made from three fox snouts sewn together tested positive for at least five plant-based psychoactive substances. They included dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmine, key active compounds in ayahuasca, a mind-blowing brew commonly associated with the Amazon jungle. "This is the first evidence of ancient South Americans potentially combining different medicinal plants to produce a powerful substance like ayahuasca," said Miller, a researcher with UC Berkeley's Archaeological Research Facility who uses chemistry and various technologies to study how ancient humans lived. She is lead author of the study, published today (Monday, May 6) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Miller's analysis of a scraping from the fox-snout pouch and a plant sample found in the ritual bundle -- via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry -- turned up trace amounts of bufotenine, DMT, harmine, cocaine and benzoylecgonine. Various combinations of these substances produce powerful, mind-altering hallucinations. The discovery adds to a growing body of evidence of ritualistic psychotropic plant use going back millennia, said Miller, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Otago in New Zealand who conducted the research during her doctoral studies at UC Berkeley. "Our findings support the idea that people have been using these powerful plants for at least 1,000 years, combining them to go on a psychedelic journey, and that ayahuasca use may have roots in antiquity," said Miller. The remarkably well-preserved ritual bundle was found by archaeologists at 13,000-foot elevations in the Lipez Altiplano region of southwestern Bolivia, where llamas and alpacas roam. The leather kit dates back to the pre-Inca Tiwanaku civilization, which dominated the southern Andean highlands from about 550 to 950 A.D. In addition to the fox-snout pouch, the leather bundle contained intricately carved wooden "snuffing tablets" and a "snuffing tube" with human hair braids attached, for snorting intoxicants; llama bone spatulas; a colorful woven textile strip and dried plant material. All the objects were in good shape, due to the arid conditions of the Andean highlands. Though the cave where the artifacts were found appeared to be a burial site, an excavation did not turn up human remains. Moreover, the plants found in the bundle do not grow at those altitudes, suggesting the bundle's owner may have been a traveling shaman or another expert in the rituals of psychotropic plant use, or someone who was part of an extensive medicinal plant trading network. "A lot of these plants, if consumed in the wrong dosage, could be very poisonous," Miller said. "So, whoever owned this bundle would need to have had great knowledge and skills about how to use these plants, and how and where to procure them." Of particular fascination to Miller is the pouch made of three fox snouts. She describes it as "the most amazing artifact I've had the privilege to work with." "There are civilizations who believe that, by consuming certain psychotropic plants, you can embody a specific animal to help you reach supernatural realms, and perhaps a fox may be among those animals," Miller said. Ayahuasca is made from brewing the vines of Banisteriopsis Caapi and the leaves of the chacruna (Psychotria viridis) shrub. The leaves release DMT, and the vines release harmine -- and therein lies the secret of the ayahuasca effect. "The tryptamine DMT produces strong, vivid hallucinations that can last from minutes to an hour, but combined with harmine, you can have prolonged out-of-body altered states of consciousness with altered perceptions of time and of the self," Miller said. Once the drugs take effect, ayahuasca users typically enter a purgative state, which means they vomit a lot. Though its use is currently fashionable among Silicon Valley techies, Hollywood celebrities and spiritual awakening-seekers worldwide, Miller says these latest archaeological findings pay homage to ayahuasca's ancient history. Miller joined the Cueva del Chileno excavation project when archaeologists Juan Albarracin-Jordan of the Universidad Mayor de San Andres in Bolivia and Jose Capriles of Pennsylvania State University sought her expertise to identify the plant matter they had found in the bundle. She traveled for two days to reach the cave site near the remote south Bolivian village of Lipez and helped with the final phases of the excavation. The bundle was transported to a laboratory in La Paz and, once permits were in place, samples were exported to the lab of Christine Moore, chief toxicologist with the Immunalysis Corp. in Pomona, California. Moore's lab provided the liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry technology needed to conduct toxicology tests on the samples. Once the contents of the Andean bundle tested positive for five kinds of psychotropic substances, Miller's research team was over the moon. "We were amazed to see the incredible preservation of these compounds in this ritual bundle," said Miller. "I feel very lucky to have been a part of this research." ### Extreme fluctuations in atmospheric oxygen levels corresponded with evolutionary surges and extinctions in animal biodiversity during the Cambrian explosion, finds new study led by UCL and the University of Leeds. The Cambrian explosion was a crucial period of rapid evolution in complex animals that began roughly 540 million years ago. The trigger for this fundamental phase in the early history of animal life is a subject of ongoing biological debate. The study, published today in Nature Geoscience by scientists from the UK, China and Russia, gives strong support to the theory that oxygen content in the atmosphere was a major controlling factor in animal evolution. The study is the first to show that during the Cambrian explosion there was significant correlation between surges in oxygen levels and bursts in animal evolution and biodiversity, as well as extinction events during periods of low oxygen. Dr Tianchen He, study lead author and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Leeds, began this research while at UCL. He said: "The complex creatures that came about during the Cambrian explosion were the precursors to many of the modern animals we see today. But because there is no direct record of atmospheric oxygen during this time period it has been difficult to determine what factors might have kick started this crucial point in evolution. "By analysing the carbon and sulphur isotopes found in ancient rocks, we are able to trace oxygen variations in Earth's atmosphere and shallow oceans during the Cambrian Explosion. When compared to fossilised animals from the same time we can clearly see that evolutionary radiations follow a pattern of 'boom and bust' in tandem with the oxygen levels. "This strongly suggests oxygen played a vital role in the emergence of early animal life." Study co-author Professor Graham Shields from UCL Earth Sciences, said: "This is the first study to show clearly that our earliest animal ancestors experienced a series of evolutionary radiations and bottlenecks caused by extreme changes in atmospheric oxygen levels. "The result was a veritable explosion of new animal forms during more than 13 million years of the Cambrian Period. In that time, Earth went from being populated by simple, single-celled and immobile organisms to hosting the wonderful variety of intricate, energetic life forms we see today." The team analysed the carbon and sulphur isotopes from marine carbonate samples collected from sections along the Aldan and Lena rivers in Siberia. During the time of the Cambrian explosion this area would have been a shallow sea and the home for the majority of animal life on Earth. The lower Cambrian strata in Siberia are composed of continuous limestone with rich fossil records and reliable age constraints, providing suitable samples for the geochemical analyses. The isotope signatures in the rocks relate to the global production of oxygen, allowing the team to determine oxygen levels present in the shallow ocean and atmosphere during the Cambrian Period. Study co-author Dr Benjamin Mills, from the School of Earth and Environment at Leeds, said: "The Siberian Platform gives us a unique window into early marine ecosystems. This area contains over half of all currently known fossilised diversity from the Cambrian explosion. "Combining our isotope measurements with a mathematical model lets us track the pulses of carbon and sulphur entering the sediments in this critical evolutionary cradle. Our model uses this information to estimate the global balance of oxygen production and destruction, giving us new insight into how oxygen shaped the life we have on the planet today." Study co-author Maoyan Zhu from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: "Understanding what triggered the Cambrian explosion requires multidisciplinary study. That's why with Graham Shields we organized together such a multidisciplinary team funded by NERC and NSFC in past years. I am so excited about the results through this collaborative project." "On the other hand, it took a long time to get this result. We already got samples from Siberia in 2008. The sections in Siberia are difficult to access. It took time for us to organize the expedition and collect the samples there. Without support from Russian colleagues, we could not do the project." Study co-author Andrey Yu Zhuravlev from Lomonosov Moscow State University said: "This has been an incredibly successful and exciting joint study. The question of the Cambrian Explosion trigger has puzzled scientists for years. Now, the results give us convincing evidence to link the rapid appearance of animals as well as mass extinction during the early Cambrian with oxygen." ### Further information The paper Possible links between extreme oxygen perturbations and the Cambrian radiation of animals is published in Nature Geoscience 06 May 2019. (DOI: 10.1038/s41561-019-0357-z) Full list of authors: Tianchen He, Maoyan Zhu, Benjamin J. W. Mills, Peter M. Wynn, Andrey Yu. Zhuravlev, Rosalie Tostevin, Philip A. E. Pogge von Strandmann, Aihua Yang, Simon W. Poulton and Graham A. Shields This work was facilitated and supported by a joint Sino-UK-Russia research collaboration. UK institutes: UCL; University of Leeds; Lancaster University; University of Oxford Chinese institutes: Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Nanjing University Russian institute: Lomonosov Moscow State University For additional information please contact University of Leeds press officer Anna Harrison pressoffice@leeds.ac.uk or +44(0)113 343 4031 University of Leeds The University of Leeds is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK, with more than 38,000 students from more than 150 different countries, and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. The University plays a significant role in the Turing, Rosalind Franklin and Royce Institutes. We are a top ten university for research and impact power in the UK, according to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, and are in the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings 2019. The University was awarded a Gold rating by the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework in 2017, recognising its 'consistently outstanding' teaching and learning provision. Twenty-six of our academics have been awarded National Teaching Fellowships - more than any other institution in England, Northern Ireland and Wales - reflecting the excellence of our teaching. http://www.leeds.ac.uk About UCL (University College London) UCL was founded in 1826. We were the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to open up university education to those previously excluded from it, and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. We are among the world's top universities, as reflected by performance in a range of international rankings and tables, and are committed to changing the world for the better. Our community of over 41,500 students from 150 countries and over 12,500 staff pursues academic excellence, breaks boundaries and makes a positive impact on real world problems. http://www.ucl.ac.uk | Follow us on Twitter @uclnews | Watch our YouTube channel YouTube.com/UCLTV Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences The Nanjing Institute of Geology and paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) is the only academic institution specialized in invertebrate palaeontology and palaeobotany in China and is said to be one of the best research institutions of palaeontology and stratigraphy in the world. The institute is engaged in basic and applied basic researches in palaeontology and stratigraphy, education and science communication. It is equipped with the advanced modern observational and analytical facilities for studies of fossil and sedimentary strata. The institute has received many important awards, including a National Natural Science Award 1st Prize in 2003 for the work on Chengjiang fauna and the Cambrian explosion. In addition, seven out of 11 Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs) established in China have been defined by NIGPAS scientists. NIGPAS is also actively engaged in international academic exchange, research collaboration and cooperation in graduate education. http://english.nigpas.cas.cn Public Information Officer: Xiaozheng CHEN, E-mail: chxzh@nigpas.ac.cn Oxford University Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the third year running, and at the heart of this success is our ground-breaking research and innovation. Oxford is world-famous for research excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Our work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of our research sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions. Through its research commercialisation arm, Oxford University Innovation, Oxford is the highest university patent filer in the UK and is ranked first in the UK for university spinouts, having created more than 170 new companies since 1988. Over a third of these companies have been created in the past three years. DURHAM, N.H.--A distinct strain of canine distemper virus, which is a widespread virus of importance to wildlife and domesticated dogs, has been identified in wild animals in New Hampshire and Vermont, according to pathologists with the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at the University of New Hampshire. No virus in this distinct subgroup of canine distemper virus has yet been reported in a domesticated dog. "A distinct strain of canine distemper virus is circulating in multiple wildlife species in two contiguous states in Northern New England," said David Needle, senior veterinary pathologist and assistant clinical professor. "This strain is significantly distinct from the vaccine strains. A member of genus Morbillivirus that includes measles, canine distemper virus is highly contagious and causes severe disease in infected animals." The new strain of canine distemper virus was identified by UNH pathologists in collaboration with colleagues at Cornell University, University of Georgia, Northeast Wildlife Disease Cooperative, N.H. Fish and Game, and Vermont Fish and Game. Over a one-year period, pathologists diagnosed canine distemper virus infection in eight largely carnivorous mammals in southeastern New Hampshire and north central Vermont. The animals included three fishers, two gray foxes, one skunk, one raccoon, and one mink. Pathologists found all animals were infected with a distinct strain of the virus that had been identified only in a single raccoon in Rhode Island in 2004, which was not described in any publication. The eight animal cases also represent the only reports of any canine distemper virus isolated from New Hampshire and Vermont in the GenBank database/. "This can and may already be having an impact on the population of wild mesocarnivores in New Hampshire and New England," said Needle. "These animals are an integral part of the varied ecosystems of wild New Hampshire and New England, filling important niches in predator-prey relationships and pest control. Any decrease in wildlife populations is a loss to the rich wild diversity. The affected species also are furbearing mammals that serve as part of the cultural heritage of the northern sportsman." Canine distemper virus vaccination is part of the core vaccine protocols for domesticated dogs. All dogs should be vaccinated routinely. Canine distemper virus infection in dogs is most often characterized by respiratory disease, oral and nasal discharge, gastroenteritis, and as the disease progresses, neurological disease. This is a severe, highly pathogenic and highly contagious disease, so any suspected infection should be reported immediately to a veterinarian. Any unvaccinated animals should be vaccinated. The results of this case are presented in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. The research is supported by the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station and the State of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab is co-managed by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food and the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station. Since 1970, the lab has provided accessible, timely and accurate diagnostic services for the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, & Food, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, state and local law enforcement agencies, veterinarians, farmers, state, regional, and federal agencies, and individuals. The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. As one of the nation's highest-performing research universities, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, and receives more than $110 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space. ### PHOTO FOR DOWNLOAD: https://colsa.unh.edu/nhaes/sites/default/files/media/images/grayfox.jpg The new strain of canine distemper virus was found in two gray foxes similar to these foxes. Credit: Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. KINGSTON, R.I. - May 6, 2019 - Researchers at the University of Rhode Island who analyzed AirBnB rental data before and after construction of the Block Island Wind Farm have found that, contrary to some concerns, the turbines have increased tourism on the island. Corey Lang, URI associate professor of environmental economics, and doctoral student Andrew Carr-Harris, said that many coastal communities that rely on tourism to sustain their economy have worried that offshore wind farms would negatively affect tourism. "It's a common argument for pushback against siting offshore wind, but there isn't a lot of empirical evidence about it one way or the other," said Lang. "There have been surveys done assessing how tourists might feel about it, based on potential images of turbines in offshore waters, but those are hypothetical." ""Some of the recent surveys suggest that people consider offshore wind farms to be an eyesore," said Carr-Harris. "People tend to think the turbines will ruin the seascape and detract from their beach experience." The researchers collected lodging data from AirBnB to examine trends in monthly revenues, occupancy rates and reservations from roughly two years before construction of the turbines to one year after construction was completed. They compared AirBnB rental trends in Block Island to those in nearby communities that are also dependent on summer vacation rentals - Narragansett, Westerly and Nantucket. The results were almost entirely positive for the peak summer months of July and August, and there were no noticeable effects during the rest of the year. During July and August following construction of the turbines, AirBnB rentals in Block Island experienced, on average, a 19 percent increase in occupancy rates and a $3490 increase in monthly revenue compared to those in Narragansett, Westerly and Nantucket. "We have multiple indicators for the tourism market, and they seem to be indicative that there was an increase in interest in visiting Block Island in the year after construction of the wind farm," said Lang. While the data didn't indicate the reason for the increase in occupancy, Lang and Carr-Harris suggest that people were curious about the wind farm and wanted to see it for themselves. "I think there has been some excitement about it. People are excited about renewable energy and sustainability, and they want to get behind it," Lang said. "So for the nation's first offshore wind farm, we believe our results indicate that it has had a positive effect on tourism." "There are other factors that could be at play, too," said Carr-Harris. "It's perceived that there is better fishing near the turbines, for instance, so more people may be coming to the island to go fishing." The researchers noted that the curiosity factor may dissipate shortly, so the positive effects on vacation rentals may not persist for long. "The long-term trajectory might be very different," Lang said. "If it's driven by curiosity, then we might expect it to go back to normal. But if there are fundamental things that have changed, like better fishing, then it's likely that some enhanced opportunities that come from renewable energy may be sustained. But that's speculation." Also, because the Block Island Wind Farm is the first of its kind in North America, it may be generating more tourism interest than will future wind farms, they said. And a small wind farm like at Block Island may not generate the negative impressions that a much larger wind farm may generate in the future. "So it's difficult to extrapolate our results to other communities," said Lang. "But it mitigates some fear that there's going to be big negatives." Lang plans to follow up this study with an investigation of perceptions of the wind farm from the perspective of those who live on Block Island year-round. "It's one thing to look at a turbine for a few days and be mesmerized by it," he said. "But to have it there constantly may be different." ### The research was published in the journal Resource and Energy Economics. Funding was provided by Rhode Island Sea Grant. Dr. Asma Abdel Halim's quarter century of research questioning the breach and progress of Muslim women's human rights is personal. Her own life experience fuels her life's work to protect Muslim women worldwide for generations to come. The next leg of her journey takes her back to her native Sudan, a place Abdel Halim describes as "a country that has always subjected women to a version of Islamic law that is fashioned according to the political mood of the government." The prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar program selected The University of Toledo professor focused on women's rights under religious laws to travel to Sub-Saharan Africa for the 2019-20 academic year as a Fulbright Scholar. Abdel Halim, associate professor in the UToledo Department of Women's and Gender Studies and director of the Center of the Muslim Woman, will study the history of gender effects on Sudanese law, produce ideas for reform, and teach a class on gender and the law at her alma mater, the University of Khartoum. "As a Muslim woman joining other Muslim women in researching Islamic laws and critiquing centuries of patriarchal dominance, I find it necessary to explore women's history, rights and developments because I am determined to address gendered laws and how to combat their effects," Abdel Halim said. Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright U.S. Scholar program within the U.S. Department of State has worked to improve intercultural relations and diplomacy through national fellowship. The program in Sudan was suspended in 1992 after the U.S. issued an embargo on relations with the country and was reinstated two years ago after President Trump lifted U.S. sanctions. "As Dr. Asma Abdel Halim travels around the world sharing her knowledge, insight and experience, she helps raise awareness about problems and protections of women living under Muslim laws," Dr. Sharon Barnes, chair and associate professor in the UToledo Department of Women's and Gender Studies, said. "Her outstanding scholarship consistently brings great prestige to The University of Toledo. While we will miss her at home, we are proud the Fulbright program has recognized her forward-thinking work on international women's issues." Abdel Halim, a faculty member at UToledo for 15 years, graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Khartoum with a bachelor's degree in 1980 and a master's degree in 1988. "As a student there, I never encountered gender in any of the courses," Abdel Halim said. "My experience studying and teaching in the United States proved that gender as a tool of analysis is vital in studying law." Abdel Halim, who earned her Ph.D. at Ohio University, said actions of extremists lead many to question the tenets of Islam and the religion's commitment to equality. "Religious interpretations are being misused to strengthen conservative stances regarding the curbing of human rights," Abdel Halim said. "Old traditions of favoring men because of their participation in war lead to the subjugation of women to the authority of male guardians." Abdel Halim plans to write a book after accessing old Shari'a sources, such as treaties written by scholars centuries ago and still considered the main source of Islamic rules today. She also plans to delve into the era of Mahdiyya uprisings and older archives. "The intersection of religion and gender seems to be working against women where legislation is concerned," Abdel Halim said. "Ideological traditions find safety in regression to old traditions rather than in change. I plan to follow the historical events of the recent history of the Sudan and look closely to the history of women in the country and understand why developments in legislation go back and forth. I also will examine how the intersection of gender and religion seems to always end in the defeat of women's rights in favor of archaic religious norms." ### A machine learning algorithm can detect signs of anxiety and depression in the speech patterns of young children, potentially providing a fast and easy way of diagnosing conditions that are difficult to spot and often overlooked in young people, according to new research published in the Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics. Around one in five children suffer from anxiety and depression, collectively known as "internalizing disorders." But because children under the age of eight can't reliably articulate their emotional suffering, adults need to be able to infer their mental state, and recognise potential mental health problems. Waiting lists for appointments with psychologists, insurance issues, and failure to recognise the symptoms by parents all contribute to children missing out on vital treatment. "We need quick, objective tests to catch kids when they are suffering," says Ellen McGinnis, a clinical psychologist at the University of Vermont Medical Center's Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families and lead author of the study. "The majority of kids under eight are undiagnosed." Early diagnosis is critical because children respond well to treatment while their brains are still developing, but if they are left untreated they are at greater risk of substance abuse and suicide later in life. Standard diagnosis involves a 60-90 minute semi-structured interview with a trained clinician and their primary care-giver. McGinnis, along with University of Vermont biomedical engineer and study senior author Ryan McGinnis, has been looking for ways to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to make diagnosis faster and more reliable. The researchers used an adapted version of a mood induction task called the Trier-Social Stress Task, which is intended to cause feelings of stress and anxiety in the subject. A group of 71 children between the ages of three and eight were asked to improvise a three-minute story, and told that they would be judged based on how interesting it was. The researcher acting as the judge remained stern throughout the speech, and gave only neutral or negative feedback. After 90 seconds, and again with 30 seconds left, a buzzer would sound and the judge would tell them how much time was left. "The task is designed to be stressful, and to put them in the mindset that someone was judging them," says Ellen McGinnis. The children were also diagnosed using a structured clinical interview and parent questionnaire, both well-established ways of identifying internalizing disorders in children. The researchers used a machine learning algorithm to analyze statistical features of the audio recordings of each kid's story and relate them to the child's diagnosis. They found the algorithm was highly successful at diagnosing children, and that the middle phase of the recordings, between the two buzzers, was the most predictive of a diagnosis. "The algorithm was able to identify children with a diagnosis of an internalizing disorder with 80% accuracy, and in most cases that compared really well to the accuracy of the parent checklist," says Ryan McGinnis. It can also give the results much more quickly - the algorithm requires just a few seconds of processing time once the task is complete to provide a diagnosis. The algorithm identified eight different audio features of the children's speech, but three in particular stood out as highly indicative of internalizing disorders: low-pitched voices, with repeatable speech inflections and content, and a higher-pitched response to the surprising buzzer. Ellen McGinnis says these features fit well with what you might expect from someone suffering from depression. "A low-pitched voice and repeatable speech elements mirrors what we think about when we think about depression: speaking in a monotone voice, repeating what you're saying," says Ellen McGinnis. The higher-pitched response to the buzzer is also similar to the response the researchers found in their previous work, where children with internalizing disorders were found to exhibit a larger turning-away response from a fearful stimulus in a fear induction task. The voice analysis has a similar accuracy in diagnosis to the motion analysis in that earlier work, but Ryan McGinnis thinks it would be much easier to use in a clinical setting. The fear task requires a darkened room, toy snake, motion sensors attached to the child and a guide, while the voice task only needs a judge, a way to record speech and a buzzer to interrupt. "This would be more feasible to deploy," he says. Ellen McGinnis says the next step will be to develop the speech analysis algorithm into a universal screening tool for clinical use, perhaps via a smartphone app that could record and analyze results immediately. The voice analysis could also be combined with the motion analysis into a battery of technology-assisted diagnostic tools, to help identify children at risk of anxiety and depression before even their parents suspect that anything is wrong. ### Other study co-authors include Steven P. Anderau and Reed D. Gurchiek at the University of Vermont and Reed D. Gurchiek, Nestor L. Lopez-Duran, Kate Fitzgerald and Maria Muzik at the University of Michigan. A novel material that consists of a single sheet of carbon atoms could lead to new designs for optical quantum computers. Physicists from the University of Vienna and the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona have shown that tailored graphene structures enable single photons to interact with each other. The proposed new architecture for quantum computer is published in the recent issue of npj Quantum Information. Photons barely interact with the environment, making them a leading candidate for storing and transmitting quantum information. This same feature makes it especially difficult to manipulate information that is encoded in photons. In order to build a photonic quantum computer, one photon must change the state of a second. Such a device is called a quantum logic gate, and millions of logic gates will be needed to build a quantum computer. One way to achieve this is to use a so-called 'nonlinear material' wherein two photons interact within the material. Unfortunately, standard nonlinear materials are far too inefficient to build a quantum logic gate. It was recently realized that nonlinear interactions can be greatly enhanced by using plasmons. In a plasmon, light is bound to electrons on the surface of the material. These electrons can then help the photons to interact much more strongly. However, plasmons in standard materials decay before the needed quantum effects can take place. In their new work, the team of scientists led by Prof. Philip Walther at the University of Vienna propose to create plasmons in graphene. This 2D material discovered barely a decade ago consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb structure, and, since its discovery, it has not stopped surprising us. For this particular purpose, the peculiar configuration of the electrons in graphene leads to both an extremely strong nonlinear interaction and plasmons that live for an exceptionally long time. In their proposed graphene quantum logic gate, the scientists show that if single plasmons are created in nanoribbons made out of graphene, two plasmons in different nanoribbons can interact through their electric fields. Provided that each plasmon stays in its ribbon multiple gates can be applied to the plasmons which is required for quantum computation. "We have shown that the strong nonlinear interaction in graphene makes it impossible for two plasmons to hop into the same ribbon" confirms Irati Alonso Calafell, first-author of this work. Their proposed scheme makes use of several unique properties of graphene, each of which has been observed individually. The team in Vienna is currently performing experimental measurements on a similar graphene-based system to confirm the feasibility of their gate with current technology. Since the gate is naturally small, and operates at room temperature it should readily lend itself to being scaled up, as is required for many quantum technologies. ### Publication: Quantum computing with graphene plasmons, I. Alonso Calafell, J. D. Cox, M. Radonji?, J. R. M. Saavedra, F. J. Garcia de Abajo, L. A. Rozema & P. Walther. npj Quantum Information 5, 37 (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41534-019-0150-2 A new study from The Westmead Institute for Medical Research has uncovered how serious fungal infections grow in humans by conserving phosphate, highlighting a possible target for treatment. A new study from The Westmead Institute for Medical Research has uncovered how serious fungal infections grow in humans by conserving phosphate, highlighting a possible target for treatment. Cryptococcus neoformans is a potentially life-threatening invasive fungal disease that infects people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients and organ transplant recipients. The fungus needs phosphate to grow and sustain an infection in its host, as phosphate is essential for functions such as cell division. Researchers found that, in environments with limited phosphate, Cryptococcus neoformans remodels lipids - fatty acids in the cell membrane - to release phosphate. Lead researcher, Associate Professor Julie Djordjevic, said, "This is the first time that this strategy of conserving phosphate has been described in a human fungal pathogen. "Fungi encounter phosphate starvation when they infect humans. However, fungal infections are quite clever, and have unique strategies to conserve phosphate when it becomes scarce. "We found Cryptococcus neoformans conserves phosphate by activating a gene, BTA1, which encodes an enzyme that produces betaine lipids. Production of these betaine lipids allows the fungal pathogen to recycle phosphate from the lipids it normally produces, helping it to survive and spread. "Fungi that were missing the BTA1 gene grew more slowly than cells with the gene and were less able to cause disease in animal infection models, indicating the essential role of phosphate conservation in the development of Cryptococcus neoformans infections." Cryptococcus neoformans initially infects the lungs, where it can spread to the brain, causing the life-threatening condition, Cryptococcal meningitis. Invasive fungal diseases including those caused by Cryptococcus neoformans cause 1.6 million deaths worldwide each year. Associate Professor Julie Djordjevic said the high rates of mortality are, partly, due to a lack of new treatments. "The growing emergence of drug resistant strains of fungi, as well as a lack of effective existing treatments, means we need new therapies to combat invasive fungal diseases. "Now that we understand how Cryptococcus neoformans conserves phosphate, we can investigate how we can prevent this process from occurring to stop the growth and spread of infection." ### The research paper was published in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0212651 Associate Professor Julie Djordjevic is affiliated with The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead Hospital and the University of Sydney. In a paper to be published in the forthcoming issue in NANO, a team of researchers from Yunnan University, China, have reviewed the recent research on preparation methods and structures of Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) and Germanium quantum dots (GeQDs) and their composites, in order to explore their novel physical properties and improve on their optoelectronic properties. Silicon nanowires are promising potential materials for future nano-optoelectronic information applications due to the important role of Silicon in the traditional microelectronic and photovoltaic fields. Recently, Si/Ge core-shell nanowire composites have attracted great attention due to their superior performance. Instead of Ge nanofilm layer, the integration of GeQDs and SiNWs can combine the characteristics of one-dimensional and zero-dimensional nanomaterials, which have promising applications in nanoscale light-emitting diodes, photoelectric detectors, solar cells, field-effect transistors and thermoelectric energy conversion, because of the stronger quantum confinement effect of GeQDs. The authors have reviewed recent researches on the preparation methods and structures of SiNWs, GeQDs and their composites. The synthesis of SiNWs with random distribution and ordered arrays by using vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism and metal assisted chemical etching technique is firstly summarized. Some special structures of SiNWs are also discussed. Furthermore, the development of some novel structures of GeQDs for further improving their optical properties is reviewed. Finally, the growth mechanism and structure evolution of SiNWs/GeQDs composites are illustrated from the view of theory and experiment. The strain in Ge shell layers and SiNWs, the relationship between Ge growth mode and SiNW diameter, and the distribution of GeQDs on the radial and axial directions of SiNWs are discussed in detail. ### This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11504322, 11564043, 11804295 and 11704330), and the Key Project of Applied Basic Research Program of Yunnan Province of China (Nos. 2016FB002 and 2016FB006). Jie Yang also appreciates the support from Yunnan University by the Project of Training for Dong Lu Young Teachers. Additional co-authors of the NANO paper are Jie Yang, Dongze Li, Rongfei Wang, Feng Qiu, Chong Wang and Yu Yang from Yunnan Key Laboratory for the Micro/Nano Materials and Technology of Yunnan University. Corresponding author for this study is Jie Yang, jieyang@ynu.edu.cn. For more insight into the research described, readers are invited to access the paper on NANO. IMAGE Caption: As a promising backbone material, Si nanowires (SiNWs) have been utilized to integrate with Ge quantum dots (GeQDs). The studies of SiNW/GeQD composite materials have attracted attention due to their excellent optical and electrical properties. In this paper, recent research on the preparation and growth mechanisms of SiNW/GeQD composite materials is reviewed. The growth of GeQDs in the radial and axial directions of SiNWs are introduced respectively. Some problems and several prospective structures of SiNW/GeQD composite materials are proposed. NANO is an international peer-reviewed monthly journal for nanoscience and nanotechnology that presents forefront fundamental research and new emerging topics. It features timely scientific reports of new results and technical breakthroughs and publishes interesting review articles about recent hot issues. About World Scientific Publishing Co. World Scientific Publishing is a leading independent publisher of books and journals for the scholarly, research, professional and educational communities. The company publishes about 600 books annually and about 135 journals in various fields. World Scientific collaborates with prestigious organizations like the Nobel Foundation and US National Academies Press to bring high quality academic and professional content to researchers and academics worldwide. To find out more about World Scientific, please visit http://www.worldscientific.com. For more information, contact Tay Yu Shan at ystay@wspc.com. In a paper to be published in the forthcoming issue in NANO, a team of researchers have reviewed the methods of synthesizing copper nanowires (Cu NWs) and techniques to improve its oxidation resistance. With excellent electrical, optical, and thermal properties, Cu NWs are an attractive alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO) as a traditional electrode material. However, it is still a challenge to improve the aspect ratio and long-term chemical stability of Cu NWs. To explore the effect of capping agents on Cu NWs, the type of capping agent is usually changed to vary the length and diameter of NWs, because different capping agents have different effects on the aspect ratio of NWs. In order to explore how to improve the conductivity and oxidation resistance of Cu NWs, various post-processing methods are carried out to find the best treatment method. During the synthesis of Cu NWs, ethylenediamine (EDA) as a capping agent requires a simple operation, but the aspect ratio of NWs is very low. The NWs synthesized by nickel acetylacetonate as a capping agent have larger aspect ratio. However, Ni will be introduced and Cu will be polluted. Oleamine (OLA) and alkylamine synthesized NWs have the largest aspect ratio, which exceeds 3000, and requires a simple operation, making this the best method. In the aspect of improving the conductivity of Cu NWs, high temperature annealing can reduce the oxide layer on the surface of Cu NWs and improve conductivity, but high temperature can also cause the breakage of NWs. High intensity pulsed light technology is the best way to improve the conductivity of NWs, which can remove the oxide layer and weld NWs together, but the equipment is too expensive. Organic acid cleaning can remove the oxide layer on the surface of NWs without causing any damage to the NWs, and the operation is simple, making it a viable alternative (e.g., 55 /sq. at 94% transparency). For Cu NWs, improving their long-term chemical stability is the most important, as it will directly affect their applications. Cu NWs are now being used to make low-cost, transparent electrodes in touch screens, OLEDs and solar cells. With the development of science and technology, flexible transparent conductors remain the central focus of many researchers towards achieving flexible electronic displays and durable solar cells. Other emerging applications such as stretchable conductors, electronic skins and sensor devices would continue to expand the horizon of Cu NWs. ### This work was supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation. Additional co-authors of this review are Mr. Jia Feng Cao and Professor Yong Qiang Meng from Hebei University of Science and Technology, Dr. Jing Bing Liu and Dr. Qian Qian Zhang from Beijing University of Technology. Corresponding author for this study is Hao Wang from Beijing University of Technology, haowang@bjut.edu.cn. For more insight into the research described, readers are invited to access the paper on NANO. IMAGE Caption: Cu NWs are synthesized from Cu salts, capping agents and reductants. However, Cu is easily oxidized in air to form oxide layer, and there will be unreacted organic residues, which will greatly increase the resistance of NWs and therefore need to be removed. Annealing, organic acid cleaning and light treatment can remove the oxide layer and residual organic matter on the surface of Cu NWs to improve the conductivity of Cu NWs. Organic coatings, metal coatings and reduced graphene oxide coatings can block the contact between Cu NWs and air, thus significantly improving the oxidation resistance of Cu NWs and expanding the application scope of Cu NWs. NANO is an international peer-reviewed monthly journal for nanoscience and nanotechnology that presents forefront fundamental research and new emerging topics. It features timely scientific reports of new results and technical breakthroughs and publishes interesting review articles about recent hot issues. About World Scientific Publishing Co. World Scientific Publishing is a leading independent publisher of books and journals for the scholarly, research, professional and educational communities. The company publishes about 600 books annually and about 135 journals in various fields. World Scientific collaborates with prestigious organizations like the Nobel Foundation and US National Academies Press to bring high quality academic and professional content to researchers and academics worldwide. To find out more about World Scientific, please visit http://www.worldscientific.com. For more information, contact Tay Yu Shan at ystay@wspc.com. New Haven, Conn. - A Yale-led team of scientists may have found a new factor to help explain the ebb and flow of Earth's magnetic field -- and it's something familiar to anyone who has made a vinaigrette for their salad. Earth's magnetic field, produced near the center of the planet, has long acted as a buffer from the harmful radiation of solar winds emanating from the Sun. Without that protection, life on Earth would not have had the opportunity to flourish. Yet our knowledge of Earth's magnetic field and its evolution is incomplete. In a new study published May 6 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Yale associate professor Kanani K.M. Lee and her team found that molten iron alloys containing silicon and oxygen form two distinct liquids under conditions similar to those in the Earth's core. It is a process called immiscibility. "We observe liquid immiscibility often in everyday life, like when oil and vinegar separate in salad dressing. It is surprising that liquid phase separation can occur when atoms are being forced very close together under the immense pressures of Earth's core," said Yale graduate student Sarah Arveson, the study's lead author. Immiscibility in complex molten alloys is common at atmospheric pressure and has been well documented by metallurgists and materials scientists. But studies of immiscible alloys at higher pressures have been limited to pressures found in Earth's upper mantle, located between Earth's crust and its core. Even deeper, 2,900 kilometers beneath the surface, is the outer core -- a more than 2,000-kilometer thick layer of molten iron. It is the source of the planet's magnetic field. Although this hot liquid roils vigorously as it convects, making the outer core mostly well-mixed, it has a distinct liquid layer at the top. Seismic waves moving through the outer core travel slower in this top layer than they do in the rest of the outer core. Scientists have offered several theories to explain this slow liquid layer, including the idea that immiscible iron alloys form layers in the core. But there has been no experimental or theoretical evidence to prove it until now. Using laser-heated, diamond-anvil cell experiments to generate high pressures, combined with computer simulations, the Yale-led team reproduced conditions found in the outer core. They demonstrated two distinct, molten liquid layers: an oxygen-poor, iron-silicon liquid and an iron-silicon-oxygen liquid. Because the iron-silicon-oxygen layer is less dense, it rises to the top, forming an oxygen-rich layer of liquid. "Our study presents the first observation of immiscible molten metal alloys at such extreme conditions, hinting that immiscibility in metallic melts may be prevalent at high pressures," said Lee. The researchers said the findings add a new variable for understanding conditions of the early Earth, as well as how scientists interpret changes in Earth's magnetic field throughout history. ### Additional authors of the study are Jie Deng of Yale and Bijaya Karki of Louisiana State University. The National Science Foundation and the Connecticut Space Grant Consortium funded the research. A desert. A plane crash. Two investigative journalists. And a bottle of Thums Up Charged. Ramping up the thrill quotient, Thums Up has released an action-packed summer campaign led by its variant, Thums Up Charged. The new campaign exemplifies the uncompromising attitude and unshakeable self-belief that heroism is an opportunity in any given situation, no matter how challenging it is. For the first time, joining brand ambassadors Ranveer Singh (Hindi film) and Mahesh Babu (Telugu film) in action is model Diva Dhawan. The duo team up as investigative journalists to take charge by unleashing their potential and pushing the boundaries. Directed by renowned filmmaker Abhinay Deo, the enthralling film has been shot in a desert on the border of Namibia and South Africa. #ChargedWithThumsUp - Ranveer Singh Commenting on the campaign, Shrenik Dasani, Vice President Sparkling Category, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia said, With Thums Up Charged, our intent is to continue bringing the taste of thunder to consumers taste buds - as we take things a notch higher, in line with what consumers continually expect from Thums Up. This new Thums Up Charged campaign seeks to reinforce the Never Give Up attitude, serve as a salute to the uncompromising attitude of heroes, and in the process, encourage people to challenge themselves and unleash their true potential. We are confident that consumers will find enjoyment and inspiration in this campaign, brought to life by our heroes Ranveer Singh and Mahesh Babu. The film opens with an aerial shot of a plane crashed in the middle of a desert. Two investigative journalists are stranded in the desert along with secret footage secured in a box. Handing over the box to the girl, the male protagonist notices a bottle of Thums Up Charged and charges towards it. As he takes a big gulp from the bottle, his eyes light up and there is a smirk on his face as he comes up with a plan. Running towards the crashed aircraft, he lifts the wing up. The girl ties the parachute to the tail of the plane, setting it in motion. Securing the box, both get on the plane, amidst strong tailwind steering the aeroplane across the desert. The strong forces of the wind push them forward making the plane fall of the cliff. Noticing that the box has slipped away and is about to fall off the cliff, the two take a leap to catch it. The plane comes crashing down with the journalists landing safely with the footage, thereby overcoming challenges and pushing themselves to Never Give Up Ever! Speaking about the films, Janmenjoy Mohanty, Regional Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas said, Thums Up Charged is all set to #TakeCharge this summer. A distressing situation, secret footage at stake, and two never-say-die protagonists who steel themselves and find a way out. Thats the theme of our new film for Thums Up Charged. While this new story retains all the key ingredients of a Thums Up TV commercial, weve added some new elements to the mix. For one there is an action duo this time - joining Ranveer Singh and Mahesh Babu in the action is Diva Dhawan. Also, the two central people have a character role theyre both investigative journalists. The campaign will be active across multiple consumer touch points like TV, Print, Outdoor and digital & social media. Thums Up Charged is the first ever innovation under brand Thums Up which was launched to celebrate 40 years of Thums Up. The variant is the result of Coca-Cola's steadfast commitment to innovation by offering more beverage choices to its consumers. Continuing with the same Toofani image, Thums Up Charged is packed with more thunder and stronger taste. The innovation takes the iconicity of the brand Thums Up to the next level and helps in accelerating its journey to becoming the first home-grown billion-dollar beverage brand in the Coca-Cola system. #ChargedWithThumsUp - Mahesh Babu Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India) TRADE WAR UPDATE #2: Monday's session saw market sentiment rebound slightly as the day wore on. Despite continued trade-related tweets from President Donald Trump, confirmation from Chinese officials that scheduled talks in Washington would resume as intended helped to partially alleviate some market concerns of an immediate escalation. From Chinas perspective, a break up in negotiations isnt really favourable for the domestic economy. I think they want to get a deal one way or the other, said Yukio Ishizuki, senior currency strategist at Daiwa Securities. The rebound in risk sentiment saw the Greenback soften as the session progressed. Looking ahead, it remains to be seen how the US-China trade deal pans out,if it does at all, with talks in their final stages it could be make or break for US-China trade relations. "It is still up in the air how the road to a trade deal will be. But we believe a deal will be reached by the end of Q2. The last bits left in the trade talks are also the most difficult," wrote Danske bank senior analyst Mikael Olai Milhj, adding "But one way or the other, we expect the two sides to find a solution, as the alternative of no deal would be very unattractive for countries." Nevertheless, given Trump's propensity for spontaneous outbursts, investors should remain on high alert given the clear and immediate impact just a few hundred characters can have on global markets. The weekend headlines were a reminder that geopolitical tape bombs continually lurk beneath the surface, said Mark McCormick, North American head of FX strategy, at TD Securities TRADE WAR UPDATE: The risk-averse onslaught continued at a lesser pace as Monday's session progressed with the Chinese Yuan on track to register it's largest intraday drop in over 10 months while global equity markets continued to reel in the wake of resurgent trade-war concerns. The New Zealand and Australian Dollars were also clear victims of the sell-off, hitting multi-month and in the case of the AUD, multi-year lows in early trade. "Bonds are bid, unsurprisingly, while energy prices have slid. Gold is modestly higher on the day. The FX markets are reacting in a classic risk-off manner, with the USD trading mainly higher. The JPY is out-performing broadly, however, while the NOK is under-performing on the day within the G-10 space. Losses for the CNH and the MXN, acting as a global risk proxy, have outstripped the weakest of the major currencies so far but a sustained escalation in trade tensions will certainly spillover into the G-10 space going forward." European equities failed to escape the rout with a group of equities tumbling by nearly 2% in early trade. "This has the potential to upset the global risk applecart, especially after the recent calm, said Ulrich Leuchtmann, head of FX & EM research at Commerzbank. While initially unclear whether Trump's weekend tweets would deter Chinese officials from progressing high-stakes trade negotiations which are now in their final stages, comments from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang indicate the Chinese team at least are expecting to continue talks this week. "We are also in the process of understanding the relevant situation. What I can tell you is that Chinas team is preparing to go to the United States for the discussions, said Shaung. Speaking to CNBC, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway - which invests in a number of multinationals which do business in both China and the US, including Apple Inc in which it has more than $50B invested - Warren Buffett said a trade war between the US and China would be "bad for the whole world." Buffett added that "Youre talking about two personalities who are very much used to getting their way in politics, and talking about how they will be perceived in their own country in terms of their behaviour." The early weekly session saw the US Dollar surge against risk-sensitive peer currencies including the Australian Dollar, Chinese Yuan and a basket of Asian FX and EMs following comments by President of the US Donald Trump which look set to thrust US-China trade tensions back to the fore despite seeming progress towards an overarching trade deal between the economic juggernauts. While recent weeks has seen news-flow surrounding the high-stakes trade negotiations generally upbeat, with suggestions that a mutually acceptable deal appeared to be close to fruition, Trump's tweets sent markets spiralling, prompting a fresh wave of uncertainty to sap risk-appetite. "Before entering what was supposed to be the last round of trade talks, Trump threatens new tariffs on all of US imports from China. It is a huge turn of events that adds renewed uncertainty to the outcome of the trade talks," wrote Danske Bank chief analyst Allan von Mehren, adding "It may be that it is just a bluff and an attempt to squeeze out more of China, but bullying rarely works on China and Trumps threat could backfire." 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) 5 May 2019 ....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! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 5 May 2019 Currency-wise, the Aussie Dollar - already on the back-foot amid heightened expectations of an RBA rate cut - lost out heavily on market open with the US to Australian Dollar exchange rate spiking to an overnight high of AU$1.4358. The Australian Dollar is often perceived as a gauge of Chinese sentiment, given the predominance of China as Australia's primary trading partner. The Chinese Yuan was also rocked lower by the tweets, with the USD/CNY gapping substantially higher (from a weekly close of 6.7335) to open at 6.7959. EMs were also under-the-weather in early trade with the Turkish Lira falling it's lowest level against the Greenback since early October 2018. At the time of writing, the USD-to-TRY exchange rate was last seen at TRY5.99774, after briefly breaching the 6.0 level in early trade. Also feeling the bite, global equities were down in early trade with Chinese stock markets down over 5% as markets reprice for the resurfacing potential for a full-blown trade war. In the wake of Trump's market-rocking tweets, neither White House nor Chinese officials were forthcoming over whether talks - set to resume this week - would continue. The atmosphere of the negotiations has changed, said a Chinese official, adding when asked if talks would proceed, "All that depends on the attitude of the United States. The tweets come mere days after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called the latest round of talks in Beijing "productive" with one White House official even hinting at a potential June meeting between Presdeitns Trump and Xi Jinping to finalise the deal. Elsewhere, analysts were open to the possibility that Trump's tweet could be a bluff to force better terms from Chinese negotiators, one with the potential to cause significant market repercussions. Head of international trade analysis, Raoul Leering, of ING wrote "In our view Trumps tweets are a negotiation strategy... Although Trumps strategy is risky, because the Chinese could refuse to negotiate at gunpoint and decide to walk out on the trade talks, both sides have invested too much political capital in the negotiations to let this happen. Trump plays hard ball." There is still a question of whether this is one of the famous Trump negotiation tactics, or are we really going to see some drastic increase in tariffs, said Nick Twidale at Rakuten Securities, "If its the latter, well see massive downside pressure across all markets. According to Trump, should a deal not be reached in the coming days, 10% tariffs on $200B of Chinese goods will be hiked to 25% on Friday with a further $325B of goods set to see tariffs raised to 25% "shortly". Looking at the next potential steps, some analysts feel Chinese officials could forgo talks this week which could lead to resurgent uncertainty. "China may very well decide to skip talks this week, which could be the start of a new escalation of the trade war that would give a big hit to risk sentiment and could derail the brewing signs of recovery in the global economy," wrote Danske's Mehren. Similarly, Tai Hui, Asia-Pacific chief market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management wrote "As we learnt a year ago, Beijing could be willing to walk away if the U.S. applies negotiation tactics that they dont agree with. That said, both sides have invested significant time and resources to come this far... The coming days could prove decisive for whether or not we're set for fresh escalation of trade uncertainty which has so heavily weighed on the global economy over recent months or whether Trump's tweets are merely a bluff to expedite the finalisation of a deal. Following Monday morning's round of Euro zone PMI releases which held little in the way of market-impact, reflecting continued subdued economic activity within the bloc, Monday's Sentix Investor Confidence release also had a muted effect despite rising to the highest level since November of 2018. Above: Sentix Economic Index for the Eurozone: Current Situation and Expectations Printing at 5.3, the Sentix Economic Index for the Euro zone rebounded sharply from a previous sub-zero (-0.3) release, beating consensus for a 1.1 print. The surprise increase in investor confidence was partially attributed to lowered concerns regarding global trade and the recent uptick in Chinese activity - particularly for the German index. However, given the weekend's developments with President Trump's tweets stoking market fears with threats to hike China-directed trade tariffs by the end of the week in lieu of a deal, the developments at least partially remove one leg of impetus for the uptick in confidence. Key Points: - In May, the economic situation continued to improve globally, but also in Europe - Fears of a recession are thus receding into the background, which is reflected in the improved situation values in all the regions considered - The economic situation in the euro zone stabilised significantly in May. The overall index rose to 5.3 points, the best value since November 2018. - The assessment of the current situation rose from 3.8 to 11.0 points - The German economy stabilised noticeably. Here the situation values even rose to 18.3 points and expectations for the fourth time in a row - From the point of view of the investors surveyed by Sentix, the economic situation in Asia ex Japan has returned to boom level - The US economy also remains strong, although there are still negative expectations here due to the high situation values. Japan is also improving Above: Sentix Economic Index for Germany: Current Situation and Expectations Key Quotes: Manfred Hubner, CEFA and managing director at Sentix, which compiles the release said: "The sentix economic index for the Euro-Zone surprises with a significant rise to 5.3 points in May. This is the third consecutive increase and the highest level since November 2018. This improvement is supported by an increase in situation values, which rose from 3.8 to 11.0 points. The danger of recession is thus averted, even though the expected values are still just in the negative range. However, for the fourth time in a row expectations have improved to their highest level since March 2018. "The global environment made a significant contribution to this positive development. The Asia ex Japan region in particular, but also the US economy, are contributing to this. Now that the danger of an unregulated Brexit has been averted until at least October, these global factors can also increasingly assert themselves in Europe. This is also evident in the case of Germany. Its economy is heavily dependent on exports and development in China. The fact that something has changed here underlines the good assessment of the situation there. On the German economic index, Hubner wrote "The German economy also showed a strong improvement in May with a total index of 7.9. Apparently, the spark from the Chinese economy, which has recovered significantly since the start of the year, is increasingly jumping over to the export-dependent German economy. The assessment of the situation rises by almost eight points to 18.3 points. Expectations improve for the fourth time in a row to the highest level in February 2018. Caregiving: How To Help Aging Adults and Aging Parents Stay at Home CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson 888-393-7754 Email: Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com Golden, Colorado May 6, 2019 Staying At Home Is a Dream That Many Aging Adults Don't Know How to Make Come True Aging adults talk about how staying at home during retirement years is a dream, however, few know what it really takes to make this happen. Family caregivers don't know either. Aging adults and family caregivers struggle when care needs increase and when caregiving catastrophes happen. All involved continue to lose balance in daily life and experience greater stress and burnout. Caregiving is a family matter. Caregiving is a life role that arises unexpectedly and throws unprepared families into chaos. Few aging adults and caregivers think proactively about what it really takes to stay at home. Staying at home takes more than love. Staying at home takes a personal investment and work to avoid paying for in-home caregivers, and to avoid moving to a care community or a nursing home. Caregiving expert, Pamela D. Wilson knows. Aging Adults and Caregivers Wait Too Long To Get Help Many aging adults are hesitant to trust online programs, support groups, and courses because they have fallen prey to agencies selling services, information and referral sites and middlemen brokering products. Their personal information is given to companies who are persistent in trying to sell products and services. This is an unfortunate factor of the online world because so many caregivers and aging adults need help today but are fearful and don't know who to trust. This trust factor makes caregivers and aging adults hesitant to take a step forward to make caregiving situations better. Caregiving expert and advocate Pamela D. Wilson is not an agency selling outside services, course participants are not handed off to anyone else. There is no brokering of other services. Pamela is a nationally recognized caregiving expert and advocate. According to Pamela, "It's a shame that so many aging adults and caregivers need help that the Internet can provide but that there is a hesitancy to access help because of one bad experience." The PamelaDWilson.com website purposefully has no advertising from outside parties. Course participant information remains confidential and goes no further than for the purpose of attending online courses and receiving access to online course information. Pamela D. Wilson is the person that single adults, spouses, and married couples trusted to manage care for more than 20 years. Because of her specialized knowledge working in hospitals, nursing homes, care facilities, and in client homes, she knows information that most aging adults and family members who are caregivers don't know that can be extremely beneficial to managing care situations. The Online Course - Stay at Home In the online course, Stay at Home, Pamela leads aging adults and family caregivers through a 10-week program to help participants identify risks that lead to needing more and expensive care. Practical solutions are offered in addition to sections on how to manage family caregiving relationships. The course is offered online through a confidential membership site. Participants receive course materials and participate in live online question and answer sessions so that Pamela can immediately respond to concerns. Participant information remains confidential. The course shares information that most caregivers and aging adults don't know even though they think they know. Solutions and step-by-step processes are shared for working with the healthcare industry including doctors. Caregivers and aging adults quickly become frustrated and worn out by a health care system that feels as if it doesn't care about aging adults. Caregiving is a life role that arises unexpectedly and throws unprepared families into chaos. Being Proactive Supports Choice and Independence for Aging Adults The Stay at Home course opens the door to early caregiving conversations about how to be proactive to manage caregiving needs and manage caregiving costs. Many caregivers wait until situations become so advanced that they have no option but to seek help. Waiting for a caregiving catastrophe to happen only creates more worry, anxiety, stress, and feelings of overwhelm. By the time caregivers seek help, the door to options are closed, and choices are limited. Seeking help early is the solution to having more choice in caregiving situations. Through the Stay at Home course, rather than being unprepared for caregiving situations, aging adults and family caregivers will have peace of mind and confidence to know what to do to stay at home. -30- From: American Evaluation Association (AEA) For Immediate Release: Dateline: Washington , DC Monday, May 6, 2019 Leigh M. Tolley, Assistant Professor at the VEEP, founded in 2012 on research and best practices, is an academic service learning partnership between Vermilionville, a living history museum and folklife park, UL Lafayette, and the Through VEEP, preservice elementary and secondary social studies and English language arts teachers explore Vermilionville and its artifacts, learn about the cultures it represents, reflect on myriad aspects of relevant history, and subsequently use these varied forms of knowledge as resources to plan interdisciplinary lessons. These lessons are delivered multiple times over the course of each VEEP Day, with one for elementary and one for secondary students each semester, with LPSS students and their teachers. Lessons Learned: Formative, summative, and developmental evaluation processes have been a part of VEEP since its inception. By working together as a team, we have been identifying these processes, frequently reviewing the extant quantitative and qualitative data, collecting new data, building our evaluation capacity along the way, and planning for the future of the program and the many people impacted by it. Hot Tip: Conversation is key! Bringing together multiple perspectives from our stakeholders, including LPSS administrators, Vermilionville staff, and UL Lafayette faculty into our program evaluation process has helped us think about the program from many different angles. Hot Tip: Share more to know more! By sharing more about VEEP in formal and informal ways to diverse audiences locally and nationally, we have a chance to discuss what were doing and learn ideas from others that we may consider using. Hot Tip: Spread the wealth (at minimal cost)! We view VEEP as a win-win-win for Vermilionville and its educational materials and programs development, for the preparation of preservice teachers at UL Lafayette, and for current and future local K-12 teachers and students. This collaboration has been a major asset to all of us, with the only major operating costs being staff time and transportation to Vermilionville from the schools. Otherwise, VEEP offers a free learning opportunity that so far has involved over 400 preservice teachers and over 2,500 K-12 students! For us, VEEP has been and will continue to be a way to help prepare teachers in designing and implementing engaging and hands-on cross-curricular lessons, serve area K-12 students and teachers, and develop educational resources. We encourage other teacher preparation programs to explore the many potential opportunities that may exist in their own areas through their local parks, museums, and heritage sites. The American Evaluation Association is celebrating Ed Eval TIG Week with our colleagues in the PreK-12 Educational Evaluation Topical Interest Group. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from our Ed Eval TIG members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the About AEA The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association and the largest in its field. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products and organizations to improve their effectiveness. AEAs mission is to improve evaluation practices and methods worldwide, to increase evaluation use, promote evaluation as a profession and support the contribution of evaluation to the generation of theory and knowledge about effective human action. For more information about AEA, visit www.eval.org. Hello! Were, Assistant Professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette), Melanie Harrington, Education Coordinator at Vermilionville , and Brady McKellar, Director of Museum Operations at Vermilionville, and were very excited to share the Vermilionville Education Enrichment Partnership (VEEP) with you!VEEP, founded in 2012 on research and best practices, is an academic service learning partnership between Vermilionville, a living history museum and folklife park, UL Lafayette, and the Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) . Dr. Toby Daspit, UL Lafayette Associate Professor and VEEP Co-Founder, and Dr. Natalie Keefer, UL Lafayette Assistant Professor, are also major current contributors to this partnership.Through VEEP, preservice elementary and secondary social studies and English language arts teachers explore Vermilionville and its artifacts, learn about the cultures it represents, reflect on myriad aspects of relevant history, and subsequently use these varied forms of knowledge as resources to plan interdisciplinary lessons. These lessons are delivered multiple times over the course of each VEEP Day, with one for elementary and one for secondary students each semester, with LPSS students and their teachers.: Formative, summative, and developmental evaluation processes have been a part of VEEP since its inception. By working together as a team, we have been identifying these processes, frequently reviewing the extant quantitative and qualitative data, collecting new data, building our evaluation capacity along the way, and planning for the future of the program and the many people impacted by it.: Conversation is key! Bringing together multiple perspectives from our stakeholders, including LPSS administrators, Vermilionville staff, and UL Lafayette faculty into our program evaluation process has helped us think about the program from many different angles.: Share more to know more! By sharing more about VEEP in formal and informal ways to diverse audiences locally and nationally, we have a chance to discuss what were doing and learn ideas from others that we may consider using.: Spread the wealth (at minimal cost)! We view VEEP as a win-win-win for Vermilionville and its educational materials and programs development, for the preparation of preservice teachers at UL Lafayette, and for current and future local K-12 teachers and students. This collaboration has been a major asset to all of us, with the only major operating costs being staff time and transportation to Vermilionville from the schools. Otherwise, VEEP offers a free learning opportunity that so far has involved over 400 preservice teachers and over 2,500 K-12 students!For us, VEEP has been and will continue to be a way to help prepare teachers in designing and implementing engaging and hands-on cross-curricular lessons, serve area K-12 students and teachers, and develop educational resources. We encourage other teacher preparation programs to explore the many potential opportunities that may exist in their own areas through their local parks, museums, and heritage sites.The American Evaluation Association is celebrating Ed Eval TIG Week with our colleagues in the PreK-12 Educational Evaluation Topical Interest Group. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from our Ed Eval TIG members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org . aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators. Judy Currier and Mellanie True Hills at the Discovery Channels Red Carpet Premiere of A Heartbeat Away From Stroke Contact: Mellanie True Hills at 940-466-9898 or http://www.stopafib.org Dallas, TX, May 2, 2019 In honor of former StopAfib.org forum member Judy Currier, the organization is announcing the Fourth Annual Judy Currier Scholarship to enable recipients who could not otherwise afford to attend the opportunity to be at the Get In Rhythm. Stay In Rhythm. Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference, August 9-11 in Dallas. It is the goal of StopAfib.org to empower as many people as possible with the most up-to-date information about Afib treatment, so that they can get their lives back. "We realize that the investment to attend the Get In Rhythm. Stay In Rhythm. Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference, especially when you consider travel expenses, may keep some people from attending, even though they want and need to," says Mellanie True Hills, CEO and founder of StopAfib.org. "That's why we created the Judy Currier Scholarship." Judy Currier was the second member of the StopAfib.org discussion forum (alongside founder Mellanie True Hills). Judy passed away four years ago just before the StopAfib.org Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference. She provided a bequest to the organization from which the Judy Currier Scholarship has been created to help those who really need to attend the 2019 atrial fibrillation patient conference but aren't in a position, financially, to do so. If you know you can benefit from attending the Conference and would like to apply for a scholarship, learn more at https://www.stopafib.org/newsitem.cfm/NEWSID/650. The organization will begin allocating funds to applicants as soon as applications are received, and will do so until the funds are expended. About StopAfib.org StopAfib.org was founded in 2007 to improve the quality of life for those living with atrial fibrillation and to save lives by raising awareness of afib and thus decreasing afib-related strokes. HON Code Certified StopAfib.org is for patients by patients, and is the most visited arrhythmia site. The site features the latest afib news and videos along with information about atrial fibrillation and stroke symptoms, causes, risks, and treatment. The Global Atrial Fibrillation Services Locator helps atrial fibrillation patients find hospitals, atrial fibrillation centers, electrophysiologists, and surgeons that specialize in treating afib. StopAfib.org also features atrial fibrillation patient resources, a newsletter, the Atrial Fibrillation Blog, the StopAfib Discussion Forum and Community, and the StopAfib YouTube Channel that brings top afib doctors to patients. The organization is hosting the 6th Get In Rhythm. Stay In Rhythm. Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference, August 9-11, 2019 in Dallas. For more information, visit www.StopAfib.org or contact Mellanie True Hills at 940-466-9898 or www.stopafib.org/contact.cfm Sunday, May 5, 2019 How many times have you heard people say in the aftermath of a traumatic event: I just cant talk about it right now. They experience a muteness, as if the right words have not yet been invented to pinpoint their feelings. Some eventually find expressive relief by writing poems, essays, memoirs, keeping a journal or even describing what happened on Facebook. For those who are visually oriented, they may speak through the creation of a painting or other art project. There are no rules or even guidelines for self-expression at the boundary of trauma but many who have been through the experience say that describing it -somehow- to another person does help. The Process of Healing Our body tells us when were ready to unpack and codify feelings, to put words or other artistic expression around painful experiences. For some, even the recollection of the experience can stay tucked away for years and emerge later, perhaps when another life-changing event bumps up against old memories. A Vietnam War veteran once shared with me that he didnt speak about the war he experienced until years later when his son was about to be deployed to Desert Storm in the early 1990s: It hit me like a ton of bricks my son might be about to experience the same horrors that I had witnessed. I had to start talking, sharing my own experience, after twenty years of silence. Owning the Story Sometimes the burden of owning the story is so great that there is a need to fictionalize the story and tell it as if it happened to someone else. It can take months or years to become comfortable with the telling. Whenever the time to write becomes compelling, be kind to yourself. Acknowledge that writing may help in the healing process but it takes time, reflection and rewriting to arrive at a sense of well-being and comfort with what youve written. Judith Barrington describes in Writing the Memoir that, Tove Ditlevsens Early Spring was first published some forty years after some of the events it describes and demonstrates an extraordinary insight into childhood one that clearly required many years of reflection before it could be written. In 1998, I began writing about my husbands death in the Vietnam War in 1969. I started with a fictionalized play. It was easier to cast another young woman in the role of myself. At first, making fiction protected me from the reality of what I was writing about. But soon it was not enough. Eventually I was able to own my story in a series of personal essays and finally in a memoir in 2014. The Writing Process But even a project that has simmered in the mind for years does not pop out of the oven overnight as if it was magically spun into a cake of gold by leprechauns. For myself, once the writing commenced, the boundaries around my privacy, that had been so important earlier, started to feel like obstacles to understanding what had happened to me. A quest for precision and depth became new needs. The questions changed. Now I wanted to know: Is this completely honest? Whats the best way to focus on this experience? Something in this excavation process moves the writer to reframe the powerlessness wrought by the original trauma. Perhaps this crossover from feeling powerless in the wake of a traumatic experience to managing the memory of what happened is the cornerstone of writing as healing. There is a deepening and reciprocal process that takes place during the long discipline of continued writing. As the volume of writing increases, the need to structure the story and make sense of what happened begins to build. There are no rules that dictate the order of events. There will be a beginning, middle and end, but these elements need not occur in chronological order. The eventual architecture of a true story on the page will emerge through reflection and rewriting as the writer zooms in and out scene by scene. Sven Birkerts says in The Art of Time in Memoir that the way the story is told leads the reader through the healing process of the writer. The writers then and now stir to life the readers sense of past and present. The writers bonus is that, as she digs into her experience, her life begins to have coherence. Getting Started Lets assume that writing is healing. For beginning writers, if starting to write is difficult, begin with I remember and see what emerges. Let your pen roam free on the page without censor. Youll be okay. Nothing can happen without your consent. Youll discover the confines of the island of your own true story, with its wildlife and landscapes. You can live there like Robinson Crusoe as long as necessary until youre ready to invite readers in, as your guests, to listen. And dont be surprised to hear them say how much your story made them think about their story. Join Ruth W. Crocker from July 29 August 2, 2019 at Castle Hill Center for the Arts for a week-long workshop on the Art and Craft of Memoir. San Antonios art market is small, but its expanding, becoming more varied and complex and Patricia Ruiz-Healy is one of its leading dealers. A native of Mexico, she owns the highly regarded Ruiz-Healy Art gallery, which she opened in 2013 in Olmos Park. However, shed started representing artists and selling their work seven years earlier. She operated by appointment-only out of an empty, second home her family owned, also in Olmos Park. Ruiz-Healys first love is contemporary Mexican art. But the sweep of her gallery also takes in Latinx, Latin American and Texas artists, including the late Chuck Ramirez, whose reputation has ballooned since his death in November 2010 following a bicycle accident in Southtown. Ruiz-Healy, 56, is the exclusive agent for his work. On Friday, she took a huge, career-changing step: She opened a gallery on New Yorks Upper East Side, which she said will give her artists a chance to show their pieces in one of the worlds premier art scenes. Ruiz-Healy, who also chairs San Antonio-based Artpaces board of directors, spoke with the Express-News by phone the day before her gallery opening. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length. Q: How long have you been in New York preparing for the opening? A: Let me tell you a little bit of background first. I actually started working in New York by appointment-only in early 2012. I also did art fairs. I have always, of course, wanted to have my own space here, and then this amazing opportunity came about. Its very close to my New York City home, and is so convenient. This location is on the Upper East Side, which has become a very dynamic gallery center. Its not just Chelsea anymore. There was a very good article published last week by the New York Times talking about the different districts in New York City for art, and they highlighted the Upper East Side so thats good news for us, right? So I got this space. I signed the contract April 15. Its a two-year lease with the option to renew annually. Q: Why did you decide to shift from doing shows in your apartment to opening a gallery? A: Well, I have had the gallery in San Antonio for many years. Its very well-established. I have a good staff there, a very good team. But to be in New York City, to have a gallery here, is the dream of every gallerist. And even if the media and others say the model has changed, that bricks-and-mortar are not as important in the art market well, they are important, especially with my concentration on what is now called Latinx artists. So I do all contemporary, with an emphasis on Latinx, Latin American, and Texas-based artists. Even if I had this beautiful apartment where I was able to receive people or do pop-ups and do appointments, its not the same. I needed to have a showcase. I needed to give it a try. And because all the stars aligned, Im doing it. Its an OK rent the terms are fine. And if I didnt have a place to stay, I wouldnt do it because it would be impossible. So I have a lot of things in my favor to be able to do this. Our website is amazing. We do digital commerce and social media. But nowadays you have to do everything. I also believe in my material work by Latinx, Latin American and Texas artists and there are no galleries here that represent specifically this kind of material. But the scholarship is beginning to focus on these artists. Latinx are artists of Latin American descent who live in the states either because they were born here or theyre part of the immigrant experience. These are under-recognized artists who are now coming into the forefront, with scholars and institutions paying attention to them, because of the changing demographics. We have a huge Latino population in (New York), and they dont see art that reflects them. Q: Youve lived in Olmos Park for nearly 30 years, and you have your gallery there. What prompted you to buy an apartment in New York? A: We have always liked the city, and at that time our youngest daughter was at Columbia University so we started coming to New York. Then my oldest daughter came to New York as well to do a masters of fine arts. My husband is from Mexico City, and he always wanted to have a place here. So we started looking in 2009 when the financial crisis hit, and because prices went down and down, we were finally able to close and move in 2011. Q: Roughly where in the city do you live? A: We live on the Upper East Side at 79th Street and Park Avenue. The gallery (also called Ruiz-Healy Art) is across the street. Q: What will visitors see at your gallerys opening? A: Were featuring the work of Cecilia Paredes, an artist from Peru who lives in Philadelphia and, of course, the late Chuck Ramirez, who weve represented exclusively since 2010. Its super exciting to have a show of only two artists. Q: Is the gallery going to be an avenue for San Antonio artists who dont have an in in New York to be shown there? A: Oh, yes, absolutely. Right now, Im just going to continue working with the artists I have been working with because we have developed our relationships for several years. So, to give you an idea, my next show is going to be in September because the summer here is a little dead and its going to be Margarita Cabrera (an artist from Monterrey, Mexico, whos currently living in San Antonio). I have been working with Margarita since 2016. You might know her work shes an artist that is doing amazing public sculpture. She was shown in New York many years ago. She had a gallery that closed, so she hasnt shown in a commercial gallery there since maybe 2010. So, this is a big deal to have a gallery representation in New York. Then, after that, its going to be (Ohio-born ceramic artist and sculptor) Jennifer Ling Datchuk. Thats going to be my fall show in November, and Im actually doing San Antonio and New York with her. And then, January is (San Antonio artist) Jesse Amado I have been working with Jesse for years and Alejandro Diaz (who is a San Antonio native living in New York). Jesse last showed in New York probably in 2006. Sometimes this is what happens: A gallery closes, you dont get picked up, or then you dont have commercial gallery representation. So Im very excited about Jesse and Alejandro Diaz they have been friends for many years. Q: How does an art buyer in New York compare to one in San Antonio? A: At the end of the day, its somebody who connects to the work, somebody who connects with what the artist is saying to them. And its about the work how the work is displayed, what city is the artist is from, where they studied, what collections theyre in. All those factors come into play. First, its the aesthetic. Do I like this work? Then comes the other aspects, especially if youre talking about a higher priced item. Thats when people say, Well, I need to research this. And everybody should do that research. So most of my artists have masters in fine arts degrees, and a lot of them have been educators or they are continuing their education. Q: So today youre finding more interest in contemporary art and pieces by San Antonio artists. Are your clients willing to pay more now than they were maybe a decade ago? A: Well, it all depends who the artist is. If I have a painting, for example, by Pedro Friedeberg, who has a secondary market, the American clients know that this painting goes for $20,000 or $30,000. So they feel OK buying a painting by Friedeberg from me for about that price. You know the price point is OK. People dont make a big differentiation unless you go to something too expensive. I mean, over $20,000 is tough in San Antonio. Q: What price gets buyers uneasy in New York? If its $20,000 here, what is it there? A: Above $100,000. Even in the auction market, everything about $100,000 to $150,000 makes people think twice. Even if theyre multimillionaires, they think twice. Its just sometimes we get all this confusion in the media because we hear about a $20 million sale. Its very few people who like to buy at that point. Its a very small market, even though it can become a very good investment in most cases. Q: How many clients do you deal with in San Antonio on a regular basis? A: Oh, probably at least between 20 and 30. Q: If your gallery in New York is successful, is there a possibility youd close shop in San Antonio? A: No, I think I can definitely manage having the two. You know, a lot of galleries have different locations but, of course, theyre large. I almost did a partnership with a gallerist from Switzerland who goes back and forth between Basel, Switzerland, and New York every month. She just comes for the openings and then she goes back. And if shes able to do it in Basel and New York, I can do it between San Antonio and New York. I see San Antonio as the mother ship. A lot of my artists like 50 percent at least are based in San Antonio. Eventually, more artists are going to come to the (New York) gallery. I see the two spaces working together. To be a successful gallerist, you have to be moving. You have to go to other places. Q: One thing we hear consistently is how difficult it is to make a living as an artist in San Antonio. How hard is it? A: Very difficult for the most part. But thats also how it is with New York artists or LA artists unless you hit it super big, unless you create an incredible body of work and get discovered by several curators at the same time, and then museums start acquiring your work left and right. Then you go on to another level. Its not unique to San Antonio, not at all. Back in the day, Jesse Amado was a fireman. He decided to be a fireman because he was able to make art on his off days. Gary Sweeney used to work for Southwest Airlines because that way he was able to make a living, pay the bills and get a retirement fund. And now they are able to be full-time artists. Q: You were born in Sonora, Mexico? A: Yes. Q: How did you make it to San Antonio? A: I grew up on my fathers ranch in Sonora. I went to study English in England when I was 18, and I went to Mexico City when I was 19 to start college. I met my husband, Juan, and it was kind of love at first sight. So we married when I was 20. He was in broadcasting at that time, had a very successful news program. Eventually we went to Miami, where he was an anchor for what is now the evening newscast at Univision. Juans family had always had a connection with San Antonio my father-in-law was a very prominent surgeon who had a lot of friends in the medical community. The family had apartments in San Antonio. In one of those Mexican financial crises, like a lot of Mexican nationals, they arrived just to have a safe place to land. So thats how we started coming to San Antonio. Then my husband left TV, and he wrote for the political and economic section of a major newspaper in Mexico that doesnt exist anymore. We needed a place in the United States that was kind of close to Mexico City. We chose San Antonio. One of our girls was born in San Antonio, the other one was born in Miami. And my husband commuted for years, going back and forth between Mexico City and San Antonio. Q: When did you decide to become an art dealer? A: I founded my company in 2004, and had my first opening in the fall of 2006 thats what I consider the start of my business. And I started with mostly Latin American art because that was the material that I knew artists like (Mexico City native) Pedro Friedeberg. Im still working with them. And then things started to evolve. My first San Antonio artist was Constance Lowe, who just retired from UTSA she was a professor of drawing and painting there for many years and then Chuck. So those were the two artists that I started working with in San Antonio, and that expanded. I used to work by appointment-only in San Antonio, so my gallery started in a house in a residential area in Olmos Park. We used to own two houses. One house was basically my business, and the other was my house house. They were next to each other. The growth of my business was very organic. Before I started the business, people would come to my house and they would say, My gosh, I love your art. Where did you buy this? It was all art from Mexico. I have always liked art history I was studying art history and all of a sudden I said, Well, maybe this is something that I can do professionally. Im so blessed Ive had a big success since Day One. My first show was a big commercial success. The only thing I was lacking being by appointment-only was the reviews. Also, I couldnt publicize the address of the space because then my neighbors would complain. Q: What had you been doing up to that point? A: I was a mom. I was also a student I was doing my masters at UTSA. Because I married very young and never finished college, when my youngest daughter started elementary school, I went back to college. I had credits from the school in Mexico City, so I was able to finish my bachelors degree quickly, and then I went on to my masters and finished in 2005. Most my time here, I was being a mom, being involved in the community. I was invited to be on the board of the San Antonio Museum of Art. I did a lot of things for them, like fundraising events, because I have always liked art. I discovered art when I was 18 in London. Thats kind of the story. greg.jefferson@express-news.net A prominent San Antonio developer who helped build thousands of affordable housing units was found dead of a gunshot wound in his Monte Vista home Saturday. Police were called to the home of Dan Markson, senior vice president of development for Cleveland-based developer NRP Group, in the 300 block of West Summit around 12:05 p.m. Saturday, a police spokesperson said Monday. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest, the Bexar County medical examiners office said Monday. Homicide investigators were looking into the circumstances of Marksons death. Markson, who had a 4-year-old son, was 59. The local real estate community, elected officials and City Hall insiders mourned Markson on Monday. A funeral was held that morning at Temple Beth-El Memorial Park. He was a true renaissance man and a great citizen, said David Adelman, head of San Antonio development company Area Real Estate. Markson co-founded NRPs Texas office in 2003. Under Marksons watch, the affordable housing company built the first residential development at the Brooks master planned community on the South Side. Markson also spearheaded the construction of Cevallos Lofts in Southtown, Tobin Lofts at San Antonio College and the Baldwin near the Alamodome. Dans efforts in San Antonio have changed the face of our city, state Sen. Jose Menendez said in a statement. NRP and the San Antonio Housing Trust Public Facility Corp., a nonprofit created by the city in 2009, partnered in recent years to build apartment complexes with half their units reserved for residents who make less than the local median wage including Upton at Longhorn Quarry near Morgans Wonderland and a $57 million, 283-unit project at Broadway and Jones. Dan wasnt just a housing developer, his projects radically changed the notion of what housing can do to a family, a community and a city, District 10 City Councilman Clayton Perry wrote in an Instagram post. His projects reflected a vision for San Antonio that we can only hope continues. In addition to his development work, Markson was active in the local Jewish community. He served on the board of Temple Beth-El San Antonio and was previously a San Antonio Jewish Family Services board member. The developer was particularly passionate about finding descendants of Sephardic Jews, a sect originating in Spain and Portugal that emigrated to Mexico in the 1500s and 1600s, said Adelman of Area Real Estate. He was deeply connected to his Jewish heritage, Adelman said. It meant the world to him. Markson also took part in local education initiatives, serving on the Southwest School of Arts board, and was involved with the Cesar E. Chavez Legacy and Educational Foundation. We always wanted to work on a project together, Adelman said. Some day we thought we would, though we never have found the right deal to work on. Staff writer Fares Sabawi contributed to this report. Joshua Fechter is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering real estate, economic development and philanthropy. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports Actor Jared Howelton has a clear view of fans passion for Hamilton from his vantage onstage in the Chicago production of the blockbuster musical. The first two rows are visible to the actors, he said. We always see men mouthing (the love song) Helpless, said Howelton, 26, a 2011 graduate of San Antonios North East School of the Arts. I love it. Thats the beauty of live theater right there. Fans mouthing along to or, distressingly, actually singing along with a musical isnt just a Hamilton thing. But there are many other aspects of the phenomenon around the show a rap-infused telling of the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton that are very specific to it. Interest has been intense enough that subscription series like Broadway in San Antonio announced its arrival more than a year out to drive up subscriptions for two seasons. (Spoiler alert: It worked.) On ExpressNews.com: Bone up on your Hamilfacts The response at the start of performances is sometimes more on par with whats heard at a Lady Gaga concert than at live theater. When San Antonian Tim Hedgepeth saw it on Broadway, he said, The lights went down and the noise was just amazing the screaming and cheering. There is now a high-tech, immersive exhibit about Hamiltons life and the musical inspired by it in Chicago. Hundreds of people lined up to get in on opening day. This is for a musical, Howelton said. This is nuts. This is like the Star Wars of live theater. Ive never seen a show that has done this. So, on the eve of the musicals San Antonio debut Tuesday at the Majestic Theatre, is Hamilton still as big a deal as it was at the height of Hamilmania? And what is it about the show that has grabbed the attention of so many people, many of whom dont otherwise care for musical theater? The fandom The phenomenon around the show, which debuted on Broadway in 2015, may have slowed a tiny bit. With the touring productions, it is now much easier to actually see Hamilton than a few years ago, when it was only playing in New York and every performance was sold out months in advance. Even so, fandom remains fairly intense. Emily Smith, general manager of the Majestic and the neighboring Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, compared the excitement level for Hamilton to the first San Antonio run of The Lion King in 2006. As expected, Hamilton did drive up subscriptions to the Broadway in San Antonio series, Smith said, although she would not quantify how much the subscription base had grown. Among the new subscribers are Ginger Hall Carnes, 67, who has enjoyed the other shows, too, and intends to renew her subscription; and Andrea H. Melcher, 55, who renewed her subscription even though she and her husband ended up not being able to go to any of the other shows this season. Gillian Pensavalle, who created and hosts the Hamilcast podcast in her New York apartment, said the Hamilton phenomenon has changed since she debuted her show in 2016. On ExpressNews.com: TaRea Campbell talks about playing Angelica Schuyler Its not the way it was in January 2016 in the sense that it was still so new and now everyone knows about it, Pensavalle said. You know what Hamilton is whether youve seen it, are mad because you havent seen it or hate it because everybody else loves it. Its a thing now. The energy is a little different. Hamilfans, as devotees of the musical call themselves, say some of their enthusiasm springs from creator Lin-Manuel Mirandas propulsive music, which blends hip-hop, rap, jazz and pop. Theres also the fact that the show tells a compelling true story about an orphaned immigrant determined to rise up who ends up helping to shape a new nation. And theres tremendous power in the casting, as well. Most of the actors are people of color, and womens voices are prominent, creating a sense that the story of the founding of the United States is being told by people who have typically been cut out of that history. Then theres the quality: Its just really, really, really good, said Pensavalle, who has seen it a few times. Shes first fell for it sight unseen, her interest sparked by the music and what she knew of the story. She started her podcast because it was the only thing she wanted to talk about. I loved Hamilton so much, and I felt something I had never felt before the passion of being so in love with a piece of art, she said. Hedgepeth, 62, who teaches drama at Northwest Vista College and directs shows there and at other area theaters around town, puts the show on par with the classics. I think it is one of the greatest patriotic and American musicals of all time, he said. Id put it up with Showboat, Oklahoma! and West Side Story. Hedgepeth cannot think of another show that has engendered the kind of fandom that Hamilton has. Other shows, such as My Fair Lady and Dreamgirls, inspired intense followings among musical theater fans, he said, and Hamilton won those folks over, too. But it also has won over a much bigger audience. Its a musical that has an appeal for people who would not cast themselves as musical theater fans, he said. Look at all of the fan sites. If you go online and go down the rabbit hole, youll find fan art and blogs and all of the videos everyones singing The Schuyler Sisters. The shows fan base includes plenty of youngsters, too. Hamilkid of the week is a regular feature on the shows app. And when Magik Theatre offered a dance workshop featuring choreography inspired by the show in 2017, it caught fire right away with 5- to 13-year-old fans, as well as a few parents. It sold out in a day, said Rebekah Williams, 24, the theaters education coordinator, who taught the class with Alonzo Corona. We saw kids who who had no dance experience but really loved Hamilton. Every time wed turn off the music, the kids would keep singing as if the music was still playing. The lottery Tickets are easier to get than they once were, but theyre still dear in terms of price. The face value of tickets for the Majestic run is $75.50 to $195.50. Resale tickets at ticketmaster.com start at $224. Thats still a bargain compared to what it costs to see the show on Broadway, where some resale tickets go for more than $2,500. On ExpressNews.com: Heres how the Hamilton lottery works The budget-minded arent entirely out of the loop. A total of 40 tickets for $10 a pop are available through the shows app for every performance. The lottery dates back to the early days of Hamiltons run in New York. Thats how Howelton, the NESA grad in the Chicago cast, saw it for the first time. He had heard a lot about the show and how good it was, but wasnt sure how much credence to give the chatter. Everybody does the hype thing, and then you see it, he said. Hamilton meets the hype. dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN Deborah Martin is an arts writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN Eight San Antonio-area educators named among the best in their profession were recognized Sunday at the H-E-B Excellence in Education awards in downtown Austin. Two of the eight finalists were announced as overall winners for their categories at the dinner. Jodi Ramos, an English and language arts teacher at Coke Stevenson Middle School in the Northside Independent School, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement award for secondary teachers, and Andrea Greimel, a pre-K teacher at the Carvajal Early Childhood Education Center in the San Antonio Independent School District, was the winner of the Lifetime Achievement award for elementary teachers. I cant even comprehend it, I really cant, Greimel said. Im not a one-person show. I have all these very talented people and colleagues, and everybody works together. Thats what it means to me, is recognizing all of that. OnExpressNews.com: San Antonio College students push Texas Lottery to change claim The six teachers and two principals from the San Antonio area are among 40 finalists statewide, each competing for annual awards given out by the program, the largest of its kind in Texas. The awards include three categories for teachers: Rising Star, for teachers with 10 or fewer years of experience; Leadership, for those with 10 to 20 years of experience; and Lifetime Achievement, for educators with at least 20 years of experience. Eight statewide winners two principals and six teachers were announced at Sundays celebratory dinner and will be awarded individual prize money as well as up to $25,000 for their campuses. Here are the other San Antonio-area finalists, and what they told H-E-B about their work: Lauren Bain, a music teacher at Carl Schurz Elementary in the New Braunfels Independent School District, is a leader and advocate for music education around the country, creating curriculum that allows all students to learn how to be musical. Ultimately, teaching is about sharing my love and passion for music with my students and providing them with an experience that makes a meaningful impression in their lives, she said. Bain was a Leadership finalist for elementary teachers. Kathy Bieser, is principal at the Advanced Learning Academy in SAISD whose leadership over the past three years has helped ALA become one of the fastest growing and best performing schools in its district. I feel a deep responsibility to improve the district through our work as a demonstration site for emerging best practices and a laboratory for aspiring teachers and principals, she said. Bieser was a finalist for top secondary principal. OnExpressNews.com: San Antonio schools would win under House education bill Erika Guerrero, a life skills teacher at Alamo Heights High School in the Alamo Heights Independent School District, grew up watching her mother foster special-needs adults in her home, sparking her passion for helping special-needs students prepare for life after school. The success of my students stems from them realizing the power to do for themselves through active learning, she said. Guerrero was a Leadership finalist for secondary teachers. Anna Olguin, a STEM teacher at Longfellow Middle School in SAISD, founded her schools STEM program, challenging her students to work through topics like circuitry, animation and robotics. I measure their success by how they bounce back from failure and their creativity in producing solutions to complex problems, she said. Olguin was a Rising Star finalist for secondary teachers. Rebekah Ozuna, a pre-K special education teacher at the Wilbur J. Knox Early Childhood Education Center in SAISD, works in the classroom to develop her students social and emotional skills and works outside of the classroom to break the stigma of mental health issues in society. I feel successful when my students know theyre safe and loved in the environment Ive created at school, she said. Ozuna was a Rising Star finalist for elementary teachers. Traci Smith, principal of Stonewall Flanders Elementary School in the Harlandale Independent School District, has helped her school meet state standards in less than two years at the job by supporting underprivileged students and their families. In one year, our reading, math, and science scores, as well as community/parental support and student attendance have improvedevidence that our efforts are paying off, she said. Smith was a finalist for top elementary principal. Gabriel Mbene Vefonge Atia Azohnwi Gabriel Mbene Vefonge, President of the Cameroon Agricultural and Allied Workers Trade Union (CAAWOTU) formerly known as the Divisional Syndicate of Agricultural workers in Fako (DISAWOFA) has received a mandate from the congress of his union to confront Yaounde over the deepening crisis in Cameroons North West and South West Regions. The second ordinary congress of the union held recently in Limbe had been dedicated to take stock of what they have achieved for the last one and a half decades, but the crisis in the North West and South West regions rather predominated discussions. The workers in the agro-industrial sector have for the most part lost their jobs, while others are unsure of their pay. They thus commissioned their president to meet the authorities in Yaounde to take steps for a return to normalcy and as well engage the International Labour Organisation as a mediator. With about twenty thousand contracts of employment and a related monthly wage bill of about FCFA 2.5 billion, the crisis in the North West and South West Regions is taking a heavy toll on the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC. General Manager Franklin Ngoni Njie has tells whoever gives a listening ear that the crisis is taking a toll on the socio-economic situation of workers as several establishments are no longer in operation given that workers, out of fear and threats on their lives no longer go to work. Workers have been maimed in the plantations, while others were pulled out of their homes and gravely injured. The rubber, banana and oil palm plantations have since not been attended to. With crop production nose-diving, the factories and mills have also had to shut down with only the mill in Idenau working above 50 per cent. PAMOL Plantations Ltd, which is another major agro-industrial concern in this part of the country, equally finds itself at the crossroads. Like the CDC, its operations have been grounded, and her workers suffering a similar fate. All that is obvious is that, it is the population of this part of the country that bears the brunt of this senseless war. It is only now struggling to pick up, but the financial loss is enormous. It is for the above reason that members of the Cameroon Agricultural and Allied Workers Trade Union say it is time to raise their voices and call for a ceasefire to the Anglophone crisis which has lasted for over two years, leading to unpaid wages for many workers, a situation which Mbene describes as unbearable. If something is not done workers risk losing their jobs and the trade union will cease to exist, Mbene said, urging his fellow unionists to be patient as they are doing all in their power to achieve peace with the help of relevant stakeholders. The Minister of Labour and Social Security was represented by the Regional Chief of Brigade, Ms Guiraud Raissa who appreciated the efforts of the trade union in assisting the minister to fight for the rights of workers. Since 2004, CAAWOTU (formerly DISAWOFA) has been protecting the rights of workers in Fako Division and has today gone national after 15 years at the service of those who give labour. San Antonios two mayoral contenders retreated to their corners Sunday to regroup after an unusually close election and grueling campaign that promises to grow in intensity until they face each other again next month. Just 3 percentage points separated Mayor Ron Nirenberg (48.66 percent) and challenger Greg Brockhouse (45.57) in Saturdays municipal race. Because neither commanded the majority needed to win, they are headed for the June 8 runoff. The mayor joked that he slept in until 7 a.m. Sunday before meeting with advisers and having a leisurely lunch with his family. Brockhouse did much of the same. Just kind of relaxing, decompressing more than anything, the councilman said. For both men, the break wont last long. Campaign veterans in San Antonio say they are bound for another bitterly fought contest, especially given the close nature of the race. While both have cause for optimism after Saturday night, the result was unquestionably good for Brockhouse, who has claimed the momentum is all with us. I think its a toss-up that now leans Brockhouse, said Christian Archer, who ran mayoral campaigns for Phil Hardberger, Julian Castro and Leticia Van de Putte. Archer sat out this election. In each of San Antonios past three mayoral runoffs, the candidate trailing after the first round reversed the outcome in the contest. That includes the race in 2017, when Nirenberg as a challenger forced Mayor Ivy Taylor into an extra round. Nirenberg trailed by 5 percentage points in that contest, but Taylors low level of support 42 percent was an indication that she was in trouble. Nirenberg ended up with a relatively comfortable 55-45 win one month later. Two years earlier, Taylor overcame a deficit of 2 percentage points to beat Van de Putte in a runoff. In 2005, Hardberger came back from 12 points down to defeat then-Councilman Castro. Brockhouse hopes to pull off a similar turnabout June 8. History shows thats the usual path, Brockhouse said. Get him into a runoff, start a new campaign and make it happen. The mayor is hoping to buck that trend and is confident, at least outwardly, that he will. He enters the next stage in a stronger position than Taylor was in 2017. His 48.66 percent of the vote was just shy of the majority needed to win. We dont go into the runoff from a position of weakness, he argued. We won the early vote, we won election day and were going to win June 8. That makes for what will likely become a down-to-the-wire contest over the next five weeks. The standard is that when an incumbent enters a runoff, it tends to favor the challenger, said Laura Barberena, a veteran Democratic campaign operative in San Antonio who worked on three successful council races this year. But in this case, because (Nirenberg) had a strong showing, it evens the playing field. I do think its anybodys ballgame. As consultants mine voting data for more information over the next few days, the two sides will analyze the results and try to identify their supporters. Once thats done, most of the campaigns work is about ensuring that those voters return to the polls. Theyll especially be targeting the North Side, which traditionally turns out in greater numbers during city elections. Voters in the East Sides District 2, part of the West Side in District 6, which Brockhouse represents, and the Southwest Side in District 4 will also have greater incentive to vote because there are runoffs in those districts. At the end of the day, this now turns into a get-out-the-vote battle, Brockhouse said at his election party Saturday night. Getting people back into it, getting them engaged and making sure they come back out again. Its a tough one. Nirenberg said his strategy is about energizing the electorate about the broader goals were working towards. The mayor has campaigned on his vision to guide San Antonio into the future, which includes far-reaching master plans to tackle mass transit, climate change and affordable housing, among other issues. Barberena said both candidates have advantages that seemingly cancel each other out. Nirenberg has the experience and infrastructure of past runoff campaigns, especially his 2017 victory to become mayor. We know Nirenberg has a ground game because hes done it before, she said. We dont know if Greg has one. But Brockhouse, who also won a runoff to join the council in 2017, has the support of the police and firefighters unions, which can help provide some of the infrastructure hes lacking. And more importantly, Barberena said, he has the momentum. The question is, can he sustain that momentum, Barberena said. San Antonio has had higher turnout in recent municipal runoffs than in general elections, which means the two sides will be able to pursue new voters. For that reason, Nirenbergs camp might explore adjusting its message. In recent weeks, as the race tightened, the campaign went after Brockhouse for police reports from 2006 and 2009 in which an ex-wife and his current wife accused him of domestic violence. Brockhouse wasnt arrested in either incident and has denied wrongdoing. The mayors campaign launched a website called NotFitForMayor.com and ran advertisements targeting that personal history. That could continue and perhaps intensify. And Nirenberg will likely continue to emphasize the close relationship between Brockhouse and the police and fire unions, which could help the mayor shore up support among the business community. Before Brockhouse joined the council, he was a political consultant for the unions, which have feuded with the city for years. Brockhouse, on the other hand, will try to maintain the message hes trumpeted over the past few months, which evidently gained traction with many voters. He has pledged a back-to-basics municipal government focused on property tax relief, public safety and transparency in government. He has also blasted Nirenberg's leadership, a message aided by some of the mayors missteps. Notably, that included the councils decision to remove Chick-fil-A from an airport concessions contract on grounds that the fast-food chains management has been hostile to LGBTQ rights. The vote energized conservatives and religious leaders who viewed it as an infringement on religious freedom. Brockhouse used the controversy to draw a distinct contrast between himself and the mayor, apologizing to Chick-Fil-A and trying to force a second council vote on the matter. The effort to overturn the vote failed, but Brockhouse succeeded in changing the subject from domestic violence and in putting Nirenberg on the defensive. The mayor voted with the council majority to exclude Chick-fil-A. In candidate debates, Brockhouse cited the vote to reinforce his argument that Nirenberg, who dismissed the issue as a fast-food subcontract, was out of touch with San Antonians and the issues that matter to them. The issue gave Brockhouse momentum in forcing a runoff. Now, the campaign starts anew. We start at zero, Barberena said. All the voters have to come out again on both sides. dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net | Twitter: @DylMcGuinness Kendall County, situated on the booming Interstate 10 corridor just north of San Antonio, continues to attract new residents from elsewhere in Texas and from out of state, according to numbers recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Its population has surged since 2010, growing almost 37 percent. Kendall County is ranked seventh in the U.S. among counties showing the largest percentage growth from 2010 to 2018. Among Texas counties, Kendall was outranked only by Hays County the home of San Marcos where the population grew almost 42 percent since 2010. It virtually tied Comal County the home of New Braunfels which also recorded a growth rate of nearly 37 percent in that eight-year period. Kendall Countys estimated population stood at 45,641 as of July 1. Thats an increase of more than 12,000 people since 2010, according to the Census Bureaus most recent population estimates for U.S. counties released April 18. Almost all of that growth was due to new residents moving into the area and not from births outnumbering deaths. The numbers came as little surprise to several officials and new residents who call Kendall County home. Its just another chapter in a book which is going to continue on, County Judge Darrel Lux said of the latest census numbers. We can see it every day when we travel to and from work. Theres construction. We can see the challenges with mobility and things of that nature. So its just a reminder to our public of the changes that are coming. On ExpressNews.com: Comal County second in the nation in growth rate Kendall County has only one incorporated city, Boerne, and plenty of room for the new arrivals relocating there. Part of the Texas Hill Country, the county contains one resident for every 9.3 acres of land, Lux said. That means it remains less densely populated than other more urban counties nearby. Lux who has served more than 20 years in elected office, first as county commissioner, then as county judge understands why people are drawn to the area. This is a pretty part of the country, he said. Its a lot prettier today when its green than it is going to be in August, whenever it looks like a desert. In the last 20 years or so, I think people are more attuned to quality education and this may sound corny quality of life. Theres no doubt in my mind that Kendall County ranks high in both of those areas. Heather Salinas, 39, moved with her husband and four children to Cordillera Ranch, a residential development between Bergheim and Boerne in a rural area of the county in September 2017. They relocated from Friendswood, south of Houston, after their home there was damaged by Hurricane Harvey. This is a place that I had been wanting to move to for quite some time, maybe five years, Salinas said. Were big outdoors people. We love nature and hiking and bird watching and that kind of stuff. We would actually come to Guadalupe (River) State Park every summer and camp there. I would always tell my husband, Wouldnt it be so amazing to move there? I just love it. She said the landscape is much different from where they used to live. Back in Houston, we called it the concrete jungle, Salinas said. You look out and you just see highways and roads and billboards. And that just was not an attractive place for us to be. We definitely longed to be able to look out our windows and see trees and see nature. You know, we watch the deer in our front yard. And thats just something that I dont think well ever get used to. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios growth largest in the nation Wendy Waligora, 44, moved with her husband and four children to Boerne from Sacramento County in California last June. She and her husband had grown tired of the taxes, high prices for gasoline and declining quality of schools in that state and wanted a change. She said they also wanted to be closer to her parents, who also live in Boerne. With a leap of faith we sold our home, Waligora said. My husband didnt have a job, nothing. We just came. We love Texas Our entire family came - every single one of us. We do not regret it one bit. All of our children are thriving here. We have met the most wonderful people here in this town. We love it here. Misty Mayo, president and CEO of the Boerne Kendall County Economic Development Corporation, said the new residents historically have come primarily from elsewhere in Texas and from California. The county is drawing new residents of all ages, some who are families with young children, others who are retirees, she said. Mike Fisher The median age of residents has been trending downward, Mayo said. The median age among Kendall County residents is 42 years old, while the median age in Boerne is 38. The county has felt some effects of that growth that you just simply cant get out in front of, like building new schools and building new roads, Mayo said. But the people come first, then those types of things are built. The rising population numbers reflect the demand that Realtor Denise Graves sees in her daily work. Im always surprised, I guess, that Kendall County, the Boerne area, has stayed as quiet as long as it has, Graves said. Its one of the best places to live. On ExpressNews.com: Boerne feeling some growing pains Guadalupe County, the home of Seguin, also continues to show strong growth, with its population surging 24.5 percent since 2010, according to the latest census numbers. That countys population jumped to 163,694 people as of July 1, an increase of more than 32,000 residents in an eight-year period. About 20 percent of that growth was due to births outnumbering deaths. But most of it was due to the arrival of new residents. Other counties west, south and east of Bexar County also recorded increases in population since 2010, but those werent as sizable as the surges seen in Kendall, Comal and Guadalupe counties to the north. Atascosa Countys and Wilson Countys populations each crossed the 50,000 mark for the first time as of July 1, rising to 50,310 and 50,224 respectively, the data showed. Wilson Countys population has jumped 17 percent since 2010, while Atascosa Countys population rose 12 percent. Smaller levels of growth were recorded in Medina and Bandera counties. Medina Countys population rose by almost 5,000 people since 2010, a rate of nearly 11 percent. Bandera Countys population rose by more than 2,300 people, a jump of 11.4 percent. The San Antonio-New Braunfels metro areas total estimated population crossed the 2.5 million mark for the first time as of July 1. The metro area which includes Bexar County and seven other counties - recorded an influx of 375,515 residents since 2010, an increase of 17.5 percent. Between 2017 and 2018 alone, the metro areas total population rose by nearly 44,000 a bump of nearly 2 percent. Its estimated population now stands at 2,518,036. The San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area held steady in the national rankings, keeping its place as the 24th largest in the country. Peggy OHare covers housing, demographics and the census in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: @Peggy_OHare EN-Depth is weekly interview podcast with journalists from the San Antonio Express-News. EN-Depth is produced by Joy-Marie Scott and Chance Dorland. Listen and subscribe on: Apple Podcasts Google Play Stitcher TuneIn iHeart Radio All Episodes Solar panels, reflective windows, deep wells for geothermal energy. Environment reporter Josh Baugh details how Credit Human is pulling out all the stops to make its new San Antonio headquarters a beacon of sustainability. On ExpressNews.com: Pearl-area complex brings 'cutting-edge sustainable' practices to S.A. Josh Baugh covers environmental issues in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jbaugh@express-news.net | Twitter: @jbaugh 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 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 For the third time in as many municipal election cycles, the San Antonio mayors race will be decided in a runoff. The last two times, the runoffs seemed inevitable. Thats because in both cases there were three major mayoral candidates dividing up the vote. In 2015, former state Rep. Mike Villarreal finished a close third, with more than 26 percent of the vote, pushing Ivy Taylor and Leticia Van de Putte into a second round. In 2017, Manuel Medina, then the chairman of the Bexar County Democratic Party, pulled in more than 15 percent, forcing Taylor and Ron Nirenberg into a runoff. OnExpressNews.com: After tight race, San Antonio's mayoral contenders gear up for runoff This years mayoral runoff is different. We didnt have a strong third candidate in this race, so there was every reason to expect last Saturdays results to produce a conclusive outcome to the battle between Nirenberg, the incumbent, and Greg Brockhouse, the councilman who is challenging him. That didnt happen. In this case, however, the runoff was forced not by a strong third contender but by the combined impact of seven minor candidates who raised negligible money, found themselves excluded from most candidate debates and cobbled together less than 6 percent of the vote between them. Seven marginal candidates turned San Antonio politics on its axis. Saturday night was an also-ran apotheosis, a pinnacle for the perennials, a vindication for the vanquished. You get the idea. The strongest performer among the lower-tier candidates was John Velasquez, a psychologist who received 1.6 percent of the vote, more than quadrupling his .39 percent result from two years ago. OnExpressNews.com: Seven San Antonio City Council incumbents easily re-elected Sneer if you will, but Velasquezs 1,643 votes, with a reported $675 in campaign expenditures, amounted to 2.4 votes per dollar spent. By comparison, Nirenbergs 49,539 votes, with $514,895 spent this year, came out to .1 votes per dollar. I think its going to matter how other candidates like myself respond and continue to encourage people to vote, Velasquez told me Sunday morning. And its common in history that a candidate who doesnt win says, Im going to throw my support for this candidate. Along those lines, Velasquez said he paid a late visit to Nirenbergs Saturday night election party, where the mayor greeted him. I shook his hand and said congratulations, Velasquez said. And he said, Are you going to help me? I said, Yes, Ill do whatever I can, because he would definitely be my choice in the runoff. Velasquez said before making a formal endorsement he wants to hear what Nirenberg has to say about mental health, Velasquezs flagship issue in the campaign. In this election, Bert Cecconi, a retired Air Force colonel and former dentist, mounted his 10th campaign for municipal office since 1985. The previous nine including a heartbreakingly close District 8 runoff loss in 2003 were for single-district council seats. This year, for the first time, he ran for mayor. On ExpressNews.com: Retired dentist wants to be S.A.s next mayor As usual, with Cecconi, the campaign was more about shining a light on a pet issue than advancing his own career. This year, his big crusade was for tuition-free college in San Antonio. Obviously, I wasnt in there to win. It would be impossible for me to win, Cecconi said. Well, not impossible, but it would have been like that Kentucky Derby 65 to 1, somebody defaults and he wins. As a candidate, Cecconi also emphasized the need for San Antonio to address its worsening traffic gridlock, an issue which could be pivotal in the June 8 runoff between Nirenberg and Brockhouse. Last year, Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff formed ConnectSA, a nonprofit entrusted with crafting a long-term multi-modal transportation plan for this community. While that plan is still subject to tweaking, its driven by a commitment to build an advanced rapid transit bus system running along dedicated lanes. Brockhouse has expressed concerns about the potential cost of the ConnectSA plan, but has been vague about what his own transportation solution would look like. Thats a microcosm of what the runoff policy debate will look like: Nirenberg asserting that the city needs to use its resources to tackle housing displacement and reduce carbon emissions, while Brockhouse pushes for basic services such as streets and sidewalks and public safety and calls for property tax reduction. Brockhouses advocacy for smaller government intersected with that of Matt Pina, a self-described libertarian who ran for Texas land commissioner last year and immediately rebounded from that loss to launch a mayoral campaign. Some local Republicans who questioned Brockhouses conservative credentials talked about throwing their support behind Pina, but Pina ultimately managed only a sixth-place finish with .75 percent of the vote. But in the every-vote-matters context of the June 8 runoff, any faction can be the deciding force and even the most marginal candidate can be a power broker. WASHINGTON - Henry Munoz of San Antonio, the longest-serving Democratic National Committee finance chair and the first Latino and openly gay person to hold that job, stepped down Monday to take on a different role at the DNC and to work on behalf of Latino candidates around the country. Munoz, who led the DNCs fundraising efforts for six years, will be replaced on an interim basis by Chris Korge, a Miami lawyer who raised money for Hillary Clinton and many other Democrats over the years. Munoz will take on the titles of finance chairman emeritus and DNC member at-large, focusing heavily on Latino issues and still raising money for the party. I have learned so much. I am prepared to use every bit of experience, all of my knowledge and every relationship to help transform the political landscape at this moment in our countrys history, he said in an interview. Munoz, 59, is chairman of the board of Munoz & Company, a San Antonio architectural firm. He said that after the 2016 presidential election, when the shock and the sadness wore off, he began thinking about making a change. Its a completely different job when you have the White House, and are supporting the policy and political aspirations of the White House, than it is when you dont, he said. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Nonetheless, Munoz ran for re-election unopposed. Over the past two years, he said, he worked with party leaders to rethink, redesign and rebuild the party from scratch, quite honestly, not just the fundraising structure of the party, but the fact that we needed to become a 50-state party again, and we needed to be concerned not just about the White House but electing Democrats at every level of government. $30M for Obama in 2012 In 2012, Munoz took on a national role when he and actress Eva Longoria established the Futuro Fund, focusing heavily on first-time Latino donors. They raised over $30 million for Barack Obamas re-election drive. Two years later, Munoz and Longoria started Latino Victory Fund, which works on behalf of Latino candidates; in the 2017-18 cycle, the organization raised $4 million for election campaigns. Munoz said that he has been discussing with Latino Victory leaders how he can help the group heading into the 2020 election. I believe that the organization I founded is just getting started and that there are many opportunities. I want to be a part of that, he said. Munoz has been a close ally of Julian Castro, the former San Antonio mayor and national housing secretary who is running for the Democratic nomination for president. He said that he is not endorsing any of the Democrats in the 2020 field but intends to offer encouragement to Castro, who he referred to as an important figure for the next generation of Latinos shaping democracy. History will recall that Julian has made a huge contribution not just to the politics, but to our cultural identity at a time when the president of the United States wants to divide us, Munoz said. To me, right now, this is not about signing on to any presidential campaign. I have many friends who are running for president. Pledge to counter dangerous racism Munoz said he will work within the party structure on issues that he considers important the mobilization not only of Latinos, but of the LGBT community and women. I hope that at the end, what people remember about me was that I was able to put in programs and structures that have led to sustainability and also have proven that minorities, gays and women have a voice in the financial structure of the party. In the interview Munoz recalled his father, who was a labor activist in San Antonio. My dad used to tell me that a movement of a people begins with the steps of just one person. I think I needed to figure out what my next right step was. Sometimes you need to let go of a title to move forward with strength, and I think that this is a moment when titles are less important. He added: Whats really at stake for my community is that theres a very dangerous racism, almost of historic proportions, that needs to be battled against. Munoz said that he was among the first to encourage DNC chair Tom Perez to seek the post. Perez issued a statement on Munozs departure noting the partys midterm election successes. In no small measure because of Henrys work, we are on the pathway to taking back the White House in 2020, Perez said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement: From promoting the arts to fighting for increased Latino representation, Henry Munoz is a visionary who leads by example and has never forgotten his roots in the community. The work Henry will do next mobilizing Latino donors, activists, and voters all across the country will be critical in the 2020 election. Women and children are more vulnerble in the crisis internet Calm is yet to return to Mutengene, South West region, after the body of a young girl was discovered earlier this Monday, without breasts. Reports say her breasts had been chopped off by unidentified persons. Many denizens are in shock after this discovery was made, as the story surrounding her murder, is yet to be unraveled. Over the weekend, some three women in the North West region, were severely tortured by armed separatists , who accused them of taking part in Labour Day celebrations. As if to warn others who dare violate an injunction placed by them, these separatists filmed the women , where they were asked to apologise to the Ambazonia interim government, to forgive them for marching with the University of Bamenda on Labour Day 2019. From the video, one could easily determine these women had been tortured, because they looked as if they had been rubbed in mud, and have fresh wounds on their bodies. Still in the North West region, a woman and her baby were killed by a stray bullet, along Bambui-Bambili road on Sunday. According to reports, the nursing mother was breastfeeding her child, when Cameroonian soldiers, returning from a mission fired shots indiscriminately. This incident occurred in the night, when the electricity supply company had seized light. The mother and baby, died on the spot. According to recent newspaper reports, some three women , arrested in the Anglophone regions, have been incarcerated at the gendarmerie headquarters(SED) in Yaounde, for close to 20 months. They were locked up and tortured in a special cell at SED. Germaine Dzenzo, Shey Zarahatu Shinyuy and Malle Prisca, were recently discovered by some lawyers defending Anglophone separatists. Women in Cameroon have been raising their voices against crimes, abuses committed against their folks on various platforms. They have been holding seminars to build up capacities in staying together and carving a way for peace. At a workshop in Buea, organised by HOFNA Cameroon, women wept over the consequences of the Anglophone crisis on their folks, stating that many had been forced into prostitution in bigger cities like Douala or Yaounde, because they need a place to stay. As the crisis continues, most international institutions say women and children are most affected. 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. eugenerobinson@washpost.com As a former criminal prosecutor in Texas, I realized long ago the cash bail system in the Lone Star State simply does not serve justice. Unfortunately, instead of fixing the system, lawmakers introduced House Bill 2020, which would make the already-broken cash bail system even worse. In the U.S. Army, I led rescue missions into Iraqi torture camps because I wanted to help uphold the ideals of justice for my country. The same spirit led me to become a civilian prosecutor for the federal government and locally in Georgia, Texas and Colorado. Unlike the federal and military justice systems, the system for civilians in Texas (and most other states) hinges on money. Plain and simple, if you are wealthy, you can buy your way out of jail on bail while youre waiting for your case to be heard. If you are struggling financially even if you are unlikely to commit another crime or flee you will probably sit in jail for weeks or months awaiting trial. Whether you are free or behind bars while you await your case is very important. Since our justice system is clogged with low-level cases, people often spend more time in jail simply waiting for trial than they would realistically spend serving their sentence if found guilty. As a result, many people without resources plead guilty just to get home to their families and avoid losing their job or even custody of their children. In addition, if youre free in the weeks before your case is heard, you can begin counseling, education, employment or treatment all of which help your case by showing youre taking responsibility to get on a better path. If youre sitting in jail, you lose that opportunity. We all lose when our jails are filled with people who pose little public safety risk simply because they cannot afford bail. Overcrowded jails are a nightmare for taxpayers, who have to pay to warehouse people who should be at home and working. High pretrial jail populations are also a nightmare for deputy sheriffs and corrections officers who have to shoulder this extra workload and risk, especially since many jails are crowded far beyond their capacity. When we incarcerate people in poverty, we are also setting up their kids for failure. Research shows that having an incarcerated parent puts children at higher risk of committing crimes, becoming a victim of abuse, developing mental health issues and giving up on school. Harris County, among others, has already sought to address jail overcrowding and reduce the damage of wealth-based incarceration by automatically releasing some people charged with minor crimes until their trial. HB 2020 would take away their local authority to make these professional judgments about what works best for their communities. The bill would also require risk assessments to determine how much money is required for bail, keeping the system reliant on cash. Higher-risk people who are wealthy would still be able to simply pay for their freedom, while lower-risk people would still be detained just because they dont have a few hundred dollars. Risk assessments, while useful tools, also have to be very carefully calibrated to ensure that systemic racism is not accidentally and unknowingly built into their formulas. The bill would also bar many justices of the peace in Texas from assisting district and county court-at-law judges in setting bail. By slashing the number of people who can set bail, the bill will increase the backlog of cases, forcing more people to wait in jail longer at taxpayer expense. In short, I believe that Texas needs a smart legislative solution to the bail issue, but House Bill 2020 is not that solution. HB 2020 would tie the hands of our counties and judges who recognize the problem and are trying to develop local solutions. It would make our system more expensive, less effective and less efficient, and it would fail to serve justice while punishing taxpayers. Texas lawmakers should reject this bill and instead support legislation that would base the pretrial system on public safety, not access to cash. The Southern Baptist Convention leaderships decision to focus on the sex abuse within its ranks at an upcoming regional meeting in Grapevine and at a national meeting in Birmingham, Ala., has been long overdue. The organization must use this opportunity to make substantive policy changes to protect those who attend its 47,000 member churches from known sexual predators. At the very least, the organization must give serious consideration to a national database that would track church associates who have been accused of sexual abuses. Failure to do so will only serve to make the victim list longer. For too long, Southern Baptist Convention leaders have used the lack of a central authority within the organization as an excuse for not dealing with the sex abuse crises in its midst. In the process, the organization has lost sight of the needs of its members and by doing nothing provided a safe harbor for those who prey on the vulnerable. Sexual predators should not be employed in positions of trust within a church, but they have been for decades. An investigation by the San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle earlier this year found more than 700 people, most of them minors, who had reported sexual abuse by church leaders or volunteers during the past 20 years. Many of the 380 individuals identified as abusers were never criminally charged or publicly outed. Some were even allowed to move among SBC communities without as much as a bad reference or a heads-up about the previous problems. The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission has changed the theme of its regional meeting in Grapevine in June to focus on the current crisis within the SBC, the Express-News reports. SBC leaders also plan to discuss reforms to prevent sexual abuse when they convene for their national convention in October. A public discussion and the adoption of policies to prevent further abuse is what church members and the communities in which they live deserve followed by concrete actions. The SBC needs to stop protecting church leaders and volunteers accused of sexual abuse and do right by those who have been preyed upon. The tender to select an airline to carry out scheduled air services to up to twelve destinations declared to be of public interest from Nis Constantine the Great Airport closed at midday today, after which the bid opening procedure took place at 12.30 CEST. The final decision on awarding the contract will be made by the ordering party within the next 25 days. More than one party is believed to have been interested in taking part in the tender, based on the number and type of follow-up questions submitted to the Serbian Ministry for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure relating to the procedure. However, the outcome of the bid opening process, which was not public, is yet to be publicised. The best bidder will be required to base an aircraft in Nis with the capacity to seat at least 125 passengers. The operating carrier must also have another aircraft stationed in Serbia. Under the tender conditions, a group of carriers may submit a joint bid. The eleven year-round and one seasonal service will be subsidised to the tune of five million euros per year from July 1, 2019 until June 30, 2025. The destinations in question are: Baden Baden, Bologna, Budapest, Frankfurt Hahn, Friedrichshafen, Gothenburg, Hannover, Ljubljana, Nuremberg, Rome, Salzburg and Tivat. All routes will be maintained twice per week both in the summer and winter months, with exception to Tivat, which will be operated three times per week between May and October. Commenting on the twelve routes, the airport recently said, "We expect that these destinations will complement our route network and significantly increase traffic at Constantine the Great Airport. These cities are well linked with others on the continent and beyond". It added, "Last year we handled some 350.000 passengers. This year and in the years to come, this figure will grow considerably. In 2020 we expect to welcome half a million travellers. We will have to expand the terminal building next year, but we are ready to welcome new flights". Nis Airport recorded its seventh consecutive month of declining passenger numbers in April by handling 29.480 travellers, representing a decrease of 2.6% on 2018. Overall, during the first four months, the airport welcomed 115.161 passengers, down 9%. It took three and a half minutes for faculty and students at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., to learn there was an active shooter in their school. Four Yale University students feel their mobile alert app can drastically reduce response time during similar emergencies. We realized there that schools really have a communication problem internally, but also externally, said Michael Chime, who developed the app Prepared with classmates Daniel James, Neal Soni and Dylan Gleicher to alert students and faculty members during school shootings. International reports described 2018 as the worst year in the United States for gun violence in schools, and the Parkland shooting was at the center of it. Data from Education Week, a journal covering education in the U.S., found that there were 24 school shootings that resulted in 114 injuries or deaths. The mobile application lets faculty respond almost instantly to an active shooting incident using their phones to connect with students and first responders. Chime said most of the features on the app are the result of feedback from local schools, and a case study he and his team conducted on the Parkland school shooting. Approved users can send a lockdown notification to the entire school and local law enforcement through the program by pressing and holding an active shooter button for three seconds, which sends out an Amber alert-style message. The program also lets users provide information on the emergency through a messaging feature, including location and description of the suspected shooter. That streamlined response will be communicated with the authorities at the press of a button, Chime said, touting a 15-second alert time. A newly added feature also notifies school district officials, who can then can send emergency messages to nearby schools. Were able to ensure that the security of the schools surrounding (the emergency) are in thought as well, Chime said. The app has already received a favorable review at Yale, according to Chime, who said the university has invested roughly $40,000 into the startup, including the Miller Prize for $25,000. The quartet will also spend their summer in an accelerator program where they will continue to develop the application and work with school districts nationwide to implement it. Theyve reached out to school districts in Connecticut and other states, including Louisiana and Ohio, where James and Chime are from, respectively. Chime said theyve been in contact with local law enforcement as well. Another app developer said he saw the undergraduates startup as a valuable tool for the school system. I think thats potentially powerful for sure, said Ben Berkowitz, CEO and founder of SeeClickFix, a New Haven-based web and mobile platform that allows users to communicate with local government about public works issues. His company, which has been around for a decade, has about 350 city partners that use the application and website as a primary means of taking public service requests about potholes, graffiti or illegal dumping. Jordan.grice@hearstmediact.com GREENWICH Valerie Reyes, a 24-year-old woman who was found bound and inside a suitcase on the side of a road in Greenwich three months ago, died from a lack of oxygen. Reyes official cause of death was ruled as homicidal asphyxia, according to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington, which confirmed its findings Monday morning. Authorities had not released the cause of death in the case, even after the February arrest of Javier Da Silva, a recent arrival to New York City from Venezuela, on a federal charge of kidnapping resulting in death. Reyes, who lived in New Rochelle, N.Y., was reported missing by her family at the end of January. Her body was found Feb. 5 by a town Department of Public Workers employee off the side of Glenville Road. Da Silva, also 24, was arrested Feb. 12, the day before her funeral Mass. He had told authorities that he was with Reyes in her apartment, when she fell to the floor and hit her head, according to the criminal complaint against him, and he then bound her and placed her in a suitcase. A forensic expert who has been observing the case said the cause of death, asphyxia, was consistent with being trapped inside an enclosed container. Joseph Giacalone, a retired detective sergeant who headed the cold-case squad in the Bronx for the New York City Police Department, said Reyes was likely in unconscious before she was placed in the suitcase. He could have strangled her ahead of time, and thought she was dead. And in the suitcase, without air, its called positional asphyxiation - if youre stuffed in a certain way, it doesnt promote breathing, you can asphyxiate, said Giacalone, an adjunct professor at the John Jay School of Criminal Justice. With a suitcase, people arent going to get into that willingly. A person would be unconscious or semi-conscious to be put into that position. But thats speculation, he said. It looks like he panicked, and didnt know what to do. But you know what? It wont stop him from getting 25 years to life, the retired detective said. He noted it was fairly common in murder cases for bodies to be transported in suitcases or other containers. The medical examiners office released the cause of death, but it would not disclose further information about the homicide. Da Silvas lead attorney, Jason Ser, did not respond to a request for comment. Reyes mother, Norma Sanchez, did not return a call for comment. Greenwich police had no specific comment on the cause of death, saying the matter was in the hands of the medical examiners office. Police spokesman Lt. John Slusarz noted there was satisfaction in the department that the case had been closed with an arrest. A lot of work went into this, and the coordination between agencies was phenomenal. It was a successful outcome with the arrest, he said. Reyes was described by family and friends as a creative and kind woman who worked at Barnes & Noble in Eastchester, N.Y. According to the federal complaint, Da Silva, who was living in Queens, N.Y., and working as a barista in New York City, claimed Reyes fell in her New Rochelle apartment on Jan. 29 while the two were together. Da Silva said he then bound her ankles and wrists, covered her mouth with tape, stuffed her body into a suitcase and dumped it in Greenwich, where it was found about a week later. Da Silva allegedly used Reyes debit card to withdraw $1,000 at a New Rochelle bank branch at 5 a.m. Jan. 29, the federal complaint said. She had suffered a severe injury to her head, which Da Silva blamed on a fall, the complaint said. There were obvious signs of head trauma, including bruising around the face and a large hematoma to the deceased females forehead, the federal complaint reads. Reyes had dated Da Silva for a short time about a year ago, her family said. Relatives of the slain woman said Da Silva was controlling and stubborn. They had dated for several months in 2017, after apparently meeting through a dating website, but broke up about a year ago, according to her mother. Da Silva also appeared capable of manipulation, said Reyes mother, Norma Sanchez. Da Silva traveled regularly and took photos of his excursions around New York City, Washington, D.C., and Latin America, which he posted on his Instagram account. He wore his hair long, with a cropped beard, giving him the look of an urban hipster. Greenwich police worked on the investigation with the FBI and detectives in New Rochelle. Da Silva was arrested at his apartment in Queens. Da Silva, who also holds Portuguese citizenship, came to this country in May 2017 and overstayed his visa. In April, Da Silvas lawyers were talking to prosecutors and undertaking a process that may result in a plea bargain. The government and defense counsel have had discussions regarding a possible disposition of this case as recently as March 2019, according to court papers filed by a federal prosecutor. The negotiations have not been completed and we plan to continue our discussions. The prosecutor was given another month for negotiations, into early May. If convicted of the federal charge, he could face the death penalty or life behind bars. Da Silva made an initial appearance in the U.S. District Court in White Plains, N.Y., for a proceeding called a presentment. He has not entered a plea of guilty or not guilty in the case, and he has not yet been formally arraigned. A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice, Nicholas Biase, said a plea deal was being discussed in the case. There are discussions, working to find a resolution of the case without a trial, Biase said on April 12. A judge must sign off on any agreement that is reached. Discussions and negotiations over a settlement can also lead to an impasse and then a trial. MONROE It doesnt matter where people read, just that they read, said Lorna Rhyins, director of Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, 733 Monroe Turnpike. She and other library staff are so committed to this philosophy that theyre sponsoring two separate efforts to get more books into the local community. The first is the Little Free Library program, which posts two boxes in the shape of miniature houses filled with books at two different spots in Wolfe Park. Residents can grab and keep a free book from one of the boxes, stationed near the pool and Great Hollow Lake. The library also sponsors a shelf at Last Drop Coffee Shop, 435 Main St., Monroe, where patrons can browse and check out books, just as they would at a library. Its important to just get books out to the people, Rhyins said. Its a way of encouraging people to read wherever they are, even if they cant get to the library. She said both programs have proven to be popular. The Little Free Library at the park is in its third year, and relaunched for the spring roughly a month ago. Rhyins said the boxes are stocked with books that have been donated to the library. She said within a few days of refilling the boxes, theyre typically empty again, so there seems to be a demand for the serves. Indeed, Little Free Libraries are a trend that has been growing nationwide since 2009, when a Wisconsin man built one in his front yard. Its caught on and, as of this year, there are 80,000 registered Little Free Libraries nationwide, according to the web site littlefreelibrary.org. The shelf at Last Drop Coffee Shop dubbed the Book Nook is newer, having launched in January. That is stocked with actual library books, not donations, which have be checked out with a library card and returned. Rhyins said this whole notion of books about town is just another way to promote literary. We just want to encourage people to read, she said. Un detenu en prison archives The Human Rights Watch(HRW) group has issued another report on Cameroon, where it states that torture and incommunicado detention is a cause for concern, and urging the United Nations Security Council to discuss abuses, as a gateway to resolving the ongoing Anglophone Crisis. According to the group, Cameroonian authorities have tortured and held incommunicado detainees at a detention facility in Yaounde. Gendarmes and other security forces at the State Defense Secretariat (SED) are said to have severely beaten and used near-drowning to extract confessions from detainees suspected of ties to armed separatist groups. Lewis Midge, Central African Director at Human Rights Watch said, Over the past year the security forces in Cameroon have used torture without fear of repercussion. The UN Security Council should send a clear message that ending torture in detention is critical to addressing the crisis in the Anglophone regions. HRW says it has documented 26 cases of incommunicado detention and enforced disappearance at the SED detention site between January 2018 and January 2019, including 14 cases of torture. They reveal the total numbers are likely much higher, because abuses are committed in secret and many former detainees are reluctant to speak because they fear reprisals. They used examples to buttress their point, like the case of a 46 year old armed separatist, said to have been tortured at SED for six months. They call on Cameroonian authorities to immediately stop the use of torture and other ill-treatment at the SED and other detention facilities, as well as end incommunicado detention and ensure that all detainees have access to their lawyer and family members and receive adequate medical care. They urged the government to conduct credible investigations into all allegations of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment at the SED and all other places of detention and ensure that all security force personnel and other detention officials implicated in torture and other ill-treatment are appropriately disciplined or prosecuted. Cameroonian courts and gendarmerie officials, according to the group, have ignored allegations of torture raised at trials and requests from lawyers to cease incommunicado detention. HRW revealed that it has written to the government of Cameroon, presenting findings and requesting a response to specific questions, to no avail. Although the government continues to deny claims. On the other hand, the group accused separatists of killings, kidnappings and torture of civilians, while calling on Separatist leaders to issue clear orders to stop fighters from attacking civilians and mistreating anyone in their custody, Human Rights Watch said. Valerie Reyes, who lived in New Rochelle, N.Y., was reported missing by her family in late January. A few days later, her body was found Feb. 5 by a town Department of Public Workers employee off the side of Glenville Road in Greenwich. Who was Valerie Reyes? Reyes, 24, was a sales clerk for more than two years at Barnes & Noble in Eastchester, N.Y. She was a 2012 New Rochelle High School graduate. She lived alone in a basement apartment in New Rochelle, N.Y. She was an avid reader, who also liked to hike. Her mother, Norma Sanchez, called her a unique soul, an extraordinary human being. Humble, artistic, a true warrior, free spirited and always brightening lives with her beautiful smile. How did Reyes die? On Monday, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington said Reyes cause of death was ruled as homicidal asphyxia. The ruling conflicts with her accused killers account of how she died. Her former boyfriend, Javier Da Silva Rojas, also 24, was arrested Feb. 12, and claimed Reyes died after hitting her head either during or after the two had sex in her New Rochelle apartment on Jan. 29. According to the federal complaint, Da Silva bound Reyes ankles and wrists, covered her mouth with tape, stuffed her body into a suitcase and dumped it in Greenwich. He bound her body, he told the New York Post, because she didnt fit in the suitcase. Who is Javier Da Silva Rojas? Da Silva holds dual citizenship in Venezuela and Portugal. He was working as a barista in New York City.Reyes and Da Silva dated for several months in 2017, after meeting through a dating website. In a New York Post jail interview, Da Silva offered remorse and apologies: He said sorry more than two dozen times. I dont know what happened. I didnt mean to do it. Im a bad person. I did something wrong. I didnt call the police because I thought they would blame me. He offered one last apology to the grieving Reyes family, Im sorry for the pain. What else is there to read about this story? Cause of death released in Valerie Reyes murder Plea deal may be in the works in Greenwich murder Valerie Reyes alleged killer: I put her in the suitcase and ran Valerie Reyes Feared for Her Life. Then Her Body Was Found in a Suitcase. Suspect could face death penalty in Greenwich suitcase murder Greenwich police sergeant earns commendation for murder investigation Portrait of a suspected killer: The man police say is behind Valerie Reyes death ICE: Accused Greenwich suitcase killer overstayed his visa Family, friends say goodbye to slain woman found in Greenwich Missing NY woman IDd as Greenwich suitcase murder victim Who is covering this story? Robert Marchant, who can be reached at rmarchant@greenwichtime.com Hannah Dellinger, who can be reached at Hannah.Dellinger@greenwichtime.com Rabbi James Prosnit of Fairfield, soon to retire after nearly three decades as spiritual leader of Congregation Bnai Israel, the oldest and largest synagogue in the Greater Bridgeport area, will be honored during a special weekend of ceremony and festivities starting with Shabbat services, Friday night, May 31 at 7:30 p.m. Guest speaker at the event at the temple at 2710 Park Avenue, Bridgeport will be Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the leadership organization for the Reform Judaism movement in North America comprised of more than 900 congregations in the U.S. and Canada. Remarks on Rabbi Prosnit and his success as an interfaith community leader, enriching dialogue and quality of life for many in the region, also will be provided by the Rev. Dr. Alida Ward, Pastor of Greenfield Hill Church in Fairfield, by Father Gerald Blaszczek, Vice President of Fairfield University and by Nasif Muhammad, Iman of the Al Aziz Islamic Center in Bridgeport. In a letter sent to all Bnai Israel congregants early in 2018, Rabbi Prosnit commented: I inherited a wonderful, healthy congregation from my predecessor Rabbi Arnold Sher and I am pleased to think that we have successfully built on that legacy to become an exemplary 21st century synagogue community. Weve navigated transitions, transformed a building, shaped a deeply caring community and created new opportunities for spirituality and personal growth. Our vision and mission inspire the highest quality education and social justice engagement, he wrote. Subsequent to Rabbi Prosnit announcing his planned retirement Congregation Bnai Israel members moved to elevate Rabbi Evan Schultz of Fairfield, now associate rabbi at Bnai Israel, to the senior rabbi position. He assumes those responsibilities on July 1, 2019. Shari Nerreau, of Fairfield, president of Congregation Bnai Israel, announced that a gala dinner in Rabbi Prosnits honor with toasts and roasts will take place at the temple on Saturday June 1. Rabbi Prosnit has been steadfastly committed to helping congregants to live meaningful Jewish lives and to working tirelessly with our neighbors of all faiths to make the Greater Bridgeport community a better place, said Nerreau. Among numerous community activities, over the years Rabbi Prosnit has served as co-chair of Bridgeport Prospers, Collective Impact Leadership Team organized by the United Way, president of Connecticut Against Gun Violence and chair of Operation Hope, a homeless shelter and social service agency in Fairfield. He was also one of the organizers of Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut (CONECT), a diverse community organizing group comprised of more than twenty - five churches and synagogues from Norwalk to New Haven. He has also been an adjunct lecturer in the Religious Studies Department at Fairfield University and is a member of the advisory board of the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies at Fairfield University. He will continue in those roles at the university after his retirement plus adding the new position of chaplain for Jewish students on campus. Rabbi Prosnit received his B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University and M.A. degrees from New York University (Education) and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (Hebrew Literature) in New York City where he currently serves on the Board of Governors. He was ordained from Hebrew Union College in 1981. Prior to coming to Bridgeport in 1990 he was an Associate Rabbi at Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City and earlier at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. Rabbi Prosnit lives in Fairfield with his wife, Wendy Bloch, Administrator of Program and Business Development at the Kennedy Center in Bridgeport. They have three sons, three daughters-in-law and have begun to experience the delights of being grandparents. Congregation Bnai Israel, founded in 1859, today includes more than 700 member families from Fairfield, Trumbull, Easton, Westport, Stratford, Shelton, Monroe, Bridgeport and surrounding communities. SOUTHERN ARIZONA One works at a college, another runs an Airbnb. A third works with landscapers and contractors. But once a month, the three have one thing in common: They search for the remains of migrants who died trying to cross the southern U.S. deserts. Aguilas del Desierto is a nonprofit group in San Diego that organizes the monthly search efforts. January marked the seventh straight month Henri Migala took part in the searches. He has a background in international humanitarian aid work, and found out about Aguilas del Desierto after the group popped up on his Facebook feed. I reached out to them, contacted them, they were instantly very welcoming and very warm and very appreciative of my interest, he said. I came out on a search and Ive been doing it ever since. Migala is the director of the University of San Diegos International House, a campus organization that pairs international students with U.S. students so they can room together. His humanitarian work, however, is his passion. Were not bringing happiness to people when we find these remains, but we do bring closure to some families who are anguished, he said. Most of the families of missing migrants reach out to the group for help through its Facebook page. Group volunteers said the calls to search for a missing loved one have increased in recent months as a flood of mostly Central American families has surged toward the border. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 92,607 people were apprehended between ports of entry in March. That number was 66,884 in February and 47,984 in January. As long as migrants try to cross the deserts, there will always be those who do not make it. Humane Borders, a humanitarian organization that aims to help and protect migrants, worked in conjunction with the Pima County Medical Examiners Office to map out the locations of all migrant remains that have been discovered by Border patrol and such groups as Aguilas del Desierto. Aguilas officials declined to reveal search locations but said many of the remains are found in the most barren areas of southern Arizona. Some of our guys get hurt so bad, weve got to get them out because they step into a cactus or fall or trip, Migala said. Volunteers said the challenging conditions and terrain are not deterrents. For them, this is a mission. I think this is just the right thing to do, Migala said. The group was started in 2009 by Eli Ortiz of San Diego after he lost two family members to the desert. A human trafficker left my brother and cousin behind at the Barry M. Goldwater Range in southwestern Arizona, Ortiz said through an interpreter. Ortiz wanted to search for his family but needed help to make the dangerous trek. He contacted local Mexican consulates and police agencies without luck. He eventually got in touch with a group called Angeles del Desierto that performed organized searches. It was four months later when we found the two bodies, said Ortiz, who works full time as landscaper in San Diego. After finding his brother and cousins remains, Ortiz knew he wanted to help others in similar situations, so he founded Aguilas del Desierto. Everytime Im out here, I go back to the same moment I was looking for my brother and cousin. It reminds me of what I went through at that time, he said. Ortizs daughter, Stephanie, 21, also helps with searches. Stephanie Ortiz said the long drives out to the search locations are a good opportunity to think about the kind of work the team does. We have six-plus hours to get here, and in that span of time, youre mentally preparing yourself because its a really intense psychological experience to be looking for peoples remains, she said. Gerardo Campos, the groups communications director, explained the impact searching for a potential body can have. We get emotional but not in a bad way, you know, it wont hurt us, I think. I think its going to help us to grow as human beings, Campos said. Pima County recorded 127 remains found in Arizona deserts in 2018. When bodies are found, the group reports back to authorities. The area is then treated like a crime scene and the bodies are transferred to the Pima County Medical Examiners Office. Aguilas del Desierto volunteers also find discarded water jugs and camouflage clothing, which are commonly used by migrants crossing the desert. Its just the kind of stuff you can get at a thrift store. Theyre just trying to make it. Migala said. The group consists of a few dozen regular volunteers. One of them is James Holeman of Flagstaff, one of two volunteers who live in Arizona. He has volunteered with Aguilas del Desierto since 2018, the year he closed McGaughs Flagstaff, the craft beer store he owned. He and his wife now are renovating properties and offering vacation rentals on Airbnb. Asked why he volunteers to search for missing migrants, he replied its something he doesnt think twice about doing. Why wouldnt you want to join a group like this? I dont understand why half of Phoenix isnt down here. This is our backyard, for Christs sake, Holeman said. While searching the desert, Holeman wears a neon-green shirt, good hiking boots, Carhartt pants, snakebite ankle guards and a hat to block the sun. He also has his trusty Black Diamond Trekking Poles to help support his not super-great knees. He is proud of the work Aguilas del Desierto does to help migrants. I think its a damn shame that we turn a blind eye to them and criminalize humanitarian aid, Holeman said. Campos said that, for now, Aguilas del Desierto has been able to maintain a good relationship with such federal agencies as U.S. Customs and Border Protection. We let them know where we are going to be and they tell us they will give us back up if it is needed. Sometimes the group also has backup from cadaver dogs. During Februarys search, Aguilas del Desierto was joined by six canine teams. One of them was made up of Kathy Albrecht and her 3-year-old German shepherd mix, Mesa. Albrecht and Mesa, who are from El Dorado County in northern California, have been volunteering to search for bodies for about a year and a half. Before joining Aguilas del Desierto, the pair helped in search efforts after the Camp Fire killed more than 80 people and leveled the town of Paradise, California, in November. I think its important to contribute to your community and help others, Albrecht said, explaining why she made the drive to Arizona to assist. Albrecht is a plant broker during her day job, helping contractors find specific plants for their businesses. She chuckled when asked about the paradoxical nature of her life as both a plant broker and working on a cadaver search team. Its not like I have to be at an office from 9 to 5 downtown or something, so I can head out later in the afternoon with Mesa, she said. When she detects a cadaver scent, Mesa is trained to approach Albrecht and sit. Albrecht then asks the dog to show her where the scent is located. That never happened during Februarys search. The group did not find any remains during the two searches that Cronkite News joined in January and February. Its a crapshoot each time. Migala said Aguilas found eight bodies in one search back in December. Its really sad and tragic how we demonize these people coming across the border, because all theyre trying to do is either get back to family or get back to a job they had for years Migala said. However, the Trump administration has made it clear it intends to close what it calls loopholes in the current immigration system. In an Oval Office statement in March, President Donald Trump doubled down on his belief that an invasion of migrants will eventually rush the U.S. southern border. People hate the word invasion, but thats what it is. Its an invasion of drugs and criminals and people. We have no idea who they are, but we capture them because border security is so good, he said. Volunteers with Aguilas del Desierto see the immigration situation very differently. All the time that Ive spent out here, all the months, weve never come across anybody like that. Never a criminal, never a bad guy, never drug traffickers, Migala said. Several group members said they wish they could commit more time to Aguilas del Desierto. Is it because theyre brown people? If people were dying in the same numbers coming over from Canada, would we treat it differently? Hell yeah, we would, Holeman said. AlertMe For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org. Fairfield, MT (59436) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 11F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies with late-night snow showers. Low 2F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%. (Scroll down to see more photos from this years Ohio FFA convention.) COLUMBUS Just one. Just one person, just one feeling and just one question can change a life. The 91st Ohio FFA State Convention was held May 2-3 in Columbus where a record-breaking 9,013 members and guests attended to recognize FFA achievements throughout the 2018-2019 school year. The theme Just One resonated with all keynote speakers, who said they all pursued their passion because of just one thing. If I can Chris Koch, grew up in Alberta, Canada, in a small ranching community. He was born without arms and legs, but has not let that stop him. Today, Koch farms, is an inspirational speaker and travels the world. He lives by the words if I can. I am pretty sure in fact ,I am certain I am having more fun and more success without arms and legs than I would if I had been born with them, Koch said. I am in this situation right now and, you know, I cant change it, but what I can do is make the most of it. Koch told the FFAers not to take anything for granted in life, as one day it may be lost. Loss Mandy Harvey has dealt with loss of something most people depend upon she lost her residual hearing in 2008, at 18, due to a connective tissue disorder. At the time, she was a student at Colorado State University where she studied music education. After losing her hearing, she left college and stopped singing until she learned how to sing again through feeling rhythm. You are always going to face adversity, Harvey said. You are always going to hit a wall. There is always going to be something that you have to get through and you have to struggle past. But you have an opportunity to learn and grow and to become so much better than you were before, she said. The loss of hearing has impacted her life positively. As a child she was very nervous in front of crowds. But she has now gained the confidence to share her passion. I am singing without being able to hear myself, without being able to judge myself, without being able to compare myself to anyone else, without being able to pick myself apart, without the fear of sounding like someone else. I get to be 100% me and that is an amazing freedom, she said. Since losing her hearing, she has competed on Americas Got Talent, written a book, and continued to sing and share her passion with the world. Sharing passion Dr. Steve Brown, National FFA Advisor since 2011, has been sharing his passion for FFA for years. A product of FFA, he was involved in high school, and as a senior he was a state officer but never held an office in his chapter. Brown spoke on focusing on what is important and being conscious of your thoughts. There are a lot of things that are distractions in todays society. But I hope in FFA and in life that you keep focused on whats important, said Brown. Remember that your thoughts become your words, that your words become your actions, your actions become your deeds, your deeds become your habits, your habits become your character and your character becomes your legacy. Design The Ohio FFAers also heard from Layni LeBlanc, who is serving as the 2018-2019 National FFA Secretary. LeBlanc, a student at Louisiana State University, was not involved in production agriculture when she joined FFA, but she found her place in FFA as she became an active member. She spoke on creating your own design and dealing with adversity through the process. Dont follow someone elses blueprint; create your own, said LeBlanc. New officers The newly elected 2019-2020 Ohio FFA state officers are as follows: President, Holly McClay, Fredericktown; vice president, Bethany Starlin Chief Logan; secretary, Noah Smith, Amanda-Clearcreek; sentinel, Justin Beckner, Talawanda Butler Tech; reporter, MacKenzie Hoog, Valley View MVCTC; treasurer, Haleigh Stoller, Wayne Trace; and vice presidents at-large, Wyatt Kissel, Mount Vernon; Mozie Van Raaji, Southeastern; Alec Ogg, Upper Sandusky; Maribeth Pozderac, Fredericktown; and Chyann Kendel, Twin Valley South MVCTC. Check out award winners here. DSC_0888 FFA members walking to the convention center. < > < > 1 View DSC_0888 FFA members walking to the convention center. 2 View DSC_0117 The 2019-2020 Ohio FFA officers look on as the newly elected president is announced. 3 View DSC_0759 FFA members creating a tunnel for state officers to run through. 4 View DSC_0614 Dr. Steve Brown sharing his passion for FFA. 5 View DSC_0939 The 2018-2019 Ohio FFA officers hugging Kolesen after his retiring address. 6 View DSC_0768 Layni LeBlanc speaking about design and purpose. 7 View DSC_0917 Kolesen McCoy giving his retiring address. 8 View DSC_0901 The FFA Choir performing during final session. 9 View DSC_0114 Chris Koch telling his story and encouraging FFA members. 10 View DSC_0538 Mandy Harvey speaking on her just one experiences. 11 View DSC_0899 State Degree recipients waiting to cross the stage. 12 View DSC_0896 FFA members playing cards between sessions. 13 View DSC_0885 FFA members in the convention center. Separatists' attacks send civil servants packing from Lebialem BBC Human Rights Watch has called on the UN Security Council to condemn abuses and demand reforms in Cameroon following a very tense socio-political atmosphere in some parts of the country. Aside blaming uniform officers for routine torture and incommunicado detentions, they call on separatist fighters to stop attacking civilians. Armed separatists in Cameroon have also committed serious abuses, including attacks on schools, killings, kidnappings, and extortion. Human Rights Watch confirmed three separate incidents since August 2018 in which separatist fighters injured seven civilians and dozens more cases of apparently unlawful attacks on agricultural workers on banana plantations near Tiko, South West region. In January 2019, armed separatists severely beat an ethnic Fulani man with sticks and machetes in Momo Division, North-West region, Human Rights Watch says in a report dated May 6, 2019. Human Rights Watch has thus called on the leadership of separatists fighting for the independence of a country they call Ambazonia to stop their fighters from attacking civilians. Separatist leaders should issue clear orders to stop fighters from attacking civilians and mistreating anyone in their custody, Human Rights Watch said. The rights group also rattled the government and called for an end to violence, torture and ill-treatment of detainees. Cameroonian authorities should immediately stop the use of torture and other ill-treatment at the SED and other detention facilities, Human Rights Watch said. They should end incommunicado detention and ensure that all detainees have access to their lawyer and family members and receive adequate medical care. Cameroonian authorities have tortured and held incommunicado detainees at a detention facility in Yaounde, Cameroons capital. Gendarmes and other security forces at the State Defense Secretariat (Secretariat dEtat a la defense, SED) have severely beaten and used near-drowning to extract confessions from detainees suspected of ties to armed separatist groups, Human Rights Watch says in a report dated May 6, 2019. They call on the United Nations to take concrete steps to resolve the crisis in Cameroons North West and south West regions. The United Nations Security Council should put the situation in Cameroon on its agenda, condemn torture and incommunicado detention, and call for the government to end these practices, Human Rights Watch said. Over the past year the security forces in Cameroon have used torture without fear of repercussion, said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. The UN Security Council should send a clear message that ending torture in detention is critical to addressing the crisis in the Anglophone regions. Human Rights Watch says they documented 26 cases of incommunicado detention and enforced disappearance at the SED detention site between January 2018 and January 2019, including 14 cases of torture. The total numbers are likely much higher, they say, because abuses are committed in secret and many former detainees are reluctant to speak because they fear reprisals. Human Rights Watch says it has received further credible accounts since April, indicating that these violations continue. They say authorities should promptly conduct credible investigations into all allegations of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment at the SED and all other places of detention. They should ensure that all security force personnel and other detention officials implicated in torture and other ill-treatment are appropriately disciplined or prosecuted. Senior officials should be held to account as a matter of command responsibility. Failing a serious effort by the Cameroonian government to confront torture, Human Rights Watch says Cameroons international partners should reconsider their support, including training and capacity-building, to institutions directly involved in these human rights violations. The Cameroonian governments responsibility to protect its population from armed groups never justifies using torture, Mudge said. To restore trust, the government needs to respect the rule of law by ending unlawful practices and holding those responsible to account. The Cameroonian government has publicly asserted that unofficial detention and torture do not exist in Cameroon. However, Human Rights Watch says the government did not reply to a letter presenting findings and requesting a response to specific questions. 2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning -- 4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS. We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover. We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come. FBL Financial Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, sells individual life insurance and annuity products. The Annuity segment sells various traditional annuity products that primarily consist of fixed rate and indexed annuities, and supplementary contracts. The Life Insurance segment offers whole life, term life, and universal life policies. It also involved in the property-casualty business; and provision of wealth management, investment advisory, and marketing and distribution services for the sale of mutual funds and insurance products, as well as leasing services. The company markets its products to Farm Bureau members, and other individuals and businesses through exclusive agents and agency managers under the consumer brand name of Farm Bureau Financial Services in the Midwestern and Western sections of the United States. The company was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa. Read More Painted Pony Energy Ltd. explores for, develops, and produces natural gas and natural gas liquids from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in British Columbia, Canada. It focuses primarily on the development and production of natural gas and natural gas liquids from the Montney formation in northeast British Columbia. The company was formerly known as Painted Pony Petroleum Ltd. and changed its name to Painted Pony Energy Ltd. in May 2017. Painted Pony Energy Ltd. is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF's stock was trading at $25.60 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWU shares have increased by 28.5% and is now trading at $32.90. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. iShares Latin America 40 ETF's stock was trading at $22.49 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, ILF stock has increased by 2.8% and is now trading at $23.13. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Medtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiac and Vascular Group; Minimally Invasive Technologies Group; Restorative Therapies Group; and Diabetes Group. The Cardiac and Vascular Group segment consists of products for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease. The Minimally Invasive Technologies Group segment focuses on respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, renal system, lungs, pelvic region, kidneys, and obesity diseases. The Restorative Therapies Group segment comprises of neurostimulation therapies and drug delivery systems for the treatment of chronic pain, as well as areas of the spine and brain, along with pelvic health and conditions of the ear, nose, and throat. The Diabetes Group segment offers insulin pumps, coninuous glucose monitoring systems, and insulin pump consumables. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Read More CoreLogic, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides property information, insight, analytics, and data-enabled solutions in North America, Western Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Property Intelligence & Risk Management Solutions (PIRM) and Underwriting & Workflow Solutions (UWS). The PIRM segment combines property information, mortgage information, and consumer information to deliver housing market and property-level insights, predictive analytics, and risk management capabilities. It also offers proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with decision-making and compliance tools in the real estate and insurance industries. This segment primarily serves commercial banks, mortgage lenders and brokers, investment banks, fixed-income investors, real estate agents, MLS companies, property and casualty insurance companies, title insurance companies, government agencies, and government-sponsored enterprises. The UWS segment combines property, mortgage, and consumer information to provide comprehensive mortgage origination and monitoring solutions, including underwriting-related solutions, and data-enabled valuations and appraisals. This segment also provides proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with vetting and onboarding prospects, and meeting compliance regulations, as well as understanding, evaluating, monitoring property values. It primarily serves mortgage lenders and servicers, mortgage brokers, credit unions, commercial banks, fixed-income investors, government agencies, and property and casualty insurance companies. The company was formerly known as The First American Corporation and changed its name to CoreLogic, Inc. in June 2010. CoreLogic, Inc. was incorporated in 1894 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. Read More Me Akere Muna Archives Barrister Akere Muna, former presidential candidate, has called for the release of Professor Maurice Kamto and over 200 members of his party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement. The Senior Barrister made the call on Saturday, during a session he had with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. During her four day visit to Cameroon, Ms. Bachelet met with some civil society actors as well as political leaders. Akere Muna seized the opportunity on Saturday May 5, to push for an inclusive dialogue, as the last option to solving the current sociopolitical unrest in the country. " It was an opportunity to talk about the systemic failures, as well as the sad situation of governance, rule of law and human rights in our country. I insisted on the need for an immediate inclusive dialogue, as well as the release of all those arrested, following the problems in the Anglophone regions and the last presidential elections", said Akere Muna. " I mentioned clearly the fact that Professor Kamto and about 200 others(civilians), facing trial before a military court was a clear example of the government using the courts to settle political scores", he insisted. While taking off from Cameroon, Ms. Bachelet told reporters at the Nsimalen airport in Yaounde, that her team had accomplished their fact finding mission to Cameroon, and said the UN was ready to assist Cameroon to improve on human rights. At the last presidential elections, Barrister Akere Muna dropped out of the race to rally behind Maurice Kamto, national president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement. He explained that personal ambitions at that point came second as the main reason was to rally forces behind Kamto, to overcome the Biya regime. After the January protest staged by the CRM across Cameroon, Maurice Kamto along with 200 others were arrested and charged with sedition, insurrection, inciting violence, amongst others. They now wait their faith behind bars, at the Kondengui maximum security prison in Yaounde. 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 con[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. Katrina Kaif will turn 36 on July 16 this year and the actress has some big plans to ring in her birthday. After the release of her upcoming film with Salman Khan, Bharat, the actress is planning to jet off to the Maldives, the Mexican shore or New York. While going around with the usual promotional drill, Katrina let out her plans for her big day. During one of her live chats on social media, when she was questioned about her favourite travel destination by a fan, Katrina said that she loves to travel to hot places with beaches such as the Maldives or even the Mexican shores. She also revealed that on her birthday which falls on July 16, she might be visiting one of these two places if not New York. Birthdays are special and one must celebrate them to the hilt and Katrina surely knows how to. Well surely be glued to our Instagram feeds awaiting some hot beachy pictures of the actress from her birthday getaway. We're sure you'll be doing so too. Amitabh Bachchan's Post Says It All The superstar tweeted, "All Ef and well wishers .. not doing the Sunday meet at Jalsa Gate this evening." On his blog, he further wrote, "..Not doing the Sunday Darshan today... In bed... Pain .. Inform all, nothing to worry, but unable to come out." Do You Know The Superstar Suffers From Hepatitis B? Big B had earlier revealed at an event, "Hepatitis B came to me accidentally. After my accident on the sets of Coolie, I was infused with the blood of about 200 donors and 60 bottles of blood were injected into my system. The Australian antigen Hepatitis B had only been detected three months ago and it was very new for being detected also among various tests needed to be carried out before giving blood to another patient." Big B Has Lost 75% Of His Liver "One of my blood donors was carrying Hepatitis B virus which went into my system. I continued to function normally till year 2000 and almost 18 years after the accident, during a very normal medical checkup, I was told that my liver was infected and I had lost 75 per cent of my liver. So, if I am standing here today, you are looking at a person who is surving with 25 per cent of liver. That is the bad part. The good part is you can survive even with 12%. But no one wants to get to that stage." On The Work Front Big B was last seen in Sujoy Ghosh's thriller 'Badla' co-starring Taapsee Pannu. The actor will be next seen in Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt starrer Brahmastra, Nagraj Manjule's Jhund and Rumi Jaffery's next alongside Emraan Hashmi. Sandalwood actor Sudeep recently started shooting for his forthcoming Bollywood film Dabangg 3. The film stars Salman Khan in the lead, and apparently, Sudeep will be seen playing a prominent role. Kichha recently flew down to Mumbai. He started shooting for the film on May 4, 2019, and fans were eagerly waiting for a sneak peek! And, Sudeep had brought his dear friend and Kannada director Prem along with him to the sets of his new film. A few hours ago, The Villain director took to his Twitter handle to share the first picture of Sudeep with Salman Khan from the sets of Dabangg 3! Sharing the above picture, Prem wrote, "S k wit k s my Darling @KicchaSudeep #Dabangg3 set! Meeting you there was lovely! Was a great experience meeting the extremely humble @BeingSalmanKhan! Loved their working style on set. Very passionate, committed and efficient! " Fans were indeed happy to see Sudeep and Salman Khan together. Even Prem's wife and Kannada actress Rakshita said that she wanted to meet with Salman Khan as she's a huge fan of his. However, Sudeep chose to bring Prem with him to the sets. Sensational Singer Raghu Dixit Makes His Sandalwood Debut With Garuda! Plays An Important Role Prem also shared a selfie with Sudeep from what seems like the sets of the film, and wrote, "All The Best Darling @KicchaSudeep for #Dabangg3 U have always done a great job in all languages & have been a true flag bearer for Kannada Cinema! I am sure that this time again you will do a wonderful job acting alongside The Bhaijaan @BeingSalmanKhan from Karnataka" The Wedding Ceremony The wedding ceremony was held on May 5, 2019 in Kochi. For the ceremony, Srinish opted to wear a three-piece suit whereas Pearle Maaney was seen in a specially designed gown. Close friends of Pearle Maaney had come as the bridesmaids. Mammootty Megastar Mammootty made it a point to attend the big event and wish the couple on the special occasion. Popular actor Siddique was also present for the big occasion. Here is a picture taken during the event. The photo has gone viral in no time. Ahaana Krishna Ahaana Krishna is one of the best friends of Pearle Maaney. The young actress was present for both the wedding event as well as the reception. Shiyas Kareem Shiyas Kareem shares a very close bond with Pearle Maaney and Srinish Aravind. Three of them turned out to be the best of friends, during their stint at the Bigg Boss Malayalam. Here's a picture of Shiyas Kareem along with the couple. Govind Padmasoorya Actor and popular Television anchor Govind Padmasoorya also attended the wedding reception held in Kochi. The actor took to his Instagram page to send out a picture taken during the event. Tovino Thomas Popular actor Tovino Thomas also made it a point to come in person to wish the couple on the big day. Here's a video which has been doing the rounds on social media. Erica On Being Compared To Ileana In 2013, when the actress was shooting for Kannada film Ninnindale opposite Puneet Rajkumar, Erica told TOI, "I have been told I look like Ileana many times. We met in Dubai briefly, and I didn't think we look alike at all. In photographs, there are a couple of profile pictures that probably look a bit similar, but otherwise, there is no similarity whatsoever." 'People Even Ask Me If I Am Ileanas Sister In an interview to another leading daily, the actress had said that people had asked her if she is Ileana's sister. She told New Indian Express, "People even ask me if I am Ileana's sister. I take the comparisons as compliment since Ileana is a famous star." Erica Wants To Have Her Own Identity! She further said, "But I want to have my own identity as Erica! I hope that once my three Tamil films release, people will see me for what I am and stop comparing me with anyone else." Erica Is Mumbai-based Mangalorean The Mumbai-based Mangalorean always wanted to be in showbiz. She said, "Even when I was a kid I would keep posing before the mirror!" The actress has also won the Femina Miss India Fresh Face 2012 and was among the top 10 finalists. Erica's TV Debut Opposite Shaheer In 2016, Erica made television debut with KRPKAB alongside Shaheer Sheikh. Their jodi was superhit and they are still considered as iconic jodi. She had said, "As a child I have always wanted to have my fingers in many pies and working on television was always on my checklist." Erica & Parth In Kasautii Currently, the actress is seen in Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2, in which she plays the role of Prerna and is paired opposite Parth Samthaan (seen as Anurag). Erica and Parth's jodi is also loved by fans. Hina On Cannes Debut! Speaking about her excitement to present her debut B-town movie at Cannes, Hina told BT, "Given my busy schedule over the past few years, I could never make it to any film festival, even as a cinema lover. Now, I feel that nothing can be better than going with my film and presenting it for the first time at the festival. I hope to continue visiting Cannes with my projects because it is a platform that can fetch you international attention." Hina Aka Komolikas Exit From KZK As we revealed earlier, Hina's truth will be revealed soon! As per Pinkvilla source, "In the upcoming sequence, Komolika's truth will be revealed to everyone with Maloy coming back. A promo for the same will soon be released. Komolika will then stage her own death, only to return to seek revenge later on." Mr Bajaj To Enter The Show While Hina will exit the show, Mr Bajaj will be introduced! Ekta Kapoor took to social media to reveal that they are in search of Mr Bajaj of new Kasautii as she bid farewell to Ronit Roy! Ekta Bids Farewell To Ronit Roy Who Played Iconic Mr Bajaj Ekta shared a video and wrote, "The time has come ! To say bye to @ronitboseroy as d iconic mr bajaj ! N d search for d new one@begins! I have cast ( n not casted'As someone told me) Ronit in many roles but this remains our most iconic one together @iam_ejf @the_parthsamthaan @realhinakhan @poojabanerjeee @subhavi all have been perfect as anurag Prerna komo Nivi .. willl bajaj match up( hmmmm)." Hina & Erica To Recreate Madhuri Dixit & Aishwarya Rais Dola Re Moment Well, before Hina's exit, there will be a damakedar dance face-off between her and Prerna aka Erica. The duo will be recreating Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai's Dola Re'. Hina and Erica shared pictures from the sequence. Parth Samthaan Sandwiched Between Hina & Erica Pooja shared another picture which seemed funny as Parth Samthaan aka Anurag Basu was sandwiched between two ladies - Komolika and Prerna! 2019 BioEquity Europe, Barcelona, Spain Chemical Biology Discussion Group Year-End Symposium, New York Academy of Sciences NYC, USA BIO International Convention 2019, Philadelphia, PA, USA Jefferies 2019 Global Healthcare Conference, New York, USA 24th Congress of the European Hematology Association, Amsterdam, The Netherlands MADRID, SPAIN and CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2019 / Oryzon Genomics, S.A. (ISIN Code: ES0167733015, ORY), a public clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging epigenetics to develop therapies in diseases with strong unmet medical need, announced today that the company will continue its institutional presence in several reputed international conferences in the upcoming weeks. Dr. Carlos Buesa, Oryzon's CEO, will present the recent progresses of the company and corporate plans to the European investor community at the 2019 BioEquity Europe,to be held at the Crowne Plaza Barcelona Fira Center on May 20-21 in Barcelona, Spain. See more info at https://www.biocentury.com/conferences/bio%E2%82%ACquity-europe-2019. Dr. Tamara Maes, Oryzon's VP and CSO, will present a communication entitled "Chemoprobe-based Proteomics Identifies Transcription Factors Recruiting KDM1A in Neuronal Cells" at the Chemical Biology Discussion Group Year-End Symposium, to be held at the New York Academy of Sciences at the 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich St. Floor 40, New York on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM. See more info at https://www.nyas.org/events/2019/chemical-biology-discussion-group-year-end-symposium-1/. As in previous years, Dr. Maes and Mr. Emili Torrell, BDO of Oryzon, will participate at the BIO International Convention and at its partnering sessions. BIO 2019 will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on June 3-6. See more info at https://convention.bio.org/2019/. In addition, Dr. Buesa will also attend the Jefferies 2019 Global Healthcare Conference, to be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel of New York on June 4-7. See more info at https://www.jefferies.com/OurFirm/Conferences/325/. Finally, scientists of the company and clinical investigators will present preliminary safety and efficacy data of one of its ongoing Phase IIa clinical trials with iadademstat, ALICE, at the 24th Congress of the European Hematology Association, to be held on June 13-16, 2019 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, The company will present a communication entitled "ALICE: An AML study with LSD1 inhibition in combination with Azacitidine in the elderly" See more info at https://ehaweb.org/congress/eha24/key-information/. About Oryzon Founded in 2000 in Barcelona, Spain, Oryzon (ISIN Code: ES0167733015) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company considered as the European champion in Epigenetics. Oryzon has one of the strongest portfolios in the field. Oryzon's LSD1 program has rendered two compounds vafidemstat and iadademstat in clinical trials. In addition, Oryzon has ongoing programs for developing inhibitors against other epigenetic targets. Oryzon has a strong technological platform for biomarker identification and performs biomarker and target validation for a variety of malignant and neurodegenerative diseases. Oryzon has offices in Spain and the United States. For more information, visit www.oryzon.com About Vafidemstat Vafidemstat (ORY-2001) is an oral, brain penetrant drug that selectively inhibits LSD1 and MAOB. The molecule acts on several levels: it reduces cognitive impairment, including memory loss and neuroinflammation, and at the same time has neuroprotective effects. In animal studies vafidemstat not only restores memory but reduces the exacerbated aggressiveness of SAMP8 mice, a model for accelerated aging and Alzheimer's disease, to normal levels and also reduces social avoidance and enhances sociability in murine models. In addition, vafidemstat exhibits fast, strong and durable efficacy in several preclinical models of multiple sclerosis (MS). Vafidemstat is in Phase IIa clinical studies in patients with Relapse-Remitting and Secondary Progressive MS (SATEEN), in patients with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's disease (ETHERAL) and in aggressiveness in patients with different psychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders (REIMAGINE, a basket trial). About Iadademstat Iadademstat (ORY-1001) is a small oral molecule, which acts as a highly selective inhibitor of the epigenetic enzyme LSD1 and has a powerful differentiating effect in hematologic cancers (See Maes et al., Cancer Cell 2018 Mar 12; 33 (3): 495-511.e12.doi: 10.1016 / j.ccell.2018.02.002.). A first Phase I/IIa clinical trial with iadademstat in refractory and relapsed acute leukemia patients demonstrated the safety and good tolerability of the drug and preliminary signs of antileukemic activity, including a CRi. Beyond hematological cancers, the inhibition of LSD1 has been proposed as a valid therapeutic approach in some solid tumors such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC), medulloblastoma and others. Oryon is conducting two Phase IIa clinical trials of iadademstat in combination; the first one in combination with azacitidine in elderly AML patients (ALICE study) and the second one in combination with platinum/etoposide in second line SCLC patients (CLEPSIDRA study). FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This communication contains, or may contain, forward-looking information and statements about Oryzon, including financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, capital expenditures, synergies, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally identified by the words "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates" and similar expressions. Although Oryzon believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors and holders of Oryzon shares are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Oryzon that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in the documents sent by Oryzon to the Spanish Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), which are accessible to the public. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and have not been reviewed by the auditors of Oryzon. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. All subsequent oral or written forward-looking statements attributable to Oryzon or any of its members, directors, officers, employees or any persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statement above. All forward-looking statements included herein are based on information available to Oryzon on the date hereof. Except as required by applicable law, Oryzon does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Oryzon's securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of Oryzon's securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from Oryzon or the selling security holder, as applicable, that will contain detailed information about Oryzon and management, as well as financial statements. US Contact: Spain: Oryzon: Solebury Trout ATREVIA Emili Torrell Thomas Hoffmann Patricia Cobo/Idoia Revuelta BD Director +1 646 378 2931 +34 91 564 07 25 +34 93 515 13 13 thoffmann@troutgroup.com pcobo@atrevia.com irevuelta@atrevia.com etorrell@oryzon.com SOURCE: Oryzon Genomics View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/544219/Oryzon-to-Present-at-Upcoming-International-Conferences Paul Atanga Nji capture d'ecran The Divisional Officer for Santa, Viang Mekala, has revealed that over 500 persons are in need of assistance in his subdivision. These persons have registered their names into an account created by the office, to identify Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs), in order for them to receive assistance, following an emergency humanitarian response project, sponsored by the government of Cameroon and its partners. Mr. Mekala made this statement over the weekend in Santa, North West region, during a ceremony to hand over food and some basic house hold items, to some 100 internally displaced persons in the division. Some of these individuals who ran away from the escalating crisis, in the suburbs and the South West region, were given items such as rice, savon , oil, blankets, and so on. However, they are requesting for more, following as they barely have economic activities to rely on. The donation ceremony coordinated by a representative from the Ministry of Territorial Administration, will be extended to other villages such as Widikum, Mbengwi, Mesaje and Nkambe. According to statistics gathered at the Ministry of Territorial Administration, some 1400 persons have received humanitarian assistance in the North West region, and 100,000 more will be assisted in the days ahead. Last month, Minister Atanga Nji Paul, announced that over 75,000 families have benefitted from government assistance, after various missions carried out sixty trips to the North West and South West regions to distribute aid. However, the International Crisis in its recent report on Cameroon, indicated that over four million people are in need in the country, with at least 530,000 internally displaced and tens of thousands of refugees. Some 170 villages have been destroyed, with over 1850 killed in the war. The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Allegra Baiocchi recently raised concerns over internal response to humanitarian need in Cameroon, stating it was inadequate. ROSEMONT, IL / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2019 / Since 1988 thousands of food safety professionals and solution providers have gathered at the Food Safety Summit to share actionable information about processes, procedures and products that can be used to minimize food safety risks and protect their consumers, customers and brands. This year will be no different, and for the next four days the food safety community will gather to discuss new legislation, developing trends and offer education and solutions about the latest technological advancements. The 21st Annual Food Safety Summit kicks off today offering eight certificate/certification courses including Preventive Controls for Human Foods, FSPCA Foreign Supplier Verification Training, HACCP, Professional Food Safety Auditor Training, Certified in Comprehensive Food Safety (CCFS) and new for this year the IA Conducting Vulnerability Assessment Course, Seafood HACCP and the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training. On Tuesday, May 7 the education program begins with a dynamic opening session on How to Prepare for, Manage and Survive a High-Profile Food Safety Crisis. The afternoon will feature four workshops, Partners with a Common Purpose, Getting Back to the Basics, Food Protection: Business Decision-Making for International Acts Including Food Fraud and Food Defense, and Foodborne Outbreaks in the News. Mike Taylor, Senior Fellow at the Meridian Institute; Co-chair of the Board of Stop Foodborne Illness; and Former Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, FDA will present What Will Drive Future Food Safety Progress? during the keynote address on Wednesday, May 8 at 9:15 am. Mike will discuss what mix of bad events, consumer expectations, industry leadership, technological innovation and public policy will drive future food safety progress. Can we take food safety to the next level without waiting for tragic events to drive us there? For those who cannot attend in person, the keynote presentation will be broadcast live from the Summit to those who wish to view it virtually. On Thursday, May 10th at 9:15 am., the Summit will also offer its 8th annual Town Hall meeting where attendees will have a chance to interact with the leaders of food safety at the FDA, USDA, CDC and AFDO. Panelists include Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response for the FDA; Paul Kiecker, Acting Administrator for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA; Steve Mandernach, Iowa Department Inspections and Appeals, formerly with AFDO and Dr. Robert Tauxe, Director, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, CDC. The Town Hall will be moderated by Gary Ades, PhD, President, G&L Consulting Group and Chair of the Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board. The Summit will close with one general session on Thursday, May 9 at 4:15 pm with respected leaders in the industry who will present What's keeping Food Safety Professionals up at night? Where do you go for answers? The moderator will be Joan Menke-Schaenzer, Van Drunen Farms/ FutureCeuticals; and panelists will include Shawn Stevens, Food Industry Council, LLC; Thuy Vu, Hammer Enterprises Integrated Solutions, LLC; Steven Mandernach, AFDO; Donna Schaffner, Rutgers University; Will Daniels, IEH, Inc.; and Dane Bernard, Bold Bear Food Safety. These food safety experts will discuss the rules and regulations around CBD, and other pressing questions that come up for food safety professionals today including Whole Genome Sequencing; what to do if the FDA & USDA say you have an outbreak; what to do if you have Listeria monocytogenes in your environment or have a zone 1 positive; as well as what to do if your product is put on Import Alert. The sprawling exhibit hall will feature more than 125 vendors showcasing products and services for food safety professionals and attendees can interact through the Farm to Fork Game. There will also be the new Tech Tent and Learning Lounge areas, two Solutions Stages where dozens of vendors will present informative and educational session, and the Community Cafes which are designed for attendees to meet with subject matter experts from the Summit speaker faculty. The Food Safety Summit is taking place from May 6-9, 2019 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. Stay on top of everything going on in the conference sessions, on the show floor and during the networking events by downloading the Mobile App. Registration is live at www.foodsafetysummit.com. The Food Safety Summit is produced by BNP Media (www.bnpmedia.com), one of the country's leading business-to-business media companies serving industry professionals across 60+ industries through magazines, custom media, e-newsletters, webinars, events and market research. For further information, contact: Amy Riemer, Media Relations 978-475-4441 (office) or 978-502-4895 (cell) amy@foodsafetysummit.com SOURCE: Food Safety Summit View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/544221/21st-Annual-Food-Safety-Summit-To-Be-Held-This-Week-And-Will-Offer-Stellar-Education-Program-Exhibit-Hall-And-Networking-Events Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2019) -Transcanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN) (FSE: TH8) ("TransCanna" or the "Company") is pleased to announce to announce that it has appointed Haywood Securities Inc. ("Haywood") to act as lead agent on behalf of a syndicate of agents to be formed (collectively, the "Agents") to sell, by way of a private placement on a best efforts basis, up to 2,000,000 units of the Company (each a "Unit") at a price of $5.00 per Unit (the "Issue Price") for gross proceeds of up to $10,000,000 (the "Offering"), subject to receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals. Each Unit will comprise one common share of the Company (each a "Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire an additional Share at a price of $6.00 for a period of 36 months from the date of closing of the Offering (the "Closing Date"). The Warrants will be subject to an acceleration clause that would require their exercise within thirty days of notice from the Company in the event that the price of the Shares closes at or above $10.00 for a period of 20 consecutive trading days. The Company has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to seek to have the Warrants listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") immediately following the expiry of applicable resale restrictions, subject to meeting the distribution requirements of the CSE for such listing. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for equipment and capital expenditures, additional acquisitions and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Company will, upon the closing of the Offering: 1) pay the Agents a commission equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering, payable in cash or in Units at the discretion of the Agents; and 2) issue to the Agents compensation options (the "Compensation Options") equal to 7.0% of the Units sold, subject to compliance with all required regulatory approvals. The Compensation Options will entitle the Agent's to purchase Units at an exercise price per Compensation Option that is equal to the Issue Price and have a term of 36 months from the Closing Date. The Company will also pay to Haywood a corporate finance fee of $150,000 payable in cash. The Offering is expected to be completed on or before May 31, 2019, subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four month hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. In other news, the Company has entered into an engagement letter, dated for reference April 30, 2018, with MDM Worldwide for the provision of market awareness and investor relations services. The engagement has a six month term at a rate of US$12,500 per month and upon completion, the issuance of 10,000 common shares. MDM Worldwide is digital communications agency that develops and manages online engagement strategies to connect companies with their stakeholders. MDM specializes in working with clients in the technology, healthcare and life sciences spaces. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About TransCanna Holdings Inc. TransCanna Holdings Inc. is a Canadian-based company focused on providing integrated branding, transportation and distribution services, through its wholly-owned California subsidiaries, to a range of industries including the cannabis marketplace. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.transcanna.com or email the Company at info@transcanna.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors James Pakulis Chief Executive Officer Telephone: (604) 609-6199 The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to: the size and terms of the Offering, the Closing Date and the ability of the Company to complete the Offering and the proposed use of proceeds therefrom. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44563 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2019) - TROUBADOUR RESOURCES INC. (TSXV: TR) (OTCQB: TROUF) (the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Company's ongoing activities during its due diligence period as part of its right to acquire a 100% interest in the Privateer Gold Property located on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, B.C., near the town of Zeballos. The Company's geologists have conducted an initial site visit of the property to confirm drill collar, portal and access locations, and have taken selective check samples to validate analytical results. The results from these replicate samples compare well to and reinforces confidence in the original data set. This, combined with the exceptional exploration potential and targets that have been identified thus far by the Troubadour technical team, supports the continued progression towards completing the proposed transaction by the end of May 2019. In collaboration with the Company, Surespan Construction crews are at site rehabilitating existing access roads and constructing a series of new roads. The network of roads is designed to provide unprecedented access to the highly prospective exploration targets while improving access to areas hosting the pronounced 2017 and 2018 drill results, which included: An intercept of 1,386.50 g/t gold (Company news release dated March 5, 2019) over 0.30 metres from 85.30 metres downhole at the newly discovered 88 Vein; A 50 metre step-out to the northeast of the past-producing Prident Mine of 5.81 g/t gold over 7.12 metres, including 67.50 g/t gold over 0.37 metres; 23.10 g/t gold over 0.40 metres and 18.40 g/t gold over 0.39 metres from 51 metres downhole; and An 80 metre step-out to the Southwest of the past-producing White Star Mine of 24.20 g/t gold over 0.55 metres from 61.50 metres downhole. * Drill intercept lengths disclosed herein are expressed along drill core axis and do not represent true thickness of mineralization. There has been insufficient work to determine true thickness and further work is needed to determine the relationship between core intercept length and true thickness. For a summary of the significant intersections reported from the 2017 and 2018 drill campaigns, refer to Company news release dated March 11, 2019. The modern-day Privateer Gold property is a consolidation of several discrete high-grade gold mining operations that witnessed a short but fervent production period from the late 1930's through to a premature cessation in the late 1940's (see Company news release dated March 5, 2019 for further details). These past producers are single points in a broader and interrelated mineralizing system that remains essentially un-exploited and which the Privateer Gold property now encompasses. Troubadour is in a unique historic position with control over the majority of Zeballos gold mining camp's sites of past production and all the prospective unexplored intervening land. The first steps towards unlocking the value hidden there is to: Develop an integrated model of the historical workings and geological data, which has never been performed, to extrapolate high priority target areas; and Establish a road network to access all the prominent target areas, which has never been developed, in preparation of a comprehensive drill program. Both of these initial pursuits are well underway. "The Privateer Gold Property has delivered remarkable historical gold production and more recently exceptional, shallow high-grade gold drill intercepts. We are keen to get to work and explore the property-wide potential of this asset," states Geoff Schellenberg, President and Director. The road work is being funded through a $250,000 loan arrangement between Surespan and Privateer Gold Ltd. Upon signing of the definitive agreement, the Company will assume this loan with the added condition that the lender will have the right to convert the loan into common shares of Troubadour. The convertible loan will bear interest at 8% per annum and be convertible until common shares of the Company at a price of $0.10 per share provided that the Company exercises the Option. About Troubadour Resources Inc. The Company has signed a letter of intent (LOI) (Company news release March 5, 2019) to acquire a 100% interest in the Privateer Gold Project, located 3km north of the town of Zeballos on Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The Company is also engaged in the preliminary exploration of its 100% owned Amarillo Project located approximately 30 kilometres west of the town of Peachland and 71 kilometres northeast of the town of Princeton, in southwestern British Columbia. The Privateer Gold Project consists of six (6) mineral tenures and 84 crown grants encompassing the historic Zeballos gold camp, which is home to significant past producing mines. Under the terms of the LOI, the Company has an exclusive 90-day due diligence period allowing it to complete a comprehensive review of all available data and evaluate the exploration potential of the Property before entering into a definitive purchase agreement with the vendor. The Amarillo Project consists of seven (7) mineral tenures totalling 4,178 hectares and is situated within the heart of a major mining district. The multi-element geochemical signature of the Amarillo Project is consistent with a large multi-phase mineralizing system and is acutely similar to some of the neighbouring mining operations; such as the Brenda Cu-Mo-Ag-Au porphyry mine located 10 kilometres to the north that produced 278,000 tonnes of copper, 66,000 tonnes of molybdenum, 125 tonnes of silver and 2 tonnes of gold over a twenty-year mine life (source: Brenda Mines website). Patrick McLaughlin, P. Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. Zeballos Camp Historic Production Source: Hanson and Sinclair, Geological Fieldwork 1982 Summary, Province of British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. For further information please contact: Troubadour Resources Inc. 625 Howe Street, Suite 488 Vancouver, BC V6C 2T6 Geoff Schellenberg, President Office: (604) 681-0221 geoff@troubadourresources.com Forward Looking Information Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Except as required pursuant to applicable securities laws, the Company will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44537 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2019) - Wildflower Brands Inc. (CSE: SUN) (OTCQB: WLDFF) (the "Company") is excited to announce that a cannabis store application in Comox has been granted Approval In Principle (AIP) by the Provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch. Wildflower recently announced a letter of intent to acquire City Cannabis Co. With the AIP from the Province and the City of Comox's Letter of Recommendation to the Provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch, all City Cannabis needs to be fully licensed is a final inspection. City Cannabis is on track for the opening of its fourth BC location with a target opening in Summer 2019. This announcement solidifies City Cannabis as the largest legal cannabis retailer in the province. Located in the heart of Downtown Comox, this location will be the first licensed store to support the whole Comox Valley area that holds a population of 68,000 residents with an average household income of $86,328. In the summer this population grows significantly with Vancouver Island being named a top North American vacation destination. This sector is supported by businesses providing accommodation, food services, transportation, retail, arts and culture as well as recreation. This significant local and transient population represents a substantial retail trade opportunity in BC. William MacLean, CEO of Wildflower Brands, says, "City Cannabis is no doubt the fastest growing multiple location cannabis retailer in BC. The team has demonstrated their ability to find the best locations, but more importantly, the knowledge and ability to work with regulators at all levels has meant success in licensing that is unmatched. We look forward to completing the acquisition and bringing together two phenomenal companies." ABOUT CITY CANNABIS CO. City Cannabis is a cannabis retailer holding two of the three City of Vancouver licenses to sell cannabis and the only company with multiple licenses in the Province of B.C. City Cannabis has been profitably operating various dispensaries in Vancouver since Vancouver commenced licensing cannabis retailers. ABOUT WILDFLOWER BRANDS INC. Wildflower Brands is a Vancouver-based company developing and designing brands that focus on plant-based health and wellness products. All of our brands work in synergy, toward becoming a global wellness leader. Investor Relations Contact: Will Elston, Investor Relations ir@wildflowerbrands.co 1-604-559-0420 Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements and information are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "appear", "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "approximate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe", "would" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with the marijuana industry in general such as operational risks in growing; competition; incorrect assessment of the value and potential benefits of various transactions; ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; failure to obtain required regulatory and other approvals and changes in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws and government regulations. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, timelines and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws or the Canadian Securities Exchange. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The Canadian Securities Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. Corporate Communications: NetworkWire (NW) New York, New York www.NetworkNewsWire.com 212.418.1217 Office Editor@NetworkWire.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44547 Press release May 6th 2019 Annual General Meeting Availability of preparatory documents SOLUTIONS 30 SE (the Company), European leader in Solutions for New Technologies, informs its shareholders that its annual general meeting (the General Meeting) will be held on Monday May 27th 2019 at 09:00 a.m. (Luxembourg time) at the "Bubbles" lounge on the ground floor of the Sofitel Luxembourg Hotel Le Grand Ducal, 40, boulevard d'Avranches, L-1160 Luxembourg. The convening notice (the Convening Notice) detailing the agenda of the General Meeting was filed with the Luxembourg Register of commerce and companies, and published in the Recueil Electronique des Societes et Associations (RESA) as well as in the Tageblatt, on May 6th 2019. The procedures for attending, participating and voting at this General Meeting are set out in the Convening Notice. This Convening Notice together with all ancillary documents and preparatory information relating to the General Meeting are available to shareholders and can be consulted as well as downloaded on the Company's website at https://www.solutions30.com/investor-relations/annual-general-meeting/ In addition, shareholders may obtain a free of charge copy of those documents at the Company's registered office or by sending a written request to investor.relations@solutions30.com. For any further information, please: visit the website: http:// www.solutions30.com (http://www.solutions30.com); or www.solutions30.com (http://www.solutions30.com); or contact the Company by email at the following address: investor.relations@solutions30.com (mailto:Investors@solutions30.com) . About Solutions 30 SE The Solutions 30 Group is the European leader in solutions for new technologies. Its mission is to make the technological developments that are transforming our daily lives accessible to everyone, individuals and businesses alike. Yesterday, it was computers and the Internet. Today, it's digital technology. Tomorrow, it will be technologies that make the world even more interconnected in real time. With more than 20 million call-outs carried out since it was founded and a network of more than 8,000 local technicians, Solutions 30 currently covers all of France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Spain. The share capital of Solutions 30 SE consists of 104,057,392 shares, equal to the number of theoretical votes that can be exercised. Solutions 30 SE is listed on Euronext Growth Contacts Solutions 30 Listing Sponsor Nezha Calligaro Herve Guyot +352 2 837 13 89 | nezha.calligaro@solutions30.com (mailto:nezha.calligaro@solutions30.com) +33 (0)1 45 63 68 60 | hguyot@genesta-finance.com (mailto:hguyot@genesta-finance.com) Investor Relations - France Press Relations Nathalie Boumendil Samuel Beaupain +33 (0)6 85 82 41 95 | investor.relations@solutions30.com (mailto:investor.relations@solutions30.com) +352 2 777 42 10 | media.relations@solutions30.com (mailto:%20media.relations@solutions30.com) Investor Relations - Europe & USA John Klein +44 (0)793 9230 260 | john.klein@solutions30.com (mailto:%20john.klein@solutions30.com) Attachment A well-known competitive intelligence solutions provider, Infiniti Research, has announced the completion of their new free downloadable resource on the tips to successfully launch a new product with competitive intelligence. This free resource provides an overview of the role of competitive intelligence in developing effective product launch strategies and explains how our solutions can help at each stage of a new product launch. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005568/en/ Tips to successfully launch a new product with competitive intelligence (Graphic: Business Wire) Today, the market is oversaturated with new products and innovations. Gaining a competitive edge in this highly competitive market is a challenging task. With the right processes in place, companies can successfully introduce a new product in the market and gain traction from customers. Also, as the cost of introducing a new product in the market is high, it becomes imperative for companies to center their attention towards successfully marketing the product after its launch. The inability to understand and deal with market dynamism can result in substantial financial losses for companies. Request a FREE brochure to gain more insights into our services portfolio and to know how our services will help you capture the attention of your target customers. Tips to successfully launch a new product with competitive intelligence Evaluating current market dynamics This is the initial step for companies, who are looking to launch a new product in the market. This involves gauging how the new product is going to be received in the market. Also, evaluating current gaps in the market and building better quality products than competitors can support the product launch process. By effectively evaluating similar products and current gaps in the market, companies can successfully launch a new product while meeting the quality standards. Integrating the learnings to develop actionable product launch plans The marketing success of a new product depends on convincing audiences on why they need the product. This involves choosing the right platform to reach the audience, delivering relevant content to the customer base, and educating customers about the benefits of the product through in-product education programs. During this process, it becomes vital to consider how your competitors are promoting their product and service offerings. Competitive intelligence can help businesses to generate smarter insights and take real-time decisions. Want to know how competitive intelligence can help you in successfully launching a new product in the market? Request a free proposal Measuring product success As the cost of introducing a new product in the market is high, it becomes vital for companies to develop capabilities that will help them in tracking and improving the product to meet the market requirements. Gathering feedback from customers and analyzing reasons for product failures can help companies effectively plan for the next phase of the product's life cycle. Competitive intelligence can also help companies to analyze their key competitors' response to new product launches. Request for more information to know more about our services and how we can help you succeed in today's competitive market. About Infiniti Research Established in 2003, Infiniti Research is a leading market intelligence company providing smart solutions to address your business challenges. Infiniti Research studies markets in more than 100 countries to help analyze competitive activity, see beyond market disruptions, and develop intelligent business strategies. To know more, visit: https://www.infinitiresearch.com/about-us View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005568/en/ Contacts: Infiniti Research Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 844 778 0600 UK: +44 203 893 3400 https://www.infinitiresearch.com/contact-us Labs must demonstrate agility and adaptability in preparing for reimbursement headwinds while taking advantage of growth opportunities, finds Frost & Sullivan SANTA CLARA, California, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The growing trend of decentralization has expanded the scope of testing beyond the traditional laboratory environment. The $78.34 billionU.S.clinical laboratory market is expected to grow to $91.31 billion by 2022, driven by strong merger and acquisition activity and the consequent integration of services. In response to the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) reimbursement cuts, laboratories are expanding their revenue streams by collaborating with retail clinics and e-commerce channels to gain access to new customers. Meanwhile, the Canada clinical laboratory market is expected to grow to $13.30 billion by 2022, bolstered by funding from the Ministry of Health (MoH). "Laboratories will look to offer highly connected and integrated systems by leveraging outreach relationships and aiding development," said Divyaa Ravishankar, Industry Principal, Transformational Health. "Next-generation labs will be able to streamline physician office workflow orders and receive and report results in real time through electronic health record (EHR) systems. Therefore, it is important to ensure connectivity with provider and payer systems." Frost & Sullivan's recent analysis, Growth Opportunities in the North American Clinical Laboratory Services Market, Forecast to 2022, covers hospital-based laboratories, independent laboratories, physician office labs (POLs), and other laboratories in the United States and Canada. Also, the study examines new business models and alternate revenue channels, as well as recommends strategies for clinical labs to combat reimbursement pressure. For further information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/3es. "Canada's diagnostics testing revenue is generated by hospital labs, private labs, physicians' offices, and public labs. By 2022, most of the private labs are expected to be integrated with hospital labs to provide an integrated facility for laboratory services," noted Ravishankar. "There is still a substantial amount of tests outsourced to the U.S., especially the NGS-based tests that add to the national expenditure. This provides scope for several U.S. labs to harbor a commercial laboratory operation in Canada." For clinical laboratories to navigate the changing marketplace, they must make the most of the growth opportunities presented by: Consumer preference for higher deductible plans : They are opting for lower annual premiums and higher out-of-pocket expenses, which bodes well for small laboratories, where patients can purchase services themselves. : They are opting for lower annual premiums and higher out-of-pocket expenses, which bodes well for small laboratories, where patients can purchase services themselves. Combining imaging and genomic data : Integrated diagnostics services that combine genomic data , imaging data , and pathologic data will be in high demand among both patients and physicians. : that combine , , and will be in high demand among both patients and physicians. Exploring alternate business models such as direct-to-consumer testing , acquisition of outsourcing business, and addition of specialty portfolio to testing. , acquisition of outsourcing business, and addition of to testing. Expanding their test menu to include preventive and chronic care testing : Labs can create a network of integrated and coordinated lab services across the continuum of care. : Labs can create a network of integrated and coordinated lab services across the continuum of care. Developing the infrastructure required to serve critically ill patients who need access to care periodically in locations accessible to them as well as in an ambulatory environment. Growth Opportunities in the North American Clinical Laboratory Services Market, Forecast to 2022 is part of Frost & Sullivan's global Digital Health Growth Partnership Service program. About Frost & Sullivan For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Growth Opportunities in the North American Clinical Laboratory Services Market, Forecast to 2022 K335-48 Contact: Mariana Fernandez Corporate Communications T: +1 210 348 10 12 T: +54 11 4778 3540 E: Mariana.Fernandez@frost.com http://ww2.frost.com Booth #2427 at Heart Rhythm 2019, in San Francisco from May 8-11, represents first time Bay Area med-tech start-up will exhibit at major medical meeting for electrophysiologists SUNNYVALE, California, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vytronus, Inc., a privately held medical device company developing novel technologies for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, announced today that it will exhibit at the Heart Rhythm Society 2019 annual meeting being held this year in San Francisco from May 8-11. The company's primary technology in clinical development uses low-intensity collimated ultrasound (LICU) to image and ablate heart tissue that causes atrial fibrillation, a common cardiac condition in which the heart's upper chambers beat rapidly in an uncontrolled manner. An estimated five million cases of atrial fibrillation-also referred to as AF and AFib-are diagnosed each year worldwide. The disease is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, dementia and stroke. Vytronus is developing the only treatment option for AF that uses LICU. Unlike other approaches for AF ablation, the LICU catheter inherently does not require contact with the tissue and is capable of both 3D anatomical mapping and ablation. Featuring a robotic catheter tip, the Vytronus LICU system can quickly and precisely generate high-resolution 3D anatomical images. Utilizing the same catheter, the system can also deliver ultrasound energy for therapy along a user-specified lesion path. "We frequently hear from electrophysiologists that there is a clear need for a non-contact energy source to perform versatile lesion patterns and for tailored energy delivery in a manner that reduces dependence on operator skill," said John Pavlidis, president and chief executive officer of Vytronus. "Our booth at HRS will feature a demonstration of the system. We look forward to showing clinicians attending the meeting how our investigational technology using LICU enables highly automated, continuous, flexible lesion sets." The Vytronus LICU system has been submitted for CE Mark as a treatment for paroxysmal AF and is not commercially available anywhere in the world. It is only approved for investigational use in Europe and is not approved for use in the United States. The 40th annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society will be held in San Francisco and be attended by thousands of electrophysiologists, the medical specialists who treat patients with cardiac arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation. The Vytronus booth at Heart Rhythm 2019 is #2427 and will be open during regular exhibit hall hours from May 8-10. About Vytronus Headquartered in California's Silicon Valley, Vytronus, Inc. was formed in 2006 to harness the imaging and therapeutic capabilities of ultrasound energy to treat cardiac arrhythmias, starting with atrial fibrillation. We believe that a new energy source, such as collimated ultrasound, is amenable to automation and capable of both imaging and ablating, thus shifting the treatment paradigm to more predictable outcomes. We strive to make a complicated procedure simple. Ease of use guides every aspect of our design philosophy. At Vytronus, patient safety is always our first priority and improved efficacy is our mission. We look forward to obtaining regulatory approvals and making our products available to doctors and their patients in the near future. CONTACT: Joe McGrath +1 (612) 819-6421 media@vytronus.com Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/882602/Vytronus_Atrial_Fibrillation.mp4 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/882569/Vytronus_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/882600/Vytronus_Atrial_Fibrillation_Logo.jpg Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2019) - Robert L. Hodgkinson of #520, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3E1 wishes to announce that Hodgkinson Equities Corp. ("HEC"), a 100% owned and controlled private company, today acquired ownership of 60,391,381 Common Shares (the each a "Common Share") of DXI Energy Inc. (TSX: DXI) (OTCQB: DXIEF) ("DXI" or the "Company") pursuant to a private placement offering. DXI is an upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production company with operations in Colorado, USA and the Peace River Arch Region of British Columbia. The Company's head office is at the same address as Mr. Hodgkinson (above). Mr. Hodgkinson is a director and Non-Executive Chairman of the Company. Description of the Transactions At an Annual General and Special Meeting held on June 2, 2017, the Shareholders approved the conversion of $4,500,000 in secured debt owed by the Company to HEC into Common Shares at $0.077 per common share. At the recent Annual General and Special Meeting held on April 29, 2019 (the "AGSM"), minority or "disinterested" Shareholders approved an amendment to the price at which $2,500,000 of the total of $4,500,000 in loans owing to HEC are converted into Common Shares from $0.077 per Common Share to $0.06 per Common Share. As a result of this proposed amendment, 41,666,666 Common Shares, including an increment of 9,199,134 Common Shares for the difference in conversion price, were issued to HEC. The remaining $2,000,000 in secured debt will remain unchanged, and shall be converted, at the option of HEC, into 25,974,026 Common Shares at the existing conversion price of $0.077 per Common Share. Additionally, minority or "disinterested" Shareholders at the AGSM, approved the conversion of an additional $1,000,000 loan from HEC to the Company into 16,666,667 Common Shares at $0.06 per Common Share. These Common Shares have also been issued to HEC. Finally, an agreement between the Company and HEC to convert $123,483 in accrued interest owed by the Company to HEC at April 30, 2019 into 2,058,048 Common Shares at $0.06 per Common Share was also approved by "disinterested" Shareholders at the AGSM. This resulted in 2,058,048 Common Shares being issued to HEC. The total number of Common Shares approved by disinterested Shareholders at the AGSM and issued by the Company to HEC in these transactions is 60,391,381. Of this number, 18,724,715 are subject to the standard four-month restriction from resale imposed by Canadian regulatory authorities. HEC relies on the securities for debt exemption pursuant to section 2.14 of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions on the grounds that Mr. Hodgkinson's acquisition of 60,391,381 Common Shares is a distribution of the Company's own securities to settle the bona fide secured debt of $3,623,483 owed by the Company to HEC, inclusive of accrued interest. Prior to the issuance of 60,391,381 Common Shares, Mr. Hodgkinson beneficially owned or controlled 20,409,574 Common Shares representing approximately 13.64% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Pursuant to the debt restructuring approved by disinterested Shareholders at the AGSM, Mr. Hodgkinson acquired beneficial ownership and control over an additional 60,391,381 Common Shares which resulted in Mr. Hodgkinson having beneficial ownership or control over an aggregate of 80,800,955 Common Shares, or approximately 38.35% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares, for an increase in common shareholding of 24.71%. HEC also owns convertible debt in the amount of $2,000,000 which, if converted into Common Shares at the conversion price of $0.077 per Common Share, would result in the issuance of an additional 25,974,026 Common Shares. Assuming the exercise of this conversion feature but excluding issuance of Common Shares committed to others under existing share compensation or loan conversion agreements, HEC would own 45.12% of the partially diluted Common Shares. This News Release is issued pursuant to National Instrument 62-103 - Early Warning System and Related Takeover Bids and Insider Reporting Issues of the Canadian Securities Administrators, which also requires an early warning report to be filed with the applicable securities regulators containing additional information with respect to the foregoing matters. See HEC's early warning report for further information. HEC's existing securities were acquired for debt restructuring, conversion of accrued interest and investment purposes. HEC may, from time to time, on an individual or joint basis, acquire additional securities of the Company, dispose of some or all of the existing or additional securities held or to be held, or, may continue to hold the current position. For more information, or to obtain a copy of the subject early warning report, please contact: Robert L. Hodgkinson Suite 520, 999 Canada Place Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3E1 Telephone: (604) 638-5055 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44569 DUBAI (Reuters) - Air Arabia on Sunday posted a 16 percent jump in first-quarter profit, citing a rise in passenger numbers. DUBAI (Reuters) - Air Arabia on Sunday posted a 16 percent jump in first-quarter profit, citing a rise in passenger numbers. The Middle East budget airline reported a full-year loss for 2018 after booking impairments mainly attributable to its exposure to collapsed private equity firm Abraaj. Air Arabia made a net profit of 128 million dirhams ($34.9 million) in the three months to March 31 on revenue up 17 percent to 1 billion dirhams, it said in a statement. The airline carried 2.8 million passengers, which it said was up 8 percent year on year, and filled an average of 84 percent of seats, 3 percent more than a year ago. Chairman Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed al-Thani warned that oil prices, geopolitical and economic developments are affecting trading conditions but said the airline was confident in the "long-term fundamentals" of the region's aviation sector. Chief Executive Adel Ali had said on April 30 that the entire exposure to Abraaj was booked in impairments in the 2018 results so the airline could concentrate on its business. "The legal side is taking care of it," he said. The airline said in January that it had launched legal proceedings against Abraaj founder Arif Naqvi. ($1 = 3.6730 UAE dirham) (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by David Goodman) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Bernard Okalia Bilai, South-West Governor W. Musa Some members of the elite of the South West Region have released a document in response to the mis-characterization of the Governor's recent outing requesting the cooperation and collaboration of South West Chiefs participation in the forthcoming 20th May celebration. The document signed by the Mayor and Councillors of the Buea Municipality is titled a statement by South West Living Forces in support of the call of the Governor of the South West Region, H.E. Okalia Bilai, for massive participation of traditional rulers on 20th May 2019. The document is in reaction to remarks made on April 25, 2019 by South West Governor Okalia Bilai Bernard as he chaired the first preparatory meeting ahead of 47th National Day on May 20. His call for chiefs to march along with their subjects on the occasion, under pain of losing their crowns, seems to have generated reactions across the board. The living forces of the region thus decided to set the records straight. The South West Living Forces wrote: In preparations for this years celebration, the Governor of the South West region, in the presence of the Mayor of Buea Municipality, the President of the Court of Appeal, the Attorney General of the said court and the President of the Administrative Court, on Thursday 25 April 2019, presided over the preparatory meeting for the 47thNational Day celebration. This meeting held in the Conference Hall of the Buea Council. The meeting which was scheduled for 10:00am only started at midday, because the participants who are the regional delegates, political leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, principals and head teachers, manifestly did not want to take part in this meeting. The Governor sent some of his collaborators (control des services) to remind these officials to urgently attend the meeting. Some regional delegates who were invited for the meeting locked themselves up in their offices, for reasons well known to them. In attendance was only one chief of the Buea municipality. They say Governor Okalia Bilai, as usual requested heads of establishments, state corporations, regional delegates, traditional rulers, church leaders, leaders of political parties as well as an array of diverse stakeholders to mobilise their followers for a successful event, rich in patriotic fanfare and galore. They regret that the Governors call has come under criticisms by detractors wishing to continue to destabilise the region and consequently the nation. Hear them: Addressing the chiefs in a cordial manner, off microphone, the Governor encouraged them to go back to their villages and organize their populations so that they can come out massively on the 20th May 2019 and participate in the March-past, like in the yesteryears where every village used to march with its placard. The Governor equally reminded the chiefs that they are agents of the state. It is in this sense that the Head of State granted them monthly salaries which they must at least justify with their presence in their respective territories, and equally by their participation during big national events. The atmosphere that has characterized our region by anarchists and their sympathizers, called for special efforts by all living forces on the ground, to curtail any distraction. In recent times, however, traditional rulers and their families have come under attack with their palaces burnt, looted, some chiefs kidnapped for ransom and many killed in the region. The soils of the six divisions of Fako, Meme, Ndian, Manyu, Kupe Manenguba, and Lebialem in the South West region have become repository of the blood of slain traditional rulers, killed by people they have received in good faith and settled over the years in their villages. Surprisingly, there was lack of public outrage, particularly, by elites whose chiefs were tortured, molested, humiliated and killed. Paradoxically, other chiefs remained silent on the torture and maiming of their colleagues. Despite this atmosphere, the local administration under the control of the Governor, the defense and security forces, continue to guarantee security and public order, while some chiefs have gone on self-exile abandoning their population to adventurous criminals. The State of Cameroon is in firm control of its territorial borders, within the South West region. The Municipality Buea continues to enjoy the protection of the living forces of the city and its Mayor, Ekema Patrick Esunge, stands against marauders attempting to inject fear and terror on the peaceful population of the municipality. Traditional rulers are auxiliaries of the state. In the Republic of Cameroon, traditional rulers serve as the frontline between the state and the people. In fact, they may be seen to work for the state. It is for this same reason that they may have been targeted and killed by secessionists and their supporters hiding not only in forests, but also in complete disguise in some institutions. The Governor of the South West Region on 25th April 2019 therefore encouraged traditional rulers to accompany the state to ensure this years national day celebration is grandiose in pomp and by so doing demonstrate that their territory is under full control of the state. However, the Governors figurative language on chiefs marching, has been misconstrued and blown-out of proportion by sinister forces that have themselves terrorized and murdered chiefs. The Governors call for chiefs to take active part in the 20th May celebration by mobilizing their subjects is an apt reminder to the auxiliaries of the state to respond to the call of the Head of State, President Paul Biya, for Cameroonians to enjoy the fruits of democracy and remain loyal law abiding active participants in the process of nation building. The document signed on 29thApril 2019 by Chief Mafany Njie Martin on behalf of the South West Chiefs Conference is a classic scenario of chiefs allowing themselves to be manipulated by the same sinister forces hunting to kill them and have caused them to go on self-exiled away from their villages. The document which was signed in Yaounde misleads the public that it was done in Buea, when the whereabouts of the signatory is well known. For sustained peace and security in the region, it is incumbent on traditional rulers to live up to the mandate of their thrones by supporting the state in facilitating law and order. The Republic of Cameroon, under President Paul Biya, like most developing countries is gradually building and consolidating institutions to meet the aspirations of its people allowing them to enjoy and partake in the economic growth and windfalls from an active economic policy which creates jobs, promote social security, and ensure better health with sustained food security. Despite these lofty efforts, there are ever present demons of distraction, with a safe-space created for them by the intangible internet technology. Our traditional rulers must not succumb to social media pressure, exploitation and blackmail unleashed by the same sinister forces that have killed their colleagues, destroyed their palaces, exiled them and continue to deprive them from the comfort of their traditional abode. Cameroon is bigger than any one mans agenda. While we all must rally to celebrate the progress of our nation on a daily basis, however, 20thMay 2019 provides an opportune moment for traditional rulers who have abdicated their day-to-day responsibilities to reconcile and re-communion with their peoples in the division and subdivisions. Rather than blame Governor Okalia Bilai, chiefs and elites should take their responsibilities. We therefore support the call of the Governor of the South West Region, H.E Okalia Bilai, for traditional rulers the custodians of culture and tradition to take their solemn responsibility to be on the right side of history, and mobilise their populations to come out massively and join President Paul Biya in a patriotic march celebrating Cameroons day of national unity, in panache. Cameroons 47th National Day will unfold under the theme, Unity in Diversity, a major asset of the Cameroonian people in their determined move towards emergence. 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 licences to Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and to freeze deliveries of already approved equipment - a move that infuriated allies and defence companies. 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 licences to Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and to freeze deliveries of already approved equipment - a move that infuriated allies and defence 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 materialise. 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) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The revenue secretary is monitoring the progress of implementation of electronic or e-invoice project for which an officers' committee has already been set up New Delhi: All invoices for business-to-business sales by entities beyond a specified turnover threshold will be generated on a centralised government portal by September, a move aimed at curbing the menace of fake invoices and evasion of GST, officials said. The revenue secretary is monitoring the progress of implementation of electronic or e-invoice project for which an officers' committee has already been set up, they added. "E-invoice for B2B transactions will be rolled out in next three-four months in a phased manner. The entire invoice would have to be generated on a government portal," an official told PTI. The move will help in curbing Goods and Services Tax (GST) evasion through the issue of fake invoices. Besides, it would make the returns filing process simpler for businesses as invoice data would already be captured by a centralised portal. "Once rolled out, the e-invoice project will allow businesses to simultaneously generate e-way bill, if needed," the official added. E-way bill is required for moving goods exceeding Rs 50,000. Depending on the success of the project in the B2B segment, the revenue department would be looking at extending it to business-to-consumer (B2C) sales, especially in sectors where the probability of tax evasion is high. Businesses beyond the specified turnover threshold, to be decided later, would be provided software which will be linked to the GST Network (GSTN) or a government portal for generating e-invoice. The threshold can also be fixed on the basis of the value of the invoice. The e-invoice generation method will be similar to the one being followed for the e-way bill on the 'ewaybill.nic.in' portal or payment of GST on the GSTN portal. A 13-member officers' committee, comprising central and state tax officials as well as the GST Network Chief Executive, has been set up to look into the feasibility of introducing e-invoice system to streamline the generation of invoices and easing the compliance burden. The committee will finalise its interim report this month. The proposed 'e-invoice' is part of the exercise to check GST evasion. With almost two years into GST implementation, the government is now focussing on anti-evasion measures to shore up revenue and increase compliance. There are over 1.21 crore registered businesses under the GST, of which 20 lakh are under the composition scheme. By Tracy Rucinski CHICAGO (Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Sunday that a Safety Review Board convened in late 2018 corroborated its prior conclusion that an angle-of-attack (AOA) sensor on the 737 MAX, which has suffered two fatal crashes, was not necessary for the safe operation of commercial aircraft. In a statement following a series of negative news reports, Boeing provided greater detail on its recent decision to make the previously optional AOA Disagree alert a standard, standalone feature on the 737 MAX before the grounded jets return to service. By Tracy Rucinski CHICAGO (Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Sunday that a Safety Review Board convened in late 2018 corroborated its prior conclusion that an angle-of-attack (AOA) sensor on the 737 MAX, which has suffered two fatal crashes, was not necessary for the safe operation of commercial aircraft. In a statement following a series of negative news reports, Boeing provided greater detail on its recent decision to make the previously optional AOA Disagree alert a standard, standalone feature on the 737 MAX before the grounded jets return to service. The alert lights up when two sensors produce widely different readings. The angle of attack measures the angle between the air flow and the wing and helps determine whether the plane is able to fly correctly. If the angle becomes too steep, the flow of air over the wing is disturbed, throwing the plane into an aerodynamic stall. That means it starts to fall instead of fly. Although the angle itself is fundamental to flight, the industry has debated for years whether the information should be included in crowded cockpit displays because it is directly related to airspeed, which pilots already watch closely. The debate over displays intensified when it emerged that Boeing had relied on a single angle-of-attack sensor to send information to a piece of anti-stall software that pushed the nose downward on Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which both crashed minutes after take-off, killing a total of 346 people. Neither the angle of attack indicator nor the AOA Disagree alert are necessary for the safe operation of the airplane, Boeing reiterated on Sunday. "They provide supplemental information only, and have never been considered safety features on commercial jet transport airplanes," Boeing said. Still, 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, Boeing said. Customers with previously delivered MAX airplanes can activate the sensor. Boeing is also developing a software upgrade and training changes to the 737 MAX that must be approved by global regulators before the jets can fly again. Boeing has yet to formally submit the upgrades to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for approval but could do as early as this week once it completes a certification test flight. The FAA did not immediately comment on Boeings statement. (Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris and David Shepardson in Washington Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Bill Berkrot) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The document aims at facilitating setting up of 50,000 new startups in the country by 2024 and creating 20 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities. New Delhi: With a view to facilitate fundraising by startups, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has proposed relaxation in the income tax 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 startups, 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 Income Tax Act. It has suggested changes in Section 54GB of Income Tax 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 percent to 20 percent 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. "Startup promoters presently need to hold 100 percent shares for carrying forward of losses. The requirement needs to be reduced to 26 percent, 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 startups 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 CSR 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 start-ups have been recognised by the department. The rural economy, which largely depends on agriculture, is in a mess. Falling prices of agricultural produce and lack of irrigation/ storage facilities have been hurting the farmers Multiple pointers are indicating the persistence of an economic slowdown in Asias third-largest economy. And these are too serious ones to ignore to get back the economy back on the high growth path and ensure that fruits of economic growth reach the common man. 1) Brokerages have begun using strong words to warn a serious demand slowdown in consumer segments. For instance, in a research note dated 4 May, Kotak Institutional Equities talked about a sharp, sudden deterioration in short-term demand narrative. We see a major shift in tone (for the worse) on short-term demand narrative in the management commentaries of the companies that have reported thus far. When generally-measured management like HUVR (Hindustan Unilever Ltd) uses the term recession in its comments in the post-results presser, it generally isnt a one-quarter blip, the brokerage said. In a separate report, the same brokerage noted that given the sharper than expected slowdown in consumer goods, the economy will need fixes firmly focused on structural measures. 2) There is indeed a demand slowdown as it is clearly visible not just in the sales projection of consumer goods companies but the reported numbers of automakers for the month of April. Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) and Hyundai Motor India too reported a decline in their domestic sales in April with 18.7 percent fall and 10.1 percent respectively. Similarly, the cumulative sales of the top six two-wheeler manufacturers declined to nearly 1.58 million units last month, from 1.88 million units during the same period a year ago. The story isnt different for tractor sales also. These three indicates urban, semi-urban and rural demand. 3)The India growth story, which has been primarily riding on government spending, is now at a tricky point. This is because the government may not be in a position to continue the spending spree in the months ahead on account of major fiscal constraints. The fiscal consolidation road map has been missed for three consecutive years and populist policies are gradually taking over in the election year, adding to the fiscal burden. In such a situation, if the consumer demand drops sharply that will be a double whammy to the economy. 4)The rural economy, which largely depends on agriculture, is in a mess. Falling prices of agricultural produce and lack of irrigation/ storage facilities have been hurting the farmers. The MSP formula worked out by the centre has failed to ease the pain of the farmng community. As this Firstpost article pointed out farmers income has suffered significantly in recent years as against the governments promise to double it by 2022. The average annual agricultural GDP growth has been 2.9 percent in the past five years, lower than the 4.3 percent rate achieved during the preceding five years. Also, agricultural exports have fallen from a high of $43 billion in 2013-14 to $39 billion last year, while agricultural imports have risen from $14 billion to $23.5 billion during this period. 5)The manufacturing sector isnt looking good. The factory output (index of industrial production or IIP) numbers for February have shown a 0.1 percent growth in February as against 6.9 percent in the year-ago period. Thats the slowest growth in at least 20 months, data shows. In June 2017, the IIP growth was contracted by 0.3 percent. In the April-February period, the IIP grew by 4 percent. During fiscal 2018 (April-February), the factory output had grown 4.3 percent. In April, the Nikkei/IHS Markit Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dropped to 51.0, which is the lowest level since September. 6)The unemployment situation is not improving. Indias unemployment rate in April accelerated to 7.6 percent, the highest since October 2016, and up from 6.71 percent in March 2019, according to data compiled by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). The increasing number of people in the formal workforce not being able to get quality jobs indicates underlying weakness in the economy. 7) High effective labour costs are paving major hurdles in job creation. In a recent research note, JP Morgan says it is not only lack of private investments but also the high effective cost of labour in relation to the capital that is playing a villain when it comes to job creation. Indias effective cost of labour remains inordinately high both because of strict labour laws (on the demand side) and educational/health/skill constraints (on the supply side). 8) There is a significant fiscal shock in the offing in the form of populist packages no matter who wins Parliament elections. Congress party plans a minimum income scheme that will cost the exchequer an estimated Rs3.6 lakh crore while the ruling BJP too has plans to roll out a bunch of populist schemes including interest-free loans and extending Prime Minister Kisan Yojna to all small farmers. These will be over and above a number of farm loan waiver programmes being implemented at state-levels. The combined fiscal burden on state and central governments will cause a drag on the economy. (Data contributed by Kishor Kadam) BEIJING (Reuters) - The total value of export orders signed at China's biggest trade fair fell slightly from a year earlier, state media reported on Sunday, weighed down by soft global demand and a tit-for-tat tariff war with the United States. Export orders at the Canton Fair dropped by 1.1 percent to 199.5 billion yuan ($29.6 billion), the official Xinhua news agency said BEIJING (Reuters) - The total value of export orders signed at China's biggest trade fair fell slightly from a year earlier, state media reported on Sunday, weighed down by soft global demand and a tit-for-tat tariff war with the United States. Export orders at the Canton Fair dropped by 1.1 percent to 199.5 billion yuan ($29.6 billion), the official Xinhua news agency said. The China Import and Export Fair, as it is also known, is held every spring and autumn in Guangzhou and is viewed as a barometer of Chinese exports. Overall export deals at the autumn session of the fair last year slipped 1 percent from a year earlier to 206.5 billion yuan, including a slide in orders from the United States. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will travel to Washington for talks starting on Wednesday after talks in Beijing that U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called "productive." ($1 = 6.7337 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by David Goodman) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is leaning on the United States to help settle a dispute with China, which has started to block imports of vital Canadian commodities amid a dispute over a detained Huawei executive. In a sign of increasing frustration at what it sees as a lackluster U.S. response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is signaling it could withhold cooperation on major issues By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is leaning on the United States to help settle a dispute with China, which has started to block imports of vital Canadian commodities amid a dispute over a detained Huawei executive. In a sign of increasing frustration at what it sees as a lackluster U.S. response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is signaling it could withhold cooperation on major issues. China has upped the pressure on Canada in recent weeks over the arrest of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, arrested last December on a U.S. warrant. It halted Canadian canola imports and last week suspended the permits of two major pork producers. After Meng's Vancouver arrest, Chinese police also detained two Canadian citizens. Beijing is refusing to allow a Canadian trade delegation to visit, forcing officials to use video conference calls as they try to negate a major threat to commodity exports. With no cards to play against China without risking significant economic damage, Canada has launched a full-court press in Washington, which is negotiating its own trade deal with Beijing. The results have been meager. "It's a very challenging situation. When we raise it with the Americans they just say, 'Dealing with the Chinese is tough'," said a Canadian government source. "It's also not clear who we should be targeting since you never know who is up and who is down in the administration at any given point," said the source, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter. Among those the Canadians approached are Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Republican Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. The State Department said it was "concerned" by the canola ban. In March, the Foreign Relations Committee responded to Canada's concerns by passing a bipartisan resolution supporting the country. Canada says the United States is obliged to help, given that the U.S. arrest warrant triggered the crisis with Beijing. U.S. negotiators have rejected Chinese proposals to include the Huawei issue in their current trade deal discussions, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Canada's U.S. ambassador David MacNaughton, who noted Canada has assisted the current U.S. administration on diplomatic efforts with Venezuela, Latvia and NATO, strongly suggested future requests for aid would not be met so positively unless Washington cooperated more. "How do you go to canola farmers and relatives of the two (Canadian detainees) and say 'Well, actually, notwithstanding all of this, we're going to try and do whatever we can to help?'" he said. "It makes it much more difficult in public opinion terms for the prime minister to have permission to do some of the things that would be in both countries' interests." MacNaughton, who has cabinet-level status in Trudeau's government, played a key role in negotiating a new North American trade deal last year. Relations between Trump and Trudeau are formal at best. Officials in Ottawa have not forgotten that the president blew up last year's Group of Seven summit in Canada by describing Trudeau as very dishonest and weak. "At the political level, this administration doesn't like us very much," said a second well-placed source. Intertwined with the China crisis is a second problem: the tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum that Trump imposed last year on national security grounds. Meng, who is under house arrest at her Vancouver mansion, next appears in court on May 8 ahead of an extradition hearing, in a process that could take years. MacNaughton said part of Canada's frustration also stems from a lack of information on U.S. intentions toward Meng. Trump has previously suggested the charges against her could be dropped if that would help the trade talks. "What we've said is, 'We'd like to have a little better sense of what your plans are in terms of dealing with her. Are you engaged in negotiations over a plea deal?'," he said. "We're completely in the dark." (Additional reporting by Chris Prentice and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Amran Abocar and Lisa Shumaker) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The 15th Finance Commission will meet RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and representatives of banks and financial institutions during its two-day visit to Mumbai beginning 8 May, according to an official statement New Delhi: The 15th Finance Commission will meet RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and representatives of banks and financial institutions during its two-day visit to Mumbai beginning 8 May, according to an official statement. The commission, chaired by N K Singh, will discuss issues concerning macro-economics, financial stability and cost of borrowing of the Centre and states with the Reserve Bank. The other issues which are expected to come up during the deliberation include market-driven borrowing cost and debt trajectories of states. The commission will also discuss the issues concerning recapitalisation of banks, and possible scenarios of the Bimal Jalan committee report on surplus capital available with the RBI for transfer to the government, the statement said. It will also discuss RBI's own assessment of the dividends and surpluses that can be transferred to the government. With the banks and financial institutions, the commission will discuss issues concerning recapitalisation of banks and their impact on the cost of borrowing of the Centre as well states. The meeting is slated be attended by officials of State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, IDFC First Bank, and IDBI Bank. Jets 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, 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 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 Tribunalthe country's bankruptcy courtfor recovery of dues from Jet. 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. 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. Aviation authorities have also been temporarily farming out Jets slots to rival carriers as airfares have soared in the wake of Jets 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 17 April after its lenders refused to provide further funds to keep it afloat. Once the country's largest private carrier, it had more than 16,000 employees and flights to dozens of international destinations. 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 advisedc to wait for the formation of the next government ... before taking any decision on Jets 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. Jets 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. 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. New Delhi: 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 PTI in an interview. The Investor Education and Protection Fund (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. Class action thresholds are likely to be notified on Monday. The minimum shareholding for filing a class action suit is likely to be 5 percent for unlisted companies and 2 percent for listed firms, an official said. 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. Visually impaired students at pioneer resource centre Facebook The first ever resource centre for visually impaired persons have been inaugurated in Bafoussam, West region. The ceremony that took place recently at the campus of Government Bilingual High School Bafoussam, took place in the presence of the representatives of the Ministers of Secondary Education and Social Affairs, authorities from the Cameroon Baptist Convention(CBC) Health Services and Education Secretary, and some nongovernmental organisations, working with persons with disabilities. Visually impaired students and pupils in the West Region of Cameroon would be able to use the internet, and browse like any other normal student. A Resource Centre of this magnitude, cost the sponsors, Liliane Foundation in Netherlands, over FCFA 13.8 Million. It is a project conceived by the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services(CBCHS). These visually impaired students and pupils, would now go digital, as the world slowly turns into a global village. Cameroon is making strives in the domain of social inclusion, but critics say they still have a long way to go. In some schools, visually impaired students still complain their examinations or Compulsory assessments are not in Braille, or they lack whom to correct their scripts. However, the CBC board has invested a lot in social inclusion, especially for visually impaired persons with an existing integrated school for the blind in Cameroon. One of its major activities, has been to assist persons with disabilities, especially with the launching of the Socioeconomic Empowerment of Persons with Disability project(SEEPD). This program operating in the North West region of Cameroon, ensures that persons with disabilities are socially and economically empowered and are capable of exploiting their full potentials in life. 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 kilometres (56 miles) in deep waters of the Mediterranean, but its production platform stands just 25 kilometres off the coast of southern Israel. 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 kilometres (56 miles) in deep waters of the Mediterranean, but its production platform stands just 25 kilometres 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) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The overall expenditure of Jet Airways was simply too high, given the total income of the airline. A basic problem with the business model Editor's note: This is part of a multi-article series on the downfall of Jet Airways and the path ahead for the cash-strapped airline. Its been close to three weeks since Jet Airways temporarily shut its operations. The jury is still out on how and why, what was Indias largest private airline, once upon a time, reached a stage where it had to shut down the operations. The general perception seems to be that the airline borrowed more than it was in a position to repay. Eventually, it didnt have enough money to pay interest on its debt and that led to the temporary grounding. But that, as we shall see, was not the major reason for Indias oldest private airline shutting its operations. Lets take a look at the issue point wise. 1) For the period October to December 2018, the last available financial results of the airline, the total income of the airline stood at Rs 6,198.38 crore. Against this, the expenditure of the airline stood at Rs 6,418.87 crore. The interest cost on the debt of the airline, during this period had stood at Rs 220.49 crore. As a proportion of total expenditure of the airline, the total interest cost was 4 percent. Yes, just 4 percent. Nearly 96 percent of the expenditure happened on other things. 2) And this was not a one-time thing. Take a look at Figure 1, which basically plots interest expense as a percentage of expenditure for the airline over a period of 15 years. Figure 1 makes for a very interesting reading. In the last five years, the interest on debt as a percentage of total expenditure was around 4.1 percent. There was an era when interest as a proportion of the total expenditure of Jet Airways was more than 11 percent. This isnt surprising given that the total debt of the airline had reached a high of Rs 16,323.53 crore in March 2009. By March 2018, it was down to Rs 8,403.15 crore. 3) What does this tell us? It basically tells us that the interest expense and the total debt of the airline was basically the straw that broke the camels back. The basic problem lay somewhere else. The overall expenditure of Jet Airways was simply too high, given the total income of the airline. A basic problem with the business model. It just wasnt making enough money to be a viable business, to justify all the money already invested in the airline. It also tells us that when it comes to airlines, India is a very price-sensitive market and people keep flying, only if tickets are available at a reasonable price. The moment they go beyond a certain price, people move to other forms of travel. In that sense, airlines do not have much pricing power to drive up their revenues beyond a point. The way to increase revenue is to fly newer routes. But that needs newer aircraft (even if they are leased) and it means higher expenditure. 4) Indeed, much of it sounds like what Warren Buffett used to say about airlines, when he did not invest in them. As he said in one of the letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway: The worst sort of business is one that grows rapidly, requires significant capital to engender the growth, and then earns little or no money. Think airlines. Here a durable competitive advantage has proven elusive ever since the days of the Wright Brothers. Indeed, if a farsighted capitalist had been present at Kitty Hawk, he would have done his successors a huge favor by shooting Orville down. Things have changed since Buffett said this and he now invests in airlines. Jet Airways was specifically the kind of business that Buffett warned investors against. It did not scale well. Lets take a look at the numbers over a long period of time. In the period of three months ending March 2004, the total income of the airline was Rs 961.13 crore, with the expenditure being Rs 682.1 crore. In the period three months ending December 2018, the total income of the airline stood at Rs 6,198.38 crore, a jump of 545 percent. The expenditure had increased to Rs 6,418.87 crore, a jump of 841 percent. The expenditure of the airline over a period of 15 years has been growing much faster than its income, which basically tells us that the airline does not have a durable business model (lack of competitive advantage that Buffett talks about). Or to put it simply, the airline did not benefit from economies of scale as the income went up, expenditure went up as well, at a faster rate. 5) What also has not helped is the fact that the airline simultaneously tried to operate both in the low-cost space as well as full-service space. Other than creating a brand confusion in the mind of the user, it also creates other operational difficulties. This is a problem which no-frills carriers like SpiceJet, GoAir and IndiGo, which have concentrated on one area, the low-cost space, havent had to face. 6) As far as the future of the debt-laden airline is concerned, there doesnt seem much hope for the simple reason that it is easier to sell a functional airline than a non-functional one. The real value of any airline comes from the code sharing agreements it has in place and the slots that it has at airports. In airports across India, some of these slots have been temporarily allocated to other airlines. Many pilots have already left Jet Airways to work for other airlines. 7) In this scenario, it seems very difficult for the airline to fly again. What is also not helping is the fact that the Lok Sabha elections are underway, and any significant decision from the governments end, given that the airline owes a lot of money to the public sector banks, is unlikely to happen before the next government is formed and starts functioning. That means nearly three weeks more. Every day of non-operation basically increases the probability of the airline not flying again. (The writer is an economist and the author of the Easy Money trilogy) Part 1: Govt can mount Satyam-type rescue on cash-strapped airline and make money on it as a smart investor Part 2: How Naresh Goyals airline walked into a trap of its own making from where there was no return Part 3: Downfall of Jet Airways: Banks had seen writing on the wall with over a billion dollars to be paid back, but yet acted too late Estranged partners McDonald's and Vikram Bakshi on Monday told the NCLAT that they are working towards an out-of-court settlement to end their over 5-year-old dispute New Delhi: Estranged partners McDonald's and Vikram Bakshi Monday told the NCLAT that they are working towards an out-of-court settlement to end their over the five-year-old dispute. Counsels for McDonald's India Pvt Ltd and Vikram Bakshi told a two-member National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) bench, headed by Chairperson S J Mukhopadhyay, that they are trying to work out a settlement. The bench directed that either of the parties may file an affidavit including the terms of the settlement being arrived at on the next date of hearing on May 13. "... parties submit that they are negotiating for settlement but the impugned order may come in their way of settlement. In the facts and circumstances, we allow the parties to reach settlement uninfluenced by any of the order passed by the Tribunal or this Appellate Tribunal," said NCLAT. The Tribunal also gave them additional time to file the affidavit. "Post both the appeals 'for orders' on 13th May, 2019 and earlier date (8th May) fixed stands modified," it said. The bench also said: "In the meantime, if any settlement is reached, any of the party may file an affidavit giving the date of settlement." McDonald's and Bakshi in 1995 had signed a partnership agreement to open outlets of the US fast food chain in India. It was for a period of 25 years. The two partners had formed a 50:50 joint venture -- Connaught Plaza Restaurant Ltd (CPRL) -- which was responsible for outlets of the fast-food chain in the country's northern and eastern regions through the franchise route. In 2017, McDonald's terminated CPRL's franchise agreement citing non-payment of royalties. A long-winding legal tussle and battle for control of the business ensued afterwards with Bakshi keeping around 165 McDonald's branded outlets operational in northern and eastern regions of the country. In southern and western regions, McDonald's outlets are run by Amit Jatia-led Westlife Development. In August 2017, McDonald's had told the NCLAT that settlement of a dispute with its estranged partner Bakshi was not possible. The tussle started after Bakshi was ousted as the managing director of Connaught Plaza Restaurants (CPRL) in 2013, following which he approached the NCLT, which reinstated him to his position. McDonald's has challenged the same in the appellate tribunal NCLAT. The rupee opened weak at 69.38 at the interbank forex market and then fell further to 69.46, down 24 paise over its last close Mumbai: The rupee depreciated by 24 paise to 69.46 against the US dollar in early trade Monday on increased demand for the US currency from importers and weak opening in domestic equities. Forex traders said, the US President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and this, in turn, impacted investor sentiment in the currency market. The rupee opened weak at 69.38 at the interbank forex market and then fell further to 69.46, down 24 paise over its last close. The local currency however pared the initial loss and was trading at 69.41 at 0926 hrs. The rupee had strengthened by 15 paise to close at 69.22 against the US dollar Friday. Besides, strength in dollar against major rival currencies, foreign fund outflows and heavy selling in domestic equities also kept pressure on the Indian rupee, dealers said. Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) pulled out Rs 400.68 crore on a net basis Friday, provisional data showed. Domestic bourses opened on a negative note Monday with benchmark indices Sensex trading 362.11 points down at 38,601.15 and Nifty down 112.75 points at 11,599.50. However, easing crude prices helped in restricting the slide in the Indian unit to some extent, they added. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 2.22 per cent to $69.28 per barrel. In January this year, Sun Pharma had announced a slew of measures, including replacement of its domestic formulations distributor Aditya Medisales and change of auditors for its arms. Sun Pharmaceuticals managing director Dilip Shanghvi has said that the company's board agreed in principle to form an ethics panel to supervise matters pertaining to corporate governance, said a media report. "In principle, the board has agreed to constitute a corporate governance and ethics committee to oversee corporate governance-related matters. This will be formalised in the ensuing board meeting," The Economic Times quoted Shanghvi as saying in an interview. Shanghvi said that the actions were legal and were in the best interests of the company adding that it was necessary to address investor concerns. He claimed that the board took major steps to strengthen governance standards further, the report said. In January this year, Sun Pharma had announced a slew of measures, including replacement of its domestic formulations distributor Aditya Medisales and change of auditors for its arms, in the wake of a second whistleblower complaint that raised corporate governance issues, said a PTI report. The company also announced the settlement of a transaction amounting to Rs 2,238 crore with Atlas Global Trading with which it had a supply agreement that had arisen out a patent litigation settlement over Protonix. Aditya Medisales is reported to have had transactions of over Rs 5,800 crore with a real estate firm, Suraksha Realty that is promoted by Sudhir Valia, who is the brother-in-law of Sun Pharma promoter Dilip Sanghvi. Valia is also an executive director in the pharmaceutical major. In December last year, markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) began to examine the whistleblower complaint against Shanghvi-led Sun Pharmaceutical Industries. In November 2018, a whistleblower had approached SEBI with a document alleging various irregularities by the company, its promoter Shanghvi and others. Shangvi earlier denied receiving any query from the markets regulator regarding the whistleblower complaint. In August 2017, Sun Pharmaceutical, Shanghvi and nine other entities settled an insider trading probe on payment of Rs 18 lakh towards settlement charges. However, reports stated that the regulator was likely to reopen the case as it had powers to reopen cases of a settlement related to insider trading on various grounds. With PTI inputs 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. New Delhi: Promoters of Vodafone Idea 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 on 5 May. With this contribution, the promoters' stake in the country's largest telecom operator increased marginally to 71.57 percent from 71.33 percent. "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," Vodafone Idea said in a statement. The promoter shareholdersVodafone Group and Aditya Birla Grouphad 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 percent versus 71.33 percent as on the record date (2 April, 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, Vodafone Idea. The Capital Raising Committee of the board of directors of Vodafone Idea Limited at its meeting on 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. The board of directors on 20 March cleared the Rs 25,000-crore rights issue at a price of Rs 12.50 per equity share, a steep 61 percent 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 10 April and closed on 24 April. 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 Bombay High Court, in a judgment delivered last week, rejected Lodha Developers request for an injunction to restrain an online citizen journalist. The Bombay High Court, in a judgment delivered last week, rejected Lodha Developers request for an injunction to restrain an online citizen journalist and two flat purchasers from publishing comments criticising them. The comments were posted on social media platforms like YouTube. Lodha Developers argued that five particular statements made by the defendant online were defamatory and untrue. Finding that the prima facie case requirement for grant of an injunction was not fulfilled, the court held that the statements seemed to fall squarely within the domain of fair comment. The freedom to express oneself fairly on any platform was thus given primacy over the aggressive wording of such statements. The court found no prima facie existence of malice or defamatory content during its individual analysis of each of the five impugned statements. On the contrary, there was a justifiable factual context behind the substance of those statements, coupled with the defendants ability to prove their veracity during trial. This, the court reasoned, was sufficient in law to deny a request for an injunction. Interestingly, considering that the impugned statements were published online, the court went a step forward to highlight that bold, independent and prejudiced comments are not necessarily unfair. Talking more specifically in the context of social media as an emerging platform to share ones views, the court, whilst recognising its outreach and influence, commented that certain negative elements of social media should not make the medium itself undesirable. Social media encourages plurality of opinion. This marks a major victory for online bloggers and writers, who are often considered unreliable and accused of promoting false propaganda into the minds of innocent readers. Today, the word press has its own nuances attached to it owing to the increased use of social media platforms in democracies. When assertion of opinions reaches an online public platform, a whole spectrum of journalistic rights and duties is created. Opinions, generally, are portrayed through hyperboles, something the court rightly identified as being aggressive. The essence of the asserters views lies in his/her choice of words, the advancements of which is an indispensable purpose of the media. If courts were to adjudicate upon the existence of defamation based on the choice of words rather than their underlying substance, it would effectively undermine the importance of the basic human right to free speech. Online blogs and vlogs are the most sought-after sources of information, encouraging people to make their own responsible judgments. Thus, their fullest scope can only be achieved when the sources of such opinions are allowed to represent conflicting perspectives. Citizen journalists, like the defendant in this case, need this freedom and right to information from sources nodal to their opinion. Rejection of these opinions merely because of the platform chosen for projection would lead to the fostering of noxious doctrines. The only way of weeding out these noxious doctrines effectively is the free trade of ideas. Right to freedom of expression, after all, does and must include right to fair criticism. Without this, the right is reduced to nothing but an illusion of the ideals of democracy that we try to achieve in the country, because a person might be punished for harmless publications while having the freedom to publish them. In a world where the lines of the grapevine network have been further entangled and the threshold that divides the reader from the journalist is slowly dissipating, the value of online articles cannot be mitigated. It is no longer just the publishing houses, the editors or the professional journalists that control the flow of information. The reader has become a major source of the same due to the available online platforms. They choose which pieces of information to forward, which, in its togetherness is an opinion on its own. Rejection of these pieces of information, or even a mitigation of the importance of the same, would also be a disregard of a persons opinion on another level. Thus, the Bombay High Courts judgment has come as a respite at a crucial time of a continuous tussle of opinions. The authors are second-year students at Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai 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. CBSE 10th Result 2019 | The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the results of the Class 10 board exams today on its official website. Two official websites have been set up for the purpose, which students can visit to check their scores. The websites are cbseresults.nic.in and cbse.nic.in. CBSE 10th Result 2019 | The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the results of the Class 10 board exams today at 3 pm on its official website. Two official websites have been set up for the purpose, which students can visit to check their scores. The websites are cbseresults.nic.in and cbse.nic.in. Both websites are easy to use and will direct you to pages where you will be able to log in with the details provided in your admit card. In both of these websites, once the results are out, you will be able to see notifications on the homepages, bearing announcements which you can click on. Follow LIVE updates here Below are the 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. The Class 10 CBSE exams were conducted between 2 February and 29 March. As many as 27 lakh candidates sat for the exam. The CBSE is a national level board of education in India to which nearly 19,316 schools in India and 211 schools in 28 foreign countries are affiliated. Studying a dedicated number of hours, a 'no social media' policy and sticking to NCERT books were among the mantras adopted by toppers of class 10 CBSE examination New Delhi: Studying a dedicated number of hours, a 'no social media' policy and sticking to NCERT books were among the mantras adopted by toppers of class 10 CBSE examination. While 13 students shared the top rank with a score of 499 out of 500 marks, the second rank has been bagged by 25 students with 498 marks and 59 students shared the third rank with 497 marks. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the class 10 exam results on Monday with 91.10 per cent candidates clearing the exam. "I maintained a schedule of studying four hours throughout the year rather than just pulling up my socks right before the exams. That is the mantra that helped me score well," said Taru Jain from Jaipur, who is among the top rankers. Poorti Srivastava from UP who has bagged the third rank said, "There are lot of reference books available in the market but my teachers asked me to restrict myself to NCERT books. And that idea of actually studying less worked for me". According to Shivani Lath from Mayoor School, Noida, who has bagged the first rank, "I adopted a 'no social media' policy two months before the exam so there were no distractions. Now I can proudly flaunt my result on Facebook". Siddhant Pengoriya from Noida's Lotus Valley School, who has scored 499 marks said, "I had expected to do well but not this well. My parents ideology of marks don't matter helped me have a relaxed mind and perform without any pressure". For Kerala's Bhavana N Sivadas, 499 marks will work as a motivational factor in her chasing UPSC dreams. "I have to crack the UPSC exam and join administrative services. The marks I have got in class 10 will give me motivation that I can perform well. Had I got less marks I would have felt demotivated, but the result has given me confidence to give my best in coming years." While Trivandrum region has got the best pass percentage, Uttar Pradesh is the best performing state in terms of toppers by securing maximum number of first, second and third positions in the country. The state's toppers list included eight of 13 first rankers, 13 of the 25 second rankers and 19 of the 59 third rankers. A total of 2.25 lakh students scored above 90 per cent and 57,256 scored above 95 per cent. The top position in the Children With Special Needs (CSWN) category, has been bagged by Kerala's Dilwin Prince with 493 marks. Coshin's Savan Vishoy and Irene Tresa Mathews have bagged the second and third ranks in the category with 492 and 491 marks respectively. Peter Mafany Musonge and Michelle Bachelet. NCPBM Visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet has been briefed on measures being taken by the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism to ensure a peaceful solution to crisis affecting Cameroon. The measures were narrated to the august guest last May 3, 2019 during an audience granted her and members of her delegation by the President of the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, Peter Mafany Musonge at Emergence building in Yaounde. Michelle Bachelet used the occasion to hail the government of Cameroon for measures taken so far to ensure the return of peace to the country. Speaking to reporters at the end of the brief audience, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said We came here to listen to members of the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism what they have been doing, their work, their skills and how they want to contribute to a peaceful solution to the challenges that Cameroon is living today. So, I want to thank them for that possibility to know the situation and to be made known what Cameroon is doing to get a peaceful solution to the crisis in the North West and South West regions. On a separate development, Peter Mafany Musonge accompanied as usual by the Commissions Vice President, Oumarou Djika and Secretary General, Dr Chi Asafor Cornelius later that day, also received in audience a delegation of Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group for closed door talks. The Bilingualism and Multiculturalism Commission has since its creation engaged in both listening and awareness raising missions and the evaluation of the sound implementation of constitutional provisions establishing English and French as two official languages of equal status. The most recent was the organisation of the Brainstorming Days on Living Together on April 11 and a colloquium on Multiculturalism on the 24 and 25 of the same month. Both events brought together Cameroonians from all walks of life; political, religious, ethnic, linguistic and cultural belonging. Their work consisted in brainstorming on the future of Cameroon, an exercise which gave rise to resolutions and recommendations to be submitted to the appreciation of top hierarchy and whose implementation will undoubtedly contribute to the resurgence of a climate of trust necessary for peace and the consolidation of national unity. Appointed UN Commissioner for Human Rights last August 10, 2018 by UN SG, Antonio Guterres, the former President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet whose second four-year term as President ended in March 2018, is the first woman to have been elected at the helm of power in Chile. 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. New Delhi: 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 3 May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Central government released Rs 1,000 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," Modi had said while addressing an election rally. The severe cyclonic storm Fani with a wind speed touching nearly 200 kmph made landfall at Puri coast on 3 May 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. Many poor families are left to fend for themselves at least for now as government aid is sparse and slow. Editor's note: Cyclone Fani has left in its wake a trail of destruction in Odisha. This multi-part reported series tells of who survived the devastation. *** At around 7.30 am on 3 May, all members of Benudhar Khuntia's (68) family that include his wife Bilasa, elder son Aswini who is mentally challenged, his wife Savita and three minor children and younger son Prasanna, 27, had something light for breakfast. Like any other day, their next meal would have been lunch which usually comprises rice, lentils and vegetables. Only that Cyclone Fani was standing in between breakfast and lunch which made landfall in coastal Odisha around 8 am. The wind soon turned into a squall, the rain torrential and nature's fury was in full display. Amid the storm, the Khuntia family in Kendubari sahi (hamlet) in Chanrapada panchayat of Nimapara block in Puri district, was confined to their two-room dingy house hoping this would soon pass over. Two-and-half hours later when the asbestos roof of their tiny storeroom gave away, Benudhar rushed out to protect his precious three paddy bags which the family would consume for the next four months at least. With only 14-15 decimal of land, each grain in those bags was invaluable for his family. Benu and his son Prasanna also worked in their betel vine plantation that the family owns for livelihood. As Benu entered the room he was heartbroken to see water pouring on the bags. He quickly tried to put a polyethene on them when a big stone supporting the wooden bar on which the asbestos rested fell on him. Soon bricks followed. Though the room was just a few feet away from where others were, no one could hear his cries as the combined sound of wind and rain was too loud. Minutes later when Bilasa tried to see what her husband was doing, much to her horror she found her husband lying motionless under the debris. She called the others, perhaps by then it was too late. Despite the fury of Cyclone Fani, Prasanna and some other youths of the village gathered the courage to carry Benudhar to the government hospital at Nimapara, seven kilometres away. They tried with a cycle, but as trees blocked the narrow village road at every 8-10 feet, they carried him on their shoulders. Despite being drenched by the heavy rain and battered by the wind, they managed to cover the distance in four hours. However, the doctors only confirmed their worst fears -- brought dead. Shattered, they begin their journey back home. It was already past 4 pm and the evening was approaching fast. The rains subsided by then but the cremation became an uphill task until someone from the panchayat office stepped in and gave them Rs 2,000 for dry woods under the Harischandra Sahayata Yojana. Finally, the villagers managed to get some dry woods and the burial rites went on well past midnight. Things happened so fast that Prasanna had little time to comprehend his tragic loss. Today, his face bears a stoic and concerned look. For the future of the family, particularly the three children of his elder brother are now on his lean shoulders. He is not married and can't even think of tying the nuptial knot for many years to come. The family's source of income the betel vine plantation was also destroyed by Cyclone Fani. "My husband looked after everything and with much difficulty ran the family. What will we do now, what will happen to the kids?" cried Bilasa, 62, as a dark future loomed. Benudhar's daughter-in-law Savita was far more distraught because of his sudden tragic demise as her husband is of little help. "My father-in-law was everything for us. I don't know why god is so unkind to me," she said trying to wipe out her tears. As their village is nestled 1.5 km away from the main road joining Nimapara and Uttara Chowk on the Bhubaneswar-Puri highway, which is still difficult to access due to fallen trees, the entire administration and media have preferred to focus more on the Puri town itself. Ashok Sahu, 30, the husband of Chanrapada sarpanch Samita Sahu has taken upon himself to clear the road to his village with a JCB machine. Generally, in Odisha the husbands of women sarpanchs carry out their wives' jobs, albeit unofficially. The elected ones attend meetings, sign papers, rest the husbands look after. "Benudhar is a Cyclone Fani casualty. We have given his family the money under the Harischandra Sahayata Yojana. The revenue inspector is assessing the damage. We will try to ensure all possible government help to his family," Sahu said. Prasanna, however, did not believe him. "My main job is to work hard and get the betel vine ready," he said. But it's easier said than done given the intensity of the damage. In another part of the cyclone-hit state, one-month-old Shradha is deep asleep on her mother Jyoti's chest. A few feet away nine-month-old Lipsa is looking quizzically. Her mother wants her to sleep, but she can't because of the heat and humidity. Lipsa and Shraddha are the tiniest members of the around 180 people of 60-70 families that have taken shelter at a school at Bhatabandha in Chanrapada panchayat. There are Trinath Pradhan, 37, and others like Gaurang Pradhan among others. They are all from Bania village, where their forefathers migrated from Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. Bhatabandha is on the Nimapada-Uttara Chowk main road. Both Trinath and Gaurang said all these people had moved to the school building after watching the warnings about the cyclone on TV. "No one informed us. We came on our own," said Trinath who looks much older than his age. "I have severe liver problems. For years I am seeing a doctor at Bhubaneswar's Sum Hospital. We came in a huff, so I forgot to carry medicine." Trinath is clueless if he will be able to find those medicines in his devastated house. "With everything gone, I don't think I will be able to buy medicines again," he said. In the makeshift camp, only a single tubewell in the school caters to their needs. However, food is a major problem. The family of ward member of Chanrapada panchayat, also a resident of Bania sahi, Laxmi Priya Das is also staying with her fellow villagers in the makeshift camp. "So far no assistance has reached us. The government hasn't given us not even a packet of stuffed or puffed rice. The kids are crying. I have met the sarpanch. The revenue inspector has seen our condition. But what can they do? The entire panchayat is in distress," Laxmi said. Jyoti and Gaurang said that a BJP worker had come with cooked rice and dalma (made of dal and vegetables) but the amount was insufficient. "Many of us couldn't get," they say. "We are purchasing biscuit packets with whatever we have for the children. They are crying. We can drink water and wait but they can't." The people in the makeshift camp don't bother the heat or humidity. What scares them is the night. Mosquitos are rampant and the fear of reptiles is always there. However, they have little choice but to be in the camp until they get their houses somewhat in order. Despite that, oblivious to the impact Cyclone Fani has caused in their lives, some kids used coconut branches as bats to play but then they only didn't have a proper ball. What is worrisome is that the camp in Bhatabandha is a roadside camp and still struggling to provide basic amenities to its inmates. Probably, the camps located in the interior areas are all left to fend for themselves until help from outside reaches them. Alarmingly though, that can take days. 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. New Delhi: 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 Model Code of Conduct is found, the decision is usually communicated to the complainant by a secretary. But the communication should be clear that the decision was made unanimously or by a majority," said one of the former CECs. He said the dissent note need not be sent along with 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 the Election Commission 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 with regard to his speech in Wardha on 1 April, 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 air strikes and the CRPF jawans killed in the Pulwama terror attack in Latur on 9 April. He had also reportedly given dissent in the clean chit to Shah for his Nagpur speech, in which the BJP chief had 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. According to the US' Congressional Research Service (CRS), 'India has been the largest regional contributor to Afghan reconstruction but New Delhi has not shown an inclination to pursue a deeper defence relationship with Kabul.' According to the US' Congressional Research Service (CRS), which prepares periodic reports for American lawmakers to make informed decisions, "India has been the largest regional contributor to Afghan reconstruction but New Delhi has not shown an inclination to pursue a deeper defence relationship with Kabul." This assertion is not without reason. As both the Narendra Modi-led BJP government and the Ashraf Ghani-led NUG government in Afghanistan have almost completed their five-year terms in office, it is pertinent to argue that India has continued with a low-key or developmental approach to crisis management in Afghanistan. As a result, New Delhi has failed to contribute meaningfully to conflict resolution in Afghanistan, and has chosen to pursue hesitant policies in the defence sector. Despite lofty claims, the Modi government has largely continued with India's conventional non-interventionist policy in Afghanistan, as pursued by the previous regime. The situation on the ground has deteriorated further since 2014 when the responsibility for Afghanistan's security was handed to Afghan security forces. The Afghan Taliban has maintained momentum on the battlefield, gradually expanding its territorial presence at the expense of the Kabul regime even as the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) has also gained a foothold in the war-torn country. Under these circumstances, the geostrategic repercussions for India of American withdrawal from Afghanistan, currently under discussion, are enormous. In so far as the eventual political settlement in Afghanistan is concerned, there are three very plausible scenarios: (1) The emergence of an interim government of national reconciliation, which will oversee a multi-party electoral contest, (2) A political free-for-all in Kabul, resulting in the overthrow of constitutional authority and resumption of civil war, (3) The military triumph of the Taliban, leading to the installation of a fundamentalist Islamist regime. India would welcome a broadly democratic regime in Kabul; such a government would be cool toward Islamabad, and this suits Indian aims. But this is the most ideal situation, which may not happen at all. This explains the need for India to save its huge investments in Afghanistan if the Pakistan-supported Taliban takes over Kabul. Under the previous United Progressive Alliance regime from 2004 to 2014, New Delhi became Afghanistan's fifth-largest donor with a total commitment of assistance reaching around $2 billion. India has enjoyed immense goodwill among the majority of the Afghan population through a combination of infrastructure projects and enhanced civil society engagement. With the Modi government expanding the scope of assistance, India has so far pledged and invested more than $3 billion in reconstruction and aid to Afghanistan. But in the security domain, India has continued to show inexplicable reluctance and pursued a hesitant approach on the provision of military equipment frequently requested by the Kabul regime. The 2011 Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two countries signed during the tenures of Hamid Karzai and Manmohan Singh has not been operationalised to even half its potential. India was the first country with which Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement, despite the US and Pakistan being very eager to do so. According to the CRS report, "Indian interest in Afghanistan stems largely from India's broader regional rivalry with Pakistan, which impedes Indian efforts to establish stronger and more direct commercial and political relations with Central Asia." Without any doubt, India has an undeniable interest in the stabilisation of Afghanistan. New Delhi desperately wants to ensure that the country does not become a terrorist safe haven from where terrorists are able to carry out attacks against India. Moreover, India has an abiding interest in viewing Afghanistan emerge as Indias bridge to Central Asia as reflected in New Delhis extraordinary efforts to open an India-Afghanistan air corridor. However, the Modi government has largely failed to bring about a decisive shift towards a more vigorous defence cooperation policy towards Afghanistan. India's approach is often identified as cautious, as seen in its reluctance to take measures to militarily contribute to stabilising Afghanistan. It must be noted that India did give hints of a significant policy shift when the Modi government donated lethal military equipment to Afghanistan four Mi-25 attack helicopters and three Cheetah utility helicopters in 2016. However, it was also reported in early 2018 that many of Afghanistan's military helicopters were grounded due to a lack of spares. The primary reason being the prohibition faced by the NATO countries from buying Russian-made military hardware required to repair the helicopters due to sanctions on Russia following the intervention in Crimea and Ukraine. That is why the US wanted Indian to help the Afghans. Many Afghan diplomats have expressed their country's frustration at repeated requests being either delayed or turned down by the Modi government. Items that are required by Kabul on a priority basis include utility and attack helicopters, tanks, artillery, ammunition and spares. However, in March 2018, the Modi government signed a pact with Belarus to supply the refurbished Mi-24 helicopters to Afghanistan. New Delhi is also a major training partner with Kabul that regularly sends military cadets for various training programs in Indian academies including the prestigious Indian Military Academy and the Officers Training Academy. This training cooperation has been a bright spot in Indian-Afghanistan relations. But much to the dismay of Afghan government, its requests for the delivery of other lethal military equipment have not been fully accepted by the Indian government. When Ghani realised the futility of directly engaging Pakistan's all-powerful military establishment he visited the GHQ in Rawalpindi and invited the Army and intelligence chiefs to Kabul, and even signed an abortive MoU between intelligence agencies NDS and ISI within a few months of taking power, his regime decided to cosy up to India again. Since then, he has been pressing for a greater security engagement with India, and these demands were increasingly supported by Washington. Unlike former US president Barack Obama, his successor Donald Trump has been vocal in inviting India to have a more robust economic and military role in Afghanistan. Trump's attitude is at complete variance with those of Pakistan's security establishment, which views any Indian engagement in Afghanistan as inimical to Pakistans strategic interests. This explains why Pakistan and its violent non-State proxies have responded aggressively to India's engagement in Afghanistan with occasional terror attacks on Indian personnel working in Afghanistan. Pakistan has long sought what military strategists call strategic depth in Afghanistan if India declares war. India's military presence in Afghanistan would be sufficient to make Pakistan feel threatened and cause retaliatory attacks in Kashmir. Therefore there is a broad consensus in India's strategic circles that any kind of 'boots on the ground' option is not viable; Indian 'boots on the ground' would also mean New Delhi becoming an active player in the New Great Game in Central Asia. The Modi government has therefore largely preferred to continue with the UPA's developmental approach in Afghanistan, and has travelled a little further in terms of strong defence cooperation with the beleaguered Kabul regime. However, this seems to be a self-contradictory policy: New Delhi is keen to increase its own influence and limit Pakistan's influence on Afghanistan. But this cannot be achieved by limiting engagement to a solely development-focused approach. Unsurprisingly, India finds itself marginalised in crucial peace negotiations between the Taliban and US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. The supply of military helicopters to Afghanistan gave the first clear signal that Modi wanted to pursue an interventionist policy to counter Pakistan's machinations in Afghanistan. But his reluctance to walk the extra mile seemed to be dictated by the need to avoid an open conflict with recalcitrant Pakistan. Like the UPA government, the Modi government was also not oblivious to the fact that a more robust security engagement with Kabul would certainly provoke megalomaniacal generals in Rawalpindi. In Pakistan's security calculations, Indian intentions towards Pakistan are always malevolent. In Pakistan's security calculations, Indian intentions towards Pakistan are always malevolent. But the logic of Pakistani provocation seems unsatisfactory now in view of the public announcement of "surgical strikes" in 2016 and "aerial strikes" in 2019 against Pakistan after terrorist attacks on Indian territory were found to be planned and engineered by Pakistan-based terrorists: if New Delhi believed that it could manage Pakistans retaliation following these strikes, then it could have easily managed assumed Pakistani retaliation against India's robust military support to the Afghan government. India's continued reluctance to participate in the stabilisation of Afghanistan by scaling up bilateral military cooperation can also be explained by the sustained influence of the Nehruvian strategic culture in Indian foreign policy bureaucracy that privileges non-alignment and non-intervention, unless vital security stakes are at stake. This is somewhat peculiar because the Modi government left nobody in doubt that it wanted to eliminate Nehruvian influences completely and replace them with the masculine Hindutva ideology fixated on a strong sense of national identity and national security. It remains to be seen whether the new government, irrespective of its ideological leanings, crosses the Rubicon in Afghanistan. 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 While the situation remained largely peaceful in south Kashmir during the first two phases, the third phase has witnessed violence. At Karimabad village of south Kashmirs Pulwama district, scores of youngsters are milling around the martyrs' graveyard. The soil on some graves looks fresh, as if the dead have been recently buried in them. Last year in December, seven civilians, most of them from this village, were killed by security forces retreating from the site of an encounter in the adjoining Sirnoo village. Three militants were killed in the encounter, but the memories of the bloodbath that day are still fresh in the minds of people. How can I forget that they killed (19-year-old) Shahnawaz, said Isaac, who gave only his first name, He was only offering water to an injured protester. How can I forget that day. If I vote, I will be murdering him again. At shopfronts, elderly men talk sarcastically about the ongoing election, the final leg of polling for the Anantnag parliamentary constituency. There will be 99 percent voter turnout, one man with a beard said in a serious tone. In some polling stations, the shopkeeper in Kareemabad responded. And what about the rest? the bearded man asked with genuine curiosity. They will record 100 percent turnout. The group burst into laughter. The roadside conversations illustrate the alienation, anger and apathy of the electorate in south Kashmir towards the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The four districts of Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag were at the epicentre of mass unrest in Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. While a semblance of normalcy has gradually returned to other parts of the Valley, south Kashmir continues to reel under tensions. From the past four days, mobile internet has been suspended. Security forces have put dozens of youth into preventive custody to avoid any law and order disturbances. Despite this, protests were reported on Monday from several areas. At 3 pm, a little over two percent votes were polled. According to officials, dozens of polling stations recorded zero percent turnout. The polling percentage has largely been driven by enthusiasm among the voters living in far-flung areas of the two districts, where people are cut-off from the tensions in the mainland. The polling in the two districts will end the election for the volatile Anantnag parliamentary constituency, which was divided into three phases due to security concerns. While the situation remained largely peaceful during the first two phases, the third phase has witnessed violence. According to reports, suspected militants lobbed grenades at four polling stations in Pulwama. On Sunday night, clashes were reported from dozens of places in the two districts as buses and trucks carrying polling staff and security personnel chugged into the poll-bound areas. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Dozens of polling stations were clubbed to avoid venturing into areas where militant or civilian killings have been reported recently, or where there is an active militant, a senior police officer said. Last night, the situation turned so dangerous that the state administration had to airdrop 24 members of the polling staff for Zainapora area in Shopian to avoid any confrontation with the civilian population. There has been some polling in Munlo, Shansmarg, Khrew, Hirpora, Kellar and other areas but it has not been not as per our expectations, a visibly upset Aijaz Mir, a former PDP legislator who was present at Zainapora polling station, said. At 11.45 am, 93 out of 871 votes were polled in Zainapora-A polling station, while 99 votes out of 997 were cast in Zainapora-B polling station. With the polling stations closing at 4 pm instead of 6 pm, to allow the polling staff to leave the areas in daylight, officials are not expecting any major turnaround in the voting trends. By casting votes, we would be trading the blood of our martyrs. What has India given us other than spilling the blood of our younger generation? And even if anyone desires to vote, the polling station is five kilometres away, Aijaz Rasool, who works as a teacher at a private school in Pulwama, said. TS SSC Class 10 results 2019 | The Telangana board released the 2019 SSC Class 10 exam results today (13 May) on the official website bse.telangana.gov.in. TS SSC Class 10 results 2019 Declared | The Telangana State Board of Secondary Education (TSBSE) released the 2019 results of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or Class 10 exam results today (Monday, 13 May). Students can check their SSC or Class 10 scores on the TBSE official website, bse.telangana.gov.in. This year, Telangana SSC exam, held from 16 March to 2 April, saw a turnout of 5,52,302 students, including 2,55,318 boys and 2,52,492 girls from 11,023 schools. Of the total, 5,07,810 were registered as regular students and 44,492 as private candidates. Follow LIVE updates on the Telangana Class 10 results here How to check Telangana Class 10 exams results: Step 1: Visit the official website bse.telangana.gov.in Step 2: Look for the TS SSC 2019 result link and select it. Step 3: Enter your details like hall ticket number and date of birth as mentioned in your SSC admit card to get your Telangana board Result 2019. Step 4: Once the details are submitted, your result will appear on the screen. Step 5: Students are advised to take a printout of these results for future reference. Students can also check their scores right here on Firstpost by entering their details below. About the Telangana board: The state board of Telangana is divided into two sections according to the examinations it conducts. The Telangana Board of Secondary Education conducts the SSC exams and the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education conducts the intermediate (Class 11 and Class 12) exams. TBSE was established in 2014. Children are not voters, which is why their needs are often neglected. It is the collective responsibility of all citizens to protect children from child sexual abuse and ensure that they have a childhood free of any abuse. Ahmedabad: Child sexual abuse is a pandemic in India, and massive steps need to be taken to stop it so children, the future of our country, are not destroyed. The government enacted the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, to curb this menace wherein over half the children of India, or 53 percent, have faced one or the other form of sexual abuse, according to a large-scale government study conducted in 2007. However, when we see that the rate of conviction in cases under the POCSO Act is less than 20 percent and that over 90 percent of these cases are pending in court, it is clear that the law is not proving to be a deterrent. Also, in 52 percent of the cases, the child molesters and rapists are uncles and older cousins. Cases also go unreported due to the silence of children who are victims of child sexual abuse as much as 72 percent children dont tell anyone about the abuse they have been through, which means they are abused over a long period of time. In such a scenario, prevention rather than cure should be the way to go. We, in India, need to ensure that our children live a life of dignity free from sexual abuse, and the best way is to ensure that all children are educated about personal safety. Also, there needs to be enough public awareness campaigns to sensitive parents, teachers, children, guardians and even potential child abusers to nip the evil in the bud and put an end to the crime before it has the chance of being perpetrated. Studies have shown that educating children about personal safety and creating awareness about the dangers of sexual abuse of children can be an effective tool in curbing the problem. With this in mind, Sabfree Foundation, an NGO that works to provide an ecosystem for survivors of child sexual abuse in Gujarat, submitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Gujarat High Court on 2 May, calling for the state government to screen short films on child sexual abuse and related issues in cinema halls before a movie to create public awareness. The PIL also calls for the government to create awareness through television channels, radio and print media to ensure children's safety and that there is no more silence over child sexual abuse. This is the first such PIL urging the government to create awareness about child sexual abuse. It emphasises the need to have education on personal safety be made compulsory in schools and colleges so that children are trained to protect themselves against sexual abuse and are able to seek help from the right people in case they are being abused or facing attempts. The high court took cognisance of the petition and issued notices to all six respondents from the Central and state governments. These include the Ministry of Women and Child Development, National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, Ministry of Home Affairs, Gujarat State Department of Women and Child Protection, Gujarat State Education Department and Gujarat State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. It needs to be pointed out that Section 43 of the POCSO Act stipulates that the Central and state governments take all measures to ensure that all provisions of the Act are widely publicised through the media at regular intervals to make the general public, children as well as parents and guardians aware of the provisions of the law. The Act also states that concerned persons, including police officers, are imparted periodic training on matter related to the implementation of the provisions of the Act. It is vital to ensure that no child is ever sexually abused as it has lasting effects. These include poor academic performance, relationship problems, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse, obesity, marital discord, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, poor mental and physical health, poor leadership qualities, low level of achievements in adult life and poor parental relationships. A child who has been sexually abused needs sustained counseling to be able to be free of the effects of child sexual abuse. However, in India, there is a severe shortage of trained counselors to help tackle the massive numbers of child victims. It costs a lot of money to avail of counseling services, and such counseling also needs to be available constantly. Availability and costs are major hindrances to counseling for survivors and also areas that are severely neglected in India. The law stipulates that survivors of child sexual abuse should be provided counseling, but the Act doesnt specify how much and for how long, which is why in most cases, counseling is not is adequately provided. Shital Pradeep from Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Gujarat, said, Victims of child sexual abuse who live in shelter homes are provided counseling, but others don't get counseling regularly or adequately. Given how traumatic and lasting the effects of sexual abuse are and considering the damage it does to a childs life, the best way to curb child sexual abuse would be if everyone takes up the responsibility to put an end to it. The onus to stop child sexual abuse cannot be on the children. Adults have to ensure that children are protected be it is parents, teachers, community leaders or people in the neighbourhood, school authorities and other care givers. It will take every person to stop this disease in the country. Furthermore, given the scale of the problem and the number of children who face sexual abuse, it will be a massive exercise to reach out to all quarters and create awareness, which can only be achieved through mass communication. The silence surrounding child sexual abuse has to be broken, and each and every person has to be educated not only about the lasting effects of child sexual abuse but also about the law and how stringent it is as far as sexual abuse of children is concerned. Children are not voters, which is why their needs are often neglected. But when every second child is being abused, it becomes the collective responsibility of all citizens of India to protect them and ensure that they have a childhood free of any abuse. The author is a survivor of child sexual abuse. She is the director of Sabfree Foundation and a strong voice against child sexual abuse Twenty-one of the 34 deaths in Cyclone Fani were registered in Puri district in Odisha, where the storm made a landfall on Friday, flattening fragile houses, uprooting scores of trees, electric poles and mobile towers. Bhubaneswar: The toll in Cyclone Fani mounted to 34 in Odisha on Sunday, two days after it caused widespread damage in the coastal region and left hundreds grappling with water shortage and power cuts, an official said. Although the official figure is 34, many more are feared dead in the calamity as information from several areas, including the severely-damaged Khurda district, is still awaited. The number of people affected by the cyclone has also jumped to around 1.08 crore in 14,835 villages spread across at least 11 districts, the official said, adding that over 13.41 lakh people had been evacuated in a span of 24 hours ahead of the disaster. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already unveiled a relief package for those affected by the calamity. In Puri and in those parts of Khurda that had been "extremely severely affected", the families will get 50 kg of rice, Rs 2,000 in cash and polythene sheets if they are covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Patnaik said. For the rest of Khurda district, categorised as "severely affected", the NFSA families will get a month's quota of rice, Rs 1,000 and polythene sheets, Patnaik said. 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. 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. Patnaik, who visited the cyclone-ravaged Puri and distributed relief to the affected people, claimed that water supply had been restored in 70 percent areas of the seaside pilgrim town and 40 percent of the places in Bhubaneswar. "I hope water supply will be fully restored in Bhubaneswar shortly and at least in 90 percent areas of Puri town by Monday," he 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." Patnaik, 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 Bhubaneswar, which continued without electricity for the third day on Sunday. According to Chief Secretary AP Padhi, 21 of the 34 deaths were registered in Puri district, where the storm made a landfall on Friday, flattening fragile houses, uprooting scores of trees, electric poles and mobile towers. Giving the break up, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said four deaths each were reported from Jajpur and Mayurbhanj districts, and two from Cuttack, while Kendrapara district accounted for three casualties. The massive evacuation, touted as the largest ever ahead of a natural calamity in the country, played a major role in keeping human casualties to a minimum, he said, adding nearly 25,000 tourists had also been evacuated from Puri, Ganjam and Balasore districts as a precautionary measure. The state government had mounted a massive restoration work across 14,835 villages and 46 urban areas ravaged by the storm, affecting 1.08 crore people, Sethi said. The "extremely-severe" cyclone, one of the "rarest of rare", unleashed copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 240 kilometre per hour on Friday, blowing away thatched houses and swamping towns and villages, before weakening and entering West Bengal. As the cyclone barrelled through entire coastal Odisha, 11 districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Mayurbhanj and Puri were severely affected. Assuring that efforts were on to restore electricity supply 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. The SRC said clearing of roads and power restoration work was in full swing, while 321 mobile medical teams had been deployed with adequate number of doctors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Odisha to review the situation. Modi had spoken to Patnaik on Saturday and assured continuous support from the Centre for the rehabilitation work. Meanwhile, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) 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. The Telangana State Board of Secondary Education (TSBSE) declared the SSC Class 10 exam results today on official website bse.telangana.gov.in. TS 10th Result 2019 Declared | The Telangana State Board of Secondary Education (TSBSE) announced the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or Class 10 exam results today, (Monday, 13 May). Students are advised to keep an eye on TBSE official website bse.telangana.gov.in for their scores. This year, the Telangana board conducted the SSC or Class 10 exams from 16 March to 2 April. As a large number of students will be visiting the website once the results are declared, the TBSE official website might crash or become unresponsive. But students must not to panic. While the temporary glitch is being fixed, there are alternative websites students can check to access their Class 10 results. Follow LIVE updates on the Telangana Class 10 results here Check results on Firstpost Students can check their scores right here on Firstpost by entering their details below. Students can also visit results.cgg.gov.in, examresults.net and manabadi.com to access their results in case the official website slows down. Steps on how to check 2019 TS SSC Class 10 results: Step 1: Visit the website manabadi.com Step 2: Look for the 'TS board SSC results 2019' link and select it. Step 3: Fill in your details, including registration number and date of birth, as mentioned in your hall ticket, to get your Telangana Board Result 2019. Step 4: Once the details are submitted, your result will appear on the screen. Step 5: Students are advised to take a printout of their results for future reference. SMS services: Those unable to access their results via the internet can avail the board's SMS service. To receive a result on SMS, type TS10REGISTRATION NUMBER and send it to 56263. About the Telangana board: The state board of Telangana is divided into two sections according to the examinations it conducts. The Telangana Board of Secondary Education conducts the SSC exams and the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education conducts the intermediate (Class 11 and Class 12) exams. TBSE was established in 2014. Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 5:52PM Confused? Well, we cant blame you. Google Maps is trying out a new feature that doesnt have anything to do with navigation. Instead, it might make life easier for you to decide where to eat as you plot your course within the navigation app. Google is adding a Popular dishes feature within the app that shows food menus with photos crowdsourced from users in search results. If you check out restaurants in Google Maps, some of these already offer a Menu tab sans photos. This could change with this test. This Menu tab has different sections and the photos show up in the Popular tab. As the report from 9to5Google notes, it seems only items that are frequently cited in reviews get pictures. This might seem like a useful feature for some users, but others might think this adds bloat to the app. It does bring the app closer to becoming a Yelp competitor. What do you think? Is this something you need? Schools in Sri Lanka resumed classes on Monday with few students arriving in classrooms, two weeks after the devastating Easter Sunday bombings Colombo: Schools in Sri Lanka resumed classes on Monday with few students arriving in classrooms, two weeks after the devastating Easter Sunday bombings forced the authorities to close the educational institutions. Amid tight security, the classes commenced for mid-to-upper stream (grades 6 to 13) and will be followed by lower grades (1 to 5) on 13 May. "The second academic term for school children in grade 6 and above classes, commenced today (Monday). The three armed forces, police, civil security officers, parents and old boys gathered at their respective schools to provide protection," News 1ST channel reported. 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. Despite the tight security arrangements, most classrooms were near empty. Private schools, including Catholic institutions, remained closed. The attendance of teachers was also low, the report said. An extensive security programme has been implemented in schools. Special circulars have been issued by the Education Ministry about the security of the schools. Children will have to carry transparent or see-through school bags, lunch boxes and water bottles. 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. 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. Sri Lanka has imposed a state of emergency since the attacks and given sweeping powers to soldiers and police to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. House-to-house searches are being carried out across the country looking for explosives and propaganda material of Islamic extremists. 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 & III Examining plight of Mandya's farmers, and of TN's fluorosis belt residents *** *** *** CHAPTER IV The locals of Salem, Erode, Karur and Namakkal districts look upon the Cauvery as sacred. The confluence of the Cauvery with the Bhavani and Saraswati is called Triveni Sangamam, and is a Hindu pilgrimage site. However, the river runs dry for a large part of the year, exposing itself and the banks to all manners of harsh activities. Instead of a swathe of rippling blue, the river stands still, its surface covered with masses of water hyacinth. The wide-leaved plants, with their attractive blooms, grow quickly, eventually covering the surface of any water body they grow in. The stretches of the Cauvery covered by the weed have been lying stagnant for months, for want of being cleared out by the local authorities of the Public Works Department. Not only does this lead to mosquito breeding and waterborne communicable diseases, pumping the river water to the Bhavani Kattalai Barrage 2, for hydroelectricity generation, also becomes difficult. Further, as one goes towards the interior near the areas of Ashokapuram in Bhavani, Erode the effluents from dyeing units are discharged into the canals, mix with the local sewage, and finally drain into the Cauvery. In Bhavani, the municipal town named after the river houses 100 illegal dyeing units that do not possess the license to operate. Not to make the discharge evident, the dyeing units release colourless dyes during the day and coloured dyes from 11 pm to 3 am, every day. Other areas such as Pallipalyam and Kumarapalyam, that house a number of power loom and dyeing units, also discharge their waste into the canals. The banks of the Cauvery between Pazhaiyapallam and Bhavanipallam accommodate a stretch of houses that were built by encroaching on the river banks. A combination of kutcha and pucca structures, there are at least 1,500 of these houses. The illegal occupation and building of these residences on the river bed has been allowed by authorities who are more interested in building a vote bank than protecting the river. The traditional crop cultivators of Namakkal and Karur have turned to growing Korai grass in the face of the pollution, inadequate monsoon and water scarcity. The grass is traditionally used to make mattresses. However, the acute water shortage has affected even this grass, which grows to a height of six feet. The small-scale industries that weave mattress from the grass now face a shortfall in the source of their livelihood. SAND MINING Adding to the impact of the deforestation in Karnataka, the illegal sand mining on the banks of the Cauvery in Tamil Nadu results in the river being stripped of its essential components. Earthmovers work the riverbed, digging beyond the permissible depth and quantity, leading to severe damages to the water table. As against the permissible limit of mining up to 1 metre (3.3 feet), the illegal sand mafia excavates the riverbeds of various tributaries of Cauvery up to 6 metres (20 feet); these tributaries fulfil the drinking water needs of 20 out of 30 districts in Tamil Nadu. The districts of Trichy and Karur, where the rivers Coleroon and Cauvery respectively flow, contribute about 8,000-9,000 lorries of sand to the final output. The construction boom in 2008 and subsequent encroachments along the riverbed have fuelled the need for sand and sand mining, and lowered the water table in the river through reduced rainfall patterns. The sand, acting as a sponge, helps the water to percolate and thus increases the water table. Gravel extraction also paves the way for erosion of banks and river bottom, eradicating the riverbed biological system responsible for self- purification of streams. The sterile bottom then takes years to recolonise. The business of sand mining took off in the 1980s, with the local politicians seizing the opportunity to supply sand for the construction boom within the state. The lucrative business soon drew those higher up the political ladder. In the 1990s, when the AIADMK came into power, it implemented a clause that gave the state freedom to issue leases to mine sand, without conducting auctions. This resulted in 35 leases being given to a single miner in Karur in 2001. Coincidently, Cauvery runs the widest (1.5 km) through her course in Mayanur, Karur. Failing to follow sustainable sand mining since then, the Public Works Department, since 2003, had had control over operating sand quarries. (The department is ultimately controlled by any one of the two Dravidian political parties DMK or AIADMK in power.) However, the PWD couldnt single-handedly control the operations and eventually began to outsource the working of the sand quarries, after an inspection of the load and permit. In practice, corruption meant the Rs 20,000 crore business could flourish as a smooth illegal trade regardless of which party was in power. *** *** *** Full bibliography and references list here. Next: Chapter V The Farmers of the Rice Bowl Anusha Sundar is a (photo)journalist with an eye for environmental, cultural and human-centric stories. Follow her work on Instagram In Ludhiana to campaign for Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Ravneet Singh Bittu, Rawat on Sunday said, 'Our leader has said it clearly we'll decide after election results that who will be the Prime Minister.' Ludhiana (Punjab): While a few mahagathbandhan or Opposition leaders are projecting Congress president Rahul Gandhi as a prime ministerial candidate, senior party leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat said that they would decide after Lok Sabha election results on 23 May who the Prime Minister would be. In Ludhiana to campaign for Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Ravneet Singh Bittu, Rawat on Sunday said, "Our leader has said it clearly we'll decide after election results that who will be the Prime Minister." "But like Sharad Pawar Ji has said it again and again, 'coalition Government has always been successful', an example of which is 2004-2014, when Singh was king," he added. DMK president MK Stalin and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had batted for Rahul as a prime ministerial candidate. Seven phased Lok Sabha elections which started on 11 April, will conclude on 1 9 May. Results will be announced on 23 May. The desperation that Uttar Pradesh's Muslims once felt is now that of the Delhi liberals largely because of the Congress' failure to ally with AAP. Pity the liberals of Delhi, so keen on scripting the defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party, yet exasperatingly confused over whether the Aam Aadmi Party or the Congress is best placed to trounce the BJP in the National Capitals seven Lok Sabha constituencies. Fearing that their confusion could split the anti-BJP votes, they are obsessed about gauging whether the AAP or the Congress has the wind in its sails. The dilemma of Delhis liberals was once that of the Muslims of Uttar Pradesh. They voted strategically, choosing to support the non-BJP party they perceived was most likely to gather the maximum number of Hindu votes in a constituency. Their assumption was that their votes would enhance that partys chances of trumping the BJP. The phenomenon of strategic voting had Muslims alter their voting decisions the night before polling day, often leading to their votes getting scattered. This was because their assessment of which party was best placed to vanquish the BJP was based on gut feeling, not on a scientifically designed survey. However, in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the dilemma of Muslims was resolved in most constituencies of Uttar Pradesh because of the alliance between the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party, the principal repositories of the communitys votes. The desperation of Uttar Pradeshs Muslims is now that of the Delhi liberals largely because of the failure of the Congress to stitch an alliance with the AAP. Their desperation arises from their awareness that they are not numerous enough to provide a decisive edge to either the AAP or the Congress, and that their votes will acquire a salience only when they vote the way the teeming residents of the slums and jhuggi-jhopris will. But this is an onerous task for Delhis liberals to undertake. This is because unlike Uttar Pradeshs Muslims, they do not share their living space with the poor. They live in gated colonies. Their interaction with the subalterns is limited to their drivers, their neighbourhoods chowkidars, the maids who come to clean their houses or to cook, the man in the colony who irons their clothes, the plumber who comes to fix a leaking faucet, the driver of the taxi or the three-wheeler they use occasionally, the owner of the grocery store they patronise and the kiosk from where they purchase their cigarettes. To each of them, Delhis liberals have lately taken to asking: Do you think the AAPs broom will sweep out the BJPs lotus or the Congress panja (hand) will crush it? Which of the two parties do the people where you live support? In response, the service staff often bat their eyes in incomprehension, wondering why sahibs and memsahibs have chosen to bestow on them the honour of engaging them in a political discussion. They try to figure out an answer most likely to please the bleeding-heart liberal, their patron. Call it the vanity of liberals, or their hubris, they are oblivious of the fact that their votes dont really count. There hasnt been a survey done to estimate the percentage of liberals in Delhis population. It is almost impossible that they are anywhere near 19 percent of Delhis population, as Muslims are of Uttar Pradeshs. A survey to figure out the ideological orientation of Delhis population will necessarily run into the problem of definition: Who is a liberal? The answer: That Delhiite is a liberal who will not vote for the BJP, but cant also quite make up his or her mind about which party to support. It was this confusion that prompted them, unlike the poor, to vote for the Congress in the 2013 Assembly election, a factor why the AAP failed to muster a majority on its electoral debut. Learning their lesson quick, a large chunk of liberals voted for the AAP in the 2015 Delhi Assembly election and rejoiced that they were on the winning side at the time the BJP seemed invincible. They loved the battle that the AAP fought vigorously and daringly, conveniently forgetting that they had been suspicious of AAPs secular credentials, labeling it as right-wing. Delhis liberals also secretly desire that Indias politics should be as calm, orderly and boringly staid as their neighbourhood. A degree of disenchantment with the AAP set in as its leaders continued to boisterously resist the Central government encroaching on its powers. It made the liberal ask: Do they have to fight all the time? The liberals other secret desire is to be on the winning side, as long as that side isnt the BJP. His or her mood began to change as the AAP lost the 2017 Punjab Assembly election, not least because the winner was not BJP-Akali Dal, but the Congress. Soon after, the BJP won Delhis municipal polls, bagging 37 percent of the votes; the AAP came in second with 26 percent of the votes, five percent ahead of the Congress, which was placed third. It was just the moment for the liberal to distance himself or herself from the AAPs politics of brinkmanship. The liberals, therefore, began to hum: The Congress is on the path of revival; the AAPs future is bleak. The liberals prognosis of Delhis politics glossed over certain fundamental facts. The voter turnout in the municipal polls was 53.58 percent, or 13.55 percent less than the 67.13 percent turnout registered in the 2015 Assembly election. It is also possible that the AAPs defeat in Punjab dampened the mood of its cadre in Delhi. More significantly, it is disingenuous to issue certificates of fitness to political parties on the basis of their performance in municipal polls, where the constituencies are small and the electoral dynamics very different from that of the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. As a test, ask the next-door liberal to name the councillor of his or her ward. Chances are he or she wouldnt know the answer. Ask the same person the name of the contenders in his or her Lok Sabha constituency, he or she will rattle out the names. Liberals believe in high thinking and high living, snobbishly recoiling from politics that has the cleaning of drains as its centerpiece. Nor was the liberal willing to rethink when, a few months after the municipal polls, the AAP won the Bawana Assembly bypoll in Delhi by 24,000 votes, bagging 59,886 votes against the BJPs 35, 834 and the Congress 31, 919. Yet they will not ponder over the perils of strategic voting. Indeed, strategic voting, by definition, is negative. The recipient of strategic votes does not have to strive to prove its mettle to voters. It has to merely fan their fears to garner their support. Strategic voters are perceived as unreliable because of their tendency to switch their loyalty overnight, which is why no political party bothers to award them for their votes. This is one reason why, historically, the participation of Uttar Pradeshs Muslims in power has been disproportionately lower than their percentage in the states population. Delhis liberals do not need a slice of power, networked as they are into the citys elite structure. But what they hanker after is to shape India and Delhis politics according to their imagination. It is, therefore, surprising that Delhis liberals should not take into consideration AAP candidate Atishi Marlenas contribution in restructuring the government schooling system, but obsess over whether her Congress rival, Arvinder Singh Lovely, is better placed to defeat the BJP. Likewise, for Delhis liberals, the choice between AAPs Raghav Chadha and the Congresss Vijender Singh should be a no-brainer. Yet this writer has been witness to intense discussions among liberals trying to figure out who between them has a better chance of vanquishing the BJPs Ramesh Bidhuri. Let alone these two candidates, the AAP has generally adhered to the liberals imagination of investing funds and energy into the citys creaking social structure. He or she get power and water cheap, but it is well nigh impossible for them to feel grateful, for their list of demands is as inexhaustible as that of a pampered child. Then again, long before Congress president Rahul Gandhi thought of the Rafale deal, the AAP had thrown the gauntlet to the BJPs supremacy. In fact, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which is ideologically poles apart from the AAP, recently issued a statement that said: The Congress cannot provide a credible challenge to the BJP in Delhi given substantial erosion in its mass base in the state. It has played a negative role vis-a-vis the AAP state government, and it appears to consider the AAP and not the BJP as its main enemy in Delhi. Besides, it has adopted soft Hindutva tactics It is possible some of Delhis liberals will vehemently disagree with the CPMs statement and genuinely think the Grand Old Party is good for Delhi and India. They should very well vote for it, instead of trying to figure whether the AAP or the Congress is best placed to defeat the BJP. It is good neither for the liberals nor for politics to vote negatively and non-ideologically on the erroneous assumption that their votes can vanquish the BJP. It only exposes the hypocrisy of Delhis liberals. Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared in the Supreme Court to submit a petition against the Election Commission's clean chit to Narendra Modi, Amit Shah. Congress spokesperson and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Monday appeared for party MP Sushmita Dev in Supreme Court to submit a petition against the Election Commission's clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah in cases of alleged Model Code of Conduct violations during Lok Sabha election campaigns. Singhvi told the court that five of the six decisions had dissents of an election commissioner, but none of them were supplied to the appealing party and no reason was given for the same. Singhvi said that identical words were used by other politicians against whom the Election Commission had taken action, but Modi and Shah were let off. According to The Indian Express and NDTV, the poll body's decisions in these cases were not unanimous. The Election Commission comprises Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and election commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra. One officer had reportedly dissented in all these decisions. Singhvi also urged the apex court to lay down guidelines for action to be taken in such cases so that the poll panel operates in a free and fair manner in future elections. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta has listed the matter for further hearing on Wednesday. Dev will submit documents related to the Election Commission's orders on record in the court for more deliberation on the subject. In her plea, Dev has alleged MCC violations by Modi and Shah over their alleged hate speeches and using armed forces for "political propaganda". She has alleged that "inaction" by the poll panel on complaints against top BJP leaders was "a sign of invidious discrimination" as also "arbitrary, capricious and impermissible" as it was destructive of the integrity of electoral process. It has been alleged that BJP leaders have been violating the model code of conduct during the last four weeks and the EC has not taken any decisions on as many as 40 complaints of Congress party. "Since 10 March, the prime minister and Shah, specifically in sensitive areas and states, have ex-facie violated the provisions of the Representation of People's Act and the Conduct of Election Rules and the process, thereof," the plea has claimed. "It is in public domain that they have indulged in hate speeches, repeatedly used the armed forces for political propaganda, despite a clear prohibition on the same by the EC," Dev has alleged. She has said that she has been constrained to move to the top court to seek direction to the EC "to expeditiously take action on multiple representations/ complaints pending before the EC" against Modi and Shah. Alleging inaction on the part of EC, the plea said it has not been taking actions "despite cogent evidence" and exhortations to the EC demonstrated "abdication and indecision and a complete absence of justice, in ensuring a level playing field in ensuing general elections". "The inactions, omissions, and commissions by the EC are in complete and direct violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and which are impeding free, fair and unbiased general elections," the plea has said. It has also referred to the EC's circulars prohibiting parties and candidates from using pictures of armed forces for their political propaganda and using religions. The plea has said that under the Constitution, the poll panel is the "watchdog of free and fair elections and is duty-bound to circumvent the pressure and ascertain that ensuing elections are free from any impediments in order to uphold the democratic sanctity and fundamental rights of the voter" The Election Commission had disposed of complaints against Modi and Shah for alleging violating the Model Code of Conduct, giving clean chits to the duo. In April, the Supreme Court had directed the poll body to make a decision on all pending complaints by 6 May, while considering a petition filed by Dev. The Congress leader had said that 11 representations had been made to the Election Commission against Modi and Shah, but the polling authority had made decisions on only two. The poll panel had given a clean chit to Modi for two of his speeches one in Latur last month urging first-time voters to dedicate their votes to the Balakot air strikes and the CRPF soldiers killed in the Pulwama attack, and the other in Wardha on 1 April, slamming Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for contesting from Wayanad, a constituency in Kerala where Modi said there were more voters from the minority community. On 2 May, the Election Commission disposed of the third complaint against Modi, finding no poll code violation in his speech in Barmer in Rajasthan, where he had warned Pakistan, saying India's nuclear arsenal was not meant for Diwali. "Every other day, they used to say 'we have a nuclear button'. What do we have then? Have we kept it for Diwali?" he had said. On Saturday, it gave Modi clean chit in a complaint filed against him for mentioning Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan's return during an election campaign. Moreover, Shah's comments in a speech in Nagpur, where he said "Rahul Gandhi is contesting from such a place where it is impossible to say when a procession is taken out, whether it is a procession in India or Pakistan" were also not found objectionable by the Election Commission. This was another reference to Wayanad. None of these orders were uploaded on the official website of the Election Commission, which Singhvi pointed out in court. With inputs from PTI Disillusioned with the poor employment situation, Dalits of Prime Minister Modis constituency are turning to business to tide over their precarious economic conditions In the narrow alleyways of Varanasi, one of the oldest living cities of the world and among the holiest for the Hindus, a silent revolution is underway. Away from the bustling ghats of the Ganga, these streets are a squeeze and it is in these tight corners that Dalit Capitalism is taking root. These new capitalists do not seek merely to enter an elite club of millionaires. They want to create businesses that will employ Dalit youngsters, foster entrepreneurship and boost the purchasing power of their social strata. One site where this bold socio-political experiment is being attempted falls on the Varanasi-Azamgarh road to the north of the city. Here, around 10 retired government officials have pooled Rs 2.5 crore from their savings and invested in a shopping arcade named B-Megamart, short for Bhim Megamart. These retirees, all Dalits, first met in the spring of 2016, at a protest against a Supreme Court ruling that had stopped immediate arrests under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The trigger to start an enterprise was those protests. We decided that we need Dalit promoters who will employ Dalit workers because government jobs are shrinking and discrimination against us is rising, says Chhedilal Paswan, a retired electrical engineer and a B-Megamart partner. Shyam Narayan Prasad, a Dalit activist who supports the venture, wants wealth creation to expand. Ninety per cent of the countrys wealth is with 10% of the people. Neither we are traditionally traders nor we are picked as employees. We need to build enterprises to create respectable work for ourselves, Prasad says. The aim is not to get rich, says P Ram, a retired income tax official and another B-Megamart investor. This is our way of giving back to the Bahujan Samaj. They approached several banks for loans but were turned down as they lacked collateral. Therefore, they registered a limited liability partnership funded with their private savings. If B-Mart succeeds, we hope to encourage more people to launch similar enterprises, says Prasad. Protest enterprise The tenor of this group is combative, harking back to the 1980s, when the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) exhorted better-off Dalits to return to villages and educate their friends and family. Dalit protests have pockmarked the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) term in office. B-Megamarts promoters conceive their project as another kind of protest, reflecting their disagreement with the ruling dispensations economic and social policies, including 10% reservation for the poor among the upper castes. We did not get our rights under this government. They interpret the Atrocities Act the way they want and perpetuate our neglect, says Ram. Capital and profit are the paths these Dalit-Bahujans have chosen, but with a measure of trepidation. For instance, Bhim Megamart, inexorably linked with Dalit identity, was rebranded as B-Megamart. We were afraid, says Paswan. Some customers might have been put off by the word Bhim. We avoided that risk. Bhim is a nod to Dalit icon Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, a social reformer, economist and the jurist credited with framing the Constitution. Despite hurdles, B-Megamart has become an avenue of Dalit assertion. They celebrate Buddha Purnima in the premises with sweets, music and an altar to Buddha. On Ambedkar Jayanti, April 14, they went to the city with a promotional stall. It sticks B-Megamart promoters want to change how they are perceived. That is why they back the BSP, a party representing Dalit interests. If the Dalits accept other parties, they often end up feeling disenfranchisedthe difference is like living in your own home or somebody elses, says Mahesh Prasad Ahirwar, a history professor at the Banaras Hindu University. There are other Bahujan business models too. Dr Manmohan Shyam, who grew up in rural Jaunpur and went on to study medicine at BHU in the 1990s, represents the other model. Shyams father, a soldier, put him in school, where a teacher would punish him for being too intelligent. He said that I was overstepping my Dalit identity, says Shyam. When he was six, Shyam found himself in a shakha, a branch of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the BJP. Now a doctor with a successful practice and a hospital in Varanasi, Shyam has imbibed the ideology he grew up in. His impulse to succeed does not arise from anger against discrimination. There is no caste here, only rashtra (nation), as he says. He emphasises vegetarianism, samskara, parampara and reeti-rivaz (values, tradition, rituals) but has had no less a radical life. He overcame rural oppression through hard work and then prevailed to marry Dr Anjana Gupta, a Gujarati. Shyams association with the RSS draws him closer to the BJP and other elites. He attends, for example, to the medical needs of the family of the erstwhile Raja of Varanasi. He helped organise the April 25 rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represents Varanasi in Parliament, and is someone Shyam admires. The caste system is 25% of what it once was, says Shyam. Every five years it appears during elections then vanishes. The B-Megamart team and the doctor represent two extremes of the social consciousness among the educated and well-off Dalits. Both have a government job in the backgroundthe retirees themselves and the doctors father. Freeing animal spirits In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, many BSP supporters migrated to the BJP, whose development pitch talked to them. Hari Nath and his son Rajesh Anand, who own a shoe business in Varanasi, were among them. His father, an employee with the city adimistration, tried to stem his animal spirits, but to Nath, business meant freedom and achievement based on skill. In 1983, he started Nath and Sons in Varanasis Mahmoorganj with `1,750. Unlike the baniya who gets capital, I spent my scholarship money to launch my company, says Nath. Anand is a reluctant entrepreneur. He wanted to be a scientist. Three BHU professors rejected me. One said that he did not want to oversee a Dalit PhD student, he says. Since 2011, Dr Brijesh Asthwal, who teaches pharmacology in BHU, has been independently researching the Bahujan business model. He has found only 100 Dalit businessmen. The Dalit middle class is tiny. It is not empowered to participate in the modern economic model, he says. Dalit politics is not determined by income, says Ravindra Bhartiya, a student-activist at BHU. Rather, Dalit subcastes vote for different political formations. Educated, socially aware Dalits migrate most often to the BSP. Yet, unless most Dalits come together and build alliances, they cannot change the direction of politics. The fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections saw 51 constituencies going to polls across seven states in the country. Bengaluru: The fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections saw 51 constituencies going to polls across seven states in the country. A largely peaceful election phase was marred by instances of EVM malfunctions and poll rigging in several states. Faulty EVMs kept voters waiting in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan during the early hours of the voting day. Missing names in the voters' list enraged many at booth number 59 in Kachnapur, part of Gonda Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. The people attacked the booth level officer Vinay Shankar Tiwari as a result of this. Police arrived immediately at the scene to defuse the situation. Tech glitches derail polling process Across the 139 polling booths in Madhya Pradesh, 55 ballot units, 56 control units and 130 VVPATs were found to be faulty and changed during the fifth phase on Monday, as per data released by the Chief Election Officers (CEO) office. EVMs in Bandhi Kala village in Tikamgarh Parliamentary constituency faced technical glitches and polling process was affected for around two hours. Poll officer PK Jain was informed about the glitch and the machine was replaced. Voting could not begin even half an hour after the scheduled time at booth 91 as well as in Timarni Vidhan Sabha 134 of Harda district, owing to technical malfunction of the EVM, while voting was halted at booth 63 in Tamari, Harda, as the EVM was facing technical issues. The voters waited in queues to cast their vote following a malfunction in the EVM at Maridiyo voting centre 24 of Prathmik Shala School in Damoh. Voting was delayed by an hour in Ram Nagar of Satna due to faulty ATMs at polling booth numbers 190,191 and 193. EVM glitches were reported from Satna, Chitrakoot and Amarpatan, causing a delay in voting. Widespread EVM failure was reported in Satna region during Assembly elections held last year as well. Polling booth number 115 in Civil Lines and 245 in Sindhi Camp in Satna, and 255 Pachli Kala in Chitrakoot were the places where EVM snags were reported in large numbers. EVM malfunction resulted in a delay of more than an hour at polling booths 40, 297 and 298, part of Sitamarhi constituency in Bihar. In Hajipur Lok Sabha constituency, a technical snag was reported at two booths. Four booths in Muzaffarpur 4, 21, 88 and 89 also reported EVM snags. West Bengal also witnessed faulty EVMs in booth numbers 212, 213, 163 and 288 of Hooghly constituency. Voting did not begin till 9 am at booth number 304 in Salkia under the Howrah constituency, due to issues with the EVM. Crucial polling hours lost in UP Uttar Pradesh saw problems with the EVM even before voting began as the EVM at booth number 258 City Montessori School in Lucknow malfunctioned during the mock drill. Voting could not begin on time at booth number 223 Laxmi Nagar polling station, part of Sitapur Lok Sabha seat due to technical snags in the EVMs while the VVPAT machines faced issues at booth numbers 145 and 304. Start of voting was delayed at booth numbers 161, 162 and 164 in Lucknow due to EVM malfunction. Technical problems in the EVM resulted in a delay of start in voting at booth number 96 in Amethi. Booth number 196 of Amardeeh Jamo was affected due to EVM malfunction. Sources say that the machine was not reflecting the accurate date and day. People and police personnel clashed at booth number 152 in Amethis Jamo GGIC college as the EVM machine refused to function. At Musafirkhana region of Amethi, booth 28 of Dadra Gram Sabha too experienced difficulties as EVM experienced technical snags. Voting could not begin as a result of the fiasco. Voting at booth number 380 Prathmik Vidyalaya Ramganj in Amethi was delayed as the EVMs faced some difficulties. Voting was stopped at booth numbers 231, 232 and 233 of Unchahar, part of Rae Bareily seat. Voting began late at booth numbers 144 and 145 in Bachhrawan Assembly segment of Rae Bareli constituency due to EVM malfunction. After voting at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Dinesh Singh, BJP candidate from Rae Bareli, said, EVM malfunctions were reported from many places, but I have talked to the officials and they have assured that they would be replacing those EVMs soon." Voting was also halted in Kripalpur Vindha village. Ram Bisoi, a resident of the village said, The EVMs have not been working for more than one and a half hour (at 10.45 am). Around 250-300 voters have gone home without voting." Voting was halted at booth number 272 in 2nd Battalion Cantonment and booth number 76 in Choubeytola in Sitapur due to EVM malfunction. EVM malfunction was reported at booth number 134 and 343 in Mahamudabad, part of Dhaurhara Lok Sabha seat. Barabanki also witnessed EVM malfunction at booth number 283. The presiding officer at booth number 283 of Barabanki said, The EVMs which were not working from the last two hours have been changed and now the EVMs are working fine. Several incidents of faulty EVMs and VVPATs were reported early in the morning in various parts of Rajasthan. The reports of faulty EVMs were majorly witnessed in Alwar and Karauli Lok Sabha constituencies. While some voters excitedly waited in queues, others became anxious and demanded a change in the machines immediately. VVPAT machines at booth numbers 29, 68, 71, 84, 02, and 130 of Behror Assembly segment in Alwar were reported to be faulty and were changed immediately. Engineers were called at the polling booths to fix the issue. The control units and ballot units replacement is less than the VVPATs. In exact numbers, seven BUs, 11 CUs, and 30 VVPATs out of the 2,697 machines have been replaced. The replacement rate has been low. Once the mock poll is done, the process of small replacements here and there continues throughout the day. I have conducted elections 3-4 times earlier as well, and from my experience, the machines are getting stabilised now. The replacement rate is going down every election, said Indrajeet Singh, collector and district magistrate, Alwar. While central minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore stood in line for several minutes at Jaipur's Vaishali Nagar-based polling booth due to a faulty EVM, voting did not start till 8 am at booth 51 and 52 of Rajgarh-Lakshmangarh Assembly area due to faulty EVMs. In addition to this, 11 control units, four ballots, and 16 VVPAT machines were changed in Churu and Sardarshahar due to technical issues by 8.30am. Control unit was changed in booth numbers 91 and 77 in Churu. Meanwhile, both BJP and Congress had separate units set up to receive and report complaints of faulty EVMs across the state. While BJP had launched a toll-free number which reported to have about 150 complaints of faulty EVMs till 5.30 pm, Congress had a war-room which filed about 500 complaints of faulty EVMs to the Election Commission. As soon as the polling began, the complaints of EVMs not working started flowing in. We received about 70-80 complaints in the morning. The other complaints that we received were of delayed polling due to slow processing of the machine. This resulted in long queues at the polling booths, said Nirmal Nahata, a BJP control-room officer. The figure of number of complaints has reached to around 500 faulty EVMs. We are filing the complaints to local EC office as soon as we receive it. It began early in the morning which still continues. The complaints are more from the areas where special communities like SC/STs and Muslims reside, said Arun Sharma, spokesperson, Congress. Poll rigging continues to be a menace In what was the highlight of the day, a polling official at booth number 103 east Visara, part of Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, forced voters to vote for BJP while the voters wanted to vote for Congress. Dinesh Kumar, assistant polling officer, was found guilty of violating rules and was immediately removed once he was found guilty. Brijesh Tiwari, a witness, said that when the voters asked him how to cast the vote, he went and voted for BJP. The villagers had restrained him and left him only when the sector magistrate arrived. In West Bengal, a TMC youth leader, Maharaja Nag, was seen pressing EVM button for voters at booth number 110 in Naskarpur village of Tarakeswar Talpur area of Hooghly district. 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 Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh which saw polling in four, fourteen and seven seats today saw the maximum number of boycotts. The fifth phase of the general election was held Monday, 6 May, for 51 seats across seven states where 656 candidates contested. Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal were the states in the fray. West Bengal recorded the highest turnout with 74.15 percent, while Jammu and Kashmir saw the lowest voter turnout at 17.07 percent. The Lok Sabha constituency that recorded the highest turnout was Bangaon at 76.18 percent, while Anantnag saw the least polling at 2.38 percent. Rajasthan saw 63.36 percent turnout till 7 pm. Ganganagar and Karauli-Dholpur constituency saw the highest and lowest turnout at 73.99 percent and 54.96 percent respectively. Poll boycott across Hindi heartland Similar to the previous phases and state Assembly elections, several regions across the Hindi heartland called for a poll boycott. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh which saw polling in four, fourteen and seven seats today saw the maximum number of boycotts. In Madhya Pradeshs Tikamgarh Lok Sabha constituency, villagers of Babai called for an election boycott. For the past few months, complaining of an increase in air pollution and disease, villagers have been demanding a ban on Crawler Drill machines and blasting techniques in mines. Yadveer Singh Yadav, a Babai local said, We warned authorities about our boycott, but they failed to take any action. Due to mining work, our village is suffering. Under Tikamgarh constituency, villagers of Niwari, Badora and Nandgaon Kala opted for a boycott. They claimed authorities and local administration have not paid heed to demands for a continuous supply of clean drinking water. In Badora, voting resumed only five hours after authorities rushed to persuade voters. In Niwari, however, adamant villagers insisted that a written commitment be given for the fulfilment of their demands by the local electoral officer, who flatly refused. As a result, villagers did not turn up to vote. Tikamgarh recorded 62.19 percent voter turnout as of 7 pm. Voters from Beohara and Atarahai under Rewa and Khajuraho constituencies also called for an election boycott. Ram Gopal Sharma, a local from Beohara, said their demand for a polling booth within their village was ignored by authorities. The closest polling booth is about four kilometres away which prevents most residents, including senior citizens, from voting. There is a school in the village and the authorities could have made this a polling booth but everyone has ignored our demand, he said. Atarahai villagers said their demands for clean and frequent water supply have repeatedly been ignored due to which they have decided to boycott the elections. Rewa recorded 54.66 polling percentage, while Khajuraho saw 60.18 percent voter turnout. In Amethi a Gandhi family stronghold villagers at booth 125 under Rebha Gram Sabha decided to boycott the elections due to lack of a railway crossing. Of the 5,000 to 7,000 who use the Rebha railway station as a shortcut, several die on a daily basis. Before the last election, an announcement was put up regarding details of an underbridge construction project. However, no work has been carried out. Not a single voter turned up at the polling booth. Infrastructural development was again the reason behind villagers of Poore Prem boycotting the elections. Their demands for road connectivity have been left unfulfilled, forcing them to say no road, no vote. Amethi saw 48.56 percent voter turnout up to 7 pm. Voting was boycotted in Maholi village under Sitapur constituency, with locals claiming an absence of infrastructural development in the region. Locals of Jahanpur village, under Fatehpur Lok Sabha seat, also saw fit to boycott the elections as a means to demand justice for the recent killing of a child. The sector magistrate said villagers claimed they would vote only once the family received justice. Sitapur and Fatehpur saw 59.59 percent and 55.25 percent polling till 6 pm. At booth 104 in Lodhma village under Hazaribagh constituency in Jharkhand, no local turned up to vote. Villagers have called for a poll boycott, demanding that their village be included in the district map. In Hazaribagh, 62.91 percent turnout was recorded till 7 pm. When demands for clean and continuous drinking water supply and other basic infrastructural development went unheeded, residents of villages such as Kasba Nagar and Khuda Chainpur under Karauli-Dholpur constituency and Mothadi under Churu constituency opted to boycott the elections. The sub-divisional magistrate and superintendent of polices efforts to convince around 782 residents of from Kasba Nagar in Dholpur district initially went in vain. It was only after four-and-a-half hours that a few villagers went to vote. Similarly, in Khuda Chainpur village, sub-divisional magistrate Kailash Chand Sharma had to persuade villagers boycotting over lack of road construction in the area to vote. Churu saw a voter turnout of 65.20 percent, while Karauli Dholpur recorded 54.96 percent voting as of 7 pm. Sporadic violence in West Bengal Keeping up the trend of the past four phases, West Bengal witnessed several incidents of violence across its seven seats. Clashes between TMC and BJP supporters across the state left many hospitalised. Pranab Mondal Saha, BJP district president, was beaten allegedly by TMC workers in Hooghly, while Locket Chatterjee BJP candidate for Hooghly seat alleged that her car was vandalised by TMC supporters. She also earlier claimed that rigging was taking place in Hooghly. Arjun Singh, BJP candidate from Barrackpore, was attacked in Amdanga allegedly by Opposition supporters. Arjun was travelling with a media convoy when he was assailed by locals. Tapas Sengupta, a journalist working with News X Bengal, was also hospitalised. Other stray incidents were also recorded: In Howrah, two cases were reported of BJP workers being beaten up allegedly by TMC workers, while TMC activist Sheikh Mohammad Ferdous Ali was attacked allegedly by Opposition party workers after voting at booth 107 under Arambagh Lok Sabha constituency. Reports also surfaced of bombs and shots fired at booths 118 and 119 in Hingli, under Bangaon constituency. A delegation led by Bengal BJP vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar, and Sishir Bajoria, member of the election committee, met the chief electoral officer over demands of repolling. Majumdar said, We are keeping a close watch on violence. We've shortlisted Hooghly, Barrackpore and Bangaon. More could be added." As always, West Bengal constituencies recorded a high polling percentage. As of 7 pm, Hooghly was at 76.14 percent, Barrackpore at 71.28 percent, Bangaon at 76.18 percent, Howrah at 67.59 percent and Arambagh at 75.73 percent. Attacks in Kashmir Compared to the last four phases that saw peaceful voting, the fifth phase witnessed several grenade and petrol bomb attacks in south Kashmirs Shopian and Anantnag. Grenades were launched by unidentified militants at polling stations in Pulwamas Chatpora and Ruhama areas. No casualties have been reported. Clashes and stone-pelting in Nadpora village, in south Kashmirs Shopian district, left several protesters and a DSP of Jammu and Kashmir Police wounded. Both districts went for last leg of polling under Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency on Monday amid unprecedented security cover. Meanwhile, Anantnag and Ladakh recorded 2.38 percent and 61.20 percent polling percentage, respectively. With inputs from A Ghose, Saurabh Sharma, Yawar Shafi, and Manish Chandra Mishra. The authors are members of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters A grenade attack on a polling booth in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, violence in West Bengal was reported during the Lok Sabha polls' fifth phase. New Delhi: A grenade attack on a polling booth in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, violence in West Bengal and EVM glitches were reported during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls Monday across seven states in which voters turned out in considerable numbers till the afternoon. Political heavyweights Rajnath Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani are in the fray in this phase in which polling is underway in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Rajasthan, seven seats each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar and four in Jharkhand. In Jammu and Kashmir, polling began on a violent note with militants lobbing a grenade towards a polling station in Pulwama district, police said. A grenade was lobbed towards Rohmoo polling station in Pulwama but there were no reports of any casualties in the the blast, a police official said. Polling is being held in Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency which also includes Anantnag and Kulgam districts. There are 18 candidates in the fray for the Anantnag constituency including PDP president and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti. In West Bengal, a scuffle broke out between Barrackpore seat's BJP candidate Arjun Singh and central forces when the former TMC MLA tried to enter a booth following allegations that voters were not being allowed to exercise their franchise there, officials said. Singh was later seen chasing "fake voters" in Naihati area. "Our agents were not allowed inside booths. People were not allowed to vote properly and I went there to have a look. I have the right to enter booths but police stopped me and hit me," Singh alleged. Alleging that the police were not doing anything to stop rigging in some booths of Barrackpore seat, Singh demanded that polling be stopped and re-polling ordered. BJP leaders also demanded re-polling in the seat. Sporadic incidents of violence were also reported in Bangaon, Howrah and Hoogly constituencies, with around 33.47 percent of nearly 1.17 crore voters casting their ballots in the first four hours, officials said. At a booth in Belmuri in Hooghly seat, BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee was seen threatening a polling officer. She is contesting against TMC's two-term MP Ratna De Nag. A presiding officer at a booth in Tarakswar was removed after one person, allegedly a TMC leader, was seen casting votes on behalf of others there. In Uttar Pradesh, over 35 percent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in 14 Lok Sabha seats where Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi are in the fray. Election officials here said polling was going on smoothly, barring some complaints of EVM malfunctioning. Union minister and the BJP's Amethi candidate Smriti Irani alleged that Congress president Rahul Gandhi was "ensuring booth capturing" in the constituency. Irani and Gandhi are contesting against each other in the seat. "Alert @ECISVEEP Congress President @Rahul Gandhi ensuring booth capturing," Irani said on Twitter. She also tagged a video in which an elderly women is seen alleging that her hand was forcibly put on 'panja' (hand) election symbol of the Congress though she wanted to vote for the 'kamal' (lotus), the BJP's symbol. There is no written complaint on the matter. Rajasthan recorded a robust voter turnout of 42.7 per cent in 12 Lok Sabha seats in the first six hours. The maximum voter turnout of 47.45 per cent was recorded in Ganganagar (SC) seat. Churu, Jaipur, Nagaur, Alwar and Sikar registered a voter turnout of 44.75, 44.47, 43.54, 43.34 and 43.16 percent, respectively. Besides these six seats, polling is also underway amid tight security in Bikaner, Jhunjhunu, Jaipur rural, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur and Dausa. Madhya Pradesh saw an average 29.76 per cent polling till noon in seven Lok Sabha seats. Polling was underway since 7 am in the seven constituencies Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad and Betul. "Minor issues related to EVMs were reported at some places but they were sorted out," he added. In Bihar, an estimated 26.19 percent of over 87.66 lakh electorate exercised their franchise till noon. Polling is underway in Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur. According to a senior police officer, one person has been taken into custody in Saran for damaging an EVM. The damaged EVM has been replaced with a fresh one. Barring a few reports of poll boycott and EVM glitches, voting has largely been peaceful in the five seats. "The voting process was delayed by around 30 minutes in six polling stations of Saran, two in Madhubani, one each in Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur constituencies due to technical glitches in the EVMs, but the officials have attended to the issues," he stated. In Dumri village of Muzaffarpur parliamentary seat, a group of people boycotted polls, citing lack of development. In Jharkhand, an estimated 29.49 per cent of the 65.87 lakh electorate cast their votes till 11 am. With this phase, election will be over in 424 seats and polling in the remaining 118 seats will be held on May 12 and 19. Election to 542 Lok Sabha seats is being conducted in seven phases between April 11 and May 19. Election in Vellore constituency in Tamil Nadu had been cancelled following excess use of money power. Results will be declared on 23 May. There are over 1.36 crore voters in Delhi and nearly 8 percent of them are estimated to belong to the Vaishya caste, who form a major chunk of the trader class in Delhi. With nearly 7,000 shops being sealed in the last one and half years by the Monitoring Committee of the Supreme Court of India, sealing is likely to emerge as an important issue for the traders in Delhi when they go out to vote on 12 May. Along with sealing of shops, simplification of Goods and Services Taxes is likely to be another issue which has been another bone of contention among them. Traders, who are 19 lakh in number as per a Confederation of All India Traders estimate, form a sizeable population of Delhi voters. Though the traders were known to have a slant towards the BJP, in 2015 Assembly polls the Aam Admi Party made a dent in the saffron party vote bank. Bridging across the class and caste divide the AAP managed to win a historic 67 out of 70 Assembly segments in Delhi. There are over 1.36 crore voters in Delhi and nearly 8 percent of them are estimated to belong to the Vaishya caste, who form a major chunk of the trader class in Delhi. This time around, the test lies whether the saffron party would be able to retain the traders votes amid the mud-slinging between the parties over sealing and Goods and Services Tax. Significantly in December 2017, the Supreme Court of India revived the Monitoring Committee to seal illegal constructions. Since then nearly 7,000 shops have been sealed rendering lakhs of people, directly and indirectly, dependant on them jobless. Though the number of people who have been directly affected by the sealing drive would be around 20,000 but the people who are indirectly affected would be around 7 lakh, says Praveen Khandelwal, secretary in the Confederation of All India Traders. Only in Chattarpur, around 70 shops have been sealed and nearly 5,000 people directly and indirectly affected by the drive, says Sumit Agarwal whose tiles shop has been sealed for the last one year. Traders in Chattarpur whose shops have been sealed have now shifted their businesses to various parts of North India to ensure that they do not run bankrupt. But many of the labourers who were directly and indirectly engaged with our businesses have returned to their villages, he said. Bhupendra Singh Rawat, spokesperson to Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Sanyukt Union, a farmers union said to Firstpost that sealing is not an issue the impact of which is limited to traders only, as it affects the lives of the working class population deeply. The working class people rely on the shops in their localities for their daily supplies. But most of them do not earn enough to pay in cash for the goods they buy every day. They often pay in instalments as they have a relationship of good faith with the shopkeepers. But when these shops get closed indefinitely, it causes uncertainty among the buyers too, he says. No wonder, sealing of shops have become one of the talking points not only among the traders but also among the people who are not into any form of trade. In Delhi today, the trader community is disturbed to the core and all because of sealing drive. Sealing of shops has led to widespread uncertainty among the traders, said Soumveer, a resident of Laxmi Nagar who works in Municipal Corporation of Delhi and a resident of Laxmi Nagar. The traders in Delhi now demand general amnesty for all the deviations in buildings. We have demanded that all the traders should be granted amnesty for the deviations in their constructions. Moreover, we have also placed a demand to reopen the shops which have been sealed until now, said Khandelwal. It is not only sealing but also the formalities required to follow to keep the threat of sealing at bay that has kept the traders on their toes. Om Prakash, a trader in the Mayapuri scrap market in Delhi which recently bore the brunt of sealing for a completely different set of reasons says that the complications related to licensing polluting establishments should be done away with. More than 760 shops and establishments recently received sealing notices after National Green Tribunal ordered to shut down polluting scrap units in Mayapuri. Our shops have been sealed for not possessing a license from Delhi Pollution Control Committee. But to acquire the No Objection Certificate from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, we have to get a license from the Municipal Corporation. But there is no single window system to provide the license. We have to run from one office to another to acquire them, which results in loss of time and money and hence affects our livelihood, he said. Apart from sealing simplification of Goods and Services Tax return filing is also another issue among traders, says Sumit Agarwal. As per rule in force, we have to file GST return every month, which in itself is a problematic process. We demand that frequency of returns to be filed should be made quarterly a year, he said. He also added that there are some goods like spare parts of vehicles which do not fall in the category of luxury goods but still 28 percent GST is charged on them, which traders think should be brought down. Political parties are reaching out to the traders with promises of solving their problems. But on which party the traders would rest their trust this time around is still a question. Last week, Modi, while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, had said, 'Your father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'bhrashtachari No 1.' Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday challenged the Congress to fight the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha elections on the issue of self-respect of the 'Bofors accused' prime minister's name, in an apparent reference to Rajiv Gandhi. "I challenge the Congress party, its president, his family and associates to fight the remaining two phases of the elections on the issue of respect of the former prime minister who faced serious charges of corruption," Modi said at a rally. "If you have guts, let's fight the elections in Bhopal where thousands of people died due to a gas leakage. What the then prime minister did then will come in front of everyone," he said. "We will fight on the issues raised by you. Everything will come to the fore. How was he as a prime minister? What did he for the country?" "I have the courage to put this challenge in front of you. Now let's see whether Congress and mahamilavati people accept this chowkidar's challenge," Modi said, adding that he had just "recalled the old misdeeds of a member of the naamdar (dynast) family." "They (Congress) have been abusing the prime minister of the country for last one year. I just make people remember about corruption in the Bofors deal. It created a storm. Some people felt a very intense ache in their stomach. The more these people will cry, the more this generation will become aware of how a family looted and destroyed the country," Modi said. He also accused the Congress of patronising corrupt leaders in the Opposition. Last week, the prime minister, while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, had said, "Your father (Rajiv) was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'bhrashtachari No 1.' A day after Modi's remark, Congress president Rahul Gandhi hit back at the prime minister 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 had tweeted on Sunday. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary, attacked Modi, saying he had insulted Rajiv. "The prime minister, 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, Modi ji, this country never forgives those who deceive," she said in a tweet in Hindi. On Sunday, Arun Jaitley had said, "Why is Rahul 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." 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. With inputs from agencies Amethi Lok Sabha election latest update 40 houses catch fire in Amethi; voters abandon voting to offer help In Rahul Gandhis constituency Amethi, around 40 houses caught fire in the Basauni area. Voters waiting in the queue left to help others. Three fire brigade vehicles were deployed. Input by Asghar Naqvi Amethi Lok Sabha election latest update Rahul Gandhi betrayed the people again, says Smriti Irani on Congress chief's cancelled visit "Rahul Gandhi has betrayed the people of Amethi again. I did not know that he will not visit Amethi even on the day of voting. There was no need to insult the people like this," BJP leader Smriti Irani told ANI after it was announced that the Congress chief will not be visiting his constituency. Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha election latest update Model booths have been set up across Uttar Pradesh in the fifth phase of voting. While many booths were decorated to appeal to voters, other offered drinking water to voters who turned up despite the blazing sun. Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha election latest update Assistant polling officer removed from duty in Amethi, case filed against another in Faizabad Dinesh Kumar, assistant polling officer at 103 Purab Bisara, Musafirkhana, was removed after he was found guilty of casting votes on behalf of voters. A witness Brijesh Tiwari said that voters asked the officer about how to cast their votes, he voted on their behalf for the BJP. The villagers had restrained him and left him only when the Sector Magistrate arrived. They demanded that Kumar be replaced. Meanwhile, a case was registered against polling officer Mahesh Shukla, who was deployed at booth number 47 in Madanlal Munnalal school in the Faizabad constituency. He went missing from the booth without informing anyone. A probe against a booth level officer in Barabanki was also ordered by the sub-divisional magistrate Abhay Pandey after voters complained of missing names from the electoral rolls. Inputs by Ashgar Naqvi, Santosh Kumar, Rehan Mustfa Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha election latest update EVM malfunctions, wrongful voting reported in polling booths in Amethi, Bahraich A lady accused the polling officials at a polling booth in Amethis Musafirkhana of voting for BJP when she asked them for help in casting her vote. Sanjeev Kumar, Sector Magistrate, said, Our polling officer said that he was explaining how to vote to an elderly voter. He asked her to vote by pressing the blue button and hurried her because there were other people in the queue." At booths number 346 and 347 in Nanapara segment of Bahraich constituency, EVM malfunctions were reported. Inputs by Asghar Naqvi, Santosh Kumar Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha Election Latest update An hour-by-hour look at the voter turnout in Uttar Pradesh Aparty from stray incidents of boycott of polls and EVM glitches, Uttar Pradesh recorded an overall voter turnout of 54.7 percent till 7 pm. Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi are in the fray in the state. The BJP had bagged 12 of these seats in 2014 with the Congress winning Sonia Gandhi's Rae Bareli and Rahul Gandhi's Amethi -- the only two constituencies where the Congress succeeded out of the 80 in the entire state. The fifth phase of polling in 14 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh Monday will see a clash of titans including Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Congress president Rahul Gandhi is contesting from his family bastion of Amethi, a constituency he has held continuously since 2004. Just like the 2014 Lok Sabha election, he is pitted against Union Minister Smriti Irani. His mother and UPA chairperson Sonia, is once again in fray from the Nehru-Gandhi family bastion of Amethi. Nearly nine crore voters will decide the fate of 674 candidates, including political bigwigs Rajnath Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani, in the fifth phase of polling on Monday in 15 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. From Sonia Gandhi, Rahul to Rajnath Singh, Phase 5 is all about clash of titans Although the opposition has done a lot of campaigning in Lucknow Poonam Sinha even roped in daughter Sonakshi but it very much seems like the Opposition has given a walkover to Rajnath. The Lucknow parliamentary constituency has remained with the Bharatiya Janata Party since 1991 when former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee won from this seat. According to political pundits, Rajnath, who is everyone's favorite in Lucknow because of his humbleness and approachability, stands firm at the pole position. The closest challenge he faces is in BJP rebel Shatrughan Sinha's wife Poonam. The voting for the fifth phase parliamentary elections has commenced in Uttar Pradesh. The state capital of Lucknow is going to witness a three-cornered contest between Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Gathbandhan candidate Poonam Sinha and Congress' Acharya Pramod Krishnam. EVM at booth number 258 in City Montessari School in Lucknow has developed a snag during the mock drill. Looks like, the polling will be delayed by a few minutes at this booth. Reports of EVM snags start trickling in right at the beginning of polling process Voting begins in Dhaurahra Lok Sabha constituency. Here 16,44,156 voters will decide between Congress veteran Jitin Prasada and Rekha Verma of the BJP. Arshad Siddiqui who is the joint candidate of the opposition alliance of the BSP, Samajwadi Party and RLD is also in the fray. Malkhan Singh is the candidate for Shivpal Yadav's Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party. A good number of people have turned up to vote in the early hours in Dhrauru area in Lakhimpur Kheri Lok Sabha constituency. Basti district magistrate Raj Sekhar, who had earlier held the post of Lucknow DM reached Lucknow very early in the morning to exercise his franchise. He has been known for encouraging the voters to come out in large numbers during his tenure. Voting could not be started at booth number 223 Laxmi Nagar polling station due to technical snags in the EVMs. Additionally, VVPAT machines malfunctioned at at booth number 145 and 304 in Sitapur. Special polling booths have been set up in Amethi to encourage voters to come out in large numbers. See the latest visuals from the prestigious Lok Sabha seat where Rahul Gandhi locks horns with Smriti Irani. This was unsurprising for those who have followed the leader's edia interactions closely. Mayawati's rallies are long monotones of speeches, her press conferences a one-sided dialogue, where she reads out from a written speech, repeat herself if need be, but never speaks impromptu to the media. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati came out early morning to cast her vote at a polling booth in City Montessori Inter College in Lucknow. However, as media persons chased the veteran Dalit leader for a byte, Mayawati chose to walk away her held high. When urged further, she merely replied with an appeal to voters to come out and cast their vote: "Right to vote should be used for your own good. I appeal all to come out of homes and vote," the BSP supremo said. Mayawati casts early vote, but keeps up tradition of not speaking to media Irani's campaign was boosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah who held rallies in the constituency. The result and the margin of victory here will have consequences at the national level. While the BJP has accused Gandhi of not developing the area, the Congress has accused the BJP-led government of stalling projects. It is perhaps the most eagerly-watched contest of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with Union Minister Smriti Irani expected to give a tough fight to Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Both the BJP and the Congress have put their might in the campaign. Gandhi's campaign was bolstered by his sister and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. Gandhi's winning margin had come down considerably when Irani first contested against him from here in 2014. Zero percent voting has been recorded in Jahanpur village, part of Fatehpur Lok Sabha seat, till 8:00 am. The villagers have boycotted the election in wake of the recent killing of a child, and are awaiting justice. Voting has not begun at booth number 144 and 145 in Bachhrawan assembly segment of Rae Bareli LS constituency due to EVM malfunction. Voting yet to begin at two booths in Rae Bareli Pankaj Singh, son of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the BJP will form the government with majority and again and will go on to win more than 400 seats. He also said that the SP, BSP are fighting for the survival. "Let Mrs Vadra know that not everyone is like her husband who bribes people," says Smriti Irani on the bribe allegations leveled by Priyanka Gandhi on her. She further said,"The people are coming in large numbers to vote against the sitting MP Rahul Gandhi who has remained absent from his constituency since a very long time." In Bahraich Lok Sabha constituency, EVM malfunction at booth number 108 in Girls Inter College and at booth number 162 in Police Line have halted voting at these two centres. The EC officials are trying to replace these machines. Voting has also been halted at booth number 2 in Indira Shiksha Niketan and booth number 16 in Mahatma Buddha School. Meanwhile, reporters on the ground claim that despite this voting has not begun at Mohammedpur, part of Fatehpur Tehsil, due to technical problems in EVM. Sector Magistrate CP Dubey had to face the ire of voters, who were waiting in the lines since 6 am, after the polling exercise could not start even till 9 am owing to technical snags in the voting machines. However, the presiding officer at booth number 283 of Barabanki has now said that the machines which were not working from the last two hours have been changed and now the voting process is underway smoothly. Barabanki voters express anger as long wait stretches on for polling to begin; EC officials say EVM snag resolved, voting continues Cadres of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are facing a unique challenge in educating voters this election season. Samajwadi Party (SP) in charge of Mohanlalganj constituency, Faiz Alam says that people who are from weaker section of the society know only who their leader is, and their party symbol. They do not know anything about the contestants. Now that the two parties have allied, it is tough for the party workers to convince people that by pressing the cycle symbol they would still be helping their leader Mayawati, or vice versa. The Gathbandhan's campaign is more like a workshop than a rally where the party leaders are educating the people to press the right symbol. Residents of two villages under Kamalpur Pahadpur Gram Panchayat, part of Barabanki Lok Sabha constituency have boycotted voting as they demand for a bridge to be built over the Gomti river. Around 1500 voters have not been convinced by the promises made by the administration and are demanding for a written declaration by the District Magistrate. However, until 10 am, Amethi's voter turnout in the state was among the lowest at around 8.17 percent. Amid reports of EVM glitches, nearly 10 percent turnout was recorded Monday in the first two hours of polling in 14 Lok Sabha seats of UP where Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi are in the fray. Among early voters in the state capital included Home Minister Singh, BSP supremo Mayawati, Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma and DGP OP Singh. Between bhaiyya (Rahul Gandhi) and didi (Smriti Irani), the latter has become the choice of those voicing defiance against elders' dikats. After travelling to various parts of the Amethi parliamentary constituency and talking to a cross-section of people, Firstpost found that the breach in the relationship between the Nehru-Gandhi family and families in Amethi has now sharpened further. Voting preferences of families have seen a split, and this is particularly so for upper-caste families, who had so far stood solidly behind the Congress. This is not a sudden development. The desire of the people to voice individual concerns and choices has become very powerful, particularly among women and people below 40 years of age. This has led to surprise and dismay among parents and grandparents of young persons. The Nehru-Gandhi family struck a special chord with the people of Amethi after Sanjay Gandhi first came here in 1977 to contest the parliamentary election that year. He lost that election in the Janata wave, but three years later, he won from the seat. Since then, Amethi has become a family bastion. Youths of the Marwari Yuva Sangha are providing free rides and cold water to the people going to cast their vote in Bahraich. Campaigning for votes, or promoting any party or candidate while polling is underway is against the Model Code of Conduct. However, the poll panel will not examine the situation until a rival party reports the issue. In a possible case of poll code violation, BJP's candidate from Rae Bareli, Dinesh Singh said, "EVM malfunctions have reported from many places, but I have talked to the officials and they have assured that they would be replacing those EVMs soon. I appeal to the residents of Rae Bareli to press the Lotus symbol and make a Modi-sarkaar again." At one point of time, Congress used to be the Indian party that was above caste. It did claim to represent Dalit, Muslim and Adivasi interests, but it was never a caste-based party. The BJP appears to have fully taken over this post-caste identity, though with the important qualification that it only seeks Hindu votes. Modi's post-caste coalition seems to have changed the game. Mayawati secured 20 percent of the votes in 2014 but won zero seats. The Samajwadi Party got 22 percent and won only five. If there is a total transfer of votes from one party to another, or vice versa, in their alliance this time, the two sides are dead even in their match-up. In that sense, it will be a match between the old caste politics and something new, which we have not fully understood. The BJP won a staggering 42 percent of the votes in Uttar Pradesh in 2014. It held on to this three years later, taking 41 percent in 2017's Assembly election. Staggering because such a large vote share has not been required to win Uttar Pradesh before. The Samajwadi Party had won a full majority in 2012 with 29 percent of the vote. Shukla argues that the politics of Awadh is emulated everywhere in the country because the region has a rare mix of urban and rural constituencies. He also says that the region assumes importance as many politically significant constituencies like Amethi and Dhaurahra are located here. Political commentator JP Shukla points out that as the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow is the power centre for not just the state government, but also political parties. "Awadh region is the heart of Uttar Pradesh and this region has brought a change in national politics. The controversy over the Ram temple dispute comes from this region, and it is a very important political issue. The issue has affected the politics of India for many decades. The Ram temple issue was above all other issues in the last election, and it helped the BJP to make its government at the Centre," Shukla opines. Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Singh cast his vote with his wife at Ramnagar booth, part of Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. Sanjay Singh is contesting from Sultanpur this time against BJPs Maneka Gandhi in the sixth phase on 12th May. When Rahul Gandhi adopted Jagdishpur village under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, started comparing their own village with Saifai in Etawah district, the native village of Samajwadi Partys founding family. 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. In Amethi, Rahul Gandhi's adopted village may become his undoing as many rue neglect The Bahujan Samaj Party supremo also seemed happy with a giant cut-out of her at the rally venue, showing her standing outside the Parliament house and captioned "Prime Minister". Addressing a poll rally here, Mayawati, while not directly saying that she was in the race to become the prime minister, said: "If all goes well, then I will also have to fight the election. The road to Delhi politics passes through Ambedkar Nagar." While the Ambedkar Nagar constituency came up only in 2008, Mayawati had been elected four times -- 1989, 1998, 1999, and 2004 -- from the erstwhile Akbarpur constituency. Hinting at her prime ministerial ambitions, BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday said that she can enter the parliament from Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar constituency, "if and when needed". 'If all goes well, may contest polls from Ambedkarnagar: In a first, Mayawati drops hint at prime ministerial ambitions Poonam Sinha, who was once associated with the BJP and is now contesting against Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh from Lucknow on a Samajwadi Party ticket, says the saffron party of today is different from what it was during Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advanis time. "I regret helping them get elected to power as I was campaigning for the party in Bihar," Sinha told The Indian Express . BJP of today is arrogant, regret getting them elected to power in 2014, says Poonam Sinha Residents of a village within Musafirkhana block in Amethi have boycotted elections. The villagers had put up banners saying that they will boycott elections. Congress MLC has urged the residents of the village to go out and exercise their right to vote. In Amethi, residents of Lusai village boycott polls over building of manned gate at railway crossing Barabanki, the small district adjoining the state capital of Lucknow has become a slippery ground for the BJP after the party denied ticket to its sitting MP Priyanka Singh Rawat. The party gave preference to Upendra Singh Rawat and he is not getting the support of Priyanka Singh Rawat who has got a massive following in the district. It is also speculated that Priyanka has silently extended her support to the Congress's candidate Tanuj Punia, who is also the son of senior Congress leader PL Punia. The Gathbandhan has fielded Ram Sagar Rawat who has also got a strong hold among the Pasi and other scheduled castes of the district. Zero percent voting has been recorded at Sihani Para voting booth in Hargaon assembly segment, part of Dhaurahara Lok Sabha constituency. The SDM had tried to convince about 600 residents of the village, but had to return empty handed. Similarly, residents of another village in Amethi which falls within Musafirkhana block, have boycotted elections. The villagers had put up banners saying that they will boycott elections. Congress MLC has urged the residents of the village to go out and exercise their right to vote. Villagers of the Poore Prem village in Amethi are boycotting the elections over the issue of roads. The residents have been demanding improvement of roads in the region for almost a decade. This year they have decided to not caste their votes to register their protests. Polling in two of the four polling booths in Sarsawan under Mohanlalganj constituency of Uttar Pradeshs Lucknow was also delayed because of a technical glitch in EVM. Two EVMs also reported to have developed a snag at Mehmoodpur polling station of Kaushambi. EVM malfunction was reported at booth number 205 in Shivli Primary School in Bachchrawa assembly segment, part of Rae Bareli LS seat and also in booth number 215 Urmila Degree College in the same Lok Sabha constituency. Polling was delayed in several booths in Uttar Pradesh on Monday after electronic voting machines (EVMs) developed technical glitch in several parliamentary constituencies during the fifth phase of polling in the Lok Sabha election. Amethi District Magistrate has ordered a probe against the presiding officer against whom an elderly woman leveled the allegation that he forcefully pressed the Congress symbol button on the EVM. The matter was widely reported by media after Smriti Irani tweeted a video byte of the woman complaining about the officer. Speaking to News18, Rajendra Chaudhary of the Samajwadi Party alleged, "We have heard very serious complaints. The ruling side is adamant on killing the democracy. Not just EVM malfunctioning, but booth capturing is being reported from Kunda, Amethi and Kaushambhi especially where the people are poor and from weaker sections. A three-member delegation of the party met the State Election Commissioner and lodged an official complaint in Lucknow. The party alleged that in Kunda assembly segment, which comes under Kaushambhi, more than 50 booths have been captured, News18 reported. The Samajwadi Party on Monday complained to the Election Commission of booth capturing done by the BJP in several locations, including Kunda, Amethi and Kaushambhi. UP Lok Sabha Election 2019 voting Latest updates: The Samajwadi Party on Monday complained to the Election Commission of booth capturing done by the BJP in several locations, including Kunda, Amethi and Kaushambhi. A three-member delegation of the party met the State Election Commissioner and lodged an official complaint in Lucknow. The party alleged that in Kunda assembly segment, which comes under Kaushambhi, more than 50 booths have been captured, News18 reported. UP Lok Sabha Election 2019 voting Latest updates: The Samajwadi Party on Monday complained to the Election Commission of booth capturing done by the BJP in several locations, including Kunda, Amethi and Kaushambhi. A three-member delegation of the party met the State Election Commissioner and lodged an official complaint in Lucknow. The party alleged that in Kunda assembly segment, which comes under Kaushambhi, more than 50 booths have been captured, News18 reported. Amethi District Magistrate has ordered a probe against the presiding officer against whom an elderly woman leveled the allegation that he forcefully pressed the Congress symbol button on the EVM. The matter was widely reported by media after Smriti Irani tweeted a video byte of the woman complaining about the officer. When Rahul Gandhi adopted Jagdishpur village under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, residents started comparing their own village with Saifai in Etawah district, the native village of Samajwadi Partys founding family. But when expectations are sky high, the fall is equally steep. Their primary grouse is that they never saw Rahul Gandhi after 2014, the year he adopted them. Meanwhile, residents of two more villages in the constituency are boycotting polls over basic issues such as improved road, or a manned and gated railway crossing. The voting process was halted for over an hour at booth number 315 in Utraula, part of Gonda Lok Sabha constituency, due to EVM malfunctioning. The people are braving the harsh sun to stand in queues to exercise their franchise to vote. There were a few stray reports of poll rigging from Uttar Pradesh, including a video tweeted by Smriti Irani, wherein an Amethi woman claims that someone forced her finger onto the Congress button while she wanted to vote for the BJP. Captioning the video for her Twitter feed, Irani made a serious allegation that Rahul Gandhi was promoting booth capturing. Likewise, a voter from from Lalpur Junaid in Balrampur district alleged that the polling officer got her to press the BJP symbol when she sought their help to cast vote for the gathbandhan candidate. Atrauli and Parsawal villages are just over 80 kilometres from Lucknow, on a small island between two streams of the mighty Ghagra river. Falling under Barabanki district and Lok Sabha constituency, the villagers here had no idea that the 2019 parliamentary elections to elect the countrys 17th Lok Sabha were more than halfway through. In a possible case of poll code violation, BJP's candidate from Rae Bareli, Dinesh Singh said, "EVM malfunctions have reported from many places, but I have talked to the officials and they have assured that they would be replacing those EVMs soon. I appeal to the residents of Rae Bareli to press the Lotus symbol and make a Modi-sarkaar again." Campaigning for votes, or promoting any party or candidate while polling is underway is against the Model Code of Conduct. However, the poll panel will not examine the situation until a rival party reports the issue. Missing names in the voters list enraged many at booth number 59 in Kachnapur, part of Gonda LS seat. The people attacked the Booth Level Officer, Vinay Shankar Tiwari as a result of this. Police have already arrived at the scene to diffuse the situation. Smriti Irani has shared a video of a woman claiming she wanted to vote for BJP but someone forcefully put her finger on the hand symbol. Irani tweeted the video alleging Rahul Gandhi is ensuring booth capturing. "Let Mrs Vadra know that not everyone is like her husband who bribes people," says Smriti Irani on the bribe allegations leveled by Priyanka Gandhi on her. She further said,"The people are coming in large numbers to vote against the sitting MP Rahul Gandhi who has remained absent from his constituency since a very long time." The state has recorded 0.87 percent turnout till 9 am in phase 5 voting. Kaushambi parliamentary seat has so far seen the highest voter participation at 4.64 percent. Voting has not begun at booth number 144 and 145 in Bachhrawan assembly segment of Rae Bareli LS constituency due to EVM malfunction. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati came out early morning to cast her vote at a polling booth in City Montessori Inter College in Lucknow. However, as media persons chased the veteran Dalit leader for a byte, Mayawati chose to walk away her held high. This was unsurprising for those who have followed the leader's edia interactions closely. Mayawati's rallies are long monotones of speeches, her press conferences a one-sided dialogue, where she reads out from a written speech, repeat herself if need be, but never speaks impromptu to the media. Although the opposition has done a lot of campaigning in Lucknow Poonam Sinha even roped in daughter Sonakshi but it very much seems like the Opposition has given a walkover to Rajnath. The Lucknow parliamentary constituency has remained with the Bharatiya Janata Party since 1991 when former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee won from this seat. The fifth phase of polling in 14 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh Monday will see a clash of titans including Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The BJP had bagged 12 of these seats in 2014 with the Congress winning Sonia Gandhi's Rae Bareli and Rahul Gandhi's Amethi -- the only two constituencies where the Congress succeeded out of the 80 in the entire state. Around 2.47 crore people are eligible to vote in Dhaurahra, Sitapur, Mohanlalganj (SC), Lucknow, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi (SC), Barabanki (SC), Faizabad, Bahraich (SC), Kaiserganj and Gonda constituencies where 182 candidates are in the contest. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting on five seats - Dhaurahra, Sitapur, Mohanlalganj, Fatehpur and Kaisarganj. Its ally Samajwadi Party (SP) is fighting for seven seats -Lucknow, Banda, Kaushambi, Barabanki, Faizabad, Bahraich and Gonda. In Amethi and Rae Bareli, the SP-BSP alliance has not put up any candidate, leaving the two constituencies for the Congress. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is seeking re-election from Lucknow, while his colleague at the Centre Smriti Irani is again taking on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. In the Faizabad parliamentary constituency, under which the temple town of Ayodhya falls, sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh is taking on Nirmal Khatri of the Congress. Khatri is a former Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief. Former Union minister and Congress candidate Jitin Prasad is contesting from Dhaurahra against former Chambal brigand Malkhan Singh. Malkhan Singh, 76, has been fielded by Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia, floated by SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother Shivpal Yadav. On Friday, the final day of campaigning for the fifth phase, BJP chief Amit Shah along with a host of party leaders held a roadshow in Amethi, seeking support for Smriti Irani. On Friday, Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha, the daughter of SP candidate from Lucknow Poonam Sinha, took part in a roadshow in the state capital. Poonam Sinha's husband, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who is the Congress candidate from Patna Sahib, had joined her last month when she filed her nomination papers as the Samajwadi Party candidate. Polling will be held in the state in the next two phases as well. With inputs from PTI tech2 News Staff President 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. 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. 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 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. 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 attacking the company and complaining that it was not treating him well because he was a Republican. He later 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. tech2 News Staff Back in March, music-streaming giant, Spotify launched 'Its time to play fair' campaign where the company laid out reasons that revealed how Apple wasn't allowing competitors a fair. Like most services, Apple obligates Spotify to pay a 30 percent cut in order to use in-app purchases when signing up new subscribers. Spotify, therefore, wanted the EU to probe Apple Music in relation to how Apple treats its competitors when compared its own businesses. Spotifys campaign now appears to be finally bearing fruit. According to a report by Financial Times, the European Union is set to launch a formal antitrust probe into Apple's conduct over Apple Music and Spotify. Both companies are yet to comment on the report. However, Apple has already rejected Spotify's implications stating that Spotify was driven by "financial motivations" and wanted to benefit from the App Store's infrastructure without contributing to it. Apple also went ahead and rejected notions that it was privileging Apple Music on a software level, going so far as to say it was talking to Spotify about AirPlay and Siri integrations. From what we've seen with EU probers, these formal investigations can take years to complete, so it is quite unlikely that we'll know anything for some time. tech2 News Staff Microsoft announced an open source tool to enable transparent and secure elections called ElectionGuard at its Build 2019 developer conference. CEO Satya Nadella unveiled the software development kit or SDK during the Vision keynote. According to him, the SDK will be going live on Github by this summer. The software giant had announced the Defending Democracy Program where its objective is to safeguard the democratic process globally. It also announced Microsoft 365 for campaigns to bring security and prevent hacking in political campaigns. By using the ElectionGuard tool, the voting process will be able to take advantage of being verifiable, secure, auditable, open source and make it better. It will allow news media organisations and voters to confirm whether their votes are accurately added without any alterations or tampering. Voters will be able to track their votes using a unique code on a web portal. With the power of the open source ElectionGuard SDK, anyone will be able to develop an election verifier that will enable anyone to verifier the votes. The ElectionGuard has implemented enhanced encryption and auditing capability. Its using homomorphic encryption that enables counting with fully encrypted data. This will ensure that the number of votes are completely encrypted to prevent any breach in the integrity of the data. Electronic records of all the ballots can be compared with the paper ballots to ensure theres a match and by using ElectionGuard, all the data can be encrypted. ElectionGuard wont just be making the voting process more secure but its also going to enhance the voting experience. Microsoft demonstrated a prototype voting machine that allowed voters to search and learn about the candidates before making their choice right from the comfort of their homes. Once they had made their choice, they could print a QR code that could be used to automatically cast their vote by scanning it at the voting booth. The Microsoft 365 for campaign service will ensure political campaigns have proper IT staff to tackle advanced security protections including secure communication channels and free access to early notifications of global cyberthreats. It will be available from June in the US and Microsoft will be bringing the service to other countries soon. Apparently, Microsoft has already been working with election system vendors to bring some of the capabilities of ElectionGuard to voting machines. Early prototypes will start appearing in the 2020 elections in the United States. Since its an open source project, we may soon see other democratic countries experimenting with the tool. tech2 News Staff Like Google, Apple, and Facebook, the world's most valuable company Microsoft is all set to hold its annual developer conference called Build. Last year around Microsoft made announcements on Azure IoT Edge, Cortana and Alexa integration, mixed reality applications and more. This year as well we can expect more of the same. When is Build 2019? The annual developer's event by Microsoft is going to be conducted starting today, 6 May to 8 May and will take place in Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center. This is also the same time when Google conducts its own annual developer conference called Google I/O which starts on 7 May. How to watch it live? Microsoft will live stream its keynote on its website, which you can visit here. There is a live link on the company's official YouTube channel and also on Microsoft's official Facebook page. Tech2 will be running a LIVE blog of the event so do tune in to catch all the latest updates as they happen on the show floor. What can you expect? As of right now, there isn't anything concrete on what we can expect but the company is expected to announce updates for its full breadth of products including Office to Azure and many other software services. Build features in total 123 sessions ranging from building hybrid cloud apps to code-free data integration at scale. From a consumer's point, we would like to hear more updates about Windows 10 or the next version of Windows. tech2 News Staff Steve Rogers has left the building and STEVE has entered. The Aurora Borealis or the Northern lights has always captured the attention of people and photographers all over the world. With recent reports of the Borealis dying off, STEVE might take over. Bonus: it does not only occur in the auroral zones. They usually occur in populated/residential areas. What is Aurora Borealis? Aurorae are caused by charged particles hitting atoms and molecules in Earths atmosphere, causing them to glow. Traditional aurorae are often green because oxygen atoms present in Earths atmosphere emit that colour when theyre bombarded by charged particles trapped in Earths magnetic field. They also appear in a diffused glow rather than a distinct line on the northern or southern horizon according to the report in Science. What is STEVE? STEVE stands for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement. It is similar to the Aurora Borealis but unlike the Aurora, it is mostly mauve and purple. It is a band of light, stretching east to west that appears across the sky. It sometimes also has a second arc of green which is also known as a picket fence. It appears in much lower latitudes. How did it get its name? A group of citizen-scientists led by Chris Ratzlaff from Alberta, Canada named it STEVE, after a line in the 2006 childrens movie Over the Hedge. How does it occur? Elizabeth MacDonald, a space physicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and her team have used data from a European satellite called Swarm-A to study STEVE and has published the findings in the journal Science Advances. Appearing about 200 kilometres up in the atmosphere the satellite revealed that the charged particles had a temperature of 6,000 degree Celsius. These ions flow east to west at nearly six kilometres per second, propelled by electric and magnetic fields in the atmosphere. The heat and motion contribute to the purple hue. What causes the purple hue is still unknown. What is the picket fence? The picket fence is the secondary light arc that appears along with STEVE. It is caused by a similar process to what causes auroras, although it is closer to the equator than where the auroras are seen. They are caused by energetic electrons streaming into Earth's atmosphere from thousands of kilometres away and occur in both Northern and Southern hemispheres simultaneously. These arcs have been occurring and have been observed by aurora chasers before scientists got the wind of it. Hence, it is only now that scientists are studying it. Arun Venkatraman What happens if tomorrow, China blows up an American satellite in space? Or a private company lands on an asteroid and starts mining it? A layperson would likely be confounded by these questions, and rightly so. But the trouble is this: ask an expert on space policy the same question, and the answer will likely be that its really anyone guess. Its been nearly 62 years since the former Soviet Union launched Sputnik-1, the first artificial satellite launched into orbit. Space technology has grown exponentially ever since. And for all the scientific progress made in the arena of space technology, space policy has remained largely stagnant. There are few areas of global policy discourse today that are as contentious as that on outer space. The situation begs the question: are we waiting for a global crisis to happen before we even decide on a space policy? Some of us have been shouting the same question from rooftops for years, says Rajeshwari Pillai-Rajagopalan, one of Indias leading experts on space policy and the convenor of the recently-concluded ORF Kalpana Chawla Space Policy Dialogue. Raji, who has represented India at the UN Group of Governmental Expert (GGE) and at the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) forums, has argued the need for a global policy framework at the world stage for some time now. Ive talked with people at various forums within the UN, the EU, ASEAN, you name it. They all agree on the need for a space policy but they just cant come to a consensus on it. So whats causing the policy impasse? Just like in many other global policy issues, two major camps the US and China dominate the discourse, says Raji. But in recent years this dynamic has slowly been changing Whats really changed now is that Asia has come up as a strong counterbalance where theres not only the meteoric rise of China, but also the emergence of India, the re-emergence of Russia to some extent, and the return of a stable Japan, she says. While some experts like Raji argue that the underlying problem is largely political, others such as Daniel Parros, Space Security Fellow at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), say that there are some real challenges associated with the proliferation and distribution of space capabilities. The challenges associated with the space industry are very unique," Parros argues. For example, last year a Russian on-orbit service vehicle performed a simple control-check maneuver in space and the US accused Russia of spying. Russia obviously denied it, but the problem is what happens then? How do you independently verify these claims when the technology to do so is only present with government space agencies, both of whom have vested interests? This dynamic is slowly changing with the increasing role being played by the private space industry, but theres still a long way to go, according to Parros. The problem is keeping track of whos doing what in space at all times, and that is really difficult. There are a few people doing really path-breaking in this arena with technologies like biometric systems for satellites, but a lot of work still remains before these technologies can actualise, he argues. Apart from the emergence of the private space industry, another key element precipitating conflict in outer space, says Parros, is the increasing weaponization of space. We must take care to differentiate weaponization of space from the militarization of space. Outer space has been militarized from the very start of the space race. But it is only now that it is increasingly being weaponized, he says. Indias ASAT demonstration in context While the anti-satellite test demonstration by India in March this year is symptomatic of weaponization, many experts argue that the general discourse is also moving away from peaceful uses of space technology. Speaking at the ORF dialogue, the Chairman of ORF, Sunjoy Joshi said, The discussion has actually been regressing for years. Military and security concerns have actually taken primacy over other concerns in recent years. Reacting to the ASAT, Parros adds, A kinetic kill demonstration such as ASAT is a statement more than anything. The last such test was by China in 2007, but that doesnt mean the capability doesnt exist outside these countries. Russia has probably had this capability for a long time but never really established it. If they (Russia) do conduct an ASAT in the near future, it might be because of Indias ASAT. If theres a consensus among experts about one thing, it is that the world has now moved ahead with much more scarier technologies such as electronic and cyber warfare using space-based capabilities and this is what makes the need for a global space policy so immediate. What a Space Crisis Could Mean The term 'space crisis' sounds quite foreboding. But what's scarier is the absence of a framework to deal with one, says Raji. "We see a lot of countries continuously testing the waters with matters of space security, whether it is China, US, or even India (with its ASAT). The problem is that we still cant clearly define what an armed attack in space really is or what actions can be construed as one. Does it need to cause loss of life or property? What about electronic or cyber attacks? And ultimately, what actions can legitimise a counter-attack These are some of the burning questions that need to be defined and answered before we can advance in space, she says. The problem, however, is that the answers are unlikely to be arrived at anytime soon. At this point, only a crisis can set things back in motion. So how bad would it be? Things could get really ugly, says Daniel Parros. For example, if the US were to lose GPS capability for even a minute, that is a catastrophe of unparalleled scale! But on the other hand, a little bit of tension can actually be fruitful. The bottom line, says Daniel, is that we dont need countries to be at peace with each other. What we need now is the right amount of tension, which can spur countries to take action and also act as checks and balances. The author is a science writer and student at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. 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. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel 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 war in the Palestinian enclave. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel 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 war in the Palestinian enclave. A military statement said that Hamed Ahmed Abed Khudri had been responsible for transfering funds from Iran to armed factions in Gaza. Palestinian witnesses said he was killed in an air strike on his car. (Writing by Dan Williams and Nidal al-Mughrabi) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The recent 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 Gaza City (Palestinian territories): Palestinian leaders in Gaza agreed a ceasefire with Israel on Monday to end a deadly two-day escalation in violence that threatened to widen into war, officials with knowledge of the deal said. An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on the deal, but there appeared to have been no rocket fire or Israeli strikes after it was due to take effect, an AFP correspondent in Gaza said. Egypt brokered the agreement to cease hostilities from 4.30 am (7 am IST), 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. The deal came after the most serious flare-up in violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza since a 2014 war. The escalation began on Saturday with massive rocket fire from Gaza, drawing waves of Israeli retaliatory strikes, and continued throughout Sunday. At least 23 Palestinians, including at least nine militants, were killed. Four civilians in Israel were killed, at least three of them Israeli citizens. 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 faced pressure to restore calm and put an end to the rocket fire hitting communities in the country's southern region. It commemorates its Memorial and Independence Days later this week and is due to host the Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv from 14 to 18 May, which is expected to draw thousands to Israel. On the Gazan side, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is set to begin. 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. Among the steps, he said, were the relaxing of limits on fishing and improvements in Gaza's electricity and fuel situation. 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. Sunday was particularly bloody, with 19 Palestinians and four civilians in Israel killed. 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 on Sunday he instructed the military "to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip." Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said in a statement on Sunday night that "returning to a state of calm is possible" if Israel committed to a "complete ceasefire." Without it, "the arena could face many rounds of confrontation," he said. Israel said its strikes were in response to Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing some 690 rockets or mortars across the border since Saturday, with Israeli 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. At least 35 of the rockets fell in urban areas, according to the army. The army said its tanks and planes hit some 350 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. 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. Israel strongly disputed the claim, with Conricus saying 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. The Gazan ministry reported late on 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 missile. Conricus said a Kornet missile had hit a vehicle and killed an Israeli civilian. Calls for calm Egyptian and UN officials held talks to reach a truce, as they have done repeatedly in the past, and there were international calls for calm. US president Donald Trump meanwhile 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 April 9 general election. 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. Facebook launched its group video chat app Bonfire in 2017. It was a clone of the group video chat app Houseparty and today, Facebook has announced that it will be shutting down the Bonfire app as it did not receive the interest the company expected. Facebook started testing its group video chat app Bonfire in Denmark and other countries in Europe last year and it was a clone of Houseparty app which was popular at that time. Houseparty had a synchronous group video chat feature where participants would open the app to see who was already online, hanging out digitally. However, the app did not receive the interest that Facebook expected. According to reports, HouseParty apps rank in the App Store declined to #327 a year ago and the app stopped being a threat to Facebook which led to Facebooks decision of shutting down Bonfire now. The group video chat has now become a feature of Facebooks other apps Instagram and Messenger where it is baked into the app itself. The company has announced that it will support Bonfire till this month. Commenting on this, Facebook said: In May well be ending support for the Bonfire tests. Well incorporate elements of what we learned into other current and future products. Source Captain Ds Inks 15-Unit Development Deal to Further Propel Southeast Expansion Fast Casual Seafood Leader Attracts Experienced Multi-Unit Operators Amid Ongoing Success and Franchise Development Growth May 06, 2019 // Franchising.com // NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Captain Ds, the nations leading fast casual seafood restaurant, announced that it recently signed a new franchise development agreement with StarChain USA, a distinguished group of multi-unit operators with decades of franchising experience. As part of the agreement, StarChain USA will spearhead Captain Ds growth in the Southeast and develop 15 new restaurants throughout Arkansas and the Carolinas over the next several years. Additionally, the group will acquire four existing Captain Ds restaurants in the Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina market and five in the Little Rock, Arkansas region. Our commitment to innovation and strong unit economics, coupled with our unparalleled support system have reinforced Captain Ds as one of the most advantageous franchise opportunities in the fast casual segment today. In our 50th year in business, were increasingly attracting exceptional multi-unit operators looking to diversify their portfolio with a growing brand, and were thrilled to have our latest franchisee StarChain USA come on board and be a part of our success, said Brad Reed, chief development officer of Captain Ds. We look forward to accelerating the momentum we achieved in 2018 and the first quarter of this year to continue supporting the growth of our new and existing franchisees. StarChain USA is comprised of experienced multi-unit, multi-concept operators Omer Casurluk, CEO; Mike Tillis, COO; and Mark Peaks, CFO. The business partners have a current brand portfolio consisting of Checkers & Rallys, Yogli Mogli and Which Wich franchises throughout Georgia and South Carolina. This new agreement marks StarChain USAs first with Captain Ds, and its first new location is slated to open in Gaffney, South Carolina this summer. Theres no shortage of food service concepts that claim to offer the best franchise opportunities, but Captain Ds proven track record of stability and success made it the obvious choice to diversify our growing portfolio. Not only has the brand emerged as the leader of fast casual seafood, but its explosive growth over the past several years has also established it as a major player in the franchising industry as a whole, said Omer Casurluk, chief executive officer of StarChain USA. The success of the brands existing franchisees is a true testament to the strength of this business opportunity, and were excited to be a part of Captain Ds monumental period of growth and expand its footprint in the Southeast. Captain Ds has experienced a surge in franchise development over the past several years, fueled by its compounding success and the rollout of its new royalty incentive program last year. In 2018, the brand closed out the year with 14 new restaurants opened and achieved its highest average number of units signed since 2015, inking 11 agreements to open more than 50 units over the next several years in new and existing markets like Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan and Oklahoma. Additionally, in Q1 2019, Captain Ds signed franchise development agreements to open more than 20 new restaurants throughout key target markets, including a 10-unit deal with its largest franchise, Trident Holdings LLC. Captain Ds continues to be recognized as a leader among various industry accolades, recently ranking as one of the top 200 franchise concepts in Entrepreneurs 2019 Franchise 500 list where it was named best in category based on costs & fees, size & growth, support, brand strength and financial strength & stability. Coupled with its ongoing menu innovation, Captain Ds credits its new restaurant beach design with contributing to the brands ongoing strong performance. To date, nearly 80 percent of all restaurants have been reimaged to the brands new vibrant, coastal design. With these efforts, Captain Ds has remained true to what it does best - serving high-quality seafood with warm hospitality at an affordable price in a welcoming atmosphere. With more than 530 restaurants in 22 states, Captain Ds is the fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. The company is currently seeking single- and multi-unit operators to join in the brands rapid expansion. About Captain Ds Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Captain Ds has more than 530 restaurants in 22 states. Captain Ds is the nations leading fast casual seafood restaurant and was named the #1 seafood chain in the QSR 50, ranked by AUV. Founded in 1969, Captain Ds has been offering its customers high-quality seafood at reasonable prices in a welcoming atmosphere for 50 years. Captain Ds serves a wide variety of seafood that includes freshly prepared entrees and the companys signature batter dipped fish. The restaurants also offer premium-quality, grilled items such as shrimp, Tilapia and Salmon, as well as hushpuppies, desserts and freshly brewed, Southern-style sweet tea, a Captain D's favorite. For more information, please visit www.captainds.com. SOURCE Captain Ds ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Dream Job Alert: Days Inn by Wyndham Seeks Suntern for Overseas Adventure Summer's hottest gig returns with aspirations abroad, offers $10,000 payday plus travel PARSIPPANY, N.J., May 6, 2019 // PRNewswire // - It's sun's out, shades on and passport-in-hand for one thrill-seeker ready to seize the days with iconic hotel brand Days Innby Wyndham. Back by popular demand, the economy hospitality leader is once again offering the hottest gig of the summer but this time with a global flair: the Days Inn "Sunternship" program. Days Inn by Wyndham is once again offering the hottest gig of the summer, giving those with a passion for international travel, an eye for photography and a love of written storytelling the opportunity to earn $10,000 while jet setting overseas as the brands Suntern. Now through May 24, 2019 at DaysInn.com/Suntern, Days Inn welcomes applicants 21 years and older with a passion for international travel, an eye for photography and a love of written storytelling to jet set overseas this summer as the brand's "Suntern," chronicling sunlit experiences in an official travel guide to be featured on the hotel's website and social channels. For many Americans, bucket-list trips like the Days Inn Sunternship are purely aspirational, especially when student loan debt is at an all-time high and can impede travel budgets. According to the U.S. Federal Reserve, there are more than 44 million borrowers who collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt in the U.S. alone. Days Inn is here to help. In addition to paid hotel and air accommodations, this year's Suntern will receive a $150 daily travel stipend plus $10,000. "We're continually dreaming up ways to brighten guests' stays at our hotels, fueling their days when they're with us and their wanderlusts when they leave us," said Patrick Breen, vice president, Brand Operations, Days Inn by Wyndham. "We believe everyone deserves a cultured, overseas experience without deferring or prolonging student loans and this mindset was the very inspiration behind this year's global Sunternship program." While the 2018 Sunternship program focused on travel to some of the sunniest cities in the U.S., this year's post lets the recipient hand-select their journey under the sun think London, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, and beyond staying at some of Days Inn's more than 1,700 locations along the way. About the Role This customizable, two week-long dream job entails journaling and snapping sunny photos throughout an international jaunt in destinations with Days Inn locations, such as the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America and Asia. What's more, the selected Suntern will get major street cred. Photos and travel insight captured will be featured on the brand's website, DaysInn.com, and its social media channels, in the form of a digital travel guide. Responsibilities: Travel to an international destination(s) for two weeks this summer. Document your adventures in a travel journal and share your top things to do and see. Capture as many sun-inspired photos as your camera roll can hold. Qualifications: A bright, creative, aspiring writer and photographer. At least 21 years old. U.S. resident with a valid passport. Open to new experiences, has a passion for travel and enjoys exploring new cultures. The ability to travel abroad for two consecutive weeks in August 2019. The Perks: $10,000 payday. Paid hotel and economy air accommodations. A $150 daily travel stipend, allowing you to explore your sunny destination(s) to the fullest. Photos and journal excerpts featured on the brand's website and social media channels. Wyndham Rewards Diamond membership. Wyndham Rewards Diamond membership. A glowing recommendation from a Days Inn by Wyndham executive upon successful completion of the Sunternship. How to Apply: Visit DaysInn.com/Suntern by May 24, 2019 to submit an original sun-filled photo, as well as a 300-word entry describing your dream destination and why you belong there this summer. We'll assess applicants' photography and storytelling skills, and select the brightest person for the job. For more information, or to see trip highlights and photos taken by last year's Suntern, visit DaysInn.com/Suntern. About Days Inn by Wyndham With more than 1,700 locations across 25 countries, Days Inn by Wyndham is one of the largest, most well-recognized hotel brands in the world. Welcoming guests with a warm smile and a clean, inviting room, most locations offer fast, free Wi-Fi; an energizing continental breakfast; swimming pool or fitness center; and more. Whether it's small town or downtown, a trip with family or a getaway with friends, count on Days Inn by Wyndham for a great stay paired with a little extra sunshine along the way. Seize the days and book your next stay at www.daysinn.com. You can also like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world's largest hotel franchising company, with approximately 9,200 hotels across more than 80 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 812,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 20 hotel brands, including Super 8, Days Inn, Ramada, Microtel Inn & Suites, La Quinta, Wingate, AmericInn, Hawthorn Suites, The Trademark Collection, and Wyndham. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is also a leading provider of hotel management services, with more than 400 properties under management. The Company's award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers over 75 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at tens of thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dream-job-alert-days-inn-by-wyndham-seeks-suntern-for-overseas-adventure-300844028.html SOURCE Wyndham Hotels & Resorts ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus IHOP Announces $1 Million Fundraising Campaign to Assist Military Families Throughout May, IHOP Restaurants Will Team Up With Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation to Help Secure College Scholarships for Children Who Have Lost a Parent in the Line of Duty GLENDALE, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - May 1, 2019 - Today, IHOP restaurants kicks off a national partnership with Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation (CFP) as part of the brands broader commitment to helping families in need. In honor of Military Appreciation Month, IHOP is activating a charitable giving campaign throughout the month of May to raise $1 million to fund college scholarships and educational counseling for military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. Guests can support CFP and military families in their community by visiting any IHOP restaurant May 1 through May 31, 2019 and making an on-check donation or purchasing a $5 wall sticker at participating locations, with all proceeds going directly to CFP. Guests purchasing a wall sticker to show their support will also receive a $5 off coupon good for a future purchase of $10 or more*. Later this month, IHOP will announce additional news and events tied to its month-long National Military Appreciation campaign and $1 million fundraising goal. Taking care of kids and families is at the heart of what we do every day at IHOP and has been a part of our brand philosophy since we first opened our doors in 1958, said Darren Rebelez, President, IHOP. Its an honor to partner with Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation and help make a meaningful and lasting impact on communities across the U.S. Fallen Patriots scholarship program directly addresses the gap in educational funding for military families and is a chance to honor the servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country. According to CFP, since 1983, more than 20,000 children have been impacted by the loss of a parent killed in the line of duty, leaving the families of fallen servicemen and women with a financial strain and questions about their future. Of the military families who have lost a loved one, 60 percent report having trouble making ends meet, particularly as 63 percent of surviving spouses make less than $50,000 per year. CFP works to ensure that every Gold Star family receives all necessary college funding and educational counseling. IHOP and Fallen Patriots share the belief that children are our future and that together, we can set tomorrows leaders up for success, continued Rebelez. As a veteran myself, Im incredibly proud of our franchisees and what were doing as a brand to help raise $1 million on behalf of Gold Star families, many of whom are family members, friends, neighbors and guests. When you think about IHOP, you think about family and community, said David Kim, co-founder and CEO of Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation. On behalf of the families we serve, I would like to thank everyone at IHOP for their tremendous support. Not only is their financial aid much needed, but just as importantly this initiative tells families who lost a loved one serving our nation that their fellow Americans will never forget their sacrifice. We cant thank the IHOP community enough. Guests can visit IHOP.com to find their nearest IHOP restaurant and learn more about the IHOP and Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation partnership. *Participation and sale of wall stickers to benefit the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation vary by restaurant location. $5 off a $10 purchase coupon from the purchase of wall sticker is valid only at participating locations. Coupon cannot be used on same day as purchase. Dine-in only.Guests should check expiration date and any restrictions printed on coupon. Check with your local IHOP restaurant for details. About International House Of Pancakes, LLC For over 60 years, IHOP has been a leader, innovator and expert in all things breakfast, any time of day. The chain offers 65 different signature, fresh, made-to-order breakfast options, a wide selection of popular lunch and dinner items as well as meals under 600 calories. IHOP restaurants offer guests an affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly service. As of December 31, 2018, there are 1,831 IHOP restaurants around the world, including restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam as well as Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Thailand and India. IHOP restaurants are franchised by affiliates of Glendale, Calif.-based Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN). About Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation honors the sacrifices of our fallen military heroes by ensuring the success of their children through college education. Since 2002, Fallen Patriots has provided approximately over $29 million in total assistance, including college scholarships and educational counseling to over 1,400 military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. Nearly 20,000 children from across America will need future assistance. Media Contact: Sami Newman DeVries Global + 1 212-546-8510 SNewman@devriesglobal.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190501005173/en/ Source: IHOP ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Jersey Mike's Subs Opens First Missouri City Location May 06, 2019 // Franchising.com // MISSOURI CITY, Texas - Jersey Mikes Subs, known for its fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs, opened in Missouri City on May 1. Franchise owner Ali Dhukka held a grand opening and free sub fundraiser from Wednesday, May 1 to Sunday, May 5 to support James Reese Career Center of Fort Bend ISD. The new restaurant, located at 8840 Hwy 6, circulated 7,500 coupons throughout the community offering a free regular sub for a minimum $2 contribution to James Reese Career Center. This will be our second Fort Bend area store, said Dhukka. The team and I genuinely believe that Jersey Mikes is the best of the best. Not only in the quality of the product, but also the brand itself. Jersey Mikes is all about helping others; we dont give to get; we give to give! That is why we are partnering with two Fort Bend ISD organizations: First is the highly anticipated Career and Technical Education Center, which will serve as an asset to the youth of our community. Second is Ridge Point High School, which is situated in the heart of Sienna Plantation. Our company strives to focus on the key values of exceptional service: outstanding customer relations, consistency on all fields, and most importantly great tasting sub sandwiches! My team and I are looking forward to serving you A Sub Above! Dhukka is an exemplary Jersey Mikes franchise owner who shares the companys commitment to quality products and exceptional customer service, and who is dedicated to giving back to the local community. Since 2010, Jersey Mikes locations throughout the country have raised more than $41 million for worthy local charities and have distributed more than 2 million free sub sandwiches to help numerous causes. In 2019, the companys 9th Annual Jersey Mikes Month of Giving in March raised more than $7.3 million for more than 200 charities throughout the country. About Jersey Mikes Started in 1956, Jersey Mikes now has 2,000 restaurants open and under development nationwide. Jersey Mikes was named the countrys Fastest-growing Sandwich Chain in the 2018 Nations Restaurant News Top 100, and #1 Most Admired Fast-casual Brand in QSRs 2019 Readers Choice Awards. The growth is fueled by passionate Jersey Mikes fans who crave their subs made Mikes Way with the freshest vegetables onions, lettuce and tomatoes topped off with an exquisite zing of the juice red wine vinegar and olive oil blended to perfection. Jersey Mikes premium meats and cheeses are sliced on the spot, piled high on in-store baked bread and served up with a helping of neighborly banter from a dedicated and high-energy team. Jersey Mikes is always looking for outstanding candidates to join its winning team. Dedicated to a culture of giving, the team is a perfect blend of talent, trust, teamwork, and a shared vision. For more information and to learn about Jersey Mikes team members who moved from behind the counter to franchise owner, please visit: http://www.jerseymikes.com/careers. The restaurants hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. You can contact this location directly at (281) 915-5319. SOURCE Jersey Mikes ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus The Basement Doctor Launches Franchise Opportunity The one-stop shop for basement and crawlspace needs looks to Ohio and the Midwest for growth May 06, 2019 // Franchising.com // COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Basement Doctor, Ohios leading basement and crawlspace contractor, has officially launched their franchising opportunity, becoming the first franchise of its kind in the home improvement industry. With one corporate location in Columbus and one franchisee location in Akron, Ohio, The Basement Doctor has set its sights on further expansion in the Midwest through franchise partners. The company plans call for at least five new franchisee-owned locations in the next year. We have taken our time perfecting our products, services and customer-first commitment, CEO Ron Greenbaum said. Were incredibly proud of our work over the last 32 years and the response weve received from the communities we service has been tremendously supportive. We want to be the first and last people you call for any basement, crawl space or foundation needs. Founded in 1987, The Basement Doctor has the experience of providing homeowners high quality service and peace of mind. The goal to provide homeowners the drier, cleaner, safer and more energy-efficient basement of their dreams. Through innovative products and technology, The Basement Doctor solves common basement and crawlspace problems such as flood damage, waterproofing, mold clean-up and prevention as well as foundation repair. Our mission with our franchise opportunity is to bring the same level of satisfaction and reliability to each new community we enter, added Greenbaum. As we grow, we hope to find partners who feel the same drive to make their neighbors homes drier, cleaner and safer, and to uphold the title of the most trusted brand in the home-improvement industry. The Basement Doctor, since its inception, has prided itself on impacting the Columbus community and beyond through supporting a variety of community organizations, as well as continuing to uphold the values of integrity, innovation and responsibility. These values manifest themselves through a customer-first mentality, constant product innovation and a commitment to community involvement. Including a franchise fee of $30,000, the estimated initial investment range to open a franchise with The Basement Doctor is $156,090-$345,725 for a single unit. About The Basement Doctor Founded in 1987 and franchising since 2018, The Basement Doctor is specializes in basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, foundation repair and mold prevention and clean-up. The Basement Doctor has the solution for any basement or crawl space problem with a long established commitment to customer satisfaction. Today, there is a corporate location in Columbus, Ohio and one franchisee location open and operating in Akron, Ohio. Media Contact: Joe Fernandez Franchise Elevator PR (631) 935-3625 jfernandez@franchiseelevator.com SOURCE The Basement Doctor ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus We then talked about how, because of their life experiences, they brought diversity of thought to the classroom. Sometimes the things we cannot see are as impactful as those things we can identify. But lets talk about inclusion. Say I have the potential to create as diverse workforce as possible, however we choose to identify the elements of diversity. So were sitting in the office bringing all those elements to the discussion. But hold the phone! What if I havent created a culture where every voice is not just represented but heard? I attended a conference recently where a large firms diversity and inclusion officer reminded the group that, unless people in the organization speak, we have not created an inclusive climate. While I knew that, it gobsmacked me anyway. In a classroom, for example, I can look at a sea of diversity, but when only a handful of the students engage enough to speak, I dont have inclusion. It becomes my role to get those students to speak. How can I do that? Wildlife officials are investigating poisonings from a toxic pesticide that has killed seven bald eagles and a great horned owl along Marylands 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 several dead or sick bald eagles and a dead great horned owl in Chestertown, Md. Officials initially had found three dead bald eagles at the location, then returned to find three more dead eagles. About a month later, authorities said they found three more bald eagles that showed signs of being poisoned at a Talbot County farm. One died at the scene, and two were taken to a rehabilitation center and eventually released. The birds all showed signs of having ingested carbofuran, a highly toxic pesticide used on farms to get rid of insects until its granular form was banned in the 1990s. Kennedy, who will assume the presidency at the beginning of July, currently serves as executive vice president of Cleveland Community College in Shelby, N.C. She will succeed Elizabeth Crowther, who announced last fall that she is retiring at the end of June, after serving in the role for more than 15 years. Va. teachers make far below national average RICHMOND A new analysis found that Virginia teachers make far below the national average. The National Education Association released its Rankings and Estimates report last week. The report showed that Virginia ranks No. 32 in the U.S. in teacher pay, $8,483 below the national average. How are we supposed to recruit and retain the very best, most committed educators that our children deserve if we dont pay them well? asked VEA President Jim Livingston. We know teachers arent in our schools to get rich, but why should they have to take second and even third jobs to support their families? Thats a disservice to everyone. The General Assembly this year approved a 5 percent raise for teachers, but it requires a local match. Busby, himself a military veteran, just gets it, Ratliff wrote in nominating Busby for the honor, which he received May 2 during an award presentation at the Hutch. Bruce was prior Navy, so I dont have to jump through hoops on explaining my obligations to my country, Ratliff wrote. His understanding of my duties is unmatched. I am truly grateful to be working for a manager who gets it. Busby has worked at the Hutch since 2001 and has more than three decades of experience in biosafety, radiation safety, health physics and research administration. Upon learning of the honor, Busby said he would accept it, but only on behalf of his entire team and the Hutch overall. News editor's pick Federal deadline looms for port dredging decision jenniferreynolds / JENNIFER REYNOLDS/ The Daily News Port of Galveston officials are debating plans to dredge the west end of the port near the Pelican Island Bridge. GALVESTON A multi-million dollar decision about whether to move forward with a project to deepen the west end of the Port of Galveston appears imminent and hinges on whos willing to pay for it. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers late last year announced it would pay for the design to deepen the west end of the ship channel, opening up the possibility that a long-proposed project at the port could advance. The port and corps have long talked about deepening the west end of the Galveston Ship Channel, west of the 38th Street Pier, from 41 feet deep to 46 feet deep. The cost of the project has been estimated at about $14.6 million. The corps would pay for 75 percent of that, while local entities, like the port, would pay about $3 million. In recent weeks, however, the question of how much the port would pay for the deepening, if it would even pay at all, has been raised, and, so far, hasnt been answered. At the Wharves Board of Trustees meeting on April 23, Port Director Rodger Rees gave a lukewarm assessment of the project. On one hand, the $14 million cost estimate might be high, and the local share might not be as costly as previously thought, Rees said. On the other, Gulf Sulphur, one of the two businesses that would directly benefit from the deepening of the channel, had said it wouldnt pay for a part of the deepening, Rees said. The port is being conscious about how much it plans to spend on the project, because theres a question about how much the port would actually benefit, Rees said. Theres not really a great economic impact to the port in terms of having this done, Rees said. A spokesman from Gulf Sulphur said the company had no comment on the proposed dredging. In an email on Friday, Rees said he had met with representatives from Gulf Sulphur and expected an answer about the companys commitment by the middle of this week. At the meeting, Rees said he felt there was a deadline looming for the port to decide whether it would move forward with the dredging or allow the Army Corps to spend the money elsewhere. Its getting to the point where its a use-it-or-lose-it or start over scenario, Rees said, adding that he hadnt received a specific deadline from the Army Corps. Rees told the board he hoped to have an item for them to vote on by June. Despite his economic assessment of the project, Rees supported moving forward with it, he said. I believe the port needs to think ahead to the future, something that historically the port has not done, Rees said. Ships are continuing to get bigger, and if we dont dredge the balance of our channel now, we will be totally responsible for all maintenance and dredging in the future. At least one trustee of the wharves board, which governs the port, already has raised concerns the port shouldnt use its own money for a project from which it doesnt directly benefit. Wharves board Trustee Elizabeth Beeton has said the two companies that would directly benefit should be the ones paying for the project. Aside from Gulf Sulphur, the corps has said the dredging would also benefit Texas International Terminals, a company owned by wharves board Trustee Todd Sullivan. I think its fine for the port to be the local sponsor, but if the only beneficiary is Texas International Terminals, then they should pay for it, Beeton said. Previous port deepening projects have not attracted the type of larger ships that had been promised, Beeton said. Sullivan has recused himself from wharves board discussions about the deepening, but has spoken in favor of the project as a business owner. On Friday, Sullivan said he participated in Rees meeting with Gulf Sulphur and that Texas International Terminals had agreed to pay up to one-third of the local cost of the dredging. Previous proposals had suggested the private companies would each pay about one-quarter of the cost of the local match. Sullivan was confident Gulf Sulphur and the port ultimately would agree to contribute to the project, he said. The Galveston industrial waterfront has a unique opportunity and a unique situation where all of the industrial users are willing to contribute to the non-federal local match, Sullivan said. Usually, its just the local government entity sponsoring the project thats willing to pay for it, Sullivan said. Rees has left open the possibility that another entity, the city of Galveston, could chip in to pay for some of the work. He suggested that a deeper channel would increase the tax base of the properties on the west end of the port, which would benefit the city. City officials said they havent been approached by the port to discuss funding the project. Albanys street railway, which operated from 1889 to 1918, will be the focus of two museum events this week. The Albany Regional Museum, 136 Lyon Street S., will hold a virtual tour of the street railway system during Wednesdays History Bites at Noon lecture. Local historian and museum volunteer Bill Maddy will discuss the history of the system and show its route, featuring a then-and-now look at several streetcar stop locations. Light refreshments are served. History Bites is free, but donations are accepted. On Saturday, residents can hop aboard for an actual guided tour as Albanys vintage streetcar will travel the old routes through town, including stops at the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot (Albany Station), the Depot Hotel and the Van Dran Hotel, the Oregon Electric Railway Depot, the Hammel Hotel, Revere House, the St. Francis Hotel, the American Exchange Hotel and the St. Charles Hotel. Reservations are required to reserve tickets and can be made by calling the Albany Regional Museum at 541-967-7122. Tickets cost $5 for adults and $3 for children age 6-12. Children 5 and under can ride for free. Tours depart from the Albany Regional Museum on Saturday at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Every year, the museum offers a program about the citys railroad history that coincides with National Train Day, which commemorates the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Friday is the 150th anniversary of that event, when the last spike was driven at Promontory Summit in the Utah Territory. The first train arrived in Albany in December 1870, more than a year after the ceremonial golden spike. With the arrival of the railroad, Albany grew and developed into Hub City. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I am an unabashed progressive, an enthusiastic supporter of the police, our schools, the library, Aquatic Center, Senior Center, parks and recreation, etc. I was also a business owner selling to industrial and food processing plants for 30 years. And I voted for the $200 million school bond as I value our childrens safety (as I have voted for other bonds in the past). However, I am concerned by the city and countys increasing budgets and requests for more funds. Were on a fixed income and our property tax now consumes 12% of our before-tax income. It becomes more and more difficult to justify increasing that percentage even though I value the quality of life here. And when I see there has apparently been 25-40% cost overruns for the school bond projects, my confidence in the management of my tax money goes down precipitously. In my experience in private industry a cost overrun of 5% might be tolerated if carefully justified. You might even get away with 10% if there were extenuating circumstances. But a 25-40% overrun would have gotten your contract canceled and in all likelihood, the purchasing agent fired. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. Ambassador: There is a growing number of Georgian citizens, seeking a political asylum in France-its confusing - GeorgianJournal Mikheil Saakashvili plans to return to Georgia, says has big plans for the country - GeorgianJournal Photo: Contributed An online auction will help bring refugees to the nicest country in the world. The Long Table Group will be holding an online auction until May 12 to help settle a family that are coming to Vernon as refugees. Funds raised will help cover some of the initial expenses such as damage deposit and first months rent, weather-appropriate clothing, household needs, school supplies and medical emergencies. All money raised will be held by the East Hill Community Church in a separate account dedicated to refugee expenses. Donations can also be made through the website. The Long Table is a nondenominational group of Vernon and Coldstream residents who have come together to sponsor a United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) recognized and approved refugee family. They are working with the East Hill Community Church and World Renew, who will act as financial oversight and contact with the Government of Canada. They have received confirmation that they will be supporting a single mother and her four children who will be arriving within the next few months. To make a financial donation by mail, make a cheque payable to the East Hill Community Church and write The Long Table on the memo line. Cheques can be mailed directly to the Church at 3605 12 St., Vernon, BC V1T 3S7. Ratan Tata invests in Ola Electric Mobility: Here are the details News oi-Priyanka Dua Tata is also an early investor in ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd, Ola's parent company. Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, has invested in Ola Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd (Ola Electric) of its Series A round of funding. Tata is also an early investor in ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd, Ola's parent company. Ola said that the company is currently running several pilots involving charging solutions, battery swapping stations, and deploying vehicles across two, three and four-wheeler segments. Ratan Tata, said, "The electric vehicle ecosystem is evolving dramatically every day, and I believe Ola Electric will play a key role in its growth and development. I have always admired the vision of Bhavish Aggarwal and I'm confident that this will be part of yet another important strategic move into this new business area." Ola said Tata's investment in Ola Electric is a significant endorsement of the company's approach to developing an electric mobility ecosystem, including innovations in charging infrastructure, swapping models, and market-appropriate products. "Mr. Tata has been an inspiration and a mentor to me personally in shaping Ola's journey over the years. I'm very excited to welcome him on board Ola Electric as an investor and a mentor in our mission of building sustainable mobility for everyone on our planet. He is a visionary who has inspired a generation of entrepreneurs and we are privileged to have his guidance and support once again, as we work towards our goal of a million electric vehicles in India by 2021," said Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-founder & CEO, Ola. Ola Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd raised a sum of Rs. 400 crores led by several of Ola's early investors, Tiger Global and Matrix India and others, as part of its first round of investment. The company was initially established to enable Ola's electric mobility pilot program in Nagpur. In 2018, Ola subsequently announced 'Mission: Electric' to bring 1 million Electric Vehicles on Indian roads by 2021. For the unaware, the company has also launched its services in three new cities in the UK namely Liverpool, Birmingham, and Reading, after local councils granted the platform with both Taxi and Private Hire licenses. Ola, the ride-hailing platform is also offering a 50 percent discount to its new customers. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Nokia 8 update brings April security patch in India News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Nokia 8 has started receiving the latest security patch via an update. HMD Global that holds the license to launch Nokia smartphones is know for its consistency in rolling out timely updates to its devices. The company started launching Android One smartphones that favor the timely rollout of updates. The latest one from the company to receive the update in India is Nokia 8. Well, the Nokia 8 has received a new software update bringing the April Android security patch to the smartphone. This is an OTA update based on Android 9 Pie. Besides the latest security patch, it does not bring major changes or new features to the smartphone. Nokia 8 update Going by a recent NokiaPowerUser report, the Nokia 8 has received the update with the build number v5.150. It states that this update is being rolled out in India and Austria via the stable channel. The rollout of this update in the other regions remain unknown for now. Notably, this update weighs in around 255.4MB. As per the changelog, the Android Pie-based update has brings improvements to the user interface and system stability. The report does not reveal any word regarding the other new system changes and features. If you own a Nokia 8, you can check for the OTA update by heading on to Settings About phone System updates. If you have not received the notification for the update, you can get the same in the coming days as it could be rolled out in phases. Earlier this year, the previous-generation Nokia flagship smartphone received a software update taking it to Android Pie. This update brought in features such as Digital Wellbeing, gesture-based navigation, Adaptive Battery and many other new features. Nokia 8 competition Nokia 8 was launched in India in September 2017 for Rs. 36,999. Within a few months of its launch, the Nokia smartphone received a price cut of Rs. 8,000 taking it down to Rs. 28,999. However, this smartphone will face a tough competition from other recent flagship devices with better specifications such as Asus ZenFone 5Z that are available at a similar pricing. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications NASA warns a sudden apocalyptic asteroid strike is eminent News oi-Vishal Kawadkar NASA issues an alarming warning. If NASA scientists are to be believed, Earth is facing an apocalyptic threat. The astronomers are assuming that an asteroid strike "is not that far away." NASA's chief administrator Jim Bridenstine has issued a warning - saying the Earth is "about to face its biggest threat from outer space." The remarks were made during a meeting at the 2019 Planetary Defense Conference in College Park, Maryland. "This is about ultimately protecting the only planet we know right now to host life, and that is the planet Earth," said Bridenstine. Well-known scientist Bill Nye also warned the threat during the conference. "The Earth is going to get hit with another big asteroid. The problem is, we don't know when. 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," he said. During a role-playing simulation exercise, NASA scientist failed to deflect a meteor crashing into the Earth - even after eight years of preparation. NASA is working with ELon Musk's SpaceX to develop a Double Asteroid Redirection Test (D.A.R.T) is an attempt to stop asteroid that are on a collision course with our planet. NASA hopes to detect 90 percent of space rocks ranging from 140 meter and above using the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope in Chile. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Russia urges US to cancel 'irresponsible' plans for regime change in Venezuela Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 10:00PM Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has condemned Washington's "unprecedented campaign" and "irresponsible plans" aimed at toppling the legitimate government of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. "We see an unprecedented US-led campaign aimed at toppling the lawful authority in Venezuela. We condemn this campaign as a blatant violation of all the international laws secured by the UN Charter," Lavrov said at the beginning of a Sunday meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza in Moscow. "We call on the Americans and all (the countries) who support them to cancel irresponsible plans and act strictly according to the international legislation, as President (Vladimir) Putin said a couple of days ago in a phone conversation with President (Donald) Trump," he added. Lavrov is travelling on Monday to Finland, where he is expected to hold rare face-to-face talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Venezuelan President Maduro has called on the country's armed forces to be on standby for potential US military action against the Latin American nation following a failed coup attempt earlier this week. "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," Maduro said during a televised speech from a base in the northwestern Cojedes state on Saturday. Early on Tuesday, a group of Venezuelan armed troops accompanying opposition leader Juan Guaido clashed with soldiers at an anti-government rally in the capital, Caracas. Gunfire was heard, and more than 100 people were reported wounded in what was later revealed to be a US-backed coup. Maduro announced in a televised speech that the group of military personnel supporting Guaido had been defeated. A second day of confrontations came on Wednesday as opposition supporters and security forces clashed during May Day protests in Caracas. Addressing his supporters, Maduro said the coup attempt was directed from the White House. The administration of US President Donald Trump, which has recognized Guaido as the "interim president" of Venezuela, quickly backed the attempted putsch. Following the failure, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo renewed threats against Caracas and said on Wednesday that Washington may use military force to remove Maduro from power. "The president [Trump] has been crystal clear and incredibly consistent," Pompeo said. "Military action is possible." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nearly two dozen Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 01:37PM Fourteen more Palestinians have been killed on the third day of Israeli strikes against the besieged Gaza Strip, bringing the total Palestinian death toll since Friday to 21, while over 150 Palestinians reported injured. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa, citing the Gazan Health Ministry, said three Palestinians lost their lives in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a crowd in the Gaza City neighborhood of Shujaeya on Sunday. A ministry spokesman, Ashraf al-Qudra, identified the three as Bilal al-Bana, Abdullah Abu al-Ata, and Hamed Ahmed Abdel Khazri, saying that Khazri was a commander of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement. A few hours later, two more Palestinians lost their lives in an Israeli air raid targeting the Bureij camp in central Gaza. Five more Palestinians were killed after Israeli warplanes hit Palestinians' houses in Rafah and Beit Lahia. Four Palestinians were also killed during an Israeli raid north of the Gaza Strip later in the day. The ministry also said that at least 90 people had been wounded in the Israeli aggression against the sliver. Tensions erupted in Gaza on Friday following the killing of four Palestinians, two in an Israeli air raid on southern Gaza and two during the regime's live fire at anti-occupation protesters near a fence separating the blockaded coastal enclave from the occupied territories. Among the 21 Palestinians killed since then have been two pregnant women and a 14-month-old baby girl. The Israeli regime claims that it started the strikes after two of its soldiers were wounded by Palestinian gunfire near the Gaza fence and that it has been hitting the positions of Hamas. The resistance movement has said Tel Aviv has been breaching earlier ceasefire "understandings," and has been retaliating the Israeli strikes with rockets. The Tel Aviv regime says about 450 rockets have been fired at the occupied lands over the past days. The Israeli army says its warplanes have targeted some 180 sites in the Gaza Strip. The latest rocket fire from Gaza killed a 60-year-old Israeli man. A total of some 83 Israelis have also been wounded. The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli siege since June 2007, causing a decline in living standards as well as unprecedented unemployment and poverty. Israel has also launched several wars on the Palestinian coastal sliver, the last of which began in early July 2014. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taliban attack hits police HQ in northern Afghanistan, kills over dozen Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 01:05PM At least thirteen people have been killed and scores injured in an attack by the Taliban militant group on the police headquarters in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan Province. The casualties were caused after a militant driving a Humvee packed with explosives rammed the vehicle into the police compound in Pul-e-Khumri district of the province. Local Afghan officials said armed assailants then entered the police headquarters and opened fire on the security forces stationed there. Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi was quoted by AFP as saying that 13 police officers were killed in the attack, with another 35 wounded. . Rahimi said several Taliban fighters managed to enter into the police headquarters, adding that eight attackers were also killed while 20 civilians were wounded. Assadullah Shahbaz, a member of the Baghlan provincial council, told Reuters that clashes were ongoing and that the council had sought immediate deployment of security forces from neighboring provinces. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the "big blast" and the ongoing clashes with the Afghan forces. The Taliban have stepped up attacks on security installations in their so-called spring offensive even as they are holding direct talks with the United States on a potential end to the war in Afghanistan. On Friday, the Taliban rejected a call by the US's chief negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad to lay down their arms. The US and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 over the claim that the then-Taliban regime was harboring al-Qaeda terrorists, responsible for the 9/11 attacks inside the US. Some 18 years on, the US-led forces remain bogged down in the Asian country. By negotiating with the Taliban, the US may be exploring a potential face-saving exit from the war, now the longest in US history. The talks do not include the incumbent Afghan government. The Taliban reportedly control or influence more territory than ever since the US-led invasion. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Africa: Empower youth to grow the African continent Young people should be provided with information that will arm them for their future, says Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Bulelani Magwanishe. Realising the full potential of the youth is when critical information is availed to arm the youth for future battles and opportunities, said Magwanishe. The Deputy Minister was speaking at a Youth Opportunities and Career Expo that was hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (dti), in partnership with the Department of Communications and the Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality in Germiston on Friday. We are gathered here during the month when Africa is celebrating Africa Month. We are referring to the Africa whose aspirations reflect our desire for the creation of a continent of free citizens and expanded horizons, where the full potential of women and youth is realised. Magwanishe said it is important for all countries on the continent to commit to developing an informed youth that appreciates the challenges and the agenda of the continent. It is only when we succeed in creating a working Africa that peace will reign. This expo should therefore be understood in the context of a programme aimed at achieving economic freedom, where all are able to realise their full potential. For any country to realise and sustain economic freedom, they must have developed an informed workforce comprising young people capable of leading a programme for continued change, said Magwanishe. He said there is a need to change the mindset of the young people so that they are able to see opportunities in the challenges facing the continent. The Deputy Minister added that 60% of arable land is in Africa, something that represents myriad opportunities. This creates unlimited opportunities for massive employment, poverty eradication, industrialisation, entrepreneurship and scholarly research. Africa needs about a million managers to effectively run the continents economy that has a Gross Domestic Product of over R40 trillion. We only have 300 000 managers and we need 700 000 more managers. The youth should also be in the forefront of ensuring that Africas economic integration does not fail, he said. Magwanishe reiterated the importance of the collaboration between government and the private sector in growing the South African economy. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. For the 62nd year, Knox Mountain will be overrun with race cars over the May long weekend. The annual Knox Mountain Hill Climb has a long, rich history in Kelowna, dating back to the first race in 1956. The race will see about 60 racers in a variety of different cars speed up the downtown Kelowna park, looking to snag the best time. It's a very interesting, very scary hill to race, very challenging, said Matt Scaife, the event's announcer, who used to race in the event. While similar hill climb races are held around the Pacific Northwest in the United States, Scaife says Kelowna's race is unique to Canada. The track's record is held by John Hafner, who made it from the bottom to the top in just one minute and 37 seconds, holding an average speed of 132 km/h. Attendees at this year's race weekend will be treated to a concert on the race grounds Saturday night, followed by the trophy presentation Sunday night. Organizers are still looking for volunteers to help put on the race, on May 18 and 19. It's a long day ... but it's a lot of fun and it's the closest you can ever get to racing without actually racing the cars themselves, Scaife said. This is a gearhead event, for me it started back in the eighties 1984 was my first year coming here and I've been here every year since Those interested in volunteering can get in contact with organizers through the website. Bouteflika's brother, two former intelligence chiefs arrested: Report Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 10:15AM Algerian police have arrested the powerful brother of the North African country's ousted President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and two former intelligence chiefs, reports say. Security sources said Said Bouteflika, the former president's youngest brother, along with Generals Bachir Athmane Tartag and Mohamed Mediene, had been taken into custody for questioning and an "investigation into their activities." There was no immediate comment from police in Algeria and no more details were provided from the sources. Said was the top adviser to his ailing brother and acted as the country's de facto ruler after Abdelaziz suffered a crippling stroke in 2013. Huge street protests calling for a radical change to Bouteflika's government forced the ailing president to resign last month but demonstrators continue to demand the removal of all officials associated with the former administration. "The arrest of Said is definitely the peak in the dismantling of Bouteflika's system," a top political source, who asked not to be named, told Reuters on Saturday. Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah, Algeria's chief of military staff, has promised to rid the country of corrupt politicians, oligarchs and military officials in order to restore confidence among Algerians. Bouteflika, who had been in power for 20 years, resigned on April 2 after months of anti-government protests and Abdelkader Bensalah, the former head of the Algerian parliament, took over as interim leader with a pledge to hold free elections in July. Demonstrators have also demanded that Bensalah as well as Algerian Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui resign, urging more radical change. Hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied peacefully in Algiers on Friday, chanting "We will not shut up!" and carrying placards that read "No to military rule." The Bensalah's interim administration has vowed to hold presidential elections on July 4 but Algerians say voting cannot be free and fair if it is organized within the same judicial framework and by the same institutions as those that operated under Bouteflika. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US backs Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip as 'right to self-defense' Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 08:07AM The United States has backed Israel's deadly airstrikes and shelling of the Gaza Strip, describing the attacks as an act of self-defense. This comes as a fresh flare-up of violence in the Gaza Strip caused by Israeli strikes and retaliatory Palestinian rocket attacks has entered its third day. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement Saturday that "the United States strongly condemns the ongoing barrage of rocket attacks" by Palestinians, adding, "We stand with Israel and fully support its right to self defense against these abhorrent attacks." Tensions erupted on Friday following the killing of four Palestinians, two in an Israeli air raid on southern Gaza and two during the regime's live fire at anti-occupation protesters near a fence separating the blockaded coastal enclave from the occupied territories. The Israeli military claimed that its initial aerial assault had come in response to the wounding of two of its soldiers by Palestinian gunfire near the Gaza fence. The latest rocket fire from Gaza killed a 60-year-old Israeli man. A total of some 83 Israelis have also been wounded. The Tel Aviv regime says about 430 rockets have been fired at the occupied lands over the past few days. The Israeli army says its warplanes have targeted some 180 sites in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian resistance movement Islamic Jihad has vowed to respond to Israeli crimes and defend Palestinian civilians in the face of the attacks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Venezuela's Maduro calls on military to be 'ready' for US military action Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 07:33AM Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has called on the country's armed forces to be on standby for potential US military action against the Latin American nation following a failed coup attempt earlier this week. "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," Maduro said during a televised speech from a base in the northwestern Cojedes state on Saturday. Maduro, standing alongside Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and in the presence of more than 5,000 troops, underscored the continued military support for his legitimate government and dismissed the latest coup attempt by a number of rebel forces allied with Western-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido. "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," Maduro said. A small group of armed troops accompanying Guaido clashed with soldiers at an anti-government rally in the capital Caracas early on Tuesday. Gunfire ensued and more than 100 people were wounded. The administration of US President Donald Trump, which has recognized Guaido as the "interim president" of Venezuela, quickly backed the attempted putsch. Later in the day, President Maduro declared that the coup attempt had been defeated. The coup bid fell through as top leaders and high-ranking military officials reiterated their full support for the government, and 25 rebel troopers sought asylum at the Brazilian embassy in the capital. Following the failure, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo renewed threats against Caracas and said on Wednesday that Washington may use military force to remove Maduro from power. "The president [Trump] has been crystal clear and incredibly consistent," Pompeo said. "Military action is possible." US waging 'economic terrorism' against Venezuela Edward Corrigan, international human rights lawyer, said in an interview with Press TV on Sunday that the United States has been waging an economic act of terrorism against the government in Caracas and the Venezuelan people through sanctions. "The United States is essentially waging economic terrorism against Venezuela's government and its people. They have seized 30 billion dollars worth of Venezuelan assets. They have imposed sanctions. They are going after the state-run companies. "It really is a form of economic warfare, which punishes the people of Venezuela and it is even causing a lot of difficulties with regard to any access to healthcare and medicine. So, it is a form of economic terrorism," Corrigan said. Washington, he said, pursues the goal of destabilizing the Latin American country and a "regime change" in Venezuela despite Guiado's lack of support from international institutions. "It is a crisis made by the Americans in order to destabilize Venezuela and to bring about regime change," Corrigan said. Venezuela has been in political turmoil since Guaido declared himself the "interim president" late in January, receiving immediate recognition from Washington. The Trump administration has since been mounting economic pressure on Caracas and repeatedly threatened to use military force to topple Maduro's government. Army chopper crashes near Caracas, kills all on board On Saturday, a Venezuelan military helicopter crashed close to the capital, claiming the lives of all seven people on board. The Venezuelan Defense Ministry said in a statement that the helicopter "went to ground" as it was flying from Caracas to the northwestern state of Cojedes, where Maduro was watching a series of army drills. "I profoundly regret this incident and express my heartfelt condolences to their relatives and friends," Maduro wrote in a Twitter message. The Venezuelan Defense Ministry said the authorities were investigating the cause of the crash. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gaza violence enters 3rd day, UN voices concern Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 05:23AM A fresh flare-up of violence in the Gaza Strip caused by deadly Israeli airstrikes and retaliatory Palestinian rocket attacks has entered its third day, prompting the United Nations to raise alarm at the "dangerous escalation." Tensions erupted on Friday following the killing of four Palestinians, two in an Israeli air raid on southern Gaza and two during the regime's live fire at anti-occupation protesters near a fence separating the blockaded coastal enclave from the occupied territories. The Israeli military claimed that its initial aerial assault had come in response to the wounding of two of its soldiers by Palestinian gunfire near the Gaza fence. The latest rocket fire from Gaza killed a 60-year-old Israeli man. A total of some 83 Israelis have also been wounded. The Tel Aviv regime says about 430 rockets have been fired at the occupied lands over the past few days. The Israeli army says its warplanes have targeted some 180 sites in the Gaza Strip. A building housing the offices of the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency in Gaza has also been targeted by Israel. The bombing of the premises has been condemned by the Turkish government. Hamas holds Israel responsible In a press release on Sunday, Hamas said Israel was to blame for the violence. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum held "the Israeli occupation responsible for any repercussions of its crimes, violations, and rejection to implement the ceasefire understandings." Separately, the Gaza Joint Chamber of Military Operations, which comprises various Palestinian resistance factions, said that the groups had "decided to respond to the occupation's crimes in the Gaza Strip in an unprecedented way." "Given the insistence of the enemy to target civilians' homes, the resistance decided to respond in an unprecedented manner to the crimes of the occupation," it said, without providing further details. Netanyahu tells army to keep up 'massive attacks' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said later on Sunday that he had ordered the army to "continue the massive attacks" against targets in Gaza and boost "ground, armored, and artillery forces" around there. Netanyahu also said he held Hamas responsible, not just for its actions, "but also for the actions of [the] Islamic Jihad [movement]." UN expresses worries The UN's Middle East envoy said he was "deeply concerned by yet another dangerous escalation in Gaza," adding that the world body and Egypt were attempting to broker an end to the fighting. "The United Nations is working with Egypt and all sides to calm the situation. I call 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," Nikolay Mladenov said in a statement. "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 added. The Israeli regime carries out regular attacks on the Gaza Strip under the pretext of hitting positions belonging to the Hamas resistance movement. Last month, Israel and Hamas reached ceasefire "understandings" brokered by Egypt after a round of hostilities earlier. Palestine condemns Israeli aggression Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has strongly condemned the Israeli aggression on Gaza. "The silence toward Israel's crimes and violations of international law encourages it to continue committing more crimes against our Palestinian people," he said in a press statement. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also stressed that the "heinous" offensive "reveals the reality of the racist aggression committed by the Zionist American coalition against the Palestinian people." It also said that the Palestinian people were not in need of aid projects but rather a firm international position that enables them to exercise their right to self-determination. The ministry further called on the UN Security Council to act immediately in order to stop the brutal Israeli aggression on the Palestinian nation. The coastal sliver of land has been under a siege by Israel since 2007 and witnessed three wars since 2008. It has also been the scene of deadly tensions since March 30, 2018, which marked the start of the anti-occupation Great March of Return protests, with participants demanding the right to return for those driven out of their homeland by Israeli aggression. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US ends training course for Afghan pilots due to high desertions Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 03:22AM The US military has terminated a training program for Afghan pilots and maintainers in the United States due to high desertion rates among the trainees, the office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) says. Desertions among members of the Afghan military training in the US, who often complain that they or their family members have been threatened by Afghanistan's Taliban insurgency, have been a persistent problem for the American military and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), US-based Military.com news outlet reported Friday. "The AC-208 pilot training classes that were underway in the United States were disbanded due to the number of trainees who were going absent without leave (AWOL)," SIGAR said in its latest quarterly report to Congress, released on Tuesday. "Those students that did not go AWOL were pulled back to Afghanistan to complete their training. As a result, only one class graduated from the US-based program," the report further noted. The news outlet also cited SIGAR's quarterly report in October 2017 as saying: "Given the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the fact that Afghan trainees who violate the terms of their visas suffer virtually no consequences for going AWOL (deserting except for the possible return to Afghanistan), the AWOL rate is likely to either remain steady or increase." According to the report, just in 2017 ICE stated that 152 Afghan trainees had deserted since 2005, and 83 of them either fled the country successfully -- often traveling to Canada to seek political asylum, or were still missing. It added that SIGAR officials were initially unclear about the details of where the pilot training was taking place and the number of Afghan pilots enrolled, but said that the program to train the pilots on the AC-208 aircraft -- a military version of the single-prop Cessna 208 Caravan -- had been moved back to Afghanistan to an airfield near Kandahar. SIGAR did not say how many pilots and maintainers were in the first AC-208 class but noted that 40 percent of them had deserted. When asked by Military.com where the AC-208 training had been taking place, SIGAR spokesmen initially said Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, but spokesmen there and at Columbus Air Force Base said the only training for Afghan pilots in the state was on the A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump contradicts Bolton, Pompeo on military option against Venezuela Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 02:09AM US President Donald Trump has contradicted his national security team on pushing for a military intervention against Venezuela, saying he and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin share the goal of a peaceful end to the crisis in the Central American nation. "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. We want to get some humanitarian aid. Right now people are starving," Trump told reporters on Friday. Trump's reference to Russia's hands-off approach towards Venezuela stands in contrast to insistence by his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Russia is part of the problem in Caracas. Pompeo claimed earlier last week that President Nicolas Maduro was about to flee Venezuela until Russia persuaded him to stay. In its description of the Trump-Putin conversation, the Kremlin said Putin stressed the need to respect Venezuelans' right to determine their own future. He told Trump that outside interference in internal affairs and attempts at forceful regime change in Caracas undermine the prospects for a political settlement of the crisis. Trump's statement came shortly after acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and other senior officials, including his National Security Adviser John Bolton, reviewed options following a failed effort earlier in the week by Venezuelan opposition leaders to fuel an uprising. Bolton signaled support last week for military intervention in Venezuela to oust embattled Maduro, a move that would pose a challenge for Trump, who has so far indicated a preference for and campaigned on scaling down existing military conflicts and avoiding new ones, according to local press reports. While Trump has also emphasized that all options are on the table for Venezuela, Bolton has become the public face of any military campaign. On Friday, Bolton met with Pompeo and Shanahan at the Pentagon to discuss the situation in the Latin American nation. "We want as our principle objective the peaceful transfer of power, but I will say again as the president has said from the outset ... all options are on the table," Bolton told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday when the street protests were underway. A day later, Pompeo further told Fox Business Network that if military action is required, "that's what the United States will do." Shanahan told reporters on Friday that he, Bolton and Pompeo were briefed that day by US Southern Command chief Adm. Craig Faller on his observations in the region. "And then we went through a number of the options that we have," Shanahan said. He, however, declined to provide details and gave no indication they made decisions to take any military action. "We have a comprehensive set of options tailored to certain conditions, and I'm just going to leave it at that," he said. Pressed to say whether the options include direct military intervention, he said, "I'll leave that to your imagination. All options are on the table." The Friday session highlighted Trump administration's effort to suggest the possibility of a military action, intending to increase public pressure on Maduro, though local press reports indicate that there appears to be little likelihood of direct US military intervention. US claims Russia, China, Iran involved in Venezuela Asked whether Venezuela poses a national security threat to the US that would justify using a military force, Shanahan then claimed that Russia, China and Iran are involved in Venezuela. He then added, "Right now it's about Maduro and his illegitimate regime, and Guaido and making sure that the people of Venezuela have the environment and the conditions to correct for all these humanitarian shortcomings." Veteran Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina also wrote on Twitter, "Where is our aircraft carrier?" Asked to comment on that suggestion, Shanahan told reporters, "All (options) would include all." Reacting to the failed US-backed coup in Venezuela, Pompeo told Fox News on Thursday: "The military didn't fracture in the way that we would hope, but it's just a matter of time." "It's the case that Maduro may rule for a little while longer, but he's not going to govern. Structurally, there's no way he stays in power. It's time for him to leave, and we need the Cubans and the Russians to follow him out the door." Also attending the Faller briefing were Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lavrov: Russia 'Condemns' What It Calls U.S. Moves To Topple Venezuela's Maduro May 05, 2019 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 "Venezuela's 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 Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/lavrov-russia- condemns-what-it-calls-u-s-moves-to-topple- venezuela-s-maduro/29922260.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 Pendarovski Leads In North Macedonia Presidential Vote By RFE/RL May 05, 2019 Stevo Pendarovski, backed by North Macedonia's ruling party, appears headed for victory in a presidential runoff vote that will be ruled valid after the minimum participation threshold was reached. With just over 95 percent of the votes counted in the May 5 election, Pendarovski, a 55-year-old former political-science professor, had 52 percent to 44.4 percent for his challenger, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. Just as important, the Central Election Commission said that turnout was 46.2 percent, erasing fears that the 40 percent participation threshold needed to make the balloting official would not be met. Pendarovski and Siljanovska-Davkova battled to 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 nation's 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, many feared his supporters would boycott the runoff, which could have kept turnout below 40 percent. About one-quarter of the population is ethnic Albanian, and overall turnout in the first round was just 41.8 percent. The campaign itself was 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 Prime Minister Zoran Zaev had warned the outcome of the runoff could trigger early parliamentary elections. The race between the two academics was 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. "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. Siljanovska-Davkova, who unlike her opponent opposes the name change, instead has tried to focus on the government's failure to implement much-needed economic reforms. "I expect big turnout and I expect to win," she said after voting, adding that she will respect the fact that the country has a new name, "but I will never use it." 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. Voter apathy has been fueled by a lack of jobs, which has forced many Macedonians to move abroad to find work. One of the poorest countries in Europe with an average monthly salary of about $470, many voters say they're fed up with politicians on both sides of the legislature and voting for a president won't change their situation. "I'm not going to vote because my ID is in my wallet and my wallet is empty. So when I look at it, it reminds me that I shouldn't vote," one voter said wryly. 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. The election commission said that voting on May 5 went without any major incidents. With reporting by AP and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/macedonian -presidential-runoff-election- turnout/29921139.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 Pompeo Claims Any US Action in Venezuela, Including Military, to Be 'Lawful' Sputnik News 16:45 05.05.2019(updated 18:31 05.05.2019) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's interviews follow a "very positive" phone conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, where the two presidents discussed the situation in Venezuela. The sentiment from Trump is in stark contrast to the rhetoric that has recently been emanating from Washington. Speaking to ABC, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has stated that Donald Trump "has his full range of Article 2 authorities", when asked if the US president believes he could intervene militarily in Venezuela without congressional approval. While emphasising that the US still has a "full scale set of options", Pompeo added that he is fully confident that "any action" the US takes in Venezuela would be "lawful". "So when the situation arises, we are not flat-footed". In a separate interview aired by Fox News, the US top diplomat reiterated his position on what he describes as the "Russian interference in Venezuela", saying that "the Russians have to get out, that remains our view". According to him, Washington "wants all other nations out of this country". Pompeo added that he is aiming to discuss the issue during upcoming negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Earlier this week, Pompeo and Lavrov spoke by phone about the situation in Venezuela in the wake of a botched coup attempt conducted by the opposition led by Juan Guaido. According to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow "indicated that the continuation of aggressive steps is fraught with the most serious consequences. Only the Venezuelan people have the right to determine their destiny, for which dialogue between all political forces in the country is needed, and for which the government has long called for". When commenting on the talks, the Russian foreign minister stated that the positions of Moscow and Washington were "incompatible", adding, however, that the sides had agreed to maintain contacts to discuss the matter. Two days later, however, Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone to discuss the Venezuelan crisis, with the US president describing the talks as overall "very positive". While Trump said that he "feels the same way" with Putin about the "need for positive developments in Venezuela", his statement appeared to contradict his own senior officials' strong rhetoric concerning Russia's "involvement" in the Latin American state in the wake of the arrival of Russian military experts in the country earlier this spring. While Moscow explained that the visit was fully in line with both international law and bilateral agreements between the countries, US officials have voiced alarm at the move. Particularly, Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton warned countries "external to the Western Hemisphere", including Russia, against deploying military forces in Venezuela, and signalled the US administration's readiness to apply the Monroe Doctrine in its policy towards Latin America. Trump's Phone Talks With Putin Pompeo has also spoken about the US administration's stance on the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections following the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, which found no collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. While speaking about whether or not Washington was entering a "new phase" in its ties with Moscow following the first phone call with Putin after the release of the Mueller report, Pompeo said "I hope we are". "We hope we can find places where we can have overlap in our interests", he added. When asked by the ABC host to specify Trump's statement that "Russia would not interfere in the US election again", the secretary of state said that the incumbent president "has done more on election interference than any previous president. We're very proud of what we have accomplished." Following the 90-minute phone call, Trump himself wrote on Twitter that there is "tremendous potential for a good/great relationship with Russia, despite what you read and see in the Fake News Media". While the Mueller report alleges that Russia attempted to meddle in the 2016 election, Russian officials have said that nothing in the report supports allegations that Moscow interfered in the US political process. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Maduro Praises 'Always Loyal, Never Traitors' Venezuelan Troops Sputnik News 14:24 05.05.2019 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's tweets come as Juan Guaido admitted that the opposition had miscalculated its support within the military after a botched coup attempt against legitimately elected Maduro. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has praised the country's National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) for remaining loyal to him in the face of so-called Operation Freedom staged by opposition leader Juan Guaido earlier this week to force out his government. In a series of tweets, Maduro noted that Venezuelan troops are "perfectly trained, prepared and united": "We are not a weak or helpless country, we have a military power that guarantees peace and national defence. Always Loyal, Never Traitors!" he tweeted. Venezuela's embattled president earlier sent a message to a "handful of traitors" who sold out to the "interests of the United States", saying that they would not "stain the military honour of the Fatherland". "Our #FANB is deeply committed to the protection of the people, the defence of national sovereignty and the Constitution" Maduro tweeted. He has repeatedly called on the military to be "ready" to defend the country with "weapons in hand" in case the United States launches an offensive on Venezuelan soil. The comments were made shortly after Guaido released a video in which he encouraged civilians and soldiers to join his coup, claiming that he had the support of the armed forces. At the time, Maduro insisted that he had spoken with military chiefs, who reaffirmed their "complete loyalty to the people, the Constitution and homeland". His comments were echoed by the country's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, who stressed that the Venezuelan armed forces were loyal to the constitution and legitimate authorities. Earlier in the day, Guaido acknowledged that the opposition had miscalculated its backing in the military, saying that they had expected Maduro to step down in the face of a growing number of defectors. But, as he noted in an interview with The Washington Post, his call on the armed forces to turn their backs on Maduro failed: "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. I think the variables are obvious at this point". At the same time, Guaido welcomed the "great news" about recent discussions in the US of military options to break the impasse. The long-running political crisis in Venezuela reached its climax earlier this week after Guaido, who proclaimed himself interim president in January, announced the final phase of his Operation Freedom to oust Maduro. His efforts were doomed, as only a handful of military servicemen joined his attempted coup, with Maduro declaring the uprising a failure. Guaido is backed by the United States, several regional countries and Western states, while many others, including Russia, China, Turkey, and Iran have insist that Maduro is the only legitimately elected president of Venezuela. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Photo: Jeff Piattelli Fire at a building in Kelowna on May 5, 2019. UPDATE 7 p.m. The Kelowna Fire Department says a balcony fire at the Verve condominium complex Sunday afternoon was likely started by items leaned up against an air conditioner. Fire crews received multiple 911 calls at 4:40 p.m. about heavy flames and smoke coming from a fourth-storey balcony at the Yates Road building. A defensive attack was started spraying water from the ground exterior to darken down fire, which probably saved a lot of damage, said Kelly Stephens, platoon captain. Additional crews then made their way to the fourth floor and gained access to the unit to knock down the rest of the flames. Twenty-four firefighters, five engines, one ladder and command and safety units were initially dispatched. All occupants and animals escaped safely and are now being looked after by ESS. UPDATE: 5:15 p.m. A balcony fire at a condominium complex did not spread inside the building on Sunday. Firefighters are currently in mop-up stage at The Verve and the fire is now completely extinguished. UPDATE: 4:55 p.m. Firefighters arrived to a plume of black smoke coming from The Verve condominium complex Sunday afternoon. Crews quickly knocked down the blaze from the outside of the building and say it has been extinguished. Firefighters will now be investigating inside the unit. A video from the scene shows smoke coming from the top of the building as fire crews arrived on scene. ORIGINAL: 4:50 p.m. Firefighters are responding to a balcony fire at a condominium complex in Glenmore on Sunday. Multiple calls were made about a BBQ explosion to firefighters just after 4:30 p.m. at The Verve located on 533 Yates Rd. Crews rushed to the multi-unit building and once on scene they discovered a dark plume of smoke. Russian and Venezuelan FMs to Hold Talks After Failed Coup Attempt in Caracas Sputnik News 09:01 05.05.2019(updated 09:12 05.05.2019) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold talks on Sunday in Moscow with his Venezuelan counterpart, Jorge Arreaza, to discuss developments in the Latin American country and bilateral relations. Lavrov and Arreaza are expected to focus on Washington's pressure against Caracas, including its threats to use force, and on the need to put an end to the unrest fomented by the US-backed opposition, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. They will also touch upon the possibility of launching an inclusive dialogue between opposing political forces in Venezuela. Apart from that, the ministers will talk about cooperation between Russia and Venezuela in international platforms. Lavrov and Arreaza will enjoy a detailed discussion of the entire set of bilateral issues and compare notes. The meeting follows phone conversations beetween US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who discussed the situation in Caracas among other things. According to the US president, Putin had told him that Russia was "not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela", and would "like to see something positive happen" in the country. The meeting will be held just one day ahead of Lavrov's talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Finland. However, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has dismissed claims that this could be interpreted as a certain signal. On Tuesday, the Venezuelan opposition carried out a new attempt to oust Maduro, urging the military to support "the final phase of Operation Liberty". The troops, however, remained loyal to the legitimate government of the country. Commenting on the clashes, Pompeo noted that "military action is possible", adding that, "if that's what's required, that's what the United States will do". For his part, Venezuelan President Maduro on Saturday called on the military to be "ready" in case the United States launches an offensive on the Latin American country's soil. Venezuela has been rocked by unrest since January, when opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself interim president and was recognised by the United States and a series of countries. President Nicolas Maduro, recognised by Russia and China among many other countries, has accused the United States of seeking to overthrow his government and install Guaido in a bid to get hold of Venezuelan resources. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian and Venezuelan FMs to Hold Talks After Failed Coup Attempt in Caracas Sputnik News 07:23 05.05.2019(updated 07:50 05.05.2019) Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido acknowledged on Saturday that errors were made in an attempt to start a military uprising and that he would take any offer from the US to provide a military option in Venezuela to a vote. After the coup attempt against legitimate Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday fell apart, Guaido conceded that the opposition had miscalculated its support within the military, revealing in an exclusive interview with the Washington Post that they had expected Maduro to step down amid a groundswell of defectors within the military. "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," he said. Guaido's call for the rank and file and senior brass of the military to abandon Maduro did not produce mass defections, the opposition leader noted. "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 also indicated 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. Trump administration officials, including National Security Advisor John Bolton and Pentagon generals, made clear on Friday that all options to solve the Venezuelan conflict are "on the table." Asked what he would do if National Security Advisor John Bolton called him up with an offer of US intervention, Guaido said he would reply by saying: "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 opposition leader also said he welcomed the recent discussions of 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 US are also evaluating the option. That gives us the possibility that if we need cooperation, we know we can get it," he said. He added that there are 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." 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 defene minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez Guaido said Pompeo had not. Rather, he called Pompeo's move a demonstration of "important support." He also revealed that he would not agree to sit down and negotiate with Maduro unless he departed from his position as president of Venezuela. "Sitting down with Maduro is not an option," he said. "That happened in 2014, in 2016, in 2017The end of usurpation is a precondition to any possible dialogue," he said. The situation around Venezuela has been intense since January when Guaido illegally proclaimed himself the interim president and was immediately supported by the United States and its allies. Nicolas Maduro, in turn, was backed by multiple countries including Russia and China, as the only legitimate president of Venezuela. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netanyahu Orders Israeli Troops to Continue 'Massive Strikes' on Gaza Targets Sputnik News 06:48 05.05.2019(updated 14:40 05.05.2019) Tensions in the Gaza Strip escalated early Saturday when Israeli military said they had detected hundreds of rockets fired from the area, with the Iron Dome system managing to intercept "dozens". The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded by hitting Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist targets. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had ordered the military to keep up "massive strikes" on "terror elements" in the Gaza Strip and reinforce the troops around the Gaza Strip with tanks, artillery and infantry forces amid the escalation of the border standoff following rocket attacks carried out by militants. According to the Israeli state-run radio, a fresh Gaza rocket attack has resulted in the killing of two Israelis in the southern city of Ashkelon. Earlier in the day, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) stated that the number of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel had reached at least 430 in under 24 hours. The Israeli forces also said they had hit numerous targets in response. "The IDF hit about 60 terrorist targets overnight and about 200 targets since the start of the escalation of tensions. Airstrikes on Gaza are underway", the IDF statement said. Tensions in the Gaza Strip have further escalated early Saturday when the Israeli military said they detected dozens of rockets fired from the area. The IDF responded by hitting Hamas and other terrorist targets. The Israeli military also attacked a building where Hamas' military intelligence and general security offices in the Gaza Strip were located. The Israeli military also hit militants of the Islamic Jihad group. Tel Aviv later said that 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. The Israeli-Palestinian tensions have been high since March 2018, when the Palestinians had started mass protests called the Great March of Return at the Gaza border. Since the start of the protests, nearly 300 Palestinian protesters were killed and over 17,000 were injured in clashes with Israeli security forces. The scope of the protests has noticeably decreased last month due to the fact that the parties to the conflict have managed, with the mediation of Egypt and the United Nations, to agree on easing the blockade of the Gaza Strip and other measures of social and economic support. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghan Forces Kill Leader in Charge of Daesh Activities in Central Asia- Reports Sputnik News 06:41 05.05.2019(updated 07:01 05.05.2019) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Afghan Special Forces have killed a senior militant leader who was in charge of Daesh* activities in northern Afghanistan and Central Asia, local media reported. The militant, identified as Mufti Uzbek, was killed during an operation in the village of Dahana-e-Ghori, Baghlan Province in the northeast of the country on Friday night, the Khaama Press news agency reported late Saturday. Conflict-ridden Afghanistan has been dealing with long-term instability caused by fighting between government troops and Taliban militants, as well as groups affiliated with al-Qaeda*, Daesh and other insurgents. The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, supported by a US-led coalition, have been conducting joint operations to combat terrorism across the country. *Terrorist groups banned in Russia and many other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US State Department Condemns Rocket Attacks on Israel Sputnik News 04:01 05.05.2019 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US State Department has condemned the recent rocket attacks on Israel and called upon the responsible parties to cease aggression immediately. "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. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deadly violence at Israel-Gaza border escalates dangerously: UN chief condemns in strongest terms 5 May 2019 - The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is following with "deep concern" the latest developments across the Gaza-Israeli border and urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint. Over the weekend, hundreds of rockets were launched from the Occupied Palestinian Territory into southern Israel, and Israel retaliated with hundreds of airstrikes and tank fire. According to news reports, several women, children and men on both have been killed and injured as a result of the violence. Deploring the "risk of yet another dangerous escalation and further loss of life on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan," on Sunday, the UN chief condemned "in the strongest terms the launching of rockets from Gaza into Israel, particularly the targeting of civilian population centres". He urged all parties to "exercise maximum restraint, immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months," referring to a fragile Egypt-brokered and UN-backed cease fire recently agreed upon. The UN's Special Coordinator for this conflict's peace process, Nickolay Mladenov, issued a similar call for calm on Saturday and continues to work closely with Egypt and all concerned parties to restore calm. 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 1,300 have been injured. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghan President Makes Rare Phone Call to Pakistani PM By Ayaz Gul May 05, 2019 Afghanistan's 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 Khan's 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US: Nicolas Maduro Only 'Ruling for the Moment' By Ken Bredemeier May 05, 2019 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 Venezuela's legitimate leader by the U.S. and 50 other countries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Arctic version of China threat theory another show of US double standard: experts Global Times By Deng Xiaoci Source:Global Times Published: 2019/5/5 21:48:40 Reports published by US defense authorities labeling China a strategic competitor in the Arctic are selling a new polar version of the China threat theory, Chinese observers warned on Sunday. In a special section of the 2019 China Military Power Report to the US Congress, the US Department of Defense noted that China has increased activities and engagement in the Arctic since gaining observer status on the Arctic Council in 2013. "China's civilian research could support a strengthened Chinese military presence in the Arctic Ocean, which could include deploying submarines to the region as a deterrent against nuclear attacks," according to the annual briefing document. The report was published right ahead of a meeting of the eight-nation Arctic Council in Rovaniemi, Finland, starting Monday and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to attend the event, according to Reuters. It was unsurprising that US departments used a polar version of the China threat theory to seek more financing for their budget including better ice vessels, a military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday. In the bigger picture, the US sought to secure exclusive rights to the region's abundant undiscovered energy resources, he said. The US Defense Department report's highlighting of Chinese civilian research stations and vessels Xuelong I and Xuelong II as a sign of future military expansion also clearly contradicted the long promoted concept of freedom of navigation, he said. As global warming opens up the Arctic, it was natural for stakeholders to concern themselves with security issues in the region, including new shipping routes that could slash international trade costs, he said. The new Arctic situation was also enabling new locations to launch faster missile attacks to anywhere in the northern hemisphere, he noted. However, Beijing would not invest much resources to this issue or dispatch submarines, he said. China would concentrate on its economic development. Dong Yue, a vice dean of the School of Law of the Ocean University of China, said that China's involvement in trans-regional and global issues in the region is in line with and based on its development of a community with shared future for mankind, the goal of which is to protect the men's common interests and promote sustainable development. As an important stakeholder in Arctic affairs, the natural conditions of the Arctic and their changes have a direct impact on China's climate and ecological environment, in turn, on its economic interests in sectors including the agriculture and marine industry, said Dong. And for such reasons, China's involvement in the rules to address issues such as global warming is inevitable, and its participation in regional governance based on bilateral and multilateral cooperation is legitimate and beneficial to all parties, Dong noted. China's State Council in January 2018 published a white paper that argued that the future of the Arctic concerns the interests of the Arctic States, the well-being of non-Arctic States and that of humanity as a whole, the Xinhua News Agency reported. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China, Russia conduct first ever joint warship-based live-fire missile exercise Global Times By Guo Yuandan in Qingdao and Liu Xuanzun in Beijing Source:Global Times Published: 2019/5/5 17:03:40 Chinese and Russian navies conducted on Saturday their first ever joint warship-based live-fire missile exercise, as naval vessels from both sides launched surface-to-air missiles and successfully intercepted incoming anti-ship cruise missile dummies. The exercise was part of the Joint Sea-2019 China-Russia naval drills in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, which marked a new high in coordination and trust between the two navies. The six-day drills ended on Saturday afternoon. The air defense exercise started around 12:40 pm on Saturday, when the blue team fired two anti-ship cruise missile dummies at the red team, according to a statement the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy sent to the Global Times. Upon their approaches, the PLA Navy's destroyer Harbin and Russian Navy's anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs of the red team launched a short-range surface-to-air missile each and successfully intercepted the two incoming threats. This is the first time the PLA Navy has conducted such an exercise with a foreign counterpart, the statement said. Anti-ship cruise missiles pose huge threats to warships due to factors including high speeds and low trajectories, a military expert who requires anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday, noting that intercepting them is a crucial subject in modern naval warfare. Missiles are the core weapons for warships in both offense and defense, said Wang Rui, an assistant director of the exercise, noting the drills required not only close coordination between the two navies' ships and command organs, but also mutual opening up of each other's weapon specifications, as the drills helped boost the two navies' capability to deal with naval threats together. The red team also simulated a tanker escort operation, using missiles and guns to defend against fighter bombers of the blue team, the statement said. The Joint Sea-2019 also saw successful submarine rescue exercises between the two countries' submarines and deep submergence rescue vehicles on Thursday. Du Changyu, a PLA Navy rescue team officer, told the Global Times on Friday that rescue forces are a powerful means for the Chinese Navy to go global. The submarine rescue exercises with the Russians proved the Chinese military is fully capable of shouldering its international responsibility and obligations, Du said, noting that the PLA Navy has the resolve to complete international rescue missions and is also capable of working together with other countries. Joint anti-submarine drills, main gun shooting drills and friendly competitions were also held during the exercise. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Photo: The Canadian Press This combination of 2015, 2018 and 2019 photos shows CBS's John Dickerson, Norah O'Donnell and Gayle King, right. CBS News is replacing its evening anchor and revamping its morning show lineup as it seeks to boost ratings. The network announced Monday on "CBS This Morning" co-host Norah O'Donnell will replace Jeff Glor as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" this summer. Glor has anchored the newscast since December 2017 and is still negotiating his next steps. O'Donnell was chief White House correspondent when she joined "CBS This Morning" in 2012, teaming up with Charlie Rose and Gayle King. King will remain co-host of "CBS This Morning." The 64-year-old newscaster will be joined by longtime journalist Anthony Mason and correspondent Tony Dokoupil. John Dickerson, who hopscotched from political director to "Face the Nation" moderator in 2015 to "CBS This Morning" as Rose's replacement in January 2018, will become a correspondent for "60 Minutes." Rose was dismissed following sexual misconduct allegations. China opposes 5G politicking Global Times By Wang Cong Source:Global Times Published: 2019/5/5 21:28:39 Prague proposals prejudiced: Chinese analysts While Chinese officials have repeatedly supported unified and open cybersecurity standards for the upcoming 5G era, they would oppose any maneuver by certain countries to politicize the issue and unfairly target any particular country or company, Chinese analysts told the Global Times on Sunday. Following a conference in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, officials from more than 30 mostly Western countries including the US, Germany and Australia agreed on proposals for 5G security, some of which have been viewed in China as political rather than technological. The participating officials called on countries to take into account the political and legal system of the country where the supplier is from when they choose a company to participate in the rollout of their 5G networks. "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," read the proposals, adding that other issues such as the countries' absence of cooperation agreements on security and data protection should also be considered. Politicized issue "I think their intention is pretty clear: They want to make rules based on their own values and ideologies to target companies from countries with different political systems," Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Beijing-based Information Consumption Alliance, told the Global Times on Sunday. "I think it's pretty clear that they want to target China and Huawei." The Prague proposals did not name China or Huawei. Chinese officials did not attend the conference, nor officials from Russia. In its ongoing global crackdown, the US has pressured its allies to ban Huawei. Chinese officials have called on joint efforts to establish a set of unified rules and standards for cybersecurity, but they have also made clear that such rules and standards must be fair and transparent. There was no official statement from the Chinese government agencies as of press time on Sunday. "Cybersecurity is a global issue that bears on the common interests of all countries," Lu Kang, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in a press briefing on March 6. "We maintain that it is a constructive proposal to establish unified, objective, open and transparent cybersecurity standards," Lu said. Lu also stressed that practices that misuse security concerns to undermine the market environment and obstruct global cooperation will ultimately deliver a heavier blow to economies that have more advanced industries and technologies. "Cybersecurity is a critical issue for China too and China, with its advanced role in 5G, should also play a key role in any efforts to establish unified standards on security," Fu Liang, a veteran telecom industry observer in Beijing told the Global Times on Sunday. "The fact that China was not even included shows just how biased and politicized the conference is." In a statement sent to the Global Times on Sunday, Huawei global cybersecurity and privacy officer John Suffolk said that the company welcomed a "collaborative approach" but urged officials to avoid measures that "would increase bureaucracy and costs and limit the benefit that 5G can bring." "We firmly believe that any future security principles should be based on verifiable facts and technical data," Suffolk noted in the statement. 'No teeth' Xiang said that despite the strong language in the non-binding proposals, there were "no teeth because I don't imagine they will come up with an actionable proposal." He pointed out that countries will ultimately make decisions based on their own conditions and on the merits of the products and services. A country is "free, in accordance with international law, to set its own national security and law enforcement requirements," read the Prague proposals, while noting all should respect privacy and adhere to data protection laws. Despite pressure from the US, Western countries including Germany and the UK have taken on what Chinese analysts call a "more reasonable" approach to Huawei that does not ban the Chinese company altogether but leaves room for tighter regulation and verification. "I think so far the US has not clearly succeeded in its campaign to push out Huawei from global 5G deployment," Xiang said, as the US had failed to produce any verifiable facts for its allegations of security risks. Huawei products and services, meanwhile, have proved advanced and cost-effective, he noted. "Ultimately, the customers will always choose the best products and services," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea Confirms Test of 'Multiple Rocket Launchers' By William Gallo May 04, 2019 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 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. 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 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. 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. 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 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 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 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, 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." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump voices confidence in North Korea deal, 'great' Russia ties Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 01:02AM US President Donald Trump has expressed confidence in North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and forging a "deal" with Pyongyang as well as "great relationship" with Russia after a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart and despite the North's latest test firing of missiles. "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!" Trump stated in a Twitter message on Saturday, but did not elaborate on the nature of Kim's promise or the sort of deal he deems imminent. Trump has often touted a rosy relationship with Kim on Twitter, voicing optimism that the two can negotiate denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. Their two summits in Singapore in 2018 and in Vietnam earlier this year however have yet to produce any tangible deal beyond a pledge that Washington and Pyongyang would work toward denuclearization. Kim has since met with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok last month. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is also reportedly considering a meeting with Kim, according to a Friday report in the Japan's Shankei newspaper. North Korea 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. The statement came a day after the latest 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 the February summit ended in failure. "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." Trump speaks of 'great' Russia ties The Saturday tweet by the US president came after he held a phone conversation with Putin on Friday, in which the two discussed a range of geopolitical issues, including nuclear arms control as well as the Korean peace process. "Very good call yesterday with President Putin of Russia. 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's tweet read. Trump raised eyebrows on Friday after the White House announced his phone communication with Putin, though he insisted that he did not press his Russian counterpart on Moscow's efforts to interfere in US elections. The two leaders reportedly discussed Mueller's probe into alleged interference, but Trump told reporters that Putin said the investigation "started off being a mountain and ended up being a mouse." Trump further continued his attack on mainstream media coverage of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, accusing the press of having "misled" the American people on the special counsel's findings. Trump and his Republican Party allies have claimed Mueller's findings as a victory after the special counsel did not find conclusive evidence of conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin in Russia's interference in the 2016 election. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Downplays North Korean Missile Launches By Ken Bredemeier May 05, 2019 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. "There's a charade going on right now," she said. "It's called diplomacy. How can you have diplomacy with someone that never tells the truth? That's what I want to know. I'm all for it, but I'm very skeptical." She described Kim's regime as "absolute evil." "It's obvious to the world that we're on to him," she said of Kim. "But unless we keep the pressure on North Korea, they are not going to change, and I'm 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 Korea's east coast, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Plans to Build Copy of Britain's Largest Warship Report Sputnik News 11:58 05.05.2019(updated 11:59 05.05.2019) UK Minister for Defence Procurement Stuart Andrew remains extremely reticent about a possible deal with India on building an aircraft carrier similar to Britain's biggest warship HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Mirror reported. India has started talks with the UK over its plans to build a copycat version of the British Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Mirror reported on Sunday. 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 Britain's largest warship would join India's 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. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Complains About Pakistan Intel Agents Harassing its Diplomats Reports Sputnik News 11:50 05.05.2019(updated 14:23 05.05.2019) The stand-off between the two nuclear-armed neighbours escalated in mid-February after al-Qaeda* affiliated terrorists believed to be operating from Pakistani territory attacked an Indian security convoy in Pulwama, India. New Delhi subsequently launched airstrikes inside Pakistan that resulted in a series of clashes along the Line of Control. India issued a demarche to Pakistan in late April after two of New Delhi's diplomats were allegedly locked up, searched, and threatened at a Sikh shrine, called Gurdwara, near Lahore, the Indian outlet The Wire reports. According to The Times of India, New Delhi has also expressed concerns about its High Commission in the Pakistani capital. The incident is said to have taken place on 17 April when the two were at the Gurdwara Sacha Sauda Sahib in Farooqabad on consular duties, providing assistance to Sikh pilgrims from India. The outlet cites sources saying that 15 Pakistani intelligence agents apprehended the diplomats, checked their bags and questioned the Indians, locking them in a room in the Gurdwara for 20 minutes and inquiring about their work in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. After releasing them, the Pakistanis also forbade the Indian representatives to visit the area or speak to pilgrims. "They were asked to not enter shrine again", sources said as quoted by the outlet. According to The Wire, the Indian diplomats had faced harassment there last November when they were stopped from meeting pilgrims at the Gurdwara Sacha Sauda Sahib. The two nuclear-armed neighbours have been in a row over over Kashmir for decades, exchanging accusations and hostile acts since mid-February. The tensions escalated after the 14 February Pulwama terrorist attack in which at least 40 Indian security personnel were killed. Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a Pakistan-based terrorist group, reportedly claimed responsibility for it with the Indian government accusing Islamabad of harbouring and sponsoring the Islamist terrorist outfit, a charge that Pakistan has flatly denied. India carried out an airstrike on alleged terrorist infrastructure targets within Pakistani territory. Pakistan retaliated by conducting airstrikes targeting Indian territory and in an ensuing dogfight, reportedly downed two Indian aircraft. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Europe under criticism for delay to honor commitments to JCPOA IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, May 5, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and other Iranian top negotiators are critical of Europe yet to fulfill its commitments to JCPOA, so, the danger of the total loss of the agreement is looming. On May 8, 2018, the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action(JCPOA). In a joint statement responding to the U.S. withdrawal, the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom stated that United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 endorsing the nuclear deal remained the 'binding international legal framework for the resolution of the dispute'. Despite Tehran's practical commitment to the JCPOA, the EU support has remained at the political level, while the Brussels leaders are expected to pay the cost to pre-empt JCPOA total termination. The 'Special Purpose Vehicle' (SPV), which was scheduled to enter into the implementation phase by November 2018 and simultaneous with the second round of US sanctions, after a few months delay finally gave its place to INSTEX. The mechanism first reflected on the January 31 in the statement of the three EU member states during a meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, but has not yet entered into an executive phase, and the Europeans have related it to the official accession of Iran to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Making excuse and buying time by Europe has led some experts and officials in our country to conclude that Washington and Brussels are taking steps on the same road. In an interview with 'Blog', Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned that In the context of Europe's commitments to action, 'Europe has played only less than 10% of its commitment to action.' 'In their general comments, they have made up 100% (they have fulfilled their obligations), but in reality they have implemented less than 1% of their commitments', Zarif added in this interview. Recently, Iranian deputy foreign minister warned the European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal that Tehran would not wait forever to gain the economic benefits of the JCPOA, and is going to respond to Washington's illegal policies appropriately. Abbas Araqchi said in a meeting with the chairman and a number of members of the Austria-Iran parliamentary friendship group in Tehran, "the JCPOA is an international agreement and the United States has violated the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 by withdrawing from it, but unfortunately this illegal action has not been addressed with an appropriate response from the Security Council or European countries." Stressing the fact that Iran has fulfilled its commitments under the JCPOA, Araqchi criticized Europe's policies and actions regarding the nuclear accord, warning that "the patience of the Islamic Republic is not indefinite." Araqchi said Iran has so far given enough time and chance to other parties to compensate for the consequences of the US withdrawal from the deal, and now it is time to act. "We welcome the political positions of the European Union, but just political support does not help any further to preserve the JCPOA, The JCPOA is not an economic agreement and it is of security nature. If it matters to Europe, then it should also pay the costs to maintain it," he added. The Iranian official commented on the White House's decision to "bring Iran's oil exports down to zero", saying that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not allow any country to replace it in the global oil market, and the responsibility for any consequences falls on the US and the country or countries that seek to replace Iran in the market. In other hand, Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, says the US sanctions are 'economic terrorism'. 'They want to put pressure on the Iranian people in order to change their policy. That is the way the United States has acted for 40 years and, particularly since President Trump came to office, it violated a commitment by another US president, President Obama,' he told Al Jazeera. He said that the sanctions won't have any 'political effect' and that Iran has developed various schemes with partnering countries to help protect themselves. 6125*1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US is doing hostile to Iran with mixed-up mind: Majlis Speaker IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, May 5, IRNA -- The US Administration is doing a chain of hostile acts against Iran with mixed-up mind, Speaker of Majlis (Iranian Parliament) Ali Larijani said in the formal session on Sunday. 'After the illegal move against the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, they tried to bring Iranian oil export to zero, which will not materialize. They have also made some miscalculated remarks about Iran's nuclear cooperation with other countries in contrast with the context of the nuclear deal indicating that they are making decision with mixed-up mind,' said Larijani. He likened decision of the US Administration to the people adding to heavy load of a boat at sea in a bid to speed up the vessel. They have done any act that they thought can cause a difficulty for Iran but failed and initiated a new one. As Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said in his meeting with the teachers a few days ago, one of the most essential tasks is to safeguard unity and focus on the main goal, i.e. campaign against the world arrogance. 9417**1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address One year on, Europe still passive in face of US's JCPOA withdrawal Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 02:41PM Almost a year has passed since the United States withdrew from a landmark multilateral nuclear deal with Iran and reinstated unilateral sanctions against the country. During this time, the Islamic Republic has been chastising European countries for their inaction in the face of Washington's measures, noting that what European partners to the deal have done so far to offset the impact of the sanctions has been far less than sufficient. On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw the country from the nuclear deal, which is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. This was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made," he said. Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions. Trump's announcement came despite massive efforts by the European allies of the US to convince him to stay in the deal, which was reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries comprising the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the US, France, Britain, Russia and China, plus Germany. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani reacted to the White House announcement, highlighting the fact that Tehran had remained committed to its obligations under the deal, whereas the United States had never kept its part of the agreement. While stressing that Trump's decision was a historical experience for Iran, Rouhani noted that the US president has a history of undermining international treaties. Rouhani also noted that Iran would remain in the nuclear deal without the US' presence. Rouhani added that he has ordered the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to be prepared for resuming nuclear enrichment at the industrial level. In a post on his official Twitter account, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also responded to Trump's move, referring to it as "unlawful", while adding that the outcome of further diplomatic efforts will determine Iran's response. Head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations Kamal Kharrazi warned that Europe would risk its security by allowing the landmark international deal with Iran to unravel. If European signatories to the JCPOA, drop their struggle to save the agreement in the face of US pressure, they would have to accept more US bullying in the future, Kharrazi said, adding, "A defeat of the JCPOA would undermine Europe's security." The European Union, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany have expressed regret over Trump's decision about the deal with the European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini saying that the bloc is "determined to preserve" the Iran nuclear deal. Speaking shortly after the US president's decision to withdraw from the JCPOA, Mogherini said, "As long as Iran continues to implement its nuclear related commitments, as it is doing so far, the European Union will remain committed to the continued full and effective implementation of the nuclear deal." France, Germany and Britain also released a joint statement in which they announced their commitment to implementing the deal despite Trump's decision to pull out and his threat of sanctions. "Our governments remain committed to ensuring the agreement is upheld, and will work with all the remaining parties to the deal to ensure this remains the case including through ensuring the continuing economic benefits to the Iranian people that are linked to the agreement," said the joint statement. The Iranian foreign minister said in December 2018 that Tehran will not stand by for Europeans to fulfill their commitments under the JCPOA, following the United States' move to pull out from the deal. "The Europeans are acting slowly in the fulfillment of their commitments under the nuclear agreement," Zarif said in an interview with Lebanon-based Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network, adding, "We will not wait around for them unless they adopt practical steps." A senior Iranian cleric on January 17 censured Europe for dragging its feet on adopting practical measures to save the multilateral nuclear agreement following the US's withdrawal, saying he thinks the Islamic Republic will ultimately have to "set fire" to the deal. "Some imagine they could rely on the Europeans when the US withdraws from the JCPOA," Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, head of Iran's Assembly of Experts, said, adding, "The Europeans are however dragging their feet and would do nothing in our interest. The Europeans are worse than the Americans. If not, they are not any better." Late in January, the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal issued a joint statement, announcing the launch of a long-awaited direct non-dollar payment mechanism meant to safeguard their trade ties with Tehran in the face of the sanctions. Germany, France and Britain had registered the mechanism, named the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) which would be based in the French capital, Paris, and managed by a German banking expert. INSTEX is initially intended to be used for selling food, medicine and medical devices to Iran, but it could also be expanded in the future. "It (the payment channel) won't change things dramatically, but it's an important political message to Iran to show that we are determined to save the JCPOA and also the United States to show we defend our interests despite their extraterritorial sanctions," a European diplomat was quoted as saying by Reuters. Iran's nuclear chief said on February 2 that the establishment of a new mechanism to ease trade with Iran despite US sanctions is a promising step but the Europeans must act more swiftly and adopt final measures in this regard. "The Europeans took a promising step in terms of economy and we hope that they will keep racing ahead on the same path," the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, told reporters. Later on February 4, former Iran's Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani said the Islamic Republic will never give in to humiliating conditions set by Europe for the enforcement of its new non-dollar mechanism. Addressing a meeting of high-ranking judicial officials on Monday, Amoli Larijani said, "After nine months of dawdling and negotiations, European countries have come up with a limited-capacity mechanism not for exchange of money with Iran, but to supply food and medicine." On February 5, Iran welcomed the European Union's "positive positions" on the JCPOA outlined in a 12-point statement, but remains critical of certain other points raised in the document, including those regarding Iran's national defense program and regional role. The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in reaction to the one released by the Council of the European Union hours before, in which the 28-nation bloc has once again thrown its weight behind the multilateral nuclear agreement. In the statement, the EU defended the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) --officially called INSTEX. However, in parallel with the JCPOA-related issues, the European Union repeated a set of accusations against Iran and raised "concerns" about the country's conventional missile program as well as its role in the region. Early in March, the official website of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei published a video clip for the first time, showing that the Leader has never trusted Europeans with their pledge to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. "One day we tied all of the country's economic issues to the JCPOA and the JCPOA could not resolve our country's economic issues or help us in any significant way," the Leader said in the video. Ayatollah Khamenei advised the government to avoid conditioning people to the European package. "Don't make this a main issue; either the European package arrives or it doesn't." "We have things to do in our country, we have potentials and these potentials need to materialize. Follow those potentials, don't tie economic enhancement to something that is not in our control." The Iranian foreign minister on April 14 once again complained about a delay by European partners in the nuclear deal to make operational a non-dollar direct payment channel with Tehran, saying they now have "no excuse" for further postponement of the project. Zarif said the Europeans introduced the INSTEX as "a preliminary measure" - as part of their multiple commitments under the JCPOA and added that in order to begin honoring their commitments, the Europeans were required to set up the trade mechanism. An Iranian structure parallel to INSTEX, called the Special Trade and Finance Institute (STFI), was launched just last week, he said, noting that the European signatories have no longer any excuse to delay the start of their job. The US administration said in a statement on April 22 that, in a bid to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero, buyers of Iranian oil must stop purchases by May 1 or face sanctions. The move ended six months of waivers, which allowed Iran's eight biggest buyers -- Turkey, China, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan -- to continue importing limited volumes. "The United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ... along with our friends and allies, are committed to ensuring that global oil markets remain adequately supplied," the White House statement said, adding, "We have agreed to take timely action to assure that global demand is met as all Iranian oil is removed from the market." Last November, the US enforced sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic's banking and energy sector. However, it granted waivers to the eight major importers of Iran's oil, fearing market instability. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Moussavi said the Islamic Republic considers no value and credit for US sanctions waivers, which allow importers to continue buying Iranian oil, but is in touch with European partners and neighbors to counter any adverse consequences of sanctions. "Given the illegal nature of these sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran has not considered and will not consider any value or credit for waivers granted [to customers of the Iranian oil] on [US] sanctions," Moussavi said. "However, in view of the practical negative effects of these sanctions and the possibility of further intensification of those negative effects [after US refusal to renew the waivers], the [Iranian] Foreign Ministry has been continuously in touch with all relevant domestic institutions while holding comprehensive consultations with many foreign partners, including Europeans, international [ones] and neighbors," he added, noting that Iran would make a proper decision in this regard and make it public soon. Speaking at a meeting with a large group of Iranian workers on Wednesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the US administration's hostile attempts to block Iran's oil sales will lead nowhere, and that the country will export "as much crude as it needs and wishes" in defiance of American sanctions. "In the first place, such attempts will lead nowhere, and we are capable of exporting as much oil as we need and want," Ayatollah Khamenei said. Iran's First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri said late in April that the US administration's decision to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero is doomed to fail, because Americans ignore the country's immense economic potentialities. "They (Americans) seek to cripple the country's economy and pile up social pressure [on the government] through reducing the government's sources of revenue but thanks to plans made [to counter such measures] this move will certainly fail," Iran's first vice president said. In an interview with the Doha-based Al Jazeera broadcaster aired on May 4, the Iranian foreign minister said United States sanctions against Iran will have no political effect on the Islamic Republic. Zarif said that the unilateral sanctions not only had no legal implications but also no political ones for Iran, contrary to what US officials had intended. "They (the American officials) want to put pressure on the Iranian people in order to change their policy. That is the way the United States has acted for 40 years and, particularly since President [Donald] Trump came to office," he said, stressing, however, that the bans "won't have any political effect." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran ready to reinforce Iraqi defenses: IRGC aerospace cmdr. Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 10:14AM Iran is prepared to offer various types of assistance to reinforce Iraq's defensive capabilities, including the sharing of experience, says a senior Iranian military commander. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Aerospace Division of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), made the remark during a meeting with the visiting Iraqi Air Defense Commander Lt. Gen. Jabar Obeid Kadhim Jabbar on Friday. Jabbar traveled to Tehran at the head of a high-level military delegation to meet with senior Iranian commanders. "Having secured the technology [required] for manufacturing various types of radars, command-and-control centers, ground-to-air missile systems, and electronic warfare equipment, the [IRGC] aerospace force is ready to provide the Iraqi defense forces with whatever assistance and experience," Hajizadeh said. He stressed unity between Iran and Iraq and recalled that upon the start of an offensive by Daesh in Iraq in 2014, Washington had alleged that the battle with the Takfiri terrorist group would take 30 years, but when Iran and Iraq joined forces against the outfit, the length of that fight was reduced to only three years. Iran's support for Iraq during the fight against Daesh began at the earliest stage of the group's onslaught in response to Baghdad's request, Hajizadeh said. He enumerated some instances of the support as the dispatching of aircraft, logistical support, intensive training for Iraqi pilots, overhauls of warplanes, unmanned aerial missions, and the provision of battlefield intelligence. "The enemies are after causing tension and division between these two great nations through an already-abortive effort, as well as by using psychological operations and malign propaganda," Hajizadeh said. However, "these good relations are a thorn in the side of the American, Israeli, and reactionary Arab regimes of the region," he added. Jabbar, for his part, expressed Baghdad's gratitude to Tehran for acknowledging its request for assistance and its unstinting support. He also stressed the further development of bilateral ties and the expansion of defensive, training, and operational cooperation between the two sides to reinforce regional security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Photo: CTV News Voters are heading to the polls to elect a member of Parliament in the British Columbia riding of Nanaimo-Ladysmith today in what could be an indicator of the October federal election. The leaders of the Liberals, Conservatives, Greens, NDP and the People's Party of Canada have all visited the riding since the byelection was called. David Black, a political communications expert at Royal Roads University in Victoria, says that highlights the importance of the vote so close to a federal election. He says the parties would have used the byelection as a study for political messaging before the Oct. 21 general election. New Democrat Sheila Malcolmson resigned the seat in January to successfully run for the B-C New Democrats in the provincial riding. There was a 75 per cent turnout when she won the federal riding in 2015, and Black says such a high return can lead to a less predictable race. Malcolmson won with 33 per cent of the vote, while the Liberal and Conservative candidates both received over 23 per cent support and the Green candidate took almost 20 per cent of votes. There are seven candidates running in the byelection: New Democrat Bob Chamberlin, Jennifer Clarke of the People's Party of Canada, Liberal Michelle Corfield, Conservative John Hirst, Jakob Letkemann of the National Citizens Alliance, Green Paul Manly and Brian Marlatt of the Progressive Canadian Party. US sanctions will have no political effect on Iran: Zarif Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 08:42AM Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the United States sanctions against Iran will have no political effect on the Islamic Republic. In an interview with the Doha-based Al Jazeera broadcaster aired on Saturday, Zarif said that the unilateral sanctions not only had no legal implications but also no political ones for Iran, contrary to what US officials had intended. "They (the American officials) want to put pressure on the Iranian people in order to change their policy. That is the way the United States has acted for 40 years and, particularly since President [Donald] Trump came to office," he said, stressing, however, that the bans "won't have any political effect." Zarif also said Iran and its partners had developed various schemes to protect themselves against the sanctions. "One of them (the schemes) will be in the long run to the detriment of the United States and I think that is becoming increasingly popular and that is not to use dollars for your transactions," he said. "Second is an instrument that we are developing with the Europeans... we have already developed with our neighbors and... the Chinese, and that is not to engage in transfer of money across the borders, which is where the United States would step in and will try to twist the arms of people who are engaged in it, illegally and unlawfully," the Iranian foreign minister said. Under President Donald Trump, the US has initiated a campaign of "maximum pressure" against Iran, pulling out of a multilateral deal with the country and re-imposing sanctions against it. Zarif said the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Iran deal which was negotiated by former US president Barack Obama was in contravention of international norms. "In international relations, you consider a government [the] continuation of the previous government. Last I heard, there was no revolution in the United States," he said. Elsewhere in the interview, Zarif said the Trump administration was serving Israeli interests. "I believe the United States is not serving US interests. More than the United States, it is serving Israeli interests. And unfortunately, there are a couple of people in our region who have aligned themselves with Israeli interests," he said, naming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Zarif said those figures were dragging Trump into "disastrous situations." "So this is a cabal... who are pushing the United States and President Trump into conflict and into disastrous situations and they will be the first to suffer the consequences, unfortunately," he said. Zarif has said formerly that a group of hawkish figures, comprising US National Security Adviser John Bolton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, bin Salman, and bin Zayed, are intent on pushing the US into a war with Iran. He has called those individuals all of whom have the letter "b" in their names the "B-team." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC commander: America cannot put Iran in tight spot Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 05:47AM The chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the United States cannot restrict Iran's sources of livelihood as oil sales do not constitute the Islamic Republic's sole source of income. Major General Hossein Salami made the remarks during a meeting with Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami on Saturday. Salami said Iran's enemies are deploying all their means and capacities against the country, but added, "Our livelihood has not been predicated on oil. The US cannot restrict our livelihood." 'Foes fatigued' The IRGC commander said Iran's foes had been tired out. "Our enemies are fatigued today. They look sturdy but have decayed from within. They will crumble sooner rather than later although they are trying to deny that fact," the commander said. Under President Donald Trump, the US has initiated a campaign of "maximum pressure" against Iran, pulling out of a multilateral deal with the country and re-imposing sanctions against it. With the sanctions, Washington has been seeking, among other goals, to bring Iran's oil sales down to "zero." The White House has also imposed so-called secondary sanctions that target other countries doing business with Iran. Also last month and in order to increase its pressure on the Islamic Republic, the US blacklisted the IRGC as a "foreign terrorist organization." The Islamic Republic has warned about the implications of the move for regional and international security, and reciprocally designated the American West Asia force, known as the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), as a terrorist organization. During the Saturday meeting, Brigadier General Hatami, for his part, wished success for Salami as the IRGC's commander, to which position he was appointed by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei last month. Hatami pledged that the Defense Ministry would be supportive of the IRGC more strongly and efficiently than ever. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Says Will Sell Oil On 'Gray Market' By RFE/RL May 05, 2019 Iran has mobilized all its resources to sell oil on the "gray market," bypassing U.S. sanctions that Tehran considers illegitimate, Iran's 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 Iran's ballistic-missile program or Tehran's 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 Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-s-deputy- oil-minister-says-his-country-will-sell-oil- on-gray-market-/29922040.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 Iran Switching Its Oil Sales to 'Grey Market' in Bid to Defy US Sanctions Sputnik News 14:50 05.05.2019 The US earlier terminated waivers for several Iranian oil-buying countries, once again threatening them with sanctions if they continue doing business with Tehran. The Islamic Republic has slammed these actions, vowing to continue oil exports despite Washington's efforts. Iran has started directing its efforts at organising the sale of its oil via alternative routes to circumvent the effectiveness of US sanctions against the country's energy sector, Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia told IRNA news agency without specifying any details. "We have mobilised all of the country's resources and are selling oil in the 'grey market'", he said. At the same time, the deputy minister admitted that the volumes from daily sales won't be able to reach the export levels seen prior to the US exit from the Iran nuclear deal, which lifted international sanctions from Tehran. Zamaninia didn't provide any estimates about the volumes of oil sales on the "grey market", but noted that the government will have to "make serious decisions about [Iran's] financial and economic management". Speaking about the "grey market" scheme of selling Iranian oil the deputy minister stressed that it in no way can be viewed as "smuggling" as it's merely a measure to counter sanctions that are neither "just" nor "legitimate". The US earlier ended waivers given to several states, importing Iranian crude. The waivers prevented these countries from falling under American sanctions as long as they abided by the allowed daily import limits. The decision to end these waivers has caused "regret and concern" in the EU, Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said. The waivers were given to Greece, Italy, Taiwan, China, India, Turkey, Japan, and South Korea on the same day the US imposed harsh sanctions against Iran's energy, banking and shipping sectors, 5 November 2018. The imposition of the sanctions was preceded by Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal on 8 May 2018. Washington's move was met with criticism from other signatories to the deal, who decided to continue adhering to its provisions and to ignore the White House's sanctions. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Head of Libya's GNA Calls LNA-Led Offensive on Tripoli 'Stab in The Back' Sputnik News 03:33 05.05.2019 TRIPOLI (Sputnik) - The head of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez Sarraj told Sputnik that the offensive on the country's capital of Tripoli led by the Libyan National Army (LNA) is merely "stab in the back." "What happened was a stab in the back. We talked with him [Haftar] about the political decision. He performed this attack on April 4, which means that when I talked to him [last time] at the end of March, he was already preparing the attack," Sarraj said. Sarraj also expressed regret that only a little amount of countries had recognised the offensive by the Libyan National Army on Tripoli as an act of aggression. "Here and there we hear different statements, and, unfortunately, some parties, when you tell them what is happening, do not have the courage to call what happened by their name. They are talking about a ceasefire, about returning to peaceful process, we hear all this from some high-ranking officials Only a few countries that we thank, have openly condemned this aggression, calling the events by their name, and demanded its termination, so that the possibility of returning to the political process actually appears," Sarraj said. Tensions flared up in the country in early April. Back then, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to retake Tripoli from the forces loyal to the GNA. The Haftar-led LNA has already recaptured a number of settlements on its way to the capital, including the Tripoli International Airport, located around 20 miles away from the capital. READ MORE: Libya's GNA Expands Control in Tripoli Sarraj Since the overthrow and killing of Libya's long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 Libya is currently divided into two parts the internationally recognized and GNA headed by Fayez Sarraj in Tripoli and a parallel administration allied to Haftar in the east of the country. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Haftar Orders LNA Forces to Chase, Destroy Enemy Troops in Libya - Reports Sputnik News 01:06 06.05.2019 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar has ordered Libyan National Army (LNA) forces to chase and destroy enemy troops, media reported. Tensions flared up in the country in early April. Back then, Haftar launched an offensive to retake Tripoli from the forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA). The Haftar-led LNA has already recaptured a number of settlements on its way to the capital, including the Tripoli International Airport, located around 20 miles away from the capital. According to a tape publish by Haftar's spokesman on Sunday, the field marshal said that the Ramadan, the holy Muslim fasting month, which starts this Monday in Libya, was a month of holy war, Reuters said. Since the overthrow and killing of Libya's long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 Libya is currently divided into two parts the internationally recognized and GNA headed by Fayez Sarraj in Tripoli and a parallel administration allied to Haftar in the east of the country. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey 'may go into Syria region despite Russia deal' Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 05:49PM Turkey has hinted that it may send in military forces to the Syrian border region of Tel Rifaat despite an agreement with Russia to stay clear of the area. Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay made the comments in an interview with broadcaster Kanal 7 on Sunday, a day after cross-border fire from the region claimed the life of a Turkish trooper. "The agreement was for us to stop there (Tel Rifaat), but if these attacks continue, this may take a different shape. We are discussing this with Russia," Oktay said, without providing further details. Ankara, the main backer of anti-government militants in Syria, reached agreements with Russia an ally of Damascus last year to conduct joint patrols along Syria's northern regions, where Turkey says the Syrian offshoot of a separatist group is active. Back in March, Turkey's Defense Ministry said Turkish and Russian forces had conducted their first "independent and coordinated" patrols in Tel Rifaat. On Saturday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement that four soldiers had been killed and two others sustained injuries in two separate attacks conducted by members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militant group from Tel Rifaat and northern Iraq. Ankara views the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist group, which has been fighting for an autonomous region inside Turkey since 1984. The Defense Ministry statement further said that the Turkish army had retaliated in both cases and killed 28 YPG militants. Tel Rifaat is controlled by suspected YPG militants and is located some 20 kilometers east of Afrin, a city under the control of Turkey and Turkish-backed militants. Separately on Sunday, Turkey's Daily Sabah newspaper, citing unnamed security forces, reported that Turkish airstrikes had killed five PKK terrorists in the northern parts of Iraq earlier in the day as part of an operation launched to retaliate against the cross-border attacks on Saturday. It added that the airstrikes targeted the area across the border from Turkey's southeastern province of Hakkari, stressing that the army's operation in the region continued. Ankara has launched two operations in northern Syria. The first began in August 2016 to stop the advance of Kurdish militia forces. Then, in January 2018, Turkish military forces launched another cross-border military operation with the declared aim of eliminating YPG militants from northern Syria, particularly in the Afrin region. Neither of the offensives was authorized by the Syrian government. On Friday, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said that Damascus "will not allow Turkey to control even one centimeter of the Syrian territory." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Militants in Idlib prepare attacks on military sites in western Syria: Report Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 04:04PM Foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorists positioned in Syria's militant-held northwestern province of Idlib are reportedly getting ready to launch attacks on military sites and safe areas in the neighboring provinces of Latakia and Hama. A Syrian military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Syria's official news agency SANA that militant groups have been transporting more weapons and mobilizing large numbers of terrorists for the offensives. The source added that the Takfiris are bringing in their reinforcements to the town of Murak in the Suran subdistrict of Hama province to target the positions of Syrian government forces and civilian neighborhoods in the surrounding areas. He further noted that Syrian troops are closely monitoring all movements of the terrorists. "What the terrorists have been doing over the last few days affirms that they are about to escalate their hostile acts, which will be the beginning of their inevitable and near end," the source pointed out. Under a deal reached following a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on September 17, 2018, all militants in a demilitarized zone, which surrounds Idlib and also parts of the adjacent provinces of Aleppo and Hama, were supposed to pull out heavy arms by October 17, and Takfiri groups had to withdraw by October 15 last year. The National Front for the Liberation of Syria is the main Turkish-backed militant alliance in the Idlib region, but the Takfiri Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terrorist group, which is a coalition of different factions of terror outfits, largely composed of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri terrorist group, holds a large part of the province and the zone. The HTS, which is said to be in control of some 60 percent of Idlib Province, has yet to announce its stance on the buffer zone deal. It is estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 members of different factions of armed groups, which Syria, Russia and Turkey consider terrorists, are active in the volatile province, which is home to around three million inhabitants. Militant shelling kills civilian in west-central Syria Separately, one Syrian civilian has been killed when foreign-backed terrorists launched mortar attacks against residential neighborhoods in Hama province. A local source told SANA that a civilian lost her life on Sunday when a projectile fell onto her home in the city of al-Suqaylabiyah. Takfiri militants also targeted Jubb Ramalah residential area in the Masyaf district of the province, causing material damage to a number of buildings there. There were no immediate reports of casualties. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey will not give in to US sanctions over S-400 deal with Russia: Vice president Iran Press TV Sun May 5, 2019 05:46PM A senior Turkish official says his country will not bow to US sanctions over its agreement to purchase advanced Russian-built S-400 air defense missile systems. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Turkish-language and nationwide Kanal 7 television network on Sunday, Vice President Fuat Oktay said United States concerns on the issue were not reasonable and added that Turkey would not back down. "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. Oktay's comments came only two days after Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned that the Pentagon will halt manufacturing support for the F-35 fighter jets in Turkey if Ankara does not abandon plans to buy the Russian missile defense system. Shanahan noted that he had met delegations from US aerospace manufacturers Lockheed Martin and United Technologies to discuss options if Turkey refuses to take the measure. On May 2, The chief executive of Russia's state-owned hi-tech industrial development conglomerate, Rostec Corporation, says Moscow is "ready to cooperate" to sell Ankara Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets in case Turkey is excluded from the F-35 fighter jet program with the United States. "These fifth-generation Russian fighter jets [Su-57] have outstanding qualities, and show promise for export," Sergey Chemezov told Turkey's official Anadolu news agency. The Russian official went on to say that Turkey, irrespective of US-led pressure regarding the S-400 deal, is holding a very direct and consistent position concerning implementation of all provisions of the contract. "We signed the contract for the S-400s in 2017, and before the end of this year, we plan to conclude all deliveries," Chemezov commented. The United States announced on April 1 that it would be suspending all "deliveries and activities" related to Turkey's procurement of F-35 stealth fighter jets over Ankara's plans to purchase the S-400s. On April 24, Turkey Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country will look elsewhere for an alternative to American F-35 fighter jets if Washington blocks the delivery of its advanced stealth warplanes to Ankara. "We are already partners in the F-35 manufacturing program, we participate in this project, we have paid the necessary amount. There are currently no problems with this," Cavusoglu said. "But in the worst case scenario, we will have to satisfy our need in another place, where the best technologies will be offered," he added. 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. A number of NATO member states have criticized Turkey for its planned purchase of the S-400, arguing the missile batteries are not compatible with those of the military alliance. They also argue that the purchase could jeopardize Ankara's acquisition of F-35 fighter jets and possibly result in US sanctions. The S-400 is an advanced Russian missile system designed to detect, track, and destroy planes, drones, or missiles as far as 402 kilometers away. It has previously been sold only to China and India. Ankara is striving to boost its air defense, particularly after Washington decided in 2015 to withdraw its Patriot surface-to-air missile system from Turkish border with Syria, a move that weakened Turkey's air defense. Before gravitating towards Russia, the Turkish military reportedly walked out of a $3.4-billion contract for a similar Chinese system. The withdrawal took place under purported pressure from Washington. Ankara's ties with its Western allies in NATO have been strained over a range of other issues, including Washington's support for Kurdish militants in Syria as well as the US government's refusal to hand over Fethullah Gulen, a powerful opposition figure living in the US blamed for a coup attempt against Ankara in July 2016. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey Refuses to Bow to US Sanctions Over S-400 Deal Sputnik News 17:12 05.05.2019(updated 17:13 05.05.2019) The development comes a day after acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned that Washington would cease its manufacturing support for F-35 fighter jets in Turkey if Ankara goes ahead with the purchase of Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile defence systems. Turkey will never bow to US sanctions over its deal to acquire Russian S-400 air defence systems, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Sunday. "When Turkey signs an agreement, Turkey keeps its promise. We signed this agreement and certain payments were made. I don't think the arguments and concerns here have a lot to lean on", he told local broadcaster Kanal 7. Oktay continued by saying that Washington's concerns that the Russia-built systems are allegedly incompatible with NATO military equipment were unreasonable. The statement follows a warning by Patrick Shanahan, the acting US defence secretary, who said that if Ankara "decided that the S-400 is a decision they want to go forward with", then the United States will stop manufacturing support for F-35 fighter jets in Turkey. In a parallel development, House Armed Services Committee members announced a bill to block the sale of the fifth-generation fighter jets to Turkey if it doesn't give up on its S-400 plans. "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", Democratic Congressman John Garamendi said. Addressing the controversy, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara had been unable to receive air defence systems from its NATO allies for roughly 10 years, and reiterated that Russia's systems do not jeopardise US F-35s: "The United States says that S-400 will increase the vulnerability of F-35 aircraft. We do not think so but let the experts express their opinion. We have proposed to create a joint commission, if they are so concerned about that. However, we have not received a response from the United States", Cavusoglu said last month. The United States has on multiple occasions claimed that the S-400s are incompatible with NATO military equipment and alleged that the Russian systems pose a threat to the F-35s. Ankara, in turn, has insisted that the S-400s were not connected to the security of the alliance, the US or the F-35 in any way, and the decision to acquire them "does not target a third country". As Turkey has consistently refused to abandon the deal, Washington has threatened to withhold the sale of the stealth fighters to Ankara, or to slap it with sanctions under the 2017 Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Russia and Turkey signed a $2.5 billion loan agreement for the shipment of a total of four batteries of S-400 systems in December 2017. The first delivery is set for July 2019 and will proceed as scheduled, according to Turkish officials. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Photo: The Canadian Press UPDATE: 8:45 a.m. A beaming Prince Harry said his wife Meghan gave birth to a baby boy early Monday morning. Harry says he's "incredibly proud" of his wife and that they have a healthy baby boy who weighs 7 pounds 3 ounces. He has not yet been named. Harry said the child was a little bit overdue and that had given them more time to contemplate names. He says he is ecstatic about the birth of their first child and said more details will be shared in the coming days. "This little baby is absolutely to die for," he said. "I'm just over the moon." The infant will be seventh in line to the British throne and Queen Elizabeth II's eighth great-grandchild. Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles, the next in line to the throne, and the late Princess Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997. The child will be eligible for dual British-U.S. citizenship if Meghan and Harry want to go through the application process. Harry, speaking before TV cameras on Monday afternoon was present for the birth, which he said was an amazing experience. The couple has said they didn't find out the baby's sex in advance. Senior royals have been informed of the birth, as has the family of Princess Diana, Harry's late mother. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was formerly known as Meghan Markle and was a TV star before retiring from acting to marry Harry at St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle a year ago. Harry and his older brother, Prince William, along with their wives, are seen by many in Britain as the new, fresh face of a royal family that had become stodgy and aged. They are raising the next generation of royals amid a genuine groundswell of public support for the monarchy. Meghan in particular represents a change for the royals: She is American, older than her husband, divorced, and comes from a biracial background. Prince Harry says wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and baby boy are doing "incredibly well." He added, "It has been the most amazing experience I could ever possibly imagine. " https://t.co/aAwPRaA2CB pic.twitter.com/YQCwa2ytUo CBS News (@CBSNews) May 6, 2019 UPDATE: 6:48 a.m. Prince Harry says Meghan has given birth to a baby boy. ORIGINAL: 6:30 a.m. Prince Harry's wife Meghan went into labour early Monday with their first child, Buckingham Palace said. The 37-year-old Duchess of Sussex, who was an American actress known as Meghan Markle before she joined the British royal family, and Harry haven't disclosed the planned location of the birth. But they ruled out the London hospital where the prince, older brother William and William's three children with Kate, Duchess of Cambridge were born. Buckingham Palace said Harry was by Meghan's side. Throughout Meghan's pregnancy, the couple never revealed the due date and said they decided not to find out the baby's sex in advance. The infant will be seventh in line to the British throne and Queen Elizabeth II's eighth great-grandchild. Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles, the next in line to the throne, and the late Princess Diana. The child will be eligible for dual British-U.S. citizenship if Meghan wants to go through the application process. Harry and Meghan married at Windsor Castle a year ago this month. In April, they moved from a house on the London grounds of Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage, which is on the property near Windsor Castle where they held their wedding reception. Journalists and well-wishers have camped out for days in Windsor, west of London, awaiting the baby's arrival. Kensington Palace has said the new parents don't plan to pose for a photograph or appear in public with their baby for several days. Meghan, a California native, had a starring role on the American TV series "Suits." She had a previous marriage that ended in divorce and has strong feminist views. As the daughter of a black mother and a white father, she says she identifies as biracial. In a release issued under the same headline earlier by Aguia Resources Limited (ASX: AGR, TSXV: AGRL), the qualified persons statements were unintentionally omitted. The corrected release follows: 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 06, 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 Qualified Person The technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Fernando Tallarico, who is a member of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario, Technical Director for Aguia and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Dr. Tallarico consents to the inclusion of his name in this release. Dr. Tallarico verified the data disclosed in this press release in accordance with industry standard best practices, including sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information or opinions contained herein. JORC Code Competent Person Statements: The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves is based on information compiled by Dr Fernando Tallarico, who is a member of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario. Dr Tallarico is a full-time employee of the company. Dr Tallarico has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Dr Tallarico consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. 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. Memphis TN, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data Facts Announces Expansion of Lending Division Sales Team Memphis, TN: Data Facts , a national provider of mortgage lending solutions, proudly announces an important addition to their Lending Division Sales Team. Cole Miller recently accepted a role as National Account Executive for the Lending Division. Cole Miller is an experienced mortgage professional who has firsthand experience in obtaining the fastest loan turn time out there. Cole has a strong background on the lending side as well as solutions provider side. Decreasing the turn time and the cost of a loan is critical and Data Facts offers the solutions and consultative approach that helps ensure we are providing that service. I look forward to building new relationships and helping lenders close more loans faster and easier. Data Facts Sales Manager, Rory Tipton , is pleased to have Cole on his team. Cole brings passion and knowledge to his new role, and both will serve him well. He will be an asset for Data Facts in forging new lending partnerships and strengthening current client relationships. Cole is based in Ohio and will be responsible for promoting Data Facts suite of lending solution products. About Data Facts Since 1989, Data Facts has provided trusted information to mortgage lending professionals, enabling them to reach sound lending decisions. The company stays at the forefront of the industry by cultivating strong client relationships, providing accurate and thorough information, investing in innovative technology, and adhering to strict standards of industry compliance and regulations. The company sustains a SOC 2 certification, is actively involved with various MBA chapters, and requires all staff members to hold FCRA certifications. Data Facts is certified by the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as a 100% woman-owned business and is a member of the National Consumer Reporting Association (NCRA). Lithuanian English Siauliai, Lithuania, 2019-05-06 09:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Siauliu Bankas AB, company code 112025254, domicile address Tilzes st. 149, LT-76348 Siauliai We are delivering the review of the Bank's performance for the period of 3 months 2019 and Interim information with the confirmation of the responsible persons (enclosed). Director of Risk Management and Reporting Department Algimantas Gaulia shall provide additional information and is available on tel. +370 37 372837 Attachments THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovative Properties Inc. DBA Nabis Holdings (CSE: NAB; OTC: INNPF; FRA: 71P) (Nabis or the Company), a leading Canadian investment company with specialty investments in assets across multiple divisions of the cannabis sector, announced that Nabis shareholders approved the name change to Nabis Holdings Inc. subject to CSE approval. In addition, Nabis management is pleased to provide a corporate update to its shareholders regarding the recent progress of its strategic growth plan. Shay Shnet, CEO & Director of Nabis, stated, Over the past several months our team has diligently executed our strategic plans to identify and invest in vertically integrated cannabis assets primarily in U.S. limited license states with large, addressable markets, including Michigan, Arizona, California, Massachusetts and Nevada. While we make strides in the progression of our investments, the recent Annual Shareholder Meeting yielded a number of positive corporate changes, including the formal adoption of the Nabis Holdings name, providing clarity for investors, as well as a strong anchor for the business. In addition, we enhanced our board to six directors, those of whom have already played integral advisory roles in the current development of Nabis. Our team commitment to the expansion of the Nabis portfolio, with a focus on businesses with operational experience, pharma grade quality products serving the medicinal, wellness and recreation markets, cannot be understated. We are focused on identifying those assets that will lead to strategic revenue generation, EBITDA, and growth in turn increase shareholder value, concluded Shnet. Recent Operational Highlights Enhanced Balance Sheet Completed private placement offering of debenture units raising gross proceeds of $35 million in March 2019. Completed FIVE Strategic Investments in Properties Investment in one property in Bangor City, Michigan, that has received municipal approvals for ten cultivation licenses and one processing license. This property allows Nabis to grow indoor, outdoor and greenhouse cannabis with an unlimited stacking ability of cultivation licenses. Investment in four properties that have municipal approvals for provisioning centers in Battle Creek, Constantine, Muskegon and Bangor City, all located in Michigan Strengthened Board of Directors Shay Shnet, CEO & Director of Nabis, has over 20 years of experience in business and was most recently a founding partner and Vice President of Operations of MPX. While at MPX, Mr. Shnet spent the last 5 years of his career focused on the North American cannabis space helping build MPXs portfolio of international cannabis assets. Shay is highly skilled in finding unique opportunities and has been directly involved with the development, branding, importing, consumer packaging and distribution of a wide variety of product lines. has over 20 years of experience in business and was most recently a founding partner and Vice President of Operations of MPX. While at MPX, Mr. Shnet spent the last 5 years of his career focused on the North American cannabis space helping build MPXs portfolio of international cannabis assets. Shay is highly skilled in finding unique opportunities and has been directly involved with the development, branding, importing, consumer packaging and distribution of a wide variety of product lines. Kevin Ma, Director, is a principal and the founder of Skanderbeg Financial Advisory Inc., specializing in corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, and senior executive and management advisory. Kevin acted as CFO for First Cobalt Corp. where the company recently completed over $250 million in acquisitions within 12 months, creating the largest cobalt exploration company by market capitalization. Kevin has been involved in over $200 million in corporate financing transactions. Kevin is a Chartered Accountant certified by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia, and holds a Diploma in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia. is a principal and the founder of Skanderbeg Financial Advisory Inc., specializing in corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, and senior executive and management advisory. Kevin acted as CFO for First Cobalt Corp. where the company recently completed over $250 million in acquisitions within 12 months, creating the largest cobalt exploration company by market capitalization. Kevin has been involved in over $200 million in corporate financing transactions. Kevin is a Chartered Accountant certified by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia, and holds a Diploma in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia. Liran Kandinov, Director, is the Executive Director and CEO of Lex Professional Development Group Inc., a legal education and consulting firm. He has over 10 years of leadership and strategic management experience and is a dual licensed attorney in both New York State and in the province of Ontario. Liran obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Strategic Management from the University of Toronto, his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Manchester and his Master of Laws in Business Law from the University of Toronto. is the Executive Director and CEO of Lex Professional Development Group Inc., a legal education and consulting firm. He has over 10 years of leadership and strategic management experience and is a dual licensed attorney in both New York State and in the province of Ontario. Liran obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Strategic Management from the University of Toronto, his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Manchester and his Master of Laws in Business Law from the University of Toronto. Mark Krytiuk, President & Director, is a very successful cannabis operator and was a founding partner of MPX. Mark has over 5 years of experience as the Vice President of Grow Operations of MPX overseeing the production of medical marijuana and pharma-grade products across North America. Mark has been directly involved overseeing the rapid expansion and build out of nine facilities in three different countries, with ranging budgets of up to $30 million. Mark also has over 10 years of experience consulting and working with customers to develop their individual requirements for their indoor & outdoor cultivation processing space with all required design, workflow and equipment along with working with federal regulators and licensing bodies to ensure compliance. is a very successful cannabis operator and was a founding partner of MPX. Mark has over 5 years of experience as the Vice President of Grow Operations of MPX overseeing the production of medical marijuana and pharma-grade products across North America. Mark has been directly involved overseeing the rapid expansion and build out of nine facilities in three different countries, with ranging budgets of up to $30 million. Mark also has over 10 years of experience consulting and working with customers to develop their individual requirements for their indoor & outdoor cultivation processing space with all required design, workflow and equipment along with working with federal regulators and licensing bodies to ensure compliance. Larry Koza, Director, is a Managing Partner at CanSave, a distributor of building materials, kitchen & bath, and doors for new construction and renovation projects. Larry currently sits on a number of panel committees for organizations including the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Emergency Department Operations Committee, and a new hospital to be built in Innisfil, Ontario. Larry volunteers to help business owners to fortify their strategy and improve profitability. Larry was awarded the lifetime achievement award from the Lumber Building Material Association. is a Managing Partner at CanSave, a distributor of building materials, kitchen & bath, and doors for new construction and renovation projects. Larry currently sits on a number of panel committees for organizations including the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Emergency Department Operations Committee, and a new hospital to be built in Innisfil, Ontario. Larry volunteers to help business owners to fortify their strategy and improve profitability. Larry was awarded the lifetime achievement award from the Lumber Building Material Association. Safiya Lyn, Director, is the Assistant Medical Director of a prestigious hospital in Aventura, Florida, which is among the nations oldest, largest and most respected hospitals, serving roughly 24,000 emergency department patients annually. Safiya has roughly eight years of experience in Emergency Medicine, offering valuable insight into the unique requirements related to various patient concerns. Safiya is responsible for overseeing a 16 bed acute care emergency room, managing general operations, caring for critical ill patients and implementing new policies related so sepsis, stroke, STEMI and critical care. Safiya works closely with her community to inform and educate people on evolving medical practices through engaging lectures and community-centered outreach programs. Nabis Holdings Inc. Nabis Holdings is a Canadian investment issuer that invests in high quality cash flowing assets across multiple industries, including real property, securities, cryptocurrency, and all aspects of the U.S. and international cannabis sector. Led by two of the co-founders of MPX Bioceutical, one of the largest takeovers in the U.S. Cannabis space to date, the company has a proven track record in emerging markets to create significant shareholder value. The Company is focused on investing across the entire vertically integrated aspects of the space with a focus on revenue generation, EBITDA and growth. For more information, please visit https://www.nabisholdings.com/ . Forward-Looking Statements All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The risks are without limitations: that the acquisitions will be completed by the Company or completed upon the terms disclosed; the price for cannabis and related products will remain consistent and the consumer demand remains strong; availability of financing to the Company to develop the retail locations; retention of key employees and management; changes in State and/or municipal regulations of retail operations and changes in government regulations generally. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companys expectations are disclosed in the Companys documents filed from time to time with the Canadian Securities Exchange, the British Columbia Securities Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and the Alberta Securities Commission. The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For inquiries, please contact: Dublin, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Indonesia Cold Chain Market Outlook to 2021 - By End Users" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Indonesia cold chain market has witnessed a robust growth (last 5 year CAGR of 8.6%) in past few years on account of growth in pharmaceutical and FMCG industry. The demand for fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy and other products are on rise in the country. Beef meat production has grown at a five year CAGR of 2.5% during 2011-2016. Cold Storage & Cold Transport: The cold chain logistics market was dominated by cold storage in the country in 2016. The cold storage contributed revenue share of 13.6% in the warehousing market of Indonesia owing to the increase in the demand of perishable goods such as injections, food and others. Cold Storage services include refrigerators, chilled room, thawing room, freezer room, blast chiller and blast freezer. Great Jakarta has more than 40 cold chain companies with major location of cold storage being North Jakarta, West Jakarta and Bekasi. There are two types of storage facilities present in the country namely Industrial and Commercial. Commercial ones which are generally designed and built for rent or main facility of business activities such as logistics and supply chain management and generally have the capacity of below 500 tonnes. The industrial storage facilities have more than 500 tonnes capacity and function as a part of production facility. The challenge faced by cold chain industry in Indonesia is lack of availability of electrical power in the remote sites. Product Type: Processed meat and seafood continued to record a strong double digit retail value growth in 2016. Beef meat production has grown at a five year CAGR of 2.5% during 2011-2016. The increase in pharma products usage further aggravated the demand for cold chain units both in terms of cold storage and logistics making a positive impact on the market. Fruits and vegetables accounted for third highest revenue share in cold chain market of Indonesia in 2016. Indonesia bakery and confectionery industry market has been growing with the middle class embracing the western and urban lifestyle. The other products include cosmetics, eggs, animal feed and other perishable items. Comparative Landscape Cold chain market in Indonesia is a concentrated market. PT. Diamond Cold Storage, Maersk Line, Wahana and GAC are the leading companies in the industry. These companies compete with each other on the basis of total space of temperature controlled area, number of temperature maintained fleets, local coverage area. Future Outlook & Projections Indonesia cold chain industry is expected to grow at a five year CAGR of 10.1% during 2016-2021. The market will be majorly driven by increasing demand for perishable items including frozen food, pharmaceutical, meat, sea food and dairy products in the country. The government funding will create new fishing ports and warehouses, expansion of existing warehouses, investment in farming community and infrastructure. Key Topics Covered 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Warehousing Market 1.2 Cold Chain Market 2. Research Methodology 2.1. Market Definitions 2.2. Abbreviations 2.3. Market Size and Modeling 2.3.1 Research Methodology 2.3.2 Limitations 2.3.3 Variables (Dependent and Independent 2.3.4 Multi Factor Based Sensitivity Model 2.3.5 Final Conclusion 3. Comparative Analysis of Indonesia Logistics market with Global Logistics Market 3.1. Comparison of Indonesia Logistics Market With Singapore, Vietnam and Australia 3.1.1 Growth Drivers 3.1.2 Challenges 3.1.3 Future 4. Indonesia Logistics Market 4.1. Overview 4.2. Market 4.3. Indonesia Logistics Market Size, 2011-2016 4.4. Indonesia Logistic Market Segmentation 4.4.1. By Service Mix, 2016 5. Indonesia Warehousing Market 5.1. Indonesia Warehousing Market Size by Revenues, 2011-2016 5.1.1. By Business Model (Industrial and Retail, Container Freight and Cold Storage), 2016 6. Indonesia Cold Chain Market 6.1. Market Overview and Genesis 6.2. Indonesia Cold Chain Industry Market Size by Revenue, 2011-2016 6.3. Indonesia Cold Chain Market Segmentation 6.3.1. By Cold Storage and Cold Transport, 2016 6.3.2. By Products (Meat and Seafood, Vaccines and Other Pharma Products, Bakery and Confectionary, Fruits and Vegetables and Others), 2016 6.4. Comparison of Multiple Cold Storage Firms in Indonesia 6.5. Competitive Benchmarking 6.5.1. Competition Scenario in Indonesia Cold Chain Market 6.6. Indonesia Cold Chain Market Future Outlook and Projections, 2017-2021 6.6.1. By Cold Storage and Cold Transport, 2021 7. Industry Norms and Regulations 8. Growth Drivers and Trends 8.1. Growth in the Retail sector 8.2. Surging E-Commerce Logistics 8.3. Growth in the Trade Scenario of Indonesia 8.4. Growing Sales for Pharmaceutical Sector 8.5. Governmental Infrastructure Support 9. Issues and Challenges 9.1. Shortage of Skilled Labor 9.2. Inadequate Infrastructure 9.3. High Logistics Cost 9.4. Increase in Shipping Time 9.5. Customs Clearance Procedure Duration 10. Competitive Landscape of Major Players in Indonesia Cold Chain Market 10.1. PT. Wahana Cold Storage 10.2. Pt. Mega International Sejahtera 11. Macroeconomic Factors Affecting Indonesia Logistics Market 11.1. Beef Meat Production, 2011-2021 11.2. Importers of Containerized Cargo, 2011-2021 11.3. B2C E-Commerce Sales, 2011-2021 11.4. Packaged Food Sales, 2011-2021 Companies Mentioned Bonecom Servistama Compindo Gunung Sewu Kencana MGM Bosco PT Unilever Indonesia Pt. Mega International Sejahtera PT. Pluit Cold Storage PT. Wahana Cold Storage Sukanda Djaya For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uuul9e VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anfield Energy Inc. (TSX.V: AEC; OTCQB: ANLDF; FRANKFURT: 0AD) (Anfield or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has closed a second tranche of its non-brokered private placement, bringing the total placement to 18,358,716 units (each, a Unit) at a price of $0.20 per Unit, for a total equity raise of $3,671,743. Each Unit consists of one common share and one share purchase warrant (each, a Warrant), with each Warrant entitling the holder to purchase an additional common share at a price of $0.30 for a period of three years. While the Company has received conditional approval for the second tranche of the private placement, it remains subject to final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The first tranche of the placement was closed on April 23, 2019 for 13,764,966 Units. The Units issued have a hold period expiring on August 24, 2019. The 13,764,966 Warrants expire on April 23, 2022. The second tranche closed on May 3, 2019 for 4,593,750 Units. The Units issued have a hold period expiring on September 4, 2019. The 4,593,750 Warrants expire on May 3, 2022. In connection with the first tranche, finders fees of $74,356 were paid and 301,700 Warrants issued and expire on April 23, 2022; in the second tranche, finders fees of $2,800 were paid and 14,000 Warrants were issued and expire on May 3, 2022. Total fees paid for the full private placement were $77,156 and 315,700 Warrants. The Warrants issued to finders are under the same terms and conditions as the Warrants forming part of the Units. The proceeds from the private placement will be used for the development of the Charlie Project (see below), property costs, and general working capital. All securities issued in connection with the private placement are subject to a four-month-and-one-day statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws. About Anfield Anfield is a uranium and vanadium development and near-term production company that is committed to becoming a top-tier energy-related fuels supplier by creating value through sustainable, efficient growth in its assets. Anfield is a publicly-traded corporation listed on the TSX-Venture Exchange (AEC-V), the OTCQB Marketplace (ANLDF) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (0AD). Anfield is focused on two asset centres, as summarized below: Wyoming Irigaray ISR Processing Plant (Resin Processing Agreement) Anfield has signed a Resin Processing Agreement with Uranium One whereby Anfield would process up to 500,000 pounds per annum of its mined material at Uranium Ones Irigaray processing plant in Wyoming. In addition, the Company can both buy and borrow uranium from Uranium One in order to fulfill some or all of its sales contracts. Anfields 24 ISR mining projects are located in the Black Hills, Powder River Basin, Great Divide Basin, Laramie Basin, Shirley Basin and Wind River Basin areas in Wyoming. Anfields two projects in Wyoming for which NI 43-101 resource reports have been completed are Red Rim and Clarkson Hill. The Charlie Project, the asset which was the core component of a recently-announced transaction between Anfield and Cotter Corporation, is located in the Pumpkin Buttes Uranium District in Johnson County, Wyoming. The Charlie Project consists of a 720-acre Wyoming State uranium lease which has been in development since 1969. An NI 43-101 resource report has been completed for the Charlie Project. Arizona/Utah/Colorado Shootaring Canyon Mill A key asset in Anfields portfolio is the Shootaring Canyon Mill in Garfield County, Utah. The Shootaring Canyon Mill is strategically located within one of the historically most prolific uranium production areas in the United States, and is one of only three licensed uranium mills in the United States. Anfields conventional uranium assets consist of mining claims and state leases in southeastern Utah, Colorado and Arizona, targeting areas where past uranium mining or prospecting occurred. Anfields conventional uranium assets include the Velvet-Wood Project, the Frank M Uranium Project, the West Slope Project as well as the Findlay Tank breccia pipe. An NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment has been completed for the Velvet-Wood Project. The PEA is preliminary in nature, and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment would be realized. All conventional uranium assets are situated within a 200-mile radius of the Shootaring Mill. On behalf of the Board of Directors ANFIELD ENERGY INC. Corey Dias, Chief Executive Officer Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contact: Anfield Energy, Inc. Clive Mostert Corporate Communications 780-920-5044 contact@anfieldenergy.com www.anfieldenergy.com Safe Harbor Statement THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE THAT ARE NOT PURELY HISTORICAL ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INCLUDE ANY STATEMENTS REGARDING BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OR INTENTIONS REGARDING THE FUTURE. EXCEPT FOR THE HISTORICAL INFORMATION PRESENTED HEREIN, MATTERS DISCUSSED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY SUCH STATEMENTS. STATEMENTS THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS, INCLUDING STATEMENTS THAT ARE PRECEDED BY, FOLLOWED BY, OR THAT INCLUDE SUCH WORDS AS ESTIMATE, ANTICIPATE, BELIEVE, PLAN OR EXPECT OR SIMILAR STATEMENTS ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES FOR THE COMPANY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH MINERAL EXPLORATION AND FUNDING AS WELL AS THE RISKS SHOWN IN THE COMPANYS MOST RECENT ANNUAL AND QUARTERLY REPORTS AND FROM TIME-TO-TIME IN OTHER PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPANY. OTHER RISKS INCLUDE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SEEKING THE CAPITAL NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, THE REGULATORY APPROVAL PROCESS, COMPETITIVE COMPANIES, FUTURE CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS AND THE COMPANYS ABILITY AND LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR ITS EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT THE COMPANY WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, THAT THE COMPANYS EXPLORATION EFFORTS WILL SUCCEED OR THE COMPANY WILL ULTIMATELY ACHIEVE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS. THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE MADE AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, AND THE COMPANY ASSUMES NO OBLIGATION TO UPDATE THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, OR TO UPDATE THE REASONS WHY ACTUAL RESULTS COULD DIFFER FROM THOSE PROJECTED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. ALTHOUGH THE COMPANY BELIEVES THAT THE BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS AND INTENTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE ARE REASONABLE, THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THOSE BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OR INTENTIONS WILL PROVE TO BE ACCURATE. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSIDER ALL OF THE INFORMATION SET FORTH HEREIN AND SHOULD ALSO REFER TO THE RISK FACTORS DISCLOSED IN THE COMPANYS PERIODIC REPORTS FILED FROM TIME-TO-TIME. THIS NEWS RELEASE HAS BEEN PREPARED BY MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY WHO TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS CONTENTS. Drill Hole KMDD0128 records multiple intersections including 2.05 m at 363.91 g/t Au, 17 g/t Ag and 0.08% Cu (364.25 g/t AuEq) plus 11.45 m at 7.61 g/t Au, 22 g/t Ag and 1.26% Cu (9.83 g/t AuEq) Drill Hole KMDD0142 records multiple intersections including 10.25 m at 26.02 g/t Au, 30 g/t Ag and 0.80% Cu (27.63.19 g/t Au Eq) plus 7.96 m at 49.82 g/t Au, 4 g/t Ag and 0.34% Cu (50.38 g/t AuEq) Drill Hole KMDD0140 records 3.55 m at 14.71 g/t Au, 6 g/t Ag and 0.61% Cu (15.72 g/t AuEq) plus 16.80 m at 7.65 g/t Au, 32 g/t Ag and 1.74% Cu (10.72 g/t AuEq) Drill Hole KMDD0115A records a K2 intersection of 7.20 m at 2.57 g/t Au, 27 g/t Ag and 0.40% Cu (3.51 g/t AuEq) over 300 metres vertically below the current operating level, extending the known depth extent of the K2 Lode 200 metres below the current resource Drill rigs at Kora/Kora North increased to four to further accelerate expansion and exploration drilling VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K92 Mining Inc. (K92 or the Company) (TSX-V: KNT; OTCQX: KNTNF) is pleased to announce results from the continuing diamond drilling of the Kora North Extension of the Kainantu gold mine in Papua New Guinea. The results for the latest 8 diamond drill holes completed from diamond drill cuddy 3 and the new drill cuddy 5 (DDC3 and DDC5) into the Kora North deposit are summarized in Table 1 below. Hole KMDD0115 was abandoned, having recorded a complete intersection of 8.30 metres of K1 at 2.2 g/t Au, 46 g/t Ag and 1.07% Cu (4.42 g/t AuEq) over 100 metres below the known K1 resource. A daughter hole, KMDD0115A was wedged off this hole and recorded an intersection of 7.20 m at 2.57 g/t Au, 27 g/t Ag and 0.40% Cu (3.51 g/t AuEq) over 300 metres vertically below the current operating level, extending the known depth extent of the K2 Lode 200 metres below the current resource. The results continue to delineate and extend both the K1, K2 lodes as well as the KL structure between the lodes. Long sections showing all holes drilled to date in both K1 and K2 are provided below. Table 2 provides details of collar location and hole orientation. John Lewins, K92 Chief Executive Officer and Director, stated, These latest results have not only continued to confirm the remarkable continuity of the high-grade K1 and K2 vein systems within the Kora deposit, but through hole KMDD0115/115A extended the known depth of the K1 Lode by over 100 metres and the K2 Lode by 200 metres. This obviously has major positive implications for the current drilling program which is targeting an expansion of the Kora/Kora North Resource. Given these results, in order to allow the underground rigs to focus more on the potential depth extensions of the Kora/Kora North deposit, we have taken the decision to mobilize a surface diamond drill rig to drill out the area above the current Kora North resource. While it had been originally planned to drill this area exclusively from underground, it can be efficiently drilled from surface with similar length holes. We are currently preparing surface drill pads and expect to mobilize the surface rig within the next few weeks. The addition of the surface rig will increase the number of diamond rigs drilling at Kora/Kora North to four. Table 1 - Kainantu Gold Mine Significant Intercepts from Diamond Drill Cuddies 3 & 6 Hole_id From (m) To m) Interval (m) True width (m) Gold g/t Silver g/t Copper % AuEq (1) g/t Comment KMDD0115 295.50 303.80 8.30 6.64 2.20 46 1.07 4.42 K1 Including 295.50 296.14 0.64 0.51 0.88 39 1.50 3.67 Including 296.14 296.90 0.76 0.61 5.53 199 5.95 17.16 Including 296.90 297.60 0.70 0.56 5.36 129 2.29 10.50 Including 297.60 298.30 0.70 0.56 4.21 86 1.32 7.32 Including 298.30 299.20 0.90 0.72 1.72 28 0.33 2.58 Including 299.20 299.90 0.70 0.56 1.81 11 0.11 2.12 Including 299.90 300.60 0.70 0.56 1.40 10 0.05 1.60 Including 300.60 301.30 0.70 0.56 0.10 6 0.27 0.59 Including 301.30 302.10 0.80 0.64 0.17 9 0.16 0.52 Including 302.10 302.90 0.80 0.64 0.09 2 0.09 0.26 Including 302.90 303.80 0.90 0.72 3.01 6 0.07 3.20 KMDD0115 307.87 315.50 7.63 6.10 0.40 3 0.35 0.98 Including 307.87 309.00 1.13 0.90 0.46 2 0.42 1.12 Including 309.00 310.00 1.00 0.80 0.36 1 0.07 0.48 Including 310.00 311.00 1.00 0.80 0.11 3 0.07 0.25 Including 311.00 312.30 1.30 1.04 0.09 3 0.31 0.60 Including 312.30 313.72 1.42 1.14 0.40 2 0.09 0.57 Including 313.72 314.50 0.78 0.62 0.84 4 0.68 1.94 Including 314.50 315.50 1.00 0.80 0.72 5 1.02 2.35 KMDD0115 321.00 321.90 0.90 0.72 6.51 6 0.11 6.76 Hole abandoned at start of K2 KMDD0115A 301.60 304.40 2.80 1.49 3.50 13 0.10 3.82 KMDD0115 daughter hole Including 301.60 302.10 0.50 0.27 8.70 20 0.24 9.32 Including 302.10 303.00 0.90 0.48 5.70 11 0.05 5.92 Including 303.00 303.63 0.63 0.34 0.20 5 0.02 0.29 Including 303.63 304.40 0.77 0.41 0.25 17 0.15 0.70 KMDD0115A 306.40 319.25 12.85 6.59 0.53 5 0.19 0.88 Including 306.40 307.00 0.60 0.32 6.22 20 0.24 6.84 Including 307.00 308.00 1.00 0.53 0.09 3 0.02 0.16 Including 308.00 309.00 1.00 0.53 0.21 3 0.01 0.26 Including 309.00 310.00 1.00 0.53 0.03 2 0.03 0.11 Including 310.00 311.00 1.00 0.53 0.15 4 0.26 0.60 Including 311.00 312.00 1.00 0.53 0.33 4 0.23 0.74 Including 312.00 313.00 1.00 0.53 0.16 4 0.21 0.53 Including 313.00 314.00 1.00 0.53 0.12 4 0.22 0.51 Including 314.50 314.50 0.00 0.00 0.41 5 0.10 0.62 Including 314.50 314.90 0.40 0.21 0.19 5 0.31 0.72 Including 314.90 316.15 1.25 0.67 0.09 5 0.03 0.20 Including 316.15 316.75 0.60 0.32 0.11 4 0.01 0.18 Including 316.75 317.65 0.90 0.48 0.11 5 0.10 0.32 Including 317.65 318.50 0.85 0.45 0.07 4 0.18 0.40 Including 318.50 319.25 0.75 0.40 1.69 8 1.13 3.52 KMDD0115A 342.15 346.60 4.45 2.87 0.40 14 2.07 3.75 Including 342.15 342.70 0.55 0.35 0.21 14 2.05 3.52 Including 342.70 343.60 0.90 0.58 0.54 23 4.12 7.14 Including 343.60 343.85 0.25 0.16 0.03 4 0.18 0.36 Including 343.85 344.56 0.71 0.46 1.40 32 5.66 10.47 Including 344.56 345.56 1.00 0.64 0.04 3 0.02 0.11 Including 345.56 346.32 0.76 0.49 0.05 3 0.04 0.15 Including 346.32 346.60 0.28 0.18 0.38 10 1.00 2.04 KMDD0115A 360.80 363.30 2.50 1.61 0.47 19 2.15 4.00 Including 360.80 361.55 0.75 0.48 0.82 5 0.27 1.30 Including 361.55 362.20 0.65 0.42 0.20 2 0.04 0.29 Including 362.20 363.30 1.10 0.71 0.39 39 4.67 8.03 KMDD0115A 376.99 379.30 2.31 1.49 0.36 7 0.86 1.78 Including 376.99 377.10 0.11 0.07 1.63 24 1.61 4.39 Including 377.10 377.52 0.42 0.27 0.18 2 0.06 0.30 Including 377.52 378.00 0.48 0.31 0.40 7 1.13 2.22 Including 378.00 378.20 0.20 0.13 0.17 2 0.02 0.23 Including 378.20 379.30 1.10 0.71 0.32 9 1.13 2.17 KMDD0115A 432.80 440.00 7.20 4.64 2.57 27 0.40 3.51 K2 Including 432.80 433.90 1.10 0.71 12.16 51 0.54 13.64 Including 433.90 435.00 1.10 0.71 0.35 10 0.24 0.85 Including 435.00 436.00 1.00 0.64 0.95 22 0.39 1.82 Including 436.00 437.00 1.00 0.64 1.02 40 0.65 2.52 Including 437.00 438.00 1.00 0.64 0.16 6 0.11 0.40 Including 438.00 439.00 1.00 0.64 0.23 6 0.05 0.39 Including 439.00 440.00 1.00 0.64 2.36 50 0.81 4.23 KMDD0117 281.42 283.32 1.90 0.89 1.09 2 0.12 1.30 Including 281.42 281.56 0.14 0.07 2.48 1 0.09 2.63 Including 281.56 282.18 0.62 0.29 0.36 1 0.16 0.62 Including 282.18 282.83 0.65 0.31 1.71 3 0.11 1.91 Including 282.83 282.94 0.11 0.05 0.04 1 0.31 0.53 Including 282.94 283.20 0.26 0.12 0.34 1 0.02 0.37 Including 283.20 283.32 0.12 0.06 2.41 2 0.14 2.64 KMDD0117 292.90 300.00 7.10 3.34 4.39 11 0.25 4.91 K1 Including 292.90 293.76 0.86 0.40 19.83 1 0.12 20.02 Including 293.76 294.10 0.34 0.16 2.49 1 0.07 2.61 Including 294.10 295.10 1.00 0.47 2.66 4 0.48 3.44 Including 295.10 296.70 1.60 0.75 0.40 3 0.16 0.69 Including 296.70 298.10 1.40 0.66 1.63 18 0.31 2.33 Including 298.10 300.00 1.90 0.89 4.04 21 0.26 4.71 KMDD0117 312.24 313.43 1.19 0.56 24.09 11 0.14 24.44 KMDD0117 335.54 339.00 3.46 1.82 1.46 39 0.83 3.23 Including 335.54 336.80 1.26 0.66 0.78 26 0.47 1.83 Including 336.80 338.00 1.20 0.63 0.69 46 1.51 3.58 Including 338.00 339.00 1.00 0.53 3.24 48 0.47 4.57 KMDD0117 358.00 364.20 6.20 3.26 2.43 28 0.91 4.17 K2 Including 358.00 359.70 1.70 0.89 0.99 37 1.44 3.67 Including 359.70 361.60 1.90 1.00 5.42 44 0.47 6.70 Including 361.60 362.30 0.70 0.37 1.02 11 0.97 2.64 Including 362.30 364.20 1.90 1.00 1.26 9 0.84 2.66 KMDD0128 68.80 70.85 2.05 1.44 363.91 17 0.08 364.25 K1 Including 68.80 70.00 1.20 0.84 621.30 25 0.10 621.77 Including 70.00 70.85 0.85 0.59 0.53 5 0.06 0.69 KMDD0128 75.95 79.90 3.95 2.93 2.55 6 0.46 3.32 Including 75.95 77.00 1.05 0.78 1.02 4 0.35 1.60 Including 77.00 78.00 1.00 0.74 1.88 5 0.26 2.34 Including 78.00 79.00 1.00 0.74 5.23 6 0.73 6.42 Including 79.00 79.90 0.90 0.67 2.11 8 0.51 2.99 KMDD0128 86.55 98.00 11.45 7.98 7.61 22 1.26 9.83 K2 Including 86.55 87.20 0.65 0.45 1.63 52 1.86 5.14 Including 87.20 88.00 0.80 0.56 10.20 40 2.54 14.59 Including 88.00 89.00 1.00 0.70 2.44 11 0.70 3.66 Including 89.00 89.50 0.50 0.35 1.19 5 0.12 1.43 Including 89.50 90.10 0.60 0.42 2.85 3 0.05 2.96 Including 90.10 90.50 0.40 0.28 5.29 9 0.37 5.98 Including 90.50 90.80 0.30 0.21 20.00 20 0.65 21.25 Including 90.80 91.30 0.50 0.35 39.30 26 0.62 40.57 Including 91.30 92.35 1.05 0.73 2.49 14 0.56 3.53 Including 92.35 92.75 0.40 0.28 53.50 272 21.20 89.39 Including 92.75 93.20 0.45 0.31 1.70 8 0.24 2.17 Including 93.20 94.10 0.90 0.63 0.81 3 0.04 0.92 Including 94.10 95.13 1.03 0.72 0.25 1 0.01 0.28 Including 95.13 96.20 1.07 0.75 0.18 2 0.02 0.23 Including 96.20 96.70 0.50 0.35 7.29 7 0.16 7.62 Including 96.70 97.00 0.30 0.21 14.40 13 0.39 15.16 Including 97.00 98.00 1.00 0.70 11.50 11 0.32 12.14 KMDD0130 67.19 72.70 5.51 3.70 7.53 6 0.16 7.85 K1 Including 67.19 68.00 0.81 0.54 9.00 5 0.31 9.53 Including 68.00 69.00 1.00 0.67 6.45 3 0.14 6.71 Including 69.00 69.58 0.58 0.39 5.01 7 0.19 5.40 Including 69.58 70.50 0.92 0.62 1.29 3 0.16 1.58 Including 70.50 71.50 1.00 0.67 15.42 13 0.11 15.75 Including 71.50 72.70 1.20 0.81 6.86 4 0.12 7.09 KMDD0130 75.70 83.00 7.30 5.42 0.40 6 0.56 1.33 Including 75.70 76.30 0.60 0.45 1.36 10 1.15 3.25 Including 76.30 77.10 0.80 0.59 0.23 6 0.61 1.24 Including 77.10 77.70 0.60 0.45 0.51 5 0.26 0.98 Including 77.70 78.70 1.00 0.74 0.64 9 0.55 1.59 Including 78.70 80.10 1.40 1.04 0.38 6 0.74 1.59 Including 80.10 81.20 1.10 0.82 0.18 4 0.46 0.93 Including 81.20 82.10 0.90 0.67 0.12 4 0.32 0.65 Including 82.10 83.00 0.90 0.67 0.16 3 0.43 0.86 KMDD0130 94.00 95.00 1.00 0.62 1.35 23 1.74 4.30 KMDD0130 96.00 103.30 7.30 4.52 7.35 31 1.48 10.00 K2 Including 96.00 97.00 0.62 0.62 0.73 8 0.11 1.01 Including 97.00 97.70 0.43 0.43 7.52 25 0.45 8.53 Including 97.70 98.50 0.50 0.50 25.60 75 0.57 27.43 Including 98.50 99.30 0.50 0.50 30.10 93 6.83 41.73 Including 99.30 100.20 0.56 0.56 1.42 19 0.50 2.43 Including 100.20 101.00 0.50 0.50 0.89 18 0.42 1.76 Including 101.00 102.40 0.87 0.87 0.40 6 0.31 0.96 Including 102.40 103.30 0.56 0.56 0.59 29 3.57 6.42 KMDD0130 106.90 108.00 1.10 0.68 1.84 3 0.01 1.90 KMDD0132 94.00 95.00 1.00 0.62 1.35 23 1.74 4.30 Geotech Hole West of K2 KMDD0132 96.00 103.30 7.30 4.52 7.35 31 1.48 10.00 Geotech Hole West of K2 - K2HW? Including 96.00 97.00 0.62 0.62 0.73 8 0.11 1.01 Including 97.00 97.70 0.43 0.43 7.52 25 0.45 8.53 Including 97.70 98.50 0.50 0.50 25.60 75 0.57 27.43 Including 98.50 99.30 0.50 0.50 30.10 93 6.83 41.73 Including 99.30 100.20 0.56 0.56 1.42 19 0.50 2.43 Including 100.20 101.00 0.50 0.50 0.89 18 0.42 1.76 Including 101.00 102.40 0.87 0.87 0.40 6 0.31 0.96 Including 102.40 103.30 0.56 0.56 0.59 29 3.57 6.42 KMDD0132 106.90 108.00 1.10 0.68 1.84 3 0.01 1.90 Geotech Hole West of K2 KMDD0134 Vent Hole KMDD0136 Not Yet Drilled KMDD0138 Not Yet Drilled KMDD0140 72.86 76.41 3.55 2.19 14.71 6 0.61 15.72 K1 Including 72.86 73.48 0.62 0.38 0.20 7 1.13 2.01 Including 73.48 74.00 0.52 0.32 0.11 2 0.11 0.31 Including 74.00 74.45 0.45 0.28 80.38 9 1.12 82.21 Including 74.45 74.86 0.41 0.25 23.83 7 0.70 24.98 Including 74.86 75.52 0.66 0.41 7.71 5 0.16 8.02 Including 75.52 76.06 0.54 0.33 0.26 2 0.17 0.55 Including 76.06 76.41 0.35 0.22 2.49 10 1.24 4.51 KMDD0140 78.76 91.64 12.88 7.95 2.57 4 0.28 3.05 Including 78.76 79.63 0.87 0.54 6.40 1 0.03 6.46 Including 79.63 80.84 1.21 0.75 0.33 1 0.15 0.57 Including 80.84 81.43 0.59 0.36 11.02 4 0.07 11.17 Including 81.43 82.28 0.85 0.52 2.21 1 0.06 2.32 Including 82.28 83.28 1.00 0.62 0.13 2 0.00 0.16 Including 83.28 84.26 0.98 0.60 0.10 1 0.06 0.20 Including 84.26 85.00 0.74 0.46 0.50 9 0.65 1.60 Including 85.00 86.00 1.00 0.62 1.28 9 0.77 2.57 Including 86.00 87.00 1.00 0.62 0.48 4 0.23 0.89 Including 87.00 88.04 1.04 0.64 0.26 3 0.39 0.89 Including 88.04 89.03 0.99 0.61 0.21 2 0.23 0.58 Including 89.03 90.10 1.07 0.66 13.66 6 0.32 14.23 Including 90.10 90.71 0.61 0.38 0.37 7 0.32 0.95 Including 90.71 91.64 0.93 0.57 1.22 6 0.63 2.26 KMDD0140 95.30 96.70 1.40 0.86 1.57 1 0.01 1.60 KMDD0140 100.60 117.40 16.80 9.93 7.65 32 1.74 10.72 K2 Including 100.60 101.20 0.60 0.37 6.21 5 0.15 6.50 Including 102.10 103.10 1.00 0.62 3.75 19 0.90 5.37 Including 103.10 104.40 1.30 0.81 5.06 48 0.63 6.63 Including 104.40 104.70 0.30 0.19 2.32 10 0.07 2.56 Including 104.70 106.12 1.42 0.89 3.38 21 1.29 5.61 Including 106.12 107.00 0.88 0.55 2.92 20 1.17 4.96 Including 107.00 107.36 0.36 0.22 0.32 0 0.05 0.40 Including 107.36 108.22 0.86 0.54 24.68 8 2.85 29.14 Including 108.22 108.56 0.34 0.21 20.74 17 3.25 25.93 Including 108.56 109.16 0.60 0.37 25.88 163 17.20 54.26 Including 109.16 110.10 0.94 0.59 36.67 88 3.18 42.65 Including 110.10 111.10 1.00 0.62 2.02 15 0.54 3.04 Including 111.10 112.00 0.90 0.56 1.73 24 1.02 3.60 Including 112.00 112.80 0.80 0.50 8.50 36 3.52 14.34 Including 112.80 113.70 0.90 0.56 0.87 8 0.23 1.32 Including 113.70 114.40 0.70 0.44 4.89 61 0.78 6.86 Including 114.40 115.50 1.10 0.69 2.05 18 0.22 2.62 Including 115.50 117.40 1.90 1.19 2.24 23 0.47 3.24 KMDD0142 45.83 46.17 0.34 0.28 2.65 17 3.81 8.70 KMDD0142 47.65 57.9 10.25 8.30 26.02 30 0.80 27.63 K1 Including 47.65 48 0.35 0.28 0.41 1 0.54 1.25 Including 48 48.3 0.3 0.24 3.78 3 1.23 5.70 Including 48.3 49 0.7 0.57 0.15 1 0.50 0.93 Including 49 49.13 0.13 0.11 53.55 7 1.02 55.20 Including 49.13 49.4 0.27 0.22 12.42 1 0.41 13.06 Including 49.4 49.95 0.55 0.45 374.70 25 0.98 376.52 Including 49.95 50.37 0.42 0.34 1.65 7 0.34 2.26 Including 50.37 51 0.63 0.51 2.81 8 1.33 4.94 Including 51 51.21 0.21 0.17 65.50 71 7.55 77.95 Including 51.21 51.58 0.37 0.30 1.28 19 1.45 3.74 Including 51.58 52.1 0.52 0.42 0.31 1 0.12 0.51 Including 52.1 52.7 0.6 0.49 0.47 1 0.02 0.52 Including 52.7 53.34 0.64 0.52 5.97 1 0.11 6.14 Including 53.34 54.2 0.86 0.70 11.32 67 0.29 12.61 Including 54.2 54.4 0.2 0.16 11.27 960 10.03 38.80 Including 54.4 54.53 0.13 0.11 49.10 6 0.39 49.77 Including 54.53 54.8 0.27 0.22 15.50 2 0.15 15.76 Including 54.8 55.04 0.24 0.19 0.39 1 0.20 0.71 Including 55.04 55.4 0.36 0.29 5.68 2 0.04 5.76 Including 55.4 55.8 0.4 0.32 0.58 1 0.03 0.64 Including 55.8 56.04 0.24 0.19 2.01 1 0.07 2.13 Including 56.04 56.5 0.46 0.37 0.30 1 0.07 0.41 Including 56.5 56.8 0.3 0.24 5.37 1 0.86 6.70 Including 56.8 57.02 0.22 0.18 0.20 1 0.61 1.15 Including 57.02 57.75 0.73 0.59 0.21 1 0.59 1.13 Including 57.75 57.9 0.15 0.12 4.23 1 0.00 4.24 KMDD0142 64.9 65.5 0.6 0.49 2.99 2 0.26 3.41 KMDD0142 66.94 74.9 7.96 7.28 49.82 4 0.34 50.38 K2 Including 66.94 67.5 0.56 0.51 3.93 1 0.38 4.52 Including 67.5 68.3 0.8 0.73 3.08 3 0.13 3.31 Including 68.3 69.06 0.76 0.69 92.10 2 0.19 92.42 Including 69.06 69.7 0.64 0.59 8.96 1 0.06 9.06 Including 69.7 70.65 0.95 0.87 323.80 17 0.18 324.29 Including 70.65 70.9 0.25 0.23 1.09 1 0.08 1.23 Including 70.9 71.1 0.2 0.18 2.23 1 0.12 2.42 Including 71.1 71.5 0.4 0.37 0.57 1 0.20 0.89 Including 71.5 71.8 0.3 0.91 0.50 1 0.04 0.57 Including 71.8 72.2 0.4 0.91 2.27 1 0.05 2.36 Including 72.2 72.6 0.4 0.91 6.37 1 0.11 6.55 Including 72.6 73.4 0.8 0.91 2.53 1 0.69 3.60 Including 73.4 73.75 0.35 0.91 0.56 1 0.19 0.87 Including 73.75 73.96 0.21 0.91 4.94 20 3.96 11.25 Including 73.96 74.3 0.34 0.91 1.80 1 0.19 2.11 Including 74.3 74.9 0.6 0.91 0.22 2 0.52 1.03 KMDD0142 74.9 75.5 0.6 0.91 1.24 2 0.08 1.39 KMDD0142 76.25 76.92 0.67 0.91 2.07 28 0.23 2.78 KMDD0142 78 79 1 0.91 1.94 3 0.27 2.40 KMDD0142 79 79.7 0.7 0.91 0.12 1 0.01 0.15 KMDD0144 58.4 71.35 12.95 8.13 2.62 4 0.27 3.08 K1 Including 58.4 58.8 0.4 0.25 13.3 3 0.73 14.45 Including 58.8 59.3 0.5 0.31 0.34 1 0.28 0.77 Including 59.3 60.3 1 0.63 1.09 2 0.16 1.36 Including 60.3 61.15 0.85 0.53 3.08 5 1.00 4.67 Including 61.15 62.15 1 0.63 0.22 2 0.58 1.13 Including 62.15 63.15 1 0.63 0.3 1 0.21 0.63 Including 63.15 64 0.85 0.53 3.16 3 0.08 3.33 Including 64 65 1 0.63 0.05 1 0.04 0.13 Including 65 66 1 0.63 1.82 1 0.04 1.89 Including 66 66.43 0.43 0.27 0.27 1 0.01 0.30 Including 66.43 67.43 1 0.63 0.63 4 0.36 1.24 Including 67.43 68.17 0.74 0.46 1.87 2 0.11 2.07 Including 68.17 69.17 1 0.63 4.62 3 0.09 4.79 Including 69.17 70.17 1 0.63 9.75 2 0.13 9.98 Including 70.17 71.35 1.18 0.74 2.67 25 0.34 3.51 KMDD0144 73.35 74.35 1 0.63 1.5 11 0.18 1.91 KMDD0144 76.1 89.3 13.2 8.29 2.44 13 0.37 3.17 Including 76.1 76.9 0.8 0.50 9.72 92 3.34 16.00 Including 76.9 77.6 0.7 0.44 0.35 5 0.17 0.68 Including 77.6 78.5 0.9 0.56 2.15 23 0.26 2.83 Including 78.5 79.5 1 0.63 0.19 1 0.02 0.23 Including 79.5 80.4 0.9 0.56 0.12 1 0.01 0.16 Including 80.4 80.9 0.5 0.31 0.03 1 0.01 0.06 Including 80.9 81.8 0.9 0.56 0.71 7 0.19 1.09 Including 81.8 82.8 1 0.63 0.57 2 0.32 1.09 Including 82.8 83.8 1 0.63 0.11 3 0.17 0.41 Including 83.8 84.8 1 0.63 0.15 2 0.20 0.49 Including 84.8 85.8 1 0.63 0.8 2 0.11 0.99 Including 85.8 86.4 0.6 0.38 1.75 4 0.26 2.20 Including 86.4 86.9 0.5 0.31 21.7 30 0.11 22.25 Including 86.9 87.6 0.7 0.44 2.99 5 0.07 3.17 Including 87.6 88.6 1 0.63 3.83 16 0.44 4.70 Including 88.6 89.3 0.7 0.44 2.57 36 0.17 3.28 KMDD0144 96.9 99.8 2.9 1.71 22.26 20 0.60 23.43 K2 Including 96.9 97.4 0.5 0.29 3.15 4 0.46 3.90 Including 97.4 98.17 0.77 0.45 78.3 31 1.27 80.63 Including 98.17 99.17 1 0.59 2.13 23 0.24 2.79 Including 99.17 99.8 0.63 0.37 0.88 15 0.45 1.76 (1) Gold Equivalent uses copper price of US$2.90/lb; silver price of US$16.5/oz and gold price of US$1,300/oz Table 2 - Kainantu Gold Mine Collar Locations for Kora Underground Diamond Drilling Hole_id Collar location Collar orientation EOH depth (m) Lode Local north Local East mRL Dip Local azimuth KMDD0115 59038.22 29951.71 1194.79 -53.5 219.9 318.4 Kora North KMDD0115A 59038.22 29951.71 1194.79 -53.5 219.9 700.6 Kora North KMDD0117 59037.81 29951.73 1195.47 -27.4 212.2 395.2 Kora North KMDD0128 58900.43 29868.54 1190.52 -4.1 229.6 98.55 Kora North KMDD0130 58900.75 29868.72 1189.82 -18.4 231.4 112.4 Kora North KMDD0132 59070.85 29805.01 1175.53 4.4 269.7 50.5 Kora North KMDD0140 58900.72 29868.87 1189.66 -30.3 230.6 136.6 Kora North KMDD0142 58901.23 29868.64 1192.15 33.5 245.5 92.3 Kora North KMDD0144 58901.13 29868.67 1189.69 -33.4 243.5 135.7 Kora North The mineral resource estimate (shown in Table 3 and Table 4) for the Kora, Kora North and Irumafimpa deposits is based on the technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101), and titled, Independent Technical Report, Mineral Resources Estimate Update and Preliminary Economic Assessment of Kora North and Kora Gold Deposits, Kainantu Project, Papua New Guinea with an effective date of September 30, 2018 (the Technical Report) prepared by Anthony Woodward BSc (Hons.), M.Sc., MAIG, Simon Tear BSc (Hons), EurGeol, PGeo IGI, EurGeol, Christopher Desoe BE (Min)(Hons), FAusIMM, RPEQ, MMICA, Lisa J. Park, BEng (Chem), GAICD, FAusIMM. Refer to the Companys news release dated January 8, 2018 for a summary of the results of the PEA. Table 3 - Kora North Mineral Resource Estimate Global Mineral Resources Kora North Gold-Copper Mine - October 2018 Category Tonnes Gold Silver Copper AuEq Mt g/t Mozs g/t Mozs % Mlbs g/t Mozs Measured 0.15 18.7 0.09 8.9 0.04 0.5 1.6 19.6 0.09 Indicated 0.69 11.6 0.26 14.1 0.31 0.8 11.8 12.9 0.29 Total M & I 0.85 12.9 0.35 13.1 0.36 0.7 13.3 14.1 0.39 Inferred Total 1.92 10.7 0.66 13.3 0.82 0.7 29.5 11.9 0.74 M in table is millions. Key Assumptions and Parameters Mineralization comprises two parallel, steeply west dipping, N-S striking quartz-sulphide vein systems, K1 & K2, within an encompassing dilatant structural zone hosted by phyllite. An additional structure, the Kora Link, has also been defined and provides a possible link between the two main vein systems. Underground drilling consists of diamond core for a range of core sizes depending on length of hole and expected ground conditions. Sampling is sawn half core under geological control and generally ranges between 0.5m and 1m. Underground face sampling is completed for every fired round and is to industry standard. QAQC data indicated no significant issues with the accuracy of the on-site analysis. Core recovery of the mineral zone was initially 90%, this has improved to >95%. There is no relationship between core recovery and gold grade. Geological logging is consistent and is based on a full set of logging codes covering lithology, alteration and mineralization. The geological interpretation of the vein systems is represented as 3D wireframe solids snapped to a combination of diamond drillhole data and underground face sampling. Definition of the wireframes is based on identified gold mineralisation in drillcore nominally at a 0.2g/t Au cut off in conjunction with geological control/sense and current mining widths. Gold equivalent (AuEq) g/t was calculated using the formula Au g/t +(Cu% x 1.53) + Ag g/t x 0.0127. (No account of metal recoveries through the plant have been used in calculating the metal equivalent grade. However, production is currently achieving 93% metal recovery for both gold and copper and gold is currently providing 95% and copper 5% of the total revenue of the mine). Gold price US$1,300/oz; silver US$16.5/oz; copper US$2.90/lb. Table 4 Irumafimpa and Kora/Eutompi Resource Estimates Resource by Deposit and Category Deposit Resource Category Tonnes Gold Silver Copper Gold Equivalent Mt g/t Moz g/t Moz % Mlb g/t Moz Irumafimpa Indicated 0.56 12.8 0.23 9 0.16 0.28 37 13.4 0.24 Inferred 0.53 10.9 0.19 9 0.16 0.27 74 11.5 0.20 Kora/Eutompi Inferred 4.36 7.3 1.02 35 4.9 2.23 215 11.2 1.57 Total Indicated 0.56 12.8 0.23 9 0.16 0.3 4.0 13.4 0.24 Total Inferred 4.89 7.7 1.21 32 5.06 2.0 288 11.2 1.76 Notes: - M in table is millions. - Reported tonnage and grade figures are rounded from raw estimates to reflect the order of accuracy of the estimate. Minor variations may occur during the addition of rounded numbers. Gold equivalents are calculated as AuEq = Au g/t + Cu%*1.52+ Ag g/t*0.0141. K92 Mine Geology Manager and Mine Exploration Manager, Mr. Andrew Kohler, PGeo, a qualified person under the meaning of NI 43-101, has reviewed and is responsible for the technical content of this news release. Data verification by Mr. Kohler includes significant time onsite reviewing drill core, face sampling, underground workings and discussing work programs and results with geology and mining personnel. ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY, John Lewins, Chief Executive Officer and Director For further information, please contact Investor Relations at +1-604-687-7130. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements that address future plans, activities, events, or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur are forward-looking information, including statements regarding the realization of the preliminary economic analysis for the Project, expectations of future cash flows, the proposed plant expansion, potential expansion of resources and the generation of further drilling results which may or may not occur. Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the market price of the Companys securities, metal prices, exchange rates, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry, changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, and regulations and other matters.. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2ae040ae-b5e7-493b-9220-1da45e404d20 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6778096-3fc5-428a-843c-0556ac3887d5 HENDERSON, Nev., May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blue Eagle Lithium Inc. (OTCQB: BEAG) ("Blue Eagle" or the "Company"), a lithium resource exploration and development company, announced that it has secured an agreement to expand its existing holdings in Railroad Valley, Nevada. The agreement provides for the acquisition of an additional 1,000 acres contiguous to the Southwest portion of its current property bringing the Companys total land package in Railroad Valley to 5,000 acres (~2,023 hectares). Following a strategic review of its existing property portfolio, including its initial baseline soil-sampling program, completed National Instrument 43-101 report in late 2018 and most recently, announced results from its detailed surface soil and water sampling program, the Company believes that the additional claims will allow it to continue its current exploration program beyond its existing boundaries and increase the potential targets for a drilling program. The agreement further enhances Blue Eagles position as a significant player in the lithium enriched Railroad Valley. Blue Eagle CEO Rupert Ireland commented on the acquisition, Weve been looking to increase our acreage in Railroad valley from the moment we started receiving positive soil sample results and we have been fortunate to find prospective land adjacent to our existing footprint. The land package is a natural fit and extension to our current land position, both in terms of access and geological theories. The additional acreage will further entrench the Company within the exciting gravity low area of interest in Railroad Valley and represents a clear example of the growth potential that remains for our Company, particularly within this region in the state of Nevada. Railroad Valley is a closed, arid terminal basin bounded by faults and filled with porous young sediments and hosts a larger playa, larger catchment area and deeper basin fill than Clayton Valley, (host to Albemarle Corps Silver Peak Lithium Mine), which is the only lithium brine operation within the United States. As highlighted in the Companys previously reported National Instrument 43-101 report, extensive oil exploration and development has generated a large data set on characteristics of basin stratigraphy, depth to bedrock and fault accessible for analysis, which extends southwest to the Companys property. While the depth of bedrock beneath the Railroad Valley property is unknown, the main basin infill sediments have been drilled and tested by oil exploration since 1954 with infill depths from 150 to 2,900m in an asymmetrical graben with a fault-bounded, deep, restricted basin. In combination, the Railroad Valley basin is a green-fields lithium target for potential brine aquifers where exploration can build on the dense existing oil field data, the experiences at Clayton Valley and other lithium-brine basins, including those in South America. As part of this extra land agreement, the Company also holds an exclusive option to acquire an additional 520 acres contiguous and adjacent to the south of the 1,000 acres within this agreement. This option is valid for 30 business days from the date of the Closing of this agreement. If the option is exercised, the Companys land holdings within Railroad Valley will total 5,520 acres. Upon the Companys due diligence, the decision to exercise the option will be made and further announcements will follow as materially appropriate. About Blue Eagle Lithium Inc. Blue Eagle is a lithium exploration company engaged in identifying, evaluating, and developing early-stage lithium exploration opportunities in North America. The company's initial property is located in Railroad Valley, Nevada, a highly prospective green-fields Petro-Lithium brine target area that features many similarities to the nearby Clayton Valley and which the company believes warrants an extensive exploration program. The company has a 100% Working Interest in 250 placer claims. The claims cover 5,000 acres (~2,023 hectares). Blue Eagle Lithium is a publicly traded (OTCQB: BEAG) Blue Eagles team comprises experienced leaders that represent more than 60 years of industry experience in the energy, financial, and geology fields. www.blueeaglelithium.com Investor Relations IR TOLL-FREE: 1-877-344-BLUE INVESTOR EMAIL: IR@blueeagleLithium.com OTC QB: BEAG Blue Eagle Lithium INC. 2831 St Rose Parkway Henderson, NV 89052 EMAIL: info@blueeagleLithium.com WEB www.blueeagleLithium.com Forward-looking Statements This news release may contain "forward-looking" statements. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward looking-statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include such factors as uncertainty of consumer demand for the Company's products, as well as additional risks and uncertainties that are identified and described in the Company's SEC reports. Actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. The Company does not undertake, and it specifically disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, events or circumstances after the date of such statement. San Antonio, Texas, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioBridge Global has added two new members to its Regenerative Medicine Advisory Board, a group composed of industry leaders with a wide range of scientific, product development and business experience brought together to support the organizations continued growth in regenerative medicine. BioBridge Global provides a range of products and services in regenerative medicine, including human cells and tissue, testing, and biomanufacturing and clinical services, through its three operating entities: GenCure, QualTex Laboratories and the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center. The new members of the BioBridge Global Regenerative Medicine Advisory Board are: Chris Mason , PhD , Co-founder and Chief Science Officer at AvroBio, a publicly held, clinical-stage, gene therapy company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Mason is a professor of cell and gene therapy at University College London. He also is Senior Editor of the journals Cell and Gene Therapy Insight and Regenerative Medicine . , , Co-founder and Chief Science Officer at AvroBio, a publicly held, clinical-stage, gene therapy company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Mason is a professor of cell and gene therapy at University College London. He also is Senior Editor of the journals and . Michael J. Yaszemski, MD, PhD, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at the Mayo Clinic and director of its Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Laboratory. Dr. Yaszemski served as Chair of the FDA Center for Devices and Radiologic Health Advisory Committee, and is currently a member of the FDA Science Board. He is a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general. Extended biographies are below. The addition of new advisory board members comes at a time when BioBridge Global is launching the second phase of its GenCure biomanufacturing capacity expansion. The 21,000-square-foot facility will produce the large numbers of consistent, high-quality, clinical-grade adult stem cells needed to help bring potential new therapies into human clinical trials. The center is expected to be completed by the end of 2019. With the addition of Chris and Mike, we now have five outstanding industry leaders that will help lead BioBridge Global become a recognized leader in regenerative medicine, said Martin Landon, Chief Executive Officer of BioBridge Global. Their invaluable experience and expertise will guide our research and development in breakthrough cellular therapies that ultimately will save and enhance lives. The BioBridge Global Regenerative Medicine Advisory Board was formed in 2018 and includes Phil Vanek, PhD, General Manager of GE Healthcares Cell and Gene Therapy business strategy; Gregory Bonfiglio, JD, Founder and Managing Partner of Proteus LLC, an investment and advisory firm focused solely on regenerative medicine, and Chairman of the Board of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine in Toronto, Canada; and Kenneth Bertram, MD, PhD, FACP, former commander of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and Principal Assistant for Acquisition for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. About BioBridge Global: BioBridge Global (BBG) is a San Antonio, Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that offers diverse services through its subsidiaries the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, QualTex Laboratories, GenCure and The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation. BBG provides products and services in blood resource management, cellular therapy, donated umbilical cord blood and human tissue as well as testing of blood, plasma and tissue products for clients in the United States and worldwide. BBG is committed to saving and enhancing lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue. It enables advances in the field of regenerative medicine by providing access to human cells and tissue, testing services and biomanufacturing and clinical trials support. Learn more at BioBridgeGlobal.org. Biographies of new Regenerative Medicine Advisory Board members: Chris Mason, PhD: Dr. Mason is Co-founder and Chief Science Officer at AvroBio, a publicly held clinical-stage, gene therapy company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He also is a professor of cell and gene therapy in the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, University College London, working on the clinical translation and commercialization of cell and gene therapies. He has a multidisciplinary track record, spanning R&D, clinical practice, bioprocessing, regulation, healthcare economics, reimbursement and business. He is on a number of national and international committees, working groups and initiatives related to the academic, clinical translation and commercialization of cell and gene therapies. He is the founder and CEO of the London Regenerative Medicine Network (LRMN) and a founding member of the UK-Israel Science Council. He also is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the UK Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, Strategic Advisory Board of the Canadian Centre for the Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), and Scientific Advisory Board of the Canadian Stem Cell Network. He is a general spokesperson for the cell and gene therapy sector, including frequent newspaper, radio and TV interviews. He is Senior Editor of the journals Cell and Gene Therapy Insight and Regenerative Medicine. He received his bachelors in molecular biology from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in 1993, an MBBS in medicine/surgery from United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospitals in 1994, and Ph.D. in biochemical engineering from University College London in 2005. Dr. Michael J. Yaszemski: Dr. Yaszemski is the Krehbiel Family Endowed Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at the Mayo Clinic and director of its Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Laboratory. He is a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general and served in the office of the Air Force Surgeon General and the office of the President of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences prior to retiring in 2013. He served as president of the Mayo Clinic medical staff from 2013-14 and had served for 10 years as the Chair of the Spine Surgery Division of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic Rochester prior to entering the presidential line. He organized and then served as the first chair of the Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering study section at NIH and served as a member of the Advisory Council of the NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering from 2010-14. He currently is a member of the NIH Advisory Council of the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Skin Diseases. He served as chair of the FDA Center for Devices and Radiologic Health Advisory Committee and is a member of the FDA Science Board. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Inventors. He has 84 issued patents and 24 additional patents pending. He is an emeritus member of the Lehigh University Board of Trustees. His clinical practice encompasses spine surgery and musculoskeletal oncology. His research interests are in the synthesis and characterization of novel degradable polymers for use in bone regeneration, cartilage regeneration, nervous tissue regeneration, and controlled delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to musculoskeletal tumors. He received both bachelors and masters degrees in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University in 1977 and 1978, an M.D. from Georgetown University in 1983 and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1995. Attachments Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States OAKVILLE, Ontario, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giyani Metals Corp. (TSXV:EMM) (FRANKFURT:KT9) (WKN:A2DUU8) (Giyani or the Company) is pleased to announce the first results from its phase-two hydrometallurgical test program that covers all three components of purification starting with leaching, through solvent extraction, and finishing with electrowinning. Last year Giyani completed phase-one hydrometallurgical testing which only included the leaching of manganese mineralized material from its K.Hill deposit in Botswana. As part of the phase-two program, these leach tests had to be repeated to provide enough material for the subsequent solvent extraction tests. These repeated tests have confirmed and improved the results from last year. Leaching is the first, and most critical, phase in a three-step purification process that is designed to produce high purity electrolytic manganese metal (EMM). The second step, solvent extraction, is currently in progress and will be followed shortly by the third and final step, electrowinning. Two main samples were tested MT10 and MT11. MT10 was assayed at 24.7% Mn and MT11 was assayed at 30.72% Mn. A series of leach tests were performed on the two samples to determine the leaching response of manganese with time. The leaching test results show that manganese recovery was approximately 94% with most of the recovery occurring within the first hour of residence time. A summary of the manganese recoveries is shown in Table 1 below. Test MT10 MT11 Mn recovery with reductant 913% 943% Robin Birchall, CEO of Giyani commented: We are very pleased with the leaching results as they reflect a much higher recovery at 94% compared to the lower and more conservative 60% that was used for our maiden mineral resource estimate announced back in September 2018. These improved test results not only bode well for further hydrometallurgical tests but will also, ultimately, result in a lower cut-off grade for our K.Hill resource with the obvious corresponding impacts on the resource size. The leaching tests were performed on samples collected from drill cores extracted during the Companys drilling program in the summer of 2018. The cores were from a hole that was specifically drilled for hydrometallurgical testing and is deemed representative of the K.Hill deposit. The samples were ground to a d80 of 200 micrometers (where 80 percent of the product is finer than 200 micrometers). From this, ten sub-samples were drawn of 25g. One sub-sample was set aside and assayed later as the head grade. Four sub-samples were used for reductant tests and five for non-reductant tests. All tests were performed using 25g of rock sample, 125 ml of 3.64M H2SO4 solution at 90C. Four independent leaches were performed with the reductant with only residence time being varied: 30, 60,120 and 180 minutes. Five independent leaches were performed without the reductant with only residence time being varied: 15, 30, 60 120 and 180 minutes. All ten sub-samples were assayed for manganese. Ian Flint, Ph.D., P.Eng, is the qualified person, as that term is defined by National Instrument 43-101, on behalf of the Company and has approved the scientific and technical content contained in this press release. About Giyani Giyani Metals Corp. is a Canadian junior exploration company focused on creating shareholder value by accelerating the development of its high-grade manganese project in the Kanye Basin, Botswana, Africa. Additional information and corporate documents may be found on www.sedar.com and on Giyani Metals Corp. website: http://giyanimetals.com/. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Giyani Metals Corp. Robin Birchall, CEO Contact: Giyani Metals Corporation Robin Birchall CEO, Director +447711313019 rbirchall@giyanimetals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. persons, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act (U.S. Persons), except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Companys securities to, or for the account of benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. Persons. Forward Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Giyani expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, does not expect, plans, anticipates, does not anticipate, believes, intends, estimates, projects, potential, scheduled, forecast, budget and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could, should or might occur. Specific forward-looking statements and forward-looking information herein includes statements regarding the size of and completion of the private placement and the intended use of the net proceeds from the financing. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of the relevant management as of the date such statements are made and are subject to certain assumptions, important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Giyanis ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In the case of Giyani, these facts include their anticipated operations in future periods, planned exploration and development of its properties, and plans related to its business and other matters that may occur in the future. This information relates to analyses and other information that is based on expectations of future performance and planned work programs. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation: inherent exploration hazards and risks; risks related to exploration and development of natural resource properties; uncertainty in Giyanis ability to obtain funding; commodity price fluctuations; recent market events and conditions; risks related to the uncertainty of mineral resource calculations and the inclusion of inferred mineral resources in economic estimation; risks related to governmental regulations; risks related to obtaining necessary licenses and permits; risks related to their business being subject to environmental laws and regulations; risks related to their mineral properties being subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers, or claims and other defects in title; risks relating to competition from larger companies with greater financial and technical resources; risks relating to the inability to meet financial obligations under agreements to which they are a party; ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel; and risks related to their directors and officers becoming associated with other natural resource companies which may give rise to conflicts of interests. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Giyanis forward-looking information. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking information or statements. Giyanis forward-looking information is based on the reasonable beliefs, expectations and opinions of their respective management on the date the statements are made, and Giyani does not assume any obligation to update forward looking information if circumstances or managements beliefs, expectations or opinions change, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For a complete discussion with respect to Giyani and risks associated with forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, please refer to Giyanis financial statements and related MD&A, all of which are filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. GIYANI METALS CORP. 277 LAKESHORE ROAD EAST, OAKVILLE, Ontario L6J 1H9 T: 289-837-0066 F: 289-837-1166 www.GIYANIMETALS.com TSX.v-EMM Photo: CTV News One of the victims in a deadly weekend Cessna crash has now been identified. Vancouver businessman, Lorne Borgal, has been identified by his widow as one of three people killed in Saturday's crash north of Smithers B.C. One person survived but three people lost their lives when the Cessna 182 they were in crashed. CTV News is reporting, Borgal's widow, Nancy Treiber, took to social media to thank friends and family for their support. It has broken our hearts and our spirit and were in gathering mode to simply survive, Treiber wrote. God rest his soul and may all of us that he touched feel his spirit live on through us. Treiber has also indicated the two deceased were the pilot and one of her husbands colleagues. Borgal was a past president of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce and once served as the CEO for Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation. The Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. -with files from CTV News Boston, MA, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Zoom Telephonics, Inc. (Zoom or the Company) (OTCQB: ZMTP), a leading producer of cable modems and other communication products, today announced that it has closed a $5 million private placement at a purchase price of $1.10 per share, with $4.1 million of the strategic investment coming from the family fund of technology leader Jeremy Hitchcock. Other investors included CEO, Chairman and co-founder Frank Manning, two other members of Zooms Board of Directors, and Zoom President Joe Wytanis. The Company intends to utilize the proceeds from the offering to accelerate the roll-out of new products, for working capital, and for other corporate purposes. Effective on the closing of the offering, Jeremy Hitchcock and Jonathan Seelig will join Zooms Board of Directors. Mr. Hitchcock co-founded a remote access company that was sold to Oracle for an undisclosed amount estimated to be approximately $600 million. He is the founder and CEO of Minim, a company noted for its expertise in network management and IoT security. Zoom plans to incorporate Minim network and security technology into certain future cable modem/router and router products, which it believes could provide significant value to end-users and service providers, and recurring downstream revenues to Zoom. I am excited about Zooms potential and the close working relationship Minim and I will have with Zoom, said Jeremy Hitchcock. Jonathan Seelig is a co-founder of Akamai, the worlds leading content delivery network and edge service provider. He is currently CEO of Tectonic, a distributor infrastructure company he co-founded. Mr. Seelig commented: Zoom is incredibly well positioned to capitalize on the evolving functionality at the edge of the network. Jeremy and Minims engagement will really move the needle for Zoom and for the industry. Im excited to be a part of this. Frank Manning commented: This funding is important to Zoom. We have strengthened our balance sheet, providing capital that will help to fuel our growth. We have also significantly expanded our relationship with new Board members Jeremy Hitchcock and Jonathan Seelig, who are both co-founders of very successful network communications companies. Joe Wytanis, Zooms President, added, Im excited about working with Jeremy Hitchcock and Jonathan Seelig to grow our retail and service provider sales. Since I joined Zoom last fall, I have been actively pursuing a number of pathways to grow the business, and I expect that Jeremy and Jonathan will be valuable resources as we continue those efforts. About Zoom Telephonics Zoom Telephonics, Inc. designs, produces, markets, and supports cable modems and other communication products. The Companys worldwide Motorola exclusive license agreement includes cable modems and gateways, DSL modems and gateways, cellular modems and routers, and other Internet and network products. For more information about Zoom and its products, please visit www.zoomtel.com/investor and www.motorolanetwork.com . MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC and are used under license. Forward Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking information relating to Zooms plans, expectations, and intentions. Actual results may be materially different from expectations as a result of known and unknown risks, including: the status of tariffs on the Company's imports from China; potential changes in NAFTA; the potential need for additional funding which Zoom may be unable to obtain; declining demand for certain of Zooms products; delays, unanticipated costs, interruptions or other uncertainties associated with Zooms production and shipping; Zooms reliance on several key outsourcing partners; uncertainty of key customers plans and orders; risks relating to product certifications; Zooms dependence on key employees; uncertainty of new product development, including certification and overall project delays, budget overruns, and the risk that newly introduced products may contain undetected errors or defects or otherwise not perform as anticipated; costs and senior management distractions due to patent-related matters; and other risks set forth in Zooms filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Zoom cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Zoom expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Zooms expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstance on which any such statement is based. Investor Relations Contact: Adam Prior, Senior Vice-President The Equity Group Inc. Phone: 212-836-9606 Lithuanian English Lithuanian electricity transmission operator LITGRID AB (business ID 302564383, registered office address A. Juozapaviciaus 13, LT-09311, Vilnius, Lithuania), informs that on 3rd May 2019 the opinion of The Audit Committee of the holding company UAB EPSO-G was received on an intended drinking water supply and wastewater management services (I) and thermal energy supply (I) transactions from SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. On 18 April 2019 the Audit Committee of EPSO-G UAB considered the transactions and stated, that: the transactions comply with market conditions, because the prices for the transactions are set by the administration of SE Visagino energija, under the guidance of the law of District Heating and the National Commission for Energy Control and Prices decisions, what is considered to be under the procurement market conditions by LITGRID administration. the transactions are fair and based on all LITGRID AB shareholders interests, considering the objective necessity of services for the usual operational needs of the LITGRID. The individual authorized by LITGRID AB to provide additional information: Jurga Eivaite Head of Communication Division phone: +370 613 19977 e-mail: jurga.eivaite@litgrid.eu English French Press release May 6th 2019 Annual General Meeting Availability of preparatory documents SOLUTIONS 30 SE (the Company), European leader in Solutions for New Technologies, informs its shareholders that its annual general meeting (the General Meeting) will be held on Monday May 27th 2019 at 09:00 a.m. (Luxembourg time) at the "Bubbles" lounge on the ground floor of the Sofitel Luxembourg Hotel Le Grand Ducal, 40, boulevard d'Avranches, L-1160 Luxembourg. The convening notice (the Convening Notice) detailing the agenda of the General Meeting was filed with the Luxembourg Register of commerce and companies, and published in the Recueil Electronique des Societes et Associations (RESA) as well as in the Tageblatt, on May 6th 2019. The procedures for attending, participating and voting at this General Meeting are set out in the Convening Notice. This Convening Notice together with all ancillary documents and preparatory information relating to the General Meeting are available to shareholders and can be consulted as well as downloaded on the Company's website at https://www.solutions30.com/investor-relations/annual-general-meeting/ In addition, shareholders may obtain a free of charge copy of those documents at the Company's registered office or by sending a written request to investor.relations@solutions30.com . For any further information, please: visit the website: http:// www.solutions30.com ; or www.solutions30.com ; or contact the Company by email at the following address: investor.relations@solutions30.com . About Solutions 30 SE The Solutions 30 Group is the European leader in solutions for new technologies. Its mission is to make the technological developments that are transforming our daily lives accessible to everyone, individuals and businesses alike. Yesterday, it was computers and the Internet. Today, its digital technology. Tomorrow, it will be technologies that make the world even more interconnected in real time. With more than 20 million call-outs carried out since it was founded and a network of more than 8,000 local technicians, Solutions 30 currently covers all of France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Spain. The share capital of Solutions 30 SE consists of 104,057,392 shares, equal to the number of theoretical votes that can be exercised. Solutions 30 SE is listed on Euronext Growth (ISIN FR0013379484 code ALS30) as well as the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on the XETRA e-listing system (FR0013379484 code 30L3). Indexes: MSCI Europe Small Cap | Tech40 | CAC PME. For more information, visit our website: www.solutions30.com Contacts Solutions 30 Listing Sponsor Nezha Calligaro Herve Guyot +352 2 837 13 89 | nezha.calligaro@solutions30.com +33 (0)1 45 63 68 60 | hguyot@genesta-finance.com Investor Relations - France Press Relations Nathalie Boumendil Samuel Beaupain +33 (0)6 85 82 41 95 | investor.relations@solutions30.com +352 2 777 42 10 | media.relations@solutions30.com Investor Relations - Europe & USA John Klein +44 (0)793 9230 260 | john.klein@solutions30.com Attachment Vero Beach, Florida, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paul Rodliff Vero Beach has been nominated for the prestigious Florida Charity Award. As a successful businessman and philanthropist, Paul manages a business consulting company that helps small brands thrive and flourish. This includes low-cost consulting fees for commercial start-ups, as well as established businesses that are struggling to attract and engage clients and customers. Paul has a proven track record of success; managing businesses with 2-100 employees. The award is given awarded based on nominations from the community. When the people of Vero Beach notice someone is deserving of recognition based on their charitable acts they come together to give out this prestigious award. Paul Rodliff has been nominated for his charitable works in soup kitchens and his large donations to the public. He has also created the Paul Rodliff Organization which is a non profit focused on providing food to the less fortunate. As a seasoned and reputable management consultant, Paul Rodliff Vero Beach has always believed in hard work to achieve goals and aspirations. However, he is equally as passionate about giving back to the community via charitable endeavors. This includes volunteering at local food banks, along with donating to local charities and community outreach programs. With years of extensive business experience, Paul draws on his experiences to help folks in need. In fact, he loves meeting new people and discussing new ideas for community empowerment and commercial success. As a proud father of 3 children, Paul loves spending time with his family and friends. He also loves to help small businesses grow while remedying problems and opening doors to new opportunities. For years, Paul has dedicated his time, knowledge and expertise to help local businesses secure higher visibility, leads, and growth. No matter how big or small your brand is -- Paul has the tools and expertise to propel it to new heights in any industry or niche. As a friendly, courteous and giving businessman, Paul's passion and desire are second to none -- in and out of the office. Paul Rodliff Vero Beach Florida is definitely a morning bird who is up early each day. After a few morning exercises, Paul gets ready and heads out to the office for new and exciting challenges. His day usually includes meetings with his team, as well as returning phone calls and discussing accounts. These informative meetings ensure everyone is on the same page towards helping businesses achieve success across the board. Whether struggling with visibility, leads or producing revenue, Paul is truly the go-to person for business management consulting. Paul has always believed in giving back to the community as a whole. While his job is helping business owners expand and grow their brands, it's all about open exchanges of thought-provoking ideas. These ideas can turn into fruition with the right guidance, hard work, and determination to overcome obstacles and succeed. Paul takes the same approach to his philanthropic work, which includes donating to charities but helping those that want to excel in life. Paul stays in touch with the community he works in, as well as the latest industry trends and technologies. This allows him to offer clients real-time business advice and help families and individuals that want to better their personal and business lives. As a successful entrepreneur, Paul Rodliff strongly believes in helping businesses expand and secure a higher market share. His passion for charity is equally as strong with his volunteer work at local food banks. In recognition of his philanthropic and charitable endeavors, Paul was recently nominated for the Florida Charity Work Award. This prestigious Award honors those that have made significant differences in the lives of others. The Award is also based on how honorees have committed their time, knowledge, expertise and finances to help families and individuals in need. The sky's the limit when it comes to Paul Rodliff's dreams. In fact, he believes any goal can be achieved by working hard and never letting an opportunity pass. The key is to set measurable goals that produce measurable results. While there will always be obstacles that will hinder your performance and outcome -- never look back and keep forging ahead. Also, failures and mistakes are mere learning curves that allow you to grow and learn as a person. These are bound to happen but should never stop you from achieving your personal or business dreams. Paul Rodliff Vero Beach interacts with other entrepreneurs on a regular basis. This allows him to keep learning while advising business owners and upstarts on the best ways to achieve higher visibility and revenue. Again, exchanging ideas is the best way to build bridges and foundations of future success. While nothing is ever etched in stone, it's important to stay relevant and up-to-date on the latest happenings and technologies within your niche. This allows you to become competitively viable in the right direction and reachable goals in mind. Paul's work rate -- in and out of the office -- continues to be the driving force behind his commercial success and philanthropic causes. If Paul Rodliff Vero Beach wins the prestigious charity award he has stated that the award will be given to the Paul Rodliff Organization so that it can be used to fund that non profit. It seems that even with all of this recognition for his hard work Paul is still putting his community first with his acts of service. NEW YORK, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greystone , a leading commercial real estate lending, investment, and advisory company, announced it has provided $7,075,000 in bridge financing for the acquisition of a 90-bed skilled nursing facility in Plainfield, Conn. Originated by Lisa M. Fischman of Greystone, the loan is intended to be converted to permanent FHA-insured financing. Greystone provided the bridge loan to Curtis Rodowicz and Robert J. Darigan, for Colonial Health & Rehab , and is working on the permanent financing package for FHA, which will include a 35-year non-recourse loan at a low, fixed rate. We are thrilled to leverage Greystones seamless Bridge and HUD programs together to close the acquisition of Colonial Health & Rehab, said Mr. Rodowicz. This asset speaks to our commitment to our local community, and as the now owner/operator, we look forward to ensuring that the residents and their families can benefit from the beautiful amenities we offer for a long time to come. It is truly gratifying to help Curtis and Bob complete this acquisition, said Ms. Fischman. Greystones bridge platform was a perfect fit. Our seamless bridge-to-HUD process has already begun and will save them a tremendous amount of time. Every member of the Colonial team is compassionate and professional, and I have no doubt their portfolio will grow and prosper. About Greystone Greystone is a real estate lending, investment, and advisory company with an established reputation as a leader in multifamily and healthcare finance, having ranked as a top FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac lender in these sectors. Our range of services includes commercial lending across a variety of platforms such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, CMBS, FHA, USDA, bridge and proprietary loan products. Loans are offered through Greystone Servicing Company LLC, Greystone Funding Company LLC and/or other Greystone affiliates. For more information, visit www.greyco.com . PRESS CONTACT: Karen Marotta Greystone 212-896-9149 Karen.Marotta@greyco.com Kirkland, WA, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Women Presidents Organization (WPO) has announced the 12th annual ranking of the 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies. Winners were announced during the WPO Annual Conference, held this year in Charlotte, NC. The companies featured on this years list span a wide variety of industries, including technology and finance, emerging sectors for women. Aggregate revenues of the 50 companies are $5.9 billion, representing a significant impact towards women-led companies contribution towards the global economy. Kelly Ireland, Founder & CEO of CB Technologies, based in Orange, CA, has been ranked 30th among this years WPO 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies list. Its an amazing honor for my team and me to be included in this list, said Ireland. CB Technologies recent growth can be attributed to our commitment to Customer First, ensuring that the level of support our clients have enjoyed continues at the same level while CB Technologies transforms and innovates. Our focus on closing the gap between information and operational technologies (IT/OT) has been a 3-year mission. Were one of the first companies that truly understands and has experience with this IT/OT convergence, and to be a women-owned company leading the charge? Its fantastic. Ireland founded CB Technologies in 2001 as a value-added reseller (VAR) focused on unparalleled client service. However, having a keen eye for technology trends and always taking the time and opportunity to listen to industry experts, she assessed the impending changes in the industry early on. She built up CB Technologies engineering expertise, data science practice and partnerships to revolutionize the companys offerings and make the difficult transition from VAR to systems integrator. Since that time, the Company has flourished, leading unprecedented projects like the Refinery of the Future (RotF) at Texmark Chemicals. Successful initiatives like RotF in Industrial IoT and High Performance Computing have spurred CB Technologies explosive growth, increasing its revenue YOY by 46% in 2018. At Capital One, we are passionate about supporting women business owners and leaders, said Jenn Flynn, Head of Small Business Bank at Capital One. The rise in women-owned businesses is an exciting trend to watch. These women are a real force, as reflected in the WPO 50 Fastest winners, and they are inspiring others to achieve great levels of success. I am delighted that this year our rankings show that women entrepreneurs are branching out into every sector of business, said WPO President and Founder Dr. Marsha Firestone. We are also very encouraged that companies of all sizes, such as CB Technologies are represented. Some smaller but very successful companies demonstrated significant growth this year. All eligible companies were ranked according to a sales growth formula, combining percentage and absolute growth. To qualify for the ranking, businesses are required to be privately held, woman-owned/led companies and have reached annual revenues of at least $500,000 as of 2013 and every subsequent year. Applicants are not required to be WPO members. Additional facts about the 2019 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Businesses: Average age of women-owner/leader is 50, younger than the average age of 51 last year Aggregate revenue is $5.9 billion Average 2018 revenue was $117.1 million Average number of employees on first day: 9; projected average for 2019: 492 Funding sources at company start: 78% with their own funds 22% with funds from friends and family 6% with a bank loan 6% with a line of credit 4% with a credit card 8% with private investors/angels All 50 companies were honored at a special event at the 2019 WPO Annual Conference at the Westin Charlotte on Thursday, May 2, 2019. Following the luncheon and awards ceremony, WPO hosted a Guide to Growth discussion featuring a selection of 50 Fastest winners sharing advice for established entrepreneurs working to increase businesses. About CB Technologies Founded in 2001, CBT is a premier, woman-owned technology solutions provider with extensive experience designing and deploying enterprise-class solutions. We consistently deliver excellence thanks to our first-class team members and strategic partnerships with the worlds finest providers of hardware and software solutions. By combining best-of-breed technologies, CBT provides a balance of services and solutions in the areas of Hybrid IT, Asset Intelligence, HPC and Analytics, and IT Supply Chain Optimization to augment your enterprise with the necessary tools to excel. Learn more at www.cbtechinc.com. Follow CBT: Twitter and LinkedIn. About Capital One Capital One Financial Corporation is headquartered in McLean, Virginia. Its subsidiaries, Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. We apply the same principles of innovation, collaboration and empowerment in our commitment to our communities across the country that we do in our business. We recognize that helping to build strong and healthy communities good places to work, good places to do business and good places to raise families benefits us all and we are proud to support this and other community initiatives. About The Women Presidents Organization The WPO is the premier peer advisory organization connecting women who own multi-million-dollar companies. In monthly meetings across six continents, chapters of 20 women presidents from diverse industries invest time and energy in themselves and their businesses to drive their corporations to the next level. Local WPO chapters are coordinated by a professional facilitator and meet monthly to share business expertise and experience in a confidential setting. For more information, contact 212-688-4114 or visit www.womenpresidentsorg.com. Follow the WPO on Twitter @womenpresidents and Facebook @TheWPO. Attachment Revenue in the first quarter of 2019 was $12.3 million, an increase of 7.5% compared to $11.4 million in the first quarter of 2018. Income from operations increased to 8.1% of net sales in the first quarter of 2019, up from 3.7% in the first quarter of 2018. Net income for the first quarter of 2019 was $1.2 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, compared to $508,000, or $0.04 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2018. NOGALES, Ariz., May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alpha Pro Tech, Ltd. (NYSE American: APT), a leading manufacturer of products designed to protect people, products and environments, including disposable protective apparel and building products, today announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2019. Lloyd Hoffman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Pro Tech, commented, Alpha Pro Tech delivered a 140% increase in net income and more than doubled our earnings per share, demonstrating the strength of our diversified business model and our ability to overcome short-term, weather-related decreases in our Building Supply segment. We expanded our gross margin slightly, but more than doubled our income from operations, reflecting expense management and the absence of legal charges during the quarter. Hoffman continued, It is encouraging to note that the weather-related decreases in our Building Supply segment were partially offset by increases in our economy brand synthetic roof underlayment and an increase in the sales of our premium REX Wrap Fortis housewrap line, demonstrating that these new products are gaining continued market approval. This progress reinforces our decision to expand the economy brand synthetic roof underlayment line to include TECHNO SB 25 and TECHNO SB ULTRA. Net sales Consolidated sales for the first quarter of 2019 were $12.3 million, compared to $11.4 million for the first quarter of 2018, an increase of 7.5%, reflecting increased sales in the Disposable Protective Apparel segment of $1.0 million, partially offset by modest decreases in sales in the Building Supply segment. Sales for the Disposable Protective Apparel segment (including disposable protective clothing, masks and shields) increased by $1.0 million, or 21.6%, to $5.8 million, compared to $4.8 million for the same period of 2018. Previously, masks and shields were included in a separate segment called Infection Control. Effective as of the first quarter of 2019, the Infection Control segment has been combined with the Disposable Protective Apparel segment. The increase in disposable protective clothing was primarily due to strong sales growth across all of our supply chain partners. Sales of masks were affected by a less severe flu season this year. Building Supply segment sales decreased by $171,000, or 2.6%, to $6.5 million for the first quarter of 2019, compared to $6.7 million for the same period of 2018. This segment decrease was primarily due to a decrease in sales of premium REX synthetic roof underlayment and, to a lesser extent, a decrease in sales of economy brand housewrap. Unusually severe weather during the quarter, which impeded construction projects, was a primary driver of decreased sales. Gross profit Gross profit increased by $349,000, or 7.8%, to $4.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, from $4.5 million for the same period of 2018. The gross profit margin was 39.0% for the three months ended March 31, 2019, compared to 38.9% for the same period of 2018. Management expects gross profit margin in 2019 to be similar to 2018. Selling, General and Administrative Expenses Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by $206,000, or 5.3%, to $3.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, from $3.9 million in the first quarter last year. The decrease was primarily the result of the accrual of expenses associated with the settlement of a litigation matter for the three months ended March 31, 2018 that did not recur for the same period of 2019, partially offset by increased trade show expenses and employee compensation. Income from Operations Income from operations increased by $574,000, or 134.1%, to $1.0 million in the first quarter of 2019, compared to $428,000 in the first quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily due to higher gross profit and a decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses. Income from operations for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was negatively impacted by the settlement discussed above. Income from operations as a percentage of net sales for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was 8.1%, compared to 3.7% for the same period of 2018. Net Income Net income for the first quarter of 2019 was $1.2 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, compared to net income of $508,000, or $0.04 per diluted share for the same period of 2018, representing an increase of $710,000, or 140%. The increase in net income was due to an increase in income before provision for income taxes of $861,000, partially offset by an increase in provision for income taxes of $151,000. Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2018, would have been higher without the expense associated with the settlement discussed above. Net income as a percentage of net sales for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was 9.8%, compared to 4.4% for the same period of 2018. Balance Sheet The consolidated balance sheet remained strong with a cash balance of $4.5 million as of March 31, 2019, compared to $7.0 million as of December 31, 2018. The decrease in cash was due to cash used in operating activities of $1.4 million, cash used in financing activities of $948,000 and cash used in investing activities of $142,000. Historically, cash on hand is the lowest at the end of the first quarter of each year, due to the Companys Building Supply segment winter buy extended terms program, as well as prior year accruals that are paid in the first quarter. As such, management expects cash to increase next quarter. The Company ended the quarter with working capital of $24.6 million and a current ratio of 13:1. Inventory increased by $529,000, or 5.4%, to $10.4 million as of March 31, 2019, from $9.9 million as of December 31, 2018. The increase was primarily due to an increase in inventory for the Building Supply segment, partially offset by a decrease in inventory for the Disposable Protective Apparel segment. Colleen McDonald, Chief Financial Officer, commented, During the first quarter of 2019, we repurchased 255,000 shares of common stock at a cost of $1.0 million. We have $1.7 million remaining for additional stock repurchases based on the $2 million increase authorized by our Board of Directors on December 20, 2018. All stock is retired upon repurchase, and future repurchases are expected to be funded from cash on hand and cash flows from operating activities. The Company currently has no outstanding debt and maintains an unused $3.5 million credit facility. The Company believes that current cash balances and the borrowings available under its credit facility will be sufficient to satisfy projected working capital needs and planned capital expenditures for the foreseeable future. About Alpha Pro Tech, Ltd. Alpha Pro Tech, Ltd. is the parent company of Alpha Pro Tech, Inc. and Alpha ProTech Engineered Products, Inc. Alpha Pro Tech, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets innovative disposable and limited-use protective apparel products for the industrial, clean room, medical and dental markets. Alpha ProTech Engineered Products, Inc. manufactures and markets a line of construction weatherization products, including building wrap and roof underlayment. The Company has manufacturing facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah; Nogales, Arizona; Valdosta, Georgia; and a joint venture in India. For more information and copies of all news releases and financials, visit Alpha Pro Techs website at http://www.alphaprotech.com. Certain statements made in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements instead of historical facts and may be identified generally by the use of forward-looking terminology and words such as expects, anticipates, estimates, believes, predicts, intends, plans, potentially, may, continue, should, will and words of similar meaning. Without limiting the generality of the preceding statement, all statements in this press release relating to estimated and projected earnings, cash balances, margins, costs, expenditures, cash flows, sources of capital, growth rates, new or expanded products or product lines and the success of such products or product lines, and future financial and operating results are forward-looking statements. We caution investors that any such forward-looking statements are only estimates based on current information and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results contained in the forward-looking statements. We cannot give assurances that any such statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by us include the risks, uncertainties and assumptions described from time to time in our public releases and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. We also caution investors that the forward-looking information described herein represents our outlook only as of this date, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or developments after the date of this press release. Given these uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Company Contact: Investor Relations Contact: Alpha Pro Tech, Ltd. Hayden IR Donna Millar Cameron Donahue 905-479-0654 651-653-1854 e-mail: ir@alphaprotech.com e-mail: cameron@haydenir.com -- Tables follow -- Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) March 31, December 31, 2019 2018 (1) Assets Current assets: Cash $ 4,488,000 $ 7,007,000 Investments 417,000 258,000 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $64,000 and $64,000 as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 7,202,000 4,935,000 Accounts receivable, related party 837,000 383,000 Inventories 10,407,000 9,878,000 Right-of-use assets 668,000 - Prepaid expenses 2,697,000 3,999,000 Total current assets 26,716,000 26,460,000 Property and equipment, net 3,271,000 3,244,000 Goodwill 55,000 55,000 Definite-lived intangible assets, net 15,000 16,000 Right-of-use assets, net of current portion 2,583,000 - Equity investment in unconsolidated affiliate 4,757,000 4,480,000 Total assets $ 37,397,000 $ 34,255,000 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 743,000 $ 578,000 Accrued liabilities 632,000 1,342,000 Lease liabilities 663,000 - Total current liabilities 2,038,000 1,920,000 Lease liabilities, net of current portion 2,632,000 - Deferred income tax liabilities, net 141,000 141,000 Total liabilities 4,811,000 2,061,000 Commitments Shareholders' equity: Common stock, $.01 par value: 50,000,000 shares authorized; 13,281,018 and 13,502,684 shares outstanding as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively 133,000 135,000 Additional paid-in capital 1,845,000 2,669,000 Retained earnings 30,608,000 29,390,000 Total shareholders' equity 32,586,000 32,194,000 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 37,397,000 $ 34,255,000 (1) The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018 has been prepared using information from the audited consolidated balance sheet as of that date. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) LUXEMBOURG, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tenaris S.A. (NYSE, Buenos Aires and Mexico: TS and MTA Italy: TEN) announced that its annual general meeting of shareholders approved today all resolutions on the agenda. Among other resolutions adopted at the annual general meeting, the shareholders approved the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2018 and the annual accounts as at December 31, 2018, and acknowledged the related management and external auditors reports and certifications. The annual general meeting also approved the payment of a dividend for the year ended December 31, 2018, of US$0.41 per share (or US$0.82 per ADS), or approximately US$484 million, which includes the interim dividend of US$0.13 per share (or US$0.26 per ADS) paid in November 2018. Tenaris will pay the balance of the annual dividend in the amount of US$0.28 per share (US$0.56 per ADS) on May 22, 2019, with an ex-dividend date of May 20, 2019. The annual general meeting approved the re-election of the eleven current members of the board of directors, Roberto Bonatti, Carlos Condorelli, German Cura, Roberto Monti, Gianfelice Mario Rocca, Paolo Rocca, Jaime Serra Puche, Yves Speeckaert, Monica Tiuba, Amadeo Vazquez y Vazquez and Guillermo Vogel, each to hold office until the meeting that will be convened to decide on the 2019 annual accounts. The board of directors subsequently confirmed and re-appointed Roberto Monti, Jaime Serra Puche, Monica Tiuba and Amadeo Vazquez y Vazquez as members of Tenariss audit committee, with Mr. Vazquez y Vazquez to continue as chairman. All four members of the audit committee qualify as independent directors for purposes of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act Rule 10A-3(b)(1), and audit committee members Monti, Serra Puche and Vazquez y Vazquez also qualify as independent directors under the Companys articles of association. The annual meeting appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers S.C., Reviseurs dentreprises agree, as Tenariss external auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019. Copies of the minutes of the annual general meeting can be downloaded from Tenariss website at www.tenaris.com/investors . Tenaris is a leading global supplier of steel tubes and related services for the worlds energy industry and certain other industrial applications. Giovanni Sardagna Tenaris 1-888-300-5432 www.tenaris.com GUADALAJARA, Mexico, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V., (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) (the Company or GAP) announced preliminary terminal passenger traffic figures for the month of April 2019, compared to traffic figures for April 2018. During April 2019, total terminal passengers increased by 8.7% at the Companys 13 airports, compared to the same period of the previous year. Domestic passenger traffic increased by 7.8%, while international passenger traffic increased by 9.9%. Domestic Terminal Passengers (in thousands): Airport Apr-18 Apr-19 Change Jan-Apr 18 Jan-Apr 19 Change Guadalajara 857.0 863.2 0.7% 3,224.6 3,283.6 1.8% Tijuana* 463.2 507.3 9.5% 1,777.6 1,868.5 5.1% Puerto Vallarta 135.3 151.1 11.7% 473.6 502.8 6.2% Los Cabos 137.5 162.0 17.8% 522.8 556.7 6.5% Montego Bay 0.8 0.8 6.9% 2.7 2.6 -1.4% Guanajuato 132.9 170.4 28.2% 482.2 632.3 31.1% Hermosillo 144.6 155.9 7.8% 545.9 540.9 -0.9% Mexicali 93.0 101.1 8.8% 357.5 367.1 2.7% La Paz 75.7 85.3 12.7% 285.9 295.4 3.3% Morelia 27.0 36.4 35.1% 115.4 146.6 27.1% Aguascalientes 62.8 55.3 -12.0% 215.6 198.2 -8.1% Los Mochis 28.4 37.9 33.5% 111.2 121.6 9.4% Manzanillo 7.9 8.4 5.8% 31.0 32.2 3.9% Total 2,166.0 2,335.1 7.8% 8,146.0 8,548.7 4.9% International Terminal Passengers (in thousands): Airport Apr-18 Apr-19 Change Jan-Apr 18 Jan-Apr 19 Change Guadalajara 308.7 339.6 10.0% 1,291.0 1,327.7 2.8% Tijuana* 171.2 238.7 39.4% 700.6 896.8 28.0% Puerto Vallarta 303.3 309.8 2.1% 1,521.9 1,566.8 2.9% Los Cabos 334.9 345.8 3.3% 1,350.5 1,402.0 3.8% Montego Bay 388.9 423.9 9.0% 1,583.1 1,760.1 11.2% Guanajuato 54.0 57.7 6.8% 234.6 229.0 -2.4% Hermosillo 5.5 5.6 0.8% 23.8 22.7 -4.8% Mexicali 0.4 0.6 30.2% 1.8 2.0 14.2% La Paz 1.1 1.1 -4.5% 4.0 4.6 16.6% Morelia 28.0 33.6 19.7% 118.6 134.8 13.7% Aguascalientes 16.8 16.9 0.3% 59.0 61.4 4.1% Los Mochis 0.5 0.6 19.1% 2.1 2.2 5.2% Manzanillo 7.6 8.3 8.5% 48.7 45.4 -6.8% Total 1,621.1 1,782.0 9.9% 6,939.6 7,455.6 7.4% Total Terminal Passengers (in thousands): Airport Apr-18 Apr-19 Change Jan-Apr 18 Jan-Apr 19 Change Guadalajara 1,165.7 1,202.8 3.2% 4,515.7 4,611.3 2.1% Tijuana* 634.4 746.0 17.6% 2,478.1 2,765.3 11.6% Puerto Vallarta 438.6 460.9 5.1% 1,995.5 2,069.6 3.7% Los Cabos 472.4 507.8 7.5% 1,873.4 1,958.7 4.6% Montego Bay 389.7 424.7 9.0% 1,585.7 1,762.7 11.2% Guanajuato 186.9 228.1 22.0% 716.8 861.3 20.2% Hermosillo 150.1 161.5 7.6% 569.7 563.6 -1.1% Mexicali 93.4 101.7 8.9% 359.3 369.2 2.7% La Paz 76.8 86.4 12.4% 289.9 300.0 3.5% Morelia 55.0 70.0 27.2% 233.9 281.5 20.3% Aguascalientes 79.6 72.2 -9.4% 274.6 259.6 -5.5% Los Mochis 28.8 38.4 33.2% 113.3 123.9 9.3% Manzanillo 15.5 16.6 7.1% 79.7 77.7 -2.6% Total 3,787.1 4,117.1 8.7% 15,085.6 16,004.3 6.1% *Passengers in Tijuana who use CBX in both directions are classified as international. CBX Users: Apr-18 Apr-19 Change Jan-Apr 18 Jan-Apr 19 Change CBX Users 164.2 234.8 43.0% 674.1 882.1 30.8% Highlights for the Period: Seats and Load Factors: In April 2019, GAP registered a 7.3% increase in the number of seats available compared to April 2018; while load factors for the month increased by 110 basis points, from 82.9% in April 2018 to 84.0% in April 2019. In April 2019, GAP registered a 7.3% increase in the number of seats available compared to April 2018; while load factors for the month increased by 110 basis points, from 82.9% in April 2018 to 84.0% in April 2019. New Routes: Guadalajara to Los Mochis: TAR Los Mochis to Monterrey: VivaAerobus Company Description Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexicos Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAPs shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PAC and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GAP. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concesiones Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the operation of the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica. Subject to certain conditions precedent, GAP expects to take control of the operation of the Kingston airport in the last quarter of 2019. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts, and are based on managements current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, plans and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and article 42 of the Ley del Mercado de Valores, GAP has implemented a whistleblower program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that may involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party that is in charge of collecting these complaints, is 01 800 563 00 47. The web site is www.lineadedenuncia.com/gap . GAPs Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation. IR Contacts: Saul Villarreal, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer svillarreal@aeropuertosgap.com.mx Alejandra Soto, IR and Financial Planning Manager asoto@aeropuertosgap.com.mx Gisela Murillo, Investor Relations gmurillo@aeropuertosgap.com.mx / +523338801100 ext.20294 Maria Barona, i-advize Corporate Communications mbarona@i-advize.com TORONTO, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV:BGM) ("Barkerville" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Eric Tremblay as a director of the Corporation. Mr. Tremblay has over 25 years of mine building and mine operations experience, primarily with underground mining operations. Mr. Tremblay began his career as a mining contractor and over the years he has held multiple position from miner, to general manager, to his current position as COO of Dalradian Resources Inc. In his previous post as General Manager of Canadas largest gold mine, Canadian Malartic, he played a principal role in finalizing the construction of the mine and the production ramp up. He also served as General Manager at IAMGOLDs Westwood Project, where he participated in closure of the Doyon Mine and construction of the Westwood Project. In this role Mr. Tremblay was charged with completing the permitting, scoping study, feasibility study, surface construction and underground development. He has also served as the General Manager of IAMGOLD's Sleeping Giant Mine, an underground mine using multiple mining methods (long hole, shrinkage, room and pillar). In this role his mandate was to optimize production and return the mine to profitability. Mr. Tremblay has also served as General Manager for the internal underground contractor of IAMGOLD, where he oversaw the project expansion of IAMGOLD's underground mine. Mr. Tremblay is a graduate of Laval University with a B.Sc. in mining engineering and mineral processing. Barkerville also announces today the resignation of Mr. John Burzynski as a director of the Company. The Company wishes to express its gratitude to Mr. Burzynski for his service and wish him well in his future endeavours. About Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. The Corporation is focused on developing its extensive mineral rights package located in the historical Cariboo Mining District of central British Columbia. Barkerville's Cariboo Gold Project mineral tenures cover 1,950 square kilometres; along a strike length of 67 kilometres which includes several past producing placer and hard rock mines, making it one of the most well-endowed land packages in British Columbia. Since the management change in mid-2015, the Corporation has unlocked the fundamental structural controls of gold mineralization. The Company's Brownfield's exploration team is focused on developing and delineating a mineable resource within the 8 kilometers of principle project area located near the town of Wells, British Columbia. The Company's Greenfield's team is developing quality exploration assets throughout the remaining land package through systematic, scientific, exploration. The operation's team is focused on completing required studies in order to permit underground mining on Cow and Island Mountains. For more information on Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd., please contact: Photo: Google Street View A West Kelowna man facing an attempted murder charge after an elderly woman was found badly beaten appeared briefly by video in Kelowna court, Monday. Kevin Lee Barrett is facing an attempted murder charge and was wearing a red prison jumpsuit as he appeared by video. Police say Ellie Holmes, 79, was assaulted at the Westview Village mobile home complex and taken in her own vehicle before being dumped in the backcountry. She was found in serious need of medical attention by a couple who were up Bear Lake Main Forest Service Road and they brought her to paramedics. Police said a person who was well known to her was arrested, and 60-year-old Barrett has since been charged with attempted murder. Holmes, who is described as a petite woman, faces a long road to recovery, and a friend created a GoFundMe campaign to help her. Barrett is also facing other charges, including uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, and causing a disturbance. On Monday, court heard he is seeking a new lawyer, Jordan Watt. The matter has been adjourned one week. Barrett will remain in custody and will next appear May 13 at 9:30 a.m. OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Tens of thousands of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders return to Omaha every year to learn from Warren Buffett and celebrate the company he built through acquisitions and investments. But with the 88-year-old Buffett and 95-year-old Charlie Munger leading the company, it's hard for shareholders not to wonder how much longer the revered investors will be in place. And the fact that Berkshire is holding more than $114 billion in cash and short-term investments raises questions about what Buffett might buy next. Shareholder Stephen Teenois, 30, made his first trip to this year's meeting on Saturday after owning the stock for several years because he wanted to experience the event where Buffett and Munger spend hours answering questions. "I just want to soak in everything I can and learn from him," said Teenois, who is from Houston. Buffett has said that Berkshire has a succession plan in place for whenever it is needed. Neither Buffett nor Munger has any plans to retire. Two longtime executives, Ajit Jain and Greg Abel, have been promoted to vice chairmen to help oversee Berkshire's businesses. One of them will likely eventually be Berkshire's next CEO. Buffett said Saturday that both Abel and Jain have done a great job since they were promoted into the new roles in early 2018, and both earned about $18 million last year. Jain oversees the conglomerate's insurance businesses while Abel oversees non-insurance business operations. "You could not have two better operating managers than Greg and Ajit," Buffett said. Jim Weber, CEO of Berkshire company Brooks Running, said the transition from reporting directly to Buffett to reporting to Abel has gone smoothly. "I've enjoyed working with him. He's incredibly smart," Weber said about Abel. Berkshire's eclectic collection of more than 90 businesses includes a variety of industries. Previously, Abel oversaw Berkshire utility businesses. Shareholder Bill Laub, 67, of Moline, Illinois, said he wasn't worried about Buffett's successor or the future of the company because he has faith in the team behind him. "If something happened to Warren, there would be the shock and the blip, and then it will all be over," Laub said. Laub said he hopes there is another big acquisition in Buffett and Berkshire's future. Buffett has said that he has had a hard time finding acquisitions selling for reasonable prices in recent years because the market has soared. "I hope he finds something good to buy," Laub said. Buffett faced several questions about whether relatively recent deals, including Kraft Heinz, were paying off for Berkshire: Buffett said he's happy with Berkshire Hathaway's partnership with the Brazilian firm of 3G Capital. The companies worked together to buy Kraft and Heinz, but recently the combined food giant had to write down the value of its brands by $15 billion. "I'm pleased that we are partners, and it's conceivable that something else could come up," Buffett said. Buffett said the main problem with the Kraft investment is that Berkshire and 3G overpaid for it. Buffett also said that he and 3G underestimated the challenges branded foods face from retailers and the growth of private label products. Steve DelGiorno, the man behind Crema & Vine and 616 Farm to Table restaurant, plans to open a food market at Lynn and Loyal streets in the River District by late summer. Billing the new site as Lynn Street Market, DelGiorno and his partner on the project, Smith Seeds Lofts owner Jason Wilson, intend to make it a meal solution store, where folks in a hurry can come and grab ingredients to prepare a meal or pick up items ready to eat. Basically a one-stop shop, Wilson said inside the building at 315 Lynn St. on Monday as electrical work was being done. The market would be in the same building as Smith Seeds Lofts and include fresh produce, premium meats, seafood, dairy products, a hot and cold bar, a sushi station and other offerings, DelGiorno said. Interior features at the store will include exposed walls and ceilings. There also will be a large commercial kitchen in the back, where food will be prepared for the front part of the store. Cooking parties also will take place where participants can learn to make Italian sauces, for example, DelGiorno said. DelGiorno and Wilson said the fresh market will have other features they do not want to reveal yet. There are a couple more surprises in store that Danville doesnt have, DelGiorno said. Their venture combines previous plans DelGiorno had for a commercial kitchen at 620 N. Main St. and a food market at Craghead Street. This place allowed us to integrate the two at Lynn Street, he said. This allows me to do everything at one location. Also, downtown is in need of a food market like the one planned, with fresh, healthy options, DelGiorno said. Its all part of our strategy to alter the food landscape of Danville, he said. Elyse Jardine, project manager with the Health Collaborative, said a new food market can provide a convenient choice for those seeking nutritious items. Anytime a community can increase access to healthy foods, it makes it easier for those who live and work in that community to make a healthy choice, she said. The Health Collaborative is a collection of individuals and organizations working together to improve health outcomes in the region. Lynn Street Market will have about 15-20 employees. Its the perfect time for it, with a large number of people living and working downtown and new businesses opening up, DelGiorno said. Were bullish on the growth, he said. The time is right for a market down here. 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. The Danville Police Department has 135 sworn members specializing in everything from analyzing crime scenes, to patrolling the streets and keeping the peace but one among them is a different breed, so to speak. He does something no one else in the department can do: he is an expert tracker and consummate employee using nothing but his wits and senses. His name is Rooster. Rooster is a bloodhound specializing in tracking people. With just more than a year of service in the department, Rooster has accomplished much for a recruit around 14 human years old. He has found missing children, suspects in crimes and, through it all, never lost his enthusiasm. Officer J.D. Frost handles Rooster, leashing him up whenever people need to be found. Frost put in for a police dog and picked up the young Rooster from a North Carolina kennel in November 2017. Though he has gone through training, at the end of the day, Rooster goes home with Frost who also has a boxer and a pit bull like any other dog. As far as he knows, hes just another dog, Frost joked. He is the departments dog but my responsibility. According to the American Kennel Club, modern bloodhounds find roots in pre-reformation churches, when prominent nobles and bishops used hounds for fox hunting. Since taking the affix blood for their fidelity to breeding standards set out by those hunters, bloodhounds became known for being peerless trackers. Part of the reason Rooster is so good at following a trail, Frost said, is his anatomy. When Rooster puts his nose to the ground, the skin around his face droops forward effectively creating a funnel for scents. That nose and his tracking abilities have led him and Frost on trails as long as 5 miles, though they average out to around 1 1/2 miles. But following Roosters extra-sensitive nose is not simple. Frost has to read the signs Rooster involuntarily gives him a wag of the tail or flick of the ears like a dog compass. He also has to pull Rooster away from some enticing, distracting smells. It is a lot more to it than just holding onto the lead, he said. At the end of those tracks, Rooster knows there is a food in exchange for a job well done. And to signal he has found the person he is looking for, Frost said, he has been trained to jump on those he finds, including suspects. He does not know they are a bad guy he is excited and happy to see them, Frost said. He is expecting everybody to love on him. For missing children, Frost has to make sure the 97-pound canine does not hurt anybody in its goofy exuberance. Though Rooster is not trained to bite, he is still strong and capable of pulling Frost off his feet when not properly braced. He has zero aggression in him, Frost said. That is part of what makes him so popular at the Green Street precinct. As police walked in on Friday afternoon, he wriggled and brayed, greeting them with a thumping tail and a few hops. Lt. Scott Eanes, Roosters commanding officer, said he has helped find people who otherwise would not have been located. Though the dog is a bit clumsy, when it comes time to work, he is the best they have. He is our go-to, Eanes said. When he is in work mode, he is in work mode. Frost was raised around dogs his whole life and requested to be put on a K9 unit because he was fascinated by what the dogs can do. And from Roosters very first trail, where he traced a group of four people along a main road in Danville in the pouring rain through all the others since, Frost said he does not regret taking the job. I enjoy this far more than anything else Ive done, he said. Rooster was not able to comment for this story. James Whitlow reports for the Danville Register & Bee. Contact him at jwhitlow@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7983. Traci Petty and Evelyn Riley want to bring some more color to the River District. The Chatham residents are leading efforts to install multi-colored LED lighting above the walkways inside the tunnel that connects Craghead Street and Industrial Avenue next to the Danville Science Center. Its an opportunity to elevate an area that is often overlooked, Riley said during an interview Sunday morning. Its an entryway into the River District. The two women, who work in Danville, got the idea from a trip they took to Birmingham, Alabama, with the Health Collaborative in 2017. The collaborative is a collection of individuals and organizations working together to improve health outcomes in the region. Petty and Riley happened to see a rainbow tunnel in Birmingham during their visit. It was a hit with locals and tourists, Riley said. It was something highly recommended, said Riley, CEO of Dan River Nonprofit Network, which provides networking and educational resources for nonprofits. Birmingham has the displays inside its historic viaducts at 14th, 18th, 19th and 20th streets downtown. It made a dark, ugly place safe, said Petty, director of public relations and operations with the United Way Danville-Pittsylvania County. It brings a sense of pride to the citizens in the community. Petty said the tunnel is roughly 166 feet long. The light display would be computerized and include light panels. Lighting patterns could be changed to commemorate or signify certain events, Riley said. Riley and Petty said the colors would bring a cohesive look to Danville, where the JTI Fountain at Main Street Plaza and the substation next to Spectrum Medical Building also light up. The project would not include lights over the street. Pat Daniel, associate minister at Calvary Baptist Church on Holbrook Street, and Rachel Covington, director of member services with the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, have also thrown their support behind the project. The structure was built in the 1890s, Riley said, and offers a lot of history. The tunnel includes an area where African Americans had to catch the train and wait for arrivals during segregation, Daniel said. White people caught the train at the train station that now includes part of the Danville Science Center. She remembers waiting at the tunnel with her father in the early 1960s for her aunt to get off the train coming from New York. I just think it would be a wonderful thing to have the whole thing refurbished and opened up again to be part of the black history of Danville, Daniel said, adding that the bridge was still in the same condition. Wed like to get a historical marker there, Riley said. Petty said at least part of the tunnel would be redone inside, depending on how much the project would cost. Petty and Riley plan to seek grants from local foundations to help pay for it. Norfolk Southern owns the tunnel and railroad overpass and leases it to the city of Danville, Amtrak and the Danville Science Center. The River District Design Commission will consider whether to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project during its meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday in the Fourth Floor Conference Room in City Hall. 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. Though a Charlottesville Circuit Court judge recently ruled on a major aspect of the 2017 lawsuit over City Councils votes to remove two Confederate statues, several issues are still unresolved. As one of the few remaining issues of contention, the decision that the statues are war memorials likely meaning that they are protected under state code was taken by some members of the community to be the nail in the coffin for the defendants arguments. However, Judge Richard E. Moore has yet to rule on a few motions, one of which an argument that the statues violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment remains on the table, with Moore indicating Wednesday he wished to see the argument fleshed out with further evidence. According to Richard Schragger, a University of Virginia professor of law who focuses on the intersection of constitutional law and local government law, an equal protection defense is fairly straightforward and is intended to prevent the government from racial discrimination. Before Moores ruling, the defense had also argued that the statues were not monuments to a specific war or veteran, simply to Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson as people, and were therefore not protected by state code. The claim here would be that the motive for putting up the Lee and Jackson statues was white racial superiority, he said. In order to make this argument, the defendants the city, City Council and the individual councilors who voted to remove the statues will have to present expert testimony from historians that prove, to Moores satisfaction, that the intention behind the statues was to discriminate against residents of color, Schragger said. By placing one in a whites-only park and a time of Ku Klux Klan resurgence in Charlottesville, the argument could be made that the statues violate the constitutional rights of a protected class, he said. The Jackson statue was unveiled in 1921 at ceremony that served as the crowning event of the Confederate Reunion of the Grand Camp, United Confederate Veterans and the Virginia Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans, according to a Daily Progress article. That same year, the Progress reported that the Ku Klux Klan organized in Charlottesville. Hundreds of Charlottesvilles leading business and professional men met around the tomb of [Thomas] Jefferson at the midnight hour one night last week and sealed the pledge of chivalry and patriotism with the deepest crimson of red American blood, according to a June 28, 1921, report. The Lee statue followed in 1924. Both were donated by philanthropist Paul Goodloe McIntire. At the Jackson statue ceremony, UVa President Edwin Alderman said McIntire wanted to use the monument to teach to other ages how moving and eternal are the qualities of courage and character, of action and principle, of loyalty and honor, when embodied in one strong, appealing, fascinating personality, according to the Progress. In addition to the equal protection defense, Chief Deputy City Attorney Lisa Robertson who is representing the city, City Council and former Councilor Bob Fenwick claims that the city never accepted the 1997 amendment to the state code and is therefore not subject to it. Fenwick, the only individual councilor who opted not to be represented pro bono by the massive law firm Jones Day, has maintained that councilors acted in accordance to the law when they voted to remove the statues. On a website he recently launched, Fenwick outlines his argument, focusing in part on a retroactivity issue settled by Moore early in the case. The Danville Virginia Circuit Court, a court of equal standing if not equal precedent, heard a case which hinged on the retroactive application of this law and said the law DID NOT apply retroactively. The judge also said the law was unsettled, Fenwick wrote. Virginia is a Dillon Rule state and localities have no power except that which the state legislature has specifically granted them. 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. Photo: McGill University One of the leading scientists behind a ground-breaking telescope outside of Penticton has received a prestigious award for his work on the project. Matt Dobbs of McGill University has received the 2019 Killam Research Fellowship in Natural Sciences. The astrophysicist was recognized for his project, Unveiling the Cosmos with a New Paradigm Digital Radio Telescope, involving the revolutionary CHIME radio telescope that came online at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in 2017. CHIME the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment has been sifting through the cosmos, mapping the sky and listening for faint radio bursts billions of light-years away. It has proven effective at picking up fast radio bursts, one of astronomys biggest mysteries today, as they appear all over the sky but scientists have no clue what causes them. CHIME has detected 13 of these fast radio bursts. Prior to that, fewer than 60 had ever been documented worldwide. "The 'game-book' for exploiting measurements from this type of telescope is far from maturity," said Dobbs, explaining research time afforded by the Killam Fellowship will help the CHIME team develop new techniques for calibrating the instrument. The new measurements and techniques could have the ability to clarify the expansion history of the universe and identify the source of the fast radio bursts. Physicists are turning increasingly towards the cosmos as the richest laboratory for displaying natures fundamentals the building blocks of matter and how structures, from atoms to galaxies, are put together," said Dobbs. New technology in radio astronomy is allowing us to probe the cosmos in ways that seemed far out of reach not too long ago. Were pursuing these strategies to construct a laboratory on the sky. The award includes $140,000 over two years in research funding. Christopher Wimer is the co-director of the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University and a researcher focusing on the measurement of poverty and disadvantage in both local and national contexts, as well as historical trends in poverty and the impacts of social policies on the poverty rate. The project director of the Columbia Population Research Center's Robin Hood Poverty Tracker, which monitors how New York City residents cope with disadvantage, he holds a Ph.D. in sociology and social policy from Harvard University. Governments around the nation are working to design the best vaccine policies that keep both their employees and their residents safe. Although the latest data shows a variety of polarizing perspectives, there are clear emerging best practices that leading governments are following to put trust first: creating policies that are flexible and provide a range of options, and being in tune with the needs and sentiments of their employees so that they are able to be dynamic and accommodate the rapidly changing situation. A steady drumbeat of staff departures at the National Governors Association (NGA) raised red flags among the groups top leaders, setting off a two-month standoff that ended recently with the ouster of the groups executive director.In a series of phone calls between governors over the past few weeks, they discussed with growing alarm a culture of opacity at the Washington-based NGA, which has had an annual budget of about $15 million in recent years, according to federal tax filings.On April 26, the entire executive committee of nine governors held a conference call and decided to force out Scott Pattison, who held the top job for nearly four years.At least one more senior NGA official is on her way out: Tiffany Shackelford, the groups chief strategic officer and a close Pattison ally, will be leaving in the coming days.The NGAs chairman and vice chair Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), respectively addressed the remaining staffers on Thursday to soothe frayed nerves. Bullock conferenced in from Helena; Hogan made the hour-long drive from Annapolis to be there in person."Gov. Hogan expressed his appreciation to NGA employees for all they do every day on behalf of the nations governors, said Michael Ricci, Hogans spokesman. He talked about how it is in the states where we set the pace for addressing the big challenges of the day, an The Oglala Sioux tribe in South Dakota has told the state's governor that she's no longer welcome to access the Pine Ridge Reservation, one of the largest in the country, because she signed bills that allegedly target Keystone XL pipeline protesters.The tribe's president, Julian Bear Runner, informed Gov. Kristi Noem of the council's unanimous decision in an open letter."I am hereby notifying you that you are not welcome to visit our homelands, the Pine Ridge Reservation, until you rescind your support for SB 189 and SB 190 and affirm to your state and this country that First Amendment rights to free, political speech are among the truths you hold to be self-evident," he said in the letter.He added that if Noem did not honor the directive, "we will have no choice but to banish you."Tribal banishment is a permanent ban from the reservation, and violations are punishable by law with fines or even jail time.Trump may appeal ruling halting Keystone XL pipelineIn a statement to CNN, Noem's press secretary Kristin Wileman said the announcement from the Oglala Sioux tribal leadership "is inconsistent with the interactions she has had with members of the community." The Florida Legislature today approved a narrow interpretation of Amendment 4 in a bill that will likely disenfranchise tens of thousands of felons from voting and undermine the promise of the historic 2018 ballot measure.The bill is the result of a deal between Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate, who chose to interpret Amendment 4 narrowly by crafting a bill that erects hurdles for felons who want to register to vote. The bill outlines a restoration process that will likely be different throughout the state, raising legal concerns.The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Democratic lawmakers begged him Friday to veto the bill.I call on you now, governor, Rep. Wengay Newt Newton, D-St. Petersburg, pleaded. Please do the right thing.The bill, crafted in the final days of the legislative session, requires felons to pay off all fines, fees and restitution before voting.But it allows felons to petition a judge to waive those fees or fines, or convert them to community service hours. If the felon owes restitution to a victim, the victim must approve allowing a judge to waive the money or having it converted to community service hours.Its a far cry from what the creators of Amendment 4 wanted.Their amendment was simple, and was intended to overturn a 150-year-old racist law that was successful at keeping black people from voting. The language said felons could vote as long as theyve completed all terms of their sentence including parole or probation.They envisioned the Legislature passing no bill, and felons simply being allowed to vote after serving out their prison and probation time.But Republican lawmakers rejected that idea, especially after elections supervisors said they wanted some guidance from Tallahassee.Lawmakers pointed to testimony by a lawyer for Amendment 4 before the Supreme Court and information on the Florida Rights Restoration Coalitions website to make the case that all terms of sentence includes all court fees, fines and restitution.What Florida ended up with is a much more complicated and expensive system for felons who want to vote, and a system that could be wildly different depending on where the felon was convicted.Requiring restitution, which goes to repay victims, be repaid before voting is a boondoggle in itself. Some felons dont know whom they have to repay, either because the victim died, or the business that was victimized closed or was absorbed by another company.And restitution is one of the few aspects of a criminal case that isnt tracked. Because no one tracks it, Florida will likely spend millions trying to create such a system so officials can verify if a felon has repaid restitution.Lawmakers issued another $750,000 to the Commission on Offender Review in next years budget to process the potential surge in applications.And requiring felons to petition a judge for financial relief is complicated, and potentially a burden on the already-stressed court system, one former judge said.How a felon would navigate the system is also unclear. Rep. Jamie Grant, R-Tampa, said he imagines each circuit court would create a form felons can fill out to streamline the process.And would felons need to hire lawyers to navigate the courts? Brandes said he does not believe so, but Gordon Weekes, the chief assistant public defender in Broward County, said felons almost certainly would.You could do it yourself, but navigating the courts pro se is like jousting with a windmill, Weekes said.And the system likely excludes two other classes of felons from voting.The petition process does not apply to people convicted in federal court. So the woman who told lawmakers in March she owes $59 million in restitution, for example, would almost certainly never be able to vote.And because the bill only applies to Floridas circuit courts, felons who were convicted in another state have no path to being able to vote.The bill does do one thing to help felons, however: the burden is on government to prove that a felon has obligations outstanding.That would help felons who have cases that are decades old and are unable to get proof from the victim that theyve paid back their restitution.This bill does not require an applicant to prove anything, Grant said. If were not able, as government, to document there is an outstanding term, then the tie goes to the applicant.State Rep. Michael Grieco, D-Miami Beach, feared the bill puts too much power in the hands of judges around the state who could wield that power disproportionately. He compared it to Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.I have a feeling were going to come back next year or later this year and were going to be de-glitching a lot of this, Grieco said. We havent created the right framework to get this right. I think this is far from a perfect product. (TNS) Senate appropriators hope to wrap up negotiations this week on a bipartisan disaster relief package that can get President Donald Trumps support, while House Democrats plan to forge ahead with a vote on their own preferred proposal.The House bill would provide $17.2 billion in aid to areas affected by recent natural disasters. The measure is similar to one the chamber passed in January, but it includes an additional $3 billion to address subsequent floods in the Midwest and tornadoes in the South.Other additions to the House measure from January include $1.5 billion for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction projects that would reduce flood risks, $1 billion for Community Development Block Grant funding for rebuilding efforts, and $500 million for the Department of Agricultures Emergency Conservation Program to assist farmers and ranchers whose land was damaged.Senate Republicans and Trump oppose the House measure because they feel it includes too much money for Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory they believe hasnt wisely spent the funds already provided since two devastating hurricanes in 2017.Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby and ranking Democrat Patrick J. Leahy are expected to meet again Monday afternoon to discuss a possible compromise. Even if they reach one, its not clear whether Trump or House Democrats would support it, making a resolution this week still questionable.Trump has a campaign rally scheduled for Wednesday evening in Panama City Beach, Florida, on the panhandle a region still dealing with the damage from last falls Hurricane Michael.The House is also using its disaster bill as a vehicle to extend the National Flood Insurance Program through Sept. 30. The program is scheduled to expire this month absent congressional action.Another bill House Democrats are planning to vote on would block the Trump administration from implementing its guidance allowing states to offer health insurance plans that do not meet the requirements of the 2010 health care law.The administrations guidance for such Section 1332 waivers encourages states to offer short-term plans and association health plans, which Democrats have called junk insurance plans that wont provide coverage for pre-existing conditions.This vote would come on the heels of the Justice Department filing a brief last week, asking the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to strike down the entire 2010 law.Meanwhile, the main business of the Senate is once again confirming more of the presidents nominees, including two choices for the New York-based federal appeals court.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has also moved to limit debate on three pending nominees for the Export-Import Bank, lining up midweek votes.The board of the Ex-Im Bank has gone without a quorum since early 2015, limiting its authority to approve transactions to those under $10 million, a reality that has led to a significant reduction in business for the finance agency.Confirming the three nominees now in line for floor consideration Kimberly A. Reed as president, and former Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus and Judith DelZoppo Pryor as board members would reconstitute the quorum.Critics of the bank, including Shelby, did not request a roll call vote during the Banking Committee markup, but loud "no" votes could be heard in the room.Off the floor, eyes will continue to be on the House and Senate Judiciary committees continued response to special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham said the issue is over for him, but the South Carolina Republican will likely be waiting on a response from Mueller to a letter he sent Friday. In it, Graham asked the special counsel whether he wants to testify about a conversation he had with Attorney General William Barr after Barr released his initial conclusions of Muellers probe. That was the subject of much speculation at Barrs Senate Judiciary hearing last week.Please inform the Committee if you would like to provide testimony regarding any misrepresentation by the Attorney General of the substance of that phone call, Graham wrote.House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, meanwhile, is far from done examining the Mueller report. The New York Democrat is still trying to get Barr to respond to his subpoena asking the attorney general to give Congress the full, unredacted version and underlying investigatory materials.Barr deliberately missed the subpoenas May 1 deadline, but Nadler is giving him one last shot to comply or attempt to reach a compromise accommodation by Monday at 9 a.m.If the (Justice) 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 said in a Friday letter to Barr.If Nadler commences contempt proceedings this week, it will almost certainly overshadow anything else happening in Congress.Hearing highlights The Senates most notable hearing for the week might come Tuesday morning, when the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee holds a hearing on the FBI budget for fiscal 2020, with both an open and closed session scheduled with Director Christopher Wray.Since the House doesnt return for legislative business until Tuesday, three House subcommittees are taking the time away from Washington on Monday to host field hearings.The House Administration Subcommittee on Elections will hold a hearing on voting rights and election administration in Broward County, Florida, where equipment breakdowns and ballot issues led to multiple vote recounts in the 2018 election.In New York City, the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism will discuss efforts to counter the terror threat there. More locally, the Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations will hold a hearing titled Government Shutdowns: Contract Killers in Fairfax, Virginia.Back in Washington on Wednesday, the full House Administration panel will hold a hearing on election security. Also that day, the Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on the rise of domestic terrorism, while the Ways and Means panel will examine paid family leave policies.2019 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights ReservedVisit CQ Roll Call at www.rollcall.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (TNS) Shared electric scooters, which have been a source of both fun and controversy in other cities, are coming to Chicago next month.The city on Wednesday released details of a pilot program allowing electric scooter sharing in a large section of the Northwest, Southwest and West sides, including such diverse neighborhoods as Austin, Avondale, Pilsen and South Lawndale, but leaving out the Loop and communities along the lakefront.The program has been expected in the wake of a report in March from Mayor Rahm Emanuels mobility task force, which recommended a pilot within a defined area rather than all over the city. The scooter program will be similar to bike sharing, in that users will pay for a trip, then leave the scooter for another user.Scooters can potentially provide an affordable, environmentally friendly transportation solution for thousands of Chicagoans, Sharon Feigon, executive director of the Shared Use Mobility Center, a nonprofit that advocates for shared ways to get around, said in a statement. We are very excited to test the impact of this new mobility option in Chicago.Chicago is using the pilot to test how scooters can help reduce car use, get commuters to and from transit and increase access to transportation, Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld said.Scooters have been a source of contention in other cities because of concerns that they litter sidewalks and pose a safety hazard to both riders and pedestrians. Chicagos program includes rules that try to address those potential problems.The program, which will run from June 15 through Oct. 15, limits speeds to 15 mph and restricts where the scooters can be parked. It will include a minimum of 2,500 and a maximum of 3,500 scooters in the pilot area, divided evenly among selected vendors. Vendors have not yet been chosen the biggest nationally are Bird and Lime, both based in California.Those two vendors issued similar emailed statements Wednesday.Bird said it was eager to serve Chicago communities with our equitable and environmentally friendly alternative to short car trips.Lime said it looked forward to submitting our application to demonstrate the value Lime can offer Chicago in providing a more affordable, equitable transportation solution that helps get people out of cars.Thom Rickert, an emerging risks specialist at Trident Public Risk Solutions who has been studying electric scooters, said he thinks the citys pilot can work because of its limits.Its tougher in more congested urban areas, because youre interacting with pedestrians and cars and infrastructure not designed for that kind of vehicle, Rickert said. The best thing to do is have a limited release in a restricted area.DePaul University transportation expert Joseph Schwieterman said the city was smart to agree to only a small program.This pilot is large enough to help significantly improve mobility while still having safeguards, he said in an email. He added that the mobility benefits on the Southwest Side will be especially large, due to gaps in that areas transit service.The city requires that scooters be parked in a way that does not clutter sidewalks. That means they must be parked upright and cannot block bus stops, loading zones or doors into buildings, the city program rules say. Vendors must remove scooters not parked lawfully within two hours of any complaint, the city says.The scooters cannot be ridden on sidewalks or between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.Scooters can be located and unlocked using a smartphone, though vendors will have to offer services for nonsmartphone users and cash-based options, the city says. Pricing details were not immediately available.The pilot zone will be bounded by Halsted Street and the Chicago River on the east, Irving Park Road on the north, the city boundary and Harlem Avenue on the west and the Chicago River on the south. This area is more sparsely served by the Divvy bike share program than neighborhoods farther east.The pilot zone includes two priority areas, where at least 25 percent of scooters must be placed every morning. The northern priority area is bounded by Chicago Avenue to the south, Irving Park to the north, Pulaski Road to the east and the city boundary to the west; the southern area will have Chicago Avenue to the north, Kedzie Avenue to the east, the Chicago River to the south and the city boundary to the west.It will be important to guard against people riding or parking scooters inappropriately on the sidewalk, or filling up the citys already limited bike lane network, said Ron Burke, executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance, an advocacy group for cyclists, pedestrians and transit. Burke added that the group is pleased that the pilot includes many diverse communities.For decades cities have designed streets around cars and other modes have largely been ignored resulting in more dangerous streets for everyone, Burke said in an emailed statement. More Chicagoans riding scooters can help us win street space back from cars carrying one or two people, and get more people walking, biking, and riding public transit.The city also did a pilot to test dockless bikes last year . This year the city chose to use Lyft, which operates Divvy, as its sole bike-share operator Solar and the Pennsylvania Landscape Global Rising (TNS) Down a gravel road close to what constitutes downtown Slovan in rural Washington County, Pa., roughly 3,500 solar panels stand in a field of green grass, their blue-hued faces tilted toward the sun.The development, one of the largest solar farms in Western Pennsylvania, spans 4.5 acres and can power about 750 homes. Its just a small part of a national trend infiltrating the Pennsylvania landscape.A similar project is slated to occupy 12 acres of Hempfield, Westmoreland County. Almost 11,000 solar panels will be visible from Hunker-Waltz Mill Road, near Westinghouse Electric Co.But the state still has a long way to go, with only three major solar farm projects powering roughly 575 homes and one business Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Snyders-Lance in Hanover and Elizabethtown Solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, or SEIA, a solar energy advocacy group.Westmoreland and Allegheny counties have no big solar projects, according to a report by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.The report does not include individual panels on the rooftops of residential homes, said Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, press secretary for the PUC.While there are few solar farm developments in the immediate area, Pennsylvania has a growing number of solar jobs.Between 2017 and 2018, the number of jobs increased by 10%, accounting for almost 4,220 workers, according to Avery Palmer, communications director at The Solar Foundation, a nonprofit organization promoting solar and solar technology.Most of the jobs will be at companies that install solar on rooftops or commercial businesses, Palmer said. With that said, large utility-scale farms are a major job creator in other states, and developing these projects could help create even more solar jobs in Pennsylvania.An increasing number of local governments and businesses are looking to solar energy to reduce costs and meet clean energy goals, Palmer said.Energy from the Hempfield farm will feed to the Hunker Wastewater Plant run by the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County.The authority will not be required to pay for the cost of building, maintaining or operating the farm, said Matthew Junker, MAWC spokesman, but they are required to purchase energy from it.According to David Hommrich, president of Green Tree-based Sunrise Energy, contractor and owner of the project, the farm will generate about 5 million kilowatt hours per year an amount that could power more than 450 average U.S. homes for a year, according to InsideEnergy.org.A December 2018 study by SEIA showed there was roughly 400 megawatts worth of solar energy installed across Pennsylvania. In 2017, only 62 megawatts of solar energy was installed. That means about 300,000 homes could now be powered through solar energy.And with 560 solar companies in Pennsylvania including two in Westmoreland County solar is on the rise.As solar costs continue to fall, and with the right policies in place, dont be surprised if Pennsylvania sees a surge in installed solar capacity and the jobs and local economic activity, said Sean Gallagher, vice president of state affairs for SEIA, adding that he expects to see rural communities, families and businesses taking advantage of the power source.Since 2016, Gov. Tom Wolf has worked to provide incentives for solar energy by restarting the states Solar Energy Program, which provides grants and loans to those interested in investing in solar power.By 2017, the program offered a $30 million grant program aimed at advancing solar energy, followed by the announcement of almost 80 new Solar Energy Program projects in 22 counties across the state last year.The projects represented our forward-thinking approach to powering our state and will provide numerous benefits to the businesses, schools and community centers receiving the funding, Wolf said at the time.And thanks to government-issued maps, individuals and businesses can see the average daily total solar resource on a county-by-county basis.The solar insolation maps, produced by the U.S. Department of Energy, show rays are typically stronger in either side of the state. The maps are based on cloud coverage and the number of clear days in specific areas. They are an average of hourly models analyzed over eight years.Hommrich said the maps help determine how many solar panels would be needed in certain areas to power homes or businesses.Its not black and white. Were not like Phoenix, Ariz., but theres still plenty of sunlight, he said, adding that theres often a misconception about the amount of sunlight in Pennsylvania.Allegheny County sees slightly more sunlight than Westmoreland County, the maps show.While Pennsylvanias solar landscape is seemingly just kicking off, its a concept that been used by businesses across the nation and around the world.In the United States, a 200 megawatt solar farm in Reno, Nev., powers Apples data center, and a 2.2 megawatt farm in Lordstown, Ohio, powered a Chevy Cruze plant before it closed in March. Chevrolet has another dozen solar farms in operation worldwide.In 2015, Apple announced an $848 million investment in a solar farm to power its California operations, part of the companys decision to use renewable energy for 100% of its worldwide operations.Despite the rise of solar energy across the nation, the U.S. still lags behind countries like China and India where some of the worlds largest solar farms reside.According to Forbes Magazine, China produces 130 gigawatts of solar energy each year, which can power 103 million homes, while India produces 75 gigawatts of solar energy, enough to power about 58 million homes.A proposed 200 gigawatt solar farm in Saudi Arabia is expected to triple solar energy production in the Middle East by 2030, Popular Mechanics reported, powering about 158 million homes.While China and India race for the top spot, the United States produces 60 gigawatts of solar energy, followed by Japan with 46 gigawatts of solar power.Weve turned a corner where solar is competitive and sometimes cheaper than fossil fuels, Hommrich said. Moving Away From Towers Health Concerns Regulatory Fight Looms (TNS) In late January, a small group of residents held a protest beneath the object of their collective scorn: a small cell antenna mounted on a utility pole at a busy intersection near Roosevelt Middle School in Eugene, Ore."We don't want it here. ... This technology is way, way, way stronger than all of our other technologies," protester Bekki Brucker told a local television reporter The technology is 5G, short for 5th Generation, the next iteration of cellular communication that promises blazing-fast speed and could, if you believe the prognosticators, redefine our relationship with the Internet.There is no 5G service in the local area it only just launched in a few major cities and there's no timeline for when it will be available locally. Telecommunication companies are laying the groundwork for it, however, having installed more than a dozen small-cell antennas and associated equipment in Eugene so far. These locations now help provide 4G LTE service, the current iteration of the technology, to customers but could be part of a local 5G network in the future.For a technology with an unknown arrival date, 5G already is casting a long shadow among residents and city leaders concerned about its potential effects on public health and how the technology can be regulated locally.A month before the rally, Eugene city officials also took aim at 5G, or, more specifically, the Federal Communications Commission's effort to accelerate its rollout nationwide . Last fall, the FCC issued an order to stop what it termed "outlier" cities from inhibiting 5G's deployment with unreasonable fees, long delays and onerous land-use regulations. Eugene and many other cities and counties sued. The suit, since consolidated and pending before the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals, claims the agency's actions are an illegal overreach of the federal government's authority over local matters.Then in April, after hearing concerns from about two dozen residents about the potential health impacts, the Eugene City Council approved a nonbinding resolution urging federal regulators to update studies examining any potential health effects from 5G. Around the same time, U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio wrote a letter to the FCC asking it to provide more information to reassure the public about its safety.The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, has classified cellular technology as "possibly carcinogenic," but a link between cancer and mobile phone use has not been definitively established. The research continues."I'll be the first to admit I like super-fast phone service as much as the next guy," said Councilor Mike Clark, who has requested a council discussion of the community ramifications of 5G. "If there's a chance that some of these folks are right and this could be more harmful than we understand, then it seems to me the wise thing to do is to study it a little bit more."Mobile phones use radio waves to send and receive data or your voice converted to and from an electrical signal through a cellular network. Phone companies are increasingly moving from large towers to small cell antennas that can be installed on utility poles and street lights, known as collocation, to transmit and receive signals from mobile phones.Radio waves are a form of electromagnetic radiation energy moving through space as a series of electric and magnetic waves as are microwaves, visible light and X-rays.The move to 5G requires a proliferation of the small antennas as the radio waves the technology uses are tiny, don't travel very far and are prone to interference.In theory, a 5G network could transfer data at speeds up to 10 gigabits per second, significantly faster than the current technology, 4G LTE, which now offers average speeds of 30 megabits per second or more. There would be scant or no latency, the delay between when you make a command and it's executed with 5G.The 5G technology has been described as a driving force behind the " Internet of Things ," the concept of adding digital connectivity to physical and everyday objects. Examples include driverless cars and advances in health care and energy management. The FCC has hailed the potential of 5G to "unleash a new wave of entrepreneurship, innovation and economic opportunity for communities across the country."Dr. Stephen Fickas, a computer science professor at the University of Oregon, said there appear to be better alternatives to 5G to realize the Internet of Things, but the cellular technology has definite benefits when it comes to driverless cars."I think their case is correct," he said, referring to the telecommunications companies behind 5G. "They've been doing this for a long time. Cybersecurity is going to be huge in this ... world because a bad player can do all kinds of nasty things if they get into the transportation system."Both AT&T and Verizon, the nation's two largest wireless carriers, have launched 5G service in some major U.S. cities. Samsung is releasing later this month its first 5G-capable phone, costing at least $1,300.Verizon said it will roll out 5G service in at least 30 cities by the end of the year; 22 of which it has named and most are major metropolitan areas with none being in the Pacific Northwest. It has no timeline for when it would bring the service to the local area.Two companies, AT&T and Mobilitie, working on behalf of Sprint, have reached agreements with the city and EWEB to install small cell antennas on city-owned streetlights and utility-owned power poles. The public agencies require the companies to meet its safety, siting and location requirements before they agree to a lease.With a lease in hand, the companies then must secure a permit from the city to install and operate the equipment in the public rights-of-way.The city of Eugene said it's received 90 applications to install small cell antennas and associated equipment so far, with the first coming in July 2017. The city has issued 52 permits to date.Most of the small cell antennas are slated to go on power poles. The utility has agreed to lease about 40 of its poles for collocation so far, and fifteen have been installed as of last week, EWEB reported.More are on the way. Mobilitie said it will install by July eight antennas.The city doesn't individually notify neighboring homeowners when it receives a permit application, but it has developed an online map that pinpoints the location where antennas have been permitted or are being considered.Verizon said the range of its antennas are up to 1,000 feet; the company said it needs to install new antennas to deliver 5G service. A company spokeswoman declined to say how many antenna would need to be installed on a typical city block to provide adequate 5G coverage, saying it's "competitive information."The AT&T spokesman said its equipment is "5G-ready," meaning it can be upgraded via software and allows the company to "offer nationwide 5G coverage more quickly."On April 19, a group held another rally outside South Eugene High School to protest what it called the "new 5G cell tower," different from the one near Roosevelt Middle School.(Again, the antennas and equipment installed on publicly owned poles and streetlights are not currently receiving or transmitting 5G service.)More than a week earlier, about two dozen residents testified before the Eugene City Council, voicing concerns about the potential health effects of 5G and calling on the city to impose a moratorium.The speakers included members of Families for Safe Technology, which was vocal in its opposition to the Eugene Water & Electric Board's ongoing rollout of smart meters due to concerns over electromagnetic radiation. The group has the same concerns about the current and previous generations of cellular technology but allege 5G is even more concerning because it operates at a higher frequencies and requires a dense proliferation of antennas."You have the ability, the right, the authority, the moral and legal duty to deny permits to put up harmful 5G without any excuses," said Abraham Likwornik, a member of Families for Safe Technology. "It's time to implement the precautionary principle better safe than sorry."Although unproven, they maintain regular exposure to low-level, non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation harms human health, including increasing the risk of cancer and lowering sperm counts and fertility rates. Other harm includes sleep disruption, headaches, nerve pain, dizziness and heart palpitations.Ten years of studies by the National Toxicology Program, which is run by the federal health department, found that rats exposed to high levels of radio wave radiation similar to those transmitted and received by earlier-generation cell service developed cancerous heart tumors with some evidence of tumors in the brain and adrenal gland of exposed male rats.But the researchers noted in releasing the results last year the rats' whole bodies were exposed to the radiation, which is not the case for human mobile phone users. In addition, the lowest exposure level for the rats was equal to the maximum local tissue exposure currently allowed for humans under federal standards, which they said rarely occurs with typical cellphone use. The highest exposure level in the studies was four times higher than the maximum level under federal standards.The studies didn't investigate exposure to radio waves from Wi-Fi or 5G networks."5G is an emerging technology that hasn't really been defined yet. From what we currently understand, it likely differs dramatically from what we studied," Michael Wyde, a lead toxicologist on the studies, said in a news release.Rep. DeFazio also sent a letter to the FCC seeking answers from the agency to ensure 5G is safe. He noted the federal government hasn't updated its guidelines for human exposure to radio-wave radiation in more than two decades."My constituents in southwest Oregon have expressed their concerns regarding possible health effects from increased (radio-wave radiation) exposure, particularly in light of upcoming 5G technology," he wrote in an April 15 letter. "They are not alone Americans across the country are expressing similar worries about possible adverse health effects from this technology, and they are understandably demanding answers from the federal government."The resolution approved by the Eugene City Council makes a similar request, urging the FCC to work with other federal agencies to update the studies on the potential health effects from radio-wave radiation in light of 5G's pending arrival.Kathy Ging, an organizer for Families for Safe Technology, said the council action doesn't go far enough."It's like a feather," Ging said. "It doesn't have the force of law in any way."The FCC has ruled city and county governments can't impose a moratorium on small-cell antennas as it would violate federal law. In addition, local governments can't regulate small-cell antennas based on environmental concerns as long as they comply with the FCC rules for radio-wave radiation exposure.Asked if Verizon had any comment about residents' concerns of the potential effects of 5G, the spokeswoman only noted its equipment is required to comply with FCC safety standards.The AT&T spokesman noted that radio-wave radiation to the public "from a typical small cell facility is hundreds of times below conservative FCC limits."To speed the rollout of 5G, the FCC ruled last year that cities can't charge more than $500 in upfront costs, including permit fees, for small-cell antennas installed on utility poles and street lights and no more than $270 per year in lease costs per antenna.The city charges flat lease rate of $200 a month for small-cell equipment, about nine times the rate outlined in the FCC order. The city uses the fees to pay for the day-to-day operation of the municipal government.EWEB charges a $1,000 one-time application fee per site for small cell antennas and equipment, and a $1,800 annual lease fee for pole-top installations. The utility estimated the lease fees will eventually generate about $66,000 a year.The FCC noted the law allows cities and counties to recharge "fair and reasonable compensation" for use of the public rights-of-way but that some local governments charge above that to maximum revenue.The order also decreases the time cities have to review permit applications for small-cell antennas to 60 days from 90 days for equipment on utility poles and streetlights and 90 days from 150 days for new poles.Finally, the order provided guidance about the cities' ability to regulate the aesthetics of a small-cell antennas so they don't stick out like a sore thumbs along public streets.The FCC order doesn't bar these regulations so long as they are reasonable and objective, aren't unfairly burdensome and are published in advance. City staff is reviewing its regulations in light of the federal guidance.In their lawsuit, Eugene and more than two dozen other cities allege the order is a step too far by the FCC into the regulatory affairs of local government."We think that they've overreached and that it's contrary to what the (1996 federal) telecommunications act says," Assistant City Attorney Hwa Go said.FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement that the order is lawful and the resistance by cities will delay the benefits of 5G from reaching the American consumer."They would like to continue extracting as much money as possible in fees from the private sector and forcing companies to navigate a maze of regulatory hurdles in order to deploy wireless infrastructure," he said in a statement announcing the FCC order. "But these actions are not only unlawful, they're also short-sighted." The state of Michigan has appointed a longtime IT veteran as its newest chief technology officer.Jack Harris, who has IT experience dating back to the 1970s, will be helming the position, which operates out of the states Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB).Harris comes to the position not only with extensive experience in the field, but with an intimate history and knowledge of the office that he now heads.For the past seven years, Harris has worked as director of both enterprise architecture and network strategies for the office of the CTO working alongside longtime former Michigan CTO Rod Davenport.During this period, Harris worked to advance "strategies and projects to enhance and direct IT services and capabilities to support the growing and changing business needs" for the state government, according to his LinkedIn profile After Davenport announced last August that he would be stepping down , Harris took over operations as acting CTO, said Caleb Buhs, communications director for DTMB.Between then and now, DTMB conducted a search for a permanent CTO but ultimately decided that Harris was the best fit for the job, Buhs said."We posted a search and had a lot of great candidates but Jack was the best candidate out there," he said.Harris officially started the position last week.My time as director of enterprise architecture gives me a good view of the enterprise as a whole not just IT but governance, procurement and all of the other things that go along with centralized administration, said Harris in an interview withMoving into the future, Harris said there were a number of big areas he was looking to focus on, one of which was simplifying the agencys IT footprint.Reducing that complexity increases our security, Harris said.Meanwhile, Harris said he was excited to transform the DTMB's main vendor relationships into meaningful partnerships, while also focusing on simplifying systems' user experience, ensuring that state workers are enabled by the systems and not hampered by them, he said."Jack has 42 years of IT experience with the state of Michigan so his depth and breadth of knowledge ... is extensive," Buhs said. "Quite frankly, Jack always has a steady demeanor. He's a strong leader. In the IT world there's constant change and constantly something to be addressed as well, and Jack does a good job of leading that team with a calm, steadfast style that really plays well to ensure maximum success," he said.Michigan is also currently looking to hire a new CIO, but no search has yet been officially announced. Photo: The Canadian Press U.S. officials have threatened to pull the F-35 out of the competition to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's aging CF-18 fighters over the Liberal government's plan to ask bidders to re-invest some of the giant purchase contract in Canadian industry. The warnings are in two letters sent to the government last year and obtained by defence analyst Richard Shimooka. They were released in a report published Monday by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute think-tank. They say the requirement is incompatible with Canada's obligations as a member of the group of countries working together to develop the F-35 stealth fighter in the first place. While the re-investment requirement is standard for most Canadian military procurements, the U.S. officials note Canada agreed not to include it when it signed on as one of nine F-35 partner countries in 2006. Companies in those countries must instead compete for work associated with the plane only companies from those countries are eligible, but they're supposed to compete on equal footing. The U.S. officials say conditions on bidders that would privilege Canadian companies will mean the F-35 won't be entered in the race. The F-35, which is built by Lockheed Martin, had been expected to go up against the Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen and Boeing Super Hornet for an 88-plane procurement worth about $19 billion. French company Dassault pulled its Rafale from contention late last year. "In summary, we cannot participate in an offer of the F-35 weapon system where requirements do not align with the F-35 partnership," U.S. Vice-Admiral Mathias Winter, program executive officer for the Pentagon's F-35 office, wrote on Dec. 18. "Such an offer would violate (the F-35 agreement) and place the entire F-35 partnership at risk." In his letter to Paula Folkes-Dallaire, senior director of the fighter-jet program at Public Services and Procurement Canada, Winter asked for clarity by Jan. 31 as to the government's decision on the re-investment requirements. Winter's letter followed a similar one from Ellen Lord, the Pentagon's head of military procurement, on Aug. 31, 2018. Government and industry sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, have confirmed to The Canadian Press that the issue remains unresolved, which is causing frustration and anxiety and will almost certainly delay the start of the competition beyond the end of May. Stephen Harper's Conservatives first announced plans to buy 65 F-35s without a competition in 2010, but backed off that plan over questions about cost and concerns over the Defence Department's tactics in getting government approval for the deal. During the 2015 federal election campaign, Justin Trudeau's Liberals promised they would immediately launch an open and fair competition to replace the CF-18s, but not buy the F-35. The Trudeau government has since said the F-35 will be allowed to compete while officials had been expecting to finally launch that competition in the coming weeks. That the re-investment requirement remains unresolved is both surprising and unsurprising given defence experts have long warned it would be a significant obstacle to running a fair and open competition that includes the F-35. Canada, which has already contributed roughly $500 million over the past 20 years toward developing the F-35, could in theory quit as a partner country, but would have to pay more for the stealth fighters if the F-35 won the competition. Canada could also be on the hook for hundreds of millions more in development fees despite quitting the program, while Canadian companies would not be allowed to compete for work related to the aircraft. The 411 on 911 Change's History (TNS) A change in Georgia law at the beginning of the year was supposed to bring 911 centers in the state more money. But a couple of months into the program, counties in the northwest corner of the state are receiving significantly less revenue than they used to.Through March, Whitfield County has received about $50,000 less per month than it did in the second half of 2018. If the current trend continues, the county will get about $600,000 less over the course of a year. Walker County is getting about $47,000 less per month, aanalysis shows. Catoosa County is getting $20,000 less."It's quite a bit," Whitfield County Administrator Mark Gibson said last week. "I can tell you the board of commissioners is aware of that. And they are, of course, disappointed."Said Catoosa County Manager Alicia Vaughn: "That's a direct hit to the general fund."The funding comes from 911 fees, the $1.50 surcharge customers pay on their monthly phone bills. Companies used to directly send the fees to the appropriate 911 centers. But since Jan. 1, state law has directed the phone companies to send the money to the Georgia Department of Revenue, along with a report outlining how much money each 911 center is supposed to get.Whereas 911 directors used to receive dozens of checks from different phone providers, now they get one check every month from the revenue department. In addition, the new law doubled the 911 fee on prepaid phones from 75 cents to $1.50.State Rep. Alan Powell, sponsor of the law that created the changes, said last year that the new system would be more orderly. Different providers used to send the checks at different times. Some gave them to a 911 center once a month; others did so every six months.What's more, Powell said at the time, the new system would generate more money for the centers. The thinking behind that theory was rather conspiratorial: Some phone companies may not actually be giving the centers the fees they are supposed to. Powell and state officials said the Department of Revenue is better suited to audit the phone providers, holding them accountable.Three months into the program, victory does not seem near."They don't give you a whole lot of information," Walker County Finance Officer Greg McConnell said of the Department of Revenue. "They just send you a bunch of money and expect you to figure it out. I don't think this method will be better than the old method, really."Georgia Emergency Communications Authority Executive Director Michael Nix blamed the problem on a technical glitch. Without going into detail, he said the software for two major phone providers did not properly communicate with the revenue department software. This blocked the money from flowing to the state as it was supposed to."The issues with these two large taxpayers are the main reasons why numbers are lower than expected for the first two distributions," Nix wrote in an email Friday.He said IT workers resolved the problem with one provider around late March. The problem with the second provider was fixed in April. When counties receive another disbursement this month (Nix did not give a specific date), they should see a much bigger check. It may include payments that were supposed to be included in January, February and March.Nix said some phone providers have been slow to begin the new method, instead continuing to send checks to local 911 centers. (Dade County Emergency Services Director Alex Case said his office isn't allowed to keep those checks: "I sent it back and told them who to talk to.")County officials say residents should care about the shortfall this year because, one way or another, the 911 centers will be funded. The fees on phone bills traditionally cover a significant chunk of the expenses. The county's general fund largely from property and sales tax covers the rest.Last year, McConnell said, 911 fees covered about two-thirds of the $1.5 million spent to run Walker County's 911 center. Whitfield County Emergency Management Director Claude Craig estimated the fees covered about three-fourths of the $2.3 million used there.To estimate the dropoff experienced so far this year, theanalyzed revenue from July through December, received directly from the counties. It then examined the revenue given to those counties by the state this year, posted on the Emergency Communications Authority website.While the analysis showed big drops in Catoosa, Walker and Whitfield counties, it did not show much of a change in Dade County. Compared to the revenue from July through December there, monthly income from 911 fees is down about $400 since January.The major drops came from the money remitted from monthly phone bills. But each of the counties analyzed saw gains in prepaid phone receipts. That makes sense: The fee for prepaid phones doubled in January. Even so, those gains are about half of what the counties would have expected.With the fees doubling, it would have made sense to see twice as much money from prepaid phones. But Catoosa, Dade, Walker and Whitfield counties each saw increases of about 50 percent about the half the increase that a doubled fee could have yielded.Georgia lawmakers contemplated this change in 2014, when state Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, led the 911 System Modernization Study Committee. A report the lawmakers released that year argued all the fees should flow through the Department of Revenue, believing the state would be better positioned to audit the phone companies.The legislature passed a bill to reroute the money in 2017, but Gov. Nathan Deal declined to sign it because he did not believe the new Emergency Communications Authority would be placed under the proper agency. (The Authority created by the bill consists of a 15-member board, which is supposed to advocate for federal grants for 911 centers. State officials hope to fund technology upgrades, eventually letting residents text and send videos to 911 centers, tools that could help police and prosecutors.)During a Public Safety and Homeland Security Hearing in February 2018, multiple witnesses expressed a distrust of phone companies. With each 911 center receiving its own check, auditing the companies was difficult. They argued that needed to change."We had no teeth," Georgia 9-1-1 Directors Association President Greg Whitaker testified. "We didn't know where the money was coming from, where it was going. We didn't know how to audit it. There's centers out there that need these funds badly."Debra Nesbit, associate legislative director of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, made a similar argument in her testimony. Last month, she told theshe has heard concerns about the 911 fees from several counties. She said several of the problems seem to lie with the phone companies.She told local government leaders to wait a couple more months to evaluate where their revenue stands."Everybody needs to take a deep breath," she said, "and give them a little bit of time." Pirelli's Mario Isola has fended off Haas' complaint about the difficult 2019 tyres. Haas has an objectively fast car this year, but the American team is struggling more than any other rival to get temperature into the tyres in the race. Team boss Gunther Steiner has said the situation is "not Formula 1". But Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola distanced the Italian tyre supplier from Haas' issues. "I find it difficult to judge, because it is related to their chassis," he is quoted by Russia's Championat. "It seems that in qualifying they are fast, but in the race the temperature of the tyres drops and they cannot maintain the same speed. "They need to find a way to load the rubber more strongly, as they were designed to work most effectively at high temperatures," Isola said. (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve says F1 drivers have "no respect" for their on track rivals. And the 1997 world champion says that trend was started by his great nemesis, Michael Schumacher. "He had a total lack of respect for other drivers and what racing is all about," Villeneuve told the Swedish newspaper Expressen. "It started an era where everyone does the same. I look at Formula 2 and Formula 3 and it's strange that we don't have a couple of deaths every year. "In F1 it's almost everyone too. They change lines and move when braking -- things you should not see," Villeneuve said. Villeneuve said there is a notable exception on the F1 grid -- five time world champion Lewis Hamilton. "Lewis is great because so far he has done nothing that is beyond the boundaries," said the French Canadian. "That's the big difference - he's more of a gentleman on the track. A quick driver but clean." (GMM) The man at the centre of the former F1 race in Valencia, Spain, has been indicted in court. A judge found that there is "consistent" evidence that former Valencia president Francisco Camps was involved in embezzlement, bribery and falsification of documents related to the construction of the F1 track. Valencia hosted Formula 1 for five consecutive years until 2012. Camps is just one of 16 people who will be similarly prosecuted, the EFE news agency reports. (GMM) Photo: VicPD Police in Victoria seized more than $30,000 worth of illegal drugs in a raid linked to organized crime in the Lower Mainland. A vehicle was also seized in the month-long investigation. Police arrested a woman April 5 in Langford and searched a home, finding 1,000 packages of drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, CTV News reports. The suspect faces charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, and driving while prohibited. with files from CTV Vancouver Island Zotye USAs first vehicle for the US market will be the T600 compact CUV. Zotye expects to be the first Chinese automaker to sell vehicles in the United States under its own brand name. The T600 made its debut at the Shanghai Motor Show in April and will go on sale in China next year. T600 in Shanghai The US model is expected to use a 1.6L inline four-cylinder engine with turbocharging and a six-speed automatic transmission. Zotye USA is currently planning to bring in at least two additional vehicles, a mid-size CUV and a sedan. Timing for when those vehicles will go on sale has not yet been announced. Zotye USAs formation was announced on 13 November 2018 as the exclusive sales and distribution company of Zotye Automobiles for the US market. Zotye USA announced in January that it had signed agreements for 19 new vehicle sales locations. Today, the number of locations stands at 60 and the company anticipates it will have close to 300 locations in the top 100 markets by the time the T600 goes on sale. Total size of the Zotye USA sales network is expected to be about 325 locations. Researchers from Hebei University of Technology, CATARC (China Automotive Technology & Research Center) qnd Shandong University report that soot and CO emissions could be substantially reduced in direct-injected natural gas engines without penalties in NO x and thermal efficiency via the coordination of PNPI (proportion of natural gas pre-injection), NPSOI (injection timing of natural gas pre-injection) and EGR. In a paper in the journal Fuel, Li et al. applied partially premixed combustion mode to a direct-injection natural gas engine based on a 3D model coupled with a dual-fuel chemical kinetic mechanism (n-heptane/natural gas). They analyzed the effects of the proportion of the natural gas pre-injection and the injection timing of the natural gas pre-injection based on the combustion and emission results. To optimize further the partially premixed combustion mode, they also assessed the combined use of partially premixed combustion mode and EGR (exhaust gas recirculation). It is widely accepted that internal combustion engines are one of the most predominant contributors to atmospheric pollution. Owing to the advantages in emission reduction and reserves, natural gas engines are more and more concerned. Currently, the more stringent emission standards call for more advanced technologies of emission control in natural gas engines. In high pressure direct injection natural gas engines, the combustion mode can be flexibly changed by adjusting injection parameters to achieve optimum generally performance, making it a favorable choice for the development of future natural gas engine. It can be concluded from the previous studies that partially premixed combustion mode is a promising way to reduce PM and CO emissions of direct injection natural gas engines owing to its low knocking tendency and high control flexibility. Nevertheless, the CFD model used in the previous study was based on very detailed mechanisms, which means the calculations have high demand for computational resources; moreover, they didnt provide detailed analysis of the effects of the injection parameters and how the partially premixed combustion mode can be optimized. The object of this paper is to assess the potential of partially pre- mixed combustion mode in achieving higher thermal efficiency and lower emissions. Li et al. Among the findings: When partially premixed combustion mode is applied, pressure rise rate is higher and ITE is improved at most cases, implying that the appropriate use of partially premixed combustion mode can obtain better fuel economy, however, higher combustion noise may be accompanied. The variation of ITE with NPSOI is uncertain at different PNPI while ITE is relatively higher at higher PNPI. The application of partially premixed combustion mode will lead to more sufficient mixing of the natural gas and air; consequently, the regions with low equivalence ratio, high OH concentration and high temperature will be enlarged with the increase of PNPI; meanwhile, during the combustion process, the peak values of the CO and soot fraction traces will be reduced along with increases in the peak values of NO x mole fraction at higher PNPI, resulting in reduced CO and soot emissions with sacrifices in NO x emissions. NPSOI has different optimized values for the control of CO, soot and NO x emissions at different PNPI owing to the coordination between natural gas injection and in-cylinder mixing. The combined use of partially premixed combustion mode and EGR addition eliminates the higher NO x emissions of partially premixed combustion mode. It can be summarized from the results that NO x emissions can be effectively controlled with inevitable increases in CO emissions and soot emissions when EGR is added. Besides, ITE may become lower than that of NGSI combustion mode if EGR is excessively added at PNPI of 30%, 90% and 100%. Generally, best compromise between fuel economy and emissions can be achieve at 50% or 70% PNPI with EGR fraction of 25% and 90% PNPI with EGR fraction of 15%. Li et al. Resources In an opinion piece in the journal Nature, a team from the US and Europe suggests that the transition to a low-carbon world will create new rivalries, winners and losers, and that it is therefore necessary to put geopolitics at the heart of debates about the energy transition. abating carbon will create losers. So far, the policy focus has been on empowering the early winners of an unfolding renewable-energy race. It now needs to switch to the potential conflicts resulting from falling fossil-fuel demand, and the related economic and security risks. For example, rich countries such as Germany can throw billions of dollars at their coal sector to ease their transition pain, offering generous financial aid to lignite-producing regions. Nigeria or Algeria cannot do the same for their oil industry. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait might, and should be encouraged to do so. In their commentary, Andreas Goldthau (Royal Holloway University of London), Kirsten Westphal (German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)), Morgan Bazilian (Colorado School of Mines) & Michael Bradshaw (University of Warwick) present four geopolitical scenarios to illustrate how varied the transition could be by 2030. Big green deal. This scenario assumes a full global consensus for action on climate change. G20 countries build a generous Green Climate Fund, well above the $100-billion-a-year goal in the Paris climate agreement. Financial markets divest fossil-fuel assets and reallocate capital to low-carbon firms. Green-technology corporations dominate the Fortune 500 by 2030. A wave of green globalization allows all countries to share in the benefits of decarbonization. Petro-states are compensated to transition smoothly to a sustainable economy, avoiding a last-ditch attempt to flood the world with cheap oil and gas. The result is a winwin for climate and security. Geopolitical friction is low. Technology breakthrough. A major technological advance steers the world along a different path. The US and China take the lead in scaling up the technology, given their large markets, tech-friendly regulatory environments and industry giants, such as Google and the State Grid Corporation of China. But competition between nations also spikes. The world fractures into two camps in a clean-tech cold war. Technology leaders hold the power. Other countries gravitate towards one of the leaders, reinforcing regional blocs and increasing rivalry. These blocs seek to control the materials needed, such as rare-earth metals, cobalt and lithium. They might also withhold access to technologies from nations outside their groups. The renewables race displaces fossil fuels quickly, but some regions lose out. Europe lags behind China and the United States because its single market remains less integrated. Russia might align with China. Some developing nations are excluded from advanced energy know-how altogether, compromising the SDGs. Fossil-fuel producers have to adapt rapidly to falling demand. Some dont manage, and political tensions rise in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Dirty nationalism. Elections bring populists to power in the worlds largest democracies; nationalism grows. Nation-first policies put a premium on self-sufficiency, favoring domestic energy sources over imported ones. This drives the development of fossil fuels, including coal and shale production, as well as renewables. States ring-fence their industries and zero-sum logic returnsone countrys gain means anothers loss. Public opinion turns against foreign energy investors. Energy markets fragment in the face of protectionism, which limits economies of scale and slows progress towards decarbonization. Fossil-fuel exporters rush to produce as much as they can, despite falling prices and constraints on trade. Power rivalries marginalize the UN and undermine multilateral institutions such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). EU nations disagree, weakening joint policies. This wrecks the Paris climate agreement and the mechanism of voluntary emission cuts underpinning it. I write this letter to the editor with a heavy heart. You see, if not for a temporary stay by a federal judge, May was the month that North Carolina was to be penalized for no apparent fact-based reason. The Trump-Pence administration has made what could only be called an arbitrary decision to take away Title X funds from several states, one of which is ours, North Carolina. Although our local Planned Parenthood branches have complied with all federal regulations throughout the years, if the administration has its way, scores of women would no longer be able to receive affordable services. Indeed, 15,000 patients in North Carolina and Virginia would be cut off from sliding-scale cancer screenings, birth control, STI tests and other crucial primary and preventive health services. Additionally, the federal regulations are set to change in another drastic way. The so-called gag rule would punish our individual health care providers if they consult with patients in a manner unlike what Trump and Pence feel is right for womens health. HARTFORD A few days after information released for the first time by the state Department of Public Health showed more than 100 schools with immunization rates for measles below the standard, Attorney General William Tong issued an opinion that its legal for lawmakers to get rid of the religious exemption. Tongs formal opinion, his first as attorney general, says There is no serious or reasonable dispute as to the States broad authority to require and regulate immunizations for children: the law is clear that the State of Connecticut may create, eliminate or suspend the religious exemption in Section 10-204a(a) in accordance with its well-settled power to protect public health and safety. The opinion was in response House Majority Leader Matt Ritters request for a formal opinion regarding the constitutionality of eliminating the religious exemption for required immunizations. Currently, preschool and school-aged children can present a statement saying they are not immunized because it would be contrary to the religious beliefs of such a child or the parents or guardian of such child. Ritter pointed to the recent measles outbreaks in New York and the Pacific Northwest as the reason the religious exemption should be eliminated. Hes promised to hold a vote on the issue within the next year and he hopes Tongs decision helped inform his colleagues. As you may know three states California, Mississippi, and West Virginia currently do not have a religious or philosophical exemption for required school immunizations. In addition, the lack of either exemption has been challenged and upheld under federal constitutional principles, Ritter wrote in his letter. Ritter said he plans to talk with House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, and Senate President Martin Looney about whether theres an appetite to get rid of the religious exemption this year. He said they thought they would have to pass a law to get access to the school-level data and now within a matter of days they have the opinion from Tong. Ritter, who has two school-aged children, said its an important issue that no one thought they would be dealing with this year. He said he was unable to predict what would happen next. Tong said he doesnt have an opinion as to whether the state should eliminate the religious exemption because thats a policy decision for the legislature and the governor. Tongs opinion focused on the constitutionality under both the federal and state constitution. Despite a diligent search, we have been unable to find a Connecticut case that has held that a religious exemption from school vaccinations was constitutionally required, Tong wrote. On the contrary, over 100 years ago, the Connecticut Supreme Court upheld mandatory school immunizations. Bissell v. Davison, 65 Conn. 183 (1894). More recently, a superior court case has upheld the constitutional dimensions of immunization in the context of a child custody case. In the custody case, Tong said the court noted that religious freedom in this country is not an absolute right and that the right of parents to raise their children in accord with their personal and religious beliefs must yield when the health of the child is at risk or when there is a recognized threat to public safety. There are at least 44 lawmakers, 41 Republicans and three Democrats, who have expressed their opinion against removing the religious exemption. They also wrote to Tong outlining why, under federal and state law, they believe it would be both unnecessary and illegal to eliminate the religious exemption. One of their arguments was that Connecticut doesnt have a problem. Connecticut currently has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country at 98.2 percent, far greater than the 75-86 percent required to achieve herd immunity for mumps, the 80-86 percent required for polio, and the 83-94 percent required for measles, the 44 lawmakers said. The use of the religious exemption in Connecticut, therefore, poses absolutely no threat to public health or safety. However, Ritter believes that argument was weakened Friday by the release of data there are more than 100 schools where the immunization standard for measles is below the 95 percent minimum rate. Ritter said Monday that the information was shocking and many lawmakers were still digesting it. The other argument the 44 lawmakers made in the letter in support of the religious exemption was that eliminating it would force parents with strongly held religious beliefs to homeschool their children. They said this requirement would violate Connecticuts constitution that mandates there shall always be free public elementary and secondary schools in the state. But Tong says in a footnote that Connecticuts constitutional guarantee of free public education does not limit the States power to require vaccinations. Consulting has quickly become one of the most attractive ways to be your own boss. From providing online training sessions and seminars to one-on-one consultations with other entrepreneurs, there are several avenues available for consultants to make a living. Unfortunately, many people cut themselves off from this opportunity simply because they dont feel that they are enough of an expert in their preferred consulting niche. In reality, while some level of experience is necessary, you dont need to have a master's degree or 20 years of industry experience to make it as a consultant. In fact, theres a good chance you already have everything you need to be a success. If any of these traits describe you, you may want to consider a consulting business. Related: 9 Success Habits of Wealthy People That Cost Nothing 1. You prefer doing something different each day. For most 9-to-5 employees, the routine stays relatively the same day after day. Even when individual projects change, you are still dealing with the same basic products or services, the same target audience and so on. The best consultants crave the possibility of doing something different each day and working with new clients who each have unique challenges. They want to challenge themselves with new experiences. New experiences don't just keep things interesting, they may help with our overall health. According to Dr. Gad Marshall, associate medical director of clinical trials at the Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital, learning new things and stimulating cognitive activity in the brain may be helpful in preventing Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Successful consultants are level-headed and able to look at problems with an analytical mindset. They listen to others to better understand problems and potential solutions. Ultimately, they want to be problem solvers who find new solutions each day. 2. You have a genuine thirst for knowledge. Successful consultants are always learning, and for good reason. As Dustin Wax explains in a blog post for Lifehack, Learning across a wide range of subjects gives us a range of perspectives to call on in our own narrow day-to-day areas of specialization." He continues, "A broad knowledge of unfamiliar situations feeds innovation by inspiring us to think creatively and providing examples to follow. Related: 7 Steps to Becoming an Expert in Your Field A study discussed by the Harvard Business Review notes that high-achieving consultants take this desire for learning into each new project. While they start with background knowledge in their niche, they must also rapidly and discreetly gain knowledge of the clients business to demonstrate their credibility. Consultants use several resources to tackle these challenges, such as finding parallels from past experiences, gaining insights from a clients team and even monitoring people's body language. The knowledge-gaining quest doesnt just require understanding the industry as a whole -- it also requires learning the ins and outs of each client you will work for. 3. Youve already found success in your niche. Past successes are the proof potential clients need that you have the knowledge you claim. Because a good consultant is always learning, you dont need years and years of results to assist others. You can leverage the lessons from even one or two successes to build credibility and lay the foundations for a consulting career. Christ Cantell, a product creator and online marketing specialist, realized his potential as a consultant after only a few forays into SEO. In a recent email, he explained, When I decided to go into SEO, I realized I first needed to prove myself by getting my own site to rank. That initial project subsequently allowed me to gain several new SEO clients, which in turn led me to develop a digital information course. Continued Cantell, I actually spent nine months and all my money on developing that product, but because I knew I had a proven track record, I believed in the courses potential. Within five months of launch, I earned over $1 million from the project. Cantells track record in SEO helped make the launch of his online course a success. Even a single case study or a few client testimonials could be enough to give potential clients confidence that you will be able to help them solve their problems. Related: Sign up for powerful one-on-one online mentor sessions here. 4. Consultants want to help others succeed. Great consultants are great teachers. You dont want to simply show up and solve a businesss problems for them. You want to help them master the tools they need to succeed in the future, as well. A Pearson survey of high school students found that the most effective classroom teachers share a few key traits: they demonstrate compassion and sensitivity to their students, they seek to understand the unique needs and challenges facing individual students and they are committed to helping students succeed and engaging them in the learning process. A great consultant adopts a similar mindset, demonstrating genuine investment in a clients challenges while also ensuring that they will develop the right skill set to attain lasting success after the consultant has moved on to another project. A true desire to share your knowledge and skills is a clear indicator that consulting is right for you. Ultimately, some level of personal experience and background knowledge will be required if you want to establish a credible and effective consulting business. But just as important is developing the right mindset for consulting. Running a consulting business is quite different from being a regular 9-to-5 employee, and as such, its not for everyone. But if you have the desire and the right psychological background, it could be just what you need to take control of your career. Related: Strategies to Overcome Challenges as a Food Entrepreneur Things to Keep in Mind Before Starting a Business in the Indian Beauty & Wellness Space Learn How to Turn a Profit With Photography Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved We all have habits that help us work more productively. These rituals can act as a road map, helping you stay focused and keeping you on track throughout your day. The more time and effort you save, the more productive you will be. Your workday rituals consist of your habits, routine and schedule. They either help you to work smarter or hinder your productivity. By adopting these eight daily rituals, you will enable yourself to stay hyper-focused and productive all day long. 1. Determine your optimal wake-up time and bedtime. There is no magical one-size-fits-all schedule that will suit everyone. Some of us are early risers who relish the morning hours. Others of us are night owls who find our creativity sparks when the rest of the world has gone to sleep. Most of us have a predetermined wake-up time based on our commitments and responsibilities, the needs of our families and job requirements. In general, most of us need around eight hours of sleep to function at our best. Your sleep routine should take all of this into account. Set a bedtime that you can consistently keep to on both weekday and weekend nights. This will establish a schedule for your bodys internal clock, so your body knows when to sleep and when to wake. This will improve the quality of your sleep so that you consistently feel rested and able to function at your best. Related: 14 of the Best Morning Routine Hacks Proven to Boost Productivity 2. Get moving. A great way to lift the veil of grogginess you feel when you first get up is by moving your body. Likewise, after being cooped up sitting at your desk all day, getting out for an afternoon stroll or some exercise can help clear your head. Whether it involves yoga stretches, hitting the treadmill or going for a walk, getting up and moving around is a great way to help your mind focus. In fact, many studies have found that the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory are larger and more developed in people who exercise regularly than in those who dont. Research shows that when we exercise, blood pressure and blood flow increase everywhere in the body. More blood means more energy and oxygen, which are key to helping our brains perform better. Ensure your daily ritual includes movement to keep your mind and your body functioning optimally. 3. Launch yourself into your day. Popular motivational speaker and author Brian Tracy advises people to eat their biggest frog first thing in the morning -- meaning that if you start your day with your biggest, most important or most dreaded task, the rest of your day will be easy by comparison. This can be a great way to get yourself going on a difficult project that is hanging over your head. Unless, of course, the dread of starting your day with a colossal task backfires and makes it even harder to get focused and start working. If thats the case, start your morning by taking on something important but relatively easy to accomplish. The idea is to find a way to launch yourself into a productive mindset. If checking off a few boxes on your daily to-do list gets you going, then do that! If you love taking on that big, hairy project first thing so you can get it over with, then by all means have at it! Related: Optimize Your Daily Schedule for Maximum Productivity -- Here's How 4. Use self-orienting questions to maintain your focus. Throughout the day, as you feel your concentration slip or find yourself doing meaningless or unimportant tasks to fill time, ask yourself the following questions: Whats the most important thing I could be doing right now? How can I get this done faster and more efficiently? Whats a better way to undertake this task? These simple but powerful questions can be used to help you regain your focus and keep your attention where it needs to be. Are you really doing what you need to be doing? If not, what should you be doing? The goal with this is to be more aware of how youre spending your time and not just letting minutes float by. If youre taking a break, thats fine, but make sure you have defined how long your breather is, and know what task you plan to do when you go back to work. 5. Do it now. The only way to get anything done is to do it. It really is that simple, but we often put things off because were caught up in doing something else, or were focused on some future project. But if there is something that needs to get done now, just do it! Often, small things will pop up, but we put them off because were in the middle of doing something else. If the small thing can be done relatively quickly, then dont put it off -- simply do it right then. This prevents procrastination and keeps your to-do list from growing out of control with small tasks that will eventually eat up your whole day. By knocking out these little chores as they crop up, youll give yourself more time to focus on the bigger stuff. Related: I Started Saying 'No' to These 6 Things. My Life and My Business Got 6. Build in brain breaks. Our brains are only capable of continuously focusing on something for a certain period of time. By taking short breaks, ideally about once an hour, you give your mind a chance to decompress and relax so it can refocus and concentrate again. Psychologist Alejandro Lleras found that participants who were given short breaks during 50-minute tasks performed better than those who worked straight through. Lleras found that brief diversions from a task can dramatically improve peoples ability to focus on that task for a prolonged period. The study examined a phenomenon called vigilance decrement, or the decrease in ones attentional resources. This can happen when you start performing poorly on a task youre having a hard time focusing on. Thats when you should take a short mental break. This allows your brain a chance to deactivate, and when you go back to work, your mind is better able to refocus. 7. Reflect on what youve accomplished and how to improve. At the end of the day, take a few minutes for self-reflection. Ask yourself some questions that will help you gauge how well you performed and what you might do better tomorrow. These include: What did I accomplish today? Did I accomplish everything I set out to, and everything I needed to? What did I do well today? What mistakes were made? What decisions did I make today? Why did I make these decisions and not other decisions? Were these decisions effective? The goal is to clearly see how well youre performing and staying on task. If you do this on a regular basis, you can gauge if youre making steady progress toward your goals and see what areas you need to work on and strengthen. Related: How to Get Un-Stuck: 10 Key Questions for Self-Reflection 8. Prepare for tomorrow. This simple ritual is guaranteed to help improve your productivity tomorrow. Take a few minutes at the end of your workday and clearly spell out to yourself what your goals are for the following day. This is a chance to think through the process of how you will accomplish everything you need to do. Consider these questions: What are your highest priorities? What tasks must you absolutely get done? What setbacks or issues might arise? What challenges might keep you from staying focused? Often, we stay reasonably focused until something unexpected pops up. Perhaps you get a phone call or an email that absorbs your attention. Perhaps you got sucked into a conversation with a co-worker. Think through how to avoid these pitfalls and be prepared for whats on your plate. Related: 8 Daily Rituals That Keep You Laser Focused 9 Ways Entrepreneurs Organize and Manage Their Calendars Properly 12 Common Workplace Distractions and How You Can Stay Focused Anyway Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Retail stock investors are bullish -- perhaps to a fault -- about the prospects of publicly traded cannabis companies, according to a recent survey of 250 people who currently own marijuana related stocks. The survey, conducted in March by KCSA Strategic Communications, found that 90 percent of the investors reported their portfolios had appreciated, which might explain why 50 percent said they had sold non-cannabis stocks to buy cannabis stocks. This is a fundamental shift taking place in society, right before our eyes, its exciting, its once in a lifetime, its lucrative and they want in on it, said Lewis Goldberg, managing partner at KCSA and host of The Green Rush podcast. Related: Pay Attention to These 6 Cannabis Industry Trends The enthusiasm for cannabis has investors wisely spreading their money around -- 52 percent said they own six or more cannabis stocks while 40 percent own 10 or more -- but is also leading them to perhaps concentrate excessively on the sector, if not just one company in the sector. Retail cannabis investors are significantly overweighting cannabis, which comprises more than a quarter of their overall portfolio, according to 40 percent of respondents, KCSA noted in a report of the survey findings. Eighty percent of the investors surveyed said they plan to hold onto their cannabis investments for between one and ten years. They understand the real value will be unlocked in years, not days or weeks, Goldberg said. Related: How Risk Management Can Make Marijuana Businesses Bulletproof (or at Least Bullet Resistant) The survey found that individual investors show no concern that cannabis remains illegal under federal law. They believe the end of prohibition is inevitable and don't believe the federal government will switch policy to crash the state-legal cannabis industry, which employs hundreds of thousands of people and has already attracted many billions in investments. I think most Americans believe full federal legalization is a question of when, not if, Goldberg said. People are consuming (cannabis) and investing in it because they believe in it. Professional investors specializing in cannabis are less than thrilled by the enthusiasm of amateurs rushing to get in on what they think is the ground floor of the cannabis boom. Related: How the Green Rush Is Accelerating the Revolution In Smart Farming Technologies Our biggest fear is people get sucked into the mania, they lose money and then think the industry is a joke when we know its real, said Morgan Paxhia, who co-founded Poseidon Asset Management with his sister Emily Paxhia. The general trend is this (industry) is very fast growing and there are very few other industries on the planet that have this sort of growth potential but its not a straight road. There are events that are impactful and you cant just assume they will always keep going up. Paxhia noted there are more than 300 publicly traded companies that can be broadly lumped into cannabis. They vary so much by sector -- ancillary businesses like payment processors, manufacturers of needed equipment like grow lights, growers, medical marijuana and adult use, multi-state operators that might be retail dispensaries or vertically integrated companies, CBD and hemp, etc -- and by the capabilities of their management team that stock selection is probably trickier in cannabis than in more established industries. Sean Stiefel, founder and managing partner of Navy Capital, warned that knowing a company is a cannabis company is not much to go on. The variables to consider are many. Publicly traded Canadian companies are crazy expensive, he said, while publicly traded US companies are more reasonably priced at around 20X EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, a standard metric for evaluating company performance), though even the US stocks are relatively expensive because there are limited choices on US exchanges. Stiefel doesnt think much of buy-and-hold as an investment strategy simply because the investor is hopeful they have bought shares in the cannabis equivalent of Apple or Google at the dawn of the tech boom. I think holding anything for 10 years blindly is silly, he said. Have you owned anything for 10 years other than your house? Related: Amateur Investors are Bullish About Cannabis. That Has the Pros a Little Worried. Red Flags You Should Look for in Quarterly Earnings Reports 3 Elements You Need to Become a Successful Real Estate Entrepreneur in the German Market Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved President Donald Trump routinely uses loaded terms freighted with cultural and historical baggage. He accuses Democrats of committing "treason," refers to journalists as "the enemy of the people" and claims the government "spied" on his campaign. Such public pronouncements are often seen as the casual, or even careless, use of language by a neophyte president who chafes at "political correctness." But special counsel Bob Mueller's probe has revealed that Trump may actually be quite calculating, careful and cautious about his choice of words -- especially when giving directions to his staff that could prove to be controversial, if not illegal. Trump boasted at the White House Easter Egg Roll the Monday before last: "Nobody disobeys my orders." But how does someone know when the president is giving an order? Three of the 10 episodes of potential obstruction of justice explored in Mueller's 448-page report put this dynamic in stark relief. The way that Trump communicated with his personal lawyer Michael Cohen, then-FBI Director James Comey and White House Counsel Don McGahn before he turned on each of them drew intense scrutiny from investigators. "It is important to view the President's pattern of conduct as a whole," Mueller wrote. "That pattern sheds light on the nature of the President's acts and the inferences that can be drawn about his intent. Our investigation found multiple acts by the President that were capable of exerting undue influence over law enforcement investigations." Cohen will report today to the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, to start his three-year prison sentence for tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes. In December, the day after Cohen's sentencing, Trump tweeted: "I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law." In February, when Cohen testified before Congress, he admitted that he lied to Congress about when Trump stopped negotiating the Trump Tower Moscow project. Talks had continued for months after he said they had ceased. "Mr. Trump did not directly tell me to lie to Congress. That's not how he operates," Cohen told the House OversightCommittee. "In conversations we had during the campaign, at the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me, 'There's no business in Russia,' and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. In his way, he was telling me to lie. There were at least a half-dozen times between the Iowa caucus in January 2016 and the end of June when he would ask me, 'How's it going in Russia?' - referring to the Moscow Tower project. . . . Nothing went on in Trump world, especially the campaign, without Mr. Trump's knowledge and approval." Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., asked Trump's longtime fixer to elaborate. "It would be no different," Cohen explained, "than if I said, 'That's the nicest-looking tie I've ever seen, isn't it?' What are you going to do? Are you going to fight with him? The answer is no. But you say, 'Yeah, it's the nicest looking tie I've ever seen.' That's how he speaks. He doesn't give you orders. He speaks in a code. And I understand the code because I've been around him for a decade." Mueller addressed this in his report. "While there is evidence . . . that the President knew Cohen provided false testimony to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow project, the evidence available to us does not establish that the President directed or aided Cohen's false testimony," the special counsel wrote. "Cohen said that his statements to Congress followed a 'party line' that developed within the campaign to align with the President's public statements distancing the President from Russia. Cohen also recalled that, in speaking with the President in advance of testifying, he made it clear that he would stay on message, which Cohen believed they both understood would require false testimony. But Cohen said that he and the President did not explicitly discuss whether Cohen's testimony about the Trump Tower Moscow project would be or was false, and the President did not direct him to provide false testimony." Henry Farrell, a professor of political science at George Washington University, reflected on how "Trump speaks like a mob boss" after watching Cohen's testimony. He's spent years studying the oblique ways in which Sicilian Mafiosi communicate with one another and wrote a book on how this affects trust and distrust among them. "The deeper issue is not just that crooks fear wiretaps - it's that they fear one another. Criminals, almost by definition, are not notably trustworthy people. They are liable to lie to, cheat and betray one another for selfish personal gain," Farrell wrote on the Monkey Cage blog. "Trump's distrust of Cohen and other underlings was entirely rational. Cohen was a highly untrustworthy individual who kept recordings and other evidence incriminating others in case he would need them later. . . . Hatchet men like Cohen can be useful - but the boss should never trust the hatchet man. . . . "If you work in a Mafia-style organization, you quickly learn that asking your boss direct questions is evidence of your untrustworthiness," the professor explained. "After all, why would you need to know explicitly, if you didn't want to trap your boss? The result is an organizational culture where not only do bosses not give answers, but underlings also learn not to ask difficult questions in the first place. If Cohen's testimony is truthful, then a similar dynamic explains why he was willing not to ask any questions when Trump signaled to him that he wanted this or that distasteful or illegal job done." After watching Cohen, a retired veteran of the FBI's organized crime squad, James Gagliano, said he's heard similar language from many mid-level mobsters who flipped: Comey has also said that interacting with Trump reminded him of the mafiosi he prosecuted as a young lawyer. On Valentine's Day 2017, the day after Trump pushed out Michael Flynn as national security adviser, the president cleared the room at the end of an Oval Office meeting so he could have a one-on-one meeting with Comey. Referring to the FBI's investigation of Flynn, the president allegedly told Comey: "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go." Comey interpreted the president's statement "as a direction," he testified under oath before the Senate Intelligence Committee in June 2017: "It rings in my ear as kind of, 'Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?'" This was a reference to a classic incident in 1170 when King Henry II was angry with Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury. He purportedly said, "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" The next day, Becket was murdered by four knights who heard the king make the comment. Mueller's report noted that, despite Trump's denials, "substantial evidence corroborates Comey's account." Thursday is the second anniversary of Trump's firing of Comey. The ousted FBI director will appear during a televised town hall on CNN that night at 8 p.m. Eastern. Anderson Cooper will moderate. Comey criticized Barr in an op-ed for the New York Times last week. "Trump eats your soul in small bites," Comey wrote. Trump's allies, especially Attorney General Bill Barr, have sought to cast doubt on Mueller's conclusion that the president "directed" McGahn to have Mueller removed in June 2017. After The Washington Post reported at the time that the special counsel was investigating if Trump had obstructed justice, the president called McGahn at home twice on a Saturday from Camp David and directed him to call Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and say that the special counsel had conflicts of interest and must be removed, according to the Mueller report. McGahn told federal investigators that Trump told him something like, "You gotta do this. You gotta call Rod." McGahn recalled that the president was more direct the second time and said something like, "Call Rod, tell Rod that Mueller has conflicts and can't be the Special Counsel." McGahn also recalled the president telling him "Mueller has to go" and "Call me back when you do it." When the New York Times first revealed this episode months later, McGahn refused to issue a denial. He told colleagues in the West Wing that the media reports were accurate. "The President then met with McGahn in the Oval Office and again pressured him to deny the reports," Mueller wrote. "McGahn refused to back away from what he remembered happening and perceived the President to be testing his mettle." Mueller observed in his report that the president's subsequent denials "were carefully worded." When they spoke in the Oval Office, according to contemporaneous notes, Trump focused on whether he had used the f-word: "I never said to 'fire' Mueller. I never said 'fire.' " Barr defended Trump's actions when he testified last week."There is a distinction between saying to someone, 'Go fire him. Go fire Mueller,' and saying, 'Have him removed based on conflict,'" the attorney general argued. "The president later said that what he meant was that the conflict of interest should be raised with Rosenstein, but the decision should be left with Rosenstein." Barr added that if Mueller had been removed, another special counsel probably would have been appointed so Trump wasn't necessarily impeding an investigation. "We believe that it would be impossible for the government to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the president understood that he was instructing McGahn to say something false because it wasn't necessarily false," Barr added. Mueller preemptively refuted these very arguments at some length in his report. "McGahn spoke with the President twice and understood the directive the same way both times, making it unlikely that he misheard or misinterpreted the President's request," the special counsel wrote. "In response to that request, McGahn decided to quit because he did not want to participate in events that he described as akin to the Saturday Night Massacre. He called his lawyer, drove to the White House, packed up his office, prepared to submit a resignation letter with his chief of staff, told [White House Chief of Staff Reince] Priebus that the President had asked him to 'do crazy shit,' and informed Priebus and [Steve] Bannon that he was leaving. Those acts would be a highly unusual reaction to a request to convey information to the Department of Justice." This was one of several moments during last week's hearing when Barr split hairs. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., for example, asked: "Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone? Yes or no please, sir." "I'm trying to grapple with the word 'suggest,'" Barr replied. "There have been discussions of matters out there, [but] they have not asked me to open an investigation." Harris replied: "Perhaps they've suggested?" "I wouldn't say suggest," said Barr. "Hinted?" Harris wondered. "I don't know," said Barr. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked Barr whether Trump lied to the American people. "Well, I'm not in the business of determining when lies are told to the American people," the attorney general replied. "I'm in the business of determining whether a crime has been committed." --- The Washington Post's Joanie Greve and Mariana Alfaro contributed to this report. After what national security adviser John Bolton called "a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings," the U.S. government said Sunday that it was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) region. Centcom's operational area includes the Middle East and Central Asia, but Bolton's statement indicated that U.S. attention was primarily focused on one country: Iran. The move's intended message, Bolton said, was to send a "clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force." It was not immediately clear what prompted concerns over an Iranian attack. After withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear treaty, the Trump administration has put significantly more pressure on Iran in recent months by imposing sanctions on Iranian oil exports and by blacklisting Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. While Bolton's strongly worded statement to announce additional measures over the weekend was as unusual as those previous moves, the deployment of additional U.S. resources to the region amid heightening tensions has become a more regular occurrence: The reason is the narrow stretch of water at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz. Amid threats from abroad, Iran has often been quick to remind the world of its key location along one of the world's main oil tanker routes. It once again threatened to close that key transport route in recent weeks. When Bahrain, a Persian Gulf nation with a sizable U.S. troops presence, threatened that it would not allow Iran to proceed with such a move, an Iranian official responded: "Mind your small size and do not threaten someone bigger than yourself." The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most crucial transport routes for oil. About a third of the world's oil tanker traffic passes through the strait, which is bordered by Iran and Oman. In 2016, 18.5 million barrels of petroleum were shipped through it every day, making it the world's single most important maritime route for many nations' oil supplies. Theoretically, Iran could attempt to cut off the Strait of Hormuz - which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman - by deploying its naval vessels or laying mines, which could take months to clear. At its narrowest point, the strait's shipping route is only two miles wide. But the U.S. military has extensive footholds in the region, including the headquarters for the Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain. If theStrait of Hormuz were inaccessible, the world's supply in shipped daily global oil exports would suddenly drop by about 30 percent, experts predict. Overall oil supplies would drop by about 20 percent, according to numbers compiled before the recent U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports took effect. Some of the oil may be rerouted via pipelines that have been expanded over fears of an Iranian-Western clash, but those are still limited in capacity and more expensive. As a result, oil prices would immediately spike, as Arab oil suppliers would lose their market access either entirely or to a large extent. Given the global economic repercussions, the United States and other adversaries of Iran would likely take military action. The United States would not be the only nation interested in resolving a dispute as quickly as possible, however, as the vast majority of supplies are delivered to Asian markets, in particular to Japan, India and China. Iran has made similar threats before, for instance, in 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2018. Some of those threats were intended to be rhetorical, at least in the short run. Last July, for instance, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani implied that Iran had the power to severely disrupt the oil trade in the Persian Gulf, which would likely have meant an attempt to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. Rouhani later appeared to repeat his veiled threat and was quoted on his official website as saying: "Mr. Trump! We are the people of dignity and guarantor of security of the waterway of the region throughout the history. Don't play with the lion's tail; you will regret it." Trump eventually responded on Twitter, writing that Iran "WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE," in case it threatened the United States. But prior incidents have shown how serious both nations take the Strait of Hormuz, and how easily maneuvers could escalate. In 2016, Iranian naval vessels veered close to American warships in the strait, prompting a U.S. warning. "These are incidents that carry a risk of escalation, and we don't desire any kind of escalation," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook warned Iran at the time. With more U.S. military assets headed into the region, the likelihood of an escalation has once again inched up. The past seven days were lacking any major smartphone announcements, but rumors still shook up the trending chart. The OnePlus 7 Pro is arriving on May 14 and it gained so much traction, it reached the second spot already. The Samsung Galaxy A50 retained its lead for yet another week, but once the flagship goes official it will surely have to concede it. The third place is for the Galaxy A70, as the top half is completed by the Huawei P30 Pro and Redmi Note 7. The Huawei P30 Lite kept its sixth place from the previous week, just edging out the Pixel 3a XL that is scheduled to launch on Wednesday. The Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy A30 fell out of the chart last week, but now they both make a return, to snatch the last two positions, while the Redmi Note 7 Pro secured eighth. If you can remember it, the RTX 2070 and 2080 are each based on two GPU models, the A and non-A revisions where the A model is the more premium GPU with more power and longer boost allowance. The separation between A and non-A GPUs could soon be a thing of the past on the Geforce RTX 2080 and 2070 reports the colleagues of Tom's Hardware, citing internal channels. The new uniform chips are allegedly produced to remain longer available in the channel. In addition, cards that board partners have already produced with older chips are to receive a new BIOS even before the final release. From the end of May. The background is as follows: Nvidia offers the chips of the Geforce RTX 2080 Ti , 2080 and 2070 since their release in two variants. One may only be offered in reference clock rates and with limited power limit, the other overclocked and with more power limit. The latter also serves as the basis for the Founders Editions. In the now mentioned Geforces RTX 2070 and 2080 are the TU104-400 and TU106-400 - or TU104-400A and TU106-400A. With the unification of the GPUs, however, a price reduction of many OC versions be on the horizon, as long as the new chip price corresponds to the previous non-A variant. Haiti - DR : Two Haitian fugitives accused of murder, captured by the Dominican army Members of the Dominican Army and the specialized inter-agency unit "Cerco Fronterizo" confirmed that they had arrested on the Dominican territory in Jimani (Province Independencia), two Haitians accused of killing several people in Haiti who were actively sought by the Haitian authorities. The arrest of Jackson Yaa (26 years old) and Yacki Bici (29 years old) is the result of intelligence work carried out by the Dominican army in coordination with the Haitian mayors of two border communes who were on the track of these criminals. The Haitian detainees were taken to the "El Rodeo" fortress of the Army in Jimani, before being handed over to the Haitian authorities at the Mal Paso binational border post to respond to their crimes in the Haitian courts. SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Heritage : Towards the restoration of the forts of Oliviers and Saint-Louis In the context of the RIAT-South/TCD program, supported financially, particularly by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), was had recently held a second field mission of the French firm Laure Marieu and Aurelie Rouquette (LMA), accompanied by members of the Institute of Safeguarding National Heritage (ISPAN) and the Town Hall of the commune, as part of its project, of restoration of the fortresses of Oliviers and of St. Louis (east of the city of Les Cayes) in consortium with the Haitian firm Acor based in Port au Prince. In this context, heritage and landscape architects were able to make detailed surveys of these fortifications. Note the presence during this mission of the French firm of Engineering Council CREOCEAN, mandated to develop a Management Plan for Marine Protected Areas of Saint Louis du Sud and Aquin and the French firm SFERE (specialized in the framework of calls for tenders on multilateral financing and partnerships) undertaken to inventory the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of the South Department of Tourism in order to support their development. Joining this mission are William Cinea expert in Botany and Rene Durocher naturalist expert, in order to make an inventory of the Fauna and Flora of the two Fortresses. See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-26433-icihaiti-heritage-a-franco-haitian-consortium-for-the-restoration-of-the-forts-of-saint-louis-du-sud.html HL/ S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Turks and Caicos Islands : The exodus of Haitians continues, 13 out of 22 boats intercepted since January At a meeting of the National Security Council at the end of April in Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), Police Commissioner James Smith briefly outlined the figures for the current year. He said that in late April the number of illegal migrants intercepted in 13 overcrowded boats from Haiti by sea was 1.352. Moreover, he acknowledged that 9 other boats overloaded with Haitian migrants had managed to pass through the cracks of the border defense of the Turks and Caicos Islands and that consequently, several hundred Haitians have entered the territory of the islands of the archipelago and currently live illegally within the population. In addition to the dangers and tragedies of the sea, he mentioned the risks represented by these Haitians, some of whom sometimes carry weapons and narcotics on the territory, which contributes, according to him, to the increase in violence on the islands. Recalling that last March, 3 packets of cannabis were discovered and seized on a boat carrying 86 Haitian "boat people". See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27349-haiti-shipwreck-end-of-the-search-14-survivors-15-dead-4-missing.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-24746-icihaiti-turks-and-caicos-islands-102-haitian-boat-people-intercepted-off-providenciales.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24539-haiti-social-29-haitian-boat-people-intercepted-by-the-population-of-providenciales.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24451-haiti-social-new-waves-of-haitian-migrants-on-the-turks-and-caicos-islands.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22423-haiti-flash-two-other-survivors-of-the-sinking-found.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20851-haiti-social-the-body-of-15-shipwrecked-repatriated-to-haiti.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-17006-icihaiti-social-54-haitians-intercepted-off-the-coast-of-providenciales.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13089-haiti-social-risk-his-life-at-sea-migrants-testify-video.html SL/ HaitiLibre The Legislature adjourned April 25, after 87 days of being in session this year, and state Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, and Rep. Joshua Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, spoke Friday to the North Central Pachyderm Club about their opinion of how the session went and what they accomplished. "It was a good session," Kassmier said. "We accomplished quite a bit. "At the end, it got a little tense," he added. President of the North Central Pachyderm Club Andrew Brekke said that even though the session has ended, a large number of the bills were still waiting for action from the governor's office. He added that the fight is not over and the state still has a number of unanswered questions about where the state stands on a number of issues. Kassmier said that, late in the session, the Legislature voted down the bills regarding NorthWestern Energy's purchase agreement of the Colstrip facility, which is set to close units one and two in 2022 and close units three and four in 2045, and was a huge loss to the state. Brekke said that the bill did not authorize the sale, but did guarantee NorthWestern Energy's profit. The first bill, Senate Bill 278 introduced by Sen. Tom Richmond, R-Billings, was voted down in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee in March. SB 278 would have allowed NorthWestern Energy to buy more ownership shares in the coal-fired Colstrip plant for a purchase price of no more than $1 per transfer without oversight of the Public Service Commission. That same month Richmond introduced a second bill, Senate Bill 331, which would revise electric utility cost recovery for certain coal-fired plants and required the Public Service Commission to include certain returns and costs in utility rates; allowing for utility cost recovery for certain acquisitions. SB 331 was later voted down on the House floor 37 to 60 in April. "I don't know if that was the right bill. I'm not going to say it was, but we got to start looking at how to help Colstrip to make sure it provides reliable energy and use," Kassmier said. Kassmier said that a large amount of the state's funds are from coal tax, with the tax used to fund various projects and programs across the state. "As a state, I think we are going to need to use more of our natural resources," he added. Tempel agreed that Colstrip plays a major role in the state's economy, and if the state were to lose Colstrip and other coal plants it would not only cost the state, but each individual household, a large amount of money, to purchase electricity from out-of-state companies. Three of Kassmier's bills waiting for action Kassmier said that, at the end of the session, the legislators worked hard on getting the session wrapped up and a budget passed. He added that a large number of bills have gone through the Legislature and more than 300 bills are still waiting for the governor to take action. Once a bill arrives at the governor's desk, the governor has nine days to either pass or veto the bill. On the tenth day, if no action is taken, it becomes law, he said. He said that this session he had four bills pass through the Legislature, with one, House Bill 142, a bill to generally revise county weed laws, already signed into law. The other three are House Bill 142, to exempt certain community service act contracts from the procurement act; House Bill 332, which requires county commissioner approval to relocate bison into their county, and House Bill 393, which increases truck speed limits to 65 miles per hour for the entire day. Kassmier said that Montana Department of Transportation has already tested the idea in the Sidney area and saw a drastic reduction in accidents. He added that having the truck speed limit set at 65 miles per hour causes a reduction in careless passing on the highways and allows for a better flow of traffic. "I think it would be signed," he said, adding that the bill was unopposed in the Legislature and had a number of proponents from the trucking industry who supported the bill. Education Tempel, who serves on the Senate Education Committee, said that one of the bills which was passed is aimed to encourage teachers to teach in rural areas. House Bill 211, introduced by Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, is a bill which would allow the state to revise eligibility for quality educators receiving loan repayment assistance for up to four years after they are hired at a rural school. Tempel said that if a teacher has accrued more than $15,000 of debt for their tuition, the school may pay up to $16,000 toward the debt. The first year the teacher is eligible for $3,000, the second year $4,000 and the third year $5,000. After the three years, the school can apply for an additional $4,000. He added that Havre Public Schools would qualify as rural schools because the criteria for a rural school is being in a community with a population less than 20,000. "For rural schools that means a lot to just have that extra incentive to encourage teachers to teach at these rural schools," he said. He added that he was unsure if the bill would be signed by the governor. Tempel said one of the bills which died in the Legislature was the continued funding for the preschool program. Within the state more than 20 programs were previously funded through matched federal funds. But once the federal funding expired, Tempel said, it was going to be to expensive to the state to continue funding the programs. Medicaid Late in the legislative session HB 658, introduced by Rep. Edward Buttrey, R-Great Falls, to fund Medicaid expansion was passed by the Legislature. The bill was highly debated by both the Republicans and the Democrats throughout the session with some of the points of argument about funding of the program, putting a work requirement in place and a co-pay. Kassmier said that for every dollar the state spends on the program the federal government will fund $9, with hospitals and others contributing to funding the program. If the federal government drops below the 90 percent match, Medicaid will need to be re-addressed by the Legislature because the state would not be able to afford funding the program, he said. He added that with the federal government and hospitals funding the program, it still costs the state approximately $10 million out of the general fund. Andrew Brekke said that during the session not a lot of information was available about the status of Medicaid with the information constantly changing. Joshua Kassmier "No one knew what was going on," he said. Kassmier added that the bill no longer requires a co-pay from the participants in the program. Tempel said that the bill does terminate in 2025, when the Legislature will have to renew the program or end it. But if the federal funding drops before 2025, the Legislature will have to have a special session to address the future of the program. "As soon as the federal government drops below the 90 percent, it's going to be a moot issue anyway," he said. Kassmier said that even though the bill passed the Legislature and has new requirements, it has not yet been signed and still has many issues and concerns. "I wouldn't say that this battle is over," he said. MSU News Service BOZEMAN Montana State University will host a public talk with three speakers discussing various issues relating to health care. Kathy Jutila and Brett Walker from MSU and Jevin West from the University of Washington will examine current health care efforts in Montana as well as give personal insights on the topic and address fallacies commonly perceived in data. The Montana health care talk will begin at 6:30 p.m. on May 16 in Inspiration Hall in Norm Asbjornson Hall at MSU. There will be a reception prior to the event at 6 p.m. The talk is sponsored by the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Academic Technology and Outreach and the MSU Wonderlust lifelong learning program. Jutila is an internist and cardiologist and the Director of Health Sciences at MSU. She also teaches in the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho medical school program and carries the title of Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Jutila will present Montana Healthcare: Dearth, Disparity and Direction. Her talk will highlight current efforts that are underway to improve how the state takes care of its citizens. Walker, MSU Regents Professor of history in the Department of History and Philosophy in the College of Letters and Science, will present Memory as Medicine: Reflections on Medicine and History. Walker will speak on the role that memory plays in the human body as well as in communities. West is a visiting lecturer and professor from the Information School at UW. West and a colleague created the Calling B.S. course for UW students. The course helps participants recognize when experts and evidence might be misleading and also offer training for thinking critically and responsibly about topics such as medical, scientific and political claims, as well as claims about or made by the media. Wests course has received interest from more than 70 universities and has gained traction in high school and middle schools. A non-credit version of this course was offered through MSU Continuing, Professional and Lifelong Learning this spring. The event is free and open to the public but attendees must RSVP at https://www.montana.edu/calendar/events/30275/. Paid parking is available in the parking garage adjacent to Norm Asbjornson Hall and parking is free after 6 p.m. in MSUs outdoor parking lots. For questions, please contact Mai Allen at 406-994-2891. Press release HELENA Montana Attorney General Tim Fox and U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced a joint training for local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement and the public on issues relating to missing persons cases across the state, particularly those involving Native Americans. The event, set for June 12 in Helena, will provide a separate session of instruction for law enforcement on accepting and entering a missing persons report, use of missing persons alerts and advisories, and conducting missing persons investigations, while a separate session for the public will provide information on how to report a missing person, the missing persons databases and alert systems and other resources. This training will focus on how all of us in Montanas law enforcement and criminal justice system will work with our federal and tribal partners to find justice for missing indigenous people in our state, and healing for their families and communities, said Fox, who has announced he will run for Montana governor. Because of the jurisdictional divisions in Indian Country, local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies must work together. Were designing this collaborative training specifically for law enforcement, and for tribal government and members of the public, with educational offerings tailored to each of those groups. We are pleased to be working with Attorney General Fox, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide this first-ever joint training on missing persons resources for all federal state, local and tribal law enforcement in Montana and for tribal councils and members of the public, Alme said. By working together with law enforcement and family and friends to better collect information about missing persons, particularly Native Americans, we can help bring more people home. There are far too many missing persons in the state of Montana, especially among Montanas tribes; therefore, the Little Shell are happy to support the efforts being put forth by the Montana Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorneys Office with regard to the Missing Persons Training that will be taking place, said Gerald Gray, chairman of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians and chairman of the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, said. The training will feature presenters from a variety of federal and state organizations. Trainers from the FBI, Criminal Justice Information Services, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, NamUs, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, AMBER Alert, and the Montana Department of Justices Criminal Justice Information Network, Missing Persons Clearinghouse, and the Montana Analysis and Technical Information Center, will explain the various databases and alerts, how they work and how law enforcement and the public can use them when someone goes missing. Lucy Simpson, Director of the National Indigenous Womens Resource Center, or NIWRC, has been invited to give the keynote address. The NIWRCs main office is located in Lame Deer, and our staff experienced the disappearance and losses of Henny Scott and Hannah Harris directly as members of that community, Simpson said. This localized training of national partners signals a step forward to addressing the disproportionate violence that American Indian people face on a daily basis, including a homicide rate on some reservations that is ten times the national average, Simpson added. The joint training is sponsored by the Montana Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorneys Office for Montana, the FBI, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The training will be offered free of charge; POST credits for law enforcement officers are pending. Space is limited to 250 attendees; priority will be given to tribal government representatives and law enforcement. For more information, email [email protected] or call DOJs Office of Victim Services at 1-800-498-6455 or 406-444-3653. Online registration is available at http://www.dojmt.gov/mpt/. PART of a wildlife area at a Henley beauty spot was destroyed in a suspected arson attack. Firefighters were called to Marsh Meadows, near the River & Rowing Museum, at about noon on Friday last week and used hoses to extinguish the blaze. Contractors working on the roof of the museum spotted a group of teenagers who are believed to have started the fire before fleeing in a blue Ford Fiesta. Firefighters spent about an hour on the scene and a section of grass was scorched and left blackened. The museums operations director Lynne Adam told the Henley Standard: We believe it was started by some local children. We had some contractors on the roof and they spotted some kids messing about down there. Our team called the fire brigade and the police. The fire brigade were here really quickly. It was quite well developed there was a lot of smoke. The firefighters used the museum car park to access Marsh Meadows. Our team moved cars away from that side and people off the deck. I asked the fire brigade if they would like us to evacuate but they were happy for us to stay put. We just closed the windows. Mrs Adam said a dog walker had seen the teenagers escaping and recorded the cars number plate. Eyewitness Alastair Thomas, 34, from Reading, was at the museum with his mother, father, brother and son Arthur. He said: I was there with my family and wed just gone into the museum and I became aware quite slowly, initially, that there was some smoke coming across before it took up really quite vigorously. There were flames about 6ft high it potentially could have got worse but once the fire brigade got there they were pretty quick at putting it out. His father Rodney said hed spoken to the dog walker who had seen the teenagers running around lighting the tops of the plants. After theyd extinguished the blaze the firefighters took time to give toddlers visiting the museum with their parents rides around the car park in their fire engine. Last summer, Mrs Adam asked the town councils parks services team for a two metre fire break because of the amount of barbecues taking place on the meadow at weekends. The work was carried out by conservation park warden Ilona Livarski in August and Mrs Adam said it had clearly worked and prevented the fire from spreading into the museums grounds. Miss Livarski said: I hope we catch them. Ive not experienced reedbed re-growth to be honest so well see what happens. You cant really do anything to help it other than let nature run its course. She said the only saving grace was that snakes head fritillaries nearby had not been damaged. Henley Wildlife Group had been cutting the area back to allow the plant, which is a member of the lily family, to grow. Sally Rankin, of the wildlife group, said: Im very disappointed. The only thing I can say is that being a wet meadow like that the vegetation does tend to recover quite quickly. Hopefully the fire wont have been too intense and the plants will recover. Obviously, its going to look pretty unsightly for the time being. Mrs Rankin said she was thankful the fritillaries had not been damaged adding: They were just setting seed now and we would have lost all that if they had been burnt. Its very frustrating seeing people not respecting our environment. Its the next step up from strewing litter about the place. The group has worked on the meadows since 1995 and has a work party which meets on the first Wednesday of the month. It works on the vegetation, trying to encourage the more attractive flowering plants while reducing the more dominant species so that others have a chance. A HENLEY town councillor has claimed she was physically abused by another member. Sam Evans made the allegation during Tuesday nights full council meeting. It came in response to a comment made by Gill Dodds from the public gallery who asked if the towns bronze mermaid was due to be reinstated. The 6ft 6in sculpture, which stood on a plinth on Red Lion lawn, has been in storage since it was vandalised and thrown into the river in November 2017. Mrs Dodds, of Greys Road, Henley, said it had been several years since the sculpture had first been installed. She added: The red tops dont have page three and we have the Me Too movement. I have always thought this mermaid was a particularly tacky thing and I hope it wont be put back. Mrs Dodds, a former mayor, said she didnt want to look across the river at a nubile figure with breasts and hoped the mermaid will be returned to her watery grave in the River Thames. But Councillor Evans replied later in the meeting, saying: Me Too is about the physical abuse of women. Ive been physically abused by one of the councillors sitting around this table. Me Too is about protecting and preventing women being abused in the future. To compare the beauty of art to disgusting physical abuse is beyond me to be honest. Councillor Evans, a Conservative, was speaking at her last council meeting after stepping down after eight years following elections held on Thursday. She told the meeting more than 1,300 had been raised from a crowdfunding campaign to have the mermaid re-installed after it was gifted to the council by the Noor Foundation. She thanked resident Michaela Clarke for running the campaign. Councillor Evans said: The comments on the crowdfunding site and on social media, and also many people I talked to in the town, they are really looking forward to the return of the mermaid. I look forward to her re-installment and please God these vandals will never have the opportunity to do anything to her again. The 370lb statue, which was designed by French artist Amaryllis Bataille, was loaned to the council in 2013 by a German company named Koh i Noor. It was offered in 2012, prompting conflicting opinion as to whether the town should accept it. It was supposed to be sold for at least 15,000 euros (12,800) after five years, with a share of the proceeds going to charity, and replaced with another piece but the owners said they wanted the council to buy it after it was vandalised. They first wanted 8,800 minus the salvage costs then reduced their request to 5,000 euros, about 4,455, which the council agreed to try to crowdfund online. The statue was retrieved by experts from Cook Piling, of Hurley, which sets up the royal regatta course every year. Ama is the name given to the Japanese and Korean women divers, or ladies of the sea, who collect pearls. Henley was one of 20 locations around the world chosen to have a statue as a place of beauty near water. A MAN wants to raise his home by more than half a metre to protect it from flooding. David Robertson has applied for permission from Wokingham Borough Council to lift his property in Loddon Drive using hydraulic jacks. He also wants to build a two-storey front extension, patio and a detached garage. The road is at risk of flooding from the nearby River Thames and River Loddon during heavy rainfall and many residents have houses built on stilts to keep them safe. Mr Robertson bought the plot in 1997 and completed the house in 2003, carrying out much of the work himself. However, despite building the home on 1.25m piles, he says the Environment Agency now recommends that it is lifted 600mm higher to stay clear of predicted floodwater levels. At a meeting of Wargrave Parish Council on Monday, Mr Robertson said the site was derelict and overgrown when he and his wife bought it but they now plan to make it their permanent home. He said: We lived in London and had been coming here for weekends and holidays. In March last year we moved here full time. Thats the reason for the application, we are full time here and need a bit more space. Mr Robertson says the proposed extension will add two rooms, one on each floor, while he also wants to build a new floor-proof garage which could include a lift for his classic car. He has taken pre-application planning advice which saw him amend his original plans for the extension and garage, which were in a different location. A flood risk assessment said that while the house conformed with flood level requirements when it was built, it no longer does. It said: Lifting the structure will significantly reduce fluvial flood risk to the existing building, and will increase floodplain storage and flood conveyance at the site, thereby reducing flood risk to the site and locality. Mr Robertson says floods in 2013 and 2014 almost reached the ground floor of his home and work to lift the home could be undertaken without too much difficulty. He said: The flood in 2013 nearly came in to the building. We have discussed with the flood risk people and could raise the building by 600mm, which is a fairly easy job for this type of house. Parish councillors backed Mr Robertsons plans. Councillor Marion Pope said: Its a long site and it sits comfortably within that area. None of the trees have got to be removed and I think its a very sympathetic addition. It fits in very well and there are no objections from neighbours. A decision will be made by the borough council later this month. Last month, another resident of Loddon Drive was refused consent to build a new raised house. Gerard Greene wanted to demolish his existing property and build a three-bedroom house on stilts. But Wokingham Borough Council says the house would be too big for the flood plain. Mr Greene was the latest in a number of residents who have asked for permission for a raised house to avoid flooding from the nearby River Thames and River Loddon. A previous application for a replacement dwelling on the site was approved in 2017 but the property was not built. The new house would have been raised above the one-in-100 flood level, with the space below used for car parking and storage. The parish council recommended the application was approved but the borough council said the development was unsustainable due to the extra bedrooms. In January 2014, houses in Loddon Drive were submerged after the rivers burst their banks. Although many of the properties had been raised to protect them from flooding, several residents were still forced to evacuate. He was identified on CCTV and later arrested and charged. (stock photo) A drug-addicted thief went to the same store twice in the space of three minutes to shoplift goods. Shane McDonnell (22) was "so intoxicated on benzos" that he had no memory of the thefts, a court heard. McDonnell, of College Park, Longford, pleaded guilty to theft and was given a six-month suspended jail sentence. Gda Bryan Hunt told Dublin District Court the accused went to Boots on Upper Baggot Street at 11.44 am on December 17, 2017. He left with goods priced at 150. Three minutes later, he returned and took a second batch of products valued at 120. He was identified on CCTV and later arrested and charged. Unusual McDonnell did not encounter any staff members and no property was recovered. It was "very unusual" that someone would steal something and then come back and steal something again within a few minutes, defence barrister Glenn Lynch said. McDonnell was addicted to "benzos" - benzodiazepine drugs such as Valium - and had no memory of the day because he was so intoxicated. He is now drug-free, Mr Lynch added, and a probation report "reflected very well on him". He is now trying to get into work. Judge John Hughes said it was "appalling" that someone would be "brazen enough" to steal twice in three minutes. He added that these crimes did not have "faceless victims" as shopkeepers relied on earnings to make a livelihood. The charge alleges he made the threat, intending the officer would fear it would be carried out. (stock photo) An inmate at a Dublin jail has been sent for trial accused of threatening to damage a female prison officer's home. Stephen Penrose (36) had a book of evidence served on him when he appeared before Blanchardstown District Court. Penrose, who is being held in Cloverhill Prison, is charged with making a threat to prison guards that he would cause criminal damage at another officer's house "in a way which he knew was likely to endanger the life of" that officer. The charge alleges he made the threat, intending the officer would fear it would be carried out. Warning Judge David McHugh gave the accused the alibi warning before sending him for trial to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court heard a copy of the accused's garda interview had been furnished to the defence. Penrose's lawyer asked the judge to revoke his bail on the charge. He was in custody on other matters, the lawyer said. The accused will appear in the circuit court later this month. "Thanks, your honour," he told the judge at the end of the brief hearing. A notorious sex offender has been jailed for burgling a restaurant and a shop, claiming he was looking for the toilet when frightened staff confronted him. Anthony Goodman (74), who has been banned from public transport as part of his sex offender order, snatched 150 from a restaurant worker's purse in a staff room. In the second case, he was disturbed by a staff member in a cosmetics shop, but left empty-handed. The woman found her purse had been taken out of her bag, but nothing was stolen. Goodman, who has 200 convictions in Ireland and the UK, including multiple sexual assaults and buggery of an animal, admitted burglary at the restaurant. He denied the shop offence, but Judge Flann Brennan found him guilty at Dublin District Court. He was jailed for three months. Dart The judge dismissed another charge that he had breached his public transport ban. The court heard Goodman told gardai he arrived at one of the crime scenes on the Dart. However, the copy of his banning order had been sent to the wrong address. The court heard the shop burglary happened at L'Occitane in Dundrum Town Centre on July 29, 2017. An employee said she saw the staff room door open and thought it was her colleague, but it was Goodman. She stopped him and asked if he was all right. He said he was looking for the bathroom and she tried to direct him. "Before I could finish my sentence, he was out of the shop," she said. "He seemed so shocked that I had talked to him, it was like he wasn't expecting it at all." The woman was shocked at what happened and checked her handbag. The purse had been removed and a mass card pulled out, but nothing was taken. The duty manager got CCTV footage for Gda Sinead Murphy and Sgt Pat McDonald that identified Goodman, who he knew. When interviewed, Goodman admitted it was him and said he did not remember what he was doing, but he walked around out of "curiosity". "I didn't have a thought in my mind to do anything wrong," he said, then told gardai: "I went in there for unlawful purposes, I am trespassing but I didn't take anything." He accepted that the woman shop worker "probably did" get a fright. He insisted he had his own money that day, saying: "I never leave myself skint." The other burglary was at Toss restaurant on Main Street, Blackrock, on October 20, 2017. Goodman entered a staff area and was disturbed and confronted by a female employee. He told her he was looking for the bathroom and left. The victim checked her purse in the staff room and discovered 150 had been taken from it. Gardai saw Goodman on CCTV in a distinctive black cap with a "flame effect" on it. He was then seen at Blackrock Dart Station wearing the same cap and was arrested. Worried When he showed gardai his ID, there was a "substantial" amount of money in his wallet. It was alleged he told gardai he had travelled to Blackrock from Dun Laoghaire on the Dart and he was charged with breaching the order banning him from public transport. However, gardai conceded that the copy of the order was posted to an old address. Goodman was in custody on remand when his latest cases came before the court. His solicitor, Anne Fitzgibbon, said he had been in Ireland since 1981, married an Irish woman in 1983 and had two grown sons. The elder son was taking care of his younger brother, who was autistic, the court heard. Goodman was worried about his wife, as she was not well and there was nobody to care for her while he was in prison. Want to donate? Visit asdevelop.org or call 276-623-1121. Mail donations to ASD Healthy Families-Family Farms, 1096 Ole Berry Road, Suite 100, Abingdon, VA 24210. You may get your grub from a food bank, but that doesnt mean you must rely strictly on canned beans and boxes of macaroni. The Abingdon-based Appalachian Sustainable Developments food-access program, Healthy Families-Family Farms [HFFF], is now raising money to buy fresh vegetables from local farmers to help fill empty stomachs. Theres been a shift with local food banks to provide more fruits and vegetables, said Sylvia Crum, director of communications and development for ASD. And Healthy Families-Family Farms is one of the first to get fresh fruits and vegetables to food banks and food pantries. This marks the spring planting season for local farmers, Crum said, and that also means its fundraising time through May 31 to pile up money for this program. Were in the middle of the spring challenge, Crum said. So were raising money for that program for that time of the year. So far, Appalachian Sustainable Development has met about half of its $18,000 fundraising goal, Crum said. Were buying from local farmers so that does impact the local economy, Crum said. And thats kind of cool, so that they have an additional income stream. Harvesting produce is expensive, Crum said. And, for some farmers who havent had a great season, this could really be helpful. The money will be used to buy what are called seconds vegetables that farmers may not be able to sell for one particular reason though nothing will actually be wrong with them, Crum said. A perfect example would be a bell pepper with an additional lobe. Crum laughed and said, You and I would eat that. This food bank program is a great way to find outlets for seconds and feed hungry people and get a little more money to local farmers, Crum said. Healthy Families-Family Farms takes these vegetables to food banks like Feeding America Southwest Virginia and Abingdons Faith in Action Food Pantry. Since 2004, Crum said, Healthy Families-Family Farms has donated more than 1.2 million pounds of seconds produce to food banks and pantries. Vegetables obtained usually include potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and green beans. Other vegetables include hard squash. Its really easy to transport, Crum said. It has a longer shelf life. A hard squash can last for six months. A Bristol, Tennessee man was arrested Sunday afternoon following a high speed chase that ended when his car turned over, according to a report from the Smyth County Sheriffs Office. At around 4 p.m., a deputy with the Smyth County Sheriffs Office traveling on Interstate 81 saw a black Volkswagen Jetta fail to observe the states slow down and move over law for a Virginia State Police trooper who was parked and attempting to assist a motorist along the interstate, according to the report. When the deputy flashed his lights, the driver initially stopped but then sped off, leading the deputy on a 6-mile chase with speeds at times above 100 miles per hour, the report stated. The chase ended when the driver attempted to merge onto the Exit 50 ramp but lost control of his vehicle, resulting in the vehicle turning over and landing on its top. The driver briefly fled on foot, before he was apprehended and taken into custody, according to the report. Doyle A. Whitlock, 60, was uninjured and transported to the the Southwest Regional Jail in Abingdon, where he was held without bail Sunday on charges of felony eluding, driving with a suspended license, resisting arrest and various traffic charges. More charges are pending and may follow further investigation, according to the Sheriffs Office. 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. Behind the recent growth in retail and tourism in Bristol, David Chapman sees a mostly stagnant economy and a lack of economic mobility. For Chapman, 37, an Air Force veteran and former emergency medical technician, the motivation behind running for one of the two at-large seats on Bristol Tennessee City Council in the May 21 election is to address the economic problems in the area. In 2018, he ran unsuccessfully for a Sullivan County Commission seat. Bristol is a great place, this is where I grew up, this is my home, this is where I wanted to come back to and raise my kids, but the opportunities here for my children just arent there and a lot of families feel that way, he said. Chapman was born and raised in Bristol, Virginia, and now lives in Bristol, Tennessee, with his two teenage sons and husband, Jimmy Darnell. He said he loves living here, and he feels the community comes together when it matters most. But while on the campaign trail, he said city residents have told him they dont have access to many jobs that would allow them to take care of their families or better their economic situation. Even when he was growing up, he said his grandparents were pessimistic about the future of Bristol. BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. -- Two local men were charged in separate investigations Friday by the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office. A news release states on Dec. 26, Michael Ryan Cox, age 46, of Dale View Drive in Blountville reported his 2006 Nissan Titan as being stolen from his residence. Cox stated that a family member noticed the truck was stolen while he was out of town and called him. He reported the vehicle stolen to an officer by phone, according to the release. The truck was recovered on April 16 at a wrecker service storage lot in Johnson City. Detective Matt Harrison learned that the truck was towed from Walmart in Johnson City on Dec. 28. Surveillance video showed Cox exiting the alleged stolen truck and walking in to the store. Cox was interviewed about the alleged vehicle theft April 24. The release states he provided several different stories as to where the vehicle was stolen from and denied telling the reporting officer that the truck had been stolen from his residence in Blountville. Detective Harrison also spoke with Coxs vehicle insurance provider. The insurance company also advised that Cox told them the vehicle was stolen from his yard, according to the release. If you are walking out of a store with a couple dollars or some change left over, please consider dropping it in the red kettle if one is available. Its a simple way to help those without some of lifes basic needs have not only a better holiday season, but a better new year as well. Once is enough when it comes to big news stories Youth Council president and Challenger Early College High School senior Carrigan Price said being part of the United Way allocation process has shown her how important non-profit agencies are within a community. The Backpack Program is one weve devoted a lot of our time to because we really see how much its impacting the students within the school systems from elementary all the way up to high school, she said. The Catawba County United Way Youth Council was formed in 2003 under the direction of Shurtape CEO Stephen Shuford, a United Way Board member at the time. He led this effort with the belief that youth who become involved in their community as a teen, continue to be active as they become adults, according to ccunitedway.com. In 2014, the Catawba County United Way Youth Council merged with the Catawba County Youth Council. Its now made up of at least one representative of each high school while the local middle school students are also invited during the allocation presentations. Newton-Conover High senior Mikey Gordon enjoyed learning about the agencies during the presentations especially how they ran their budgets and programs. US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, is in Delhi on May 6-7 to update Indian officials on the current status of his negotiations with the Taliban, and international as well as Afghan government responses to his strategy. He has so far not seen India as central to his efforts. His interaction with Indian officials, in this context, has been sporadic. He had visited Delhi on January 10-11, coinciding with the Raisina Dialogue, after several rounds with the Taliban and several visits to other countries. He had met the visiting Indian foreign secretary in Washington in mid- March. His visit this time follows another round of negotiations with the Taliban in Qatar from May 1, preceded by a visit to Pakistan. Negotiations with the Taliban are focusing on four aspects: the pace of withdrawal of foreign troops; Talibans commitment to not again allow Afghanistan to be a base for attacks against other countries; intra-Afghan dialogue; and reduction of violence leading to a comprehensive ceasefire. So far there has been limited progress. Reports indicate that the Taliban are pressing for a quick withdrawal of US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, so as to strengthen their own relative presence on the ground. The US has been suggesting a drawn-out withdrawal, so that the present situation is not destabilised. A statement issued after the April 25 trilateral meeting between the US, Russia and China in Moscow spoke of an orderly and responsible withdrawal of foreign troops as part of the overall peace process. Talibans representatives have indicated willingness to commit to not allowing Afghanistan to be used for international attacks. However, they seem reluctant to commit to not allowing terrorism, arguing about lack of consensus on the term, and having partnered with several identified groups in the past, including the Haqqani network. The Moscow trilateral statement took note of Afghan Talibans commitment to fight ISIS, cut ties with Al- Qaeda, ETIM and other international terrorist groups, ensure the areas they control will not be used to threaten any other country. This is a commitment more difficult to monitor and enforce once Taliban become part of the governance structure. Pakistan has for decades denied any involvement with the terrorist groups it has sponsored. From Indias perspective, we will need to monitor the Talibans approach to groups fostered by the Pakistani state to target India. The intra- Afghan dialogue is proving to be the most intractable. Taliban have, so far, refused to sit across the table with the Afghan government, describing it as illegitimate. In February, it met in Moscow, with a group of Afghan leaders from Kabul, opposed to the Ashraf Ghani government. In November 2018, it accepted the presence during another meeting in Moscow, of representatives from the Afghan High Peace Council, seen as non- governmental. It called off a meeting in the UAE, when others pressed its representatives to meet with an Afghan government delegation. The present Afghan governance structure itself seems to be fractured. Former President Hamid Karzai had led the group for the February Moscow meeting, bypassing the government. Many leaders, including the chief executive of Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah, stayed away from the consultative Loya Jirgah convened by President Ghani earlier this month for endorsement of structure and objectives for negotiations with the Taliban. On April 7, the Afghan government announced that it would set up a Reconciliation Leadership Council to further appoint negotiators and to guide the process. It has not been able to do so. The disarray in the ranks of the government and its constitutional opposition will no doubt enhance the space for the Taliban to manipulate. Reduction in violence and ceasefire has also been elusive. On March 20, the Afghan government declared Operation Khalid to enhance efforts at security. On April 12, the Taliban launched its annual spring offensive, naming it Operation Fateh, targeting international and local forces. Several attacks have taken place with Afghan and international security forces casualties. Taliban seem reluctant to agree to ceasefire fearing opposition in its own ranks, fighting being the glue that keeps the group together, and fearing loss of influence if fighters on the ground begin to disband. Khalilzad was appointed to this position in September 2018. This was seen as indication that President Donald Trumps willingness to continue with the effort in Afghanistan was at its end. Earlier, in February 2018, the then US acting special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Alice Wells, had ruled out the Taliban request for direct talks with the US until it engaged with the Afghan government. This was now being abandoned. The change in position was visible by July when General John Nicholson, head of the US and NATO Mission, said that the US was ready to talk to the Taliban and discuss the role of international forces. Aside from several rounds with the Taliban and Pakistan, Khalilzad has also attempted to orchestrate international support. Two rounds of US, Russia, China trilateral have been held, with a third planned for Beijing. He has also had meetings with the European Union, countries in Europe, Central Asia, Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia. There is clearly some momentum in the process, even if major difficulties remain. India has protected its interests by being in lock step with the Afghan government. The differences within present structure in Kabul will, however, call for some nimble-footedness. Once the Afghan government begins to talk with the Taliban, and its members are exempted from travel bans and taken out of terrorism lists, India will need to explore new outreach. Arun K Singh is a former Indian ambassador to the United States. The views expressed are personal The destruction that took place in Odisha in last week due to cyclone Fani sent the entire country into gloom, with loss of so many precious lives. Help has been pouring in from various quarters in this time of crisis, and actor Akshay Kumar has been one of the helping hands. He has consistently proved that he doesnt restrict his big-heartedness to just the heroes he plays on the big screen. In real life too, he has always been always ready to do his bit. In the latest instance, we have learnt that he has donated 1 crore to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund for the Odisha cyclone victims. This is not new. Akshay has always been contributing for causes, be it his Bharat ke Veer initiative for the armed forces, or his contribution to the Kerala Floods or Chennai floods earlier, says an industry source. Actor Akshay Kumar seen in Mumbai's Madh Jetty, on April 25, 2019. (IANS) Earlier, Akshay had vowed to donate 5 crore through Bharat Ke Veer a fund-raising initiative of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. He had also extended a helping hand to the rain ravaged Chennai in 2015 by donating 1 crore for relief work. We tried getting in touch with the Odisha CMs office for a comment, but we were awaiting a reply till the time this story was published. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Ayushmann Khurrana is feeling the excitement in the air as he has started shooting for Bala here. Excitement is in the hair...err air. The shooting for Bala begins today, Ayushmann tweeted on Monday. The film is about a man who is balding prematurely and how he deals with it. Producer Dinesh Vijans Bala also stars Bhumi Pednekar and Yami Gautam. While Bhumi plays a dusky small town educated woman, Yami essays the role of a supermodel based in Lucknow. The film is being directed by Amar Kaushik. Bhumi too shared the news of the start of shoot of the film. This will be the third time Ayushmann and Bhumi have been paired together, after Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017). Also read: Priyanka Chopras mother on why son Siddharth and Ishitas wedding was cancelled: He needed more time This time, last year we were shooting Stree, and its surreal that we are starting another film with Amar today. Bala is entertaining, witty and lovable, and we have a great cast to tell this story, Vijan said in a statement. According to a source, Ayushmanns nickname in the film is Bala and thus the title. The film also features Saurab Shukla, Jaaved Jaaferi and Seema Pahwa in pivotal roles. It will be shot in Kanpur as well. Ayushmann, who made his Bollywood debut with Vicky Donor (2012) and has grown from strength to strength, says it is not easy for an outsider to find a place in Bollywood. The actor is glad that he got the right kind of support from the filmmakers, and has acknowledged that it pushes him to deliver every single time. It is not easy to be an outsider and find your feet in Bollywood. I feel that as an actor, I have been truly blessed that all my directors believed in me and trusted me with their films, Ayushmann told IANS. I find their love and belief truly humbling and it pushes me to deliver every single time I face the camera. Secondly, it is the right kind of scripts that you choose, Ive always believed that content is the king. There is a certain self-belief, an affirmation that my choices are working. The actor has been roped in as the brand ambassador of globally renowned watch brand Daniel Wellington. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas will be seen at MET Gala 2019 in New York, which begins on Monday. Before that, Priyanka has shared pictures from her past attendance and one of them is particularly interesting. In 2017, her future husband Nick and she made an appearance together at the show, fuelling the rumours of a budding romance. Sharing a picture, Priyanka wrote how she would tell her children the story of how she met Nick. Sharing the picture as Instagram stories, she wrote: The story Ill definitely tell our future kids... How I MET your father. The two made an appearance in top designer Ralph Laurens creations. That was the picture that set of rumours of them dating. However, the two have often denied reports of them dating each other then. It was much later that they got serious about each other. A couple of days back, Priyanka had shared a collage and revealed that Nick and she would be attending the MET Gala again this year and are part of Benefit Committee. She wrote: From walking the prestigious carpet for the first time, to meeting my husband and many friends for life... Nick and I are honored to be on the Benefit Committee for this years Met Gala. Looking forward to the first Monday in May. Watch: Priyanka Chopra was a bridesmaid at Sophie-Joes wedding Also read: Priyanka Chopras brother Siddharths ex-fiancee Ishita moves on, celebrates new beginning with friends. See pics Priyanka also shared other pictures of her look in the last two years that she has attended the show. If the dramatic train of her trench coat made news in 2017, it was her veil in the Christian-theme gala that got everyone talking in 2018. Priyanka had opted for a wine red strapless Ralph Lauren gown with a billowing train paired with an embellished gold chain headdress reminiscent of a medieval knight for her 2018 appearance. Priyanka was in India in April, reportedly for her brother Siddharths wedding to Delhis Ishita Kumar. The wedding was called off at the last moment, her mother Dr Madhu Chopra confirmed to Pinkvilla. She said: They (Siddharth and Ishita) have mutually called it off. Priyanka has completed shooting for her next Bollywood film, The Sky Is Pink, which also stars Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim. Follow @htshowbiz for more Student of the Year 2 team Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria and Ananya Panday have arrived in New Delhi to promote their upcoming film. The debutantes visited the famous India Gate, where they supported an injured Tiger. Pictures from their visit have been shared online. The pictures show Tara and Ananya posing at the landmark, in the blistering heat. Tiger, who injured his foot recently, can be seen trying his best to stand beside them. Other pictures show him in a wheelchair. They conducted a quick photoshoot at India Gate, where Ananya and Tara posed with each other. They were both wearing blue - Tara wore a T-shirt and skirt, and Ananya wore a short dress. Another video shows Tiger limping to pose with his co-stars, on popular demand. Another video from earlier in the day showed the cast arriving for a press conference, with Tiger being rolled in on a wheelchair. Student of the Year 2 is a sequel to Karan Johars 2012 film Student of the Year, which served as the Bollywood debut of Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan. He told PTI in an interview, This is the most different film I've ever done till date. It's a different world, it's a different me. Working on this one was like being stripped off of my powers. So, if someone will punch me, I'll bleed. I like the fact that the film has humanised me. He's a normal college going boy, he is not a one-man army. He's not someone who is fighting for the nation or saving someone. He is sort of saving himself. It was refreshing. Student of the Year 2 is directed by Punit Malhotra and will be released on May 10. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Tara Sutaria, who makes her Bollywood debut with Student of the Year 2 and is rumoured to be dating Sidharth Malhotra, has claimed to have a crush on Tiger Shroff. In a recent interview, Tara claimed it is no secret that she has a crush on Tiger, adding that her co-star has two sides to him but its only when he is comfortable with you. Tiger features in Student of the Year 2 that is directed by Punit Malhotra and also marks the debut of Chunky Pandays daughter Ananya Panday. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, Tara said, Tiger has two sides to him but its only when he is comfortable with you that he reveals his true self, which is funny and naughty. He is also very sweet. On my first day of shoot in Dehradun, during a dance sequence, I sprained my ankle. He pulled up a chair, put my foot up and massaged it. We hardly knew each other then and I wasnt expecting it. As my first co-star, hell always be special. Its no secret that I have a crush on Tiger. Also read: Game of Thrones episode 4 leaked online, major death revealed When asked if she is dating Student of the Year actor Sidharth, Tara told the tabloid, Sid and I live close by so we hang out together. Hes very busy and so am I but its nice to have someone close by. We have a lot in common, hes wonderful! We are friends good friends. She also mentioned Rohan Mehra and said, Rohan and I have known each other for a very long time. We have a lot of mutual friends too. A video clip of Tara where she auditioned for Jasmines role in Alaadin went viral online recently and she talked about how she was supposed to feature in the Hollywood film. She has now revealed that she even began training for her role in London. Id even started training for it in London but SOTY2 was on, and there was a lot happening here. Still, training with everyone there was a lifetimes experience while SOTY 2 is a dream come true. Apart from Student of the Year 2, Tara has already completed the shoot for Marjaaavaan opposite Sidharth Malhotra and will soon begin work on her third film - a Hindi remake of Telugu hit RX100 where she is reportedly going to sing a song. Suniel Shettys son Ahaan Shetty is making his debut with the RX100 remake. Follow @htshowbiz for more Even as two phases of polling remain, all parties are now working on twin strategies: maximise gains in the remaining seats, but also begin looking beyond the polls. Most political observers believe that it will be difficult for any party to win an absolute majority on its own. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to be the single largest force by some distance, although there is fervent speculation about the exact number of seats it will win. The party is well aware that if the existing National Democratic Alliance (NDA) falls short of a majority, it will need some additional friends. The Congress is hoping that it will be able to triple its seat share in the best case scenario. While it may have failed in stitching up alliances in some key states, it is aware that it will need all non BJP forces on the same page to muster up the numbers to keep Narendra Modi out. And regional forces from the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) grouping in Uttar Pradesh to Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal to K Chandrashekar Rao in Telangana calculate that in case of a hung parliament, if the NDA is short, they can emerge as major swing players in determining the shape of the next government in Delhi. All of this has meant that in the final fortnight of the elections, there are these seemingly paradoxical processes at play. On one hand, we are witnessing bitter and sharp campaigning against adversaries. On the other hand, there are also both public and private channels that have been opened up to reach out to prospective allies. Mr Modis efforts to drive a wedge between Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav is not only an effort to win over her Jatav base in eastern UP, but also to send a signal that the BJP is willing to engage with the BSP. The PMs praise for Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik for his work to minimise the losses by Cyclone Fani can be interpreted as a symbol of Centre-state cooperation, but in this political season, it could be seen as a signal that after a bitter campaign, all doors are open. The Congress may not have been able to sew up an alliance with SP-BSP, but its repeated assertions that the party has put up candidates in a manner which will help the alliance is a gesture of reconciliation. Mayawati, for her part, despite attacking the Congress relentlessly, categorically said that her voters will support Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. Meanwhile down south, Mr Rao who already has an understanding with YSR Congress Party to bargain as a collective block in Delhi has reached out to DMK leader, MK Stalin, Kerala CM and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, Pinarayi Vijayan, and is in touch with Karnataka CM, Janata Dal (Secular) leader, HD Kumaraswamy. Mr Stalin and Mr Kumaraswamy are a part of the United Progressive Alliance; and the CPI (M) is firmly in the anti-BJP camp. All of this means that while parties are preparing for the outcome on May 23, they are also, already, looking beyond May 23. In the coming few weeks, all forces will slowly explore options to advance their political interests. Indian politics has often thrown up surprises and it is best not to rule out any permutation and combination. Direct link to check Kerala SSLC result Here is the direct link to check Kerala SSLC results. Maxmimum result in pathanamtita 99.33%, lowest in Wayanad 93.22%, no results withheld this time In kerala SSLC results, the maxmimum result was in Pathanamtita 99.33% and lowest in Wayanad 93.22% 37,344 got A plus 37,344 got A plus in Kerala Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) or Class 10 board examination 98. 11% students pass 98. 11% students pass in Kerala Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) or Class 10 board examination 4, 34, 727 appeared for exam 4, 34, 727 appeared for Kerala Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) or Class 10 board examination this year. Kerala SSLC results declared The Kerala Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) or Class 10 board examination results declared. Due to model code of conduct education minister wont release the result Earlier, it was decided that education minister of Kerala C Raveendranath will hold a press conference in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram at 2pm to announce details of the results. Since poll code of conduct is in place, instead of the education minister education secretary will announce results at the state capital. Secretary, A Shahjehan will release the results Press conference to begin at 2 PM DHSE secretary, A Shahjehan will release the result today at 2 PM Take a look at last years result Out of 441,482 students, who appeared for the examination, 431,162 cleared it. At least 34,313 students scored A Plus in all subjects and 517 schools got A Plus in all subjects Candidates can check their results on third party websites as well Candidates who find it difficult to login to the official websites of Kerala DHSE can login at other third party websites to check their results. Click here to know where else to check the Kerala SSLC Results 2019. Last year, the result was declared on May 3 Last year, the results were declared on May 3 and the pass percentage was 97.84%.The pass percentage was highest in Ernakulam district at 99.12 and lowest in Wayanad, where it was 93.87 Follow these simple steps to check Kerala SSLC Result 2019 Candidates can check their Kerala SSLC Result 2019 by following these simple steps. Read here. Education minister wont announce the result Since poll code of conduct is in place, instead of the education minister education secretary will announce results at the state capital. Secretary, A Shahjehan will release the results Kerala SSLC Exam was conducted at 2923 centres Kerala SSLC exam was conducted at 2,923 centres in the state and 9 centres each in Lakshadweep and the Middle-East region. 54 centralised camps were set up for evaluation The government had set up 54 centralised camps for the valuation of the answer sheets which began on April 5 and ended on May 2, PTI reported Where to check Kerala SSLC Result 2019 Kerala SSLC Result 2019 can be checked online at dhsekerala.gov.in, www.kerala.gov.in and keralaresults.nic.in Kerala SSLC exam was conducted in the month of March Kerala SSLC exam was conducted from March 13 to 28, 2019. Over 4 lakh candidates are waiting for their results This year 4.3 lakh students had taken the Kerala SSLC exam 2019 the results of which will be declared today. Education minister of Kerala will address a press conference at 2 PM State education minister C Raveendranath will hold a press conference in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram at 2pm to announce the results. Kerala Board will declare the class 10 SSLC result today at 2 PM. The Kerala Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) exam results will be out at 2 PM today. Mizoram police on Monday said they have rescued a group of 12 Rohingyas who were allegedly being trafficked. The police said it is only the second incident of Rohingyas being caught in Mizoram and comes less than two weeks after a group of Rohingya women were apprehended on the Assam-Mizoram border. Rohingya activists in India and Malaysia say both the desperate refugees and the traffickers are using the India-Myanmar border crossings in Manipur and Mizoram undertake the high risk journey to Myanmar and further on to Thailand and Malaysia. On Sunday, a group of 12 persons including 8 women were rescued from a house in Aizawl, deputy inspector general of police, Lalbiakthanga Khangte said. They are victims of trafficking. We dont understand their language. They dont speak Hindi or Bengali. We suspect them to be Rohingya. Some of them said they were in a camp in Bangladesh. They arrived in Aizawl yesterday, said Khangte. A senior police official involved in the investigations said the police has arrested the lady who sheltered the 12 persons who were being trafficked. She claims that she would keep groups of people on the insistence of a relative in Myanmar who requested her to keep them for a night. This was not the first instance, he said. The group has been handed over to the Social Welfare department. They will get in touch with the respective authorities for further action, Khangte said. In late April, a group of eight Rohingya women were apprehended in Vairengte, the Assam-Mizoram border town in Kolasib district at midnight. The group did not have the Inner Line Permit. Vanlalfaka Ralte, Superintendent of Police, Kolasib said the group of women are in the age group of 18-22. We suspect they were being trafficked. They claimed they were on their way to Malaysia and had recently arrived in Assam from Bangladesh before they entered Mizoram, he said. Ralte said the police are still looking for the person in Aizawl who arranged the vehicle in which they were travelling. The group is currently housed in the premises of the police station in Vairengte after a local court sentenced them to one day imprisonment for violating the Foreigners Act. They did not even have a change of clothes or other essentials. We are looking after them, Ralte said. Mizoram, despite being a border state does not have a detention centre to keep foreigners pending repatriation. Other Myanmar nationals who are apprehended by the police for violating Foreigners Act are pushed back to Myanmar, officials said. We are in the process of notifying a detention centre, said Balaji Srivastava, Director General of Police, Mizoram. Mizoram officials are also in touch with their counterparts in Assam to transfer the Rohingya women to the detention centre in Silchar. In 2018, Manipur police had apprehended multiple Rohingya Muslims including from the border town of Moreh and also arrested traffickers. According to a Rohingya man who currently lives in Malaysia and works for an international agency said border towns in Manipur and Mizoram are being used as a route to cross over to Myanmar and further on to Malaysia and Thailand. There are agents in India, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia who facilitate this, he said speaking on condition of anonymity, recounting his own journey from India about a year ago where he first travelled to Imphal, lived a few days in Moreh before crossing over to Myanmar hidden in a truck. The journey to Malaysia by road took him over a month and cost him about 1.5 lakh. There are others who even pay 2 lakh or more for the journey and there are those who are trafficked, he said recounting the risk. You may get caught by the authorities in Myanmar who will send you back to a prison in Rakhine state and then there are hundreds who end up in detention in Malaysia and Thailand, he said. Sabber Kyaw Min, a Rohingya activist in India said many refugees in Bangladesh fear being repatriated to Myanmar after an agreement between the two countries. The Bangladesh authorities have increased security so the journey to Malaysia by boat has become difficult, he said. According to Sabber, several women are travelling to Malaysia to marry while others are being trafficked. A Rohingya in Malaysia cannot marry a local. They have to marry within the community. Also, the community is in such dire straits that people are always vulnerable to being trafficked, he said claiming he has been in touch with families of persons who were on their way to Malaysia from Bangladesh via India and have ended up in detention in India and Malaysia earlier. Srivastava said the two incidents offer a chance to investigate the network. We cannot say for sure that it is a new route since there are just two cases in Mizoram. But there may be conduits on both sides, in India and in Myanmar. We have to find them and disrupt this, he said. Lalmachhuana, general secretary of the Central Young Mizo Association, a powerful NGO which has its members among all sections of the Mizo society, said the recent incidents where Nepalese and a few Rohingyas have been rescued in Mizoram is a clear indication that Mizoram is being used as a trafficking route. Our local units both in Vairengte and in Champhai on the border with Mizoram have informed us that people are being trafficked to Myanmar, he said adding that the NGO has appointed a six-member committee headed by him to investigate the incidents. The Assam government has sought details of around 380,000 people, who it says did not file claims and objections even after their names were found missing in the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a document aimed at identifying illegal immigrants, a top government official said. The final draft, published in July 30, 2018, had excluded a total of 40,07,707 names of whom 36.2 lakhs have filed claims for inclusion of their names in the list. We need the information on those who did not file claims in order to prepare for filing references to the Foreigners Tribunals, said Ashutosh Agnihotri, commissioner and secretary, Home and Political Department. He said that last month, a letter was sent to the office of the state coordinator of the NRC (SCNRC) through the Border Organisation of the Assam Police seeking these details. Agnihotri also said that those whose names are not in the NRC when it is published [the Supreme Court has set July 31 2019 deadline] have the option of approaching the Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) against their exclusion. If there are still individuals who do not approach the FTs on their own, the state will do so on their behalf, Agnihotri said. The Supreme Court is monitoring the NRC update process in Assam. People whose names appeared in the first NRC, published in 1951, or in any of the electoral rolls up to March 24, 1971, and their dependents are to be included in the current citizens register. The NRC update was a key issue of the Assam Accord that was signed between All Assam Students Union and the central government in 1985, at the end of six-year-long Assam Agitation that sought detection and deportation of illegal migrants from the state. There are other official documents as well which can be used for the purpose. The state government hopes that details of the 3.8 lakh persons who have not filed claims, too, will help it keep an eye on their whereabouts. It will help.. Otherwise and like so many other declared foreigners have, they may also disappear, said Agnihotri. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, another person familiar with the exercise confirmed that the state governments request to the SCNRC for information on non-claimants, clearly mentions that it wishes to collect their biometrics too. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) is mulling lodging a case against its former party spokesman and rebel Shakeel Ahmad for dismissing its order about his suspension to be fake on the basis of a forged letter, purportedly signed by one of the partys general secretaries K C Venugopal. Talking to media persons soon after AICC general secretary Motilal Vora issued a letter suspending Ahmad and party MLA Bhavna Jha on Sunday, the Congress rebel claimed that the letter was fake and the party had not suspended them. He showed media personnel two letters, one signed by Vora and the other bearing signature of another AICC general secretary, KC Venugopal to prove his claim. Ahmads supporters circulated a press release, carrying the forged signature of Venugopal, on the social media, claiming that he and the MLA were not suspended. No such decision (regarding suspension of Ahmad and Jha) has been taken, stated the press release. Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) spokesman Harkhu Jha said that Venugopal had taken serious exception to the way his name was dragged into the controversy because he had not issued any such letter. The AICC is now mulling legal action against the people behind getting a forged letter issued in Venugopals name, said Jha, adding that the action might be taken after the elections. Ahmad, himself a former AICC general secretary, is contesting Lok Sabha elections from Madhubani as an independent candidate in defiance of the partys decision to support Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) candidate Badri Nath Purve as the Grand Alliance (GA) nominee. Madhubani went to the polls on Monday in the fifth phase of elections in Bihar. AICC in-charge of Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil said that there is no dispute in the fact that Ahmad and Bhavna Jha have been suspended and that Vora had issued a letter to that effect on Sunday. On learning about the forged letter in circulation on the social media, Venugopal had immediately dismissed it as forged through his twitter handle, said Gohil. Ahmad could not be reached out for comments on the letter controversy. He has been suspended for contesting the elections in defiance to the partys line, while Bhavna Jha has been charged with indulging in anti-party activities. The AICCs action followed when some senior GA leaders including Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and VIP chief Mukesh Sahni sought Congress president Rahul Gandhis intervention to check division of votes at Madhubani. Disciplinary action would be initiated against Ahmad and other disgruntled leaders to ensure their expulsion from the party after the polls, said a senior BPCC leader. Ashok Yadav, son of sitting BJP MP Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, is contesting Madhubani seat against GAs nominee Purve. The Congress is contesting nine seats in Bihar. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Uttarakhand police on Sunday promised action as the family of a 21-yearold Dalit man said he died nine days after upper-caste men allegedly thrashed him for having dinner seated on a chair ahead of them at a wedding in Tehri Garhwal district on April 26. Circle officer Uttam Singh, who is investigating Jitendra Dass alleged murder, said they have initiated a probe after registering a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. During the investigations, we tried to find any eyewitness but none came forward. The sole eyewitness seems to be the deceased himself. After his death on Sunday, the accused would now be also booked for murder, he said. Further action would be taken after his post-mortem examination report is received. Uttarakhands director general of police (law and order) Ashok Kumar said no accused would be spared and strict action would be taken. Jitendra Dass family said he was hospitalised in Dehradun, where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, since April 27. Das, a carpenter, was the sole bread-earner for his family. Jitendra Dass uncle, Elam Das, said they came to know about the incident the next morning when his mother found him unconscious and rushed him to a nearby hospital. we had all gone to attend the wedding of one of our distant relatives. Jitendra had gone to have his dinner while we were at the other side of the [wedding] venue. After having our dinner, we returned to our homes separately. He said one of Jitendra Dass friends, who tried to save him, told them that he was thrashed at the wedding venue and on his way home. He told us that he was having dinner seated on a chair before the accused uppercaste men. Seeing him sitting on a chair, they got enraged and kicked his plate before kicking him off the chair using expletives for daring to sit in front of them. Elam said the accused then assaulted his nephew after which he left. They did not end the matter there and followed him to brutally assault him again. Jitendras cousin, Pritam, who was also present at the wedding, said he was hit on his head and private parts. He was so badly beaten up that he barely managed to reach his house Next day, when his mother went to wake him, they came to know about it [assault]. He said Jitendra was rushed to a nearby hospital, which referred him to Dehradun. His sister finally lodged a complaint against seven accused identified as Gajendra, Soban, Kushal, Gabbar, Gambhir, Harbir Singh and Hukam Singh. A case was registered against them in Kempty police station but none of them has been arrested so far. He claimed the accused are freely moving in the village and pressurising them for a compromise. We want all of them to be nabbed and given stringent possible punishment. The Telangana government on Monday ordered a probe into a missing emerald from the crown of the presiding deity in the famous Gnana Saraswati temple at Basar in Adilabad district, 200 km north of Hyderabad. Temple priests, who entered the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in the morning, noticed that an emerald stone embedded in the crown of the deity was missing. Initially, they suspected that it could have fallen from the crown while cleansing the idol. But they could not find it despite searching for it. Some devotees who noticed that the stone in the crown was missing, informed the temple authorities. The devotees expressed concern at lack of safety to the main idol in the sanctum sanctorum. Executive Officer of the temple, Sandhya Rani told the local reporters that the crown was donated by a donor from Hyderabad in 2006 and it was studded with nava ratnas (nine precious stones). Though they are not very costly, missing of one of the stones is alarming. We are taking all precautions to ensure safety and security of the temple, she said. State endowments minister A Indrakaran Reddy ordered an inquiry into the incident. He directed that the endowment commissioner submit a detailed report into the episode and take appropriate action against the persons responsible. Last year, the temple ran into a controversy, when a idol of the goddess used in processions was allegedly taken to Nalgonda district for performing Aksharabhyasam (initiation of children to education) in a school. An inquiry into the disappearance of the idol revealed that a priest was involved in shifting it to outside the temple. He was suspended from duties for his role in the incident. The Gnana Saraswati temple at Basar, located on the right bank of Godavari, is famous for Aksharabhyasams. The temple earns revenue of three to four crore rupees per annum. More than a million pilgrims from various parts of Telangana and neighbouring states visit the temple every year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Timely intervention of the police prevented major clashes between two communities over construction of a disputed structure at Amberpet in Hyderabad on Sunday night. The police took BJP MLA T Raja Singh into custody and released him in the early hours of Monday, as he tried to lead a protest by the party workers, after the two groups indulged in stone pelting at each other causing injuries to seven persons, including two policemen. Hyderabad city police commissioner Anjani Kumar rushed to the area along with a large contingent of police to bring the situation under control. It all began with the officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation authorities pulling down a shop a few days ago as part of road widening for construction of a flyover. The authorities have also claimed to have paid 2.4 crore to the shop owner as compensation for the demolition of the shop. However, the local community leaders have been arguing that there was a 400-year old religious structure belonging to Wakf Board near the demolished property. On Sunday evening, they tried to erect a make-shift shed there and started praying. This led to protests from locals belonging to the other community who argued that there was no religious structure there and the adjacent area was a government property. Some locals reached the site to register their protest. This led to a heated argument between two communities and soon flared up into a clash, as they indulged in stone pelting at each other. The Ramanthapur police tried to control the warring groups and more police personnel were called in to control the situation. We have divided the entire area into four sectors and posted police forces in all the sensitive spots. I appeal to the people not to believe in any rumours, Anjani Kumar said. Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) general secretary and Yakutpura MLA Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri visited the disputed place on Sunday evening. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Srinivasa Rao Apparasu Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience. ...view detail The Noida Police is investigating claims of the family of a missing Kashmiri student that he is locked up in a Pakistani jail. The student, Syed Bashid Hasan, had gone missing on December 12 last year from his paying guest accommodation in Sector 126. A BBA student of Asian Business School in Sector 125, he was last seen with a relative in Delhi who he had told that he had an exam the last day. Police officials had earlier traced his location to Punjab but were unable to track him further. The family has now contacted the investigating officer of the case, claiming that Bashid is locked up in a Pakistani prison. We received a letter from a person in Bashids handwriting in which he has given our address. This person is also from our district and had been locked in a prison in Pakistan for nearly six years before being released recently. He said he got to know Bashid in the prison and the two got to talking when they realised that they are from the same district, said Naseerul Hasan, the boys father, a personnel with J&K police. Hasan said Bashid had left after a slight disagreement with family over his poor academic performance. He was arrested by Pak authorities after his visa was expired and it was only now that he was able to reach us, the father said. However, Naseerul could not explain how his son got a visa for Pakistan and how he reached there. Police are probing the claims. We are working to ascertain the familys allegation. Accordingly, due legal action will be taken, said senior superintendent of police, Vaibhav Krishna. The investigating officer of the case, Gurwinder Singh, said he had taken details of the person who delivered the letter to the family. I will contact him to verify claims. Also, we are working on identifying the reasons he went to Pakistan for , Singh said. Around 6.5 million voters in four parliamentary constituencies in Jharkhand will elect their representatives from among 64 candidates contesting in the fifth phase of polling in the Lok Sabha election on May 6. Voting was conducted in the state in three seats of Palamu, Chatra and Lohardaga, which witnessed a sizeable jump in voter turnout despite the blistering heat in the region, in the fourth phase across the country and the first in the state. The state sends 14 members to the Lok Sabha. Khunti, which will vote along with the Ranchi, Koderma, Hazaribagh constituencies on May 6, is the only one reserved for members of Scheduled Tribes. Read: Full coverage of Lok Sabha elelctions 2019 This phase is crucial for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it aims to retain all the four seats it won in the last Lok Sabha election in 2014. A number of high-profile candidates contesting the election also makes this round interesting. LK Kundan, who teaches political science at Ranchi University, said the stakes are high for the BJP in this phase. The fifth phase is crucial for the BJP. The party is contesting with three new faces on its sitting seats including Ranchi, Khunti and Kodarma. New faces are at times risk-prone, said Kundan. For the opposition grand alliance, excluding the left parties was a big mistake, he also said. Read: All you need to know about Jharkhand Two former chief ministers, the BJPs Arjun Munda from Khunti and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) leader Babulal Marandi, are in the fray in Kodarma. Union minister of state Jayant Sinha of the BJP and former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahai of Congress are also contesting from Hazaribagh and Ranchi respectively. Khunti has been a citadel of the BJP and represented by former deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha Karia Munda eight times. The party has rested the veteran and fielded ex-CM Arjun Munda from the seat, south of state capital Ranchi, this time. It is dominated by tribals and Christian voters, and their voting pattern could determine the fate of Arjun Munda. In Kodarma, JVM(P) chief and first chief minister of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi is locked in a triangular fight with the BJP and CPI-ML. Marandi is the only tribal leader to have represented a general seat, Koderma, from the state in the Lok Sabha. Marandi won the seat in 2004, 2006 by-election and 2009. He is fancying his chances again as he is the joint candidate of opposition grand alliance. The BJP sprung a surprise by fielding former RJD state president and four-time legislator from Kodarma Annapurna Devi by inducting her in the party days before announcing the candidate. Rajdhanwar legislator of CPI-ML Rajkumar Yadav has made the contest triangular on Kodarma seat. He emerged as the runner up from the seat in 2014. Read: These elections will shape the future of 3 former CMs of Jharkhand Union minister of state Jayant Sinha is looking for a second term from Hazaribag, represented in the past by his father Yashwant Sinha, and is locked in a direct contest against Congress Gopal Sahu. Another direct flight is ensuing in Ranchi between former Congress Union minister Subodh Kant Sahai and the BJPs Sanjay Seth, who is making his electoral debut. The BJP, however, is facing a rebellion on the seat from outgoing MP Ramtahal Chaudhary, who was dumped due to age factor. Chaudhary, who has represented the seat five times, has a strong influence over the dominant Kurmis in the constituency. The rest of the seven seats will vote in the sixth and the seventh phases of the Lok Sabha election. The votes will be counted on May 23. Untitled Document Constituency Sitting MP Bihar Sitamarhi Ram Kumar Sharma, RLSP Madhubani Chaudhary Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, BJP Muzaffarpur Ajay Nishad, BJP Saran Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP Hajipur Ramvilas Paswan, LJP Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang, BJP Anantnag Seat is vacant (PDPs Mehbooba Mufti quit after becoming CM of the state) Madhya Pradesh Tikamgarh Virendra Kumar Khatik, BJP Damoh Prahalad Singh Patel, BJP Khajuraho Nagendra Singh, BJP Satna Ganesh Singh Rewa Janardan Mishra, BJP Hoshangabad Uday Pratap Singh Betul Jyoti Dhurve, BJP Rajasthan Ganganagar Nihalchand Meghwal, BJP Bikaner Arun Ram Meghwal, BJP Churu Rahul Kaswan, BJP Jhunjhunu Santosh Ahlawat, BJP Sikar Sumedhanand Saraswati, BJP Jaipur Rural Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, BJP Jaipur Ramcharan Bohara, BJP Alwar Chand Nath, BJP Bharatpur Bahadur Singh, BJP Karauli-Dholpur Manoj Rajoria, BJP Dausa Harish Chandra Meena, BJP Nagaur C R Choudhary, BJP Constituency Sitting MP Jharkhand Kodarma Ravindra Kumar Ray, BJP Ranchi Ram Tahal Choudhary, BJP Khunti Kariya Munda, BJP Hazaribagh Jayant Sinha, BJP Uttar Pradesh Dharuhera Rekha Verma, BJP Sitapur Rajesh Verma, BJP Mohanlalganj Kaushal Kishore, BJP Lucknow Rajnath Singh, BJP Rae Bareli Sonia Gandhi, Congress Amethi Rahul Gandhi, Congress Banda Bhairon Prasad Mishra, BJP Fatehpur Niranjan Jyoti, BJP Kaushambi Vinod Sonkar, BJP Barabanki Priyanka Singh Rawat, BJP Faizabad Lallu Singh, BJP Bahraich Savitri Bai Phule, BJP Kaiserganj Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP Gonda Kirti Vardhan Singh, BJP West Bengal Bangaon Mamata Thakur, Trinamool Congress Barrackpur Dinesh Trivedi, Trinamool Congress Howrah Prasun Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Uluberia Sajda Ahmed, Trinamool Congress Sreerampur Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Hooghly Dr Ratna De, Trinamool Congress Arambag Aparupa Poddar, Trinamool Congress SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Almost 20 years after he laid down arms, Abdul Munaf Malik, a former commander of militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, is a disillusioned man. He says many other militants like him, who shunned violence to join the national mainstream, are also feeling cheated. Malik, 49, is sore over what he calls a raw deal given to him and other militants who surrendered. He claims that surrender-cum-rehabilitation policies of successive regimes in Jammu and Kashmir are cruel joke on them. I remained a militant from 1994 to 1999, initially as the district commander of Hizbul Mujahideen and then as divisional commander of Tehreek-ul-Jihad for Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur districts, he says. Malik says he had undergone an 11-month training at Kotli in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Manshera district in the eastern part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province before heading to Afghanistan to become a hardened guerrilla fighter. The former militant commander claims he survived over a dozen encounters and escaped several cordons during that period. Malik, who was also known as Inqualabi and Aslam Malik, says as the commander of Hizbul Mujahideen he headed a team of 39 militants. Some of them were eliminated in encounters and some others escaped to Pakistan. Seven to eight others were convinced by me to surrender, he says. After being persuaded by my mother to quit militancy, I surrendered before then senior superintendent of police (SSP), Rajouri, Hemant Kumar Lohia in April 1999. Thereafter, I worked for almost eight years as a special police officer, he says. As a special police officer, I helped security forces in eliminating over 40 insurgents. But my services were terminated on September 17, 2008 after some local politicians, jealous of my work, connived against me, he adds. The former militant, who contested panchayat polls in 2011 but lost by a narrow margin of just six votes, says the reason behind rise of militancy in Kashmir was not jihad. Kaun sa jihad? Yeh sab kali matti aur lal seb ke liye hai. (Which jihad? Militancy is being fuelled for control of natural resources in Kashmir), he says. Malik says he had to pay a heavy price for his decision to quit militancy. Infuriated over my decision, militants torched my house and those of my father and brother at Topa village in Rajouri district. They broke legs of my younger brother Abdul Qauf with a hammer. Today, he cannot move an inch without crutches. My sister was also beaten up, he says. My daughter, who has done B Sc in nursing, and my son, an M Sc degree holder, are today called names by people. Where will I marry off my daughter? Whenever any police verification is required, they specifically mention surrendered militant on papers, he says. Malik says 18,000 is all that he received for returning to the mainstream. I didnt get a fixed deposit certificate for 1.50 lakh, monthly stipend of 2,000 and any vocational training, as promised, he rues. Even today, we feel like sitting ducks for militants. We dont have any security or weapon. I am working as a small time contractor to eke out a living for my family, he says. Frustration has reached to such a level that sometimes I feel like picking up the gun again. I want to make a passionate appeal to governor Satya Pal Malik to give me an opportunity to meet him so that I can narrate him what exactly has been done with surrendered militants over the years, he says. Advisor to governor K Vijay Kumar, who headed the special task force that was involved in the elimination of dacoit Veerappan in Tamil Nadu, says: The new surrender policy is yet to take a final shape. The governor has asked for some more clarifications. I hope we will be able to make some progress in two to three weeks. Kumar adds: The surrender policy has already been there in various formats and the governor has asked us to have a look at it and put up a draft. WORKABLE REHAB POLICY NEEDED Some political leaders in Kashmir have suggested formulation of a workable rehabilitation policy instead of killing militants. If we go by records of past three years, the number of youths joining terror outfits has not come down despite elimination of hundreds of militants. We have suggested to the government to formulate a policy which will be more acceptable and workable than past schemes. The previous surrender policies failed as government did show keep its promise. The militants who shunned the path of violence and returned from PoK are leading miserable lives, one of the leaders said. SURRENDER POLICIES IN J&K The first surrender policy, introduced in 1995, promised a fixed deposit of 1.5 lakh, monthly stipend of 1,800 and some vocational training. In 2004, a new rehab policy was approved. This policy was applicable to known militants who surrender with weapons and dreaded militants even without weapons. It also promised a fixed deposit of 1.5 lakh, monthly stipend of 2,000 and some vocational training. In 2010, another policy was announced. It was for Kashmiri militants who had gone to PoK for training between 1989 and 2009. Under the policy, four routes Chakan da Bagh in Poonch district, Salamabad in Baramulla district, Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi and Wagah-Attari in Punjab were identified for their return. The policy was of no help as some militants returned via Nepal, which was not in the approved routes, and hence they did not get any benefit. In August 2018, the NDA government at the Centre asked the Jammu and Kashmir governor to formulate a new surrender and rehabilitation policy. The state home department started working on the surrender policy afresh with an aim to reduce militancy. Under the new policy, militants on the list of Subsidiary Multi-Agency Centre (SMAC), a centralised agency for security and intelligence inputs, will be eligible for incentives. The militants, returning to the mainstream, will be called renouncers and they will be entitled for a fixed deposit of 5 lakh or 6 lakh after a period of three years, subject to their good behaviour. The proposed policy also aims at their economic rehabilitation by providing a monthly stipend of 5,000 or 6,000, except to militants involved in heinous crimes. Under the scheme of things, a renouncer can also apply under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) for selfemployment. According to figures of the state home department, 435 cases of surrender were received by the government from 2014 to September 2017. The government provided 2.68 crore as monthly incentive in 216 cases while rejecting 219 others. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Polling will be held in Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency and Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag seat in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. Two rounds of polling in Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, where elections are being held in three phases due to security reasons, had passed off peacefully on Aprill 23 and 29. However, the killing of a BJP leader and an attack on a former political worker in the constituency in three days has creating a sense of fear among the mainstream politicians. Militants had killed BJPs vice president for Anantnag Ghulam Mohammad Mir, 55, inside his house in Nowgam area of Verinag on Saturday night and shot at former political worker Abdul Rashid Bhat at Tral on Thursday. On Friday, three militants, including Lateef Tiger, an associate of slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, were killed in an encounter in Shopian district and 40 civilians were injured in clashes following the killing of the militants. Anantnag district, which went to the polls in the first round, recorded 13.63% voting. In the second phase of polling in the constituency, Kulgam witnessed 10.32% turnout. In 2014, the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat had recorded around 29% voting. Shopian and Pulwama districts, spread over six assembly segments of Tral, Pampore, Pulwama, Rajpora, Wachi and Shopian, have 5.22 lakh registered voters and 695 polling stations. All the polling booths have been declared hypersensitive and more than 30, 000 securitymen will be deployed there. After the killing of the BJP leader, more preventive measures have been taken to make the polling incident-free. In a massive crackdown in villages of Pulwama and Shopian, many youths with adverse police records have been arrested. Police described these arrests as preventive measures to ensure peaceful polling. Officials said quick action teams of army, CRPF and police would also be kept ready to tackle any exigency. These districts are crucial for Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, more so because the turnout was very low in the first two rounds of voting. Apart from Mehbooba, 17 more candidates are in the fray. Leaders of political parties are apprehensive of low polling turnout as Shopian and Pulwama are militancy-infested districts where the election campaign remained muted. Pulwama and Shopian districts were already volatile. The killing of three local militants and a BJP leader in Anantnag and the attack on a former political worker in Tral have further reduced the chance of good polling percentage, said state Congress president and party candidate Ghulam Ahmad Mir. Mehbooba Mufti, who is also a former state chief minister, said the government had turned Kashmir into a war field. The government is at war with its own people. Hundreds of youths have been detained in Kashmir in the name of stone pelting. Only in Pulwama, over hundreds of men have been arrested in the last four five days, she said. National Conference candidate justice (retired) Husnain Masoodi said the situation in the constituency was not good. The Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, spread over Leh and Kargil districts, has 1,74,618 electorate. Technocrat-turned-Congress strategist Sam Pitroda on Monday invoked Mahatma Gandhi and the land of Gujarat to launch a counter attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. I cannot believe that a man from Mahatma Gandhis soil Gujarat would go to that level and make a comment on someone who died with great honour, Pitroda told a news conference at the Congress headquarters in Delhi. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi while referring to Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1 (corrupt number 1). Pitroda said: As opposed to talking about your performance, they go attack people like Rajiv Gandhi. What a shame that you have to get to that level...I am very upset that a Prime Minister from Mahatma Gandhis soil would go to this level. Pitroda, a friend of Rajiv Gandhi, headsthe Indian Overseas Congress, a frontal wing that is an interface between the party and the NRIs. On Sunday, union minister Prakash Javadekar said: Is it not true that Rajiv justified the genocide of Sikhs? Wasnt a government plane sent to bring Warren Andersen (chairman of Union Carbide) and then allowed to flee? Congress played the worst communal politics during the Shah Bano case; they had family ties with Ottavio Quattrocchi (accused in the Bofors kickbacks case). The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the suspected Islamic State terror module in Kerala has booked three more persons from the state for their alleged involvement in terror activities, according to sources in the agency. The three men are Abubacker Siddique and Ahmad Arafath from Kasargode and Mohamad Faizal, a resident of Karunagapally (Kollam). The first two have been detained and the third is still at large, said sources in the NIA. On April 29, it had arrested a person from Palakkad, Riyas Aboobacker (29) alias Abu Dujana who wanted to be a suicide bomber. Sources said all three were in regular touch with Aboobacker and were planning to carry out terror attacks in the state. The agency has moved a remand plea in the NIA court in Kochi on Monday seeking five-day custody of Aboobacker. In the remand application it said Aboobacker plotted a terror attack in Kerala and was in constant touch with many leaders of terror network including Abdul Raashid Abdulla, the leader of the missing 21 people from north Keralas Kasargode who reportedly joined the Islamic State three years ago. It also said Aboobacker and his associates were trying hard to propagate the IS ideology in Kerala and desperate to carry out attacks in the state. During preliminary interrogation Aboobacker reportedly told the NIA that he was following speeches of Zahran Hashim, brain behind the Lankan bombings and controversial preacher Zakir Naik, for more than a year and was eager to carry out a terror attack in a tourist spot in Kerala frequented by foreigners. He also said he was ready for a suicide attack but his friends had let him down by not providing explosives and logistic support. Following his interrogation the NIA had raided many hideouts of suspects in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and seized incriminating documents, sources said. At least 60 people from both Kerala and Tamil Nadu were under the NIAs observation. After the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka which killed more than 250 people, intelligence agencies have increased their vigil in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Two days ago Lankan army chief General Mahesh Senanayaka said some of the bombers who carried out attacks in his country had visited Kashmir and Kerala. On Sunday, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh said there was no record to suggest that any of Sri Lankan suicide bombers had visited Kashmir. 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. 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. There is no information about them having visited here, Singh said, adding immigration records were revisited after the attacks and none of the bombers had visited Kashmir. His comments have come a day after Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, claimed they (the suspects) have gone to India, theyve gone to Kashmir, theyve travelled to Kerala state. Singh said the army chief of Sri Lanka should send evidence, through diplomatic channels, and that he would look into it. Some officials said that a dozen Sri Lankan nationals had come to Kashmir this year and their credentials have been re-checked. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a pat on the back for Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and got into a spat with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, both over cyclone Fani. Analysts surmised that Modi was reaching out to Patnaik, whose Biju Janata Dal (BJD) was once an ally of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and whose support he may need if his party doesnt cross the halfway mark in the Lok Sabha on its own. Naveen babu has done good planning. The central government will support and carry forward the initiatives, Modi told reporters. But with polling still on in West Bengal, where seven seats went to polls Monday and another 17 seats will go to polls over the next two phases, the PM and Banerjee exchanged harsh words. He called her Speedbreaker Didi and she returned the favour by calling him Expiry PM terms both have used in the past. At a rally in Bengal, Modi said he tried to reach out to Banerjee to discuss the impact of Fani on her state, but she wasnt available. Speedbreaker Didi has played politics even on Cyclone Fani. I tried to get in touch but her arrogance is such that she refused to talk to me, the PM said. He said he tried twice to reach out to the West Bengal CM. Banerjee said she was busy. I dont want to share dais with Expiry PM . I dont consider you our Prime Minister. When the next PM comes, I will tell him, she said in a rally. She clarified that she was monitoring the Fani impact from Kharagpur and could not take Modis call . We dont need you, she added, claiming that she had gone to visit Modi when West Bengal was hit by floods in 2015 and 2017, but that no central assistance was forthcoming then. Their war of words came on the day reports of violence marred voting in seven constituencies in West Bengal, where clashes, allegations of booth capturing, and explosions, have cast a shadow on the polling process throughout this summers general elections. After Mondays voting, the BJP filed a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against the Trinamool Congress, alleging rigging of polling booths and widespread violence. Nine people have died in the state in political violence since election dates were announced on March 10, and polling days in all five phases so far have been turbulent. West Bengals chief electoral officer (CEO) Aariz Aftab, however, said, Barring some stray incidents, polling was overall peaceful. Modi was unsparing in his attack on Banerjee. I must congratulate the state government, the authorities and those involved in evacuations. The work done is commendable. There has been a good coordination between the Centre and the state, he said in Odisha. In Bengal, he said Banerjee did not turn up on Monday at a meeting he wanted to hold with officials to take stock of the situation. The PM also alleged that people saying Jai Shri Ram are sent to jail in West Bengal, referring to an incident in West Midnapore district last Saturday. A group shouted the slogan when Banerjees convoy was passing by, prompting her to confront the men, who ran away. A row broke out on Saturday, a day after Fani made landfall in Odisha, with Trinamool Congress leaders objecting to Modis phone call to West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who was asked to prepare a report on the situation. The ruling party alleged that the West Bengal government was bypassed in the process, even though Modi spoke to Odisha CM Patnaik. Media reports, attributed to sources, later said the Prime Ministers Office made two attempts to reach out to Banerjee over phone, but her office informed him that she was on a tour and that the calls would be returned. The Supreme Court said on Monday it will hear a review petition on its verdict on the Rafale jet deal on May 10, when it will also take up a contempt petition against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for attributing his political slogan Chowkidar Chor Hai to the top court. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said on Monday that he was perplexed that the two matters were not listed together and carry different dates while they were ordered to be heard together. The matter will be heard on the day before the top courts summer recess. The top court had on April 10 dismissed objections over the admissibility of leaked documents petitioners had cited for seeking a review of its judgement from December last year rejecting a plea for a court-monitored probe into the purchase of the 36 fighter jets. The contempt case against Rahul Gandhi has been filed by the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJPs) Meenakshi Lekhi for incorrectly attributing the slogan to the preliminary verdict of the top court in the Rafale case. Lekhi had asked the court to initiate criminal contempt action against Gandhi for twisting the top courts April 10 judgment to claim that the court declared Prime Minister Narendra Modi guilty of corrupt practices in purchase of the Rafale aircraft. Gandhi had apologised for misquoting the Supreme Court at the previous hearing. The court, however, had asked him to give a written apology and was not convinced by Gandhis earlier affidavit. On December 14, the Supreme Court dismissed all petitions seeking a court-monitored probe of the Rs 59,000 crore contract for Rafale fighter planes made by Dassault Aviation of France, saying that there was no reason to doubt the decision-making process. The petitioners had alleged fiscal malfeasance and commercial favouritism in the deal. The review petitions have been filed by former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and advocate Prashant Bhushan in the Rafale case claiming the December 18 verdict in the case contained errors and relied on the governments incorrect claims in an unsigned note given in a sealed cover. Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and lawyer Vineet Dhanda, too, have filed two more review petitions. The Centre has filed an affidavit last Saturday in the case, saying any review in the case would tantamount to questioning the governments sovereign decision-related to national security and defence. The government has said the claims made in the review petitions are scandalous, false, baseless and bereft of any particular material. The affidavit said the ruling had no apparent error warranting its review. It said the Prime Ministers Office monitoring the progress of the deal for 36 Rafale jets could not be construed as interference or parallel negotiations. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) governments decision to enter an $8.7 billion government-to-government deal with France to buy 36 Rafale warplanes was announced in April 2015, with an agreement signed a little over a year later. This replaced the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regimes decision to buy 126 Rafale aircraft, 108 of which were to be made in India by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The deal has become controversial with the opposition, led by the Congress, claiming that the price at which India is buying Rafale aircraft now is Rs 1,670 crore for each, three times the Rs 526 crore, the initial bid by the company when the UPA was trying to buy the aircraft. It has also claimed the previous deal included a technology transfer agreement with HAL. The NDA has not disclosed details of the price, but the UPA deal, struck in 2012, was not a viable one, former defence minister Manohar Parrikar has previously said, implying that it would have never been closed and that, therefore, any comparison was moot. Indeed, the UPA was not able to close the deal till 2014, largely over discussions related to pricing of items not included in the initial bid. The deal has also become controversial on account of the fact that one of the offset deals signed by Dassault is with the Reliance Group of Anil Ambani. The Congress claims the earlier deal was scrapped and a new one signed just to provide Ambani with an opportunity for an offset deal. Both the government and Reliance have repeatedly denied this. The number of hoax calls received at airports has more than doubled in the wake of the February 14 Pulwama attack and the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, three officials familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified. One of them, an officer with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which provides security at most airports, said an average of 5-6 hoax calls are being received every month, compared to just two a few months ago. He said all calls are taken seriously. According to CISF, which provides security to 61 of the 100 operational airports in the country, about two dozen hoax calls are received every year. This year, the number has already crossed 24, the agency said. Callers could be someone who wants to settle scores with someone else, a passenger who has been ill-treated by an airline, or just a prankster. Sample this: A 30-year-old with mental illness was so consumed by his hatred of Pakistan after the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) attacked a CRPF convoy, killing 40 Indian troopers, that he placed an empty bag inside a dustbin near Terminal 3 of Delhis Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on February 20 and made a call. Officials who deal with the terror threats in agencies such as the Intelligence Bureau (IB), state police forces, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and Railway Protection Force (RPF) said that the frequency of hoax or mischievous calls, emails, tweets or handwritten letters usually increases after any terror attack because of paranoia among people. Almost 80% of the alerts received in such times are usually bogus, but they increase the workload of security forces, bomb squads, dog units and the intelligence agencies. Every alert is checked properly as nobody wants to take a risk in case something happens, said a senior IB officer. A third official, who also works for CISF, said that at sensitive installations such as airports, the entire operation is stopped to ensure there is no breach of security, if any such call is received. Whenever a threat call is received, a bomb threat assessment committee is formed and they categorise it into specific or non-specific [threat]. If it is specific, every part of the airport is put on alert and the flight concerned is vacated and baggage of the passengers is checked again. In non-specific cases also, the entire airport is sanitised, he said. In March, a Singapore-bound flight from Mumbai was escorted by two F-16 jets from the Singapore Air Force, after a caller claimed there was a bomb in the plane. The flight ultimately reached its destination safely and the bomb threat was turned to be a hoax. The caller was an Australia-based, non-resident Indian (NRI) allegedly upset at how his family had been treated by the airline. Experts say stringent punishment is necessary to check the rising trend of prank calls. Once a call is received, security personnel cannot take a chance and will do the drill. The only way to stop this is to investigate the case and ensure maximum punishment for the accused. In some cases, the accused need to be booked under Aircraft Act which has provision for stringent punishment, said Arvind Ranjan, former director general of CISF. If a suspect is convicted under the Indian Penal Code, the maximum punishment is two to three years but under the Aircraft Act, it can go up to life. The Supreme Court is likely to peruse the Election Commission order clearing Prime Minister Narendra Modis speeches at its next hearing on Wednesday after the Congress accused the poll panel of bias. Congress leader Sushmita Devs lawyer Abhishek Singhvi told the court on Monday that there were numerous instances where the Election Commission had found remarks by a political leader to be a poll code violation but found no violation when a similar allegation was leveled against PM Modi and Amit Shah. Singhvi also asked the bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi that there should be some kind of guidelines in place to guide the election commission when it examines complaints of model code of conduct violations. PM Modi has been given clean chits in all of six cases so far for speeches in Barmer, Varanasi, Patan, Nanded, Latur and Wardha; while BJP president Amit Shah has been cleared for speeches in Nagpur and Krishna Nagar. In five cases relating to PM Modi, one of the three election commissioners did not agree with the final decision but the dissenting view has not been incorporated in the final order that was passed. A former chief election commissioner had earlier told HT that 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, the former poll panel chief said. HT Editorial | The Election Commission cannot be so selective The decisions by the Election Commission come after Sushmita Dev, who is a member of Parliament from Assams Silchar in the outgoing Lok Sabha, accused the Election Commission of sitting on complaints against the PM Modi and Amit Shah. In her petition before the top court, Dev accused Modi and Shah of hate speeches and using armed forces for political propaganda. Last week, the court gave the commission time till Sunday to clear the backlog of complaints against the top politicians. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A three-member in-house committee of Supreme Court judges led by justice SA Bobde on Monday unanimously cleared Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment charges levelled by a former court employee, in a decision that was criticised by several leading lawyers for its lack of transparency and process. The proceedings were ex parte (without the party concerned) after the complainant walked out of her third meeting with the panel citing lack of procedure. The committee submitted its report to justice Arun Mishra, but refused to share its findings with even the complainant. It also cited a 2003 judgement in a case filed by lawyer Indira Jaising seeking the report of an in-house committee that looked into allegations of sexual harassment against judges of the Karnataka High Court. Jaising said on Monday that the judgment was before the Right to Information Act and cannot have any application in todays time. The complainant, who said she was disappointed and dejected by the report, has said she will decide on her next step after consulting her legal advisors. According to people familiar with the matter in the Supreme Court who spoke on condition of anonymity, justice Mishra will now decide whether the report should be placed before the full court as the committee was set up by a full courts approval. The report was submitted to him because he is the senior most judge to whom it can be (see box). In a statement, the secretary general of the Supreme Court said: The in-house committee (of Justice SA Bobde, Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Indu Malhotra) has submitted its report dated 5.5.2019, in accordance with the in-house procedure, to the next senior judge competent to receive the report and also sent a copy to the judge concerned, namely, the Chief Justice of India. Justifying its stand on not making the report public, the statement by the secretary generals office said, The in-house committee has found no substance in the allegations contained in the complaint date, 19.4.2019 of a former employee of the Supreme Court of India. Please take note that in the case of Indira Jaising v. Supreme Court of India and others (2003), it has been held that the report of the committee constituted as a part of the in-house procedure is not liable to be made public. Reacting to the committees findings, the complainant said in a statement that she was disappointed and dejected. I am highly disappointed and dejected to learn that the In-House Committee has found no substance in my complaint and feel that gross injustice has been done to me as a woman citizen of India. I am now extremely scared and terrified because the In- House Committee, despite having all material placed before them, appears to have given me no justice or protection and said nothing about the absolutely malafide dismissals and suspensions, indignities and humiliations suffered by me and my family. I and my family members remain vulnerable to the ongoing reprisals and attack, she said. Hindustan Times has learnt that the three-member committee looked only into sexual harassment allegations and did not go into the merits of the disciplinary action taken by the Supreme Court against the complainant. The woman was dismissed in December 2018 and she has claimed this was part of the harassment she faced. HT also learns that the panel has said in its findings that before April 19, when she wrote to 22 judges of the court, the complainant did not raise the allegation of sexual harassment or victimisation despite having an opportunity to do so when she challenged the disciplinary action in December 2018. The panel has said the woman can avail the remedy of a statutory appeal against her dismissal and if she does so the appropriate forum will look into it. She was removed from service on account of insubordination after the woman was moved out of the CJIs home office to a different department in the Supreme Court premises. No merit was found by the committee in the allegations of harassment and subsequent victimisation of the complainant and her family members, including her arrest in a cheating case and the suspension of her husband and brother-in law who work as a Delhi police constable, at the instance of the CJI. The committee in its report has also recorded that despite material being presented against the complainant, it has not relied on it as the same was given after she walked out of the inquiry proceedings on April 30, and could not be confronted with the evidence. With regard to alleged police excesses against the complainants family, the panel has concluded that all the members were booked in criminal cases prior to the alleged incident. An FIR was filed against the complainant in 2011 and 2012 and the one against the husband was lodged in 2015. In her allegations, the complainant has asserted that her husband was suspended in connection with a 2015 case only in December 2018 which was a part of the victimization effort led by the Chief Justice. The people familiar with the matter said a letter written by Supreme Court Judge Justice DY Chandrachud demanding an external member preferably a retired woman Supreme Court judge on the probe panel, was not accepted. The committee members felt that as per the procedure of in-house inquiry laid down in 1999, legal assistance is not envisaged. The complainant has also criticised the panel for adopting a non-transparent procedure. She said, From the media I have learnt that the CJI was perhaps called by the committee for his version. However I am not aware whether any of the other persons named in my complaint who would have knowledge of matters mentioned in the complaint, especially my victimisation, were called by the committee for their evidence. Some lawyers say the committee could have been more transparent. Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde said: The complainant walked out and the inquiry proceeded ex parte. The enquiry committee cannot compel her participation. Yet it proceeded, rendered an ex parte finding, and its report while legally defensible, will still remain wanting in public perception. The independence of the judiciary, rests on public trust and public trust is not maintained by one-sided inquiries. Senior advocate Gopal Sankarnarayan added: The procedure adopted has had questions raised about it for more than a week now, and the concerns of the bar associations and stake holders in the court have not been appropriately addressed. It would be incumbent that a methodology be followed that is consistent with sexual harassment law and due process be applied that protects both the accuser and the accused in a truly transparent manner. The committee had its defenders too. Senior advocate Aishwarya Bhatti said: My view is that the committee has submitted its report after following procedure laid down in law. This committee comprised of the second senior most judge of the court, who will also go on to become the CJI and two eminent sitting women judges. I think it is best now to leave things. It is now for the next senior most judge who receives the report to consider it and decide if more needs to be done. The US special envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, on Monday briefed external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on his talks with the Taliban and the two leaders discussed the role of regional players in ensuring peace in the war-torn country. Khalilzad, who skipped India on his last two multi-nation tours, is visiting New Delhi at a time when talks between the US and the Taliban have bogged down over two issues the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and the Talibans reluctance to agree to a ceasefire. There was no official word on the meeting though external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted Khalilzad had briefed Swaraj on peace efforts in Afghanistan against the backdrop of the latest US-Taliban meeting at Doha in Qatar. Both discussed role of all regional stakeholders in bringing peace & development in Afghanistan. India will work with key partners in days ahead, he added. Khalilzad, who is on a two-day visit, is expected to meet foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale and other officials on Tuesday. Before travelling to India, Khalilzad met top officials in Afghanistan and Pakistan last week. He met Swaraj and Gokhale during a trip to New Delhi in January, but skipped India during two multi-nation tours in February and March. During the ongoing sixth round of talks in Doha, the two sides are stuck on the issue of withdrawal of US and foreign forces, with America insisting a deal should include a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire. The US also wants the Taliban to join an intra-Afghan dialogue with politicians and civil society representatives a stance backed by New Delhi. The Taliban have said they wont discuss a truce or intra-Afghan dialogue before the US announces a troop withdrawal. India is concerned by a recent spike in violence by the Taliban, including the spring offensive launched on April 12 and the failure to agree to a truce, people familiar with developments said. It is also opposed to the formation of any interim government and any possible deal with the Taliban that alters the structure of the Afghan Constitution or erodes the gains made over the past 17 years, especially in terms of the democratic set-up and rights of women and minorities, they said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Within minutes of Congress president Rahul Gandhi calling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah a murder accused at a rally in Madhya Pradesh on April 23, the legal cell of the BJP got busy. It checked and rechecked the video of the speech, verified its authenticity and finally drafted a complaint that was submitted to the Election Commission (EC). This is a routine drill followed by the BJPs legal cell, which is tasked with monitoring every speech and every action of Opposition in election season for possible poll code violations. Also Read | Fate of 51 seats across 7 states on line in fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls The process is gruelling and time-consuming, and requires not just a hawks eye, but also familiarity with legal procedures. Since the model code of conduct (MCC) came into effect on March 10 with the announcement of the election schedule, the BJPs legal cell has submitted over 50 complaints and 30 suggestions to the poll watchdog for action. MCC bars candidates from seeking votes in the name of religion, making hate speeches and organising public meetings during the 48-hour silence period ahead of the polling day, among other activities. The saffron partys legal cell is headed by general secretary Bhupender Yadav. Its main office is in Delhi, but every district of each state has a small office that receive inputs from the vast network of BJP workers and supporters, and the media cells that are active in the booth level. Also Read | Rahul, Sonia Gandhi, Rajnath Singh among heavyweights in phase 5. A look at key contests At the legal cell unit at the sprawling BJP headquarters in the Capital, a group of lawyers pores over every complaint it receives. Based on merit, some of these are then sent to the poll watchdog, which is tasked with ensuring free and fair elections. The BJPs election committee, which is a part of the legal cell, include senior leader Om Pathak, senior advocates Neeraj (he uses only one name), Aishwarya Bhati and Rajan Khosla, a former MLC and general secretary from Uttar Pradesh. Some complaints are forwarded to the chief electoral officer...but if the complaint is serious in nature, then delegations of BJP leaders meet poll panel officials, said Neeraj. Though Neeraj did not mention the exact number or nature of complaints, he said most complaints the party sent to the poll watchdog so far were related to violations in West Bengal and Odisha. There has been violence in West Bengal, and other parties such as the Congress has also reported these to the commission. It was on our complaint that EC issued notices to Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati, and barred them from canvassing for 72 hours and 48 hours respectively, Neeraj explained. Last month, Mayawati was barred for purportedly appealing to Muslims to vote for the SP-BSP alliance in the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Meerut, while Khan was barred for making provocative remarks against BJP candidate Jayaprada. On how the party maintains a vigil over MCC violations, Yadav said, Poll code rules should be adhered to for the conduct of fair elections, which in turn are good for democracy. The Constitution has a defined role for EC and we respect the institution. Filing complaints about violations is not the only role of the legal and election cells of the BJP. They also train workers and candidates in the legalese of election process from filing nominations to procedures followed during counting. Before the elections begin, the election committee travels to each state to conduct workshops for party workers, and to familiarise them with the process of elections, the rules of MCC, how nomination papers are filed, how to file complaints with the state elections officials in case of violations, said Neeraj. The team has also prepared handbooks for each state, often written in the local, official language for the workers to get familiar with the laws. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bahujan Samaj Party and the Indian National Congress, potential allies not so long ago, are now busy trading charges. On Thursday, each accused the other of being the B-team of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The beginning of the rift, if it can be called that there are many who expect the BSP, Samajwadi Party, and Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance to partner with the Congress after the elections, and Mayawati has asked her supporters to back the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli can be traced back to a dinner in Delhi in December, HT learns. In December, at least a month before the alliance of the SP, BSP, and RLD was announced, and ahead of the announcement of the results of the assembly elections in five states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, BSP chief Mayawati received a request. Could Congress President Rahul Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi meet with her? Mayawati confirmed the meeting within a day, and a dinner date was set. The Gandhis were to meet with Mayawati at her official residence at Gurudwara Rakabganj Road. Follow live updates of voting in Phase 5 of Lok Sabha elections 2019 People in the inner circle of the Congress leaders confirmed that there was indeed a dinner meeting but said no one knew what was discussed. They add that Mayawatis close confidant, BSP leader SC Misra was not present and it was just the three of them. The dinner lasted around 90 minutes and HT learns that Sonia Gandhi asked Mayawati what it would take to bring her to the negotiating table in terms of seat sharing, but that the latter declined to commit to anything. The Gandhis were disappointed, the people added. While many political alliances are served up over dinner meetings the famous one in 2008 where Amar Singh brought Mulayam Singh Yadav to the UPA dinner, led to Manmohan Singh government being saved in the nuclear deal trust vote this one failed to achieve the desired result. This may have been when the Congress decided that it would be going it alone in Uttar Pradesh; talk started doing the rounds of how the party was on the turnaround track and needed to protect its interests even as it sought alliances; and, eventually, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Jyotiraditya Scindia were named general secretaries of the party in charge of Uttar Pradesh. That put paid to talks of a grand national alliance, which first started in March last year, when Mayawati, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and several other regional and national leaders shared the stage with the Janata Dal (S) HD Kumaraswamy and HD Deve Gowda after the Congress decided to forge an alliance with the party after the Karnataka elections to keep the BJP out. Also read: Rahul, Sonia Gandhi, Rajnath Singh among key contestants in Phase 5 Now, if the parties are talking, it is largely to level charges at each other. On Thursday, the Congress former legislative party leader Pramod Mathur denied that the party was giving tickets to BSP rebels to spoil the latters chances. Mayawatis words show her unpredictable temperament. Our leader Sonia Gandhi is very respected and by speaking this way, she is diluting her own status. Mayawati had attacked Congress president Rahul Gandhi by asking why he was hugging the PM. She went on to say that it represented how the Congress was helping BJP by eating into secular votes. Rahul had, during a Parliament session last year, hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BSP spokesperson Sudhindra Bhadoria said he wasnt aware of a dinner meeting but that he found the Congress attitude in the kind of tickets it has given, problematic: In Madhya Pradesh, it has even bought our candidate who was contesting there. We had to scramble to field someone in the polls, he said. For BSP supporter and campaigner Pritesh Rajbhar, this attitude will only help the BJP. For us, Congress and BJP are now equidistant. The chief ministers of the Telugu states K Chandrashekar Rao of Telangana and N Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh are competing with each other to play the role of a kingmaker in forming the next government at the Centre after the declaration of results on May 23. While KCR, as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president is popularly called, is hopeful that a federal front of non-Congress and non-BJP parties would emerge as a front-runner for power after the elections, Naidu is going all out in his efforts to bring all the non-BJP parties under one umbrella to form the next government at the Centre. As part of his mission, KCR embarked on a tour of Kerala and Tamil Nadu on Monday afternoon. He met Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the evening to discuss contemporary politics in view of the Lok Sabha elections. On May 13, the TRS chief will meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin at the latters residence in Chennai as part of his efforts to form the federal front. The CMO spokesman further said KCR had received a call from Janata Dal (S) leader and Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy. After his Kerala and Tamil Nadu tour, KCR might go to Bengaluru to revive talks with Kumaraswamy. Interestingly, both the DMK and the JD(S) have an electoral understanding with the Congress in the ongoing general elections in their respective states. KCR is hoping that both the DMK and the JD(S) would join the non-Congress, non-BJP federal front in a post-poll scenario where regional parties would emerge as the key players, a senior TRS leader familiar with the development said. Though the TRS presidents further programmes are not yet scheduled, he is expected to visit Odisha and West Bengal, too, before the announcement of the election results so as to consolidate the support of the Biju Janata Dal and the Trinamool Congress for the federal front. The Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party combine in UP is a natural partner for the federal front, as they are already against both the BJP and the Congress, the TRS leader said. On the other hand, the TDP chief also left for New Delhi on Monday evening. According to TDP sources, Naidu will spend a day in the capital mobilising support for his demand to count at least 50 per cent of the VVPAT slips along with the EVMs during the counting. The review petition is coming up for hearing in Supreme Court on Tuesday. Later, Naidu is expected to leave for West Bengal on Wednesday morning and take part in a few election rallies of the TMC for two days, before returning to Vijayawada on Thursday night. According to a senior TDP leader, Naidu will continue his efforts to sustain the anti-BJP coalition as an effective alternative to the NDA. We believe there will only be one alternative to the NDA, which has to include the Congress and there is no place for a third front. Going by the trends of the four phases of elections held so far, the anti-BJP front will emerge as a potential force and will form the government at the Centre, he said. Keeping in mind the opposition from some regional parties to Congress president Rahul Gandhis candidature for the prime ministers post, Naidu already made it clear that the PM candidate would be decided only after the elections by a core group of parties. He also asserted that he would be part of the core group and that he himself was not a candidate for the top post. Senior journalist and political analyst S Ramakrishna said there was no consistency in KCRs efforts in forming the federal front as he had been taking long gaps in meeting the other regional party leaders and so far, there is no clarity on his non-Congress, non-BJP stand. On the other hand, ever since Naidu left the NDA fold, he has been consistently pursuing his agenda of building a non-BJP front that includes Congress. In any case, who the kingmaker will be KCR or Naidu will be known only after the elections, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee of playing politics over the cyclone Fani issue. PM Modi, who was addressing a poll rally in Bengals Tamluk, said he tried to contact the Bengal CM twice, but she didnt respond. Speedbreaker didi has tried to play politics even on cyclone. Tried to talk to her twice but she didnt talk to me, such is her arrogance. I kept waiting for her to call back, PM Modi said. He had conducted a survey on cyclone-hit areas in Odisha earlier in the day and praised CM Naveen Patnaik for relief and rescue operations. Mamata Banerjee later responded to the swipe. The chief minister said she could not take the call because she was away in Kharagpur. I dont want to share dais with expiry PM as elections are on, she told an election rally, according to news agency PTI. WATCH: Frustrated didi jailing those who chant Jai Sri Ram: PM Modi slams Mamata On Sunday, a controversy had erupted with the Bengal administration alleging that the prime minister had bypassed the state chief minister Mamata Banerjee and had called governor Keshari Nath Tripathi asking him to prepare a report on the damage that had been inflicted by Cyclone Fani in the state. 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. Sources said that two attempts had been made on Saturday morning by the prime ministers staff to connect him 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 that the call would 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. The BJPs candidate in West Bengals Barrackpore parliamentary constituency Arjun Singh alleged he was attacked by goondas of the Trinamool Congress on Monday during the fifth phase of polling in the Lok Sabha election. Television news channels showed Singh scuffling even as the BJP leaders personal security guards tried to intervene. He was also shown fighting with a policeman. The incident happened in Mohanpur, about 29km to the north of state capital Kolkata. I was attacked by TMC goons while I was escorting some men (BJP supporters) who were being prevented from casting their votes, alleged Singh. Follow LIVE updates here. He also claimed that the ruling Trinamool Congress party brought toughs from outside to assault him as he showed his injury to the mouth. It happened in front of the police. The inspector-in-charge of Titagarh police station was a mute spectator, alleged Singh. He called officials of the Election Commission to lodge a complaint. Some locals also alleged that Singhs supporters attacked them. Singh got embroiled in a heated exchange in another booth in Mohanpur with a man, purportedly the polling agent of TMC, soon after the incident. The agent was shouting that the BJP candidate had no right to enter the booth as Singh said he had the right to get inside. Also Read | Grenade attack on Kashmir poll booth, violence in Bengal as India votes in phase 5 Outside the booth, Singh told the media that he had gone there to facilitate the return of the BJPs polling agent, who was turned out. Reactions from the Trinamool were not available immediately. Barrackpore is the most sensitive constituency among the seven Lok Sabha seats going to the polls on Monday. As many as 55 companies of central forces have been deployed in this constituency. Sporadic clashes were reported in West Bengal, especially from Asansol, in the fourth phase of the general elections last week. Babul Supriyos car was vandalised in Asansol last week allegedly by stone-throwing Trinamool Congress supporters. The minister escaped unharmed with only the rear glass of the vehicle being damaged. The poll watchdog had directed the state police to register an FIR against Supriyo for allegedly trespassing into polling booth number 199 and threatening a polling agent and an officer. Untitled Document Constituency Sitting MP Bihar Sitamarhi Ram Kumar Sharma, RLSP Madhubani Chaudhary Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, BJP Muzaffarpur Ajay Nishad, BJP Saran Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP Hajipur Ramvilas Paswan, LJP Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang, BJP Anantnag Seat is vacant (PDPs Mehbooba Mufti quit after becoming CM of the state) Madhya Pradesh Tikamgarh Virendra Kumar Khatik, BJP Damoh Prahalad Singh Patel, BJP Khajuraho Nagendra Singh, BJP Satna Ganesh Singh Rewa Janardan Mishra, BJP Hoshangabad Uday Pratap Singh Betul Jyoti Dhurve, BJP Rajasthan Ganganagar Nihalchand Meghwal, BJP Bikaner Arun Ram Meghwal, BJP Churu Rahul Kaswan, BJP Jhunjhunu Santosh Ahlawat, BJP Sikar Sumedhanand Saraswati, BJP Jaipur Rural Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, BJP Jaipur Ramcharan Bohara, BJP Alwar Chand Nath, BJP Bharatpur Bahadur Singh, BJP Karauli-Dholpur Manoj Rajoria, BJP Dausa Harish Chandra Meena, BJP Nagaur C R Choudhary, BJP Constituency Sitting MP Jharkhand Kodarma Ravindra Kumar Ray, BJP Ranchi Ram Tahal Choudhary, BJP Khunti Kariya Munda, BJP Hazaribagh Jayant Sinha, BJP Uttar Pradesh Dharuhera Rekha Verma, BJP Sitapur Rajesh Verma, BJP Mohanlalganj Kaushal Kishore, BJP Lucknow Rajnath Singh, BJP Rae Bareli Sonia Gandhi, Congress Amethi Rahul Gandhi, Congress Banda Bhairon Prasad Mishra, BJP Fatehpur Niranjan Jyoti, BJP Kaushambi Vinod Sonkar, BJP Barabanki Priyanka Singh Rawat, BJP Faizabad Lallu Singh, BJP Bahraich Savitri Bai Phule, BJP Kaiserganj Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP Gonda Kirti Vardhan Singh, BJP West Bengal Bangaon Mamata Thakur, Trinamool Congress Barrackpur Dinesh Trivedi, Trinamool Congress Howrah Prasun Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Uluberia Sajda Ahmed, Trinamool Congress Sreerampur Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Hooghly Dr Ratna De, Trinamool Congress Arambag Aparupa Poddar, Trinamool Congress A day after he was attacked by a man during a road show, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal campaigned on Sunday under a heavy security cover in the Kakrola village near Dwarka. At least 50 security personnel, including police officers, commandos, CRPF personnel, party workers and civil defence personnel guarded Kejriwal at the campaign on Sunday. At Kakrola, the AAP chief sought votes for partys West Delhi candidate, Balbir Singh Jakhar. Police officers used a green rope to maintain a security cordon around Kejriwals open jeep in which he was standing on a makeshift podium and waving to the crowd. Next to the rope were AAP volunteers who called themselves the first line of defence. A volunteer, who was part of a group protecting the CMs vehicle, said, Though the security has been increased by the police after yesterdays (Saturday) incident but we cannot rely on them only. We are also monitoring the situation. Addressing the crowd before starting the road show at Pipal Chowk in Kakrola near Dwarka, Kejriwal appealed the public to vote for the AAP. Kejriwal was accompanied by Jakhar, Najafgarh MLA Kailash Gahlot and Matiala legislator Gulab Singh. The CMs motorcade traversed through lanes of Kakrola, Dwarka Sector-3 slum cluster, Matiala village, Navada Metro, Uttam Nagar, Hastasal, Vikas Puri, Ring Road, Tilak Nagar before culminating at Tilak Nagar main market. At a slum cluster in Dwarka sector-3, some residents tried to garland Kejriwal and also tried to give him flowers but the security persons did not allow to go near him. They had to hand over the garlands to the police personnel. The fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections witnessed a 63.24% turnout as 51 constituencies went to polls across seven states on Monday, according to the Election Commission (EC) of Indias Voter Turnout mobile app. Barring seven parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal and Anantnag and Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, this phase of election was entirely in Hindi speaking states. The turnout for corresponding constituencies in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections was 61.75%, according data provided by the EC. Two explosions at polling stations in Pulwama in Kashmir and clashes in West Bengal were reported during Mondays voting. This phase is important for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as a 2019 phase-wise classification of PCs by 2014 results shows that the party and its other National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners had the highest seat share in the PCs which voted on Monday. The fate of several key leaders including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Union home minister Rajnath Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union minister Smriti Irani will be decided in this phase. Over 875 million electors voted on Monday to decide the fate of 674 candidates. The EC had set up 96,088 polling booths which included the maximum of 28,072 in Uttar Pradesh. With this phase, election is over in 424 seats and polling in the remaining 118 seats will be held on May 12 and 19. The result for all phases is scheduled on May 23. The Howrah-Hooghly industrial belt, on either side of the river Hooghly, will go to polls in the fifth phase of the general elections, when seven of the states 42 seats cast their vote. Polling has already taken place in 18 seats in the previous four phases, marked by incidents of violence. In five of the seven constituencies, out of which Howrah, Serampore, Hooghly and Barrackpore have labour intensive manufacturing units, most of which have fallen into disrepair, the lack of jobs will be a key issue. By contrast, the Uluberia industrial belt, which falls within the Uluberia constituency that also polls on May 6, has developed over the past two decades. Follow LIVE updates here. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the Congress-led and Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments at the centre for the decline of jute, textile and other industrial units. The BJP, on the other hand, has accused the TMC of doing nothing for industrial revival. While campaigning in Serampore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the centre has taken measures to incentivize the jute industry. In a rally in Hooghly, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee alleged that demonetisation and unplanned implementation of Goods and Services Tax ha led to loss of hundreds of jobs in this belt. At present, all seven seats are held by the TMC. In the Dalit Matua -dominated Bongaon reserved seat, the Citizenship Amendment Bill is a key issue. Matuas are refugees from Bangladesh who settled in West Bengal over the past few decades. The bill, which purports to provide citizenship to persons of non Islamic religions from neighbouring countries, if they face religious persecution, has run into rough weather. Also Read | Fate of 51 seats across 7 states on line in fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls Four-time MLA Arjun Singh, who recently left the TMC to join the BJP, will contest from Barrackpore against former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi from TMC. In Bongaon, sitting MP Mamata Thakur will go up against Communist Party of India (Marxist)s Alokesh Das, Congress Sourav Prasad, and the BJPs Shantanu Thakur. Locals pointed out that Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the trade union wing of BJPs parent body Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has increased its influence in the industrial belt. The constituencies going to the polls in the fifth phase are considered among TMCs safest. Parties ruling the Centre and the state are blaming each other for the poor state of the industrial belt but, due to anti-incumbency, BJPs vote share is likely to increase, said political analyst Amal Mukhopadhyay, former principal at Presidency College. Untitled Document Constituency Sitting MP Bihar Sitamarhi Ram Kumar Sharma, RLSP Madhubani Chaudhary Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, BJP Muzaffarpur Ajay Nishad, BJP Saran Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP Hajipur Ramvilas Paswan, LJP Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang, BJP Anantnag Seat is vacant (PDPs Mehbooba Mufti quit after becoming CM of the state) Madhya Pradesh Tikamgarh Virendra Kumar Khatik, BJP Damoh Prahalad Singh Patel, BJP Khajuraho Nagendra Singh, BJP Satna Ganesh Singh Rewa Janardan Mishra, BJP Hoshangabad Uday Pratap Singh Betul Jyoti Dhurve, BJP Rajasthan Ganganagar Nihalchand Meghwal, BJP Bikaner Arun Ram Meghwal, BJP Churu Rahul Kaswan, BJP Jhunjhunu Santosh Ahlawat, BJP Sikar Sumedhanand Saraswati, BJP Jaipur Rural Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, BJP Jaipur Ramcharan Bohara, BJP Alwar Chand Nath, BJP Bharatpur Bahadur Singh, BJP Karauli-Dholpur Manoj Rajoria, BJP Dausa Harish Chandra Meena, BJP Nagaur C R Choudhary, BJP Constituency Sitting MP Jharkhand Kodarma Ravindra Kumar Ray, BJP Ranchi Ram Tahal Choudhary, BJP Khunti Kariya Munda, BJP Hazaribagh Jayant Sinha, BJP Uttar Pradesh Dharuhera Rekha Verma, BJP Sitapur Rajesh Verma, BJP Mohanlalganj Kaushal Kishore, BJP Lucknow Rajnath Singh, BJP Rae Bareli Sonia Gandhi, Congress Amethi Rahul Gandhi, Congress Banda Bhairon Prasad Mishra, BJP Fatehpur Niranjan Jyoti, BJP Kaushambi Vinod Sonkar, BJP Barabanki Priyanka Singh Rawat, BJP Faizabad Lallu Singh, BJP Bahraich Savitri Bai Phule, BJP Kaiserganj Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP Gonda Kirti Vardhan Singh, BJP West Bengal Bangaon Mamata Thakur, Trinamool Congress Barrackpur Dinesh Trivedi, Trinamool Congress Howrah Prasun Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Uluberia Sajda Ahmed, Trinamool Congress Sreerampur Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Hooghly Dr Ratna De, Trinamool Congress Arambag Aparupa Poddar, Trinamool Congress Fifty one parliamentary constituencies (PCs) are voting today in the fifth, and the smallest phase of the 2019 general elections. Barring seven PCs in West Bengal and Anantnag and Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, this phase of election is entirely in Hindi speaking states. Follow LIVE updates here. A 2019 phase-wise classification of PCs by 2014 results shows that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its other National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners had the highest seat share in the PCs which are going to polls today. The NDA won 41 out of the 51 seats in 2014, 27 more than its 2009 tally. Read: Rahul, Sonia Gandhi, Rajnath Singh among heavyweights in phase 5. A look at key contests The BJPs share in seats contested by the NDA was also highest in the seats that poll today. It fought all seats, except Hajipur and Sitamarhi in Bihar, going to polls and won 39 of them. The BJP is contesting the same 49 PCs in 2019 which it had contested in 2014. It will not be easy for the BJP and its allies to replicate their 2014 performance in 2019. The BJP won all 25 PCs in Rajasthan in the 2014 elections. Given the Congress victory in the 2018 assembly elections, a repeat seems unlikely. A total of 12 constituencies in Rajasthan are going to polls on Monday. WATCH | Rahul vs Smriti: Whos ahead; and will Sonia & Rajnath retain bastions? In four of the six states (Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jammu & Kashmir) other than Rajasthan where seats polling today are located, the BJP has either lost a recent assembly election or is faced with a more united opposition. Seven out of the ten PCs polling today which the NDA could not win are in West Bengal. The partys median vote share gap with the winner in these seven seats was 23.9%. The other two, Rae Bareli and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh are being contested by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi with the tacit support of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party. Anantnag, where the three-phase polling will conclude today, is located in the Kashmir valley, where the BJP has not had much support until now. Untitled Document Constituency Sitting MP Bihar Sitamarhi Ram Kumar Sharma, RLSP Madhubani Chaudhary Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, BJP Muzaffarpur Ajay Nishad, BJP Saran Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP Hajipur Ramvilas Paswan, LJP Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang, BJP Anantnag Seat is vacant (PDPs Mehbooba Mufti quit after becoming CM of the state) Madhya Pradesh Tikamgarh Virendra Kumar Khatik, BJP Damoh Prahalad Singh Patel, BJP Khajuraho Nagendra Singh, BJP Satna Ganesh Singh Rewa Janardan Mishra, BJP Hoshangabad Uday Pratap Singh Betul Jyoti Dhurve, BJP Rajasthan Ganganagar Nihalchand Meghwal, BJP Bikaner Arun Ram Meghwal, BJP Churu Rahul Kaswan, BJP Jhunjhunu Santosh Ahlawat, BJP Sikar Sumedhanand Saraswati, BJP Jaipur Rural Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, BJP Jaipur Ramcharan Bohara, BJP Alwar Chand Nath, BJP Bharatpur Bahadur Singh, BJP Karauli-Dholpur Manoj Rajoria, BJP Dausa Harish Chandra Meena, BJP Nagaur C R Choudhary, BJP Constituency Sitting MP Jharkhand Kodarma Ravindra Kumar Ray, BJP Ranchi Ram Tahal Choudhary, BJP Khunti Kariya Munda, BJP Hazaribagh Jayant Sinha, BJP Uttar Pradesh Dharuhera Rekha Verma, BJP Sitapur Rajesh Verma, BJP Mohanlalganj Kaushal Kishore, BJP Lucknow Rajnath Singh, BJP Rae Bareli Sonia Gandhi, Congress Amethi Rahul Gandhi, Congress Banda Bhairon Prasad Mishra, BJP Fatehpur Niranjan Jyoti, BJP Kaushambi Vinod Sonkar, BJP Barabanki Priyanka Singh Rawat, BJP Faizabad Lallu Singh, BJP Bahraich Savitri Bai Phule, BJP Kaiserganj Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP Gonda Kirti Vardhan Singh, BJP West Bengal Bangaon Mamata Thakur, Trinamool Congress Barrackpur Dinesh Trivedi, Trinamool Congress Howrah Prasun Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Uluberia Sajda Ahmed, Trinamool Congress Sreerampur Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Hooghly Dr Ratna De, Trinamool Congress Arambag Aparupa Poddar, Trinamool Congress Union environment minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Harsh Vardhan is confident of retaining the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat. Pitted against him are Congresss old guard JP Agarwal and AAP debutant Pankaj Gupta. In an interview to HT, Vardhan, 64, said he has resolved to beat pollution, redevelop the Walled City and provide relief to traders. I am a Dilliwallah and will do my bit for the city... The 2019 election is smoother for me than the last election as people have faith in Modi ji(PM Narendra Modi). Excerpts: This time you will be facing JP Agarwal who has represented the seat thrice. Do you think this will make the fight tougher for you? Honestly, I tell you, 2019 is a much smoother contest for me in comparison to 2014 (General Elections)...I say this because I have been on the ground for the last 30-40 days and whoever I have met from the rich, the middle-class, a rickshaw puller or an auto rickshaw driver or a slum dweller.... I dont see a serious contest anywhere. I have been getting overwhelming response from all sections of society and their support has made my resolve even stronger. People only know and trust one name now and that is Modi ji (PM Narendra Modi). It is quite visible that the BJP will sweep all the seats in Delhi. There is a sizeable Muslim population in your constituency, who are known not to vote for the BJP. How will it impact the election this time? Again, I must tell you that I see people in my constituency, or anywhere in the country for that matter, as one. I have a lot of faith in the Muslim community, as they have seen the work our government has been doing for them. I totally believe they love me and adore me for the work I have done for them be it in the field of education or jobs. I am hopeful they will give me significant number of votes. As MLA for almost 20 years in my constituency in Krishna Nagar (East Delhi), there were a lot of Muslims and they know the development activities I have done. I am not pessimistic about them. I am highly optimistic of their support. Only a day before I addressed two meetings of the Muslim community and I found them affectionate and supportive. Who do you think is a tougher opponent , the Congress or the AAP? I dont think the contest is with them. Both the Congress and the AAP will be contesting among themselves for bagging the second and the third position. The electorate knows the party that has worked for them and others who have just spread lies . Having served as the Union environment minister, people expect you to address the problem of air pollution in your constituency as well as Delhi. Whats your plan? Making the city pollution free is my resolve and is also there in the partys manifesto. It is very much an election issue for us and we are serious about it, I dont know about other parties. I made the city polio-free, I will make it pollution free as well. It was our governments efforts because of which the PM was conferred with the United Nations highest environmental honour Champions of the Earth Award. All this is happening because we have been taking steps. We are committed to the cause of environment. I want to give the future generations the same wealth of clean air and water that I inherited from my forefathers. How do you plan to address the issues of traders? Also, what are your top priorities for your constituency? My government has been making all efforts to resolve their issues. We plan to set up an independent body for traders to look into the issues of sealing and other such factors. Besides, coming to priorities, expediting the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Project is on top of my agenda. I was seeking Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwals support for a lot of other things I was planning, but he was not forthcoming about it. I am hopeful that after the AAPs exit from Delhi in 2020, we will be having our government both in the Centre and in city and take up welfare works. Second, we will fastrack the East-West corridor that has been approved by the union government. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pawan Kumar Singh says he is in a dharma sankat, a moral dilemma. A small shopkeeper in Harnahi Bazaar, in Bihars Vaishali Lok Sabha constituency, Singh says he has tremendous respect for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from the seat, veteran leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. Raghuvansh babu is the epitome of integrity and simplicity. He was the best rural development minister India has had for decades. There is no one like him, said Singh, who belongs to the Rajput caste, like the RJD leader and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, Veena Devi. So it would be safe to assume, given his admiration, that Pawan Singh would vote for Raghuvansh Singh. Follow LIVE updates here. But that is where the dilemma emerges. I dont like Rahul Gandhi. Supporting RJD means supporting Congress. I think Narendra Modi deserves one more term in power. I am not a fanatical supporter of his. But it is wrong to call him chor (thief). The Opposition is just not ready to run this country. There is no coordination among them. Didnt Gandhi tear up the ordinance meant to protect Lalu [Prasad] ji? And would the local NDA candidate, Lok Janshakti Partys (LJP) Devi, be a factor in determining his choice? No no, who is voting for her here. It is a contest between Modi and Raghuvansh babu. The RJD will get Muslim, Yadav and some Rajput votes; Modi will get the rest. Also Read | Fate of 51 seats on line today In his response, Pawan Singh distils the three variables shaping the Bihar polls Narendra Modi, the local candidate, and caste. It is the balance of these factors in each of the states 40 constituencies that will shape Bihars outcome. HT travelled to four constituencies in the state. Hajipur, Saran and Muzaffarpur vote on May 6, while Vaishali votes on May 12. Modi effect Unnachak is a small market in the Saran constituency. The seat is witnessing a battle between former minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Chandrika Rai from the RJD. Rai happens to the father-in-law of Lalu Prasads son, Tej Pratap. In 2014, Rudy defeated former CM Rabri Devi here, while Lalu Prasad has held the seat in the past. A group of men are sitting outside a shop, off the road. Rajiv Kamal is a Brahmin; Dharmendra Sah is a Bania; Manohar Sharma and Ashok Kumar Mahato are from subcastes categorised as extremely backward classes (EBC) in Bihar; and Arun Singh is a Rajput. They are discussing politics, and there is an almost unanimous refrain that it is time to re-elect Modi for five more years. When asked why he thought Modi should win, Sharma narrated what he saw as achievements. We have better roads. There is housing in villages. There are gas cylinders. There is electricity. And look at how he entered Pakistan and attacked them. Which government thought of both the nation and the village earlier? From diverse communities within the Hindu fold, across constituencies, one hears similar sentiments about Modi he is strong, he is honest, he has done what no PM has done, India needs him. Back in Saran, when asked what they thought of Congresss promise of Nyay the proposed scheme which guarantees income support of 72,000 annually to Indias poorest families Mahato laughed. Have they given even 72 till now? Didnt they rule this nation for 70 years? And suddenly they remember the poor because Modi ji has done so much for the poor. In the entire conversation, the name of a candidate even as high-profile and well-known as BJPs Rudy barely crops up. It is all centred on Modi. Local factors To offset this Modi appeal, the Opposition is relying on the appeal of local candidates (as in the case of Raghuvansh Singh in Vaishali) or the unpopularity of the NDA candidate (as in Hajipur, where many are unhappy that Ram Vilas Paswan has left the seat for his brother, Pashupati Kumar Paras, who has limited appeal). Fundamentally, however, it is relying on traditional voters and arithmetic. In the RJD campaign office in Sarans Dairyapur, Harendra Prasad Yadav, a local leader, says that Muslims and Yadavs together constitute 35% of the electorate. Modi or no Modi, this vote base will remain with us. Now go back to 2014. Rabri Devi ji lost by about 40,000 votes. But at that time, Nitish Kumars JD(U) had put up a Muslim candidate. He got over 107,000 votes. This time, Muslims will not split and we will win. But will caste equations work out as neatly as in the past? A candidate from the BJP is operating from his home in one of the constituencies that neighbours Patna. The house is bustling with campaign workers. Propaganda and publicity material is spread out. Outside, supporters have congregated, waiting to meet the candidate. Just then, in his private room, a party worker escorts another young man. He is introduced as someone based in a Punjab town, working in the forces. The jawan is a Yadav. Sir, I have taken leave and come to just help with your campaign. I want to promise you that I will work in my village and ensure that at least 500 votes for you. And these will be Yadav and some Muslim votes. The candidates interest is piqued. He asks his office to keep in touch with the new entrant. The Yadav jawan then added, And we want nothing in return right now. Once you win, just ensure vikas and security for all of us. After he leaves, the candidate turns around and suggests that not only are the BJPs old supporters with him, they have been able to crack into the support base of the other side. Yadavs will break this time. Eyeing other base Even as the BJP hopes to crack into the Yadav vote, the RJD-led alliance believes it has widened its coalition considerably and will instead break into the BJPs old base. The RJDs strength is its largely loyal Muslim and Yadav vote. But even as that is enough to put up a stiff fight, it is often not enough to win in a bipolar contest. That explains the partys willingness to share seats on rather generous terms with a set of new allies. An RJD leader who has campaigned extensively on the ground over the past month says, We are banking heavily on Mukesh Sahni to get us Nishad/Mallah votes, on Upendra Kushwaha to get us Kushwaha votes, and Jitin Ram Manjhi to get us Musahar votes. I can tell you that the first two leaders are being able to transfer Nishad and Kushwaha votes more than we had thought. These votes would have otherwise gone to BJP. In Muzaffarpurs Chandini Chowk, Ram Prasad, a driver, said he is with the alliance. When asked for his reasons, Prasad says, I like Modi. But my leader is Upendra Kushwaha. He is with Congress and Lalu Prasad. So I will stick to him. But both the Yadav jawan and the Kushwaha driver may be exceptions to what appear to be set patterns. Most Yadavs HT met were solidly behind the RJD-led alliance. And most Kushwahas, Nishads, and Musahars HT met were with the BJP. As Bihar votes in the fifth phase on Monday, the contours of the battle are now clear. Perhaps more than other states, BJP voters in Bihar see this as a Modi election, and are willing to overlook all other factors. Indeed, NDA enjoys a huge advantage because of the Prime Minister, and the Modi voters of 2014 appear to remain with him in 2019. But on the other side is an alliance that draws its strength from local factors and has actively sought to broaden its social alliance. The interplay of these factors will decide Bihars verdict. Untitled Document Constituency Sitting MP Bihar Sitamarhi Ram Kumar Sharma, RLSP Madhubani Chaudhary Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, BJP Muzaffarpur Ajay Nishad, BJP Saran Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP Hajipur Ramvilas Paswan, LJP Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang, BJP Anantnag Seat is vacant (PDPs Mehbooba Mufti quit after becoming CM of the state) Madhya Pradesh Tikamgarh Virendra Kumar Khatik, BJP Damoh Prahalad Singh Patel, BJP Khajuraho Nagendra Singh, BJP Satna Ganesh Singh Rewa Janardan Mishra, BJP Hoshangabad Uday Pratap Singh Betul Jyoti Dhurve, BJP Rajasthan Ganganagar Nihalchand Meghwal, BJP Bikaner Arun Ram Meghwal, BJP Churu Rahul Kaswan, BJP Jhunjhunu Santosh Ahlawat, BJP Sikar Sumedhanand Saraswati, BJP Jaipur Rural Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, BJP Jaipur Ramcharan Bohara, BJP Alwar Chand Nath, BJP Bharatpur Bahadur Singh, BJP Karauli-Dholpur Manoj Rajoria, BJP Dausa Harish Chandra Meena, BJP Nagaur C R Choudhary, BJP Constituency Sitting MP Jharkhand Kodarma Ravindra Kumar Ray, BJP Ranchi Ram Tahal Choudhary, BJP Khunti Kariya Munda, BJP Hazaribagh Jayant Sinha, BJP Uttar Pradesh Dharuhera Rekha Verma, BJP Sitapur Rajesh Verma, BJP Mohanlalganj Kaushal Kishore, BJP Lucknow Rajnath Singh, BJP Rae Bareli Sonia Gandhi, Congress Amethi Rahul Gandhi, Congress Banda Bhairon Prasad Mishra, BJP Fatehpur Niranjan Jyoti, BJP Kaushambi Vinod Sonkar, BJP Barabanki Priyanka Singh Rawat, BJP Faizabad Lallu Singh, BJP Bahraich Savitri Bai Phule, BJP Kaiserganj Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP Gonda Kirti Vardhan Singh, BJP West Bengal Bangaon Mamata Thakur, Trinamool Congress Barrackpur Dinesh Trivedi, Trinamool Congress Howrah Prasun Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Uluberia Sajda Ahmed, Trinamool Congress Sreerampur Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Hooghly Dr Ratna De, Trinamool Congress Arambag Aparupa Poddar, Trinamool Congress SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dalip Singh, a doctor from Bhopal, sought votes for Aam Aadmi Partys Pankaj Gupta in the alleys of Darya Ganj on Sunday. Carrying a loudspeaker on his head that belted songs and a pre-recorded message, ayega bhai ayega, jhadu wala ayega (The one with the broom symbol will win this time), Singh turned heads with his unique campaigning style. Singh said he is using to loudspeaker to draw the attention of the people to Guptas message. As Gupta and his supporters passed through lanes,he sought votes for Gupta. Singh said he is a doctor by profession and had come to campaign for Gupta because he believes in the partys idealogy. Along with Singh, there were supporters donning the partys signature white caps and carrying their candidates cut-outs and drum players. Gupta said the Delhi will get the status of full state if AAP wins from Delhi. Vote for Kejiwal again like you did in 2015 assembly elections. We will get Delhi a full statehood, he said. The engineer-turned politician is contesting against the two heavyweights sitting MP from the constituency and the Bharatiya Janta Party leader Harsh Vardhan and Congress two -time MP from the seat JP Agarwal. Gupta said the AAP has a better chance in Chandni Chowk. There are two reasons behind this. First, people of the constituency are angry with the ruling BJP because of the sealing, the demonetisation and the GST. Also, they no longer trust the Congress candidate(JP Aggarwal) who had left them to fight from the North East Delhi constituency in 2009, Gupta said. Irshad Khan, a shopkeeper, said votes of the minority community will get divided between the Congress and the AAP. A customer sitting at his shop, Niyazuddin, nodded his head in affirmation and said, Also, people vote for national parties in the Lok Sabha elections. AAP is good for the assembly elections. They are doing good work but they do not have a national presence, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Mahamilawat meant chaos and corruption and only the BJP could effectively develop UP. Addressing a rally at Madhopur in Bhadohi district, Modi said India topped the world in producing handmade carpets because of the weavers of Bhadohi and added that modern looms were being provided to weavers and they were being trained. With the blessings of the people, India is counted among the powerful nations of the world. Indias words are taken seriously. From Saudi Arabia to UAE and from Philippines to Russia, India is getting respect, he said. Modi added that 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 on surgical strike 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 everything from election point of view, he said. He said after Independence, the country saw four types of political parties Vaampanthi (Communists), Naampanthi (who promoted dynastic politics), daam or damanpanthi (musclemen and oppressors) and Vikaspanthi (those who followed the path of development). The last one is Vikaspanthi which we have brought, he said. He said despite remaining the chief minister of Gujarat and serving country as the PM for five years, he didnt do anything for his family. The Congresss Naamdar ensured his business partner bag defence deals. Naamdars, who never cared for constructing houses and toilets for the poor, toured from London to Delhi many times to do favour to his business partner, he said. When mahamilavatis get power, they did NRHM scam. When we got the chance to serve the people, we gave Ayushman Bharat and ensured development, Modi said. When they come to power, law and order collapses. When we form government, bails of anti-social elements get cancelled, Modi said, praising the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 53.19% voter turnout till 5 pm in Phase 5 of Lok Sabha elections Over 53 per cent voter turnout was recorded Monday till 5 pm in 14 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh where Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi are in the fray, according to PTI. 51% voter turnout till 3 pm At 3 pm, the voter turnout in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 stood at 50.62%. 44.08% polling was recorded in Bihar, 15.34% in Jammu and Kashmir, 53.77% in Madhya Pradesh, 50.40% in Rajasthan, 44.79% in Uttar Pradesh, 62.84% in West Bengal and 58.63% in Jharkhand, as per data on Election Commissions Voter Turnout app. TMC candidates alleges assault by central force personnel in Bengal TMC candidate in Howrah Lok Sabha constituency Prasun Banerjee, who is also a former India football team captain, alleged that he, along with his party supporters, were assaulted by central force personnel in Balitikuri under Howrah Lok Sabha constituency. Women workers were also hit with sticks. I was hit in the shoulder. I am not used to assaults, said the 64-year-old, who was an Arjuna awardee in 1979. Banerjee said a central force personnel recognised him as a great player but also twisted his arm and assaulted him. The incident happened before 2 pm. One of the personnel was intoxicated. We are filing a complaint, said TMC leader of Howrah district and minister Arup Roy. MS Dhoni casts vote Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni cast his vote at a polling booth in Jawahar Vidya Mandir in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Locals allege crude bombs hurled in Bengal, TMC supporter injured Asit Das, purportedly a TMC supporter, was injured in the head after crude bombs were hurled. According to locals, two bombs were hurled. TMC supporters alleged the bombs were thrown after BJP candidate Shantanu Thakur left the area. The incident happened at Himli area under Bongaon constituency. 41% voter turnout till 1 pm At 1 pm, the voter turnout in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 stood at 40.73%. 32.27% polling was recorded in Bihar, 11.35% in Jammu and Kashmir, 43.93% in Madhya Pradesh, 42.63% in Rajasthan, 35.15% in Uttar Pradesh, 50.78% in West Bengal and 45.98% in Jharkhand, as per data on Election Commissions Voter Turnout app. Rajasthan BJP president Madanlal Saini casts his vote Rajasthan BJP president Madanlal Saini and his wife cast their votes in Sikar. Lucknow man casts vote before heading to his wedding A man in Lucknow, cast his vote at the irrigation department polling booth in Lucknow before going for his marriage. Central forces not deployed at booths where polls are being rigged, alleges Bengal BJP candidate BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee drove out presiding officer from booth no 232 at Dhaniakhali in West Bengals Hooghly district. She alleged rigging by TMC. She also alleged that central forces were not deployed in places where polls were being rigged. Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Meena takes entire village to cast votes Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Meena took 108-year-old Rama Devi, 80-year-old Tundaram Meena, her 38-year-old son Tapasvi Meena along with the entire Maharajpura village in Dausa district to cast their votes. MP man arrives to vote after performing fathers last rites A man in Madhya Prdaeshs Chhatarpur arrived to vote after performing his fathers last rites earlier today. Names missing in latest electoral roll, allege voters in Lucknow Voters in Lucknow alleged that some of the names were deleted in the latest electoral roll Shia PG College polling station. A voter, Naseem names of three out of six of his family members were missing from the new list. Re-polling underway in five polling booths in Andhra Re-polling is on at a brisk pace in five polling booths in three districts of Andhra Pradesh Monday. About 16 per cent of polling was reported overall in the first two hours after the process began, Election Commission officials here said. The re-poll has been ordered in view of technical glitches in electronic voting machines in these polling booths. Accordingly, re-polling is being held in polling booth 94 pertaining to Narsaraopet Assembly and Lok Sabha segments, polling booth 244 of Guntur West Assembly and Lok Sabha segments in Guntur district; 247 of Yerragondapalem Assembly and Ongole Lok Sabha segments. Repolling is also being held in booth 41 of Kovur Assembly segment under Nellore Lok Sabha constituency and 197 of Sullurupeta Assembly segment under Tirupati parliamentary constituency. 27% voter turnout till 11 am At 11 am, the voter turnout in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 stood at 27.11%. 20.74% polling was recorded in Bihar,6.09% in Jammu and Kashmir, 29.71% in Madhya Pradesh, 29.39% in Rajasthan, 22.96% in Uttar Pradesh, 33.57% in West Bengal and 29.49% in Jharkhand, as per data on Election Commissions Voter Turnout app. Rajasthan deputy CM Sachin Pilot casts his vote Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot cast his vote today in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019. Jharkhand man carries 105-year-old mother to polling booth A 105-year-old woman was among the 6.5 million voters to cast her franchise on Monday in Jharkhand, where polling is being held in four parliamentary constituencies during the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election 2019. She was carried to the polling booth number 450 in Hazaribagh, where Union minister of state Jayant Sinha of the BJP is in the fray, by her son. Her photographs were shared by news agency ANI on Twitter. Cong candidate from Alwar Bahnwar Jitendra Singh reaches poll centre Congress candidate from Alwar Bahnwar Jitendra Singh reached polling centre in Alwar. Rs 15 lakh given to family of homeguard who died on duty Rs 15 lakh have been given to the family of homeguard Mahesh Dubey who died during duty. Polls were boycotted by residents of certain villages in Tikamgarh district. However, authorities pursued them after which some of villagers cast their votes, said CEO MP VL Kantharao. People in MP village boycott polls over water crisis At village Atarhai in Panna district under Khajuraho parliamentary constituency, villagers boycotted polling due to water crisis at the village. The Janpad Panchayat CEO said it hardly mattered. He was not to win the election and that villagers should talk to him politely. Man seen directing voters to vote for TMC in Bengal In 110 booth of Naskarpur in Tarakeswar under West Bengals Arambag constituency, a man was seen directing the voters as they entered to booth to press the first button in the EVM in favour of the TMC candidate. He was also seen stepping into the voting cell to check whether the voter was doing according to his instructions. Man arrested on charges of vandalising EVM machine in Bihar One Ranjit Paswan has been arrested on charges of vandalizing an EVM machine at polling booth number 131 in Bihars Chhapra, reported news agency ANI. Srmriti Irani alleges booth capturing in Amethi I tweeted an alert to administration and EC (alleging booth capturing in Amethi), hope they take action. People of the country have to decide whether this kind of politics of Rahul Gandhi should be punished or not, said Union minister Smriti Irani. Elderly come out to vote Voters in Bengals Bijpur cast votes twice as polling began without deleting mock poll votes In booth number 116 in West Bengals Bijpur under Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, some voters cast their votes for a second time since polling in the morning had to be cancelled after polling started without deleting the 86 votes that were recorded during the mock poll. According to the rules, a repoll should be ordered here, said political analysts and noone -- presiding officer, sector officer, returning officer -- can take a decision to recall voters from their homes to cast their votes for a second time. 12% voter turnout till 9 am At 9 am, the voter turnout in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 stood at 11.78%. 11.51% polling was recorded in Bihar, 0.80% in Jammu and Kashmir, 11.47% in Madhya Pradesh, 13.25% in Rajasthan, 9.82% in Uttar Pradesh, 13.65% in West Bengal and 13.46% in Jharkhand, as per data on Election Commissions Voter Turnout app. Homeguard dies of heart attack in MP A homeguard dies of heart attack in Madhya Pradeshs Betul parliamentary constituency Grenade attack on polling booth in Pulwama Militants Monday lobbed a grenade towards a polling station in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir where polling is underway for the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency, police said. A grenade was lobbed towards Rohmoo polling station in Pulwama but there were no reports of any casualties in the the blast, a police official said. He said security forces have cordoned off the area. This was the first militant attack on a polling station in this Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir. TMC goons attacked me, alleges BJPs Arjun Singh in Bengal I was attacked by TMC goons while I was escorting some men (BJP supporters) who were being prevented from casting their votes, alleged BJP candidate from Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, Arjun Singh. He claimed that TMC brought toughs from outside to assault him. TV channels aired footage that showed Singh in a scuffle with a state cop. Differently abled voters turn up to cast their votes Differently abled inmates of Cheshire home were seen waiting to cast their votes during Lok Sabha poll at Cheshire home polling booth in Ranchi on Monday. Cradle at polling booths for women coming with newborns At a polling booth in Madhya Pradeshs Piparia in Hoshangabad parliamentary constituency, poll personnel have placed a cradle on the premises to facilitate voting by women who come with their newborns. People in areas of Bharatpur boycott voting People in Rajasthans Rehmanpura, Bajrang Vihar, and Nagla are boycotting voting in these areas of Bharatpur over demands of water and roads. Polling delayed by 50 min in Bengal poll booth Polling could not take place for about 50 mins at booth number 256 in Tarakeswar under West Bengals Arambag constituency due to alleged EVM and VVPAT glitch. BSP chief Mayawati casts her vote BSP chief Mayawati cast her vote at a polling booth in City Montessori Inter College in Lucknow. TMC-backed goons abduct son of woman in Barrackpore constituency, alleges BJPs Arjun Singh Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency candidate Arjun Singh alleged that TMC-backed goons abducted the son of a woman in his constituency, and he was going to her home to find out what has happened. BJP supporters house vandalised in Bengal, locals blame TMC workers In a village in Udaynarayanpur under West Bengals Uluberia Lok Sabha constituency, the house of Uttam Mondal, a BJP supporter, was vandalised early in the morning of Monday. Locals alleged that TMC workers ransacked the house after they came to know that Mondal might be appointed as a polling agent of the BJP. Central forces guard polling booths in West Bengal In the fifth phase of polling in Lok Sabha elections 2019, all polling stations are being guarded by central forces in West Bengal. EVM glitches in West Bengal, UP Voting is yet to begin in booth numbers 289/ 291/292 in West Benals Howrah, reportedly after glitches in EVMs and VVPATs, reported news agency ANI. More details are awaited. Till 7:30 am, in Shyampur under Bengals Uluberia constituency polling could not start in booth number 179 due to EVM glitch. I am getting complaints of EVM glitches in different areas such as Chanditala, Sreerampore, Jangipara, alleged TMC candidate of Sreerampore constituency Kalyan Bandyopadhyay. Polling at a booth in Sarsawan that falls under Mohanlalganj Constituency of Uttar Pradeshs Lucknow was delayed because of technical glitch in the EVM. Sure to get a clear majority: Rajnath Singh Sure to get a clear majority, however, I cant predict by what margin, I will win in the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, said Union home minister Rajnath Singh after casting his vote a polling booth in Gomtinagar. Rajnath Singh casts his vote Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh cast his vote in a Gomtinagar polling station Uttar Pradeshs Lucknow. Singh was accompanied by family members, they reached the polling station at 7:30 in the morning. Polling started at 7 am and several including senior citizens were outside the polling station even before it. VB Shrivastava, 73, said, This is a VIP polling booth so we decided to cast our vote at the earliest. Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore arrives to cast his vote Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and his wife Gayatri Rathore arrives at a polling station in Rajasthans Jaipur to cast their vote for Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha in queue to cast his vote Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha and his wife Nilima Sinha arrived at a polling booth in Jharkhands Hazaribagh to cast their vote. His son and Union Minister Jayant Sinha is contesting against Congress Gopal Sahu and CPIs Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta from the constituency. Voting across 51 Lok Sabha seats The fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 covers the remaining 12 constituencies in Rajasthan, as well as 14 in Uttar Pradesh, including the high-profile Amethi, Rae Bareli and Lucknow seats, five in Bihar, and seven in West Bengal. Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh go in for their second phase of polls with voting in four and seven constituencies, respectively. Voting is also being held in the final phase of the three stage polling in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag, as well as the states Ladakh constituency. Rajnath Singh urges voters to cast their valuable votes Today is the polling for 51 Lok Sabha seats including Lucknow in the 5th phase of General Elections. I urge all the voters to cast their valuable votes with great enthusiasm and vote in large numbers, tweeted Union home minister Rajnath Singh. PM Modi urges voters to come out in large numbers Requesting all those voting in todays fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to do so in large numbers. A vote is the most effective way to enrich our democracy and contribute to Indias better future. I hope my young friends turnout in record numbers, tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Voting begins In the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019, voting in 51 seats across 7 states began at 7 am today. Voters begin to queue outside poll booths Voters have begun queuing up outside a polling station in West Bengals Barrackpore; Voting in 51 parliamentary constituencies across 7 states for 5th phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will begin shortly. Preparations underway at polling booths Preparations at polling booths are underway. Here are visuals from a polling booth in Amethi. Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Union minister Smriti Irani are contesting for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat. Voting in 51 parliamentary constituencies across 7 states for 5th phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 to begin at 7 am today. West Bengals Sabar tribe in Purulia boycott polls People of Purulias Sabar tribe in West Bengals Bandwan area have called for a boycott of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 due to unavailability of electricity in their houses.A villager said, electricity department said we would get free electricity but later asked for Rs 4000, how would we pay that amount, reported news agency ANI. Voting on 51 seats in phase 5 to begin shortly Voting on 51 seats in phase 5 to begin shortly. In this phase, as many as 51 Lok Sabha constituencies across seven states are scheduled to vote. Voting for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 will take place today Voting for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 will take place today Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an additional six rallies as the last lap of the Lok Sabha election campaign approaches, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah will hold 11 more rallies than previously scheduled, people with direct knowledge of the plan said on Sunday. Of the Prime Ministers six rallies, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal will host two each and Madhya Pradesh and Haryana one each. The additional rallies are planned as a force multiplier in the closing stages of polling as the partys campaign managers believe that its two star speakers can swing segments of the electorate that are still undecided. On the campaign trail in Punjab on Sunday, senior BJP functionaries told HT that the partys poll prospects were bright in the state. An internal party assessment said it could win at least five seats in alliance with its NDA partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) as the public mood was turning against the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government. Dont vote only for Sunny Deol, vote for him so that Narendra Modi becomes PM again and makes the county more secure, Shah told the crowd at an election event in Pathankot in support of the Bollywood actors candidature. Addressing similar events in Haryanas Sonepat and Panipat earlier in the day, the BJP president invoked the air strikes in Pakistans Balakot and asserted that Modi had directed the Indian Air Force to blow the terrorists to smithereens. India would not hold talks with Pakistan, Shah added. The BJP has made national security the key issue in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Accompanied by the partys BJP candidate Deol and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, Shah, for example, criticised former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullahs comment that abrogation of Article 370 would lead to the state having its own prime minister. The BJP president, who has already covered 290 constituencies in this campaign with this rally in Chandigarh on Sunday evening and was scheduled to fly to Patna later in the night, indicated that the next big focus of the party would be on West Bengal. The party believes it has a good chance of reaping rich dividends in the eastern state. To this end, the party is moving special empowered teams on the ground to boost the campaign. Today, Himanta [Biswa Sarma] moved to the state. Our special teams are going there. I think they are doing well, the senior functionary cited above said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Congress is hoping to do well in the remaining 12 Lok Sabha seats that will vote in the fifth phase of ongoing national polls on Monday if the 2018 Rajasthan assembly results are anything to go by. It won 61 assembly segments under these Lok Sabha constituencies out of the 99 it got in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly. The Congress won over half of the assembly segments in Nagaur, Sikar, Bharatpur, Alwar, Dausa, Dholpur and Churu, according to an analysis of the 2018 results. Follow LIVE updates here. The seven Lok Sabha are among those where the polling will be held on Monday. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s Sikar chief, Vishnu Chetania, underlined the 2019 elections are different from the assembly polls. He added the national polls are about re-electing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Chetania said the negativity for the BJP is over with former chief minister Vasundhara Rajes loss in 2018. The focus on the ground has shifted from Raje to Modi and chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Congress chief Rahul Gandhis electoral pledge of ensuring an annual 72,000 income for the countrys 20% poorest families, too, appears to have gained some traction mostly in rural pockets. But scepticism remains over availability of funds to keep the promise. The BJPs nationalism pitch in the aftermath of the February 14 car bomb attack in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama and the air strike on a terror camp in Pakistan in retaliation seems to be working in places like Nagaur, Jhunjhunu and Sikar, where a large number of soldiers are recruited from. The Congress is trying to hard-sell its loan waiver to 2.1 million farmers in the state even as the enthusiasm among voters for the national elections appear to be lesser in the absence of local issues. Also Read | Fate of 51 seats across 7 states on line in fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls POPULARITY TEST The 2019 election is seen as a test of Modi and Gehlots popularity. Modi is the focal point of the BJPs campaign while the Congress is banking on Gehlots performance. Gehlot is a good man, said Om Prakash Sharma, who owns an electrical appliances shop in Nagaur. But this poll is for choosing a PM and I am with Modi. In 2018, I voted for Gehlot. A resident of Chamu in Sikar district, who did not wish to be named, said it was difficult to counter Modis popularity as people are not interested in listening about Rafale jets deal issue and the 2016 demonetisation. Niranjan Singh, a rickshaw driver, was curious to know whether he will get 72,000 per year. I got farm loan waiver of 25,000 from Gehlot but people say there will be no money to give 72,000 and it is an election gimmick, Singh. Many felt seeking votes in the name of on nationalism and on religious lines was bad for the country. I urge Modi and even Rahul Gandhi to not create a divide between communities. Religious hate is being spread through social media to garner votes, said Ishkur Rehman, a fruit-seller in Nagaur. JAT-RAJPUT LAND The polling on Monday in mainly being held in Rajasthans Jat-Rajput farmer belt. Jats have traditionally been Congress voters but gravitated towards the BJP in 2014. Rajputs are considered as BJP supporters. In Nagaur, BJPs ally Hanuman Beniwal of the Rashtriya Jantantrik Party, is up against former Congress Parliament member, Jyoti Mirdha, whose grandfather, Nathu Ram Mirdha, was considered as one of Rajasthans tallest Jat leaders. Beniwal, a legislator from Khinsar, got about 15% votes in 2014 LS polls. He is banking on BJP supporters to defeat Jyoti Mirdha. She [Jyoti Mirdha] never visited us when she got elected in 2009 and not also after her loss in 2014. She came only before the elections. The older Jats will vote for Nathu Ram ji and not her. The younger ones will vote for Beniwal, said Nagaur-resident, Bhagirath Bishnoi. Nagaur is a Jat-dominated constituency. Muslims, Dalits and Rajputs could be deciding factor as Jat votes are likely to get divided between the two main candidates from the community. There are an estimated 400,000 Jat votes out of the total 1.92 million voters in Nagaur. The remaining are Rajputs (about 250,000), Brahmins and Vaishyas (150,000), scheduled castes (about 350,000) and Muslims (about 250,000). In Bharatpur, the BJP has fielded two-time Parliament member Gangaram Kohlis daughter-in-law, Ranjeeta Kohli, who is up against Congresss Abhijit Kumar Jatav. [Abhijit] Kumar [Jatav] is my candidate. It is not he, but I am the candidate here, said Vishwender Singh, a Rajasthan minister and a member of Bharatpurs erstwhile royal family as he campaigned for Jatav . Ranjeeta Kohli said Singhs campaign will have no impact as the people are voting for Modi and her father-in-law, who have done a lot of work in the constituency reserved for the scheduled castes. Residents say Singh holds sway in the region and the caste equation also favours the Congress as Jats, Dalits and Meo-Muslims dominate Bharatpur. In Alwar, former union minister and Congresss Bhanwar Jitendra Singh is contesting against BJPs Mahant Balak Nath, who is from neighbouring Haryana. Bhanwar Jitendra Singh is a Rajput, while Nath a Yadav. Shakir Ali, 27, a civil engineer from Alwars Guru Gothi village, said Bhanwar will win if the voting percentage in Meo-Muslim dominated villages is more than that of Yadav areas. In neighbouring Dwarkapur village, Sajjan Singh said the BJPs traditional Rajput votes will be divided as Bhanwar is a Rajput. About 17% of Alwars electors are Yadavs, followed by the scheduled castes and Muslims, both around 12%. Other communities account for under 7%. Swami Sumeedanand Saraswati, who is also from Haryana, is the BJP candidate from Sikar. He is up against Congresss Subhash Meharia, who has been elected thrice to Lok Sabha as BJP candidate and was a Union minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayees government (1998-2004). A mining baron, Meharia got about 180,000 votes in 2014 Lok Sabha elections as an independent while Saraswati, the winner, got 454,000 votes. He joined the Congress about two years ago. All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Amra Ram is again contesting on a Communist Party of India (Marxist) ticket. Nathu Ram, a Jat resident of Sikar, said he will vote for Meharia. Mahesh Beniwal, another resident, called himself a staunch Amra Ram supporter. Most were critical of Saraswati saying he never visited them and did not do much work. BJPs Sikar president, Vishnu Chetani, admitted that Saraswati has not visited the constituency often and said the people are voting for Modi and not Saraswati. POLITICAL VOICES Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat said the BJP will sweep the polls in the 12 of Rajasthans 25 Lok Sabha seats. I have visited every nook and corner of the region and I can sense there is a positive sentiment for Modi and people are unhappy with Gehlot, who has failed to deliver on farm loan waiver and unemployment allowance as promised before the 2018 assembly elections, he said. State minister Govind Singh Dotsara said the people know Gehlot has delivered on his farm loan promise as outstanding loans of two million families have been waived. He admitted the BJP workers are more vocal than that of the Congress. Dotsara said the silent voters will deliver results for the Congress. Modi is a factor, but a large number of people are critical of him. They will voice their opposition through votes. Political analyst Narayan Bareth said the region had been a Congress bastion, but the BJP has made inroads in the last two decades. This time contest is keen as voter is silent and wave in favour of PM Modi is not significant as it was in 2014. The Congress having a government in Rajasthan adds to its advantage, he said. (With inputs from Rakesh Goswami) Untitled Document Constituency Sitting MP Bihar Sitamarhi Ram Kumar Sharma, RLSP Madhubani Chaudhary Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, BJP Muzaffarpur Ajay Nishad, BJP Saran Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP Hajipur Ramvilas Paswan, LJP Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang, BJP Anantnag Seat is vacant (PDPs Mehbooba Mufti quit after becoming CM of the state) Madhya Pradesh Tikamgarh Virendra Kumar Khatik, BJP Damoh Prahalad Singh Patel, BJP Khajuraho Nagendra Singh, BJP Satna Ganesh Singh Rewa Janardan Mishra, BJP Hoshangabad Uday Pratap Singh Betul Jyoti Dhurve, BJP Rajasthan Ganganagar Nihalchand Meghwal, BJP Bikaner Arun Ram Meghwal, BJP Churu Rahul Kaswan, BJP Jhunjhunu Santosh Ahlawat, BJP Sikar Sumedhanand Saraswati, BJP Jaipur Rural Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, BJP Jaipur Ramcharan Bohara, BJP Alwar Chand Nath, BJP Bharatpur Bahadur Singh, BJP Karauli-Dholpur Manoj Rajoria, BJP Dausa Harish Chandra Meena, BJP Nagaur C R Choudhary, BJP Constituency Sitting MP Jharkhand Kodarma Ravindra Kumar Ray, BJP Ranchi Ram Tahal Choudhary, BJP Khunti Kariya Munda, BJP Hazaribagh Jayant Sinha, BJP Uttar Pradesh Dharuhera Rekha Verma, BJP Sitapur Rajesh Verma, BJP Mohanlalganj Kaushal Kishore, BJP Lucknow Rajnath Singh, BJP Rae Bareli Sonia Gandhi, Congress Amethi Rahul Gandhi, Congress Banda Bhairon Prasad Mishra, BJP Fatehpur Niranjan Jyoti, BJP Kaushambi Vinod Sonkar, BJP Barabanki Priyanka Singh Rawat, BJP Faizabad Lallu Singh, BJP Bahraich Savitri Bai Phule, BJP Kaiserganj Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP Gonda Kirti Vardhan Singh, BJP West Bengal Bangaon Mamata Thakur, Trinamool Congress Barrackpur Dinesh Trivedi, Trinamool Congress Howrah Prasun Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Uluberia Sajda Ahmed, Trinamool Congress Sreerampur Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Hooghly Dr Ratna De, Trinamool Congress Arambag Aparupa Poddar, Trinamool Congress SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A grenade was lobbed at a polling booth in Kashmir, scuffles were reported from West Bengal and EVM glitches from several states on Monday in the first few hours of voting in 51 parliamentary constituencies across 7 states in the fifth and the smallest but power-packed phase of the 2019 general elections. Suspected militants threw a grenade at Rohmoo polling station in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir where polling is underway for the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency, said police. This was the first militant attack on a polling station in this Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir. Follow LIVE updates here. In West Bengals Barrackpore parliamentary constituency BJP candidate Arjun Singh alleged he was attacked by goondas of the Trinamool Congress. Television news channels showed Singh scuffling even as the BJP leaders personal security guards tried to intervene. He was also shown fighting with a policeman. The incident happened in Mohanpur, about 29km to the north of state capital Kolkata. I was attacked by TMC goons while I was escorting some men (BJP supporters) who were being prevented from casting their votes, alleged Singh. Polling was delayed in several booths in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan after EVMs developed technical glitch in several parliamentary constituencies. In West Bengal, Howrah and Uluberia booths reported glitches in EVMs and VVPATs. Polling in two of the four polling booths in Sarsawan under Mohanlalganj constituency of Uttar Pradeshs Lucknow was also delayed because of a technical glitch in EVM. Two EVMs also reported to have developed a snag at Mehmoodpur polling station of Kaushambi. Also Watch | Lok Sabha polls | Rahul, Sonia & Rajnath: Prestige contests in UP Phase 5 In Rajasthans Dausa, polling started a few minutes late after three EVMs malfunctioned and were changed later. Also Read | Key seats in heartland vote in power-packed phase 5 of Lok Sabha polls As in the earlier rounds, PM Modi tweeted today too urging voters, particularly young voters, to come out in large numbers and exercise their right to pick a candidate. Rajnath Singh and UP chief minister also tweeted calling upon people to vote. Barring seven seats in West Bengal and Anantnag and Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, this phase of election is entirely in Hindi speaking states. Among the high-profile candidates in the fray in this round are Rajnath Singh from Lucknow, Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli, Rajyavardhan Rathore from Jaipur Rural, Rajiv Pratap Rudy from Saran and Dinesh Trivedi from Barrackpore A 2019 phase-wise classification of Lok Sabha seats by 2014 results shows that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its other National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners had the highest seat share in the seats that are going to polls today. Also Read | Rahul, Sonia Gandhi, Rajnath Singh among key contestants in phase 5 The NDA won 41 out of the 51 seats in 2014, 27 more than its 2009 tally. The BJPs share in seats contested by the NDA was also highest in the seats that poll today. It fought all seats, except Hajipur and Sitamarhi in Bihar, going to polls and won 39 of them. The BJP is contesting the same 49 seats in 2019 which it had contested in 2014. It will not be easy for the BJP and its allies to replicate their 2014 performance in 2019. The BJP won all 25 constituencies in Rajasthan in the 2014 elections. Given the Congress victory in the 2018 assembly elections, a repeat seems unlikely. A total of 12 constituencies in Rajasthan are going to polls on Monday. In four of the six states (Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jammu & Kashmir) other than Rajasthan where seats polling today are located, the BJP has either lost a recent assembly election or is faced with a more united opposition. Seven out of the ten seats polling today which the NDA could not win are in West Bengal. Untitled Document Constituency Sitting MP Bihar Sitamarhi Ram Kumar Sharma, RLSP Madhubani Chaudhary Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, BJP Muzaffarpur Ajay Nishad, BJP Saran Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP Hajipur Ramvilas Paswan, LJP Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang, BJP Anantnag Seat is vacant (PDPs Mehbooba Mufti quit after becoming CM of the state) Madhya Pradesh Tikamgarh Virendra Kumar Khatik, BJP Damoh Prahalad Singh Patel, BJP Khajuraho Nagendra Singh, BJP Satna Ganesh Singh Rewa Janardan Mishra, BJP Hoshangabad Uday Pratap Singh Betul Jyoti Dhurve, BJP Rajasthan Ganganagar Nihalchand Meghwal, BJP Bikaner Arun Ram Meghwal, BJP Churu Rahul Kaswan, BJP Jhunjhunu Santosh Ahlawat, BJP Sikar Sumedhanand Saraswati, BJP Jaipur Rural Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, BJP Jaipur Ramcharan Bohara, BJP Alwar Chand Nath, BJP Bharatpur Bahadur Singh, BJP Karauli-Dholpur Manoj Rajoria, BJP Dausa Harish Chandra Meena, BJP Nagaur C R Choudhary, BJP Constituency Sitting MP Jharkhand Kodarma Ravindra Kumar Ray, BJP Ranchi Ram Tahal Choudhary, BJP Khunti Kariya Munda, BJP Hazaribagh Jayant Sinha, BJP Uttar Pradesh Dharuhera Rekha Verma, BJP Sitapur Rajesh Verma, BJP Mohanlalganj Kaushal Kishore, BJP Lucknow Rajnath Singh, BJP Rae Bareli Sonia Gandhi, Congress Amethi Rahul Gandhi, Congress Banda Bhairon Prasad Mishra, BJP Fatehpur Niranjan Jyoti, BJP Kaushambi Vinod Sonkar, BJP Barabanki Priyanka Singh Rawat, BJP Faizabad Lallu Singh, BJP Bahraich Savitri Bai Phule, BJP Kaiserganj Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP Gonda Kirti Vardhan Singh, BJP West Bengal Bangaon Mamata Thakur, Trinamool Congress Barrackpur Dinesh Trivedi, Trinamool Congress Howrah Prasun Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Uluberia Sajda Ahmed, Trinamool Congress Sreerampur Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress Hooghly Dr Ratna De, Trinamool Congress Arambag Aparupa Poddar, Trinamool Congress Chief electoral officer (CEO) Anand Kumar on Sunday appealed to voters to vote fearlessly in the second and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan on Monday. Elaborate security arrangements have been made in all areas for holding peaceful elections. Voters enthusiastically took part in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan, which was an achievement in itself, Kumar said, adding that every voter should contribute to strengthening the democratic system in the country. The parliamentary constituencies that will go to polling on Monday are Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karaulidholpur, Dausa and Nagaur. Kumar said polling will be held on 23,783 booths in the state from 7am to 6pm. He said there are 134 candidates in the fray, of which nine each are in Sriganganagar and Bikaner constituencies, 12 each in Churu, Jhunjhunu and Sikar, eight in Jaipur Rural, 24 in Jaipur, 11 each in Alwar and Dausa, eight in Bharatpur, five in Karauli-dholpur and 13 candidates are in Nagaur. Maximum 24 candidates are contesting in Jaipur, while minimum five candidates are contesting in Karauli-dholpur. The CEO said special watch will be kept on 1,550 sensitive booths through web casting. He said to ensure maximum participation of the disabled people, ramps have been made at all the polling stations. More than 6,000 wheel chairs have been arranged for the disabled. For visually challenged voters, voter photo identity card (EPIC) been provided in Braille script. VALID DOCUMENTS Voters cannot vote showing photo voter slip as stand alone identification. They have to show their voter ID cards to vote. Otherwise he or she has to show passport, driving licence, service identity card with photo, bank and post office passbook with photo, PAN card, MGNREGS job card, health insurance smart card, pension document with photo, official identity cards issued to MPS/ MLAS/ MLCS and Aadhaar card. The national award-winning filmmaker Vetrimaaran has denied reports about roping in Vijay Sethupathi for a cameo in upcoming Tamil revenge drama Asuran. Talking to a Tamil daily, Vetrimaaran denied even approaching Vijay for a role in the film. The filmmaker and Dhanush have teamed up for the fourth time for Asuran, which is currently in final leg of shooting. The final schedule of Asuran began last week. The film, which also stars Manju Warrier, is based on Tamil novel Vekkai, written by Poomani. It is tipped to be a revenge drama that traces the fight of an oppressed community against those oppressing them. Also read: Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 5 trailer: Rejoice, Daenerys vs Cersei battle will happen in daylight The makers are yet to reveal complete cast and crew details of the project. However, recent reports indicate that Tamil director Balaji Sakthivel, best known for directing award-winning films Kadhal and Vazhakku En 18/9, has been roped in for a crucial role, and according to the grapevine, he plays the antagonist. The film, which was announced last December soon after the release of Vada Chennai, also stars Ken Karunas in a pivotal role. Last seen playing a local ruffian in Maari 2, Dhanush will be seen playing a daily wage labourer in Asuran, and he will be seen in a fierce avatar. Being produced by Kalaipuli S Thanu under the banner of V Creations, the film has music by GV Prakash Kumar. Upon completing this project, Dhanush will return to resume shoot of director Durai Senthil Kumars yet-untitled film in which he plays dual roles. If the grapevine is anything to go by, Dhanush also plays dual roles in Asuran, and will be seen playing father and son. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday she was surprised when her long-time partner proposed to her over the Easter holidays and has no idea when the wedding will be. Ardern was addressing her first weekly media briefing after news of her engagement with fishing-show host Clarke Gayford became public last week. I was surprised by the question, Ardern said about the proposal, adding the couple havent made formal wedding plans. Ardern said the proposal was made when the couple, plus her diplomatic protection security, some locals, and a dog who stole her chocolates, were at a beautiful little lookout on Mokotahi hill on the Mahia peninsula in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. So, it was very romantic..., she joked. The forthcoming nuptials are a rarity for world leaders in office and follow Arderns pregnancy last year which was seen around the globe as a symbol of progress for female leaders. Ardern is only the second elected leader to give birth while in office, after Pakistans Benazir Bhutto in 1990 and, if she marries while in office, will be the first major leader to do so in recent years. Her fiance is a 41-year-old host of a television fishing show who takes care of their 10-month-old daughter Neve Te Aroha, while Ardern, 38, runs the country. News of their engagement broke after journalists noticed Ardern wearing a ring on her middle finger at a public event on Friday. Ardern said it was Gayfords grandmothers ring. I have not being trying to hide our news from anyone, but it simply does not fit on the right finger so thats why its sitting in the middle, she added. Meghan Markle gave birth to a healthy boy, news agency AP quoted Prince Harry as saying. The two are still thinking of names for their newborn boy. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and wife of Britains Prince Harry, went into labour in the early hours of Monday, Buckingham Palace had said in a statement. The Duchess went into labour in the early hours of this morning. The Duke of Sussex (Harry) was by Her Royal Highness side. An announcement will be made soon, the statement had said. The child, the couples first, is the seventh-in-line to the British throne. Queen Elizabeths grandson Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, a U.S.-born former actress, married in a lavish ceremony at the monarchs Windsor Castle home in May last year. The baby boy is the eighth great grandchild of the 93-year-old queen, the worlds longest-reigning monarch, and could be entitled to hold joint British and American citizenship according to nationality rules. However, the child will not automatically be a prince or a princess as any such title will have to be bestowed by the queen by issuing what is known as a letter patent. The couple, officially titled the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have previously said they intended to keep the plans for the arrival of the new royal private. A notice will be posted on a ceremonial easel on the forecourt of the queens London home Buckingham Palace, a tradition which dates back at least as far as 1837 when the palace became the sovereigns official residence. Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to a boy, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, announced on Monday, providing a rare feel-good news to the British public increasingly tired of the impasse over Brexit in recent months. Prince Harry said the new parents were absolutely thrilled and thanked the public for their support during the pregnancy: Its been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. He said the newest member of Britains royal family and Meghan were doing incredibly well, adding that they were still thinking about names for the infant. WATCH | England gets new royal baby: Prince Harry and Meghan have a boy Buckingham Palace said the baby weighed 7lbs 3oz, adding that the duke was present for the birth. It added: The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news. The duchesss mother, Doria Ragland, who is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, is with their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage. The baby boy is seventh in line to the throne, behind the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and his children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - and Prince Harry. He is Queen Elizabeths eighth great-grandchild. Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted soon after the announcement: Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the arrival of their baby boy. Wishing you all the best at this happy time. A large number of media representatives from across the world, including from the United States, gathered outside Windsor Castle after the announcement. The family is scheduled to move from central London to Windsor in the near future. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The United States announced Sunday night it had deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and a number of bombers to West Asia to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on American interest or allies will be met with unrelenting force. The announcement, which came in a statement from National Security Adviser John Bolton, did not cite specific threats or the provocation and only said it was in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings. The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces, Bolton said. US media reported citing officials the deployment followed after top-level discussion over the weekend and it was based on intelligence about a specific threat Iran and its proxies had been noticed moving assets on land and at sea, reportedly. On his way to Finland, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters, We have good reason to want to communicate clearly about how the Iranians should understand how we will respond to actions that they may take. He refused to elaborate and added that the deployment had nothing situation with Gaza. The US has despatched USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike and a bomber task force. US navy describes a carrier strike group as its largest operational unit and says it is made roughy of an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a flotilla of between six and 10 destroyers and/or frigates, 65 to 70 aircraft, and roughly 7,500 personnel. The announcement of the deployment followed just days after the Trump administration declared Irans IRGC a foreign terrorist organization, which was the first time the United States had designated a government body. The Trump administration has turned up pressure on Iran to force it give up entirely its nuclear weapons programme and not just suspend it and the missiles programme and cease malign activities in the region. President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the Iran deal unilaterally in 2018 and slapped back sanctions that had been lifted after the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (as the deal is officially known), which went into effect in 2016. 1777 American defeat in the Vermont mountains weakened the British, setting them up to lose at Saratoga DAY WAS BREAKING in the wilds of what is now western Vermont on Monday, July 7, 1777, as two lines of British light infantrymen broke into a run up a steep, overgrown hill. That hot morning the soldiers had dressed for heavy going, in black leather caps and shortened red woolen uniform coats. At the lead was Brigadier General Simon Fraser. The Scottish-born Fraser, 48, meant to earn the trust his commander, Lieutenant General John Burgoyne, had shown in assigning him this mission. Ahead waited a rebel contingent Fraser intended to smashwhich he did, in a stand-up, four-hour slugfest. The New England Continentals and militia got a harsh taste of their preferred mode of warfare, as a British officer observed, in a wood, in the very style that the Americans think themselves superior to regular troops. But while Fraser and his men won the day, the long game went to the foe. In that one midsummer clash may have lain the fate of a campaign, a war, and perhaps a country. The ruling-class Britain of the late 1700s was an intimate world. John Burgoyne, 55, naturally knew King George III and his cabinet ministers. An army officer since 14, Burgoyne had wed an earls daughter, marrying into a seat in Parliament, elbow room at Londons best gaming tables, and camouflage for his questionable parentage. In the Seven Years War, Burgoyne had made enough of a name that Portugals king, grateful still to have his throne thanks to Burgoynes battlefield victories, bestowed a five-carat diamond ring on the young general. In February 1777, Burgoyne, after two previous campaigns in the colonies, sent King George III and Secretary of State for the Colonies Lord George Germain what seemed a surefire formula for ending an irksome rebellion of 27 months duration. British politicians and military commanders regarded the font of colonial resistance to be New England, in particular Boston, a scene for years of shenanigans like Stamp Act riots, a massacre, and the outrageous Tea Partynever mind that the war had begun nearby at Lexington and Concord. Scratch an act of violence against the empire and there one would find Massachusetts Bay colonists. Isolate New England, as a physician might quarantine an infectious patient, imperial wisdom went, and the rebellion would fade for lack of an inflammatory source. To accomplish that isolation, Burgoyne proposed to make a moat of New Yorks Hudson River, dousing the fires of rebellion by splitting New England from the middle and southern colonies. Describing my expedition, Burgoyne offered in an outline he circulated that February to sail an army south from Canada through Lake Champlain and Lake George as a prelude to capturing Albany, on the Hudson Rivers west bank. Burgoyne sketched a force of British regulars, Loyalists, French Canadians, sailors, and Indian alliesin all, 9,078 men, including German hirelings from the principality of Brunswick. Major General Friedrich Baron von Riedesels 2,900 German regulars included green-jacketed jager, a light infantry and scouting unit dating to 1740, when Frederick the Great recruited sharpshooters from among German foresters, and Brunswick grenadiers, renowned as masters of the bayonet, in striped trousers, blue coats, and mitered helmets. Burgoyne would have 138 artillery pieces. As he was sailing south from Canada, up from New York would come an army led by General Sir William Howe, British commander-in-chief in the colonies. For Burgoynes plan to succeed, his and Howes cohort had to converge at Albany with a third, smaller force of redcoats, Loyalists, and Indians under Lieutenant Colonel Barrimore St. Leger. Invading from Lake Ontario, penetrating the Mohawk River Valley west of Albany, and capturing Fort Stanwix near what is now Rome, New York, St. Leger would press east to rendezvous with Burgoyne and Howe, giving the British control of the Hudson. Burgoyne would bring the celebratory Champagne, his favorite drink. Obtaining the kings nod for his expedition, Burgoyne organized his troops and departed St. Johns, Canada, south of Montreal. By June 16, 1777, he was sailing south on Lake Champlain in his flagship, the frigate Royal Savage, at the head of a fleet of troop transports, rowed gunboats, and hundreds of 30-foot-long bateaux, the 18th-century equivalent of a flatbed truck to carry supplies. Native warriors in canoes darted among the naval vessels. Burgoynes first target was Fort Ticonderoga, a bastion on Lake Champlains west bank built by the French during the Seven Years War. Ticonderoga was held now by an American army under Major General Arthur St. Clair, 40, who had assumed command only two weeks previously. Spying a weakness in the American perimeter that would allow British artillery to shell the fort, Burgoynes chief engineer had two 12-pound cannon hauled to high ground atop Sugar Loafnow Mount Defiance. The promontory was steep, but as Burgoynes second in command, Major General William Phillips, is said to have put it, Where a goat can go, a man can go and where a man can go, he can drag a gun behind him. The sight of British field pieces so strategically placed forced the rebels to prepare to retreat across a pontoon bridge to the east side of the lake where another rise, Mount Independence, had been fortified. At midnight July 5, St. Clair began sending his sick soldiers, camp followers, and supplies from Ticonderoga 25 miles by water to Skenesborough, New York, at the south end of Lake Champlain. Their transport was a fleet of 200 bateaux and six rowed galleys under Colonel Pierce Long. The remainder of the American army, nearly 3,000 men, would march 17 miles southeast from Mount Independence to Hubbardton, then six miles more to Castleton. At Castleton, St. Clair hoped to turn west toward Skenesborough and reunite with Long. St. Clairs rear guard, including stragglers, under Colonel Seth Warner, 34, would overnight at Hubbardton, then continue to Castleton, following in the wake of the retreating army. If all went according to plan, the entire American army would link up with the Northern Departments commander, Major General Philip Schuyler, who had been toggling between his Albany headquarters and Fort Edward on the Hudsons west bank, 38 miles south of Skenesborough. Unfortunately for the patriots, Burgoynes quick pursuit by water of Longs fleet put a crimp in St. Clairs plan. Long had to scuttle his boats and supplies at Skenesborough as British gunboats fired on the town and redcoats embarked along the shore. Longs disaster compelled St. Clair in a different direction to Rutland, now in Vermont, adding 14 miles to the Americans march before they turned south to join Schuyler at Fort Edward. The Americans had left Ticonderoga and the lakeside high ground on July 6 as Fraser and his Advanced Corps marched into the fort and toward Mount Independence. Frasers elite unit comprised a light infantry battalion, a grenadier battalion, eight companies of Frasers 24th Foot and a sharpshooter company. Opposite the fort, on the lakes east side, Riedesel had disembarked with his Brunswickers. Burgoyne had remained on Royal Savage to coordinate his armys two wings. Advising Burgoyne by courier of his intent to pursue St. Clair, Fraser readied his light infantry and grenadier battalions and two companies of the 24th Foot, 850 men in all, and quickly set out. In his haste, Fraser shorted his troops on ammunition, rations, medical supplies, and artillery. Receiving Frasers note aboard Royal Savage, Burgoyne ordered Riedesel, 38, with 1,100 Germans, including jager and grenadiers, into the chase. Reaching Hubbardton on the afternoon of July 6 after marching through a saddle on Sargent Hill, St. Clair stationed a rear guard of about 900 men under Seth Warner. Warners complement soon swelled with 300-some stragglers. Hubbardton was an isolated farming community of nine hardy families situated in the Hampshire Grants, a contested wilderness between New York and New Hampshire. The Grants, as locals called the district, consisted of small farm lots, forested mountains, and a few towns like Castleton, Rutland, and Manchester. Populated mostly by New Englanders eager for cheap land, the Hampshire Grants had been the scene of feuding neighbors for years before the revolt against Great Britain. Gangs of quasi-outlaws known as Green Mountain Boys, led by Ethan Allen, warned New Yorkers against planting themselves in the few select meadows and thick forests soon to be called Vermont. Near dawn on July 7, after a night of rest and food for the stragglers, Warner massed most of his men on a road below the crest of what is now called Monument Hill, preparatory to marching for Castleton. To Warners left was a higher hill, Pittsford Ridge. Warners officers were at Sucker Brook, chivvying disorganized stragglers, some of them drunk. To the west, an American picket fired his weapon, a signal that British troops were closing. Advancing along the military road toward the brook, elements of Frasers 24th Foot caught a hail of American musket fire that killed the major leading them and depleted his two companies. Fraser pushed forward with Major Alexander Lindsays light infantry battalion. Lindsay being new to combat, Fraser took command, facing the battalion left and advancing at the double up Monument Hill, where, on the opposite slope, Warners regiments, in column, were poised to march to Castleton. Fraser undoubtedly was seeking to achieve a precipitous victory before Riedesel, who outranked him, arrived to supersede him on the battlefield. Warner and Colonel Ebenezer Francis, 34, quickly faced their troops right and advanced unsteadily. At the hills crest, redcoats charged hard into the Americans, forcing them down to what Fraser later termed a hill of less eminence. The rebels rallied, trading volleys with the foe at the murderous range of 60 yards. Below, at the brook, a British grenadier battalion led by Major John Dyke Acland captured most of the American stragglers, then marched beyond the British right flank to deny Warners men the Castleton road. With two companies of light infantry leading, Acland rushed through a swale between two hills along the military road. Gaining the Castleton road, grenadiers pushed back Warners own Green Mountain Continental regiment. Americans mauled in the British hilltop charge had pulled back to a cornfield enclosed by a high U-shaped log fence. Briefly hunkering there, Warners men, Franciss command, and troops from Major Benjamin Titcombs 2nd New Hampshire regiment all came under determined attack. Aclands grenadiers hit Warners left and Lindsays light troops in the center facing Francis and Titcombs line. Some of Lindsays detached light infantry gained Pittsford Ridge; putting British muskets behind the Americans at the log fence. Warner tripped and fell; men thought him shot. Francis took a ball in the chest. Titcombs New Hampshire men counterattacked, momentarily imperiling Frasers left flank. The tilt was decidedly against the rebels, but British casualties were mounting. Fraser frantically summoned Riedesel. From his trailing column, the German shoved forward two elite units. Captain Carl von Geysos green-jacketed jagers led, followed by Captain Maximilian von Schotelliuss Brunswick grenadiers. Observing from Sargent Hill, Riedesel decided to flank the American right. He ordered the jager drummers and hunting hornsmen to blare hymns; as the Europeans advanced, his soldiers bellowed the lyrics, unnerving the Americans. Jager riflemen and Brunswick grenadiers surrounded Titcombs flank and rear. Riedesels troops guaranteed Fraser victory, but not without snide commentary by their employers. A party of Germans came up [in] time enough also to share [emphasis added] in the glory of the day, a British officer wrote later. The regular fire they gave at a critical time was material service to us. The Germans had been of more than material servicethey crushed a move by New Hampshire troops and others threatening the tottering British left flank, driving the rebels off the field. Seeing Titcombs and Franciss lines give way, Warner, knowing the battle was lost, poured out a torrent of execrations upon the flying troops, a fellow officer said later. With Francis down, Titcomb wounded and his right flank enveloped, and himself stunned by the onslaught of British grenadiers on his left, Warner called it a day. Scatter and meet me in Manchester! he shouted, triggering a scramble down the east side of Monument Hill. Americans fled up and over Pittsford Ridge toward Manchester. One man took a tree and waited for them to come within shot, a rebel said later. We fought through the woods, all the way to the ridge of the Pittsford mountain, popping away from behind trees. This stuttering withdrawal meant the battle lasted near three hours, before they attempted retreating, with great obstinacy, a British lieutenant wrote afterwards. The only remaining resistance was scattered rebel sniping, silenced as the British and Germans mopped up. The victors fashioned huts from bark to shield the many wounded from a brutal sun. Late in the day a torrential rain cooled the area. On July 8, while the redcoats dressed wounds and buried the dead, the Germans, at speed, made for Skenesborough, 18 miles away. Told that Riedesels troops had set a fierce pace, Fraser cracked, [Riedesel] made a march rather more rapid than when he moved to my support. Unable to relocate his own command because he lacked provisions and ammunition and fearing a counterattackscouts reported that the Americans were gathering strength hourlyFraser set able-bodied prisoners to building log defenses around his camp. He need not have bothered; surviving rebels were hightailing it for Manchester and Rutland. British troopers now plundered whatever Americans, dead or living, had not been able to escape from Hubbardton, relieving prisoners, corpses, and wounded men of personal and military effects. One officer noted, great quantities of paper money [was taken] which was not the least regarded then, tho had we kept it, it would have been of service, as affairs turned out. Hubbardton cost the Americans 375 men: 41 killed, and 96 wounded, with 238 recorded as captured. British and German casualties totaled 218, with 60 British and 10 German dead. The British had 134 wounded and the Germans 14; no redcoats or Brunswickers were captured. Most of the rebels captured were sick, disabled, or unmanageable stragglersno great loss to the American ranks. However, after crushing the American rear guard, the British failed to pursue; 67 percent of the surviving rebel soldiers escaped. In those brutal hours at Hubbardton, Warner and his men saved St. Clairs army from having to tangle with Burgoynes. Warner knew his men, knew the ground they were fighting on, and knew their condition after a forced 20-mile march. Resting the night before the battle had allowed the American rear guard to be able to give as good as they got, if only temporarily, and in the process buy the precious time that St. Clairs equally tired and demoralized army so badly needed. The sacrifice at Hubbardton let St. Clair get his men out of harms way and, in time, rally with Schuylers forces at Fort Edward. Reinforced by St. Clairs men, Schuyler implemented a delaying strategy focused on denying the British control of the road to Albany. He also was depriving Burgoynes army, whose supply line stretched to Canada, of sustenance usually obtained from foraging locally. As much as any battlefield reverses, logistics defeated Burgoyne, an eventuality that Warners action at Hubbardton cemented. Burgoynes losses at Hubbardton irreparably damaged his army, already thinned by ordering men to garrison Fort Ticonderoga and other captured outposts. This continuous stripping away of personnel, essential to maintaining his attenuated supply line, also wore at Burgoynes combat readiness. When Frasers Advance Corps fought at Saratoga in September, Burgoyne badly missed the crack troops, the grenadiers, and the light infantry who had been cut down at Hubbardton. On October 17, the American general Horatio Gates accepted Burgoynes surrender at Saratoga, a defeat historians have long considered the hinge of the War of Independence, swinging France to the rebel side. It is not too much to speculate that Seth Warners stand at Hubbardton may have been the rear guard action that saved America. _____ After Hubbardton In August 1777, Brunswickers under Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum left Burgoynes army south of Fort Edward to raid Bennington, Vermont. The town was being defended by American under Brigadier General John Stark. Stark called on Seth Warner to defend Benningtons supply depot. Augmented by Warners men, Stark met Baums Germans, Loyalists and Indians five miles west of Bennington on the Walloomsac River. Stark soundly defeated Baumperhaps an ample revenge on account of the quarrel at Hubbardton. Life on the frontier during wartime soon had Warner struggling with complicated and distressing maladies, which he bore with uncommon fortitude and resignation, until deprived of his reason. He was 42 when he died on December 26, 1784. Fraser, his adversary at Hubbardton, was mortally wounded in the abdomen at Saratoga on October 7, 1777, and died the next day. At his request, Fraser was buried in Burgoynes fortified line called the Great Redoubt. General Riedesel surrendered at Saratoga with Burgoyne. Briefly confined at Boston on parole, the Englishman returned to London the following year. The German remained a prisoner until October 1780, passing through Long Island and Quebec on the way to his native Brunswick. After six years service under the Duke of Brunswick, Riedesel retired to his castle at Lauterbach to write his memoirs. He died in his sleep on January 7, 1800. He was 62. Among Hubbardtons casualties, the luckiest may have been British major Alexander Lindsay, 6th Earl of Balcarres. Struck by a musket ball that could have shattered his femur in his left leg, Lindsay wrote later that the round glanced off a flint in his pocket and left him with only a slight flesh wound and contusion. Another round carried away the barrel and lock of Lindsays musket as he held it. The young earl counted ten bullet holes in his uniform. You may observe, Lindsay wrote his sister, on this occasion I am not born to be shot whatever may be my Fate. Captured at Saratoga and held until 1779, he survived the war, dying in 1825 at age 73. Major Acland, 31, the grenadiers commander, was not so lucky. Slightly wounded at Hubbardton, he was shot though both calves at Saratoga on October 7, 1777. Lindsay recovered in England only to succumb a year later to a cold caught during an early morning duel. General John BurgoyneGentleman Johnnyas George Bernard Shaw dubbed him in his 1897 play, The Devils Disciple, set in America during the Saratoga campaignsurvived the war. Himself a late-life success as a dramatist, Burgoyne wrote and saw produced a series of popular plays. He was 70 when he died in London in 1792. Bruce M. Venter Pipeline 6 May 2019 Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad group ("Hap Seng") to develop a Hyatt Centric hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Expected to open in 2021, Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu will be the first Hyatt Centric hotel in Malaysia and will connect savvy, in-the-now guests with shareworthy experiences at and around the property. Situated in the heart of the city, the hotel will offer convenient access to the commercial district, shopping malls, restaurants and other local attractions. The Jesselton Point pier is also within walking distance, allowing guests to easily visit nearby islands, while the airport is a little more than six miles (ten kilometers) away. With the Hyatt Centric brand's light-hearted spirit in mind, Kengo Kuma has been commissioned as the architect and interior designer for Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu. Taking inspiration from the lush green hills and blue ocean surrounding the hotel, the award-winning designer will incorporate local materials into the design. The hotel will also feature an all-day lounge and restaurant, more than 1900 square feet (600 square meters) of meeting space, a rooftop swimming pool and bar with views of the South China Sea, and a fitness center. Appointment 6 May 2019 Maybourne Hotel Group, which owns and manages three of the most renowned hotels in London - Claridge's, The Connaught & The Berkeley - is delighted to announce the appointment of Alper Toydemir as the Director of East Coast Sales. Alper brings extensive knowledge to his new role, with over a decade of experience in working with internationally celebrated hotels and resorts. As Director of East Coast Sales, Alper is responsible for strengthening and supporting Maybourne Hotel Group's East Coast sales initiatives, covering all markets. A seasoned veteran in the luxury hospitality industry, Alper joins Director of Sales & Marketing, The Americas, Nancy Getlan, bringing his extensive experience and deep understanding of strategic sales to the Maybourne Hotel Group team. Alper began his career with The Ritz-Carlton, working with the New York and Boston properties, where he quickly proved his sales acumen, moving into a sales manager position that set the path for the next ten years of his career. He has since held positions as Assistant Director of Sales and Regional Head of Sales for renowned luxury properties including The Peninsula New York, The Pierre New York and Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, among others. Maybourne Hotel Group's growing sales office exemplifies their commitment to further solidifying Claridge's, The Connaught and The Berkeley as the premier destinations in the United Kingdom. The three hotels are some of the most celebrated luxury properties in the world, iconic destinations that are continually innovating to offer the most exceptional experiences in London. Claridge's has recently unveiled the new Empress Eugenie Suite, and this fall will debut the much buzzed-about Davies and Brook, a new restaurant from Chef Daniel Humm and Will Guidara of New York's Eleven Madison Park. The Connaught is now welcoming guests to their private townhouse suite, The Mews, arguably the most exclusive experience in the city. While over at The Berkeley, the hotel will open their second bar, The Berkeley Bar, complete with outdoor terrace, while also debuting a singular rooftop experience, La Dolce Vita, inspired by summertime in the Italian Riviera, while continuing to delight guests and visitors alike with the limited-edition Dior inspired rendition of their much-loved Pret-a-Portea. Press Release 6 May 2019 PARIS - To match with the changing world of work and coworking trends, Accor today announced an audacious plan to implement 1200 coworking spaces in under 3 years for WOJO to become the leading coworking brand in Europe by 2022. With the launch of WOJO, Accor continues to execute its augmented hospitality strategy, expanding into new verticals and becoming relevant in the daily lives of consumers. Advertisements The WOJO coworking spaces will be launched within Accor hotels worldwide with different offerings, across all segments (economy, mid-scale and luxury segments). Accor Hotels WOJO = Work. Live. Share. Nextdoor (renamed Wojo in March 2019) is a joint-venture between Accor & Bouygues Immobilier created in July 2017. Stephane Bensimon, CEO WOJO: "As we are directly in touch with companies and workers on a daily basis we have a thorough understanding of their needs and expectations in the work space. A personalized welcome, premium services, a friendly atmosphere and designer spaces are all essential features covered by our expertise. Through our new range of spaces, we are now able to meet a key customer need: combining the quality of work life with mobility. WOJO will offer three different products and experiences to deliver the broadest range of coworking solutions in the industry." WOJO Spots, making it easy to work anywhere Rolled out initially across all Accor's brand portfolio, theses spaces make it possible for nomadic workers to work without a fee with the guarantee of a personalized service, a friendly atmosphere and a secure & reliable WiFi connection in design spaces. The worker can choose to work at the bar, in a restaurant or in the lobby (even if they are not staying at the hotel). For regular coworkers, WOJO offers a monthly subscription, which includes a 10% discount on dining and access to partner offers, events such as workshops & conferences and the WOJO business network & community. More than 150 WOJO Spots will open in Paris and Lyon by summer 2019, reaching over 1000 spots in Europe by 2022. WOJO Corners, for coworkers and locals alike WOJO Corners are dedicated coworking spaces specifically designed for uninterrupted work, sheltered from the hustle and bustle outside. They will be located across a broad range of Accor hotels as a first step and then across train stations, airports and shopping malls. This coworking experience is designed for local and coworkers customers, with recurring weekly needs, seeking an informal and comfortable work environment. The first WOJO Corner was launched in 2018 in the Mercure Paris Montmartre Sacre-Cur hotel. Building on the success of this pilot in the heart of Paris, more than 100 other WOJO Corners will open throughout Europe by 2022. WOJO Sites, the "all in one" coworking solution These are unique stand-alone coworking spaces over several thousand square meters in dedicated buildings, combining communal zones (bars, lounges, kitchens) with shared spaces, meeting rooms and dedicated offices. They bring together on one site a wide range of entrepreneurs, department of large companies, startups and smaller companies to form a dynamic, integrated community. Unlike Spots and Corners, it is possible to rent offices and benefit from a wide range of services. As heralds of a new lifestyle at work, WOJO sites are led by a "business partners" teams who are dedicated to the well-being of members and to connecting them strategically with other members in the network to create new business opportunities. These sites are developed in partnership with Bouygues Immobilier and WOJO will be integrated from the outset in certain real estate projects. The strategic network offered by the combination of WOJO Spots, Corners & Sites reflects WOJO's desire to provide shared workspaces in iconic, central and strategic locations. The WOJO sites are historically the first spaces to have been deployed: 10 sites are currently open in Ile-de-France and Lyon (with over 5000 members). Wojo sites will expand rapidly across Europe with a target of more than 50 locations by 2022. To drive this ambitious project, Accor's Innovation Lab collaborated with the WOJO team to deliver a global coworking experience. Frederic Fontaine, SVP Marketing Innovation Lab said: "This collaborative initiative with WOJO is fully consistent with the role of the Innovation Lab, whose objective is to create new consumer experiences & build unique value by observing and anticipating future consumer trends & habits." As a result, Accor is the first global hotel group to collaborate with a recognized player in the coworking field to present a brand experience that is unique in its scope and content and is open to travelers and locals alike. Franck Gervais CEO Accor Europe, said: "We have the assets (brands, spaces, teams), we have the services (restaurants, bars, meeting spaces) and we are open 24/7. By participating in WOJO's ambitious development, we are optimizing the use of these assets and are creating value for our owners by being open to a new type of customer, i.e. coworkers." Augmented hospitality comes to life for consumers The rollout of a global coworking experience with WOJO is yet another proof point of Accor's broader vision to increase its relevance in the daily lives of consumers. Steven Taylor, Chief Brand Officer: "We are reimagining hospitality not as a place or service, but as infinite connected moments, whether you want to live, work, or play. We are creating a holistic ecosystem around the consumer and WOJO is a great example of how our unique augmented hospitality strategy will allow us to connect into the everyday lives of customers." ABOUT WOJO Wojo is a major player in the new coworking space market, launched by Bouygues Immobilier in 2015 under the Nextdoor brand. In 2017, Bouygues Immobilier and Accor created a 50/50 joint venture to acquire Wojo. At the beginning of 2019, Nextdoor became Wojo and started to accelerate its growth, with the aim of becoming the leading coworking network in Europe. Today, Wojo has 8 sites in the Paris region and 2 in Lyon, spread over 50,000 m2, with more than 5,000 members. By rolling out a new type of work space: Wojo Spots and Wojo Corners, in addition to its existing sites, the network intends to respond to the needs of its members, so that everyone can work less than 10 minutes away from wherever they are. Between now and 2022, Wojo will welcome more than 40,000 members and have more than 1,200 addresses, including more than 1,000 Wojo Spots, 100 Wojo Corners and 50 Wojo sites across Europe. Stephane Bensimon CEO of Wojo, has this vision: "Our ambition is to be the leading player in "workspitality" by developing, all over the world, a large network of places, to create unique work experiences, with a full range of services, designed to promote pleasure, performance and connection in a talented workforce." Press Release 6 May 2019 Atlanta, GA - Today, Atlanta-based Hotel Equities (HE), announced they have been selected as the strategic partner for Kelowna BC-based Braemar Group, to operate six hotels located in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The hotel portfolioconsists of four premier Choice branded hotels and one Best Western Plus currently open and operating, as well as a TownePlace Suites by Marriott hotel expected to open in Q3 2019. Advertisements The hotel portfolio has a combined total guestroom count of 596 and growing, with future development projects in the pipeline. To accommodate Braemar Group's plans for further portfolio expansion, they partnered with best in class owner, operator and developer; Hotel Equities. Hotel Equities recently opened a Canadian office encompassing all disciplines including operations, sales and marketing, revenue management and accounting to support their growth in market. "We continue to expand our Canadian hotel portfolio with owners with whom we are aligned, who seek a strong managing and development partner," said Joe Reardon, chief development officer for HE. "We recently celebrated the opening of our Canadian office and, with a regional team in country, we have the ability to immediately grow revenue and optimize our owner's top-line and profitability. We look forward to adding value for our new partners at Braemar Group and we welcome the new team of associates to the Hotel Equities' family." Since deciding to shift focus to development and portfolio growth, Braemar Group selected Hotel Equities as the management partner for their hotel assets. The new partnership is expected to facilitate Braemar Group's portfolio expansion. "Hotel Equities' presence in market was immediately felt through their ability to capture business," said Rod Hazard, president of Braemar Group. "Their performance results and the impact their culture brings to the communities they serve are both characteristics we were seeking in a partner. The partnership also affords us the ability to offer our associates added benefits and resources, such as continued education through their learning and development programs. We look forward to working with their team of professionals to take our portfolio to the next level." About Braemar Group The Braemar Group is an award-winning commercial and hospitality real estate company in Western Canada. They have developed and operated commercial plazas in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, including hospitality developments with top-tier hotel brands such as Marriott, Best Western Plus and Choice Hotels. Braemar Group selected Hotel Equities as the management partner for their hotel assets. Press Release 6 May 2019 DUBAI, UAE -- JA Resorts & Hotels, one of Dubai's longest-serving homegrown hospitality brands, has recently announced huge growth and expansion plans; from a growth trajectory to Tanzania and beyond, a 30+ hotel expansion 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! Advertisements JA Resorts & Hotels Announces Expansion into China JA Resorts & Hotels 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 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 JA Resorts & Hotels 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. Supplier News 6 May 2019 Sabre has partnered with Visa to support the growth of business-to-business (B2B) virtual payments in the travel industry. Under the agreement, travel buyers and suppliers will be able to pay and get paid with virtual Visa commercial cards, through the Sabre Virtual Payments solution. "Bringing together Visa's leadership position in digital B2B payments with Sabre's virtual payment technology and global network of customers represents a tremendous opportunity to increase the adoption of B2B virtual payments in the travel industry," said Wade Jones, president of Sabre Travel Network. "Sabre's investment in virtual payments and its integration into existing agency processes makes it quick and easy for our customers to adopt and use." Sabre Virtual Payments is a flexible electronic payment solution for the travel industry, offering multi-bank, multi-card, credit and prepaid accounts that allow customers to select the best payment option to ensure the most favorable payment terms. "Supporting the expansion of electronic B2B payments in the travel industry is one of our core focus areas," said Kevin Phalen, global head, Visa Business Solutions, Visa. "By bringing together Visa and Sabre's travel-industry capabilities and solutions, we will help further streamline cash flow and overall finance management practices for suppliers and buyers, helping remove barriers to transparency in business payments created by paper-based processes." Press Release 6 May 2019 New research into the delicate relationship between hotels and booking sites provides the latest insights into both the frustrations and the positive side of this hard-to-manage relationship. Advertisements Distribution strategies for the hotel industry or "through which channels do I sell my rooms" is today's hot topic, especially for independent hotels. In April, Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam and Avvio conducted a research project to explore how the industry feels about the inevitable rise of OTAs (online travel agencies). Nearly 150 hotels participated in the project, together accounting for millions of online bookings each year. In general, the OTAs are considered an important part of the marketing mix, however the frustration regarding high commissions means the vast majority of hotels take the stimulation of direct bookings very seriously. The Questionnaire Responses came from the Netherlands, UK, Belgium and Germany, with more than sixty percent of the participants being hotel owners or managers. Other respondents are involved with reservations on a daily basis. Almost a third of the hoteliers own more than a hundred rooms and a large number say they own more than fifty rooms. Three-quarters of the hotels are managed independently and responsible for their own revenue or yield management. Hoteliers are working hard to encourage direct bookings; seventy percent admit that they take securing as many direct bookings as possible seriously or very seriously. And the main driver of this seems to be the commissions charged by booking sites; the majority find these rates unacceptable. The Top 10 Frustrations Big players are able to monopolise the market Commissions have risen to an unacceptable level A marketplace is controlled by dotcom companies without a hotel heart 'Rate Parity' means there is no freedom to adjust prices yourself The position and ranking of independent hotels are weak in next to the large chains Slow response for questions from front office, with direct guest contact impossible when it comes to check in Their dominance on Google and the effect on individual hotel websites - some hoteliers feel OTAs should not be allowed to buy individual hotel name in Google Ads. Public perception is that they get the best deal through the booking sites Offering prepaid rooms without indicating that this cannot be cancelled Booking sites failing to take into account the cancellation terms of hotels Cooperating with the OTAs Almost all the hoteliers surveyed work together with booking sites and realize the benefits. Only 6% refuse to receive bookings via OTAs because of excessive commissions. From the 94% of the hotels that receive reservations via OTAs, more than 60% think that booking sites ensure a structured offer for the hotel guest that can be easily compared by timing and region. Despite the high commissions, OTAs bring hotel guests from all over the world and more than half of the hoteliers acknowledge they can save on marketing costs due to the international reach of OTAs. Also, a large majority (60%) of the hoteliers say they also rely on the booking sites to check prices of their competitors. Meeting in Middle? 58% of the respondents think a mix of 70% direct bookings and 30% OTA bookings is optimal as almost half of the hotels consider the commission of the hotels as unacceptably high, especially when it comes to returning hotel guests. Hoteliers often assess communication with OTAs as 'neutral', which is also the outcome on the question of how they feel these companies handle guest data. Securing Your Own Bookings Hoteliers' put a lot of energy into the content of their own websites in order to improve the findability (with 73% stating this is how they hope to secure more direct bookings). Having a "best price guarantee" on the site is then the most popular promotion used to stimulate direct bookings (71%) followed by incentives such as a welcome drink, late check-out and a discount for repeat bookings (70%). More than half of the respondents utilise loyalty programs to maintain direct contact with guests. Almost 65% believe in promoting rooms directly through Social Media and 50% also use email marketing campaigns, aimed at returning guests. For their Social Media channels, 60% say Facebook has been most effective followed by Instagram (33%). Explore Direct Bookings at the Independent Hotel Show On Thursday 9th of May, Frank Reeves, Co-founder and CEO of Avvio, will give a workshop on this topic to the guests of the Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam: "Guests need the right incentives to book directly with a hotel, whether it is a special offer or bonus service that is limited to direct bookings. But, the most important element is to choose the incentive that is most effective for the individual booker. This is possible by using the right technology that can select the most relevant offer or booking information to present to your potential guest. My session at the Independent Hotel Show in Amsterdam will show how technology can help your hotel gain more control on your direct booking strategy. Good hoteliers know that what really makes your guests feel special is real personal service and this is just as applicable to the digital interactions of a guest with a hotel as to the personal interaction with hotel staff. " What are the most effective ways to increase direct bookings at your property/properties? Photo: Montgomery Group Opinion Article 6 May 2019 On August 1st, the city of Miami Beach, Florida will require all hotels to implement "Employee Safety Devices, AKA Panic Buttons, AKA Staff Alert" in their properties. Miami Beach is important because it will induce a 12-month domino effect, in which all hotels across the USA will be required to implement Employee Safety Devices. The Miami Beach hotel mandate is basically the same as every other city, county, state, union, or industry mandate across the US, which are requiring Employee Safety Devices mainly focused at hotel housekeepers. Miami happens to be my hometown and I love it and our hotel industry greatly. This gives me unique insight and perception as I have been front and center to the Miami Beach Hotel mandate, as well as other hotels across the country for similar mandates. Even though Miami Beach hotels have had about one year to prepare for this legal mandate, many hotels are still scrambling to figure out what to do. To compound the issue, some industry people are adding to the confusion by misrepresenting what are the so called "Minimum Legal Requirements" for the mandate. I have had Miami Beach hotel executives tell me that they are "only legally required to give their employees an audible device like a whistle." Another executive at a different hotel told me that "location precision was not legally required." And I just heard yesterday, from yet another hotel about a vendor whom claimed "that location precision of the employee isn't legally required at all." Honestly, beyond the legalities and risk, the logic of these comments is absurd. But debating the logic and risk isn't what we are discussing here. We are discussing the legalities, so let's look at the Miami Beach ordinance itself. Below is the definition of a Safety Device, as defined in the ordinance. "Safety button or notification device means a portable emergency contact device that is designed so that an employee can quickly and easily activate such button or device to effectively summon prompt assistance to the employee's location by a hotel or hostel security officer, manager or other appropriate hotel or hostel staff member designated by the hotel or hostel employer." Based on the input of multiple legal authorities and in an effort to fully clarify the mandate language, it all comes down to one line: "to effectively summon prompt assistance to the employee's location by a hotel or hostel security officer" How do you measure and define the concept of "summon prompt assistance"? Let us explore two key points from this line. Point 1 : The word "prompt" in the ordinance is aligned to the concept of time. Time is a measurement - and in the world of security, such as police departments or private security services, this measurement is titled "Response Time." The Oxford English Dictionary defines promptly to mean "readily, quickly, directly, at once, without a moment's delay." But more to the point, courts have uniformly held that promptness is a function of circumstances. Black's Law Dictionary states that the meaning of promptly "depends largely on the facts in each case, for what is 'prompt' in one situation may not be considered such under other circumstances or conditions." Here are three representative cases that were gathered by Ken Adams, concerning the legal understanding of the word promptly: State v. Chesson, 948 So.2d 566, 568 (Ala. Civ. App. 2006) (stating that the term "promptly" has been construed to mean within a reasonable time in light of all the circumstances). Doe Fund, Inc. v. Royal Indemnity Co., 825 N.Y.S.2d 450, 451 (N.Y. App. Div. 2006) ("notice of an occurrence or action be given promptly, that means within a reasonable time in view of all of the facts and circumstances."). Buck v. Scalf, No. M2002-00620-COA-R3-CV, 2003 WL 21170328, at *5 (Tenn. Ct. App. May 20, 2003) ("It has generally been held that the terms 'promptly' or 'prompt notice' mean that notice must be given within a reasonable time in view of all the facts and circumstances of the case."). Point 2 : Now that we understand that "circumstance" defines the velocity of prompt, let us better understand the circumstance of the Miami Beach Hotel mandate. Both federal and local courts consider the act of violent crimes as the highest of circumstance, which is what the mandate defines as well. Because the purpose of this mandates is to address violent crimes of sexual assault, it requires the highest velocity possible. Therefore, accuracy of the "Location" becomes extremely important. If you create difficulty or encumber the speed of prompt assistance in this circumstance, you are creating liability for your business under this ordinance. Why so? Let's say you are only distinguishing location accuracy of your device within a floor or even a grouping of rooms. Therefore, after the device gets activated, the security officer must check each of those rooms until they find the employee in distress. That lack of accuracy delays speed of service. Not to mention that a hotel is creating even more problems by making the security officer or manager inspect room to room and disturbing other paying guests. The reality is that location accuracy is not only a legal necessity, but also a business necessity to run a hotel without introducing elements of chaos such as disruption of rooms that are within the area of location accuracy. The only way to overcome this is with precision. Now that the legal stuff is cleared up, let us just look at all this as human beings. This mandate is more important that most hotel executives realize. According to the Department of Justice, our industry has the highest rate of Sexual Assault compared to any other industry in the US. The reason you don't hear about it every day, is the same reason you don't hear about every single person shot in America daily. And because a high percentage of hotel housekeepers are minorities in lesser situations, these crimes are highly under reported. These victims could be your Mother, Sister, Wife, Girlfriend, or Daughter. Do you really want to give them the supposed minimum legal requirement when it comes to their safety? Luckily the minimum legal requirement, mandates you implement a tool that makes sure your employees can: Easily Call for Help. Give security a high accuracy of the employee's location to quickly reach them. Make sure that security always has a consistent Response Time in reaching the employee in need. Link Below to Miami Beach Ordinance Opinion Article 6 May 2019 The recently concluded 26th International Tourism Security Conference in Las Vegas celebrated over a quarter Century of Tourism Safety and Security. Advertisements Dr. Peter Tarlow of SaferTourism.com had a major part in securing safety and security for the global travel and tourism industry. Therefore his keynote address at the conference was a must-attend event. Dr. Tarlow started his keynote address with some tourism basics everyone should remember: No one needs to take a vacation Leisure travel is expendable Business travel can be cut back Travel and tourism are about attitudes. The more positive you are, the better service you provide and the better the chance for innovative thinking People have both long and short memories Issues of Security Theater The public often does not believe what it is told TSA failures Airlines Make belief security that is more a hassle then it is a help In the world of tourism we no longer want: Good service but instead seek the personal experience Visits are not for resetting the body but rather the soul Visits to places where everyone goes vs. oft the beaten path, personal visits Tourism dependency on digitization A post (or non) Brexit world and the rise of nationalism Shifting types of travel and travelers and therefore types of security The public's lack of confidence in aviation authorities and aviation scandals Bogus offerings and problems, these range from bogus holiday website to bogus claims that the traveler is ill Cyber security issues Refusal to take tourism security prevention seriously Active Shooter Public's lack of confidence in the media Tomorrow's Issues: The Next Quarter Century! International Security Threats Distinguishing between crime and terrorism Issues of the media Although terrorism gets the media's attention, in reality, crime and safety and health issues are bigger challenges to tourism well being. Issues of pick-pocketing Issues of fraud Issues of crimes of dispersion Issues of health Issues of crowd control Issues of increased soft-targeting No lone wolfs Trends can change over night Be weary of what you read in the media Cruise Security and issues of Maritime Security Tourism and population shifts Issue of an unstable international balance of power The Korean Peninsula The multiple "Middle East" The Sunny world, the Shiite world, New alliances, and shifting sands The European theater Cumulative effects: death by a thousand cuts, Refugee problems, Europeans dislikes for each other, Issues of low employment among the young, The Mega Issue of Cyber Terrorism and automation Issues: Issues of Ransomware and hotels Issues of physical keys? Need for key control Ransomewarand the self-driving car and drone Loss of Privacy Issues of Government Spying Identity theft Assurances that credit card numbers are safe Hotel keys Issues of automation dependence Issues of a changing world Need to separate analysis from politics Need to understand that cyber attacks may be for military, for business or for terrorism reasons. The Issue of education, training, and pay and the need to better market security Bottom line: Security is no longer about brawn and not many brains. How will we pay for the expertise that we need? How will we pay for the expertise that we need? Issues of Health and Wellness; Issues of a dirty bomb Issues of Bioterrorism: Sheltering in a room may be the only choice, depending on the distance, most doctors are not trained to identify it or know what to do about it. Chemical agents tend to sink (are heavier than air). Other elements are lighter and security personnel will need to be able to identify which elements are used. Tomorrow Tourism Security in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Issues of Robots Age of biometrics: "If predictions for the future of biometrics in airports hold true, a face would be the only thing a traveler would need to check-in for a flight, drop off bags, pass through security checkpoints and board a plane. The entire process would be based on facial recognition biometrics, and technologists are already putting the pieces in place to incorporate that vision." The Robot Charles Distributed ledger (DLT or "Shared Ledger Technology). These are: synchronized data spread across multiple website and without a central administrator or data storage. These techniques have both great advantages for law enforcement but are only as strong as the weakest website to which the DLT is connected. New improved screening lanes that determine which bags will need extra screening and which bags can automatically pass through the screening process. Cryptography allows an appropriate level of security in authorization and sharing of information. Closely related to cryptography and using cryptography as the way to protect data is "blockchain" technology. This can be understood to be "records" (called "blocks") that are linked together to record transactions between two parties but cannot be altered. Mobile interfaces and devices will allow travelers and tourists to have a portable = identity with them and they will be able to choose with whom they wish to share their information Ten most dangerous cities for 2018 by murder rate per 100,000 people Photo: Tourism and More So far for 2019 top five most violent cities in the world are Tijuana 138 murders per 100k or 7 murders a day Acapulco: 111 murders per 100k Caracas: 100 murders per 100k Ciudad Victoria 86 murders per 100k Juarz: 85 murders per 100k Most dangerous city in US ranked #13 is St. Louis at 65.83 and Baltimore ranked #24 at 55.48 The ten most dangerous tourism cities in the world are Photo: Tourism and More According to the US State Department the riskiest places countries to visit for US citizens are: Photo: Tourism and More The risk for travel countries 2019 Risk is calculated by the potential for violence + terrorism = health issues + corruption minus efficiency of medical services, police services and private security Extreme Travel Risk Countries for 2019 Egypt Syria Mali Libya High Risk Countries Turkey Mexico Medium Risk Tunisia Jamaica Germany Bahamas Lowest Risk Switzerland Slovenia Denmark Norway Finland Iceland Trends in tourism security In the past, we have looked toward what has happened, the past. This year we will look toward the future 4 clear waves of tourism security and principle issues Waves of Tourism and Tourism Security and Safety Photo: Tourism and More Toward a fifth wave? Issues of Busileisure Just as in the world of politics the world of security and law enforcement has changed. In the past we have based our decisions on an information society. We now may be moving to a "feeling" society. That is that facts are less important than feelings and how we make decisions are based as much on how we feel as on how we know Key parts of a "feeling society" Emotions Visitors seek and express themselves in emotional terms Personal stories Word-of-mouth takes precedent, low belief in statistics Our values, this is who (not who we are) Police and security must act in accordance with the values style of the times Sense of the spiritual Such things as robots, logic and facts tend to be downplayed. People want and need the personal touch. Frustration with phone trees, being told to go on-line etc; Technology must touch the soul as well as the body. Issues around the world USA In the US the issue is the border and if immigration is an existential threat. Connected to immigration is: The issue of gangs such as Ms13 Budget issues especially for states such as California and Nevada Heath issues and their impact on tourism Mexico and Latin America Mexico: immigration and caravans also dominate Mexico Cartels and crime, corruption and frustration Country's sense of Latino solidarity versus its inability to protect its southern border Crime out of control and the possibility of a loss in tourism revenue Citizens are fed up and the result was a revolution at the ballot box that has so far led to a great deal of disappointment Questions of relations with the US Central America Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica: Murder, kidnapping Brazil: Popular revolution at the ballot box, the ascent of Jair Bolsonaro From the perspective of tourism, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil Rio de Janeiro has major corruption problems that have led to poorly paid police, police corruption and frustration. So far the Rio tourism police are functioning Some of the world's major crime cities are in Brazil Europe In much of Europe, this has translated into a conflict between governments and popular movements Les gilets jaunes = the yellow vests and weekly Paris demonstrations Multiple nationalities in the same nation The rift between eastern and western Europe Russia France and the Yellow Jackets Asia Growth of tourism in and from India and China Korea and Vietnam The war between Pakistan and India? Sri Lanka terror attacks safertourism.com Dr. Peter Tarlow has been working for over two decades with hotels, tourism-oriented cities and countries, and both public and private security officers and police in the field of tourism security. Tourism and More international staff include some of the leading experts in the field. Dr. Peter Tarlow is a world-renowned expert in the field and a highly published author. Among his many books and scholarly publications are: Event Risk Management and Safety Tourism Security: Strategies for Effectively Managing of Risk and Safety Sports Travel Security The Sage Handbook of Tourism The Encyclopedia of Security Management Tourism in Turbulent Times Tourism Crime and International Security Issues Tourism, Security, and Safety Tourism and More is considered by many as the world's leader in tourism security, economic development through tourism and customer services. Tourism and More provides consulting training, and certification to law enforcement, security, and travel and tourism professionals, hotels and destinations. 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 Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad group to develop a Hyatt Centric hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Expected to open in 2021, Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu will be the first Hyatt Centric hotel in Malaysia. Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad group to develop a Hyatt Centric hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Expected to open in 2021, Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu will be the first Hyatt Centric hotel in Malaysia. Situated in the heart of the city, the hotel will offer convenient access to the commercial district, shopping malls, restaurants and other local attractions. The Jesselton Point pier is also within walking distance, allowing guests to easily visit nearby islands, while the airport is a little more than six miles (ten kilometers) away. We are grateful for the collaboration from Hap Seng, one of the most esteemed companies in Malaysia, said David Udell, group president, Asia-Pacific, Hyatt Hotels Corporation. With its prime location in Malaysias gateway city to Sabah and Borneo, Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu will cater to adventurous guests looking to discover the areas culture, cuisine and surrounding national parks. With the Hyatt Centric brands light-hearted spirit in mind, Kengo Kuma has been commissioned as the architect and interior designer for Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu. Taking inspiration from the lush green hills and blue ocean surrounding the hotel, the award-winning designer will incorporate local materials into the design. The hotel will also feature an all-day lounge and restaurant, more than 1900 square feet (600 square meters) of meeting space, a rooftop swimming pool and bar with views of the South China Sea, and a fitness center. We are thrilled to announce plans to introduce the Hyatt Centric brand to one of Malaysias key destinations, said Patrick Finn, senior vice president real estate & development, Asia-Pacific, Hyatt. We are focused on strategically growing our brand presence in Malaysia and the introduction of our second Hyatt hotel in Sabah will enable us to provide more diverse experiences for guests. Dato Jorgen Bornhoft, chairman of Hap Seng said, Were honoured to announce plans to fly the first Hyatt Centric flag in Malaysia, and more importantly, the very first hotel by the Hap Seng group. Leaving no stone unturned, we have decided to engage the world-renowned Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma to design the hotel. We hope this speaks to Hap Sengs commitment to bring a best-in-class experience to Sabah while creating job opportunities and driving tourism. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Drake loves to help out smaller artists by extending his co-sign, spitting some bars on a remix of their most successful songs. We've seen it happen with Summer Walker, BlocBoy JB, and possibly Megan Thee Stallion. Sometimes, he shows love to established stars too and today, he wanted to make sure YG, Tyga and Jon Z knew they were sitting on a goldmine. Last week, YG released his most recent single "Go Loko" with Tyga and Jon Z. It's just about the most unconventional song we've ever heard the Bompton rapper perform. Released in time for Cinco De Mayo, the track brings forth some evident Spanish flavour, utilizing a Mariachi-style guitar sample and a verse from Jon Z. At first, your reaction after hearing the song may be a little jarring but after a while, you'll likely realize just how much of a bop this is. Drake is no stranger to crafting hits and he wanted to tell his homies that they're sitting on one right now. Tagging YG in his post, Drizzy Drake said that he, Tyga and Jon Z better be aware of what they've got. "This song, beat and video so hard," he said. "@tyga for real I been running this shit the whole trip." The replay value on this one single alone is pretty stellar so if 4REAL 4REAL is anything like this, we're in for a serious treat. YG's upcoming album was pushed back to the end of this month. https://twitter.com/_/status/1125201192752050178 [via] On a near bi-monthly basis, some incremental piece of information will rise to the surface and stoke excitement for a new Kendrick Lamar record. Aside from the curation of 2018s Black Panther soundtrack and intermittent guest spots, the Compton MC turned international phenomenon has been conspicuous by his absence. Granted the distinction of hip-hops first ever Nobel Prize winner last year, the speculation around a new album from K-Dot all began when Polydor records announced that hed be part of their release slate in 2019. Nestled alongside artists such as TDE labelmate Schoolboy Q, Billie Eilish, Madonna and Tove Lo, their swiftly retracted Instagram story may hold weight considering that most of the other talents have either released music or laid out plans to do so this year. Rebuffed at every turn by his labels upper management, it remains to be seen whether their vehement denial is part of a grand deception thatll keep his penchant for blindsiding audiences with music or if he truly has no plans to re-enter the fray in 2019. Consistently acclaimed but unpredictable in their conception and execution, its no wonder that millions are clamouring for the latest addition to the Kendrick canon. Until we get some official clarification, theres ample time to reacquaint ourselves with his storied back catalogue and establish what is the true crown jewel in his discography. Before things get underway, its important to note that this whistle-stop tour through his music will only account for his first studio album onwards (and we are including Section.80 under that umbrella). While there is a great deal of merit and longevity to be extracted from mixtapes such as the Lil Wayne-indebted C4 or Overly Dedicated, theyre an entity of their own. Without further ado, lets tackle the highly contestable task of ranking his main bodies of work from "worst" (!) to best. 5. Untitled Unmastered (2016) Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images During a roundtable for the now defunct Red Bull Music Academy, a slew of TDEs in-house productions maestros gathered to discuss their process. Among other noteworthy anecdotes, one of the biggest talking points emerged courtesy of Tae Beast. Flanked by Sounwave and MixedByAli, the Digi+Phonics stalwart touched on an idiosyncratic personality trait of one Kendrick Lamar: If you make something and somebody [in TDE] hears its, its a wrap. Kendricks like a beat hoarder, too. He has like 97,000 gigs of beats from everybody. If it gets to Kendricks hands its probably never going to leave. Corroborated by Sounwave and his claim that You can give him a beat for Good Kid, M.A.A.d City and itll end up on DAMN., it provides a newfound context for the existence of Untitled, Unmastered. Comprised of only eight tracks, this 2016 mini-album may lack the grand conceptual underpinning of Kendricks most cherished works but is no less of a powerful vessel for his multi-faceted flows and biting lyricism. Littered with haunting imagery, double entendres and every other lyrical trope at his disposal, his innate creativity shines through most blindingly on "Untitled 02," "04," "08" and its solitary single "07 (Levitate)." After the outpourings of adoration that followed 2015s To Pimp A Butterfly, this refreshingly loose and free-spirited project serves as a victory lap for an MC that was acutely aware that he had the industry at his mercy. An extension of TPAB in terms of its dalliances with more freeform, jazz-indebted production, its lyricism encapsulated the socio-political ground of its predecessor whilst hinting towards the grimly prophetic and spiritually preoccupied world of DAMN. Fleshed out by stellar cameos from SZA, Bilal, Ann Wise, Jay Rock, Punch, Cee-Lo and Thundercat, that penchant for beat-harvesting served him well and provided a varied array of canvasses to experiment on from his regular cohorts alongside productions from Adrian Younge, Mono/Poly, Swizz Beatz and even Swizz's 5-year-old son Egypt. A whirlwind 34 minutes of artistic prowess that tackles post-apocalyptic premonitions and self-acceptance with similar panache, it speaks volumes about Kendricks reverence that a collection of offshoots and leftovers shifted 160,000 units and debuted at the top of the charts. In the words of K-Dot himself, Pimp-pimp, hooray. 4. Section.80 (2011) Kevin Winter/Getty Images Prior to Section.80s release in 2011, Kendrick Lamar was an immensely talented MC that couldve easily gotten lost in the shuffle amid a generation of rising stars. After all, there was a time where hip-hops poet laureate-in-waiting was viewed by TDEs upper management as a second-stringer to Jay Rock. Tasked with the role of his on-stage hype man, it wasnt until the emergence of his first official studio album that Kendrick definitively set himself apart. Built around the sort of overarching linear concept thatd become one of his trademarks, this 16-track odyssey is where hed shed the last vestiges of K-Dot as your average mortal rapper and became the near-otherworldly entity weve come to know as Kendrick Lamar. Anchored by the talismanic figures of Keisha and Tammy, Section.80 was the young Compton MC at his most aggrieved and discontented with the world that he saw around him. As opposed to honing in on a few central thematic concerns, Section.80 finds time to broach the corrosive effect of drugs on his community and the lingering effects of Reaganomics before laying out a manifesto for revolution on the stirring Hiipower. Amid all of the highly politicized idealism, Kendrick still takes time to assert his technical ability and lateral thinking on Rigamortis, Hol Up and the conceptual glue of the project that is Ab-Soul Outro. Instilled with the spirit of The Black Panthers, The Civil Rights Movement and Tupac Amaru Shakur all at once, what makes this acclaimed project all the more awe-inspiring is that Kendrick knew it was only a a stepping stone to the greatness that hed achieve: I want to let this Section.80 sit and let everybody soak in what I have to talk about before I really give them the big bang or the real story. Everything that Ive been putting out has been premeditated for whats going to happen and what I really want to say. I held a lot of stuff back for my debut album. Believe it or not, Section.80 is just a warm up. People are really blessing it as one of the greatest albums of the year and I love that. It just excites me because I know I have so much more to say. 3. DAMN. (2017) Christopher Polk/Getty Images How do you defy the odds and follow up the all-consuming bombast of an album such as Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly? Well for all intents and purposes, you dont. Rather than plough ahead in that musically eclectic vein, Kendrick returned to hip-hops zeitgeist of spacey, trap-fuelled beats in order to prove that the efficacy of his words still hold up in more limited confines. Less hellbent on mending societys ills, DAMN. is the sound of Kendricks fledgling attempts to reconcile with his own frayed state of mind. Driven to the end of his tether, the album sees Kendrick compartmentalize all of the intersecting emotions that had seared into his mind. "Pride," "Fear," "Love," "Lust," "Loyalty," theyre all making their presence known and wreaking havoc on the psyche of a man struggling with the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. With Mike-Will-Made-It, The Alchemist, 9th Wonder and TDEs entrusted cabal of in-house producers behind the boards, the beats veer from unobtrusive soundscapes to earth-shattering rallying cries on tracks such as "DNA," "Humble" and the duality-riddled "XXX." Tasked with depicting the struggle between Kendricks wickedness and weakness, DAMN. is a project with unending replay value and is one of the most intricately layered albums of any genre to be released in the 21st century. Unconvinced? Take it from Kung Fu Kenny himself: The initial vibe listening from the top all the way to the bottom is this aggression and this attitude. You know, DNA, and exposing who I really am. You listen from the back end, and its almost the duality and the contrast of the intricate Kendrick Lamar. Both of these pieces are who I am. 2. To Pimp A Butterfly (2015) Jason Merritt/Getty Images Anointed as the heir to the west coasts throne, Kendrick couldve remained in the same headspace as Good Kid, M.A.A.D City and still received near-universal praise. Ever prepared to hurdle over boundaries and audience expectations, K-Dot veered away from the sonic doctrine of GKMC in order to pull off something truly audacious. The antithesis of background music, the sprawling expedition that is To Pimp A Butterfly is an album that requires time for digestion. But just like how its namesake must burst out of the chrysalis in order to expose its beauty to the world, taking the time to consume TPAB in its intended fashion is to experience an unparalleled artistic statement from a mainstream hip-hop artist. Musically, the album is an exhaustive and comprehensive ode to black music that ranges from blues to jazz, funk, soul and R&B. Endorsed by the P-funk mastermind George Clinton and Ronald Isley himself, their appearances on "Wesleys Theory" and "How Much A Dollar Cost" feel like a passing of the torch and a conscious decision to entrust Kendrick with upholding the legacy of his musical forefathers. On the lyrical side of things, Lamar is charged with lowering the microscope upon a sickly, broken-down society thats still beset by systemic racism, injustice and historical prejudice that permeates through to the modern era. Never conceived as self-important sermonizing, Kendrick is more than willing to hold himself accountable and self-flagellate for his failings on U and The Blacker The Berry among others. Incisive, thought-provoking and essential, its an album that is predestined for immortalization in The US Library Of Congress right alongside Public Enemy's Fear Of A Black Planet and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Conflicted as he may have been during its creative process, the melting pot of circumstance and societal plagues that Kendrick was afflicted by produced the sort of awe-inspiring record that is a genuine once in a lifetime occurrence. 1. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012) Jason Merritt/Getty Images No matter how impactful To Pimp A Butterflys arrival was, it ultimately pales in comparison to his first project under the tutelage of his Compton forbearer Dr Dre. Without this exhilarating, autobiographical ride through Kendricks formative years, hed never have been allotted the unimpeded freedom that allowed him to enact the visions of TPAB and DAMN. Despite its status as his sophomore album, Good Kid M.A.A.D City is the record that realigned Kendrick from a celebrated rapper to an artist that wields an indivisible power to imprint himself on culture. Fraught with danger and environmental trip hazards that too many of his peers fell foul of, GKMC could take the most sheltered suburbanite and temporarily embed them in another, far more deprived world courtesy of Kendricks lyrical insights and its conversational interludes. An immersive album that at once confounded the mainstream critics but was heralded as the arrival of the prodigal son for hip-hop heads the world over, Dave Free, Drake, Pharrell Williams, Sounwave, MC Eiht, Pharrell and Jay Rock all lended their services to an album that turned hip-hop on its axis. An avenue for Kendrick to explore everything from youthful infatuation to clandestine street operations and trespasses against the communitys code of honour, it Is now a standard-bearer for the genre in much the same way as The Chronic, The Low End Theory, Illmatic and Aquemini have been widely mythologized ever since their release. Whether its the deceptively sedate grooves of Bitch, Dont Kill My Vibe and the intersecting strains of narrative on Sing Of Me, Im Dying Of Thirst or the abrasive cautionary tales of The Art Of Peer Pressure, M.A.A.D City and Swimming Pools (Drank), GKMC singlehandedly reconfigured the genre in its own image and firmly placed Kendrick in the annals of history. A high watermark for storytelling, the albums success proved that lyricism didnt have to be side-lined in favour of inanity and its execution will be marvelled at for decades to come. No matter what comes next, its hard to envision that anything Kendrick releases could mirror or exceed the earth-shattering impact of Good Kid M.A.A.D City. Until such time that he delivers a more seminal record, it will take pride of place as his most important body of work. What's your favourite project from Kendrick? Sound off below. Jordan Brand has had a fairly impressive start to 2019 with a plethora of OG releases and some great new and unique colorways. Over the weekend, Jumpman dropped the highly anticipated Air Jordan 4 "Bred" with Nike Air branding on the back. With the year continuing to march forward, JB is trying to maintain their hot streak and drop even more fire throughout 2019. The summer is quickly approaching and we've already gotten a glimpse at some of the pairs that are supposed to be dropping throughout the warmer months. One of those shoes is the Satin Air Jordan 1 "Black Toe" which is a women's only release. Sating versions of classic Air Jordan 1 models have released in the past and it seems like Jumpman is keeping up the tradition. We've brought you some photos of the shoe in the past and now, we have even more courtesy of @hanzuying. In the post above, it states that this pair will drop on August 31st although for now, that's a tentative release date. The price is also being set at $160 USD which is the standard rate for Air Jordan 1's. Sizes will most likely go up to a women's size 12 which equates to a men's size 10.5. In what felt like the blink of an eye, Wendy Wiliams filed for divorce from her husband, kicked him out of their New Jersey home and removed him from the set of her self-titled talk show stripping his executive producer role. The divorce came after endless speculations of Kevin Hunter cheating on Wendy (again) and when it was reported he had a baby with his mistress, she had enough. TMZ now reports that Kevin is demanding spousal support from his estranged wife, in the form of alimony. Kevin is also demanding child support for their 18-year-old son as well as a request to have Wendy pay for their son's college tuition. Bruce Glikas/Getty Images Kevin's demands will surely make it hard for Wendy to move on and cut all ties from her ex as we previously posted. The talk show host was reportedly working hard to have Kevin removed from all her accounts and finances. After Kevin reportedly got a $10 million payout, Wendy secured a team of advisors to ensure that she's on the right path when it comes to her money. "I have to tell you, you know I've been dealing with issues of addiction, alcoholism, and I have a whole new life that I plan for myself and my son," Wendy previously stated. We can only hope she's holding up after all this drama. We recently reported on the allegations which tied voice actor Jim Cummings, famed for lending his vocals to Winnie The Pooh, to sexual assault and animal abuse. According to the actor's ex-wife, Stephanie Cummings, her former husband allegedly raped her and sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions since their divorce. The details were given by The Blast who indicate that the accusations are being spewed amidst a bitter custody battle between Jim and Stephanie cummings. The two share two daughters, for whom they have been battling arduously in a Los Angeles court. Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Recent reports by The Blast now reveal the legal battle's viciousness have invited the involvement of child protective services. According to acquired court records, the Disney voice actor and his ex-wife are tied to 16 reports related to child protective services within three different states: Utah, Colorado, and California. Law enforcement was also contacted over 10 times while case documents show the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services have paid visits to the dissolved couple's daughters at school in the past few months. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Furthermore, Stephanie asserts to have been harassed by Jim incessantly, but ironically, her ex-husband claims the same. She penned a disturbing letter to the #MeToo Movement officials and her daughters' school, claiming to be a "concerned mother" and a "survivor of rape, and emotional abuse at the hands of Jim Cummings." For the moment, her ex-husband vehemently denies all the claims. [Via] (Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. acknowledged that a cockpit alert notifying pilots of a sensor malfunction linked to two fatal accidents wasnt working as represented on every 737 Max. The planemaker said it didnt purposefully deactivate a warning meant to show if two angle-of-attack vanes provided conflicting data to aircraft flight computers. But the alert only functioned if operators purchased a separate optional indicator, Boeing said in a statement Monday. The disagree alert was intended to be a standard, stand-alone feature on Max airplanes, the company said. However, the disagree alert was not operable on all airplanes because the feature was not activated as intended. The disclosure adds a new mystery about the design of Boeings best-selling jet, which has been grounded since shortly after an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 crashed March 10 -- the second disaster in five months. Boeing is working to convince airlines and regulators that the Max will be safe once an update is installed to so-called MCAS software, which played a role in both accidents after being activated by erroneous angle-of-attack data from a single sensor. Southwest Airlines Co., the largest Max operator, said it first learned from Boeing about the problem with the disagree alert after a Lion Air 737 Max crashed off the coast of Indonesia in October. Until then, the largest 737 operator had thought the warning sign was standard on every Max, as it had been on the previous 737 NG models. The alert was mentioned in pilot manuals and Boeing materials circulated before the latest version of the single-aisle family entered the commercial market almost two years ago. Flawed Manual The manual documentation presented by Boeing at Max entry into service indicated the AOA disagree light functioned on the aircraft, similar to how it works on our NG series, Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King said in an email Sunday, referring to the equipment by its acronym. As part of a planned software update, Boeing will activate the alert on Max rolling out of its factory, and retrofit planes in the field for no additional charge, Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg said during a press conference Monday. The AOA disagree signal in the cockpit is not something that drives pilot actions, he added. All information needed to safely operate the plane is provided in the flight deck and flight-deck display, he said. That includes air speed, aircraft attitude and altitude displays, as well as an audible and physical alarm known as a stick-shaker. At Southwest, pilots arent trained to use angle-of-attack information routinely because they dont use it to fly, said Jon Weaks, the head of the carriers aviators union. The AOA vanes measure the tilt of an aircraft against onrushing wind. In both 737 Max crashes, the jets Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System misfired and repeatedly pressed the nose of the planes down until flight crews lost control. All told, the accidents killed 346 people. To contact the reporters on this story: Julie Johnsson in Chicago at jjohnsson@bloomberg.net;Mary Schlangenstein in Dallas at maryc.s@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Case at bcase4@bloomberg.net, Tony Robinson 2019 Bloomberg L.P. WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday told House Democrats he would not furnish President Donald Trump's tax returns despite their legal request, the latest move by Trump administration officials to shield the president from congressional investigations. Mnuchin, in a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., said he had consulted with the Justice Department and that they had concluded that it would not be lawful for the Trump administration to turn over the tax returns because of potential violations of privacy. Mnuchin added that requests from Congress "must reasonable serve a legitimate legislative purpose" and that the request from Democrats does not. A number of legal experts have said it would be unprecedented for Mnuchin to refuse to turn over the tax returns, as the power for lawmakers to seek the returns is written explicitly in a 1924 law. But Mnuchin, Trump's former campaign finance chairman, has fought to protect the returns from public disclosure and said it would create a dangerous precedent if the returns are released. Mnuchin's announcement on Monday appears to be his final decision in the matter, though he has hinted for weeks that he would not allow the release. Neal said in a statement on Monday evening, "I will consult with counsel and determine the appropriate response." On April 23, Mnuchin notified House Democrats that he would be consulting with the Justice Department about the request for Trump's tax returns and planned to reach his final decision on May 6. In his new letter, he said that "In reliance on the advice of the Department of Justice, I have determined that the Committee's request lacks a legitimate legislative purpose, and . . . the Department is therefore not authorized to disclose the requested returns and return information." He said the Justice Department plans to make public its legal reasoning in finding that Mnuchin didn't have to furnish the requests. Alexei Woltornist, a spokesman for the Department of Justice, referred a request for a copy of the department's opinion to the Treasury Department. House Democrats have insisted they are on strong legal footing in their request for the tax returns, and several lawmakers said they expect to file a lawsuit so that a federal judge will rule on the matter. This process could take months, though, and ultimately end up before the Supreme Court. Neal first requested six years of Trump's business and personal tax returns in March, and Mnuchin has twice requested deadlines set by Democrats and said he needed more time to review the law. In his latest rejection, Mnuchin cited his consultations with the Justice Department, though he did not provide more information about their reasoning. Democrats rejected Mnuchin's argument and promised to continue pressing for the tax returns. "We need immediate legal action. We cannot allow this bad president to set bad precedent," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas. "If Trump once again faces only Republican silence and Democratic timidity, he will continue to erode our democracy by assuming more and more power." Democrats have said obtaining the tax returns is necessary for them to perform their oversight duties, but Mnuchin has said repeatedly that their request for these records could be an invasion of Trump's privacy and become a fishing expedition. In April, Mnuchin revealed that Treasury officials had conferred with White House lawyers about Trump's tax returns before Democrats sent their formal request to the Internal Revenue Service. At the time, Mnuchin said he had not discussed the matter personally with the president. "It looks like Mnuchin is ready for the fight - this is a plain rejection," said Steve Rosenthal, an expert at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, who has briefed Congress on the matter. "He's not delaying any further." With Treasury's rejection, House Democrats may seek other avenues to obtain the president's financial records. New York state's legislature is currently considering legislation that would allow its tax department to turn Trump's state returns over to certain Congress bodies, including the House Ways & Means Committee. Brad Hoylman, a state senator in New York who authored the legislation, said Mnuchin's denial will speed up consideration of his bill, which has already passed committee and could be approved by the state senate this May. "Today's news increases the sense of urgency that Albany must act now to provide the House Ways and Means Committee with the president's state returns," Hoylman said on Monday, adding he has been discussing the bill with Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. "It could move very soon." The chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee have had the authority since 1924 to obtain the tax returns of any American, and the law stipulates that the Treasury secretary "shall furnish" the information once it is requested. This law was put in place during the Harding administration because of financial improprieties that stemmed from the Teapot Dome scandal. Trump is the first president since the Nixon administration to refuse to provide his tax returns. Democrats have accused Trump of shielding embarrassing information, but Republicans have said Trump is under no obligation to provide financial records and that voters decided the records were not important when they elected him to office. (Bloomberg) -- Policy analysts are offering a variety of interpretations of President Trumps latest tariff threat. Some, like Goldman and Citi, are optimistic a U.S.-China deal can still be reached. Others, including Raymond James and Cowen, are more cautious, warning the process may have been derailed, and point to rising global risks. Investors werent happy about the news, with the S&P 500 dropping by as much as 1.6 percent in early Monday trading, the most since March 22. Tech and machinery companies were hard hit, with Alibaba Group, Apple Inc., Boeing Co. and Caterpillar Inc. all sliding. Bellwether banks such as Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. were all falling 1.5 percent or more. Heres a sample of what analysts are saying: Goldman, Alec Phillips Goldman believes a tariff increase may be narrowly avoided, putting odds that tariffs rise on Friday at 40 percent, Phillips wrote in a note. Will be watching whether a large delegation of Chinese officials comes to Washington on May 8, as scheduled; canceling would mean an agreement in the coming week would seem very unlikely, and would make an increase in the tariff rate to 25 percent the base case. China trade issues have negative implications for the outlook for auto tariffs and passage of the USMCA [U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement]. Trumps willingness to risk a market disruption by threatening an unexpected tariff hike suggests that he might also be willing to risk the disruption that formally proposing auto tariffs or announcing the intent to withdraw from NAFTA might cause. Phillips raised the probability that auto tariffs will be implemented later this year to 20 percent from 10 percent, and lowered the probability that USMCA will pass to 60 percent from 70 percent. Citi, Cesar Rojas Cautiously optimistic on a U.S.-China trade deal in the second quarter, though tariff threats will likely remain as a way to get concessions from China and to enforce the agreement, Rojas wrote in a note. Rojas had expected that as the Chinese economy stabilized, China would be less willing to provide additional concessions to the U.S. The new threat is consistent with the U.S. adding more pressure on China to get these concessions. The Trump administration pays attention to equity markets, which means stocks diving could lead to a retreat from implementing the tariffs threat. Even so, he continues to believe uncertainty is likely to remain high as the tariffs threat remains in place and second round effects from a reallocation of global trade remain underestimated. UBS, Robert Martin The presidents words are worrisome but not yet our baseline, Martin wrote in a note. We continue to assume that trade talks, by hook or crook, continue and that ultimately the two sides reach agreement, though the downside risks are obvious. RBC, Lori Calvasina A trade deal with China has been widely anticipated by investors, and was a "key contributor to the early 2019 rally in US equities," Calvasina wrote in a note. That means the weekends developments were a negative catalyst for the market not only because of investor sentiment, but also "because of the downward earnings revisions that are likely to occur if the tariffs are expanded." Sees "these steps backwards on the trade deal with China as particularly negative" for industrial and semiconductor companies. Morgan Stanley, Michael Zezas The threat of higher tariffs may be a pressure tactic to speed an agreement on pending issues such as existing tariff removal timing, details related to the enforcement mechanism and industrial subsidies, Zezas wrote in a note. Morgan Stanley expects a re-escalation would be temporary, as market weakness would help bring both sides back together, but warned that any escalation inherently augments uncertainty and further undercuts risk markets, where a Goldilocks outcome was already priced in. Raymond James, Ed Mills The progress towards a U.S.-China deal has been up-ended with renewed tariff threats by President Trump ... apparent balks by the Chinese (especially on tech transfers), and the threat of the Chinese delegation canceling this weeks round of negotiations, Mills wrote in a note. Conversations with Raymond Jamess trade contacts point to a universal belief that this is not negotiating leverage, but what was almost a done deal last week, has derailed in recent days. There is some hope that negotiations could be salvaged, but this situation highlights how tenuous any U.S.-China deal remains. Contacts have revealed questions about what led to the latest breakdown, and whether developments related to Venezuela, the Iran oil sanctions decision, North Koreas weekend missile test, or lessening worry about the economic conditions in both the U.S. and China influenced the direction. Geopolitical volatility spiking in recent weeks may signal a more difficult path ahead for negotiations. MUFG, Chris Rupkey For weeks now markets have been lulled to sleep on the U.S. trade war with China thinking an agreement was imminent. No more, Rupkey wrote in a note. This has all the makings of a complete disaster that could lead the stock market to crater this week, he said. It may also jack up external risks to the U.S. economic outlook, just a few days after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said global risks had moderated somewhat. Compass Point, Isaac Boltansky Trumps threat to hike tariffs is a standard part of his negotiating style and we remain bullish on the prospects for a deal in the coming weeks, Boltansky wrote in a note. Though there will be puts and takes in this story, believes pressure on both sides of the Pacific will ultimately catalyze a deal. Beijing is sending roughly 100 representatives to Washington this week, which we view as indicative of their belief that a deal is within striking distance. At the same time, he warned that once attention turns from China to other trade matters including the USMCA market sentiment regarding trade policy could turn more cautious. Cowen, Chris Krueger The return of Tariff Man is pretty shocking and surprising - even grading off the Trump Curve, Krueger wrote in a note. Krueger offered several interpretations. The cautious one suggests this is simply an intemperate tweet (s) by a president that cant help himself during a rainy Sunday afternoon...Trump really, really wants to see this deal finished by Friday and (perhaps mistakenly) believes this gives the U.S. leverage. The "not-so-cautious" interpretation is that this is not an outer-borough real estate transaction. Trump issued a Presidential Statement last week highlighting his gift as the worlds premier hostage negotiator; tariffs are a very dangerous hostage and we believe will be seen as both provocative and insulting by Beijing. (Updates trading in second paragraph. Adds analyst commentary from UBS, Morgan Stanley.) To contact the reporter on this story: Felice Maranz in New York at fmaranz@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Catherine Larkin at clarkin4@bloomberg.net, Steven Fromm, Scott Schnipper 2019 Bloomberg L.P. A ghastly specter is casting a shadow over the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston this week, and none of the ingenious new inventions and cost-saving innovations on exhibit will address a fundamental threat to the industry. The dirty, big secret that only attracts brief mentions and side-long glances at OTC is greenhouse gas regulation, and the worlds need to slash carbon dioxide emissions. As the climate changes and people around the world demand action, the oil industry generally--and offshore drilling specifically--face near extinction without adaptation. Exploration vessels, floating collection platforms and underwater wells are expensive. For these projects to make money, they need to produce oil for 20 to 30 years. The unanswerable question for executives is how much will greenhouse gas regulation change over the next 30 years? How high will demand be for crude oil in 2045? The world will undoubtedly still need oil for centuries. Existing wells run dry every day. Oil companies must replace 5 percent of production every year to maintain the current supply. Competition to supply that oil, though, will be fierce. On HoustonChronicle.com: True leaders worry about their legacies, and climate change Shale wells are quick to drill and much cheaper than offshore wells, but production drops 70 percent after the first year. Shale wells can respond quickly to the market and regulation, which is an advantage in uncertain times. Offshore oil cheerleaders, though, argue that short-lived wells cannot guarantee long-term supply. They say that oil companies are not discovering enough new oil to meet future demand. Sadly, for the future of the industry, thats not true. If governments enforce the climate change mitigation policies they have promised, the global supply of oil will far exceed demand, according to a Boston Consulting Group analysis of data from publicly-traded energy companies and the International Energy Agency. The big energy companies plan to produce 21 percent more oil in 2025, but the IEA expects demand to increase only 10 percent due to climate change regulations. Odds are, though, that the rules will be much stricter than the IEA projects. If we burn all existing oil reserves, the planet will heat to an unbearable temperature. Scientists have known since the 1860s that when the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere goes up, more solar energy is trapped on earth, and the planet warms. The last decade has been the warmest since humans began keeping records, with the average temperature 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit higher than in 1900. This spike higher correlates with the industrial revolution, and the concomitant rise in carbon dioxide emissions. Researchers have calculated that to keep the earths temperature from rising to levels that cause widespread natural and economic disruption, humans can only afford to release another 986 gigatons of carbon over the next 50 years. If we exceed this carbon budget, the heat will turn farmland into deserts, kill hundreds of species and make some parts of North Africa and the Middle East uninhabitable. The worlds 20 largest, publicly-traded energy corporations, though, have promised their shareholders profits from selling 1,541 gigatons of carbon over the next 50 years, according to the London School of Economics. These same companies have pledged to spend billions of dollars more to find new oil reserves and to burn them too. On HoustonChronicle.com: Oil industrys future not as bright as government expects If these companies did nothing more than sell the $6 trillion in proven reserves they own today, the planet would suffer. But if these companies do not promise to sell those reserves, their stock value plummets. Cambridge University economist Jean-Francois Mercure warned of this carbon bubble, where investors overestimate a corporations value by mistakenly believing that all of its fossil fuel assets will be sold. New limits on carbon dioxide emissions, or a sudden consumer shift to renewable energy sources, would cause this bubble to burst, he said, creating massive losses for shareholders. The impetus for a sudden change in policy grows with every record-breaking downpour, every extreme wildfire and each succeeding year of record-high temperatures. Consumer tastes could change quickly, even without new regulations, with dozens of electric vehicles coming on the market over the next five years. Oil company executives should consider these facts before making a final investment decision on a new offshore platform that will take five years to reach its station in the Gulf of Mexico. A $5 billion capital expenditure today could be a write-off in a decade. The world will always need oil, but not nearly as much as we burn now. Deciding whether to build and deploy a new offshore platform has never been riskier. Houston's Amplify Energy will combine with Oklahoma's Midstates Petroleum in an all-stock, so-called "merger of equals" to create a new Houston-based oil and gas producer. The two companies combine for about $445 million in value with Midstates at nearly $230 million on the New York Stock Exchange and Amplify trading over the counter at a market value of more than $215 million. The deal combines two companies that both filed for bankruptcy and re-emerged during the recent oil bust. Amplify was created in 2017 after Memorial Production Partners came out of bankruptcy. Midstates had relocated from Houston to Oklahoma during its bankruptcy. RELATED: Number of drilled but uncompleted wells reaches record highs The new Houston company will be traded on the New York Stock Exchange under Amplify's "AMPY" stock ticker. Amplify and Midstates shareholders will each own 50 percent of the new company. Amplify investors will receive 0.933 shares of Midstates stock for each Amplify share. Amplify Chief Executive Ken Mariani will lead the combined company. "We believe that there are significant benefits in continuing to increase scale in this market and, moving forward, we intend to consider other opportunistic combinations and acquisitions that create value," Mariani said. Midstates had announced it was conducting a strategic review of the future of the company earlier this year. Midstates is focused on oil and gas production in Oklahoma, while Amplify has a wide range of geographic assets, including the Haynesville shale in Texas and Louisiana, South Texas, Wyoming and offshore California. The companies said that more than 50 percent of Amplify stockholders have committed their support while about 36 percent of Midstates' shareholders already have agreed to support the deal. After five long years of slashing costs, doing more with less and reconciling with lower-for-longer oil prices, the offshore drilling industry is poised for a revolution. Instead of demanding $100 or more for a barrel of crude, as Chevron CEO John Watson did in 2013, offshore drillers have reduced costs to make money in the current $50-$75 range. A flurry of press releases proves it. Oil companies paid $244 million in March for 1.2 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Department of Energy reported. The leases are grouped around existing platforms, but they signal a readiness to drill again. Last month, Murphy Oil Corp. paid $1.4 billion for the Gulf of Mexico assets belonging to LLOG Exploration Offshore and LLOG Bluewater Holdings. The deal included four development projects with planned start-up dates. On HoustonChronicle.com: Oil industrys future not as bright as government expects New leases and acquisitions will drive spending on offshore exploration for years to come, generating jobs in Houston and all along the Gulf Coast. Recent discoveries will also add to the demand for experienced offshore hands. Royal Dutch Shell found more than 400 feet of net oil pay with good reservoir and fluid characteristics in the western Gulf of Mexico. Shell says the early results are strong enough to consider investing in a new, multibillion-dollar platform. Then there is Exxon Mobils massive success in Guyana. Thirteen finds for 5.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent, and the drillship is not yet finished establishing the outlines of the industry-changing reservoir. $30 a barrel In a world with plenty of oil, though, the low price is king. None of these leases or wells would make economic sense if oilfield service companies did not lower costs to make them competitive with onshore shale. Shell executives say they can make money at $30 a barrel. Others say $50 is the new break-even point. But driving costs even lower must remain the priority. The international benchmark price for oil has floated between $70 and $75 in recent weeks, but the risk is prices will drop, not rise. OPEC has reinstated its cartel power by negotiating a deal with Russia and other national oil companies to keep more than 2 million barrels off the market. Officials from Saudi Arabia, OPECs de facto leader, have talked about a $70-$80 band as their target, but maintaining that price requires discipline among OPEC members. Geopolitics have helped keep prices higher in recent months, but they are an unreliable partner. President Donald Trumps sanctions have taken 1.5 million barrels a day of Iranian crude off the market, and hes intent on shutting down the last 500,000. But in less than two years, a new president could unleash those barrels with a stroke of a pen. Oil prices also have received a boost from the meltdown in Venezuela, holder of the largest oil reserves in the world. Government mismanagement has cut oil production in half, and U.S. sanctions are strangling whats left. No one knows how much longer Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro can hold on. A new government, followed by outside investment, could return Venezuelan barrels to the market quicker than many market analysts and participants expect. A civil war in Libya also is taking oil off global markets. But if Gen. Khalifa Haftar seizes control of most of the country, as expected, the first thing he will do is restore crude exports to generate income. Lastly, Saudi Arabia will make sure prices do not go higher than $80 for many reasons. Costs are key Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom the international community has shunned over the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, cannot afford to anger Trump too much and will respond to his demands to keep oil prices under control. On HoustonChronicle.com: Electricity and oil battle for future of transportation Saudi Arabia also wants to defend its market share from U.S. oil companies and lithium-ion batteries. Higher oil prices would trigger more U.S. production and greater competition from electric vehicles, both of which would cut into Saudi oil sales. OPEC and Russia are ready to open the taps to control prices. Five years ago, oil executives mistakenly believed that OPEC would keep prices around $100 a barrel. They produced with abandon and cut into OPECs market share. OPEC then crushed them by allowing the price to fall to $26 a barrel. More than 140,000 people lost their jobs. The potential for an offshore revival and revolution, therefore, relies on pushing costs lower, not relying on authoritarian leaders to guarantee a reasonable price. The darkest days of the oil crash may be behind the industry, but thats not a cause for irrational exuberance. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy. chris.tomlinson@chron.com twitter.com/cltomlinson Ive always had a passion for health care, Kasper told the Tribune in a 2017 interview. He said that growing up, he felt frustrated when family members went through the health care system and werent treated well. I wanted to be a part of an organization where I could influence not only the care delivery side but the service side of health care and how we take care of people and the caring and compassion behind what we do and how we do it. Those who play with fire dont necessarily get burned. They might light up the world instead. By pairing the (belated) world premiere of composer-in-residence Jimmy Lopezs Aurora violin concerto with Beethovens third symphony, the Eroica, the Houston Symphony sent a powerful message that its commitment to freshly minted works is at least as strong as its dedication to the Old Masters. Given the pieces at hand over the weekend, the two principles could be said to function like magnetic poles: opposite in some respects, but also neatly in sync. Postponed from September 2017, Aurora draws from Lopezs experiences while studying in Finland and took shape through his close collaboration with Spanish-born violinist Leticia Moreno. Clint Allens projection and lighting design, sheets of color softly pulsating above the stage, brought on a slight (if imaginary) chill to the air. The opening movement, Equatoralis, began with flutters of sound erupting sporadically throughout the orchestra flutes, tympani, tubas bleating from the very bottom of the register. The wood block clapped every now and again, and minutes passed before even a semi-regular rhythm surfaced. Meanwhile, the nimble Moreno produced an endless ribbon of shimmering, shivering notes from her violin. Speaking before the concert, Lopez noted his intention for the soloist to play multiple roles within the concerto, and here Moreno gave the impression of daring the other musicians to follow her through a stark and forbidding landscape. A few tense moments later, the movement ended with a violent shudder. Borealis, the second movement, began with Moreno spooling out a ghostly phrase from the upper reaches of her fingerboard, until gradually receding into a less ethereal register as faintly struck mallet percussion added to the sensation of reaching the edge of the known world. A trio of musicians stationed in the balcony began echoing the soloists shimmering lines back to her, a pattern that repeated even as the orchestral landscape around her grew fraught with caustic harmonies and bone-rattling spasms of sound, perhaps meant meant to represent the fierce north winds. Finale Australis brought not only a change in the overhead color scheme a tropical reddish-orange replacing the chilly greens and blues but stampeding crescendos that created a treacherous background, seemingly designed to test Morenos translucent but steely tone. At first she played like these percussive spasms were obstacles in her path, but as her (figurative) footing took hold the orchestra became a roiling ocean, her violin bounding across their waves. The effect was raw and invigorating. Stravinskys Rite of Spring might be an obvious callback, but that feeling of primal turmoil was all but impossible to ignore. Indeed, it would have come as no surprise if Morenos violin had suddenly burst into flame. Not nearly as overexposed as either the Fifth or Ninth symphonies, the Eroica is no less a milestone in Beethovens artistic development. (Its also a personal favorite.) For starters, his eleventh-hour striking of Napoleon Bonapartes name from the dedication page sparked one of the classical-music worlds most fascinating and enduring riddles. Certain similarities to Beethovens 1801 ballet The Creatures of Prometheus, composed a few years before Eroica, have given rise to a theory that his third symphony is really about the ancient Greek hero who brought fire to mankind after stealing it from the gods, and suffered accordingly. But whoever the mysterious hero of Eroica may be, orchestral triumphs rarely come as long-lasting or well-earned. Last Friday, Music Director Andres Orozco-Estrada conducted the symphony with his usual coiled exuberance, welcoming brand-new concertmaster Yoonshin Song into the fold by leading a brisk and taut performance that lingered on the lyrical moments chiefly those gorgeous woodwind lines in the first movement, and the delicate balance of hope and despair in the funeral march but otherwise emphasized the robust tempos and exhilarating orchestration that characterized Beethoven in his prime. Long before The Avengers and Game of Thrones came along, people latched onto whatever popular myths they could. In Eroica, Beethoven found one truly worthy of his talents: pliant enough to echo any number of heroic journeys, even his own, and universal enough to shine just as brilliantly more than 200 years later. Chris Gray is a Houston-based writer. When the fondant gets rolling and the frosting flies on the new season of Food Networks Best Baker in America, a Houston man will be there to cut the cake. Edet Okon, a 41-year-old pastry chef, is among nine contestants on the food reality show that puts professional bakers through technical rigors and challenges. The new season begins May 13. With a background in special occasion cakes with contemporary design, Okon is well suited for the sweet showdown. Born and raised in Nigeria, he comes from a family that excels in baking. He came to the United States to further his education, earning culinary and hospitality degrees. He currently works as a freelance cake artist out of a The Pie Factory, a full-service bakery on Bellaire. Q: How did you get into baking? A: I picked up baking and cake decorating at an early age from my mum and my aunt. They both baked and decorated birthday cakes for my siblings, my cousins and me. I basically pursued it as a hobby through high school, and then when I got into college I started my own cake business. After graduating from college I decided to attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., where I majored in baking and pastry arts. I then moved to Houston to earn my masters degree in hospitality management from the University of Houstons Conrad N. Hilton College. I worked as a pastry chef at a fine dining restaurant and upscale hotel but my heart has always been with cakes, so I decided to start up my own cake business again. Q: Describe your cake decorating style or philosophy and what about your cakes attracts clients to you? A: The philosophy to what I do is twofold. First, I seek to provide my clients with an experience that is memorable. The aim is to provide them with cake that is not only great tasting and superior in quality but one that is stunningly beautiful and representative of their unique personalities. Secondly, since every cake is unique, my aim is to have my clients customize their cakes from the inside out. Starting with the flavor profiles and culminating in the tiniest of decorative details. I view what I do as artistry and with that in mind I do not repeat or copy designs but rather use them an inspirational catapult. Q: Baking competition shows are popular right now. What are you hoping to get out of being on the competition? A: I see this as part of the larger narrative of my life. Im hoping the exposure from the show will of course help grow my business. However, as a child I was taught that the characteristic of blessing is to multiply, and I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to pursue this passion of mine. In addition to what Im currently doing, Im hoping to develop new cake decorating techniques/tools (which involve the use of technology). And Im looking to give back through cake decorating classes and workshops in an effort to help grow the art, but also help others who also share the passion for baking and cake artistry. Q: What did you learn about yourself during competition (which was pre-taped)? A: I learned that I am way tougher than I initially thought. It was a hard and grueling competition with other extremely talented competitors. The experience most definitely challenged and sharpened my skills and knowledge base. It was also an exercise in vulnerability and courage for me; however, thats always good for creativity since vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity and there are hardly any creative endeavors that do not require courage. Q: What do your Houston clients want? Are there any trends or flavors that are distinctly Houston? A: I love the diversity in cultural experiences that Houston has to offer. Since I basically do cakes for celebratory occasions, most people come to me only when they are happy or celebrating something. Its usually customary for different cultures to be uniquely represented in their celebratory events. As a result, when working on cake for a client Im able to access these unique cultures in a small but educational way. I have learned about how different cultures perceive certain colors and shapes, as well as the appreciation or dissatisfaction they have for different flavors and textures. This, among many other things, has taught me that the world is much larger and expansive than I could ever have imagined and that theres always much more to learn and see, even if I only use cakes as my access gate and path to this expansive world. Q: Do you bring any of your Nigerian culture into your cake making? Theres a growing Nigerian community in Houston; are they among your customers? A: I most definitely bring my Nigerian heritage to my cakes. I believe this is most reflective in my artistic styling and choice of cake textures. Houston is home to one of the largest Nigerian communities outside of Nigeria, and that community has been very instrumental and essential in getting me to where I am today. I dont think I would have been able to get this far without their constant patronage, encouragement and support, and most especially their willingness to trust me with some of their most memorable events. Q: Is Houston a place of good opportunity for you as a cake artist? A: Houston is an amazing city for a cake artist. Its a large city that affords all the benefits of a big city. Its diversity is such fertile ground for creativity. I love Houston for what its given to me and meant to me, its home to me. greg.morago@chron.com twitter.com/gregmorago SEOUL, South Korea - Russian President Vladimir Putin called on North Korea for its final, fully verified denuclearization, which the United States sought, during his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia, on April 25, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. The move suggests that Putin has shown a certain degree of consideration to the United States. Kim is believed to be unsatisfied with results of the talks as he expected to receive Russia's full support, bearing in mind a negotiation with the United States, observers said, adding that the summit's outcome will likely influence Pyongyang's foreign policy. According to sources knowledgeable about Japan-U.S.-South Korea trilateral talks, Stephen Biegun, U.S. special representative for North Korea, asked Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov to inform North Korea without fail that the United States would never change its stance on final, fully verified denuclearization, during Biegun's visit to Moscow on April 18. After relaying the message to Kim, Putin told him that the United States would remain committed to final, fully verified denuclearization, and that Pyongyang must adhere to this approach as well, the sources said. However, Putin backed Kim's desire for "phased and synchronized measures" in implementing denuclearization, according to the sources. During the talks, Kim said he wants Moscow to do more in conveying his demands to Washington. At the U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi in late February, Washington called on Pyongyang to transfer its nuclear substance to the United States; fully dismantle its weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missiles and launching pads; suspend all nuclear-related activities; create a list of its current nuclear programs; and transition its nuclear scientists and technicians into commercial roles. Kim, for his part, called on the United States to lift its major economic sanctions in exchange for the completion of dismantling of nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, northwestern North Korea. Putin's position straddles those of Washington and Pyongyang, the observers said. A man uses a Lime electric scooter July 9, 2018, in Paris. Electric scooters have become the most popular form of shared transportation outside transit and cars in the United States, according to a report by the National Association of City Transportation Officials. (Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images) A 12-year-old boy, hours after allegedly shooting his younger brother to death in Conroe, spied a candy bowl and asked for a piece as he was read his rights, a Montgomery County justice of the peace said Sunday. The boy was swiftly charged in a case in which authorities have answered few questions about what happened, though the charge could carry a severe punishment of decades in prison. The child is accused of killing his 10-year-old sibling at a home in the 10700 block of Stidham Road, according to the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office. Authorities have not yet identified the slain child or his brother, and the parents could not be reached for comment. I dont know if he had known (his brother) had passed away, said Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Matt Beasley, who briefly met with the boy about three hours after the fatal shooting. He just sat there. Just a normal little kid. The boy, the judge recounted, appeared to him to be kind, courteous and more interested in the brightly colored sweets in the detectives lobby at the Montgomery County Criminal Justice Center. He actually asked, Can I have this Jolly Rancher, Beasley said. Police were called to the home around 2:40 p.m. and found the younger child with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was rushed to the Conroe Emergency Room, where he died, according to authorities. An autopsy will likely be conducted Monday, Beasley said. The shooting was almost immediately determined not to be accidental, Montgomery County Sheriffs Office spokesman Lt. Scott Spencer said on Saturday. The type of firearm used in the shooting and its registered owner were not known. The motive in the killing has not been divulged either. Spencer, as well as Anna Emmons, with the Montgomery County Attorneys Offices Juvenile Division, did not respond to repeated requests for comment on Sunday. A dispatcher relayed details of the 911 call and told responding deputies that a young caller said a man came to the door and shot a relative, according to police radio traffic. The caller identified himself as being 12 and that his brother is 10, the dispatcher said. Minutes later, a deputy on the same channel said he had a 12-year-old child detained in the back of his cruiser. The property where the boy was killed has belonged to the current owners for the past 12 years, county records show. Because the suspect is a juvenile, Beasley said he was required to read the boy his rights before law enforcement could speak to him. The child is being held at the county Juvenile Detention Facility, according to police. It was not immediately known if he had a lawyer. For a child as young as 12 to face a murder charge is a rarity, Houston attorney Chris Tritico said. Generally what we see is that its an accident where they were playing with guns, said Tritico, who once defended a 10-year-old who was similarly charged. The case Tritico worked on went before former Harris County Juvenile Judge Mike Schneider, and the jurist said late Sunday he was unable to recall any other children 12 years or younger being prosecuted for murder during his time on the bench. The child in Triticos case was convicted in the 2004 death of his father, University of Texas Medical Branch physician Rick Lohstroh. The boy, brandishing his mothers .45-caliber pistol, opened fire on the 41-year-old doctor through the back of the drivers seat as the father picked up his two sons from his ex-wifes home. The divorced couple had a history of acrimony and family violence arrests in the months leading up to the killing. Initially, the boy was convicted and sent to juvenile prison, but his case was overturned on an appeal. He pleaded guilty and agreed to probation, rather than face a second trial. Children that young, my experts told me at the time, their mind is not developed enough to have a conscience to do these things, Tritico said. They dont know enough to hate. In January, two boys, both 12, were charged with murder in separate cases in Texas and Connecticut. Neither of their identities have been revealed. The child in Uvalde, 80 miles west of San Antonio, was charged in connection with the shooting death of professional boxer John Duane VanMeter who was checking on who he thought was someone trying to kick down the front door. The boxers girlfriend heard a gunshot and found him mortally wounded. The suspect apprehended in the killing was believed to be the former best friend of the girlfriends son, according to news reports. The Connecticut case prompted the arrest of a boy following allegations that he fatally stabbed his twin sister and wounded his mother. Regardless of their age, Schneider said juvenile sentencing can be just as harsh. Children as young as 10 can be charged with any offense in the Texas penal code, he said, though they cannot be certified as adults unless they are at least 14. If prosecutors push for it, the boy could be given what is called a determinate sentence, a punishment that extends into adulthood. If hes convicted and handed a prison sentence, he would start his time in the juvenile prison system and later be transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice either in prison or on parole. In the meantime, he could be held in the custody of his juvenile probation department. A detention hearing will soon determine if he will remain locked up as the criminal case proceeds or be released under probation supervision. Brooke A. Lewis and Meagan Ellsworth contributed to this report. Amid a record-breaking national outbreak of measles, the number of Texans who exempt their children from vaccination for non-medical reasons took another big leap this past school year. The number increased 14 percent in 2018-2019, continuing a 15-year-long trend that public health officials worry is leaving communities vulnerable to the resurgence of preventable diseases such as measles, which has been confirmed this year in 23 states, including Texas. The number of measles cases this year is the largest since 1994. Seeing non-medical exemptions increase again on a double-digit scale should create outrage for everyone, Allison Winnike, president and CEO of the Houston-based Immunization Partnership, said in a statement. Its time for Texans to take action. Porfirio Villarreal, public information officer for the Houston health department, added that its disappointing to see yet another rise in the number of parents opting out of life-saving vaccines, mostly due to the vast amount of misinformation on the internet and social media channels. RELATED: Vaccine exemptions on the rise among Texas students The number of exemptions are still small, 64,176, but they represent a roughly 2,000 percent increase since 2003, when the state began allowing parents to decline immunization requirements for reasons of conscience. There were about 3,000 in 2003-2004, and a little under 57,000 in 2017-2018. The new numbers are contained in a report released Monday by the Texas Department of Health Services. The report says there are opt-out rates of more than 40 percent at some schools. Rates by schools are not publicly available, but the state health department does make them available by school districts those numbers likely will be posted Tuesday, said a health department spokesman. 17 states allow waivers The report comes as the national number of 2019 measles cases has reached 764, according to the Centers for Disease Control, some 20 years after the infectious disease was thought to be largely eradicated. Texas accounts for 15 of the cases. Its unsettling that at a time when measles is returning nationally because of vaccine exemptions, the exemption trend in Texas continues to get worse, said Peter Hotez, a Baylor College of Medicine infectious disease specialist. It suggests a tone-deafness. Texas is one of 17 states that allow waivers of school vaccine requirements based on parents conscience or personal beliefs. Only three states California, Mississippi and West Virginia dont grant exemptions on religious grounds. All 50 states allow exemptions for medical conditions, such as a compromised immune system. No bill in the 2019 Texas Legislature has sought to change Texas conscientious exemption and those that attempt to make the process more transparent gained no traction. The latter includes one that would require the health department to publish the immunization opt-out rates for individual public schools and another that attempts to clarify that child care facilities can list their immunization opt-out rates for parents who are interested. Neither has moved out of committee. A bill that would make it easier to opt-out of vaccines by putting the request form online never received a committee hearing. Jackie Schlegel, president of Texans for Vaccine Choice, did not respond to a Chronicle request for comment. The organization in March rallied at the state Capitol to lead the nation in this fight for our basic rights to freely raise our children and live our lives in the way we see fit without government intrusion or coercion. D-FW, Austin hot spots Hotez, the Baylor infectious disease specialist, noted that the report shows the trend is disproportionately affecting urban areas around Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth. A report map shows four counties adjacent or close to Travis County Burnett, Blanco, Kenall and Gillespie with more than 3 percent of students claiming exemptions. Fourteen counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area report 1.58 percent to 2.99 percent of students claiming exemptions, up from nine counties in that category last year. Montgomery County is the only county in the Houston area in the same category. Less than 1 percent to 1.57 of students in Harris County claim exemptions. Still, Villarreal encouraged parents to pay more attention to their family doctor and the CDC. Parents who discard 200 years of scientific evidence about vaccines and replace it with a 20-minute internet search could unintentionally put at risk the lives of their kids classmates or neighborhood friends, said Villarreal. todd.ackerman@chron.com A machete-wielding felon is behind bars after allegedly killing a man at a bus stop, and attacking another in northeast Houston, telling police he was only trying to protect "all of the women and children in the world" from being raped, prosecutors said. Bernardino Cueva, 40, admitted to attacking a man on April 28 at a bus stop along Lyons Avenue, prosecutors said during a probable cause hearing Saturday afternoon. The man later told police he was catching a ride to church when Cueva started yelling at him from the other side of a fence on nearby property, prosecutors said. Now Playing: A machete-wielding felon is behind bars after killing a bus rider and attacking another in northeast Houston, telling police he was only trying to protect all of the women and children in the world from being raped, prosecutors said. Video: Harris County Office of Court Management As the victim started to walk away, Cueva allegedly jumped the fence and chased the man down, pulled out a machete and hacked at the man's arm, prosecutors said. The victim was able to run away from Cueva, who fled the scene. IN CONROE: Boy accused of fatally shooting 10-year-old brother to undergo mental health evaluation Then, shortly after 12 a.m. on the morning of May 2, Cueva allegedly attacked another man at the bus stop in the 2100 block of Lyons Avenue this time, fatally. That victim was identified in court documents as C.J. Jones, Jr. Stay Informed Text CHRON to 77453 to get breaking news alerts by text | Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. See More Collapse Police said Jones died of blunt force trauma to his head. As he was being loaded up into an ambulance, he told officers the attack was unprovoked shortly before losing consciousness. Paramedics rushed him to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. After police caught up with Cueva later that day, he confessed to the attacks, prosecutors said. Officers found bloodied jeans and a shirt in Cueva's backpack after the alleged confession, prosecutors said. "On both incidents, the (victims) were waiting at the bus stop, which the suspect believed was his property," the prosecutor said in court. "(Cueva) believed they were going to rape him and all of the women and children in the world, and so he felt he needed to protect them." Cueva is charged for each attack, one for aggravated assault and the other for murder. He is being held without bond, and was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. This isn't Cueva's first run-in with the law. Court records show he was charged with misdemeanor assault in January and was out on bond during the recent attacks. He was also convicted in a home burglary in 2004 and aggravated assault in 2013, both felonies out of Nueces County. He faces between five and 99 years, or life in prison, if convicted. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message 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 The claim: Right now, 1 in 4 Texas women of reproductive age are uninsured, totaling 1.5 million Texas women. While many of these women qualify for health care coverage during pregnancy, they lose that care shortly thereafter. It is critical that we increase access to health care for women before, after and between pregnancies by expanding Medicaid. State Rep. John Bucy III, D-Austin. Bucy made the statement during debate over the state budget. PolitiFact ruling: Bucys source was a report from an Austin-based group that conducted an analysis of census data. The research method is one that has been used by other organizations and a study from the Guttmacher Institute had similar findings. True. Discussion: The statistic is based on a 2016 report published by the left-leaning Center for Public Policy Priorities. The report cited the U.S. Census Bureaus American Community Survey and person-level data used by researchers. This information allows analysts to examine a sample of individual responses to the survey and extrapolate the number of uninsured women in a particular age bracket. Oliver Bernstein, spokesman for the Center for Public Policy Priorities, said an analysis of that data showed that 1 in 4 women between the ages of 15 and 44 are uninsured in Texas, as of 2016. More Information About PolitiFact PolitiFact is a fact-checking project to help you sort out fact from fiction in politics. Truth-O-Meter ratings are determined by a panel of three editors. The burden of proof is on the speaker, and PolitiFact rates statements based on the information known at the time the statement is made. See More Collapse The 2018 edition of the report came to the same conclusion. This type of data analysis is common. The Urban Institute conducted a similar study of the uninsured population in Texas in December, finding that about 18 percent of all women in Texas are uninsured. The Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that is pro-abortion rights, published a study in December that looked at the uninsured rate of women of reproductive age using the same data. The groups analysis found that, of the 5.9 million Texas women between 15 and 44, about 1.4 million (or 24 percent) are uninsured. This means about 1 in 4 women in this age bracket are without health insurance. Published data from the Census Bureau (which has already been crunched) also supports Bucys claim. For more on the research and the conclusion, visit Politifact Texas, www.politifact.com/texas/. AUSTINEight Houston-area educators named among the best in their profession were recognized Sunday at the H-E-B Excellence in Education awards. Two of the eight finalists were announced as overall winners for their categories at the dinner. Laura Gomez, principal of South Houston Intermediate in Pasadena ISD, was honored as the best secondary principal in the state, and Nghia Le, an engineering teacher at Houston ISDs Booker T. Washington High School and High School for Engineering Professions in Houston ISD, was the winner of the Leadership Secondary category. I learn as much as (my students) do, and that is my award, Nghia said. These students make such a huge difference in my life and, for that, I thank them. Grace England Early Childhood & Prekindergarten Center in Klein was named the states best early childhood education facility. From the time we opened our doors, our collective dedication has been to lay the best foundation possible for our students by becoming expert pre-k practitioners and providing an environment that enthusiastically welcomes collaboration from all investors, said principal Jaunee Perry in a press release announcing the center as a finalist. The six teachers and two principals from the Houston area are among 40 finalists statewide, each competing for annual awards given out by the program, the largest of its kind in Texas. The awards announced in downtown Austin include three categories for teachers: Rising Star, for teachers with 10 or fewer years of experience; Leadership, for those with 10 to 20 years of experience; and Lifetime Achievement, for educators with at least 20 years of experience. Eight statewide winners two principals and six teachers were announced at Sundays dinner and will be awarded individual prize money as well as up to $25,000 for their campuses. Here are the other Houston-area finalists, and what they told H-E-B about their work: Ryan Beeler, a former Nashville police officer, is now a science teacher at Spring Woods High School in Spring Branch ISD. I decided I would rather work with young people as a teacher than continue putting them in the back of my police car, he said. Beeler was a Rising Star finalist. Leslyn Jacks is a music teacher at Katy Elementary School in Katy ISD who grew up in a musical family and realized her passion for music education in college. Building students confidence and helping them find their worth is a privilege I dont take lightly, and this emphasis is one of my greatest accomplishments in the classroom, she said. Jacks was a Rising Star finalist. Doreen Martinez has been principal at Memorial Parkway Elementary in Katy ISD since 2017. Under her leadership, academic performance has improved at the campus, which has a high concentration of students from low-income families. I realized if our teachers understood how data could move the campus, our school would achieve greater academic success, she said. Martinez was a finalist for top elementary principal. Karen Naiser, a kindergarten teacher at Bay Colony Elementary School in Dickinson ISD, has supervised student teachers and worked with high school students interested in the field of education. Teaching is a wonderful and rewarding professional choice I made as a child and Ive never regretted my decision, she said. Naiser was a Lifetime Achievement finalist. Carrie Teague is a teacher at Taylor Career and Technology Center in Beaumont ISD who works with special education students in the 11th and 12th grades. It is with genuine joy that I strive to be a significant part of my students journeys, she said. Teague was a Lifetime Achievement finalist. Heather Villaloboz has taught first through fifth grades at E.C. Mason Elementary School in Alvin ISD and currently serves as a campus champion for the Capturing Kids Hearts nationwide program. Striving to learn something new every day is what we advocate to our students but is also something we as teachers should seek, she said. Villaloboz was a Leadership finalist. Permico Energias chief executive officer was furious. In July 2018, the Houston-based natural gas midstream company had approached the State of Texas seeking tens of millions of dollars in property tax breaks. Known as Chapter 313, the economic development program was designed to lure to Texas manufacturers seeking to build new facilities. So applicants must convince state regulators they need the tax break to come. Permicos problem was that it appeared Texas-bound with or without it. Newspaper and trade articles had described the pipeline it was constructing from the Permian Basin to Corpus Christi, where it would build fractionators to separate out propane, ethane and butane. Funding for the project seemed lined up. The comptrollers office, which must approve the break, had noticed. The news is not good, a consultant wrote to CEO Jeffrey Beicker following a meeting at the agencys Austin offices. Beicker responded hours later. What angered him, he wrote, was how other gas businesses that also clearly were committed to Texas thus supposedly did not fit the 313 program still received their generous tax breaks. All these other companies have multiple press releases, quarterly reports and annual reports that state their intentions, he fumed. We refuse to lie to receive the tax abatement. Apparently our competitors do not share this moral dilemma. Use of the 313 tax break has skyrocketed in recent years. The number of companies seeking the dramatically lower tax bills more than doubled between 2016 and 2018; the annual cost of the program to state taxpayers is projected to nearly double between now and 2024, to $1.1 billion. For subscribers: Solar companies flock to a Texas tax break with questionable payback Mike Fisher Citing the growth, critics say it has become less a genuine incentive than an unnecessary give-away. A 2017 University of Texas study concluded most companies receiving the Chapter 313 tax break would have moved to Texas without it. Now, the Permico letter, part of correspondence Hearst Newspapers received through a public information request, suggests something more: even some of the corporate executives who seek out one of the states most generous tax breaks may believe that, too. This makes clear that the whole but for test is really a sham in this program, said Nathan Jensen, a government professor who authored the University of Texas study. These companies are coming anyway and everyone knows it. Lawmakers call for more scrutiny Passed in 2001, Chapter 313 was intended to help the state attract large companies and their jobs. In exchange for moving to Texas instead of other places and creating at least 10 high-paying permanent positions, a companys new facility could be valued at a fraction of its real worth for a decade when calculating the school portion of its property tax bill. To ensure the support of local schools, Texas backfills the money districts give up from the abatements. School administrators also can negotiate side deals requiring companies to contribute directly to local education. Since its inception, the program has in some ways wandered. Many applicants now are renewable energy companies that receive waivers from the job-creation requirement, promising only one or two jobs in exchange for millions of dollars in tax breaks. Because windmills and solar panels depreciate quickly, they also can offer less long-term property tax payoff for local communities after the 10-year abatement expires. Concerned that applicants were not being scrutinized closely enough, lawmakers in 2013 directed the comptrollers office to ensure Chapter 313 deals were given only to companies that genuinely would not move to Texas without it. If they were going to come here anyway, they wouldnt get it, Rep. Harvey Hilderbran explained at the time. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Kevin Lyons, an agency spokesman, said staff scours company filings, published articles and maps for evidence that applicants legitimately need the tax break to move to Texas. They can also investigate if a companys vow to move elsewhere without it is genuine. A handful of companies has been rejected. Yet its critics say the Chapter 313 reviews are much less rigorous than advertised. The comptrollers office has clarified that rather than demonstrate they could and would move elsewhere without the tax break, applicants need claim only that it is a consideration in their decision to locate in Texas. The agency also has said applicants could qualify simply by saying they need the lower tax bills to make their project financially feasible. More Information Bills in the Legislature that would impact Chapter 313 SB 728 (Kolkhorst): Requires job claims from 313 recipients to be verified SB 1161 (Kolkhorst): Limits land value subject to Chapter 313 agreements SB 1252 (Kolkhorst): Deducts side-payments local schools negotiate with companies from state education payments HB 845 (Lozano): Adds water desalination facilities to eligible projects HB 2129 (Murphy): Extends Chapter 313 program through 2032 See More Collapse Robert Wood, who heads the program for the comptroller, acknowledged deducing applicants intentions can be challenging, and that in some industries use of the program has become nearly ubiquitous. That has created a snowball effect, with new applicants arguing that because their competitors already have the tax break, they also need one for a level playing field. Supporters say Chapter 313 remains an important driver of Texass economy, contributing far more than it costs by convincing companies skittish of the states high property taxes to move here. Although Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, a longtime watchdog of the program, has introduced several bills to reform parts of it, a bill extending the tax break through 2032 has gathered wide support from business and economic development interests. For subscribers: Equity appeals in Texas also favor big business with a property tax break worth over $1B a year Competition with New Mexico unusual In his letter, the only competitor Beicker identified by name was EPIC, another midstream company moving gas from the Permian Basin to the Texas coast. I assume if (comptrollers staff members) are looking at a 313 for our competition in the Corpus area, the EPIC pipeline, that it will also be denied, he wrote. Midstream companies are particularly controversial recipients of the Chapter 313 tax break because their limited footprints can make it harder for them to credibly argue they will move elsewhere without it, said Dick Lavine, an analyst for the Center for Public Policy Priorities. If youre doing something with gas in the Permian Basin, and shipping the the Gulf, youre going to be building in Texas, he said. Like Permico, EPIC also seemed to have tipped its hand about its intention to build in Texas before seeking the tax break, according to documents filed with its application. The company had announced it was building a 650-mile pipeline from southeast New Mexico to Corpus Christi, as well as several fractionating plants. Maps showed the fractionators located in Corpus. In its Chapter 313 application, however, EPIC clarified it actually had not decided where to locate the facilities: they could either be located at the beginning of the pipeline in New Mexico, or at the end of the pipeline in the Corpus Christi region. Last summer, the comptroller approved a tax abatement for EPICs Corpus Christi fractionators worth $29 million. Yet its unclear how much competition Texas had for the facilities. State and local economic development officials in New Mexico said that if EPIC had applied for incentives there, they were unaware of it. Industry experts also questioned if EPIC would locate its fractionators in New Mexico. While technically possible, You dont typically build refineries at the well head, said Sandy Fielden, a pipeline analyst for Morningstar Commodities. Gathering gas from Texas, sending it north to New Mexico to be separated, then returned through Texas to the coast for distribution doesnt really make any sense, he said. It would be unusual, added Colton Bean, a pipeline analyst for Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. To ship purity gases from a New Mexico fractionator, he said, EPIC would have to either build another expensive pipeline system, or use the same pipeline it used for gathering, which would decrease capacity and could compromise the quality of the purified gases. Bruce Kates, EPICs communications director, company CFO Weston Mokry and a company location consultant did not respond to phone calls and emails. A tax break after all Neither did Beicker, Permicos chief executive, so what happened after his angry letter is unclear. Dale Cummings, a consultant who worked with Permico early on, said company representatives later met with comptroller staff at a higher level, but said he couldnt comment beyond that. In an email to Beicker, however, Cummings also wrote our argument about your competitors being able to get 313s for expansions while you company cannot, did resonate with the comptrollers office. When Permico submitted its official application soon after, it echoed that argument. The price that Permico will receive for its end products will be the same market price as that received by its long-established competitors who have Chapter 313 agreements, it stated. So without it Permicos return on invested capital will be significantly lower than its NGL competitors, which could lead Permico to decide not to invest capital in Texas. In January, the comptrollers office approved the project. Lyons, the agency spokesman explained the agency didnt sign off on the tax break because Permicos competitors also had it, but rather because the fact that others had it and Permico didnt might mean the company couldnt get financing for the project. The break will be worth an estimated $74 million to the company. But in areas where the brand is popular, physical stores can be a convenience for customers who want the option to shop in person, Griffith said. The Oakbrook Center store is the brands 19th and Lands End expects to have 40 to 60 within the next few years, Griffith said. If you see something, say something. Thats good advice in this era when airports, train stations, schools and even churches have become settings for terrorist acts. Its a good slogan for neighborhoods trying to work with police to reduce crime. Its also what you should do at work, especially if its at a job site where dangerous chemicals and materials are stored or handled. If you see something, say something before a tragedy occurs. Its no longer safe, if it ever was, to count on companies to spot and respond to safety risks on their own, or to just assume Texas overly lenient regulators will do their jobs. Speaking up and insisting on a response might have prevented the deadly fire last month at the KMCO plant in Crosby. Three contract workers who say they were injured have filed a lawsuit accusing company officials of knowing about a leaky valve before the explosion that the defective device may have caused. If its true that managers knew of the leaky valve beforehand and ignored it, then its possible that plant worker James Earl Mangum, 27, of Daisetta might still be alive had they addressed it. Ignoring employees safety concerns risks tragic incidents such as the fire at KMCO, but it also increases the risk of future incidents, too. Too often, plant workers wont report a problem to a supervisor because past allegations have fallen on deaf ears. And workers who might report concerns to outside authorities have to weigh both the risks to their jobs and the likelihood that officials will act. That may have been a problem at both the KMCO plant and the March 17 fire at the Intercontinental Terminals Co. chemical storage facility in Deer Park. Both facilities have been cited numerous times over the years for violating air and water pollution regulations. Thats evidence that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality isnt doing its job. A recent report says a chemical fire or explosion occurs almost every six weeks in the Houston region. Elena Craft of the Environmental Defense Fund says thats because the state agency responsible for ensuring chemical plant safety is missing in action. If Texans cant trust the TCEQ to protect them, theyll stop reporting violations. That only ups the risks for all of us. So, it was good to see Harris County Commissioners Court approve the hiring of four new prosecutors to investigate environmental crimes. The two prosecutors currently assigned to that duty handle 400 to 500 cases a year, but most involve smaller companies or individuals accused of illegal dumping and water pollution. With more lawyers in that division, District Attorney Kim Ogg can look at bigger targets. Her office has already charged ITC with five misdemeanor counts for releasing chemicals into the Tucker Bayou during the fire. Ogg took a similarly aggressive stance by charging Arkema with failing to properly store highly combustible chemicals that ignited and polluted the air during Hurricane Harvey. That same aggressiveness should lead the county to invest more in the Pollution Control Services Department. In February, it received a 28 percent budget increase, about $1.2 million, but the Deer Park and KMCO fires occurring within three weeks of each other stretched its resources to monitor air and water quality. County leaders have been smart to make other improvements, too. The pollution department didnt have a website to give the public real-time air quality data during the ITC fire, so Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo got an ad hoc group of county employees to design one. They did it in eight hours. Hidalgo also directed the county health department to hire 11 private contractors at a cost of $375,000 to help monitor the air and bill ITC for the expense. In all, the county planned to bill ITC nearly $2 million for expenses, including costs incurred by emergency and law enforcement agencies. Making environmental rules breakers pay for their crimes is crucial. That can happen only if agencies at every level of government charged with monitoring chemical and other dangerous facilities do their jobs. They cant put job creation above environmental protection. Voters should show the door to politicians who urge officials to join their club of corporate sycophants. Meanwhile, more workers need to find their voice and remember: when you see something, say something. Dont be afraid to tell a supervisor that you noticed a leaky valve or improperly stored materials or inadequate safety procedures. Then say if he or she doesnt report the problem to the appropriate regulatory agency, you will. Say you would rather be fired than become a fatality. Some workplace incidents are unavoidable. Others never would have occurred if someone who saw something, said something. Anyone can do that. Just open your mouth and speak to whoever will listen. Dont let your silence seal your fate. Regarding Texas GOPs Big 3 still pushing tax swap (City/State, Saturday): Facing a rapidly changing political landscape, the three most powerful elected Republican politicians in Texas have seemingly forgotten their history and the lessons of Presidents Nixon and H.W. Bush. Just a reminder, Nixon authorized an illegal burglary, while Bush, after his read my lips comment raised taxes anyway. Both were practically shoo-ins for re-election. History tells us that the voters didnt forgive or forget. It seems our present state leaders have similarly lost their vision of reality. Raising sales taxes on just about everything necessary to everyday people is not a good idea. Raising taxes while ignoring the essential problem vested in the broken appraisal process is not the solution for inequitable property tax relief. I sincerely hope these folks wake up before their ill-advised proposal wastes any more legislative time. Jerry DeFoor, Jersey Village Sweet deal for some I cant help but wonder what a bill to cut property taxes and increase sales taxes will achieve other than benefit those with extravagant homes at the expense of those who cant even afford to own a home, and yet are faced with a higher sales tax. How much sweeter must wealth become? Already theyre enjoying last years tax cuts! Ray Ross, Cypress Public education fix? The state Legislature has decided to increase the sales tax in order to decrease property taxes. This is just shifting the tax burden on Texans from property to sales; it does nothing to increase the revenue the state needs in order to properly fund our public education system. More of the tax burden will shift from property owners (including big business) to the general public. With their disdain for taxes, the GOP has painted itself into a corner as far as raising revenue to pay for our state government. The larger the population gets, the more revenue the state will need to provide our citizens with the services we need. The present tax system cannot do this. Something has to change. Taxes are the price we pay for the society we live in. We get what we are willing to pay for. Gonzalo Martinez, La Porte Sales tax not the answer The proposed legislation sounds good on the surface, but it does not do anything to slow the rate of property taxes on those with homestead exemptions . The proposed legislation may limit tax rate increases by local government agencies, but it does not limit the rate of valuation increases by the county appraisal districts. Homesteaded properties can see increases of up to 10 percent per year as long as the taxable (appraised) value does not exceed the appraised market value. Therefore in a rising economy with increasing home values, the taxes on a homesteaded home can still increase by more than 3.5 percent. In the past, most political units have allowed the county appraisal districts to increase values and therefore increase tax collections without having to increase tax rates, which would require facing the voters; they just blame the tax increase on the local appraisal district. To be truly effective both the rate of appraised value increases and a property tax rates must be controlled. An increase in the sales tax is not the answer. L. Myers, Houston Would you let a stranger eavesdrop in your home and keep the recordings? For most people, the answer is, "Are you crazy?" Yet that's essentially what Amazon has been doing to millions of us with its assistant Alexa in microphone-equipped Echo speakers. And it's hardly alone: Bugging our homes is Silicon Valley's next frontier. Many smart-speaker owners don't realize it, but Amazon keeps a copy of everything Alexa records after it hears its name. Apple's Siri, and until recently Google's Assistant, by default also keep recordings to help train their artificial intelligences. So come with me on an unwelcome walk down memory lane. I listened to four years of my Alexa archive and found thousands of fragments of my life: spaghetti-timer requests, joking houseguests and random snippets of "Downton Abbey." There were even sensitive conversations that somehow triggered Alexa's "wake word" to start recording, including my family discussing medication and a friend conducting a business deal. PERSONALIZED: Are targeted ads stalking you? Make them stop. If you have an Echo, you can listen to your own Alexa archive here. Let me know what you unearth. For as much as we fret about snooping apps on our computers and phones, our homes are where the rubber really hits the road for privacy. It's easy to rationalize away concerns by thinking a single smart speaker or appliance couldn't know enough to matter. But across the increasingly connected home, there's a brazen data grab going on, and there are few regulations, watchdogs or common-sense practices to keep it in check. Let's not repeat the mistakes of Facebook in our smart homes. Any personal data that's collected can and will be used against us. An obvious place to begin: Alexa, stop recording us. - - - "Eavesdropping" is a sensitive word for Amazon, which has battled lots of consumer confusion about when, how and even who is listening to us when we use an Alexa device. But much of this problem is of its own making. Alexa keeps a record of what it hears every time an Echo speaker activates. It's supposed to only record with a "wake word" - "Alexa!" - but anyone with one of these devices knows they go rogue. I counted dozens of times when mine recorded without a legitimate prompt. (Amazon says it has improved the accuracy of "Alexa" as a wake word by 50 percent over the past year.) What can you do to stop Alexa from recording? Amazon's answer is straight out of the Facebook playbook: "Customers have control," it says - but the product's design clearly isn't meeting our needs. You can manually delete past recordings if you know exactly where to look and remember to keep going back. You cannot actually stop Amazon from making these recordings, aside from muting the Echo's microphone (defeating its main purpose) or unplugging the darn thing. LOCK IT DOWN: How to update your router's firmware and improve its security Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, but I review all tech with the same critical eye. Amazon says it keeps our recordings to improve products, not to sell them. (That's also a Facebook line.) But anytime personal data sticks around, it's at risk. Remember the family that had Alexa accidentally send a recording of a conversation to a random contact? We've also seen judges issue warrants for Alexa recordings. Alexa's voice archive made headlines most recently when Bloomberg discovered Amazon employees listen to recordings to train its artificial intelligence. Amazon acknowledged some of those employees also have access to location information for the devices that made the recordings. Saving our voices is not just an Amazon phenomenon. Apple, which is much more privacy-minded in other aspects of the smart home, also keeps copies of conversations with Siri. Apple says voice data is assigned a "random identifier and is not linked to individuals" - but exactly how anonymous can a recording of your voice be? I don't understand why Apple doesn't give us the ability to say not to store our recordings. The unexpected leader on this issue is Google. It also used to record all conversations with its Assistant, but last year quietly changed its defaults to not record what it hears after the prompt "Hey, Google." But if you're among the people who previously set up Assistant, you probably need to readjust your settings (check here) to "pause" recordings. I'm not the only one who thinks saving recordings is too close to bugging. Last week, the California State Assembly's privacy committee advanced an Anti-Eavesdropping Act that would require makers of smart speakers to get consent from customers before storing recordings. The Illinois Senate recently passed a bill on the same issue. Neither are much of a stretch: Requiring permission to record someone in private is enshrined in many state laws. "They are giving us false choices. We can have these devices and enjoy their functionality and how they enhance our lives without compromising our privacy," Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, R, the bill's sponsor, told me. "Welcome to the age of surveillance capitalism." - - - Inspired by what I found in my Alexa voice archive, I wondered: What other activities in my smart home are tech companies recording? I found enough personal data to make even the East German secret police blush. HANG UP: Robocalls flooding your cellphone? Here's how to stop them When I'm up for a midnight snack, Google knows. My Nest thermostat, made by Google, reports back to its servers' data in 15-minute increments about not only the climate in my house, but also whether there's anyone moving around (as determined by a presence sensor used to trigger the heat). You can delete your account, but otherwise Nest saves it indefinitely. Then there are lights, which can reveal what time you go to bed and do almost anything else. My Philips Hue-connected lights track every time they're switched on and off - data the company keeps forever if you connect to its cloud service (which is required to operate them with Alexa or Assistant). Every kind of appliance now is becoming a data-collection device. My Chamberlain MyQ garage opener lets the company keep - again, indefinitely - a record of every time my door opens or closes. My Sonos speakers, by default, track what albums, playlists or stations I've listened to, and when I press play, pause, skip or pump up the volume. At least they only hold on to my sonic history for six months. And now the craziest part: After quizzing these companies about data practices, I learned most are sharing what's happening in my home with Amazon, too. Our data is the price of entry for devices that want to integrate with Alexa. Amazon's not only eavesdropping - it's tracking everything happening in your home. Amazon acknowledges it collects data about third-party devices even when you don't use Alexa to operate them. It says Alexa needs to know the "state" of your devices "to enable a great smart home experience." But keeping a record of this data is more useful to them than to us. (A feature called "hunches" lets you know when a connected device isn't in its usual state, such as a door that's not locked at bedtime, but I've never found it helpful.) You can tell Amazon to delete everything it has learned about your home, but you can't look at it or stop Amazon from continuing to collect it. Google Assistant also collects data about the state of connected devices. But the company says it doesn't store the history of these devices, even though there doesn't seem to be much stopping it. Apple does the most admirable job operating home devices by collecting as little data as possible. Its HomeKit software doesn't report to Apple any info about what's going on in your smart home. Instead, compatible devices talk directly, via encryption, with your iPhone, where the data stays. - - - Why do tech companies want to hold on to information from our homes? Sometimes they do it just because there's little stopping them - and they hope it might be useful in the future. Ask the companies why, and the answer usually involves AI. "Any data that is saved is used to improve Siri," Apple said. HEY GOOGLE!: Google's AI Assistant aims to transcend the smart speaker "Alexa is always getting smarter, which is only possible by training her with voice recordings to better understand requests, provide more accurate responses, and personalize the customer experience," Beatrice Geoffrin, director of Alexa privacy, said in a statement. The recordings also help Alexa learn different accents and understand queries about recurring events such as the Olympics, she said. Noah Goodman, a computer science and psychology professor at Stanford University, told me it's true that AI needs data to get smarter. "Technically, it is not unreasonable what they are saying," he said. Today's natural language-processing systems need to rerun their algorithms over old data to learn. Without the easy access to data, their progress might slow - unless the computer scientists make their systems more efficient. But then he takes his scientist hat off. "As a human, I agree with you. I don't have one of these speakers in my house," Goodman said. We want to benefit from AI that can set a timer or save energy when we don't need the lights on. But that doesn't mean we're also opening our homes to tech companies as a lucrative source of data to train their algorithms, mine our lives and maybe lose in the next big breach. This data should belong to us. What we lack is a way to understand the transformation that data and AI are bringing to our homes. Think of "Downton Abbey": In those days, rich families could have human helpers who were using their intelligence to observe and learn their habits, and make their lives easier. Breakfast was always served exactly at the specified time. But the residents knew to be careful about what they let the staff see and hear. Fast-forward to today. We haven't come to terms that we're filling our homes with even nosier digital helpers. Said Goodman: "We don't think of Alexa or the Nest quite that way, but we should." Get more tasty tech news at TechBurger. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to the Chronicle for regular access to TechBurger stories and to be able to comment. 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. 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OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. The sale of Life Fitness, expected to close during the second quarter, winnows Brunswicks holdings to its marine engine and boat segments. The division, which includes everything from Mercury Marine engines to boat lines such as Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Lund and Sea Ray, represents more than 80 percent of Brunswicks revenue. Its an area that hasnt historically been part of the day-to-day work of pediatrics, Newport said. Although we can do it, because it has generally been more in the realm of the psychiatrists, its going to be more effective and appropriate to be prescribing medications and adjusting dosages in concert with mental health professionals, rather than doing it entirely on our own. Investigative journalist Vadym Komarov is in a coma after being assaulted by an unidentified person on 4th May. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) join their affiliate the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) in condemning the attack and urge the Ukrainian authorities to ensure a safe working environment for journalists and bring those responsible to justice. According to the police, Komarov was attacked early in the morning on 4th May as he was walking in the city centre of Cherkasy, Ukraine. He was severely beaten and hospitalised. The police have launched a criminal case into a murder attempt. A local journalist, Komarov wrote frequently on issues such as corruption, embezzlement of budget funds or illegal construction. In 2016 he survived a shooting. NUJU chairman, Sergiy Tomilenko, said: Vadym Komarov is in intensive care in an extremely difficult condition. His job often irritated many in Cherkassy who had power and a lot of money. We urge the police to properly investigate this brutal attack against a journalist. No one in Ukraine should be allowed to intimidate journalists with impunity. IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: We join our affiliate in strongly condemning this brutal assault. We express our solidarity with Vadym and his family. Reporters investigating corruption are essential to democracy and it is important that the authorities protect them. Now those responsible must be brought to justice because impunity encourages a climate of violence against journalists. NUJU has already recorded 23 physical attacks on journalists in 2019. Imperial Valley News Center Lori Isenberg Sentenced in Wire Fraud and Federal Program Theft Case Coeur dAlene, Idaho - Laurecene (Lori) Barnes Isenberg, 65, of Coeur dAlene, was sentenced on April 30, to 60 months in prison for wire fraud and theft from a federal program, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Isenberg to 60 months in federal prison and ordered Isenberg to pay $579,495.75 in restitution as well as a $20,000 fine. After her prison term is up Isenberg will serve three years on supervised release during which time she will report to a federal probation officer. During Isenbergs sentencing, victim impact statements were made by the North Idaho Housing Coalition President and the Idaho Housing and Finance Association Program Manager. Both outlined how Isenbergs theft from the nonprofit prohibited the nonprofit Coalition from helping low income families find affordable housing. Additionally it was noted that nonprofits are overseen by a volunteer board who rely on honest employees to fulfill the mission of the organization. They explained how sophisticated Isenbergs scheme was. According to court records, Isenberg admitted to stealing $579,495.75 from the North Idaho Housing Coalition which was funded in part with grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development administered through the Idaho Housing and Finance Association. Isenberg was the executive director when she engaged in a scheme to submit false invoices and expenses for payment. These invoices were often submitted in the names of companies she set up in her daughters names. On May 1, 2019, Isenbergs remaining two daughters, Tracy Tesch, 34, of Rathdrum, Idaho and April Barnes, 42, of Coeur dAlene, were sentenced by Judge Lodge for conspiracy to commit program theft. Tesch was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay $15,356.75 in restitution. Barnes was sentenced to one month of home detention, three years probation, and ordered to pay $11,585.92 in restitution. Judge Lodge also ordered both to complete 100 hours of community service. In total, four of Isenbergs daughters pled guilty to conspiracy to commit program theft in connection with Isenbergs offense. Collectively, the four daughters were ordered to pay over $58,000 in restitution. Judge Lodge noted Isenbergs crime affected many needy people. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Coeur dAlene City Police Department. Imperial Valley News Center Crisis and suicide prevention services struggle with demand after celebrity suicides Washington, DC - The United States may lack the resources needed to meet increases in demand for suicide prevention services that occur after celebrity suicides, according to a recent study of crisis mental health services. The study, conducted by a team of researchers, which included scientists from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, highlights the need for suicide prevention hotlines to procure additional funds, allocate existing funds more efficiently, and develop contingency plans to accommodate increases in call volumes, particularly for the first two days after a celebrity suicide. The findings appear in the journal Psychiatric Services. Suicide prevention is a significant public health concern and a top priority for NIMH, said Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIMH. This study highlights the importance of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and other crisis mental health services, and the need to build surge capacity of these services that could help save lives. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people in the U.S. between the ages of 10 and 34, and the suicide rate continues to rise. Suicide rates generally follow predictable patterns, with increases in the spring and a second, smaller increase in early summer. But certain events, like highly-publicized celebrity suicides, can serve as shocks that cause a sudden spike in suicide deaths. To test the ability of crisis mental health services to meet a sudden increase in demand for help, this study looked at increases in suicide rates within 30 days of Robin Williams suicide on Aug. 11, 2014. It also looked at changes in help - and information-seeking related to suicide, and changes in the percent of calls the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) was able to answer after Williams death. The researchers used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics Compressed Mortality File to compare the number of suicide deaths and the method of suicide in the 30 days before and after Aug. 11, 2014, and for the same time period in 2012 and 2013. In 2012-2014, there was an average of 113-117 suicide deaths per day; after Williams suicide, the average rate increased to 142 suicide deaths per day, something not observed in 2012 or 2013. Approximately two-thirds of the people who died by suicide immediately after the actors death used the same method of suicide as Williams. The study also examined the number of calls placed to NSPL immediately before and after Williams ended his life to measure whether media coverage of his death prompted more people to reach out for help. The day after he died, the number of calls increased by up to 300 percent - from between 4,000 to 6,000 calls per day to 12,972. However, without capacity to respond to this increased demand for crisis services, the fraction of answered calls decreased from an average of 73 percent to 57 percent, which highlights a gap in the ability of the NSPL to respond to surges in calls for help. To measure information-seeking behavior, the study looked at visits to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SRPC) (link is external) and Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) (link is external) websites. In the week before Williams died, the SPRC website averaged 2,315 visits per day. The day after his death, there were 5,981 visits to the site. The SAVE website averaged 4,239 visits per day in the week before he died, and 24,819 visits on August 12. Average daily visits to both sites remained consistently higher for the rest of the month of August. The study suggests that both efficient allocation of existing funds and procuring new funding will be critical to continue meeting the demand for crisis mental health services, including surge capacity. Crisis mental health services, such as suicide prevention hotlines and websites, provide effective counseling and vital resources for people in suicide distress. We need to ensure these services have sufficient resources to serve the public 24/7, especially in times of increased demand, said Jane Pearson, Ph.D., chair of the Suicide Research Consortium in NIMHs Division of Services and Intervention Research. Shocking events, like Mr. Williams suicide, disrupt normal patterns in suicide rates, and cause an increase in both calls for help and imitative suicides, said lead researcher Rajeev Ramchand, Ph.D., of the Cohen Veterans Network. This highlights the need for additional and consistent support for crisis mental health services, including hospital emergency departments, law enforcement, poison control centers, and health departments, as well as the mental health resources that serve as referral sources. Stephen ORahilly, MD, Named American Diabetes Associations 2019 Banting Medal Recipient for Scientific Achievement Arlington, Virginia - The American Diabetes Association (ADA) will present the 2019 Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement, the ADAs highest honor, to Stephen ORahilly, MD. The Banting Medal recognizes significant, long-term contributions to the understanding, treatment or prevention of diabetes. Dr. ORahilly will be recognized with this honor during the ADAs 79th Scientific Sessions, June 7-11, 2019, at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, and will deliver his Banting Medal Lecture, titled Treasure Your ExceptionsStudying Human Extreme Phenotypes to Illuminate Metabolic Health and Disease, during the President, Medicine and Science Address on Sunday, June 9. Dr. ORahilly currently serves as Professor of Clinical Biochemistry & Medicine and Head of the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge and is renowned for his contributions in identifying novel extreme human metabolic phenotypes; discovering and characterizing numerous genes important in metabolic function and dysfunction; and developing new diagnostic and therapeutic applications now established in clinical practice. Dr. ORahillys illustrious contributions include the discovery of novel genetic mutations associated with defects in insulin signaling. He first demonstrated the importance of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPAR) in glucose regulation and blood pressure. Dr. ORahilly was also the first to identify and describe several mutations causing human obesity, said the ADAs 2019 President of Medicine and Science Louis H. Philipson, MD, PhD, FACP. Congratulations to Dr. ORahilly on this much-deserved honor, and we thank him for his paradigm-shifting contributions to our knowledge of diabetes and diabetes risk-states. Beyond his research contributions, Dr. ORahilly established a centrally funded national service providing diagnostic and therapeutic input to patients with severe insulin resistance in the UK. Furthermore, he launched the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge and has mentored many leading scientists around the world, including Ismaa Sadaf Farooqi, PhD, recipient of the ADAs 2019 Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award. The American Diabetes Associations 79th Scientific Sessions, the worlds largest scientific meeting focused on diabetes research, prevention and care, will be held June 7-11, 2019, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. Nearly 15,000 leading physicians, scientists, health care professionals and industry representatives from around the world are expected to convene at the Scientific Sessions to unveil cutting-edge research, treatment recommendations and advances toward a cure for diabetes. During the five-day meeting, attendees will receive exclusive access to more than 850 presentations and 2,000 original research presentations, participate in provocative and engaging exchanges with leading diabetes experts, and can earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) or Continuing Education (CE) credits for educational sessions. The program is grouped into eight thematic areas: Acute and Chronic Complications; Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Education and Exercise; Clinical Diabetes/Therapeutics; Epidemiology/Genetics; Immunology/Transplantation; Insulin Action/Molecular Metabolism; Integrated Physiology/Obesity; and Islet Biology/Insulin Secretion. Gretchen Youssef, MS, RDN, CDE, President of Health Care and Education, will deliver her address, Its All about Access!, on Saturday, June 8, and Louis H. Philipson, MD, PhD, FACP, President of Medicine and Science, will address attendees on Sunday, June 9. Join the Scientific Sessions conversation on social media using #ADA2019. About the American Diabetes Association Approximately every 21 seconds, someone in the United States is diagnosed with diabetes. Nearly half of the American adult population has diabetes or prediabetes, and more than 30 million adults and children are living with the disease. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nations leading voluntary health organization on a mission to prevent and cure diabetes, as well as improve the lives of all people affected by the disease. For nearly 80 years, the ADA has driven discovery by funding research to treat, manage and prevent all types of diabetes, while working relentlessly for a cure. Magnifying the urgency of this epidemic, the ADA works to safeguard policies and programs that protect people with the illness, those at risk of developing diabetes and the health care professionals who serve them by initiating programs, advocacy and education efforts that can lead to improved health outcomes and quality of life. Seeds&Chips Global Food Innovation Summit 2019: Sparking Change Milan, Italy - The fifth edition of the Seeds&Chips Global Food Innovation Summit May 6-9, 2019 will gather a community of entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, leaders, and activists that push for a sustainable future in food and agriculture. Food Tank President Danielle Nierenberg will participate in the summit, held in Milan, Italy, to inspire solutions for feeding the future. The summit will gather speakers tasked with inspiring attendees to do more for a sustainable food future. Award-winning actor and activist Alec Baldwin will talk about feeding the world and reducing environmental impacts in a keynote presentation. Innovators like Fabrice DeClerck, Science Director at EAT & Bioversity International, and Thomas King, founder and CEO of Food Frontier, will discuss optimizing foodtech sector. Amongst many special guests, HRH Princess Viktoria de Bourbon de Parme and Olusegum Obasanjo, Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will highlight opportunities for sustainable development and agriculture around the world. On May 6, Danielle will participate in the Opening Ceremony and the session Hand Made Tale: The Innovative Women Solving Our Global Food Challenges with women like Susan Rockefeller, Board Member of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture and Angeline Achariya, CEO of Monash Food Innovation Centre. Danielle will discuss collaborations in the foodtech sector at Common Ground: Synergy and Solutions for the Next Food System on May 7, alongside innovative business executives. In the May 8 session The Food Fight: podcast debates on the food systems biggest challenges, hosted by EIT Food, Danielle will explore whether producers or consumers should be responsible for ensuring people eat healthy food with nutritionists and CEOs alike. Food Tanks Francesca Tabor will judge the Sustainable Snacking Pitch Competition, co-hosted by Mondelez International and Seeds&Chips, on May 6. The pitch competition will gather start-ups and entrepreneurs to share their innovative solutions in not only alternative snacks and ingredients, but also food waste reduction, sustainable packaging, sustainable sourcing, responsible supply chain practices, and more. Competition winners, selected by SnackFutures, Seeds&Chips, and Food Tank, will gain access to Mondelezs innovation acceleration workshops which will allow Mondelez teams to help refine the solutions concepts. On May 7, Food Tank, Mondelez International, and Seeds&Chips will co-host an evening panel event at Carlo e Camilla, in Segheria, a renowned restaurant reinventing conviviality around the dinner table. On the backdrop of hors doeuvres specially designed by chefs Carlo Cracco and Luca Pedata, Danielle will discuss Mondelezs new innovation hub for creating a sustainable food systemSnackFutureswith Brigette Wolf, Head of SnackFutures. Then, Danielle will invite Danielle Gould, founder of Food + Tech Connect and co-CEO of Alpha Food Labs, and Pashon Murray, founder of Detroit Dirt, on stage to talk about the contributions companies play in food and sustainability. Seeds&Chips will debut a new discussion series Its Time for Africa, focusing on Africas potential in growing a sustainable and inclusive economyand a model for development across the world. Danielle will participate in the inaugural series on May 7 at the session Bridging the Gap between Surplus and Scarcity: Opportunities of Food Innovation, offering insight on the opportunities food innovation offers for social and economic development in Africa. As part of its mission to create a better food system for future generations, the summit will feature food innovators as young as 13 years old on each of the over 30 sessions. With the pressure of the rising population, increasing number of hungry people, and arriving climate change impacts, the young innovators will offer new directions and innovative solutions to sustainably feed everyone. Over 300 speakers throughout the event will contribute their solutions to improve precision agriculture, traceability, artificial intelligence, investment, open innovation, and more. Exhibitors will include companies and innovations from every part of the food system, ranging from Agtools, data services to help farmers maximize their farms and buyers understand product availability, to Redefine Meat, a 3-D printing plant-based beef company. Tickets are still available here. Access a 50 percent discount by using the code FOODTANKSAC19. Thousands of U.S. small businesses may receive an employment boost just in time for summer. The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has cleared a plan to issue 30,000 extra seasonal H-2B visas in the coming months, according to the Wall Street Journal. The move, which would raise the total number of Summer 2019 visas for temporary foreign workers from 33,000 to 63,000, was first announced last month by the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Labor. Only 15,000 such additional workers were allowed into the country last year, across the summer and winter months combined. Then, in January, U.S. employers shocked the Department of Labor by requesting more than 96,000 H-2B visas--so many that the department's online processing system, iCERT, crashed. "Ultimately, the goal is to hire locally," Mike Williams, lodging manager at Royal Anchor, a family-owned seashore resort in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, told Inc. at the time. "But it's impossible for a seasonal business that is only open for six months." That echoes a growing trend among seasonal businesses, many of which have struggled in recent years to keep themselves staffed during busy seasons. Some have dealt with the low numbers of H-2B visas allowed by finding creative workarounds like hiring workers from U.S. territories like Puerto Rico, who don't need immigrant visas. Somewhere between Jackpocket's Series A and Series B financing rounds, founder and CEO Peter Sullivan realized he needed more managers. His small team--including his three co-founders--was stretched too thin to handle the New York City-based lottery app's increasingly complicated finances. Meanwhile, the growing demands on Sullivan's time made it difficult for him to continue overseeing day-to-day operations: "I wasn't at the office when people needed me the most," he admits. But hiring people to manage his original partners and early employees has been a tricky process, one that many founders of fast-growing startups must navigate. If mishandled, you can hurt feelings--or, worse, unintentionally lose the people who helped get your company off the ground. "You want to make sure people are appreciated," as Sullivan puts it. "Doing an org chart right now is definitely delicate." Such organizational shifts, in which outside talent comes on to lead legacy staff, are commonplace. Nearly 40 percent of companies invest more in recruiting externally than in training and promoting employees, according to a 2018 survey by management consultancy Korn Ferry. But hiring external managers is particularly challenging for startups that, like Jackpocket, need new bosses for early-stage employees. "When new managers come into a business that you've helped build, it can be a trauma," says David Wise, who leads Korn Ferry's North American private equity group. "There's a natural inclination to be suspicious of any newcomers, because they don't know the business or the culture and there's a risk that they will mess up what you've worked so hard to build." So if your company now needs to hire above your existing staff, start by being transparent with those legacy employees. "Let them know you're considering it," says Alan Cutter, CEO of recruiting firm AC Lion. "You give them the reasons and you allow them to speak their minds, and then you empower them to actually interview the candidate." Next, gently remind your team that they have a vested interest in growing the company. "If you have employees who are at an early-stage startup, a lot of times they have equity," says Bonnie Zaben, AC Lion's chief operating officer. Their options become more valuable as the company becomes profitable, so early-stage employees often stand to benefit when experienced moneymakers join the team. It's also important to implement a robust interview process, to demonstrate to your employees that the person you will be bringing in above them is truly qualified to take over. "The team has to really respect this person and want to work with them," says Michael Mandel, CEO of New York City-based CompStak, a crowdsourced commercial real estate data platform. "You've got to feel really good about the hire." Some startups even invite more junior employees to attend final presentations by senior-level job candidates. For example, real estate service Perch, also in New York City, is hiring a head of design, and plans to have a product designer attend those candidates' presentations. Inviting employees to vet a potential manager "is helpful for us to get their feedback and also just helps them see, 'Oh, wow. I'm really impressed with this person's work and I can really learn a lot from them,' " says Phil DeGisi, Perch's co-founder and head of growth. Still, you have to expect--and even embrace--some turnover as you hire above your original team. "I used to pound the table in jest and say, 'Nobody leaves,' but the fact is that's not always a good thing," says Arun Gupta, CEO of Grailed, an online marketplace for menswear in New York. "When you're very small, you have to do what you need to do to survive to get to the next stage. You have to make pragmatic choices." Monetization is one of the biggest challenges for social media marketers. It's nice when a post about a business gets a lot of engagement, but the end goal is always to increase sales. Marketers often struggle with this process of turning buzz into buyers. Last week, Instagram announced some new features that will make it easier for businesses to sell products through the social media platform. Earlier this year, Instagram launched a new system that would allow app users to buy products through the app. Instagram Checkouts was a massive step in the right direction in making it easier for brands to monetize their social media accounts. Now, Instagram is making it easier to tag products in posts that can be purchased through Instagram Checkouts. For businesses that are a part of the trial for the new feature, they can tag products that are in shopping posts on Instagram. When someone clicks the image for more information about the items shown, they will get the option to purchase items they see through Instagram. Once the customer clicks, they are taken to a page within the app where they can customize the order (e.g., get the correct size) and then checkout. Allowing customers to checkout from within the app eliminates one of the most significant barriers to monetizing a social media channel. People don't want to leave the app to visit another site. Keeping the checkout internal to Instagram removes that issue and makes it easier for people to seamlessly shop while enjoying Instagram. Adding the ability to tag items in photos and link them to products for sale could be a valuable tool for brands and content creators involved with influencer marketing. By making it easier to shop for the items they see in an Instagram photo, companies can see higher returns on this marketing tactic. Camila Coelho, an influencer on Instagram that is a part of the trial, explained the benefits of the new feature. Speaking of the new feature, Coelho stated, "What I share on Instagram is a window into what inspires me, especially when it comes to my personal style. I'm constantly posting photos and videos in my favorite fashion and beauty looks because I want to share what I love with my community. My followers are always asking in comments and DM's about what brands I'm wearing or where to buy certain pieces -shopping tags will make it so much easier to give my followers the information they're looking for with a single tap. The days of screenshotting, saving to your camera roll, and scavenger hunting to find my go-to products are gone!" Currently, the Checkouts feature is only available to select retailers on Instagram who signed up for the beta. You have to be in the Checkouts beta to be considered for the trial of the new tagging feature. This new feature from Instagram is still undergoing beta testing, but businesses can apply to be part of the trial. The initial test will include dozens of creators, including well-known brands like Vogue, GQ, Kylie Jenner, and Elle USA. Unless youve been living under a huge pile of old newspapers, empty fast food cartons and bags of your own waste, you cant have failed to notice that one of this years big wellness trends is all about being clean. Not just in your body but in your home. Instagram is full of #cleanspo (thats cleaning inspiration), with a niche neat freak to suit every taste and style. From Japan theres Marie Kondo, a kawaii manga heroine in neat pastel cardigans, whose Insta feed is minimalist perfection. Kondos Netflix show Tidying Up With Marie Kondo in which she applied her KonMari method to the homes of some of Americas biggest pack rats, saw charity shop donations in the Washington DC area leap 66% as viewers were inspired to declutter. Closer to home, theres Lynsey Crombie, the queen of clean, a 40-something mother of three from Peterborough, offers more realistic aspirations for anyone with children and pets. Her Instagram feed, which has 140, 000 followers, is a riot of colour (mostly pink) and offers such gems as happiness is a freshly cleaned house and being an adult is like folding a fitted sheet. No one really knows how. I suspect Ms Crombie does. Most Game of Thrones fans are currently wondering who will end up on the Iron Throne, but George R R Martin has his eyes set on a whole other political battle one taking place in the real world. The author publicly picked a side in the 2020 presidential race over the weekend, backing Joe Biden in a blog post. I was pleased that Joe Biden finally announced his candidacy for president, Martin wrote. There are a lot of good Democrats running, maybe too many, and Id probably vote for any one of them over the present blot upon the Oval Office. Martin explained that hes looking for a nominee who can beat Trump as well as someone who would actually be a good/great president. 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 Biden qualifies on both counts, he added. Also, the speech he gave announcing his run was kickass... and so, so true. I wish him well. Martin appeared to be referring to the speech given by Biden in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, last week after he officially announced his presidential run. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Biden said among other remarks: The only thing that can tear America apart is America itself. Everybody knows who Donald Trump is. And I believe I believe in hope. We have to let them know who we are. We Democrats, we independents who have the same view have to choose hope over fear, unity over division, and most importantly truth over lies. A tree fungus that is having a devastating impact on Britains native flora could cost the country 15bn, research has found. Ash dieback, first found in the UK in 2012, is expected to kill 95-99 per cent of Britains ash trees and scientists have said it is not possible to cure or halt. Researchers shocked by the results estimate the disease could cost the UK 7bn within the next decade, citing the expense of clearing dead and dying trees and lost benefits such as carbon sequestration and water and air purification. The total cost is 50 times larger than Britains annual live plants trade, which is the main route for invasive plant diseases to enter the country, according to the study carried out by Oxford University, Fera Science, the Sylva Foundation and the Woodland Trust. Nobody has estimated the total cost of a tree disease before, and we were quite shocked at the magnitude of the cost to society, said Dr Louise Hill, researcher at the University of Oxfords Department of Plant Sciences. Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary The suspected figure would equal one-third more than the reported cost of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001, which saw mass culling of livestock. When ash dieback first entered the country, no one could have fully predicted the devastating impact it would have on our native habitats, explained co-author and senior conservation advisor for the Woodland Trust Dr Nick Atkinson. The numbers of invasive tree pests and diseases are increasing rapidly, and this is mostly driven by human activities, such as trade in live plants and climate change, said Dr Hill. Landowners are already spending thousands of pounds as a result of the disease, according to the BBC. Recommended New hope in fight against ash dieback While removing the millions of ash trees which line Britains roads and urban areas will cost billions of pounds, the trees lost ecological benefits account for the majority of the 15bn estimate. The researchers suggest a nationwide replanting scheme could help to replace these lost benefits and reduce the overall cost by 2.5m. They also advocate tightening controls on the plant trade to halt the flow of new diseases. To see how this has also affected our economy speaks volumes for how important tree health is, and that it needs to be taken very seriously, said Dr Atkinson. It is clear that to avoid further economic and ecological impacts, we need to invest more in plant biosecurity measures. This includes better detection, interception and prevention of other pests and diseases entering the country. We need to learn from past mistakes and make sure our countryside avoids yet another blow. Additional reporting by SWNS It was the fifth year in a row that the awards ceremony took place at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The event was hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the five-time Emmy nominee of the ABC show Modern Family. He wasted no time taking shots at some of the food worlds biggest personalities. While making a Marie Kondo joke about getting rid of things that failed to spark joy, he mentioned discarding old Mario Batali cookbooks. (Batali was accused of sexually harassment by a number of women in 2017.) Later in the evening, he claimed to have gotten a message from Cat Cora asking to get in. (Nick Kokonas of Alinea should find that one particularly funny.) How have your travels influenced and inspired your cooking? My cooking has and always will be influenced by travel, from visiting our olive oil producers in Italy, enjoying a great meal on the streets of Istanbul or more recently as a line resident for Great Northern, visiting incredible producers like Flourish Farm or inspirational businesses like Fitzbillies Tim Haywards wonderful reborn bakery both in Cambridge. All of this stuff influences the way I cook, almost by osmosis ingredients are handled differently after tasting something spectacular, which in turn shifts my perspective a little and raises my standards so I try to do what I do, but better. You worked at a number of famous restaurants before opening your own. What lessons did you learn from them? My most formative place I cooked was the River Cafe. A legendary Italian restaurant in west London. I learnt everything there; how to cook, how to source produce, how to eat, to think about food and to manage a team. I t was a great place to work and I was hugely privileged to work with Rose Gray before she sadly passed away. Craft in Greenwich has bee hives on top of the restaurant and uses herbs from the meadow opposite in its cocktails What is the key to having a successful pop-up restaurant? I have no idea! Back in the day (2008 ish), my pop-ups were the first around and people hadnt really come across the concept before. It tapped into an underground scene and suddenly my phone was ringing off the hook. I was just cooking great food in weird locations but these days if you havent got Massimo Bottura cooking a Nepalese wedding feast at the top of a half-built skyscraper, youd barely make a splash. How do you think the London food scene has benefited from pop-ups? We all learnt a lot at the time I was doing it, like how to move fast and create fun cheap experiences with great tasting dishes. Now Im not sure the influence is that positive for the industry as a whole, as the obsession with newness and gimmicks maybe contributes to the tough trading environment the UK hospitality industry is in right now. Parle now runs four restaurants, including this one, Palatino, near Old Street in east London Your first restaurant, Dock Kitchen, which closed in 2017 was one of the original pop-ups. What did the experience teach you about the restaurant industry? So much! That restaurant was a one-off and almost an accident, but I loved it almost like a child. I was sad when the lease ended and I had to move on, but I learned how to create special experiences, how every night was a show and how design impacts experience. Everything really. You worked with designer Tom Dixon on a number of your restaurants. How did your partnership start? Tom was the leaseholder for Portobello Docks where Dock Kitchen was and I was trying to get into the space ahead of him to do a pop-up but the landlord didnt know what we were on about they thought I was going to be a squatter or something! He made some space for me in his show room to have a little restaurant and Ill be forever grateful. It was my first break and I went on to grow the restaurant and then my career off the back of that first opportunity. You own four restaurants: Craft, Sardine, Palatino, and Pastaio. What makes each of them unique? They all serve different food, radically different, but theres a thread running through them, which is quality produce, simple presentations and fun engaged service. Hospitality above all else. Where do you get your food inspiration? Everywhere, design, material, art but mostly produce and travel. Visiting producers really does bring me my best ideas. Thats why my line residency with Great Northern has been so great Ive been able to explore the network and visit new and exciting producers and suppliers that are helping to bring transformative dishes to the table. The ingredients you use are locally sourced. Why is that important to you? I want to be on first name terms with the producers of as many of our ingredients as possible; that connection is really important to me, both emotionally and from a business perspective. Ive spent full days on farms in Cambridge with working horses to see them plough the fields, and with the people behind the produce, really getting to know them and their teams. Knowing where every ingredient comes from on the plates I serve is a feeling like no other, and the experiences inform my cooking. The interiors and bar at the restaurant Craft in Greenwich were designed by Tom Dixon What is your favourite current food trend? Not sure its a trend but the dim sum situation in the UK has improved massively recently and Im all for it! It says on your website that you have a fourth book underway, what can you tell us about that? This one has been a real labour of love years in the making and Im immensely proud of it. I cant reveal too much about it at the moment, but its set for release early next year. What else do you have in store for 2019? Its a big year, I have to finish my book, open a bunch of new restaurants, as well as make the most of my line residency with Great Northern and travel the length and breadth of the UK, discovering new suppliers and develop god knows how many new dishes! stevieparle.co.uk The Duchess of Sussex celebrates her 40th birthday today, almost two months after having given birth to her second child, Lilibet, a baby sister for two-year-old Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced the pregnancy on 14 February when they released an intimate black-and-white photograph with the duchess bump clearly visible, from their home in California. They later revealed they were having a girl when they sat down for their interview with Oprah Winfrey. Since stepping down as senior members of the royal family, the couple have chosen to eschew tradition. The delay in announcing Lilibets birth had been predicted by royal-watchers. Privacy is of utmost importance to Meghan, who kept a low profile after giving birth to her son in 2019. However, she has spoken openly about her desire to become a mother on several occasions in the past and praised motherhood. Here are all the times the duchess has opened up about motherhood: Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks Show all 11 1 /11 Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 14 January 2019 In an unusual style choice for the Duchess, who traditionally favours neutral hues, this ensemble offers a vibrant twist on the colour-blocking trend with a red Sentaler coat, matching heels and a bright purple Aritzia dress. It was a playful choice for the royal couple's visit to Birkenhead Town Hall. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 30 January 2019 The Duchess wore head-to-toe blush for her visit to the National Theatre, where she is now a patron. The ensemble is by US designer Brandon Maxwell but the suede shoes are Aquazurra. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 1 February 2019 Oscar de la Renta can do no wrong when it comes to flirty patterned dresses. This theatrical bird and rose-covered number was an apt choice for the Duchess; visit to Bristol Old Vic. AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 7 February 2019 This Givenchy skirt offers some pizzazz thanks to its knee-high slit and its flattering waistline. Markle paired the look Aquazzura mules and a white collared shirt. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 12 February 2019 Who said you couldn't wear all-white everything? Markle paired her turtleneck Calvin Klein dress with an Amanda Wakeley coat for a gala performance at the Natural History Museum. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 23 February 2019 The Duchess was a lady in red for her visit to Casablanca, Morocco in this bespoke Valentino midi-dress, which she paired with nude court heels and a matching clutch. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 24 February 2019 Markle arrived at a reception hosted by the British Ambassador to Morocco in this full-coverage caped gown by Dior, which came in an opulent shade of champagne. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 25 February 2019 This billowing Carolina Herrera dress was the perfect choice for the Duchess' outing to brace the balmy climes of Rabat, Morocco, where she'd been visiting King Mohammed VI of Morocco with Prince Harry. This hypnotic sea blue gown was a custom-made number, obviously. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 8 March 2019 Proving that maternity hemlines needn't be restricted to one's ankles, Markle stepped out in this 1960s-inspired shift dress by high street label, Reiss. Paired with a black blazer and a pair of matching Manolo Blahnik pumps, it was a classic but delightfully retro look. AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 11 March 2019 The Duchess has a penchant for rich emerald green hues, and this ensemble exemplifies just how suited the shade is to her complexion. The outfit was designed by Erdem, which was a symbolic choice given she wore the Canadian designer's pieces to a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House in London. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 11 March 2019 For the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, the Duchess wore a cream chain-print dress by Victoria Beckham, which made its runway debut just a few weeks ago at London Fashion Week. The look was topped off with a matching pillbox hat, emerald green stilettos and a satin clutch. Getty Images First days of motherhood Prince Harry and Meghan Markle presented their son to the world two days after his birth on Wednesday 8 May 2019, giving royal fans the opportunity to find out exactly how the royal couple were adapting to parenthood. "It's magic, it's pretty amazing," the new mum said while caressing her son's head in Prince Harry's arms in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle. "I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy. (AFP/Getty Images) "He has the sweetest temperament, he's really calm." Meghan later added that her son was a "dream" and that the first days of motherhood had been "special". A family heirloom While speaking to Hello! magazine in 2015, the duchess revealed that she plans on passing on a sentimental gift to her future daughter. The Californian-born royal explained that when she discovered Suits had been renewed for a third season, the legal television drama she starred in from 2011 to 2018, she totally splurged on a 4,200 Cartier French Tank watch. She had the piece engraved with the message To M.M. From M.M. to remind herself of the significance of the piece. The duchess said that she planned to give it to her daughter one day. Ticking off the bucket list In 2015, Ms Markle was interviewed by Best Health magazine about her healthy living regime for the magazines May 2016 cover. During the interview, the then-Suits actor also spoke about her plans for the future. When asked whats on her bucket list, the duchess answered: I want to travel more and I cant wait to start a family, but in due time. Leading a balanced life In 2016, Ms Markle told Lifestyle magazine that her life is more amazing than she ever thought it could be. I dreamt of becoming a successful working actress, which I can now very thankfully tick off the list. And I also dream to have a family, she said. The duchess added that its all about balance, and that having a family would enable her to feel more grounded. Raising a family will be a wonderful part of that, she explained. Time for a bedtime story While answering rapid fire questions for a 2016 interview, Ms Markle was asked what childrens book she couldnt wait to share with her future children. The duchess gave The Giving Tree as her answer, a childrens picture book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. First published in 1964, the book documents the relationship between a young boy and a tree. Taking an interest in baby products Two months prior to their wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle toured the Belfast campus of Northern Irelands next generation science park. During their visit, the couple were introduced to a company called Schnuggle which makes hypoallergenic baby products. Im sure at some point well need the whole thing, Ms Markle said, when perusing the companys range of products. On being a working mother While on tour in Capetown with Harry, Meghan said that juggling royal duties while looking after baby Archie was a lot but it was also all so exciting. Speaking to Lara Rosmarin, chief executive of Cape Innovation and Technology and a mother of two, Meghan said: It must be a lot to juggle. Were only five months in right now. Being a working mum and travelling as well with a baby, my goodness its a lot, but its all so exciting. There are days when its a lot to juggle but then you meet someone and you have an impact on them and you say ah-ha, and its so rewarding. On her future daughter Meghan made a virtual appearance at the Global Citizens VAX Live concert in May and delivered a speech in which she spoke about being thrilled to be welcoming a daughter. Its a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world. When we think of her, we think of all the young women and girls around the globe who must be given the ability and the support to lead us forward. On Monday 6 May 2019, Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had welcomed a baby boy. The arrival of the couple's first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, changed the line of succession for the throne. Despite Prince Harry and Meghan's decision to step away as working members of the royal family in January 2020, their son is seventh in line to the throne. This shift meant that Prince Andrew, the Queen's second eldest son, moved to eighth in line. The first few members of the royal family in the line of succession remain unchanged following Archie's birth. Recommended Meghan Markle and Prince Harry biography to be released this summer Prince Charles, who is first in line, became the longest-serving heir apparent in 2017. The Prince of Wales beat a previous record of 59 years, two months and 13 days set by his great-great-grandfather King Edward VII. Prince Harry's older brother, the Duke of Cambridge, is second in line to the throne. He and the Duchess of Cambridge's three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis follow behind, in third, fourth and fifth place respectively. The Duke of Sussex is sixth in line, which subsequently places his newborn son in seventh place. Infographic created by Statista In April 2018, Princess Charlotte made history as the first female member of the royal family to retain her claim to the throne following the birth of her younger brother. Prior to the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013, a female royals claim to the throne would have been diminished by the arrival of a younger brother. However, as stated by the legislative act when it was passed six years ago: "In determining the succession to the Crown, the gender of a person born after 28 October 2011 does not give that person, or that persons descendants, precedence over any other person (whenever born). Following the announcement of his son's birth a year ago, Prince Harry addressed the press in Windsor, saying that watching his wife give birth was an "amazing experience". Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy Show all 15 1 /15 Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy Royal super fans John Loughery (centre) pops the cork on a bottle of champagne AFP/Getty Images Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy A man dressed as a town crier outside Windsor Castle in Berkshire following the news PA Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy Royal fans outside Windsor Castle in Berkshire after Buckingham Palace announced the news of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new baby boy PA Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy Prince Harry speaks to the media after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a baby boy Reuters Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy Royal super fan Anne Daley poses with baby-themed balloons near Windsor Castle AFP/Getty Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy AFP/Getty Images Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy A notice placed on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in London to formally announcing the birth PA Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy AFP/Getty Images Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy Royal fans celebrate outside Windsor Castle PA Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy AFP/Getty Images Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy PA Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy A man makes an announcement outside Windsor Castle Reuters Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy Royal fan Skye London celebrates the birth of Prince Harry's son AFP/Getty Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy Royal super fans John Loughery (left) and Anne Daley pose with Union flags and baby-themed balloons AFP/Getty Images Royal baby: Reactions to the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy EPA "Im very excited to announced that Meghan. and myself had a baby boy early this morning, a very healthy boy," he said. "How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. "We're both absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support from everybody out there. It's been amazing." The Duchess of Sussex has gone into labour with her first child, Buckingham Palace has announced. The palace announced that the duchess went into labour in the early hours of the morning. The Duke of Sussex was by her side. Royal commentator Omid Scobie tells The Independent that there were "cheers" across the town of Windsor as the news broke that the duchess is in labour. "Given the past tense used to describe Meghan being in labour this morning, we are expecting an announcement from the palace about the birth imminently," Scobie adds. "This is exactly how the couple wanted to share such a special moment with the world. Although we are likely to receive news of the birth today, we wont be seeing Baby Sussex until later this week." Recommended Latest updates on the royal baby The baby will be seventh in line to the throne and Queen Elizabeth IIs eighth great-grandchild. The birth will be announced with an email to the press and a celebratory tweet posted on the royal family's Twitter feed. The babys arrival will also be announced via a typewritten, framed bulletin placed on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. The bulletin is commonly brought out of the Privy Purse door after it is driven to the palace by car from the hospital, and signed by the medical team which attends the royal birth. It will include details as to the babys sex, time of birth, as well as a status confirming the health of the mother and child. Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks Show all 11 1 /11 Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 14 January 2019 In an unusual style choice for the Duchess, who traditionally favours neutral hues, this ensemble offers a vibrant twist on the colour-blocking trend with a red Sentaler coat, matching heels and a bright purple Aritzia dress. It was a playful choice for the royal couple's visit to Birkenhead Town Hall. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 30 January 2019 The Duchess wore head-to-toe blush for her visit to the National Theatre, where she is now a patron. The ensemble is by US designer Brandon Maxwell but the suede shoes are Aquazurra. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 1 February 2019 Oscar de la Renta can do no wrong when it comes to flirty patterned dresses. This theatrical bird and rose-covered number was an apt choice for the Duchess; visit to Bristol Old Vic. AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 7 February 2019 This Givenchy skirt offers some pizzazz thanks to its knee-high slit and its flattering waistline. Markle paired the look Aquazzura mules and a white collared shirt. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 12 February 2019 Who said you couldn't wear all-white everything? Markle paired her turtleneck Calvin Klein dress with an Amanda Wakeley coat for a gala performance at the Natural History Museum. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 23 February 2019 The Duchess was a lady in red for her visit to Casablanca, Morocco in this bespoke Valentino midi-dress, which she paired with nude court heels and a matching clutch. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 24 February 2019 Markle arrived at a reception hosted by the British Ambassador to Morocco in this full-coverage caped gown by Dior, which came in an opulent shade of champagne. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 25 February 2019 This billowing Carolina Herrera dress was the perfect choice for the Duchess' outing to brace the balmy climes of Rabat, Morocco, where she'd been visiting King Mohammed VI of Morocco with Prince Harry. This hypnotic sea blue gown was a custom-made number, obviously. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 8 March 2019 Proving that maternity hemlines needn't be restricted to one's ankles, Markle stepped out in this 1960s-inspired shift dress by high street label, Reiss. Paired with a black blazer and a pair of matching Manolo Blahnik pumps, it was a classic but delightfully retro look. AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 11 March 2019 The Duchess has a penchant for rich emerald green hues, and this ensemble exemplifies just how suited the shade is to her complexion. The outfit was designed by Erdem, which was a symbolic choice given she wore the Canadian designer's pieces to a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House in London. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 11 March 2019 For the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, the Duchess wore a cream chain-print dress by Victoria Beckham, which made its runway debut just a few weeks ago at London Fashion Week. The look was topped off with a matching pillbox hat, emerald green stilettos and a satin clutch. Getty Images Breaking from royal tradition, the couple will not pose for photographs with their newborn following the birth, according to an announcement from Buckingham Palace earlier this month. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family, read a section of the statement. Earlier this month, the palace announced it had launched a verified Instagram account, under the handle @sussexroyal, which went onto break the record for the fastest time to gain one million followers on Instagram. More follows... The Duchess of Sussex has given birth to a baby boy. The announcement was made on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's recently launched Instagram account. "We are pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on May 6th, 2019," the statement reads. "Their Royal Highnesses son weighs 7lbs. 3oz." The announcement adds that the duchess and the newborn are both "healthy and well". Recommended Latest updates on the royal baby "The couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives." More information about the birth of the royal baby will be shared with the public in the coming days. Prince Harry made an announcement in Windsor that he and Meghan have had a baby boy. "Im very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a baby boy earlier this morning, a very healthy boy," the duke said. "Mother and baby are doing incredibly well. Its been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined. "How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension, but were both absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support from everybody out there. Its been amazing, so I just wanted to share this with everybody." The royal couple are currently at Frogmore Cottage with their newborn baby and the Duchess of Sussex's mother, Doria Ragland. "The Duchess's mother, Doria Ragland, who is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, is with Their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage," the royal family said in a statement released on Twitter. "Her Royal Highness and the baby are both doing well." Buckingham Palace has announced that the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the royal family have been informed of the birth. "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news," the palace stated. Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks Show all 11 1 /11 Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 14 January 2019 In an unusual style choice for the Duchess, who traditionally favours neutral hues, this ensemble offers a vibrant twist on the colour-blocking trend with a red Sentaler coat, matching heels and a bright purple Aritzia dress. It was a playful choice for the royal couple's visit to Birkenhead Town Hall. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 30 January 2019 The Duchess wore head-to-toe blush for her visit to the National Theatre, where she is now a patron. The ensemble is by US designer Brandon Maxwell but the suede shoes are Aquazurra. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 1 February 2019 Oscar de la Renta can do no wrong when it comes to flirty patterned dresses. This theatrical bird and rose-covered number was an apt choice for the Duchess; visit to Bristol Old Vic. AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 7 February 2019 This Givenchy skirt offers some pizzazz thanks to its knee-high slit and its flattering waistline. Markle paired the look Aquazzura mules and a white collared shirt. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 12 February 2019 Who said you couldn't wear all-white everything? Markle paired her turtleneck Calvin Klein dress with an Amanda Wakeley coat for a gala performance at the Natural History Museum. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 23 February 2019 The Duchess was a lady in red for her visit to Casablanca, Morocco in this bespoke Valentino midi-dress, which she paired with nude court heels and a matching clutch. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 24 February 2019 Markle arrived at a reception hosted by the British Ambassador to Morocco in this full-coverage caped gown by Dior, which came in an opulent shade of champagne. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 25 February 2019 This billowing Carolina Herrera dress was the perfect choice for the Duchess' outing to brace the balmy climes of Rabat, Morocco, where she'd been visiting King Mohammed VI of Morocco with Prince Harry. This hypnotic sea blue gown was a custom-made number, obviously. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 8 March 2019 Proving that maternity hemlines needn't be restricted to one's ankles, Markle stepped out in this 1960s-inspired shift dress by high street label, Reiss. Paired with a black blazer and a pair of matching Manolo Blahnik pumps, it was a classic but delightfully retro look. AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 11 March 2019 The Duchess has a penchant for rich emerald green hues, and this ensemble exemplifies just how suited the shade is to her complexion. The outfit was designed by Erdem, which was a symbolic choice given she wore the Canadian designer's pieces to a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House in London. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 11 March 2019 For the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, the Duchess wore a cream chain-print dress by Victoria Beckham, which made its runway debut just a few weeks ago at London Fashion Week. The look was topped off with a matching pillbox hat, emerald green stilettos and a satin clutch. Getty Images According to Shutterstock royal photographer Tim Rooke, it will likely be a short while before pictures of the royal baby are released. I don't know when I will be allowed to take the first pictures. I imagine the first pictures will be released via the royal rota," Rooke tells The Independent. "They may decide to do a photo call, which could be quite a while from now, as I imagine that the christening will also be private." Recommended This is the favourite name for the new royal baby Rooke adds that he believes the public are "genuinely happy" for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. "People seem to have a genuine affection for Harry and Meghan," he said. Royal biographer Penny Juror believes Prince Harry has been "quite clever" about ensuring that he and Meghan can enjoy the birth of their child in private. "Now that it's happened, there he was saying it has happened and how exciting it was, which is great, but he did not want the whole circus standing outside the labour ward talking vacuously into television cameras while his poor wife laboured away. So he got what he wanted," Juror tells The Independent. I think theres every likelihood that they will keep the press at arms length and do this in their own way. Harry is very very careful of his privacy." A picture shows an official notice set up on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace announcing the birth of a son to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (Getty Images) A framed notice in honour of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby has been placed on a ceremonial easel on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. "The Queen and the Royal Family are delighted at the news that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex was safely delivered of a son at 05.26am today," the birth notice reads. "Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well." The baby is seventh in line to the throne and is Queen Elizabeth IIs eighth great-grandchild. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced the birth of their second child, a daughter named Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. Earlier in the year, Princess Eugenie, gave birth to a baby boy named August Philip Hawke Brooksbank. To celebrate the new arrivals we took a closer look at some of the most bizarre royal birth traditions. Royal babies are delivered by a royal gynaecologist As per tradition, a royal child is delivered with the assistance of at least one royal doctor. The current royal surgeon-gynaecologist is Alan Farthing, while the royals consultant obstetrician is Guy Thorpe-Beeston. Both medical professionals helped deliver the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges three children, Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Royal gynaecologists Marcus Setchell (C) and Alan Farthing leave the Lindo Wing following the birth of the son of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at St Mary's Hospital on July 22, 2013 in London, England (Getty Images) Sir Marcus Setchell, who was Queen Elizabeth II's surgeon-gynaecologist and who delivered Prince George, has since retired. In his only interview about Prince Georges birth, Sir Marcus described the midwifery team as perfectly wonderful. During an interview on Woman's Hour' BBC Radio 4, the gynaecologist added: "You just keep reminding yourself that although it's very important, for the couple and the about-to-be-born baby, it's just another healthy young couple giving birth to a hopefully very healthy baby. "And I constantly reminded myself of that so that the pressures of the hundreds of media people outside the hospital didn't affect me, at least not more than minimally." The parents dont always have custody of their children A law enacted more than three centuries ago means that the sovereign has full legal custody of their minor grandchildren. The law, called The Grand Opinion for the Prerogative Concerning the Royal Family, was introduced by King George I in 1717. George I did not get along with his son, the future George II, explains royal expert Marlene Koenig previously to The Independent. Members of the Royal Family attend the 2018 Trooping the Colour (Getty Images) I believe it came about when the Prince of Wales [George II] did not want to have the godparent for his son that his father wanted - so George I got Parliament to come up with something. An annual register published in 1772 states that the then King had the care of the royal children and grandchildren, and the presumptive heir to the crown. However, while law dictates that the Queen legally has custody of her minor grandchildren, Koenig doesnt think she would ever act upon the right. I would doubt that the Queen would interfere. [Its] more of a formality, she says. I think the Queen has let her children raise their kids. The birth announcement is displayed on an easel A royal birth is traditionally announced via a bulletin placed on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. The framed typewritten bulletin, which is commonly brought out of the Privy Purse door after it is driven to the palace by car from the birth, is signed by the medical team which attends the royal birth. Senior footman Olivia Smith (L) and footman Heather McDonald place a notice on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in London to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital on April 23, 2018 in London, England (Getty Images) It includes details as to the babys gender, time of birth, as well as a status confirming the health of the mother and child. Following royal births at the Lindo Wing in recent decades, it has also become tradition for the new parents to present their child on the steps of the hospital wards entrance. Royal babies are wrapped in a G.H. Hurt & Sons blanket For their first appearance to the world, royal children are traditionally wrapped in a blanket made by Nottingham-based knitwear company G.H. Hurt & Sons. Prince Charles was the first royal to be bundled in a blanket by the company following his birth back in 1948. Prince George and the Duchess of Cambridge on the steps of the Lindo Wing, St Mary's Hospital (Getty Images) In 2013, Prince George was wrapped in one of the companys ivory white merino wool shawl and Princess Charlotte was bundled in a scalloped edge wrap in 2015. Prince Louis, meanwhile, was wrapped in the companys Nottingham Lace Knitted Baby Shawl following his birth. The name isnt announced for days Following an appearance outside the Lindo Wing, it has become common practice among the royal family not to release the childs name for several days. After Prince George and Princess Charlotte were born, the public waited two days before learning their respective names. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Register The Birth of Their Son Prince George of Cambridge In London (Getty Images) However, it was another three days before Prince Louis name was announced on 27 April to the world. The child will wear a special christening gown It is customary for the royals to pass down a christening robe for the newest member of the family to wear at their christening. For George, Charlotte and Louis christenings, the trio each wore a replica of an original robe made in 1841 for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa. The original gown was made from white silk with a handmade lace overlay and was worn by 62 royal babies over the course of its 163 years of royal service. It was hand-washed with spring water after each christening ceremony and stored in a dark room until its next use. (Getty Images) George VI and the Queen wore the white lace dress, as did Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry. The last royal to wear the original gown was Lady Louise Windsor, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex's daughter, in 2004. Prince George became the fourth royal child to be christening in the gown, which was reportedly replicated with the help of the Queens personal wardrobe advisor, Angela Kelly, in 2011 Zara Tindalls second daughter, Lena, was the most recent royal to wear the gown at her St Nicholas Church in Cherington, Gloucestershire. Gun salutes follow the birth announcement It is customary for a birth announcement to be followed by a royal gun salute. Following Princess Charlottes birth, volleys were fired by soldiers in Hyde Park and the Tower of London to honour her arrival at 08:34 BST on 2 May. At 14:00 BST, soldiers from The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery rode out in a procession from Wellington Barracks, near Buckingham Palace, to fire 41 shots. The Honourable Artillery Company fire a 62 round Royal Gun Salute outside the Tower of London to celebrate the birth of the royal baby on July 23, 2013 in London, England (Getty Images) The Honourable Artillery Company also fired a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London. Royal babies dont automatically receive royal titles Like other royal babies, the babies will not have a royal title unless granted by the Queen. A Letters Patent passed by King George V in 1917 reads: "The grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (L) and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, watch a musical performance at Canada House, the offices of the High Commision of Canada in the United Kingdom, during an event to mark Commonwealth Day, in central London, on March 11, 2019. (Getty) The Queen previously issued a Letters Patent for Prince William and Kate Middletons children. In December 2012, the Queen issued a Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm declaring all the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of royal highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their Christian names or with such other titles of honour. This explains why Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all have HRH titles. Aerospace manufacturer Boeing knew a cockpit safety alert was not working as intended in its 737 Max plane but did not disclose this to airlines or regulators. The company said it knew about the problem with the aircraft before a fatal crash in Indonesia last October although it is not clear if the catastrophe could have been avoided had the alert worked as intended. The feature was designed to warn pilots when a key sensor might be providing incorrect information about the pitch of the planes nose, but within months of the planes debut in 2017 engineers realised 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. Pilots were unable to regain control of either plane and both crashed, killing 346 people. 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 It is not clear whether having the warning light would have prevented either the Lion Air crash or the 10 March Ethiopian Airlines crash near Addis Ababa. Boeings disclosure on Sunday, however, raised fresh questions about the companys candour with regulators and airline customers. Boeing said again that the plane was safe to fly without the sensor alert, called an angle-of-attack disagree light. Recommended Passengers recount terrifying Boeing landing after plane crashes Other gauges tell pilots enough about the planes speed, altitude, engine performance and other factors to fly safely, the company said. A spokesperson for the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the agency was notified of the non-working warning light in November, after the Lion Air crash on 29 October. He said FAA experts determined that the non-working cockpit indicator presented a low risk. However, Boeings timely or earlier communication with [airlines] would have helped to reduce or eliminate possible confusion, the spokesperson said in a statement. The indicator was supposed to tell pilots when sensors that measure the pitch of the planes nose appear to be in conflict, a sign that the sensor information is unreliable. Boeing told airlines that the warning light was standard equipment on all Max jets. Video shows flames coming from plane engine as Boeing 737 catches fire in Russia Boeing engineers quickly learned, however, that the warning light only worked if airlines also bought an optional gauge that told pilots how the planes nose was aimed in relation to the onrushing air. The company decided to fix the problem by disconnecting the alert from the optional indicators at the next planned update of cockpit display software, as in-house experts decided that the non-working light did not affect safety. Nearly 400 Max jets were grounded at airlines worldwide in mid-March after the Ethiopia crash. AP Scientists have unearthed a tiny cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex whose height was only slightly greater than the length of a T-rexs skull. The new species, named Suskityrannus hazelae or the coyote tyrant, would have stood just 3ft tall at its hip, and measured 9ft from snout to tail. Compared to the tyrant lizard kings 40ft nine-tonne bulk, Suskityrannus would have been a paltry 90 pounds (41kgs). Scientists arent sure what exactly it was hunting when it stalked the earth 92 million years ago. While the T-rex would rise to become undisputed king of the food chain, Suskityrannus would have lived under the reigning apex predator of the time the Allosaurus. Suskityrannus gives us a glimpse into the evolution of tyrannosaurs just before they take over the planet, said study author Dr Sterling Nesbitt of Virginia Tech University, describing the discovery in Nature Ecology and Evolution. Dinosaurs in the Wild Show all 18 1 /18 Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Tyrannosaurus fighting an Ankylosaurus. These pictures come from Dinosaurs in the Wild, a Dinosaur safari in London Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild A Mosasaur Prognathodon Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Timebase 67 and a Quetzalcoatlus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Pair of Quetzalcoatlus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Avisaurs riding a bull Triceratops Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild A Herbivorous Thescelosaurus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild A female Alamosaurus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Chronotex X90 with an Alamosaurus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Tyrannosaurus and geyser Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Drinking Ankylosaurus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Triceratops with a Chronotex X90 Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild A Tyrannosaurus Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Dinosaurs in the Wild Dr Nesbitt found one of the fossils more than 20 years ago while on an archaeological dig in New Mexico as a high school student but for decades it was not clear that they had a new tyrannosaur on their hands. Suskityrannus has a much more slender skull and foot than its later and larger cousins, the Tyrannosaurus rex, Dr Nesbitt said. Essentially, we didnt know we had a cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex for many years. However, despite their slender form it is the earliest specimen to exhibit the adaptations that allowed tyrannosaurs to take over. Sterling Nesbitt and fossil remains of Suskityrannus hazelae, which he found at age 16 in 1998 (Virginia Tech) Suskityrannus is a key link between the enormous bone-crunching dinosaurs like T-rex and the smaller species they evolved from, said Dr Steven Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh, another of the authors. The new species shows that tyrannosaurs developed many of their signature features like a muscular skull, broad mouth, and a shock-absorbing foot when they were still small, maybe as adaptations for living in the shadows. However, it is unclear exactly why the animals were changing so rapidly during the mid-Cretaceous, the authors said. The discovery also demonstrates an evolutionary link between the older tyrannosaurs of North America and China and the much larger species, who dominated until a meteor strike 66 million years ago. Piecing together the evolution of the tyrannosaurs in the mid-Cretaceous period is complicated by near-record high sea levels at the time, which split the east and west coasts of North America. Specimens have been found across two archaeological sites including one in the Zuni Basin, of New Mexico. The sites are in the ancestral lands of Zuni Native Americans, who granted permission for their word suski to be part of the new name. Palaeontologists have yet to find any specimen with arm bones, so it remains a mystery as to whether Suskityrannus shared T-rexs least impressive feature. A mural of murdered journalist Lyra McKee has been painted across a wall in Belfast. Emma Blake, a Dublin based artist, created the image in the centre of Northern Irelands capital as part of its annual Hit the North street art festival. She painted it over the bank holiday weekend, on 4 and 5 May. By Monday the painting of the 29-year-old journalist, who was shot dead last month, had attracted visitors who stopped to take photographs of the mural. The image of a smiling Ms McKee appears alongside a moving letter she wrote to her 14-year-old self. The piece touched on her struggles as a gay teenager growing up in Northern Ireland and spread quickly online in the hours after she was shot dead by a stray bullet on 18 April during a riot in the city of Derry. A new mural of Lyra McKee in Belfast city centre (PA) It wont always be like this. Its going to get better, Ms McKee wrote in the letter. Street art is always dialogue, said Adam Turkington, the art festivals organiser. Writing on a wall is always political, whether you realise it or not. I think whats been really interesting is how youve seen that the aftermath of Lyras death has played out in art on walls whether its the bloody hand prints on the office walls or whether its people painting over the IRA murals in Derry. Thats activism. Street art has its roots in activism and in anti-establishment-ism, but also in finding ways to communicate with each other about things that really are hard to talk about. Its about aesthetic, its about place-making. And especially in the context of Northern Ireland, where we have these very divisive murals, street art for me in this context is all about building a shared space and finding a place that people can co-exist. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Its a very natural thing in a way that Lyra has been represented in this way at the festival and long may it continue. The murals location, in Kent Street in Belfasts centre, is also significant. The painting faces an existing piece of street art which provided a striking backdrop for a photograph of Ms McKee that was widely circulated in the wake of her death. The 29-year-old was killed by the so-called New IRA while covering dissident rioting in Derry last month. Her death has sparked outrage across the world as well as a swell of criticism for dissident republican violence in Northern Ireland. Additional reporting by agencies In the UK, the European Parliament elections have, unsurprisingly, taken on a distinctly Brexit flavour. Brexit policy questions are dominating the news, and the party that looks likely to win is called the Brexit Party. This may seem strange, given the elections will have no direct effect on the Brexit process, but its the way it is. However, it is not so everywhere. You might wonder what the elections are about across the rest of the continent, which is understandably less bothered by Brexit. While my recipe for dark chocolate souffles is a la mode, defined by an ice cream topping melding the hot and cold, linguistically speaking it also means in fashion. I like coffee ice cream, a nod to Julia Child, whose recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking called for strong coffee. Other old-school, old-fashioned recipes might have you running out for a quarter teaspoon of cream of tartar, but our style now says we dont have time for that. Trust me, as someone whos literally whipped over a thousand egg whites over my lifetime, you dont need it. Theresa May is facing opposition from all sides over her attempts to strike a Brexit deal amid warnings that more than 100 Tory MPs could block a compromise agreement with Labour. Cross-party talks will resume on Tuesday in the wake of reports that Ms May is poised to offer Labour a temporary EU customs arrangement to break the Brexit deadlock. Tory MPs have ramped up pressure on the prime minister to set a date for her departure, with one senior MP saying the party needs to move on. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, said Ms May should announce a road map for her departure after the European elections. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: We are now having to face the prospect of European elections which none of us wanted to face. They are going to happen. Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Show all 30 1 /30 Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Pro-Brexit leave the European Union supporters attend a rally in Parliament Square after the final leg of the "March to Leave" in London AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The protest march which started on March 16 in Sunderland, north east England, finished on what was the original date for Brexit to happen before the recent extension Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter sips a can of Stella in protests outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Dedicated anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray and likewise pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane go head to head near the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit marching band in Parliament Square Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Remain supporters wave EU flags from a bus in Parliament Square PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter shouts slogans outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside of the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside of the Houses of Parliament REUTERS Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit flag is waved in Parliament Square AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The March to Leave nears the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit protester holds a sign outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters carry the coffin of democracy AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters march outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters take part in the March to Leave protest in London PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter holds a sign outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A man holds satirical paintings of politicians Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit An pro-Brexit float on the March to Leave march in London Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Far-right activist Tommy Robinson addresses protesters outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Tommy Robinson supporter arrives at the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A jogger gestures rudely at a Brexit supporter outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament PA And, I would have thought that fairly soon after that would be time for her to think about setting a schedule to find her successor. That is regardless of whether there is a deal on offer or not. We should move on as Conservatives. The groups chair, Sir Graham Brady, is due to lead a delegation of senior MPs to No 10 on Tuesday to discuss the prime ministers future. Conservative MPs urged Ms May not to cave into Labours demands as they believe a softer Brexit deal would fail to command the support of the Commons. Nigel Evans, executive secretary of the influential committee, said: If there is a compromise that turns out to be a kind of Brexit in name only involving anything close to a customs union, there would be more than 100 Tory MPs who would never support it. A string of Commons defeats on Brexit proved the prime minister did not have room to move here, he told the BBC. Tory MP Lee Rowley tweeted: My message to Theresa May (checked with thousands of residents on the doorsteps in the only place where we gained a council directly from Lab on Thurs): stop this madness. People didnt vote for you to do a deal with a Marxist. Fix the backstop and stop wasting time. The prime minister also faced a backlash from Labour when details appeared in the newspapers from the talks, with shadow chancellor John McDonnell claiming she had blown the confidentiality of the discussions. He said he no longer trusts Ms May, following reports she was prepared to give ground in three areas: customs, goods alignment and workers rights. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Labour sources said they believe two thirds of Labour MPs, including several frontbenchers, would refuse to support a deal unless there was another vote attached a move supported by The Independents Final Say campaign. MPs close to the Peoples Vote campaign believe 150 to 180 out of 246 Labour MPs could block a deal, according to The Guardian. But Labour MP Caroline Flint, who represents a Leave-voting constituency, said there was no majority for a second referendum among MPs. She said: I think if a deal is struck in which Labour achieves many of its goals in that deal, that it takes us up to a general election in which all parties will be able to then set out their stall, then I think that is a deal that is worth pursuing. And if Labour signs up to a deal that includes those goals I think a majority of Labour MPs will support that position. 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. Joe Biden has claimed Theresa May phoned him to voice concerns over Donald Trumps leadership a claim likely to embarrass the prime minister, who has attempted to forge a close relationship with the Republican president. Mr Biden, who is leading opinion polls for the 2020 Democratic nomination, revealed the alleged phone call with Ms May - whom he briefly confused with Margaret Thatcher - during a fundraiser on Saturday. Margaret Thatcher, um, excuse me, Margaret Thatcher Freudian slip, Mr Biden said to laughter from top donors to his campaign, according to a campaign pool report. But I knew her too. After a pause, he added: The prime minister of Great Britain Theresa May. Mr Biden said "at least 14 world leaders" had called him during Mr Trump's tenure expressing unease, including Ms May, who asked him directly for reassurance that the US and the UK "still have a special relationship". Downing Street told The Independent it has no record of such a call. Mr Bidens claim comes just weeks before Mr Trump is due to meet Ms May during a state visit to the UK. Despite regular attacks aimed at both the UK and Ms May personally by the US president - on subjects from terrorism to her handling of Brexit - the prime minister has remained reluctant to criticise Mr Trump since he took office in 2017. 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 government is keen to sign a trade deal with the US once Britain has left the EU, and keeping Mr Trump onside is seen by some as crucial to Britains prospects of striking such an agreement. But Mr Biden, who hopes to become the oldest US president in history in 2020, said America under Mr Trump was about to squander alliances" built over generations. He noted he had "spent my entire adult life" in foreign affairs, first with 36 years in the Senate then eight years as Barack Obama's vice-president. Several teens suffered burns when an angry neighbour poured an acid-like substance onto them as they partied in the courtyard of a Manhattan public housing complex. The New York Times described the substance as a combination of white paint and a caustic chemical, possibly drain cleaner. Valerie Vail, one of the victim's mothers, told the paper that the substance caused dime and quarter size burns across her daughter's upper body. The party had been advertised on social media and drew around 300 young people to the basement of a public housing complex in Manhattan's East Village. However, Hayward Walker, the building's tenant association president, said that the space had not been properly rented out. Revellers, accompanied by blasting music, ultimately spilled out into the courtyard of the complex, prompting residents to call the police. Before the police arrived though, one resident had apparently had enough and the harmful concoction rained down on the teens causing them to rush the front doors of the complex. Many found refuge in local bodegas and attempted to douse their burns with milk. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Six girls and four boys between the ages of 15 and 18 were treated for minor burns at local hospitals, but Ms Vail worries that there are more who have gone untreated. A lot of the kids were afraid to tell their parents and have not had help yet, she said to Times. Theyre just scared. Campaigners are calling for a criminal investigation of a controversial Trump appointee who blocked pregnant migrant teens in his custody from accessing abortions. Scott Lloyd ordered shelters to send the women to have consultations at religiously affiliated crisis pregnancy centres that are against abortion and undergo medically unnecessary ultrasounds. He had been running the Office of Refugee Resettlement an agency which helps refugees arriving in the US and runs shelters housing detained child migrants from March 2017. He was removed from the post in November and is now in another department. Mr Lloyd, whose time in the role was plagued with controversy, denied an abortion to a pregnant rape survivor who had threatened to hurt herself if she was forced to carry to term. A federal judge became involved and the woman was allowed to have an abortion. The Trump official, who is believed to have tracked the menstrual cycles of the girls in the offices care, also ordered a pregnant girl who was otherwise ready for release to be held in custody until she had anti-abortion counselling. Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Show all 20 1 /20 Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Donald Trump sits in the living room at Mar-a-Lago in 1993. The following pictures show the interior of the Mar-a-Lago estate. Many of them are from before Trump bought the property in 1985 but, as the newer pictures show, he hasn't done much with the place Rex Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home The dining room at Mar-a-Lago under Trump. The following pictures show the interior of the Mar-a-Lago estate. Many of them are from before Trump bought the property in 1985 but, as the newer pictures show, he hasn't done much with the place Rex Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home The dining room at Mar-a-Lago in 1967. The following pictures show the interior of the Mar-a-Lago estate. Many of them are from before Trump bought the property in 1985 but, as the newer pictures show, he hasn't done much with the place US National Park Service Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home The dining room at Mar-a-Lago under Trump in 2015 The Washington Post/Getty Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Function room at Mar-a-Lago in 1967 US National Park Service Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Donald Trump sits in the living room at Mar-a-Lago in 1993. Rex Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home The living room in Mar-a-Lago in 1967 US National Park Service Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Master bedroom at Mar-a-Lago in 1967 US National Park Service Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Library at Mar-a-Lago in 1967 US National Park Service Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Cloister at Mar-a-Lago in 1967 US National Park Service Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Entrance hall at Mar-a-Lago in 1967 US National Park Service Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Spiral staircase at Mar-a-Lago in 1967 US National Park Service Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home The dining room at Mar-a-Lago in 1967 US National Park Service Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Patio at Mar-a-Lago in 1928 US National Park Service Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Cloister at Mar-a-Lago in 1967 US National Park Service Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Mar-a-Lago in 2018 Getty Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Mar-a-Lago in 2018 Getty Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Mar-a-Lago in 2018 Getty Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Mar-a-Lago in 2018 Getty Inside Mar-a-Lago - Trump's holiday home Mar-a-Lago in 2018 AFP/Getty The Campaign for Accountability public interest watchdog has called for a criminal investigation into Mr Lloyd asking the House Judiciary Committee to refer Mr Lloyd for the Department of Justice for investigation into whether he deliberately lied to congress over tracking menstrual cycles. Alice Huling, a lawyer for the watchdog, said: It is a pretty serious offence to lie when you are asked point blank questions. It undermines the entire democratic process. Lloyd has shown a pattern multiple times of disregarding the law and making decisions which are governed by his religious ideology. His personal religious beliefs do not get to trump the rights these girls have while they are under the Office of Refugee Resettlements care. His actions are really upsetting. Using his control over these young people to try and enforce his own religious beliefs rather than following the law that governs how these young people are supposed to be cared for is reprehensible. He is still a part of the administration. I do not think just having moved him within the agency negates the bad acts he did. I think his behaviour warrants his removal. Scott Lloyd, director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement has a policy to bar minors who have been raped from access to abortions. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Accused of lying to congress: Mr Lloyd (Getty Images) Mr Lloyd, who she described as also being anti-contraception, is now a senior advisor at the Centre for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives of the US Department of Health and Human Services. She added that it was disturbing and very invasive that he used time and resources to track menstrual cycles arguing there was no reason why an individual in his role would need to track this information. In a 2017 deposition, Mr Lloyd acknowledged he had never approved an abortion request that crossed his desk. Brigitte Amiri, an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawyer who is leading on their case involving him, said: Scott Lloyd was creepily involved. We know he flew to Texas to meet with a minor to convince her to carry on with her pregnancy. She was considering an abortion. I do not know the outcome. We know he spoke to another a minor on the phone to convince her to carry to term. He would get staff to convince people not to have abortions. He would get a weekly narrative report an email about pregnant minors who may be considering abortion. It would say how many weeks pregnant she is and could say if she was exhibiting obnoxious behaviour, or suicidal or depressed. Any of the interference and obstruction with access to abortion was illegal. Using his position of power to coerce minors to carry to term is not only unconstitutional but an unprecedented abuse of power. He had no background in resettling refugees he was obsessed with blocking abortion and not doing his job. I have never seen anything like this. I was shocked. I have never seen a government official so involved and so blatantly violating the law. The deputy director of the ACLUs Reproductive Freedom Project, who has been at the organisation for more than 14 years and has worked in civil litigation in access to abortion for nearly two decades, said Mr Lloyd would force girls to tell parents in their home countries they wanted an abortion knowing they might threaten to beat them. She said in one instance a girl was forced to tell her parents at home, as well as the family she was going to live with in America. Both families were angry about it. Ms Amiri said he tracked girls last periods to discern how far along they were in their pregnancies as this was relevant to his ability to block abortion especially in certain states which do not allow women to get their pregnancy terminated after a certain time. The unaccompanied migrants housed by the Office for Refugee Resettlement are largely from Central and South America, she said, and often arrive into the US on their own because they are fleeing abuse from their parents or gang violence. She said they usually have extended family members in the US. Mr Lloyd, who has also been accused of mishandling efforts to reunify migrant children who were separated at the border, was asked whether the Office of Refugee Resettlement tracked the menstrual cycles of any of the girls in the offices care during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in March this year and specifically denied doing so. Recommended Alabama passes bill that would make abortion a felony But in deposition testimony in a lawsuit against the US Department of Health and Human Services which oversees the office regarding the treatment of pregnant unaccompanied minors filed by the ACLU, Mr Lloyd admitted to receiving a spreadsheet with information, including estimated gestational age. There are 28 pages detailing the periods, pregnancies and reason for the pregnancy whether it was by rape or not of teen girls in custody, some of whom were 12 years old. The spreadsheet goes from July 2017 to June 2018. Mr Lloyd was also asked if he had personally visited pregnant minors to pressure them to continue their pregnancies but denied doing so. However, in a March 2017 email, he described a trip to a Texas shelter and referenced his conversation with one pregnant teenager. As Ive said, often these girls start to regret abortion, Mr Lloyd wrote to colleagues. The agency routinely permitted undocumented teenagers to terminate their pregnancies if they obtained private funding under both the Bush and Obama administrations. Recommended South Carolina House passes six week abortion ban I am mindful that abortion is offered by some as a solution to a rape. I disagree. To decline to assist in an abortion here is to decline to participate in violence against an innocent life, Mr Lloyd wrote in a redacted version of a memo in response to the lawsuit launched by the ACLU. Mr Lloyd had scant experience with refugees but a long track record of working to restrict reproductive rights before taking up his former role. Shelby Quast, of Equality Now, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that aims to promote the rights of women and girls, said: It is totally unacceptable that underage migrant girls, who are extremely vulnerable and neither mentally nor physically mature enough to carry babies to full term, are being prevented by US state authorities from accessing safe and legal abortions. The director of the NGOs US office added: This falls within the definition of forced pregnancy, when a woman or girl becomes pregnant without having sought or desired it, and abortion is denied, hindered, delayed or made difficult. A spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services said: We have reviewed the matter and have concluded that Mr Lloyds testimony was accurate. Any statements to the contrary are incorrect. The Independent also contacted representatives for Mr Lloyd and the Department of Justice. This past week, Joe Biden was the inspiration for what was perhaps the busiest morning Donald Trump has ever had on Twitter. Just before 6am, Mr Trump started his day with a harsh reaction to the endorsement of Mr Biden by the International Association of Fire Fighters. Retweeting a Fox News contributor, the president of the United States claimed he had personally done more for firefighters than any union. He then spent roughly 20 minutes retweeting supporters who had a beef with firefighters generally, and with the former vice president especially he hit that sucker a grand total of 60 times. Veteran campaign strategists say that it is pretty odd behaviour for a sitting president to bother attacking hopefuls competing in the other partys primary, even if Mr Trump has seemingly incorporated bashing Democrats into his official job description. But, they note, that the habit the president hopes will delegitimise his opposition could ultimately have unintended results. The reality is it is unusual. I dont remember Barack Obama or George W Bush or any other president in recent memory who spent so much time and effort attacking his potential democratic opponents, Brad Bannon, a Democratic campaign strategist, told The Independent. Of course, Mr Trump repeatedly attacked Hillary Clinton during the 2016 primaries, saying the only tool she had to beat him was the "woman card". He attacked Bernie Sanders, too, calling the democratic socialist a "communist" to try and stir up Cold War-era fears around the populist senator. These days, though, it's Mr Trump's current job title that makes it different. I think that its very unusual, Mr Bannon said. 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 But, while the presidents short temper when it comes to Mr Biden and other democrats in the 2020 primary field is pretty unusual at least, when compared to more traditional presidents, that is Mr Bannon and others also say it could actually have an upside for the very candidates that Mr Trump is trying to take down. Far from hurting the likes of sleepy Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren (whose nickname from Mr Trump is less about her stamina and more a racist reference to Native Americans) or crazy Bernie Sanders, political strategists say the president may actually be putting a fire behind their technically-nascent campaigns. With at least 21 people in the race, at last count, every one of these strategists has got to be hoping that Trump will attack their candidate to give them a boost, Jim Manley, another Democratic strategist who previously worked for former Senate majority leader Harry Reid, said. It really gives someone a boost to be attacked by a sitting president like that, Mr Manley continued. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Put another way, the president is acting as his own sort of perverse king or queen maker in the 2020 democratic primary, and getting the president riled up to the point he gives a candidate a nickname is its own currency in a burgeoning field that frequently gets ridiculed for its size by late night comedians. Mr Biden, for his part, seems to have sensed that Mr Trump attacking him is a pretty good sign. For the vice president, visibility may be less the desired impact than defining oneself as the leading opposition to the president. I understand the presidents been tweeting a lot about me this morning ... I wonder why the hell hes doing that? Mr Biden said after the presidents Twitter storm. He added to that: Im going to be the object of his attention for a while. Senator Bernie Sanders has launched a blunt attack on Donald Trump, after the president said Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress. Over the weekend, as it was reported Democrats on the House judiciary committee had reached an agreement with the special counsel to appear later this month, the president reversed positions and said Mr Mueller should not testify. 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 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! It was not clear whether Mr Trump would seek to use executive privilege or something else to actually stop Mr Mueller testifying. But the fact he reversed course, having previously said the decision was up to attorney general William Barr, Democrats were quick to attack the president. 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 On Monday, Mr Sanders, who is among the frontrunners of Democrats seeking the 2020 nomination, blasted Mr Trump for seeking to intervene on the issue. William Barr eviscerated by Democratic senator Mazie Hirono at Mueller report hearing Sorry, Mr President, you are not a dictator, wrote the Vermont senator. In our democracy, when Congress calls on Robert Mueller to testify, he will testify. Meanwhile, also on Monday, the House judiciary committee said it would vote on Wednesday on whether to hold Mr Barr in contempt of Congress, after he declined to appear for a second day of testimony on Capitol Hill last week and failed to meet a Monday deadline to provide the committee with a full, unredacted copy of Mr Muellers report. Chinese stock markets tumbled on Monday after Donald Trump threatened China with increased tariffs on $200bn (152bn) of goods. The president's surprise outburst risks derailing talks aimed at resolving the trade war between the worlds two biggest economies. A Chinese delegation is scheduled to resume talks in Washington on Wednesday but US media reported they have considered cancelling the meeting. Hong Kongs Hang Seng index dropped 3.1 per cent following Mr Trumps tweet, while the Shanghai Composite fell by nearly 6 per cent. Chinese government officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mr Trump wrote on Twitter that he would increase tariffs on $200bn of goods from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on Friday and announced tariffs at 25 per cent on $325bn of additional goods. Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Show all 20 1 /20 Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Donald Trump's Cabinet Donald Trump's Cabinet is one the richest in American history, filled with billionaires, conservatives and several career politicians. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Mike Pence US Vice President Mike Pence has defended Donald Trump throughout his presidency while walking a fine line to avoid any public involvement in major scandals. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Mike Pompeo Secretary of State Mike Pompeo replaced Donald Trump's previous appointment to the post, Rex Tillerson, and has led talks with North Korea in establishing high-profile summits between the president and Kim Jong Un. Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Wilbur Ross Secretary of Commerce Wibur Ross raised controversy when he was accused of falsely claiming to have sold stock in a bank and violated a government ethics agreement. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Robert Lighthizer US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has been a fixture in Donald Trump's ongoing trade spat with China. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet William Barr Attorney General William Barr replaced Jeff Sessions as the nation's top cop in early 2019 and has refused to commit to recusing himself from the Russia probe despite an unsolicited memo he sent to the Justice Department decrying the investigation. EPA Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Rick Perry Energy Secretary Rick Perry has held his post throughout Donald Trump's presidency despite previously undermining the need for the agency he now leads in past public statements. Ken Shipp / United States Department of Energy Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Betsy DeVos Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has also held her post throughout the presidency, despite major backlash to her apparent undermining of the nationwide public school system and advocacy for charter programmes. Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Steven Mnuchin Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has faced numerous controversies throughout his tenure as the head of Treasury, including costing taxpayers at least a million dollars in travel expenses. AP Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Robert Wilkie Veterans Affairs secretary Robert Wilkie was appointed after Donald Trump's White House doctor Ronny Jackson withdrew over allegations he provided prescription drugs to patients without prescriptions. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet David Bernhardt Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt took office in January 2019 after the resignation of Ryan Zinke after previously serving as Zinke's deputy. Before taking office Bernhardt worked for many years as a solicitor for the Department of the Interior. Tami Heilemann / United States Department of the Interior Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Elaine Chao Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has held her post throughout the presidency and has mostly avoided controversy, despite a report claiming her office has been in frequent coordination with her husband's, Mitch McConnell. AFP/Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Kevin McAleenan Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan took over from Kirstjen Nielsen after she resigned in April 2019. He previously worked as the executive director of the executive director of the Office of Anti Terrorism in the Customs and Border Protection agency United States Customs and Border Protection Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Ben Carson Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson was appointed shortly after Donald Trump took office and raised controversy over an exorbitant furnishing bill for his office. Reuters Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Gina Haspel CIA Director Gina Haspel was appointed in 2018 and faced backlash surrounding her oversight of Guantanamo Bay. Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Dan Coats Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats could be the next person to leave Donald Trump's administration over his refuting the president's claims surrounding ISIS. Reuters Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Sonny Perdue Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has been dogged by ethics questions throughout his tenure and faced controversy when emails showed the agency appeared willing to eagerly work with lobbyists under his leadership. Reuters Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Alex Azar Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar is a former pharmaceutical lobbyist and former drug company executive. Getty Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Mick Mulvaney Acting Chief of Staff and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney has described himself as one of the most conservative officials in the White House. EPA Trump's inner circle: Meet the members of the US president's cabinet Robert Wilkie Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie has spent his career on Capitol Hill serving in various roles in foreign affairs and defence. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force Reserve. Gene Russell / United States Department of Veterans Affairs Government officials in Beijing have previously told the US they would not negotiate under pressure. Jake Parker, vice president of the US-China Business Council, said Mr Trumps threat makes the talks very difficult politically for Xi Jinpings government, as the Chinese public may view an agreement by the Friday deadline as a capitulation. Recommended Trump abruptly renews China tariffs threat ahead of upcoming deal Although Mr Trump has twice pushed back deadlines for raising the tariffs in January and March he said he had lost patience with the negotiations on Sunday. 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! he said. Mr Trump has portrayed his tariffs as beneficial for the US economy and claimed previous administrations have let China get away with abusive trade practices and take advantage of a lopsided economic relationship. However, economists have found that the burden of the tariffs falls on US consumers and businesses who buy imported products. A March study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Columbia University, and Princeton University found that by the end of last year, US consumers and businesses were paying $3bn a month in higher taxes and absorbing $1.4bn a month in lost efficiency. Philip Levy, who was an economist in former president George W Bushs administration, said the talks are too complicated for Mr Trumps high-pressure negotiating style. "The president treats this like we're haggling over the price of a used car," he said. The US-China trade war has also raised worries about global economic growth, with the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and others downgrading their forecasts for the world economy. Forecasts have cited the trade war as a factor for creating uncertainty and reducing world trade. That uncertainty is not helped by Mr Trumps latest outburst, which came as an unexpected development for the Chinese government. "This is a big surprise given the increasingly positive messages from the various US officials involved in the trade talks in recent weeks," said Tao Wang and Ning Zhang, senior economists at UBS. "Certainly the risk of an all-out US-China trade war has increased significantly." Additional reporting by agencies Cory Booker has released an exhaustive plan to deal with the nations gun violence crisis as he seeks to establish himself among an ever-growing pool of 2020 presidential candidates. The New Jersey senators campaign said Monday it was the most sweeping plan ever put forth by a presidential candidate. It proposes a ban on assault weapons, targets the National Rifle Associations tax-exempt status and would set a federal standard for issuing gun licenses which includes the successful completion of a gun safety course. A Medium post outlining the foundation of the plan reads: Beginning on Day One in office, Cory would take action to close dangerous loopholes in gun sales, crack down on gun manufacturers, and invest in communities impacted by gun violence. While the proposal seeks regulations on gun sales, it also includes funding towards researching gun violence as a public health issue and community-based violence intervention programmes. 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 Booker has also called for increased trauma support for communities and individuals impacted by gun violence. Several gun sales loopholes would be closed under the proposal, from the Charleston loophole that allowed the unrepentant white supremacist Dylan Roof to purchase a weapon despite the FBI failing to complete its background check, to the boyfriend loophole, which allows anyone accused of abuse or under a restraining order who isnt a spouse or ex-spouse to purchase a gun. The plan would also require handgun micro stamping, which allows police to trace specific guns used in incidents based on shell casing. As for the NRA, Mr Booker has proposed launching an investigation into the guns rights groups federal tax-exempt status. The Medium post noted Mr Booker would take executive actions towards implementing the proposal beginning on Day One in office. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events "My plan to address gun violence is simple," the politician said in a statement. "We will make it harder for people who should not have a gun to get one." Hillary Clinton has doubled down on her use of the word deplorable, using the term to attack Donald Trump directly. What we have seen over the last several years is truly deplorable, Ms Clinton said during a speaking engagement in Las Vegas on Sunday. Ms Clintons use of the word is a throwback to the 2016 campaign, when the former Democratic nominee was blasted for calling a portion of Mr Trumps supporters a basket of deplorables during private fundraising event. But the former secretary of State apparently does not regret her use of the word now, and he fallout she endured from critics who claimed her vocabulary proved Ms Clinton had a deep distrust and animosity for working class Americans. Ms Clintons use of the word on Sunday came during an event alongside her husband, Bill, and as a part of a speaking tour the two have been on across the country. 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 She frequently attacked Mr Trump in the 90 minutes she was on stage in Las Vegas, and also discussed her views on the Mueller report into Russian meddling in the 2016 election in the presidents favour. He tried to interfere with that investigation, Ms Clinton said, arguing that the Mueller report showed Mr Trump obstructed justice. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Ms Clinton also attacked attorney general William Barr for his handling of that report, and accused Mr Bar of acting as the presidents defence attorney, not the attorney general for the entire country. Mr Barr last week refused to attend a hearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee after being grilled by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee a day earlier. In short, it was an area that spread out from the corner of Maxwell and Halsted Streets. From the 1880s to the 1990s it was a human quilt of various immigrant groups. It was where people lived and worked, many of them at the market place that dominated the area. It attracted others from across the city, to buy and to sell things to bargain. They played and listened to the blues. They ate food and in other ways tasted new cultures. Vibrant and wild, it was an essential piece of the city. Republicans in Massachusetts are making moves to protect Donald Trump from primary challenges by changing a system that may have benefited the presidents insurgent 2016 run. The Massachusetts Republican Party approved a new 2020 plan last week that would award all party delegates to the winner of the states primary, a departure from previous policy that awarded delegates on a proportional basis. The plan is the latest example of the states Republican Party chairman, Jim Lyons, pushing a shift in policy for the party in Massachusetts. Before the rule change was approved, at least two state committee members spoke out against the rule while more than a dozen spoke in favour. The new rule would only allocate the full delegate count to a candidate if they received more than 50 per cent of the vote in the state. 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 Critics of the measure have said that it would inappropriately protect the president from a potential primary challenge, but Mr Lyons has said it helps the state party to focus on gaining momentum in state and local elections. We want to keep the emphasis on trying to protect all of our elected officials in the Statehouse and to trying to add more seats in the Legislature, he said, according to Politico. Local town committees will be more focused on trying to elect state representatives and state senators. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The measure, if replicated across the country, could insulate the president from any sort of challenge from fellow Republicans, like Bill Weld. Mr Weld, who is the only prominent Republican to announce a challenge so far, faces an uphill battle but could secure some sway if he manages to attract some delegate support before the 2020 Republican National Convention. Michael Cohen has arrived at a US prison to serve a three-year sentence over tax crimes, as well as lies and payoffs he made throughout the 2016 election to protect Donald Trump. The presidents former personal attorney delivered a statement to press Monday morning before making his way to prison, telling reporters, There still remains much to be told and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth. I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country, he said, reading from prepared remarks. The prepared statement was similar to remarks he gave during his sentencing for violating campaign finance laws and lying to Congress over the status of a Trump construction project in Moscow. Cohen said at the hearing late last year that he would provide as much information as possible to prosecutors about his dealings with the president. "My weakness can be characterised as a blind loyalty to Donald Trump," Mr Cohen said at the time. "I was weak for not having the strength to question and to refuse his demands. I have already spent years living a personal and mental incarceration." Criminals who worked for Trump Show all 5 1 /5 Criminals who worked for Trump Criminals who worked for Trump Michael Cohen Former lawyer for Donald Trump was sentenced to three years in prison on counts involving evading income tax, false disclosure of the hush money paid to Stormy Daniels and another hush money charge Getty Criminals who worked for Trump Paul Manafort Former campaign manager for Trump Manafort was found guilty in February 2018 of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failure to disclose a foreign bank account. The crimes occurred prior to his appointment in Trump's campaign Getty Criminals who worked for Trump George Papadopoulos Former Trump campaign adviser Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in October 2017. He had lied about making contact with a professor who claimed that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton. He was sentenced to 14 days in jail Getty Criminals who worked for Trump Michael Flynn Former White House National Security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in December 2017. He had lied about conversations that he had with the Russian ambassador to the US during Trump's Presidential campaign. He was not given prison time due to his "significant assistance" to the Mueller investigation Getty Criminals who worked for Trump Rick Gates Deputy chairman of Trump's presidential campaign Gates pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in February 2018 AFP/Getty Meanwhile, a member of the Trump Organisations executive team has issued a rare public rebuke of Cohen, describing the presidents former attorney as a bluffer, not a fixer. Michael Cohen was my friend, George Sorial, an executive vice president and counsel at the presidents private business, wrote in a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed published Monday. I knew his family and he knew mine. But for him to suggest before Congress in February that he was the Trump Organisations top lawyer and deal maker is surreal. He was neither. Cohen had previously claimed he would "take a bullet" for the president before turning on him and pleading guilty in a bank fraud and tax evasion case that grew out of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and that was handled by federal prosecutors in New York. The attorney orchestrated payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal to avert a scandal shortly before the 2016 election. Both women had alleged affairs with the president. Cohen also told the court that Mr Trump - who has denied sexual relationships with the two women - ordered a $130,000 (99,284) payment to Ms Daniels and a $150,000 (114,559) payment to Ms McDougal to keep them quiet. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Mr Trump has denied directing Cohen to do anything illegal and Cohen is the only person charged and convicted so far in relation to the payments. Cohen's legal team had asked Democrats in the House of Representatives to see what they could do about getting his sentence reduced following his testimony last month. However, they were reluctant to step in. The federal prosecutors in New York were also said to be no help, according to the Associated Press. When Donald Trump recently addressed the annual convention of the National Rifle Association (NRA) in Indianapolis, it was for the fifth year in succession, and his third as president. In 2017, he bragged that he had received the NRAs endorsement at the earliest ever stage in the election cycle, and was the first sitting president to address the event since Ronald Reagan in 1983. This year, while Mr Trump went through the motions of publicly recognising the organisations leadership Ive been following Oliver [North] for a long time. Great guy. he spent more time bragging about his own perceived achievements, than those of the NRA. The members of the organisation that spent $30m helping elect him in 2016 received just the briefest nod. Every day, you stand up for our God-given rights without exception, without fail, and without apology, he said. Indeed, the NRA the president was speaking to in 2019 was a very different beast to the all-powerful, political steamroller he addressed just two years earlier. Beset by leadership infighting triggered by allegations of massive fraud, targeted by prosecutors questioning its tax-exempt status and having seen many of the candidates it backed in the 2018 midterms lose badly, the NRA appeared much weaker and more vulnerable. Could it be that the NRAs days are over? Mass shootings in America Show all 8 1 /8 Mass shootings in America Mass shootings in America Camden shootings 1949 Howard Unruh killed 13 people, including three children, during a 12-minute walk through his neighborhood on September 6, 1949, in Camden, New Jersey, when he was 28 years old. The incident became known as the "Walk of Death". Unruh was found to be criminally insane and died in 2009 after a lengthy illness at the age of 88, following 60 years of confinement. Alamy Mass shootings in America University of Texas tower shooting 1966 Charles Whitman killed 17 people and injured 31 others in Austin, Texas. After stabbing his mother and wife the night before, he headed to the University of Texas, where he opened fire on people in the campus and streets from the observation desk. He was shot dead after a policeman and civilian reached the scene. Austin History Center, Austin Public Library Mass shootings in America Easter Sunday Massacre 1975 James Ruppert killd 11 family members in his mother's house, which included his mother, brother and his wife, as well as their eight children. He used a magnum, two handguns and a rifle. Mass shootings in America Wilkes-Barre shootings 1982 Former prison guard, George Banks, shot dead 13 people in Pennsylvania, including five of his own children. AP Photo/Times Leader Mass shootings in America Wah Mee massacre 1983 Three men, Kwan Fai Mak, Wai-Chiu Ng, and Benjamin Ng, killed 13 people who were in Seattle's Wah Mee gambling club. YouTube/KIRO 7 News Mass shootings in America San Ysidro McDonald's massacre 1984 James Huberty killed 21 people and injured 19 others after he walked in a McDonald's in San Diego. He was shot dead by a sniper after 78 minutes of him entering the restaurant. Alamy Mass shootings in America Palm Sunday massacre 1984 Ten people were shot dead from handguns at close range in a New York home. A baby girl was the only survivor after convicted dealer, Christopher Thomas, shot three women, one teenage girl and six children in their Brooklyn home. Thomas was convicted of manslaughter and cleared of murder. He was released from prison after 32 years. Mass shootings in America Edmond post office shooting 1986 Patrick Sherrill, a postal worker at the Edmond post office in Oklahoma, killed 14 co-workers and injured 6 others, before he shot himself. Oklahoma Highway Patrol Collection Weve seen them on the back foot before, in the 1990s. Theyve been down before and you can never count them out, Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, a grassroots group with five million supporters, told The Independent. They are under intense scrutiny now because of their ties to Russia, and the probe into their tax-exempt status. Also, there is a lot of public infighting. For many years, the NRA was feared and loathed in equal measure by progressives and supporters of gun regulation. Founded in the aftermath of the US Civil War and perhaps with more than five million members, the organisation, through its lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action, was the most powerful and best-funded special interests group in the country, pushing the interests of the gun manufacturing lobby, and to a lesser extent, those of gun owners. Over the years, activists for gun control watched as the NRAs position became more extreme. Having supported modest regulation up until the 1970s, the NRA started opposing any perceived efforts to control a persons ease to obtain a weapon, or the industrys access to the market. It always claimed to do so on the grounds that it was protecting the second amendment of the US constitution, which is the basis for many activists claim that they have the right to bear arms. It opposed Bill Clintons 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 1994, which prohibited the manufacture of semi-automatic firearms for civilians. The ban expired in 2004. And even when weapons such as the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle increasingly became the gun of choice for those carrying out mass shootings and attacks on schools, the NRA objected to any controls. After the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, where 27 children and teachers were killed by a young man armed with a semi-automatic rifle, Wayne LaPierre, the NRA chief executive, claimed the solution was more weapons, not regulation. The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun, he said the very next week. NRA top lobbyist Chris Cox claims AOC does not represent 'real Americans' As it was, it was another mass school shooting, another senseless tragedy, that may have turned the tide. In the aftermath of the February 2018 shooting at Parkland, Florida, in which 17 students and staff were killed, the pupils of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School refused to simply accept platitudes from politicians. In a spontaneous response that swiftly earned nation-wide support, the students demanded action to regulate the kinds of guns that had literally torn apart their classmates. They also educated people about the role of the NRA in funding not just Mr Trump, but numerous politicians. We are losing our lives while the adults are playing around, Cameron Kasky, one of the survivors, said at the time. This is about us begging for our lives. This isnt about the GOP, this isnt about the Democrats, this is about us creating a badge of shame for any politicians accepting money from the NRA and using us as collateral. As the students protested, the way the public viewed the NRA began to shift. In March 2018, an NBC-Wall Street Journal survey found that for the first since 2000, more Americans had a negative view of the organisation than positive. That has continued: a recent survey found up to 53 per cent viewed the NRA more as a political lobbying group than being interested in gun rights. Gun regulation activists say many of the NRAs problems have been self-inflicted. One was the the decision to spend millions of dollars with Oklahoma-based Ackerman McQueen, an arrangement that recently blew up in public, when the NRA sued the advertising agency on which it had spent up to $40m (30m) a year, accusing it of withholding billing information and breaching its contract. Ackerman McQueen denied the accusation, saying the lawsuit was frivolous, inaccurate and intended to cause harm to the reputation of our company. Another challenge to the NRA was the decision by Letitia James, attorney general of New York, where the NRA was founded in 1871, to launch an investigation into its tax-exempt status, something that has historically hugely boosted its finances. As part of this investigation, the attorney general has issued subpoenas. We will not have further comment at this time, said Ms Jamess office. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events As it was, news of the probe came while Oliver North was being forced out as the groups president as part of the fall-out over the Ackerman McQueen contract, under which he was paid $1m a year for a role that under previous presidents, such as actor Charlton Heston, was largely ceremonial. Alongside this, Maria Butina, who in December 2018 pleaded guilty of acting as a foreign agent on behalf of the Russian government to influence the 2016 election through the NRA, was this month jailed for 18 months. Perhaps, the most telling insight into the waning power of the NRA came in the 2018 November midterms, where it was outplayed and outspent by gun regulation campaigners, including former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. A number of candidates that had the NRAs highest A-rating, lost to opponents who supported gun regulation. Among the winners were Democrats Jason Crow, who won Colorados sixth congressional district, and Lucy McBath, whose 17-year-old son was killed in a notorious shooting at a Florida petrol station in 2012, and who made gun control central to her campaign to win Georgias sixth congressional district. We endorsed well over 300 people in the country and won most of those races, Peter Ambler, executive director of Giffords, a political action committee formed by Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman wounded in a shooting, said in November. We were across the map. It wasnt a niche local issue. The NRA, which recently claimed its membership had reached 5.5 million, a figure questioned by its critics, did not respond to enquiries. A lawyer for the organisation, William Brewer III, last week issued a statement saying it would fully cooperate with any inquiry into its finances. He added: The NRA is prepared for this, and has full confidence in its accounting practices and commitment to good governance. Those who have been challenging the NRA and its agenda for years say it would be foolish to write it off. Kris Brown, the president of Brady, a nation-wide gun safety group, said the group may now be at its most dangerous. They are under a lot of pressure, but I would never consider them out, she said. They are an organisation that thrives when they can up the rhetoric and play on peoples fears. That is what we can expect them to do now. Texas lawmakers are considering a group of bills that could impose new hardships on LGBT individuals in the populous southern state. Supporters claim the bills protect religious freedoms, but opponents are calling them "religious refusal bills" or simply "bigot bills" according to a report by NPR. One of the bills, Senate Bill 17, would allow professionals - meaning anyone from doctors to plumbers -to deny their services on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs. Opponents believe that the bill was specifically designed to allow Texas Christians to discriminate against LGBT Individuals, but has been written wide enough to allow almost any sort of discrimination as long as it based in a religious belief. Supporters say that without the bills, Texas's faithful have been forced to choose between their religious beliefs and pursuing a career in government licenced professions. "Texans are very concerned about the attacks on religious freedom and people of faith, particularly people that believe in marriage and sexuality as it's defined in the bible," said Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values, a non-profit that promotes Biblical values. "Senate Bill 17 just makes it clear that you can't force someone to choose between their work and their faith," he said. A coalition of more than 1,000 businesses, called Texas Competes, has been lobbying strongly against the bills. Alongside ethical concerns, citing the fallout from North Carolina's 2017 "Bathroom Bill" and anti-LGBT legislation in other states, they fear that the bills will dampen out of state tourism, investment and talent acquisition. During a gathering on the steps of the state capital building in Austin last week, Mike Hollinger, an executive at IBM, said "I'm proud to speak on behalf of IBM, a company with an 80-plus year legacy in Texas and a workforce of around 10,000 here in the Lone Star State. This license to discriminate will damage the state's reputation and prevent people, including IBMers from wanting to live and work here." Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The group's website says "Treating LGBT people fairly and welcoming them warmly costs nothing and would change our states brand for the better, while creating quantifiable, long-term economic benefits. Thats what we call a smart business decision." Donald Trump appeared to back a call by one of his supporters for an additional two years as president in reparations for the Mueller investigation. The US president shared on Sunday a tweet by Jerry Falwell Jr, president of evangelical Christian university Liberty University and a prominent supporter of Mr Trump. After the best week ever for @realDonaldTrump - no obstruction, no collusion, NYT admits @BarackObama did spy on his campaign, & the economy is soaring, Mr Falwell falsely claimed. In fact there is no evidence to suggest former president Barack Obama had any role in probing the Trump campaign, and special counsel Robert Mueller has provided multiple instances in which Mr Trump attempted to impede his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. I now support reparations, Mr Fallwell added in the tweet the president shared on his account. Trump should have 2 yrs added to his 1st term as pay back for time stolen by this corrupt failed coup. (Twitter (Twitter) Though Mr Trump did not explicitly endorse the message he shared, he regularly and almost exclusively retweets messages he agrees with. He followed up the retweet with posts of his own bemoaning two years stollen (sic) by the special counsels probe, which was launched in May 2017 and concluded with Mr Muellers 448-page report, which was published last month. Despite the tremendous success that I have had as President, including perhaps the greatest ECONOMY and most successful first two years of any President in history, they have stollen two years of my (our) Presidency (Collusion Delusion) that we will never be able to get back, he tweeted. 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 Witch Hunt is over but we will never forget. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! The allusion to an extended presidency came just hours after Nancy Pelosi suggested Mr Trump might not voluntarily leave the White House if Democrats fail to win big in 2020. The Democratic house speaker said Mr Trump may contest the result and refuse to give up power if her partys candidate won only by a narrow margin. Stephen Colbert mocks anti-vaxxers, alleged Russian interference and Donald Trump in TV monologue We have to inoculate against that, we have to be prepared for that, she told The New York Times. Michael Cohen, Mr Trumps former lawyer and personal fixer, raised the prospect of Mr Trump ignoring the results of the election during congressional testimony in February. Given my experience working for Mr Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power, Cohen, who will be jailed today for his role in Trump campaign finance violations, said during his closing remarks. Donald Trump would have been charged with obstruction of justice were it not for his position as the leader of the free world, according to a letter signed by hundreds of former federal prosecutors. The prosecutors who have worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations rebuked Attorney General William Barrs decision to clear the president of wrongdoing after Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting President, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice, the letter read Monday. We emphasise that these are not matters of close professional judgment, it continued. Of course, there are potential defences or arguments that could be raised in response to an indictment of the nature we describe here But, to look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution runs counter to logic and our experience. The special counsels investigation found at least ten possible cases of obstruction of justice on the part of the president, as well as sweeping and systemic interference operations Russia carried out throughout the election in favour of Mr Trump and in opposition to the Democratic Party and its candidate, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 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 Still, Mr Trumps attorney general sought to clear the presidents name of any wrongdoing in a four-page summary released shortly after Mr Mueller concluded his probe, effectively stating the Justice Department would not issue charges against him. At least 375 former prosecutors had signed onto the letter by Monday afternoon. Recommended Trump says Mueller should not testify as he agrees to speak with House The Mueller report describes several acts that satisfy all of the elements for an obstruction charge: conduct that obstructed or attempted to obstruct the truth-finding process, as to which the evidence of corrupt intent and connection to pending proceedings is overwhelming, it reads. The letter arrived hours after members of the House Judiciary Committee announced plans to conduct a vote Wednesday on whether to hold Mr Barr in contempt of Congress for failing to meet a second deadline to provide a copy of the full, unredacted report and its underlying evidence. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Democrats have also said the attorney general lied during his public testimony on Capitol Hill last week, in which he claimed not to be aware that members of the special counsels team were frustrated by confusion that had been caused due to Mr Barrs four-page analysis released after the conclusion of their report. A letter from Mr Muellers office to Mr Barr now appears to dispute his lack of knowledge about the issue at the time of his questioning. He then failed to appear for a second day of questioning Thursday. Donald Trumps treasury secretary has said he will not provide Congress with the presidents tax returns, setting up what is likely to be a lengthy legal battle over the documents. In the latest stand-off between the Trump administration and Democrats on Capitol Hill seeking to exert leverage, Steven Mnuchin revealed he was refusing the request as it lacked a legitimate legislative purpose. Democrats have long sought to obtain a copy of the presidents tax returns, in the belief it would provide potentially damaging information about the way he has operated his finances and his businesses both before and after entering the White House. There is no law saying presidents must do so, though most in recent history have made them public. While campaigning for the White House, Mr Trump said he would release them once the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had completed an audit he said was being carried out. Commentators pointed out that tax returns could be made public even during an audit, and some have suggested the president simply enjoyed antagonising his opponents by declining to do so. 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 latest request for details of the presidents returns had been made last month by congressman Richard Neal, the Democratic chairman of the way and means committee of the House of Representatives. He did so on the basis of a law that says the IRS shall furnish the returns of any taxpayer to a handful of senior legislators, among them the chair of that committee. But in a letter made public on Tuesday, Mr Mnuchin made clear it did not intend to do so. Out of respect for the deadlines previously set by the committee, and consistent with our commitment to a prompt response, I am informing you now that the department may not lawfully fulfil the committees request, he wrote. He said the treasury department would work with Mr Neal to provide information concerning the committees stated interest in how the IRS conducts mandatory examinations of presidents, as provided by the internal revenue manual. If the committee is interested, we remain committed to providing such an accommodation, Mr Mnuchin said. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Mr Neal, who represents Massachusetts first congressional district, said in a statement: I will consult with counsel and determine the appropriate response. The expectation now is that the issue will be further spun out by means of a legal tussle. Democrats could seek to subpoena the IRS for the presidents tax returns or to file a lawsuit. Mr Neal has said his committee was looking into the effectiveness of IRS mandatory audits of tax returns of all sitting presidents, a way to justify his claim that the panel had a potential legislative purpose. Democrats are confident in their legal justification and say the president is stalling in an attempt to punt the issue past the 2020 election. Mr Trump has said he was elected by the American public without disclosing his returns. Last month, he doubled down on this claim that returns cannot be released while an audit is under way, something experts say is not true. There is no law, as you know, I got elected last time with the same issue and while Im under audit, I wont do it, he told reporters. If Im not under audit, I would do it, I have no problem with it, but while Im under audit, I would not give my taxes. I have no obligation to do that while Im under audit. And no lawyer would tell you to release your tax returns while youre under audit. Mr Trump is first major candidate since 1976 to not make any of his full returns public. President Gerald Ford released a tax summary that year, but not his full records. Additional reporting by agencies The House Judiciary Committee has announced plans to vote on Wednesday on whether to hold attorney general William Barr in contempt of congress. President Trumps appointee to lead the Department of Justice has stirred controversy in recent weeks over his handling of special counsel Robert Muellers report into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Democrats accused him of lying before congress about whether he knew members of the special counsels team were frustrated by his public statements after the completion of the report, which sought to clear the president of wrongdoing despite numerous examples of possible obstruction of justice throughout the probe. Mr Barr failed to appear for a second day of testimony on Capitol Hill last week after he was grilled on Wednesday, and reportedly failed to meet a Monday deadline to provide the House Judiciary Committee with a full, unredacted copy of the report and underlying evidence the second such deadline he has not met. The attorney generals failure to comply with our subpoena, after extensive accommodation efforts, leaves us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings in order to enforce the subpoena and access the full, unredacted report, House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler said in a statement. 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 The committee issued a report on Monday citing the attorney general for contempt over a panel subpoena seeking the full report. A meeting was also set for Wednesday at 10am local time to consider adopting the report. A committee vote to adopt the report would send the document to the full House of Representatives for a vote, according to an aide. The report calls on House speaker Nancy Pelosi to take all appropriate action to enforce the subpoena issued by Mr Nadler on 19 April. Recommended Trump says Mueller should not testify as he agrees to speak with House Mr Nadlers committee views the full report as vital to its own corruption and obstruction of justice investigation of Mr Trump. The chairs of five other House committees investigating the president have also called for its release. Mr Muellers report details extensive contacts between Mr Trumps 2016 campaign and Moscow, and the campaigns expectation that it would benefit from Russian hacking and propaganda. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events It also describes actions Mr Trump took to try to impede the special counsels investigation. Mr Barr released a redacted version of the report on 18 April. Reuters contributed to this report Google kicked off Teachers Appreciation Week in the US with a Doodle - a themed redesign of the website's signature logo, honouring the country's educators. "Google is celebrating the classroom heroes supporting their students every day." Google said in a statement on their website. The Doodle was created with the help of the 57 US State Teacher's of the year who were invited for a week long visit Google's headquarters back in January. "The week was full of workshops and activities, including one session in which every teacher was asked to dream up their own Doodles to show the world a day in the life of a teacher," wrote Rodney Robinson, one of the teachers of the year who attended the event, in Google's statement. "When I thought about a day in my own life, my studentswhose stories arent often toldrose to the forefront." Robinson hails from Virginia and has been teaching for 19 years. Currently, he teaches social studies at a juvenile detention facility. His Doodle included prison bars, symbolising his student's detention but also a library book and a couch which were meant to represent an opportunity for education and healing. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events "I saw similar themes of hope and passion for students in my fellow teachers drawings and was excited to see the final Doodle: I always have said if you put a group of teachers in a room together, magic organically happens!" Robinson added. Indians voted on Monday in seats being contested by some of the countrys most heavyweight political leaders, as a mammoth six-week general election entered its final stages. At the close of polling, 400 out of the 543 parliamentary seats up for grabs in the election will have been decided, with only two more phases of voting to come. In Uttar Pradesh alone, 25 million people were registered to vote on Monday for 14 members of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. The state is the most populous and offers the greatest number of seats for parties contesting the election. And while victories across rural heartlands in Uttar Pradesh were the driving force behind Narendra Modis sweeping 2014 victory, the state includes two seats that can be counted among the strongest bastions for the opposition Congress party. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is seeking a fourth consecutive election in the seat of Amethi, while his mother Sonia Gandhi is running in neighbouring Rae Bareli. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahuls sister, recently entered politics as the partys national general secretary and has been campaigning hard in both districts. Amethi was held by Rahuls father, the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, before his assassination in 1991, and its history as a Congress seat goes back further than that still. But Mr Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says the Nehru-Gandhi familys hold on Amethi is slipping. Contesting the seat is the government's popular textile minister, the former model and TV actress Smriti Irani, who lost to Mr Gandhi in 2014 but in the last five years has steered central government funds for development to the constituency and visited often. This time BJP is going to win the election, Irani told the Associated Press. They promised the moon to these people but in reality Amethi is one of the most neglected constituencies because Gandhis never took interest in development of this region. In what the BJP called a move preempting defeat in Amethi, Mr Gandhi has also stood for election in Wayanad, Kerala. Congress said it was simply a way of showing the partys commitment to southern India. Under election rules, candidates can contest multiple constituencies and if they win more than one, nominate the one they want to represent and give up the others. Sonia Gandhi, herself a former president of Congress and now chair of the Congress-led left-wing United Progressive Alliance coalition of parties, is held in high esteem in Rae Bareli and, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, would take the seat for a fifth time. She also predicted her brother would increase his majority in Amethi, which was slashed in 2014. There is an emotional attachment between the people of Amethi and Congress," she said. Elsewhere in the state, the central government's powerful Home Minister Rajnath Singh was in the fray from Lucknow. And another minister from the Modi administration, Maneka Gandhi - who has strained relations with her sister-in-law Sonia Gandhi - is contesting from Sultanpur. Meanwhile, across the country in Odisha, Mr Modi used a visit to survey communities affected by the deadly cyclone Fani to lash out at his regional political rivals on Indias eastern coast. Speaking at a rally in Tamluk, West Bengal, the prime minister said he had twice tried to contact the states chief minister Mamata Banerjee to discuss the relief effort but she did not respond. She is least bothered about the people of Bengal, he told supporters. Ms Banerjee is one of the biggest thorns in the BJPs side, leader of the powerful regional Trinamool Congress (TMC) party. Ms Banerjee hit back that while Mr Modi was running his political campaigns, she was too busy to take his call because she was in Kharagpur, a town near Kolkata to monitor the ground situation after the cyclone. It is the standard of discourse that has come to define this election, where discussions of policy have often taken a backseat to personal jibes and name-calling. When the issues are discussed, Mr Modi and the BJP leadership have focussed on national security, playing up the threat of neighbouring Pakistan especially in the wake of the February suicide bomb attack in Pulwama, Kashmir. Pulwama, part of the Anantnag constituency, was itself voting under high security on Monday, though turnout was low amid calls from separatists for a boycott. It is the only seat in the country where voting has been split by district over three phases, such is the level of unrest. Police said that on Monday suspected rebels lobbed a grenade at a polling station in a village near Pulwama town. No one was reported hurt. The 39-day process of deciding the fate of Indias political future will be completed on 19 May. Counting and results are expected on 23 May. The music here is by Mark Mancina, who scored the source movie and many other Hollywood projects. Hes richly aware, I think, of the useful tension between musical underscoring and foregrounded numbers and actually far better at the kinetic quality needed for the former than is the case with most Broadway composers. That actually might well serve this project, which clearly is experimenting with relatively few book scenes and a great deal of scored movement and storytelling. Just as notably, Mancina also has composed the beginnings of a legitimate score of Broadway-viable numbers. I rather liked all of them and a couple are exquisite; the songs are just are too thin on the ground at present to give you a full sense of where this show might go. And you would not say that Doyle and Mancina are yet fully in sync. Russian investigators looking into Sundays crash landing that left at least 41 dead on Monday named three possible causes for the incident: pilot error, poor weather and technical issues. In the hours immediately following the incident, several contradictory accounts got in the way of the facts. By morning, however, several things appeared settled: the two-year-old plane headed from Moscows Sheremetyevo airport to Murmansk was hit by lightning shortly after taking off at 6.02pm local time; It lost control of at least some of its communications and navigation systems; and it burst into flames on landing heavily, 28 minutes later, back at Sheremetyevo . The rescue effort also appears to have been hampered by passengers looking to retrieve their hand baggage. Speaking with Russian media, members of the crew confirmed the plane had been hit by lightning and lost radio communications prior to returning to Sheremetyevo. There was a bright flash and a bang, pilot Denis Evdokimov is quoted as saying. The fire began after landing, I understand, because of the landing. 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures Russian Superjet passenger plane burns after making an emergency landing at Moscow's Shermetyevo Airport on Sunday AFP/Getty 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures Russian Superjet passenger plane burns while making an emergency landing at Moscow's Shermetyevo Airport on Sunday AP 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures Russian Superjet passenger plane burns after making an emergency landing at Moscow's Shermetyevo Airport on Sunday AFP/Getty 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures Russian Superjet passenger plane burns after making an emergency landing at Moscow's Shermetyevo Airport on Sunday Avetisov Kamo via Reuters 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures Russian Superjet passenger plane on the runway at Shermetyevo Airport after the flames were put out AP 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures Russian Superjet passenger plane burns after making an emergency landing at Moscow's Shermetyevo Airport on Sunday AFP/Getty 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures Russian Superjet passenger plane burns after making an emergency landing at Moscow's Shermetyevo Airport on Sunday Mikhail Norenko via Reuters 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures Russian Superjet passenger plane on the runway at Shermetyevo Airport after the flames were put out AP 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures Russian Superjet passenger plane burns after making an emergency landing at Moscow's Shermetyevo Airport on Sunday Justin Goslin via Reuters 40 dead in Moscow plane fire: in pictures Russian Superjet passenger plane burns after making an emergency landing at Moscow's Shermetyevo Airport on Sunday Reuters But while authorities continue to piece together the exact combination of factors that led to the deadly outcome, one thing seems sure enough: the controversial safety record of the Sukhoi Superjet S100 is once again under the spotlight. Investigators have so far stopped short of grounding a jet once heralded as a saviour of the local airline-production industry. Airline regulator Rosaviatsia said it was premature to make such conclusions. This position was backed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov who said Vladimir Putin had no intention of intervening. It is not the prerogative of the president to stop a particular model being used, he said. That is the job of specialists and aviation regulators. Security camera footage shows the plane hitting the landing strip hard three times, before bursting into flames. The overwhelming majority of those seated in the back of the plane did not make it out alive. Seventy-eight people in total were on board, including five crew members. Survivors have spoken of the frightening scenes. Vladimir Evmenkov, mayor of Severodonetsk, a naval town in Russias far east, was travelling in the sixth row of the aircraft. Speaking to local media, he said that he sensed something was not right just as the plane approached clouds. I was sitting next to the window and saw thunder hit the right engine twice two very loud bangs and two sparks, he said. The engine did not catch fire but it became clear that things were going wrong because we stopped gaining height, flew under the clouds, and circled around the airport... After a while came an announcement that the aircraft was ready to land. Mr Evmenkov says he remembers screams, but not panic, among passengers, and that people waited for their turn to escape: Running for the exit would have meant trampling over people. Only when people start to move did we move forward. Mr Evmenkov said he owed his life to the two crew members who opened the front exit doors and essentially saved our lives. Another member of the crew, Maxim Moiseyev, who was sitting at the back of the plane, died in the crash. According to unconfirmed reports on state media, Mr Moiseyev had attempted to open the back emergency exits, and assisted passengers to the escape slides at the front of the plane. According to Mr Evdokimov, the pilot, the plane landed at normal speed, but the aircraft was heavy on account of the fuel load. The crew were guided by air-travel controllers via an intermittent, weak emergency radio channel, he added. Modern jets, the SSJ100 included, are built to withstand lightning strikes. It is unclear why Sundays strike led to the apparent failure of electrical systems and navigational instruments. That is likely to be a main focus for the investigation. The other obvious focus will be pilot error: why Mr Evdokimov and his crew chose to land with an overweight aircraft, without using up fuel, and how the landing turned out to be so uncontrolled. On Monday evening, a social media channel with links to the Russian authorities published what it claimed to be a witness account from one of the air-traffic controllers on duty at Moscow Sheremetyevo airport. That account suggests that the landing was far more controlled than previously reported. Right up until the moment of landing, everything was normal, the account reads. We observed the plane [from the tower]. The landing was incomprehensible: touching down, jumping, then a second attempt to land, again touching, again jumping but this time higher, and already after the third jump we started to shout not into the radio of course telling him to go around. An awful lot is riding on the Superjet. In design stage, the regional liner was heralded as the great hope for Russias airline manufacturing industry. Billed as a way to return domestic production to Soviet levels, the government ploughed billions of dollars into the project. Sukhoi executives confidently predicted that more than 1,000 of the jets would eventually be sold. But its eight years of service have been beset with problems. They began almost immediately, with a test flight crash into an Indonesian volcano in 2012, killing 45, which was controversially blamed on the pilot. Since then sanctions, a catalogue of major incidents, and well-publicised repair issues have undermined the model. Burning Aeroflot plane lands at Moscow airport Sales, too, have been slow. Only 172 planes have so far been built, the vast majority to Russian, state-linked customers. The projected international order book has not materialised. At the beginning of 2019, Brussels Airlines announced that it would be terminating its charter contract for Sukhoi jets earlier than planned, citing a spate of technical problems in its decision. Following Sundays incident, the long-term future for the liner does not look promising. Regulators may insist there is no basis to ground the aircraft, but passenger unease about flying in the model could force a rethink. On Monday morning, a petition demanding authorities ban the plane appeared online. Some Russian aviation experts have criticised the official stance. Speaking on TV Rain, an online television channel, safety expert Alexander Romanov said that it was clear that a lot of money was riding on the project. At the same time, he said, the pilot community say the plane is still quite raw in its development. We cant exclude that something is wrong with the plane itself, he said. A tense calm held across Israel and Gaza on Monday after Palestinian officials announced a ceasefire deal had been reached, apparently ending one of the deadliest flare-ups of violence since the last war in 2014. Three officials from Gazas armed factions and sources in Egypt said that Cairo had brokered the truce after nearly 30 people were killed and hundreds were injured since cross-border fire erupted on Saturday morning. The Israeli army, which declined to confirm the peace deal, said that all protective restrictions in the home front will be lifted, implying the fighting had ended. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwile warned that "the campaign is not over... We are prepared to continue." For 36 hours, hundreds of rockets rained down on the south of Israel and airstrikes pounded Gaza prompting fears both sides were on the brink of a protracted war. In Gaza, 25 Palestinians were killed, including two pregnant women and two children, after Israel struck over 350 targets in the besieged Strip. Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures An Israeli airstrike hits Rafah in the Gaza Strip on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel on 5 May Reuters Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures People run inside a building in Gaza that was hit by an Israeli airstrike Reuters Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Paramedics carry an injured boy outside a hospital in Gaza on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Smoke billows from a site in Gaza targeted by Israeli airstrikes on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures The remains of a building in Gaza City that was hit by Israeli airstrikes on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures A Palestinian family waits for help inside an ambulance on the Gaza strip following Israeli airstrikes AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures People react as they inspect a building in Gaza that was hit in an Israeli air strike on 5 May Reuters Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures A member of Palestinian Civil Defence extinguishes a fire in the car of a Hamas commander who was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on 5 May Reuters Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures A Palestinian missile is intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome air defence system on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures The remains of a building in Gaza City that was hit by Israeli airstrikes on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Smoke billows from a site in Gaza targeted by Israeli airstrikes on 5 May EPA Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Palestinians gather around a building hit by an Israeli air strike in Gaza on 5 May Reuters Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures People gather amid the rubble of a building destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on 6 May AFP/Getty Nine of the dead were confirmed to be militants: Israel launched its first targeted killing in Gaza since 2014, taking out Hamed al-Khodari, a man Israel said was a financier for Hamas, the armed group which runs the Strip. In Israel, four people were killed as nearly 700 rockets and other projectiles were fired from Gaza, the first civilian Israeli deaths from Palestinian fire since 2014. Gaza militants killed one Israeli with an anti-tank missile, also a first in the last five years. Aerial view of Israeli strike against site claimed to be Palestinian rocket manufacturer The latest cross-border exchange of fire erupted on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan and just 10 days before thousands of foreign visitors and dozens of performers, including Madonna, were due to fly into Israel for Eurovision. A video posted by Palestinian Islamic Jihad threatened the song contest, splicing clips of Eurovision celebrations with footage of its militants loading missiles into launchers warning that Israel Is not Europe. Eurovision officials had maintained preparations were continuing as normal, but pressure piled on the Israeli authorities to come to an agreement as the days went by. Recommended Israeli army poised for ground invasion after rockets fired from Gaza Militants began pounding Israel on Saturday morning in retaliation for the killings of four Palestinians - two protesters and two militants - by Israeli fire on Friday afternoon, after a cross border shooting incident had injured two Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army said that Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second largest armed group in Gaza, was behind what it called the sniper attack on its forces and initially had acted without the coordination of Hamas. The US, which is due to deliver a peace plan for the region in a month, was quick to come to the support of its ally. Donald Trump assured Israel that it had Washingtons full support, shortly after a delegation of Trump-appointed US ambassadors met Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem. "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," 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!" UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meanwhile appealed for "maximum restraint" and condemned in the strongest terms the launching of rockets from Gaza into Israel, particularly the targeting of civilian population centers." Guterres's special envoy Nickolay Mladenov was "working closely with Egypt and all concerned to restore calm," the statement added. Mr Netanyahu faced criticism back home, however. His ex-elections rival Benny Gantz, a former head of the army who led the 2014 incursion into Gaza, called the truce, after nearly 700 rockets and four Israeli deaths "a surrender to Hamas blackmail". "All that the government has done, once again, is to put the next round of fighting ahead" of us, he added in a tweet. Meanwhile Gideon Sa'ar, an MP for Netanyahu's own Likud Party, said that ceasefire was no achievement for Israel. "The intervals of time between the rounds of violent attacks on Israel and its citizens are getting shorter, and the terrorist organisations in Gaza are growing stronger. The round of fighting has rather been postponed than prevented." When 20 separate rocket sirens blared just a few minutes apart, three of the workers in the south Israel factory gave up dashing for the bomb shelter, figuring it would probably be fine. Inside the cement factorys bunker, dozens of their colleagues, who had not taken the risk, held their breath and waited before resurfacing. But something felt wrong. The ground had briefly shaken this time. And they could hear a strange noise. Opening the fortified door, the screams began to filter through the haze. Three men, covered in blood, one of them clutching his stomach, were staggering towards them. A rocket fired by armed groups in Gaza had torn through the roof of the factory in Ashkelon just nine miles (14km) from the border with the Palestinian enclave. It exploded on impact sending a spray of deadly shrapnel that ripped through the workers. There was blood everywhere and they were screaming help me, one of the line managers at the Sela cement company told The Independent. He asked not to be named. Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures An Israeli airstrike hits Rafah in the Gaza Strip on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel on 5 May Reuters Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures People run inside a building in Gaza that was hit by an Israeli airstrike Reuters Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Paramedics carry an injured boy outside a hospital in Gaza on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Smoke billows from a site in Gaza targeted by Israeli airstrikes on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures The remains of a building in Gaza City that was hit by Israeli airstrikes on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures A Palestinian family waits for help inside an ambulance on the Gaza strip following Israeli airstrikes AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures People react as they inspect a building in Gaza that was hit in an Israeli air strike on 5 May Reuters Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures A member of Palestinian Civil Defence extinguishes a fire in the car of a Hamas commander who was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on 5 May Reuters Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures A Palestinian missile is intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome air defence system on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures The remains of a building in Gaza City that was hit by Israeli airstrikes on 5 May AFP/Getty Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Smoke billows from a site in Gaza targeted by Israeli airstrikes on 5 May EPA Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures Palestinians gather around a building hit by an Israeli air strike in Gaza on 5 May Reuters Worst violence in Gaza for years leads to ceasefire: in pictures People gather amid the rubble of a building destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on 6 May AFP/Getty Most of the people had made it to the bunker but when there are so many sirens you think its probably going to be OK to stay above ground, he added. He pointed to the dent in the dirt where the rocket had hit but showed how far the carnage reached: jagged holes chewed into the ceiling of the warehouse and nearby cabins. It was like there were nails or something in it. The debris punched holes right through the dining room cabin [10 metres away]. They dont want to kill us they want to [maim] us. All three workers were hospitalised on Sunday afternoon. Zaid al-Hamamdeh, a 44-year-old Arab-Israeli worker from Be'er Sheva, succumbed to the wounds in his stomach. He was one of four civilians in Israel killed by Palestinian rocket fire in the weekend's violence, with the deaths marking the first Israeli civilian fatalities since the last war with Gaza in 2014. Armed factions in Gaza had on Saturday launched a barrage of nearly 700 rockets into Israel, in retaliation for the killings of four Palestinians, including two fighters, the day before, which in turn took place after two Israeli soldiers were injured in an earlier shooting incident along the border. Israelis take cover as they hear sirens warning of incoming rockets from Gaza (Reuters) (REUTERS) Israel responded with tank fire and air strikes pounding more than 350 sites in the besieged enclave. At least 25 Palestinians were killed, including two pregnant women and two children. It was the latest and deadliest round of cross-border flare ups that have blighted the area in a nightmarish cycle of violence over the last year. A tense and fragile truce brokered by Egypt was declared by Palestinian factions on Monday morning, which appeared to hold. But angry residents of Ashkelon, and other Israeli towns near to the border fences with Gaza, emerged from their bomb shelters fearful of the next round of violence. Life must go on, you cant just stay in your home but its hard and we expect yet more violence. There isnt a solution, the Sela line manager said, echoing at least half a dozen other residents in the area. Most people are angry with the government. Protests are fine when you know what you want, but what can be done? He asked. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, recently re-elected for a record-breaking fifth term in office, has stopped short of declaring war in Gaza. He promised on Monday the campaign is not over but did not explain how. An Iron Dome anti-missile projectile intercepts a rocket fired from Gaza, above Ashkelon (Reuters) (REUTERS) The Israeli army deployed additional infantry and armoured battalions to the border. They were poised to launch a ground incursion but ultimately did not. "Over the last two days we struck Hamas and Islamic Jihad with great force. We hit over 350 targets," Mr Netanyahu said in statement, aimed to curry favour with the disgruntled south. "The campaign is not over and it demands patience and good judgment. We are preparing to continue. The goal has been, and remains, ensuring quiet and security for the residents of the south, he added. Just a few minutes drive from the cement factory, is the house where Moshe Agadi, 58, a father of four, was killed by rocket shrapnel on Sunday morning, hours before Zaid al-Hamamdeh lost his life. The house is sprayed with shrapnel. Across the street, windows are smashed in. There Agadis neighbours despaired, saying they felt the Israeli policy of sporadically bombing Gaza was not working and the authorities had to hammer out a long-term ceasefire so that civilians on both side of the border could be spared the onslaught. Many feared that the Israeli government agreed to a truce with Hamas, the militant group which governs the Strip, this time because it did not want rockets raining down during the upcoming Independence Day holiday, or the Eurovision song contest finals that begin on 14 May in Tel Aviv, just 50 miles up the coast from Gaza. Thousands of foreign visitors and dozens of performers including Madonna are expected to land in Israel this week ready for the celebrations. The home of Israeli Moshe Agadi, sprayed with shrapnel; Agadi was killed in the missile attack (EPA) Zariv, 42 a sales agent and father of three, who knew Mr Agadis family, said mourners at his funeral prayers on Sunday had to dash for the bomb shelter five times as they tried to pray under fire. We cant even mourn. I just dont see a solution or an end to this, he said, describing how his own children are too afraid to go to the toilet on their own fearing more rockets. People are angry with Netanyahu because this keeps happening. We want him to take a harder approach with Gaza, we think he is being too soft but then what does being harder mean? Going in and [occupying] Gaza, no one wants that. Noa, 25, who lives nearby and is a kindergarten teacher, said the children she looks after are so traumatised they have started playing rocket sirens game in the playground. I worry for their futures. Right now this is all they know but I dont know how to fix it, she added. Mariam, 60, who lives next door to the Agadi home said her five grandchildren, the youngest aged just one, threw up and then wet themselves when the rocket barrage hit their neighbourhood. The children began throwing up out of fear Now they run for the bomb shelter whenever they hear the noise of a motorcycle, she said, shaking her head in despair. It cannot be that every two months when someone wants something, the rockets start. There must be some sort of agreement with boundaries. We are tired of this. Everyone loses at war, she added. A satellite image released over the weekend shows what is likely the trail of a short-range missile, confirming South Korean reports of North Korea's first missile test launch since 2017. Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute, said that North Korea began firing a barrage of short range projectiles shortly after 9am local time on Saturday. The photo was caught by Planet Labs, an earth imaging company that works with the Middlebury Institute. "This is a one in a million shot," Lewis told CNN. The missile "was fired right about this time" and the photo would have been taken "within a few seconds, maybe a few minutes." The image shows a puff of smoke at the launch point on North Korea's Hodo Peninsula and a single exhaust trail emanating out over the ocean. "The location of the launch, the thick, smoky appearance of the exhaust and the fact that there is only one rocket trail all suggest this was the short-range ballistic missile that North Korea showed in its propaganda," said Jeffrey Lewis. According to the earlier report from south Korean officials, the projectiles flew between 45 and 125 miles before crashing into the sea. The launch comes only two months after President Donald Trump walked out of the Vietnam summit with North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un and only weeks after a much warmer meeting between Kim Jong Un and Russian premier, Vladimir Putin. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Lewis believes that the test was a warning and parallels past precedents which suggest that larger missile tests are imminent. "This is a pretty classic move from them to start small and work their way up. It's a warning that there's more to come," Lewis said. Q I am going to Singapore for a 10-day work stint in November and have the option of staying four extra days in the region. While I have travelled extensively in Asia, I have not yet made it to Australia. Im not talking about going somewhere as far as Sydney, but I wondered if it was feasible to make a long weekend out of going to somewhere like Perth or Darwin? Charlotte M A Given the many wonders closer to Singapore than Australia, I would be inclined to stay a little closer to Singapore visiting one of the Indonesian islands I have not so far been able to visit. But since you ask, let me outline the possibilities. Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is in Vogues June issue, featured with a stylish shoot and described as a policy wonk. Buttigiegs website, however, offers a contradicting depiction. There is no policy page. There are no directly laid out policy proposals. When Beto ORourke told Vanity Fair in March he was born to be in it, the ensuing media coverage took a critical look at the implications of his statement: it was wrought with (white) male privilege and was one a woman hoping to win a nomination for president couldnt seriously make. Media analysts and reporters have made a point to acknowledge the privilege of being a man in the 2020 presidential race. They point out gender imbalance in these instances. But media organisations in general need to do a better job of analysing the role gender plays in strategising the campaigns of female candidates. 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 Take, for instance, coverage surrounding the policy initiatives of Elizabeth Warren. Each has received criticism and praise on its own from her proposal on making it easier to prosecute executives, to her plan to cancel student debt, or even her most recent initiative on hospital treatment of African-American women giving birth. Journalists and analysts have argued over its merits, the possibility of it ever passing, and how successful it could prove. Some have made the correct observation that Warren is the only candidate in the Democratic field with a lengthy portfolio of policy recommendations. Almost all have ignored how gender plays into this. When a woman runs for elected office, she has to work to combat stereotypes. One of the most prolific ones: that she is unqualified, or underqualified, compared to her male rivals. This is an important point. Women have to work harder to make voters see them as credentialed. This isnt an assumption its a well-studied phenomenon, proven and substantiated in academia. Its important to note how Warren putting policies at the forefront of her campaign is an obvious overcompensation for gender stereotypes immediately applied to female candidates. Media needs to recognise this and make a point of it. The fact that Buttigieg, despite his lack of clear policy stances, has been dubbed a policy wonk by Vogue is a clear indication of how easy it is for a male candidate to appear qualified for the job of president versus the work a woman has to do to convince people she is. Take this CNN article, for instance, Warrens the professor and Buttigieg is the charismatic student without his homework. Guess who voters like best? Beyond the assumptions applied to each candidate by the adjectives in that headline alone, it is obvious how absent the concept of gender is in understanding why voters dont mind that Buttigieg lacks policy proposals. The article goes on to read, Warren captures only 6 per cent of the electorate right now, even as she leads much more of the policy debate. It notes that Warren isnt alone in this arena at CNNs town hall fourm with democratic candidates, it was her and Kamala Harris who came equipped with actual policies. After the train wreck of 2016s campaign coverage, journalists need a new approach to coverage of candidates. It would be worthwhile to include analysis of how gender affects the way campaigns strategise and pitch their candidates, and how it affects how candidates behaviour. Warren and Harris cant act with the same sort of chagrin as Buttigieg at the town hall forum, or his recent comments to Vogue, saying he envisions his future policies as something to do for Dreamers [the public face of the immigrant rights movement] and some kind of border-security package. Female candidates cannot offer a similar blanket statement about some forthcoming policy. They dont have the privilege to appear unqualified or unprepared. They cant take the risk or afford to appear as though they are improvising their responses to an electorate that has never chosen to elect someone of their same gender identity. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Just this week Buttigieg has changed his stance on medical exemptions for vaccinations after facing a backlash. During the aforementioned forum, he said he hadnt rolled out many specific policy proposals because he doesnt want to drown people in minutiae before weve vindicated the values that animate our policies. And on Friday, Joe Biden said he doesnt have time to delve into his healthcare plan. Women dont have that opportunity. That political journalists and analysts are ignoring how gender (let alone race) is dictating the debate on policy is ignorant of how society is structured to favour men and thus male candidates. Journalists can and should do a better job of making this point. Helping voters to understand issues of gender will also enable the country to break down the barriers of entry women face. Pointing this out will ignite public conversation and debate, which could fuel change. We should welcome discussion on gender and its role in the 2020 race, not shy away from it as though its taboo. And to this point, having more women as part of 2020 coverage can help enable this. We cannot afford to and should not ignore gender. It is a fundamental issue in the United States and will have an extensive influence in the 2020 race. A Yes vote in Irelands divorce referendum will pave the way for a more compassionate law, Fine Gael ministers have said. Launching the partys campaign ahead of the vote on May 24, Charlie Flanagan and Josepha Madigan said there was a need to reduce the emotional and financial distress experienced by separating Irish couples. Couples currently have to prove to a court that they have been separated for a long period four of the previous five years before they can secure a divorce. Voters are being asked to amend the states constitution to hand politicians the power to set the length of the pause period. If handed the responsibility, the Fine Gael-led government wants to halve the period from four years to two. Couples can currently secure a judicial separation in a shorter timeframe, but they must the proceed to a second legal stage to obtain a formal court-approved divorce. Those advocating a No vote have warned against the prospect of quickie divorces, expressing concern about giving politicians a free hand to potentially reduce the waiting time even further in the future. The current four-year wait period before someone can even apply for a divorce exacts an enormous toll on many people who are left unable to move on with their livesJosepha Madigan, Fine Gael Lisa Hughes, a Dublin woman who has gone through the two-stage separation and divorce process, addressed the Fine Gael event. I know from personal experience that the current requirement for couples to be separated for four out of the last five years adds considerably to the emotional and financial pain and stress on those involved, she said. No-one expects their relationship to break down and their marriage to come to an end but it does happen. In my case, the requirement to secure a judicial separation in advance of the formal divorce added significantly to the costs involved. Four years is too long to live in legal and day-to-day limbo if your marriage has broken down irretrievably. For these reasons Im urging people to vote Yes on Friday 24. Minister Madigan, Fine Gaels director of elections for the referendum, told the event in Dublin: The current four-year wait period before someone can even apply for a divorce exacts an enormous toll on many people who are left unable to move on with their lives. They are often caught in a long drawn-out court process that only serves to increase acrimony in the long run. Family relationships become further strained, often beyond repair. This surely cannot be acceptable in modern Ireland. The law today traps couples in irretrievable failed relationships. Rather than supporting families, the current lengthy separation period requirement can damage them. Justice and Equality Minister Mr Flanagan added: Ireland has a very low divorce rate by international standards and that is very positive news. However, sadly in every part of Ireland, peoples marriages do break down irreparably and we want to help couples who find themselves in this sad situation. Our proposal involves retaining important constitutional protections: only a court may grant a divorce and the judge must be satisfied there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation and proper provision has been made for children and dependants. Woman of letters: UK Prime Minister Theresa May arrives for a church service near Maidenhead. Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire Britain's Conservative government and opposition Labour Party have a duty to strike a compromise Brexit agreement to end months of political deadlock over Britain's exit from the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May said yesterday. Writing in a British Sunday newspaper, Mrs May told Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn: "Let's do a deal." The prospect of a cross-party compromise has alarmed many Conservatives, and Mrs May acknowledged that it was "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," she wrote. The Conservatives are desperate to move forward after losing hundreds of positions in last week's local authority elections. Labour also suffered losses as voters punished both parties for the Brexit impasse. Almost three years after Britain voted to leave the EU, the date and terms of Brexit remain uncertain. Expand Close Punishment: Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party felt voters Brexit ire. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Punishment: Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party felt voters Brexit ire. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire The UK's departure date has been postponed from March 29 until October 31 because Mrs May has been unable to get British lawmakers to approve her EU divorce deal. But suggestions that Mrs May's government might make a deal that accepts Labour's demand for close economic ties with the EU have infuriated pro-Brexit Conservatives, who are demanding Mrs May's resignation. "We have to make a change," former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith told LBC radio. "The message was loud and clear that, since March 29, people have decided they are absolutely furious with the political class." Labour Party politicians are wary of making a deal that could be seen as helping their arch-rival Conservatives deliver Brexit. Many party members want Labour to support a second referendum on Britain's EU membership that could reverse voters' 2016 decision to leave. They point to big gains in the local elections for the anti-Brexit Liberal Democrats and Green Party as evidence the public would welcome a second referendum. Labour economy spokesman John McDonnell said the party would "come to an agreement if we can". But he also said the governing party couldn't be trusted, after details of the negotiations appeared in the press. Asked on BBC television if he trusted Mrs May, Mr McDonnell said: "No, sorry, not after this weekend when she's blown the confidentiality" of the talks. He said Labour would only agree to a Brexit deal that included a permanent customs union with the EU to avoid barriers to trade. The government wants a looser relationship with the bloc that would let Britain strike new trade deals around the world. McDonnell also said the Conservative Party's leadership machinations have made negotiations difficult. "We're dealing with a very unstable government," McDonnell said. "It's (like) 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." This is the story of a south Leinster dairy farmer who lost seven acres in a CPO and had a further 31 acres of his grazing platform cut off from his milking parlour and residence. In addition, his avenue entrance and several mature beech, oak and ash amenity trees were removed. In summary, he was treated as follows: He was refused an underpass which could easily have been provided at reasonable cost. He was offered derisory compensation. He was subjected to the assessment process and was awarded fair compensation, but the acquiring authority refused to pay. He offered to agree a compromise figure, in the interest of settlement, but the acquiring authority refused to even talk. He was then subjected to the arbitration process and awarded compensation which the acquiring authority unsuccessfully appealed to the High Court and in subsequent negotiations had to increase the compensation because of a flaw in the CPO. The acquiring authority demanded the farmer's three previous years' accounts and tax returns, the details of which were openly and publicly referred to at the arbitration hearing, which is a public forum. The acquiring authority (and the taxpayer) are now responsible for all the substantial costs of several days at assessment, and arbitration, and High Court negotiations but are resisting payment by every means at their disposal. Looked at from the outside, this farmer's dairying operation has been wrecked and his property severally devalued. He was subjected, at considerable financial risk, to two compensation intermediary processes and a High Court appeal. In times of concern about data protection, the opening of his farm accounts and tax returns to the public was a most questionable action. Apart from the property damage and disturbance to this landowner and his family, a side impact will be the problems for public traffic attempting to get to and from a busy local town, if the farmer needs to use the separated area to graze his dairy herd. A project that will have cost millions could end up being a nightmare bottleneck. When landowners need to play hardball on CPOs ONE of the more complex aspects of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) on farmland is compensation for severance (taking of land), injurious affection (damage to retained lands) and the provision of accommodation works. Severance and injurious affection are so closely related that they are sometimes (incorrectly) treated by negotiators as a single item of devaluation. Negotiators that do not assess and claim for severance and injurious affection separately are not doing their clients any favours. Acquiring authority negotiators are likely to strongly resist separate claims for these items but that should not deter the landowners negotiator. Compensation claims for severance, injurious affection and accommodation works should not be confused with that for permanent disturbance (which I will deal with in a later article). Severance and injurious affection are separately assessed and expressed as percentage devaluations of all the retained property, regardless of the landowners enterprise. In contrast, a claim for permanent disturbance addresses the impact on the owner, and the enterprises on the holding, both at the time being and into the future. Unfortunately, this confusion is a regular feature of both claims and offers. Acquiring authority negotiators will regularly, and incorrectly, insist that the impacts of severance and injurious affection are limited to a few acres on either side of the new roadway. Faced with an acquiring authority valuer, who insists on a restricted interpretation of the compensation rules and standards, landowners should not delay in applying for assessment or arbitration, where the rules and regulations will be properly applied. Severance Severance devaluation could be the single greatest component of a CPO compensation claim, if the Acquiring Authority does not provide reasonable scheme or accommodation works to mitigate the impact of the scheme on the entire holding. Severance is technically defined as the taking of an area from a holding. It can result in the splitting of a holding, leaving some land or buildings to one side. It can also be at the boundary of a holding, in which case there may be no separation or sub-division of retained property, but there could still be a severe impact. Whatever type of severance happens, there is always an impact on the value of the holding and, in the majority of cases, it will result in devaluation of all the retained property, not merely a few acres alongside the new roadway. Severing accesses to retained land is a common problem, and can have a major impact on a holding, particularly on dairy farms. A few years ago, on the CorkDublin motorway, near Mitchelstown, land accesses were severed and the county council saw no difficulty forcing two farmers to move two large herds of cows in opposite directions along a narrow country roadway. Until recent years, it was relatively easy to negotiate underpasses on severely severed holdings, particularly on dairy farms. Acquiring authorities are now strongly resisting the provision of underpasses except in exceptional circumstances. Underpasses or overpasses, should be discussed with the acquiring authority at an early stage, before the road design phase has been completed. In complex cases, a roads engineer should be engaged. Severance regularly results in a complete change of routes to and from adjoining towns and villages which could be very disruptive for the entire family. New detours and the closing of existing roads and rights of way are a frequent feature of road schemes. Acquiring authority negotiators regularly invoke the long established Edwards Principle to deny property owners their entitlement to compensation in some of these cases. While this is a perfectly valid principle, the ignoring of the equally valid McCarthy Rules, should not be tolerated by property owners. The loss of mature trees, such as oak, ash and beech, can result in amenity loss, which is a valid basis for compensation. It is obviously impractical to claim for replacement of a 200-year-old oak tree, but a semi-mature (say 20 to 25 years old) sapling can be transplanted from a nursery. Betterment In a limited number of situations, severance could give rise to Betterment by opening up developable road frontage and creating access that would result in new development potential. Betterment is a complex phenomenon. Property owners should be on the watch out for acquiring authority negotiators unreasonably attempting to reduce the compensation by unjustifiably claiming betterment. Injurious affection Injurious affection is technically defined as the damage done to retained lands by the construction works and their subsequent user. This can take one of a number of forms including additional flooding, damage to drainage, unbearable noise, visual impact, loss of shelter, etc. As in the case of severance, compensation for injurious affection should always be claimed separately and expressed as a percentage devaluation of the entire of the retained holding. In the case of long-term drainage impacts, the acquiring authority will generally give a written commitment that the future drainage of the holding will be at least as good as it always had been prior to the road scheme. This is an absolutely meaningless commitment. If there is a significant risk that the drainage of the retained land will be permanently damaged, the landowner should engage a drainage engineer to prepare his or her case at an early stage. Acquiring authority solutions for noise and privacy impacts are the erection of timber noise barriers and the planting of quick-thorn hedging. While road barriers may have a slight mitigation effect, they are ugly looking and fragile structures, and quick thorn hedges have no noise mitigating effect and will take several years to restore even a minimal level of privacy. In any event, these so-called solutions will, at best, only reduce the impact slightly below a legal tolerance level. In summary, there is an entitlement to substantial compensation, in most cases, for the impact of injurious affection to the retained property and landowners should not be fooled by sticking plaster solutions proposed by an acquiring authority. Scheme/accommodation works Scheme works are constructed by the acquiring authority on the acquired CPO land. Typical examples are cattle underpasses, boundary fencing and landscaping. They are part of the scheme structures, and landowners generally have to take what they get. However, landowners should address these scheme works with the acquiring authority at an early stage of the process in the hope that their concerns get a reasonable hearing in good time, before the scheme design has been completed. Acquiring authorities may offer to carry out works on retained lands with a view to mitigating undesirable impacts. These works are commonly referred to as accommodation works and they are part of the negotiations. The authority is not legally obliged to do any of these works, but if essential works are not done, the compensation should be correspondingly increased. Equally, the landowner can refuse accommodation works offered by the acquiring authority if they are offered only with a view to saving money but are of little or no benefit to him or her. Typical accommodation works are cattle holding pens, farm roadways, water facilities, planting, gates, etc. Accommodation works should be negotiated at the same time as financial compensation, and a total package should either be agreed or costed and referred for assessment or arbitration. A written schedule of agreed works should be provided by the acquiring authority as part of any compensation proposals. Roadway fencing and its maintenance are normally the responsibility of the authority and landowners are generally put in a situation that they have to take what they get. Landowners, in general, have a preference for concrete post and rail fencing, but in recent years such fencing will not be provided, on the grounds that, in the event of a road accident, concrete post and rail fencing will result in more severe injuries. An assessor or arbitrator cannot make an order to compel an acquiring authority to carry out scheme or accommodation works, or erect concrete post and rail fencing. However, he can order that the costs of essential works be paid to the landowner if he feels that it would be reasonable to do so. Richard Collins is a consultant with FBA Consultants, based in Fermoy, Co Cork. He is the co-author with Noel OBrien of A Practical Guide to Compulsory Purchase in Ireland. racollins@fba.ie or 025 31244 The abuse was filmed by activist group Eyes on Animals The Green Party has claimed that live export of cattle is unethical and called for trade to be banned. The call comes following footage was released of cruel treatment of Irish calves in a French lairage. The Green Partys Spokesperson on Agriculture and Animal Welfare, Pippa Hackett said live export is a dirty word in Irish agriculture, and the vast majority of consumers, and many farmers, are uncomfortable with what she said was an unethical trade. "Live export will only ever be as good as its latest controversy, and there have been many reported breaches in animal welfare legislation over the past number of years. She claimed that farmers have been misled by their farm organisations that live exports are vital to keep a floor on the market, yet despite these claims, the beef price has never been worse," she said. Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has said that "live exports are a critical part of the infrastructure of our livestock industry. "They play a significant role in stimulating price competition and provide an alternative market outlet for farmers," she said. Minister Creed condemned alleged mistreatment of Irish calves, in footage that is circulating online. Footage emerged that claims to show Irish calves being shipped between Ireland and the Netherlands and the mistreatment of calves. According to the activist group who shot the footage, the journey, which it says took more than 50 hours - sees the calves are unloaded in Tollevast, near Cherbourg, to be fed and rested. The Minister has condemned any ill treatment of livestock and said he would urge any persons who have direct knowledge or evidence of breaches of animal welfare to report it directly to the relevant Authorities without any delay. Thompson joined the Assembly in 2013 and he later served as chair of the education committee. A news release said he worked on bills that increased student educational opportunities and stopped employment discrimination against people with a criminal record. ATHLONE and the Midlands is emerging as one of the country's most attractive places to live and work because of the significantly lower cost of living and an unrivalled lifestyle. That is according to leading employers attending a major recruitment event this Saturday in Athlone. More than 20 major science, tech and pharma firms will next week take part in the biggest ever recruitment event held at the International Arena with over 5,000 people attending Career Zoo Athlone. Global and local tech, MedTech and pharma employers such as Ericsson, Abbott, KCI, Genesys, Teleflex, PPD, Jazz Pharma, FRS and Neueda will be showcasing the hundreds of open roles they have on offer. Until now, Career Zoo has traditionally taken place in Dublin but according to Chris Forsdyke, Executive Director of the PPD Laboratories GMP Lab, the Midlands is catching the eye of highly ambitious job seekers. "The diversity and scope for opportunities at PPD Laboratories here in Athlone are vast," he said. "We are in growth mode and seeking candidates with a science background. We currently have opportunities for analytical chemists, biopharmaceutical scientists, QC data reviewers, lab supervisors, project managers and research scientists. "We want to get the message out there that the growing pharmaceutical sector in the Midlands rivals other regions in terms of facilities and global influence and that PPD can offer excellent career opportunities and advancement, coupled with the balanced quality of life associated with living in the Midlands." That message is echoed by another key employer in the region Neueda Technologies which is currently offering opportunities across a range of disciplines within software development, cloud engineering and agile practitioners. Paul Madden, Managing Director of Neueda, said: As well as being able to offer highly rewarding careers in an innovative, open, diverse working environment, our location in Athlone provides our employees with excellent work life balance. We are excited to be part of Career Zoo and looking forward to meeting top tech talent that may be a valued addition to our growing company. Athlone is a hugely attractive region for kick starting or growing your career within the tech industry. "The town is based in the heart of Ireland and is well equipped with attractions/restaurants/outdoor activities. There is a better standard of living in comparison to other cities, and commuting to work is very manageable. Career Zoo Director Brian O hOisin said better take-home pay, more free time, more affordable and spacious housing are hallmarks of living in the Midlands and the surrounding region with Athlone perfectly positioned at the centre of this expanding and connected region. The tech, biotech and professional services recruiting event, is taking place in the International Arena on Saturday May 11 from 10.00am to 4.30pm with an after-party. Making the switch to the Midlands Expand Close Karen Flanagan Validation Team Leader, Abbott, Longford / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Karen Flanagan Validation Team Leader, Abbott, Longford Karen Flanagan Validation Team Leader, Abbott, Longford "Im from Doonbeg in County Clare originally, but I lived in Galway for four years while I was studying Biochemistry and then I spent two years in Dublin doing my Masters. "I joined Abbott Longford as a Quality Technician in October 2015 and Ive had so many opportunities to progress and develop during that time. Ive worked hard, and my efforts were rewarded with three promotions since I joined. Another great benefit is that Im now only a 2.5-hour drive from my family, so I usually go home to Clare once a month to see them. "Life is affordable and relaxed in Longford. I find I am saving while still enjoying a nice lifestyle. My fiance and I can afford to rent a lovely big three-bedroom house in the centre of the town. "Longford is right in the centre of the country so its easy to get to and from and I like the nice vibe in the town as well, it reminds me a lot of home." Expand Close Cathriona OConnor, Group Leader, PPD Laboratories, Athlone / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cathriona OConnor, Group Leader, PPD Laboratories, Athlone Cathriona OConnor, Group Leader, PPD Laboratories, Athlone Ive been working with PPD Laboratories in Athlone for about six years now. The company offers a variety of different career paths with lots of room for growth. I started as an Associate Group Leader in July 2013 and now Im a Group Leader. For the first year I commuted from Maynooth in Kildare. The commute was just 50 minutes and it was away from the traffic, so I didnt mind the journey, but after having our first child, my partner and I decided to settle down in Athlone. Im originally from Kildare, but the cost of living was a big factor. Houses are much better value in the midlands, so my partner and I were able to afford a lovely detached house in the village of Ballinahown just outside Athlone town. Within the first few months of living in Athlone I fell in love with the place. I had always lived in a commuter town, so I spent my life driving in and out of Dublin, but Athlone is different. Its a really lovely town with lots of great shops, restaurants, and theres a great night life all on your doorstep. The house prices are much cheaper, and the quality of life is better. PPD offers me excellent work life balance, I can pick up kids after work and be home within 10 minutes, it feels nice to have free evenings. And at the weekends, there are so many playgrounds, lakes, and castles to explore with the children. Practically every county is easily accessible; it really is the heart of Ireland. Ireland accounted for just 1.2pc of the European Investment Bank's (EIB) 451.1bn disbursed loans at the end of 2018, despite some high-profile backing here in the past couple of years. Spain accounted for 18.4pc of the European Investment Bank's outstanding stock of loans at the end of the year - the highest of any country. Italy was second, with 11.6pc, while France had 9.5pc. A total of 970m was committed by the bank to Ireland last year. It loaned a total of 55.6bn in 2018, down from the 69.9bn it loaned in 2017. An additional 10bn was provided to countries via European Investment Fund financing. The bulk of the bank's outstanding loans - 29.2pc - are allocated to the transport sector, according to the EIB's annual report. The aggregate value of loans granted by the investment bank to projects in Ireland was 6.7bn at the end of 2018, with the disbursed amount hitting almost 5.4bn. In 2018, the EIB announced that it would provide 225m to support the roll-out of Ireland's nationwide electronic health and information programme. It also backed the 80m development of a cargo terminal at the Port of Cork with a 30m loan. Other financing in Ireland during 2018 included 500m in backing it has committed to the controversial National Broadband Plan. The EIB also committed 30m to Irish biotech firm Nuritas, aimed at beefing up the development of new therapies. Irish Continental Group secured 80m for the construction of a new ferry that's due to be delivered to the company next year. The ferry group also previously secured a 75m term loan agreement with the EIB to support the purchase of its recently-launched WB Yeats ship. The EIB, which is owned by individual EU member states, was 60 years old last year. It has loaned more than 1trn since it was founded. Ireland's subscribed capital to the EIB was 1.37bn at the end of 2018, compared to 1.25bn at the end of 2017. A controversial multi-million euro solar farm project in Co Cork has been given the go-ahead by An Bord Pleanala. The solar plant, which is expected to generate up to 14.1MW of power, will be built close to Carrigaline by ESB-backed Irish firm Terra Solar. The facility on the 48-hectare site had been approved by Cork County Council last year, subject to 38 planning conditions. But the decision was appealed to the planning watchdog by a local community group. It had claimed the scale of the project was significantly larger than other solar schemes in the county, and that the scheme would be in an area where several protected species such as kestrels were living. There are no national guidelines for the development of solar power farms. "Notwithstanding the absence of national planning guidelines with respect to solar farms, national and regional policies are supportive of the same," Terra Solar told An Bord Pleanala. The farm is expected to take about four months to build, and involve up to 50 workers. "Landscape and visual impacts of the proposal would, subject to mitigation, be compatible with the visual amenities of the area," said An Bord Pleanala's inspector in recommending the project be approved. The inspector also recommended that a planning condition imposed by the local council relating to dealing with the glare and its potential impact on pilots flying in and out of Cork Airport, and on its air traffic control tower, be omitted in light of additional evidence provided by Terra Solar. Property developers will be forced to devote a significant section of all new developments to homes for sale under laws aimed at clamping down on cuckoo fund investors. The proposed planning regulations, which are the centrepiece of Fianna Fail's local election manifesto, would greatly increase the number of new homes on the market and make build-to-rent developments less lucrative. The party also wants to rip up legislation which introduced huge tax incentives for international corporations investing in the Irish commercial property market. They have given rise to the cuckoo fund phenomenon with entire housing developments being snapped up, locking out individual buyers. The new planning proposals would be implemented in a similar way to current laws which require developers to earmark a certain portion of all new developments for social housing. At present, developers must offer 10pc of homes at a discounted price to local authorities under the Planning and Development Act 2000. Under the Fianna Fail proposal, developers would not be given planning permission if applications did not contain a significant number of homes for sale. It also wants to dramatically change six-year-old legislation which introduced tax breaks for international firms investing in Ireland. REITs - real estate investment trusts - were legislated for in the Finance Act 2013 to make Ireland more attractive to investors after the economic crash. The Government has been reluctant to change the legislation. Fianna Fail housing spokesman Darragh O'Brien said the investors were getting a "free ride" and it was time to "severely restrict" them from block buying new homes. "They are not paying corporation tax and they are not paying income tax. "Meanwhile, the cost of rent remains stark and people are being squeezed out of the dream of home ownership," Mr O'Brien told the Irish Independent. "We are not telling investors to get out of Ireland because there is always a place for international investment, but it should not be at the expense of ordinary people hoping to own a home." The State is squeezing out first-time home buyers by snapping up new homes rather than building their own. Official figures show approximately one in every five newly built residential properties was snapped up by a combination of local authorities and taxpayer-funded housing bodies last year. In some counties the State is snapping up more than half of all new homes in estates. And it is typically competing against first-time buyers at the same price points. Housing experts claim county councils could build homes cheaper. Expert in housing policy Lorcan Sirr has dubbed the State's actions as akin to that of a magpie - a bird that is notorious for taking things off others. Expand Close Significant reforms: Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Significant reforms: Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy. Photo: Frank McGrath He said that taxpayer funds being used to buy houses meant councils were not ramping up capacity to build. Dr Sirr warned: "There are also likely political consequences for those who stand in the way of home-ownership." In response, the Department of Housing claims it is buying homes offered by investment funds that are not normally offered on the open market for individual sale. There has been huge controversy about the activities of cuckoo funds. These are international investors who snap up entire developments to rent out, thereby locking out first-time buyers and young families from buying their own home. But figures from the Department of Housing show the State is buying far more newly-built houses than any cuckoo fund. These new houses are known as "turnkey" houses - when the State buys new housing from a developer before it hits the market. Last year there were 18,072 new houses and apartments completed. Excluding one-off houses and 1,644 homes built by councils means the total falls to 11,373. Some 2,100 turnkeys were bought by local authorities and approved housing bodies, which are mostly State-funded. This means 18pc of completed new builds last year were bought by the State, or nearly one in five. Cuckoo investors block-purchased almost 3,000 units last year, but most of these properties were bought off the plans and have yet to be constructed. About 700 were completed homes. The means the State was the largest purchaser of completed homes last year. Overall, cash buyers - such as the State, cuckoo funds and investors in buy-to-let housing - accounted for half of all residential properties bought last year, according to the Central Bank. The pressure exerted by this is one of the reasons half of new buyers will need help from mum and dad to buy their own home. A Department of Housing spokesperson responded that it was too simple to say that it is pushing out first-time buyers. "The notion that turnkeys are homes that are completed and the State simply buys the keys is untrue. "In many cases the local authority is involved from the very start and the houses would not be built without the involvement and funding of the local authority." In some areas the local authority may not have land in places suitable for social homes. "These homes are not being bought in a shrunken market - they are directly expanding the market because they are new homes built by and for the local authority/approved housing bodies," the spokesperson said. And they insisted that in some areas, acquisitions are both faster and cheaper to deliver. To hear many investors tell it, Greece is in the midst of a supercharged recovery after suffering under years of recession and austerity. But Greeks like Dimitra D. are not buying the turnaround story. The 53-year-old civil engineer is poised to lose her family home after her bank threatened to seize the 140,000 apartment used as collateral against a 50,000 loan she's unable to repay. After years of going back and forth with her bank, she says she no longer has the will to fight for the property. "I prefer to lose my home even though I know that it doesn't make sense in financial terms," she said, declining to give her family name because she's embarrassed by her financial situation. "I don't care anymore. I'll live in a 50sqm rental apartment but I'll have peace of mind." By many measures Greece has turned a corner: its stock benchmark has jumped 26pc in 2019, set for its best first half in two decades, and trumping European shares' 8.1pc gain. Last year, the country recorded the strongest economic growth since 2007. Greece's 10-year bonds yield 3.3pc, a fraction of the 37pc the country had to pay at the height of the financial crisis. Expand Close Winding road: A tourist makes her way along a passageway in the tiny Anafiotika district of Athens. Photo: AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Winding road: A tourist makes her way along a passageway in the tiny Anafiotika district of Athens. Photo: AFP/Getty Images For all that, many Greeks are still struggling to claw out from under mountains of debt after a decade during which the economy cratered, contracting by more than a quarter. The country's unemployment rate of 18.5pc is still among the highest in the European Union. Since the start of the financial crisis in 2010, more than 87,500 small and medium-sized businesses have folded, while personal disposable income has shrunk by 14.5pc, national statistics show. About four million taxpayers, or about 37pc of the population, owe the state 104.4bn in backpayments - more than triple the arrears in 2010 of 32.5bn. Greece's largest lenders have been recapitalised three times since the start of the debt crisis in 2009. The country was rocked by riots during the financial crisis, when it appeared Greece was on the brink of imploding under the weight of the economic disaster that it was grappling with. Financial wags lumped it with Portugal, Ireland and Spain at the time to create the ignominious 'Pigs' acronym used to describe the European countries worst hit by the global financial crisis that had, in Ireland at least, been exacerbated by carefree lending by the banks to fuel property mania. And while the Irish Government's moves as the crisis deepened to steady the economy (via the creation of Nama, providing the bank guarantee and other measures) remain controversial, there was at least a relatively quick effort to tackle the sour loans that had clogged up the banks' arteries here. By contrast, Greece, Spain and Portugal failed to address problems early. Ireland received one bailout, Greece three. The eurozone governments and the International Monetary Fund put together three rounds of financial assistance for Greece (in 2010, 2012 and 2015), totalling more than 300bn in commitments, though the IMF stopped disbursing cash after the second round and only offered technical assistance. These programmes all proved insufficient. The first two programmes underestimated the effect that tax increases and spending cuts would have on Greek economic growth. Successive Greek governments also delayed passing recommended structural reforms that would attract investment, such as cutting red tape. Many Greeks are exhausted and are no longer putting up a fight to preserve their assets. With cases winding their way through Greek courts, which can take years, many people who were once determined to protect their properties, have seen the ceaseless pressure take its toll, said Dimitris Anastasopoulos, a lawyer who handles cases to stop banks from taking over primary residences. "It's not so much a financial issue as a psychological one, with the whole procedure wearing them down," he said. "They now say let the bank take the home. They can't stand collection agencies reaching out to them for their debt." Borrowers feel harassed, with the collection agencies calling them on a daily basis, Mr Anastasopoulos said. "I know of some cases where my clients had a heart attack or a stroke due to the constant pressure," he said. Repossession of Greek homes, which was unheard of, is becoming more prevalent as banks themselves face pressure to slash bad loans. Bank non-performing exposures stand at 81.8bn, or almost half of the country's gross domestic product. Faced with an election year, the government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is seeking to help protect primary residences. At the end of March, parliament voted a primary-residence protection framework after a long-drawn dispute with the country's creditors over the eligibility criteria. Distressed home owners can apply for help, and if they meet the criteria, banks will restructure the loan with the state subsidising a part of the instalments and the borrower having to repay the rest without any new delays. The new framework covers bad loans worth around 25bn, based on data from the Hellenic Bank Association. Of that, the trade body expects about 10bn - corresponding to around 160,000 debtors - to use the new legislation and eventually some 5bn may be restructured and turned into performing loans. If the estimates are right, the new plan will help both borrowers and lenders. Greece's creditors and the European Central Bank have identified the reduction of bad debt as the country's top priority. Greek banks are auctioning off repossessed residences to clean up their balance sheets but so far the main buyers of these properties have been the banks themselves - with few other bidders emerging. In 2018, some 10,000 properties, or about 85pc of the ones put on the block, were bought by the banks. Lenders estimate they'll buy back some 15,000 homes this year. While the government is diving in to try to help, for some that aid is coming too late. Georgia D. gave up her primary residence in an auction in 2018. She and her husband lost their jobs during the crisis and stopped servicing their loan. They even migrated to the US to find jobs, but found life there too expensive, forcing them to return to Greece. They managed to find small jobs to make ends meet, but were too dispirited to try to save their home. "I was so depressed that I didn't even try to reach a deal with the bank," she said. "We were left to our own fate." ( Bloomberg) Wang Di's father and mother didn't want their first child to be a girl. Her very name testifies to her parents' disappointment. It means "hope" or "to look forward to" (Wang) and "a little brother" (Di). As this novel begins in 1941, with Singapore under threat from Japanese troops, she is 16, and the village matchmaker has come round to urge her suitability for marriage. Wang Di's father thinks she is too young to marry. He's confident that the British colony, as Singapore was at the time, will hold firm against Japan. It's not to be. Japanese troops occupied Singapore in 1942, renaming it Syonan-to and putting the clocks forward an hour to sync with Tokyo time. Wang Di's parents face the situation with a "stoicism that they had picked up from having spent their youths living from one disaster, economic or natural, to another." Some predict it will simply mean a change of ruler, but the brutality of the Japanese invaders quickly becomes apparent. Men are rounded up and shot. People who don't bow low enough to the soldiers are beaten, or worse. Most significantly for Wang Di, young women either rush to get married or else start dressing like boys in trousers and oversized shirts, cutting off their ponytails and binding their chests "to hide their curves". The suddenly urgent need to see their daughter married off comes too late. One day, Wang Di is taken away by soldiers. At a black and white house miles from home, she is renamed Fujiko and forced to work as a so-called "comfort woman" for Japanese troops. The first time it happens, she feels "hollow and strangely weightless, as if I didn't exist". Then the next soldier comes in, and it happens again. Soon she stops counting. The soldiers become "one faceless, nameless beast - all body and inhuman noise". That, she learns, is what they do with new girls, lining up to "break her in like a new pair of shoes". Wang Di has never been away from her family, even for a night, and clings on to the longing for release. After a month, she stops hoping. She has to serve up to 30 men a day, and more on weekends and festival days, and learns to smile at them to avoid "the threat of a fist or a boot... To keep alive, I made no noise, did nothing and tried not to exist". Interwoven with the harrowing account of the young woman's three years of sexual servitude are two further strands of story. In the year 2000, Wang Di, now an old woman, faces widowhood after the death of a husband she calls the Old One, who carried his own traumatic memories of the war. Meanwhile, a young boy called Kevin is the only witness to a death bed confession from his grandmother that she took a child, his father, from its parents during the war, and he begins to dig back into the past to discover the truth. As in all novels with a split narrative, the three storylines are inevitably uneven. Kevin's quest to get to the bottom of his family history is engaging, and the vignettes from Wang Di's old age are touching; but it is the young woman's wartime experience which gives How We Disappeared its raw power. In the black and white house, Wang Di feels ashamed for not killing herself, fearing that she "would not be able to look my mother or father in the eyes again". She decides that, if she ever does get home, she will tell them that she was put to work in a factory. "I would lie to myself first," she notes, "then to everyone else after." The only humanity comes from the other young women. They're warned not to get sick or pregnant, but one by one, as time goes on and rations diminish, the girls fall sick, grow thin, faded, becoming little more than "a collection of cuts and bones and bruises, badly healed". This, Wang Di realises, is "how we're going to disappear". Even her eventual release, after the defeat of the Japanese, brings little relief. She returns home, but the house smells of "male bodies and their sweat and dark, sweet breaths, all of it sharpened by the heat". She understands why some girls chose never to return home at all. There's too much social shame, and no one wants to talk about what happened to them. She's told that she must forget the life she led, the girls she was with, the ones who didn't make it. Daughters, it seems, will always be "useless, disposable". Video of the Day This is the first novel by poet Jing-Jing Lee, and it's as beautifully written as one would expect. Born and raised in Singapore, the book draws heavily on her own family's past, and she thanks her parents in the acknowledgements for "generously" allowing her to draw on that painful history. On page after page, there are insights and observations which catch the reader short, as when, lying in the dark during the war after the soldiers have finished with her, she tries to remembers "the things I used to say in my past life, as a daughter, someone's child", but senses that there is not enough of her left, "the way a body burns and leaves nothing recognisable in its wake. Just a few shards of bone, ash". It also details brilliantly how the deficiencies of the past pass down through the generations. Decades on, these people still refuse to speak to each other about the things that matter, retreating behind small talk about the weather and the saltiness of the food. In a way, though, the brilliance of the writing almost makes it harder to bear. It's powerful and profound, but it's possible to love a novel and still never want to read it again, because it's too upsetting. This is one of those books. When it comes to popular fiction, the next big thing can quickly become yesterday's news. The upsurge in Irish crime writing, so-called "Emerald Noir", shows no signs of slowing yet, but Ireland is a small country, and it's only natural for readers to cast their eyes further afield in search of the new. That's part of the reason why Scandinavian crime fiction enjoyed a massive surge in popularity in recent years. For a while, it wasn't possible to move for blond manic depressives in chunky knitwear, and the shortlists for the Crime Writers Association's International Dagger prize still tend to be dominated by Northern Europeans. Now, though, even "Nordic Noir", as spearheaded by Henning Mankell (who posthumously won last year's Dagger for his valedictory final novel, After The Fire) is starting to feel somewhat predictable. There is still fresh writing being published, not least from Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurdardottir, whose latest instalment in her Freyja and Huldar series, released in English at the end of April as The Absolution, probes the (very) dark side of social media. Other countries are not so well represented. Italy is one exception, most successfully in Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series, of which The Overnight Kidnapper is the latest instalment. For readers tired of Montalbano - that was his 23rd investigation, after all - Ilaria Tuti's Flowers Over The Inferno introduces a very different detective in the shape of Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, a lonely overweight sixtysomething. Fred Vargas is the pseudonym of French historian Frederique Audoin-Rouzeau. Her Paris-based series centred on Commissaire Adamsberg began in the early 1990s with The Chalk Circle Man but is still going strong. Some find her hero's meandering vagueness a little frustrating, but, without peddling national cliches, the books couldn't be more pleasingly French. A newer name to look out for is Tanguy Viel, whose refreshingly brief Article 353 recounts a trial arising from the death of a property developer. The search for novelty in fictional settings has been stimulated by the rise of streaming, with networks such as Netflix desperate for new content that might work as long form series. Nordic Noir first came to the fore thanks to Danish and Swedish TV dramas such as The Killing and The Bridge; the publication in January of the English translation of The Chestnut Man, the first novel by Soren Sveistrup, creator of The Killing, brings things full circle. It was a bit over long, but striking in its telling. The risk is that the promotion of international crime fiction can make it seem like an offshoot of the travel industry. That would do serious disservice to the range of themes that a country's best writers are tackling in their work. Of course being able to read in a second language helps. "Factoring in the internet and ebooks, access to original language texts for those with linguistic competence to read them is no longer limited by geographical location," notes Dr Kathleen Quinn from NUI Galway's School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. Regrettably, most readers are still restricted by what's selected for translation. Asked to offer some pointers for Irish readers dipping a toe into unfamiliar waters, Dr Quinn generously provided a long list from her own field of interest in Latin America, from Cuban novelist Leonardo Padura Fuentes's Havana Quartet, whose four novels about detective Mario Conde provide, in her words, "a disillusioned perspective on the sacrifices his generation were asked to make on behalf of the Revolution", to Columbia's Santiago Gamboa and Juan Gabriel Vasquez, who both produce novels that "engage with the socio-political reality of their country and the legacy of violence". Increasingly, Kathleen Quinn also points out, "well read fans don't just want to read Spanish crime novels, for instance, but rather Catalan or Basque crime novels, or novels linked to specific settings". Video of the Day One of her own areas of expertise is Chilean literature, in which vein she suggests the novels of Ramon Diaz Eterovic. The central character of his best-known series is a private detective, Heredia, whose investigations shine a spotlight on "crimes linked to the aftermath of the Pinochet military dictatorship, with the legacy of human rights violations and the state's response to this". The first to appear in English, Dark Echoes Of The Past, is "a particularly interesting read for anyone interested in recent Chilean history", Dr Quinn says. Dark echoes of the past could almost be a description of crime fiction itself, and it's telling that some of the best international examples are now coming out of those parts of the world where official secrets, corruption and lies have left their mark. The capacity of crime fiction to explore those interconnections is what keeps it so endlessly renewable, not to mention such fertile ground for scholarship. Queen's University Belfast's International Crime Fiction website, presided over by French specialist Dr Dominique Jeannerod, organises regular conferences and publications, and is an indispensable resource for those looking to expand their criminal horizons, as it were. There's still plenty of the world to discover, as last year's breakthrough by Nigerian author Oyinkan Braithwaite's original, hilarious debut My Sister, The Serial Killer proved. Right now, publishing seems to have its eyes set on the Far East. The hero of You-Jeong Jeong's The Good Son wakes up covered in blood with his mother's body downstairs; knowing that he will be suspected of her killing if he calls the police, he chooses to hide the body and solve the crime himself. Fellow South Korean Un-su Kim's The Plotters also bagged a six figure US deal. He has predictably been called the "Korean Henning Mankell", proving that there's no escaping the shadow of the Scandinavians yet. An Australian DJ popular on the Asian club circuit has been found dead after suffering massive bleeding from an injury at a resort complex on the Indonesian island of Bali. Adam Neats official social media pages carried a statement confirming his death, saying he died while trying to help a friend who suffered multiple fractures on Saturday. Indonesian police said they are still investigating the death of the 42-year-old performer, who used the stage name Adam Sky. An initial police report said he suffered a deep, wide cut to his arm that caused massive bleeding. Local police chief Dody Monza said the body was found lying near a bathroom by two housekeepers at Hillstone Villa, where the DJ stayed in Bali, a few minutes after they heard a woman scream for help. Police said a 22-year-old Russian woman described as a friend of Neats was found naked beside the villa with a broken leg, while bloodstained glass fragments were found in Neats room. Police did not say how the woman was injured. Police Detective Muhammad Nurul Yaqin said a preliminary investigation showed that Neat was drunk at the time and smashed a glass window in his bedroom. Part of the broken window fell on his right arm, causing severe bleeding, he said. Expand Close Police at the scene in Bali (Denpasar Police/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police at the scene in Bali (Denpasar Police/AP) We cannot conclude yet whether he intended to break the glass or accidentally hit it, he said. Mr Monza said Neats wife arrived in Bali after his death and refused a post-mortem. Video of the Day We are still investigating this case despite an autopsy refusal by Neats wife, he said. Neats website says he has toured with artists including Taio Cruz and The Scissor Sisters. The pair will discuss Jarretts work ensuring equality for women and girls and advancing civil rights, her upcoming book Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward, her writing process and the stories that inspired her book. Amanda Wingfield is a faded southern belle; in her prime she had her pick of men. The husband she chose was a disaster and deserter. Lone parenting in poverty, her children are now finished high school. Tom is an aspiring writer but has a dull warehouse job. His sister Laura has a limp, is chronically shy, and cannot manage the simplest of social tasks. She devotes her energy to a collection of miniature animals, her glass menagerie. Amanda exhorts Tom to bring home friends from work to introduce Laura to some gentlemen callers. He produces Jim O'Connor, a boy whom Laura had a crush on in high school. Director and designer Tom Cairns gives us an off-kilter production, where the inherent expressionism in the text is brought to the fore, with a destabilising effect. The portrait of the father that sometimes disappears into the wall is a technical whizz, but also a distraction. The dining room is sectioned in a gauzed-off cube that rotates to accommodate sight lines; if the idea is to create the distance of memory, it is a very fussy method to employ. Several inspired visual ideas are not whipped into a smooth whole. Marty Rea occasionally pushes his performance of Tom up a couple of notches too high, not trusting the text, but pumping it. The play is narrated by Tom from some time in the future, but this memory aspect doesn't coherently affect his performance. Samantha Bond's Amanda is swish and accomplished but lacks vulnerability. She is too much steel, not enough magnolia. The two younger actors fare much better; Frank Blake as Jim O'Connor personifies the go-getting American male of the 1930s, with his upwardly mobile aspirations and decent heart. Zara Devlin catches the deep layers of complexity in Laura, with an oddball self-possession. Their scene in Act 2 is perfectly done; the show is worth seeing for this magical encounter. Sinead Diskin's sound design creates several good moments, like the drifting-in sounds of the nearby nightclub, but is less effective when harnessed to melodrama. Paul Keogan's lighting plot is full of intrigue; his conjuring of a spherical ceiling lamp into both a moon and a nightclub is a treat. Tennessee Williams' breakthrough play of 1944 has been hugely influential; its fingerprints are all over the development of modern drama. There are problems with this production but the writing is essentially unsinkable. Laura and her glass animals may be fragile, but this brilliant play certainly isn't. Vivid picture of interned IRA in 1940s Tintown Video of the Day The Factory, Sligo Until tonight There is little popular knowledge about the existence of the IRA in the decades following the Civil War and before the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Writer-performer Bob Kelly fills some of that gap with the story of a Dubliner, Barney, interned in the Curragh military camp during World War II, along with hundreds of IRA sympathisers. Many were veterans of the War of Independence, some were just socialists. They could leave at any time if they agreed to sign a pledge of allegiance to the Irish state. To them this was capitulation - "if you sign, you'll be half a man, living half a life, in half a country". The script is both elegant and clever. It is informed by interviews with internees and presents a vivid picture of the struggle between the nationalists and the socialists for the heart of the IRA. Some of the inmates sing 'The Internationale' as Gaeilge. Kelly's beguiling solo performance is detailed and authentic. Director Niall Henry for Blue Raincoat steers this fascinating material with delicacy and nuance. Diarmuid O'Flaherty's set and lighting design are austere and atmospheric, like a prison. This engrossing show takes you to the interior of a Dublin man's brain where this portion of Irish national history finds sharp, dramatic life. Gutted: Damien and Frances Nugent in the sitting room of their destroyed home in Loughboy, Mell, Drogheda, one week after it was petrol bombed. Photo: Ciara Wilkinson A couple whose house was petrol-bombed say they were 30 seconds away from not getting out alive. Damien and Frances Nugent have been left homeless after the attack on their home in Loughboy, Mell, Drogheda, Co Louth, just over a week ago. They both attended the anti-violence rally in Drogheda on Saturday and say they are totally innocent and have nothing to do with the feud in the town. Standing outside what remains of the house, Damien said: "We are literally homeless at the minute." Frances said they were asleep in bed in the early hours of last Sunday morning when she heard a sound that woke her and she woke her husband. She said, "I went to open the bedroom door and saw that everything was just brightness. "I said to my husband, 'Run, run, run, get out, get out'. We ran down the stairs (and) in the nick of time we got to the door and no more. "I really and truly mean we should have been dead." Damien said that if they had been even 30 seconds later running down the stairs, "we would not be here talking to you". Damien said reports in the media suggested the house was targeted because of the criminal feud in the town. He said this is not correct and they have nothing to do with it. "What we are trying to put across is what is being put in the papers (which was) that our house was involved as part of this ongoing drugs feud and literally (we) want to clear our names and to state, and anyone that knows me and Frances, could 100pc say, that us two have nothing whatsoever to do with this drugs feud." The attack has left their house uninhabitable. Since then they have been staying with family and friends. They said they wanted gardai to be given the resources needed to tackle the violence which has terrorised parts of the town. Damien said they went to it because, "we are sick of this going on and innocent people getting victimised over this so-called drugs feud when it has nothing to do with them whatsoever." Around 500 people attended the rally which sent out the message of solidarity, saying 'Enough is Enough.' The rally was organised by Paddy McQuillan after the most recent shooting which was carried out on a busy street and left one man with three gunshot wounds. He said, the rally "is not political, this is more than politics, this is (about) Drogheda. "We stand here today shoulder to shoulder for one reason only, we demand that Minister Charlie Flanagan gives our gardai the resources they need to rid our streets of this violence once and for all. "We are sick of it, enough is enough." Mayor of Drogheda Frank Godfrey said: "I am appealing to those involved in this current spate of intimidation and violence to stop and to stop it now. "The good people of Drogheda do not deserve to be living in fear in their own town. "We will not be intimidated, we want peace and calm restored to the historic city of Drogheda." Distraught: Bobby Ryans children Robert and Michelle Ryan outside the Criminal Courts of Justice after Patrick Quirke was found guilty. Photo: Gerry Mooney Bobby Ryan's son is haunted to this day by the thought of his father being beaten and left to starve to death in a concrete tomb. The adult son and namesake of the murdered DJ known as Mr Moonlight (52) said he still feared that his father was left to die in the tank. "When Daddy was found, I thought that's what Daddy was doing, that he was thrown in there hurt and just left to starve," Robert Ryan said in an emotional interview airing on Virgin Media One tonight. His body was found 22 months after his disappearance in a disused tank on Mary Lowry's farm - land that had been leased by dairy farmer Patrick Quirke (50). Quirke is now serving a life sentence for the murder of the popular father of two after a jury found him guilty last week. The 15-week trial was the longest in the history of the State. "When I'm trying to go to sleep every night, I'm turning and tossing, waving my hands and screaming in bed," Robert said in the documentary 'Mr Moonlight: The Trial of Patrick Quirke', which airs at 10pm. "Every time I close my eyes I think I'm in that black hole, screaming to get out, scraping the walls," he said. His sister Michelle Ryan spoke of the anguish the family suffered when their father went missing after leaving his girlfriend Mary Lowry's home on June 3, 2011. "It was that gut feeling kicking in again that we knew he was coming to harm," she recalled of the desperate search for her father following his disappearance. "It was mental torture. Was Daddy tied up? Was he trying to get to his phone? Was he hurt? Was he still alive?" she said. "For weeks on end, we were going through the woods screaming his name," she said of the futile search for his body in Bansha Woods, where his unlocked van was found parked. When their father's body was 'found' by Quirke in the disused run-off tank at Ms Lowry's farm at Fawnagown, Co Tipperary, Michelle said she was numb with shock. "I didn't hear anything after that, I was just paralysed," she said. Robert agreed, noting the grim find confirmed the family's worst nightmare. Expand Close Relative: John Ryan, brother of Bobby Ryan, leaves court after the verdict and sentencing. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Relative: John Ryan, brother of Bobby Ryan, leaves court after the verdict and sentencing. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin "We wanted it for so long, to get Daddy back. That day came and the phone call came and it just took every last bit of us," he said. Now, almost eight years after they last saw their father, Mr Ryan's children are still struggling to come to terms with their grief. "It wasn't just Daddy, he was my best friend, he was a granddad, he was our world, the life and soul of everything," Michelle said. "Our world is gone, Patrick Quirke left us with nothing. We can't look forward to anything because the whole room could be full but the one person we want there isn't there." She recalled the last time she saw her father at a local gig which she described as a special night, as if "all the years were rolled into one". "He put on Tina Turner's 'Proud Mary' and he said, 'Come on, Shelly, sing', so I did and his eyes lit up and the tears were coming out his eyes from laughing. That was the last time I was ever going to dance with Daddy or sing with him, the following Friday he was gone." Killer Pat Quirke (50) avidly watched episodes of the acclaimed US murder mystery series 'Ozark' as he travelled by train to Dublin to attend his murder trial. Dozens of people - mostly pensioners - travelled weekly from all over Munster to Limerick Junction in Co Tipperary to then take the train to Heuston Station to attend the Central Criminal Court murder trial. Many would see Quirke in the same train carriage as he travelled over the past three months to attend the Dublin trial with his wife Imelda. Quirke lived just outside Tipperary town and used the train to travel to the criminal courts complex near Heuston Station. Quirke, now prisoner number 107243 in Mountjoy Prison, has begun a life sentence after being convicted of the murder of his love rival, Tipperary quarry worker and part-time DJ Bobby Ryan. Mr Ryan, also known by his DJ moniker 'Mr Moonlight', was murdered and his body dumped in a run-off pit on the farm that Quirke was operating on a lease basis. Expand Close Crime drama: A scene from Ozark, which killer Pat Quirke watched as he travelled by train to his trial / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Crime drama: A scene from Ozark, which killer Pat Quirke watched as he travelled by train to his trial One train passenger said it was "surreal" watching the Tipperary farmer on the Dublin train. "Everyone knew who he was but he didn't seem in the least bit bothered," he said. "He must have known that everyone in the train carriage was watching him. But he didn't seem to take a single bit of notice. "He would take his seat with his wife beside him and then start watching his phone or tablet. "He would watch programmes on the phone all the way to Heuston. Just yards away from him people were reading about his murder trial in their morning newspapers." The passenger happened to be seated directly behind Quirke on one occasion - and was astounded to realise precisely what the murder accused was avidly watching. "I couldn't help but glance at his phone or tablet and I realised he was watching 'Ozark'. It is a 2017 American crime series about a financier who is caught up in money-laundering and murder while trying to avoid being killed by himself by a Mexican drugs cartel. Astonished "I was watching the same series myself because it had been described as the new 'Breaking Bad.' I was absolutely astonished that anyone caught up in a high-profile murder trial would seem to be trying to escape the stress and pressure of the case by watching a crime series like 'Ozark'. It just struck me as absolutely bizarre. "I could understand someone listening to music or watching sport to take their mind off things. "But travelling to a murder trial in Dublin while watching a crime-drama series which features murder, theft and money-laundering? It struck me as very strange." It emerged during legal argument in Quirke's trial that he had displayed an interest in previous high-profile Irish murder cases through detailed internet searches. The jury were not told that Quirke had visited an internet blog with the title: 'Why Joe O'Reilly thought he had committed the perfect murder.' The blog was written about the notorious killing of Rachel O'Reilly by her husband, Joe, in north Dublin in October 2004. Quirke also researched articles on Siobhan Kearney, murdered by her husband Brian in February 2006, and Jo Jo Dullard, who went missing in 1995. Mary Lowry has found love again after a harrowing court process where she felt as if she was on trial. The mother of three gave crucial evidence during the murder trial of Patrick Quirke, stating that she had "bared her soul" for the sake of justice. Ms Lowry previously had an affair with the accused, but was later going out with the victim, part-time DJ Bobby Ryan. She told the 'Mail on Sunday' she was in a new relationship. It is understood that she has been dating the man for a year and enjoys dancing and socialising. Ms Lowry also said she felt like she herself was on trial during the long, 15-week process at the Central Criminal Court. The case became known as the 'love rival trial' because of the link between the accused and the victim. However, sources close to the investigation believe it was also about money and land, and yesterday the 'Sunday Independent' revealed fresh claims that Quirke had racked up losses of more then 1m gambling on stocks and shares. He had also reportedly been investing in property in Eastern Europe, including: Isolating: Margaret Healy, who gave up her job in childcare to care for her mother Susan Fagan. Photo: Ray Ryan A woman who looks after her elderly mother has told how the process of applying for Carer's Allowance made her feel like she was "begging for this money". Margaret Healy (56), from Ballygar, Co Galway, said she never thought twice about giving up her career in childcare to care full-time for her mother Susan Fagan (89), who has Alzheimer's. However, she is now on less than half her old salary and struggles to find respite care to allow her to have a break. "I remembered how mum cared for my siblings and I growing up, how she was there for me when I had my four children. "I always promised mum I'd never put her in a care home, she hated the idea, so I did what I felt was right for her, I knew she'd be happier at home," she explained. Margaret, who is married to a retired garda, was means-tested for Carer's Allowance. However, she said none of the family's outgoings was taken into account - including their 800-a-month mortgage repayments and the cost of putting their son through college. "My income went down by more than half, yet I was caring round the clock," Margaret said. "You feel like you're begging for this money when, in fact, carers like me are saving the State billions of euro a year by not placing our loved ones into nursing homes or taking up hospital beds. "You go through that fear where you half think it'll be refused, even though you're doing a good thing, a selfless thing, for your loved one, who needs care. "I think the means-testing of carers in this situation is totally wrong. Carers have mortgages or rent to pay, bills, children to bring up and it's so hard living off such a small amount and knowing you can't even have much in the bank, or you'll be cut down. "And your partner's salary or pension, or any property you have, is also counted against your Carer's Allowance," she said. She said being a carer can be a "very isolating life". "It's hard also because I can't socialise as much as I'd like. People say they'll visit and they don't. You never see anyone unless you go to them, they feel they're intruding. They aren't." She said her mother had been on a waiting list for a day centre in Roscommon for two years. She has been approved for two weeks' respite care a year. "I feel it would make more sense for the HSE to send someone to care for her at home, where she's happy. "I will take the breaks because I desperately need them but I know when I come home I'll have to calm mum and get her into a routine again at home. "The Government could save more money by making it more viable to care for loved ones at home and to enable carers to still work and earn what they can. "They could assist more carers with home help and pay carers a proper living wage to recognise the work and how much we save the healthcare system." A HSE spokesperson said one to two weeks per year was the "normal level of respite provided". "Home support is a finite resource in terms of available budget ... and would be unable to encompass all the respite currently being provided in Community Nursing Units." Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan, Director of Elections for the Referendum, Minister Josepha Madigan, Advocate Lisa Hughes at the launch of Fine Gaels campaign for a yes vote to modernise divorce laws. The referendum will take place on Friday, 24th May the same day as the Local and European Elections. Photo: Douglas O'Connor Two senior government ministers combined to make a plea to voters to back a referendum making divorce easier to get. The referendum is being held on May 24 the same day as local and European elections. Its aim is to reduce the minimum time of separation before divorce can be granted from four years to two and also simplify procedures to recognise divorces obtained outside Ireland. Culture Minister Josepha Madigan, who is a family law solicitor, spearheaded the moves for change. She said the Government supported marriage but needed to help people who had already decided to separate by reducing the financial and emotional strains. Ms Madigan said the four-year delay put extra costs on separating couples in many cases obliging them to get a judicial separation and other court orders to help put their affairs in order. A shorter time limit would reduce emotional pressure and spare on lawyers and court fees. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said the referendum had the support of all the Dail parties and legislation for the change would follow quickly after the May 24 referendum vote. I have no doubt that this proposal will be supported countrywide. Its not an urban issue, not a rural issue, but one which concerns everyone as the sad fact is that peoples marriages do break down, the Justice Minister said. The two ministers were accompanied by Lisa Hughes who told of her experience in having to get both a judicial separation and a divorce. Pro-IRA graffiti that appeared in Derry warning the community against helping the police after the murder of Lyra McKee has been replaced with inspirational messages by Creggan residents. Last week IRA slogans appeared on a wall in Creggan, just metres away from where journalist Lyra McKee was killed on April 18. Painted on a wall, one message read "Informers will be executed", and another said "IRA here to stay". Another message included a picture of a rat, with the message Informers will be shot. IRA, and another says RUC Informers: They will forget about you, we wont. IRA. The IRA graffiti in #Derrys Creggan estate has been painted over by the community. What once read IRA undefeated army now reads our differences make us stronger among other inspirational messages and the informers will be executed message has been erased #lyramckee pic.twitter.com/p2nDNe5K11 Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) May 6, 2019 However, on Monday morning the disturbing graffiti had been replaced with messages like "our differences make us stronger" and "Life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change". Lyra McKee was shot by a dissident republican linked to the New IRA who fired indiscriminately at police lines during disturbances over the Easter weekend. Police have made a number of arrests and released images of the suspected gunman before and after the killing in Derry in a bid to encourage witnesses to come forward. Detectives say more than 140 people have already come forward with information, videos and images from the unrest. A TAXI DRIVER has been hospitalised with serious head injuries after being assaulted during a hi-jacking in Dublin this morning. The 59-year-old driver is being treated for serious head and facial injuries following the attack in the Crumlin area at around 12.30am. Four people, two males and two females aged in their late teens and early 20s, are currently being quizzed in relation to the violent hi-jacking. The taxi driver had dropped the group from the city centre to a property on Rutland Grove when he was suddenly set upon by the gang. He was overpowered and badly beaten over the head before his phone and a sum of cash were taken. Sources said the four-person gang then attempted to steal the taxi after forcing the driver from the car. However, they failed to start the vehicle and eventually fled the area on foot. Gardai were notified and units from Sundrive Road and Crumlin garda station responded to the scene. Following a brief search four young people were arrested on Sundrive Road, a short distance from the scene of the violent hi-jacking. The 59-year-old taxi driver was rushed to St James' Hospital by ambulance with serious head and facial injuries where he remains. A garda spokesman said the four arrested people are held being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 for questioning at Sundrive Road, Crumlin and Rathmines Garda Stations. "A scene of the incident and the taxi have been examined by scenes of crime officers and enquires are ongoing. The taxi driver is continuing to recover in hospital, his injuries are not thought to be life threatening," the spokesman said. "Gardai are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Anyone with information to contact Sundrive Road Garda Station on 01-6666600 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111," the spokesman added. It is the latest assault on a taxi driver in the capital and comes just weeks following a racist assault on a driver last month. At 10pm on April 21, the Easter Bank Holiday Sunday, a taxi driver was punched and racially abused in a shocking incident which was recorded and widely shared online. The suspect in that case has since presented himself to gardai. Ministers are to justify spending more than 10,000 bringing broadband to some remote homes on the grounds it will be a healthcare issue in the future. There are major fears in Government over how the publication of its latest broadband plan tomorrow will play out ahead of local elections. A decision will be taken to hand a massive contract, worth up to 3bn, for supplying high-speed broadband to every home in the country to the only bidder in the process, a consortium led by American businessman David McCourt. The Irish Independent understands it will cost the State in excess of 10,000 each, to bring broadband to some individual homes in the most remote parts of the country. But a report commissioned by the Department of Communications during the tender review has found that anything less than full coverage would result in "significant challenges" to the Government's health strategy and the use of technology in schools. This is now set to be latched on to by ministers who fear their management of the process will be conflated with the cost overruns at the National Children's Hospital. "In a decade's time, this kind of internet access will no longer be about 'can you work from home?' It'll be about your healthcare. It'll be about education," one minister told the Irish Independent. Divide "If we're going to say there's a portion of people who won't get that, that level of divide is completely different from where we are now." It is will cost 650m to bring just 108,000 homes into the scheme, more than 6,000 per home or business. This figure will vary depending on accessibility of properties but in some cases the bill for individual homes will be well in excess of 10,000. Reducing the number of houses being connected by 5pc (27,110 properties) would save 300m. Opposition parties have already questioned the cost implications of a tendering process that resulted in only one bid being considered. As a result, Communications Minister Richard Bruton commissioned a series of reviews into "the different contingencies and risks". He will recommend that the National Broadband Plan proceeds and tomorrow evening, the Government will engage in a major PR campaign to defend that decision. Upsides that will be promoted by the Government include the potential for consumer choice and a reduction in wholesale connection rates. A KMPG report failed to identify a "technical solution" for bringing broadband to all of Ireland that would be cheaper than the fibre approach being pursued. It concluded the Government could not simply abandon homes and businesses in the country's most remote parts without creating other problems. Q I had a bad sinus infection a few months ago and was treated with antibiotics. Since then, I don't feel like I have ever gone back to normal. I have a continous full feeling in my head and my hearing has been affected. I find it hard to hear from one ear in particular. I haven't been back to the doctor yet because I have been waiting for things to go back to normal. I have had a few sessions of acupuncture which helped clear the congested feeling a bit, but not the hearing issue. Can a sinus infection damage your hearing? Dr Nina replies: Reduced hearing after a sinus infection is rarely caused by ongoing infection or permanent scarring and ear damage. It is more commonly caused by ongoing nasal congestion due to rhinitis or hay fever. Congestion of the eustachian tube - which runs from the back of the nose to the middle ear is often the culprit. In many cases treating the underlying congestion can improve hearing. You can buy many treatments over the counter, but always talk to your pharmacist. Older antihistamines can be very sedating and so the newer, less sedating ones are preferred. Nasal rinsing can be a helpful addition to treat ongoing irritation and congestion. This is not for everyone. If you have an obstruction in your nasal cavity or if you experience nose bleeds, pain or headaches using the solution, talk to your doctor before any rinse. Rinsing involves flushing a solution of salt, bicarbonate soda and sterile water into the nasal passages. This rinsing can flush out debris, allergens and irritants easing congestion and discomfort. It can also help thin out thick problematic mucus. It is essential that the water is sterile. Use either cool (lukewarm) boiled water or gently warmed distilled or sterile water. Tap water is not safe as it can contain bacteria which may then flourish in the nasal cavity. The technique performing the rinse is also important. Lean your head sideways over a sink. Gently flush about 100mls of the prepared solution into the top nostril allowing it to flow out the bottom one. Remember to breathe through your mouth at all times. Gently blow your nose to remove any residual rinse, then repeat the process on the opposite side. Rinse the bottle and allow it to air dry fully each time. You can do this daily initially, but as your sinuses clear you can reduce the frequency to a few times a week. Take a break after a few months. Replace the bottle every few months too. Given that your hearing loss seems to be one-sided it is worth going along to your GP for a proper check-up. Congestion tends to cause symptoms on both sides, so this is more unusual. An examination might identify a treatable cause. Something simple like wax build-up is easily treated. When a cause can't be found your GP may arrange further tests or specialist review. A formal hearing test will help clarify the degree of hearing loss. A scan may be required if no cause can be identified on examination. This may show polyps or other growths that can cause hearing loss on one side. For large polyps or growths or deformity of the nose surgery may help improve things. Around 400 women in Ireland are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year and up to 270 die from the disease annually. The cause is unknown, but symptoms can be vague so it is important for women to be vigilant, know the signs and seek help if they have any concerns. Wednesday marks World Ovarian Cancer Day and Ireland's foremost ovarian cancer campaigners, researchers and patient advocates are advising women across the country not to ignore the warning signs of a disease commonly known as the 'silent killer'. Caroline Quinn knows only too well the dangers of this strain of cancer. Three years ago, after several months of "minor ailments", she suffered strong stomach pains and was admitted to hospital where it was discovered she had a cyst in her bowel. This news was not welcome, but it was nothing compared to the shock she felt a few months later when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. "I started to notice that my periods were harder to get through. I was always tired, had a lot of bloating and felt very full after meals," says the Cavan woman, who is married to Martin and has three sons. Expand Close Caroline Quinn with her horse, Flash in Co Cavan. Photo: Tony Gavin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Caroline Quinn with her horse, Flash in Co Cavan. Photo: Tony Gavin "Then I got severe abdominal pain and was admitted to hospital where a scan showed that I had a cyst. Instead of getting better, the pain got worse over the coming months, so I opted to have it removed and during surgery, they discovered that my bowel and womb were stuck together, so they decided to do some biopsies. "But when I woke up [after the procedure], my world came crashing down as I was told I had ovarian cancer - I fell into my husband's arms and we just cried and held each other." The 43-year-old, who works as an accounts manager, was told she had stage three cancer and would need both extensive surgery and chemotherapy. "I had numerous organs removed, including a full hysterectomy, spleen, gall bladder, appendix, half of my stomach, part of my colon and liver, and also some tissue," she says. "I had to learn to walk again and was fed through tubes, but I got through it all thanks to the excellent care in the Mater Hospital where the staff are amazing. "I made little goals such as taking two steps one day and four the next. Every day the doctors would come and talk to me and the nurses would smile, so I smiled back through the pain and kept going. The wards are obviously hard places to work, but the happiness and positivity just shines through these people. I was eventually moved to another ward where I met an amazing woman called Bridie, who was also a patient and became like a mother to me while I was in there." Caroline left hospital with a colostomy bag and an appointment for chemotherapy, which she found very tough, but thanks to family and friends, she made it through. "After leaving hospital, I had to face chemo and deal with the bag, but I was so happy to get home to my husband, my boys, my pets and my beloved horse," she says. "I live in a small parish and everyone was so nice to me - sometimes they didn't know what to say, but would just give me a hug and a smile. My friends also helped me through it by bringing me to appointments, to get my head shaved and fitted for a wig - we had lots of laughter and tears as best friends do. "Cancer is horrible and we dread hearing the word, but I believe positivity, love and prayers all help. Life is so precious and sometimes we can overcome so much by being positive in the face of this terrible disease." Ann Marie Hoade has also had to face ovarian cancer. The Galway woman thought she had a kidney infection and was originally diagnosed with ovarian cysts, but when the pain continued, she was referred for further tests which revealed the bad news. "I had frequent urination and pain in September 2016, and thought I might have had a kidney infection," says the 43-year-old. "I googled ovarian cysts after a friend said she had them and suffered with very bad pain. But then I woke up one morning with such terrible pain that I got sick, so I went to the doctor who diagnosed me with cystitis and prescribed antibiotics. The pain disappeared but returned a few weeks later and I noticed that my stomach was bloated, so I went back to the GP who said it could be IBS or an ovarian cyst. He gave me some pain killers and said to come back if it didn't go away. But I spoke to a friend who advised me to get it checked further, so I went back a third time and the doctor referred me to a consultant who sent me for a pelvic ultrasound and CT scan, which revealed a cyst on each ovary and spots on my lungs - I was very worried." Further tests revealed that the spots on her lungs were due to a condition called sarcoidosis and doctors suggested a hysterectomy would be the best course of action to deal with the cysts. "I had surgery in February 2017 and afterwards, the doctor said he had seen some suspicious lumps and bumps in the pelvic area and I might need further treatment," says Ann Marie. "This was my first inkling that I might have cancer - then during my post-surgical review, I was told that cancer had been found in both of my ovaries and the stomach area and I would need six to eight sessions of chemotherapy every three weeks. I was totally shocked and spent the next few days in disbelief, and couldn't get my head around the fact that I had stage 3 ovarian cancer. "I started my chemo two weeks later and finished in August 2017. Then the doctor said he would test me for the BRCA gene and last summer I found out that I tested positive for it. This was even more of a shock as there is no family history of it, so I am now being monitored for breast cancer. I have been told I have an 80pc chance of getting it in my lifetime and am being encouraged to have a double mastectomy, but have to wait until I am three years post chemo in case the ovarian cancer comes back." There is no national ovarian screening programme in Ireland at present. But the ICS advises all women to be aware of the BEAT signs and symptoms. What are the BEAT signs? Bloating that is persistent and doesn't come and go. Eating less and feeling full more quickly. Abdominal and pelvic pain you feel most days. Toilet changes in urination or bowel habits. The charity says it's also important for women to know that cervical screening tests (smear tests) will not pick up signs of ovarian cancer so again, listening to your body and being aware of persistent symptoms is key. Indeed, cancer survivor Ann Marie says women should always seek advice if they are worried about something, regardless of how insignificant they may seem. "I would urge every woman who has any symptoms, which are even vaguely associated with ovarian cancer, to get checked out," she says. "I would have put it on the long finger if it wasn't for a friend telling me to go to the doctor - and that would have been a totally different story." The cause of ovarian cancer is unknown, but there are certain risk factors that can increase your chances of getting the disease. These include: No children: Ovarian cancer is more common in women who have not given birth; Age: As you get older and have gone through the menopause, you are more likely to develop it; Family history of cancer: A faulty gene can lead to ovarian cancers in a very small number of women. It is also linked to the faulty genes found in breast cancer. If you or a member of your family have a history of ovarian, breast, womb or bowel cancer, your risk is higher. If your mother or sister gets ovarian cancer, you have an even higher risk of the disease. HRT: There is a slightly higher risk if you have received hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and received drugs to stimulate the ovary during infertility treatments. Some research suggests that being infertile may be a slight risk, but research is ongoing to know for certain. If you feel you may be at risk of ovarian cancer, first talk to your family doctor, who may advise you to visit a specialist. There are also specialist clinics for people worried about the risk of ovarian cancer in their family; some may offer screening or genetic counselling. Your family doctor will advise on what to do. Wednesday May 8 is World Ovarian Cancer day. For more information visit cancer.ie or call the Cancer Nurseline on Freephone 1800 200 700. 'I guess I fell out of love with cooking, and my kitchen," reflects Fiona Gratzer. Food is a way of life for Fiona. Her mother, Agnes McCourt, was the founder of Unislim; she herself is now the company's managing director. But after her beloved husband Uwe was killed in a traffic accident in the summer of 2015, she found her lifelong love of food deserted her. "Because it really represented that he was missing for me; he was such a pivotal role in the kitchen. I found that so difficult that I had to leave the house in the morning and go for coffee. That would be my way of not falling into a hole of depression, thinking 'I'm sitting here on my own'." This change in her breakfast routine was, she reflects now, part of a process of changing the many rituals she had had with her husband of over 20 years; "creating this new ritual, this new way of coping". Currently, Fiona is renovating her north Dublin house, the family home, where the couple reared their two children, Luca and Mila, now 21 and 19. "Food and cooking as a family, entertaining friends, it's so important to me. But I needed to change my kitchen. There were just so many memories around the table. It's a new beginning really." Expand Close Fiona and Uwe Gratzer in 2012 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fiona and Uwe Gratzer in 2012 She and Uwe had a lot of rituals in their lives, she explains. "We would get up in the morning and make juices. We would always have a cracking brunch on a Saturday, which he would make; I would do the chopping or whatever. We used to call it Pappa brekkie. Actually I did all the jobs," she whispers before bursting into laughter. "He would take the glory. And then we'd have a pot of coffee and read the newspapers." Food is Fiona's work, the centre of her family life, and her favourite way to socialise. "But I found that really difficult," she says now. "The impact of food in your life. It's such a bonding time. That was probably the biggest obstacle and challenge for me; to be happy eating food without Uwe. It had been such a big part of our lives; dinner parties, entertaining. I didn't realise how much he cooked. I'd be giving out I did everything, and now I go 'oh damn, I wish he was here, I wish he could make us pasta'." It is a repeated reminder of the massive hole left in their lives after Uwe died. "You forget. Your life is so busy, and then suddenly that void is there, and you think who helps you share the shopping? Buy the food? Wouldn't it be lovely if you came home and there was food on the table? There's no milk in the fridge. You're doing everything yourself. Every decision. That's exhausting. There's nobody to take up the slack. And that has been a constant challenge throughout." Uwe and Fiona's story was one of love almost at first sight. They met in Malaysia while they were both travelling, when Fiona was 24. She still remembers clearly the moment she first saw her future husband arriving at the hotel. "Oh God, yeah, I'll never forget it. He was absolutely stunning. It was during the course of those few days that we started to fall in love. He was six foot five, and had long blond hair at the time. A beautiful tall blond man that I'd never seen the like of in Ireland." Within days, she had called her mother to tell her she had met the man she would marry. After a blissful few weeks though, Fiona continued on her planned, independent trip. Uwe followed her, tracking her down where she was staying in Australia. All he had was her cousin's name, but he found the house by calling every Paul Quinn in the book. By the time they came home to Ireland, on St Patrick's day in 1991, after some time in Uwe's native Austria, they were engaged. They married the following May. Uwe, an optician, adapted well to life in Ireland. "He would have been a very affable, fun guy. People really took to him. He'd a big smile; he was great at the banter. He'd a great sense of humour. We really enjoyed ourselves," she continues with a smile. "To be honest, we'd flipped it around. We got married before we knew each other. It could have gone the other way; it didn't," she laughs. "We definitely spent the first few years laying down the foundations of our marriage, which most couples do before they get married." Six years later, the couple's first child, Luca, arrived. "That was like a whirlwind," Fiona says now with a smile. "I was like 'what the hell? This is another dimension'. I remember not having the time to brush my teeth. It was a shock to me." She's honest about the stress a small baby can put on a couple. "You need to have a strong bond to get through that. And there is such a shift of who does what. I remember taking mental note, 'well I've changed 55 nappies in the week, and you've changed one'," she laughs. "It's really easy to start mental scoring." She and Uwe had a long-standing habit of date nights, another of their rituals. "The one thing that had always sustained myself and Uwe; our backgammon nights. We could stay up until three in the morning playing. We would always chat, and things would come out over the evening. You've got the music playing; a nice glass of wine, and the fire's lit. It's really soulful and quiet. Bit of time out. Playing backgammon was always our way of regrouping as a couple, and just having our time." Fiona took a year off work after Luca, but with Mila she says she went back as soon as possible. "I needed to work, for my own mental health. I felt I was a better person for it; for my sanity I needed to get back to work. Work is good for me. Unislim has never really felt like work to me," explains Fiona, who has always worked in the business her parents originally established in Newry in the early 1970s - giving up their teaching jobs to dedicate themselves to this new enterprise. "It's been a lifestyle -in my bones since I was born," says Fiona, who has two siblings. "It's just what I do, and I love it." Growing up in Newry during the Troubles was to experience a "constant sense of fear", she explains. "You grow up questioning who the people are beside you on the bus, or what religion they are, what are their names, because you are fearful of everybody. I'm very glad that we got out of the Troubles." Her parents moved the family in 1978. "They didn't know where they were going. The Troubles were quite bad. There were people just being shot indiscriminately on their doorsteps." In a bid to get out quickly, temporary arrangements were made for each of the siblings, with Fiona going for six months to live with cousins in South Africa. While she credits the adventure with being the start of her independence, and love of travel, she says it was the height of apartheid, something that even as an 11-year-old she felt deeply uncomfortable about. Ultimately, the family moved to Dundalk, and Fiona went to boarding school in Wicklow. When Uwe died - following a tragic motorbike accident - she had just launched a new brand, called Gorge Us, Unislim's food range. The last dinner party the couple hosted at their home was to celebrate the launch. "I had that project which was like a little baby starting out. I had also decided to rebrand the company, create a new look," explains Fiona, who has overseen the launch of the company's Instagram account, @unislimclubs, and its app. "That happened to be around that time too. That took a lot of my energy, but it was really good, because it meant that I had a project to see through." In retrospect, she says, she sleepwalked through those first months. "I wasn't there. The time is really quite vague to me. I was definitely in a haze, and I didn't know what was happening. I was so numbed by the shock of what had happened. But I just kept doing the steps; going into work, seeing this project through, making decisions." She has just launched Unislim's new cookbook, Delicious, the creation of which proved a way back in to her enjoyment of food, and cooking. "I love food so much. I'm having breakfast and I'm thinking about where we're having lunch. I read cookbooks in bed. I think about food and I talk about food, and it's so much part of my life. And as I say I had fallen out of love with cooking. I just found not having Uwe around, I found it difficult to be back in love with food." This book is specifically about meals for dinner, with a section on vegetarian options. Fiona explains that after her father died she became a vegetarian, while her daughter Mila became a vegan in the aftermath of Uwe's death. A small measure of control, when everything seems to be spinning out. Dealing with grief, finding a way forward, is a constant journey, she reflects. "I do get knocks every now and again. It hasn't been easy. Thankfully I have my mum around; she's always been so inspiring. She'll drop me a little text, and she just knows how I'm feeling. Weekends can be difficult, when you're on your own on a Sunday, and it just reminds you that you're on your own." She credits her close circle of friends with always being there for those moments when loneliness creeps in. But she also says that she is facing into the grief, not denying it, doing her best to process it. "Uwe's still so prevalent in my life. We talk about him every day. I really enjoy talking about him. And we laugh about him." This is not the first time Fiona has suffered a great loss. Her father died of pancreatic cancer when she was a teenager. "I lost my father when I was 18. In a sad way, history has repeated itself. My daughter was 15, my son was 17. And from my experience of losing my father, I know that you need some space. You need to go through your own grief as well. People will find their own mechanisms for coping with grief. I just really wanted my children to feel comfortable with me, and that they could talk to me, and we could talk about Uwe." It is quite obvious that her children are a huge source of happiness. "I just adore my children. I love hanging out with them, and I love being in their company," she says. "I try to parent as best I can as a single mum. Initially I was almost second guessing myself; 'what would Uwe do, what would he say?' And then my mum said 'Fiona you're now the parent and you have to do what you feel is right, and not always be thinking what would he do if he was here'." Grief is exhausting, she acknowledges. "It wrecks you. It's inside you; guttural, right in deep." Among other things, her already existing lifestyle has stood to her in coping with her husband's death. "Exercise is very important to me, and I've been very fortunate that I've had good eating habits, and that's really stood by me. I've looked after myself by eating well, and I've continued to do that. Uwe was a funny guy. He liked to laugh. And if you can find a way of finding humour in the grief, you have to. I know it's not a funny thing that happened to me, it's very serious. But this is life. In the strangest way, and I've always said this since losing my father, sometimes losing somebody when they're young, is almost like a gift that they give to the person they're leaving behind. Because you realise that life is so precious, and that you have to live in the moment, and enjoy what's around you. Why would you spend time with people who are negative, when instantaneously your life can change? That is a gift that not everybody has. And I believe my children have that gift, and I have that gift." Life can change in a moment, she reflects, revealing that she was in a car accident two weeks previously. "It really shook me. It just touched a nerve, and I could not stop crying. I could not get out of the car; I was in floods of tears. It just really brought me back to the moment of losing Uwe, and how instantaneously your life can change. It reminded me that things can change so easily. And to just grab life. Just enjoy it." 'Delicious', 12.99, from Unislim.com All right, you know about the Government's latest move to outlaw beggars? Do you really think it's really about beggars? It isn't. It's about immigrant-beggars, who now throng our streets. We could, of course, deal with the substantive matter, that of immigration itself, but instead we prefer to deal with its symptoms -- and in the usual cowardly way in which we address anything which is a little difficult or embarrassing. Now look: I'm not a complete fool. People don't turn columnists to read the same stuff, day after day after day. Yet that's what I've been doing, endlessly writing on this same subject. No doubt by this time, the one reader left is some old wino sitting in a doorway in his own personal pool of warmth, scanning these few column inches in the belief that these are the greyhound results. No matter. Here I go again. Immigration is now not merely the dominant feature of Irish life, it is the greatest threat to the existence of the Irish nation as a coherent, and cohesive whole. No country has ever accepted, never mind assimilated, the volumes of foreigners now present in this state. We have some 400,000 legal immigrants; but everyone knows that the army of illegals, especially Africans and Chinese, is vast, and probably tops 200,000. In all, Ireland has received at least 600,000 immigrants, most of them within the past five years. It could be many more. No one has the least idea. In the US, such immigration would translate into an inward population movement of 45 million. In the UK, the figure would be nine million. Needless to say, neither state would be so idiotic or feckless as allow such vast numbers to enter. Only Ireland would be so idiotic and so morally lethargic as to allow such massive inward population movements. And of course, we haven't got the resources to cope with the consequences of such an influx. But worse than our lack of resources, is our lack of courage in confronting the issue. We do not have policies, but inept evasiveness: and perhaps worst of all, we have a posturing gallery of home-grown jackanapes ready to shriek "racism" wherever and whenever they see that things are not going quite the way that immigrants want. Thus, on any discussion on RTE, especially from its newsroom, immigrants are never held responsible for choosing to come here. Instead, we hear endless complaints that Irish institutions had not prepared themselves properly for their arrival. On the News at One on Monday, African after African in Balbriggan complained there were no places for their children in the existing local schools. Not once was the question posed: what was the real reason for the Africans not having places in schools? Answer: they'd only just come here. Instead, Africans who were just off the boat were allowed to accuse us of racism for not having school places awaiting their children. There's also the Paddy- factor in all this. It's impossible for any outsider to understand that this state is almost pathologically incapable of planning anything. This is the land of the Red Cow Roundabout and motorways without service stations, rest-stops or toilets. So how could we be expected seven years ago to have planned school-building projects in north county Dublin for Africans as yet unborn? If blaming ourselves for our failure to plan for Africa's educational needs were not fatuous enough, some poor spokeswoman from the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin had to defend the Catholic Church against an RTE journalist's accusations of bigotry. Naturally, in this unprincipled liberal Ireland, for the Catholic Church to insist that Catholic schools have a primary duty to educate Catholics is nowadays both racist and sectarian. But of course, no one on RTE would ever dream of proposing that Islamic madrasahs should take in Jewish, Catholic or Hindu pupils: in the new Ireland, the only people who are expected to bend their own rules are the Irish Catholic majority. Accompanying this presumption is the pious and all-prevalent dogma that immigrants will on arrival abandon ancient loyalties, and will promptly don a Hibernian mantle: hence the brainless cliche, wittered endlessly by journalists and politicians alike, "the New Irish". Sorry. This is conceited gibberish. Why would a Pole surrender something which the Polish people have fought for a thousand years to retain? Why the presumption that an Asian Muslim who lives in Ireland is in any way Irish? My mother lived most of her life in England, but never for a second thought of herself as English. The media should be asking the big question, 'Why are we still admitting hundreds of thousands of immigrants?' Instead, we are obsessing with the relatively trivial question of: Are the Irish people, who after all have admitted vast armies of strangers to their national home, racist? This is self-hatred at its most pathetic, and its most self-defeating. Whether Irish people are "racist" is irrelevant. We have created a society whose apparent cohesiveness is totally dependent on immigration-fuelled economic growth. That growth must one day come to an end. Then what, in Darndale, Coolock, or even Balbriggan? Eamon Gilmore exited his job as party leader less than two days after getting news of Labour's loss of more than 80 council seats in the last local elections in May 2014. Barely three years earlier he had been feted as the most successful Labour leader ever with the "Gilmore gale" bringing home 37 TDs in February 2011. Labour then went on to win a by-election as a party in government, a feat not achieved in 30 years, and also saw its candidate Michael D Higgins elected president with a record vote. But it was hero to zero in 1,185 days and Labour has been hovering on the brink of extinction ever since that calamitous election on May 24, 2014. So, while voters may be less than enthused by the local elections in just 18 days' time, you can be sure all the political party leaders, their elected members and activists are taking this local contest very seriously indeed. We have noted before that local elections, while replete with local issues and characters, are also a good gauge of the public mood. In 2004 they told us Enda Kenny's Fine Gael - which had an electoral meltdown in the 2002 Dail elections - was on the way back. In 2009 they presaged the huge defeat the parties of the Fianna Fail-Green coalition were going to get in 2011, bringing each party to the brink of extinction. The big surprise in 2014 was the revival in fortunes for Fianna Fail and the Green Party. So, apart from anything else these local elections will be a political bellwether. Local councils and councillors are an easy mark for the comedian and satirist. But good councillors can be a huge influence for good in any community. And many successful politicians will quietly tell you of the huge volume of lessons they learned as members of the local council. Yet the Irish political elite are also rather grudging about local government in a country which is among the most centralised in the world. As UCC politics lecturer Dr Liam Weeks has eloquently pointed out recently, local elections were delayed on 15 separate occasions. Credit is due to Noel Dempsey as environment minister for putting through a referendum in 1999 which gave constitutional status to local councils and stipulated council elections must be held every five years. But while councillors can have huge influence within their own political party, their role as local advocates is often seen as the poor relation in our democracy. Councillors are often engaged in an unequal push-pull relationship with senior council officials. Local authorities are often left short of cash, obliged to squeeze businesses for excessive rates, and builders for exaggerated levies to help make ends meet. There are strong arguments for doing better by our system of local democracy. In 2014 another environment minister, Phil Hogan, abolished some 80 town councils and reduced the number of councillors. It has left many large towns without a forum to debate their problems. The current junior minister responsible for councils, John Paul Phelan, has resisted efforts by some, including former public expenditure minister and Labour leader Brendan Howlin, to restore the town councils. Mr Phelan has opted instead to try to align the electoral areas closer to the larger towns in efforts to improve local linkage. We will see how that works out. Mr Phelan has also worked to improve some of the more outlandish and diffuse electoral areas which were used in the last local elections. But, while many look more workable this time, again we must wait and see how they work out. Another intriguing innovation this time out will be a plebiscite in Limerick, Waterford and Cork on whether there should be directly elected mayors. This idea has long been mooted for Dublin but never acted upon by politicians who fear they could be creating "a political Frankenstein", a rival power pole over which they may have little control. This is a fascinating topic to which we will return. These local elections are hard to gauge right now. It is remarkable both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail campaigners are quietly saying they are being well received on the canvass by prospective voters. "Either they are genuinely not against us this time, or they're not telling us the truth," one veteran Fine Gael campaigner told this writer. But seasoned canvassers know how to read a prospective voter's body language. Many in Fianna Fail have bitter memories of the raw anger they encountered in the 2009 local elections and 2011 Dail elections, both contests which returned the party's worst ever electoral performances. Fine Gael and Labour stalwarts will recall a similarly bitter reception in the 2014 local elections in which Fine Gael lost 110 council seats. Sometimes, politics is definitely not for the faint-hearted. But now Fine Gael is so ebullient that Mr Phelan - this time wearing his director of elections hat - has predicted it can actually make gains. On Friday he told party activists it would be a first in 35 years for a party of government to make local council gains and he said the ambitious target of going from 230 to 280 councillors was realisable. Fine Gael has 405 candidates, 119 of whom are women. Professor Michael Marsh of TCD has put the party on 30pc in his recent poll of polls, a figure which would deliver a very good result. But the Taoiseach will have to mind his mouth when he is out and about for the next fortnight. Another bad week, like the last one, would leak a lot of votes. Fianna Fail and Micheal Martin need a good result to calm some members' fears about damage from propping up this minority Government. They will hope to get some strong newcomers who can fight for Dail seats next time out. Labour needs to show its malaise is not terminal. On the downside the party appears stalled in the opinion polls and struggling to gain public attention. Against that it is fielding a young generation of candidates, and has a very good gender mix. Activists argue they are strong in some pockets and can make a statement that the obituary writers are premature. They need a big statement here to quell despondency. Sinn Fein needs to show recovery from a bad presidential election and sluggish recent poll ratings. The legacy of the Troubles, which followed their leader of 35 years - Gerry Adams - has not been so easy to banish. The local infighting and bullying allegations have hit a lot of local branches hard. SF will also be looking for a big result which will answer critics. But it faces competition on the left from Solidarity-People Before Profit and a reinvigorated Fianna Fail on the other flank. A plethora of smaller parties are in the field. Any way you look at it, all parties have a lot riding on this local election. The warm words of welcome spoken by Judge Bryan McMahon to the 2,500 people from 90 countries, who were conferred with Irish citizenship in Killarney last week, made me proud to be Irish. In times past, countries throughout the world, particularly the USA, Canada, Australia and Scotland similarly welcomed the Irish who emigrated for a better quality of life. Our buoyant economy now allows Ireland to offer a bright future to those, both native and naturalised, who wish to make a meaningful contribution to our country as fully participating and law-abiding citizens. That is the Irish way. Ireland is the land of a thousand welcomes, which is grounded in the Christian values of caring and sharing. With unemployment at a record low of 5.3pc there is now a job in Ireland for every person who is willing and able to work. The dignity of work is boundless. A job gives a person a sense of belonging and purpose. It enables a person to be financially independent. It makes one ambitious for a better quality of life for oneself and ones dependents. The more income generated by full employment, then the more revenue available to the Government to assist those in genuine need of social assistance. Our newest Irish citizens can now blossom in our Irish values while retaining the best of their native cultures. Naturally, in the dangerous times we live in, safeguards and regulations are necessary to prevent citizenship being granted to those who are motivated by malevolent and criminal intent, to those who acquire it simply as a passport of convenience and to those who wish to undermine our Irishness and our Christianity, which are deep-rooted in our DNA. Billy Ryle Tralee, Co Kerry Judging past by todays standards is quite wrong Wow! What a brilliant letter Sister Cristin Guerin wrote (Abortion vote means children are still dying, Irish Independent, May 4), in which she supported that of John Lynch (Nuns deserve our appreciation not our denunciation, April 24)! At last, a religious sister in particular has provided us with a reasoned appraisal of the raison detre of the Magdalene laundries, as well as calling our contemporary secular society to task for its callous disregard for the sanctity of human life. I dare to say the one-third No voters in last years referendum are of much the same opinion. We live in a democracy, of course, and are bound to obey the law. However, judging the mores of past generations by the standards of todays transparency, as some commentators do, seems quite the wrong to me. Tom Seaver Murroe, Co Limerick Sinn Feins fighting talk delivers confused message The strap lines on election posters for Sinn Fein candidates read Fighting For You and Fighting For Ireland. Is there some confusion in Sinn Fein between democratic politics and conflict, or are they reminding us that they havent gone away from conflict? The language is inappropriate at this juncture. Hugh McDermott Dromahair, Co Leitrim Vigilance required against racism and intolerance Catherine O'Mahony's opinion was both sobering, informative and unsurprising (People like to pretend racism doesnt exist here but we can no longer turn a blind eye, Irish Independent, May 2). We all pretend to believe racism has been banished from our societies. We experienced biological racism in the form of black-white binary, then anti-Asian racism, then anti-Arab culture, anti-semitism and then Islamophobia. But racism, intolerance and racial prejudices exist in all societies. Jews were starved, exterminated, gassed, tormented and raped. They endured untold suffering and destruction, the most heinous crimes in modern history, similar to what Palestinians are experiencing in the Holy Land (home demolition, indiscriminate shooting, arbitrary detention, ethnic cleansing, cultural genocide and fabrication of history, all under self-defence). And what about the wars in Syria, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Kashmir? We are talking about a lost generation of children, starved, raped, physically and psychologically tormented, sexually enslaved, etc. And now the US will veto the UN resolution that bans the use of rape as a weapon in wars. And lastly, Islam doesnt sanction suicide. Those who attempt suicide live in eternal hell, not in paradise (this is the saying of Prophet Mohammed). We need to be eternally vigilant in the battle for social justice and serenity. Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob London, UK That doesnt mean blacks have to sit and wait patiently for them to hand it over. Nor does it mean blacks have to try to overpower them and take it. What is means is that everyone who believes in fairness must speak out about injustice until our voices grow hoarse. Everyone who believes in equality must work to ensure that everyones rights are upheld in the voting booth, the political system and the courts. In some media circles, influencer can be considered a dirty word and in royal circles, celebrity is even more controversial. With Meghan Markles well established career in Hollywood before marrying into the British royal family, she was fluent in the power of Instagram - both as a side earner and an outlet through which she could champion her causes. It wasnt just coincidence that Meghan and Harry launched their own Instagram account Sussex Royal just weeks before the birth of their first child; but rather a carefully thought out move. It allowed them to time to grow their audience and establish a relationship with them working towards the goal of giving them exactly what they want: family pictures. Expand Close Britain's Prince Harry walks up to the awaiting media after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a baby boy, at Windsor Castle, Berkshire county, Britain May 6, 2019. Steve Parsons/Pool via REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Britain's Prince Harry walks up to the awaiting media after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a baby boy, at Windsor Castle, Berkshire county, Britain May 6, 2019. Steve Parsons/Pool via REUTERS After it was announced that the Sussexes would be shunning the traditional post-birth royal photocall in favour of a more low-key photoshoot a few days later, which they share on their social media accounts, it was clear they represented the next generation of royals, ones who werent beholden to the rules of the past (which in this case, applies to traditional media). While Harry today announced the birth of their baby boy to the press at Windsor, the couple also announced the news on their official Sussex Royal Instagram account but there have been no photos or name revealed as yet. Harry reiterated that they will reveal their baby to everyone "as a family, as planned" in two days time. Expand Close Britain's Prince Harry smiles as he speaks to the media after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a baby boy, at Windsor Castle, Berkshire county, Britain May 6, 2019. Steve Parsons/Pool via REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Britain's Prince Harry smiles as he speaks to the media after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a baby boy, at Windsor Castle, Berkshire county, Britain May 6, 2019. Steve Parsons/Pool via REUTERS Via Instagram Meghan, who has been sequestered into silence since she wore that first tiara last May, finally has an outlet to use her voice. Over the last year, while her father was selling stories and private notes she wrote him and her half siblings would say anything for a quick buck, she had to sit idly by and allow the criticism to rain down unabated. Expand Close Town crier, Tony Appleton poses as he announces the birth of a son for Britain's Prince Harry, and Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, outide of Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London on May 6, 2019. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP)ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Town crier, Tony Appleton poses as he announces the birth of a son for Britain's Prince Harry, and Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, outide of Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London on May 6, 2019. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP)ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images In fact, the intensity of the sexist and racist vitriol aimed at her and, to a lesser extent her sister-in-law Kate Middleton, Kensington Palace was forced to take a stand and announce their new social media guidelines if you wanted to be part of the KP online community. They are also working with bosses at Instagram, Twitter and Facebook in order to make the internet a happier place for everyone. While the Kensington Palace account is more work-focused, using exclusively professional pictures from official engagements, Sussex Royal has adopted a more approachable technique, using never-before-seen pictures from trips to Africa and Tonga, some taken by official photographers and others simply phone pictures. Expand Close A man dressed as a town crier outside Windsor Castle in Berkshire following the news of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new baby boy. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A man dressed as a town crier outside Windsor Castle in Berkshire following the news of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new baby boy. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Video of the Day Not to mention the fact that the language used is American in spelling, prompting many to believe that if Meghan doesnt simply write them all, she likely edits them. And last Wednesday, they unfollowed all other royal accounts, whittling down their follower list to just 16 in a bid to support charitable organisations and mental health initiatives. To pay tribute to all of the incredible work people across the globe are doing in this space, we are hoping to shine a light on several Instagram accounts that promote mental well-being, mental fitness, body positivity, self-care, and the importance of human connection - to not just hear each other, but to listen, they wrote. Each month we will honour this same concept and change the accounts we solely follow based on a different theme or cause. Please go to our homepage and click following to see each of the select accounts and find out more about their work. Expand Close Tourists and members of the public gather at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London on May 6, 2019, following the announcement that Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has given birth to a son.. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tourists and members of the public gather at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London on May 6, 2019, following the announcement that Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has given birth to a son.. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images Its a bold decision and blows protocols out the window: they are not just using Instagram as a vehicle to promote their work, but they are taking it one step further in actionising that passion into something of substance. The same applies to the birth of their baby. The Cambridges often share pictures of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis on their social media pages, but those are supplements to the images already released through photo agencies to newspapers and websites; whereas Sussexs birth announcement was practiced in reverse. All of the royals are young, despite how they may dress on occasion, but William, Harry and Kate have largely been shielded by its impact because theyve had to stay away from it in order to protect their privacy, unlike Meghan who is fluent in reach and metrics. Their approach isnt unlike their Swedish counterparts Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia, both second born sons who married normal women and have a happy life together. Unlike The Royal Palaces account, theirs is refreshingly down-to-earth with sometimes blurry pictures and candid shots of them at work - or at play. Isnt that exactly what it was built for? When I was young, I don't really remember much opprobrium around what I wore. So in the 1980s when fashion was cut off jeans and black tights or very short skirts with big plastic belts - or in my own case that time I went out in three artfully draped snoods, I don't recall much critiquing of my wardrobe or my choices. I accept that perhaps I'm looking back through rose-tinted wayfarers but I recall that time as free from the fashion police. Now when I think of what we were wearing you might ask if that was a good thing - but I suspect the 1980s was a time in Irish history when there was still a certain innocence, when we didn't necessarily recognise what we wore as actually provocative. There was still a great naivete around sex. No one really expected us to have it. Contrast that with my mother's own generation - when they obsessed over modesty. And the nuns pinned newspaper around the bottom of nine-year-old girls' school skirts if they climbed too high up the calf - the little temptresses. And you start to look back on the 1980s with a fondness often forgotten with all the talk of the Eighth Amendment, moving statues and condoms only for sale in record shops. Especially when you realise that perhaps the 1980s was a blip that prior and post that time the fashion and modesty police have been out in force. Which brings me on to Helena Christensen. The Danish supermodel and photographer was in the news this week when she attended another model Gigi Hadid's birthday party. The theme of the party was denim and Christensen who is 50, wore a sheer, black, lace bustier with a pair of flared denim jeans and in the words of one person I know - looked banging. Not everyone was enamoured of Helena's outfit however and former Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman said of the outfit: "Why at the age of 50 did she decide to pitch up in a tacky, black lace bustier looking like a madam in a one- horse town?" Adding: "She should call time on the Ann Summers look.... Something you wore at 30 will never look the same on you 20 years later." I don't know if Ms Shulman, who now writes for the Mail on Sunday, believed what she was saying or if she was just looking to generate controversy and clicks - but even if she is I'm biting because there is something in this that needs to be addressed. Attractiveness and indeed the sexual currency of a person may well be in the eye of the beholder. But when the beholder is bombarded by a media that gives us a blanket narrative that someone isn't attractive because of their age (according to Ms Shulman we may call 70 the new 50 or 50 the new 30 but "the body doesn't lie") even when the body before us is telling us the patent truth that Helena Christensen is a very, very attractive woman. Then there is a problem. So you're not supposed to fancy women above what age? 30? 40? What age should we stop fancying men at? Similarly we are told that people who are overweight are less attractive than those who are thin. So you can google celebrities who are "fat but still sexy" and there are multiple handy lists available to peruse while summarily dismissing the rich, famous often hot people on them as undesirable. Being too old, too fat, too short or not white enough are the kinds of assessments that renders most of the population almost invisible in fashion and media terms and why? Who made up these rules? Video of the Day And not alone was Shulman dissing Christensen solely about her age, she was also slut-shaming her. Suggesting her outfit was too overtly sexual. The idea being presumably that as Ms Shulman doesn't find Helena attractive then she shouldn't wear anything too racy - as it offends Shulman's eye. That we should dress to please others instead of as a way of expressing how we feel about ourselves is a sort of ridiculous notion. You cannot really know what strangers think of you. And chasing the approval of randomers rather than wearing what you yourself like is a pointless way to live. I'm not saying this to be politically correct. I'm saying what we actually find attractive is often different to what we are being told we should find attractive by a dictatorial and controlling social narrative. I may actually fancy balding, heavy set, hairy, middle-aged men - but who caters for my taste in the world of media? You may fancy short, dumpy women but you will never see them anywhere in magazines. And apparently unless you qualify as attractive in the restrictive fashion sense of the word then you shouldn't dress in lots of ways. So nothing too tight, too sexy, too revealing - for the old, fat, short or non-white people out there. Basically unless you look a certain prescribed way - please make yourself invisible. And recognise that what some bitchy person thinks of you is more important than what you think of yourself. And I say f**k that. There is little more attractive than confidence. There is little more attractive than self-worth. If you want to rock a bustier at 50 or indeed at 70 - do it! If you want to put your booty in a short skirt, tight leggings or any other type of clothes because you feel good in them then that's the exactly right outfit for you. None of us should be dictated to about our appearance in this way - these rules are arbitrary and designed to do NOTHING but make us feel bad. Christensen's own response to Shulman was exactly right: "Let's continue to elevate and support each other all you beautiful, smart, fun, sexy, hard-working, talented, nurturing women out there #oopssheworeabustieragain" I don't care if 50 is the new 30 or the new 70 - it's still a few years away for me but I'm already dusting the bustier off. The birth of a royal baby proved to be the major talking point on Twitter on Bank Holiday Monday. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth at 5.26 on Monday morning to an as yet unnamed boy weighing 7lb 3oz. The news was confirmed by Prince Harry in the afternoon, although the alerts on their phones gave some people a moment or two of confusion. Harry revealed he had not had much sleep and some viewers thought it might be catching up with him as he appeared to thank the horses in the stables behind him after speaking to reporters. Still laughing at how Harry thanked the horses after the interview RoyallyKate- (@RoyallyKate) May 6, 2019 Harry and Meghans baby was born into one great British institution in the Royal Family, and another Paddington Bear was on hand to celebrate. How exciting. Mrs Bird has said we're going to have an extra special afternoon tea to celebrate with marmalade sandwiches, iced cake and a few cups of her lovely hot cocoa with cream. #RoyalBaby Paddington (@paddingtonbear) May 6, 2019 There was an irreverent take from talk show host Ellen DeGeneres from across the pond. The #royalbaby is here! Congratulations, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The baby is 7th in line for the throne, which is crazy, because right now Im 7th in line for the key-making kiosk at my grocery store. @RoyalFamily Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) May 6, 2019 And fellow American TV star Ryan Seacrest was among many social media users taking the opportunity to make a Game Of Thrones reference. Its a boy! Congrats to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The royal baby is 7th in line to the British throne...and the latest entry in the race for the iron throne. Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) May 6, 2019 To many people, the thing that stuck out from the day was Harrys expression of admiration for his wife and for women in general. I swear I think Prince Harry is a feminist the way he honored his wife and his abiding respect for what women go through was so sweet, just have to say NYN is a SERF in a CORRUPT FEUDAL SYSTEM (@Kris_Sacrebleu) May 6, 2019 For others, it was simply the creation of one fantastically wealthy baby. When you realise the #RoyalBaby is less than 24 hours old but is already richer and more successful than youll ever be pic.twitter.com/L4hcp5MnKf NoStackMan (@no_stack) May 6, 2019 And some just really wanted to avoid spoilers. Pomp and ceremony: King Maha Vajiralongkorn is carried through the streets outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok. AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit NEW Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn visited Buddhist temples and greeted his subjects for the first time since his crowning in a royal procession around Bangkok yesterday. "Long live the king!" shouted well-wishers who lined roads for hours under the blazing sun and well into the night, hoping for a glimpse of the constitutional monarch who is revered in Thai culture as a living deity. King Vajiralongkorn, carried through the streets by 16 men bearing his gilded palanquin, visited three royal temples, starting with Bovoranives, where he spent 15 days as a Buddhist monk in 1978. He paid homage to the temple's main Buddha image as well as the relic and cremated remains of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Clad in gold-embroidered vestments and wearing the same black military-style hat that his father wore at his coronation 69 years ago, the king also visited Rajabopidh temple, the abode of the current Buddhist supreme patriarch, and Chetuphon temple to pay respects to the relic of the first Chakri monarch. Conch shell horns heralded the parade, which was accompanied by two horseback cavalry soldiers, a military marching band and royal guards in a mixture of ancient Thai and modern Western-style uniforms. Spectators all wearing yellow, the colour associated with the king, gathered from early morning along the 7km route from the Grand Palace to three royal temples. The Thai government, which is spending one billion baht (28m) on the three days of the coronation ceremonies, has said crowds of at least 200,000 people were expected. Washington sought to defuse tension yesterday after North Korea said it had carried out tests of long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons. Donald Trump's administration downplayed the significance of the tests as it defended the US president's conciliatory approach. The strike drill did not violate Kim's self-imposed nuclear and missile-testing moratorium, which applied only to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles capable of striking the US. Mr Trump voiced his optimism that the nuclear talks would resume, writing on Twitter: "I believe that Kim Jong-un fully realises 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!" Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, said the drills posed no threat to the US, Japan or South Korea. He added: "We still believe there is an opportunity for a negotiated outcome where we will get verifiable denuclearisation." On Saturday, Pyongyang- fired tactical guided weapons into the East Sea in a military drill supervised by Mr Kim himself. He said the drills were to "increase the combat ability so as to defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance". Photographs released by North Korea showed the tactical guided weapons fired could be short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missiles, according to Kim Dong-yub, a military expert in Seoul. 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 US. Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi has been discharged from a Milan hospital six days after intestinal surgery and vowed to continue his campaign for a seat in the European Parliament. Mr Berlusconi, 82, told reporters outside San Raffaele Hospital he had some fear when he was admitted to hospital last week for abdominal pain, which led to a diagnosis of an intestinal blockage. This made me think I had reached the end of the line. Instead, I made a formidable comeback, he said. He said he would rest for a while and not lead any election rallies but would campaign for a seat in the European Union legislature on TV, radio and other media. Expand Close Silvio Berlusconi waves as he leaves San Raffaele Hospital (Antonio Calanni/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Silvio Berlusconi waves as he leaves San Raffaele Hospital (Antonio Calanni/AP) He is running in this months election for Forza Italia, the party the media mogul founded quarter of a century ago. I still feel useful for the future of Italians, Europeans and of the West, Mr Berlusconi said. After leaving hospital, he wasted no time blasting the populist coalition now governing Italy, saying the two coalition partners can only do one thing, squabble. One of the governing parties is the right-wing, anti-migrant League party, which was a key ally in Mr Berlusconis own coalition governments as premier in three stints. Led by hardline interior minister Matteo Salvini, the party has seen soaring popularity in opinion polls and tension with its governing partner, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement. Mr Berlusconi said he hopes Forza Italia will be a linchpin of a majority centre-right alliance in the European Parliament that could keep nationalist forces at bay. Expand Close Matteo Salvini and Viktor Orban (Szilard Koszticsak/MTI/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Matteo Salvini and Viktor Orban (Szilard Koszticsak/MTI/AP) He laid out a vision for a trans-European centre-right partnership, including perhaps Mr Salvini and that crazy head of Orban, a reference to right-wing Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban. Mr Salvini has been wooing Mr Orban for a different political alliance, and the two bonded in Hungary last week over their determination to keep migrants and asylum-seekers out of Europe. He has been working with far-right movements in France, Germany and other northern countries to create a strong populist group in the European Parliament, with the aim of reshaping the continents policies. Mr Berlusconi said he wants to see the EU become a world power on a military level and to assume the role of unifying the West, which today is divided. If elected to the European Parliament, it would be Mr Berlusconis first public office since he was forced to give up his Italian Senate seat due to a ban from a 2012 tax fraud conviction. Citing his good conduct, a court last year ruled that Mr Berlusconi could be a political candidate again. 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. Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement has piled pressure on its government partner 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 EU parliamentary elections on May 26, with the two parties acting more like bitter political enemies than cabinet allies. Growing rivalry triggered an unprecedented spat between the interior and defence ministries at the weekend as tensions grew over junior transport minister Armando Siri, who is very close to League leader Matteo Salvini. Mr 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. Mr Siri has denied wrongdoing, but 5-Star has said he must resign for the good of the government. However, the League, which has surged in the polls over the past year, has so far refused to back down, saying he has not been charged. Burning: Flames and black smoke billow from the Superjet-100 on the runway at Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow. Photo: Getty Images TWO children were among 41 people on a Russian Aeroflot plane who died after it caught fire as it made an emergency landing at a Moscow airport. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash bounced along the tarmac at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport before the rear of the plane suddenly burst 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. No official cause was yet been given for the incident although some surviving passengers spoke of a lightning strike. Russia's investigative committee said it had opened an investigation and was looking into whether the pilots had breached air safety rules. "We took off and then lightning struck the plane," said Pyotr Egorov, a surviving passenger. "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." President Vladimir Putin 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. The Flightradar24 tracking service showed the plane had circled twice over Moscow before making an emergency landing after just under 30 minutes in the air. The plane's under-carriage gave way on impact and its engines caught fire. Pfleger said Farrakhan has confirmed he will be in attendance Thursday. And, perhaps, in a roundabout way to goad the social media giant, Pfleger said they will be asking people in attendance to broadcast Farrakhans remarks on Facebook live. Presidential candidate Laurentino Cortizo, of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, waves to supporters in Panama City (Arnulfo Franco/AP) Panamas Electoral Court has declared opposition candidate Laurentino Cortizo the winner of the countrys presidential elections. The court said Mr Cortizo of the Democratic Revolutionary Party won 33%, with 95% of votes counted from Sundays vote. It said Mr Cortizo, a cattle rancher, will formally be named president-elect on Thursday. He said on Monday morning: I call on all Panamanians to join in a national effort to correct the countrys path, rescue the country and get the economy on the right track. Expand Close Laurentino Cortizo waves to supporters in Panama City (Arnulfo Franco/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Laurentino Cortizo waves to supporters in Panama City (Arnulfo Franco/AP) Second-placed candidate and businessman Romulo Roux, of former president Ricardo Martinellis Democratic Change party, won 31% of the vote but has not conceded defeat. The campaign focused on corruption and slowing economic growth in this Central America trade and financial hub and turned into the tightest presidential contest in recent years. Before the announcement, Mr Roux vowed not to concede defeat, saying the results were too close and suggesting the race was marred by irregularities. We have to guarantee the protection of the electoral process and of democracy. Right now, its in doubt, he said, without providing any evidence of election tampering. Expand Close Romulo Roux arrives to vote in Panama City with his wife and daughter (Arnulfo France/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Romulo Roux arrives to vote in Panama City with his wife and daughter (Arnulfo France/AP) The PRD, which has social-democratic leanings, will return to power for the third time since the transition to democracy three decades ago following the end of a military-led regime. The last time it in power was from 2004 to 2009 during the administration of Martin Torrijos. There is no run-off in Panama, so the winner in the field of seven mostly business-friendly candidates wins outright and takes office on July 1 for a five-year term. The election followed revelations of money laundering in the so-called Panama Papers 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 and a recently expanded international airport. Expand Close An electoral worker shows a ballot during a manual count (Arnulfo Franco/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An electoral worker shows a ballot during a manual count (Arnulfo Franco/AP) Mr Cortizo, a 66-year-old who studied business administration in the US, was agriculture minister under Mr Torrijos and campaigned on vows to clean up Panamas image after the corruption scandals. Mr Roux, a 54-year-old businessman, had the endorsement of supermarket magnate Mr Martinelli, who is in jail awaiting trial on charges of political espionage. Mr Roux held multiple government posts during the Martinelli administration, including minister of canal affairs and foreign minister. Turnout was strong at 72% for Panamas sixth presidential election since a US invasion ousted strongman Manuel Noriega in 1989. Outgoing president Juan Carlos Varela, a 55-year-old conservative and liquor industry veteran, was barred by the constitution from running. Authorities in Curacao say 318 people aboard a Church of Scientology ship docked in the Dutch Caribbean island will remain quarantined at least until Wednesday while they determine how many might be infected with measles. Dr Izzy Gerstenbluth said a team of health officials had taken 277 blood samples and sent them to the Netherlands. He said he expects results on Tuesday or Wednesday, adding that the atmosphere on the boat is good and everyone is co-operating. Dr Gerstenbluth said 31 crew members and 10 passengers provided a vaccination certificate, and the remainder were vaccinated. But that is for the future, it will not help them now, he added. Expand Close The Freewinds cruise ship in St Lucia (/Bradley Lacan/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Freewinds cruise ship in St Lucia (/Bradley Lacan/AP) The 440ft Freewinds ship had previously been quarantined in St Lucia after a crew member was diagnosed with measles. Authorities said she arrived in Curacao on April 17 and visited a doctor on April 22 for cold symptoms. A blood sample was taken and sent to nearby Aruba, where officials confirmed it was measles on April 29, a day after the ship had departed for St Lucia. Curacao health officials then alerted authorities in St Lucia. The former cruise ship returned to its home port of Curacao early on Saturday. Dr Gerstenbluth said the decision to release passengers and crew members will be made after consulting health officials in the Netherlands and the Pan American Health Organisation. #Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to humankind However, vaccination stops it from spreading and is the only way to prevent it. Make sure your vaccinations are up-to-date. Talk to your health care worker today #GetVax #HealthForAll pic.twitter.com/jfMcxCKm1P PAHO/WHO (@pahowho) May 3, 2019 Measles has affected more than 700 people in 22 US states this year, with federal officials saying the resurgence is driven by misinformation about vaccines. Symptoms include a runny nose, fever and a red-spotted rash. Most people recover but measles can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling and even death in some cases. Church officials have not returned calls for comment. According to the churchs website, the ship is the home of a religious retreat ministering the most advanced level of spiritual counselling. It says religious conventions and seminars are also held aboard. During the Jiggy with the Piggy Festival, held in Kannapolis May 3-4, hundreds of people participated in the Peoples Choice Wing Contest and Hydromer, Inc., a New Jersey-based manufacturer, plans to move their operations to Concord this summer. Hydromer was built in 1981 and grew to become a leading developer of polymer-based products in the medical device, pharmaceutical and biotechnology markets, as well as cosmetics, personal care and other industries. The company will be moving to Corporate Drive in International Business Park. Hydromer will be bringing over 30 new jobs to the community, with wages well above the current county average, according to a press release from the Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation. Advanced manufacturing and technology companies like Hydromer are a strategic target for our community, said Robert Carney, Executive Director of the Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation. They bring high quality jobs and significant investments. This is a big win for us. The decision to relocate Hydromer to Cabarrus County was partly due to the regions position as a growing talent hub, its competitive business climate, tax rate and its well-established international business hub. Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The boy and a 23-year-old man were wounded just before 10:50 p.m. in the inbound lanes near Morgan Street, according to a release from state police. The man was driving and the teen was seated in the rear of the car. Four other people inside the car were not injured, police said. Congress passes a climate action bill that the Senate will not even consider Legislation would require the United States to meet international obligations reached in the Paris Agreement Indian Country Today The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Climate Action Now Act ( H.R.9 ) by a 231-190 margin on Thursday. Its the first climate bill to pass Congress in nearly a decade. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the bill would go nowhere and its unlikely to even receive a vote in that chamber. The legislation would require the Trump administration to meet its international obligations under the Paris Agreement . The act also requires that the president develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a plan for the United States to achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below its 2005 level by 2025. The United States is not on track to meet that goal. Rep. Deb Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, D-New Mexico, said the Climate Action Now Act is a bill that acts on the climate challenge by keeping the United States in the Paris Agreement. Trumps decision to pull out of the #ParisAgreement put the futures of our kids at risk. We can be leaders in a renewable energy revolution. Let's say we are still in" and demand #ClimateActionNow. #HR9 https://t.co/eFk8SSqMiO Rep. Deb Haaland (@RepDebHaaland) May 1, 2019 New Mexico can be a leader in a renewable energy revolution. Trumps decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement put the futures of our kids at risk. By passing this bill were saying that we are committed to working with the rest of the world to act on climate and securing a future of good paying jobs in a renewable energy economy, Haaland said Haaland is vice chair of the Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Sharice Davids, Ho Chunk, D-Kansas, tweeted : I'm proud to join my colleagues to combat the climate crisis & protect our planet by passing the #ClimateActionNow Act . Together we can create a clean energy economy that provides good-paying jobs in KS, cleaner air for our children & a safer climate for future generations. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, said Americans can see for themselves the impact of climate change and extreme weather events. "Yet Republicans are defending the Trump administration action to undercut and isolate the United States as the only country to withdraw from the climate accord." However Rep. Markwayne Mullin, Cherokee Nation, R-Oklahoma, proposed an amendment linking U.S. efforts to reduce greenhouse gases to those from Russia and China. Mullin voted no. As did Rep. Tom Cole , Chickasaw, R-Oklahoma. This House bill illustrates the challenge of governing in Washington. Environmental advocates say the Climate Action legislation did not go far enough. Yet Republicans in the Senate wont even consider it. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, told Bloomberg News that "there is no harm in passing" the measure but lawmakers can't stop there. "The idea that we can just reintroduce 2009 policies is not reflective of action that is necessary for now in the world of today," she said, pitching her alternative, the Green New Deal ICYMI: Last week I offered an amendment to the Dems climate bill H.R. 9, which would ensure China and Russia are committed to reducing their emissions to at least the same level as the US. #greennewdisasterhttps://t.co/5q45gqRNGn Markwayne Mullin (@RepMullin) April 8, 2019 Mark Trahant is the editor of Indian Country Today . He is a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes . Follow him on Twitter @TrahantReports This story originally appeared on Indian Country Today on May 2, 2019. Note: Thumbnail photo of Quinault Nation by Sam Beebe Join the Conversation In the age when people are judged by their looks for their ability to act in films, do you even think a dwarf could make a career in such an industry? Peter Dinklage, the actor who plays the role of Tyrion Lannister in Game Of Thrones has carved his own path and he is admired all over the world. Sometime back, his doppelganger was found in Pakistan and the man caught peoples fancy for looking uncannily similar to him. He was a waiter by profession. But soon, after all the attention that he got, he landed himself a role in an advertisement. Also Read: Tyrion Lannisters Look-Alike Rozi Khan Has Never Heard Of GoT But Hopes To Meet The Man Who Made Him Famous But, there is another doppelganger of Peter Dinklage who hails from Kashmir in India. Remember the man was spotted by ace filmmaker Imtiaz Ali. Also Read: Meet Tariq Mir, India's Very Own Tyrion Lannister, Who Was Spotted By Imitaz Ali In Kashmir Tariq Mir has also made his debut. He will be seen in Salman Khan starrer Bharat. In the released song titled Slow Motion Mein, he has made a cameo appearance. Take a look! Tariq Mir was also spotted on the sets with fashion designer Ashley Rebello. Apparently, he is wearing the same costume as Tyrion Lannister of Game of Thrones. Who doesnt want flawless, glowing skin? You may tried a whole number of desi nuske or bought beauty products that cost a fortune, but this is something you know you never even thought about. And yet, it's being touted as the most beneficial for your skin. Chelsee Lewis, a famous celebrity facialistwho has worked with Stella McCartney, Suki Waterhouse and Gwyneth Paltrowshared a secret that will change the way you think of facials. She recommends using human semen to get glowing skin. In her opinion, using a 'sperm mask' helps reduce acne and wrinkles. We'll give you a second to let that sink in. Twitter/Chelsee Lewis "Sexual intercourse helps the stress hormone but also helps to balance the hormones and improve collagen production. But you can go one step further with a sperm mask," she told Daily Mail. "Using your partner's sperm as a mask is full of a compound called spermine, which is an antioxidant which can help reduce wrinkles, smooth the skin, prevent acne or spots and give you overall healthy-looking skin," she added. Even former Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Helen Gurley Brown is of the same opinion: "Spread semen over your face [because it's] probably full of protein as sperm can eventually become babies. Makes a fine mask - and he'll be pleased." However, dermatologist Doris Day has her doubts: "It's not necessarily something that can penetrate the skin in any way beyond what a regular moisturiser can do. The water in the semen, as it dries off on your skin, could leave your skin drier. If you have rosacea, you should be careful," she told Cosmopolitan. It'll serve you well if you remind your self that there's no extensive research on this making the bold claim. Either way, there's always a mud mask and some rose water. A 23-year-old Dalit youth was allegedly beaten to death by a group of upper caste people, because he sat alongside them, on a chair, and ate his food. According to reports, the incident happened in Tehri district of Uttrakhand on April 26. The family of the deceased, identified as Jitender Das, alleged that he was attacked by upper caste people during a wedding reception in Nainbagh Tehsil of the district on April 26. Read more Ex-BSF Man Tej Bahadur Yadav Knocks On The Doors Of SC To Let Him Contest Against Modi In Varanasi Tej Bahadur Yadav, a former Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, who had filed his nomination against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from Varanasi, has moved the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's decision to reject his nomination. "It seems the impugned decision has been taken keeping in mind the sensitivity of the contest in Varanasi Constituency and to give walkover to the candidate of the ruling party by disqualifying the Petitioner whose candidature was gaining momentum and was, therefore, also supported by the main opposition alliance of two major political parties in the state," Yadav said in his plea. Read more Guns Outnumber Guests At Bombed Colombo Hotel As 'Normalcy' Returns To Daily Life In Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has now started getting back to normal after the Easter Sunday attacks which killed 257 people in a series of blasts that rocked three churches and luxury hotels leaving more than 500 people injured. One of the hotels where blasts had happened reopened recently, but now the armed soldiers outnumber the guests. Read more At Least 40 Killed As Russian Plane Catches Fire And Lands With Flames Coming Out Of It At least 40 people lost their lives when a Russian airliner at Sheremetyevo airport, in Moscow, caught fire on Sunday evening. The Russian national airline Aeroflot Sukhoi SSJ100 had 73 passengers and five crew members on board, when it touched down, enveloped in huge flames leaving a black smoke. Read more Gangster Who Gave Tough Time To Gujarat Cops Has Been Nabbed By An All-Women ATS Team In a daring pre-dawn operation, four women cops of Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad waded deep into the forest area of Botad district and nabbed a notorious criminal who had been on the run for nearly a year. The women, armed with AK-47 and other automatic weapons, caught Jusab Allahrakha Sandh, 40, a native of Junagadh, who has been booked in separate instances for at least 23 serious offences like murder, extortion and firing on policemen. Read more After Global Outrage, Brunei Has Decided Not To Give Death Penalty For Gay Sex In a major victory to the LGBTQ community, Brunei has announced that it will not enforce the death penalty prescribed for gay sex and adultery under a new law. Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei made the announcement on Sunday in a televised speech. In the speech, Bolkiah claimed that there were many questions and misconceptions with regard to the implementation of the Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO). Read more In a daring pre-dawn operation, four women cops of Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad waded deep into the forest area of Botad district and nabbed a notorious criminal who had been on the run for nearly a year. The women, armed with AK-47 and other automatic weapons, caught Jusab Allahrakha Sandh, 40, a native of Junagadh, who has been booked in separate instances for at least 23 serious offences like murder, extortion and firing on policemen. Twitter The operation was carried out in the jungles of Devdhari near Botad in the early hours of Sunday. ATS officials said they have handed over the accused to CID crime, as the case was under their investigation. A picture of his arrest was released by the police on Sunday, where the gangster, who had been using the forest covers of Gir-Junagadh to elude law enforcement, is seen sitting helplessly with his legs on the ground surrounded by women cops. Of the five ATS officials involved in the operation, four are women, including Santok Odedra, Nitmika Gohil, Aruna Gameti and Simmi Mal. They were given the task of arresting the criminal on ground while PSI Jignesh Agravat was involved in locating Sandh. In 2014, Jusab was arrested by Junagadh police in the 2014 killing of a local temple priest over a land dispute in 2012. However, he jumped parole in June 2016 and unleashed a reign of terror in Botad, Bhavnagar and Rajkot rural, said DIG, ATS (Operations), Himanshu Shukla. Representational Image Jusab was a trigger-happy person. He shot dead a man named Musa in June 2016. In July, he shot dead another person named Jivan Sangani in Rajkot district and then opened fire on the police team which went to arrest him, said Shukla. Recently, he had shot a Rajkot-based land dealer in the eye. He was so dangerous that the government had directed us to nab him at any cost, and I am proud that my womens team did it, he said. M B Zala, a 2009 batch police officer now posted as senior police inspector of Satellite police station said that women can to be as effective in combat roles as their male counterparts. I have been posted most of the time as in-charge of a police station and dealt with rape and murder cases. I was involved in the probe of a 60-year-old woman in Bhavnagar. We are no less than our male counterparts , she said. In a major victory to the LGBTQ community, Brunei has announced that it will not enforce the death penalty prescribed for gay sex and adultery under a new law. Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei made the announcement on Sunday in a televised speech. In the speech, Bolkiah claimed that there were many questions and misconceptions with regard to the implementation of the Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO). AP Still defending the law, which has come under heavy international criticism, he said that the misconceptions may cause apprehension. He, however, made it clear that the country is not going back on the new law, but only extended a moratorium on a death penalty like most of the other countries which have similar laws. Last month, the island nation had outraged the world, including the United Nations, when it announced that it is going to implement a strict interpretation of Sharia which called for stoning to death that engaging in same-sex relations. AFP The oil-rich Muslim-majority nation had come under heavy criticism from various corners including by celebrities like George Clooney and Elton John. Many had also called for a boycott of luxury hotels owned by the Sultan in the US and other countries. AP According to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associations (ILGA) latest State-Sponsored Homophobia report, there are currently eight countries in which homosexuality is punishable by death. These are Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen; parts of Somalia and northern Nigeria, under sharia law. The death penalty is applied by non-state actors, including the Islamic state, in Syria and Iraq. There may be news of death and destruction emerging from Gaza and Israel, however, a couple has found it an opportunity to elevate their creativity and turn the weapons into something more desirable and peaceful. Yedidya and Shiran Harush, who are residents of the southern village of Shlomit has tuned the shrapnel from the rockets into jewelry. Since 2014, they have been collecting the pieces of rockets and transforming them into necklaces. We both liked the idea and started making the necklaces, and it felt almost therapeutic to work with the shrapnel from the rockets, Yedidya told The Jerusalem Post. And the couple is selling these online under the name 'Rocket Necklace'. Almost all the necklaces have the map of Israel or other national symbols carved on it. According to The Jerusalem Post, money raised from the sale is donated to the Jewish National Fund for the construction of bomb shelters in communities bordering the Gaza Strip. In just two days, a total of 28 people, 24 Palestinians, and four Israelis have lost their lives in the latest round of tension between the two sides. According to Israel's military 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 while it hit back shooting rockets at about 320 targets in Gaza. AFP Fire exchanges and fatalities are not anything new on either of the sides and unfortunately, there won't be an end to the bloodshed any time in the near future. The CBSE Std 10 results for this year have been announced today by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The results have been posted online, as well as on school notice boards, so here's how you can check how well you did on your exams. 1. Check the CBSE website You can check out your results online on the CBSE website here. The problem is the website is down right now, at the time of writing. This might just be due to the sheer number of people trying to access it overloading their servers. Hopefully the website has a solution though, and fast. On the other hand, http://cbseresults.nic.in is up at the moment, and hopefully stays that way. 2. Other websites In case you can't access the CBSE website, there are a couple of other options. For instance, you can head on over to http://examresults.in/ or http://www.indiaresults.com to check your exam results. Again, the former is down at the moment, but the latter is available, though it might take some time for the results to be posted there. 3. Using Google Supposedly, you can also check your results directly through Google search. The company had tied up with the CBSE last year in order to help disseminate the results in a more timely fashion. It doesn't seem to be working at the moment, but perhaps the tooltip will show up a little later. To do this, simply search for "Class 10 results", "CBSE Class 10 results", "how to check Class 10 results", or "check CBSE Class 10 results" through Google's search engine. It will then pop up a card allowing you to enter your details and check your results online 4. Via SMS You can check your results through SMS as well. The numbers for this are 5800002 (Aircel), 54321202 (Airtel), 57766 (BSNL), 55456068 (Idea), 52001 (MTNL), 54321 or 51234 or 5333300 (Tata Teleservices), and 9212357123 (National Informatics Centre). These will be chargeable at Rs 0.50 per SMS. Alternatively, you can download the Microsoft SMS Organizer app on your smartphone. It's free to download via Google Play. Once installed and registered, the app will show a notification asking if you want to register to receive an SMS about the results. Just enter your details and you'll soon be notified directly through text. Thanks to job saturation and other factors, it's harder for millennials to advance your career than previous generations. To that end, many women these days decide to freeze their eggs so they can postpone trying for kids at a later stage. However, there's no guarantee how fertile they are. This means that, when these women have their eggs unfrozen years later and attempt to use them to conceive (usually, through IVF) there's a chance they'll fail. That's worse if the woman is past her prime and her ovaries aren't as fertile as they used to be to produce more. Currently, it's estimated that only a third of all frozen eggs result in successful pregnancies. That's where this startup comes in. Future Fertility wants to fix the problem using AI, of course. The current method for this whole process involves a really old system fromthe 19th century. Fertility doctors match a woman's age with the number of eggs they've retrieved from her at the time of freezing. Then, based on historical averages, they can give her an estimate of what her chances are of getting pregnant with them. Of course, this isn't the most accurate method. Canada-based Future Fertility however has developed what it calls a full-automated egg-scoring algorithm. The neural network, named Violet, can supposedly predict successful pregnancies from the frozen eggs with a 90 percent accuracy, and that's using only a single microscopic scan. There are limits however. Violet only has a 65 percent accuracy when predicting whether the embryo will then survive more than five days, and it's even less accurate when predicting whether it will survive being implanted in the woman's uterus. However, the company insists those stats will get better as IVF clinics begin using the AI and it gleans more data it can learn from. "To me it was always the craziest thing that we have some sort of classification for sperm, for embryos, for the inner lining of the uterus, but I can never give patients any feedback for eggs," Dan Nayot, medical director at Future Fertility, told Wired. "To the human eye, eggs just look pretty similar. At this point it's sort of a coin toss." Violet was trained on 20,000 images anonymous health records from a number of partner IVF clinics in Canada. It'll now begin testing in a number of clinics, both in Canada and in other countries like the US, Japan, and Spain. If the results continue to be promising, this could be the biggest advance for IVF in years. For one thing, it means couples don't have to wait for the entire IVF process to see if they're going to be successful. Instead they can get a better idea the minute the doctor retrieves eggs, meaning they waste less time and money on the later stages of the procedure. And it requires barely any new hardware for clinics, just a camera and new software to go with it. Ramos said he saw a grayish blue SUV with three people inside pull up, one of them the gunman. As shots were fired, Ramos said he grabbed his wife and the two sprinted away until she collapsed. They took cover under a parked car, and the shooter then went after their friend. Meet Tony Sanchez-Arino, one of world's most notorious trophy hunters and quite possibly the most disliked person. The 89-year-old hunter has killed 1,317 elephants, 127 black rhino, 167 leopards and 2,093 buffalo, along with 340 lions so far, reports The Sun. The irony is that Arino has now shamelessly voiced his 'concern' over the sad number of African elephants that remain. Facebook And this has understandably really irked people. "The African elephant will be hunted to extinction in the wild within our lifetime, to the shame of humanity," he said in his book Elephants, Ivory And Hunters, which was published back in 2002. He even went as far as claiming he's devoted his life to the cause of the African elephant. Oh, the irony! Tony Sanchez-Arino, 89, is disturbingly celebrated as the worlds most dangerous and experienced game hunter among fans of the blood sport. According to reports, he started hunting elephants for ivory in 1952 after going on his first safari hunt to Africa at 21. The Sun quoted Eduardo Goncalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, as saying, "The trophy hunting industry is slaughtering elephants left, right and centre." "Killing elephants for fun is unacceptable, even more so because of the seriousness of the current crisis," he added. In a bizarre incident, a farmer from a village named Mahisagar in Gujarat, was working on his farm when he bit back a snake that attacked him. The man was so enraged by the attacked that he wanted to kill the snake. Reuters/Picture For Representation According to TOI, the 70-year-old man named Parvat Gala Baria picked up the snake and literally devoured it in anger. The man's daughter-in-law told media that another relative who witnessed the entire episode, took the snake and burnt it. The relative then rushed Baria to a nearby hospital with the dead snake's remains. Reuters Unfortunately, Baria was not treated on the first go. He was shunted through three hospitals: from a government, private and to a civil hospital. It just goes to show the inefficiency of medical facilities in our country. The poor man finally succumbed to the poisonous bite. In a similar incident that took place back in 2012, a Nepali man working in his rice paddy chased the snake that attacked him, caught it and bit it until it died. Three Indian teams were among the award winners at the annual NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge. During the challenge, Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams (right) interacted with teams and participants. (RoverChallenge Twitter photo) Rashad Khan said it was a relief after more than a year of reliving his first experience of someone refusing to work with him and his father, Zuned, because of their faith and race. My dad and I just wanted to know that theres justice, that she cant do this, said Khan. (LinkedIn photo) A picture taken in New Delhi on November 26, 1986 shows the late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (center right) smiling as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev points to his watch to signal the end of a picture session after the two leaders concluded their second round of talks part of Gorbachev's four-day official State visit in India. (Douglas E. Curran/AFP/Getty Images) Sixty is the new 45, 80 is the new 60, and 100 is well, really dang old. But even centenarians know that once you stop learning, you star... Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai took several shots at a National leader of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Bola Tinubu as he advised Lagosians on how they can end godfatherism in the state. El-Rufai who spoke in Lagos on Sunday during an event organised by the Bridge Club tagged: An Evening with His Excellency Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, which held in Lagos gave the advice on godfatherism can end in the state. The Kaduna state governor when asked a question on godfatherism, went into graphic details on how it can be achieved. Let me tell you something, sir; you know Kaduna State used to be like that. There were three or four politicians in Kaduna that you could not become anything unless you had them on your side. Those were the godfathers of Kaduna politics and you had to carry them along and you know, the three words, carry them along mean paying them regularly. But we chose a different path and the long and short of it now is that after this election in 2019, we have retired all of them; we had to. Here in Lagos, you have over six million registered voters; only about a million voted (in 2019 general election); five million did not vote. If I want to run for Governor of Lagos, I will start now. I will commission a study to know why those five million registered voters did not vote; where do they go on election day? Then I will start visiting them for the next four years. I will try and get just two million of them to come and vote for me; I will defeat any godfather. The key is to go to the people. The card readers and the biometric registers have given us the tools to connect directly with the people. I assure you if you do that for the next four years, connecting with the people; the tin godfather, you will retire him or her permanently. But it is hard work; it requires three to four years of hard work. So, if you want to run in 2023, you should start now. Many of the godfathers are either on paper or in the mind of people in politics. They are defeatable. He also decried the number of misfit politicians with questionable qualifications in leadership positions in the country. In most of the developed worlds, the best and the brightest are in politics and public service. I urge you to google the profiles of the captains of the USA, UK, Japan, China, and Singapore over the last 10 years and compare their education and experience profile with ours; you will understand why we are where we are. In Nigeria, we have people that never went to school in our National Assembly. We have people with questionable qualifications as state governors. We will go nowhere as long as our best and brightest people that sit in rooms like this are not in politics or public service. Mrs Taiwo Obasanjo, an estranged wife of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, has accused the elder statesman of hiring assassins to eliminate her and her son, Olajuwon Obasanjo. She said the move to eliminate her and son is borne out of anger because she and son came out publicly to support the president Muhammadu Buhari led administration. She added that the former president has stopped picking both her calls and sons call since President Muhammadu Buhari emerged victorious in the last presidential poll. I am Mrs Taiwo Obasanjo and l want to alert the whole world that my life and that of my son Mr Abraham Olujonwo Obasanjo is under threat due to our decision to support President Muhammadu Buhari in the last election. I was reliably told that Chief Obasanjo is not pleased with our decision to support Buhari and he has sent out assassins to kill me and my Son for publicly coming out in supporting President Buhari. From the reliable information at my disposal, it was disclosed to me that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has paid the assassins who are already trailing me to kill me and my Son Olujonwo. The assassins intend to kill me first and make it appear as an armed robbery operation. The second phase of the plot is to kill my son, Olujonwo in another armed robbery attack in the night. I want the world to know that my life and that of my son, Olujonwo is under threat for supporting President Muhammadu Buhari in the last election. I am crying out now to let the whole world know who to blame if anything happens Since President Buhari won the election Chief Obasanjo has developed a very strong hatred for me and my son and he does not speak to my Son again or pick his calls. I am appealing to anyone who knows Baba Obasanjo to please tell him not to kill me and my Son. Politics should not be a do or die for him and it should not become a crime that must bring me and my Son death because we are supporting President Buhari. I am also appealing to the police and other security agencies to please come to our aid. This is a serious threat and the police should please help us. Chief Obasanjo has vowed that he will kill us both and nothing will happen. This matter is not a joking matter. This issue is not imaginary or attention seeking or a publicity stunt. Signed: Mrs. Taiwo Obasanjo. The ex-wife of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo I think were going to see, in Springfield, movement over the next several weeks, the governor said. There are some questions by others of tweaks to make to the bill, so that will probably occur. But I believe before May 31st we will have it in place. Following the ratification of Bello Maitama-Yusuf by President Muhammadu Buhari as member of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Nigerians have taken to their Twitter handle to react. Nigerians while reacting to the news have pointed that In 1983, Maitama-Yusuf was accused of corruption by the Muhammadu Buhari military regime of 1983 to 1985. He was said to have gone into exile to prevent prosecution as at that time. In their reactions, have knocked Buhari for making such appointment against the backdrop of his administrations anti-corruption crusade. Reactions: Na rikishi government we dey o. Padi padi government Gboyega (@mayoraiku) May 6, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Lol. The man used to be corrupt, and since he joined @APCNigeria , he is now a saint. Oshiomole said it too. IBK Olaniran (@kalashyIBK) May 6, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js If you still think Buhari is fighting corruption then you need your head examined. FranklinU (@FranklinU1) May 6, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js President with no vision, fake corruption fighter #allofusnaHypocrites (@JudgeNot007) May 6, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Popular Online-Air-Personality (OAP), Toke Makinwa has gotten the social media dumbstruck again with a new revelation she made on Instagram. Toke Makinwa has been in the news regularly in the past few days for different reasons. She called out comedian, Bovi, who made jokes about the backside. Also Read: Mide Martins, Mercy Aigbe, attend the burial ceremony of Biodun Okeowos mum Toke also hut the front pages of media outlets when she jumped on the defence team of controversial Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh when she told people not to judge what they have not experienced. At it again, Toke has revealed that she is a porn star in her other life. See her post below: Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has lampooned President Muhammadu Buhari for making a joke about the Inspector General of Polices weight while fielding questions on the strategy the country has adopted in the combat against insecurity especially kidnapping happening in the country. The president was quoted as saying he has not seen the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed but the IGP is losing weight, so he thinks he(IGP) is working hard. Reno Omokri while reacting to Buharis comment queried why the president would tie the IGPs performance around his weight. See his tweet beloe: The migration of Java EE (Enterprise Edition) to the Eclipse Foundation has hit some glitches, with Oracle not permitting Java specification trademarks to be used by the foundation. Nevertheless, Eclipse executive director Mike Milinkovich is adamant that Java EE is not dead and Oracle has not killed it, as one blog suggested. Following many months of good faith negotiations, the foundation and Oracle, which has been in charge of Java EE, have been unable to agree on terms to use Java trademarks currently used by Java EE specifications or to modify the javax package namespace, a bulletin late last week said. Oracles Java trademarks are the companys property and Eclipse has no rights to use them. Milinkovich cited the implications for the Eclipse Foundations Jakarta EE enterprise Java implementation: Jakarta EE component specifications using the javax package namespace may be omitted completely from future Jakarta EE platform specifications. The javax package namespace may be used within Jakarta EE specifications but may be used as is only. No modifications are permitted. Jakarta EE specifications continuing to use the javax package namespace must remain TCK (technology compatibility kit) compatible with corresponding Java EE specifications. Any specifications using the javax namespace will continue to have the same Java EE container and certification requirements as before. Implementations claiming compliance with any versions of Jakarta EE specifications using the javax namespace must test on and distribute containers that embed certified Java SE (Standard Edition) implementations licensed by Oracle. Specifications must be changed from a Java EE naming convention to Jakarta EE convention, including acronyms such as EJB (Enterprise JavaBeans), JPA (Java Persistence API), and JAX-RS (Java API for RESTful Web Services). Asked about potential platform incompatibilities arising as a result of the disagreement with Oracle, Minkovich said solutions to these technical issues need to be developed. The Jakarta EE working group will kick off those discussions with the community this week. For example, binary compatibility could be achieved and offered by implementations via tooling that performs bytecode modification at build time, deploy time, or runtime. Milinkovich anticipates that future work on Java EE will not use the javax namespace but rather a new namespace such as jakarta. Despite the setbacks, work will continue on moving Java EE to Eclipse. Milinkovich noted there has been progress in moving Java EE to Oracle, such as Oracle contributing the GlassFish application server, which has served as a Java EE reference implementation, to Eclipse. Ratified Jakarta specifications will be available under the Eclipse license. Work continues on delivering a release of Jakarta EE 8 later this year. Beyond Jakarta EE 8, Jakarta EE 9 is planned. Oracle said it remains committed to working with the Jakarta EE working group and Jakarta EE specification process to create the Jakarta EE platform. But the company acknowledged it could not come to an agreement on trademarks and use of javax. Eclipse inherited development of enterprise Java from Oracle in September 2017. Mondelez commits to 100% sustainable cocoa by 2025 Mondelez International has announced its commitment that by 2025 the Cocoa Life sustainability program will deliver 100% of the cocoa volume needed for the companys chocolate brands. Cocoa Life helps to create a thriving cocoa supply chain by increasing yields on existing farms, building resilience in cocoa-growing communities and preventing deforestation. The program works directly with cocoa farmers and communities to transform their livelihoods through a focus on skills, education and access to essential resources such as planting materials and crop protection. The program works with over 142,000 farmers to grow more cocoa on their farms, empowers more than 1,400 communities to drive their own development and scaled up sourcing to cover 43% of the companys chocolate made today. Currently, 43% of Mondelez Internationals Chocolate brands source cocoa through Cocoa Life. By 2025, international brands and local favourites including Toblerone and Lacta will join Milka, Cote dOr and Cadbury Dairy Milk in sourcing exclusively through the program. This expansion will see an increase in the number of farmers and communities Mondelez International supports across six cocoa origin countries: Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Indonesia, Dominican Republic, India and Brazil. Our Purpose at Mondelez International is to empower people to snack right and that journey begins with the ingredients we source, including cocoa, said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dirk Van de Put. As demand for chocolate continues to grow, we are leading the transformation to build a thriving cocoa sector, an ingredient essential to our growth. This is an important milestone for our Cocoa Life program and will ensure more consumers around the world can be confident that the chocolate brands they love are made the right way. When the program launched in 2012, Mondelez International committed $400 million to Cocoa Life over 10 years to help build a thriving cocoa supply chain by increasing cocoa productivity and empowering local cocoa farming communities to improve their resilience. The report shows that Cocoa Life is having a positive impact: Cocoa yields are continuously improving and results show that as cocoa farms become more efficient, their yield increases. This is an important development, as farms that can do more with less land are able to create spare land that can be used for other income-generating activities, helping make cocoa farming a prosperous business. More communities are steering their own development and Cocoa Life communities can become drivers of change. Through the use of planning and advocacy tools, these communities have been able to attract the funding and resources needed to develop an important step because sector change will only be sustained if local actors feel empowered to do so. Farmers are choosing not to expand into protected forests and encouraging and enabling cocoa farmers and communities to protect the land where cocoa is grown has been fundamental to the Cocoa Life approach. Mapping efforts and tools support farmers in understanding how to get more out of their farms helping them build better businesses. Guided by results, the program will refine its focus to key areas of intervention where the biggest impact can be made; cocoa farming as a prosperous business of choice; empowered and inclusive communities that drive their own development; conservation and restoration of forests enabling climate-resilient practices. The expansion of Cocoa Life moves Mondelez International a step closer to improving the positive impact the company has on people and the planet, Van de Put said. Through Cocoa Life, we are leading the way in the fight against climate change in the cocoa sector and playing an active role in securing sustainable supplies of key raw materials. Success will not be found by acting alone, and this is why we are building a movement for lasting change and scaling our holistic approach through productive, collaborative partnerships, he added. We hope our encouraging results inspire more industry members to implement integrated approaches and broaden their impact at scale. In electromobility, many small, efficient systems need to be integrated in limited space. The voltage converter shown is based on GaN power ICs measuring 4 x 3 mm. Fraunhofer IAF For vehicles with electric drive to become a lasting presence in society, there needs to be greater flexibility in charging options. To make use of charging stations using alternating current, wall charging stations or conventional plug sockets where possible, users are dependent on on-board chargers. As this charging technology is carried in the vehicle, it must be as small and lightweight as possible, and also cost-efficient. It therefore requires extremely compact yet efficient power electronics systems such as voltage converters. Several components on a single chip The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF has been conducting research on monolithic integration in the field of power electronics for several years. This requires several components such as power components, the control circuit and sensors to be combined on a single semiconductor chip. The concept makes use of the semiconductor material gallium nitride. Back in 2014, the researchers at Fraunhofer IAF succeeded in integrating intrinsic freewheeling diodes and gate drivers on a 600 V-class power transistor. In 2017, a monolithic GaN half bridge was then operated at 400 V for the first time. The latest research results combine current and temperature sensors and 600 V-class power transistors with intrinsic freewheeling diodes and gate drivers in a GaN power IC for the first time. As part of the GaNIAL research project, the researchers have provided functional verification of full functionality in a GaN power IC, achieving a breakthrough in the integration density of power electronics systems. By additionally integrating sensors on the GaN chip, we have succeeded in significantly enhancing the functionality of our GaN technology for power electronics, explains Dr Patrick Waltereit, project manager of GaNIAL and deputy head of the Power Electronics business unit at Fraunhofer IAF. The full title of the GaNIAL project is Integrated and efficient power electronics based on gallium nitride. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research; since 2016, this collaboration between Fraunhofer IAF and the BMW Group, Robert Bosch GmbH, Finepower GmbH and the University of Stuttgart has been working to develop powerful, compact GaN-based components for electromobility. Integrated sensors for direct control Compared to conventional voltage converters, the newly developed circuit simultaneously not only enables higher switching frequencies and a higher power density; it also provides for fast and accurate condition monitoring within the chip itself. Although the increased switching frequency of GaN-based power electronics allows for increasingly compact designs, this results in a greater requirement for their monitoring and control. This means that having sensors integrated within the same chip is a considerable advantage, emphasizes Stefan Monch, a researcher in the Power Electronics business unit at Fraunhofer IAF. Previously, current and temperature sensors were implemented externally to the GaN chip. The integrated current sensor now enables feedback-free measurement of the transistor current for closed-loop control and short-circuit protection, and saves space compared to the customary external current sensors. The integrated temperature sensor enables direct measurement of the temperature of the power transistor, thereby mapping this thermally critical point considerably faster and more accurately than previous external sensors, as the distance and resulting temperature difference between the sensor and the point of measurement is eliminated by the monolithic integration. The monolithic integration of the GaN power electronics with sensors and control circuit saves space on the chip surface, reduces the outlay on assembly and improves reliability. For applications that require lots of very small, efficient systems to be installed in limited space, such as in electromobility, this is crucial, says Monch, who designed the integrated circuit for the GaN chip. Measuring just 4 x 3 mm, the GaN chip is the basis for the further development of more compact on-board chargers. Exploiting the unique characteristic of gallium nitride For the monolithic integration, the research team utilized the semiconductor material gallium nitride deposited on a silicon substrate (GaN-on-Si). The unique characteristic of GaN-on-Si power electronics is the lateral nature of the material: the current flows parallel to the surface of the chip, meaning that all connections are located on the top of the chip and connected via conductor paths. This lateral structure of the GaN components allows for the monolithic integration of several components, such as transistors, drivers, diodes and sensors, on a single chip. Gallium nitride has a further crucial market advantage compared to other wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as silicon carbide: GaN can be deposited on cost-efficient, large-area silicon substrates, making it suitable for industrial applications, explains Monch. Presentation at PCIM Europe Project partner Finepower GmbH will be displaying the newly developed GaN power module in the exhibition in Hall 9, booth 440, at this years PCIM Europe. Researchers from Fraunhofer IAF will unveil their latest research results and developments in the field of power electronics at the accompanying conference. PCIM Europe will be hosted from 7 to 9 May 2019 in Nuremberg. https://www.iaf.fraunhofer.de/en/media-library/press-releases/GaNIAL.html https://www.iaf.fraunhofer.de/en.html Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. Bryla, 43, was last seen near her home at 85th Street and Bennett Avenue. She seemed to have left in a hurry, family members told WGN, because she left milk and other items outside the refrigerator. Her bank account had been depleted, though shed recently deposited her income tax return, family members said. The money was taken from her account through withdrawals at six or seven locations including stores, banks and ATMs on Chicagos South Side and south suburbs, WGN previously reported. The brokerage states: If your executives and employees travel internationally (or even within your own borders), they may be at risk. And if an event occurs, the costs to your organization could be significant even if no ransom is paid. To ensure that your executives, key people or their loved ones are safely returned, a strategic kidnap and ransom insurance solution is essential. What perils does a kidnap and ransom policy cover? Kidnap and ransom insurance policies typically include the following features and benefits: The reimbursement of financial losses associated with a kidnap for ransom, extortion, illegal detention, hostage situations and hijacking incidents both domestically and abroad Risk mitigation and security strategies for individuals and corporations For international risks, most policies will include safe travel advice and training Some insurance carriers also offer insurance coverage extensions like: Emergency evacuation or repatriation Business interruption Child abduction Tiger kidnapping and disappearance Cyber extortion business interruption Product recall expenses Insureds are advised to consult with their brokers to determine their risk profile and exactly what coverages they might need. Who typically buys kidnap and ransom insurance? Kidnap and ransom policies are typically purchased by organizations, especially those with global geographic footprints. Hospitals are also likely purchasing candidates as they face the risk that someone might abduct a patient or abduct a child without having custody. Businesses of all sizes can use kidnap and ransom as an effective risk management tool. For example, if a small business owner were to be involved in an armed hostage situation, the policy would provide protection for certain losses stemming from that situation. Individuals also purchase kidnap and ransom policies, especially those who might be deemed at high risk of kidnapping or extortion, most notably those with a high net-worth or a celebrity / well-known profile. But once again, nobody is immune to this risk. In recent years, there has been a shift in criminal activity towards what travel security experts call express kidnapping. This is when non-executive employees, solo travelers and individuals are kidnapped in high-frequency in return for lower ransoms. Coverage for domestic and international risks Most kidnap and ransom policies will cover both domestic and international risks. While most insureds think of international risks, such as abduction while traveling for business in a politically-fraught country, the exposure is just as real at home. To explain further, Burns & Wilcox shared the following example of how the coverage might kick-in domestically on their website: A female employee felt unsafe in her Michigan-based workplace because her ex-husband made threats to her. The Michigan company had a kidnap and ransom policy that paid for an in-office security team to protect the womans entire workplace from her ex-husband, ensuring her and her co-workers safety should an incident occur. Which countries around the world are considered the highest risk? Some locations considered by many as being high-risk include: Nigeria Mexico India Venezuela Colombia Haiti Afghanistan Syria Libya That being said, insurers are keen to stress that incidents can happen at any time, in any situation and in any jurisdiction. This is not a risk neatly defined by boundaries. How do crisis consultants help with kidnap and ransom situations? Lots of kidnap and ransom insurance policies come with the guarantee of a crisis consultant, who will guide the insured through a situation and mitigate potential losses. For example, the crisis consultant will work with an organizations internal crisis management team (if they have one) to prepare the organization for any possible eventualities of an event. An AIG advisory explains: This will include advice on issues such as financial strategy, communications, the handling of threats, family management, liaison with the media, law enforcement, and other stakeholders, and practical considerations around ransom collection, delivery and payment, and the victims release. Consultants are there to act as advisers. All decisions, ultimately, rest with the client. BMSs independence and resolute commitment to the US reinsurance market continues to attract some of the industrys leading talent, said Bick Cook, CEO of BMS Group. There is great opportunity for growth in our US operations as clients increasingly look for independence married to technical and analytical scale and expertise. Pete is one of the most experienced reinsurance brokers in the market and will be a huge asset to the BMS US team. I am pleased to announce his appointment today and look forward to working with him and Steve Korducki to grow our US reinsurance arm. There is a huge opportunity in the US for an independent broker of BMSs ambition, analytical and actuarial capability and entrepreneurial culture, Chandler said. The investment BMS has made in talent, innovation and analytics has made it the most significant independent broker in the market, and Im delighted to join such a formidable team. The legislation will not come into effect until it is signed by the governor. The bill shares some similarities with an earlier plan HB 387 which was proposed last February. Read more: State surplus lines association praises law overhaul In response to the Florida legislatures approval of the bill, the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) has issued a statement praising the lawmakers decision. We applaud the work of the Florida Surplus Lines Association (FSLA), and their partnership with WSIA and a number of industry leaders, to modernize the Florida surplus lines marketplace, said WSIA president Joel Cavaness in a statement. Cavaness explained that surplus lines insurance is vital to Florida customers, businesses and the states economy, adding that the passage of the bill ensures the surplus markets ongoing strength in the state. A statement from WSIA underlined that Florida is one of the few states that still puts a cap on surplus lines broker policy fees. One of those sources was Gamma Iota Sigma, which has chapters across colleges in the US and is a well-oiled pipeline of talent for students in insurance and risk management programs. That means these candidates already have some knowledge about the insurance industry a rarity for most kids graduating from college. Tapping into a source like this has provided huge value for our organization thus far because it is filled with talented individuals that know they want to be in the industry, said Costello. The majority of insurance professionals will tell you that either youre born into the industry or you fall into it. The fact that we found a group of individuals that have foundational knowledge and passion around insurance is huge. As an MGA that only focuses on cyber insurance, all of Evolves team members need to be cyber experts, so the company offers resources and training to get new hires up to speed. Its employees will come out to the San Francisco Bay Area, where Evolves headquarters are located, for three to four months to learn the Evolve Way and take in everything cyber insurance-related, quickly becoming subject matter experts so that they can hit the ground running. Mentorship programs also play an important role in getting new team members to master the cyber insurance learning curve. Coming into a new organization and having someone to look up to, but also having an individual that can help you navigate through the job, and show you how to move up and develop your career is invaluable to a new person entering the company, Costello told Insurance Business. At the Leadership Exchange Summit, the Evolve leader will discuss the many checks and balances within the MGAs hiring process to make sure that the company is finding the best people it possibly can. Hell also shed light on what the next generation of insurance professionals is looking for from their workplaces when coming into the industry, which the Evolve principal knows well being located so close to Silicon Valley, where many companies are leaders in offering work perks and cool amenities to their employees. One of his key messages for insurance leaders looking for the best talent, however, is the importance of crafting a company image that clearly shows what new hires can expect before they walk through an organizations doors. At the end of the day, I think a lot of what weve done to attract that top talent is based around what people see when they first come to our website. Weve really tried to highlight our culture, and weve tried to highlight the personalities of everyone on our team because our goal is to have everyone succeed personally and professionally, Costello explained. Millennials have a ton of opportunity within insurance because we will see a good portion of the industry start to move towards retirement. The culture in many insurance agencies is archaic. Its not uncommon to walk into an agency feeling like you walked into a time capsule. We are trying to create an innovative, fun, and collaborative environment that encourages progress and consistently improves. Patrick Costello will be sharing insights on this topic and more at the Leadership Exchange Summit in Chicago on June 06. See further information or book your ticket here. Just over a week ago, a woman was fatally shot and three people injured at Chabad of Poway synagogue in San Diego. Just six months prior to that incident, 11 worshippers were shot to death at a Pittsburgh synagogue. 26 people were killed at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX, in 2017. Nine worshippers at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC in 2015 perished due to an active shooter. Six people at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin were shot at and killed in 2012. You didnt think about it until the last couple of years and now its something that you think about all the time, Willow Creek Community Church risk management director Brian McAuliffe told Reuters. McAuliffe revealed that Willow Creek had bought an active assailant policy two years ago, adding that the additional coverage costs a couple of thousand dollars a year. The cost is par for the course for such coverage; according to Paul Marshall, McGowan Companies active shooter insurance program head - premiums for one policy backed by AXA XL cost $1,200 per $1 million of coverage. But Willow Creek is not the only congregation that is putting its faith in insurance. Marshall told Reuters that recent attacks have prompted five synagogues and churches to purchase active shooter insurance just this week. Even some insurance companies have noticed the trend, and have pushed their educational programs to help religious organizations manage their active shooter risk. Last month, Church Mutual Insurance held a half-day seminar for nearly 200 parishioners and congregation staff, which educated them about how to develop security plans and minimize bloodshed in the event of an active shooter. Reuters reported that Church Mutual is planning to hold eight more seminars to help more religious organizations throughout the country. The Hanover has joined as a new carrier partner for Pearl Insurances professional liability risk purchasing group for lawyers, Lawyers ProtectionPlus. Effective June 01, 2019, the new program will provide lawyers who are a part of the risk purchasing group with a suite of expanded coverage options including comprehensive coverage limits of up to $10 million, as well as broad risk management resources, a release said. Of course I feel scared. We live right here, said one resident standing near the scene who declined to give his full name. I dont feel safe at all. I wish the government and police would do more. I do appreciate at night time there are a lot of police on Argyle but it needs to be increased. Like many industries, the construction sector is experiencing a bit of a workforce demographic shift. Simply put, theres a shortfall of new workers while the current construction workforce is ageing. Thats putting pressure on whats an already high frequency rate of industry injury, explained Rick Keegan, president of construction at Travelers. Furthermore, its leading to an increased rate of injury among new construction workers. Read next: Insurer fights opioid addictions with virtual reality At Travelers, we have robust claims data that shows 43% of all construction work site injuries occur in the first year of employment. So, weve got this influx of new workers with this higher rate of injury, which is once again, adding stress on an already challenging issue, he said. On the back-end of that, weve also got data that shows construction workers are working longer, which in the event of injury, results in the challenge of workers who are more likely to have pre-existing conditions. After long careers in a physically-challenging industry, injured workers become more difficult to medically rehabilitate post-industry and theyre more prone to chronic pain, which also then leads to a likelihood of them being prescribed opioid medication. In an effort to address the opioid epidemic and provide more comprehensive pain management for injured workers, Travelers created an Early Severity Predictor model, which helps forecast which injured employees are at higher risk of developing chronic pain, a condition that is often treated with highly addictive opioids. This allows for interventions to occur before opioid misuse can take hold and to ensure that injured workers are on most appropriate care path. Read more: Taking the temperature of evolving trends in catastrophic workers comp cases The results of the model, when combined with the insurers comprehensive pharmacy management program, speak for themselves. Travelers recently announced it has seen an almost 40% reduction in opioid use among the injured construction workers it has helped since 2015. When an opioid is first prescribed, it provides some level of pain relief. Unless that dosage is increased over time, its level of pain relief effectiveness will reduce, said Rich Ives (pictured), vice president of workers compensation claims at Travelers. If you have a worker who might be in pain from activities like pushing, pulling and lifting which you would see a lot in the construction industry, or any other heavy-labor job when that worker wants to return to work post-injury, theyre often looking for something that will relieve their pain rather than treat the root cause of it. The opioid is simply masking their pain and not treating the root cause, and the fact that the dosage has to be increased over time creates this dependency issue. At Travelers, identifying effective treatment of chronic pain is at the heart of what weve been trying to do [with the Early Severity Predictor model and comprehensive pharmacy management program]. Our ability to be able to curb the opioid epidemic has been a very nice bi-product of that. Our focus is, and continues to be: how can we address the root cause of chronic pain so that injured workers avoid the harmful effect of becoming dependent upon a drug to provide some level of pain relief? Read next: How the growing opioid crisis is taking a toll on healthcare industry clients and carriers The Early Severity Predictor model kicks into action when the injured worker is in the acute pain phase either directly after the injury or after surgery when theyre in the period of recovery. The model looks for characteristics and variables identified by Travelers as increasing the likelihood that an individual might suffer from chronic pain. That red flag is then passed to Travelers claim professionals and nurses, who will work closely with the at-risk injured employees to develop an aggressive treatment regimen, which often includes physical therapy and other interventions to prevent acute pain from becoming chronic. Were committed to using our deep domain expertise, and our industry-leading data and analytics, to help address the causes of chronic pain, Ives added. Were finding new ways to curb prescription opioid abuse while getting injured workers the care they need to return to work as soon as is medically appropriate. The Oklahoma Supreme Court on April 23 struck down a state law that caps monetary damages for pain and suffering in personal injury lawsuits, the latest civil justice measure backed by the Republican-controlled Legislature to be invalidated by the states highest court. In a sharply divided opinion, the court ruled that a civil justice statute adopted in 2011 that limited non-economic damages in personal injury lawsuits to $350,000 is an unconstitutional special law that treats people who survive injuries differently than those who do not. The state constitution prohibits caps on damages for injuries that cause death, the ruling stated. By forbidding limits on recovery for injuries resulting in death, the people have left it to juries to determine the amount of compensation for pain and suffering in such cases, and no good reason exists for the Legislature to provide a different rule for the same detriment simply because the victim survives the harm-causing event, according to the opinion in which five of the courts nine justices concurred. The decision involves a lawsuit filed by a worker whose left arm was amputated following an accident at an oil well site near Wheeler, Texas, according to his attorney, Ed Abel of Oklahoma City. James Todd Beason was struck by a boom from a crane operated by an employee of Louisiana-based I.E. Miller Services Inc. in March 2012. no good reason exists for the Legislature to provide a different rule for the same detriment simply because the victim survives the harm-causing event An Oklahoma County jury in 2015 awarded Beason and his wife a total of $15 million, including $6 million for pain and suffering. A judge then reduced the jury award on non-economic damages to $700,000 $350,000 for each of the Beasons in order to comply with the law. The court just cut the non-economic damages value, Abel said. Some of the jurors were tremendously mad. The jury didnt know there was any cap on it. In invalidating the law, the Supreme Court remanded the case back to the trial judge with instructions to enter judgment in the full amount of the jurys verdict. An attorney for I.E. Miller Services, Robert Todd Goolsby, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment. Attorney General Mike Hunters office, which defended the statute, declined comment on the ruling. Business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the State Chamber of Oklahoma, had urged the court to uphold the cap, arguing that non-economic damages are unpredictable and often excessive. Fred Morgan, president and CEO of the State Chamber, said capping non-economic damages is the Legislatures prerogative. Morgan said the decision reflects judicial activism in an attempt to usurp power from the Legislature. The cap is among several civil justice reform measures supported by the GOP-controlled Legislature that have been invalidated by the Supreme Court in recent years. In 2009, the court struck down a sweeping civil justice bill, ruling that it contained more than one subject in violation of the constitution. Lawmakers convened a special session in 2013 to re-enact elements of the legislation. Last year, the court struck down a state workers compensation law that exempted oil and gas well operators and owners from lawsuits when a worker is killed or injured on the job. Topics Legislation Oklahoma The Texas agency responsible for regulating insurance business in the state has been on a mission to modernize, increase efficiency, strengthen consumer protections and generally make the organization more user-friendly. With those goals in mind, the Texas Department of Insurance, led by Commissioner Kent Sullivan, in the past year has undertaken an effort to update the agencys insurance professions licensing processes and revamp the departments consumer call center. Both of those areas of the state agency were plagued with inefficiencies and extremely slow response times, problems that were heightened and exposed in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. Online Licensing System The commissioner said the antiquated licensing system in place at the department was not keeping pace with current needs, especially following the extreme weather events that routinely hammer the state. Following Hurricane Harvey, for example, license applications spiked about 50% and we had both a very limited capacity to process them. We had a process that was still disproportionately paper driven, Sullivan said. It was obvious that changes needed to be made and they have been, Sullivan said. We moved almost all of the applications online. Eventually, essentially, theyll all be online, but almost all are now. Weve got a process where now, I believe, you can expect to get turn around if youre credentialed and all the information is in order, youll get your license in less than a week. Immediately after Hurricane Harvey you might have waited upwards of an hour to get through to somebody Previously, it might have taken six or eight weeks for an applicant to receive their license, depending on the nature of the application. Of course, immediately following a hurricane a lot of the licenses have some degree of urgency attached to them. That was a situation that we felt was unacceptable and weve really turned it around, Sullivan said. Call Center Wait Times Reduced Sullivan said he found there were similar timing issues entrenched in the departments call center. The call center operation was static, he said. Callers routinely had to wait 30 or 45 minutes to get their calls answered. Immediately after Hurricane Harvey you might have waited upwards of an hour to get through to somebody, which again, was completely unacceptable, Sullivan said. The agency has revamped the call center, bringing in outside, private sector expertise and redesigning the overall process of communicating with the department. If you have a simple question, we try to drive you to the most efficient and least-cost answer provider, which can include our website, because our website now is very user friendly, has a lot of FAQs available. We get those folks out of the queue on the call center line and have them go where they can very quickly access the answer to their question, he said. Sullivan said he was confident that callers no longer have to wait 45 minutes for someone to pick up. I say this with a certain amount of danger I think that our average right now is that your call gets picked up in less than two minutes. On a good day it could be less than one minute. Its a dramatically different consumer experience. He acknowledged there is more to be done with the agencys modernization efforts. But, Sullivan added, I do think this is the direction that government needs to go. I think its the direction that we, as insurance regulators, need to go. To the extent that we can drive the conversation and the focus in that direction, its something we ought to be doing and were going to try. Keeping it Simple The commissioner also wants the insurance industry to clean up its language. He has a problem with insurance industry jargon that obscures rather than informs and confuses rather than clarifies. In short, Sullivan is a plain language proponent who is urging the industry to keep it simple. Thats because words matter to consumers, regulators, judges and juries, Sullivan said. If you wanted to increase the number of consumer complaints you have and increase the amount of litigation you have, youd deliver your product in a black box, in a largely indecipherable fashion. The end result would be unhappy consumers; I think the industry has had its share of that. Its not just insurers that fall short of the keep it simple principle. Regulators and consumer advocates sometimes fall into the industry jargon trap, as well. So, at Sullivans direction, the Texas Department of Insurance rolled out its own plain language initiative last year, revising its website to simplify and clarify the information it provides to consumers, recruiting volunteers to review information before it is published, and urging insurers to stick to plain language in their policies and notices to consumers. I think theres no better form of consumer protection than having a consumer who is adequately informed about the product that theyre considering and ultimately buying. Insurance presents very unique issues in that regard. Ive often analogized this to the classic black box, where for the most part, consumers deal with a product that is largely opaque in terms of their ability to really navigate it and understand it, Sullivan told Insurance Journal. Topics Texas Hurricane After seven years of failed attempts, Florida legislators passed property insurance reform to address the abuse of a policyholder benefit known as assignment of benefits (AOB). The insurance industry and consumer advocates say the abuse has caused higher insurance premiums in the state and made insurance harder to obtain. By a vote of 25-14, the Florida Senate passed a measure (SB 122) on April 24 that addresses the abuse of post-loss AOBs for residential or commercial property insurance claims and limits one-way attorneys fees related to AOB agreements. The bill was a committee substitute for House Bill 7065, which passed the House on April 11. The bills provisions: Define assignment agreement and establishing requirements for the execution, validity, and effect of such an agreement Prohibit certain fees and altering policy provisions related to managed repairs in an assignment agreement Transfer certain pre-lawsuit duties under the insurance contract to the assignee and shift the burden to the assignee to prove that any failure to carry out such duties has not limited the insurers ability to perform under the contract Require each insurer to report specified data on claims paid in the prior year under assignment agreements by January 30, 2022, and each year thereafter Allow an insurer to make available a policy prohibiting assignment, in whole or in part, under certain conditions Revise the states one-way attorney fee statute to incorporate an attorney fee structure in determining the fee amount awarded in suits by an assignee against an insurer Require service providers to give an insurer and the consumer prior written notice of at least 10 business days before filing suit on a claim. The Senate bill was sponsored by Senator Doug Broxson, chair of the Banking & Insurance Committee. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he would sign the bill, which would then become law on July 1, 2019. The exponential growth in AOB abuse has contributed to mounting insurance costs for Floridians for far too long, said DeSantis. DeSantis had not signed the bill as of press time. Advocates of reform praised the passage of the bill, saying it was long overdue and will bring much needed relief to Florida homeowners. OIRs main focus is to work towards decreasing insurance costs for consumers living in Florida, while balancing the solvency needs of companies operating in Florida. The passage of [this bill] is a significant step towards stemming the insurance product affordability and availability crisis that has grown from years of compounding AOB abuse, said Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier. President of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA), Jeff Grady, said the passage of AOB reform is also a big win for insurance agents. This a long-awaited day for Florida consumers and the industry as a whole. Agents have been impacted by AOB fraud resulting in poor loss ratios and cancellations of company appointments, Grady said. We are grateful for the leadership within both the legislature and the Florida cabinet to finally enact AOB reform and eliminate this fraud from our insurance marketplace. Consumers may see lower rates as a result of the legislation sooner rather than later. Citizens Property Insurance Corp. said in a statement that its actuaries have estimated the reforms would reduce the statewide average rate need from 25.2 percent to 10.1 percent for homeowners policyholders. In South Florida, the epicenter of the AOB abuse, the average rate need would drop from 30.4 percent to 12.8 percent. Citizens said figures will change slightly as policy information and data are updated. AOB reform for auto glass another facet of AOB abuse that has been increasing in Florida was included in a prior version of the Senate bill but was removed to match the House bill. The industry says it will continue to fight for this issue to be addressed as these lawsuits also continue to rise. While the [Consumer Protection Coalition] celebrates todays victory, it is disappointed auto glass provisions were not included in the bill and encourages lawmakers to address auto glass in future AOB reforms. Thousands of Floridians have unknowingly become the subject of litigation over their windshield replacement claims without their knowledge or consent. This practice must stop, the CPC, an advocacy group, said. Not everyone, however, agreed the legislation was as necessary as the insurance industry claimed. Florida Senator Gary Farmer, who opposed the bill, said on the Senate floor the reforms treat contractors unfairly and that the industry hasnt proven that there is an AOB crisis in the state. This bill is designed to cure a crisis that has not been actuarially shown and does things that treat some vendors unfairly, Farmer told his colleagues. Topics Legislation Florida A federal commission decision that an employer had a duty to protect a social services worker who was stabbed to death by a client, even though the company did not violate any specific safety standard, reinvigorated advocates who are calling for adoption of a national workplace violence prevention standard. Arent Fox, a national employment practices law firm, said in a blog post that the March 4 decision by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission is groundbreaking and puts employers in the health care industry on notice that they must address the risk of physical assault by patients. Employers can also expect that OSHA will begin to cite employers in other industries for incidents of workplace violence where it is reasonably foreseeable that their employees may be subjected to violence in the course of performingtheir work for example, companies that provide guards in a correctional facility,said the blog written by Arent Fox partner Mark S. Dreux and associate Alexandra M. Romero. The commission upheld two serious citations issued to Integra Health Management under the general duty clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, rejecting the employers argument that it could not put safeguards in place because criminal acts of violence are inherently unpredictable. In the past, an administrative law judge had specifically rejected citations issued for injuries caused by workplace violence under the general duty clause, Dreux said during a telephone interview. Employers can also expect that OSHA will begin to cite employers in other industries for incidents of workplace violence where it is reasonably foreseeable that their employees may be subjected to violence in the course of performing their work for example, companies that provide guards in a correctional facility. Integra had hired a 25-year-old woman who was fresh out of college as a service coordinator in Florida for a program that seeks to provide health care to individuals, such as persons suffering mental illnesses, who tend to avoid doctor visits. In September 2012, the employee was assigned to a patient who suffered from schizophrenia and had a long history of violence. The patient attacked the employee with a knife during a visit to his home, stabbing her nine times while chasing her across his front yard. OSHA cited Integra for exposing employees to the hazard of being physically assaulted by members with a history of violent behavior. Integra appealed, but the commission affirmed the citations because Integra had not taken prudent steps to protect its employees with measures such as performing background checks on patients, initiating red flags to notify employees that a patient has a criminal history or instituting a written workplace violence prevention program. Here there is a direct nexus between the work being performed by Integras employees and the alleged risk of workplace violence, the commission said in its decision. Integra requires its service coordinators to meet face-to-face with members, many of whom have been diagnosed with mental illness and have criminal backgrounds as well as a history of violence and volatility. Attorney Kevin McCormick of the Whitford, Taylor, Preston law firm in Baltimore, who defended Integra in the case, said in his view the commission stretched the law to find a safety violation when no standard was violated. He said he was especially disappointed because two of the three commissioners who ruled against the employer were appointed by President Donald Trump. Even with Republicans on the OSHA Commission, there doesnt seem to be an interest in coming up with a standard so everybody knows what you are supposed to do, McCormick said. They had an opportunity to make it clear that there needs to be a workplace violence standard and they punted. Labor advocates are hoping that the commissions decision will help bring about a national workplace violence prevention standard. As of now, the only standard that exists is in California, which enforces federal workplace safety rules through a state-run program. Carmen Comsti, an attorney for the California Nurses Association, said no matter what the hospitals say, workplace violence is predictable and nurses are often the victims. She said certain medications are known to cause violent reactions in some patients. Patients with a history of violence can be flagged so that nurses attending to them can bring another employee with them when they provide care. Comsti said the Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that health care workers are four times more likely to be injured by workplace violence than the general workforce. Comsti said that the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United supports legislation that has been introduced in Congress that would create a national standard for workplace violence prevention. The House Workforce Protections Committee heard testimony on House Resolution 1309 on Feb. 27. A similar measure has been introduced in the Senate. A survey by National Nurses United found that 5% of 286 registered nurses who responded had filed workers compensation claims and 9% had changed or left their job because of workplace violence in the prior year, according to testimony submitted to the House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee. More than half reported anxiety, fear or increased vigilance. Nevertheless, the group says that efforts to persuade OSHA to adopt a standard appear to have stalled. Countless acts of assault, battery, and aggression that routinely take place in health care settings demonstrate a frightening trend of increasing violence faced by healthcare workers throughout the country, the organization said. In addition to innumerable anecdotal and media accounts, several national surveys document the prevalence of violence committed against healthcare workers. Topics California Workers' Compensation Commercial Lines Business Insurance Laws intended to reduce malpractice litigation by protecting doctors who want to apologize dont work, according to a new Vanderbilt analysis of proprietary insurance data. It turns out people sue for money and an apology doesnt change that reality. In fact, apologies may raise the risk of claims. The idea is simply that if providers could just say theyre sorry, thats what patients really want. They really dont care about punishing the doctor in a financial context, they care about having them express remorse, said Larry Van Horn, associate professor of management and executive director of health affairs at Vanderbilts Owen Graduate School of Management, one of the authors of the study. But what we find is that no, people sue for money. Sorry is not enough. The study, Sorry is Never Enough, appears in the Stanford Law Review. For surgeons, the study found that apology laws made no difference in either the number of claims or the share of those claims that ended up in court. For non-surgeons, however, apology laws had a dramatic effect. In addition to Van Horn the authors are W. Kip Viscusi, University Distinguished Professor of Law, Economics and Management and Benjamin McMichael, assistant professor of law at the University of Alabama. The authors say their study provides the most detailed look yet at the impact of apology legislation on such claims. Reducing malpractice litigation has become a target of policymakers seeking to address the rising cost of health care. Put together, malpractice and defensive medicine the practice of making treatment decisions to reduce the likelihood of getting sued costs the United States billions of dollars per year. One way that policymakers have tried to achieve this is by passing laws that encourage physicians to apologize to patients for treatment mistakes. These laws make apologies inadmissible in court so doctors dont have to worry that their apologies may be used against them if a patient decides to sue anyway. Non-surgeons bear the brunt of apology laws, the researchers found. Using proprietary data from a major malpractice insurer, the researchers were able to analyze malpractice claims for about 90 percent of U.S. providers in a single specialty composed of surgeons and non-surgeons about 9,000 providers. Overall, about 4 percent of these physicians experienced a malpractice claim over the course of eight years. About two-thirds of all claims went to court. For surgeons, they found, apology laws made no difference in either the number of claims or the share of those claims that ended up in court. For non-surgeons, however, apology laws had a dramatic effect. While the overall number of claims was unchanged in states with apology laws, those claims were 46 percent more likely to result in a lawsuit. The researchers say thats probably because surgical errors are usually more obvious than non-surgical ones for example, a patient will know that a sponge left inside the body is a surgical mistake, but will probably not have the expertise to know whether their worsening illness is due to bad luck or an overlooked symptom. That is, unless the doctor apologizes for it. The laws do protect providers from having their apology introduced in court as evidence that they were at fault, but apologies also alert the injured patients to the physicians errors and the possibility of making a successful claim, Viscusi explained. Even more dramatic was the change in payouts from successful lawsuits. Again, surgeons didnt see a great difference, but non-surgeons did. In states with apology laws, the payouts to patients of non-surgeons more than doubled compared to states without apology laws. Making Apologies Work There are clear psychological benefits to apologizing for both physician and patient, Van Horn said, but in order for those benefits to translate into reduced litigation, more work needs to be done. For surgeons, the study found that apology laws made no difference in either the number of claims or the share of those claims that ended up in court. For non-surgeons, however, apology laws had a dramatic effect. The researchers note that in some health systems that provide training to their providers on when and how to apologize, lawsuits and payouts are in fact lower. Additionally, the laws themselves could be improved currently, most only protect physicians for expressions of sympathy, not an explanation of what went wrong. However, recent scholarship on apology best practices suggests that victims are more satisfied by apologies that do include that explanation. This suggests that while apology laws alone are not enough to reduce malpractice litigation, proper training and more comprehensive laws could potentially be more effective. As they stand now, however, apology laws raise, rather than reduce, malpractice claim risks. Topics Lawsuits Claims Medical Professional Liability The Massachusetts attorney general has sued a property owner and a contractor hired to demolish a shed on his property for costs associated with a fire and explosion that authorities say released a toxic soup into the environment. The attorney generals office said Thursday the fire in the fall of 2016 during the demolition of Edgar Muntzs shed in Shrewsbury polluted the air and ground with dynamite, hydrofluoric acid, mercury, sodium cyanide, arsenic, chloroform, toluene, and chromium. Authorities say for months the soil repeatedly broke into spontaneous chemical fires. The attorney general is seeking civil penalties, damages and an injunction requiring the defendants to conduct further cleanup. A listed number for Muntz was no longer in service. The phone at P&M Asphalt Services Inc. of Sutton repeatedly rang busy. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Massachusetts Billionaire Warren Buffett wants to do more business in the United Kingdom and Europe regardless of how Brexit turns out. The Berkshire Hathaway Inc. chairman and chief executive officer said he would love to put more money in the UK despite uncertainty over whether and how Britain will leave the European Union. I would like to see Berkshire Hathaway better known in the UK and Europe I would hope they would think of Berkshire more often when businesses are for sale, Buffett said at his annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Were hoping for a deal in the UK and or in Europe no matter how Brexit comes out. I have the feeling it was a mistake to vote to leave, Buffett added, but said, it doesnt destroy my appetite in the least for making a very large acquisition in the UK. It strikes me as a horrible problem, Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger added. The endorsement by one of the worlds most revered investors comes during a period of tremendous uncertainty about the state of the European economy as well as Britains status within the regions governing bloc. Britain voted to leave the European Union three years ago in what is known as Brexit, but Prime Minister Theresa May has failed to secure a deal that satisfied parliament. Buffett, meanwhile, has been eagerly looking for big deals where he could make better use of his companys $114.2 billion cash hoard. He now appears even more willing to venture beyond the United States, where he is best known, for deals. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jonathan Stempel; editing by Jennifer Ablan and Nick Zieminski) Topics Europe Uk Former bosses at leading French telecoms group Orange were due to go on trial on Monday over a series of suicides at the company in the late 2000s a traumatic episode that shocked the nation and raised questions over corporate culture. Ex-CEO Didier Lombard, along with six other former executives and the company itself, are accused of moral harassment in the first case of its kind on this scale in France, setting a potential precedent for large businesses. The trial, in Paris criminal court, is expected to run for the next two months. Central to the case is a plan under which the telecoms operator, a former state monopoly, aimed to cut its workforce by 22,000 and redeploy 10,000 workers between 2006 and 2010. Prosecutors believe this plan triggered the wave of suicides. Between April 2008 and June 2010, prosecutors listed 18 suicides and 13 suicide attempts by employees of Orange, still called France Telecom at the time, when the company was engaged in deep restructuring after its privatization. Lombard, who denied any wrongdoing, stepped down as CEO of Orange in early 2010 amid criticism of his handling of the crisis. The former CEO and the other former executives risk two years in prison and a 30,000 euro ($34,000) fine if found guilty. An Orange spokesman declined to comment on the opening of the trial and the accusations but added that a lot of work had been done under current CEO Stephane Richard to improve the corporate culture. Methods Questioned The approach taken by former Orange bosses to accelerate cost-cutting plans had caused uproar in France. Ill get them (the employees) out one way or another, through the window or the door, Lombard told a gathering of France Telecoms senior executives on Oct. 20, 2006, according to notes from the meeting that later came to light. According to union records, the suicide wave claimed the lives of over 30 workers in two years, including a man who stabbed himself in the stomach during a staff meeting and a woman who threw herself out of a window. A 2010 report by labor inspectors said management used pathogenic restructuring methods such as forcing people into new jobs and giving them unattainable performance objectives. These conclusions were followed up by public prosecutors in their own investigation. They stressed that Orange executives wanted to unsettle employees by deliberately making their work disorganized and forcing them to move from one place to the other. They also denounced the use of excessive and intrusive control methods including threats. The reorganization took place against the backdrop of the deregulation of the telecommunications sector and the gradual privatization of Frances incumbent operator. ($1 = 0.8937 euros) (Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry and Mathieu Rosemain; writing by Mathieu Rosemain; editing by Keith Weir) Topics France In less than a week, Steve Stenger went from being the top elected official in Missouris largest county to a convicted felon. Stenger pleaded guilty Friday to federal corruption charges for providing political favors in exchange for campaign donations. Among other things, Stenger was accused of ensuring that donor John Rallo and his companies Cardinal Insurance and Cardinal Creative Consulting obtained contracts with the county and received other favors. Sentencing for Stenger, the former St. Louis County executive, is scheduled for Aug. 9. Each crime carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison, though federal sentencing guidelines suggest a likely three to four years behind bars. The indictment of the Democrat was announced Monday. He resigned about an hour later and surrendered his law license Stenger is both an attorney and accountant. By Thursday, Stenger had agreed to plead guilty to all three counts in the indictment bribery, mail fraud and theft of honest services. Stenger politely answered U.S. District Judge Catherine Perrys questions during the court hearing but made no statement, and declined comment afterward. His attorney, Scott Rosenblum, told reporters that Stenger had a lot to be proud of during his career, and today obviously is not one of those proud moments. But he has completely accepted responsibility for his mistakes in judgment, lapses in judgment and his conduct while in office as county executive. Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Reginald Harris said the indictment and Stengers resignation and guilty plea should send a message that the Department of Justice and federal law enforcement will not tolerate public corruption at any level of government. Though he had a fast fall, Stenger had been under scrutiny for months. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported about questionable contracts with campaign donors. The St. Louis County Council launched an ethics investigation. The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the IRS criminal investigation unit had been looking into Stengers activities since early 2018. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith said this week that investigators monitored or recorded several meetings and phone calls and obtained call records, including emails and texts. Stenger also was accused of ensuring that an unnamed company obtained a state lobbying contract from the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. In January, the partnerships board of directors forced out Sheila Sweeney, a Stenger appointee. In a statement, Interim County Executive Sam Page, a Democrat and frequent Stenger critic, said: Stenger betrayed the trust that St. Louis County residents placed in our government. I am committed to reforming County government so that pay-to-play politics never infects it again. Federal prosecutors have said the investigation continues and have declined to say if Rallo or anyone else may face charges. Stenger defeated incumbent Democrat Charlie Dooley in the 2014 primary and won that years general election. Even under the cloud of investigations, Stenger fought off a strong challenge from businessman Mark Mantovani in the 2018 Democratic primary and easily defeated his Republican challenger in November. About 1 million people live in St. Louis County. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics USA I think its really important to be in alignment with your district. Im in alignment with my district, Newman said. The issue with the DCCC, weve kind of moved up and beyond and over. Thats a D.C. thing; thats really not an in-district thing. Im worried about my district. The latest round of Midwestern flooding claimed at least four lives, closed hundreds of roads and forced residents of river towns to shore up threatened levees with sandbags as waters rose to and near record levels in some communities. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings Friday along a large swath of the Mississippi River, as well as flash flood watches for parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas after recent rounds of heavy rain. The body of a missing kayaker was found Friday afternoon in a swollen southwest Missouri creek. Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. John Lueckenhoff identified the man as 35-year-old Scott M. Puckett of Forsyth, Missouri. The body of his friend, Alex Ekern, 23, was found Thursday. Puckett and Ekern were among three men who began paddling Wednesday afternoon in Bull Creek near the small town of Walnut Shade. The patrol said they were swept over a low-water bridge and caught in what is called a hydraulic, which creates a washing-machine effect that is hard to escape. One of the men survived. Flooding also claimed the life of a camper found Wednesday after he was caught in waters from an overflowed creek near the town of Ava, also in southwest Missouri. And in northern Indiana, a 2-year-old was killed when his mother drove onto a flooded road. In Davenport, Iowa, concerns were that even after the Mississippi River reached a record height, the worst was far from over. The crest inched above the 1993 record on Thursday, and forecasters are calling for up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of additional rain next week, meaning the high water will likely stick around and potentially get even higher. Several blocks of downtown Davenport were flooded this week when a flood barrier succumbed to the onslaught of water. The river at the Quad Cities has been at major flood stage or higher for 41 consecutive days. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds visited Davenport Friday. Historic flooding was happening elsewhere along the river, too. The National Weather Service is now projecting flood levels to reach the second- or third-highest ever at several Mississippi River towns in northeast Missouri Hannibal, Louisiana, Clarksville and Winfield and western Illinois towns such as Quincy, Alton and Grafton. Grafton Mayor Rick Eberlin said in a conference call that included the leaders of other river towns that roads are closing around the town and that its working to get businesses to move out as waters rise. The town, which is 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of St. Louis, has no flood walls or levees. He said water is beginning to encroach upon city hall. We are at our wits end, Eberlin said. We are totally unprotected. Kimmswick, Missouri, Mayor Phil Stang said the community is building atop a permanent levee in hopes of holding back the water. Weve closed off the city completely. As soon as it rains, we are a bathtub. Sandbagging efforts began Friday in Winfield, where the Pin Oak Levee was threatened. Winfield, about 50 miles north of St. Louis, was among many towns where volunteers were racing the clock to add sandbags to the tops of levees and around homes and businesses. In Alton, the Argosy Casino Alton was forced to close on Friday as floodwaters crept higher into downtown. Altons mayor, Brant Walker, complained that the city is doing flood control every eight months and that the frequent business closures are hurting the citys finances. We are barely keeping our head above water, he said. In St. Louis, the Gateway Arch remains open, even as floodwaters pour over the road beneath it. The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday closed the Mississippi for a 5-mile stretch at St. Louis, citing both the high water and the swift current. The Mississippi isnt the only river bulging out of its banks. Moderate flooding at Missouri River towns like Washington and St. Charles in Missouri was causing headaches like road closures, but few homes were impacted. The Meramec River in suburban St. Louis was expected to crest Sunday and Monday around 15 feet (4.5 meters) above flood stage in towns like Arnold and Valley Park, threatening several homes and businesses. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Flood Missouri Mississippi U.S. health authorities will allow a type of breast implant linked to a rare form of cancer to stay on the market, saying its risks do not warrant a national ban. But the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it is considering bold warnings for the implants and requiring stricter reporting of problems by manufacturers. The announcement is the latest in the governments decades-long effort to manage implant risks and complications that can include scarring, pain, swelling and rupture. In recent years, the FDA and other regulators around the world have grappled with the recently confirmed link to a rare cancer and the thousands of unconfirmed complaints of other health problems that women attribute to the implants, including arthritis, fatigue and muscle pain. FDA regulators said in a statement that while they dont have definitive evidence that implants cause those chronic ailments, women considering implants should be aware of these risks. To that end, the agency said it will consider adding a boxed warning _ its most serious type to breast implants and a checklist describing various potential harms for patients considering them. Earlier this month, French authorities issued a rare ban of breast implants associated with a form of lymphoma, including those sold by manufacturer Allergan. The FDAs director for medical devices said the agency wasnt ready to take that step. At this time, the FDA does not believe that, on the basis of all available data and information, the device meets the banning standard, Dr. Jeffrey Shuren said in a statement. The cancer tied to implants is not breast cancer but lymphoma that grows in the scar tissue surrounding the breasts. Almost all confirmed cases involve a type of textured implant designed to prevent slippage and to minimize scar tissue. Shuren said that variety accounts for less than 10% of the U.S. market, which is primarily smooth implants. He noted there have been cases of the cancer with smooth implants, raising questions about whether multiple factors contribute to the disease. There have been more than 600 cases of the cancer worldwide, among an estimated 10 million women with implants. Diana Zuckerman, who has studied breast implant safety, said a ban may not be necessary to phase out textured ones. I think a lot of physicians are going to avoid them and patients are going to say they dont want them, said Zuckerman, president of the nonprofit, National Center for Health Research, which evaluates studies and conducts its own research. Breast augmentation is the most popular form of cosmetic surgery in the U.S., with roughly 300,000 women undergoing the procedure each year. Another 100,000 women receive implants for breast reconstruction after cancer surgery. In a move to promote greater public transparency, the FDA also said Thursday that breast implant manufacturers will no longer be permitted to summarize routine injuries and complications in bulk reports. Manufacturers are required to report all serious injuries, malfunctions and deaths related to their devices. But under the FDAs alternative summary reporting program, breast implant makers and other manufacturers could file quarterly updates representing thousands of incidents, most of which were not listed in a public database. That practice which the FDA has pledged to phase out has been criticized for obscuring the true number of incidents reported to regulators. The reports filed to the FDA include submissions from companies, doctors, patients and lawyers that often include incomplete, unverified information and duplicates. Ahead of a March meeting, the FDA revealed for the first time that it had received more than 350,000 reports related to breast implants over the last decade. That was roughly seven times the number of reports visible in the agencys publicly searchable database, according to Madris Tomes, a former FDA staffer who founded a company to analyze medical device reports. If theres a pattern of more than 300,000 malfunctions and non-serious injuries, those should be available to the public, and let them decide if theyre serious. Tomes said. Bulk reports for other medical devices are permitted under a new program which plans to make them public. Associated Press writer Meghan Hoyer contributed to this story. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Manufacturing The American Petroleum Institute issued on Thursday a revised standard aimed at reducing fatigue among workers in the nations refineries and chemical plants, the trade group said. The fatigue standard, officially called Recommended Practice (RP) 755, was first issued in 2010, based on the U.S. Chemical Safety Boards finding that worker fatigue was one of the factors in the 2005 explosion at BP Plcs refinery in Texas City, Texas, which killed 15 workers and injured 180 others. The revised RP 755 is intended to further tighten the limits on the number of consecutive hours and days work may be required including during malfunctions and shutdowns. The second edition of RP 755 advances unified and condensed requirements to avoid fatigue for all workers involved in safety sensitive processes, said Debra Phillips, vice president of APIs Global Industry Services division in a statement issued on Thursday. The United Steelworkers union (USW), which represents 30,000 workers in the oil industry did not reply to a request for comment on Thursday. USW officials have in the past criticized the standard for being too easy for refinery and chemical plant managers to bypass or abuse. It is up to individual companies to decide how to implement RP 755, if at all. (Reporting by Erwin Seba; editing by Diane Craft) Topics Energy Oil Gas E.coli in beef. Metal shavings in bread crumbs. Contaminated water on vegetables. The food industry has its share of quality control scandals and their insurers have had their share of claims. Some believe food would be a lot safer to both eat and insure if humans were less involved. Every year there are deaths and theres significant financial damage to the overall industry as a result of these situations. One of the biggest challenges we face in this whole space is that the entire market is driven by human error. Accidents happen, food processing facilities are messy places, according to Mark Leblanc, head of Crisis Management, North America, for Swiss Re Corporate Solutions. At this years Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) meeting in Boston, Leblanc demonstrated how robots and artificial intelligence can do a better job than mere humans of keeping the food supply safe. Leblanc, whose unit at Swiss Re handles product contamination and product recall insurance, said one reason quality control is perhaps not what it should be is because the food industry tends to be occupied with other business menu items. His unit also deals with auto manufacturing risks and Leblanc said the investment in technology by the food industry doesnt come close to that in the auto industry. A lot of times the companies that buy this [food contamination and recall] insurance are in the position where theyve got tight margins, theyve got tight timeframes, and theyre in a situation where theyve got to wear multiple hats, he said. Theyre dealing with quality control issues, theyre dealing with food safety issues, theyre dealing with finance issues, and as a result, resources are spread thin. He said companies can be distracted and, as a result, they have limited financial resources available to invest in quality control and food safety. What the technology can do varies by industry. The robots on the assembly line for an automotive plant, they arent dealing with the same issues as the food sector. The food sector has bacteria, it has allergens, it has whey, it has incoming materials. It has a lot of other issues, where just an automated processing or assembly line isnt enough to actually reduce the risks, Leblanc said. Prepared Meals and Sorting While automation is not currently prevalent within the food industry, some segments are now investing in robots and artificial intelligence, according to Leblanc. For example, some food manufacturers are now using robots in kitchens to make prepared meals. A robot can complete 100 to 200 meals on its own before needing to be refilled. Robots are also being used for cutting and sorting chicken and beef. They use a robot to separate parts of the meat. You can see this stuff utilized in rendering facilities where youve using different parts of the chicken, Leblanc said AI and robots are also being utilized in detecting microscopic bacteria as well as foreign metal and non-metallic materials such as vinyl, plastic and cardboard. It doesnt come up on x-rays, or on metal detectors, he noted. The new technologies are also used by processing plants on assembly lines to pick and properly label containers, while also verifying that the correct label is being used so that people with allergies are properly alerted. AI and robots can check 200 product labels a minute, which adds up to a lot of time saved in a massive food plant over error-prone humans doing the checking. What you have a lot of times in this industry is with all the allergens that are out there in basically the community and society and the environment, you have a real exposure for companies that may mislabel and forget to point out that an allergen may be in the product, he said. Water Quality Water quality is a growing area of concern where there is potential for the application of the new technologies, said Leblanc, citing past scares around romaine lettuce and spinach. They were never able to determine the source of the contamination until they checked water supplies, he said. If you think about leafy greens, that comes out of the ground, it gets washed, it goes straight into the packaging, straight on your shelves at the grocery store, he told the RIMS audience. The only real interaction with that product is the rinse and the packaging, and in some cases, there is no packaging. The ability to quickly identify if you have issues in your water supply is a very important tool that, frankly speaking, needs to be better utilized and applied more significantly in the food processing industry. Eyes and Noses AI is being used as a way to identify contaminants by both sight and smell. Large pork processing plants in China have begun using facial recognition for their pigs to be able to trace every pig through the facility. This can help identify the one animal in a massive population that has avian flu or some problem. If you have a chicken farm and one of the chickens has avian flu, you need to be able to identify the chickens and trace the chickens, he said, noting that humans cant tell them apart but AI can do so quickly with its heightened vision capabilities. Farmers in the Midwest are terrified of the possibility of African swine flu or avian flu, Leblanc said. Its the ability to trace, identify and, if need be, separate some of these animals that may have these contaminants thats critical. Ultimately, these illnesses can make their way into the food chain, he said. AI that can smell, sometimes called an electronic nose, can sniff out incredibly tiny and minute particles, parts per million, parts per billion type of particles that could make their way into water and products. According to the Swiss Re food industry expert, AI is better than the sample testing now being used to determine if large batches of ingredients or products are safe. He used the example of a silo full of flour. A farmer or processor is not going to sample every inch of that silo. Certain contaminants may not spread throughout the entire sample size. It might be literally a needle in a haystack. The ability for AI to sift through this stuff and determine where that actual pathogen or bacteria may be is incredibly impressive and powerful, and frankly, needed in the industry, he said. Social Media AI is also being used to track and analyze social media, where the concern is adverse publicity over a food product said to have gone bad. Analyzing social media helps trace where a product has been and where it is going. What theyre beginning to use if for is a way to trace where the products going, peoples reaction to that product, so that they can nip the issue in the bud, and if need be, the company can proactively intervene and either stop the product from further distribution, contact customers, do a press release, and essentially cut it off at its knees before it gets out of control, he said. Leblanc cited a case of Amazon pulling an energy drink off the market after someone wrote on social media, Gave me energy for my workouts but also wreaked havoc on my digestive tract. He said Amazon was tracking social media and was thus able to intervene quickly. Going a step further, the AI tools are also being used to track purchase patterns and who has bought what, when and where. They can also be used to advise purchasers if a problem with a product is discovered. Youre seeing it used not only in identifying contaminants, but youre also seeing it utilized in traceability of where the products going, what the trends are with the product and whos using the product, he said. There are contamination scenarios that transpire over long periods of time such as when people in Chipotle restaurants in an area were getting sick. Chipotle was having difficulty understanding why and where the contamination was occurring and how to trace back. In this situation they actually used whole gene sequencing to go back and find the source of the issue. A major effect of using automation in the food industry is it replaces jobs. Yes, these are taking peoples jobs and we understand that, but at the same time what its also doing is significantly minimizing the chance for human error, Leblanc said. Among the workers at risk are those who clean the food processing plants more plants are utilizing automation to sterilize their equipment and work areas. These third parties are humans, and they make mistakes. , Leblanc continued. Weve seen losses in the industry where the sanitization of the plant isnt carried out correctly. There are contaminants left in the plant. The next day, they assume its sanitized, they go into production, it turns out its not. He said his own firm currently has two losses with this type of sanitation situation. Topics InsurTech Pollution Data Driven The National Transportation Safety Board will evaluate a range of factors that could help explain how a Boeing 737-800 plane arriving from Cuba slipped into a river after skidding off a runway in Florida, from human error to the weather to the airports systems. We are very early in the beginning phase of this investigation, Bruce Landsberg, NTSB vice chairman, said during a news conference on Saturday. The chartered flight operated by Miami Air International Inc. was carrying 136 passengers and seven crew when it left the runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Friday evening, Boeing Co. said in a statement. Authorities said there were no fatalities and only minor injuries. The NTSB quickly dispatched a Go Team of 16 to lead the investigation. NTSB recovered the flight data recorder, which has been sent to Washington for evaluation, but the cockpit voice recorder remains inaccessible in the plane, which is still partially submerged, said Landsberg. The plane had no prior history of accident or incident, and is one of over 4,000 of such planes worldwide, he said. The Jacksonville airport runway has pavement that isnt grooved, Landsberg said, adding that it was unclear if the lack of grooves was a factor in the skid. Runway grooving can be an aid to drainage. The NTSB said they couldnt confirm that pets on board the plane had died, but an investigator didnt spot any pet carriers above the water line, said Capt. Michael Connor, a commanding officer at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. The investigations team has expertise in aircraft operations, structures, power plants, human performance, weather, airports and other areas, the NTSB said earlier. Boeing said its providing technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the NTSB. While it isnt clear yet what led to the plane ending up in the river, the incident comes as Boeing remains enmeshed in one of the biggest crises in its century-long history. The plane maker has been on the defensive since its 737 Max planes crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia, killing 346 people in a span of five months. The 737 Max plane has been grounded as the company tries to convince airlines and regulators it will be safe once a software update is installed. The chartered flight in Fridays crash arrived from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, according to Naval Air Station Jacksonville in a post on its Facebook page. Images show the plane partially submerged in the St. Johns River. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said soon after the accident on Friday that teams were working to control jet fuel in the water. The St. Johns River is the longest in Florida, flowing some 310 miles, and is a major shipping route around Jacksonville. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Florida Aviation Aerospace Legislation originally designed to prohibit hand-held cellphones while driving in North Carolina nearly stalled Friday after a rewrite because lawmakers worried it would punish people who eat or put on makeup behind the wheel. Insurance and automobile safety groups unveiled the hands free idea this year with great fanfare, with the hopes of halting generally what have been upward trends in the state and nationally for traffic crashes and fatalities related to distracted driving, such as while using a phone. The bipartisan legislation that cleared the House Transportation Committee in March would have barred all drivers from holding wireless devices with their hands or against their body. Violations would result in $100 fines, growing to $200 and additional penalties on insurance records for repeat offenses. But in the House Judiciary Committee on Friday, primary bill sponsor Rep. Kevin Corbin of Macon County said the measure was altered in response to concerns from Speaker Tim Moore, a fellow Republican. Corbin said Moore was interested in addressing a broader array of safe-driving distractions. But members raised several concerns about language they said could be interpreted so that any driver eating or drinking or using grooming or cosmetic products would be guilty of a new distracted driving offense. The proposal would do away with insurance points for violations, and fines would be limited to $100. The list of distracted behavior also included the use of an electronic device, which critics worried could be defined as radios or electronic watches synced to phones. I think youve made the bill worse, and I dont see how this is even remotely enforceable, said Rep. Dana Bumgardner of Gaston County. This bill needs some more work. Other bill sponsors defended the language, saying eating and grooming activities wouldnt automatically lead to a distracted driving violation. This does not prohibit me from having my ham biscuit on the way in to work in the mornings, said Rep. John Torbett of Gaston County, a co-sponsor. Still, the committee agreed to remove that language before moving it along to yet another panel before a self-imposed deadline by the General Assembly. Bills largely unrelated to taxes or spending must pass the House by this week, or they likely cant be heard again until 2021. The bill also would have to pass the Senate to become law. Representatives for the AAA Carolinas motor club and insurance agents acknowledged the legislation needed more work but said it was worth advancing because the end goal was critically important. Not ultimately do we want to have thousands of additional tickets written we want thousands of lives saved, said Joe Stewart with the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia now prohibit the use of hand-held cellphones while driving, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Similar legislation in Tennessee is now on Republican Gov. Bill Lees desk. North Carolina has had a prohibition on texting or emailing while driving since 2009, and drivers under 18 cant use mobile phones at all. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation North Carolina 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 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 last week. 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. Its unclear whether Chernega has an attorney. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics California Auto Abuse Molestation Atlanta, GA, May 6, 2019 Breckenridge Insurance Group announced two senior leadership positions at the wholesale insurance organization. Trevor Piece has been promoted to division president for the Breckenridge brokerage and binding team from division vice president and managing broker. Tim Anders joins Breckenridge in the newly created role of senior vice president of underwriting for the Breckenridge binding and Blue River Underwriters program divisions. Pierce assumes responsibility for the brokerage and binding team with twelve offices nationwide. His demonstrated sales leadership and staff development skills have earned him and his team honors within the company and the industry. Pierce has more than 18 years of industry experience having brokered or underwritten numerous and diverse products with top-rated carriers internationally. I plan to build on our strengths and find more ways to support collaborative growth. Ive seen the value we bring to the table in working with our independent agents. Having started my insurance career as a retail producer, I would have wanted a partner like Breckenridge in my corner then and even more so now. We have a great team and were looking for select others to join us, stated Pierce. Anders brings more than 25 years of experience to Breckenridge with a focus on program development and underwriting leadership. He was last vice president underwriting and operations at GuideOne Insurance and was previously vice president of alternative and new programs at Zurich North America. He also worked in senior roles at The Hartford and Atlantic Mutual Companies. He is a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and has a masters in business administration. What attracted me to Breckenridge was the combination of existing program quality and binding authority of the team and significant potential for furthering this success. Having a culture and leadership that is clearly supportive of investing in sustainable growth, strong partnerships and customer focus is yet another reason to be excited about our collective future, shared Anders. These two appointments of proven professionals reflect our commitment to being a vital resource to our independent agents, brokers and carrier partners. I knew of Tims talents firsthand prior to joining Breckenridge and have been quickly impressed by Trevor in my time since joining, added David Jordan, chief executive officer of Breckenridge Insurance Group. Pierce is located in the Dallas, Texas area office and his phone number is 469.320.4038 and email is tpierce@breckis.com. Anders is located in Des Moines, Iowa and he can be reached at 678.783.3064 or by email at tanders@breckis.com. About Breckenridge Insurance Services: BRECKENRIDGE INSURANCE SERVICES is a national wholesale insurance brokerage/MGA delivering top-rated, competitive commercial coverage solutions. With more than three decades of providing responsive counsel and risk management insights, Breckenridge has become a recognized leader and trusted partner to valued agents and coveted carrier partners internationally. With significant in-house contract binding authority and expert, award-winning brokers spanning nearly all property and casualty risk types from workers compensation to professional liability, we offer collaborative, comprehensive solutions. As part of Breckenridge Insurance Group, the team has access to additional resources and expertise to help clients go further. For more information, please visit WWW.BRECKIS.COM About Breckenridge Insurance Group: BRECKENRIDGE INSURANCE GROUP, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is an international specialty wholesale insurance broker, program manager, managing general agent (MGA) and insurance services provider. The company offers access to diverse range of commercial insurance and financial services products to businesses and professional services firms in a variety of industries. The company serves independent insurance agents, brokers, and financial institutions nationally by way of Blue River Underwriters, OSC, Breckenridge Insurance Services, Breckenridge Elevation Authorities contract binding group and Southeastern Underwriters, Inc. For more information, please visit WWW.BRECKGRP.COM or call 855.728.8822. CA Insurance License #0G13592 Media Contact Caren Henry chenry@breckgrp.com 267.961.8252 Pictured left to right: Tim Anders and Trevor Price Topics Agencies Underwriting Leadership Insurance Wholesale Vancouver, British Columbia - May 6, 2019 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) Cabral Gold Inc. (TSXV: CBR) (OTC Pink: CBGZF) ("Cabral" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of additional surface sampling at the Machichie target at the Cuiu Cuiu Project, Para State, northern Brazil. These results follow recent drill results from the nearby Machichie target which included 3.4m @ 36.9 g/t gold and 2.1m @ 15.3 g/t gold. Highlights Channel sampling on surface at the recently discovered Machichie zone returned 9.5m @ 5.3 g/t gold including 1.5m @ 30.8 g/t approximately 80m east of the most easterly drill holes which returned 45.0m @ 1.0 g/t gold including 3.1m @ 7.3 g/t gold and 62.8m @ 0.9 g/t gold including 2.1m @ 15.3 g/t gold A second channel sample taken 100m further to the east in the area of the projected extension to the main Machichie zone, returned 0.75m @ 22.1g/t gold further extending the high-grade zone to the east. The Machichie zone remains open in terms of both width and strike extent. These results extend both the high-grade zone and the lower-grade envelope at least 180m to the east of the most easterly drill holes at Machichie, bringing the known strike length to over 450m The current reconnaissance drill program at Cuiu Cuiu was expanded to include a tenth target, Morro da Lua target, which has never been drilled. That phase one drill program is now complete. A total of 2,511m comprising 18 holes were drilled at ten targets, eight of which had received no previous drilling. Results have been reported for the first four targets thus far with the remaining results expected in the coming weeks Machichie The Machichie discovery is located just 500m north of the MG deposit (Figure 1) which is currently the second largest gold deposit known at Cuiu Cuiu, with an Inferred Resource of 8.6MMt @ 1.45g/t Au (0.4MMoz of gold). Recent drilling (see press release of 28th February 2019) at Machichie which had never been previously drill tested, returned several high-grade intercepts within a low-grade envelope, e.g. 62.8m @ 0.9 g/t gold including 2.1m @ 15.3 g/t and 45.0m @ 1.0 g/t gold including 3.1m @ 7.3 g/t. These holes tested an E-W tending structural zone and established an initial strike length of 275m to a depth of 80m. The zone remains open at depth and along strike. Figure 1: Map showing the location of Machichie and Machichie East drill holes in relation to MG deposit and recent channel sampling on surface; 9.5m @ 5.3 g/t gold 80m east of previous drilling at Machichie Two other areas were also tested (see press releases February 28th and March 26th, 2019) near the main Machichie trend (Figure 1). A single hole drilled testing a separate NE-trending structure to the southwest of the main Machichie trend, returned 3.4m @ 36.9 g/t gold. Another single hole at Machichie East tested a coincident soil and geophysical anomaly to the northeast of the main Machichie trend and returned 15.9m @ 1.73 g/t gold, including 0.5m @ 21.3 g/t and 1.0m @ 10.3 g/t. Further work will be required to establish how these two peripheral zones tie into the main Machichie trend. The surface channel results reported here are from a new exposure 80m east of the most easterly drill holes which revealed a sub-vertical quartz vein structure surrounded by a highly altered zone containing numerous narrow quartz vein stringers and disseminated iron oxides after pyrite. The channel returned gold values of 9.5m @ 5.3 g/t including 1.5m @ 30.8 g/t gold across the strike of the main vein structure (Figure 1). The intersection is open, with sampling constrained by the limit of exposure in the cutting. In addition, a second channel sample taken 100m further to the east in the area of the projected extension to the main Machichie structure, returned 0.75m @ 22.1g/t gold further extending the high-grade zone to the east. Limited surface exposure meant that the sample must be considered a minimum width. The significance of these new results can be summarised as follows: 1) mineralization exposed in the recent garimpo workings extend the known E-W trending Machichie zone 180m east of the most easterly drill holes, establishing a minimum strike length of over 450m, 2) very high-grade gold values are also present implying continuity of the central high-grade vein structure at Machichie, and 3) the zone remains open to the west and to the east. Drilling Update The reconnaissance drill program at Cuiu Cuiu was extended to include a tenth target, Morro da Lua, and is now complete. Morro da Lua is an E-W trending magnetic anomaly that is coincident with elevated gold-in-soil and gold-in-auger sample results. Rock chip samples collected from surface during 2018 ranged from 5.5 - 162.4 g/t gold. A single hole was drilled to a depth of 183m. A total of eighteen diamond drill holes were completed at ten separate targets, for a total of 2,511m as part of the current drill program. Eight of these targets had never been previously drill tested. Results have been reported on four of these targets; Machichie, Machichie East, Seis Irmaos and MG with best results as follows; Machichie* - 3.4m @ 36.9g/t gold - 6 holes Machichie East*- 15.9m @ 1.7g/t gold - 1 hole Seis Irmaos (Six Brothers)*- 0.7m @ 12.7 g/t gold - 1 hole MG - 40.9m @ 0.8g/t gold - 3 holes *Never previously drill tested Results are pending on six additional targets including; QB, Morro da Lua, Jerimum Cima, JS, JE and JN. Alan Carter, President and CEO commented "The new surface results were collected up to 180m east of the nearest drill holes and confirm the extension of a very high-grade structure at Machichie which is surrounded by a lower grade envelope. The expansion of the strike length by 65%, and the fact that the zone remains open in terms of width, depth and along strike, suggests that Machichie could host a significant high-grade deposit. Further drilling is required to determine the full extent and continuity of the mineralized zones". About Cabral Gold Inc. The Company is a junior resource company engaged in the identification, exploration and development of mineral properties, with a primary focus on gold properties located in Brazil. The Company owns the Cuiu Cuiu gold project, which covers the largest of the historical placer gold camps in the Tapajos region of northern Brazil, having yielded an estimated 2M oz of gold from the overall 20-30M oz gold produced during the Tapajos gold rush. Placer workings cover over 850ha on the property but are largely exhausted. The few remaining artisanal workers now process gold from palaeo-valley placer deposits and in places exploit high-grade gold mineralization from quartz veins in saprolite (shallow highly weathered bedrock). Cabral reported an updated NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate in December 2018 totalling 5.9M tonnes grading 0.9 g/t Au (Indicated) and 19.5M tonnes grading 1.2 g/t Au (Inferred), or 0.2M ounces and 0.8M ounces of gold, respectively. That estimate was based on four deposits drilled prior to the cessation of exploration in 2012. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Alan Carter President and Chief Executive Officer Cabral Gold Inc. Tel: 604.676.5660 Email: info@cabralgold.com www.cabralgold.com Dr. Adrian McArthur, B.Sc. Hons, PhD. FAusIMM., a consultant to the Company as well as a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of the words "will", "expected" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. This news release contains forward-looking statements and assumptions pertaining to the following: strategic plans and future operations, and results of exploration. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. Gold analysis has been conducted by SGS method FAA505 (fire assay of 50g charge), with higher grade samples checked by FAA525. Analytical quality is monitored by certified references and blanks. Until dispatch, samples are stored under the supervision the Company's exploration office. The samples are couriered to the assay laboratory using a commercial contractor. Pulps are returned to the Company and archived. Drill holes and channel results are quoted as down-hole length weighted intersections. Under the agreement with the Cuiu Cuiu condominium, local artisanal operators can process mineralization to a depth of 30m, unless otherwise negotiated. Shafts generally stop at or above the depth of the water-table. 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Several four-year colleges and universities also have agreed to provide financial assistance to Star Scholars who get their associate degree from City Colleges and want to continue their educations. Immediately after the crushing loss of over 1,000 local election seats by the Conservative Party last week, sterling strengthened to its best in over 12 months pushing the euro down to and taking some of the pressure off hard pushed Irish exporters to the market. A bird never flew on one wing and the momentum for the pound was assisted by positive comments from Bank of England governor Mark Carney, who seemed to have his own crystal ball indicating positive prospects for a Corbyn/May deal. Exactly when the British prime minister will step down and who will replace her, seems to have been swept aside for the moment. In an upbeat set of forecasts, Mr Carney upgraded the Bank's expectations for Britain's growth, saying unemployment will fall further and the economy will generate more excess demand than previously predicted. The forecast for UK GDP expansion this year was lifted to 1.5% from 1.2% because of a stronger first-quarter performance as companies stockpiled for Brexit. However, many economic commentators are forecasting a weakening of sterling as political uncertainty is expected to accelerate the flight of capital from the UK across the second half of 2019. The big question for Irish business is how to plan a stable business strategy in this swirling mix of currency movement, trade tariff expectation and regulatory uncertainty. The wisdom of Solomon will, undoubtedly, be called upon by many executives as they attempt to sort out the best short-term strategy without overwhelming the long-term business fundamentals. If Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party fails to do a deal with Ms Mays divided Conservative Party, then it is highly likely that a no-deal exit from the EU by the end of October will occur ,with the consequent turmoil for trade and public alike. The Bank of England has, in the past, nailed its colours to the mast forecasting a drop of 15% to 25% in the value of sterling in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The impact on the profit margins of Irish exporters would be severe in the longer term if the low value of sterling remained. In the short-term, most exporters will have covered their exposure with forward contracts with their banks until the end of the year. Tariffs will be re-introduced once the UK leaves the EU single market, which would see tariffs of between zero and 3% on most exports from Ireland to the UK, the exception being the agricultural sector which could face tariffs of 30%-40% in a no-deal Brexit situation. However, the British Government announced last year a temporary tariff regime would be put in place for a 12-month period which would keep tariffs the same as currently in place. This will give some comfort to the Irish agri-food sector , while the UK Government completes trade deals with the EU and other countries and finalises a long-term tariff regime. The fly in the ointment is that the EU has not announced any contingency measures for the purposes of making tariff adjustments to reciprocate or lighten the customs and regulatory issues associated with a no-deal Brexit. However, if the Bank of Englands predictions are correct, then UK exporters will have the benefit of a low pound to off-set any tariff increases on leaving the EU. The elephant in the no-deal Brexit room is the North's trading, social and political situation. The local election results which saw Arlene Fosters DUP increase its share of the votes, will serve to re-enforce that party's hard stance on a Brexit deal that includes the 'back-stop' solution. The irony of the situation is that the back-stop offers the North a customs union between the EU-27 and the UK without the UK being in the single market. This would give businesses in the North a competitive edge over those in other regions of the UK - namely Scotland, Wales and England. Being able to ship free of tariff and customs barriers into the Republic and across the rest of the EU, while the rest of the UK had blockages on order fulfilment and shipments, would undoubtedly give the North the shot in the arm that it may badly need to overcome the loss of Bombardier and the expected closure of its five plants, and the impact on the many sub-suppliers that rely on contracts with them. John Whelan is managing partner of international trade consultancy The Linkage-Partnership Most of us recognise that sustainability is a global issue that needs to be addressed. However, behavioural change remains at a modest level. Thats according to the 2019 Behaviour and Attitudes 'Sign of the Times' survey. Meanwhile, Irish startups are leading the way with innovative solutions in the sustainable space. One of these is Evocco, a shopping app which lets consumers know the carbon footprint of their shopping basket. Another finding from the B&A survey was that consumers believe that "bigger issues, such as global warming and pollution, are beyond our agency to change." The fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to pollution and is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. Sustain Sisters founder Caitriona Lynch wants to give fashion consumers the tools to be more sustainable. Ms Lynch studied fashion buying and retail management in DIT and worked in fashion buying before setting up Sustain Sister to provide an alternative to the high street. Her business comprises an e-commerce site, a rental service and fashion tours. The first option is the buying side. She partners with eco-friendly brands around Europe, including Swedish Stockings which make hosiery in zero waste factories from recycled yarn. Ms Lynch has recently added runners made from pinatex, a leather-like fabric made from pineapple leaves which is entirely biodegradable. The second part of Sustain Sister is rental. Ms Lynch says buying new clothing for occasional events didnt make sense to her as "party dresses are worn on average 1.27 times." Through the website vintage dresses from designers such as Nina Ricci and Agnes B are available to borrow for seven days from 20. The price includes an eco-friendly dry cleaning service. The third part of Sustain Sister is about educating people about how to shop more sustainably. Ms Lynch has recently partnered with Finn McCools Tours to offer tours around Dublin visiting vintage and secondhand shops and educating guests about clothes swapping and local designers. Ms Lynch believes this is just the beginning for sustainable fashion and refers to predictions that resale fashion is expected to overtake the fast fashion industry by 2028. Meanwhile, as Sustain Sister tackles the fashion consumer, another Irish startup is looking at water conservation. Heatwaves and water shortages have become a typical feature of recent summers, and Jack Dooley and Cian Fogarty have come up with a unique product to help reduce water wastage. The Greener Globe co-founders were in transition year in Tullamore College in Co Offaly when they came up with a shower head that alerts the user to water usage with a traffic light-like system. At the time, in 2014, the water charges debate in Ireland was in full flow, Mr Dooley says. He says the Environmental Protection Agency was recommending seven minutes as an appropriate shower time. So, he and Mr Fogarty set out to find out if that was realistic. They carried out over 900 surveys and found that their peer group spent an average of 11 to 12 minutes in the shower. As the average shower uses approximately nine litres per minute, they figured out that a reduction of four minutes would save 36 litres per shower. Their product, the Aquacica, is a showerhead with integrated LED lights in the base and powered by a kinetic system which uses the water flow. The B&A Survey found that sustainability was a source of guilt for many. The Aquacica aims to tap into that guilt to encourage habit changes so that "once the shower head hits red, you feel bad for wasting water." Stocks around the world tumbled and oil prices slumped after US President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on China, triggering an investor exodus from risky assets. Mr Trump said on Sunday he would raise tariffs on $200bn (178bn) worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon. On Friday, he had cited good progress in trade talks and praised his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. But, on Sunday, he moved to mount pressure on China by saying talks were proceeding too slowly. US Treasury yields held at lower levels as investors favoured the safety of low-risk government bonds over stocks and other risky assets due to the increased trade tension between China and the US. In US equities trading, the three major indexes fell after declines in Europe and China, where the Shanghai SE Composite had its biggest one-day percentage drop since February 2016. The probability of a no-deal scenario is now elevated and markets will have to price that accordingly, said Mona Mahajan, US investment strategist at Allianz Global Investors in New York. Our base case remains that theres still a more than 50% chance a deal ultimately does occur, but now with more market volatility and more contentiousness, she said. Mr Trumps recent decision to walk away from talks with North Korea is likely at the back of investors minds, according to Ms Mahajan. But this fear is being balanced out by a statement from Chinas foreign ministry that a delegation was still preparing to go to the US for trade talks. Thats whats keeping markets from moving down further. People are realising that if talks are still continuing theres a chance that this escalation can once again de-escalate, she said. In currency trading, the US dollar firmed against most major currencies but lost ground to the Japanese yen as investors turned to safe-haven currencies after President Trumps tweets. After weeks of talks and suggestions from the US administration that a deal was close, the sudden ramping up of trade tensions caught investors by surprise, Shaun Osborne, chief foreign exchange strategist at Scotiabank in Toronto, said. Hopes of a US-China trade deal have partly been the reason for the strong rally in equities this year, with most country indices recovering from a major rout last year and hitting multi-month highs. Reuters Michael Doran is quite a new entrant to dairy farming based at Johnstown, Duncormick, Co Wexford. He is the fourth generation to run the family farm, but a lot has changed since the time his parents, James and Catherine, were farming. His fathers parents had a mixed farm with 12 cows all milked by hand, some sheep and tillage. They stopped milking cows in the 1950s. Michael studied agricultural at Rockwell College, finishing in 1994, and came home to farm full time. Michael started with 50 suckler cows, 75 ewes and 12 hectares of cereals. He became a well-known suckler farmer, increasing the suckler herd to 120 and sheep to 200, with 40 hectares of grain. Making a change In September 2012, his son, James, was born with Downs Syndrome, and spent much of his first year in hospital. It was a worrying time. They faced decisions about Ciara leaving work. Income from the beef enterprise was declining. Waiting in hospitals, Michael spent some of his time searching profit monitors online, and explored differences between dairy and beef. Looking at the profits made by good quality dairy farmers, he felt it would be a logical decision to switch from beef to dairy, as he believed it would offer better opportunities. I had never milked a cow. But this was the best decision we ever made for the farm, says Michael. He and Ciara had a lot of contacts in Teagasc and spoke with advisers who gave them very valuable advice. In 2013, Michael applied for a milk quota under a new scheme for entrants, and was allocated a quota of 200,000 litres. He built a new 24-unit herringbone milking parlour, upgraded roadways on the farm, and sold about 60 suckler cows to buy 80 in-calf Jersey cross heifers. His decision to go with Jersey cross cows was well researched and based on their good track record in fertility, solids and easy handling. He managed to buy the first 80 in-calf heifers from two farmers in October 2013. He milked his first cow in January 2014, and started supplying manufacturing milk to Glanbia Ireland. Monitor farm programme Michael joined the Teagasc Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme in 2015, and says it was a brilliant decision. The Joint Programme set out to help dairy farmers promote sustainable growth, post-quotas. Michael has found the experience very useful, as he has had access to superb information. Its been fantastic. Weve seen big improvements in a number of areas, but the focus on finance and planning has been especially useful. Michael had 135 cows when he joined the Programme, but knew when he reached a herd size of 200 cows that he would need more land. In 2015, he purchased an adjoining 26-hectare block. He sold about 16 hectares of land five miles away from the milking platform, and the additional land increased his milking platform to 80 hectares. Managing expansion costs Michael continued to expand his herd, and in 2018 milked 240 cows. Over a three-year period from 2013, Michael invested 309,500 on infrastructure alone, including the new parlour/dairy, housing cubicles, storage and field infrastructure such as water, roadways and fencing. Managing our finances has been crucial, with this investment. We use the Cost Control Planner every year, and have six-year plans in place for the farm, which are reviewed regularly. The Monitor Farm Programme has given me a brilliant discipline about financial planning. Michael has managed to reduce variable and fixed costs between 2014 and 2017. The overall net profit per cow has increased from 607 per cow in 2014 to 936 per cow in 2017. Making grass work profitably Michael believes that having the right cow and getting grassland management right are both critical. I called myself a grass farmer before I called myself a beef or dairy farmer, he says. He has been measuring grass since 2008. Michaels average milk yield in 2017 was 4,754 litres, but he says that pushing big yields is not as important as improving solids and maximising production from grass. Average milk solids in 2017 were at 427 kg/cow, protein at 3.87%, and fat at 4.85%, with 55% of the herd first and second calvers. In 2017, the stocking rate was 2.85 (LU/ha). Michael was achieving 18 tons of dry matter per hectare grass growth, but had also improved soil fertility with pH over 6.3 at 85% in 2017, up from 20% in 2015. P Index at 3/4 was up to 90% in 2017, from 65% in 2015. And K index 3/4 was at 95% in 2017, from 90% in 2015. He is doing soil testing every year to keep a handle on it all. Managing a large herd Michael works closely with his vet on herd health plans and a good vaccination programme. In 2018 he sent 40 heifers for contract rearing. It did free up more time and made sure our stocking rates werent under pressure, especially when we faced conditions like drought. Work and lifestyle balance Michael now has two labour units working with him. Spring is a busy time, so he works every second weekend of the first five months. When breeding is over, everyone works every third weekend. He also manages to take a summer holiday in July each year, which would have been impossible in his previous enterprise. Michael and Ciara have three children, Ella aged ten, James aged six, and Tomas is five. Both boys started primary school in September 2018, which is a big step. Michael hopes that one of the children may be interested in the farm in the future, but is determined that the farm that he passes on will be as good if not better than the farm he got from his parents. Thats what family farming is really all about, he says. This Teagasc/ Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme 2015-2018 is reproduced with permission from the www.glanbiaconnect.com website. Dairy cows have increased in many counties, but remain most numerous in Co Cork The number of dairy cows in Ireland increased by 48,200 (or 3.4%) from 2017 to 2018, according to the June 2018 Crops and Livestock Survey recently released by the Central Statistics Office. Other cows dropped by 33,100 (or 3.1%). In the survey, dairy cows numbered 1,480,900, which is up from 1,397,900 in June, 2016 (a total increase of 6%). But the increase in dairy cows is more than 14% since June 2015, following the ending of the EU milk quota system on March 31, 2015. Dairy cows have increased in many counties, but remain most numerous in Co Cork, with 378,200. Tipperary ranked second, with 173,200. Next came Limerick and Kerry with respectively 118,900 and 100,600. They were followed by Meath, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford, with respectively 63,500; 90,100; 85,600; and 77,900. More recent statistics show that the milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers was up 8.6% for the January to March period this year, compared with last year. The 697.3 million litres intake for March was 11.1 % above the corresponding 2018 figure. The development of two new solar farms in Co Cork has been approved by An Bord Pleanala against the wishes of locals in one case and reversing a council decision to refuse planning permission in the other. The planning appeals authority has rejected an appeal by the Ballinrea Community Group against the decision of the council to grant planning for a solar farm on several amalgamated fields over 47 hectares at Ballinrea between Carrigaline and Castletreasure. Cork MEP Brian Crowley will be entitled to severance payments of more than 350,000 over the next two years and a pension pot of 1.4m, the Irish Examiner can reveal. Two other outgoing MEPs, Brian Hayes and Nessa Childers, will also qualify to receive an adjustment package of monthly payments totalling tens of thousands of euro. Irelands longest-serving MEP, Mr Crowley, who was not able to attend any parliament sessions since the last elections in 2014 due to illness, will be entitled to a pension lump sum worth 1.5 times a politicians salary. At the end of their term of office, MEPs receive a transitional allowance, equivalent to their salary for one month per year they were in office. Mr Crowley, who has been an MEP since 1994, qualifies for the full allowance of two years, meaning he would get 210,184 in total. Mr Crowley would not confirm details of his severance package, nor would his spokesperson respond to numerous queries by phone and email made since March 11 on any medical cost refunds he received during his time as an MEP. Among the allowances awarded to sitting MEPs is the entitlement to a reimbursement of two-thirds of their medical expenses, but Mr Crowley refused to provide any details on whether he has availed of this scheme. Other sitting MEPs did provide the Irish Examiner with these details, including Sinn Feins Lynn Boylan, who received a 140 reimbursement in 2015 for an eye test and glasses. Her party colleague Liadh Ni Riada claimed 4,426.67 under the scheme. Ms Childers also claimed back between 125 and 159 on monthly health insurance payments over the past five years under the allowance. Announcing his retirement from politics earlier this year, Mr Crowley, who was paralysed when he fell off a roof at the age of 16, said: I have been in hospital for a long period of time over three and a half years with a number of surgeries. Because of that, I could not attend the parliament in Strasbourg. He defended the fact that he had taken his European salary while in hospital. The monthly pre-tax salary of MEPs is 8,757. Over the period of time I was in hospital, the work has not stopped. I was working from hospital and via my staff. I was working through my contacts within the EU Commission and EU Parliament, he said. Dublin MEPs Mr Hayes and Ms Childers, who will not contest the next election, are also due to receive this payment, however, they will get much less given their length of service. Based on EU rules, Ms Childers, who has served two terms in the European Parliament, will be entitled to monthly payments totalling 87,577, while Fine Gael MEP Mr Hayes is set to get 43,788, having been in Brussels for five years. Since Mr Crowley was a member of the parliament prior to 2009, he can choose to go onto the old system, or a newer system which has applied since 2009. Under the old Oireachtas system, he would be entitled to a lump sum of at least 141,802, which is based on a calculation of 1.5 times a TDs salary. He would then receive an annual pension of around 47,267 based on half the salary of a TD, which would equate to 1.4m over 30 years. It is now crystal clear to prison staff and managers that the failure to monitor vulnerable inmates will result in dismissal, the head of the Irish Prison Service has said. IPS director general, Caron McCaffrey, was commenting over the weekend, on the back of an inquest in Cork last month and a related report, of the Inspector of Prisons, into the death of an inmate in Cork Prison. David Blackwell, aged 52, who had a history of psychiatric illness and substance abuse, died of heart failure in the Vulnerable Persons Unit of Cork Prison, in January 2017. Those in the unit should be checked every 15 minutes. While initial prison records indicated that the checks had been done on Mr Blackwell, CCTV footage showed otherwise. A report by the acting inspector of prisons found that the CCTV footage was incorrect and misleading and detailed gaps in monitoring of 102 minutes, 97 minutes, and 51 minutes. Last August, the Irish Examiner published an analysis of reports by the inspector of prisons, which showed that two-thirds of deaths of vulnerable persons since 2012 produced concerns about misleading or inaccurate record-keeping by prison staff. In an email sent out after the Cork inquest, Ms McCaffrey said Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan had expressed to her his grave concern at this issue. Speaking to media at the weekend, Ms McCaffrey said she had made it crystal clear to prison officers, and governors, that dismissal would result from failing to check on vulnerable inmates every 15 minutes, unless there were good reasons why they could not do so. She said: Ive made it very, very clear to our management and very, very clear to our staff that where staff, without good reason, dont perform their duties, in my view that is gross misconduct and will result in dismissal. The IPS boss said that, at the moment, discretion lies with the prison governor, in terms of implementing a disciplinary sanction. What were hoping to do is have consistency in relation to disciplinary guidelines across the estate and Ive been very clear, both to our prison managers and to our staff, that this does constitute gross misconduct and that the appropriate sanction will be dismissal. She said policies have been changed: Previously, our prison management could only view a 20-minute piece of footage of night duty to ensure that staff are doing their job. We have removed and amended our CCTV policy, so our staff can now view the full CCTV footage of night guard duties. She said they had introduced a night log for staff to ensure they contemporaneously note the issues that arise on any given night to ensure that where there is good reason for not having done those checks and, as I said, operational issues absolutely do arise during an evening that they are properly and appropriately recorded at the time. Up to 250 inmates have severe mental illness Some 250 prisoners have severe and enduring mental illness, and 30 of them require admission to the Central Mental Hospital, at any one time, the director general of the Irish Prison Service has said. Caron McCaffrey said the countrys sole forensic mental health facility operates a waiting list for admissions, and that prison chiefs only have access to a limited number of beds there. There are significant issues in our prisons generally, in relation to mental illness, she said. At any one time, we have about 250 prisoners suffering from severe and enduring mental illness. She said this included schizophrenia: Of those 250, we could have between 20 and 30 people who have been deemed to require admission to the Central Mental Hospital. She said the National Forensic Mental Health Service operated a waiting list for admission to the CMH. We have access to a limited number of beds, she said. The reality is that not everyone on the waiting list will get access to the Central Mental Hospital. Ms McCaffrey said the Government was investing in a new Central Mental Hospital: We have been engaging directly with the CMH, in relation to increasing the numbers of beds available to the prison service. When the new hospital opens, in Portrane in 2020, we do expect to see an increase in the number of beds available to prisoners. Last March, the reports of prison visiting committees for Mountjoy, Cork, Limerick, Wheatfield, and Cloverhill, raised concerns about mental illness among prisoners. In a report last October, the Irish Penal Reform Trust said increasing numbers of prisoners with severe mental illness were on the CMH waiting list. It said that while there were psychiatric referral units in all Dublin prisons, in Portlaoise and in Midlands, there were none in Cork, Limerick, or Castlerea. It said there were fewer psychologists for prisoners now than three years ago, but noted that the IPS had recruited some recently. The IPRT estimated that there were 323 prisoners, out of 4,000, with a severe mental illness. It said only two prisons (Mountjoy and Cloverhill) had high-support units for mentally ill prisoners, even though an inquest jury in 2016 called for one in every prison. A security expert who witnessed recent terrorist atrocities in Sri Lanka claims Ireland wont be equipped to respond to similar attacks, which he believes will inevitably come to this country. Eamon Dolan, a former Irish Naval Service chief petty officer, flew in from Sri Lanka to attend a protest march highlighting the crisis in the Defence Forces. He is a recruitment, training, and quality manager for maritime security company Alphard Maritime. The attacks on Sri Lankan Christians by Islamic extremists on April 21 left 253 dead and dozens more critically injured. Mr Dolan witnessed the response of the security forces, in what is considered a third world country, and provided the Irish Examiner with his chilling analysis of what could happen if similar extremist attacks took place here. Having been in Sri Lanka and witnessed the recent terrorism atrocities unfold where churches, hotels, and roadside bombs targeted mainly Christian communities, and having seen the unbelievably professional response of counter-terrorism units, I can tell you, that we in Ireland are targets for extremists. As a security expert, I can also tell you were not ready (in Ireland), he said. Our families are vulnerable, our State leaders are not prepared, and we have no effective response due to a decimated Defence Forces. Our reservists are also being depleted and its a question of when, not if, we are targeted, he said. Mr Dolans role is to train armed guards, who work in three and four-man teams, protecting merchant ships against attacks, primarily from Somali pirates who strike off the Horn of Africa and in the Indian Ocean. His years of experience in the Naval Service, his current overseeing of anti-piracy missions, and recent witnessing of the chilling attacks in his adopted country, have all made him very worried about Irelands ability to prevent and combat a terrorist attack. Mr Dolan was among more than 1,000 people who marched in Cork to highlight the manpower crisis within the Defence Forces, due mainly to poor pay and conditions. He backed speakers who called on serving personnel and their families to use their election votes to highlight the decline of the Defence Forces. The ill effects of the 1981 Stardust fire are still catching up with the survivors, writes Caroline ODoherty. Even at rest, a constant whisper accompanies Linda Bishop Hoseys breathing the telltale sign of lungs forced to work hard to pull in the air around her. And then theres the cough that developed so gradually she didnt realise she had it until her sister used it locate her when the two became separated in a shop. She couldnt see me in the crowd so she said she just stood still and listened for my cough, Linda recalls. I said: What cough? I wasnt even aware of it. It crept up on me over years. Linda was one of the lucky ones who went to the Valentines night disco at the Stardust nightclub in 1981. Somehow, despite being seated mere inches from the flames that were burning unseen behind partitions in the venue, Linda escaped. It was a terrifying ordeal the crush, the panic, the flames closing in from overhead and all around. Then the pitch black, a stumble to the floor and the desperation for some fresh air to fill her burning lungs. Youd think your brain would say youre inhaling smoke hold your breath, but it doesnt, she recalls. It makes you breathe all the harder and every breath is like breathing in fire. I fell out the door on to my hands and knees and vomited. And then I got up and the guards were telling people to leave and go home, that we were in the way. She got the whole house up with her banging on the door and her smoked blackened skin but eventually she was coaxed into bed. She woke the next morning to her mothers shaken face and the news that 46 later to be 48 people had died. I was thinking, I hope theres no one I know. Of course there was. Paula Byrne, her second cousin, was one of the dead, as were the siblings and partners of friends and workmates. That reinforced Lindas view that she was lucky and had nothing to complain about. Her mother accompanied her to the compensation tribunal that followed and told the adjudication panel that her daughter wasnt herself since the fire. I was saying, theres nothing wrong with me, Im fine. I was mad at her for making a fuss. She went to one session with a counsellor and didnt return, and was prescribed medication that she presumes was for anxiety, but which she didnt take. But she never had a physical examination. If there were just a few of us, wed probably have been taken to hospital and checked out, but the ambulances were crammed and the hospitals were bursting. And why would I be moaning and bitching when so many were dead? Many winters after that, Linda was struck with chest infections. She became used to saying she had a bad chest and she was prescribed antibiotics so often, it became routine. Antoinette Keegan outside the Dail on the anniversary of the Stardust fire last February, holding pictures of her sisters, Martina and Mary, who died in the fire. When one antibiotic failed to clear her congestion, she was put on another one, so many that she became immune to them and she now has an active antibiotic-resistant superbug and is quarantined when in hospital. As she got older, the bouts became more intense and dragged on longer, and she began to get out of breath doing normal things. She and her husband Alex own a restaurant and Linda loved working there but it became too hard. And then, in 2014, she was struck with a frozen shoulder and went off to the doctors to get something for it. A locum GP was working that day and Linda rolled her eyes to heaven when this young woman said shed prefer to get an x-ray before prescribing anything and while they were at it, she was ordering a chest x-ray too. She reluctantly went to hospital, had the x-rays and was told she was being referred to the respiratory department. I was getting annoyed now because I was saying whats that got to do with my shoulder?, says Linda To her alarm, she was told the appointment was the next day and she arrived to be faced with a bronchoscopy and a barrage of questions about her history of chest ailments, asthma in the family, the possibility of asbestos exposure and many more. Over the years, I had said to doctors that Id been in the Stardust and would that have anything to do with it but they never thought it was relevant and I stopped asking because I felt stupid bringing it up. This time, she ended up in the surgery of respiratory expert Richard Costelloe, who went through her history again and this time, as soon as she mentioned the Stardust fire, he was immediately on the alert. He said to me of course thats relevant, she recalls. He couldnt believe I was in my 50s and this was the first time Id even been x-rayed. Linda was shocked by her test results and in particular to hear that the top lobe of her right lung was a mess of damaged tissue, dead matter, and infection that would have to be removed if it didnt respond to treatment. She was put on medication for a year to try and clear it but the winter of 2016 knocked her flat and in May 2017, she underwent a seven-hour lobectomy. To the disappointment of all, not least herself, it has not had as good an effect as was hoped and Linda was back in hospital late last year, this time stuck for 10 days on an IV. I still get pain from the surgery but its the tiredness that really bothers me. I get tired very quickly. And if its cold or damp out, there are days I dont cross the front door because I know itll knock me back. Linda recently spent a month in Malaysia with her husbands family and she literally breathes easier in the warm climate so, in future, she says theyll have to think about where theyre going to live. But the couples two sons are in Ireland, with two adored grandchildren and a third on the way and Linda loves being a hands-on grandmother. A bunch of us who were all friends and all went to the Stardust met up last year at the funeral of one of the fellas who was injured, she says. He died of cancer. I was telling them what was going on with me and one of them said, were probably all ticking timebombs. We breathed the smoke and the toxic fumes and then we picked ourselves up and went home. Officially, there were 214 injured, but there were hundreds of us that never went near a hospital. Id say to anyone who was in the fire and was never checked out to go and get themselves checked. We thought, were alive so were grand, and we just moved on, but now its caught up with me. Relatives of the Stardust victims are currently awaiting a decision from the attorney general on their application for fresh inquests into their deaths. If we end up nominating people who folks in my part of the state and districts like this cannot relate to, I dont think things are going to go very well in the job that Im in right now, she said. Theres plenty of phony-level politicians. Youve got to get to know people and their struggles. A taxi driver is in hospital after being attacked overnight in Dublin. It is understood the taxi driver was overpowered and seriously assaulted by a group of youths at around 12.30am on Rutland Grove, Crumlin, after driving them from the city centre. His mobile phone, along with a sum of cash and dashcam, were also taken during the incident. The taxi driver, a 59-year-old man, was taken to St Jamess Hospital with serious head and facial injuries. Gardai have arrested two males and two females, all aged in their late teens and early 20s, on Sundrive Road after the incident a short time later. They are being held for questioning at Sundrive Road, Crumlin and Rathmines Garda Stations. Forensic officers are examining the scene and the taxi. The taxi driver is recovering in hospital, and his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. Gardai are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Anyone with information to contact Sundrive Road Garda Station on 01-6666600 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111. Dan MacCarthy visits Golam, Co Galway To get to Golam in the mostly treeless, rock-strewn Connemara, is a unique experience in accessing Irelands islands. Yes, Dursey Island in Co Cork has the countrys only cable car and it is a singular experience to travel, teeth-clenched perhaps, above the waves to get there. Golams uniqueness stems from the fact that you must cross four causeways and then take a boat, or wade at low tide, to reach it. The causeways link the islands of Eanach Mheain, Lettermore, Gorumna and finally Lettermullan. If you can navigate all that, the island of Golam lies 250m off Lettermullan. In this huge archipelago, known as Ceantar na nOilean, some of the other islands are themselves interconnected, to wit, Lettermullan is itself connected to Furnish and An Crappagh. It has been suggested that the ruins of Lettermullan Castle was used to construct the causeways and even the 19th century signal tower itself. Many castles around the country were similarly dismantled for local construction projects. Ringarogy Castle in west Cork was used in the construction of Skibbereen cathedral, for instance. This is a meeting point of tides and currents where huge Atlantic rollers mercilessly pound the outlying islands while the inner islands up towards Kilkieran Bay are sheltered. The natural breakwater is a sight to behold. Outside is a watery chaos while inside, can be a millpond. It is possible to walk across to Golam Island at low tide across rock pools, drenched sands and small mountains of seaweed. Watches at the ready, you have about two hours to explore this small but lovely island. Golam has a striking landmark which marks it off from its neighbouring islands. A signal tower sits atop its earthless summit. It was built in 1804 by the English to ward off the threat of a French invasion; it is one of about 80 around the coast. It is a superbly constructed building, roofless sadly, with intricately combined stone blocks. Lobster fishing off the island A striking feature is a pair of bartizans which protrude from the sides like ears. The tower commands an astonishing ocean view westwards to the open ocean and south to the Aran islands and a watchman would have observed any French ship on the horizon faster than you could say sacre bleu. The floors have long since gone but this signal tower is in pretty good condition compared to many others. A huge birds nest has been built in the fireplace. West Cork rightly has a huge reputation for whale- and dolphin-watching, but if the spectacle on view when the Irish Examiner visited was anything to go by then Galway isnt far behind. A large pod of common dolphins broke the surface near the unpopulated Freaghillaun More and with great rapidity travelled south arcing out of the sea with their backs glimmering in the sun. South Galway had a sad part in the second world war when the bodies of two German airmen were washed ashore from a stricken aircraft in October 1940. Theophil Schuldt and Johannes Sturm died when their Focke-Wulf Kurier ditched into the sea. The planes were used as long-range reconnaissance and maritime bombers. One of the men washed up on Golam with an open parachute suggesting the plane lost altitude too swiftly for the parachute to be deployed correctly. The body of the other airman was found near Clifden. Four other bodies were never found and an inflatable raft was found on the Aran Islands. The recovered bodies were buried at the German war cemetery in Glencree, Co Wicklow. Around 170 aircraft crashed or had emergency landings in Ireland during the war. The importance of this part of Ireland for navigation is indicated by a huge Eire sign marked onto rocks nearby. There were around 83 such markers around the country to aid US pilots during the second world war. The only other feature of note on Golam is a holy well one of many that are indicated on the ordnance survey maps around the islands there. Golams holy well is known as Tobar Cholmcille, and the saints footprints are said to be imprinted on the surrounding rock a pilgrimage stop en route to the Aran islands. How to get there: About an hours drive west of Galway on the R336. At Costelloe take the R374. Other: irishsignalstations.wordpress.com; militaryarchives.ie; ww2irishaviation.com Ive just moved in with my boyfriend, whom I met two years ago. When he gets home from work he just puts on his sweatpants and an old baggy sweatshirt. I miss him coming over to my house in his work suit, looking so sharp and handsome. I used to look forward to getting the suit off him; but these tracksuit bottoms not so much. Is it selfish to wish hed make more of an effort? I understand you. Tracksuit bottoms and a comfy sweatshirt will never be able to compete with the sexual allure of a crisp white shirt, a smart suit and a generous spritz of Diors Eau Sauvage. But is it fair to expect this from your other half every day? After all, all women know that coming home, undoing your bra, kicking off your heels and letting it all hang out is one of lifes great pleasures. It is no different for a man who has been stuffed into a smart suit all day. Memories of regular sea crossings with her seriously ill husband lingered with Majella ONeill Collins, the Sherkin artist whose work has been bought by George Clooney, writes Colette Sheridan. When Sherkin Island-based artist Majella ONeill- Collins was ferrying her seriously ill husband in and out of hospital, what saved her during those traumatic days was the work that she was imagining in her head. Making numerous trips to hospitals in Cork with Michael for chemotherapy and radiotherapy to treat his pancreatic cancer, ONeill-Collins was unable to paint. So she worked in a different way, writing and making videos as well as envisaging paintings. Michael was very unwell for a few years, says ONeill-Collins. Hes finished treatment now and is in the clear. It went on for about three years. And while it was a difficult time, this resourceful artist has an exhibition of paintings at Cork Airport for the month of May, based on the comings and goings to the mainland in a small punt that she and her husband own. The exhibition, entitled Crossing, was inspired by the journey back and forth from Sherkin to Cork. The oil on canvas paintings are semi-abstract, bold in colour and often depict the sea. ONeill-Collins even enlisted a contact with a drone, to take photographs from the sky. I was looking to work from the stills, turning them into paintings. But the stills were very linear. I had this image of things being looser and more dreamlike. The view from the air looked like mapping. So I ended up doing aerial views, from my imagination. ONeill-Collins, brought up in Church Cross near Skibbereen where her parents ran a post office, has been married to her Sherkin Island native fisherman and farmer husband for 27 years. Majella O'Neill Collins. Captivated by the beauty and wildness of where she lives, her work has been bought by Hollywood star George Clooney and West Cork-based actor Jeremy Irons. Clooney, says ONeill-Collins, saw her work at the Inchydoney Island Hotel, nearly two decades ago. He subsequently bought one of her seascapes in a gallery in Innishannon. She didnt meet the actor but was obviously pleased with his patronage. Its really nice when someone takes a piece of you away with them because they like it. It doesnt matter if its someone from the street or someone famous. Its a compliment. ONeill-Collins, who has two grown-up children, is the facilitator for the Dublin Institute of Technology visual arts course on Sherkin Island and is the founder of the CUH art collection. Her exhibition at the airport aims to provide an unexpected attraction for people travelling, while the CUH collection is an antidote to the bare walls she noticed there some 17 years ago when her brother was a patient there. He had been in a bad accident but made a miraculous recovery. ONeill-Collins felt that if someone wanted to cry at the hospital, they could turn into the wall for a private moment and see art. The collection comprises work from some of Irelands leading artists, including Jesse Jones and Hughie ODonoghue. Living on Sherkin Island is heaven for ONeill-Collins. She is philosophical about the times that the island is cut off due to severe weather. On Sherkin, your whole life works around the sea and its tides. Youre cut off a lot of the time. Its a bit like life. You have good days and other days that are not so good. For me, the sea is like a metaphor. Its about memory and place and seems very connected to the emotional side of things. ONeil-Collins is currently working on another exhibition, based on the videos she made in the punt while travelling with her husband. My skills in technology arent great so when I looked back at the videos, I saw that there were no heads there. But it works really well. The videos dont need a head. Youd have to see them. Feelings of isolation on Sherkin rarely trouble ONeill-Collins. Im more lonely on the mainland than I would be on the island. You either love it or you dont. Its an acquired taste. Crossing is at Cork Airport for the month of May Were almost there, although we still dont know where there is yet. Its been whittled down to heaven or hell, with nothing in between. It looks all over in Europe, though. Theres a mental scrapbook of past experiences filed away that may half-convince some to fantasise, but realism will strike tomorrow whether you want it to or not. Although it was the same result United achieved, it felt different somehow. That may contain an unhealthy dollop of self-kidology, but before Messi got involved, it felt like a fair fight. Thats the point, though. Their 10 others give everyone elses 11 a run for their money before he just dinks up to make the final difference. Again. When we first faced him, he was on his last growth spurt. The luck of various draws and a post-Benitez pre-Klopp Champions League drought meant wed not had the pleasure of his company since. We werent complaining. There was some crap about the Suarez celebration, via refugees from la-la-land it sounds like. Luis Suarez isnt your mate. He doesnt have mates. Mourinho chimed in with something about him being desperate to beat people hed have to phone afterwards. Id be surprised if Hannibal has Jordan Henderson on speed dial. Barcelonas talent was almost matched by Liverpools naivety. All the old streetwise chicanery were supposed to have wised up to over 55 years in Europe won out again. Its like Sergio Ramos never existed. Firminos injury has come at the worst possible time, but there were still enough chances to have made this a closer affair. Well have a good old yowl at them tomorrow emerging with some pride seems the pinnacle of the ambition now. Id rather Suarez wasnt sucked up to, he did try to leave us for Arsenal in case youve got the memory of a goldfish, but Liverpool fans do tend to romanticise past employees. That we were at Rafas Newcastle next was coincidence, but his teams vein-busting attempt to derail us in a game that meant little to them shouldnt come as a shock either. They have beaten City how is another matter. It took us three gos to win last Saturday, but we finally just about limped over the line. A baffling inability to cure their set-piece weaknesses might have been his variation on a ghostly helping hand, but again were straying into sentimental claptrap. Rafa wanted this badly, and although we were nowhere near our best, we still displayed tremendous character. Thats all its about now. Balls and fortune. Our own weakness, a pig-headed refusal to shut a game down and keep the damn ball, reared its ugly head again. That minute before the first equaliser? Good grief. Picking Sturridge was an odd one, and maybe weve got to manage without Salah now too. Outsiders who thought (prayed?) wed flop without our Fab Three may soon get their evidence. But whoevers chosen, they might actually pass to each other so one hand takes, another gives etc. This run has been as intense as anything weve ever experienced, but there are small moments to savour. The desperation of what seems like the entire world to see us fail has become ineffably preposterous. A phalanx of fantasists demanded Trent be sent off AND Newcastles goal stand. We should be held accountable to different rules than everyone else now, apparently. The foul before the winner wasnt a foul either, or so the lengthening litany of excuses would have us believe. Granted it wasnt one of Ritchies worst challenges, but there are men on death row who deserve greater sympathy. The tsunami of fume can be amusing, though I grimly suspect a massive wave of national relief will replace it soon enough. I suppose the way we manage to get seemingly lucid people into such a mindless froth can be worn as a badge of honour, but Id rather the players won the actual medals, to be honest. Not long to wait to find out, anyway. There appear to be few doubts about the involvement of Islamic State (IS) in the Easter attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. Some of the terrorists had been in Syria and Turkey; the materials in the bombs resembled those preferred by IS for mass killings; and the targets were Christian worshippers and hotels favoured by Western holidaymakers. Perhaps it was a sickening answer to the mosque murders in New Zealand and, also very likely, IS telling us that although it has lost the hell-on-Earth that was its caliphate, it retains its determination and ability to strike at targets thousands of miles from the Middle East. Despite warnings, Sri Lanka a soft target was clearly unprepared for such an attack. Can the same be said of our country? Comforting answers to that question are hard to come by this week. Senior military people, both in active service and retired, are never slow to complain about shortages of people and kit, but that does not always mean they are crying wolf. A retired lieutenant colonel recently told a rally of Defence Force wives and partners that the service is broken and in crisis, with morale at an all-time low because it is overlooked and undervalued, overworked, underpaid, over-stretched, and undermanned. His assessment was echoed by a retired brigadier general who reported the current strength of the service at a dysfunctional 8,400 persons, 1,100 south of the minimum needed to deliver what it is expected of it. 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, he said. The third alarm was raised by a security specialist formerly with the Irish Naval Service who was in Sri Lanka when IS struck. His judgment is that Ireland is a target for extremists, and that the country is not prepared. Our families are vulnerable, he said, Our State leaders are not prepared, and we have no effective response due to a decimated Defence Force. Our reservists are also being depleted... its a question of when, not if, we are targeted. To this chronicle of security alerts must be added the revelation that so far this year more than 50 data breaches have been reported by the Passport Service. Attributable in most cases to staff errors, with passports being mailed to the wrong addresses, that level of malfunction isnt at first sight concerning, given that few if any of us are very far from error and that the Passport Service handles more than 800,000 applications annually. But just one passport in the wrong hands could pose a threat to our security. The instincts that had the Government sending more than 1,690 military personnel on 14 United Nations peace-keeping missions in 2018 are noble and unquestionable, but the prime responsibility of a Government is to maintain the security of its homeland. It cannot go on pretending that the Defence Force can perform adequately here and abroad without a serious policy to reverse early-retirement trends and improve recruitment and retention numbers. And Gov. J.B. Pritzker said this morning hes confident state lawmakers will pass a law legalizing recreational use of marijuana in Illinois by the end of the legislative session. He and lawmakers finally laid out the details of the plan over the weekend, though if youre like me and have caught a whiff while driving down Lake Shore Drive or waiting for a bus on Ashland Avenue, you might think it already is legal. In fact, there are concerns that some drivers think its OK. 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 Nearly 400 former federal prosecutors have signed a letter saying Donald Trump would have been charged with obstruction of justice if he were anyone other than the president. The letter was signed by more than 370 former Justice Department prosecutors who served under Democratic and Republican administrations. It was released by Protect Democracy, an advocacy group formed two years ago which is critical of the Trump administration. Breaking News: Trump would have been charged with obstruction were he not president, more than 370 former federal prosecutors assert in statement https://t.co/WCamax8lXs The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 6, 2019 The former prosecutors say special counsel Robert Muellers report describes several acts that satisfy all of the elements for an obstruction charge. Those actions include Mr Trumps efforts to have Mr Mueller fired, his attempts to limit the scope of the Russia investigation, and tweets and public statements aimed at discouraging aides from co-operating with prosecutors. Robert Mueller (Cliff Owen/AP) Mr Mueller examined nearly a dozen acts by the president for potential obstruction of justice. He ultimately reached no conclusion on whether Mr Trump had criminally obstructed justice, citing in part an opinion from the departments Office of Legal Counsel that says a sitting president cannot be indicted. Attorney general William Barr and deputy attorney Rod Rosenstein then stepped in and determined Mr Muellers evidence was insufficient for an obstruction charge. Mr Trump has used that finding to claim that the report found no obstruction, but the ex-prosecutors make clear that in their view the evidence leans heavily in the other direction. As former federal prosecutors, we recognise that prosecuting obstruction of justice cases is critical because unchecked obstruction which allows intentional interference with criminal investigations to go unpunished puts our whole system of justice at risk, the letter says. We believe strongly that, but for the OLC memo, the overwhelming weight of professional judgment would come down in favour of prosecution for the conduct outlined in the Mueller report. - Press Association Interview Whats Next for NDAA and Its Border Boomtown of Mong La? National Democratic Alliance Army soldiers are seen at their headquarters in Mong La, Shan State on April 21, 2019. / Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint / The Irrawaddy The National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) was formed in 1989 after splitting from the former Communist Party of Burma (CPB), which rose in rebellion against the Myanmar government. The NDAA was one of the first groups to sign a ceasefire with the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw). The NDAA controls Mong La, Nanban and Sele districts, which constitute Shan State Special Region 4, also known as the Mong La Area. As June 30 marks the 30th anniversary of the NDAAs signing of a truce with the Tatmadaw, U Kham Maung, who is on the executive board of the Peace and Solidarity Committee (PSC), the political wing of the NDAA, recently talked to The Irrawaddys Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint about how the PSC built a booming border town over the past 30 years, the state of the regions economy, and the political ideology of the PSC. The NDAA will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the signing of the peace agreement on a grand scale, with a military parade and traditional dancing. While the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Myanmars largest ethnic armed group, showed off drones and anti-aircraft missiles at the 30th anniversary of the signing of its truce with the central government, U Kham Maung said the NDAA does not possess such weapons. Mong La is growing much faster than major towns on the mainland. How did the NDAA work to bring about economic prosperity in the past 30 years? Before that, we fought a war as part of the CPB. At the time, we called the military government the Ne Win military regime. As the CPB said that [the regime] was the common enemy of the people, we fought a war for over 20 years. People died and faced appalling material hardship. They had neither shelter nor food. So, the leadership thought that if we remained under the leadership of the CPB, we would have to continue fighting even if we were not willing to do so. So, we split from the CPB on April 19, 1989. Then, we established the NDAA with troops from #815 War Zone [designated by the CPB], which is Nanban and Mong La of Special Region 4 today, and Brigade 764 based in Sele District [the brigade was then under the direct control of the CPB]. We combined those two forces and established the NDAA. Then we contacted Military Intelligence [now the Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs] and implemented a ceasefire. On June 30, 1989, the countrys leaders designated this region as Special Region 4 of eastern Shan State. We had long been in poverty. So our leaders thought about how to develop our area and we built Mong La under the guidance of our chairman U Sai Linn and with the participation of all the local ethnic people. When we signed the truce, the military government allowed us to retain the areas which we had taken control of through fighting, on condition that we stopped fighting. And they urged us to develop our own areas. At that time we had no schools. They asked us what we needed, and we told them we were lagging behind in the health and education sectors. We signed the truce on June 30, and the military government sent education, health, agriculture and veterinary staff in July. Given that they only had military experience, what difficulties did the leaders of Mong La region face in spurring regional development? At the time, our leaders only knew how to wage war. They understood nothing about regional development, and they had no experience. So, we struggled hard to build it into the splendid town it is today by trial and error. The government as well as our friends [other ethnic armed groups] gave us advice. We planned to build our town as a tourist town. Our town had nothing in the past [to attract travelers]. Then we built pagodas, a national races village and organized elephant and crocodile shows as well as a gay show, which we imported from Thailand. Mong La had quite a lot of hustle and bustle at the time, and we were able to attract many travelers. From 1995 to 2004, we received 500 to 800 20-seater and 30-seater buses of Chinese travelers from Xishaungbana daily. They arrived in the town around 8 am. They enjoyed the shows and visited pagodas, and went back around 2 pm. Our town was quite alive with visitors. Why did the tourism industry decline later? It is difficult to say. We didnt wish to see that. But China might have its own regulations. In December 2004, the Chinese government closed the Tar Law gate. So, it has been more than 10 years since I last visited China. It has tightened restrictions. We also have a Hotels and Tourism Department. It contacted the Hotels and Tourism Department in China. Today, we still receive Chinese travelers, but the number has declined significantly. Your group signed the truce 30 years ago, but the government has asked it to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). What is the view of Mong La leaders on this? At first, we said we would take part in the political dialogue, but we would not sign the NCA because clashes have not taken place for nearly 30 years. But then, when we attended the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference, the countrys leaders said the NCA is more comprehensive than the previous ceasefire agreement. We dont oppose the NCA, but we adhere to a policy of an all-inclusive peace process. If all the ethnic armed organizations would sign it, we are ready to sign it any time. By all-inclusive, which particular groups do you mean? What if the UWSA said it didnt wish to sign the NCA? There are 21 ethnic armed groups, and 10 groups have signed the NCA. I mean, if eight or nine remaining groups sign it, we will also sign. We have to take the views of other groups and the overall situation into consideration. So, it is difficult for us to sign it separately. It is up to the UWSA whether or not to sign it. We have to look at the other organizations. Your group signed ceasefire agreements during the time of U Thein Seins government. Does the current government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi recognize those agreements or has it introduced a new process? We signed three trucesone at the state-level and two at the Union level, signed separately in Kengtung and Mong La. And we are currently abiding by those agreements. President U Thein Seins government promised us a [political] dialogue after signing the agreement at three levels. But now, we are told that we can participate in the dialogue only after signing the NCA. So, we are waiting to engage in dialogue. What would Mong La leaders like to discuss as part of the political dialogue? As weve said earlier, we will demand autonomy for Special Region 4. We demanded autonomy when the National Convention was convened in 1993. Under the 2008 Constitution, six other ethnic groups were given autonomy, but we werent. And we dont know why. We just want to govern our region. This is our policy and political ambition. There is nothing special. We want autonomy according to the law. Thats all. What is the size and population of Special Region 4? Eastern Shan State covers 4,952 square miles, and most of the areas are mountainous. The population is around 100,000, and there are 13 indigenous tribes, and the majority of them are Shan, Akha, Tai Lue and Kokang. The other tribes only account for a few hundreds to a few thousand. There are 413 villages in total. There are three districts, which we call regionsNanban, Mong La and Seleand there are 26 village tracts. Why wasnt Special Region 4 granted autonomy while other ethnic special regions were? We dont know why. We are asking the same question. Are NDAA leaders concerned that the government will try militarily or by other means to strip Mong La of Special Region status and incorporate Mong La into the mainland if Mong La remains as a Special Region without autonomy? It seems hopeless if we are not constitutionally granted autonomy. We want the Constitution to be changed. The fate of our Special Region 4 will be different only when the Constitution is changed. We wish that would happen. According to the existing Constitution, our Nanban Region is Mongyu Township, and Mong La, where our administration is headquartered, is in Kengtung Township. And Sele Region is in Mong Yang Township. What was the position of the leaders of Special Region 4 when the 2008 Constitution was drafted? Our chairman Sai Lin attended [the National Convention]. He could no longer attend it due to health reasons in 1996, and his son [U Htein Lin] attended on his behalf when the National Convention resumed in 2004. Since then, we have demanded an autonomous region. What role would the leaders of Special Region 4 like to take in the peace process initiated by the government? We are encouraged by the statement of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services that peace will be delivered to the people by 2020. The federal Union presented by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is also good. But we dont know if they are as good as their word. We always welcome it. It is just around one year until 2020. It is up to the countrys leaders. We can only wait and watch. The UWSA enjoys a higher status than the federalism which is being demanded by other ethnic groups. Which status do you preferfederalism or confederationif your group is to participate in political dialogue in the future? We dont understand much about federalism and confederation. What we want is the status quo, to maintain the control of Special Region 4. We have our own army, police force and people. And we have grown short-term and long-term crops. We have gone through 30 years like this and we want to continue as it is now. The Tatmadaw says there must be a single army, and calls for a DDR [Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration] process? What is the view of Special Region 4 leaders on this? The Army chief was talking about the entire project. We want to keep our own army. We can be a force [for the Tatmadaw] if there are external threats. We wont fight with the Tatmadaw. Our army is only meant for the protection of our region and our local people. We dont accept disarmament. Reintegration should be discussed only when there is a political guarantee. It is too early to discuss now. Our wish is to be able to protect our region with our own army. Your group has a regular army, though it doesnt fight with the government. Why is your army kept ready? When we made peace, the countrys leadership [the military government] told me not to expand our army. We didnt. But we have military readiness. We replace the troops. For example, I have served in the army for 45 years. Generally, I should have resigned and should have been replaced with a younger [officer]. But as Im in a leadership position, I cant resign. As we keep a regular army, we have to replace [older troops] with new blood regularly so that it has military readiness. It is normal for an army to keep training. It is not good to keep soldiers idle without training. Our people will feel safe only if we keep training. However, we dont have any intention to wage war or invade. But if somebody came and bullied our people, we will fight to the death. Our army was formed to protect the people. We havent expanded our army; we keep it at its original size. (Note: Conscription is exercised in Special Region 4. One person in every household has to serve in the army. Both men and women serve in the NDAA. If a family has two sons, one must serve in the army.) Burma Amid Mon-Karen Tensions, Troops Withdrawn and Normalcy Temporarily Restored Rebel leaders from both the KNU and the NMSP pose for a group photo together after reaching agreement at a peace negotiation in Three Pagodas Pass on May 3, 2019. / New Mon State Party Karen rebels have withdrawn troops from Tha Thein village, near the Three Pagodas Pass, on Sunday, amid recent military tensions with a Mon armed group, according to Karen State border sources. The move follows a meeting between the two factions on May 3. Nai Ah Kar, a New Mon State Party (NMSP) officer in the Three Pagodas Pass area, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU) has withdrawn their troops already and all locals may now travel freely. Nai Ah Kar said the NMSP is also preparing to withdraw troops from the high-tension area, returning all Mon and Karen troops to their military barracks and deflating all tensions, returning the situation to normal. Saw Htee Edward, of the KNUs Liaison Office in Three Pagodas Pass, also confirmed that his troops have already withdrawn from Mon areas. Tensions arose following a small clash on April 29 between the KNLA and Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA), the armed wing of the NMSP, over a territorial dispute regarding a logging project. At the May 3 meeting near Three Pagodas Pass, a dozen KNU and NMSP leaders agreed on three points: that both sides would withdraw troops from areas of military tension; that the NMSP would temporarily stop a logging project in the area; and that both sides would give advanced warning when troops travel to each controlled area in the future, according to Nai Ah Kar. The disputed area has seen peace since the NMSP signed a ceasefire with the Myanmar government in 1995. Both the KNU and the NMSP later made verbal agreements to work towards local development and economic improvement, especially in the area of forestry. In a previous logging project carried out by the NMSP there, that group agreed to give the KNU 19,000 kyats for every ton of timber they harvested; this time, however, the KNU did not accept the payment, insisting the area belongs to them. Burma Endangered Irrawaddy Dolphin Population Decreases Further Local fishermen on the Irrawaddy River wait for the dolphin to direct them to a bigger catch. / The Irrawaddy MANDALAYThe discovery of the body of a young female Irrawaddy dolphin found in Thabeikyin Township, Mandalay Region on Saturday has further reduced the population of the increasingly rare dolphin breed from 72 to 71. The carcass of the dolphin aged approximately one-year-old and measuring 1.2 meters (4 feet) in length was found floating in the river in Thabeikyin. It is believed to have died two or three days ago, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society Myanmar (WCS Myanmar). When we found the carcass, it was rotten and we could not tell exactly the cause of death. On the other hand, we can assume that electric fishing or other environmental matters, such as poisoning from pesticides or mercury waste from the gold mines, could be the cause of death, said U Han Win, the officer in charge of the Irrawaddy Dolphins Conservation team at WCS Myanmar and an official at the agriculture ministrys Department of Fisheries. The death of this female Irrawaddy dolphin is the second one this year and brings the population down to 71. Only one death [among] these endangered species is already too much. Weve conducted many education programs through WCS about conserving these Irrawaddy dolphins. However, this incident shows that localsespecially the fishermenstill need to follow the rules and regulations, he added. Since 2005, a defined protection zone for the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins has been in place stretching along the Irrawaddy River between Mingun and Kyauk Myaung in Sagaing Region, covering around 370 kilometers (230 miles). In October 2018, another protection area spanning 100 kilometers (62 miles) was defined between Male and Shwe Gu townships. The protection zones have strict measures in place to protect the dolphins, but rules go largely unenforced. Catching or killing dolphins is prohibited, as is trading their meat. A ban on electro-fishing and regulations on the types of nets permitted are also intended to protect the species, which is listed as critically endangered in Myanmar. According to surveys conducted by WCS, the number of Irrawaddy dolphins found in the protection zone was fewer than 20 between 2007-2009. That number increased dramatically after 2010 to 86. In 2014, the number declined to 63, shocking researchers. Over the course of the next four years, it rose again reaching 76 in 2018. A WCS survey conducted in February this year stated that a total of 72 Irrawaddy dolphins were found in the survey area which involved the section of the Irrawaddy River from Mandalay to Bhamo in Kachin State. Most of the deaths of the endangered species are attributed to electro-fishing, which is illegal in the country, said U Kyaw Hla Thein, site manager with the Irrawaddy Dolphins Conservation Team. According to WCS Myanmar, 18 fishermen were arrested and brought to court and 50 fishing boats using electro-fishing methods were seized in 2018. This year, 61 villages in the wildlife protection zone along the river are undergoing training in conservation of the Irrawaddy dolphins. Despite threats of jail time and the education programs, the practice of electro-fishing and the use of gill nets, especially in the protection zones, are still happening. Environmental issues such as pollution are still a threat to the lifeline of the dolphins, U Kyaw Hla Thein said. Many local civil society groups and activists are also involved in conservation and the knowledge to protect these endangered species is dramatically rising. However, there is still not enough cooperation from the local community. As well as Myanmar, Irrawaddy dolphins can also be found in the Mekong River in Cambodia and Laos, and in Mahakham in Indonesia, according to WCS Myanmar. In Myanmar, the endangered species are particularly famous among researchers and local fishermen for their co-fishing partnerships. A traditional fishing method in the area sees dolphins work with fishermen to round up shoals of fish and drive them towards the awaiting nets. The phenomenon is drawing increasing numbers of tourists to that area along the Irrawaddy River. To promote the conservation of the unique dolphins, the local community, WCS Myanmar and local organizations have established community-based tourism projects which facilitate Irrawaddy dolphin co-fishing experiences for tourists. Burma Firebrand Monk Calls for Military Parliamentarians to be Worshipped U Wirathu speaks at the rally against amending Article 59 (f) of 2008 Constitution in Yangon on May 5, 2019. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy YANGONU Wirathu, a firebrand nationalist monk has again sparked controversy by comparing military-appointed lawmakers to the Buddha at a rally on Sunday. Speaking in front of Yangon City Hall at the demonstration calling for Article 59(f) of the 2008 Constitution to be maintained and for Article 261 to be amended, the ultranationalist monk called for the military-appointed lawmakers to be worshipped like the Buddha. Today, soldiers sit in the Parliament, braving the wrath [of the people]. They dont get the salaries of a lawmaker. The only get their soldiers salaries. You should, in fact, worship the soldiers who protect the country despite the wrath and their [modest] soldiers salaries. But now, you loathe them as an enemy. It is not yet time to amend the Constitution, said U Wirathu. The military-drafted 2008 Constitution guarantees the military 25 percent of seats in Parliament. Any amendment to the Constitution requires approval from more than 75 percent of lawmakers, giving the military veto power. U Wirathu also criticized the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) government and the NLD-dominated Parliament, saying that they should change their behavior first because they themselves do not meet democratic norms. Id like to ask legislators if they are as qualified as their international counterparts. If they are, we would be happy to see that all the soldiers are removed [from the Parliament], said the monk. While the monk was addressing the crowd, one man heckled him from the audience, leading to a brawl between him and nationalist attendees. As Sayadaw was speaking on the stage, he jeered at him below the stage. He mocked the Sayadaw from the start of his talks, so we pulled him out for fear that he would get into trouble with the nationalists. But then, it resulted in a spell of commotion, said a female nationalist who was at the event. Members of the police force took the man to a nearby police station. U Wirathu is notorious for his anti-Muslim rhetoric and is seen as having stirred the tensions that caused communal violence in Rakhine State in 2012. In 2013, his portrait was on the front cover of Time magazine with the title The Face of Buddhist Terror. He was banned by the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, the highest Buddhist authority of Myanmar, from preaching for one year due to his hate-invoking speeches. On Friday, Thai authorities banned a sermon by U Wirathu scheduled to be held in Phuket in the far south of the country. Myanmar migrant worker communities in Phuket regularly organize Dhamma sermons given by Buddhist monks invited over from Myanmar, and it was the first time an event had been prohibited, according to migrant worker advocacy groups. Other notorious nationalists U Win Ko Ko Latt and U Hlaw Swe also spoke at the event. Their speeches focused on opposing the amending of Article 59(f), a controversial part of the Constitution which bars Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president for having been married to a foreigner, and because her sons are British citizens. The demonstrators called for the protection of Article 59 and Article 361, plus the amending of Article 261 in line with the law. Article 361 stresses the special position of Buddhism as the faith professed by the great majority of the citizens of the Union. In February, despite strong opposition from the military and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the Union Parliament approved to form a 45-member committee to draft amendments to the Constitution. Burma KNPP, Kayah State Govt to Resume Regular Meetings The KNPP delegation (right side of table) and the government delegation (left side) discuss the opening of further peace negotiation channels in Loikaw on May 6, 2019. / Kayah State Government Office / Facebook CHIANG MAI, ThailandThe Kayah State government and the Karenni National Progressive Party agreed to conduct regular monthly meetings to resolve issues related to regional peace and development during talks in Loikaw, the capital of Kayah State, in the presence of a Union-level delegation sent by the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC). On Monday, the KNPP, state government and Union-level governmental delegation discussed ways of keeping their negotiation channels open. The Union-level peace negotiators were led by U Khin Zaw Oo, the secretary of the Peace Commission. Also present were Kayah State Chief Minister L Phaung Sho and the Myanmar militarys Loikaw regional operations commander Brigadier General Myo Thant Naing. The KNPP delegation was led by its vice chairman, Khu Oo Reh. We agreed to hold effective monthly talks with the state government, which were suspended for about six months, said Nei Neh Plo, the KNPP spokesman. The talks focused on cooperation in the development, health and education sectors at the state level. The KNPP and the state government conducted six monthly meetings from April to October last year but the discussions were halted following disputes about the militarys additional deployment of troops in Kayah State, according to Nei Neh Plo. He said they have been negotiating with the military on the issues, and thus it is hoped the continued monthly discussions with the state government, in which military delegates were included, would be able to help reduce the tensions. These monthly meetings were first conducted last year after three KNPP soldiers and one civilian were allegedly murdered by Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, troops at the regional operations command based in Loikaw in December 2017. The Tatmadaw is conducting an inquiry but there have not been any results from the investigation so far. The area has also seen frequent disputes over territorial control and troop deployments, which local people see as a threat against them. The KNPP signed its first bilateral ceasefire in March 1995, but it broke down after three months. It entered bilateral ceasefire agreements in March 2012 and has since entered negotiations for the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, but has yet to sign the pact. It was also a member of the now defunct United Nationalities Federal Council. Since two of its UNFC partnersthe New Mon State Party and Lahu Democratic Union signed the NCA in February 2018, the KNPP has entered into further negotiations with the Union government to be able to sign the NCA. In March, they held formal talks in Naypyitaw with the NRPC and the military, and held three informal talks during the last six months, in November, January and early March, in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. The group will continue negotiations with the Union governments peace negotiators on signing the NCA and further talks are likely to happen later this month. The KNPP will continue the discussions to move forward on the NCA path and will keep the negotiations open with the government, said Nei Neh Plo. U Hla Maung Shwe, an adviser to the government Peace Commission, who was at Mondays meeting, told The Irrawaddy that the KNPP and the Union-level peace negotiators were able to build trust and said that trust needed to be kept up and expanded to the state level. The NRPC continues to hold peace talks with the non-signatories of the NCA aimed at securing their participation in the formal political dialogue. U Hla Maung Shwe said that during the current two-month extension of the militarys unilateral ceasefire in five military commands in Kachin and Shan states, their priority is on trust building between the EAOs and the government, including the military. That means more of the accused do not await trial in jail. Evans office says 95 percent of domestic violence defendants do not commit a new crime while free on bond. But some of those released are accused of harassment, attacks and repeated violations of orders of protection. One man was arrested five times in 18 months on charges of stalking and beating his ex-girlfriend. Each time he was released, he headed to her home to terrorize her, tapping on her windows in the middle of the night. Sometimes, these cases can escalate to murder charges. Burma Special Branch Sues Editor of Sittwe-Based Publication DMG DMG reporters Ko Nay Win San (left) and Ko Thet Naing appear at Sittwe No. 1 police station on Sunday. / Thet Naing / Facebook YANGONThe Home Affairs Ministrys Special Branch (SB) has opened a lawsuit against U Aung Min Oo, chief editor of Sittwe-based Development Media Group (DMG), under Article 17(2) of the Unlawful Association Act. Article 17(2) stipulates that anyone who promotes or assists an unlawful association shall be punished by five years imprisonment. DMG is the most popular publication among Arakanese readers, as it provides timely information about the ongoing armed skirmishes between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw), as well as about rights abuses in northern Rakhine. As DMGs editor is currently not in Sittwe, Rakhine States capital, No. 1 Sittwe police station summoned two reporters, Ko Nay Win San and Ko Thet Naing, for questioning on Sunday and Monday. U Aung Min Oo confirmed to The Irrawaddy via messenger that he has been sued by SB, but it remains unclear whether the lawsuit is related to DMGs coverage of the armed conflict in Rakhine. No. 1 Sittwe Police Station chief Captain Aung Mya Oo confirmed the questioning and lawsuit to The Irrawaddy on Sunday. We are questioning them because SB has filed a case against the editor-in-chief U Aung Min Oo under 17 (2), said the captain. But he refused to disclose the reason for the lawsuit because its now in the questioning process. Chief reporter Ko Nay Win San recalled that police inquired about the role of his editor, the name of the publisher, and the news organizations structure. The police did not provide the name of the plaintiff or the reason for the prosecution. Ko Nay Win San said he was aware of a case named Aung Min Oo and responsible persons of the publication in the police files. According to him, the police offered only a brief explanation for the summons, saying it was related to DMGs news articles. Ko Nay Win San was asked about the purpose of his feature Moonless Night in Mrauk-U published in early 2019 to mark the first anniversary of a deadly crackdown by police in Mrauk-U in January 2018 that killed seven protesters and wounded a dozen. I explained to them that the purpose of my story was to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated, said Ko Nay Win San. Another reporter, Ko Thet Naing, was also asked about DMGs reporting on a shooting incident by a military unit in Rathedaung Townships Tha Mee Hla village in January. Mondays questioning lasted for about one hour, he said. In a statement issued to mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi urged reporters to cover the news in line with journalistic ethics. In light of her comment, the DMG editor said, Then what about indictments against journalists who cover [the issues] ethically? DMG is the third organization sued by the military and the military-controlled Home Affairs Ministry so far this year. The military recently sued The Irrawaddy online publication and Radio Free Asia (RFA) for defamation over their coverage of the armed clashes between Myanmar military troops and the AA group in northern Rakhine. The Irrawaddy reporter Min Aung Khine contributed to this story from Sittwe. Burma Villagers Who Were Shot Dead in Custody Denied Funeral Rites, Locals Say One of the injured detainees is sent to Sittwe Hospital last week. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy SITTWEBuddhist funeral rites were denied for six local residents shot dead by the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) in the village of Kyauktan in Rakhine States Rathedaung Township, local residents told The Irrawaddy. They said an informal burial was held on Friday. At first, family members were not allowed to see the bodies. Soldiers informed the family members and villagers only after they took the bodies to the cemetery. And the funeral rites could not be performed. An informal funeral was held, Ma Soe Soe, a resident of Kyauktan village, told The Irrawaddy. According to Buddhist custom, funeral rites are performed by monks, to whom family members make donations in the hope that the deceased may benefit from the merit upon their rebirth. As funeral rites could not be performed for them, they lost their rights, said Buddhist monk Sayadaw U Wunna Siri. Funeral attendees were also prohibited from taking photos of the funeral with their mobile phones, the villagers said. However, Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun of the Tatmadaw True News Information Team said the bodies were handed over to family members at around 9.30 a.m. on Friday, adding that funeral rites were performed according to Buddhist tradition. It is not that [funeral attendees] were not allowed to take photos and videos [of the funeral]. We handed over the bodies to family members, and allowed the funeral to be organized in line with religious customs, he told The Irrawaddy. He added that Buddhist rites were performed at the funeral. But Ma Soe Soe, the Kyauktan village resident, told The Irrawaddy, The monks cannot even leave the monastery; how could a funeral possibly have been organized in line with Buddhist funeral rites? I attended the funeral. Family members were only able to see the bodies for a while. All the bodies were disfigured. Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun said the Tatmadaw had assigned a senior military officer to investigate the allegations, and that it would officially release the findings. On April 30, Tatmadaw troops arrived at Kyauktan village and summoned all the male villagers above the age of 15. Then, they interrogated 275 villagers at the village school on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Army (AA). According to villagers who were injured in the incident, a detainee who had been scared by the ongoing detention jumped over the fence and escaped. Soldiers fired at the man and more than 200 detainees stood up to see what was happening. Unexpectedly, soldiers surrounded them from both sides and fired into the crowd, the injured villagers said. While six of the detainees were shot dead, eight others were injured. The Tatmadaw confirmed the fatalities but claimed its soldiers opened fire on the captive villagers because they tried to snatch guns from the soldiers, an account which differs to that shared by those at the scene. We were sleeping when we suddenly heard gunfire. So, we were frightened and checked what was happening. Then a villager ran into the crowd, shouting Run! Run! This was followed by soldiers opening fire on us. So, we all ran in different directions out of fear. We were surrounded by soldiers both inside and outside [the school]; how could we snatch guns? said Ko Kyaw Kyaw Nyein, one of the injured detainees receiving treatment at Sittwe Hospital. The Tatmadaw released 126 villagers on Friday, and said that more would be released later. Analysis Second BRI Forum RoundupHow Myanmar Fares Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hand with Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on April 24, 2019. / Reuters YANGON Despite global concerns about the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) causing unsustainable debt for countries involved, China managed to attract no less than 40 heads of state and delegates from 150 countries and 90 international organizations from around the world to Beijing for the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in late April. During the two-day conference, China produced 283 deliverables. Chinese and Myanmar representatives, led by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, agreed to nine deliverablesincluding three bilateral agreementswhich demonstrate the countrys willingness to be involved in BRI projects in the future. Chinese President Xi Jinpings signature foreign policy unveiled in 2013, the BRI is a grand vision to revive the historic Silk Road trade route and create a 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. Ultimately planning to encompass nearly 70 countries and two-thirds of the worlds population, it would create a network of trade routes from China to Europe passing through Central Asia, the Middle East and Russia. Myanmar occupies a unique geographical position in the global BRI plan, lying at the junction of South Asia and Southeast Asia, and between the Indian Ocean and southwestern Chinas landlocked Yunnan province. What about Myanmar? After the Second Belt and Road Forum, China officially released 283 concrete results in six categories, namely initiatives proposed or launched by the Chinese side; bilateral and multilateral documents signed during or immediately before the forum; multilateral cooperation mechanisms under the forum framework; investment projects and project lists; financing projects; and projects by local authorities and enterprises. Bilateral agreements Before the BRI forum officially started, Chinas top economic planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission of China (NDRC) signed a bilateral document, a cooperation plan on China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) 2019-2030 with the Ministry of Planning and Finance of Myanmar. In September, a 15-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the CMEC was signed. The economic corridor is set to be part of the BRI and aims to construct basic infrastructure connecting key economic centers in Myanmar. Under the MOU, the governments agree to collaborate on projects in a number of sectors including basic infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transport, finance, human resources development, telecommunications, and research and technology. The MOU outlined the agreement that the CMEC will promote cooperation on industry, transportation, energy, agriculture, a digital silk road, finance, tourism, environmental protection, people-to-people exchanges, science and technology, personnel training, water resources and flood prevention and control, according to Myanmars Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The estimated 1,700-kilometer-long corridor will connect Kunming, the capital of Chinas Yunnan province, to Myanmars major economic checkpointsfirst to Mandalay in central Myanmar, and then east to Yangon and west to the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The Ministry of Commerce of China signed the MOU on the Formulation of the Five-Year Development Plan for Economic and Trade Cooperation with Myanmars Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations in late April which aims to enhance cooperation in investment and productivity. Myanmar and China also signed an agreement that outlines the countries collaboration on the economy and technology. Under an economic and technical cooperation agreement, China will provide a grant of 1 billion yuan (225 billion kyats, or US$148 million) for socioeconomic development projects particularly projects to improve peoples livelihoods, feasibility studies for major projects and humanitarian assistance for internally displaced persons in northern Myanmar. Multilateral cooperation at BRI forum At the forum, eight countries including Myanmar jointly released a Statement of Intent for Cooperation on Promoting Specification-setting for Pesticide Quality under the Belt and Road Initiative. As multilateral cooperation mechanisms under the BRI framework, Chinas ecology and environment ministry, along with 25 countries (including Myanmar) and international organizations (including the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) launched the BRI International Green Development Coalition. The coalition was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the first Belt and Road Forum in May 2017. He spoke about the importance of promoting new philosophies of green development and enhancing cooperation in environmental protection and building an ecological civilization to achieve the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China and the other member countries agree to support green development philosophies; work towards the 2030Agenda for Sustainable Development; push forward green and low-carbon construction, operation and management in infrastructure buildings; emphasize ecological civilization in investment and trade; and enhance cooperation in ecology, environment, biodiversity and addressing climate change, according to the BRI International Green Development Coalition. According to Chinas state media China Daily, Shanghai Cooperation Organization Environmental Information Sharing Platform and Green Supply Chain Platform and another four sub-platforms will support Belt and Road member countries with environmental data such as information on environmental protection laws, regulations, standards, policies, concept, technical exchange and industry cooperation. China officially announced the establishment of Belt and Road Energy Partnership (BREP) on the first day of the forum and Myanmar agreed to join along with 27 other Asian countries including Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Mongolia and Cambodia. According to the documents, BREP aims to promote mutually beneficial energy cooperation, help countries jointly solve problems with energy development and to achieve shared development and prosperity. The BRI energy ministerial conference will be held every year and will initiate training projects for energy ministers and energy cooperation talent training as needed. China and member countries also released Cooperation Principles and Concrete Actions of the Belt and Road Energy Partnership at the forum. The document said member countries are to enhance policy exchanges, build bilateral and multilateral project cooperation and technology exchange platforms and to promote pragmatic cooperation in the energy field. Myanmars Union Minister for Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing joined the Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference in Suzhou, China in October last year. At the second BRI forum, over 30 countries and regions including Myanmar agreed to establish the International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization (ICDPASO) offered by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Chinas Chamber of International Commerce. Since August, the vice chairperson of the NDRC, Ning Jizhe told the media that China will strengthen legal risk prevention and control, and initiate the establishment of the BRIs international commercial dispute settlement mechanism and institutions. Chinese media reported that cross-border commercial disputes in international trade accepted by Chinas peoples courts have dramatically increased. China established International Commercial Courts in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and Xian, Shaanxi last year to deal with mainly international commercial disputes between equal commercial entities. Under ICDPASO, China wants to adopt a trinity dispute settlement mechanism to mediate international commercial disputes and play a full role in mediation in resolving disputes with the wishes of the parties, members of the International Commercial Expert Committee and international commercial mediation agencies. Investment projects and project lists Except for these bilateral and multilateral agreements, Myanmar and China also signed CMEC project harvest lists and handed over the Feasibility Study Report of the Muse-Mandalay Railway. According to the list of deliverables in the document, the Ministry of Planning and Finance of Myanmar and the NDRC signed a document on the early harvest projects list of the CMEC. Myanmars government has not officially publicized the list. In December 2018, Mandalay Region Finance and Planning Minister U Myat Thu told The Irrawaddy that China proposed implementing 40 projects, but finally the two sides tentatively agreed to implement nine projects as part of the economic corridor project, including three economic cooperation zones in Kachin and Shan states. In October, two state-owned companiesthe China Railway Group Ltd. and Myanmar Railwayssigned an MOU to conduct a feasibility study on the Mandalay Muse railway project, which itself is part of the CMEC, together. The Mandalay-Muse railway project will be 431 kilometers (268 miles) long and pass through armed conflict areas in Shan State. China Railway Group Ltd. covered the full cost of the study, which will assess the environmental and social impacts of the proposed railway line. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the survey was carried out on the Naung Cho (Nawnghkio)-Lashio section of the railway between Jan. 6 and April 13 and the Lashio-Muse section between Jan. 15 and April 2. Muse, which lies on Myanmars border near Chinas Yunnan province, is the largest trade portal between the two nations. Mandalay is central Myanmars commercial center and the countrys second largest city. The railway is expected to become a lifeline for China-Myanmar trade. Currently, Myanmar is implementing five priority transportation corridors. The Muse-Mandalay railway would be part of the South Transportation Corridor section of the Trans Asian Railway Network (TAR), a project implemented by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. At the forum, China signed deals worth a total of more than $64 billion with several countries. It repeatedly reassured existing and potential partners that Beijing does not intend to saddle them with unsustainable debts and that it aims to benefit all parties involved in the initiative. China signed 13 bilateral and 16 multilateral agreements with Asian nations, including Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, there were no infrastructure projects included in those agreements. This second forum was completely different to the first BRI Forum held two years ago when most of the deals were related to bridges, railway links and roads. May 6, 2019 POCATELLO The Idaho State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has received a $150,000 grant from the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) to test the seismic resiliency of precast concrete bridges. Assistant Professor Mustafa Mashal is principal investigator and Professor Arya Ebrahimpour is co-principal investigator on the project. This project requires testing of large-scale bridge piers under lateral forces to identify the seismic performance of the technology proposed by ITD. The project will include some of the largest indoor testing on bridge specimens in Idaho, Mashal said. ISU's Structural Lab has the capability to test specimens 14 feet in height and up to 38 feet long. Several industry champions including Premier Technology in Blackfoot, Forterra Structural Precast in Salt Lake City, Utah and Caldwell, Idaho, Oldcastle Infrastructure in Spokane, Washington, Teton Prestress Concrete in Idaho Falls and Campbell Scientific in Logan, Utah are helping ISU researchers to successfully accomplish this project. Idaho is one of the states with active seismicity with Southeast Idaho being the most seismically active region in the state. In a typical precast concrete bridge, the bridge components are cast off-site in a controlled environment then transported to the bridge location for assembly. Precast concrete offers advantages such as rapid construction, reduced traffic disruption, improved quality, use of machinery, better durability, enhanced construction site safety, and less environmental impacts. Precast components are similar to Legos, you put them together to build a structure. The critical locations are the connections between the components, Mashal said. Mashal said that during an earthquake, the connections have to be strong enough to withstand the earthquake forces. For this project, the researchers will test precast bridge piers with a new type of connection using structural steel pipes. They will compare the seismic performance of the precast specimens up to the failure point to that of traditional cast-in-place specimens in order to build confidence for real-life applications of the technology, Mashal said. The opportunity to partner with ITD on another project adds value to several groups; ISUs civil engineering students, the States infrastructure and the precast industry, said Bruce Savage, ISU civil and environmental engineering chair and associate professor. This speaks to the quality of the faculty that we have at ISU in civil and environmental engineering, The ISU faculty work well with the bridge engineers at ITD Bridge Section and have enjoyed this working relationship, said Ebrahimpour. The current project builds on our past experience of working with the Bridge Section and ITDs research needs in Accelerated Bridge Construction. Graduate students from the civil and environmental engineering department working on this project are Jared Cantrell, Corey Marshall, and Ali Shokrgozar. An undergraduate student, Kathryn Hogarth, is also involved in the research project. The opportunity to work on such a project as this has provided me with the opportunity to apply the concepts learned throughout my schooling to experiment and prove concepts regarding innovative construction and design techniques. Another aspect this project has provided is an opportunity to work directly with ITD, Forterra Structural Precast, and many other industry professionals that bring years of experience and knowledge of standard practice that cannot be experienced in the classroom, Cantrell said. Working on the ITD project has been a really good experience. I have been able to incorporate what I have learned in my past undergraduate classes into the design of the concrete columns. Marshall said. Working on the ITD project has brought me a lot of hands on experience to concepts that we discuss in our classes; in doing this I feel like I have a better understanding of what it takes to be a civil engineer working in the field. This project has also got me more excited for my future career as a civil engineer. Hogarth said. Representatives from Premier Technology, Forterra Structural Precast, and Campbell Scientific all said they were excited about working on this project with the ISU researchers and students. Premier Technology, Inc. is pleased to support the students in the ISU Structural Lab through the use of our facilities and equipment. said John Mangum, chief production officer. The research study on seismic resiliency of precast concrete bridge piers and abutments appears promising as something that Idaho residents should be excited about, said Jonathan Kirk, general manager at Forterra Structural Precast. With proven success of this new connection concept, this could expand the use of precast concrete to support bridge structures, thus reducing construction time for a bridge to minimize traffic delays while also reducing cost burden on the tax payers. Campbell Scientific, Inc. is proud to support the ISU structural lab (SLAB). To have a structural lab of this size, capability, and expertise within the intermountain region is an immense opportunity to ISU, faculty, student body, and the concrete bridge industry as a whole said Michael Adams, senior market sales engineer. The Australian Greens have called on the Federal Government to immediately halt the recovery of money claimed to be owed to Centrelink and calculated through the use of data, after the Department of Human Services wiped a $4000 debt that was at the heart of a Federal Court challenge to the recovery scheme. The digital rights group, Electronic Frontiers Australia, added its voice, calling for the new government that will be elected on 18 May to rewind what it described as "the infamous Centrelink data-matching program known as robo-debt". The case was filed by Victorian Legal Aid on behalf of Melbourne nurse Madeleine Masterton, after claims that welfare recipients were being asked to pay back debts that were wrongly calculated, or, in many cases, completely fictitious. The Departments magic recalculation of this debt shows just what a farce this program is. The Department simply cannot explain how debts are calculated through its deeply flawed process, Greens spokesperson on family and community services, Senator Rachel Siewert, said in a statement. Following the dropping of Mastertons debt the obvious question is - how can we believe any of the calculations?" The robo-debt scheme was started by the Coalition Government shortly before Christmas 2016, when the DHS sent tens of thousands of letters to people, telling them that their earnings were at variance with what they had declared to the Australian Taxation Office. They were given up to three weeks to explain. Else, they faced an adverse assessment and a recovery fee of 10%. Human Services Minister Alan Tudge himself was unaware of this recovery fee. Some letters dealt with payments made six years prior to 2016 and even earlier. The Centrelink website asks people to keep pay slips for six months. In June 2017, a Senate panel recommended that the program be halted immediately until all the issues around it were fixed. A year later, it was revealed that a third of the appeals, made by those who were slugged with these debts, had been upheld by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Senator Siewert said: Robo-debt has caused harm to thousands and thousands of Australians. Many people are repaying debts they do not believe they owe but cannot easily disprove, and cannot afford to fight the system any further." She said the government's act of dropping the debt at the last minute was "clearly a last-ditch effort by the Commonwealth to prevent the whole system from being found to be invalid". We now face the prospect of hundreds if not thousands of court challenges until the program is invalidated or dropped. I am calling on the government to cease the program now and rescind all debt notices to provide justice and fair play to some of our most vulnerable citizens." EFA chair Lyndsey Jackson said the organisation condemned the actions of the DHS which she characterised as "deliberately evading scrutiny of the program". Dropping the complainants $4000 debt at this late stage is suspiciously convenient, and consistent with the Departments ongoing efforts to avoid public scrutiny of this abusive program, Jackson said in a statement. Denying people transparency and fair process is a disgrace, particularly given the widespread administrative flaws in the robo-debt system. Those flaws include crude income averaging, data errors like duplicate employers, and its reversal of the onus of proof. She said rights were at the intersection of human rights and digital policy. "Robo-debt is a severe example of what happens when poorly considered policy is combined with equally poor implementation of digital systems. Its become a cautionary tale to the rest of the world, yet another algorithm of oppression. Those in technology, public policy, and the law have been waiting to see how this court case unfolded. We believe the flimsy pretence for this program will collapse under legal scrutiny, and it seems the Department does too, since it has struck off a debt rather than defend it in court. Ed Husic: "We know there is massive demand for workplace digital skills its estimated we need 100,000 extra digitally enabled workers between now and 2023." A Labor Government, if elected, will boost the digital skills of Australians through the injection of $25 million to drive skills development in regional Australia. Labor Shadow Minister for Human Services and the Digital Economy Ed Husic and Shadow Minister for Regional Communications Stephen Jones said in a joint statement on Tuesday that this would primarily be through creating regional Digital Skills Hubs that would potentially assist up to 500,000 Australians. The initiative will be announced in Kiama later on Tuesday, with Husic and Jones to be accompanied by the party's candidate for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips. "Regional Australia lags behind the rest of the country on digital inclusion," Jones said. "Its not just about having a decent broadband connection - its also about regional skills. We want to transform regional Australians from simply being users of digital technology to the designers of it, applying these skills across a range of activities from agtech to smart city design. The statement said Labor also planned to consult industry on a plan to extend to major government IT suppliers the ratio of one employee in 10 being an apprentice. The aim is to encourage IT providers to government to open up job pathways and play their part in reducing skills shortages. We know there is massive demand for workplace digital skills its estimated we need 100,000 extra digitally enabled workers between now and 2023," Husic said. On top of this, digital skills are crucial in everything from engaging with the government or your bank, getting your next job or starting your own business. We need to make sure all Australians have the digital skills they need at work, home or the community. Through the power of government procurement, we want to work with industry to create training opportunities for Australians, regardless of where they live. Labor wants to use this program to work with industry to establish best practice and key skills sets to drive ICT training nationally. The Hubs will target groups who have been generally excluded from gaining digital skills such as older Australians, Indigenous Australians, people living with a disability, newly arrived migrants, people with English as an additional language and the long-term unemployed. Regarding the apprenticeship initiative, the statement said only companies involved in government contracts over $5 million and running longer than a year would have to take on apprentices in the ratio mentioned. This would be in addition to other "skill formation leadership" policies such as instituting infrastructure training and apprenticeship plans for all major projects. The development is predicated on a transit center in an effort to suggest there will be some public good from this abomination. There is no evidence that there is a need for a transit center in this area. All the various projections of jobs, tax revenue and other economic benefits come solely from those with an interest in seeing this project move forward. I dont understand why the city or the state would want to damage the current vibrant community of the South Loop. Development is an absolutely marvelous goal for cities and states. There are many, many areas of the city that could use the attention of developers that would leave the type of improvements that would benefit the city, the state and the local community. But this proposal is not one of them. The damage to the existing community would be irreparable. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Mueller found that Trump attempted "to slow down, impede, negate, or interfere with the investigation," Napolitano said in a recent online-only commentary. "That's a serious allegation of criminal activity. So when the president asked his former (deputy national security) adviser K.T. McFarland to write an untruthful letter to the file knowing the government would subpoena it, that's obstruction of justice. When the president asked Corey Lewandowski, his former campaign manager, to get Mueller fired, that's obstruction of justice. When the president asked his then-White House counsel to get Mueller fired and then lie about, that's obstruction of justice. When he asked (White House counsel) Don McGahn to go back to the special counsel and change his testimony, that's obstruction of justice. When he dangled a pardon in front of (his former attorney) Michael Cohen in order to keep Cohen from testifying against him, that's obstruction of justice." For a better experience on our website and avoid any trouble, we strongly recommand to activate Javascript ( click here ). Hello and welcome to Journal des Palaces You are a communication or the PR manager? Click here You are an applicant? Check out our questions and answers here ! HIGH POINT Full Kee Chinese Gourmet Restaurant at 3793 Samet Drive, Suite 140 has closed. The restaurant, which opened over 12 years ago, served traditional Chinese cuisine. Last year, Suyun Huang took over the restaurant when previous owner George Yu retired. Huang said her regular customers were loyal, but "There were not enough customers to cover our expenses." Huang, who is also a real estate broker, said juggling the restaurant was a challenge. "It's sad that I have to close, but it was too stressful," Huang said. Huang said the restaurant stayed open long enough to accommodate a Chef's Table tasting dinner presented by Triad Foodies on April 29. The restaurant is for sale. For information, email Suyun Huang at suyun_huang@yahoo.com. Contact at 336-373-7145 or at carl.wilson@greensboro.com. Follow on Twitter at Short_OrdersNR and on Facebook. The airport served as an Army Air Corps training facility, Conrad said. The airport and Winston-Salem gave birth to a legacy carrier, which was Piedmont Airlines, so we definitely qualify as an airport that has contributed significantly to the development of aviation in the state. Of course, Piedmont merged with USAirways, which was folded into American, Conrad said. Conrad said that having a legacy designation could be useful in branding and in economic development activities. The goal is to have the airport prepared should money become available for legacy airports in a proposed federal infrastructure bill, which could reach up to $2 trillion in funding. While most federal dollars go to international airports, legacy airports in our state could try to leverage that status to obtain funds to advance the utilization of these important assets in our state, Conrad said. We would be able to use legacy in the branding and marketing of Smith Reynolds. The legacy designation could make the airport more attractive to aviation tenants or low-fare airline carriers, supporters say. Ask for an itemized bill from your doctor to better understand your charges. Check to ensure that the doctors office did bill your insurance company. If you know you cannot afford to pay the debt, reach out to your medical provider and ask to work out a payment plan. The amount of the payment must be agreed upon by the medical office. Mailing in a small payment of your choice will not stop a medical provider from turning the debt over to collections. If your debt has been handed over to a collection agency, you can ask the agency not to report it to the credit bureau if you pay it immediately. Even if you pay the debt, once it has been reported your credit score will not improve. To amend your score, ask the agency to pay for delete, which would remove the negative information from your credit report and if they agree, be sure to get it in writing. As always, be sure this is a bill you owe and not a scam. Lastly, if you believe the bill is unfair or you do not owe the charges, you have the right under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to request a copy of the debt in writing within 30 days of receiving the notice. Regardless of what Congress does, Democratic presidential candidates can run on their own forward-looking agendas. All the House investigations in the world dont interfere with Sen. Elizabeth Warrens ability to churn out intricate policy plans on a regular basis. (She has plenty of time to demand that Barr resign or be impeached.) Former Vice President Joe Biden can simultaneously excoriate Trump for his Charlottesville remarks, provoke a presidential meltdown by getting the endorsement of a single union and suggesting his own reforms (e.g., a $15 minimum wage, a public option for a Medicare buy-in). Now, it is true that a presidential campaign needs a coherent message, but calling for Barrs resignation doesnt negate Warrens the system is rigged message or take away from Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who is advancing her For the People message. (Indeed, Harris winning performance at the Barr hearing seems to reinforce her theme. She tweeted, Im running for president because the American people deserve truth and integrity from their elected leaders. Thats not what were getting right now.) Moreover, officials told The Washington Post, When Barr pressed Mueller whether he thought Barrs letter was inaccurate, Mueller said he did not, but felt that the media coverage of the letter was misinterpreting the investigation. So, there was nothing wrong with Barrs letter per se. What Mueller really wanted was for Barr to release more information specifically the introduction and executive summaries of each volume of the report, which he had marked with redactions to remove any information that potentially could be protected by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure that concerned declination decisions; or that related to a charged case. But, as Barr testified on Wednesday, even if he had agreed that releasing the introductions and executive summaries was a good idea (which he did not), he could not have done so because they required additional redactions from the intelligence community. Barr did not want to release the report piecemeal. I thought what we should do is focus on getting the full report out as quickly as possible, he said. The attorney general did just that. Drill Hole KMDD0128 records multiple intersections including 2.05 m at 363.91 g/t Au, 17 g/t Ag and 0.08% Cu (364.25 g/t AuEq) plus 11.45 m at 7.61 g/t Au, 22 g/t Ag and 1.26% Cu (9.83 g/t AuEq) Drill Hole KMDD0142 records multiple intersections including 10.25 m at 26.02 g/t Au, 30 g/t Ag and 0.80% Cu (27.63.19 g/t Au Eq) plus 7.96 m at 49.82 g/t Au, 4 g/t Ag and 0.34% Cu (50.38 g/t AuEq) Drill Hole KMDD0140 records 3.55 m at 14.71 g/t Au, 6 g/t Ag and 0.61% Cu (15.72 g/t AuEq) plus 16.80 m at 7.65 g/t Au, 32 g/t Ag and 1.74% Cu (10.72 g/t AuEq) Drill Hole KMDD0115A records a K2 intersection of 7.20 m at 2.57 g/t Au, 27 g/t Ag and 0.40% Cu (3.51 g/t AuEq) over 300 metres vertically below the current operating level, extending the known depth extent of the K2 Lode 200 metres below the current resource Drill rigs at Kora/Kora North increased to four to further accelerate expansion and exploration drilling VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K92 Mining Inc. (K92 or the Company) (TSX-V: KNT; OTCQX: KNTNF) is pleased to announce results from the continuing diamond drilling of the Kora North Extension of the Kainantu gold mine in Papua New Guinea. The results for the latest 8 diamond drill holes completed from diamond drill cuddy 3 and the new drill cuddy 5 (DDC3 and DDC5) into the Kora North deposit are summarized in Table 1 below. Hole KMDD0115 was abandoned, having recorded a complete intersection of 8.30 metres of K1 at 2.2 g/t Au, 46 g/t Ag and 1.07% Cu (4.42 g/t AuEq) over 100 metres below the known K1 resource. A daughter hole, KMDD0115A was wedged off this hole and recorded an intersection of 7.20 m at 2.57 g/t Au, 27 g/t Ag and 0.40% Cu (3.51 g/t AuEq) over 300 metres vertically below the current operating level, extending the known depth extent of the K2 Lode 200 metres below the current resource. The results continue to delineate and extend both the K1, K2 lodes as well as the KL structure between the lodes. Long sections showing all holes drilled to date in both K1 and K2 are provided below. Table 2 provides details of collar location and hole orientation. John Lewins, K92 Chief Executive Officer and Director, stated, These latest results have not only continued to confirm the remarkable continuity of the high-grade K1 and K2 vein systems within the Kora deposit, but through hole KMDD0115/115A extended the known depth of the K1 Lode by over 100 metres and the K2 Lode by 200 metres. This obviously has major positive implications for the current drilling program which is targeting an expansion of the Kora/Kora North Resource. Given these results, in order to allow the underground rigs to focus more on the potential depth extensions of the Kora/Kora North deposit, we have taken the decision to mobilize a surface diamond drill rig to drill out the area above the current Kora North resource. While it had been originally planned to drill this area exclusively from underground, it can be efficiently drilled from surface with similar length holes. We are currently preparing surface drill pads and expect to mobilize the surface rig within the next few weeks. The addition of the surface rig will increase the number of diamond rigs drilling at Kora/Kora North to four. Table 1 - Kainantu Gold Mine Significant Intercepts from Diamond Drill Cuddies 3 & 6 Hole_id From (m) To m) Interval (m) True width (m) Gold g/t Silver g/t Copper % AuEq (1) g/t Comment KMDD0115 295.50 303.80 8.30 6.64 2.20 46 1.07 4.42 K1 Including 295.50 296.14 0.64 0.51 0.88 39 1.50 3.67 Including 296.14 296.90 0.76 0.61 5.53 199 5.95 17.16 Including 296.90 297.60 0.70 0.56 5.36 129 2.29 10.50 Including 297.60 298.30 0.70 0.56 4.21 86 1.32 7.32 Including 298.30 299.20 0.90 0.72 1.72 28 0.33 2.58 Including 299.20 299.90 0.70 0.56 1.81 11 0.11 2.12 Including 299.90 300.60 0.70 0.56 1.40 10 0.05 1.60 Including 300.60 301.30 0.70 0.56 0.10 6 0.27 0.59 Including 301.30 302.10 0.80 0.64 0.17 9 0.16 0.52 Including 302.10 302.90 0.80 0.64 0.09 2 0.09 0.26 Including 302.90 303.80 0.90 0.72 3.01 6 0.07 3.20 KMDD0115 307.87 315.50 7.63 6.10 0.40 3 0.35 0.98 Including 307.87 309.00 1.13 0.90 0.46 2 0.42 1.12 Including 309.00 310.00 1.00 0.80 0.36 1 0.07 0.48 Including 310.00 311.00 1.00 0.80 0.11 3 0.07 0.25 Including 311.00 312.30 1.30 1.04 0.09 3 0.31 0.60 Including 312.30 313.72 1.42 1.14 0.40 2 0.09 0.57 Including 313.72 314.50 0.78 0.62 0.84 4 0.68 1.94 Including 314.50 315.50 1.00 0.80 0.72 5 1.02 2.35 KMDD0115 321.00 321.90 0.90 0.72 6.51 6 0.11 6.76 Hole abandoned at start of K2 KMDD0115A 301.60 304.40 2.80 1.49 3.50 13 0.10 3.82 KMDD0115 daughter hole Including 301.60 302.10 0.50 0.27 8.70 20 0.24 9.32 Including 302.10 303.00 0.90 0.48 5.70 11 0.05 5.92 Including 303.00 303.63 0.63 0.34 0.20 5 0.02 0.29 Including 303.63 304.40 0.77 0.41 0.25 17 0.15 0.70 KMDD0115A 306.40 319.25 12.85 6.59 0.53 5 0.19 0.88 Including 306.40 307.00 0.60 0.32 6.22 20 0.24 6.84 Including 307.00 308.00 1.00 0.53 0.09 3 0.02 0.16 Including 308.00 309.00 1.00 0.53 0.21 3 0.01 0.26 Including 309.00 310.00 1.00 0.53 0.03 2 0.03 0.11 Including 310.00 311.00 1.00 0.53 0.15 4 0.26 0.60 Including 311.00 312.00 1.00 0.53 0.33 4 0.23 0.74 Including 312.00 313.00 1.00 0.53 0.16 4 0.21 0.53 Including 313.00 314.00 1.00 0.53 0.12 4 0.22 0.51 Including 314.50 314.50 0.00 0.00 0.41 5 0.10 0.62 Including 314.50 314.90 0.40 0.21 0.19 5 0.31 0.72 Including 314.90 316.15 1.25 0.67 0.09 5 0.03 0.20 Including 316.15 316.75 0.60 0.32 0.11 4 0.01 0.18 Including 316.75 317.65 0.90 0.48 0.11 5 0.10 0.32 Including 317.65 318.50 0.85 0.45 0.07 4 0.18 0.40 Including 318.50 319.25 0.75 0.40 1.69 8 1.13 3.52 KMDD0115A 342.15 346.60 4.45 2.87 0.40 14 2.07 3.75 Including 342.15 342.70 0.55 0.35 0.21 14 2.05 3.52 Including 342.70 343.60 0.90 0.58 0.54 23 4.12 7.14 Including 343.60 343.85 0.25 0.16 0.03 4 0.18 0.36 Including 343.85 344.56 0.71 0.46 1.40 32 5.66 10.47 Including 344.56 345.56 1.00 0.64 0.04 3 0.02 0.11 Including 345.56 346.32 0.76 0.49 0.05 3 0.04 0.15 Including 346.32 346.60 0.28 0.18 0.38 10 1.00 2.04 KMDD0115A 360.80 363.30 2.50 1.61 0.47 19 2.15 4.00 Including 360.80 361.55 0.75 0.48 0.82 5 0.27 1.30 Including 361.55 362.20 0.65 0.42 0.20 2 0.04 0.29 Including 362.20 363.30 1.10 0.71 0.39 39 4.67 8.03 KMDD0115A 376.99 379.30 2.31 1.49 0.36 7 0.86 1.78 Including 376.99 377.10 0.11 0.07 1.63 24 1.61 4.39 Including 377.10 377.52 0.42 0.27 0.18 2 0.06 0.30 Including 377.52 378.00 0.48 0.31 0.40 7 1.13 2.22 Including 378.00 378.20 0.20 0.13 0.17 2 0.02 0.23 Including 378.20 379.30 1.10 0.71 0.32 9 1.13 2.17 KMDD0115A 432.80 440.00 7.20 4.64 2.57 27 0.40 3.51 K2 Including 432.80 433.90 1.10 0.71 12.16 51 0.54 13.64 Including 433.90 435.00 1.10 0.71 0.35 10 0.24 0.85 Including 435.00 436.00 1.00 0.64 0.95 22 0.39 1.82 Including 436.00 437.00 1.00 0.64 1.02 40 0.65 2.52 Including 437.00 438.00 1.00 0.64 0.16 6 0.11 0.40 Including 438.00 439.00 1.00 0.64 0.23 6 0.05 0.39 Including 439.00 440.00 1.00 0.64 2.36 50 0.81 4.23 KMDD0117 281.42 283.32 1.90 0.89 1.09 2 0.12 1.30 Including 281.42 281.56 0.14 0.07 2.48 1 0.09 2.63 Including 281.56 282.18 0.62 0.29 0.36 1 0.16 0.62 Including 282.18 282.83 0.65 0.31 1.71 3 0.11 1.91 Including 282.83 282.94 0.11 0.05 0.04 1 0.31 0.53 Including 282.94 283.20 0.26 0.12 0.34 1 0.02 0.37 Including 283.20 283.32 0.12 0.06 2.41 2 0.14 2.64 KMDD0117 292.90 300.00 7.10 3.34 4.39 11 0.25 4.91 K1 Including 292.90 293.76 0.86 0.40 19.83 1 0.12 20.02 Including 293.76 294.10 0.34 0.16 2.49 1 0.07 2.61 Including 294.10 295.10 1.00 0.47 2.66 4 0.48 3.44 Including 295.10 296.70 1.60 0.75 0.40 3 0.16 0.69 Including 296.70 298.10 1.40 0.66 1.63 18 0.31 2.33 Including 298.10 300.00 1.90 0.89 4.04 21 0.26 4.71 KMDD0117 312.24 313.43 1.19 0.56 24.09 11 0.14 24.44 KMDD0117 335.54 339.00 3.46 1.82 1.46 39 0.83 3.23 Including 335.54 336.80 1.26 0.66 0.78 26 0.47 1.83 Including 336.80 338.00 1.20 0.63 0.69 46 1.51 3.58 Including 338.00 339.00 1.00 0.53 3.24 48 0.47 4.57 KMDD0117 358.00 364.20 6.20 3.26 2.43 28 0.91 4.17 K2 Including 358.00 359.70 1.70 0.89 0.99 37 1.44 3.67 Including 359.70 361.60 1.90 1.00 5.42 44 0.47 6.70 Including 361.60 362.30 0.70 0.37 1.02 11 0.97 2.64 Including 362.30 364.20 1.90 1.00 1.26 9 0.84 2.66 KMDD0128 68.80 70.85 2.05 1.44 363.91 17 0.08 364.25 K1 Including 68.80 70.00 1.20 0.84 621.30 25 0.10 621.77 Including 70.00 70.85 0.85 0.59 0.53 5 0.06 0.69 KMDD0128 75.95 79.90 3.95 2.93 2.55 6 0.46 3.32 Including 75.95 77.00 1.05 0.78 1.02 4 0.35 1.60 Including 77.00 78.00 1.00 0.74 1.88 5 0.26 2.34 Including 78.00 79.00 1.00 0.74 5.23 6 0.73 6.42 Including 79.00 79.90 0.90 0.67 2.11 8 0.51 2.99 KMDD0128 86.55 98.00 11.45 7.98 7.61 22 1.26 9.83 K2 Including 86.55 87.20 0.65 0.45 1.63 52 1.86 5.14 Including 87.20 88.00 0.80 0.56 10.20 40 2.54 14.59 Including 88.00 89.00 1.00 0.70 2.44 11 0.70 3.66 Including 89.00 89.50 0.50 0.35 1.19 5 0.12 1.43 Including 89.50 90.10 0.60 0.42 2.85 3 0.05 2.96 Including 90.10 90.50 0.40 0.28 5.29 9 0.37 5.98 Including 90.50 90.80 0.30 0.21 20.00 20 0.65 21.25 Including 90.80 91.30 0.50 0.35 39.30 26 0.62 40.57 Including 91.30 92.35 1.05 0.73 2.49 14 0.56 3.53 Including 92.35 92.75 0.40 0.28 53.50 272 21.20 89.39 Including 92.75 93.20 0.45 0.31 1.70 8 0.24 2.17 Including 93.20 94.10 0.90 0.63 0.81 3 0.04 0.92 Including 94.10 95.13 1.03 0.72 0.25 1 0.01 0.28 Including 95.13 96.20 1.07 0.75 0.18 2 0.02 0.23 Including 96.20 96.70 0.50 0.35 7.29 7 0.16 7.62 Including 96.70 97.00 0.30 0.21 14.40 13 0.39 15.16 Including 97.00 98.00 1.00 0.70 11.50 11 0.32 12.14 KMDD0130 67.19 72.70 5.51 3.70 7.53 6 0.16 7.85 K1 Including 67.19 68.00 0.81 0.54 9.00 5 0.31 9.53 Including 68.00 69.00 1.00 0.67 6.45 3 0.14 6.71 Including 69.00 69.58 0.58 0.39 5.01 7 0.19 5.40 Including 69.58 70.50 0.92 0.62 1.29 3 0.16 1.58 Including 70.50 71.50 1.00 0.67 15.42 13 0.11 15.75 Including 71.50 72.70 1.20 0.81 6.86 4 0.12 7.09 KMDD0130 75.70 83.00 7.30 5.42 0.40 6 0.56 1.33 Including 75.70 76.30 0.60 0.45 1.36 10 1.15 3.25 Including 76.30 77.10 0.80 0.59 0.23 6 0.61 1.24 Including 77.10 77.70 0.60 0.45 0.51 5 0.26 0.98 Including 77.70 78.70 1.00 0.74 0.64 9 0.55 1.59 Including 78.70 80.10 1.40 1.04 0.38 6 0.74 1.59 Including 80.10 81.20 1.10 0.82 0.18 4 0.46 0.93 Including 81.20 82.10 0.90 0.67 0.12 4 0.32 0.65 Including 82.10 83.00 0.90 0.67 0.16 3 0.43 0.86 KMDD0130 94.00 95.00 1.00 0.62 1.35 23 1.74 4.30 KMDD0130 96.00 103.30 7.30 4.52 7.35 31 1.48 10.00 K2 Including 96.00 97.00 0.62 0.62 0.73 8 0.11 1.01 Including 97.00 97.70 0.43 0.43 7.52 25 0.45 8.53 Including 97.70 98.50 0.50 0.50 25.60 75 0.57 27.43 Including 98.50 99.30 0.50 0.50 30.10 93 6.83 41.73 Including 99.30 100.20 0.56 0.56 1.42 19 0.50 2.43 Including 100.20 101.00 0.50 0.50 0.89 18 0.42 1.76 Including 101.00 102.40 0.87 0.87 0.40 6 0.31 0.96 Including 102.40 103.30 0.56 0.56 0.59 29 3.57 6.42 KMDD0130 106.90 108.00 1.10 0.68 1.84 3 0.01 1.90 KMDD0132 94.00 95.00 1.00 0.62 1.35 23 1.74 4.30 Geotech Hole West of K2 KMDD0132 96.00 103.30 7.30 4.52 7.35 31 1.48 10.00 Geotech Hole West of K2 - K2HW? Including 96.00 97.00 0.62 0.62 0.73 8 0.11 1.01 Including 97.00 97.70 0.43 0.43 7.52 25 0.45 8.53 Including 97.70 98.50 0.50 0.50 25.60 75 0.57 27.43 Including 98.50 99.30 0.50 0.50 30.10 93 6.83 41.73 Including 99.30 100.20 0.56 0.56 1.42 19 0.50 2.43 Including 100.20 101.00 0.50 0.50 0.89 18 0.42 1.76 Including 101.00 102.40 0.87 0.87 0.40 6 0.31 0.96 Including 102.40 103.30 0.56 0.56 0.59 29 3.57 6.42 KMDD0132 106.90 108.00 1.10 0.68 1.84 3 0.01 1.90 Geotech Hole West of K2 KMDD0134 Vent Hole KMDD0136 Not Yet Drilled KMDD0138 Not Yet Drilled KMDD0140 72.86 76.41 3.55 2.19 14.71 6 0.61 15.72 K1 Including 72.86 73.48 0.62 0.38 0.20 7 1.13 2.01 Including 73.48 74.00 0.52 0.32 0.11 2 0.11 0.31 Including 74.00 74.45 0.45 0.28 80.38 9 1.12 82.21 Including 74.45 74.86 0.41 0.25 23.83 7 0.70 24.98 Including 74.86 75.52 0.66 0.41 7.71 5 0.16 8.02 Including 75.52 76.06 0.54 0.33 0.26 2 0.17 0.55 Including 76.06 76.41 0.35 0.22 2.49 10 1.24 4.51 KMDD0140 78.76 91.64 12.88 7.95 2.57 4 0.28 3.05 Including 78.76 79.63 0.87 0.54 6.40 1 0.03 6.46 Including 79.63 80.84 1.21 0.75 0.33 1 0.15 0.57 Including 80.84 81.43 0.59 0.36 11.02 4 0.07 11.17 Including 81.43 82.28 0.85 0.52 2.21 1 0.06 2.32 Including 82.28 83.28 1.00 0.62 0.13 2 0.00 0.16 Including 83.28 84.26 0.98 0.60 0.10 1 0.06 0.20 Including 84.26 85.00 0.74 0.46 0.50 9 0.65 1.60 Including 85.00 86.00 1.00 0.62 1.28 9 0.77 2.57 Including 86.00 87.00 1.00 0.62 0.48 4 0.23 0.89 Including 87.00 88.04 1.04 0.64 0.26 3 0.39 0.89 Including 88.04 89.03 0.99 0.61 0.21 2 0.23 0.58 Including 89.03 90.10 1.07 0.66 13.66 6 0.32 14.23 Including 90.10 90.71 0.61 0.38 0.37 7 0.32 0.95 Including 90.71 91.64 0.93 0.57 1.22 6 0.63 2.26 KMDD0140 95.30 96.70 1.40 0.86 1.57 1 0.01 1.60 KMDD0140 100.60 117.40 16.80 9.93 7.65 32 1.74 10.72 K2 Including 100.60 101.20 0.60 0.37 6.21 5 0.15 6.50 Including 102.10 103.10 1.00 0.62 3.75 19 0.90 5.37 Including 103.10 104.40 1.30 0.81 5.06 48 0.63 6.63 Including 104.40 104.70 0.30 0.19 2.32 10 0.07 2.56 Including 104.70 106.12 1.42 0.89 3.38 21 1.29 5.61 Including 106.12 107.00 0.88 0.55 2.92 20 1.17 4.96 Including 107.00 107.36 0.36 0.22 0.32 0 0.05 0.40 Including 107.36 108.22 0.86 0.54 24.68 8 2.85 29.14 Including 108.22 108.56 0.34 0.21 20.74 17 3.25 25.93 Including 108.56 109.16 0.60 0.37 25.88 163 17.20 54.26 Including 109.16 110.10 0.94 0.59 36.67 88 3.18 42.65 Including 110.10 111.10 1.00 0.62 2.02 15 0.54 3.04 Including 111.10 112.00 0.90 0.56 1.73 24 1.02 3.60 Including 112.00 112.80 0.80 0.50 8.50 36 3.52 14.34 Including 112.80 113.70 0.90 0.56 0.87 8 0.23 1.32 Including 113.70 114.40 0.70 0.44 4.89 61 0.78 6.86 Including 114.40 115.50 1.10 0.69 2.05 18 0.22 2.62 Including 115.50 117.40 1.90 1.19 2.24 23 0.47 3.24 KMDD0142 45.83 46.17 0.34 0.28 2.65 17 3.81 8.70 KMDD0142 47.65 57.9 10.25 8.30 26.02 30 0.80 27.63 K1 Including 47.65 48 0.35 0.28 0.41 1 0.54 1.25 Including 48 48.3 0.3 0.24 3.78 3 1.23 5.70 Including 48.3 49 0.7 0.57 0.15 1 0.50 0.93 Including 49 49.13 0.13 0.11 53.55 7 1.02 55.20 Including 49.13 49.4 0.27 0.22 12.42 1 0.41 13.06 Including 49.4 49.95 0.55 0.45 374.70 25 0.98 376.52 Including 49.95 50.37 0.42 0.34 1.65 7 0.34 2.26 Including 50.37 51 0.63 0.51 2.81 8 1.33 4.94 Including 51 51.21 0.21 0.17 65.50 71 7.55 77.95 Including 51.21 51.58 0.37 0.30 1.28 19 1.45 3.74 Including 51.58 52.1 0.52 0.42 0.31 1 0.12 0.51 Including 52.1 52.7 0.6 0.49 0.47 1 0.02 0.52 Including 52.7 53.34 0.64 0.52 5.97 1 0.11 6.14 Including 53.34 54.2 0.86 0.70 11.32 67 0.29 12.61 Including 54.2 54.4 0.2 0.16 11.27 960 10.03 38.80 Including 54.4 54.53 0.13 0.11 49.10 6 0.39 49.77 Including 54.53 54.8 0.27 0.22 15.50 2 0.15 15.76 Including 54.8 55.04 0.24 0.19 0.39 1 0.20 0.71 Including 55.04 55.4 0.36 0.29 5.68 2 0.04 5.76 Including 55.4 55.8 0.4 0.32 0.58 1 0.03 0.64 Including 55.8 56.04 0.24 0.19 2.01 1 0.07 2.13 Including 56.04 56.5 0.46 0.37 0.30 1 0.07 0.41 Including 56.5 56.8 0.3 0.24 5.37 1 0.86 6.70 Including 56.8 57.02 0.22 0.18 0.20 1 0.61 1.15 Including 57.02 57.75 0.73 0.59 0.21 1 0.59 1.13 Including 57.75 57.9 0.15 0.12 4.23 1 0.00 4.24 KMDD0142 64.9 65.5 0.6 0.49 2.99 2 0.26 3.41 KMDD0142 66.94 74.9 7.96 7.28 49.82 4 0.34 50.38 K2 Including 66.94 67.5 0.56 0.51 3.93 1 0.38 4.52 Including 67.5 68.3 0.8 0.73 3.08 3 0.13 3.31 Including 68.3 69.06 0.76 0.69 92.10 2 0.19 92.42 Including 69.06 69.7 0.64 0.59 8.96 1 0.06 9.06 Including 69.7 70.65 0.95 0.87 323.80 17 0.18 324.29 Including 70.65 70.9 0.25 0.23 1.09 1 0.08 1.23 Including 70.9 71.1 0.2 0.18 2.23 1 0.12 2.42 Including 71.1 71.5 0.4 0.37 0.57 1 0.20 0.89 Including 71.5 71.8 0.3 0.91 0.50 1 0.04 0.57 Including 71.8 72.2 0.4 0.91 2.27 1 0.05 2.36 Including 72.2 72.6 0.4 0.91 6.37 1 0.11 6.55 Including 72.6 73.4 0.8 0.91 2.53 1 0.69 3.60 Including 73.4 73.75 0.35 0.91 0.56 1 0.19 0.87 Including 73.75 73.96 0.21 0.91 4.94 20 3.96 11.25 Including 73.96 74.3 0.34 0.91 1.80 1 0.19 2.11 Including 74.3 74.9 0.6 0.91 0.22 2 0.52 1.03 KMDD0142 74.9 75.5 0.6 0.91 1.24 2 0.08 1.39 KMDD0142 76.25 76.92 0.67 0.91 2.07 28 0.23 2.78 KMDD0142 78 79 1 0.91 1.94 3 0.27 2.40 KMDD0142 79 79.7 0.7 0.91 0.12 1 0.01 0.15 KMDD0144 58.4 71.35 12.95 8.13 2.62 4 0.27 3.08 K1 Including 58.4 58.8 0.4 0.25 13.3 3 0.73 14.45 Including 58.8 59.3 0.5 0.31 0.34 1 0.28 0.77 Including 59.3 60.3 1 0.63 1.09 2 0.16 1.36 Including 60.3 61.15 0.85 0.53 3.08 5 1.00 4.67 Including 61.15 62.15 1 0.63 0.22 2 0.58 1.13 Including 62.15 63.15 1 0.63 0.3 1 0.21 0.63 Including 63.15 64 0.85 0.53 3.16 3 0.08 3.33 Including 64 65 1 0.63 0.05 1 0.04 0.13 Including 65 66 1 0.63 1.82 1 0.04 1.89 Including 66 66.43 0.43 0.27 0.27 1 0.01 0.30 Including 66.43 67.43 1 0.63 0.63 4 0.36 1.24 Including 67.43 68.17 0.74 0.46 1.87 2 0.11 2.07 Including 68.17 69.17 1 0.63 4.62 3 0.09 4.79 Including 69.17 70.17 1 0.63 9.75 2 0.13 9.98 Including 70.17 71.35 1.18 0.74 2.67 25 0.34 3.51 KMDD0144 73.35 74.35 1 0.63 1.5 11 0.18 1.91 KMDD0144 76.1 89.3 13.2 8.29 2.44 13 0.37 3.17 Including 76.1 76.9 0.8 0.50 9.72 92 3.34 16.00 Including 76.9 77.6 0.7 0.44 0.35 5 0.17 0.68 Including 77.6 78.5 0.9 0.56 2.15 23 0.26 2.83 Including 78.5 79.5 1 0.63 0.19 1 0.02 0.23 Including 79.5 80.4 0.9 0.56 0.12 1 0.01 0.16 Including 80.4 80.9 0.5 0.31 0.03 1 0.01 0.06 Including 80.9 81.8 0.9 0.56 0.71 7 0.19 1.09 Including 81.8 82.8 1 0.63 0.57 2 0.32 1.09 Including 82.8 83.8 1 0.63 0.11 3 0.17 0.41 Including 83.8 84.8 1 0.63 0.15 2 0.20 0.49 Including 84.8 85.8 1 0.63 0.8 2 0.11 0.99 Including 85.8 86.4 0.6 0.38 1.75 4 0.26 2.20 Including 86.4 86.9 0.5 0.31 21.7 30 0.11 22.25 Including 86.9 87.6 0.7 0.44 2.99 5 0.07 3.17 Including 87.6 88.6 1 0.63 3.83 16 0.44 4.70 Including 88.6 89.3 0.7 0.44 2.57 36 0.17 3.28 KMDD0144 96.9 99.8 2.9 1.71 22.26 20 0.60 23.43 K2 Including 96.9 97.4 0.5 0.29 3.15 4 0.46 3.90 Including 97.4 98.17 0.77 0.45 78.3 31 1.27 80.63 Including 98.17 99.17 1 0.59 2.13 23 0.24 2.79 Including 99.17 99.8 0.63 0.37 0.88 15 0.45 1.76 (1) Gold Equivalent uses copper price of US$2.90/lb; silver price of US$16.5/oz and gold price of US$1,300/oz Table 2 - Kainantu Gold Mine Collar Locations for Kora Underground Diamond Drilling Hole_id Collar location Collar orientation EOH depth (m) Lode Local north Local East mRL Dip Local azimuth KMDD0115 59038.22 29951.71 1194.79 -53.5 219.9 318.4 Kora North KMDD0115A 59038.22 29951.71 1194.79 -53.5 219.9 700.6 Kora North KMDD0117 59037.81 29951.73 1195.47 -27.4 212.2 395.2 Kora North KMDD0128 58900.43 29868.54 1190.52 -4.1 229.6 98.55 Kora North KMDD0130 58900.75 29868.72 1189.82 -18.4 231.4 112.4 Kora North KMDD0132 59070.85 29805.01 1175.53 4.4 269.7 50.5 Kora North KMDD0140 58900.72 29868.87 1189.66 -30.3 230.6 136.6 Kora North KMDD0142 58901.23 29868.64 1192.15 33.5 245.5 92.3 Kora North KMDD0144 58901.13 29868.67 1189.69 -33.4 243.5 135.7 Kora North The mineral resource estimate (shown in Table 3 and Table 4) for the Kora, Kora North and Irumafimpa deposits is based on the technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101), and titled, Independent Technical Report, Mineral Resources Estimate Update and Preliminary Economic Assessment of Kora North and Kora Gold Deposits, Kainantu Project, Papua New Guinea with an effective date of September 30, 2018 (the Technical Report) prepared by Anthony Woodward BSc (Hons.), M.Sc., MAIG, Simon Tear BSc (Hons), EurGeol, PGeo IGI, EurGeol, Christopher Desoe BE (Min)(Hons), FAusIMM, RPEQ, MMICA, Lisa J. Park, BEng (Chem), GAICD, FAusIMM. Refer to the Companys news release dated January 8, 2018 for a summary of the results of the PEA. Table 3 - Kora North Mineral Resource Estimate Global Mineral Resources Kora North Gold-Copper Mine - October 2018 Category Tonnes Gold Silver Copper AuEq Mt g/t Mozs g/t Mozs % Mlbs g/t Mozs Measured 0.15 18.7 0.09 8.9 0.04 0.5 1.6 19.6 0.09 Indicated 0.69 11.6 0.26 14.1 0.31 0.8 11.8 12.9 0.29 Total M & I 0.85 12.9 0.35 13.1 0.36 0.7 13.3 14.1 0.39 Inferred Total 1.92 10.7 0.66 13.3 0.82 0.7 29.5 11.9 0.74 M in table is millions. Key Assumptions and Parameters Mineralization comprises two parallel, steeply west dipping, N-S striking quartz-sulphide vein systems, K1 & K2, within an encompassing dilatant structural zone hosted by phyllite. An additional structure, the Kora Link, has also been defined and provides a possible link between the two main vein systems. Underground drilling consists of diamond core for a range of core sizes depending on length of hole and expected ground conditions. Sampling is sawn half core under geological control and generally ranges between 0.5m and 1m. Underground face sampling is completed for every fired round and is to industry standard. QAQC data indicated no significant issues with the accuracy of the on-site analysis. Core recovery of the mineral zone was initially 90%, this has improved to >95%. There is no relationship between core recovery and gold grade. Geological logging is consistent and is based on a full set of logging codes covering lithology, alteration and mineralization. The geological interpretation of the vein systems is represented as 3D wireframe solids snapped to a combination of diamond drillhole data and underground face sampling. Definition of the wireframes is based on identified gold mineralisation in drillcore nominally at a 0.2g/t Au cut off in conjunction with geological control/sense and current mining widths. Gold equivalent (AuEq) g/t was calculated using the formula Au g/t +(Cu% x 1.53) + Ag g/t x 0.0127. (No account of metal recoveries through the plant have been used in calculating the metal equivalent grade. However, production is currently achieving 93% metal recovery for both gold and copper and gold is currently providing 95% and copper 5% of the total revenue of the mine). Gold price US$1,300/oz; silver US$16.5/oz; copper US$2.90/lb. Table 4 Irumafimpa and Kora/Eutompi Resource Estimates Resource by Deposit and Category Deposit Resource Category Tonnes Gold Silver Copper Gold Equivalent Mt g/t Moz g/t Moz % Mlb g/t Moz Irumafimpa Indicated 0.56 12.8 0.23 9 0.16 0.28 37 13.4 0.24 Inferred 0.53 10.9 0.19 9 0.16 0.27 74 11.5 0.20 Kora/Eutompi Inferred 4.36 7.3 1.02 35 4.9 2.23 215 11.2 1.57 Total Indicated 0.56 12.8 0.23 9 0.16 0.3 4.0 13.4 0.24 Total Inferred 4.89 7.7 1.21 32 5.06 2.0 288 11.2 1.76 Notes: - M in table is millions. - Reported tonnage and grade figures are rounded from raw estimates to reflect the order of accuracy of the estimate. Minor variations may occur during the addition of rounded numbers. Gold equivalents are calculated as AuEq = Au g/t + Cu%*1.52+ Ag g/t*0.0141. K92 Mine Geology Manager and Mine Exploration Manager, Mr. Andrew Kohler, PGeo, a qualified person under the meaning of NI 43-101, has reviewed and is responsible for the technical content of this news release. Data verification by Mr. Kohler includes significant time onsite reviewing drill core, face sampling, underground workings and discussing work programs and results with geology and mining personnel. ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY, John Lewins, Chief Executive Officer and Director For further information, please contact Investor Relations at +1-604-687-7130. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements that address future plans, activities, events, or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur are forward-looking information, including statements regarding the realization of the preliminary economic analysis for the Project, expectations of future cash flows, the proposed plant expansion, potential expansion of resources and the generation of further drilling results which may or may not occur. Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the market price of the Companys securities, metal prices, exchange rates, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry, changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, and regulations and other matters.. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/ TORONTO, May 6, 2019 /CNW/ - Adventus Zinc Corporation ("Adventus" or the "Company") (TSX-V: ADZN, OTCQX: ADVZF) is pleased to announce a fully subscribed non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of approximately 13.8 million common shares in the capital stock of the Company (the "Shares") for total proceeds of approximately C$12.1 million at a market price of C$0.876 per Share. Consorcio Nobis (the "Nobis Group" or "Nobis"), one of Ecuador's largest private business conglomerates, is the lead participant in the Offering by subscribing for C$7.38M, which will result in ownership of approximately 9.9% of the common shares of Adventus upon closing. Mr. Roberto Dunn, Executive Director of Nobis, will be nominated as a director of the Company as part of an investment agreement and Adventus will grant Nobis the right to participate in future equity offerings so that it can maintain at least its pro rata ownership at the time of any such offering, up to a maximum of 9.9% of the common shares of Adventus. These rights are dependent on Nobis holding at least 9.9% of the outstanding equity at the time of closing of future equity offerings. The remainder of the financing is expected to result from the exercise, or partial exercise, of anti-dilution rights held by pre-existing strategic shareholders of Adventus, including Altius Minerals Corporation (TSX: ALS, OTCQX: ATUSF), Greenstone Resources, Resource Capital Funds and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (TSX: WPM, NYSE: WPM). Nobis is one of Ecuador's largest private organizations, with business interests across the agricultural, real estate, industrial, commercial, construction and tourism sectors. The group was founded by Executive President Isabel Noboa Ponton in 1997 and has since developed into one of the country's most successful and respected private enterprises. Highlights of Nobis' current business portfolio in Ecuador include: Partner in the new deep-water port under construction in Posorja, Ecuador ; ; One of the largest agricultural conglomerates; One of the largest private and commercial real estate owners and operators, including malls, hotels, resorts and apartments; Largest ethanol producer from sugarcane by-products, and; Owner and operator of energy plants. Along with its diverse business portfolio, Nobis is a leader in community development and philanthropy initiatives through the Nobis Foundation, which aims to educate and enable women, youth and low-income communities within Ecuador. Nobis and Adventus look forward to future collaboration on community development projects within and around project areas of Adventus. Ms. Isabel Noboa Ponton is also a former Canadian Honorary Consul in Ecuador and maintains many close ties to Canada. This investment in Adventus is the first by Nobis in the mining sector of Ecuador. Roberto Dunn, Executive Director of Nobis, commented: "We are pleased to announce our investment in Adventus and to participate in the growing mining sector of Ecuador, which is set to become a major driver of economic development. We look forward to working with the Adventus team on its impressive project portfolio and to benefiting from the international sector expertise of our fellow strategic shareholders, while in turn adding value through the sharing of our knowledge and deep understanding of the economic, social and environmental priorities of Ecuador. We are confident that this investment will strengthen the country's position before international markets and the success of the Curipamba project will positively impact the nearby communities." Brian Dalton, Chairman of Adventus, commented: "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the Nobis Group, as an important new strategic shareholder, and its Executive Director Roberto Dunn to our board. Through this relationship, Adventus gains a depth of knowledge and experience that will best allow it to earn a respectful place in the development of Ecuador's exciting mineral potential. The Nobis Group's multi-generational success is rooted in its sincere commitment to the positive future of its home country and we look forward to working with the Nobis team to realize upon the full potential of this relationship." Fredy Salazar, President and CEO of Salazar Resources Ltd. commented: "We are pleased to welcome Nobis as stakeholders in the Curipamba project through their investment in Adventus. The Nobis investment is a significant endorsement of the Curipamba project and the team by a highly regarded Ecuadorian business. We look forward to continuing the successful development of the project with our partner Adventus." The Offering is expected to close on or before May 22, 2019 and is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. The net proceeds of the Offering will be used by the Company to fund exploration and development activities at the Curipamba project, within the Ecuador Exploration Alliance, including the Pijili and Santiago projects, and general administration and corporate purposes. The securities to be issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory four months and one day hold period. No commissions will be paid for the Offering. The Shares will be offered for sale on a private placement basis pursuant to applicable exemptions from the prospectus and registration requirements. Part of the Offering will constitute a "related party transaction" within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The Company will rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a). This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the Shares in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Shares have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. About Adventus Adventus is a well-financed exploration and project development company, focused in Ecuador. Its strategic shareholders include Altius Minerals Corporation, Greenstone Resources LP, Resource Capital Funds, and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. The focus of Adventus is the advancement of the Curipamba copper-gold-zinc project in Ecuador as part of an earn-in agreement to obtain a 75% ownership interest. In addition, Adventus is engaged in a country-wide exploration alliance with its partners in Ecuador, incorporating the Pijili and Santiago projects to date. Adventus is based in Toronto, Canada, and is listed on the TSX-V under the symbol ADZN and trades on the OTCQX under the symbol ADVZF. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release contains "forward -looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "pending", "intends", "plans", "forecasts", "targets", or "hopes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "should" "might", "will be taken", or "occur" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that Adventus expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future, including statements about TSX Venture Exchange acceptance, the anticipated date of the Closing and the use of proceeds from the Offering. Although Adventus has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Adventus undertakes to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. TORONTO, May 6, 2019 /CNW/ - Cobalt 27 Capital Corp. ("Cobalt 27" or the "Company") (TSXV: KBLT)(OTCQX: CBLLF)(FRA: 27O), a leading battery metals investment vehicle offering exposure to cobalt and nickel, is pleased to announce the National Court of Papua New Guinea approved the scheme of arrangement (the "Scheme") on May 2, 2019, under which Cobalt 27 will acquire all the issued share capital of Highlands Pacific Limited ("Highlands"). Shares of Highlands have been suspended from trading on both the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and the Port Moresby Stock Exchange (POMSoX) effective May 3, 2019, pending completion of the Scheme. "We are pleased to receive the approval of the National Court of Papua New Guinea and look forward to completing the acquisition of Highlands. We are also pleased to announce an amendment to our previously announced credit facility which will provide Cobalt 27 with a reduction in stand-by fees and enhanced flexibility including the ability to increase the facility for the right cash-flowing acquisition opportunity from our extensive pipeline of investment opportunities. The facility is an endorsement of our acquisition of Highlands which further diversifies Cobalt 27's asset base and commodity exposure. We look forward to working with majority owner and operator Metallurgical Corporation of China, as well as the Government and Stakeholders of Papua New Guinea," said Anthony Milewski, Chairman and CEO, Cobalt 27. Amended Credit Facility Cobalt 27 announces that it has entered into an amended and restated revolving term credit facility (the "Amended Credit Facility"), whereby the Company will have access to a US$100 million credit facility and a US$50 million accordion facility which replaces its undrawn credit facility announced on October 24, 2018. National Bank of Canada, Bank of Montreal and The Bank of Nova Scotia acted as Joint-Lead Arrangers with National Bank of Canada acting as Sole Bookrunner and Administrative Agent. The Amended Credit Facility is secured by the Company's assets, including its physical cobalt inventory, its streaming and royalty investments, and the ordinary shares of Highlands to be acquired under the Scheme. The Amended Credit Facility has an initial term of three years, which is extendable by mutual consent of the lenders and Cobalt 27. An initial drawdown under the Amended Credit Facility will be subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions precedent customary for a financing of this type. Following the closing of the Highlands acquisition and the anticipated PanAust buyback agreement, the Company expects to have drawn approximately US$40 million under the facility, paying interest quarterly currently at a rate of LIBOR plus 375 basis points. Highlands Scheme of Arrangement Under the Scheme, Cobalt 27 will acquire all of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Highlands that it does not already own (the "Scheme Shares") for an all-cash offer price of A$0.105 per share (the "Base Purchase Price"). In addition, if before December 31, 2019, the London Metal Exchange official closing cash settlement price for nickel is US$13,220 per tonne or higher for a period of 5 consecutive trading days, Cobalt 27 will also pay additional contingent consideration of A$0.010 per Scheme Share in cash (the "Contingent Purchase Price"). The Base Purchase Price consideration offered for all of the Scheme Shares is valued at approximately US$65 million, which is anticipated to be funded with cash on hand and available credit under the Amended Credit Facility. The Contingent Purchase Price consideration of US$6 million will be funded in escrow and funded with available credit. The transaction is expected to close on or about May 17, 2019. About Highlands Pacific Highlands is a mining and exploration company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and the Port Moresby Stock Exchange in PNG. Highlands' primary assets include an 8.56% interest in the producing Ramu mine and a 20% interest in Frieda River Copper-Gold Project, both located in PNG. Highlands also holds the Star Mountains Copper Gold exploration project in PNG and has exploration tenements on Normanby Island (Sewa Bay). About Cobalt 27 Capital Corp. Cobalt 27 Capital Corp. is a leading battery metals streaming company offering exposure to metals integral to key technologies of the electric vehicle and energy storage markets. The Company owns physical cobalt and a 32.6% Cobalt Stream on Vale's world-class Voisey's Bay mine, beginning in 2021. Cobalt 27 is undertaking a friendly acquisition of Highlands Pacific which is expected to add increased attributable nickel and cobalt production from the long-life, world-class Ramu Mine. The Company also manages a portfolio of 11 royalties and intends to continue to invest in a cobalt and nickel focused portfolio of streams, royalties and direct interests in mineral properties containing battery metals. For further information please visit the Company website at www.cobalt27.com or contact: Betty Joy LeBlanc, BA, MBA Director, Corporate Communications +1-604-828-0999 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain information which constitutes 'forward-looking statements' and 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation: statements pertaining to the anticipated completion of the Scheme, the PanAust buyback agreement, and the respective timing of each; and statements pertaining to the timing and amounts of cash consideration related to the acquisition of Highlands. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond the Company's control. For more details on these and other risk factors see the Company's most recent Annual Information Form on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the heading "Risk Factors". Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties underlying these forward-looking statements materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements could vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this release and, other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise it to reflect new events or circumstances. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. 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. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. 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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; General Manager BD & IR: Andrew Grove at telephone +61 8 6144 1700 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Media Relations: Nathan Ryan at telephone +61 4 20 582 887 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (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. International appeals judges Monday upheld a reprimand of Jordan for failing to arrest former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir during a visit to the Arab country two years ago. Amman had appealed a decision by the International Criminal Court which found that Jordan failed to comply with its obligations when it refused to detain Bashir in 2017, wanted by the Hague-based tribunal for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. But the ICCs appeal judges eased the blow by reversing pre-trial chamber judges decision to refer Jordan to the UN Security Council and the courts Assembly of States Parties (ASP) for further measures. Despite two international warrants for his arrest on 10 charges arising from the conflict in Darfur, Bashir freely attended an Arab League summit in Amman in March 2017. By failing to arrest and surrender Mr Bashir, in circumstances in which Mr Bashir was entitled to no immunity, Jordan prevented the court from exercising an important power and a fundamental function, Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji said. Jordan is a member of the Rome Statute, which underpins the tribunal established in 2002 to try the worlds worst atrocities and as such has agreed to comply with the courts orders. In a first for the court, Amman last year appealed the ICCs findings that it failed to fulfil its legal obligations in seizing Bashir, saying it was not obliged to do so. Jordans lawyers argued that Bashir at the time of his visit was a sitting head of state and therefore immune to arrest, based on the international legal principle of comity between states. But Eboe-Osuji said Monday that head-of-state immunity did not stop the ICC an international court from exercising its jurisdiction according to its founding document, the Rome Statute. Easing the verdict on Jordan however, Eboe-Osuji added that the courts pre-trial judges should not have referred the matter to the Security Council and the ASP. The judges discretion to refer the case to the UNSC and ASP was tainted, Eboe-Osuji said. Over the last decade Bashir has travelled to a number of countries who did not arrest him, including ICC member states like South Africa and Jordan. Bashir was toppled last month after 30 years of iron rule in Sudan, raising hopes that he would be extradited to The Hague to stand trial. International appeals judges Monday upheld a reprimand of Jordan for failing to arrest former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir during a visit to the Arab country two years ago. Amman had appealed a ruling by the International Criminal Court which found that Jordan failed to comply with its obligations because it did not detain Bashir in 2017 when he was wanted by the Hague-based tribunal on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICCs appeal judges nonetheless eased the blow a bit by reversing a pre-trial chamber judges decision to refer Jordan to the UN Security Council and the courts Assembly of States Parties (ASP) for further measures. Bashir, 75, was indicted by the ICC in 2009 in connection with fighting in the western region of Darfur, where more than 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million others displaced since 2003, according to UN figures. Despite two international warrants for his arrest on 10 charges arising from the conflict, Bashir freely attended an Arab League summit in Amman in March 2017. By failing to arrest and surrender Mr. Bashir, in circumstances in which Mr. Bashir was entitled to no immunity, Jordan prevented the court from exercising an important power and a fundamental function, Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji said. No immunity Jordan is a member of the Rome Statute, which underpins the tribunal established in 2002 to try the worlds worst atrocities and as such has agreed to comply with the courts orders. In a first for the court, Amman last year appealed the ICCs findings that Jordan had failed to fulfil its legal obligations to seize Bashir, saying it was not obliged to do so. Jordans lawyers argued that Bashir at the time of his visit was a sitting head of state and therefore immune to arrest, based on the international legal principle of comity between states. But Eboe-Osuji said Monday that head-of-state immunity did not stop the ICC an international court from exercising its jurisdiction according to its founding document, the Rome Statute. Easing the verdict on Jordan however, Eboe-Osuji added that the courts pre-trial judges should not have referred the matter to the Security Council and the ASP. The judges discretion to refer the case to the UNSC and ASP was tainted, Eboe-Osuji said. Amman replied that it was mulling the judgement. It looked in particular at the part concerning approving the pre-trial chambers decision suggesting that Jordan has not cooperated with the court in handing Bashir over, which is rejected by Jordan, according to a statement released by foreign ministry spokesman Sufyan al-Qudah. He welcomed the appeals judges decision to nullify the unfair, discriminatory and arbitrary decision by pre-trial judges to refer the issue to the Security Council and ASP. Jordan has been a strong supporter of the ICC since its establishment and was the first country in the Middle East to ratify its statute, the spokesman noted. Over the last decade Bashir has travelled to a number of countries which did not arrest him, including ICC member states such as South Africa and Jordan. The 75-year-old Bashir has always denied the ICC charges. He was toppled last month after 30 years of iron rule in Sudan, raising hopes that he would finally be extradited to The Hague to stand trial. Fugitive Human rights groups applauded Mondays decision saying today the ICC found that heads of state sought on charges by the court cannot be exempt from arrest. Elise Keppler, an associate director at Human Rights Watch also called for Bashir to be handed over to the ICC. Whether president or prisoner in Sudan, Omar al-Bashir remains a fugitive from the ICC on charges of the gravest crimes committed in Darfur. He should be surrendered to The Hague to face the charges against him, she said. But legal experts said it seemed more likely that Bashir would be tried in Sudan, despite Sudanese opposition calls for the African nation to immediately join the ICC. The conflict in Darfur broke out when ethnic minority groups took up arms against Bashirs Arab-dominated government, which in turn launched brutal counter-insurgency operations. Justice remains constitutionally and fundamentally the last resort for the Central African citizen, said Firmin Ngrebada in his general policy statement to the National Assembly on 29 April. The Prime Minister of the Central African Republic was referring amongst other mechanisms to the establishment of a Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission, whose mandate is to develop a reparation system in order to achieve a cessation of hostilities and a definitive end to the multi-faceted violence in our country. Included in the recommendations of the Bangui national Forum in May 2015 and in the Khartoum Peace Agreement on 6 February 2019, this transitional justice tool should help overcome the weakness of the judicial system and the unequal balance of power between the State and the armed groups. It is an honest compromise, given that armed groups are too powerful at the moment to opt first for justice and then for peace. This is the price to pay to restore peace, explained in March a source who has worked in several international tribunals and is now a civil servant in Bangui. Unclear mandate The shape of this future commission is still very unclear. This type of justice is based above all on perpetrators confessions, so as to reconcile communities, reflects Dominique Said Paguindji, president of the State Council, who is working on the issue. The Truth Commission will deal with minor offences, such as putting up illegal roadblocks, racketeering, petty theft with no aggravating circumstances, he says. If a case were referred to the courts, the commission could, he thinks, organize remission of sentences if there is no lying [by the accused] or if the offence is not classified as a war crime or an international crime. So, is it a truth commission or a court? Lawyer Mathias Morouba seems to see more in line with what such a commission traditionally involves. It will work on the same principle as the talking tree between community leaders, says the president of the Central African Human Rights Observatory (OCDH), for whom the fight against impunity is also about finding alternatives to ordinary justice. All remains to be done Obviously, while everyone agrees a Truth Commission could be useful in the Central African Republic, not everyone sees it the same way. Above all, it has still not been set up. According to the Khartoum peace agreement, it was to be set up within 90 days. The Commission has fallen behind because of the cabinet reshuffle, explains Sylvain Demangho of the Ministry for Humanitarian Action and National Reconciliation, the ministry responsible for creating the Commission with the support of international donors (European Union, UN, etc.). The announcement in early March of a new government, provided for in the peace agreement, triggered a wave of protests from armed groups that control much of the country. They asked for more ministries for their representatives. A new ministerial reshuffle finally satisfied them. Officially, the setting up of the Commission has been a victim of these priorities. Recommended reading CAR: "A peace for the benefit of the government, not for the sake of justice" The search for information and documentation, the first step in the creation of the Commission, would have begun, but the roadmap is still long. There have been seminars between the State authorities, broad popular consultation to gather the peoples views to help draft a law that will then be submitted to Parliament, but three months after the peace agreement it seems the reality is that everything still remains to be done. The members of the inclusive commission provided for in the peace agreement, which must include representatives of the government and armed groups, have still not been appointed. Yet this commission must work before the creation of the Truth Commission to identify and propose any action that may be taken in the field of justice, according to the Khartoum agreement. It will take 90 days from the Prime Ministers general policy speech, says Sylvain Demangho. So from April 29th. He then estimated that the Truth Commission could be created by the first half of June. Ministerial blockage We have lost time and we see that the government is under pressure from the African Union and armed groups to implement the [peace] agreement via individual demands, such as personal appointments. The Truth Commission is the main thing that has suffered from this situation, said a diplomatic source, who also criticized the inaction of the Ministry of Humanitarian Action. It is paradoxical, because there is a strong political will at the Presidency level to create a Truth Commission. But there is a blockage at the ministerial level. For the minister, the priority seems to be to create a monument to the victims, the diplomat said. The question is how to conduct the popular consultation process in an accelerated manner, explains the same diplomat. We will have to speed up consultations to meet deadlines. Some observers now fear that these delays will harm the Commission itself. In a report entitled Justice and priority for victims published in October 2018, the Pharos Observatory, a platform for reflection and action on the pluralism of cultures and religions, noted that a TRC unable to meet the expectations of victims is undoubtedly more dangerous than the absence of a TRC. It could indeed annihilate the last bit of citizens trust in justice, with the risk of opening a new cycle of revenge, or even permanently compromising their trust in the State. When I think of Notre Dame, I think of a school thats really prideful in their tradition. I think of elite football, a lot of talent thats come from there and a lot of hard workers that have come from Notre Dame. I think of top-tier academics and how its one of the hardest schools to get into in the country. Its really hard to match all three of those. As another year marked by the global pandemic comes to an end, our photojournalists remain challenged and, frequently, awed - by the constant state of change. We documented our ever-evolving world in ways few photo staffs could as we all worked to regain normalcy amid COVID-19s seemingly unbreakable hold on our communities. We showed the relieved faces of people receiving a coveted vaccine, telling the story of a scientific breakthrough with images of those benefitting from it. We covered new workplace policies, school protocols and policing practices. We traveled half-way across the world to an Olympics where the athletes couldnt hug each other, masked medalists step atop the podium and no one came to watch. The Chicago Tribune faced its own series of changes, too. We have new owners. New bosses. Endured another move. Gained new talented journalists and lost many others from the newsroom ranks. The one constant has been our dedication to providing photography on a daily basis that is relevant to the communities we cover: The joy of picnicking at the lakefront on a summer afternoon, the pain of children, police officers and neighbors all falling victims to violent crime. Documenting whos in and whos out in the political landscape, escaping to your favorite cultural event or sports competition. We hope this installment of the annual Photos of the Year project reminds us of the moments that shaped our lives and the thoughtful way we portray them. Its also a platform for acknowledging the talent and dedication of Tribune photographers, and all photojournalists, who make change a way of life. The Chicago Tribune staff photographers for 2021: Brian Cassella, Erin Hooley, Terrence Antonio James, Vashon Jordan Jr., John J. Kim, Youngrae Kim, Jose M. Osorio, Antonio Perez, Armando L. Sanchez, Chris Sweda, Abel Uribe, E. Jason Wambsgans, Stacey Wescott and Raquel Zaldivar. Tribune visual editors: Mark Hume, Andrew Johnston, Marianne Mather, Steve Rosenberg and Peter Tsai. - Todd Panagopoulos, Director of Content/Visuals Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe Print With Image Without Image Yield: 2 servings Author: Karen Kerr ingredients: 1 teaspoon hot water 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano) 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 2 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and pepper Sugar 1 pound flank steak 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon Spice House Vulcan Fire Salt instructions: How to cook Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe In a small bowl, combine the hot water and oregano in a medium bowl and let rest for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the parsley, cilantro, vinegar, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper, a pinch of sugar, and whisk together. Set aside. Rub the flank steak with the remaining olive oil on both sides. Combine the paprika, the Vulcan salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon sugar in a bowl and then rub all over the steak. Heat your grill on high and rub the grates with oil. Cook the steak about 4 minutes a side, until the interior reaches about 120 degrees F. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and tent with foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Thinly slice the flank steak against the grain and serve with the chimichurri sauce. https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2019/05/grilled-flank-steak-with-chimichurri.html Karen's Kitchen Stories chimichurri, parsley, cilantro, steak Main dish, steak, beef Argentina Created using The Recipes Generator Today's #SummerGrilling recipe has been sponsored by Hamilton Beach BBQ Guys , and The Spice House , however, all opinions are my own.This grilled flank steak was so delicious. I rubbed it with a combination of spices, including smoked paprika,, and freshly ground black pepper. You can learn more about The Spice House below in the prize information, but I have been a huge fan, even before they were a sponsor of this event.I visited their store on Wells Street in Chicago back in 2002 while visiting a friend who lived on the same street nearby and fell in love. Ever since, I have been a regular online customer and often give their gift boxes for Christmas gifts. My favorite thing they do is pack their boxes with cinnamon sticks and bay leaves as packing material. How cool is that?Another cool tool I used was aindoor searing grill. While living in southern California affords me the opportunity to grill practically year round, I love the convenience of being able to quickly sear steaks, burgers, or veggies without having to fire up a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill.Plus, we actually have gotten a lot of rain here this year. The saying is we have four seasons... earthquake, flood, fire, and drought (and back in the day, riot).I've owned a few indoor grills and grill pans, but this one is unique because it has a hood to capture the smoky flavor of the food while it is grilling.Finally, I used the. It's so cool! I'm a huge fan of using an instant read thermometer when cooking meat (and breads too). This thermometer takes it to another level. You actually synch it to your phone via an app! The app tells you that your meat has reached the appropriate temperature.This grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce is smoky and delicious. Yes, chimichurri had a heyday a few years ago, but, just because it was a fad, doesn't mean it isn't wonderful. Liking something that is popular doesn't make you uncool. For example, I love Hootie and the Blowfish songs and I'm still cool, right?This chimichurri sauce is a mixture of olive oil, parsley, cilantro, oregano, garlic, and red wine vinegar. The flavors in the sauce sound pretty simple, but combined, they are so delicious.I always have some leftover parsley and cilantro from recipes I make. In the future, I'll be making chimichurri every time with any leftover herbs I have. It's freeze-able for using later.I'm a huge fan of flank steak. It's so underrated. Be sure to check out more Karen's Kitchen Stories flank steak recipes:Recipe adapted from I am in support of it and I am supportive of a diverse community, said Dawn Frenzel, 57, who said she has lived in Arlington Heights since 2001. These types of units are really helpful to our senior citizens on fixed incomes. They built these communities, raised their children in these communities and cant afford to be in the community theyve been in 40 to 50 years. SALEM, Ore. A bill aimed at ending vaccine exemptions for school students in Oregon has passed the House of Representatives, Representative Cheri Helt's office (R-Bend) confirmed on Monday. If passed in the state Senate, the bill would end the practice of allowing non-medical exemptions for K-12 students attending schools in the state. At present, exemptions are allowed for philosophical or religious reasons as long as the parent or guardian watches an online educational video or speaks to a healthcare provider in order to obtain certification that they have been advised on the risks. The halls outside the House chamber are packed w parents and kids ahead of a vote on HB 3063, which would tighten vaccine laws in Oregon. #orpol #orleg pic.twitter.com/FAJ4rROj5D Dirk VanderHart (@dirquez) May 6, 2019 "Some people cannot be vaccinated because of medical conditions and exposure to a vaccine-preventable disease could be fatal to them. If your child has been exposed to a disease, intentionally or not, keep them home at the first sign of illness," reads a disclaimer from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). "Actively choosing not to immunize your child is a parents right; however, it carries with it a significant responsibility: not exposing others to communicable disease." Like a similar bill in Washington state, the Oregon measure arose following a recent measles outbreak that straddled the two states for a period of months. The vast majority of cases were in Clark County, Washington. House Bill 3063 is about saving lives, protecting children and communities, believing in sound science, and building immunity from dangerous diseases," said Rep. Helt. "I am encouraged that it has passed through the House and hope my colleagues in the Senate agree that this legislation is vital to protect those among us who cannot be vaccinated due to legitimate medical reasons. CLICK HERE for more on the recent measles outbreak across the U.S., considered the largest since before 2000. Helt went on to say that the bill would "provide Oregonians with freedom from fear, freedom from sickness, freedom from quarantines and freedom from diseases that can kill. The bill passed with some bipartisan support and opposition in a 35-25 vote. While most Democrats voted in favor of the bill, a handful voted against. Representative Kim Wallan (R-Medford) joined Helt in supporting it, but they were the only Republicans to do so. Governor Brown has said that she would sign the bill into law if it comes to her desk. Brown recently signed a bill into law that would allow dentists to provide vaccinations. Vaccines currently required for K-12 students in Oregon are DTaP/Tdap (Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis), Polio, Varicella (Chickenpox), MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. The number of doses required depends on which year of school the child is in. EUGENE, Ore-- An Oregon community college student is dead after police found him in a parking lot with a gunshot wound. University of Oregon police and the Eugene Police Department responded to a report of shots fired behind a bar and grill early Saturday. In the parking lot, they found a man who had been shot. He died at the scene. Authorities identified him Sunday as 21-year-old Alex Oyombe Gradin of Eugene. He was a student at Lane Community College. His family says in a statement he "was an unexpected blessing to our lives when he joined us as a baby in Kenya and grew to be a compassionate, thoughtful young man." MEDFORD, Ore. Yet another Medford elementary school went into lockout procedures on Monday after reports of a possible cougar sighting in the Griffin Creek area. Last Friday, Lone Pine Elementary in northeast Medford went on lockout. On Monday, it was Griffin Creek Elementary in the city's far southwest area. Principal Louis Dix sent out a statement to parents after the lockout procedure was over: "Earlier this morning, there were reports of a possible cougar sighting in the Griffin Creek area. Out of an abundance of caution, Griffin Creek Elementary followed established protocol and went into a precautionary lockout at 9:34 a.m. Medford Police, Oregon State Troopers, and Jackson County Sheriffs Office sent officers to investigate," Dix said. According to the letter, officers who responded found no sign of the cougar and eventually gave the school an all-clear almost a carbon-copy of the Lone Pine incident. The lockout ended at 10:03 a.m. "Lockouts are practiced multiple times a year. Staff and students responded today as rehearsed and in an impressive manner. For the safety of both students and parents, we do not alert parents while a lockout is in progress," Dix said. "This is an emergency management best practice. Police do not want parents to come to school to retrieve their children because that could put the parent in danger and/or compromise a police investigation. Please know that your childs safety is our top and ongoing priority and the central purpose of all of our emergency procedures." Little more than a week ago, officers with the Medford Police Department shot and killed a cougar that had been making frequent inroads around south Medford. HAPPY CAMP, Calif. A body found along a remote road near Happy Camp belongs to a man reported missing out of Marysville, California in January, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office (SCSO). Deputies responded just before noon on Wednesday, May 1 after someone reported finding the body near Independence Creek Road, a Forest Service road near Happy Camp, about 5.2 miles from State Route 96. SCSO said that Deputy Cody Ruddell arrived at the scene and determined that the body was that of an adult man. He would later be identified as 31-year-old Kevin Randall Gibbs, who had been reported missing out of Marysville back in January. Marysville lies just east of Yuba City, between the Feather and Yuba rivers. "The investigation, which included an analysis of autopsy results, concluded Mr. Gibbs died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A firearm and personal belongings were located in vicinity of the decedents remains," SCSO said in a statement. Gibbs' vehicle had been found near Independence Creek at an earlier time, SCSO said, but a search failed to find Gibbs himself. On behalf of the Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office, I would like to offer our thoughts and prayers to the decedent, his family, and friends in the aftermath of his death," said Sheriff Jon Lopey. "Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact SCSOs 24-hour Dispatch Center at (530) 841-2900. Dussling has been on the SD214 board for 21 years, the release states. An Arlington Heights resident for nearly 40 years, Dussling has received state and national accolades for education, including the Illinois State Board of Education Award of Excellence. GLIDE, Ore. A man and a woman from the Klamath Falls area were killed in a single-vehicle crash over the weekend, according to the Oregon State Police (OSP). Police received a report of the crash around 1 p.m. on Sunday, prompting OSP troopers and emergency crews to respond. They arrived at the scene on Highway 138E near Glide to find two people dead in a single-car crash. Investigators came to believe that 42-year-old Kelley Weekly had been driving a Chrysler PT Cruiser westbound on Hwy 138E when "for an unknown reason" she veered off the road and into a tree. Both Weekly and her passenger, 49-year-old Scott Carnes, were pronounced dead at the scene. Both were Klamath Falls residents. "Both Weekly and Carnes were wearing safety belts at the time of the crash," OSP said. "Traffic was not impacted by the crash." OSP was assisted at the scene by the Glide Fire department, ODOT, Joes towing, and Chapel of the Roses. MINDEN The nose of the food truck is splattered with lime green and purple paint with sayings like Life is too short to be hangry or Im sorry for what I said when I was hangry. Mongolian metal music plays through the speakers as the smell of burgers and pulled pork waft through the air. Chad Christensen slides open the window to greet customers with a jovial grin. His arm rests on the window edge with his business name, Hangries, tattooed across his forearm. Spending his days in his food truck waiting on customers is a lifestyle change for Christensen, who grew up on a farm and spent the last 25 years as a farmer near Minden. My dad retired. I saw how the economy was so I retired, too. I sat for a couple of weeks wondering what I was going to do. I didnt want to have a boss because Ive been my own boss for so long. I was like, Gosh, what do I do? Christensen said. One day when he was driving home from Kearney, the idea hit him to start a food truck. Dawson County Emergency Manager Woldt said the damage is estimated to be around $600,000. The paperwork has been submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Woldt said, but they havent declared if Dawson County will receive any disaster funds yet. Sheriff Ken Moody said there is one job opening in the jail but otherwise the Sheriffs office is at full strength. The commissioners discussed replacing concrete on the north side of the jail. Woldt said he worries about the state the concrete is in, a county employee or inmate might fall. He said the concrete crumbling is due to its age, wear and tear and the fact it sits on the north side of the building and any snow on that side during this winter melted slowly. The commissioners authorized fixing the concrete after obtaining three informal bids. Melanie Gomez with the Parent Child Center presented an update of the center and made a request for funding. Gomez said in 2018 the shelter served 226 adults and 30 adults and 35 children were sheltered. Beds were slept in 3,256 times and the shelter itself was occupied every single day in 2018. While the lawsuits plaintiffs are mainly feeder operations, Bullard said it has an impact that filters down to the even the smallest cow/calf rancher. The most important prices discovery market for the entire cattle industry is the fed cattle market, Bullard said. The price for all other younger cattle is based on the expected future value of that animal when its ready to be sold to the packers. Our focus on the fed cattle market is a focus on the critical market for the entire industry, he said. The class action lawsuit seeks to recover the losses suffered by two classes believed harmed by the packing companies alleged conduct. The first class includes cattle producers who sold fed cattle to any one of the firms from January 2015 to the present. The second class consists of traders who transacted live cattle futures or options contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) from January 2015 to the present. The complaint, which plaintiffs claim is supported by witness accounts, including a former employee of one of the packers, trade records, and economic evidence, alleges that the big four packers conspired to artificially depress fed cattle prices through various means, including: 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. "We're both absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support from everybody out there. It's been amazing, so we just wanted to share this with everybody," he gushed. Meghan's mother Doria Ragland was reportedly also with her daughter and said she is overjoyed, according to British media. Senior royals were informed of the birth, as was the family of Diana, Harry's late mother, before he went before the cameras. The couple's Instagram account said: "It's a boy! Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to announce the birth of their child." Harry said he planned to make another announcement, probably in two days' time, "so everyone can see the baby." It's expected they will pose for a family picture at that point. The former Meghan Markle, 37, was an American TV star before retiring from acting to marry Harry at St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle a year ago. The child will be eligible for dual British-U.S. citizenship if Meghan and Harry want to go through the application process. Granted, measles symptoms usually are minor, involving fever, runny nose, cough and a rash all over the body. However, a few cases result in pneumonia and swelling of the brain. Out of every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been three measles-related deaths reported in the U.S. since 2000, the last one in 2015. The worst year for measles in modern U.S. history was 1958 with more than 763,000 reported cases and 552 deaths. If the prospect of a return to those kinds of numbers isnt bad enough, public health officials worry that the uptick in measles could portend a return of other vaccine-preventable diseases such as rubella, chickenpox and bacterial meningitis. Before putting faith in something shared on your Facebook or Twitter feed, check with your health care providers and follow their recommendation. McCook Daily Gazette With each criminal conviction the state of Nebraska matter-of-factly tells the defendants how long they will spend behind bars. Hidden from view, in the "fine-print," is a long list of additional penalties attached to these convictions. Only upon leaving prison and while attempting to rebuild their lives, do offenders experience, firsthand, how these non-prison "collateral consequences" limit or deny their basic rights to housing, food stamps, education, voting, employment, child custody and much more. A 2018 study conducted by the Prison Policy Initiative found that "formally incarcerated people are unemployed at a rate of more than 27 percent higher than the total U.S. unemployment rate during any historical period, including the Great Depression(and)Exclusionary policies and practices are responsible for these market inequities." The study concludes: "A prison sentence should not be a perpetual punishmentStates should implement automation record engagement procedures and reform their licensing practices so as to eliminate the automatic rejection of people with felony convictions." 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 its 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." Nathan Taffels childhood was marked by carefree days, punctuated by the warm embrace of his family and siblings. But as he turned 12 years of age a time when he should have celebrated his Bar Mitzvah Taffels life changed dramatically. As a living testament of surviving some of the most insurmountable human suffering, Taffel, a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, does not shy away from his past. Instead, Taffel, born in 1928, tours schools, community groups and other venues to share his living account of one of the darkest moments in history. That I survived its a miracle, said Taffel, who currently lives in Mequon and served as the guest speaker of this years Interfaith Holocaust Commemoration event, which was held Thursday at the Kenosha Public Museum. Taffel did not mince words as he recounted what he endured and witnessed. Some of his stories were jarring enough that the several hundred attendees in the audience were moved to tears. To this day, Taffel said he has nightmares from the five years he suffered under Nazi rule. Its my obligation, as long as I can, to speak about the Holocaust, Taffel said. It is very difficult. Taffel grew up in Radomysl, Poland. He was the youngest of eight children. Recounting his earliest years, Taffel said, with a laugh, I was spoiled rotten. I was the youngest. But those bliss-filled days came crashing down when Radomysl was besieged by the Schutzstaffel, the major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler. The horrors began when Taffel saw his father beaten by Nazi soldiers. From there, he said, the situation grew evermore challenging. Can you imagine seeing your father get beaten up? Taffel said. It breaks my heart even now, thinking about it. Taffel had several brushes with death and nearly was shot on more than one occasion. He said the work ethic he developed in the Mielec labor camp was likely part of the reason he survived some of the earliest phases as fellow inmates were killed, gassed or tortured. I worked very hard, very diligently, to survive, Taffel said. Taffel also shared with the audience his time in Flossenberg, the concentration camp he resided in before liberation came in spring 1945. He described the last portion of his time under Nazi control as unbearable. After liberation, Taffel lived in Australia before moving to the U.S. A family members presence in Racine was the impetus for his arrival to Wisconsin. Unpacking the years of horrifying experiences was a heavy weight, Taffel said; initially, he said he struggled. I developed a horrible hate, Taffel said as he grappled with anger. But Taffel said the words of someone he encountered, post-liberation, stick with him to this day: Anybody that hates doesnt survive longevity. Speaking from a non-natives perspective, Taffel said the ideals of the U.S. have given him the opportunity to shed hate from his mindset as he goes on speaking engagements. There is no other country in the world like the United States of America, Taffel said. Its the most wonderful place. God bless America. Thursdays local commemorative event was linked to an eight-day Days of Remembrance initiative across the U.S., which was passed as an Act of Congress in 1980. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 When Lillian Jilk was growing up in a small town in Minnesota, career options were limited for women. After high school, I did nurses aid work. There wasnt too much to do then, for women, she remembered. But quite soon the opportunity to do something important presented itself. In 1942, Jilk joined the United States Navy Nurse Corps. She became one of thousands of nurses who joined the nurse corps during World War II. Jilk, born on May 8, 1919, is celebrating her 100th birthday this week, just a few days shy of International Nurses Day. During the war, Jilk was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base and then at a boot camp in Idaho. At the end of her service, she worked at the Naval Hospital in Long Beach, Calif. In California, the nurses worked with sailors who were returned to the United States for treatment after being injured in the war. So many shrapnel wounds, she said, remembering working with Corpsmen removing casts that had been applied on hospital ships. She did non-war-related work too, including delivering babies in the hospitals obstetrics department. She served for 27 months in the nurse corps. It was a good experience, she said. There was heartbreak, too. Two brothers served in the military during the war. One, Arthur, was in the Navy, serving on the USS Lexington aircraft carrier. The Lexington was hit by Japanese torpedoes during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. While most of the crew was rescued, Arthur was one of 216 crew members who died. He was buried at sea. He didnt make it, Jilk said. After the war, Jilk returned to work as a nurse in the the Twin Cities. She met her husband Albert in Minnesota. After her marriage, she said, she left nursing to concentrate on being a stay-at-home mother. The family moved to Kenosha in the 1960s when Albert came here for work. He came to work at American Motors, she said. Albert died 22 years ago. Jilk lives in her own apartment in a senior apartment building. She looks far younger than her years. She doesnt much like to talk about herself, and was a bit embarrassed about the idea of a newspaper story about her. Keep it short, she said. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Kenosha man was believed to be on a heroic, rescue mission when he was killed during Fridays plant explosion in Waukegan, Ill. Jeff Cummings, 56, was one of the three Wisconsin men confirmed dead in the incident, according to multiple local sources. Cummings, a third-shift supervisor at AB Specialty Silicones, 3790 Sunset Ave., assisted employees out of the factory and went back inside to find others when the blast shook houses and buildings as far as Kenosha. Authorities remained at the scene on Monday searching for one person believed to be still missing. Two other victims confirmed dead were Allen Stevens, 29, of Paddock Lake, and Byron Biehn, 53, of Union Grove. Kenoshas Jason Griffin, a close friend of Cummings, said he drove to the accident scene Friday evening when it was determined Cummings was one of the men inside of the factory when the explosion occurred. There were nine people working at the plant Friday night. One of the guys that came out said Jeff helped him out and went back in to get more people, Griffin said. I believe (Cummings) was the one who identified the problem. He was doing a search for his people and getting them out. He got a couple people out of the door and turned right back around to go notify others. He helped everybody else before helping himself. Griffin said Cummings was one of the most responsible, caring people he ever met. He described Cummings as a loving family man and an avid bowler and motorcyclist. Cummings was a member of the Wednesday night Pinbusters League at Sheridan Lanes. He was one of those guys who was never, ever late, said Griffin, a manager at Sheridan Lanes. Hed go in at least a half-hour early to get in touch with the other supervisor. I dont even know if his shift started yet. Once he found out how dangerous it was, he started looking for his employees. A GoFundMe page was created for the Cummings family on Monday. The page refers to Cummings as not only an amazing husband, father and papa, but an exceptional brother, uncle, son and friend. It describes him as a gentle soul, who would give the shirt off of his own back for someone else. He lived for his family, Griffin said. He wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of. Stevens died at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, according to the Cook County Medical Examiners Office. He was pronounced dead at 11:50 a.m. Saturday. According to a GoFundMe page created on Sunday for Stevens family, Stevens was described as not only an exceptional friend, but an exceptional husband, son, brother, uncle, nephew and cousin. It goes on to state all of the words put together to try and describe the amount of grief this family is experiencing cannot be fathomed. Mac Penman, general manager at AB Specialty Silicones, released a statement Saturday evening. We are shocked and heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred in our plant last night, Penman said. 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 of 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. Love 6 Funny 4 Wow 2 Sad 59 Angry 8 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. Heres a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week. House votes COLUMBIA RIVER TRIBAL FISHING RIGHTS: The House has passed a bill (H.R. 91), sponsored by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., to authorize an Interior Department study of potential sanitation and safety improvements to Indian traditional fishing grounds along the Columbia River that tribes hold by treaty. Blumenauer said the study could improve a situation in which tribal members near the Columbia are living on a year-round basis in conditions that really should not exist anywhere in America. The vote, on April 29, was 396 yeas to 18 nays. YEAS: Steil R-WI (1st) PROTECTING ELDERLY INVESTORS: The House has passed the National Senior Investor Initiative Act (H.R. 1876), sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to create a Securities and Exchange Commission task force charged with studying policy changes that could specifically benefit elderly investors, including problems associated with financial exploitation and cognitive decline by the investors. Gottheimer said the task force will help stop financial predators from scamming seniors out of their savings by finding ways to strengthen protections and safeguards for seniors. The vote, on April 30, was 392 yeas to 20 nays. YEAS: Steil R-WI (1st) CLIMATE CHANGE PACT: The House has passed the Climate Action Now Act (H.R. 9), sponsored by Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., which would require the president to submit annual plans for the U.S. to meet a goal set out in the Paris Agreement on climate change of cutting its 2005 greenhouse gas emissions levels by 26 to 28 percent by 2025, and request that other large economies meet similar emissions reduction goals. Castor said: In addition to sending an important signal to clean energy, job-creating businesses, this will send an important signal to our allies across the world. We expect ambitious action from them. A bill opponent, Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., said the Paris agreement was flawed because Congress never approved the U.S. joining it, and therefore U.S. compliance was not required under the Constitution. The vote, on May 2, was 231 yeas to 190 nays. NAYS: Steil R-WI (1st) Along with roll call votes, the House also passed the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act (H.R. 1222), to facilitate the establishment of additional or expanded public target ranges in certain states. Senate votes ENERGY DEPARTMENT LAWYER: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of William Cooper to serve as the Energy Departments general counsel. Cooper is a senior counsel at the McConnell Valdes law firm in Washington, D.C., and a former legal official on various House energy and natural resources committees. The vote, on April 30, was 68 yeas to 31 nays. YEAS: Johnson R-WI NAYS: Baldwin D-WI MILITARY DIPLOMAT: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of R. Clarke Cooper to serve as assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. Cooper, an Army combat veteran and current senior military officer, was a State Department official during the George W. Bush administration. A supporter, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said that as head of States Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Coopers experience and leadership would help ensure that our foreign policy goals are driving our security partnerships and security assistance around the world, including nearly $100 billion annually in arms sales. The vote, on April 30, was 90 yeas to 8 nays. YEAS: Johnson R-WI, Baldwin D-WI TEXAS DISTRICT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of J. Campbell Barker to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for the eastern district of Texas. Barker has been Texass deputy solicitor general since 2015, and was previously a private practice lawyer in Houston. An opponent, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., criticized Barker for opposing the health care reform law (Obamacare), and supporting President Trumps so-called Muslim travel ban and Texass voter ID law. The vote, on May 1, was 51 yeas to 47 nays. YEAS: Johnson R-WI NAYS: Baldwin D-WI ALABAMA DISTRICT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Andrew Lynn Brasher to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for the middle district of Alabama. Brasher, Alabamas solicitor general since 2014, was previously deputy solicitor general and a private practice lawyer in Birmingham. An opponent, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., criticized Brasher for submitting amicus briefs to the Supreme Court arguing against commonsense gun laws, such as age requirements for gun purchases and restrictions on concealed carry licenses. The vote, on May 1, was 52 yeas to 47 nays. YEAS: Johnson R-WI NAYS: Baldwin D-WI FLORIDA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Rodolfo Armando Ruiz II to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for the southern district of Florida. Ruiz, a Florida circuit court judge since 2015, was previously a county attorney and judge in Miami. The vote, on May 2, was 90 yeas to 8 nays. YEAS: Johnson R-WI, Baldwin D-WI PUERTO RICO JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Raul M. Arias-Marxuach to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for Puerto Rico. Arias-Marxuach has been a private practice lawyer and partner at San Juan law firms since 1994. The vote, on May 2, was 95 yeas to 3 nays. YEAS: Johnson R-WI, Baldwin D-WI PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Joshua Wolson to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for the eastern district of Pennsylvania. Wolson has been a private practice lawyer at a Philadelphia law firm since 2008, specializing in commercial and government litigation. The vote, on May 2, was 65 yeas to 33 nays. YEAS: Johnson R-WI NAYS: Baldwin D-WI YEMEN INTERVENTION: The Senate has failed to override President Trumps veto of a resolution (S.J. Res. 7), sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, ID-Vt., that would have required the removal from Yemen, within 30 days, of U.S. soldiers stationed there, barring congressional authorization of the use of force in Yemen. Sanders said a withdrawal would work toward peacefully resolving Yemens civil war and providing immediate humanitarian aid, and helping the people, along with the international community, to rebuild their shattered economy. An override opponent, Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, said U.S. involvement in the civil war was very narrow and designed to minimize civilian casualties, and served the purpose of prevent Iran from helping the Houthi faction to imperil key Middle East shipping routes and use Iranian-made missile systems to endanger thousands of U.S. citizens. The vote, on May 2, was 53 yeas to 45 nays, with a two-thirds majority required to override the veto. NAYS: Johnson R-WI YEAS: Baldwin D-WI Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 290 Shares Share A Kentucky judge rejected the claims made by a teenager who sued his local health department for temporarily barring students at his school who arent immune against chickenpox from attending classes and participating in extracurricular activities. This article prompted a little thought experiment. Chickenpox used to be a routine childhood illness. For a couple of weeks, kids who contracted the illness were very contagious and experienced discomfort. Death was rare, but it did happen. Finally, in 1995, the chickenpox vaccine arrived. It was safe and effective. Ironically, our son was suffering from chickenpox at the time this became news. I was kind of surprised at the level of misery he was experiencing. With the arrival of the vaccine, chickenpox as a childhood illness virtually vanished. Heres the catch: The varicella virus has not vanished. Anytime someone gets shingles, they shed the virus. True, a person with shingles is far less contagious than someone with chickenpox. Yet, when a person with active shingles meets someone not immune to chickenpox, there is the potential for a new chickenpox case. It is important to emphasize that chickenpox is far more severe in older people. Prior to the vaccine, it was common to hospitalize some patients in their late twenties with cases of chickenpox. Chickenpox is even worse if you are pregnant. Occasionally, such patients even died. Anti-vaccine patients avoid the vaccine entirely. They also avoid chickenpox because the disease has become fairly rare in this country. Unfortunately, as they get older, they may eventually encounter the disease and they will become very sick. In fact, they may get very, very sick. Repeat that point: Chickenpox in kids is bad, but rarely a catastrophe. Chickenpox in pregnant or older people is a disaster. Thanks to herd immunity, these unvaccinated kids will become older unvaccinated adults. All is well until a family member visits and mentions an odd rash on one side of their face. The unvaccinated older adult looks at it closely and may even touch the visitors shingles rash. Boom. Soon, you will have a very, very sick older adult with a horrible case of chickenpox. What does chickenpox look like in a 45 year old? It is probably really awful, but Ive never seen such a thing. The oldest case I ever saw was in a 29 year old, and she was amazingly sick. What happens in a 60 year old? I bet the fatality rate starts to climb. On the bright side, there are several things which could blunt this doomsday scenario: Drugs like Valtrex are pretty good. Vaccine campaigns may catch a lot of these older kids of anti-vaxxers to get them immunized. Patients with Shingles do not tend to shed a lot of virus and are not terribly contagious. (Side note: More than three decades ago, my nurse wife with zero varicella immunity provided care to many inpatients with shingles and did not contract the disease until she wandered past a contagious kid in a museum years later.) People speak of chickenpox parties and they sound insane. Yet, in the old days before vaccines, this almost made sense: Get the disease now when the severity is less. What about the anti-vaccine kids? I know. The correct answer is to get the vaccine now and stop worrying. The point is: Chickenpox as a disease is evolving thanks to this terrible mix of the vaccinated and unvaccinated. This could be really terrifying. Steven Mussey is an internal medicine physician. Image credit: Shutterstock.com GLIDE, Ore. -- A crash on Highway 138E near Glide killed two Sunday afternoon, Oregon State Police said. Kelley Weekly, 42, and passenger Scott Carnes, 49, both of Klamath Falls, died when the Chrysler PT Cruiser they were in veered off the road and hit a tree. Police said both were pronounced dead on scene. They were wearing safety belts. It's not known why the car veered off the road. The Glide Fire Department, Oregon Department of Transportation, Joes Towing and Chapel of the Roses assisted troopers. (CNN) -- On Monday, Michael Cohen will complete his transition from presidential fixer to prison inmate. Cohen, the former personal attorney to President Donald Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and national deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, is set to report to a federal prison in Otisville, New York to begin serving a three-year sentence. Cohen requested the federal prison in Otisville, because of its closeness to New York City and its popularity with Jewish inmates. He was initially set to begin his sentence March 6, but his attorneys argued successfully for his prison date to be pushed back by two months. Cohen turned on his former boss, President Trump. Since pleading guilty in August 2018 to tax evasion, false statements to a bank and campaign finance violations tied to hush money payments he made or orchestrated on behalf of Trump. CHESHIRE, Ore. -- A pedestrian is dead after a crash on Highway 36 near Cheshire Saturday night, Oregon State Police said. Troopers responded to milepost 44 at about 11:30 p.m. Police said Leslie Sellars, 79, of Cheshire was driving a Ford Ranger pickup west on the highway when he hit a man who was in the lane of travel. The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. Investigators are working to identify the man. Sellars was not injured and is cooperating with the investigation. Troopers were assisted by Lane Fire, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Lane County Medical Examiners Office. It was emotionally and physically tiring, I could tell. The two social workers got the family situated in a shelter, although many of their personal items were still in the back of Trombinos car. So I certainly appreciated the fact they made time to sit down and talk about, among other things, how more police departments are relying on their own teams of social workers to handle the growing need for calls that involve domestic violence, sexual assault, child and elder abuse, mental illness and addiction. The 11th annual All Ireland Irish Restaurant Awards will take place on May 13 in the Clayton, Burlington Road where over 1,000 guests will sit down to a five-course gala dinner, prepared by previous winners of the Irish Restaurant Awards. A number of Kilkenny businesses are nominated in the upcoming awards. Over 90,000 nominations were received during the first stage of the Irish Restaurant Awards, where members of the public nominated their favourite establishments. Restaurants from each county will be competing in national awards, which will be presented at the All Ireland Awards on May 13. The categories are: Best Cocktail Experience, Best Private Dining and Club Restaurant, Best Cookery School, Best Seafood Experience and Best Digital Marketing. Kilkenny finalists include Campagne, Lady Helen Dining Room at Mount Juliet Estate, Butcher restaurant, Ristorante Rinuccini, Zuni Boutique, Paris Texas Bar, Knockdrinna Farm Shop & Artisan Cafe, The Dylan Whiskey Bar, Barrows Keep, Indique Indian Restuarant, The Cutting Vedge and The Hungry Moose and Glasrai & Goodies. Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive Officer of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said: Now in their 11th year, the Irish Restaurant Awards have grown year on year and with over 90,000 nominations from the public in 2019, its a great showcase of all the excellent produce and skilled chefs that we have here in Ireland. The Irish Restaurant Awards prides itself on celebrating the best of the best, knowing that Irish restaurants are among the best in the world. Ireland may be a small country, but it boasts everything from fine dining to high quality gastropubs, from the comfort of traditional Irish food to exploring the world though exotic world cuisine, the Irish restaurant industry has much to offer. We have an appreciation for what we eat and where our food comes from, as well as the dedication of those working in the food industry. We wish all those nominated the best of luck on the May 13. For more information on the upcoming awards see www.irishrestaurantawards.com. Story A Canadian resident from British Columbia who traveled to the Seattle area in late April 2019 has been diagnosed with measles. The traveler, a man in his 40s, has since recovered from his illness. Prior to arriving in King County, he spent time in Japan and New York during the period that he was infected, two places that currently have measles outbreaks. This case has no connection to the recently-ended measles outbreak based in Clark County, Washington state. While he was infectious with measles, he spent time in the Seattle area at several locations, including popular tourist attractions and Sea-Tac Airport. Anyone who does not have immunity to measles through vaccination or from previously having measles is at risk for infection if they were at a location of measles exposure. This case is another reminder that measles is resurgent in many areas of the United States and the world, and that because we all travel, no community is safe from measles introductions," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health Seattle & King County. "Measles vaccine is safe and effective - all adults and children should be sure they are up to date with the recommended doses of the vaccine to protect themselves and their community." What to do if you were in a location of potential measles exposure Most people in our area have immunity to the measles through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low. However, anyone who was in the locations of potential exposure to measles around the times listed below should: Find out if they have been vaccinated for measles or have had measles previously, and Call a health care provider promptly if they develop an illness with fever or illness with an unexplained rash between April 27 and May 19, 2019. To avoid possibly spreading measles to other patients, do not go to a clinic or hospital without calling first to tell them you want to be evaluated for measles. Locations of potential exposure to measles in King County The infected individual was in the following public locations. These times include the period when the person was at the location and two hours after. Measles virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after someone infectious with measles leaves the area. Anyone who was at the locations below during the times listed could have been exposed to measles: Date Time Location April 21, 2019 8 10 p.m. SeaTac International Airport (Gate A-5 to main terminal) April 24, 2019 April 28, 2019 Starting 10 p.m. 4/24 to noon 4/28 Marriott Courtyard Hotel Pioneer Square (612 2nd Ave, Seattle 98104) April 25, 2019 11 a.m. 1 p.m. Storyville Coffee (1001 1st Ave, Seattle 98104) April 25, 2019 5 p.m. 7 p.m. Kenmore Air Lake Union, 950 Westlake Ave N., Seattle, WA 98109 April 26, 2019 11 a.m. 2 p.m. Immediate Clinic Capitol Hill (1512 Broadway, Seattle 98122) April 26, 2019 12 p.m. 2 p.m. Monorail (Westlake Station to Seattle Center) April 26, 2019 2:30 p.m. 6 p.m. Seattle Space Needle (400 Broad St, Seattle 98109) April 27, 2019 10 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Slate Coffee Roasters (602 2nd Ave, Seattle 98104) April 27, 2019 11 a.m. 4 p.m. MoPOP - Museum of Pop Culture (325 5th Ave, Seattle 98109) April 27, 2019 2:30 4:30 p.m. Market Fresh (720 Olive Way, Seattle 98101) April 27, 2019 9 p.m. 11 p.m. Tasting Room (1924 Post Alley, Seattle 98101) April 27, 2019 9:30 p.m. 2 a.m. The Pink Door (1919 Post Alley, Seattle 98101) April 28, 2019 10 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Slate Coffee Roasters (602 2nd Ave, Seattle 98104) April 28, 2019 10 a.m. 1:30 p.m. Kenmore Air Flight M5 340 About measles Measles is a highly contagious and potentially severe disease that causes fever, rash, cough, and red, watery eyes. It mainly spreads through the air after a person with measles coughs or sneezes. Measles symptoms begin seven to 21 days after exposure. Measles is contagious from approximately four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appears. People can spread measles before they have the characteristic measles rash. Measles complications can include ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, and rarely, encephalitis (brain inflammation). Complications from measles can happen even in healthy people but those at highest risk include: infants and children under 5 years, adults over 20 years, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems from drugs or underlying disease. For more information about measles and measles vaccination: kingcounty.gov/measles 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. 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 scepticism 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. HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinas central bank said on Monday it would implement its cut in reserve requirement ratios (RRRs) for some small- and medium-sized banks in three phases, as part of wider efforts to help companies weather a slowdown in the worlds second largest economy. The cuts will be gradually implemented on three dates, including May 15, June 17 and July 15, the central bank said. This is aimed at helping small- and medium-sized banks to better serve small and private enterprises, which will in turn support the overall economy, the Peoples Bank of China said in a statement on its website. Earlier on Monday, the central bank said it would cut RRRs to release about 280 billion yuan ($41 billion) for some small- and medium-sized banks. Reporting by Meg Shen in Hong Kong and Lee Chyen Yee in Singapore; Editing by Clarence Fernandez. BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China said on Monday that a delegation was still preparing to go to the United States for trade talks, even as U.S. President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on Beijing to reach a deal, saying he would hike tariffs on Chinese goods this week. Trumps comments on Sunday marked a major escalation in tensions between the worlds two largest economies, and a shift in tone from the president, who as recently as Friday had cited progress toward a deal. Stock markets sank and oil prices tumbled on his remarks, as negotiations to end the months-long trade war were thrown into doubt. [MKTS/GLOB] We are also in the process of understanding the relevant situation. What I can tell you is that Chinas team is preparing to go to the United States for the discussions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a news briefing. But Geng did not say if Vice Premier Liu He, who is Chinas lead official in the negotiations, will be part of the delegation as originally planned. Negotiations are set to start May 8 in Washington. What is of vital importance is that we still hope the United States can work hard with China to meet each other half way, and strive to reach a mutually beneficial, win-win agreement on the basis of mutual respect, Geng said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that China was considering cancelling this weeks meetings in Washington in light of Trumps comments, which took Chinese officials by surprise. Trump appeared to defend his decision in a tweet early Monday, slamming the U.S.-China trade deficit and vowing not to lose out to Beijing. A less-than-rosy update from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, including details that China was pulling back from some previous commitments, prompted Trumps weekend decision. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No! Trump said in a tweet. Trump said tariffs on $200 billion of goods would increase on Friday to 25 percent from 10 percent, reversing a decision he made in February to keep them at 10 percent due to progress between the two sides. The president also said he would target a further $325 billion of Chinese goods with 25 percent tariffs shortly, essentially covering all products imported to the United States from China. ATMOSPHERE HAS CHANGED U.S. officials did not weigh in on whether they expected talks to go ahead this week. The White House and the U.S. Trade Representatives Office declined to comment. Chinas commerce ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The atmosphere of the negotiations has changed, said a Chinese official with knowledge of the situation. Whether and how the talks proceed are being re-evaluated, the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. All that depends on the attitude of the United States, the official said. Chinese news outlets have been told not to independently report on Trumps tweets, and instead adhere to any report from the official Xinhua news agency, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Global financial markets, which had been expecting news of a trade deal soon, went into a tailspin. U.S. equity futures fell more than 2 percent and stocks across trade-reliant Asia tumbled. Chinas main indexes slid 5 percent. There is still a question of whether this is one of the famous Trump negotiation tactics, or are we really going to see some drastic increase in tariffs, said Nick Twidale, Sydney-based analyst at Rakuten Securities Australia. If its the latter, well see massive downside pressure across all markets. Mindful of his 2020 re-election bid, Trump had also suggested the duties were not leading to price increases for U.S. consumers. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China, he tweeted. Tariffs on Chinese goods are actually paid to the United States by companies that import the goods, and most of those companies are U.S.-based. American businesses, while supportive of Trumps crackdown on Chinas trade practices, are eager for the tariffs to be removed, not expanded. Raising tariffs means raising taxes on millions of American families and inviting further retaliation on American farmers, said Christin Fernandez, a spokeswoman for the Retail Industry Leaders Association. HANG TOUGH Nevertheless, the presidents aggressive strategy drew rare bipartisan support from U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who urged Trump to hang tough in a tweet: Dont back down. Strength is the only way to win with China. One Chinese trade expert said recent signs of resilience in both economies were breeding over-confidence. The urgency is gone. So, its likely to see a longer trade war, the expert said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic. The trade war resulted in billions of dollars in losses for both sides in 2018, hitting autos, technology and above all, agriculture, while inflicting collateral damage on export-reliant economies and companies from Japan to Germany. On Friday, Trump said talks with China were going well. Last week, industry sources said they believed the talks were in the end game, but a Trump administration official said aides had told the president that significant hurdles remained. The increase in U.S. tariffs on Friday would be the first since Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods in September, coming on top of 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of goods enacted earlier last year. Negotiations about tariffs have been one of the remaining sticking points between the two sides. China wants the tariffs to be removed, while Trump wants to keep some, if not all, as part of any final deal to ensure China lives up to its commitments, a White House official said on Sunday. Reporting by Jeff Mason, David Shepardson, Timothy Gardner, Lawrence Hurley and Makini Brice in Washington; Sinead Carew in New York; and Ben Blanchard, Michael Martina, Shu Zhang, Jing Xu, Cheng Leng and Yawen Chen in Beijing; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Jeffrey Benkoe. Perseus Mining's board approved construction of the company's third gold mine, the Yaoure Gold Mine in Cote dIvoire. Announced today, Yaoures US$265 million development cost will be funded by US$150 million credit facility, US$40 million underwritten warrants, US$81 million of existing cash and bullion plus future cash flows. The mine is expected to achieve average annual production of 215,000oz for the first five years of operations, with average all-in-site-costs of US$734/oz. Perseus (TSX:PRU) says 50% of the capital budget for the mine is fixed. Outotec has a contract to manufacture and supply the SAG and ball mills. The company said it is making progress compensating landowners for crop loss. "Another activity on the critical path for development is payment of all outstanding crop, land and sacred site compensation," said the company in a news release. "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." The first gold pour is expected by January 2021. Perseus says the mine will make the company a 500,000+ oz gold producer. Editor's Note: Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news stories and expert opinions that moved the precious metals and financial markets. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Gold prices are trading slightly down in early-morning U.S. trading Monday. The safe-haven metals bulls are perplexed that gold and silver prices have not received a good bid from fresh geopolitical developments that have tanked world stock markets today. June gold futures were last down $1.10 an ounce at $1,280.30. July Comex silver was last down $0.158 at $14.82 an ounce. World stock markets were rattled and traded sharply lower overnight on news that President Trump tweeted a threat to further increase U.S. trade tariffs on Chinese goods. The sense of the marketplace had been that a U.S.-China trade deal was close and could be finalized late this week. Commodity markets were also roiled overnight on ideas any escalation in the U.S.-China trade war would translate into slower global economic growth. U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward sharply lower openings when the New York day session begins. As of this writing, the Chinese trade delegation was still headed to the U.S. for talks this week. Upon reflection, many traders and investors realize they should not have become so optimistic on the trade war being resolved, given Turmps propensity to make knee-jerk decisions. China stock markets fell from 5% to 7% overnight, making those losses the largest one-day declines in three years. The Chinese yuan plunged on the world foreign exchange market. The U.S. dollar index is trading slightly up today, while Nymex crude oil prices are lower and trading around $61.00 a barrel. Adding to geopolitical concerns to start the trading week, the U.S. is sending a naval task force, including an aircraft carrier, to the Middle East as a show of force against Iran. A U.S. official said the U.S. warships are fully prepared to respond to any attack from Iran or others. U.S. economic data due for release Monday includes the employment trends index and the global services PMI. Technically, the gold bears have the overall near-term technical advantage. A 2.5-month-old downtrend is in place on the daily bar chart. Bulls next upside price objective is to produce a close in June futures above solid resistance at $1,300.00. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is pushing prices below solid technical support at $1,250.00. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $1,287.40 and then at $1,290.90. First support is seen at $1,275.00 and then at last weeks low of $1,267.30. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 3.5 July silver futures bears have the overall near-term technical advantage. Prices are in a 2.5-month-old downtrend on the daily bar chart. Silver bulls' next upside price breakout objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at $15.15 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $14.50. First resistance is seen at $15.00 and then at $15.15. Next support is seen at last weeks low of $14.57 and then at $14.50. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 3.0. May 6 (Reuters) - Gold prices climbed on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods, escalating Sino-U.S. trade tensions, which prompted investors to sell riskier assets and boost safe-haven bullion. Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $1,281.63 per ounce, as of 0930 GMT. U.S. gold futures also gained 0.2 percent to $1,283.20 an ounce. U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday announced he would hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week. He also said he would target a further $325 billion of Chinese goods with 25 percent tariffs "shortly", essentially covering all products imported into the United States from China. "We are seeing the markets reacting to uncertainty about trade talks. It is creating some nervousness in the markets. The dollar is a tad stronger, countering some of the potential moves we would have seen otherwise in gold," said Ole Hansen, commodity strategist at Saxo Bank. Trump's comments dented global shares and oil prices, while boosting the yen, which like the yellow metal, is considered a safe haven during times of a geopolitical or global economic turmoil. "The hedge fund community is extremely confused, flipping long and short positions. $1,290 is the key level for gold, and if prices break above that we could see quite an addition on the long side," Hansen said. Hedge funds and money managers switched to a net long position in COMEX gold in the week to April 30, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said on Friday. Last week, the mood among gold investors had turned gloomy, pushing the metal to a four-month low after the U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell dashed hopes of a rate cut this year. "Despite the increase in gold prices (on Monday), technical analysis suggests that downward pressure on the yellow metal continues to manifest," OCBC analysts said in a research note, adding that most of the intra-day move was likely related to covering short positions and hedging against market risks. "The medium term still suggests a large range-bound consolidation of $1,270 to $1,300." Meanwhile, holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold backed exchange, were at their lowest since Oct. 11. Holdings fell 0.6 percent on Friday. However, physical demand for the metal had been robust last week with India and Singapore leveraging the correction in prices ahead of a key gold-buying festival. Elsewhere, silver slipped 0.5 percent to $14.85 per ounce, while platinum fell 0.6 percent to $863.94 per ounce. Palladium dropped 0.6 percent to $1,363.40 an ounce. By Colin Packham SYDNEY, May 6 (Reuters) - The United States and a group of Pacific allies are proposing to finance a power plant to kick-start the Wafi-Golpu mine in Papua New Guinea, one of the world's largest untapped gold resources, two sources familiar with the plan said. The proposal would be the first to be funded by a partnership of the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Japan that pledged to support electricity projects in Papua New Guinea (PNG) during the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation Summit held in November in the capital of Port Moresby. The countries promised to fund projects to provide electricity for up to 70 percent of the PNG population by 2030, a centrepiece of efforts to undercut Chinese influence in the Pacific. Officials from the four countries met last month in Port Moresby with the PNG government to discuss the power plant funding for Wafi-Golpu, jointly owned by Newcrest Mining and Harmony Gold , the two sources said. The exact size of the investment has yet to be concluded, but the coalition is seeking to back a power natural gas-fired station that would eventually be owned and operated by the PNG government, the sources said. "If the mine can get reliable power, it could be a major revenue earner for PNG," a U.S. source who attended the meeting told Reuters. He declined to be identified as he is not authorised to talk to the media. Representatives for Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne and the country's Department of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "We would welcome any proposal that would bring reliable power to the region," said Christopher Maitland, a spokesman for Newcrest. Wafi-Golpu is located about 65 km (39 miles) southwest of Lae, the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea, according to the joint venture's website. UBS estimates the mine could produce 270,000 ounces of gold and 160,000 tonnes of copper each year from around 2025. Newcrest and Harmony hope the government will grant a mining licence for Wafi-Golpu in July, said Newcrest's Maitland. By providing support for the mine and its power supply, the U.S.-led group is hoping to boost its diplomatic standing in the Pacific. "Infrastructure is the proxy for the greater competition happening between the U.S with its allies and China," said Nick Bisley, professor of international relations at Melbourne's La Trobe University. "The U.S. has to deliver on major projects to ensure it doesn't lose ground on China." The United States and its allies worry that China is increasing economic aid to the Pacific region to exert influence over vast swathes of resource-rich ocean and international forums like the United Nations. (Reporting by Colin Packham; editing by Christian Schmollinger) Stuff reports: The government is close to announcing a deal on its contentious climate change legislation, striking a deal over agricultural emissions. Stuff understands Climate Change Minister James Shaw and NZ First have negotiated a split gas target, which would see methane treated differently from other long-lived gases, like carbon. Farmers are worried about the legislation because agriculture accounts for about half our emissions, mostly methane from belching live stock. Methane should be treated differently. It doesnt stay in the atmosphere anywhere near as long as other greenhouse gases. The atmospheric lifetimes of different greenhouse gases is: Tetrafluoromethane 50,000 years Hexafluoroethane 10,000 years Sulfur hexafluoride 3,200 years Nitrogen trifluoride 500 years Nitrous oxide 121 years CFC-12 100 years Carbon dioxide 30 95 years (around 20% remains for hundreds of years) HCFC-22 12 years Methane 12 years Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr When we have a president who goes around calling certain African countries a s-hole, or says repeatedly that the presidency of Barack Obama was not legitimate, we have a problem, Jackson said. But we also have other people who realize this is wrong, and we need to work together to support those people. Angola, IN (46703) Today Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 48F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 48F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. While police quickly determined that nothing criminal had taken place and closed their investigation into the incident, Vaccaro said he shared details of the report with a school resource officer from Lincoln-Way High School District 210 who contacted the department seeking information on the situation. While the letters still shine brightly on the sign thanks to the recent repair work, Koester said he still needs to have the neon tubing around the cartoon baker repaired. Those tubes were removed as part of the recent renovation work. Ivy Elkins of Buffalo Grove was another speaker sending a message of hope. She said she is a nonsmoker who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013. She said she thought pain in her neck and elbow was due to stress, but eventually she learned it was lung caner which spread to those parts of her body. For Museum Day, we will have Stone Hunt, said Dorothy Asher, Museum Director of the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art. Its an activity where the children can look for stones. Were giving away rocks and minerals. We also have our special exhibit, The Rock Cafe. Thats rocks and minerals that look like food. Its breakfast, lunch, and dinner made of stone. Its really clever and people really enjoy it. The board will be comprised of up to six community members, library staff members and one or two members of the librarys Board of Trustees, according to the release. Library officials are especially looking for residents who have a passion for seeing greater equity, diversity, and inclusion in public service and for those who have deep ties to people, groups, or organizations who have been historically underserved, according to the release. As a result, he added, unemployment numbers can be misleading. For example, more jobs available means more people might start looking for work again, thus raising the employment rate. Those who have stopped looking for work are no longer counted in unemployment tallies. For the drive, 40-plus mail carriers in Highland Park will be on the lookout for donations while along their routes. Residents can leave items on the ground by a curbside mailbox or on the porch if the mailbox is near the front door. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Zotye Auto, a China-based privately-owned automaker, plans to roll out over 10 NEV models by 2020 as part of its newly-launched NEV strategy targeting the next fifteen years, according to a press release from the carmaker. Taking the Auto Shanghai 2019 as the starting point, Zotye Auto is trying to form a single E series by integrating products under the existing Series Cloud, E, Z and T. Currently, the Series E contains five NEV models, namely, the EZ500, ET450, E330, ES330 and E200FCV, covering the A00-segment car, A0-segment SUV as well as A-segment all-electric sedan. Moreover, the automaker determines to strengthen the R&D and localization efforts over core auto parts and key technologies, and independently develop fuel cells to enhance vehicles range, reliability and comfortability for consumers. Last year, Zotye Autos full-year R&D expenses jumped 21.15% year on year to RMB712 million, according to the companys annual report. Based on the ZFA architecture, the automaker aims to let over 80% of auto parts pervasively used in models relying on the same platform and acquire the ability to prepare 4 models, research 4 models and send 4 models into the market within a year. In 2018, Zotye Auto saw its full-year operating income drop 29.03% over the year-ago period to RMB14.764 billion. Meanwhile, the annual net profit attributable to shareholders slumped 36.34% to RMB799.887 million. The net profit excluding non-recurring gains and losses attributable to shareholders of listed company even nosedived 212.41% year on year to RMB1.24 billion. By age 7, he was playing in churches, and his parents friends suggested he try to get accepted into the Cairo Conservatoire, Egypts top musical conservatory. He passed the requisite exams such as singing on pitch and understanding rhythms. But he was told his hands were too small to be a pianist. His father asked the faculty to reconsider, and finally Farouk was given a trial run of several months. The man who founded the famously ill-fated Fyre Festival plans to tell his story in a self-published memoir. Billy McFarland, who is serving a six-year sentence in federal prison, is writing a book with the unconventionally spelled title Promythus: The God of Fyre. McFarland is writing the book in longhand, New York magazine reports, in a series of letters to his girlfriend, Anastasia Eremenko. The planned manuscript will be around 800 handwritten pages when completed, according to McFarland. McFarland became infamous in 2017 after the doomed launch of his Fyre Festival, which was supposed to be a luxurious getaway on a Caribbean island featuring star musicians and social media influencers. Advertisement But when festival attendees, some of whom paid thousands of dollars for tickets to the event, showed up to the Bahamas, they found that their supposedly lush accommodations were nothing more than FEMA tents, and the gourmet food theyd been promised consisted of cheese sandwiches. Months after the festival fizzled, McFarland was arrested and charged with wire fraud, with federal prosecutors claiming that he defrauded investors. Late last year, he pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced to six years in federal prison. McFarlands book will reportedly tell the story of his early days as an entrepreneur as well as the Fyre Festival saga. He said he was influenced by Jordan Belfort, the disgraced stockbroker whose memoir The Wolf of Wall Street formed the basis for a hit Martin Scorsese film. McFarland apparently intends his book to be an answer to two 2019 documentaries, Fyre Fraud and Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, about the aborted festival and its fallout. McFarland believes the films didnt tell the raw story about what happened, although he said he has not actually seen either movie. McFarland told freelance editor Josh Raab that he wants to use any profits from sales of the book to help pay the $26 million hes been ordered to pay in restitution. Promythus: The God of Fyre was intended to be released last month, but has yet to materialize. Senior Trump administration officials on Monday accused China of reneging on commitments made during trade negotiations, warning that the United States would follow through on President Trumps weekend threat to ratchet up tariffs on Chinese goods this Friday. The accusations marked a setback after several rounds of positive trade talks between the worlds two largest economies. The two sides had made substantial progress, and there were expectations that a deal could be announced as early as Friday after a visit this week by a large Chinese delegation. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Monday that the Chinese delegation was still planning to arrive in Washington for talks Thursday and Friday. If a deal is reached, its possible that China could avert an increase in tariffs on $200 billion of its exports, to 25% from the current 10%. Trump already has imposed 25% tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods, and increasing that amount fivefold would be a dramatic escalation of a yearlong trade conflict that had eased in recent months. Advertisement As recently as last week Trump had indicated that the talks were progressing well, but Sunday he complained that a deal was moving too slowly and that the Chinese were attempting to renegotiate. Besides raising levies to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, Trump tweeted that he would shortly impose 25% duties on an additional $325 billion of Chinese imports. That would constitute virtually all Chinese goods entering the United States. Trump had previously threatened to escalate tariffs but twice backed off, raising the possibility that he could suspend the deadline again. Financial markets last year wobbled amid an exchange of tariffs and signs of an all-out trade war. But in December, Trump and Xi agreed to a cease-fire while the two sides talked, quieting investors fears. On Monday, U.S. stocks initially tumbled but recovered to close with modest losses, suggesting that many investors are still hopeful of a near-term resolution. Trump did not elaborate on why he suddenly revived the threat to raise tariffs, fueling speculation that the president was posturing or employing last-minute pressure tactics to close a deal. But Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin, who were in Beijing last week, said at the briefing Monday in Washington that China was backpedaling on language in the text, with the potential of significantly altering the deal, according to Bloomberg News. Analysts familiar with the development said that one key element of the U.S. complaint centered on Chinas resistance to codifying in Chinese law an agreement that dealt with strengthening intellectual property protections. Derek Scissors, a China expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said he regarded this matter as more to do with form than substance. At the crux of it, he said, the Chinese did not want to include in the deal anything that would be taken as a repudiation of Chinese President Xi Jinpings leadership. If we put the tariffs on Friday, that changes the trade dynamics, he said, adding it would significantly raise the stakes. Mnuchin, who has sought a softer line in confronting China, said he remained hopeful that a deal could be reached. Lighthizer, the leader of the U.S. talks, and others in the White House have pushed for tough measures to force China to make structural changes in its economic policies, including opening up markets and halting requirements that essentially force foreign firms to hand over technologies to do business in China. In Beijing, Chinese officials appeared to be taken aback by Trumps tweet but were careful not to overreact. Geng Shuang, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said China was still preparing to send a delegation to Washington for the trade talks, although he wouldnt say when and whether Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, Xis right-hand man on economic policy, would lead the delegation. There have been many times that the U.S. side has threatened to increase tariffs, Geng said in responding to Trumps tweets. Liu has been burned twice in the past with U.S. visits that turned out to yield little progress. Analysts said that if he didnt make the trip, it was highly unlikely that the two sides could wrap up a deal this week. A chance of no deal this week is quite high and a chance of no deal in the coming months is rising, said Nicholas Lardy, a China economy expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Stevens family isnt ready to talk about the accident in public, Conlee said. But shes thankful that the supportive network she members from her old neighborhood is still there for her friends now that they most need it. Actor Aaron Eckhart, known for his film roles in The Dark Knight and Thank You for Smoking, has put his home in the Beverly Hills Post Office area on the market for $3.1 million. The single-story house, built in 1960, sits up from the street on two hilltop lots totaling nearly two acres. The house, entered through a gated courtyard, has a living/dining room with a wall of French doors that open to the backyard. A center-island kitchen with a sunny breakfast nook is off the common area. There are three bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms in more than 3,000 square feet of interior. The master suite is outfitted with a walk-in closet. Advertisement Outside, theres a swimming pool, a spa, patio space and mature landscaping. Views take in the surrounding canyon, city lights and, on a clear day, the ocean. Eckhart, 51, bought the property in 2002 for about $1.55 million, public records show. The actor has kept busy with film roles in I, Frankenstein (2014), London Has Fallen (2016) and Sully (2016). Last year, Eckhart appeared in the Amazon Prime original series The Romanoffs. He is set to appear alongside actors Woody Harrelson, Mandy Moore and Patrick Wilson in the upcoming war film Midway, due out in November. Guy Hector and Ernie Carswell of Douglas Elliman hold the listing. neal.leitereg@latimes.com | Twitter: @LATHotProperty More than 200 workers at Riot Games walked out of the video game developers Los Angeles headquarters Monday to protest the companys handling of two sexual discrimination lawsuits. This action, the first of its kind in the video game industry, comes amid a surge in tech worker activism and a growing interest in unionization among game developers. Employees filed out into the parking lot, some holding signs reading I reported and he got promoted and Forced is not a word women like. At issue is what employees describe as a culture of sexism at the company, as well as Riots move last month to force the plaintiffs in two sexual discrimination lawsuits into arbitration rather than trial. Advertisement We stand with the current plaintiffs whose alleged abusers remain in leadership positions at Riot, said Riot writer and walkout organizer Dylan Buck. As security guards watched from the doors, Riot employees first walkout organizers, then any employee who raised a hand for a turn at the megaphone addressed their coworkers. We are not dissident for the sake of dissidence, we are dissident for the sake of justice, for the sake of Riot living up to its values, and for the sake of making Riot the great place that we all want it to be, said Ronnie Blackburn, a researcher at the company and one of the walkout organizers. Chanel Dawnee, left, embraces Andy Dohr, right, after he spoke during the protest. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) The organizers cited walkouts at Google in 2018, in which more than 20,000 employees worldwide protested the tech giants handling of sexual misconduct allegations, as inspiration. The Google walkout led the tech giant to end its practice of forcing employees to settle disputes with the company in private arbitration. Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Uber and Lyft also committed to end forced arbitration for sexual misconduct complaints. The Riot workers have similar demands following a series of scandals. Articles late last year exposed a culture of casual sexism and harassment against women at the company, which publishes the massively popular online battle arena game League of Legends. In response, Riot said it would change its culture and brought in consultants, restructured its HR systems, and altered the composition of its board. In the following months, five current and former employees have filed lawsuits against the company for alleged violations of the California Equal Pay Act and alleged gender-based discrimination, retaliation and harassment. In April, the company filed motions to move two of the suits into arbitration, rather than a full trial, claiming that the plaintiffs had signed arbitration clauses when hired. That lit the spark on a powder keg, said walkout organizer Jocelyn Monahan. As soon as news that the company was pushing for arbitration broke, Riot workers began organizing the walkout, circulating internal documents with demands to end forced arbitration in the case of sexual discrimination and assault cases. The company called an all-hands meeting last week and announced it would give all new hires the choice to opt out of mandatory arbitration for sexual harassment and assault claims as soon as current litigation is resolved. The company also said it would discuss giving current employees the same option. We know that this resolution will not satisfy all Rioters, the company wrote. We understand and respect Rioters who choose to protest this decision on Monday, and admire their conviction and willingness to stand up for their beliefs. The company also gave the walkout its official blessing, instructing managers to not schedule any meetings during the appointed Monday afternoon time slot. Many workers took their time at the megaphone to share their hopes and fears for the company and their own stories of harassment. I believe there is a better future for Rioters, I believe that Riot has been making progress, said Yoko Colby. But I am quitting in two weeks because I was failed by the internal investigation process. Im quitting because I am uncomfortable walking around campus, because I dont want to see certain people who in my mind were saved from real consequences because they were protected by Riot. As the demonstration neared its end, the organizers set a deadline for the company to respond May 16, the next scheduled all-hands meeting. Its not an ultimatum so much as a suggestion, but unless we have a clear commitment from leadership you will hear from us again, said Monahan. This is not the end of a conversation, this is the beginning of a conversation. Workers at Riot Games listen to a speaker during a walkout. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) sam.dean@latimes.com Twitter: @samaugustdean What counts as a cultural artifact? Chicago-based artist Michael Rakowitz turns the concept inside-out. A rudimentary plywood table at the entrance to the gallery at REDCAT holds an unassuming display of a couple dozen cultural artifacts, each one neatly labeled as hailing from Palmyra, Damascus, Aleppo or another archaic Middle East site. The forms represent ancient Mesopotamian objects a columns chunky capital, its shape reminiscent of a trimmed palm, or a Sumerian votive figure whose hands are prayerfully folded across its chest. While the subjects are ancient and foreign, however, these artifacts are brand new and domestic. Rakowitz has been making surrogates for lost or destroyed sculptures, many looted from Baghdads irreplaceable Iraq National Museum. The epic destruction was one of countless disastrous results of the unconscionable American invasion in 2003. These artifacts embody us, today, not them, back then. Advertisement Some sculptures are collaged with colorful pieces of snipped metal, most from industrially fabricated commercial products. The technique, similar to the one Tony Berlant began to develop for his House sculptures in the mid-1960s, likewise has a familial angle for the chosen material: Rakowitz clads many objects with metal from cans of date syrup a common Iraqi kitchen item now transformed into a slyly pointed political critique, given the works context. REVIEW: At USC Pacific Asia Museum, portraits of actors done the Tsuruya Kokei way A house with a date palm will never starve goes an old Arabic proverb. Date seeds have been found deep inside regional cave dwellings occupied 50,000 years ago, while the trees leaves today still get woven into baskets, its wood is used for building and the natural fibers are woven into rope. Industrial Age invaders of the Middle East, however, have been more interested in the oil pooled beneath the desert sand. In 2003, the Bush administration prepared detailed plans for safeguarding Iraqs oil ministry during the tumultuous six weeks of the invasion; but, despite advance pleas, the clueless American government made no arrangements for securing the museum, one of humanitys most significant cultural institutions. Rakowitz binds his artifacts to a deep-rooted, more profound cultural history that sustains civilization across millennia. That theme expands to monumental scale in seven large collaged panels re-creating 9th century BC carved reliefs from the Northwest Palace of Nimrud, southeast of Mosul along the Tigris River. The ruins were excavated in the 19th century. Rakowitzs cramped installation mimics the tight layout of Room Z in the elaborate complex, a narrow passage in one wing that connected to a large courtyard. Michael Rakowitz added contemporary details to his collaged copies of ancient reliefs from an Assyrian palace. (Christopher Knight / Los Angeles Times) Working with a team of assistants, the artist fabricated winged guardians with human heads, animating the larger-than-life and once-painted figures with colorful collage elements clipped from Middle Eastern newspapers, magazines and commercial packaging. Blank spaces left between some of them recall the six reliefs dispersed to art museums in Europe, the United States and India after the palace was excavated; solemn labels chronicle their displaced provenance. Four years ago, heartbreak happened. Room Z was demolished by ISIS, the fanatical militia group unleashed by the catastrophic U.S.-led invasion. Abu Bakr Baghdadi, the Sunni terror groups leader, had called on believers to wage jihad against Gods enemies in an infamous public address from Mosuls Great Mosque. After video of the event went viral, a debate raged on social media about the make of the flashy wristwatch the self-anointed caliph was seen wearing. Rolex? Omega? Al-Fajr WA-10S Deluxe, a Swiss model pre-programmed with the correct Muslim prayer times for major world cities? Several of Rakowitzs demigods sport golden watches amid their sumptuous ancient finery, flaunting a poignant anachronism. The REDCAT show is Rakowitzs L.A. debut. (Last year he unveiled the 12th sculpture commissioned for Londons high-profile Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, still on view. In February he withdrew from the 2019 Whitney Biennial in support of staff objections to a trustee with connections to defense manufacturing company Safariland.) In addition to the artifacts, the gallerys back half features three conceptual art projects from the last 15 years. Michael Rakowitz titled his show after a Sumerian fable: Dispute Between the Tamarisk and the Date Palm. (REDCAT) DTLA: ArtCenter to take over the space of the abruptly shut Main Museum Theyre represented through video and photographic documentation, necessary if less immediately engaging than the sculptures. (Absent or uncomfortable seating doesnt help.) The two videos would be fine to watch if simply posted online, while three big photo murals keyed to the third project feel overblown a futile stab at filling up empty gallery space, not unlike the gratuitous array of potted palms dotting the room. The projects themselves are compelling especially Return, which charts a Brooklyn storefront Rakowitz set up in a neighborhood with a sizable population of Iraqi immigrants. (His own maternal grandparents left Baghdad for New York in 1946, fleeing the stressed aftermath of World War II.) The video chronicles his 2004 plan to ship packages to Iraq for free for locals, as well as to import Iraqi dates to the U.S. for the rst time since the war. He ran into some illuminating snags. For one, even though sanctions had been lifted a year earlier, shippers were nervous about handling any goods labeled Product of Iraq. Unusual security precautions, extended stays in port, customs duties and other factors added crushing expenses, which made the cost of importing dates prohibitive. Rakowitz found that Iraqi producers of date syrup had taken to sending their goods first to neighboring Syria in unmarked cans, then moving it surreptitiously to Lebanon where it could be relabeled for export. In one notable instance, jars of Basra date molasses were identified as a product of the Netherlands not because any of it was produced there, but only because the company had Dutch offices. Return gives wrenching, unexpected form to dislocations that are physical, psychic and emotional, underscored by the eagerness of waiting Brooklyn date-shoppers to finally get a literal taste of home. Import-export becomes a sharp metaphor for human migration in a corporatized world. The story unfolds as an allegory for the spiraling refugee crisis from the Middle East that has roiled the West ever since the imbecilic Bush adventure. Rakowitz titled his REDCAT show with a Sumerian fable found written in cuneiform on crumbling clay tablets. Dispute Between the Tamarisk and the Date Palm is an unresolvable quarrel about which type of tree is preferable one that offers shade and myriad practical uses or one that provides sweet sustenance and regal offerings. The ancient quarrel resists a final answer, a lack of closure fitting for a new art that values disquiet and unease. ===== Michael Rakowitz Where: REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., L.A. When: Tuesdays-Sundays, through June 2 Admission: Free Info: (213) 237-2800, redcat.org It has been 30 years since The Karate Kid Part III, and Ralph Macchio is still alive and kicking. It hurts, he says with a smile. A lot of stretching. A lot of stretching necessary. Its funny, when the show was pitched to me, I was saying to myself, All right, so maybe Ill have to do a little of this, a little of that, but all the kids will be doing [the karate moves] theyll get the young generation to do it which they do. WATCH: 2019 Emmy Contenders video chats Macchio is 57 now good luck guessing that by just looking at him and hes still executing convincing martial-arts moves in Cobra Kai, the small-screen, YouTube Premium sequel series to his three iconic Karate Kid movies from the 80s. He came by the Los Angeles Times video studio for an Emmy Contenders chat ahead of the launch of Season 2. Advertisement Cobra Kai begins from the perspective of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the blond big-man-on-campus villain from the first film (the kid who swept the leg), now a struggling dude in his late 40s. Johnny, it turns out, is not such a bad guy, but still has some learning to do before he reassesses the meaning of karate in his life. He revives the infamous Cobra Kai dojo, to the chagrin of Daniel LaRusso (Macchio), now a successful car dealer with a family. Daniels and Johnnys lives become intertwined again, with a new generation of students taking up the fight. Macchio chuckles and says the show benefited from low expectations. Perhaps, but the intricately plotted and deeply themed series enjoys a 93% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for a stunt-coordination Emmy last year. They listened to what I wanted infused in the show, the Miyagi elements all woven throughout, he says, referring to the late Noriyuki Pat Moritas beloved character, Daniels mentor, Mr. Miyagi. The rivalry concept made sense as long as the heart and the soul and magic that was in the Karate Kid film still finds its way peppered throughout the series, and Id say thats part of what weve been able to accomplish. Cobra Kai star Ralph Macchio talks about keeping the karate philosophy post-"Karate Kid. Though he didnt keep up with his martial arts skills following his last big-screen appearance as Daniel-san (1989), he says he applies what he learned in his regular life. Kind of after I got done with the movies, it was time to stop getting kicked for a moment, he says. Ive always appreciated the philosophy, Ive carried on more than the physical aspect of the martial arts. That philosophy in finding balance in your life and some of the wisdom, the Miyagi-isms, theyre not just made up. It makes sense. The pithy quotes expressing time-tested Eastern concepts arent just given lip service in Cobra Kai either. As with its other key thematic elements, including fathers and sons, ideas such as balance are expressed both verbally and visually in the show. One key training exercise in Season 2 finds students moving in tandem with each other on a floating disk, tasked with not falling in the water. Listen, its all about finding balance in your life, says Macchio. Losing balance and recalibrating yourself and navigating, mid-life now, for these characters. And they just do a great job of tying in the nostalgia, that comfort food that is the movie, the stories of the characters we grew up with, yet telling a story for a fresh, relevant, now generation. The sincerity of the shows Miyagi-isms is evident in a Season 1 scene in which Daniel visits Mr. Miyagis grave for a heart-to-heart with the headstone. Its a really goosebumpy kind of moment in a show that touches on all kind of different tones, says Macchio, comedy as well as drama. Click below to see the entire interview. CBS News President Susan Zirinsky unveiled sweeping on-air talent changes to the networks evening newscast and morning show in her first steps toward rebuilding a division rocked by scandal and corporate neglect. As part of the changes announced Monday, Norah ODonnell will exit her role as co-host of CBS This Morning to become the new anchor of CBS Evening News, replacing Jeff Glor. Starting this fall, the program will originate full time from Washington for the first time in its 71-year history. She will also be a contributor to 60 Minutes. ODonnells co-host John Dickerson will also leave the morning program to become a correspondent for the newsmagazine 60 Minutes. He will also contribute to the networks political coverage. Gayle King becomes the senior member of CBS This Morning, which will have two new co-hosts starting May 20: CBS News veteran Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil, who joined the division as a correspondent in 2016 and has never hosted a daily program. Advertisement The personnel shifts have been percolating for months since Zirinsky, a 46-year veteran of CBS News, was named president of the division in January. The shake-up will be her first major test as a decision maker. Both of the networks morning and evening programs are profitable, but they have fallen further behind in the ratings against their competition on ABC and NBC in recent years. CBS This Morning had five straight years of ratings growth with Charlie Rose, King and ODonnell as co-hosts. But viewers have been leaving since Rose was fired over sexual harassment allegations in November 2017. In recent weeks the program has trailed NBCs Today and ABCs Good Morning America by about 800,000 viewers. The challenges for CBS come at a time when broadcast news audiences continue to erode across the board as political news junkies spend more time with cable channels. Younger viewers are increasingly turning to online sources for their news. ODonnell, 45, will be the sixth anchor to take over CBS Evening News since Dan Rather finished his 24-year run in 2005. She will also become the third solo female anchor of an evening newscast, following ABCs Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric, who had the job at CBS from 2006 to 2011. Glor, who took the job in December 2017, was informed Friday that he was being removed from the broadcast. He has several years remaining on his contract at the network, but his role is still to be determined. Mosheh Oinounou, executive producer of CBS Evening News, is also leaving the program. CBS News is hoping that having a Washington-based broadcast during a hotly contested presidential election cycle will distinguish it from ABC World News Tonight With David Muir and NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt. Zirinsky told the Los Angeles Times in an interview Monday that Washington is ground zero for the heated political climate in the country as it heads into the 2020 presidential campaign, making the time right for an evening newscast based there. She added that ODonnell is suited for the anchor role because she has experience covering the White House, the Pentagon, Capitol Hill and several presidential campaigns. Norah brings an edge to being able to open doors and confront the powerful, Zirinsky said. Whats the best way to cover a story? Get as close to you can to it. ODonnell said she found it incredibly humbling to be taking the job once held by CBS News legend Walter Cronkite. We have the old Cronkite map in our CBS This Morning studio, she said. He was the most trusted man in America. People tune to us not for affirmation but for information. CBS News recently rebuilt its longtime bureau on M Street in Washington with a new state-of-the-art studio that can accommodate the evening newscast. Zirinsky celebrated ODonnells announcement at CBS News headquarters in New York by presenting her with the manual typewriter. Zirinsky used the machine when she started out in the networks Washington bureau in the early 1970s. Zirinsky also invited former CBS Evening News anchors and division veterans Bob Schieffer and Scott Pelley to be on hand for the announcement intended to be a reminder to the troops that she cares about the divisions storied legacy. The network will be looking to her to close the ratings gap with rivals. CBS Evening News has averaged 6 million viewers in the 2018-19 TV season, compared with 8.9 million for ABC and 8.4 million for NBC, according to Nielsen data. The program suffered over the last year as Glor was not as familiar to viewers as his predecessor Pelley, who had regular prime-time exposure as a correspondent on 60 Minutes. Glor was named to the job without having been a regular substitute on the newscast, typically a way for networks to groom a successor for the anchor chair. Both Holt and Muir served as primary substitute anchors before getting their jobs. The network which has been distracted by the sexual harassment scandals that drove former CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves and former 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager out of the company also never put any promotional muscle behind Glors arrival to the job. The last time CBS Evening News showed any audience growth was after Pelley took over the program from Couric in 2011. He was ousted after a dispute with Zirinskys predecessor David Rhodes but remains with 60 Minutes. A major obstacle for CBS Evening News has been the weak ratings performance of its owned TV stations. The audience lead-ins from local news programs to CBS Evening News run well behind ABC and NBC in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas and Detroit. Although the evening news is still a flagship broadcast for network news operations, morning shows are the largest revenue and profit drivers. Its the reason Zirinsky has locked down King to a new deal. King is said to have doubled her salary to $11 million a year. ABC News and CNN expressed interest in her services, which helped drive up her price. The salary is among the highest ever paid to a CBS News on-air person, topped only by Couric who earned $15 million a year as CBS Evening News anchor. Kings deal is a sign of CBS Corp.s willingness to invest in the news division after years of budget cutting. Even as CBS This Morning ratings have declined, King has emerged as a visible star for the network, thanks in part to recent high-profile interviews with embattled R&B star R. Kelly and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. Gayle has exploded over the last several years as unique talent that people trust, Zirinsky said. They want to speak to her about important topics. King, 64, will be paired with two male co-hosts, a departure from the formula for morning programs, for which women make up more than half of the audience. Mason, 62, has been a versatile utility player at the network, which he joined in 1986. He filled in for Rose when he had heart surgery in early 2017 and was interim anchor of CBS Evening News after Pelley left the job in the spring of that year. Mason has been co-host of the Saturday edition of CBS This Morning and a longtime regular contributor of culture stories for CBS This Morning. He has also served as a correspondent covering foreign affairs and business. Dokoupil, 38, joined CBS News as a correspondent in 2016. Executives have been impressed with his work on CBS Sunday Morning. He had been a writer at NBC News. He is married to NBC News political correspondent Katy Tur. What would J.R.R. Tolkien have made of Tolkien, the touching, polished, impeccably well-behaved new movie about his early life? The authors estate has already weighed in, distancing itself from a project that moved ahead without its participation or approval. Watching the movie myself, I couldnt shake the feeling that Tolkien would have disliked it intensely, which doesnt mean we should necessarily feel the same: Quite a few people would reject their own biopics on principle, no matter how smartly and sensitively done they were. And a certain degree of sensitivity has undoubtedly been brought to bear on Tolkien, if not nearly enough smarts. Directed by the Finnish filmmaker Dome Karukoski (Tom of Finland) from a script by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford, it stars a fine Nicholas Hoult as the young John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, gifting him with dazzling cheekbones to go with his deep love of Old Norse mythologies and languages. The story, toggling between Tolkiens bookish boyhood and his nightmarish experience as a World War I soldier, evinces a genuine reverence for its subject, his courage and his boundless imagination. But that imagination is what is most conspicuously lacking in Tolkien, which too often falls back into a pose of intellectual and aesthetic timidity. Presenting itself as a kind of origin story for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, it assumes, not unreasonably, that the viewer will have a passing familiarity with those works (or at least seen the movies). And while it isnt until the very end that we see Tolkien setting pen to paper, the fantasy-literary significance of everything that happens to him has been ponderously determined in advance, ensuring that each moment and encounter will have some future Middle-earth equivalent. RELATED: Game of Thrones will end, but respect for fantasy should not Advertisement Anthony Boyle, left, Tom Glynn-Carney, Patrick Gibson and Nicholas Hoult in the title role of the movie Tolkien. (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Some of this is only to be expected. As a young boy (played by Harry Gilby) living in the English village of Sarehole, Ronald inherits a natural love for fantasy from his widowed mother, Mabel (Laura Donnelly), who tells him and his younger brother thrilling stories of dragons and warfare. Later, after Mabel succumbs to an illness, the boys are sent to live and study in Birmingham, where Tolkien meets the three classmates Christopher Wiseman (Ty Tennant), Robert Gilson (Albie Marber) and Geoffrey Smith (Adam Bregman) who will become his closest friends and provide the moving inspiration for his Fellowship of the Ring. Their regular teahouse gatherings full of games and pranks, competitive banter and sentimental bonding also throw off a rich spirit of intellectual vivacity. Ronald is already busy devising the words and grammatical structures, heavily influenced by Finnish, that will form the basis of his Elvish tongues. Geoffrey has a gift for writing poetry. (He is played as a young man by the excellent Anthony Boyle, while the older versions of Christopher and Robert are played by Tom Glynn-Carney and Patrick Gibson.) But the outside world, with its stern headmasters and unsympathetic parents, proves less hospitable to their aspirations and desires. Ronald, an orphan, has it harder than most, suffering repression without privilege. When he falls in love with a young woman and gifted pianist named Edith Bratt (Lily Collins), the priest who serves as his guardian, Father Francis (Colm Meany), forbids him from pursuing the relationship further, lest it derail his plans to attend Oxford. Hoult and Collins play their moments together with exquisitely corseted feeling, and they provide some key conceptual foundations for Middle-earth. It is Edith who challenges and sharpens Ronalds ideas about language, urging him to see that a words musical beauty can never be divorced from its meaning (linguists will appreciate the movies nod to the famous cellar door debate). Later, their aborted attempt to see a performance of Wagners Ring cycle delivers the movies most explicit nod to Tolkiens future masterwork. Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins in the movie Tolkien. (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Well, except for that loyal soldier named Sam who helps Tolkien during the Battle of the Somme. Tolkien is structured around a tedious framing device, in which the horrors of one of World War Is bloodiest battles manifest themselves, in Tolkiens shellshocked hallucinations, as the evil hooded Nazgul and fire-breathing dragons that will later populate his fiction. And its this reductive visual gimmickry, this use of fantastical iconography as dramatic shorthand, that I suspect Tolkien would have most fervently rejected. The allegorical underpinnings of The Lord of the Rings have long been open to interpretation, which is a testament in part to their subtlety. In contrast with his (conspicuously absent) friend and fellow scholar C.S. Lewis, who filled his famous Chronicles of Narnia novels with concrete religious symbolism, Tolkien built the intricately filigreed world of Middle-earth from the inside out; it has a richness and a specificity that stand alone. Still, one measure of the works greatness is the mirror it undeniably holds up to our own imperiled world, its power to evoke an entire history of human conflict and stir our noblest and, for some, most God-fearing impulses. Karukoski tries to transform the movie screen into another kind of mirror, but the effect is flattening, even trivializing. This is a picture of many omissions for starters, any real understanding of Tolkiens Catholicism, which delicately yet indelibly shaped his fiction and intermittent pleasures, like Derek Jacobis delightfully eccentric performance as Joseph Wright, the Oxford philologist who helps the young lad find his way. But the failure of Tolkien goes beyond what it does and doesnt include. It would be unfair to expect any movie, even one that ran hours longer than this ones 112 minutes, to capture the inventiveness and ardor of Tolkiens command of language, his gift for dreaming up new words and new worlds. What Tolkien offers instead is a picturesque, amber-soaked balm for armchair Anglophiles: the manners and mores, the crisp witticisms and stirring, stiff-upper-lip sentiments. These pleasures arent negligible. But neither are they a substitute for a genuinely cinematic window into a genius mind. ------------ Tolkien Rating: PG-13, for some sequences of war violence Running time: 1 hour, 52 minutes Playing: Opens May 10 in general release justin.chang@latimes.com | Twitter: @JustinCChang In Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley neighborhoods of Chatsworth, Porter Ranch and Granada Hills are about as far as you can get from skid row. Fewer people live without shelter in this suburban stretch of the city than in any other L.A. City Council district, according to the last available data from the homeless count. Yet homelessness has been a simmering topic here as more than a dozen candidates vie for a seat on the City Council, exposing stark divisions over how to address the needs of the destitute and the concerns of other residents. The June election, which will probably be followed by an August runoff, could decide how homelessness is confronted in the northwest Valley. It is arguably the No. 1 issue I hear about from voters, said candidate Scott Abrams, who works as district director to U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Northridge). We moved to the North Valley and West Valley for a high quality of life. Good schools. Safe streets. Clean streets. Advertisement Homelessness, he said, has left many people feeling as if their neighborhoods are at stake. In neighborhood groups and on Facebook, residents have complained about trash and filth, tents popping up on sidewalks and dilapidated RVs lining local streets. I see more homeless and I dont see any facilities, said Chatsworth resident Kathy Perger, who questions where tax money to address homelessness is going. Were letting this homeless issue overwhelm the citizens that want a clean, safe environment. Residents listen to Los Angeles City Council candidates at a forum at Temple Ahavat Shalom in Porter Ranch on April 14. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) So far, no supportive housing for homeless people has been approved here under Proposition HHH, the $1.2-billion bond measure approved by voters, which did not have winning margins in most of the council district. Nor have any new shelters been set up under the bridge housing program touted by Mayor Eric Garcetti. And there are no safe parking facilities for those living in their cars. When Janet Barrett was ejected late last month from a Chatsworth encampment parallel to the Metrolink tracks, she was at a loss when asked where she would go. In the morning heat, Barrett sat on the edge of a De Soto Avenue parking lot, waiting for her husband to return from McDonalds with cold water for their dog Sam. Others sat in a jumble of their belongings. Theres nowhere to go other than this, said Barrett, growing teary as a cleanup crew raked up and tossed out things they hadnt carried out. A homeless woman walks along the railroad right-of-way after Los Angeles police officers order homeless people out of an encampment in Chatsworth in April. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Janet Barrett, right, with her dog, Sam, is confronted by police officers at the encampment. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Council District 12, more politically conservative than much of L.A., has long been represented by a City Hall dynasty that passed from Hal Bernson to his chief of staff, Greig Smith, then to Smiths chief of staff, Mitchell Englander, who stepped down last year. A former top aide to Englander, John Lee, is now in the running along with challengers from the left and right. Many candidates have vowed to make sure that new housing for homeless people is built. At a forum at Temple Ahavat Shalom, candidate Stella Maloyan said the homeless community are our neighbors and said that as long as social services were provided, she would fight hard to make sure they were housed in the district. This is not something that we can push to other places, Maloyan, who works with the advocacy group Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, later added. Lee has touted his work to help open the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission shelter in Northridge, calling it a model of what we should be doing. And Josh Yeager, a public affairs executive running for the seat, said he has already scoped out a possible location for bridge housing: a Metro lot at the corner of Nordhoff Street and Canoga Avenue. We have to provide the opportunity for those who are suffering to get on their feet, Yeager said. City Council candidate Stella Maloyan , attending a forum last month at Temple Ahavat Shalom in Porter Ranch, says shell fight hard to house the homeless in District 12. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) We have to provide the opportunity for those who are suffering to get on their feet, says Josh Yeager, a public affairs executive running for a council seat. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Others have argued that although housing is needed, L.A. first needs to address mental illness and addiction. LAPD senior lead Officer Sean Dinse, another candidate, said he would back bridge housing in the district, but you have to stabilize the irrational behavior caused by drug addiction and potential mental illness before a person can accept housing or keep it. He has pinned the blame for those problems on California ballot measures that reduced criminal penalties and a state law that shifted responsibility for many less serious felonies from state prisons to county jails. Another candidate, Brandon Saario, said he wouldnt support bridge housing in the district unless the city confronts mental illness, calling it just a Band-Aid. Saario, who works in film production, said at a recent forum that such housing would not have saved his uncle, who suffered from drug addiction and died homeless in an RV. Ive seen people in my neighborhood shirtless, yelling to the sky, Saario said in an interview. Bridge housing wont solve that. Jeff Daar, Sean Dinse and Brandon Saario discuss issues at the candidates forum held at Temple Ahavat Shalom. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority survey data indicate that 33% of homeless people in the council district suffer from a serious mental illness and 20% have a substance use disorder. West Hills resident Tom Booth said that framing the problem as chiefly one of mental health, rather than people who are in need and have a variety of problems, is misleading and stigmatizing. People are seeing this level of poverty for the first time in the West Valley and are reacting with fear, said Booth, a social worker who sees homelessness as stemming from poverty and housing costs. He backs candidate Loraine Lundquist, citing her involvement with the West Valley Neighborhood Alliance on Homelessness. Whenever the topic comes up, Booth said, were really polarized. Last year, several nonprofits complained to the state attorney general about vigilante Facebook groups active in the Valley, arguing that they were being used to shame and harass homeless people. They said Dinse had shared sensitive and potentially defamatory information about individuals on the pages, including their criminal records and mental illnesses. If that had been a celebrity or a rich person and a cop did that, there would have been holy hell, said Paul Boden, director of the Western Regional Advocacy Project. L.A. City Council candidate Scott Abrams attends the forum last month at Temple Ahavat Shalom. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) The attorney generals office said it could not confirm or deny whether it was investigating the complaint. Dinse argued that if I have a person that has been arrested 25 different times in the same area, the community has a right to know that. Even the word homeless can be divisive: Some residents reject using the term to describe many of those living on the streets, drawing a distinction between homeless people and transients who refuse help. Chatsworth resident Tia Ivanyi, a Dinse supporter, said that bridge housing sounds great for those who want the help but the people were dealing with dont want the help. During a recent forum at a Porter Ranch school, some in the audience scoffed when Maloyan talked about working homeless who are not lazy people. When Lee asserted that you dont see the same kind of problems in the area as other parts of L.A., one attendee remarked aloud, Yeah we do. The council race is nonpartisan, so people dont necessarily know whos a Democrat and whos a Republican, said Samantha Stevens, a political consultant who has run campaigns in the San Fernando Valley. But you can clearly see two different views of what the problem is and how to deal with it. Despite the divide, some candidates argue that they can still bring people together around the issue. Lundquist, a sustainability educator, said that although she firmly backs a housing first approach, we definitely all have this common ground. Which is that we want people off of our streets, she said. emily.alpert@latimes.com Twitter: @AlpertReyes Seven Chinese nationals were defrauded of $1.5 million by two San Gabriel Valley residents who said they could obtain visas in exchange for investments in restaurants owned by one of the locals, prosecutors said Monday. Niandei Bu, who goes by Allen Bu, of West Covina and Hourong Zhang, who goes by Joanna Zhang, of Rowland Heights face charges of grand theft, fraud and embezzlement, according to the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. Prosecutors said the pair, who were arrested last week, promised seven Chinese nationals visas if they invested in one of five restaurants owned by Bu. The two, who are not attorneys or registered immigration consultants, never provided legal or immigration services to the victims, prosecutors said. Advertisement Bu also faces four counts of wage theft for not paying $11,000 to employees whom he had hired to help contact potential investors. The employees werent aware of the illegal operation, according to the district attorneys office. Bu faces 14 years and eight months in prison if convicted as charged, while Zhang faces up to 12 years. The case remains under investigation by the district attorneys office and the California Department of Industrial Relations. Potential victims are encouraged to call the Notario Fraud Unit, which prosecutes immigration fraud, at (213) 257-2465. javier.panzar@latimes.com Twitter: @jpanzar John Lukacs, a Hungarian-born historian, has died at age 95. Lukacs was an iconoclast who brooded over the future of Western civilization, wrote a bestselling tribute to Winston Churchill, and produced a substantial and often despairing body of writings on the politics and culture of Europe and the United States. Lukacs died of heart failure early Monday at his home outside Philadelphia, according to his stepson, Charles Segal. A proud and old-fashioned man with a cosmopolitan accent, and erudite but personal prose style, Lukacs was a maverick among historians. In a profession where liberals were a clear majority, he was sharply critical of the left and of the cultural revolution of the 1960s. But he was also unhappy with the modern conservative movement, opposing the Iraq war, mocking hydrogen bomb developer Edward Teller as the Zsa Zsa Gabor of physics and disliking the puerile tradition, apparently started by Ronald Reagan, of presidents returning military salutes from the armed forces. Lukacs completed more than 30 books, on diverse subjects including his native country and 20th century American history, as well as the meaning of history itself. His books include Five Days in London, the memoir Confessions of an Original Sinner, and Historical Consciousness, in which he contended that the best way to study any subject, whether science or politics, was through its history. Advertisement The kind of populist nationalism that Hitler incarnated has been and continues to be the most deadly of modern plagues John Lukacs He considered himself a reactionary, a mourner for the civilization and culture of the past 500 years, European and Western. He saw decline in the worship of technological progress, the elevation of science to religion, and the rise of materialism. Drawing openly upon Alexis de Tocquevilles warnings about a tyranny of the majority, Lukacs was especially wary of populism and was quoted by other historians as Donald Trump rose to the presidency. Lukacs feared that the public was too easily manipulated into committing terrible crimes. The kind of populist nationalism that Hitler incarnated has been and continues to be the most deadly of modern plagues, he once wrote. Hitler and Stalin were Lukacs prime villains, Churchill his hero. Lukacs wrote several short works on Churchills leadership during World War II, focusing on his defiant blood, toil, tears and sweat speech as the Nazis were threatening England in May 1940. Lukacs wrote that the speech was at first not well received and that instead of having a unified country behind him, Churchill had to fight members of his own Cabinet who wanted to make peace with the Nazis. One Churchill book attained unexpected popularity after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Rudolph Giuliani, then New York Citys mayor, held up a copy of Lukacs Five Days in London, declared he had been reading it and likened New Yorkers to the citizens of London. Quietly published in 2000, the book jumped into the top 100 on Amazon.coms bestseller list. But Lukacs was not entirely grateful. He noted that Five Days in London had little to say about how Londoners endured the Nazi assault, and he rejected comparisons between London in 1940 and New York City in 2001. The situation was totally different, he told the Philadelphia Inquirer at the time. As a matter of fact, it was much worse in England. More recently, Five Days in London was widely cited as a source for Darkest Hour, the 2017 film starring Gary Oldman in an Oscar-winning performance as Churchill. Born Jan. 31, 1924, in Budapest, Lukacs Janos Albert had a Catholic father and Jewish mother, making him technically a Jew, although he was a practicing Catholic for much of his life. For the Nazis, who occupied Hungary in 1944, being half Jewish was enough to be sent to a labor camp. By the end of 1944, he was a deserter from the Hungarian army labor battalion, hiding in a cellar, awaiting liberation by Russian troops. Within months of living under Soviet control, he fled the country on a dirty, broken-down train to Austria. In 1946, he arrived by ship in Portland, Maine, his youthful affinity for communism shattered. Lukacs was a visiting professor at Princeton University, Columbia University and other prominent schools but spent much of his career on the faculty of the lesser-known Chestnut Hill College, a Catholic school (all girls until 2003) in Philadelphia where he taught from 1946 to 1994. He was married three times and had two children. His first two wives preceded him in death. A pessimist by definition, he often expressed personal contentment. He wrote warmly about his enjoyment of romance, friendship, books, teaching and the rural life, the pleasure of fresh mornings, driving alone on country roads, smoking my matutinal cigar, mentally planning the contents of my coming lecture whose sequence and organization are falling wonderfully into place, crystallizing in sparks of sunlight. Because of the goodness of God, he concluded in his memoir, I have had a happy unhappy life, which is preferable to an unhappy happy one. Italie writes for the Associated Press President Trump turned up the pressure on China on Sunday, threatening to hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. Trumps 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 financial markets and cast gloom over the world economy. Trump had turned up the heat Friday by saying he would raise import taxes on $200 billion in Chinese products to 25% from 10%. Hed twice pushed back deadlines in January and March to raise the tariffs in a bid to buy more time for a negotiated settlement. But on Sunday, Trump, who has called himself a tariff man, said hes losing patience. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No! Trump tweeted. Advertisement In his tweets, Trump also threatened to slap tariffs on another $325 billion in Chinese imports, covering everything China ships annually to the United States. The two countries are locked in a high-stakes dispute over Chinas push to establish itself as a technological superpower. The U.S. charges that China is resorting to predatory tactics including cybertheft and forcing foreign companies to hand over technology in a drive to establish Chinese companies as world leaders in advanced industries such as robotics and electric vehicles. The administration has repeatedly suggested that the negotiators are making progress. A month ago, Trump said that the two countries were rounding the turn and predicted that something monumental would be achieved in the next few weeks. But last week, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin seemed to temper expectations, suggesting that Washington was willing to move on if it cant get the deal it wants. RELATED: Why Trumps tariffs are one of the last big obstacles in U.S.-China trade talks A substantive deal would require China to rethink the way it pursues its economic ambitions, abandoning or scaling back subsidies to its companies, easing up on the pressure for foreign companies to share trade secrets, and giving them more access to the Chinese market. Philip Levy, senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a White House economist under President George W. Bush, said the talks are too complicated for Trumps high-pressure tactics to work. The president treats this like were haggling over the price of a used car, Levy said. Trump has made a priority of shaking up American trade policy. As a candidate for the presidency, Trump raged repeatedly about alleged Chinese perfidy so much so that a video mashup of him spitting out the word China went viral and collected more than 15 million views on YouTube. Trump charged that previous administrations, gullible and weak, had let China get away with abusive trade practices, accepting empty promises from Beijing and allowing the U.S.-China economic relationship to grow ever more lopsided. As evidence, he pointed to Americas vast U.S. trade deficit with China $379 billion last year, by far the biggest with any country in the world. Once he took office, Trumps relationship with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, seemed to get off to a good start. The two men shared chocolate cake and amiable conversation at Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., in April 2017. A few weeks later, China agreed to open its market to U.S. beef, cooked chicken and natural gas in what Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross called a herculean accomplishment. The romance faded. In March 2018, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued a report accusing China of using predatory tactics to strengthen its tech companies. Last July, the Trump administration gradually began slapping import taxes on Chinese goods to pressure Beijing into changing its policies. It now has imposed 10% tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports and 25% tariffs on another $50 billion. The Chinese have retaliated by targeting $110 billion in U.S. imports. Justin was 6 years old when the seriousness of his creeping mental illness became apparent. One day he set aside an entire page in his diary and wrote: I want to die. He was eventually put on medication for bipolar disorder. His symptoms worsened into his 20s and 30s, and he became dependent on alcohol. Then a friend recommended an unusual and illegal treatment: magic mushrooms. It was a transformative experience, said Justin, who takes small doses three times a week. I was on six medications, and now I just use mushrooms and a mood stabilizer. Im a different guy. Im fun to be around. Once I couldnt even cry. Now I can. Advertisement He asked that his last name be withheld because possession of the naturally occurring mushrooms, which contain the psychedelic drug psilocybin, is punishable by a fine, prison or both. Stories like his have become the centerpiece of a campaign here to change that. On Tuesday, Denver voters will decide on a measure to decriminalize the drug. It would be the first city in the nation to do so, potentially opening a new frontier in state and local efforts to circumvent the federal governments longtime crackdown on mind-altering substances. California failed to get a similar measure on the ballot last year, and activists in Oregon hope to put the issue to a statewide vote in 2020. Much as they did for marijuana, a much more benign drug, activists are touting the potential medical benefits of psilocybin to win public acceptance for a drug known more for its recreational use. This measure is backed by strong medical data, said Kevin Matthews, who manages the campaign for Decriminalize Denver, the group leading the initiative, and credits the mushrooms with helping him overcome a crippling depression. There is clearly a psychedelic renaissance underway, and we wanted to open a grass-roots campaign to address this issue. Indeed, over the last few years, psychedelics have moved out of the shadows. People book custom tours in Peru to imbibe ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic drink. The bestselling book How to Change Your Mind, by Michael Pollan, has highlighted the science of psychedelics and their medical potential. In October, the FDA gave a go-ahead to a London-based company, Compass Pathways, to test psilocybin in people with treatment-resistant depression. The company received a breakthrough therapy designation, which is meant to speed development of drugs when preliminary evidence suggests they may be significantly better than current therapy in treating serious conditions. Critics of the Denver campaign point out that for all the focus on the drugs medical potential, the initiative would allow psilocybin for personal use of all types. Denver is quickly becoming the illicit drug capital of the world, said Jeff Hunt, director of the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University, a conservative think tank. The effort to decriminalize is the first step in a movement to totally commercialize the drug. Denver, with its strong libertarian leanings, decriminalized marijuana in 2005, seven years before Colorado became the first state to legalize it for recreational use. The City Council approved a measure in November to create the nations first safe injection site for intravenous drug users. That plan was shelved after state and federal authorities declared it illegal. The psilocybin ordinance, whose proponents collected more than 8,500 signatures to place it on Tuesdays ballot, would prohibit the city and surrounding county from spending resources on enforcing criminal penalties for possession. Our concern is that the drugs will have long-term effects that we dont understand yet, Hunt said. Even some scientists who see enormous medical promise in psilocybin and similar drugs urged caution. I support decriminalization, but I would be concerned if it became wide-open without any controls, said Dr. Charles Grob, a UCLA psychiatrist who has researched hallucinogens for over 30 years. Some people may have a fantastic experience, but a minority may decompensate and get worse. Id love to see some basic safety parameters in place. The drug can cause psychotic reactions in people with schizophrenia or even a family history of the disease, he said. Then there is the issue of monitoring. Who will be looking after you? he said. It would not be safe to drive a car, and you dont want people walking around unescorted having powerful internal experiences. It needs to be conducted by trained facilitators who sit with them the entire time, maintain safety and can follow up afterward. Grob said dosing is another concern, because psilocybin amounts vary from mushroom to mushroom. Still, his own research has shown that the drug can reduce depression among advanced cancer patients, some of whom have had powerful mystical experiences. At the end of the day, what is most impressive is that people who had been chronically unresponsive to treatment are functioning on a higher plane, he said. The potential benefits were recognized as far back as the 1950s, when researchers discovered that psilocybin and other hallucinogens had positive effects on alcoholism, anxiety and depression. Then came the turmoil of the mid-1960s and an explosion in recreational drug use. For some, psychedelics were a profound revelation, opening their minds to new ways of thinking and living. But high doses could cause bad trips and exacerbate mental illness, bolstering a growing view that drugs were a national threat. In 1970, President Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act, outlawing psilocybin and other drugs. The recent resurgence of psilocybin has led to calls from scientists for the federal government to reconsider the drugs prohibition. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University said recently that if psilocybin proves safe and effective in placebo-controlled clinical trials, it should be reclassified from a Schedule I drug with no known medical benefit to a Schedule IV drug available by prescription. That seems unlikely to happen anytime soon, given that the federal government has refused to budge even on marijuana, which has been legalized for medical or recreational use in dozens of states. But some mental health providers arent waiting. Deb, a Denver therapist who asked that her last name be withheld to avoid legal problems, provides mushrooms to clients and helps guide their journeys. I make a tea of four caps and stems and let it steep for an hour. They drink it and eat the mushrooms, she said. Sometimes there is nausea and the need to purge. We call that getting well. She gets her mushrooms from a network of sellers in Denver. You want someone who has good energy, not a drug dealer, she said. The most frightening thing for me is picking up the big bag of mushrooms. She said the qualities of the drug that make it popular for recreational use its ability to induce visions, introspection and a sense of belonging have helped her patients realize that life is not as constricted and earth-bound as they originally thought. One patient, a local businessman named Brad, found her after acupuncture, massage therapy, nine months of mindfulness training and five separate antidepressants failed to curb his debilitating anxiety. He said he drank three cups of mushroom tea and lay on a yoga mat in the backyard. Deb sat beside him for six hours, occasionally singing and chanting. It was very much a spiritual experience. I could see the other side, I could see my dad who passed, they were there to reassure me that there is more than this world, said Brad, who asked that his last name be withheld. I felt one with the universe, and I realized that the only thing that mattered was love. Since then, nearly all of his anxiety has vanished. Its been nine months, and every day it is better, he said. The mushrooms set me on a different path. David Kelly is a special correspondent. Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Monday, May 6, and heres a quick look at the week ahead: Monday marks the first full day of Ramadan. After the Christchurch mosque shootings and the synagogue attack in Poway, Islams holiest month will be met with heightened security at some mosques. Also Monday: Director John Singleton will be laid to rest at an intimate private funeral in Los Angeles. A larger public memorial will probably happen in the next few weeks. On Wednesday and Thursday, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will be in California campaigning, per the Associated Press. Advertisement Wednesday will also see Uber and Lyft drivers strike in cities around the country (including in L.A. and San Francisco) for part of the day, in protest of pay rates. Expect to be hearing plenty about Uber all week in the run-up to the ride-sharing giants long-awaited initial public offering. Friday will be the big event, when Uber lists its shares on the New York Stock Exchange in whats slated to be the largest IPO of the year. The listing could see Uber valued at as much as $84 billion, though the actual numbers remain to be seen. Ubers IPO comes a little more than a month after ride-share rival Lyft went public in a rocky debut that saw shares tumble below their IPO price after a mere two days of trading. (See also: DealBooks Everything You Need to Know About the Uber I.P.O.) Along with the ride-share giants, Pinterest recently went public and a number of other tech companies, including Slack, Airbnb and Palantir, are likely soon to follow. Forbes estimates that this IPO gold rush could mint as many as 6,000 new millionaires, with much of that wealth concentrated in the Bay Area which has people talking about the potential effects on the already hyper-stratified city of San Francisco. The influx of money after all those IPOs are made could also add a potential $1-billion windfall to the states coffers in tax revenue, creating what the Washington Post calls a welcome quandary for the states budget writers. And now, heres whats happening across California: TOP STORIES Can Bird pivot to profit? A year ago, this now-ubiquitous scooter company was flying high and Silicon Valley was betting that it would keep on climbing. But today, with fundamental questions about its business model still unanswered, Bird is fighting to stay aloft. Los Angeles Times Plenty of companies profit off the personal data they collect. In an ambitious new pursuit, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants these companies to share the wealth with Californians. Newsom has assigned a team to work with national data scientists and legislators to create a data dividend a payment that businesses would make to the state or to consumers if their personal data are sold. Los Angeles Times Get the Essential California newsletter L.A. STORIES The hit K-pop band BTS performs to a crowd of more than 52,000 on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) K-pop kings BTS played a deafening, sold-out two nights of shows at the Rose Bowl for more than 100,000 fans, some of whom had camped out for days to save their spots. Los Angeles Times (See also: This photo gallery of BTS fans, pre-concert, as they celebrate their heroes ascension to the Rose Bowl.) A legendary Naples pizzeria will be opening a Los Angeles outpost in Hollywood on Thursday. Eater LA Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER President Trump has tapped the former head of the Border Patrol to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The president tweeted that Mark Morgan, who served as head of the Border Patrol for the last six months of the Obama administration, will be named. He has not yet been formally nominated to the post. Los Angeles Times POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT The California Legislature has renewed its bid to to force presidential candidates to publicly disclose their tax returns. Associated Press A San Francisco civil rights attorneys use of a racial epithet at a Democratic Party board meeting has prompted calls for her removal from the board. Angela Alioto, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and longtime mayoral hopeful, reportedly used the epithet six times during the meeting while describing her experience defending people against discrimination in the workplace as an attorney. An attendee said that she thought Alioto was trying to relay solidarity but instead represented the same aggressive, tone-deaf hostility African Americans experience every day. After the sixth usage, someone in the crowd shouted, Angela! Angela! Please stop saying that word. You never heard of PTSD? San Francisco Examiner CRIME AND COURTS Overdoses in California prisons are up 113% in three years, in an alarming rise in opioid use behind bars. San Francisco Chronicle THE ENVIRONMENT PG&E has dramatically expanded its plans to turn off power lines during dangerously dry and windy weather to lower wildfire risks. But the decision is troubling for vulnerable customers, like those who rely on electric medical equipment. San Francisco Chronicle CALIFORNIA CULTURE Two new cases of measles have been confirmed in Los Angeles County, bringing the total to 14 this year, and two measles cases were also reported over the weekend in Long Beach (which has its own health agency and also reports on contagions) and Orange County. Los Angeles Times One of the smallest Native tribes in the U.S. was once in danger of vanishing. Now, there are a dozen members, a casino, a solar farm and, soon, an organic farm. Desert Sun The San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge in 2014. (Ben Margot / Associated Press) Gephyrophobia, an anxiety disorder marked by an irrational fear of bridges, is not actually that uncommon, and in many parts of the country it can have little effect on sufferers lives. But the disorder can be crippling for sufferers in the Bay Area, where daily life often involves crossing bridges. Mercury News Wondering where to eat in Orange County? Heres James Beard Award-winning restaurant critic Brad A. Johnsons list of the 75 best restaurants in the region, plus an interactive map. Orange County Register CALIFORNIA ALMANAC Los Angeles: Morning showers, 68. San Diego: Showers, 67. San Francisco: Morning clouds, afternoon sun, 62. San Jose: Morning clouds, afternoon sun, 69. Sacramento: Mostly cloudy, 71. More weather is here. THIS WEEKS BIRTHDAYS Director Amy Heckerling (May 7, 1952) and veteran politician Bill Lockyer (May 8, 1941). AND FINALLY Nothing hurts as much as the word California, the wincing light of Los Angeles. Poet and playwright Derek Walcott, in his poem Summer Elegies II If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints, ideas and unrelated book recommendations to Julia Wick. Follow her on Twitter @Sherlyholmes. Global stock markets took a hit Monday morning, thanks to a pair of weekend tweets by President Trump, who cannot seem to leave well enough alone. In case youve forgotten, three days ago the federal government released some superb news about the U.S. economy. Unemployment was down again, productivity and wages up the only downside was a slight decline in the labor force participation rate. It was close to a home run, and the markets responded enthusiastically. Then on Sunday, Trump dropped a bombshell. With a delegation of top Chinese officials due to arrive in Washington on Wednesday, the president tweeted that he would be raising the current 10% tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25% on Friday. He also planned to impose 25% tariffs on the rest of Chinas exports to the United States shortly. ....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! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2019 Advertisement This is clearly a negotiating tactic by a president who prefers force to charm in trade talks. But it evidently sent fears through global markets that the big trade deal that the U.S. and China were supposedly nearing wasnt that close after all. Hence the sell-off. Some U.S. indexes were down more than 2% at the opening bell, although they trimmed their losses as the morning went on. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has said throughout the process that the negotiations are difficult and that big hurdles remain to be overcome. So it wouldnt be a real surprise if no deal were forthcoming in the near future. And until there is a deal or the two sides give up on achieving one, its hard to tell whether the presidents Bad Cop tactics are working. Trumps decision to slap global tariffs on steel and aluminum is hard to defend it distorts trade to favor U.S. metals manufacturers at the expense of every other U.S. manufacturer and consumer. But there is an argument for using tariffs to try to change Chinas bad behavior not a good argument but at least a defensible one. China has flouted international trade rules without conscience. It has systematically stolen intellectual property through industrial espionage and cybercrime. And once the U.S. agreed to let China into the World Trade Organization, it lost important leverage it held to compel China to clean up its act. Trumps moves to withdraw the U.S. from a Pacific trading pact and to destabilize the WTO sacrificed more of that leverage. Nevertheless, tariffs cut both ways. They are taxes not on China but on U.S. purchasers of Chinese goods. And China has retaliated by cutting its imports from U.S. farmers. Thats why the United States pushed its global trading partners in the latter half of the 20th century to abandon unilateral tariffs and escape the cycle of tit-for-tat retaliation. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute Trump isnt moved by such arguments. He believes his willingness to slap tariffs even on our closest trading partners and allies gives him an edge at the bargaining table; after all, the U.S. imports far, far more than it exports. We can impose more tariffs on other countries goods than they can impose on ours never mind that the tariffs Trump levies are taxes on his own constituents. The U.S. and China appeared to be heading toward a deal of some kind before Sundays tweets, but the president clearly felt the deal was not good enough. Now well see if a hammer strike of tariffs can yield more concessions, or if it just persuades China to stop negotiating until Trump leaves office. Since the Islamic State lost its last piece of territory in Syria in late March, some military analysts have been proclaiming the ultimate defeat of the terrorist group. But with last weeks release of a video of Abu Bakr Baghdadi, ISIS showed that its still got some life left literally. By appearing on camera, the reclusive leader of the Islamic State put to rest any murmurings that he had been killed in the battle to crush ISIS so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria. It was his first video appearance in almost five years, offering much-needed proof of life to the groups surviving members and supporters, since many probably questioned whether their leader was dead or alive. At a time when ISIS desperately needs a morale boost, the resurfacing of Baghdadi will almost certainly affect the groups resurgence in a way that directly benefits the organization. The video could also prove a boon to ISIS propaganda efforts as the group seeks to maximize its effect. Baghdadis mere appearance on camera could boost ISIS manpower, especially vis-a-vis its ongoing competition with Al Qaeda for new recruits, a struggle playing out in failed states and conflict zones throughout the world, but especially in certain hot spots in regions like North Africa and South Asia. Advertisement Abu Bakr Baghdadis mere appearance on camera could boost ISIS manpower. The video message also has implications for ISIS global reach. During his speech, Baghdadi accepted bayat, or a pledge of loyalty, from franchise groups in West Africas Burkina Faso and Mali. Africa is fertile ground for the expansion of the Islamic State, especially as fighters who survived the collapse of the caliphate seek new battlefields. Governments and militaries in sub-Saharan Africa lack the capabilities to track, monitor and surveil national borders in the same way that European countries can, making them more vulnerable to an influx of jihadists fleeing Iraq and Syria. In the 18-minute video, Baghdadi also made a point to allude to the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, ISIS-Khorasan Province, which has gained significant momentum over the past several years while launching spectacular terrorist attacks against the Afghan government. Propaganda videos are a not-so-subtle way of recruiting new members, and Baghdadi went out of his way to lavish praise on ISIS fighters from France, Australia, Belgium and Chechnya, emphasizing the transnational nature of the organization. A key theme in Baghdadis speech was the need for ISIS militants and supporters to continue fighting and to reinforce affiliate groups while expanding the organizations overall footprint. From the caliphates earliest days, Baghdadi and other ISIS leaders were aware that the group would never be able to withstand the onslaught from Western and coalition military forces. Accordingly, Baghdadi has sought to lay the groundwork for a guerrilla insurgency in Iraq and Syria, hoarding resources, including weapons and money, while moving from conventional military operations to more asymmetric tactics, such as ambushes and hit-and-run attacks. The Islamic State leader also referenced the Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 250 in Sri Lanka and may prove to be a model for future ISIS plots. ISIS could partner with local and lesser-known jihadist groups to launch attacks in countries where sectarian tensions are high and security forces are weak, such as Sri Lanka. Authorities recently discovered that at least one of the suicide bombers in Sri Lanka was trained by ISIS in Syria. That is incredibly foreboding given the hundreds or thousands of foreign fighters who may be fleeing the region and attempting to head back to their home countries or who end up in third countries. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute The choice of Sri Lanka as the target of such a high-level terrorist attack is worrying on several levels. Since no high-profile jihadist groups were operating in Sri Lanka, few terrorism analysts or counterterrorism officials believed that the country was prone to jihadist violence causing them to wonder what other countries ISIS might infiltrate. Tens of thousands of foreign fighters from as many as 110 countries traveled to the Middle East to join ISIS. The contingent from Sri Lanka was relatively small, somewhere between 30 and 50, by most accounts. One concern is whether the attacks in Sri Lanka will serve as the opening wave of terrorism perpetrated by returning foreign fighters trained and deployed by ISIS, and who may be lying in wait to strike. The most important message to take away from the Baghdadi video may be that the Islamic State does not need territory to survive and even thrive. By expanding throughout the world and continuing to fight while spreading its message, Baghdadi is attempting to persuade his followers that the loss of the caliphate is only a temporary setback one that ISIS will ultimately overcome. Colin P. Clarke is an adjunct senior political scientist at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Rand Corp. and a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center. Before the creation of a vaccine in 1963, measles infected 3 to 4 million people a year in the United States. Nearly 50,000 measles patients each year required hospitalization, and the disease infected the brains of 1,000 and killed 400 to 500 people. Today, we shouldnt be seeing any cases. The vaccine is widely available to all, regardless of ability to pay for it. And yet, this year has brought a major outbreak of measles, largely because of a scientifically unfounded fear of vaccinations in some communities. Of the 764 people so far infected, the great majority were unvaccinated. California reported 40 cases, many from unvaccinated travelers returning with the infection. In 2015, after a measles outbreak that started at Disneyland infected 117 Californians, most of them unvaccinated, the state passed SB 277 to abolish nonmedical exemptions for the vaccinations legally required for school enrollment. SB 277 raised immunization rates above 95% in the last two kindergarten classes, which may be blunting the spread of measles brought into our state. But we need further measures. Thirty years ago, measles outbreaks were caused by insufficient access to vaccines; today they are caused by misinformation. Advertisement One problem has been that public universities have been slower to respond. The UC Regents finally adopted stricter vaccination requirements, but this years freshman class is the first to have been affected, which means most students came in under the old, laxer requirements. The California State University system issued a new vaccination policy in March that abolishes personal belief and religious exemptions, but again it was late in coming. As a consequence of the delayed response, hundreds of students had to be quarantined at UCLA and Cal State L.A. in response to measles exposures. Measles is not the only vaccine-preventable disease returning. A baby died of whooping cough in Orange County last month and another died in San Bernardino the previous July. These deaths recall that in 2010, California experienced a whooping cough outbreak that infected 9,120 people and killed 10 infants too young to be vaccinated. The disease spread mainly in communities with low vaccination rates. Community immunity, the shield that protects babies and others who cannot be vaccinated, requires that the people surrounding them at school and in their communities are vaccinated. Although the state-wide vaccination rate is improving, there are too many schools without this so-called herd immunity, because of vaccination rates below 90% and even below 50%. Some of the blame rests with unethical doctors, who are willing to take patients money and grant inappropriate medical exemptions to misinformed families, thereby putting other children at risk. A Voice of San Diego investigation of medical exemptions at San Diego Unified School District showed that almost a third were issued by one doctor who advertised medical exemptions. Two other physicians who issued large numbers of medical exemptions are on probation with the Medical Board of California. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute The state Legislature, of which I am a member, has an opportunity to greatly improve the situation. Senate Bill 276, sponsored by the California Medical Assn. and the California American Academy of Pediatrics, would require review by public health officials before medical exemptions from vaccination requirements are approved. It would also create a database of medical exemption requests so the states medical board can better investigate unethical physicians. Thirty years ago, measles outbreaks were caused by insufficient access to vaccines; today they are caused by misinformation and fueled by doctors who should know better. The World Health Organization recently declared vaccine refusal a global health threat, noting that it has fueled measles outbreaks and deaths around the world. Last year, Europe had 83,000 confirmed cases of measles and 72 deaths. And the U.S. is now at risk of joining the failed state of Venezuela as the only country in the Americas to lose its measles elimination status. But there is also cause for hope, as other states look to Californias success in limiting the spread of measles by considering legislation to abolish nonmedical exemptions. We should also keep pushing here to close loopholes and educate parents. We have the right to community immunity to keep all of us safe. Richard Pan is a practicing pediatrician and a California state senator (D-Sacramento). A White House decision to dispatch an aircraft carrier and other military resources to send a message to Iran followed clear indications that Iranian and Iranian proxy forces were preparing to possibly attack U.S. forces in the region, a defense official told the Associated Press. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said that the Pentagon approved the deployments and that U.S. forces at sea and on land were thought to be the potential targets. The official declined to be more specific. White House national security advisor John Bolton said in a statement Sunday night that the U.S. is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region, an area that includes the Middle East. Bolton said the move is in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings. He didnt provide details but said the U.S. wants to send a message that unrelenting force will meet any attack on its interests or those of its allies. Advertisement The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces, he said. The Pentagon had no immediate comment on Boltons statement. The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have been operating in the Mediterranean Sea recently. Last Wednesday, a group of senior Albanian government officials visited aboard the Lincoln as it sailed in the Adriatic. Doyle McManus: Sanctions on Iran are biting, but the goal is elusive Boltons reference to the Central Command area would mean the Lincoln is headed east to the Red Sea and perhaps then to the Arabian Sea or the Persian Gulf. The U.S. Navy currently has no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. Boltons mention of a bomber task force suggests the Pentagon is deploying land-based bomber aircraft somewhere in the region, perhaps on the Arabian Peninsula. Speaking to reporters while flying to Europe, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said the actions undertaken by the U.S. had been in the works for a little while. It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians, and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests, Pompeo said. If these actions take place if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that. Asked about escalatory actions, Pompeo replied, I dont want to talk about what underlays it, but make no mistake, we have good reason to want to communicate clearly about how the Iranians should understand how we will respond to actions they may take. Asked whether the Iranian actions were related to the deadly events in Gaza and Israel militants fired rockets into Israel on Sunday and Israel responded with airstrikes Pompeo said, It is separate from that. The Trump administration has been intensifying a pressure campaign against Iran. Last month, President Trump announced the U.S. will no longer exempt any countries from U.S. sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, a decision that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and U.S. treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey. The U.S. also recently designated Irans Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group, the first such designation for an entire division of another government. Trump withdrew from the Obama administrations landmark nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and, in the months that followed, reimposed punishing sanctions, including those targeting Irans oil, shipping and banking sectors. Bolton and Pompeo have in recent months spoken stridently about Iran and its malign activities in the region. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler on Monday scheduled a vote for Wednesday to hold Atty. Gen. William Barr in contempt of Congress, escalating the battle between the Democratic-led House and President Trumps administration. Nadler (D-N.Y.) is proposing to hold Barr in contempt after the Justice Department declined to provide the committee with a full, unredacted version of special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs report on Trump and Russia. The committee had given Barr until 9 a.m. Monday to comply. The vote will be on a resolution that says: William P. Barr, the Attorney General of the United States, shall be found to be in contempt of Congress for failure to comply with a congressional subpoena. Barrs failure to comply has hindered the Committees constitutional, oversight and legislative functions, it says. Advertisement Proceedings could be postponed if the attorney general makes a good faith effort to comply with the committee, but that appears unlikely. Its the latest in a series of actions as Democrats try to conduct oversight of the Trump administration in the aftermath of Muellers report. Over the weekend, Trump changed his position and decided Mueller should not appear before Congress Bob Mueller should not testify, he tweeted sparking criticism from Democratic lawmakers eager to question the author of the report on Russias election interference, especially after Barr skipped a House hearing last week. Although a contempt vote would send a message, it wouldnt 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. Still, Democratic House leaders have signaled they will methodically take advantage of all the legal steps available. They could also file a civil lawsuit against the Justice Department an option that could take months or even years to resolve. Some members of the committee have suggested they also could fine Barr as he withholds the information. The committee is prepared to make every realistic effort to reach an accommodation with the department, Nadler wrote to Barr on Friday. 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. Democrats say they need to see the full report, including underlying materials like interview transcripts, to conduct a complete review of Muellers probe. In terms of the underlying materials, Nadler said the committee wanted to see witness interviews and items such as contemporaneous notes that are cited in the report. He also asked that all members of Congress be allowed to review an unredacted version of the report. The Justice Department has made a less redacted version available for House and Senate leaders and some committee heads, but the Democrats have said that is not enough and have so far declined to read it. Barr skipped a scheduled hearing with the Judiciary panel last week amid a dispute over how he would be questioned. Hours after Barr stood them up, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said she believed the attorney general had lied about his communications with Mueller in testimony last month, and that was a crime. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec called Pelosis accusation reckless, irresponsible and false. As the fight with Barr has escalated, Democrats have been in negotiations to hear from Mueller himself. Trump complicated those negotiations Sunday when he tweeted that he would oppose Muellers testimony. Trump had previously said he would leave the question to Barr, who has said repeatedly he has no objection to Mueller testifying. As long as Mueller remains a Justice Department employee, Trump or Barr could block him from testifying. Its unclear when Mueller will leave the department or whether he would want to testify in his own capacity when he does leave. Nadler said last week the committee was firming up the date for Muellers testimony and hoping it would be May 15. The Justice Department declined to comment. Tensions between the White House and House Democrats have been fueled by disputes over calling administration officials before multiple committees and obtaining an unredacted copy of the special counsels report as well as information relating to Trumps personal and business finances. Trumps repeated statements on collusion and obstruction differ from the reports. On collusion, Mueller said he did not assess whether that occurred because it was 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 didnt charge Trump with obstruction but wrote that he couldnt exonerate him, either. In his tweets Sunday, Trump did not indicate if he would take any steps to block Mueller. Ronna McDaniel insists she is still a Romney. Sure, she no longer uses Ronna Romney McDaniel on Fox News and at other appearances devoted to defending President Trump. And yes, Trump urged her to drop her maiden name when he tapped her to lead the Republican Party after his 2016 election. But Trump was just joking, she says. It was my decision, with my husband, to emphasize the McDaniel more, she said in an interview at Republican National Committee headquarters, where the lobby is festooned with photographs of Trump, some with McDaniel by his side. But Romneys still there and its interchangeable. Im very proud of my Romney roots. As much as anyone in the Trump era, McDaniel represents Trumps triumph over the Republican establishment, a scion of the blue-blood Romney clan serving in the insurgent House of Trump. Advertisement Romneys uncle is Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee and former Massachusetts governor. He has denounced Trump as a con man and a fake, and Trump has blasted him as a choke artist and stone cold loser. Good luck finding a middle ground. So while McDaniel has traveled to 32 states, shattered Republican fundraising records and avoided much of the internal strife that plagued her predecessors, she has been forced to disavow her uncles opinions and her maiden name to show her loyalty to a president who demands it. McDaniel insists that for her and her uncle, its nothing personal. Mitt and I get this, by the way, she said. Hers is not the only family right now that maybe has some different political opinions, that maybe is having some robust discussions, she said. McDaniel, 46, is still galled to be labeled Mitts niece in a recent newspaper profile of her uncle, since she chairs the Republican Party. But she says she and her uncle get along great. Although Trump delights in ridiculing Romney, McDaniel said the president comforted her after she chastised her uncles comments about Trump as disappointing and unproductive. Hes very sensitive about the issues with my uncle, candidly, she said. He called me several times the day that that happened. Are you doing OK? This hasnt probably been the easiest day for you. This is what its like to be a Romney at the top of Trumps Republican Party, twisting between the remnants of the party establishment and the president who tore it down. McDaniels Twitter feed is filled with praise for Trumps children and in-laws. His daughter and advisor, Ivanka Trump, merited at least 70 mentions from McDaniel since she became chairwoman. The partys messaging is now much more beholden to the ideology of Trump as opposed to the ideology of the GOP as a whole, said Michael Steele, a former party chairman. McDaniel has adopted not only Trumps fiery language, but also, in some cases, his caustic style. On St. Patricks Day, the partys official account posted a tweet that used an offensive stereotype of a drunken Irishman to mock Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke. McDaniel grew up around her grandfather George Romney, a Michigan governor and 1968 GOP presidential candidate. She learned politics as a young girl, helping her mother, also named Ronna Romney, campaign for a family ally who lost a Republican bid for Michigan governor in 1982. Later, while attending Brigham Young University, she became a driver for her mothers unsuccessful 1994 U.S. Senate campaign. Her father, Scott Romney, lost a race for state attorney general four years later but became a top advisor on his brother Mitts presidential campaign in 2012. (After McDaniels parents divorced, her mother kept the Romney name, long an asset in Michigan politics.) McDaniel who then went by Romney McDaniel actively campaigned for her uncle, especially in her home state. She was a perfect fit from a symbolic standpoint, said Saul Anuzis, a former Michigan state Republican Party chairman. A young mom, conservative fit the mold in a lot of different ways. After President Obama won reelection, McDaniel ran for state party positions and won. Although her family name alienated some activists, she forged alliances with the growing tea party movement. She just happened to be a Romney, said Jeff Sakwa, her deputy when she became state party chair in 2015. She literally paid her dues from a delegate all the way up. In 2016, when Trumps brand of bombastic populism swept the partys grass roots, McDaniel was forced to navigate the GOP factions: tea party, social conservative, libertarian and establishment. There were fires every day, Sakwa said. It was Sodom and Gomorrah out there. McDaniel stayed neutral in the Republican primary, according to party rules. But she argued to every candidate that a Republican could win Michigan in the fall despite Democrats winning the state nonstop since 1992. Trump was the most receptive to campaigning in the state during the general election, she said. When he would come: Ronna, where are we? Whats going on? Whats on the ground? Where do I need to be? she recalled. After Trump won the nomination, McDaniel did not waver. She called Trumps taped comments about grabbing womens genitals disgusting but still hit the trail for him that October weekend. She also faced pressure from Trumps allies to fire Wendy Day, a state party leader who had expressed public doubt about Trumps fitness for the presidency. McDaniel spoke to Day several times and sent flowers when Days father became gravely ill. But she did not hesitate to fire her, citing party bylaws that elected officers could not speak ill of the nominee. It was incredibly difficult, McDaniel said. Shes a very good friend of mine. When it came to Trump, you were 100% or nothing, Day said in a recent interview. That November, Trump won Michigan, a linchpin in his upset victory over Hillary Clinton. When Reince Priebus finished his tenure as national chairman to become Trumps first chief of staff, he recommended McDaniel as his replacement. She impressed Trump as a forceful advocate on TV, a trait the president values as much as her considerable fundraising skill. During the campaign, McDaniel bonded with Sarah Huckabee Sanders, now the White House spokeswoman, as they balanced raising children with demanding jobs in the male-dominated political world. They also both were fans of the TV series Greys Anatomy. They had something else in common: a famous political family. Sanders father, Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas, ran twice for the Republican presidential nomination. Everybody assumes you think like everybody else in your family, Sanders said. But youre just kind of boxed into that, she added. And [McDaniel] is a very independent, strong, very capable individual in her own right, and so I think she wants to be able to be known as that. The 2018 midterm election not only gave Democrats control of the House. Voters swept out nearly all of Trumps Republican critics in Congress but elected one glaring exception McDaniels uncle. Shortly before he took office in January, Romney who tried and failed to become Trumps secretary of State wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post that said Trump had fallen glaringly short in shaping the public character of the nation. In Trumps world, McDaniel had little choice but to take a side. For an incoming Republican freshman senator to attack @realdonaldtrump as their first act feeds into what the Democrats and media want and is disappointing and unproductive, she tweeted. In the interview, McDaniel did not address Romneys moral critique of Trump directly. I go to church for my values and my moral compass, she said. I dont really look at politicians I dont want to say [as] moral leaders. I dont look to politicians that way. I look to politicians more in terms of how are they going to govern and how is that going to affect my life. Romney declined an interview request but said in a statement that hes proud of McDaniel. Shes a dedicated and loyal chairwoman, and she has a responsibility to do what she thinks is best for our party, he said. At the end of the day, we both agree that family is more important than politics. Its not that a governor has limited political power the bully pulpit, especially in the age of social media, can provide an enormous advantage but in California, it really comes down to three potential game changers. First, the governor appoints scores of people to powerful positions. Then, he has the singular power to sign or veto proposed laws. And then theres the power he will begin to wield in a few days by setting the agenda for a new state budget. Gov. Gavin Newsom will send lawmakers a revised spending plan this week based on brand-new data about tax collections from April and thus kick off an intense five-week period in which the Legislature must take action. Advertisement Sign up for the Essential Politics newsletter HOW MUCH SPENDING AND ON WHICH PROGRAMS? One thing we know before even seeing Newsoms proposal is that theres never been so much money to spend. Rosy projections back in January were bested by close to $1 billion in preliminary reports from Aprils tax collections. Still, how the governor handles negotiations with his fellow Democrats in the Legislature could set the tone for the remainder of his time in office. If youre looking for one key place to test the relationship between the Democratic governor and his partys legislative leaders, it might be in how much to expand government healthcare through the Medi-Cal program to those in the U.S. illegally. Lawmakers want full coverage of the immigrant population, while Newsom has proposed only a portion of adults. The cost difference could be substantial. Well also be watching Newsoms new budget to see whether he advances efforts on the myriad promises made since he took the oath of office in January. WHEN GETTING A STATE JOB IS ALL IN THE FAMILY Recent revelations about a former top state official accused of unfairly helping her daughter land a government job got us to thinking: How prevalent is nepotism in Californias vast bureaucracy? A closer look reveals that even in the face of pledges to end such favoritism, the practice continues. Workers in at least seven state agencies have alleged favoritism shown to family members and friends of administrators in the last decade. TODAYS ESSENTIALS -- It was a dramatic day in a Fresno courtroom Friday, as Assemblyman Joaquin Arambulas legal and political fate may rest on whether he can convince a jury his young daughter isnt telling the truth. -- With a legislative battle underway over a landmark state law that allows consumers new powers over their personal data, Newsom and lawmakers have another ambitious goal: putting a financial value on that information. -- California cloaks the states two licensed animal blood banks both privately owned and commercially operated with sweeping exemptions from public records laws, with the state allowing the facilities to craft their own standards on how animals are cared for and then keeping all records under seal. -- For almost two decades, California lawmakers have quietly used a loosely written state campaign finance law to accept donations in unlimited amounts as long as the money is earmarked to support or oppose a ballot measure. They just killed a bill that would have closed the loophole. -- Californias 2018 population growth was the slowest in state history underscoring shifting immigration patterns, declining birthrates and economic strains that are making it harder for some to afford living here. -- As he donned safety glasses and set out for a day of custodian work on a college campus last week, the governor said California must take action to prepare for an inevitable wave of job losses due to the rapid rise of automation and advances in technology. -- Richard Miadich, the coauthor of the 2016 proposition legalizing marijuana, is the new chairman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission. -- California housing crisis podcast: Will there be a package of state housing bills in 2019? BOB MUELLER SHOULD NOT TESTIFY That was the pronouncement of President Trump in a much-talked-about Sunday tweet, adding new tensions to the effort by Democrats to have special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to appear before a congressional committee reviewing his investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Would Trump now try to block an appearance by Mueller, who remains a Justice Department employee? Or was merely making a rhetorical point? Meanwhile, Democrats say they have a tentative date of May 15 for the potentially blockbuster event. NATIONAL LIGHTNING ROUND -- Trump picked Mark Morgan, head of Border Patrol under the Obama administration, to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after firing him in his first few months in the White House. -- The United States is deploying additional military resources to send a message to Iran, national security advisor John Bolton said Sunday. -- 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 expunging misdemeanor and some felony convictions. LOGISTICS Essential Politics is written by Sacramento bureau chief John Myers on Mondays and Washington bureau chief David Lauter on Fridays. You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics? Miss Fridays newsletter? Here you go. Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox. Even in the best of Californias economic glory days, no governor has entered office with the kind of fiscal tail wind that Gov. Gavin Newsom now enjoys. The governments coffers are full of taxpayer cash, its reserve accounts are stocked to weather an economic slowdown and theres general consensus on new help for the states youngest and most vulnerable residents. A major political victory would seem all but assured as he prepares to unveil a revised state budget this week. And yet, Newsoms very real challenge is a quandary of quantity: more tax revenue, yes, but also more Democrats in the Legislature after last years election landslide and more demands to raise spending. The extent to which he acquiesces or pushes back could set the tone for his entire term in office. Across the bargaining table will be experienced legislative leaders who may be eager to reset the balance of power after serving for years in the long shadow of then-Gov. Jerry Brown. Advertisement I think those relationships are going to be very interesting to watch, said Chris Hoene of the California Budget and Policy Center, a nonprofit that advocates for programs serving the states most needy. All of these decisions are about who wants to use their political capital, and when. Newsoms initial proposal, a $209-billion budget blueprint he unveiled in January, assumed that tax collections would continue to outpace projections. It projected, by next summer, a $21.6-billion windfall which doesnt include unexpected cash that would be diverted into the states rainy-day reserve fund. Aprils preliminary tax data suggest even those rosy predictions were too modest. Corporate tax revenue ended the month $800 million above Newsoms estimate. Personal income tax revenue, which lagged through the winter, beat predictions by some $200 million last month suggesting Newsoms initial budget might have undercounted Californias surplus cash by almost $1 billion. How Gov. Gavin Newsom is progressing on his key policy promises for California For months, the governor has insisted that unexpected revenue should largely be spent in one-time increments and not be automatically built into future budgets. We want to maintain that fiscal discipline, he said last month in a meeting with The Times editorial board. That borrows a page from Brown, who pushed to make supplemental payments to the states official rainy-day reserve fund. Newsom, faced with projections the fund is now close to full, has embraced a legally untested idea: declare that the extra payments in years past didnt count toward the reserves official cap. That could allow an additional $4 billion to be socked away in the event of a recession. Lawmakers realize that being fiscally cautious is smart politics. They know, too, that spending too much of a short-term windfall on long-term programs will inevitably lead to cuts. Californias budget past is checkered with stories of boom-and-bust economic cycles. Nonetheless, lawmakers are poised to tell Newsom that some spending increases are both viable and vital. The largest is an effort to allow all Californians, regardless of U.S. immigration status, to access the states government-funded healthcare program, Medi-Cal. We violate the common good to leave hundreds of thousands of Californians without treatment for preventable ailments, state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) said last month during a committee hearing on her bill to remove immigration status from determining whos eligible for Medi-Cal. Healthcare is a human right. Durazos bill, one of two pending efforts to expand the state program, comes with an annual price tag of at least $2.3 billion. The governor offered far less in his January budget, proposing only to expand Medi-Cal access to young adult immigrants at a cost of $134 million. That gap could be difficult to close, and an awkward position for Newsom given his attempt to lead a national effort opposing the immigration policies of President Trump. One way to help bridge the gap could be reauthorizing a tax on managed-care health plans, bringing in $1.5 billion for Medi-Cal. The governor surprisingly left the idea out of his winter budget proposal, even though it triggers matching federal dollars and has a broad base of support. Other differences perhaps less costly but no less contentious have emerged over the last few months between Newsom and legislators. Assembly Democrats want to rework the governors plans on housing and homelessness and have rejected his threat to strip transportation dollars from communities that fall short of expectations. They recently laid out a detailed proposal on early childhood education that goes beyond Newsoms plans. And Democrats in both houses envision a faster expansion of the states paid family leave program than the governors incremental approach outlined in January. Nor will Newsoms own demands during budget negotiations be an easy lift. The governor has proposed some new taxes for the budget that must be enacted by the end of June. His administration wants to revise California law so that its consistent with federal tax changes championed by Trump in 2017. The additional state revenue estimated at $1.7 billion a year would help pay for Newsoms pledge to expand a state tax credit for the working poor. Meanwhile, the governor wants the Legislature to impose a new tax to fund clean drinking water for communities struggling with contamination. The tax would impose a monthly water surcharge of about 95 cents on most Californians and up to $10 a month for large users. Powerful water agencies oppose the tax, and some lawmakers have suggested first using surplus tax revenue. Both tax proposals require a supermajority vote in the state Senate and Assembly. Democrats hold more than enough seats to do so without Republicans, but there could be resistance from the majority partys members who represent competitive districts. The governor would have to work hard to win over those lawmakers, many still spooked by last years recall of an Orange County Democrat after he voted for a gas tax increase. The public policy reasons for doing these things make sense, Hoene said. But there could be some real tension. Governors traditionally hold the upper hand in budget talks. Legislators have their paychecks docked if they dont approve a budget by June 15. Even when they do, Newsom can use his line-item veto power to reduce spending. Brown went even further in 2011 by vetoing the entire budget sent to his desk by Democrats, the first chief executive to do so in California history. He insisted that the plan included too many accounting gimmicks. Newsom probably wont need to make that kind of demonstrative statement about his budget principles. But lawmakers and lobbyists alike will be watching to see where he draws the line in the coming weeks, to see what they can learn from this years budget negotiations that sets the stage for those in years to come. john.myers@latimes.com Follow @johnmyers on Twitter and sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats are determined to beat President Trump next year not only on the ballot, but also in the census count. Theres widespread suspicion that Trump is gaming the decennial census in an effort to reduce Californias political clout and federal funding. Trump loves to poke California in the eye. And its understandable. This blue state is his most pesky tormentor, resisting in court or with legislation a lot of what he tries to do especially his efforts to block unlawful immigration and deport migrants who are here illegally. The president is striking back at California by placing on the census questionnaire if the Supreme Court allows him, as expected a query asking people whether they are U.S. citizens. He insists the information is needed to help enforce the Voting Rights Act. Advertisement Yeah, sure! California officials fear many undocumented immigrants will simply refuse to participate in the census, even though theyre not being asked about their legal status. Immigrants are very skilled at avoiding government and they really dont trust the Trump administration, says Karthick Ramakrishnan, a UC Riverside political science professor and immigration expert. The citizenship question is just adding fuel to the fire. The problem for California is that federal funding of state and local programs is based on population. And so is the apportionment of congressional seats. California could lose billions of federal dollars and at least one House seat along with an Electoral College vote that helps determine who wins the presidency. Related: A census undercount could cost California billions and L.A. is famously hard to track So Newsom has asked the Legislature for $55 million on top of $100.3 million previously approved under Gov. Jerry Brown for a robust campaign to persuade all Californians to fill out census questionnaires. The governor has appointed Secretary of State Alex Padilla to run the operation. The scuttlebutt within immigrant communities is about how the U.S. government used census data in World War II to round up Japanese Americans and send them off to internment camps. Its now illegal to use census information that way. But Trumps rhetoric and record separating children from their refugee mothers, for example hardly engenders trust. Everyones talking about Manzanar, says USC demographics professor Dowell Myers, referring to the former internment camp in Owens Valley near Mount Whitney. Just discussing this generates fear. Myers, a longtime Census Bureau adviser, says the real problem here is that the president seems intent on overturning all conventions and destroying vital trusts. Hes sowing dissension and chaos at a time when we need stability. Weve got the Russians on one side and now were getting it from our own administration on the other. But theres fault all around, Myers adds. I blame the liberals for making themselves targets by being sanctimonious and acting high and mighty, the professor says. Theyre know-it-all, like the school teacher who tries to discipline children. By not giving Middle America more respect, theyve left the barn door wide open for Trump to go in and steal the horses. There are 2.2 million immigrants in California illegally, according to the latest estimate of the Pew Research Center, 100,000 fewer than its previous calculation. Under the U.S. Constitution, theyre supposed to be counted like everyone else. Newsom, the Democratic establishment and activist groups arent only worried about undocumented immigrants not being counted. Theyre also concerned that citizen immigrants wont participate, fearful of tipping off the household presence of undocumented relatives. California is considered a hard to count state anyway because of the homeless population, frequently moving renters and migrant workers. Related: Are Arabs and Iranians white? Census says yes, but many disagree On top of that, the 2020 census will be conducted online for the first time. Many people still dont have internet access. Therell be an effort to contact them personally. Experts are anticipating a 2.7% undercount. Newsoms finance department estimates it would short Californias total population by 1.1 million residents. For each person not counted, it would mean $1,100 less annually in federal money significantly down from an estimate last year of nearly $2,000. Still, over a decade thats a $12-billion loss. And if that many people arent counted, California surely would lose a congressional seat for the first time. Wed drop from 53 to 52 still by far the most of any state and our electoral votes would fall from 55 to 54. Congressional districts would become geographically larger with urban seats spreading toward the suburbs. As they spread, it weakens the political strength of Latinos, says Paul Mitchell, who runs Political Data Inc., which generates voter demographic statistics. It would strengthen suburban communities. Mitchell says the hardest-to-count House districts and the most likely to be altered are held by Democrats Jimmy Gomez of Los Angeles, Lucille Roybal-Allard of Downey, Juan Vargas of San Diego, T.J. Cox of Fresno, Jim Costa of Fresno, Nanette Barragan of San Pedro, Tony Cardenas of Los Angeles and Maxine Waters of Los Angeles. Newsom and Democrats are treating the census like a political campaign. Theyll have TV and radio ads, photo-ops and door-to-door canvassers. Itll be unprecedented for a census, Padilla says. Were going to every corner of the state. As a journalist, Im all for collecting as much information as possible about almost everything. Sure, Im curious to know the exact breakdown of citizens and non-citizens. But in this case, the questioner cant be trusted. Reductions in federal funding and shifts in political power should be decided in Congress and elections not in rigged census surveys. More from George Skelton george.skelton@latimes.com Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter A new virtual reality experience at the OC Fair & Event Center offers insights into how researchers are using advanced technology to treat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Visitors to the Heroes Hall veterans museum can put on special goggles and headphones and enter the Bravemind: Using Virtual Reality to Combat PTSD exhibition when the Orange County Fair opens Friday. They will find themselves immersed in a two-and-a-half-minute segment featuring a realistic representation of a war-torn setting. Designed by USCs Institute for Creative Technologies, Bravemind is an interactive program clinicians use to slowly immerse veterans and military service members into virtual environments that relate to their traumatic experiences but in controlled settings as a form of treatment. OC Fair & Event Center CEO Kathy Kramer described the new exhibit as a noteworthy effort for fairgoers to learn a little bit about what warriors experience in combat. The virtual reality, or VR, technology provides multi-sensory environments that can be readily created and modified to a patients needs in an effort to help veterans transition into civilian life. Clinicians monitor patient stress through brain imaging and psycho-physiological assessments. In one scene, the narrator walks users through a calm, outdoor market disrupted by the ignition of a bomb in a nearby building. In another scene, users sit at the top of a tank rolling through a desert road headed toward a cloud of smoke. Huntington Beach veteran Christopher Merkle, who served in the Marine Corps for 14 years, found the tool therapeutic. During a media preview of the exhibit last month, Merkle said that as a boy he dreamed of being like John Wayne namely his Sgt. John Stryker character in 1949s Sands of Iwo Jima. Merkle enlisted at 17, quickly became good at his job and took pride in eventually training other Marines. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Navigating the trauma proved difficult once he returned to civilian life. PTSD took over. The hardest part of a military person or veteran is to ask for help, he said. Were always this machine thats pushing forward. The stigma attached to PTSD doesnt make it easy for a veteran to seek help, Merkle said. When a Marine is at war, Merkle explained, he or she is alone with his or her thoughts, desperately wanting to go home. But when Marines head home, they often struggle to reconnect with family and friends and find themselves wanting to return to combat, he said. When he finally reached out for help, Merkle said traditional therapy where a clinician tries to help a veteran navigate PTSD through dialogue didnt work. He was referred to Bravemind. VR puts you in that space, Merkle said. Its hard to describe, but its in that moment Im seeing this, and Im seeing that. Albert Skip Rizzo, USCs director for medical virtual reality, said he was impressed with the labor of love the exhibit turned out to be for OC Fair staff. If Bravemind continues to garner success and acceptance, Rizzo said it can open the door to help mitigate other traumas. PTSD isnt a life sentence, Rizzo said. Dont give up hope seeking treatment. The fair ends Aug. 12. The VR exhibit, which also features informational displays and war memorabilia, will be at Heroes Hall for the remainder of the year. Priscella.Vega@latimes.com Twitter: @vegapriscella Something about the recent condemnations of Shayna Lathus, a former member of the Citizens Participation Advisory Board, just dont add up. These are confusing times and unfortunately the Daily Pilots May 2 article Huntington Beach woman removed from city advisory board did little to clear things up. Was Lathus being accused of being member or supporter of Antifa? If so, it seems odd she wasnt dressed in the traditional black clothing and masks worn by Antifa members, nor does she appear to be posing with group members. Huntington Beach woman removed from city board after backlash to her attendance at political rally Was Lathus being accused of inciting violence or expressing hateful rhetoric typically associated with various extremist groups? If so, I didnt see any pictures or hear any accounts of those actions either. This would all seem so odd if it wasnt happening in Huntington Beach, but since it did happen in Huntington Beach, theres a pretty simple explanation. Someone opposed to Lathus views targeted her for a political smear. This wasnt about exposing a secret political extremist but rather just an opportunity to baselessly attack a political rival. What a perfect illustration of the political environment in Huntington Beach. Although I strongly agree that elected officials and their appointees should be held to the highest of standards with regard to both their actions and rhetoric, I reject what appears to have been little more than a fake gotcha moment contrived by Huntington Beachs Facebook paparazzi. And while I find the actions of these Judicial Watch wannabes disingenuous and sad, it is hardly surprising. For years, Huntington Beach has been besieged by loud, angry voices far too obsessed by ideology and completely dismissive of anything passing for constructive local discourse. Unfortunately, this would appear to be the latest episode of the H.B. internet mob targeting someone simply because they disagree. Railing against a fellow resident peacefully exercising her right to assemble hardly seems to violate any ethics or standards we should expect from those in our local government. Sadly, the hasty action of Councilwoman Kim Carr, and the ongoing bellows of those seeking to do nothing more than settle political scores, have robbed Huntington Beach of a resident willing to serve her community for the greater good. H.B. residents now are left to wonder if anyone will ever be willing to volunteer their time to serve our community in the face of the inevitable shenanigans of the citys mob of political hucksters and malcontents. Steve Shepherd Huntington Beach Pilot was wrong to cover removal of board member Selling papers means job security, and apparently the Daily Pilot has found that pandering to the right-wing, hate mongers of Huntington Beach is a successful strategy. Why else would they give front-page coverage with photographic evidence of two city residents expressing their 1st Amendment protected right to free speech? Shayna Lathus and Victor Valladares are left-leaning, politically active residents who were trying to let the public know on a busy Saturday afternoon that Huntington Beach is not the hateful place that the What You Can Do Now group protesting Senate Bill SB54, were portraying it to be. I should know since I was there with them. By calling them out for their actions, resident Craig Frampton, who apparently was among the protesters, is not heeding his own advice to tone it down. Neither is the Daily Pilot by covering the protests after the fact and only when it results in Lathus losing her appointed position. Where were the reporters on Saturday when persons with the WYCDN mob crossed PCH twice to incite trouble, requiring police on horseback to intervene and close southbound PCH at Main Street for 15 minutes? Or to provide details about the five people who were arrested and of the charges against them? Or why the mounted officers were called in from Orange and Anaheim in the first place? Perhaps interviewing multiple sources, including HBPD, instead of just echoing the political agenda of one individual would serve all the residents of Huntington Beach more fully. Jeff Rokos Huntington Beach Council wouldnt mind if protestor was on the right Did I miss something in the article concerning the removal of Shayna Lathus from her position on a city advisory board? I fail to see what all the fuss is about. Are City Council members supposed to disavow any previous political convictions when they take office? If so, I can think of more than a few former council members who didnt get the memo. While I dont agree with the tactics the Antifa movement uses, and I dont support all of its beliefs, Id rather be considered anti-fascist than pro-fascist. People of all belief systems show up at political rallies and express their opinions in various manners. Id be willing to bet there are plenty of people who might be considered extremist among the What You Can Do Now supporters as well. Id also wager no one would have objected if Lathus were clapping and chanting their slogans. Lathus attended what she thought would be a peaceful rally. It isnt her responsibility to monitor the attendees. Standing up for the rights of immigrants, even if it is unpopular in these parts, does not compromise her ability to perform her duties as a board member. I commend her self control. I would have happily held up the Dump Trump banner. Mary Franklin Huntington Beach Steel has no chance against Rouda The unsurprising announcement that dogmatically conservative Michelle Steel, a county supervisor, will seek to challenge Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Laguna Beach) for his seat in Congress was received by many constituents as either a cruel hoax or a sick joke. Her quote in the article, Im running to bring common-sense leadership to Congress and hold our leaders accountable so that we can get our country back on track, is possibly the most hypocritical pronouncement of the year. It is the party of her and her husband, Republican National Committee member Shawn Steel, that is responsible for the lack of common-sense leadership in Washington, D.C., and the broken political system to which she alludes. As a Huntington Beach resident, I am represented by both Rouda and Steel. The difference is night and day in their approach to governance. Rouda is approachable, inclusive, caring and genuinely interested in the concerns and issues of his constituents. Steel is pretty much the opposite. Tim Geddes Huntington Beach How to get published: Email us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Next month, Glendale Community College will debut a one-of-a-kind program to train highly functioning adults with autism to operate computer-numerical-control machines, setting them on a path to working as machinist apprentices or computer numerical control operators and programmers. The upcoming training is the result of the colleges new partnership with the Uniquely Abled Academy, which is part of the Uniquely Abled Project, based in Valley Village. The project works with educators, nonprofits and corporations to place high-functioning adults with autism in high-performing and well-paid jobs. NEWSLETTER: Stay up to date with whats going on in the 818 >> Management consultant Ivan Rosenburg established the Uniquely Abled Project in 2013. After consulting with aerospace companies, he discovered there was a need for computer-numerical-control operators in manufacturing. As the father of two children with autism, he also set out to shift peoples perspectives in placing people with perceived disabilities in high-skill jobs. The Uniquely Abled Project is to shift the social paradigm from disabled to uniquely abled, he said, adding that adults with autism are a great match to work as computer-numerical-control machine operators and programmers because of the highly focused and repetitive work the job requires. Nolan Askew, 17, of Monrovia, presses a go button on a CNC machine to begin making another part at during an information for the Uniquely Abled Academy at Glendale Community College on Thursday, May 5, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) You want to be able to follow objective orders. You want to be able to work alone very well, he said. Employees can earn a median salary of about $18 per hour or more, he said. An open house informing parents and prospective students about the training program was held Thursday evening at the college, where parents and students toured the manufacturing and engineering labs. The 10-week program for 20 students will begin at Glendale Community College on June 20. Instructors will guide students through 300 hours of instruction, lab time and soft skills, such as interviewing and resume building. To enroll, students must be able to function independently in social and academic settings, and demonstrate a competence in basic math, reading and computers. Students must also be at least 18 years old and have earned a high school diploma or GED. Glendale Community College is a major manufacturing hub with state-of-the-art machines and certificate programs addressing the demand for manufacturing employees. The community colleges most of them recognized this need for [computer-numerical-control] training, Rosenburg said. Rosenberg met Jan Swinton, dean of the colleges workforce development, while both were serving on the Los Angeles Economic Development Committee. Whittier parent Karen Chong heard about the program through a friend and drove to Thursdays open house with her 19-year-old son, Brandon, whom she thinks could excel with the training because his strength is in working with computers, she said. She drove 45 minutes from Whittier to Glendale for the open house, and is willing to make the drive many more times for his participation in the program. If its something thats going to meet his needs, then, of course, Ill commit and do the driving, she said. Rosenburg said he is hopeful the program will eventually expand nationwide on campuses that have similar resources and equipment to train students. Hopefully, were starting a revolution, he said. -- Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com Twitter: @kellymcorrigan -- ALSO: Glendale school board expected to adopt voting district map later this month Teen survivor of rollover crash meets teacher, students who raised money during her recovery Committees input will guide Glendale school calendar More than $175,000 was awarded to the Verdugo Workforce Development Board to train people with autism to operate computer-numerical-control, or CNC, machines, as well as help people with disabilities learn other workforce skills, the board announced this week. The State of California Employment Development Department, in coordination with the California Workforce Development Board and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, gave the local board $178,571 to provide the training. Follow us on Facebook >> A portion of the funds will help pay for training that is set to begin Monday at Glendale Community College, where 20 adults with autism will learn how to operate CNC machines over 10 weeks, said Judith Velasco, executive director of the development board. This is an area of focus for us to help people with [disabilities]. We invest a lot of our grant funds in this area, she said. The training program for adults with autism is called the Uniquely Abled Academy, and it was brought to Glendale Community College after Jan Swinton, the schools dean of workforce development, met Ivan Rosenburg while the two were serving on the Los Angeles Economic Development Committee. Rosenburg is a management consultant and father of two children with autism who set out to shift peoples perspectives about placing people with perceived disabilities in high-skilled jobs. He recognized that adults with autism could succeed working as CNC machine operators because of the repetitive and highly focused work the job requires while earning at least $18 per hour. An open house to gauge interest in the academy was held last month and attracted dozens of prospective students with autism and their parents. The new grant is one way to serve the community by putting people on the path to securing high-tech and high-paying jobs, Swinton said. Its a way to look forward to building more middle-class jobs that serve our workforce-training needs in the Verdugo region, she said. These are really the middle-class jobs that we have lost since the Great Recession. Velasco said members of the Verdugo Workforce Development Board which covers the cities of Glendale, Burbank, La Canada Flintridge are looking forward to using the funds to fulfill locals residents training needs. Were thrilled to be able to provide additional training opportunities to fulfill whatever training goal they have, she said. -- Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com Twitter: @kellymcorrigan Some believe goats belong in a barnyard, not a yoga studio. But those people were noticeably absent Saturday, when the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge hosted a first-ever goat yoga class for both the curious and the convinced. Nigerian Dwarf goats Billy, Burlap and Roscoe made the trip from Hello Critter Goat Yoga in the Burbank/Glendale Rancho neighborhood to La Canada, where a class of 35 participants had signed up for a one-hour session that promised peace and mindfulness with a side of animal action. Hello Critter yoga instructor Beverly ODonohue went over the basics, including what is surely the No. 1 question on any goat yoga FAQ: They are goats, so we have to keep in mind that they are willing, and able, to make this entire room their bathroom, ODonohue said, explaining any blessings offered by the goats during class would be immediately cleaned up. We are extremely appreciative of your tolerance and sense of humor. Some poses would be slightly modified to avoid injuries, while others might inspire goats to jump from one back to another, the instructor continued. Unlike typical yoga classes, selfies and cellphone pics were not prohibited. The three goats worked the room, perching on backs and shoulders with sock-covered hooves as students changed positions. A row of students doing Downward-Facing Dog created the perfect tunnel for Billy, a young male goat whose budding horns were wrapped in vet tape for safety, to run through. Hello Critter owner Michelle Tritten and mom Donna used treat canisters to help focus the animals attention and distribute the love evenly, though they occasionally traded them for towels and brooms whenever blessings required cleanup. After the session, participants lined up in the courtyard to take posed photos with Burlap, Billy and Roscoe. La Canada sisters Claire and Ellie Chapman said they equally enjoyed the yoga and the goats. It was really fun and relaxing, said 17-year-old Ellie Chapman. And it was kind of funny, in some aspects, because youd be relaxing and then youd have goats on you. It made it more fun to be watching them, Claire Chapman, 19, agreed. Thats the allure of goat yoga, said Michelle Tritten, whos owned goats since the 1980s and claims to have hosted the first class in Greater Los Angeles in 2017 they lend an undeniable joyfulness that can enhance the yoga experience. You cant be mad or depressed around a goat, she said. They just open up hearts and give me a sense of peace more than anything else. La Canada resident Sasha Stalgren brought husband Doug to the Community Center Saturday as a surprise present for their sixth wedding anniversary. Attracted by the novelty, she quickly warmed to the concept. When I do yoga its hard to focus my mind because my mind wanders, she said. But with this, I could focus my mind on the goats. It helped. As for Doug Stalgren, while the inclusion of yoga mats made his wifes plan clear, the goats were a welcome surprise. I thought she was going to get me a tattoo, he joked. FYI: A second goat yoga class is scheduled for Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge. The cost is $32, and pre-registration is required. For information, visit cclcf.org or call (818) 790-4353. sara.cardine@latimes.com Twitter: @SaraCardine Kenley Jansens downfall in the ninth inning of the Dodgers 8-5 loss at Petco Park on Sunday, completed by Hunter Renfroes pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam, began in ordinary fashion, with a leadoff single by Eric Hosmer through the left side. Then things got weird. Manuel Margot placed a bunt down the third-base line. Instead of attempting a barehanded play and tough throw across his body, Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner let the ball go, hoping it would trickle foul. It didnt. Looking to move the runners, Wil Myers dropped down another bunt, which bounced between Jansen and Turner. Neither pursued it and the ball rolled unimpeded until shortstop Corey Seager, who had been shaded toward second, ran over to field it. Jansen called it a miscommunication. It wasnt a great bunt, Turner said. But my responsibility there is to make sure we get an out. Two bunt singles and, suddenly, the bases were loaded. Advertisement Thats something that really shouldnt happen in that situation, manager Dave Roberts said. I think J.T. thought that Kenley could get it, Kenley didnt really make an effort right there. ... It doesnt really matter whose ball it was. We didnt make the play. Jansen initially rebounded from the snafu. He struck out Greg Garcia and got Francisco Mejia to pop out, scratching within one out of an improbable save. Roberts thought Jansen would wiggle free. So did Jansen. Sign up for our Dodgers newsletter Thats the tough part, Jansen said, because I saw myself, I visualized myself out of it. His final obstacle was Renfroe, who entered the at-bat 0 for 6 with five strikeouts in his career against Jansen. Renfroe cracked his second pitch, a 93-mph cutter up in the zone, 429 feet. The abrupt ending prevented the Dodgers (22-14) from sweeping their regional foes with three come-from-behind victories. They settled for two wins in a wild series with all three games decided in the ninth inning. Theyre all tough, especially the way we played, Roberts said. I think our guys were fighting hard. You got to give credit to the Padres. They didnt relent. Franmil Reyes emphatically opened the scoring for the Padres (19-16) in the first inning, banging a fastball 458 feet. Kenta Maeda surrendered a two-out RBI double to Mejia in the second inning and the Padres doubled the margin in the fourth to afford themselves an early lead for the third straight day. Maeda limited the damage to those four runs. The right-hander retired the final eight batters he faced before exiting after throwing 84 pitches in six innings. But the early troubles left the Dodgers to claw back from another deficit. Frustration colored Max Muncys first two plate appearances. In the first inning, he grounded out with two runners on base. In the third, he flied out with the bases loaded. Both outs extinguished the scoring threats. They were wasted chances, the kind teams recall with regret. Muncy was given a third opportunitywith two on and two out in the fifth inning. It took him one pitch. Nick Margevicius offered an 88-mph fastball over the plate and Muncy hammered it for his second three-run home run off a left-hander in less than 24 hours. Muncy sparked the second half of the comeback in the eighth inning. After falling behind 0-2, the slugger worked a walk against left-hander Robbie Erlin. Chris Taylor then fell behind 1-2 before jumping on a changeup for a two-run home run and a 5-4 Dodgers lead. The blast left Los Angeles within six outs of another gratifying win without Cody Bellinger in the lineup for the second straight game. Pedro Baez supplied the first three in order in the eighth. Jansen was summoned to pitch the ninth for the third consecutive day. His second pitch was smacked for a single. His 20th pitch and 55th of the series landed in the second deck of the brick Western Metal Supply Co. building overlooking left field. It was the fourth home run hes allowed in 17 appearances. Im not going to beat myself [up],Jansen said. I got beat on my best pitch, a pitch I wanted to throw in that situation -- up in the zone. I just got to let it out. It sucks. Ill try to not think about this one when Im driving home, just let it out here and be ready next time. jorge.castillo@latimes.com Twitter: @jorgecastillo The first federally mandated reports are out showing how many mobility devices get damaged by airlines, and the data paint a disturbing picture. Consumer reports show that the 12 largest airlines mishandled about 2% of all devices on planes in December and January. Although the number of chairs calculated in the reports may seem insignificant, consider the effect: From Dec. 4-31, air carriers handled more than 32,000 devices and lost or damaged 701 of them, according to the reports. Put another way, during one of the most important travel months of the year, the wheelchairs or scooters of an average 26 people a day were broken or got lost. Advertisement If you really understand what a wheelchair means to someone who uses it, its a huge number, said Shaun Castle, deputy executive director for Paralyzed Veterans of America. That means 26 people per day lose their ability to move. The damage reports are required after PVAs lawsuit against the Department of Transportation, and subsequent congressional action in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The reports illuminate a systemic problem within the airline industry. The wheelchair that Castle, a service-disabled Army veteran, uses has been bent, cracked and lost in separate air travel incidents. You broke my chair. Its not usable anymore due to your negligence. Its like you are literally breaking my legs, he said. If airlines were, through negligence, breaking legs and arms, imagine the news coverage. The early numbers arent complete. Southwest, which reported damaging 4% of passengers mobility devices in January, and American, which reported damaging nearly 6%, told the government they did not accurately capture the data for all wheelchairs and scooters on aircraft. The trouble cuts across all carriers and all classes of travelers. Consider U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), a combat veteran and double amputee. Her wheelchair has been damaged several times during air travel, including the December reporting period. She was instrumental in getting the disclosure rule added as an amendment to the FAA reauthorization bill. Travelers should be able to find out if certain airlines have high rates of breaking wheelchairs and other equipment that people depend on, just like we can find out if certain airlines have high rates of flight delays or cancellations, Duckworth said in a statement. You cant tell from just two months the full scope of the problem. Some carriers have gotten ahead of the bad news by promising to improve the way they stow wheelchairs and scooters. Disability rights groups and consumer advocates vow to hold them accountable. For now, travelers should view the damage reports for themselves and decide which airlines to take a chance on. The data are issued monthly but lag by a few months. You can see the January and February reports now at bit.ly/mobilitydevicereports; the numbers for mobility devices are on Page 36. PVA breaks out the wheelchair data on its website (bit.ly/PVAmishandlestatistics). PVA offers this advice for disabled fliers: Attach written instructions for folding and stowing directly to your wheelchair or scooter. Carry removable parts, such as seat cushions, side guards and wheels, on the plane with you. If youre taking a manual wheelchair and flying on a wide-body aircraft such as an A-380 or a 777 (they tend to have more storage space), ask that your chair be stored in the on-board closet to minimize the chances of damage. When your equipment is returned to you, inspect it thoroughly before leaving the airport. If damage is present, report it immediately to the airline to start your claim and the maintenance process. Register your complaint with the federal government. This helps the DOT enforce the rules and hold airlines accountable. Once you file a complaint, the airline is required to respond to you and to the DOT. You have three options for filing a complaint: Online: Air consumer complaint form (bit.ly/devicecomplaintform) By phone: (202) 366-2220 (TTY [202] 366-0511) By mail: Aviation Consumer Protection Division, C-75 U.S. Department of Transportation. 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E., Washington, DC 20590 travel@latimes.com @latimestravel On May 7, 1952, Los Angeles residents welcomed two dawns. The first occurred at 5:15 a.m. a flash from a Nevada nuclear device test. Forty-three minutes later, the real dawn arrived. A story in the next morning's Los Angeles Times reported: The first predawn atomic flash since early 1951 over the Nevada proving ground was visible clearly from Los Angeles yesterday morning. Despite a cloudy sky, the intense brilliance carried 300 miles between here and the atomic test site to fringe downtown buildings in a brief aura of fierce light. Photographs taken from Civic Center show the northeastern sky luminous from a man-made sunrise. The detonation was at 5:15 a.m. 43 minutes before dawn. The five experimental nuclear explosions early last year all occurred in morning darkness. The 12 others which followed, with the exception of yesterday's, came in bright sunlight . Observers at the control tower at International Airport described the sight as resembling bluish lightning. The flash observed here was instantaneous. No afterglow was discernible. This photo was taken from a balcony at the Los Angeles Times building and published in the May 8, 1952, edition. The light ray from atop City Hall is from the Lindbergh Beacon. The Partial Test Ban Treaty in 1963 banned atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. This post was previously published on Oct. 3, 2013. See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here Syrian troops stormed rebel-held areas of the countrys northwest on Monday, state media, monitors and activists said, marking the governments latest bid to reassert control over the oppositions last major territory. The ground incursion came in the wake of a fierce weeklong air campaign, with Syrian and Russian warplanes executing dozens of daily strikes on rebel-controlled territories in the northwestern provinces of Hama and Idlib. The escalation dashed a Russian-Turkish truce brokered in September that had stayed a massive government offensive on Idlib, which is home to Syrian President Bashar Assads most implacable rebel adversaries. Syrian army units, including the elite Tiger forces, charged Monday morning into the northern countryside of Hama province. Hours later, they cut rebel lines to snatch the village of Banah as well as the strategic Othman Hill, before surrounding Kafr Nabouda, according to state-aligned news channels, including the Central Combat Media and Lebanese broadcaster Al-Mayadeen. Advertisement The operation, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said, was a response to the terrorists continuous attacks on government areas. A member of the White Helmets volunteer group prepares to remove the body of a woman killed during shelling and airstrikes on the village of Rakaya Sijneh, in Idlib province, on Saturday. (AFP/Getty Images) The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition monitor, confirmed the armys advance and said Mondays violence had killed 31 people, including five civilians. Capt. Naji Mustafa, spokesman for the rebels National Liberation Front, acknowledged the government had taken territory, but, he said, the fighting is ongoing, its a hit-and-run battle. He accused the government of using scorched-earth tactics against civilian areas. Meanwhile, activists and residents said, thousands of people had fled their homes, heading to the relative safety of open fields to escape round-the-clock airstrikes. They posted images of what they said were families unloading their few salvaged belongings from trucks hidden among orchards. Others reported three major hospitals serving rebel areas had been destroyed in the barrage. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday that 120 people had been killed in the province since April 30. A Syrian boy stands above the rubble of a building in the village of Rabaa Jour in Idlib province, on Monday. (Omar Haj Kadour / AFP/Getty Images) Last week, the U.S. said Russia must halt the escalation in Idlib. The violence must end, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. In September, Assads allies Russia and Iran, and Turkey, the oppositions main backer, announced a cease-fire regime that designated parts of Idlib and Hama as a demilitarized zone. The agreement required rebels to abandon their heavy weaponry and Al Qaeda-affiliated militants and other extremists to leave the province. Analysis: Pullout from Syria weakens U.S. hand in the Middle East and boosts Russia The truce aimed to form the first step toward a more comprehensive peace aimed at ending the eight-year Syrian civil war, a conflict that has killed an estimated 370,000, displaced millions and reduced wide swaths of the country to smoldering ruins. Yet the agreement was stillborn. The extremists are not only the dominant force in Idlib but are also some of Assads toughest opponents; other rebel factions, including those backed by Turkey and Western countries, did not move to dislodge them. Meanwhile, the fighting between the rebels and the government, though reduced, continued with both sides accusing the other of cease-fire violations Students in Syria are a textbook case for post-Islamic State reeducation Though the scope of the army operation was unclear, the first phase aimed to oust the rebels from Hama and a line some 12 miles into Idlibs territory, said Simon Wakeel, commander of a volunteer group of pro-government fighters stationed in northern Hama. But even a limited offensive would spur a flood of refugees. In April, Panos Moumtzis, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Syria, said in a statement 120,000 of Idlibs residents had been displaced since February. In his petition for post-conviction relief, Blount claimed that "the prosecutor threatened (Blount) that if he did not sign the plea agreement" in Westerfield's murder that Blount "would have two separate murder charges attached with two additional death sentences filed against him," the petition states. Controversial on-air-personality (OAP), Daddy Freeze, has reacted to a viral video of the poor turnout of fans at comedian Akpororos show. It was gathered that the comedian had hosted a comedy show at Okomaiko in Lagos on May 4, 2019. However, there was poor turnout even though the funny man reduced the prices for his tickets. According to reports, the ticket was initially meant to sell for N5000 but it was later reduced to N2000 before it was given out free of charge for people to watch the show. In reaction to the unfortunate situation, controversial OAP Daddy Freeze, used the opportunity to ask the comedian if his tithe had stopped working for him. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Nigeria Daddy Freeze taunts comedian Akpororo over poor turnout at his show Source: Instagram The media personality also recounted how Akpororo had called him a wall gecko at a church programme over his stance on tithing being unbiblical. Freeze further explained that even though the comedian insulted him, he has forgiven him. READ ALSO: We as Christians need to embrace divorce - Daddy Freeze Excerpts from his post reads: 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 worshiped God for who he really is in spirit and truth (John 4:24) Nawa o. Meanwhile, In a video that is now making the rounds on social media, a man who seemed to be a pastor was spotted kissing his female church member during a deliverance service. In the short clip, the 'pastor' held on to a young ladys face and kissed her for some moments before finally letting go. Interestingly, the supposed man of God repeated the act after he was seemingly unsatisfied with the result of the first kiss. As expected, controversial media personality Daddy Freeze, was very appalled by the act and he reacted on his Instagram page. READ ALSO: Personal letter from the Editor-in-Chief of Legit.ng (formerly NAIJ.com) HELLO! NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better. Daddy Freeze on Nigerian Pastors and British Royals | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - Political players and public office holders have been accused of masterminding the violence in Zamfara state - A group says the the rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and killings ravaging the state is the handiwork of prominent people - The group specifically stated that politicians benefiting from illegal gold mining in Zamfara were the ones sponsoring the endless unrest in the area A group, Citizens Rights Crusade Network (CRCN), on Sunday, May 5, identified political players and public office holders as masterminds of the rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and killings ravaging Zamfara state. The group specifically stated that politicians benefiting from illegal gold mining in Zamfara were the ones sponsoring the endless unrest in the area. CRCN, therefore, called on the attention of the international community and relevant security agencies to save Nigerians from the hands of politicians causing unrest in the north-west region. Convener of the group, Princess Ajibola, while addressing journalists in Abuja, warned that if the killings persist in Nigeria, the entire country faces the prospect of shortages that will result in increased food prices. READ ALSO: Insecurity: Benue government begins crackdown on criminals Her words: It is with this sense of alarm that we are calling attention to the security breaches and killings going on in north-west of the country. We should have ordinarily specifically mention Zamfara state where so called bandits have been wasting human life with incessant killings. But efforts by the federal government to curtail them have seen this contracted killers fanning out into Sokoto and Katsina states. The potentials are there for them to move further into Kebbi, Kano and just any state where their sponsors direct them to go. This relocation of the killers has been confirmed by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai. Our concern is that the north-west is a strategic remnant of food production axes that has not been destabilized by political jobbers that are deploying terrorism to extract political and economic advantage. Food supply from the north-east has earlier been reduced by Boko Haram terrorists, who happen to have political backers and sponsors. Food production in the north-central trough has been hampered by killer militias, killer herdsmen and ethno-sectarian violence. That leaves the north-west as the last remaining source of certain categories of food crops and now Zamfara state, politicians in that state, are about plunging the country into hunger. It is most unfortunate that it is their greed for gold and illicit revenue from the precious metal is the reason they are prepared to starve the rest of the country to death. While the incessant killings were earlier classified as the handiwork of bandits, it has now been established that the killers were carrying out this killings to protect the illegal mining activities in the area. A federal government ban on mining activities in Zamfara state and environs has only sent the killers to commit more acts of violence, apparently on the instruction of their sponsors. Knowing the damage that the Nigerian military is capable of inflicting on them, they have escaped into neighbouring states were they continue to carry out attacks. These attacks are as mindless as they are senseless. The only ideology driving it is the instructions they take from the politicians that are sponsoring them. Their victims are random and have no history, connection or contention with the killers. They kill just to create the sense of insecurity that their sponsors crave. The group claimed that the politicians are high level serving and former state government officials including some that had held ministerial appointments at the federal level in the past. They, however, failed to release any names of such persons to the press. The incentive for them is that the ongoing or*y of violence in and around Zamfara state has taken national attention away from the illegality of mining natural resources in manners that violate the provisions of the constitution about resource control. They possibly believe that while the nation deals with the violence they are sponsoring no one will remember to put them on trial for their crimes. The violence has also allowed them to decimate entire communities and scared the inhabitants away to allow for mining without having to pay compensation or other entitlements that host communities would have enjoyed. The killings they deployed have, unfortunately, impacted in unexpected ways, or they might have been aware of these consequences and their greed still allowed them to put themselves above the 200 million Nigerians that could be imperilled. The killings have snuffed life out of able bodied farmers who would have grown food crops in the next farming season. It has scared those still alive away from the region with the result that there would not be enough farmers around when the planting season begins. The general security outlook that has been created in the entire region is such that those that could potentially invest in agriculture against the next farming season will be compelled to take decisions that will not be friendly to large scale food production. The spread of these killers to other states will equally replicate these ugly prospects and outcomes in these places, the group said. READ ALSO: Kidnappers abduct Taraba permanent secretary Meanwhile, chairman of the Senate committee on petroleum resources (downstream), Senator Kabiru Marafa (APC, Zamfara) at the weekend thanked his colleagues at the both chambers of the National Assembly for the provision of N10billion in this year's budget to address the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Zamfara state, occasioned by the nefarious activities of bandits. Following a motion sponsored by Marafa, the National Assembly, while passing the 2019 budget made a provision of N10billion for the creation of an intervention fund to be called PRESIDENTIAL INITIATIVE ON ZAMFARA STATE, to cater for the humanitarian disaster in Zamfara state. Marafa in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Sunday, May 5, said the overwhelming support by his colleagues at both chambers, showed that with unity of purpose and direction, the country can overcame its challenges. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! Buhari should put an end to banditry, unrest in Zamfara - Nigerians cry | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Reverend Biereonwu Livinus Onuagha of Wesley Methodist Church Okpoko, Ogbaru local government, in Anambra state, on Sunday, May 5, declared Nigeria a failed state. The reverend made this known during the 17th Annual Diocesan Synod, 2019 of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Vanguard reports. According Bishop Onuagha, he said that Nigerian government has failed in the area of providing security which is one of the core duties of any government. READ ALSO: Ramadan: Sultan declares fasting for Muslims across Nigeria He said: The cardinal duties of any government was to provide security of lives and properties which the Nigerian government had failed to do from east to west, north to south of Nigeria the security situation was nothing to write home about. "Kidnappings, Boko Haram insurgency and the activities of the Fulani herdsmen are some of the indices that justified the position that Nigeria is a failed state. The most recent and newest problem now is the banditry in Zamfara State. With all these criminal activities at hand, where is this nation heading for? Can our economy improve when we do not have security of lives and properties in place?" The Bishop also commented on the issue of election in the country and the use of selective judgement, adding that certain political party has become a hiding place for corrupt politicians. One of the most daring challenges in the nation is also the issue of selective judgement. In Nigeria it is glaring that cases are not treated on merit, government chose those to face the wrath of the law and those not to face the wrath of the law, government chose the law to obey and the ones not to obey. Certain political party has become a hiding place for certain corrupt politicians with the idea, that once you belong to that political party, your sins are forgiven, but whoever that does not belong to that political party will always have his life troubled. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that no fewer than 15 Nigerian soldiers were reportedly killed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists in an attack on a military base in Borno state, security sources said on Saturday, May 4. It was gathered that the insurgents rode into Magumeri local government area at about 6pm on Friday, May 3, and sacked a brigade there. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better Buhari should put an end to banditry, unrest in Zamfara - Nigerians cry | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Saad Abubakar III has declared Monday, May 6, as the first day of Ramadan, 1440 AH which marks the commencement of the Ramadan fast by the Muslims across the country. Making the announcement in his palace in Sokoto, Abubakar said the commencement of the fast followed reports of sighting of the moon across various states of the federation which marked the end of the month of Shaaban 1440 AH, The Nation reports READ ALSO: Kaduna dry port to begin cargo delivery service Recall that the secretary-general of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Ishaq Oloyede had said the Sultan, who heads the council, will make a formal announcement later tonight, Sunday, May 5. During the holy period, Muslims are expected to fast from sunrise to sunset by abstaining from food and drinks, as well as unholy and forbidden acts. In Nigeria, the Sultan as the head of the NSCIA will formally announce the sighting of the moon and the commencement of the Islamic holy month. Recall that Legit.ng earlier reported that the Sultan on Saturday, May 4, called on Muslims to look for the new moon of Ramadan 1440AH. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Abubakar made the call in a statement by Prof. Sambo Junaidu, the chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council, Sokoto. Junaidu said: This is to inform the Muslim Ummah that Sunday, May 5, which is equivalent to 29 day of Shaaban 1440A.H., shall be the day to look for the new moon of Ramadan 1440A.H. Muslims are, therefore, requested to start looking for the new moon of Ramadan 1440AH on Sunday and report its sighting to the nearest district or village head for onward communication to the Sultan. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better Market Survey: How Ramadan is affecting prices of fruits in the market | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Popular Nigerian comedian Akpororo has responded to controversial media personality, Daddy Freeze, for mocking him over the low turnout of people at his comedy show. In an earlier story by Legit.ng, it was reported that the comedian held a show at Okokomaiko and was forced to reduce his ticket price from N5000 to N2000, before eventually giving out the ticket for free. Freeze used the opportunity to call out the comic act and asked him if paying his tithes was no longer working for him. He also made a reference to a time when Akpororo called him a wall gecko in a church programme over his stance on tithing. Reacting to the OAP, Akpororo who made sure to call him a wall gecko reiterated the fact that he still pays his tithes and it has been manifesting in positive ways in his life. READ ALSO: Helen Paul becomes first Nigerian stand-up comedian to earn a doctorate degree (photo) He asked Freeze to go and have a second look at the pictures from the event and he will find out that the show was a successful one. On a final note, Akpororo expressed that the OAP is an elderly person and as such he should try to act accordingly. See the video below: PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group In other news, Legit.ng gathered the report of Nollywood actress Bukky Wright, who was filled with gratitude as she shared the news of her sons latest achievement. The proud mum revealed that the young man bagged a degree from the United States Air Force. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better Omobaba Interview at Legit Star Chat: How to Be a Successful Nigerian Comedian | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - New financial guidelines on the operations of the local government accounts might be launched on Monday, May 6, by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit - The new guidelines might make some state governors lose control of local government funds from the federation account - The agency earlier vowed to track down the politically exposed person and public office holders through a tracking database There are indications that some state governors will lose control of local government funds from the federation account due to the new Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) guidelines. The Nation reports that the guidelines stated that joint account system in place in most states will only exist for the receipt of allocations but not disbursement. A top source, who spoke in confidence, said the new director of NFIU, Modibbo Hamman-Tukur, is ready to roll out the comprehensive guidelines which will cover government, corporate, Bureau De Change and individual financial transactions. READ ALSO: Buhari makes first statement as he lands Abuja from London The source said: The NFIU will on Monday launch new financial guidelines, including those bordering on the operations of the local government accounts. "The guidelines will limit cash transactions in the accounts of local governments and promote registered transactions by all the local governments. Governors will also lack control over the utilization of these funds of local governments. The joint account system in some states will only exist for the receipt of federal allocations meant for local governments and not disbursement." Another source said: The administration of President Buhari is taking his anti-corruption campaign to a higher level by also blocking sources of stealing in government at all levels, money laundering, terrorism financing and others. We should expect more transparency in governance, especially at the third tier, which is the local government level." A statement by the NFIU through its acting chief media analyst, Ahmed Dikko, said it will soon complete the beneficial ownership data base for politically exposed persons. The statement read: "The main focus of the NFIU will be to fight all crimes through money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation of weapons real time analyses in the entire country. Significant measures to be implemented by the NFIU in the near future will include full implementation of the National Sanctions regime to all detected areas of vulnerabilities within our systems. Other areas include issuing guidelines, advisories etc. that will affect cash transactions processes of local, state, federal governments and bureau de change etc. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda The unit will also release new reporting requirements on suspicious transactions for terrorism prone areas and on suspects taken into custody in violent and flashpoint communities to check vices of terrorism, proliferation of small arms, kidnapping, ethnic violence, cattle rustlings etc. with the view to providing credible intelligence for law enforcement and national security. Finally, efforts of the federal government to set up the beneficial ownership data base for politically exposed persons and public servants will be completed and expanded to capture additional necessary areas. The new process which includes new approach to analysing compliance in public account expenditures will almost shut down corruption from the way we used to know and new transparency methods will come to governance." Recall that Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit vowed to take a tough action and begin man hunt on people facing crimes bordering on money laundering and terrorism financing. The declaration was made in a statement released by NFIU through its acting chief media analyst, Ahmed Dikko, on Monday, March 25. The agency vowed to track down the politically exposed person and public office holders through a database capable of tracking their financial transaction. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better The EFCC stage a walk against corruption | Legit TV: Source: Legit.ng - Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has given his thoughts on the god-fatherism syndrome in Lagos politics - El-Rufai said the political godfathers in Lagos could be defeated by new entrants in politics - The governor said he defeated and retired four political godfathers in Kaduna state, adding that the feat could be replicated anywhere The governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has advised Lagosians on how to end godfatherism in the states politics. El-Rufai gave the advice on Saturday, May 4, while responding to questions after delivering a lecture at an event in Lagos, Eagle Online reports. The governor said he defeated and retired four political godfathers in Kaduna state, adding that the feat could be replicated anywhere, including Lagos state. READ ALSO: I am still a member of PDP, says Senator Ogunlewe His words: Let me tell you something sir: you know, Kaduna state used to be like that. There were three or four politicians in Kaduna that you could not become anything unless you had them on your side. Those were the godfathers of Kaduna politics and you had to carry them along and you know, the three words, carry them along mean paying them regularly. But we chose a different path and the long and short of it now is that after this election in 2019, we have retired all of them. We had to. Here in Lagos, you have over six million registered voters, only about a million voted (in 2019 general elections). Five million did not vote. If I want to run for governor of Lagos, I will start now. I will commission a study to know why those five million registered voters did not vote.Where do they go on election day? Then I will start visiting them for the next four years. I will try and get just two million of them to come and vote for me. I will defeat any godfather. The key is to go to the people. The card reader and the biometric register have given us the tools to connect directly with the people. I assure you if you do that for the next four years, connecting with the people, the tin godfather, you will retire him or her permanently. But it is hard work. It requires three to four years of hard work. So, if you want to run in 2023, you should start now. On funding, Governor El-Rufai said it would require about N2 billion to achieve the feat. He said: With about N2 billion, if you start, you see these guys with black ties, they will give you the N2 billion. Many of the godfathers are either on paper or in the mind of people in politics. They are defeatable. We retired four of them in Kaduna state within a four-year time and they are gone. One of them boasted that he put me in the government house and he would take me out. READ ALSO: NFIU to launch new financial guidelines on local government operations Meanwhile, a group, Citizens Rights Crusade Network (CRCN), on Sunday, May 5, identified political players and public office holders as masterminds of the rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and killings ravaging Zamfara state. The group specifically stated that politicians benefiting from illegal gold mining in Zamfara were the ones sponsoring the endless unrest in the area. CRCN, therefore, called on the attention of the international community and relevant security agencies to save Nigerians from the hands of politicians causing unrest in the north-west region. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! Buhari should put an end to banditry, unrest in Zamfara - Nigerians cry | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - Zamfara is still in the eye of the storm as bandits in the state continues to wreck havoc in various local government areas - Over the weekend, the attackers invaded communities under Dangurgu, Kunkilai, Birnin Magaji, in Maru, Gusau and Birnin Magaji LGAs - They were said to have killied more than 50 people and injured 31 in the space of three days A report by The Nation indicates that armed persons suspected to be bandits during the weekend attacked some communities in Zamfara state killing more than 50 people and injuring 31 in the space of three days. According to the report, the attackers invaded communities under Dangurgu, Kunkilai, Birnin Magaji, in Maru, Gusau and Birnin Magaji local government areas of Zamfara state. Quoting an unnamed source, the report detailed how the attackers unleashed their terror on Kunkilai village when villagers were attending a naming ceremony. The bandits armed with sophisticated weapons, were said to have started shooting sporadically immediately they stormed the community, killing 31 and wounding six in the process. READ ALSO: Nigerian Army bans motorcycles in 7 states The wounded persons according to the source are currently receiving treatment in Dansadau General Hospital. The attack according to him went unchallenged before the bandits went back to the forest they came from. He added that no security operatives came to their rescue until after the attack had ended. He appealed to security operatives including the Nigerian army to come out with what he described as a well reorganised security network to quell the constant attack on the villagers within the axis. When contacted the state police public relations officer ,SP Muhammed Shehu confirmed the attack and but said only ten persons were killed. The bandits had also on Friday, May 3, stormed a village in Magami district in Gusau local government area of the state, killing about 20 people while about 15 sustained injuries and sacking more than 20 communities. Four military personnel sustained various injuries as soldiers engaged the bandits who were said to have invaded the community in motorcycles around 10:00 am. Confirming the attack, acting director, force information, Operation Sharan Daji, Major Clement K. Abiade, disclosed that the four soldiers who sustained injuries were quickly evacuated and taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau for treatment. He said soldiers successfully repelled an ambushed by bandits on their way to defend the community under attack. READ ALSO: Nigeria is a failed state - Methodist synod Meanwhile, five people were also killed in bandits reprisal attack over the killing of their six leaders by a mob on Saturday, May 4. Six leaders of the bandits were last week at Burning Magsji hometown of the Nigerias defence minister, Lt. General Mansur Dan Alis Emirs palace killed. Meanwhile, a group, Citizens Rights Crusade Network (CRCN), on Sunday, May 5, identified political players and public office holders as masterminds of the rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and killings ravaging Zamfara state. The group specifically stated that politicians benefiting from illegal gold mining in Zamfara were the ones sponsoring the endless unrest in the area. CRCN, therefore, called on the attention of the international community and relevant security agencies to save Nigerians from the hands of politicians causing unrest in the north-west region. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! Buhari should put an end to banditry, unrest in Zamfara - Nigerians cry | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Her passing will leave a void in the political fabric of our community that will be hard to fill, Freeman-Wilson said. I will always cherish our friendship and our last conversations as she still worked to encourage this community with everything she had. International Monetary Fund (IMF)s statistics released in 2018 for 2017 has revealed that Nigeria and South Africa are the largest economies in Africa with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is around $750 billion. According to the African Exponent, there will have to be conscious practical efforts in improving the non-oil sectors if the continent can compete with top economies in the world. READ ALSO: Buhari makes first statement as he lands Abuja from London 1. Nigeria With over 200 million population, Nigeria has $376.284bn in GDP, making the country the highest GDP on the continent. Nigeria's other non-oil resources are cocoa, peanuts, rubber, palm oil with a growing tech industry. 2. South Africa South Africa follows Nigeria on the ranking with a GDP of $349.299bn. IMF data in 2017 showed that the country's economy increased by 1.3% which surpassed the national treasurys expectation of 1.0%. However, recent political tensions have been a big challenge to the countrys economy. Chrome, Iron, Ore, Chrome, diamonds, fruits are some of the things helping to grow the countrys economy. 3. Egypt Egypt at number three is believed to have fallen off its earlier position due to the 2011 revolution that rocked the country as the countrys reserves fell from $36 billion in December 2010 to almost half at $16.3 billion. The GDP in 2017 was at $237.037 billion. 4. Algeria Algeria has a GDP of $178.287 billion in 2017 as the countrys economy is challenged by the unstable oil market and the reduction in hydrocarbon production. Petroleum and natural gases are some of the countrys strongest mineral resources. 5. Angola Angola at the fifth position with a GDP of $124.209 billion is considered as one of the few fastest-growing economies in the world despite its struggles with the recent instability in the oil market. Fish, coffee, sisal, cotton, diamonds, crude oil are some the exports of the country. 6. Morocco Moroccos GDP stood at $109.824 billion with its once-upon-a-time booming tourism sector which fell due to insecurity caused by extremist groups in the country. Important exports of the country are electric components, inorganic chemicals, transistors, fruits, vegetables, and fish. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that a new report by the World Bank group put Nigeria among nations whose economies did not progress between 1995 to 2018. This was revealed in a report titled Africas Pulse released on Monday, April 8, which is an analysis of issues concerning Africas future According to the report, Nigeria was among the 19 countries which were at the bottom in terms of economic performance. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better Minister of industry says economy is improving; Nigerians disagree | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng A man shot numerous times in the head and torso Sunday afternoon in Bethlehem suffered an injury near his spine during the attack, city police said. Cesar Rodriguez was wounded after his girlfriends ex-boyfriend, Eric Garcia Mulero, opened fire a little before 3 p.m. in the 800 block of Argus Court in the Lynfield Terrace neighborhood. The 27-year-old Garcia Mulero was there for a custody exchange of his child with his ex-girlfriend, police said. Witnesses reported Garcia Mulero began shooting from inside a car while Rodriguez was outside the vehicle. Children were not involved in the attack, Bethlehem police Capt. Ben Hackett said. In court paperwork, police said when they responded to the scene they found a pool of blood in the parking lot. Two people who witnessed the shooting drove Rodriguez to St. Lukes University Hospital in Fountain Hill, where he underwent emergency surgery. At this point he is expected to survive and will most likely have to undergo a series of surgeries, Hackett said in an email. There were no reports of anyone else injured, and nothing struck by gunfire, Hackett said. Garcia Mulero fled the scene and went to his home at 1239 E. Fourth St. in Bethlehem, police said. Police said a standoff ensued, and Garcia Mulero was eventually arrested at 4:42 p.m. In an interview with investigators, Garcia Mulero reportedly confessed to the shooting multiple times, and told officers the gun he used was hidden in his homes basement. Garcia Mulero told officers he bought the gun because of Rodriguez and he believed he was going to jail for the rest of his life, court papers state. Police searched the home and found a .22-caliber revolver where Garcia Mulero described he hid it, as well as a box of ammunition. The gun had five casings from discharged rounds, and four unfired rounds still inside. The gun belonged to a man in Bath, who told officers the weapon has been stolen. Garcia Mulero faces charges of attempted homicide, reckless endangerment, carrying a firearm without a license, receiving stolen property and two counts of aggravated assault. He was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bail. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. It feels like Erin Martin-Medinas life is coming full circle. This summer, the Bethlehem Area School District product is returning to her childhood neighborhood in South Bethlehem to become principal of Donegan Elementary School. Shes taking the reins from long-time principal and community schools champion Sonia Vazquez, who is retiring. I am really excited to be able to now serve the community that raised me and be able to give back to that community, Martin-Medina said Thursday. The married mother of a young toddler is currently principal of Roosevelt Elementary School in Allentown. Her first day will be July 1. The Salisbury Township resident says she takes great pride in the district where she came from, the place that inspired her to become a teacher. I had some amazing teachers. I always felt like we had teachers who were really invested in our success, Martin-Medina said. I had a seventh grade teacher who took us to the Nutcracker because I was performing in it. I had a teacher who would come to my track meets. I saw how powerful a teacher could be... I saw some really great examples of teachers being mentors to kids inside and outside of the classroom. While teaching at Central Elementary School, Martin-Medinas mentor encouraged her to to apply to Lehigh Universitys educational leadership program to earn her masters of education and principal certification. She spent two years as assistant principal at Roosevelt before becoming the schools beloved principal in 2014, Bethlehems Chief Academic Officer Jack Silva said. She is respected across the Lehigh Valley as a top principal. So, she is coming home to Bethlehem, Silva said. I cant imagine a better person/principal to follow Sonia and keep a good thing going on the Southside. Donegan Elementary School is one of the districts neediest schools with 96 percent of students categorized as economically disadvantaged. Since 2012, it has been a United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley community school, a model that turns schools into neighborhood hubs while connecting families with resources through a corporate and lead partner. The United Way facilitates and provides funding for the partnerships. Martin-Medina says that as principal of Donegan Vazquez became a champion in the community. Initially, she will be focused on building relationships with parents, kids, teachers and all of Donegans community partners. In Allentown, Roosevelt Elementary is also a community school and in 2013 it was honored with the Community School Award for Excellence when she was assistant principal. Martin-Medina say the community schools model is so deeply ingrained in who she is as an educator. It is so powerful for me," Martin-Medina said. "It is all about breaking down barriers for the kids and families, so we can focus on growing our kids socially, emotionally and academically. It has so many layers. Out of Bethlehems new crop of elementary school principals, who were hired by the school board April 29, three, including Martin-Medina, earned their masters of education in educational leadership via Lehighs College of Education. We know the high quality of the program and that Lehigh graduates are committed to public education and to social justice, Superintendent Joseph Roy, who himself is a Lehigh grad, said in a press release. We are fortunate to bring on board three outstanding new principals -- all with a strong academic background from Lehigh. Erin Hines is Hanover Elementarys new principal starting July 1. Shes a longtime Fountain Hill Elementary School special education teacher, who earned her masters in 2018 and completed Lehighs Urban Principals Academy. Courtney Wertman-Stambaugh will become principal at Fountain Hill on June 17 when Principal Lisa Lynch retires after 19 years at the helm. Wertman-Stambaugh taught at Nistchmann from 2006-14 and then became an assistant principal and acting principal in Allentown. From 2017-19, she was principal in the Fleetwood School District. She earned her masters in educational leadership and her principal certification from Lehigh in 2010. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A 19-year-old from Middletown, New York, attempting to make a left turn early Monday morning from Route 31 North in Washington Township, Warren County, onto Mozart Road, pulled into the path of a tractor-trailer, police report. No one was badly hurt in the ensuing crash but the black Honda Accord and red truck had to be towed. Honda driver Tishaunta Portee was cited with failing to yield the right of way, police Lt. John Kaufmann said. She was treated by the Washington Rescue Squad but wasnt taken to a hospital, according to a report from the scene. Rich Maxwell | lehighvalleylive.com contributor Truck driver Ranjan Sharna, 46, of Springfield, Ohio, wasnt hurt in wreck, which was reported at 12:39 a.m., Kaufmann said. In addition to police and the rescue squad, the township fire department responded to the crash. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Dear Annie: Ive been working at the same company for the last 10 years. Its a small office that trains temps, so we have new people all the time. I train them on office work. Though Im friendly with each new employee, its rare for me to get to know people on a deep level when they only stay for a few months or so. So, we normally talk about TV or what were eating for lunch or light gossip around the office. We recently hired a new girl for the temp program, and Ive never seen her eat more than a few veggie sticks for lunch. I jokingly asked about it the first day. She said shed forgotten to buy groceries. But this has been going on for a few weeks now, and shes already thin as a rail. I dont feel very comfortable approaching her about her eating habits, but I also dont feel comfortable watching someone waste away either. I dont know much about eating disorders, so I was hoping you could help me on how to approach this -- or not. -- Concerned Co-worker Dear Concerned Co-worker: Matters of health are incredibly sensitive and, in the context of the workplace, best handled by the human resources department. Express your concerns to HR and not to any other colleagues. Also, see the National Eating Disorders Associations Workplace Toolkit at https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/help/workplace, and call the NEDAs hotline at (800) 931-2237 if youd like further guidance. Dear Annie: We are a group of senior citizens who get together once in a while. We invited a few couples over to our house for dinner. One of the couples just asked if they could bring their neighbors. We have NEVER asked if we can bring our neighbors to one of their events. We feel the request is inappropriate. How do we politely decline? -- Puzzled Dear Puzzled: To have brought their neighbors without asking would have been inappropriate, but I dont think its rude for them to have simply asked. Try to give them the benefit of the doubt: Perhaps their neighbors are lonely and have been trying to make more friends. That doesnt mean you have to agree to let them come over; Im just sharing that to try to offer some understanding. In any case, all you have to say is, Wed like to keep it to just us, but we appreciate your asking. Dear Annie: You answer a lot of questions about infidelity, jealousy and therapy. This is a different way to look at it: Sex is 80 percent fantasy and 20 percent physical. The physical part is the same whoever your partner is. Its the fantasy part that creates the excitement. Thats how they sell magazines and love stories. No one buys Playboy for the news articles. Remember the excitement and fantasy of your honeymoon? It might have gotten a little routine and unexciting over the years. The key is to recreate the fantasies for your partner. Then you can make love to anyone in the world and never leave home. Just have fun. It's cheaper than therapy, and it stops the arguing and complaining about each other. -- Happy Dear Happy: Thank you for your amusing and insightful letter. I love the idea of looking at what you can create with your partner and having happiness and excitement as goals. 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 Melissa Lambert initially wasnt crazy about the idea of getting a dog. She and her husband already had their hands full in Waynesboro, Pa., with three young children, ages 3 to 8. A dog would bring even more work. But then Lambert met Edgar, a Treeing Walker Coonhound, who turned up at the local humane society shelter where Lambert regularly brought her girls to play with the animals. Lambert was irresistibly drawn to him, and the family adopted the 4-year-old, who had previously spent his life on the streets and was once labeled by a shelter in West Virginia as unadoptable. Months later, the Lamberts are hailing Edgar as a hero for scaring off a a man who police say was looking for a child to abduct when he broke into the Lamberts home in Franklin County through a first-floor window in the early hours of April 28. Police arrested a suspect the next day who reportedly told investigators he had been trolling the neighborhood for weeks prior, looking for young unsupervised children. Police charged the suspect, Thomas Dewald, 20, in connection with the abduction of a 4-year-old girl from her bed in the same area April 25. He locked that girl into a wooden box, but she escaped the next morning after he went to work, according to court documents. Since that girl had gotten away, Dewald was back on the prowl, police said. But Edgar wasnt about to let anything happen to the three little girls in his newfound home. The Lambert family had arrived home about 1:20 a.m. Sunday April 28 after attending an out-of-town funeral. The Lambert parents carried their three girls to bed and then quickly fell asleep themselves, with Edgar in their room, where he normally slept. About two hours later, Edgar, normally a pretty laid-back dog, started losing his mind, Thom Lambert said. It was pure rage. And Edgar wouldnt stop, even when Thom Lambert tried to calm him down. Thats when Thom Lambert heard footsteps scurrying across his kitchen floor downstairs. Thom Lambert bolted downstairs to see a window and his kitchen door open. They were both locked when the Lamberts went to bed. They had made sure of it because they were aware of the abduction of 4-year-old Gemma Moats from their small township just a few nights prior. When Thom Lambert saw the door open, just like the door was left open at Gemmas house after she was abducted, his heart sank. He grabbed two kitchen knives and darted back upstairs to check his girls bedrooms. They were still safely tucked in bed. He shepherded the girls into his room with his wife. He handed his wife a knife and went back downstairs. Thom went downstairs and cleared each room alone with his knife as he called 911. The police soon arrived and helped him clear the house a second time, just to make sure no intruders were hiding inside the home. When Thom explained to police how Edgar had gone nuts, barking and growling, the police had a hard time believing him, he said. Edgar was just there on the floor sleeping while the cops were clearing the house with their guns drawn, Thom Lambert said. And the cops are like, so this is the dog that youre saying went nuts? Thom Lambert believes Edgar fell back asleep because he knew his work was done. Thom Lambert said he had heard Edgar bark aggressively like that one time before: the night Emma Moats was abducted. Thom Lambert believes the suspect was skulking across the Lamberts property before he decided to go to Gemmas house. The police confirmed his suspicions, Thom Lambert said. And thats what makes his blood run cold. The fact that the suspect may have been at his property and saw that they had an 80-pound dog in the yard, but he still came back three nights later to take his chances. He was really drawn to take one of our kids, Thom Lambert said. Just saying it out loud makes me feel like I got punched in the [groin] and the stomach at the same time. Police told the Lamberts that the suspect said he paused initially inside the Lamberts home after he heard the dog barking. He weighed whether he should just wait for the dog quiet down or flee. Police told the Lamberts that the suspect decided to scram after hearing the anger in Edgars barking. He told the police he knows how dogs bark, and the difference between hey, and Im going to hurt you, Thom Lambert said, and the burglar quickly deduced that Edgar fell into the latter category. Edgars behavior that night was in stark contrast to how he typically acts with his family, which is loving, if a bit lazy. The Lamberts used to joke about how the dog would see a mouse running across the floor of the 200-year-old farmhouse where they live and barely blink an eye. He certainly wouldnt get up and chase it. He doesnt seem like a guard dog, Thom Lambert said. Thats just not in his wheelhouse. But Edgar knew when it was time to flex his muscle. Its so damn impossible right now to think we got this dog for any other reason than it was meant to be, Thom Lambert said. Everything had to happen in just the right way for him to be there at that moment. In the days after the crime, the Lamberts tried to say strong in front of their girls, who werent aware at the time that an intruder was inside their home. But the reality of what could have happened, what might have happened, if Edgar hadnt woken up and scared the intruder off, makes the Lamberts see stars and feel like theyre going to throw up, Thom Lambert said. When you hear more details about what happened, its horrifying to consider, Thom Lambert said. But the intruders mission failed and he was quickly apprehended. So I consider that a win. One of the most damaging comments about the ordeal was how the suspect tried to portray himself to police as if he was saving children from deplorable conditions, Thom Lambert said. Dewald told investigators he took Gemma because of the poor condition of her home, but left the Lamberts children because their home was acceptable, according to court records. But we all know thats complete B.S., Thom Lambert said. Bounding a little girl with tape and locking her in a wooden box? Those are supposed to be good living conditions? He can say what he wants but we know he came to our house to take one of our kids and he got run off by our dog. Thats what Id like the focus to be on right now, the fact that our really awesome dog saved our girls. From a meeting of the Americas Solidarity Group of LEPOCO (the Lehigh-Pocono Committee of Concern), we want to share our deep concern about developments in Venezuela especially our countrys role in these developments. We support the 69 members of Congress who have co-sponsored HR-1004 introduced by Rep. David Cicilline, that would prohibit unauthorized U.S. military action in Venezuela. The co-sponsors include four members of Congress from Pennsylvania Rep. Matt Cartwright, Rep. Rep. Michael Doyle, Rep. Dwight Evans, and Rep. Susan Wild. We support the work to find a negotiated solution to the crisis in Venezuela, including the initiatives by Uruguay, Mexico and Bolivia, and the work of the Citizens Platform in Defense of the Constitution, part of the critical left in Venezuela, calling for negotiations while being critical of the Maduro government. The Citizens Platform opposes a violent transition that would likely lead to a civil war in Venezuela. The history of U.S. intervention in our hemisphere and our many ongoing wars around the world make this John Bolton-instigated U.S. action in Venezuela very troubling indeed. Why doesnt our country find a way to engage with the world that doesnt involve violence? Concilia Karli Bob Riggs Nancy Tate LEPOCO members Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, a film about serial killer Ted Bundy, was recently released to Netflix. Folks have had a lot of opinions about the film ever since the trailer dropped. Heartthrob Zac Efron is the star, sharing a similar aesthetic with Ted Bundy. Efrons fans are excited to see him in the role and say based on the trailer, he nails it. But others say by casting someone like Efron, the film is romanticizing and sexualizing a man who committed heinous crimes against women. What do you think? From the trailer, its obvious that Efron has an uncanny resemblance to Bundy. It makes sense for someone as handsome and unassuming as Efron to play Bundy. The serial killer was also viewed as handsome and educated. Back in the 70s and 80s, people were shocked that such a well-spoken and attractive man like Bundy could commit murder, so the casting is very spot on. Zac Efron as Ted Bundy is kinda perfect casting cause you can't believe that he could possibly play a terrifying serial killer in the same way that you couldn't have looked at Ted Bundy and believed that he *was* a terrifying serial killer. https://t.co/kew3IpkvVf John Squires (@FreddyInSpace) January 25, 2019 the trailer is actually very close to the reality of what it was back then. 30+ years ago the press had everyone convinced this handsome, charming white guy couldnt possibly have done this , Efron nailed this just from the trailer alone. Bundy lived for the attention he got. Patty Hildreth (@bostonborn66) January 26, 2019 Unfortunately, there are people who are attracted to serial killersand sympathize with them. Critics of the film say by casting such a handsome and well-known actor, Hollywood runs the risk of perpetuating the sexualization of a criminal. They argue the film may have an adverse effect on youth who just see the film and dont fully comprehend how sick Bundy was because they see their crush on the screen. Can we not sexulize Ted Bundy? He raped, murdered, and decapitated women and had sex with their dead bodies. Not here for this hyper-sexualized Zac Efron film. I know the youth of twitter will obsess over him, and Id prefer not to read thirst tweets about a serial murderer Kayla Stetzel (@KaylaStetzel) January 26, 2019 I too am very interested in the psychology of people like Ted. So much that Ive decided to dedicate my education and career to learning about psychology. But these people should be learned and their stories should be told, not glorified. M.DOOM (@MotherOfDoggons) January 26, 2019 The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, wed love to hear what you have to say. Kildare County Council says there are no plans to knock the Naas library building after the facility is transferred to Naas Town Hall. The 5.9m project will provide a state-of-the-library which will also host a range of other cultural and educational activities. The new building will also boast cultural and public space and will accommodate meeting rooms, exhibition, lecture and workshop spaces, hot desk facilities, printing and research supports and collections and gallery space. Cllr Seamie Moore, who opposed moving the facility from the canal harbour, sought confirmation at a Naas Municipal District meeting that the building would not be demolished to make way for a new road exit and possibly a bridge. KCC official Sonya Kavanagh said there is no proposal to demolish the library on the horizon. It emerged at the meeting that a number of applications have been received by the council for possible future uses for the library. Director of services Peter Minnock said that a number of different proposals are emerging for social, community and voluntary use. However it said it will be 18 months to two years before a decision is made. Cllr Moore said that Naas and County Kildare take its share of community and social services out of Dublin. He added that a rehab centre had closed recently and he suggested that some of these services are leaving the capital. Fowler's son said he was sleeping on a bed when "Jayla reached under the pillow, grabbed the gun and shot herself in the head," the affidavit states. The boy said "his mom told them the gun was a BB gun" and that he had seen her boyfriend with a gun before, according to the affidavit. I live in Cloonturk, Dromod and I am married to Christina with one son Niall. It has been an honour and privilege to have represented the people of Carrick-on- Shannon Municipal District area on Leitrim County Council since 1991. Over the intervening years, I have dedicated myself to serving the needs of the people of the Carrick- on-Shannon Municipal Area and the wider county to the very best of my ability. In that time we have lived through and experienced great economic, social & cultural changes in our county. I am the current Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council having previously held the position in 1995-96 and 2004-05 - this has been the singular greatest honour of my life. I have been actively involved over my lifetime in all local voluntarily organisations and enjoy working for the community. Priorities for Re-Election Rural Housing: Work towards finding a solution to the current planning restrictions on one-off rural housing. Agriculture: I call for reintroduction by the government on a pilot basis, a land reclamation grant for the county in order to help sustain agriculture as a viable entity within County Leitrim. Afforestation: Lobby for stricter controls on afforestation in rural areas, and seek that applications be brought under the planning process. Broadband: Continue to campaign for the expansion of high-speed broadband throughout all of Leitrim. Employment: To work closely with IDA and Enterprise Ireland to provide much needed employment for all the people in the county. Tourism: Promote and maximise our tourism product here in Leitrim and develop it to its full potential. Towns & Villages: Lobby for a regeneration package for our towns and villages. The importance of management in young woodlands is the theme of a walk in Rooskey on Tuesday 7th May at 7pm. Organised by Teagasc, in association with Department of Agriculture, Food and The Marine, this free event is aimed both at owners of young woodlands and those who may be considering planting some land. New woodlands require several years of active management to become well established. If a woodland is not well maintained, the payment of the maintenance grant and forestry premium may be jeopardised as well as compromising future timber revenue. The walk will provide information and guidance on how forest owners can take an active role in the management of their woodlands. Good woodland management in the first few years will result in a healthier and better quality crop that can grow on to a high value timber production enterprise as well the many other environmental and practical benefits of a growing woodland. There will also be information from DAFM on recently launched management/revisedschemes including Woodland Improvement Scheme and Continuous Cover Forestry scheme. Meeting at Kilglass Gaels GAA, Rooskey, Co.Roscommon (R371 Rooskey-Strokestown) at 7pm. Please remember to bring raingear and boots. All welcome. To find out more, please contact Noel Kennedy, Forestry Adviser with Teagasc on 087-9090504 or visit www.teagasc.ie/forestry. Kelly Gallagher, Clodagh McGee, Maeve McGoldrick and Orla Murphy will represent St Clares Comprehensive School, Manorhamilton and the Sligo/Leitrim region in the Youth Entrepreneur of the year awards this Thursday, May 9 in The Light House Cinema, Dublin. The girls will deliver a 7 minute speech to a panel to 4 judges with a 5 minute question and answer session. The St Clare's students under the mentor-ship of Ms Claire Gallagher set up her business Slip n Grip in October which is a pen/pencil grip to help improve pen posture. The group has invested much time and effort into her business and now stock Rooneys Supervalu in Manorhamilton with her products. The are in the process of acquiring new stockists in the Leitrim, Sligo Cavan region. Products can also be bought from their website www.slipngrip1.weebly.com 18 innovative start up businesses involving over 50 young people will be celebrated at the event on Thursday. The young entrepreneurs were chosen as finalists from 1,000 young entrepreneurs who set up start-up businesses as part of the Foroige Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) programme this year. The programme empowers young people to develop core skills in business and enterprise to help them unlock their individual talents and potential. The NFTE programme originated in the USA and was brought to Ireland in 2004. Ms Gallagher says, "students experience huge benefits from taking part in the NFTE programme. Students get to do everything a real life entrepreneur does when setting up a business from coming up with the idea and business name to making and supplying a product or service and dealing with customers. "Students taking part get to attend workshops, receive in-school talks from business mentors, benefit from visits out to local businesses and take part in a Regional Final to be in with a chance of representing their region at the National Final in Dublin." LABOURs European election candidate for Ireland South has pledged to serve a full term in office if she is elected. Sheila Nunan, who is the president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, was in the city this week to launch Dr Liam Cahills 100th anniversary book on the Limerick Soviet. A primary school teacher by profession, she also wants to introduce citizens assembly-style set-ups in major cities across Ireland South which our MEPs would be compelled to attend. A decade ago, Alan Kelly won a European parliament seat off the back of a Labour surge and although he pledged to serve the full term, he was elected the Dail in Tipperary under two years later. Ms Nunan told the Leader she has no ambitions for the Houses of the Oireachtas. Im not making a run for Dail Eireann. Im doing this as I see it as a natural continuation of the work Ive been doing within the trade union movement and particularly my role as general secretary of the INTO. Its a European seat for the term of the European seat, she confirmed. Some MEPs have been criticised for not making regular returns to the constituencies during their five-year term. Ms Nunan said: One of the things Id be proposing is that there is a need to hold MEPs to account and I think we need to use the model of citizens assemblies. These would be very well-run, but require MEPs to come back. The Labour hopeful is joining a crowded field for Ireland South a huge sprawling constituency covering cities like Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny plus towns like Tullamore, Portlaoise and Bray in Wicklow. The constituency will be a five seater unless Britain changes course on its plans to leave the European Union. If Britain does, as anticipated, leave the bloc, the last MEP to be elected in Ireland South will be forced to wait in limbo until the formalities of that are completed. Due to these unprecedented circumstances, its understood there will be two counts in Cork one on the situation of Ireland South being a four seater, the other on the basis of it being a five-seater. There has been some comment on the fact Ms Nunan whose husbands family can be traced to Limericks OMaras is based just across the Wicklow-Dublin border, meaning officially she falls within the capitals European constituency. But she does not see this as an issue, saying: Im literally on the Wicklow border. I dont think it has an impact, because I have worked all over the constituency. Ive taught for a number of years in Wicklow, and represented teachers in every single town, village and county of Ireland South. GAS Networks Ireland (GNI) halved its bill for overhead costs for works on a pavement improvement scheme in West Limerick after concerns were expressed by the local authority. GNI appointed contractors to carry out the works as part of the N69 Foynes to Sroolane Pavement Improvement Scheme which was completed last year. The total cost of the works was almost 400,000. Documents released under Freedom of Information show Limerick City and County Council Council had planned to carry out the improvement works along a 2.85km section of the N69 but that concerns emerged, at an early stage, over plans by GNI to lay a new gas main along part of the route. The proposed gas main, which never proceeded, was to facilitate a planned development by Bord Na Mona in Foynes. It became evident that the Gas Main Contract being advanced by GNI along the N69 would have a significant impact on the progress of the pavement scheme, states an internal report prepared late last year by Limerick City and County Council. While noting that GNI was in negotiations with potential new customers, an engineer at the Mid West Roads Design Office emailed a planning engineer at GNI on April 13, 2017 stating: There are safety concerns around the existing condition of the road and in that context you must understand that we cannot put off the necessary remedial measures indefinitely. Emails released to the Limerick Leader show it was agreed, following negotiations over several months, that GNI would carry out the improvement works on behalf of the local authority with TII paying for the cost of the project. After preferred contractors were selected, an initial quote of 136,943.68 was forwarded to the council on April 18, 2017. The quote which related to a 400 metre section of the N69 near Foynes Port, included a figure of 13,601.11 for GNI Overheads. On May 4, 2017 an engineer at the Mid West Roads Design Office replied and asked that he be contacted on his mobile phone regarding the email. In a further email on the same day a planning engineer at GNI confirmed the quote would be reduced to 120,143. Following on from our phone call earlier, GNI have reviewed our overheads rate and for the purposes of progressing and completing the works to the satisfaction of all parties are willing to reduce the rate to 6%, he stated. While 12% is the standard rate applied across GNI projects and typically across the industry and is reflective of the additional cost, time and risk incurred in the managing and additional workload GNI are keen to maintain a strong working relationship with TII and Mid West Roads and are keen to deliver the optimal final solution for the road user, he added. Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to order the Federal Government to recognise the competence of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights to hear cases filed by Nigerians. The suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/356/2019, was filed last Friday and comes up for hearing on 10/5/19. The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) is listed as the sole defendant in the suit. Falana wants the Federal Government, through the AGF, to justify why victims of human rights violations and relatives of Nigerian citizens killed in other African countries cannot challenge such violations and demand compensation in the African Court. The lawyer averred that Nigeria is among the African nations whose citizens cannot access the court because their countries have yet to make the needed declaration accepting the continental courts competence. Falana is seeking three reliefs, as follows: A declaration that the failure or refusal of the Federal Government to make a declaration accepting the competence of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights is illegal as it violates Section 1 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Act (Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. A declaration that failure or refusal of the Federal Government to make a declaration accepting the competence of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights is illegal and unconstitutional as it violates the applicants right to fair hearing guaranteed by Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 7(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Act (Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. An order directing the Federal Government to make a declaration accepting the competence of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights forthwith. Nigeria, which currently has a representative on the bench of the African court, is among the 30 member states of the African Union that have ratified the protocol establishing the court, which is based in Arusha, Tanzania. But Article 34(6) of the Protocol for the establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights requires every member of the African Union to make a declaration accepting the competence of the African Court to receive cases from Non-Governmental Organisations and individuals in the countries. Only nine member states, namely, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote Dvoire, Ghana, Gambia, Mali, Malawi, and Tanzania, have made the declaration recognising the competence of the court. Last week, Nigeria hosted the President and members of the African court sitting in Arusha, but the Federal Government did not commit itself to make the declaration. The police in Niger State have arrested three brothers identified as Saminu Usman,25; Yusuf Usman,22; and Muhammadu Usman, 35, all of Janruwa village in the Borgu LGA, for ritual killing. The brothers were arrested on Sunday May 5th after a team of policemen attached to the New Bussa division received a complaint from one Yakubu Garba that they killed his son, Shehu Garba. Yakubu told the police that the brothers abducted his son and took him to an unknown location where they murdered him and cut off his hand which they planned to use for rituals. Confessing to the crime, one of the suspects, Saminu, alleged that his eldest brother, Mohammadu, instructed them to cut off their victims hand for ritual to enable them to be rich. It was actually not our intention to kill our victim for rituals. But after killing him, we cut off his hand, which we planned to use for ritual, before we were arrested by the police. I dont know what to say; but we have disappointed our parents and other family members. Imagine three brothers going to jail at the same time; we have ruined our lives. Confirming their arrest, the spokesperson of the state police command, Muhammad Abubakar, said the matter had been charged to court. Ancient stone "potbelly" sculptures on display in a park in Guatemala are magnetized on certain spots, suggesting the pre-Columbian civilization that made them had a practical knowledge of magnetism. Eleven of these sculptures of giant heads and distorted bodies, known as "potbellies" because of their distinctive rotund shapes, are on display in a plaza in the small town of La Democracia, near Guatemala's Pacific coast. They were installed there in the 1970s after being brought from ancient sites in the nearby Monte Alto region. Guatemalans are thought to have created these potbelly sculptures more than 2,000 years ago, which would date them to the Late Preclassic period of Mesoamerican civilizations. Previous studies of the sculptures had suggested several had magnetic anomalies on their surfaces. [The 25 Most Mysterious Archaeological Finds on Earth] In the new research, a team led by scientists at Harvard University studied the potbellies with both a handheld magnetometer and a portable scanning magnetometer that could be fixed to the sculptures to provide detailed magnetic mapping of their surfaces. They found that 10 of the 11 sculptures had significant magnetic anomalies and six of them showed strong magnetic anomalies that were probably created by lightning strikes while the rocks were still in the ground. What's more, many of the giant heads and bodies of the ancient sculptures were carved to make the magnetic anomalies align with either the sculptures' right cheeks or their belly buttons suggesting that ancient sculptors knew how to detect magnetism, and that they had selected magnetic boulders to highlight these parts of the body. The finding gives strength to a theory that early Mesoamerican civilizations knew about the attractive properties of magnetism, and how to detect it with magnetic objects like lodestones suspended on a string possibly even before magnetism is first known to have been described in China about 2,700 years ago. It is not known for certain why those body parts were chosen, but it's likely that the magnetism of the sculptures contributed to their cultural influence. "Potbellies may have represented the ancestors of the ruling class and given physical form to their heredity-based claim on power," the researchers wrote in their study. "If this interpretation is correct, the ability of potbellies to deflect, dramatically in most cases, a suspended lodestone would have served to reinforce their message of living ancestral continuity." Art historian Julia Guernsey, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin who has written a book about Guatemalan potbelly sculptures, is enthusiastic about the new research. "Their results speak to the significance of stone in ancient Mesoamerica and its symbolic properties, but also to ancient understandings of human bodies and beliefs that certain key features like faces or stomachs and navels were particularly potent or powerful," she said. The research will be published in the June issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science. Original article on Live Science. While police were at the hospital, they were notified that McCoy had called the hospital from a doughnut shop in East Chicago to check on the status of his girlfriend, the affidavit states. McCoy was identified on video surveillance at the shop, and officers patrolled the area and arrested McCoy on Indianapolis Boulevard, according to the affidavit. This small but fierce "mini rex" was a lightweight compared with the dinosaur king. Now dubbed Suskityrannus hazelae, the tyrannosaur would have tipped the scales at no more than 90 lbs. (40 kilograms). In contrast. T. rex weighed a whopping 18,000 lbs. (8,160 kg). "The animal would have looked a bit more like the "Jurassic Park" Velociraptors in terms of size and head height than its later huge relatives, like T. rex," said study lead researcher Sterling Nesbitt, an assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences at the Virginia Tech College of Science. [Photos: Tiny Tyrannosaur Dinosaur Was About As Big As T. Rex's Skull] Nesbitt found the remains of this incredible dinosaur when he was a pipsqueak himself just a 16-year-old high-school student who was on a dig expedition in western New Mexico in May 1998. That dig was led by Doug Wolfe, the co-founder and CEO of the Zuni Dinosaur Institute for Geosciences in Springerville, Arizona, who is a co-author on the study. In fact, the first partial skull of the mini tyrannosaur was found in 1997 by Robert Denton, now a senior geologist with Terracon Consultants, an engineering consulting firm in New Jersey. As a teenager, Nesbitt was keen to find more of that specimen, so he went to the same location to hunt for related bones. But "on my way there, I found the remains of the more complete specimen," Nesbitt told Live Science in an email. "I spent the next few days with my eyes glued to the ground looking for all the little fragments of bone." Nesbitt found the fossils of S. hazelae in 1998, when he was a teenager. (Image credit: Hazel Wolfe) The specimen Nesbitt found is so complete, it's helping researchers learn about this wee tyrannosaur, which predates T. rex by about 25 million years. For instance, S. hazelae stood about 3 feet (1 m) tall at the hip and measured about 9 feet (3 m) from head to tail. To put that in perspective, the skull of Sue the T. rex at the Field Museum in Chicago is about 5 feet (1.5 m) long. In addition, the unique anatomy of S. hazelae shows how the older and smaller tyrannosauroids from North America and China were linked to the larger tyrannosaurids that lasted until the asteroid slammed into Earth about 66 million years ago. In fact, S. hazelae is one of the last small tyrannosauroids on record. The lineage of T. rex and S. hazelae date back to the middle Jurassic, but it wasn't until the end of the Cretaceous period, about 85 million years ago, that these dinosaurs got huge, Nesbitt said. The name Suskityrannus hazelae is derived from "Suski," the Zuni Native American tribe word for "coyote." The species name honors Hazel Wolfe, whose support made the finding possible. (Image credit: Andrey Atuchin) "Suskityrannus is a key link between the enormous bone-crunching dinosaurs like T. rex and the smaller species they evolved from," Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, who was not involved in the study, said in a statement. "The new species shows that tyrannosaurs developed many of their signature features like a muscular skull, broad mouth and a shock-absorbing foot when they were still small, maybe as adaptations for living in the shadows." Unfortunately, the Cretaceous-age tyrannosaur died as a youngster; S. hazelae was only about 3 years old when it expired, according a growth ring analysis of its bones. (Like trees, dinosaur bones laid down new rings as the animal grew.) The study was published online today (May 6) in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. Originally published on Live Science. A bill that would require electricity brokers to register with the Public Utility Commission moved a step closer this week. The Texas House Committee on State Affairs approved the consumer protection measure last week after it cleared the Texas Senate last month, according to legislative records. It is expected to go next to the Texas House for a vote. Antone's Famous Po'Boys is getting a Mediterranean infusion with new menu items honoring the brand's history and roots. The company, which makes sandwiches beloved by Houstonians, recently introduced gyros, falafel sandwiches and flatbreads that pay tribute to the brand's founder, Jalal Antone whose grocery store catered to the local Syrian and Lebanese community. Antone, the son of Syrian immigrants, opened Antone's Import Company on Taft Street where The Pass & Provisions restaurant makes its home. 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. 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. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- The government of Chinas Hainan Province recently announced that consumers who buy new energy vehicles (NEVs) with license (excluding buses and fuel cell vehicles) will no longer enjoy the subsidy offered by local government from June 26 on. Besides, the NEVs purchased during the transition period (from March 26 to June 25) will still be available for local subsidy. Some vehicles are not applicable to the local subsidy unless automakers have them meet specific range demands and get the settlement funds from the state government. (Photo source: official website of the People's government of Hainan Province) By the end of 2017, a total of 15,000 EVs had been deployed across Hainan, accounting for 1.3% of total car population on the island. Of that, the respective volumes of new energy rental cars, buses, logistics vehicles, private cars and taxis were 4,739 units, 2,424 units, 2,351 units, 1,735 units and 995 units. Last year, EV population was increased by around 8,000 units to 23,000 units, making up 1.8% of total car parc, according to a statement released on April 29. In addition, by the end of 2018, the cumulative number of charging piles grew to 4,602 units, among which 3,502 piles are for public use. In Haikou and Sanya, there were 2,223 and 1,143 charging piles, occupying 48% and 25% respectively of total volume. Hainan plans to newly construct 65,000 charging piles from 2019 to 2020 and 267,000 units from 2021 to 2025. By 2030, the number of charging piles is scheduled to aggregate 940,000 units for the province. Additionally, starting shortly after polls open at 6 a.m. and continuing every two hours, or more often if necessary, Bailey will provide updates on how the election process is going that will be posted on the countys Facebook page, and be provided to commissioners and the county council. Polls close at 6 p.m. Aspiring college students have until Friday to take advantage of a great deal from Houston Community College (HCC). Through May 10, HCC is offering $20 classes in one of its Adult Education & Literacy Programs, Career4U Academy. According to the HCC website, prospective students pay only a $20 processing fee and the college will sponsor the first two classes. Per the website, financial aid pays for the completion of the program. TORONTO - The Google sister company promised to transform a dilapidated stretch of the Toronto waterfront into the world's most technologically advanced neighborhood. Quayside would be outfitted with robotic garbage collection, snow-melting sidewalks and self-driving taxibots. Sensors would capture data on park bench usage, air quality and more, aimed at making the neighborhood more livable. It was handshakes and smiles all around when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and officials from Sidewalk Labs gathered here 18 months ago to announce the data-driven city of tomorrow. But internal discord and public criticism are threatening the project. "I don't think they look so happy now," said Paula Fletcher, a Toronto City Council member. "This big idea isn't going exactly the way it was planned." As in New York, where fierce opposition to Amazon led the online retail giant to cancel plans to build a second headquarters in Long Island City, a local movement here is growing to send Sidewalk Labs packing. Their concerns: money, privacy, and whether Toronto is handing too much power over civic life to a for-profit American tech giant. The #BlockSidewalk campaign formed in February after the Toronto Star reported on leaked documents indicating that Sidewalk Labs was considering paying for transit and infrastructure on a larger portion of the waterfront. In return, it would seek a cut of the property taxes, development fees and the increased value of the land resulting from the development - an estimated $6 billion over 30 years. Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Google's parent company, Alphabet, said it hadn't shared the proposal because it was still being debated. But it was a tough look for a company that has come under fire for a lack of transparency around its business model and the question of who would own and govern the data and intellectual property at the heart of its proposal. "It's our job to remind everybody that 'no' is an option and that consent is important," said Bianca Wylie, one of the leaders of #BlockSidewalk. "The way this process has been set up was not a question of whether we should do stuff like this, but how." Separately, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association is suing the city, provincial and federal governments to shut down the project over privacy concerns. Michael Bryant, the head of the group, said Trudeau had been "seduced by the honey pot of Google's sparkling brand and promises of political and economic glory." Sidewalk Labs committed $50 million to conducting year-long public consultations and creating a master plan to be submitted to Waterfront Toronto, a corporation that represents the three levels of government in developing the area. The plan would require the approval of the corporation and several government bodies to advance. The plan is expected by the end of June - more than six months behind schedule. The company has acknowledged missteps. Micah Lasher, the head of policy and communications for Sidewalk Labs, said providing more details about the business model for Quayside and plans for data governance earlier would have helped allay many concerns. But he also said the business model remains uncertain. Lasher said the company has struggled to figure out when to unveil ideas to the public. "If you share them too early, they seem half-baked and you might move away from them later," he said. "If you share them too late, you are subject to criticism for not being transparent." Long before the #BlockSidewalk movement and the civil liberties lawsuit, controversies had already provoked public skepticism. Some disillusionment stemmed from the flurry of coverage about how tech firms, Google included, handle their customers' personal data. Sidewalk Labs has downplayed links to its corporate sibling, saying it won't monetize the data it collects and proposing that it be governed by a data trust that would set the rules around its use. Andrew Clement, a professor emeritus in the University of Toronto's faculty of information studies and member of a Waterfront Toronto advisory panel, said questions remain about the trust. Instead of answering them, he added, Sidewalk has been distracting people with new prototypes, such as raincoats for buildings. Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk were both rocked by several high-profile resignations and dismissals last year. Ontario's former privacy commissioner resigned from a paid consulting role with Sidewalk because she said its plans for the data trust fell short of her standards. Then, in December, Ontario's auditor general found that Waterfront Toronto gave Sidewalk preferential treatment in selecting it as its partner for Quayside, and called for greater government oversight. Wylie, the #BlockSidewalk leader, said cities are relinquishing too much power to big tech companies as regulators are trying to rein them in. But some worry that showing Alphabet the door would stain the tech-friendly image Trudeau has tried to cultivate for Canada. "We believe that tearing up this process midstream poses reputational risks, trade risks and legal risks," Brian Kelcey, the vice president of public affairs for the Toronto Region Board of Trade, told a parliamentary committee last month. Read more Canadian trauma surgeons called for gun control. Gun groups had an NRA-style response. Quebec ban on religious symbols would fall heavily on hijab-wearing teachers Intercontinental conflict ends peacefully as Norway agrees Canada's got the bigger moose Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Jeremy Brooks went to Russia in pursuit of a job and a vocation he had loved since he was a child growing up in New Mexico: fly-fishing. Brooks, 22, of Santa Fe, was identified by Aeroflot as the only American killed Sunday when a Russian passenger jet making an emergency landing burst into flames on the tarmac. The Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet carrying 78 people had careened across the runway at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport before crashing and killing 41 people, including one crew member, according to the Russian Investigative Committee. Brooks had gone to Russia to work as a professional fishing guide. "He is literally the most passionate you'll ever meet," his friend Stewart Otterberg, 23, said Monday. "You just know that they're like a good soul. His smile was infectious. He never had anything bad to say about any one." The plane, operated by Aeroflot, had taken off from Sheremetyevo Airport for Murmansk, a city above the Arctic Circle in northwest Russia, when the pilot turned back minutes later to make an emergency landing. Aeroflot said Sunday that the plane was forced to return to the airport for a "technical reason" and that its engines caught fire as it touched down. However, the cause of the crash is under investigation and authorities said Sunday that a criminal probe had been opened. Friends said it was the first time Brooks had left the United States. Otterberg, who knew Brooks since about the ninth grade, said his friend learned to tie his own flies as a youth and loved nothing more than to be on a river somewhere floating them downstream in pursuit of trout. The two met while working as ushers at the local opera company, and hardly a day would go by that Brooks wouldn't mention fishing. Otterberg said he almost wondered what he was doing with his own life, grinding out a degree in college in Oklahoma City, when he heard Brooks mention he had just returned from a weekend trip in New Mexico's backcountry with a smile on his face and $800 in pay - plus $200 in tips in his wallet. Brooks wouldn't be bragging, though, because he was humble about what he did, the car he drove and the way he dressed. But he loved what he did and the place he grew up. "We took [his death] really hard because we're all really close," Otterberg said. Ivan Valdez, who hired Brooks as a guide in Santa Fe when Brooks was 16, said he was not only a talented and committed angler, but a big-hearted young man. Clients and fellow guides alike found him a delight to work with. "I went looking for Jeremy - he didn't come looking for me, even at that early age," said Valdez, who owns The Reel Life in Santa Fe. "He's gifted, man. That kid was one of the most gifted anglers you will ever meet. But it's not only that. It was his maturity and the way he was with people. Jeremy loved everybody. He cared for so many people in this world." Brooks loved to hike deep into the wild, sometimes for days, to reach the best fishing holes - hence his Instagram handle @backcountrybrooks - but he was also generous with his knowledge of the sport, friends said. Whatever he caught, he also released. "That's all he did. I never knew Jeremy to eat a fish," Valdez said. His love of fishing began when his mother bought him a fly-fishing tour as a birthday present when he was young, Valdez said. He loved nothing more than to fish or hang around the guide shop talking about fishing. This spring, after graduation from Colorado College in Colorado Springs with a degree in environmental science, Brooks seized the chance to work for a guide firm that ran trips in Russia, Valdez said. "Man, I loved guiding with Jeremy," Valdez said. An officer spoke with the male, who was on the driver's side, and asked "what was going on and why was he in the driveway," the report states. The officer noticed the male was "wearing a shoulder holster, which people wear when they carry a firearm," according to the report. 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. 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." The arrival of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins Monday, does not seem to be deterring Hamas. 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. WASHINGTON - Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee said they will vote Wednesday on whether to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress after Barr missed a deadline to produce a complete version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report. The panel had set a deadline of 9 a.m. Monday for Barr to provide the unredacted version of Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. "Although the Committee has attempted to engage in accommodations with Attorney General Barr for several months, it can no longer afford to delay, and must resort to contempt proceedings," reads the text of a contempt report released by Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. "The Committee urgently requires access to the full, unredacted Mueller Report and to the investigatory and evidentiary materials cited in the Report." House Democrats' move to hold the attorney general in contempt escalates the fight between President Trump and Congress. The president has vowed to fight all subpoenas and has refused to cooperate while Democrats insist they are carrying out their oversight role. Democrats on the panel are also seeking to hear from Mueller amid disagreements about whether Barr mischaracterized the special counsel's report in his congressional testimony and statements. A key lawmaker, Rep. David N. Cicilline (D-R.I.), said Sunday that the committee has proposed a date of May 15 for Mueller to testify but that no agreement has been reached. Barr had released a redacted version on April 18, but Democrats said that was insufficient and have been seeking the full report and the underlying evidence. In response to a committee subpoena, the Justice Department said last week that it was "unable to provide" Mueller's investigative files, citing a "compelling need to protect the autonomy and effectiveness of its investigations." Democrats had rejected an earlier offer by the department to make a less-redacted version of Mueller's report available to select members of the House and Senate, saying it would prevent them from conducting effective oversight. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Monday that the attorney general "has taken extraordinary steps to accommodate the House Judiciary Committee's requests for information regarding the special counsel's investigation," and criticized Nadler for "refusing even to read the minimally-redacted version" of the report offered to senior lawmakers. "The department's letter invites committee staff to come to the Department on Wednesday to discuss a mutually acceptable accommodation," Kupec said in a statement. "The department remains willing to accommodate Congress's legitimate needs, but must do so consistent with the law." Rep. Douglas Collins of Georgia, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, responded to Monday's news by accusing Democrats of "smearing" Barr out of dissatisfaction with the results of Mueller's report. "Chairman Nadler knows full subpoena compliance requires Attorney General Barr to break the law," Collins said in a statement. "Yet, instead of introducing legislation allowing the attorney general to provide Congress grand jury material, Democrats move to hold him in contempt." The Justice Department has stated that revealing grand jury material in response to congressional oversight requests is barred by law. But Nadler has argued that courts have provided grand jury materials to Congress under the "judicial proceeding'' exception in the past. Barr last week declined to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, rejecting Democrats' plans to have a counsel question him alongside lawmakers. The move infuriated Democrats, pushing them closer to holding Barr in contempt of Congress. In his contempt resolution, Nadler pointed to the ongoing threat of Russian election interference as one of the reasons that Democrats are seeking to view a more complete version of Mueller's report. Sections of the publicly-released version of Mueller's report describing the actions of Russia's Internet Research Agency and other Russian hacking efforts "contain significant redactions, which impair the ability of the Committee to gain a complete understanding of Russia's actions," the contempt report states. "Without this information, the Committee is unable to fully perform its responsibility to protect the impending 2020 elections - and thus our democracy itself - from a recurrence of Russian interference," the report states. The committee also said it needed the report in deciding "whether to approve articles of impeachment with respect to the president or any other administration official, as well as the consideration of other steps such as censure or issuing criminal, civil or administrative referrals." "No determination has been made as to such further actions, and the committee needs to review the unredacted report, the underlying evidence, and associated documents so that it can ascertain the facts and consider our next steps," Democrats said in the resolution on contempt. A contempt citation against Barr would set up a lengthy legal battle over the Mueller report, as Democrats take the matter to civil court. The issue could take months or years to resolve, as was the case in 2012 when the Republican-led House sued Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. over documents related to the "Fast and Furious" investigation. In 2012, the House also voted to hold Holder in contempt, the first sitting attorney general held in contempt of Congress. - - - The Washington Post's Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett contributed to this report. ASHKELON, Israel - An uneasy cease-fire settled over the cities of southern Israel on Monday after a weekend that brought a rain of 600 rockets from the Gaza Strip, but not all residents thought the truce was a good thing. Near the explosion-scarred house of Moshe Agadi, 58, who became the first Israeli since 2014 to die in rocket fire from Gaza, mothers took their children to play in a park after 48 hours of sheltering indoors. "Israel needs to stop this once and for all," said Inna Kraysberg, 34, as her two young children played on a nearby slide. "We can't just let them carry on and lie down for them to kill us. Hamas decides when it starts and when it stops." A total of four Israelis died in the violence, the worst round of fighting between Israel and militant factions in Gaza since Israel's 2014 war with Hamas. In Gaza, 23 people were killed as Israel responded with airstrikes, bringing multistory buildings thundering to the ground. However, efforts by Egypt and the United Nations to broker a cease- fire bore fruit by the early hours of Monday, as armed factions in Gaza said they had agreed to a truce. Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two largest militant groups in Gaza, confirmed that a cease-fire was in place. A spokesman for the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment on the reports, but the Israeli military said that protective restrictions for civilians in southern Israel were being lifted. Civilians on both sides of the fence said they are weary of the endless cycle of violence. The Hamas-run Ministry for Public Works in Gaza said 130 housing units in Gaza were destroyed in the two days of strikes. "We feel very weak after two days of fear," said Wael Hanoush, a 39-year-old businessman in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip. "Today this round ends and we do not know when it will start again." Fatima Ayoub, 44, said she'd fled her home after a missile hit next door, blowing out her windows. "We want a strong resistance and freedom of movement," she said. "But we can't live this way. But others felt that Hamas had scored a win. "Yes we lose a lot of money and lives," said 23-year-old Ahmed Massoud, but factions in Gaza had "resisted the occupier with honor," he said. Israel "only understands the language of force," he said. In Ashkelon, the city visible just up the coast from Gaza, where two Israelis were killed on Sunday, Lily Buri, 65, expressed frustration that Israel had bent to demands from Gaza. "We need to bomb them with all our strength from the air," she said, sitting with her 13-year-old granddaughter on a bench outside Agadi's house. Netanyahu should "act with more substance," she added. Hamas officials said they escalated the violence to push Israel to stick to the terms it had agreed after another such flare-up in March, when rocket fire had caused Netanyahu to cut short a trip to Washington. Hamas accused Israel of reneging on the deal to allow in cash assistance of $30 million a month from Qatar, expand fishing rights and ease the restrictions on imports and exports that have choked Gaza's economy. With Gaza's beleaguered population of 2 million people increasingly turning its frustrations toward Hamas, the group has been desperate to secure an easing of Israeli restrictions, particularly as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan approached. Egypt, which has been brokering efforts to reach a longer-term truce, has been opening its land border with Gaza more frequently. In the past, the Israeli prime minister's office has declined to comment or outright denied reaching truce deals with Hamas - agreements that are unpopular with parts of the Israeli population and Netanyahu's own government. His decision to enter a cease-fire with Hamas late last year almost caused his government to collapse, as his defense minister, Avigdor Liberman, quit in protest. This time, however, the stakes were particularly high for Israel, as international teams began flying in for Eurovision, an international singing contest, the hosting of which has been a major source of national pride. Madonna is slated to perform in the event, which will be broadcast from Tel Aviv - in range of Gaza's rockets. Netanyahu is also in the middle of attempts to form a new government after winning elections last month. Basem Naim, a Hamas official, said that made it a particularly good time to pressure Israel to make good on prior commitments to ease its restrictions on Gaza, with its independence day celebrations also held this week. Islamic Jihad, which the Israeli military accuses of starting the latest round of violence, said that Israel had agreed to carry out the previously agreed "mechanisms" to ease restrictions. "Our people are waiting for an end to the siege," it said. "The agreement stipulates that the calm is reciprocal and simultaneous." Hamas has said it has also asked Israel to stop the use of live ammunition against the weekly demonstrations of Palestinian residents on the border fence with Israel. On Monday Netanyahu said the campaign was "not over and demands patience and sagacity." "We are prepared to continue," he said. Overnight, President Donald Trump tweeted that the United States supports Israel "100% in its defense of its citizens." "To the Gazan people - these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery," he wrote. Gaza health authorities said two more Palestinian bodies were pulled out of the rubble of destroyed buildings on Monday, taking the total killed over the weekend to 25. Of those, Israel denied that two, a pregnant woman and a baby, had died as a result of its airstrikes, asserting that they were hit when a Palestinian rocket misfired. The Palestinian health authority in Gaza said the dead also included another pregnant woman and infant, as well as a 12-year-old boy. Militant factions said at least nine of the dead were their fighters, eight of them from Islamic Jihad, according to the group. During the flare-up, Israel said it carried out its first targeted assassination in Gaza after a hiatus of several years. Netanyahu's right-wing coalition partners had been calling for the policy to be brought back. The Israeli military said it targeted a 34-year-old man who worked in a money exchange office and was responsible for channeling Iranian funds to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. An airstrike hit his car on a busy street in Gaza City on Sunday. - - - Balousha reported from Gaza City. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer who pleaded guilty to tax, bank and campaign finance crimes, reported to prison Monday after spending months trying to delay his punishment by dangling the prospect of new incriminating information against others. Cohen spoke to reporters briefly Monday morning outside his Manhattan apartment before heading to report to a federal prison facility in Otisville, New York - suggesting again that he had more secrets to spill. "I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country," Cohen said. "There still remains much to be told, and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth." Cohen then climbed into a black SUV, which arrived at the federal prison shortly before noon. Cohen, once known as Trump's bombastic "fixer," pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion for concealing $4 million in income, lying to a bank that loaned him money and orchestrating $280,000 in payments that amounted to a secret campaign donation to Trump's campaign. He also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the duration and nature of his discussions regarding a proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow. For those crimes, he was sentenced in December to a total of three years in prison. He was originally due to begin serving his sentence in March, but the date was pushed back while Cohen testified before Congress and sought to interest congressional investigators and federal agents in other possible wrongdoing. Since his guilty plea, Cohen has publicly blamed Trump for his legal woes, telling Congress in February, "My loyalty to Mr. Trump has cost me everything." Cohen attorney Lanny Davis said in a statement Monday that his client was the subject of "selective prosecution and disproportionate sentencing." Cohen "is the only person within the Trump organization to be prosecuted for crimes committed at the direction of and for the benefit of Mr. Trump," said Davis said. "Michael may be sentenced within the walls of a federal correctional institution. But the truth has no walls. Michael will continue to be accessible to congress and to federal, state, and local law enforcement." Cohen came under investigation in mid-2017 as special counsel Robert Mueller examined his emails and phone records to determine whether he had conspired with any Russian officials to interfere in the 2016 election. Mueller did not find evidence of that, but instead found records suggesting Cohen had for years dodged taxes on income from his New York City taxi medallion business. Investigators also uncovered financial transactions in 2016 that showed Cohen bought the silence of two women who had claimed affairs with Trump. Mueller referred those questions to federal prosecutors in New York, who eventually got a court order in 2018 to search Cohen's home and office for records related to suspected crimes. Cohen ultimately admitted arranging $280,000 in hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal "in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office." As law enforcement closed in on Cohen, Trump continued to deny knowledge of the hush payments - a statement that inadvertently gave federal prosecutors a stronger legal argument to search Cohen's records for evidence of crimes. Since Cohen began publicly attacking the president, Trump has repeatedly belittled him, branding him a "rat" for cooperating with prosecutors and suggesting he has committed additional crimes. After Cohen's congressional testimony, Trump tweeted: "Bad lawyer and fraudster Michael Cohen said under sworn testimony that he never asked for a Pardon. His lawyers totally contradicted him. He lied! Additionally, he directly asked me for a pardon. I said NO. He lied again! He also badly wanted to work at the White House. He lied!" - - - The Washington Post's Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who has been criticized by the right for at times parting ways with President Donald Trump, has drawn a primary challenger in his 2020 reelection race. Garland Tucker, chief executive of a Raleigh investment company, filed paperwork Monday with the Federal Election Commission to run against Tillis in the Republican Senate primary. News of Tucker's move was first reported by the Raleigh News & Observer. Tucker is an "old-fashioned conservative" on issues such as federal spending and national defense, said his campaign adviser Carter Wrenn. "And he looks at where Tillis stands on those issues, and he disagrees with him," Wrenn said. Tillis's campaign fired back with a statement suggesting that Tucker is an "anti-Trump activist." Tillis, North Carolina's former state House speaker, ousted incumbent Sen. Kay Hagan, D, to win election to the Senate in 2014. During that year's Republican primary, Tillis bested several tea party challengers to win the nomination, in what was viewed as a major victory for the GOP's establishment wing. In the two years since Trump took office, however, Tillis has drawn scorn from some of the president's supporters for opposing parts of his agenda. As the White House and congressional Democrats sparred in February over funding for Trump's long-promised border wall, Tillis wrote a Washington Post op-ed announcing that he would vote in favor of a resolution disapproving of Trump's declaration of a national emergency on the issue. "It's never a tough vote for me when I'm standing on principle," Tillis said in an interview with The Post defending his decision. But then, when the day of the vote came, Tillis reversed course and voted against the resolution, citing his conversations with Vice President Pence and other Republicans as influencing his decision to side with Trump. Tucker's campaign on Monday accused Tillis of having "flip-flopped" on the issue and pointed to the reversal - as well as Tillis's opposition to Trump's proposed cuts to foreign aid - as an example of differences between the two candidates. "Running against an incumbent is an uphill climb, but Tillis is a surprisingly vulnerable incumbent," Wrenn said. Monday's filing of campaign paperwork is Tucker's first step toward running; he plans to make a formal statement in the coming days, Wrenn said. Tillis's campaign manager Luke Blanchat said the senator is "no stranger to primaries and he is fully prepared for another." "He looks forward to defending President Trump and his policies against any anti-Trump activist who chooses to enter the race," Blanchat said in a statement that made no mention of Tucker by name. "Senator Tillis looks forward to continuing to work with President Trump and Vice President Pence in securing our border and keeping our economy growing at a record setting pace." Tillis' team pointed to a 2016 News & Observer column in which Tucker said that he was begrudgingly voting for Trump, whose nomination he had "stoutly resisted" during the primary. "Trump is a twice-divorced, self-acknowledged adulterer who has, in the course of this campaign, uttered some of the most unkind, disgusting comments ever made by any American politician," Tucker wrote in the piece. "Sadly, Clinton offers no personal moral superiority." In May 2015, Tucker hosted a 250-person luncheon in his backyard for then-Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's campaign for the Republican presidential nod. Among the Democrats who have announced bids for Tillis' seat are state Sen. Erica Smith and Mecklenburg County Commissioner Trevor Fuller. Even before Tucker jumped into the race, a primary challenge against Tillis had been widely expected. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., a close ally of Trump, said in an interview with The Washington Post last week that while he personally has no plans to challenge Tillis, he expected that the senator "will have a legitimate primary opponent." Meadows also said he "fully expects" Tillis to win reelection - but notably declined to throw his support behind him. "He's not asked me for one," Meadows said when asked about the possibility of an endorsement. "I doubt that I would give a congressional endorsement to any senator, that it would matter." - - - The Washington Post's Aaron Blake contributed to this report. "Contrary to common belief, the majority of social media challenges remain confined to online space and do not generate offline violence," Stuart told the Stanford News Service. "Sometimes that gun a young man posts on social media is actually a part of his attempt to not use that gun. If he can convince everybody at his school, for instance, that he is well-armed and well-backed by a gang, then maybe he can walk home safer. Maybe somebody will think twice about challenging him." The foreboding letter was signed by a man calling himself "Alessio Don De Grande." Pointedly referencing his membership in a shadowy criminal enterprise, he demanded $250,000 in cash within 15 days. The couple in eastern Washington state who found the typed, two-page missive on their car windshield on Feb. 28 were informed they would be killed and their property would be seized if they didn't pay up. Their daughter and her family in California could expect a none too friendly visit, too, the note said. It was one of several threatening letters that members of a right-wing militia group in Stevens County, Washington, would report receiving that month. De Grande, whose name was signed at the bottom of each, claimed to be involved with a mysterious group based outside the United States, and heavily insinuated that it was a Mexican cartel. But in reality, authorities now say, the sender was actually James "Russell" Bolton, the militia's own leader. On the group's website, he had once warned that murderous cartels were infiltrating the United States, just another example of the "subversive political insurgency" that threatened to overtake the country. In recent months, Bolton allegedly tried to take advantage of the fears that he had stoked. Officials believe that he posed as a made-up cartel boss himself so that he could extort vast sums of money from his followers. The Stevens County Sheriff's Office, which Bolton once sought to lead, is now on the lookout for him. Though a nationwide warrant for his arrest was approved on April 22, the Spokesman-Review reported last Thursday, the 51-year-old is still at large. Back in 2010, Bolton had mounted an unsuccessful write-in campaign to be elected sheriff of Stevens County, in the rural northeastern corner of Washington state, bordering Canada. At the time, he described himself as a Marine Corps veteran and the owner of a custom woodworking business. Vowing that protecting citizens' "liberties and freedom" would be his first priority, he gained the endorsement of Richard Mack, the former sheriff of Graham County, Arizona, and a leader of the constitutional sheriff's movement, whose adherents pledge not to enforce federal laws they believe are unconstitutional. Ultimately, Bolton came last in a four-way primary with about 13 percent of the vote. It's unclear when Bolton became the leader of the Stevens County Assembly, a militia that described itself on its now-defunct website as a volunteer corps of "God-fearing American citizens" seeking to "secure real American communities during the present insurgent political and social change." Nearly all of the writings available on archived versions of the site are attributed to him, and date from 2015 to 2017. He appears to have frequently railed against same-sex marriage, socialism, the media, President Barack Obama, Islam, federal regulation of land used for grazing cattle, and sanctuary cities, while also repeating far-right conspiracy theories. "We can not think that we are going to win our nation back, but [must] be content to win a portion of it back as our contribution to our restoration and preservation," he wrote in one undated article. The group's schedule of events, last updated in 2016, consisted of bimonthly prayer meetings and a film screening at a senior center. Bolton apparently wanted the group to get bigger. According court records obtained by the Chewelah Independent, people interviewed by police mentioned that Bolton told them that they needed to grow the militia's membership and collect more donations, or else he would have to relocate. At the end of February, militia members began receiving mysterious letters, according to the Spokesman-Review. One man found a note taped to a gate at his girlfriend's house near the small city of Deer Park, Washington. That same day, a woman down the road found an identical letter attached to a tree on her property. Both were told that their families would be hurt if they didn't pay $10,000 in cash in exchange for protection. Two days later, a couple in the small community of Rice found a manila envelope on their car containing the letter that asked for a whopping $250,000. Initially, the Deer Park couple tried to track down the perpetrator. Told to leave the money in their mailbox, they instead filled an envelope with a powder that would turn skin purple, according to police. They also set up a hidden camera. When someone stopped by to pick up the envelope, it captured a blurry picture of a white SUV. The couple tried to chase the car but had no luck, the Spokesman-Review reported. It wasn't until mid-March that the Rice couple notified the Stevens County Sheriff's Office, according to the paper. Visibly unnerved, they insisted that the door be shut before puling out the ransom note. They told detectives that they had placed a red ribbon on their flagpole to confirm they had received the letter, as its mysterious sender had requested, and had met with their stockbroker to see if they could afford the payment. The male victim had started carrying his gun everywhere, and asked about getting a bulletproof vest. "I could see that they were scared," Undersheriff Loren Erdman wrote in his report. According to KXLY, the man told police that Bolton had mentioned getting threats, too. When detectives called the militia leader, he claimed he and his wife had received menacing phone calls, but he had shaken it off because it was "common" in his line of work. Asked if someone could be targeting the group for financial reasons, Bolton reportedly responded that the Stevens County Assembly only had about $900 in its bank account. The mystery was still unsolved in late March, when Bolton called the sheriff's office to say he had started getting threatening emails. He also told detectives that a red Ford pickup truck had followed him home, and the passengers had yelled at him and run him off the road, the Chewelah Independent reported. Investigators were unable to confirm his story. Asked to see the emails, Bolton claimed his computer had been hacked. He also said that he hadn't been able to write down the red truck's license plate number because it was covered up with cardboard. Then, in mid-April, a tipster told detectives that Bolton had "lost his mind" and tried to kill another militia member, KXLY reported. A police report filed in nearby Spokane alleged that Bolton had gone over to the man's house and pushed him down the stairs, causing him to hit his head on the floor and bleed heavily. When the man got up, police wrote, Bolton punched him in the nose and tried to suffocate him with a plastic bag. Eventually, the station reported, Bolton stopped and explained to the wounded man that his wife had been kidnapped. He needed $100,000 for her release, he claimed. The bloodied victim believed his story, and initially lied to both hospital workers and the police about how he had gotten hurt. Later, he told authorities he had been prepared to give the militia leader most of his life savings. Then he started getting strange emails from Bolton, who now claimed that his wife was free but the kidnappers still wanted the ransom. At that point, the man started to question whether the story had been made up. Emails allegedly sent to the victim by Bolton display a far-reaching paranoia. "We are witnessing the end of the U.S. as we have known it," he wrote in one message, according to KXLY. The militia leader allegedly told the man to change his email and phone number, and not tell anyone about what had happened because they were being monitored and needed to "go dark." Meanwhile, in an email sent to the militia's entire listserv, Bolton reportedly claimed that the group was being tracked by three mysterious men. "WA state is being over-run by socialist/liberals and there doesn't seem to be any organized force who will stop them," he wrote. After additional interviews prompted authorities to take a closer look at Bolton, the Independent reported, detectives found that he had a 2013 white Ford Edge SUV, which resembled the car captured on a hidden surveillance camera. In an arrest warrant, they wrote that there was probable cause to conclude that Bolton had been behind the letters demanding money, and had also made up a fake story about his wife's kidnapping to steal another $100,000. Bolton faces five counts of extortion in the first degree and one count of attempted theft in the first degree. It's not yet clear if he will also be facing charges in Spokane County. Who would vote for former VP Joe Biden for president given that he is a worthless centrist and not a progressive and an establishment/status quo candidate and he commits many gaffes and has the Anita Hill episode. He is a conservative Democrat but the Democratic Party has moved left and supports Medicare for all, the Green New Deal and other social programs. PLAINVIEW Sara Diaz had her heart set on attending a Baptist university, but didn't think she would be able. "I've always wanted go to a Baptist school," said Diaz, who was looking at a different university. "It didn't work out. I didn't get enough money." As a senior in high school and future plans hanging in the balance, Diaz began making plans to attend her local community college in Midland when she heard about the Hispanic Leadership Scholarship offered by Wayland Baptist University. The daughter of Lazaro Diaz and Eva Rangel, both Wayland graduates, Diaz said her father got a call from friends who told him about the scholarship. "I applied," she said. "I didn't think anything of it because, who am I to get that?" Dean of the School of Religion and Philosophy Dr. Stephen Stookey said Diaz was one of many applicants, and when the vetting process was complete, she stood out as the obvious candidate. The Hispanic Leadership Scholarship is for a student who is a member of a church affiliated with the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas or the Texas Baptists. Students are required to complete an application, plan to attend Congreso, a Hispanic Baptist student conference, and plan to attend the annual meeting of the Hispanic Baptist Convention. A letter of recommendation from the student's pastor is also required. Students, however, do not have to major in religion or Christian studies in order to qualify. Diaz is planning to earn a degree in sociology and use it to help victims of human trafficking. "Originally I was just going to study education because I didn't know what to do," Diaz said. "But it never really felt right." She then attended the Passion Conference in Georgia where she was introduced to the International Justice Mission. "They talked about what they did, and they help people who are 'the least of these,'" Diaz said. "I realized that's what I want to do." Diaz will attend Wayland beginning in the fall of 2019. Wayland is again taking applications for the Hispanic Leadership Scholarship. More information and an application can be found on the Wayland website, wbu.edu, by searching "Hispanic Leadership Scholarship," or email Donnie Brown, director of the Wayland Mission Center, at brownd@wbu.edu. Two close friends and Texas State University students were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide Sunday morning, according to the San Marcos Police Department. The bodies of Matthew Bond Pfluger, 24, and Connor Patrick Shannon, 24, were found by a friend at their San Marcos residence just before 9:30 a.m. Sunday, SMPD said in a news release. A grand jury in Bexar County last week indicted the 17-year-old boy who allegedly ambushed and shot a San Antonio police officer in February, according to the Bexar County District Attorney's Office. Jonathan Cruz Garcia was formally charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer on Tuesday, court records showed. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox On Feb. 12, Officer Drew Matthewson was conducting a traffic stop near Prue Road and Research Boulevard when he saw a car pass by that matched the description of a previous shooting. Matthewson pursued the vehicle, which rammed into a gate at the Chroma Apartments on Hamilton Wolfe Road. Garcia allegedly ran from the vehicle, and Matthewson chased after him, police believe. The suspect ran around the corner of a hallway, turned around and waited for Matthewson to run past him. Garcia then allegedly shot Matthewson in the left shoulder. The injured officer returned fire, shooting Garcia in his jaw, chest and arm, police said. Garcia is also a suspect in a Jan. 21 shooting at a student living complex near the University of Texas at San Antonio. READ MORE: Records: 4 teens, including suspect in attempted cop killing, accused in shooting near UTSA In that case, Garcia and three other suspects are accused of shooting a 21-year-old woman during an attempted robbery. Garcia was not indicted in that case as of Monday, according to court records. If convicted of attempted capital murder of a police officer, Garcia faces up to 99 years in prison. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA 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. By the 1850s, native tree felling was taking place all over the north of New Zealand. The prime target was giant kauri. No matter how remote the tree location, man sought it out, cut it down and shaped it ready for transportation to the nearest port. During those years of onslaught, no conservation rules were in place. Any tree that stood in the way of falling kauri was also destroyed. It wasnt exactly that all other native trees were in demand, so much as they just happened to be in the way of getting the highly valued kauri out. Skilled bushmen built wooden dams in upper creek areas. Large trees were cut and shaped before moving, with axe and saw, then moved with lever, timber jacks and block and tackle into the dams. A catchment might hold scores of kauri logs, waiting for flood situations. When the time was right, dams were triggered, by the opening of trip-gates, and the water was freed. If other dams were located further down the creeks, then simultaneous triggering was at times set in motion. They did not have telephone communication back then, but in some cases, signaling was done by the firing of a shotgun or some other prearranged method by sound. Logs flew down gullies, crashing and clattering, together with waters gravitational fall. Damage to the logs was high. It was an effective way of getting logs out from the high country, but statistics tell us that between 30 to 40 per cent of logs were destroyed by this method. Bullock teams were then brought in to drag the enormous trunks to mill sites or directly to waiting ships. On the North Oruawharo, an enterprising settler, Mr Penman, had a sawmill, Woodside Mill, which worked by water power in full operation. The machinery was his own workmanship and reflected great credit on his ability. He sent both milled and hand-sawn timbers to Port Mangawai for export to Auckland. Steam-driven sawmills were created for the huge amount of timber worked out of forests surrounding Mangawai and districts. They could be found at Tara, Hakaru, Te Arai and Mangawai. There were mills on Insley Street (prior to the street being formed,) Hasties farm, Wharfe Bros farm, Browns farm, and Stones Mill, near Clarke Road. There were four mills at one time on Ryans Road. The most famous one was Mill Bush mill, near Hakaru. Hundreds of thousands of feet of kauri were exported to Auckland via Mangawai estuary, often transported by scows. An area, out from the hotel, was known as the anchor. It was the holding area, before floating logs were chained together to form rafts for towage to Auckland. The rafts were constructed by creating a main metallic chain stem, which had links of eight inches plus. The rafts were formed into a herringbone shape and some raft lengths reached half a mile long and were towed away by steamer. Bev Ross, Mangawhai Museum www.mangawhai-museum.org.nz An historic photo exhibition held in Warkworth, in conjunction with the 50th Kowhai Festival and Auckland Heritage Festival last month, looks set to be held every three years. Captured: A photographic time capsule of Warkworth was organised by Burnette OConnor, Rachel Callender, Claire-Marie Blair and Jannette Thompson. It takes a long-term view of recording the districts growth through the lens of a camera. The organisers say the two-day exhibition in the old Masonic Hall was well-attended and the photos were conversation starters. The idea is to build a library of images over time, which will be a valuable resource for years to come, they say. Warkworths status as a satellite town in the Auckland Plan means the town will see unprecedented growth over the next 25 years. When our neighbourhoods expand to cover the green fields we see around us today, it will be easy to forget that it wasnt always like that. The project involves repeating the photographs taken from the same seven vantage points around Warkworth every three years. Drone shots of the township will also be replicated. The collection will be stored at the Warkworth Museum and eventually made available online. The exhibition would not have been possible without generous support of the Beverley Simmons Estate, Mahu Community Trading Post, Warkworth Community Shop, Hutchinson Consulting Engineers, Buckton Consulting Surveyors, LDE Warkworth, Pacific Environments, Skywork Helicopters, Warkworth Museum, Warkworth Lions, One Warkworth and Mahurangi Matters. The organisers are keen to hear from anyone who might be interested in collaborating on future exhibitions. Contact Rachel at rachel@onewarkworth.co.nz Service station forecourts were blocked off during the power outage. A wire failure at a substation at Maungaturoto left around 22,000 people without power on Wednesday morning, May 1. The impact was felt from Puhoi north to Mangawhai and Te Kopuru, and west to Pouto. As a result, numerous shops, petrol stations and banks closed, medical centres took steps to protect vaccines, traffic lights went down and several schools closed. A Transpower spokesperson said the wire failure happened ahead of planned maintenance, which was scheduled to take place the following day (Thursday). Power was lost at 9.20am and restored around 11.50am. While major supermarkets continued to trade using generators, smaller food retail stores faced the issue of keeping food cold. Claire and Brad Walker were forced to close their Matakana Four Square store. We had to close because our checkouts ran out of juice and we couldnt open and close them, and its too hard with all the chilled products and people coming in and out, they said. Registered nurses Rachel Moimoi, left, and Emma Robertson pack vaccines into chilly bins for transfer to Orewa. Warkworth Medical Centre suspended its vaccination programme for the day and was forced to transfer tens of thousands of dollars worth of vaccines by car to a pharmacy in Orewa. Practice manager Sara Lewis said refrigerated vaccines are good for about four hours once power is cut. The medical centre decided to move its stock to Orewa as a precaution. Doctors at the centre were able to continue with patient consultations, but had no access to patient medical records or test results. ACC claims paperwork and prescriptions were handled manually with pen and paper. Minor surgery was rescheduled at the Kowhai Surgery. Shop assistant Alice Baluyut continued to work in almost total darkness at Geoffs Emporium, but other stores such as Noel Leeming and Fade Room Barber Shop closed completely. I cant work at all in this light as I cant see what I am doing, barber John Abraham said. Keenan Maro and Annie Zhong, owners of Ginger Cafe, had to close and were frustrated that a similar outage happened just a couple of weeks ago. Weve lost quite a bit of money, Annie said. Some staff tried to look on the bright side. Eko clothes and furniture store assistant Margaret Grogan used the time to take a stroll down Queen Street. It was a good opportunity to be out in the sunshine and have a look around, she said. Staff at Warkworth Vets suspended animal operations and were unable to warm heat packs in the microwave for the animals. Several motorists were stranded at service stations with not enough fuel to go north or south. When the power was restored, a round of hurrahs echoed around the forecourt of the BP station on State Highway 1. Police put officers on points duty at some intersections in Warkworth and had to escort a man in custody to Orewa to be interviewed with electronic recording. Otherwise, they said the power outage had caused no serious issues. The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks! Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics. The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc. The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics. The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates. Access to college recruiters and advisors its harder to line up higher education. Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family. Vote View Results A disability advocate, who previously enjoyed two stints as Mayor of Drogheda, Michael ODowd is Renuas Euro election candidate in the midlands north west constituency. Married to Audrey and a father of three, he set up the Human Rights organisation Disability Voices for Life. He has a strong track record in the voluntary sector having started two social enterprises. An accountant by profession, Michael worked with agri-food companies along the border when he was with Enterprise Ireland. He said, I have seen at first hand the difficulties Brexit will bring to employers and employees alike. We have to ensure that the EU principle of Freedom of Movement is not used by serious criminals to enter this country. Its not right that a skilled person from the USA requires a job that pays at least 30K to enter Ireland while a criminal from Europe only needs a cheap airline ticket. Reform of Freedom of Movement will be top of my agenda. Also read: ESB issues poster warning to Longford election hopefuls over 'serious safety risk' Mr ODowd said he believes in the value of life from conception and will put disability rights at the heart of Europe. Other priorities include an end to the economic apartheid that favours development within the M50 and to fight for extra support from Brussels to alleviate the impact Brexit will have on rural Ireland. About 10 years ago I drove all over Europe over the course of about a fortnight and a half. It involved heading down to the south of France, occasional forays (for tapas) into northern Spain and then back over to Switzerland, Worms (in Germany), Antwerp and then finally back to the ferry at Cherbourg. Youd want to like driving to do it, to sit through 700kms two three days in a row. Youd also want to have a good yoke under ya, as a man I met on the ferry home remarked when I told him of my travels, which totalled 2,687 kms and involved a lot of ferrying of people around as well as hauling about 70 bottles of wine back. Its not so much new as a model that has undergone a few tweaks, like a new 1.6 litre diesel engine to replace the 1.7 litre. Its grand and big, like a large saloon should be and its not behind the door in the looks department either. Id go so far as to say that when compared to other cars in its segment its probably better looking than any of them. Also read: Longford Leader Motoring- The sleek popular Toyota Camry is back in Ireland Technology wise, it has everything that weve come to expect in all new cars these days. It was my first time to experience a car that can steer you back into a lane. Now, to be clear, it doesnt actually steer you back, but it gives the kind of nudge that youd notice if you were being absent minded, which is the point of it. Other than that, its grand and big and spacious and comfortable and does exactly what it says on the tin. And at 31,570 its great value in terms of what you pay and what you get. Eric Ehigie, a student of Moyne Community School and organiser of the upcoming mental health awareness event, Mothu, was honoured in recent days for his work as part of the Garda Youth Awards. Eric, who resides in Longford town and is the welfare officer with the Irish Second Level Students Union (ISSU), was awarded the Individual award for his work within the Longford locality. Eric somehow divides his time between his Leaving Certificate studies, his role with the ISSU and his position as youth coordinator for the Longford African network, among other projects. Eric also holds the position of chairman of the Moyne Community School students council. In this role, he has led the development of a social hub at lunchtime for those whose interests and hobbies lie outside traditional sports. He has also been involved in an examination of the RSE programme and has met members of the NAACP, government ministers and practitioners from the mental health sector. Also read: Good news for south Longford as Irish Water and HSE lift two-week boil water notice In December 2018, Eric was invited to speak at the launch of the Co Longford Inter-Cultural Strategy. Here he spoke of the richness of all cultures and said that richness could be harnessed to create a new synthesis of cultures in Longford. Eric is a strong voice in Longford for young people of a different race, religion and social standing and helps them come together to exchange and share their experiences and understandings. The fact that Eric Ehigie, a proud African, was elected chairman of the Students Council speaks volumes for his popularity among a student population almost 90% white. His nominators, Patrick McPhillips and Mary Campbell of Moyne Community School, speak very highly of Erics impeccable manners towards his school peers and his teachers, his good humour is infectious and he is the perfect role model for the younger students in the school. The judging panel has noted his efforts at local and national levels and spoke of their delight at declaring Eric Ehigie an Individual Award Winner for 2019. He was one of 22 students honoured. Report: Three Teens Arrested for Conspiring To Detonate Bomb at Connetquot High School Local News, Crime, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: May 06 2019 The Students were charged with Conspiracy 4th Degree, according to police. Suffolk County Police arrested three teenagers for conspiring to build a bomb to detonate at a Bohemia high school. Fifth Precinct officers responded to Connetquot High School, located at 190 7th St., after a school administrator called police to say he was informed by multiple students that they overheard three students during the bus ride home on May 1 discussing building a bomb to detonate at the school. Three 16-year-old males were arrested at the school and charged with Conspiracy 4th Degree, a Class E Felony. The homes of all three students were searched and one of the students possessed a copy of The Anarchist Cookbook, which contains bomb making instructions. The three were arraigned in youth court at First District Court in Central Islip. SCPD: Two Men Make Off with $4,700 in Clothing from Riverhead Store Local News, Crime, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: May 06 2019 Suspects stole clothing from Barneys New York Outlet, cops say. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Riverhead Town Police are seeking the publics help to identify and locate the men who stole clothing from a Tanger Outlet store in Riverhead in April. Two men stole clothing from Barneys New York Outlet, located at 1770 West Main Street, suite 912, on April 10 at approximately 3 p.m. The clothing was valued at approximately $4,700. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, texting SCPD and your message to CRIMES (274637) or by email at www.tipsubmit.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential. Born in 1929 in Czechoslovakia, Fritzshall said in the days before she, her mother and two brothers were deported to the AuschwitzBirkenau extermination camp, a scarcity of food prompted her mother to go hungry so her three children could eat what little she found during long walks through the countryside. Across the area, women are conquering their problems and offering their support through writing. Lekita Hairston, Debra Kay Penn, Leutisha Walker Galloway have self-published books that tell their stories of trials, tribulations and victory, and Bishop Loretta Dillard lately has been telling her story over social media. These are the stories behind those stories Lekita Hairston Lekita Hairston, 44, said she shared the stories of her setbacks in life because they are kind of like the most things that women or people go through and end up being stuck and not able to motive themselves to get past those things. Her book, When You Fight, You Win!, starts with her childhood: Being raised by my grandmother who was a strong, dedicated Christian woman was not the easiest situation. Everybody knows that a strong Christian grandmother means what she says and says what she means and does not need to give you any explanation. Her grandmother, Betty Helms of The Great Road in Fieldale, worked in a Bassett family home, where Hairston got her first job. Helms laid out the rules, but she didnt much explain the consequences of doing what she was prohibiting, Hairston said. As a naturally curious teenager itching for fun, Hairston broke some of the rules resulting in being a single parent at 17. As a young single mother, Hairston made a promise to myself that I was not going to live off any assistance, I got myself in this mess, and it was my responsibility to work it out, so I did just that, her book states. That meant working for $5.25 an hour in a factory, which wasnt enough, so she put herself through school. Armed with an associate degree from Patrick Henry Community College, Hairston took off with some friends for job opportunities in Greensboro, N.C. She worked there for American Express but kept studying, first for a cosmetology license and instructor degree, and then accounting at American National University. She worked a year for a tax preparation service, then opened R&R (Reasonable & Reliable) Tax Service in Martinsville, which she still runs. In the beginning I felt like I was just going to be another young girl, just stuck, because of where I came from, who I came from and what people had assumed my life would be because of the choices I had made, her book states. What made me so different from others is because I made a choice that I was not going to be what people thought I was going to be. In 2006 she became her grandmothers power of attorney and also her caretaker. To be sure she did it right, she became certified as a Certified Nursing Assistant, a role she held with her grandmother for 13 years. However, one thing she couldnt prepare for was the family drama that came along with the role, she said. In 2009 Hairston married a long-time suitor, but the couple separated before the year was out. After an attempt at reconciliation, they divorced in 2015. When she was feeling defeated, unexpected joy turned her life around: Her daughter, Keyarra Manns, had a baby, Aubrie Martin. As Hairston rebuilt her strength from the difficult relationships around her as well as the passing of her grandmother in February 2018, she was inspired to share her optimism with other women. She had made up T-shirts with the message From Pain to Strength to give out as gifts to other women who either had experienced what I went through or were going through something similar but yet were in the process of building up strength, she said. Being part of the Women of Destiny team at Refuge Temple Ministries also has helped her support other women, she said. Those T-shirts grew into Minuettes Creations, a second business through which she sells customized items. It was around then that she put her lifes story into words (Faith Makes It Possible, Not Easy is a section title). When it was time to publish her book, she sought the guidance of Debra Kay Penn, who has self-published several books. Hairstons book ends with the line, To all my Diamonds & Pearls out there, just keep pushing, no matter what the circumstances are God has birthed something to you and you have to be broken in order to deliver it. Debra Kay Penn Debra Kay Penn of Martinsville is a caregiver for her father during the day and for her grandchildren in the evenings. Her children are Christiana Penn of Collinsville and Joshua Leftwich of Martinsville, and her parents are Walter Penn Sr. and Maggie Penn of Carver. She has been writing since she was 12 years old, she said, and her great dream is to have a book-signing in New York. She started out writing poetry, but the Lord revealed to me I needed to be writing a book, she said. She started it in 2006 and finished it four years later. That book was The Woman on the Inside is Greater Than the Woman You See. It deals with the low self-esteem many women experience, depending on our environment, how we grew up, how we are treated, she said. Sometimes we get judged on how we look like instead of who we are. People long have given her a hard time for being tall and thin, she said. Since then, shes written other books, including The Restored Woman, about the women of the Bible, in 2011. Through the years she has experience the changes in the self-publishing industry. She paid to have the first book published, but she didnt like the books cover, she said. She also had expected to have my name on everything, but since the publisher got the books ISBN Number through the Library of Congress, the book carried the publishers name as well. She had all books after that printed directly through the Amazon service. She would upload her writing to Amazons website, and applied for the ISBN Numbers through the Library of Congress herself. Since then, she has helped other writers go through those processes, she said. Hairston said Penn helped her get her book self-published. Penn, who says she has a great many distractions at home, said lately she has been considering renting an office space at the West Piedmont Business Development Center Incubator to be able to concentrate on her writing. Penn also formed Greater Love Ministries, through which she coordinates women to speak at churches. A focus of the ministry and of her message is that people look at the outside but really need to look on the inside who we are. She still fights with low self-esteem now and then, she said, but reminds herself and others that your worth is not based upon a man. Its not based upon another person. Penn, who is 50, said, It took me until the age of 40 to know my worth, and Ive been saved since I was 22 years old. It took me all that time because of stuff Ive been through. Throughout the years a lot of times I talk myself out of something, but Im coming forward. I decided that 2019 is that year. Leutisha Galloway Leutisha Galloway, 30, used poetry to help her through the ups and downs of middle school and high school, and she said it hasnt let her down since. Her poems were the manifestation of her trying to figure out everything, which path to go. It helped me feel better, she said. Writing continued to provide solace as she became a wife and mother. She and her husband, Deon Galloway, have two sons, Levi, 2, and Jabez, 5 months. She is the daughter of Dennis Walker and Linda Littlejohn of Martinsville. A 2013 graduate of Radford University, she is the director of FAHI (Fayette Area Historical Initiative). In November 2007 she put together many of her poems into My Journey Through Life and Love. An aunt, Martinsville native Roxie Hairston, worked for Entegrity Choice Publishing and helped her publish the book. Galloways role in the self-publishing process meant that I had to review all my poems and make sure everything the punctuation and all that was right. I had to approve the covers, she said. It was finished in April 2018, and she is just starting now to share it with others, she said, estimating that shes sold 25 or 30 copies at her church, Mount Sinai, and from people contacting her after seeing social media posts about it. Galloway said she still writes poetry, and she expects one day to have a second book. Loretta Dillard Dillard, 70, was raised by her grandparents Lucy Jane Wells and George Marshall Wells in Wells Hollow in Bassett. They had eight children of their own, and I was one of many grandchildren she raised, Dillard said. Dillard took to writing in a big way after the funerals of her father, Robert Wells, and aunt, Deloise Joyce, just within the past couple of weeks, she said. The Lord told me how to write, she said. Her writings recall the difficulties of childhood. No matter the weather, she had to walk to school with the other black children, while white children who rode school buses shouted taunts at them through the windows. When she would get home from school, she would have to wash her school clothes and hang them to dry by the woodstove hoping they would be dry by morning but usually disappointed. She became a born-again Christian in 1975 and married in 1968. She and Eddie Jerome Dillard had three children, Eddie Lee Dillard, Tyrone Davis Dillard and Demetria Dillard Redd. She held a series of jobs, including cleaning house and working at furniture and knitting factories, before becoming the pastor of Faith Tabernacle Holiness Church in Bassett. In 2003, the couple divorced, which saddened her, she said. Eventually she married again which, she now says, was the wrong thing to do. Everything blew up. She lived for a while in Charlotte, N.C., with her new husband. In 2008 her church split, with many of the congregation leaving, she said. After the church division and the disaster of her second marriage, I didnt want to preach anymore. I let my son preach in my place until I could get together. But today, thanks be to God through his Word and the Holy Spirit, I am doing wonderful. I am an overcomer. After making her way through her troubles, she and her first husband reunited. They remarried, with their children and grandchildren present. It took going through lifes experiences and failures and coming out on the other side to really feel loved by God, she said. Prayer helped, and eventually, she said, I overcame how other people felt about me and how I felt about myself. She tells women: You are going to have to learn to love yourself, and to know you are loved by the best, and thats God. A 22-year-old man will be arraigned in court tomorrow in connection with the Sunday morning fatal crash in Boston that left one woman dead and another woman injured. Dylan Etheridge will be arraigned in East Boston Municipal Court on a motor vehicle homicide charge and other charges Monday, according to the Suffolk District Attorneys Office. Authorities have not publicly identified the woman killed in the crash on Bennington Street around 1:15 a.m. Sunday. The second woman is expected to live. The district attorneys office said Etheridge was driving the car involved in the single-vehicle crash. Etheridges attorney, who spoke with WBZ, said his client turned himself in to police Sunday. The lawyer claims authorities have not established who was driving the car at the time of the crash. A Boston police officer was struck by a car while walking in Jamaica Plain, officials said. The officer was struck in the area of Ukraine Way and Washington Street early Monday afternoon, police said. The officers injuries are not considered life-threatening, police said. No further information was immediately available. A 23-year-old Haverhill woman was killed in a head-on crash in Methuen Sunday evening, authorities said. The Methuen Police Department said officers responded to the area of 568 Merrimack St. just before 6 p.m. where they found a Toyota sedan that had crossed the center line, crashing head-on into a Chevy SUV. The passenger in the Toyota, 23-year-old Devanah Walker, was flown to a Boston area hospital where police said she died of her injuries. The driver of the Chevy, a 68-year-old Methuen man, and the driver of the Toyota, a 20-year-old Haverhill woman, were brought to Lawrence General Hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. The crash remains under investigation by state and local police. An airline pilot from Peabody was one of 10 people charged in a Pennsylvania child sex sting after authorities said he sent nude photos to and tried to solicit sex from an undercover corporal posing as a 15-year-old boy. Gregory Mark Sylvia, 32, of Lowell Street in Peabody, was charged with attempting to commit involuntary intercourse after he allegedly arranged to meet a 15-year-old boy who was actually an undercover Pennsylvania State Police corporal, according to the Delaware County District Attorneys Office. Your not like a cop or something are you lol, Sylvia allegedly said in one exchange, according to the Delaware County Daily Times. Your just kind of young and Im not used to it, so Im nervous. Authorities said Sylvia sent nude photos to the undercover trooper while expressing his desire to perform sexual acts on the boy. He was arrested April 5 after arriving at a meeting place in Tinicum, Pennsylvania, the district attorneys office said. He was arraigned the same day and bail was set at $100,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 13. The arrest was the result of a month-long investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Other defendants were from Pennsylvania, Las Vegas, Maryland and New Jersey. Each one of those individuals is a predator, Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland said at a press conference. Theyre engaged in this kind of behavior for their own horrific sexual gratification, and every single one of them knew they were doing so or believed they were doing so with a child. SPRINGFIELD Restaurant veteran Chris McKiernan says too many folks in the industry dismiss a new idea for Springfield as, well, too new of an idea for Springfield. I sort of got sick of hearing that, McKiernan, owner of the new Bar Kaya sushi and ramen restaurant. I love the town and I love the direction its going in. Bar Kaya will open in the middle of May in space at 278 Worthington St. McKiernan is renting from restaurateur Victor Bruno. McKiernan said the restaurant will bring something to Springfield that no one else is doing: an omakase menu. Omakase isnt a dish but a way of organizing the meal. It translates to Leave it up to the chef, McKiernan said. So he dictates your sushi experience for a few hours. The chef in the case of Bar Kaya thats Desmond Chow chooses the sushi dishes the party will eat and the order in which those dishes will be served. The focus is whats fresh and whats in season, McKiernan said. Thirteen courses on the omakase experience costs $79 and 22 courses is $129. There will be two seatings a night for six or eight patrons each. Bar Kaya will soon accept reservations for omakase. Its a tasting menu so its going to take an hour and half to two hours to complete, he said. Sushi and ramen dishes will also be available on a more familiar a la carte menu and without a reservation for about $7 to $8 per sushi dish and $12 for ramen. The restaurant seats 60 to 65 patrons, McKiernan said. McKiernans first job was in a restaurant, and hes never really left the industry, most recently working for a chain steakhouse. Chow, from Hong Kong, trained in Japan and most recently worked for a sushi bar in Atlantic City, McKiernan said. The city of Springfield gave a $175,000 low-interest loan for the renovation project under a federally funded program to enhance the downtown dining district. McKiernan said the Worthington Street location is perfect because the city is fixing parks nearby including Stearns Square and Duryea Way. The nearby Springfield Innovation Center is open and the facade is nearing completion. A lot of progress, he said. We want to be the ground floor of that. When the doctor at Lurie told us he thought it might be a form of muscular dystrophy that primarily affects boys, we thought, how can this be possible? recalled Joseph, a physician and mother of three sons. But we learned that with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the boys are relatively fine until theyre between 3 to 5 years old. WILBRAHAM The Friendlys ice cream manufacturing business is for sale along with Lynn-based dairy company Garelick Farms as parent company Dean Foods Co. looks to restructure in the face of competition and declining milk consumption. Dean announced plans to restructure in February and has already received a half dozen offers for various parts of its business including the Friendlys operation, according to a story Monday in The Wall Street Journal timed for Deans Tuesday earnings announcement. Executives at Dean Foods have rejected those offers, the Journal reported. Dean Foods has 200 ice cream manufacturing jobs at the 48-year-old Wilbraham plant. Deans 2018 sales of $7.8 billion were down 38 percent from a decade ago, the Journal reported. In addition to Friendlys and Garelick Farms, Deans portfolio of brands includes DairyPure, TruMoo and ice cream brands Mayfield and Deans Country Fresh. Based in Dallas, Texas, Dean has struggled as milk consumption has been in a decades-long decline and Walmart, once a major customer, has built its own milk plants. Friendlys sold its retail ice cream and manufacturing business to Dean in 2016 for $155 million. Dean makes ice cream for Friendlys restaurants under a 10-year contract and sells ice cream, under the Friendlys brand and store brands, to supermarkets. Dean Foods, the countrys largest milk processor and seller, bought Friendlys to build up its portfolio of branded ice cream products. Those products, as opposed to generic brands, command a premium price in the marketplace. Friendlys restaurants, owned by Sun Capital, continue to work with the ice cream plant developing new flavors, Friendlys Chief Operating Officer Dennis Pfaff said in an interview last month. Friendlys has also been able to take advantage of Dean Foods size, incorporating new products it has made for other restaurant markets into its lineup. The Wilbraham real estate is not owned by Dean Foods. Both Dean and the Friendlys restaurant operation rent space at the plant. Brothers S. Prestley and Curtis Blake founded Friendlys in 1935 with a single storefront in Springfields Pine Point neighborhood. Kmart stores on Northampton Street in Holyoke and Wilbraham Street in Palmer, as well as the closed Sears at the Eastfield Mall were recently sold to a company controlled by former Sears Holdings CEO Eddie Lampert as he buys whats left Sears and Kmart out of bankruptcy. All three transactions were recorded in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds. In an email Monday, Sears Holdings said there are no plans to close the Kmarts in Palmer and Holyoke. The Holyoke Kmart, built in 1968, sold for $7.6 million. The sale included 18 acres of land and includes parts of the adjoining plaza where the Sears Outlet scratch-and-dent store is. But it doesnt the restaurants in the outparcels or the Stop & Shop further south, according to Holyoke records. The Palmer Kmart, built in 1970, sold for $3 million, according to the deed. That parcel totals 14 acres and includes the adjoining plaza, according to Palmer records. The Eastfield Mall Sears, which closed in 2018, sold for $1.25 million. Sears owns 14 acres at the mall, including the shuttered store and the former Sears Auto building at Boston and Fernbank roads, according to Springfield records. Sears does not, and did not, own its former store in the Holyoke Mall. For the Holyoke Kmart, Palmer Kmart and Eastfield Sears, the sales mean is that former CEO Eddie Lampert will hold on to the stores, said Chuck Breidenbach, managing director of MDC Retail Properties Group. Briedenbach is spearheading MDC Mountain Development Corp. plans to redevelop the Eastfield Mall property. Mountain owns the property except for what Sears, and now Lamperts ESL Investments, own. Briedenbach said Monday that the transaction doesn't block those redevelopment plans for a mixed-use office, retail, and apartment complex that would be called Eastfield Commons. In October, Sears Holdings which also includes Kmart filed for bankruptcy after years of losses. Lampert, also the largest shareholder saved the Sears and from liquidation when he bought it through Transform Holdco, an affiliate of his hedge fund ESL Investments. In April, Sears biggest secured creditors sued Lampert saying that he caused the bankruptcy by unfairly profiting himself from deals Sears got involved with on his watch, including the selloff of the Lands End brand. Eastfield Mall and Mountain Development Corp. are also working on bringing a marijuana business to the mall. David Mech, president of Cannaworld Inc., of Springfield, wants to open at the former Macys at the Eastfield Mall. He is proposing to locate the retail store in a portion of the first floor at 1685 Boston Road, and the cultivation/manufacturing facility on the second floor. Eastfield Mall opened in 1967 and was Greater Springfields first enclosed mall. It featured local favorites Forbes & Wallace and Steigers along with Sears as anchors. Now, defunct Forbes & Wallace and Steigers gone along with Sears, Macys and JCPenney. The mall has a flea market, movie theater and few other businesses. AVENGERS: ENDGAME - THREE STARS - (PG-13) The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios grand conclusion to twenty-two films. Endgame, at its best moments, carries the thrill of classic comic-book twists and reversals. (181 min.) BREAKTHROUGH - TWO AND A HALF STARS - (PG) Based on a true story, When Joyce Smiths adopted son John falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope seems lost. Joyce refuses to give up and her steadfast belief inspires those around her to continue to pray for Johns recovery, even in the face of every case history and scientific prediction. (90 min.) DETECTIVE PIKACHU - ONE AND A HALF STARS - (PG) A neutered Ryan Reynolds tries hard but cant make this live action-meets-animated movie gel. Its plodding and listless and really not funny or smart enough. Live-action feature film adaptations of video games have proved a dicey proposition in the past. For every Mortal Kombat theres a Prince of Persia. This one just feels like a venal money grab from a mega corporation. (104 min.) DISNEYNATURE: PENGUINS - THREE STARS - (PG-13) A coming-of-age story about an Adelie penguin named Steve who joins millions of fellow males in the icy Antarctic spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, find a life partner and start a family. (76 min.) DUMBO - TWO AND A HALF STARS - (PG) Tim Burton delivers a thoroughly enjoyable love action remake of Disneys animated tale of a flying elephant. In the remake, differences are celebrated, family is cherished and dreams take flight. (100 min.) THE HUSTLE - not yet reviewed - (PG-13) Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway star as a pair of con artists plying their trade in a seaside town in the south of France. (93 min.) THE INTRUDER - ONE AND A HALF STARS - (PG-13) The thriller stars Michael Ealy and Meagan Good as a young couple who move into their dream home in Napa Valley after chancing upon a seller: the mysteriously eager and mysteriously clingy retiree and widower played by Dennis Quaid. (101 min.) LONG SHOT - THREE STARS - (R) A romantic comedy with a political edge starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen, as a woman with presidential ambitions falling for her speechwriter. (155 min.) MISSING LINK - TWO STARS - (PG) An animated buddy film as Mr. Link recruits fearless explorer Sir Lionel Frost to guide him on a journey to find his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La. (95 min.) PET SEMATARY - TWO AND A HALF STARS - (PG-13) An improvement over the 1989 version with plenty of chills, but still falls short of the impact delivered by the Stephen King novel. Amy Seimetz and Jason Clarke star. (110 min.) SHAZAM - THREE AND A HALF STARS - (PG-13 ) Shazam! is just a lightning bolt of unexpected joy that is certainly worth your time and money. A jaded 14-year-old Philadelphia foster kid, Billy Batson (Asher Angel), whos bestowed with superpowers.. As Shazam, hes physically altered into an adult and takes the form of Zachary Levi. But of course, even with his height, his muscles, his voice and even his powers, hes still very much a kid and has a lot to learn. (132 min.) US - THREE STARS - (R) Upon returning to their vacation home after a day at the beach, the Wilson family discovers the silhouette of four figures holding hands as they stand in the driveway. Us pits an endearing American family against a terrifying and uncanny opponent: Doppelgangers of themselves. (121 min.) WONDER PARK - TWO STARS - (PG) An animated tale of an amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June comes alive. It has a great premise, but takes a few too many dark loop-de-loops and crashes hard. If you pass this amusement park, (86 min.) (Star ratings based on The Washington Post, Associated Press, Rotten Tomatoes aggregation and Advance Digital reviews) This is the first of two stories about wineries in Chateauneuf Du Pape visited by the author this year in France. CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE, FRANCE - The remains of a large, stone fortress loom high over the village. Before you even reach Chateauneuf Du Pape, from practically any direction, the first thing you see is the ruins of the fortress perched high above. At night, the lights shining on the remains of the building give the village an other-worldly feel, as if the stone structure might rise up from the earth into the sky. During the day, this structure looks just as impressive, just as imposing whether youre driving or walking around Chateauneuf Du Papes narrow streets. And if you do drive into the maze of one-way streets in the village center, all roads seem to lead to this hilltop fortress. Centuries ago, this structure built in the 1300s served as part of the summer home of Pope John XXII, who reigned as pope in nearby Avignon during the 14th century. Nowadays, the shell of the former fortress serves as an impressive, familiar backdrop to this village famous for producing world-class wines. Just a short distance from this imposing fortress, youll find Domaine Roger Sabon, one of the best wine makers in Chateauneuf Du Pape known for making a wide range of outstanding, affordable wines. Ive long been a big fan of Domaine Roger Sabons wines, which range from remarkable red wines for under $10 a bottle to outstanding Chateauneuf Du Papes that can cost anywhere from $50 to $150 a bottle. A tasting at the winery this past January with Didier Negron, head winemaker at Domaine Roger Sabon, simply confirmed my admiration and respect for this remarkable winery. From the least expensive wines to the highest priced ones, all of them were outstanding from start to finish, including the highly-touted ones from the exceptional 2016 vintage. Listening to Negron talk about the wines and his approach towards making them, it was also easy to understand why Roger Sabons wines taste so great. A true gentleman and a joy to be around, Negron has a passion for perfection and pays close attention to every detail during the winemaking process. Whether its talking about which tanks they use to age the grapes, the size of the tanks or how long they age the wine in barrels or tanks, Negron sounded like a proud father as he talked about the different wines he helps create. The same goes for the differences from one vintage to the next. During our visit, Negron spoke with pride about the winerys 2016 and 2017 vintages. Every vintage we can play with the result, he said. Its interesting then to see the range and compare them. HISTORY OF CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE Chateauneuf was first settled in 10th century. But development of this small, hilltop village really took off in the 1200s when the Bishop of Avignon (whose territory include this village) received permission to allow salt shipped on the Rhone River to not be taxed if the boats landed in Chateauneuf. A century later, the village expanded even more when Pope John XXII made Chateauneuf Du Pape his summer home during his reign in nearby Avignon. The popes association with Chateauneuf is also the reason why Du Pape (French for from the pope) was added to the name of the village as well. HISTORY OF DOMAINE ROGER SABON The Sabon family has a long, storied history of making wine in Chateauneuf Du Pape. Members of the Sabon family have been producing wine here since the 1540s. They own and operate several wineries in the area, including Clos du Mont-Olivet, which makes one of my favorite wines for under $10 a bottle,La Sabonite ($8.99 at Table & Vine in West Springfield). The Roger Sabon winery was established in 1952. The winery produces wines made with grapes grown on both sides of the Rhone River in and around Chateauneuf Du Pape. On the left bank of the Rhone River in Chateauneuf Du Pape, the winery has 44 acres of vines in 14 different parcels. On the right bank of the Rhone River, the winery has 79 acres of vineyards in three different areas 30 acres in Lirac, 15 acres of Cotes Du Rhone and 34 acres of Vin De France vines. UNDERSTANDING CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE WINE Chateauneuf Du Pape can be confusing. That three-word phrase can mean two (actually three) completely different things the name of a village and the name of a specific type of wine. Chateauneuf Du Pape is a village in the southern Rhone region. Its also the name of a specific type of red wine from Chateauneuf Du Pape made using 13 specific grapes. Theres also a white wine made with grapes from Chateauneuf Du Pape. So if you see Chateauneuf Du Pape printed on a wine label, it probably means that wine is a red wine made using 13 specific grapes. But theres also a chance that wine might be a white wine from Chateauneuf Du Pape. Let me add that the village of Chateauneuf Du Pape and the Rhone region in general are famous for blending several different grapes together to make outstanding wines. WINES TASTED AT DOMAINE ROGER SABON WHITE WINES 2018 Roger Sabon Plaisir 75 2017 Roger Sabon Vin De France 2017 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Renaissance RED WINES 2017 Roger Sabon Rhone by Roger Sabon 2017 Roger Sabon Lirac by Roger Sabon 2017 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Prestige 2017 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Le Secret 2016 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Les Olivets 2016 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Reserve Cuvee 2016 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Prestige WINE TASTING NOTES WHITE WINES 2018 Roger Sabon Plaisir 75 Grapes Blend of several grapes Tasting Notes One of my highlights from Chateauneuf Du Pape. This incredibly dry white wine lingers in my mind like a haunting melody. Partly because the wines so affordable (less than $10 a bottle.) And also because Ive been unable to find this wine outside of France. Im not kidding when I say Im obsessed with tracking down this wine. Ive searched high and low in Massachusetts and New York State but to no avail. I almost hate writing about this wine since most readers wont be able to find it but its everything you dream about when it comes to a white wine dry, crisp, refreshing with a mineral-like finish and a touch of grapefruit and sea salt. In a perfect world, this subtle, elegant wine would be readily available everywhere. Sadly, I think well just have to keep on dreaming about this wine in the United States. 2017 Roger Sabon Vin De France Grapes Blend of several grapes Tasting Notes Another elegant, light, bright white wine that shines from the first to last sip. Hints of grapefruit and other citrus-like flavors gently emerge with each taste. Theres nothing cloying or confusing about this delicious white wine. Straightforward, direct and right on target. 2017 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Renaissance Grapes Roussanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc Tasting Notes The subtlest of the three white wines in this tasting. Here, the understated flavors contain hints of pears, lemons and peaches. There are also floral-like aromas and flavors in this graceful, elegant white wine. Like a good friend, this truly outstanding, unique wine is an absolute pleasure to spend time with, especially Im sure on a warm, summer afternoon. RED WINES 2017 Roger Sabon Rhone by Roger Sabon Grapes Grenache, Cinsualt, Syrah Tasting Notes It should come as no surprise that one of the best winemakers in the Rhone region produced this beautiful Cotes Du Rhone. On the lighter side compared to some of the more powerful wines produced by Roger Sabon, this wine still has a slightly austere finish and will definitely benefit from another 3 to 5 years of aging. But even now at this young age, the light fruit flavors (especially raspberry) have a long, intense finish. Costs roughly $20 a bottle. 2017 Roger Sabon Lirac by Roger Sabon Grapes Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Carignan Tasting Notes One of my favorite discoveries in the Rhone Region. I was not familiar with wines from the village of Lirac, which is located on the other side of the Rhone River near Chateauneuf Du Pape. This wine made me a true believer. Available for less than $10 a bottle in France and less than $20 in a small number of stores in the United States, this is a wine worth searching for. I love this wines soft, subtle finish with hints of dried cherries, raspberries and almonds. Let me add that its flavors linger long after each sip. Truly magnificent wine from a village that deserves far more attention. 2017 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Prestige Grapes Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Counoise, Vaccarese, Muscardin, Terret Noir and other grapes Tasting Notes Its almost not a fair fight to compare this wine to the first wine. As the name implies, this wine is real showstopper. Made in the traditional Chateauneuf Du Pape style, this wine oozes style from start to finish. I was also impressed by how subtle and understated this young wine tastes from start to finish. Lighter in flavor than some Chateauneuf Du Pape wines, this pleasant wine has a soft, subtle pepper-like finish with hints of soft raspberries and other subtle flavors. A true pleasure to drink. Costs roughly $65 a bottle. 2017 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Le Secret Grapes Grenache and other grapes Tasting Notes The secret is out. This stunning Chateauneuf Du Pape oozes style. Much of the attention recently has been directed towards the 2016 Chateauneuf Du Papes. But dont overlook soft, understated gem from 2017. If anything, you can enjoy the 2017s now and wait a few years to open some of the powerhouses from 2016. And when it comes to 2017 Chateauneuf Du Papes, this soft, subtle, refined gem hits all the right notes right now. Highly recommend. Costs roughly $150 a bottle. 2016 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Les Olivets Grapes Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and other grapes Tasting Notes The 2016 Chateauneuf Du Pape vintage for the villages famous red wines has widely been hailed as one of the best vintages in decades. Believe the hype. Normally, the best time to drink many Chateauneuf Du Pape red wines is 5 to 8 years after the vintage. And while I would still recommend waiting that long to enjoy these wines, theyre already drinking perfectly at such a young, ripe age. Lighter than air, softer than a passing breeze, the understated flavors in this relatively affordable gem (the wine costs roughly $40 a bottle) beautifully express the regions unique, rocky soil. Absolutely spectacular. 2016 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Reserve Cuvee Grapes Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault and other grapes Tasting Notes Need another reason to get excited about the 2016 Chateauneuf Du Papes? Heres one more. I barely took any notes while tasting this soft, subtle, understated wine. It was so elegant, I simply wanted to experience the wine and its delicate fruit flavors (especially raspberry and blackberry) without interruption. Like the other 2016 Chateauneuf Du Papes, this one will definitely get better with age. But its also absolutely magnificent right now. Costs roughly $45 a bottle. 2016 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Prestige Grapes Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Counoise, Vaccarese, Muscardin, Terret Noir and other grapes Tasting Notes Tasting three 2016 Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Papes side by side was a real treat. And this one was one of my favorites. The flavors in this complex wine come through as clear as a bell. Big yet subtle, I love the soft fruit notes (especially ripe raspberries) that slowly emerge with each sip. This was the last wine of the tasting. As a result, I can definitely say the tasting ended on a high note. Another beautiful 2016 Chateauneuf Du Pape from one of the best winemakers in the region. Costs roughly $50 a bottle and worth every penny. Cheers! Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republicans Weekend section every Thursday. The burgeoning cannabis industry is here in Massachusetts, where dispensaries stretch across the state following the 2016 legalization of marijuana. Since the openings of Cultivate in Leicester and New England Treatment Access in Northampton in November 2018, dozens of cannabis stores have opened their doors to adult users. The initial fanfare has died down since those first sales of recreational marijuana saw thousands of customers who waited in line for hours. In fewer than six months, adult retail sales topped $100 million. In 2019, dispensaries reported $420 million in sales. The cities and towns that house retail stores have collected millions in tax revenue. As more stores vie for licenses, Worcester County has seen the largest amount of approved licenses. Here is a list of all of the marijuana retail businesses currently open in Massachusetts, organized by county. Barnstable County: Curaleaf 170 Commercial St., Provincetown, Mass., 02657 Curaleaf opened for recreational sales in November 2019 in Oxford. It is the largest marijuana company in the country, operating in 14 states. In Provincetown, there is no on-site parking. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Curaleaf website Berkshire County: Over 30 representatives of the hospitality, tourism and other industries attended the forum "Canna Tourism in the Berkshires - What it Means for Your Business" held at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort at 37 Corey Road in Hancock, Massachusetts Thursday, June 14, 2018. (MIKE Plaisance/The Republican)MIKE PLAISANCE / THE REPUBLICAN Berkshire Roots 501 Dalton Avenue, Pittsfield, Mass., 01201 Berkshire Roots in Pittsfield describes itself as a vertically integrated seed to sale collocated dispensary owned and operated by local people. They brand themselves as the largest cannabis cultivator in Berkshire County. The store serves both recreational and medical marijuana products. Offers medical and recreational marijuana Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Medical patients only 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays Berkshire Roots website Silver Therapeutics 238 Main St., Williamstown, Mass., 01267 This new Williamstown dispensary just opened in April 2019, and promises to help customers achieve their wellness goals through quality cannabis. The dispensary focuses on recreational marijuana and says it is working on developing a cultivation site and dispensary in Orange. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Silver Therapeutics website Temescal Wellness 10 Callahan Drive, Pittsfield, Mass., 01201 Temescal Wellness has three locations across Massachusetts, including another retail store in Hudson and a medical dispensary in Framingham. The company, which has a cultivation facility in Worcester, says it prioritizes patient wellness, product quality and community to educate and inform the public on proper cannabis use. Temescal has a variety of products, but says more concentrates, capsules and flower strains will be sold in the near future. Offers medical and recreational marijuana products Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Sunday, when the shop is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Temescal Wellness website Customers crowd in after waiting on line in the cold on the opening day of recreational marijuana sales at Theory Wellness in Great Barrington, Mass., Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. (Stephanie Zollshan/The Berkshire Eagle via AP)AP Theory Wellness 394 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, Mass., 01230 Theory Wellness was the first marijuana retail store to open in Berkshire County. The company has prioritized social equity, launching a program that will give an economic empowerment entrepreneur a zero-interest loan and cannabis inventory on consignment. The marijuana products are produced at the companys in-house state-of-the-art facility and are sold at the Great Barrington location and the medical-only location in Bridgewater. Offers recreational and medical marijuana products Hours: Monday through Thursday the shop is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. From Friday to Sunday, the shop is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Theory Wellness website Canna Provisions 220 Housatonic Street, Lee, Mass. 01238 Canna Provisions in Lee is comprised of a team that has worked in Colorado and the northeast. They represent cannabis industry experts and pioneers who want to provide friendly outposts for residents and visitors, according to the companys website. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: Every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Canna Provisions website Bloom Brothers 2 Larch St., Pittsfield, Mass., 01201 Bloom Brothers was founded by three brothers from Berkshire County and sells cannabis provided by licensed cultivators and manufacturers in Massachusetts, according to its website. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Bloom Brothers website The Pass 1375 Main St., Sheffield, Mass., 01257 The pass says its dispensary is inside an airy, modern barn, featuring products from The Pass and partners. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: Daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Pass website Bristol County: Northeast Alternatives, Inc. 999 William Canning Boulevard, Fall River, Mass., 02721 Northeast Alternatives in Fall River brands itself as a customer-oriented marijuana business committed to innovation and community. The business, located only in Fall River, opened in January 2019 and promotes the life-changing benefits of marijuana through its flower, edible, concentrate and topical products. Offers medical and recreational marijuana products Hours: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday noon to 9 p.m. Northeast Alternatives website Solar Therapeutics, Inc. 1400 Brayton Point Road, Somerset, Mass., 02725 Solar Therapeutics has a retail facility in Somerset and another one planned for Seekonk. The Somerset facility has more than 100 parking spaces. The company seeks to operate with a smaller energy footprint and says that by owning its microgrid assets with a combination of solar arrays, battery storage and cogeneration units, it can offset at least 60% of its carbon emissions. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Solar Therapeutics website Hope Heal Health, Inc. 1 West St., Fall River, Mass., 02720 Hope Heal Health calls itself a modern medical marijuana dispensary with options for recreational customers and medical patients. The dispensary has a wheelchair-accessible area and elevators. Offers recreational and medical marijuana Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day Hope Heal Health website Essex County: - The front entrance to Alternative Therapies Group. (Gintautas Dumcius | MassLive)(Gintautas Dumcius | MassLive) Alternative Therapies Group 50 Grove St., Salem, Mass., 01970 107 Elm St., Salisbury, Mass., 01952 49 Macy St., Amesbury, Mass., 01913 Alternative Therapies Group struck early in Massachusetts marijuana market. It was the first medical dispensary in the state in 2015, the third retail marijuana store to open in Massachusetts in December 2018, and the first retail location in the eastern part of the state. Offers recreational marijuana; Salem also offers medical marijuana Hours: 9 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. every day Alternative Therapies Group website Apothca 491 Lynnway, Lynn, Mass. 01905 Apothca is a medical and adult-use cannabis facility in Lynn that says it has 50 years of combined experience in its 26-acre cultivation, extraction and kitchen facility. The company also has a recreational dispensary in Eugene, Oregon, and a non-psychoactive cultivation (or hemp/CBD) license in Colombia. Offers recreational and medical marijuana Hours: Every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Apothca website INSA 462 Highland Avenue, Salem, Mass., 01970 INSA has several locations across Massachusetts, including this retail shop in Salem. According to the companys CEO, the INSA name reflects a conflation of the cannabis strains indica and sativa." Offers recreational marijuana Hours: 9 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. every day INSA website Stem, a recreational marijuana store in downtown Haverhill, opened during the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Sarah Gates Photography. Stem 124 Washington St., Haverhill, Mass., 01832 Stem opened in downtown Haverhill during the coronavirus pandemic and is the second economic empowerment applicant to open in Massachusetts. During the pandemic, customers must make appointments. Recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday noon to 7 p.m. Stem website Fine Fettle 116 Newburyport Turnpike, Rowley Mass., 01969 Fine Fettle opened in Rowley in June 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. Hours may be different during the pandemic. Recreational and medical marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Fine Fettle website Mission Dispensary 401 East Main St., Georgetown, Mass., 01833 Mission Dispensary, owned by 4Front Ventures, a multi-state cannabis operator and retailer, opened in August 2020 for retail sales in Georgetown. Recreational and medical marijuana Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mission Dispensary website Happy Valley 39 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, Mass., 01930 Happy Valley opened for adult-use sales in August 2020, a stones throw from the areas beaches and lighthouses. Recreational and medical marijuana Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Happy Valley website Cape Ann Cannabis 300 Newburyport Turnpike, Unit 1, Rowley, Mass., 01969 Cape Ann Cannabis is open in Rowley with a biologist-led team. Recreational marijuana Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Cape Ann Cannabis website Franklin County: 4/2/2019 -Greenfield- Patriot Care has opened a retail marijuana dispensary in Greenfield, the first one in Franklin County. This is a view inside the facility. (Don Treeger / The Republican) Patriot Care 7 Legion Avenue, Greenfield, Mass., 01301 Patriot Care opened retail operations in Greenfield on April 2, 2019. The facility promises to be in Greenfield for the long-term and is now offering similar products as the Patriot Care location in Lowell. Mayor William Martin, who served as the first customer at the Greenfield shop, said Patriot Care was the first to scout the city when other sellers initially ignored the area. Greenfield has now authorized eight licenses for recreational marijuana sales. Offers medical and recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Patriot Care website 253 Farmacy 253 Millers Falls Road, Turners Falls, Mass., 01376 253 Farmacy calls itself a deli-style cannabis marketplace. The companys cannabis farm is located on-site in the Turners Falls part of Montague. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 253 Farmacy website Silver Therapeutics 5 South Main Street, Orange, Mass., 10364 Silver Therapeutics, which also has a location in Williamstown, has opened in Orange. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: Daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Silver Therapeutics website Hampden County: Mass Alternative Care, Inc. 1247 East Main St., Chicopee, Mass., 01020 Mass Alternative Care says it creates small-batch cannabis with in-house flower cultivated in its Chicopee facility, as well as local products sourced from other parts of Massachusetts. The company first opened for medical marijuana in September 2018. Offers medical and recreational marijuana Hours: Closed Monday, open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and open noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Mass Alternative Care website Theory Wellness 672 Fuller Road, Chicopee, Mass., 01020 Theory Wellness Chicopee location offers 24-hour pre-order services. Orders placed between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. must be picked up the same day. Orders placed after 7 p.m. will be available for pick-up the following day, according to the companys website. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Theory Wellness website Cannabis Connection, Inc. 40 Westfield Industrial Park Westfield, Mass., 01085 Cannabis Connection has opened in Westfield during the coronavirus pandemic. Recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cannabis Connection website Boston Bud Factory 73 Sargeant St, Holyoke, Mass., 01040 Boston Bud Factory opened in Holyoke in summer 2020. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday through Sunday Boston Bud Factory website CannaProvisions 380 Dwight Street, Holyoke, Mass., 01040 CannaProvisions, which also has a retail store in Lee, has opened in Holyoke. Recreational marijuana Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday CannaProvisions website Hampshire County: The INSA cannabis dispensary in Easthampton (Mary Serreze) INSA Pleasant St., Easthampton, Mass., 01027 INSA became the second major marijuana retailer to open in Western Massachusetts in late 2018. According to its CEO, the name reflects a conflation of the cannabis strains indica and sativa." The company also has a medical dispensary in Springfield. The store offers flower, concentrate, edibles, pre-rolled joints and more in the historic Keystone Mill buildings. Offers medical and recreational marijuana products Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day; open late until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday INSA website - The first legal recreational sale of marijuana took place Tuesday Morning at the NETA facility in Northampton. These are NETA employees making test purchases after the first sale was made to Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz. These were legal purchases. (Don Treeger / The Republican)(Don Treeger / The Republican) New England Treatment Access 118 Conz St., Northampton Mass., 01060 The Northampton location of New England Treatment Access opened on the same day as Cultivate in November 2018, becoming the first two stores to formally sell retail marijuana products in Massachusetts. The store also saw massive crowds as customers flocked to buy cannabis products, and the sales paid off well for Northampton, too: the city collected more than $700,000 in tax revenues from the business. NETA Northampton offers similar pot products as its newer retail counterpart in Brookline. Offers medical and recreational marijuana products Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day NETA website Rise Holdings, Inc. 169 Meadow Street, Amherst, Mass., 01002 Rise sells medical and recreational cannabis in six states across the country. Offers medical and recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Rise website Colonial Cannabis Company 34 Bridge St., Northampton, Mass., 01060 Colonial Cannabis opened during the coronavirus pandemic and plans to open another location in Pittsfield. During the pandemic, customers are asked to order ahead with the online menu and reserve a pickup time. Recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 8 p.m. Colonial Cannabis Company website Curaleaf 124 West Street, Unit D, Ware, Mass., 01082 Curaleaf, which also has locations in Oxford and Provincetown, has opened in Ware. Recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Curaleaf website CannaProvisions 74 Cottage St., Easthampton, Mass., 01027 CannaProvisions, which also has locations in Holyoke and Lee, is open in Easthampton. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. CannaProvisions website Middlesex County: Gage Cannabis Company 38 Littleton Road, Ayer, Mass., 01432 Located in Ayer, Gage Cannabis Company chose a name that pays homage to the nickname for cannabis used in the jazz community of the early 1900s, according to the companys website. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Gage Cannabis Company website Patriot Care 70 Industrial Avenue East, Lowell, Mass., 01852 Patriot Care has two retail licenses for stores in Greenfield and Lowell, as well as a medical license in Boston, where it opened a dispensary in 2016. The company says its goal is to redefine the perception of cannabis for experienced and new users and promises quality, comfort and affordable prices at its stores. Offers medical and recreational marijuana products Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Patriot Care website Temescal Wellness is set to begin selling recreational marijuana at its Hudson dispensary on Wednesday. Temescal Wellness 252 Coolidge St., Hudson, Mass., 01749 The opening of Temescal Wellness in Hudson in mid-February of 2019 marked the first MetroWest retail marijuana operation outside of Boston. The store offers a wide variety of products, similar to its offerings at the Pittsfield location. Following a parking dispute, customers can only access the store by way of parking in a satellite lot and taking a shuttle, unless they are handicapped or a medical marijuana card holder. Offers medical and recreational marijuana products Hours: Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Sunday, when the shop is open 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Temescal Wellness website Garden Remedies 697 Washington St, Newton, Mass., 02458 416 Boston Post Road East, Marlborough, Mass., 01752 Garden Remedies started selling medical cannabis in 2016 and more recently started adult-use sales. The company has private consultation rooms for customers who are looking for privacy to ask questions about cannabis use, according to its website. Garden Remedies sells medical and recreational marijuana Hours: In Newton, Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; In Marlborough, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Garden Remedies Cultivate has opened in Framingham, its second location after opening in Leicester in 2018, for recreational marijuana sales. Photo by John Horner Photography. Cultivate 250 Worcester Road, Framingham, Mass., 01702 Cultivate Holdings opened in Framingham, its second location, during the coronavirus pandemic. Cultivate was one of the first two stores to sell recreational marijuana in Massachusetts, opening in Leicester in November 2018. During the pandemic, customers are asked to make a reservation before coming to the store. Recreational and medical marijuana Hours: Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cultivate website Natures Remedy of Massachusetts, Inc. 420 Middlesex Road, Tyngsborough, Mass., 01879 Natures Remedy opened in Tyngsborough during the coronavirus pandemic. The company also has a location in Millbury. Recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Natures Remedy website Temescal Wellness 665 Cochituate Road, Suite 1B, Framingham, MA 01701 Temescal Wellness, which also has locations in Pittsfield and Hudson, has opened for adult-use in Framingham. Offers adult-use and medical marijuana Hours: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Temescal Wellness website Nantucket County: The Green Lady Dispensary, Inc. 11 Amelia Drive, Nantucket, Mass., 02554 Nantuckets first dispensary, family-owned The Green Lady Dispensary is also minority- and women-owned. The facility, located 30 miles out in the Atlantic, has an indoor cannabis grow system powered by LED grow lights to reduce electric consumption. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: Closed Monday and open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The Green Lady Dispensary website Norfolk County: NETA Brookline will expand its existing dispensary on Washington Street to recreational sales starting March 23, 2019. New England Treatment Access 160 Washington St., Brookline, Mass., 02445 The Brookline location for New England Treatment Access attracted more than 2,000 customers when it opened for retail operations in March. The opening marked the first recreational marijuana sales in Greater Boston, and the first retail location available by public transportation. NETA was one of the first retail stores to open with its Northampton location. The Brookline shop is located in an old bank, and owners kept in tact the historic buildings design. Offers medical and recreational marijuana products Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. NETA website CommCan, Inc. 1525 Main Street, Millis, Mass., 02054 CommCan has a recreational cannabis store in Millis and a medical-only facility in Southborough. The company is run by native Massachusetts residents without any outside consultants, investors or management companies, according to its website. Offers recreational and medical marijuana Hours: Every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. CommCan website Sanctuary Medicinals 1351 Beacon St., Brookline, Mass., 02446 Sanctuary Medicinals opened in Brookline in August 2020 in the Coolidge Corner neighborhood. Its the first Sanctuary location in Massachusetts that is adult-use only. It is currently open for reserve-ahead only. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Sanctuary Medicinals Plymouth County: Verilife 112 Main St., Wareham, Mass., 02571 Verilife opened in Wareham as the first marijuana retailer in southeastern Massachusetts -- between Boston and Providence -- in late 2018. The business, owned by Chicago-based parent company Pharmacann, promotes customer service, education and patient care. Like some competitors, Verilife offers pick-up services and medical marijuana delivery. Offers medical and recreational marijuana products Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day; Medical sales limited from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Verilife website In Good Health, Inc. 1200 West Chestnut Street, Brockton, Mass. 02301 In Good Health offers medical and recreational marijuana inside a 16,000-square-foot facility in Brockton. Offers medical and recreational marijuana Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day In Good Health website M3 Ventures, Inc. 9 Collins Ave., Plymouth, Mass., 02360 Doing business as Triple M, the company is locally owned and operated. All of Triple Ms products are grown and processed in Plymouth. The company has a medical-only business in Mashpee. Offers medical and recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m. M3 Ventures website CannaVanna 256 Weymouth St., Rockland, Mass., 02370 CannaVanna opened in August 2020 in Rockland. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. CannaVanna website Suffolk County: 49 Pure Oasis in Dorchester is opening as Boston's first marijuana shop Pure Oasis 430 Blue Hill Ave., Boston, Mass. 02121 Pure Oasis opened March 9, 2020, in the Grove Hall part of Dorchester, not only Bostons first recreational marijuana shop, but also the first to open with a license through the Cannabis Control Commissions economic empowerment program, which was created to help people disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. Offers recreational marijuana Hours: Open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., though customers will not be permitted to register with security for entry after 7:30 p.m. Pure Oasis website Berkshire Roots 253 Meridian Street, East Boston, Mass., 02128 Berkshire Roots, which already has a location in Pittsfield, opened in East Boston in summer 2020, becoming the citys second adult-use store. The store is currently offering online ordering. Recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Berkshire Roots website Worcester County: Carolines Cannabis 640 Douglas St., Uxbridge, Mass., 01569 Carolines Cannabis opened in Uxbridge last month as the first independent mom and pop retail cannabis store in Massachusetts. Business owner Caroline Frankel described her shops aesthetic as a country-inspired cannabis boutique" that has a different feel from the other marijuana stores led by big businesses. Caroline competes with the larger companies, selling seven flower strains, edibles, concentrates, tinctures and topical products. Offers only recreational marijuana products Hours: Closed Monday, open Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Carolines Cannabis website Stephen Mandile, right, an Iraq War veteran from Uxbridge is the first to purchase recreational marijuana at the Cultivate dispensary in Leicester on Nov. 20, the first day of legal sales in Massachusetts.Stephen Senne / AP Cultivate Holdings 1764 Main St., Leicester, Mass., 01524 Cultivate in Leicester had the distinct honor of making the first retail marijuana sale in the state. Cultivate opened in Massachusetts on Nov. 20, 2018, becoming the first of many stores to sell to recreational customers. More than 1,000 customers showed up on the first day, many from across the state and beyond. The Leicester location grows all of its marijuana flower on-site and offers a wide variety of products. Offers medical and recreational marijuana products Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day Cultivate website Good Chemistry in Worcester, Mass. Good Chemistry 9 Harrison St., Worcester, Mass., 01604 Good Chemistry, a company based in Colorado, opened its doors in Worcester, promising high-quality cannabis products as the citys first retail marijuana operation, co-locating its recreational operation with its existing medical dispensary on Harrison Street. Offers medical and recreational marijuana products Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Good Chemistry website Natures Remedy 266 North Main St., Millbury, Mass., 01527 Natures Remedy opened its doors in Millbury on Sept. 27, week of Gov. Charlie Baker announced the temporary ban on the sale of vaping products. The company has a full menu of flower, edibles, topicals and other cannabis products, and is looking to open a second adult-use dispensary in Tyngsborough in early 2020. Offers both medical and recreational products Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Natures Remedy website Sanctuary Medicinals 16 Pearson Boulevard, Gardner, Mass., 01440 Sanctuary Medicinals recently opened its retail operations in Gardner, priding itself on growing and selling premium-quality marijuana. The company is planting seeds all over southern New England, with three more medical dispensaries opening this year in Danvers, Woburn and Conway, New Hampshire, and another retail space opening this year in Brookline. Sanctuary Medicinals already has a medical dispensary opened in Plymouth. Offers medical and recreational marijuana products Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sanctuary Medicinals website NJCI A dispensary associate helps a customer at Curaleaf in Bellmawr. Curaleaf is among 6 dispensaries licensed to sell medical cannabis in the state. Bellmawr, N.J., 5/16/2018. (Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) NJ Advance Media for NJ.comNJ Advance Media for NJ.com Curaleaf 425 Main Street, Oxford, Mass., 01540 Curaleaf opened for recreational sales in November 2019, asking customers to make an appointment online first. It is the largest marijuana company in the country, operating in 14 states. Medical and recreational marijuana sales Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Curaleaf website Diem, a recreational marijuana store, opened in Worcester on June 12. Photo courtesy of Diem. Diem 74 Grafton St., Worcester, Mass. 01604 Diem opened during the coronavirus pandemic, becoming Worcesters second recreational marijuana store. Recreational marijuana Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Diem website Verilife 939 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury, Mass., 01545 Verilife, which already has a retail store in Wareham, has opened in Shrewsbury. Offers recreational and medical marijuana Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily Verilife website Resinate 1191 Millbury Street, Worcester, Mass., 01607 Resinate opened in Worcester in 2020 for medical and adult-use marijuana sales. Offers recreational and medical marijuana Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Resinate website 23 Bud's Goods and Provisions in Worcester hopes to normalize cannabis Buds Goods & Provisions 64 West Boylston St., Worcester, Mass., 01606 Buds Goods opened in fall 2020. Alex Mazin wanted to restore a Worcester 1930s building while working to normalize cannabis. Two Massachusetts companies Brooks Brothers and DesignWerkes have been fined $5,000 each and required to remove from their job applications questions about applicants criminal histories. Attorney General Maura Healeys office also sent warnings to 17 other companies requiring them to remove similar questions from their job applications. In 2010, Massachusetts passed a ban the box law, which prohibits an initial job application from asking applicants about their criminal records. (There are exceptions for jobs where federal or state law disqualifies someone from the job due to their criminal history.) Certain questions cannot be asked at any point during the job application process for example, about criminal cases that did not end in a conviction or about misdemeanor cases that are more than three years old. The goal of the law was to help people reentering society after a criminal conviction find work. Healey said her office identified 19 companies that were still asking about applicants criminal histories on initial job applications questions like whether they had ever been convicted of violating the law, whether they had ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor other than a minor traffic violation, and whether they had ever been convicted of a felony. At Brooks Brothers, a clothing designer with 11 locations in Massachusetts, and DesignWerkes, a product design and manufacturing company in Amesbury, Healeys investigation identified actual harm to job applicants from the policy. Both companies agreed to pay $5,000 to the state and come into compliance with the law. The other companies were sent warning letters. The companies informed Healeys office that they will remove the questions from their job applications. Too many people who have paid their debt to society still face barriers to even landing an interview, Healey said in a statement. "These actions are an effort to give all job applicants a fair chance. The Boston Bar Association said in a statement that it supports Healeys enforcement efforts. We agree that people shouldnt continue to suffer adverse employment consequences long after they have paid their debt to society, said Michael Avitzur, a spokesman for the Boston Bar Association, in a statement. The businesses that received warning letters are: The Abbey, Changsho, Sav-Mor Spirits, Passage to India, Tags Ace Hardware and Porter Square Wine Spirits, all in Cambridge; Danvers Fresh Market; Dellaria Salons and Yogibo in Braintree; iFixYouri and Marimekko in Boston; Le Creuset and Snappy Kitchen in Somerville; Party Favors and a UPS Store franchise in Brookline; Roots Corporation; and ProActive Business Solutions, a California-based company that does business in Massachusetts. SPRINGFIELD - Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni called the latest rape charge against Springfield native George Perrot avoidable because in his opinion Perrot should never have been released from prison. Gulluni, reacting to news that Perrot, 50, is facing new charges in Lawrence for rape, assault and battery on a police officer and other offenses in connection with a reported sexual assault on a woman in January. Perrot is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Essex Superior Court. The new charges come three years after the courts overturned Perrots 1987 conviction and life sentence for rape. As a result, he was released from prison after serving 30 years. Gulluni said his office opposed Perrots release and maintains he was he was guilty as charged Not only was the motion requesting a new trial in 2016 vigorously fought by the Hampden District Attorneys Office, but so were the first two jury trials, three appeals, and the multiple motions for post-conviction relief since his arrest on these matters in the 1980s,Gulluni said in a prepared statement. We have and do continue to maintain the position that George Perrot committed several heinous offenses of elderly female victims, he said. Regrettably, there is another victim who has now allegedly suffered at his hands three decades later. Perrot, 50, was convicted in 1987 for raping a 78-year-old woman and for a number of break-ins and attacks on woman in Springfield during 1985. He was sentenced to life in prison, but the courts awarded him a new trial in 1990 after the courts ruled prosecutors improperly presented evidence in the trial and that influence the jury. He was again convicted and sentenced to life following the second trial in 1992. That second conviction relied on an FBI forensic expert who performed analysis of hair samples found at the scene of the 1985 rape and testified that they matched samples of Perrots hair. Perrot filed another appeal, and in 2016, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court determined the testimony exceeded the foundational science of hair analysis. The guilty verdict was overturned and court ordered a third trial. After three decades in jail, his cause was championed by The Innocence Project, a program at the Cardozo School of Law that seeks to exonerate the wrongly convicted, and the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University. The District Attorneys Office decided not to prosecute a third trial because prosecutors decided with the victim dead, and many of the investigators either dead or retired, and winning a conviction would be nearly impossible. ORANGE - A 19-year-old driver from Concord who is accused of fleeing the scene of a fatal crash Saturday in Erving was ordered held on $10,000 bail at his arraignment Monday in Orange District Court. Andrej Oljaca, 19, entered an innocent plea at his arraignment, said Mary Carey, communications director for Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan. Oljaca is charged with motor vehicular homicide by negligent operation, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, marked lanes violation, receiving a stolen motor vehicle and using a motor vehicle without permission. Carey said Oljaca is due to appear in court again on June 28. As a condition of his release if he makes bail, he was also ordered not to drive. He is accused of being the driver of a box truck involved in a two-vehicle crash on Route 63 that killed Philip Reed, 68, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Prosecutors said Oljaca had taken the truck without permission in Concord and had driven to Franklin County. While driving on Route 63 just before 7 a.m. he had apparently fallen asleep at the wheel and crossed over into the oncoming lane. After the crash, he ran screaming into the woods, and refused to come out from where he was hiding until police threatened to use a Taser on him. SPRINGFIELD Donald Courtemanche, former executive director of the Springfield Business Improvement District, was described Monday as a strong advocate for economic development and historic preservation who will be forever missed. Several people who knew Courtemanche, 41, confirmed his death Monday. A resident of Springfield, hed worked as a Realtor with Sears Real Estate since 2015, and was on the Board of Directors of the Springfield Preservation Trust. We are beyond devastated to report the passing of our friend and past President Don Courtemanche, the Springfield Preservation Trust said in statement posted on its Facebook page. Courtemanche was elected president of the Springfield Preservation Trust in 2014 and held the position for five years, leaving an indelible mark on us in the work he did at the Trust and friendships he made, and the people he came in contact with at SPT events, the nonprofit said. He will be forever missed please keep him and his family, friends, and friends here at the Trust in your thoughts and prayers, the organization said. Courtemanche was the Springfield Business Improvement Districts executive director for four years. He left in 2014, when he accepted a job as director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, where he worked for two years. Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., joined in praising Courtemanche. "Obviously, he was very committed to local economic development," Sullivan said. "It was a real passion he had. He really saw the importance of creating jobs and having vibrant local economy, particularly recognizing the importance of small business." Information was not yet available regarding funeral arrangements. We are certainly very sad for Dons family, said Brian Sears, co-owner of Sears Real Estate. He will certainly be missed in the real estate community, but especially by Sears Real Estate. The city of Springfield has lost someone who was beloved and loved historic preservation." Sears said Courtmanches work continued the Sears tradition of selling beautiful historic homes. SPRINGFIELD Freddy Rosario on Monday pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit breaking and entering in the nighttime. He was sentenced by Hampden Superior Court Judge Francis E. Flannery to five years probation, which is what the defense lawyer requested. The prosecutor wanted two years in jail with one year to be served and the rest suspended with probation. Rosario, of Springfield, was in on the planning of what was supposed to be a break in and larceny of the house of a known marijuana dealer in Palmer. Rosario drove 48-year-old Benny Flores to the address on Feb. 11, 2018. The resident, Dimitri Bryant, was home and Flores ended up dead. Flores entered Bryants house with a gun. Bryant got hold of Flores gun and shot him, Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth said. He said Rosario fled in the car after Flores was shot. Rosario was apprehended Feb. 21 by Baltimore police when found riding in a vehicle that had been reported stolen. Rosario, a passenger, told officers he was wanted in Massachusetts, and he was arrested. He waived rendition and was brought back to Massachusetts. Defense lawyer Daniel R. Bergin said at the time Rosario agreed to drive Flores to Palmer, he had a pretty significant addiction to pain pills. He said since his arrest, while on pretrial release, Rosario has done inpatient drug treatment and has been sober since Feb. 19, 2018. 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. A New Bedford police sergeant is being held without bail on allegations that he tracked his ex-wifes movements with a GPS device, stole her minivan and smashed its windows. Sgt. Joshua Fernandes is scheduled to have a dangerousness hearing on Wednesday and is expected to face charges of assault and battery, vehicle larceny and damaging property, South Coast Today reported. MassLive has reached out to the Bristol District Attorneys Office for comment. Prosecutors said in court that Fernandes followed his ex-wife to a Seekonk restaurant where she was meeting with a friend, South Coast Today reported. He had allegedly installed a GPS device in her vehicle to monitor her movements. On arrival at the restaurant, Fernandes allegedly slashed the friends tires and used a key to take his ex-wifes minivan. He allegedly drove the van to a rest area and smashed its windows, according to South Coast Today. He was arrested over the weekend by Massachusetts State Police. Fernandes has been placed on paid administrative leave. DORCHESTER State Police arrested three men and confiscated three duct-taped bricks of fentanyl following a six-month investigation into opioid trafficking. Pablo Alberto Arias Herrera, 48, of Dorchester, and Omar Medina-Santiago, 31, and Julio Missael Ramirez Peguero, 26, both of Roslindale, are scheduled to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on Monday. Each was charged with trafficking in a Class A substance and conspiracy to violate drug laws, Massachusetts State Police said. During the arrest, investigators confiscated fentanyl bricks wrapped in duct tape which weighed more than three kilograms. The drug is a synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, police said. The arrest culminates an investigation targeting a fentanyl trafficking organization operating around Boston. It began late 2018 and was conducted by troopers assigned to the Suffolk State Police Dtective Unit and members of the federal Homeland Security Investigations Boston Strike Force, police said. The investigation established that three suspects would be in possession of three kilograms of fentanyl on Friday, police said. The men were arrested at South Bay Plaza in Dorchester and detectives found the drugs in a backpack, police said. Each suspect also had outstanding warrants for narcotics offenses. They were held in custody over the weekend, police said. SPRINGFIELD The SABIS International Charter School Board of Trustees is holding a special meeting Tuesday to discuss the schools future. The meeting is calling for community input to discuss several options for the future of the school, including what has been termed self-governance. The public meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the school on 160 Joan St. Including in the options is if the school should be self-managed or if a new management company should be used in the future. Trustees will also ask families what management firm should be hired if parents and the public feel that is the proper way to run the school, according to a notice posted by Olivia Kynard, secretary of the Board of Trustees. A management change could be dramatic since SABIS International has been running the school since it opened 24 years ago. For all charter schools statewide, the Board of Trustees is holds the charter with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and has the final say on how it is run, said Jacqueline Reis, spokeswoman for the state department of education. In some charter schools the Board of Trustees decides to run the school on its own, in other cases it may hire a management firm. Some Board of Trustees have started with a management firm and then changed to running it on their own, usually after a few years. There are all kinds of different models, she said. In Springfield, the Board of Trustees hires SABIS Educational Services to run the school. The management contract will expire at the end of the next school year, said Amy Wesley, executive director of marketing and communications for the company. Wesley said the company learned about the planned discussion about management Friday, the same time parents heard about the meeting. As most everyone else, he are hoping for a good crowd of people and a sharing of ideas, she said. The companys current contract will expire at the end of the next school year. While there is natural debate between the managers and Board of Trustees, Wesley said she isnt aware of any serious problems. There havent been significant issues brought to the table, she said. SABIS also runs the Holyoke Community Charter School and the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell in Massachusetts. Contracts for both schools have been renewed recently, she said said. Several former city leaders including past School Superintendent Peter Negroni and former Mayor Robert Markel are expected to travel here to speak about proposed changes. The notice has sent a wave of worry throughout the school community, said City Councilor Adam Gomez, who has a son in the fourth grade at SABIS and several nieces and nephews in the school. Gomez said he plans to attend the meeting as a parent to find out more information about the Board of Trustees plans. "I don't know what the board is trying to accomplish or do," he said. "I feel like some of the board members are not doing their due diligence." Most parents who have children at the school are hoping they will graduate from the school. SABIS has a track record of kids doing well there, Gomez said. Springfield SABIS school is one of the oldest charter schools in the state. Currently there are 1,577 students in kindergarten through grade 12. Students in high school are exceeding state performance on the MCAS exam with 95 percent performing proficient or above in English while the state average is 91 percent. In math 97 percent score proficient or above compared to 78 percent statewide and in science 86 percent score proficient or higher compared to 74 percent statewide. But in grades three through eight students are only partially meeting targets. In math 23 percent of students meet or exceed expectations opposed to 48 percent statewide and in English 36 percent meet or exceed expectations while 48 percent meet them statewide. ERVING A Concord teen reportedly faces charges in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a New Hampshire man Saturday. Mary Carey, spokeswoman for the Northwestern District Attorneys office, told WWLP that 19-year-old Andrej Oljaca will be arraigned Monday in connection with a crash that killed 68-year-old Phillip Reed of Hindsdale, New Hampshire. Carey said the two-vehicle crash occurred about at 6:45 a.m. on Route 63. Oljaca faces a number of charges including motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation. This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted as soon as it is available. BELCHERTOWN The School Committee has narrowed the field of candidates to replace Karol Coffin as school superintendent to two finalists. Belchertown Assistant Superintendent Brian Cameron, and Woodbury B. Clift, director of the Department of Youth Services Education Initiative at the Collaborative for Education Services based in Northampton, are being considered for the post. Cameron earned a masters degree in Education Administration from Springfield College in 2002, while Clift earned a Ph.D at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in Education Policy, Leadership and Administration in 2016. Both candidates were interviewed Friday night. The School Committee is scheduled to convene a special meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m., at Chestnut Hill Community School and make their choice. Earlier this year, Coffin announced that she planned to retire. Massachusetts lawmakers are preparing to consider whether to ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving and the policy has more support this year than in the past. The Massachusetts Senate passed hands-free bills in 2016 and 2017. But this year, for the first time, House leadership is also supportive. The Democratic-led Senate intends to take up a bill this Thursday banning the use of handheld phones while driving. House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, said Monday that the House could vote on a version of the bill the following week. Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, supports the idea as well. DeLeo said the House bill will address both distracted driving and concerns about racial profiling. Its my hope we take it up next Wednesday, thats my goal right now, DeLeo said. Baker said, Im optimistic based on the fact that there seems to be a conceptual agreement that this is something that would be good to get done. Baker acknowledged that concerns related to racial profiling are legitimate ones and hard ones to deal with. Banning the use of handheld phones while driving has long been a priority of advocates concerned about road safety. Although Massachusetts already banned texting while driving, the police say it is hard to know whether someone holding a phone is texting or making a call. The bill that the Senate will vote on Thursday, S.2216, would ban the use of a handheld phone while driving. Drivers could still use phones in hands-free mode. There would be an exception for public safety for example, if someone needs to call the police to report a driver acting erratically, a crash, a broken down car or a pedestrian in trouble. Someone stopped for using a cell phone while driving would be punished with a $100 fine for a first offense, a $250 fine for a second offense and a $500 fine for subsequent offenses. The ticket could be reflected in a drivers insurance premiums. Civil rights advocates have raised concerns that police would racially profile offenders and would be more likely to pull over black or Hispanic drivers than white drivers. The bill would require law enforcement to gather racial, ethnic, gender and age data on each traffic stop and document how each stop was resolved. Senators have introduced 29 amendments in advance of Thursdays debate. To become law, the bill must pass the Senate and the House. Any differences between the two bills would then have to be reconciled before a bill goes to Baker for his signature. This year, Baker has also been pushing for the passage of a hands-free bill. He introduced his own bill that would ban the use of handheld phones while driving and make several other changes to improve road safety. Bakers bill would also allow the police to pull someone over for not wearing a seatbelt, expand the use of interlock ignition devices for drunk drivers, establish mandatory temporary lower speed limits in construction zones, and require state-owned trucks to install safety equipment to prevent pedestrian and bike fatalities. The Senate version of the hands-free bill does not include any of Bakers other proposals. For years, Ethel Everett handled 30 to 35 homes at a time as a family resource worker with the Department of Children and Families in Springfield. Everett was the liaison between the department and the foster parents, there to help them navigate the system. But Everett said families could not always reach her to discuss a childs placement. She rarely had time to attend foster care reviews, to support the foster parents as their childs placement was discussed. In cases when parents called struggling to handle a child after Everett had already made her monthly visit, she said: A lot of times its Ill see you next month. After high-profile cases involving children who were harmed while under DCF care, Gov. Charlie Bakers administration has increased funding and hired new staff at DCF the last few years, with a focus on social workers who care directly for children. But family resource workers, who assist foster parents, say they are overloaded with cases despite the state hiring spree. The Republican / MassLive recently reported that many foster parents are unhappy with their relationship with DCF. They are not always given a childs medical records or told the outcome of court hearings. Meetings are canceled, and paperwork is not provided. Many felt they were treated unfairly by DCF when disputes arose, with little transparency. Officials at SEIU 509, the union representing DCF workers, say part of the problem is that family resource workers are stretched too thin. If your caseload of foster homes is too many where you cant get out to each and every home, youre not giving foster families the help they need and deserve, said Peter MacKinnon, president of SEIU 509. Not because you dont want to, but simply because the workload and the number of tasks on your plate are too great for anyone to do the work effectively. MacKinnon said he hears frustration from family resource workers. (I hear) a lot of people being tired, a lot of people working long hours trying to do the best they can to make sure the families get what they need, he said. Family resource workers conduct home studies of new foster homes, train families, provide extra support to foster families their first months, monitor homes monthly once they are housing children, and conduct annual license reviews. DCF has hired new family resource workers there were 252 on staff in December 2018, up from 164 in December 2016, according to DCF. Yet many workers still have too many cases. The standard caseload, set by a union contract, is 25 active homes for a full-time family resource worker. According to DCF statistics, 34 full-time family resource workers, or 14% of workers, had more than 25 active homes in February 2019. That is down from 51 workers, or 32% of the total, who had above that amount in December 2016. DCF says the average caseload for a full-time worker was 18.3 homes in February 2019, down from 22.8 in December 2016. But union officials say the caseloads are actually higher than what DCF is reporting, because it takes time to enter cases into the computer system. The union compiled a list of every worker and their active homes, based on DCF data. Three supervisors who reviewed the spreadsheet for the union all told union officials their caseloads were higher than what was recorded, with more workers out of compliance. Workers who spoke to The Republican also described higher caseloads than what was listed. The spreadsheet, which a reporter was shown with the names redacted, identified particularly high caseloads in Springfield, Holyoke, Brockton, and on the South Coast. MacKinnon said overcrowded caseloads means family resource workers put in long hours but cannot always provide the support families need. The ripple effect of this is the kids end up suffering, because the department is not able to give the level of support thats needed to make sure these kids thrive in foster care, MacKinnon said. He could not say how many more workers are needed to bring the caseloads down, but estimated it is in the double digits. Officials at DCF say they are addressing the problem. In addition to hiring more family resource officers, since January 2017, DCF has hired 18 foster home recruiters, with plans to hire 11 more. This moves the responsibility for recruiting homes away from family resource workers. DCF also hired social workers to identify kinship placements, and medical social workers to oversee childrens medical needs. DCF is overhauling its after-hours emergency hotline system. By fall, officials intend to create a directory of emergency placement providers, updated in real-time, to help social workers find children placements. DCF is creating an intranet portal for foster parents, scheduled to open this month, where foster parents can send messages to each other and to DCF staff and can access resources, like policies, forms and frequently asked questions. DCF is also working with the union to revise its family resource policy, which was last updated in 2008. As part of this policy review, the responsibilities and workflow of family resource workers will be analyzed and adjusted as necessary, said DCF spokeswoman Andrea Grossman. Grossman said since 2015, the administration has been rebuilding the agency, which was decimated by budget cuts over the prior four years, resulting in low morale and high caseloads. She said family resource workers serve an important role identifying foster placements for children and providing one-on-one support to foster parents. Everett, the Springfield worker, has been a family resource worker for 22 years and started working part-time the last two years. She has recently gotten her caseload down to a manageable level of 12 homes. Two other workers who spoke to The Republican told similar accounts of being overworked. Neither allowed their names to be used because they feared getting in trouble for speaking to the press. One longtime worker in the states MetroWest region had 31 cases the day she talked to a reporter, which she said is typical for her office. She usually starts work at 8:30 a.m. The last week in April, she worked late three nights because she had families to see before the month ended. She often talks on the phone while driving, and does recruitment and training on nights and weekends. When a child is being placed, she drops everything to visit that family. According to state payroll records, the woman earned more than $7,000 in overtime pay in 2018. A family resource supervisor north of Boston said her unit has seen improvements over the last six months to a year. Workers now have 20 to 27 homes, compared to the 30 to 35 homes they used to have. But, she said, They sat at those levels for so long that a lot of the work just back-piled and back-piled. We are still ... trying to catch up on all that backlogged work, while trying to do the case management stuff that we need to do. Many homes at her office are kinship homes, such as grandparents caring for a grandchild. Kinship homes usually require more work, since family caregivers are not always trained and can be dealing with difficult family dynamics. The supervisor said even with 25 families, a worker has 20 to 23 business days each month to visit each home, conduct annual license renewals and events, have meetings, take phone calls and write home studies. Theres no physical way for you to see every home every month, she said. Its just not possible. The supervisor fields calls from foster parents who cannot get their worker to call them back or who had home visits cancelled. Its not for any of my workers not putting in 100% effort, theres just not enough time in a month, she said. I am proud to be one of the 106 state legislators who are co-sponsoring the Massachusetts House Bill H2810 An Act to Promote Green Infrastructure and Reduce Carbon Emissions. The devastating effects of climate change wildfires, floods, and extreme cold and heat are already happening, and we must act swiftly and effectively. H2810 offers a bold approach to mitigating climate change, while also providing many benefits to Massachusetts residents and especially those of us who live in Springfield. Introduced in January 2019 by Representative Jennifer Benson (D-Lunenberg), House Bill H2810 does three things. It establishes a carbon fee for Massachusetts. It returns most of the revenues from that fee to Massachusetts households and businesses. And it invests the remainder in local renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, clean transportation, and resilience projects. It was written with input from Arise for Social Justice, an organization that has been advocating for poor people in Springfield for over 30 years, and the Springfield Climate Justice Coalition. First, what is a carbon fee? It is a charge on gas, oil, and coal, based on the amount of carbon dioxide these fuels emit when burned. As this fee slowly rises, these fuels become more expensive, discouraging consumers from using these polluting fuels and encouraging the development of local clean energy options like solar and wind. This fee will raise the price of gas and heating fuels, and many people are understandably concerned about this cost increase. However, unlike most governmental fees, 70% of the revenues from the proposed carbon fee will be given back to Massachusetts residents and businesses in the form of rebates. Furthermore, these rebates are calculated so that rebates for most low-income and moderate-income people will exceed their projected increase in energy costs. This provision is especially relevant to Springfield as 32% of our residents are living below the poverty line (compared to 11% in Massachusetts as a whole). In addition to rebates, $16-28 million of the funds raised each year will be added to the states Low- Income Home Energy Assistance Program and will directly benefit many Springfield residents. There is also a provision for developing a community solar program that will provide solar energy to people who live in multi-family buildings. These rebates and the enhanced fuel assistance program will provide much needed financial support for families and bolster the Springfield economy because residents will be able to purchase more goods and services from local merchants. The remaining 30% of revenue from the carbon feea projected $400 to $600 million per yearwill go into the Green Infrastructure Fund that will provide money for projects to reduce pollution and expand local green energy sources. Cities and towns can apply for these funds, and, because 40% of the projects must be directed to low-income families and communities, Springfield will likely get a significant amount of money from the fund. This money can be used to buy electric vehicles, increase energy efficiency in buildings, provide small business loans, and support infrastructure projects to make Springfield more resilient in the face of climate change (e.g., rebuilding roads, installing culverts). In addition to reducing pollution and addressing climate change, these projects will also provide jobs for Springfield residents. Currently most energy production jobs (oil, coal, gas) are located outside of Massachusetts and often outside of the United States. In contrast, renewable green energy sources are generated in or nearby the cities and towns that they serve, providing many local work opportunities. For example, retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient or installing solar panel canopies over parking lots would create jobs right in the city. Wind and solar farms in nearby areas are also potential employers. These jobs will increase the flow of money in the Springfield and Western Mass. economy and will expand employment opportunities in other sectors such as health care. Green Infrastructure projects will also help our city to address the severe health problems that affect many of our families. Because of our high rates of asthma-related emergencies and mortality, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has named the greater Springfield area the most challenging place to live in the US. As Springfield shifts to more green energy, we will reduce the harmful pollutants that cause respiratory problems. For example, if we use Green Infrastructure Funds to buy all electric school buses, children waiting for buses will no longer be exposed to exhaust fumes that aggravate respiratory problems H2810 An Act to Promote Green Infrastructure and Reduce Carbon Emissions is being debated in the House this session. I encourage all Springfield residents to contact their representatives and urge them to advocate and vote for this bill. This bill is bold and truly innovative. Not only will it help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is also one of the first carbon fee proposals that ensures protection of low- and moderate-income households and invests in communities like Springfield. If we pass this bill, other states will follow, and, Massachusetts will emerge as a transformative leader in the fight against climate change and economic inequity. Bud L. Williams is a Massachusetts state representative for the 11th Hampden District. As New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft continued to fight allegations that he solicited prostitution in Jupiter, Florida, his philanthropic efforts back home have started to face backlash. According to The Boston Globe, the Haitian Project, a non-profit organization that provides free schooling for children in Haiti, rejected a $100,000 donation made by Kraft back in April. Patrick Moynihan, the president of the Rhode Island-based non-profit, told The Globe that the decision to reject the money was gut-wrenching, but necessary. The last thing I wanted was a donation from Robert Kraft, Moynihan told The Globe. I could not be silent. I had to stand up. The 77-year-old Patriots owner has been charged with soliciting sexual acts during two visits to the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida back in January. Investigators say they have video evidence of Kraft making the visits. The Patriots owner has said he is truly sorry in the wake of the allegations, but has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. On its website, the Haitian Project describes itself as a Catholic Mission which supports and operates Louverture Cleary School (LCS), a tuition-free, Catholic, co-educational secondary boarding school for academically talented and motivated students from Haitian families who cannot afford the cost of their childrens education. Kraft has faced significant public backlash in the wake of the allegations and has limited his public appearances in the weeks since news of the investigation first emerged. Moynihan told The Globe that the Haitian Project could not money from an individual that supported the prostitution industry. We cant accept philanthropy from an individual that has not only participated and supported the industry, but refuses to recognize that it is wrong and fundamentally harmful to society. Instead, he has chosen to use every resource and legal technicality to fight it, making his reputation his only concern. Kraft was arrested as part of a larger sting operation aimed at cracking down on prostitution across multiple counties in Florida. Kraft was one of 25 men and three women arrested as a result of the investigation. SPRINGFIELD - Two Springfield community programs will each be receiving $800,000 in state grants as part of an $8 million program that seeks to reduce gun violence among teens and young adults across Massachusetts. Ten community organizations across the state were selected to receive funding under the program, which was unveiled Monday by the state Department of Public Health and Gov. Charlie Baker. Two of the 10, the New North Citizens Council and Roca of Springfield and Holyoke, are based in Springfield. Jose Claudio, spokesman for New North Citizens Council said, the agency submitted a proposal under the program some months ago, but only heard they had been accepted on Friday. Members of the council will be meeting shortly to determine how best to put the proposal into action, he said. We just found out. This is just in the first stage, he said. Each of the 10 programs that were selected are based in communities that have some of the highest rates of gun violence in the state. Each submitted proposals that focused on identifying ways to reduce gun violence among young people while offering support from behavioral health programs. Each will work with those considered at the highest risk of being involved in gun violence. The New North Citizens Council is a social service and advocacy agency that provides services to Hampden County residents with an emphasis on the Latino community. Roca of Springfield and Holyoke is a program that works with at-risk young men to provide counseling, vocational training and support to help steer them away from poverty and incarceration. Christine Judd, director of Roca of Springfield and Holyoke said, the agency is honored to have been selected to collaborate with the state and the agencys partners in reducing gun violence. The work with Springfield Police Department, Behavioral Health Network, the District Attorneys Office and the rest of our law enforcement partners in Western Massachusetts proves that with enough time and the right opportunities, young people can make tremendous changes in their lives, she said This is great news for the young people who are trapped in cycles of violence, their families, and our city. Not only we know young people will achieve great outcomes, this project will also increase public safety in our communities, she said. The $8 million funding was approved by the state legislature as part of the fiscal 2019 last July and signed into law by Baker. Massachusetts strong gun laws have helped lead to some of the lowest rates of gun violence in the nation but there is always more we can do to keep the commonwealths communities safe, Baker said. He said under his administration, some $40 million in funding has been directed toward preventing youth violence and gang activity. Since 2016 there have been 245 firearm deaths in Massachusetts. A little over a third were homicides, and the remainder being accidental deaths or suicides. Gun violence is the leading cause of deaths for people age 17-24, and in 63 percent of cases, the death is a homicide. Also blacks between the ages of 15 and 24 are 32 times more likely to be injured by gunfire than whites of the same age. Gun violence and violent crime disproportionately affect young adults and people of color, said Marylou Sanders, secretary of Health and Human Services. Understanding the factors that lead to gun violence may help toward preventing it, she said. Gun violence is a public health issue, said Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel. Other programs awarded funding under the program include: College Bound, Dorchester, $1.2 million Madison Park Development Corporation, Roxbury, $751,270 More Than Words, South End Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan, $650,920.0 Mothers for Justice and Equality , Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan, $556,360 NorthStar Learning Centers, Inc., New Bedford, $800,000. Old Colony YMCA, Brockton, $850,000 UTEC, Lawrence, $900,000 Worcester Youth Center, Worcester, $800,000 Claudio of New North Citizens Council said their proposal looks at working with young men between the ages of 17 and 24, and working on ways to get them to find alternatives to being involved with illegal firearms. New North will be working with other agencies in Springfield that also work with young people, such as the Martin Luther King Family Center, in the hope of creating a city-wide impact, he said. South Africa: The Arch casts his special vote Thank you for coming, says Archbishop Tutu after casting his special vote. Shortly after 10am on Monday morning, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu walked out of his front door in a jovial mood after casting his special vote. With the aid of his walking stick, and with a local ward councillor and an official from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) alongside him, the Arch with a wide smile on his face waved at the media contingent that was parked outside his gate before blowing a kiss and walking back into his house. Thank you for coming, he said. He did not conduct any interviews or answer questions. Tutu was among several South Africans around the country who applied to cast a special vote ahead of the General Elections on Wednesday. A special vote is aimed at allowing registered voters who cannot vote at their voting station on Election Day. As Tutu made his way back to his house, Wandisile Ngeyi, the ward councillor of ward four, which includes Milnerton, said he accompanied IEC officials as an observer to ensure that he was satisfied with how the voting was conducted. He said Tutu and his wife, Leah, were in high spirits after they cast their votes at their Milnerton home. The Arch was very happy [sic] to cast his vote together with his wife. They are in a very healthy condition. They really appreciate being given an opportunity to exercise this important right, he said. Well-known around the world for his anti-apartheid activism, Tutu, who turned 87 last year and is now retired, has kept away from public life in recent times. The last time the Nobel Peace Prize winner was in the news was when he was admitted to a Cape Town hospital for a series of tests. Tutu has for over two decades battled with prostate cancer. On Monday, Ngeyi said while Tutu appeared in high spirits ahead of casting his special vote, he had a serious look on his face as he marked his ballot. I would say he was serious because as we know, he is old but he is very much concerned [about] the political developments around the country. He is quite aware of what is going on around the country so he wanted to make sure that he [does] the right thing, he said. When Tutu last voted at Milnerton High School during the 2016 Local Government Elections, he said voting to him remained a dream. It still is a dream, you know, that one can vote in South Africa as a black person. It is fantastic and I hope everybody will want to use their vote in the right way, he said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China and Iran have enhanced their publication cooperation during the 32nd Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) concluded Saturday. 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. The Senate working group formed to take a deep dive into tax policy and recommend ways to modernize and update the tax code will hold closed meetings, according to its chairman. Sen. Adam Hinds of Pittsfield, who also co-chairs the Joint Committee on Revenue, told the News Service that the working group will hold six regional hearings to take public testimony but will keep its monthly business meetings closed in an effort to facilitate "honest conversation" among group members. "It's my inclination to do it this way," said Hinds, who has described the group's charge as modernizing and simplifying the state tax code by recommending legislative changes for consideration in the 2021-2022 legislative session. The group's first meeting is set for 2 p.m. on May 15 in the Senate Reading Room. Its members include a former lieutenant governor and revenue commissioner, representatives of big businesses and labor unions, and several appointees who favor changes to boost revenue and make taxes fairer for low-income workers. Senate President Karen Spilka held a press conference last month to announce the working group, whose members will work with senators to hash out possible tax code changes that take into account online trends and the ongoing shift from a goods-based to a service-based economy. Hinds said the public hearing schedule is not set yet, but he anticipates hearings in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, the Berkshires, the Lawrence area, and in the New Bedford-Fall River area. The working group also plans to form subcommittees. Hinds said it will be up to each subcommittee to decide whether to hold open or closed meetings. The decision of the Senate's tax task force to hold closed meetings is the latest strike against transparency on Beacon Hill. The Legislature is not subject to the public records or open meeting laws, House and Senate Democrats often meet in closed caucuses, and voting on bills often occurs via electronic polls that are not publicized. Legislative conference committees -- groups of six House and Senate members that negotiate compromise bills when the House and Senate are in disagreement -- also meet in closed sessions, although they have the option to open talks. While it's unclear why lawmakers can't hold honest and open negotiations, legislators over the years have said they feel they can be more candid with one another if sessions are not open to the public or the media. While the working group meetings will be members-only, with outside experts invited to attend on occasion, Hinds agreed to serve public notice of the time, date and location of the group's meetings and said he would make himself available after the meetings to talk about what was discussed. "I do think it's important that we're involving the public as much as possible," Hinds, a former United Nations negotiator, said. When she announced the working group in April, Spilka said she the panel would look at the tax code "in a real comprehensive, systematic manner that I don't think has happened on a combination of the corporate level and personal-income level in decades." The other working group members are: Sen. William Brownsberger (D-Belmont), Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton), Mass. Building Trades Council AFL-CIO Frank Callahan, Mass. Business Roundtable Director JD Chesloff, Springfield Regional Chamber President Nancy Creed, Northeastern University law professor Peter Enrich, Coalition for Social Justice Director and Raise Up Massachusetts co-founder Deb Fastino, TechNet Executive Director for Mass. and the Northeast Christina Fisher, tax policy attorney Hilary Bacon Gabrieli, SEIU Mass. State Council Director Harris Gruman, Mass. Voter Table Director Beth Huang, Mass. Taxpayers Foundation President Eileen McAnneny, Worcester Chamber of Commerce President Tim Murray, Mass. Society of CPAs President Amy Pitter, Associated Industries of Mass. Executive Vice President John Regan, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera, Mass. Budget and Policy Center President Marie-Frances Rivera, Greater Boston Chamber President James Rooney, national Democratic Party voter protection attorney David Sullivan, and Mass. AFL-CIO President Steven Tolman. CHICAGO Manager Alex Cora confirmed Sunday he will not attend the White House visit with the Boston Red Sox. The team is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump on Thursday to celebrate its 2018 World Series title after a three-game series in Baltimore against the Orioles. But Cora and several players will not attend. El Nuevo Dia in Puerto Rico was the first to report the news about Cora. The government has done some things back home that are great, but as the report (in El Nuevo Dia) said, we still have a long ways to go. And thats our reality, Cora said after the Red Soxs 9-2 win over the White Sox on Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Its pretty tough to go celebrate when were where were at, he added. Id rather not go and be consistent with everything. Cora previously said he might use the visit as a platform for Puerto Rico if he decided to attend. But after talking with people close to him, he decided it would be best not to visit. Conversations with loved ones. ... The closest ones to me, we talk about it and we decided this is the best way to do it," Cora said. Cora will travel back to Boston after Wednesdays 7:05 p.m. game with the players not attending. Bogaerts also confirmed Sunday he will not visit the White House. Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Rafael Devers, David Price, Christian Vazquez, Hector Velazquez and Sandy Leon also dont plan to attend. Cora is not worried about the public reaction to his decision. No, because theres going to be reaction anyways, he said. He said the Red Sox understand. "Just like everybody else, its an option. Its not mandatory. I talked to them a few days ago about it. They were OK with it. President Trump has 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. A 21-year-old suspected gang member who was the subject of law enforcement bulletins after allegedly threatening to kill a pregnant woman last month was arrested after attending a Worcester funeral, authorities said Monday. Kiosnel Pineiro, a suspected member of the Blood street gang, was wanted by police for those threats and on a warrant, Massachusetts State Police said. Authorities developed information last week indicating that Pineiro may have been attending funeral services for a relative at Hope Cemetery in Worcester, state police wrote in a statement. On Friday, state police and Worcester police set up surveillance outside a Worcester funeral home and at the cemetery, state police said, observing Pineiro enter and leave the funeral home. Officials followed Pineiro to the cemetery. When the service ended around noon, officers and troopers arrested Pineiro without incident, state police said. Pineiro was about to get into a car, which had arrived after the cemetery service began, when officials converged on him, according to the statement. He was taken to the Worcester police station and booked. In addition to the threats against the pregnant woman, Pineiro was wanted on a warrant out of Worcester Superior Court for distribution of Class A and B narcotics. Those charges are in connection to a case in which Pineiro sold drugs to an undercover state trooper in 2017, state police said. Pineiro has posted multiple photos of himself posing with firearms on social media, the statement said. N.C. Rep. Josh Dobson (R-McDowell) plans to run for the office of state commissioner of Labor in 2020. On Saturday, Dobson, 37, announced during a fund-raising dinner at the Municipal Event Center in Marion his intention to seek the statewide office in next years election. He also announced it on Facebook. Since January 2013, Dobson has served as the state representative for the 85th District, which comprises McDowell, Mitchell and Avery counties. He is also a former McDowell County commissioner. I believe my nine years in elected office, first as county commissioner and now as a state representative, has prepared me well to represent all of North Carolina as commissioner of Labor, Dobson said in a prepared statement. The office of state commissioner of Labor is currently held by fellow Republican Cherie Berry, who announced last month she wont run again in 2020. She took office in 2001 and after winning re-election, her name and photo has appeared inside every elevator in North Carolina. But there is much more to the state Department of Labor than just certifying the safety of elevators. Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group plans to launch 84 new types of customized cranes in overseas markets this year. XCMG's ambition is to be one of the top three in its industry by 2025, its chairman, Wang Min, said. XCMG is aiming to raise its global ranking in the construction machinery manufacturing sector from the current sixth to fifth in 2020, and to the top three by 2025, as the group is forging a world-class enterprise with great competitiveness. "Overseas markets and the high-end market are the key to the future of China's construction machinery industry. Only when a company develops a competitive edge in the global high-end market, it is viewed as a world-class brand," said Wang. "To become an industrial bellwether, XCMG needs to go global, increase its export volume and raise its global revenue to 50 percent by 2020." According to Wang, the new-generation product named the G-series crane has been designed to adapt to the environment and work in different geographical regions. "We are confident that our new line of cranes will achieve success in these markets. XCMG aims to make breakthroughs by adapting to client needs with differentiated products and cutting-edge technologies in the future," said Liu Jiansen, assistant president of XCMG Machinery and general manager of XCMG Import and Export, both subsidiaries of XCMG. In 1990, XCMG exported 100 road-rollers to the United States, which was China's first order in the construction machinery sector, and also the very first batch of products of XCMG to be exported to the high-end market. Since then, XCMG's export revenue surged from less than $10 million a year to more than $2.3 billion now. The group has held the top position among China's construction machinery manufacturers for 29 consecutive years, according to KHL Group's rankings of the world's top 50 construction machinery manufacturers in 2018. Its global ranking moved up two places to sixth from a year ago. XCMG's tailor-made products are based on intensive survey and research in a wide variety of markets around the world, which can be regarded as "one country one policy" and even "one region one policy", according to Wang. "Every time we look to exploit a new market, XCMG will fully understand the unique requirements of local customers, so as to design and adapt products in accordance to their needs," he said. The cranes for the Russian market are developed to withstand low-temperature weather, whilst those for Southeast Asia can adapt to narrow construction areas and local humid environment. The US market, which is the birthplace of world's top construction machinery brand Caterpillar, is a highly competitive market and represents the top standards. After exporting, and communicating with US customers for a while, XCMG gradually won their respect. XCMG's brand awareness reached 46.3 percent in Europe and the US, and exceeded 90 percent in Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Wang said. Some 25 types of G-series cranes have already been introduced to markets in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa, according to Liu. "These markets are in the countries and regions related to the Belt and Road Initiative, and they are also the key markets for XCMG because of their high demand for construction machinery. There are many infrastructure construction projects here," said Wang. "XCMG has laid solid foundation for its development in countries and regions related to the Belt and Road Initiative." More than 3 billion yuan ($446.8 million) has been invested in BRI-related countries and regions, and XCMG's products have covered 97 percent of them. This year started with outstanding sales of cranes. As many as 11,756 units were sold in January, up 10 percent year-on-year, and 1,614 units were exported, up 42 percent, according to data from the China Construction Machinery Association. "The sales rebound was helped by the increase in infrastructure investment in domestic roads and water routes," said Ge Xin, an analyst from the Lange Steel Information Research Center. Investment in roads and water routes totaled 128.22 billion yuan in January, up 9.2 percent year-on-year. Those in Central China soared 60.3 percent to 25.64 billion yuan, according to data from the National Development and Reform Commission. "Domestic infrastructure investment will continue to grow in 2019, which will effectively enhance the market demand for construction machinery, and further stimulate sales of construction machinery equipment. Construction engineering projects have gradually kicked off since late February," said Ge. More than 18,000 units of cranes were sold in February, soaring 59.5 percent from January and surging 68.7 percent year-on-year, CCMA data showed. Headquartered in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, the Chinese multinational exports its cranes to more than 183 countries and regions. In 2018, XCMG saw its overseas sales of hoisting machinery business increase 33 percent year-on-year, and its crane exports to Europe and North America rose 50 percent from a year ago. 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. Bioidentical hormones although are created in a lab they are very similar to the hormones produced by the human body. Hence, they can be defined as man-made hormones. These hormones are customized as per the prescription or are compounded by a pharmacist, based on the doctors demand. Bioidentical hormones are then used as a treatment for people whose own hormones are imbalanced. Bioidentical hormones just as hormones produced by the human body can control almost all tasks in the body including sex and brain function, growth and the breakdown of food, etc. Hormonal imbalance can cause increased risks including low energy, weight gain, muscle atrophy, hair loss, depression, anxiety, mood swings, trouble sleeping, and hot/ cold flashes & night sweats for women who are going through their menopause. Request Free Sample @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4187 People witnessing these symptoms are prescribed with the hormone-replacement therapy where the provider first talks with the patients and asks them to undergo a blood test to determine the specific symptoms and then orders the test. Unlike, the synthetic hormones, bio-identical hormones do not create any cause side effects and increased risks. These hormones rarely have side effects and, if they do, the provider might need to adjust the dosage. As a result, bio-identical hormones are preferred widely. Increasing prevalence of hormonal changes or imbalance in hormones led by the sedentary lifestyle, lack of nutrition, and the aging drives the market for bioidentical hormones, creating a huge demand. Resultantly, the bioidentical hormones market garners huge demand, uptake, and hence the colossal growth on the global platform. Recognizing the kind of the growth, the market witnesses today, an eminent research firm, Market Research Future (MRFR) in its recently published study report confirms that the global bioidentical hormones market will reach USD 400 MN, registering approximately 5.2 % CAGR during the forecast period (2017-2023). Additional factors substantiating the market growth include the environmental changes, increasing industrialization and urbanization. Improving economic conditions are certainly providing a vast impetus to the market growth, availing the quality healthcare. On the other hand, factors such as the demand and supply gap of feedstock required in the production of these hormones are estimated to obstruct the market growth over the forecast period, increasing their prices unreasonably. Key Players: Some of the eminent leaders of the market include BioTE Medical SottoPelle Advantage Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Neuva Aesthetics Full Life Wellness Center Defy Medical Biostation Bioidentical Hormones Global Market Segmentations MRFR has segmented the report into four key dynamics for an easy grasp; By Types: Estrogens, Progesterone, and Testosterone among others. By Product Types: Tablets & Capsules, Creams & Gels, Injectable, and Patches & Implants among others. By End-Users: Hospitals & Gynecology Clinics, Academic and Research among others. By Regions: Europe, North America, APAC and the Rest-of-the-World. Global Bioidentical Hormones Market Regional Analysis The North American region dominates the global bioidentical hormones market, in terms of both market size as well as revenue. The extensive use of medications and high expenditure on health care majorly lead the market growth in the region. Besides, factors such as the fastest uptake of new drugs alongside the presence of major research companies drive the bioidentical hormones market in the region. The European region accounts for the second-largest market in the world due to high per capita income and healthcare expenditures. A well-developed healthcare sector along with the resurging economy in the region substantiates the market growth of bioidentical hormones in the region. Some of the European countries such as the U.K, Germany, and France boost the market growth in this region. The Asia Pacific region accounts for a promising market for bioidentical hormones, closely following the European market. Factors such as the ever-increasing population encourage the use to bioidentical hormones, creating a significant demand for healthcare. China and India backed by their respective, fast-growing healthcare sector will be leading the APAC bioidentical hormones market. Global Bioidentical Hormones Market Competitive Analysis Highly competitive bioidentical hormones market appears fragmented due to the presence of several large and small-scale players. Producers compete based upon price and brand, emphasizing upon new product development initiatives, and geographical expansion. Matured players incorporate acquisition, collaboration, partnership, expansion, and technology launch in order to gain a competitive advantage and thus to maintain their positions in this market. Industry/ Innovation/ Related News: October 29, 2018 TherapeuticsMD Inc. (US) a leading global Pharmaceutical company announced receiving its third FDA approval of the year, Bijuva, a menopause remedy that combines two bioidentical hormones. Bijuva, an oral soft gel that contains ingredients are artificially produced but chemically identical to hormones made naturally by womens bodies such as estradiol and progesterone which are commonly used in hormone therapies to treat menopause symptoms such as hot/cold flashes. The company is now all geared up to launch first-ever bioidentical hormone combo Bijuva. About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members. Contact: Akash Anand Market Research Future +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Disposable Syringes Industry 2019 Description:- The Disposable Syringes market is anticipated to reach over USD 11.19 billion by 2026. In 2017, the therapeutic injections dominated the global Disposable Syringes market, in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue in 2017. Disposable Syringes are the syringes manufactured from plastic, which are used in replacing the useable syringes in the coming years. These syringes are considered to be the cost effective, and also help in reducing the cost of treatment and chances of infection to the individual. Get a Free Sample Report @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3695856-disposable-syringes-market-by-type-safety-syringes-conventional For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.com The Disposable Syringes market is primarily driven by the increasing number increasing government initiatives and regulation that has promoted the market growth during the forecast period. Additionally, increasing activities by various NGOs that create awareness for the use of disposable syringes, and need to control the spread of the life taking diseases such as HIV to also boost the Disposable Syringes market growth in the coming years. Additionally, the continuous product development by the manufacturing, and their efforts to tap the potential eastern market to support the Disposable Syringes market growth during the forecast period. North America generated the highest revenue in the Disposable Syringes market in 2017, and is expected to be the leading region globally during the forecast period. The North Americas Disposable Syringe Market is primarily driven by the rising prevalence of infections that need to be treated with the help of therapeutic injection. Additionally, presence of key players in this region that are focusing on product development, and increasing number of clinical trials that has promoted the growth of this market in the region. Moreover, Europe being the second largest contributor in the disposable syringe market owning to the stringent government which promoted the used of safety engineered products. The key players operating in the Disposable Syringes market include Fresenius Kabi AG, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Baxter International, Inc., UltiMed, Inc. Flextronics International Vita Needle Company, Terumo Corporation, Novo Nordisk, Henke-Sass, Wolf, Covidien, Braun Medical, Inc., Retractable Technologies, Inc., among others. These companies launch new products and collaborate with other market leaders to innovate and launch new products to meet the increasing needs and requirements of consumers. Enquiry About Report @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/3695856-disposable-syringes-market-by-type-safety-syringes-conventional Table Of Contents Overview and Scope Executive Summary Disposable Syringe Market Insights Disposable Syringe Market Size and Forecast by Type, 2018-2026 Disposable Syringe Market Size and Forecast by Application Type, 2018-2026 Disposable Syringe Market Size and Forecast by Region, 2018-2026 Company Profiles Continued CONTACT US: NORAH TRENT Partner Relations & Marketing Manager sales@wiseguyreports.com www.wiseguyreports.com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (US) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK) ABOUT US: Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories. The bones within our body and the ones that protrude outside, such as teeth, can often suffer from heavy damage and require a structural support to carry on its functions. Orthopedic implants serve as these structures that either provide the necessary strength to these damaged bones or correct their flawed positioning or structure. The term orthopedic is most commonly used for dental procedures as even the simplest of dental implants fall under this category. It also includes much higher-grade medical products such as implants for the spinal cord. Global orthopedic implant market is believed to grow at desirable rate of 6.8% as per the in-depth market analysis undertaken by Market Research Future (MRFR) During the forecast period of 2018 to 2023. Get an Exclusive Free Sample Copy at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/838 The surging demand for orthopedic implants can be attributed to various factors, however, the rising prevalence of accidents being the biggest driver. The number of fractures per year are rising at a sharp rate and along with it the necessity for orthopedic implants. Few of the noteworthy orthopedic implants market Top- Key players are, NuVasive Inc. (US) Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. (US) Smith & Nephew plc. (UK) Wright Medical Group N.V. (Netherlands) Depuy Synthes Inc. (Johnson & Johnson) (US) Stryker Corporation (US) BioTek Instruments Inc. (US) Aesculap Implant Systems (US) Medtronic plc (Ireland) Globus Medical Inc. (US) Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation (US) Conmed Corporation (US) Arthrocare Corporation (US) The Orthopedic Implant Company (US) and others. Technological innovations are also leading to foundations of new scientific concepts that benefit the medical industry such as robot assisted tools. More bone-related predicaments are now being offered solutions to with the help of state of the art orthopedic implants. Arthritis and degenerative bone diseases are some of the predicaments that can be battled against with the usage of these implants, thereby accelerating the demand and growth of the market over the forecast period. However, the high pricing of orthopedic implants treatment and strict government regulations can drastically hamper the growth of the market. In 2019, California-based medifacturing company PrinterPrezz announced the news of signing a customer agreement with SI-BONE. The agreement is based on a deal of developing services for advanced 3D-printed orthopedic devices and implants. SI-BONE hopes to capitalize on the expertise of PrinterPrezz to come up with the next generation of medical devices. Ask for an Amazing Discount at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/838 Orthopedic Implants Market Segmentation The orthopedic implants market segmentation is done as per procedure, product type, application, device type, biomaterial, and end-user. By product type, the market includes dental implants, spinal implants, reconstructive joint implants, trauma and craniomaxillofacial implants, orthobiologics, and others. By biomaterial, the market includes ceramic biomaterials, polymer biomaterials, metallic biomaterials, and natural biomaterials. By procedure, the market is divided into Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), open surgery, and others. By application, the market includes application in neck fracture, hip replacement, shoulder replacement, spine fracture, and others. By device type, the market segments into external fixation devices and internal fixation devices. The external fixation devices are classified into orthopedic screws, fixation pins, orthopedic plates, orthopedic rods/wires, and orthopedic nails. By end-user, the market includes orthopedic clinics, hospitals, home cares, and others. Orthopedic Implants Market Report offers comprehensive profiles on these market players and assesses their current standing in the market. Company history coupled with annual turnover, profit margins, segmental share, SWOT analysis, growth strategies, expansion techniques, and latest R&D initiatives are discussed in minute detail. Orthopedic Implants Market Regional Analysis The regional segmentation of the Global Orthopedic Implants Market includes regions like Asia Pacific, Europe, America, and the Middle East & Africa. The Americas are the market dominators of orthopedic implants due to presence of a growing geriatric population base. North America holds the majority of the market portion with a total of 53.4% to its name as per the research in 2015. The market is slated to experience further growth due to the gradual transition towards minimally invasive procedures. Europe holds the second largest share of the orthopedic implants market. This can be attributed to the increasing geriatric population and an ameliorating demand for orthopedic implants and related-devices for treating spinal disorders. Asia Pacific is projected as the emerging market in terms of growth, demand, and opportunity for orthopedic implants. Burgeoning patient awareness concerning the availability of orthopedic implants, improving healthcare infrastructure, and a booming medical tourism are all expected to drive the growth of the market in this region. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members. Contact: Market Research Future +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Market Scenario Market Research Future (MRFR) proclaims that the global wearable sensors market is estimated to register a striking CAGR of 46.6% during the forecast period (2018-2023). The continuously evolving sensor technology is favoring the market growth. The wearable sensor is referred to as a technological device which is worn by the individuals to track information associated with fitness and health. Such sensors are integrated into several accessories like hats, wristwatches, smartphones, eyeglasses, garments, shoes, wrist bands, headphones, and others which monitors and diagnose vital signs like blood pressure, heart rate, and other metabolic activities. These sensors enable biological and physiological sensing. Get Free Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/955 Competitive Dashboard The prominent players operating in the global wearable sensors market comprises Freescale Semiconductor Inc., KIONIX INC. (ROHM Co., Ltd.), InvenSense Inc., Panasonic Corporation, Analog Devices Inc., STMicroelectronics, ZOLL Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation), InvenSense Inc., Measurement Specialties Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG., and Texas Instruments Incorporated. Market Potential and Pitfalls The wearable sensors market is rapidly stealing the spotlight with increased consciousness regarding health and personal care. The demand for wearable fitness tracker is continuously on the rise to track biometrics like heart rate, calories burnt, and others. Internet of Things has mushroomed in the recent past which is triggering the demand for wearable sensors devices in application areas like consumer electronics, fitness and healthcare, and others. Wearable sensors enable continuous monitoring which has encouraged the behavior pattern of the buyers. There is a noticeable shift towards healthy lifestyle which has influenced people to adopt wearable sensors. With the advancement in sensor technology, power supply technology, wireless communication devices/technology, and others, the wearable sensors market is receiving the pat. Boltt launched an AI-enabled wearable device in 2017 which constituted of smart shoes to sensors for health and fitness solutions. Factors such as advancements in sensor technology, surging adoption of remote and home patient monitoring, and increased use of wearable devices for infants have enabled the market to reach out to a wider range of audiences. The use of smart consumer electronic devices like smartphones and tablets have enabled the gathering and monitoring of data as these wearable sensors can be paired with other devices. The advent of new devices like the smart ring, smart shirt, eyewear, and others have further amplified the demand for wearable devices worldwide. With pressure sensors extremely becoming popular due to its miniaturization factor, the market is gaining impetus. Sensing muscle activity enables a sportsperson to train specific muscles and gain feedback regarding their performance quality. With pressure sensing shoes being used in motion capture technologies, the era of computer animation has transformed during the past decade. On the contrary, the concerns associated with privacy, the high cost of the wearable sensors, and data integrity are some of the top barriers considered to vitiate the market growth in the coming years. On a brighter note, strict mandates related to data storage is likely to augment the popularity of wearable devices in the long run. Global Wearable Sensors Market: Segmental Analysis The global wearable sensors market has been segmented on the basis of type, application, and end-users. By mode of type, the global wearable sensors market has been segmented into medical based sensors, motion sensors, position sensors, image sensors, inertial sensors, pressure sensors, and others. By mode of application, the global wearable sensors market has been segmented into smart glasses, smart wristwear, smart footwear, smart body wears, and others. Among these, the smart wristwear segment occupied the major share across the globe. The growth is ascribed to the increased popularity of fitness and health devices among the consumers. New entrants are offering advanced technologies in smart wristwear at lower prices than smartwatches, which is likely to encourage the growth of the segment. These wristwear offer dynamic analysis of the user activities like heart rate variation, step tracking, sleep quality analysis, and calories count which further add to its functionality. By mode of end-users, the global wearable sensors market has been segmented into healthcare, consumer, industrial and enterprise, and others. Among these, the consumer segment is likely to gain prominence. The demand for sensor-fused devices are triggering with the increased awareness regarding remote monitoring of fitness and wellness is gaining prominence among the users. Regional Insights Geographically, the wearable sensors market span across regions namely, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and the Rest-of-the-World (RoW). Considering the global scenario, the North American region is poised to occupy the most significant share as the region offer room to the most prominent players and is in a position to adopt technological advancements at its earliest. High adoption of digital technology in the U.S. has further intensified the growth of the market in this region. With the booming healthcare infrastructure, the market is estimated to flourish. The European region occupies the second spot and is anticipated to evolve at a significant pace in the foreseeable future. With advancing technology and purchasing power required for the market growth, the region is anticipated to gain an impetus. Moreover, the conscious awakening regarding healthy lifestyle is considered a major factor propelling the Wearable Sensors Market growth in the long run. The Asia Pacific region is estimated to expand at the fastest rate as the strong economic growth has infused healthy purchasing power which is estimated to encourage the proliferation of wearable sensors in the coming years. Industry Updates April 02, 2019: A team of researchers at the Binghamton University, State University of New York have recently developed skin-inspired electronics to conform to the skin, which allows high-performance, long-term, and real-time wound monitoring in the users. Table Of Content 1. Report Prologue 2. Market Introduction 3. Research Methodology 4. Market Dynamics 5. Market Factor Analysis 6. Global Wearable Sensors Market, By Deployment 7. Global Wearable Sensors Market, By Application 8. Global Wearable Sensors Market, By End User About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members. Contact: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com While other MediaPost newsletters and articles remain free to all ... our new Research Intelligencer service is reserved for paid subscribers ... Subscribe today to gain access to every Research Intelligencer article we publish as well as the exclusive daily newsletter, full access to The MediaPost Cases, first-look research and daily insights from Joe Mandese, Editor in Chief. by Sara Guaglione , May 6, 2019 At its third annual conference, in partnership with presenting sponsor Mastercard, Create & Cultivate highlighted female millennial small business owners. This is part of a larger, multi-year deal between the two companies. The company claims 1,500 people attended the event on Saturday in Industry City, Brooklyn. Create & Cultivate is an online platform and experiential company that offers women tips, tools and resources to create and cultivate their careers and businesses. Create & Cultivates partnership with Mastercard included an installation called Small Business Marketplace, where five local, female-led businesses were chosen to showcase their brands. They included jewelry line Bliss Lau, floral decor bran East Olivia Creative, logo clothing shop YES I AM, sunglasses store Coco and Breezy and hat designer Teressa Foglia. advertisement advertisement Stalls were decorated with signs that featured the name of the brand, as well as the MasterCard logo, with the phrase: Her Ideas and Start Something Priceless, the latest Mastercard slogan and call-to-action The brands all have different stories and are at different stages of their business, Cheryl Guerin, executive vice president of North America marketing and communications, told Publishers Daily. Create & Cultivate recently launched the C&C x Mastercard Womens Business Advisory Council, which currently has six members, including Create & Cultivate founder Jaclyn Johnson. Before 30, Johnson launched and sold her first business, a digital marketing company called (No Subject). She founded Create & Cultivate to bring businesswomen together and offer resources and networking opportunities. The partnership with Mastercard gives women resources on financial literacy. Women can discuss Mastercard credit-card benefits and Intuit tools, and how those resources can help women start and grow their businesses, Guerin said. Later this year, Mastercard and Create & Cultivate will launch a small business summit in New York, Johnson said. Create & Cultivate helps connect brands that do not always have the opportunity to talk to women, to help spotlight those business owners and connect them to the companys audience of female entrepreneurs, she added. This week, Mastercard debuted a marketing campaign featuring illustrated portraits and stories of women business owners in print, out of home and digital venues. The campaign appears in a three-page spread in The New York Times today, as well as live billboards of the drawings in Times Square. Last month, Create & Cultivate launched a membership program to give its audience exclusive access to premium content, as well as other perks, like networking opportunities, monthly career mentor sessions and entrepreneurial resources. It costs $140 a year, or $15 a month. The membership is an effort to monetize the companys audience of 1 million monthly visitors across platforms and encourage them to attend more events. Create & Cultivate puts on 50+ conferences a year, including three large-scale conferences and multiple free events around the country. At the event on Saturday, actress Amber Heard, models Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Ashley Graham, and Martha Stewart were among the speakers. A regulation unveiled by the State Council on Sunday prohibits authorities from borrowing in ways that skirt laws and regulations to raise government investment funds, as China works to further standardize official investment actions. The regulation, published after a State Council decree was signed by Premier Li Keqiang, stipulates that government investment actions must take account of economic and social development levels and the situation of financial revenue and expenditures. The budgetary restrictions over government investment funds will be further tightened, and government-funded programs must not be constructed with capital advances from contractors, the regulation said. The regulation, to take effect in July, came after heightened efforts by the central government to rein in debts raised by local authorities, which are estimated to have reached 18.4 trillion yuan ($2.7 trillion) by the end of 2018. Minister of Finance Liu Kun said in this year's legislative session in March that China will adopt stringent measures to prevent new illegal borrowing by local authorities. He said there has been action by local authorities to use financing platforms to raise debts in violation of laws and regulations, and the ministry will block the way for such illegal debt-raising behavior in the future. The regulation also called for stricter implementation of programs and compliance oversight to ensure that the required funds of investment programs are in place on time. The approval mechanism for government-invested programs will be further standardized, and major programs must go through procedures such as evaluations by intermediary service institutions, the public and experts, as well as risk assessment. Government investment funds must prioritize investments into areas where the market cannot effectively allocate resources, such social services, public infrastructure and environment protection, the regulation said. It also calls for equal treatment of various types of investment entities, adding that authorities should not set up biased conditions. The premier said in his Government Work Report this year that China will pursue a proactive fiscal policy with greater intensity and enhance its performance. A total of 2.15 trillion yuan of special local government bonds will be issued in an effort to provide funding for key projects and create conditions for better forestalling and defusing local governments' debt risks, according to the report. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, May 6, 2019 Google reportedly will introduce a dashboard-like function in its Chrome browser to offer internet users more control in blocking tracking cookies, which follow users across the internet. With Microsoft building the next version of its Edge browser on Google Chromium, its likely that the Redmond, Washington-based company could easily integrate the same type of technology into its browser. Through the Chrome browser, the technology will give internet users more information about what cookies are tracking them and offer options to fend them off, reports one media outlet. advertisement advertisement The new browser function is expected to be announced at its developers conference that takes place between April 7 and April 9 in Mountain View, California. People familiar with the move, which Google is sure to tout as a commitment to privacy, say it will prompt users to reject tracking cookies. Google has been working on this project for its Chrome browser for at least six years in stops and starts, according to The Wall Street Journal. According to the report, the delay was partly due to the complexity of the project and the technology. Microsoft has been supporting its project with Google to use the Chromium code for the Edge browser by contributing code of its own. It is unknown whether Microsoft contributed code to this specific project or whether the company will use this specific ad blocking technology in its browser. Last week in an interview, General Manager at Microsoft Steve Sirich said building the next version of Edge on the Chromium code will make it easier to release more frequent browser updates and to innovate more quickly. by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, May 6, 2019 In a development thats beginning to sound too familiar to some observers, Wayfair once again posted red-hot revenue growth, with first-quarter sales blowing past Wall Street expectations. But its path to those gains, including a big increase in ad spending, hurt results. It posted a $102 million loss worse than analysts projected and burned through $167 million of cash. The Boston-based home furnishings company says revenues climbed to $1.9 billion, up 39% from the same period a year ago. It says it increased the number of active customers to 16.4 million, also by 39%. But the cost of adding those new shoppers is rising, causing some concern. With customer-acquisition costs up 19% overall, and rising about 8% in the U.S., Seth Basham, an analyst who follows the company for Wedbush Securities, calls them a yellow flag in his recent report on the companys results. At the same time, key revenue key performance indicators are slowing, and orders per customer are declining slightly, he writes. He remains neutral on the stock. advertisement advertisement Predictably, Wayfair sees it differently. "Our ongoing investments in building our logistics infrastructure, deepening our product offering and finding new ways to serve our customer are just a few of the many areas that are driving the momentum we are seeing today, says Niraj Shah, Wayfairs CEO, co-founder and co-chairman, in its announcement. He says this years Way Day, its second annual promotional event, was a record-breaker and the highest revenue-grossing day in company history. In an analysis of the Way Day results, eMarketer reports that Wayfairs decision to shift the date of the event, moving it away from the Easter holiday, helped. The company also benefited from extending the sales period from 24 to 36 hours, stepping up advertising and video promotion, and expanding offerings. Citing data from Edison Trends, the company says Wayfairs Way Day saw an 11% jump in sales, compared to last years event. The number of orders rose by 9% and spending per-order advanced 5%. And compared to the previous 28 days, that days sales climbed 325%. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, May 6, 2019 Siding against online monitoring company DoubleVerify, California's highest court has revived streaming video distributor FilmOn's claims that DoubleVerify provided false reports to advertisers. The California Supreme Court said in a decision issued Monday that DoubleVerify's reports aren't covered by the state's anti-SLAPP (strategic litigation against public participation) law, which protects people or companies who are sued for making statements about matters of public interest. DoubleVerifys reports -- generated for profit, exchanged confidentially, without being part of any attempt to participate in a larger public discussion -- do not qualify for anti-SLAPP protection, Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuellar wrote for a unanimous court. This is not because confidential statements made to serve business interests are categorically excluded from anti-SLAPP protection. It is instead because DoubleVerifys reports are too tenuously tethered to the issues of public interest they implicate, and too remotely connected to the public conversation about those issues, to merit protection. advertisement advertisement The battle between the two companies dates to 2014, when FilmOn sued DoubleVerify for libel and other claims. FilmOn alleged it was wrongly classified by DoubleVerify as a copyright infringer and adult content distributor. The video company argued that the reports harmed its relationships with advertisers. DoubleVerify offers reports that aim to advise agencies and advertisers about the type of material residing on publishers' sites. The company argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed at an early stage under the anti-SLAPP law. DoubleVerify argued that its reports dealt with matters of public interest, especially given that FilmOn had been sued for copyright infringement. When the dispute between the companies erupted in 2014, FilmOn was fighting several copyright lawsuits by TV broadcasters. Those cases, which were eventually settled, centered on FilmOn's prior streaming platform, which reportedly used antennas to capture and transmit programs. The Supreme Court said in June 2014 that a similar system, operated by the defunct Aereo, infringed copyright. FilmOn countered that DoubleVerify's reports were commercial and confidential, and therefore weren't covered by California's law regarding lawsuits that stifle free speech. A trial judge and appellate court sided with DoubleVerify. But the California Supreme Court rejected the company's position and ruled that the broader context of the report showed it didn't further public conversation on an issue of public interest, and therefore wasn't entitled to anti-SLAPP protection. DoubleVerify issues its reports not to the wider public ... but privately, to a coterie of paying clients. Those clients, in turn, use the information DoubleVerify provides for their business purposes alone. The information never entered the public sphere, and the parties never intended it to, Cuellar wrote. The high-profile dispute drew the attention of outside groups including the Motion Picture Association of America, Hearst Corporation, California News Publishers Association and First Amendment Coalition -- all of which sided with DoubleVerify. Those groups wrote in a friend-of-the-court brief that DoubleVerify's reports were in the public interest because they helped businesses avoid placing ads on sites with pirated material. Internet law expert Eric Goldman, a professor at Santa Clara University, says Monday's ruling could make it harder for companies facing lawsuits over their statements to secure speedy dismissals. The result could be increased costs for companies facing claims for speech that arguably relates to matters of public interest. DENVER May 6, 2019 Colorado Wyoming Sue Dunn Colorado Colorado Wyoming Colorado Wyoming the United States /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Donor Alliance, the federally designated non-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation inand most of, has been recognized as a 2019 Top Workplace by The Denver Post for the fifth year. The non-profit was also recognized as the Best at Making Work Meaningful across all categories.The organization ranked 16th on the list of top small companies, and boasted a 92% response rate from staff with no participation incentives. The Top Workplaces rankings are based solely on the results of an anonymous employee feedback survey measuring several aspects of workplace culture including Alignment, Execution and Connection. The 16th place ranking is Donor Alliance's highest on record.With a mission of saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation, Donor Alliance earned the Best at Making Work Meaningful designation by scoring highest on the question "My job makes me feel like I am a part of something meaningful.""Our employees are truly committed to our mission of saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation, and that was certainly conveyed through the survey," said, president and CEO of Donor Alliance. "is home to a number of wonderful workplaces and we are honored to be counted amongst them for the sixth year in a row."A recognized leader in organ and tissue donation, Donor Alliance fosters a mission-driven culture through its core values: Integrity, Leadership, Excellence, Accountability and People First. In addition to traditional employee benefits like wellness programs, tuition and health club reimbursement and a charitable contribution program, the organization offers employees something much more extraordinary: the opportunity to help save lives every day.In addition to achieving Top Workplace status for the six consecutive years, Donor Alliance won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award as well as Quantum's Employee Voice Award, honoring organizations for outstanding work in employee engagement, in 2018.Visit http://www.DonorAlliance.org/who-we-are/Careers for more information on careers at Donor Alliance.About Donor AllianceDonor Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. As the organ and tissue procurement agency forand most of, Donor Alliance serves more than 5.8 million residents and more than 100 hospitals.Donor Alliance adheres to the highest medical, regulatory and ethical standards, and meets every performance standard. By respectfully working with the families of organ and tissue donors, maintaining partnerships with hospitals, educating residents on the life-saving benefits of donation and inspiring them to sign up on the state's donor registry, Donor Alliance is able to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation.andboast some of the highest rates of donor registration in the country, which directly translates to more lives saved and healed through organ and tissue transplantation. Donor Alliance is one of 58 federally designated organizations of its kind in. For more information visit http://www.DonorAlliance.org or the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Facebook pages.SOURCE Donor Alliance FREDERICK, Md. May 6, 2019 University of Vermont $6M Darryl Sampey Jeffrey Hausfeld University of Vermont Chris Jones Frederick MD University of Vermont University of Vermont Vermont's Wilson Sonsini Goodrich Wilson Sonsini Goodrich the United States /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- TheHealth Network Ventures and legal firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati recently invested in BioFactura'sSeries B Financing Round."With the commitment from the UVM fund and WSGR, BioFactura is now securing value-added institutional investors who bring significant financial and business resources to bear as we advance our biopharmaceutical products to the clinic," said, BioFactura's President and CEO.Dr., Chairman of the Board and Chief Medical Officer, stated, "We are excited to work with theHealth Network Ventures and WSGR and view them as important strategic investors in BioFactura. Both our Biosimilars and Biodefense drugs promote the health and safety of our patients using innovative, state of the art, biopharmaceutical manufacturing techniques. Improving access to highly effective biologic therapeutics, while bending the cost curve downwards in a meaningful way, are shared goals.", Director of Venture Investments for the UVM Health Network, commented, "Investments into biosimilars are directly aligned with the mission of improving access to care and reducing costs. There are additional benefits that BioFactura has revealed, such as improved quality and emergency preparedness, and I predict we will be seeing a lot of interest in this space and in this company going forward."Charles Andres Ph.D., RAC, Associate Attorney specializing in Intellectual Property states, "WS Investments, the investment fund of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, was pleased to participate in the round."About BioFactura, Inc. BioFactura, Inc. () develops and commercializes high-value, highly similar biosimilars (i.e., follow-on biologics or generic biopharmaceuticals) using its patented StableFast Biomanufacturing Platform, the optimal system for bringing these drugs to market with faster, lower cost, superior-quality manufacture. For over 10 years, BioFactura has been advancing life-saving medicines from the research bench to the patient using its innovative drug development and manufacturing technologies. Current and past programs include biodefense drugs against smallpox and Ebola, novel medicines for cancer, and low-cost/high-quality biosimilars for autoimmune and infectious diseases. http://www.biofactura.comAboutHealth Network VenturesHealth Network Ventures is the highly selective, mission-led ventures arm of8-hospital healthcare system. http://www.uvmhealth.orgAbout& Rosati& Rosati is a law firm inthat specializes in business, securities, and intellectual property law. WSGR provides legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, as well as the venture capital firms, private equity firms, and investment banks that finance them. The firm's clients operate in a range of technology industries, including the biotech, communications, digital media, energy, financial services, medical devices, mobile, semiconductor, and software sectors. http://www.wsgr.comSOURCE BioFactura Advertisement By defining the unique properties of metastatic cancer cells, Hurst says, he hopes to provide a conceptual framework to accelerate the discovery of treatment strategies."Our attempts to identify the underlying first principles of the metastatic process hopefully provide a means for simplifying the processes that are essential for all metastases to develop," the authors said in the review.Hurst and Welch identified four hallmarks of metastasis:Motility and invasionModulation of the microenvironmentPlasticityAbility to colonizeDefining the hallmarks of metastasis has been complicated by both heterogeneity among tumor cells, and the myriad interactions with other molecules and cells throughout the process, according to the authors.Hurst and Welch say they hope that refining definitions and bringing together diverse data will identify vulnerabilities that metastasis researchers can exploit in the quest to treat cancer metastasis.Hurst, who also serves as an associate scientist at the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, explains why metastasis is hard to understand.Source: Eurekalert With 'Game Of Thrones' nearing its end faster than we had expected, it is safe to say that the story of the television series digressed from the storyline that author George RR Martin had spent years coming up with. While it deprives the show of a lot of love from the dedicated fans of the books, it also opens doors to an uncertain future and all sorts of theories about the way it all ends for Jon Snow, Cersei, Daenerys, and the rest of the crew with the series finale a couple of weeks away. One such theory could be about the main man, Jon Snow, who surprisingly seems to 'know nothing' about all the tattletales present in his family with whom he spent the better portion of his unusual life. via GIPHY I say unusual simply because one, he's come back to life after dying and two, have you noticed how ever since he was resurrected, he somehow managed to survive every major war he's been a part of while people around him continued to die, mostly saving him from danger? So, this theory is about how ever since he was brought back to life by the Lord of Light (through Melisandre), Snow became the most powerful and influential agent of the one true god especially because of the fact that Snow or rather, Aegon Targaryen was always the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, thereby the King of the Seven Kingdoms, a King who could force his subjects into worshipping the Lord of Light alone, while dismissing every other religion. via GIPHY The biggest hints about the theory dropped during the fourth episode of the eighth and final season of the show. After winning the Battle of Winterfell, with the Night King and the rest of the army of the dead decimated after Arya stabbed him in the torso with dragonglass, it was the wildlings who spoke of how Snow did not remain dead even after getting murdered: He is little but he is strong. Strong enough to befriend an enemy and get murdered for it. Most people get bloody murdered, they stay that way. Not this one, said Tormund to which Snow slyly replied: I didn't have much say in that. via GIPHY Also, a couple of moments ago, in a conversation with Tyrion, Ser Davos expresses his concerns with The Lord of Light. We play his game for him, we fight his war and win and then he fucks off. No signs, no blessings. Who knows what he wants? Maybe this is what the Lord of Light had planned all along. There also exists another theory according to which the Lord of Light and the God of Death are one and the same. In the last episode, Melisandre, a devout of the Lord of Light said something very peculiar to a terrified Arya that gave her the strength to kill the Night King. via GIPHY Interestingly, she spoke about the God of Death and the lines were first told to Arya nearly a decade ago by her sword-fighting instructor, Syrio Forel, who followed the God of Death aka the Many-Faced God as well. via GIPHY Once the Night King was dead, Melisandre happily died as her destiny was fulfilled by Arya and now it was Snow's turn to fulfill his by taking the throne from Cersei and Daenerys to complete the Lord of Light's plan. Start reading this article only and only if you have watched 'Game of Thrones' Season 8 Episode 4, for there are major spoilers ahead. Now, with that out of the way, let's get to the point. Episode 4 was all about the build-up to the final war against Cersei Lannister, and it ended on a note that left the audience hanging and hungry for answers, not to mention distressed. Daenerys Targaryen lost another dragon, but that perhaps is not the death that will haunt everyone. We lost Missandei of Naath, Dany's advisor, best friend, and confidante that she trusted more than anyone else. She was undoubtedly one of the most liked characters in the show, who was intelligent as well as loyal beyond measure to her queen. Just as her love story with Grey Worm started blooming, she met with a gruesome death. Hotstar One question that everyone is asking, however, is what her final words meant. Cersei asked her to say her last words before ordering The Mountain to execute her, and Missandei uttered a single word, one all too familiar to us: 'Dracarys'. As we geared up for Drogon to rise up behind Cersei and rain fire from the sky in a possibly badass twist like Arya's attack on the Night King from the previous episode, we were disappointed because nothing happened, and The Mountain sliced off her head leading to a miserable, anti-climactic end to the episode. Hotstar We, however, think that her uttering that word can have far-reaching implications, that are enough to turn around the fate of the Seven Kingdoms. The word 'Dracarys' means 'Dragonfire', and it also is the same word Daenerys utters every time she wants her dragons to attack with fire. Before we get into how and why it will possibly change everything for Westeros, let us revisit a scene from season 3 episode 4, where Daenerys frees the slaves in Astapor, and kills the master. Missandei was the translator, and that was the first time she saw the rage in Daenerys - something so ruthless and destructive, that even the most formidable leaders sometimes lack. She wanted to remind her of her own power at a time during which she was at her most vulnerable, having lost two of her dragons, the entire Dothraki army, as well as Ser Jorah Mormont. Hotstar She knew that Daenerys has it in her to burn everything down to the ground and raze anything that comes in her way, and that is what she keyed in, as a final goodbye to the realm. She could have said goodbye to Grey Worm, the love of her life, but instead, she chose to give one final piece of advice to her queen and her best friend, which is to burn everything. Hotstar She wanted Daenerys to get rid of all the diplomacy and all the hesitation that prevents her from raining fire down on King's Landing, and she made sure that now the barrier is broken. Daenerys, as well as Grey Worm, will now spiral down a path of vengeance, and that might just lead to Daenerys ignoring all the advice from Tyrion and Varys and she will perhaps turn into something everyone always warned her against transforming into - a mad queen. She is now anyway susceptible to her rage, something that runs in her family and ended up consuming her father Aerys II Targaryen, famously known as 'The Mad King', who had shouted "burn them all!" during his final moments. Hotstar Missandei, by uttering 'Dracarys' just before her death, essentially told Daenerys to ignore everything else and burn Cersei down to the ground, just like she obtained all her major wins along with the Dothraki and her dragons by her side. It was a reminder, as well as a solid piece of advice. The Realme X is now confirmed to launch in China on May 15th, according to the company's Weibo account. OPPO's spin-off brand is also rumoured to launch a smartphone that will compete with Xiaomi's POCO F1 and will have specifications similar to the OnePlus 7. It's rumoured to be called the Realme X Pro and the company is expected to launch two smartphones i.e. the Realme X Pro, Realme X, and Realme X Youth Edition, which is essentially India's Realme 3 Pro. Weibo/Realme In terms of specifications, the Realme X Pro is said to be powered by Qualcomm's latest chipset i.e. Snapdragon 855. It would be the company's first smartphone with the said chipset and is likely to compete with the Poco F1 and even the OnePlus 7. In terms of cameras, the Realme X Pro and probably Realme X are both said to have pop-up selfie cameras which were leaked earlier in a Weibo post. At the back, the Realme X is said to have a dual-camera setup and currently the Realme X Pro's camera specification is not known but could be similar. According to early render leaks, the Realme X and Realme X Pro both don't have a fingerprint sensor so we can assume it may be embedded underneath the front display. Weibo The Realme X, on the other hand, comes with Qualcomm's brand new Snapdragon 730 chipset which was last month. The new chipset is said to improve the gaming experience, photography, and artificial intelligence (AI). Realme is expected to pair the mobile platform on its upcoming offering with three configurations: 6GB + 64GB, 6GB + 128GB, and 8GB + 128GB. MensXP The Realme X is rumoured to have a 3,680 mAh battery and will have support for VOOC 3.0 fast charging technology. VOOC 3.0 is said to have an output of 20W of power and will work similarly to OnePlus' Warp charge. Battery specifications for the Realme X Pro are not known yet however it would be similar to the Realme X. TENAA In terms of display, apart from the in-display sensor, the Realme X is expected to feature a 6.5-inch AMOLED panel and will have a full-HD+ resolution. Both smartphones are expected to be announced at the launch event on May 15th in China and reports suggest that the Realme X Pro variant will be available to buy at a later date and will just be a simple announcement. The Realme X is expected to launch in China for RMB 1,599 (Rs 16,476) and RMB 1,999 (Rs 20,000) for the high-storage variant. Whether these smartphones will be launched in India remains to be seen and it would be interesting to see how the company would price the smartphone. Passengers wait to board a train at Zhengzhou East station in Central China's Henan province, May 4, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua] The country's railway operator said it will no longer allow train conductors to sell extended tickets to passengers who are already on board because the practice created overcrowding problems over the May Day holiday last week and was unfair to passengers who had booked tickets in advance. Some of those ticket holders were not allowed to board because the train was already full. The onboard sales ban was reported by Beijing Youth Daily after valid ticket holders were turned away from overcrowded slow trains in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, and Zibo, Shandong province, on Wednesday, the first day of the four-day holiday. In the past, during peak travel times, many travelers found themselves unable to buy a ticket to their desired destination. Hence, they bought one for a shorter distance instead and then purchased additional tickets from conductors. However, during the peak travel season, this presents a problem. When too many passengers aboard are allowed to purchase additional tickets, it results in overcrowding. Under the new rules, conductors are not allowed to sell extension tickets on board after being informed that the train is overbooked. Passengers who insist on staying aboard will be charged an extra 50 percent of the original price of their ticket, and must pay when they exit the station upon arrival. While conductors accepted money for tickets in the past, that practice is now banned. "The railway will decide whether to allow passengers to purchase tickets after boarding based on the current passenger numbers and the number of presold tickets for the next station," the company said. Many passengers complained on China's social media platforms last week that they had bought tickets in advance, but were refused entry by railway staff because of overloadingthe result of some passengers buying short distance tickets after getting on the train. "The practice violates the interests of passengers who abide by the rules, while those who break the rules take advantage of the losses and get what they want, which is discouraging to law-abiding people," said Zhu Lijia, professor of public management at the Chinese Academy of Governance. "The overloading also disturbs the order of railway transportation, posing a threat to the safety of all the passengers on board," said Zhu. The railway company apologized on Saturday in response to the incidents and said it would operate more trains in areas where there are capacity shortages during holidays. "We will arrange transportation work more scientifically and strengthen controls to guide passengers to take trains in accordance with the tickets they bought," the company said. The company also vowed to work with various departments to add "buying short distance tickets but traveling the whole distance" into people's credit histories. Railway trips in China hit a daily record high on Wednesday. A total of 17.24 million railway passenger trips were made, surging 44.3 percent from the same day last year, the company said. As millions of people took advantage of the long break, some rail routes had difficulties meeting the travel needs of passengers. The company added a total of 758 trains to handle the passenger rush on Wednesday. During his working visit to Mozambique, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Terens Quick made the following statement to the country's news media: The Greek government could not turn a blind eye and provided symbolic humanitarian aid, to the best of its ability, to the government of Mozambique, as the country suffered destruction on a biblical scale due to the two cyclones that ravaged it over the course of 45 days, resulting in casualties in the hundreds, over 2 million homeless and nearly half a million schoolchildren with no classrooms not to mention the losses in the agricultural and livestock farming sector. On top of all this, a state of emergency was declared in northern Mozambique due to a cholera outbreak. Today, here in Maputo, I delivered, on behalf of the Greek government, a letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Giorgos Katrougalos, which refers to our humanitarian aid. I delivered the letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Manuela Luca Santos, and to the Deputy Minister of State Administration and Civil Service, Mr Albano Macie. Also present was the General Consul to Maputo, Mr Gerasimos Marketos, who visited the affected areas with a UN delegation. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs added that he agreed over the telephone with the Greek Defence Minister, Mr Evangelos Apostolakis, for the Ministry of Defence to collect medicines and add them to the humanitarian aid to be shipped to Mozambique by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Santos, expressed her warm thanks to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, stressing the following: We highly appreciate the fact that an envoy of Greece visited our homeland. The amount or volume of humanitarian aid does not matter to us. What matters is that the country of Socrates and Aristotle is here, to support us in these dramatic, painful times, and we are not unmoved by this fact on the contrary, we will always remember it. This decency was shown from the very first moment by the members of the Greek community in Mozambique, as well as our friend Gerasimos, the General Consul of this brotherly country from the European Union". The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs then met with the UN Representative in Mozambique, Mr Marco Corsi, and the Ambassador of the EU in Mozambique, Mr Antonio Sanchez, who fully briefed him on the dramatic situation in the affected areas. It was announced that a Ministerial meeting will be held in Maputo on 30 May, to be attended by Ministers of EU Member States, on the reconstruction of Northern Mozambique. Finally, Mr Quick met with the President of the World Bank, David Malpass, on his first international visit in his new capacity for the purpose of providing financial aid. The Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sia Anagnostopoulou, participated in the meeting of the European Affairs Ministers of EU Member States, held in Paris, on the creation of a European mechanism for the protection of the cultural monuments of Europe. During her intervention, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs proposed, among other things, the creation of an observatory of endangered cultural heritage monuments which, in fact, Greece is willing to host. She also presented a proposal for the creation of a funding mechanism for all European monuments, depending on their protection needs. This mechanism can be funded from the revenue of the monuments themselves (tickets, programme sales, audiovisual tours, etc.), following the example of the Greek Fund of Archaeological Proceeds. A percentage of profits can be used for the creation of a pool which, in turn, will fund the cataloguing, preservation, protection and restoration of monuments in the event of emergencies. This percentage would be fiscally neutral for the national budgets of all EU Member States. Additionally, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs proposed the creation of a European post-secondary vocational training diploma in a city with a wealth of emblematic cultural heritage monuments in need of preservation and restoration, as well as the promotion of educational programmes for the exchange of students between European schools of specialised technical studies. In Pukawang village of Dulongjiang township, arrays of cottages sit across the Nujiang River. [By Fang Xiaoqi/China.org.cn] In a remote hillside village of China's Yunnan province, villagers are readying a grand reopening to welcome back tourists this September, following a two-year hiatus. In the village of Pukawang of Dulongjiang township, the key attraction is a number of cottages that double as villager homes and guesthouses. The village, nestled into the forested hills along the scenic Dulong River, was closed in October 2017 due to renovation work, as part of Dulongjiang's broader plans to improve road access and facilities in the area. The region is home to about 4,000 Derung, one of China's smallest ethic groups. Resident Pu Xueqing described her old 20-square-meter home, which was made of wood and thatch. In 2015, the government gave her and 12 other households new homes, each worth about 300,000 yuan (about US$44,500). Each new cottage measures 120 square meters, of which 40 square meters can be used as a guesthouse for tourists. A hotel company manages the villa space and pays yearly rent of at least 5,000 yuan. "Since the government helped us build new homes that we can partially rent out to the hotel company, our life has become much better," Pu said, adding that this extra income comes in handy: "My family used to depend on corn, potatoes, sheep, and cattle to make a living, and I had to go out of the village to work to support my family." Tourists flocked to Dulongjiang during the peak season from Spring Festival to the National Day holiday, to take in the unique charms of living besides the Dulong River, which flows south from the Tibetan plateau through this valley into bordering Myanmar. Kong Yucai, chief of the township, said the upgraded cottages will be able to host tourists who demand more luxury services. In addition to the idyllic landscapes, Kong said visitors will be able to go fishing and take a zip-line across the river. The entrance to Dulongjiang township. [By He Shan/China.org.cn] At the same time, local authorities are well aware of the need to protect the environment and ensure sustainability. Gao Derong, who served as the head of Gongshan county between 2001 and 2006, said the Derung people have immense respect for their natural environment. During the rainy season, when timber washes down from the upper reaches of the Dulong River, villagers fetch the wood from the river to save on the number of trees they need to cut down for firewood. "We have to keep Dulongjiang as a heaven on earth, and develop tourism while paying attention to environmental protection," Gao said. "That is the largest legacy we can leave to our children." As a result of these efforts, Dulongjiang, belonging to one of China's poorest regions, was lifted out of poverty in 2018an achievement that received praise from President Xi Jinping, who in a letter last month congratulated the Derung people and called on them to continue working for a better life. "Poverty eradication is only the first step; better days are yet to come," Xi wrote in the letter. For hundreds of years, the remote area was cut off from the outside world every year from October to April by heavy snow. In 2014, a 6.68-kilometre-long tunnel opened to traffic, cutting travel time to the seat of Gaoshan prefecture from six hours to just two. Prior to the road construction, Dulongjiang could be reached only by trekking for two to three days along treacherous mountain trails. The road-building initiative is part of a larger effort to eradicate absolute poverty in China by 2020, lifting roughly 10 million people from poverty each year. Aside from infrastructure improvement, the government has also brought aid to residents of the Dulong River Valley in the form of employment and training. Kong Mingguang has worked as a government-paid forest ranger since 2017, earning 960 yuan a month. He is part of the prefecture's ecological poverty-relief program that employed about 50,000 rangers in 2016. Kong also joined a training program for farmers offered by the local government on planting medicinal herbs and keeping bees. "Because of my lack of education, I didn't have a decent job and my family struggled to eke out a living," he said. "Since I started work as a ranger, I have regular income and live a better life." Despite improved conditions, however, the local infrastructure is still far from satisfactory, being one of the few areas in China without a highway, railroad, airport or waterway. Yin Jianlong, vice principal of a school in Dulongjiang, said education is the key to a better life to beat the odds. The prefecture provides compulsory schooling for all children up to 14 years of age, including Mandarin classes for children in Dulongjiang as early as kindergarten. "Here, people over 60 cannot communicate with others in Mandarin, but now young people are able to speak fluent Mandarin, and they are eager to go out to explore the outside world," Yin said. You are here: China China's weather authorities on Monday evening issued an alert for possible geological disasters in some western and southwestern regions. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) forecasted a high risk of geological disasters caused by heavy rain in parts of Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan provinces and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Monday evening to Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Water Resources and the CMA warned of mountain torrents in central Xinjiang over the next 24 hours. To guard against mountain torrent disasters, the two agencies told local authorities to strengthen real-time monitoring and flood warnings and brace for evacuation. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a condolence message to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, over a fatal plane fire accident in Moscow on Sunday. Xi said in his message that he was shocked to learn that a passenger plane caught fire before an emergency landing at the Sheremetyevo International Airport, causing heavy casualties and property loss. On behalf of the Chinese government and people and in his own name, Xi extended deep condolences over the loss of lives and expressed sincere sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families. On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also sent a message to his counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, expressing condolences over the deaths and expressed sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families. Flash 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. You are here: World Flash Russia's Investigative Committee confirmed Monday that 41 people were killed after an SSJ-100 passenger plane en route to the northwestern Russian city of Murmansk caught fire before an emergency landing Sunday at the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow. "41 people died," Elena Markovskaya, representative of the committee's Moscow Interregional Investigation Department for Transport, was quoted by Tass news agency as saying. The committee reported 37 survivors from the 78 people aboard the airliner in an earlier statement. 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 news agency quoted a source as saying. It was previously reported that the fire could be caused by lightening strike. The committee has opened a criminal case on violation of safety regulations for air transport and started further investigation of the accident, according to the statement. Investigators began to interview the victims, eyewitnesses, airport staff and the airline carrier, as well as others responsible for the operation of the aircraft, it said. The causes and circumstances are being verified and an explicit conclusion will be made after a comprehensive study of the data and documentation is completed, the committee said. Flash 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 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. Development officials in Connecticut say they are expecting to making substantial progress by the end of 2019 in marketing the states 72 federally-designated Opportunity Zone sites. The IRS recently released an updated set of regulations for investors in Opportunity Zone sites that clarify procedures under a tax benefit program established by the White House in 2017 as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The program is designed to encourage private investment in lower-income areas around the country. Connecticut has Opportunity Zone sites in 27 towns from the largest cities like Hartford, New Haven and Waterbury to mid-sized and small communities like Meriden, Windham and Putnam. There is still more to be clarified at the federal level, but the state is preparing new materials to show what the sites have to offer and how they can add value for a private investor, David Kooris, deputy director of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, said. Our intent from the public sector in Connecticut is to really demonstrate why our zones make sense for investment, Kooris said. These 72 tracts are oriented toward our key assets and key strengths for growth that we have in the state. Theyre in our downtowns and in theyre in our transportation corridors. We can say with confidence that youre not going to be out there on your own in the wilderness, youre going to be right there alongside us implementing our core strategies for economic growth. Kooris said the DECD has been meeting with officials in the 27 towns to talk about ways to make infrastructure investments and institute proper zoning to remove any impediments to smart development. Residents shouldnt expect the Opportunity Zone designations to be a magic pill, but the tax incentives involved could make a difference in projects that involved just a little bit too much financial risk for investors, he said. Municipal leaders look at the Opportunity Zone regulations as a new tool to market existing development-ready sites. Properties like the old Showcase Cinemas in East Hartford and the town-owned Parkade site on Broad Street in Manchester could get the bump they need from a new way for private investors to raise money. In Manchester we feel like our Opportunity Zones cover two of our greatest areas of potential, economic-development wise, said Gary Anderson, director of planning and economic development in Manchester. It makes investment in a certain project more feasible, and it ramps up the incentive to make them even more financially-viable. The state isnt expected to be a player in any Opportunity Zone development unless there are brownfield funds involved or needed permitting, but officials will work to encourage growth for the entire state, Kooris said. Opportunity Zones have also been receiving attention from the state legislature recently. A bill proposed by state Sen. James Maroney, D-Milford, would require the DECD to host five regional workshops by Jan. 1, 2020 and conduct an extensive study of potential participants in OZ projects. The bill received a favorable vote from the Commerce Committee, and is expected to get a vote before the end of the June 5 end of the 2019 session, Maroney said. The bill would also direct the DECD to incentivize mixed-income housing development with low-interest state loans alongside the Opportunity Zone program. This year is an important year for investment in the Opportunity Zones, Maroney said, because of the way the incentives are structured to encourage early investment. We know that our cities and towns are critical to the growth of our state, and [Opportunity Zones] will help us attract development in critical areas and fill critical needs like housing. The recent IRS regulations solidified performance metrics and answered major questions about revenue production in OZ sites, said Liddy Karter, managing director for Connecticut at Enhanced Capital, a national investment consulting firm with a Stamford office. People are paying attention to this benefit and they seem to be interested in acting on it, Karter said. Existing plans and existing strategies were reinforced by the Opportunity Zone designations, and consequently its easier for investors and developers and businesses to want to be in these places. Karter said her firm is helping developers and investors learn about how to raise funding for projects in Opportunity Zones, and Enhanced Capital could potentially be an investor itself. Enhanced Capital has a whole history of investing in underserved communities, and we do that by leveraging tax incentives, Karter said. Its a different benefit than weve had before, but we expect it to be a very different opportunity than we had before. Good business leaders care about their customers. They want to keep them happy and actively seek feedback. Such is not the case at the state Department of Transportation. The DOTs new commissioner, Joseph Giulietti, has missed several important opportunities to interface with riders in his first 100 days in office. Not that he hasnt been working. He just hasnt been meeting with customers. Remember that Giulietti came to his new job after a stint as president of Metro-North. In that role, he held several meet-the-commuter events, handling himself quite well answering questions and defusing angry riders. After leaving the railroad, he became a consultant last year to T Y Lins study of how to improve running times on the railroad to achieve the 30-30-30 dream espoused by the Fairfield Business Councils Joe McGee. That $400,000 study, using Giuliettis input, said it could be done. But if it was going to be so easy to cut running time from Stamford to Grand Central (now 51 minutes at best) to just a half-hour, youd think hed have done so as president of the railroad. But he didnt. Instead, according to the new timetable, running times were increased by as much as 16 minutes, angering and confusing commuters. But the commissioner has been silent. He did accept an invitation to attend the April 17 meeting of the official Connecticut Commuter Rail Council, but then canceled on short notice. Council Chairman Jim Gildea says a staffer promised to reschedule, but has not yet called. A few days later, the new timetable was released and included a nasty surprise for Waterbury branch riders. Their usual 4:42 p.m. train from GCT arriving in Bridgeport at 5:58 p.m. used to connect to their Waterbury train. But under the new timetable, the Waterbury shuttle leaves four minutes before the New York train arrives. The next train is three hours later. Waterbury riders would make the 6:03 p.m. Bridgeport connection if they left GCT at 4:11 p.m. Try explaining that to your boss. How could such a scheduling mistake be made? Where was Giulietti? When the Commuter Council asked for answers, they got excuses. The mistake was corrected when U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., wrote a letter to Metro-North. Giulietti finally made a public appearance on April 26 when he and Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi took a ride with Hearst Connecticut Media. Jacqueline Smith, a Hearst columnist and editorial page editor, challenged them in December to ride the Danbury branch to see the conditions. Giulietti and Rinaldi accepted the invitation and boarded the post rush-hour 9:05 a.m. train from Danbury. They first had a meet-and-greet at the train station with Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, who obviously knew they were coming. At Bethel, First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker came aboard to lobby for transit-oriented development. Smith interviewed Giulietti and Rinaldi all the way to South Norwalk. But when I asked Smith what happened when the railroaders talked with commuters, she said they didnt. They were too busy being interviewed and lobbied, I guess. Thats sad. When they finally had a chance to ride the rails and talk to their customers, Giulietti and Rinaldi turned fact-finding into a PR photo op. Giuliettis predecessor as commissioner, Jim Redeker, was a constant presence in public (and to his employees). He attended numerous Commuter Council, business group and community meetings. But wheres Joe? CROMWELL - Town residents will go to the polls Tuesday to decide the fate of the proposed $51 million 2019-20 municipal budget. Polls will be open in the gymnasium of Cromwell High School from noon to 8 p.m. Some 10,203 residents are eligible to vote. The proposed $51,351,379 budget is some 2.83 percent higher than this years spending plan. The budget includes $30.70 million for education. That is an increase of 3.29 percent over the current years operating budget, according to figures supplied by Director of Finance Marianne Sylvester. The budget also calls for spending $16.95 million for General Government, the non-education aspects of town government. Those include funding for police, public works, the town government departments, and the Cromwell Belden Public Library. The request for funding for General Government is 2.55 percent above this years spending level. The third component of the budget is debt service, the money used to pay down the debt on previously approved major projects. Debt service in the 19-20 budget is $3.70 million, an increase of .46 percent, according to Sylvester. The proposed budget includes some $300,000 in funding for road repairs as part of the towns continuing road improvement program. The budget has been three top-to-bottom reviews, first by Sylvester and Town Manager Anthony J. Salvatore, then by the Town Council, and finally by the Board of Finance. Mayor Enzo Faienza has urged residents to vote on the proposed budget. I encourage all residents/electors of the Town to come out and vote on May 7th. A lot of hard work has gone into this budget from our Department Heads, Town Manager, Finance Director, Town Council and Board of Finance, he said in a statement Friday. I want to thank them all, and now its time to hear from the public. Please come out and vote, whether you support it or not, as its your right. If the budget passes on Tuesday, the Board of Finance will meet to address a number issues including setting the tax mill rate for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1. Flash Israeli warplanes, drones and tanks intensified on Sunday their heavy strikes on military posts and facilities that belong to Islamic Hamas movement and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. An Israeli army spokesman said in a press statement that striking on military facilities that belong to the two groups was in response to firing scores of rockets from the coastal enclave into Israel. Gaza Health Ministry said in a press statement that since Saturday, 18 Palestinians were killed, and 146 injured by the shrapnel of missiles and shells of the Israeli army warplanes, drones and artillery. The statement said that among the killed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, two are pregnant women and two are unborn fetuses. Meanwhile, security sources said that the other 14 killed are militants; ten of them are Islamic Jihad militants. Tension has been mounting in the Gaza Strip since Friday, when four Palestinians were killed, including two demonstrators and two Hamas militants after unknown gunmen opened fire and wounded two Israeli soldiers. The Hamas-run Ministry of Interior said in a press statement that it has instructed to evacuate all the police and security buildings and facilities and temporarily released all the prisoners in fear of being targeted by the Israeli airstrikes. The decision was made after Israeli warplanes struck with heavy missiles the main headquarters of the interior security services that belong to the interior ministry in western Gaza city, where it was completely destroyed. Eyad al-Bozzom, spokesman of the ministry of interior in Gaza, said in a press statement that "striking on the interior security headquarters in Gaza is a crime and will never prevent us from carrying out our duties and protecting our people." Efforts to restore calm between Israel and Gaza militant groups had so far failed, although two senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad delegations have been holding talks in Cairo since Thursday on restoring calm in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had earlier said at the inauguration of two governmental establishments that a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip "has no value and it is useless." "To those who are ruling the Gaza Strip (referring to Hamas) must understand that a truce here or a calm understanding there are with no values and are useless," said Abbas, according to the official Palestinian News Agency (WAFA). However, he said that the current violent Israeli escalation on the Gaza Strip "is rejected and condemned," adding "we had asked the world's intervention to immediately stop the Israeli aggression." Abbas reiterated that it is necessary "to achieve a national and historic reconciliation that includes all the Palestinian people to confront all conspiracies that are plotted against our cause, mainly the American Deal of the Century." In the West Bank city of Ramallah, dozens of Palestinians demonstrated in support for the Gaza Strip and to condemn the ongoing Israeli military offensive that had been waged on the Gaza Strip on Saturday. The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, chanted slogans against Israel and called on the United Nations to ensure protection for the Gaza Strip, home to two million Palestinians. Essam Bakker, the coordinator of the Palestinian factions, said that the demonstration was organized "to affirm the unity of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip as well as all over the world." "The current Israeli military escalation against our people in the Gaza Strip will never succeed to achieve the goals of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu," he said, adding "the Palestinian blood is precious." MIDDLETOWN First Church Middletown will present a performance of Julius Lesters Day of Tears, a novel centered on the largest slave auction in American history told from the perspective of the husbands, wives and lovers on the auction block. Written and directed by Laurie Maria Cabral and produced by Tom Raines, this performance is offered with the permission of Julius Lester and his family. It will take place at First Church Middletown, located at 190 Court Street in Middletown, May 18 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. First Church Middletown, a pro-racial justice and open and affirming congregational church in the United Church of Christ, brings Day of Tears into its space for the first time and raise awareness about an important event in American history. Through a conversation with the actors, director, and producer after the performance, audience members will learn more about how racism continues to manifest in the present-day and how individuals and communities can address systemic oppression. This is a free community event, open to all. Be advised that strong language and allusions to violence are present in the performance and may not be suitable for certain audiences, including young children. Julius Lester (1939-2018) was an author and intellectual who chronicled African-American life in numerous noted publications. Day of Tears is regarded by many as the crowning achievement of his career. Goodspeed Musicals holding essay contest HADDAM This summer, Goodspeed Musicals will produce a new musical: Because of Winn Dixie. For this production, Goodspeed is partnering with the Connecticut Library Consortium to introduce a new opportunity for students: a statewide essay writing contest. In the spirit of community engagement and Because of Winn Dixies message of joy and positivity, Goodspeed is asking students to write a five paragraph essay answering the question: Who is your Winn Dixie? Based on Kate DiCamillos award-winning novel and featuring one of literatures most beloved four-legged friends, Because of Winn Dixie follows a young girl and her father, a preacher, as they take in a stray dog they found in their small towns supermarket. Featuring music by Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening) and lyrics by Nell Benjamin (Mean Girls, Legally Blonde: The Musical), this new musical explores how a small Southern town full of lost souls finds connection and compassion within each other. Because of Winn Dixie will be performed at the Goodspeed June 28 - Sept 1. Students in grades 4-5 may submit their essay online now through May 15. Details about the contest are online at https://www.goodspeed.org/. The winner will be announced May 30. The winner receives four tickets to see Because of Winn Dixie, a meet and greet with the actors and pairs of tickets for students to attend. Essays can be submitted at https://bit.ly/2ZBRPxV Brunch at the Barn benefits museum GUILFORD Residents are invited to attend the 5th annual Brunch at the Barn, May 19, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., celebrating The Dudley Farm Museums first 25 years. Catered by The Marketplace at the Guilford Food Center, local farm products from some of the Dudley Farm Farmers' Market vendors will be featured. A silent auction will offer the bidder unique local items, and drawings will be held for floral centerpieces provided by Michael Russo of Trout Lily Farm and Janet Dudley. Come listen to The Dudley Farm String Band and enjoy a day down on the farm. A tour and recognition of the barn as part of the State Register of Historic Places of the restored barn complex will follow the brunch. Seating for this special event is limited. Tickets are $45 per person, and must be purchased in advance. For further information call 203-457-0770 or email director@dudleyfarm.com. Records to be destroyed PORTLAND The Portland Board of Education will destroy special education records for students with dates of birth prior to 1988. Parents or adult students who would like to pick up their records must contact Portland High School, where the records are maintained, by May 31. All records must be picked up by June 7. Contact the Portland High School main office at 860-342-1720 with the students full name and date of birth to request the record. Summer production registration open CHESTER Madhatters Theatre Company is now accepting registration for their summer production of Alice in Wonderland. The production will be presented at Chester Meeting House August 5th thru 9th and registration is open to ages 6-16 years. To register or for further information, email: madhattersctc@aol.com or call 860- 395-1861. www.madhatterstheatrecompany.com Child actors can audition at Goodspeed EAST HADDAM Goodspeed Musicals is holding local child auditions for its 2019 production of Billy Elliot Sunday, May 19, 12 p.m. in East Haddam, for ballet girls and the Michel understudy. They are looking for candidates with strong dance ability between the ages of 7 and 16. Performances of Billy Elliot are Aug. 13 - Nov. 23. Candidates must be available for four weeks of rehearsal and a 12-week performance run. All auditions are by appointment only. Appointments may be made starting immediately; call 860-873-8664, ext. 721, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Interested performers should bring a resume, photo, ballet shoes (girls), tap shoes (girls and boys) and the sheet music for two 16-bar cuts (an up-tempo song and a ballad). Music must be legible and in the proper key (no lead sheets please). An accompanist will be provided. Flash 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. Three current service members looking for ways to continue paying it forward as civilians joined a group discussion last week exploring whether politics might be the right fit. Colby, a Navy lieutenant; Katie, a Marine captain; and Chase, an Air Force Reserve captain (their full names are being withheld), all said they saw pluses and minuses in the zero-sum game of garnering support, influence and votes. All said they see politics as a possible vehicle for advancing the commitment to service imbued by the military into another field, but they also have concerns that their values might be compromised in the process. All three also said they know it could get ugly. "To me, the most important thing is to wake up in the morning and be able to look at myself in the mirror," Katie said of a career in politics. "If there's too much moral compromise involved, I'm not going to do it." Related content: The venue for airing their thoughts was a group session last Thursday evening run by "Answering The Call," a program of the New Politics Leadership Academy (NPLA) that encourages those with experience in national service -- the military, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps or government -- to consider running for office at the federal, state or local level. New Politics has been instrumental in helping to elect veterans, including Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Massachusetts, a former Marine who is now among the crowded field running for the Democratic presidential nomination. New Politics has also aided Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, a Navy veteran; Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisconsin, a Marine veteran; and Rep. Max Rose, D-New York, an Army veteran. The group, a tax-exempt "527" political organization -- named for the section of the Internal Revenue Service Code for groups created to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates -- is gearing up for the 2020 election cycle. While New Politics is a 527 group, its sister organization NPLA, which runs Answering The Call, is a non-profit 501 (c) (3). Veteran involvement begins with the payment of a $50 fee to attend five "Answering The Call" sessions, at which attendees are encouraged "to reflect on the values that compelled them to serve in the first place, and explore if they now feel called to serve their community through politics," according to promotional material. Thursday's "Answering The Call" session was up front in stressing that the program is not a primer for running a campaign, raising money, choosing staff, polling, shaping a message on issues, or the other basics of running for office. The political nitty-gritty will be left to those who go on to connect with the New Politics. Kevin Deibler, an Air Force major and now a congressional defense fellow, led the session and set the tone: "Why are we here and where are we going?" The session itself was off the record, but Colby, Katie and Chase agreed to talk afterward. Colby, a helicopter pilot, said he joined the Navy "because I wanted to participate in the defense of the country. And when I leave, I still desire to represent what's best to help the country." He said he does not want to become one of those who complain about what's wrong with government but never commit to doing anything about it. Katie said representing constituents and advocating for their interests is a challenge and wondered whether she'd have regrets if she didn't take on that challenge. But, she added, "I'm not sure I'm ready to make a decision." According to Chase, the "best way to have a positive impact [is] to go into lawmaking" through elective office. But first, he wants to "build up my background" and have a financial cushion and another career -- in case he loses. "Answering The Call" is part of New Politics' plan to build on the successes of the 2018 election cycle. The current Congress has six female veterans, the most in history, and the 19 freshman veterans elected was the most in 10 years. The total number of veterans in Congress is 96 -- 30 Democrats and 66 Republicans; the total number is down by six because of older veterans retiring. The 116th Congress began in January with veterans totaling about 18 percent of the 535 members of the House and Senate, compared to the 1970s, when about two-thirds of the members of Congress were veterans. Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct a service member's affiliation, to correct an organization name and to clarify the tax status of Answering the Call. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. OSLO, Norway -- It's not necessarily the ship that comes to mind when you think about America flexing its muscles abroad to project seapower and dominance. But when the U.S. Coast Guard's Barque Eagle, known as "America's Tall Ship," came into port here Sunday for the first time since 1963, the locals were eager to see it. More than 1,300 people visited the ship Sunday; the vessel sees 90,000 tourists each year, officials said. The ship trains hundreds of cadets each summer on the basics of navigation and seamanship -- something the service believes can still make a tough and ready Coastie despite the emergence of a near-peer power competition. It's not always about learning on the newest technology. The Coast Guard thinks some things are just meant to be done old school. "They don't come here to learn how to sail, although that is a bonus," said Chief Petty Officer Kevin Johnson, the training cutter's command chief, master-at-arms and food service officer for the last three years. The U.S. Coast Guard's Barque Eagle, known as "America's Tall Ship," came into port in Oslo, Norway May 5, 2019 for the first time since 1963. (Military.com photo/Oriana Pawlyk) "We're teaching you how to work as a team," he said during an hour-long tour of the ship. "And it's tradition." Two groups of 150 cadets each will soon embark on the service's 12-week summer program. The first group is comprised of third-class cadets, the second of first-class cadets. The cutter will likely hit its max capacity of 234 crew with each group; 50 enlisted and eight officers man the ship year round. Roughly 40 percent of the trainees are women, Johnson said. The ship, which has only basic radars for navigation, will also host a number of international cadets during the training program. Members "from as far as Micronesia" have come to learn team building and leadership on the Eagle, designated WIX-327, he said. Life onboard the ship is meant to give cadets the "life as an enlisted person" experience, demanding strength and discipline, he said. They'll climb to the top of the mainmast, which towers above the deck at 147 feet. Most cadets know that "someone still has to put the flag up" and furl the sail by hand. "They still climb the rigging," Johnson said, adding that the small boats need to be lowered by hand. He said two cadets have gone overboard during his tenure: one while touching up the hull en route to Ireland and another who lost balance on the rigging and fell into the water. "They're both OK," said Johnson, a 19-year veteran of the service. The U.S. Coast Guard's Barque Eagle, known as "America's Tall Ship," came into port in Oslo, Norway May 5, 2019 for the first time since 1963. (Military.com photo/Oriana Pawlyk) The cadets will take their meals in five shifts, retire to the berthing quarters to sleep, and leave the ship to explore cities when "there isn't work that needs to be done," he said. The 295-foot vessel is rooted in training. Built in 1936, it was formerly known as the Horst Wessel and operated by Germany for its cadet training program during World War II before it was captured by the British in 1945. It was then traded to the U.S. a year later. During a four-year service life extension program, completed last year, more than 1,500 square feet of original German hull plate was removed and replaced, Johnson said. The ship was home-ported in Baltimore, Maryland, while the upgrades were being finished. The U.S. Coast Guard's Barque Eagle, known as "America's Tall Ship," came into port in Oslo, Norway May 5, 2019 for the first time since 1963. (Military.com photo/Oriana Pawlyk) The Eagle requires "constant maintenance," and the cadets and crew know it, he said. During its 19-day trip across the Atlantic en route to Portsmouth in the United Kingdom last week, two sails split during bad weather. One split more than once. "I think they even got the sewing machines out" to fix them, Johnson said. There are layers of baggywrinkle -- old, fringe-like rope -- meant to protect the sails from chafing. The ship has been largely Atlantic-based, sailing to the Caribbean and various European locations. The Eagle has visited Australia, but otherwise hasn't made its way to other parts of the Pacific Rim. "Not yet, anyway," Johnson said. The Eagle, which can hit 17 knots max speed under sail, heads next to Kiel, Germany, to pick up the first summer class of cadets. It will then sail to Copenhagen, Denmark; Antwerp, Belgium; the Netherlands; the Azores; and finally back to the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, which will be its homeport after this summer. The German-turned-American trainer will also participate in events marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy on June 6. Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that this trip was the Barque Eagle's return to Oslo for the first time since 1963; it had last been in Bergen, Norway, in 1988. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Navy and Marine Corps officials sidestepped questions Monday over whether they will commit their own resident experts to the new sixth branch of the military, Space Force. Rear Adm. Christian Becker, commander of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), said decisions on shifting personnel to Space Force are above his pay grade and have yet to be finalized. He said the Defense Department is still studying "how best to support that Space Force" and "how to meet the mission needs of the Space Force." Until the DoD decides, his personnel are involved in other missions, Becker said. Related content: Brig. Gen. Lorna Mahlock, the first African-American woman to be nominated to one-star rank in the Marine Corps and now director of command, control, communications and computer (C4) for the Marine Corps, was equally non-committal, saying it is a "little premature to have that discourse" on Marine Corps involvement in the Space Force. The Coast Guard's chief of naval research, Capt. Greg Rothrock, said only that his service "certainly was not a leader" on the Space Force issue and is focused on being a "smart user of the capabilities that are available" from advances in space technology. Becker, Mahlock and Rothrock were on a panel at the Sea-Air-Space exposition at National Harbor, Maryland, to discuss space as the military's new frontier. In June 2018, President Donald Trump directed the DoD to begin planning for a Space Force; in February, he signed an order directing all military space functions to come under a new Space Force, to be overseen by the Department of the Air Force. However, Congress is still debating its size, composition and costs, and questioning what the Space Force will do that the Air Force isn't doing already. At a Center for Strategic and International Studies event in March, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said that he expects 15,000 to 20,000 personnel to be assigned to Space Force. According to his Navy biography, Becker has about 10,500 military and civilian personnel in SPAWAR. On Sunday, 43 former DoD, Air Force and intelligence officials signed an open letter to express "strong support" for the creation of a Space Force. The letter said in part that a Space Force would "develop military space culture and ethos" and "recruit, train, educate, promote and retain scientists, engineers and warriors with world-class space skills and talent." Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct Brig. Gen. Mahlock's position. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. The Navy and Textron showed off for the first time Monday a weaponized prototype of a small unmanned surface vessel (USV) designed to revolutionize sea warfare. Textron principal systems engineer Gary Hartman said the display of the 40-foot Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle, docked at the annual Sea-Air-Space Exposition at National Harbor, Maryland, is the first of the boat mounted with a 50-caliber machine gun and a housing for Hellfire missiles. The weapons display is the outgrowth of the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement signed last year by Naval Sea Systems Command and Textron "to develop and integrate surface warfare payloads onto the Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle." According to the agreement, "the payloads will include various missiles, designators, sensors, and remote weapon stations." The weapons are part of what Hartman called an "expeditionary warfare package" for the CUSV, but he stressed that the display is intended only to show possible future capabilities. "As an initial package, there's not a lot of appetite for it" currently, he said. Hartman said the CUSV itself is a program of record with the Navy, but there is no timeline for when the systems will be deployed. The CUSV was initially developed to be carried aboard Littoral Combat Ships and launched to conduct countermine and surveillance operations. The missions can be programmed into the CUSV, and radars and other sensors aboard alert the mother ship to what the CUSV finds, Hartman said. Hartman noted that the CUSV is programmed to be compliant with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs). The CUSV, which is capable of 30 knots and has a range of 400 nautical miles, will independently pass behind an approaching vessel and then resume its original mission direction, he said. During countermine activities, when it is programmed to stick to a given course, the CUSV will independently slow to allow the approaching vessel to pass and "then get back on track," Hartman said. The CUSV's COLREG-compliant feature also has possible applications for manned Navy surface vessels, he said. "It doesn't lose focus; it doesn't lose attention," as sailors might. Related Video: -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Navy Commemorates 50th Anniversary of EC-121 Shootdown The 31-member crew of the U.S. Navy EC-121M, call sign Deep Sea 129, which was shot down by North Korean fighter planes over the Sea of Japan in 1969, was remembered in a ceremony April 15, marking the 50th anniversary of the event. The commemoration included a wreath-laying ceremony and the firing of three volleys to honor the dead, along with remarks from Cmdr. Joe Overstreet, the son of Lt. Cmdr. James Overstreet, who was the officer in charge of Deep Sea 129. Read more at Navy.mil. Read more Navy news on Military.com. How Bad Do You Want to Achieve Your Goal? Heres How to Tell If You Want It Enough to Succeed Do you have a goal in front of you? How badly do you want to achieve that dream? Are you willing to take on the challenge to... Flash Panama's electoral tribunal on Sunday night declared presidential front-runner Laurentino Cortizo, of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, the virtual winner of the presidential election after 95% of the votes had been counted. Cortizo won 33% of the vote, compared with 31% for the runner-up Romulo Roux of the Democratic Change party. President of the electoral tribunal of Panama Heriberto Arauz made the call to Cortizo and told him that he had won because it is considered that there was a stable advantage in his favor based on preliminary results. He also reported that the official announcement of the results is scheduled for Thursday. In his victory speech, Cortizo said he was ready with a team to take over the presidency of the country on July 1. "I have no doubt that the country needs to join forces in order to solve the great challenges we are going to face," said Cortizo at a hotel in the Panamanian capital with his family. Roux, who is only 2 percentage points behind Cortizo in the presidential election, had not acknowledged the results. He said he had found some irregularities in the district of San Miguelito in the Panamanian capital and he expected the results after a manual count of all the ballots. In Sunday's general elections, a total of 2,757,823 Panamanians were eligible to vote to elect a president and vice president as well as 71 deputies to the National Assembly, 20 to the Central American Parliament, 81 mayors and nine councilors. How to use the mindat.org media viewer Click/touch this help panel to close it. Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. 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Summary of all keyboard shortcuts Media central to construction of a democratic society: Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri PAT Chairman Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that journalism is a reflection of society and the fourth pillar of the state. He said that it is from the journalistic circles that the voice against the suppression of fundamental rights is always raised. He said that it was Pakistans media that gave a voice to the aggrieved families of the martyrs in the backdrop of the Model Town tragedy. Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri made these remarks while talking to the top PAT information office bearers on telephone yesterday. He said that media has a central role to play in the construction of a democratic society and its stability. He said that the journalists have paid a heavy price for their commitment to independence of media during both the so-called democratic and dictatorial periods. He said that the journalists, reporters and anchors are doing their national duty even during the most inhospitable circumstances for which we congratulate them from the core of our hearts. PAT Chairman said that it is a reality that everyone talks about the freedom of expression but there are very few who can put up with criticism. He said that the fact that media sincerely points out the problems facing the country is a great service to the people. He said that there is no country in the world where media enjoys exemplary freedom of expression, adding that the journalists are, however, moving forward in their mission to inform the people by rendering sacrifices. He said that the journalists must get security of their jobs and provision of educational and health facilities for their families. He asked the government to work out a policy that helps media fight off the recent economic challenges and stands on its own feet. YPSILANTI, MI -- The lockdown of a school located near the scene of a shooting at an Ypsilanti liquor store was lifted about 2:45 p.m. Monday, May 6. Perry Early Learning Center was placed on lockdown after a victim was critically injured in a shooting that occurred about a half-mile away at Avenue Market, 902 W. Michigan Ave., about 1 p.m. Two men were later arrested after a media helicopter spotted the men appearing to hide in the parking lot of the elementary school, WDIV-TV, Channel 4 News reports. MLive has been unable to confirm with Washtenaw County sheriffs officials or Ypsilanti police whether the men are suspected of involvement with the shooting. An employee of Avenue Market, when reached by phone, said police were still on scene as of 3:30 p.m. but wouldnt comment further. The Ypsilanti Police Department, Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office and Eastern Michigan University Police Department responded to the shooting. No updates on the condition of the victim were immediately available as of 4 p.m. Monday. Actor Dax Shepard is bringing his Armchair Expert podcast home to Metro Detroit for one night only. Shepard, who was born in Ypsilanti and raised in Highland and Milford, will be at the FOX Theatre in Detroit on June 21, 2019 for a hometown broadcast of his podcast. Tickets (starting at $44) go on sale on Friday, May 10 at 10 a.m. THE BIGGEST CONCERTS COMING TO MICHIGAN IN 2019 Shepard interviews a wide variety of people for his podcast about anything and everything. Recent guests included: Ashton Kutcher, Norah Jones, Jimmy Kimmel, Ellen DeGeneres and Gwyneth Paltrow. Theres no word yet on who will be Shepards guest(s) at the Detroit show. Im Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other peoples stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human truths without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert. On a recent trip back to Michigan, MLive asked Shepard what places he likes to visit when he returns home. At Michigans public schools 34.6 percent of students in the Class of 2019 tested as fully college ready based on their SAT scores as juniors, which is almost identical to the percentage of the Class of 2018 who tested college ready. About 58 percent of of Michigan's Class of 2019 met the reading and writing benchmark, which is down from the 73 percent mark of the Class of 2018, but more in line with the Class of 2017's mark of 60 percent. In math, 37 percent of all students in Michigans 2019 class scored college ready, which is same as both 2018 and 2017s results. The ratings are based on students scores in the SAT in both the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math sections of the test. Students must get at least a 530 SAT subscore on math and a 480 subscore on the reading and writing section to meet the SATs college-ready benchmarks. As a state, Michigans class of 2019 averaged 494.8 in math, below the subscore benchmark, and 505.3 in reading, which is above the benchmark. Below is a database of all schools average SAT scores in both sections, and the percentages that tested college ready in tests administered in March 2017 to the Class of 2019 when they were 11th-graders. It also includes an overall ranking of avg. total SAT scores, from 1-811, the number of schools in the data. Schools with fewer than 10 test-takers were not included in this dataset. Students who meet the benchmarks have at least a 75 percent chance of earning at least a C in college freshman math, English, social studies and/or science classes, according to the SAT. "Students are considered college- and career-ready when their SAT section scores meet both the Math and the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing benchmarks," the SAT says on its website. "It is important to note that college readiness is a continuum -- students scoring below the SAT benchmarks can still be successful in college, especially with additional preparation and perseverance." It's also important to note the Michigan college-readiness rates are based on students' assessments in March of their junior year, when they still have a third of their high school career to go. Indeed, a number of students retook the test as seniors and improved their scores, although that data is not available. This is the third year that Michigan students are required to take the SAT as part of their 11th-grade state assessment tests. Previous Michigan juniors were required to take the ACT. STURGEON BAY, WIS. - A new 639-foot freighter is being built over the next three years at a sprawling shipyard at the edge of Lake Michigan. Constructed for Interlake Steamship Company, the new self-unloading bulk carrier is believed to be the first U.S. flagged freighter being built for the Great Lakes since 1983, the company announced this spring. The new freighter is being built at the 63-acre Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding plant in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Its being designed to carry raw materials throughout the Great Lakes region. Builders and Interlake say the project equals hundreds of jobs not only for shipyard workers, but for U.S. Merchant Mariners. Interlake Steamship Company, with headquarters in Ohio, is the largest privately-held U.S. flag fleet on the Great Lakes. It has nine vessels, including ship-fan favorites like the Paul R. Tregurtha, the Mesabi Miner, the Stewart J. Cort, and the Herbert C. Jackson. When we approached a historic project of this magnitude building our companys first ship since 1981 we knew it was critical to choose the right partners. Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is the shipyard that has the experience and skill to execute on our long-term vision, Interlake President Mark W. Barker said in a press release. While this new freighter wont be a 1,000-footer like some others in Interlakes fleet, its being built to specifications the company drew up after listening to the logistical needs of its customers. Weve had a long and positive relationship of partnering with Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding as we have modernized and reinvested heavily in our fleet. They have skillfully handled four repowers, five exhaust gas scrubber installations, as well as regular maintenance and regulatory dry-dockings on our vessels. The design on this bulk carrier is being handled jointly by Interlake, Fincantieri and Bay Engineering. We are excited to construct this historic large-scale bulk carrier on the Great Lakes for Great Lakes operation, said Todd Thayse, Fincantieris vice president and general manager. We are very proud of our long-term relationship with Interlake, and we appreciate their continued confidence in our shipyard and in our shipbuilding team. This new project and our past work are indicative of the quality and attention to detail that our customers have come to expect from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding." It brings steady employment to the hundreds of women and men we employ from across the region, and the economic benefit to our suppliers and others is widespread. The new freighter should be ready by mid-2022. The Interlake Steamship Company is also extremely proud to build locally, supporting surrounding communities and states a legacy that we began more than 100 years ago, Barker said. We live and work in the Great Lakes region, and promoting growth and the positive economic impact of Great Lakes shipping is integral to our mission and vision as a leader in this industry. Interlake recently released some fast facts about this new freighter: Cargo. This newest self-unloading bulk carrier has a unique cargo hold arrangement and cargo hatch covers designed for maximum cubic space and the ability to handle difficult cargoes. Maneuverability. The vessel incorporates a flap rudder as well as bow and stern thrusters for high-level maneuverability. Environmentally friendly. All aspects of the vessel have been looked at to ensure that it will have a low environmental impact to the Great Lakes and to those who work aboard. The hull has been optimized for efficiency and all systems have been designed to ensure low energy consumption. Power and speed. The vessel is designed for 7,800 shaft horsepower produced by two sixteen-cylinder Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) diesel engines that are EPA Tier 4 and IMO Tier III certified and is expected to have a top speed in excess of 15 m.p.h. Propulsion. The vessel will be propelled by a single-screw, 18 diameter, Kongsberg, controllable pitch propeller. Electrical Power. For its electrical power requirements, the vessel is provided with one 940 kW ship service diesel generator, two 2500 kW shaft generators and one 274 kW emergency generator. Dozens of Michigan school districts, townships and other communities are holding elections Tuesday, May 7, and it will be the first conducted under new rules that allow no-reason absentee balloting and allow people to register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day. The reforms are part of Proposal 3 approved by voters in November. Under the new rules: Michigan residents not registered to vote can still register today or tomorrow at the city or township clerks office. To be eligible to vote, the person must be a U.S. citizen age 18 or older. To verify residency, the person must present a Michigans drivers license, state identification card, current utility bill, a bank statement, a pay check, a government check or current government document. The document must have the persons name and current address. Previously, people needed to register 30 days before an election. Any registered voter can obtain an absentee ballot up to 4 p.m. today, May 6, from their city or township clerk. The ballot can be filled out on the spot or returned by 8 p.m. Tuesday to the city or township office. Previously, absentee balloting was limited to people who are age 60 and older, disabled, poll workers or who sign an affidavit saying they will be out of town on Election Day. Click here to see a list of school districts and communities holding elections Tuesday, or look online at michigan.gov/sos. You can also preview your ballot online at www.michigan.gov/vote -- just type in your name, birth date and ZIP code. Here is what else voters should know. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. May elections typically have low turnout, so long lines are unlikely. Still, the best way to avoid lines is to avoid first thing in the morning, lunch hour and early evening. People standing in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Double-check the location of your polling place. Infrequent or new voters: Be aware every voter is assigned a polling place; you can't just go to any polling place in your city or township. Unsure of where to vote? Its easy to check at www.michigan.gov/vote -- just type in your name, birth date and ZIP code, and the database will give you the address and a map of your polling location. Even if you're a frequent voter, it doesn't hurt to double check since polling places can change. Deadlines for absentee voters Absentee ballots are available until 4 p.m. Monday at city and township clerk offices. At this point, the ballots must be filled out and returned on the spot. Voters who already obtained an absentee ballot have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to return it to their city or township clerks office. (Postmarks dont count; ballots received after the deadline are thrown out.) If you lost your absentee ballot, you can go to your polling place and vote after election workers verify that your ballot hasnt been returned.. Bring a photo identification to your polling place. You don't need your voter's registration card, but you should bring a photo ID. Acceptable IDs include driver's license; state-issued ID card; ID issued by another state; federal or state-issued photo ID; U.S. passport; military ID; student ID or tribal ID card with photo. Voters who do not have an acceptable form of ID or failed to bring it with them to the polls still can vote. They simply sign a brief affidavit stating that they're not in possession of a photo ID. Their ballots are included with all others and counted on Election Day. No selfies are allowed in the voting booth. Michigan law bans photographs of voter ballots. The penalty for taking a ballot selfie is your vote is not counted. Incidentally, the ban extends to use of video cameras, still cameras and other recording devices in polling places when they are open for voting. This includes still cameras and other recording features built into many cell phones. The ban applies to all voters, challengers, poll watchers and election workers. LANSING, MI Unlike nearly every other state, Michigan does not require lawmakers to share their financial information with the public. They dont have to disclose current and past employers, businesses they own or invest in or mention gifts they receive details required in some fashion by 48 of 50 states. Most states and the federal government require disclosures to track potential conflicts of interest as lawmakers make budgetary decision and laws and have ways to enforce violations. Michigan law and state House and Senate rules technically ban lawmakers from influencing issues where they could stand to benefit from the outcome. But because the financial interests of public officials are not tracked or regulated, its essentially an honor system where the onus is on elected officials to determine conflicts and recuse themselves from votes in which they have a conflict of interest. Michigan ranked last in the Center for Public Integritys 2015 State Integrity Investigation that rated each states transparency laws. Potential conflicts of interest or corruption in the state remain buried in an honor system with no honor, the report concluded. In the interest of transparency, MLive Media Group created a financial disclosure form, modeling it after those used by several governmental bodies, including the U.S. Congress. The governor, attorney general, secretary of state and each member of the state House of Representatives and state Senate will receive a short form asking certain financial disclosure questions. We are asking our elected officials to voluntarily disclose that information. Over the next few weeks, MLive will report on the responses and compile them into a database for the public to view. We will also continue to report on this issue, the attempts to shed light on disclosures and what other governmental entities require. Here are some of the details were asking lawmakers for, based on what other states and the federal government require public officials to disclose: Income over $1,000 Business and property investments Gifts and travel over $500 Recent positions on boards or organizations Liabilities more than $10,000 Any future employment agreements Read the full MLive financial disclosure form below. LANSING, MI In 2015, a Michigan lawmaker chaired a committee hearing where an oil company president testified to a bill amendment that would benefit his company but the legislator didnt mention he was selling his land to the business. That same year, another lawmaker sponsored an amendment that benefited ride-sharing companies, while also moonlighting as an Uber driver. And in 2016, a legislator whose daughter was a circuit court judge voted to give $12,000 in raises to circuit court judges. Potential conflicts of interest such as these are a problem in Michigan, experts say. Michigan is one of two states and the only one with a full-time legislature with no requirement for public officials to disclose basic financial information, including income sources, business investments, gifts and travel compensation. Without any legal requirement on financial disclosures, Michigan residents only know about potential conflicts of interest if their lawmakers choose to reveal them. The lack of financial disclosure requirements is one of the biggest reasons Michigan ranked last in the Center for Public Integritys 2015 State Integrity Investigation, which rated each states transparency laws. Potential conflicts of interest or corruption in the state remain buried in an honor system with no honor, the report concluded. Not much has changed in the past four years. In Michigan, people are still unable to define how these conflicts of interest are playing out in the legislature because of the lack of these reports, said Kristian Hernandez, state politics reporter for the Center for Public Integrity. In the interest of transparency, MLive Media Group created a financial disclosure form, modeling it after forms used by several governmental bodies, including Congress. MLive is asking the governor, attorney general, secretary of state and each member of the state House of Representatives and state Senate to answer basic questions about their finances. How it works in Michigan Conflict of interest policies are in place through state law and legislative rules, but there are few mechanisms to regulate or enforce violations. Michigan law states no legislators shall be interested directly or indirectly in any contract with the state or any political subdivision thereof which shall cause a substantial conflict of interest. State House rules note members can abstain if the legislator desires to abstain from voting due to a potential conflict of interest. Senate rules are somewhat stricter, barring members from voting on bills in which they have a private or professional interest. A provision in the rules says members who violate them could be reprimanded, censured or expelled, although that hasnt happened in recent history. Lawmakers are not required to publicly, or even privately, disclose financial records and no state entity keeps records of financial interests. Its on public officials to determine if they have a conflict of interest, and the enforcement tools in the event of a possible conflict are rarely used. A 2018 analysis of Michigan legislative journals by the Center for Public Integrity found that of the 10,000-plus House bills considered from 2009 through 2017, 25 members disclosed potential conflicts of interest at least 38 times, and five voted on bills in which they noted a conflict. In the Senate, of the 5,900 bills considered during that time period, three legislators disclosed possible conflicts seven times, and two voted anyway. None were questioned under the Senate conflict of interest process and none faced repercussions. Although some momentum is building in the Michigan legislature for modest expansions of open records laws, the idea of enacting financial disclosure requirements is still frequently met with reluctance. Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, said he would absolutely not support financial disclosure, arguing it could deter new candidates from running for office in the era of term limits. To put yet another obstacle up prohibiting somebody that may be a great candidate just because somebody wants to see their financials I dont think is necessary, Shirkey said. A Democratic-led effort to make financial disclosure forms mandatory withered on the vine last session. This year, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a newly elected Democrat, said requiring financial disclosure is one of her top priorities. She voluntarily released her own finances on the Secretary of State website. Other states vary in how they collect and enforce financial disclosure policy some include it under the umbrella of the Secretary of States office, while others have a separate board or commission for the job. Benson said she is open to either option. We have the benefit of looking at 48 other states and the federal government to assess what works, she said. "The most important thing is that the information gets translated to citizens in a way that is effective and meaningful." House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, said hes spoken with Benson about her ideas, noting conversations are ongoing: Anything that brings more accountability and transparency to the state of Michigan and done so in a responsible way that protects the privacy of our constituents, I'm open to having that conversation and seeing real reform happen. There can be significant consequences for voting on a direct conflict of interest in other areas of the country. In some states including Arizona, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Utah certain conflict of interest violations can result in felony charges, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. At the federal level, publicly available financial records have led to intense scrutiny of members of President Donald Trumps cabinet. A series of controversies over close ties to lobbyists and expensive travel led to the resignation of Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt. The lack of clarity with lawmakers finances in Michigan breeds public mistrust, government transparency advocates say making the states need for financial disclosure more urgent. Examples of lawmakers voting or debating on potential conflicts sometimes bubble to the surface, said Craig Mauger, executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. But those instances are few and far between. What were dependent on is a freak situation someone recognizes someone, or someone has some information about a business transaction thats going on that no one else knows about, he said. Thats what were dependent on now to inform the public. And thats not working out very well. State Rep. Julie Calley, a Portland Republican who chairs the House Elections and Ethics Committee, said she supports financial disclosure legislation and is involved in bipartisan conversations about it in the House. Some of her finances are already publicly available, since her husband former Lt. Gov. Brian Calley voluntarily disclosed his finances when he ran for governor in 2018. Shedding light on another element just gives (the public) a little bit more comfort, Calley said. Leaving it in the shadows just leads to questions that are unnecessary. Examples of conflicts Hernandez, from the Center for Public Integrity, found the example of former state Sen. Darwin Booher voting on legislation to give Michigans circuit court judges including his daughter $12,000 raises while combing through thousands of House and Senate legislative journals. Boohers vote was first reported on by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network in 2016. We had to find instances where they disclosed that themselves in a public setting that is very rare, Hernandez said. We dont have any other venue right now other than that in Michigan. Booher initially abstained from voting on the legislation in 2015 and provided a possible conflict of interest statement, but voted on the bill when it returned to the Senate a year later. He said he checked with Senate attorneys about the potential conflict and was assured he was clear to vote on the matter. Im elected to vote I'm not elected to abstain from voting, he said. Booher added that hes not concerned Michigan doesnt have a financial disclosure form, stressing the decision should be up to the lawmakers and the constituents that vote for them: I dont think the public, personally, gives a rip about that. Booher wasnt alone in divulging a potential conflict before eventually voting on the issue. Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, a former teacher, voted on a bill about teacher pensions in 2012 after caucus legal counsel told him it wasnt a conflict of interest. Ananich, a supporter of requiring financial disclosure forms, had abstained from an earlier vote on the bill out of caution. "The public has a right to know if we're voting on things that are a conflict, Ananich, a Flint Democrat, said. The Michigan Campaign Finance Network was the first to report on former Rep. Pat Somervilles side job as an Uber driver during his time in the legislature. He sponsored an amendment to prohibit airports from outlawing ride-sharing services, although that language was ultimately changed once the bill went to the Senate. Somerville told the organization at the time that he was driving mostly on weekends or during University of Michigan game days in Ann Arbor and didnt think I was doing it enough to make it a conflict. In 2017, MLive discovered that former Rep. Ray Franz did not disclose he was selling his land to an oil company, while considering a bill that would have benefited that company. The president of Blarney Castle Oil Co. testified in favor of a bill amendment from Franz allowing small stores to sell alcohol and fuel at the same time. At the time, Franz told MLive there was not a conflict because the amendment wouldnt affect the land in question, although it would have aided other stores the oil company owned. Since the current legislative session began in January, two lawmakers have recused themselves from votes due to a potential conflict of interest. Republican Sen. Ruth Johnson of Holly, the former Secretary of State, abstained from a Senate resolution to intervene on a lawsuit involving the Secretary of States office, since she was leading that office when the lawsuit was filed. Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, did not vote on Senate Bill 150 because his family farm could financially benefit from it, he said. McBroom is a dairy farmer and the appropriations bill included money for dairy producers across the state. McBroom a proponent of opening the legislature and executive branches to public records laws said he recognizes Michigan is an outlier on financial disclosure and is open to more discussion on the issue, although he defended the Senates current policy. I feel good about the current conflict of interest issues that we have here in the process nobody's brought me a case that shows a blatant disregard for that that hasnt been dealt with, he said. But Im still open to the consideration is more disclosure beneficial? Balancing transparency and privacy Proposals to require financial disclosure have popped up in the legislature before. State Rep. David LaGrand, D-Grand Rapids, former state Sen. Steve Bieda and a group of Democrats voluntarily disclosed their finances as part of an effort to require Michigan officials to do the same, but the legislation never cleared committee. LaGrand routinely discloses his own potential conflicts of interest on the House floor, and said hes been putting his financial information on his website since 2010. I think voters have a right to know where my money is, so they can know if I have a conflict, he said. Among LaGrands assets: a vacation home in Holland, his law firm, an Angus beef farm, a chair manufacturing company, a 50 percent stake in two distilleries and interest in a handful of other businesses and properties. With many legislators coming from the private sector, LaGrand said he understands its a transition to be open about details typically considered private. But he stressed it should be par for the course for public officials. "'Hey, how much do you make? is often a rude question, he said. Having a cultural shift for public servants, to get them to the point where they feel like, OK, part of my being a public servant is I have to be more open about things which would be private for other people well, thats a harder conversation to have. Public officials operate in a gray area between transparency of finances and documents while still having a citizens right to privacy, said Jarrett Skorup, director of marketing and communications for the Mackinac Center, a Midland-based free market think tank. Obviously, there should never be quid pro quo deals, he said. But even politicians have some expectation of privacy, especially those at the state and local level." One of Shirkeys concerns with opening financial records up to public purview is it could hinder a potential candidates interest in public office and would add little value to public discourse. Asked whether he was concerned Michigan is one of the only states that doesnt require financial disclosure, Shirkey said: Not in the least. I think its important for us to disclose when there are conflicts that may be being prosecuted or processed when we are in office, Shirkey told a group of reporters. But with term limits and all the other things that dont go with the job now, that makes it hard to even recruit good people in many cases. I dont think this adds any value other than giving you guys (reporters) more opportunity and fodder for asking questions that frankly, in my mind, are irrelevant, he continued. Restoring public trust Some advocates for greater transparency argue public officials should be willing to open themselves up for additional review, and that volunteering information isnt enough to ensure public trust. The reality is, if youre going to run for public office, you should be willing to do that job to benefit the public, said Lonnie Scott, executive director of the progressive group Progress Michigan. And anyone who is willing to do that should certainly be willing to disclose those finances to make sure that there arent conflicts of interest. Many lawmakers have been open to other transparency-related reforms this session in the House, members voted to open the legislature, the governor and lieutenant governors office to the Legislative Open Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act, respectively. But requiring financial disclosure of public officials would arguably give the public more information to discern potential breaches of public trust than opening their offices up to FOIA, Mauger said. In my mind, its just as important as the FOIA piece, if not more important, he said. Theres just so much unknown we are able to pry some information sometimes about different potential conflicts that come up, but we really dont have any idea. Bieda says hes hopeful Michigan can come around as other states have. When he first started pushing for financial disclosure in Michigan, he estimates five states didnt require financial disclosure forms from legislators. Now, Idaho and Michigan are the only holdouts. "Thats a good start, Bieda said. I dont want to be the last state, though. Hopefully we can beat Idaho. ANN ARBOR, MI - A digital convenience retailer that delivers snacks to customers within 30 minutes of ordering is hitting the Ann Arbor market on Monday, May 6. Philadelphia-based GoPuff offers snacks, drinks, frozen food, ice cream, condiments, breakfast foods, household items, personal care items, pet products and more via mobile application or website for delivery. Customers add items to their cart, input a credit card and a driver delivers them to their address within 30 minutes between noon and 4:30 a.m., seven days a week. Drivers also accept cash and tips and there is a $1.95 delivery charge. GoPuff started in 2013 by Drexel University students and co-owners Rafael Ilishayev and Yakir Gola. The two lived in a house of six and were planning a party, and the only tenant with a vehicle had to make several trips to the store. "(They) said theres got to be an easier way,' spokesperson Liz Romaine said. The two sketched out the idea in a business class and launched it as a late-night snack service three months later. It grew across the nation within five years. Ann Arbor is the companys second location in Michigan and 78th in the nation. GoPuff launched in Lansing two weeks ago, catering to college students and millennials looking for the utmost convenience, Romaine said. "We love to to be in markets that have a lot of millennials and Gen Z-ers, so we tend to open in metro areas and areas that have a wonderful university culture, Romaine said. The top ordered items in Lansing include: Flamin Hot Cheetos, Ben and Jerrys half baked ice cream, Mexican Coke, Takis Fuego, Nerds Rope and king-size Reeses. The company plans to expand further in Michigan. Each market has a roughly 3,500-square-foot warehouse stocked with items listed in the mobile application, which will let users know the cost and whether an item is sold out. The service does not allow users to plan future orders, nor does it currently sell alcohol in Michigan. Anyone interested in becoming a driver can apply online or search warehouse jobs here. The company is looking to fill a dozen warehouse positions and recruit 20 to 30 drivers. GoPuff will serve the following ZIP codes in the Ann Arbor area: 48109, 48105, 48108, 48104 and 48103. All Ann Arbor customers who sign up and place their first order of at least $9 by Sunday, May 12, can add a complimentary pint of Ben & Jerrys ice cream to their cart, according to a news release. A coupon will automatically be applied at checkout. ANN ARBOR, MI - The public is invited to meet the candidates in the running to become Ann Arbors next police chief. Candidates will meet with Ann Arbor City Council members, staff and the community from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, in the Ann Arbor Justice Center lobby, 301 E Huron St. Ann Arbor Police Chief Jim Baird left in March 2018 to become police chief in Breckenridge, Colorado. The position has been filled on an interim basis by Robert Pfannes, who is retiring on Friday, May 24, after 21 years of service, according to a news release. The city also will host public candidate interviews with City Council from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, May 17, in the second-floor council chambers at Larcom City Hall. Metered parking is available along Ann Street. Here are the candidates: Michael Cox, who has served with the Boston Police Department since 1989. He is currently the bureau chief of the Bureau of Professional Development at the Boston Police Academy. He previously was deputy superintendent of the Boston Police Department Bureau of Field Services and commander of the operations division. Jason Forsberg, who has served as the Ann Arbor Police Department deputy chief since January 2018. Forsberg previously served with the University of Michigan Police Department for more than 20 years and transferred to the Dearborn campus in 2016, where he served as deputy chief of police before coming to the AAPD. Bryan Jarrell, who has served as police chief in Prescott Valley, Arizona since November 2013. His career began with the Southfield Police Department in 1985, where he worked as a police officer, sergeant in the patrol division, crime prevention and community policing, and progressed to lieutenant before becoming deputy police chief for 10 years. The city conducted a survey to garner community input in hiring its next chief. It mainly sought residents, property owners and business owners to take the survey to identify what they felt were important qualities and priorities that the new chief should have. YPSILANTI, MI - Police are investigating a Monday afternoon shooting at an Ypsilanti liquor store. One man was shot at Avenue Market, 902 W. Michigan Ave., at about 1 p.m. and was transported to the hospital, according to Ypsilanti Lt. Thomas Eberts. He was in critical condition. Police were not immediately able to provide a suspect description. Avenue Market and the parking lot are closed. The Ypsilanti Police Department, Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office and Eastern Michigan University Police Department were on scene. Ypsilanti Community Schools shared on its Facebook page that Perry Early Learning Center, which is in proximity to the store, was on lockdown due to an incident in surrounding neighborhoods. Nobody was being let in or out of the building. Perry Early Learning Center is on lockdown at this time due to an incident in the surrounding neighborhoods. The... Posted by Ypsilanti Community Schools on Monday, May 6, 2019 The Ann Arbor News will provide additional details as this story develops. FLINT, MI --A Flint doctor is the new president-elect of the Michigan State Medical Society. Dr. S. Bobby Mukkamala, a Flint otolaryngologist, was voted to the position during the 154th annual meeting of the MSMS House of Delegates last weekend in Kalamazoo, the organization announced in a news release Monday, May 5. Mukkamala, a board-certified head and neck surgeon, earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School. He is past chairman of the board of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint and is chair emeritus of the Crim Fitness Foundation. The MSMS is the statewide professional association of 15,000 physicians in Michigan and is affiliated with the American Medical Association. Physician policies on various issues involving public health, health care delivery and medical ethics are set at the annual MSMS House of Delegates meeting, the group said in its announcement. Previously, Mukkamala completed three years as the chairman of the MSMS Board of Directors, which sets policies and oversees operations for the medical society. He was also elected by his peers nationally to serve on the American Medical Association Board of Trustees, and is a past recipient of the AMAs Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award, the organizations news release says. SHIAWASSEE COUNTY, MI A former employee accused of embezzling $200,000 in funds from the Steam Railroading Institute nonprofit in Owosso has surrendered to police. The city of Owosso issued a statement saying that the organizations former financial director voluntarily turned herself in to the Shiawassee County Jail. An audit and preliminary investigation by police show Mary Elizabeth Lombardo used a variety of methods to steal the money from SRI by directing it through multiple PayPal accounts to her personal bank accounts over a nearly two-year period, according to an institute statement. Lombardo was allegedly solely responsible for arranging multiple credit cards and falsifying financial reports to cover up the discrepancies, per the SRI statement. She is accused of using the money to buy personal items, groceries and gas for multiple people including family members in several states. The issue came to the attention of the organization when a full audit was approved by SRI leadership in July 2018. The audit spotted financial discrepancies, reads the SRI statement, with the alleged issues dating back to the 2016. Springsdorf instructed Lombardo at the July meeting to turn over missing documents and work with a third-party bookkeeper to provide what would be needed to conduct the audit. Its alleged in the statement Lombardo did not comply but instead wiped clean SRIs accounting system the next week while Springsdorf was on vacation" and resigned upon her return, according to the SRI statement. Information gathered through a forensic audit was later turned over to Owosso police. The case eventually made its way to the Shiawassee County Prosecutors Office who issued an arrest warrant April 26 on a single count of embezzlement of more than $100,000. Lombardo, 40, turned herself in on Saturday, May 4 at the Shiawassee County Jail. She was arraigned Monday, May 6 in 66th District Court and pleaded not guilty. Obviously this is a sad day for all of us here at SRI," said Springsdorf. Its a very unfortunate set of circumstances. Well continue to work closely with the authorities to bring justice to this situation. Lombardo and others had stepped forward to take on more responsibilities when Springdorf was on an extended leave due to a personal illness in 2017 and early 2018, per the SRI statement. Its still hard to believe she would take advantage of that situation; a time when our whole team was pulling together to ensure everything continued to run smoothly for our patrons, staff and volunteers, said Springsdorf. New accounting practices have been put into place since last summer to ensure something similar doesnt happen again, according to Springsdorf. We sincerely hope that our followers will understand this terribly unfortunate situation is not representative of the integrity of the Steam Railroading Institute and who we are as an organization, she said. Springsdorf noted the organization remains very stable financially, even with the embezzlement and they continue to work with other communities and organizations to expand programming and "fulfill our mission of keeping steam-era railroading alive for future generations. The Steam Railroading Institute is dedicated to educate the public about steam era railroading in Michigan and the Great Lakes region, according to its website. The organization puts on the annual North Pole Express during the holiday season. Im proud of the people who work and volunteer here, she said. Im thankful for our members, donors, railroad industry partners and our community for their ongoing support. Lombardo is scheduled to be back in court May 15 for a probable cause conference. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The 19-year-old man accused of vandalizing the gravesite of former President Gerald R. Ford and former first lady Betty Ford has pleaded not guilty to related misdemeanor charges. Christian Johnson pleaded not guilty Monday morning, May 6, to charges of malicious destruction of property of tombs or memorials causing $200 to $1,000 in damage and larceny under the value of $200. On March 27, Johnson allegedly broke off and stole the letter e in the word Committed from the Ford gravesite epitaph that reads: Lives Committed to God, Country and Love. The property-destruction charge carries a penalty of up to one year in jail. The larceny charge carries up to 93 days in jail. Johnsons female co-defendant, who faces one count of misdemeanor receiving and concealing stolen property valued at less than $200, bonded out of jail Monday and has not yet been arraigned. Johnson previously told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press he and the woman were skateboarding downtown March 27 when they happened upon the gravesite outside the Gerald R. Ford Museum, 303 Pearl St. NW. Thinking the gravesite was just another part of the park, he said, he sat on the wall and began spinning the letter e, which eventually came loose and broke off. After news reports of the vandalization, Grand Rapids police say two people turned themselves in and returned a missing e taken from the gravesite. Im sorry it happened and Im sorry I broke it, Johnson told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press after he turned himself in. It wasnt malicious. I didnt know what it was and now Im in the works of trying to fix things. Johnson said he moved to Grand Rapids from Indiana just three weeks before the damage occurred. HOLLAND, MI Hope College has named Gerald Griffin, Ph.D, its new associate provost for academic affairs, officials announced Monday, May 6. Griffin, currently associate professor of biology and psychology at Hope, has been a member of the faculty since 2015. He will assume office July 1. Im extremely pleased that Gerald Griffin will be the colleges new associate provost for academic affairs, said Provost Cady Short-Thompson. He exemplifies the qualities that we sought in an ideal candidate, including demonstrated excellence in teaching, scholarship, service, leadership experience in the Hope community and living out the colleges mission. Prior to coming to Hope, Griffin was an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Tuskegee University for four years He previously served as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania for two years. The new, full-time position replaces, combines and expands two part-time associate deanships, one in teaching and learning, and the other in research and scholarship. As a deputy to the provost, Griffin, who has also directed the colleges neuroscience program, will provide strategic leadership and some operational management. Griffin will partner with the colleges deans and faculty governance to identify opportunities to support faculty in their teaching and scholarship as well as faculty development, and to enhance the academic program. He will also supervise the directors of a variety of programs, including ongoing faculty-development initiatives, summer research, general education, and the Klooster Center for Writing and Research. The college previously had an associate provost from 2001 to 2016, although with a different focus. Alfredo Gonzales, who retired in 2016 after being at the college since 1979, had been associate provost with responsibilities as dean for international and multicultural education. The associate-dean model was a valuable addition to our administrative structure in 2012, Short-Thompson said. Experience has shown, though, that merging the two positions and enabling an individual faculty member to devote full-time attention to them together will serve even more effectively in supporting and enhancing the primary dimensions of our facultys work here at Hope: excellent teaching and scholarship, which overlap in many ways. Hope officials say Griffin, a neuroscientist and virologist, has several peer-reviewed publications that represent his dedication to neuroscience research and education. He is said to have mentored and published with more than 30 undergraduate and graduate students and has been active in numerous science-education opportunities, including being a council member for the Faculty of Undergraduate Neuroscience. His research interests primarily focus on the reciprocal interactions between viruses and the nervous system. In January, he was named a 2019 Emerging Scholar by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, and Hope presented him with its Janet L. Andersen Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2016, he and his team of Hope student researchers received the colleges Social Sciences Young Investigators Award for investigating the normal functioning of the peptide amyloid beta, which has been found in elevated levels as a plaque in the brains of Alzheimers patients. Griffin received his doctorate in neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009, and a bachelors degree in biology from Cornell University in 2003. UPDATE: The sheriffs office reports the man has been found. ALLEGAN, MI -- Police are searching for a Mississippi man they say injured himself in the woods and hasnt been seen for more than a week. Anthony Lee Wright, 48, was last seen Saturday, April 27, in the city of Allegan, according to the Allegan County Sheriffs Office. An acquaintance of Wright told police the Mississippi native was staying in the Budget Host Inn for one night and said he didnt have anywhere to go after that, the sheriffs office reports. He told the acquaintance on April 28 he was staying in the woods and had fallen and hurt himself, according to the sheriffs office. No one has heard from Wright since and he never made it to any medical facilities for treatment. Deputies describe Wright as standing 5 feet 10 inches and weighing about 230 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about Wright or who might have seen him is asked to called the Allegan County Sheriffs Office at 269-673-3899. ELK RAPIDS, MI -- A village in Northern Michigan is considering a proposed tobacco ban at parks and beaches. The proposal in Elk Rapids, located northeast of Traverse City, is aimed at improving air quality and reducing litter in public spaces, according to a report by the Associated Press. The proposed ban follows complaints about discarded cigarette butts. On Monday, May 6, the Elk Rapids Village Council is expected to hear testimony and consider the ban at its 6 p.m. meeting in the Government Center, 315 Bridge St. Residents Christine Peterson and Beth Guntzviller told the Traverse City Record-Eagle that they were tired of picking up cigarette butts at the village parks and beaches. Prohibitions under the proposed ordinance include cigarettes, cigars, pipes, bongs, vaporizers or electronic cigarettes. Prohibited areas would include all village-owned buildings, parks, beaches, public access sites, trails and pathways, according to the Record-Eagle. Problem areas include Dam Beach, Veterans Memorial Park and the Old Bathing Beach. Guntzviller, a member of the villages parks and recreation committee, said she doesnt think anyone will oppose the proposed ban. Village Clerk Caroline Kennedy drafted the proposed ordinance after reviewing other communities tobacco restrictions. As proposed, a violation could result in a municipal civil infraction. The village council is made up of seven elected residents, led by the village president. It holds meetings on the first and third Mondays of each month. JACKSON, MI Law enforcement officers throughout Jackson County are inviting people to attend this years memorial service for fallen officers. The annual Jackson Law Enforcement Memorial service is noon Wednesday, May 8, at CP Federal City Square, 212 W. Michigan Ave. in downtown Jackson. The event honors fallen officers from Jackson and the state. The memorial is hosted by the Jackson Police Department, in conjunction with the Jackson County Sheriffs Office, Blackman-Leoni Township Department of Public Safety and Michigan State Police. This years keynote speaker is U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider. The service will include a gun salute, bagpipes, a song, roll call and speakers. There is no cost to attend the memorial service. JACKSON, MI -- Your life depends on going to the services, Myisha Cunningham, lead pastor of Raven-Brook Recovery Church, said. Thats what she wants to say to anyone needing help overcoming problems whos nervous to attend a service at the recovery church, she said. Anyone who attends will be loved, and many of their lives will depend on it, she said. The church hosts services at 7 p.m. every Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church, 743 W. Michigan Ave. The service merges the 12-Step Program with the teachings of Jesus, Cunningham said. A coffee time takes place before the service, at 6:30 p.m., to allow churchgoers to get to know each other and give updates on their recovery. Each month focuses on a new scripture and step in the program, so by years end, the 12 steps will be completed. The churchs first service took place Wednesday, May 1, making it the first step, which is admitting losing control over substances or alcohol. Raven-Brook is the first recovery church in Jackson, Cunningham said. Other churches might host recovery programs, but Raven-Brook is the first church to exclusively focus on recovery during services, she said. Drug abuse accounted for nearly 3 percent of all deaths in Jackson County and was the No. 1 killer of white men in their 30s in the county in 2016. The issue with substance and alcohol disorders isnt just a church thing, Cunningham said. Its a city issue. Services at the church include a worship, sermon, offerings and prayer. However, the fourth Wednesday of the month is different. Instead of a sermon, a person will share their testimony of recovery and healing. Its also Chip Night, where people in recovery receive a chip depending on their month of sobriety. Instead of the standard circle chips many recovery groups offer, Raven-Brooks are shaped like a cross. The chip is put on a key chain and has how long the person has been clean from drugs or alcohol on it. Working through recovery is a daily battle so every day, as Christians, they can pick up their cross and fight the battle, Cunningham said. As a pastor, Cunningham noticed others in recovery needed a place to serve the community and be open without shame and fear, she said. Stigma hinders recovery, with society assuming those with addictions cant successfully recover, said Cunningham, who has been clean herself for 11 years. The church also has community service and will offer free group therapy this summer, she said. Attending services can also count as a recovery meeting if mandated by recovery courts. Raven-Brook is open to anyone, recovering or not, because allies are needed to end the stigma, Cunningham said. The churchs name was inspired by the ravens in the Old Testament, who were viewed as unclean and untouchable -- like those recovering are by society, Cunningham said. However, over the course of the testament, a shift in the stigma occurs as God uses the raven to feed prophet Elijah, she said. God made the raven clean to be a source of life for Elijah and, like the ravens, people in recovery can bring life, too, she said. We didnt want to go the traditional way of looking at church because we want to reach people who might have been hurt by church, Cunningham said. Not looking so traditional makes it more inviting, even to a homeless person on the street. Raven-Brook Recovery Church is looking to partner with other churches and worship leaders to bring healing to Jackson, Cunningham said. Those interested can contact her at 517-817-8761 or myishacunningham@ymail.com. JACKSON, MI - Those seeking work can discuss opportunities with 36 employers at the ninth annual job fair hosted by U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton. The event takes place from 9 a.m to noon Tuesday, May 7 at the Commonwealth Commerce Center, 209 E. Washington Ave. in Jackson. Employers in the 7th District of Michigan, which Walberg represents, will accept resumes and discuss job opportunities, according to a news release. Employers and organizations expected to attend include Alro Steel, Consumers Energy, Target, American 1 Credit Union and Manpower. Whether someone is looking to find work, further their education or pursue career advancement opportunities, our Job Fair is here to be a helpful resource, Walberg said. A full list of employers attending the job fair is available on Walbergs website. FRUITPORT, MI Jerry Alger was 23 years old when, in 1969, he and other residents from the Village of Fruitport buried a polished brass time capsule outside of the library. On Saturday, May 4, Alger, now 73, helped unearth the 4-foot-tall cylinder as part of the villages 150th anniversary celebration. The ceremony included digging up the capsule, cracking it open and sifting through the items closest to the top. In it were old photographs of local businesses and landmarks, commemorative coins, a pair of high-heeled shoes, a Playboy magazine and a few packs of undoubtedly stale cigarettes. Alger, who led the centennial celebration when it was proposed in 1967, said each item remained in pristine condition and was untouched by the passage of time. It was like we put the stuff in yesterday, Alger told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. Nothing was soiled nothing was decayed. Within the next few weeks, Alger and other residents plan to put the items on display at the Village Pharmacy of Fruitport. The items will remain on display through Memorial Day, when Fruitport holds its annual Old Fashioned Days event. Afterward, Alger plans to replace duplicate items in the capsule with new items to be reburied until the villages bicentennial in 2069. For Alger, the ceremony on Saturday was an occasion that only happens once in a lifetime. I started thinking about it a couple of years ago, and I didnt know if Id still be here to see it (unearthed), Alger said. I have an 18-year-old grandson who I asked, if something happened, to come forth and identify himself and let them know that grandpa wanted to be a part of it. Alger said he was fortunate to attend the ceremony but was even more excited by the fact that he would still be heavily involved in what happens next. More than 50 years ago, Alger asked the village leaders if they had plans for to celebrate Fruitports 100th birthday. The village didnt have anything in the works, so they tasked Alger with developing those plans. I didnt have the expertise at that age to know what should be done as far as a celebration, but through it all, I knew I wanted to do a time capsule, he said. With the help of several community partners and donors, Alger secured a commemorative plaque and a 4-foot-tall polished brass cylinder that was fashioned into the time capsule. The container was later filled to the brim with items that best represented the lives and culture of village residents from 1869 to 1969. The most striking among them, Alger said, were the pair of high-heeled shoes, donated by a friends mother and signed for posterity. They were almost like brand new shoes (when we opened the time capsule), Alger said. I didnt remember that one, but sort of did after I saw them. Its funny what you forget in 50 years. On June 22, 1969, Alger and company buried the capsule, dressed in 19th century clothing to mark the occasion. It seemed like everyone in the community stepped up to make it big, Alger said. People were really into the spirit of it back then. When it was excavated on May 5, 2019, the group surrounding the capsule was distinctly smaller. Aside from several people subscribed to the Fruitport Historical Society Facebook page, Alger doesnt believe the excitement around the capsule and its contents will be as profound as it was in 1969. But that doesnt mean he isnt trying to get people interested or involved. Thats part of why the items will be on display, Alger said. As to what will be buried next is unclear. The instructions Alger buried along with the capsule stated that any duplicate item can be tossed and replaced with a newer, more modern equivalent. That could include new photos and family histories, a fresh pair of shoes or contemporary marvels like smart phones which could seem like ancient technology by 2069. Anyone with suggestions for new items or an interest in planning the next time capsule ceremony is asked to contact the Fruitport Historical Society on Facebook. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI An agreement to pay union-level wages to laborers working on the proposed $17 million downtown Muskegon convention center has been amended by the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners. Muskegon County commissioners on Tuesday, April 30, voted 5-3 with one member abstaining to remove any mention of prevailing wage from its convention center development agreement forged between the county and the city of Muskegon late last year. The vote occurred after the commissioners discussed a legal opinion related to the matter in closed session. The issue was not on the boards agenda, though more than a dozen opponents of prevailing wage showed up at the meeting. The vote eliminated part of the original agreement which called for the city to only employ local workers to be paid a prevailing wage. However, theres still time for the city to challenge the amendment, said Muskegon County Administrator Mark Eisenbarth. None of this is set in stone, Eisenbarth said. The agreement will now have to go back to the citys and our attorneys to look at the contract and see what changes need to be made. Then it would go back to the (Muskegon City Commission) and the county Board of Commissioners for approval. A ground-breaking ceremony for the downtown convention center will begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 8, at the project site on Fourth Street near the L.C. Walker Arena. At Tuesdays meeting, Muskegon County Commissioner Bob Scolnik, a Republican who voted in favor of the change, said the countys prevailing wage policy was antiquated and that few Michigan counties still use prevailing wage on public projects. Its time for us to move into the 21st Century and do business like most other counties, Scolnik said. "Ottawa County doesnt have it. Kent County doesnt have it. We also have to realize we are representing people who voted for us to try and save money. The market dictates how much people get paid. (We) cant dictate that. It is unclear if Muskegons respective city and county boards can come to terms on prevailing wage, but Eisenbarth said he believes both parties are heavily invested in moving the project forward. I dont think this puts the project in any sort of jeopardy, Eisenbarth said. We planned to go back and clean up portions of the contract anyway, so we have through May to figure it out. Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle that he was unable to comment because city commissioners havent had a chance to discuss the change. Several Muskegon City Commissioners have repeatedly stated over the past year they want their contractors to pay a prevailing wage. A request for comment was not returned by Mayor Stephen Gawron. The proposed convention center will sit on what is now Fourth Street between West Western Avenue and Shoreline Drive, flanked on either side by the arena and the downtown Holiday Inn, which will soon become an upper upscale Delta by Marriott. Officials believe the new center could boost winter tourism, hotel and motel room rentals, and special events throughout the year. The city last year sold $20 million in bonds to fund construction of the convention center. A 4 percent assessment as well as most of an existing tax on hotel rooms in the city (the only hotels are the Holiday Inn and Shoreline Inn owned by Parkland Properties) would provide the funds to pay off the bonds. Muskegon County agreed to funnel some of the hotel assessment proceeds normally used for its marketing budget to pay the bonds and are providing the guarantee on the bond payments. The development agreement signed by the city and the county originally included a clause asking the city to offer a prevailing wage for work on the project. Prevailing wage is a decades-old building trades philosophy that stipulates construction workers on public job sites should be paid union-level wages. The federal prevailing wage standard still exists, but state lawmakers repealed their own prevailing wage law after a group obtained enough signatures to send an initiative to repeal that law to the state Legislature. The group behind the petition, Protect Michigan Taxpayers, was funded mostly by Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. The law was repealed in full and took immediate effect on June 6, 2018. The repeal means any governmental construction project contract awarded after the repeal date should not include provisions referring to, or designed to comply with, Michigans Prevailing Wage law, according to a fact sheet published online by law firm Butzel Long. The repeal does not affect projects or contracts with prevailing wage clauses tied to the federal Davis-Bacon law, according to the Butzel Long. It is also unclear if the repeal affects local units of government with prevailing wage policies tied to the federal law, as state lawmakers did not offer any further guidance when the law was repealed. Muskegon County for many years had a prevailing wage policy based on the state standard. When that changed, the county amended its policy to reflect the federal standard, Eisenbarth said. However, in March, the county received a letter from the West Michigan chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors saying it intended to sue the county if it did not repeal its own prevailing wage policy. Norm Brady, president and CEO of the West Michigan chapter of ABC, said his group believes it was illegal for the county to alter its state-based prevailing wage policy after the law was repealed. Eisenbarth confirmed that the county received the letter, which included the threat of a lawsuit. At Tuesdays meeting, county commissioners went into closed session to discuss a legal opinion. Eisenbarth said he was not at liberty to discuss what was said in closed session. When they came back into open session, Commissioner John Snider made a motion to remove prevailing wage from the countys procurement policy altogether. Sniders motion was amended to only remove prevailing wage from the convention center project, seconded by Commissioner Zach Lahring, a vocal opponent of prevailing wage. Prior to the closed session and subsequent vote, more than a dozen Muskegon County residents said they were in favor of removing prevailing wage from the countys procurement policy. Several of them held signs saying as much during the meeting. The item was not on the April 30 agenda. After some discussion, Muskegon County Board Vice Chairman Gary Foster and Commissioners Snider, Scolnik, Lahring and Rillastine Wilkins voted in favor of removing sections regarding prevailing wage, while Commissioners Charles Nash, Ken Mahoney and Marcia Hovey-Wright voted to keep them. Board Chairwoman Susie Hughes, a Democrat, abstained from casting a vote because she stated she had a conflict of interest: Hughes family owns Hughes Builders, a local contractor that hires non-union labor. While Scolnik said the change would help the county be better stewards of taxpayer money, other commissioners and union leaders called it an affront to union labor. Some commissioners also called into question Lahrings ties to ABC. Lahring is an employee of Tridonn Construction Co., which Brady said was a member of his organization. Lahring also indicated over the course of several meetings this year that Tridonn would bid on the project if the prevailing wage clause was eliminated. Some commissioners claimed that Lahring rallied prevailing-wage opponents to show up at the meeting. Hovey-Wright, who had made a motion to postpone the vote, told MLive that she thought what happened at Tuesdays meeting was unfair to laborers and the unions that represent them. This was not a democratic process Hovey-Wright said. (ABC) is basically being bullies. One of our members had inside information and stacked the room. But we didnt know about (the vote before the meeting) and the unions didnt know, so they couldnt represent their side. When I asked to have both sides represented (and the vote postponed), I was told no. Lahring denied trying to stack the room. What we have here are citizens who are starting to pay attention and are very upset with our county government, Lahring said. Im not prodding anyone. Bill Kenney, president of the West Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council, called the vote unfair to union workers. The county has just shown that the interest of the local workforce is not in the countys best interest, (and) easily folded to private special interest groups trying to make a buck off the backs of hard-working men and women, Kenny said in a prepared statement. BAY CITY, MI Community members, city leaders and business owners celebrated the groundbreaking of improvements to a park on Bay Citys West Side. A beautiful piece of artwork and a revitalized destination for the neighborhood to congregate are some of the goals the 2018 Leadership Bay County Class is achieving by raising $70,000 to reinvigorate Realtor Park. The class has been working to raise the money for the park project since last year, said Paul Gaiser, project leader for the leadership class. The park, 401 Henry St., will feature new benches, lighting, walking path, landscaping and a 16-foot-tall steel sculpture depicting the Saginaw River flowing out to the Saginaw Bay called Before the Bay. We have raised well over the $70,000 mark, Gaiser said. The Michigan Economic Development Corp. helped the class reached its goal with a $30,000 matching grant. The project is slated to wrap up in June, in time for Bay Citys summertime activities such as the Tall Ship Celebration. Bay Landscaping donated 300 plants for the Friday, May 3 groundbreaking event that were distributed in the surrounding neighborhoods, Gaiser said. We hope to give the residents of this part of town a renewed sense of pride and welcome people to our community. We also hope to partner with them, long term, to add additional momentum to make their part of the city just as beautiful as the area on the east side, reads an impact message posted to the MEDC website regarding the project. Some of the donors include Gougeon Brothers, Ambrose & Squires Funeral Homes, Garber Management Group, Studio 23, Chemical Bank, Morning Rotary Club of Bay City and Christin and Jim Hempton. BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP, MI The president of a local UAW labor union in Saginaw County says he is planning to meet this week with Nexteer Automotive officials to discuss employee layoffs. Tom Hurst, president of UAW Local 699, said Nexteer officials contacted him for a meeting regarding layoffs. The company is Saginaw Countys largest employer. Hurst plans to meet with representatives of the the global automotive steering company on Wednesday, May 8. He is unsure of how many layoffs are on the table and when they might occur, he said. UAW Local 699 represents 7,900 retirees and 3,000 active members, Hurst said. Nexteers facility in Buena Vista Township has about 5,000 full-time employees as well as contract workers. The company was formerly Saginaw Steering Gear and Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems. The company makes a variety of steering systems for vehicles. Nexteer said Monday, May 6, in an email to MLive and The Saginaw News that the company is frequently evaluating its workforce to align customer needs and production plans. Nexteer strives to be as efficient and effective as possible, which includes frequently evaluating our workforce, said Lynn Pavlawk, executive director, Marketing, Strategic Planning and Communications at Nexteer. The company had no specific comment regarding potential layoffs. The company has not reported any layoffs to the states WARN notice system. Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Veronica Horn and Saginaw County Commissioner Board Chairman Michael Webster both said they were unaware of any layoff plans by Nexteer. Nexteer was sold by GM in 2010 to China-based Pacific Century Motors. In 2015, UAW Local 699 workers went on strike at Nexteer because the two parties could not reach terms on a labor contract. A year later, the company moved its headquarters from Saginaw County to Auburn Hills. The company said the move was planned to help build the Nexteer brand and position the business closer to its business partners and industry experts. Nexteer today employs 13,000 full-time employee employees worldwide, and operates 25 manufacturing plants, three technical centers and 14 customer service centers in North and South America, Europe and Asia, according to its website. The complex in Saginaw County has several manufacturing plants and can by seen by motorists traveling on Interstate 75 at the M-46 exit. MLive will continue to follow this developing story. DETROIT, MI -- Kamala Harris wants to give teachers a $13,500 pay raise. The Democratic presidential hopeful and California senator said teachers arent properly compensated despite being expected to help families raise their children. During a Detroit town hall organized by the American Federation of Teachers, part of a two-day campaign swing through Michigan, Harris said closing "the teacher pay gap would improve retention and recruitment of quality educators. I believe you should judge a society based on how it treats its children," Harris said. "One of the greatest expressions of love that a society can make toward its children is to invest in their education and, by extension, their teachers. The federal government would pony up the first 10 percent of funding, under her plan. States would be expected to contribute as well, with every $1 from the state matched by $3 from federal sources. Educators warmly received Harris at the Monday event, asking her to sign copies of her recently-published memoir. AFT President Randi Weingarten lavishly praised Harris, saying she shares the organizations values. Angela Link, a 26-year veteran of Detroit Public Schools, said increasing compensation may help recruit and retain educators, but raising teacher salaries wont fix all issues in the classroom. Link said teachers face increasing challenges from state testing requirements, disengaged parents, a lack of financial resources and counseling supports, competition with charter schools, crumbling buildings and She said elected officials need the perspective of people on the battleground, when making policy decisions. Harris saw classrooms firsthand Monday, visiting a Dearborn public school to read to students. Thank you for holding it down in this state, Harris told a diverse crowd composed mostly of educators. The fact that you have not given up and keep on fighting is an inspiration to many people who you may never meet and may never know your name." Harris, 54, is a first-term senator from California and previously served as the states attorney general. She became the second African-American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate and announced her presidential campaign on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. During her stops in Michigan, Harris highlighted the ways African-Americans are disproportionately impacted by poverty and other issues. Trade, STEM and Betsy DeVos Harris criticized President Donald Trump for dividing the country, but her comments on the incumbent Republican were less extensive Monday than a speech Harris gave at the NAACPs 64th annual Fight for Freedom Fund dinner Sunday in Detroit. Harris told reporters she does not support the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement, a renegotiated trade deal yet to be ratified by Congress. Harris said the deal doesnt go far enough to protect workers rights, and called it NAFTA 2.0 in reference to the North-American Free Trade Agreement. Vice President Mike Pence came to Michigan last month to kick off a national tour to gather support for the deal. Pence said the USMCA is vital for Michigans auto manufacturing industry. Executives representing Michigans big three automakers expressed support for the USMCA and said tariffs on steel and aluminum hurt their business. Harris also opposed the current tariffs imposed during the Trump administration. U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was the target of multiple speakers at the Monday event. AFT Vice President David Hecker called for her resignation. Weingarten said DeVos has never been to a public school in Detroit, criticizing her for under-funding public schools while owning more yachts than I have fingers." Several Detroit Public School teachers at the event said DeVos campaign to boost state support for charters in Michigan takes resources from their classrooms. Weingarten called DeVos stupid for comments she made earlier that day at the Education Writers Association National Seminar, where DeVos said teachers should make at least half of Weingartens salary. Weingarten said Harris teacher pay proposal is a good start. Responding to a question on investments in science, technology, engineering and math fields, Harris expressed support for the Green New Deal." The nonbinding resolution addresses the existential threat of climate change, Harris said. There needs to be a great sense of urgency as it relates to this issue and we need top level leadership to get it done, Harris said. When we have a president of the United States who takes on her responsibility on this issue it will naturally create incentives for greater resources to go into the STEAM professions. Civil rights, tax cuts and truth featured in Detroit Harris signature issue is criminal justice reform. Sunday, Harris said she became a prosecutor to fight for civil rights on the inside of an extremely broken system infected by bias. Children prosecuted as adults under the juvenile justice system are given no opportunity to be rehabilitated, she said Monday. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for black men, Harris said Sunday. She pledged to take executive action to expand background checks, take away licenses away from gun dealers who break the law and stop domestic abusers from obtaining guns. Harris said its time for a new kind of leadership that will speak truth to people who learned to distrust the government and its institutions under the Trump administration. Harris cited Attorney General William Barr as an example, saying he lied to Congress and the public about the U.S. Special Counsel report into the 2016 election. The California Democrat presented several examples of truth that countered the presidents narrative. Days after Trump celebrated a U.S. Labor Department report showing the unemployment rate sank to 3.6%, Harris said the economy is not working for working people," especially black families. Harris said the Democratic Party represents the UAW line worker at GM worried about getting laid off. She proposed giving families making less than $100,000 a year a $6,000 tax cut. The so-called LIFT (Livable Incomes for Families Today) the Middle Class Act would cost nearly $3 trillion, according to the nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. Harris called it the largest tax cut for middle class and working families in a generation." Trump also attached the title to his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which Harris said benefited the ultra-rich and large corporations. Harris said she would repeal the Republican tax bill on Day 1 of her presidency. The tax cut would help lift working families out of poverty, she said. Half of Americans cant afford an unexpected $400 expense, she said, causing 12 million Americans to take out high interest loans from predatory payday lenders. Nearly 30 million Americans are uninsured, she said, with more to come from Trump and his war to destroy Obamacare. Harris supported Medicare for All She also criticized the president for attacking communities of color and siding with white nationalists who marched in Charlottesville. Trump downplayed the threat of rising white nationalism and domestic terrorism in the United States, Harris said. She pledged to double the size of the civil rights division at the U.S. Department of Justice to counter white extremism. We can no longer afford to have a president of the United States who uses that position with the intent to divide, with the intent to sow hatred and division, Harris said. A Bahraini court has rejected a motion filed by lawyers of prominent activist Nabeel Rajab asking it to pass an alternative sentence to the jail term he is currently serving, Reuters reports. Rajab, an outspoken critic of the Bahraini government, played a prominent role in pro-democracy protests in 2011. The activist is serving a five-year sentence over social media posts criticizing Saudi Arabias airstrikes in Yemen. Our motion has been rejected, his lawyer, Mohamed Al Jishi, said on Monday. He added the motion was filed on April 30 in a bid to benefit from an alternative punishment law which the kingdom introduced last year. Bahrain court rejects lawyers request for alternative sentence for activist Rajab Bahrain court rejects lawyers request for alternative sentence for activist Rajab Source : RT - Daily news American intelligence had orchestrated efforts to overthrow Maduros government, Venezuelas foreign minister said as opposition leader Guaido failed to kick-start the military uprising. Jorge Arreaza made the point as he was speaking at the press conference following the talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. This was a whole joint plan by [the] CIA and Venezuelan opposition to overthrow Maduros government and get their hands on the natural resources of Venezuela. Venezuelas top diplomat made it clear Caracas will not hesitate to deploy its full military capacity should Washington decide to intervene the country. We are ready not only to resist and fight but to win and eliminate any army no matter how strong it is, the minister said. Caracas is prepared for any scenario, Arreaza stated but indicated that authorities are seeking a diplomatic solution, as a potential military standoff would be insanity. Also on rt.com Lavrov slams US actions towards Venezuela ahead of Pompeo talks Arreaza was holding talks in Moscow with his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov just days after the Washington-backed Venezuelan opposition suffered a failed coup attempt. The countrys armed forces stayed largely loyal to President Maduro, prompting the opposition leader Juan Guaido to speculate that the protestors need more soldiers to topple the government. Also on rt.com Maduro instructs military to prepare to repel US attack on Venezuela As the shadow of potential US intervention still looms over Venezuela, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo remarked that any action by Washington in Venezuela would be lawful. If you like this story, share it with a friend! A top Russian MP has warned of an escalation in the US conflict with Iran after Washington announced that it is sending a carrier strike group and bomber task force to the Middle East to send a clear message to Tehran. We cant be idle, we must beat the alarm and take a stand against such behavior from Washington in all international organizations, especially in BRICS, Leonid Slutsky said, after the deployment of the naval force was announced by US National Security Advisor John Bolton. Though Bolton insisted that the US is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, he warned that the carrier group that will soon arrive in the Persian Gulf is fully prepared to respond to any attack by Tehran. Slutsky, head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, said that Bolton had failed to provide a clear explanation for the move, despite calling Tehran a threat. These signals, along with Washingtons withdrawal from the nuclear deal and its declaration of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, lead to further escalation, he said. Also on rt.com US deploys aircraft carrier & bombers to Middle East in message to Iran Bolton The MP also slammed the US for its demolition of international law, claiming that the US is obviously preparing the global community for a power-projection scenario in the region. Washingtons latest move against Tehran comes just one day after Iranian authorities announced that they would continue to export oil and sell it on the grey market in a bid to counter US sanctions, which are aimed at reducing the countrys oil exports to zero. Also on rt.com Winners & losers from Iranian oil sanctions We have mobilized all of the countrys resources and are selling oil on the grey market,said Amir Hossein Zamaninia, Irans deputy oil minister, as quoted by IRNA news agency. Recently, the US also imposed sanctions against Irans nuclear power plant at Bushehr, as well as introducing a ban on exports of heavy water and any further uranium enrichment in order to maximize pressure on the Islamic Republic. Venezuela is seeking closer cooperation with Moscow and Beijing with a view to creating a new system of banking transactions to dodge US financial sanctions, according to the countrys foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza. We are looking for alternative ways of cooperating with Russia, China and other friendly nations in order to evade the American blockade, Arreaza said during a press conference at the Venezuelan Embassy in Moscow. The minister stressed that the Bolivarian Republic hopes to create new alternative routes for changing monetary assets to replace those under the control of Washington. He admitted that such methods of cooperation would not materialize overnight. Also on rt.com Any US action in Venezuela would be lawful: Pompeo drums up invasion option after failed coup Earlier this year, the White House introduced economic and financial restrictions against Venezuela. The penalties, which included cutting the countrys access to US dollars, target the its mining sector and sales of crude, which are crucial for the struggling Venezuelan economy. Oil revenues account for about 98 percent of its export earnings. According to the top official, more than $5 billion has been frozen in Venezuelan foreign accounts after US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president of the country in late January. In March, Venezuelan Communication Minister Jorge Rodriguez said that over $30 billion had been illegally diverted from Venezuela during two months at the request of US President Donald Trump. Also on rt.com Rosneft helps Venezuela evade US sanctions? Reuters amends story as firm vows to get agency banned Arreaza expressed hopes that Russia would boost oil imports from Venezuela and raise investments into the countrys oil sector. Not only do we hope that Russia will import more oil, but we also expect to see Russia producing more oil jointly with Venezuela in the Orinoco oil belt, the foreign minister said following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. We expect Russia to increase investment in oil production and are waiting for new joint ventures. We will provide Russia with all the necessary conditions for investing in Venezuela. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section With US officials seemingly hellbent on sparking military conflict with Iran, CNN decided to lend a helping hand, raising claims of credible and specific threats from Tehran and got roasted on Twitter for Iraq War deja vu. CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr tweeted dramatically on Monday afternoon that US officials had told her of credible intelligence on threats from Iran which included the targeting of US forces in Syria, Iraq and at sea. Just one hour later, acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan tweeted similarly about indications of a credible threat from Iran. Ironically, the evidence-free claim comes as the US steered a carrier strike group into the Persian Gulf to send a message to Tehran not exactly an olive branch gesture in itself. But even before that, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton had for months been trying to drum up support for US military action against Tehran. But, despite all their efforts, Starrs Twitter followers werent impressed with her big scoop, and were quick to remind her that parroting claims about US adversaries from anonymous Pentagon officials hasnt really worked out well for journalism in the past. Its beginning to sound a lot like the run up to the Iraq War in 2003, they said. Iranian-American activist Trita Parsi tweeted that the claim sounded completely made-up and that US officials were trying to make it appear that Iran was itching for a fight despite it really being the other way around. Journalist Rania Khalek sarcastically commented that the Pentagons assertions about Iran must be true because they always tell the truth and especially in relation to war, while investigative reporter Max Blumenthal called Starr the Pentagons favorite stenographer. Others reminded the CNN reporter that Bolton is on record advocating for military action against Iran for decades and Al-Monitor journalist Laura Rozen tweeted that it was hard not to suspect this was all just Bolton and crew making things up. Even a Washington Post report last week noted that Trump had occasionally mused to others that Bolton wants to get him into wars but none of that gave Starr pause for thought when echoing the claims about so-called Iranian threats. Like this story? Share it with a friend! US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he brought up the issue of Russian interference in US elections with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Finland. There was no confirmation of this from Moscow, however. The two diplomats had a good conversation on the sidelines of the Arctic Council meeting in Rovaniemi, Finland on Monday, Pompeo told Reuters, adding that he brought up the subject of the Russian interference in US elections. Asked to elaborate, Pompeo said he told Lavrov the same thing I've shared with him each time we've had a chance to cover that particular topic, which is that it's not appropriate." Also on rt.com MSM melts down as Trump talks Venezuela with Putin and feels same way Last week, US President Donald Trump said he did not raise meddling in his phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, driving the Russiagate-obsessed US mainstream media into a frenzy. Lavrov, however, told reporters the talks did not focus on political statements made for public consumption, since such statements are influenced by too many things, as a rule not related to real politics. We tired to focus on real politics, and succeeded, he added. Also on rt.com Hands off the Arctic: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warns China & Russia away from the north The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not officially comment on Pompeos remarks about alleged election meddling an article of faith in Washington, underpinning the Russiagate conspiracy theory since 2016 but an unnamed diplomatic source told the TASS news agency that the topic was not raised in the meeting, and that the Russian side was surprised by such a statement by the top US diplomat. Like this story? Share it with a friend! CNN took the concept of fake news to a whole new level with a recent report on Venezuela, in which it claimed that citizens chose coup leader Juan Guaido over current president Nicolas Maduro in January elections. In a report on Sundays deadly Venezuelan military helicopter crash, CNN wrote that pressure is mounting on Maduro to step down following elections in January in which voters chose opposition leader Juan Guaido over him for president. Slight problem there, CNN. Venezuela did not hold elections in January and Guaido definitely did not win them. He did, however, try to seize power from Maduro by force in January with US backing and then again in April. Both coup attempts failed and Maduro remains president with the support of millions of Venezuelans who still back him. But US officials have declared the Washington-friendly Guaido the countrys legitimate leader, so evidently this has been a confusing time for CNNs intrepid reporters. The report was finally corrected on Monday after being published on Sunday afternoon and remaining unfixed overnight. It now reflects the fact that Guaido was not elected, but declared himself interim president in January. Also on rt.com Any US action in Venezuela would be lawful: Pompeo drums up invasion option after failed coup A correction added to the bottom of the piece explains that the earlier version had incorrectly described the situation. Elections? Military coups? Really, who can keep up these days!? Amazingly, the botched report which initially referenced these mysterious imaginary elections, was the product of work by no less than six journalists two whose names appear on the main byline and four more listed as contributors at the bottom. Normal practice would see the piece run past a couple of editors too, before being published. Thats potentially eight pairs of eyes and none of them managed to catch the glaring error. A number of journalists and Twitter users called CNN out for the blatant lie and shameful and terrible reporting. It wasn't the first Venezuela-related embarrassment for CNN. Reporter Jake Tapper was called out on social media last week after he tweeted a link with a picture of opposition army defectors wielding guns to claim Maduro's government "mows down citizens in streets." CNN likes to be known for its so-called adversarial journalism when it comes to the Trump administration, but so far, it seems fully on board with its regime change policies in Venezuela although, even the White House hasnt gone so far as to pretend fake elections took place in January. Like this story? Share it with a friend! Financial markets across the globe plummeted on Monday following a re-escalation in US-China trade tensions as US President Donald Trump threatened to slap China with new tariffs. The worst losses in Asia were seen in China where the Shanghai composite fell 5.58 percent to close at 2,906.46. The Shenzhen component dropped 7.56 percent to finish at 8,943.52. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index was down more than 3 percent. Chinese currency, the yuan, has also declined, slumping more than 1.3 percent against the US dollar, which is its heaviest fall in more than three years. Australias benchmark ASX200 was down 0.8 percent, Singapores STI key index was off 3.4 percent. Japanese markets were closed for a public holiday. European stock markets also fell in early trading, with the German DAX down almost two percent, and Frances CAC 40 sliding 2.09 percent. The tariff warning also roiled US stocks, sending Dow futures down more than 500 points early Monday morning. Trump tweeted on Sunday he would consider raising tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent. He said that he believed talks were progressing too slowly and the tariff increase could happen shortly. The US President has also warned that his administration could tax nearly all of the roughly $500 billion of Chinese exports to the United States. Trumps warning came as the sides were preparing for another round of trade talks, starting Wednesday. China is now considering canceling the talks, according to media reports. So far, Washington imposed tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods, accusing the country of unfair trade practices. Beijing hit back with duties on $110 billion of US goods. It has blamed the US for starting the largest trade war in economic history. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned China and Russia to respect our interests in the Arctic, or face the consequences. Frozen and desolate, the Arctic region looks set to be the next frontier for competition between the US, Russia, and China. Speaking at a meeting of the Arctic Council in Finland on Monday, Pompeo launched a broadside against the US competitors in the region, particularly China. Arctic seaways could become the 21st century Suez and Panama canals, Americas top diplomat stated. China is already developing shipping lanes in the Arctic Ocean. This is part of a very familiar pattern. Beijing attempts to develop critical infrastructure using Chinese money, Chinese companies and Chinese workers, in some cases to establish a permanent Chinese security presence. Also on rt.com Pentagon sounds alarm over military expansion of China which only has one base abroad Although China holds observer status on the Arctic Council, the country is 900 miles from the Arctic Ocean. Nevertheless, melting polar ice means viable sea routes across the region will soon be open, and Beijing has given these consideration in its Maritime Silk Road infrastructure plan. During a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed interest in linking Russias Northern Sea Route with Chinas Maritime Silk Road. Such a route could slash shipping times from China to the West by several weeks. Where Beijing sees a business opportunity, Pompeo sees a threat. Chinas pattern of aggressive behavior elsewhere should inform what we do, and how it might treat the Arctic, he warned. Do we want crucial Arctic infrastructure to end up like Chinese-constructed roads in Ethiopia? Crumbling and dangerous after only a few years. Do we want the Arctic Ocean to transform into a new South China Sea? Fraught with militarization and competing territorial claims. Also on rt.com Russias Novatek sells 20% in Arctic LNG 2 to Chinese firms Aside from its plans to hook up trade routes with China, Pompeo also warned Russia against militarizing the Arctic region. However, 50 percent of the Arctic coastline is Russian territory, and the region is of key strategic and sovereign importance for Moscow. Both the US and Russia have flexed their military muscle in the region. NATOs Trident Juncture exercise last year was the alliances biggest drill in Norway in more than a decade, and Russias upcoming Tsentr-2019 exercises are poised to be a serious test of the battle capacities of the nations Arctic forces, according to the Russian military. to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. From Iran and Venezuela to China, President Donald Trumps foreign policy is being shaped by hawks who believe that the US cannot be challenged militarily, a political analyst told RT, adding that Washington is now risking war. Sidelining even the president himself, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton are now in the drivers seat, steering US policy into ever greater provocation and conflict across several continents, independent political analyst Alessandro Bruno told RT. These two are dangerous, Bruno said. Pompeo and Bolton have control of US foreign policy right now. I dont think Trump has any control. Also on rt.com US deploys aircraft carrier & bombers to Middle East in message to Iran Bolton President Trumps hawkish advisers are putting the US on a collision course with other world powers, and the chances for diplomatic solutions diminish by the day. Theres no diplomacy potential... Pompeo and Bolton seem to be oblivious to the fact that the US isnt the only power around anymore. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group will soon arrive in the Persian Gulf some 7,000 miles away from its home port in Virginia in order to send a clear message to Tehran. While Bolton, a longtime Iran hawk, claims the move is meant to preempt an Iranian attack, the advisers eye may actually be on the countrys oil trade. Bolton is speaking from both sides of his mouth, Bruno said. This is clearly a military provocation. [T]hese deployments are made regularly[but] the fact that Bolton has specifically said now that the mission of the Lincoln is to counter Irans efforts to sell oil on the grey market makes it very specific. Theres a real target, here. Also on rt.com Oil prices tumble over Washingtons sharp rhetoric against China & Iran As US sanctions tighten around Iran, the countrys oil sector has looked for ways to defy the restrictions and maintain sales. Irans recent turn to the grey market, as well as assistance from Europe, could help exports stay afloat, but the American military presence in the Gulf could hamper those efforts. By cutting off oil revenues and hampering Irans ability to operate outside of its borders, Washington seeks to limit Irans influence in the region, Bruno said, but such gunboat diplomacy risks kicking off a bloody conflict. This is the real danger, Bruno said. The United States has used situations like these, particularly with ships, particularly in gulfs, to start various wars, he added, referring to the wars with Spain (1898) and Vietnam (1964), which both started after alleged attacks on US warships in foreign waters. Also on rt.com Any US action in Venezuela would be lawful: Pompeo drums up invasion option after failed coup Iran isnt the only country in Pompeo and Boltons crosshairs. US warships recently sailed through the South China Sea in a blatant violation of Chinese territory, while Washington threatens humanitarian intervention in Venezuela, sure to turn the country into a smoldering ruin. The hardline policies aimed at China, Iran and Venezuela could backfire. Everyone is scared of the United States now, nobody can trust the United States as a reasonable partner. Were back to 2003, with George Bush and Iraq. The reckless behavior not only risks bloodshed, Bruno said, but has seriously damaged American credibility around the globe or whatever remained of it. In an attempt to isolate its adversaries, Washington might find itself isolated instead. China and Russia have considerable military capabilities. And China will not allow the US to stop its [economic] growth, Bruno said. to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. Friends and family members of Israel Folaus have voiced their support for the disgraced Australian rugby international, claiming he was simply quoting the Bible when posting on social media that "hell awaits" homosexuals. Folaus nearest and dearest have spoken in the players defence claiming that the Wallabies fullback didnt commit any crime by quoting the Christian book. READ MORE: Aussie rugby star APOLOGIZES after sharing I love Jesus message at Easter He didnt post the post or say what he said out of malice, its words that come straight from the bible, Folaus cousin Josiah said. The important thing for us is not so much the outcome but that the glory of God is revealed through this situation and that his truth is preached to the whole world, he added. Also on rt.com 'I live for God now': Israel Folau has contract terminated by Australia after anti-gay comments He doesnt care how hell be persecuted in this world, where its temporary, Folaus friend Evelyn Hema said. But its in the afterlife when we all die Everything that he does is out of love. Because hes in the public eye, its gone out there to the world and they will see it as hate speech. On Saturday, the rugby star faced a three-member panel who will decide whether he breached Rugby Australias code of conduct by sharing a social media post saying that hell awaits all sinners, including homosexuals. The code of conduct hearing will continue on Tuesday after no decision was reached over the weekend. The 30-year-old player earlier rejected Rugby Australias AU$1 million peace settlement, a sum equivalent to one year of his contract. Last year, the rugby star was also at the center of an anti-gay controversy after stating that gay people will go to hell unless they repent of their sins and turn to God. The US is running an unprecedented campaign to oust legitimate Venezuelan authorities, the Russian Foreign Minister said. He noted its typical of Washington to tell nations they are waging war against that US intentions are good. The attempts to force the change of government in Caracas have nothing in common with the democratic process and only undermine the prospects of a political solution, Sergey Lavrov said, during a media conference with his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza in Moscow. He explained that the unprecedented Washington-led campaign to oust the legitimate government is in rude violation of the international law. Also on rt.com We still need more soldiers: Guaido admits that Maduro still has loyalty of Venezuelan army Its particular feature of the US that they have been channeling power for decades by explaining that they are bringing good, democracy and protection of human rights to nations they are waging the war against, Lavrov said. Lavrov insisted that the fate of Venezuela should only be decided and created by its people and that all political forces in the country should be included in the dialogue. Arreaza in turn thanked Moscow for supporting Venezuelas sovereignty and international law. Also on rt.com Any US action in Venezuela would be lawful: Pompeo drums up invasion option after failed coup Lavrovs appeal to the US and their allies in respect of Caracas comes ahead of his meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Finland on Monday, at which they are expected to discuss the situation in Venezuela and other hotspots of the world. Cooperation between Russia and the US can play a very significant and positive role in solving most issues, if we are building this cooperation on the principle of finding common approaches, Lavrov said, rebuking Washington for often offering one-sided solutions. He noted that, despite disagreements on Syria, Afghanistan, North Korea and other flashpoints, Moscow and Washington hold consultations on these issues on a very professional level. I hope that common sense will prevail, Lavrov said. Like this story? Share it with a friend! Global crude prices plunged by two percent, losing last weeks gains after US President Donald Trump threatened to hike tariffs on Chinese imports, and a US carrier strike group moved to the Middle East as a warning to Iran. Brent crude oil futures dropped 2.1 percent to $69.34 per barrel after hitting the lowest level since April 2. The global benchmark managed to rise by a modest 0.07 percent to $70.90 at 13:56 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 2.1 percent to $60.62 a barrel, after settling up 0.2 percent to $61.94 at the end of last week. The downturn came shortly after President Trump signaled another round of escalations in the US-China trade conflict, pledging to raise import levies on $200 billion of Chinese produce from 10 percent to 25 percent, citing slow progress in talks with Beijing. The comment came as the worlds biggest economies were preparing to meet in Washington later this week to hold another session of negotiations. Also on rt.com Global markets nosedive, Asia stocks flash red as Trump renews China tariff threats That news was overshadowed by the announcement of US National Security Advisor John Bolton that Washington is deploying a carrier strike group and bomber task force to the Persian Gulf to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime. The statement came a week after the White House introduced tougher sanctions on the Islamic Republic as part of a plan to reduce Iranian crude exports to zero. The US administration suspended temporary waivers that had allowed several countries to import limited amounts of Iranian crude oil. The measure came into effect on May 2. Also on rt.com Winners & losers from Iranian oil sanctions Considering that the US became the worlds number one oil producer, it seems that Washingtons latest moves are aimed at filling a market niche that could become available after eliminating Irans share, Denis Lisitsin, Aerarium Groups asset management director, told RT. US crude output has surged by more than two million barrels per day since early 2018, hitting a daily record of 12.3 million barrels. The number of rigs drilling for oil in the US increased by two to 807 in the week to May 3, according to international industrial service company Baker Hughes. However, the total active domestic rig count is down by 70 since the start of the year. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section Pope Francis met Monday with refugees in Bulgarias showcase refugee center, after he urged the migrant-skeptic government to not close its eyes to their suffering. Refugee children from Iraq, Pakistan and elsewhere sang for Francis at the Vrazhdebna center, located in a school refurbished with EU funds on the outskirts of the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. Francis thanked the refugees for their joy and hope. Today, the world of migrants and refugees is a kind of cross, the cross of humanity, Francis said. He is on the second-day of a three-day visit to the Balkans. Bulgarias center-right government, which includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties, has called for the EU to close its borders to migrants. It has also sealed off its own border with Turkey with a barbed-wire fence, AP said. Human rights groups and the European Council have criticized the government in Sofia for its treatment of asylum-seekers, particularly unaccompanied minors. Pope meets refugees in Bulgaria, urges govt to pay attention to their suffering Pope meets refugees in Bulgaria, urges govt to pay attention to their suffering Source : RT - Daily news A military intervention of Venezuela would be catastrophic and its understood not only in Europe and Latin America but also in Washington, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said after a meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. I dont see any supporters of a reckless military solution, in Venezuela either among Latin American countries, Europe or the US, Lavrov said speaking in Rovaniemi, Finland on Monday. A foreign military intervention of Venezuela would be catastrophic, the foreign minister said, adding that everybody understands this. He expressed hope that the use of force will be averted. The Trump administration never made a secret of its desire to see socialist president Nicolas Maduro removed from power in oil-rich Venezuela. After opposition figure Juan Guaido declared himself interim president in January, the US was the first of 50 nations to recognize him as the legitimate Venezuelan leader. The Americans put the country under harsh economic sanctions and even threatened a so-called humanitarian intervention of Venezuela to bring forth the regime change. Reckless military solution in Venezuela unwanted even by Washington Lavrov after meeting Pompeo Reckless military solution in Venezuela unwanted even by Washington Lavrov after meeting Pompeo Source : RT - Daily news Moscow City Court has upheld an earlier decision to extend the house arrest of US investor, Michael Calvey, who is being investigated in relation to massive fraud in Russia. Calveys legal team had insisted that their client should be allowed to take walks, but the judge rejected the appeal on Monday, and upheld a decision to extend his house arrest until mid-summer. The founder of the private equity fund, Baring Vostok, was detained in February along with three of his colleagues. They were detained at a pre-trial facility in the Russian capital. The restrictions against the prominent US businessman, who had been working in Russia since 1994 and invested over $2.8 billion in the country, were later changed to house arrest, which was then extended until July 14, much to the dissatisfaction of his lawyers. The American businessman is accused of using a fraudulent scheme to embezzle 2.5 billion rubles ($37 million) from Vostochny Bank. Calvey and his associates persuaded the banks board to accept shares in a Luxembourg-based company, International Financial Technology Group, by way of repayments in respect of a large loan. They claimed that the shares were worth 3 billion rubles ($45 million), but prosecutors insist that their actual value stood at just 600,000 rubles ($9,000). During earlier court hearings, Calvey said that he had decided not to flee Russia, despite risking a 10-year prison sentence, because doing so would be tantamount to admitting guilt. The 51-year-old insisted that he would prove his innocence in court and restore his reputation. Vostochny Bank filed a lawsuit against him in a desperate attempt to protect its interests in a business dispute between the partners, he explained. Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the US businessmans case shouldnt have any negative effect on the investment climate in Russia, as the country remains interested in attracting foreign capital. Until theres a court ruling, nobody can say that Calvey is guilty of any wrongdoing, he pointed out. Also on rt.com Moscow knows top Baring Vostok businessman as major investor in Russia, alarmed by his arrest Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Syrian militants fired 36 rockets at Russias Khmeimim airbase in two attacks on Monday, but both were repelled by the air defenses with no damage dealt, the Russian military said, adding that jets launched strikes in response. Russias Khmeimim airbase shelled by DOZENS of rockets, attack repelled MOD Russias Khmeimim airbase shelled by DOZENS of rockets, attack repelled MOD Source : RT - Daily news Pakistans minister for science and technology has been mocked on Twitter after claiming that it was Pakistani space agency SUPARCO, not NASA, that launched the iconic Hubble telescope. Mistakes are an unavoidable part of life but this particular gaffe from Fawad Chaudhry left many people open-mouthed and totally bewildered. Speaking to the local television on Sunday Chaudhry described Hubble as the worlds biggest telescope which was sent [into space] by SUPARCO Then there are other satellites, and there are other [types of] technologies. Also on rt.com NASA attacks Indias terrible space weapon test, but US is creator of much more space debris The blooper seemed to amuse Twitter users as sarcastic responses poured in. One user noted that there is no need to watch cartoons on Cartoon Network as long as government ministers put on such a show. NASA is dead. Long live PTI, another one tweeted poking fun at the Pakistani ruling party. Thank God he didnt say that NASA is one of the projects of SUPARCO!!! another tweet read. One cheeky user jokingly suggested that Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan should send the minister into space as a reward for his discovery. Meanwhile someone shared a link to NASAs website with background information about the telescope, apparently hoping that the official could do better fact-checking in future. Also on rt.com Russia loses control over its ONLY Hubble-like telescope, but photos are still coming Pakistans space program dates back to 1960s when the nation launched its first unmanned rocket. In 2018, Islamabad launched its two newest remote-sensing satellites from a Chinese space airfield. NASA launched the Hubble telescope in 1990. During almost three decades in service it captured a range of iconic images depicting objects in the solar system and distant galaxies alike. Like this story? Share it with a friend! Donald Trumps senior campaign adviser has been slammed for spreading misinformation online, after posting a four-year-old video of military action in Ukraine and claiming it was evidence of Hamas rocket launches against Israel. 650 Rockets being fired into Israel from Gaza in an attempt to overwhelm Israels Iron Dome: 173 intercepts, 4 people killed, and 28 wounded, Katrina Pierson wrote in a tweet, with a video showing a barrage of rockets fired into the sky. While Pierson wanted to attack Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) who defended Palestinians during a recent confrontation with Israel, she was immediately slammed online for spearheading a false narrative. The video she posted, the twiteratti pointed out, actually came from Ukraine and was recorded in 2015 at the height of the conflict in Donbass. Also on rt.com We saw this playbook in Iraq: Ilhan Omar shoots back at VP Pence in socialism spat People were quick to point to the original video titled Ukraine War in Donbass Launch BM 21 Grad Rocket System. Pierson is peddling disinformation to attack an American congresswoman, Twitter user Paula Chertok said. This is a 4-yr-old video from Russias war on Ukraine, NOT Gaza rockets into Israel. What is your response to faking a video? Do you condemn yourself? one online enthusiast wanted to know. Didn't know Gaza annexed Ukraine, another of the twitteratti noted after watching the feed, as other accused her of being a propagandist. But, despite being called out for her fake news narrative, Pierson carried on retweeting the video with a message to Democratic party presidential hopeful and former vice president Joe Biden. Someone should ask @JoeBiden if he knows where the billions of dollars that the Obama/Biden administration gave to the illegitimate government of Iran went? she said in a tweet. Maybe stop showing a 2015 video from Ukraine. In case you dont know Ukraine is located far away from Gaza. The propaganda from these Trump cultists is ridiculous. Gaslighting central, one of the comments read, while others called on Twitter to ban her from the microblog. Twitter has so far failed to act on the online users concerns while Biden has chosen to steer clear from comment (so far). In case someone is wondering what Rep. Omar had to say on the Gazan-Israeli flareup, the Somali- American said what any anti-war activist would say: How many more protesters must be shot, rockets must be fired, and little kids must be killed until the endless cycle of violence ends? The status quo of occupation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unsustainable. Only real justice can bring about security and lasting peace, Omar added. Also on rt.com Ceasefire reached between Gaza's Palestinian factions and Israel after 2 days of fighting Like this story? Share it with a friend! President Donald Trump has expressed his full support for Israel after another escalation in the conflict, when Gaza militants launched hundreds of rockets and IDF responded with massive air strikes. These terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery, Trump tweeted, advising the Gazan people to END the violence. Disregarding the Israeli use of force against residents of Gaza and the mounting casualties there, Trump stressed that the United States support[s] Israel 100% in its defense of its citizens' against a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Also on rt.com Israeli, Palestinian civilians killed as Gaza militants & IDF exchange HUNDREDS of rockets Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! After President Donald Trump retweeted a slew of posts from right-wingers banned from Facebook, Twitters moral majority were outraged accusing the president of spreading white supremacist messages...with emojis. Facebook and subsidiary Instagram banned a host of right-wing and conservative voices on Thursday, calling them dangerous extremists. President Trump gave the blacklisted conservatives a show of support on Saturday, retweeting some of their content to his 60 million followers. Twitter liberals were appalled. Among the accounts Trump retweeted were Infowars Paul Joseph Watson, a conspiracy-heavy Qanon account called Deep State Exposed, and Rebel Medias Lauren Southern. Also on rt.com Trump defends Facebook banned extremists, attacks radical left-wing media There have been many low moment (sic) in the Trump presidency, liberal pamphleteer Judd Legum wrote, His conduct on Twitter this AM may be the worst. Legum evidently considered retweeting conservatives a lower point that threatening Iran with war via tweet, or blasting Syria with cruise missiles. Trumps decision to retweet Lauren Southern angered the mob the most. Like many on the right, Southern has often been pilloried for wrongthink, with her anti-immigrant polemics and documentary focusing on South Africas controversial land-reform movement earning her the label of the internets prettiest white supremacist. The tweet in question from Southern was a tame one, warning establishment conservatives that theyd be next to face social media bans if they dont speak up. However, Southern ended her tweet with the okay hand gesture emoji, a symbol that, because nothing makes sense any more, now means white power. Had the Twitter sleuths done some digging, they would have learned that the okay emojis association with white supremacy is a hoax, cooked up by 4chan to troll liberals. Sh*tposters and meme-makers spread the gesture far and wide, and the anti-Trump brigade took the bait with enthusiasm. Such was the power of the meme magic at work that the gesture now exists simultaneously as a legitimate expression of white supremacy to the left, and a ridiculous in-joke to those in the know. In using the emoji, Southern placed herself in the illustrious company of notorious white supremacists Barack Obama, Eddie Murphy, and Sesame Streets Swedish Chef. Southern, for her part, denied the white nationalist label, and some of the more extreme accusations at her. But the triggering was already done. With the culture war raging, it is still unclear what, if anything, Trump intends to do about Silicon Valleys censorship of conservatives. Opponents of censorship have argued that Facebook is a platform for debate and not a publisher, and is therefore bound to legally uphold free speech. Trump appeared interested in this argument, retweeting a post from Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing, in which Boreing suggests that, as a platform, Facebook cant simply ban anyone for any reason. Also on rt.com Liberal Twitter in free speech conundrum after Facebook bans Jones, Yiannopoulos and Farrakhan The publisher/platform decision is a complex one, and would need to be decided by the courts. For now, the battle will be fought with meme-magic, spicy tweets, and weaponized emojis. If you like this story, share it with a friend! US is deploying a carrier strike group and bomber command force to Middle East to send Tehran "message" that any attack on U.S. interests will be met with "unrelenting force," U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said. US sends carrier strike group to Central Command region to send 'message' to Iran Bolton US sends carrier strike group to Central Command region to send 'message' to Iran Bolton Source : RT - Daily news US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about North Korea and trade, giving no details about their talk. Very good conversation! the president tweeted. Abe said he and Trump agreed completely on the need for North Korea to promptly denuclearize. I completely agreed with President Trump in all respects, Abe told reporters after a phone call with the US leader. Going forward, the US and Japan will respond together. North Korea fired several unidentified short-range projectiles into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, prompting the South to urge its neighbour to stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean peninsula, Reuters reported. Very good conversation: Trump, Abe discuss N. Korea, trade in phone call Very good conversation: Trump, Abe discuss N. Korea, trade in phone call Source : RT - Daily news Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov joked that CNN was fake news and described the network quizzing him about Moscows hypothetical response to a possible US intervention in Venezuela as a fake question. Lavrov had a brief press conference following his meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on the sidelines of the Arctic Council in Rovaniemi, Finland on Monday. One of the few questions came from CNN, asking what leverage or opportunities Russia had to stop a US military intervention in Venezuela. Some call your company CNN fake news, and now you are asking a fake question, Lavrov replied. Joking aside, the Russian top diplomat continued, Russia is categorically against any military intervention anywhere without UN Security Council authorization. From my contacts with American, European and Latin American counterparts, I do not see supporters of a reckless military solution. I hope that this understanding, which everyone has, will be turned into a practical policy, that there will be no military solution, because it would be catastrophic, Lavrov said. Asked if American diplomats shared this understanding, Lavrov replied, Yes. While CNN will no doubt seize upon Lavrovs use of President Donald Trumps phrasing as proof of Trump-Russia collusion they have promoted for years, this is not the first time the foreign minister has chided CNN in this fashion for their coverage of US-Russian relations. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! 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 Arnold Mooney Announces Candidacy for Alabama Senate Seat News provided by Arnold for Alabama May 6, 2019 BIRMINGHAM, May 6, 2019 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, Representative Arnold Mooney announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for United States Senate against Doug Jones. "Alabamians want a Constitutional Conservative who will take on the Establishment in Washington and who can beat Doug Jones. That's why I'm running," said Mooney. Mooney, a State Representative from North Shelby has one of the most conservative voting records in the Alabama House. He is a co-sponsor of the Human Life Protection Act that passed just last week--one of the most conservative pro-life bills in America. He also sponsored the Right to Work and Ten Commandments Amendments, and was one of just 18 Republicans to take on his own party and vote against the recent gas tax--the largest tax increase in Alabama history. "Too many go to Washington and forget their principles. I want to be the same person when I walk out that I was when I walked in. I'm not a politician--I'm just a conservative with a backbone. I think that's what Alabamians want," said Mooney. Mooney has built an experienced team. General Consultant: Jordan Gehrke, Leverage Public Strategies Media: Fred Davis, Strategic Perception Polling: Gene Ulm, Public Opinion Strategies Digital Strategist: Ethan Eilon, IMGE National Fundraiser: Laura Van Hove, LVH Consulting Finance Director and Senior Advisor: Heather Wilson, Leverage Public Strategies The Republican Primary is March 3rd. Paid for by Arnold for Alabama SOURCE Arnold for Alabama CONTACT: Jordan Gehrke, 256-682-5782, Jordan@leverageps.com Representative image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Debt-ridden ABG Shipyard on May 6 announced commencement of the liquidation process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. "NCLT vide order dated April 25, 2019...ordered commencement of liquidation of ABG and appointed...Sundaresh Bhat as the liquidator of ABG," debt-ridden firm said in a BSE filing. ABG Shipyard is undergoing insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC, 2016) as per the NCLT orders. "An application for initiation of CIRP under Section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) filed by the financial creditor, ICICI Bank Limited, in the matter of ABG Shipyard Ltd was admitted by the National Company Law Tribunal, Ahmedabad Bench vide its order dated August 01, 2017 ordering commencement of CIRP," the filing said. Thereafter, the committee of creditors of ABG approved by requisite voting majority liquidation of ABG and on that basis, an application under Section 33 of IBC was filed with the NCLT, it said. ABG Shipyard owes about Rs 17,000 crore to the lenders. The shipbuilder was referred by the Reserve Bank of India for bankruptcy resolution. Incorporated in 1985, ABG Shipyard is the flagship company of ABG Group with interests in shipping and cement sectors. It is one of the three private shipyards in India approved by the Indian Navy to build various types of naval vessels and has built several vessels for Indian defence sector. File image Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba is re-evaluating its strategy in India after disappointing investments in Snapdeal and Paytm Mall, Mint reports. The Jack Ma-led company is considering making more vertical ecommerce investments and smaller early-stage funding rather than horizontal investments, sources told the paper. Alibaba's experiences in India have made the company review potential investment areas and size of funding, the report said. "Alibaba truly believes that e-commerce can change the lives of millions of people. But after their experience in India, today if an e-commerce firm comes to them, they will be a lot more cautious to see how it will differentiate from every other existing game in town," a source said. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the news. Alibaba has not yet responded to Mints request for comment. In India, Paytm, Zomato, and BigBasket are Alibabas most successful investments. The company is mulling deals with vertical ecommerce firms, or specialized portals, in India, the report said. Amazon and Flipkart already hold the lions share of the horizontal ecommerce marketplace. "While Alibaba is still bullish on India, it will look for more vertical e-commerce firms to invest in, which will provide support to its existing business," a source told the publication. Alibabas $2-million investment in video analytics firm Vidooly is its most recent deal in India. If Alibaba revamps its strategy, it could give stiff competition to rival Tencent, whose investments in Flipkart, Ola and Swiggy have been successful. The deadline for Jet Airways corporate insolvency resolution process is October 21 The message was high-spirited and even a tad boisterous. Calling Jet Airways employees to assemble at Terminal 3 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday evening to mark the company's anniversary, the message said: "We are 26 years young today. Joy of Flying (the airline's tagline) ... Let the bidders not only know our strength but let's be an example for the business houses across the world for the solidarity and strength of the dedicated employees!!" There was hope. "Let's do it on this very significant day with hope and prayers in our hearts that we will fly back soon." And then, there was reality check, followed by some more exuberance. "Remember these are the last few days for the finishing stages of the bidding. We have to show the bidders, the dedication and support of the family of Jet Airways, whose back bone is its employees," ended the message. The emotions are understandable. It is a crucial week for Jet Airways and its employees. The bidders - Etihad Airways, TPG Capital, Indigo Partners and NIIF - have to submit bids by Friday, May 10. The bids are important to keep hopes of the airline's revival alive after it suspended operations on April 17. The odds But, most of the odds seem to be stacked against it. "There is nil chance," says a senior official of a low-cost airline, when asked about chances of Jet Airways resuming operations. He explains: "If the banks had kept it flying, then the chances would have been better as the airline would have kept generating some amount of working capital. But now, it is starting afresh, and too without much of its assets." Jet Airways owes over Rs 8,000 crore to banks, which were unwilling to lend more without another investor coming on board. Etihad Airways, which holds 24 percent in Jet Airways, had initially agreed to bring more funds but later backed out. Since closing its counters on April 17, the airline has lost aircraft (over half of its original fleet of 119 planes), slots (especially in the busiest airports of Delhi and Mumbai) and talent. Peers such as SpiceJet and IndiGo have recruited hundreds of pilots, crew members and engineers from Jet Airways. An airline employee has said that Jet Airways now has about 1,000 pilots left from the earlier count of about 1,800. "It is still a large number.... Almost 90 percent of pilots based in my location have resigned," said another Jet Airways employee. After staying put for a long time, this executive has accepted an offer from another airline. "It's mostly the guys in Mumbai and Delhi who are holding up," added the person. Some of them, based in Mumbai, met SBI Caps last week that is overseeing the bidding process. The group of employees proposed to take over the airline and promised investments of Rs 7,000 crore. In the meeting, the employees were told that their proposal would be considered if none of the bidders submitted a bid. When asked about the chances of a bid being placed, one of the employees, who was a part of the meeting, said: "The chances are very good." If not, they are preparing the grounds to take over the airline. The debate around billionaire Warren Buffetts successor at Berkshire Hathaway got reignited after the "Oracle of Omaha" indirectly answered questions regarding succession during the AGM on May 4. The 87-year-old Buffett is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, the holding company, which partially or fully owns several large corporations. Ninety-five-year-old Charlie Munger is the vice chairman. At the AGM, Buffett picked out two of his lieutenants, 67-year-old Ajit Jain, who runs Berkshire's insurance business and Greg Abel, 57, who runs its non-insurance businesses. Terming both Abel and Jains accomplishments as "fantastic", Buffet said that the two would "in the near future" join him and Munger in answering shareholder questions. "You could not have two better operating managers than Greg and Ajit. It's just fantastic what they've accomplished," Buffett said. Jain, who was born in Odisha, graduated with a BTech degree from IIT Kharagpur. He then joined IBM in India, before moving to the US to earn his MBA from Harvard. He joined Berkshire Hathaway's insurance business in 1986, at a time he said he knew "little about insurance". But Jain must have learnt fast, as under his watch, not only did its insurance business grow fast, it also played a vital contribution in Berkshire's investment float. This happened as Buffett was able to use the vast premiums collected from the insurance business -- dubbed 'float' -- and invest them in his portfolio. Essentially, the returns generated by Buffett's investments were not just because of the Oracle's legendary stock-picking skills, but were amplified thanks to what was effectively leverage generated by the low-cost 'float' generated by Jain's insurance business. It has been Jain's superior skills when it comes to underwriting -- or deciding when to offer insurance to customers and at what price -- that ensured that even as the business generated upfront premium by the millions, the business rarely took undue risk or resulted in blow-ups. Buffett has previously lauded Jain's "unmatched" underwriting skills, saying he insures risks that no one else has the desire or the capital to take on. "His operation combines capacity, speed, decisiveness and, most important, brains in a manner unique in the insurance business. Yet he never exposes Berkshire to risks that are inappropriate in relation to our resources," he said. Jain's "mind, moreover, is an idea factory that is always looking for more lines of business he can add to his current assortment," Buffett added. Munger too has credited Jain with "creating out of nothing" an immense reinsurance business that produced both a huge "float" and a large underwriting gain. Buffett's regard for Jain can be seen in a letter to shareholders, in which he said that if "Charlie, I and Ajit are in a sinking boat, and only one of us can be saved, swim to Ajit". As of 2016 end, Berkshire Hathways insurance business employed 44,000 and contributed $113 billion in premiums collected before payments, according to a Mint report. Buffet has in an earlier interview said that the Berkshire board can install a new CEO within a day when he steps down, dies or becomes incapacitated, as per a Financial Express report. In a 2014 letter to the company board , Buffett had said: "Both the board and I believe we now have the right person to succeed me as CEO a successor ready to assume the job the day after I die or step down. In certain important respects, this person will do a better job than I am doing." Issues like India's draft e-commerce policy, data localisation, high import duties imposed by America on steel and aluminium figured during the meeting between visiting US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu here May 6, sources said. The other matters which were discussed between the leaders include the US concerns on medical devices, personal data protection bill of India, RBI's public credit registry, data localisation for payment companies, visa issue, airport ground handling operations by US Airlines, IPR and airline passenger safety system/data, they added. However, the countries did not take up the issue of proposed withdrawal of export incentives by the US to Indian exporters under Generalized System of Preference (GSP), one of the source said. Although India has said the withdrawal of GSP benefits by the US will not impact domestic exporters, local industry has demanded for continuation of the incentives. Further, the US companies have raised concerns over India's draft e-commerce policy and issues related with mandatory data localisation requirements. The issue assumes significance amid apprehensions that the draft e-commerce policy favours domestic players and does not provide level-playing field for US firms such as Amazon and Walmart. India, on the other hand raised the issue of high import duties imposed by the US on certain steel and aluminium products. Besides, India also wants the US to relax the provisions of visa regime for Indian IT professionals and companies. Meanwhile, an official statement issued by the commerce ministry said that India and the US have agreed to engage regularly at various level to resolve outstanding trade issues by exploring mutually beneficial suitable solutions. "Both sides agreed to deepen economic cooperation and bilateral trade by ensuring greater cooperation amongst stakeholders, including Government, businesses and entrepreneurs," it said. Ross is visiting India to attend the 11th Trade Winds Business Forum and Mission hosted by the US Department of Commerce. The statement said the both sides also discussed various "outstanding trade issues" and agreed to engage regularly at various levels to resolve them by exploring "suitable solutions, which are mutually beneficial and promote economic development and prosperity in both countries". Both the countries are locked in a tariff dispute with the US deciding to end preferential trade treatment to Indian exports, while New Delhi proposing to impose retaliatory duties on American goods. Bilateral trade in goods and services has registered a 12.6 per cent rise to $142 billion in 2018, compared to $126 billion in 2017. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More As we enter the fifth phase of elections, the countdown has already begun for the election verdict due on May 23. What matters the most to the D-Street is growth. Manifestoes (released earlier) of both national political parties - BJP and Congress - have that aspect covered. Analysts gave a rating of 4 out of 5 to BJP manifesto while a 3 out of 5 to the Congress'. We give 4 Points to BJP a clear win according to D-Street. While our view for Congress remains on 3 Points. A progressive economy is always on top of any political party's manifesto, but on the front of maintaining sustainable growth in the long term is clearly triggered by BJP, because in the long run, we need good governance with a full mandate to strictly take decisions on every front, Manish Yadav, Head of Research, CapitalAim told Moneycontrol. While Congress is not contesting election for the full mandate. Manifesto of Congress is no doubt economically maintained but on the distribution side, it announced Rs 72,000 yearly (Nyay Yojna) to poor, this will impact the economy in the long run, he said. Rajiv Ranjan Singh, CEO stock broking, Karvy, said, While both parties make a number of promises, implementation is another matter. We will restrict ourselves to rating both of them based on market impact. Promises made by both parties will have to face up to the reality of the fiscal situation. Both parties have made promises to simplify GST, and also to enact policies to help farmers, improve ease of doing business, improve infrastructure, as well as make changes to direct taxes, said Ranjan. Here is a list of 12 stocks which investors can look at buying ahead of elections: Analyst: Vineeta Sharma, Head of Research, Narnolia Financial Advisors State Bank of India: The assets quality has been improving with the declining stress additions. For FY20, the management expects slippages to decline to Rs 24k-30k crore. The net interest margins (NIMs) has been on improving trend led by lower slippages and supported by large low-cost deposits franchise. The management aims for a 3 percent NIM in a years time. On the growth front, advances have picked up to the industry level growth which seems to be the key positive for the bank. SBI has approved capital raising plans of Rs 20000 crore in the year FY20. Larsen & Toubro: There is a strong order book of Rs 2,95,000 crore with an order inflow of Rs 55,000 crore at the end of March quarter. The company has laid down audacious target of order inflow of 10-12 percent with revenue guidance of 12-15 percent. The working capital is aimed at getting lower to 18 percent. Capacity Utilization of the country has improved to 74 percent. Reaching close to 80-85 percent utilization will open avenues for increased CapEx in the country and L&T should be the key beneficiary. ICICI Bank: The bank has shown a strong turnaround on the asset quality front on account of decline in slippages as well as good traction in recovery and up-gradation. Even the stress pool (BB & below) has declined and 93 percent of corporate slippages were from the stress pool. Provisioning coverage ratio (PCR) of the bank is 76 percent, which is the best among its peers. Moderation in NPA addition, lower credit cost and improvement in margins will boost the profitability in FY20. The management targets consolidated ROE of 15 percent in the near term and will relook at the target once credit cost normalizes. Bharat Electronics: The company is likely to benefit from changes in Government policies and also increased thrust on defense spending going forward. BEL expects Rs 150 bn order intake in FY20. Finalization of the Akash missile order is expected to post the CCS Committee approval. Margins are expected to remain stable. There is an order backlog of Rs 484 billion (+19.6% YoY) at end-3QFY19, which provides strong revenue visibility. The company is currently trading at 11times FY21E EPS. Marico: Based on the consumption growth, we expect 7-8 percent volume growth in Marico. Gradual recovery in the volume of Saffola is expected on the back of focused communication while Parachute Rigid and VAHO to lead the domestic volume growth backed by improvement in demand scenario (rural& urban) and new launches. Tailwinds in terms of lower copra prices and premiumization will help in margin improvement, going forward. Analyst: Rusmik Oza, Head of Fundamental Research, Kotak Securities Ltd. KEC International: Given a strong backlog (Rs. 184 Bn in 9MFY19), KEC can reach the upper end of 12-15 percent revenue growth guidance for FY19. Revenues are expected to grow from Rs. 100 Bn in FY18 to Rs. 139 Bn in FY20E Leverage will reduce, led by payments received from Saudi Arabia, customer advances and a greater share of low-cost forex debt. The management expects to reduce interest cost to 2.1 percent of sales for 4QFY19, 2.7 percent for FY19 and 2.5% for FY20E. L&T Infotech: LTI growth momentum will likely sustain due to an excellent sales process reflecting in improved client metrics, a strong pipeline of large deals and strength of delivery. The sales transformation that started two years ago has been refined further with multiple new strategies for new customer acquisition and large deal conversion LTI has strong capabilities in multiple areas of digital across verticals. The success of digital initiatives such as analytics and digital in every account contributes to strong digital revenues Surya Roshni: The company has a business interest in two areas: Lighting and steel pipes. In FY18, 72 percent of revenue came from Steel Pipes and 28 percent from lighting business (led by LED). In the Steel Pipe, segment company derives 70% of its sales through B2C format (through hardware stores). Companys distribution network includes 250 dealers & 21,000 retailers. We project 18.7 percent CAGR between FY18-20 in consolidated profits from Rs. 1.08 bn in FY18 to Rs. 1.5 bn in FY20E. Expect stock re-rating as and when lighting & steel pipe business gets demerged. JK Paper: JK Paper is a leader in India's copier paper segment (market share of 23%) & second-largest in the coated paper segment (market share of 12%). Captive procurement of raw material (52%), lower logistics cost and increase in average realization in a rising global cost curve scenario are expected to support margins. The acquisition of Sirpur unit and brownfield expansion plan of 200KT in Gujarat is expected to strengthen the companys position in terms of product offerings and help gain market share. The imposition of anti-dumping duty on certain kinds of uncoated paper is expected to benefit the company. Analyst: Rajiv Ranjan Singh, CEO stock broking, Karvy Mahindra and Mahindra: The companys tractor business would benefit from a pick-up in the rural spending by the government, also a revival in auto sales is likely to benefit the company. Tata Steel: The Steel sector would be a beneficiary of demand from infrastructure as well as from a stabilization in the Chinese economy. Capacity addition in the form of acquisitions and capacity expansion should help the company take advantage of the increase in demand. ITC: We believe that the government will need to pay attention to the rural sector, which should help improve rural consumption. Companies like ITC would benefit from this focus, in addition, there should be a recovery in consumption growth in urban areas. We expect the organized sector to continue to benefit on account of increased formalization of the economy. : The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Highlights: - Weak domestic volume growth underlines tough operating conditions- Barring Indonesian business, rest of its international operations witnessed a sharp margin erosion- Household insecticides a big challenge; launch of natural incense sticks appears promising- Growth concerns open possibility of a further de-rating in the stock------------------------------------------------- Godrej Consumer Products has registered a comparable constant currency growth of four percent, aided by international business, while its domestic business remained steady. Consolidated EBITDA margin contracted 30 bps as margin improvement in India was more than offset by its international business. Source: Company Volume growth of just one percent on a base of six percent in Q4 FY18 was clearly a major disappointment. This is the second consecutive quarter of one percent volume growth. In three-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) terms, volume growth stood at an uninspiring four percent. Key contributor to the growth deceleration was a weak performance in soaps and household insecticides (29 and 39 percent of domestic sales, respectively). While the soap segment was impacted by delayed summer and market slowdown, household insecticides continued to struggle with the influx of illegal incense sticks. Though slowdown in the soaps category is across the market, the company was able to gain market share in the quarter gone by. Market leader Hindustan Unilever (HUL) as well saw a weak performance for its mass brands: Lux and Lifebuoy. While international business (46 percent of total sales) witnessed constant currency sales growth of 10 percent, EBITDA margin erosion of 230 basis points (100 bps=1 percentage point) was a key drag. International topline growth was aided by strong performance in Indonesia, accounting for 37 percent of international sales, with 14 percent constant currency growth. However, operating margin was impacted by upfront investments and currency depreciation in Latin American countries. Hair colour segment, which constituted 12 percent of domestic sales, continued to perform well with seven percent growth. Here, value growth remains lower than volume traction, highlighting sustained competitive pressure. As the company has rolled back the discount offer for its flagship, Godrej Expert Rich Creme, the pricing scenario seems to be improving. The company has launched its offering in the shampoo-based hair colour category in south India. The household insecticides segment continues to be impacted by proliferation of illegal incense sticks business. Extended winter, especially in north and central India, too impacted its performance. Its neem incense stick launch has scaled up well in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and holds promise in arresting any de-growth. According to the management, the firm has achieved high single-digit market share in incense sticks format in the said geographies. The management has earlier estimated that on account of illegal incense stick business about 4-5 percent of growth has been taken off from the household insecticides business. The category should have seen 6-8 percent growth if there was no adverse effect of illegal products on the business. Godrej Consumer Products is witnessing multiple moving levers in both the domestic and international markets. Globally, the key positive is topline and margin improvement for Indonesia. In the case of South Africa, the management said the worst is over and the company should be able to tackle competitive intensity going forward. The key challenge here is the gestation period required for creating a credible position. Currently, a significant share of operating cost goes towards upfront marketing and sales promotion. As for the domestic business, the market-wide slowdown is a key near-term challenge to watch out for. A lot hinges on pro-growth policies after the election and a normal monsoon. However, the key structural headwind for the company remains the household insecticides business. The stock has corrected significantly and trades closer to its 52-week low. Still, the valuation at 39 times its estimated FY20 price-to-earnings is broadly in line with the likes of Marico and Dabur. In our view, the company with a higher exposure to international markets, where growth visibility and earnings stability are lower than the Indian domestic market, warrants a lower multiple. A significant part of the domestic business -- household insecticides -- is also weighed down by subdued prospects. Hence, we remain on the sidelines. Follow @anubhavsays For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research page Moneycontrol Research analysts do not hold positions in the companies discussed here live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More NIIT Technologies' FY19 results, its best ever, are a reflection of the companys successful transformation strategy, said Sudhir Singh, CEO. Speaking to Moneycontrol, Singh said, It was not the mixture of a couple of metrics. Every operating metric such as revenue, operating margins and profit improved very significantly. The companys net profit grew 44 percent year-on-year (YoY) for fiscal 2019 to Rs 403.3 crore on revenue growth of 23 percent YoY. Operating margin though slipped by 80 basis points. NIIT Tech manage to contain attrition, an area of concern for most IT firms, at 12 percent. The company's order intake for FY19 jumped 27 percent to $626 million. We added 40 new clients. We have never ever done that in our history, Singh said. Related stories Change in strategy The company changed its strategy for the last eight quarters to focus on emerging technologies to keep up with the changing trends. The company also chose to stick to its three key verticals insurance, banking and financial services and travel and transportation rather than spreading it too thin in other verticals such as manufacturing or healthcare. While India was one of the significant markets, the company also focussed on other key geographies such as North America and Europe that helped drive growth. Acquisitions were also one of the key focus areas. The company acquired Whishworks, a company specialised in big data analytics, last month. In May last year, it acquired RuleTek to boost its digital integration capabilities in the US market. Singh said, The strategy has worked very well for us and results have been stellar. We are going to pursue this because clients are seeing a perceptible change in the impact they are generating. While the three key verticals grew YoY, insurance sector saw a slight dip of 6.5 percent sequentially for the quarter ended March 2019. Talking about the insurance sector, Singh explained, In this particular quarter, insurance was the only vertical that declined. The blip that you see is essentially because contracting for our product business out of London got pushed into the first quarter. We will recognize that revenue in quarter one and quarter two." India was one of the key markets contributing a significant portion of revenue until a few years ago. But the companys India business has been coming down steadily. The company's overall India business has come down close to 1.4 percent compared to last year. India now accounts for about 8 percent of the overall business, from 9.4 percent last year. That is a part of our conscious strategy, he added. Singh said the focus area for FY20 would be to ramp up the consulting business it launched last fiscal. "We plan to double the consulting business we launched last fiscal," he added. The company also plans a ramp up in its aggregate product platform and partnership strategy and data cloud automation. On the impact of Baring PE acquisition of NIIT Tech, Singh said, At this stage, all the conversations leadership team and I have had, Baring has decided to invest in us for the performance we have churned out. They have indicated to us that they are ready to sit down with us once the process is complete and chart out a strategy that will help sustain and hopefully accelerate the growth that we have seen. Baring PE acquired 30 percent stake in NIIT Technologies for Rs 2,627 crore in April. Baring will make an offer to public shareholders of NIIT Technologies for purchasing up to 26 percent additional shareholding, taking the total deal value to up to Rs 4,890 crore. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Highlights - Asset-light store additions and product launches will drive revenue- Measures to monetise Thane land have commenced- The stock can be considered at current levels -------------------------------------------------- Raymonds Q4 FY19 earnings were a mixed bag. Earnings visibility would largely hinge on the profitability trajectory in the branded apparel and shirting fabric segments, network/channel augmentation, new designs and success of marketing programmes. Q4 analysis - Decent sales growth from all segments- Operating expenses as a percentage of sales declined year-on-year - Margin uptick was visible in shirting, apparel and auto components - Margin de-growth in branded textile, garmenting and tools - Overall margin was primarily affected by steep input costs Segmental performance A birds eye view Observations To boost the top-line, the management plans to add stores across all formats. Raymond operates 1,444 stores pan-India, spanning a total retail space of 2.4 million square feet. To keep the business asset-light, 80-90 percent of the outlets will be franchise-run. Tier 4/5/6 regions would be the primary focus areas as far as new store openings are concerned. Outlook By leveraging the strength of its brand, advertising campaigns and distribution reach, Raymond is scaling up smaller categories such as shoes, clothing accessories and ceremonial wear. Raymond Made-to-Measure stores will now cover products other than formal wear.To boost sales of branded fabric, Raymond is likely to enter into tie-ups with more tailors. Presently, the company works in partnership with 51 tailoring factories/hubs in India and the conversion capacity (i.e. processing of fabrics into garments) is two million metre per annum.While Parx, Park Avenue and Colorplus have been growing steadily, two new brands (Ethnix and Khadi by Raymond) are gaining momentum too. Raymond may foray into athleisure and innerwear in the near future. Economies of scale and better realisations should augur well for margins.In the past, business-to-business dealings constituted a major chunk of the segments revenue. The revenue mix is shifting in favour of the business-to-consumer category since the opportunity size is huge.Due to the impact of seasonality, for a quarter or two, sales may turn sluggish. Offtake in trade channels has also been slow. Raw material prices have been on the rise. It remains to be seen as to how these challenges are addressed.Issues pertaining to civil unrest in Ethiopia have been resolved. The factory is functional at normal utilisation levels and the order book is stable. Nonetheless, weak demand in the US markets could dent export revenue.At present, high costs (fuel, insurance, interest payments), uncleared inventory at the dealers end and new axle load norms for commercial vehicles are bottlenecks for the Indian auto industry. This hints at a weak outlook for this segment.Impetus will be laid on achieving operational efficiencies and rationalisation of the product portfolio.Rural demand, which is on a downtrend, could weaken further if the monsoon is below normal. In the long run, the segment is poised to grow on the back of a stronger distribution network.Raymond began phase 1 of the residential housing project at its Thane land recently. The project will cover nearly 2.8 million square feet of saleable area and may be concluded by FY24-end. More than 400 bookings have been received till date.More often than not, the stock has been on a downward spiral for the last 12 months. At 18.8 times its FY21 estimated earnings, the undemanding valuation merits the attention of medium-to-long term value investors. Follow @krishnakarwa152 For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research page Moneycontrol Research analysts do not hold positions in the companies discussed here live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More To encash on the increasing demand for co-living spaces among millennials and students, Housr will offer large format co-living spaces with over 700 beds per property and plans to invest over Rs 346 crore in the market in the next 12 to 18 months. Lodha Group MD and CEO Abhishek Lodha and Godrej Properties Executive Chairman Pirojsha Godrej have made an investment in co-living firm Housr, which has been co-founded by Tribeca Developers MD Kalpesh Mehta and Deepak Anand. The company did not disclose the amount infused by the two promoters and three investors -- Abhishek Lodha, Pirojsha Godrej and Unimark group Chairman Harsh Patodia. "At this stage, we are not disclosing investment numbers since the round involved founders as well as private investors. However, we plan to invest upwards of $50 million in the market in the next 12 -18 months as we are extremely bullish about the growth of super aggregated co-living segment both on demand as well as supply side," Deepak Anand told Moneycontrol. The co-living segment has one of the largest demand potentials in the country, with market size of over 50 million plus millennials in the top ten cities in India. "Over the next 12-18 months, we plan to expand our India footprint to over 50,000 beds and 20 properties by entering markets such as Chandigarh, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, in addition to Noida, Mumbai and Kota," he said. The first property in Gurugram is expected to go live in the next three to four weeks and will have nearly 900-plus beds, the company said. Housr has taken on long-term lease two residential towers from realty firm Tulip Infratech to launch its first co-living project in Gurugram. This property would be operational in 4-6 weeks in a price range of Rs 10,000-25,000 per month per bed including breakfast. Asked if any corporate house in Gurugram has evinced interest for pre-leases, he says that although there is an interest, "we will start with pre booking in a few weeks from now." The company is planning to launch five properties in the next four months making around 3500 beds operational. "We plan to open two properties in Gurugram and one each in Noida, Mumbai and Kota and eventually we will expand to Chandigarh, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad," said Tribeca Developers MD Kalpesh Mehta. Co-living space has a potential to become a $93 billion market annually as demand from students and professionals are on the rise, as per a report by PropTiger that also terms the co-living space as "real estate goldmine" that remains largely untapped. Knight Frank India in its report Co-Living - rent a lifestyle said that 72 percent of millennials (18 23 years) have given co-living spaces a thumbs-up and over 55 percent respondents in the age group of 18 35 years are willing to rent co-living spaces. The survey was undertaken across top cities of India, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and NCR and received responses from a cross section of people between the ages of 18 40 years of age. The survey also observed that close to 40 percent of all respondents are most comfortable in paying between Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 1.8 lakh per annum towards rental housing in key cities of India. The sweet spot for rentals thus remains at a monthly outflow of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000, it said. The study says that a stable co-living facility generates net yield of approximately 12 percent, while rental yields from a traditional 1BHK remain at 1.5 percent to 3 percent. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The Allahabad bench of National Company Law Tribunal on May 6 directed that the corporate insolvency resolution process in the Jaypee Infratech matter continue until May 21, the next date of hearing, sources said. Jaypee Infratech's lead lender IDBI had approached the NCLT on April 29, seeking extension of insolvency proceedings beyond the 270-day deadline (that ended on May 6) as the process is still underway to find a buyer for the realty firm. IDBI had also requested the tribunal to deduct the litigation period at several judicial forums, which includes the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) and the Supreme Court. IDBI's plea is supported by the representative of the home buyers, who are financial creditors under IBC. The NCLT had on April 29 fixed May 6 for the next hearing. "IDBI had asked for exclusion of certain period for counting the 270-day period. The matter was listed today and the court has now posted the matter to May 21. In the interim, it has allowed the CIRP process in the Jaypee matter to go on. The NBCC bid is likely to be discussed at the May 9 meeting," sources told Moneycontrol. The creditors of Jaypee Infratech are expected to meet on May 9 to discuss the bid of state-owned NBCC Ltd to acquire Jaypee Infratech. The meeting was called after creditors on May 3 rejected the bid of Mumbai-based Suraksha Realty group, which was the only contender after NBCC's offer was rejected in absence of approvals from the government departments. NBCC received the approvals from authorities last Tuesday. On January 28 this year, the NCLT had extended the period of the CIRP by another 90 days as 180 days mandated under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) were to come to an end on February 5, 2019. Under the IBC, a resolution process has to be completed under 180 days with a further extension of 90 days to 270 days. If the company fails to complete the CIRP within the mandated 270 days, then the company goes for liquidation. On May 3, Suraksha Realty's bid for the embattled company Jaypee Infratech got rejected the second time round. Under the insolvency proceedings, 41.85 per cent of the total votes of the committee of creditors (CoC) was against the proposal, while 23.47 per cent was in favour. Most of those voting in favour of Suraksha were homebuyers, who hold about 60 per cent of the voting rights in the CoCAs much as 66 per cent votes is required for acceptance of a proposal. As many as 22.46 percent (8019) homebuyers voted for Suraksha, 2.19 percent dissented (860) and 34.62 percent abstained (14,632) from e-voting process, which started on April 30 and concluded on May 3. Confusion over whether NBCC's bid would be put to vote or not after it received all requisite approvals was perhaps the main reason why Suraksha Realtys bid for the embattled company Jaypee Infratech was unable to garner sufficient votes from homebuyers who abstained in large numbers, besides of course the fact that its offer was low on upfront cash payment, experts said. Mumbai-based Suraksha was the lone contender in the race to acquire Jaypee Infratech after the CoC rejected the bid of state-owned NBCC Ltd on the grounds that the offer did not have approval from various government departments. Suraksha Realty Ltd had in this round offered lenders Rs 18.55 crore as upfront payment and land parcels worth Rs 5,000 crore to settle the debt. It also proposed to infuse Rs 3,000 crore capital to complete construction of over 20,000 flats. NBCC wants its bid to be reconsidered while Adani Group has also shown interest in acquiring Jaypee Infratech and completing over 20,000 delayed flats in Noida. Jaypee Group's promoters too have made a formal bid to the IRP, conducted meetings with homebuyers, sent them direct emails and also established a call centre in the last few days. As many as 22,000 homebuyers are stuck because of significant delay in delivery of flats by Jaypee Group's debt-ridden firm Jaypee Infratech, which is undergoing insolvency proceedings. In 2017, NCLT admitted the application by an IDBI Bank-led consortium seeking resolution of Jaypee Infratech. In the first round of insolvency proceedings, the Rs 7,350 crore bid of Lakshdeep, part of Suraksha Group, was rejected by lenders as it was found to be substantially lower than the company's net worth and assets. In October 2018, the IRP started a fresh initiative to revive Jaypee Infratech on NCLT's direction. The realty firm has an outstanding debt of nearly Rs 9,800 crore, of which Rs 4,334 crore pertains to IDBI Bank. Other lenders are IIFCL, LIC, SBI, Corporation Bank, Syndicate Bank, Bank Of Maharashtra, ICICI Bank, Union Bank, IFCI, J&K Bank, Axis Bank and Srei Equipment Finance. Jaypee Infratech is developing about 32,000 flats, of which it has delivered 9,500 units. JAL had deposited Rs 750 crore in the registry of the Supreme Court for refund to buyers. However, this amount was transferred to the NCLT as per an order of the apex court. Representative image In a bid to boost exports, the government is planning to begin a performance-based evaluation of the export promotion councils (EPCs) after receiving a directive from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Over two dozen EPCs could face closure or would have to undergo restructuring in case they are unable to meet their targets. The government is evaluating the EPCs in a bid to increase their share of Indian exports in the product markets catered to by these EPCs. "Discussions are also on on assigning mutually agreed upon targets to these EPCs and in case they fail to achieve them, they might face closure of have to be restructured," the official said. Niti Aayog and the Commerce Ministry are in discussions to evaluate the EPCs. After the completion of the process, the EPCs will be ranked as part of an ongoing policy of developing indices and ranking on real-time basis. Each council promotes a particular group of products or projects or services. The EPCs are funded by the government under the Market Access Initiative (MAI) and Marketing Development Assistance scheme to give support to export promotion. The government spent Rs 270 crore in 2018-19 on MAI and has allotted Rs 300 crore for the current fiscal. Increase in export share of these councils, the extent of penetration into existing markets, and efforts to explore and enter new markets are some of the parameters being considered for evaluation of the EPCs. "The PMO some days ago suggested that we should see if any of the EPCs need support in order to boost exports. Later, the Niti Aayog decided to rank these councils. Some meetings have been held and we are still working on the process," a senior official told Moneycontrol on condition of anonymity. An estimated 64.19 per cent of the 65.87 lakh electorate exercised their franchise till 7 pm in the four Lok Sabha constituencies during the second phase of polling in Jharkhand on May 6. Polling in Koderma, Ranchi, Khunti (ST) and Hazaribagh parliamentary constituencies passed off peacefully, Election Commission (EC) officials said. Of the four constituencies, Koderma recorded the maximum turnout at 65.81 per cent, followed by Khunti at 65.22 per cent, Ranchi at 64.22 per cent and Hazaribagh at 63.2 per cent. Of the total electorate, 31,44,679 were females and 83 belonged to the third gender, an EC official said. Polling began at 7 am, the official said, adding the percentage will increase after the final tally. In all, there were 8,834 polling stations, the official said. A total 1,147 out of 8,834 polling stations had webcasting facilities, he said. The Election Commission had appointed 39,909 polling personnel and 1,191 micro observers for polling on Monday. Adequate security arrangements were made and the EC had deployed 173 companies of para military forces, 52 companies of the state police, 20,000 district police personnel, 5,800 home guards, 3,000 women police personnel and 6,200 police officers, a police officer said. Union minister Jayant Sinha, former chief ministers Arjun Munda and Babulal Marandi, former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay and ex-MLA Kalicharan Munda were among the 61 candidates whose fates were sealed during the second phase of elections in the state. While BJP's Jayant Sinha contested the elections from Hazaribag, BJP candidate Arjun Munda took on Congress's Kalicharan Munda in Khunti constituency, another Congress candidate Subodh Kant Sahay faced BJP's Sanjay Seth from Ranchi. Babulal Marandi, the president of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) was pitted against BJP's Annapurna Devi in Koderma. Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora Monday said his party had put up a good fight in the metropolis in the Lok Sabha polls and was able to convey to people that it was a credible alternative to the BJP-Sena which he accused of misgovernance. The Congress contested on five of the six Lok Sabha seats in the city, polls to which were held on April 29. One seat was contested by ally NCP. Speaking at a review meeting, Deora said candidates and workers had put up a remarkable fight and asked them to start preparing for the Assembly polls scheduled in the state later this year. "The party is proud of the fight given by its candidates and has been able to convey to the people of Mumbai that it can emerge as a credible and viable alternative to the misgovernance of Sena-BJP regime," Deora said. He said time to dislodge the BJP-Sena from the city had come, adding that the Congress would prepare a detailed vision and mission statement for the holistic development of Mumbai. He said the Congress will engage with developmental economists, social scientists and citizens to roll out a plan that helps Mumbai achieve its deserving place on the world map. The Congress developmental vision will be socially inclusive and will focus on the welfare of workers, youth, students, women and the socially and economically marginalised with special thrust on housing to create a truly developed and equitable society. Speaking at the meeting, the party's South Central candidate and senior leader Eknath Gaikwad said Deora's call to prepare for Assembly elections is a commendable step in the right direction. Mumbai North candidate Urmila Matondkar and Mumbai North Central contestant Priya Dutt also attended. Senior leader Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan proposed a resolution condemning the statement made by Prime Miniser Narendra Modi against former PM Rajiv Gandhi which was unanimously passed by the attendees. An April 18, 2019 CARE Ratings report on the status of central government infrastructure projects makes for interesting reading. It shows that the next government will start with unpaid infrastructure development bills of Rs 12.4 lakh crore. The report has compiled infrastructure spends over the past five years and pointed out the time and cost overruns for various projects during the period. The bare facts are thus: Of the total 1,424 projects under implementation, 444 are mega projects with an outlay of over Rs 1,000 crore; the combined cost of these projects constitute 80 percent of the total project spend. The anticipated cost of implementation for these Rs 1,424 projects is currently pegged at Rs 21.34 lakh crore. These projects were originally expected to be completed at a cost of Rs 18.17 lakh crore. In the past five years, Rs. 8.07 lakh crore or 37.8 percent of anticipated cost has been already incurred. What this means is that the cost overrun amounted to Rs.3.16 lakh crore. Yet, significantly, sectors relating to power, roads, railways and petroleum accounted for most project completions (85 out of 101) by December 2018. This is a considerable improvement over the previous years and the number of projects completed by year-end would be at least 50 percent improvement over the previous years, underscores CARE Ratings. The present government needs to be complimented on this performance. However, in spite of this improved project management, the fact remains that the present government has left behind 384 projects which collectively account for pending bills worth Rs.12.4 lakh crore. This figure may not have mattered much in the normal course of things. Projects do get carried over from the term of one government to another. But this time, the countrys banking sector faces the problem of burgeoning non-performing assets which had surged beyond Rs.10 lakh crore by the end of 2018. The non-banking financial company sector is facing its own problems including that of liquidity. The total power sector is reeling under losses which are estimated to have crossed Rs 3 lakh crore. High frequency indicators suggest an economic slowdown and that does not bode well for tax collection with targets already missed. Essentially, the big question is where will the government find money to pay the bills for these infrastructure projects? Note that these are unpaid infrastructure bills left over from the last five years. When you add new projects and welfare schemes, which political parties have promised in their respective manifestoes, the total bill will only go up. And given the way politics works, it is probable that the focus will be on freebies and doles. his has two advantages. First, it can be politically populist. Second, it allows for a lot of skimming of funds. This huge imbalance of central government spending and income is notwithstanding the huge deficits of the state government as well. We know that government spending is always higher in the two years prior to elections. There is little money left after elections are over. Therefore, expect government spending to be tighter come June 2019. With falling FDI (foreign direct investment) down 7 percent in April December 2018 compared to a year ago -- there are urgent calls for reworking the clauses relating to investment protection. It is three years now, and not a single government has signed the present governments new version of the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). One of the vexatious clauses there is the right to arbitration from a seat outside India. It is clear, therefore, that someone has to blink. If the new government has to create jobs, it has to promote investment. Unlike the past few years, the new government may not have the funds for fresh investments. It has already used up money from PSUs as part of its off-budget-financing strategies; it has arm-twisted the RBI into giving it interim dividends, and it has burdened LIC with IDBI shares and the losses of many companies (disclosures have not yet been made about the amounts involved). The only silver linings are the rising stock market indices, the surge in foreign portfolio investments (FPI) and higher foreign exchange reserves. But as economists point out, it would be too early to celebrate this news, because it is not unusual for funds to flow into the country during election season. In any case, emphasizing too much on populist spending will result in a crisis, which may push the government into finally reconsidering its stand on investment protection. And if the recent surge in FPI proves to be ephemeral, and if funds disappear from the stock markets, expect a full-blown financial crisis to confront the new government. In other words, the new government will have to manoeuvre through some very dangerous rocks in the coming months. But the flip side is that India ends up doing the right thing only when there is a crisis. Remember 1991 and the financial crisis confronting India then? Recall how India had no option left but to break down some of its licence raj barriers? And the past pattern suggests that India does well when the government at the centre is weak. So, could it be the heralding of spring when winter sets in? Very interesting times ahead. Capt. Amarinder Singh: He is the Chief Minister of Punjab, and is widely credited for the party's good performance in the state at a time when Congress suffered a rout elsewhere in the country. Kamlendra Kanwar If there is one state where the Congress is comfortably perched in the rough and tumble of electoral politics it is Punjab where Chief Minister Amarinder Singh towers over the party high command in New Delhi and the Opposition in the state. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has long lost its sheen, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is devoid of dynamic leadership in the state and the fledgling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has blown up like a dream of which too much was made out. With 13 seats at stake in the Lok Sabha, there is little to challenge Amarinder Singhs command in the state. His no-nonsense approach in keeping Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his predecessor and mother Sonia Gandhi at arms length, away from campaigning in the assembly polls in 2017, was appreciated by the people. The decade-long Akali lack of governance discredited the party no end with corruption at its peak, religiosity turned on its head, and nepotism rampant. The BJP had a chance to bring in a whiff of fresh air but it failed the people by identifying too closely with the Akalis, while the AAP flattered to deceive. Today, while the Congress, which is under siege elsewhere, is sitting pretty in Punjab, it is a classic case of vacuum of leadership in the Opposition. Anti-incumbency does not seem to apply here and it should be no surprise if the Congress sweeps the polls in the state. There was anger writ large on the faces of the states Sikhs when their men and women were systematically targeted in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi. The subsequent stalling of cases against the perpetrators by Congress governments at the Centre showed that the mobs had the Congress backing. That the kingpins of these riots were politicians saddened the Sikh community. Yet, the pragmatic Punjabis have seemingly forgiven that party and opted for Congress rule so long as their leader is one who has the ability to steer them through better times. In 2014, at the height of the Modi wave across India, the nascent AAP and the SAD had won four seats each, followed by the Congress with three and the BJP with two. Disillusionment with the Akali-BJP combine was setting in but the two parties were smug and oblivious of it. The assembly elections in 2017 unmasked the public anger, catapulting the Congress to prime position. Today, AAP has been split down the middle, the SAD has lost some of its leaders who were resentful of Sukhbir Singh Badals ways and the power he exercised by dint of being octogenarian stalwart Parkash Singh Badals son. The BJP is unwilling to carve out an identity for itself despite knowing for long that it was not growing by being in the Akali shadow. The field has indeed been left open for the Congress whose leader, Amarinder Singh, was quick to realise that it was not only demeaning but also counter-productive to hover around a younger and inexperienced Rahul Gandhi. For a party given to crass sycophancy it would normally have been considered sacrilegious to chart an independent course, but such was the level of success of Amarinder Singh that the high command could only grudgingly accept his role and seek to appropriate the good coming from it. With both AAP and the SAD having split, new parties and groups have emerged which would be testing the waters in the new political landscape. Patiala MP Dharamvir Gandhi rebelled against the authoritarian attitude of Arvind Kejriwal and set up his own Nawan Punjab Party along with the Fatehgarh Sahib MP Harinder Singh Khalsa. In SAD, piqued at Sukhbirs attitude Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmanpura along with former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala and former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan floated a new organisation calling themselves Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali). The AAP may draw a blank in Punjab while the Akalis may end up with a couple at best. The BJPs Sunny Deol will find it tough to match late Vinod Khanna who was well accepted in Gurdaspur. While it may seem premature for the rebels to make a mark in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on May 19, there could well be a surprise or two in store. In Khadoor Sahib, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) could turn the tables on the Akalis. Prime Minister Narendra Modis two rallies in Punjab in the run-up to the polls and the mileage gained over the revenge taken by the armed forces against Pakistan over the Pulwama attack may bring the BJP in Punjab some votes, but whether that would add seats to the party is a doubtful proposition. Kamlendra Kanwar is a senior journalist. Views expressed are personal. For more Opinion pieces, click here Representative Image Abraham C Mathews In February 2017, just after the first phase of polling in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the online wing of a media organisation published an exit poll a clear flouting of rules banning publishing of such polls predicting not just a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) victory, but also claiming falsely that Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was running second. Needless to say, it was what you would call a fake poll, conducted by a ghost agency. Amplified by WhatsApp circulation, it had the effect of giving a boost to the BJPs prospects, resulting in its vote share rising in subsequent phases, while apparently confusing the traditional vote-bank of the Samajwadi Party-Congress, which was in alliance then. So it is no surprise that in the ongoing elections, BSP leader Mayawati appealed to Muslim voters in UP to not split their votes among multiple parties an appeal to the religious identity of a class of voters. This fell foul of Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and she was barred from campaigning for a few days. Congress Navjyot Singh Sidhu made a similar appeal in Punjab, inviting similar censure from the Election Commission of India (ECI). However, if one more judge, out of seven, in the Supreme Court hearing a Constitutional Bench case, Abhiram Singh vs CD Commachen, in January 2017, had sided with the appellants in that case, such a campaign appeal might have passed muster. As it turned out, the Abhiram Singh case was decided 4:3, laying down the ratio that any appeal by a candidate based on the religion, race, caste, community, or language of the candidate, her agent, any person campaigning on her behalf with her consent, or of the elector will be a corrupt practice. The arguments in the dissenting judgment (authored by Justice DY Chandrachud, and supported by Justices AK Goel and UU Lalit) are perhaps more compelling in the light of the recent spate of cases that came before the ECI. After noting that a textual reading of the Section clearly states that the bar is on an appeal by a candidate (or a person campaigning on her behalf) to vote or not vote for any person on the basis of her religion, race, etc, the dissenting judgment recognises that our secular Constitution is neither indifferent to issues of religion, caste or language, nor blind to the historical injustices perpetrated on the basis of race, religion, caste and gender, among other things. The reasoning follows that these (of religion, caste, etc) identities are often crucial to informing their choice of representative, and therefore to bar such appeals might only serve to perpetuate historical injustices. Therefore, in Chandrachuds reading of that Section, while an appeal of vote for me, because of my caste, or do not vote for her, because of her religion is proscribed, to say that a particular caste or language is being suppressed in the constituency, and the candidate will fight for such a caste or language is a mere appeal to protect the fundamental rights of the electorate. In fact, this was the recorded view of AK Sen, the law minister who introduced the 1961 amendment that gave the Section its present form. The majority, though, wouldnt have any of it. They viewed the statute through what they called the modern social context, and thus stamped on it the interpretation the then Parliament purportedly intended to give by widening the scope of corrupt practices to curb communal, fissiparous and separatist tendencies. What was perhaps forgotten was that many such tendencies were addressed in other provisions of the Act, as well as criminal law generally. For example, promotion of feelings of enmity or hatred between different classes of citizens is covered specifically by the very next sub-section (3A). Threatening voters with retaliation is also an offence. What gets lost in all the idealism is the fact that for good reason, such religious or racial considerations are extremely relevant to the marginalised voter a minority fearing persecution, or a lower caste fearing a dilution of a protective law. So, to deprive voters of knowing what their candidates stand for in terms of the issues that are closest to them might be a step too far in policing our democracy, and our voters sensibilities. For now, the law as laid down by the Supreme Court stands. Perhaps the dissent will pave the way for a further reconsideration in the future. Abraham C Mathews is a Supreme Court advocate, and a chartered accountant. He tweets at @ebbruz. Views are personal. For more Opinion pieces, click here File Image Holding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal responsible for the failure of alliance talks, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Monday said the AAP chief took a "U-turn" from an agreed position and wanted a tie-up beyond the national capital. Addressing a rally near the Jama Masjid, a minority dominated area, the Congress president asserted that it is only his party which can stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and the RSS. He accused Kejriwal of "opening the doors" for BJP's victory in 2014 by spreading "lies" about the Congress. "The BJP alone did not spread lies about the Congress," Gandhi said. "I clearly told Kejriwal ji that we have to win all seven seats in Delhi. You contest on four seats and we will contest on three. First, he agreed. Even I concurred with the proposal. But then he brought in talks on Haryana and Punjab. Then he took a U-turn," Gandhi said. He asserted that the Congress is the only party in the last five years to fight Modi across the country. "It is you who has to understand this. In Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Karnataka...wherever Narendra Modi went, the Congress party defeated him. I will not allow Narendra Modi, BJP and the RSS to move ahead even by an inch," he said. The Congress president said that even in Parliament, the party MPs battled the BJP. The AAP and the Congress are vying for the same voter base in the national capital. Last week, Kejriwal had started his roadshow from the Jama Masjid area. The AAP and the Congress have been blaming each other for the failure of talks. While the AAP was not ready to have a tie-up in Delhi alone, the Congress was reluctant to have an alliance beyond the national capital. The anti-graft movement led by social activist Anna Hazare, of which Kejriwal was a part, had rocked the UPA-2. Launching an electoral blitzkrieg in Bihar, BJP president Amit Shah on Monday urged the people to vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi "for only one reason, he has made the country secure." Addressing five rallies in the state, Shah said "here are the names of more than 100 welfare schemes launched by the Modi government. You need not, however, vote for your NDA candidate because of the improvement in your lives these measures might have brought. Simply vote for one reason, Modi has made the country secure". Shah, who arrived here late Sunday night, addressed during the course of the day five back-to-back rallies in as many Lok Sabha constituencies - Sheohar, Pashchim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Siwan and Maharajgang. At present, the BJP holds all the five constituencies and except for Siwan, which has been given up in favour of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), its MPs are seeking re- election from their respective seats. "Recall the 10 years of UPA rule when Aliyas, Maliyas and Jamaliyas from Pakistan used to attack our armed forces at will and the government headed by Mauni Baba (former PM Manmohan Singh) and leaders like Rahul Baba could not utter a word. Contrast the situation with now when every bullet fired from across the border is retaliated with a mortar shell (goli kaa jawaab gola se)", Shah said. "When 40 CRPF personnel were killed in Pulwama, Pakistan massed its troops along the borders fearing yet another surgical strike. But our Narendra Modi is the man with a 56-inch-chest. He commissioned the Air Force to do the needful and the terror hideout in Balakot was bombed and the militants were blown to smithereens (aatankwadiyon ke purze purze uda diye)", said Shah evoking wild applause from the crowds. Lambasting the Congress for promising abrogation of Article 370 and its ally Omar Abdullah of the National Conference for demanding restoration of the post of Prime Minister in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP chief asserted "at present we are in power. But in future even if we cease to be in power we will fight tendencies which are sympathetic to Kashmir's secession, till our last breath". At one of the rallies, Shah also made mention of the National Registry of Citizens which has become a contentious issue in the north-east and asserted "we are committed to driving out all infiltrators - from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Kolkata to Kutch -". In Siwan, Shah came down heavily on Lalu Prasad's RJD which has fielded Hina Shahab, the wife of jailed mafia don- turned-politician Mohd Shahabuddin, and said "the name of this land of first president Dr Rajendra Prasad by the reign of terror unleashed by Shahabuddin. The RJD, with the help of the Congress, is working towards bringing back the bad old days". Canvassing for the JD(U) candidate Kavita Singh, a local MLA and wife of local muscleman Ajay Singh, Shah said "Nitish Kumar and (Deputy CM) Sushil Kumar Modi pulled Bihar out of the dark times. The state began making rapid progress. And when Narendra Modi took over at the Centre it became like sone pe suhaga and Bihar began moving ahead as if propelled by a double engine". Exuding confidence of the BJP's victory in the ongoing general elections, Shah said at all the rallies "I have toured more than 290 constituencies across the country. People spoke different languages but the slogan was the same - Modi, Modi, Modi, Modi -. This is a clear indication that on May 23, after the counting of votes is over, Modi will be back as Prime Minister". PTI CORR NAC RG. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav warned on May 6 that if the Congress or the BJP come to power, the two parties would deprive the common people of basic necessities. "The BJP had promised good days, respect for farmers, security and safety of women. We have come up with a big alliance to make a strong government," Yadav said at rally in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district. "Let's join hands and construct a new India." The SP president blamed the Congress for the backwardness of the country even after seven decades of Independence. "The BJP and Congress are not good. If these parties are elected, they will construct their houses and toilets, while common people will be deprived of everything," Yadav said. The former chief minister also hit out Prime Minister Narendra Modi after former BSF soldier Tej Bahadur Yadav's nomination from the Varanasi constituency was rejected. "He (Modi) came as a tea seller and became a watchman. The government kneeled in front of a soldier in Varanasi," Yadav said. "It seems that Narendra Modi is not the PM, but publicity minister. He has not fulfilled any of his promises that he made during 2014 general election," he said. "The people of the country want a new government as the old PM has been failed. The act of terrorism has increased during BJP government," he added. Maharajganj goes to polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 19. Stepping up efforts to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties, Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has lined up meetings with his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan and DMK president M K Stalin. While Rao will meet Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on May 6 evening, he will call on Stalin at his residence in Chennai later this week on May 13, a statement by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. JD(S) leader and Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has also reached out to the Telangana chief minister. According to a statement issued by the CMO, Rao and Vijayan, who heads the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala, will discuss "contemporary politics". "In view of the Parliamentary elections, both the CMs will discuss contemporary politics," it said. Rao will visit the Rameshwaram and Srirangam temples before returning home, the statement said. Discussing the Rao-Stalin meeting, it said, "Both the leaders are likely to discuss current political scenario in the context of ongoing Parliamentary elections." Learning about his visits to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Kumaraswamy also had a telephonic talk with Rao, the statement said. The chief minister's daughter and sitting Nizamabad Lok Sabha member K Kavitha told PTI recently that regional parties not aligned with the Congress and the BJP will get 120-plus seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, and may hold the key to government formation. She said the TRS is in touch with various parties not part of the BJP-led NDA and Congress-anchored UPA in its efforts to forge a federal front of regional outfits. A federal front will take good shape after the Lok Sabha election results are out, Kavitha said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "bhrashtachari no. 1" barb against Rajiv Gandhi snowballed into a political storm, 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 politics 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 politics 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". The Home Minister talked about the recent controversy created by the Tanishq advertisement that showed an inter-faith couple. Amit Shah said such small incidents cannot break India's social harmony and that its roots are very strong. BJP chief Amit Shah 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. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Ram Madhav has forecast that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led front will require the support of allies to form the next government at the Centre, according to a report by Bloomberg. "If we get 271 seats on our own, we will be very happy," Madhav said in an interview with Bloomberg on May 4. "With NDA (National Democratic Alliance), we will have a comfortable majority," Madhav added. BJP president Amit Shah and other senior leaders have repeatedly said the saffron party will get a full majority on its own. Madhav told the publication that the party will make up for expected losses in the northern states by gaining seats in the Northeast and eastern states of West Bengal and Odisha. Also Read: BJP's Look East policy | Northeast: Saffron party's push for Citizenship Bill may upset leads in the region He said the BJP government would pursue pro-growth policies if it returns to power, adding that it had not shifted to populist cash handouts from its focus on economic reforms. "We have expanded in eastern India very well if similar effort had been put into south India also, probably we would have been more comfortable," Madhav said. Also Read: BJP's Look East policy | West Bengal: Saffron party all set to take on Mamata Banerjee's TMC head-on "As politicians, we must remember that what we achieved last time, we may not repeat because of anti-incumbency," he added. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Modi-led party swept through the Hindi-speaking belt. Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chandigarh and the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi have a total of 226 parliamentary seats. The BJP won 191 of these seats in the previous parliamentary election. Its partners from the NDA won 11 seats there. However, in December 2018, Congress was able to wrest Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan from the BJP in one-on-one contests in the assembly elections, largely banking on local anti-incumbency and agrarian distress. A 109-year-old voter casts her vote at a booth in Nohar, Rajasthan. (Image: PIB Rajasthan/Twitter) A differently-abled voter after casting his vote in Bihar. (Image: CEO Bihar/Twitter) A differently-abled voter being helped by security personnel at a polling booth in Howrah district, West Bengal. (Image: PTI) Security personnel carry an elderly woman to a polling station to help her cast her vote during the fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, at Hajipur in Vaishali district, Bihar. (Image: PTI) An elderly voter poses for a selfie after casting her vote in Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency, Madhya Pradesh. (Image: CEO Madhya Pradesh/Twitter) A man came in to cast his vote after conducting the last rites of his father in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh. (Image: ANI) A man shows his ink-stained finger after casting his vote in Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir. Two grenade attacks were reported from J&K during polling earlier today. (Image: PIB India/Twitter) BJP MP Kirron Kher (File Photo) Pawan Kumar Bansal, the Congress representative for the Chandigarh seat, said on Saturday that BJP MP and actor Kirron Kher is behaving like United States President Donald Trump, who has been trying to raise a border wall between Mexico and the USA. Kher is contesting elections for a second term. Bansal was commenting on the nagging issue of traffic snarls at an event organised by the Chandigarh Residents Associations Welfare Federation (CRAWFED), when he said: She (Kirron Kheer) was behaving like US President Donald Trump who was trying to create a border wall between Mexico and USA (sic). CRAWFED had organised a Meet The Candidate programme at the Chandigarh Press Club, which saw the attendance of representatives of 83 resident welfare bodies affiliated to it, reported The Indian Express. Members of the citizen welfare association invited AAP leader Harmohan Dhawan and Chandigarh ki Awaaz party candidate Avinash Singh Sharma to speak at the event. However, it eventually turned into a Bansal versus Kirron Kher war of words. Since Bansal was the first to address the gathering, the actor-turned-politician spent the rest of the time refuting every statement he made on her. Talking about the possible solution for the traffic congestion in the city, Bansal reiterated that metro was the only way forward. He said: There are 1.70 lakh vehicles entering Chandigarh from neighbouring areas BJP is not clear on its stand. Kher says monorail while Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says double-decker skybuses. Will we have 500 ropeways in Chandigarh with people commuting to work like the Timber trail in hills? Meanwhile, when asked if Khers Bollywood charm may pose a threat to Bansals victory in the constituency, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said on Sunday that the sitting MP had no charm left as she was a dated actor of yesteryear. Activity in China's services sector further improved in April, with export sales rising at a record pace, a private business survey showed on Monday, although the longer-term outlook for new orders stayed subdued due to global economic uncertainties. The Caixin/Markit services purchasing managers' index (PMI) climbed to 54.5, the highest since January 2018 and slightly up from 54.4 in March. The 50-mark separates growth from contraction. Export orders increased the most since the survey began measuring this in September 2014. While the growth contrasts with a slight slowdown suggested by official data last week, both readings indicated China's services sector remained firmly in expansionary territory. The strength in services, which account for more than half of China's economy, would help to counter any volatility in the country's manufacturing sector, which is still searching for firm footing. Caixin's composite manufacturing and services PMI slipped to 52.7 in April from 52.9 a month earlier, weighed down by the slowing expansion of factory activity. Costs remained a concern for both services and industries. Price data shows rising input costs in the services sector due to higher staffing costs and price hikes for raw materials, the Caixin survey showed. "In general, China's economy looked resilient in April, especially in the services sector," Zhengsheng Zhong, director of macroeconomic analysis at CEBM Group, said in a commentary released alongside the Caixin data. "However, pressure on costs across the services sector remained relatively high, limiting companies' profit growth potential. Business confidence hasn't recovered." Outstanding business in the services sector contracted for the fourth straight month in April, although only marginally, according to the Caixin survey. Job creation in the sector rose the most in 10 months, but a sub-gauge measuring the outlook for the year ahead remained subdued, capped by concerns over the strength of the global economy. To provide ballast for the economy, Beijing has ramped up fiscal stimulus this year, unveiling tax and fee cuts amounting to 2 trillion yuan ($297 billion) to ease burdens on firms, while allowing local governments to issue 2.15 trillion yuan of special bonds to fund infrastructure projects. Analysts have said it would take time for those measures to fully kick in, with most not expecting the economy to convincingly stabilise until around mid-year. Signs that China and the United States could reach a trade deal in coming weeks following a year of tit-for-tat tariffs would also offer reprieve for Chinese exporters. In a major relief for state-run construction major NBCC, the Allahabad bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Monday asked the Committee of Creditors (CoC) of Jaypee Infratech (JIL) to consider NBCC's revised bid to acquire the insolvent realty company. The bench adjourned hearing the matter till May 21 and said that the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) would continue. The 270-day deadline for resolution of JIL's insolvency case ends on Tuesday, May 6. JIL's lead lender, state-run IDBI Bank, had approached the tribunal last week seeking extension of the resolution period. The CoC of Jaypee Infratech will meet on May 9 to discuss the revised bid by the NBCC. The Insolvency Resolution Professional (IRP) Anuj Jain had on Friday invited the stakeholders for the meeting, bank sources said. The e-voting for the resolution of the company ended on Friday whereby the bid of Suraksha Realty, the only contender remaining, was rejected by the CoC. The NBCC's revised bid was not cleared by the CoC as it then required several other approvals. Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article. We had mentioned in Fridays closing report that Nifty, Sensex may give up some of its gains. The major indices of the Indian stock markets suffered a correction on Monday and closed with losses over Fridays close. On the NSE, there were 588 advances, 1146 declines and 382 unchanged. The major trends of the Indian stock markets in the course of the days trading are given in the table below: The Indian markets, in line with the Asian markets, fell steeply over signs of escalating US-China trade tension on Monday. On Sunday night, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose fresh trade tariffs worth $200 billion on Chinese goods in an attempt to force additional concessions. The benchmark Sensex fell up to 450 points. The Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) opened at 11,605.80 after closing at 11,712.25 on Friday. Trump's threats came right ahead of a critical week of final negotiations between the two country to end the year-long tit-for-tat trade war which has roiled financial markets ever since it started. He has already imposed tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods and is now threatening to tax nearly all of the products China exports to the US. The Asian markets were all sharply down, as were the European markets and US futures. ITC is planning to broaden its reach in the Indian market by expanding its dairy beverages portfolio to the rest of the country by next summer. With the launch of Sunfeast Wonderz Milk last December, the company entered the ready-to-drink dairy beverages market. ITC is also planning to export its dry fruits-based dairy beverages badam milkshake to Dubai and Saudi Arabia. It had also unveiled its Aashirvaad brand in Kolkata and Bihar. The company offers packaged milk and curds under this brand. Shares of YES Bank declined nearly 5% in morning trade on Monday after the domestic rating agency ICRA downgraded the bank's long-term bond ratings and guided for a negative outlook. ICRA downgraded the ratings on six instruments totaling borrowings over Rs 33,000 crore by the lender, after it had last week reported a surge in BB and below-rated advances in the March quarter to 7.1 per cent under a new chief executive Ranveer Gill. Shares of Tata Chemicals rose 9% on Monday after the companys consolidated Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) rose 3.6% year-on-year (YoY) at Rs531 crore in March quarter (Q4FY19). The companys adjusted profit after tax increased 2% at Rs 317 crore on YoY basis. Its operational revenue grew 8% at Rs 2,759 crore against Rs 2,555 crore in the corresponding quarter of previous fiscal. State-run Air India has decided not to pursue its plan to take B777s from grounded Jet Airways as it has found it commercially unviable given their huge maintenance requirement. "The engineering unit has done the work around the B777s and found no merit in taking them," said an airline executive. A few weeks back, Air India had shown keen interest to take 5 wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft of Jet Airways on dry/wet lease and initiated talks with the crisis-hit airline's lead lender SBI or State Bank of India. Air India Chairman Ashwani Lohani had discussed the proposal with SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar. The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below: The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below: 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." Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article. May 06, 2019 Syria - Russian And Syrian Airforce Prepare The Ground For An Attack On Idlib Province Throughout the last months the military situation in west Syria was more or less stable. That is about to change. While this map is from August 2018 it is still mostly accurate. Idleb province, and parts of north Hama, are under control of 'rebel' forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Al-Qaeda aligned terrorist group. A September 2018 agreement between Russia and Turkey stipulated that Turkey would bring the 'rebels' in Idleb under control. A 20 kilometer wide demilitarized zone was to be established along the demarcation line. All heavy weapons were to be removed from the zone. The M4 and M5 highways were to be opened for traffic. None of it happened. Turkey established observation post along the demarcation line but these had no effect. Instead HTS assimilated more and more of the 'Free Syrian Army' groups that Turkey supported. The organization acquired new arms and equipment and intensified its training. During the last months they became more active. Mortar and missiles were fired into Aleppo city. Command units crossed the demarcation line, attacked Syrian army guard posts and caused a number of casualties. Drones were flown from Idleb against the Russian base at Hmeimim. Missile volleys were launched against the base. The Syrian government long demanded to finally attack in Idleb, but Russia held it back. There was a risk that Turkey would use an attack on Idleb to switch back to the U.S. side. That risk is now much lower as the U.S. became more hostile to its NATO ally. Two weeks ago, after HTS shot the latest missile volley at Hmeimim, Russian jets started to pound HTS positions in Idleb governorate with hundreds of bomb attacks. Additionally Russian intelligence reported that HTS was preparing to launch a large attack against Hama city further south. Russia flew in new fighter jets and bombers to up its engagement capabilities. The Syrian air force and its artillery also chimed in. It soon became obvious that these attacks were not just revenge acts but the preparations for a larger campaign. Turkey recognized that it can no longer do anything to prevent an attack on Idleb. In a Hail Mary move it tried to at least fulfill one of its old aims: to capture the town Tal Rifaat and Menagh Air Base north of Aleppo. These are in the Kurdish area (yell0w) at the top of the map. But the defenders were prepared. When Turkish aligned 'rebels' under the command of Turkish officers attacked their positions they retreated. The Turks advanced and suddenly found themselves in a minefield and under artillery attack. They had been trapped. After several were killed and wounded the Turkish forces had to retreat and the Syrian army and the Kurdish units could retake their old positions. In parallel Syrian artillery fired on one of the Turkish outposts in Idleb governorate. Four Turkish soldiers were wounded and evacuated. Today the Syrian army launched an attack in the south of the pocket and captured several 'rebel' positions. There are signs that another attack will soon start west of Aleppo to remove any threats to the city. Another attack axis is likely to be formed on the western side of the pocket with the aim of pushing the terrorist further away from Hmeimim. These attacks are not (yet) the big campaign to liberate all of Idleb governorate. It seems more likely that this will be done piecemeal with one bite at a time followed by a pause. One intermediate aim is to regain full control over the M5 and M4 highways in Idelb governorate. That would allow for direct traffic between Latakia to Aleppo and from Hama to Aleppo and could help to revive the devastated economy. Is the U.S. will do anything to stop the Syrian operations. That now seems unlikely: "Idlib is essentially the largest collection of al-Qaida affiliates in the world right now," Michael Mulroy, deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said this week during remarks at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. "We have very limited insights as to what's going on," he added. That this is (again) publicly recognized, likely means that Syria is now allowed to clean up the mess. Back in 2017 and 2018, when Syria was ready to retake Idleb, the U.S. threatened to stop any attack. At that time it still cared for its ally Turkey which would be swamped with new refugee wave should the HTS terrorists and their families have to retreat from Idelb. The U.S. no longer cares about Turkey. Any new difficulty for the wannabe Sultan Erdogan will likely be welcome. The terrorist haven in Idelb is only one of the many problems Syria still has to cope with. The worst is currently a shortage of gasoline as U.S. sanctions block Iranian oil deliveries to Syria. Iranian tankers with the destination of Syria are held up at the Suez canal. Requesting gasoline from Russia would have a political price that Syria seems not ready to pay. The Syrian oilfields, which could produce enough to keep the country running, are under control of the U.S. proxy forces. The U.S. prohibited to sell that oil to the Syrian government. Posted by b on May 6, 2019 at 15:09 UTC | Permalink Comments Preston Caldwell: We have recently updated our outlook on China oil and gas demand. In short, we're above consensus on China's medium-term oil and gas demand. However, our oil forecasts shift to being bearish in the long-term looking out to 2040, owing to our differentiated view on EV (electronic vehicle) adoption. In terms of implications, we're maintaining our midcycle oil price of $55/bbl WTI, and therefore impact for oil stocks is negligible. On the other hand, our above-consensus view on China's natural gas consumption drives a bullish view on LNG (liquefied natural gas) imports. This has a significant impact on the global LNG market and boosts our already bullish view on LNG-levered names Cheniere and Shell among others. The report also noted that almost half of total new condominium sales last year were concentrated in downtown Montreal, while the rest of Montreal Island received about one-third. There is a lot of job creation on Montreal Island and demographics are very strong, said Shirley. We had a lot of structural issues for about 40 years with a very high unemployment rate, but weve seen it go down the last two or three years. Theres a lot of compression with the unemployment rate and now were at 6% or so, but its forecasted to go down to 5.5% next year because job creation is very strong, as are prospects for future employment. In fact, Montreal is becoming a leading hub for artificial intelligence and its pharmaceutical sector is also robust. Shirley noted that Montreals universities serve as pipelines for those industries in particular. Even more prominent is Montreals port, which is, bar none, Canadas busiest. Montreals port accepts over 75% of commodities that come through all Canadian ports, said Shirley. A lot of venture capital is invested in Montreals technology and AI industries and our pharmaceutical sector is very strong. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Midland College commencement speaker Tatum Dotson said she will deliver an address that resonates with all members of her audience. Faculty, staff and friends encouraged Dotson, who will be recognized as an honors graduate, to apply to be the speaker. "Everywhere I went on campus people would ask me if I was going to apply to be graduation speaker," Dotson said. "I kept saying no because I have been really stressed with the end of the semester. Public speaking also makes me really nervous. I have already been nervous for two weeks; I will be nervous till the day of the event; then, I will get up there and the nerves will disappear. I am excited and honored to speak to my fellow classmates and their friends and families at commencement." Dotson is working hard on her speech. So far, the topic is centered on perspectives. She is working with her former public speaking teacher, Betty Clements, to polish her message. More Information Midland College 46th annual commencement ceremony is 7 p.m. Friday at Chaparral Center. A live video stream will be available on MC's website, www.midland.edu. See More Collapse "Composing this speech is challenging," Dotson said. "Commencement attracts a very diverse audience, and I want to convey a message that resonates with everyone. I want to speak to the single moms who came back to school, the kids who were not sure about college but decided to give MC a shot, the fathers who want a better job to support their families. It is hard to step into each of their mindsets, but I am glad Professor Clements is helping me." "Tatum has a passion for not only learning, but also serving others, and this is evidenced by her involvement in numerous campus and community activities," Clements said. "She strives for excellence in all her endeavors, and I am just so blessed to have had the opportunity to work alongside her." Dotson, a Midland native, began at MC in fall 2017. Dotson has made a name for herself on campus. Outside of class she participated in Phi Theta Kappa, an international honors society for two-year colleges; Students in Philanthropy, a Midland-specific scholarship and leadership training program; and the college's honors program. Dotson has received the Legacy Scholarship, the SIP scholarship and, through PTK, she received a Coca-Cola bronze scholarship. Dotson said she is proud to have received the Herbert L. Cartwright Education Continuance Scholarship from Abell-Hanger Foundation to help defray the costs of her next two years at Texas A&M University. She said she is looking forward to the camaraderie and traditions at Texas A&M. "Texas A&M is known for its community, and I am looking forward to finding my group of people there," Dotson said. "I know there is a volunteer organization, and I would like to join because the people I met at MC dedicated to helping others are some of my best friends. I hope to find others like them. I am most sad to leave my MC friends; I never expected to have such a strong sense of belonging here. "I am also sad to be leaving PTK. I have poured so much of myself into PTK. I have taken on so many projects through that organization and I it has helped me grow so much. It is hard to leave that behind, not knowing if I will find it again." Dotson says Terry Gilmour, government/political science professor and PTK advisor, has been a mentor and constant source of encouragement during her MC journey. "Dr. Gilmour is willing to help you whether you have a personal issue, or you are looking for opportunities for academic growth," Dotson said. "She is the one I always go to. She has an answer and a path for me to investigate. That one-on-one connection with the MC faculty shows they genuinely care. No matter how many students they have, they are genuinely interested in the individual. Everyone at MC the staff, the administration is invested in student success. I know I could come and talk with any of them. I can walk into anyone's office at any time and they are willing to help me." "Tatum has been a tremendous asset to our PTK chapter, and she continues to be our "go-to" person," Gilmour said. "She was always willing to take the time to get the job done and to get it done right. I never felt like I had to micro-manage her work it was exemplary. I will always appreciate her positive attitude, her bubbly personality, her bright smile and her enthusiasm. MC will definitely miss her, as will I." Dotson would like to thank her parents, Paula and Randy Dotson, Gilmour and Abell-Hanger Foundation. "I have to give a shout out to my parents because whatever I had going on at MC, I definitely took it home," Dotson said. "They know about everything going on with me at MC. Dr. Gilmour was the most influential faculty member I encountered at MC. Finally, Abell-Hanger Foundation provided me the opportunity to grow by funding SIP. No matter what I have accomplished, SIP has kept me humble and reminded me that no matter what is going on, I need to help others and find time to give back to the community." Stacey Hewitt is part-time writer/photographer at Midland College. 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. More Information Out here in the Permian Basin, seeing a doctor when you're sick is becoming more difficult. We have always had a shortage of primary care physicians, but this is different. The latest oil boom is great for business in West Texas, but it comes with a population boom that threatens to wreck our struggling primary care infrastructure. If we're going keep up, we must find ways to attract more primary care physicians to our part of the state. This problem isn't unique to us. Texas ranks 47th among states in the ratio of primary care physicians to total population, with rural and border areas suffering much greater shortages than their metropolitan counterparts. And it's not likely to improve any time soon. A recent report from the Texas Department of State Health Services estimates "the shortage of primary care physicians in Texas will grow from 2,002 full-time equivalents in 2017 to 3,375 in 2030, an increase of 67 percent." The Texas Legislature has three simple policy options available that will result in more primary care physicians caring for patients in rural communities: restoring support for family medicine residency programs, creating more rural medicine training opportunities and boosting our investment in the Physician Education Loan Repayment Program. Our state's 33 family medicine residency programs are the lifeblood of our primary care physician workforce, preparing more than 300 new family physicians for practice each year. Most family doctors who complete their residency training in Texas remain in the state to practice. The Legislature has long recognized the importance of investing in our state's family medicine residency programs through a funding strategy aptly named the "Family Practice Residency Program." Because of this budgetary line item, most family medicine residencies receive funds based on the number of residents they have in training. Last session, legislators cut the program by 40 percent. Restoring that funding would cost the state only $10 million a year, but the investment would protect the residency programs that produce the doctors who make up our primary care infrastructure. So how do we get these new physicians to practice in rural areas? We train them there. At Texas Tech University Health Science Center, I oversee a relatively new rural training track in which family medicine residents spend one year training in Odessa, then two years living and working in one of a number of rural sites in the Permian Basin. Four of the program's five graduates now practice in rural Texas towns and two future graduates have already signed contracts with rural hospitals. Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin, and Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, are currently carrying bills in the Legislature that would create a Rural Resident Physician Grant Program designed to help launch rural residency training tracks like ours. HB 1065 and SB 1084 contain smart policy targeted to improve access in areas that need it most by introducing a generation of new physicians to life and medicine in rural Texas. Finally, the Texas Physician Education Loan Repayment Program is designed to encourage physicians to practice in underserved communities by helping them pay their student loans in return for a four-year commitment. In the past five years, the program has enrolled more than 750 physicians who are now caring for patients in rural communities, urban centers, community health centers, and correctional facilities - all places where Texans suffer a lack of access to care. Last session the Legislature cut this program by 25 percent. This time around, legislators should restore that funding and strengthen the program by increasing the amount participating physicians can receive to reflect the growth in educational debt. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, 76 percent of medical students graduate with debt. In 2011, the average educational debt for graduating medical students was $173,000. By 2016, it had grown to $190,000. HB 2261 by Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, and Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, and SB 998 by Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, would raise the total amount of available loan assistance for doctors in the program from $160,000 to $180,000, sweetening the deal for physicians to begin their careers where we need them most. As our population grows and ages, we must ensure that all Texans have access to high-quality primary care, and the most effective way to meet that goal is to recruit and train family physicians here at home. These three measures not only increase our primary care workforce, but they work to encourage new physicians to live and practice in underserved communities. That's good public policy. Dr. Timothy Benton is the regional chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine and associate dean for clinical affairs at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center - Permian Basin School of Medicine, and medical director for the Physician Assistant program at TTUHSC School of Health Professions. Britt Beauty Amy Jackson, who gave sleepless nights to movie lovers with her redhot explosions on screen, fell in love with her fiance George Panayiotou who proposed to her during their vacation in Zambia and both started the New Year getting engaged. Amy Jackson already announced that she is pregnant and would soon enter into wedlock. According to the latest, it is coming out that George Panayiotou and Amy Jackson celebrated the engagement officially with a lavish bash in London. Advertisement Both were seen dancing to the music and Amy sharing a snap posted, He put a ring on it! The snaps of Amy and her fiance George Panayiotou are going viral on social media. The couple is expected to enter into wedlock by this yearend or early in 2020. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 4) A photo of President Rodrigo Duterte watching a show on Netflix at home on Saturday broke what would have been a six-day absence from the public eye that fuelled speculation about his health. In the photo sent to CNN Philippines by Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, the President is seen on his bed, watching a movie from streaming service provider Netflix with a bunch of today's newspapers on his side. The photo was sent to her by someone from Duterte's team. Puyat is in Fiji for the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank's Board of Governors. The President has called her to ask about her recent meeting with the Civil Aeronautics Board regarding the carrying capacity of Boracay Island. She then told the President that some journalists who were with her wanted to know his whereabouts, and was sent the photo in response. The President's prolonged absence, like in the past, revived speculation that he is gravely ill. Duterte has refused to allow the Palace to issue medical bulletins on his health. In another photo sent to Malacanang reporters, the President is seen reading the April 30 issue of a national broadsheet. The President was last seen last Sunday at the opening ceremony of the Palarong Pambansa in Davao City. He had come home last April 27 from his trip to China where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and attended the Second Belt and Road Forum. During that trip, the 74-year-old President reportedly skipped a gala dinner due to a migraine. Before he left for China, Duterte had attended major campaign sorties of the ruling PDP-Laban party. Administration candidates have dominated senatorial surveys weeks ahead of the May 13 midterm elections. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) A man claiming to be the anonymous man named Bikoy in the five-part video series accusing President Rodrigo Duterte, his family and his close allies to be deep into the illegal drug trade has surfaced. Peter Joemel Advincula, who said he was once a part of an illegal drugs syndicate, said he decided to come out due to threats to his life and because of the urgings of his conscience. Nakikita ko ang pagwasak ng pamilya na dulot ng droga, na kung saan naging bahagi ako sa pagpapakalat nito noong miyembro pa ako ng sindikato. Panahon na upang puksain ang pamamayagpag ng sindikatong ito, Advincula said at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) office. [Translation: I see the destruction of families due to drugs, of which I was once a part as a member of the syndicate. It is time to end the reign of this syndicate.] Advincula surfaced days following the arrest of Rodel Jayme, the self-confessed webmaster of Metrobalita the website where the Ang Totoong Narcolist videos were supposedly first shared. But Advincula said that he does not know Jayme. He also denied that he is linked to any political candidate, especially of the opposition coalition Otso Diretso. He also said that he does not have any links to the media personalities and institutions tagged in the alleged plot to oust Duterte. Jayme has said that he was initially tapped to create the Metrobalita website to boost the campaign of an Otso Diretso Senate bet. Otso Diretso campaign manager Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan denied knowledge of this. Advincula said he went to the IBP to seek legal assistance for him to sue alleged members of the syndicate, that include the Presidents son, former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, senatorial candidate and former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Bong Go, Davao City Mayor Sara Dutertes husband Manases Carpio, and the Bicol-based Quadrangle Group. Paolo, Go and Carpio are allegedly on a document he helped prepare as a syndicate member the Tara, a list of senior syndicate members entitled to monthly kickbacks fromn the illegal drug trade. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Advincula should head to the National Bureau of Investigation and file a complaint if he has enough evidence. Advincula also insisted on his claim that the former vice mayor and Go have tattoos on their backs. Bahagi po ng gawain ng aming team ay ang pag-scan ng mga codes na nakaukit sa tattoo ng mga senior members ng sindikato tulad nina Paolo Duterte at Bong Go. Pinapadala ito sa financial controller ng sindikato na naka-base sa Hong Kong upang ma-validate ang mga transaksyon, Advincula said. [Translation: Part of the work of our team is to scan codes embedded in the tattoos of senior syndicate members like Paolo Duterte and Bong Go. These are sent to the syndicates financial controller based in Hong Kong to validate transactions.] Go has bared his back to show that he has no tattoos. Paolo has refused to do the same. Advincula said he was jailed for six years in 2012 in connection with an estafa charge. He said that after spending time in prison, he decided to turn over a new leaf and work legally. Ngunit sa kasamaang palad, sa isang pagtitipon ng aming kumpanya ay naging panauhin si Bong Go. Namukhaan niya ako. Simula noon ay ginigipit na ako ng may-ari ng kumpanya, hanggang sa isang araw ay sinabihan ako ng katrabaho ko na mabuti pang umalis na ako dahil nanganganib na ang buhay ko, he said. [Translation: Unfortunately, Bong Go was a guest in one company function. He recognized me. From that time on, the companys owner harassed me, until one day my coworker told me that I would be better off if I left because my life is in danger.] Advincula said he went into hiding in August 2018. But he eventually decided to reveal the workings of the syndicate with the help of his fellow former syndicate members. He said he is ready to face a Senate probe to prove everything that he said in the videos. Marketing executive-turned-syndicate member Advincula said he was once a Marketing Executive for a franchise of a multilevel marketing company headed by Tess Ranola. Ranola supposedly transferred him in February 2010 to the syndicates operations center manning the radio and CCTV for underground facilities in Misibis Bay. Advincula said he was then transferred to the transmitting and facilitating team, which prepares the monthly allocations of the syndicates principals. Ranola is the woman who filed a complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation. Her complaint was among the triggers leading to the arrest of Jayme. This was the only background that he provided about himself. Reporters at the IBP office in Mandaluyong were unable to ask any more questions as he immediately stood up and left after reading his two-page statement. IBP officials present at the event said they had no idea that Advincula would hold a press conference. They also said that Advincula came to the office flanked by nuns and sought for legal assistance. They said the National Committee on Legal Aid (NCLA) will evaluate Advinculas appeal. "Evaluate po kung ano ang kanyang sinabi and kung ano ang mga ebidensyang pinanghahawakan niya. Base po doon ay gagawa po ng tamang karapatang legal na aksyon," NCLA head Minerva Ambrosio said. [Translation: We will evaluate what he said and if he is holding evidence. Based on that, we will take the appropriate legal action.] The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it will continue its probe on the people behind the Bikoy videos and will validate if Advincula is the same hooded figure in the clips. "We do not take his claim at surface level. We will ascertain his identity based on evidence, and if he is willing, he may come over either to the NBI or the PNP," PNP spokesperson Col. Bernard Banac said. In an interview with CNN Philippines, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo maintained that the Bikoy videos are black propaganda against the government. His (Advincula) claim that there was a tattoo at the back of Bong Go was proven to be false. You lie in one, you lie in all, Panelo said. Duterte has denied the allegations in the Ang Totoong Narcolist videos. He also said that he has received foreign intelligence about the people behind these. The videos are now at the center of an alleged plot to unseat Duterte supposedly involving journalists and lawyers. The people tagged in the supposed ouster plot have denied any involvement. The Justice department said there is no ongoing probe on the alleged move to kick Duterte out of office. CNN Philippines Correspondents Xianne Arcanghel, Anjo Alimario and Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) Senatorial candidate and former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Bong Go bared his back in public for the second time to disprove claims that he has a tattoo indicating membership to a drug syndicate. Go showed his back yet again after the surfacing of Peter Joemel Advincula, a man claiming to be Bikoy in the Ang Totoong Narcolist videos which tagged Go and members of the family of President Rodrigo Duterte to be deep into the illegal drug trade. Nagkamali po si Bikoy ng kanyang pinuntahan. Hindi po siya dapat pumunta sa IBP (Integrated Bar of the Philippines), Go said at a press briefing with reelectionist senators in Laguna. Tingin ko magpapa-admit muna siya sa mental hospital at mauna muna siyang pumunta roon. [Translation: Bikoy shouldnt have gone to the IBP first. I think he shouldve gotten himself admitted to a mental hospital before heading there.] READ: We need to talk about mental illness in the Philippines Advincula, flanked by nuns, headed Monday to the IBP office in Pasig to seek legal assistance, as he eyes suing members of the drug syndicate he said he previously worked for. He said the drug syndicate is headed by Go, former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, Davao City Mayor Sara Dutertes husband Manases Carpio, and the Bicol-based Quadrangle Group. He also stood by his claim that Go and Paolo have tattoos on their back proving their membership in the syndicate. This, despite Go having bared his back before to show that he does not have any tattoos on that part of his body. Paolo, however, has refused to do the same. Kinukulayan kami ng itim para sila ay pumuti. Black propaganda, malicious, panahon ng eleksyon, kanya-kanyang siraan, Go said. [Translation: We are being colored black so they can look white. Black propaganda, malicious, its election season, everyone wants to destroy reputations.] Right before taking his shirt off to show his back, Go made an appeal to voters: Kung naniniwala kayo kay Bikoy sa mga akusasyon niya sa pamilyang Duterte at sa akin, iboto niyo po ang Otso Diretso. READ: Robredo camp distances Vice President from arrested 'Bikoy' video sharer [Translation: If you would believe Bikoy and his accusations against the Duterte family and me, then vote for Otso Diretso.] Go then walked towards the seat of opposition Senator Benigno Bam Aquino IV and asked him to take a look at his bare back. Aquino slowly backed off while saying, Ayaw kong hawakan. [I dont want to touch it.] Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III, who was there to endorse the candidacy of all seven reelectionist senators and Go, touched Gos back to prove that it is not covered in makeup. Go vs Aquino Asked if he was accusing opposition coalition Otso Diretso of being behind the Bikoy videos, Go said, Im not directly accusing them but this is political season. Panahon ng pulitika, kanya-kanyang batuhan. [Translation: Im not directly accusing them, but this is political season. Its political season, everyone is mudslinging.] Aquino, who was seated two seats away from Go, then said that they have nothing to do with Bikoy. He then accused Gos camp of also engaging in black propaganda against the opposition. Tatlong taon niyo na kami bina-black propaganda. So to be fair, kung gusto niyo fair lang, tama na yung black propaganda, Aquino said. Yung mga grupo mo, yung mga pakawala ninyo, yung mga nagfe-fake news sa inyo, itigil niyo na lang sila. [Translation: You have been hitting us with black propaganda for the past three years. So to be fair, if you want to be fair, stop the black propaganda. Your groups, your minions, your peddlers of fake news, you should just stop them.] Go denied that they are behind the smear campaign against the opposition, saying that they campaigned cleanly from day one. Pulong responds Presidential son Paolo Duterte, another accused in the Bikoy videos, slammed the IBP for supposedly believing Advincula's claims. "Nakakawala ng respeto ang IBP. Mga abogado kayo, matatalino sana kayo, pero, nakapagtataka lang na ang bilis ninyong paniwalaan ang sinasabi ng isang kilalang scammer na nagpakilalang si Bikoy," Paolo said in a Facebook post. [Translation: The IBP does not demand respect. You are lawyers, you are supposed to be smart, but it is bothersome that you immediately believe a statement of a known scammer who introduced himself as Bikoy.] In a separate post, he then challenged Advincula to file a case against them, and even lumped Senator Antonio Trillanes IV into the mix. "Mag-sampa ka ng kaso. Sasagutin kita. Haharapin kita. Isama mo rin si Trillanes," he said. [Translation: File a case. I will answer you. I will face you. Include Trillanes.] The presidential son and former Davao City Vice Mayor previously said the viral videos were linked to the senator, who is a staunch critic of the Duterte family. Trillanes, however, denied the allegations. President Donald Trump View Photos President Trump held a brief press conference last Friday and discussed a myriad of topics. Trump was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here is the transcript: Q Mr. President, you spoke with Vladimir Putin earlier today. PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yes, I did. Q What options are you looking at to get humanitarian assistance to Venezuela? PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, I had a very good talk with President Putin probably over an hour. 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 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. They have no water, they have no food. This is, Mr. Prime Minister, one of the richest countries in the world 20 years ago, and now its they dont have food and they dont have water for their people. So we want to help on a humanitarian basis. And I thought it was a very positive conversation I had with President Putin on Venezuela. Q Are you talking about extending the New START Treaty or adding China to it? Or what, exactly? PRESIDENT TRUMP: Were talking about a 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. Were spending billions of dollars on nuclear weapons, numbers like weve never spent before. We need that, but they are also and China is, frankly, also we discussed the possibility of a three-way deal instead of a two-way deal. And China Ive already spoken to them; they very much would like to be a part of that deal. In fact, during the trade talks, we started talking about that. They were excited about that. Maybe even more excited than about trade. But they felt very strongly about it. So I think were going to probably start up something very shortly between Russia and ourselves, maybe to start off. And I think China will be added down the road. Well be talking about nonproliferation. Well be talking about a nuclear deal of some kind. And I think it will be a very comprehensive one. Q Mr. President, did you address the election meddling issues that came up in the Mueller Report with Mr. Putin today? PRESIDENT TRUMP: We discussed it. 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. But he knew that because he knew there was no collusion whatsoever. So, pretty much, thats what it was. It started off Q Did you tell him not to meddle, Mr. President? Did you tell him not to meddle in the next election? PRESIDENT TRUMP: Excuse me. Im talking. Im answering this question. You are very rude. So we had a good conversation about many different things. Okay? Q Did you ask him not to meddle? Q Did you tell him not to meddle in the next election? PRESIDENT TRUMP: We didnt discuss that. Really, we didnt discuss it. We discussed five or six things. We also we went into detail on various things, especially, I would say, the nuclear. Especially, maybe, Venezuela. We talked about North Korea at great length, and pretty much thats it. Also discussed trade. We intend to do a lot of trade with Russia. We do some right now. Its up a little bit. But hed like to do trade and wed like to do trade. And getting along with Russia and China, getting along with all of them is very good thing, not a bad thing. Its a good thing. Its a positive thing. Getting along with other countries is a good thing. And we want to have good relationships with every country. Q Mr. President, should Mueller testify? Would you like to see him testify before Congress? PRESIDENT TRUMP: I dont know. Thats up to our Attorney General, who I think has done a fantastic job. Q And why shouldnt the Congress have the same right to hear from the Attorney General Q Mr. President PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, go ahead. Yes, please. Q Mr. President, (inaudible) visit in Slovakia? Because PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, Id like to. I know people from Slovakia, and theyre incredible people. I would love to. Its a beautiful country and its doing very well. Its doing very well. Yeah. Yeah, please. Q Do you want to introduce tariffs on the cars? Because the car industry is very important. PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, the tariffs have been a necessary thing for me to do because in the case of the European Union, they have not treated us right. Were losing $181 billion a year. We have been for many years. And the European Union has not treated us properly. But well see what happens with regard to tariffs on cars with the European Union. We havent made a decision on that. Q Mr. President, are you going to nominate a Defense Secretary? Shanahan. Are you going to make it official? PRESIDENT TRUMP: Itll be discussed next week. Q Mr. President, its World Press Freedom Day. Can you say anything? Weve heard a lot about your grievances to us, but can you say PRESIDENT TRUMP: Say it again. Say it again. Q Its World Press Freedom Day. Weve heard a lot about your grievances about us, but can you say something that you can improve to improve communication and relationship with the press? PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I think I have a very good relationship with some of the press. And, unfortunately, some of the press doesnt cover me accurately. In fact, they go out of their way to cover me inaccurately, so I dont think thats a free press. I think thats a dishonest press. And I want to see a free press. I mean, today I was happy to see on the front page of the New York Times for the first time where they were talking about spying and they were talking about spying on my campaign. Thats a big difference between the way theyve been covering, but thats a big story. Thats a story bigger than Watergate, as far as Im concerned. So, I want to see freedom of the press. And I get treated fairly by some press, but I get treated very unfairly by other press. And, frankly, I think thats very dishonest. And I dont consider that. When you have stories that are purposely written badly in many cases, very much on purpose I mean, you look at it thats not free press, thats the opposite of free press. Q Mr. President, have you decided whether youll invoke executive privilege as it relates to Don McGahn? PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thatll all be determined over the next week or so. Q But you said it was done, so are you going block him? PRESIDENT TRUMP: But, you know, I will say this: There has been no President in history that has given what Ive given in terms of looking at just a total witch hunt. I call it the Russian hoax. It turned out to be no collusion, no obstruction. It was a total hoax. And, yet, I was transparent. We gave 1.4 million documents. We gave hundreds of people. I let him interview the lawyer the White House lawyer for 30 hours. Think of that: thirty hours. I let him interview other people. I didnt have to let him interview anybody. I didnt have to give any documents. I was totally transparent because I knew I did nothing wrong. It turned out I did nothing wrong. No collusion with Russia. Think of it: Thirty-five million dollars they spent, they wasted, over a period of two years. No collusion, no obstruction. Thank you all very much. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Q Are you going to run on the economy? PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah. Yeah. Ill be running on the economy. Sure. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. CHP San Andreas Unit logo View Photos Mokelumne Hill, CA A big rig truck driver from Southern California was injured in a crash on Sunday morning in Calaveras County. It happened shortly before 8am on Highway 49 near the Amador County line. The CHP reports that 27-year-old Anthony Perez of Riverside failed to slow down his 2017 Freightliner enough going into a curve and it overturned onto its side and hit a guardrail. Highway 49 was closed between Mokelumne Hill and Jackson for about four hours so that an investigation could be completed and the wreckage removed. Perez was transported to Sutter Amador Medical Center to treat reported major injuries. Your phone rings once, and the caller leaves no message. Thinking you missed a call, you call the number back. Someone answers or maybe you get a recording. You stay on the phone listening to the person or trying to decipher what the recording is saying. Unknown to you, though, you have been connected to a line with high interconnect fees, similar to calling a 900 number, and a bloated phone bill is on its way. The Federal Communications Commission warned consumers about this one ring scheme in an alert last week. Its also known as a wangiri scam Japanese for one ring and cut. These calls are likely trying to prompt consumers to call the number back, often resulting in per-minute toll charges, the FCC said. Consumers should not call these numbers back. 45 VICTIMS: Houston man sentenced for scamming homebuyers out of $10 million The commission said the calls were relying on the 222 country code of the West African nation of Mauritania, and were reported to be widespread in New York state and Arizona. In April, Americans received 4.9 billion robocalls, or 163 million calls per day, according to YouMail, a robocall blocking service. Its no wonder: Robocallers have become more advanced in how they hide their numbers and spoof or imitate numbers from other places. Defenses against robocalls have also expanded, with the development of apps to block them and phone companies investing in technology allowing customers to identify such calls. But what happens when the calls purpose is to bilk consumers? International revenue share fraud is when fraudsters intentionally drive phone calls to premium rate phone numbers, said Tim Prugar, vice president of operations at Next Caller, a real-time verification technology company. These fraudsters get a kickback from the call. IN SPRING: Fire department warns residents of telephone scam The potential cost of one of these calls to a consumer varies widely based on the location of the number and the amount of time spent on the phone, he said. Although the calls are being trafficked from overseas, the phone number that is spoofed the one seen on a caller ID takes the format of a phone number from the United States. Advances in technology allow massive amounts of calls to be made cheaply and easily, the FCC said. In addition, spoofing tools make it easy for scammers to mask their identity. The agency recommended not calling back unrecognized numbers, especially those that appear to be from overseas. It also suggested blocking international calls and checking phone bills for unidentifiable charges. They put 100 million calls out, and they know 1% converts into sales, Prugar said, referring to those behind the robocalls. Just by sending those phone calls, they are going to get 1 million people, at least. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Hometown hero Johnny Hernandez was the latest San Antonio chef to appear on the Food Network show Beat Bobby Flay, and also the latest to watch Flay claim victory. San Antonio is 0-for-4. At this point, its safe to say Bobby Flay has San Antonios number. In a last-minute change, Hernandezs anticipated May 9 appearance on the show was shuffled by the network to 9 p.m. May 5 to coincide with Cinco de Mayo. Hernandez gathered with supporters Sunday night at his Southtown restaurant Burgerteca for a hastily rescheduled viewing party. RELATED: San Antonio's Patio Southtown to reopen soon with AC, new drinks The contest started out well enough. The shows format pits two visiting chefs against each other in a challenge to make best use of a specific ingredient, with the victor challenging Flay to a cook-off of their signature dish. In the opening round Hernandez bested New Jersey chef Coby Farrow in a bluefish battle by preparing a vibrant mole verde. Hernandez stuck with Mexican flavors against Flay by throwing down a shrimp taco gauntlet. Hernandez won over the televised studio audience and his assembled supporters with techniques and flavors traditional to Veracruz: he sauteed onions in lard to form a flavorful base for refried beans and made an adobo sauce from scratch to great applause. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio's legacy as ice house capital of the world still growing But Hernandez and Flay were cooking for judges, not fans. And when those judges were presented with the finished plates, Flays taco made with shrimp fried in a crispy rice flour batter and slathered with chipotle mayonnaise dealt Hernandezs dish the death blow. Hernandez laughed off the loss. Hes in good company, after all: fellow San Antonio chefs Steve McHugh of Cured; Jason Dady of Range, Shuck Shack, Two Bros. BBQ Market, among others; and Geronimo Lopez of Botika have all been bested by Flay on the show. I had a great time, and I think its great exposure for San Antonio, Hernandez said. Flay is not completely invincible against San Antonians. He lost a 2007 puffy taco cook-off against Diana Barrios Trevino at La Hacienda de Los Barrios in a different show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, which ceased production in 2010. Paul Stephen is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen A San Antonio woman was arrested roughly one week after she allegedly assaulted her cousin's girlfriend with a picket fence board and robbed her. Savana Rosemond, 34, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery, Bexar County Jail records show. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox On April 29, police were called to a woman's home in the 6800 block of Neston Drive. The woman called 911 about a suspicious car parked in the alley behind her home. The woman told police she later recognized the driver as her boyfriend's cousin, Rosemond, according to the arrest affidavit. The woman confronted Rosemond, who allegedly responded by pulling out a picket fence board and hitting the woman with it, investigators wrote. The assault caused temporary blindness in the woman's right eye, according to the affidavit. After the assault, Rosemond allegedly stole the woman's make-up bag and wallet before fleeing the scene. READ ALSO: Teen stole man's car, then hit him as he fled, according to San Antonio police Deputies found Rosemond the following week and arrested her on the outstanding warrant. Rosemond's bail was set at $15,000, according to jail records. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA An assault suspect was hospitalized Sunday night after he allegedly stabbed himself during a domestic dispute at a South Side home, according to police. Police were called to the 9500 block of Strech Avenue at 10:29 p.m. after a verbal argument between a 43-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman escalated outside the home. The 57-year-old man accused of killing his neighbor, severely beating his wife and setting fire to his house in April has a history of violence, police records show. San Antonio police responded to a call on April 16 at the home of William H. Osborne in the 200 block of Belden Avenue after his wife allegedly escaped the home with severe facial injuries in an attempt to seek help. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Osborne allegedly shot at her with a rifle as she ran but struck and killed his 60-year-old neighbor, Lee Roy Bachmeyer Jr., who went outside his home to see what was happening, police said. Osborne allegedly set fire to his home before police arrived and kept shooting from his porch. SWAT officers eventually shot at Osborne, who they later found dead. It was later determined that Osborne fatally shot himself, officials with the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office said Monday. A police report detailing Osborne's domestic violence arrest months earlier on Aug. 5, 2018, paints a grim picture of his relationship with his then common-law wife. The two got married later that year, court records showed. On that night, Osborne allegedly wrecked his car, which had to be towed. His wife told police he walked home with his AR-15 rifle in its case. When he returned home, he allegedly told her it was her fault the car was towed and threw his rifle case at her, which caused her nose to bleed. Osborne then grabbed a stool and swung it at her, hitting her once, according to the police report. The woman told police she reached for a can of mace that she keeps by her bed. Osborne allegedly told her he'd leave her "black and blue" if she sprayed him, and the two struggled for the can until they eventually rolled off the bed and onto the ground. The woman escaped the home and ran to a neighbor's house to get help and call police, according to the report. Police noted she had visible injuries to her face, including a chipped tooth and bleeding from her nose and mouth. The woman told police she thought Osborne was under the influence of Xanax and that he had a substance abuse issue. READ MORE: South Side standoff at burning home ends with 2 dead, 1 injured Osborne didn't appear to disagree, according to the police report. When police interviewed him, he said they usually argue about his drug habits. Osborne also told police she purchased mace because "she was tired of (him) assaulting her," though he denied that he ever hit her. Police arrested him that night on suspicion of assault family violence and applied for an emergency protective order for his wife. Osborne posted his bail and the criminal case against him was pending at the time of the standoff. McManus said police had been called to the home at least six times in the past several months for other disturbances and domestic issues. At the time of this story those records have not yet been released to the San Antonio Express-News. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA A teenager who allegedly stole a mans vehicle, then reversed and hit him as he tried to flee, has been arrested and charged with aggravated robbery. According to an affidavit from San Antonio police, Johntavion Marquiess Sounders, 17, and another unidentified man stole a car from a 74-year-old man at the Oak Manor Apartments on Austin Highway on Friday. If Shakespeare had titled Attorney General William Barrs appearance on Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, he would have called it Much Ado About Nothing. Democrats seized on the supposed bombshell that special counsel Robert Mueller wrote a letter to Barr expressing dissatisfaction with the attorney generals four-page memo to Congress from March 24, declaring it did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of his report. Barr told senators upon receiving the special counsels letter that he immediately called Mueller and said, Bob, whats with the letter? Why dont you just pick up the phone and call me if theres an issue? Heres a better question he should have asked: Bob, why didnt you accept my offer to review the memo before it was released to the public? The fact is, Barr gave Mueller the chance to go over the document and offer comments or suggested edits, before the attorney general made it public. Mueller declined to do so. Sorry, you dont get to turn down an opportunity to review a document before release and then complain about it later if you dont like how it is being covered by the media. And putting his complaints in a letter going to paper in Justice Department parlance the details of which (surprise, surprise) were then leaked to the media on the eve of Barrs testimony, was dishonorable. The entire episode hurts Muellers reputation more than it does Barrs. Moreover, officials told the Washington Post, When Barr pressed (Mueller) whether he thought Barrs letter was inaccurate, Mueller said he did not, but felt that the media coverage of the letter was misinterpreting the investigation. So, there was nothing wrong with Barrs letter per se. What Mueller really wanted was for Barr to release more information specifically, the introduction and executive summaries of each volume of the report, which he had marked with redactions to remove any information that potentially could be protected by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure that concerned declination decisions; or that related to a charged case. But, as Barr testified Wednesday, even if he had agreed that releasing the introductions and executive summaries was a good idea (which he did not), he could not have done so because they required additional redactions from the intelligence community. Barr did not want to release the report piecemeal. I thought what we should do is focus on getting the full report out as quickly as possible, he said. The attorney general did just that. Regardless, the whole issue was moot by the time Barr testified, because the entire 448-page report including the introduction and executive summaries has been released to the public. That did not stop Democrats from using it to attack Barrs credibility. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, told Barr you lied to Congress and had chosen to be the presidents lawyer rather than Americas lawyer. She announced that she had asked the Justice Department inspector general to investigate his conduct. She called on Barr to resign. Being attorney general of the United States is a sacred trust. You have betrayed that trust. America deserves better. It was a disgusting partisan display. Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., rightly chastised Hirono, declaring, You slandered this man from top to bottom. Far from lying, Barr has bent over backward to be open with Congress and the American people. He overrode Justice Department regulations and released the full Mueller report with only minor redactions. Thats virtually unprecedented. And he has made an almost completely unredacted version of the report available to members of Congress, who now have access to all but one-tenth of 1 percent of the document. And while the Justice Department worked overtime to speed the redaction process, he released a memo that accurately informed the American people about Muellers bottom-line conclusions. It is a fact that Mueller declared that his investigation did not establish that the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities. And it is a fact that while the report does not exonerate him of obstruction it also does not conclude that the President committed a crime. For two years, Trump was falsely accused of being a Russian agent and colluding with Russian President Vladimir Putin including by many of those on Capitol Hill now attacking Barrs credibility. If members of Congress want examples of dishonesty and efforts to mislead the American people, they can start by looking in the mirror. @marcthiessen Nurses at Chiredzi General Hospital are reportedly stealing birth control pills from the health institution and selling them for as much as $4 a satchet on the black market. Chiredzi General Hospital superintendent, David Tarumbwa who is doubling as the acting district medical officer (DMO), admitted receiving the tip-off through an anonymous letter sent to him. He said he had since forwarded the names of the suspects to the police. Yes, I have received the letter and I had to seek the help of the police, but I am still waiting for feedback. I know such things are happening behind the scenes because I have received several such complaints, he said. You know maternal health is offered for free, but there are some elements that are ripping off innocent women just for personal gains and tarnishing the name of the hospital in the process. I am sure they are manipulating the system or using non-existent patients names to falsify the number of those who received the contraceptive. I would like to urge women to report these nurses to the police because what they are doing is illegal, said Tarumbwa. Ministry of Health and Child Care spokesperson Donald Mujiri said he could not respond as he was driving, promising that he would do so later. One woman who spoke on condition of anonymity said the nurses would frustrate them when they go for their free monthly supply of the contraceptives, forcing them to buy from the black market. They tell you to buy a pregnancy test kit for them to be sure that you are not pregnant, said the patient. This happens every month, forcing us to go to buy the pills on the streets or in the backyard shops, because we cannot afford the pregnancy test kits. In any case it is cheaper and hustle free to buy the pills from the black market than buying the pregnancy test kit. According to the factsheet compiled by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, in partnership with the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences Clinical Trials Research Centre and Guttmacher Institute, most women who have an abortion do so because they become pregnant when they do not intend to. In 2016, about 40% of the pregnancies in Zimbabwe were unintended and one quarter of those intended pregnancies ended in abortion. Commercial sex workers in Chiredzi recently told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Women Affairs Portfolio Committee that although they dont know the number of pregnancies terminated and the number of those who died in the process; they use unorthodox abortion methods like shoving fresh chillies up their private parts or using hooked wires. They also accused nurses at Chiredzi General Hospital and doctors from private institutions of carrying out most of the unlawful abortions. They said up to 90% of illegal abortions in Chiredzi are conducted by nurses. Police officers are also involved in human rights abuses by forcing juvenile sex workers to have sex with them for free. The committee came to Chiredzi after a resident Marko Shoko petitioned Parliament over rampant child prostitution around Chigarapasi Beer Hall. About 40 commercial sex workers who attended the meeting said that their members have to terminate unwanted pregnancies from time to time and they are assisted by nurses from institutions around Chiredzi who charge $400. They told the MPs that the biggest challenge of these illegal backyard terminations is that the sex workers are not given full care by nurses who are employed elsewhere. They pleaded with MPs for the legalisation of abortion. The sex workers also complained that their reports of rape and assault against their clients to the Police are not seriously looked into and most of them are thrown away. Rosemary Chiguvi, a sex worker and National AIDS Council peer educator argued at the meeting that sex workers dont enter the profession out of luxury. She said that there are many push factors including poverty, harsh economic environment and child-headed homes. There are many causes of prostitution that push even minors into the profession. There are also circumstances beyond our control that result in unwanted pregnancies and hence illegal abortions. We are approached by nurses who charge us to terminate pregnancies. They are involved in over 90% of terminations here in Chiredzi. Some of our members have died from these illegal abortions because of lack of due care, said Chiguvi. Another sex worker Lahoreuliet Gadzanai said tens of juveniles are joining the oldest profession due to poverty. She pleaded with Government to assist them with income generating projects. She said the juveniles are abused by Police officers who force them into sex for free. Zimbabwe is among countries that have the highest rate of modern contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa, likely due to its robust family planning programme. NewsDay/Mirror Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News President Mnangagwa is expected in Botswana today to attend the crucial Elephant Summit taking place in the tourism town of Kasane. The Summit commenced on the 3rd of May and will conclude tomorrow after the Heads of State meeting. The ground-breaking summit seeks to establish a common ground on the management of the elephant population within the region. Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira will meet her counterparts from the region today to lay the ground work ahead of the Head of States meeting set for tomorrow. Zimbabwe, whose elephant population is second to Botswana in the world, has joined forces with regional nations in pushing for countries with high jumbo population to be allowed to exercise various management methods which include trophy hunting, culling and sale of ivory to raise revenue which can be channelled towards wildlife management. The Convention of International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES) in flora and fauna which convenes later this year has banned international trade in ivory a position that Zimbabwe and her regional counterparts strongly contest. In an interview with our Harare Bureau held on the sidelines of the summit yesterday, Zimparks director general Mr Fulton Mangwanya confirmed that a common ground on elephant population management has been established. The technical committee meetings have concluded and deliberations have been made on what we are going to present to the ministers who will meet tomorrow (today). The common position is that we believe in sustainable management of natural resources, said Mr Mangwanya. We are fighting tooth and nail with our enemies so that we are allowed to trade in our wildlife resources. The main contention is the elephants which we (Zimbabwe) are not allowed to benefit from. These are the issues that we want to defend as a region if we are to go to the CITES meeting later this year. The Kasane Elephant Summit will be graced by Heads of States from countries that make up the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) region. Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe make up the KAZA region which is home to over 250 000 elephants 75 percent of the worlds jumbo population. Zimbabwe has been grappling with human wildlife conflict issues with hundreds of deaths caused by elephants recorded in recent years. Vast hectares of crops have also been destroyed by these animals leaving communities who share boundaries with elephants facing hunger. Chronicle Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News British Prime Minister Theresa May has sacked her Secretary of State for Defence who drew up plans to invade Zimbabwe and at least four other African countries and wanted war with China a UK paper claiming to have had access to a leaked National Security Document, has reported. Mr Gavin Williamson, who was appointed by PM May in 2017, was fired on Wednesday last week following an inquiry into a leak from a top-level National Security Council meeting, over a plan to allow Huawei limited access to help build the UKs new 5G network. It is also understood the British premier was unhappy about other indiscretions on the part of Mr Williamson. The reports about planned invasion of Zimbabwe are strongly redolent of revelations by former South African president Thabo Mbeki in 2013 that Britain wanted to invade the country. Quoting sources, the Sunday Times said Mr Williamson drew up plans for the British Armed Forces to be sent to at least five African countries, including Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt while Ministry of Defence officials told the paper that he wanted to find excuses to send troops. He wanted to invade Africa . . . He made it clear that he was keen to send the troops in, the paper reported. An ally of Williamson who spoke to the paper all but confirmed the planned invasion when he said: The fact that so many knives are now out for him shows that he ruffled feathers in pursuit of defending the armed forces. The prime minister always found it irritating that Gavin was willing to stand his ground when he thought it was in the best interests of the army, navy and air force. She had never done this for the police when she was home secretary and couldnt work out why Gavin would do it for the military. In a meeting with Mr Williamson last week, PM 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. The latest revelation on the invasion of Zimbabwe by Britain comes after former South African president Thabo Mbeki in 2013, told Aljazeera that he was under pressure from the Labour regime of Tony Blair to co-operate in a military invasion to depose of former president Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF in the early 2000s. Speaking on the programme Talk to Al Jazeera, Mr Mbeki said: There is a retired chief of the British Armed Forces (Lord Charles Guthrie),who said he had to withstand pressure from then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair who was saying to the chief of the British Armed Forces you must work out a military plan so that we can physically remove Robert Mugabe. We knew that because we had come under the same pressure that we needed to cooperate in some scheme. It was a regime change scheme, even to the point of using military force and we were saying no. Zimbabwe under the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa has been on an engagement and re-engagement drive focused on new countries as well as those that have been hostile to former president Mr Robert Mugabes administration, including Britain. Speaking after presenting her credentials to President Mnangagwa at State House in January, British Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Melaine Robinson pledged to boost relations in all spheres. The United Kingdom is committed to the success of Zimbabwe. I can reiterate our commitment to everything we can do to help Zimbabwe along the pathway to a brighter and prosperous future in the interests of all the citizens of Zimbabwe based upon strong and sustainable fiscal and economic reforms and human rights. I look forward to working hard and continuing to reinforce the relationship between our two countries for the interests of our people, Ms Robinson said. Herald Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Those of you who followed the 2016 campaign may remember a pattern where Trump would create a debacle, the polls would drop, a cry of This time weve got him! would arise, whereupon Trump would rebound and the polls would rise, sine wave-style fashion (see charts from my post here). And as election day, 2016, neared, the sine wave was heading upward. Its possible that, following the release of the Mueller report, Trump is about to repeat the same pattern, on a much larger scale. Polls down, 2016-2018; polls up 2019-2020. Perhaps. I got to thinking of this when I read the following mildly titled article by Jack Goldsmith: Thoughts on Barr and the Mueller Report. Heres Goldsmiths biography, in its entirety: Jack Goldsmith is Henry L. Shattuck Professor of Law at Harvard University. He is the author, most recently, of The Terror Presidency: Law and Judgment Inside The Bush Administration (W.W. Norton 2007), as well as of other books and articles on many topics related to terrorism, national security, international law, conflicts of law, and internet law. Before coming to Harvard, Goldsmith served as Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, from October 2003 through July 2004, and Special Counsel to the General Counsel to the Department of Defense from September 2002 through June 2003. Goldsmith taught at the University of Chicago Law School from 1997-2002, and at the University of Virginia Law School from 1994-1997. He holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, a B.A. and M.A. from Oxford University, and a B.A. from Washington & Lee University. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, Court of Appeals Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson, and Judge George Aldrich on the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal. I quote this to point out that whatever else he may be, Goldsmith isnt a swivel-eyed loon. (We can postpone discussion of whether all conservatives and/or all liberals and/or the political class are swivel-eyed loons for another day; personally, I think that in our enormous country, there are gradations.) Goldsmiths piece, which in essence is a defense of Barrs release process for the Mueller report, is worth reading in full, especially if you dont read a lot of conservative fare (I dont), but here are the paragraphs that caught my eye: Finally, a few words about Barrs statements that the executive branch was spying on the Trump campaign. Barr explained himself on May 1 in response to a question from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse: Im not going to abjure the use of the word spying. I think, you know, my rst job was in CIA and I dont think the word spying has any pejorative convert connotation at all. [T]o me the question is always whether or not its authorized and adequately predicated, spying. I think spying is a good English word that in fact doesnt have synonyms because it is the broadest word incorporating really all forms of covert intelligence collections. So Im not going to back off the word spying toexcept I will say Im not suggesting any pejorative. Barr also added that his original remark was off the cuff but that he commonly uses the term spying in this way. (For what its worth, Senator Whitehouse, among many others, has used the term spying in this way toosee here and here.) I have no idea if Barr is being candid here or winding people upor both. But he has signaled, especially in his original spying pronouncement, that he has concerns about the origins and operation of the investigation of the Trump campaign. And he says he plans to investigate it. This is in theory an appropriate thing for the Justice Department to do, for two reasons. First, while there is plenty of prima facie evidence of potentially untoward Trump campaign-Russia contacts, there is also plenty of prima facie evidence of potentially untoward intelligence agency activity in connection with its investigation of the Trump campaign and presidency . For example: the horrible animus displayed in texts by Peter Strzok toward the president and his supporters while investigating his campaign; the truly unprecedented and terribly damaging leaks of U.S. person information collected via FISA or E.O. 12,333; and the at least questionable FBI decision, after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, to investigate the President as a counterintelligence threat premised on the judgment that he was a threat to national security. Second, the FBI and intelligence community more broadly need better internal guidance and procedures when they confront possible evidence of improper foreign contacts or counterintelligence threats by a presidential campaign. These institutions faced what was probably an unprecedented situation. It would have been entirely irresponsible for senior leadership in this agencies to not follow up and investigate the extraordinary Russia contacts by the Trump campaign. But they would have been much better situated to avoid controversy later if there were express guidance, process, and accountability mechanisms in place for the decisions they made in this most delicate of contexts. The country needs a full accounting of what the intelligence community did in the 2016 presidential campaign and in other presidential campaigns, as a basis for needed reform in this area. I just hope that Barr conducts this review in a way that is and appears to be scrupulously fair to all involved, so that it does not seem like political payback that would weaken the important Justice Department norm against politicized retaliatory investigations. That argues, I think, for inspector general review, not attorney general review. I am not sure Barr agrees, however. We will see. While I agree with Goldsmith on the need for a full accounting, I think Goldsmith is being pretty naive if he thinks any review by Barr will be seen as anything other than political payback, especially by Trump, who has a knack for saying the quiet part very loudly indeed. As for example in this letter to Barr not crude, to be sure, but loud from the Presidents Special Counsel, Emmet T. Flood, who most notably represented Clinton during the impeachment proceedings brought against the former president by the House of Representatives and tried before the Senate (!). This too is worth reading in full, just because its always fun seeing an attack dog doing its thing, but I think this is the key paragraph. From Floods letter: Flood (and Goldsmith) and, for that matter, Barr, are serious people; theyre not going to run a flaky operation like Benghazi, for example. If they say theyre going to look into this, and if Trump can manage to maintain a modicum of self-control, the accounting they think should take place, will take place. * * * To the prima facie evidence listed by Goldsmith, I would add some random bits Ive picked up in my travels on the Twitter; this should not be taken to suggest Im in the weeds on this material, because Im not. Goldsmith doesnt mention how oppo (the Steele Report) was laundered into a FISA warrant. Nor does he mention what looks to a LeCarre fan like an FBI coat-trailing operation, complete with honeypot, directed against low-level Trump operative George Papadopoulos. He also doesnt mention the presence of a mole oh, Im sorry, an FBI informant in the Trump campaign. (British intelligence seems to have inserted what looks rather like a mole in the Sanders campaign; and given the lack of express guidance, process, and accountability mechanisms to which Goldsmith alludes, it would certainly be interesting to know if the FBI has moles planted in 2020 campaigns and if so, which.) Nor does Goldsmith mention the media campaigns conducted by former intelligence officials (if there is such a thing) Clapper, Brennan, and Comey that helped create the frenzied atmosphere to which Flood alludes and with which we are all familiar, and which was extremely profitable for them personally, as well as for the media venues on which they appeared. Really, has cashing in on ones tenure as a high official in the intelligence community given a whole new meaning to trade craft? It does seem so. From the 30,000-foot level of the Constitutional order, we have ended up with the intelligence community having potential veto power over who gets on the Presidential ballot (I mean, will either party want an unvetted candidate after the object lesson of what happened to Trump?), we have the intelligence community having potential authority over the results of counting those ballots (if DHS delegitimizes a count based on a claim that cyberwarfare interfered), and we have the intelligence community having inserted moles in not one but two Presidential campaigns (on the assumption that there was some sort of intelligence sharing arrangement for the UK mole in the Sanders campaign). Thats rather a lot of power for an unelected body with enormous operational and disinformation skills that works in secret using a black budget to have. These are strange times, but on the merits I tend to agree with Goldsmith and Flood. Of course, in 2020, the merits will be the last thing on anybodys mind, so let me know how that turns out * * * Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So do feel free to make a contribution today or any day. Here is why: Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of small donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals. So if you see something you especially appreciate, do feel free to click this donate button: Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated. If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you! By Mark Glick, Professor, University of Utah Originally published at the Institute for New Economic Thinking website The canonical antitrust principles developed by the Chicago School have dominated the thinking of both judges and the federal agencies that enforce the antitrust laws in the United States for almost four decades. The Chicago School assumed that reduced regulation and more permissive antitrust enforcement would unleash a period of big business efficiency, innovation and growth. My paper shows that these predictions were illusory. Instead, the evidence is that economic performance, including growth, productivity, employment, and income equality were superior in the period just before the rise of the Chicago School. My new working paper reevaluates the entire history of the antitrust laws and shows that its dramatic paradigm changes were part of larger policy regime transformations. It examines how the economic and political power of competing economic classes and groups in specific historical contexts shaped these dominant policy regimes. The dominant policy determined the legitimacy and limits of the antitrust narrative in every economic era. For example, today, the scholars that are part of the New Brandeis School of antitrust that thoroughly reject Chicago School assumptions have been labelled as proponents of hipster antitrust, a clear effort to deprive one side in the current antitrust debate of legitimacy. In contrast, the post-Chicago school of industrial organization, economists who are critical of many of the Chicago School economic tenets, have been careful not to deviate from such core Chicago School concepts as the exceptionally narrow consumer welfare goal for antitrust enforcement. My paper considers six economic epochs: the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, the New Deal, the golden age of post-World War II capitalism, the crisis of the 1970s and the age of neoliberalism. Associated with these economic eras are three distinct antitrust policy regimes: the laissez-faire regime of the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, the New Deal policy that lasted from the 1930s to the 1970s, and neoliberalism, of which the Chicago school is a component, and which we are living through today. The first federal antitrust law, the Sherman Act of 1890, passed during the Gilded Age, was a political compromise, enacted before big business had achieved political dominance. The ambiguity in the Acts language reflected this political stalemate. However, as revisionist historians like Gabriel Kolko have shown, by the Progressive Era, big business had achieved the clout to shape the other two major antitrust acts, the Clayton Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act, securing their economic interests and heading off potentially more radical legislation. The New Deal, especially in its latter years, represented a revolutionary change in policy regime. The laws passed during the New Deal reduced the income and power of big business and finance, strengthened union power, raised wages, and reduced income inequality. My paper argues that this policy contributed to the remarkable period of economic prosperity that the US experienced at that time. Until the 1970s, neoliberalism was a conservative fringe movement. The Chicago School antitrust scholars were leaders and participants in this movement. In the crisis of the 1970s, neoliberalism managed to replace the New Deal policy regime, and in antitrust circles, the Chicago School rose to prominence. Judges and leaders of the antitrust agencies accepted the core Chicago School conjecture that the unfettered right of big business to pursue virtually any profitable strategy would lead to tangible efficiencies (allegedly held back under the New Deal approach) and leading to improved economic performance and social welfare. But it did not, as the paper shows. Instead, virtually every important economic metric indicates the superiority of the immediate post-World War II period compared to the neoliberal epoch. These findings support what is becoming more and more obvious. The Chicago School claims about issues like predatory pricing, merger efficiencies, the benefits of vertical integration, and their advocacy that concerns about labor and privacy are outside the scope of antitrust are superficial and baseless. As a new generation of antitrust scholars and economists sort through these claims and assess their relevance to the problems of the information age and the growth of vast logistical enterprises like Google, Facebook and Amazon, it is useful to keep in mind that the strategy of deferring to the interests of big business have so far been an historical failure. By Thomas Neuburger Originally published at DownWithTyranny! The red arrow shows the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important shipping lanes (and bottlenecks) in the world. Its also within IransUN-defined territorial water if it wishes to make that claim. Anyone can go to Baghdad; real men go to Tehran, an administration official was heard saying shortly after the fall of Baghdad (source). This quip was then widely transmuted to the much more macho (and euphonious) Boys go to Baghdad. Men go to Tehran: My first encounter with the phrase came late in 2003 when, newly enrolled in graduate school, I gathered in the department lounge with a group of first-year students for an ad hoc session on foreign policy. With the Bush administration still mobilizing consent for Americas second go-around with Iraq, a very conservative, very well connected classmate shared with us what he was hearing from his friends inside the government. Overthrowing Saddam Hussein was but the first step in a larger project, he said in a whisper, as if to make us accomplices in a tragic conspiracy. Iran would be next. Boys go to Baghdad, he intoned, but men go to Tehran. The Trump administration is the latest to ride that train. Its now the stated policy of the United States to aggressively reduce all Iranian exports to zero: President Donald J. Trump has decided not to reissue Significant Reduction Exceptions (SREs) when they expire in early May, the White House said in a statement. This decision is intended to bring Irans oil exports to zero, denying the regime its principal source of revenue. Strong words indeed. Yet its one thing to declare a sanctions regime that tries to prevent all Iranian oil from reaching the market; Iran has dealt with sanctions before and survived. Its another to classify all oil owned by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), an affiliate of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, as the property of a terrorist organization, as the U.S. has in effect done and then declare an international sanctions regime against that oil, with no waivers, sanctions that affect China, India, Turkey, Japan and South Korea. Those sanctions started May 1. If no one backs down, this path leads to war. From a good analysis by Scott Ritter of the latest U.S. assault on Iran (emphasis added): What if Iran Retaliates and Shuts Down the Strait of Hormuz? Some 18 million barrels of oil transit through every day. The economic impact would be catastrophic. There is a major difference between 2018 and today, however. The recent decision by the Trump administration to declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Command (IRGC) a terrorist organization has complicated the issue of Irans oil sales, and Americas reaction in response. The IRGC has long been subject to U.S. sanctions. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), determined that National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) was an agent or affiliate of the IRGC and therefore is subject to sanctions under the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (ITRSHRA). Other Iranian oil companies have likewise been linked to the IRGC, including Kermanshah Petrochemical Industries Co., Pardis Petrochemical Co., Parsian Oil & Gas Development Co., and Shiraz Petrochemical Co. While in 2012 the United States determined that there was insufficient information to link the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) as an affiliate of the IRGC, under the current sanctions regime imposed in 2018 the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and the NITC have been blacklisted in their entirety. By linking the bulk of Irans oil exporting capacity to the IRGC, the United States has opened the door to means other than economic sanctions when it comes to enforcing its zero ban on Iranian oil sales. Any Iranian oil in transit would be classified as the property of a terrorist organization, as would any Iranian vessel carrying oil. Likewise, any vessel from any nation that carried Iranian oil would be classified as providing material support to a terrorist organization, and thereby subject to interdiction, confiscation, and/or destruction. This is the distinction the world is missing when assessing Irans current threats to close the Strait of Hormuz. Its one thing to sanction Iranian entities, including the IRGCIran has historically found enough work-arounds to defeat such efforts. It is an altogether different situation if the Unite[d] States opts to physically impede Irans ability to ship oil. This would be a red line for Iran, and a trigger for it to shut down all shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Ritter points out that, so far at least, U.S. naval and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz continue to respond to the queries transmitted by the IRGC naval forces responsible for securing Irans portion of the strategic waterwayan awkward reality given that the IRGC has been designated a terrorist organization, which means the U.S. Navy freely communicates and coordinates with terrorists. But what will happen when the sanctions inevitably fail? As Ritter points out, Irans Foreign Minister has bragged that Iran has a PhD in sanctions busting. Will the real men in the Trump administration the Pompeos, the Boltons, and Trump himself perhaps be forced to do something or sacrifice their manhoods on the altar of pointless threats? If the U.S. attempts to deny or restrict traffic through the Strait, Iran could enforce the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that grants all countries the right to declare its territorial waters out to a maximum of 12 miles from the coastline, and then close the Strait to all U.S. shipping. Ritter is certain this is their next step if the U.S. tries to do something to enforce its failed sanctions. What then? Do real men back down or respond with force? If the U.S. does respond militarily to Iran closing the Strait to U.S. shipping, the U.S. will be the aggressor under international law, and this time few nations that matter will support us. Stay tuned. By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans. On Friday, cyclone Fani, the most severe storm to hit eastern India in more than two decades, made landfall near Puri, the historic pilgrimage center in the state of Odisha. This is only the latest of the formidable storms that have formed over the Bay of Bengal. In 1999, a similar storm killed more than 10,000 people in Odisha alone. In 1970, 500,000 died after cyclone Bhola struck the Indian state of West Bengal where Kolkata (Calcutta) is located and Bangladesh. After making landfall, Fani continued into West Bengal before continuing onto Bangladesh and Indias northeastern states. Loss of Life Minimized India and Bangladesh both now have in place extensive early warning, evacuation, and shelter systems. Both performed as designed. And that it all to the good, as such storms are only expected to become more frequent, and intense, as climate change progresses. The UN lauded India for its disaster preparations: Highlighting the zero-casualty cyclone preparedness policy of the Indian Government, Denis McClean, a spokesperson for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), said that the almost pinpoint accuracy of the early warnings from the Indian Meteorological Department had enabled the authorities to conduct a well-targeted evacuation plan, which had involved moving more than one million people into storm shelters. The official Indian death toll stands at 34, according to the Hindu, Cyclone Fani: Jagannath temple in Puri damaged, death toll now at 34. Bangladesh also prepared for the storm. There, too, extensive preparations and evacuation of 1.6 million people also saved lives, with 17 reported dead in Bangladesh, according to the Dhaka Tribune in Cyclone Fanis impact felt in Dhaka (For further details about the history of the efforts Bangladesh undertook after the 1970 cyclone to protect its people, see this World Health Organization paper, Reduced death rates from cyclones in Bangladesh: what more needs to be done?) The Bay of Bengal cyclone season tends to run from April through December with the most serious storms arriving in May prior to the monsoon or November thereafter. Im no weather scientist, so I have no idea what such a serious early storm bodes for the 2019 cyclone season. But I note that the catastrophic Bhola cyclone was the fifth storm during 1970. With winds reaching 205 km per hour, Fani, the first cyclone of 2019, was the most serious summer storm to hit the region in 43 years, according to the Hindustan Times (In India, April, May, and parts of June are considered the summer months.) Infrastructure and Property Damage Short-term evacuations were able to save lives. Alas, they cannot protect against other storm damage. In India alone, at least 10 million people were affected by the storm. Trees are down in areas through which the storm passed. Water supplies have been disrupted in Odisha leading to public service announcements telling people they should only drink boiled or chlorinated water. It will be days before power is expected to be restored throughout Bhubaneswar, the Odisha state capital, and at least a fortnight for Puri. Mobile phone networks which at the best of times can be spotty in rural India remain disrupted. The Modi government quickly offered up a relief plan, pledging 1000 crore rupees (10 billion rupees, or about 144 million USD) , and authorities have mobilized to provide aid packages. Odisha has also offered up its own modest relief program. The international press has moved on and declared the cyclone Fani response a success story. And in terms of saving lives, there is no question that it is. But I point out that if one looks at Indian papers, one certainly sees much misery on the ground. According to todays Hindustan Times, In Odisha to survey cyclone Fani impact, PM Modi praises Naveen Patnaik: The Naveen Patnaik-led government continued to struggle in restoring power supply and mobile connectivity in the worst-affected Puri district and the state capital of Bhubaneswar as riots broke out in several places over demands of food, drinking water and polythene rolls. In Brahmagiri block of Puri district, people attacked the block development officer (BDO) and looted polythene and other relief material on Saturday. And in Salipur in Cuttack district, BDO was attacked with an axe by people demanding relief provisions. With petrol pumps closed due to devastation, people are forced to buy petrol at Rs 150 to Rs 200 a litre in the worst-affected Puri district. Odisha power secretary Hemant Sharma said Cyclone Fani has damaged 5,030km of 33 KV lines, 38,613km of 11 KV lines, 11,077 distribution transformers and 79,485km of LT lines. Im not even going to try and assess the extent of the property damage but to be fair, so soon after such a massive storm, its too early to do that. Also, note that Odisha home to 46 million people is relatively sparsely populated by Indian standards, and has little industrial infrastructure to damage. West Bengal is different, with 90 million people and more industry, but the storm weakened after it made landfall near Puri, and traveled in such a away that the worst of it largely skirted Kolkata and other population centers. Property damage could have been even more severe if the storm had taken a different trajectory or, like the 1999 storm, hovered in place at maximum severity for a longer period of time. Historical Heritage More or Less Intact The state of Odisha is home to several important historic structures. Perhaps the best known of these is Puris 12th-century Shree Jagannath temple. English speakers may never have heard of the temple itself. It is the origin of the loan word juggernaut, derived from the huge chariots that carry statues of Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Balabhadra. during the annual Ratha Yatra (chariot procession) conducted near the temple. The temple has been damaged but it seems not catastrophically so, although a final assessment must still be conducted by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). According to The Hindu: Parts of the 12th century Shree Jagannath temple in Puri were damaged as Cyclone Fani ripped through the holy town on Friday, officials said on Sunday. The main structure remains unaffected. We will request the ASI to inspect the shrine, P.K. Mohapatra, the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), said. The impact of the devastation was visible from the Lions Gate or as Jay-Vijay Dwar the main entrance of the temple. The idol of Jay has been broken, Mr. Mohapatra said, adding that the idol of Vijay was intact. The Kalpa Bata a huge banyan tree revered as a wish fulfilment tree within the temple premises has also broken. The famous sun temple at Konarak- a UNESCO world heritage site was undamaged. Bhubaneswar is also known for its temples, and these , too, were spared (see this Tripsavvy account, 6 Must-See Bhubaneswar Temples). Longer-Term Damage: Ecosystems and Habitat Other longer-term consequences will follow from this storm. Scroll published a piece Friday discussing the problems farmers continue to face from cyclone Alia, which ten years ago struck the Sunderbans the massive wetland that covers parts of West Bengal and Bangladesh (I include for interested readers a travel piece about the area I scribbled for The National, India and Bangladeshs mysterious mangroves: The Sundarbans, which describes this ecosystem). As Scroll reports in Ten years after Cyclone Aila hit Bay of Bengal, farmers in Sunderbans are still feeling the pain, the increased salinity in the soil following that cyclone has forced farmers to change what they grow. They are also using more chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Odisha is home to several significant wildlife sanctuaries, which protect birdlife, as well as dolphins. (These scant Irrawaddy dolphin populations were already under threat before the storm, including the colony at Chilika lake, Indias largest brackish water lagoon, according to this Down to Earth report, Dolphin numbers have shrunk in Odisha, reveals Census). I saw much speculation in the run-up to the storm about the possible damage to sanctuaries (see this Hindustan Times account, Experts concerned over impact of cyclone on ecology, which discusses potential damage to cashew and casuarina plantations, and shrimp farming). Ive yet to see any assessments after the storm no doubt as its just too soon to tell what damage has been wrought. The Bottom Line The preparations India and Bangladesh made to evacuate and shelter their citizens from cyclones no doubt saved many lives when cyclone Fani struck on Friday. But both countries suffered considerable other damage. This pattern will recur in future as climate change inflicts more and more of these severe storms on these two countries. Landmark UN Report to Show Transformational Change Urgently Needed to Save Humanity and Natural World From Nightmarish Future Common Dreams Bike lanes need physical protection from car traffic, study shows Ars Technica A drone has been used to deliver a donor kidney for the first time MIT Technology Review The very surprising way common insomnia drugs can be fatal TreeHugger Britax sent defective fix to customers in deal to avoid safety recall of its BOB strollers WaPo. Oops. File under crapification. An American Lab Test Abroad The Baffler The Race to Develop the Moon New Yorker Waste Watch The worlds most degraded marine ecosystem could be about to make a comeback The Conversation Meet the fish leather pioneers BBC A Mystery Frequency Disrupted Car Fobs in an Ohio City, and Now Residents Know Why NYT (The Rev Kev) 2020 Brexit Class Warfare Either They Kill Us or We Kill Them NYT (re Silc) How Fear Contributes to Cops Use of Deadly Force Marshall Project Boeing 737 Max Forty-one reported killed after Russian passenger plane crash-lands in Moscow Reuters Syraqistan Imperial Collapse Watch China? India Venezuela Trump Transition Antidote du Jour. From reader MGL, pyrrhuloxia @ feeder at Bosque del Apache, NM, DEC 2018. Jerri-Lynn here. Happens to be one of my favourite places to bird in the US: See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans. The FT on Friday brings us news from the frontline of the war on cash in the UK, Checking out the UKs first till-free grocery store: This week, Sainsburys opened what it billed as the UKs first till-free grocery store. This doesnt just claim to be cashless, but cardless. After downloading a bright orange app on their smartphones, shoppers scan their own groceries as they walk around, then touch to activate Google or Apple Pay and simply walk out. Okay, before getting to some of the problems that may afflict those who choose to use this latest innovation let me address a threshold issue. What about those who dont want to download a stores app to make a couple of purchases? Ditto those 8 million Britons who the FT notes would struggle in a cashless society and who tend to skew older, and poorer. Does Sainsburys still want their pounds and pence? The answer, for the moment is yes even at this flagship store. The FT relates how after a customer failed to satisfy the conditions necessary to go cashless being a member of the Sainsburys loyalty program and downloading the app a customer asked whether she could still get groceries at this store: She was reassured that she could still pay the conventional way the second member of staff stood behind a low-key counter in the corner where it is still possible to pay by cash or card. There was a queue of five people. Seeing this, another woman who was trying to buy a muffin and a banana put her shopping back and walked out. This is clearly not the bright orange future that Sainsburys envisaged. Which makes me wonder: what is the point? Of course, I know what the point is. Its to convince people there is no alternative and to embrace the brave digital future. Which in turn would allow Sainsburys to replace paid staff with unpaid customer effort, as well as do deep and thorough data mining of anyone who chooses to use this service. Flaws for Those Willing to Take a Flutter Let me now turn to a couple of problems with this system for those who either choose to embrace this brave new digital world or cannot be bothered to resist it. First, we all know how well these automated systems work in reality. The digital scales that do not register. The conventional self check-out till that doesnt work even leaving aside the app issue. These systems are far from foolproof and they do fail. In the face of a failure in a self-scan checkout, coupled with insufficient sales staff to assist, does the customer just think to him/herself screw them and make off with his/her (nickel and dime) illicit booty? The Guardian covered this issue in an article from a year ago, Nation of shoplifters: the rise of supermarket self-checkout scams: A couple of Tuesdays ago, after a difficult day at work, a thing that happens to me more often than Id usually care to admit happened once again. At a supermarket self-checkout machine a frozen pizza I tried to swipe wouldnt register, leaving me irked and full of spite. As a kind of reproach, I prepared to bag the item in any case, but a pang of weary guilt set in. Two choices sprung to mind. Carry on as though nothing untoward had happened, and knowingly steal. Or hail the cashier, who at the time was busy at another till, to fix the machine and right the wrong. I picked the second option, eventually. Though, to be honest, on another day I might have swayed the other way. Plenty of us do. Need proof? Look online, perhaps at a Reddit thread, and youll find anecdotes of petty self-checkout theft delivered with something like a stick-it-to-the-man pride. Expensive grapes are scanned as inexpensive carrots. Prime steaks are swiped as potatoes. The barcodes of pricey objects wine, beer, spirits, cosmetics are deliberately obscured by stickers removed from significantly cheaper on-sale items. Some scams have names the banana trick (steaks as potatoes), the switcheroo (cheap barcodes for pricey ones), sweethearting (when a checkout supervisor only pretends to scan an object before handing it to a loved one, gratis) though there are so many techniques not all of them do. The Guardian devoted some attention to the personal morality angle. For those of you so interested, look at that piece. What Im more interested in is that one rationale for moving to digital systems is supposed to be to deter shoplifting, and reduce human staffing levels. What the Guardian reports may actually be occurring is that shoplifting might be increasing at least for those who use these systems: But any financial gains now appear to be marginal, at least in part due to unforeseen spikes in self-scanning theft. In a recent study a team at Voucher Codes Pro, a sales coupon website, quizzed 2,532 shoppers about their supermarket habits and found that close to a quarter had committed theft at a self-checkout machine at least once. (A figure from the same report suggested that the total cost of items stolen through self-checkout machines in 2017 came in at more than 3bn, up from 1.6bn in 2014, though the numbers are speculative.) Some steal by accident, the study found, perhaps on account of a scanning error honest mistakes. But many perpetrators know exactly what theyre doing. Unsurprisingly, retailers are loathe to divulging how much theft may be increasing. Nonetheless: The subject is fraught with uncertainty. Often it is difficult for retailers to discern between malicious actions and honest mistakes was the customer absent-minded or consciously fraudulent? and proving intent can be perilous. Charge an honest shopper with theft and lose their business. Let a perpetrator off the hook and suffer a reduction in profit. [Adrian Beck, emeritus professor of criminology, University of Leicester] describes the scenario as a legal and customer relations minefield. And a second issue. What happens when you get home and realize you thought you bought 100 grams of British back bacon but that the AI has charged you for half a kilo of jambon iberico? What do you do then? Now, you might contact the store and ask them to correct your billing. But if youre already home, this dispute will boil down to your word against the algorithms. Given how little staff time is going to be available to examine discrepancies and, how difficult it would be even for technical staff to get to the bottom of the issue, possibly requiring review of CCTV footage theres going to be a lot of unverifiable claim and counter-claim. In these situations, most customers will, if they dont get matters resolved to their satisfaction e.g., get your money back will inevitably fall back on getting a chargeback from their card issuer. Here, for once, the system is on the side of the consumer. Credit cards especially have cast-iron chargeback provisions and even debit cards are broadly amenable to making the merchant prove their billing is correct. All merchants can do is represent that their algorithms are X% reliable. But even if theyre 99% foolproof, thats not good enough to sustain a chargeback reversal. And given the amount of time it takes to look into each individual claim in a way which will satisfy the card networks high bar of compelling evidence before theyll uphold the merchants versions of events (and subsequent billing accuracy) against what will, typically, be de minimis discrepancies, the default response of merchants is likely to be to simply accept the customers claim on unchallenged evidence at least initially. If these errors skew randomly, I would imagine more customers might report the discrepancy if the mistake hurts them and stay silent if its in their favor. Of course, if it becomes known that Sainsburys accepts customer claims without much fanfare, that opens the way to further gaming of the system. How long, then, will this whole move to a brave till-free world prove to be sustainable before the increased operational losses invalidate the whole business case? I wonder. Back to the FT for the last word: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, with the 29 Permanent Representatives of the North Atlantic Council marked the 25th anniversary of the Mediterranean Dialogue on Monday (6 May 2019) in Ankara, Turkey. They were joined by the Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia and senior diplomats of the seven nations (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) participating in the partnership forum. Through the Mediterranean Dialogue, NATO has developed a unique network of partners across the region. It has helped to boost trust and cooperation between members, the Secretary General said opening the event. He stressed that NATO is dedicated to promoting security across the Middle East and North Africa through the continued fight against terrorism, including NATOs membership in the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh and by training local forces, in particular in Iraq. Earlier on Monday, the Secretary General held separate talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on the security situation in the region and Turkeys strong contributions to NATO. (As delivered) So welcome once again to this meeting of the North Atlantic Council with its Mediterranean Dialogue partners and let me start by thanking Minister Cavusoglu for hosting us all today and also hosting us tomorrow when we go to Hatay and to see how Turkey is dealing with some of the challenges you face related to the situation in this region. We are all delighted to be in Ankara to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Mediterranean Dialogue. Through the Mediterranean Dialogue, NATO has developed a unique network of partners across the region. It has helped to boost trust and cooperation between members. Practical cooperation has grown, addressing the needs of individual partners. Strengthening defence capabilities and helping to address the challenges we all face. This meeting is an opportunity to celebrate what we have done together. But it is also a chance to look to the future. NATO is dedicated to promoting peace and security across the Middle East and North Africa. Through our continued fight against terrorism. Including our membership of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh. And by training local forces, in particular our training mission in Iraq. Because prevention is better than intervention. Our world is more complex and interconnected than ever before. Working together through the Mediterranean Dialogue, we can make a significant difference. We need to build on what we have already achieved. Learn from each other, and work together to build a more stable, secure and peaceful future for us all. And with that I give the floor to Minister Cavusoglu and once again so much for hosting us, for arranging this 25th anniversary of the Mediterranean Dialogue. So thank you so much Mevlut. Thank you so much Minister Cavusoglu, dear Mevlut. It is great to be back in Ankara with you. And thank you for your warm welcome. And thank you for hosting the North Atlantic Council and our Mediterranean partner countries. And let me also thank you for your leadership and strong commitment to our NATO Alliance. Turkey is one of the countries I have visited most times as Secretary General. And it is always a great pleasure to come back here. Turkey is an important and highly valued NATO Ally. You make essential contributions to security of the whole Alliance. To our collective defence and are shared security. Together we have made great progress in the fight against terrorism. The liberation of all territory held by Daesh is a historic achievement. But there is still work to be done. NATO AWACS surveillance aircraft fly from Konya in support of the Global Coalition to defeat Daesh. And NATOs training mission in Iraq is strengthening the Iraqi security forces, to ensure that Daesh can never return. I welcome that Turkey is playing a key role in our training mission in Iraq. Turkey is also one of the biggest contributors to our Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, helping to ensure the country never again becomes a safe haven for international terrorists. Turkey is also helping to build stability in the Western Balkans as part of NATOs peacekeeping operation in Kosovo. I want to express my condolences for the losses that Turkey has suffered in the recent days. NATO Allies stand with Turkey as it faces serious security challenges. We help protect Turkey with air and missile defence systems. We have enhanced patrols by AWACS planes over Turkish territory. Over the years, NATO has invested more than 5 billion US dollars in military facilities in Turkey. This includes important infrastructure such as airfields, naval bases, and radar sites. And last months meeting of Foreign Ministers of NATO in Washington, we agreed a new package of measures to enhance the security of the Black Sea region. These activities make us all more safe and secure. So we are grateful for the strong contributions Turkey is making to our shared security to NATO. But at the same time NATO is also providing strong support for our NATO ally Turkey. I want to thank Turkey and you personally for hosting this twenty-fifth anniversary meeting of NATOs Mediterranean Dialogue. With instability in the Middle East and North Africa, this dialogue is more valuable than ever. Today we discussed the security challenges in the region, and how we can provide greater security for our people. Bordering Syria and Iraq, Turkey has been the NATO Ally most exposed to violence and turmoil from the Middle East. You continue to host more refugees than any other NATO Ally, including more than 3.6 million refugees from Syria. And with your support, NATO continues to play a part in countering people smuggling and cutting the lines of illegal migration. So Minister, dear Mevlut, as an Alliance, we are further strengthening our collective deterrence and defence. And we are projecting stability beyond our borders. Turkey continues to play a key role in both. And Allies stand with you in strong solidarity. Thank you once again for hosting us and for your strong commitment to our Alliance. Thank you. QUESTION: What do you think about Turkeys suggestion of forming a joint committee to probe Americas concern that S-400 is a potential F-35? And also, Mr NATO Chief, you have indicated yesterday that buying S-400 is Turkeys decision, but Allies should cooperate together. Can you please explain what did you mean by saying that. Also do you think it can create a problem in practical sense? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG [NATO Secretary General]: It is the decision by every NATO Ally what kind of military equipment they buy. But at the same time I am concerned about the potential consequences of the decision to buy S-400. The US, because the US has made it clear that they will impose sanctions. So this is an issue which has been addressed several times, both in my meetings in Washington and in Ankara. And I hope that it is possible to find a solution, because we have to avoid coming in a situation when . . . where one NATO Ally is imposing sanctions against another. What matters for, and what is important for NATO is, of course, the importance of interoperability, that the systems can work together, and I also welcome the fact that Turkey is now in dialogue both with Italy and France, looking into the possibility of buying a Eurosam system, SAMP/T. We also know that Italy has deployed SAMP/T air missile defence systems in Turkey already, as part of the NATO support for Turkey. And I also welcome the fact that there are contacts, dialogue between Turkey and United States on potential delivery of Patriot batteries. So I welcome the contact the . . . the dialogue between two highly-valued NATO Allies, the United States and Turkey on different ways to try to solve this issue. QUESTION: The cooperation . . . how do you evaluate the current situation of the cooperation between NATO and EU and Turkey, that is not a member state of the European Union? Do you have any efforts to include Turkey as a non-EU member state into these cooperation activities? What kind of expectations do we have from the European Union? JENS STOLTENBERG: The fact that we have strengthened the cooperation between the European Union and NATO, this is good for the whole of NATO and its good for the European Union. And we work together in many different areas, such as cybersecurity, hybrid threats, maritime activities and we have parallel exercises and we also work together with partners. So we do more together than we have done for . . . actually, ever done before. But I think also we have to realise that when we also welcome that EU do more, for instance on defence, new defence initiatives such as PESCO and also the structured cooperation between EU members on defence and also the European Defence Fund. It has been clearly stated from me and from NATO many times, and also from EU leaders, that this should be done in a way which doesnt duplicate the efforts of NATO. The EU can never be an alternative to NATO, cannot substitute NATO. And we have to make sure that the EU efforts on defence are done in ways which are transparent and also, of course, to . . . to the, to, to aim at include non-EU Allies in the largest possible way, because the security of Europe is dependent on NATO and that will especially be the case after Brexit because then 80 percent of NATOs defence expenditure will come from non-EU Allies: the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom in the west. You have countries like Norway and Iceland in the north and you have, of course, Turkey in the south. These nations, these countries, are important for the security of Europe. So EU efforts cannot replace, cannot substitute for NATO and it is important that EU efforts on defence doesnt create new barriers against, for instance, non-EU Allies, as Turkey or Norway a country I know well. So we are supportive of the EU efforts, but it has to be done in a way which dont compete, but actually complement the efforts of NATO and therefore also focus on the need to include non-EU Allies in the best possible way. (Natural News) As readers of our news network are aware, Facebook and FB-owned Instagram took the extreme measure of banning far-Right figures last week including Alex Jones, Paul Joseph Watson, Laura Loomer and the Left-leaning, Jew-hating Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. The tech giant claimed that it was taking the action as part of a crackdown on hate and violence. But of course, hate and violence when it comes to Facebook and the rest of the Marxist-Leninist social media authoritarians is in the eye of the beholder. Which would explain why only some people (of a particular a-hem political a-hem conservative persuasion cough, cough) are being singled out for Facebook jail, persecution, and censorship. But, as the U.K.s Daily Mail notes, the platform is leaving up pages belonging to groups or individuals who advocate hate and violence directed at Christians, because like whites the Left has made it fashionable to discriminate against Christians. The paper noted online: Facebook is allowing anti-Christian extremists freedom to peddle hate despite closing down accounts of far-right and anti-Semitic leaders, MailOnline can reveal. The social media giant this week said it had shut down profiles belonging to Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopoulos [who] were thrown off Facebook, along with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and the white nationalist Paul Nehlen, saying they had violated its policies against dangerous individuals and organizations. However, Facebook is being accused of massive hypocrisy nothing new, really when hordes of anti-Christian fanatics and anti-Semites are allowed to function freely on the site despite a raft complaints, the MailOnline reported. Users noted that professional anti-Christian haters like Pakistani cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the spiritual leader of a Muslim extremist organization Tehreek-e-Labbaik which is responsible for spreading anti-Christian hate rhetoric to thousands of its followers daily, are still active on the platform. Rizvi staged very large demonstrations recently calling for the death penalty against Asia Bibi, a mother of five and a Christian who was accused of anti-Islam blasphemy by a court in Pakistan in 2010. She was sentenced initially to death by hanging but she was acquitted in 2018. Hes also praised the killings of other Muslims. (Related: Extremely biased high school history textbook casts Christians and Trump supporters as RACISTS and BIGOTS.) By far, the most persecuted The director of the anti-racism group Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal, reported Rizvi to Facebook managers in November 2017 over fears he was stoking hatred among Pakistani communities in Britain and influencing people to do bad things. But Facebook did nothing even now after its anti-hate/anti-violence purge. Rizvi is far from the only Islamic extremist using Facebook to promote anti-Christian violence and hate. Wael Aleji, who is associated with Wilberforce Alliance foundation, told MailOnline that Facebook has transformed into a sewer of poisonous anti-Christian hatred and anti-Semitism. Extremist groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Muslim Brotherhood are very active on Facebook, both as organisations and as individual members, he told the paper. This comes as a British Foreign Office report found that Christians have become by far the most persecuted religious group in the world. And in some countries (many of them dominated by Muslims) Christians are being systematically exterminated just the same as Hitler exterminated Jews during World War II, albeit by difference means. Jewish groups have also logged many complaints about anti-Semitism with Facebook, and the platform did finally act against that hatred by banning Obama supporter and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. But many more anti-Semites remain. One of them is Alison Chabloz, the Holocaust denier who was convicted of hate crimes last year, the paper said. Another is Gilad Atzmon, described as an anti-Israel advocate. Read more about how the tech giants are subverting the First Amendment at TechGiants.news and FirstAmendment.news. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk NaturalNews.com (Natural News) For those of you who have been following the progressively authoritarian nature of the major social media platforms, you were shocked but not surprised to learn last week that Alex Jones, Infowars, and a number of high-profile conservatives were completely de-personed from Facebook and its subsidiary, Instagram. As NewsTarget reported Friday, Without warning, Facebook on Thursday unilaterally banned several people from its platform that the speech Nazi has deemed controversial and, as such, not worthy of being heard. Specifically, Jones and Infowars along with one of his former editors, YouTube star Paul Joseph Watson, former Breitbart News tech editor Milo Yiannopoulos, conservative Jewish activist Laura Loomer, and others were also shown the virtual door by Facebook after the platform labeled them extremists and dangerous. To make it look like it was a bipartisan ban, Facebook also deplatformed well-known anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, but conservatives werent fooled into believing that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, was really cleaning house. The geniuses at Facebook really believe they wont get accused of bias if they ban Farrakhan as well. But the fact that they consider a brazen anti-Semite and racist in any way comparable to classical liberals and populists like @PrisonPlanet just shows their bias even more, writes senior Breitbart News tech correspondent Allum Bokhari. Facebooks extremist measures directed at Jones, Infowars, and PJW drew the attention and ire of our countrys most famous and powerful citizen: President Donald Trump. Sherman Act violations So surprised to see Conservative thinkers like James Woods banned from Twitter, and Paul Watson banned from Facebook! the president wrote in a tweet. (Related: POTUS Trump blasts illegal social media BIAS and censorship, vows actions.) So surprised to see Conservative thinkers like James Woods banned from Twitter, and Paul Watson banned from Facebook! https://t.co/eHX3Z5CMXb Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2019 Earlier in the day, POTUS tweeted that he is monitoring the ongoing censorship by the tech giants that it is directed principally at conservatives and, as PJW noted, mostly at those influential voices who helped the president get elected. I am continuing to monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms. This is the United States of America and we have whats known as FREEDOM OF SPEECH! We are monitoring and watching, closely!! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2019 I am continuing to monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms. This is the United States of America and we have whats known as FREEDOM OF SPEECH! We are monitoring and watching, closely!! Leftist champions of the bans (and the censorship) were quick to not only cheer the latest round of political persecution, but also claim that as a private corporation, Facebook (and Instagram) can ban whomever they want from their platforms kind of like the way news sites censor what their editors believe are inappropriate comments. Fair enough. And conservatives who say that we shouldnt be wanting the government to regulate social media because conservatives hate regulation arent wrong, either. But wait; isnt this more than just an issue between a private corporation and individual users? Yes, and even liberals agree. Writing at CNN/Business in January, Sally Hubbard, the former assistant attorney general in the New York AG Antitrust Bureau, says the tech giants are violating the Sherman Act of 1890, which sought to prevent the domination of entire industries by one or a few entities: The Sherman Act was created to combat juggernauts that ruled entire industries like oil and railroads. It was made precisely for the highly concentrated power we see today in Big Tech. When passing the law, Senator John Sherman declared, If we would not submit to an emperor, we should not submit to an autocrat of trade Without question, Facebook and a few other tech giants (Twitter, YouTube, Google) rule an entire industry. Time for drastic action? Hubbard notes further that just being a big corporation does not inherently violate the act. Rather, to do so, companies must also have acquired or maintainedmonopoly power using exclusionary conduct that includes the ability to control prices or exclude competition for a particular product or service. So, like our Constitution was written to withstand the test of time, so, too, was the Sherman Act. Hubbard notes further: Google, Facebook, and Amazon have monopoly power in their respective markets. A market for antitrust purposes includes only those options that consumers would switch to when prices went up or quality went down a small amount. She says that currently the tech giants attempt to explain they do not have monopolistic power because they operate broadly, as in, they are an all e-commerce platform or one that is all social media. But thats deceptive, she notes, because in reality, each platform dominates its particular niche. While Facebook, for instance, claims that its all social media, its very unique making it domineering and monopolistic: All social media platforms are not substitutes for Facebook. You cant see baby pictures on LinkedIn, and you cant keep in touch with Grandma on Twitter. The closest substitute to Facebook is Instagram, which isnt much of a choice since Facebook owns it. Mike Adams, founder of Natural News, Brighteon and other websites, says the time has come for POTUS Trump to take really drastic action; he believes the president must seize and shut down the techno-fascists, journo-terrorists and domestic enemies who are censoring conservatives and patriots. President Trump must act decisively and declare these techno-fascists and journo-terrorists to be enemy combatants engaged in acts of war against America, he noted further, adding: The United States government must temporarily seize and shut down Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Wikipedia and other tech giants engaged in these acts of treason against America. The top managers and CEOs of these organizations must be arrested by military police and subjected to military tribunals to face trials for their acts of treason against America. Control over Big Tech can be restored to the private sector only after the tech giants agree to respect the First Amendment rights of public users. Read more about how the tech giants and their censorship are becoming legal issues at TechGiants.news and Censorship.news. Sources include: NaturalNews.com CNN.com Infowars.com (Natural News) When former President Obama and a Democrat-controlled Congress repealed the 1990s Clinton-era Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy, enabling gays and lesbians to serve in the U.S. military by forbidding recruiters from inquiring about sexual orientation, the commanders of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard carried out the policy, no questions asked. Then, during the final year of his presidency when he wasnt overseeing the Spygate operation Obama signed an executive order lifting a military ban on transgender troops, the service branch commanders did the same thing: They received their orders from the commander-in-chief and carried them out. Without question there were more than a few flag officers (one-star and above) who werent at all happy with the Democrats and Obamas decisions not because they are homophobes and bigots but because as professional military members, they were well aware of the threats to good order and discipline aberrant lifestyles can and do cause. But they carried out their orders nonetheless. Now, however, National Guard flag-level officers in five states believe that because they dont like or agree with the current commander-in-chief, Donald J. Trump, somehow they are no longer bound to follow orders and policy when it comes to his policy directives and decisions. You may recall that shortly after taking office, POTUS Trump in 2017 announced, in a series of tweets, that he planned to reverse Obamas executive order. At the time, he claimed that the Pentagon (and by default, American taxpayers who fund the Pentagon) could not be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender [troops] would entail. The costs aside, it is the disruption to good order and discipline requirements for military cohesion and effectiveness that most concerned POTUS, based on advice he likely received from defense advisers. Soon after the president implemented his policy via executive order (which was the same way Obama implemented his order), it was, of course, challenged in federal courts as discriminatory. Well, that argument might hold water if service in the military were a right. Its not; its a privilege. Besides, due to one or more physical, mental, or legal conditions, not every American can serve or is permitted to serve. The president is commander-in-chief whether you like him or not The Supreme Court recognized that reality and as such ruled in January to overturn a lower courts injunction blocking the policy from taking effect. Under the rule, transgender troops currently serving can remain but anyone who has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria no longer qualifies to serve. Thats exactly the right balance argued Thomas Spoehr, a retired Army lieutenant general, and director of the Center for National Defense at The Heritage Foundation. He wrote: The Pentagons transgender policy is no different from its treatment of hundreds of other medically disqualifying conditions such as bipolar disorder, asthma, or diabetes. These qualifications exist for two reasonsto ensure individuals are able to perform at the level expected, and to prevent harm to higher risk individuals. And yet, National Guard commanders in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico all Democrat strongholds say they are going to seek ways around the ban, according to the New York Daily News. (Related: Survey: Fewer than 4 in 10 military members, vets support trans troops.) Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, the assistant Adjutant General for California, brushed off the rule saying it is the least of our concerns. Anybody who is willing and able to serve state [and] nation should have the opportunity to serve. Its unconscionable in my mind that we would fundamentally discriminate against a certain class of people based on their gender identity, he said, The Hill added. We are not going to discharge any transgender individual from serving in our state National Guard, nor would this state ever discriminate against someone based on their gender identity, noted Tripp Stelnicki, the communications director for New Mexicos governor. The policy doesnt call for removal; it forbids new transgenders from joining under most circumstances. Still, the defiance is remarkable as well as unprecedented, and could lead to a national security crisis if these states attempt to defy POTUS Trump if or when he attempts to call up their Guard units for federal service. Read more about the Alt-Lefts war on gender and national security at Gender.news and NationalSecurity.news. Sources include: TheHill.com AmericanMilitaryNews.com DailySignal.com TheNationalSentinel.com The U.S. Constitution, being the highest law in United States by virtue of its authority, establishes a federal system of government in which it shares power between the federal government and the state governments. These systems of government both have their court systems operating within different jurisdictions. In cases of a conflict between any federal and state law, the United States Constitution and federal laws supersede state laws. State laws are not subordinated to federal law; rather they are corresponding courts with different but overlapping jurisdiction. They both have separate sovereignty, although with the federal court having overriding effect in case of a clash. The following are characteristics and differences between a federal and a state courts. Federal Jurisdiction Article III of the constitution vests the judicial power of the United States in the federal courts. The federal courts are established and empowered to resolve disputes relating to the constitution and laws passed by Congress. The President nominates federal judges while the Senate confirms them. Federal judges hold their office most times for life and they can only be removed for misconduct through Congressional impeachment proceedings. Federal courts only handle cases listed in the constitution and specifically provided by Congress. Such cases include: cases in which the United States is a party, cases involving violations of the U.S. constitution or federal laws (under federal-question jurisdiction), cases between citizens of different states if the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000 (under diversity jurisdiction) and cases involving bankruptcy, copyright, patent and maritime law . Article III, Section 1 establishes the Supreme Court and gives it power to set up other lower courts. Federal courts are also said to prosecute professional crimes like wage theft, fraud, bribery, Ponzi schemes, insider trading, labor racketeering, embezzlement, cybercrime, copyright infringement, money laundering, identity theft, forgery, bringing illegal drugs into the country or across state lines and use of the U.S. mails to swindle consumers. Federal courts also have exclusive jurisdiction on federal crimes like customs offenses, offenses involving federal tax matters and crimes of espionage and treason. Although not always used, federal courts can also wield their power of death penalty when necessary. However federal courts are often too expensive for private individuals to pursue civil matters because they do not have parallel small claims procedure. The constitutional rights of criminals are mostly contained in federal law, although states courts may apply them. Federal courts can therefore examine if state courts correctly applied these federal rights in cases before it. Similarly, some constitutional rights of criminals do not exist in state court. For example, in some states there are no constitutional provisions for a criminal to face indictment before a grand jury prior to his prosecution for a felony or misdemeanor. State Jurisdiction The constitution and the laws governing each state usually establish state courts. State courts are mostly common law court, and they apply their respective state laws, procedures and judicial precedent in their state hierarchy to decide cases. They also apply federal laws where needed. Some states have intermediate court of appeals and state trial courts. Another name for these trial courts are Circuit or District Court. Some states also have courts that handle specific legal issues like probate court (wills and estates), juvenile court and family court. Selection of state court judges are through election, appointment for a period, appointment for life or a combination of all of these. State judges usually exercise original jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. The filing of criminal cases in state courts begin in a trial court and evidence is eventually presented if a case proceeds to a hearing or trial. State trial courts are usually located in a courthouse. State courts prosecute many cases yearly, hence their broad jurisdiction. They also prosecute a greater number of crimes than federal courts. Cases such as robberies, theft, assault, traffic violations, murder, and crimes against property or persons are within the jurisdiction of the state courts. State courts are the final arbiters of state laws and constitutions. Their interpretation of federal law or of the U.S. Constitution may be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court may choose to hear or not to hear such cases. Although state courts have wide power to prosecute different types of crime, they can only investigate and prosecute crimes or acts within their jurisdiction. State courts usually have a high percentage of criminal cases like misdemeanor or petty offenses brought before them, unlike federal courts. For example, in Colorado, in 2002, there were approximately 40 criminal trials in federal court and there were 1,898 criminal trials (excluding hundreds of quasi-criminal trials in juvenile cases, municipal cases and infraction cases) in state courts. In light of the above, federal and state courts differ in terms of jurisdiction, appointment of judicial officers, structure and caseload. 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 01. There were two breakthroughs worth paying attention to in the maritime live-fire drills. 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 01. There were two breakthroughs worth paying attention to in the maritime live-fire drills. Chinese guided-missile frigate Wuhu (Hull 539) fires a depth-charge rocket against mock sea target on May 03 (Picture Source: Xinhua/Li Ziheng) First of all, it was the first time that the submergence rescue vehicles of the two navies docked each other's submarine and actually transferred the sailors out. Secondly, it was the first time that short-range ship-to-air missiles had been used during such live-fire joint drills. 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 took part in the drill. As for the live-fire exercises, 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. With the renewed threat from North Korea and the rising challenges of an assertive China, South Korea has initiated a range of naval, air and land acquisition programs that will support the Republic of Koreas transition towards developing a robust, deployable, conventional power projection and deterrence focused force. Through its new naval programme, the ROK Navy looks forward to transitioning toward a Blue Water Navy. With the renewed threat from North Korea and the rising challenges of an assertive China, South Korea has initiated a range of naval, air and land acquisition programs that will support the Republic of Koreas transition towards developing a robust, deployable, conventional power projection and deterrence focused force. Through its new naval programme, the ROK Navy looks forward to transitioning toward a Blue Water Navy. A Dokdo-Class Landing Platform Helicopter of the ROK Navy (Picture Source: ROK Navy) Developing a Blue Water Navy has been a major focus of South Korea's response to the mounting capabilities of its rival North Korea and to China's continued assertiveness in the South and East China Seas. Due to the threat brought by such power projection, South Korea also needs to strengthen its military capabilities, especially by projecting its own power outside its borders, protecting South Korea's interests in the whole Asian Region. The centrepiece of Korea's transition towards a Blue Water force is the Dokdo-Class vessels, which are slightly smaller than the Royal Australian Navy's Canberra Class amphibious warfare ships however, unlike HMA Ships Canberra and Adelaide, Korea is actively pursuing the acquisition and introduction of F-35B Joint Strike Fighters to provide an integrated fleet air defence and maritime strike capabilities. While the Dokdo vessels serve as the flagship in Korea's Navy restructuration, Korea also recently announced plans for three additional 7,600-tonne Block II Seejong the Great-Class Aegis guided missile destroyers worth a total of US$ 3.3 billion, to be completed by 2028. These vessels are expected to serve part of Korea's broader integrated air and missile defence capabilities with a secondary focus on anti-surface and land attack capabilities. Still seeking to develop its missile defence capabilities, South Korea plans to broaden the design and extend the capabilities of the nation's destroyer fleet with the planned introduction of six evolved KDX-IIA Aegis powered destroyers, supported by a fleet of advanced guided missile frigates. Along with its surface fleet, Korea also seeks to enhance its submarine capabilities. Therefore, to complete its fleet of locally produced variants of the German-designed Type 214 submarines, South Korea is to begin the development of four advanced Dosan Ahn Changho-Class submarines, which are designed to serve a role similar to the larger ballistic missile submarines of the larger superpowers, urged by the recent ballistic missile tests held by North Korea. These large, conventional submarines are part of the US$ 2.9 billion KSS-III programme and are expected to have a range of about 10,000 nautical miles, combine endurance, relatively-high speed for a conventional submarine and an integrated land-attack capability through locally developed cruise and ballistic missiles. What to Know Meghan Markle gave birth to a baby boy Monday morning. The baby, who has not yet been named, weighs 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and palace officials say he was born at 5:26 a.m. The child is seventh in line to the British throne Britain's Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a baby boy Monday morning and both Meghan and the baby are "doing well," Buckingham Palace confirmed. The baby, who has not yet been named, weighs 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and palace officials say he was born at 5:26 a.m. Monday. He is seventh in line for the British throne and is Queen Elizabeth II's eighth great-grandchild. We are pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on May 6th, 2019. Their Royal Highnesses son weighs 7lbs. 3oz, a statement from Meghan and Harry's official Instagram account said. "The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives. More details will be shared in the forthcoming days. This is the first child for the former Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, and seventh in line to the British throne. Moments after the birth was announced Prince Harry spoke to reporters outside Windsor Castle. The prince says he is "over the moon" about the birth of their first child and "incredibly proud" of his wife. "Im very excited to announced that Meghan and myself had a baby boy this morning, a very healthy boy. Mother and baby are doing incredibly well," he said." Its been the most amazing experience I can ever possibly imagine. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension but were both absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support from everybody out there. Its been amazing so we just wanted to share this with everybody." The baby will be a first cousin to nearly 1-year-old Prince Louis, 3-year-old Princess Charlotte and 5-year-old Prince George, the children of Prince William and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news, according to Buckingham Palace. The Duchesss mother, Doria Ragland, who is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, is with Their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage. "Baby Sussex" will be eligible for dual U.S.-U.K. citizenship, assuming Meghan has not renounced her American citizenship. Traditionally, the birth of a royal baby is accompanied by the pealing of bells at Westminster Abbey and a gun salute in London's Hyde Park. Officials have said that the landmark London Eye observation wheel on the banks of the River Thames will be lit in red, white and blue to mark the baby's birth. Those are the colors of Britain's familiar Union Flag. Royal newborns aren't automatically given the title of prince or princess; Queen Elizabeth II had to issue a rule declaring that all of William and Kate's children would have the title, and she'd need to do the same for Harry and Meghan's children. The new arrival is the eighth great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Baby Sussex will be seventh in the line of succession, one spot behind father Prince Harry. Kensington Palace announced in October that Meghan was pregnant with her first child, just after arriving in Australia with Prince Harry for their first royal tour together. The 37-year-old former actress married Harry on May 19, 2018, in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle to global fanfare. The couple was married for five months before the announcement of their "Spring 2019" baby. Harry and Meghan have asked people who want to send them baby gifts to instead donate to selected charities for children and parents in need. They mentioned several charities in particular, including The Lunchbox Fund, WellChild, Baby2Baby and Little Village, which all have different connections to the royal couple. In a possible break in a months-long case in the South Bay, deputies arrested a man Sunday seen throwing rocks at cars along Highway 152 near Gilroy, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. Jeremy Valdez, a 28-year-old parolee, was in custody on felony charges, officials said. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office The call came in about 9:15 a.m., with witnesses reporting seeing a man throwing rocks from the side of the highway between Lover's Lane and San Felipe Road, the sheriff's office said. At least 20 vehicles were damaged and forced to pull over, and one person suffered minor injuries. Valdez fled into a field with tall vegetation, but deputies eventually tracked him down, officials said. For more than a year, a rock-throwing suspect on the busy corridor has terrorized motorists and eluded authorities. But it's unclear if Sunday's arrest is linked to the other incidents reported in the area near Casa de Fruta. In March, a series of rock-throwing attacks occurred, and some led to injuries. One of the victims, Nicole Angeles of Gustine, was returning from a day at Casa de Fruta, near Hollister, with her family, driving on Pacheco Pass when a man ran onto the highway and hurled a rock at their van. "We pulled over and saw that our son, who's 4 and was in a carseat, had glass all over him," Angeles said. "We realized when we got out, he threw something at us." The rock shattered their window and dented the car. They noticed seven other cars pulled over at the same spot and found they too were victims of a malicious rock thrower. The suspect in that incident is described as a middle-aged man with a thin build and shoulder-length hair, and was reportedly throwing the objects during the evening and nighttime hours. Highway 152 is a well traveled highway connecting the South Bay to Interstate 5. Anyone whose car may have been struck by an object is asked to report the incident to Officer Amy Tritenbach at (408) 848-2324 or ktritenbach@chp.ca.gov. Members of the public with information about the suspect are also asked to come forward. 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. San Mateo County Sheriff's Office 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 investigation 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. 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. What to Know Mourners pay their final respects to Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman The 43-year-old father of three young daughters died on April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base A 15-year FDNY veteran, Slutman was with Ladder 27 in the Bronx; he got a medal for bravery after rescuing a woman from a burning apartment Mourners from across the country are paying their final respects to a U.S. Marine and decorated FDNY firefighter killed in a bombing in Afghanistan earlier this month. The flag-draped casket of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman left a Bronx funeral home atop a fire engine caisson Friday morning for St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue. Fellow firefighters and mourners lined Fifth Avenue under a gray and rainy sky to pay their final respects to Slutman during a solemn procession. The 43-year-old father of three young daughters died on April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base. Two other members of Slutman's Massachusetts-based Marine Reserve unit also were killed. A 15-year FDNY veteran, Slutman was with Ladder 27 in the Bronx. He got a medal for bravery after rescuing a woman from a burning apartment. A native of Newark, Delaware, Slutman also had been a firefighter in Maryland. During the solemn service, various speakers addressed the mourners to honor Slutman, including Marine Sgt. Major Chris Armstrong who described Slutman as a "leader, who was respected and admired." "When I received the terrible news, my heart broke as I thought of Chris' family and unit," Armstrong said, while fighting back tears, urging those in attendance to keep his memory alive, calling him a "hero." After sharing anecdotes involving the humerous side of Slutman, FDNY member Chris Williamson, who previously served as Slutman's captain in Ladder 17 for four years, said members of the department were heartbroken upon hearing the tragic news. "Today our city mourns a hero," Mayor Bill de Blasio said, adding Slutman represented "the best in us." De Blasio told those in attendance, that all though he was "taken too soon," Slutman's "fearless spirit reached so far, touched so many. Made this world inmeasurably better." Slutman's best friend for over 30 years described as "embodied everything great about this great nation." Slutman, who worked with Ladders 27 and 17 in the Bronx, is survived by his wife and three young daughters. A second New Yorker, 25 year-old Robert Hendriks of Locust Valley also died in the attack. He was laid to rest in Caveltorn, Long Island, earlier this week. Benjamin Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania, was the third victim, the Department of Defense said. A chartered jet carrying 143 people from the U.S. military base in Cuba tried to land in a thunderstorm and ended up in the river at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Authorities said everyone on board emerged without critical injuries, lining up on the wings and waiting to be rescued. The Boeing 737 landed in north Florida from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Friday night, with 136 passengers and seven crew members coming to a stop in shallow water in the St. Johns River. Everyone on board was alive and accounted for, but nearly two dozen people were transported to local hospitals. Most have since been released, authorities said. Marine units from the Jacksonville's Sheriff's Department and Fire Rescue joined first responders from the naval air station, helping passengers and crew to safety. Capt. Michael Connor, the commanding officer of NAS Jacksonville, described the passengers as 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. "I think it is a miracle," Connor said. "We could be talking about a different story this evening." Passengers lined up on the plane's wings before climbing into rescue boats, said the base's fire chief, Mark Brusoe. Several pets were on the plane as well, and their status wasn't immediately clear. In a press conference Saturday, NTSB officials said that they went into the plane again to check for pets. They said that they couldn't find any pet carriers in parts of the plane that were not submurged. Officials are not yet able to get to parts of the plane that are submurged. "We have great empathy for those who may have lost their pets," said an NTSB official Saturday. 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." The Federal Aviation Administration was referring media inquiries to NAS Jacksonville. The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a team of 16 investigators to determine what happened. Officials said Saturday that they have recovered the flight's data recorder and is currently on its way to the NTSB's research facility in Washington, D.C. The flight's voice recorder, however, has not yet been recovered. 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 flight was a regular charter run by Miami Air International, which has many military contracts, including weekly flights between the U.S. base in Cuba 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 same 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. The U.S. still holds 40 men at the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, including five charged with planning and aiding the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. It wasn't known how long it would 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. He said crews began working to contain any jet fuel leaks almost immediately after securing the passengers' safety. The chemical smell of fuel and oil was pungent as AP journalists took a boat for a closer look. The bottom of the plane was under water, making it difficult to access the cargo hold, and the plane's nose cone was missing. "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." Jacksonville Fire and Rescue tweeted that approximately 90 personnel responded to the scene, and that the department's special operations team had just trained with marine units for a similar incident earlier Friday. Associated Press contributors include Ben Fox and David Fischer. Illinois 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 Sabet, 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. With a bill expected to be filed in the Illinois Senate Monday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he hopes recreational marijuana will be legal in Illinois by January. The 522-page cannabis bill was slated to be filed by the end of the day and includes automatically expunging marijuana possession convictions. 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. Pritzker is already counting on the annual tax revenue from recreational cannabis, estimating it will add up to $170 million in revenue from licensing and fees for next years budget. Opponents are concerned there are not enough safeguards in place. there is revenue, Pritzker said. We can bring it into the light of day. Medical marijuana is already available in Illinois. The latest proposal would include expunging roughly 800,000 marijuana convictions. Our office has already stopped prosecuting low-level marijuana offenses, so prospectively, the numbers will continue to dwindle, said Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx. Resident would be able to grow up to five plants in a secure location inside their homes, according to the proposal. Theyre going to be growing it on the back porch and selling it on the front porch, said State Rep. Marty Moyland. Addiction specialists also warn that a change in drug policies should reduce drug use, not increase it. This bill will increase it, said Dr. Aaron Weiner. Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot said she supports the proposal, saying the states drug policy has disproportionately affected Chicagos black and brown neighborhoods. Cannabis is widely available, yet you dont know what youre getting, yet you dont know who youre getting it from, Pritzker said. We ought to regulate it. And make sure its safe. 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. The numbers are staggering. There were nearly 50 billion unwanted calls to Americans in the past year, with some estimates saying people can get up to 10 robocalls per day. Sen. Dick Durbin and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul laid out plans Monday to fight back. More than 163-million robocalls were made a day in April, according to YouMail -- a tech company that focuses on telecommunications and markets a robocall blocking app It found, Chicago is in the top five for most robocalls in the country. Durbin is introducing a bipartisan bill that would increase the penalty for anyone who violates the "do not call" rules, to $500 and all it would take is one unwanted call. "If theres ever anything that members of Congress in both political parties should agree to," Durbin said. "Its that people are sick and tired of it and we need to do something about it." Raoul said hes been a victim, too, and joined Durbin in urging Congress to take action. "Its almost every week, every other week that I get a call purporting to be from the IRS, purporting to be from a utility company," he said. "Theres a great variety of these robocalls and theyre coming too often." A private executive jet flying from Las Vegas with three crew members and 10 passengers crashed in northern Mexico over the weekend and there did not appear to be any survivors, authorities said Monday. An air search located the plane's wreckage in a remote mountainous area in the municipality of Ocampo on Monday, the Coahuila state government said in a statement. "There were no survivors seen," the statement said. Personnel from the public safety department and prosecutor's office were making their way to the site. The cause of the crash was under investigation. The jet left Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon and had been expected that evening in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey, but it never arrived, prompting a search. Flight controllers lost contact with the plane over Coahuila. Officials did not release the identities of those aboard. Local media reported that the passengers were returning from a weekend trip that included seeing the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez fight on the Las Vegas Strip. Mexico's civil aviation authority said it and other agencies had begun recovering bodies and what remained of the plane Monday. The plane was registered to Utah-based TVPX, listed as an insurance, customs and trust company. The company declined to comment on who was operating the plane. A Massachusetts man freed from prison after serving three decades for a rape he says he did not commit pleaded not guilty Monday to new rape charges. George Perrot, 50, was held without bail after a hearing in Essex Superior Court in connection with the allegation that he raped a woman in January. He is accused of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on a sidewalk in Lawrence. "The person on the floor wasn't moving at all," said witness Justin Khalil. "I assumed he or she was unconscious, overdosed. I figured I was going to call the police for that reason and then I noticed what he was doing." The woman who had to be revived using Narcan told investigators the last thing she remembers is Perrot telling her to snort something. Authorities said that's when he was arrested. Perrot also threatened to kill the arresting officers and their families. Perrot was convicted of raping 78-year-old Mary Prekop in her Springfield home in 1985 based, in part, on one strand of hair. He was freed in 2016 after a judge found an FBI agent's testimony about microscopic hair evidence was flawed. The judge who released Perrot said he is "reasonably sure" that the man didn't rape Prekop. Prekop repeatedly said the man who beat and raped her didn't have any facial hair. On the night of the attack, Perrot had a beard and a mustache. Prosecutors dismissed the charges in 2017. Perrot said in an emailed statement at the time that he was now "truly free." Defense attorney Thomas Torrisi said Monday that Perrot maintains that he is innocent of both the new allegations and the previous charges. Torrisi said his client was given "no direction" after he was released from prison and "fell into what would be expected, a life of living on the street, of drugs and alcohol," MassLive.com reported. "It's just terrible circumstances that have developed that he has found himself in again partly to his own doing, but again, I think he's going to become a better man at the end of this," said Torrisi. Another hearing has been set for June. Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, whose office prosecuted Perrot's first case, said in a statement that they continue to "maintain the position that George Perrot committed several heinous offenses of elderly female victims." "Not only was the motion requesting a new trial in 2016 vigorously fought by the Hampden District Attorney's Office, but so were the first two jury trials, three appeals, and multiple motions for post-conviction relief since his arrest on these matters in the 1980s. Regrettably, there is another victim who has now allegedly suffered at his hands, three decades later," Gulluni said in the statement. 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 power we use every day in Connecticut is generated almost entirely from natural gas and the Millstone Nuclear Plant in Waterford. But soon there will be a new source of renewable, clean energy powering homes in New England every time the wind blows. Offshore wind will revolutionize Connecticuts power grid. Its new, its surprisingly cheap and soon giant wind turbines will be popping up off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, powering hundreds of thousands of homes throughout New England. On Block Island a farm of towering wind turbines is spinning off Mohegan Bluffs. This is the first offshore wind farm in America, but it wont be the last. "The areas that are currently designated as wind turbine areas off southern New England are affectionately known as the Saudi Arabia of wind, said Matthew Morrissey of rsted U.S. Offshore Wind. New Englands fickle weather from noreasters to tropical storms, make it perfectly suited for wind power. Connecticut and Rhode Island entered an agreement with Eversource and rsted, a Danish company, to build 700 megawatts of wind turbines halfway between Marthas Vineyard and Block Island. It will be called Revolution Wind. "Offshore wind is one of the most exciting resources we're seeing in the northeast right now, said Mary Sotos, deputy commissioner for Energy at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protect. "We've been working with our neighboring states to be able to purchase large quantities of that wind, she explained. "Offshore wind power is going to be around for a long time and provide clean, renewable power at competitive rates to rate payers in New England," Morrissey said. Connecticuts first offshore wind farm will begin construction in 2021 and be operational by 2023. The 70 turbines will power roughly 100,000 homes in the state and an additional quarter million homes in Rhode Island. A commitment to revitalize and develop the harbor in New London was one of the reasons rsted's bid was so attractive. "We're seeing a real commitment to work with our prized port because it has so many features that are really well suited to assemble these large components," Sotos said. rsted, Eversource and the state will invest $93 million into New Londons State Pier, creating jobs and building the infrastructure to support the burgeoning wind industry from New Jersey to Cape Cod. "There will also be additive economic investment and development with companies in the supply chain that will participate, compete and win to help build America's first round of offshore wind farms," Morrissey said. While this will be the state's first foray into offshore wind there's no sign of the momentum stopping. The legislature is contemplating upping the state's commitment to wind energy in the future with up to a third of our energy coming from the wind in the coming decades. A man has pleaded guilty to federal kidnapping charges connected to the death of a young woman who was found dead, bound in a suitcase on a street in Greenwich last February. Valerie Reyes, 24, of New Rochelle, New York, was reported missing on Jan. 30, a day after she had last been seen. Her body was found in a full-size suitcase off a road in Greenwich nearly a full week later, on February 5, 2019. On Wednesday Reyes ex-boyfriend, 25-year-old Javier Da Silva pleaded guilty to kidnapping Reyes and taking her to Connecticut. According to statements made in court, Da Silva rented a car on January 28, 2019 and drove to Reyes home in New Rochelle in the early morning hours of January 29. Da Silver switched his phone into airplane mode, then kidnapped Reyes, covering her mouth with tape and binding her feet and hands before putting her in a suitcase, then left her in Connecticut. He denied killing her. Da Silva then used the victims debit card several times, taking more than $5,000 from her bank account, according to the US Attorneys Office Southern District of New York. As he admitted today in court, Javier Da Silva committed a horrid kidnapping that resulted in the tragic death of Valerie Reyes, a young woman with her entire adult life ahead of her. Thanks to the excellent work of the FBI and our local law enforcement partners, Da Silva is now facing serious consequences, wrote U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman in a statement. Da Silva pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping, which carries a maximum term of life in prison. He is scheduled for sentencing on May 21, 2020. In a statement released Wednesday, Greenwich police wrote "Although justice has been served, we remain saddened by the loss of Valerie and sincerely hope that her family will find peace and a sense of closure to this tragedy." Police encourage anyone in an abusive or dangerous relationship to reach out for help. In Connecticut, those in need can visit CTSafeConnect.org or call/text 888-774-2900. Advocates available 24/7. U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand had a meet and greet Sunday afternoon in Dallas. The event, hosted by the Texas Democratic Party, gave people the opportunity to hear her speak about how she got involved with politics and why she wants to be president. I think we need a president whos brave, who will stand up to do the rights things for the right reasons and thats who I am, Gillibrand said. The event was located at the Sundown at Granada in Dallas. A San Angelo meat-packing company faces penalties after exposing workers to releases of hazardous chemicals, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 7 S Parking LLC, operating as Texas Packing Company in San Angelo, faces $615,640 in penalties. The meat-packing facility didnt have a required Process Safety Management program. The company also failed to provide fall protection, guard machines and equipment, control hazardous energy and implement a respiratory protection program, OHSA determined. The company has 15 business days since they received the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. 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. Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg told voters Saturday that his marriage to his husband exists "by the grace of a single vote on the U.S. Supreme Court." The South Bend, Indiana, mayor visited South Carolina for the first time since announcing his presidential exploratory committee. The 37-year-old would be the first openly gay presidential nominee from a major political party. Buttigieg referenced the landmark 2015 Supreme Court ruling that granted, in a 5-4 decision, same-sex couples a right to marry. He married his husband, Chasten Glezman, last year. Speaking in Columbia, South Carolina, Buttigieg recalled when his father was undergoing chemotherapy and his mother learned she needed a triple bypass as an example of what's at stake in the 2020 presidential election. Buttigieg said Glezman was able to stay at the hospital with his mother while he went to tell his father because his husband "is a member of our family." Other highlights of Saturday's campaigning: CORY BOOKER New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said during a stop in South Carolina that he was "a little bit worried" about how the issue of reparations was being discussed during the presidential campaign. Booker told people crowded into a barbershop in Rock Hill that it was time to discuss the "persistent reality" of racism in this country, rather than worrying about how to handle a specific plan on reparations. South Carolina holds the first Southern primary and is the first place where candidates are tested by a primarily black Democratic electorate. Several candidates in the sprawling Democratic field have called President Donald Trump as a racist. Some have voiced support for the idea of reparations for the descendants of enslaved black Americans. Booker, who announced his candidacy at the start of Black History Month, has said it is time to recommit to the fight for justice in America. ELIZABETH WARREN Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren confronted the topic of climate change during a campaign stop in Berlin, New Hampshire, saying the government is badly out of sync is with the future of America. "We're not spending money on infrastructure right now, we're not even repairing what's falling apart in infrastructure, much less building an infrastructure for the 21st century, much less hardening an infrastructure against the kind of change that is coming in our direction," Warren said. The presidential contender railed against "giant drug companies" and emphasized a message of economic equality during her speech. Warren later praised the idea of the Green New Deal, saying she wanted to make a strong pitch in favor of it to voters. "We've got to have a goal that we're headed toward," she said. KAMALA HARRIS California Sen. Kamala Harris introduced her first policy proposal since officially launching her 2020 campaign: a significant federal investment in teacher pay. At a Houston rally, Harris pledged that by the end of her first term she would close a pay gap that she said amounts to teachers making about $13,000 a year less than other college graduates. Her campaign is citing a study from the liberal-leaning Economic Policy Institute that found what's called the "teacher pay penalty" the difference in compensation for teachers and comparable public workers is larger than ever. The Economic Policy Institute study puts the teacher compensation penalty at a record-high 11.1 percent in 2017. AMY KLOBUCHAR During a town hall in Rye, New Hampshire, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar defended John McCain, the deceased military veteran and senator who has been the subject of scorn from President Donald Trump. Klobuchar called McCain her friend and said Trump's "ranting and raving" about the Arizona Republican led her to remember the last time she had seen the Arizona Republican, who ran for president in 2000 and 2008. Klobuchar and her husband visited McCain and his wife at their ranch. McCain was having trouble speaking, she remembered. He found one of his books and pointed out a quote to Klobuchar. "There is nothing more liberating than fighting for a cause larger than yourself," the quote read, she said. Trump, she said, doesn't understand that sentiment. PETE BUTTIGIEG At a stop in Greenville, South Carolina, Buttigieg told a crowd that his candidacy may seem unlikely, but added that maybe it was time the party nominated a millennial from a red state. He acknowledged the more "traditional" route to the White House is to spend years in Washington before running. But he said the country "would be better served if Washington started looking more like our best-run cities." Buttigieg said that as a millennial he has a greater stake in the future of the country and more urgency to tackle issues like climate change. Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard, Juana Summers and Paul J. Weber contributed to this report. 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. Beijing has responded to previous U.S. threats by saying it wouldn't negotiate under pressure. But Chinese envoys are preparing to travel to the U.S. for trade talks, a government spokesman said Monday, suggesting talks on ending a bruising tariff war will go ahead. Beijing is "trying to get more information" following Trump's announcement he might impose 25 percent tariffs on more Chinese imports, said the foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang. Geng didn't say whether top Chinese envoy, Vice Premier Liu Asked whether the top Chinese envoy, Vice Premier Liu He, would visit Washington as planned, Geng said, "a Chinese team is preparing to travel to the United States for trade talks." Geng declined to give further details when asked who might go or whether the talks would start Wednesday as scheduled. He referred other questions to the Commerce Ministry, which did not respond to requests for comment. Stock markets fell on the news. The future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.9%. The Shanghai Composite index plunged 5.3% while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong sank 3.6%. Japan's markets were closed for a holiday. Trump had twice pushed back deadlines in January and March to raise the tariffs in a bid to buy more time for a negotiated settlement. But on Sunday, Trump, who has called himself a "tariff man," said he's losing patience. "The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!" Trump tweeted. In his tweets, Trump also threatened to slap tariffs on another $325 billion in Chinese imports, covering everything China ships annually to the United States. The two countries are locked in a high-stakes dispute over China's push to establish itself as a technological super power. The U.S. charges that China is resorting to predatory tactics including cybertheft and forcing foreign companies to hand over technology in a drive to establish Chinese companies as world leaders in advanced industries such as robotics and electric vehicles. The administration has repeatedly suggested that the negotiators are making progress. A month ago, Trump said that the two countries were "rounding the turn" and predicted that "something monumental" would be achieved in the next few weeks. But last week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin seemed to temper expectations, suggesting that Washington was willing to "move on" if it can't get the deal it wants. A substantive deal would require China to rethink the way it pursues its economic ambitions, abandoning or scaling back subsidies to its companies, easing up on the pressure for foreign companies to share trade secrets, and giving them more access to the Chinese market. Philip Levy, senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a White House economist under President George W. Bush, said the talks are too complicated for Trump's high-pressure tactics to work. "The president treats this like we're haggling over the price of a used car," Levy said. Trump has made a priority of shaking up American trade policy. As a candidate for the presidency, Trump raged repeatedly about alleged Chinese perfidy so much so that a video mashup of him spitting out the word "China" went viral and collected more than 15 million views on Youtube.com. Trump charged that previous administrations, gullible and weak, had let China get away with abusive trade practices, accepting empty promises from Beijing and allowing the U.S.-China economic relationship to grow ever more lopsided. As evidence, he pointed to America's vast U.S. trade deficit with China $379 billion last year, by far the biggest with any country in the world. Once he took office, Trump's relationship with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, seemed to get off to a good start. The two men shared chocolate cake and amiable conversation at Trump's resort in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, in April 2017. A few weeks later, China agreed to open its market U.S. beef, cooked chicken, and natural gas in what Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross called a "herculean accomplishment." The romance faded. In March 2018, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued a report accusing China of using predatory tactics to strengthen its tech companies. Last July, the Trump administration gradually began slapping import taxes on Chinese goods to pressure Beijing into changing its policies. It now has imposed 10% tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports and 25% tariffs on another $50 billion. The Chinese have retaliated by targeting $110 billion in U.S. imports. The fight between the world's two biggest economies is raising worries about global economic growth. The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and others have downgraded their forecasts for the world economy, saying the U.S.-China standoff is reducing world trade and creating uncertainty for companies trying to decide where to buy supplies, build factories, and make investments. Trump has portrayed his tariffs as a moneymaker for the United States and a benefit to the U.S. economy. But a March study by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Columbia University, and Princeton University found that the burden of Trump's tariffs - including taxes on steel, aluminum, solar panels, and Chinese imports - falls entirely on U.S. consumers and businesses who buy imported products. By the end of last year, the study found, they were paying $3 billion a month in higher taxes and absorbing $1.4 billion a month in lost efficiency. Nonetheless, the overall U.S. economy has remained healthy. On Friday, the government reported that the U.S. unemployment rate had fallen to the lowest level in half a century. The prospect of higher tariffs and heightened tensions could alarm investors when markets open Monday. "When the president puts his foot down, it makes the market go down," Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at MUFG Union Bank, wrote in a research note Sunday. "Tariff man is back just in time to make the stock market dive, dive, dive." S Band Radar & Maps | Forecast | Weather Alerts Traffic | Send Us a Photo/Video | Live Cams Rounds of storms inundated North Texas with heavy rain, lightning and gusty winds Wednesday morning. We'll dry out Thursday and Friday before another chance for rain returns Saturday. Heavy rain led to high water and several road closures. Flood advisories were issued for Dallas and Tarrant counties until 12 p.m. and Bosque, Hill, Johnson and Somervell counties until 12:45 p.m. Those have since expired. The Fort Worth Fire Department tweeted several reports of high water rescue operations. By 9:45 a.m., first responders were working a total of 12 rescue calls. The heaviest part of the storms pushed through Dallas and much of the groundwater is swelling at White Rock Lake Spillway. The storms first gained strength the Texas Panhandle Tuesday night and eventually crossed across western Oklahoma and Northwest Texas during the overnight hours. The first round of thunderstorms storms marched across Dallas-Fort Worth between 4-6 a.m. The thunderstorms, while not severe, brought heavy rain, lightning and wind gusts up to 45 mph. The first line of storms knocked down the severe weather potential for a second line of heavy rain. That storm reached Fort Worth by about 8 a.m. Here the updated severe weather risk map. Downgraded to marginal in DFW. Expect storms with heavy rain and lightning. #NBCDFWWeatherhttps://t.co/LnGxbCKBEw pic.twitter.com/xfvaBLQtvo Keisha Burns (@KeishaBurnsNBC5) May 8, 2019 As forecast, these storms did have an impact on the morning commute. Lightning is suspected to be the cause of at least two house fires one in Keller and another in North Richland Hills Wednesday morning. No injuries were reported. After Wednesday, we will get the chance to dry out for a couple of days. But it appears will have another shot at some rain by next weekend. Latest Video Forecast The latest video forecast from NBC DFW's team of Weather Experts will appear in the player above. Keep up with the latest changes to the weather by downloading the NBC DFW smartphone App for iOS and Android! Read the latest forecast information from NBC 5's team of Weather Experts here. Before the Storm Stay Connected. Download the NBC DFW App Set your push alert preferences. Charge your phones and tablets so that if you lose power you can still watch live weather coverage in the App. Weather Safety Another confirmed case of measles in a Los Angeles County resident and an additional non-resident measles case who traveled throughout Southern California are being investigated as part of a renewed outbreak of the disease. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced that people who may have been on-site at the date and time for any of the below locations may be at risk of developing measles for up to 21 days after being exposed: April 27 Peet's Coffee, 175 S. Fairfax Ave., Unit D, 9 a.m.-noon Fratelli's Cafe, 7200 Melrose Ave., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. ART Restaurant (located in Farmer's Daughter Hotel), 115 S Fairfax Ave., 5-8 p.m. The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr., 2-5:30 p.m. J.Crew and Barnes and Noble (The Grove), 189 The Grove Dr., 3:30-5:30 p.m. Los Angeles Farmer's Market, 6333 W. 3rd St., 3:30-5:30 p.m. Paper Source, 175 S Fairfax Ave. 4-6 p.m. Whole Foods, 6350 W. 3rd St., 8-11 p.m. April 27-28 Farmer's Daughter Hotel, 115 S. Fairfax Ave., all day on 4-27 through 10 a.m. on 4-28 April 30 LAX International Terminal 2, 7:45-11:45 p.m. April 30 and May 1 LAX Employee Shuttle, 7:30-9:30 p.m. on 4/30 and 9:30-11:30 a.m. May 1 LAX Terminal 2, 7:10-9:30 a.m. LA County exposures can be found here. Long Beach Cases The announcements Saturday came hours after Long Beach health officials announced the first confirmed case of measles in a city resident since 2015 -- an adult graduate student who attends UC Irvine and is recovering at home, according to the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services. In the Long Beach case, officials said they are "working with the neighboring health jurisdictions of Orange County and Los Angeles County to identify and notify residents of locations the infected individual visited while contagious. Health Department staff are notifying locations in Long Beach the person visited while contagious." Individuals who visited the following Long Beach locations at the times stated below might have been exposed to measles: April 28 Pizzanista, 1837 E 7th St., 5:30-7 p.m. Total Wine, 7400 Carson Blvd., 6-7:30 p.m. April 30 Susan European Dressmaker, 3319 E 7th St., 5-7 p.m. April 30 - May 1 Art du Vin Wine Bar, 2027 E 4th St., 8-10 p.m. May 1 Ralph's, 2930 E 4th St., 2-5 p.m. May 2 Ralph's, 6290 PCH, 3-6:30 p.m. AMC Marina Pacifica, 6346 E PCH, 6-10 p.m. May 3 Broadway Carwash 4000 E Broadway, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Long Beach exposures can be found here. Orange County Cases Orange County officials also reported their second case of 2019 on Saturday -- an infant who was too young to be vaccinated and remains hospitalized. Orange County residents may have been exposed to measles at these locations on the following dates and times: April 29 UCI Humanities Instructional Building 100, 10 a.m.-noon UCI Krieger Hall, Classic Dept. 4th Floor, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. April 30 UCI Humanities Hall 112, 2-5 p.m. May 2 UCI Student Health Center, 1-3 p.m. May 3 The Pickled Monk, Fullerton, 1:45-3:30 p.m. Brick Basement Antiques, Fullerton, 2:40-4 p.m. Buffalo Exchange, Fullerton, 3-4:15 p.m. 8Eightyeight Cigar, Fullerton, 3:15-5 p.m. Orange County exposures can be found here. Measles is a highly contagious and potentially severe disease that causes fever, rash, cough and red, watery eyes. Measles spreads very easily by air and by direct contact with an infected person. People who become infected are contagious before they have symptoms and know they are infected. Health officials also say to self-monitor for illness with fever and/or an unexplained rash from 7 days to 21 days after exposure. If symptoms develop, stay at home and call a health care provider immediately. "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 said. "If you are unsure of your vaccination status, contact your provider to make sure you are up-to-date." Muslims in the Los Angeles area will join millions around the world Sunday in marking the beginning of the monthlong Islamic holiday of Ramadan. During the observance, which lasts until June 4, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, and engage in increased prayer and charity. "The fast is performed to increase spirituality, discipline, self-restraint and generosity while obeying God's commandments," said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The holy month will be welcomed with community service projects and outreach to help those of other faiths get to know the Southern California Muslim community better, he said. The end of Ramadan will be marked by communal prayers called "Eid ul-Fitr," (eed-al-fitter) or Feast of the Fast-Breaking on or about June 4 (because the beginning of Islamic lunar months depends on the actual sighting of the new moon, the start and end dates for Ramadan may vary among communities). CAIR-LA representatives plan to visit every mosque in Southern California during the month. "I pray this month brings with it lots of blessings," Ayloush said. "Our staff looks forward to meeting many members of the American Muslim community during visits to one of the mosques in Southern California." CAIR-LA is Southern California's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. 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. North Korea appears to have tested a new short-range missile and President Donald Trump's resolve to keep it from doing more of the same in the future. The test early Saturday was quickly played down by Trump and his top advisers, who noted it was not the kind of long-range missile leader Kim Jong Un has refrained from launching since 2017. But the sudden activity on the North's east coast, complete with fiery photos of a purported bull's eye out to sea, alarmed Washington's regional allies and suggests that Kim's missiles are improving even as the Trump administration wrestles with how to get him back to the negotiating table. Kim personally supervised the test of what experts believe was a short-range ballistic missile first displayed by North Korea at a military parade early last year, along with a drill involving 240 millimeter- and 300 millimeter-caliber multiple rocket launchers. There remains some uncertainty over what was tested. South Korea's military reported that various "projectiles" flew from 44 to 149 miles before splashing harmlessly into the Pacific. The activity prompted the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan to tweet on its official account in all capital letters "MISSILE INBOUND." The tweet was soon followed by an all clear, and an "enjoy your Saturday." Trump moved quickly to minimize the significance of the test on his efforts to strike a nuclear deal with North Korea, tweeting that Kim "knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me." Both leaders continue to claim they have a good personal relationship. But tensions have grown since they failed to make any deals during their most recent summit, in Hanoi in February. Kim and senior North Korean officials have since expressed open frustration with what the North claims is an inflexible and unrealistic posture at talks by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes North Korea's recent launches only "increase tensions in the region" and calls for continued dialogue to advance peace and denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Kim suggested last month that he intends to give Washington until the end of the year to change its negotiating strategy. If it doesn't, he has warned, he will seek a different path. His position has created a dilemma for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has tried to act as a middleman. Seoul called an emergency meeting Saturday of top officials at its presidential Blue House and urged North Korea to stop committing acts that would raise military tensions. But such calls ring hollow in North Korea since the South has decided to go ahead with joint military exercises with the U.S. that the North sees as provocative. North Korea strongly condemned a drill of a South Korea-based THAAD air-defense system by U.S. troops just two weeks ago. The North's missile test also came just days after the United States tested its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Air Base in California. Though such launches are planned well in advance and not directed at any specific country, they are seen by North Korea as highly provocative. North Korea last conducted a major missile test in November 2017 when it flight-tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that demonstrated the potential capability to reach deep into the U.S. mainland. During the diplomacy that followed those weapons tests, Kim said the North would not test nuclear devices or ICBMs. The latest missile, which the North's media referred to only as a "tactical guided weapon," fell well below that threshold. It is believed to be modeled after Russia's 9K720 Iskander mobile short-range ballistic missile system. The solid-fuel missile, first revealed in a military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, in February last year, is designed to be maneuverable during flight to boost its accuracy and thwart interception. Experts noted that despite its physical resemblance, the North Korean missile may be a less capable version of the Russian Iskander, which can carry a nuclear warhead and strike targets as far away as 500 kilometers (310 miles). A less capable version is still a clear danger to U.S. allies and American troops stationed in the region. The distance between Wonsan, where the launch was held, and the South Korean capital of Seoul is roughly 200 kilometers (124 miles). More than 20,000 U.S. troops are based in the South and another 50,000 in Japan. All are within range of the North's short- or medium-range missile arsenal. Trump tweeted Monday that he had spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe "concerning North Korea and Trade." He did not provide additional information, but said "Very good conversation!" North Korea's state-run media had a propaganda heyday with the launch. The ruling party newspaper showed Kim supervising the drill from a camouflaged tent with a desk and computer screens monitoring a rocky offshore outcropping that was used as a target. One photo has him smiling broadly while a screen shows the top of the crag enveloped in a ball of flames. It also showed the missile rising from a mobile launcher and stressed how the drill was "organized without an advance notice" to underscore the need for realistic combat readiness. North Korea's coverage of the developments over the past year presents a sharp contrast to the focus outside of the country on denuclearization. The North's media has centered its attention on the portrayal of Kim as a strong leader on the global stage seeking to free the country of what the North calls unjustified sanctions so that it can develop its economy. Denuclearization is almost never the main topic of its reports. That was the official message yet again on Sunday. In its report on the drills, the state media stressed the need for the military to be on high alert to "defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance of the country ... bearing in mind the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength." What to Know More people are giving their pets CBD, a non-intoxicating cannabis compound. Theres scant data proving CBD helps, yet some people swear by it. CBD pet products could balloon to a $1.16 billion industry in the U.S. by 2022, the Brightfield Group estimates. Some of the CBD industrys biggest consumers arent 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 theres scant data proving CBD works for any of these ailments, some people are swearing by it and more vets are prescribing it. I dont 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 its powerful and we need to learn more about it. Lucrative market CBD is one of the hottest consumer products in the market today. Its 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. Shes 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 didnt even notice the storm, Schaus said. I cant say its completely fixed him because if we get a huge thunderclap he does get a little nervous. No science Despite the hype, theres 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. Theres 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 hasnt approved cannabis products for human or animal consumption and cautions against giving it pets. The American Veterinary Medical Association doesnt have a position directly related to marijuana products for pets, spokesman Michael San Filippo said in an email. That hasnt stopped CBD from becoming a huge trend and a big business. Sniffing out opportunity Charlottes 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 thats 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 Charlottes Web Director of Product Development Kelsey Morrison, who previously worked at Nestles 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 its closely following the trends and changing regulatory landscape to ensure its 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 DiPolo suggests people talk to their vets before giving their pets CBD. The products arent regulated, meaning concentrations, extraction methods and general quality of products vary widely. He doesnt recommend it to all his clients. Its not as effective as people may think it is and there are other alternatives that might work, he said. Shelby Doyle started giving her 5-year-old cocker spaniel Charlie CBD earlier this month. Charlie became paralyzed in July after a slipped disc ruptured his spine and now uses a wheelchair. She shared her story in a Facebook group where someone suggested she try CBD. Doyle conducted some research and asked her vet, who didnt recommend it but said it wouldnt do any harm. She decided to give Charlie CBD oil to help with his arthritis and anxiety. So far I dont see anything too majorly different, said Doyle, a 23-year-old graduate school student in Louisville, Kentucky. But nothing bad has happened. This story first appeared on CNBC.com. More from CNBC: 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. Three people were injured Sunday when a San Diego home exploded, revealing a hash oil operation, the San Diego Police Department confirmed. The two-story home on Sunny Meadow Street burst into flames around 6 p.m. The neighborhood is located north of Mira Mesa Boulevard between Interstates 15 and 805. This video sent to us by neighbors shows the moments after an explosion happened at a Mira Mesa home, Sunday night. Three people were injured and sent to UC San Diego Medical Center, HIllcrest. Two people suffered severe burn injuries and one person suffered less severe burn injuries, officials said. Hours into their investigation, an SDFD fire chief said equipment to make hash oil was found inside the home and about 100 butane cylinders were found outside of the home. Hash oil, also known as honey oil, is a concentrated resin extracted from cannabis. Many extraction methods involve butane or ethanol. The Drug Enforcement Administration has taken over the investigation of the incident, which it described as a large-scale, very sophisticated hash oil operation. The DEA said the fire originated in the home's garage, where the extraction lab was located. NBC 7 Neighbor John Nothdurft was one of the first people who ran outside and helped a victim. "I heard a big boom so I ran outside and I saw the first guy running through the streets," Nothdurft said. "His clothes were still on fire." Nothdurft said he ran inside to get the man some water. Other neighbors were seen spraying the man with a garden hose as he sat on the sidewalk. Another neighbor told NBC 7 she heard two or three people screaming as if they were being tortured. Deputy Fire Chief Kelly Zombro said the fire spread quickly. "It's significant enough that we have three victims that were burnt. They weren't able to get out of the structure quick enough, so you have to assume that the fire was moving pretty quickly from the very beginning," Zombro said. Firefighters were able to stop the spread of the fire before it reached other houses. Only one neighboring house suffered exterior damages from the heat, Zombro said. The structure itself sustained heavy damage throughout. The injured were transported to UC San Diego's Burn Center. An explosion rocked a Mira Mesa neighborhood, sending three people to the hospital with burn injuries. NBC 7's Danica McAdam has more. Neighbors explained they felt their houses shake but thought it might have been something normal as they live four miles north of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. "I thought it was a bomb when it first went off, because we live so close to Miramar and we hear booms all the time, but this one was different," said neighbor Josie Herschel. The home is located less than a mile from Challenger Middle School and Hickman Elementary School. No arrests have been made. A marijuana grow operation was discovered inside a Mira Mesa home that went up in flames. NBC 7's Liberty Zabala has the latest in the investigation. A White House decision to dispatch an aircraft carrier and other military resources to send a message to Iran followed "clear indications" that Iranian and Iranian proxy forces were preparing to possibly attack U.S. forces in the region, a defense official told the Associated Press. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said that the Pentagon approved the deployments and that U.S. forces at sea and on land were thought to be the potential targets. The official declined to be more specific. White House national security adviser John Bolton said in a statement Sunday night that the U.S. is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region, an area that includes the Middle East. Bolton said the move was in response to "a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings." He didn't provide details, but said the U.S. wants to send a message that "unrelenting force" will meet any attack on U.S. interests or those of its allies. "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces," he said. The Pentagon had no immediate comment on the Bolton statement. The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have been operating in the Mediterranean Sea recently. Last Wednesday a group of senior Albanian government officials visited aboard the Lincoln as it sailed in the Adriatic. Bolton's reference to the Central Command area would mean the Lincoln is headed east to the Red Sea and perhaps then to the Arabian Sea or the Persian Gulf. The U.S. Navy currently has no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. Bolton's mention of deploying a bomber task force suggests the Pentagon is deploying land-based bomber aircraft somewhere in the region, perhaps on the Arabian Peninsula. Speaking to reporters while flying to Europe, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the actions undertaken by the U.S. had been in the works for a little while. "It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests," Pompeo said. "If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that." Asked about "escalatory actions," Pompeo replied, "I don't want to talk about what underlays it, but make no mistake, we have good reason to want to communicate clearly about how the Iranians should understand how we will respond to actions they may take." Asked if the Iranian action were related to the deadly events in Gaza and Israel militants fired rockets into Israel on Sunday and Israel responded with airstrikes Pompeo said, "It is separate from that." The Trump administration has been intensifying a pressure campaign against Iran. Last month, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will no longer exempt any countries from U.S. sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, a decision that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and U.S. treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey. The U.S. also recently designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group, the first ever for an entire division of another government. Trump withdrew from the Obama administration's landmark nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and, in the months that followed, reimposed punishing sanctions including those targeting Iran's oil, shipping and banking sectors. Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have in recent months spoken stridently about Iran and its "malign activities" in the region. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report. Fire has damaged a new luxury, adults-only resort in the Florida Keys. The pre-dawn fire on Sunday burned sections of the Bungalows, which had opened in December in Key Largo. The resort has 135 private bungalows situated throughout the 12-acre waterfront property. "Due to a fire this morning, isolated within the Beach House, all guests and associates were evacuated, all are safe and there were no injuries," Bungalows Key Largo said in a statement. "No guest accommodations were affected. The state and local fire departments responded immediately. Our priority is for the comfort and safety of our guests and associates." "As soon as we turned the corner, we saw an orange glow," said fire crews. According to resort management, all guests were safely evacuated. But it was a scramble at about 5 a.m. when many guests had to be woken up. "Management were using golf carts to escort the visitors as far as possible," said David Garrido of Key Largo Fire. Residents living nearby say they woke up stunned to the flames. "The mere size of it is just something I've never seen," said a local resident. Hotel management posted on their Facebook that their team will be contacting guests with existing reservations to rebook for the future. A Florida man has been sentenced to five months in prison for stealing personal information from bank customers to make purchases. Prosecutors say 26-year-old Roger Ernesto Ballester Caser of Hialeah, Florida was sentenced last week in federal court in Wheeling on one count of using an unauthorized access device. He also was ordered to pay more than $11,000 in restitution. Prosecutors say Caser admitted to using Main Street Bank of Wheeling's customer information to make at least $1,000 in purchases in Marshall and Ohio counties in March 2018. What to Know The murder trial got underway Monday for five alleged gang members accused in the now-infamous killing of "Junior" Guzman-Feliz Guzman-Feliz was set upon by a group with a machete at a Bronx bodega in June 2018; the case drew national headlines for its brutality In total, more than a dozen suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing; a witness testified Monday his last word was "water" "Water." That was the last word 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz spoke when he was savagely killed with a machete in a Bronx bodega last summer, a killing that rocked the city -- and the nation -- for its caught-on-camera brutality. The first witness took the stand Monday after lengthy opening statements from the prosecution and defense attorneys for five suspected gang members, the first of 14 to stand trial. The witness said she watched the attack from an apartment window and ran downstairs to try to help. She described, in heartbreaking detail, how Guzman-Feliz looked up at her after the attack and motioned her to call 911. He only said that one word -- "water," she testified. She will resume her testimony on Tuesday. In opening statements, prosecutors described the teen's killing as a calculated and planned murder by the five suspects. Five defense attorneys also spoke Monday, four of whom described most of Guzman-Feliz's wounds as superficial and said it was the one cut to the throat that killed him. The defense attorney for the man who allegedly dealt that throat cut took offense at that. Jury selection proceedings started last month for the suspects facing murder charges in the June 2018 attack on Guzman-Feliz, who prosecutors have said was cut down at just 15 years old in an apparent case of mistaken identity. Investigators say the group mistook Guzman-Feliz, who was not affiliated with any gang, for a member of the rival fraction of the Trinitarios gang. In total, more than a dozen suspects have been arrested in connection to the killing. Nine others charged in the killing are awaiting trial. The attack on Guzman-Feliz was captured on video; he was dragged outside the bodega and set upon by a gang of men who hacked at him as he struggled to defend himself. The boy was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. The New York City Police Foundation announced it planned to set up a scholarship in his name. Since the violent attack, the communitys outpouring of love and support has been seen in a mural. Guzman-Felizs memory has also been honored through the renaming of a street and a summer camp at a state park, as well as prompting the Safe Haven Bodega program in the city. What to Know Michael Cohen, the former lawyer, media attack dog and all-around fixer for Trump, is scheduled to begin serving a 3-year prison sentence A Russian airliner burst into flames while making an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo airport, and at least 40 people died, officials say Alex Trebek got a standing ovation as he accepted an Emmy Award as host of "Jeopardy!" and immediately set the audience at ease Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here. Michael Cohen Heads to Prison in Trump Hush-Money Scheme Michael Cohen, the former lawyer, media attack dog and all-around fixer for President Trump, is scheduled to begin serving a three-year prison sentence for crimes including campaign finance violations related to hush-money payments made on Trump's behalf. Cohen faces a 2 p.m. deadline to report to the Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, a federal prison in the countryside 70 miles northwest of New York City. A minimum-security prison camp there has become a haven for white-collar criminals. Cohen, who has been disbarred, is trading plaid blazers for khaki prison garb after trying and failing in recent weeks to get his sentence delayed or reduced. His legal team asked House Democrats last month to intercede after Cohen testified on Capitol Hill, but they were reticent to do so. Federal prosecutors in New York were also no help, Cohen's lawyers said. Cohen was originally scheduled to start his sentence in March, but a judge granted a two-month delay so he could recover from surgery and get his affairs in order. Dozens Dead in Russian Plane's Fiery Emergency Landing A Russian airliner burst into flames while making an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, and at least 40 people died, 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 Russia's Investigative Committee, said 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. Video showed desperate passengers leaping out of the plane onto inflatable evacuation slides and staggering across the airport's 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. Boeing Didn't Tell Airlines That Safety Alert Wasn't On Boeing said 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. Pilots were unable to regain control of either plane, and both crashed, killing 346 people. It is not clear whether having the warning light would have prevented either the Lion Air crash or the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max near Addis Ababa. Boeing's disclosure on Sunday, however, raised fresh questions about the company's candor with regulators and airline customers. 'Jeopardy!' Host Alex Trebek's Emmy Award Comes With Ovation Alex Trebek got a standing ovation as he accepted an Emmy Award as host of "Jeopardy!" and immediately set the audience at ease, even as he alluded to his cancer diagnosis. Trebek, 78, who announced in March he has advanced pancreatic cancer, told the theater audience he had been worried that sympathy, rather than merit, might snare him the trophy for best game show host. But then he mulled what happened last year, after he underwent surgery to remove life-threatening blood clots on his brain. "You think that would have elicited a certain amount of sympathy. But I didn't win!" he said, drawing roars from the crowd that moments before had stood to applaud him. Instead, he said, he realized that maybe he'd been worrying about the wrong thing and instead should emulate Oscar winner Sally Field. Analysis: Game of Thrones Not the End of Appointment TV If youre heading to a Game of Thrones watch party this weekend, you might already be waxing nostalgic about the end of appointment television. Is this the last time youll ever gather with your friends to watch a show, knowing so many others are watching it at the same time, ready to discuss it real time on Twitter or the next day at the proverbial water cooler? My guess is no. The shift away from traditional TV has some people lamenting (here, here, here) that GoT will be the last shared experience show, where Americans tune in at a certain time to watch weekly episodes and find out storylines together at the same time. Theres logic to the argument. Many of todays hot shows -- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Stranger Things, The Handmaids Tale originate on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Hulu, where the entire appeal is the ability to watch episodes whenever you want, or to binge-watch entire seasons in one sitting. A woman survived a fall from a five-story Manhattan apartment building, tumbling as she apparently was descending from the roof after taking skyline photos with friends, police said. The 22-year-old was taken to a hospital with a fractured pelvis, broken ankle and broken arm after the fall around 8 p.m. Saturday. She landed in a corridor behind the building on East 25th Street, near the Kips Bay neighborhood. Less than a month ago, a Fordham University senior was killed in a fall inside the campus bell tower. The student apparently slipped and fell through an opening in a stairway landing as she and friends climbed the tower, which officials said was normally locked. 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. Authorities in Curacao say 318 people aboard a Church of Scientology ship docked in the Dutch Caribbean island will remain quarantined at least until Wednesday while they determine how many might be infected with measles. Dr. Izzy Gerstenbluth told The Associated Press late Sunday that a team of health officials took 277 blood samples and sent them to the Netherlands. He said he expects results on Tuesday or Wednesday, adding that the atmosphere on the boat is good and that everyone is cooperating. Gerstenbluth said 31 crew members and 10 passengers provided a vaccination certificate, and that the remainder were vaccinated. "But that is for the future, it will not help them now," he said. The 440-foot Freewinds ship was previously quarantined in St. Lucia after a crew member was diagnosed with measles. Authorities have said she arrived in Curacao on April 17 and visited a doctor April 22 for cold symptoms. A blood sample was taken and sent to nearby Aruba, where officials confirmed it was measles on April 29, a day after the ship had departed for St. Lucia. Curacao health officials then alerted authorities in St. Lucia. The former cruise ship returned to its home port of Curacao early Saturday. Gerstenbluth said the decision to release passengers and crew members will be made after consulting with health officials in the Netherlands and the Pan American Health Organization. Measles has sickened more than 700 people in 22 U.S. states this year, with federal officials saying the resurgence is driven by misinformation about vaccines. Symptoms include runny nose, fever and a red-spotted rash. Most people recover, but measles can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling and even death in some cases. Church officials have not returned calls for comment. According to the church's website, the ship is the home of "a religious retreat ministering the most advanced level of spiritual counseling." It says religious conventions and seminars also are held aboard. What to Know The number of U.S. measles cases connected to the current outbreak hit 764 as of Thursday, the CDC said Monday The burgeoning national outbreak has been fueled by outbreaks in New York, primarily in the city and Rockland County New York City has seen more than 420 cases, while Rockland County has seen more than 210, authorities said Five dozen more measles cases have been reported across the nation, an 8 percent increase over the prior week as the case total in the U.S.' worst outbreak in decades edges closer to a stunning 800, officials said Monday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 764 cases had been reported as of last Thursday. It's the most in the U.S. since 1994, when 963 were reported, and has been fueled by outbreaks in New York. Another 41 new cases were reported in New York City, which now has more than 420 patients, and 11 new cases in New York's Rockland County, which took the dramatic step a few weeks ago of banning unvaccinated minors from indoor public places in an effort to control the spread. As of May 3, Rockland County had 214 confirmed measles cases connected to the current outbreak. For a deeper dive on how measles made a comeback in New York, and whether you might need to get a booster shot, listen to NBC New York's latest episode of The Debrief podcast. On Apple podcasts here, on all other devices here. Thus far, 23 states have reported cases. Pennsylvania became the latest state over the last reporting period, the CDC said. New Jersey's health department hasn't updated its online measles total since April 23, when 14 cases were reported in Ocean County. Most of the New York cases have been unvaccinated people in Orthodox Jewish communities. A New York City emergency declaration that bans unvaccinated youth from attending school or day care in four Brooklyn ZIP codes includes highly Orthodox parts of Williamsburg, but also covers places like Fort Greene. Overall, three-quarters of those who caught the extremely contagious disease are children or teenagers. No deaths have been reported this year, but dozens of patients were hospitalized. Many patients contracted the disease while traveling aboard and were not vaccinated, authorities said. Measles in most people causes fever, a runny nose, cough and a rash all over the body. A very small fraction of those infected can suffer complications such as pneumonia and a dangerous swelling of the brain. According to the CDC, for every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it. The return of measles may be an early warning sign of a resurgences of other vaccine-preventable diseases such as rubella, chickenpox and bacterial meningitis, some experts say. In recent decades, health officials have relied on doctors to prod families to vaccinate their children against measles and other diseases. That push has been bolstered by requirements in every state that children be vaccinated to attend public schools. But as vaccination rates have fallen in some communities and cases exploded, officials recently have taken more dramatic steps. Two more women have accused former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, a Nobel peace laureate, of sexual misconduct after a criminal complaint alleging sexual assault against another woman was filed against him this week in the Central American nation. Eleonora Antillon, a well-known Costa Rican journalist and TV presenter, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Arias assaulted her in the mid-1980s when she was working for his fledgling presidential bid. In a separate interview, Emma Daly, communications director for Human Rights Watch, said Arias groped her in a hotel lobby in Nicaragua in 1990 when she was working as a young journalist based in Costa Rica. The New York Times also reported that a fourth woman, a 53-year-old book editor, alleged that Arias unexpectedly put his hand on her leg during a meeting in 2012. AP was not immediately able to confirm the report. While the #MeToo movement swept up a number of powerful men in recent years in the United States, its spillover effect has been more muted in Latin America, where critics say macho attitudes die hard. In Brazil, starting in December, more than 250 women accused a prominent spiritual healer of acts from unwanted fondling to rape, leading to his arrest and a raft of charges. In Argentina, accusations ranging from sexual assault to sexual harassment have been leveled against the likes of a well-known actor, a senator and a legislative chief of staff. But none have had a profile like Arias, who was twice elected president of Costa Rica and in 1987 was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for his work bringing an end to Central America's protracted and bloody civil wars. The criminal complaint filed Monday in Costa Rica charged that Arias fondled a woman's breasts, kissed her and penetrated her with his fingers in December 2014 at his home in the capital, San Jose. The woman, a nuclear disarmament activist whose name was not released, had gone there for a meeting related to her cause. In a brief statement Tuesday, Arias denied the allegation. He said he never violated the will of any woman and fought for gender equality during his career. He said he would not have further public comment because of the pending legal case. As more allegations emerged Wednesday, his lawyer, Erick Ramos, echoed that, telling AP that "out of respect for the process that is in course, we are not going to make any kind of declaration." Antillon, a renowned journalist and TV presenter known as "Nono," decided to break three decades of silence after the complaint became known this week. Antillon told AP that in the 1980s, when she was 25 and working for a local TV station, she learned that Arias was interested in having her work for him as he made a preliminary run toward the 1986 presidential election. She said she expressed disinterest in politics, but Arias insisted and didn't blink when she asked for a salary three times the going rate to try to discourage him. "He laughed and said others were working for free, that later they were guaranteed a political job," Antillon said. "I said I wasn't interested, that if he wanted me he would pay me. And he laughed and looked at me and said that he would pay it." After an agreement was struck, she said, Arias summoned her to a restaurant in San Jose where he met her in a private room. Almost immediately he put his hand on her thigh and tried to kiss her neck, she said. Antillon said she pushed him away and asked what he thought he was doing. "'It's just to gain trust,' he told me, laughing," she said. Antillon said she left, rejecting his offer to escort her. Four days later she was with Arias and another adviser, but he sent the adviser away, she said. "He stood up, he was at his desk, he came over staring hard at me, and he grabbed my hand and put it on his penis, over his pants," Antillon said. "I said to him, 'What are you doing?' and he said, 'What do you think we're doing? Look how hard I am.'" Antillon said she recoiled, knocking over a chair, and Arias grabbed her shoulders, pushed her into an open closet and again placed her hand on his genitals. She pulled it away. Someone made a noise at the door, he composed himself and she left. Afterward, Antillon said, she never allowed herself to be alone with Arias, whom she described as someone with "serious problems with arrogance." "He sees himself as the master of the world, that everyone has to submit to him," Antillon said. "He sees himself as a conqueror." Since then, Antillon said, she felt physically ill whenever she heard about Arias' Nobel prize. She said the experience left a mark and she has tried to dress in a less "feminine" way, not wanting to show much skin. Only this week was she emboldened to come forward amid news of the complaint, she said. "I believe her based on what I lived through," Antillon said of the woman whose complaint was filed this week. Although it's been more than 30 years since the incidents she described to AP, Antillon said if any lawyer could find a way to bring a complaint against Arias, she would be willing to do so. AP normally does not use the names of alleged victims of sexual assault, but both Antillon and Daly came forward to tell their stories publicly. Speaking to AP in New York, Daly said she had been in Costa Rica for a couple of years when her encounter with Arias happened in February or April of 1990 in neighboring Nicaragua. At the time she was in her mid-20s, working for an English-language weekly in Costa Rica and stringing for Reuters. The lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel was packed with journalists and diplomats when she saw Arias, with whom she had established a cordial relationship in her role as a political reporter, Daly said. They had first met years earlier through her parents, who were diplomats, she said. She called out to him and asked a question. "And instead of answering my question, he stopped and looked at me and leaned forward, and he put his hand on my chest and sort of pulled it down between my breasts and then said, 'You're not wearing a bra' or words to that effect," Daly told AP. "I was so shocked, all I could think of to say was, 'Yes I am wearing a bra,' which is a ridiculous reaction but that's what I did in the moment, and he walked on," she continued. "A woman next to me, another reporter, said to me: 'I saw what happened. I'll support you if you want to do something.' And I said, 'No, that's fine, forget about it.'" Daly said part of what was upsetting was that it came in a professional setting, surrounded by politicians and journalists. "You're completely ignored from a professional side, but someone touches you and you're made to feel as if you're nothing, they can do whatever they want," she said. Daly said Arias had never done anything like this in any prior interaction with her, nor had she seen him do anything to anyone else. She felt the overall environment was one of machismo, and if she complained nothing would happen. She said she felt angry and then humiliated that she "hadn't responded properly, but I didn't really see what I could do or where that could lead. If I had gone to complain about it, I felt I would have been laughed out of whatever office I tried to complain to." Daly said she told her then-boyfriend as well as several other people about the incident. She doesn't remember seeing Arias again. He left office not long after, and she left the region. But she said she began thinking about the incident more amid the rise of #MeToo, making an oblique reference to "Even a president and Nobel laureate" in a comment on a friend's Facebook post in October 2017. She said she thought about naming Arias at the time but decided not to. Daly first told her story publicly to a Washington Post reporter who reached out to her Tuesday. She said she felt she was in a privileged place she wasn't going to lose her job, her family support so it was important to speak out. She said the difficult thing is that Arias has done good work in his professional life, with the peace plan, but that doesn't give him a pass to mistreat people. "It would be really wonderful if this spurred some kind of a reckoning in Latin America with men who harass women," Daly said, "particularly at work ... some kind of moment where they understood that there's a need for systemic change and it's really not OK to just touch women because you feel like it." ___ Associated Press writer Javier Cordoba reported this story in San Jose, Costa Rica, and AP writer Deepti Hajela reported from New York. 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. On April 18, 2019, a few minutes after midnight, two women were stopped at the San Ysidro Port of Entry while returning from a trip to Tijuana, Mexico. According to federal prosecutors, a Customs and Border Protection agent looked under the 2006 Ford Explorer that the women were in and noticed new bolts on the gas tank. Minutes later hidden inside the gas tank, agents found 53 packages, totaling 69 pounds of methamphetamine or meth. Hours earlier, at the same border crossing, a man was traveling from Mexico when he was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents. A drug-detecting canine had alerted agents to the mans 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Hidden inside a spare tire, the seats, as well as the door panels were 20 packages of meth, weighing more than 110 pounds. CBP agents found 99 bundles of meth in one man's car on April 17, 2019. The drug seizures were just two out of a half dozen that occurred over the course of just one day, from April 17 to April 18, 2019, at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the busiest land border crossing in the Western Hemisphere. During that 24-hour span, agents at the border crossing confiscated 246 pounds of meth coming from Mexico. An additional 102 pounds of meth was confiscated at two other border checkpoints elsewhere in San Diego County that same day. The seizures provide a snapshot of what local law enforcement face in their day to day fight to address a surge in the amount of meth smuggled across the U.S. Mexico border. The surge has had ripple effects throughout the region, including an increase in meth-related deaths and crimes in cities and communities throughout San Diego County. The resurgence of meth into the region has led drug enforcement agents to refer to San Diego County as ground zero for the nations meth problem. NBC 7 Investigates Mari Payton explains San Diego's meth crisis. It is a new fight against familiar opposition. In the late-1980s, San Diego County was a hotbed for methamphetamine use and production. So much so that law enforcement referred to the region as the meth capital of the world. The meth was manufactured inside dozens of makeshift meth-labs run out of abandoned homes and in rural areas. In hopes of addressing the new drug epidemic, Congress passed the Combat Methamphetamine Act in 2005, a law that made it harder to obtain the ingredients used to manufacture meth. The law had a major impact on how meth was made. Soon after, the region and the country witnessed a shift in the production of meth from backyard labs to intricate Mexican super labs controlled by drug cartels. In recent years, Mexican drug cartels began flooding the border with an increasingly potent strain of meth. The resurgence of meth into the region has led drug enforcement agents to refer to San Diego County as ground zero for the nations meth problem. IN THEIR OWN WORDS It's coming across in incredible levels right now, Nathan Jones, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the San Diego Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) told NBC 7 Investigates. The amount of meth seized by law enforcement in San Diego County has grown exponentially in the last five years. Data obtained by NBC 7 Investigates show in 2013, more than 13,000 pounds of meth was seized by local and federal law enforcement agencies. By 2018, the amount grew to more than 45,000 pounds. Inside a nondescript commercial building in the City of Vista, a DEA chemist uses a boxcutter to open a package wrapped in duct tape. Inside the package are meth crystals, some the size of a quarter, others as large as five-inches in diameter. The chemist pours the crystals onto his workbench. With a pestle and mortar, he grinds the crystal into a fine powder for a purity test. The chemist, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, said the new batches of meth he and his staff have recently tested are purer than ever before. Five to ten years ago, it would look like I rolled it around in the mud a little bit, the chemist said. This is relatively pure methamphetamine, almost 100 percent pure. Stacked up against a wall in the lab are dozens of similar looking packages, all containing meth waiting to be tested. It is in this building where drugs, seized by federal law enforcement agencies from the entire Southwestern United States, get tested and later incinerated. Stacked up against the wall, a DEA Chemist tests all methamphetamine seized in the Southwestern U.S. for purity and composition. It's changed significantly in the past five 10 years, the chemist said. So now were seeing a higher quality and higher purity than we did in the past. The purer the meth, the more dangerous it becomes and that has led to a record number of deaths. In 1997, the San Diego County Medical Examiners office listed methamphetamine as a cause or contributing factor in the deaths of 60 people. By 2018, NBC 7 found 318 people died from meth-related causes -- an increase of 470 percent. In more than half of the meth-related deaths from 1997 to 2018, the Medical Examiner detected meth along with another substance, such as fentanyl, heroin, or alcohol, as being a cause or a contributing factor in the persons death. The numbers are much higher, according to figures from the San Diego Meth Strike Force, a coalition of dozens of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that focuses on education and treatment of methamphetamine. The Strike Force says the numbers are higher when counting those who had meth detected in their blood system, even if the drug was not a contributing factor in the person's death. In 2016, the Meth Strike Force estimated on average, a person died in San Diego County every 23 hours because of meth. Marla Kingkade, a coordinator for the Meth Strike Force, told NBC 7 one-third of individuals admitted to public funded treatment programs are treated for methamphetamine misuse. The task force found the average age of someone using meth is 25-years-old or older. !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")}})}(); The City of La Mesa has the highest per capita death rate. In the last 21 years, for every 1,000 people, nearly four people died in La Mesa from a meth-related cause. The City of El Cajon has the second highest per capita death rate, followed by Oceanside and Escondido where one out of every 1,000 people died as a result of meth abuse. The youngest person to die since 1997 was a 14-year-old girl from Escondido who overdosed on methamphetamine. A 78-year-old woman with heart disease, visiting San Diego from Baltimore in 2012 was the oldest. The analysis also found eight stillbirths caused by maternal meth abuse since 1997. The average age of a person who died from a meth-related cause in San Diego County is 46-years-old. The high potency of the meth manufactured in superlabs across the border has made it easier for users to get hooked on methamphetamine. And in their quest to satiate their addiction, users can turn to crime in a distorted sense of reality. Tommy Winfrey was one of those people. 43-year-old Tommy Winfrey is a former meth addict now in recovery. He credits a prison sentence as saving his life. He was born in Texas to an alcoholic father. His family relocated to Los Angeles, where he lived in a rough neighborhood. By the time he was 16, Winfrey was addicted to meth. I did this drug and it made me feel good for a change, Winfrey told NBC 7 Investigates. I kind of just went down a rabbit hole and got lost into that world. Everyone around me was addicted to meth, whether it was smoking it or shooting it up. Every day my life revolved around committing crimes. I was living on the fringes of society. By 19, Winfrey was in the throes of total addiction. I think that period of my life, there was about a year period where I slept maybe 30 days and all year. I was using a lot of meth every day. It was during one of the bouts of sleeplessness when Winfrey made the worst decision of his life. Winfrey, who was selling meth to support his habit, was armed with a gun when he confronted a man who owed him money. I shot him six times at point blank range, Winfrey said. In 1997, Winfrey was sentenced to life in prison, eventually ending up at Californias San Quentin Prison. Winfrey believes prison saved his life. He went to therapy, earned three degrees, started writing, painting and learned computer coding through The Last Mile, a program that prepares inmates for successful reentry into society through business and technology training. At a Parole Board hearing for Winfrey, Mark Remis, the Deputy Commissioner said, You seem to have turned a corner. You have quite a lot of support from your programs you've been doing from prison. All of the letters of support from people in the community, other inmates too, which we don't see often." In 2017, after 20 years in prison, Winfrey was released on parole. Winfreys parole was granted under SB 261, a youth offender parole law that went into effect in January of 2016. Under a 2014 law, youth offenders who committed crimes before the age of 18, many of whom faced life sentences, became eligible for parole after serving 15 to 25 years behind bars. The 2016 amendment to the law includes people who committed their crimes before the age of 23. Now married and in recovery, Winfrey works for the Childrens Initiative, an organization dedicated to underserved families. He specifically works on juvenile justice issues. I think we need more programs designed for youth that teach them emotional intelligence, Winfrey said. And I think that could help them regulate their emotions a lot better and not seek out substances like meth. Winfreys story resonates with thousands of San Diegans and their families struggling with substance abuse. Elon Burns, a substance abuse counselor and recovering addict himself, believes the answer to the problem is treating addiction as a disease. There's still this thought and this idea out there that, 'Oh you must be a bad person, you must be a broken person, Burns said. And as long as there is there's going to be a denial of the people that have it and denial from the family around it to see it. NBC 7 Investigates recorded a podcast episode of INSIGHT on San Diego's meth crisis. Listen below: If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and want to seek help or who want to anonymously report meth or drug activity are encouraged to call the Meth Hotline at (877) NO-2-METH or by clicking here. Treatment is also available by calling the Countys Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240 or by calling 2-1-1. How much do you know about methamphetamine? Take this quiz below to find out. A man from Argentina convicted in an international extortion scheme against people seeking romance through witchcraft and magic spells was sentenced Monday. According to the Office of the U.S. Attorney, Ariel Boiteaux, is the mastermind behind the scheme that defrauded women in the United States, South America, and Europe. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Boiteaux used the website, Amarres Inmediatos, to perform remote love spell rituals. He instructed women to buy and drink alcohol during the rituals. Once the women were intoxicated, he would tell them to take pictures and videos of sexual acts, the U.S. Attorney wrote in a sentencing memo. Amarres Inmediatos would then threaten to post the sexually explicit recordings online unless the client paid money to keep them private. One victim was extorted for over $320,000 by Amarres Inmediatos in the beginning of 2017, according to court documents. In the fall of 2017, an undercover agent from Homeland Security Investigations reached out to the service. Boiteaux offered to sell the agent some of the sexually explicit recordings of clients. Boiteaux was arrested in Paraguay by officers. Boiteaux was wheeled into the downtown San Diego courtroom in a wheelchair Monday with a long beard past shoulder-length. Federal Judge Marilyn Huff sentenced Boiteaux to 24 months in prison with credit for a year and a half served in a Paraguay prison. After serving six months in a United States prison, Boiteaux will be deported to Argentina. He is also ordered to pay $7,200 in restitution. One of the victims was on the phone during the sentencing hearing. She told the judge the sexually explicit images of her are still up on social media sites. The judge said it was outside the court's authority to make the websites take the images down. However, the U.S. Attorney's Office said they would work with the victim to try to remove the images. NBCNews.com U.S. deploying carrier strike group to send 'message' to Iran 11 hours ago CNN US deploying carrier and bomber task force in response to 'troubling' Iran actions In-Depth 5 hours ago Washington Post In message to Iran, White House announces new military assets in Middle East 11 hours ago A young man was killed and a 13-year-old boy was among those injured during a violent weekend in the District. Police say 18-year old Saoun Coplins was fatally shot in Southeast D.C. on Saturday, and at least five other shootings were reported. Coplins, of Northeast D.C., was found with a gunshot wound in the 3000 block of Stanton Road SE about 9:10 p.m. He was taken to a hospital, but life-saving efforts failed, police said. Just over an hour later, about 10:15 p.m. Saturday, a juvenile male was found shot in the 1500 block of Alabama Avenue SE. His injuries were not life-threatening. He was taken to a hospital. About an hour after that, a 13-year-old boy was shot in the 4500 block of Douglas Street NE in the Kenilworth neighborhood. The boy was outside with friends and was eating a slice of pizza when two men in hoodies showed up and opened fire. One neighbor, Gwendolyn Allen-Morton, said she heard about five or six shots and believed the boy was struck in three places, although she only saw one wound on his side. Neighbors used clothes to stop the bleeding and thought an ambulance was taking too long, so they drove the teen to the hospital themselves. "Everybody was getting worried that the little boy was losing too much blood," Allen-Morton said. "So they kept sticking shirts, jackets and stuff in his side." The fire department said the ambulance arrived five minutes after it was dispatched. "The little boy was bleeding so bad, we didn't want him to die right there, so they took him up, they got him in the car and put him in the car," Allen-Morton said. The boy remained in the hospital Monday night. He is expected to survive. George Matthews, a retired police officer who has lived in the neighborhood for 24 years, said his van has been shot three times and that he's ready to move. "I'm getting ready to get out of here," he said Monday. "I can't take it no more." There was one other shooting Saturday evening, about 8:30 p.m. in the 400 block of Riggs Road NE, as well as a shooting about 5 p.m. Friday in the 2100 block of Alabama Ave. SE and about 8:45 p.m. Friday in the 900 block of Southern Avenue SE. There was no information immediately available on the number of victims or their conditions. No arrests have been made in any of these cases. In December 2016, Springfield residents Henok Yohannes and Kedest Simeneh, both 22, were found shot to death just a couple miles apart. Investigators determined the killings were related, and that Yohannes Nessibu was the likely culprit. But by then, Nessibu had already left the U.S. for Ethiopia on a one-way $3,000 plane ticket. Search warrants obtained by News4 indicate Nessibu had gone to Yohannes' house to buy marijuana. Instead, Yohannes was shot in the upper body and killed. Simeneh's family say she was with Yohannes that night, and it's likely Nessibu tracked her down and shot her the next morning. By March 2017, investigators had gathered enough evidence to receive a grand jury indictment against Nessibu even though he had already left the country. From there, the FBI and the Justice Department's office of international affairs worked with the Ethiopian government along with the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa. Nessibu was arrested by Ethiopian authorities in February 2019, and on May 3 they made the highly unusual decision to allow U.S. authorities to extradite Nessibu back to the U.S. He arrived by a special FBI plane in Dulles airport. "If criminals attempt to run from their crimes we will work tirelessly to bring them to justice no matter where they try to hide and how many years it may take," FBI special agent in charge Matthew DeSarno said. Though relatives of the victims declined to comment, a cousin of Simeneh said she was glad to know that Nessibu was behind bars. His next stop is Fairfax County Court, where he will face two counts of murder. 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. Pilots were unable to regain control of either plane, and both crashed, killing 346 people. It is not clear whether having the warning light would have prevented either the Lion Air crash or the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max near Addis Ababa. Boeing's disclosure on Sunday, however, raised fresh questions about the company's candor with regulators and airline customers. Boeing said again that the plane was safe to fly without the sensor alert, called an angle-of-attack disagree light. Other gauges tell pilots enough about the plane's speed, altitude, engine performance and other factors to fly safely, the company said. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said the agency was notified of the non-working warning light in November, after a Lion Air 737 Max crashed on Oct. 29 in Indonesia. He said FAA experts determined that the non-working cockpit indicator presented a low risk. "However, Boeing's timely or earlier communication with (airlines) would have helped to reduce or eliminate possible confusion," the spokesman said in an emailed statement. He declined to give more details. In manuals that Boeing gave to Southwest Airlines, the biggest operator of both the Max and 737s in general, the warning light was depicted as a standard feature just as it is on older 737s, according to Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King. After the Lion Air crash, King said, Boeing notified Southwest that it had discovered the lights didn't work without the optional angle-of-attack indicators, so Southwest began adding the optional feature too. That allowed the airline to activate the sensor-disagree warning lights on its 34 Max jets earlier this year, she said. King described both features as "supplemental" and "advisory" to other information provided to pilots during flights. The indicator was supposed to tell pilots when sensors that measure the pitch of the plane's nose appear to conflict, a sign that the sensor information is unreliable. Boeing told airlines that the warning light was standard equipment on all Max jets. Boeing engineers quickly learned, however, that the warning light only worked if airlines also bought an optional gauge that told pilots how the plane's nose was aimed in relation to the onrushing air. Boeing said the problem stemmed from software delivered to the company. A Boeing spokesman declined to name the software vendor. Boeing said Sunday that because in-house experts decided that the non-working light didn't affect safety, the company decided to fix the problem by disconnecting the alert from the optional indicators at the next planned update of cockpit display software. Boeing didn't tell airlines or the FAA about this decision. Boeing hopes to win approval from the FAA and foreign regulators to get the Max flying again before summer is over. When it does, the company said, the sensor warning light will be standard. Nearly 400 Max jets were grounded at airlines worldwide in mid-March after the Ethiopia crash. Boeing is working to fix the software that pitched the planes' noses down based on faulty sensor readings, and to provide pilots with more information about the plane's automation. The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into whether Boeing misled regulators about features on the plane including flight-control software at the heart of the crash investigations. The company is also under scrutiny by congressional committees and the Transportation Department's inspector general, and it faces a growing number of lawsuits by families of the dead passengers. Microsoft announced an ambitious effort it says will make voting secure, verifiable and subject to reliable audits. Two of the three top U.S elections vendors have expressed interest in potentially incorporating the open-source software into their proprietary voting systems. The software kit is being developed with Galois, an Oregon-based company separately creating a secure voting system prototype under contract with the Pentagon's advanced research agency, DARPA. Dubbed "ElectionGuard," the Microsoft kit will be available this summer, the company says, with early prototypes ready to pilot for next year's general elections. CEO Satya Nadella announced the initiative Monday at a developer's conference in Seattle. Nadella said the project's software, provided free of charge as part of Microsoft's Defending Democracy Program, would help "modernize all of the election infrastructure everywhere in the world." Microsoft also announced a cut-rate Office 365 application suite for political parties and campaigns for what it charges nonprofits. Both Microsoft and Google provide anti-phishing email support for campaigns. Three little-known U.S. companies control about 90 percent of the market for election equipment, but have long faced criticism for poor security, antiquated technology and insufficient transparency around their proprietary, black-box voting systems. Open-source software is inherently more secure because the underlying code is easily scrutinized by outside security experts. Two of the leading vendors, Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Nebraska, and Hart InterCivic of Austin, Texas, both expressed interest in partnering with Microsoft for ElectionGuard. A spokeswoman for a third vendor, Dominion Voting Systems of Denver, said the company looks forward to "learning more" about the initiative. Anyone with an existing voting system or developing a new one will be able to incorporate the ElectionGuard development kit at the state or local level in the U.S. or national level for jurisdictions abroad. "It can be used with a ballot-marking device. It can be used with an optical scanner, on hand-marked paper ballots," said Josh Benaloh, a senior cryptographer at Microsoft Research and key contributor to the ElectionGuard project. Benaloh helped produce a National Academies of Science report last year that called for an urgent overhaul of the rickety U.S. election system, which faced serious threats from Russian hackers who in 2016 attempted to infiltrate voting administration systems in several states. That report called for all U.S. elections to be held on human-readable paper ballots by 2020. It also advocated a specific form of routine postelection audits intended to ensure that votes are accurately counted. While U.S. officials say there is no evidence of hackers tampering with election results, experts say systems used by millions of U.S. voters remain susceptible to tampering. One election official who has been in informal conversations with the ElectionGuard project leaders is Dean Logan, who runs elections for Los Angeles County, the nation's most populous, and is building an open-source voting system for it. Election integrity activist Susan Greenhalgh of the National Election Defense Coalition said she hoped the project would encourage innovative thinking at the level that elections are actually managed. ElectionGuard aims to provide "end-to-end" verification of voting in two ways, Benaloh said. First, it lets voters confirm that their votes are accurately recorded. Second, the unique coded tracker it produces registers an encrypted version of the vote that keeps the ballot choice itself secret while ensuring votes are accurately counted. Outsiders such as election watchdog groups, political parties, journalists and voters themselves can verify online that votes were properly counted without being altered. The system would also allow for reliable postelection audits and recounts. Microsoft executives say they also plan to build a prototype voting system for reference. A spinoff of Galois called Free & Fair developed the sophisticated postelection audits , known as "risk-limiting," for Colorado, which was the first U.S. state to require the audits recommended in the National Academies of Sciences report. ElectionGuard is not designed to work with internet voting schemes which experts consider too easily hackable and does not currently work with vote-by-mail systems. ES&S told The Associated Press via email that it was excited to partner with Microsoft and "still exploring the potentials" for incorporated the software kit its voting systems. Hart InterCivic, the No. 3 vendor, said it planned a pilot project with Microsoft to "incorporate ElectionGuard functionality as an additional feature" layered over its core platform. A spokeswoman for Dominion, the No. 2 vendor, said "We are very interested in learning more about the initiative and being able to review the various prototypes that are being planned, along with hearing more about other federally-supported efforts in the elections space." Edgardo Cortes, a former Virginia elections commissioner now with New York University's Brennan Center, welcomed additional private sector support for election systems. "I think it'll take a while to catch on and see how beneficial (ElectionGuard) ends up being," he said. "But I think it certainly does have a great deal of potential." Columbia University will be partnering with Microsoft to audit the pilots. Boston Police are investigating Monday after someone was shot in the city's Mattapan neighborhood. The victim was shot in the Malta Street area. Police were called to the scene shortly after 5 p.m. Police said the victim was taken to a hospital in the area. The nature and extent of that person's injuries are unclear. Authorities are investigating. The three Massachusetts communities impacted by the gas explosions and fires last September in the Merrimack Valley have reached a settlement with Columbia Gas and its parent company NiSource Inc. City officials from Andover, North Andover, and Lawrence, as well as the utility, are scheduled to detail the settlement on Tuesday at noon at the Andover Public Safety Building. The settlement is to compensate the three communities for road restoration and municipal claims and costs associated with the Sept. 13 incident. The disaster was caused by over-pressurization in a natural gas pipeline. Approximately 8,600 natural gas customers were affected by the gas emergency. Almost eight months after that devastating day, the memories are still fresh. "It was Armageddon," said Andover resident Jackie Geraci. "My street was blocked off. I said to the cop, 'Can I get my mom?' He said, 'Pull over there, get your mom and get out of town.'" In the weeks and months that followed, homes and businesses recouped as much money as they could from Columbia Gas for everything from ruined appliances to lost revenue. Now, it's the government's turn. "I mean, I think it's critical," said Lynn Kennedy of Andover. "This was obviously an expensive accident." Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday his administration has been "very aggressive" in pushing the company and towns to settle. The settlement will reimburse the three municipalities for all sorts of costs, including overtime. "I live near where the fire department is and these guys went nonstop," said Lawrence resident Marianne Blackstone. The fire and explosions were responsible for one death, injuring around 25 others and damaging or destroying dozens of businesses. Fifty miles of roadways in Merrimack Valley were dug up to replace gas mains, and Columbia Gas says all three communities will be paid back for the enormous expenses that came with all the work. "I can't even imagine the price tag on that," said Geraci. "Their purse strings aren't endless." The exact terms of the settlement have not been disclosed. Police in Lisbon, Maine, say a dog-like animal leaped out of the woods and attacked a family walking their St. Bernard on a popular trail. The incident was reported to police around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, about two hours after the family of three showed up with bite wounds at a local hospital. Lewiston Police Chief Marc Hagan says the family, a man, a woman and an 11-year-old-girl, were walking on the Paper Mill Trail somewhere south of the Big Dipper ice cream shop when a dog or coyote-like creature came out of the woods and bit the young girl on the leg. The woman tried to remove the dog which then bit her hand, biting through a finger bone and taking the end of the finger off. The man then intervened and received minor injuries to his hand before the animal left. The St. Bernard was not hurt. "We're either thinking it's a dog or a large coyote," said Hagan who is urging anyone walking on the same trail to be on the lookout for "an animal at large." The police chief is having officers patrol the area, a popular place for dog-walkers, joggers and pedestrians as much as possible without detracting from other pressing safety concerns. Danielle Shorey was walking with two young boys along the Paper Mill Trail Monday morning despite hearing the report about the attack. "I feel like people are still going to come out, it's a nice walking path," she said, adding that she wasn't planning on lingering too long. "It was just a quick walk, we're not really planning on being out here for a long period of time after hearing the story," she explained. Lisbon Police say they're particularly interested if the animal may reappear at dusk, since that's when the initial attack happened Saturday. Police went to the trail with a state game warden at that time on Sunday. So far, there have been no further incidents or sightings, and Hagan is calling the even unusual. "I've been here two and a half years," he said. "This is the first time something like this has happened." Police are not sure if the animal that attacked the family was rabid. Their investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about what happened is asked to give them a call. Behind every vintage item is a story. And if the antiques inside Anthony Brooks' Blue Collar Vintage Salvage shop in Leicester, Massachusetts, could talk he says there would be 100,000 stories. But what he found inside a box likely rescued from a demolition and just sitting in a trailer in Oxford for decades is the beginning of a story to which he hopes to learn the ending. "Basically eight or nine photo albums, his high school yearbook, a lot of papers from the military," explained Brooks. These albums and papers chronicle about a decade in the life of Leon Earl Walker, nicknamed "Lee." Born Nov. 9, 1951, and raised in Webster, he graduated from Bartlett High School in 1969 even though he was already enlisted in the Army and went on to serve in Vietnam. Among his Army accolades preserved in a scrapbook are well-wishes for his deployment, his 101st Airborne Division patches and old articles about his service. There are even photos of his travels throughout Europe, as well as college papers from his time at Clark University. "I get the gut feeling that he was an incredible guy and a really good man," Brooks said. Walker would be 67 now, and Brooks would love to be able to find him, or any of his relatives, to be able to reunite them with this little slice of history. "I just want to make sure that somebody gets them in their hands that can appreciate them," said Brooks. And maybe Brooks can learn the full story of the man behind these vintage treasures. "It would just be priceless," he said. Brooks says if you think you know Walker or any of his relatives, you can contact him on the Blue Collar Vintage Salvage Facebook page. A medical examiner said Monday that a Massachusetts teen whose decapitated head was found floating in a river three years ago was stabbed nearly 80 times before and after his death. Following a week of shocking details, emotional testimony by family and a visit to the scene of the alleged crime, the murder trial of Mathew Borges continued into its second week on Monday. Borges, 18, is charged with beheading former 16-year-old Lawrence High School classmate Lee Manuel Viloria-Paulino. The defendant was 15-years-old at the time of the killing but is being tried as an adult. Medical examiner Maria Del Mar Capo-Martinez testified Monday that Viloria-Paulino's body was stabbed a total of 76 times. Dozens of those stabbings appear to have happened after Viloria-Paulino was already dead. She also testified that Viloria-Paulino's death was due to "multiple sharp force injuries." Viloria-Paulino's headless body was found by a man walking his dog along the banks of the Merrimack River on Dec. 1, 2016, two weeks after his family reported him missing. His head was later found in a bag floating in the river. Jurors on Friday visited several sites where prosecutors say the teenage victim's body was found. "We're about to visit several places about which you have heard testimony," the judge told jurors before they boarded a bus. "Your responsibility on the view is to see the places observe them carefully and remember what you see." The jury visited Viloria-Paulino's home and also the riverbank where his body was found. The teen's hands had been cut off and his head was found in a bag weighted down with rocks nearby, according to prosecutors. Two witnesses last week said Borges confessed to the gruesome crime in a phone call the night of the murder. In audio played for jurors Wednesday, the suspect could be heard telling Officer John Heggarty that he and the victim went to the Merrimack River to smoke marijuana on the day Viloria-Paulino went missing. Borges said he left before the victim did and that this was the last time he saw him. Haggerty, however, said in the recording that Borges' account "doesn't make sense." Prosecutors said during opening statements Monday that the murder of Viloria-Paulino was fueled by jealousy. They said Borges would get angry with his classmate when his then-girlfriend would speak to the victim. The defense, however, has argued that Borges is only guilty of being involved in the break-in and nothing more. They said there is no evidence he killed Viloria-Paulino. Raymond, N.H. - Police are asking the public for help finding a woman that's gone missing from a New Hampshire campsite. Nicole Davis, 25. from Manchester, was last seen around 11 p.m. on Saturday after she walked away from her campsite at the Pine Acres Campground on Freetown Road in Raymond. Davis is 5'3, 120 pounds and has red hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing denim overalls. It was reported that she had been drinking alcohol before she disappeared, according to police. State police, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Service and the Raymond Fire Department are helping in the search. Anyone with information is asked to call Raymond police at 603-894-4747. Police in Maine have accused a couple of kicking, punching, and threatening a woman with a knife. Police say the Saco woman accompanied them to their Biddeford home Saturday night where she said Brown was going to get an article of clothing. Once they entered the Hill Street apartment, the victim told police she was physically restrained, assaulted and had a knife held to her throat. The victim managed to escape early Sunday, and officers noted that she had bruises on her head and neck, and an eye was swollen shut. Police said Monday that 33-year-old Aaron Brown is charged with kidnapping and aggravated assault, and 31-year-old Kimberly Marie Vigue-Brown is charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault and robbery. The Journal Tribune reported that police didn't provide a motive. It wasn't immediately known if the couple had a lawyer. A 2020 presidential hopeful shared a personal story in New Hampshire Monday as she addressed the opioid epidemic. Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota told voters in Nashua that she grew up with an alcoholic father. "He was drunk at graduations, and he wasn't there at Christmas, or late," Klobuchar said at the Revive Recovery Center. "I would have to literally take the keys away from him." Klobuchar is making her plan to combat addiction and prioritize mental health one of the central issues of her presidential campaign. As some front-runners tout Medicare for All and tuition-free college, Klobuchar has taken a more measured approach. "She's somebody who has always presented herself as a politician who's able to work across the aisle, to actually have legislative outcomes that she can point to," said political analyst Dean Spiliotes of Southern New Hampshire University. "A lot of times, that involves compromise." But is compromise a winning strategy at a time when many Democratic primary voters are trying to push candidates further to the left? "I consider myself a proven progressive. And that means that I get things done," Klobuchar said. "What is being a progressive if you don't make progress?" Klobuchar says that she supports universal health care, but she prefers to build on the Affordable Care Act. She also supports free two-year community college, but she says the country can't afford a free four-year college system. Political observers say Klobuchar doesn't need to win the New Hampshire primary to have a viable candidacy, but that she needs to move up from her current standing in the middle of the pack. A Massachusetts man was ordered held without bail during his arraignment in his hospital room Monday in connection with the stabbing death of his wife Friday night at the couple's Stoughton home. Ilton Rodrigues, 48, entered a plea of not guilty to the murder of his wife, 43-year-old Telma Bras, from his hospital bed. According to the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office, Rodrigues allegedly stabbed his wife before trying to take his own life. The couple's 17-year-old daughter called a family member during the incident, who then called police. Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Blair said when police arrived at the couple's Bennett Drive apartment at about 11:30 p.m., a knife was still protruding from his body. Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara called the scene "extremely violent." Authorities said neither the couple's teenage daughter nor their 7-year-old son were hurt. Rodrigues was taken to Boston Medical Center for treatment of his injuries, where he underwent surgery overnight and remains in police custody. The investigation is being handled by Stoughton police and Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney's Office. Rodrigues is due in Stoughton District Court June 11. He is represented by attorney Joseph Krowski. A suspected gang member wanted for allegedly threatening to kill a pregnant woman as well as failing to show up for a court appearance on drug charges was arrested Friday by Massachusetts State Police at a family member's funeral. Kiosnel Pineiro, 21, was taken into custody without incident around noon at Hope Cemetery in Worcester by state police gang unit troopers and members of the Worcester Police Gang Unit. Authorities said they had information that Pineiro might be attending the funeral service, so they set up surveillance. After observing him entering the funeral home, he was followed to the cemetery, where he was arrested after the services ended and he was getting in a vehicle to leave. Police said Pineiro had made threats last month in reference to killing a pregnant woman. He also posted multiple photos of himself on social media posing with firearms. In addition to the alleged threats, police said Pineiro was wanted on a default warrant out of Worcester Superior Court for distribution of Class A and B narcotics. The charges stem from a 2017 incident in which he allegedly sold drugs to an undercover trooper. It's unclear when Pineiro will be arraigned or if he has an attorney. Tewksbury is one of the more than 80 towns in Massachusetts to have passed a plastic bag ban, but the community will meet on Monday to discuss the possibility of repealing the year-old bill. A plastic bag ban aimed to reduce the use of plastic in order to help the environment passed in dozens of Bay State communities last year. The ban replaces plastic bags with paper ones at grocery stores. While some residents say the ban is environmentally friendly and helps human health, opponents say it is ineffective at combating litter and makes shopping for elderly people difficult. Several stores charge 10 cents per paper bag used and environmentalists say this encourages shoppers to buy reusable bags. A legislative panel in Massachusetts has considered implementing a statewide single-use plastic bag ban. Reddings budget could be the trickiest to pass but spending plans for Danbury, Bethel and Region 12 all go to the ballot box Tuesday. With a history of voting down budgets with larger increases, Redding residents are facing a budget that calls for more money in the town, schools and Region 9 budgets for an overall increase of $1.73 million. The ballot also calls for all three to be grouped together in one lump sum, though voters also vote on Region 9s budget independently. And this is the second attempt for the Bethel budget, which failed April 11. Brookfield also will hold a town meeting in Brookfield High Schools auditorium at 7 p.m. Tuesday to discuss its $70 million budget. Heres a look at the different budgets being decided Tuesday: Danbury Danbury City Council will consider a $261.5 million budget at its regular meeting, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Mayor Mark Boughtons proposed budget is $4.5 million, or 1.8 percent more than this year. It keeps the tax rate level, while increasing funding for schools and roads. The biggest budget drivers are salaries, pensions and benefits for current and retired employees. We didnt just skimp, cut, slam and say Too bad, everyone isnt going to get what they want, what they need and what they desire, Boughton said during an earlier budget presentation. We have a budget thats thoughtful and measured and addresses the needs of the community. The Board of Education accounts for $134.4 million of the budget, or $5.2 million more than this year. The district is getting $2.2 million more in local funding and $2.4 million more in Alliance grant funding. The former Matrix site is also expected to generate $550,000 in student impact fees. The budget includes $4.5 million for road work, including paving, fixing potholes, installing guardrails and improving drainage. There are also several public safety items, including replacing Tasers, upgrading communications equipment, continuing the vehicle rollover program and buying a rescue vessel for Candlewood Lake that the fire and police departments will be able to use. Improving the downtown by enhancing the streetscape and adding more police patrols in the summer are also in the budget. Redding Voters will consider a nearly $51 million budget, which is about $1.73 million more than the current budget and includes increases in the selectmen, school board and Region 9 budgets. The big budget drivers are pensions, social security and other contractual increases, as well as salaries and special education on the schools side. It includes nearly $15 million for the selectmen, which is about $292,000, or 1.98 percent, more than the current budget. The Redding Board of Education budget is nearly $22.1 million, which is about $938,000, or 4.44 percent, more than the current budget. This is less than the 4.69 percent increase initially approved by the school board, which oversees the elementary and middle schools. This proposed budget reinstates Spanish at the elementary school. Reddings share of the Region 9 budget is $13.9 million, which is about $505,000 more than the current year, though the overall budget is the same. This is because the cost is split proportionally between Easton and Redding based on the number of students each town has at Joel Barlow High School. Voters will also be asked to approve up to $2.5 million for the police and fire radio upgrades and $400,000 for the Station Road bridge project. The town plans to borrow for both though there could be some state money as well. Region 12 Region 12s $22.8 million budget, is heading to referendum in the districts three towns, splitting it proportionally based on enrollment. This means Washington will pay $10.6 million for the budget, Roxbury will cover $7.75 million and Bridgewater is responsible for $4.45 million. The overall budget is 4.57 percent higher than the current budget, largely due to the new agriscience academy program that begins this fall. The bulk of the increase will be offset though by the revenue the program generates. Contractual personnel increases are another budget driver. Salaries account for $12.8 million, or 56.2 percent of the overall budget and 1.18 percent more than last year. Benefits account for $3.67 million, or 16.1 percent of the overall budget, which is 6.19 percent more than the current year. Another budget driver is the upgrades to the districts buildings, totaling about $434,000, up from the $21,900 included in the current budget. Bethel The town budget returns to voters, this time with $385,000 less, bringing the new municipal operating budget $31.6 million. The original proposal was narrowly rejected last month. The $46.4 million school and $1 million capital budgets were approved earlier this month and wont be voted on again. With this new budget, the tax rate would increase by 1.65 percent and municipal spending would rise by 6.9 percent. The previous plan would have raised the tax rate by 2.24 percent. Combined town and school budgets would be just under $78 million. The Police Department, Senior Center, school maintenance and Parks and Recreation Department saw the bulk of the cuts. Debt from the police station and elementary school renovation projects is still the biggest budget driver, with the debt service increasing 25 percent from the previous year. The board But the Finance Board voted to use the $285,000 the town expects to receive from the state to pay off some of these loans, bringing debt service costs to $4.9 million, down from the $5.2 million in the previous proposal. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345 NEW MILFORD Volunteers spruced up area nonprofits and planted trees at an elementary school during a recent Day of Service. The 38 employees from YardApes, Inc, a landscaping company that has been in New Milford for almost 30 years, rehabilitated a yurt at Pratt Nature Center, planted four new trees at Northville Elementary School, beautified Merryall Center for the Arts, re-seeded and removed invasive vines at Clover Ridge Animal Sanctuary, and cleaned the area surrounding the Tunnel Road portion of Steep Rock Association in Washington. Following the successful awarding of a CRUK Biotherapeutic Drug Discovery Project Award, Aptamer Therapeutics Limited, part of Aptamer Group, is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Dan Wiseman and the Oglesby Leukemia Research Program at the University of Manchester and Cancer Research UK. The project will explore the potential of aptamers as therapeutic agents for the treatment of Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) and other myeloid malignancies. Aptamers are synthetic alternatives to antibodies that can be designed as therapeutics to disrupt disease targets and pathways. The partnership intends to build on the initial data showing aptamers with therapeutic potential that can selectively target a key gene fault involved in driving this group of cancers. Tony Hickson, Cancer Research UKs Chief Business Officer, said: Were thrilled to support this collaboration, building on excellence in drug discovery at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute. By bringing together the best minds in academic cancer research with the rigor and drive of industry partners, we can accelerate the development of potentially life-saving new treatments. The Cancer Research UK Biotherapeutic Drug Discovery Project Award aims to increase the availability of biotherapeutic drugs for the management of cancer. Aptamers are a relatively young technology, and this will allow the assessment of their potential in a wider therapeutic setting. Arron Tolley, Aptamer Therapeutics Chief Executive Officer, said: We are excited to partner with Cancer Research UK and the University of Manchester. This is further validation of the potential of our platform to generate therapeutic molecules for further development. Source: https://www.aptamergroup.co.uk/ In a large international clinical study presented at the 99th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Moishe Liberman, a thoracic surgeon and researcher at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center (CRCHUM), and his team showed that thoracoscopic lobectomyvideo-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)combined with pulmonary artery sealing using an ultrasonic energy device reduced the risk of post-operative bleeding, complications and pain. Unlike surgery with thoracotomy, which involves making a 25 cm incision in the patient's chest and cutting the ribs, a VATS procedure requires small incisions. A miniature video camera is inserted through one of the incisions. In both types of surgical interventions, there is a risk of bleeding because the branches of the pulmonary artery are very thin, fragile and are attached directly to the heart. "Thanks to this clinical trial conducted in Canadian, American and British hospitals, we have shown that it is possible to safely seal pulmonary blood vessels through ultrasonic sealing and effectively control possible bleeding during a VATS procedure," explained Dr. Liberman, an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Montreal. Currently, only 15% of lobectomies around the world are performed by VATS, mainly because of the actual risks of major bleeding or surgeons' perception of these risks. "I truly hope that the results of our clinical trial will reassure surgeons about the technical feasibility and safety of this operation and will encourage them to adopt it. A large number of patients could benefit from it and would be on their feet faster, with less pain," indicated Dr. Liberman. Next-generation device After five years of preclinical research at the CRCHUM, trials conducted on animals, phase1 and phase 2 clinical trials showing the safety of the surgical intervention, Dr. Liberman's team has recently completed their large international phase2 clinical trial launched in 2016. It was able to evaluate the effectiveness of this new technique on 150 patients in eight hospitals across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. 139 of them underwent a lobectomy, while the remaining 11 underwent a segmentectomy (removal of a small part of the lung). A total of 424 pulmonary artery branches were sealed during the study: 181 using surgical staplers, 4 with endoscopic clips and 239 using the HARMONIC ACE +7 Shears, designed by the company Ethicon (Johnson & Johnson). With a 3-millimeter jaw at its tip, this high-tech "pistol" allows a surgeon to seal blood vessels by delivering ultrasonic energy. According to the World Health Organization, lung cancer kills nearly 1.69 million people around the world every year. The Priorys Roehampton Hospital in south-west London has been rated as good across all the mental health and addictions services it offers by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The hospital supports and treats patients with mental health problems and addictions. It also treats eating disorders, and children and adolescents experiencing acute mental illness. In their latest report, inspectors from the health and social care regulator said doctors, nurses and other staff at the hospital worked together effectively to provide good care, with staff providing emotional and practical support for patients. Staff took the time to understand patients and their needs, and were sensitive, discreet and compassionate when providing care, the CQC said. Two new senior managers had been recruited to the hospital and in a short space of time had made a demonstrable impact to the safety and quality of care provided to patents. This included developing a strong safety culture of learning from incidents and complaints. Inspectors praised the use of CCTV to monitor for all areas of risk. The system is monitored independently by experts, and staff are informed about any additional areas for improvement. Staff also undertook a comprehensive risk assessment of all patients, the inspectors report added. Ligature risks were effectively minimized by the thoughtful positioning of staff, CCTV, admission criteria, use of observations by staff and individual patient risk assessment. On the adult acute wards, staff attitudes and behavior towards patients showed that they were positive, calm and respectful, and responsive to the needs of the patients. Patients had access to a range of therapies, Monday to Saturday from 9 am-5 pm, including psychotherapy, family therapy, self-esteem building and art therapy. In the child and adolescent mental health wards, young people had their own bedrooms. All rooms had magnetic ensuite bathroom doors, anti-ligature radiator covers and non-weight bearing curtains, and the wards had CCTV to monitor potential risks which extended to bedrooms where patients or their families gave consent. Inspectors said some young people told us that they thought staff members really cared about their wellbeing. We observed kind, positive and responsive interactions from staff. The staff had a very good understanding of the services and their challenges. Staff were overwhelmingly positive concerning the culture in the services, inspectors said. On the eating disorder services, inspectors said both wards had full-time consultant psychiatrists specializing in eating disorders available on the wards. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals supported each other to provide good care. The facilities promoted recovery, comfort, dignity and confidentiality, the report said, while patients and carers views were important to the service. Within the addictions service, patients gave examples of staff who were lovely, approachable and were described as providing exceptional care. The ward received thank-you cards from patients, and staff felt positive and proud about working for the Priory and their team. The report singled out as an area of outstanding practice the detailed system of audits for patients having detox, which went above and beyond what is normally expected in substance misuse services. Senior managers also met weekly with staff to generate ideas and discuss issues and such meetings were an essential element to the recent change in culture, focusing on patient safety, transparency and learning. Mark Morgan, Hospital Director, said: The report is testimony to the strength and dedication of the team here and I am proud of what has been achieved. It is particularly gratifying to see a full page of good practice across all areas, with a reference to an area of outstanding practice in our addictions service. This report showcases the excellent services we offer and our dedication to constant improvement. Our focus now is to move to an outstanding rating. Gair Stott, chief operating officer for Priory Healthcare, said the hospital had built on previous findings in "a culture of continuous improvement". He added: The hard work and commitment of everyone at the hospital has ensured patient care and safety comes first and is of a high quality. For several months last spring and summer, my teen daughter, Caroline, experienced near-daily bouts of depression and debilitating panic attacks. During those episodes, she became extremely agitated, sobbing uncontrollably and aggressively rebuffing my attempts to comfort or reason with her. My daughter was in a dark place, and I was worried. But I have excellent health insurance, and I thought that would help me find a good therapist. I dutifully dialed everyone on my health plan's list. Some of them even called me back only to say they weren't taking new patients, or couldn't see Caroline for three months, or didn't have the training to match her symptoms. I ultimately found a great therapist who isn't in my health plan's network and after many months of weekly sessions, Caroline is doing much better. I'm luckier than most parents, because my health plan covers a significant portion of Caroline's out-of-network therapy. I pay only $45 per session, while some parents shell out north of $200 every week. Think about how perverse this is. Mental health professionals say that with children, early intervention is crucial to avoid more severe and costly problems later on. Yet even parents with good insurance struggle to find care for their children. The U.S. faces a growing shortage of mental health professionals trained to work with young people at a time when depression and anxiety are on the rise. Suicide was the No. 2 cause of death for children and young adults from age 10 to 24 in 2017, after accidents. There is only one practicing child and adolescent psychiatrist in the U.S. for about every 1,800 children who need one, according to data from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Not only is it hard to get appointments with psychiatrists and therapists, but the ones who are available often don't accept insurance. "This country currently lacks the capacity to provide the mental health support that young people need," says Dr. Steven Adelsheim, director of the Stanford University psychiatry department's Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing. Alison Bloeser, a Seal Beach, Calif., mom, has struggled for nearly a decade to find effective care for her now 15-year old son's obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD. In that time, Bloeser says, she has taken him to over 20 therapists and had him on medication spending more than $20,000 along the way. "We have a growing number of young people in this country crying out for help at a young age," Bloeser says. "Why are we not addressing that full force?" There's no one-size-fits-all solution because people's financial and personal situations vary widely. So let me begin with tips for all parents, even those with skimpy insurance or none at all. A good place to start is the pediatrician's office whether it's a private practice or a low-cost community clinic. "When your children reach adolescence, you should be asking their pediatricians to screen for both anxiety and depression," advises Dr. Bhavana Arora, chief medical officer of the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Health Network. A number of pediatricians in her program are becoming increasingly comfortable treating mild to moderate mental health problems in their offices, Arora says. If your finances are constrained, try a community health clinic that offers mental health services regardless of a family's ability to pay. For instance, Los Angeles-based AltaMed (www.altamed.org) has 12 clinics in L.A. and Orange counties where children and teens with mild to moderate mental health disorders can get short-term therapy. Medi-Cal picks up the tab for most of those kids. For kids not on Medi-Cal, the clinics charge on a sliding scale. One way to find a community clinic near you is to search https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/. Your child's school is another place to seek help. Caroline's high school has a mental health counselor whom she visits when she is anxious or feeling blue. She always feels better afterward. If your kid's school doesn't have a mental health counselor, nurses and regular school counselors will likely know of outside options. Talk to them. Faith-based organizations are increasingly engaged in mental health care. Saddleback Church, with numerous locations around Southern California, offers support groups and counseling. Jewish Family Service agencies nationwide provide counseling on a sliding scale. Muslims can try the Khalil Center, which has branches in Chicago, L.A., the San Francisco Bay Area, New York and Toronto. If you, like me, have insurance and find a good therapist who is not in your network, try to make it work if you can possibly afford it. Start by checking whether you have coverage for out-of-network providers. If not, or if it's not enough, ask if your health plan is willing to treat the therapist as an in-network provider just for your child an arrangement known as a single-case agreement. The therapist likely will have to agree to a lower payment. For many parents, the most productive thing is meeting others who are experiencing similar problems. "Grassroots support groups, finding other parents going through what they're going through, is the launch pad of everything," says Debra Ann Afarian, coordinator of the Orange County, Calif., chapter of Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. If you need help and peer support, check with the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It offers a six-week course, "NAMI Basics," which educates parents and puts them in touch with others in the same boat. Go to www.nami.org to find the chapter in your area. Janis Thereault, of Santa Ana, Calif., whose adult son lives at home and has obsessive-compulsive disorder, searched the website of the International OCD Foundation (www.iocdf.org), which has affiliates around the country, and found local therapists specializing in the illness. They directed her to a support group. After her son refused therapy for months, Thereault and her husband, Brian, followed the advice of one of the therapists: They told their son if he did not agree to counseling, they would evict him from the house. Members of the support group, some of whom had made similar decisions, offered them a sympathetic ear. "It's not an easy thing for us to do as parents," Thereault says. This KHN story first published on California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation. The UKs Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, has said in a statement that the government does not want to impose mandatory vaccinations for all children but given the current situation with the measles outbreak, they are forced to consider all options. ChooChin | Shutterstock Last week, UNICEF released a report stating that more than half a million children in the UK were not vaccinated against common vaccine-preventable viral diseases like measles between 2010 and 2017. Parents and advocates against vaccinations (also known as 'anti-vaxxers') have been blamed for the low uptake rates, with the World Health Organization (WHO) naming anti-vaxxers as one of the top ten health global threats earlier this year. Speaking to The Times, Mr. Hancock said: The evidence is clear... vaccination is good for you and your children and, critically, protects people who can't be vaccinated for medical reasons. Those who have promoted the anti-vaccination myth are morally reprehensible, deeply irresponsible and have blood on their hands. 'We need to consider all options' In order to protect those who cannot be vaccinated (also known as herd immunity), the WHO recommends that at least 95 percent of the population are vaccinated. At present, only 91 percent of adults have been vaccinated. Hancock also spoke to BBC Radio 4, saying, I do think we need to consider all options. Failure to vaccinate when there isn't a good reason is wrong. Those people who campaign against vaccination are campaigning against science. The science is settled. I don't want to have to reach the point of compulsory vaccination, but I will rule nothing out. I don't want to reach that point and I don't think we are near there, but there is a huge programme of work to increase the proportion of children that are vaccinated. He added, If you don't vaccinate your children, it is not only your child that is at risk, it is also other children, including children who for medical reasons can't be vaccinated. Vaccination is good for you, good for your child, good for your neighbor and your community. Adding to the debate, a UK politician said that failure to immunize a child should be a criminal offense early last week. 'Fake news and pernicious propaganda' The percentage of children under-five who have received the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine has fallen to just 87.2 percent in England over the past four years say officials. If the requisite 95 percent coverage is not met, infants and adults and elderly (with diseases such as cancer) remain vulnerable to potentially life-threatening infections. Public Health England reported 32 confirmed cases of measles between January and March this year. This is a huge increase from previous years, with 3 cases for the same period in 2018 and 8 cases in 2017. Dr. Kristina Poole from Public Health England North West said in a statement, The majority of the cases are in unvaccinated children. Jon Ashworth, Shadow Health Secretary for the UK Government, writes, The spread of this anti-vax disinformation on social media is pernicious and potentially fuels a public health crisis in the UK.Im also calling on the NHS to promote messages outlining the importance of vaccinations on social media and the high risks of ignoring such advice." "Vaccinations have been one of the most important public health interventions of the last 70 years since the creation of the NHS. We cant allow fake news and pernicious propaganda to undermine a medical advance that has helped save so many lives. This is about the health and wellbeing of our children. It would be a shameful tragedy if we failed them by not acting. The problem is not unique to the UK Germany German Health Minister, Jens Spahnhas, recently drafted legislation which states that parents must vaccinate their children against measles or face having their children excluded from daycare or being fined. Since 2000, cases of measles in the nation have peaked. In a statement, Spahnhas said, I want to eradicate measles. Anyone going to a kindergarten or school should be vaccinated against measles. He said that all parents would need to show proof that their children are vaccinated against measles by July 2020, adding "Whoever does not get their child vaccinated, faces up to 2,500 euros in fines. The move is supported by conservative leaders, as well as the left-sided Social Democrat (SPD) party. SPD health policy expert Karl Lauterbach said, It will not work without fines. At present, only 93 percent of the children are vaccinated against measles and they are still short of the 95 percent target. Spahn says that this legislation would help protect young babies who cannot be vaccinated yet but are vulnerable. United States of America Measles has made a comeback in the United States, with over 700 confirmed cases across 22 states in the past year. Of these, around 66 patients were hospitalized, with one in three of these patients going on to develop pneumonia. Around 500 of those with the infection were not vaccinated, report officials. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all parents need to vaccinate their children against measles. Initially, President Donald Trump seemed skeptical of vaccines, making obscure and disproven comments about measles vaccine and autism. He has since changed his stance, saying, they have to get the shots. President Trump on measles outbreak: "They have to get the shot. The vaccinations are so important." pic.twitter.com/C3ZMJ4Srf1 NBC News (@NBCNews) April 26, 2019 This week, around 1000 university students from 2 universities in Los Angeles (UCLA and Cal State-LA) were quarantined in response to a suspected measles outbreak on the campus. At Cal State-LA 875 students, staff, faculty and visitors and at UCLA 129 students and faculty were quarantined respectively. According to health officials, two days the quarantine was put in place, 325 of the students were cleared to return after they proved that they had been vaccinated against the infection or had natural immunity after contracting the disease earlier in life. Dr Armand Dorian, chief medical officer at the University of Southern California's Verdugo Hills Hospital warned in a statement, Measles actually kills people, so we have to take that really seriously. Segregating 'non-traditional learners' As a local special education advocate, I am very concerned about the proposed plan to expand the Lynchburg City Schools elementary alternative education program. In an article in the April 23 issue of The News & Advance, Deputy Superintendent Ben Copeland points to an increase of younger non-traditional learners as the reason for expanding this program. In my experience, non-traditional learners are often students with disabilities. Both research and federal regulations support students with disabilities being educated with their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent possible. Furthermore, spending funds on new alternative education facilities runs contrary to the ongoing implementation of the Virginia Tiered System of Supports (VTSS). At the October 2018 School Board meeting, Director of Student Services Latonya Brown described how a Virginia Department of Education grant of more $34,000 is being used this school year to continue the VTSS tiered framework that addresses the academic, behavioral and social-emotional well-being of all LCS students. Successful implementation of VTSS should greatly reduce the number of students in need of alternative education settings. Most importantly, VTSS is a data-informed process that focuses on evidence-based practices to maximize student outcomes. Where is the data that supports increasing the capacity of the alternative education program? Where is the evidence that supports additional buildings will benefit our most vulnerable students? What evidence-based practice supports an exclusionary program over the addition of more school counselors, social workers, behaviorists, and additional staff training? I urge the School Board to carefully investigate these questions before considering the expansion of the elementary alternative education program. KIM LEMBURG Rustburg The MCU future of the Kingpin may be a mystery, but Marvel Comics has an answer Marvel Comics has already provided the perfect way for Kingpin to keep going in the MCU This list of draft and package offerings are available through Maletis Beverage (greater Portland metro region), availability may vary for other regions of Oregon. If you have any questions, please reach out. BEERS AVAILABLE NOW: True Gold - 5.1% 17 IBU - Smoothness, drinkability, approachability, just a kiss of hop flavor that's tropical and enticing, virtually no bitterness. It's an everyday kind of beer that's just incredibly pleasant all around. Contemporary in its very light hop flavor - lager-like, but without the prominent maltiness or bitterness of a classic German lager - 50L draft, 12oz 6-PACKS!! Tall Guy IPA - 6.8% 58 IBU - Originally designed by one of our cellarmen as a homebrew recipe, Tall Guy IPA is an ode to the Citra hop. Citra is one of our absolute favorite varietals to use: it has soft, tropical notes, clean orange, a touch of juicy fruit, and a hard-to-pin-down quality that reminds many of our brewers of fruity pebbles. This beer is also a showcase of the 2018 Hop Harvest. Every fall our brewers travel to Yakima to select specific lots of hops for the upcoming brew year; we seek out lots that really showcase the hop's maximum flavor and aroma, but it is hard to know how each hop varietal will ultimately perform in the brewery. After selection is complete, we have to wait 3-4 months before we can actually start brewing with these hops, and we are eager to see the full range and intensity of the Citra hops we selected for 2019 - 50L draft & 22oz package Jaromir Lager - 6.2% 63 IBU - A classic pale Czech lager, but don't call it a Pilsner! There is only one "Pilsen" beer in Czechia, and this is not it. We've taken some cues from the idiosyncratic brewers of Bohemia, including the use of multiple decoctions, heirloom malts, and first wort hop additions to make a lager that harkens to the old world. We hope you enjoy this beautiful golden lager with its rich malt flavor & beguiling hop backbone - 50L draft BUCKWHAT?! Schwarzbier - 5.4% 26 IBU - we love the nutty and rye-like notes that buckwheat can add to pancakes, teas, and noodles, and thought it would play beautifully with the nuanced malt flavors of a dark lager. For this beer, we added toasted buckwheat - the groats comprised close to 17% of the grist--to impart its unique flavor. What does buckwheat taste like? You'll find notes of rose, nuts, toast, grass, green tea, and a slight earthy bitterness. This is a fantastic beer for pairing with food, especially the vegetables that start to arrive in late winter and early spring - 50L draft Export Lager - 5.7% 32 IBU - our take on the pale lagers from Dortmund that were once the most popular style of beer brewed in Germany. Dortmund-style lagers combine the malt richness of a Munich Helles with the hop bitterness of a Pilsner; these beers were historically brewed for sale abroad so they were built sturdier at a higher alcohol level than most other 'light' German beers. And while people's eyes glaze over when you talk about water chemistry, know that the notoriously carbonate-heavy water from Dortmund gave these beers a distinctive minerality and roundness, which we try to emulate in our version. We think that a robust pale lager is well suited to the wet, deceptive springs that we experience in the Northwest, and we hope you enjoy this underrated style of classic German beer! - 50L draft (Newser) Carolyn Warmus, who was convicted of killing her lover's wife in an infamous 1989 case, has won parole after 27 years in a New York prison. She could be released as soon as June 10, CNN reports. Warmus was found guilty of killing Betty Jeanne Solomon; Warmus was a schoolteacher in her twenties having an affair with Solomon's husband, Paul, who was 17 years older. He worked with Warmus at a Westchester County elementary school. Prosecutors said Warmus grew tired of waiting for Solomon to leave his wife, who was shot nine times in her home. The first trial ended in a hung jury, but Warmus was convicted of second-degree murder the next year. story continues below The sensational trial spawned TV movies and documentaries, and was widely referred to as the "Fatal Attraction" case after the 1987 Michael Douglas-Glenn Close movie of that name. Prosecutors said Warmus had developed an obsessive attachment to her lover, per the New York Post. After killing his wife, they said, Warmus met Paul Solomon at a hotel bar and had sex with him in his car. She has long claimed to be innocent of the slaying; at an earlier parole hearing, Warmus blamed media attention for her conviction. She has told CNN she was "collateral damage" in a setup; Paul Solomon was a suspect at the time. Warmus said in 2016 that she'd get a different verdict in this era, per CBS: "I'm in prison for 25 years to life because I dated a married man." (Nearly 30 years later, some are questioning the sentence of another woman involved in an infamous murder.) (Newser) For Charlize Theron, it was a defining momentand one that reflects how Hollywood recasts women the moment they turn 40, USA Today reports. Appearing on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the actor responded to a rumor she had turned down the film role of Wonder Woman, which went to Gal Godot. "I did not turn the role of Wonder Woman down," says Theron, per Vanity Fair. "This is a great of example of how Hollywood slaps you in the face when you start aging. So somebody had said to me, 'Oh, theres action on this thing, Wonder Womanwe just want to make you aware of it.'" story continues below "And I was like, 'I'm just not familiar with it ... I mean, what does Wonder Woman do?' And this person said, 'No, its for Wonder Womans mom.'" As she, Cohen, and Seth Rogen laugh, Theron adds, "It was the defining moment where I crossed over. And I wasn't fully aware of it." Naturally, Rogen couldn't resist his own zinger: "They wanted me to be Batman's rabbi." For the record, Theron is 43, and Godot only nine years younger at 34. (See how critics reacted to a movie in which Theron did play a mom.) (Newser) President Trump turned up the pressure on China on Sunday, threatening to hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, the AP reports. 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 financial markets 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. He'd twice pushed back deadlinesin January and Marchto raise the tariffs in a bid to buy more time for a negotiated settlement. story continues below But on Sunday, Trump, who has called himself a "tariff man," said he's losing patience. "The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!" Trump tweeted. In his tweets, Trump also threatened to slap tariffs on another $325 billion in Chinese imports, covering everything China ships annually to the US. The two countries are locked in a high-stakes dispute over China's push to establish itself as a technological super power. The US charges that China is resorting to predatory tacticsincluding cybertheft and forcing foreign companies to hand over technologyin a drive to establish Chinese companies as world leaders in advanced industries such as robotics and electric vehicles. The administration has repeatedly suggested that the negotiators are making progress. (Read more trade war stories.) (Newser) It's been six months since mob boss Whitey Bulger was murdered in prison, and authorities have yet to charge anyone. But as NBC News reports, at least one inmate who was sent to solitary confinement after the slaying remains there. Sean McKinnon, 33, does not have any known mafia ties, but he happened to have a cellmate who does: convicted mob hitman Fotios "Freddy" Geas of Massachusetts. As the Boston Globe previously reported, Geas was initially identified as one of two suspects in Bulger's slaying. So do authorities think McKinnonwho is serving time for stealing gunsplayed a role in the killing or maybe just knows something about it? Not clear. story continues below "He had nothing to do with [Bulger's murder]," his mother, Cheryl Prevost, tells NBC News. "They think he knows more than what he does." She's worried about her son's mental health given that he's alone for 23 hours a day. Geas himself was sent to solitary after the murder, but it's not clear if he remains there. Prison officials will not comment on either situation. A former US attorney says McKinnon might actually be in solitary for his own protection, if other inmates think he played a role or at least knows something. "He's probably in danger no matter what," says Mimi Rocah, now an NBC legal analyst. (Before his death, Bulger told his lawyer he didn't trust the prison officials who transferred him.) (Newser) A different kind of "dirty" bomb: An Oregon man who was angry at a former friend created a dog poop bomb in a toolbox and left it on the back of the man's vehicle, police say. According to court papers, the toolbox was rigged to explode when it was opened and when the man lifted the lid, "it exploded with such force that it sounded like an M80 going off and the dog scat was blown out of the toolbox," the Oregonian reports. Police say suspect Robb Alexander Stout, 48, created the device using "dog excrement, a battery, wiring, switches, and a vehicle airbag that had the fabric restraint removed." Stout wasn't charged with assault, suggesting the friend wasn't injured by the blast. story continues below Police say that when they interviewed Stout, he told them he had fallen out with the friend because he failed to return something that belonged to him. He said they used to enjoy watching YouTube videos of people pulling pranks. Stout also said he had used feces from his own dog, as well as more dog poop he had found in a courtyard. Stout faces a felony charge of manufacturing a destructive device, KOIN reports. The Portland resident, who has eight drug convictions, was also charged with being a felon in possession of a gun, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, and possession of methamphetamine after police searched his home. (A Home Depot worker thought a joke in the men's bathroom was a bomb warning.) (Newser) As a throng of teenagers partied at a public housing complex in Manhattan's East Village Saturday night, police were calledbut someone upstairs took matters into their own hands before authorities arrived. White paint and a caustic chemical were poured from overhead into the courtyard, and at least 10 teens were burned, the New York Times reports. The six girls and four boys, ages 15 to 18, were all treated at a hospital for minor burns, though the mother of one victim says her daughter showed her pictures of partygoers with large burns. Other parents told her it was an orange-colored drain cleaner that was poured on the teens, but police have not confirmed that or given any further details. No arrests have been made, and PIX 11 reports police have not yet confirmed where the substance came from. story continues below A young man reportedly advertised the party, which had a $10 entrance fee, on social media, drawing up to 300 young people to a basement room in the First Houses development that is normally reserved for tenant meetings. The tenants' association president says he had not rented the room out, and residents of the building say they don't think the party host lives there. As music blasted, the partygoers spilled out into the courtyard, and the party had been going on only around an hour when police were called. Some of the injured teens ran to a deli nearby to get milk to put on the burns, and the aforementioned parent says she thinks some kids who were hurt were scared to tell their parents and have not gotten medical help. (Read more New York stories.) (Newser) The mayor of a small Georgia town is under fire after it was revealed that she allegedly withheld a candidate for city administrator from consideration because he was black. Theresa Kenerly, mayor of Hoschton, allegedly told a City Council member during a closed-door meeting on March 4 that she had pulled Keith Henry's resume out of a packet of four finalists for the job "because he is black, and the city isnt ready for this." Ninety percent of Hoschton's residents identify as white, per the Atlanta Journal Constitution's investigative report into the incident. Council member Hope Weeks said in a written statement March 4 that Kenerly repeated the sentiment to her after the meeting: "She proceeded to tell me that the candidate was real good, but he was black and we dont have a big black population and she just didnt think Hoschton was ready for that." story continues below Weeks and another council member were "appalled" at the comment and took the matter to the city attorney, the other council member tells the AJC. He, in turn, struck a deal with the city's five elected officials that allowed Kenerly to attend the job interviews, but not participate in them. A third council member says Kenerly ultimately apologized for her comment in a March 12 meeting, saying she was just "looking out" for Henry. When asked about the alleged comments, Kenerly initially told the AJC, "I cant say I said it or not said it," but later issued a statement reading: "I do not recall making the statement attributed to me regarding any applicant for the City Administrator position, and I deny that I made any statement that suggest (sic) prejudice." As for Henry, he ultimately pulled his application from consideration for unrelated reasons. See the full story here. (Read more Georgia stories.) (Newser) Vernon Messier and his wife, Lillian, were checking out at a Publix supermarket in Land O' Lakes, Florida, when Lillian's purse fell from the cash register counter to the floor. The purse had a Derringer inside, and the two-shot pistol went off when it hit the floor, shooting Vernon in the shin, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Publix provided video of the incident, which happened around 2pm Sunday, to police; the video shows Vernon "flinch and drop to the ground," per the Times. Police also found a hole in the side of the purse. The 69-year-old did not suffer life-threatening injuries, WFLA reports; he was transported to the hospital in stable condition. His 67-year-old wife possesses a concealed carry permit. Police do not expect charges to be filed. (A very similar story out of Mississippi.) (Newser) Three family members sleeping in their trailer home were killed and a girl was seriously injured after a suspected drunk driver plowed his pickup truck into the home, police said Monday. The California Highway Patrol said Ismael Huazo-Jardinez was driving "at a high rate of speed" when his truck crashed into the trailer Saturday night in the agricultural community of Knights Landing near Sacramento, the AP reports. A 38-year-old man, a 34-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy were killed. An 11-year-old girl was flown to a hospital with major injuries, KCRA-TV reported . story continues below Huazo-Jardinez, 33, faces charges of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony driving under the influence of alcohol, said Sutter County Undersheriff Scott Smallwood. He was released after posting $300,000 bail, Smallwood said. It wasn't immediately known if Huazo-Jardinez has an attorney who can comment on his behalf. He is due back in court on June 10. Authorities have not identified the family but the landlord of the trailer home, Frankie Gonsalves, told KCRA-TV the parents were farmworkers. "Model family. Two very hardworking parents, farmworkers, well-behaved kids. They are, were, I would say, (among) my top five tenants here. Really good people, pay their rent on time," Gonsalves said. (A 4-year-old sleeping in his Texas home was killed by a suspected drunk driver.) (Newser) Things are not good between Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and her estranged father, but that didn't stop Thomas Markle from talking to a British tabloid about the birth of his new grandson. Thomas Markle told the Sun he hopes the baby born to Meghan and her husband Prince Harry will "serve the crown and the people of Britain with grace, dignity and honor." He added that he's "delighted to hear that mother and child are doing well," and offered his "congratulations to my lovely daughter Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry." More coverage surrounding the latest royal baby: In keeping with longstanding traditions, a formal baby announcement was posted at Buckingham Palace saying Queen Elizabeth II welcomed the birth of her eighth great-grandchild, the AP reports. story continues below The royal family put out a statement on Twitter: "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news. The Duchesss mother, Doria Ragland, who is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, is with Their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage. Her Royal Highness and the baby are both doing well." Her Royal Highness and the baby are both doing well." That statement includes the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka Harry's brother Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton. Fox News reminds readers that Harry and William have reportedly been experiencing a rift in their relationship of late. Congratulatory messages have poured in from Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, Harry's uncle, Prince Andrew, and opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. British Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted, "Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the arrival of their baby boy. Wishing you all the best at this happy time." Vanity Fair reports that Meghan had announced last month she would not be doing an immediate postpartum photo op the way Kate Middleton has with her children. It's not clear when photos of the new baby will be released or when his name will be announced. As CNN explains, Baby Sussex won't be a prince because he's too far down the line of succession, unless Queen Elizabeth overrules a 1917 decree from King George V limiting the use of such titles. The news site also explains that he will automatically be a British citizen, and his parents can report his birth to an American consulate to get him dual US citizenship. He's eligible because, CNN explains, "he was born in wedlock abroad to an American citizen who has lived in the US for a period of five years, at least two of which were after the age of 14." (Read more royal baby stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region New Delhi: MG Motor has kick started production of the Hector SUV in India. It is to be noted that the British Automaker will make a debut in India with the Hector SUV on May 15. The Hector SUV has started rolling off the MG Motors assembly line from its plant in Halol, Gujarat. The facility will be responsible for adding more cars to the company's portfolio in India. According to the company, MG Hector will see at least 75 per cent of local content. The current capacity of Halol manufacturing facility is about 80,000 units per annum, which will later expand to 200,000 units, as per the requirement. The company had earlier revealed that it will be making an initial investment of Rs 2,000 crore and have an annual capacity of manufacturing 80,000 units per year, to begin with. Over the next six years, MG Motor plans to invest Rs 5,000 crores in India. Lets take a brief look at specifications of Hector SUV: 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. 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. 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. MG Hector is expected to be priced from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom). New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed banks to enhance the housing loan limits for eligibility under priority sector lending (PSL) to Rs 35 lakh in metropolitan centres (with population of ten lakh and above) and Rs 25 lakh in other centres. Earlier, loans to individuals up to Rs 28 lakh in metropolitan centres and Rs 20 lakh in other centres, were eligible to be classified under priority sector, provided that the cost of dwelling unit does not exceed Rs 35 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, respectively. Meanwhile, the 15th Finance Commission will meet RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and representatives of banks and financial institutions during its two-day visit to Mumbai beginning May 8, according to an official statement. The commission, chaired by N K Singh, will discuss issues concerning macro-economics, financial stability and cost of borrowing of the Centre and states with the Reserve Bank. The other issues which are expected to come up during the deliberation include market driven borrowing cost and debt trajectories of states. The commission will also discuss the issues concerning recapitalisation of banks, and possible scenarios of the Bimal Jalan committee report on surplus capital available with the RBI for transfer to the government, the statement said. It will also discuss RBI's own assessment of the dividends and surpluses that can be transferred to the government. With the banks and financial institutions, the commission will discuss issues concerning recapitalisation of banks and their impact on the cost of borrowing of the Centre as well states. The meeting is slated be attended by officials of State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, IDFC First Bank, and IDBI Bank. With PTI Inputs For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: Asserting that trade negotiations with the Chinese are moving "too slowly", US President Donald Trump on Sunday said America would increase tariffs on $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. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Hundreds of Karnataka students who had missed their National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) due to an hour of train delay on Sunday, will get another chance to write their examination, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday. The exams for those candidates will be held on May 20, 2019 between 10:00 and and 1:00 pm. The centres of the examination will remain the same and the revised Admit Cards are expected to be issued shortly. The prestigious medical examination for admission to various medical colleges across India was originally slated for Sunday, May 5, 2019. Taking to twitter Javadekar wrote, "Happy to announce that Karnataka Students who missed NEET exam due to railway delay will get another chance". Over 500 students from Karnataka had missed their NEET examination on Sunday as their train reached Bengaluru an hour late than the scheduled reporting time. The examination was also cancelled in Odisha in the wake of Cyclone Fani which left a trail of destruction in the coastal state. 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. The NEET examination for those of Odisha candidates will be also held on May 20 along with Karnataka. Javadekar's announcement comes after National Testing Agency, the NEET conducting body, on Monday released a notification, giving its nod to postpone the exam till further notice. In a statement, the NTA said, "On request of the state government of Odisha, in wake of Fani cyclone the exam for candidates whose centre was in the state was postponed till further notice. It will now be conducted on May 20". "The centres for the exam will remain same as announced earlier," it added. New Delhi: Kerala SSCLC Results 2019: SSLC result for Kerala students has been announced today. The Kerala Board students who have appeared for the examination are asked to keep all the details ready for the fast and easy access to the results. The scorecards will be available on the official website of the board i.e. keralaresults.nic.in. The candidates must also note that they can also check their results by clicking on the link given below. CLICK HERE FOR KERALA SSLC RESULTS 2019 So according to the latest reports, Kerala Education Minister Prof. C. Raveendranath will announce the SSLC result in a press conference and then the results will be released online. More than 4.35 lakh students took the SSLC exam held in March and are awaiting the results. Along with the SSLC results, Kerala government will release THSLC, THSLC (Hearing impaired), SSLC (Hearing impaired) and AHSLC results. For the convenience of the students, we have mentioned the steps through which the candidates can download the answer sheets: Step 1: Visit english.newsnationtv.com/board-result Step 2: Click on the Kerala Board class SSLC result page Step 3: Enter your roll number/roll code Step 4: Click on the submit button Step 5: Check your scores Last year, the results of Kerala SSLC were declared on 3 May, 2018 and the pass percentage stood at 97.84 percent. About Kerala State Education Board The Kerala State Education Board is also known as the Kerala Board of Higher Secondary Education. It is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The state Education Board was established in the year 1990 to restructure the operations of Secondary and Collegiate Education in Kerala. There are quite a few private and government schools associated and affiliated with the Kerala Board. The SSLC and the HSC Board exams are conducted by the Kerala Board every year and the results are declared by the board as well. The certificates are provided to the qualified students by the Kerala Board. The official website of the board is www.keralaresults.nic.in. Apart from the SSLC examination, Pareeksha Bhavan also conducts other examinations, for certification of qualified teaching faculty through KTET and other similar examinations. The Kerala SSLC Result 2019 will be accessible through the official website of Pareeksha Bhavan. New Delhi: In the fifth of the seven phases of general election 2019 two school buildings that were designated as polling booths have been set on fire in Jammu and Kashmirs Shopian district. In Jammu and Kashmir, polling is taking place in Ladakh constituency and Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag seat. On Friday, at least three terrorists were killed on Friday morning in south Kashmir's Shopian district. Acting on a specific input, security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Adkhara area of Imam Sahib of Shopian district. As the search party reached, security forces received bullets from the terrorists ensuing into the encounter. Immediately security forces retaliated heavily and eliminated three hardcore terrorists. The three slain terrorists were identified as Lateef Ahmad Dar, Tariq Moulvi and Shariq Ahmad Negroo. Interestingly, with the end of Lateef Ahmad Dar all 11 out of 12 Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists led by Burhan Wani are now eliminated. Only of the remaining 12, Tariq Pandit, was arrested by the security forces in 2016. So, officially one can say that so-called Burhan Brigade has been wiped. Also, with an end of Lateef, it is an end to the pioneers of new-age terrorism in Kashmir valley. Earlier, a BJP worker, identified as Gul Mohammed Mir, was on Saturday shot dead by terrorists in Verinag area of South Kashmir's Nowgam village. The official said Mir was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition where he succumbed to injuries. New Delhi: In another big blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) amid the Lok Sabha Elections, Bijwasan legislator Devinder Kumar Sehrawat joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday in the presence of Delhi BJP leader Vijay Goel. Sehrawat, a retired Colonel, was suspended from the party in 2016 for anti-party activities. He had written to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleging there are leaders in the party in Punjab that are exploiting women in return for tickets. On Friday, Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Delhis Gandhi Nagar Anil Bajpai had joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Vijay Goel. "I worked for the AAP for 15 years. I was hurt by lack of respect and peculiar type of functioning in the party. It has detracted from its original path", he said. Bijwasan legislator Devinder Kumar Sehrawat joined the BJP on Monday in the presence of Delhi BJP leaders Vijay Goel and Vijender Gupta. (Photo: ANI) The setback for the AAP comes hours after the BJP claimed it was in touch with 14 legislators who wanted to leave the ruling party in Delhi due to frustration and humiliation. "14 of the AAP MLAs are in contact with us and they might soon leave the party because they are frustrated by the work of their own party," Goel said in a press conference. Goel said Sisodia had himself maintained that his party MLAs were "saleable" and would take a "bribe" of Rs 10 crore. Several AAP leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, have accused the BJP of indulging in horse trading. On Wednesday, Sisodia alleged that the BJP offered Rs 10 crore each to seven AAP MLAs to switch sides. However, Bajpai denied having taken money for joining the BJP and said Kejriwal is in the habit of making allegations and then tendering apologies. Three municipal councilors of AAP also joined the BJP. Baltimore U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos kicked off her first appearance at the Education Writers Association with a confession: She didnt really want to be there. And that wasnt necessarily because shes afraid of tough questions. Shes, well, shy, she told a packed ballroom here at the organizations annual national seminar. I never imagined Id be a focus of your coverage, DeVos said. I dont enjoy the publicity that comes with my position. I dont love being up on stage or on any kind of platform. Im an introvert. Then she offered a subtle digor some tough love, depending on your perspectiveto the media: Dont make me the story. As much as many in the media use my name as clickbait or try to make it all about me, its not. Education is not about Betsy DeVos nor any other individual, she said. Its about students. Its about acknowledging the inate value of every single one of them. Also: The media isnt doing a great job of describing school choice, DeVos signature issue, the secretary said. Lets get the terminology right about schools and school choice. Charter schools are public schools. Vouchers are not tax-credits, nor are they tax-deductions, nor education savings accounts, nor 529 accounts, she said. So, she added, the phrase vouchers for charter schools, for instance, is nonsensical. To a luncheon crowd of hundreds of education journalists, DeVos talked up her new signature initiative: Education Freedom Scholarships, which would offer up to $5 billion in federal tax credits to individuals and corporations who donate to state-level organizations . Those organizations could then give money to help kids cover the cost of private school, public school choice, transportation, dual enrolment courses at a community college, after-school programs and more. She was dismissive of what she portrayed as the status quo approach to improving the nations education system. Weve been doing essentially the same thing, spending more money around it, and expecting different results, she said, in response to questions from Erica Green, the New York Times education reporter, who moderated a question and answer session.She said the Education Freedom Scholarships proposal should be appealing to everyone. DeVos thinks more competition in the education system will ultimately help improve public schools. More freedom and more freedom in education will ultimately mean better experiences and more excellence at every school, DeVos said. (The research is mixed on that point .) She said shes meeting with Democrats and Republicans to try and get her proposal over the legislative finish line. What does DeVos think of the teachers strikes that have bubbled up in both red states (like Arizona, Oklahoma, and West Virginia) and big blue cities (like Denver and Los Angeles)? DeVos is all for more teacher pay, but shes not so jazzed that students miss out on learning time during a strike. Its important that adults have adult disagreements on adult time and not ultimately hurt kids in the process, she said. And I think too often theyre doing so by walking out of classrooms and having their arguments in the way that they are. But she added, really great teachers should be compensated more, but the system is really forcing them into a box that doesnt recognize them as the individuals they are. ... Great teachers should be making at least half of what Randi Weingarten does at a half million dollars a year, she added, referring to the president of the American Federation of Teachers, a 1.6 million-member union. Later, Weingarten fired back in a statement: Id be delighted if Betsy wants to get all teachers close to $200,000--they deserve that--and so much more, she said. We could do this if Betsy worked with us to revoke tax cuts for rich people. She wont even have to give up the summer homes and the yachts. Green wondered whether DeVos and her team thought there was a connection between the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and the Obama administrations discipline guidance, which was aimed at making sure students of color arent subjected to harsher punishments than their peers. Trumps school safety commission, established in the wake of the shooting, ultimately recommended scrapping the guidance The [repeal of the] school discipline guidance was actually something that we had been considering and discussing for months before the school safety commission was stood up, DeVos said. We felt it was an overreach by the previous administration. She said she heard from both supporters and detractors of the guidance. Those who were opposed said it was viewed very much as a mandate that really was hamstringing them in many ways and was making their schools less safe. There was big criticism from the civil rights community when DeVos struck down the guidance. Read more about that here. Green noted that, in her past role as the head of the American Federation for Children, a school choice advocacy organization, DeVos argued on behalf of minority students and LGBT kids. But at the department, shes struck down guidance that would have protected those groups. Civil rights groups are very concerned. What is the department looking to do when it takes those measures? I am and we are at the department very committed to making sure that students civil rights are protected, she said. Im also committed to following the law. Im a first-born child and Im a rule follower. ... Im not going to overstep and make law when there isnt law. I think the things that you are referencing were overreaches on the part of the previous administration. Will DeVos return for another four years if President Donald Trump wins a second term? She didnt say either way, but wasnt exactly clamoring for a second term. Im not sure my husband would be okay with that, she said. To read the entire transcript, click here . Cant get enough of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos? Check out some of our best coverage: Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . Azamgarh: 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 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. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked Congress MP Sushmita Dev to bring on record Election Commission orders giving clean chit to PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on complaints of poll code violation. It is to be noted that Sushmita Dev, Congress Lok Sabha MP from Silchar in Assam and President of 'All India Mahila Congress' filed a plea seeking direction to the Election Commission to decide without any "demur" the complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah on their alleged hate speeches and using armed forces for political propaganda. In her plea, Dev alleged that "inaction" by EC on complaints against top BJP leaders was "a sign of invidious discrimination" and was "arbitrary, capricious and impermissible" as it was destructive of the integrity of electoral process. "The inactions, omissions and commissions by the EC are in complete and direct violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and which are impeding free, fair and unbiased General Elections," the plea said. The plea further listed out several alleged instances of MCC violations by Modi and Shah in their meetings and referred to as the first violation the speech of PM Modi at a rally at Wardha, Maharashtra, on April 1 where he had allegedly raised the issue of 'bhagva aatankwad' (saffron terror). Modi had also allegedly raised the issue of the Congress President fighting polls from Wayanad in Kerala. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally where he gave a hate-speech and sought votes in the name of Armed Forces in Wardha, Maharashtra," the plea also alleged. It also referred to the EC's circulars prohibiting parties and candidates from using pictures of armed forces for their political propaganda and using religions. "The purpose of all these rules and regulations is to ensure a level playing field for all candidates regardless of position, influence or ideology and also to ensure that the sanctity and integrity of the electoral process is not undermined by unscrupulous individuals," the plea added. The plea said that under the Constitution, the poll panel is the "watchdog of free and fair elections and is duty-bound to circumvent the pressure and ascertain that ensuing elections are free from any impediments in order to uphold the democratic sanctity and fundamental rights of the voter". It alleged that the PM Modi, in blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct, held a rally on the day of polling in Gujarat on April 23. "Such brazen violations are neither minor nor procedural, in any manner. It is matter of record that other candidates who have been in breach of the electoral laws including the MCC have had strictures and directions passed against them including ban from campaigning for 72 hours," it said. Dev alleged that the EC has been guarded and oblivious to comprehensive complaints against the Prime Minister and Amit Shah. The Plea said, "The inaction on the part of the EC is a sign of invidious discrimination and is arbitrary, capricious and impermissible, which apart from constituting clear and material infraction of the Petitioner's Fundamental Rights under Article 14 and 21 ...is also ex-facie destructive of the integrity of the Electoral Process, whereby certain selected very powerful individuals have been permitted to gain an unfair electoral advantage by their material infractions of the RP Act, Election Rules and the MCC." The plea is solely directed against inaction of EC for more than three weeks, it alleged, adding that the EC has become "a tool in the hands of the dispensation to facilitate violation of the provisions of the Constitution, the provisions of the Act and the Rules". New Delhi: A grenade was hurled at a polling station at Rohmoo village in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama. However, no injuries were reported in the incident. Earlier, two school buildings that were designated as polling booths were set on fire in Shopian district. The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2019 is being held today. Voters in 51 constituencies spread over nine states across India will be exercising their franchise today. The states which are going to polls are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar. In Jammu and Kashmir, polling is taking place in Ladakh constituency and Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag seat. On Friday, at least three terrorists were killed on Friday morning in south Kashmir's Shopian district. Acting on a specific input, security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Adkhara area of Imam Sahib of Shopian district. As the search party reached, security forces received bullets from the terrorists ensuing into the encounter. Immediately security forces retaliated heavily and eliminated three hardcore terrorists. The three slain terrorists were identified as Lateef Ahmad Dar, Tariq Moulvi and Shariq Ahmad Negroo. Interestingly, with the end of Lateef Ahmad Dar all 11 out of 12 Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists led by Burhan Wani are now eliminated. Only of the remaining 12, Tariq Pandit, was arrested by the security forces in 2016. So, officially one can say that so-called Burhan Brigade has been wiped. Also, with an end of Lateef, it is an end to the pioneers of new-age terrorism in Kashmir valley. Earlier, a BJP worker, identified as Gul Mohammed Mir, was on Saturday shot dead by terrorists in Verinag area of South Kashmir's Nowgam village. The official said Mir was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition where he succumbed to injuries. Kolkata: In a major development during the ongoing Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission of India removed presiding officer of a polling booth at Tarakeswar under Arambagh Lok Sabha constituency after Trinamool leader Maharaja Nag was caught on camera guiding voters on where to vote. This is the first time that the poll panel has taken such a stringent decision in the ongoing General Elections. News Nation was the first channel to air the clip that showed Nag aguidinga the elderly voter. It was this very clip that prompted the BJP to raise the complaint to the poll panel. Acting on this aevidencea, the poll panel sacked the presiding officer for dereliction of duty. This is by far the most volatile phase in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal. In booth no 58 of Belur in Howrah constituency, former councillor Poltu Banik was seen allegedly threatening BJP voters which led to unrest. The polling booth is at Belur Boys School. The police, RAF and Central security forces reached the spot after the incident broke out to take stock of the situation. In Hooghly the seat, Dr Ratna De Nag of the TMC will contest against BJP's celebrity candidate Locket Chatterjee. The CPI(M) has nominated Pradip Saha and the Congress has fielded Pratul Chandra Saha for the seat. In the Arambagh (SC) seat, TMC's Aparupa Poddar will contest against Tapan Kumar Ray of the BJP. The CPI(M) has fielded Sakti Mohan Malik and the Congress has nominated Jyoti Kumari Das. Meanwhile, accusing the ruling Trinamool of unleashing "violence" on its voters, the BJP has demanded a repoll in Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency. Union minister Prakash Javadekar accused Trinamool Congress "goons" of booth-capturing and not letting BJP voters cast their votes by resorting to threats and violence. At a press conference, he also alleged that the Election Commission had not done enough to make the polls free and fair in the state despite the BJP approaching it a number of times. "The TMC wants to win elections by rigging as it cannot win by votes. We demand a repoll in the entire Barrackpore constituency," he said, alleging that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was behind the violence. Barrackpore has become a prestige battle for Banerjee as Arjun Singh, a local strongman and MLA, was in the TMC before he switched over to the BJP ahead of the general election. He is up against the incumbent MP and TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi. New Delhi: The political storm brewing over Cyclone Fani intensified today as Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for not returning his calls. During a poll rally in Haldia, PM Modi slammed Banerjee for politicising the Cyclone Fanis relief work. He said that, Didi is so egoistic that she didnt return his calls. It should be noted that the Bengal government had refused to hold a review meet with PM Modi to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Fani. Banerjee, on other hand, in a curt reply said that she was not in Kolkata when the PMO called. According to news agency PTI, Banerjee reportedly said that she was in Kharagpur when there was calls from Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra 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. The prime minister then spoke to state governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, the official said. "Two attempts were made by the prime minister's staff to connect Modi with Banerjee over phone. On both the occasions they were told that the call would be returned. On one occasion they were told that the CM is on tour," the official said. The statement came after the Trinamool Congress hit out at Modi for not talking to Banerjee about the ground situation in the state in wake of the cyclone. The prime minister had tweeted about his discussion with the Governor. During the Haldia rally, PM Modi alleged that, People who hail Jai Shree Ram in Bengal are put behind the bars. Your one vote will pressurize Didi. Your one vote will show dynastic parties, Leftist and a tyrannical govt their right place. Your one vote will bring back the pride of Haldia. In West Bengal, people have to to pay Trinmool Tolabazi Tax. No one dared to challenge this tax and it only emboldened TMC. But now it won't last long in Bengal, the Prime Minister added. New Delhi: The Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha Elections began on a violent note in West Bengal on Monday. Clashes broke out in Barrackpore, at outskirts of state capital Kolkata, within first hour of polling. BJP candidate Arjun Singh was injured during the scuffle. The BJP alleges that Singh was attacked by Trinamool Congress workers in Mohanpur area. The BJP camp was also attacked by unidentified men. I was attacked by Trinamool goons who have been brought from outside. Those people were scaring away our voters. I am injured, Singh was quoted as by news agency ANI. Singh alleged that central forces were did nothing. On the other hand, the Trinamool supporters allege voting was peaceful until Singh entered the area in Mohanpur. The Election Commission has south report from North 24 Parganas district administration on the incident. Singh, a four-time Trinamool Congress MLA, joined BJP just before the Lok Sabha Elections. Singh had claimed that about 100 Trinamool Congress MLAs would switch over to the saffron party "very soon". Singh, the former four-time Trinamool MLA from Bhatpara, switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party in March and was nominated as a BJP candidate from the Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency. He is taking on two-time sitting MP and senior TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi. The fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections was also marred by multiple incidents of clashes and violence in West Bengal, where an estimated 76.66 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in eight parliamentary constituencies. An electorate of 1,34,56,491 cast ballot to decide the fate of 68 candidates in Baharampur, Krishnagar, Ranaghat (SC), Burdwan East (SC), Burdwan-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur (SC) and Birbhum. Clashes broke out between supporters of rival parties in Nanoor, Rampurhat, Nalhati and Suri areas of Birbhum seat, leaving several people injured and disrupting the polling process for a quite some time. Speaking to media, an official said, "Polling was peaceful in the first two hours. However, news of clashes started surfacing thereafter. We have sought reports from each of these places. Our officials are monitoring the situation and taking proper measures to conduct the election in a free and fair manner". There were also reports of a clash between Trinamool Congress and BJP workers outside a booth in Barabani, following a tiff between sitting MP and BJP candidate in Asansol Babul Supriyo and polling officials inside the station. Supriyos vehicle was allegedly vandalised by Trinamool workers outside a polling station. Trinamool Congress workers, on the other hand, alleged that Supriyo and his men had manhandled them. New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Amethi and Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday while taking a dig at Priyanka Gandhi said its an accomplishment that Congress General Secretary keeps taking her name. She did not know my name five years back, now she keeps taking my name, it is such an accomplishment. Nowadays she takes her husband's name less and my name more, news agency ANI quoted Irani as saying. Smriti Irani also attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi over death of a patient in a local hospital. "A person died as he was denied treatment at hospital where Rahul Gandhi is trustee just because he had Ayushman Bharat card, she said. Earlier, Smriti Irani had a spar on Twitter over a viral video where a group of children were raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Priyankas presence. While the authenticity of the video hasnt been verified, Irani said, She makes children abuse. She asked children to abuse the Prime Minister. You cannot use children for political campaigns. What will children learn out of this? I will ask all cultured families to keep their children away from Priyanka Gandhi. I am happy that the family which claims to be cultured stands unmasked. On this Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, I had stopped the kids from using objectional language against Prime Minister." Different versions of an incident where a group of children used abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in front of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are being shared widely on social media. A group of kids were raising slogans against Modi in front of Gandhi. The kids can be seen screaming Chor hai multiple times, completing the slogan Chowkidaar chor hai, initiated by someone who cannot be seen in the video. Chowkidaar chor hai, the Hindi slogan used by the Congress to accuse PM Modi of corruption, translates to The watchman is a thief". While a clipped version of the video shows Priyanka Gandhi Vadra encouraging the abusive chants, the original video depicts her chiding the children as soon as they used the abusive word and asking them to not continue. New Delhi: Tej Bahadur Yadav, the sacked BSF jawan and Samajwadi Partys candidate from Varanasi, moved the Supreme Court on Monday challenging the Election Commissions decision to cancel his candidature to contest the polls from the constituency from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also contesting. Yadav, in his plea, termed the decision of the poll panel discriminatory and unreasonable and said it should be set aside. Yadav alleged that the Election Commission was acting on behest of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yadav was dismissed from the service in 2017 after uploaded a video on social media complaining that poor quality food was being served to the troops in the icy, mountainous region along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. He was later dismissed on the charge of indiscipline. The Samajwadi Party, which is in an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal, had earlier declared Shalini Yadav as its candidate from Varanasi, while the Congress has renominated Ajai Rai. Varanasi will go to polls in the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 19 and the last date for filing nomination is Monday. The Election Commissions returning officer had rejected Yadavs nomination papers citing his failure to submit a certificate that he was not sacked for either corruption or disloyalty. In its letter, the poll panel had said that employees of the state or central government who have been dismissed for "corruption or disloyalty to the state" shall be disqualified from campaigning for a period of five years. "A person who has been dismissed from service from state or central govt within last 5 years has to obtain a certificate from EC stating he/she hasn't been dismissed due to disloyalty or corruption. Certificate wasn't produced before 11am, so, the nomination was rejected," said District Magistrate, Varanasi. Following the cancellation of Yadavs nomination, Samajwadi Partys Shalini Yadav has been renominated as the joint candidate of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance. New Delhi: Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan tied the knot with interior designer and entrepreneur Sussanne Khan in the year 2000. After spending 14 long years together, the couple got divorced in 2014 and gave their fans a huge shock. They might have parted ways, but the former couple shares an amicable bond with each other and still are on good terms. Recently, Sussanne Khan appeared on Neha Dhupias show and talked about how she first met Hrithik Roshan and fell in love with him. Notably, she had gone to the USA to study design and met Hrithik when she returned to Mumbai. Sussanne said, Thats when I explored, studied, went to LA and came back when I met a superstar boy who was not a superstar at that time, but was one in my eyes when I met him. But before this I didnt realize I didnt have any interest in the film world. But destiny gets me back that way. I love the films and the industry, but I am so happy being where I am in my profession. On being asked why she never chose Bollywood as her career despite being the daughter of Sanjay Khan, Sussanne said she was bitten by the design bug early in her life. Since I was 5, I was bitten by the bug of designing. It was all around me in my home. I used to have architectural digest magazines. My mum used to be an interior designer in those days. I was 5 years old when I used to go with her on sites and I fell in love with the world of color and design. I was obsessed with that world. I wanted to be a part of that world. Acting is equally a tough job but it didnt attract me. There was no question of not going in designing. Importantly, Sussanne and Hrithik are also parents of two young boys and still spend time together as a family and go on vacations. Sussanne described her equation with the Agneepath actor post-divorce and said, I have a support system in Hrithik. Its not a marriage, but we are friends. That zone is so sacred to me, it doesnt make me feel sad or lonely. Meanwhile, on the work front, Hrithik Roshan is awaiting his next release Super 30. Super 30 after facing a lot of hiccups is slated to release on July 26 this year. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Robert Downey Jr who kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2008 with Iron Man as a self-described agenius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropista deserves an Oscar says Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo. Endgame, which is now predicted to become the highest grossing movie of all time even surpassing James Cameroonas Avatar and Titanic saw Iron Man in a shoe we would have never imaged the self-absorbed genius to be as he attempts to cope with the devastation caused by Thanos, is driven by hopelessness and even becomes a dad and addresses the issue of his self-interest and of course heart-breaking sacrifice of his life that made movie-goers tear soaked. Starring in a total of nine MCU movies, also making a cameo inA The Incredible Hulk, Downey Jr. has remained at the heart of the franchise throughout. Talking to Washington Post, Joe said that he believes Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., deserves an Academy Award for his performances across the Marvel Cinematic Universe. aHis cumulative body of work from these movies is staggering,a Russo said. aIf you look at the work over just even the last four [Marvel] films heas done, itas phenomenala He deserves an Oscar perhaps more than anyone in the last 40 years because of the way that he has motivated popular culture. He has the world in tears right nowaa Russo said. As of now, Heath Ledger is the only actor to have won an Oscar for a superhero film, being awarded Best Supporting Actor posthumously for his role as the Joker in Christopher NolanasA The Dark Knight. Recently in the Oscars, Black Panther had seven nominations and three wins shedding new light into how superhero movies are perceived in the Oscars. Robert Downey Jr. has so far received two Oscar nominations in his career for playing Charlie Chaplin inA Chaplin, and a Best Supporting Actor nomination in 2009asA Tropic Thunder. And regarding the Oscar win, fans are all in favour of Downey going home with the golden statute. A A A A @RobertDowneyJr p.s lol I really donat think thereas a more Oscar worthy performance as an actor as you hitting the best snap Y in the existence of film and my soul among 330 million others being ripped out in the last 20 minutes of #endgame a jasontwitten (@BigBenXXX1987) May 3, 2019 If @RobertDowneyJr doesnt get nominated...AND WIN an #Oscar for his performance in #AvengersEndgame they seriously need to revamp the whole system. a aZS Kevin Barnett aZS (@Marvelcomicman) May 3, 2019 iam not saying robert downey jr deserves an oscar for his role as tony stark that heas been taking care since 2008 but robert downey jr better win the gold man or iall cancel the academy award forever a aZS / spoilers (@woIvern) April 26, 2019 For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: With Loki already presumed dead before the snap of Thanos fingers, the fate of Tom Hiddlestons Loki has been a very debated topic. A new statement from Endgame director, Anthony Russo will however give a beam of fresh hope on the fate of Loki's life. In Endgame, when we are shown Loki during the time heist staged by the Avengers where Tony Stark Stark and Captain America attempts to steal the Infinity Stones before Thanos could get to them, redestroying the universe, could be suggesting the possibly of Asgardian God Loki resurrecting in a different universe in a different timeline. We have even seen Chris Evans Captain America go back in time to live out his life in an alternate timeline after he missed out the first time. Speaking about the fate of the God of Mischief, Avengers: Endgame director Anthony Russo has confirmed that Loki could be alive in an alternate universe. In an interview to Los Angeles Times, he was asked whether Loki could be alive after the events of Endgame or if hes still dead after Thanos unceremoniously killed him in Avengers: Infinity War. Loki could absolutely still be alive in an alternate timeline, Russo answered. Are the Russo brothers planning to have a spin-off series on Tom Hiddlestons Loki? We wish! For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: An asteroid named 99942 Apophis is all set to fly towards Earth in next 10 years, US space agency NASA said. The asteroid is named after the Egyptian god of chaos and destruction. It is going to approach the Earth dangerously close on April 13, 2029. However, you need not to worry as it will be about 31,000km away from the surface of the Earth. This is going to be a great opportunity for asteroid scientists as it's relatively rare for such a large object to pass so close to the Earth. "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. Extending about 340m across, about 2 billion people should be able to see it pass by with their naked eyes as it flies above Earth from the east coast to the west coast of Australia, then across the Indian Ocean and the equator, before moving west above Africa and finally over the Atlantic Ocean, NASA said. However, current calculations show that Apophis still has a small chance of impacting earth. U.S. astronomers first discovered Apophis first in 2004. Since then optical and radar telescopes have tracked Apophis. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. San Francisco: The Wall Street Journal reports that Facebook plans a cryptocurrency-based payment system that it could launch for billions of users worldwide. The system would use a digital coin similar to bitcoin, but different in that Facebook would aim to keep the coin's value stable. Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies have been susceptible to wild fluctuations in value. It could reportedly undermine credit cards by sidestepping the processing fees that generate much of their revenue. The Journal report cited unidentified people familiar with the matter. It said Facebook is recruiting dozens of financial firms and online merchants to launch the network. Facebook's plans may include ways to financially reward users who interact with ads or other features. Facebook says only that it is exploring many different applications for cryptocurrency technology. Meanwhile, in a related development, after years of pressure to crack down on hate and bigotry, Facebook has 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. The latest bans apply to both Facebook's main service and to Instagram and extend to fan pages and other related accounts. Decried as censorship by several of those who got the ax, the move signals a renewed effort by the social media giant to remove people and groups promoting objectionable material such as hate, racism and anti-Semitism. Removing some of the best-known figures of the US political extreme takes away an important virtual megaphone that Facebook has provided the likes of Jones, Yiannopoulos and others over the years. But it does not address what might be done with lesser known figures and those who stay on the margins of what Facebook's policies allow. Critics praised the move but said there is more to be done on both Facebook and Instagram. "We know that there are still white supremacists and other extremist figures who are actively using both platforms to spread their hatred and bigotry," said Keegan Hankes, senior research analyst for the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups in the US. Dipayan Ghosh, a former Facebook executive and an internet policy expert at Harvard, said the ban isn't as big a step as Facebook appears to be painting it, it's just enforcing its existing policy. "There will always be more purveyors of hate speech that try to come on these platforms," he said. "Will advocates have to push year after year just to get (a handful of) individuals off? At this rate it seems likely. And this doesn't address the problem of what happens at the margins." Facebook has previously suspended Jones from its flagship service temporarily; this suspension is permanent and includes Instagram. Twitter has also banned Loomer, Jones and Yiannopoulos, though Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam long known for provocative comments widely considered anti-Semitic, still had an account Thursday. So did Watson, who rose to popularity as editor-at-large at Infowars and has nearly a million followers on the site. Facebook said the newly banned accounts violated its policy against dangerous individuals and organisations. The company says 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. It added that when it bans someone under this policy, the company also prohibits anyone else from praising or supporting them. In this case, though, the company said people can speak positively about the six banned individuals as long as what they're saying otherwise complies with Facebook policies. For years, social media companies have been under pressure from civil rights groups and other activists to clamp down on hate speech on their services. Following the deadly white nationalist protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, Google, Facebook and PayPal began banishing extremist groups and individuals who identified as or supported white supremacists. A year later, widespread bans of Jones and Infowars reflected a more aggressive enforcement of policies against hate speech. But Facebook instituted only a 30-day suspension (though Twitter banned him permanently). It is not clear what events led to Thursday's announcement. New Delhi: The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) on Monday arrested at least 30 Indian fishermen near the international maritime boundary in the Arabian Sea. The fishermen, who hail from Gujarat, were apprehended for allegedly straying into the Pakistans territorial waters. A Porbandar-based National Fishworkers' Forum (NFF) secretary Manish Lodhari said that beside 30 fishermen, the PMSA also seized six fishing boats. "Thirty fishermen on board six boats were apprehended by PMSA near IMBL early today morning alleging that our fishermen had ventured into the Pakistan side during fishing," Lodhari said. "They will now be taken to Karachi port. All these boats had ventured into sea a few days ago from Porbandar harbour" he added. Lodhari also claimed that Pakistani agencies were capturing Indian fishermen at regular intervals near the IMBL. Last month, Pakistan had released 100 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture. Notably, the fishermen were released as part of the first batch of 360 Indian prisoners Pakistan has promised to set free in four phases. While the second batch of 100 Indian fishermen was released on the 15th April, another 100 fishermen were released on 22nd April. The rest were released on April 29. Pakistan-based Edhi Foundation helped the Indian fishermen after their release by giving them cash in Indian currency and two sets of garments for their journey back home. In the month of December last year, Minister of State at the External Affairs Ministry V K Singh had informed Lok Sabha that a total of 500 Indian fishermen are languishing in various jails of Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Altogether 482 fishermen are languishing in Pakistani jails while 18 are in custody in Sri Lanka. Pakistan has also seized 1050 boats while 10 boats are in Sri Lanka custody, he had said. It is to be noted that Pakistan and India regularly arrest each other's fishermen who inadvertently enter into their waters due to an absence of any proper technology to confirm the coastline border between the two countries near Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Lahore: Eight Chinese nationals, including a woman, were arrested on Monday for allegedly being involved in trafficking Pakistani girls to China by contracting marriage and forcing them in flesh trade there, the country's premier probe agency said. Last week, the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) had arrested two Chinese nationals when the marriage ceremony was being performed in Fasialabad, about 150 kms from Lahore. "On Monday, we have arrested seven Chinese men and a Chinese woman for their alleged involvement in trafficking of Pakistani girls to China for the purpose of prostitution," FIA Punjab Director Tariq Rustam told PTI. The FIA came into action following reports of Chinese nationals being involved in organ trade and forced prostitution of Pakistani girls, mostly from the minority Christian community, after marrying them and taking them back to China. So far, 10 Chinese men have been arrested. Rustam said that their leader, indentified as 'Candice', was among those arrested. He had been living near the Lahore airport for the last one year. "The girls were moved to the rented houses acquired by the Chinese in Lahore where they were taught Chinese language before they leaving for China after completion of their marriage related documents," he said, adding the girls were forced into prostitution in China. "We are collecting the data of the girls trafficked to China during the last couple of years. Their number may run into hundreds," he said, adding that we are interrogating the arrested Chinese nationals and hopefully arrest all those involved in the crime. The Government has recently ordered the FIA to take action against the gangs involved in smuggling of Pakistani girls to China on the pretext of contracting marriage. According to the local media reports, poor Christians girls, are lured, with money and promises of 'good life', by the illegal matchmaking centres to marry Chinese men who are either visiting or working in Pakistan. These centres produce fake documents of Chinese men showing them either as Christians or Muslims. Most of the girls reportedly became victims of human trafficking and forced into prostitution. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa yesterday pledged tireless efforts to achieving greater prosperity for the coming generations. Tireless efforts will be exerted to implement the visions and directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, HRH the Premier said, for safeguarding the present and future of Bahrain and the coming generations. The Prime Minister was holding a meeting at the Gudaibiya Palace yesterday with members of the Council of Representatives on citizens. Strengthening the pillars of security and stability is the shared responsibility of the Executive and Legislative branches as they are partners in facing various challenges, and united in building the Kingdoms present and future, the Premier told parliamentarians stating: MPs opinions on the government cannot be overlooked. All matters of interest to the citizens in the economic and political fields require more coordination and cooperation to maintain national achievements and optimize the citizens gains. There is no economy without politics or politics without economy, but some things need to be prioritized for the benefit of the nation and its people, the Premier said. The Prime Minister praised the members of the Council of Representatives for their constant keenness to cooperate with the government in all matters relating to the affairs of the country and citizens, calling on MPs to adopt similar stances on everything that would serve the interests of Bahrain. Millions of Muslims around the globe will begin the holy month of Ramadan today, as the moon-sighting panel yesterday confirmed the successful sighting of the crescent in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs extended congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, members of the royal family, the Bahraini people as well as the Arab and Islamic nations. Leadership exchange greetings His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received Ramadan greetings from His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier. Both leaders extended heartfelt congratulations to HM the King, wishing him, the Bahraini people as well as the Arab and Islamic nations many happy returns. The leaders also exchanged cables of Ramadan good wishes with leaders of GCC, Arab and Islamic states. Separately, the HM the King, HRH the Prime Minister and HRH Crown Prince received cables of Ramadan good wishes from senior members of the Royal Family, Representatives Council Speaker, Shura Council Chairman, ministers, senior officials, dignitaries, members of the Representatives and Shura Councils, municipal councillors, governors, Bahraini ambassadors abroad, Heads of the diplomatic missions accredited to Bahrain, Presidents of societies, sport associations and clubs and citizens. The High Criminal Court sentenced a Russian drug dealer to five years behind bars for peddling Shabu drugs in Bahrain. The woman, a Russian national, was also fined BD3000 and was ordered to be deported after completing prison terms. Police nabbed the suspect in a sting operation following a tip-off received from sources on her illicit activities. According to court files, the Russian woman was active in Juffair and Manama areas. She was found in possession of BD1750 and 600 Saudi riyals as well as 76 US dollars and a digital scale following a search operation conducted at her apartment. A Korean TV series, Love in the Moonlight, will air for the first time on Bahrain TV, starting from early May this year. Korean Ambassador Hyunmo Koo and Undersecretary Abdulrahman of the Ministry of Information Affairs yesterday signed the Memorandum of Understanding to air the TV series on the Bahrain TV in the first and second half of this year. Set in the royal palace of 19th Century Chosun Dynasty in Korea, Love in the Moonlight is a romantic comedy and also a coming-of-age story, which has been highly acclaimed in Korea, recording 23.3 percent viewer rating. DERBY There was a time the Naugatuck Valley was considered a center of manufacturing in Connecticut. Anaconda American Brass, Ansonia Manufacturing/Teledyne, Hull Dye, B.F. Goodrich, Housatonic Wire and Uniroyal are long gone, but legislators say manufacturing jobs in the state are going unfilled because of a lack of trained workers. On Monday, officials cut the ribbon on a $1.2 million Advanced Manufacturing Learning Center in the basement of Derby High School. This is the first one of its kind in a public high school in this state, said Frank Gulluni, the director emeritus of the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center at Asnuntuck Community College. The Derby center was a collaboration between the state, Asnuntuck Community College, Housatonic Community College and others. Among those who attended the ribbon cutting were Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who said, This program is very much like our old programs. Its teaching people how to make things. Making things is in Connecticuts DNA. The center is housed in three interconnected redesigned rooms in the high schools basement. Brendon Brown teaches bench working and machinery; Kyle Pepin instructs the students on solid works and computer assisted design. Both are Housatonic Community College faculty members. The first room is the smallest with several computer work stations. A second larger room contains a white board, some desks and several work benches with familiar tools of the manufacturing trade: lathes, drills, saws, files and micrometers. A third much bigger room holds four engine lathes to cut round objects like cam shafts, four vertical milling machines to cut square and octagon shapes, individual work stations down the middle with granite tops and two automated computer numerical control machines to make thousands of finished products at a time. The CNC machinery units are made by Hardinge, a nameplate familiar to people who knew Bridgeports place in manufacturing history. These were once made by Bridgeport Machines on Seaside Avenue, said Joseph Duhaime, the program director for Housatonic Community Colleges Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center. There is space for a fourth room available to expand the suite. We could probably use some inspection equipment, Duhaime said. Creating the center has been a two-year journey. Late last September, 14 juniors enrolled in program on the advice of Richard Abelli, their woodworking teacher. They spent their first year working on computers, experimenting with CAD, learning to read blueprints and doing some introductory tool bench work. Another dozen came aboard in January. Next fall, they will graduate to the machine room while another dozen or so juniors are introduced to the preliminary work. I didnt want to go to college, said Skyler Curcio, 16. I had no idea what I was going to do after high school. This opened my eyes to whats available. Im excited about making a career out of this. Julian DeLaRosa, 17, said the skills he has learned will help him in his studies to become an architect. Its given us a head start on our college credits, said Quinn Hayes, 16, who said she plans to continue her advanced manufacturing education at Housatonic. Those who graduate from this program will received HCC credits. Its great to see the kids come on board, said Ray Coplin, the assistant principal. Were helping our students realize there are other opportunities and ways to enter the workforce beyond a four-year college. If we take this to (the) fullest and develop it into three two-hour sessions during the day and at night my goodness gracious, we can impact over 1,000 people in a year, Gulluni said. This is going to be the leader so we have to grow it even greater. Were not just talking jobs here, he said. Were talking careers. State Rep. Kara Rochelle, D-Ansonia, has introduced state House Bill 5883, which would expand the program to eight high schools across the state. Weve got support on both sides of the aisle, said. Rochelle, who grew up in Seymour and lives in Ansonia. Its just a good commonsense bill to move this state forward. We have 12,000 manufacturing jobs that are unfilled. In 10 years, that number is expected to grow to 30,000. Jim Gildea, the chairman of Derbys Board of Education and director of manufacturing at Bigelow Tea, said there are open manufacturing jobs at Bigelow paying $50,000 a year. Were coming off our best sales months and we have a critical need for skilled employees, he said. U.S. Rep Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who attended the grand opening, said she is working in Congress to secure $7 billion in funding to invest in good-paying jobs a total that includes $90 million for registered apprenticeship programs and $150 million for developing programs at community and four-year colleges. Manufacturings no long about choking soot and deafening sounds, she said. Today, its about clean floors, quiet machines and computers. HARTFORD Passage of a Paid Family and Medical Leave bill seemed inevitable this year, but Wednesday was the 99th day of the legislative session and none of the three bills have made it through either the House or the Senate. Advocates are concerned they may have lost some momentum. Its also been hard adjusting to a new administration that embraces the concept of Paid Family and Medical Leave, but doesnt necessarily agree with its own party on how to get there. On Wednesday, the Connecticut Campaign for Paid Family Leave delivered a letter signed by more than 5,000 people to Gov. Ned Lamonts office as well as to House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz and Senate President Martin Looney. Seven-year-old Winnie delivered it for the coalition. Winnie supports paid leave because she didnt think it was fair that her friend was unable to go to the clinic for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia treatments with her mother because her mother had to work. Winnies mom, Liz Halla-Mattingly, testified about her own struggles balancing work, a new baby, and her mothers cancer diagnosis. The struggle I faced trying to do it all be a new mom, a good employee, and a caregiver but feeling like I was failing at all three. Those were the hardest months of my life, Halla-Mattingly said in her testimony about the legislation. Jessica Ciparelli, a member of the coalition, said she and her three siblings did their best to spend as much time as they could with their mother before she died. We made it work, each in a different way, Ciparelli said. But not everyone has the options we had available. Not everyone has understanding employers. House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said Wednesday that they are negotiating a final version of the bill with Lamonts administration and his goal is to get it up on the board for a vote in the next few weeks. House Majority Leader Matt Ritter admitted that its a complicated bill to draft, but they are working their way through it. The devil is in the details. Theres debate over whether it should be an appointed board that makes decisions about who runs the call center or other parts of the contract related to administering the program. Some believe it should all be done in-house by the Department of Labor. Should a board created by the bill make more of those decisions about how the program is managed? Or should it be spelled out as part of the legislation? Personally, I really dont care who is administering it, Aresimowicz said. I dont care. Public, private, lets find out what works. Lets get the product out to the people who need it. The two bills proposed by the legislature differ from the bill proposed by Lamont. Under all the bills, all employees in Connecticut would contribute 0.5 percent of their weekly paycheck to a state-run trust fund, which would pay them during their approved leave. How much employees would receive while on leave differs. The governors bill, SB 881, says an employee could earn 90 percent of their typical earnings up to $600 per week for anyone making around $15 an hour and 67 percent up to $900 for workers earning more than that. The other two bills passed Monday by the Finance Committee offer a wage replacement level of 100 percent, up to a maximum of $1,000, which is much higher than programs in other states. Thats opened the door to opponents who dont believe the trust fund will remain solvent because everyone will take their full 12 weeks of paid leave every year. Ritter said theres a notion that there will be fraud and abuse and people will just take leave for 12 weeks because they know theyre going to get paid. People go on leave now, Ritter said. What were trying to do is create a process for people who are really sick or have loved ones who are really sick to care for them and not choose between a paycheck and an ability to do that, Ritter said. Catherine Bailey, deputy director of the Connecticut Womens Education and Legal Fund, said people are taking leave now because life happens people get pregnant, people get cancer, and people die. She said this legislation just offers everyone protection from losing their jobs and a paycheck. Note: Contains spoilers for "Avengers: Endgame." As we expected, a second "Spider-Man: Far From Home" trailer has swung in following the release of "Avengers: Endgame." The Russo brothers warned that the "spoiler ban" was up as of today (May 6), so if you haven't seen "Endgame" yet, don't watch the trailer as it confirms when "Far From Home" is set, which will spoil a major development of "Endgame." Well the second trailer confirms that "Far From Home" is set after the events of "Endgame" which saw Peter Parker (Tom Holland) brought back to life when the Avengers reversed the Snap. The trailer opens with Peter Parker mourning the death of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who sacrificed himself to save everyone. The sequel sees him joined by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as he interrupts Parker's European trip with his school friends, including Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya), to battle the Elementals. In another of the trailer's big reveals, "Far From Home" confirms the presence of a multiverse in the MCU as Fury introduces Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) as "from Earth, just not ours." "The Snap tore a hole in our dimension," Fury adds. It also sees Spider-Man talk about the need for "the next Iron Man," so could it be him? But maybe he's got bigger things to worry about, as MJ seems to know his true identity. "Spider-Man: Far from Home" will be released July 2. 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!" I taught in the Danbury Public Schools from 1971 (opening of no walls Stadley Rough), moved after eight years to Shelter Rock and finished my teaching at Rogers Park in 2011. When I read the full page ad about a Charter School in Danbury, I hope that the Board of Education does not go forward with this. First of all, there are problems in the state you would not want repeated in Danbury with Charter Schools. One example is Pathways in Willimantic, which needed to surrender its charter in 2018. They seemed to be charging the state for students that did not exist to the tune of $1.8 million. I suggest you Google this and read the articles about it. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/ TORONTO, May 6, 2019 /CNW/ - Adventus Zinc Corporation ("Adventus" or the "Company") (TSX-V: ADZN, OTCQX: ADVZF) is pleased to announce a fully subscribed non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of approximately 13.8 million common shares in the capital stock of the Company (the "Shares") for total proceeds of approximately C$12.1 million at a market price of C$0.876 per Share. Consorcio Nobis (the "Nobis Group" or "Nobis"), one of Ecuador's largest private business conglomerates, is the lead participant in the Offering by subscribing for C$7.38M, which will result in ownership of approximately 9.9% of the common shares of Adventus upon closing. Mr. Roberto Dunn, Executive Director of Nobis, will be nominated as a director of the Company as part of an investment agreement and Adventus will grant Nobis the right to participate in future equity offerings so that it can maintain at least its pro rata ownership at the time of any such offering, up to a maximum of 9.9% of the common shares of Adventus. These rights are dependent on Nobis holding at least 9.9% of the outstanding equity at the time of closing of future equity offerings. The remainder of the financing is expected to result from the exercise, or partial exercise, of anti-dilution rights held by pre-existing strategic shareholders of Adventus, including Altius Minerals Corporation (TSX: ALS, OTCQX: ATUSF), Greenstone Resources, Resource Capital Funds and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (TSX: WPM, NYSE: WPM). Nobis is one of Ecuador's largest private organizations, with business interests across the agricultural, real estate, industrial, commercial, construction and tourism sectors. The group was founded by Executive President Isabel Noboa Ponton in 1997 and has since developed into one of the country's most successful and respected private enterprises. Highlights of Nobis' current business portfolio in Ecuador include: Partner in the new deep-water port under construction in Posorja, Ecuador ; ; One of the largest agricultural conglomerates; One of the largest private and commercial real estate owners and operators, including malls, hotels, resorts and apartments; Largest ethanol producer from sugarcane by-products, and; Owner and operator of energy plants. Along with its diverse business portfolio, Nobis is a leader in community development and philanthropy initiatives through the Nobis Foundation, which aims to educate and enable women, youth and low-income communities within Ecuador. Nobis and Adventus look forward to future collaboration on community development projects within and around project areas of Adventus. Ms. Isabel Noboa Ponton is also a former Canadian Honorary Consul in Ecuador and maintains many close ties to Canada. This investment in Adventus is the first by Nobis in the mining sector of Ecuador. Roberto Dunn, Executive Director of Nobis, commented: "We are pleased to announce our investment in Adventus and to participate in the growing mining sector of Ecuador, which is set to become a major driver of economic development. We look forward to working with the Adventus team on its impressive project portfolio and to benefiting from the international sector expertise of our fellow strategic shareholders, while in turn adding value through the sharing of our knowledge and deep understanding of the economic, social and environmental priorities of Ecuador. We are confident that this investment will strengthen the country's position before international markets and the success of the Curipamba project will positively impact the nearby communities." Brian Dalton, Chairman of Adventus, commented: "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the Nobis Group, as an important new strategic shareholder, and its Executive Director Roberto Dunn to our board. Through this relationship, Adventus gains a depth of knowledge and experience that will best allow it to earn a respectful place in the development of Ecuador's exciting mineral potential. The Nobis Group's multi-generational success is rooted in its sincere commitment to the positive future of its home country and we look forward to working with the Nobis team to realize upon the full potential of this relationship." Fredy Salazar, President and CEO of Salazar Resources Ltd. commented: "We are pleased to welcome Nobis as stakeholders in the Curipamba project through their investment in Adventus. The Nobis investment is a significant endorsement of the Curipamba project and the team by a highly regarded Ecuadorian business. We look forward to continuing the successful development of the project with our partner Adventus." The Offering is expected to close on or before May 22, 2019 and is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. The net proceeds of the Offering will be used by the Company to fund exploration and development activities at the Curipamba project, within the Ecuador Exploration Alliance, including the Pijili and Santiago projects, and general administration and corporate purposes. The securities to be issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory four months and one day hold period. No commissions will be paid for the Offering. The Shares will be offered for sale on a private placement basis pursuant to applicable exemptions from the prospectus and registration requirements. Part of the Offering will constitute a "related party transaction" within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The Company will rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a). This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the Shares in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Shares have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. About Adventus Adventus is a well-financed exploration and project development company, focused in Ecuador. Its strategic shareholders include Altius Minerals Corporation, Greenstone Resources LP, Resource Capital Funds, and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. The focus of Adventus is the advancement of the Curipamba copper-gold-zinc project in Ecuador as part of an earn-in agreement to obtain a 75% ownership interest. In addition, Adventus is engaged in a country-wide exploration alliance with its partners in Ecuador, incorporating the Pijili and Santiago projects to date. Adventus is based in Toronto, Canada, and is listed on the TSX-V under the symbol ADZN and trades on the OTCQX under the symbol ADVZF. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release contains "forward -looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "pending", "intends", "plans", "forecasts", "targets", or "hopes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "should" "might", "will be taken", or "occur" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that Adventus expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future, including statements about TSX Venture Exchange acceptance, the anticipated date of the Closing and the use of proceeds from the Offering. Although Adventus has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Adventus undertakes to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SOURCE Adventus Zinc Corporation For further information: from Adventus, please contact Christian Kargl-Simard, President and Chief Executive Officer, at 1-416-230-3440 or [email protected] Related Links adventuszinc.com TORONTO, May 3, 2019 /CNW/ - 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 For further information: Frontera: Grayson Andersen, Corporate Vice President, Capital Markets, +57-314-250-1467, [email protected], www.fronteraenergy.ca; CGX: Brooks Lyons, Manager, Commercial & Business Development, + 1-832-300-3200, [email protected], Tralisa Maraj, Chief Financial Officer, +1-832-300-3200 Related Links www.fronteraenergy.ca TORONTO, May 6, 2019 /CNW/ - CIBC Mellon today announced that Emily Portney, Global Head of Client Coverage and Head of Americas, Asset Servicing, BNY Mellon, has been named to the Boards of Directors for CIBC Mellon Global Securities Services Company and CIBC Mellon Trust Company; and that Robert Hutchison has been named to the Board of Directors for CIBC Mellon Trust Company. CIBC Mellon also announced the January appointment of Chint Kulkarni, Managing Director and Head, Loan Syndications, Corporate Banking, CIBC, to the Board of CIBC Mellon Trust Company. As Global Head of Client Coverage and Head of Americas, Ms. Portney leads the client management, sales and service teams for BNY Mellon's Asset Servicing business globally. As Head of Americas, she manages the U.S. Asset Servicing and Latin America Asset Servicing businesses and oversees BNY Mellon's interest in the CIBC Mellon Asset Servicing joint venture in Canada. Ms. Portney holds a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School and a bachelor's degree from Duke University. "Emily is a seasoned executive with a depth of leadership experience across the financial services industry," said Dan Smith, Chair of CIBC Mellon's Boards of Directors and Executive Vice President, Global Head of Asset Servicing Business Resiliency, BNY Mellon. "Her broad industry insights, strategic thinking, global client focus and commitment to developing organizational talent will bring significant value to CIBC Mellon." Robert ("Bob") Hutchison has more than 40 years of experience as a business lawyer with an emphasis on financial services in Canada and a focus on securities regulations and infrastructure. Mr. Hutchison recently retired as a partner of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP where he began his practice in 1977 and held various senior positions. He is a graduate of the Leadership in Law Firms Executive Program at Harvard Law School and holds a J.D. from University of Toronto. "Bob is a well-respected advisor on capital markets and derivatives activities," said John Ferren, Senior Vice President, Deposits, CIBC and Director of CIBC Mellon Global Securities Services Company and CIBC Mellon Trust Company. "His leadership and extensive experience advising clients in the financial services industry will make him a strong addition to CIBC Mellon's Boards of Directors." Chint Kulkarni is Managing Director and Head of Loan Syndications within Corporate Banking at CIBC, where she runs a team that is responsible for origination, structuring and distribution of syndicated credit for CIBC's clients across Capital Markets and Commercial Banking. Ms. Kulkarni is a member of CIBC's Canadian Corporate Banking Operating Committee. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from McGill University and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from DeGroote School of Business. "With her deep expertise across credit, capital markets and loan activities, Chint continues to make valuable contributions to CIBC Mellon and its Boards," said John Ferren. "She is an insightful leader with a wealth of knowledge regarding Canadian and global markets and a thoughtful participant in ongoing strategic discussions." CIBC Mellon also announced that Thaddeaus Duchnowski and Jeffrey Graham stepped down as members of the Boards of Directors for both CIBC Mellon Global Securities Services Company and CIBC Mellon Trust Company in March 2019, and that Susan Rimmer stepped down in December 2018. "Thaddeaus, Jeffrey and Susan made valuable contributions during their tenure on the CIBC Mellon Boards," said Dan Smith. "We thank them for their support and efforts." About CIBC Mellon CIBC Mellon is a Canadian company exclusively focused on the investment servicing needs of Canadian institutional investors and international institutional investors into Canada. Founded in 1996, CIBC Mellon is 50-50 jointly owned by The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). CIBC Mellon's investment servicing solutions for institutions and corporations are provided in close collaboration with our parent companies, and include custody, multicurrency accounting, fund administration, recordkeeping, pension services, exchange-traded fund services, securities lending services, foreign exchange processing and settlement, and treasury services. As at March 31, 2019, CIBC Mellon had more than C$1.9 trillion of assets under administration on behalf of banks, pension funds, investment funds, corporations, governments, insurance companies, foreign insurance trusts, foundations and global financial institutions whose clients invest in Canada. CIBC Mellon is part of the BNY Mellon global network, which as at March 31, 2019 had US$34.5 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration. CIBC Mellon is a licensed user of the CIBC trade-mark and certain BNY Mellon trade-marks, is the corporate brand of CIBC Mellon Global Securities Services Company and CIBC Mellon Trust Company, and may be used as a generic term to refer to either or both companies. For more information, including CIBC Mellon's latest knowledge leadership on issues relevant to institutional investors active in Canada, visit www.cibcmellon.com. Media Contact: Brent Merriman, Corporate Communications, CIBC Mellon, 416-643-5065, [email protected] SOURCE CIBC Mellon For further information: Media Contact: Brent Merriman, Corporate Communications, CIBC Mellon, 416-643-5065, [email protected] Related Links www.cibcmellon.com BRIDGEPORT A jury on Monday found that counselors at the Boys & Girls Village in Milford failed to report to authorities that a 15-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by a Stratford teachers aide and ordered the nonprofit organization to pay $1.2 million to his mother. The jury of four women and two men deliberated two days before finding Boys & Girls Village breached its legal duty to the boy when it failed to report to the state Department of Children and Families that he was being abused by Kyle Damato-Kushel. Damato-Kushel is serving 18 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a child. With interest, the total verdict will exceed $1.4 million. The lesson here is report, report, report, even if you arent totally sure what happened because now this boy is going to be affected for the rest of his life, said juror Elizabeth Kipp, a Stratford nurse. Hopefully this verdict sends a message to people who are mandated reporters in Connecticut. When people such as the therapist and psychiatrist in this case are told that a child is being sexually abused, they must and should report it. This verdict sends that message loud and clearly, said Douglas Mahoney, who with Cindy Robinson represented the boys mother. Mohn Sreenvasan, who represented Boys & Girls Village, declined comment on the verdict. Damato-Kushel, 48, who worked at Wooster Middle School in Stratford and had been the boys preschool teacher, was accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting the youth since the summer of 2013, when he was in seventh grade. The abuse was discovered in 2015 by Damato-Kushels husband, who awoke to hear voices in their Stratford home and fearing it was a burglary, called police. Police said Damato-Kushel offered the boy $900 if he wouldnt reveal their relationship. During the monthlong civil trial before Superior Court Judge Michael Kamp, Damato-Kushel testified that she takes responsibility for the relationship between her and the now 19-year-old youth. But she claimed he later became aggressive when she refused to continue having sex with him and threatened to assault her and to tell her husband. Damato-Kushel is still married but is barred from having contact with her children. The lawsuit states that the youth received mental health treatment at the Boys & Girls Village from July 7, 2014, through Jan. 6, 2015. The boys mother complained to both a therapist and a psychiatrist associated with Boys & Girls Village that she thought her son and Damato-Kushel were having an inappropriate relationship, according to trial testimony. The staff of Boys & Girls Village held a meeting to discuss the mothers complaints but decided not to report them to the state Department of Children and Families. Because of the failure of Boys & Girls Village to report, the sexual abuse of this boy by his former teacher was allowed to continue for over a year, said Cindy Robinson. If Boys & Girls Village had reported the mothers suspicions, this would have stopped. HARTFORD A lawsuit brought by the mother of an Oxford teen who died in a police chase led to a debate in the state Supreme Court Monday about when police should and shouldnt pursue suspects. The boy, 15-year-old Brandon Giordano, was riding in the back seat of his friends Ford Mustang when it crashed in Oxford March 9, 2012, after a chase that began in Seymour when Police Officer Anthony Renaldi saw Ramirezs illegal ground effects lights. Mother Angela Borellis lawsuit initially sought $15 million in damages when she filed the lawsuit, which claimed Renaldi shouldnt have chased Ramirezs car. Derby Superior Court Judge Theodore Tyma threw the case out of court in September 2017, agreeing with the town that Renaldi was acting with discretion during the chase, and thus clothed in discretionary act immunity which protects the town. Lawyers representing Borelli and the town argued before the Supreme Court Monday over the meaning of a state law concerning police chases, and what amount of discretion cops should have in deciding when and when not to engage in a pursuit. Borellis lawyer, Steven J. Errante, said it should be up to a jury to decide whether the Renaldi acted appropriately based on expert testimony and that he has lined up a former state trooper to testify Renaldi should not have chased Ramirezs car for a traffic infraction. Were going down that road of basically they can chase with impunity, it doesnt matter if its a traffic violation, as it was in this case, or theyre chasing a murderer, Errante said. There should be a difference between those things but there doesnt seem to be in the laws. A lawyer representing Seymour, Thomas Gerarde, said if that was a rule, no one will ever stop. I think as a simple matter of law and order, the police have to try and stop people, at least initially, Gerarde said. And then you make the judgment calls along the way and thats the discretion thats built into the statute. Ramirez was sentenced to serve seven months behind bars after he pleaded no contest to charges of negligent homicide and engaging police in pursuit. Renaldi was cleared by an internal investigation. NORTH HAVEN Police closed, then reopened a portion of Clintonville Road Monday to address an incident with a distraught person. The distraught person, who was reportedly armed, left the home safely after speaking with officers, police said. Department officials tweeted that a portion of the road had been closed at 9:31 a.m. Motorists were asked to avoid the area. The road was reopened by 10:12 a.m. police said. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com 5 1 of 5 Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5 HAMDEN Police are investigating after shots reportedly were fired near the intersection of Cumley Street and Dixwell Avenue Sunday night, according to Capt. Ronald Smith. Smith said in a release that officers responded to Studio 1537, located at 1537 Dixwell Ave., for a report of shots fired at approximately 11:55 p.m. Sunday. NEW HAVEN Ultimately, the situation on Columbus Avenue Monday was less dire than it initially sounded. Over the course of Monday afternoon, the nurses office at Roberto Clemente Elementary School was pierced with a reported bullet and the Cornell Scott Hill Health Center was evacuated for a potential active shooter. But the bullet turned out to be a BB; the active shooter was miscommunication prompted by the report at the elementary school. Lt. Herb Sharp said that a BB gun had been fired at a pizza delivery person at the elementary school; the projectile went through the nurses window. As police did not immediately know that a BB gun was used, the school was placed on lockdown. At that time, Sharp said, a community alert went out to institutions within 2,000 square feet of the school which included the Hill Health Center. The center, in response, went into lockdown. An employee of the health center then texted a relative, saying that they had been placed into lockdown for an active shooter, Sharp said. The relative then reported that active shooter to police, prompting a substantial response that slowed traffic on Columbus Avenue. Based on due caution, you have to clear that building, said Sharp. Police swept the building, deeming it safe, Capt. Anthony Duff said in a release. No one was hurt, Duff said. Sharp said that this is the first time that such a chain of events had occurred. Its definitely uncommon, but we are prepared to respond to these type of incidents, said Sharp. No matter how the incident comes in, we are going to respond based on our training. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN Mayoral contender Justin Elicker held two events over the weekend at which he elaborated on similar themes with some familiar faces in attendance. He stressed the need for affordable housing, which he said could be helped through inclusionary zoning; and jobs, which would benefit from training in the building trades to capture the construction work underway downtown. In Fair Haven Saturday, in a yard where some 30 neighbors and friends listened, as small children played and a rooster crowed behind them, Elicker said the city is facing a fiscal crisis and an education crisis. He also told the group gathered at the home of Sarah Miller and Lee Cruz that this is a time for a new deal with Yale University. Miller is an organizer with NHPS Advocates, which has been highly critical of the school administration. Elicker said Yales $11.5 million voluntary payment to the city is too small. He said in comparison to the universitys operating budget, you cant even see the $11.5 million. Thats a problem. I think they should give $50 million a year to the city. This isnt a huge amount for Yale University, but would dramatically increase our ability to function as a city, and ... would benefit Yale a lot, too, because if New Haven thrives and Yale thrives ... that makes us both so much stronger. Elicker ran against Mayor Toni Harp in a three-way Democratic primary in 2013 and then in the general election. Harp is seeking her fourth term as mayor. Karen Peart, a spokeswoman for Yale responded to Elickers statement. Yale works with the citys government and its neighbors in many ways to bring about progress in New Haven. Yales generous voluntary payment is just one aspect of its engagement. Paying college tuition for public school students through New Haven Promise, funding the Homebuyer Program that encourages Yales employees to live in the city, providing thousands of good, secure jobs for residents, and attracting thousands of visitors who patronize hotels, shops, and restaurants are just some of the ways Yale contributes to New Havens vibrancy, she wrote in an email. Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital are the two largest employers in the city. Unite HERE, which represents the two unions at Yale, and New Haven Works struck a deal that Yale over three years would hire 1,000 New Haven residents for permanent jobs, with half from the neighborhoods of greatest need. The numbers kept changing in a hearing in January on the progress Yale was making, from a high of 2,591 locals hired to a low of 876, with either 627 or 273 from neighborhoods of need, depending on what definitions were used. Elicker said he thinks Yale should hire 2,000 more New Haven residents in the next five years. The university said at the time of the update that its work was not done. Compared to five years ago, the candidate said he hears much more about people struggling and the issue of affordable housing is now a central topic. The alders just put together a task force that produced a comprehensive report on zoning and other changes that should be made to help with the housing crisis. Elicker, as does Harp, supports inclusionary zoning, in which developers of larger projects would set aside a certain percentage of units as affordable, and others as deeply affordable, in exchange for a more dense design. Elicker said he supports the version in which reluctant developers could pay into a fund to support affordable housing elsewhere. The report found the need for 20,000 units of affordable housing, which must be met with cooperation from the suburbs. In New Haven, 41 percent of all households are housing burdened, meaning that they are paying in excess of 30 percent of their household income toward rent and utilities. The median rent in the city is $1,090 and 58 percent of the units in New Haven rent for more than $1,000 a month. Ed Corey, Harps campaign manager, said in addition to 1,000 units of market-rate housing downtown, 1,000 units of affordable housing have been added during Harps tenure. He said it was a combination of negotiated units in market level developments, Glendower units, Neighborhood Housing and other nonprofit developers, as well as the city. He said, going back to her days in the state Senate, Harp always worked to maintain the tax credit legislation needed to support affordable housing. She has been fighting for this for a very long time, Corey said. Elicker asked why it took her so long to get behind inclusionary zoning and make the connection between the housing explosion and gentrification. Corey said the mayor asked why he hadnt advocated for it when he was the East Rock alder from 2009 to 2013. Despite the market-rate housing boom and startup companies downtown, Elicker said many residents dont feel connected to that growth. I cant tell you how many people I have spoken with who see the development going on downtown and dont feel that it is impacting their lives in any way, Elicker said. He criticized the mayor for dismantling the Construction Workforce Initiative 2. He said it was designed to establish a relationship between builders, such as Yale University and construction companies, while offering training for residents who needed the jobs. It was overseen by Nichole Jefferson, the former head of the Equal Opportunity Commission, whom Harp fired in 2015 over CWI, among other things, a structure that was set up by her predecessor, Mayor John DeStefano Jr. The city continues to appeal each step Jefferson has won to get back her job. Jefferson and her family were at the Sunday event where Elicker opened his campaign office at 161 Whalley Ave. Jefferson is volunteering for the campaign, while her daughter, Dominique Baez, is working for it part-time. Asked whether he would bring back CWI 2 if he were elected, Elicker said he would recreate the program in a manner that provides pathways to employment for construction-related jobs and addresses some of the structural problems with the previous program. I think it isnt the best set up for accountability to have people that are working for a nonprofit and the city at the same time. The candidate said the city is in a fiscal crisis ... where we are not going to be able to pay for so many things that are important to us. Corey said the city is in the black and while there are always challenges, it is not a crisis. Elicker said New Haven is in an education crisis. He said the school system is hemorrhaging a lot of good talent and not supporting the educators at the grassroots level that are working directly with the students. He was asked what his role would be on the Board of Education. He said he would be respectful of everyone and not micromanage. Instead, he said, he would focus on the real role, which is hiring a really good superintendent, making sure there is accountability. He said the mayor has to own any problems as she has so much influence by her appointment power. Elicker said being a successful leader is being open and not be so arrogant that you think you have all the answers to things, rather, everyone needs to work together. There is so much distrust in the city. ... The lack of transparency means that people with political connections, people with economic resources, people with the time to pester their alder get their issue addressed and other people dont. He said the foundation of leadership is addressing the challenges of the people who dont have the economic or social capital to effectively advocate for themselves. If we have ethical leadership that is open with our numbers, with our books and have an open checkbook policy, then people can hold us accountable, he said. I love New Haven and I see so many things that are wrong and I complain about politics, but I dont want to just complain about politics. I feel it is intellectually dishonest for me to say to myself, oh those politicians, without stepping up and doing something about it, Elicker said in answer to a question as to how important ethics are. At the opening of the headquarters, Alder Abby Roth, D-7, and Alder Steven Winter, D-21, stopped by, as did Amy Marx, a New Haven Legal Aid Association lawyer fighting the city on its lead policy. Cherlyn Poindexter, the former head of the Local 3144, who butted heads with the administration, also attended. Patricia Kane, another critic, made a point of attending, as did developer Fereshteh Bekhrad, who said she was supporting Elicker because New Haven needs a creative leader who will move development beyond downtown. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 NEW HAVEN A former news producer at WTNH-TV is suing the stations parent company, alleging it wrongly fired him after three women complained to management about his alleged sexual misconduct, the Connecticut Law Tribune reported. The station is an ABC affiliate. Plaintiff Micah Bailey claims in his federal lawsuit against Nexstar Broadcasting Inc. that management automatically sided with two women, a reporter and editor who he said he kissedbut with their consent, the Law Tribune reported. The women complained Bailey had inappropriate physical contact with them, but he claimed in his lawsuit that both women were flirtatious with him and that their physical contact was consensual. A third woman, a former producer, came forward at a later date and also accused Bailey of inappropriate conduct. But Bailey asserts he had very little contact with that woman, other than an innocuous message on social media. Bailey claims the was singled out because he is a man, and claims gender discrimination, the Law Tribune reports. In his profile on Linkedin, Bailey says he is a Versatile and fearless Multimedia Producer talented at creating, leading and executing a wide range of television news, digital and independent productions. Effective at transforming projects from concept to reality. Brings strong work ethic and leadership to creative environments. Advanced writing ability, vision and experience has provided business growth and boosted ratings. He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University, the profile notes. The Law Tribune reported that Elizabeth Ryder, Nexstars general counsel, did not respond to its request for comment Monday. NEW HAVEN For almost two decades, Anjel Perrone has provided the soundtrack for the local LGBT community, working as a DJ for Connecticuts gay bars, the pageantry of local Imperial Court functions and pride events. When Perrone found herself facing a surgery in February, and with her insurance company rejecting her claims because of a pre-existing condition, she found herself in a precarious financial situation. Seeing this, members of the community rallied beside her. Unconditionally, shes been there for everybody and everybody wants to be there for her, said Joe Mannetti, a former Mr. International Daddy Bear title holder who met Perrone at 168 York Street Cafe in 2011. Mannetti, who has since moved to New York City, said when he learned about Perrones situation he began organizing the All For Anjel fundraiser, which will happen May 10 at 168 York Street Cafe, where they first met. For the fundraiser, Mannetti has prepared a lineup of some of Connecticuts biggest performers, including drag acts Lucia Virginity and Robin Banks. Perrone said shes known all of the performers on the lineup for at least 10 years. I think its great, she said. Perrone said shes not accustomed to having things done for her, and its ordinarily she and her husband who organize fundraisers. Its just a struggle because were trying to catch up on rent, car payments and the electric bill, she said. Perrone said her deductible is $10,000, so she has been working hard to juggle multiple bills after burning through sick time and vacation time at work. Only recently after her abdominal surgery, she said, has she been cleared to return to work full time, and she continues to meet with a cardiologist and hematologist. Everything is finally on the upswing medically, she said, but she has been burdened with debt as she went about six weeks without a paycheck. Perrone said she first got involved in the local LGBT community after attending a friends drag show; she began DJing several functions in the local community for there, which turned into more gigs with the New Haven Pride Center and the Imperial Courts of Connecticut, Boston, Western Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as Mr. Connecticut Leather. We stand together, and thats the wonderful thing about the Connecticut community, Mannetti said. We stand by our allies who stand by us. The fundraiser is slated to start at 9 p.m. May 10 with a suggested donation of $5. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com McLaren Central Michigan was recently certified as a Gold Safe Sleep Hospital by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program. McLaren is one of only four gold certified safe sleep hospitals in the state. The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was created by Cribs for Kids. Its goal is to award recognition to hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to community leadership for best practices and education in infant sleep safety. By becoming certified, a hospital is demonstrating that it is committed to the mission of making babies as safe as possible in their sleep environments and eliminating as many sleep related deaths as possible. Connecticut is a notoriously independent state. Unaffiliated voters make up 41 percent of the electorate and outnumber both registered Republicans (21 percent) and Democrats (37 percent). Connecticut voters have good reasons to be wary of partisan politicians. Connecticut communities are suffering the same problems facing many American communities: a stagnant economy, an uptick in violent crime and the increasing gap in both wealth and educational opportunity have made many people worried about the future. Meanwhile, the influence of money in politics ensures that the ultra-wealthy are the most likely to win elections. Instead of solving problems, politicians often contribute to them. Gov. Ned Lamont spent $15.7 million on his bid for governor and has spent $42 million seeking public office over the past 13 years. Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim and former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez have been convicted of corruption while holding public office. Unfortunately, Republicans arent any better. Former Gov. John Rowland was imprisoned for his misdeeds and Bob Stefanowski, who lost to Lamont by 45,000 votes, had not voted for 16 years before casting a ballot in 2017. On a good day our elected officials are in silos, locked into separate parties and ideologies. Their solutions center on partisan advantage and the all-important winning and losing of political points and fighting about whos in charge. What is best for our future is lost in that dynamic and many of us are so incensed by the polarizing arguments that dominate the news that we spend our time focusing on the problems of the present instead of talking about the possibilities of the future. Connecticut communities deserve and can have better. Most of us want to have a stake in shaping our future. But if our elected leaders arent fixing our problems, how can we strengthen our communities and create a plan of action? Instead of looking to politicians for solutions, we need to listen to the wisdom and experiences of our neighbors. What if we used our shared values to shape the future direction of Connecticut instead of following a road map divided along partisan lines? When it comes to politics, it is easy to focus on the plethora of problems we face. But focusing on the shared future we all desire instead of the present challenges is a proven approach to developing better, more sustainable solutions. Focusing on the positive core strengths of a community helps people redesign poorly functioning systems to be more inclusive and sustainable, while leveraging the communitys existing strengths. With a shared positive vision for the future, stakeholders can collaborate to co-create their future together. When we get people out of their political bunkers and use our values to define a shared vision, we connect with one another and our common humanity. That strengthens our conviction to work together to develop a value-based vision for the state. Most importantly, that vision is focused on building the future instead of fighting about the past. It does not value one voice above another and it certainly does not value the voices of elected officials above all others. Engaging in structured conversations about the future can be challenging, but there is no substitute for the firsthand understanding we can gain by sharing with each other our experience of the unique challenges facing our communities. And instead of reacting to past and present problems, it is a platform that will help us chart a new course for the future, a future that makes yesterdays challenges obsolete. At stake is the development of a value-based, community vision that will lead us to a better and stronger future. We can accomplish that by setting politics aside and by having a genuine community conversation that requires politicians to check their partisanship at the door. The definition of insanity political or otherwise is to continue to do the same things over and over while expecting a different result. It is time for a different, more constructive conversation that will lead to better outcomes and a future we can all embrace. Alicia Bonner Ness is a community organizer and facilitator and the author of Purpose Power: How Mission-Driven Leaders Engage for Change and the creator of the Purpose Power Town Hall Tour. Victoria Fennell is a resident of Hartfords Blue Hills neighborhood. The president makes his share of eyebrow-raising statements, but one in particular a few years back showed how American cities are building themselves back up and how Connecticut can follow suit. Not that he meant any of that. It was instructive anyway. In one of his efforts to undo everything his predecessor accomplished, the president in 2017 pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement, an international accord meant to slow climate change. I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris, he said, implying that Pittsburgh is the kind of place that gets by on tough industries like steel and coal mining, and has no time to worry about melting glaciers and sad polar bears and whatever else France is going on about. As the mayor of Pittsburgh quickly pointed out, his city voted overwhelmingly for the other candidate in 2016. But more than that, Pittsburgh has a modern, growing economy, and is a frequently cited example of a city that has moved beyond its industrial past. It may have more in common historically with Buffalo and Detroit, but these days is competing with cities like Boston for young, educated workers. The reasons have very little to do with steel. Most of the growth can be attributed to the two largest health-care systems, UPMC and Allegheny Health Network, as well as education institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University and Robert Morris University, a report on the citys recent development notes. Its population is down, but the market for multifamily housing in the city center remains strong, and tourism is on the rise as the city remakes itself. The term eds and meds is a shorthand for what successful cities are relying on to push their regrowth. Educational institutions and hospitals, often working in concert, are driving more jobs and more development in cities around the nation than nearly any other factor, and offer better promise than a return to a manufacturing-based economy. For that reason, the plans unveiled recently for an $838 million neuroscience center at Yale New Haven Hospitals St. Raphael campus deserved more attention. Its a huge amount of money to invest in a city that may be the best positioned for the future of any in Connecticut, and its the kind of plan the state needs to encourage. The lure of a manufacturing rebound is understandable. The memories of a Connecticut based on factories is still fresh, and in many cases the buildings that made it happen are still there. But the numbers are clear. After hitting a postwar peak of about 40 percent of the U.S. population in manufacturing jobs, the figure now is below 10 percent. Connecticut, which had about 350,000 manufacturing jobs 30 years ago, today has about half that. That still adds up to an important part of the economy, but the days of thousands of people working shift after shift in hulking brick buildings is gone. Today a tour of a manufacturer is just as likely to find a handful of people in a nondescript suburban building. Health care jobs are going in the opposite direction, with need driven by an aging population and many hospitals the top employer in their home cities. Connecticut also does not lack for institutes of higher education. Consider that some Western states may have only a handful of good-sized colleges spread across hundreds of miles, while the town of Fairfield by itself has two universities that serve as economic engines. The Hartford area, Fairfield County and New Haven are all university-heavy. Yales plan is not something every city can replicate. But as the state prioritizes its needs and continues to focus on cities, the pieces to build on are already in place. Hugh Bailey is editorial page editor of the Connecticut Post and New Haven Register. Our state faces two painful, interrelated realities: extreme disparities in income and wealth, and a massive state budget deficit of $3.7 billion over two years, threatening cuts to the safety net for our most vulnerable residents. According to the Economic Policy Institute, Connecticut has the third highest income inequality in the nation, with the top 1 percent of Connecticut residents making 37.2 times more than the bottom 99 percent. The solution is to ask the wealthiest to pay a little bit more in taxes. Only Gov. Lamont can lead the way, as he is a member of this wealthy class. Furthermore, his informal cabinet is comprised of other wealthy individuals, such as hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio. It will take a wealthy businessman governor to ask for a fairer share of the taxes from his wealthy peers. Connecticut Voices for Children proposes a 1 percent increase in the top income tax rate for individuals with incomes of over $500,000 (and $1 million for couples), from 6.99 to 7.99, and a slightly higher increase in capital gains income taxes, similar to legislative leaders proposal. In addition to helping to address income inequality while balancing the budget, this is appropriate because individuals who are middle class or living on the margins have little flexibility in their budgets. Higher earners can most easily bear the burden of higher taxes. For example, while a family earning less than $25,000 per year pays 11 percent of income in state and local taxes, a family making over $1.3 million pays half of that, just 5.5 percent. Also, the Trump tax cut bill overwhelmingly benefited corporations and very high earners. Even with the modest capital gains tax surcharge proposed by legislative leaders, the top 1 percent would still be receiving a net average $36,000 annual tax break. While anti-tax advocates cite anecdotes of individuals who could have left Connecticut for many reasons, the research indicates high earners very rarely move to another state solely because of taxation levels. A review of 13 years of IRS tax return data resulted in the conclusion that millionaire migration in response to taxes has only a slight effect. Researchers also have concluded that most millionaires are the working rich, and their incomes derive in part from place-based social capital in highly networked industries (A)n important portion of income is place-specific and not portable. Applied to our region, very high earners in the financial services industry generally must work in the greater New York area. Their residence choices are New York, New Jersey and Connecticut (the governor cites Rhode Island, but you really cant live in Rhode Island and work on Wall Street). Even if Connecticuts highest income tax rate were increased as proposed to 7.99 percent, it would compare very favorably with New Jerseys (8.97 percent) and New Yorks (8.82 percent). New York City imposes an additional top income tax of 3.88 percent on its residents. Our property tax rates also are generally lower. Given these facts and the research, it is unlikely very high income residents would move to one of these neighboring states due to modest tax increases. And moving to remote low-tax states like Texas for this reason is extremely unlikely. Indeed, the latest state tax data shows that, as of 2017, Connecticut had seen a net gain of 3,936 millionaires/multimillionaires since 2004, despite several modest tax hikes. The state has more billionaires than ever. It is actually lower-income individuals who have tended to move out, not the high earners whose lucrative livelihoods are place-specific. Legislators can either ask the privileged few, who have benefited fabulously from our economic system and the Trump tax cut, to pay a little more, or exact a heavy price on those least able to pay it by imposing drastic cuts to the safety net including Medicaid. This is the safety net which my low-income clients must rely upon. Yes, Go. Lamont: only you can reach wealthy individuals on their level and ask them to step up to the plate to balance the budget. And when you do, legislators will be persuaded to go along if they listen to their constituents: Sacred Heart University polling data shows that 75 percent of Connecticut voters support asking those making over $500,000 a year to pay more, and this includes a majority of those with incomes over $150,000. Finally, while some will continue to spout the Millionaire Migration Myth, many in that top group are part of the 75 percent. A group of wealthy state residents is now on record calling on the governor to raise income taxes on individuals like themselves. In an April 7 60 Minutes interview, in which he bemoaned the extreme disparities in wealth and income, Ray Dalio was asked should taxes on people like you be raised? His reply: Of course. Sheldon Toubman is a member of the DUE Justice Coalition and a staff attorney in the benefits unit of the New Haven Legal Assistance Association. Connecticut has made major progress in reforming its criminal justice system. In many ways, it is a leader of justice reform in our country. However, too often individuals in Connecticut who have criminal records are released from the system only to find themselves locked out of job opportunities. Senate Bill 691 aims to change that by automatically erasing criminal records after an individual has remained crime-free for a certain number of years. While SB 691 is primarily a criminal justice bill, if passed, it will have effects that ripple out far beyond the justice system. In fact, given that as many as one out of every three Americans or around 1.2 million people in Connecticut have criminal records, it has the potential to result in major economic benefits for the state and its residents. A criminal record severely hinders a persons ability to find productive work. The rate of unemployment among the formerly incarcerated is a staggering 27 percent higher than the unemployment rate during the Great Depression. Even when these records are for minor crimes and many years have passed since they were committed, their stigmatizing effect continues. Most individuals who have a record do wish to work and are actively looking for a job. Yet when those with a record do obtain employment, they are often underemployed in low-wage, insecure jobs. With so many Connecticut residents burdened by criminal records, our economy suffers. The Center for Economic and Policy Research has estimated that in terms of cost to the economy as a whole, the United States loses about $78 billion to $87 billion in gross domestic product every year, with Connecticuts portion being between $1 billion and $1.2 billion. That is a huge loss of economic activity. If there is one policy solution we can pass to help individuals find jobs and improve our economy, it is to automatically expunge their criminal records after a certain period has elapsed. Once a person has paid their debt to society and has stayed crime-free for several years, he or she should have a fighting chance at finding employment. The bill is particularly powerful because it would make expungement automatic. Many states, including Connecticut, have expungement statutes on the books, but these require individuals to petition a court or board to obtain relief. This process is cumbersome and expensive to navigate, and often requires a lawyer. This is why a recent study found that so few individuals have their records expunged, even when they are eligible. Yet once an individual received an expungement, his or her income rises by 20 percent. A higher income means an improved ability to participate in the local economy, which will help revitalize Connecticut. Expungement not only holds the promise of improving Connecticuts economy, it also enhances public safety. The same study found that contrary to the fears of critics, people with expunged records break the law again at very low rates. This makes intuitive sense: Because those with cleared records are better able to find employment, they are more likely to be able to make ends meet, which in turn reduces their tendency to commit new crimes. Additionally, those who have made it through the waiting period for expungement without committing new crimes have already demonstrated their desire to live a better life. The Clean Slate Initiative is a crucial gateway to employment for people who made mistakes in the past and have since changed their ways. Yes, we want people to pick themselves up by their bootstraps. But let us not forget Martin Luther King Jr.s reminder that it is heartless to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps. We are a country built on redemption, and SB 691 would help to redeem thousands of individuals in Connecticut. Isnt it time we gave those who have already paid their debt to society a real chance to rebuild their lives? Nila Bala is the associate director of criminal justice policy for the R Street Institute and a former Baltimore public defender. Contact her at nbala@rstreet.org; Twitter: @nilabala3. MADISON Its the one-on-one encounters, when people meet others as individuals, that break down stereotypes and suspicions of others, according to Celene Ibrahim, the Muslim chaplain at Tufts University, who will appear at Mercy by the Sea Retreat and Conference Center in June. The Islamic holy month of Ramadan began in this country at sundown Sunday, lasting until June 4, and One Nation, Indivisible, which she edited and which was published in March, is her contribution to the battle against Islamophobia, which has been on the increase in the past several years. Its a collection of artists and activists and scholars of religion and preachers and poets who, each in his or her own way, have been pushing back on Islamophobia, Ibrahim said. Not all of the contributors are Muslim. Some describe their interactions or work with Muslims. All the essays are about promoting values like hospitality, welcoming the stranger and the courage to cross identity divides, she said. All promote the values of love and care. The cover illustration, in which a minaret, topped by the Islamic crescent, extends into the 50-star canton of the American flag, is very provocative, and I hope people pick it up out of a sense of curiosity, Ibrahim said. If people come to it with a good intention, theyll find stories that resonate with them and thats the point, to recognize our common humanity and recognize our differences. Ramadan is a beautiful moment for that because the emphasis is on hospitality and solidifying communal bonds and generosity, she said. With news coverage of Muslim extremists and President Donald Trumps ban on immigration from several majority Muslim countries: Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, many people have a very negative exposure to Islam an understatement because they havent had exposure to the more positive and potentially familiar aspects of Islam, she said. At the same time, there are some organizations whose mission it is to cast fear and doubt on Muslims. The data bears this out. Islamophobia and Islamophobic acts rise in the leadup and aftermath of elections, she said. The anthology aims to humanize Muslims and help people increase their Islamic literacy in an engaging way. Its based on storytelling and an appreciation for visual arts and poetry, she said. One contributor, photographer Saskia Bory Keeley, a non-Muslim, runs workshops in the West Bank for Israeli and Palestinian women to work together on photographic projects, Ibrahim said. Another is by Nora Zaki, the first Muslim chaplain her trauma hospital in Florida has seen, Ibrahim said. A third is by Tahirah Dean, a Muslim immigration attorney who is representing an asylum case for a Haitian client, and she speaks about how much she learned from his faith, she said. Ibrahim said non-Muslims can learn more about the faith during Ramadan by attending a public iftar, the evening meal at which the faithful break the fast theyve kept each day. Its a good opportunity for people who didnt necessarily fast the day to still celebrate with Muslims in recognition that fasting is a deep spiritual practice, she said. Its a moment of coming together really as families, as communities, as friends. Ibrahim will lead a program from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 15 at Mercy by the Sea, 167 Neck Road, on Social Justice and Quranic Social Ethics: Contemporary Explorations, based on her book. Another program on Islam to be held at Mercy will be a three-day retreat, Oct. 25-27, led by Omid Safi, professor and director of the Islamic Studies Center at Duke University. His topic will be Radical Love: The Legacy of the Prophetic Traditions and focus on the Muslim mystical tradition known as Sufism and its most famous poet, Rumi. Safi will discuss how radical love leads to taking a stand for justice, as embodied in the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rabbi Abraham J. Herschel and Malcolm X. Both programs are open to all. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382 A 22-year-old man Camden resident was arrested Sunday in the stabbing death of another man in the city, officials said. Daeshon Davis was charged with first-degree murder and weapons offenses in the slaying of 26-year-old Ryan Harter, according to the Camden County Prosecutors Office. Davis was taken into custody by members of the U.S. Marshals Service late Sunday afternoon. Police found Harter, of Gloucester City, dead near the 1000 block of South 5th Street in Camden shortly before 11 a.m. Friday, the prosecutors office said. Officials did not disclose a possible motive in the killing. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. 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 Former Eagles linebacker LaRoy Reynolds is headed to the West Coast. The veteran special teams ace signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, the team announced. Reynolds had little reported interest in free agency before signing with the 49ers. Reynolds spent last season with the Eagles after joining the team midway through the offseason. Playing mostly on special teams, Reynolds produced six tackles in 16 games. Reynolds is the second former Eagles special teams ace to sign with a new team this month. Linebacker D.J. Alexander signed a veteran minimum deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. Reynolds previously provided special teams support for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons. The 28-year-old has produced 97 tackles during his six-year career. With Reynolds headed elsewhere, the Eagles will rely on Paul Worrilow, L.J. Fort, Nathan Gerry and others to replace him on special teams. Worrilow was re-signed this offseason after missing all of last year following ACL surgery. Reynolds was signed last offseason to fill in for Worrilow. Buy Eagles tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, PrimeSport, Ticketmaster The Eagles signed Fort to a long-term deal during free agency in March. Fort was a special teams ace for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. He is also considered a contender for playing time on defense. Gerry, a 2017 draft pick, has played well on special teams in the past. In San Francisco, Reynolds will look to earn a depth linebacker job. He will most likely earn a job on special teams. JERSEY CITY Four-year-old restrictions on where chain stores can open in Downtown Jersey City are set for repeal at Wednesdays City Council meeting. This is the second time Mayor Steve Fulops administration has asked the council to get rid of the chain store limits, which Fulop pushed them to adopt in 2015. The new repeal attempt came soon after a Downtown property owner hauled the city into court and alleged the restrictions are unconstitutional. The measure up for final adoption would repeal the two 2015 ordinances that led to the restrictions, which ban chain stores from taking up more than 30 percent of ground-floor commercial space in Downtown redevelopment zones. City officials who spoke about the repeal plan at the councils April 22 caucus said they could not speak in great detail because of the lawsuit. Business Administrator Brian Platt told council members that there are definitely some vulnerabilities in the ordinances. At the time the restrictions were approved, Fulop said they would protect the small businesses that give Downtown Jersey City its character. Councilman James Solomon, who represents Downtown, said hes in favor of repeal because when the city wrote the restrictions it failed to follow guidelines required to ensure they could withstand a legal challenge. I'm not interested in wasting taxpayer money on a lawsuit we are guaranteed to lose, Solomon told The Jersey Journal. I will reach out to community leaders to gauge their interest in rewriting the law in a legally defensible way. The 2017 repeal attempt failed when Solomons predecessor, Candice Osborne, lobbied council members to keep the restrictions in place. Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. A Jersey City man charged with sexually assaulting a girl in a Downtown place of worship several years ago refused to appear at his detention hearing Monday, preferring to remain in his jail cell, an attorney from the public defenders office said. Josue Rodriguez, 60, was arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, and endangering the welfare of a girl at Templo Refugio on Third Street. As of Thursday, Templo Refugios website listed Rodriguez as an auxiliary pastor. The website is no longer accessible. Rodriguezs detention hearing will be rescheduled for Tuesday, the official from the public defenders office said. A different court official said the general practice is to give a defendant a few chances to appear for a detention hearing. If a defendant refuses several attempts appear in court, he is considered to have forfeited his right to be present at the detention hearing, which will then be held without the defendant, the second official said. The Hudson County Prosecutors Office filed a motion seeking to detain Rodriguez through the course of his prosecution. The hearing will be held before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul Depascale in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City. Rodriguez is being held at the Hudson County jail in Kearny. The place of worship is part of the Congregation of Yahweh, a religious movement that combines elements of Judaism and Christianity. The alleged crimes involving the girl were reported to the Jersey City Police Department by the mother of the alleged victim earlier in the day on which Rodriguez was arrested. He is accused of abusing the girl when she was under the age of 13. The HCPOs Special Victims Unit is actively investigating case. Anyone with information is asked to contact the HCPO at 201-915-1234 or to leave an anonymous tip on www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/ . All information will be kept confidential. A North Bergen nurse was killed and two others were hospitalized in a head-on crash on a section of road in Jersey City where three others have died over the past six years. The collision, between a 2015 Dodge Charger and a 2008 Ford Edge, occurred at 7:14 a.m. Sunday on Paterson Plank Road south of Congress Street, the Hudson County Prosecutors Office said Monday afternoon. Adriana Riano, 32, who was driving the Ford Edge, was pronounced dead at 3:15 p.m. Sunday, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said in a news release. A 30-year-old Belleville man who was a passenger on Rianos car was treated for injuries that are not considered life-threatening, the prosecutor said. Tributes pouring in on Facebook and other social media sites say Riano was an amazing nurse who had this incredible ability to find the good in everyone she met. If you need help or just some encouragement she was always there, according to a description on a GoFundMe page to help Rianos family. Jonathan Ortiz-Guananga, 26, of Union City, the driver of the Dodge Charger, remains in critical condition at RWJBarnabas Healths Jersey City Medical Center. The passenger in Rianos car told police they were going south on Paterson Plank Road, while Ortiz-Guananga was going north and swerved into the southbound lane and struck Rianos car. The force of the collision drove the hoods and engine compartment of the vehicles into the front seat area. According to police radio transmissions, all three people involved in the crash had to be extricated from the vehicles. Authorities are investigating if alcohol played a role in the crash, the fifth traffic fatality in Hudson County this year. In the wake of this latest tragedy on Paterson Plank Road, I will seek, in my capacity as a member of the NJTPA (North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority) and a former chairman of the authority, the swiftest possible action on funding for a traffic study of this particular corridor that may offer insights on how we can make it safer," said Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise. North Bergen Mayor and state Sen. Nicholas Sacco called Riano a former graduate, an amazing athlete and just a wonderful person. On the GoFundMe page, which had raised more than $18,000, one friend said, You are and always will be an incredible human being. Thank you for your impact on this world. According to her LinkedIn page, Riano was a critical care nurse at Hackensack University Medical Center. In 2016, she survived a crash with a tractor trailer on the New Jersey Turnpike, the Hudson Reporter reported. Riano suffered an open ankle fracture, internal bleeding and a broken pinky, the newspaper reported. There have been numerous crashes in that area of Paterson Plank Road, including at least three over the past six years that resulted in the loss of life. The city must give this area maximum attention and analysis immediately, especially as this is such a high fatality area, said Kara Hrabosky, co-founder and president of Safe Streets Jersey City. "One fatality is too many, let alone four. The citys Vision Zero Action Plan calls for the implementation of a rapid response squad of engineers and planners who are supposed to visit crash sites as soon as possible post-crash to determine both quick and longer-term safety improvements to put in place. Has this team been to the site and what are their plans to make it safer? We cannot wait around any longer to fix this known deadly intersection. Hudson County Freeholder Joel Torres, who represents that area of Jersey City, said the freeholders will look to see what can be done after reading that this is the fourth fatality in six years. He noted that this two-tenths of a mile section of the county road had not been flagged as a dangerous area, but he now plans to meet with the county roads department and the freeholders Public Resources committee to make the road safer. Rumble strips have been placed in other areas, but I dont know how if it will curb speeding or not, Torres said. "We need to do something rectify the situation. The Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit is actively investigating this case with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to contact the prosecutors office at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be kept confidential. NORTH BERGEN A 27-year-old West New York resident is wanted for Sunday mornings fatal shooting, authorities said. The Hudson County Prosecutors Office said Monday a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Jonathan Haughey-Morales, who is wanted for fatally shooting Carlos Garcia, 40, and wounding three others. The North Bergen Police Department responded to a report of shots fired at 3:30 a.m. Sunday at 2033 46th St., where they found four individuals shot near the vestibule of the house. Garcia was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his chest, while two men and a woman all north Bergen residents were found with gunshot wounds. Garcia and the other victims were rushed to Jersey City Medical Center. Garcia was pronounced dead at 4:25 a.m., while a 42-year-old male victim, remains in critical condition. The two other victims, a 42-year-old man and woman, were treated and have been released from the hospital. It is unclear who was a resident of 2033 46th St. Authorities said Garcia does not live there. Haughey-Morales has been charged with murder, three counts of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, law enforcement said. He has previous convictions for aggravated assault, receiving stolen property, and terroristic threats, court records indicate. No information was provided on the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @cwmcdonald_. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. A New Jersey attorney says he has a list of more than 300 priests accused of sexual misconduct in New Jersey -- far more than the 188 priests the Catholic Church has said were credibly accused in the states dioceses. Attorney Greg Gianforcaro said he will release the list Monday at an afternoon press conference where he will announce that an unnamed victim of sexual abuse is filing a lawsuit against New Jerseys five Catholic dioceses alleging they created a public hazard by not naming all accused priests. Gianforcaro, who has represented multiple alleged priest abuse victims, said he will release a report with the 300 priests and their histories at a 1 p.m. press conference in Elizabeth. I think the public was shocked by the prior list of 188 priests and I think they should have been shocked," Gianforcaro said. That list was woefully inadequate. Last month, Gianforcaro and the Minnesota-based law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates, teamed up to release the names of 52 former Boy Scout leaders from New Jersey who allegedly sexually abused boys and were included in the organizations so-called Perversion Files. In February, the Archdiocese of Newark and the states four other dioceses -- Camden, Metuchen, Trenton and Paterson -- released the names of 188 priests and deacons credibly accused of sexual abuse of children. More than 100 of the named priests were dead and most of the others had been removed from ministry years ago. Some critics and victims rights groups have said the New Jersey list was incomplete because it did not include some priests who were accused of sexual abuse, but were not considered credibly accused after a church review because of a lack of evidence. Others were left off because they worked in other states when they were accused. The list also did not include priests, monks, nuns or others who served in religious orders or order-run Catholic schools in New Jersey, which do not fall under the authority of the New Jersey dioceses. Gianforcaro said many of those names will be included on the new list of 300 accused clergy members, with information taken from legal settlements, news stories and other public accounts. The Archdiocese of Newark and the New Jersey Catholic Conference, which represents the five Catholic bishops in New Jersey, did not immediately return requests of comment. Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A 48-year-old New Jersey man was struck and killed by a car while walking along Route 22 in North Plainfield early Sunday, authorities said. Jason A. Kohl, of Plainfield, was walking west between North Drive and Watchung Avenue around 4:50 a.m. when a westbound vehicle hit him, borough police said in a statement. Kohl was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, a 38-year-old Somerville man, stopped, and has not been charged. Anyone with information is asked to call North Plainfield police at 908-769-2937 or the Somerset County Prosecutors Offices tip lines at 1-888-577-8477. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. More than 300 New Jersey priests, nuns, monks and other clergy accused of sexual misconduct -- including many not included in the Catholic Churchs official list -- were named in a report released Monday by lawyers representing an alleged victim suing the states dioceses. The report by a Minnesota-based law firm is related to a lawsuit filed by Edward Hanratty, a sexual abuse victim from New Jersey that says New Jerseys five Catholic dioceses created a public hazard by not naming all clergy members accused of sexually abusing children. Click here to read the New Jersey report and a supplemental document with additional names. The 311 names in the report come from lawsuits, legal settlements, news reports and other public accounts of alleged abuse, the attorneys said. In February, the Archdiocese of Newark and the states four other dioceses -- Camden, Metuchen, Trenton and Paterson -- released the names of 188 priests and deacons credibly accused of sexual abuse of children. But victims rights groups said the New Jersey list left off numerous names, including priests, nuns and monks accused of abuse while working in Catholic schools and other institutions run by religious orders not under the authority of the Catholic bishops in New Jersey. Back in February, Cardinal Tobin and the other bishops in New Jersey made a conscious effort to release the name of certain priest abusers, said Greg Gianforcaro, one of the attorneys. They have claimed to be open and transparent. Their list was horrendously inadequate. In a statement, the Archdiocese of Newark said it continues to report abuse allegations to law enforcement officials and the church encourages victims to come forward. The Archdiocese of Newark is committed to the ongoing support and healing of victims and the acknowledgement of those accused of the sexual abuse of minors. We continue to focus on transparency and accountability and to reinforcing established reporting and prevention policies and programs to protect minors and support victims in our parishes, schools and ministries, the archdiocese said in a statement. Church officials said they are also working the state Attorney Generals Office, which is investigating how the Catholic Church in New Jersey handled reports of abuse. Last month, Gianforcaro and the Minnesota-based law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates, teamed up to release the names of 52 former Boy Scout leaders from New Jersey who allegedly sexually abused boys and were included in the organizations so-called Perversion Files. The lists come as New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to take action on a bill that expands the statute of limitations law so more victims of sexual abuse can file lawsuits agains their abusers and institutions, including the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts. Similar bills are pending in other states. Attorneys nationwide have been publicizing lists of accused sexual abusers and offering to represent potential clients in civil lawsuits. Hanratty, the New Jersey victim who filed the lawsuit, is a freelance journalist who wrote a column inspired by the Pennsylvania grand jury report on priest sexual abuse last year. In the column, he detailed his alleged abuse in the late 1980s by Rev. Gerard Sudol, a priest at Our Lady of Czestochowa Catholic Church in Jersey City who stepped down after Hanrattys accusation. In his lawsuit, Hanratty is suing all of the dioceses in New Jersey and the New Jersey Catholic Conference, the statewide group representing the Catholic bishops. The case, known as a public nuisance lawsuit," alleges the Catholic Church created a danger to the public when it did not release a full list of all clergy members accused of abuse. The lawsuit calls for the New Jersey dioceses to produce a long list of documents, including all documents related to child sexual abuse, transcripts of testimony and correspondence with the Vatican. Open it all up. Full story. Full accounting . . . We deserve to know. Its that simple. We deserve to know, Hanratty said. Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook. 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. By Tom Healey While in some ways a hopeful step, a four-day meeting in Rome earlier this year called by Pope Francis to respond to the sexual abuse crisis that has impacted the lives of countless victims and undermined the moral authority of the Catholic Church was sadly bereft of concrete reform. There is still ample opportunity for the Church to recover from the decades-old scandal and regain the trust of the public, but it will require fundamental reforms in two critical areas that permitted and then covered up those abuses: bishop accountability and Church governance. To ensure these reforms become reality, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) should name, as soon as possible, twin oversight panels: a Task Force on Recovery to address accountability and a Task Force on Reform to address governance. These task forces should include the participation of laity and clergy and each should be given the necessary funding and resources to fulfill their responsibilities. Unquestionably, bishops guilty of abusing minors or of negligence in handling abuse cases must be held accountable and punished for their actions. This point was driven home at the Vatican meeting by Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, and a close advisor to Pope Francis, who declared that new structures were needed to report allegations of abuse, investigate them, and remove from positions in the Church any bishops found guilty. Similar recommendations, and many others aimed at desperately needed Church reform and recovery from the sexual abuse crisis, were announced by the Leadership Roundtable following its two-day Catholic Partnership Summit in Washington, D.C., which brought together Church leaders from around the country, including Cardinals Cupich, Sean OMalley from the Archdiocese of Boston, and Joseph Tobin from the Archdiocese of Newark. To give teeth to Cardinal Cupichs urgent appeal in Rome, a ministerial code of conduct for bishops should be developed that recognizes abuse of power not only against children, but adults. In addition, an independent body should be created with heavy lay participation to encourage anonymous reporting of any Church leader suspected of molestation or participation in a cover-up. If the allegations are credible, that body would conduct a rigorous investigation and, if the charges prove valid, take steps to ensure the leader is appropriately punished at both Church and legal levels. Bishop accountability can also be advanced by updating and strengthening the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (the Dallas Charter), enacted by the USCCB in 2002 after the abuse crisis broke. While this doctrine has undergone several changes over the years, they have been modest in scope and have set a regrettably low bar for compliance by the Catholic Church. Updating the Charter and giving teeth to its compliance audit process would add another layer of responsibility for bishops and thereby help to prevent future acts of abuse. Changes in Church governance must also occur if the root causes of the sexual abuse crisis are to be addressed. USCCB guidelines around annual financial audits by the dioceses, for example, should be tightened by creating an independent team of experts to oversee and examine the findings of those audits, and to ask tough questions if they spot any deficiencies or have any suspicions. This team should also oversee and examine all compliance audits that emerge from the Dallas Charter, and expand the audit process to include parishes and Catholic schools to ensure the data they submit is accurate. A substantial case can also be made for rethinking and restructuring how power and responsibilities are apportioned among the dioceses, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Rome. And once that task is complete, steps should be taken to invest in the dioceses -- where bishops now report directly to the Pope -- the authority and ability to make timely decisions that streamline their management and leadership and elevate accountability, transparency and enhanced communications to new levels. This co-responsibility would further provide a much-needed framework of checks, balances and oversight to govern the everyday actions of bishops and other Church leaders, similar to best practices in the corporate world. Equally compelling is the need to change the process of selecting bishops. Above all, this process should embrace greater transparency, which can be achieved by giving the laity and clergy greater participative roles, and by employing a high quality search procedure similar to that used by universities and major not-for-profit organizations. Similarly, seminaries can play a major role in fostering change within the Church by rethinking their models of formation for future priests. While seminaries are generally doing a better job today than in the past, they can further improve by revising and updating their curricula with an emphasis on abuse prevention and personal integrity. It is naive, of course, to think the foregoing recommendations can be easily enacted. For one thing, they would require approval by the Vatican along with appropriate revisions to the code of Canon Law. But as events of recent years have underscored, it is a labor that can no longer wait. The concrete proposals for action outlined here should be earnestly taken up and approved at the next meeting of the USCCB in May. Only this way can episcopal leadership convince a deeply disappointed, disillusioned and angry public thats its prepared to replace vague promises with bold steps to rebuild the Roman Catholic Church. Thomas J. Healey is a partner at Morristown-based Healey Development. He served as co-chair of the Pension and Health Benefits Commission formed by Gov. Chris Christie. President Ronald Reagan appointed him as the assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury for Domestic Finances. 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 states ongoing probe into the New Jersey Economic Development Authority is a one-sided investigation that smacks of political retribution." Attorneys for several entities tied to Camden power broker George E. Norcross III are charging that Gov. Phil Murphy overstepped his legal power when he created a task force to investigate companies that benefitted from the states controversial tax incentives. In a letter Monday to the task force, attorneys representing Connor, Strong & Buckelew; Cooper University Health Care; Parker McCay, and Brown & Connery objected to the unlawful process you are conducting, and also said the task force had imposed arbitrary restrictions on their rights to respond to false accusations. In addition, they asserted that the task force lacked statutory authority over the Economic Development Authority, which they said was not subject to the governors oversight powers. They also demanded an opportunity to submit a public presentation to the task force at its next scheduled hearing. The letter was signed by four of the states top criminal defense attorneys on behalf of the companies, which were all associated with Norcross. We reserve all rights to seek full remedies to the extent any of these false and defamatory accusations were directed at our clients," their letter said. In a statement, Ronald Chen, chairman of the task force, responded, The governor has full constitutional and statutory authority to investigate any entity within the executive branch, including the EDA, either by himself or through a delegate. If anyone wishes to challenge that authority, they should bring an appropriate action in court and we are ready to defend it vigorously. The letter marked the latest salvo in a growing political battle between Murphy and those allied with Norcross over the EDA, since the governor created a task force to investigate the besieged agency. The task force was formed by Murphy earlier this year came after a highly critical audit by the state comptroller in January, which criticized the EDAs management of a program that has given out tax credit incentives worth $11 billion since its inception. The comptroller concluded that the state agency, which is responsible for spearheading New Jerseys economic development efforts, may have improperly awarded, miscalculated, overstate and overpaid tax credits to a number of companies that it could not verify had created the jobs that were promised. It also said the EDA could not evaluate whether its inventive programs generated any economic benefits to the state, and had certified projects and released tax credits even when projects did not meet the requirements, in violation of the law. The major incentive programs the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program and the Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant Program are set to expire in July unless renewed by the state Legislature. Chen last week said the task force has already identified nine companies of concern. He added more than three dozen companies have agreed to participate in an accelerated program to re-certify their incentive awards. At its hearing last week, the task force presented documents showing amendments to the states most recent tax incentive legislation that were drafted by Keven Sheehan, a real estate attorney for Parker McCay. Norcrosss brother, Philip Norcross, is Parker McCays chief executive. The task force also offered evidence they said showed how EDA incentives specifically helped Norcross projects in Camden and other clients of Parker McKay, and to George Norcross own business interests. In their letter to the task force, lawyers for Norcrosss brokerage business and Cooper University Health Care, where he serves as chairman of the board of trustees, and Parker McKay said the statute that empowers the governor to examine and investigate the management of any department, board, bureau or commission of the state does not extend to independent authorities like the EDA. They added that the restrictions imposed on their rights to respond to false accusations denied them the right to publicly confront accusers within the same public forum. No one was permitted to respond to any of the allegations raised at the most recent task force hearing. Task force lawyers have said there will be no public comment until a future hearing date. Given your stated intention to publicly adduce adverse evidence against our clients, these restrictions are particularly noxious, they wrote. They cited in particular comments by task force attorney Pablo Quinones, who stated that several unnamed entities may face real criminal exposure for federal "mail and wire fraud. Statements such as these, coupled with the manner of the questioning of witnesses at the May 2, 2019 hearing, suggests you are operating under explicit instruction to develop adverse facts against particular individuals and entities, including our clients, they wrote. This one-sided investigation smacks of political retribution and undermines the credibility of your exercise." Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday defended his plan to siphon $33 million from a relief fund for New Jersey firefighters in need as the move drew outrage from first responders and state lawmakers. At an unrelated news conference in Newark, Murphy said that while he reveres firefighters and is willing to meet to discuss his budget proposal, the state and local relief agencies have ample resources to meet the needs of the active and retired volunteer and career firefighters in their ranks. I hold them, along with our educators and other public servants, up on a pedestal. Period. And they deserve that," the Democratic governor said. Were very much open-minded to sitting with them on this. But folks need to understand, this fund has a fund balance six times the amount it needs. Six times. NJ Advance Media reported Sunday that Murphys administration wants to shift $33 million from the New Jersey State Firefighters Association, which, along with 538 local relief groups, provides burial benefits, financial assistance, a retirement home and in-home medical care for New Jerseys firefighters. 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. The groups are the recipients of a 2 percent tax on insurance premiums written by out-of-state insurers for New Jersey properties. The state association took in about $33 million last year, and half went out the door to the Local Relief Associations. But a December state comptroller report found the associations were sitting on $245 million in unspent funds and that inadequate oversight left the money vulnerable to waste and abuse. About $180 million of that belonged to the 538 local relief groups. It also found that collectively, the hundreds of Local Relief Associations spent more on administrative costs and conventions than on financial assistance for their members and that the interpretation of need and hardship varied from one association to another. The head of the statewide association, Robert Ordway, said its annual income was not enough to cover the $10 million in burial benefits it distributed last year, the more than $10 million sent to the Firemens Home, a Boonton retirement home for retired firefighters, more than $3 million on administrative expenses, $360,000 in direct financial relief to members and $142,000 on in-home medical care. A firefighters union, the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association, has vowed to fight the move. Some state lawmakers on Monday expressed outrage, saying Murphy should not balance his budget with these sacrosanct dollars. Gov. Murphy vowed against raiding the clean energy, unemployment compensation, and affordable housing funds to plug budget holes, but hes willing to take money away from firefighters who put their lives on the line to protect our citizens, state Assemblyman Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, said in a statement. He doesnt have his priorities straight. Its a disgrace that the governor would fund his agenda on the backs of firefighters. Bucco said hes requested a legal opinion on whether Murphy can divert these funds and he will introduce legislation to bar the raid. State Sen. Steven Oroho, R-Sussex, said Funds for the firefighter relief programs have been sacrosanct whereby past administrations and legislatures have said hands off; this administration must do the same. Senate Democrats Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, and Bob Andrzejczak, D-Cape May, also criticized the diversion. Taking $33 million from a fund that is designed to provide financial assistance to our firefighters in their times of need should not be a consideration, Singleton said. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. 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 Jerseys gaping public-worker pension hole continued to improve slightly last year, even as the state contributed billions of dollars less than recommended by pension actuaries. The systems unfunded liabilities dropped by nearly $12 billion to $130.7 billion. The ratio of assets to liabilities increased nearly three percentage points to 38.4 percent in the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to the states latest financial statements. This is a step in the right direction as a result of staying true to our commitment to increase pension contributions, said state Treasury Department spokeswoman Jennifer Sciortino. But while having the pension system 38.4 percent funded is an improvement, theres still a long way to go, as it remains among the worst-funded among states. The new numbers represent one methodology for calculating the health of the pension system for state and local government workers in compliance with national accounting rules for reporting financial assets and liabilities. New Jersey bases its own calculations on more optimistic long-term investment returns. The states pension system looks much weaker under these national accounting standards, which matter to Wall Street rating agencies. Measured this way, the public pension system had $81.5 billion in assets and $212.2 billion in liabilities, as of July 1. That leaves a $130.7 billion unfunded liability a daunting funding gap the state will grapple with for decades to come. The new numbers do not distinguish between the pension systems for state workers and local government workers. Local governments are not allowed to take a break from their pension contributions, and their pension systems are better funded than the one partly funded by the state. Thats because governors and lawmakers from both political parties for years contributed less than what was needed to keep the state pension system healthy including years they chipped in nothing at all. The financial disclosure does, however, show improvement over the previous year. S&P Global said in 2017, when the funded ratio fell to just 31 percent, that it believed the states pension woes had bottomed out absent a recession because of the states commitment to increase its contribution. The state kicked in 50 percent of whats recommended, or $2.5 billion, last year, and the fund returned 9.06 percent on its investments, beating the 7.50 percent long-term assumed rate of return. It is contributing 60 percent, or $3.2 billion, this year, and Gov. Phil Murphys proposed state budget includes a 70 percent, or $3.8 billion contribution. The unfunded liabilities are expected to continue falling if the state keeps on that funding path. Still, the pension system remains one of the worst funded in the country. Murphy has hired a financial adviser to help evaluate which state-owned assets, if any, can be sold, leased or otherwise leveraged to help fund the pension system. But state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, has called for pension reforms, including revising retirement benefits for new employees and those with fewer than five years of service. 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. With only a day to spend in Amsterdam at the start of a week-long Rhine river cruise, it didnt take much time to pinpoint what we wanted most to see: the Anne Frank House. Described by some as a museum with a story, this is the actual Secret Annex that hid the Frank family and four others for two years during World War II. Their story ended tragically, with the group taken away to concentration camps in August 1944. Anne Frank and her sister, Margot, both died about six months later. Only one person whod hidden in the house, father Otto Frank, survived. He made it his lifes work to share the familys story through Annes diary, which was found by a family friend who kept it through the war. Published in 1947, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, has been read by millions and translated into more than 55 languages. Like many who read the book as a teenager, Anne Franks poignant story never left me but I never imagined I would someday walk through the actual Secret Annex that harbored her and the others for those two long years. Once our Viking cruise was booked, I began researching a visit. I quickly learned that the Anne Frank House is one of Amsterdams biggest attractions, drawing more than 1.2 million visitors a year. Its best to plan in advance; you need a timed ticket to enter and they are only sold online. Its not expensive; only about $10 for adults and $5 for ages 10 -17 (kids up to age 9 are free). Theres also a nearby Jewish Historical Museum that focuses on the history and culture of Jews, as well as their experiences during World War II. Shortly after arriving at our ship, the Viking Hlin, we made arrangements through the courtesy desk for the 10- minute taxi ride to the city center. Orientating ourselves to the charming cobblestone-and-canal-laden city, we realized we were standing in front of the Anne Frank House because of the huge crowd outside; its marked only with a small sign. We were allowed into the museum early, and were immediately impressed by how the tour was set up: first, you learn about the dire situation facing Jews in Holland during World War II; then you meet through photos and text the people who hid in the Secret Annex. The Anne Frank House admission price also includes an audio tour that details how plans were made for the group to hide in the building, and the ways they were supported by a handful of helpers during their years in hiding. Interest in Anne Frank is especially high this year, as 2019 marks the 90th anniversary of her birth. Ironically, Franks Jewish family relocated from Germany to the Netherlands in 1933, thinking it safer there after the Nazis gained control. But by May 1940, the Frank family was virtually trapped in Amsterdam by the German occupation of the Netherlands. As persecution of Dutch Jews accelerated, the Franks went into hiding in the summer of 1942. Their new home was located in the back of a 1635 canal house that housed the offices where Otto Frank worked. The building consists of two parts: the main house and the annex. The eight people hid on the top floors of the annex, the entrance of which was hidden behind a fake, hinged bookcase. There, Anne Frank wrote in her diary, pinned (still existing) photos of movie stars to her walls and dreamed of the day when the family could live freely. In August 1944, the Secret Annex and its inhabitants were discovered. A few months later, Anne and her sister died only days apart, of typhus, at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The Anne Frank House, which opened as a museum in 1960 (and which underwent a major renovation last year), is open every day of the year (aside from Yom Kippur), with extended evening hours in the summer. A temporary exhibit, called Tangible Memories, is currently on display until mid-summer, featuring artifacts from family photo albums and schoolbooks of the Frank sisters. Things to Know Before You Go A visit to the Anne Frank House is a somber experience, and photography is not allowed. It takes less than an hour to go through the house and watch the numerous audio-visual presentations. (There is also a special pre-tour movie offered; tickets sell out quickly). There are many stairs, and the house is not wheelchair-accessible. There is also a cafe and bookshop. We were caught off-guard by how frozen in time the Anne Frank House is. From the fake bookcase you go through to climb the steep staircase that leads to the upper rooms, to the decorated walls of Annes room, we found the tour deeply moving and we were deeply disheartened to learn that Anne and Margot Frank died only weeks before Bergen-Belsen was liberated by the Allies. The Audie Murphy Memorial, in the Alsace region of France, has a placard in both English and French. Photo by Nicole Pensiero We were so inspired by our visit to the Anne Frank house, in fact, that we signed up for an optional side tour during our Viking river cruise to visit a region of France where American and French forces pushed back Nazi troops during the brutal winter of 1944-45. There, American soldier Audie Murphy became famous for singlehandedly fighting off a battalion of German soldiers; a momentum to his bravery remains at the site. From there, we traveled to the small Colmar Pocket Memorial Museum in the Alsace region of France. It was a fascinating bookend to a journey which had begun with a different type of World War II story; one that put a truly human face on the struggle of those dark years. For more information, visit: www.annefrank.org and www.iamsterdam.com/en Nicole Pensiero is a South Jersey resident and a member of the North American Travel Journalists Association. A New Orleans man is accused of killing a Chalmette man who was found fatally shot in his home Saturday night (May 4), according to the St. Bernard Parish Sheriffs Office. Matthew Squyres, 35, was booked Monday with second-degree murder after authorities say he confessed to the killing, the Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Authorities have not identified the victim, but investigators said he and Squyres were acquaintances who had been involved in a prior altercation. The fatal shooting occurred about 8:30 p.m. Saturday in the 3600 block of Shangri-La Drive in Chalmette. Responding deputies found bullet holes in the window of the victims home. After a failed attempt to get someone to the door, deputies went inside to find the victim lying on the floor, fatally shot. Squyres has an address in New Orleans East but was captured in Chalmette, authorities said. He was booked into the St. Bernard Parish jail, where he remained Monday afternoon with no bond yet set. Laura McKnight covers crime and breaking news for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. A Slidell man has been sentenced to 175 years in prison after being found guilty of possessing and distributing child pornography and committing sex crimes against a juvenile, the North Shore district attorneys office said. David Allen Hammond Jr., 40, was sentenced Friday (May 3) by state district Judge William Rusty Knight. The grandmother of one of the victims gave a statement in court prior to the sentencing, telling Hammond, I never hated anyone in my life until I met you. Her monster is dead to her. She is safe now. A jury deliberated for about two hours Thursday before finding Hammond guilty of 19 counts of production of pornography involving juveniles, five counts of possession of pornography involving juveniles under 13, distribution of pornography involving juveniles, sexual battery of a victim under 13, aggravated crime against nature, and obstruction of justice. The case surfaced after a St. Tammany Parish sheriffs deputy was called out to investigate a possible missing juvenile that had fled Hammonds residence in September 2017, District Attorney Warren Montgomerys office said in a news release. The deputy found the 14-year-old girl in an abandoned property not far from Hammonds home. The deputy testified during trial that the girl told him Hammond had sexually abused her, videotaped the act, and taken other pictures and videos of her, the news release said. 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 At Hammonds home, investigators found more than 6,000 photos and videos in multiple hard drives, tablets, smart phones, and camera equipment, which all contained child pornography of both the juvenile victim and other children and toddlers, the DAs office said. Hammond had also been distributing pictures and video of child pornography to others using the app Flickr. Windows in Hammonds home were covered by a black film that prevented anyone from looking out or seeing inside, and the doors contained deadbolt locks that could only be opened from the inside with a key, authorities said. Hammond was arrested Sept. 29, 2017. One of the victims addressed the court before the sentencing, telling Hammond, You kept me from freedom and the world, but I survived you. Judge Knight told Hammond, I usually dont take pleasure in sentencing people to jail. But guess what? Today Im going to make an exception. Detective Adam Maillho led the investigation. The case was prosecuted by assistant district attorneys Will Macke and Elizabeth Authement. U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Monday (May 6) voiced her support for higher teacher pay while also denouncing teacher walkouts nationwide, which she said are hurting students. DeVos shared her comments during an interview with Erica Green, an education reporter for The New York Times, at the Education Writers Associations National Seminar in Baltimore. Green pointed out that teachers are striking across the country for higher pay and smaller classrooms. She asked DeVos if she supports their efforts. DeVos said really great teachers should be compensated more, before adding she felt the protests are harming the students theyre hired to educate. I think its important that adults have adult disagreements on adult time, and that they not ultimately hurt kids in the process," DeVos said, adding, "I think too often theyre doing so by walking out of classrooms and having their arguments in the way that they are. Louisiana teachers would get bigger raise in House GOP budget This month, educators in North and South Carolina and Oregon have either participated in or are planning to join rallies in an effort to pressure state lawmakers into passing teacher pay raises in K-12 schools. School districts in some parts of the country have closed in anticipation of teacher walkouts as teachers unions rally support for the protests. Here in Louisiana, the fight over teacher and school staff pay raises is expected to be one of the states first big budget battles for the upcoming fiscal cycle, which begins July 1. Louisianas teachers groups have generally been opposed to a teachers strike. But the results of a 2018 survey by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers showed many teachers would support a statewide walkout or strike to force lawmakers to approve increased pay. 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 DeVos used Greens question as an opportunity to criticize Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. Weingarten is an attorney and educator whose total compensation as a union president is $497,118 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Labors Office of Labor-Management Standards. I think teaching as a profession should be a highly honored and respected profession. I think its been de-professionalized in many ways and I think great teachers perhaps should be making at least half as much as what Randi Weingarten does at a half million dollars a year, DeVos said, eliciting laughs and gasps from attendees in a ballroom at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. In a statement provided by Andrew Crook, an AFT spokesperson, Weingarten defended her record supporting teachers. I was glad to be able to fight to get teachers in New York up to $100,000 when I was UFT president Mayor Bloomberg and I worked hard to get that done. Id be delighted to get all teachers up to $200k, which is what they deserve this is certainly the first Ive heard about Secretary DeVos being open to that, instead of a tax cut for rich people, Weingarten stated. Jefferson Parish backs tax for teacher pay raises Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles. As a scientist at LSU, Dr. Catherine O'Neal knew the COVID-19 vaccines had undergone rigorous safety testing before they were made available for children. But when the time came to sign her own kids up for the jab, the mother of three experienced 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. Imagine if artificial intelligencethe same machine learning Netflix uses to suggest new movies to customers based on past favoritescould show teachers that students are more engaged first thing in the morning, and then suggest relevant classroom management adjustments for different times of the day. Thats what researchers at the University of Montreal, led by Thierry Karsenti, a professor and the Canada research chair on information, will be investigating. The university is partnering with Classcraft , a five-year old education technology company based in Canada and the U.S. that offers what it describes as an engagement management system to help schools improve academic outcomes, school climate, and social-emotional learning. It is used in 75,000 classrooms in the United States and in 160 countries, according to the company. The study is part of a broader trend to use software and data to help schools improve school climate and student well-being. But that type of work brings with it a host of questions. Experts wonder if relying on the same software to trackand potentially course correct onsocial-emotional learning can work effectively for the wide range of students in U.S.schools. Theyre concerned about the impact on a teachers practice, and on kids, if the software makes a wrong prediction. And of course, there are always qualms about student privacy. The Classcraft program created by Shawn Young, a former high school physics teacher, allows teachers to give groups of students points for positive behavior, helping them track traits like critical thinking, collaboration, and even empathy. The program makes that data available to educators. (Classcraft isnt the only software program that works to improve school climate. ClassDojo, Class Charts, ClassMax, and Hero all aim to help teachers with classroom management.) But right now, Classcrafts software cant predict what might happen in classrooms over time, or give teachers ideas on how to tweak their practice to boost engagement . And that information could prove very valuable to educators, Young said. What we want to be able to do is to help interpret that data and to be able to understand whats happening in the classroom and from there to be able to make recommendations to teachers and principals and students about how they can course-correct their practices to have better outcomes, Young said. For example, he explained, the program may be able to tell educators: We notice when you create this type of curriculum, or have this type of intervention in the classroom, engagement goes down for the next three hours. Maybe you should try this specific approach. The study will also examine the impact of making the prediction: Does student behavior improve overtime when the teachers moves are informed by Classcrafts suggestions? Classcraft isnt worried that teachers in schools that participate in the study are going to feel spied upon. Young said that in many schools, principals are already keeping a close-eye on school-climate factors such as referrals and suspensions. He thinks Classcrafts approach will give school leaders a window into the positive changes happening in teachers classrooms, instead of just the worst stuff on the worst kids. But Robert Murphy, a senior policy researcher for the RAND Corporation, a nonpartisan research organization, said that the algorithms that AI-powered systems use to make suggestions and predictions arent always on the money. In fact, its considered pretty impressive if an algorithm like the one used by Netflix is correct 75 percent of the time. He worries about the impact of wrong predictions on classroom management. My feeling on these predictive tools is that its just one data point that teachers can use, and thats fine, said Murphy, who hasnt examined the specifics of the research partnership. These tools shouldnt be used in making the ultimate decision when it comes to classroom management, he said. Young said he was aware of the potential for inaccurate predictions. Thats why Classcraft is participating in the study. This is why we need to do research and get it right, he said. Ultimately, the amount of data we have, as well as the robustness of the research partnership, will help us succeed. Another potential trouble spot is bias, according to Murphys RAND colleague, Osonde Osoba. For example, classrooms with mostly English-language learners may not to respond to suggestions that grew out of data sets made up primarily of native-speakers. No matter how large the data set, its going to be a challenge to fully represent all the types of classrooms where the model will be deployed, said Osoba, an information scientist for RAND who has not examined the partnership. As long as there is a difference in the types of classrooms its trained on, say, its trained on urban classrooms, if its deployed in classrooms that dont look like that, say, rural classrooms, there is going to be a jump in errors in the validity of the model. That can lead to problems. He doesnt see that potential problem as insurmountable"just something that the researchers should keep in mind. Young said Classcraft doesnt automatically collect information about particular students, in part to avoid profiling or identifying them without permission from school officials or parents. But, he added, if a district wanted to look at particular segments of students, they could do that to help identify biases in the data. The research partnership, which is expected to last two or three years, wont be able to predict trends on specific kids, just whole classes or groups of students. And all of it will remain anonymous and encrypted. Classcraft adheres to privacy laws in the states and countries in which it operates, Young said. Still, similar efforts to monitor students social-emotional development have raised red flags among privacy advocates on both the political left and the right. Karen Effrem, the president of Education Liberty Watch, a right-leaning organization, hasnt taken a look at Classcraft and the University of Montreals partnership. But shes been watching the trend of introducing social-emotional learning into technology more generally. And the idea of collecting data about school climate doesnt sit well with her. She worries it could be connected back to individual students, despite Classcrafts assurances. She isnt comfortable with a machine making suggestions about how to improve student behavior. This is all very concerning from both a data privacy perspective as well as just the accuracy of social-emotional assessment and data gathering, she said. Even so, the increasing use of artificial intelligence in education is likely to grow. According to Global Market Insights, the AI market in K-12 is expected to grow from less than $200 million in 2017 to about $1.2 billion in 2024. With that expansion in mind, research partnerships like the one between the University of Montreal and Classcraft might be a good first step toward determining how AI might work effectively and appropriately in K-12 classrooms, because many important questions still remain. Image by Getty Related: Members of a Hamburg family returned to their flood-damaged home on Easter morning to discover that it had been looted. After almost two weeks of investigating, police have arrested two suspects from Omaha. A joint investigation by the Omaha Police Department and the Fremont County Sheriffs Office led to a man and woman in Omaha. The pair were arrested and charged with third-degree burglary, second-degree theft and second-degree criminal mischief. When the family returned to the home to gather belongings on April 21, they discovered that it had been forcibly entered and that thousands of dollars worth of property was missing, police said. The driveway and yard were also damaged. Both suspects were arrested in Omaha and are being held at the Douglas County Jail. Although its mobile photography performance is according to multiple tests very good overall, the Samsung Galaxy S10 fails in low-light conditions. This failure is made obvious by its comparison with the Huawei P30 Pro and Google Pixel 3, both capable of providing much better results when shooting at night. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Biotech , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Education , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Leaks / Rumors , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G was recently crowned as the handset that features the best overall smartphone camera performance by DxOMark, but it seems that this flagship lags behind in an area that is essential to some mobile photography fans the ability to shoot good photos in low-light conditions. Android Authority has just published a mobile photography roundup that brings together three of the best flagships money can buy right now: the Huawei P30 Pro, the Google Pixel 3, and Samsung's Galaxy S10. In some tests such as zooming in capabilities, the winner is a no-brainer, since the P30 Pro is the only one to feature a 5x optical zoom camera of the trio. The aforementioned roundup involved two low-light tests. In both, the Huawei P30 Pro grabbed the win and the Samsung Galaxy S10 failed. For the Google Pixel 3, the results were pretty good, especially when using the Night Mode in very low lighting conditions. When it comes to navigating routes during construction season, it can seem like a Pacman-like maze with the ever-shifting signs and traffic cones. Some closures have been delayed while other projects are on track for their respective repairs. Lane closures on Calumet Avenue have been postponed to now begin on or after May 13, Munster officials said. Calumet Avenue was formerly set to reduce to one lane each way, between eastbound 45th Street and Superior Drive, starting Monday in preparation for a massive, two-year project. This is good news for commuters, considering Burnham Avenue is still closed, which was originally set to reopen by April 28. Construction on Burnham Avenues bridge has been slowed down by the barrage of rainfall, Lynwood village staff said. Burnham Avenues closure will stretch through next week, officials said, though an exact date has not yet been announced by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The closure currently blocks direct access to Lynwood, south and east of 202nd Street, as well as the Alpine, Paradise and Lynway mobile home parks. CROWN POINT Charges filed Saturday allege a Chicago man shot his girlfriend in the chest last week in East Chicago during an argument that began over spilled wine. Darren L. McCoy, 30, was arrested after police learned he called St. Catherine Hospital from a local doughnut shop to ask about the woman's condition, Lake Criminal Court records say. McCoy's girlfriend told police she and McCoy were drinking Friday at her apartment in the 3900 block of Pulaski Street in East Chicago when he spilled wine on her bed. The woman became angry and told McCoy to leave, and they began fighting, records say. The woman told police she grabbed a knife as they fought in the kitchen. McCoy allegedly responded, "That knife won't protect you against this!" and shot his girlfriend in the chest. He fled the apartment after the shooting, court records say. Police arrived and found the woman shouting for help. She told police her 7-year-old daughter awoke to find her bleeding, records say. McCoy is a suspect in a murder in Chicago, and the fight may have had something to do with those allegations, court records say. Hearing the defense just received evidence, Bradford agreed to continue the status hearing until July 15. Kerner faces up to 65 years behind bars on each of the two murder charges. Kerner is accused of killing the two victims during a drug deal gone bad in Kerner's grandparents' garage in Boone Township. Kerner, who was 17 at the time of the alleged offense, reportedly told an informant he shot Grill after Grill tried to rob him during the drug deal. "Grill fell to the ground and was begging for his life," according to police records. "Kerner advised that he panicked due to being out of bullets in the gun. Kerner then beat him (Grill) with a pipe wrench until he died." Kerner then showed Grill's body to Lanham, court records allege. Kerner warned Lanham not to say anything about the death, and as she turned to leave, Kerner shot her in the head, police said. An informant told police Kerner said he loaded the two bodies into the trunk of the teens' Honda Civic about midnight following the killings and loaded the vehicle with various containers of flammable liquids. INDIANAPOLIS Attorney General Curtis Hill Jr. filed suit Monday against Equifax, a major credit reporting agency, on behalf of some 3.9 million Hoosiers whose personal information was compromised in a 2017 data breach. Indiana is the third state, following Massachusetts and West Virginia, to seek damages from Equifax as a result of the company's alleged failure to adequately secure its computer systems, in accordance with its own policies and industry standards. Chicago filed a similar suit. "Long before they got hit by cyber attackers in 2017, it is our contention that Equifax knew full well that they had gaping holes in their cybersecurity systems," Hill said. "As one of the world's largest credit reporting bureaus, Equifax not only had knowledge of their exposure, they also had the means and ability to fix these problems." Hill is asking Equifax be required to pay civil penalties, consumer restitution and court costs for what Hill described as its "illegal or irresponsible business activities" that in sum exposed the personal information of 147.9 million Americans. INDIANAPOLIS The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the 85-year prison sentence issued to a Chicago man convicted last year of murder and attempted murder in connection with a Nov. 12, 2016 shooting of two men in Gary. In a 3-0 decision, following oral arguments held last month at Valparaiso High School, the appellate court rejected a request by Nicholas Pelissier, 21, to overturn his convictions or reduce his prison term. Specifically, Pelissier challenged the admission at trial of a videotaped witness statement to police after the witness later said in court that he could not remember anything from the night of the shooting, according to court records. Pelissier also challenged the admission of a photo array where police said a witness circled Pelissier's image and wrote a phrase next to the photo indicating that Pelissier was the shooter, court records show. The appellate judges did not definitively conclude in their 16-page decision whether either or both pieces of evidence were admissible. Sherrie Shivok has a pretty good idea what services children and families need when they are in crisis. Shivok, of Valparaiso, is not only the clinical director at Family Focus, a nonprofit agency that provides home-based services to families and children, and a trauma therapist, she's also been a foster mother and adoptive mother of seven. When the first children were placed in her home, they qualified to be placed in a facility, Shivok said. Things, however, have changed as more and more youngsters in the state's Department of Child Services are remaining in their own homes, living with a relative or in a foster home awaiting reunification or adoption. Shivok said more of the state's funding for DCS also should be shifting that way, toward providing support for nonprofits that provide services to families and children within the system, but not living within a facility. Chris Daley, executive director of the Indiana Association of Resources and Child Advocacy, which represents child welfare service providers across the state, agrees. Daley said state legislators provided a 2020 budget of $515 million and $505 million for 2012. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP Nearly three months after rushing to the care of Connor Lessard after the 10-year-old boy suffered a stroke at the nearby elementary school, members of the Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department and emergency medical crews celebrated his continued recovery Sunday. "He is doing very well," Fire Chief Rob Huffstodt said. "I would say he is an inspiration to us all." The recognition came during the department's annual pancake breakfast Sunday morning, which the chief said is designed to bring the community together. The University of Chicago-Aeromedical Network helicopter arrived early in the day and was followed a short time later by the Lutheran Air III helicopter from Lutheran Health Network in Knox that flew Lessard to Chicago for treatment on the day of his stroke, Huffstodt said. Connor was rushed to Porter Regional Hospital and then airlifted to University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital. Munster High School took high honors in a recent U.S. News and World Report ranking of traditional public, charter and magnet schools evaluated across the country. Munster ranked 400th in the nation and sixth in the state behind schools in Evansville, West Lafayette and suburban Indianapolis. The report, compiled annually, analyzes school quality based on a variety of factors including college readiness, math and reading proficiency and performance, undeserved student performance and graduation rate. U.S. News based its rankings upon data compiled from the U.S. Department of Education, statewide math and reading assessments and The College Board's Advanced Placement testing. Nearly every public high school in the nation was ranked, according to the U.S. News and World Report website. In total, U.S. News reviewed more than 23,000 schools and ranked 17,245 school across the county. In Indiana, 386 schools were ranked. As a state, Indiana placed 28th in the nation with 21.2% of its schools ranking in the top 25% of schools nationally. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] A party advertised on social media drew as many as 300 young people on Saturday night to a public housing complex in Manhattans East Village, where residents said partygoers paid $10 to enter a basement room usually reserved for tenant meetings. The music was blasting as the crowd, which included teenagers from an elite public high school in Brooklyn, spilled into the courtyard. Barely an hour had passed before residents of the development, the First Houses, called the police at about 10 p.m. But someone upstairs had decided to do something about it. White paint and a caustic chemical were poured from overhead, burning at least 10 of the teenagers in the courtyard, the police said on Sunday. Residents described a chaotic scene. I heard a huge ruckus and when I looked out the window I saw a ton of kids below, said Chaz Rosario, 30, who lives on the fourth floor. I hadnt seen anything like that here before. I didnt know what was going on. A 3-year-old girl died after being trapped inside a burning car in Queens on Sunday night, the authorities said. The girl, Zoey Pereira, who lived in Queens, was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital, the police said. Emergency workers found her inside a 2008 Audi Quattro around 9 p.m. near the intersection of Rockaway Boulevard and Baisley Boulevard, a short distance north of Kennedy International Airport. Her father fled the vehicle and ran into a pond before he was taken into custody, the police said. He was transported to Jamaica Hospital and treated for burns while remaining in police custody. No charges have been filed against the father, who has not yet been identified by the authorities. A propane canister and chains were found near the car, but investigators have not determined how or if they were used, the police said. The media is not the enemy of the people. The enemy of the people is ignorance obliviousness to truth, ignoring it or having incredulity about it. There is no way to have a functioning democracy without a thriving press. One of the great missions of the press is to hold power accountable by revealing what those in power would rather hide. Corruption depends on concealment. Accountability hinges on disclosure. The founders of this country knew that. I also think Donald Trump knows that and that he is purposely attempting to prune that function. A free and fearless press is the greatest ally to a free and prosperous people. And, the kind of dogged, unrelenting pressure that reporting requires demands a professional press. People who can make a living and feed a family as they labor away ferreting out the truth. And, I speak here liberally about the profession, from cable news to YouTube, from a big city daily to a blog. WASHINGTON The White House announced on Sunday that the United States was sending an aircraft carrier strike group and Air Force bombers to the Middle East because of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings related to Iran. The deployment was intended to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force, said John R. Bolton, the national security adviser, in a statement released Sunday night. [Sign up for the weekly At War newsletter to receive stories about duty, conflict and consequence.] The announcement did not give any further information on the reasons for the commitment of military forces. An American military official said on Sunday night that whatever threat Mr. Bolton cited had most likely emerged in the previous 24 to 48 hours because as of late Friday, military analysts were not tracking any new, imminent or clearly defined Iranian or Iranian-backed threats against Americans in Iraq or the region. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, when asked by reporters about Mr. Boltons statement on a flight to Finland, said, Its something weve been working on for a little while. There may be a sequence where one person sees another person, and Ill have the actor say something thats not scripted that might be more akin to the emotional state the character is in. That can sometimes surprise the other actor. Whats an example of that? One I thought worked very well was in Sundays episode. I told Nikolaj [Coster-Waldau] that when Jaime is telling Brienne about how everything hes done, hes done for Cersei. And as he was saying his lines, we went into Briennes close-up, Gwendoline Christies close-up, and there was a moment where she is just watching him, at the very end. And I walked over to Nikolaj and I said, The last thing I want you to tell her is that you dont love her anymore. And of course, he was essentially saying this to her anyway, in some respect, but she didnt expect to hear it directly. Gwendoline didnt expect that moment, and she just lost it. It was something very special. Sometimes surprising an actor in a good way like that can actually create a response youre not expecting. And with those two, theyre very close as well, so I knew something like that would affect her character as well. What about the final moments between Tyrion and Cersei, when hes trying to appeal to her better nature? I think theres a moment where Tyrion is trying to touch Cerseis sense of being a mother, her real love for her family and her children. That really affects her, in a very strong way. There was a sequence we shot with Lena Headey and Pilou Asbaek where he basically leaves her alone in the room, and all I said to Lena was, He leaves you, and were just going to hang on to you for a long time, and I want you to have a chance to, in a sense, validate what you just did, and be disgusted by what you just did. And it was a shot used in one of the trailers from the episode. It was one of the longest shots in the sequence, where you saw the door close, and you saw her go through this range of emotions in about three seconds, which I thought was quite exceptionally powerful and really special. Thats when Euron Greyjoy discovers Cerseis pregnant with what he presumes is his child. There is a very subtle moment when Tyrion is talking to Cersei and he mentions that pregnancy, and Euron gives Cersei a look like, How on earth would he know about this? Right! The acting is so incredible that the thing about directing is really just to give them the space to do their thing, and create a setting where they can use their own natural instincts. And also so very much of what I do as a director is handled by the amazing editing on the show. Theyre master magicians at knowing where exactly to hit the note, and how to play it beautifully. A husband and wife dissect their marriage in a bar in State of the Union. And a new HBO mini-series dramatizes the Chernobyl disaster. Whats on TV STATE OF THE UNION 10 p.m. on Sundance TV (just before The Breakfast Club); stream on Sundance Now. The whole first season of this new series, about a couple trying to save their crumbling marriage, is about as long as one episode of Game of Thrones. The bite-size episodes are roughly 10 minutes, and they all take place in the same pub in London where Louise (Rosamund Pike) and Tom (Chris ODowd) meet before their weekly marriage counseling sessions. They go over talking points and make sense of why they need to see a therapist in the first place. (He says its because she had an affair. She says its more complicated than that.) We never see them in the therapists office; the show instead relies on their humorous back and forth. Inevitably, theres lots of dialogue, but that also makes the minutes fly by. E! LIVE FROM THE RED CARPET 5 p.m. on E! A-list models, stars and designers descend on the Metropolitan Museum of Art for its annual fund-raising gala, which represents the opening of the Costume Institutes spring exhibition and is considered fashions biggest night of the year. The theme of the 2019 show is Camp: Notes on Fashion (inspired by a Susan Sontag essay from 1964). Attendees translate that concept into dazzling costumes. Tensions ripple across the Middle East region The U.S. deployed an aircraft carrier and Air Force bombers to the Persian Gulf in response to what officials described as new threats by Iran against American troops in Iraq. The move was intended to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force, said the national security adviser, John Bolton. The news came as Irans state media reported that Iran would be informing the other signatories of its nuclear deal that it would reduce compliance with the 2015 accord over sanctions imposed a year ago, when President Trump ordered the U.S. to withdraw from the deal. Gaza: Israel and Palestinian militants agreed to a new, fragile cease-fire. At least 22 Palestinians, including children and militants, and four Israeli civilians died in the fighting over the weekend. Mr. Xi will face internal difficulties in coping with Mr. Trumps aggressive threat. He risks weakening his position if he is seen as giving in to American demands, especially in areas where many people in China feel the country has to make progress, such as in technology, if it wants to keep growing at a healthy pace. In fact, Chinese internal politics may be at the root of the sudden hitch in the trade talks. The Trump administration has reacted much more strongly than the Chinese government expected it to, an issue that came up in negotiations last week in Beijing between senior Chinese and American officials, the people familiar with the trade talks said. That was when Chinese negotiators said any concessions in the trade agreement would need to be done through regulatory and administrative actions by the Chinese government, and not cemented in place through actual changes in Chinese law through the countrys legislature. Foreign critics have long derided Chinas legislature, the National Peoples Congress, as a rubber stamp for the Communist Party. Bills backed by top leaders are approved by overwhelming majorities, often with only a handful of votes against them. But top leaders also do a lot of back-room maneuvering before any bill is introduced. Sometimes the maneuvering goes on for years without a consensus being reached. The congress also meets only once a year, making it difficult to get legislation approved quickly. A former Goldman Sachs banker charged last year in connection with the looting of billions of dollars from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund pleaded not guilty in Brooklyn federal court on Monday, just hours after being flown back to the United States. The banker, Roger Ng, had been in custody in Malaysia since he was charged with helping the countrys former prime minister and others embezzle at least $2.7 billion from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad fund, known as 1MDB. The magistrate judge overseeing Mr. Ngs bail hearing, Peggy Kuo of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, said both sides were engaged in plea talks. Marc Agnifilo, Mr. Ngs lawyer, disputed that characterization after the hearing, although he left open the possibility of an agreement with prosecutors. Roger has pleaded not guilty and will at least consider all options available to every defendant at the inception of a case, Mr. Agnifilo said. He was studying at West Virginia University in Morgantown, which is known for its research on auto emissions, when the director of his program asked him to complete a grant application from the International Council on Clean Transportation. The council, a nonprofit group, wanted to test the emissions of German diesel cars sold in America. Mr. Kappanna was pursuing a doctorate, and his proposal helped the university win a modest $70,000 grant. The university planned a real-time test of emissions, and it rigged up an ingenious way to scrutinize the exhaust generated under open-road conditions. The standard practice was to test cars in specially equipped garages, which is much easier than trying to analyze fumes from a moving vehicle. Mr. Kappanna and two other graduate students, Marc Besch from Switzerland and Arvind Thiruvengadam from India, were chosen to do the fieldwork. They bolted portable emissions-testing equipment to a sheet of plywood and crammed it into the back of a Volkswagen diesel station wagon. The rig, powered by a portable gasoline generator, was noisy and smelly, but with every mile, it churned out data that challenged sticker-price assurances. The emissions were dirtier than anyone would have imagined. Mr. Kappanna and his fellow students did not know it, but they were gathering evidence of a crime. Volkswagen engineers had devised so-called defeat device software that could recognize the standardized procedure used by regulators in their testing labs. In the labs, the software dialed up a cars pollution controls. But when officials were not looking or, more important, when the cars were being used by regular motorists, the software dialed down to save wear and tear on the fragile emissions-control equipment. Volkswagen never expected anyone, much less a group of graduate students, to test the cars on the highway, when the defeat device would not work. Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter. ROVANIEMI, Finland Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday sharply warned China and Russia against aggressive actions in the Arctic, while resisting a diplomatic push by other countries in the region to avert the worst effects of climate change. This is Americas moment to stand up as an Arctic nation, Mr. Pompeo said. The region has become an arena of global power and competition. He was speaking at a meeting of the Arctic Council, an international organization made up of eight Arctic countries and representatives of the indigenous people of the area. The Councils mission is to cooperate on Arctic issues, especially how to protect its fragile environment. The Arctic is heating up far faster than the world average because of rising greenhouse gas emissions, scientists have warned. Over the past five years, the region has been warmer than at any time since 1900, when record keeping began. Do you know anyone who has lived and studied in a foreign country? Would you like to do that, and if so, where would you like to go? Why? If you have spent any time outside of the region where you live not necessarily out of the country do you feel you experienced that place as a visitor or as a local? Would you say you had any authentic experiences there, or did you primarily do touristy things? Why do you say that? In Was My Study Abroad Experience Authentic Enough?, Claire Haug, a student at Smith College, writes about her semester studying in Amsterdam and the pressure she felt to have some sort of authentic Dutch experience. Her post begins: On any given morning, Im on my bike: zipping around tight corners and down cobblestone alleyways, dodging tourists while simultaneously trying to not fall into canals on my way to school in Amsterdams city center. Like any good Amsterdammer, Im a pro at swerving and dodging, racing a tram and cursing out the pedicabs that take up the entire bike lane. I like to think that I fit into the cityscape that at a glance, I could pass for a local, instead of a student studying abroad. I can ride with no hands, after all. For increasing numbers of American students, studying abroad is a standard part of the college experience. Whenever I open up Instagram, I see snapshots of friends posing in front of famous landmarks with witty captions about how theyre not in Kansas anymore. But with it comes a certain set of baggage: the expectation that ones time abroad should be authentic. This has come up over and over again during the course of my semester here. When friends or relatives ask me how Im doing, they often want to know: Am I having an authentic Dutch experience? But to be honest, I dont know what it means to authentically experience a country or culture. At what point do you stop being a tourist and start experiencing things authentically? Students, read the entire article, then tell us: Do you want to study or work abroad at some point? If yes, where? And what kind of experiences would you hope to have while living abroad? How do you think studying abroad might be different from vacationing in that same place? Do you think there is similar pressure to live as the local people do when you are only traveling to a place for a short time? If you have already studied abroad, did you want to feel like you had truly lived in that place, as opposed to feeling like a visitor? Do you feel that you accomplished this? What might constitute an authentic experience for someone who were to visit your hometown? What would be the touristy things to do? Are any of those experiences nevertheless worthwhile? Why do you think being a tourist often gets a bad rap? And why is having an authentic experience so valued? About studying abroad, the author writes, Some of my most vivid memories from the last few months are ones in which I felt vaguely uncomfortable or out of place. To what degree does this resonate with your own experiences in unfamiliar places? Jamaal T. Bailey, a state senator who represents the Bronx and Westchester and considers Mr. Heastie his political mentor, said Democrats should focus on party unity, citing lyrics from the Jay-Z song Family Feud. Nobody wins when the family feuds, he said. Whats better than one Democratic majority? Two. Even black activists who have been heavily involved with the new activist groups warned that certain voices should be careful not to drown out others. Sherese Jackson, who until recently was the only nonwhite board member of Indivisible Nation BK, an activist group in Brooklyn formed after 2016, said the group often discusses how to increase diversity. But the discussions had yet to turn into real change. It is definitely a struggle as a woman of a color, she said, feeling 100 percent safe in a mostly white, progressive world. Events such as the protest against Mr. Heastie, even if well intentioned, could further deter nonwhite people from joining, she said. The visual alone I could see how that could come across to people, and it could be a turnoff, Ms. Jackson said. This does not help the trust factor. There are also stations with neither an elevator nor an escalator so riders have no choice but to use the stairs. The task of keeping all of those escalators and elevators running falls to a team of about 250 maintenance workers. Mr. Byford, who has pledged to add 50 elevators to subway stations over the next five years, said he was also working to improve escalators. Recently, the escalator availability has dipped a bit because we have been doing more intensive maintenance, Mr. Byford said, meaning the escalators were actually down more often than usual for repairs. But even new escalators can be undependable. The extra-long escalators at the new Hudson Yards station on the Far West Side of Manhattan have been plagued by problems. One escalator at the station, where the platform is 125 feet below street level, has one of the worst availability rates in the entire system, at 78 percent. Transit officials did not provide a specific explanation, saying simply that they were investigating the situation. The Hudson Yards escalators were installed by a contractor and are still under warranty, Mr. Byford said, so the contractor is responsible for maintaining them. Were working with the installer to drive up their performance, Mr. Byford said. Safety is another factor. If an escalators safety systems are triggered, the escalator automatically shuts down and workers must inspect the equipment before restarting it. The case for Bidens unique electability rests on his overall popularity as vice president to President Barack Obama and his particular appeal to the blue-collar whites who backed Trump in the 2016 election. Fifty-six percent of Americans said they had a favorable view of the former vice president in a February Gallup survey, including 80 percent of Democrats. A more recent poll, from CNN, shows Biden leading Trump in a hypothetical matchup, 51 percent to 45 percent. That same poll shows Biden losing blue-collar whites by just 13 percent, a better margin than his competitors and a huge improvement over Clintons 37-point deficit against Trump in 2016. 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. This would settle the question of Bidens electability if the election were held today. But if he wins the nomination, he will face a scorched-earth effort against his campaign. And from Clintons experience, we know that his personal appeal may not survive the onslaught. Clintons unpopularity at the end of her campaign was a complete reversal from her standing at the start, when she, like Biden, was widely admired by the public. Large majorities held Clinton in high esteem while she was secretary of state in 2012, 65 percent of Americans said they had a favorable view of her. She was so popular that at the nadir of Obamas popularity, his aides considered replacing Biden with Clinton on the 2012 ticket. Clinton could even tout a connection with blue-collar whites, who powered her 2008 run for the Democratic nomination. This, of course, did not last. By November 2016, Clinton was the most unpopular nominee in history, next to Trump. But Trump, at least, was an outsider to American politics. And he used his disruptive presence to draw a clear contrast to Clinton, taking her experience and making it a burden. In fact, you can look at the entire 2016 presidential election as Trump dispatching a series of establishment competitors, turning their records against them and blaming them for the state of the country. Trump has already begun to frame Biden this way, highlighting a foreign corruption scandal that reportedly touches his son, Hunter Biden. Biden, like Clinton, is extremely vulnerable to Trumpian forms of faux-populist attack. He is a 36-year veteran of Washington who backed the Iraq War, cultivated close ties with banks and credit card companies and played a leading role in shaping the punitive policies that helped produced mass incarceration. As he did with Clinton, Trump can slam him on these issues and sow division among Democratic voters. Its how he won in 2016 targeting black voters with Clintons past positions to discourage and demobilize them. It worked. For all the focus on blue-collar whites, Clinton also missed Obamas benchmarks with black voters. Had she reached them or had she come close she would be president. To the Editor: In an early version of Trump Dials Up the Pressure on Iran (editorial, nytimes.com, May 4), now corrected, you referred to a nuclear weapons program in describing the reach of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. We reject any allegations of nefarious motives or undue influence of the corps; it is one of the military apparatuses of Iran that defend our country against terrorism and foreign threats. The editorial is correct in criticizing the punishing aspects of the Trump administration policy toward Iran one that has brought only suffering to the Iranian people and one that will not result in any change in Irans policies. But it was wrong to refer to a weapons program a dangerous assertion that could lead to a great misunderstanding among the public. But beyond that, it would also provide cover to those who wish to promote chaos in Iran, or worse, a war in the region. First, though, the public, including outdoor sportsmen, has a chance to weigh in on this deeply anti-wilderness plan in a comment period that ends June 29. It would be beyond the scope of this short essay to detail all the ins and outs of the Pebble project. (All four of us fisherman-authors have followed this story closely for over a decade.) Suffice it to say that Pebble would be an out-of-place industrial juggernaut, financed by a Canadian mining company, to dig an enormous gold and copper mine (1.3 miles long by 1 mile wide and dug to a depth of 1,970 feet), replete with vast collecting ponds of sulfurous liquid waste in a roadless, earthquake-prone sweep of forest and tundra in Southwest Alaska. Five years ago, Gina McCarthy, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, warned after three years of study that the Pebble Mine would likely have significant and irreversible negative impacts on the Bristol Bay watershed and its abundant salmon fisheries. But in 2017, the Trump administration reversed course and opened the way for the mine now under consideration. This move has been opposed by Democrats and Republicans alike. Ms. McCarthys predecessors from the Nixon, Reagan and two Bush administrations denounced the administrations actions on Pebble in a recent full-page ad in The Washington Post, saying: We oppose the Trump administrations efforts to sweep nearly a decade of science and Clean Water Act review under the rug. The network of roads and industrial infrastructure needed to haul out the millions of tons of Pebble Mine gold and copper-laced rock would be a stake driven into the heart of Alaskas wilderness, opening miles of untrammeled territory to exploitation. The proposed mine would store toxic mine wastes behind earthen dams. This technique has failed in the past and is even more risky for the streams and creeks upstream from Bristol Bay. The substrate surrounding the mine site is so sulfurous that the administrators of the pre-Trump Environmental Protection Agency noted in an assessment of the project that if the site were developed as the Pebble Partnership outlined it, on-site remediation would be required in perpetuity. In other words instead of pristine salmon runs, wed have toxic-waste management, forever. More than all that if more is needed the photograph above lays bare the larger gaslighting of American sportsmen and sportswomen under President Trump. In the past two years, the real estate developer turned president has arguably done more to harm the future of hunting and fishing grounds in this country than any president in history. The rescinding of the Obama-era rule on disposal of coal tailings poses imminent risk to trout streams throughout West Virginia and other trout-rich states. The gambit to open offshore oil drilling along the East Coast and the seismic testing that would accompany such a boondoggle has the potential to damage fisheries from redfish off the Carolinas to bluefish off New England. The administrations potential gutting of the so-called Waters of the U.S. regulations would remove federal protection for half of many states wetlands, which are vital for the propagation of waterfowl so many American hunters love to pursue. The mine being rushed by the Trump administration has such glaring disregard for the interests of hunters and fishers and nature lovers who back the president, that even the interests of such ardent Trump supporters as his own son and grandson are cast aside in this rush to industrialize one of the planets last great wild places. Also cast aside are values the angler, his son, and most American outdoor enthusiasts presumably share. Indeed it seems almost fraudulent that the present administration should brand itself with the same party affiliation as the most conserving of American conservatives, Theodore Roosevelt. We hear of dawn messages to staff, requests for heating in medieval chapels did she ask why Windsor Castle was built so close to the airport, one wag reportedly asked and a semi-transgressive attendance at a baby shower in New York City. She moved from Kensington to Berkshire, which was reported as a schism between Harry and his older brother, Prince William, potentially as deadly as the feud between Richard II and his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke, which led to Henry usurping the throne. The break is reportedly so bitter that there is talk of Meghan and Harry spending a few years in Botswana to regroup. Then there is the role that only a self-made actress would have the daring to invent for herself: feminist progressive duchess who writes inspirational mantras on bananas for sex workers and hugs hugs! well-wishers across metal barriers thick with metaphor. And now, feminist progressive duchess, and mom. The new royal baby will be raised a feminist, as well as being the first royal to be skilled in yoga. The nursery at Frogmore cottage is reportedly, outrageously, gender neutral. And the couple will not have a Norland nanny, traditional choice of the British aristocracy, who dresses like a depressed Mary Poppins. They are looking for an American nanny, showing that the duchesss heart is still very much in her homeland of the U.S., The Daily Mail lamented. And yet, Meghan is not a radical. She is a monarchist. Her feminism has nothing to say about solidarity. It cannot. It is the feminism of the 1 percent, a unique woman with great power. It is Elizabeth IIs feminism hell, it is Elizabeth Is feminism. Under these criteria, Harry is a feminist too for marrying her, which surely came as a great surprise to him. As to quasi-progressive credentials, the couple is well matched. Harry is a hugger and a moonlight dancer whose public utterances, though likely heartfelt, are like ripples on a pond. Together they talk about a mental health crisis but not its causes; about environmental catastrophe but not its causes; about the Grenfell Tower fire but not its causes. There is nothing on austerity, inequality or poverty. He wore a garland of flowers to announce scholarships to study climate change. She wrote a foreword to a cookbook from the Grenfell Tower community kitchen. So you see, the duchesss critics have nothing to fear. In the 1970s Queen Elizabeth II was enticed to greet crowds by saying hello. Previously she had ignored them. In 2019, hugging and other acts are welcome and even necessary as what is considered good manners changes. Meghans style may be different from that of other members of the royal family, but she is still a monarchist. Of us and yet above us; exalted and common. People thrill to the knowledge that Elizabeth II uses Tupperware and a two-bar electric fire in her palace, presumably while wearing the Imperial State Crown and National Health Service spectacles. Meghans status as a feminist who supported womens suffrage in New Zealand a mere 125 years after it appeared is similarly disarming. And the enchantment grows until even I am fascinated by a woman who inspires the headline Meghan Markles Inspirational Banana Messages Slammed as Offensive by Sex Worker, and I am a republican. But then in February on the Sam Harris podcast Making Sense, Mr. Dorsey veered into an even more convoluted explanation: Ultimately, I dont think we can be this neutral, passive platform anymore because of the threats of violence, because of doxxing, because of troll armies intending to silence someone, especially more marginalized members of society, he said. We have to take on an approach of impartiality meaning that we need very crisp and clear rules, we need case studies and case law for how we take action on those rules, and any evolutions of that were transparent and upfront about. He continued: I do believe that a lot of people come to Twitter with the expectation of a public square, and freedom of expression is certainly one of those expectations. But what were seeing is people weaponize that to shut others right to that down. And that is what were trying to protect, ultimately. Its not hard to imagine why anyone, especially a twitchy tapper like President Trump, would respond with: Say what? The strategy over at Facebook which also long defended the presence of its most noxious users before finally barring several last week is similarly as clear as mud. But let me break it down for those who have gotten used to the chaos: Social media companies are private entities that can moderate any of the content that floods their platforms. They can kick off users who violate whatever policies they have in place, change those policies anytime they like and be wildly inconsistent in how they enforce them. Thats entirely legal under current law, which was girded by the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United, which said that corporations have free-speech rights, including the right not to speak. That means they cannot be forced to host dreck if they dont want to. That, of course, is scary to the slippery-slope crowd, who worry that a small coterie of mostly male, mostly white, mostly obscenely wealthy people are making such enormous publishing decisions for everyone. As Bret Stephens, a Times columnist, asked in the wake of the Facebook purge: Do you trust Mark Zuckerberg and the other young lords of Silicon Valley to be good stewards of the worlds digital speech? Mr. Stephens does not, and its clear President Trump doesnt either. Some of those who have been kicked off social media platforms for their extremist or violent views have sued, pointing to a few previous Supreme Court and state decisions that have extended public speech into private analog spaces. Others are positing that services like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube should be regulated like public utilities. Whats obvious is that the rules are not clear in a world in which the idea of the public square has been turned on its head. It is a truly challenging problem for democracy in the United States and for its increasingly voluble citizens who are now experiencing limits to what they can say. Only it doesnt. In this country, citing religious or spiritual convictions is often a surefire way to get out of doing something youre required by law to do. If your religion claims that homosexuality is sinful, this logic goes, then why should you be required to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple? If practicing birth control runs counter to your churchs teaching, then why should the health insurance you offer your employees be required to cover a vasectomy? And why, if your religion teaches you to forego vaccines that prevent viral illnesses, should you be required to vaccinate your children? At this very moment, nature is providing the perfect response in the form of a measles outbreak the likes of which we have not seen in this country for a quarter-century. Of the 764 confirmed cases so far this year, the vast majority are clustered in New York City, primarily in ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities where some view vaccines as a violation of kosher restrictions and a danger to childrens health. This is not a position held by most prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbis, and most ultra-Orthodox Jews are vaccinated. But enough of them are not and there are enough pockets of other parents around the country, liberal and conservative, who have refused to vaccinate their children on religious or philosophical grounds that health officials are scrambling. In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared measles eliminated in the United States, but already this year measles cases have been confirmed in 23 states, and warm weather will likely exacerbate those numbers. Heres what also exacerbates those numbers: failure of political will. While New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio has declared a public health emergency and closed some yeshivas in response to the outbreak, state lawmakers so far have refused to revoke the religious exemption for vaccination. All 50 states require children to be vaccinated before enrolling in public school, but the vast majority of them allow for similar religious or philosophical exemptions. Here in Tennessee, an unvaccinated man traveled to Alabama and Mississippi while infected with measles, and state health officials are now trying to reach more than 600 people in several states whom he may have exposed to the virus. Outbreaks related to other unvaccinated travelers are being reported in California, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan and New Jersey. Almost all the victims are unvaccinated children. NEW DELHI Climate change and rising sea levels eventually may wipe out one of the worlds last and largest tiger strongholds, scientists warned in a new study. The cats are among nearly 500,000 land species whose survival is now in question because of threats to their natural habitats, according to a report on Monday by the United Nations. The Sundarbans, 4,000 square miles of marshy land in Bangladesh and India, hosts the worlds largest mangrove forest and a rich ecosystem supporting several hundred animal species, including the endangered Bengal tiger. But 70 percent of the land is just a few feet above sea level, and grave changes are in store for the region, Australian and Bangladeshi researchers reported in the journal Science of The Total Environment. Changes wrought by a warming planet will be enough to decimate the few hundred or so Bengal tigers remaining there. Will Miller remembers skateboarding along the perimeter of his familys home, a marble-trimmed glass box in Columbus, Ind., designed in the 1950s by Eero Saarinen. His record time for circumnavigating the 6,800 square-foot building was about two minutes: I was really booking, he said recently. Mr. Miller, now 63 and a foundation president in New York City, also recalled performing back flips onto the living room seating pit, upholstered by the designer Alexander Girard, and playing spy among trees laid out by the landscape architect Dan Kiley. The property, which is now a museum, gave him a lifelong taste for airy, clean-lined design. Sunlight pouring in through its skin and skylights, he said, was definitely cheery and warm and, in that sense, optimistic. Recollections from people like Mr. Miller, who grew up in famous experimental buildings, are increasingly prized among historians, preservationists and architects. What was it like to be a youthful guinea pig, in places that were idealistic, transparent and prone to roof leaks? Coryn Kempster and Julia Jamrozik, who teach architecture at the University at Buffalo, are finishing a book and exhibition project, Growing Up Modern. They have traveled widely to interview members of the first families who lived in European homes designed by architects such as Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier. The subjects emotions ranged from embarrassment and apathy to admiration and nostalgia, the couple wrote in a 2018 essay. In his time he was as famous as Charles and Ray Eames. Maybe more so. In 1957, Bloomingdales showed 15 McCobb room settings, stocked with 348 designs. We treat Pauls furniture like sugar in the grocery store its a staple, the stores modern furniture buyer told The New York Times that year. Indeed, a classic 1961 Playboy Magazine photo of leading furniture designers posing with their chairs (because industrial design was actually considered sexy in those days) was supposed to have included McCobb, along with Charles Eames, George Nelson, Edward Wormley, Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen and Jens Risom. You see him in photos at the party the night before; his furniture is at the Chicago mansion, said Jonathan Goldstein, a New York-based design historian and McCobb authority, who interviewed two of McCobbs staff members about the event. But the next day in the morning when its time to come downstairs for the shoot, he was too hung over. Mr. Goldstein described McCobb as charismatic, but said he believed the designers irascible personality, corrosive business dealings and lack of champions in the decades that followed his death at the age of 51, from complications of chronic hypertension, helped write him out of the historical record. LONDON In Spain, activists were convicted for social media posts that violated an expanded antiterrorism law. The Twitter accounts of German citizens were blocked because of rules enacted last year that prohibit hate speech. And a Dutch court determined Google must remove search results about a doctor punished for poor performance, in compliance with a privacy law. Heralded as the worlds toughest watchdog of Silicon Valley technology giants, Europe has clamped down on violent content, hate speech and misinformation online through a thicket of new laws and regulations over the past five years. Now there are questions about whether the region is going too far, with the rules leading to accusations of censorship and potentially providing cover to some governments to stifle dissent. The unintended consequences may be compounded as European governments pursue more laws and policies to restrict what communication can be shared online. Last month, Britain proposed appointing an internet regulator who would be empowered to block websites it considers harmful. The European Union is separately debating a law that would require tech companies to quickly remove terrorist-related content online. With the growing body of European legislation, there will be a lower standard for protection of freedom of expression, said David Kaye, a University of California, Irvine, law professor whom the United Nations appointed to spotlight government efforts to restrict free speech. He added that Europes rules erode what had been a shared belief among the United States and other Western democracies to avoid censoring social media posts, YouTube videos, discussion forums and other internet content. A revival of the musical comedy 1776 will come to Broadway in the spring of 2021, the Roundabout Theater Company said Monday. The revival, directed by Diane Paulus, will begin next May at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass., where Ms. Paulus is the artistic director. It will then be presented at several other theaters around the country, including in July 2020 at the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles, before arriving at Broadways American Airlines Theater. The musical will be a coproduction of the A.R.T. and the Roundabout, both of which are nonprofits. Ms. Paulus won a Tony Award for her direction of Pippin, and is currently represented on Broadway with Waitress. She is also directing an Alanis Morissette jukebox musical, Jagged Little Pill, that is scheduled to open on Broadway in December. The musical 1776 is about the Continental Congress and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The show, featuring songs by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone, first ran on Broadway from 1969 to 1972; a previous Roundabout revival ran on Broadway from 1997 to 1998. The Encores! program at City Center presented a brief run of 1776 in 2016. NEW HAVEN The playwright Tori Sampson defines all four characters in Cadillac Crew with the same phrase: a powerhouse of a young woman. They would have to be. Rachel, Abby, Dee and Sarah make up the barely paid staff of the Richmond branch of the Virginia Office for Civil Rights in 1963. Their walls may be jauntily decorated with posters touting justice for women and unrestricted voting rights along with college pennants from Fisk, Howard and Hampton but half of the phone calls they get are vicious. And someone keeps taping bullets to the door. Yet Cadillac Crew, having its world premiere at the Yale Repertory Theater here, is only partly about physical danger. More fundamentally its a play about a metaphorical threat: the threat of erasure. It may be men who start the job of suppressing womens contributions to the civil rights movement, but history completes it. Both processes play out in the first act. Rachel (Chalia La Tour) is in a state of high excitement as her plan to have Rosa Parks deliver the keynote address at a civil rights convocation finally approaches fruition. Even better, as far as Rachel is concerned, Parks will be speaking about something less familiar than her refusal to give up her seat on a bus eight years earlier. She will be speaking about her anti-rape activism and the need to integrate womens issues into the movement. He spoke eight times with Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigators, appeared before three congressional committees and helped federal prosecutors with at least two criminal inquiries into President Trumps inner circle. But on Monday, perhaps the most important number in Michael D. Cohens life will be 1,095: the number of days in a three-year prison term. Mr. Cohen, the presidents former fixer and current antagonist, reported to the federal prison in Otisville, N.Y., on Monday to begin serving his sentence for campaign finance violations, tax evasion and other crimes. He pleaded guilty last year to arranging a hush money scheme in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign, involving two women who said they had had affairs with Mr. Trump. Before leaving Manhattan Monday morning, Mr. Cohen spoke briefly with reporters outside his residence at Trump Park Avenue. I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends, that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country, he said before ducking into a black SUV for the two-hour drive to Otisville. There still remains much to be told, and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the popular freshman Democrat from New York who is trying to use her star power to move the Democratic Party to the left, will headline a rally next week in Washington in favor of the Green New Deal, as she seeks to shore up support for the expansive climate legislation that has been met with skepticism by members of both parties. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, has long aligned herself with Sunrise Movement, the collection of young, hard-charging activists who are pressuring Democrats nationwide to take bolder actions to address climate change after years of what they see as an inadequate response. The May 13 rally at Howard University, the final stop on the groups nationwide Green New Deal Tour, will make the case for the bill in the backyard of Capitol Hill, where party establishment figures such as Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, and Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, have been more wary of their partys progressive flank than many in their rank-and-file. From fire-scarred California to areas of the plains devastated by flooding, people are hungry for a big vision to transform our economy in line with science and justice demands, said Varshini Prakash, a co-founder of Sunrise Movement. Im thrilled to be joining Representative Ocasio-Cortez to close out the tour and lay out whats next in the Green New Deal campaign. Mr. Bookers campaign said the process would involve submitting fingerprints and sitting for an interview, and would require applicants to complete a certified gun safety course. Each applicant would also undergo a federal background check before being issued a gun license, which would be valid for up to five years. [Sign up for our politics newsletter and join the conversation around the 2020 presidential race.] Other parts of the plan include banning bump stocks, which enable semiautomatic weapons to fire faster; limiting bulk purchases of firearms; and closing the loopholes that allow domestic abusers and people on terrorist watch lists to obtain guns. And the plan calls for the I.R.S. to investigate the N.R.A.s tax-exempt status, an issue the New York attorney general is also exploring, causing considerable turmoil among the groups leadership. The N.R.A. did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. Daniel Webster, the director of the Center for Gun Policy and Research at Johns Hopkins University, said that gun control advocates and politicians had long called for comprehensive background checks and an assault-weapon ban. But he said that research had shown that those policies, when implemented at the state level, were not nearly as effective at reducing gun homicides and suicides as gun licensing programs for purchasers. A 2018 study found that 63 percent of gun owners supported requiring a person to obtain a license from a local law enforcement agency before buying a gun; support for gun licensing among people who do not own a gun was even higher. Im glad to see Senator Booker look at the actual data and show some political courage, said Mr. Webster, who said he was among the gun policy experts consulted by Mr. Bookers staff. IOWA CITY He doesnt talk about shattering glass ceilings. Pantsuits arent really his style. And no one is talking much about his spouse. Even so, the opening days of Joseph R. Biden Jr.s third presidential campaign are giving some Democrats flashbacks to another presidential front-runner: Hillary Clinton. Mr. Bidens first fund-raiser? Hosted by a Philadelphia-area donor who did the same for Mrs. Clinton four years ago. His early policies? Embraced by Democrats, including Mrs. Clinton, for years. A decades-long record in Washington? Mrs. Clinton had a similarly lengthy resume. And a tortured, drawn-out apology as the first controversy of his campaign? Remember her private email account, former Clinton aides shudder. [Sign up for Lisa Lerers newsletter and join the conversation about the 2020 race.] As he ramps up his presidential campaign, Mr. Biden appears to have taken some lessons from Mrs. Clintons defeat but paid no heed to others. Even as he structures his campaign around an implicit critique of her general election effort, offering a full-throated appeal to working-class voters at his opening event in a Pittsburgh union hall, Mr. Biden has embraced the kind of incumbent-like, establishment campaign that left Mrs. Clinton open to a fierce primary challenge from Senator Bernie Sanders. Privately, several Republican donors have made it clear to administration allies that they want to hear more about policy from a White House where the dominant story line has been Mr. Trumps unconventional approach to the presidency. Ideally, they would like for Mr. Trump to be that messenger: They note that Mr. Pence may be an explainer, but he is not a decision maker in the White House on policy. Still, the role Mr. Pence plays has been a comfort to Republicans, particularly those for whom policy is a vital aspect of conservatism. David McIntosh, the president of the anti-tax group Club for Growth, said Mr. Pence had been crucial in persuading wavering House members to back Mr. Trumps push to repeal the Affordable Care Act, even though the effort failed in the Senate. It goes back to during the campaign, Mr. McIntosh said of Mr. Pences ability to bring calm to policy-focused conservatives trying to make sense of an atypical Republican nominee. He said that he and other conservatives decided they could support the Republican ticket once Mr. Pence was chosen as Mr. Trumps running mate. Repeatedly during the campaign, Mr. McIntosh said, his office would approach Mr. Pence to find out whether a declaration Mr. Trump made on the stump would be turned into policy if he were elected. Mr. Pence, who in 2016 was a bridge between the campaign and evangelical voters, has also been the administrations liaison at more politically sensitive moments. After the White House drew criticism for its response to the arson attacks at three historic African-American churches in Louisiana, it was Mr. Pence who appeared in front of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas on Friday. Ms. Winston Wolkoff said she could not discuss the inaugural spending, saying that she had signed a nondisclosure agreement with the committee that had no expiration date. If the committee were to release me from this obligation, I would be able to speak freely without the fear of legal or financial repercussions, she said. Otherwise, I am regrettably unable to provide any substantive comment. But documents reviewed by The Times showed that she had personally received about $500,000, a figure first reported by Vanity Fair. The documents show that a further $425,000 went to three producers, two of whom are associated with Mark Burnett, the creator of the reality-television show The Apprentice, which brought Mr. Trump fame over 14 seasons. And $2 million of the WIS money was used to cover costs related to the events-planning firm Hargrove, the committees second-largest vendor, the documents show. The bulk of the $26 million to WIS, which handled a range of production issues including the broadcasting rights, was spent on an entity created by two of the three producers, called Inaugural Productions, the documents show. Other top vendors were David Monn, a New York-based events planner, who received nearly $4 million. He worked with Ms. Winston Wolkoff on the first Governors Ball at the White House, according to a person close to her. Another top vendor, PRG, was paid $2.7 million, a cost that merely covered the staging for a group of performers who worked with the casino magnate Steve Wynn, according to people briefed on the spending. After the initial round of articles in The Times and elsewhere about Ms. Winston Wolkoff and the money received by WIS, senior administration officials privately said she had been ousted from her job, primarily because the president and the first lady were angry over the spending and because officials at both the White House and the inaugural committee had found her difficult to work with. Yet in private communications with Ms. Winston Wolkoff on Feb. 20, 2018, a deputy White House counsel, Stefan Passantino, told her that the administration was terminating all types of gratuitous service agreements, the type of employment agreement she had with the White House, around the same time amid a controversy over security clearances involving other officials. She was assured by Mr. Passantino that you didnt do anything wrong, and theres nothing wrong with this kind of contract, and I dont want you to think that this has anything to do with the inaugural spending, she recalled. So this is not personal. WASHINGTON President Trumps top economic advisers on Monday accused China of reneging on previous commitments to resolve a monthslong trade war and said Mr. Trump was prepared to prolong the standoff to force more significant concessions from Beijing. Mr. Trump, angry that China is retreating from its commitments just as the sides appeared to be nearing a deal and confident the American economy can handle a continuation of the trade war, will increase tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods on Friday morning, his top advisers said. Were moving backwards instead of forwards, and in the presidents view thats not acceptable, his top trade adviser, Robert Lighthizer, told reporters on Monday. Over the last week or so, we have seen an erosion in commitments by China. Mr. Trumps last-minute escalation highlights his administrations difficult political position as it tries to fend off criticism that he has not been sufficiently tough on China. The president is facing pressure to show that the pain of his trade war will be worth it for the companies, farmers and consumers caught in the middle. Mr. Trumps decision to potentially upend an agreement that many expected to be finalized this week in Washington appears to be a political calculation that staying tough on China will be a better proposition in the 2020 campaign. Its moving the dial just a couple of degrees in the direction they want it to go, Mr. Schafer said in an interview. The anonymity of the internet allows you to be whoever you want to be, and of course youre going to be far more persuasive if that target audience thinks youre one of them. The report also outlined domestic efforts to both empower and disenfranchise minority voters. Citing data compiled by the Brennan Center for Justice, the report said that as of March, more than 40 states had passed or were considering bills expanding access to voting, for instance by easing the voter registration process, expanding early voting and giving voting rights to convicted felons. But domestic restrictions on voting, the vast majority of which are imposed by Republicans, proliferated in many states, the report found. Such moves reflect rising partisanship, societal shifts toward greater diversity, and the weakening of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court in 2013. Mr. Morial said it was not possible to disentangle the Russian interference campaign from other factors that determined black voter turnout in the 2016 election, since both involved racial targeting. Joel Ford, a former Democratic state senator in North Carolina who was a sponsor of a voter identification bill there, disagreed. I think that those are two separate issues, he said. One is something that we as Americans can control through the legislative process, and the other is foreign interference in our elections. Mr. Ford said that as an African-American man, he was sensitive to discriminatory voter suppression tactics. But he called blanket opposition to voter identification laws an unnecessary political wedge, in part because it is a state-by-state issue, and laws can be crafted to minimize discrimination. He added that photo identification was already necessary for activities like banking or flying, and that the bill he supported in North Carolina allowed voters to obtain photo identification cards at no cost. (That bill passed in December after the Legislature overrode the Democratic governors veto. Mondays report named North Carolina as one of the states where voting restrictions have gotten worse.) Chances are, when you go to less-developed lands, youre most concerned about avoiding travelers diarrhea (try chewing two tablets of bismuth subsalicylate Pepto-Bismol or generic versions with each meal). But to help assure a medically uneventful trip, youd be wise to remain alert to avoiding various bacterial, parasitic, viral and fungal infections that enter through the skin and are rarely encountered in the United States. Cutaneous larva migrans, an extraordinarily itchy infection by the larval stage of a hookworm, is most commonly acquired from dog or cat feces deposited on beaches of the Caribbean and Southeast Asia, Dr. Keystone said. Best protection: Dont walk barefoot on the beach; wear water shoes, not sandals. The infection, should it occur, is now easily treated with oral antiparasitic drugs like albendazole or ivermectin. Some infections are transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes, like malaria, dengue fever and filariasis, the risk of which often can be greatly reduced by diligent use of the insect repellents that can protect against various disease transmitters. In an interview, Dr. Keystone, who wrote the chapter on skin and soft-tissue infections in returned travelers in the C.D.C.s travel health guide, called the Yellow Book, urged the use of either Icaridin (picaridin) or 50 percent Deet, both of which can provide up to 10 hours of protection. He said Icaridin is better tolerated; it smells better and is not greasy. Most important, he said, is to use the repellent regularly, especially during the hours mosquitoes are most active, and apply it after putting on sunscreen, not before. These repellents can also protect against tick bites, which in this country and elsewhere can carry Lyme disease, among other miseries. Also helpful is applying permethrin to ones clothing and gear, including pants, socks, boots and tent. Or purchase pre-treated clothing. The protection will last through multiple washings. I once returned from a safari in Kenya with intensely itchy chigger bites on my legs, acquired while standing in tall weeds at the edge of a lake to photograph flamingoes. These tiny larvae, which hang out on leaves and branches, may also carry infectious bacteria that make people very sick, Dr. Keystone said. HONG KONG Brunei said on Sunday that it would not carry out executions by stoning for people convicted of adultery and gay sex, after widespread international protest over the brutality of such penalties. Critics of the countrys newly enacted Islamic laws said several other harsh punishments remain on the books, including whipping and amputation, and they have called for continued opposition until the laws are completely revised. The sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, said Sunday that his country had gone decades without carrying out the death penalty and that it would continue its de facto moratorium on executions despite the new punishments codified last month under a harsh interpretation of Islamic law. The United States, Britain, France, Germany and other countries protested the law, as did several celebrities, including George Clooney, Ellen DeGeneres and Elton John. Luxury hotels owned by the sultan, including the Dorchester in London and the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, faced calls for boycotts. NEW DELHI Violence disrupted the Indian election in the disputed Kashmir region on Monday, as separatist militants attacked two polling stations and the police responded with what residents called excessive force. Militants in the Pulwama district hurled grenades at the polling stations, the police said, and protesters threw stones at security forces, hoping to shut down the voting, which is being conducted over five weeks throughout India. The police fired pellet guns in response, injuring at least a dozen people, according to residents. The mountainous Kashmir region, whose people are mostly Muslim, has a history of contentious voting. It has been caught up in a longstanding, often brutal territorial dispute between Hindu-majority India, which controls much of the region, and Muslim-majority Pakistan. Last week, the Indian police arrested or detained hundreds of people in southern Kashmir after separatist leaders called for the polls to be boycotted. Syed Ali Geelani, the chairman of a separatist organization, said in a statement that the elections were a vast military exercise and that the Indian state had overseen ruthless killings in Kashmir. NEW DELHI Sri Lanka deployed additional troops to one of the cities where the Easter Sunday bombings took place, after clashes there late Sunday between Muslims and Sinhalese. In a sign of how raw emotions remain after the deadly attacks last month that killed more than 250 people, the clashes in Negombo, a city about 20 miles north of the capital, Colombo, started out as a traffic incident before quickly escalating into mob violence. Three auto-rickshaws and two motorcycles were burned before the mob ransacked several homes belonging to local Muslims. Hilmy Ahmed, the vice president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, said a few houses had been damaged in the violence. He said the unrest was brought under control after police commandos, the air force and the army sent troops to the area and the government imposed a curfew immediately after the clashes. Mr. Ahmed said one of the drivers involved in the traffic altercation had been drunk. LONDON Britains shambolic efforts to leave the European Union have sometimes been likened to the Suez crisis in 1956, when a botched military intervention in Egypt underscored the limitations of post-imperial British power. But in parts of Europe a different Brexit comparison is being made, and it is no more flattering. In 1864, riding a wave of nationalism, another former colonial power, Denmark, became engulfed in a doomed military conflict against Prussian and Austrian forces, experiencing a crushing loss that led to the surrender of around a third of its territory. Defeat brought the realization that Denmark was smaller and less powerful and had fewer allies than it had assumed, delivering a shattering blow to the national psyche. LONDON Prince Harry could barely contain himself. Facing a news camera to announce his sons birth, he rubbed his hands together, bounced on the balls of his feet and seemed unable to stop himself from grinning, even for a second. Its been the most amazing experience I can ever possibly imagine, he said, standing in front of the stables at Windsor Castle, where two black horses nodded behind him. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension, and were both absolutely thrilled, he said about his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. The duchess, he said, was amazing, and the birth amazing, and the love and support from the public amazing. Then he turned to go, so addled with happiness and sleep deprivation that he appeared to thank the horses. LONDON Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, the wife of Prince Harry, has gone into labor for the birth of their first child, Buckingham Palace said on Monday. The child will be the first interracial baby in the British monarchys modern history. As a direct descendant of Harry, the baby will be seventh in line to the throne. It is not clear whether the child will receive a royal title, like those bestowed on the three children of Prince William, Harrys older brother, and his wife, Catherine. Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, announced in October that they were expecting. Details of the pregnancy, including the expected birth date and the babys gender, have been kept private. The duchess went into labor in the early hours of this morning, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. Prince Harry was by her side, it said, adding an announcement will be made soon. SOFIA, Bulgaria Pope Franciss drive to champion migrants and improve relations between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches got a cold reception in Bulgaria on Monday. A Bulgarian Orthodox prelate denounced the popes efforts to unify the churches as a prelude to welcoming the Antichrist. And some Bulgarians shrugged off his pleas to welcome migrants. Bulgaria, where there are few Catholics and fierce opposition to admitting refugees is common, is unforgiving terrain for the popes message. But he made it a centerpiece of his two-day visit, and punctuated it before leaving on Monday with a visit to a refugee center on the outskirts of the capital, Sofia. Today, the experience of migrants and refugees is a bit of a cross a cross for humanity, and the cross of so many people suffering, Francis said as he met with young asylum seekers at the Vrazhdebna refugee center. ISTANBUL Turkeys electoral authorities wiped away a crushing defeat for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, ordering a rerun of the race for mayor of Istanbul won by the opposition and heightening the prospect of social unrest and a new economic crisis. The decision by the High Election Council was immediately condemned by the opposition party as a capitulation to Mr. Erdogan and a blow to the democratic foundations of the country, which have drifted closer to authoritarianism under his 18 years in power. Mr. Erdogan has jailed journalists, isolated adversaries and conducted mass purges of the police, the military and the courts. He has strengthened his powers under the Constitution. Now, critics say Mr. Erdogan has managed to invalidate what had been a humiliating defeat for his party in Istanbul, the countrys largest city, commercial capital and the presidents hometown. Though Mr. Erdogan secured another five-year term as president with sweeping new powers in an election last year, he was rendered suddenly vulnerable by his partys poor showing in the March 31 voting, which took place as the economy has begun to falter. Queen Victoria on Chloroform: Delightful beyond measure. In the mid-19th century, when chloroform was found to have anesthetic qualities, Queen Victorias physicians cautioned her against using it during childbirth. One objection was a medical one that pain relief would slow the progress of labor. Another was theological. Charles Meigs, a prominent American obstetrician of the time, warned against trying to stop the natural and physiological forces that the Divinity has ordained us to enjoy or to suffer. The queen, who was pregnant or nursing for 16 years of her adult life, called pregnancy the Schattenseite, or shadow side, of marriage, and told her daughter that childbirth was a complete violence to all ones feelings of propriety (which God knows receive a shock enough in marriage alone). She wanted the drug. Finally, in 1853, before the birth of her eighth child, Prince Leopold, she was allowed to inhale chloroform for 53 minutes from a handkerchief, according to historians. She loved it, describing blessed chloroform, soothing, quieting and delightful beyond measure. The medical debate over pain control quieted, and the procedure became known as chloroform a la reine. Iran is about to reduce its compliance with the J.C.P.O.A., but not formally withdraw, said Cliff Kupchan, the chairman of the Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy. Thats a distinction with a big difference. While Iran may increase its stockpile of enriched uranium and possibly test advanced centrifuges, Mr. Kupchan said, I doubt theyll take drastic steps in these areas, and Iran will continue to comply with other important aspects of the J.C.P.O.A. Relations between Iran and the United States have worsened substantially under the Trump administration, which has imposed onerous sanctions on the Iranians since the president renounced the nuclear agreement on May 8, 2018. The administration has sought to drive exports of Iranian oil to near zero and has designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization, among other actions. The Iranians have responded so far by designating the United States Central Command as a terrorist organization, suggesting that American forces posted in other countries are at risk from Iranian attack. On Sunday the administration said it was strengthening American military deployment in the Persian Gulf in response to what it called an increased Iranian threat. The risk of an armed confrontation between Iran and the United States figures prominently in a statement signed by a bipartisan group of more than 60 national security experts, exhorting the administration to rejoin the nuclear agreement. The group, known as the National Coalition to Prevent an Iranian Nuclear Weapon, had planned to release the statement on the anniversary of the American withdrawal. The U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the J.C.P.O.A. on May 8, 2018 significantly undermined Americas national security and has fueled momentum for a possible new conflict in the Middle East, the signers wrote. If Iran also withdraws from the J.C.P.O.A., or from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (N.P.T.), the trans-Atlantic alliance will be dealt a severe blow and a Middle Eastern nuclear arms race could ensue. The group has long opposed Mr. Trumps position on the accord and had urged him to abide by it in the months before he scrapped the agreement. WASHINGTON President Trump was only days into office in January 2017 when he first began considering a move with the potential to ignite a firestorm in the Middle East: designating the Muslim Brotherhood, a sprawling group that reaches from Morocco to Malaysia, a terrorist organization. Mr. Trumps hard-line national security adviser at the time, Michael T. Flynn, started a review of whether the United States should impose sweeping sanctions on millions of people across the Middle East. But only weeks later, after Mr. Flynn was fired, the proposal was quashed by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the next national security adviser. Government lawyers had warned that the Muslim Brotherhood did not meet the legal criteria to be designated a terrorist organization. And in a volatile region where American troops were already battling Islamist extremists, the three men believed, taking on the Brotherhood was one fight too many. Those men are now gone. So when President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, a strongman who views the Muslim Brotherhood as a source of political opposition, visited the White House on April 9 to renew his longstanding calls for Mr. Trump to target his foes, he found himself pushing on an open door. Under the 2015 deal, Iran shipped roughly 97 percent of its nuclear fuel stockpile out of the country, and experts do not believe it has enough on hand to produce a weapon. Ever since the United States withdrew from the agreement, Iran has sought to walk a fine line between abandoning the deal and continuing to sell its oil to foreign buyers to buoy its struggling economy. But last month, the Trump administration announced it would no longer suspend economic penalties against eight nations that were continuing to buy Iranian oil, including China, Japan and India. And in an interview in New York 10 days ago, Irans foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, said he was under pressure every day to abandon the deal, as Mr. Trump did. By themselves, an acceleration of work on high-speed centrifuges and limits on international inspections would not necessarily take Iran closer to producing a weapon. But Fars on Monday quoted Ali Akbar Salehi, the M.I.T.-educated head of Irans Atomic Energy Organization and a key negotiator in the 2015 deal, as saying Tehran could disregard the limit whenever we wish, and would do the enrichment at any volume and level. The sanctions on Irans oil exports were escalated two weeks after the countrys Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was placed on the State Departments list of foreign terrorist organizations the first time that the designation was given to an arm of another nations government. American intelligence and Defense Department officials had opposed the terror designation, concerned that Iran would similarly target or attack American troops and intelligence operatives in the region. Last week, President Hassan Rouhani of Iran declared all American forces in the Middle East as terrorists and labeled the United States government a state sponsor of terrorism. Three senior American officials said new intelligence that surfaced over the weekend raised concerns about the Revolutionary Guards and their activities in Iraq, where they have helped train Shiite Arab militias. The officials would not provide specific details about the threat posed by Iranian forces or Iraqi Shiite militias with ties to Tehrans military. State investigators say three boats were involved in two separate crashes that left an Auburn man dead and a Leeds man seriously injured in accidents that occurred Friday night on Lake Martin. David George Goodling, 56, of Auburn was killed, and Norman Ray Harris, 62, of Leeds was injured in what Alabama Marine Patrol officers have determined was two separate collisions. Investigators believe that alcohol may have played a role. Troopers with the Marine Patrol division of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency worked through the weekend investigating the accidents. A Sea Ray boat operated by Harris and a Chris Craft boat operated by Goodling collided almost head-on near the "Bridge to Nowhere" on the western side of Lake Martin at approximately 8:30 p.m. Friday, ALEA reported late Sunday. Mr. Harris contacted a friend and was transported to Baptist South (hospital). As far as investigators know at this time, there were no other passengers in either boat. Investigators believe alcohol was a factor in this crash based on evidence in the boats and other information that is not being released at this time, a Sunday press statement reported. Three Tallapoosa County men have been arrested and charged with various offenses as part of a larger operation that began four months ago. Jamie Ryan Haggerty, 41, of Jacksons Gap, Jaric Reyde Johnson, 18, of Alexander City, and John Mark Stough, 51, of Dadeville, were arrested on Thursday and were charged with various charges, the Tallapoosa County Sheriffs Department said in a news release on Monday. Haggerty is charged with possession/distribution of child pornography. He was placed in the Tallapoosa County Jail and was released on a $30,000 bond, police said. Johnson is charged with electronic solicitation of a child and was placed in the Tallapoosa County Jail. He was released on a $10,000 bond, according to police. Stough is charged with second-degree possession of marijuana. He was placed in the Tallapoosa County Jail and was released on a $2,000 bond, said police. On Thursday, the Tallapoosa County Sheriffs Department, along with the State Internet Crimes Against Childrens Task Force (ICAC) members, Jacksons Gap Police Department and Camp Hill Police Depart worked in conjunction to execute search warrants, according to the release. When a disaster similar to the March 3 tornadoes strikes, Lee County and the Alabama Department of Transportation have preexisting preparations for response and recovery. But some guidelines fall through the cracks, such as an agreement for debris removal on state rights of way. If this material is picked up, and we dont have the proper agreements in place and the documentation that FEMA requires, I have been told by my FEMA representative that if we go out there, pick it up quickly with all the rest of our stuff and submit it for reimbursement, he has told me it could jeopardize our entire FEMA reimbursement, Lee County engineer Justin Hardee said. I personally think it unlikely, but I cannot tell you it is not true. As part of its guidelines for the Emergency Relief Program, ALDOT issued a request for the Lee County Commission to remove the remaining debris from state rights of way, including Alabama Highway 51, Alabama Highway 169 and U.S. Highway 280. Without a pre-disaster agreement before March 3 between ALDOT and the county, the engineer explained the $40,000 extraction of debris could render the FEMA reimbursement of more than $1.5 million ineligible. Authorities in Binalonan, a small Filipino town about 200 kilometres north of Manila, have made gossiping illegal under a new local law aimed at preventing rumors from spreading within the community. Trash talking someone in Binalonan could see offenders literally picking up trash under a new local law designed to make people take responsibility for the things they say. First-time gossipers risk a fine of 200 pesos ($3.8) and three hours of collecting garbage in the streets, while repeat offenders would have to pay up to $20 and put in eight hours of community service. The law isnt very clear on what qualifies as gossip, but mayor Ramon Guico cited peddling rumours of residents relationships or financial situations as examples of punishable offences. Photo: philm1310/Pixabay As bizarre as the new law may seem, it has actually been enforced in the Moreno neighbourhood of Binalonan since 2017. Multiple residents there have been fined 500 pesos ($10) and forced to spend an afternoon collecting trash as punishment for gossiping in public. Apparently, no one has ever been sanctioned for a second offence, as nobody wants to be seen as a gossipmonger. The crackdown on gossip and rumor spreading is being rolled out just in time for summer, which is reportedly the worst time of the year for such behavior, as heat forces locals to gather in the shade and talk about all sorts of things, like whos been cheating on their spouse, or wh has been raking up debt. Its such a waste of time, Mayor Guico said. Youd think people would have something better to do. Banning gossip is our way of improving the quality of life in our town. It is in fact feasible to ban gossip: We havent had to punish anyone for a second offense, Ms. Manaois said. No one wants to be seen as a gossipmonger.https://t.co/1AzTB5NPuO Robin Hanson (@robinhanson) April 26, 2019 The 44-year-old mayor told the local press that the new law does not infringe on freedom of speech, insisting that it aims to protect members of the community from slander. This ordinance is to remind people that everything that we say is our responsibility as individuals and as residents of this municipality. We want to show other towns that Binalonan has good people; it is a good and safe place to stay, Ramon Guico said. Lanny Griffith BGR Group is representing the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on a pro bono basis, providing strategic government affairs and PR services in the US. "BGR is proud to work on behalf of the people of Venezuela to assist the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Ambassador Carlos Vecchio and his team," said a statement from the firm's president Jeffrey Birnbaum, "We are acting in support of the legitimate government of President Juan Guaido in the United States. We will provide government relations and communications assistance pro bono to promote the cause of freedom and democracy in Venezuela." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told ABC News on May 5 that president Nicolas Maduro cant be part of Venezuelas future. He said Maduro's exit could be in two weeks or could be four weeks. Pompeo did not rule out an American invasion to oust the Venezuelan leader. BGR has agreed to work for an initial six-month term without any expectations or promises of payment in the future, according to chairman Lanny Griffiths letter to Vecchio. BGR or the Embassy may terminate the arrangement for any reason upon 30 days written notice. Lil Wayne and Blink-182 Are Going on Tour this Summer Ivie Ani Ivie is a Nigerian-American, native New Yorker, and journalist covering Blink-182 and Lil Wayne are going on tour. Seemingly out of nowhere the rock band and rap legend are joining forces for a North American Tour with Neck Deep as the special guest. The 38-city tour is slated to start on June 27th in Columbus, OH. Theyll be making stops in Toronto, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping September 16th in Cincinnati, OH, playing indoors and outdoors in arenas and amphitheaters across the U.S. and Canada all summer long. The artists also recorded a special tour announcement video, featuring a mash-up of their hits Whats My Age Again? and A Milli. READ: Buy tickets and check out the full list of tour dates here. Say farewell to the smart car, the tiny two-seater Americans never really understood. Daimler, the German auto giant, said it will stop selling the battery-operated Fortwo model in the U.S. and Canada after this model year. The decision was spurred by a declining microcar market, said Robert Moran, director of corporate communications for Mercedes-Benz USA, which is owned by Daimler. The decision comes as no surprise to many analysts, given the car's limited range about 60 miles and consumers growing preference for SUVs. Plus, smaller doesnt always mean greener nowadays, thanks to a generation of SUVs with low gas mileage. Smart cars make sense when you have small roads and small places to park, said Jake Fisher, director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. In the United States, where theres plenty of room to maneuver your heavy-duty pickup truck on the way to work, it makes less sense. A former Fontenelle Elementary School first-grade teacher pleaded guilty Monday to sexually assaulting three students, prosecutors said. Gregory Sedlacek, who was accused of sexually assaulting a total of six students, appeared in court Monday. Sedlacek faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum life sentence on each count. He will be sentenced in July. The judge could decide to run the sentences all at the same time or one after the other. Sedlacek, 31, had been charged with six counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of third-degree sexual assault of a child. In return for his guilty pleas, prosecutors dropped four of the charges. Sedlacek was arrested Dec. 3 and charged with two first-degree counts involving a 7-year-old girl. Authorities have said Sedlacek digitally penetrated the girl, including at least one time on Nov. 19 on the school playground that was caught on security video. Prosecutors filed five additional charges involving five other girls at Fontenelle. Prosecutors have said four girls told police that Sedlacek digitally penetrated them or touched their vaginas multiple times in the classroom this school year. Holstein said she wishes the standards were stronger. Theres never been teaching about our native people, and how intelligent we were, she said. Its always been the savages, the heathens, that we were less than men. That has trickled down. She said that when the culture is denigrated, it affects the self-esteem of the native kids. Children these days grow up with complexes, LaPointe said, especially those who call themselves urban Indians. They still understand their lineage, he said. They identify themselves as Native American. But they have a complex that is severe. LaPointe said the identity crisis can push the native kids to seek acceptance elsewhere. So many times, youll see our children go into those gang cultures, because they accept them, he said. They take them on right in and use them. LaPointe said much of whats taught in schools focuses on the period of disruption, relocation and war after 1850. Thats a blink of an eye in the lifetime of the tribe, he said. A three-year state effort to turn around two struggling rural schools in Nebraska has succeeded at one but stalled at the other, state officials said. Loup County Elementary School in Taylor has made sufficient progress to remove it from priority status, according to Nebraska Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt. But he said lack of progress at Santee Middle School in Niobrara requires the state to ratchet up its intervention effort at the reservation school, where about nine in 10 students are Native American. Weve seen progress in certain things, Blomstedt said. We havent seen it in the academic side. The commissioner is recommending that Santee Middle School remain listed for another year and that Santee elementary and high school be added as priority schools. State board members will consider adopting the recommendations in June. Loup County Elementary, designated a needs improvement school in 2015, has moved up to great in the latest state rankings. The district also has that ranking. LINCOLN Gov. Pete Ricketts visited a Lincoln auto repair shop Monday to call for lawmakers to put the brakes on taxing Nebraska families. The governor spoke out one day before lawmakers are to begin debating a major tax and school-aid package. He urged Nebraskans to contact their senators in opposition to the package. Legislative Bill 289, as put forth by the Revenue Committee last week, seeks to cut property taxes by raising the sales tax rate, applying sales tax to several more services and increasing other taxes. It would drive down property taxes by boosting state school aid and imposing tighter budget and tax limits on schools. Lawmakers will start debate on the measure at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, after getting a second briefing about its multiple components in the morning. State Sens. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, the Revenue Committee chairwoman, and Mike Groene of North Platte, the Education Committee chairman, were peppered with questions at an initial briefing Thursday. Among them were queries about how different groups of taxpayers could be affected by the increases in some taxes and decreases in others. COUNCIL BLUFFS The Rev. Raymond Burt Sr. recollected the history of the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church as one that has grieved but holds on to an optimistic future for the members of the parish and their plans for ministry. This year, the church, one of the oldest African American congregations in Council Bluffs, is celebrating 115 years. With the churchs history of fellowship dating to 1904, Burt said hes met many people who have a connection to the church in some way people who know or remember former ministers, people with relatives who were baptized in the church. Once a booming congregation with 40 members, 13 people singing in the choir and a ride-sharing program, the church is now home to only 20 members and three active choir members, Burt said. Under the 36-year ministry of the Rev. Jesse Isom, the buildings mortgage was completely paid, and parts of the church were renovated, according to history provided by Burt. Tabernacle was without a pastor for a year after Isom retired in 2013, and it lost members, Burt said. But the church still has hope. Boyle said he shared the concerns of the Omaha police union and others that the proposed detention center, originally designed with 48 rooms with potential to expand to 64, would be too small. Since then, proponents have said they would build the center with 64 beds. Boyle also preferred moving juvenile courts to 42nd Street and renovating the current detention center to take advantage of green space there for recreation. And he questioned whether talk about increased programs and services for youths and families would actually lead to action. Boyle said an increased emphasis on alternatives to detention in recent months has him believing that more programs are actually on the way. He said he had challenged a roomful of people at a recent juvenile justice issues meeting at Sherwood Foundations downtown Omaha office. The group included juvenile court judges, juvenile probation officials, foundation leaders, Duda, County Board Chair Chris Rodgers and County Board member Marc Kraft. I said, Are there real commitments to these things? Boyle said. Unless I hear it today, Im going to vote no. Everybody started scrambling and said yes. I feel thats a commitment. Im going to count on them. Among the places in Lincoln affected by Sundays storm was the Community Corrections Center-Lincoln, said Laura Strimple, chief of staff for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Strimple said inmates were directed to take shelter in the housing unit hallways until the storm passed. About 30 members of the public who were caught outside, in and around Pioneers Park, were allowed into the corrections center as well, she said. They were placed in a separate hallway from the inmates. Damage at the center included part of the tin roof of a storage building peeling off. The nearby Dairy Sweet was destroyed, and damage was reported at the Lincoln Airport and a Harley-Davidson store. Rainy weather is forecast through Wednesday night in the metro area. Theres also a chance of thunderstorms embedded within the showers, said Bryon Miller, a weather service meteorologist. The weather service forecast calls for widespread rain totals of 1 to 2 inches Tuesday night through Wednesday night. Some areas could receive as much as 3 inches. Frank Brown became a familiar face to many while covering news as a reporter on Omaha television. He parlayed that appeal and understanding of his community into a seat on the Omaha City Council, where he served from 1997 to 2009. He was known as a force that helped create housing options for the poor. This week, Brown was remembered as that champion for the turf where he was raised and as a man dedicated to family and a fan of Marvel comics. He died Thursday at age 65 after a lengthy battle with diabetes and complications from strokes. Frank was a strong advocate who cared about his district, former Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey said. He was tough when he had to be. He could be stubborn, in a good way. He was very forthright about his positions and tried to get as many things as possible for that district. Born and raised in north Omaha, Brown maintained a focus on the streets where he grew up watching his father manage a lounge and his mother work at an ice cream parlor. During interviews over the years, Brown recalled the bustle on North 24th Street as people shopped and mingled. As a teen in the 1960s, he worked odd jobs, including painting and finishing garages and cutting down noxious weeds. Twenty days is all the time the Nebraska Legislature has left to decide, yea or nay, on key issues facing the state taxes, school funding, the state budget and much more. There will be sharp debate over honest differences, but lawmakers need to put the priority on making the best use of their limited time. They need to look, where possible, for practical agreement. Speaker Jim Scheer is working to focus fellow state senators on those goals. He chided a group of senators Thursday, for example, for mounting a mini-filibuster on the final reading of energy-code legislation that, once the delaying action ceased, passed by a vote of 30-8. His bottom-line message: The Legislature doesnt have time to waste in these final days. Senators need to pick their battles responsibly. That message needs to be the central guiding principle as the Legislature heads toward the end of its session on June 6. Here are some of the issues that lie ahead for lawmakers: The persecution of Jehovahs Witness believers has been particularly intense and outrageous. As of Wednesday, there were 186 Jehovahs Witnesses facing criminal charges in Russia and Crimea, with 24 in pretrial detention and 25 under house arrest. They are charged with organizing, participating in or financing the activity of an extremist organization. The new report, funded by exiled tycoon Leonid Nevzlin and written by public-interest law firm Perseus Strategies with support from Memorial, examines how the authorities have warped the rule of law. For example, the criminal code includes an overly broad and vague provision prohibiting calls for extremist activities that the authorities have used to prosecute all kinds of people, even a religious group that espouses nonviolence such as the Jehovahs Witnesses. Im away this week, but Im happy to report that author and veteran educator Sarah Tantillo has graciously agreed to step in. Sarah works as a consultant at The Literacy Cookbook after a career as a New Jersey high school teacher. Shell be sharing some thoughts and reflections on her forthcoming book, Hit the Drum: An Insiders Account of How the Charter School Idea Became a National Movement . This week, shell be exploring why charter schooling took off, why some charter schools are lousy, and why chartering is one reform thats stuck around. The first charter school legislation passed in Minnesota in 1991. Five years later, nearly two dozen other states had joined the fray. By 2017, more than 6,900 charter schools were operating in 44 states plus the District of Columbia, serving 3.2 million children . How did that happen? First, the concept had prominent bipartisan support. While leading the creation of Time For Results , the National Governors Associations 1986 response to A Nation at Risk , key state governors such as Republican Lamar Alexander and Democrat Bill Clinton became captivated by two ideas: 1) more public school choice and 2) less regulation in exchange for better results. In 1990, Ted Kolderie (often called the godfather of the charter school movement) planted an important seed in this policy environment, drafting a policy paper which argued that chartering could withdraw the exclusive franchise that our educational system had perpetuated. For the chartering movement, this became a fundamental belief: that the monopoly of the American public educational system needed to be broken up. We are not serious about improvement if we do not withdraw the exclusive franchise, Kolderie concluded. One of the first people to see this paper and seize upon it for inspirationbefore the first charter school law passedwas Gov. Bill Clinton, who took it with him on the presidential campaign trail and began to promote chartering as a New Democratic Idea. As president, Clinton used the bully pulpit to champion charters. He and his colleagues saw public school choice as a way to improve public schooling. His newly appointed secretary of education, South Carolina Gov. Richard W. Riley, whod chaired the Time for Results Task Force on Readiness, asked Jon Schnur (special assistant to the deputy secretary of education) to call Ember Reichgott Junge, the sponsor of Minnesotas law, and Joe Nathan, a leading policy analyst for Time for Results, to see what they could do to help the charter movement. Federal legislation also advanced the cause. Another Minnesotan, Jon Schroeder, director of policy development for Sen. David Durenberger, R-Minn., inserted a much-needed piece of the puzzle. Schroeder and Durenberger realized that federal startup funding could do more than just help charter school founders in Minnesota: It could also raise visibility of the charter idea in Congress and in other states. And it could build support for charter laws in states that were considering legislation, but needed an extra incentive to pass laws and help grow the charter movement nationally. With this rationale, Schroeder drafted the Public School Redefinition Act"introduced by Durenberger in the early fall of 1991to create a new federal startup grant program for charter schools. The legislation proposed authorizing $50 million per year. The following year, Durenberger reintroduced this legislation with a Democratic co-sponsor, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. The bill had bipartisan co-sponsorship in the House , as well. Clintons administration made Durenbergers bill part of its comprehensive legislation reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This was a huge political advantage. The charter grant legislation passed with the overall ESEA legislation in the fall of 1994 . Although the legislation included just $6 million for the programs first year, it recognized and addressed a key barrier to charter school development and helped expand awareness and support for the charter movement nationally. (And the program continued to grow. By 2018, more than $4 billion had been allocated to states and charter schools across the country under the federal charter school program.) Along with this federal incentive, grassroots stakeholders pushed the idea out across the country. Ted Kolderies Withdrawing the Exclusive Franchise paper became required reading for anyone contemplating education reform. For many years, Kolderie was a key leaderalong with Joe Nathan, Ember Reichgott Junge, Howard Fuller, Jeanne Allen, Yvonne Chan, and othersin spreading the idea of chartering, sending out memos to update state-based reformers. From 1992 through 1996, Kolderie told me that he shared the ideaeither in person or on the phoneto somewhere between 25 and 30 states. Decades later, Kolderie remarked that one of the striking things about chartering legislation was that in Minnesota and everywhere, it was just automatically, instinctively opposed by all of the associations representing the organized elements of K-12. From that standpoint, The chartering idea simply sold itself. Thats the only way you can explain how, in state after state after state, it was enacted as simply a state capital initiative with no grassroots support, no basic media support, no big-name support, none of the things you usually associate with successful legislative initiatives. He added, How else could you explain the passage of something that violates all of state capital conventional political reality? Governors and legislators across the country knew that something needed to be done to improve public education, and they realized that chartersbeing more palatable than publicly funded private school voucherscould be a valuable part of the solution. Because charters had bipartisan support from the beginning, they spread more rapidly than other reforms. Sarah Tantillo 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 Are you a current print subscriber? You qualify for online access to the Omak Chronicle. To receive your access, create a website account and then verify your print subscription or e-edition subscription with your subscriber number, which may be found on your bill or mailing label. Kejriwal to launch AAP's UP poll campaign from Lucknow on Jan 2 In another setback, AAP MLA Devinder Sehrawat joins BJP India pti-PTI New Delhi, May 06: Accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of ignoring and insulting him, AAP MLA Devinder Singh Sehrawat joined the BJP on Monday, becoming the second legislator from the ruling party in Delhi to jump into the saffron fold in less than a week. AAP's Gandhi Nagar MLA Anil Bajpai quit the party and joined the BJP on Friday. Sehrawat, a legislator from Bijwasan, joined the saffron party at a press conference in the presence of senior Delhi BJP leaders Vijay Goel and Vijendra Gupta. Reacting to the development, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said his party will not allow any defector to remain MLA and it is ready with disqualification petitions. Arvind Kejriwal slapgate: Delhi police registers FIR against attacker; AAP calls him a 'Modi Bhakt' "Defectors are day dreaming about continuing their MLA office & they should be ready to face the electorate," he said. Sehrawat should seek re-election, Bharadwaj said, "but shameless characters might want to continue". Earlier at the press conference, Sehrawat accused AAP of ignoring and cornering him. He said he was not even invited to party functions. "The party insulted me, but I took it in my stride and continued working for the development of my area," the retired colonel said. "My people said 'we have elected you to work for us' and supported my decision to quit the AAP. I have joined the BJP considering the respect India got under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said. Goel said the BJP was interested in inducting Sehrawat into the party even before he had joined the AAP. "The party (AAP) would ignore Sehrawat and not even invite him to events in the area. When he felt he's being insulted, the legislator decided to join the BJP," Goel said. Kejriwal tried putting pressure on Sehrawat when he got to know of his decision to leave the "sinking ship", he alleged. The BJP has kept its door open for all those who are feeling insulted in the AAP, the Union minister said. BJP leader Vijendra Gupta said, "Kejriwal tried to conspire against Sehrawat, sidelined him...He is being made to pay for opposing the party's decision to oust Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhusan." Gupta said AAP insulted a retired Army officer and asked the party to apologise to him. AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged the Modi government was "using the proceeds from the Rafale scam to buy AAP MLAs". "They are doing the same thing in West Bengal. Modiji should tell how many MLAs they are planning to buy," he said. Rejecting the charge, Goel said, "It is wrong on his (Kejriwal's) part to allege that his party MLAs are being bought by the BJP." "We did not say anything when our former MLA Gagan Singh quit BJP to join the AAP. He (Kejriwal) should learn how to respect his MLAs. His MLAs are leaving the party due to disrespect and suffocation and not for money," he added. AAP spokesperson Bharadwaj added that probity in public life demands that a legislator after quitting the party on whose symbol he/she won an election, should immediately resign from the position and seek re-election "but shameless characters might want to continue". "The legal position is clear - moment you voluntarily give up the membership of the party on whose symbol you were elected you are liable for disqualification according to the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, he said. PTI Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet Cyclone Fani: PM conducts aerial survey in Odisha grants Rs 1,000 cr more for relief work India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 06: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conducted an aerial survey to take stock of areas which have been hit by the impact of cyclone Fani and announced additional central assistance of Rs 1000 crore for relief works in the state. The Centre had earlier released in advance Rs 381 crore for the state. Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also accompanied the PM for the aerial survey. He had arrived in Bhubaneswar earlier on Monday and was received by the CM, Governor and Pradhan. "Naveen babu has planned everything very well and the central government will help him take ahead all of these things," the Prime Minister said while speaking to reporters in Hindi. Earlier on Sunday, Modi said,"Will be in Odisha tomorrow morning, where I will review the situation due to Cyclone Fani and hold meetings with top officials. The Centre is committed to provide all possible assistance in relief and rehabilitation measures underway." He said everyone, including the central and state teams as well as in the district and grassroots level, worked with great coordination in the rescue and relief work. "Secondly, I want to tell the people of this country that the way the citizens of Odisha and the fishermen and women followed the government's instructions was commendable," Modi said. "It happens that if we ask them to vacate their homes, nobody follows the instructions. This time, the citizens of Odisha have done such a great job and must be congratulated, the fishermen must be congratulated and so the loss of life was minimal," he said. Modi wave - Real or illusion Meanwhile, the death toll in Cyclone Fani rose to 34 on Sunday. The extremely severe storm that battered Odisha, caused widespread destruction and left hundreds grappling with water shortage and power cuts. Puri is the worst affected. The Odisha government on Sunday announced additional one month quota of rice and 1000 to families affected by cyclone Fani, as the situation remained critical 48 hours after the storm made landfall in coastal Odisha. Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet Fact check: Was there anti-Modi sloganeering during his Varanasi visit? Cow is mother, sacred to us: PM Modi in Varanasi Bhrashtachari No.1 remark: Congress wants EC to ban PM Modi from rallies India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 06: The Congress has complained to Election Commission asking the body to take action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly violating the Model Code with his comments on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi "ending his life as bhrashtachari (corrupt) number one". Congress told EC that PM Modi not only violated Model Code of Conduct (MCC) but also insulted a Bharat Ratna awardee. Taking offense at PM Modi's words, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee wrote, "We appeal the EC to take action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by barring him from speaking at public rallies." 'Karma awaits you', Rahul hits back at PM over Bhrashtachari No. 1' remark at Rajiv Gandhi The Election Commission has cleared PM Modi of any poll code violation allegations six times, with the latest clean chit given on Saturday over a speech delivered in Gujarat, where he claimed that his government had kept Pakistan on its toes to ensure the safe return of captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtacharinumber 1 (corrupt number 1)," PM Modi had said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh. The reference was to corruption allegations in the purchase of Bofors artillery in the 1980s against the Congress government led by Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi had got a clean chit from the court in the Bofors case. Union Ministers including Arun Jaitley and Prakash Javadekar have come out in support of PM Modi over his "bhrashtachari number 1" comments. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 6, 2019, 21:25 [IST] Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet Congress candidates feel Modi has edge over Rahul India oi-Hardeep Singh Bedi New Delhi, May 06: As the country is voting in the fifth phase of the seven-phased general elections, the Congress candidates feel that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an edge over their party president Rahul Gandhi. Two Congress-ruled states - Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh- have also gone to the polls on Monday. Voting is being conducted for the remaining 12 seats of Rajasthan and seven seats of Madhya Pradesh. According to the sources, the Congress candidates have told the chief ministers of these states that the fight is going to be tough as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is more popular than Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Lok Sabha Election 2019: Clash of titans on cards in fifth phase polling The candid admission of Congress candidates has made Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath concerned, say sources. It is notable that Rahul Gandhi has given permission to the chief ministers of the Congress-ruled states to fight elections in their name and win maximum Lok Sabha seats for the party. This has happened first time in the history of the Congress that it is fighting Lok Sabha elections by highlighting the work of its state governments. According to the sources, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has promised to win more than seven seats out of 11, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh more than nine seats out of 13, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot more than 14 seats out of 25, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath more than 15 seats out of 29. As per the new strategy, all Congress-ruled states prepared campaigning material, like videos, songs, and slogans which highlight the state government's achievements. However, the oldtimers of Congress say that the chief ministers of Congress-ruled states did not pay requisite attention to strengthening party organisation in their respective states. An oldtimer tells this scribe on the condition of anonymity that the biggest weakness of the Congress is that it doesn't have a strong organisational setup like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress leader is of the opinion the crowd which joins a party in the power after the change of guard shouldn't be construed as party workers. In Kurukshetra, it's a long battle for modern generation Arjun now "There is a general trend in politics that once you are in power then opportunists would crash your gate. You shouldn't treat them as party workers. A party worker is the one who has stayed with you through thick and thin. Unfortunately, our party doesn't have a strong organisational base in Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh despite being in power," rues the oldtimer. Congress ruled Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have 78 Lok Sabha seats. Currently, the Congress has three MPs each in Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, and one in Chhattisgarh. The Congress couldn't win even a single seat in Rajasthan in 2014. Dont consider Modi as PM: Mamata on declining Cyclone Fani review meeting India oi-Deepika S Kolkata, May 06: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday responded to the resports of not taking Narendra Modi' calls over Cyclone Fani impact saying she does not consider him country's prime minister. "I do not consider him the country's PM, hence I did not sit for the meeting. I do not want to be seen with him on the same platform. I will speak to the next PM. We can take care of cyclone damage by ourselves. We do not need Centre's help ahead of polls," Mamata Banerjee said in Jhargram earlier in the day. Mamata's remarks came after PM Modi earlier in the day accused her of "playing politics" over cyclone relief. Cyclone Fani at centre of storm: Modi tried calling Mamata Banerjee but calls not returned Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that he had called Mamata Banerjee twice on Saturday but his calls were not returned. Modi had raised the issue at a poll rally at Tamluk in East Midnapore district during the day. "She is so arrogant that she didn't speak to me... Speed breaker Didi is more interested in doing politics," he said. PM Modi said he had wanted to speak to the state officials to take stock of the situation. "But she didn't allow that to happen. The people of Bengal are getting affected because of her politics. But I want to assure you all that central government stands with the people of Bengal. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 6, 2019, 22:04 [IST] Grenade attack hits polling in militancy prone Pulwama India oi-Vikas SV Srinagar, May 06: Suspected terrorists hurled a grenade near a polling booth in South Kashmir's Pulwama on Monday where voting is underway for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections. There are no reports of any injuries or causalities so far. Pulwama is a terrorism infested region of Jammu and Kashmir. Three years on, why the elections in Anantnag, J&K would be staggered Pulwama is part of Anantnag parliament constituency where elections are being held in three phases. In the last two phases in Anantnag and Kulgam districts, the voter turnout was a dismal 12 per cent. The voting in Anantnag Lok Sabha is being held in three phases because of the security situation in the region. As per reports, all the 450 polling stations in the district have been declared hypersensitive. Based on the security assessment, polling booths located deep inside villages were relocated and shifted to safer locations. Because of fears of violence the administration has spread polling in Anantnag over phases. While Anantnag and the adjoining areas went to polls on April 23, Shopian and Pulwama are voting today. EC revises poll timing for J&K's Anantnag due to security threat The decision to conduct the election in phases was taken on the basis of the feedback by the security forces. Security officials had explained the difficulty in conducting the elections in Anantnag. The districts of Shopian and Pulwama are swarming with terrorists. The recent suicide strike at Pulwama was also cited as one of the reasons. The Anantnag parliamentary constituency is spread over four districts. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 6, 2019, 9:34 [IST] KCR hints at another lockdown in Hyderabad as COVID-19 cases surge Telangana CM announces Rs 10,000 as relief to each flood-affected household in Hyderabad Revival of third front plan? Telangana CM KCR meets Pinarayi Vijayan India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 06: Stepping up efforts to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties, Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday met his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan. The two leaders, however, refused to comment on the two-hour long closed door meeting which comes with two more rounds to go in the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections. Rao will call on Stalin at his residence in Chennai later this week on May 13, a statement by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. JD(S) leader and Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has also reached out to the Telangana chief minister. According to a statement issued by the CMO earlier, Rao and Vijayan, who heads the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala, will discuss "contemporary politics". "In view of the Parliamentary elections, both the CMs will discuss contemporary politics," it said. Rao will visit the Rameshwaram and Srirangam temples before returning home, the statement said. EC notice to KCR for communal remarks after VHP complains Discussing the Rao-Stalin meeting, it said, "Both the leaders are likely to discuss current political scenario in the context of ongoing Parliamentary elections." Learning about his visits to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Kumaraswamy also had a telephonic talk with Rao, the statement said. The chief minister's daughter and sitting Nizamabad Lok Sabha member K Kavitha told PTI recently that regional parties not aligned with the Congress and the BJP will get 120-plus seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, and may hold the key to government formation. She said the TRS is in touch with various parties not part of the BJP-led NDA and Congress-anchored UPA in its efforts to forge a federal front of regional outfits. A federal front will take good shape after the Lok Sabha election results are out, Kavitha said. PTI Agree with Indian govt on need to safeguard citizens' privacy: WhatsApp State vs national issues: Key lessons for the BJP to learn in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Haryana Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Over 62 per cent turnout in 5th phase; violence in West Bengal India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, May 06: Nearly nine crore voted on Monday to decide the fate of 674 candidates in the fifth phase of polling in 51 Lok Sabha constituencies in seven states. Two explosions at polling stations in Pulwama in Kashmir and clashes between TMC and BJP in West Bengal were reported during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls on Monday across seven states in which over 62 per cent turnout was recorded. The BJP demanded fresh polling at Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal, accusing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of unleashing "violence" on its voters. Meanwhile, Union minister Smriti Irani accused Congress president and rival candidate from Amethi Rahul Gandhi of capturing polling booth in the constituency. Voting took place in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Rajasthan, seven seats each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar and four in Jharkhand. In Jammu and Kashmir, polling will take place in Ladakh constituency and Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag seat. With this phase, election will be over in 424 seats and polling in the remaining 118 seats will be held on May 12 and 19. Stay tuned for all the UPDATES here Newest First Oldest First Uttar Pradesh Sahara chief Subrata Roy casts his vote at a polling booth in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/d4VjVsIGsL ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 6, 2019 Subrata Roy casts his vote: Delhi ebel Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Devinder Kumar Sehrawat joins Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of Union Minister Vijay Goel. Jammu Kashmir The Congress has sought repolling in several booths in Shopian and Pulwama districts of the Anantnag parliamentary constituency, alleging that the NC and the PDP indulged in bogus voting in many areas. Jammu Kashmir Clahses broke out at a polling booth in Pulwama's Rajpora when PDP workers thrashed a Congress polling agent. West Bengal Scuffle breaks out between TMC's Prasun Banerjee and security forces. Madhya Pradesh Visuals from Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh where voting concluded for Phase 5 of Lok Sabha Election 2019. Jammu and Kashmir In Jammu and Kashmir, 64 per cent polling was recorded in Ladakh but the turnout was barely three per cent in militancy-infested Shopian and Pulwama districts in the final of the three-phase election to Anantnag constituency held amid militant threats and boycott call by separatists in Kashmir. The voter turnout was 74.42 in seven seats in West Bengal, where incidents of Trinamool Congress and BJP workers attacking each other, hurling of bombs, injury to a candidate due to lathicharge by central forces, manhandling of a contestant and beating up of a polling agent were reported in Bangaon (SC), Barrackpore, Hooghly and Howrah constituencies. In Rajasthan, 63.78 per cent polling was recorded in 12 seats, while it was 63.88 per cent in seven constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, 57.86 per cent five seats in Bihar and 63.72 in four seats in Jharkhand that went to polls on Monday. According to the Election Commission, over 57.33 per cent of 2.47 crore eligible people cast their vote in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, where political heavyweights like Congress' Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani were in the fray. Total voter turnout in Phase 5 of Lok Sabha Election 2019 is 62.56%. Himachal Pradesh The Chief Electoral Officer of Himachal Pradesh has directed Kangra district election officer to take action under section 127A of Representation of People Act,1950 regarding violation of Model Code of Conduct by Congress candidate for Kangra, Pawan Kajal. Madhya Pradesh Visuals from Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh where voting concluded for Phase 5 of Lok Sabha Election 2019. Rajasthan Voting concludes for the 5th phase of LokSabhaElection2019 in Rajasthan. West Bengal West Bengal BJP writes to CEO West Bengal over poll related violence the letter states,"On all LS seats which were having polling today have seen wide spread violence including rigging of booths, destruction of EVMs&brutal attacks on BJP candidates.Also seek order for re-polling" Bihar 57.86% voter turnout recorded in Bihar (five Lok Sabha constituencies) in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, till 6pm. West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party leader Locket Chatterjee staged a sit-in at District Magistrate's office in Hooghly after her car was vandalized by unknown miscreants, earlier today. Assembly elections in Odisha's Patkura constituency has been re-scheduled to May 19 following the death of Biju Janata Dal candidate Ved Prakash Agarwal. Patnaik had earlier requested ECI for the same on his visit to Delhi on the 24th. #WATCH West Bengal: Scuffle breaks out between TMC's MP from Howrah, Prasun Banerjee and security forces at polling booth no. 49 & 50 in Howrah. #LokSabhaElections2019 #Phase5 pic.twitter.com/UOoZcEzUce ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 Scuffle breaks out between TMC's Prasun Banerjee and security forces The Congress has sought repolling in several booths in Shopian and Pulwama districts of the Anantnag parliamentary constituency, alleging that the NC and the PDP indulged in bogus voting in many areas. Voter Turnout in Madhya Pradesh till 3 PM has been recorded at 54.22%. Seven of MP's seats are polling in this phase of the elections. The Election Commission has directed Bengal police to lodge FIRs against all those present in the booth in Hooghly where an EVM was ransacked in the presence of BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee. Clahses broke out at a polling booth in Pulwama's Rajpora when PDP workers thrashed a Congress polling agent. Voter turnout till 3 pm in Jharkhand was 58.63 percent Voter turnout till 3 pm in West Bengal was 62.79 percent Voter turnout till 3 pm in Uttar Pradesh was 44.79 percent Voter turnout till 3 pm in Rajasthan was 50.39 percent Voter turnout till 3 pm in Madhya Pradesh was 53.37 percent Voter turnout till 3 pm in Jammu & Kashmir was 15.34 percent Voter turnout till 3 pm in Bihar was 44.08 percent The fifth phase will see voting in many high-profile seats. In Uttar Pradesh, both Rae Bareli and Amethi constituencies which are traditional strongholds of Congress will see a riveting contest, with the SP-BSP alliance lending their support to the party. This is an important phase for BJP in Uttar Pradesh since it had won 12 of the 14 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress won only Rae Bareli and Amethi the only two constituencies where the party succeeded out of the 80 seats in the state. In Amethi and Rae Bareli, the SP-BSP alliance has not put up any candidate, leaving the two constituencies for the Congress. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is seeking re-election from Lucknow, while his colleague at the Centre Smriti Irani is again taking on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. In the seven Lok Sabha constituencies spread across three districts in West Bengal, it is a four-cornered contest between the Trinamool Congress, BJP, Congress and the CPI(M). The Trinamool had won all the seven seats in 2014. 79(12%) female candidates are contesting in the Lok Sabha Phase 5 elections. 208(31%) candidates have declared their age to be between 25 to 40 years while 343(51%) candidates have declared their age to be between 41 to 60 years. There are 113(17%) candidates who have declared their age to be between 61 to 80 years. 3 candidates have not given their age. Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 48 BJP candidates is Rs. 6.91 crores, 45 INC candidates is Rs 8.74 crores, 33 BSP candidates have average assets of Rs 3.32 crores, and 9 SP candidates have average assets of Rs 31.57 crores. The average asset per candidate contesting in the Lok Sabha Phase 5 election is Rs. 2.57 crores. 184(28%) candidates who have assets worth Rs. 1 crore and more. Among the major parties 38(79%) out of 48 candidates from BJP, 32(71%) out of 45 candidates from INC,17(52%) out of 33 candidates from BSP, 8(89%) out of 9 candidates from SP and 31(12%) out of 252 independent candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs. 1 crore. 5 candidates have declared cases related to kidnapping (IPC Section-363) and Kidnapping or abducting in order to murder (IPC Section-364) , against themselves. 21 candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder (IPC Section 307) against themselves. 2.47 crore people are eligible to vote in Dhaurahra, Sitapur, Mohanlalganj (SC), Lucknow, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi (SC), Barabanki (SC), Faizabad, Bahraich (SC), Kaiserganj, Amethi, Raebareli and Gonda constituencies. There are 182 candidates in the fray from these seats. 6 candidates have declared convicted cases against themselves. 3 candidates have declared cases related to murder (IPC Section -302) against themselves. In Raebareli, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is contesting against former Congress MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh. In the 2014 polls at Kaushambi, the BJP polled 331,724, while the SP and BSP together had 490,146 votes. Bahraich: BJP: 432,392, SP-BSP: 552,224, Sitapur: BJP: 417,546, SP-BSP: 522,689, Mohanlalganj: BJP: 455,274, SP:BSP: 552,224, Banda: BJP: 342,066, SP-BSP: 416,008, Dhaurahra: BJP: 360,357, SP-BSP: 468,714 and Kaisarganj: BJP: 381,500, SP-BSP: 450,008. The Lucknow seat from where Rajnath Singh is seeking a re-election has been with the BJP since 1991. The seat was won that year by former PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This year Singh will take on Poonam Sinha, the candidate fielded by the SP-BSP. Phase five of the Lok Sabha elections 2019, will witness a keen contest in seven off the 12 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Phase would also witness polling in Amethi and Raebareli, which are being contested by Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi respectively. Voting is underway at 51 Lok Sabha constituencies. Former union minister Yashwant Sinha and his wife are among the early voters. Rajasthan Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and his wife Gayatri Rathore arrive at a polling station in Jaipur to cast their vote. Home Minister Rajnath Singh casts his vote at Lucknow EVM glitches in West Bengal. Polling is yet to begin at booth numbers 289/ 291/292 in Howrah Uttar Pradesh BSP Chief Mayawati casts her vote at a polling booth in City Montessori Inter College in Lucknow. Jammu and Kashmir: Visuals from polling booth 66 in Govt High School in Pulwama( Anantnag Lok Sabha seat) #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/EKLbGTmkX3 ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2019 Polling in Jammu and Kashmir: Uttar Pradesh "Right to vote should be used for your own good. I appeal all to come out of homes and vote," says Mayawati after casting vote. Important facts about 5th phase: Uttar Pradesh has maximum number of polling booths - 28,072, while Jammu and Kashmir has the least number of polling booths - 1,254. Jammu and Kashmir Voting underway in South Kashmir's Khrew area in Pulwama. Pulwama is an insurgency prone area and it is for this reason that polling in Ananthnag Lok Sabha constituency is being held in three rounds. West Bengal TMC supporters in Bengal agitated against Arjun Singh in Chakathalia Surya Sen Pally area alleging that Singh misbehaved with women supporters. Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore urges people to come out and vote in large number."Today is the festival of democracy." For more stories on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 click below links EC rejects plea seeking rescheduling of polling timings during Ramzan Why is Ladakh seat important for BJP? Cong will do in Rajasthan this year what BJP did in 2014 Lok Sabha 5th phase election 2019: Shatrughan Sinha's wife Poonam Sinha richest candidate Lok Sabha Election 2019: Clash of titans on cards in fifth phase polling Lok Sabha Elections 2019 updates: Opposition questions PM's 'audacity' to call Rajiv Gandhi corrupt 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 Lok Sabha elections: Javadekar accuses TMC of rigging, demands re-polling in Barrackpore India oi-Vikas SV Kolkata, May 06: Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of indulging in booth capturing and demanded a re-poll in Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Barrackpore candidate Arjun Singh was allegedly attacked by the TMC workers when he visited a polling booth, the members of the Mamata Banerjee-led party on the other hand alleged that Singh misbehaved with women supporters. Javadekar accused the TMC "goons" of booth-capturing and not letting BJP voters cast their votes by resorting to threats and violence. He also alleged that the Election Commission had not done enough to make the polls free and fair in the state despite the BJP approaching it a number of times. Violence mars polling in Asansol, Supriyo's car vandalised "The TMC wants to win elections by rigging as it cannot win by votes. We demand a repoll in the entire Barrackpore constituency," he said. Javadekar also alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was behind the violence. The BJP candidate from the seat, Arjun Singh, has been badly beaten by TMC workers, Javadekar alleged and added that ruling party workers were accompanying voters in the booth and casting votes at their behest. Incidents of violence were also reported from Bangaon and Hooghly seats in West Bengal. There were also reports of clash between BJP and TMC workers in some parts of West Bengal where the voting for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha election 2019 is underway. Alleging that the police are not doing anything to stop rigging in some booths of Barrackpore seat, Arjun Singh demanded that polling be stopped and re-polling ordered. "I was attacked by TMC goons who have been brought from outside. Those people were scaring away our voters. I am injured," said Arjun Singh a former TMC leader who recently joined the BJP. Shootout in West Bengal's Howrah, soldier reportedly killed "When I was going with our agent to the booth, TMC goons attacked me in front of the police," reports quoted Arjun Singh as saying. In Hoogly, BJP candidate Locket Chaterjee reportedly got into in an argument with TMC supporters in Dhonekhali area of the constituency. Several incidents of violence were also reported in the third and fourth phase of the elections in the state. In the third phase, a person was killed and several others were injured during a clash outside a polling station. The fourth phase in the state was also embroiled into scuffles after the vehicle of sitting MP and BJP candidate from Asansol Babul Supriyo was attacked and vandalised allegedly by the TMC workers. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 6, 2019, 14:20 [IST] TMC delegation to meet Election Commission in Delhi today; To request for early bypolls in Bengal No early polling on account of Ramzan India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, May 06: The Election Commission (EC) has rejected a plea to reschedule the commencement of polls during the last three phases of the Lok Sabha elections to 5 am instead of 7 am due to Ramzan. Ramzan, the month of fasting in Islam, will begin from May 7 (Tuesday). The Supreme Court had on Thursday directed the EC to take a call on a plea seeking to advance the voting timing to 5 am for the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha election due to heat waves and Ramzan. The petition was filed by advocates Mohammed Nizamuddin Pasha and Asad Hayat, who mentioned it for urgent hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. The bench had asked the counsel appearing for the poll body to take a decision on the issue. PM Modi gets EC's sixth clean chit for his Gujarat speech In a letter to Pasha, the poll panel said, "The polling hours are long enough (11) hours against the statutory eight hours for the convenience of all sections of the society. The Commission does not find it feasible to alter the existing hours for poll for the 5th, 6th and 7th phase." While the fifth phase is on Monday, the sixth phase is on May 12 and the last phase on May 19. The EC had set up a committee of officers to hear out the petitioner and take a call. A functionary said besides being tiring for poll staff, such a move was not practical. Only have love for Modi who insulted a martyr: Rahul on PM's barb at Rajiv Gandhi India pti-PTI New Delhi, May 06: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that despite Narendra Modi insulting his father Rajiv Gandhi, he only had love for the prime minister. "He is the prime minister of the country, but insults a martyr (Rajiv Gandhi). I told him whatever hatred you have for me...you can belittle me, you can say whatever you say about my father, mother, grandfather, grandmother. Whatever hatred you direct against me, I will only return it with love," Gandhi said. Addressing a rally near Jama Masjid for party's Chandni Chowk candidate J P Agarwal, Gandhi recalled the moment he hugged Modi in Parliament. "Hatred can only be defeated by love. Remember, the same love will defeat you Narendra Modiji on May 23." Modi dares Congress to fight polls in Rajiv Gandhi's name At a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi had targeted Rajiv Gandhi, while attacking the Congress president. "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1," Modi had said, drawing sharp criticisms from opposition leaders. The Prime Minister targeted Rajiv Gandhi on Monday as well, daring the Congress to fight the elections in the name of the "Bofors-accused". Attacking Modi over demonetisation and the implementation of GST, Gandhi said even a kid would know that the decisions have not benefited anyone. GST and demonetisation have hurt the traders of Delhi, Gandhi told voters of the constituency, which is mainly dominated by the trading community. Alluding to denial of ticket to veteran BJP leader L K Advani, Gandhi said Modi even "insulted" his guru. "Narendra Modi does not respect 125 crore Indians. The only person he loves is himself. People do not want to listen to his Maan ki Baat," he said, adding that the voice of Delhi is the country's voice. Taking a dig, he said the Prime Minister reads from a tele-prompter, but it does not tell him that he has to talk about the promises he made to the country's youths and farmers. Gandhi said after coming to power his party will implement the 'Nyay' scheme, which will increase the spending capacity of people and give a boost to the economy. Gandhi also promised to fill up 22 lakh job vacancies in the government sector, one of the main poll plank of the party. PTI SC asks EC to examine Tej Bahadur Yadavs plea against rejection of his candidature in Varanasi SC dismisses Tej Bahadur Yadavs plea against rejection of his candidature in Varanasi Sacked BSF jawan moves SC against his candidature cancellation India pti-PTI New Delhi, May 6: Sacked Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission's decision to cancel his candidature from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting. Yadav, who was dismissed in 2017 after he posted a video online complaining about the food served to the troops, was fielded by the Samajwadi Party (SP) as its candidate from the Varanasi seat. Yadav, in his plea, termed the decision of the poll panel discriminatory and unreasonable and said it should be set aside. The SP had initially fielded Shalini Yadav as its candidate to contest against Modi and later nominated the sacked BSF jawan. The poll panel had dismissed Yadavs nomination on Wednesday. He was served notices by the Varanasi returning officer over discrepancies in the two sets of nomination papers submitted by him. In the first set of papers on April 24, he had mentioned that he was dismissed from the BSF. On April 29 he submitted a second set of papers as the SP nominee, but did not give out this information. He was also required to submit a no-objection certificate from the BSF, giving reasons for his dismissal. Yadav had accused the BJP of resorting to "dictatorial steps" to stop him from fighting elections. "My nomination was rejected today even though I had furnished the NOC from BSF that was required by the RO, he had claimed. I am a farmer's son and I was here to raise the voices of farmers and jawans," he had told reporters. PTI Air Pollution: You want to ban industries in Pakistan? Court asks UP govt SC panel finds no merit in sexual harassment charges against CJI India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, May 06: An in house panel of the Supreme Court has dismissed a complaint that made sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi. In a short note, the panel headed by Justice S Bobde said that it finds no substance in the allegations. The report would remain confidential. The Supreme Court on Sunday had denied the reports claiming Justice Chandrachud and Justice Nariman had questioned holding a hearing in the CJI sexual harassment case without the inclusion of complainant. The statement, which has been issued from the office of the Supreme Court's 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. The woman's allegations against the CJI were first brought to light when some news portals reported about the matter on April 20. On 19 April, a former Supreme Court female staffer accused CJI Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment and abuse of power in an affidavit sent to 22 justices of the Supreme Court, requesting an inquiry. Gogoi too formidable to be ruffled by sickening behaviour of politicians trapped in political disarr TMC moves privilege motion against Justice Gogoi, says he is in contempt of Rajya Sabha 'Shattered, dejected', says woman who accused CJI of sexual harassment after clean chit India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 06: The woman staffer, who had levelled the sexual harassment charges against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, has said that her worst fears have come true and all her hopes of justice have been shattered. In her statement, the woman said, "I, the woman complainant, a former SC employee, am not just highly disappointed and dejected to learn that the In-House Committee 'has found no substance' in my complaint, but feel that gross injustice has been done to me as a woman citizen of India." "I am now extremely scared and terrified because the in-house committee, despite having all material placed before them, has given me no justice or protection and said nothing about the absolutely malafide dismissals and suspensions, indignities and humiliations suffered by me and my family," she said. SC panel finds no merit in sexual harassment charges against CJI "My worst fears have come true, and all hope of justice and redress from the highest Court of the land have been shattered," she said. The panel, comprising Justices SA Bobde, Indira Banerjee and Indu Malhotra, have dismissed the charges but in a statement, the SC said the committee's report is "not liable to be made public" since it was an "informal inquiry". The notice said: "The In-House Committee has found no substance in the allegations contained in the complaint dated April 19, 2019 of a former employee of the Supreme Court of India. Please take note that in case of Indira Jaising vs Supreme Court of India and others, it has been held that the report of a committee constituted as a part of the In-House Procedure is not liable to be made public." It further said: "The In House Committee has submitted its report dated May 5, 2019 in accordance with the In House Procedure, to the next senior judge competent to receive the report and also sent a copy to the judge concerned, namely, the CJI. "The allegations against the CJI had become public on April 20 when some news web portals had come out with the stories. The woman had sent her affidavit to 22 judges of the apex court about the alleged sexual harassment. Within hours of the allegations coming into public domain, an unprecedented hearing by a bench comprising CJI and Justices Mishra and Sanjiv Khanna had taken place on April 20 which was Saturday. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 6, 2019, 21:08 [IST] Govt schools in Punjab are in bad shape, seek people's support for improving them: Arvind Kejriwal Uttarakhand polls 2022: Kejriwal promises Rs 1k to women, Rs 5k to jobless youths monthly if voted to power Kejriwal to launch AAP's UP poll campaign from Lucknow on Jan 2 Shiv Sena condemns slap attack on Arvind Kejriwal, praises AAP in Delhi India oi-PTI New Delhi, May 06: Shiv Sena on Monday condemned the latest attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said there should not be any lapse in his security. The BJP ally also said the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government has done some good work in the fields of education and health. Kejriwal was slapped by a man during a roadshow in Delhi last week. The Chief Minister was on an open jeep when the man wearing a red T-shirt jumped onto the vehicle and slapped him. In its mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena said, "Political and social intolerance is growing in India. But acts such as throwing ink or hurling shoes (at politicians) is not going to solve problems." Opposition leaders condemn attack on Arvind Kejriwal It looks like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader has set a record of sorts in facing such assaults after becoming the chief minister of the city-state, the Marathi daily said. He has faced nearly a dozen such attacks, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said. "Such acts of insulting senior politicians in the country should be stopped at once," said Shiv Sena. Kejriwal is not ready to accept the fact that New Delhi, being the national capital, has been put under Union Home Ministry as far as security matters are concerned, it said. The local government can not have its own security force, Shiv Sena mounthpiece said. Kejriwal's government has done some good work in education and health, which has been lauded widely. But in the meantime, the AAP leader also started dreaming about becoming the prime minister and making false claims and allegations, the Sena said. "We do not agree with such acts. There should not be any lapse in Kejriwal's security," said the party. This was the second time bureaucrat-turned-politician has been slapped in a public rally. He had also been attacked with ink and spices earlier. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 6, 2019, 23:46 [IST] Arun Jaitley framed bill on Art 370 nullification that can withstand legal challenge, says his wife Jaitley statue at Kotla: Angry Bedi asks DDCA to remove his name from stands, quits membership Who was that Q connection, Jaitley asks Rahul Gandhi India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, May 06: 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 "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." 'Losing sense of economy and politics': Jaitley jabs Manmohan Singh 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 assassinated and yet the Congress faces heat over 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 fastest growing major economy as disastrous," Jaitley said. In an interview to PTI, 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". 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. Everything PM said about Rajiv Gandhi was true: Javadekar Hitting back at Rahul, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 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 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 Modi's remarks. Priyanka made 'confessional' statement about Cong becoming 'fringe' outfit: Jaitley "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 politics 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. Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet Why Mufti thinks Modis brashtachar reference to Rajiv Gandhi will help Congress India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 06: People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti on Monday gave a spin to Narendra Modi's Brashtachar No. 1 remark and said just like the controversial Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's, the Prime Minister's personal remarks on Rajiv Gandhi would help the Congress. "A few years ago, Mani Shankar Aiyar's "neech comment" against PM Modi helped Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) consolidate by galvanising public support. Now with the BJP in a state of despair & desperation, PM's fulminations & personal remarks against the Gandhis might inadvertently end up helping Congress," she tweeted. Mufti was referring to the 2017 incident, where Aiyar's took jibe at Modi calling him "a neech kism ka aadmi (a vile man) who has no sabhyata (civility)", ended up causing a major embarrassment to the Congress ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls. Many have also said that Aiyar's "chai-wala" comment in 2014 helped the BJP cement a victory in 2014 as the saffron party successfully co-opted the jibe in many of their campaigns. 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 Will contest from Ambedkar Nagar if all goes well: Mayawati hints at her PM ambition India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 06: For the first time since the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 began Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati has given clear indications about her aspirations for the Prime Minister's post. Addressing a public rally Myawati said "If all goes well, I may have to seek election from here because the road to national politics passes through Ambedkar Nagar." Mayawati, 63, has won the Lok Sabha elections from Ambedkar Nagar four times - 1989, 1998, 1999 and 2004. "The era of 'Namo Namo' is over and the time has come for those who chant 'Jai Bhim'," she said, referring to a slogan used by followers of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, the architect of the constitution and an iconic leader for Dalits. Interestingly, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Samajwadi Party (SP) of taking alliance partner Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for a ride in Uttar Pradesh, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav rooted for BSP chief Mayawati as the next PM without taking her name. Harping on the strength of the alliance, Akhilesh said: " Desh ka agla pradhan mantri gathbandhan dega aur hum to chahenge ki koi agar aadhi abadi se ban jaye to usse achchhi koi baat nahi hogi (The alliance will give the next PM of the country. And if it is a woman, we will be very happy)." It may be noted that the Bharatiya Janata Party has been mocking the Opposition's grand alliance that is yet to project any face. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 6, 2019, 18:53 [IST] Sri Lanka won't be allowed to be used for 'any activity' against India: President Rajapaksa Sri Lankan human trafficking case: Victims were lured with promise of jobs in Canada Sri Lanka extends deadline by 48 hrs for public to hand over swords, sharp weapons International oi-PTI Colombo, May 06: Sri Lankan authorities Monday extended by 48 hours the deadline for the public to surrender swords, daggers, sharp weapons and clothing similar to that of military uniforms as part of a crackdown on suspects following the Easter Sunday bombings which killed over 250 people. On Saturday, the Sri Lankan police asked the public to hand over swords and large knives to the nearest police station after a large haul of weapons, including swords, and camouflaged materials were recovered during searches of mosques and houses. "The time period granted to hand in swords, daggers, sharp weapons and clothing similar to that of military uniforms has been extended by 48 hours. The time period set to hand in such objects was to expire at midnight today (Monday)," News 1st channel reported. Sri Lanka bombers were in India to build links The police Head Office has taken all necessary steps to inform the police stations across the country about the extension, police media spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said. According to the police, several people including politicians were arrested for possessing sharp-edged weapons like swords since the crackdown began to arrest the suspects and their network, following the April 21 blasts which killed 253 people and injured 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. Sri Lanka's Easter bombers travelled to Bangalore, Kerala and Kashmir Sri Lanka has imposed a state of emergency since the attacks and given sweeping powers to soldiers and police to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. House-to-house searches are being carried out across the country looking for explosives and propaganda material of Islamic extremists. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, May 6, 2019, 16:28 [IST] Jojoba Oil Market Projected To Reach $254.2 Million By 2024 https://tinyurl.com/y58a5qde www.grandviewresearch.com The global jojoba oil market is expected to reach USD 254.2 million by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The rising demand for organic personal care products along with formulation development for specific consumer group is expected to create new market avenues for cultivators and producers of jojoba oil.Major cosmetic manufacturers such as JE International, L'Oreal S.A, and Ole Henriksen are undertaking extensive research & development for innovation of jojoba oil-based formulations. The increasing penetration of jojoba oil in cosmetic products including lipsticks, shampoos & conditioners, and skin creams & moisturizers is expected to be a major factor in promoting growth. The various abilities of the ingredient such as acting as an emollient and moisturizer and prevention of aging skin have resulted in increased penetration of jojoba oil in the overall cosmetic market.Declining use of various harmful chemicals such as aluminum salts, phthalates, and parabens coupled with dedicated efforts from several multinational corporations for shifting towards sustainable products has contributed towards the increase in consumption of organic personal care products. Cosmetics containing natural ingredients such as aloe vera, tea extract, lime, jojoba oil, and black sugar are expected to gain consumer importance over the next seven years.To request a sample copy or view summary of this report, click the link below:Further key findings from the report suggestCosmetics will witness the fastest volume growth at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2016 to 2024 as a result of rising awareness about organic and natural products and preference towards such products in cosmetics and personal care. Also, increasing consumer awareness regarding grooming is expected to propel market growth further over the forecast period.North America jojoba oil market was valued at USD 58.1 million in 2015 and will show significant rise owing to increasing penetration of the oil in various organic skin care products. The increasing significance of natural ingredients including vegetable oils, herbs, and fruits in various skin care products which possess anti-ageing properties is expected to fuel demand. Growing importance of natural ingredients in providing hair fall control, dandruff protection, and a shining effect is projected to have a positive impact.Asia Pacific will witness significant revenue growth at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2016 to 2024 on account of rising demand from Japan and other Southeast Asian countries. The growth of the male grooming industry, particularly in emerging economies of the region, is expected to fuel demand over the forecast period.Key participants include Purcell Jojoba International, Eco Oil Argentina SA, Egyptian Natural Oil Co, Inca Oil SA and The Jojoba Company. Some of the major users of jojoba oil include Innocosma, Skinfood Co. Ltd, Ole Henriksen, and Primavera Life.Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials, and healthcare.Sherry JamesCorporate Sales Specialist, USAGrand View Research, Inc.Phone: 1-415-349-0058Toll-Free: 1-888-202-9519Email: sales@grandviewresearch.comFor More Info: Gene Therapy Therapeutics-Pipeline Analysis 2018, Clinical Trials & Results | Novartis, uniQure, Bioverativ, a Sanofi company, GSK, Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Spark Therapeutics, Inc. https://www.pharmaproff.com/request-sample/1184 https://www.pharmaproff.com/report/gene-therapy-therapeutics https://www.pharmaproff.com/enquiry/1184 https://www.pharmaproff.com Gene therapy is a technique that involves treatment or prevention of a disease by using genes. Several methodologies are being used in the gene therapy that involve replacing the mutated gene, inactivating or silencing the mutated gene, and introducing a new gene into the body.Download the sample report at:This results in the formation of beneficial protein. A gene cannot be directly delivered into the human body, because of the presence of certain nuclease enzymes that act upon the foreign nucleic acids. Some of the family of viruses that are being used as a vector for the administration of the desired gene are retrovirus and adenovirus.Get the detailed analysis at:These vectors are genetically modified and do not harm the host. The National Institute of Health plays a prominent role in confirming the safety of gene therapy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved first cell-based gene therapy manufactured by Novartis AG, named Kymriah, which is a CAR T cell therapy for the treatment of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia in patients up to 25 years of age, and B-cell lymphoma.Make enquiry before purchase at:uniQure N.V. is also developing a wide range of innovative gene therapies for the treatment of liver-directed diseases and neurological disorders. Bioverativ Therapeutics Inc. is developing a gene therapy for the treatment of hemophilia A and hemophilia B. GlaxoSmithKline plc is also developing strimvelis as a gene therapy for the treatment of adenosine deaminase severe combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCID), metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), Wiskott Aldrich syndrome (WAS), and beta thalassaemia. Some of the companies with gene therapy products in their pipeline are Sangamo Therapeutics Inc. and Spark Therapeutics Inc. among others.The report provides a comprehensive understanding of the pipeline activities covering all drug candidates under various stages of development, with the detailed analysis of pipeline and clinical trials. Pipeline analysis of drugs by phases includes product description and development activities including information about clinical results, designations, collaborations, licensing, grants, technology, and others.About Us:Pharma Proff, is a frontline market intelligence and consulting solutions provider catering to the information and data needs of burgeoning sectors across the world, including pharmaceutical and healthcare. With meticulously curated research reports on the industry landscape, we empower companies in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors to make informed business decisions and base their marketing strategies with astuteness.Contact:Pharma ProffToll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)International: +1-347-960-6455Email: enquiry@pharmaproff.comWeb: Illuminating Eye Massagers Market Trend Evaluation & Future Forecast during the Period 2018-2028 // key player - Femur Medical Pvt. Ltd, Fartai Electronics Co. Limited, Hefei Morningstar Healthmate Fitness Co. Ltd https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=3381 https://www.factmr.com/report/3381/illuminating-eye-massagers-market https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=B&rep_id=3381 https://www.factmr.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ From the geographical forefront, the Asia Pacific region is all set to witness the fastest growth in the market. Almost half of the demand for illuminating eye massagers is expected to come from the Asia Pacific region due to the presence of local manufacturers offering cost-effective products and devices. The rising disposable income of the target customer base in the area is also a significant factor in the growth of the Illuminating Eye Massagers Market.Request TOC of this Report-The illuminating eye massagers help to reduce the appearance of eye puffiness, eye-bags, dark circles, crows feet, fine lines, and wrinkles. The rapid increment in environmental hazards due to urbanization and industrialization influences people towards adopting a healthy skincare routine. As the awareness and concern among consumers regarding the impacts of environmental changes on health are growing; the demand for skin care products and devices is also rising, thus boosting up the growth for illuminating eye massagers. Over the period, the illuminating eye massagers market has experienced a high shift in the overall demand for illuminating eye massagers, due to its various applications. The Global Market for Illuminating eye massagers comprises different small and some key players with a significant footprint at the regional and global level with their manufacturing capabilities.Around half of the worlds population has gone online, so the continuous increase in the use of digital devices such as laptops, smartphones, televisions leads to eye fatigue, discomfort, and eye-bags. The illuminating eye massager helps to treat fatigue and pain in the eyes by helping people to rejuvenate from the fatigue by massaging the affected area. As the use of these digital devices increases, so too the market for skincare devices like illuminating eye massagers. Africa has seen the fastest growth rate for the number of internet users across the continent increasing year on year, thus proving to be an emerging market for illuminating eye massagers.The illuminating eye massagers market can be segmented on the basis of demographics, applications, end-use industry, and sales channels. Based on the demographics, the illuminating eye massagers market can be classified into Men and Women. On the basis of the end use industry, the illuminating eye massagers market can be categorized into the Pharmaceutical Industry, Personal care Industry, and the Cosmetics Industry. Based on the applications, the illuminating eye massagers market can be segmented into residential use, commercial use, and industrial use. On the basis of the sales channel, illuminating eye massagers market can be categorized as direct sales, modern trade, retailers/wholesalers, third-party online channel, chain stores, and other sales channels. Geographically, the global market for illuminating eye massagers can be segmented into seven regions, namely North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania and The Middle East and Africa.Browse Full Report with TOC-Countries like India and Mexico have very supportive regulatory frameworks for the investments in Skin Care devices at the domestic level, thus opening new avenues for the illuminating eye massagers in the future. China and the UK lead the sales for grooming devices, therefore creating a potential target market for the illuminating eye massagers. Also, North American skin care sales are set to grow, thus acting as an infusion to the illuminating eye massagers market.The global illuminating eye massagers market is dominated by major well-established players in the skincare devices market who are continuously coming up with innovations and developments to maintain their customer base and the market share. Some of the key market players in the illuminating eye massagers market are Foreo Iris, Femur Medical Pvt. Ltd, Fartai Electronics Co. Limited, Hefei Morningstar Healthmate Fitness Co., Ltd, Dielin Technology Co., Ltd, Aboel Industrial Co. Ltd, Shenzhen Five Continents Technology Co., Ltd, TouchBeauty, Breo, Panasonic, Phillips, and other prominent players.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the illuminating eye massagers market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to illuminating eye massagers market segments such as geographies, demographics, end use industry, application, and sales channel.The Illuminating eye massagers market report covers exhaustive analysis on:Illuminating eye massagers market SegmentsIlluminating eye massagers market DynamicsIlluminating eye massagers market SizeSupply & Demand of Illuminating eye massagersCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainRegional analysis for Illuminating eye massagers market includes:North America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Rest of Latin America)Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain, BENELUX, Nordics, Eastern Europe, Rest of Europe)East Asia (Japan, China, South Korea)South Asia (India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of South Asia)Oceania (Australia, New Zealand)The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa, Turkey, Iran, Israel, Rest of MEA)The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments of illuminating eye massagers. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Request Brochure of this Report-About FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market insights reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Read Industry News at - Global Cordless Phone Market to Witness a Pronounce Growth During 2024 Top Key players like Panasonic,Gigaset,Philips,Inc. https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/599597/global-cordless-phone-market https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/599597/global-cordless-phone-market https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com Market Research Report Store offers a latest published report on Cordless Phone Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 91 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Click to view the full report TOC, figure and tables:This research study involved the extensive usage of both primary and secondary data sources. The research process involved the study of various factors affecting the industry, including the government policy, market environment, competitive landscape, historical data, present trends in the market, technological innovation, upcoming technologies and the technical progress in related industry, and market risks, opportunities, market barriers and challenges. The following illustrative figure shows the market research methodology applied in this report.The global Cordless Phone market is valued at 1065.7 million US$ in 2018 is expected to reach 339.4 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of -15.1% during 2019-2025.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversPanasonicGigasetPhilipsVtechUnidenMotorolaAT&TVivoAlcatelNECClarityTCLMarket Segment by Type, coversAnalogDECTMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoHomeOfficesPublic PlacesFor More Information On This Report, Please Visit @Related Information:North America Cordless Phone Market Growth 2019-2024United States Cordless Phone Market Growth 2019-2024Asia-Pacific Cordless Phone Market Growth 2019-2024Europe Cordless Phone Market Growth 2019-2024EMEA Cordless Phone Market Growth 2019-2024Global Cordless Phone Market Growth 2019-2024China Cordless Phone Market Growth 2019-2024Customization Service of the Report :Market Research Report Store provides customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About Us:Market Research Report Store (MRRS) is a professional organization related to market research reports in all directions .To provide customers with a variety of market research reports, MRRS cooperates with a large of famous market report publishers all over the world. Owing to our good service and the professional market reports in the wide range, MRRS enjoys a good reputation in the market. In pace with the development of MRRS, more and more customers and market report publishers choose to cooperate with us. As a specialized platform, MRRS upholds the supremacy of customers and aims to provide customers with better service and richer select.Contact USMarket Research Report StoreE-mail: info@marketresearchreportstore.comTel: +86-15521064060 00852-58197708(HK)Add: 17890 Castleton Street Suite 218 City of Industry CA 91748 United StatesWebsite: Non-Life Insurance Business Revenue, Vendor Analysis and Investment Opportunity Towards 2023 | Agriculture Insurance Company, Bajaj Allianz, HDFC ERGO, ICICI, National Insurance Non-Life Insurance https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/sample/267421 https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/quiry/267421 The non-life insurance market in India has been witnessing growth, lately, owing to the introduction of innovative products covering miscellaneous risks associated with the current market scenario. As of FY 2017, out of the 29 non-life insurance companies operating in India, 23 companies were operating as general insurers, out of which 17 are private sector companies and 6 are public sector companies, and the remaining 6 are standalone health insurers. The insurance and re-insurance industries of India are regulated and promoted autonomously by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA).Apply here for Sample Report of Non-Life Insurance :Market insights:The non-life insurance market in India was valued at INR 1,281 Bn in FY 2017, and is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of ~24% in FY 2018, to reach a value of INR 4,434 Bn by the end of FY 2023. Economic growth of the country, expansion of the associated industries like automobile, and healthcare, and strengthening of the online distribution channel are contributing to the growth of the market. The major players operating in the Indian non-life insurance market include the New India Assurance Company Limited, National Insurance Company Limited, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited, and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited.Product-wise segment insights:The main non-life insurance products offered by the companies in India include motor insurance, health insurance, fire insurance, and marine insurance, among others. The motor insurance segment dominated the market between FY 2016 and FY 2017, contributing ~39% of the total general insurance gross direct premium collected in FY 2017, owing to a significant rise in the demand of automobiles (passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, three-wheelers, two-wheelers, and quadricycles), and compulsion of motor insurance across the country.Distribution channel-wise segment insights:Non-life insurance policies are sold in India through individual agents, corporate agents (banks, and others), brokers, and direct business. In FY 2017, direct business transactions owed for ~31% of the overall non-life insurance policies sold in India. People prefer buying insurance policies through direct business distribution channels because of its fast and easy process.Key growth drivers of the market:The non-life insurance industry is driven by the growing demand for a number of associated sectors such as the automobile industry, and the healthcare industry. Total automobile production in India reached 29 Mn units in FY 2018 from 25 Mn units in FY 2017, owing to the increased purchasing power of the middle-class population, coupled with a growing young working population. Since motor insurance is compulsory in India, growth of the automobile sector is expected to boost the motor insurance segment of the non-life insurance market in India. Apart from the automobile industry, growth in health awareness, and rising inclination towards preventive healthcare are encouraging demand for the health insurance segment of the Indian non-life insurance market.Key deterrents to the growth of the market:The rate of non-life insurance penetration, measured as a percentage of insurance premium to gross domestic product (GDP), stood at 0.77% in 2016, which was lower than 0.80% in 2013. This implies that during 2014-2016, growth of insurance premium in India was lower than the growth in national GDP, mainly due to the capping of incentives of the brokers and agents, and supply-side problems in the associated industries. Emerging economies in Asia such as Malaysia, Thailand, and China have higher non-life insurance penetration than India.Companies covered:-Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited- Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited-HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited-ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited-IIFCO Tokio General Insurance-National Insurance Company Limited-Oriental Insurance Company Limited-Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited-Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited-The New India Assurance Company LimitedCustomizations availableWith the given market data, we offer customizations according to specific needs. Write to us at, or connect with us here.About Worldwide Market Reports:Worldwide Market Reports is your one-stop repository of detailed and in-depth market research reports compiled by an extensive list of publishers from across the globe. We offer reports across virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun.Mr. ShahWorldwide Market Reports1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154,U.STel: +1 415 871 0703Email: sales@worldwidemarketreports.com Avocado Oil Market - Global Industry Outlook by Size, Share, Trends and Forecast till 2025 by Top Key Players Olivado, Sesajal, Yasin, Grupo Industrial Batellero and Others Global Avocado Oil Market is estimated to grow at a significant rate https://www.kennethresearch.com/sample-request-10078360 https://www.kennethresearch.com/customization-request-10078360 Kenneth Research offers 2019 Depth Insights report on Global Avocado Oil Market that evaluates industry growth trends, through historical data and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research. The report also identifies the factors driving this market, various restraints and opportunities impacting it along with the adoption trends for the period 2018-2025.Global Avocado Oil Market is estimated to grow at a significant rate and the market is segmented into products like Refined Avocado Oil, Extra Virgin Avocado Oil, Crude Avocado Oil and by application like Edible Oil, Cosmetics & Skin Care Products, Other.The main agenda of the report is to provide a global over view of the report and identifying the major hot pockets and revenue centers. The report focuses on the high growth market and provides information on the major trends, drivers, opportunity and threats in the market. the report also provides information on the industry landscape and complete value chain is analyzed. The major focus of the report is also on the competitive landscape wherein the report provides information on Competitive Strategies Adopted by Leading Players, Investments & Expansions, New Product Launches, Mergers & Acquisitions as well as Agreements, Joint Ventures, and Partnerships.Download And Get Sample PDF File Of Global Avocado Oil Market:The report also provides information on the various regions and analysis the growth covering North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and rest of the world further bifurcated by major countries in these regions.The major Industry Players in global avocado oil market are Olivado, Sesajal, Yasin, Grupo Industrial Batellero, The Village Press, Tron Hermanos etc. providing information like Company Overview, Financial overview, Product Overview and current development.By Product Types:Refined Avocado OilExtra Virgin Avocado OilCrude Avocado OilBy applications:Edible OilCosmetics & Skin Care ProductsOtherBy RegionNorth AmericaUSACanadaEuropeGermanyU.K.FranceItalyRest of EuropeAPACChinaIndiaJapanRest of Asia-PacificRoWLatin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaGet Customized Report:About Kenneth ResearchKenneth Research is a reselling agency providing market research solutions in different verticals such as Automotive and Transportation, Chemicals and Materials, Healthcare, Food & Beverage and Consumer Packaged Goods, Semiconductors, Electronics & ICT, Packaging, and Others. Our portfolio includes set of market research insights such as market sizing and market forecasting, market share analysis and key positioning of the players (manufacturers, deals and distributors, etc.), understanding the competitive landscape and their business at a ground level and many more. Our research experts deliver the offerings efficiently and effectively within a stipulated time. The market study provided by Kenneth Research helps the Industry veterans/investors to think and to act wisely in their overall strategy formulation.Contact UsKenneth ResearchEmail: Sales@kennethresearch.comPhone: +1 313 462 0609 Elderly Care Industry Report 2019: By Right at Home, LLC., Philips, Extendicare Inc., Amedisys, Brookdale, Almost Family, Inc., BAYADA Home Health Care, Encompass Health, Kindred Healthcare, LHC Group, Genesis, Compassus Global Elderly Care Market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-elderly-care-market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/inquire-before-buying/?dbmr=global-elderly-care-market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-elderly-care-market A complete discussion about numerous market related topics in this Elderly Care Market research report is sure to aid the client in studying the market on competitive landscape. This report lends a hand to identify how the market is going to perform in the forecast years by providing you information about market definition, classifications, applications, and engagements. This Elderly Care Market report spans the different segments of the market analysis that todays business demand. The data and information collected with the research is generally quite a huge and is also in a complex form. However, such intricate market insights are turned into simpler version with the help of proven tools and techniques to provide it to the end users.This Elderly Care Market research report identifies, estimates, and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, restraints, challenges and opportunities in the market. The research and analysis carried out in this Elderly Care Market report helps clients to predict investment in an emerging market, expansion of market share or success of a new product with the help of global market research analysis. Estimations of CAGR values, market drivers and market restraints helps businesses decide upon several strategies. The use of proven tools such as SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces analysis are very helpful in creating such a top-notch Elderly Care Market research report.To Get Sample Copy of Report, Click Here atGlobal Elderly Care Market is expected to register a healthy CAGR in the forecast period 2018 to 2025. The new market report contains data for historic years 2016, the base year of calculation is 2017 and the forecast period is 2018 to 2025. Also the Global Elderly Care Market, By Product Type (Pharmaceuticals, Housing and Assistive Devices), Service (Institutional Care, Homecare, Adult Day Care), Application (Heart Diseases, Cancer, Kidney Diseases, Diabetes, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Neurological, Respiratory and Others), Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa)- Industry Trends and Forecast to 2025The key market players for global elderly care market are listed below: Right at Home, LLC, Koninklijke Philips N.V, Hanami Residential, EXTENDICARE, Amedisy, Brookdale Senior Living Solutions, Almost Family, BAYADA Home Health Care, Encompass Health Corporation, Kindred Healthcare, Inc., LHC Group, Inc., Genesis HealthCare, Compassus, Econ Healthcare Group, Trinity Health, St Lukes Eldercare Ltd., Rosewood Care Group, Interim HealthCare, United Medicare Pte Ltd, Exceptional Living CentersTo Avail 10% Discount On This Report Mail Us on: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comThe market is further segmented into: Product type Service Application The global elderly care market is segmented based on products type into two segments; housing and assistive devices and pharmaceuticals. In 2018, housing and assistive devices products segment is valued to rule with the highest market share 2025, rising at the highest CAGR of 6.6%. The global elderly care market is segmented in service into homecare, institutional care and adult day care. In 2018, homecare segment is valued to rule with the highest market shares by 2025, rising at the highest CAGR. Homecare is further sub segmented into health care, non-medical care. Healthcare is segmented into medical care, physiotherapy services, telehealth, palliative care and hospice care. Non-medical is segmented into personal care and rehabilitation others. Institutional care is segmented into hospital based, independent senior living, assisted living and nursing home. The global elderly care market is segmented in Application into heart diseases, respiratory, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, neurological, kidney diseases, arthritis and others. In 2018, heart diseases segment is valued to rule with highest market shares and rising at the highest CAGR.Based on geography, the market is segmented into 5 geographical regions: North America Europe Asia-Pacific South America Middle East and AfricaOrder a Copy of Global Elderly Care Market Report atTable of Contents:1 INTRODUCTION2 MARKET SEGMENTATION3 MARKET OVERVIEW4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY5 PREMIUM INSIGHTS6 GLOBAL ELDERLY CARE MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE7 GLOBAL ELDERLY CARE MARKET, BY SERVICES7.1 OVERVIEW7.2 HOMECARE7.3 INSTITUTIONAL CARE7.4 ADULT DAY CARE8 GLOBAL ELDERLY CARE MARKET, BY APPLICATION9 GLOBAL ELDERLY CARE MARKET, BY GEOGRAPHY9.1 OVERVIEW10 ELDERLY CARE POPULATION SPLIT BY POINT OF CARE10.1 NORTH AMERICA10.2 EUROPE10.3 ASIA-PACIFIC10.4 SOUTH AMERICA10.5 MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA10.6 NORTH AMERICA10.7 EUROPE10.8 ASIA-PACIFIC10.9 SOUTH AMERICA10.10 MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA11 GLOBAL ELDERLY CARE MARKET, COMPANY LANDSCAPE12 COMPANY PROFILES12.1 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.12.2 RIGHT AT HOME, LLC12.3 BAYADA HOME HEALTH CARE12.4 ALMOST FAMILY (SUBSIDIARY OF LHC GROUP INC)12.5 AMEDISY12.6 BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING SOLUTIONS12.7 COMPASSUS12.8 ECON HEALTHCARE GROUP12.9 ENCOMPASS HEALTH CORPORATION12.10 EXCEPTIONAL LIVING CENTERS12.11 EXTENDICARE12.12 GENESIS HEALTHCARE12.13 HANAMI RESIDENTIAL (SUBSIDIARY OF PROLIFICO SOURCES)12.14 INTERIM HEALTHCARE12.15 KINDRED HEALTHCARE, INC.12.16 LHC GROUP, INC.12.17 ROSEWOOD CARE GROUP12.18 ST LUKES ELDERCARE LTD.12.19 TRINITY HEALTH12.20 UNITED MEDICARE PTE LTDGet Full TOC atAbout Us:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com Electronic Ball Valve Market 2019 | Global Forecast 2025 | Top Key Players - Tyco International, Emerson Electric, Flowserve, Kitz, etc. Electronic Ball Valve Market https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/122953 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/122953 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/122953 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/request_for_discount/122953 www.upmarketresearch.com Electronic Ball Valve Marketresearch report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period.Get Exclusive FREE Sample Copy Of this Report @UpMarketResearch offers a latest published report on Global Electronic Ball Valve Market Analysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 119 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Electronic Ball Valve Market global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2019 2025.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.For More Information On This Report, Please VisitThe generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. Secondary research techniques are implemented for better understanding and clarity for data analysis.The report for Electronic Ball Valve Marketanalysis & forecast 2019 - 2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Region- wise Analysis covers: North America Europe China Japan India Southeast Asia Other regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)The Major players reported in the market include: Tyco International Emerson Electric Flowserve Kitz IMI plc Cameron GE Crane Company Metso Rotork Circor VELANProduct Segment Analysis: High-Pressure Diaphragm Ultra-High Pressure Piston stainless Steel OthersApplication Segment Analysis: Construction Machinery Commercial OthersMajor Topics Covered in this Report: Chapter 1 Study Coverage Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 Market Size by Manufacturers Chapter 4 Production by Regions Chapter 5 Consumption by Regions Chapter 6 Market Size by Type Chapter 7 Market Size by Application Chapter 8 Manufacturers Profiles Chapter 9 Production Forecasts Chapter 10 Consumption Forecast Chapter 11 Upstream, Industry Chain and Downstream Customers Analysis Chapter 12 Opportunities & Challenges, Threat and Affecting Factors Chapter 13 Key Findings Chapter 14 AppendixGet Exclusive FREE Sample Copy Of this Report @Electronic Ball Valve MarketAnalysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report also calls for market- driven results deriving feasibility studies for client needs. UpMarketResearch ensures qualified and verifiable aspects of market data operating in the real- time scenario. The analytical studies are conducted ensuring client needs with a thorough understanding of market capacities in the real- time scenario.GlobalElectronic Ball Valve Market: Key Stakeholders: Manufacturers Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers Subcomponent Manufacturers Industry Association Downstream VendorsIn this study, the years considered to estimate the market size are as follows: History Year: 2013-2018 Base Year: 2018 Estimated Year: 2019 Forecast Year 2019 to 2025Key Reasons to Purchase: To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Electronic Ball Valve Market Analysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 and its commercial landscape. Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations. To understand the future outlook and prospects for Electronic Ball Valve Market analysis and forecast 2019 - 2025.Avail Discount On this Report @Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.You can also ask for region wise Electronic Ball Valve Market research report, as below: Global Market Status & Trend Report 2013- 2025 Top 20 Countries Data North America Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 South America Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 Europe Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 EMEA Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 Asia Pacific Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 China Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 India Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 United States Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025About UpMarketResearch:The UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well- defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.MarketResearch, Electronic Ball Valve MarketForecast, Electronic Ball Valve MarketAnalysis, Electronic Ball Valve MarketReport,Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States. Respiratory Humidification Devices Market 2019 | Global Forecast 2025 | Top Key Players WILAmed GmbH, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Respironics Inc., ResMed, Etc. Respiratory Humidification Devices Market 2019 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/123112 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/123112 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/123112 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/request_for_discount/123112 www.upmarketresearch.com Respiratory Humidification Devices Market research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period.Get Exclusive FREE Sample Copy Of this Report @UpMarketResearch offers a latest published report on Global Respiratory Humidification Devices Market Analysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 117 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Respiratory Humidification Devices Market global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2019 2025.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.For More Information On This Report, Please VisitThe generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. Secondary research techniques are implemented for better understanding and clarity for data analysis.The report for Respiratory Humidification Devices Market analysis & forecast 2019 - 2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Region- wise Analysis covers: North America Europe China Japan India Southeast Asia Other regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)The Major players reported in the market include: WILAmed GmbH Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Respironics, Inc. ResMed Teleflex Incorporated DeVilbiss Healthcare Smiths Medical Flexicare Medical Limited Humi.AIDE. Philips RespironicsProduct Segment Analysis: Invasive Ventilation Non-Invasive Ventilation High-Flow Nasal Cannula(HFNC)Application Segment Analysis: Hospital ASAs ClinicMajor Topics Covered in this Report: Chapter 1 Study Coverage Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 Market Size by Manufacturers Chapter 4 Production by Regions Chapter 5 Consumption by Regions Chapter 6 Market Size by Type Chapter 7 Market Size by Application Chapter 8 Manufacturers Profiles Chapter 9 Production Forecasts Chapter 10 Consumption Forecast Chapter 11 Upstream, Industry Chain and Downstream Customers Analysis Chapter 12 Opportunities & Challenges, Threat and Affecting Factors Chapter 13 Key Findings Chapter 14 AppendixGet Exclusive FREE Sample Copy Of this Report @Respiratory Humidification Devices Market Analysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report also calls for market- driven results deriving feasibility studies for client needs. UpMarketResearch ensures qualified and verifiable aspects of market data operating in the real- time scenario. The analytical studies are conducted ensuring client needs with a thorough understanding of market capacities in the real- time scenario.Global Respiratory Humidification Devices Market: Key Stakeholders: Manufacturers Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers Subcomponent Manufacturers Industry Association Downstream VendorsIn this study, the years considered to estimate the market size are as follows: History Year: 2013-2018 Base Year: 2018 Estimated Year: 2019 Forecast Year 2019 to 2025Key Reasons to Purchase: To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Respiratory Humidification Devices Market Analysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 and its commercial landscape. Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations. To understand the future outlook and prospects for Respiratory Humidification Devices Market analysis and forecast 2019 - 2025.Avail Discount On this Report @Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. 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Our mission is singular and well- defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States. Smart Antenna Market 2019 | Global Forecast 2025 | Top Key Players - Cobham Antenna Systems, Intel Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., ArrayComm LLC, Motorola Solutions Inc. Smart Antenna Market 2019-2025 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/123043 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/123043 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/123043 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/request_for_discount/123043 www.upmarketresearch.com As per the latest research study published by Up Market Research, Global Smart Antenna Market is estimated to grow at a healthy CAGR % in the coming years. The research report showcases qualitative and quantitative estimations by the industry analysts. The report documents first-hand data, post verification from the industry experts along with each industry manufacturers by the market valuation. Smart Antenna Market report also gives an extensive analysis of market share, latest industry trends and forecast data analysis with respect to sales revenue, market growth, and demand and supply scenario.Furthermore, the report also evaluates the key opportunities available in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the expansion of the industry. Growth of the Global Smart Antenna Market has been forecasted for the time period 2019-2025, taking into consideration the previous sales patterns, the market growth drivers, current and future trends specific to particular regions and globally.Request Free Sample Copy Of this Report @This research study also presents the market competition landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendor/manufacturers in the market.The key manufacturers covered in this report: Cobham Antenna Systems Intel Corp. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. ArrayComm LLC Alcatel-Lucent International Holdings Inc. Motorola Solutions Inc. Broadcom Corp California Amplifier Inc. Accel Networks LLC. Jiashan Jinchang Electron Co., LtdThis report provides the details about the global as well as regional volume, market share, size and gross margin of the competitor companies. It also analyzes noteworthy trends, emerging value of CAGR and present as well as future developments in the industry.Smart Antenna Market report also provides a realistic valuation of the region specific market and offers a place for key contributors to find potential regional growth opportunities.Region wise analyses of the top producers and consumers, focus on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in below mentioned key regions; North America - U.S., Canada, Mexico Europe - U.K., France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Spain etc. Asia-Pacific - China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia etc. South America - Brazil, Argentina etc. Middle East & Africa - Saudi Arabia, African countries etc.For More Information On This Report, Please Visit @By product type Segmentation: data from 2014 to 2019; and forecast to 2025 Switched Multi Beam Antenna Adaptive Array AntennaBy application Segmentation: data from 2014 to 2019; and forecast to 2025 Wi-Fi systems WiMax systems Cellular systems RADAR OthersRequest Free Sample Copy Of this Report @Research objectives and Reason to procure this report: To study and analyze the global consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, product type and application, history data from 2014 to 2018, and forecast to 2025. To understand the structure of Smart Antenna Market by identifying its various subsegments. To better understand the industry leaders/manufacturers, by outlining and analyzing their sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in the near future. To receive comprehensive information about the key factors influencing the market growth (opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks). To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions, mergers in the market. To strategically outline the key players in the market and extensively analyze their growth strategies.Avail Discount On this Report @All possible factors that can influence the market are already included in this research study and have been accounted for, evaluated in detail, verified through extensive primary/secondary research, and investigated to get the concluding quantitative and qualitative data. The market size for key players and sub-segments is normalized, and the effect of inflation, economic downturns, along with regulatory & policy changes or other factors are accounted for in the market forecast. This data is collated and added with detailed inputs and analysis from Up Market Research and presented in this exclusive report.About UpMarketResearch:The UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well- defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States. Breast cancer Market Analysis and In-Depth Research On Emerging Growth Factors and Forecasts to 2022 By key vendors: Genzyme Corporation, Novartis AG, Celgene Corporation, AbbVie Inc, Biocon, MacroGenics Inc Breast cancer https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/sample/38979 https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/quiry/38979 Breast cancer is a type of cancer, that can occur more in women than in men. Some of the symptoms of the disease include bloody secretion from the nipple, a lump or block in the breast, and differences in the texture or shape of the nipple or breast. The treatment of breast cancer is depending on the stage of cancer. In addition, its treatment can consist of radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. Early detection of breast cancer is key to effective treatment of the disease. Also, early exposure of disease can lead to better outcomes including a number of treatment options, improved survival rate, and changed quality of life.Get Free PDF Sample Copy of This Report:Major Breast Cancer Drugs market players covers by this research report are:Genzyme Corporation, Novartis AG, Celgene Corporation, AbbVie Inc, Biocon, MacroGenics Inc, Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Merck & Co. Inc and Janssen Global services LLC.The Objective of the "Global Breast Cancer Drugs Market" report is to depict the trends and upcoming for the Breast Cancer Drugs industry over the forecast years. Breast Cancer Drugs Market report data has been gathered from industry specialist/experts. Although the market size of the market is studied and predicted from 2016 to 2022 mulling over 2016 as the base year of the market study. Attentiveness for the market has increased in recent decades due to development and improvement in the innovation.The growing prevalence of the disease coupled with emerging and better novel therapies are some factors likely to fuel the global market growth. Global breast cancer drugs market is estimated to grow lucratively attributable to many major players are focusing on Research & Development of new and innovative treatments.They involve extensive research in order to develop novel drugs for the treatment of this disease to gain a higher market share. Various target and specific therapies have been designed and customized along with various advancements in drug delivery systems.Detailed investigation of market beneficial in understanding the in-depth market vision and future plans. The information collected from various magazines, yearly reports, internet sources, and journals are confirmed by conducting face-to-face or telephonic interviews with the Breast Cancer Drugs industry specialist.Worldwide Breast Cancer Drugs market autopsy:Depending upon the influence, the company profiles of all key manufacturers, their establishment year, regional market for marketing and sales, products and services serves as well as the contact details are offer in this research report.Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Breast Cancer Drugs market segregation:Segmentation by Drug Type: HER2 inhibitor, Mitotic inhibitor, Anti-metabolites, Aromatase inhibitor, CDK 4/6 inhibitor, Hormonal receptorRising awareness and high presence of established players coupled with R&D infrastructure are some factors that are contributing to the high growth of the North America Market. On the other hand, the Asia Pacific market is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR over the forecast years. The rapid growth in the global demand for oncology drugs has prompted major drug providers and manufacturers to set up their manufacturing and R&D facilities in this region. Additionally, initiatives taken by numerous organizations in order to create people more aware and raise funds for the treatment of disease is projected to feed the regional market growth.Table of Contents1 Breast Cancer Drugs Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Breast Cancer Drugs1.2 Breast Cancer Drugs Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Breast Cancer Drugs Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Breast Cancer Drugs Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Chemotherapy1.2.4 Surgery & Radiation Therapy1.2.5 Targeted Therapy1.2.6 Hormonal Therapy1.3 Global Breast Cancer Drugs Segment by Application1.3.1 Breast Cancer Drugs Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Hospital1.3.3 Clinic1.3.4 Other1.4 Global Breast Cancer Drugs Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Breast Cancer Drugs Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Breast Cancer Drugs (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Breast Cancer Drugs Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Breast Cancer Drugs Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Report Inquire Before Buy:About Us:Worldwide Market Reports is your one-stop repository of detailed and in-depth market research reports compiled by an extensive list of publishers from across the globe. We offer reports across virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. The in-depth market analysis by some of the most vastly experienced analysts provide our diverse range of clients from across all industries with vital decision making insights to plan and align their market strategies in line with current market trends. Worldwide Market Researchs well-researched inputs that encompass domains ranging from IT to healthcare enable our prized clients to capitalize upon key growth opportunities and shield against credible threats prevalent in the market in the current scenario and those expected in the near future.Mr. ShahWorldwide Market ReportsTel: +1 415 871 0703Email: sales@worldwidemarketreports.com Vervetronics Remote Crane Monitoring Solution System is a comprehensive solution of iot Crane, Customised Crane System and Crane Tracking as per client's requirement. 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If you ever want evidence that Portland is one of the worlds premier beer cities, consider this: Im worried Im rating everything too high. The reason? Almost everything I drink is, at worst, seriously good. Im no Ciccerone basically, a certified beer expert, something like a wine sommelier but I know a bad or even mediocre beer when I have one. Ive had a lot in my (cough, cough) years. Even when my expectations were low, Ive been wrong. Ive gone to two brand-new breweries and came out impressed. Ive gone to older breweries and found they are staying fresh and relevant. And Ive gone to places that have never been on my primary radar and now know Im going back. Each place has had at least one beer that has stood out, and some multiple. For the full slate of the beers Ive tried and my rating of them, look me up as andremeunier13 on the beer app UnTappd. Also, find pictures and videos on Instagram at @oregonianbeerguy and keep looking for upcoming brewery profiles at oregonlive.com/beer. But here are the 10 best beers from the first 10 breweries on my tour: Quiescence barrel-aged sour (5.9% ABV) Breakside Brewery: 820 N.E. Dekum St., 1570 N.W. 22nd Ave., 5821 S.E. International Way This Flanders-like sour from esteemed Breakside Brewing conveys spot-on acidity and a fruity, saison-like funk. Its a blend of 13 wood-aged sours aged for a year in Pinot noir barrels. Quiescence was the last of Breaksides 2018 barrel-aged sour series, so get it before its gone. A good beer to have with a charcuterie or cheese board. Roma coffee stout (7.5%) Threshold Brewing & Blending: 403 S.E. 79th Ave. Columbian Gesha coffee infuses this experimental stout at the new brewery in Southeast Portlands Montavilla neighborhood, and its one of the best coffee stouts Ive had in years. Offers in intense aroma of a nice cup of coffee followed by a well-balanced toasted-malt java sweetness. Good to have after dinner. Volatile Substance IPA (6.7%) Von Ebert Brewing: 131 N.W. 13th Ave., 14021 N.E. Glisan St. Simply one of the best, if not the best, IPA Ive had on my tour and in quite a while. A West Coast style IPA true to the Northwest as its piney, slightly floral and hoppy with a bitterness that lingers gracefully without smashing the palate. Good for when youre in the mood for an IPA (i.e., anytime). Pipewrench gin-barrel-aged Imperial IPA (8%) Gigantic Brewing: 5224 S.E. 26th Ave. One of my favorite double IPAs, but you have to like gin to like this beer, as that juniper flavor profile really comes through, as does the wood from the aging. A big, botanical beer citrus notes think an orange/lemon martini with rich malt and herbs such as coriander and cardamom coming through. Good to sip on while catching up with a friend at the bar after work. Tang-A-Rang tropical sour (3.9%) Widmer Brothers Brewing (no taproom) With Widmers taproom closing, its a bit tougher to find some of the interesting new beers coming out of the venerable Portland brewery. But this tropical sour is available in groceries stores now. Its an effervescent, tangy passion-fruit sour with guava and citrus notes, just right for sitting on the pation and soaking in the sun. Stout (5.6%) Assembly Brewing: 6112 S.E. Foster Road A straight-up stout with chocolate aroma and taste. Roasted malt up front, slightly sweet with plenty of caramel, somewhat of a lighter stout turning dry and finishing with a touch of bitterness. An excellent beer to have with your BBQ or other grilled meats, or with a rich dessert. Scales of Passion Berliner Weisse (5.5%) Culmination Brewing: 2117 N.E. Oregon St. This collaboration with Moksa Brewing of Rocklin, California, that is as good tasting as it is beautiful to behold. A gorgeous cerise red hints at whats to come: passion fruit and raspberry with lemon hints supporting a balanced sourness and intriguing complexity. Go sit at one of the picnic tables at the Northeast Portland brewery and have one of these under beautiful skies this week. Flam Tap IPA (6.3%) Montavilla Brew Works: 7805 S.E. Stark St. Another IPA that hit all the right notes, true to a Northwest style. Solid malt base with a touch of sweetness, crisp hop aroma and taste without clubbing you in the head with a heavy bitterness. Grab a pizza from nearby Flying Pie, snag a table outside on the brewerys patio, and tuck into both. Turquoise Mountain Sunrise Saison (5.2%) Ruse Brewing: 4784 S.E. 17th Ave. Possibly the best beer Ive had so far, and its unlike anything Ive ever tasted. A farmhouse funkiness while slightly tart, it goes bigger than your average saison with a generous dose of fruitiness and a distinct pineapple juice profile. Think beer cocktail, maybe a mai-tai. Fill a growler, head to the coast, put your feet in the sand and soak up the sun with this gem. Yasuni Hazy IPA (6.5%) Old Town Brewing: 226 N.W. Davis St., 5201 N.E. MLK Jr. Blvd. This oft-overlooked brewery is killing it with the hazies, starting with its original, Pillowfist, and now its latest, Yasuni. This offering is a big, soft smack of pineapple juice with a round, well-balanced bitterness thats gentle on the finish. Creamy mouthfeel to boot. Great with an appetizer or yes, we have a theme here this week soaking up the sun. -- Andre Meunier More beer coverage: Portland sour-house brewery Cascade Brewing is teaming up with Mikkeller, the world-renowned Denmark craft brewery opening soon in Portland, for a collaborative beer: Bean-to-Barrel Triple, a blend of barrel- and foeder-aged sour triple ales. Cascade announced the release Monday, saying the Northwest sour ale will be released Friday in Portland and in Copenhagen. In Portland, it will be available in 500ml bottles and on tap at Cascades two pubs along with other limited distribution. In Europe, Bean-to-Barrel will debut at the Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen. Cascade describes the beer as a blend of sour triple ales with toasted Oregon and French oak and a late infusion of cocoa nibs sourced from Bean Geeks Craft Chocolate in Copenhagen. The beer offers aromas of dark chocolate, vanilla and toasted oak sugars combined with the light pear and citrus fruit notes of the sour triple. Weve had the great privilege to work with many amazing, cutting edge breweries on collaborative efforts in the past, Norm Stokes, Cascades cellar manager, said in a news release. Needless to say we jumped at the opportunity to work with Mikkeller, long considered to be an innovative force that pushes the boundaries of existing beer styles with intense flavor and ingredient combinations. The collaboration began when Mikkeller representatives, including founder Mikkel Borg Bjergs, met with Cascades crew during a Portland visit in September. They settled on the idea to combine the complexity of Oregon oak with the rich flavor of cocoa nibs sourced from Bean Geeks chocolate. Triples are a style developed in Europe that use triple the malt of a standard ale and usually deliver over 9% alcohol by volume. Bean-to-Barrell, at 9.4% ABV, blends triple ales that have been aging since 2017. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported in April that Mikkeller, maker of some of the globes most sought-after craft beers, will take over the former home of Burnside Brewing in Portland. It will partner with local restaurant group Chefstable to open a pop-up beer bar alongside a pop-up restaurant in June. That operation, which will shut down at the end of the year, is a placeholder while the partnership explores the possibility of a permanent bar, restaurant and Mikkeller brewery at the site. With their reputation for collaboration and innovation, said Kevin Martin, Cascades director of operations, Mikkellers presence here in Portland will undoubtedly elevate our ever growing and evolving craft beer scene. -- Andre Meunier More beer coverage: About 25,000 teachers, students and supporters rallied and marched through downtown Portland Wednesday as part of the statewide teacher walkout demanding increased funding for Oregon schools. The long-planned protests led nearly two dozen of Oregons 198 school districts most in the Portland area -- to close for the day. Along with the Portland rally, education advocates held events in Eugene, Medford, Bend, Klamath Falls and at the state Capitol that attracted thousands more. Most districts that closed, including Portland Public Schools, will add another day at the end of the academic calendar to meet state classroom hour requirements. Some other districts that remained open scheduled after-school community meetings to answer questions about state funding. It had appeared last week that teachers gathering in Salem on Wednesday might witness Gov. Kate Brown signing a new corporate tax package, which would funnel as much as $2 billion into education programs for children school-age and younger. However, Senate Republicans have been hiding out since Monday morning, denying Democrats the quorum needed for a vote. It remains unclear when the Senate vote will happen. Teachers dont step out of the classroom lightly, said Keri Pilgrim Ricker, a teacher at Eugenes Churchill High School who marched with as many as 3,000 other teachers through Salem before flooding the Capitol rotunda. Were doing it for an honorable purpose. This is a state of emergency for Oregon schools, said Ricker, who is also Oregons current teacher of the year. And only collective voice is going to change the state of education in our state. Uncertainty on the funding bill vote helped fuel the Portland protest as supporters flocked to Waterfront Park by car, light rail and even by boat. After a short rally with state and national teachers union officials and education leaders, the swarm wearing Red for Ed shirts took to the streets beating drums and chanting, Fund our schools! Another popular call-out: I asked for a counselor, you gave me a cop. The school to prison pipeline has to stop." Watch the full march here. As she prepared to march, Beaumont Middle School teacher Iris Love said Oregons lack of funding makes it more difficult for educators to teach. They dont have the supports to address issues students bring in from outside the classroom, she said, such as missing breakfast. And, by the time they are starting to process the curriculum, she said, the bell has rung. The lack of funding has caused staff the inability to teach in the classrooms, says Beaumont Middle School educator Iris Love. pic.twitter.com/Rlj6inRm3N Molly Young (@mollykyoung) May 8, 2019 Supporters, including a bunch of young children, are lining up behind a big red banner, Fund our future" and preparing to march. A march organized by teachers meant there was much guidance -- the kids at the front were led in practice chanting and warned no running, please. And, be careful not to trip over the sign. At around 12:17 p.m., the march began with a drum line leading the way. Unfortunately, a hundred or so marchers took a wrong turn early on, leaving the park and veering up Southwest Columbia. Organizers worked to get them back on the route moving north toward Taylor Street. Hillsboro School District parent Jorge Cisneros said he came out with his son to advocate for sweeping changes to the public school system. What they are doing is not working, he said. The more I read, the more it got me into it. I wanted to mobilize. Wilma Rodriguez, who teaches at a Beaverton Spanish immersion charter school, said large class sizes are the key issue facing her school today. Its hard for me, she says, to teach a different language and curriculum to so many students at once. John Larson, a Hermiston teacher and president of the Oregon Education Association, said that the crowd along the Willamette River totaled more than 20,000. His teacher union tweeted, You think this is a crowd? with a picture of the gathering taken from the Hawthorne Bridge. You should see our classrooms. Brisa Servin-Gonzalez, Antonio Servin-Gonzalez and Isabel Mora, who volunteer or work for Wilkes Elementary in the Reynolds School District said they attended the rally to advocate for extra support in classrooms and school libraries. Students miss out on learning opportunities when schools cant afford full-time librarians, says Servin-Gonzalez, a library media assistant. Brisa Servin-Gonzalez, Antonio Servin-Gonzalez and Isabel Mora, who volunteer or work for Wilkes Elementary in Reynolds SD attended the rally to advocate for extra support in classrooms and school libraries. pic.twitter.com/4JbsDf2hkx Molly Young (@mollykyoung) May 8, 2019 The march made a .9-mile loop through downtown Portland, going up Southwest Taylor Street to Third Avenue and down Columbia back to Waterfront Park. As the first marchers returned to the park, as Brett Bigham -- aka Mr. B if youre 10 -- a special education teacher and the 2014 Oregon teacher of the year tweeted: I was in the front of the march -- we just finished only to find so many teachers showed they were still leaving the park to march. Teachers have completely encircled downtown! The last marchers are nowhere in sight on SW 3rd. pic.twitter.com/aVBgzGXZYM Molly Young (@mollykyoung) May 8, 2019 It was a younger voice, however, that seemed to best capture the intended message of the day. Jefferson High School junior and slam poet Joneyo Prom, who goes by Jolly Wrapper, took the stage during the teacher rally and electrified the Portland crowd. Im no statistic on a chart. Im no GPA that you can hold against me if its low and hold against others if its high Im no voice you can use when you have nothing left to say." #RedForEd slam poet and Jefferson HS student Jolly Wrapper is really speaking it up there right now check him out pic.twitter.com/yTxhKrGiLE Beth Nakamura (@bethnakamura) May 8, 2019 Oregonian staff writers Molly Young, Eder Campuzano and Chris Lehman contributed to this report. Heres the list of metro-area districts that closed on Wednesday: Clackamas County Gladstone School District Lake Oswego School District North Clackamas School District Oregon City School District Riverdale School District West Linn-Wilsonville School District Multnomah County David Douglas School District Gresham-Barlow School District Parkrose School District Portland Public Schools Reynolds School District Washington County Beaverton School District Forest Grove School District Hillsboro School District Tigard-Tualatin School District The scientific communitys latest desperate plea for policy action has concluded that nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history. In the decades ahead, human activity might bring about the extinction of tens of thousands of animal and marine species, which would threaten human life as well, states the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The groups new report focuses on natures losses over the past 50 years and says the scale and rapidity of the decline are shocking. The United Nations-backed global assessment is the work of more than 500 scientists from 50 countries around the world. This is nothing less than Earth being driven towards a mass extinction event only the sixth in the last half-billion years, reports the BBC. Ecosystems, species, wild populations, local varieties and breeds of domesticated plants and animals are shrinking, deteriorating or vanishing, said German research ecologist Josef Settele in a IPBES statement. The essential, interconnected web of life on Earth is getting smaller and increasingly frayed. This loss is a direct result of human activity and constitutes a direct threat to human well-being in all regions of the world. It is believed that around 40 percent of amphibians, 25 percent of mammals, 34 percent of conifers, 14 percent of birds and 31 percent of sharks and rays are threatened with extinction. In the IPBES summary for policymakers, released last week ahead of publication of its global assessment report, the authors list five human-driven culprits for Earths decline: changes in land and sea use; direct exploitation of organisms; climate change; pollution; and invasive alien species. IPBES chairman Sir Robert Watson, a noted chemist and former senior scientific adviser for the World Bank, said the overwhelming evidence of the IPBES Global Assessment, from a wide range of different fields of knowledge, presents an ominous picture. The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide. Watson said the situation is dire, but that its not too late to make a difference. But only if we start now at every level from local to global. -- Douglas Perry @douglasmperry Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. EUGENE A community college student is dead after police found him in a University of Oregon parking lot with a gunshot wound. Authorities on Sunday identified the student who died as 21-year-old Alex Oyombe Gradin of Eugene. He was a student at Lane Community College. University of Oregon police and the Eugene Police Department responded to a report of shots fired behind Taylors Bar and Grill early Saturday. In the lot behind the bar, they found a man who had been shot. He died at the scene. UO owns the parking lot at Kincaid Street and 14th Avenue, it said in a statement. According to KGW News, Gradin was a 2016 graduate of Tigard High School. His family said in a statement he was an unexpected blessing to our lives when he joined us as a baby in Kenya and grew to be a compassionate, thoughtful young man. -- The Associated Press and staff reports Subscribe to get the Morning Briefing newsletter delivered to your email inbox weekdays at 7 a.m. Top Stories Knutsen holds the teddy bear that prompted Willbur to share her secret. THE SURVIVORS: She calls herself Body G the one left behind when her father killed her 5 siblings and himself. And she befriended another woman who understands what happens when a father snaps. Read more. TUITION HIKE: Portland State is considering an 11 percent tuition increase along with budget cuts. Read more.CITY HIRE: Portland hires finance official who oversaw tax credit fiasco at EcoTrust. Read more. TESTY JUDGES: An insulting email illustrates in-fighting among judges in the months before Washington Countys presiding judge decided to step down. Read more. MAY DAY SUIT: The owner of Cider Riot is suing Patriot Prayer and Joey Gibson for $1 million after May Day clash outside of the Portland bar. Read more. DIAGNOSIS OF DYING: How one mans tumor exposes deep flaws in safety net for Oregons most vulnerable. Read more. PERS POLL: A new poll shows public support for replacing Oregons Public Employee Retirement System pension system with a 401(k). Read more. Snap of the day The 35th annual Sister City Associations Cinco de Mayo Fiesta was held over the weekend along Portland's Tom McCall Waterfront Park. More news Course set, registration open for 2019 Portland Marathon 3 Beaverton restaurants where you can dine well: Gerry Franks picks Rachel Held Evans, best-selling Christian author, dies at 37 after flu, antibiotic reaction Te-Hina PaoPao, 5-star PG, commits to Oregon Ducks over Oregon State, UCLA, others Family of dead Mount Hood climber settles lawsuit over delayed helicopter rescue for $25,000 Dear Abby: Im afraid the real me isnt that likable Ask Amy: $50k is missing from their account and wife is constantly online, but she denies gambling Carolyn Hax: Will toddler granddaughter turn out just like her messy mom? Odd in Oregon POOP BOMB: (Yes, you read that right.) A Portland man used dog poop to make bomb, court papers say. Read more. Todays comics Click here to see today's comics Todays obituaries Click here to find area deaths reported recently Today in history On May 6, 1889, the Paris Exposition formally opened, featuring the just-completed Eiffel Tower. In 1915, Babe Ruth hit his first major-league home run as a player for the Boston Red Sox. By Kim Sordyl Sordyl is a Portland employment attorney and formerly served as the secretary of states designee to the Oregon Board of Education. Last week the Oregon House approved a new $2 billion tax on Oregon sales, very similar to the one voters rejected in 2016. Don't be fooled by its for the kids campaign. Its a brilliant ruse: only big terrible corporations will pay this new tax and our schools will magically become fully funded with a bevy of programs and support.This sweet lie hides the bitter truth: Schools will remain underfunded until politicians do the tough work to reform the Public Employees Retirement System. For any Oregonian in the last decade who has listened to politicians in Salem promise the moon if we just open our wallets one more time its the same story, different day. We have more tax money flowing into our state government than ever before, but the money never makes it into the classroom. Where has all this new cash gone? Where will it go? Its going into pensions, payroll and benefits. As the Oregonians Ted Sickinger has detailed for years, Oregons behemoth government employee pension debt and employee benefits are sucking the life out of our schools and public services. According to the National Education Association, the nations largest teachers union, Oregon teacher salaries rank 12th in the nation. Yet that same report says we have the sixth largest class sizes and the shortest school year. Unlike every other state in the country except Utah, Oregon government employees dont pay a dime into their pension accounts, which is one of two retirement accounts they receive. And Oregon government employees on average only pay $17.47 per month for family health insurance plans according to the states own 2018 Oregon Salary and Benefits Report while the rest of us pay $470.76 per month on average. Perhaps the most confusing part of this tax debate has been the deal that Oregon Business and Industry, the states largest business group, made to stand aside for massive new education taxes. Just last week OBIs chief executive Sandra McDonough, testified that her group did not oppose the new $2 billion tax on sales, even without negotiating any meaningful PERS reform which business groups have championed for years. OBI is a partner in the Oregon Business Plan, which has said that little of that new $2 billion will reach students unless real PERS reform is achieved. In an issue brief, the Oregon Business Plan said, Looming in the background of any revenue increase are even larger increases in payments that schools, universities, state agencies, and local governments will have to make into the Public Employee Retirement System. Thats because PERS costs have first claim on new revenue. It doesnt make sense that OBI and other business groups would pat themselves on the back for this PERS tax that has no shot of improving our public schools. Something smells funny. Until we have PERS reform, all new tax money will be gobbled up by government employee pensions once again. But as always, its for the kids. Updated: April 7, 10:52 p.m. Residents of an apartment complex in Aloha reported that an unoccupied SUV was shot in the parking lot of the complex Sunday afternoon but according to the Washington County Sheriffs Office, when deputies responded to the call, the suspect was gone. Officials said in a press release Sunday night that they identified the suspect in the shooting as Aloha resident Miguel Almarez Estrada, 21, and began to evacuate residents of the apartment complex after receiving information that Estrada may have returned to one of the apartments. However, when members of the inter-agency Washington County Tactical Negotiations Team and the Crisis Negotiations Unit searched the apartment where they believed Estrada to be, he had already fled. Estrada turned himself in at the Washington County Jail Monday night at 9 p.m., authorities said. According to a release from the Washington County Sheriffs Office, he was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, criminal mischief in the second degree, and five counts of menacing. Police are still investigating the incident. The Washington County Sheriffs Office is still asking anyone with information about the shooting to call dispatch at (503)629-0111. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Monday denied a water quality certification for the proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal and its feeder pipeline, the Pacific Connector pipeline, though the agency left the door open for the company to reapply. In a letter Monday to the project backers, the agency said DEQ does not have a reasonable assurance that the construction and authorization of the project will comply with applicable Oregon water quality standards. DEQ is in charge of administering the federal Clean Water Act in Oregon and the certification is required for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue permits for the project. The decision was applauded by opponents of the controversial project, but it is not a deal killer. Jordan Cove can request a contested case hearing within 20 days. DEQ also said it was making its decision without prejudice, meaning the company can also resubmit a new application. This isnt the first time the project has faced regulatory opposition. Federal regulators denied a license for the project in 2016 because backers didnt show sufficient demand for the facility to overcome the impacts of the pipeline on landowners. Various iterations of the project have been under consideration since 2004. DEQs letter to Jordan Cove described a lengthy back and forth between Jordan Cove and the agency, with multiple requests for additional information by DEQ, incomplete and inadequate responses by Jordan Cove, and late responses that provided inadequate time for the agency to review them. The agency said it was denying the application because there is insufficient information to demonstrate compliance with water quality standards, and because the available information shows that some standards are more likely than not to be violated. Specific concerns included impacts on water quality from construction and operation of the Pacific Connector pipeline. The 36-inch diameter pipe would affect more than 352 bodies of water and traverse mountainous, landslide-prone areas in its 230-mile path from an interstate gas hub in Klamath County to the proposed export terminal in Coos Bay. It would also need a 95-foot right of way across Southern Oregon, a massive path that would require clearcutting timber and building roads -- creating the potential for significant erosion. DEQ also raised concerns about the release of release of drilling materials from the crossing of the Coos Bay estuary. Todays denial is great news for our Klamath Tribal members and other Oregon citizens that have been concerned about protecting fisheries and Oregons waters," Don Gentry, chairman of the Klamath Tribes, said in a news release. "The impact this project would have on our waterways is only one of many reasons the Jordan Cove LNG project should be stopped for good. The Klamath Tribes are very encouraged that the state of Oregon is making this move to protect clean water, cultural resources and our traditional territory. The projects Calgary-based owners, Pembina Pipeline Corp., announced last week that they were delaying their final decision on the project for a year and slashing their forecast spending as they waited for federal and state permits. DEQ said it had expected to issue its decision on the permit in September, but accelerated the process in order to assure it doesnt unintentionally waive the states authority to review the projects water quality impacts. The Corp of Engineers had originally instructed DEQ to complete its review by May 7, 2019, but extended that date until September after Jordan Cove withdrew and resubmitted its application. DEQ said recent court decisions have raised questions about whether that extension was valid, so it made its decision by the original deadline. The agency said that if Jordan Cove resubmits an application along with information addressing its concerns, it will work to make its decision in line with the ongoing federal review of the project. But this will depend on the applicant submitting the requested information in a timely manner, the agency said. Pembinas Management team is working to better understand this decision and its impacts and will communicate updates when appropriate, said Tasha Cadotte, a spokeswoman for the company. SALEM The Senate Republican caucus is threatening to flex its political muscle in advance of a scheduled Tuesday vote on a multibillion dollar business tax package that would fund education. On Monday, all but two Republican lawmakers were missing when Democrats began the floor session just after 11 a.m. A couple Republicans were excused for health reasons, but the remainder were considered absent. The Senate Republican leader, Sen. Herman Baertschiger, suggested Monday afternoon that the absence could grow on Tuesday, which would allow the GOP to deny quorum to the majority Democrats. At least two Republicans need to be present for the Senate to conduct business. With Democrats holding a supermajority, denying a quorum is one of the few tools Republicans have to thwart the majority party. Baertschiger said he doesnt know where his caucus members are, but he implied that some may have left the state. That would allow them to avoid being rounded up by state police if Democrats choose to enforce attendance. Their jurisdiction is only within the borders of Oregon, he said. Oregons constitution allows the majority party to compel the attendance of absent members of the legislature. The process is rarely used, though in 2001, legislative Democrats eluded majority Republicans for nearly a week in a skirmish over a redistricting proposal. Reached by telephone shortly before the floor session, one of the absent Republicans, Sen. Cliff Bentz, of Ontario, said he was "just driving back to my house here. The distance of Bentz house from the Capitol in Salem he lives near the Idaho border suggests he might not return to Salem by Tuesday. Separately, a staffer for Sen. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, wrote in an email that the senator is out of town and will be returning on Tuesday, May 7th. The staffer did not indicate whether Boquist plans to return before or after the scheduled tax vote. On Friday, Boquist sent a scathing email to the president of Oregons largest business lobbying group, Oregon Business & Industry, which reached a last-minute deal with Democratic leaders not to support any effort to refer the tax to voters. In exchange, Democrats agreed to increase the size of the labor or capital cost subtraction that businesses would be able to take under the tax plan. The deal also involves some Democratic concessions on paid family leave, Medicaid tax and public pension funding proposals, Oregon Business & Industry President Sandra McDonough wrote in an email to her groups members. McDonough said Democratic leaders had made it clear the bill was going to move to the House and Senate for floor votes. It is very clear you represent a couple of multinational corporations bent on throwing the rest of the (Oregon Business & Industry) members under the bus, along with citizens in my district, Boquist wrote to McDonough, adding that a couple of the other proposals supposedly involved in the deal did not have the votes necessary to pass this session anyway. It is a sales tax on businesses nothing more, Boquist wrote of the tax. State economists have predicted, and Democrats have acknowledged, that businesses would likely pass some portion of the tax on to consumers in the form of higher prices. In response, they included a 0.25 percentage point income tax cut for low and middle-income earners in the plan. Last week, House Republicans voiced their objections to House Bill 3427 during more than three hours of floor debate, saying the business tax would harm small businesses and was finalized in last-minute private negotiations with some of the states largest business interests. House Republicans refused to waive a requirement that the bill be read in its entirety but did not deny Democrats a quorum. The bill passed the House on a party-line vote. Democrats in the Senate are waiting to see what actions the Republicans actually take on Tuesday. Majority leader Sen. Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, was not impressed with the potential walkout. I think when the people send you here to serve, I think you ought to show up for work, she said. Baertschiger said the length of any Senate Republican walkout would depend in part on the comfort level his caucus members have with the tactic. He said hed like to see House Bill 3427 sent back to committee for more public input." Baertschiger also said Republicans would also need to see an agreement on a bill aimed at providing long-term savings in the states public pension system. Thats the subject of ongoing negotiations in the House and Senate. Many public school teachers are planning to walk out of class on Wednesday to push lawmakers to pass the tax. Democrats had hoped to get the bill approved in advance of the planned protest, but the threatened Republican walk out could derail those efforts. With less than two months remaining in the session, any slowdown now could impact other Democratic priorities, including cap-and-trade legislation and an omnibus gun bill. Both have drawn heated opposition from Republicans. Chris Lehman Hillary Borrud | hborrud@oregonian.com | 503-294-4034 | @hborrud Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. The possibility of a new national park is being considered in western Montana, not run by the federal government but by a sovereign American Indian tribe. Blackfeet Nation, whose reservation borders Glacier National Park, is studying the feasibility of opening up part of its land for public recreation, KPAX reported in Great Falls. The new park could possibly alleviate some of the crowds at Glacier, which now routinely near or exceed 3 million people each year. The idea is part of a broader effort on the tribes part to look at new ways to utilize its agricultural resources. A conservation area would also include opening grass prairies as rangeland for bison and cattle. Operating a national park would help fund those projects. We can look at the fee structure and the creation of a conservation area or in this case, a national park that would allow us to collect fees from people coming into Blackfeet National Park, project manager Loren Bird Rattler told KPAX. As a sovereign nation, the Blackfeet Tribe would operate the park independently of the National Park Service. That would free it from some of the political issues that typically befall national parks like federal funding requests and closures due to government shutdowns. Jeff Mow, superintendent of Glacier National Park, told KPAX that a neighboring Blackfeet National Park would ultimately benefit everyone by thinning crowds, providing for the tribe and continuing a shared goal of environmental sustainability. The feasibility study is expected to take 12 to 18 months. Much of the Glacier National Park was originally tribal land in the first place, even after white settlers took over. According to High Country News, the eastern half of the park was once part of the Blackfeet Reservation, as laid out in an 1855 treaty with the United States. The federal government purchased it for $1.5 million in 1895, lured by the prospect of mineral extraction in the mountains before declaring it a national park in 1910. --Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB Julie R. Smith , who just realized that ambulances are boxy, can be reached at widdleswife@aol.com. Saginaw Valley State University graduates will hear from Patti Poppe, president and CEO of Consumers Energy, during Commencement exercises Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11. Nearly 1,100 students are expected to complete degree requirements, and 992 individuals have indicated they plan to don regalia and participate in their respective ceremony. SVSU has 921 students expected to complete bachelor's degrees and 177 who will receive master's or other advanced degrees. Students graduating in the colleges of Business & Management and Health and Human Services will participate in the Friday ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Students graduating in the colleges of Arts & Behavioral Sciences, Education, and Science, Engineering and Technology will take part in the Saturday ceremony at 11 a.m. Both ceremonies are held in O'Neill Arena of the Ryder Center. As is tradition, SVSU President Don Bachand will congratulate each graduate as they cross the stage. Poppe is president and chief executive officer of Jackson, Michigan-based CMS Energy and its principal subsidiary, Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility and the nation's fourth largest combination utility. Consumers Energy provides electricity and natural gas to 6.7 million of Michigan's 10 million lower peninsula residents. She was named to this position in July 2016. Poppe held a variety of automotive management positions and served as power plant director at Detroit, Michigan-based DTE Energy before returning to her hometown of Jackson to join Consumers Energy in 2011. Poppe earned a master's degree in management from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She also completed a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University. As president and chief executive officer, Poppe has focused on the company's triple bottom line commitment to people, the planet and Michigan's prosperity. The Consumers Energy Foundation supported the Consumers Energy Talent Program for SVSU engineering students, as well as high school students who enrolled in SVSU's Engineering Careers and Concepts course. Senior electrical or mechanical engineering students at SVSU applied for funding from Consumers Energy for senior design capstone projects focused on alternative energy. To qualify, students were required to propose a novel idea, plan the time line, budget for supplies and conduct research and development activities accordingly for a two-semester project. For those unable to attend Commencement exercises, SVSU will provide a live video stream of each ceremony. The link and additional information can be found online at svsu.edu/commencement. In a Friday hearing in Midland County's 42nd Circuit Court, people crammed into a courtroom to offer their opinions about a legal lake order and special assessment district. Many said that all residents of Midland and Gladwin counties should chip in and pay for the cost to maintain four dams and the four lakes they have created. "The counties are going to benefit from the SAD," said Kelly Bax of Coleman. "So why is this being put on us?" Bax opposes being put in the SAD because one of her properties is considered unbuildable and adjacent to her other property. Yet, they aren't joined as one property, thus she would be taxed twice. Bax disagrees with being in the SAD and is also bothered that anyone with a boat and trailer can put their watercraft on one of the lakes and enjoy without paying a dime. Friday's hearing before Midland County Circuit Court Judge Stephen P. Carras stemmed from Midland and Gladwin counties' petition to establish legal lake levels on Wixom, Sanford, Secord and Smallwood. Also, to protect the interests of the property owners who directly benefit from the existence of the lakes as well as the interests of the counties. The first part of the hearing focused on a legal lake level for all four lakes. The second part focused on the SAD. Carras noted that was probably the item that drew a crowded courtroom. The projected SAD includes 6,555 lakefront owners and 1,956 private easement residents. It would cost lakefront owners $350 annually and private easement owners $88 a year. Funds are being asked for to purchase the dams, make repairs and ensure the lakes function for another 90 years. Deborah Johnson of Edenville said she lived in the furthest reach of Sanford Lake and does not feel she has equal benefits of lakefront owners, due to very shallow water. "I feel I should be excluded from the SAD," she said. Spicer Group Inc. Vice President Ron Hansen, who was sworn in as an expert witness, said the contour goes through her property, so she is still included. He noted the hearing was for the judge to set the boundaries of the SAD and there will be another hearing for the assessment, so she has time to contest. Four Lakes Task Force attorney Joseph Colaianne, of Lansing's Clark Hill Law Firm, said once the judge signs to establish the legal lake order and SAD, there will be an appeal process deemed a day of review. Th hearing will allow property owners to protest their inclusion in the SAD. Following that hearing, the issue goes before Midland and Gladwin county commissioners. Beaverton property owner Randy Veitngruber, who lives on Wixom Lake, said the cost of purchasing the dams and lake bottoms should be pointed at all residents in both counties. "A lot of people use the water and won't pay a penny, Veitngruber said. "Why isn't this countywide?" Veitngruber said he already pays a water tax and wonders why he may be asked for more in a SAD. He said he's going to pay and everyone else is going to come in for free. Hansen said the SAD does not restrict the public from accessing the identified lakes. Joe Kareus practically lives on Wixom and Sanford lakes in the summer -- on his boat. But he doesn't feel the assessment should involve him. He said he doesn't have the luxury of just walking out his front door and taking his boat out. "Fixing those dams and keeping lake levels regulated help the SAD members more," Kareus told the Daily News after the hearing. "It keeps their property beautiful and maintains flood issues. I feel for them, but I'm not getting the same benefit as they are and will." Property owner John Roelandt of Washington, Michigan, said they have a 70-acre property that is a quarter mile from their residence. But the study shows they have lakefront on Wixom Lake. "You can access the lake if you jump 50 feet," Roelandt said, noting he believes he should be excluded. "I could care less what the river does," he said. "It doesn't affect me." Carras concluded the four-and-a-half-hour hearing saying he would sign the legal lake level order for the four lakes. Yet, he withheld establishing the SAD on Friday, pending a decision on a single Beaverton parcel. The owner, David Engwis, said he can't put a boat in the water because there is a fence blocking access. Carras said he and Hansen will visit the site. Carras said he will decide on the site and then he will sign. "This is being shoved on us with no transparency," said Robert Huntoon, asking where the Four Lakes Task Force meetings are and when are they. "We're the ones being struck with the bill." Huntoon said the task force needs to comply with the Open Meetings Act. "There's other ways to fix the dam," Huntoon said. "We're going to be signing up for the rest of our lives." Some residents felt they were being pushed into the deal, and that maybe it should go to a vote instead of being decided by a handful of politicians. "My big beef is put it on a ballot," said Gloria Roelandt who has property north of Smallwood, noting she thinks the SAD is overreaching. "I do know right from wrong and I don't like being bullied." Hansen has a 311-page report on the dams, plans, costs and more at: http://www.four-lakes-taskforce-mi.com/uploads/1/2/3/1/123199575/four_lake_level_study_final_full_report_20190426.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0wW74YTfNYrpamP1mb0J5DcHtMtYfGN8B1uNhcSAMz7sj4Ntr-b82QZBU Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that since early 2019, the Libyan navy has carried out 15 rescue operations and interceptions of migrants at sea during which 1,287 persons have been rescued Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - The Independent trade-union of information and culture workers (SYNATIC) on Monday condemned the slowdown in the transformation of state-run media to public companies, a source told PANA here Mogadishu, Somalia (PANA) - Humanitarian Charity, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), is raising the red flag on the humanitarian situation in Somalia warning that it has deteriorated at an alarming rate because of drought Bamako, Mali (PANA) - A land dispute between two border villages, one in Mali and the other in Cote d'Ivoire, has resulted in clashes between inhabitants of the villages, resulting in gunfire injuries to several people early Monday, reports the Malian online newspaper "Malijet", citing local sources Bloomington-Normal Galleries, museums University Galleries of Illinois State University; 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; Uptown Station, 11 Uptown Circle, Normal; rotating exhibits in three galleries; free; 309-438-5487. IWU Merwin and Wakeley Galleries; school hours, noon-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun., 7-9 p.m. Tue.; 302 E. Graham St., Bloomington; rotating exhibits; free; 309-556-3391. Jan Brandt Gallery; 1305 Morrissey Drive, Bloomington; Studio and gallery showcasing Brandt's work, also visiting artist exhibitions; 309-287-4700. McLean County Arts Center; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tue., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat.; 601 N. East St., Bloomington; rotating exhibits, sales, rentals, art classes and lectures; free; 309-829-0011. McLean County Museum of History; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. (until 9 p.m. Tue.), 200 N. Main St., Bloomington; permanent and rotating exhibits; adults $5, seniors $4, students, children under 12 and members free; 309-827-0428. Prairie Aviation Museum; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thu.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., 2929 E. Empire St., Bloomington; permanent and rotating exhibits and displays with aerial history themes; adults $5, ages 6-11 $3, 5 and under free; 309-663-7632. Exhibits Steampunk Accessories and Art Shop; through early June, Inside Out Accessible Art, Bloomington; part of Cogs & Corsets: A Steampunk Happening, June 7-9. Student Annual Art Exhibition; through May 12, University Galleries, Uptown Station, Normal. Emerging Illinois Artists; through May 24, McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington. Here and Now, paintings by Doug Johnson; May 19-July 9; Jan Brandt Gallery, Bloomington; opening reception 2-4 p.m. May 19. Familiar and Fantasy Landscapes; through May 30, Main Gallery 404, 404 N. Main St., Bloomington; artists Phil Smith, Dale Evans, Mandy Roeing, Ken Kashian, Michael Rousseau, Rose Tuttle, Karen Schulthes; oils, acrylics, watercolors, pencils. Illinois Prairie Pastel Society juried exhibition; May 31-July 12, McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington. Deanna Moore Schoolcraft and David Stratton; May 31-July 12, McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington; reception: 5-7 p.m. June 7; prairiescapes. "Leaving Home"; LizBeth Ogiela-Scheck, Dreams 2 Create Art House, 903 S. Allin St., Bloomington. Pedal Power!; through spring 2020, McLean County Museum of History; exhibit of vintage pedal cars from the collection of Bruce Callis. ImagineAir; Children's Discovery Museum, uptown Normal; permanent exhibit shows power of wind, wind energy, aerodynamics, fluid dynamics; $7 for age 2 and older, $3 for Museums for All passholders; free, CDM members. Challenges, Choices & Change: Working for a Living; McLean County Museum of History; highlights more than 80 local workers and their daily on-the-job experiences. Challenges, Choices and Change: Making a Home; McLean County Museum of History; permanent exhibit exploring experiences of people from around the world who made McLean County their home. Abraham Lincoln in McLean County; McLean County Museum of History; permanent exhibit on Lincoln's life in Bloomington. Challenges, Choices and Change: Farming in the Great Corn Belt; McLean County Museum of History; permanent exhibit on McLean County's agricultural history. Central Illinois Galleries, museums Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sun., 212 N. Sixth St., Springfield; Lincoln-themed exhibits, historical displays, special events, more; adults $12, seniors and students $9, ages 5-15 $5, under 5 free; 217-558-8844. Amity Township Museum; 1-3 p.m. first Sunday of month or by appointment, 510 Main St., Cornell; displays and artifacts relating to history of Cornell and Amity Township; free; 815-358-2973. Contemporary Art Center of Peoria; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., Riverfront Arts Center, 305 S.W. Water St., Peoria; rotating exhibits in two galleries; free; 309-674-6822. Dickson Mounds Museum; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, 10956 N. Dickson Mounds Road, Lewistown; displays, special exhibits; free; 309-547-3721. Eureka College Burgess Hall Art Gallery; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays and by appointment on weekends, third floor of Burgess Hall, Eureka College, Eureka; rotating exhibits; free; 309-467-6866. Lincoln Heritage Museum; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat., Lincoln Center at Lincoln College, 300 Keokuk St., Lincoln; Lincoln-era items, audiovisual displays, tours, exhibits, more; adults $7, children/tours $4; 217-735-7399. Museum of the Gilding Arts; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sun., April-Oct., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Sun., Nov.-March, 217 N. Mill St., Pontiac; displays, history and hands-on exhibits dedicated to the art of gilding and gold leafing; free (donations welcome); 815-842-1848. Peoria Art Guild; Foster Arts Center, Harrison and Washington streets, Peoria; rotating exhibits, gift shop; free; 309-637-2787. Peoria Riverfront Museum; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Wed. and Sat., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thu.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sun., downtown riverfront Peoria; permanent and rotating exhibits, planetarium shows, Giant Screen Theater and events; $9-$11 (free parking in museum garage); 309-686-7000. Pontiac Community Art Center; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., 209 W. Madison St., Pontiac; rotating exhibits; 815-419-2472. Simpkins Military History Museum; 1-5 p.m. Tue., Thu., Sat., or by appointment; 605 E. Cole St., Heyworth; permanent and rotating military history exhibits; free (donations accepted); 309-319-3413. Time Gallery; Fondulac Bank, 201 Clock Tower Drive, East Peoria; 309-467-2331 U of I Krannert Art Museum; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. (until 9 p.m. Thu. during fall and spring semesters), closed Sun., 500 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign; paintings, porcelain, historical artifacts, traveling art exhibits; $3 donation suggested; 217-333-1861. Exhibits Life on the Titanic; April 27-Oct. 31, Pontiac Museum Complex, 110 W. Howard St., Pontiac, second floor; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Nine Days in April: The Lincoln Assassination and the Press; opens May 4, Pontiac Museum Complex, 110 W. Howard St., Pontiac, second floor; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Discover Autism through Art; through April 28, Pontiac Community Art Center, Pontiac; five artists; painting, photography, drawings, 3D sculpture. American Decoy: The Invention and 10 Medical Inventions That Changed the World; Peoria Riverfront Museum. 60 Years Military Souvenir Collecting; special exhibit; Simpkins Military History Museum, Heyworth; celebrating 60 years of collecting military items and 40 years of an established museum (30 years at present location). "The Art of the Brick," opens May 25, Peoria Riverfront Museum; LEGO art exhibition. Da Vinci the Genius with The Secrets of Mona Lisa; opens Nov. 16, Peoria Riverfront Museum. Whenever I hear mention of Aaron Sorkin's "A Few Good Men," my mind immediately conjures the iconic movie moment when an angry Jack Nicholson bellows to Tom Cruise, "You can't handle the truth!" The now semi-retired actor has been immortalized by his role as Lt. Col. Nathan Jessep, a disciplined, lifelong military man who uses his personal code of honor to justify his questionable actions. Sorkin's powerful courtroom drama began as a stage play, one he scribbled on cocktail napkins while tending bar at the Palace Theatre. Inspired by actual events, Sorkin's script exposes the practice of the "Code Red," a hazing action intended to send a strong message to a soldier viewed by his company as weak and difficult. Pfc. William Santiago was not an exceptional Marine. He didn't mix well with his fellow soldiers, and he consistently under-performed. Following his request to be transferred to another company, the higher-ups determined that Santiago needed further training to become a better Marine. Santiago needed to be taught a lesson. Santiago needed the Code Red. But something went horribly wrong, and now Lance Cpl. Harold Dawson and Pfc. Loudon Downey, the Marines ordered to implement the Code Red, face a court martial as they stand accused of Santiago's murder. Their fates rest in the hands of a young, somewhat unmotivated attorney, Naval Lt. j.g. Daniel Kaffee, who has built a reputation as one who fights for plea bargains rather than justice. Things heat up for Kaffee when Lt. Commander Joanne Galloway, a beautiful and determined legal eagle, crosses his path and pushes him to become the lawyer he was meant to be. When the two, along with Lt. j.g. Sam Weinburg, investigate the case, the path leads them to uncover startling truths that will ultimately tarnish even the shiniest brass. In an impressive debut, Jeff Ready directs "A Few Good Men" with reverence, resulting in a crisp and swiftly moving production that features fine performances by the sizable ensemble, many of whom are appearing for the first time on Community Players' stage. Sage Brown, as Kaffee, successfully evolves from arrogant slacker to confident attorney in a consistent performance rooted in humor and hubris. Jacqueline Schwarzentraub, as Galloway, is the perfect foil for Kaffee, blending intelligence and charisma, with a well-placed dash of annoying little sister. Nick Seaman and Jacob Matchett, as Dawson and Downey, accurately present as both well-trained soldiers and terrified young boys caught in a situation much bigger than they realize. Mark Moriarty is imposing as Jessep, as is Sean Henderson in his role as Lt. Jonathan Kendrick. Scott Meyer, in his role as Capt. Julius Randolph, presides over the court martial with a natural authority that well reflects the stage veteran's immeasurable talent. Sparing no attention to detail, the show's production staff enlisted the assistance of Gary Ploense, retired Marine, to provide military guidance on this production. The effort paid off, as evidenced by the actors' posture, composure, turns and salutes. The end result? A solid, gold-star evening of theater. Parental warning: The movie version of "A Few Good Men" was rated R, and so is this production. With adult situations and language, this may not be suitable viewing for younger or more sensitive audience members. Stiller is a freelance writer who reviews plays for The Pantagraph. 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 BLOOMINGTON Kirk Zimmerman entered Courtroom 5A at the McLean County Courthouse on Monday afternoon with a big smile. Wearing a gray suit and tie, he appeared confident as he walked with his lawyer, John Rogers. About 20 minutes later, Zimmerman exited the courtroom with an even bigger smile he was a free man after being acquitted in the 2014 shooting death of his ex-wife, Pam. Obviously, we are elated and are grateful for all of the hard work that the ladies and gentlemen on this jury did in this case, in deliberating over the last three days, said Rogers, talking to the media in the lobby of the Law and Justice Center in downtown Bloomington. "On behalf of Kirk and his entire family, we would like to say thank you to them. Its been four long years of being accused of a crime that Kirk didnt commit, so today is a relief not only for Kirk but for his family. Rogers also thanked Judge Scott Drazewski for presiding over the month-long trial. He is one of the most intelligent, patient, even-handed judges I have ever appeared in front of, he said. There has been a lot of argument over a lot of years and it was presided over with great dignity and insight by all of the parties involved. Zimmerman left to enjoy a meal with his family, but a family spokesman handed out a written statement to the media. Many prospective jurors expressed their opinion I was guilty, before the trial even started, based on what they had read in The Pantagraph, said the statement. The judges request (the jurors) ignore that coverage and base their judgement upon the evidence alone demonstrates his wish for a capability nobody has. He continued, Jurors were asked to convict despite a lack of real physical evidence; despite problematic evidence collection techniques; despite flawed analyses of my finances (laughably so) and telematics (the device manufacturer stated what the expert claimed to do was impossible); and despite multiple attempts by investigators to sway the jury with evidence recreation videos. The jury was told by the prosecutor that lack of evidence is proof of guilt. "He claimed deleting texts and internet history is evidence although everyone the police looked at did this. He said I deleted my internet history at work, shortly before my police interview, but never told the jury what was in that history I was researching my cancer which I had learned about that same morning. Zimmerman also discredited an eyewitness who identified him in Pam Zimmermans parking lot and prosecutors who alleged that he went to Indiana to purchase a gun because of lax gun laws in that state. As the trial revealed, I was treated as the only real suspect from the start, at the virtual exclusion of others in Pams life, he said. This community deserves, and should demand, more from its public servants. Bloomington Police Spokesman John Furman said it was too early to know whether the case would be re-opened. If anybody has any leads or any information, they should certainly call us, he said. Contact Kevin Barlow at (309) 820-3238. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_barlow Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 4 Angry 4 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Here is a timeline of the Kirk Zimmerman murder case that ended Monday afternoon with him being acquitted by a McLean County jury. Nov. 4, 2014: Pam Zimmerman's body is found in her office at 2103 E. Washington St. in Bloomington; she was shot four times. July 21, 2015: Pam Zimmerman's husband, Kirk Zimmerman, is arrested on murder charges; the couple had divorced in 2012 after 20 years of marriage. Nov. 24, 2015: Kirk Zimmerman is released after posting $200,025. He is ordered on electronic monitoring at his home on Park Ridge Road. December 2015: Judge Scott Drazewski rules information about gunshot residue tests done on Zimmerman's clothing and car will be allowed at his trial. September 2016: Zimmerman's lawyer, John Rogers, argues the opinions of some friends of Pam Zimmerman about the couple's relationship should be barred; the judge later rules several statements will be allowed, but he excludes others. January 2017: A ruling allows the jury to hear statements the defendant made during police interviews. At a hearing on the issue, Rogers said his client was "bum rushed" by Bloomington police at his office at State Farm and misled into thinking he was going to the police station to meet his children after their mother was found. March 2017: A ruling allows the jury to hear testimony from a Bloomington woman who told police she thinks she saw Zimmerman outside the office building where Pam Zimmerman worked around the time she was killed; the defense successfully argues the woman's identification of Zimmerman from a computerized photo line-up should not be used at trial. January 2018: Proceedings are put on hold for six months after the state files an appeal of the decision limiting witness statements. The Fourth District Appellate Court later confirmed the judge's ruling excluding some remarks. February 2019: Drazewski agrees to the return of $50,000 of Zimmerman's bond money to help cover defense costs, including the retention of expert witnesses. March 2019: The judge issues a gag order barring lawyers for both sides, police and witnesses from making public statements about the case. April 1, 2019: Jury selection begins; an estimated 100 witnesses are expected to testify during the trial that could last four to six weeks. April 8, 2019: Testimony for the prosecution begins. A total of 43 witnesses testify. April 30, 2019: Testimony for the defense begins. A total of 17 witnesses testify. May 1, 2019: The defense rests; Kirk Zimmerman declines to testify. May 3, 2019: The jury begins deliberating. May 6, 2019: The jury acquits Zimmerman of murder, sending him home a free man. Contact Edith Brady-Lunny at (309) 820-3276. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_blunny Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 5 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 To graduate from college is something special, said Jamie Blumberg, a biology major from Bloomington just moments before getting her degree from Illinois Wesleyan University on Sunday. But Jamie had additional reasons to smile: standing right beside her was her twin sister, Josephina, an international studies major, also getting her degree. It means everything to go through this with your twin sister, Jamie said. This is really a special day. Today is the day of days, IWU President Eric Jensen told the graduates prior to the ceremony. Make sure you enjoy this day. Introduce your families to your friends. Remember this day forever. Transitions are exciting but unsettling times, he told the class later in his welcome speech during the official ceremony. However you first arrived in Bloomington, maybe it was just after high school or maybe it was just across the street, you came with a heightened sense of exhilaration, anticipation and anxiety. Today, marks another distinct transition in your life, one that is again fueled by a measure of excitement, anticipation and uncertainty. Sheryl Soukup, an adjunct assistant professor of biology and the Class of 2019 Professor of the Year, also offered some advice, taken from lessons from anatomy classes. Generously give of yourselves to others and choose words and actions that build others up rather than tear them down, she said. Just as our bodies need all of its systems to operate, you need others and they need you. Since we were little, we were often told that we were the leaders of tomorrow, that we would be able to change the world, Class of 2019 President Alani Sweezy said. As we graduate today, we can no longer say that well do it tomorrow or help make changes in the future. We must begin to do it today. Dr. Stephen Ondra, a 1980 IWU graduate, former military surgeon and leading health care policy expert, congratulated the class on becoming the innovators, thinkers and leaders of tomorrow. Whatever life brings, I have great confidence that Illinois Wesleyan has prepared you for it, Ondra said. The fact is, a liberal arts education has never been more important to your future and there is no better investment in time or money that you and your families could have made. For most students, the day meant new beginnings and a sense of relief that college was over. This means everything to me, said Kyle Polinski, a nursing major from Mount Prospect, who was decked out in shaded sunglasses and two colorful Hawaiian leis. Im excited, but this is a big day for all of us. Asked about the colorful attire, his friends spoke before he had the chance. Oh thats just Kyle, said Erin Roegner, a nursing graduate, from Bloomington. Thats the way he always is. For Kayleigh Ruffolo, a mathematics major from Barrington, the day was about moving forward but also paying homage to her family. Her cap was decorated with Italian flowers. My dad is from Italy, and I wanted to recognize that, she said. I think this is an important day to make a statement and thats important to me. Jensen said that each class is special in its own way, but this class holds a special meaning for him. The first year on campus for todays graduates was my first year on campus, and so its especially sweet to have the opportunity to award diplomas to you. Were kind of classmates, he said. Youre a spectacular group who will always have a prominent place in my memories. My parting words to you are simple: Remember who you are, remember how you got there, and remember Illinois Wesleyan. Contact Kevin Barlow at (309) 820-3238. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_barlow Love 2 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. NORMAL Next summer's Route 66 travelers will have a new way to find historic sites in McLean County. An archive of local attractions, buildings and other landmarks along "The Mother Road" will be compiled and published this year thanks to a group of local government partners and a $40,000 state grant. "It's exciting. It's an opportunity to enhance tourism through McLean County and Bloomington-Normal as it relates to old 66," said Wayne Aldrich, Normal's public works director and a member of the committee overseeing the project. "This is really a critical first step: What do we have out there, and doing appropriate research on these attractions," he said. "That may turn into other projects as we move forward." Normal City Council will consider Monday signing off on the grant, which the town applied for through the Illinois Department of Transportation on behalf of McLean County Regional Planning Commission. Other groups represented on the committee include the city of Bloomington, McLean County government, Bloomington-Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau and Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council. "This grant anticipates an intern as well as a consultant to be brought on board, working with the staffs of county, city, regional planning, the town and other experts we've identified," said Aldrich. "Our experience is there are individuals or groups that research this type of thing, but what this is intended to be is a clearinghouse for that information." Aldrich said the archive is likely to be published through the county's geographic information system, at mcgis.org, and may be available through other methods as well. The archive may include Bloomington's Morris Avenue corridor, including Miller Park Zoo; Normal's Pine Street corridor, including the town-owned Sprague's Service Station historic site at 305 E. Pine St.; and the original Steak 'n Shake in Normal, now a Monical's Pizza at 1219 S. Main St. "We're very hopeful to get some activity relative to old 66 countywide," said Normal Assistant City Manager Eric Hanson. The historic route will mark its 100th anniversary in 2026. The Illinois Route 66 Centennial Commission was created by a new state law Jan. 1 to coordinate planning of centennial celebration events along the Illinois portion of the highways route from Chicago to St. Louis. Normal City Council meets 7 p.m. Monday on the fourth floor at Uptown Station. In other business, the council will: Seat new members Stan Nord and Karyn Smith. Nord and Smith finished first and third in the April 2 council election, respectively, and will serve four years alongside reelected incumbent Kathleen Lorenz. Contact Derek Beigh at (309) 820-3234. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_beigh Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 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. 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 EUREKA Construction of potential solar farms in Woodford County may have hit a snag when none of the proposed solar projects were drawn in a state lottery to receive government assistance. It will be up to individual developers to decide if they want to continue without state assistance. They have 15 months from the date when Woodford County issued their special-use permits last year. Well need to wait to see if any choose to build, said Woodford County Conservation, Planning and Zoning Committee head Blake Parsons. The most controversial project is Sol Americas site on the southwest side of Eureka. Several residents and the city of Eureka have rallied against the project because of proximity to a residential neighborhood. Proposed projects near Minonk and Spring Bay received little to no resistance. Although the Woodford County Zoning Board of Appeals approved the special use permit for the Eureka project, the county board voted overwhelmingly not to issue it, landing the matter in court. However, Judge Charles Feeney issued a summary judgment in the case allowing the permit to be issued, Using a complicated algorithm through a lottery, the state chose the solar power projects that will receive the solar renewable energy certificates as required by the Long-Term Renewable Resource Procurement Plan. More than 900 projects were entered into different categories in the lottery. A total of 112 community solar projects ones that sell electricity to subscribers were winners in the lottery. Thats nearly one in eight of the total 909 projects entered in that category. Anthony Star, who manages the Illinois Power Agency that conducted the lottery, said proposed projects that failed to win renewable energy credits are on a waitlist, and could replace winning projects that are withdrawn in the future. Now, if for some reason a project drops out or, down the road, withdraws from the program, that would free up capacity and funding, said Star. And we would start taking projects off the waiting list. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Here's a new number to remember going forward: $136.8 billion. That's going to be the unfunded liability of the five state-funded pension systems on June 30 of this year. It's represents yet another increase in the gap between promised pension benefits and what the state actually has available to pay them. It means the pensions systems are 40.3 percent funded. The number comes from the latest report on pensions from the legislature's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. The news isn't altogether bad. As you may recall, the state is on a plan to put enough money into the pension systems so that they will be 90 percent funded by 2045. For now, at least, the pension debt will continue to climb under that payment plan, which means the increase isn't unexpected. Better, COGFA says if the state sticks to the pension plan the debt will be knocked down to $33.1 billion by 2045 and the systems will be 90 percent funded. The bad news is that Gov. J.B. PRITZKER doesn't want to stick to that plan. He wants to stretch out the payment schedule by seven years, during which less money will be put into the systems than the current payment plan calls for. That means less investment income will be earned and more money will have to be paid later. There is some pushback in the legislature to Pritzker's plan since a large part of the current pension debt is the result of lawmakers putting less money into the pensions than they were supposed to. The alternative, though, is putting more money into pensions and not spending it on other state programs, some of which may be very popular with lawmakers and voters alike. We'll find out in just few weeks which approach will win. * Senate Republicans took some criticism last week for not stretching out the debate on the graduated income tax constitutional amendment and three related bills. The argument basically went: How could the Senate spend less than 10 minutes debating such a monumental shift in state policy as an amendment to bring a graduated income tax to Illinois? Surely something like that deserved much more debate. The Senate Democrats clearly thought the discussion was going to go on a lot longer than it did. Sen. TONY MUNOZ, D-Chicago, who was presiding at the time, announced from the chair that the timer would be in use while the amendment and bills were debated. That means that when a speaker reaches the end of his or her allotted time, they are admonished to finish up or face the threat of having their microphone shut off. But the timer wasn't needed. Only two Republicans spoke on the proposed amendment and one on each of the other bills. With virtually no GOP speechifying, there was no need for Democrats to step in to defend the legislation. Rather than criticize the Republicans, give them credit for dealing with reality. They didn't have the numbers to stop the amendment or any of the tax bills. Moreover, when major legislation like this is coming to a floor vote, speeches don't change votes, no matter how eloquent the argument. The Republicans spoke enough to get their arguments on record for opposing the bills. That was enough. Take the vote and move on. * Some special guests showed up in the Senate just after the votes were taken. JERRY REINSDORF, owner of the Chicago Bulls and White Sox, OZZIE GUILLEN, former manager of the White Sox, and HORACE GRANT, former forward for the Chicago Bulls, all dropped in. Senate President JOHN CULLERTON, D-Chicago, offered warm greetings. "We'd like to welcome you to Springfield and I think we just raised your income taxes," he said. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Kentuckys 2019 Teacher of the Year, Jessica Duenas and Minnesotas 2018 Teacher of the Year, Kelly Holstine boycotted a meeting with President Trump on Monday that was meant to honor state winners of the award. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos were also part of the meeting. The two teachers boycotted the event to protest the administrations policies concerning education, immigration and LGBTQ rights. Duenas teaches sixth grade special education at the W.E.B. DuBois Academy in Louisville, Ky. Shes the daughter of a Cuban refugee and a Latina mother who was formerly undocumented. Holstine teaches high school English at Tokata Learning Center in Shakopee, Minn. I spent a lot of time thinking about this decision but we needed to make our own choice about what felt right for us, Holstine said in an interview with Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaikh on Democracy Now! And for me, I work at a school that is extremely diverse. Its an alternative high school in Shakopee. And the policies and the words and the actions of this administration show a great deal of discrimination and prejudice and hatred toward the students that I serve. And I could not, in good conscience, even implicitly support people who hate my kids. Duenas also spoke to Democracy Now! about how the administrations education policies are affecting schools in poor areas of Kentucky. One of the biggest issues that Kentucky is facing right now in terms of education is adequately funding our public schools, she said. If we allow the privatization agenda that the Trump administration is pushing and also the state administration right now in Kentucky is pushing to happen, the funding that is already barely there for our public schools is going to diminish and get even worse. Duenas and Holstine also expressed support for their fellow teachers who did decide to attend the meeting, including the National Teacher of the Year, Virginias Rodney Robinson. I respect that location and the position. And I really respect the folks in our cohort who chose to be a part of that. And Im very much a believer in freedom of speech, and I support that everyone shows that and demonstrates that right in different ways, Holstine said. All 48 of the other state winners agreed to attend Mondays meeting with the President. Watch Duenas and Holstines appearance on Democracy Now! below. In the Q&A session of Apple's Financial Conference Call for Fiscal Q2 2019 Apple's CEO was optimistic that things would turn around in China. Shannon Cross of Cross Research asked Cook if he could talk a bit more about what he was seeing in China? The forth point Cook made in answering Cross was: "there is an improved trade dialogue between the US and China and from our point of view this has affected consumer confidence on the ground there in a positive way. And so I think it's a set of all of these things and we certainly feel a lot better than we did 90 days ago." There's now a chance that Cook's "forth point" on China may be in question if the US-China trade talks break down this week. In less than a week later, that "confidence" has been shaken on Wall Street today and could be bad for Apple if the rhetoric and amped up any further. But as of now, Wall Street's knee jerk reaction has calmed by gaining half of the morning's losses. CNBC reports today that "Stocks fell on Monday after President Donald Trump said that the U.S. will hike tariffs on goods imported from China, but managed to recover a good chunk of those losses around late-morning trading. Larry Benedict, founder of The Opportunistic Trader said that "A lot of people were caught long. But the reaction is actually relatively under control considering its a pretty big headline. I think [Trump] is trying to put pressure on China to make a move." Trump said in a tweet Sunday afternoon that the current 10% levies on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods will rise to 25% on Friday. He also threatened to impose 25% tariffs on an additional $325 billion of Chinese goods "shortly." 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 Though trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing officials are set to resume on Wednesday, the president lamented that the progress is moving too slowly as China tries to re-negotiate terms of the deal. Trump said in another tweet Monday that the U.S. is losing between $600 and $800 billion a year on trade, noting: Were not going to be doing that anymore. Amen to that. Read more on CNBC's report here. Ratcheting up the rhetoric before trade talks with China on Wednesday is perhaps a tactic to raise the heat on China. Though it should be noted that there are some Apple suppliers that have been opening production plants in Vietnam as a backup plan should the trade talks fail to produce a positive agreement. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. In mid-March Patently Apple posted a report titled "Spotify has Filed a Formal Complaint against Apple with the European Commission about it's Unfair Apple Store." The claim centers around Apple charging a 30% fee on developers for in-app subscription purchases made through the App Store. The firm says those fees make it nigh impossible to keep its prices competitive with Apple Music. The EU Commissioner has an itchy trigger finger when it comes to investigating and then charging massive fines on US companies over the last few years. In this situation, Apple responded quickly to Spotify's complaint within days stating that "After using the App Store for years to dramatically grow their business, Spotify seeks to keep all the benefits of the App Store ecosystem including the substantial revenue that they draw from the App Stores customers without making any contributions to that marketplace." Apple's response was like talking to the wind. The EU's threat of investigating will reportedly become a formal investigation in the next few weeks. The EU competition authority has decided to launch an antitrust probe into Apples conduct after considering the complaint and surveying customers, rivals and others in the market, the Financial Times reported, citing three unnamed sources. The investigation comes as the battle for the future of the music industry intensifies. Spotify, which last month hit 100m paid subscribers to its service, is the market leader in music streaming but faces increasing competition from bigger technology players, namely Apple who has overtaken Spotify in the U.S. The Financial Times further reports that "Thomas Vinje, a lawyer at Clifford Chance who worked on Spotifys complaint, said other groups had 'similar concerns' but were 'too afraid to take on Apple. In 2017, Margrethe Vestager, the EUs competition commissioner, forced the tech group to pay 13bn in back taxes after ruling its sweetheart tax deal amounted to illegal state-aid from Ireland. The company and the Irish government appealed against the decision to the European General Court, which is expected to rule later this year. Apple is not the only tech group in Brussels crosshairs. The EU Commission forced Google to pay a record-breaking 8bn in penalties for abusing its market power in three separate cases. Microsoft also struggled with EU enforcers in the 2000s and paid about 2bn in fines." These cases have ignited claims of anti-American bias. For more on this read the full Financial Times report here. Under President Obama, the U.S. Treasury investigated retaliatory measures against the EU's aggressive investigation of Apple & other US companies. Unfortunately it was all bark and no bite. What would help is having Apple fans drop Spotify and other European streaming services out of protest. There's been a lot of anger being expressed on this issue by U.S. businesses. Investor's Business Daily posted a report in 2017 titled "EU's Antitrust Attack On Google Is Really An Attack On U.S. High-Tech Innovation." The report concluded by stating that "Both the president and Congress should work together to put an end to this kind of abusive antitrust behavior by foreign governments." About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. Samsungs 13-inch Notebook 9 Pro (2019) combines sleek design, good battery life, and forward-looking Thunderbolt 3 ports. Despite its shiny new Whiskey Lake processor, though, performance is compromised by the convertible design. Samsungs Notebook 9 Pro (2019) presents you with a study in contrasts. This 13.3-inch, stylish convertible offers the latest Intel Whiskey Lake chip, a generous number of ports, and strong performance in traditional office applications, all for an attractive price. We did encounter a few quirks with our review unit, most of which were attributable to its pre-production status. As Samsung confirmed in a formal statement, Samsung provided PC World with a pre-production device to ensure the product could be reviewed in a timely fashion, and as such, some of the devices features may not be final. Consumers purchasing the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro will have a full and complete experience out of the box. Others problems we encountered likely didnt apply. We didnt like the keyboard design, for instance, and the laptops performance cratered under our more strenuous testslikely due to the thermal compromises convertible laptops often suffer. Battery life was average, though an understated battery plus mode propelled it to the top of the heap. Even with those shortcomings, however, this $1,099 laptop could still be a good choice for someone sticking to mainstream applications. Mark Hachman / IDG As a convertible, the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019) flips easily into tent or tablet modes. Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019) basic specs: Samsungs Notebook 9 Pro has a pretty nice component list: an up-to-date Intel Core i7 processor, sufficient memory, and a somewhat roomy SSD. Samsung also added a pen stylus for free, a nice bonus. Here are the details: Display: 13.3-inch (1080p) LED 13.3-inch (1080p) LED Processor: Intel 1.8GHz Core i7-8565U (Whiskey Lake) Intel 1.8GHz Core i7-8565U (Whiskey Lake) Graphics: Intel UHD 620 Intel UHD 620 Memory: 8G-16GB LPDDR3 (8GB as tested) 8G-16GB LPDDR3 (8GB as tested) Storage: 256GB-512GB NVMe PCIe SSD (256GB as tested) 256GB-512GB NVMe PCIe SSD (256GB as tested) Ports: One USB-C, two Thunderbolt 3, microSD, 3.5mm One USB-C, two Thunderbolt 3, microSD, 3.5mm Camera: 720p HD Camera (user-facing) 720p HD Camera (user-facing) Battery: 55.2Wh 55.2Wh Wireless: 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 Operating system: Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Home Dimensions: 12.1 x 8.1 x 0.55 inches 12.1 x 8.1 x 0.55 inches Weight: 2.92 pounds, 3.36 pounds with charger (measured) 2.92 pounds, 3.36 pounds with charger (measured) Color: Platinum Titan Platinum Titan Additional features: Active Pen, fingerprint reader Active Pen, fingerprint reader Price: $1,099 (Samsung.com) as configured We last reviewed the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro as a 15-inch model. While a 15-inch versionRemove non-product link is still available, the model were reviewing here is the smaller, 13-inch version. The Samsung Notebook 9 Pros aluminum chassis (in the solid color of Platinum Titan) is stylishly etched with diamond-cut ridges along the edges. The flourish is functional, too, as the ridges make it easier to grip. Mark Hachman / IDG At under 3 pounds, the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019) is surprisingly light. The Notebook 9 Pro is subtly sturdy. At 2.72 pounds, the weight reminds me more of a Chromebooks, but with premium construction. Structurally, there was no discernible flex in the chassis. It easily and smoothly folds back 360 degrees into tablet mode. A somewhat dense charger pushes the combined weight to 3.42 pounds, though you could likely day-trip without it, given the laptops good battery life. Mark Hachman / IDG On the right-hand side of the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019) sits a standard (5Gbps) USB-C port, plus a microSD slot and the power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader. The display on Samsungs Notebook 9 Pro has a few special features. Our review unit shipped with a Full HD (19201080) IPS display that yielded a good maximum brightness of 296 nits. (We consider 250 nits the minimum for everyday use.) A couple of display adjustments in the Samsung Settings (which well discuss in further detail below) let you tweak the color warmth through the Display tab. Configuring the Notebook 9 Pro into reading mode, for example, adds a yellowish cast to the display. Theres also an AMOLED photo mode that aims to provide rich photo color. Placing the laptop into Battery performance mode (via the Power management section) has the greatest effect. Samsung imposes a jet-black background onto the display in a bid to reduce power usage. As youll see in our benchmarks, it works effectively. Typing experience and ports Samsung seems to subscribe to the Apple belief that thin is in. An unfortunate side effect is that the butterfly-style keyboard on the Notebook 9 Pro is too shallow for comfortable use. Part of the discomfort may be due to the fact that the otherwise spacious keys, when fully depressed, feel noticeably lower than the surface of the keyboard. It feels a bit strange. Other laptops weve tested use keys that sink to the level of the keyboard, but no further. Mark Hachman / IDG On the left of the Notebook 9 Pro, theres a pair of more forward-looking Thunderbolt 3 ports (10Gbps), plus a headphone jack. I do like Samsungs propensity for popping up brief explanations when you tap a function key, such as when it cycles through three different levels of keyboard lighting. As with other Samsung notebooks, the Settings key (F1) pops up Samsungs own Settings menu, rather than Windows. (Huaweis Matebook series does this as well.) The F10 key on our Notebook 9 Pro was a bit wonky. Pressing it is supposed to reveal the shortcuts available to various functions, but it didnt work for usa likely preproduction bug. But pressing Fn+F10 does something more interesting: it enables Samsung Securitys Secret Screen, which quickly turns your window semi-transparent to hide its contents. Mark Hachman / IDG While we think youll like the spacious, accommodating keyboard layout, a lack of comfortable key travel makes the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019) uncomfortable to type on for long periods. Weirdly, I found this feature as productive as it was secure. I used it to peek at the window underneath my active window, to refer to my notes while typing this review, for example. An unexpected benefit! The trackpad is large and smooth, and responsive across the majority of its surface. Theres also a dedicated function key to turn it off. Mark Hachman / IDG A closer look at the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019)s function keys. The Notebook 9 Pros downward-facing speakers provide a satisfactory volume level and a neutral sound up and down the audio spectrum, though the low end sounds a bit hollow. Samsungs own settings menu offers a range of audio presets, but selecting them in turn didnt seem to make much of a difference. Were seeing more laptops with biometric authentication and cameras, but vendors are still playing with where and how to implement them. In our earlier review of the Samsung Notebook 9 Pen, the fingerprint reader was embedded in the keyboard. With the Notebook 9 Pro, it moved to the power button on the right side. Mark Hachman / IDG The side speaker grilles dont seem to play into the Samsung Notebook 9 Pros ability to cool itself, which appears to have a limiting effect on performance. While the side-mounted sensors surface area is a fraction of the size of the keyboard version, the Notebook 9 didnt seem to have any issues unlocking via my fingerprint, though it occasionally required a few taps. Theres no wake on fingerprint feature, though its easy enough to tap the power button once, then slide your finger over the built-in reader. Right next to the power button/fingerprint reader are a microSD slot and a USB-C port. Samsung doesnt include a USB-C dock or dongle inside the box, meaning that youll probably be forced to invest in a relatively inexpensive USB-C hub to connect to an external display, USB-A key, or external storage. On the left-hand side of the chassis are another pair of USB-C ports, this time equipped with Thunderbolt I/O capabilities. To the average consumer the furor over Thunderbolt may be a tempest in a teapot; there hardly are any displays that accept a native Thunderbolt connection. But the faster I/O capabilities (10Gbps) also mean that you wont run into any contention when using multiple peripherals over a USB-C hub. All three USB-C ports accept the charger input, and you can configure the right-hand port to supply power for charging a phone by adjusting a toggle in the Samsung Settings app. Theres also a dedicated headphone jack. Samsung includes an Active Pen with each Notebook 9 Pro. Pens are a storage issue for virtually all notebook PC manufacturers. Samsungs Notebook 9 Pen featured a thoughtful holster to store the pen, though we managed to get it jammed in the slot. The Notebook 9 Pro lacks such a storage compartment, but so do most notebooks. The pen takes a AAAA battery. Mark Hachman / IDG The rear of the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019) preserves the minimalist design. Samsung Settings and the beauty camera Weve seen a number of laptops ship with their own utilities that facilitate upgrading the BIOS, perform hardware status checks, and manage other under-the-hood tasks.Samsung doesnt aspire to this level of functionality. Instead, it adds its own Samsung Settings, which appear on the taskbar. Mark Hachman / IDG Here youll find some of the more understated yet significant aspects of the notebook, including the various power modes, some basic audio equalization options, and more. While some of these reproduce the functions of Windows own Settings menu, many offer something more. Its worth poking through these to evaluate your options. One odd quirk doesnt appear in Samsung Settings at all. In addition to the usual Windows bloatware, Samsung has also put its own spin on the Camera app, which intelligently tries to improve your appearance. This beauty camera contains several preconfigured settings, with cosmetic modifications to each. For example, the camera will try to narrow your chin, enlarge your eyes, or add color to your cheeks and lips. Mark Hachman / IDG This guys in need of some help. You can even tailor the beauty camera to your own tastes, which can create some horrific effects. One note: The whiten control fortunately appears to slightly lighten the entire scene, and not just the face. Still, who thought this concept was a good idea in 2019? Mark Hachman / IDG Samsungs beauty camera tries, but cant do anything here. In fact, my (custom) efforts to improve my appearance have created a (slimmer) monster. Additional performance modes, quirks You may be aware that Windows allows most notebooks to adjust performance to the benefit (or detriment) of battery life. We typically leave the settings at the factory defaults, reflecting the vendors intentions to favor one or the other. With the Notebook 9 Pro, Samsung includes its three custom modes, all accessible within the Samsung Settings app: a maximum performance mode, the opposing battery plus mode, and a silent mode that turns the fan off under all scenarios. We tested all three as an adjunct to our normal performance testing. The short answer: We saw absolutely no benefit to the maximum performance mode, an alarming drop in performance under silent mode, and a worthwhile improvement in battery life under battery plus mode. In part, that appears to be because the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro cant cool itself as well as some of its competition can. Intels Core i7-8565U is a 15-watt part, capable of a 1.8GHz base clock but also able to run at 25 watts and a sustained speed of 2GHz, under load. Using a CPU test like Cinebench (explained below), Samsungs notebook can jump into a overclocked burst mode, reaching speeds of 3.6GHz to 4GHz for a time. Using an Intel tool called Power Gadget, we can log the clock speeds and power consumption of Notebook Pro 9 and its competition over time. What we found is that the Notebook 9 Pros Core i7-8565U had to drop out of a sustained boost mode more quickly, for example, than another notebook also powered by the I7-8565U, the Huawei Matebook Pro 13. If we had to make a guess, its that not enough air is being circulated around the processor to allow it to run as fast as its competition. Performance results We evaluate each notebook using a mix of real-world tests and synthetic benchmarks. We noticed an enormous discrepancy between the older PCMark tests, which tax the CPU intermittently, and the more CPU-intensive stress tests, which we detail a bit further below. Its rare to see such a pronounced gap PCMarks PCMark 8 tests (Work, Home, and Creative) split up workloads between three separate tests. The Work test measures basic office tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet work, and some VoIP calls. Any score over 2,000 is a good score, and the Notebook 9 Pro clears that handily. Mark Hachman / IDG If youre buying the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro as a strictly office machine, the PCMark Work benchmark says that youve made a wise choice. Even in the Home and Creative tests, which shift the emphasis to light gaming, photo manipulation, and video editing, the Notebook 9 Pro fares pretty well. Were keeping in mind the Notebook 9 Pros $1,000 price, too, which undercuts the faster HP Spectre series by quite a bit. Mark Hachman / IDG Mark Hachman / IDG The Notebook 9 Pro (2019) does well in PCMark 8 Creative, though many of the scores are closely packed because they use similar components. Cinebench is a brief CPU test in which a static 3D scene is rendered by the laptop processors cores and threads working together in concert. This tests lackluster results caused us to start digging for reasons, which weve theorized above is due to poor cooling. Mark Hachman / IDG Its shocking how quickly the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019) falls to the bottom rung of this computationally-intensive test. While the Cinebench benchmark is a quick sprint, the HandBrake benchmark converts a Hollywood movie into a format that can be viewed with an Android tablet. Its a practical, real-world task, as well as a telling benchmark: How quickly can you prep a movie for viewing on a tablet, when your flight leaves in a few hours? Again, we see that the Notebook 9 Pro simply cant keep up. Mark Hachman / IDG Ugh, again. The Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019) simply cant sustain a prolonged computational load. Our final performance benchmark is based on the 3DMark Sky Diver benchmark, which puts general-purpose laptops like the Notebook 9 Pro through their graphics paces. Dont consider this notebook to be a gaming notebook at all, though you should find older 2D sprite-based games, and even some 3D-ish games like Trine, will run acceptably. Mark Hachman / IDG This test indicates that the 3D graphics performance of this class of notebooks is essentially the same, with the exception of the two notebooks that include discrete GPUs, at the top. Battery life is our final benchmark, and its worth discussing in a bit of detail. We set the laptops brightness at about 250 nits, which we consider to be an acceptable brightness level for indoor work, then loop a 4K video over and over until the laptop runs out of power. Normally, we leave the notebook at default settings, as weve done here. Our review units battery was specd at 55.2 watt-hours, through Windows reported that the full charge capacity was 52.9 watt-hours. About ten hours of battery life is perfectly respectablebut wait, theres more! Mark Hachman / IDG If you run the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019) under the standard battery mode, you should see just under ten hours of battery life, which is perfectly reasonable. But under the battery plus mode, we saw a battery life of 786 minutes (13.1 hours), nearly at the top of the charts. We also tested with Samsungs built-in battery plus mode, and saw an enormous improvement: over 13.1 hours! Battery plus mode does dial down the performance somewhat, but we were pleased to find that it still enabled our test movie to loop without any noticeable degradation. (The battery plus mode dials down the screen brightness significantly. Before we tested it, however, we restored the screen brightness to our default testing intensity.) Mark Hachman / IDG Battery-plus mode blacks out the background and puts the laptop into power saver mode. While we wouldnt recommend running in battery-plus mode on a normal basis, that extra battery life could come in handy on a long flight, or a day packed with meetings or classes. We think this is a noteworthy feature. Conclusion There are depths to Samsungs Notebook 9 Pro (2019) that justify diving a bit deeper than we might normally. Whether its the convertible for you depends on what youre looking for in a PC. Are you looking for a lightweight, attractive notebook with the potential for long battery life? Are you ready to commit to modern, USB-C Thunderbolt ports, or is there still a need for USB Type-A legacy connections? Does its robust performance in real-world office applications outweigh its collapse when put under prolonged load? Given that the majority of ones day is probably spent on the web or on office work, were inclined to weight those aspects a bit more heavily. But were not ignoring some obvious improvements that Samsung could make, either in processor performance or the keyboard. Our rating of 3.5 stars reflects how the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019) feels a bit deficient in places. Still, you cant argue with the relatively low price and extended-battery options. Value, in the end, may be the best reason for buying Samsungs latest Notebook 9 Pro. Last year, Microsoft brought artificial intelligence to PowerPoint with Ideas, a tool to suggest improvements to presentations. Now Microsoft is adapting Ideas to Microsoft Word, offering ideas to enhance your writing as well. Although Word already corrects misspelled words and suggests changes to your grammar, Ideas goes a bit further. Not only does the service summarize the word length and how long it will take to read your document, it also looks more closely at your language, suggesting more appropriate words when appropriate. Ideas also looks at your language to make sure its appropriately gender-inclusive. Microsoft announced the changes at its Microsoft Build developer showcase in Seattle on Monday. Microsoft Ideas for Word summarizes your document and improves the language. Ideas continues to evolve how Office taps artificial intelligence and collaboration to improve further. It wasnt so long ago that Office documents lacked real-time autosaving to OneDrive. Earlier versions of Word included Office Insights, which taps Bing for more context on a given word. Now, Word not only allows real-time collaboration and editing via the cloud, Words new Ideas feature will automatically send emails to colleagues asking for assistance. Microsoft If you @ someone using Ideas for Word, heres what the recipient will receive. Mary Votava Sheppard, a senior product marketing manager at Microsoft, explained how. By essentially writing yourself a note, Word will add a note to your To-Do list, assuming you have it enabled. If you at someone elsesuch as writing @JoeSmith before a piece of text, Word will send an email to the appropriate person, including the context of the quote, and ask that person to follow up. Update: Protection from abuse filing against Harrisburg district judge dismissed BELLEFONTE -- A hearing scheduled for this morning on a temporary protection from abuse order filed against a Harrisburg district judge has been postponed. A 20-year-old State College woman had filed for the PFA against Magisterial District Judge Hanif Johnson. According to the order, she said Johnson sexually assaulted her three times and made multiple harassing phone calls. Magisterial District Judge Hanif Johnson. A date for a new hearing has not yet been set, but Centre County President Judge Pamela Ruest said until that hearing, the temporary PFA remains in effect, and Johnson is to have no contact with the woman who filed the petition. The continuance was granted to allow her to seek legal representation for the upcoming hearing, which will be held to determine whether or not the PFA will be extended or made permanent. In the PFA filing, the 20-year-old said she confronted Johnson April 25 on the social media platform Instagram, accusing him of sexually assaulting her. He told her she was way off on her recollection of the event, but she goes on to say in the petition that Johnson repeatedly called her and sent her text messages from different numbers. In the filing, she accuses him of forced sexual contact on three occasions with physical restraint, as well as ongoing threatening and harassing phone calls. Johnson declined to comment following Mondays court appearance. A Harrisburg High School SciTech Campus and Penn State graduate, Johnson was elected to his seat as magisterial district judge in November 2017 at the age of 27. While in high school, Johnson was a stand-out track and field athlete. He went on to become the captain of Penn States track and field team, but while he was there, he had a brush with the law. Johnson was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, and it was a membership in that group, and its affiliation with the "little sister" organization called Omega Essence, that led to Johnson and two women being charged after an 18-year-old freshman from Owing Mills, Maryland, was assaulted in an apparent initiation ritual. Court records show that Johnson went to trial and was found not guilty of the most serious charges he was facing -- simple assault and conspiracy to commit simple assault, both misdemeanors. Though acquitted by the jury, the judge in the case handed down a conviction on two summary harassment charges. During his run for district judge, Johnson told PennLive the ordeal taught him that as a judge, you cant treat people like cases and everyone who comes before the court is a human being. A new PFA hearing will likely be set within 30 to 45 days. It was reported as a traffic accident, until police discovered the driver had been shot in the head. Now, police in Philadelphia are searching for a suspect who fired 10 shots at a 29-year-old man driving a car around 3:30 a.m. Saturday on the 500 block of West Cumberland Street, 6ABC in Philly reports. The identity of the man shot in the head and killed had not been released at last report. Police tell 6ABC he crashed his car while driving away from the hail of bullets. Police said the victim got into a fight with an unknown gunman about a block away. The gunman opened fire, getting off at least 10 shots. The driver tried to speed away from the scene after being shot, but ultimately crashed into a fence on the 400 block of West Cumberland Street, police said. The impact of the crash caused the cars engine to catch fire, prompting the original police and fire calls for a fiery car crash -- not a shooting. (Story continues below) Police said a 29-year-old man has died after he crashed his car while attempting to drive away from someone firing a gun at him with a bullet in his head Saturday night. https://t.co/1OCOCYLTHW Action News on 6abc (@6abc) May 5, 2019 But once arriving officials saw the gunshot wound to the victims head, they rushed him to Temple University Hospital. But the man was pronounced dead a short time later at the hospital. The investigation continues. Are you rubbing your temples as you read this story? An insurance group took a look at the mental health concerns Americans most often type into online search engines. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Google is a popular way for people to look for more information on symptoms or concerns. In Pennsylvania, the most Googled mental health concern is stress headaches. However, while internet searches are useful and online screenings can help, talking to someone in real life and finding treatment is a better way to turn things around. Reach out to your primary care doctor, or call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-877-726-4727 to find a provider or facility that can help. Top mental health concerns by state Pervasive illness More than 44 million U.S. adults experience some form of mental illness, according to Mental Health America, and youth rates are on the rise. For example, a new study shows adolescents are attempting suicide by overdose at increasing rates. Researchers at Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and the Central Ohio Poison Center found medication overdose suicide attempts have more than doubled since 2000. The rate is even higher for girls. If you think you might be suicidal, call the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) The Anxiety and Depression Association of America offers tips for dealing with stress. Dealing with stress Now, back to those stress headaches across Pennsylvania: If youre feeling like your head might explode, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America offers tips for dealing with stress: Maintain a positive attitude Learn what triggers your anxiety Accept that you cant control everything Limit alcohol and caffeine Eat well-balanced meals regularly Sleep Work out Top mental health concerns in the U.S. More findings The study on Googled mental health concerns, done by TermLifeToGo.com, also found: Across the country, the most-searched mental health concerns were internet addiction, major depressive disorder and memory loss. Seasonal affective disorder was the top in Alaska, where residents can go days without seeing the sun in winter. Utahs most googled concern was postpartum depression. The CDC routinely places Utah in the top 10 states for birth rates. People in New York, home to one of the most expensive cities in the nation, searched financial stress more than any other term. May is Mental Health Month was started 70 years ago by Mental Health America, a nonprofit group that addresses mental health needs. The Associated Press and Tribune News Services contributed to this report. A heroin dealer who gave out free samples and then shot and killed a man who urged him to stop has failed to convince a state Superior Court panel that he shouldnt spend the rest of his life in prison. In an opinion by Judge Deborah A. Kunselman, the state court rejected Jesus Pagans claim that he didnt get a fair trial before the Philadelphia jury that convicted him of first-degree murder. The killing, Kunselman noted, occurred in September 2013 when Pagan held a drug give-away on the streets of the citys Kensington neighborhood as part of a push to expand his market-share. Free samples attracted quite the crowd of addicts, Kunselman noted. The crowd, in turn, attracted the attention of residents Charles Jones and Justin Carter, who asked one of Pagans mid-level dealers to halt the giveaway to protect the local children. Pagan overheard that conversation, ordered another of his dealers to give him a pistol, and started shooting, the state judge wrote. As the addicts fled, Pagan fatally shot Carter in the back, police said. In challenging his murder conviction, Pagan insisted his lawyer was hamstrung during the trial because a key witness, the mid-level drug dealer who spoke with Carter and Jones, didnt show up as a prosecution witness. Instead, the Philly judge allowed that mans testimony to be entered by introducing a transcript of the testimony the absent witness gave when he did appear for Pagans preliminary hearing. Kunselman found no flaw in allowing that testimony, citing the unsuccessful attempts by prosecutors to find the vanished witness and convince him to testify during Pagans murder trial. Pagans lawyer had ample opportunity to cross-examine that witness during the preliminary hearing, she found. The state judges also rejected Pagans argument that prosecutors didnt provide sufficient evidence to support his homicide conviction. Pagan argued the witnesses against him were inconsistent and highly unreliable. Eight members of the March on Harrisburg group thats pressing for ethics reforms in state government were forcibly removed from the House gallery Monday afternoon after showering several hundred $1 bills onto the Pa. State House floor at the opening of session. The removals came as part of an ongoing series of civil disobedience actions over the past two years to press for action on a bill that would ban the time-honored practice of gift-giving to Pennsylvanias state senators and representatives. In all, 17 protestors affiliated with the group - including nine persons involved in an earlier incident - were cited for disorderly conduct by Capitol Police. At present, Pennsylvania lawmakers are barred by chamber rules from accepting cash gifts (aside from separately-reported campaign contributions) or taking other gifts in exchange for direct action - otherwise known as bribes. And Gov. Tom Wolf has imposed a strict gift ban within the executive branch. But lobbyists and special interests can and do enhance relationships with legislators through gifts ranging from travel to ski passes to Super Bowl tickets. The only requirement is that any gifts worth more than $250, and hospitality or lodging worth more than $650 in the aggregate be publicly disclosed with the State Ethics Commission. House State Government Committee Chairman Garth Everett, R-Lycoming County, has left the door open to consideration of a gift ban bill this session, but March on Harrisburg spokeswoman Emmie DeCicco said Mondays actions are meant to show marchers arent going to accept lip service on the issue. As the House was gavelled into session Monday, some of the protestors dropped a banner reading Some Are Guilty, All Are Responsible. Pass the Gift Ban Now!, while two others tossed an estimated $500 in paper one-dollar bills marked bribe" onto the floor below. The incident occurred shortly after the pledge of allegiance, and while some members were still reporting to the floor. Chief Clerk Dave Reddecliff said Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny County, took the session into recess while Capitol Police assisted House security in escorting the chanting protestors out of the House gallery, and other staffers cleaned up the cash. The point, DeCicco said, was to remind all lawmakers that until they act, the marchers consider everyone responsible for the culture of corruption in Harrisburg... Everyone wants to hide behind each other and pass the blame." The House interruption followed by minutes a separate action at the Capitols East Wing entrance where twelve other activists with currency taped over their mouths to symbolize the silencing of voters by special interests were removed for blocking the entrance. A state Department of General Services spokesman said nine of those demonstrators were cited. (DGS is the state agency that includes Capitol Police.) Reddecliff told PennLive that while the House gallery protest was unusual, he didnt consider it a lapse in security since the objects used in the protest were not the kinds of things - like weapons - that House security officers typically screen for. We will have a discussion with our security team to see if anybody has any suggestions, Reddecliff said. But how do you screen for something like a sheet? State leaders and family members honored the service Monday of a deputy U.S. marshal killed during a shoot-out that followed a police raid in Harrisburg last January. Deputy Marshal Christopher Hill and two other Pennsylvania law enforcement officers who died while on duty were remembered during the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Polices 26th Annual Law Enforcement Memorial Day Service at the Forum. Other officers honored during Mondays ceremony were: York City Officer Alex Sable, 38, a SWAT team member who suffered a fatal heart attack during a water rescue training exercise in Dundalk, Md. last May 6. New Castle Det. Sgt. Brian Cuscino, 44, who suffered a fatal heart attack last April 19 while in training for a special response team there. Also remembered Monday was Philadelphia Police Officer Raymond Diaz Jr., who died Sept. 9, 2016, as a result of complications from injuries sustained when his patrol car was struck by another vehicle while Diaz was responding to a burglary. Diaz was 47. Survivors of the fallen officers received a medal of ultimate sacrifice from Gov. Tom Wolf, and were invited to place flowers representing their slain family member on the FOPs memorial wreath. In his remarks, Wolf said the service is a good time to pay tribute to all police officers serving in Pennsylvania. To serve the public is to face a fear of the unknown each day. You dont know what will happen when you knock on the door with a warrant, or pull over an errant driver during a traffic stop, or respond to a domestic violence call," the governor said. It takes a unique bravery to run toward danger, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for having the bravery to do this job. And, for your strength to carry on when your brothers and sisters fall into harms way." Les Neri, president of the State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, said the memorial ceremony is an important show of support for police officers and those who love them. We take pride in honoring the lives of these courageous men who were dedicated to making our citizens safe," Neri said. "The individuals were honoring today as heroes, their families are going to miss them as husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, nephews, and that stays with them every day. Hill, 45 years old and a York resident, was killed during a multi-agency raid to arrest Shayla L. Towles Pierce at home in the 1800 block of Mulberry Street. He was hit by friendly fire after Pierces boyfriend, Kevin Sturgis, surprised officers who were taking Pierce into custody by opening fire from the second floor of the home. Members of the task force returned fire, and bullets penetrated an interior wall, striking Hill, who was clearing a back room. Hill was wearing a bullet-proof vest, but the bullet hit a gap near his armhole and penetrated his chest. A married, father of two, Hill was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the U.S. Marshals Service for 11 years. A central Pennsylvania man who broke into his estranged wifes home and killed her sleeping boyfriend with a sawed-off shotgun didnt get a raw deal when he was convicted of first-degree murder and burglary, a state appeals court has found. That decision by the Superior Court upholds the life prison term Mario Casanova-Lanzo is serving after a Lancaster County jury found him guilty last year for the February 2013 slaying of 36-year-old Parrish Thaxton. President Judge Emeritus Correale F. Stevens noted in the state court opinion that Casanova-Lanzo, now 42, broke into his wifes Columbia home by smashing a window. Casanova-Lanzos young son, one of his six children who were in the house, saw his father go into the second-floor bedroom were Casanovas ex and Thaxton were sleeping, the judge noted. Police said Casanova-Lanzo shot Thaxton once in the chest and then in the face while yelling for Thaxton to get out. The next day, Casanova-Lanzo surrendered to police. On appeal, Casanova-Lanzo argued that his trial wasnt fair because county Judge Howard F. Knisely didnt allow his lawyer to fully cross-examine his estranged wife about an intimate encounter she had with Casanove-Lanzo a week before the slaying. During that incident, Thaxton walked in on the woman and Casanova-Lanzo having sex, and a fight between the men ensued, Stevens noted. He rejected Casanova-Lanzos argument that the incident showed he was permitted to enter his ex-wifes home and so should not have been convicted of burglary. That argument defies logic, Stevens found. The fact that Ms. Casanova consented to the intimate encounteron one occasion did not give (Casanova-Lanzo) license or privilege to enter her home without her invitation or consent any time he wished, the judge wrote. He added that Casanova-Lanzo cannot credibly claim that he had permission to enter the home when he did not have a key to the home and gained entry by breaking the kitchen window. For years, Pennsylvania lawmakers wanted state government and school employees pension plans to look more like the 401(k)-style plans in the private sector. But its pretty clear most didnt want that kind of retirement plan for themselves. A state law passed in 2017 to revamp the pension plans for future state workers and school employees. That law included a provision that gave lawmakers until the end of March of this year to decide whether to switch from the traditional guaranteed pension plan into one of the new plan options. As of April 1, only 20 of the 218 lawmakers who participated in the state pension system at that time chose the 401(k)-style plan option, according to a PennLive analysis. PennLive obtained records from the State Employees Retirement System through a Right-to-Know request. The remaining 198 including 43 freshmen lawmakers who signed up for pension benefits elected the traditional guaranteed pension plan. Barry Shutt isnt surprised that lawmakers opted to forgo the new plan options and stick with their traditional pensions. Shutt, a retired state employee turned political activist, spends days at the Capitol sitting beside his pension liability clock that tracks the rising debt of the public pension systems by the second. The clock was climbing toward $70.4 billion last week. They talk the talk but they dont walk the walk, Shutt said, while sitting next to his clock recently. What they want everyone else to do, they dont want to do themselves. Thats typical of this place. We make the rules for everyone else that we dont follow. The modification to the two statewide public pension systems was viewed as necessary to curb the soaring cost of the pension plans on school districts and reduce the risk to the commonwealth in the event of a future recession or stock market crash. In signing the law, Gov. Tom Wolf, who declines pension benefits, hailed it as real meaningful pension reform. Most new hires in state government, including lawmakers, who started on or after Jan. 1 no longer can choose a traditional guaranteed pension plan. Instead, they are given the choice of a 401(k)-style plan or one of two hybrid plans that combine a 401(k)-style plan with a traditional pension plan. New employees in school districts who start on or after July 1 also will be limited to those options. None of the lawmakers picked either of the hybrid options. For the record, 32 House and Senate members, as of April 1, were listed as not participating in the pension system. Medicine that doesnt taste good Lawmakers set out to restructure the plan options offered by the two statewide public pension systems in the face of the systems roughly $70 billion unfunded liability. That gigantic debt more than twice the states general fund budget is the difference between pension benefits promised to current employees and retirees and money the systems currently have available to pay for those benefits. The debt has swelled over time as a result of the lucrative and unfunded expansion to the pension benefit formula in 2001, approved by that years Legislature and then-Gov. Tom Ridge. Inadequate contributions made by the commonwealth and school districts along the way and turbulence in the financial market didnt help matters. The 2017 pension reform law, which created the new retirement saving options for future hires, did nothing to pay down that debt, but did attempt to stop adding to it. This is the medicine that will move us forward in a way that future Legislatures will be proud of, said Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, a six-term Centre County Republican who was the head cheerleader for the pension legislation in 2017. Corman opted to remain in the traditional pension plan. He said he made that choice since he is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. It did not make sense for me to start over with a new retirement plan," Corman said. "The vast majority of the other state employees in the same situation made the same decision. Hes right. Only 70 of the more than 103,000 state government workers who were already in the traditional pension plan switched to one of the new plans. Sixty-five of those who switched chose the 401(k)-style option. The traditional pension plan - often referred to as a defined benefit plan - was seen as placing too much risk on the commonwealth to pay for the cost of benefits, if investment earnings came in lower than projected. The new pension options, with their inclusion of a 401(k)-style plan, were sought to lower the risk to the commonwealth and still provide a fair retirement savings plan for employees. Lawmakers in both parties overwhelmingly voted for the legislation to reform the pension systems. The House passed it by a 143-53 vote and the Senate approved the legislation, 40-9. The yes votes came predominantly from the Republican legislators in both chambers who saw it as a forward-looking cost saver to the commonwealth and more like the retirement savings plans offered in the private sector. The no votes came from lawmakers, all of whom chose to remain in the traditional pension plan, because some feared the new pension options could further destabilize the financial condition of the retirement systems. Some opposed it because it didnt go far enough to address the pension debt. Others said it took too long to provide relief to school districts with their pension costs. And still others saw value in preserving the defined benefit plan. Former state Rep. John Kennedy, who was a maverick when he served in the Legislature in the 1980s by refusing pension benefits and now works to elect lawmakers who will do the same, called lawmakers who voted for that pension bill yet remained in the traditional plan evidence of hypocrisy within the process among the individual members. If you didnt act on the intent of the legislation that you voted for and jump into a plan that would give you less, then what does that tell the 18 year old out there? Does that set an example for them that you are interested in their welfare? Kennedy said. Probably not." Choosing a pension plan The two highest elected officers in the House and Senate House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny County, and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County were yes votes on the pension reform law. Both opted to switch to the 401(k)-style plan. Pa. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, left, and Pa. House Speaker Mike Turzai both opted to enroll in a 401(k)-style plan. The two leaders of the state General Assembly were among only 20 lawmakers who opted for a 401(k)-style plan over the traditional pension plan. Turzai, who has served in the House since 2001, said he supported the legislation because he favors a plan that moved public sector employees into a retirement savings plan thats more like what the private sector has. Myself, I just went into the 401(k)-type plan, the defined contribution type plan, he said. I just felt that advocating for a 401(k) plan and having been in a 401(k) plan in the private sector and my wife having been in a 401(k) plan in the private sector, that was the best choice for me. Scarnati, who is in his 18th year in the Senate, said, Ive been in business all my life and I treated my decisions here like I would in my own business. I feel responsible to the taxpayers and somewhat to my own beliefs. House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler of Lancaster County, who is in the 12th year of his legislative career, also voted for the pension bill. Like Turzai and Scarnati, he chose to switch to the 401(k)-style option. I supported the measure, and Im using the defined contribution plan, because it reflects my continued commitment to supporting good government initiatives," Cutler said. "I also think options are important, especially for employees who serve the state for less than ten years [when they become vested in the traditional plan.] This plan allows those employees to leave with some retirement benefits, earned in a way that is respectful to the challenges facing our system. As for the other leaders, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, of Allegheny County, who has served in the Senate since 1996, and House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody, also all of Allegheny County, who has put in 28 years of legislative service, joined Corman in supporting the pension reform law. But like Corman, they chose to remain in the traditional plan. Everybody made a personal decision based on where they are at, Scarnati said. Turzai said it was a provision the Senate put in the bill that gave the option of staying in the traditional plan. He brushed off answering whether any guidance was given to House GOP members about choosing their own pension option. Matt Brouillette, president and CEO of Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, applauded Scarnati, Turzai, Cutler, and the 17 other lawmakers who led by example with their decision to switch to the 401(k)-style plan. He would have preferred to see a pension reform plan that offered only that option. Sadly, too many of their colleagues who heralded Pennsylvanias pension reform as historic, which it was, decided not to participate in a plan which saves taxpayer dollars, offers workers more flexibility, and begins to remove some of the public pension burden from hardworking Pennsylvanians, he said. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Browne, R-Lehigh County, said he did what he expected the more senior members and employees would do: Remain in the old plan. As a 24-year veteran lawmaker who played a dominant role in crafting the pension reform bill and voted for it, Browne said senior employees like himself would not fare as well in one of the newer pension plans as junior employees might. A 401(k)-style plan requires time to build up the earnings, whereas the pension systems traditional plan is based on final average salary, which used to be the average of an employees three highest years salary. The pension reform law changed that to the average of the five highest years salary. With more years of government service behind him than in front of him, Browne said it would be unlikely to replicate the benefits he would get under the old plan in one of the newer ones. So the expectation on more senior people in our workforce and thats across the board to make that choice is a lot less, he said. Thats part of the thought process people went through. Rep. Seth Grove, R-York County, shared a photo of the form he filled out to switch to the 401(k)-style pension plan option. Rep. Jim Cox, R-Berks County, touted the Houses passage in February of a pension-related bill that seeks to trim the roster of people who can participate in the state employees pension system by cutting off eligibility to future Susquehanna River Basin Commission employees. These are taxpayers dollars and we should try to save every one we can, 12-year veteran lawmaker Cox said in a news release about that legislation. Cox, who voted for the pension reform bill, opted to stay in the traditional pension plan. According to the retirement system records, the same goes for House Appropriations Committee Chairman Stan Saylor, R-York County; House Democratic Appropriations Committee Chairman Matt Bradford of Montgomery County; Rep. Mike Tobash, R-Schuylkill County (despite saying last year he would probably opt into one of the new plans); Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny County; Sen. John Gordner, R-Columbia County; Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks County; Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster County; and Sen. John Yudichak, D-Luzerne County, to name a few. The reasons given by lawmakers interviewed about why they chose to remain in the traditional plan despite voting for the pension reform bill often centered around what they considered best for their personal situation or where they were in their legislative career. Four-term incumbent Rep. Patty Kim, D-Harrisburg, was the only Democrat who voted for the pension reform bill and switched her own retirement savings option to the new 401(k)-style plan. I viewed the pension reform as the Legislatures effort to make the state retirement system more sustainable and closer to what the average Pennsylvania taxpayer has available to them," Kim said. I supported that so I thought I should follow through and be a participant in that new system. Rep. Seth Grove, R-York County, likewise, voted for the pension reform bill and switched to the 401(k)-style plan. He offered a myriad of reasons for making that change, including one that addresses a common public perception of lawmakers. Harrisburg has a greed reputation, the five-term incumbent lawmaker said. "Only way to get rid of it is show you arent greedy. PennLives Community engagement specialist Megan Lavey-Heaton assisted with the database search. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Start your day in the know. Sign up for Good Morning, Pennsylvania. President Donald Trump has nominated Perry County attorney Jennifer Philpott Wilson to serve as a judge for the U.S. Middle District Court of Pennsylvania. The nomination requires U.S. Senate confirmation to become final. If appointed, Wilson would fill a slot that became open when Judge Yvette Kane assumed senior judge status last fall. Wilson is a partner in Philpott Wilson LLP in Duncannon, a practice that handles criminal and civil matters, including family law. Her father Jerry Philpott is her law partner. She is an adjunct professor at the Penn State University Dickinson School of Law, where she teaches a course on written advocacy and judicial opinions. Before joining the Duncannon firm Wilson served as a trial attorney in the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. She formerly served as a law clerk to Judge Jon P. McCalla of the U.S. Western District Court of Tennessee and for Judge Julio M. Fuentes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. Philpott earned a bachelor of arts degree from Swarthmore College and her law degree from the Brooklyn Law School. Police in Lebanon are investigating a Sunday morning shooting that injured a 28-year-old North Lebanon Township man. Officers were dispatched to a local medical facility just after 4 a.m. where the found Efrain Olivera, who had been shot in the leg. Police said Olivera told them a masked robber accosted him after he left a nightclub on North Partridge Street. Olivera said he struggled with the robber and the robbers pistol fired, investigators said. They said they dont believe Olivera was randomly targeted. His wounds are not life-threatening, police said. Anyone with information can call police at 717-272-2054. A search involving multiple agencies is underway for a 51-year-old last seen Sunday afternoon in the area of the 10,000 block of Knob Rd., Montgomery Twp, Franklin Co. Gregory Allen Cole is 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing about 175 pounds, with hazel eyes and black/gray hair. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, dark-colored long sleeve shirt and camouflage rubber rain boots, according to state police. Police gave no other details except to say he was missing under unknown circumstances. Taking part in the search is state police Aviation, a k9, a tactical mounted unit, Chamberburg patrol and Crime, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commisison, New Cumberland River Rescue, Huntingdon County Water Rescue, South Central Pennsylvania Search and Rescue, the Mercersburg Fire Department and the Franklin County Department of Emergency Services. State police are asking that the public provide information on any sightings of Colege, or any knowledge of his whereabouts to state police in Chambersburg. We must reduce air pollution caused by Pennsylvanias natural gas industry. Lawmakers in Harrisburg are working on a rule to do just that, but theyre only getting it half right. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protections (DEP) current proposal to curb air pollution at thousands of existing natural gas facilities targets health-damaging and ozone-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but only describes reducing methane emissions as a co-benefit. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and a significant cause of climate change. It is unlikely we will achieve the goal of 80 percent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 as promised by Governor Wolf if we do not directly regulate methane. Targeting methane reductions must be a central focus of the proposed rule. It cannot be downgraded to an indirect benefit. As an atmospheric and climate scientist at Drexel University, Ive studied leakage from the natural gas industry throughout the Commonwealth for eight years. My research team documented a 300 percent increase in methane emissions in northeastern Pennsylvania between 2012 and 2015. During that same time period, the estimates from the natural gas industry suggested a 30 percent decrease in methane emissions. That disturbing discrepancy is a clear indicator that the state must to do more to measure and mitigate methane emissions from existing natural gas sites and not rely on imprecise estimates. The draft rule as currently written will allow leaks in many parts of the state to emit substantially more methane before triggering VOC controls. Most of the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania is comprised of dry gas, meaning it contains a lower fraction of VOCs in the natural gas than the wet gas area of the state (primarily southwest Pennsylvania). By not addressing methane leakage directly, DEP would be allowing a significant amount of methane leaks to occur at gas infrastructure throughout the state. From a climate change perspective, this is irresponsible. In addition, the rule also unfortunately includes an exemptions for natural gas wells that produce a low amount of gas. Research has shown that these low-producing wells can actually emit just as much methane or more than higher producing wells. In the interest of limiting climate-damaging methane emissions, this exemption must be removed from the proposed rule. I voiced my support for a rule that addresses these shortcomings at a recent meeting of DEPs air quality advisory committee in Harrisburg. I shared my research findings concluding that methane emissions are considerably higher than industry and DEP estimates. As the rule advances to the Environmental Quality Board, the states environmental rule-making body, and becomes available for public comment, I hope DEP will improve the draft rule by specifically targeting methane at existing natural gas operations in Pennsylvania and removing exemptions. If we want a chance to avoid the impacts of catastrophic climate change, DEP must do everything within its authority to protect current and future generations. Peter DeCarlo, associate professor at Drexel Universitys College of Engineering and College of Arts and Sciences. Several states have passed laws in the last few years creating the crime of sexual extortion, or sextortion. Pennsylvania could be next. Bills in each chamber of the General Assembly would criminalize coercing someone into having sex or producing sexual images or videos, by threatening harm or to withhold something of value. Basically, extortion. Except the perpetrator demands sex instead of money. State Sen. Judy Schwank, a Berks County Democrat, is one of the sponsors. We heard of some cases, and felt it was important to finally have criminalization of this type of behavior, so that people can be prosecuted, and even more importantly perhaps discourage this kind of behavior from happening, Schwank said. Schwank outlined some scenarios that would fall under the proposed statute. It certainly needs to be an explicit proposition: If you do not provide what has been demanded, then there are consequences to that. Perhaps you may be evicted from your apartment, or you may not receive a child support payment, as a result of not following through (with) the behavior that has been asked of you, Schwank said. Greg Rowe is policy director at the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, which has been working on the legislation. [The perpetrator] is often somebody who pretends to be somebody else on a dating website, Rowe said. Or, if [the victim] is a teen, somebody whos feigning interest and then gets ahold of an intimate image. Once that happens, thats all the perpetrator needs, and then the cycle of degradation begins. Rowe said current statutes dont really fit these scenarios appropriately and end up leading to other, less serious [charges]: corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of a child. There is something to be said about creating a statute that addresses a particular area, to have something thats right on point. It really helps particularly given the nature of abuse, sexual abuse, crimes involving minors, all of those [types of cases] it really helps the victim know that theyre not the only one, and that help is available, and that this is something that unfortunately, has happened to others as well. And theres no reason for shame, Rowe said. The offense would have a two-year statute of limitations, Rowe said, and would not require those convicted to register as sex offenders. A similar proposal got through the state Senate last session, but failed to make it out of the House of Representatives. The current version is already though the Senates Judiciary Committee, though. And its companion is expected to go to a House Judiciary Committee vote by the end of May, according to the panels chairman, Rep. Rob Kauffman, R-Franklin. Ten states have enacted similar laws during the past couple years: West Virginia, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island and Arizona last year, followingUtah, Arkansas, Texas, California and Alabama in 2017. Schwank says the commonwealths legislation is more specific in describing the conduct thats illegal, which is intended to help prosecutors cases. It also isnt limited to electronic activity, said Kristen Houser, chief public affairs officer for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. Certainly, electronic communications like hacking happen a lot, Houser said. But it also happens in situations involving housing, rent and other basic necessities, arranging transportation. Federal legislation has been introduced during the last two sessions of Congress; currently, the issues addressed in an amendment to the proposed Violence Against Women Act reauthorization. Health official: Omicron 'likely more spread than we're aware of' Did you know you can save your preferences across all your digital devices and platforms simply by creating a profile? Would you like to get started? Yes, I'd like to register/log in Not right now No, never ask again Like his poetry and novels, Michael Ondaatje speaks softly but stays with you. You hear the quiet, potentially explosive narrators voice, the playfulness, the taste for the unexpected. Its also the voice of a poet, a person who enjoys the precise word found, the fine turn discovered. Ondaatje brings his novel Warlight to the Free Library on Thursday, May 9. Its a true Ondaatje creation: Two children in the bombed-out London of 1945 grow up in the care of questionable characters. Its a world where no one is what he or she seems. Ondaatje is best known for The English Patient, the popular 1992 postmodern novel that won the 1992 Man Booker Prize, millions of readers, the 1996 best picture Oscar for the haunting film version, and, last year, the Golden Man Booker Prize for the best work of fiction in the awards first 50 years. But he has entranced readers with much else. He began as a poet, with acclaimed collections like The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-Handed Poems (1970). His nonfiction includes plays, a 1970 book on Leonard Cohen, and a memorable memoir, Running in the Family (1982). When he took up novels, he attracted readers with his exotic locales; disjunctive tale-telling; themes of displacement, the impact of history and identity; and dashes of romance and mystery. All these are on display in Anils Ghost (2000), Divisadero (2007), and Cats Table (2011). Of Dutch, Tamil, and Sinhalese descent, Odaatje, 75, was born in Sri Lanka, educated in Britain, and has lived in Canada since 1962. He spoke to The Inquirer by phone from Toronto about Warlight, the after-effects of war, and why its better to tell a tale crooked. The first question below reflects the heinous Easter bombings in Sri Lanka that killed more than 250 people; it had just taken place at the time of the interview. I hate to begin this way, but part of you must be suffering today. Yes. I have family there. And they are all right? Yes. But, really, the mood is awful. Especially now, because they seem to think that some people knew about this happening beforehand. That suggests a disconnect that runs very deep in government. You have a president and a prime minister, and theyre not exactly crazy about each other. What makes this doubly painful is that theres no connection between this, of course, and the [1983-2009] civil war in Sri Lanka, which ended very brutally. This is something different. If you dont mind, its very difficult to talk about this right now. War and violence seem ever-present in your novels, whether center stage or in the wings. People carry its effects with them. Thats always true, especially in 1945, the setting of Warlight. Its that barrier between war and peace: War ends, and suddenly a peace treaty is signed. But that doesnt end the war: Theres a continual after-effect. You always get that. Even peace treaties have consequences that last for years, often not peaceful. And definitely, again as in Warlight, theres the after-effect of war on the young. In Warlight, theres this Dickensian thing happening, in which two young people are surrounded by a bunch of folks we innocent readers take for thugs and the thugs become their educators. Im prone to writing about such things. What the two young people have, having been sort of abandoned by their parents, are these shady figures who are supposed to be taking care of them, and through these people, they are led into a much more exciting world. This gives them a fuller life in some strange way. I once heard of a filmmaker in Germany who gave cameras out to some students with the assignment of making a film during the day. You have 12 hours to make the movie interesting, he tells them. So what do you do? And one student says, First, get rid of the parents. That in a sense is what happens to Nathaniel and Rachel. Their parents are gone, and here they are. Theyre bound to learn differently about the world. In your novels, there is often a mystery with one of the main characters. We have the badly burned man in The English Patient and the skeleton named Soldier in Anils Ghost. In many of these books, theres a mystery to solve. It was there in my very first novel, the book about jazz [Coming Through Slaughter, 1976], in the historical figure of Buddy Bolden. He is often said to have been the founder of jazz, but theres no recording of it, very little direct evidence, just a scratchy recording of [trumpeter] Bunk Johnson, whistling the way he said Buddy used to play. So who was this supposed founder? We have to piece it together. And in Warlight, we have the whole idea of what really happened to the childrens mother. Sometimes people say, Well, hes more of a poet than a novelist or more of a novelist than a poet. Does such talk ever irritate you? I dont mind. I began as a poet, and I never thought Id ever be writing a novel. When I did start to write novels, I started using what I thought were the advantages of poetry. People think poetry is flowery, but it actually lets you be more precise. And it lets you leave things unsaid. I dont say everything. Theres a way that poetry, in not saying everything, allows the reader to become more directly involved. There is a mutual sense of discovery between reader and writer as the story goes on, a sense that we are discovering what is really happening together. A certain kind of reader sometimes feels insecure when reading your books because they dont get all the supports of traditional narration. I suppose thats true. But I prefer that to being led by the hand and making the reader feel too comfortable. Its not an intentional effort to make anyone feel uncomfortable. But I prefer the tension in the story that results when you go indirectly, or dont give up everything a reader expects. Kind of an immersive approach? Sure. I much prefer theater where Im caught up in the complexity of it, as opposed to watching it from a distance where everything is signposted. Are you working on a new one now? Not at the moment. Its very nice. Im still in recovery from having written this one. AUTHOR APPEARANCE Michael Ondaatje, Warlight: A Novel 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 9. Central Library, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine St. Tickets: $25 (includes a copy of Warlight). Information: 215-567-4341, libwww.freelibrary.org. At Philabundance Community Kitchen, chef Hugo Campos, right, shows culinary student Charles Jones the correct procedure for placing cranberries on small cheesecake cupcakes on May 1. Read more Niya Gist suffered a hurtful setback last summer when the culinary school she attended closed abruptly. But now, the 25-year-old North Philadelphia resident is back on track, thanks to Philabundance Community Kitchens food-service training program for low- or no-income individuals with little or no formal work experience a huge problem in Philadelphia, which has the highest poverty rate among the largest U.S. cities. This is a breath of fresh air, said Gist, who spent a recent morning prepping lettuce for sliders, chopping chicken for salad, and slicing green peppers in a city shelter for homeless women and children. Im loving it. Gist is part of a class of 17 in a 14-week program that goes beyond culinary skills to teach life skills to help participants succeed in the workplace after graduation. The Community Kitchen, on North Woodstock Street, has graduated 800 since its founding in 2000, at no cost to the participants, and has outgrown its current quarters. Relief is on the way. On Monday, Philabundance, which calls itself the regions largest hunger-relief organization, plans to break ground on a new facility at 2224 N. 10th St., where its Community Kitchen will be able to double the number of students trained annually to as many as 200, and quadruple to two million the number of meals it prepares for shelters, other human services organizations, and its own catering business. Hugo Campos, the chef for the catering operation called PCKatering, said he looks forward to expanding the operation in the new facility next year. Were going to try to get into weddings, bigger events, said Campos, who hires students and graduates to prepare for and staff events. Philabundance has raised $11 million for construction, including a $4 million grant from the city and $2 million from the states Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. The rest of the money came from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation gave $1 million, the largest private donation. The nonprofit aims to raise an additional $1 million to outfit the new center and to pay for the cost of the first few classes there. The cost per student is $7,200. This years PCKatering profits are expected to put four students through the training. Carniesha Kwashie, director of the Job Opportunity Investment Network at the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, said its a good sign that Philabundance Community Kitchen has been in operation since 2000. Keys to successful workforce development are being able to meet people where they are, the targeted population, and to work with employers to make sure your programming is actually meeting their needs, Kwashie said. Chickies & Petes, the Philadelphia crab house and sports-bar chain, started working with Philabundance Community Kitchen in December. They have a product that we need. They have human capital. We need human capital, said Niki Bounds, who heads the restaurant companys human resources department. So far, Chickies & Petes has had 10 interns from the program and hired seven of them. Bounds described Chickies & Petes as a second-chance organization, which means, We will absolutely hire individuals with offenses. That fits well with the Philabundance program, where an estimated 60 percent to 75 percent of students have a criminal background, said Candace Matthews-Bass, the organizations deputy director for workforce and community development. Thats the story of Troy Bard, 49, who found his way to the program in 2010 after completing a 10-year term in federal prison, and finding himself frustrated with a $7.25-an-hour job at a furniture warehouse on Kensington Avenue while living in a halfway house. Immediately after graduating from Community Kitchen, Bard, who lives in West Philadelphia, landed a job at the Inn at Penn and has been there ever since, working his way up from $12 an hour as a prep cook to his current position running the breakfast shift and making $21 an hour. That goes way better than the $7.25 that I was making," Bard said. Bard described the Philabundance training as life-changing. At that time, I was 40 years old," he said. "Life had to be different at that point. You cant be doing crazy things. Bruce Springsteen at the 12th annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit concert at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York in November 2018. Read more Bruce Springsteen will release his new solo album, Western Stars, next month, but the New Jersey native now says he has also written several songs for an upcoming album with the E Street Band that will include a tour. Springsteen discussed the upcoming album tour with director Martin Scorsese at a Netflix event over the weekend, according to Variety. As Springsteen said at the event, he has written almost an albums worth of material for the band after a yearslong dry spell. I spent about seven years without anything for the [E Street] band, Springsteen said. I couldnt write anything for the band. And then, about a month or so ago, I wrote almost an albums worth of material for the band. The Boss later added that therell be another tour in honor the upcoming release. The album will follow the release of Western Stars, which serves as his first solo album of new material since 2012s Wrecking Ball. The E Street Band, meanwhile, last recorded an album with Springsteen on 2009s Working on a Dream, according to Rolling Stone, and hasnt toured since the end of The River tour in 2017. Whether Springsteen will launch a tour in support of Western Stars remains unclear. Last month, however, fans got an early look at the album with the release of Hello Sunshine, the albums first single. Paul Anka has been part of the pop canon since hitting the scene at 16 with his self-penned Diana" in 1957. Though he continued his teen idol phase with hits such as Lonely Boy and Put Your Head on My Shoulder, he knew such youthful zeal was fleeting, and he wrote his most commanding song for his idol, Frank Sinatra -- My Way. (Though he had his own hits, he maintained his musical relevancy by writing for others, most recently for Drake a fellow Canadian whose Dont Matter to Me features Michael Jacksons voice and Ankas writing from an intended 1983 duet project.) My Way, is his signature, so much so that he named his most recent album and tour Sinatra, His Songs, My Songs, My Way. He brings the set to Parx Casino on Thursday, May 9. Paul Anka: Phillys my old stomping grounds. I was 15 years old, and hanging out there because everybody who was anybody was there. I got my contract, had a hit with Diana, and my lot Avalon, Fabian, Rydell were from Philly. They were my buddies. We used to tour together. I came down from Canada to New York, then to Philadelphia and American Bandstand. I worked the clubs there. This was the beginning of pop music, in its infancy, really. Philly was the hub. New York was where the record companies were located, but if you wanted to socialize, you went to Philadelphia. Sinatra was big for you guys even as teens. Why did you want to write for him in the first place? PA: OK, go back to when I and my buddies like Avalon started. We were unsophisticated. You can sing a gift but most artists, especially today, have the IQ of room temperature. Looking with some vision regarding craft besides, my voice was starting to change we worshipped the Rat Pack and wanted to be cool like them. Vegas was the place, but we were still too young. I looked around and saw that some of these guys were flavors of the month, then disappeared. So my focus and that of Bobby Darin was that we had to swing, be like those cool guys. I wanted to change my vibe and became the young guy to headline the Copa, then the youngest to work Vegas. You wanted to change your vibe and call your own shots before somebody did it for you. PA: Exactly. I wound up at the Sands. Im around these guys. But I really was still the writer. I was only just developing as a performer. The writing was my gravitas, and the guy I wanted to write for was Sinatra. Now, had I bugged him earlier with my pop stuff Puppy Love he wouldve thrown a chair at me. So I developed. Got to know him a few years, even introduced him to [arranger/producer] Don Costa, who was my guy, who then got to be Sinatras guy. Finally, were in Florida at the same time hes making a movie, we have dinner, he tells me hes quitting show business. Hed had it. The Rat Pack was done, the FBI were all over him. He was disenchanted and tired, figured hed do one more album with Costa, and boom. That was your trigger, your motivation. Even though he came back and retired repeatedly. PA: Like Streisand always retiring. Chers been on a retirement tour for 20 years. I took him for his word. So I went home, started at midnight. The words are totally indigenous I never before used phrases such as ate it up or spit it out. I was 26 at the time. What is the challenge when writing for yourself and your needs what is indigenous for you even if other artists cover them? PA: Good is the enemy of great. I write until Im satisfied. You dont know sometimes. On the record I did with Drake for Scorpion, I knew that the song Id written for Michael Jackson that Drake used was closer to Michaels style. The producers knew that this was the most different song Drake had done. Still, Drake came along and we tried to break the code to marry into what we had done with Michael. There comes a time when you just stop writing. You brought up Michael. PA: I wont dis him. Did you get a glimpse into his personal life when you worked together or was it all business? PA: All business when working. But I knew him his whole life, his family, too. How do I put this? Whether it was subliminal or conscious, the way Michael lived in the open, having kids around him all the time, whatever that has developed into today people would really have no idea. He was always around kids. He was in the open about liking kids. He talked to me about digging Peter Pan, and preferring children to adults. His vibe? He was very young. Very astute. Knew business inside and out. He felt music, amazingly talented. You didnt sense there was a problem. Recording with Drake had to be or feel different to you. PA: You know what feels different? Having your attorney call and say, Youve got 400 million downloads. I dont come from that world, but, somehow 400 million people pushed a button. Thats new for me. I love it. Thats the new rules. Do you have a whole new audience of Drake fans? Are other hip-hop producers knocking at your door? PA: Some of my gigs are getting a boatload of young kids. And I have met with Tyga. We started some stuff. Its there if I want it. Why has My Way come to define your career, Franks career, Sid Vicious career? PA: All the people I worked with after My Way said we must write another one just like it. But it doesnt work like that. Theres only room for one. The content of that lyric hit everybody. Reading as I did then I still read four to five hours a day I saw that we were getting into the me-me-me generation. Women were doing their thing at the end of the 60s we all evolved, thankfully. That was a curious notion. Still, I was only 26, and boys, scientifically, do not become adults until after theyre 30 sorry, folks. Somehow it hit everybody: people get buried to it, married to it, guys write me letters from death row to say they identify with it. Ive sung it for Putin, for Trump. Narcissism runs rampant today, but when its under control, this is the perfect song in terms of wrapping up ones life. Were all ego-driven. Read Freud enough and you get that. MUSIC Paul Anka 8 p.m. Thursday, May 9, Parx Casino & Race Track, 2999 Street Rd., Bensalem. Tickets: $45-$95; Information: parxcasino.com Gayle King (left) will remain co-host of "CBS This Morning," while Norah O'Donnell will move to anchor "CBS Evening News." Read more CBS is undergoing a radical overhaul in its morning and evening news lineups that will leave two women in prominent roles in the wake of sexual harassment claims that rattled the news division. Both CBS This Morning and CBS Evening News will undergo major changes in the coming weeks. CBS This Morning co-host and longtime correspondent Norah ODonnell will take over as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News, replacing Jeff Glor, who has been locked in third place behind ABC and NBC for the 15 months hes held the position. Its incredibly humbling to accept this position ... Im going to give this everything Ive got, ODonnell said on CBS This Morning on Monday, officially announcing the move, which had been rumored for weeks. Glor appears to be the odd man out, and its unclear if he will remain at CBS or what his role could be after all the dust is settled. Its unclear if hell remain on the show until ODonnell takes over this summer. You may have heard about changes taking place here at CBS News, Glor said at the end of Monday nights broadcast. "I have family, friends and, in the future, far more to share with all of you. It will be great. I promise. Just as you are. Thank you for watching. Good Night. Ill see you tomorrow. As we transition the Evening News to Washington, we are discussing opportunities for Jeff to remain with CBS News and continue providing the same substantive, trusted reporting that he has been offering for the past 12 years, Zirinsky said. Both ODonnell and her morning co-host Gayle King denied a report from the New York Post that King had demanded ODonnell be moved off the show because of bad blood between the two morning news anchors. I have no beef with you. You have no beef with me, King said to ODonnell. The moves come as new CBS News president Susan Zirinsky attempts to turn the corner after a chaotic period for the network, which has faced accusations of sexual harassment and hampered by low ratings. Former CBS This Morning co-host Charlie Rose was fired in November 2017 after the Washington Post detailed allegations from eight women who said Rose made unwanted sexual advances toward them. Jeff Fager, the former producer of 60 Minutes, was forced out of CBS in October 2018 after allegations he sexually harassed staffers and tolerated an abusive culture on the long-running news show. With her promotion, ODonnell becomes just the fourth women to anchor a daily evening newscast at a major network, following former CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric, PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff, and former ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer. John Dickinson is also being moved off CBS This Morning, and will join 60 Minutes as a correspondent. He will also help anchor the networks election coverage throughout the 2020 cycle. King will remain co-host of CBS This Morning, and will be joined by Saturday morning anchor Anthony Mason and correspondent Tony Dokoupil. The new CBS This Morning team will debut May 20. Shana Barrett, 19, and her grandmother Cassie Gaffney, 71, outside McGillin's Olde Ale House in Center City. Read more Back in the day, waitress Cassie Gaffney had an eye-popping bar trick that she once performed for her boss grandson Chris Mullins Jr. at McGillins Olde Ale House in Center City. I distinctly remember being a kid and her taking her glass eye out and putting it her mouth. It was like, Whoa! Mullins said. We still laugh about it to this day. But these days, Mullins is Gaffneys boss. For 43 years and three generations of owners, Gaffney, 71, has worked at McGillins, making her the longest-serving waitress at Phillys oldest-running bar. The lifelong South Philly resident who lives just off Two Street is so beloved she gets all the important South Philly holidays off. Not only does she take off on New Years Day but also the day after New Years Day because its her recovery day, Mullins said. Nodding in agreement, Gaffney launched into her best Mummers strut. In 2017, Gaffneys granddaughter Shana Barrett, 19, also joined the staff of McGillins. On Fridays, the duo work the lunch shift together, the only time their schedules overlap, doling out shepherds pies, beer, and cheesesteaks. If [customers] dont know shes my grandmother, shell tell them, Barrett said. On Sunday Mothers Day Gaffney will celebrate her 72nd birthday, but she has no plans to cut back on her three lunch shifts per week and bartending duties at private events. People ask me, When do you want to retire? I cant answer that because I enjoy coming to work, I enjoy people, she said. I think Ill retire when my body tells me to retire. Gaffney, whose birth name is Catherine, grew up in South Philly with 10 brothers and sisters. In 1959, when she was 11, she lost an eye when a group of kids hit her with a stone while she was taking out the trash. Back then, it was the kind of tragedy that made the news. When a story about Little Cathy Albert (she hated that name) ran in the Philadelphia Daily News, hundreds reached out to offer assistance. One woman offered Cathy four artificial eyes that her grandson had outgrown, the newspaper reported. Mummers even came out to serenade the girl and raise money for her family. But Gaffney never felt special. She still doesnt. So well let her boss explain: She worked for my grandfather! said Mullins, who now runs McGillins with his parents, Mary Ellen and Chris. Its hard to maintain any employees for a long period of time but for three generations is incredible. You get people who come in year after year or every five years and ask if Cassie is still here. Gaffney started at McGillins in 1975, after her two kids began grade school. A friend working at the bar helped her snag the job. The application was 'Start peeling eggs. Make egg salad, she said. Back then, McGillins had a sandwich board at the bar where four women, including Gaffney, made sandwiches during lunch. She worked that for 10 years and when her kids started high school, Gaffney put on an apron and began waiting tables. Shes sweet and tender with her customers but is also quick to joke if they pave the way. Gaffneys husband, John, who died in 2004, was always supportive of her job. She still misses him like crazy. During the years Gaffney has worked at McGillins, three of her friends met their future husbands at the establishment and one a coworker even got married at the bar. Instead of serving tables that day, Gaffney served as the maid of honor at the wedding. When it comes to theories about why McGillins seems like a hotbed for romance, Gaffney has one. You get alcohol and male and female and theres always going to be a connection, she said. Gaffney will never forget the engagements shes witnessed at the bar, the times shes had to stop people dancing on chairs, or the week when MSNBCs Morning Joe aired live from McGillins during the 2016 Democratic National Convention. And though she tried to be on her best behavior for this interview, glints of her beautifully bawdy South Philly personality did shine through. Theres the crass but endearing nicknames she and the bartender have for each another, which are not suitable for print; her love of cosmopolitans and Michelob Ultras; and her annual trip to Keenans Irish Pub in North Wildwood for an all-class grade school reunion. I like to party, she said. Gaffney is also no stranger to a Kenny Chesney concert and the accompanying epic tailgate parties. She really is a wild woman. Shes probably one of the funniest, craziest people, in a good way, Mullins said. If you ever wanted to sit and have a cocktail with anybody, its her because shes real and shes hilarious. Her granddaughter agreed. Shes a cool grandma, Barrett said. You can easily talk to her, you can easily hang out with her. Its just always fun. Mullins and Barrett both hope theyll be working alongside Gaffney for many years to come. I told her if she ever becomes infirm and she cant walk, well wheel her in, Mullins said. If we are the reason you can live a happy, long life and it gets you up in the morning and its fun, then Im so thankful that youre here every day. Noelia Rivera-Calderon is the lead author of the National Women's Law Center report on Latina students and mental health. Read more Every morning when Noelia Rivera-Calderon got to high school, shed run to the bathroom to throw up. The first few times, the school nurse suggested she go home. But after that, the staff acted as if it were normal for her to be sick. One day, a counselor noticed cut marks on Rivera-Calderons arm. He told her that she should stop hurting herself. That was the end of the conversation. I felt that the mental-health challenges I lived with were invisible to others, said Rivera-Calderon, now 29 and living in East Kensington, even when there were clear signs that something was wrong. Today, Rivera-Calderon is fighting for girls like her to be seen. She recently led a report from the National Womens Law Center about the mental health of Latina students in Philadelphia, titled We Are Not Invisible. The report chronicles the lack of attention that schools give to Latina students in middle and high school, even though they face higher rates of having suicidal thoughts and attempts than their white and black peers. In Philadelphia, one in five Latina girls has seriously considered suicide and one in seven has attempted, according to the report. But the problem of invisibility expands far beyond high school corridors. Experts say Latina adolescents have been attempting suicide at a greater rate than other teenage girls for more than 30 years. But nothings been done, said Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, an assistant professor at Bryn Mawr College who researches suicidal behaviors in minority youth. This is the reality. We tend to neglect health outcomes among people we think have less value. With the increase in public officials expressing anti-immigrant sentiments, she doesnt see this changing soon. Latinas dont die by suicide as often as other groups, likely because many use less lethal means, such as swallowing pills, Hausmann-Stabile said. But people who attempt once are more likely to attempt again. These kids are signaling something that if we dont address, it will only get worse, Hausmann-Stabile said. More than a generational gap Every Christmas morning in Wilkes-Barre, Raquel Sosa and her three siblings wake up to presents. Yet Sosas mother, who grew up in Mexico, spent her Christmases opening tamales as a gift. The contrast has made Sosa keenly aware of how hard her parents worked to provide this life for her. Sometimes she feels guilty for being anything less than grateful. When they give us the life we have here, said Sosa, now a 21-year-old student at East Stroudsburg University, with cars and a home and food to eat, its hard for us to complain. That disconnect often creates tension for Latina girls beyond the normal generational gap that most teens experience with their parents, said Luis Zayas, dean of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas and author of Latinas Attempting Suicide: When Cultures, Families, and Daughters Collide. Many Latina girls also face expectations that they and not their brothers should care for the younger siblings, take on more household chores, and ultimately put the familys needs above their own, he said. (That may help to explain why the rate of Latino boys who attempt suicide, though typically higher than white or black boys, has been consistently lower than Latina girls'.) When their American ideals of individualism clash with their parents family-first values, the resulting conflict can make them feel like a burden, Zayas said. His research has shown that many Latina girls see suicide as a solution to their perceived failure to fulfill family roles and obligations. Taking charge Sosa didnt learn the Spanish term for mental health (salud mental) until her late teens, when a family member attempted suicide. Before that, mental health wasnt talked about or even acknowledged, she said. The experience inspired her to join her universitys chapter of Active Minds, a national organization dedicated to eradicating the stigmas around mental health. As she moves on to graduate school, Sosa hopes to become a psychologist, focusing on patients with suicidal thoughts and raising awareness among young Latinos. Many Latinx people think thats a white issue, and its not happening with us, Sosa said. But if there was more education and resources in Spanish, theyd realize this is a problem. Angela Calderon has similar aspirations. After coauthoring the National Womens Law Center report, the 18-year-old wants to continue working in mental-health advocacy. During her freshman year of high school, Calderon found herself crying constantly and having anxiety attacks. But when she confided in her mother, she was told, Youre just having a bad day. Youll get over it. Other students told her it was normal. Latina girls are fiery and emotional, they said. Even her guidance counselor seemed to dismiss her feelings as a passing phase. What I was saying didnt really matter, Calderon said. But after transferring to El Centro de Estudiantes for her senior year, Calderon realized the difference that a supportive counselor can make. Now she checks in with any of the schools three counselors regularly, even texting them when shes having a bad day. They understand the unique challenges that Latino students face, she said. Everybody should have a place where somebody hears them, she said. For Rivera-Calderon, who led the National Womens Law Center report, this is exactly what she wanted: more Latina girls raising their voices. Often, the conversation around mental health at schools revolves around test anxiety or college preparation, she said. While those are important issues, many minority students face different challenges. A 2017 survey found more than half of all Latina girls are worried about a friend or family member being deported. In Philadelphia, many Latinos live below the poverty line and face issues of drug use and violence in their neighborhoods. The power of communication When a Latina teen and her mother believe that they have good communication with each other, the likelihood of a suicide attempt drops by nearly half, Zayas said. Thats why interventions need to involve the whole family. When Zayas was a practicing therapist in New York City, he often asked parents to attend the counseling session with their daughter. Hed ask them to share their story not how they think their daughter should behave, but why they believe so and how their upbringing shaped that belief. Then hed give the girl the opportunity to share her side. The idea is to generate empathy, he said. Then the therapist can help find a practical compromise. A program in New York City called Life Is Precious and another in California called Familias Unidas have had success with the family-based model. Zayas would like to see more school districts create support groups, where children of immigrants can discuss the cultural conflicts that arise, and parents can have their own groups to try to understand what their children are going through. In Philadelphia, Rita Torres-Cain is making the first move in that direction. The 54-year-old Latina will soon be leading the first bilingual peer support group through the National Alliance for Mental Illness Philadelphia chapter. Set to start this summer, the weekly group will be open to adults with a personal experience of mental illness, and will eventually expand to include family members. We have to break this code that we dont talk about stuff, Torres-Cain said. Growing up with schizoaffective bipolar disorder, Torres-Cain often battled suicidal thoughts and depression. But her mother, who had little knowledge of mental health and feared the communitys judgment, didnt want her getting treatment. Instead, Torres-Cain self-medicated with drugs for years and was arrested on drug-related charges. She finally received mental-health care in prison. Now she wants to make sure others get treatment sooner. She said, You dont have to wait until your child is trying to kill themselves before saying theres a problem. The NAMI Philadelphia bilingual peer support group will be held at Frankford Memorial Methodist Church, 1300 Dyre St. For more information, visit www.namiphilly.org or call 267-687-4381, Ext. 1. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text TALK to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. In February, Prince Harry and his conspicuously pregnant wife Meghan Markle attended the annual Endeavour Fund Awards in London. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File) Read more Congrats to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on the birth of their first child, a son. Harry told reporters on Monday that the early morning birth went well. He said he feels over the moon and is so incredibly proud of my wife, and that the couple will soon announce the name of their 7-pound, 3-ounce bairn. What Harry didnt say was whether the Duchess of Sussex gave birth in a hospital or at their home, Frogmore Cottage. Some media outlets speculated that it was a home birth because the Royal Familys announcement mentioned the couples home. Rumors have swirled about Markles intended birth location, partly because of the ongoing debate over the risks of home births. That debate goes hand-in-hand with the growing trend of women having babies at an advanced maternal age, meaning over age 35. At 37, Markle is past that threshold. In the United States, fewer than 1 percent of births occur at home, about 30,000 a year, according to federal data. However, home births have been inching up since 2004, and a handful of states including Pennsylvania, Montana, and Idaho have higher-than-average rates. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says women choosing home birth should be informed that while it involves minimal medical intervention, it has a twofold increased risk of newborn death. The infant is also more likely to suffer seizures or neurological problems than babies born in hospitals. But one of the studies behind that alarming overview was criticized as flawed when it came out in 2013. In England, as well as Canada and Denmark, the most recent studies have not found that home births result in worse outcomes than hospital births for low-risk women those without complications such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or multiple gestation. In November, Vanity Fair reported that Markle was considering an in-home birth, in a departure from tradition. Her sister-in-law Kate Middleton, for example, delivered at the Lindo Wing in St. Marys Hospital. Meg wants a natural birth if she can have one. Her mother is very into anything that is holistic and natural. ... Its all very much of Meghans birth plan, Vanity Fair quoted a source. Whatever that plan entailed, as ACOG says, Each woman has the right to make a medically informed decision about delivery. John Piacentini of UCLA and Tamara Pringsheim of the University of Calgary discussed new treatment guidelines Monday at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology meeting in Philadelphia. Read more New guidelines meant to help neurologists treat people with Tourette syndrome call for waiting to see whether symptoms get worse and then trying behavioral therapy before resorting to medications. The guidelines were released Monday in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). The AANs annual meeting has brought 14,000 people this week to the Convention Center. The group held a news conference Monday to discuss the guidelines, the first for American neurologists. Tourette is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by tics: repetitive movements and vocalizations that stem from involuntary urges. It starts in childhood and is three to four times more common in boys than girls. Treatment for Tourette and other chronic tic disorders can reduce the tics, but rarely eliminates them, said Tamara Pringsheim, a neurologist at the University of Calgary who was lead author of the new guideline. The good news, though, is that the syndrome often gets better on its own. The tics usually begin at age 5 or 6 and peak at age 10 to 12. Many children improve in their teens. About a quarter will continue to have moderate to severe tics over time, she said. Pringsheim said the most important message of the guidelines is that doctors, who are accustomed to prescribing medications, should first recommend Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), a treatment that helps people with tics respond differently to their urges and also helps them cope with anxiety, which can increase symptoms. For people who are not impaired by their symptoms, it is acceptable to provide information about the condition and wait to see how symptoms progress. When patients don't respond to behavioral therapy, the guidelines say doctors can consider medications called alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, antipsychotics, topiramate and botulinum toxin. Doctors may often be able to prescribe one drug that will help not only the tics but other psychiatric conditions that are common in people with Tourette syndrome: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and mood and anxiety disorders. Deep brain stimulation is an option for people who have not been helped by behavioral therapy or medication. John Piacentini, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was part of a group of psychologists and psychiatrists who developed CBIT in 2000. They brought together habit-reversal training and an approach designed to reduce anxiety. People with Tourette typically feel a strong urge to tic and then feel better after they do. One goal is to prevent that reward by teaching people to recognize the urge and respond in a way that prevents the tic. A breathing technique might stop a vocal tic. Grabbing your wrist stops an involuntary arm movement. Because many people with Tourette say they feel more urges to tic when theyre stressed or anxious, the other part of the treatment seeks to lower their stress and change their responses to it. Patients typically get eight to 12 weeks of treatment, Piacentini said. One problem is that there are not enough people trained to provide CBIT, particularly in rural areas. There are a lot of areas of the country that just dont have easy access to these therapists, he said. On Tuesday evening, George Trudel Jr. heretofore known as inmate AS2262 at the State Correctional Institution Phoenix got the news hed been awaiting for 30 years. Gov. Tom Wolf had granted him clemency, bringing to a close what had been a sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole. Hes a little overwhelmed and just cant believe its real, said Liz Geyer, Trudels girlfriend of two years. He spends a lot of time thinking what its gonna be like, because he just cant believe hes actually going to walk out of there. Geyer always believed it, though, because Trudel, now 52, is one of more than a thousand lifers convicted for a role in a killing that they did not personally commit or necessarily even anticipate lookouts for botched robberies and burglars who caused elderly victims to have heart attacks. I never thought he would die in prison," she said. The reduction of Trudels life sentence, and those of two other men, bring to eight the number of commutations granted by Wolf. Thats more than any other governor in the last 25 years. The politically precarious practice of commuting life sentences began to fall out of favor not long before Trudel was convicted, when Gov. Richard Thornburgh took office in 1979. It all but ceased in 1994 the year a lifer named Reginald McFadden was released and went on a killing spree, flipping the governors race away from Mark Singel, who had approved the commutation, and shifting the odds of clemency from Harvard-acceptance rare to lottery-win rare for the next 2 decades. As a result, Pennsylvania is now home to more than 5,000 people serving live without parole. Today, commutations must be unanimously recommended by the state Board of Pardons before the governor can even consider them. Many applicants are senior citizens who have spent decades in prison. The two other men who received clemency were Adolfo Carrillo, 79, from Philadelphia, and Samuel Barlow, 68, of Pittsburgh. Carrillo shot and killed a neighbor, Santiago Garcia, during an argument in 1976; he told police that Garcia had disrespected his wife, according to news reports. Barlow was initially sentenced to death for serving as the lookout in a 1968 bank robbery in which his co-defendants shot and killed a customer, George Morelock. Pennsylvanias victim advocate did not respond to a phone call Friday, and any surviving family members of the victims in the three cases could not be located. Barlows partner of three years, Karen Lee, said this was his 14th application for clemency. He didnt know if he was ever gonna get out, but he never stopped trying, she said. Lee, 65, of South Philadelphia, an activist who has been pushing for the release of elderly prisoners, said her excitement has been tempered by uncertainty about what the future will look like. She said Barlow wants to work but physical labor is out. Housing is also a problem. After he spent a year in a halfway house, as mandated by state law, shes not sure where hell go. I wanted him to stay here. Unfortunately, I live in senior housing and they have mandates in terms of returning citizens, she said. Even though hes elderly like myself, we would probably have to challenge the policies. Trudels life sentence stemmed from a fight between his friend Robert Barrett and a neighborhood man they knew, Casimir Kaz Barowiec. Trudel stood by as Barrett stabbed the man, and later agreed to hide the knife. Though Trudel does not believe what he did makes him a murderer, he expressed remorse in an interview last year: I think about my actions that night and what its done to my family and Kazs family. I never thought that I would be hurting people that werent even born yet: my daughter, my grandkids, my nieces and nephews. Hes been focused on redemption and self-transformation, earning a bachelors degree from Villanova University over 17 years in state prison. Hell join a close friend, Danny Peters, whose life sentence Wolf also commuted. Peters said readjusting was difficult at first. I liken it to dropping me off in a foreign land, he said. Out here, its like I had to learn everything. Cell phones I struggled with. Being able to go into a Wawa and order a sandwich from the machine. Although Trudels plans arent set, Peters hopes he will join him working a construction job that, for Peters, has become a source of intense pride. I went away as a juvenile. I went from my mothers house, from being taken care of, to prison, where the state took care of me. I never paid a bill. I didnt know what it was to have that sort of responsibility," he said. "So it wasnt until I got that job and started working, and I was able to go to a store and purchase things with my own money, that I earned, that I truly felt like a man. I felt, for the first time in a long time, that I was able to hold my head high. And thats when I really started to believe that I belonged out here. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) speaks during an April 26 campaign stop at Allen University in Columbia, S.C. Read more WASHINGTON New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker called Monday for a law requiring a license to buy or possess a firearm as part of a policy to curb gun violence, an aggressive proposal that comes as he tries to gain traction in the Democratic presidential primary. While nearly all Democrats now call for tougher gun laws, Bookers licensing plan goes beyond even his own partys political consensus and adds a dramatic idea to the policy contest unfolding in the Democratic campaign. Booker has struggled to break through in the crowded field, and has stressed big policy plans in recent weeks. >> READ MORE: For some 2020 Democrats, incrementalism is out. Bold liberal ideas are in. They come with risks. His package on guns would also require background checks for purchases at gun shows; close several other loopholes in the background-check system; end the legal immunity that shields gun makers from civil lawsuits; limit buyers to one handgun purchase per month; and ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and bump stocks, which allow guns to fire faster. >> READ MORE: Gun control, once a third rail, now a key issue as Democrats seek to control House Most of those ideas have widespread support among Democrats, but the national licensing requirement would go beyond political safe ground. Booker cited the frequency of mass shootings, as well as everyday shootings in places like his hometown, Newark, in unveiling his plan. This is a moment where we have a national crisis, he said on CNN Monday morning. The carnage in our communities, the fear that we see in neighborhoods like mine. Enough is enough. The idea would face steep odds of getting through Congress, where even modest proposals have failed, and it could become a flash point if Booker succeeds in the primary and challenges President Donald Trump in the general election next year, particularly in swing states such as Pennsylvania. But the plan is also in keeping with some Democrats arguments that they need to push the boundaries of debate and offer big ideas on liberal priorities. >> READ MORE: Cory Booker wants baby bonds for every newborn. How would that work? The National Rifle Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday morning, though advocates for gun owners would likely argue that a licensing requirement would unduly infringe on a constitutional right. Bookers campaign compared gun licenses to the concept of requiring a license to drive. It cited a 40 percent drop in gun homicides and 15 percent reduction in gun suicides in Connecticut after the state passed a law requiring a purchasing license for handguns. That law took effect in 1995. Under Bookers plan, people seeking a license to buy or own a gun would have to submit fingerprints and background information, and show that they have completed a certified safety course, according to his campaign. The FBI would run a background check. The license would be valid for up to five years. Booker has also called for legalizing marijuana nationwide and for baby bonds, government-funded savings accounts for all newborns. >> READ MORE: A long way from I didnt inhale - Cory Booker pushes marijuana legalization amid presidential run There is growing interest in ESG, investment screens for environmental, social and corporate governance-friendliness. But labels often hide what's really in the portfolio. Read more ESG investing short for environmental, social, and governance is a once-fringe idea thats now mainstream on Wall Street. But when is ESG not really ESG? Oil and gas companies such as ConocoPhillips and Hess are included in many funds with socially-responsible labels, while McDonalds and Coca-Cola receive high scores despite some investors alleging the companies contribute to obesity. Why? Short answer: Theres no universal standard. Companies are graded on a curve and may receive a good ESG score simply because its a bit better than a set of poor ESG companies'. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce pointed out that theres no satisfactory standard or grading system determining how companies rank high or low. So, if youre keen on making sure you invest only in companies with high environmental, social, and governance standards, dig deeper and dont rely on labels. Change Finances fund is one of the few exchange traded funds with no fossil fuel or fossil fuel reserves, according to Andrew Rodriguez, CEO and chief investment officer. Traditional ESG criteria were not serving many values-based investors, he said. We see this with the level of fossil-fuel exposure in many ESG products. ESG grades on a curve, comparing companies within an industry against each other. If the industry is bad for people and planet, whats the point?" ETF.com has compiled an interesting list of fossil-free funds that arent, and highlights those that actually are, including Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN), PowerShares Cleantech Portfolio (PZD), NuShares ESG Mid-Cap Growth (NUMG), iShares MSCI Global Impact ETF (MPTC), and Change Finance Diversified Impact U.S. Large Cap Fossil Fuel Free ETF (CHGX). Some funds focus specifically on the G in ESG. WisdomTree launched an ETF that screens out state-owned enterprises, which the firm argues dont perform as well. WisdomTrees Emerging Markets ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund (XSOE) invests in companies that are not state-owned enterprises, defined as government ownership of greater than 20 percent. Last week, an increasingly popular ESG conference known as Total Impact Philadelphia took place in Center City. Such confabs are entirely devoted to impact investing, which aims to achieve a double bottom line: doing well and doing good. Big piles of money are the reason: Total U.S.-domiciled assets under management using socially responsible investment strategies grew to $12 trillion in 2018, up 38 percent from $8.7 trillion in 2016. Thats 26 percent or $1 of every $4 of the $46.6 trillion in total U.S. assets under professional management, according to Jackie VanderBrug, head of sustainable and impact investment strategy for Bank of America. Were written about Vanguards issuing an expanded annual Investment Stewardship report, which outlined engagements with more than 700 portfolio companies, of which 200 are in carbon-intensive industries. BlackRock also issues reports on shareholder commitment and sustainability, including its annual stewardship outlook. BlackRock is now requiring investment teams not just ESG-specific fund managers to incorporate ESG as part of their investment process. Is ESG just a sales pitch to attract assets? Possibly. So look beyond the packaging. Diversity and Penn Mutual Local insurance giant Penn Mutual is one of only seven companies in the Fortune 1000 with both a female CEO and CFO. Were the second-longest pairing of CEO and CFO, said chief executive Eileen McDonnell. Williams-Sonoma is the longest. In 2016, Penn Mutual debuted in the Fortune 1000 at No. 980, and rose to No. 761 in 2018. In 2019, we anticipate rising on that list again, she said, in part because of a focus on recruiting diverse board members and employees. McDonnell points to data that for every 10 percent increase in racial and ethnic diversity, EBITDA earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization increases 0.8 percent a year for companies in the United States. McDonnell pushed for over 40 percent female representation on the board at Penn Mutual. Many leaders dont realize diversity is good business. They need input from people who think differently from them, she said. William Goings, former executive vice president and president of TD Insurance, and Carol Johnson, former president and chief operating officer of AlliedBarton Security Services, joined the board in the last year. Heres the list of female CEO/CFO duos on the Fortune 1000 list. Hassan Bennett, right, is overcome with joy as he hugs his godmother Jacqueline Grasty, left, the moment he arrived back at the home he grew up in on 61st Street. He has been incarcerated since 2006. On Monday May 6, 2019, Hassan, representing himself, was acquitted in his fourth trial over a 2006 murder. Read more Hassan Bennett always insisted that he was innocent. Not just when he was first arrested, days after the September 2006 murder of one man and the shooting of another in West Philadelphia, but throughout his first, second, and third trials for the crimes. For more than a dozen years, Bennett sat in prison, waiting for justice and working to win it. The first prosecution ended in mistrial, and the second brought a guilty verdict, overturned on appeal. Bennett served as his own lawyer for his third trial last year, falling one jury vote short of an acquittal. And when his fourth trial began last month, with Bennett again representing himself, the defendant opted to wear his prison uniform each day in the courtroom. On Monday, after deliberating for just 81 minutes, a jury of seven women and five men brought his journey to an end: They acquitted him on all counts. Bennett erupted in joy, and hugged his standby attorney when the verdict was read in a near-empty courtroom in the Stout Center for Criminal Justice. Justice was finally served, said Camile May, 36, pumping his fist, and joining a handful of Bennetts relatives and friends who raced to the building and celebrated in the lobby. Im not surprised. But I am surprised that it took so long for the truth to come out. Its a shame how if you dont have money and youre a black man, you get caught up in the system." When Bennett, 36, was released several hours later, he walked through the front door of the Criminal Justice Center still wearing his blue prison uniform. I feel the whole process of changing clothes and hiding your armband is all a sham, because everyone knows youre locked up," he said. "Im going to give you the bold truth. Thats what I did. Bennetts standby lawyer, Ben Cooper, said it was a credit to Bennetts preparation. This is very rare. Most pro-se defendants dont have success because of their lack of training and lack of experience," Cooper said after leaving the courtroom. "Hassan took it upon himself to learn the law, to learn the rules of evidence, to learn how to cross-examine witnesses. Bennett, a graduate of Overbrook High School, said he taught himself the law. I stayed in the [prison] law library. I read every book I got my hands on, whether it was law work or history," he said. "And I would practice and review other lawyers writings, then I would write. My biggest hurdle was overcoming the naysayers and the myths. His case also was helped by the mounting credibility problems of a former Philadelphia homicide detective, James Pitts, who worked the case and has since been accused in lawsuits, court filings, and Internal Affairs reports of forcibly coercing statements from suspects and witnesses. Bennetts case stemmed from the Sept. 22, 2006, murder of one of Bennetts friends and the wounding of another, who were ambushed while sitting in a parked car in West Philadelphia. Devon English, 19, died from multiple gunshot wounds. Corey Ford, 18, survived bullets to the buttocks and legs. Bennett was arrested three days after the shootings and had been jailed since. Bennett maintained he was at home making a phone call when he heard rapid gunfire and went outside to the crime scene near Robinson Street and Lansdowne Avenue to investigate. His first trial, in 2008, ended in a mistrial due to jury tampering, and he was found guilty and sentenced to life without parole after his second trial later that year. That conviction was overturned on appeal when Bennett successfully argued that he had ineffective counsel. Last week, he told the jury as he did during his trial last year that Pitts had coerced incriminating statements from Ford and Lamont Dade, Bennetts codefendant, who pleaded guilty in 2008 and is now serving a 25- to 50-year sentence. According to their initial statements, which were read to the jury, Dade shot English in the head and body and took money from his pocket afterward, while Bennett shot Ford multiple times. Both Ford and Dade recanted their statements in court last week and testified that Pitts forced them to identify Bennett as the shooter. Bennett called Pitts to the stand. He disputed their claims, but Bennett challenged his testimony. Why didnt the prosecutor call Detective Pitts? Hes the lead detective. Hes the head honcho, Bennett said in his closing argument on Friday. Pitts worked the witnesses for hours on end. We cant tolerate this misconduct. We cant tolerate these actions. Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski told the jury that neither Bennett nor the witnesses mentioned Pitts name until six years ago. She asked the jurors to believe the statements Ford and Dade gave police shortly after the shootings because it was then that they spoke the truth. She said Bennetts motivation to kill English stemmed from losing $20 to him in a dice game, and that he enlisted the then-16-year-old Dade to help him. After the verdict Monday, a spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner said: "While we disagree with the jurys verdict, we appreciate their service and respect their decision. We have no further comment at this time. Bennetts is the latest in a string of cases to collapse as a result of Pitts involvement. In March, Dwayne Thorpe was freed after serving 10 years of a life sentence after his lawyer got his conviction dismissed in part because of Pitts. Nafis Pinkney, who was arrested by Pitts, was found not guilty of committing a double murder in 2013. Another man confessed in 2016 to the crime and is awaiting trial. The City of Philadelphia paid Pinkney $750,000 in an out-of-court settlement in 2017. Pitts has since been reassigned to a desk job where he does not have contact with the public. (He could not be reached after the verdict Monday.) The verdict devastated Englishs family members, who were not in court Monday. Im still trying to cope with it. I think it is wrong. I think the whole process is unfair, said Arturo Alleyne, Englishs father. All of this will be cleared up by God. Tina Lee, Englishs aunt, predicted a dim future for Bennett. Hes not going to get away with this. The law let him get away with it, but God will not let him get away with it. He will pay and thats all I can say. It wont be by my hand, but he will pay for what he did. Bennetts supporters said justice had been done. He did 13 years for a crime he did not commit, and clearly that came out and we won, said Gloria Easley, 39, Bennetts aunt. She blasted Pitts and wondered why he was still on the force, albeit on desk duty. By the grace of God it all worked out in the right favor. A few hours after the verdict, Bennett was standing by himself outside the Criminal Justice Center, holding his box of legal papers, waiting for his family to take him home to his West Philadelphia neighborhood. Officers who passed by eyed the man wearing the light blue prison uniform shirt with DOC on the back. Bennett said he has accepted a job offer from Cooper, his standby counsel, to do investigative and other work similar to that of a paralegal. But the experience of winning his freedom has him thinking about college and law school. I want to do some motivational speaking and spread legal knowledge. Thats my game plan. I want to network and go to rec centers, schools," he said. "I want to help other people that are innocent and help other people understand their rights, especially people from my neighborhood. So, I have a lot of work to do. Registered Nurse Babette Richter, with the South Jersey AIDS Alliance, holds up a container of the heroin overdose antidote, naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan. Read more New Jerseyans living in some of the cities hardest hit by the opioid crisis may find it harder to get lifesaving overdose-reversal drugs at their local pharmacies, a new study has found. The study, by a team of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School researchers and published in the Journal of Medical Toxicology, surveyed every pharmacy in 10 New Jersey cities between February and July 2017 to determine whether they were stocking naloxone, or Narcan, the brand name for the drug. At the time the surveys were conducted, only certain pharmacies in the state could dispense Narcan; later that year, the state allowed pharmacies to apply for a standing order to dispense the drug without a prescription. Pennsylvania has also had a standing order in place, since 2015. Still, despite the standing order, a study surveying nearly 700 Pennsylvania pharmacies in 2016 and 2017 found that only 45 percent were stocking naloxone. In Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania contacted pharmacies in zip codes with high rates of heroin possession in 2016, and found that 40 percent of the pharmacies they contacted stocked the drug, said Jim Garrow, a spokesman for the citys health department. Pharmacy students from the University of the Sciences later launched an education campaign at dozens of local pharmacies. In early 2018, about 75 percent of the citys pharmacies were carrying Narcan and by the end of the year, Mayor Jim Kenney had signed a law requiring every pharmacy in the city to stock it. Just 31 percent of the 90 New Jersey pharmacies surveyed in the recent Rutgers study carried naloxone. But researchers found that people living in wealthier areas were more likely to have a pharmacy in town that stocked the drug. In Camden, where the median income is just over $26,000, just four of the citys 16 pharmacies were stocking naloxone. Thats in a city of 74,532 people whose hospitals handled more than 10,000 opioid-related visits between 2008 and 2015. Compare that to Little Silver, a town in Monmouth County with a population of 5,908 and a six-digit median income, where two of three pharmacies were carrying naloxone even though the town has seen far fewer opioid-related hospital visits. The results suggest an unsurprising and disturbing pattern: Patients living in the most populous poorer areas are also living in areas with less access to naloxone, the study authors wrote. The study didnt find a statistically significant relationship between an areas availability of naloxone and its number of opioid-related hospital visits. But the authors did identify cities they call naloxone deserts like Newark, Atlantic City, and Camden, which are dealing with severe opioid crises and whose pharmacies dont stock naloxone at the rate found in wealthier areas. Despite how safe it is to use its just not widely available and the real reason is partly access, partly cost, and partly education, said Lewis Nelson, the chair of emergency medicine at Rutgers medical school in Newark. Though Medicaid covers Narcan, it can cost $70 to $300 out of pocket. Nelson said pharmacies may not stock the drug if customers are unable to afford it. A lot of people know about it, and even when they know about it, they still cant access it, he said. The drug is available outside pharmacies, even though the study authors noted that information on community-based programs that dispense naloxone is often hard to come by. The drug is available for free at the states seven syringe exchanges, including in the three cities the study identified as naloxone deserts. Nelson hands out Narcan from his emergency department in Newark. Joanna Dugan, who coordinates one of the states three regional opioid overdose prevention programs, hosts Narcan training all over the eight southern counties in New Jersey. She said her program, based in Camden, has dispensed more than 3,466 free Narcan kits since January 2018. We do talk at our training about other ways of getting Narcan. And they are pricey. A lower income means its hard for someone without insurance to pay for Narcan they may not use, she said. Nelson said he wasnt surprised that more pharmacies werent stocking Narcan when it really comes down to it, it is a business but he was disappointed that, in a state that saw 1,969 lives lost to opioid overdoses in 2017, the antidote wasnt readily available to many. Naloxone is lifesaving. Its not really the treatment for people with opioid use disorder. Its a bridge to get into treatment. But you have to be alive to get into treatment, he said. [Naloxone] is just a public health safety net that it seems like it should be available for free, for anyone, anytime. Leading human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell addresses protestors outside The Dorcester hotel on Park Lane in London, demonstrating against the Brunei anti-gay laws last month. Read more HONG KONG The Sultan of Brunei said his country would not impose the death penalty, appearing to back away from harsh punishments including death by stoning for gay sex and adultery under strict new laws which went into effect last month. Speaking Sunday in a televised address, his first comments since the laws went into effect amid significant international backlash, he noted that Brunei has had a "de facto moratorium" on the death penalty under common law. This moratorium, he said, will also be extended to cases under the new sharia-influenced (Islamic law) penal code. "I am aware that there are all sorts of questions and misconceptions on the implementation" of the laws, the sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, said. "For that, we have given clarification. We are conscious of the fact that these misconceptions may cause apprehension." The laws were met with swift condemnation when their latest phase came into effect on April 3, implementing chilling punishments under the Islamic penal code after years of planning and preparation. Observers noted that the laws were incongruous with the Bruneian royal family's reputation for wild partying and opulence, and were indicative of the sultan's desire to bring his country closer to more strict interpretations of Islamic law. The United Nations called the laws draconian, and the move prompted calls for a boycott of the Brunei-controlled hotels from Hollywood celebrities including George Clooney and Ellen DeGeneres. Western governments had been quietly lobbying the sultanate away from implementing the laws, which they said would complicate trade deals with the oil rich sultanate, and have urged Brunei to uphold international human rights standards. A State Department spokesman, speaking soon after the laws went into effect, said the United States "regularly communicate[s] with the government of Brunei regarding human rights and encourage[s] it to uphold its international commitments on human rights." In his Sunday speech, Bolkiah also added that Brunei will be ratifying the U.N. Convention against Torture. It is unclear how the ratification of that treaty would affect other punishments under the Islamic penal code, which also call for amputation of hands and feet over stealing. The new laws also apply to children and foreigners who are not Muslim. The sultan, however, continued to stand by the laws, which he said was part of Brunei's "religious obligation to God as an Islamic country." "We are sure that once these misconceptions have been clarified, the merit of the law will be evident," he said. The tiny sultanate on the island of Borneo, which is home to fewer than half a million people, was not a comfortable place for the LGBT community even before the laws went into effect. Homosexuality was punishable by jail terms of up to a decade even before the new laws. Many in the community say it has been hard for them to express their concerns over the new rules for fear that they could be charged with apostasy. Political opposition is virtually nonexistent in Brunei, where the sultan rules as head of state and also serves as prime minister with full executive authority. People stand near the damage inflicted by a rocket fired from Gaza after it hit in the southern Israeli port city of Ashdod, on Monday. Read more JERUSALEM The Israeli military lifted protective restrictions on residents in the south on Monday, while Gazas ruling Hamas militant group reported a cease-fire deal had been reached to end the deadliest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. The escalation had killed 25 on the Gaza side, both militants and civilians, while on the Israeli side four civilians were killed by incoming fire. The Islamic Jihad militant group, which Israel accused of instigating the latest violence, confirmed that a "mutual and concurrent" truce had been brokered by Egypt. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Egyptian mediators, along with officials from Qatar and the U.N., helped reach the deal. He said Hamas could still use "different pressuring tools" to get Israel to ease a crippling blockade of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointedly noted that "the campaign is not over, and it requires patience and judgment." The intense fighting over the past two days came to a halt early Monday and residents on both sides went back to their daily routines. Schools and roads had been closed, and Israelis had been urged to remain indoors and near bomb shelters as intense rocket fire pounded the area. Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars and numerous smaller battles since the Islamic militant group seized Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. In the latest fighting, which erupted over the weekend, Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, while the Israeli military responded with airstrikes on some 350 militant targets inside 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. A Hamas commander allegedly involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group was killed in an airstrike, in an apparent return to Israel's policy of targeting militant leaders. Palestinian medical officials reported 25 deaths, including at least 10 militants as well as three women, two of them pregnant, and two babies. The four Israeli civilians killed were the first Israeli fatalities from rocket attacks since the 50-day war in 2014. One was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border. The Gaza public works ministry said 130 housing units were destroyed in Israeli airstrikes, including a five-story building in the northern Gaza Strip where six people, including a 12-year-old boy and an infant, were killed. Egyptian mediators had been working with the U.N. to broker a cease-fire. Under past Egyptian-brokered deals, Israel has agreed to ease its joint blockade of Gaza with Egypt in exchange for a halt to rocket fire. The latest fighting broke out after Palestinian militants accused Israel of not honoring an earlier cease-fire deal from March and opened fire on soldiers on the Israeli side of the Gaza frontier. The terms of the latest deal were not known, but recent cease-fires have been short-lived. In weary communities in southern Israel, there was criticism that the latest round of fighting had ended without tangible results and no hope that it would not recur soon. "When we have the upper hand, we need once and for all to finish the terror because this will repeat itself and will not stop," said Jacque Mendel, a resident of the coastal city of Ashdod, where a man was killed in his car by a rocket Sunday night. Israel appears to have little appetite for another prolonged conflict. Later this week, the country marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, followed by the festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the popular Eurovision song contest, and the fighting could have deterred visitors. Netanyahu, who recently secured re-election in part thanks to the votes of the rocket-battered residents along the Gaza Strip frontier, has traditionally been cautious in his handling of Gaza, for fear of sparking an open-ended war with no clear endgame. But he is under pressure from the same electorate and his potential coalition partners appear to favor a more hard-line approach to Gaza. Even within his own ruling Likud Party, Netanyahu faced unusual criticism for not going further to quash Gaza militants. Likud lawmaker Gideon Saar wrote on Twitter that the reported cease-fire was not an achievement for Israel. "The timeframes between these violent attacks on Israel and its citizens are getting shorter and the terror groups in Gaza are getting stronger between them," he wrote. Benny Gantz, Israel's emerging opposition leader, also criticized Netanyahu, saying that ending the current round amounted to "another surrender to the extortion of Hamas and the terror organizations." In Gaza, a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier against the blockade that has ravaged the economy has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. Still, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said late Sunday that the militant group was "not interested in a new war," and the start on Monday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan likely lessened motivation for battle. Signs of normal life slowly returned to Gaza, with banks opening after three days. Schools are to reopen on Tuesday. Akram reported from Gaza City, Gaza Strip. WINDSOR, England Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a healthy baby boy early Monday morning, a beaming Prince Harry announced to the world, declaring hes incredibly proud of his wife. The baby weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces at birth and was born at 5:26 a.m. Harry said the child was a little bit overdue and that had given the royal couple more time to contemplate names. Harry said he was ecstatic about the birth of their first child and promised that more details such as the baby's name will be shared in the coming days. The couple said earlier they were not going to find out the baby's sex in advance. "This little baby is absolutely to die for," he said. "I'm just over the moon." The infant is seventh in line to the British throne and Queen Elizabeth II's eighth great-grandchild. Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles, heir to the throne, and the late Princess Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997. The 34-year-old Harry, speaking before TV cameras on Monday afternoon in Windsor, said he was present for the birth. "It's been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined," he said. "How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. "We're both absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support from everybody out there. It's been amazing, so we just wanted to share this with everybody," he gushed. Meghan's mother Doria Ragland was reportedly also with her daughter and said she is overjoyed, according to British media. Senior royals were informed of the birth, as was the family of Diana, Harry's late mother, before he went before the cameras. The couple's Instagram account said: "It's a boy! Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to announce the birth of their child." Harry said he planned to make another announcement, probably in two days' time, "so everyone can see the baby." It's expected they will pose for a family picture at that point. The former Meghan Markle, 37, was an American TV star before retiring from acting to marry Harry at St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle a year ago. The child will be eligible for dual British-U.S. citizenship if Meghan and Harry want to go through the application process. The birth of Britain's latest royal baby marks the completion of Harry's transformation from a boy whose mother died when he was just 12 to a sometimes-troubled teen, a committed military man, a popular senior royal, a husband and now to a proud father. He has long spoken of his desire to start a family. He and his older brother, Prince William, along with their wives, are seen by many in Britain as the new, fresh faces of a royal family that had become stodgy and aged. They are raising the next generation of royals amid a genuine groundswell of British public support for the monarchy. Meghan in particular represents a change for the royals. At 37, she is older than Harry, had a previous marriage that ended in divorce and has strong feminist views. As the daughter of a black mother and a white father, she says she identifies as biracial. Meghan also achieved considerable success in her own right before agreeing to a blind date with Harry that changed both of their lives. Meghan had an important role in the popular TV series "Suits," pressed for increased women's rights around the world and had a wide following even before she joined the world's most famous royal family. Harry and Meghan recently moved from central London to a secluded house known as Frogmore Cottage near Windsor Castle, 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of London. The move is seen in part as reflecting a desire for privacy as they raise their first child. It also separates Harry and Meghan from William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, who had been living in the same compound at Kensington Palace in central London with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis the new babys cousins. Parking workers and 32BJ SEIU members at a hearing on Monday for a package of bills to regulate the parking industry. Read more >> UPDATE: City Council approves just-cause, a cutting-edge worker protection law, for the parking industry Two opposing stories of hardship emerged Monday morning in Philadelphia City Council during a hearing on a package of bills that aim to protect parking lot workers. There was Gina Cain, a 50-year-old grandmother who said her current job making $7.65 on the overnight shift at a Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia garage run by parking company Impark is the lowest-paid job shes ever had. It aint fair, said Cain. And there was Robert Zuritsky, CEO of parking operator Parkway Corp. and the president of the Philadelphia Parking Association, who said that his industry has been slammed by city taxes 50 percent of every dollar brought in by the parking industry goes to the city, he said and warned that the city would continue to lose thousands of parking spaces, and risk hurting its economy, if it continued to pass onerous regulations. I consider us on the endangered list in Philadelphia, Zuritsky said. It was a scene that has become common in City Council chambers as Council moves to pass more worker-protection laws as a way to fight poverty in the poorest big city in the United States: Workers speak of struggling to get by and fearing for their jobs, while employers and business groups talk about how they shouldnt be penalized for the bad actors with measures that ultimately hurt the citys economy. A similar hearing on a larger scale occurred last year for the Fair Workweek scheduling legislation for retail, fast-food, and hotel workers that passed in December. The beginning of a just cause city? This hearing focused on two bills introduced by Councilwoman Cherelle L. Parker: one requiring employers to give just cause for firing workers and another requiring parking operators to submit to inspections regarding staffing levels. The bills come after nearly a year of union SEIU 32BJs industry-wide campaign to unionize parking workers in the city. >> READ MORE: Will the next big worker protection bill against unfair firing pass in Philly? A Keystone Research Center report estimated that there are 1,000 parking workers across nearly 200 lots in Philadelphia. Most are African American or immigrants from African countries. The report said half earn $9.50 an hour or less. Zuritsky, whose workers are about 10 percent of the parking workforce, according to the report, said the average salary at Parkway is $13.25. Just-cause is a standard part of a collective bargaining agreement, and its corresponding legislation is on the cutting edge of worker protections around the country, with New York City considering a similar bill for fast-food workers. (There are also just-cause laws in Montana, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.) The otherwise standard American practice is at-will" employment, under which employers can fire any worker at any time for any reason or none at all. Marjorie McMahon Obod, an employer-side labor lawyer at Dilworth Paxson, said the bill set a bad precedent." Right now, its the parking industry, she said. Next time it could be hospitals. ... It could be all industries that service Philadelphia. No capacity to implement the bill Rob Wonderling, CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, which has opposed all the citys worker protection legislation, said the city should not be passing laws that it cant realistically enforce. >> READ MORE: 7 groups chased Council members around City Hall to make a plea for more labor enforcement funding The just-cause bill calls for a complaint-based enforcement process, where an unspecified agency would investigate if a worker alleged any violations. But the citys Office of Labor Enforcement, a three-person unit housed in the Mayors Office that is slated to grow to five this summer, has struggled to educate workers and enforce the four labor protections currently on the books. Its an issue that labor groups have banded together to advocate for this spring. The city, Wonderling said, has no capacity to implement the bill as drafted. At the end of the hearing, Parker said she had heard the concerns of the parking industry loud and clear and vowed to help it, too, after advocating for the workers. We will not abandon the industry, she said, adding that given the tough nature of the industry, parking employers should make their employees their allies, not their adversaries." >> READ MORE: How Phillys office to protect workers is changing after a sputtering start The Committee on Labor and Civil Service voted the bills out of committee. Next, the full Council will hold a hearing. Philadelphia Media Network is one of 21 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org. David Surman Jr., shown after his arraignment in June, has been charged with possessing a weapon of mass destruction and related offenses in connection to a series of explosions earlier this month in Bucks County. Read more David Surman Jr., who prosecutors say was behind a series of explosions in upper Bucks County last spring, has spent the last few months buying things a judge forbade him to own, officials said. The Quakertown native, 31, used fake names and phony Social Security numbers to purchase chemical compounds, computer parts, and gun components over three months, according to a motion to revoke his bail. Prosecutors contend that those purchases are grounds to jail him on the bombing charges as well as an unrelated child-pornography case. Surmans attorney, Paul Lang, denied Monday that his client violated his bail and vowed to fight these uninformed allegations." Deputy District Attorney Antonetta Stancu, the lead prosecutor, said in her motion that Surman created PayPal accounts under the names Dayvid Surmen and Dawid Sherman" in order to hide his purchases. One of his online transactions was to buy a set of walkie-talkies with a 16-mile range, a set that allowed him to contact Tina Smith, his girlfriend and co-defendant in the bombing case. Surman had been ordered to cease all contact with her. Investigators arrested Surman last June, zeroing in on him as the man behind a series of mysterious late-night explosions in rural townships in the northern edge of the county, about an hour north of Philadelphia. During a search of Surmans home and the chemical company that he operated, investigators from the FBI, state police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found four homemade explosives, one 18 inches long. They allege in court filings that Surman rode shotgun in Smiths SUV as she sped throughout the winding back roads in the area, lighting fuses on his explosives and throwing them out the cars window. After his arrest, investigators found a series of notebooks in his home with various rambling messages, one of which featured a cartoon of the two driving away from a mushroom cloud. Surman was arraigned on charges of manufacturing and possessing weapons of mass destruction and released after posting $500,000 bail, with the condition that he would not contact Smith or possess chemicals and firearms. While investigators were executing a search warrant on electronic devices seized from Surmans home, they found caches of child pornography. He was subsequently charged with possessing the pornography, and released after posting a separate $500,000 bail. In that case, the conditions included avoiding electronics that can access the internet. Stancu said Surman violated that bail condition. He used his new PayPal accounts to purchase chemicals that can be used to build explosives, as well as the upper receiver and lower parts of a 9mm Glock handgun. Another purchase of a 3D printer would have allowed Surman to build a fully-working Glock on his own, a ghost gun with no serial number or registration, according to her motion. A trial into Surmans bombings charges is scheduled to begin in August in county court. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D., Pa.) holds up a copy of the Pennsylvania constitution -- which guarantees clean drinking water -- as she speaks with Rep. Paul Tonko (D., N.Y.) and Rep. Dan Kildee (D., Mich.), right, in Upper Dublin Township on Monday, May 6, 2019. The lawmakers are pushing for a swifter federal response to drinking water contamination caused by PFAS chemicals in Pennsylvania and other states. Read more Citing ongoing water contamination from cancer-causing PFAS chemicals, a lack of communication among federal agencies, and public health concerns, members of Congress pledged Monday in Montgomery County to push the federal government to act. Adding to a recent surge of pressure on the Environmental Protection Agency to swiftly set a safe drinking water limit for the chemicals that have contaminated dozens of communities nationwide, the lawmakers said Congress would soon hold hearings on PFAS-related legislation. At least 15 bills are currently up for discussion, including one that would require the EPA to set a PFAS drinking water limit known as a maximum contaminant level or MCL. Were not going to wait for them any longer to act. Were going to force that issue. Congress is going to act, said Rep. Dan Kildee (D., Mich.), who with Rep. Paul Tonko (D., N.Y.) visited contaminated military and well sites in Horsham with Rep. Madeleine Dean (D., Pa.) on Monday. The three are members of the congressional PFAS task force chaired by Kildee and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.). >>Read more: Chemicals that tainted water on military bases spreading to other towns in Bucks, Montco Kildee said he believed legislation could make the EPA move more quickly. The agency announced early this year that it would begin the process of determining whether to create a maximum contaminant level, predicting it will take several years before an MCL is in place. In the last few months, critics who say that is too long have amplified calls for the agency to act quickly. We must accept the fact that we have a serious problem, Dean said. We were waiting for EPA to come forward with a maximum contaminant level. They are slow to do that, and it might be years before [they] do that, so in Congress, were not going to wait any longer." Dean said polluted water is still flowing off the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove in Horsham and contaminated soil remains stored on base. Every time theres a bad storm think [Sunday], for example PFAS-polluted water flows off the base, still, Dean said. We havent been able to stop the ongoing contamination. That is one of the urgent things that my colleagues and I ask for. Residents in Horsham, Warminster, and Warrington Townships learned five years ago that their drinking water was contaminated with the chemicals, which were used in firefighting foams on former naval bases in Willow Grove and Warminster. The contamination has spread to other towns in Montgomery and Bucks Counties; at least 22 other towns have some level of PFAS in drinking water. Similar contamination in Michigan, New York, and other states has caused alarm for hundreds of thousands of residents. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been linked to cancers, reproductive issues, and other health problems. Tonko, who chairs the House subcommittee on the environment and climate change, said he would hold hearings on the bills, after which lawmakers would work to amend them, and anticipated they may be able to bring bills to a vote this year. The three lawmakers said they are pushing for immediate funding to clean up contamination. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) has promised PFAS bills will be moved, and the legislation has bipartisan support, which significantly increases the likelihood of being able to get something passed into law," Kildee said. Also Monday, the members of Congress held a round-table discussion, hearing from more than a dozen others, including lawmakers and representatives from state and federal agencies. Our residents should bear no cost, said Bill Walker, Horsham Township manager, where the local water authority has worked to remove all traces of PFAS from drinking water supplies. All we want is for our community to be turned over to us the way it was before the military came to our town. In the absence of federal action, some states have begun their own processes to address the contamination. Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan are among states working on setting their own drinking water limits. We dont feel a real sense of urgency as a community to these really important issues, said Joanne Stanton, a resident and cofounder of Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water. We need stronger chemical laws, we need stronger environmental laws that have the health and the safety of the people first and foremost. A facade is being repaired at St. Laurentius Church after a similar incident in January. Read more St. Laurentius School in Fishtown closed for the day Monday after stones fell from the parishs crumbling church building nearby. No injuries were reported after the stones fell from St. Laurentius Church about 1 a.m. and smashed into protective scaffolding at the shuttered 130-year-old house of worship. The school also closed for a day following a similar incident in January. Inspectors from the city Department of Licensing and Inspections were called to the church again early Monday after more stones fell from the building. Located at Berks and Memphis Streets, the 8,000-square-foot church has been the subject of neighborhood fights and court battles since the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced in 2014 that it was closing the property, the citys first Polish Catholic church, for safety reasons. City Council in March voted to change the zoning of the land surrounding the church, helping to clear a path toward redevelopment of the historic property. The legislation rezoned the land directly underneath and near the church to allow for multifamily development, while the remainder of the blocks zoning, for single-family buildings, remains the same. Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states that uses partisan elections for all judges. Read more When you head to the polls on May 21, you might know whom you plan to support for mayor and City Council. But chances are you wont know as much about the 33 judicial candidates on the ballot in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states that hold partisan elections in all judicial races, from trial judges to Supreme Court justices. In the Democratic primary this year, three candidates are running for Superior Court, a statewide appellate court; another two for Municipal Court; and 25 for Common Pleas Court. In the Republican primary, three people are running for Superior Court and one for Common Pleas. After readers asked about the process via Curious Philly a forum where Inquirer journalists field questions from our readers we decided to write a guide to how these elections work and why theyre held in the first place. READ MORE: Whats at stake in judicial elections | Editorial The basics Common Pleas Courts, organized into 60 judicial districts across the state, handle all major civil and criminal cases. Municipal Court handles misdemeanor trials and preliminary hearings in felony criminal cases, as well as civil small claims and landlord-tenant disputes. Superior and Common Pleas Court judges serve 10-year terms, after which they may run for another 10 years in office. These uncontested retention elections are held during the general election on a simple yes-or-no vote. Superior Court judges rule on appeals from the trial level in criminal and civil matters and are paid an annual salary of $199,114; Common Pleas judges earn $183,184, and municipal judges $178,946. How many candidates do you vote for? There are two open seats on Superior Court, six on Common Pleas, and one on Municipal. Can the candidates raise money? Yes, and critics of partisan judicial elections say thats a problem, because candidates campaigns are funded by trial lawyers and others who may end up in their courtroom. Judicial candidates are prohibited from personally soliciting campaign contributions, though others may raise money on their behalf. Candidates often lend their campaigns tens of thousands of dollars. In addition to paying the Democratic City Committee $35,000 for a shot at an endorsement, many candidates also shell out campaign funds to political consultants, who work to persuade the citys 69 Democratic ward leaders to back their clients. The party and ward leaders distribute sample ballots to voters Ballot position Perhaps more important than any of those factors is pure luck of the draw on ballot position, determined by a lottery held in Harrisburg. Candidates whose names appear in the first column tend to do better. In 2017, for example, six of the nine winners in the Democratic primary for Common Pleas Court were in the first column. There were 27 candidates in the field. Are the candidates qualified? Candidates must be members of the state bar to be eligible for a judgeship, except for the minor courts, such as district judges, who handle initial appearances and smaller cases. The Philadelphia Bar Association investigates candidates and rates them as highly recommended, recommended, or not recommended. The bar rated six Common Pleas candidates as not recommended," and gave the same distinction to one Municipal candidate. Separately, the Pennsylvania Bar Association rated three Superior Court candidates not recommended. Some candidates have listed their qualifications in questionnaires for PhillyJudges.com. READ MORE: Democrats endorse a Philly judicial candidate whose unpaid tax bill totaled $119,000 Where do they stand on the issues? Its hard to say. Judicial candidates are allowed to express their personal opinions. But they may not make any statement that would reasonably be expected to affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a matter pending or impending in any court, according to the state Code of Judicial Conduct. Some left-leaning groups have asked candidates where they stand on issues like eliminating cash bail and scaling back the use of probation and parole. Why do we elect judges? Pennsylvanias partisan election of judges dates back to 1850, when voters approved a constitutional amendment moving away from an appointment system. There were minor tweaks over the years, and in 1968 voters approved retention elections for sitting judges. This was designed to insulate them from political considerations on the bench. A 1969 referendum asked voters whether they wanted statewide judges elected or appointed, and a majority stuck with the status quo. In 1988, a blue-ribbon commission established by Gov. Bob Casey called for the appointment of appellate judges and allowing voters in individual counties to decide whether to continue to hold partisan elections for trial judges. The panel found that elections were particularly problematic in large counties like Philadelphia, where more than a dozen judges had been entangled in a bribery scandal involving gifts from Roofers Union officials. The proposed changes were not adopted by the legislature, and subsequent efforts to pick judges based on merit have yet to succeed. Locally, there was one minor victory for reformers in recent years. Amid allegations of rampant corruption in Philadelphia Traffic Court, voters approved a ballot initiative abolishing it. Whats the latest proposal? Lawmakers in Harrisburg are considering a constitutional amendment that would rely on a bipartisan citizens commission composed of lawyers and non-lawyers chosen by the governor and legislative leaders to recommend qualified judges for appellate courts. The governor would choose nominees from that list, and they would need to be confirmed by the Senate. Judges would serve for four years and then face retention elections for a 10-year term. The legislature would have to pass the resolution in consecutive two-year sessions, at which point the question would go to voters in a referendum. The House Judiciary Committee advanced the measure on a party-line vote Tuesday, with Republicans supporting it and Democrats opposed. The measure would not affect lower courts. Similar legislation advanced to the House floor last session but ultimately died. Whats the resistance to merit selection? It can be hard to get anything done in Harrisburg, even more so when it involves amending the constitution. Maida Milone, executive director of the advocacy group Pennsylvania for Modern Courts, said that unlike issues such as health care, judicial reform doesnt have a natural constituency. In addition, there is this perception that changing to an appointment system is somehow taking the vote away from the people, and legislators dont want to be accused of doing that, Milone said. But she noted that voters would have to approve the change. Were not doing anything except giving voters the opportunity to say, You know what, in these statewide races, I dont have a clue, and I dont feel equipped to make a decision about whos going to be a great appellate judge." A propane tank attached to the La Parrillada Chapina food truck in Feltonville ruptured on July 1, 2014, causing an explosion that killed its owner, Olga Galdamez, 42, and her daughter Jaylin Galdamez, 17, and injured 11 others. Read more A former general manager of a Feltonville U-Haul facility was sentenced Monday to two years on probation for using untrained workers in a case that stemmed from a 2014 food-truck explosion that killed a mother and daughter. Miguel Rivera and U-Haul Co. of Pennsylvania have denied filling the propane cylinder attached to the La Parrillada Chapina food truck, which ruptured on July 1, 2014, and killed the trucks owner, Olga Galdamez, 42, and her daughter Jaylin, 17, and injured 11 others. Olga Galdamezs fiance had repeatedly brought the large propane cylinders attached to the food truck, parked on Wyoming Avenue near Third Street, to the U-Haul that June. In the end, the government didnt prove that Rivera or any other U-Haul worker filled the specific cylinder that ruptured, and dismissed the charges related to the womens deaths and to filling any out-of-date tanks. But during the probe of the deadly explosion, federal investigators found out that Rivera, who managed the facility at Hunting Park Avenue and Front Street, had used two untrained workers to fill cylinders with propane in violation of federal hazardous-materials regulations. Rivera and the company pleaded guilty in January to two counts relating to using untrained workers in June and July 2014. The memory of the deadly explosion hung over Mondays proceedings as Riveras attorney, Michael Engle, repeatedly pointed out that Rivera was not being sentenced for the food truck explosion, that what he pleaded guilty to did not ultimately lead to any tragedy, and that his client and U-Haul have denied ever filling an out-of-date propane tank. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Abrams agreed the explosion was not to be factored into Riveras sentence, but emphasized that his use of untrained workers to fill tanks with the hazardous material was dangerous. She noted that even after Rivera learned of the food trucks explosion, he continued to use one of the untrained workers to fill propane tanks at his facility. Rivera faced up to six months of probation or confinement under the recommended sentencing guidelines. Abrams asked U.S. District Judge Robert Kelly to sentence him to a prison term within that range to provide deterrence and promote respect for the law. Engle asked for probation. Engle told the judge that Rivera grew up in North Philadelphia, had no prior criminal history, and now works as a stockroom clerk at a different business and is up for a promotion. Rivera, 31, told the judge, I made a terrible mistake and I got lazy by using the two untrained workers to fill customers propane tanks. I know this is wrong, and I make no excuse for my failure, he said. The judge noted that Rivera has a 4-year-old child with his girlfriend and is trying to obtain primary custody of his three older children. Each day I try to be a good dad, Rivera said, adding that his children are my everything." In sentencing Rivera, Kelly said that handling hazardous materials is a serious matter, but also noted that Rivera has otherwise maintained a law-abiding life. The judge also ordered Rivera to perform 100 hours of community service. As part of his plea agreement, Rivera agreed to pay a $2,000 fine. U-Haul Co. of Pennsylvania faces a separate sentencing hearing Tuesday. As part of its plea agreement, the company has agreed to pay a maximum $1 million fine for the two counts to which it pleaded guilty. It also agreed to a two-year probationary period during which it is to report to the U.S. Probation Office on its compliance with the U.S. Department of Transportations Hazardous Materials Regulations, show that it has implemented a propane compliance program to ensure that only hazmat-trained employees fill cylinders, and keep proper records about the cylinders that are being filled. A pediatric medical assistant who landed a job at a Bucks County clinic despite a past child pornography arrest was sentenced Monday to 12 years and seven months in federal prison after FBI agents caught him re-offending. Cameron Carlucci, 27, of Philadelphia, admitted he had lied about his record on his job application for Valley Pediatrics in Warminster Township. The clinic did not perform a background check before hiring him, prosecutors said. Carlucci maintained he never touched any patients inappropriately, but he told FBI agents he often viewed sexually explicit images of children online during his downtime at work. Standing before U.S. District Judge Berle M. Schiller on Monday, Carlucci apologized to the children depicted in the collection of more than 56,000 pornographic images and videos he amassed. Even though I didnt know any of the children on a personal note, he said, I would like to apologize for watching you get abused, and I did nothing to help you. The question of how Carlucci was even hired at Valley Pediatrics hung over Mondays proceedings. State law requires employers who work with children to conduct comprehensive background checks on potential employees. However, authorities have little ability to track whether private businesses regularly comply. But a simple search of public records would have revealed Carlucci had been charged by Philadelphia police in 2010 with child pornography-related felonies. He later struck a deal with state prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor count of selling obscene sexual materials one which did not require him to register as a sex offender and for which he received a five-year term of probation. Court officers terminated his probation after 19 months, saying Carlucci had successfully completed a treatment program for child pornography addiction. Assistant U.S Attorney Michelle Rotella described that deal Monday as highly unusual but added it was equally outrageous that the clinic did not uncover his conviction on even that less serious count. His position with Valley Pediatrics ensured that he had access to, physical contact with and was surrounded by minor children every minute of every workday, Rotella said in court filings. The fact that Carlucci could have chosen any line of work or any medical facility, but instead sought out a medical office that catered exclusively to children clearly demonstrates his true predator nature. A spokesperson for Valley Pediatrics declined to comment. But in a letter posted to the companys Facebook shortly after Carlucci pleaded guilty to federal charges in February, pediatrician Ronald Endo said the clinic had cut ties with him as soon as it learned of his arrest. Carluccis duties included escorting children to examination rooms, weighing them and taking their vital signs, but Endo maintained Carlucci never had any unsupervised contact with patients. But the doctor also insisted that Valley Pediatric couldnt have couldnt have known about Carluccis past arrest because he committed his crimes as a minor and that his record had been sealed. The clinic operators were later forced to retract that claim when it turned out not to be true and it was revealed that they had never checked. We have always prioritized hiring employees with the highest level of credentials and excellent backgrounds, the doctor wrote. We are committed to fortifying our hiring practices even further to prevent this type of situation from happening again. Carlucci, too, expressed some confusion about the status of his earlier conviction when interviewed by federal authorities last year. He said he didnt mention his record on his job application because he mistakenly believed that it had been expunged once he completed his probation. But within days of his early release from treatment in 2013, he created Dropbox and Skype accounts to begin downloading and trading child pornography again. Some of the images investigators found on his computer depicted children as young as 4 months old being forced into sexual encounters with adult men. Carlucci also admitted to agents that he often would go to shopping malls to watch young boys there, then masturbate in the bathrooms. At his sentencing hearing, his lawyer, Natasha Taylor-Smith, argued Carluccis addiction to child pornography stemmed from a troubled childhood and sexual abuse he endured at a young age from his father. Developmentally disabled due to his mothers heavy use of drugs while she was pregnant and a stroke he suffered in the womb, Carlucci had trouble forging healthy relationships while growing up in the foster care system, Taylor-Smith said. Plagued by the rejection he feels due to being abandoned at birth, betrayed by his father and shunned by his peers, Mr. Carlucci eventually resorted to living in a virtual world away from direct contact with people outside of his family, she said in a filing with the court. Still, Carlucci told the judge, the fault for his crimes belonged squarely on his shoulders. In addition to his prison term, Carlucci was also ordered to complete 10 years probation upon his release and pay $35,000 in restitution to some individuals depicted in his pornography collection. I always thought that what I did wasnt hurting anyone because I was hiding behind a computer screen, he told the judge. For that, I apologize. To expand the wealth that has reached Center City to other neighborhoods, the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia and partners have pitched a growth plan. Read more Over the last two decades, Philadelphia has undergone a renaissance, transforming from a city many believed long past its best days to a place that wins national plaudits as one of the best places to visit, and for its economic vitality, rich history, and cultural vibrancy. But we must recognize that while some communities are thriving, too many neighborhoods feel left out of the progress greater Center City has seen. We should not be satisfied until every neighborhood, every community, every family, every resident, and every child feels they have equal opportunity to share in Philadelphias prosperity. Meeting the needs of every citizen starts with an honest dialogue. Philadelphia has the highest rate of poverty of any big city in the country; unlike other major cities, our poverty rate stagnated last year. Our schools leave too many kids behind and without the skills necessary for 21st-century jobs. Many neighborhoods remain scarred by gun violence, opioids, and a lack of hope. For decades, our city has fallen short of addressing these chronic problems. Thats why we have kicked off the new PHL Neighborhood Growth Project a long-term initiative that sheds old-school, zero-sum thinking that pits citizens against each other, draws artificial lines between businesses and neighborhoods, and gets trapped in outdated ideological debates. We are one city, and we must work together to ensure that every community is included in progress. The effort builds on the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphias Roadmap for Growth initiative and is focused on four key areas: good jobs and inclusive economic growth, improving our schools and modernizing our workforce, creating safer and healthier neighborhoods, and reforming City Hall to put people, not special interests, first. It is centered on a belief that an individuals best path out of poverty is a good job, the path to wealth creation is through entrepreneurship, and the only way to make the needed investments in our people is through a sustainable, inclusive, and growing tax base. As part of our Neighborhood Growth Project, we have released an Inclusive Growth Agenda that calls for the creation of a multiyear Neighborhood Renaissance Fund by, among other things, reforming the 10-year tax abatement to recoup some of the revenues and help spur job creation in neighborhoods where unemployment is twice the national average. If implemented properly, these Neighborhood Revitalization Zones, supplemented by a small portion of the citys budget surplus and other efforts, will anchor new business and civic life where we need it most. With this initiative, the business community is also committing itself to a partnership with city and civic leaders to build a stronger public education system that is properly funded, a spirit of mentorship with apprenticeships and work-study placements, and world-class public health and safety policies to reduce gun violence and help those suffering from addiction. We also are committed to government reform to ensure our tax and regulatory systems invite new businesses into our city and help existing ones grow and thrive. Our proposal is just the start of what we hope will become a new spirit of public-private partnership that recognizes our great city as one big family. We think this dialogue should become a permanent fixture, not just something we do every couple of years to get through election cycles. We want all of the citys civic leaders and residents to be part of this dialogue as we forge a way forward. We invite every city resident to join this process and visit this initiative at www.phillyneighborhoodgrowthproject.com or email us at info@phillyneighborhoodgrowthproject.com. Rob Wonderling is president & CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. Steven Scott Bradley is chairman of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Pa., N.J. & Del. Jennifer Rodriguez is president & CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. They received support on this piece from Narasimha B. Shenoy, president & CEO of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, and Pamela Henshall, president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. In this Jan. 29, 2019 photo, Attorney General nominee William Barr, right, meets with Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Miss., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in Hawley's office in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Read more Attorney General William Barrs shameful handling of the Mueller report and his misleading testimony in Congress underscores the need for further hearings regarding Russias interference in the 2016 election and the role of all the presidents men. Barr has disgraced himself in his written summary of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs report on Russian interference and possible obstruction of justice by President Trump and in his evasive and inaccurate testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Instead of performing his sworn duties as the nations top law enforcement officer, Barr has morphed into Trumps personal defense attorney, raising questions about who is representing the American people. Barrs four-page summary of Muellers report released in March was quick to exonerate Trump and his associates regarding any conspiracy with Russia leading up to the 2016 election. Barr also said Trump did not obstruct justice even though Muellers report documented 10 acts that could constitute obstruction. At the Senate hearing on Wednesday, Barr shockingly admitted he did not read the underlying evidence in Muellers 448-page report before rushing to his conclusions in his letter. Sen. Kamala Harris questioning of Barr is worth watching to see how far Barr has gone to protect Trump. Barr also stammered through and did not deny questions from Harris as to whether Trump has ever asked him to investigate his enemies like he did with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. It was an alarming exchange for an attorney general who is supposed to be guided by a government of laws and not of men. Instead Barr has chosen to mislead Congress and the public. At a House hearing last month, Barr testified under oath that he was not aware of any concerns Muellers team may have expressed about his four-page letter. But in March, Mueller wrote a letter to Barr complaining that his summary mischaracterized the findings in his report following a two-year investigation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Barr of lying to Congress and threatened to hold him in contempt for his failure to turn over an unredacted version of Muellers report. On Wednesday, he refused to testify before a House panel, further stoking contempt threats. Other leading Democrats have called for Barr to resign. From the moment Trump was sworn in, he has violated the norms of the Oval Office. His actions have sparked mounting investigations and a list of associates who have pleaded guilty to crimes. As the legal pressures have mounted, Trump has turned to a series of lawyers to make his problems go away. At one point, he asked, Wheres my Roy Cohn? a reference to his former mentor, fixer, and Sen. Joseph McCarthy henchman who was later disbarred. Michael Cohen and Rudy Giuliani have taken turns as Trumps fixer. Three attorney generals later, Trump has found a lackey in Barr. The upshot is a democracy in crisis. Lost in the daily drama, is the three-alarm fact that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and is poised to act again in 2020. That is why Congress must investigate Russias interference and Trumps alleged obstruction and put a stop to the madness. Homes like these at Bainbridge and Kater Streets between Juniper and Broad streets, shown while under construction in 2013, quality for the citys 10-year tax abatement. Read more Philadelphias tax break for newly constructed and rehabilitated properties has been controversial since it began two decades ago. But no effort to abolish or alter the 10-year abatement program has been successful. That could soon change. A majority of candidates running for City Council would like to change or abolish it, according to an Inquirer survey of candidates. Several said changing it would be their first order of business if they were elected. Voters appear to share their sentiments. An Inquirer poll of registered voters last month found that 57 percent said the abatement is bad for the city, while 25 percent said it is good. The abatement is a hot topic in the run-up to the May 21 primary for mayoral and City Council races. But its possible that change could come even before elected candidates take office in January 2020. Several bills introduced in Council this session would reduce or eliminate the tax break, and Council President Darrell L. Clarke has repeatedly said its time for change. Mayor Jim Kenney, who as an incumbent is favored to win a second term, supports keeping the abatement intact. But he has acknowledged that Council members favor change, and said he would sign legislation to change it if passed. >> READ MORE: Where do Philadelphia City Council candidates stand on the 10-year tax abatement and other key issues? The abatement currently allows owners of newly constructed or rehabilitated properties to pay no taxes on the improvements for 10 years. Its supporters say it is a needed development incentive that ultimately raises money for the city as the tax breaks expire. Critics say that the city is forgoing critically needed tax revenue, and that it is unfair for owners of new homes to have tax breaks while longtime residents pay full bills and struggle to remain in their homes as neighborhoods gentrify. Councilman Allan Domb, who is also a real estate developer, said the city must balance the economic impact of the abatement with residents feelings about it. While economically it might be great for the city to have it, the fact that real estate taxes have gone up so dramatically for some people, they feel its unfair, he said. In some neighborhoods, taxes jumped more than 10 percent from 2018 to this year, with a fresh round of increases due with the new assessments. Domb introduced a bill that would scale back the abatement in its last three years, making it the equivalent of an 8-year tax break. Domb said the modest adjustment would address demands for change. More drastic changes, he said, might come with the risk of a major slowdown in development. Other pending bills include a proposal from Councilwoman Cindy Bass to eliminate the abatement altogether. Councilwoman Helen Gyms proposals include a resolution for Council to consider geographic boundaries for the abatement and a bill eliminating the school portion of the abatement, so property owners still would pay school taxes on the full value of the property; one that gradually reduces the abatement by 10 percent a year; and another bill that would cap the value of abatements. This is a big conversation of where our city is going, how its going to look over the next 10 to 20 years, and we have an opportunity to have a say in that visioning for it, Gym said. But there are too many families all across the city of Philadelphia who believe and fear that growth means displacement and that they wont be a part of that growing Philadelphia. City Council passed the 10-year abatement in 2000 as a means of encouraging development and the city has experienced a building boom since it began. Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, who is running for reelection in the 2nd District, said he is worried that rapid residential development, aided by the abatement, is speeding gentrification in such neighborhoods as Point Breeze, which he represents. The residential [abatement] is what my neighbors have an issue with, because they feel like its unfair. They lived in the neighborhood all their lives," he said. Johnson said he would support changing the abatement to apply to commercial development, but not residential. Such a change would require a change in state law. Johnson is running against challenger Lauren Vidas, who also indicated in The Inquirers survey that she supports reforming the abatement. Deja Alvarez, a Democrat running for an at-large City Council seat, said she would like to eliminate the abatement to help residents in gentrifying neighborhoods and to more quickly raise revenue for schools. Im not saying I want to stop progress, but theres a difference between progress and gentrification," she said. Last year, the Kenney administration commissioned a study of the abatement and possible tweaks to it. The report, by the real estate consulting firm Jones Lang LaSalle, examined 10 scenarios, including eliminating the abatement immediately, changing its length, and capping the abatement amount for residential properties. The alternatives, the report found, all result in less revenue and fewer jobs in the long term, compared to the existing program. Harrison Morgan, a spokesperson for Kenneys campaign, said the mayor remains open to discussing the abatements future with both current and future members of Council. Encouraging inclusive growth in our neighborhoods while maximizing revenue for the school district is the mayors priority. Justin DiBerardinis, a Democrat running for an at-large Council seat, said the policy was needed to encourage development when the abatement was put into place. But now hed like to eliminate it. While it was the right policy for the 1990s, he said, "I dont think theres any way it can be the right policy for the Philadelphia of 2019. DiBerardinis said he would propose different tax breaks, such as an abatement for low-income or working-class first-time homeowners, and a break for new construction that "is pursuing the highest standards of sustainability and preparing this city for the reality of climate change. Republican at-large candidate Dan Tinney said he thinks the abatement has become a victim of its own success." Tinney, a member of the steamfitters union, said he would like it to remain as is, noting that the city benefits from increased real estate transfer taxes, wage taxes, and other revenue as a result of construction projects the abatement attracts. A lot of buildings wouldnt have gotten built if it wasnt for that tax abatement, he said. And its over 10 years old so that money right now is flowing into the general fund and the school district. So its going to be positive for revenue for the school district; its just going to take time. Domb acknowledged that opinions are strong on both sides; some have criticized his proposed legislation as changing the abatement too drastically, while others have told him it doesnt change it enough. He said Council may need to make one reform, and reevaluate it in a few years. Gym, meanwhile, said she is hopeful that Council members and candidates are talking about the issue. I think that the tax-abatement conversation is probably the most important conversation that City Council should have," she said, and needs to have this spring and this session." WEST CHESTER The holiday standard Blue Christmas has its own meaning in Chester County these days, as the number of registered Democrats in the last month of the year here continues to rise, the partys edge over its Republican counterpart widens, and more municipalities see their political map colors turn from purplish magenta to [] Sunday Briefing: Elio Fox Takes Down partypoker's Sunday Gladiator May 06, 2019 Matthew Pitt Thousands of poker players headed to the online tables on May 5 while the 2019 European Poker Tour Monte Carlo festival was drawing to a close. You would have thought having such a massive live festival taking place would have made the online tables less shark infested. You would think wrong! $1M Gtd Big Game at partypoker Date May 5th Buy-in $5,200 Guarantee $1,000,000 Entrants 194 Prize pool $1,000,000 ITM 32 partypoker ran its $1 million guaranteed Big Game again on May 5 and 194 entries fought it out to finish in the top 32 places where the seven-figure prize pool was distributed. Everyone locked up at least $23,000 by the time the final table was set and franthemonster would get their hands on this prize after failing to ladder up the payouts. Ramiro letsgodancing Petrone was the next to fall; his seventh-place finish was worth $31,000. RPILON won this tournament in late Feb. 2019 and almost took this one down too but ran out of steam and had to make do with the $42,000 sixth-place finish. RPILON was then joined in the role of spectator by MechaCorta and Chelsea72 who won $55,000 and $78,000 respectively. The penultimate elimination was that of GreenNaugahyde who locked up their first six-figure score of their career by collecting the $105,500 third-place prize. This exit set up a heads-up battle between SlowDoke and ucantrybut and it was the latter who emerged unscathed to collect a cool $203,900 with SlowDoke taking home $148,000. Place Player Prize 1 ucantrybut $203,900 2 SlowDoke $148,000 3 GreenNaugahyde $105,500 4 Chelsea72 $78,000 5 MechaCorta $55,000 6 RPILON $42,000 7 Ramiro letsgodancing Petrone $31,000 8 franthemonster $23,000 Ramiro letsgodancing Petrone finished seventh for $31,000 Sunday Gladiator: $250K Gtd at partypoker Date May 5th Buy-in $2,100 Guarantee $250,000 Entrants 111 Prize pool $250,000 ITM 16 Elio donzledubru Fox (lead image) won the Sunday Gladiator: $250K Gtd at partypoker, topping a field of 111 entries to bolster his bankroll with a combined $63,481. Foxs impressive prize was made up of $25,124 first-place money and an additional $38,357 worth of bounty payments, including the one on his own head and that of runner-up aLiNeNok1617 of Russia who walked away with a total prize worth $27,460. It was a talented final table, as youd expect from such a high buy-in affair. After winning the $1 million Gtd Big Game, ucantrybut finished in eighth here for $10,831 while ojanOmaha and BuyThaPot, a pair of Swedish grinders, busted with prizes of $8,823 and $9,011. Mexicos Partyyycular was the next to fall, busting in fifth-place for $12,673 before onehundredeyes of Austria added $17,017 to their massive $7 million in lifetime winnings. Sentapied99 busted in third-place for $29,453 leaving aLiNeNok1617 and Fox to fight it out of the title and glory, and we already know how that finished! Place Player Country Prize Bounty Prize Total Prize 1 Elio donzledubru Fox Canada $25,124 $38,357 $63,481 2 aLiNeNok1617 Russia $25,098 $2,362 $27,460 3 Sentapied99 United Kingdom $17,936 $11,517 $29,453 4 onehundredeyes Austria $12,555 $4,462 $17,017 5 Partyyycular Mexico $9,327 $3,346 $12,673 6 BuyThaPot Sweden $7,174 $1,837 $9,011 7 ojanOmaha Sweden $5,739 $3,084 $8,823 8 ucantrybut Ukraine $4,663 $6,168 $10,831 Elio Fox $2,100 Sunday High Roller at PokerStars Date May 5th Buy-in $2,100 Guarantee $200,000 Entrants 133 Prize pool $266,000 ITM 17 The $2,100 Sunday High Roller at PokerStars always attracted a stellar field and this weekend was no different. A total of 133 entries created a $266,000 prize pool that was shared among the top 17 finishers. Austrias Thomas WushuTM Muehloecker was the unfortunate soul to burst the money bubble; his exit paved the way for a min-cash of at least $4,987. This sum increase to $7,161 by the time the nine-handed final table was reached and the sum collected by Austrias Tankanza; the final tables first casualty. Russias Kot_Spartac busted in eighth-place for $9,257 and was the last player not to bank a five-figure prize. Seventh-place and 11,967 went to Swedens compris before Portugal's Joao Naza114 Vieira, playing out of the Netherlands, saw his tournament end in a sixth-place finish worth $15,469. Argentinas Ivan Negriin Luca then busted in fifth-place for $19,996 and was joined on the rail by Swedish superstar Niklas Lena900 Astedt who collected $25,849. Luca and Astedt received some more company on the rail when Andras probirs Nemeth busted in third place for $33,414. This left the United Kingdoms Jonathan Proudflop Proudfoot and Chinas zzwwzzwwzz to fight one-on-one for the title and the lions share of the prize pool. It was the Chinese player who emerged victorious, claiming the $55,834 top prize and resigning Proudfoot to a $43,193 consolation prize. The Chinese player has only ever won more than this impressive sum twice before. Once in 2015 when they were the runner-up in a $2,100 PLO SCOOP event for $103,428, and again in 2018 when they won a $1,050 High Roller for a career-best score of $167,910. Place Player Country Prize 1 zzwwzzwwzz China $55,834 2 Jonathan Proudflop Proudfoot United Kingdom $43,193 3 Andreas probirs Nemeth Hungary $33,414 4 Niklas Lena900 Astedt Sweden $25,849 5 Ivan Negriin Luca Argentina $19,996 6 Joao Naza114 Vieira Netherlands $15,469 7 compris Sweden $11,967 8 Kot_Spartac Russia $9,257 9 Tankanza Austria $7,161 Jonathan Proudflop Proudfoot finished runner-up for $43,193 $109 Sunday Million at PokerStars Date AMay 5th Buy-in $109 Guarantee $1,000,000 Entrants 11,480 Prize pool $1,148,000 ITM 2,464 Last weekends Sunday Million ended in a heads-up chop and this week's edition followed the same path. The heads-up duo in question, tomnelz1 of Brazil and Turlough TheVirus217 McHugh split more than $200,000 between them. It was the Brazilian who ran out the winner and got their hands on $110,747. McHugh locked up $90,747 which is by far his largest online cash to date, with his previous best weighing in at $15,018. Earlier at the final table, 777ANTONY777 crashed out in ninth-place for $8,981 and was joined on the sidelines by ChristianBR4 and Hungarys Csabi69 who walked away with $12,375 ad $17,053 respectively. Next to bust was fishyfischer and FreshAir93, the latter hailing from the UK, before Netherlands IADTTMax" and Bertheult of Denmark saw their tournaments come to an abrupt end, the latter turning their $109 into an impressive $61,488. Place Player Country Prize 1 tomnelz1 Brazil $110,747* 2 Turlough TheVirus217 McHugh Ireland $90,747* 3 Berthelcult Denmark $61,488 4 IADTTMax Netherlands $44,621 5 FreshAir93 United Kingdom $32,382 6 fishyfischer Poland $23,499 7 Csabi69 Hungary $17,053 8 ChristianBR4 Brazil $12,375 9 777ANTONY777 Ukraine $8,981 *reflects a heads-up deal $100,000 Sunday Mega Deep at 888poker Date May 5th Buy-in $215 Guarantee $100,000 Entrants 455 Prize pool $100,000 ITM 45 The $100,000 Sunday Mega Deep at 888poker ended in a heads-up chop this week with final two players winning more than a combined $33,000. Each of the nine finalists won at least $1,750, the sum awarded to DR.Lorax who fell in ninth-place. The New Zealander was joined on the payout table by Brazils Catholoa and a pair of Lithuanian players in PiktasVilkas and oTILIN, the latter scooping $4,400. Maltas David OccItalian Gervasoni was the next casualty, his bust out in fifth place netting him $5,700 before buitre180 won $8,250 for their fourth-place elimination. Third place and $11,000 went to drupalucker of Russia, which set up the heads-up encounter between Diego Diegoavc Ventrua Chunga and KTBFFH89 of Denmark. A deal was struck before the Dane won all of the chips in play, meaning the runner-up netted $16,461 and KTBFFH89 walked away $17,388 richer. Place Player Country Prize 1 KTBFFH89 Denmark $17,388* 2 Diego Diegoavc Ventura Chunga Peru $16,461* 3 drupalucker Russia $11,000 4 buitre180 Uruguay $8,250 5 David OccItalian Gervasoni Malta $5,700 6 oTLIN Lithuania $4,400 7 PiktasVilkas Lithuania $3,400 8 Catholao Brazil $2,400 9 DR.Lorax New Zealand $1,750 *reflects a heads-up deal $20,000 Sunday Challenge at 888poker Date May 5th Buy-in $109 Guarantee $20,000 Entrants 243 Prize pool $24,300 ITM 27 Canadas patrickhenry was crowned the $20,000 Sunday Challenge champion this week, an accolade that came with a $5,224 prize. The Canadian found themselves heads-up against Ukraines MAVERICk121 who fell at the final hurdle for a $3,766 addition to their bankroll. The runner-up was one of three Ukrainian players to reach the final table. busKKer busted in ninth-place for $486 with YSoSerious7, a regular at 888poker, navigating their way to third-place for a $2,855 prize. Another 888poker regular, Austrias alwayswin111 couldnt win this time around and had to make do with a $2,126 fourth-place finish instead. Place Player Country Prize 1 patrickhenry Canada $5,224 2 MAVERICk121 Ukraine $3,766 3 YSoSerious7 Ukraine $2,855 4 alwayswin111 Austria $2,126 5 Ivanildo ivanlimeira Limeira Brazil $1,458 6 Razielskat Russia $1,215 7 tcavallin Canada $972 8 Sorin19788 Romania $729 9 busKKer Ukraine $486 Sunday Blade 2.5K (playable via Natural8) Date May 5th Buy-in $2,500 Guarantee $75,000 Entrants 56 Prize pool $133,000 ITM 7 The GG network, playable through Natural8, continued its massive high roller events this weekend with the Sunday Blade $2.5K attracting 56 entries, creating a $133,000 prize pool. Seven places were paid, with NOMAMES falling in seventh-place for $5,520. The Mexico-based star was then joined on the rail by LlinusLLove of Austria whose $7,647 score was the last four-figure prize awarded. $10,593 went to Costa Ricas TexasPete before the UKs chan593 busted in fourth-place for $14,674. ImLividBuddy all the way over in Thailand, banked $20,328 when they exited in third place, leaving SasukeUchiha and PyramidOfSkulls to play one-on-one for the title and the lions share of the prize pool. It was PyramidOfSkulls who walked away as a champion, doing so with a $46,076 prize in their hand, leaving the runner-up to collect a $28,159 consolation prize. Place Player Country Prize 1 PyramidOfSkulls Canada $46,076 2 SasukeUchiha Canada $28,159 3 ImLividBuddy Thailand $20,328 4 chan593 United Kingdom $14,674 5 TexasPete Costa Rica $10,593 6 LlinusLLove Austria $7,647 7 NOMAMES Mexico $5,520 Sunday Blade $5K (playable via Natural8) Date May 5th Buy-in $5,000 Guarantee $200,000 Entrants 52 Prize pool $247,000 ITM 6 The biggest prize at Natural8 this weekend went to Mexicos vamossuerte who won the Sunday Blade $5K for an impressive $94,390. The Mexico-based grinder defeated ravenoustrashdog, also of Mexico, heads-up for the title and the massive payout; second-place was worth $58,040. Only six-places were paid with SasukeUchiha collecting $11,813 for being the first player to cash. Partypoker-sponsored pro Kristen Krissyb24 Bicknell followed them to the cashiers desk to pick up $17,587 before Shark Bait busted in fourth place for $26,184. Third place and $38,983 went to the Ukrainian superstar Roman SanityWaterline Romanovsky. Place Player Country Prize 1 vamossuerte Mexico $94,390 2 ravenoustrashdog Mexico $58,040 3 Roman SanityWaterline Romanovsky Ukraine $38,983 4 Shark Bait Canada $26,184 5 Kristen Krissyb24 Bicknell Canada $17,587 6 SasukeUchiha Canada $11,813 The Stars Group is a majority shareholder in iBus Media 1.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Impeachment is on Trumps mind as he is falsely claiming that Democrats cant win an election fairly, so they will impeach him. Trump is worried about impeachment Trump tweeted: Democrat Texas Congressman Al Green says impeachment is the only thing that can prevent President Trump from re-election in 2020. @OANN In other words, Dems cant win the election fairly. You cant impeach a president for creating the best economy in our countrys history.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2019 Also, there are No High Crimes & Misdemeanors, No Collusion, No Conspiracy, No Obstruction. ALL THE CRIMES ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE, and thats what the Dems should be looking at, but they wont. Nevertheless, the tables are turning! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2019 Trump is worried about impeachment, but his tweets also raise a point that has concerned many Democrats. Trump embraced impeachment as a weapon to use against Democrats to mobilize sympathy and support from his voters. This is why Democrats arent rushing to impeachment Trump used Rep. Al Greens comments about impeachment to martyr himself, and with public opinion being firmly against impeachment, this is the bait that Democrats are refusing to take. There is no need to impeach Donald Trump at this time. The threat of impeachment hanging over Trumps head has the president scared. Democrats arent unfair. They are exercising their oversight powers as granted by the constitution. Democrats already have won an unfair election in 2016 that was tainted by Russian election interference for Trump. Hillary Clinton received millions of more votes than Trump. The issue isnt fairness, but oversight of a potentially criminal president. Donald Trump wants impeachment because it will provide him with a distraction that he can use to define the 2020 election. Trump is worried, but he is also ready to pounce if Democrats move too soon on impeachment. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 7.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard When Kellyanne Conway used the White House to bash Joe Biden, she potentially committed a crime, which is why Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) requested a formal review. Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act when she bashed Joe Biden Roll Call reported: Sen. Thomas R. Carper is requesting a formal review of whether senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway has again violated the federal law thats intended to prevent pernicious political activities. In question, this time is whether Conways public statements, including from the White House lawn, about a potential 2020 foe of President Donald Trump, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., ran afoul of the Hatch Act which limits political speech by federal employees, especially while on official time. . According to your office, Ms. Conway herself has already violated the Hatch Act on at least two separate occasions during discussions of the candidates in the 2017 Alabama special election for U.S. Senate, Carper wrote. These actions demonstrate a troubling lack of concern with Hatch Act compliance on the part of the Trump Administration; instead, senior government officials appear free to use their office to influence political elections regardless of the law. Kellyanne Conway is not above the law It is illegal for any Trump administration official to engage in electioneering activities while on official government time. Conway has been found guilty in the past of using the White House platform to sell Ivanka Trumps clothing line and other violations of the law. The Trump White House treats the law as something optional that they are above compliance with. Sen. Carpers request is a good move because the Trump administration views any violation of the law that goes unreported as an invitation to break even more laws. The members of this administration must be held accountable because each crime builds the case to voters for change in 2020. NEW YORK (Reuters) President Donald Trump and his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, have both used Twitter to spar with enemies over the last decade. Cohen, 52, is due to report to federal prison in New York state on Monday to begin serving a three-year sentence for crimes including illegal hush payments to women on Trumps behalf. The two mens Twitter histories trace the deterioration of their relationship, from pledges of loyalty and admiration to open hostility, over the last year as the criminal case against Cohen unfolded. Good article: What Happened to American Men from @Newsmax by Michael Cohen Trump on Aug. 1, 2012, promoting an article Cohen wrote endorsing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Did my duty, stood on a 2 plus hour line and voted for @realDonaldTrump! #MAGA #TrumpPence16 -Cohen on Nov. 8, 2016 Election Day captioning a photo of himself. Thank you @nytimes for front page profile and using good pictures of me. I will always proudly and fiercely defend my boss, friend and our @POTUS @realDonaldTrump against those who raise false accusations against him and the family. #PresidentsDay2018 Cohen on Feb. 19, 2018, linking to a New York Times profile describing him as Trumps fixer and loyal defender. I will always protect our @POTUS @realDonaldTrump #MAGA Cohen on April 8, 2018, the day before authorities raided his office and hotel room. The New York Times and a third rate reporter named Maggie Haberman, known as a Crooked H flunkie who I dont speak to and have nothing to do with, are going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will flip. They use non-existent sources and a drunk/drugged up loser who hates Michael, a fine person with a wonderful family. Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected. Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I dont see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media! Trump on April 21, 2018, in a series of three tweets posted the day after the New York Times published an article about the strong possibility that Cohen would cooperate with prosecutors. If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you dont retain the services of Michael Cohen! Trump on Aug. 22, 2018, the day after Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance crimes implicating Trump. I feel very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family. Justice took a 12 year old tax case, among other things, applied tremendous pressure on him and, unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to break make up stories in order to get a deal. Such respect for a brave man! Trump, the same day, contrasting Cohen with his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who had not yet pleaded guilty to federal charges. Those charges were just agreed to by him in order to embarrass the president and get a much reduced prison sentence, which he did-including the fact that his family was temporarily let off the hook. As a lawyer, Michael has great liability to me! Trump on Dec. 13, 2018, the day after Cohen was sentenced. As for the @WSJ article on poll rigging, what I did was at the direction of and for the sole benefit of @realDonaldTrump @POTUS. I truly regret my blind loyalty to a man who doesnt deserve it. Michael Cohen on Jan. 17, the day the Wall Street Journal reported that Cohen hired a technology firm to rig early polls in the Republican nominating contest to favor Trump. Bad lawyer and fraudster Michael Cohen said under sworn testimony that he never asked for a Pardon. His lawyers totally contradicted him. He lied! Additionally, he directly asked me for a pardon. I said NO. He lied again! He also badly wanted to work at the White House. He lied! Trump on March 8, the day after reports that Cohen had sought a pardon after he was raided. Just another set of lies by @POTUS @realdonaldtrump. Mr. Presidentlet me remind you that today is #InternationalWomensDay. You may want use today to apologize for your own #lies and #DirtyDeeds to women like Karen McDougal and Stephanie Clifford. Cohen, half an hour later, referring to the two women he said he paid off at Trumps direction. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Jonathan Oatis) Food editor and chief critic Eating all of the chicken livers just as fast as I can. 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. Mary Katherine, who also goes by MK, covers health care for The Post and Courier. She is also pursuing a master's degree in data science. She grew up in upstate New York and enjoys playing cards, kayaking and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Chloe Johnson covers the coastal environment and climate change for the Post and Courier. She's always looking for a good excuse to hop on a boat. 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. BEAUFORT Paul Murdaugh, the 20-year-old who comes from a prominent family of Hampton County attorneys and was charged in connection to a fatal February boating wreck, pleaded not guilty Monday and will remain free while he awaits trial. Murdaugh was released on his personal recognizance. He faces one count of boating under the influence causing death and two counts of boating under the influence causing great bodily injury. As part of his bond conditions, the University of South Carolina student is not allowed to travel outside of the 14th Circuit, which comprises Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties. Murdaugh also surrendered his passport. He would be required to shell out $50,000 should he fail to appear in court. "People really should not rush to judgment in this case," Jim Griffin, an attorney for Murdaugh, told The Post and Courier. "There's a media frenzy going on about this case. Our job is to slow everything down and pursue the defense methodically, and that's what we plan to do." S.C. Assistant Deputy Attorney General Megan Burchstead argued for a cash bond but told Circuit Judge Steven John that prosecutors did not stake a position on an amount. The S.C. Attorney General's Office declined comment through a spokesman Monday. Monday marked Murdaugh's first public court appearance after his indictment about three weeks ago. He faces a maximum of 25 years and 15 years in prison, respectively, on the charges. Documents detailing the charges contend that in the early morning hours of Feb. 24, an intoxicated Murdaugh was operating a boat with five other passengers on board, including 19-year-old Mallory Beach. The boat crashed into the Archer's Creek Bridge, which connects the Parris Island Marine training facility to the rest of Beaufort County. All six people onboard, who authorities said were all minors, were thrown from the boat. Beach did not resurface. Her body was found one week later about 5 miles from the crash site. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources' initial investigation of the crash has attracted scrutiny in the months since after authorities said they did not test blood-alcohol levels of the minors. A police report from the fatal crash described the surviving passengers as grossly intoxicated. Murdaugh has strong family ties to the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office dating back roughly nine decades, with three generations of Murdaugh men having served at the helm of the office. Because of the close connections, Solicitor Duffie Stone declined to prosecute Paul Murdaugh and instead sent the case to the Attorney General's Office. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. With pay raises that arent high enough to convince already-frustrated teachers to stay in the classroom, and the Senates failure to pass any other measures that might delay their retirement, theres going to be a lot of pressure on the Senate to go along with a House plan to entice retired teachers to return to work. Its a terribly unfair idea: It means that teachers who havent retired even some who are eligible to retire could suddenly find themselves making significantly less money than the teacher in the classroom next door. And it could end up making the situation even worse, by persuading even more teachers to go ahead and retire. So if the Senate goes along with the plan and were not at all convinced it should it must extract some significant concessions to prevent people from retiring when theyre still young enough to continue working. At issue is a very smart state law that limits double-dipping that is, retiring from state employment and then returning to a new job (or even the same job) while collecting a pension. The 2012 law doesnt prohibit people from coming back to work, but it cuts off any additional pension payments in any year in which they earn $10,000 in state salary. Note that they still can collect their full salary and part of their pension, just not all of it. Besides the problems double-dipping creates with morale among people who havent retired and returned, the practice helped contribute to the unsustainable unfunded liability in the state government retirement system. That deficit has already forced the Legislature to raise pension payments from state employees and state and local governments to uncomfortably high levels, and more reforms still are needed. Retirees and would-be retirees have complained about the $10,000 limitation from its inception, because well, wouldnt you like to get paid for your job and collect a pension from that same job? Fortunately, their complaints fell on deaf ears until schools started struggling to hire and retain teachers. Then last year, lawmakers proposed lifting that limit and repealing a related law in order to keep teachers and police from leaving, or to lure them back to work. Fortunately, the legislation didnt pass. Unfortunately the idea is back. The House has passed H.3620, which lifts the $10,000 cap not just for teachers and police but for all government employees who return to work after being retired for at least a year. It also inserted that language into the state budget. The Senate has wisely stalled that legislation and the budget proviso. So thats one of the differences negotiators will have to hammer out in a House-Senate conference committee on the budget. If lawmakers conclude that they simply cant fill classrooms with qualified teachers without letting retired teachers double-dip, then they need to limit any exemption to teachers, they need to extend that exemption only as long as we face a teacher shortage and most importantly they need to raise the states retirement age and the number of years employees must work before they are eligible for early retirement. The reason our pension system is in trouble is that in many cases, we literally pay people to be retired for more years than they work, the result of creating ever-more-generous early retirement options at the very time that lifespans were increasing that is, doing the opposite of what we should have done. Of course, theres no way the Legislature can put together that sort of package this session, so if lawmakers want to entice some teachers to keep working rather than retiring, they should convert those ridiculous $50-per-taxpayer rebates into one-time bonuses for teachers. That would come to an extra $2,000 per teacher, which wont bring teachers pay up to where it ought to be even for this one year, but would be a show of good faith and might give teachers some confidence in legislative leaders pledge to approve additional, real pay raises next year and in subsequent years. Political Editor Schuyler Kropf is The Post and Courier political editor. He has covered every major political race in South Carolina dating to 1988, including for U.S. Senate, governorship, the Statehouse and Republican and Democratic presidential primaries. Political Reporter Caitlin Byrd is a political reporter at The Post and Courier and author of the Palmetto Politics newsletter. Before moving to Charleston in 2016, her byline appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times. To date, Byrd has won 17 awards for her work. If you want to anger almost any American farmer, write something less than flattering about the declining use of biofuels especially ethanol in the U.S. today. If you want to really anger almost any American farmer, write something unflattering about biofuels especially ethanol that includes the sentence, "U.S. farmers, particularly Cornbelt farmers, have gotten a really bad deal from the Trump administration on the biofuels front." Both statements are true, according to Scott Irwin, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois who, word-for-word, offered the latter one. On April 12, Irwin, who specializes in "evaluating the economic factors that affect corn and soybean prices," published an analysis of todays ethanol market on the universitys farmdocDAILY website under the workmanlike title of "Implications of Recent Trends in U.S. Gasoline Consumption for Ethanol." The seven-page report, however, was anything but workmanlike. For example, in it Irwin calculated that a forecasted 26.1-billion-gallon decline in yearly U.S. gasoline usage by 2030 will drain 2.6 billion gallons of U.S. ethanol use from this years estimated 14.3 billion gallons over the next decade. ADVERTISEMENT That means "the projected decline in the E10 blend wall represents approximately 930 million bushels of lost corn demand, not considering the offset of lost DDGS (Distillers Dried Grain and Solubles, a co-product of ethanol) production on feed demand." When DDGS are figured in, Irwin estimated the total loss of yearly corn demand would be closer to 650 million bushels, not a billion bushel punch in the face, but still a hard smack. But thats only if the U.S. gasoline market doesnt slide further south than the already dismal forecast predicts. "The best case scenario" for future American gasoline use, Irwin noted in an April 23 telephone interview, "is flat-line use; neither up nor down from today." Moreover, he added, "I feel pretty confident in saying weve reached peak gas usage (in the U.S.) because this projection from EIA (the U.S. Energy Information Administration) doesnt even have electric cars coming on strong before 2030." If one of the nations foremost ethanol market analysts is "pretty confident" that the U.S. has reached peak gasoline consumption a decade before electric cars even become a market factor then farmers should be equally aware that peak ethanol consumption has likely occurred, also. Which is why, Irwin noted in his April 12 analysis that "it is surely no surprise why the U.S. ethanol industry is pushing so hard for expansion in the use of E15" raising the ethanol-gasoline blend from 10 percent to 15 percent "which may be required for the industry to just stay even in total domestic consumption of ethanol." The push, however, is being met head-on by Big Oil. First, gasoline retailers are not going to hand over another 5 percent of their now-eroding market without a very tough fight. Also, "it will cost billions for 150,000 gas stations in the U.S. to add E15 pumps," Irwin estimates. No one, not industry, government or agriculture, is stepping up to pay even a part of that tall tab to make E-15 readily available if and when it receives government go-ahead. ADVERTISEMENT An even tougher task for farmers, though, might be addressing what the White House is doing and, in some cases, not doing says Irwin. Despite the Trump administrations often-expressed support of biofuels, farmers have complained bitterly that the White Houses retroactive ethanol blending exemptions for nearly 50 refiners in 2016 and 2017 cost ethanol makers 2.25 billion gallons in sales in 2018. Irwin is more blunt on the exemption issue: "What Trump is doing is illegal. That isnt a political statement; that is a statement of fact." Illegal though it may be, ethanol still faces a shrinking gasoline market, a hard fight just to keep its exemption-threatened share of that shrinking market, an even harder fight to get E15 into general use, and a White House whose behind-the-scenes actions belie its public words. Little wonder, then, why market analysts worry about the future of biofuels; theres dwindling sunshine wherever they look. What a treat it is to watch two "seasoned" pros at work. Were talking about Larry Sinak and Laurie Helmers, two Rochester stage veterans, who play a couple of seasoned actors in the comedy "Dont Talk to the Actors," which opened Friday at the Rochester Repertory Theatre . The play, by Tom Dudzick, is about Jerry, a young playwright from Buffalo, N.Y. Jerrys script has been picked up by a Broadway producer. Its Jerrys first trip to the big city, and he and his fiance, Arlene, cant believe their luck as they arrive for rehearsals. And to make it even more exciting, Arlenes favorite actor, Curt Logan, has agreed to do the play. Of course, Curts got more on his mind than playing the milquetoast character Jerry has written. The Reps production, directed by Mary Bruns Pyfferoen, reaches for all the farcical comedy there is in the script and then some, thanks to Sinak, as Logan, and Helmers as bawdy actress Beatrice Pomery. ADVERTISEMENT Sinak, who is normally seen in dramatic roles, here pulls out all the stops to create a character who is grounded just enough in reality to be both hilarious and sad. Helmers also stretches herself, applying a comic twist to her musical-theater talent. Watching Sinaks Logan and Helmers Beatrice battle it out during rehearsals and rewrites of Jerrys play is an absolute delight. "I thought you were dead," Beatrice says when she meets Logan at the first rehearsal. "Death is looking pretty good right now," he answers. When one of the two isnt on stage, the play seems more frenetic than focused. There is good, clever dialog in the script, although some of the jokes announce themselves in advance, and others one characters complaints about how much things cost in New York, for example wear out their welcome in a hurry. Nick Rudlong, a reliable comic actor, portrays Jerry as an awestruck nervous wreck. Rich Mansfield is Mike, the director, who tries to get Jerrys show off the ground. Christina Stier has fun as the finicky stage manager (who for some reason is written as a British expat), and Rene Stiller makes her Rep debut as Arlene. Is this really how a Broadway show is made? If so, theres a lesson here for all aspiring playwrights who dream of Broadway, a Tony and a Pulitzer: Be careful what you wish for. ADVERTISEMENT As for us, we wish for another show with Sinak and Helmers going toe-to-toe. What: "Don't Talk to the Actors" When: Through May 19 Where: Rochester Repertory Theatre, 103 Seventh St. NE Tickets: $22 adults, $20 seniors and students, $18 for seniors and students on Thursdays; rochesterrep.org and 507-289-1737 The last time Jeff Baier shaved his shaggy brown beard was a decade ago, and his dog growled at him, he was so unrecognizable. It was one reason Baier and his wife, Michele, brought their 3-year-old daughter, Lennon, to St. Baldricks Battle of the Bald, a head-shaving tournament at the University of Minnesota Rochester. The couple didnt want their red-haired daughter to be shocked by her fathers seeming metamorphosis. There was no doubt she was going to be a little bit shocked. "I think shes a little anxious," said Baier, a UMR disabilities resource coordinator, moments before going under the clippers. "Thats one reason shes here today is to make sure she can see the process." Yet it was all for a good cause: raising money and awareness for childhood cancer research. On Saturday, 31 UMR students, staff members and individuals had their heads shaved on a makeshift stage as a crowd looked on. ADVERTISEMENT More than $8,000 was raised for Baldricks at the UMR event. Since the battle started in 2015, there have been 625 events at college campuses across the U.S. Together they have raised more than $6 million and shaved more than 13,500 heads. Saturdays shavees those who agreed to be shorn said they were motivated by the cause; or by a desire to honor a person they knew who had died of cancer or overcome it; or to register their sense of injustice at children getting cancer at all. "Its bad enough when an adult gets cancer. But when children get this, they should be worried about playing and having fun, being free, not having to deal with something like that," said Mark Johnston, a pharmacy technician. Mike Kaiser of West St. Paul drove 80 miles to get his head shaved. He said he wanted to honor his mom, who was diagnosed with breast cancer and given six months to a year to live. But he also wanted to show his appreciation and give back. "Lifes been good to me, and I feel like giving back," said the 61-year-old electrician, who also volunteers as a police reserve officer. When it became Baiers time in the chair, he gave the stylist free reign to shave both his beard and hair. Several swipes later, Baier stood up in a ring of his own hair, quite different looking from the rustic figure he once presented. ADVERTISEMENT Yet his daughter, at first uncertain, must have recognized enough of her dad in his clean shaven aspect, because she eventually went up to him and kissed him. But not everyone was sorry to see his hair go. His mom was his biggest booster, giving him $100 to get rid of the beard. "My mom wants me to be clean-shaven. Thats how I knew I could get money, because she wanted me to be clean-shaven or at least trim it," Baier said. Its no secret that these are extremely tough times for Minnesotas farmers. We can easily go down the list of reasons why: declining prices, a hard winter followed by a wet, cold spring, a tit-for-tat tariff war, a stalled NAFTA 2.0 trade deal, and inaction by Congress. Add it all up and farm income in Minnesota dropped an estimated 8 percent last year the fifth consecutive year of decline for farmers. The dairy industry has been hit particularly hard. The Minnesota Department of Agricultures data indicates the state has been losing one dairy farm a day since November. After all, who wants to keep working for declining revenue when winter snow collapses the roof of a barn you cant afford to fix? ADVERTISEMENT Thats some of the background of the angst expressed during a Rural Voices Discussion sponsored by the Minnesota Farmers Union on April 26 in Cannon Falls. That same week, 1st District Rep. Jim Hagedorn got an earful from farmers during a session in New Ulm. The message to Hagedorn: Get NAFTA 2.0 passed, get the tariffs that have closed off foreign markets rescinded, and press for real reforms rather than one-time handouts. Thats going to be a heavy lift for a freshman backbencher whose party does not control the House of Representatives. But Hagedorn, a strong backer of President Trump, needed to be confronted with the reality of what happens to farmers when the White House and Congress dither on ag policy. Regarding the United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement an updated NAFTA pact which Trump made a big deal of renegotiating: Its not anywhere near the finish line. The presidents of the three nations may have signed the agreement, but the voter-elected governing bodies of each nation must approve it. During a meeting last week with the Post Bulletins editorial board, Canadian Consul General Ariel Delouya said prospects for getting the deal approved by Canadas parliament this year are getting slimmer by the day. For starters, Canadians are still upset that Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum based on national security. "Its the elephant in the room," Delouya said. Canadas defense and security forces are closely allied with the U.S., he said, and Canadians found it insulting to be accused of being a security threat. ADVERTISEMENT Until those tariffs are removed, Delouya said, parliament will be unlikely to approve USMCA. On top of that, theres a general election coming up this fall in Canada. "Its going to be problematic to bring it for a vote when the tariffs are in place," Delouya said. Oh, and by the way, the Trump administration has not yet presented NAFTA 2.0 to Congress for approval. So Minnesota farmers who have been hoping for relief, and some sort of recognition from Washington that their livelihood is under threat, will continue to be disappointed. Some will throw up their hands and leave farming. Others will hang on, refusing to give up despite the odds stacked against them. No matter what, farmers deserve more than posturing and platitudes from leaders in Washington. They deserve to have their voices heard and respected. Every now and then we get the itch to travel. We want to leave Guam and see the world. Read more A man was pronounced dead following a shooting incident in Astumbo, Dededo, on Monday afternoon. Guam Police Department spokesman Sgt. Paul Tapao confirmed that the Criminal Investigation Division was called around 1:30 p.m. Monday to investigate the incident. He confirmed that a male individual was transported to Guam Regional Medical City, where he was pronounced dead around 2:24 p.m. that afternoon. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. A video of the incident shows marshals holding up guns and a ballistic shield as they call for a male individual to surrender. The law enforcers were seen surrounding a black SUV, repeatedly yelling, "Let me see your hands! Drop the weapon!" in front of a house in the Sagan Linahyan housing area in Astumbo before the reported shooting. Shawn Gumataotao, Judiciary of Guam director of policy, planning and community relations, confirmed that Superior Court of Guam marshals executed a warrant in Dededo. Tapao said GPD is conducting interviews with several possible witnesses. He said he's unable to provide any additional information as it is an ongoing investigation. Reporters at the site asked Tapao if he has information on the warrant or what occurred during the course of its execution. Tapao said he "can't expound on any of the operations of other agencies." "We were called to assist with this part of the investigation from the Superior Court of Guam," Tapao said. Tapao did confirm that a pathologist will arrive on Guam later this week to perform an autopsy. The government of Guam has a contract with a part-time pathologist from Saipan and two forensic pathologists from Hawaii to conduct autopsies. Guam hasn't had a resident chief medical examiner since Dr. Aurelio Espinola retired earlier this year. A man was pronounced dead just before 2:24 p.m. today relative to a shooting incident, according to the Guam Police Department spokesman. Sgt. Paul Tapao confirmed that GPDs Criminal Investigation Division were called at around 1:30 p.m. today to investigate the incident in Astumbo, Dededo. He confirmed that a male individual was transported to Guam Regional Medical City where he was pronounced dead. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Tapao said GPD is conducting interviews. He said hes unable to provide any additional information as this is an ongoing investigation. Reporters at the site asked Tapao if he has information on the warrant or what occurred during the course of its execution. Tapao said he cant expound on any of the operations of other agencies. We were called to assist with this part of the investigation from the Superior Court of Guam, he said. Tapao did confirm that a pathologist will be on island later this week to perform an autopsy. Guam contracts a pathologist from Saipan and two forensic pathologists from Hawaii to conduct autopsies as the search to replace the now-retired chief medical examiner continues. Video Shawn Gumataotao, Judiciary of Guam director of Policy, Planning and Community Relations, confirmed that Superior Court marshals executed a warrant in Dededo. A video of the incident caught on camera by an eyewitness shows marshals holding up guns and a shield calling to a male individual to surrender. Law enforcement are seen surrounding a black SUV repeatedly yelling, "Let me see your hands! Drop the weapon!" (Daily Post Staff) Family and friends are mourning the loss of a 40-year-old man hit and killed in a car crash in Toto. He has been identified as Donny Garrido. It happened Saturday around 8:30 p.m. on Roy T. Damian street and Toto-Canada road, according to Mongmong-Toto-Maite Mayor Rudy Paco. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. "It's tragic," Paco said. "He was a good guy. Very humble. Very respectable." Mayor Paco said Garrido was on his maintenance staff and worked for the village mayor's office for the past 13 years. On Saturday, Garrido was headed to the store and just stepped off the driveway when he was hit by a car, Paco said. The driver sped off before turning back. Garrido was taken to the Guam Memorial Hospital. He died Sunday morning, Paco said. "We had hopes that he was going to make it," he said. "He will be missed. We are just like family." Mayor Paco confirmed police took the driver into custody. No details of the arrest have been released at this time. The Guam Police Department's Highway Patrol Division has been activated to investigate the fatal auto pedestrian incident. Services for Garrido are still being planned. Approved taxpayer-funded travel for Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, her chief of staff, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio and his deputy adds up to $37,081 for the first few months of the new administration. The governors Chief of Staff Anthony Babauta has traveled for a total of 18 days in two trips in February and March. Once his 15-day approved travels to Honolulu and Nebraska are completed later this month, he will have spent 33 days off the island on four different trips since the Leon Guerrero administration's inauguration on Jan. 7, making him the most frequent traveler among senior administration staff. Babauta accompanied the governor and her fiscal team on their trip to San Francisco and New York to meet with representatives from bond rating agencies and investors. The team went on to Washington, D.C., where the governor met with White House officials, testified before two congressional committees and attended the National Governors Association meeting. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. The trip lasted 13 days. Babautas air fare was $3,276 and his per diem added up to $3,716. On March 7, Babauta traveled to the Pacific Executive Leaders Program in Hilo, Hawaii. The airfare was paid for by the federal government. The per diem for the five-day trip was $146. Last month, Babauta received approval to travel to Honolulu for a meet-and-greet with the Federal Emergency Management Agency Pacific Area Office in Honolulu and the Army Corps of Engineers on May 19 to 21. After that, he is scheduled to attend the National Pandemic Summit in Omaha, Nebraska, from May 22 to 24. Babauta's two trips this month would last 15 days and the airfare would cost $1,511. The per diem cost would be $2,144. The cost to taxpayers for airfare and per diem for Babauta would add up to $10,794. Leon Guerrero and Tenorio have taken only one publicly funded trip the well publicized 13-day February journey to San Francisco, New York and Washington. The cost of that trip for Leon Guerrero and first gentleman Jeffrey Cook reached $7,463. The governor's per diem was $3,864. The first gentlemans per diem was only $836. The cost to taxpayers for airfare and per diem for the governor and her husband amounted to $15,044. The governor also flew to Manila for a three-day trip between April 5 and 8. Babauta said that was a personal trip, which was not paid for with public funds. One member of the governors security team did accompany her on that trip. Officer Anthony Ja Demapan's airfare to Manila cost $1,385. His per diem cost $1,026 and was paid out of the Guam Police Department's budget, Babauta said. The lieutenant governor has made one taxpayer-funded trip to Washington and San Diego, California. He was accompanied by Deputy Chief of Staff Jon Junior Calvo. During their 11-day journey, they attended meetings with representatives of the Guam Society of America, the Department of Defense, and National Institute for Corrections. They also attended the National Lieutenant Governors Association Federal-State Relations Meeting, and the 10th annual CHamoru Cultural Festival. The lieutenant governor's airfare was $2,228. His per diem was $2,230. Calvo's airfare also was $2,228, and his per diem was $2,145. The airfare and per diem for the lieutenant governor and Calvo add up to $8,831. The Washington Post runs a worthwhile account of Bernie Sanders 1988 honeymoon in the Soviet Union. The Post claims that this event is little understood. However, the article confirms, albeit sheepishly, what I take to be the common understanding of Bernies honeymoon: Sanders went because he had an affinity for the Soviet Union and left finding much to admire about it. The Post dances around what is perhaps the most remarkable thing about Bernies trip. By 1988, the Soviet system was in shambles. It was about to be cast off in Eastern Europe and was expiring even in Russia. Indeed, according to the Posts report, local Soviet officials told Sanders that the system was near collapse. Its one thing to be duped by the promise of Soviet Communism in the 1930s, as many American intellectuals were. By the early 1970s, the communists I knew were not defending the Soviet system. Instead, they called it a deviation from true communism. To be taken in even a little by Soviet Communism in 1988 is truly remarkable. Sanders must have been among the very last of the American dupes. Sanders campaign claims that the trip fits into Sanderss effort to form partnerships between people who may seem at odds with each other. The Posts reporting undermines this spin. Sanders wasnt just engaging in the equivalent of ping-pong diplomacy. He was full of praise for the Soviet Unions housing and health care policies. If anything, Sanderss admiration for the Soviet system seemed to grow during his visit. One of the men who accompanied the honeymooners says that Sanders was changed by the experience, and not in the way one would expect given that the Communist system was collapsing: He was delighted. He met people he cared about and cared about him. He got very curious about life in Russia, and I think it became part of his life. He was interested in the way they organized health care, education, street life, families . . . It opened up a new world for me and, I expect, for him, too. A new world that was about to be toppled. According to the Post, when Sanders returned to Vermont, he held an hour-long news conference in which he extolled Russian policies on housing and health care, while criticizing the cost of both in the United States and boasted that he was willing to criticize his homeland. (Emphasis added) Thats another thing. Sanders violated the unwritten rule against criticizing America on foreign soil. And he chose not just any foreign soil, but that of our Cold War enemy. One member of the group that accompanied Sanders was so disgusted that he walked out on Bernie when he attacked America during a banquet. From all that appears, during his hour-long news conference Sanders withheld the reports he received from local Soviet officials that the Soviet system was in dire straits. The Post does not report that he criticized the Soviet Union for its lack of freedom and its authoritarianism, either. According to the Post, Sanders was so enthused by the trip [to the Soviet Union] that he soon began planning his next foreign venture: a visit to Cuba the following year. The man just couldnt get enough of communist dictatorships. Returning from that trip, Sanders gushed: Under Castro, enormous progress has been made in improving the lives of poor people. . . I did not see a hungry child. I did not see any homeless people. [While Cuba is] not a perfect society [it] not only has free health care but very high-quality health care . . . The revolution there is far deeper and more profound than I understood it to be. It really is a revolution in terms of values. Has Sanders ever withdrawn his praise of the Soviet Union or Castros Cuba? Not to my knowledge. The Post describes Bernies Soviet adventure as a formative time for Sanders, foreshadowing much of what animates his presidential bid. The Post is correct, I fear. Last week Facebook kicked Milo Yiannopoulos, Alex Jones, Louis Farrakhan and Paul Watson off of their platform because of their extremism. While I have no brief for any of these individuals, I agreed with the critics who said dont think it will just stop with them. Sure enough, it appears Google is censoring the Claremont Institute. Claremont president Ryan Williams explained in a Twitter thread Sunday evening, which I have unspooled here: A thread on Google suppression of free thought: The Claremont Institute has launched a campaign to engage our fellow citizens in discussion and debate about what it means to be an American. (@jeffgiesea @realDonaldTrump@RaheemKassam @DonaldJTrumpJr) As part of that effort, we have begun to point out the increasingly existential danger of identity politics and political correctness to our republic. As if to prove our point, Google has judged our argument as wrongthink that should be forbidden. They are now punishing us for our political thought by refusing to let us advertise to our own readers. We wanted to show adverts for our May 11 40th Anniversary Gala, at which were honoring Sec. of State Mike Pompeo, to readers of our own online publication, American Mind. But Google refuses to allow us to do so. (If youre interested, buy tickets here: claremont.org/galaMonday is the deadline!) Google had a look at my essay launching our new campaign for a unifying Americanism, Defend AmericaDefeat Multiculturalism, decided it in violation of their policy on race and ethnicity in personalized advertising, and shut down our advert efforts to American Mind readers. We werent advertising anything in the essay, of course, but the relevant section of their policy lists as examples of violations: racially or ethnically oriented publications, racially or ethnically oriented universities, racial or ethnic dating. Somebody must have decided we were offering racially or ethnically oriented pubs. This is news to us. @ClaremontInst has spent 40 yrs teaching all who are willing to listen that the meaning of the proposition that all humans are created equal is Americas central principle. Google and Facebook are increasingly a menace to American politics. UPDATE: A longer version from Ryan Williams is here. Key part: The Claremont Review of Books is of course the flagship publication of the Claremont Institute. I find in every issue an education in the true understanding of politics, public policy, and statesmanship. It is my favorite magazine. Purchase an annual subscription here for $19.95 and get immediate online access to the whole thing. The Spring 2019 issue of the CRB has just been placed in the mail. The editors have given me a free run through the galley proof to let me select essays and reviews with which to preview the issue for Power Line readers. I have selected not three, not four, but five of the issues essays and reviews to bring to your attention. Indecision has its uses so long as the editors indulge me. At 114 pages, I believe this is the longest issue of the CRB to date. Like the Winter issue, it provides something like a graduate education in the political arts. We will have a big, beautiful share of the intellectual heart and soul of this issue. If Dracula were immortal, he might be a good metaphor for the socialist idea. And if socialism is back in fashion, we may have to relearn some old lessons and master some old arguments. Bill Voegeli is the senior editor of the CRB and one of my favorite essayists. In A kinder, gentler Gulag, he reviews The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality, by one Bhaskar Sunkara. It is a book for this season and one hopes not much more. Bill writes: The lessons [Sunkara] takes away from 20th-century socialism, as practiced, include the difficulties of central planning, the dangers of authoritarian collectivism, and the need to avoid crippling bureaucratization. But after the scales have fallen from his eyes, the entirety of the enlightenment Sunkara draws on these points is that planning, collectivism, and bureaucratization can be done badly, so future socialists should try really hard to do them well. The possibility that such problems are inherent in the socialist enterprise does not occur to him.when all the individual elements of the economic equation are also dynamicas consumer preferences, technologies, and the availability of raw materials change constantlycoordinating all this activity is overwhelming, and the temptation to start commanding and controlling people becomes irresistible for even the most humane socialist official. * * * * * We may be living in an but era of extreme inequality, as Sunkaras subtitle asserts, but also in one of steadily rising living standards. Those realities recommend keeping and improving capitalism more forcefully than they do supplanting it with a system that has never succeeded anywhere and no one has intelligibly described. Please read the whole thing. In this valuable review, Bill draws on Socialism: The Failed Idea that Never Dies, by Kristian Niemietz of the Institute of Economic Affairs, a libertarian British think tank. It appears actually to be a book worth reading. You might think that after decades of wrong predictions, global warming alarmists would back off and try to make their claims more realistic. But you would be wrong. The Science and Environmental Policy Project explains: [E]fforts by politicians to control carbon dioxide emissions, based on climate model projections / predictions, require models that well describe the greenhouse effect that is occurring now, and how it may change with increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Higher resolution computing does not necessarily accomplish this because if the models test poorly against atmospheric data, increasing resolution does not enhance predictive ability. As John Christy and his colleagues have shown, the only model used by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that tracks well with changing atmospheric temperatures is the INM model by the Marchuk Institute of Numerical Mathematics, part of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in Moscow. This is perhaps related to the fact that the Russian government does not pay out billions of dollars to encourage climate hysteria. All the American Models are diverging significantly from atmosphere temperature trends, and the trends indicate the divergence is increasing. Adding to the unrealistic nature of climate modeling is the effort by IPCC leaders to increase calculated effects of a doubling of atmospheric CO2, the so-called equilibrium climate sensitivity. Forty years ago, the Charney Report estimated that a doubling of CO2 will increase global temperatures by 3 degrees C plus or minus 1.5 degree C (about 6 degrees Fahrenheit plus or minus 50%). The article in Science Magazine describing the effort was a bit vague, but it appears that the effort is to raise the center estimate to 5 degrees C. The effort seems to stem from a modeling conference held by IPCC modelers in Barcelona in March. We wonder why, if the science was settled years ago, any change of the center estimate is necessary. [SEPP] has long criticized the estimate of a 3 degrees C plus or minus 1.5 degree C increase in temperatures from a doubling of CO2 as too high. So, it searched through the links available, including all the slides in the Barcelona conference to uncover any hard evidence to justify such an increase in the greenhouse effect. It found none. It appears that the climate modelers are increasing projections / predictions in response to UN demands for money to be paid into the Green Climate Fund with an expected annual tribute amount to $100 Billion by 2020. There are many names for such activities, none complementary. I think the cynical, often-heard injunction to follow the money is often misguided, but in this case it is apt. Global warming alarmism is big business. Ilhan Omar, a member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, weighed in on the violence perpetrated by Hamas over the last week, tweeting to her one million followers: How many more protesters must be shot, rockets must be fired, and little kids must be killed until the endless cycle of violence ends? The status quo of occupation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unsustainable. Only real justice can bring about security and lasting peace. Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 5, 2019 To which a number of more rational observers have responded: Agreed @IlhanMN so what should be done about Hamas? They are the ones behind all of this. https://t.co/9k5OwzSiiB Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) May 6, 2019 Gaza is not occupied. Israel withdrew. Gazas Palestinian leaders then burned synagogues and greenhouses full of food. Its leaders are terrorists who have attacked Israelis and Egyptians. The problem is not Israel. The problem is terrorists, and their supporters, like @IlhanMN. https://t.co/xxNisKp5sG Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) May 6, 2019 Gaza is occupied by Hamas, not Israel. Hamas is funded by Iran and works against the interest of Palestinians. It terrorizes the Gaza population and shoots rockets into civilian areas of Israel. You seem to be an apologist for Hamas. Hope Im wrong. #SaveGazaFromHamas Christina Sommers (@CHSommers) May 6, 2019 The people that can stop this are on your speed dial. Stop bitching & do something about it or STFU tjking (@tjking) May 6, 2019 UPDATE: Liz Cheney also responds to Omar: CNN is announcing that Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to a baby boy: London (CNN) Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a boy in the early hours of Monday, Buckingham Palace has announced. . . The boy will be the eighth great-grandchild for Queen Elizabeth II and the seventh in line to the throne behind Prince Charles, Prince William and his three children and Prince Harry. But isnt this fake news? First of all, CNN assumes the gender of the baby, and I thought I read somewhere that Prince Harry and Wokehighness Meghan were planning to allow the baby to determine its own gender . . . eventually. Ill be curious to see whether they indicate the gender on the birth certificate. This whole new gender self-ID thing could really enliven royal succession schemes. . . The San Francisco Chronicle reported last week that that San Francisco spent over $70 million last year cleaning poop and other debris from the homeless from its streets. Wouldnt it be cheaper to buy a whole bunch of porta-potties? You could even get custom-built ones with automated needle exchange devicesno new needle unless you deposit your old one in a sanitary receptacle. Oh, wait, that might be a magnet for homeless people to pitch their tents on city streets. About this proposal for free college, I have mixed feelings. On the one handfree stuff! Yay free stuff! Of course it is not really free, but never mind. On the other hand, a robust free college program would inflict a lot of collateral damage. It will kill off a lot of small, private liberal arts colleges. Who says there isnt an upside? Keep in mind that free college will almost surely be limited to public universities, and private universities wont be able to compete on pricenot with all those highly paid associate deans of diversity to supportno matter how much loans may be subsidized. And why go to an expensive private liberal arts college when you can go to Wayne State for free, and receive superior STEM instruction in most cases? Im explain some other time why I conclude that small private liberal arts colleges like Middlebury, Oberlin, and Trinity (which right now is apparently refusing to recognize a student Churchill Club because, as everyone in the wokerati knows, Churchill was Hitler) are actually much worse ideological cesspools than large public universities like Ohio State, Michigan, and yeseven Berkeley. Free college at public universities would reveal small liberal arts colleges for what they increasingly area luxury good for the rich. This will drive them further into madness I predict (like the Sarah Lawrence students who are demanding free laundry detergent in every dormitory laundry room). As Marx said, heighten the contradictions! Also the hypocrisy. The NY Times, at it again. In their story today about Hamas firing rockets from Gaza into Israel, the Times story (Im not linkingpaywall anyway) includes this sentence: The outbreak of violence appears to have begun on Friday, when a sniper wounded two Israeli soldiers, a violent but localized expression of Palestinian impatience with Israels failure to alleviate dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Prof. Joshua Dunn of the University of Colorado sensibly asks: How exactly does the NY Times know that this was the snipers motivation? Dummy: This tells the editors motivation at the Times. On sale nowthe Clintons! You may have heard that Bill and Hillary are attempting to do a paid speaking tour, with asking prices for premium tickets going for north of $1,000. Only one problem: the market has collapsed faster than you can say Solyndra! From the Daily Mail: Prices for Bill and Hillary Clintons 13-city tour have taken a plunge as the pair near the end of a string of dates for their speaking engagements. PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-06 17:41:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 785 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ASBURY PARK, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2019 / A high-quality line of dry-herb vaporizers has been awarded a best value rating as well as featured product status on a leading legal cannabis consumer information directory, see here https://marijuanawerx.com/davinci-vaporizer/ Some of the best-known dry herb vaporizers include DaVinci Vaporizers, Grasshopper vaporizers, Storz-Bickel Crafty vaporizer, the Pax 2 vaporizer, Ghost vaporizers, Storz-Bickel Mighty vaporizer Firefly vaporizers, DynaVap vaporizers and others. Many of the leading dry herb vaporizers are profiled on MarijuanaWerx, a popular directory for products and services in the legal cannabis industry. The directory does not profile any nicotine related products.As more and more states are legalizing both medical marijuana and recreational marijuana for adults, the traditional method of marijuana ingestion is changing. In past decades when cannabis was a black market product, most people smoked marijuana in either a pipe or in a marijuana cigarette commonly known as a 'joint.' However in recent years as the potential health hazard of inhaling smoke from combusted dried marijuana flower has become more and more apparent, many people are choosing other methods of ingestion. One method is consuming cannabis edibles, which can contain either extracted THC, the chemical in cannabis that produces a psychoactive response, or a so-called full-spectrum edible that contains the many other various cannabinoids contained in the plant. Cannabis contains over 100 cannabinoids some of which are hypothesized by some observers to have potential health-related benefits. However, any potential benefits are mostly based on anecdotal evidence and not hard science, but research into this area is ongoing throughout the world. And the research is accelerating as the laws are changing.Another method of ingestion is eating the actual herb as opposed to consuming an extract. The herb is prepared by heating the cannabis to a specific temperature for a period of time in order to activate the cannabinoids contained within the flowers buds. This is called 'decarbing' or decarboxylation. Unless marijuana is heated to become 'decarbed' the cannabis flower would not yield any psychoactive response. But this decarboxylation process is likely more cumbersome than most users are willing to deal with.The most popular method of ingesting cannabis is vaping. So, sales of vaping devices for cannabis flower and oils are soaring. Vaping cannabis is done either by vaping extracted THC oil; similar to the controversial method of vaping nicotine, or by vaping the actual dried flower buds. There are a number of potential risks to vaping in general but especially so when vaping oils, whether it be from nicotine products or cannabis products. Part of the potential risk revolves around how the substance being vaped is extracted in that in many cases, potentially harmful chemical are used in the extraction process. When vaping actual dried flower buds, use of an extracted material is unnecessary so one of the possible risks ceases to become an issue. But even any potential negative effects of vaping dry herb are largely unknown since this type of cannabis ingestion is relatively new and sufficient research into the various potential risks has yet to be fully explored.Regardless of the unknown risks, many consider dry herb vaping of cannabis to be a preferred method of ingestion over smoking. And, as a result of consumer demand for dry herb vaping products sales are very strong and product choices are plentiful.The MarijuanaWerx directory's includes many industry categories including a profile and review section on many of popular authentic CBD brands such as CBDPure, Bluebird Botanicals, Savage CBD, Charlottes Web CBD and others.MarijuanaWerx also has a section called The Investors Corner where visitors can find profiles of many leading publicly traded marijuana related companies. Recently the company Charlotte's Web Holdings that owns one of the better-known CBD brands called Charlotte's Web CBD went public with an IPO on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE). There are other publicly traded cannabis related businesses trading on stock exchanges in the US and Canada that are profiled on MarijuanaWerx including Choom Holdings, Leafbuyer Technologies, Rocky Mountain High Brands, Aurora Cannabis, PotNetwork Holding, MedReLeaf Corp, Aphria Inc., United Cannabis Corp, Abattis Bioceuticals, Canopy Growth Corp, GW Pharmaceuticals, Cannagrow Holdings and more.About MarijuanaWerx.com MarijuanaWerx.com is an A+ Rated Better Business Bureau Accredited web directory based in Asbury Park, New Jersey featuring a business-to-business cannabis directory, the Cannabis Investors Corner spotlighting publicly traded marijuana stocks, legal cannabis product brand profiles as well as brand profiles of many legal marijuana related businesses including vaporizers, seed companies, testing labs, marketing firms, law firms specializing in the cannabis industry, dispensaries, financing companies and much more. MarijuanaWerx.com is not a store and does not sell products.Contact:Chaz Sandersonchazsanderson@ outlook.com 1-929-344-1364SOURCE: MarijuanaWerx.com PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-06 14:43:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 960 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2019 / GREAT ATLANTIC RESOURCES CORP. ( TSXV.GR) (the "Company" or "Great Atlantic") is pleased to announce it has acquired, through an option agreement and by staking, the Glenelg Vanadium Property, located in southwest New Brunswick. Recent bedrock grab samples from the property from a layered intrusion returned significant levels of vanadium and titanium. Historic grab bedrock samples are reported to return significant levels for gold, cobalt and bismuth. The property is located approximately 5 kilometers southeast of the Clarence Stream Gold Project of Galway Metals Inc.Recent and historic bedrock grab samples of 0.33 & 0.42% V2O5.Historic bedrock grab sample of 14 g/t Au, 1.38% Bi, 0.65% Co and 27.5 % TiO2.Vanadium, titanium and iron mineralization in layered Bocabec Gabbro Complex.(To view the full-sized image, please click here)The Glenelg property has seen little exploration. Company management cannot find evidence of historical drilling within the property. The property is reported to be underlain by the Silurian Bocabec Gabbro Complex (gabbro, minor granodiorite, diorite and granite).Polymetallic veins were discovered within the property during 2006 and 2013 by one of the option partners. A grab sample collected during 2006 was reported to return 2.6 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 0.65% cobalt. Another grab sample was reported to return greater than 1% copper and 0.15% cobalt. A 2013 grab sample from a sulfide vein was reported to return 14 g/t gold, 1.28% bismuth and 0.12% cobalt.A 2013 sample collected by one of the option partners from a magnetic layer in the Bocabec Gabbro Complex was reported to return 0.237% vanadium (0.42% V2O5), 16.5% titanium (27.5% TiO2) and greater than 30% iron.A grab sample from a magnetic layer collected by Great Atlantic during 2018 returned 0.188% vanadium (0.33% V2O5), 10.10.3% TiO2 and 25.71% iron. This sample was collected by a qualified person. This sample was analyzed by ALS Canada Ltd. by XRF Fusion.(To view the full-sized image, please click here)(To view the full-sized image, please click here)The Glenelg Property is located approximately 5 kilometers southeast of the Clarence Stream Gold Project of Galway Metals Inc. ( TSXV.GWM) . Galway reported a NI 43-101 resource estimate for the project during 2018, reporting total Measured plus Indicated resources of 6,178,000 tonnes at 1.96 g/t gold (390,000 ounces of gold) and total Inferred resources of 3,409,000 tonnes at 2.53 g/t gold (277,000 ounces of gold). Galway recently reported a new gold discovery at the Clarence Stream Gold Project with one hole reported to intersect 7.3 g/t gold over 36.7 meters core length (Galway News Release of February 13, 2019).The Glenelg Vanadium Property is located within southwest New Brunswick approximately 20 kilometers east of the town of St. Stephen and approximately 15 kilometers northwest of the Company's Mascarene Property which hosts multiple mineral occurrences with cobalt, copper, nickel, zinc, lead, gold and / or silver. The Glenelg Vanadium Property covers an area of approximately 1,185 hectares.Under the terms of the agreement, Great Atlantic may earn in a 100-per-cent interest in the property by making certain staged cash payments to the optionor over a five-year period as follows: (i) $10,000 in cash deposit (paid); (ii) $15,000 in cash on or before the first anniversary of the approval date; (iii) $30,000 in cash on or before the second anniversary of the approval date; (iv) $30,000 in cash on or before the third anniversary of the approval date; and (v) $40,000 on or before the fourth anniversary of the approval date; and (vi) $50,000 on or before the fifth anniversary of the approval date.In the event Great Atlantic exercises the Option and acquires a 100% right, title and interest in and to the Property, the Optionor shall thereafter be entitled to a 2.0% net smelter return, payable upon the commencement of Commercial Production.Optionee shall have the right to purchase one-half (50%) of the NSR Royalty from Optionor at any time by payment to Optionor of $1,000,000, leaving Optionor with a 1.0% remaining NSR Royalty or in stages example $500,000 for of a percentage.Readers are warned that mineralization at the Clarence Stream Gold Project and the Company's Mascarene Property are not necessarily indicative of mineralization within the Glenelg Vanadium Property. Readers are warned that historic data referred to in this News Release have not been verified by a qualified person.David Martin, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and VP Exploration for Great Atlantic, is responsible for the technical information contained in this News Release.About Great Atlantic Resources Corp.: Great Atlantic Resources Corp. is a Canadian exploration company focused on the discovery and development of mineral assets in the resource-rich and sovereign risk-free realm of Atlantic Canada, one of the number one mining regions of the world. Great Atlantic is currently surging forward building the company utilizing a Project Generation model, with a special focus on the most critical elements on the planet that are prominent in Atlantic Canada, Antimony, Tungsten and Gold.On Behalf of the board of directors"Christopher R Anderson"Mr. Christopher R. Anderson "Always be positive, strive for solutions, and never give up"President CEO Director604-488-3900 DirInvestor Relations:Please call 604-488-3900This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future exploration drilling, exploration activities and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of financing, and general economic, market or business conditions.Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) Factmr PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-06 12:46:00 Press Information FactMR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Abhishek Budholiya Marketing Manager 353-1-4434-232 email https://www.factmr.com/ # 690 Words 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United StatesMarketing Manager353-1-4434-232 In order to offer readers with up-to-date information about the latest advancements in the global peptide based cancer therapeutics market, the report provides updates about market opportunities, which can benefit leading manufacturers of peptide based cancer therapeutic drugs. With continuous evolution of the healthcare sector, keeping a record of latest developments and trends is fundamental for peptide based cancer therapeutic drug manufacturers to formulate key business strategies. Detailed insights about raw material sourcing, supply chain, regulatory approvals, pricing analysis, list of distributors, and cost structure are provided. According to a report published by Fact.MR , the global peptide based cancer therapeutics market is poised to surpass the market valuation of US$ 11,000 Mn by the end of 2022, owing to multiple factors contributing to this boom.Peptide is a compound that is created by artificial or natural biological chaining of amino acid monomers. In recent years, peptides have emerged as an effective therapeutic agent in treatment of various diseases, including cancer. At present, there are a number of peptide based cancer therapeutics available in the market. Incessant medical research on peptides has led to development of several peptide based cancer therapeutics that are showing greater results as compared to conventional cancer therapeutics.Get Free Sample Report Here:Medical institutions across the world are ramping up their efforts towards the development of effective therapeutic drugs for cancer treatment. In addition to this, investors are underpinning the initiatives of healthcare organizations by funding their researches. With the report produced by the World Health Organization (WHO) stating the occurrence of over 8 Mn deaths in 2015 backed by the pervasiveness of cancer, proliferating adoption of advanced peptide based cancer therapeutic is witnessed. A host of these factors have contributed to the growing size of the peptide-based cancer therapeutics market at the global level with an estimated CAGR of over 9% through 2022.The Fact.MR report provides segment-wise analysis and forecast for covering the wide scope of global peptide based cancer therapeutics market. Drug, distribution channel and region are key segments that define the growth of the global market for peptide based cancer therapeutics. In this segmentation analysis, a detailed country-wise forecast across all key market parameters is also included.Browse Full Report with ToC Here:North America To Lead The Global Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics MarketIn terms of revenues, North America is expected to dominate the global peptide based cancer therapeutics market in 2017 and beyond. The regions potency in healthcare and a strong presence of various peptide based cancer therapeutic drug manufacturers is supporting the growth of the market in North America. During the forecast period, the market in the region is expected to surge at a robust CAGR.On the basis of drugs, the bortezomib segment is expected to remain highly attractive throughout the assessment period. The segment currently accounts for around 40% revenue share of the global market. Between 2017 and 2022, the segment is expected to reflect a double-digit CAGR to reach a valuation is excess of US$ 4,725 Mn. It expected to grow at US$ 358.4 Mn annually over the course of the forecast period.An analysis of the supply chain and average pricing is discussed in the report to understand the dynamics of the peptide-based cancer therapeutics market. Evaluation of the attractiveness of the market has been carried out on the basis of region, drug, and distribution channel.The regions analyzed in the report consist of Latin America, North America, Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific except Japan (APEJ), and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). The regions have been analyzed keeping the segments drug and distribution channel and their revenue share to the global market in mind.Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Allergan plc, AbbVie Inc., AstraZeneca PLC, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Abbott, Pfizer Inc., and Johnson & Johnson are among the leading companies functioning in the global market for peptide based cancer therapeutics. Majority of these market players are actively focusing on further product development as well as channelizing their investments in R&D activities.Have Any Query?? Ask Our Industry Expert Factmr PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-06 13:27:20 Press Information FactMR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Abhishek Budholiya Marketing Manager 353-1-4434-232 email https://www.factmr.com/ # 584 Words 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United StatesMarketing Manager353-1-4434-232 According to Fact.MRs research report on the global peptide based infection therapeutics market, the market is anticipated to show a robust growth rate during the forecasted period of 2017-2022 and expected to reflect a value a bit less than US$ 1.5 Bn. As antibiotic resistance soar globally, there is an escalating pressure to come up with novel classes of antimicrobial compounds to fight infectious diseases. The application of slow release or efficient targeting drug delivery system in line with a therapeutic peptide may mitigate or reduce the need for excessive modification. As such, liposomal systems provide increased circulatory time of the encapsulated therapeutics and at the same time allowing targeting, at sites of infection or tumor growth. This has been used for the delivery of anticancer drugs which may have benefits for delivery of peptides therapeutics.Get Free Sample Report Here:In order to effectively treat an infection, manufacturers are focusing on composition or chemical modification, thereby enhancing its pharmacokinetic properties. Therapeutic peptide is expected to be more efficacious in vivo when it is used in conjunction with the delivery system that can underpin longevity and enhance targeting to the site of infection.The Fact.MR report provides segment-wise analysis and forecast for covering the wide scope of global peptide based infection therapeutics market. Drug type, distribution channel and region are key segments that define the growth of the global market for peptide based infection therapeutics. In this segmentation analysis, a detailed country-wise forecast across all key market parameters is also included.Browse Full Report with ToC Here:Peptide Based Infection Therapeutics Market: OverviewThe report provides an apt assessment on the peptide based infection therapeutics market with quantitative and qualitative analysis. Further, the report offers a clear picture with respect to dynamics of peptide based infection therapeutics market, including drivers, trends, opportunities, and restraints. These aspects are indispensable and possess potency to impact the growth of the peptide based infection therapeutics market. Besides, the report delves into the segregation of the peptide based infection therapeutics market to provide a robust picture of peptide based infection therapeutics market.APEJ to Show Tremendous Activity as Compared to EuropeThe Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region is expected to show a rapid growth rate and is expected to register a CAGR of 8.7% during the period of forecast. The main reasons for this kind of growth is the strict government regulations for the upcoming players, higher number of pharmaceutical companies, increased foreign direct investment and development of technologies. Moreover, the government encourages to increase the investment in the healthcare industry to discover and invent new methods and technologies to better the health of the patients and enhance patient outcome. Following Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region, Europe regions also shows good growth rate in the global peptide based infection therapeutics market.Validation of the information in the report is done through primary sources, including in-person interactions, surveys, view of seasoned analyst, interviews and in-person interactions and insights of analyst coupled with secondary sources incorporating trade journals, verified paid sources, resourceful databases and trade journals. Absolute dollar opportunity analysis has also formed basis for the robust analysis of the report.Peptide Based Infection Therapeutics Market: Competitive LandscapeThe report also profiles companies that are expected to remain active in the expansion of the global peptide based infection therapeutics market through 2022, which include Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Merck & Co., Inc. and Parchem Fine & Specialty Chemicals. PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-06 14:07:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 514 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 THOMPSON FALLS, MT / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2019 / United States Antimony Corporation ("USAC", NYSE American "UAMY") reported a doubling of its Madero, Coahuila, Mexican smelter capacity with the startup of the No. 2 long rotary furnace (LRF). This is expected to double Mexican production by the end of Q2 due to the increased output of the Wadley and Guadalupe Mines. During Q1 of 2019, the Mexican production per month was approximately 69,000 pounds. For future production increases, there are four more LRFs at Madero, and construction has begun on the No. 3 LRF.No. 2 LRF in production roasting direct shipping ore and having slag removedNo. 2 LRF showing entire installation from left to right, 105 foot stack in background, dust collector infront of stack, cooling ducting, and furnaceThe five-acre cyanide leach pond at the Puerto Blanco mill for the Los Juarez gold, silver, and antimony mine has been excavated and a culvert has been placed in it to divert stormwater from running into the pond. The pond is now ready for the HDPE liner which will be the last major expenditure. The wiring, tailings pipelines, and screens have been finished. Testing and startup of the plant is anticipated during Q2 2019.Five-acre tailings pond with culvert is ready for the HDPE linerThe Puerto Blanco leach plant for the Los Juarez gold and silver is nearing completionEstimated production for April 2019 was as follows:ProductAprilAntimony pounds171,726Zeolite short tons1,172Inventories of Mexican antimony mine ore continue to grow. The average Rotterdam price for antimony metal during April 2019 was $7,246.25 per metric ton or $3.287 per pound. Bear River Zeolite sales continue strong.CEO John Lawrence said "The startup of the No. 2 LRF will liquidate the prepaid inventory of mine ore to help fund the Los Juarez gold, silver and antimony property leach plant and provide operating funds." About U.S. AntimonyUS Antimony is a growing, vertically-integrated natural resource company that has production and diversified operations in precious metals, zeolite and antimony.Forward-Looking Statements:This Press Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events, including matters related to the Company's operations, pending contracts and future revenues, ability to execute on its increased production and installation schedules for planned capital expenditures and the size of forecasted deposits. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties. In addition, other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are discussed in the Company's most recent filings, including Form 10-KSB with the Securities and Exchange Commission.CONTACT:406-827-3523, FAX: 406-827-3543E-Mail: tfl3543@ blackfoot.net SOURCE: United States Antimony Corporation To revive Nigerias moribund cotton, textiles and garments sector, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Monday commenced the distribution of cotton seeds and other inputs to farmers in Katsina State. To encourage local textile production, the apex bank also threatened to blacklist individuals, banks and companies involved in illegal textile importation. Over 100,000 farmers collected the cotton seeds during the national flag-off of distribution of seeds/inputs to farmers for the 2019 planting season. The CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, who opened the distribution of the seeds said the exercise will help improve cotton production in the country from about 80,000 tonnes in 2018 to over 300,000 tonnes by 2020. Mr Emefiele said the support of the bank to cotton production was part of the commitment to consolidate on the gains of the restriction of foreign exchange allocation on finished textiles and 42 other items in the country. The CBN governor identified insufficient cotton seeds as one of the major challenges cotton farmers face in the country. He said the bank sought to change the narrative on the cotton and textile industry in Nigeria through the distribution of high yielding cotton seeds to farmers. The provision of seedlings to farmers cultivating over 200,000 hectares of farmland, along with extensive training on proper farming techniques, will boost the production of high-grade cotton lint from the current rate of less than one tonne to about four tonnes per hectare. Also, he said, the move would reduce the amount spent by Nigeria on imported textiles and ready-made clothing estimated at about $4billion annually. Mr Emefiele said the package included fertiliser, pesticides and knapsack sprayers, while the National Cotton Association of Nigeria will ensure compliance of its members with the stipulated terms for the support to be provided to farmers. He said the choice of Katsina was based on the immense potential of the state as the leading cotton producer in Nigeria. The CBN, he said, was committed to the revamp of the cotton and textiles industry, given its immense potential to Nigerias growth objectives as well as the banks efforts at creating jobs for a large number of Nigerians. In the 1970s and early 1980s were the glory days of the textile industry in Nigeria. Nigeria was home to Africas largest textile industry, with over 180 textile mills that employed over 450,000 people, representing about 25 per cent of the workforce in the manufacturing sector, he said. He recounted that the industry was supported by the production of cotton by 600,000 local farmers across 30 of Nigerias 36 states, with thousands of ginnery workers who processed the cotton from farmers, and a large number of distributors selling the finished clothes to consumers. Mr Emefiele lamented that farmers and processors have had to deal with low-quality seeds, rising operating cost and weak sales in recent times. He attributed this to the high energy cost of running factories, poor access to finance and smuggling of textile goods estimated to cost Nigeria over $2.2billion annually. According to him, only 25 textile factories were currently operating in Nigeria with a workforce of fewer than 20,000 people. A large proportion of clothing materials, he said, were now being imported from China and countries in Europe He said the CBN was committed to addressing impediments to the growth of Nigerias agricultural and manufacturing sectors, as both sectors represent over 52 per cent of Nigerias gross domestic product (GDP). If we are able to drive productivity gains in these sectors, it will undoubtedly translate to a higher growth rate for the broader economy, result in increased rural incomes, and improvements in living standards for a majority of Nigerians, he noted. Threat to blacklist offenders Mr Emefiele said the restriction of foreign exchange to 43 items was yielding the desired results, apart from driving interest by potential investors seeking to make investments to support improved production of textiles in Nigeria. To curb smuggling, the CBN Governor said the bank was gathering data as well as investigating the accounts of individuals and corporates currently involved in smuggling and dumping textile materials into Nigeria. He said individuals and companies involved in the illicit trade will be blacklisted, while all banks, their owners and top management involved in the illegal business would be barred from further conducting any banking business with the companies. Advertisements With a population of over 190 million people, Nigeria clearly stands out as a virgin market that must be tapped. If we are determined in our drive to create jobs on a mass scale and reduce youth restiveness in Nigeria, the cotton, textiles and garments industry cannot be ignored, Mr Emefiele added. The Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, said the federal governments initiative to promote cotton production under the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the CBN would support the textile industry in the country by encouraging local production. His Kano State counterpart, Abdullahi Ganduje, who spoke on behalf of other governors in the North-West geopolitical zone, stressed the need for strong institutions to complement monetary and fiscal policies aimed at developing the Nigerian economy. NatCom Development; Investment Ltd., operators of the Ntel 4G/VoLTE Network says it has appointed Babatunde Omotoba as its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer. The Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Ntel, Damian Udeh, said on Monday in Lagos that the appointment was with effect from May 7. Mr Udeh said until the appointment as the CEO, Mr Omotoba had served for three years as a high performing non-Executive Director at ntel, on various committees of the board. He said Mr Omotoba would take over from Ernest Akinlola who recently resigned as the Managing Director/CEO. According to him, Mr Omotoba is a seasoned administrator with over 30 years of General Management, Telecoms, Transportation, Power, Aviation, Financing, Private Equity, Investment, Due Diligence, Auditing, Consulting, Construction and Structural Engineering experience. As the Group Chief Operating Officer of Ancestral Holdings for four years, he managed various group companies in various sectors including: Telecoms, Financial Services, Construction and Transportation, Power, Real Estate; among others. He has also executed various safety critical infrastructural projects in the aviation sector of the Nigerian economy, including the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria Airspace. As an investor, he structured and invested more than $200 million in over 12 projects with total transaction size in excess of $1.2 billion in the United States of America and in Nigeria. As an accountant, he managed due diligence reviews, and performed audits, fraud investigations, financial consulting, and diagnostic reviews. He also carried out value-for-money review for the over $1 billion Nigerian Government Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) consulting contracts, he said in a statement. Mr Udeh said Mr Omotoba assisted in developing the planning and budgeting, financial reporting and assets and liabilities management programmes for one of the largest banks in Nigeria. He said as an engineer, Mr Omotoba worked as Resident Construction and Structural Engineer on several Nigerian government infrastructural projects in eight states of Nigeria and in Kubwa, Maitama and Asokoro Districts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Mr Udeh said Mr Omotoba had held diverse positions across various sectors: Manager in Arthur Andersen (now KPMG Professional Services) and Nigeria Office; Vice President, Private Equity at Smith Whiley & Co. in the United States of America. He said the new CEO was also the Head, Private Equity and Secretary to the Investment Committee of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) in Nigeria, before his appointment as Honourable Minister and member, Federal Executive Council, Federal Republic of Nigeria in December 2008. According to Mr Udeh, Mr Omotoba was a Member of the Governing Council of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and National Council on Privatisation (NCP). He served as a Senior Adviser to Africa Finance Corporation. A well sought after speaker both at home and abroad, Babatunde Omotoba has a Bachelor of Engineering Degree (B.Eng) in Civil Engineering with First Class Honours from the University of Benin (Nigeria). He also has an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University (USA), where he majored in Finance, Entrepreneurship, Management Strategy and Real Estate. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA); Member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (MNSE) and an Associate member of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (ACIT), he said. Mr Udeh said Mr Omotoba started his career in 1987 as Trainee Structural Engineer with Civ-Structs Associates, Kaduna (Nigeria), where he designed and supervised various projects including Central Bank Staff Housing in Birnin Kebbi Road, Sokoto. Mr Omotoba is currently the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Ancestral Holdings, a conglomerate with over $2 billion in investments. (NAN) Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to a boy, she and Prince Harry announced on their Instagram account Monday. We are pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on May 6th, 2019. Their Royal Highnesses son weighs 7lbs. 3oz, it said. The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives. More details will be shared in the forthcoming days. The baby will be the seventh great-grandchild for Britains Queen Elizabeth II. He will also be seventh in line to the British throne behind Prince Charles, Prince William and his three children and Prince Harry. But the child will not be given the title of prince and he will instead be known as the Earl of Dumbarton. Harry and Meghan married in a star-studded ceremony at Windsor Castle last May and announced they were expecting a baby in October. That news came as they touched down in Australia for their first overseas tour as a married couple. Gazans on Monday faced a first day of Ramadan overshadowed by funerals and the grim task of pulling bodies from collapsed buildings. This incident is taking place after two sleepless days and nights of Israeli shelling and Palestinian rocket fire. As dawn brought a ceasefire of uncertain duration, few Palestinians in the impoverished coastal enclave were focusing on the sundown feast that is traditionally the highlight of the day during the Muslim holy month. At Gaza Citys largest hospital, Shifa, relatives of the 21 Palestinians killed on Sunday, including 12 civilians arrived to collect bodies for burial and prayers. Outside, workers set about rebuilding power and phone lines devastated by the Israeli bombardment, which also razed entire tower blocks, leaving rubble strewn across the ground. Other government employees lined up at banks to draw out money they had been unable to collect during the hostilities. The Israeli military said its tanks and warplanes had hit 350 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza, including a cross-border tunnel, militant training camps and places used to store weapons. An Israeli military spokesman said the Palestinian militant groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, had fired around 690 rockets toward Israel, killing four Israeli civilians. Calling the barrage reckless and coordinated the military said 240 of the rockets had been intercepted by Israels air defences. In the Sheikh Zayed neighbourhood of northern Gaza, residents were in shock a day after an Israeli air strike killed six people. The four apartments wrecked in the five-storey building were among 600 housing units left destroyed or damaged, according to the ministry of housing. I have never seen in my life more horrifying images than I saw yesterday. I saw dismembered bodies, burnt up bodies, said 60-year-old Ziyad Hammash, who lives in the building across the street. Sumayya Usruf, whose cousin, husband and four-month infant child were killed in an apartment in the northern Gaza Strip, said: This is a very tough Ramadan. We will not feel festive. As she spoke, dozens of men brought the body of the baby home for farewell. Inside the ambulance was a coffin filled with flesh and body parts. Israel accused Gazas ruling Hamas of trying to pressure it into easing long-standing restrictions on the movement of people and goods out of Gaza, which Israeli authorities say is necessary to stop arms reaching Hamas. In the West Bank, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, whose Western-backed Palestinian Authority is a bitter rival of Hamas said it would send humanitarian aid and food to Gaza. But in Gaza, there was pessimism that the latest ceasefire would be a long-term solution. This round is over but I am afraid another will soon begin. We aspire to a day when nothing of this will happen, said 55-year-old Adel Mohammad-Ali at one funeral. (Reuters/NAN) The Nigerian government is seeking about $3.5 billion in damages from oil giants Eni and Shell over the controversial Malabu oil deal, PREMIUM TIMES has gathered. The new claim is contained in a London court filing by the Nigerian government against the two oil multinationals and other parties involved in the long-running case. The court documents, obtained by this newspapers London partners, Finance Uncovered, and seen by PREMIUM TIMES, shows the government also alleged that the Malabu deal was corrupt and not done in the interest of Nigeria. The government accused Eni, Shell, Malabu and other defendants of, among others, fraud or/and bribery, dishonest assistance and unlawful means of conspiracy. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how documents showed that a British executive and then CEO of Arcadia Petroleum Ltd, Peter Bosworth, received money from a key figure in the scandal and former Nigerian oil minister, Dan Etete. New filings lodged at the London court showed that the Nigerian government is claiming that the nation was deprived of the disinterested advice of its ministers and agents, who acted as parties in the deal, adding that the officials acted with sinister motives and shortchanged the nation. Scandal At the centre of the Malabu scandal is the transfer of about $1.1 billion by oil multinationals, Shell and ENI, through the Nigerian government to accounts controlled by Mr Etete. Investigations showed that about half the money ($520 million) went to the accounts of companies jointly controlled by Abubakar Aliyu, popularly known in Nigeria as the owner of AA oil, and Mr Etete. Anti-corruption investigators and activists suspect Mr Aliyu fronted for top officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration, as well of officials of Shell and ENI. The transaction was authorised in 2011 by Mr Jonathan through some of his cabinet ministers, and the money was payment for the block, considered one of Nigerias most lucrative. Although Shell and ENI initially claimed they did not know the money would end up with Mr Etete and his cronies, evidence has shown that claim to be false. After a joint investigation by Global Witness and Finance Uncovered, Shell later admitted it did know the money would go to Mr Etete. Shell, Eni, Mr Etete, Mr Aliyu and several officials of the oil firms are being prosecuted in Italy for their roles in the scandal. Mr Jonathan, who is not under any probe on the matter, has denied wrongdoing. New Claims According to documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the Nigerian government claims the block was undervalued even at the time it was sold in 2011. According to the filing, the blocks value, as at 2011 was about $3.5 billion even though it was valued at $1.3 billion. The government also claimed that it only received what it now considers to be an insufficient $209 million signature bonus in April 2011. The government said it claims further or alternatively, compensatory damages for the undervalue at which the OPL 245 rights were sold. It added that, The amount of the undervalue will be a matter for expert evidence to be particularised in due course. The FRN estimates the value of OPL 245 in April 2011 to have been at least US$3.5bn for which it received no or negligible value (save that the FRN will give credit for any recovery pursuant to sub-paragraph 2(a) above, and the US$209m signature bonus that it received in April 2011). Further and alternatively, the Nigerian government also demands, an account of all past and future profits (or a declaration that the FRNFederal Republic of Nigeria-is entitled to all future profits) made by each of Shell, Eni and/or Malabu, EVP and ILCL, out the unlawful exploitation of the OPL 245 rights, including the amount by which they benefitted from favourable terms, that they would not have received had bribes not been paid. The new claim, dated April 8 and signed by Jonathan Cary, was filed against 14 defendants, including Shell, Eni, Malabu and their respective subsidiaries. Last month, PREMIUM TIMES reported how a consultant, who stood as witness before an Italian court in Milan, faulted the valuation of the controversial block by the oil giants, Eni and Shell. Stephen Rogers, who appeared before the court as an expert witness for Nigeria, presented testimony on the economic cost of the 2011 deal for OPL 245. Mr Rogers is a partner at the oil consultancy group, Arthur D. Little, with over 30 years experience at Hess, BP and TXU/EON. Mr Rogers analysis found that the market value of OPL 245 was $3.5 billion in 2011, with $80 per barrel of oil and on the terms Shell and Eni bought the block. Enis expert had valued the block higher at $4.5 billion but they argued, however, that despite the valuation, the price paid ($1.3 billion) was reasonable because of various risks. Advertisements But, Mr Rogers in his submission criticised their position, saying Enis experts method is double counting the discounts for risk. Mr Rogers also evaluated the value of gas, which Enis expert did not include, at $167 million. In the run up to the deal, Shell and Eni valued the block in 2010 and 2011 respectively at $3.3 billion ($80 per barrel) and $3.5 billion ($70 per barrel). But using an average of price paid per barrel in other deals done in West Africa, Mr Rogers calculated the value of OPL 245 as $2.6 billion $3.7 billion but said these are definitely too low as the terms of the 2011 deal are unusually favourable to the companies compared to other deals. Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has issued guidelines to stimulate the reduction of crime vulnerabilities created by cash withdrawals from local government funds across the country. Acting Chief Media Analyst of NFIU, Ahmed Dikko, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Monday. He announced that the effective date for operation of the guidelines was June 1. He urged all financial institutions, relevant stakeholders, public servants and citizens to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the guidelines which had already been submitted to the institutions. The guidelines include full enforcement of corresponding sanctions against violations, he stated. Mr Dikko said that cash withdrawal and transactions from State Joint Local Government Accounts (SJLGA) posed (the) biggest corruption, money laundering and security threats at the grassroots and to (the) entire financial system and the country. He said, with this analysis, the unit decided to uphold the full provisions of Section 162 (6) and (8) of the 1999 Constitution. State Joint Local Government Account shall be paid in, allocations to the local government councils of the state from the Federation Account and from the government of the state. The amount standing to the credit of local government councils of a state shall be distributed among the local government councils of that state and not for the other purposes. As far as the NFIU is concerned, the responsibility of the account as a collection account is fully reinstated. The media analyst explained that the measures were necessitated by reasons on the NFIU to respond to threats of isolating the countrys financial system by international financial systems due to deficiencies in anti-money laundering. Therefore, it is no longer possible to allow the entire system to suffer deliberate and expensive infractions or violations by public officials and business interests. With effect from June 1, any bank that allows any transaction from any local government account without monies first reaching a particular local government account will be sanctioned 100 per cent, locally and internationally. In addition, a provision is also made to the effect that there shall be no cash withdrawal from any local government account for a cumulative amount exceeding N500,000 per day. Any other transaction must be done through valid cheques or electronic funds transfer, Mr Dikko said. (NAN) The police on Monday said they have arrested Ademola Adeleke, a Nigerian senator. The police said Mr Adeleke will be arraigned in court on Tuesday in Abuja. Police spokesperson Frank Mba did not immediately give reasons for Mr Adelekes detention, but said his legal representatives were carried along during preparation of charges. Mr Mba said the police will accord the Osun governorship contender the best tradition of natural justice and fair hearing. Even though the police have not publicly disclosed the specific charges against Mr Adeleke, his associates have been speculating that they were connected to the allegations of certificate forgery that had assailed the lawmaker for nearly a year. Mr Adeleke was first arrested in September 2018, a few days to the Osun governorship election in which he was the most potent opposition challenger. He was accused of writing WAEC with muddled identity in order to beef up his credentials for the governorship election that was then upcoming. The senator strongly denied allegations of forgery when he was arraigned by the police, saying he had been a victim of vindictive politics of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Adeleke, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, was defended by the principal of the school in which he was accused of committing the offence. A statement from his office Monday night said the principal and WAEC swore affidavits in defending the governor against forgery or impersonation. The statement also said Mr Adelekes latest arrest was aimed at frustrating his case at the election petitions tribunal. The senator had challenged the outcome of the September 2018 governorship election, saying he was robbed by the APC. The tribunal declared him winner of the election in March, but the APCs incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola, appealed the ruling. The PDP condemned Mr Adelekes latest arrest because the charges police filed against him in 2018 were still pending in court. Mr Adelekes office said he reported at the Force Headquarters in Abuja to honour a police invitation at about 9:00 a.m. Monday. He was, however, allegedly driven to Maitama Area Command Headquarters, where he had been held. Mr Mba declined to speak on where Mr Adeleke is being detained, but strongly denied that he had been in police custody since 9:00 a.m. President Muhammadu Buhari has sent greetings to Nigerians in general and Muslims in particular as they commence the month-long Ramadan fast. Mr Buharis Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday said the presidents greetings followed the sighting of the lunar month of Ramadan. Mr Buhari called for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the country. According to the president, Islam is a religion of peace that upholds the values of tolerance and mutual coexistence, without a place for hatred and violence. He, therefore, urged Muslims to use the period to build a relationship of friendship and harmony with fellow citizens of other faiths. The president prayed to Allah for the continued peace, progress, and the wellbeing of the country. (NAN) The management of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) has dismissed a Prison Officer for trafficking illicit drugs in the prison yard. The Public Relations Officer of the Service, Francis Enorbore, confirmed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja. Mr Enorbore named the affected officer as Prison Assistant 1 Umar Adamu. He said that the Controller General of Prisons, Jaafaru Ahmed, had approved the recommendations of the Zone C disciplinary committee for the officers dismissal. This followed the recommendation of the Zonal Disciplinary Committee that found the officer guilty of secreting illicit items such as Indian hemp (cannabis) and other intoxicants into the prison for inmates. This is part of a concerted effort by the administration to continue to maintain discipline and ensure that mal-adjusted inmates in Prison custody are only handled by those with the required rectitude to do so, Mr Enorbore said. He noted that exposing inmates to hard drugs was an anathema to the reformation goal of the Prisons Service. He said this does not only precipitate health complications but also constitutes security risk to innocent lives in and around the prison. The CGP, therefore warn that any officer caught in such an ignoble act will be shown the way out of the Service as they have no business being in a character reformation agency. He assured the public that the management of the NPS remains irrevocably committed to sustain the peace and calm now existing in prisons across the country in order to enhance reformation and rehabilitation of offenders in prisons custody, he said. (NAN) A Federal High Court, Abuja division, has rejected a request by a lawyer seeking to stop the confirmation of the appointment of the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed . Mr Muhammad was appointed in January after the suspension of the embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, by President Muhammadu Buhari. Mr Onnoghens suspension attracted a number of litigations including the request brought by a lawyer, Malcom Omirhobo. He approached the court, through his foundation, with a request to stop the confirmation of Mr Muhammad as substantive CJN. Mr Omirhobo accused Mr Muhammad of violating the rules of the legal profession by presenting himself to Mr Buhari for the execution of Mr Onnoghens suspension. Subsequently, the applicant made an Ex-parte motion which was aimed at preventing Mr Muhammad from officially emerging as Mr Onnoghens successor. An Ex-parte motion is a request by a party in a matter, which allows the court to act without hearing from the other party. Apart from Mr Muhammad, other defendants listed in the suit are the National Judicial Council, the Federal Judicial Service Commission, the Federal Government of Nigeria, President Buhari, the Attorney General of Nigeria, and the Senate. The applicant made two specific requests in addition to the general prayer before the court. In the first request, Mr Omirhobo demanded an order of the court restraining Mr Buhari from appointing Mr Muhammad as the substantive CJN. In the second prayer, Mr Omirhobo asked the court to stop the Senate from confirming Mr Muhammads appointment. Ruling In a ruling delivered on Friday, but obtained on Monday by PREMIUM TIMES, the court presided over by Inyang Ekwo said the application could not be granted. According to the judge; none of the prayers made in the motion ex-parte can be granted in the absence of the defendants. The court ordered the applicant to serve the respondents with notice of the request. It then slated May 13 for the hearing of the motion. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dele Belgore, standing trial for N450 million fraud, on Monday told a Federal High Court in Lagos that he only received fund for the 2015 Election campaign coordination in Kwara State. Mr Belgore gave evidence under-cross examination in a money laundering charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). EFCC charged Mr Belgore and a former Minister of National Planning, Abubakar Sulaiman, on nine counts. They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail. Mr Belgore, who is a former Campaign Coordinator of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara, gave evidence on April 12, while the court adjourned for cross-examination. On Monday, Rotimi Oyedepo appeared for the EFCC, Ebun Shofunde (SAN) appeared for Belgore while Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), announced appearance for second defendant. Under-cross examination by Mr Oyetibo, Mr Belgore told the court that there were fund raising activities by the PDP in the buildup to the 2015 elections. He testified that prior to the elections, there were complaints of insufficient fund by the Kwara PDP, adding that when the fund eventually arrived in Kwara, it was used specifically for campaign coordination. Mr Oyetibo asked: At the end of the fundraising exercise, money running into tens of billion was raised by the party? Mr Belgore responded in the affirmative. He also testified that in a presidential election, candidates were expected to have a party agent in each polling unit, adding that there were about 1,872 polling units in Kwara at the time. The witness also told the court that there were also ward collation agents required by every candidate, adding that there were 193 wards in Kwara. He told the court that in some areas considered to be problematic, there were up to three ward collation agents. According to him, there are 16 local government areas in Kwara and three senatorial districts. He said one local government collation agent and a senatorial district collation agent were required by a presidential candidate in each council area and senatorial district. He told the court that besides the agents mentioned, there were also state collation agents. He testified that the agents were paid for services rendered, as well as for transportation and feeding. Defence counsel then asked: So the complaint about non-availability of funds before the election relates to funds for all these expenses as enumerated? The witness replied, Yes, adding that the complaints were communicated to the headquarters. He said as a state coordinator, he received information on the fund when it was released. Defence counsel asked, Can you recollect the date of the presidential election? The witness replied, March 28, 2015. So, it is humanly impossible for you and the second defendant to have distributed the fund across Kwara State between March 26 and March 28? the counsel asked. Advertisements The witness replied, Thats correct. When asked if he or the second defendant collected any part of the N450 million, he replied, No. On whether he was informed of any other source of the money, he replied, No, to the best of my knowledge. Referring to counts one to six of the charge allegations of alleged conspiracy with a former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke he testified: From when I was appointed campaign coordinator, up till now, I never met, communicated, or interacted with Diezani or any person said to be acting on her instructions or behalf. When asked if, after receiving the money he or the second defendant were informed by anyone that part of the money was remaining, he replied, No. Trial will continue on May 15. In the nine-count charge, the EFCC alleged that Diezani (said to be at large) conspired with Messrs Belgore and Sulaiman on or about March 27, 2015, to take possession of the sum of N450 million, which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of unlawful act. They were also alleged to have taken the said sum in cash, which exceeded the amount authorised by law without going through the financial institutions. (NAN) Nigerians on social media have criticised President Muhammadu Buhari over a joke he passed as a comment when asked about the security challenges in the country. Mr Buhari, who arrived Sunday from his private visit to the United Kingdom, said the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu is losing weight because of the security challenges in Nigeria. He was responding to a question on the waves of crimes and banditry rocking parts of the nation. Mr Buhari, in a video going viral online, also told journalists not to expect a better way of tackling insecurity. When a reporter asked the president if there would be another approach to enhancing security, especially kidnapping, Mr Buhari responded jokingly saying: No, I have just seen the IG, I think he is losing weight, so I think he is working very hard. Reacting to this, social media commentators, including former presidential candidates flayed Mr Buhari. Reactions Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019, wrote on Twitter: I think the President has lost it. His reaction is at variance with the gravity of the insecurity in the country. Another former presidential hopeful, Oby Ezekwesili, condemned the presidents comment. And this is supposed to be funny? A President Buhari making a joke of the daily drenching of the country in the blood of his citizens, who are killed daily without ANY consequence while he bears the title Commander-in-Chief? Carry on. Someday the Citizens will be ready, she wrote on Twitter Citizens of every country have the power to determine how their Political Class can treat them, she said. Until we are collectively ready to end the joke that our Political Class have turned NIGERIA into, theyll continue. Other Reactions @renoomokri: Why must @MBuhari love celebrating POVERTY! Millions of Nigerians are losing weight because Nigeria is the world headquarters for extreme poverty and not because they are working Mr. President. Poverty is the fastest growing business in Nigeria #RenosDarts https://t.co/ykhKHXUPnq @ameshima: Once you are kwashiokoed under Buhari, you are working. https://t.co/6BkQ7dwZ5t @iamchbykee: So disgusting, weight loss is now a criterion for hard work VIDEO: IG is losing weight, it shows hes working very hard Buhari via @MobilePunch @ebereracheal: How did we get here? VIDEO: IGP Is Losing Weight, He Is Working Very Hard Buhari. https://t.co/nFmCNjGBmf https://t.co/Oh6Tjmt2zR @drdamages: Dr. Damages Show Episode 380, For those who had hoped that upon his return from the UK, he would deal with insecurity spreading across Nigeria Buhari has news for you about the weight of his Police IG.. In the meantime, please watch episode 380. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of former Minister of Commerce Bello Maitama-Yusuf as member of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). Mr Yusuf, 72, was accused of corruption by the Buhari military administration in the early 1980s. He went into exile to avoid prosecution. In 1979, he served the administration of Shehu Shagari as minister for internal affairs and later as minister of commerce in 1982. Mr Yusuf and late Umaru Dikko, then minister of transport, topped the list of fugitives wanted by the Buhari military administration for alleged corruption. Decades later, he has now been appointed to the railway board that has Ibrahim Alhassan as chairman. Other members are Kayode Opeifa, head of transportation secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory; former police AIG Umar Ambursa; and Obiarari Nnamdi, a professor, among others. He was nominated by Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State, the governors aide on new media, Auwal Sankara, confirmed in a Facebook post. The appointment letter obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, reads: Pursuant to section 5 of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act cap. N129, LFN2004, and all powers enabling the Honourable Minister of Transportation in that behalf, and consequent upon your nomination by the governor of Jigawa State. I am pleased to inform you of your appointment by the Honourable Minister, as a member of the Directors of Nigerian Railway Corporation. Mr Sankara said the appointment was a recognition of hard work, resilience and steadfastness of Mr Yusuf in the progress of APC and development of Nigeria and Jigawa State. The board was inaugurated on Thursday by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who charged members to speed up work on ongoing railway projects, the Guardian reported. The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, on Saturday said he knows how to end godfatherism in Lagos State. Mr El-Rufai said this at an event organised by the Bridge Club in Ikoyi, Lagos State. Details of the event were reported by Punch newspaper. The event was tagged, An evening with His Excellency Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State. Mr El-Rufai said he was able to retire, in the last general elections, some political godfathers that determined the affairs of Kaduna State. He added that many of the godfathers are merely either on paper or in the mind of people in politics. Godfatherism. This is Lagos. Let me tell you something sir; you know, Kaduna State used to be like that. There were three or four politicians in Kaduna that you could not become anything unless you had them on your side, Mr El-Rufai said. Those were the godfathers of Kaduna politics and you had to carry them along and you know, the three words, carry them along mean paying them regularly. But we chose a different path and the long and short of it now is that after this election in 2019, we have retired all of them; we had to, he added. On how to end godfatherism in Lagos, the governor said the blueprint is getting to the people at the grassroots. Lagos politics has been controlled by Bola Tinubu since he was elected the first governor of the state in the Fourth Republic. Mr Tinubu, who is a national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has been called the godfather of Lagos especially because he was instrumental in the emergence of his three successors, including the governor-elect, Babajide Sanwoolu. To dislodge him, Mr El-Rufai said one would have to first embark on a study to understand why five of the six million voters in Lagos state did not vote. Here in Lagos, you have over six million registered voters, only about a million voted (in 2019 general elections); five million did not vote. If I want to run for governor of Lagos, I will start now. I will commission a study to know why those five million registered voters did not vote; where do they go on election day? Then I will start visiting them for the next four years. I will try and get just two million of them to come and vote for me; I will defeat any godfather. The key is to go to the people. The card reader and the biometric register have given us the tools to connect directly with the people. I assure you if you do that for the next four years, connecting with the people; the tin godfather, you will retire him or her permanently. But it is hard work; it requires three to four years of hard work. So, if you want to run in 2023, you should start now. Mr El-Rufai said it would require about N2 billion defeat a godfather. With about N2 billion; if you start, you see these guys with black ties, they will give you the N2 billion. Many of the godfathers are either on paper or in the mind of people in politics. They are defeatable. We retired four of them in Kaduna State within a four-year time and they are gone. One of them boasted that he put me in the government house and he would take me out, he added. The political differences between former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu, and the overnor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akredolu, appears to be coming to an end following a peace meeting between the duo in Abuja on Sunday. Both politicians travelled parallel paths after the 2012 governorship election in the state when Mr Akeredolu was the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He lost the election to the Labour Partys Olusegun Mimiko. The bitterness became pronounced during the struggle for the APC ticket for the 2016 governorship election. Mr Tinubu, a national leader of the party, backed Segun Abraham against the interest of Mr Akeredolu. When Mr Akeredolu eventually defeated Mr Abraham and Olusola Oke to become the APC flagbearer, Mr Tinubu reportedly sponsored Mr Oke on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy for the election proper. Mr Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, still triumphed at the polls to the irritation of Mr Tinubu and his associates in Ondo State. Mr Tinubu however, had his pound of flesh in the build up to the 2019 general elections, when he ensured, with the backing of the APC NWC that Mr Akeredolu was denied the privilege of having his men fielded for the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly elections. The development resulted in what is now tagged anti party activities, where the governor tacitly supported some of his favorites to contest the elections on the platform of the Action Alliance, (AA). Parley The said peace meeting between Messrs Akeredolu and Tinubu is coming a week after the rumoured suspension of the governor by the NWC for his role in the last general election which allegedly cost the APC the presidential election in the state. PREMIUM TIMES reliably gathered that besides the meeting in Abuja, a series of meetings have been planned for Ondo State to further douse all tension. Although a close aide to the governor, who spoke in confidence with PREMIUM TIMES on the matter, made efforts to dissociate the recent peace moves from the governors reelection ambition come 2020, feelers indicate that the rapprochement has become essential to the race. The Tinubu group led by a former deputy governor, Ali Olanusi, and supported by Isaac Kekemeke, who was the former state chairman of the party, had called on the NWC to ensure that Mr Akeredolu was denied the partys ticket for a second term for his alleged anti party activities during the last general elections. Ceasefire An aide to Mr Akeredolu, who would not want to be named, said the first phase of the agreements was for media aides to the parties to cease fire and maintain the peace. He said all the parties are interested in ending the feud and want peace to reign. As I speak with you, other meetings will be held in Ondo State, so that other players within the state would be actively involved in the peace moves, he said. It was gathered that the reconciliatory meeting was initiated by a former APC national vice chairman South-west, Pius Akinyelure, who had made several attempts to bring the duo together. He got his opportunity late last week when Mr Akeredolu flew to Abuja to honour Mr Akinyelures invitation to meet with the former Lagos governor. Although the details of the meeting were still shrouded in secrecy, it was gathered that both men expressed their grievances and resolved to work together in the overall interest of the party particularly in Ondo State. Meanwhile, the governors Special Assistant on New Media, Allen Sowore, confirmed the reconciliatory meeting, adding that peace had been achieved between the two leaders. Tunde Rahman, media aide to Mr Tinubu, also confirmed the meeting but refused to give details. You have seen the picture of Asiwaju, the governor and the former Vice Chairman, South-west and you know pictures dont lie and that means the meeting held, Mr Rahman said. Officials of Amnesty International on Sunday met with women whose husbands and sons have been missing since Nigerian soldiers arrested them four years ago on suspicion of being Boko Haram members. Back in 2015 at the peak of the Boko Haram hostility, the Nigerian military had carried out several raids and arrests of civilians alleged to be accomplices of the terrorist group. Most of the civilians were detained at military cells in barracks within Maiduguri. In October 2017, the Nigerian government started the trial of about 1, 600 Boko Haram suspects in Kainji town of Niger state. Days after the trial commenced, about 1,200 women comprising wives and mothers of the suspects cried out that the men were innocent. The women who organised themselves into an association called Knifar movement, had, in March 2018, also written an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, seeking justice for the suspects. In the same letter, the women also alleged sexual harassment of women by Nigeria soldiers in IDP camps. They claimed that the Nigeria military was holding 1,269 persons who are either their husbands or children, on the allegations that they were members of Boko Haram. Almost four years on, the women continued to demand justice for their men whom they have not set eyes on since. With the backing of Amnesty International, the womens fight for justice later attracted international support. On Sunday, AIs Country Director in Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, who led a team of the rights agency, paid a personal visit to the wives and relations of the missing men in Maiduguri where she conveyed a global message of solidarity to them. She told the women through a translator that they should not feel alone as the world is with them in their quest for justice. I know that it has not been easy particularly for the people of Borno state, and everyone has been affected by the insurgency caused by the Boko Haram sect, Mrs Ojigho said. We know that the loss of lives, the loss of the community can be reclaimed if human rights issue is put at the front burner of all the issues be it at the local, state or at the federal level. We have been calling for justice for everyone that has suffered the loss of life, of family, property or livelihood. And justice for those who have caused this pain, so that those have brought this calamity upon us are also able to feel the justice in their lives. We have been calling for an end to this injustice; and in the cause of this, we discovered the enormity of how the fight to end the insurgency has affected many lives women children, fathers brothers and grandparents. The fabric of family life in Nigeria is greatly affected by the insurgency. Families are no longer together, many do not know where their loved ones are whether they are alive or dead. Even those that survived have to live with pains for the rest of their lives. And this is the story of the Knifar women of Borno. Some of them did not only lost their husbands or brothers, but they are also survivors of sexual violence. Some were beaten and assaulted. Many of them know the price of hunger, starvation. Many of them saw their children and loved ones die as a result of lack of food. To ensure that this does not happen again, we need to put in place systems that will punish those who commit these crimes. It is very important so that it doesnt repeat itself. And it will also bring relief to those who are alive so that they can begin to feel the effect of it and they can say that their country has helped them to get justice. It is important that the voices of women are also heard in this fight to end the insurgency because women have also suffered in this war. It is at the core of all these, that the women of Knifar movement came up demanding for justice, seeking answers to a lot of unanswered questions. Where are the people that were taken? Where are the men that were held in detention? How many of them are alive? How many are dead? Who are the people that caused the deaths? Who are the people that didnt follow the orders? Where is Boko Haram? Where is it difficult to arrest its commander and bring them to justice through fair trials in court? Why has this taken us over ten years to get to this point? Do we need another ten years before we could get answers? Advertisements Mrs Ojigho said during the 2018 edition of 16 days of activism to champion the cause of women and children, a lot of members of Amnesty International from America, Europe, Australia, India, Spain Germany and many others got together to say messages of solidarity to the Knifar women. We brought some of the messages to the women here in Maiduguri which we have the opportunity of presenting to you all. The messages indicate that you women are not alone; people are standing with, and people are following your fight for justice. People from all over the world are writing to the Nigerian government asking the president, the governors to listen to the women and all Nigerians seeking for justice. Earlier, the coordinator of the Knifar and Director of Allamin Foundation, Hamsatu Allamin, said despite the fact that the women had suffered so much and were almost forgotten by the government of their country, they did not give up on their missing husbands and sons. She said it was a little effort which started like a drowning mans clinging to a straw that finally yielded a huge response of an international dimension. She expressed sadness that no civil society organisation in Nigeria added its voices to the cries of the 1200 women seeking for justice. Where are our Nigerian brothers and sisters? Why are our Nigerian CSOs? This is a very serious challenge for us. These women have been yearning and crying for years. Look at the world responding from America, UK, China, India, Korea, France and so many countries where people sent their messages of solidarity. But not a single word from Nigeria. They only said it is the problems of the Northeast. But today that so-called problem of Borno people have engulfed all over Nigeria. While we kept silent on our sisters problem, people from foreign lands are busy sending messages of support and adding their voice to the cause of the women. Shame on us. The high point of the event in Maiduguri was the presentation of copies of messages sent from all over the world through AI to the leaders of the Knifar Movement selected from different IDP Camps. One of the women, Yabawaye Waziri, 21 years old, whose seven relatives, including her father and husband were arrested and detained in prison custody, said Boko Haram killed her mother, leaving her to become the breadwinner of a family of 18 persons mostly her younger ones. We are happy that the people of Amnesty have identified with us, she said. We thought as poor people no one will listen to our cries. But today we know one day the where about of our loved ones will one day be revealed and justice will be served someday, said the young woman. The entrance gate of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Kwara State, was on Monday barricaded by protesting workers, causing heavy traffic for both human and vehicular movements. The workers, under the umbrella bodies of the universitys chapters of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and a faction of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), were protesting unpaid allowances. A short video clip obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, showed a building traffic along the campus main gates with crowd gathering in their hundreds to discuss the development. According to a reliable source, who is a leader of one of the unions, the workers resolved to hold public protest when efforts to seek the understanding of the university management failed. The source, who asked for anonymity for fear of being punished by the management, said both field trip and responsibility allowances have been withdrawn from payment schedules of the institutions workers since the beginning of the year. Since Professor Sulaiman Age Abdulkareem became the vice-chancellor of UNILORIN, every benefits of the workers have been reduced. The field trip and responsibility allowances that workers used to benefit under the former vice-chancellors have been removed. In fact, ordinary bags of rice that workers receive have been reduced to two persons sharing one bag. Now the question is, what does the university do with its internally generated revenues? How were the past administrations doing it? That was the basis of the protest. But the Chairman of the universitys branch of SSANU, M.J Akambi, declined to give details of their action. He, however, confirmed the development, saying the workers had gathered to hold their meeting at the main gate of the university early this morning over some burning issues. He said; We only barricaded part of the entrance gates but left a part opened which made movement difficult a bit for people. I may not be able to give the details of the rationale behind our action for now because the struggle is still ongoing but at the appropriate time, we will talk. Speaking for the university management, the Public Relations Officer, Kunle Akogun, said the locked gate has been reopened and that normalcy had returned. I can confirm to you that the protesting workers and the members of the management are currently holding a meeting to address the issues. So there is no problem again, Mr Akogun said. The Zamfara State Government on Monday distributed food stuffs and cloths to no fewer than 40,000 orphans across the 17 emirate councils from the 14 local government areas of the state. Speaking at the event in Gusua, the state capital, the Executive Secretary of the Zakkat and Endowment Board, Bashir Sirajo, said 1,800 orphans were selected from the 16 emirates while 3,600 would came from Gusau emirate. Mr Sirajo said each of beneficiaries would receive food items such as rice, sugar, beans and clothing materials as well as money to sew the materials. He said each emirate would receive N1, 800,000 and two and half trucks of food items and clothing materials for the 1,800 orphans screened from the emirates. In his remarks, the State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, warned those entrusted with the distribution to be just and discharge their duty with fear of Allah. He called on people of the state to take advantage of the holy month of Ramadan to seek for divine intervention in the restoration of peace in the state. Mr Yari warned the bandits and other criminals to consider repentance or face consequences of their actions. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 126 orphans mainly from Gusau emirate were used to inaugurate the distribution of the items, while the local committee would do same under the leadership of the emirs at the emirate level. The exercise would be done by the local committee under the leadership of emirs at the emirates. (NAN) Kano State House of Assembly has intensified efforts to review the law that established the Kano Emirate Council. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Assembly embarked on its earlier plans to review the law, following a petition filed before the House by Ibrahim Salisu and Chambers, seeking for the split of the emirate council. The Speaker of the Assembly, Kabir Alasan-Rurum, who presided over the plenary session on Monday, read the petition. According to the speaker, the petitioners demand for the decentralisation of the emirate council to also have Gaya, Bichi, Rano and Karaye emirate councils. Also according to the petition, the establishment of the above emirate councils will bring more developmental advantages in the state. Mr Alasan-Rurum said the letter seeking for the decentralisation of the emirate council stated that the motive would draw the remote and historic emirate closer to the state government, which would enhance security and developmental aspects of Kano. NAN reports that following the presentation of the petition before the legislators by the speaker, most of the members unanimously supported the move. While contributing, Zakari Muhammad, member representing Tarauni constituency said the moves came at the right time, looking at the developments recorded in neighboring states that also decentralised their emirate council. Members representing Takai, Dawakin Tofa, Rimin-Gado, Municipal, Nassarawa and Tudun Wada constituencies unanimously supported the move. According to them, such will upgrade the status of Rano, Gaya, Bichi and Karaye to become equal in power as far as their emirate status is concerned. The assembly had earlier ordered its committee to present its report before the house on Tuesday. NAN recalled that the committee was set up to revisit the law which established the emirate council. Briefing journalists on the development, a former speaker of the assembly, and member representing Gezawa constituency under PDP, Ali Danja said the opposition members had rejected the move. According to Mr Danja, the move was politically motivated, therefore the PDP legislators were not in support of it. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari will on Friday inaugurate 17 projects and lay the foundation for 16 others as part of activities to mark the 13th Convocation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State. The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Joseph Ahaneku, disclosed this while addressing journalists on activities mapped out for the convocation ceremony in Awka on Monday. Mr Ahaneku, a professor, who noted that the president would be represented by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said the programme would commence with an interdenominational church service on May 6. Some of the projects listed for inauguration are the institutions main entrance called the Beautiful Gate, six classroom blocks, professorial offices, the remodeled Multipurpose Hall and Uzodike Hall. The president is also expected to lay the foundation for the construction of the institutions permanent Medical Centre and vice-chancellors lodge within the main campus, among others. A Research Exhibition will hold on May 7, with the former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie as Special Guest of Honour, he revealed. The vice-chancellor said the Convocation lecture: National Integration, Peace and Development, would be delivered by the former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani, on May 8. He added that the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, would chair the convocation lecture. Mr Ahaneku said the institution would award first degrees to students on May 9, while 790 students would be awarded Masters Degrees, and 295 students awarded Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) on May 10. The institution shall also award prizes to celebrate best graduating students as a way of celebrating them and their families to encourage hard work, he emphasised. The vice-chancellor said Honorary Doctorate Degrees of Science would be awarded to the Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Achebe. Others are: Emeka Offor, Honorary Doctor of Entrepreneurship and Babagana Kingibe, Honorary Doctor of Politics and Strategy. These are Nigerians that have contributed immensely to the development of the country in different spheres. We shall also install seven Emeriti professors, who are critical stakeholders in education sector to continue to impact knowledge on our students, he added. He listed the names of the Emeriti professors as: Prof. Obiona Nwogu, Prof. Rose Ebenebe, Prof. I.C.A. Oyeka, Prof. Ilochi Okafor (SAN), Prof. V.C. Egboka, Prof. Ikenne Oyido and Prof. Sam Nnaomenyi. Mr Ahaneku, who is expected to leave office in June, said the construction of the Beautiful Gate, the proposed Medical Centre and vice-chancellors lodge are the critical projects under his administration. He stressed that the institutions main entrance with dual carriageway had been closed for 12 years but would be inaugurated during the convocation ceremony. I have no regrets as the vice-chancellor, however, the management of human beings and their ability to accept change, which is not peculiar to this institution, was one of my challenges. The social media is another challenge because people while patronising fake and untrue stories are distracted by issues concerning my administration, the vice-chancellor said. (NAN) Policemen in Ogun State have arrested a 28-year-old man, Oni Olohunwa, for allegedly stabbing his friend, Baraka Taiwo, to death at a party. The suspect was arrested on Sunday following a report by Wasiu Raheem at the Ogijo Police Station, a police spokesperson said on Monday. Mr Raheem reportedly said the suspect and the victim were both at a party, but the victim got drunk and started misbehaving. The police command public relations officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident, said the suspect, while trying to caution him (deceased), got into an argument with him and stabbed the deceased in the chest and back. On the strength of the report, the DPO, Ogijo Division, Baba Muhammed quickly detailed his detectives to the scene where the suspect was promptly arrested, Mr Oyeyemi said He said the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but died while receiving treatment. He said the corpse has been deposited at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu for autopsy. Meanwhile, the spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and prosecution. The police in Lagos said they have rescued a two-year-old girl who was kidnapped at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries regional headquarters in Agege on March 24. The spokesperson of the command, Bala Elkana, said in a statement Monday that the Igando division of the command arrested the kidnappers and rescued the child in the early hours of Monday. Mr Elkana, a deputy superintendent of police, named the arrested suspects as Nwaigbo Magnus and Osunwoke Egwim. According to the spokesperson, the kidnappers had demanded a ransom from both the childs parents and the church. The kidnappers continued to change the venue for the collection of ransom within Igando axis for over four hours before they were rounded up by the police, the statement said. The two-year-old has been reunited with her parents while the arrested suspects are undergoing investigation, the statement added. The spate of violent crimes and kidnappings along Ilesa-Ife-Ibadan expressway on Sunday reached a new height, as a professor at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital was abducted by unknown gunmen. The incident occurred just at the same time a band of armed men attacked and robbed motorists along the expressway. The kidnap of Olayinka Adegbehingbe, an orthopaedic surgeon at the OAUTHC, has since been confirmed by the university authorities. Mr Adegbehinge was kidnapped while travelling through the route. It was gathered that the abductors were yet to reach out to his family or the OAU authorities. Mr Adegbehingbes kidnap occurred the same night some marauders alighted from a moving trailer, and opened fire on travellers at about 6.45pm, killing many passengers and leaving others seriously injured. The Deputy Registrar of Federal University of Technology, Akure, Adegbenro Adebanjo, reported how his wife and son managed to escape the attack on Sunday night. The call came in around 7:30 p.m on Sunday, May 5, 2019Daddy, daddy, marauders suspected to be herdsmen attacked the vehicle my mummy and my brother were travelling in, Mr Adebanjo noted on his Facebook page on Monday. Where, how? The caller, who is my first son, explained that according to information gleaned from his brother, who managed to escape with his phone, the marauders targeted the travellers on the highway. From what I was able to piece together, it was a clinical operation by professionals. At about 6:45 p.m on the Ilesha-Ife-Ibadan Expressway, a trailer loaded with some men suddenly blocked the road around Ikoyi town and some men jumped out and started shooting sporadically. Mayhem ensued as vehicles rammed into one another while occupants exited through windows and other openings in a desperate dash for safety in the bush. The marauders who spoke in Hausa unleashed mayhem on the hapless travellers, demanding money and other valuables. They pursued those who fled deep into the bush beating and harassing them in the process, while shooting continuously to show that they meant business. Some twenty minutes after help came through the Police who engaged the marauders in a shootout and succeeded in forcing them to beat a hasty retreat. Mercifully, most of the travellers including my wife and son who were bruised and battered both physically and psychologically live to tell the tale of the harrowing experience. The Police Public Relations Officer for Osun State, Folashade Odoro, confirmed the incident. She said a report of the kidnap had been officially made to the police. We have received a report of the incident, and we are investigating the matter, she said. She never liked to do things half (way), said George Miller at the time. She was 29 when she died in October 2014. To Schuchter and the Miller family, her story didnt end there. The centers renaming cements their daughters legacy, they said. Its rewarding to know Taras legacy will live on forever now, said Debbie Miller, Taras mother. Schuchter said because of the renaming people in the future will remember Tara and what she stood for. Obviously, its bittersweet because wed love for her to be here to enjoy this, Schuchter said. And Taras twin sister, Lauren Miller, said her sister gave more than funds to fighting the disease. She put a voice and a face to melanoma in the world of cancer research. She kind of set the precedent for our family and told us what she wanted us to do, Lauren said. She wanted us to find a cure, and we believe Penn is on the forefront of finding the cure, too. The family is united in that belief, and has met with patients whose treatment is funded through the foundation. When (Tara) spoke, she said, I dont want another 29-year-old to have to walk in my shoes, Debbile Miller said, And thats what were trying to prevent. Massive flood gates being considered for the mouth of the Great Egg Harbor Inlet likely would impact the ecosystem of a protected river that runs through the Pinelands, the National Park Service has warned. In an April letter to the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service knocked the federal agencys initial study released in March that looked at ways to mitigate flooding caused by storm surge along 3,400 miles of New Jerseys back bays. The letter singled out one idea in particular: the construction of a $3.9 billion storm surge barrier at the Great Egg Harbor Inlet, the body of water separating Absecon Island and Ocean City. Storm surge barriers consist of movable gates that stretch across the mouths of inlets and close during storms to prevent water from entering the bays and inundating nearby homes. Similar structures have been built in the Netherlands and London. But park officials said such a project could disrupt fish migrations, change tidal flows, hurt water quality and affect the ecosystem of the Great Egg Harbor River, a 129-mile waterway mostly located in the Pinelands National Preserve that drains into the Great Egg Harbor Inlet and Atlantic Ocean. Its been good, she said. The neighbors are pleasant. You make it your own place where you live. Hannon said the housing authority needs the help of the private sector to redevelop Stanley Holmes and Buzby. We do not have the expertise or the money, Hannon said, to undertake the huge project of replacing so many housing units. He estimated the cost at the 44-building Stanley Holmes at $200 million, with a 10- to 18- year time frame, and said it would have to be done in phases. HUD, which funds the authority, made changes in its rules several years ago to allow housing authorities to partner with private entities. The first two sections of Stanley Holmes, located between MLK and North Kentucky Avenue, and Baltic and Adriatic avenues, were built during the Great Depression when HUD was about to become a new agency. Councilman Jesse Kurtz, who is on the Housing Authority board, said first lady Eleanor Roosevelt cut the ribbon to open the community. ATLANTIC CITY Juan Pemberti began his law enforcement career in Atlantic City as a Class II Special Officer. Although he no longer patrols the resorts Tourism District, the 27-year-old and his wife, Angela Dominguez, 28, recently moved back into Atlantic City. The couple found exactly what they wanted in 600 NoBe, the citys first market-rate housing development in nearly a half-century. When I tell a friend that Im living here I always describe it as something you really dont find anywhere else in this area. I always describe it as an all-in-one place, almost like a resort, Pemberti said. It gives a modern-living feeling, like a New York City-style, but in Atlantic City. You dont see this anywhere else in the city, especially at such an affordable price. The 250-unit luxury development opened at the beginning of 2019 and has already exceeded expectations of those behind the project. Management said leases are being signed quicker than anticipated and 600 NoBe, short for North Beach, has attracted both white- and blue-collar professionals. We have doctors, police officers, restaurant owners and casino workers all moving in or already living here, said Maritza Busch, director of leasing. We thought it would take 18 months or so to reach our goals, but in less than eight months, were already close. When Boraie Development LLC first proposed constructing an $85 million market-rate housing project in the South Inlet, there were plenty of skeptics. Paulines Prairie a moniker given by locals to the area that former city housing authority director Pauline Hill aggressively demolished in hopes of spurring urban renewal has enticed its fair share of eager developers over the last half-century, but nothing ever really panned out. The neighborhood, which sits in the shadow of the $2.4 billion Ocean Casino Resort, is scarred from the prior failed attempts at urban revitalization. Among the empty plots of beach-block land, random homes and a handful of resilient businesses dot the landscape. On a typical day, there are often more plastic bags floating on the wind through the Prairie than people walking the streets. The neighborhoods aesthetics did not deter Gregory Nelson from moving to 600 NoBe. Nelson, a 51-year-old plumber and HVAC technician at Resorts Casino Hotel, found the development by happenstance driving around the city, lured in by an advertisement on the street corner. It feels like theyre building the (area) up, he said. I know people who lived in this area 10 years ago and they told me Dont do it. But, it feels like a place I can walk around and feel comfortable. It seems like they did a lot with Atlantic City to make it a little more comfortable. Nelson left his home in Sicklerville to be closer to work. He said that despite warnings from his friends, he found the neighborhood to be safe. I (was) happy to find this place because, when I looked around, this was probably the best place in Atlantic City that Ive seen, he said. Tina Maruca sold her four-bedroom home in Absecon to relocate to Atlantic City. The 59-year old school administrator said she wanted to downsize after her children moved out. I thought, Well, Im going to be in New Jersey for at least another two years, so what better place to be than right by the shore? Maruca said. Maruca also downplayed any safety concerns about living in Atlantic City because she does not go out at night and walk around by myself. She does, however, regularly walk the Boardwalk for exercise. She often takes her stroll with a friend but occasionally goes alone. Im familiar with this area (so) I wasnt apprehensive, she said. Living here, Im not (concerned about safety). Courtney Burgess, 48, was among the first tenants to move into 600 NoBe when he arrived in January. The music producer said he had only been to Atlantic City once or twice in the 1990s before deciding to make the beach resort his new home. Lured by the proximity to the ocean, Burgess said his decision was sealed when he saw the retail options at Tanger Outlets The Walk. Im looking forward to being here when the summer comes, Burgess said. I made a great decision. If I had to do it again, I (would). Pemberti and Dominguez said 600 NoBe is where they want to be until they can afford to purchase a home of their own. Until then, the couple said they are proud to be contributing to Atlantic Citys revitalization. The more people that move in, the more theyre going to contribute to the citys success, Pemberti said. I love the city. I want to see it prosper. 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 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. ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, organizers of the Midwest Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) issued a final call for conference registrations and released additional details of the event's programming. Dixon Doll, co-founder and partner emeritus of DCM Ventures, will open this year's symposium with a keynote address. Panel discussions will host top industry experts to address managing startups when times are tough, corporate venture investment and the rapidly growing robotics industry in healthcare. Pitch presentations feature 33 high-growth Midwest startups spanning the life sciences and tech industries as well as more than 50 university spin-outs in the tech transfer pitch session. More than 400 entrepreneurs, investors and related vendors will convene for the two-day conference on May 14-15 at the Marriott Resort in Ypsilanti, Mich. As the region's premier venture fair and first university-backed investment forum of its kind, MGCS will host investors from across the United States for two days of networking, company presentations and panel discussions. On May 15, Scott Kupor, managing partner of Andreessen Horowitz, and Jan Garfinkle, founder and managing partner of Arboretum Ventures, will deliver a fireside chat which kicks off the inaugural VC University LIVE Midwest, hosted by the National Venture Capital Association, University of California Berkeley and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and serves as the closing keynote of MGCS. A new addition to the MGCS agenda, the three-day seminar will feature panels and workshops for entrepreneurs, angel investors, VCs, fund managers and attorneys looking to learn more about the financial, legal and operational aspects of venture capital. The tech transfer pitch track highlights more than 50 innovative companies coming out of the Midwest's top-tier universities. Confirmed participants include: Russ Straate , University of Minnesota , Scott Henderson , Purdue Research Foundation , Purdue Research Foundation Frank Urban , Michigan State University , Teri Willey , Indiana University Ventures , Ventures Cheryl Turnbull , Ohio State University , Ken Massey , Wayne State University , Michael Psarouthakis , University of Michigan Investment firms in attendance will include: 30Ventures, AbbVie Ventures, Allos Ventures, Amherst Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, Arboretum Ventures, Arsenal Growth, Baird Capital, Beringea, BioStar Ventures, Capital Community Angels, Catalyst Investors, Charter Capital Partners, CoreNetwork Fund, Cultivation Capital, DCM Ventures, Detroit Venture Partners, Draper Triangle Ventures, EMA Partners, Forest Harbor Ventures, GM Ventures, Grand Angels, Hatteras Venture Partners, HealthQuest Capital, Hopen Life Sciences, LLR Partners, Mercury Fund, Monroe Brown Biomedical Seed Fund, Mutual Capital Partners, OCA Ventures, Plymouth Growth Partners, Red Cedar Ventures, Renaissance Venture Capital Fund, RPM Ventures, Sandalphon Capital, Spectrum Health Ventures, Venture Investors, Vistara Capital Partners, and more to come. MGCS online registration is available until 11:59 p.m. EDT Friday, May 10 for $425, and on-site registration opens at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 14 for $450 at the door at the Marriot Resort. To attend VC University LIVE Midwest, apply here. All VC University LIVE Midwest attendees receive free passes to MGCS. The Midwest Growth Capital Symposium, hosted by the University of Michigan Ross School of Business' Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance, is the longest running university-based venture fair of its kind. For more information on the event, visit www.Michigan-GCS.com. About the Midwest Growth Capital Symposium The Midwest Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) is the original university-based venture investment fair. First held in 1981 as the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium, this decades-old nationally attended event is the largest Midwest venture fair of its kind that brings together venture capital investors, angel investors, high-growth companies, university tech transfer officers and research faculty. MGCS is presented by the Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance and the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, with support from the Michigan Venture Capital Association. About Michigan Ross The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross mission is to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society. Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management. SOURCE Midwest Growth Capital Symposium Related Links http://www.Michigan-GCS.com DENVER, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- READ Academy will hold a town hall meeting at Rocky Mountain Deaf School on May 15, 2019 at 7pm and will be presenting this new school serving the dyslexic student community. Doors will be open at 6:45pm. After the presentation there will be a brief question and answer period. If you have a child who has been diagnosed dyslexic or has spent years struggling to learn or read in the public school system, you need to be at this meeting. Your child does not need to have a formal dyslexia diagnosis to benefit from READ Academy. READ Academy will be the first of its kind in Colorado and will begin as a public 6-12 Innovation School. Our mission is to help dyslexics realize their extraordinary abilities by empowering them to reach their educational and social potential by focusing on the strengths of dyslexics instead of weaknesses. We will provide Denver Area students a student-centered learning environment that challenges them academically and builds their resiliency. Our approach will teach dyslexics the way they learn best instead of the traditional teaching methods prevalent today. We will foster self-esteem by providing opportunities for success thereby avoiding higher rates of school avoidance, and other negative consequences of being a dyslexic student in the current system. Please join us at the town hall meeting or visit www.readacademy.org for more information or to sign up for our newsletter and/or to be placed on our student interest list. Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/12768388 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE READ Academy Related Links https://readacademy.org/ Zamani is a long-time entrepreneur, philanthropist, humanitarian, and investor. Zamani began his entrepreneurial journey in 1994, when he and his brother founded Autoweb.com, the web's first car-buying service. The company recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its initial public offering, which ultimately reached a market cap of $1.2 billion. Today, Zamani is the founder, chairman, and CEO of One Planet, a hybrid tech firm that owns, operates and invests in a suite of online technology and media businesses. One Planet is leading the charge in redefining how businesses should be built and operated, considering the wider impact of the organization on the community it serves and humanity as a whole. This philosophy, embodied in the company's tagline innovation x intention, conveys the need for businesses to adopt a calling far greater than financial gain and the maximization of shareholder value. Zamani says, "Businesses today need to recognize their role in shaping the wider social fabric, and then drive their enterprise with a constant eye on dramatically improving and expanding their positive impact on the betterment of the world. As a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, I believe our biggest problem is that success hereand all across the business worldis often only measured in financial terms. We need to change archaic ways of measuring success." Zamani's impact outside of One Planet is also noteworthy. He serves on the board of directors of the Tahirih Justice Center, a national nonprofit that protects immigrant women and girls fleeing gender-based violence and persecution. He is a member of the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce, where One Planet is headquartered. Together, Zamani and his wife are, in addition to the Tahirih Justice Center, supporters of the Equal Justice Initiative, which recently opened a monument and a museum in Montgomery, Alabama honoring the lives of African-Americans who were the victims of lynching after the Civil War. In 2018, Zamani was the recipient of the Award of Distinction from his alma mater, the University of California at Davis. The award is the highest recognition presented by the university to individuals whose contributions and achievements enrich the image and reputation of the university and enhance its ability to provide public service. This year, Zamani joins a roster of other impressive Northern California nominees who are up for the Entrepreneur Of The Year award. In the past, the esteemed Ernst & Young program has honored such luminaries as Howard Schultz of Starbucks, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, John Mackey of Whole Foods Market, Mindy Grossman of HSN, and Jessica Herrin of Stella & Dotall of whom have disrupted their respective industries and inspired others with their vision, leadership, and achievements. Finalists for the 2019 award will be announced on May 8th. About One Planet One Planet operates, funds, and incubates businesses that cover a broad spectrum across the tech world and beyond. One Planet's largest operating business is Buyerlink, formerly Reply.com, the leading marketplace for the acquisition of locally-targeted consumer demand on the web. The company also owns and operates iMotors.com, MerchantCircle.com, Contractors.com, Quite Remarkable and California.com. The One Planet portfolio of investments includes companies like AirMap, BestMile, Volans-i, The RealReal, Gro-Intelligence, SoulPancake, IronClad, and Toddle. One Planet's founder, chairman and CEO, tech entrepreneur Payam Zamani, originally co-founded Autoweb.com in 1994, one of the first online car-buying services, which completed a successful IPO in 1999, reaching a market cap of $1.2B. About the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Program The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. As the first accolade of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing, and dynamic businessesrecognizing them through regional, national, and global awards programs in more than 145 cities across 60 countries. For additional info please contact: Andre Segovia, Chief of Staff Ph: (925) 983-2803 Email: [email protected] For more about One Planet: oneplanetops.com SOURCE One Planet APPLETON, Wis., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Wisconsin Airlines is pleased to announce that Robert (Rob) Binns has been appointed President of the airline. Rob will oversee all aspects of operations and performance initiatives for Air Wisconsin and will report directly to Christine Deister, the airline's Chief Executive Officer. Binns brings over twenty-five years of airline and industry-related experience to his new role, including Chairman and CEO of Global Aviation Holdings, a holding company for World Airways and North American Airlines. He has also held CEO, CFO, CMO and other executive roles at Hybrid Enterprises (Lockheed Martin), TransMeridian Airlines, Pegasus Aviation and Trans World Airlines. Binns holds a Master of Business Administration as well as a BA in History and Political Science from the University of Kansas, and an MA in Political Behavior from the University of Essex (England). He is also a Certified Internal Auditor. Since 2007, Binns has served on the Carter Center Board of Councilors in Atlanta. "I am extremely pleased that Rob is assuming the operational and performance leadership of Air Wisconsin Airlines and its great team of employees who deliver safe, reliable and customer-focused service on more than 300 daily flights operating exclusively as United Express for United Airlines," said Ms. Deister. "Rob is a seasoned, focused executive with proven leadership skills and a comprehensive range of industry experience to successfully guide and achieve excellence with our operation as we lead Air Wisconsin into the future." "I am very excited to be joining Air Wisconsin at this important time in our partnership with United Airlines," said Binns. "I look forward to working with my 2,000 fellow Air Wisconsin team members to build and operate the best regional airline for United, its customers and our employees." Air Wisconsin Airlines, founded in 1965, operates over 300 departures daily to 32 states in partnership with United Airlines. With service to approximately 70 cities throughout North America, Air Wisconsin carries nearly 5 million passengers annually. Contact: Media Relations 920-475-7007 [email protected] SOURCE Air Wisconsin Airlines NEW YORK, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Asset managers must blaze new strategic trails to put their growth trends on a more consistent track following a difficult yearespecially in an industry largely dominated by a small number of playersaccording to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The report, titled How Asset Managers Can Win in a Winner-Takes-All World is being released today. Positioned as a precursor to BCG's annual Global Asset Management study, which is due out later this year, the report offers a comprehensive look at industry performance in 2018, examines the battle between active and passive strategies, and explores the winner-takes-all dynamic. Sounding a call to action, the report also outlines optimal next steps for asset managers in their quests to stem the tide and gain or maintain competitive advantage. "In a worst-case scenario, by 2023, profits will have decreased by nearly one-third," said Renaud Fages, a BCG partner based in New York, coauthor of the report, and global leader of the firm's asset management segment. "However, the outlook is not entirely gloomy. Challenging periods present opportunities for change and, in a largely winner-takes-all world, the chance to get ahead of the competition." A Difficult Year in Terms of Overall Performance. According to the report, the asset management industry, after several years of stellar performance, found in 2018 that it had to adjust. Bouts of financial-market volatility, tightening monetary policy, and slowing global growth created a more challenging environment. Assets under management (AuM), net inflows, and revenues came under considerable duress. In a sample of 30 managers from around the world representing AuM of $39 trillionroughly half the industryBCG found that AuM fell by 4% in 2018, a marked turnaround from the 12% rise seen in 2017. Net new flows, meanwhile, were 0.9%considerably weaker than the record 3.1% seen in 2017. The historical average is about 1.5%. The shifting patterns of AuM were reflected in revenues, with aggregate revenues rising by 3%, measurably less than the 9% gain seen in 2017. Costs, meanwhile, continued to rise as the industry struggled to adjust to the macroeconomic environment and firms invested in, for example, data and analytics. Regulatory measures, such as the updated Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, were also major drivers of increasing costs. The average cost-to-income ratio of our sample was 66% in 2018, up slightly from 65% 2017. Active Asset Managers Are Feeling the Heat. The battle between active and passive strategies continued to play out in 2018, with passive grabbing most of the net inflows in the US, while active held its own in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Ten of the 15 most popular strategies in the US were passive, with global, emerging-market, and specialty themes continuing to prosper. One-third of the top 15 were dedicated to such motifs. The European market continued to lag behind the US in that respect. Just 5 of the top 15 strategies were passive, while the remainder were active. "Passive is increasingly popular with both retail and institutional investors, and a price war is proceeding apace," said Dean Frankle, a BCG principal based in London, coauthor of the report, and the firm's asset management topic leader in the UK. "Some active managers have responded by restructuring fee schedules, shutting underperforming funds, and launching new products." The Winner-Takes-All Dynamic. Overall, in terms of flows, 2018 was a challenging year. In the US, $620 billion of inflows were offset by $491 billion of outflows. The trend in recent years has been for winning firms to capture the lion's share of inflows, and that continued in 2018, albeit at a slightly slower rateand mainly in the US. The top ten US players captured 81% of net mutual fund flows of firms with positive flows, compared with 85% in 2017. In Europe, the top ten accounted for 29% of inflows in 2018, compared with 35% in 2017. The winner-takes-all trend was less entrenched there, mainly because both the market and distribution methods are more fragmented. Optimal Next Steps for Asset Managers. According to BCG, there are two key strategic approaches for asset managers working to prepare for the future: shoring up defenses and adopting more aggressive strategies. Defensive moves include focusing intently on costs, reviewing the portfolio, and optimizing pricing. Aggressive strategies, meanwhile, may comprise refocusing on client retention, leveraging data and analytics, and seeking M&A opportunities. But BCG concludes that, in truth, neither approach alone is sufficient: CEOs must embrace both. In a time of adversity, the most unwise choice is to do nothing. "As leaders contemplate a tougher future, they should concentrate on costs with a simultaneous focus on ensuring that clients are highly motivated to remain on board," said Qin Xu, a BCG partner based in Hong Kong, coauthor of the report, and the firm's asset management topic leader in Asia. "However, asset managers may also consider more aggressive approaches, including leveraging advanced analytics, introducing products, moving into new locations, and merging with peers. A downturn brings inevitable risk. Viewed constructively, however, it may present an inviting window of opportunity." A copy of the report can be downloaded here. To arrange an interview with one of the authors, please contact Eric Gregoire at +1 617 850 3783 or [email protected]. About Boston Consulting Group Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world's leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in all regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their enterprises. Our customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with offices in more than 90 cities in over 50 countries. For more information, please visit bcg.com. SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Related Links https://www.bcg.com VAUGHAN, Ontario, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CannTrust Holdings Inc. ("CannTrust" or the "Company") (TSX: TRST) (NYSE: CTST) announced today the closing of its previously-announced underwritten public offering of 36,363,636 common shares at a price to the public of US$5.50 per share. The Company sold 30,909,091 common shares in the offering for total gross proceeds to the Company of approximately US$170 million before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses, and certain shareholders (the "Selling Shareholders") sold 5,454,545 common shares in the offering. In connection with the offering, the Company and the Selling Shareholders have granted to the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 4,636,363 and 818,182 common shares, respectively, at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount, which would result in additional gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $25.5 million. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for general corporate purposes, including cultivation and facility expansion, expanded outdoor growing, international expansion, enhanced extraction capacity, upgrades for GMP Certification and biosynthesis development. BofA Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and RBC Capital Markets acted as lead book-running managers for the offering. Jefferies LLC and Canaccord Genuity LLC also acted as book-running managers. A final prospectus supplement (the "Supplement") has been filed to the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated March 18, 2019 (the "Base Prospectus") in connection with the offering with the securities commissions in each of the provinces of Canada, except Quebec, and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") as part of a registration statement on Form F-10, as amended, which was declared effective by the SEC on March 19, 2019, in accordance with the Multijurisdictional Disclosure System established between Canada and the United States. The Supplement and the accompanying Base Prospectus contain important detailed information about the offering. The Supplement and the accompanying Base Prospectus can be found for free on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Copies of the Supplement and accompanying Base Prospectus may also be obtained from BofA Merrill Lynch NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd floor, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001, Attn: Prospectus Department, or via email, at [email protected], Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or via telephone: (800) 831-9146, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, Eleven Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10010; tel:1-800-221-1037, or via email, at [email protected], or from RBC Capital Markets 180 Wellington Street West, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M5J 0C2, Attn: Simon Yeung, or via telephone: (416) 842-5349 , or via email at [email protected]. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any province, state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, state or jurisdiction. About CannTrust CannTrust is a federally regulated licensed producer of medical and recreational cannabis in Canada. Founded by pharmacists, CannTrust brings more than 40 years of pharmaceutical and healthcare experience to the medical cannabis industry and serves more than 70,000 medical patients with its dried, extract and capsule products. The Company operates its Niagara Perpetual Harvest Facility in Pelham, Ontario, and prepares and packages its product portfolio at its manufacturing centre of excellence in Vaughan, Ontario. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian Securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable United States safe harbor laws, and such statements are based upon CannTrust's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs and views of future events. Forward-looking information and forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "expect", "likely", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "anticipate", "potential", "proposed", "estimate" and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "would" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. The forward-looking information and statements in this news release include statements relating to the Company's intended use of proceeds from the offering. Forward-looking information and statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation statements regarding the use of proceeds from the offering, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments in Canada, the United States and elsewhere; the cannabis industry in Canada generally; and, the ability of CannTrust to implement its business strategies. Any forward-looking information and statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and, except as required by law, CannTrust does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for CannTrust to predict all such factors. When considering these forward-looking information and statements, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in CannTrust's Annual Information Form dated March 28, 2019 (the "AIF") and filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and filed as an exhibit CannTrust's Form 40-F annual report under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. The risk factors and other factors noted in the AIF could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking information or statements. The Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Media Relations: Investor Relations: Sybil Eastman Marc Charbin Tel: 1-888-677-1477 416-467-5229 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE CannTrust Holdings Inc. Related Links https://canntrust.ca/ 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 WASHINGTON, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Equitable Food Initiative announced that Alpine Fresh, Inc. has received its third farm certification for its growing operation in Guatemala. Under the new certification, French beans will be available in Costco Wholesale with EFI's Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured label. Equitable Food Initiative EFI Executive Director Peter O'Driscoll with the Alpine Fresh EFI Team in Guatemala The Guatemala farming operation joins two of Alpine Fresh's EFI-certified, Mexican operations: MangoPack in Tecate and AgriBeans in Puebla. This marks the 29th certification for EFI which partners with growers and retailers to create a more transparent food chain, safer food and healthier places to work. Its certification program sets rigorous standards for labor practices, food safety and pest management. In just a few years, EFI has worked with 18 grower-shipper companies on 47 farm locations, covering 39 produce commodities and impacting more than 30,000 farmworkers. "We were the first packing operation certified by EFI, and now we're proud to help EFI expand into Central America with our third certified operation," said Manuel Rivera, vice president of fresh cut operations for Alpine Fresh. "Our goal is to bring workers and management together to produce the highest quality fruits and vegetables in a socially responsible way, and EFI has helped us lead the industry in achieving that goal." The Alpine Fresh certification expands EFI's program to Guatemala adding to its reach of seven Mexican states, four U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. "We're glad to be able to expand into the Americas to further support Alpine Fresh's growing supply chain," said Kevin Boyle, director of business and new product development for EFI. "Through this partnership, we're creating a culture of continuous improvement, an engaged workforce and strong relationships based on trust and transparency." For more information on EFI, visit www.equitablefood.org. About EFI Equitable Food Initiative is a nonprofit certification and skill-building organization that seeks to increase transparency in the food supply chain and improve the lives of farmworkers through a team-based approach to training and continuous improvement practices. EFI brings together growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumers to solve the most pressing issues facing the fresh produce industry. Its unparalleled approach sets standards for labor practices, food safety and pest management while engaging workers at all levels on the farm to produce Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured fruits and vegetables. For more information about Equitable Food Initiative, visit www.equitablefood.org. View a list of EFI-certified farms at https://equitablefood.org/efi-certified-farms. About Alpine Fresh Alpine Fresh is a leading grower, shipper and marketer of fresh fruits and vegetables headquartered in Miami, Florida with operations throughout the United States, Mexico and Latin America. Contact: LeAnne R. Ruzzamenti, (202) 524-0540, [email protected] SOURCE Equitable Food Initiative Related Links http://www.equitablefood.org Under the agreement, Farmcrowdy Group and its subsidiaries will consolidate their financial, technology, sales and marketing resources to increase the go-to-market efforts of Best Foods with Farmgate Africa. The partnership will also work towards specifically improving the livestock value chain across the nation through Farmcrowdy's production. This will improve the quality of meat production and processing practices in alignment with international standards, becoming the best source of processed meat in Nigeria, eventually eliminating the need for the importation of processed meat. Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere, the Chairman of Best Foods Group and also the Vice-President of the Nigerian Agricultural Business Group (NABG) says, "according to state records, Lagos state alone consumes over 6,000 cows daily. This partnership with Farmcrowdy Group will create easy access to funds that will be used to establish the best meat processing practices utilized around the globe. This will eventually lead to Best Foods expanding beyond the meat industry as both companies have synergy in other areas that will be good for Nigeria's overall agricultural space." Onyeka Akumah, Group CEO and Founder of Farmcrowdy Group (FCG), says "We are going into this relationship with Best Foods for the long haul, to improve how Nigerians access quality beef. This relationship will see all partners work together to raise quality cattle, process and sell quality beef to major buyers around the country. We are therefore excited that we have a respected expert like Mr. Ijewere offering his years of experience, network, and assets to improve our process while we look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship for many years to come." Kenneth Obiajulu, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Farmgate Africa, also spoke about the importance of the partnership for his business stating that it will enable Farmgate to meet widening demand from a host of strategic key accounts, including modern retail facilities, restaurants, international hotel chains, schools and caterers, for healthy and traceable meat. "This is tremendous traction for Farmgate Africa. The increasing daily demand for meat in Lagos is encouraging and a pointer to growth. Part of our mandate is to reduce the spread of animal-to-human diseases by providing affordable, traceable, fit-for-slaughter and disease-free bulls coming directly from Farmcrowdy Group's feedlots across the country". To learn more about the Farmcrowdy Group, Farmgate Africa and Best Foods, please visit the official websites; https://farmcrowdygroup.com, https://www.farmcrowdy.com, https://www.farmgate.africa and www.bestfoodsgroupng.net About Farmcrowdy Group The Farmcrowdy Group is a tech-driven agriculture innovation company, with a unique portfolio that includes some of Africa's leading digital agriculture brands including Farmcrowdy and Farmgate Africa. About Best Foods Fresh Farms Best Food Fresh Farms is an agribusiness group of over 16 years focused on the processing of livestock, farming, and marketing of agricultural produce. Best Foods was established to provide wholesome livestock and agricultural produce grown in Nigeria, by Nigerians, and non-Nigerians at affordable prices within and outside the country. Best Foods Fresh Farms is led by Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere, Chairman and CEO and is headquartered in Lagos with other offices in Ikoyi, Abijo, Kaduna and Gombe. About Farmgate Africa Farmgate Africa is an agro-commodity aggregator platform bridging the gap between farmers, market processors and access to the market. It is focused on solving market access challenges faced by farmers across Africa. Farmgate stands on the shoulders of the Farmcrowdy Group, a pioneer in the Digital Agriculture space in Africa and utilizes the Group's wealth of experience and resource base. Farmgate Africa is led by Kenneth Obiajulu who is the Co-Founder and Managing Director. Kenneth also seats on the Management team of the Farmcrowdy Group. Farmgate Africa is situated in Lagos and Abuja. CONTACT: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] call +2349090904030, +2349075791999 SOURCE Farmcrowdy Group HENDERSON, Nev., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Grow Capital, Inc (OTCPK: GRWC) announces the launch of new website and URL domain address. All information on the company can now be found at www.growcapitalinc.com. The website, logo and branding have all been refreshed to represent the direction of the company. The rebranding comes just after announcing new board chair and fintech industry veteran James Olson as well as announcing respected accountant Trevor Hall has become our new CFO and bringing on board award winning entrepreneur Jonathan Bonnette as CEO. "Our leadership is made up of proven well respected thought leaders," said CEO Jonathan Bonnette. "Our new website and branding reflect our team's vision and goals." The GRWC headquarters has also received an update. Previously headquartered in Medford, OR, GRWC now calls Henderson, NV home. Located just ten minutes from the McCarran airport in Las Vegas, GRWC executive operations can now be found at 2485 Village Walk Drive suite 180 Henderson, Nevada 89074. "First class office space and a clear, modern website are a must for us as we focus on our plans to become a stock that provides investors a place to increase the value of their capital," said chairman of the board James Olson. "I'm proud to roll out our updated branding and show the world what GRWC is about." To tour GRWC's new headquarters or interview our leadership please contact Amanda Kennedy 702-908-0018. Forward Looking Statements Disclaimer: This release may contain statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Grow Capital, Inc.'s ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such forward-looking statements include the words "becoming", "grow" "increase" and other expressions of a forward-looking nature. More information about the potential factors that could affect the business and financial results is and will be included in Grow Capital, Inc. filings with the OTC Markets, Securities and Exchange Commission and/or posted on the company's website. included in Grow Capital, Inc. filings with the OTC Markets, Securities and Exchange Commission and/or the company's website. SOURCE Grow Capital Inc Related Links http://www.growcapitalinc.com CAMBRIDGE, Mass., ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, and SHANGHAI, May 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbour BioMed and Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. (CTTQ) today announced they are entering into a strategic alliance to discover, develop and commercialize next-generation biologics for multiple therapeutic targets in oncology and immunology. The collaboration will combine Harbour BioMed's discovery capabilities, including its transgenic mouse technologies for generating fully human antibodies, with CTTQ's preclinical development resources and expertise. The companies will be responsible for clinical development and commercialization of therapeutic candidates emerging from the collaboration in their respective regions. Harbour BioMed will be responsible for the United States, Japan, and the rest of the world outside, while CTTQ will have responsibility for Greater China and Europe. The companies will pay royalties to each other based on sales in their respective territories. Additional financial terms were not disclosed. "The agreement with CTTQ, is part of our strategy to build a robust therapeutic pipeline for global markets through co-discovery, development and commercialization partnerships that capitalize on our patented platforms for generating fully human antibodies," said Dr. Jingsong Wang, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Harbour BioMed. "CTTQ, a well-known pharmaceutical company that is making strategic investments in therapeutic innovation in oncology and immunology, is a strong partner in that effort and directly complements our internal discovery programs," added Dr. Wang. It is expected that both sides will jointly own the IP and development and commercialization rights for the new drugs coming out of this collaboration. "CTTQ will be committed to bring valuable treatment agents for diseases with unmet need. The collaboration with Harbour BioMed is well aligned with CTTQ's strategy for innovative biological medicine development, it also marks significant progress to strengthen our capability of R&D of innovative therapeutic antibodies," said Shanchun Wang, President of CTTQ. CTTQ currently has several monoclonal antibody drugs, including a PD-L1 inhibitor, which have progressed into Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical development. About Harbour BioMed Harbour BioMed is a global biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for cancer and immune diseases. The company has a growing clinical portfolio and an emerging pipeline of next generation biologics based on its two, patented transgenic mouse platforms (Harbour Mice) for producing fully human antibodies. For more information, please visit www.harbourbiomed.com. About CTTQ Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. (CTTQ) is an integrated pharmaceutical company that engages in drug R&D, manufacturing, marketing, and sales. It is well-known for its leading position in liver disease and oncology therapeutic areas in China, and was honored as one of the leading companies ranked 17th on the list of the "Top 100 Pharmaceutical Enterprises in China" in 2017. CTTQ always regards technological innovation as an important source of enterprise development and is one of the successful pharmaceutical companies with research and innovation capabilities in China. CTTQ invests more than 1 billion RMB in R&D annually in recent years. It has more than 1,000 employees in R & D and more than 180 projects in its pipeline, including more than 30 innovative small molecular drugs and more than 20 biologics. For more information, please visit https://www.cttq.com SOURCE Harbour BioMed Related Links http://www.harbourbiomed.com ZUG, Switzerland, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Landis+Gyr (LAND.SW) today announced unaudited financial results for the financial year 2018 (April 1, 2018 - March 31, 2019). Key highlights include: Order intake increased 34.0% in constant currency to USD 2,079.0 million with Committed Backlog up 9.0% * to USD 2,603.1 million Net Revenues reached USD 1,765.2 million , increasing 3.1% in constant currency Adjusted EBITDA was USD 237.9 million , higher by 14.3%, a margin of 13.5% Both EMEA and Asia Pacific regions delivered full year positive Adjusted EBITDA compared to the negative results posted in FY 2017 Reported Net Income was USD 122.2 million , including a non-cash gain of USD 14.6 million related to the sale of intelliHUB in Australia . EPS of USD 4.15 Free Cash Flow (excluding M&A) was USD 123.5 million Proposed distribution of a dividend from capital reserves of CHF 3.15 per share * All comparative percentages reflect year over year changes in nominal currency (except where stated to be in constant currency) "Landis+Gyr's results for financial year 2018 represent progress towards the delivery of the commitments we made to our shareholders," said Richard Mora, Landis+Gyr's CEO. "With growth in sales, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow, we met or exceeded the financial metrics we guided towards. Given the outperformance on Free Cash Flow (excluding M&A), and its impact on the proposed dividend payout, we have elected to publish our results earlier than originally planned." "All regions contributed to the positive booking and committed backlog trends. Importantly, both EMEA and Asia Pacific delivered profitable results for the year. Overall, these results demonstrate the impact of the operational improvements we have been implementing," Mora added. Order Intake, Committed Backlog and Net Revenue Order intake for FY 2018 reached USD 2,079.0 million, an increase of 34.0% year-over-year in constant currency and equal to a book to bill ratio of 1.18. Committed backlog was up 9.0% year-over-year at USD 2,603.1 million. All regions reported increases in order entry and committed backlog compared to the prior year. In FY 2018, net revenues grew 3.1% year-over-year in constant currency, to USD 1,765.2 million, with growth experienced in all three regions. Net revenue to external customers per segment was as follows (in USD millions, except where indicated): Segment FY 2018 FY 2017 % change % change in constant currency Americas 986.0 972.2 1.4% 2.5% EMEA 632.5 627.2 0.8% 2.4% Asia Pacific 146.7 138.4 6.0% 11.2% Group 1,765.2 1,737.8 1.6% 3.1% The Americas region delivered higher net revenues year-over-year, growing 1.4%, or 2.5% in constant currency, thanks to several full-scale deployments currently underway in the US, which more than offset the year-over-year decline of USD 46.9 million in Japan net revenues. Americas' committed order backlog grew by 4.5%, driven by new contract wins with We Energies, Ameren Missouri and others, including opportunities to deploy grid edge technologies. Net revenues in the EMEA region were also up compared to the prior financial year by 0.8%, or 2.4% in constant currency, despite the region experiencing lower demand during the first half of FY 2018. Strong volumes in the UK from the SMETS2 deployment ramp-up, supplemented by some UK customers building inventory to manage Brexit uncertainty, drove the region's second half performance. Contracts in France and the UK contributed strongly to the 15.4% growth in EMEA's committed order backlog. Asia Pacific likewise contributed to higher sales with year-over-year growth of 6.0% or 11.2% in constant currency, as demand in Australia due to the Power of Choice regulatory change drove the improvement. Committed order backlog rose by 67.3%. The contract extension at CLP in Hong Kong represents a major milestone for Landis+Gyr in Asia Pacific. Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted Operating Expenses, and Adjusted and Reported EBITDA Adjusted Gross Profit for the reporting period was USD 609.3 million, a USD 12.0 million increase from the USD 597.3 million delivered in FY 2017. This increase was achieved despite incurring incremental costs associated with supply chain constraints of USD 17.6 million. The supply chain position improved in the second half of the year, but some challenges continue to affect the business. Adjusted Operating Expenses were further reduced by USD 17.7 million year-over-year (USD 11.3 million in constant currency) due to additional positive impacts of Project Phoenix in EMEA and expense control in the other regions. In FY 2018 Adjusted Research and Development (R&D) spending was USD 151.9 million or 8.6% of revenue, temporarily down USD 6.1 million compared to the prior year due largely to the timing of development projects. In FY 2018, Landis+Gyr had two major cost reduction programs underway in EMEA. Project Phoenix was aimed at reducing the cost base by streamlining back office structures, unifying staff functions and improving productivity. With annualized savings achieved of USD 21.7 million against the targeted USD 20 million, Project Phoenix has been successfully concluded. In the other regions, cost control efforts were also successfully undertaken. The second EMEA program, Project Lightfoot, is aimed at bundling and partially outsourcing manufacturing activities to enhance production efficiencies, lower supply chain costs and further reduce capital intensity. Lightfoot delivered USD 5 million in incremental savings during FY 2018, in addition to USD 5 million in prior periods. A further USD 15 million savings will be delivered over the next two years, for a total annualized impact of USD 25 million by end of FY 2020. The Adjusted EBITDA by segment was as follows (in USD millions, except where indicated): Segment FY 2018 Adjusted EBITDA FY 2018 Percentage of Net Revenue FY 2017 Adjusted EBITDA* FY 2017 Percentage of Net Revenue Americas 193.7 19.6% 198.7 20.4% EMEA 19.7 3.1% -12.0 -1.9% Asia Pacific 1.5 1.0% -9.6 -6.9% Corporate 23.1 31.0 Group 237.9 13.5% 208.2 12.0% * Following the adoption by the Company of ASU 2017-07 relating to defined benefit pension scheme costs, FY 2017 EBITDA has been revised down by USD 3.8 million as all pension income and expenses other than service costs are now reported under "Other income (expense)"; net income is unchanged. Overall, FY 2018 Adjusted EBITDA margin increased to 13.5% from 12.0% in the prior year. FY 2018 Adjusted EBITDA rose more significantly than sales, growing 14.3% year-over-year, coming in at USD 237.9 million. A resilient performance in the Americas was the largest contributor to this outcome, but notably EMEA and Asia Pacific both under new leadership achieved positive results through a combination of improved gross margins in EMEA as well as cost control in both regions. Landis+Gyr's FY 2018 Reported EBITDA was USD 251.1 million versus USD 141.3 million in FY 2017. In FY 2018 adjustments to bridge from Reported EBITDA to Adjusted EBITDA were in three primary categories. First, with respect to Restructuring Charges the USD 4.8 million related to streamlining measures taken across the organization. Second, the Normalized Warranty Expenses adjustment for FY 2018 of USD (16.1) million represented the amount of provisions made relative to the average annual actual warranty utilization for the last 3 years. Lastly, the Group has introduced a new adjustment in H2 FY 2018, Timing Difference on FX Derivatives. In FY 2018 this adjustment was USD (3.0) million. "The economic uncertainty in the UK, Landis+Gyr's single most important European market, caused by the protracted negotiations around Brexit have led to an increased risk of exchange rate volatility. With sales in GBP and supply chain costs largely in other currencies, we have partially mitigated our FX exposure by extending our hedging program and putting hedges in place in respect of part of our exposure to the GBP for up to 24 months ahead. As unrealized gains or losses on hedges are booked on a mark to market basis each month, a movement in FX rates will cause short term volatility in our Reported EBITDA. To address this, we have introduced a new category of adjustment Timing Difference on FX Derivatives," Jonathan Elmer, Landis+Gyr's CFO said. The adjustments made to bridge between EBITDA as reported in the Group's financial statements and Adjusted EBITDA are as follows (in USD millions): FY 2018 FY 2017* Reported EBITDA 251.1 141.3 Adjustments Restructuring Charges 4.8 14.7 Exceptional Warranty Expenses 1.1 2.4 Normalized Warranty Expenses -16.1 24.2 Timing Difference on FX Derivatives ** -3.0 0.0 Special Items 0.0 25.6 Adjusted EBITDA 237.9 208.2 * Following the adoption by the Company of ASU 2017-07 relating to defined benefit pension scheme costs, FY 2017 EBITDA has been revised down by USD 3.8 million as all pension income and expenses other than service costs are now reported under "Other income (expense)"; net income is unchanged. ** Unrealized mark to market gains or losses on hedges are booked each period in the Statement of Operations; however, such gains or losses are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA until the date of realization of the underlying hedged transaction or at hedge maturity, if earlier. Net income and EPS Net income for FY 2018 was USD 122.2 million, or USD 4.15 per share and compares to USD 46.4 million, or USD 1.57 per share for FY 2017. In addition to year-over-year improvements in Operating Income, Net Income benefited from the USD 14.6 million gain on the contribution of assets to the intelliHUB JV. These improvements were partially offset by the year-over-year increase in the tax expense following the release of deferred tax liabilities in FY 2017 resulting from the US tax reform. Cash flow and net debt Free Cash Flow (excluding M&A) was USD 123.5 million in FY 2018, an increase of USD 36.0 million compared to FY 2017. The main drivers for the increase were improved operating performance and lower tax payments which more than offset higher warranty and warranty settlement cash outs. In FY 2018, capital expenditures were USD 40.5 million, slightly above the FY 2017 level of USD 38.0 million. The Company contributed cash of USD 19.1 million for the equity in the intelliHUB joint venture in Australia and invested USD 2.0 million in Sense in the US. Landis+Gyr is returning cash to shareholders in two ways, via the dividend as well as the CHF 100 million share buyback program currently underway. During FY 2018, Landis+Gyr repurchased 199,214 of its own shares at an aggregate value of USD 12.7 million, both inside and outside the buyback program. Despite these uses of cash, net debt fell to USD 17.2 million at the end of FY 2018, a reduction of USD 23.3 million compared to the prior year end. The ratio of net debt to Adjusted EBITDA was 0.1x at the end of March 2019. Distribution to shareholders In line with Landis+Gyr's dividend policy, the Board of Directors proposes a distribution of CHF 3.15 per share to shareholders. Subject to Annual General Meeting approval, the distribution will be paid out of capital contribution reserves and is exempt from Swiss federal withholding tax. Guidance for FY 2019 "Looking ahead, we are confident in making further progress and we expect to grow sales, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow (excluding M&A) in FY 2019. The increase in order intake and committed backlog in FY 2018 confirms our strong positioning in the marketplace, however, many of these new contracts will only generate significant revenue from FY 2020. Project timing in some of our key markets gives us a few revenue headwinds to deal with, notably in H1 FY 2019. Accordingly, we expect our FY 2019 results to be significantly skewed to the second half." Mora concluded. Landis+Gyr expects FY 2019 net revenue growth of approximately 2-5%, at constant currencies. Group Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between USD 240 and USD 255 million. Free Cash Flow (excluding M&A) is expected to be between USD 120 million and USD 135 million, with a dividend payout of at least 75% of Free Cash Flow (excl. M&A). Due to project timing in some key markets, Landis+Gyr expects the first half of FY 2019 to be significantly weaker than the second half. Recent Corporate Developments In March 2019 , it was announced that We Energies signed a contract with Landis+Gyr to extend its advanced metering deployment to approximately 508,000 electricity customers, while adding Gridstream Connect network components to support the expansion. Managed Service contract was extended beyond 2030. , it was announced that We Energies signed a contract with Landis+Gyr to extend its advanced metering deployment to approximately 508,000 electricity customers, while adding Gridstream Connect network components to support the expansion. Managed Service contract was extended beyond 2030. In March 2019 , CLP Power signed an agreement with Landis+Gyr to continue deploying a Gridstream solution to their Hong Kong service territory. The agreement includes the supply of smart meters, communications modules and associated software applications. , CLP Power signed an agreement with Landis+Gyr to continue deploying a Gridstream solution to their service territory. The agreement includes the supply of smart meters, communications modules and associated software applications. On April 1, 2019 , it was announced that Ameren Missouri will deploy Landis+Gyr's Gridstream Connect solution, including 1.27 million advanced electricity meters and 130,000 gas meters. The contract also includes an extension of Landis+Gyr's Managed Services, meter data management system (MDMS) and Command Center head-end system. , it was announced that Ameren Missouri will deploy Landis+Gyr's Gridstream Connect solution, including 1.27 million advanced electricity meters and 130,000 gas meters. The contract also includes an extension of Landis+Gyr's Managed Services, meter data management system (MDMS) and Command Center head-end system. In the UK, the transition to the next generation smart meters (SMETS2) is now underway in scale since December 2018 with >800,000 SMETS2 meters on the network. As the UK market leader, Landis+Gyr added new contracts and orders to committed backlog and now has more than 20 million meters deployed or under contract. Investor & Media Webcast and Telephone Conference The management of Landis+Gyr will host an investor and media conference call to discuss the Company's results as well as the most recent developments in the industry. Date and time: May 6, 2019 at 2:00 pm CET Speakers: Richard Mora (CEO) and Jonathan Elmer (CFO) Audio webcast: www.landisgyr.com/investors Telephone: Europe: +41 (0)58 310 5000 UK: +44 (0)207 107 0613 US: +1 631 570 5613 Please dial in 1015 minutes before the start of the presentation and ask for "Landis+Gyr's financial year 2018 results". Key dates Publication of Annual Report 2018 and Invitation to AGM 2019 May 29, 2019 Annual General Meeting 2019 June 25, 2019 Ex-Dividend date June 27, 2019 Dividend record date June 28, 2019 Dividend payment date July 1, 2019 Release of Half Year Results 2019 October 29, 2019 Release of Sustainability Report October 29, 2019 Capital Markets Day January 30, 2020 Release of Results for Financial Year 2019 May 28, 2020 About Landis+Gyr Landis+Gyr is the leading global provider of integrated energy management solutions for the utility sector. Offering one of the broadest portfolios, we deliver innovative and flexible solutions to help utilities solve their complex challenges in smart metering, grid edge intelligence and smart infrastructure. With sales of USD 1.8 billion, Landis+Gyr employs approximately 5,700 people in over 30 countries across five continents, with the sole mission of helping the world manage energy better. Disclaimer Landis+Gyr has not finalized its FY 2018 Annual Report (planned for release on May 29, 2019) and Landis+Gyr's statutory auditor has not completed its audit of the consolidated financial statements (unaudited) for the period. Accordingly, the financial information contained in this document is subject to completion of year-end procedures, which may result in changes to that information. This release contains information regarding alternative performance measures. Definitions of these measures and reconciliations between such measures and their USGAAP counterparts if not defined in this release may be found on pages 38 to 44 of the Landis+Gyr Half Year Report 2018 on our website at www.landisgyr.com/investors. Forward-looking information This press release includes forward-looking information and statements including statements concerning the outlook for our businesses. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the factors that may affect our future performance, including global economic conditions, and the economic conditions of the regions and industries that are major markets for Landis+Gyr Group AG. These expectations, estimates and projections are generally identifiable by statements containing words such as "expects", "believes", "estimates", "targets", "plans", "outlook", "guidance" or similar expressions. There are numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information and statements made in this presentation and which could affect our ability to achieve our stated targets. The important factors that could cause such differences include, among others: business risks associated with the volatile global economic environment and political conditions; costs associated with compliance activities; market acceptance of new products and services; changes in governmental regulations and currency exchange rates; estimates of future warranty claims and expenses and sufficiency of accruals; and such other factors as may be discussed from time to time in Landis+Gyr Group AG filings with the SIX Swiss Exchange. Although Landis+Gyr Group AG believes that its expectations reflected in any such forward-looking statement are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that those expectations will be achieved. SOURCE Landis+Gyr Related Links https://www.landisgyr.com RESTON, Va., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology company, today announced that Chief Financial Officer, Jim Reagan, will participate in the Goldman Sachs Industrials & Materials Conference in New York on Thursday, May 16th, 2019 at 9:45am Eastern time. A live audio webcast of the event will be available on the Leidos Investor Relations website at http://ir.leidos.com, with a replay available for 30 days afterward. About Leidos Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 32,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $10.19 billion for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2018. For more information, www.Leidos.com. SOURCE Leidos Related Links http://www.leidos.com "After a thorough national search, it was clear to us that the best person for the job was already leading the co-op," Hooper said. "To his core, Eric believes in the purpose and impact of the co-op. Anyone who knows him well will tell you that above all, he cares deeply about the power of the outdoors to bring people together." Artz has served REI for seven years, most recently as chief operating officer and before that as chief financial officer. In remarks given at the member meeting, he underscored the co-op's commitment to putting purpose before profit, getting more people outdoors, operating sustainably, protecting and creating access to outdoor places and uniting people in local communities from the District of Columbia to Washington state. Standing beneath the words "Outside for all," on Monday, he said, "It is such a great honor to serve this organization. REI is so much bigger than a single person. You need to know that I am here to serve you. What you all do, each day, as employees and members of REI, makes a difference in people's lives. My job is to help you reach more people. The fight for life outdoors starts right here at REI." Artz and his leadership team take on a healthy business that recently reported 2018 as its strongest year on record. The co-op recently reported earnings of $2.78 billion in 2018, and has reported year-over-year growth in revenues every year since 2003. Those results are helping REI do more for the outdoor community, like expanding the co-op's used gear and rental programs, reinvesting more than 70 percent of its profits in the outdoor community and advancing sustainability across the industry. Artz emphasized that the co-opwhich is more than 18 million members strongwill focus on making an impact for the communities it serves. He said the co-op will redouble its effort to connect new people with the outdoors, highlighting that in 2019 REI will cross the $100 million mark in philanthropic giving. "Our purpose at REIour reason for beingis to awaken a lifelong love for the outdoors, for all. Because if we can't help people to be connected with nature, how can we expect them to care for the long-term health of the planet?" said Artz. He is vice chairman of the board of the Outdoor Industry Association and sits on the board of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust in Washington State. He is also an advisor to Earth Lab, part of the University of Washington's College of the Environment. He joined REI in 2012 as chief financial officer and was promoted to chief operating officer in 2014. In his tenure at REI, he has overseen departments including digital retail, finance, corporate strategy, and IT. Previously, he was CFO at Urban Outfitters. Before REI, he held leadership roles at Urban Outfitters and spent 17 years at VF Corporation (which includes brands like The North Face, Smartwool and Timberland). His connection with the outdoors began in rural Pennsylvania, where he grew up. He's an Army veteran who has traveled and worked all over the world. Today, you'll find Eric and his familyhis wife, his two daughters and his dog Chetspending time outside in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. About the REI Co-op REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation's largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 18 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 154 stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia. If you can't visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI Outlet or the free REI shopping app. REI isn't just about gear. Adventurers can take the trip of a lifetime with REI's active adventure travel company, a global leader that runs more than 250 itineraries across all continents. In every community where REI has a presence, professionally trained instructors share their expertise by hosting beginner-to advanced-level classes and workshops about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access toand stewardthe outdoor places that inspire us all. SOURCE REI Co-op Related Links https://www.rei.com "The quality and cleanliness of our drinking water is something that is obviously very important to everyone, even if we don't think about it that often," said Ted Puzio, owner of Southern Trust Home Services. "We're fortunate to have good water quality in our area, but we all need to take action to maintain that quality and even improve it." Puzio suggests Roanoke residents take the following to preserve the excellent water quality in the Roanoke Valley. Take cars to the car wash. Commercial car washes are required follow guidelines on the soaps they use and on wastewater disposal. Homeowners may not know that washing their car on the street or in the driveway can pollute local streams, creeks and rivers by carrying harmful chemicals (such as soaps) to the storm drain. A common misconception is that storm drains flow into sewers, when in fact storm water is often carried to local waterways. Think before you flush. While sewers and septic tanks are equipped to handle waste water, it is important to flush only appropriate substances. Flushing prescription drugs, paint thinners, or other chemicals can potentially contaminate the water supply, especially if a home is served by a well. Inspect wells and test the water. Homes that use well water should have their wells inspected and the water tested by a certified professional to ensure contaminants aren't finding their way into the water table. Consider a whole-home water filtration system. These systems are more elaborate than those that go in a pitcher or on a faucet. They purify all the water used in a home by filtering it as it enters the residence. Most people find the water tastes better than unfiltered tap water, and the systems can also remove any sediment or chemicals that are picked up between the water treatment plant and the home. For more information on ways to improve water quality, call Southern Trust Home Services at 540-343-4348 or visit southerntrusthomeservices.com . About Southern Trust Home Services Founded in 1995 as Southern State Electric, Southern Trust Home Services provides residential services including plumbing, electrical, HVAC, bathroom remodels, drain cleaning, water treatment and 24/7 emergency repairs to homeowners in more than 60 cities throughout southern Virginia. Roanoke's first to offer a lifetime guarantee on all recommended repairs, Southern Trust Home Services staffs dedicated, certified, licensed and insured, drug and criminal background checked technicians who provide timely, same-day services for a variety of home repairs, installations, and maintenance. A Better Business Bureau accredited company since 2006, Southern Trust Home Services has financing available including 0 percent for 18 months, and Lifetime Repair Guarantee on stated repairs. To find out more, call 540-343-4348 or visit southerntrusthomeservices.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR 865-977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE Southern Trust Home Services Related Links http://southerntrusthomeservices.com The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Isabel and Rebecca Maine's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C., for four days of recognition events. Isabel, a senior at Yarmouth High School, has been a leader in a local program that provides a nutritious breakfast and lunch, as well as supervised activities on summer weekdays, for kids whose families may not be able to afford three meals a day. When Isabel was a freshman, a friend told her about Lunch Crunch, a program designed to ensure that children who get free or subsidized meals at school don't go hungry during the summer. After signing on as a volunteer that first summer, "I quickly fell in love with the program," she said, noting that its participants come overwhelmingly from immigrant and low-income families in a relatively affluent city. "Lunch Crunch is more than just community service," she said. "It creates relationships and support systems between different groups of people in a town that does not often recognize these differences." In her role as a Lunch Crunch leader, Isabel meets with adult leaders in the community prior to the start of the summer to coordinate and plan the program schedule. She and the person in charge of the district's food services design a daily menu that is both nutritious and cost-effective. Once the half-day program begins for the summer, Isabel picks up the food and brings it to the playground where the camp is held, coordinates that day's student volunteers as they play with and mentor the younger children, and helps with games, crafts and other activities. Each summer, between 25 and 30 children attend the camp, said Isabel. "Not only is every child fed both breakfast and lunch every day of the summer," said Isabel, "but relationships and memories are created for everyone that will be unforgettable." Rebecca, an eighth-grader at Biddeford Middle School, spearheaded a project to collect sanitary napkins and tampons for homeless women in her community. While searching for a project that her Girl Scout troop could undertake to help people, Rebecca came across a video on Facebook that addressed the fact that homeless women often lack access to feminine hygiene products. "Women's reproductive health is important," said Rebecca. "No one should have to choose between buying food for themselves and maintaining hygiene." As she researched the problem, she learned that more than 50,000 women in the United States live on the streets, and that it appeared that even in her own community the number of homeless women was growing. So Rebecca persuaded her Girl Scout troop to join her in what she called "Project Confidence." They began by collecting bottles from school, family and friends, and then recycled them and used the proceeds to buy feminine hygiene products. The troop also hosted a carnival to raise funds, and clipped coupons to obtain store discounts. Once they had a supply of products, Rebecca and her fellow volunteers distributed them to a teen center, soup kitchens, churches and other organizations that work with low-income and homeless women. Rebecca also took it upon herself to monitor the donations and replenish them as needed. Thanks to Rebecca's idea, her troop has distributed more than 100 packages of pads and tampons in her town to women who need them. "If they are homeless, then they are struggling to come up with enough money to eat," said Rebecca. "I think my project will help take one stress off of homeless women in my community." "We're impressed and inspired by the way these honorees have identified problems facing their communities and stepped up to the challenge to make a difference," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "It's a privilege to celebrate their leadership and compassion, and we look forward to seeing the great things they accomplish in the future." "These students have not only done important work in support of people in need they've also shown their peers that young people can, and do, create meaningful change," said Christine Handy, president of NASSP. "We commend each of these young volunteers for all they've contributed to their communities." Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn Network. More than 29,000 middle level and high school students nationwide participated in this year's program. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 24 years, the program has honored more than 125,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit . About NASSP The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council. Learn more at www.nassp.org. About Prudential Financial Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com. Editors: For pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions, visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media . For B-roll of Maine's honorees at the 2019 national recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or [email protected] . SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc. Related Links http://www.PRUDENTIAL.com FERNDALE, Mich., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark your calendars for May 23 from 5-8 p.m. for an exclusive release event for Mayor Pingree Black Label Bourbon from Valentine Distilling Co. The event will take place at the production facility located at 965 Wanda Street in Ferndale. Tickets to the event are required and will be available only through Eventbrite starting Friday, May 17 at 10 a.m. EDT. While a ticket to the event is free, you can redeem your ticket at the event for access to purchase a bottle of the exclusive Mayor Pingree Black Label Bourbon limited release for $89.99. The event is limited to the first 100 people that secure a ticket. This event will be the first location bottles will be available for purchase. A cash bar will also be available. "The Black Label was created to provide whiskey fans with access to an experience that they can't find easily in the marketplace. Valentine is a craft, micro-distillery, and we stay true to that philosophy by creating quality products that are ultra-rare. This is our opportunity to create an experience not regularly found on liquor shelves," said Valentine. "It's a passion project for our decorated distiller; he creates the bourbon that you can't find as a consumer." Valentine Distilling Co. has released three award-winning Black Label bourbons prior to this current release including the 9 year, 10 year, and 11 year. Awards include: 95pts, Double Gold from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition; Best of Category, Gold Medal from the Artisan Distilling Institute; Double Gold from the North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition' and 94pts, Gold Medal from the North American Whiskey Review. The Mayor Pingree Black Label Bourbon 7 Year release is an age-stated marriage of eight barrels that yielded 1,012 bottles from MGPI in Lawrenceburg, IN. The proof is 118.0. The marriage is a blend of 45 percent 12-year 6-month, 24 percent 13-year 7-month, and 31 percent 7-year 2-month bourbon. Although the 7-year is less than one-third of the blend, the law mandates that Valentine call this a 7-year aged bourbon. "We included the 7-year with this blend on purpose, because it made it better. We could have made a few more dollars leaving the 7-year out from a marketing and labeling perspective, but that's not what we do," said Rifino Valentine, founder and president of Valentine Distilling Co. "We create quality products." Following the exclusive release party, approximately 900 bottles will be distributed to store shelves. The Mayor Pingree Black Label Bourbon 7 Year will be available at select stores and restaurants in the markets that Valentine Distilling Co. serves. About Valentine Distilling Co. Established in 2007, Valentine Distilling Co. is an American pioneer of small batch spirits. Valentine Distilling Co. is dedicated to American ingenuity, quality manufacturing, and small batch distilling using old-world techniques that create superior products. www.ValentineDistilling.com | www.facebook.com/ValentineVodka | https://www.instagram.com/valentinedistillingco| Media Kit Contact: Ashleigh Laabs Phone: (989) 780-4090 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Valentine Distilling Co. DUBLIN, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Fly Ash Market" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global fly ash market reached USD 7,025 Million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD 12,076.15 Million by the end of 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 7.02% over the forecast period i.e. 2017-2025 The Fly ash market is dominated by Asia Pacific with the market share of 70.86% in 2017 and will continue to dominate over the forecast period. Rising infrastructure development in the region honed by wide number of domestic rural and urban roads development mega projects in the region. The market is ameliorated by countries include India, China, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. The overhauling of economy primarily depends on the infrastructure to provide secondary support to industries. Elevation in the demand of fly ash amongst the industry is greatly propagated to ebb the cost of construction. In addition, Europe is to stand as the second largest fly ash market worldwide. The perseverance of market is distinguished due to the elevation in the improvement of infrastructure across the countries in Europe. Higher rate of utilization of fly ash in cement and agriculture is further revamping the fly ash market over the forecast period. Class F Fly ash market segment is dominating the global fly ash market due to utilization in various grades of cement to strengthen the intermolecular bonding and optimize the cost of raw material. In 2017 Class F fly ash market segment stood at USD 4,185.43 Million anticipated to reach USD 7,341.24 Million in 2025 at a CAGR of 7.29% over the forecast period. The Fly ash used in Portland cement arrays greater demand across the globe on the account of high cost optimization of raw material. The segment stands at USD 2,687.39 Million in 2017 anticipated to reach to USD 4,545.7 Million in 2025 at a constant CAGR 6.8% over the forecast period. Key Topics Covered 1. Research Methodology 2. Executive Summary 3. Risk Analysis 3.1.Demand Risk 3.2.Supply Risk 4. Top Countries With Highest Demand For Fly Ash - By Region 4.1.North America 4.2.Europe 4.3.Asia Pacific 4.4.Middle East and Africa 5. Global Fly Ash Market Size (USD Million) and Forecast, 2017-2025 6. Market Dynamics & Its Impact Analysis 6.1.Growth Drivers 6.2.Challenges 6.3.Trends 6.4.Opportunities 7. Global Fly Ash Market Segmentation Analysis 7.1. Fly Ash Market By Product Market Size ($ Million) & Y-O-Y Growth Analysis (%), 2017-2025 7.1.1. Class F Fly Ash Market Size ($ Million) & Y-O-Y Growth Analysis (%), 2017-2025 7.1.2. Class C Fly Ash Market Size ($ Million) & Y-O-Y Growth Analysis (%), 2017-2025 7.2. Fly Ash Market By Application Market Size ($ Million) & Y-O-Y Growth Analysis (%), 2017-2025 7.2.1. Fly Ash used in Portland cement Market Size ($ Million) & Y-O-Y Growth Analysis (%), 2017-2025 7.2.2. Fly Ash used in Road Construction Market Size ($ Million) & Y-O-Y Growth Analysis (%), 2017-2025 7.2.3. Fly Ash used in Fire Bricks Market Size ($ Million) & Y-O-Y Growth Analysis (%), 2017-2025 7.2.4. Fly Ash used in Agriculture Market Size ($ Million) & Y-O-Y Growth Analysis (%), 2017-2025 7.2.5. Fly Ash used in Decorative Glass Market Size ($ Million) & Y-O-Y Growth Analysis (%), 2017-2025 7.2.6. Fly Ash used in Other applications Market Size ($ Million) & Y-O-Y Growth Analysis (%), 2017-2025 8. North America Market Fly Ash Market Size (USD Million) and Forecast, 2017-2025 9. Latin America Market Fly Ash Market Size (USD Million) and Forecast, 2017-2025 10. Europe Market Fly Ash Market Size (USD Million) and Forecast, 2017-2025 11. Asia Pacific Market Fly Ash Market Size (USD Million) and Forecast, 2017-2025 12. Middle East and Africa Market Fly Ash Market Size (USD Million) and Forecast, 2017-2025 13.Porter's Five Force Model Analysis 14. Competitive Landscape 14.1. Competitive Positioning in Global Fly Ash Market 14.2. Company Profiles 14.2.1. Boral Limited 14.2.1.1. Company Overview 14.2.1.2. Financial Performance 14.2.1.3. Key Product Offerings 14.2.1.4. Business Strategy 14.2.1.5. Recent Development 14.2.2. Ashtech India Pvt. Ltd. 14.2.3. Cenin Ltd. 14.2.4. LafargeHolcim Ltd. 14.2.5. Headwaters Inc. 14.2.6. Tosoh Corporation 14.2.7. Titan America LLC 14.2.8. Cemex 14.2.9. Separation Technologies 14.2.10. Charah Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/db1904 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com ATLANTA, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly three out of four Americans surveyed think the weather is growing increasingly severe, yet two in five are ill prepared for a severe storm, according to an exclusive study fielded by The Weather Company, an IBM Business (NYSE: IBM), in partnership with Morning Consult. During National Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 5-11), The Weather Company released its 2019 hurricane forecast for the Atlantic and Tropics, in addition to data on preparedness and the correlation between severe weather and emotions. Project Owl, the Call for Code 2018 Global Challenge winner, conducted its first successful large-scale pilot in Puerto Rico, showcasing the teams offline communications system in communities still recovering from Hurricane Maria. The deployment is the first of its kind for the IBM Code and Response initiative. Join the effort at http://ibm.biz/Code-and-Response The Weather Company predicts 14 named storms, with the potential for seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes in 2019 -- a slight decrease in activity when compared to the previous season. The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and runs through November 30. "El Nino conditions are expected to continue throughout the North Atlantic hurricane season, which will enable an atmospheric pattern that is not conducive for increased tropical development," said Dr. Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist for The Weather Company. "Alternatively, the North Atlantic Ocean temperatures are warmer-than-normal, which tends to produce above normal activity levels. The combination of El Nino conditions and warm Atlantic waters suggest a near-normal season that is similar to last year. Much like the 2017 weather pattern that produced Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael, there is still the potential for intense tropical cyclones in 2019. Our teams are focused on providing the data and insights people need to prepare." Nearly 40 percent of Americans have experienced severe weather that damaged their homes or made them evacuate, with one in five happening in the last five years. While weather is universal, how people react to it can be very personal. According to the study: Less than half of Americans are prepared for an emergency. 42% of Americans surveyed don't have an evacuation plan in the event of severe weather. 19% have a family meet-up plan. Americans are most likely to heed local government's warning if told to evacuate (50% very likely), more so than family (44%) or close friends (34%). When Americans choose not to evacuate, 23% say the main reason they would stay is because they don't believe evacuation would be necessary and that they could ride out the storm. Others would stay home to care for family members (19%) or pets (20%). 31% of respondents say they would always evacuate. About 15% of respondents have a preparedness kit packed. About half of respondents do not have a preparedness kit, but say they have essential items in mind if an emergency arises. Americans turn to their devices when storms are looming. 62% Americans watch TV or streaming services during a storm, with Gen X at 67%, and Boomers at 59%. About half of Americans spend their time browsing the Internet during a storm. Local TV news still a trusted source for weather updates. Local broadcast TV is still a go-to source among older viewers: 61% of Boomers rely on traditional TV for updates, outpacing 39% of Millennials and 31% of Gen Z respondents who turn to local broadcast for their weather news. 60% of Millennials and 61% of Gen X use smartphone apps for weather information, along with 57% of Boomers and 50% of Gen Z. More than half of respondents check their phones three or more times per day for timely updates during severe weather events. IBM Code and Response Deployment Initiative Pilots Project Owl Technology in Puerto Rico for Disaster Readiness and Relief IBM and The Weather Company provide data and insights to help people and businesses prepare for the impact of weather. By leveraging billions of data sources, AI, and open source technology, the company is providing new possibilities of decision making, preparedness and response. For example, through IBM's Code and Response deployment initiative, self-taught Brooklyn developer Bryan Knouse and his Project Owl team recently piloted innovative new technology built on the IBM Cloud and leveraging IoT, AI, and data from The Weather Company aimed at providing always-on communication networks in the path of severe storms. The technology was created during the Call for Code 2018 Global Challenge in response to Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island and knocked out communication services, leaving people with no way to contact family members or call for help. Over 6,000 data points were successfully plotted on Project Owl's open source IBM Cloud-based incident management system, showing the potential of this technology to operate at scales large enough to help make a difference in disaster response. Along with the Project Owl team, IBM developers, Corporate Service Corps, and partners like the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center and the Engine-4 IoT Lab, are working to fully implement the OWL network in Puerto Rico later this year. Project Owl will conduct its next pilot in Houston at the end of May. In 2018, over 100,000 developers from 156 nations participated in the inaugural Call for Code Global Challenge, a multi-year global campaign that rallies developers to use the latest technologies to drive long-lasting change across the world. Developers built more than 2,500 applications to address the impact of natural disasters through technology. To support the initiative, IBM engaged developers to work with weather data by offering tools like APIs and code patterns along with Watson AI, IoT and IBM Blockchain to help create solutions to mitigate the effects of natural disasters. The IBM Code and Response initiative puts open source technologies to use for social good, while helping communities vulnerable to severe weather across the globe. The study was fielded by The Weather Company, an IBM Business, in partnership with Morning Consult from April 28, 2019 - April 29, 2019 among a national sample of 2,200 U.S. adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. For additional information, visit weather.com . The Weather Company, an IBM Business, helps people make informed decisions and take action in the face of weather. The company offers the most accurate forecasts globally with personalized and actionable weather data and insights to millions of consumers, marketers and businesses through its business solutions division and its own digital products from The Weather Channel (weather.com) and Weather Underground (wunderground.com). The Weather Company's digital properties serve 300 million monthly users in 62 languages and 178 countries, all on the IBM Cloud. For more about IBM's Weather business, visit newsroom.ibm.com/the-weather-company. For more about IBM's developer offerings, visit developer.ibm.com. A global AI and Cloud company, IBM is one of the largest technology and innovation employers in the world and serves clients in 170 countries. For more information, visit ibm.com. Contact: Megan Levinson, [email protected] SOURCE The Weather Company, an IBM Business VANCOUVER, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Golden Queen Mining Co. Ltd. (TSX:GQM,OTCQX:GQMNF) ("Golden Queen" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that a second independent proxy advisory firm, Glass Lewis & Co., LLC ("Glass Lewis"), has recommended that shareholders vote FOR the Transaction Resolution. Glass Lewis' endorsement follows a report by another leading independent proxy advisor, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS"), that also recommends shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction Resolution. Golden Queen disclosed ISS' recommendation on May 2, 2019. Glass Lewis is an independent, third party, proxy advisory firm who, among other services, provides proxy voting recommendations to pension funds, investment managers, mutual funds and other institutional shareholders. In their report Glass Lewis states "Though the implied transaction value seems less attractive than the Company's unaffected trading value, the alternative bankruptcy is certainly the least appealing option for disinterested shareholders. We support the independent board's unanimous assessment that the proposed transaction represents the only reasonable path forward for shareholders. We recommend that shareholders vote FOR this proposal" We remind shareholders that the cut-off for voting is 10:00 a.m. (Pacific time) on May 9, 2019. HOW TO VOTE Registered shareholders (those who hold shares in their name and represented by a physical certificate or through the Direct Registration System) may vote by mail, internet, telephone or in person at the Annual General and Special Meeting. In the interest of time, shareholders are encouraged to vote via the internet or by telephone as follows: Internet: vote online at www.investorvote.com, using the control number located on your proxy (which you received in the mail) Telephone : Call 1-866-732-VOTE (8683) toll free Beneficial shareholders (those who hold shares through a bank, broker or other intermediary) will have different voting instructions provided to them and should follow the instructions found on their voting instruction form. Internet: vote online at www.proxyvote.com, using the control number located on your voting instruction form (which you received in the mail) Telephone : Call the number provided on your voting instruction form. Shareholders who have questions or have not received their proxy or voting instruction form may contact the Company's Proxy Solicitation Agent: Laurel Hill Advisory Group Toll free: 1-877-452-7184 or 416-304-0211 (Collect Outside North America) Email: [email protected] Shareholders are encouraged to review the Company's management information circular dated April 10, 2019 which provides details of the Meeting to be held at 2300- 1066 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC on May 13, 2019 at 10 a.m. (Pacific Time) A copy of the Circular and related documents have been mailed to the Company's shareholders. Copies of the Circular and related documents can be obtained via SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or by contacting Laurel Hill Advisory Group toll-free at 1-877-452-7184 or at 416-304-0211 or by email at [email protected]. Shareholder participation at this Meeting is very important and the Board encourages all shareholders to vote their proxy forms. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE "FOR" THE RESOLUTIONS YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT - PLEASE VOTE TODAY About Golden Queen Mining Co. Ltd. Golden Queen is a gold and silver producer holding a 50% interest in an open pit, heap leach mining operation on the Soledad Mountain property, located just outside the town of Mojave in Kern County in southern California. The mine also produces aggregate rock. SOURCE Golden Queen Mining Co. Ltd. Related Links www.goldenqueen.com BRENTWOOD, Tenn., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AAC Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAC) today announced details for the release of its results for the first quarter 2019. The Company plans to issue its earnings release before the market opens on Thursday, May 9, 2019, and will host a conference call and live webcast on the same day at 9:00 a.m. CT to discuss business highlights and financial performance for the period. The number to call for this interactive teleconference is 1-877-224-7960. A replay of the conference call will be available through May 23, 2019, by dialing 877-344-7529 and entering the replay access code, 10131526. The live audio webcast of the Company's quarterly conference call will be available online in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at ir.americanaddictioncenters.org, and the online replay will be available approximately one hour after the end of the call. About American Addiction Centers American Addiction Centers is a leading provider of inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment services. We treat clients who are struggling with drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and co-occurring mental/behavioral health issues. We currently operate substance abuse treatment facilities located throughout the United States. These facilities are focused on delivering effective clinical care and treatment solutions. For more information, please find us at AmericanAddictionCenters.org or follow us on Twitter @AAC_Tweet. SOURCE AAC Holdings, Inc. As part of the summer campaign, Aflac will debut a new national television commercial on Monday, May 6, called " Slimy Summer " to showcase that Aflac isn't used when people think it's used, while incorporating an icon of summer that's familiar to many families across the country: slime. The spot will debut during ABC's "The Bachelorette," which airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET. "We know from our research that Aflac's target audience shares a love of live music events, so we are excited to partner with Shaky Knees, BottleRock, Faster Horses and KAABOO Del Mar and bring new activations to these iconic festivals this summer that will help drive meaningful and memorable brand connections," says Shannon Watkins, vice president of Brand and Creative Services at Aflac. "At the same time, we are highlighting family fun and family mishaps that will undoubtedly occur throughout the summer through our new television commercial that explains when Aflac is used with a humorous side of summer slime." At each festival, Aflac will host on-site experiential activations that will feature exclusive giveaways and activities to supplement the experience for hundreds of thousands of festivalgoers. Music lovers of all ages and backgrounds will have the opportunity to visit the Aflac Flock Spot, a central interactive hub for sharing in-the-moment music and content via social media, and a three-dimensional Aflac Help Desk designed to support the "Aflac Isn't" educational campaign. "Music has proven to be a vital instrument in building education and awareness," said Valencia Mitchell, director of Brand Strategy, Insights and Advertising at Aflac. "By marrying diverse cultural moments with unique experiences like the Aflac Flock Spot, we can further establish to a broad base of consumers how Aflac isn't used when they may think it is and how it stands apart from other insurers." Aflac's exciting lineup of activities planned under the theme of "Celebrities, Music, Questions about Aflac," can be found at the following music events: May 3-5 : Shaky Knees in Atlanta . : Shaky Knees in . May 24-26 : BottleRock in Napa Valley, California . : BottleRock in . July 19-21 : Faster Horses in Brooklyn, Michigan . : Faster Horses in . Sept. 13-15 : KAABOO Del Mar in Del Mar, California . To amplify awareness, Aflac, in partnership with iHeartRadio, will bring unique music discovery to those visiting Aflac's activations through customized playlists curated for each event that mirror the musical genre of the respective festival. The playlists will air on-site and be available to the public after the event concludes for continued listening. Additionally, a festival-themed episode, "For the Record," will launch mid-May to kick off festival season, setting the record straight on misconceptions about summer music festivals and Aflac. To join the conversation and view behind-the-scenes updates during each music festival, follow #AflacHelpDesk and the Aflac Duck (@AflacDuck) on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. About Aflac Incorporated Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) is a Fortune 500 company helping provide protection to more than 50 million people through its subsidiaries in Japan and the U.S., where it is a leading supplemental insurer, by paying cash fast when policyholders get sick or injured. For more than six decades, insurance policies of Aflac Incorporated's subsidiaries have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance in Japan, where it insures 1 in 4 households. Through its trailblazing One Day PaySM initiative in the United States, for eligible claims, Aflac can process, approve and electronically send funds to claimants for quick access to cash in just one business day. For 13 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2018, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for the 20th consecutive year, and in 2019, Fortune included Aflac on its list of World's Most Admired Companies for the 18th time. To find out more about One Day PaySM and learn how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com. Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York. WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999. Media contact: Kristen Fraser, 706.580.3813 or [email protected] Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706.596.3264 or [email protected] SOURCE Aflac Related Links http://www.aflac.com OAKLAND, N.J., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Amerlux, an award-winning design-and-manufacture lighting company, announced today the launch of Etch, a 2'x2' recessed panel designed to create dynamic lighting compositions across a ceiling. Amerlux's new Etch ceiling panels present a clean aesthetic with evenly lit, premium LEDs, bathing open spaces with smooth, ambient light. The new lighting solutions delivers a sense of architectural style to an area, unlike traditional drop-ins that have the look and feel of commodity-grade products. Amerlux will provide special demonstrations of Etch along with the rest of its new lineup of lighting solutions at LightFair 2019 (Booth #5837) in Philadelphia. Co-developed with world-renown architecture firm Gensler Associates, the new Etch ceiling panels present a clean aesthetic with evenly lit, premium LEDs, bathing open spaces with smooth, ambient light. The new lighting solutions delivers a sense of architectural style to an area, unlike traditional drop-ins that have the look and feel of commodity-grade products. Later this month, Amerlux will provide special demonstrations of Etch along with the rest of its new lineup of lighting solutions at LightFair 2019 (Booth #5837) in Philadelphia. The special demonstrations will be held during the conference across the street at Le Meridien Philadelphia, located at 1421 Arch Street. "With Etch, the ceiling becomes a canvas for architects and lighting designers," said Amerlux CEO and President Chuck Campagna. "Creating a balance of light, Etch's three unique styles bring a sense of openness to a space or an artistic contrast with light and dark elements that invite creativity and puts everything in the best light." "Etch offers endless opportunities for designers to playfully customize and configure the ceiling plane and to provide multiple qualities of light," said Mark Morton, principal and design director at Gensler, who served as product design consultant. "We are proud of our collaboration with Amerlux and to have helped inspire this uniquely versatile family of fixtures." Standard, unadorned 2'x2' Etch panels deliver a sky-light. Each 2'x2' regressed flat panel is offered in 23W, 31W or 39W with lumen outputs up to 4350. Etch is also available with an opaque beam element located off-center within the fixture, which creates bold patterns that transverse the entire ceiling. In addition, the beam element delivers accent or task lighting with the back panel fully lit or dimmed. Etch is constructed with a metal frame, which houses an LED edge-lit panel with a center element. A wide range of performance perimeters are available through the choice of different models. An off-center extruded aluminum element, for example, adds contrast and a location for two accent downlights. (Amerlux provides options for many of its products; check out the short list.) The custom-design, back-lit ambient panel is available in two color temperatures (3000K and 3500K), providing an outstanding color quality (83 CRI). Etch's standard integral electronic constant current 120V-to-277V driver offers zero-to-10V dimming capabilities. Like most Amerlux products, it can pair with any controls, including the Luton Hi-Lume and DALI dimming controls. All products in the Etch family offer rapid ROI so clients can recoup their investment quickly. The product's long lifespan also significantly reduces maintenance costs. In addition, the LED fixture is extremely energy efficient, which drives savings through reduced energy costs. Amerlux offers a five-year warranty on the product. For more information about the company's Etch ceiling panel, call Amerlux at 973.850.4342. About Amerlux Amerlux creates bold lighting solutions that add warmth and brilliance to the world. The design-and-manufacture company builds long-term relationships with architects, facility managers and lighting designers by taking every complex problem personally. Its award-winning portfolio includes innovative interior and exterior lighting products that deliver striking aesthetics and rich performance through advanced engineering. For more information, please visit Amerlux.com or call 973.850.4342. SOURCE Amerlux Related Links http://Amerlux.com LONDON and DURHAM, N.C., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AMO Pharma Limited ("AMO Pharma"), a privately held biopharmaceutical company focusing on rare, childhood onset neurogenetic disorders with limited or no treatment options, today announced the presentation of a statistical analysis of Phase 2 study results for AMO-02 in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An overview of the analysis was presented on Friday, May 3rd in a poster presentation titled, "The utility of omnibus statistical approaches in go/no-go decision making in a Phase 2 study in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a case example" led by Joseph Horrigan MD, AMO Pharma's chief medical officer, during the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 2019 Annual Meeting at the Palais des congres de Montreal in Canada. "We are very pleased that these results reinforce that AMO-02 offers a consistent pattern of efficacy that gives further clinical validation of GSK3beta as a molecular target for novel therapeutic treatments for ASD," said Michael Snape, chief executive officer of AMO Pharma. "Previous clinical studies have lacked a gold standard measurement to assess efficacy. Our approach to clinical research and our analysis of results reflect AMO Pharma's commitment to meeting the highest achievable standards of scientific integrity in our clinical programs." In this analysis, a step-wise omnibus approach was combined with a concordant trend analysis to verify mean results from seven pre-specified outcome measures identified in a previous Phase 2 trial. Permutation tests involving 1,000 computerized simulations were conducted and study participants were randomly re-assigned to a treatment group. Results were consistent with previous findings, showing patients treated with AMO-02 outperformed placebo in measures of social withdrawal (ABC-Social) and repetitive behaviors (RBS-R), as well as daily living skills (Vineland), memory (NEPSY) and sleep quality (CSHQ). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social deficits and repetitive behaviors. No medications have been approved for the treatment of core symptoms of this disorder. AMO-02 is a novel once-daily orally available GSK3 beta inhibitor. Recent preclinical studies indicate that GSK3 beta is an enzyme that is overactive in multiple different genetically determined syndromic autisms, suggesting the importance of this molecular target in the field of ASD research. "The most important takeaway from this study was the extremely low probability that there were false-positives reported within our initial Phase 2 results," explained Dr. Horrigan. "We look forward to continuing the development of AMO-02 with even more confidence and are hopeful that resulting data will provide essential insights to guide future clinical research." About the International Society for Autism Research 2019 Annual Meeting The International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 2019 Annual Meeting will bring together more than 2,000 researchers, clinicians, students, parents, and autism advocates from over 30 countries, Wednesday, May 1 through Saturday, May 4, 2019 at the Palais des congres de Montreal (Montreal Convention Center) in Canada. The INSAR Annual Meeting is the world's largest gathering of scientists and specialists as they exchange and disseminate the latest scientific discoveries and stimulate progress into the nature, causes, and treatments for autism spectrum disorder. About Autism Spectrum Disorder NIMH defines Autism Spectrum Disorder as: "Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is said to be a "developmental disorder" because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a guide created by the American Psychiatric Association used to diagnose mental disorders, people with ASD have: Difficulty with communication and interaction with other people Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors Symptoms that hurt the person's ability to function properly in school, work, and other areas of life Autism is known as a "spectrum" disorder because there is wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms people experience. ASD occurs in all ethnic, racial, and economic groups. Although ASD can be a lifelong disorder, treatments and services can improve a person's symptoms and ability to function. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children be screened for autism. All caregivers should talk to their doctor about ASD screening or evaluation." About AMO Pharma AMO Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company incorporated in February of 2015. The co-founder, Dr. Michael Snape, has extensive experience in senior scientific and operational roles in both large pharma and biotech companies spanning more than twenty-five years, and has brought together a targeted and experienced senior management team with a proven track record of success in all phases of product development and acquisition. The company is working to identify and advance promising therapies for the treatment of serious and debilitating diseases in patient populations with significant areas of unmet need, including rare, debilitating childhood onset neurogenetic disorders with limited or no treatment options. AMO-02 is an investigational medicine that has not yet been approved for the treatment of patients anywhere in the world. For more information, please visit the AMO Pharma website at http://www.amo-pharma.com/ . Contacts Corporate: Mike Snape, PhD Chief Executive Officer AMO Pharma Ltd. +44 1483 898 448 [email protected] Media: Kelly Wakelee Berry & Company Public Relations 212.253.8881 [email protected] SOURCE AMO Pharma Limited Related Links http://www.amo-pharma.com HOUSTON, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC) today announced that its board of directors, in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, has unanimously determined that the revised acquisition proposal it received from Occidental Petroleum Corporation on May 5, 2019 (the "Revised Occidental Proposal") constitutes a "Superior Proposal" as defined in Anadarko's previously announced merger agreement with Chevron Corporation (the "Chevron Merger Agreement"). Under the terms of the Revised Occidental Proposal, Occidental would acquire Anadarko for consideration consisting of $59.00 in cash and 0.2934 of a share of Occidental common stock per share of Anadarko common stock. Occidental has obtained committed financing for the entire cash portion of the aggregate transaction consideration, and completion of the transaction will not require or be conditioned upon the receipt of any vote or other approval by Occidental's stockholders. Anadarko has notified Chevron that (i) Anadarko's board of directors has unanimously determined that the Revised Occidental Proposal constitutes a "Superior Proposal" and (ii) after complying with its obligations to Chevron under the Chevron Merger Agreement, Anadarko intends to terminate the Chevron Merger Agreement in order to enter into a definitive merger agreement with Occidental in connection with the Revised Occidental Proposal. Pursuant to the Chevron Merger Agreement, Chevron has the right, during the four business day period ending on May 10, 2019, which may be extended in accordance with the terms of the Chevron Merger Agreement, to propose revisions to the terms of the Chevron Merger Agreement, or to make another proposal. Anadarko is required to, and will, make its representatives reasonably available to negotiate with Chevron during this period with respect to such proposed revisions or other proposal, if any. If Anadarko terminates the Chevron Merger Agreement in order to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to the Revised Occidental Proposal, Anadarko will pay Chevron a $1 billion termination fee as required by the Chevron Merger Agreement. The Chevron Merger Agreement remains in effect unless and until terminated, and accordingly, Anadarko's Board of Directors reaffirms its existing recommendation of the transaction with Chevron at this time. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141103/156201LOGO Important Information For Investors And Stockholders This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In connection with the potential transaction, Chevron expects to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") containing a preliminary prospectus of Chevron that also constitutes a preliminary proxy statement of Anadarko. After the registration statement is declared effective Anadarko will mail a definitive proxy statement/prospectus to stockholders of Anadarko. This communication is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or for any other document that Chevron or Anadarko may file with the SEC and send to Anadarko's stockholders in connection with the potential transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF CHEVRON AND ANADARKO ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by Chevron or Anadarko through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Chevron will be available free of charge on Chevron's website at http://www.chevron.com/investors and copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Anadarko will be available free of charge on Anadarko's website at http://investors.anadarko.com. Chevron and Anadarko and certain of their respective directors, certain of their respective executive officers and other members of management and employees may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the potential transaction under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Chevron is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on February 22, 2019, and its proxy statement for its 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 15, 2019. Information about the directors and executive officers of Anadarko is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on February 14, 2019, and its proxy statement for its 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 29, 2019. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the potential transaction will be included in the registration statement and proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Anadarko believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. No assurance, however, can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this news release, including regarding the proposed transaction. These include the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental and regulatory approvals of the proposed transaction that could reduce anticipated benefits or cause the parties to abandon the proposed transaction, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, the possibility that stockholders of Anadarko may not adopt the merger agreement, the risk that the parties may not be able to satisfy the conditions to the proposed transaction in a timely manner or at all, risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction, the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of Anadarko's common stock or Chevron's common stock, the risk of any unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction, the risk of any litigation relating to the proposed transaction, the risk that the proposed transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of Anadarko or Chevron to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with their suppliers, customers and other business relationships and on their operating results and businesses generally, the risk the pending proposed transaction could distract management of both entities and they will incur substantial costs, the risk that problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of the companies, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected, the risk that the combined company may be unable to achieve synergies or other anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction or it may take longer than expected to achieve those synergies or benefits and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. All such factors are difficult to predict and are beyond Anadarko's control. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in Anadarko's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as it may be updated from time to time by quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K all of which are available on Anadarko's website at http://investors.anadarko.com/sec-filings and on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov, and in Chevron's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as it may be updated from time to time by quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K all of which are available on Chevron's website at https://www.chevron.com/investors/financial-information#secfilings and on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Anadarko Contacts INVESTORS : Mike Pearl, [email protected], 832.636.3271 Kyle Deakins, [email protected], 832.636.2354 Jon VandenBrand, [email protected], 832.636.1007 Arthur Crozier / Larry Miller Innisfree M&A Incorporated 212-750-5833 MEDIA : John Christiansen, [email protected], 832.636.8736 Stephanie Moreland, [email protected], 832.636.2912 Matthew Sherman / Dan Katcher / Scott Bisang / Matt Gross Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher 212-355-4449 SOURCE Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Related Links http://www.anadarko.com HOUSTON, May 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC) today confirmed that it has received a revised proposal ("Occidental's Revised Proposal") from Occidental Petroleum Corporation on May 5, 2019 under which Anadarko shareholders would receive $59.00 in cash and 0.2934 shares of Occidental common stock per share of Anadarko common stock. As disclosed previously, Anadarko entered into a definitive merger agreement with Chevron Corporation on April 11, 2019 (the "Chevron Merger Agreement"). Under the Chevron Merger Agreement, Chevron would acquire Anadarko in a transaction with consideration comprised of $16.25 in cash and 0.3869 of a share of Chevron common stock per share of Anadarko common stock. On April 29, 2019, Anadarko announced that it had resumed its earlier negotiations with Occidental after Anadarko's board of directors, following consultation with its financial and legal advisors, unanimously determined that a prior unsolicited proposal from Occidental received on April 24, 2019 to acquire Anadarko for $38.00 in cash and 0.6094 of a share of Occidental common stock ("Occidental's April 24 Proposal") could reasonably be expected to result in a "Superior Proposal" as defined in the Chevron Merger Agreement. At the time, Anadarko announced that Occidental's April 24 Proposal reflected significant improvement with respect to indicative value, terms and conditions, and closing certainty as compared to any previous proposal Occidental made to Anadarko. Anadarko's board of directors, management team and advisors have been actively engaged throughout the entirety of this process, both prior to and leading up to entering into the Chevron Merger Agreement, as well as since the board made the determination to resume negotiations with Occidental. These efforts have culminated in the revised proposal received today, which would deliver greater cash value than any prior Occidental proposal (including Occidental's April 24 Proposal) and eliminates a closing condition relating to Occidental stockholder approval. In accordance with the terms of the Chevron Merger Agreement, and in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, Anadarko's board of directors will carefully review Occidental's Revised Proposal to determine the course of action that it believes is in the best interest of the Company's stockholders. The Chevron Merger Agreement remains in effect and accordingly the Anadarko board reaffirms its existing recommendation of the transaction with Chevron at this time. There can be no assurance that negotiations with Occidental will result in a transaction that is superior to the pending transaction with Chevron. Further, the terms of any agreed-upon transaction with Occidental may vary from those reflected in Occidental's Revised Proposal. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141103/156201LOGO Important Information For Investors And Stockholders This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In connection with the potential transaction, Chevron expects to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") containing a preliminary prospectus of Chevron that also constitutes a preliminary proxy statement of Anadarko. After the registration statement is declared effective Anadarko will mail a definitive proxy statement/prospectus to stockholders of Anadarko. This communication is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or for any other document that Chevron or Anadarko may file with the SEC and send to Anadarko's stockholders in connection with the potential transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF CHEVRON AND ANADARKO ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by Chevron or Anadarko through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Chevron will be available free of charge on Chevron's website at http://www.chevron.com/investors and copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Anadarko will be available free of charge on Anadarko's website at http://investors.anadarko.com. Chevron and Anadarko and certain of their respective directors, certain of their respective executive officers and other members of management and employees may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the potential transaction under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Chevron is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on February 22, 2019, and its proxy statement for its 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 15, 2019. Information about the directors and executive officers of Anadarko is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on February 14, 2019, and its proxy statement for its 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 29, 2019. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the potential transaction will be included in the registration statement and proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Anadarko believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. No assurance, however, can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this news release, including regarding the proposed transaction. These include the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental and regulatory approvals of the proposed transaction that could reduce anticipated benefits or cause the parties to abandon the proposed transaction, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, the possibility that stockholders of Anadarko may not adopt the merger agreement, the risk that the parties may not be able to satisfy the conditions to the proposed transaction in a timely manner or at all, risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction, the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of Anadarko's common stock or Chevron's common stock, the risk of any unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction, the risk of any litigation relating to the proposed transaction, the risk that the proposed transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of Anadarko or Chevron to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with their suppliers, customers and other business relationships and on their operating results and businesses generally, the risk the pending proposed transaction could distract management of both entities and they will incur substantial costs, the risk that problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of the companies, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected, the risk that the combined company may be unable to achieve synergies or other anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction or it may take longer than expected to achieve those synergies or benefits and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. All such factors are difficult to predict and are beyond Anadarko's control. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in Anadarko's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as it may be updated from time to time by quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K all of which are available on Anadarko's website at http://investors.anadarko.com/sec-filings and on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov, and in Chevron's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as it may be updated from time to time by quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K all of which are available on Chevron's website at https://www.chevron.com/investors/financial-information#secfilings and on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Anadarko Contacts INVESTORS : Mike Pearl, [email protected], 832.636.3271 Kyle Deakins, [email protected], 832.636.2354 Jon VandenBrand, [email protected], 832.636.1007 Arthur Crozier / Larry Miller Innisfree M&A Incorporated 212-750-5833 MEDIA : John Christiansen, [email protected], 832.636.8736 Stephanie Moreland, [email protected], 832.636.2912 Matthew Sherman / Dan Katcher / Scott Bisang / Matt Gross Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher 212-355-4449 SOURCE Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Related Links http://www.anadarko.com MELVILLE, N.Y., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon Solutions America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., today announced the installation of the new Oce Colorado 1640 in eleven key Riot Creative Imaging locations throughout North America: Las Vegas, NV; Costa Mesa and Santa Clara, CA; Houston, TX; Miami and Orlando, FL; Atlanta, GA; Tulsa, OK; Honolulu, HI; Clawson, MI; and Vancouver, British Columbia. Riot Creative Imaging is a global leader in creative imaging for events, indoor and outdoor environments, signage, banners, marketing collateral, and more. A visual communications company handling display graphics for a multitude of industries including architecture, engineering, construction, healthcare, government, education, retail, and hospitality and more than 170 locations worldwide, Riot Creative Imaging and its parent company, ARC Document Solutions, offer a complete range of print services and technology solutions to help their clients communicate their message visually. The architecture industry, in particular, is a big market for Riot Creative Imaging. According to Shane Herzog, Regional Vice President, Southern Region, the Oce Colorado 1640 has helped support that side of the business. It has enabled the company to service new and existing clients through the printing of supergraphics large-scale decorative wall, floor, or ceiling art in bold colors and designs and environmental graphics an experiential design concept, ranging from corporate and 3D signage to decorative window vinyls and themed exhibits. "Riot Creative Imaging is such a big player in the industry," said Robert Reddy, Senior Vice President, Large Format Solutions, Operations, Canon Solutions America. "We are so thrilled that they have seen such positive growth and momentum with the addition of the Oce Colorado 1640 that they have installed it in eleven of their key locations. We love seeing how their supergraphics and environmental graphics output is able to transform spaces, showcasing bold visual designs for their clients." "As we've moved into supergraphics and environmental graphics, an added benefit of the new machine was the reduced cost per square foot frame," said Mr. Herzog. "The Oce Colorado 1640 was a good fit for what we needed. We were intrigued by its ability to print Type II material and to be able to meet specs without the need for lamination, which saves us both time and expense. The faster process allows us to better meet our deadlines. Our environmental and supergraphics work has grown at least 50 percent." "I had the opportunity to see the automation and throughput at Canon's facility in Chicago. While I'm not easily impressed, it was evident that this was a game changer in the industry," said Ross Banks, Senior Vice President of Operations, West Region. "This is a machine that's going to be able to produce a significant amount of square feet and last us over the years. When you combine the quality, the technology, and the cost of operation, Oce really hit a home run with this device." For more about the Oce Colorado 1640, view video interviews with teams from Riot Creative Imaging Costa Mesa and Riot Creative Imaging Houston. About Canon Solutions America, Inc. Canon Solutions America provides industry leading enterprise, production, and large format printing solutions, supported by exceptional professional service offerings. With the technology offerings of the Canon and Oce brands, Canon Solutions America helps companies of all sizes find ways to: improve sustainability, increase efficiency, and control costs in conjunction with high volume, continuous feed, digital and traditional printing, and document management solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., Canon Solutions America is headquartered in Melville, N.Y. and has sales and service locations across the U.S. For more information on Canon Solutions America, please visit csa.canon.com. About Riot Creative Imaging Riot is the specialized graphics division of ARC Document Solutions with print production centers all over North America. It is a national provider of creative imaging for events, indoor and outdoor environments, retail graphics, signage, banners, marketing collateral, and more. About ARC Document Solutions ARC Document Solutions (NYSE: ARC) distributes documents and information to facilitate communication for design, engineering and construction professionals, real estate managers and developers, facilities owners, and a variety of similar disciplines. The Company provides cloud and mobile solutions, professional services, and hardware to help its customers around the world reduce costs and increase efficiency, improve information access and control, and communicate faster, easier, and better. Follow ARC at www.e-arc.com. Editorial Contact: Canon Solutions America, Inc. Website: Tara Vetro http://csa.canon.com 631-330-2681 For sales info/customer support: [email protected] 1-844-443-INFO (4636) Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. Oce is a registered trademark of Oce-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged. 2019 Canon Solutions America, Inc. All rights reserved. SOURCE Canon Solutions America, Inc. Related Links https://csa.canon.com LAVAL, Quebec, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- First-Quarter 2019 Financial Results Revenues of $2.016 Billion GAAP Net Loss of $52 Million GAAP Cash Flow From Operations of $413 Million in line with Company expectations Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) 1 of $851 Million Delivered Highest Quarter of Total Company Organic Revenue Growth 1,2 since 3Q15 Highest quarter of Bausch + Lomb/International organic revenue growth 1,2 since Bausch + Lomb acquisition Completed the Acquisition of Certain Assets of Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. Raised Full-Year 2019 Guidance Ranges Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC) ("Bausch Health" or the "Company" or "we") today announced its first-quarter 2019 financial results. "Bausch Health is off to a strong start in 2019 with the continued growth of XIFAXAN which grew 11% in the quarter, the launch of BRYHALI, the successful acquisition of TRULANCE, and the approval of DUOBRII and expected launch in June. We believe that our promising pipeline and focus on Project CORE (cost optimization and revenue enhancements) has positioned the Company to build on our growth in 2019 and beyond. Strong operational execution is leading us to raise our full-year 2019 revenue and adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP)1 guidance," said Joseph C. Papa, chairman and CEO, Bausch Health. "With nearly 60% of our revenues coming from a diversified mix of medical devices, OTC products and prescription and branded generic products that are not exposed to the U.S. branded prescription drug pricing environment, we believe that Bausch Health is uniquely positioned to grow in health care," Mr. Papa continued. Company Highlights Executing on Core Businesses and Advancing Pipeline The Bausch + Lomb/International segment comprised approximately 55% of the Company's revenue in the first quarter of 2019 Reported revenue in the Bausch + Lomb/International segment increased by 1% compared to the first quarter of 2018; revenue in this segment grew organically 1, 2 by 8% compared to the first quarter of 2018, due to an increase in volume across all business units particularly in Global Vision Care, Global Consumer and International Rx by 8% compared to the first quarter of 2018, due to an increase in volume across all business units particularly in Global Vision Care, Global Consumer and International Rx The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved LOTEMAX SM (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic gel) 0.38%, a new gel formulation for the treatment of postoperative inflammation and pain following ocular surgery, and LOTEMAX SM 0.38% has now launched Received 510(k) clearance for use of the Tangible Hydra-PEG custom contact lens coating technology with some of its leading Boston gas permeable materials, the Boston XO, Boston XO2, Boston EO and Boston ES lenses, including those utilized in the Zenlens scleral lens family XO2, Boston EO and Boston ES lenses, including those utilized in the Zenlens scleral lens family Acquired the U.S. rights to Eton Pharmaceuticals' EM-100, an investigational eye drop that, if approved, will be the first over-the-counter preservative-free formulation eye drop for the treatment of ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis The Salix segment comprised approximately 22% of the Company's revenue in the first quarter of 2019 XIFAXAN revenue increased by 11% compared to the first quarter of 2018 RELISTOR revenue increased by 30% compared to the first quarter of 2018 Completed the acquisition of certain assets of Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Synergy"), including TRULANCE, a treatment for adults with chronic idiopathic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), and dolcanatide, an investigational compound that has demonstrated proof-of-concept in treating patients with multiple gastrointestinal conditions, for a cash purchase price, including restructuring, of approximately $190 million and the assumption of certain liabilities and the assumption of certain liabilities The Ortho Dermatologics segment comprised approximately 7% of the Company's revenue in the first quarter of 2019 Revenues in the Global Solta business increased by 31% compared to the first quarter of 2018, driven by strong demand of Thermage FLX in Asia Pacific following the launch in the region following the launch in the region BRYHALI has experienced rapid prescription uptake by dermatologists within four months of launch 3 The FDA approved DUOBRII Lotion for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis in adults. DUOBRII is expected to be launched in June 2019 Strategic Capital Allocation and Debt Management Increased research and development investment by approximately 30% in the first quarter of 2019 vs. the first quarter of 2018 Refinanced $1.5 billion of 2021 and 2023 Senior Unsecured Notes of 2021 and 2023 Senior Unsecured Notes Reduced debt by > $100 million in the first quarter of 2019 using cash on hand, while still completing the acquisition of certain assets of Synergy First-Quarter 2019 Revenue Performance Total reported revenues were $2.016 billion for the first quarter of 2019, as compared to $1.995 billion in the first quarter of 2018, an increase of $21 million, or 1%. Excluding the unfavorable impact of foreign exchange of $59 million, the impact of 2019 acquisition of $6 million and the impact of the 2018 divestitures and discontinuations of $18 million, revenue grew organically1,2 by 5% compared to the first quarter of 2018, driven by organic growth1,2 across the Bausch + Lomb/International and Salix segments. Revenues by segment for the first quarter of 2019 were as follows: (in millions) 1Q 2019 1Q 2018 Reported Change Reported Change Change at Constant Currency4 Organic1,2 Change Segment Bausch + Lomb/International $1,118 $1,103 $15 1% 7% 8% Salix $445 $422 $23 5% 5% 5% Ortho Dermatologics $138 $140 ($2) (1%) (1%) (1%) Diversified Products $315 $330 ($15) (5%) (5%) (4%) Total Revenues $2,016 $1,995 $21 1% 4% 5% Bausch + Lomb/International Segment Bausch + Lomb/International segment revenues were $1.118 billion for the first quarter of 2019, as compared to $1.103 billion for the first quarter of 2018, an increase of $15 million. Excluding the unfavorable impact of foreign exchange of $58 million and the impact of the 2018 divestitures and discontinuations of $14 million, the Bausch + Lomb/International segment grew organically1,2 by approximately 8% compared to the first quarter of 2018, primarily due to higher volumes. Bausch + Lomb/International reported the highest quarter of organic revenue growth2 since the Bausch + Lomb acquisition. Salix Segment Salix segment revenues were $445 million for the first quarter of 2019, as compared to $422 million for the first quarter of 2018, an increase of $23 million despite the loss of exclusivity of UCERIS. The increase was primarily driven by XIFAXAN, which grew 11% in the quarter as compared to the first quarter of 2018. Ortho Dermatologics Segment Ortho Dermatologics segment revenues were $138 million for the first quarter of 2019, as compared to $140 million for the first quarter of 2018, a decrease of $2 million, or 1%, due to lower volumes primarily driven by the loss of exclusivity of ELIDEL, ZOVIRAX and SOLODYN, mostly offset by 31% revenue growth in the Global Solta business. Diversified Products Segment Diversified Products segment revenues were $315 million for the first quarter of 2019, as compared to $330 million for the first quarter of 2018, a decrease of $15 million, or 5%. The decrease was primarily attributable to the previously reported loss of exclusivity for a basket of products. Operating Income/Loss Operating income was $287 million for the first quarter of 2019, as compared to an operating loss of $2.281 billion for the first quarter of 2018, an increase in operating results of $2.568 billion. The increase in the Company's operating results for the first quarter of 2019 reflects: (i) lower impairments and amortization and (ii) the increase in reported revenues and higher gross margins in 2019 as compared to 2018, partially offset by increased research and development spend and increased advertising and promotion spend following the launch of several new products. Net Loss Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $52 million, as compared to net loss of $2.581 billion for the same period in 2018, a decrease of $2.529 billion. The decrease in net loss is primarily due to: (i) the increase in operating results discussed above, (ii) lower interest expense and (iii) lower loss on extinguishment of debt. Adjusted net income (non-GAAP)1 for the first quarter of 2019 was $358 million, as compared to $312 million for the first quarter of 2018, an increase of $46 million, or 15%. Operating Cash The Company generated $413 million of cash from operations in the first quarter of 2019, as compared to $438 million in the first quarter of 2018, a decrease of $25 million, or 6%, primarily driven by the increase in working capital related to the timing of anticipated sales demand and new product launches, partially offset by the improved operating results discussed above. EPS GAAP Earnings Per Share (EPS) Diluted for the first quarter of 2019 was ($0.15), as compared to ($7.36) for the first quarter of 2018. Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP)1 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) 1 was $851 million for the first quarter of 2019, as compared to $832 million for the first quarter of 2018, an increase of $19 million, or 2%. 2019 Financial Outlook Bausch Health raised its full-year revenue and Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP)1 guidance ranges for 2019: Raised Full-Year Revenues from $8.30 - $8.50 billion to the range of $8.35 $8.55 billion Raised Full-Year Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP)1 from $3.35 - $3.50 billion to the range of $3.40 $3.55 billion Other than with respect to GAAP Revenues, the Company only provides guidance on a non-GAAP basis. The Company does not provide a reconciliation of forward-looking Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP)1 to GAAP net income (loss), due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such reconciliation. In periods where significant acquisitions or divestitures are not expected, the Company believes it might have a basis for forecasting the GAAP equivalent for certain costs, such as amortization, which would otherwise be treated as non-GAAP to calculate projected GAAP net income (loss). However, because other deductions (such as restructuring, gain or loss on extinguishment of debt and litigation and other matters) used to calculate projected net income (loss) vary dramatically based on actual events, the Company is not able to forecast on a GAAP basis with reasonable certainty all deductions needed in order to provide a GAAP calculation of projected net income (loss) at this time. The amount of these deductions may be material and, therefore, could result in projected GAAP net income (loss) being materially less than projected Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP)1. The guidance provided in this section represents forward-looking information, and actual results may vary. Please see the risks and assumptions referred to in the Forward-looking Statements section of this news release. The primary reasons for our change in our 2019 full-year guidance ranges are better than expected base performance and the inclusion of our expectations regarding the newly acquired TRULANCE product. Additional Highlights Bausch Health's cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash were $784 million at March 31, 2019 at The Company's availability under the Revolving Credit Facility was approximately $1.055 billion at March 31, 2019 Conference Call Details Date: Monday, May 6, 2019 Time: 8:00 a.m. EDT Webcast: http://ir.bauschhealth.com/events-and-presentations Participant Event Dial-in: +1 (888) 317-6003 (United States) +1 (412) 317-6061 (International) +1 (866) 284-3684 (Canada) Participant Passcode: 0806644 Replay Dial-in: +1 (877) 344-7529 (United States) +1 (412) 317-0088 (International) +1 (855) 669-9658 (Canada) Replay Passcode: 10129984 (replay available until May 13, 2019) About Bausch Health Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC) is a global company whose mission is to improve people's lives with our health care products. We develop, manufacture and market a range of pharmaceutical, medical device and over-the-counter products, primarily in the therapeutic areas of eye health, gastroenterology and dermatology. We are delivering on our commitments as we build an innovative company dedicated to advancing global health. More information can be found at www.bauschhealth.com. Forward-looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information and statements, within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including, but not limited to, statements regarding anticipated approvals and launch dates for certain of the Company's products (included the expected launch of DUOBRII), our focus on Project CORE and the anticipated impact of such focus, expectations regarding TRULANCE and Bausch Health's future prospects and performance, including the Company's 2019 full-year guidance. Forward-looking statements may generally be identified by the use of the words "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "should," "could," "would," "may," "will," "believes," "estimates," "potential," "target," or "continue" and variations or similar expressions, and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, should or will be achieved, received or taken, or will occur or result, and similar such expressions also identify forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements, including the Company's full-year guidance, are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of management and are provided for the purpose of providing additional information about such expectations and beliefs, and readers are cautioned that these statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties discussed in the Company's most recent annual or quarterly report and detailed from time to time in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian Securities Administrators, which risks and uncertainties are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, certain material factors and assumptions have been applied in making these forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, assumptions regarding our 2019 full-year guidance with respect to adjusted SG&A expense (non-GAAP) and the Company's ability to continue to manage such expense in the manner anticipated, the anticipated timing and extent of the Company's R&D expense, the expected timing and impact of loss of exclusivity for certain of our products, expected currency impact, expectations regarding gross margin, expectations regarding our newly acquired TRULANCE product and expectations regarding base performance and the assumption that the risks and uncertainties outlined above will not cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements. Additional information regarding certain of these material factors and assumptions may also be found in the Company's filings described above. The Company believes that the material factors and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable in the circumstances, but readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Bausch Health undertakes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect actual outcomes, unless required by law. Non-GAAP Information To supplement the financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures, including (i) Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP), (ii) organic growth/change and (iii) constant currency. As discussed below, we also provide Adjusted Net Income (non-GAAP) to provide supplemental information to readers. Management uses these non-GAAP measures as key metrics in the evaluation of company performance and the consolidated financial results and, in part, in the determination of cash bonuses for its executive officers. The Company believes these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors in their assessment of our operating performance and the valuation of our Company. In addition, these non-GAAP measures address questions the Company routinely receives from analysts and investors, and in order to assure that all investors have access to similar data, the Company has determined that it is appropriate to make this data available to all investors. However, these measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP nor do they have any standardized meaning under GAAP. In addition, other companies may use similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures that are calculated differently from the way we calculate such measures. Accordingly, our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to such similarly titled non-GAAP measures. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on such non-GAAP measures, but instead to consider them with the most directly comparable GAAP measures. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation. They should be considered as a supplement to, not a substitute for, or superior to, the corresponding measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. The reconciliations of these historic non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP are shown in the tables below. However, as indicated above, for guidance purposes, the Company does not provide reconciliations of projected Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) to projected GAAP net income (loss), due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such reconciliations. Specific Non-GAAP Measures Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) is GAAP net (loss) income (its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure) adjusted for certain items, as further described below. Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP), along with the GAAP measures used by management, most appropriately reflect how the Company measures the business internally and sets operational goals and incentives, especially in light of the Company's new strategies. In particular, the Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) focuses management on the Company's underlying operational results and business performance. As a result, the Company uses Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) both to assess the actual financial performance of the Company and to forecast future results as part of its guidance. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) is a useful measure to evaluate current performance. Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) is intended to show our unleveraged, pre-tax operating results and therefore reflects our financial performance based on operational factors. In addition, cash bonuses for the Company's executive officers and other key employees are based, in part, on the achievement of certain Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) targets. Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) reflects adjustments based on the following items: Restructuring and integration costs : The Company has incurred restructuring costs as it implemented certain strategies, which involved, among other things, improvements to its infrastructure and operations, internal reorganizations and impacts from the divestiture of assets and businesses. In addition, in connection with its acquisition of certain assets of Synergy, the Company has incurred certain severance and integration costs which were not essential to complete, close or report the acquisition. With regard to infrastructure and operational improvements which the Company has taken to improve efficiencies in the businesses and facilities, these tend to be costs intended to right size the business or organization that fluctuate significantly between periods in amount, size and timing, depending on the improvement project, reorganization or transaction. With regard to the severance and integration costs associated with the acquisition of certain assets of Synergy, these costs are specific to the acquisition itself and provided no benefit to the ongoing operations of the Company. As a result, the Company does not believe that such costs (and their impact) are truly representative of the underlying business. The Company believes that the adjustments of these items provide supplemental information with regard to the sustainability of the Company's operating performance, allow for a comparison of the financial results to historical operations and forward-looking guidance and, as a result, provide useful supplemental information to investors. : The Company has incurred restructuring costs as it implemented certain strategies, which involved, among other things, improvements to its infrastructure and operations, internal reorganizations and impacts from the divestiture of assets and businesses. In addition, in connection with its acquisition of certain assets of Synergy, the Company has incurred certain severance and integration costs which were not essential to complete, close or report the acquisition. With regard to infrastructure and operational improvements which the Company has taken to improve efficiencies in the businesses and facilities, these tend to be costs intended to right size the business or organization that fluctuate significantly between periods in amount, size and timing, depending on the improvement project, reorganization or transaction. With regard to the severance and integration costs associated with the acquisition of certain assets of Synergy, these costs are specific to the acquisition itself and provided no benefit to the ongoing operations of the Company. As a result, the Company does not believe that such costs (and their impact) are truly representative of the underlying business. The Company believes that the adjustments of these items provide supplemental information with regard to the sustainability of the Company's operating performance, allow for a comparison of the financial results to historical operations and forward-looking guidance and, as a result, provide useful supplemental information to investors. Acquired in-process research and development costs : The Company has excluded expenses associated with acquired in-process research and development, as these amounts are inconsistent in amount and frequency and are significantly impacted by the timing, size and nature of acquisitions. Furthermore, as these amounts are associated with research and development acquired, the Company does not believe that they are a representation of the Company's research and development efforts during the period. : The Company has excluded expenses associated with acquired in-process research and development, as these amounts are inconsistent in amount and frequency and are significantly impacted by the timing, size and nature of acquisitions. Furthermore, as these amounts are associated with research and development acquired, the Company does not believe that they are a representation of the Company's research and development efforts during the period. Asset impairments : The Company has excluded the impact of impairments of finite-lived and indefinite-lived intangible assets, as well as impairments of assets held for sale, as such amounts are inconsistent in amount and frequency and are significantly impacted by the timing and/or size of acquisitions and divestitures. The Company believes that the adjustments of these items correlate with the sustainability of the Company's operating performance. Although the Company excludes intangible impairments from its non-GAAP expenses, the Company believes that it is important for investors to understand that intangible assets contribute to revenue generation. : The Company has excluded the impact of impairments of finite-lived and indefinite-lived intangible assets, as well as impairments of assets held for sale, as such amounts are inconsistent in amount and frequency and are significantly impacted by the timing and/or size of acquisitions and divestitures. The Company believes that the adjustments of these items correlate with the sustainability of the Company's operating performance. Although the Company excludes intangible impairments from its non-GAAP expenses, the Company believes that it is important for investors to understand that intangible assets contribute to revenue generation. Goodwill impairments: The Company has excluded the impact of goodwill impairment. When the Company has made acquisitions where the consideration paid was in excess of the fair value of the net assets acquired, the remaining purchase price is recorded as goodwill. For assets that we developed ourselves, no goodwill is recorded. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment. For periods prior to Jan. 1, 2018 , the amount of goodwill impairment is measured as the excess of the carrying value of a reporting unit's goodwill over its implied fair value. However, in January 2017 , new accounting guidance was issued which simplifies the subsequent measurement of an impairment to goodwill. Under the new guidance, which the Company early adopted effective Jan. 1, 2018 , the amount of goodwill impairment is measured as the excess of a reporting unit's carrying value over its fair value. Management excludes these charges in measuring the performance of the Company and the business. The Company has excluded the impact of goodwill impairment. When the Company has made acquisitions where the consideration paid was in excess of the fair value of the net assets acquired, the remaining purchase price is recorded as goodwill. For assets that we developed ourselves, no goodwill is recorded. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment. For periods prior to , the amount of goodwill impairment is measured as the excess of the carrying value of a reporting unit's goodwill over its implied fair value. However, in , new accounting guidance was issued which simplifies the subsequent measurement of an impairment to goodwill. Under the new guidance, which the Company early adopted effective , the amount of goodwill impairment is measured as the excess of a reporting unit's carrying value over its fair value. Management excludes these charges in measuring the performance of the Company and the business. Share-based compensation : The Company has excluded the impact of costs relating to share-based compensation. The Company believes that the exclusion of share-based compensation expense assists investors in the comparisons of operating results to peer companies. Share-based compensation expense can vary significantly based on the timing, size and nature of awards granted. : The Company has excluded the impact of costs relating to share-based compensation. The Company believes that the exclusion of share-based compensation expense assists investors in the comparisons of operating results to peer companies. Share-based compensation expense can vary significantly based on the timing, size and nature of awards granted. Acquisition-related costs and adjustments excluding amortization of intangible assets and depreciation expense : The Company has excluded the impact of acquisition-related costs and fair value inventory step-up resulting from acquisitions as the amounts and frequency of such costs and adjustments are not consistent and are significantly impacted by the timing and size of its acquisitions. In addition, the Company has excluded the impact of acquisition-related contingent consideration non-cash adjustments due to the inherent uncertainty and volatility associated with such amounts based on changes in assumptions with respect to fair value estimates, and the amount and frequency of such adjustments is not consistent and is significantly impacted by the timing and size of the Company's acquisitions, as well as the nature of the agreed-upon consideration. : The Company has excluded the impact of acquisition-related costs and fair value inventory step-up resulting from acquisitions as the amounts and frequency of such costs and adjustments are not consistent and are significantly impacted by the timing and size of its acquisitions. In addition, the Company has excluded the impact of acquisition-related contingent consideration non-cash adjustments due to the inherent uncertainty and volatility associated with such amounts based on changes in assumptions with respect to fair value estimates, and the amount and frequency of such adjustments is not consistent and is significantly impacted by the timing and size of the Company's acquisitions, as well as the nature of the agreed-upon consideration. Loss on extinguishment of debt : The Company has excluded loss on extinguishment of debt as this represents a cost of refinancing our existing debt and is not a reflection of our operations for the period. Further, the amount and frequency of such charges are not consistent and are significantly impacted by the timing and size of debt financing transactions and other factors in the debt market out of management's control. : The Company has excluded loss on extinguishment of debt as this represents a cost of refinancing our existing debt and is not a reflection of our operations for the period. Further, the amount and frequency of such charges are not consistent and are significantly impacted by the timing and size of debt financing transactions and other factors in the debt market out of management's control. Other Non-GAAP charges : The Company has excluded certain other amounts, including legal and other professional fees incurred in connection with recent legal and governmental proceedings, investigations and information requests respecting certain of our distribution, marketing, pricing, disclosure and accounting practices, litigation and other matters, and net gain on sale of assets. In addition, the Company has excluded certain other expenses, such as IT infrastructure investment, that are the result of other, non-comparable events to measure operating performance. These events arise outside of the ordinary course of continuing operations. Given the unique nature of the matters relating to these costs, the Company believes these items are not normal operating expenses. For example, legal settlements and judgments vary significantly, in their nature, size and frequency, and, due to this volatility, the Company believes the costs associated with legal settlements and judgments are not normal operating expenses. In addition, as opposed to more ordinary course matters, the Company considers that each of the recent proceedings, investigations and information requests, given their nature and frequency, are outside of the ordinary course and relate to unique circumstances. The Company believes that the exclusion of such out-of-the-ordinary-course amounts provides supplemental information to assist in the comparison of the financial results of the Company from period to period and, therefore, provides useful supplemental information to investors. However, investors should understand that many of these costs could recur and that companies in our industry often face litigation. Finally, to the extent not already adjusted for above, Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) reflects adjustments for interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA represents earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). Adjusted Net Income (non-GAAP) Historically, management has used adjusted net income (non-GAAP) (the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure for which is GAAP net income (loss)) for strategic decision making, forecasting future results and evaluating current performance. This non-GAAP measure excludes the impact of certain items (as further described below) that may obscure trends in the Company's underlying performance. By disclosing this non-GAAP measure, it was management's intention to provide investors with a meaningful, supplemental comparison of the Company's operating results and trends for the periods presented. It was management's belief that this measure was also useful to investors as such measure allowed investors to evaluate the Company's performance using the same tools that management had used to evaluate past performance and prospects for future performance. Accordingly, it was the Company's belief that adjusted net income (non-GAAP) was useful to investors in their assessment of the Company's operating performance and the valuation of the Company. It is also noted that, in recent periods, our GAAP net income (loss) was significantly lower than our adjusted net income (non-GAAP). Commencing in 2017, management of the Company identified and began using certain new primary financial performance measures to assess the Company's financial performance. However, management still believes that adjusted net income (non-GAAP) may be useful to investors in their assessment of the Company and its performance. In addition to certain of the adjustments described above (namely restructuring and integration costs, acquired in-process research and development costs, loss on extinguishment of debt, asset impairments, goodwill impairments, acquisition-related adjustments, excluding amortization, and other non-GAAP charges), adjusted net income (non-GAAP) also reflects adjustments based on the following additional item: Amortization of intangible assets : The Company has excluded the impact of amortization of intangible assets, as such amounts are inconsistent in amount and frequency and are significantly impacted by the timing and/or size of acquisitions. The Company believes that the adjustments of these items correlate with the sustainability of the Company's operating performance. Although the Company excludes amortization of intangible assets from its non-GAAP expenses, the Company believes that it is important for investors to understand that such intangible assets contribute to revenue generation. Amortization of intangible assets that relate to past acquisitions will recur in future periods until such intangible assets have been fully amortized. Any future acquisitions may result in the amortization of additional intangible assets. Organic Growth/Change Organic growth/change, a non-GAAP metric, is defined as a change on a period-over-period basis in revenues on a constant currency basis (if applicable) excluding the impact of recent acquisitions, divestitures and discontinuations (if applicable). Organic growth/change is change in GAAP Revenue (its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure) adjusted for certain items, as further described below, of businesses that have been owned for one or more years. The Company uses organic revenue and organic growth/change to assess performance of its business units and operating and reportable segments, and the Company in total, without the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations and recent acquisitions, divestitures and product discontinuations. The Company believes that such measures are useful to investors as it provides a supplemental period-to-period comparison. Organic revenue growth/change reflects adjustments for: (i) the impact of period-over-period changes in foreign currency exchange rates on revenues and (ii) the revenues associated with acquisitions, divestitures and discontinuations of businesses divested and/ or discontinued. These adjustments are determined as follows: Foreign currency exchange rates: Although changes in foreign currency exchange rates are part of our business, they are not within management's control. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates, however, can mask positive or negative trends in the business. The impact for changes in foreign currency exchange rates is determined as the difference in the current period reported revenues at their current period currency exchange rates and the current period reported revenues revalued using the monthly average currency exchange rates during the comparable prior period. Although changes in foreign currency exchange rates are part of our business, they are not within management's control. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates, however, can mask positive or negative trends in the business. The impact for changes in foreign currency exchange rates is determined as the difference in the current period reported revenues at their current period currency exchange rates and the current period reported revenues revalued using the monthly average currency exchange rates during the comparable prior period. Acquisitions, divestitures and discontinuations: In order to present period-over-period organic revenues (non-GAAP) on a comparable basis, revenues associated with acquisitions, divestitures and discontinuations are adjusted to include only revenues from those businesses and assets owned during both periods. Accordingly, organic revenue (non-GAAP) growth/change excludes from the current period, revenues attributable to each acquisition for twelve months subsequent to the day of acquisition, as there are no revenues from those businesses and assets included in the comparable prior period. Organic revenue (non-GAAP) growth/change excludes from the prior period (but not the current period), all revenues attributable to each divestiture and discontinuance during the twelve months prior to the day of divestiture or discontinuance, as there are no revenues from those businesses and assets included in the comparable current period. Constant Currency Changes in the relative values of non-U.S. currencies to the U.S. dollar may affect the Company's financial results and financial position. To assist investors in evaluating the Company's performance, we have adjusted for foreign currency effects. Constant currency impact is determined by comparing 2019 reported amounts adjusted to exclude currency impact, calculated using 2018 monthly average exchange rates, to the actual 2018 reported amounts. Please also see the reconciliation tables below for further information as to how these non-GAAP measures are calculated for the periods presented. 1 Please see the tables at the end of this news release for a reconciliation of this and other non-GAAP measures to the nearest comparable GAAP measure. 2 Organic growth/change, a non-GAAP metric, is defined as a change on a period-over-period basis in revenues on a constant currency basis (if applicable) excluding the impact of recent acquisitions, divestitures and discontinuations. 3 IQVIA for three month through 3/29/19. 4 To assist investors in evaluating the Company's performance, we have adjusted for changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Change at constant currency, a non-GAAP metric, is determined by comparing 2019 reported amounts adjusted to exclude currency impact, calculated using 2018 monthly average exchange rates, to the actual 2018 reported amounts. FINANCIAL TABLES FOLLOW Bausch Health Companies Inc. Table 1 Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations For the Three Months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31 (in millions) 2019 2018 Revenues Product sales $ 1,989 $ 1,965 Other revenues 27 30 2,016 1,995 Expenses Cost of goods sold (excluding amortization and impairments of intangible assets) 524 560 Cost of other revenues 13 13 Selling, general and administrative 587 591 Research and development 117 92 Amortization of intangible assets 489 743 Goodwill impairments 2,213 Asset impairments 3 44 Restructuring and integration costs 20 6 Acquired in-process research and development costs 1 1 Acquisition-related contingent consideration (21) 2 Other (income) expense, net (4) 11 1,729 4,276 Operating income (loss) 287 (2,281) Interest income 4 3 Interest expense (406) (416) Loss on extinguishment of debt (7) (27) Foreign exchange and other 27 Loss before benefit from income taxes (122) (2,694) Benefit from income taxes 74 115 Net loss (48) (2,579) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest (4) (2) Net loss attributable to Bausch Health Companies Inc. $ (52) $ (2,581) Bausch Health Companies Inc. Table 2 Reconciliation of GAAP Net Loss to Adjusted Net Income (non-GAAP) For the Three Months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31 (in millions) 2019 2018 Net loss attributable to Bausch Health Companies Inc. $ (52) $ (2,581) Non-GAAP adjustments: (a) Amortization of intangible assets 489 743 Asset impairments 3 44 Goodwill impairments 2,213 Restructuring and integration costs 20 6 Acquired in-process research and development costs 1 1 Acquisition-related costs and adjustments (excluding amortization of intangible assets) (12) 2 Loss on extinguishment of debt 7 27 IT infrastructure investment 4 Legal and other professional fees 8 5 Net gain on sale of assets (10) Litigation and other matters 2 11 Other (4) (1) Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments (98) (158) Total non-GAAP adjustments 410 2,893 Adjusted net income attributable to Bausch Health Companies Inc. (non-GAAP) $ 358 $ 312 (a) The components of and further details respecting each of these non-GAAP adjustments and the financial statement line item to which each component relates can be found on Table 2a. Bausch Health Companies Inc. Table 2a Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information For the Three Months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31 (in millions) 2019 2018 Cost of goods sold reconciliation: GAAP Cost of goods sold (excluding amortization and impairments of intangible assets) $ 524 $ 560 Fair value inventory step-up resulting from acquisitions (a) (1) Adjusted cost of goods sold (excluding amortization and impairments of intangible assets) (non-GAAP) $ 523 $ 560 Selling, general and administrative reconciliation: GAAP Selling, general and administrative $ 587 $ 591 IT infrastructure investment (b) (4) Legal and other professional fees (c) (8) (5) Other Selling, general and administrative (d) 1 Adjusted selling, general and administrative (non-GAAP) $ 575 $ 587 Amortization of intangible assets reconciliation: GAAP Amortization of intangible assets $ 489 $ 743 Amortization of intangible assets (e) (489) (743) Adjusted amortization of intangible assets (non-GAAP) $ $ Goodwill impairments reconciliation: GAAP Goodwill impairments $ $ 2,213 Goodwill impairments (f) (2,213) Adjusted goodwill impairments (non-GAAP) $ $ Restructuring and integration costs reconciliation: GAAP Restructuring and integration costs $ 20 $ 6 Restructuring and integration costs (g) (20) (6) Adjusted restructuring and integration costs (non-GAAP) $ $ Acquired in-process research and development costs reconciliation: GAAP Acquired in-process research and development costs $ 1 $ 1 Acquired in-process research and development costs (h) (1) (1) Adjusted acquired in-process research and development costs (non-GAAP) $ $ Asset impairments reconciliation: GAAP Asset impairments $ 3 $ 44 Asset impairments (i) (3) (44) Adjusted asset impairments (non-GAAP) $ $ Acquisition-related contingent consideration reconciliation: GAAP Acquisition-related contingent consideration $ (21) $ 2 Acquisition-related contingent consideration (a) 21 (2) Adjusted acquisition-related contingent consideration (non-GAAP) $ $ Other (income) expense, net reconciliation: GAAP Other (income) expense, net $ (4) $ 11 Net gain on sale of assets (j) 10 Acquisition-related costs (a) (8) Litigation and other matters (k) (2) (11) Other (d) 4 Adjusted other (income) expense (non-GAAP) $ $ Bausch Health Companies Inc. Table 2a (continued) Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information For the Three Months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31 (in millions) 2019 2018 Loss on extinguishment of debt reconciliation: GAAP Loss on extinguishment of debt $ (7) $ (27) Loss on extinguishment of debt (l) 7 27 Adjusted loss on extinguishment of debt (non-GAAP) $ $ Benefit from (provision for) income taxes reconciliation: GAAP Benefit from income taxes $ 74 $ 115 Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments (m) (98) (158) Adjusted provision for income taxes (non-GAAP) $ (24) $ (43) (a) Represents the three components of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Acquisition-related costs and adjustments (excluding amortization of intangible assets)" (see Table 2). (b) Represents the sole component of the non-GAAP adjustment of "IT infrastructure investment" (see Table 2). (c) Represents the sole component of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Legal and other professional fees" (see Table 2). Legal and other professional fees incurred during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 in connection with recent legal and governmental proceedings, investigations and information requests related to, among other matters, our distribution, marketing, pricing, disclosure and accounting practices. (d) Represents the two components of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Other" (see Table 2). (e) Represents the sole component of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Amortization of intangible assets" (see Table 2). (f) Represents the sole component of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Goodwill impairment" (see Table 2). (g) Represents the sole component of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Restructuring and integration costs" (see Table 2). (h) Represents the sole component of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Acquired in-process research and development costs" (see Table 2). (i) Represents the sole component of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Asset impairments" (see Table 2). (j) Represents the sole component of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Net gain on sale of assets" (see Table 2). (k) Represents the sole component of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Litigation and other matters" (see Table 2). (l) Represents the sole component of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Loss on extinguishment of debt" (see Table 2). (m) Represents the sole component of the non-GAAP adjustment of "Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments" (see Table 2). Bausch Health Companies Inc. Table 2b Reconciliation of GAAP Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) For the Three Months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31 (in millions) 2019 2018 Net loss attributable to Bausch Health Companies Inc. $ (52) $ (2,581) Interest expense, net 402 413 Benefit from income taxes (74) (115) Depreciation and amortization 532 786 EBITDA 808 (1,497) Adjustments: Asset impairments 3 44 Goodwill impairments 2,213 Restructuring and integration costs 20 6 Acquired in-process research and development costs 1 1 Acquisition-related costs and adjustments (excluding amortization of intangible assets) (12) 2 Loss on extinguishment of debt 7 27 Share-based compensation 24 21 Other adjustments: IT infrastructure investment 4 Legal and other professional fees (a) 8 5 Net gain on sale of assets (10) Litigation and other matters 2 11 Other (4) (1) Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) $ 851 $ 832 (a) Legal and other professional fees incurred during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 in connection with recent legal and governmental proceedings, investigations and information requests related to, among other matters, our distribution, marketing, pricing, disclosure and accounting practices. Bausch Health Companies Inc. Table 3 Organic Growth (non-GAAP) - by Segment For the Three Months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (unaudited) Calculation of Organic Revenue for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018 Change in Organic Revenue Revenue as Reported Changes in Exchange Rates (a) Acquisition Organic Revenue (Non- GAAP) (b) Revenue as Reported Divestitures and Discontinuations Organic Revenue (Non- GAAP) (b) (in millions) Amount Pct. Bausch + Lomb/International (c) Global Vision Care $ 203 $ 9 $ $ 212 $ 195 $ $ 195 $ 17 9 % Global Surgical 167 9 176 171 (1) 170 6 4 % Global Consumer Products 324 18 342 330 (6) 324 18 6 % Global Ophtho Rx 161 5 166 143 143 23 16 % International Rx 263 17 280 264 (7) 257 23 9 % Total Bausch + Lomb/International 1,118 58 1,176 1,103 (14) 1,089 87 8 % Salix (c) 445 (6) 439 422 (3) 419 20 5 % Ortho Dermatologics (c) Ortho Dermatologics(d) 100 100 111 111 (11) (10) % Global Solta 38 1 39 29 29 10 34 % Total Ortho Dermatologics 138 1 139 140 140 (1) (1) % Diversified Products (c) Neurology and Other 186 186 209 (1) 208 (22) (11) % Generics(d) 104 104 90 90 14 16 % Dentistry(d) 25 25 31 31 (6) (19) % Total Diversified Products 315 315 330 (1) 329 (14) (4) % Total revenues $ 2,016 $ 59 $ (6) $ 2,069 $ 1,995 $ (18) $ 1,977 $ 92 5 % (a) The impact for changes in foreign currency exchange rates is determined as the difference in the current period reported revenues at their current period currency exchange rates and the current period reported revenues revalued using the monthly average currency exchange rates during the comparable prior period. (b) To supplement the financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP, the Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures. For additional information about the Company's use of such non-GAAP financial measures, refer to the body of the news release to which these tables are attached. Organic revenue (non-GAAP) for the three months ended March 31, 2019 is calculated as revenue as reported adjusted for: (i) the impact for changes in exchange rates (previously defined in this news release) and (ii) revenues attributable to acquisitions during the twelve months subsequent to the day of acquisition, as there are no revenues from those businesses included in the comparable prior period. Organic revenue (non-GAAP) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 is calculated as revenue as reported less revenues attributable to divestitures and discontinuances during the twelve months prior to the day of divestiture or discontinuance, as there are no revenues from those businesses and assets included in the comparable current period. (c) Commencing in the second quarter of 2018, the Company realigned its segment reporting structure and now operates in four operating segments. All segment references in this news release are to this realigned segment reporting structure and prior period presentations of segment results have been conformed to the current segment reporting structure to allow investors to evaluate results between periods on a consistent basis. For more information about the current segment reporting structure, please see "Changes in Reportable Segments" in Note 2, "SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES" to our unaudited interim Consolidated Financial Statements included in our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019. (d) Effective in the first quarter of 2019, one product historically included in the reported results of the Ortho Dermatologics business unit in the Ortho Dermatologics segment is now included in the reported results of the Generics business unit in the Diversified Products segment and another product historically included in the reported results of the Ortho Dermatologics business unit in the Ortho Dermatologics segment is now included in the reported results of the Dentistry business unit in the Diversified Products segment as management believes the products better align with the new respective business units. These changes in product alignment are not material. Prior period presentations of business unit and segment revenues and profits have been conformed to current segment and business unit reporting structures. Bausch Health Companies Inc. Table 4 Consolidated Balance Sheet and Other Financial Information (unaudited) (in millions) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 Cash Balances Cash and cash equivalents $ 782 $ 721 Restricted cash 2 2 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 784 $ 723 Debt Balances Senior Secured Credit Facilities: 2023 Revolving Credit Facility $ $ 75 June 2025 Term Loan B Facility 4,104 4,269 November 2025 Term Loan B Facility 1,402 1,456 Senior Secured Notes 5.75% Senior Secured Notes due August 2027 493 All other Senior Secured Notes 4,950 4,948 Senior Unsecured Notes: 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due December 2021 181 697 5.50% Senior Unsecured Notes due March 2023 780 995 5.875% Senior Unsecured Notes due May 2023 2,650 3,229 8.50% Senior Unsecured Notes due January 2027 1,757 738 All other Senior Unsecured Notes 7,852 7,886 Other 12 12 Total long-term debt and other, net of unamortized premiums, discounts and issuance costs 24,181 24,305 Plus: Unamortized premiums, discounts and issuance costs 293 327 Total long-term debt and other $ 24,474 $ 24,632 Maturities and Mandatory Payments of Debt Obligations Remainder of 2019 $ 182 $ 228 2020 303 303 2021 303 1,003 2022 1,553 1,553 2023 5,436 6,348 2024 2,303 2,303 Thereafter 14,394 12,894 Total debt obligations $ 24,474 $ 24,632 2019 2018 Cash provided by operating activities - Three months ended March 31 $ 413 $ 438 Investor/Media Contact: Arthur Shannon [email protected] (514) 856-3855 (877) 281-6642 (toll free) SOURCE Bausch Health Companies Inc. Related Links http://www.bauschhealth.com BRUSSELS and NORTH CANTON, Ohio, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE: DBD), a global leader in driving connected commerce, announced an expanded partnership with Belgian-owned Belfius Bank and Insurance (Belfius) to deliver a holistic, end-to-end experience to the bank's 3.5 million consumers with a combination of new technology and services. The bank will leverage Diebold Nixdorf's integrated hardware, software and managed services to simplify ATM channel management, streamline operations and optimize consumer experience. Belfius is expected to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) through the improved efficiencies gained through Self-Service Fleet Management powered by Diebold Nixdorf AllConnect ServicesSM. The bank will also enjoy support from DN AllConnect Total Implementation ServicesSM, an expert-led program that efficiently coordinates the deployment of their systems based on a single point of contact. In a continued effort to meet the increasing demand for digital and mobile banking services, Belfius will upgrade more than 650 branches and nearly 2,400 self-service machines with DN VynamicTM Software Suite. To ensure the highest quality service levels on all their devices and lower their ongoing cost of operations, Belfius will incorporate Vynamic View Incident Manager . . The bank's self-service network will be protected from data and cyber threats with Vynamic Security software suite. Diebold Nixdorf will provide a software-driven cash recycler solution that optimizes performance and minimizes cash management cost. In order to easily increase functionality and customization on their self-service network, Belfius will implement Diebold Nixdorf's VynamicTM Connection Points terminal application software with VynamicTM Transaction Automation. This software combination provides the ease of extending more transaction options and accessibility for customers, and provides the bridge to enable mobile and ATM connectivity. Sylvie Busschaert, head of Strategic Projects & Branch Transformation, at Belfius said: "Our goal was to simplify the end-to-end management of our self-service network while continuing to provide all our consumers with the first-rate service they expect from us. Diebold Nixdorf was selected as our preferred partner as its comprehensive solution for the upgrade of our services, hardware, software and branches best fit our needs, all the while supporting us in delivering our digital and mobile banking strategy." Neil Emerson, senior vice president and managing director, Banking Eurasia, at Diebold Nixdorf said: "We are proud to build upon our longstanding relationship with Belfius and provide them with an integrated solution to their business goals and challenges. Our leading technology, expertise and delivery makes us a strong partner to help the bank provide the optimal in-branch experience that consumers expect." The upgrades to Belfius' branches and terminals are expected to be completed in 2020. About Belfius Belfius Bank & Insurance is a well-established bancassurance provider with a local focus. It operates in Belgium in three main areas: retail and commercial banking, financial services for the public and corporate sectors, and insurance. Supported by 150 years of experience in the public sector and 50 years in retail banking, Belfius Bank & Insurance is wholly owned by the Belgian Government via the Federal Holding and Investment Company (SFPI). Its shares are not listed on a stock exchange. www.belfius.be About Diebold Nixdorf Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) is a world leader in enabling connected commerce. We automate, digitize and transform the way people bank and shop. As a partner to the majority of the world's top 100 financial institutions and top 25 global retailers, our integrated solutions connect digital and physical channels conveniently, securely and efficiently for millions of consumers each day. The company has a presence in more than 100 countries with approximately 23,000 employees worldwide. Visit www.DieboldNixdorf.com for more information. Twitter: @DieboldNixdorf LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/diebold Facebook: www.facebook.com/DieboldNixdorf YouTube: www.youtube.com/dieboldnixdorf SOURCE Diebold Nixdorf Related Links http://www.dieboldnixdorf.com WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) today announced that Gregory A. Heckman, CEO, will address the BMO Capital Markets 14th Annual Farm to Market Conference in New York City at 4:50 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. The presentation will be webcast live on www.bunge.com. About Bunge Limited Bunge (www.bunge.com,NYSE: BG) is a world leader in sourcing, processing and supplying oilseed and grain products and ingredients. Founded in 1818, Bunge's expansive network feeds and fuels a growing world, creating sustainable products and opportunities for more than 70,000 farmers and the consumers they serve in over 60 countries. The company is headquartered in New York and has 31,000 employees worldwide who stand behind more than 360 port terminals, oilseed processing plants, grain silos, and food and ingredient production and packaging facilities around the world. Website Information We routinely post important information for investors on our website, www.bunge.com , in the "Investors" section. We may use this website as a means of disclosing material, non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Investors section of our website, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains both historical and forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather reflect our current expectations and projections about our future results, performance, prospects and opportunities. We have tried to identify these forward-looking statements by using words including "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "intend," "estimate," "continue" and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. The following important factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements: the outcome and effects of the Board's strategic review; our ability to attract and retain executive management and key personnel; industry conditions, including fluctuations in supply, demand and prices for agricultural commodities and other raw materials and products used in our business; fluctuations in energy and freight costs and competitive developments in our industries; the effects of weather conditions and the outbreak of crop and animal disease on our business; global and regional agricultural, economic, financial and commodities market, political, social and health conditions; the outcome of pending regulatory and legal proceedings; our ability to complete, integrate and benefit from acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and strategic alliances; our ability to achieve the efficiencies, savings and other benefits anticipated from our cost reduction, margin improvement and other business optimization initiatives; changes in government policies, laws and regulations affecting our business, including agricultural and trade policies, tax regulations and biofuels legislation; and other factors affecting our business generally. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date of this release, and except as otherwise required by federal securities law, we do not have any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. SOURCE Bunge Limited Related Links http://www.bunge.com NEW YORK, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CancerCare, the leading national nonprofit organization providing free support services to anyone affected by cancer, celebrated 75 years of providing help and hope on May 4. Since 1944, CancerCare's commitment to offering help and hope to anyone affected by cancer has remained constant. Every program developed strives to better serve clients with services such as free counseling, support groups, educational materials and financial assistance programs. Earlier this year CancerCare launched a new campaign, "If It Matters To You, It Matters To Us." The campaign declares CancerCare's pledge to holistic, patient-centered support services and celebrates a legacy of comprehensive care for people living with cancer. The heart of the campaign features distinct, personalized stories from CancerCare clients. "For 75 years, CancerCare has championed the importance of addressing what matters most to patients and their families through free, direct services to help cope with the emotional, practical and financial challenges of a cancer diagnosis," said CancerCare CEO, Patricia J. Goldsmith. "Despite the dynamic changes in medicine and the health care industry, CancerCare's growth and evolution has always been guided by the needs of patients, caregivers, loved ones of the bereaved and survivors." With a mayoral proclamation from Mayor Bill de Blasio, May 4, 2019 was recognized as CancerCare Day in New York. This proclamation honors three-quarters of a century of service to the cancer community in the five boroughs and beyond. In addition to the mayoral proclamation, 10 buildings and monuments lit up blue across the country on Saturday evening, including the Helmsley Building, Bloomberg Tower, Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, Wrigley Building, US Bank Tower and the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge. Throughout the coming year, CancerCare invites anyone impacted by cancerwhether as a person living with cancer, a caregiver, a loved one or a friendto celebrate by sharing what matters most to them. To learn more about CancerCare's history and legacy, visit www.cancercare.org, or join the conversation on social media by following #CancerCare75. About CancerCare Founded in 1944, CancerCare is the leading national organization providing free, professional support services and information to help people manage the emotional, practical and financial challenges of cancer. Our comprehensive services include counseling and support groups over the phone, online and in-person, educational workshops, publications and financial and co-payment assistance. All CancerCare services are provided by oncology social workers and world-leading cancer experts. To learn more, visit www.cancercare.org or call 800-813-HOPE (4673). Contact: Amanda Shlosberg, 212 712 8323, [email protected] SOURCE CancerCare Related Links http://www.cancercare.org NEW YORK, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CannaStocks2019 today announced that its Q1 Investor Conference will be held at the OTC Markets Group offices in New York on May 15th. Participating companies and presenters include: KushCo Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: KSHB), Canopy Rivers Inc. (Pink: CNPOF), The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. (OTCQX: SPRWF) and Organigram Holdings (OTCQX: OGRMF). New Frontier Data will provide an industry overview about current market trends. The final agenda of presenters, panels and presentation schedule of presentation times will be released later this week. CannaStocks2019 will feature discussions and presentations from select OTC Markets QX and QB tier Issuers, as well as panels. Industry participants will provide insight on themes including: Innovation- Consolidation, International expansion and Specialization Location: OTC Markets Group Headquarters , 300 Vesey Street, New York, NY Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2019 Time: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Limited seating is available for Investment Professionals and Accredited Investors. To be considered for attendance click here: http://bit.ly/2ZLux8N For those investors unable to attend in person, a live streaming video webcast of the event will be available on the Virtual Investor Conferences. It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates. There are no fees to log-in, attend the live presentations or ask questions. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event. To register to view the Event to: https://tinyurl.com/CannastocksQ1VIC About Virtual Investor Conferences Virtual Investor Conferences is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly-traded companies to meet and present directly with investors. Visit www.CannaStocks2019.com SOURCE VirtualInvestorConferences.com CEDAR CITY, Utah, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2013, the Cedar Band of Paiute Indians decided to diversify its economic efforts by launching a mortgage agency. For the next three years, and without any outside investment, the Band built CBC Mortgage Agency (CBCMA) into a thriving company that provides down payment assistance to creditworthy homebuyers. CBCMA is a federally chartered government entity, and the agency has helped thousands of borrowers achieve the dream of homeownership through its Chenoa Fund. More than half of CBCMA's borrowers are African American, Latino, or other minorities who lack the funds necessary to meet the down payment threshold to obtain an FHA-insured loan. Headquartered in Cedar City, Utah, CBCMA and a collection of other businesses owned by the Band now employ scores of people scattered across 14 states. Often overlooked, however, is how CBCMA directly benefits the tribal entity that founded and governs it, by serving as a vital source of employment and reliable revenue generator. The Cedar Band is one of five constituent bands of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, people whose roots in Southwestern Utah stretch back thousands of years. Formal recognition of the Cedar Band and Cedar (Suh'dutsing) People, came on April 3, 1980, with congressional passage of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah Restoration Act. Today the band occupies a 2,200-acre reservation that stretches from the middle of Cedar City southward along the Interstate 15 corridor. Its people's name, Suh'dutsing, which means cedar, derives from the cedar tree commonly found on the lands long populated by the band. Through the years, the band's leaders have used distributions from CBCMA and other band enterprises to sustain essential government functions, preserve and promote band culture, and create and expand a wide variety of programs that benefit members. Revenues support medical and dental care benefits; anti-drug, tobacco, and alcohol education; after-school tutoring; elder care programs; scholarships to help with college tuition; grants that enable tribal members to purchase off-reservation homes; and many other projects. CBCMA is owned by the Cedar Band Corporation, which was founded by the band in 2002. From its humble beginnings, the Cedar Band Corporation has blossomed to include a diverse array of companies, from premier defense and government contracting firms to a successful convenience store, award-winning wine distributor, and soon-to-open full-service travel plaza. A summary of some initiatives funded by CBCMA and its sister companies follows: Youth Programs: Seeking to enhance youth development, the Band provides a range of after-school programs, assisting students through tutoring and the opportunity to complete homework in a structured and supportive environment. Students who are struggling to maintain their grades receive special assistance, and all youth have access to computers and multi-media resources. In addition, students also are provided special lectures aimed at preventing drug and alcohol use. Seeking to enhance youth development, the Band provides a range of after-school programs, assisting students through tutoring and the opportunity to complete homework in a structured and supportive environment. Students who are struggling to maintain their grades receive special assistance, and all youth have access to computers and multi-media resources. In addition, students also are provided special lectures aimed at preventing drug and alcohol use. Scholarship Program : The Cedar Band of Paiutes Scholarship is available to enrolled Band members who are pursuing a higher education. To qualify, recipients must be enrolled full- or part-time in a university, college, junior college, or technical/trade school and have a cumulative GPA of 2.25. Scholarships are granted on the basis of academic achievement and/or financial need. The Cedar Band of Paiutes Scholarship is available to enrolled Band members who are pursuing a higher education. To qualify, recipients must be enrolled full- or part-time in a university, college, junior college, or technical/trade school and have a cumulative GPA of 2.25. Scholarships are granted on the basis of academic achievement and/or financial need. Elder Assistance Programs : The Cedar Band cherishes its elder members and considers them a living thread to its past. To help maintain and preserve cultural values and traditions, the Band puts a focus on elders and supports them through special activities. Targeted efforts also are made to improve the quality of life for Band elders and foster their independence. Specifically, revenues fund supportive services, such as transportation, as well as a small monthly stipend to each band member over the age of 62. The Cedar Band cherishes its elder members and considers them a living thread to its past. To help maintain and preserve cultural values and traditions, the Band puts a focus on elders and supports them through special activities. Targeted efforts also are made to improve the quality of life for Band elders and foster their independence. Specifically, revenues fund supportive services, such as transportation, as well as a small monthly stipend to each band member over the age of 62. Southern Paiute Language Study and Research: As part of its cultural preservation efforts, the Band offers members the opportunity to learn the Paiute language in classes provided twice each week. In addition to learning to speak Paiute, students can further their skills and knowledge of Paiute history and traditions by engaging in guided research and writing projects. As part of its cultural preservation efforts, the Band offers members the opportunity to learn the Paiute language in classes provided twice each week. In addition to learning to speak Paiute, students can further their skills and knowledge of Paiute history and traditions by engaging in guided research and writing projects. Cultural Opportunities: The Band's leaders are dedicated to sustaining and expanding awareness of important historical and cultural customs. Toward that goal, the Band periodically funds culturally significant opportunities, such as Spirit runs and hunting camps where youth can learn to hunt and field dress. The Band's leaders are dedicated to sustaining and expanding awareness of important historical and cultural customs. Toward that goal, the Band periodically funds culturally significant opportunities, such as Spirit runs and hunting camps where youth can learn to hunt and field dress. Cedar Band Building Renovation and Maintenance : One of the most significant improvement projects undertaken by the Band has been the recent (and ongoing) renovation of the headquarters building in Cedar City . Work completed in 2018 included upgrades to the kitchen, bathrooms, classrooms, CBC's headquarters. and landscaping. Remodeling will continue in 2019, when CBC will re-roof the Cedar Band of Paiutes building. Revenues also finance ongoing building maintenance. One of the most significant improvement projects undertaken by the Band has been the recent (and ongoing) renovation of the headquarters building in . Work completed in 2018 included upgrades to the kitchen, bathrooms, classrooms, CBC's headquarters. and landscaping. Remodeling will continue in 2019, when CBC will re-roof the Cedar Band of Paiutes building. Revenues also finance ongoing building maintenance. Work Training: A key element of the Band's ongoing economic development efforts is providing work opportunities and training to its members, particularly youth. The Work Training Program is designed to offer hands-on job opportunities, as well as education. Participants in the Work Training Program provided substantial assistance in the recent renovation of the Band's headquarters. They also perform building maintenance and landscaping. A key element of the Band's ongoing economic development efforts is providing work opportunities and training to its members, particularly youth. The Work Training Program is designed to offer hands-on job opportunities, as well as education. Participants in the Work Training Program provided substantial assistance in the recent renovation of the Band's headquarters. They also perform building maintenance and landscaping. New Travel Plaza: Thanks to ongoing revenues, the Band has been able to move ahead with plans to break ground on a new enterprise that combines a gas station, travel plaza, and convenience store. The complex, scheduled for completion in January 2020 , will provide additional jobs and income opportunities for members of the Band. Profits from CBC's companies allowed the Band to build this travel plaza without taking on long-term debt. Contact: Doug Elmets 916-329-9180 SOURCE Cedar Band Corporation Total revenue for the first quarter of 2019 was $17.0 million, a 3% decrease compared to $17.6 million reported for the first quarter of 2018. First quarter 2019 licensing and related revenue was $11.0 million, an increase of 9% when compared to $10.1 million reported for the same quarter a year ago. Royalty revenue for the first quarter of 2019 was $6.0 million, a decrease of 20% when compared to $7.5 million reported for the first quarter of 2018. Gideon Wertheizer, CEO of CEVA, stated: "Our team executed another strong licensing quarter, including multiple strategic agreements signed. We achieved a major design win for our NeuPro AI processor with one of the world's largest automotive OEMs which positions us at the forefront of level 3 and above autonomous driving. We also expanded our 5G footprint, concluding three agreements with key players targeting 5G networking. Our royalty revenue from handsets suffered substantial headwinds due to excess channel inventory. Our royalties from our non-handset baseband customer base continued to expand, delivering 22% year-over-year growth." Of the eight license agreements completed during the quarter, three were for smart sensing products and five were for connectivity products. All of the licensing agreements signed during the quarter were for non-handset baseband applications and four were with first-time customers of CEVA. Customers' target markets include AI for autonomous cars, 5G for base station RAN, mmWave small cells and cellular V2X, Bluetooth earbuds, smart speakers and a range of IoT devices. Geographically, three of the deals signed were in China, one was in the U.S., one was in Europe and three were in the APAC region, including Japan. GAAP net loss for the first quarter of 2019 was $2.3 million, as compared to a net loss of $2.2 million reported for the same period in 2018. GAAP diluted loss per share for both first quarters of 2019 and 2018 was ($0.10). Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2019 were $0.3 million and $0.01, respectively, down from the $0.8 million and $0.04 reported for the first quarter of 2018. Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2019 excluded: (a) equity-based compensation expense, net of taxes, of $2.3 million, (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles of $0.3 million associated with the acquisition of RivieraWaves and an investment in NB-IoT technologies. Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2018 excluded: (a) equity-based compensation expense, net of taxes, of $2.6 million, and (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles of $0.4 million associated with the acquisition of RivieraWaves and an investment in NB-IoT technologies. Yaniv Arieli, Chief Financial Officer of CEVA, stated: "We continue to make prudent R&D investments in strategic growth areas that have enabled us to expand our licensing business. While our royalty business is suffering from weakness in the handset space, we are encouraged by the sustainable year-over-year progress of our non-handset baseband business, particularly in the base station RAN, Bluetooth and IoT markets. Additionally, the company repurchased approximately $2.5 million of its common stock under our existing share repurchase program. At the end of the quarter, our cash balance, marketable securities and bank deposits totaled $171 million, with no debt." CEVA Conference Call On May 6, 2019 CEVA management will conduct a conference call at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the operating performance for the quarter. The conference call will be available via the following dial in numbers: U.S. Participants: Dial 1-844-435-0316 (Access Code: CEVA) International Participants: Dial +1-412-317-6365 (Access Code: CEVA) The conference call will also be available live via webcast at the following link: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/984/30118. Please go to the web site at least fifteen minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. For those who cannot access the live broadcast, a replay will be available by dialing +1-877-344-7529 or +1-412-317-0088 (access code: 10130212) from one hour after the end of the call until 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on May 13, 2019. The replay will also be available at CEVA's web site www.ceva-dsp.com. Forward Looking Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that if they materialize or prove incorrect, could cause the results of CEVA to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. Forward-looking statements include Mr. Wertheizer's statements about our new NeuPro AI processor design win with an automotive OEM positioning the company at the forefront of level 3 and above autonomous driving, and the decrease in royalty revenue being attributable to excess channel inventory, as well as Mr. Arieli's statement on prospects of a sustainable non-handset baseband business, particularly in the base station RAN, Bluetooth and IoT market segments. The risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause differing CEVA results include: the ability of the CEVA DSP cores and other technologies to continue to be strong growth drivers for us; our continued success in penetrating new markets, including in non-baseband markets, and maintaining our market position in existing markets; our ability to diversify the company's royalty streams, the ability of products incorporating our technologies to achieve market acceptance, the speed and extent of the expansion of the 4G, 5G and LTE networks, the maturation of the autonomous driving and IoT markets, the effect of intense industry competition and consolidation, global chip market trends, the possibility that markets for CEVA's technologies may not develop as expected or that products incorporating our technologies do not achieve market acceptance; our ability to timely and successfully develop and introduce new technologies; and general market conditions and other risks relating to our business, including, but not limited to, those that are described from time to time in our SEC filings. CEVA assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates. About CEVA, Inc. CEVA is the leading licensor of signal processing platforms and artificial intelligence processors for a smarter, connected world. We partner with semiconductor companies and OEMs worldwide to create power-efficient, intelligent and connected devices for a range of end markets, including mobile, consumer, automotive, industrial and IoT. Our ultra-low-power IPs for vision, audio, communications and connectivity include comprehensive DSP-based platforms for LTE/LTE-A/5G baseband processing in handsets, infrastructure and cellular IoT (NB-IoT and Cat-M) enabled devices, advanced imaging and computer vision for any camera-enabled device, audio/voice/speech and ultra-low power always-on/sensing applications for multiple IoT markets. For artificial intelligence, we offer a family of AI processors capable of handling the complete gamut of neural network workloads, on-device. For connectivity, we offer the industry's most widely adopted IPs for Bluetooth (low energy and dual mode) and Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) up to 4x4). Visit us at www.ceva-dsp.com and follow us on Twitter, YouTube , Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. CEVA, INC. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME U.S. GAAP U.S. dollars in thousands, except per share data Quarter ended March 31, 2019 2018 Unaudited Unaudited Revenues: Licensing and related revenues $ 11,011 $ 10,083 Royalties 5,958 7,486 Total revenues 16,969 17,569 Cost of revenues 2,023 1,972 Gross profit 14,946 15,597 Operating expenses: Research and development, net 12,330 12,016 Sales and marketing 3,021 3,176 General and administrative 2,317 2,954 Amortization of intangible assets 210 359 Total operating expenses 17,878 18,505 Operating loss (2,932) (2,908) Financial income, net 800 927 Loss before taxes on income (2,132) (1,981) Taxes on income 165 201 Net loss $ (2,297) $ (2,182) Basic and diluted net loss per share ($0.10) ( $0.10) Weighted-average shares used to compute net loss per share (in thousands): Basic 21,917 22,148 Diluted 21,917 22,148 Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures U.S. Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts Quarter ended March 31, 2019 2018 Unaudited Unaudited GAAP net loss (2,297) (2,182) Equity-based compensation expense included in cost of revenues 136 157 Equity-based compensation expense included in research and development expenses 1,362 1,269 Equity-based compensation expense included in sales and marketing expenses 356 454 Equity-based compensation expense included in general and administrative expenses 562 891 Income tax benefit related to equity-based compensation expenses (137) (129) Amortization of intangible assets related to RivieraWaves transaction and NB-IoT technologies 289 359 Non-GAAP net income $ 271 $ 819 GAAP weighted-average number of Common Stock used in computation of diluted net loss per share (in thousands) 21,917 22,148 Weighted-average number of shares related to outstanding stock-based awards (in thousands) 775 968 Weighted-average number of Common Stock used in computation of diluted earnings per share, excluding the above (in thousands) 22,692 23,116 GAAP diluted loss per share ($ 0.10) ($ 0.10) Equity-based compensation expense, net of taxes $ 0.10 $ 0.12 Amortization of intangible assets related to RivieraWaves transaction and NB-IoT technologies $ 0.01 $ 0.02 Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share $ 0.01 $ 0.04 CEVA, INC. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (U.S. Dollars in thousands) March 31, December 31, 2019 2018 (*) Unaudited Unaudited ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 21,469 $ 22,260 Marketable securities and short-term bank deposits 135,340 123,608 Trade receivables, net 19,351 26,156 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 7,630 5,264 Total current assets 183,790 177,288 Long-term assets: Bank deposits 14,510 21,864 Severance pay fund 9,629 9,026 Deferred tax assets, net 6,186 5,924 Property and equipment, net 7,265 7,344 Operating lease right-of-use assets 9,501 Goodwill 46,612 46,612 Intangible assets, net 2,411 2,700 Other long-term assets 6,928 6,505 Total assets $ 286,832 $ 277,263 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Trade payables $ 750 $ 632 Deferred revenues 2,811 3,593 Accrued expenses and other payables 17,849 17,527 Operating lease liabilities 1,549 Total current liabilities 22,959 21,752 Long-term liabilities: Accrued severance pay 10,349 9,632 Operating lease liabilities 7,651 Other accrued liabilities 561 Total liabilities 41,520 31,384 Stockholders' equity: Common stock 22 22 Additional paid in-capital 221,071 223,250 Treasury stock (35,686) (39,132) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (427) (1,114) Retained earnings 60,332 62,853 Total stockholders' equity 245,312 245,879 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 286,832 $ 277,263 (*) Derived from audited financial statements Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/74483/ceva__inc__logo.jpg SOURCE CEVA, Inc. Related Links http://www.ceva-dsp.com TSX Venture: KBLT OTCQX: CBLLF FRA: 27O TORONTO, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Cobalt 27 Capital Corp. ("Cobalt 27" or the "Company") (TSXV: KBLT)(OTCQX: CBLLF)(FRA: 27O), a leading battery metals investment vehicle offering exposure to cobalt and nickel, is pleased to announce the National Court of Papua New Guinea approved the scheme of arrangement (the "Scheme") on May 2, 2019, under which Cobalt 27 will acquire all the issued share capital of Highlands Pacific Limited ("Highlands"). Shares of Highlands have been suspended from trading on both the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and the Port Moresby Stock Exchange (POMSoX) effective May 3, 2019, pending completion of the Scheme. "We are pleased to receive the approval of the National Court of Papua New Guinea and look forward to completing the acquisition of Highlands. We are also pleased to announce an amendment to our previously announced credit facility which will provide Cobalt 27 with a reduction in stand-by fees and enhanced flexibility including the ability to increase the facility for the right cash-flowing acquisition opportunity from our extensive pipeline of investment opportunities. The facility is an endorsement of our acquisition of Highlands which further diversifies Cobalt 27's asset base and commodity exposure. We look forward to working with majority owner and operator Metallurgical Corporation of China, as well as the Government and Stakeholders of Papua New Guinea," said Anthony Milewski, Chairman and CEO, Cobalt 27. Amended Credit Facility Cobalt 27 announces that it has entered into an amended and restated revolving term credit facility (the "Amended Credit Facility"), whereby the Company will have access to a US$100 million credit facility and a US$50 million accordion facility which replaces its undrawn credit facility announced on October 24, 2018. National Bank of Canada, Bank of Montreal and The Bank of Nova Scotia acted as Joint-Lead Arrangers with National Bank of Canada acting as Sole Bookrunner and Administrative Agent. The Amended Credit Facility is secured by the Company's assets, including its physical cobalt inventory, its streaming and royalty investments, and the ordinary shares of Highlands to be acquired under the Scheme. The Amended Credit Facility has an initial term of three years, which is extendable by mutual consent of the lenders and Cobalt 27. An initial drawdown under the Amended Credit Facility will be subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions precedent customary for a financing of this type. Following the closing of the Highlands acquisition and the anticipated PanAust buyback agreement, the Company expects to have drawn approximately US$40 million under the facility, paying interest quarterly currently at a rate of LIBOR plus 375 basis points. Highlands Scheme of Arrangement Under the Scheme, Cobalt 27 will acquire all of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Highlands that it does not already own (the "Scheme Shares") for an all-cash offer price of A$0.105 per share (the "Base Purchase Price"). In addition, if before December 31, 2019, the London Metal Exchange official closing cash settlement price for nickel is US$13,220 per tonne or higher for a period of 5 consecutive trading days, Cobalt 27 will also pay additional contingent consideration of A$0.010 per Scheme Share in cash (the "Contingent Purchase Price"). The Base Purchase Price consideration offered for all of the Scheme Shares is valued at approximately US$65 million, which is anticipated to be funded with cash on hand and available credit under the Amended Credit Facility. The Contingent Purchase Price consideration of US$6 million will be funded in escrow and funded with available credit. The transaction is expected to close on or about May 17, 2019. About Highlands Pacific Highlands is a mining and exploration company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and the Port Moresby Stock Exchange in PNG. Highlands' primary assets include an 8.56% interest in the producing Ramu mine and a 20% interest in Frieda River Copper-Gold Project, both located in PNG. Highlands also holds the Star Mountains Copper Gold exploration project in PNG and has exploration tenements on Normanby Island (Sewa Bay). About Cobalt 27 Capital Corp. Cobalt 27 Capital Corp. is a leading battery metals streaming company offering exposure to metals integral to key technologies of the electric vehicle and energy storage markets. The Company owns physical cobalt and a 32.6% Cobalt Stream on Vale's world-class Voisey's Bay mine, beginning in 2021. Cobalt 27 is undertaking a friendly acquisition of Highlands Pacific which is expected to add increased attributable nickel and cobalt production from the long-life, world-class Ramu Mine. The Company also manages a portfolio of 11 royalties and intends to continue to invest in a cobalt and nickel focused portfolio of streams, royalties and direct interests in mineral properties containing battery metals. For further information please visit the Company website at www.cobalt27.com or contact: Betty Joy LeBlanc, BA, MBA Director, Corporate Communications +1-604-828-0999 [email protected] Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain information which constitutes 'forward-looking statements' and 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation: statements pertaining to the anticipated completion of the Scheme, the PanAust buyback agreement, and the respective timing of each; and statements pertaining to the timing and amounts of cash consideration related to the acquisition of Highlands. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond the Company's control. For more details on these and other risk factors see the Company's most recent Annual Information Form on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the heading "Risk Factors". Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties underlying these forward-looking statements materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements could vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this release and, other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise it to reflect new events or circumstances. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. 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. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. SOURCE Cobalt 27 Capital Corp Related Links www.cobalt27.com SAN FRANCISCO, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A new poll of over 20,000 college students asked students how much they think different occupations contribute to society's well-being. Medical doctor ranked highest among college students with 84 percent saying doctors contribute a great deal to society. Engineer (83 percent) is nearly tied for second with teacher (82 percent) followed by scientist (76 percent), construction worker (61 percent), and law enforcement (57 percent). Consultants (11 percent), politicians (14 percent) and financial advisors (22 percent) rank among the lowest of the 16 occupations included. These results have serious implications for organizations looking to hire students. Most students (69 percent) say having an occupation that contributes to society is "extremely" or "very" important to them. "Our results demonstrate a clear trend: college students aspire to make a difference in society. Employers and brands need to know that money alone is not what will motivate America's future workforce," said Terren Klein, CEO of College Pulse. "We are entering the age of the socially-conscious professional." The new survey, conducted by College Pulse , a leading online survey research and data analytics company dedicated to understanding the attitudes, preferences, and behaviors of today's college students, was based on a sample of 20,116 college students who are part of College Pulse's American College Student Panel . The panel includes 240,000 students representing more than 800 campuses in all 50 states. Full results and rankings from College Pulse's survey are accessible on College Pulse's The Pulse blog. Further data from the survey also reveal insights into how different student demographics view different occupations: Students from the top 50 universities are twice as likely as other students to say people who work in financial services contribute "not very much" or "nothing at all" to society. 40 percent of men believe entrepreneurs contribute "a lot" to society's well-being, compared to 30 percent of women. 61 percent of white students vs. 45 percent of black or African-American students say members of law enforcement contribute "a lot." "We conducted this study to understand the potential future makeup of America's workforce," said Klein. "We hope our findings can help organizations better recruit, engage, and inspire college students." For more information on the 2019 College Student Occupation Study, please visit https://collegepulse.com/. About College Pulse: College Pulse is a leading online survey research and data analytics company dedicated to understanding the attitudes, preferences, and behaviors of today's college students. The company offers corporations, brands and colleges actionable insights into the thinking, buying and behaviors of college students. Investors include: Y Combinator, Madrona Venture Group, Norwest Venture Partners, and GSV Accelerate. Jake Gaba College Pulse 469-995-6154 [email protected] SOURCE College Pulse Related Links https://collegepulse.com BRISTOL, Tenn., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Contura Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CTRA), a leading U.S. coal supplier, plans to announce its financial results for the first quarter 2019 before the market opens on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. The company also expects to hold a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2019 results at 10:00 a.m. EDT that morning. Participating on the call will be Contura's interim co-chief executive officer and chief financial officer, Andy Eidson, interim co-chief executive officer and chief administrative & legal officer and secretary, Mark Manno, and vice president of investor relations, Alex Rotonen. The conference call will be available live on the investor section of the company's website at http://investors.conturaenergy.com/investors. Analysts who would like to participate in the conference call should dial 877-791-0213 (domestic toll-free) or 647-689-5651 (international) approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. ABOUT CONTURA ENERGY Contura Energy (NYSE: CTRA) is a Tennessee-based coal supplier with affiliate mining operations across major coal basins in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. With customers across the globe, high-quality reserves and significant port capacity, Contura Energy reliably supplies both metallurgical coal to produce steel and thermal coal to generate power. For more information, visit www.conturaenergy.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Contura's expectations and beliefs concerning future events and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. These factors are difficult to predict accurately and may be beyond Contura's control. Forward-looking statements in this news release or elsewhere speak only as of the date made. New uncertainties and risks arise from time to time, and it is impossible for Contura to predict these events or how they may affect Contura. Except as required by law, Contura has no duty to, and does not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements in this news release or elsewhere after the date this release is issued. In light of these risks and uncertainties, investors should keep in mind that results, events or developments discussed in any forward-looking statement made in this news release may not occur. INVESTOR CONTACT [email protected] Alex Rotonen, CFA 423.573.0396 MEDIA CONTACTS [email protected] Rick Axthelm 423.573.0304 Emily O'Quinn 423.573.0369 SOURCE Contura Energy, Inc. Related Links http://www.conturaenergy.com RYE, N.Y., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Curemark, LLC announced today that results from its Phase 3 clinical trial, the Blum Study, were presented at the International Society of Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting held in Montreal, Canada from May 1-4, 2019. The presentation focused on data from the preschool population included in the Blum Study. INSAR, formed in 2001, is a scientific and professional organization devoted to advancing knowledge about autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The INSAR Annual Meeting is the Society's scientific meeting convened each spring to exchange and disseminate scientific progress from ASD scientists and researchers around the world. The presentation, titled "Pancreatic Replacement Therapy with CM-AT is Associated with Reduction in Maladaptive Behaviors in Preschoolers with Autism," was presented by Dr. Deborah Pearson, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Texas, Houston, and demonstrates statistically significant improvements in core and non-core symptoms of autism in the preschool subpopulation taking CM-AT versus placebo. "We are honored to have presented our findings to the autism research community," commented Dr. Joan Fallon, Curemark's Chief Executive Officer. "Our data suggests that CM-AT has an effect on core and non-core symptoms, including communication, in children ages 3 through to 6 with autism. These are promising findings given the limited treatment options for this youngest patient population." About Curemark, LLC Curemark, LLC is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for the treatment of neurological disorders. Curemark's pipeline includes preclinical and clinical-stage programs for the treatment of autism, ADHD, addiction, schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.curemark.com or follow @Curemark on Twitter. About the Blum Study The Blum Study, completed in 2018, was a 14-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study conducted to determine if CM-AT may help improve core and non-core symptoms of autism. CM-AT, which has been granted Fast Track designation by FDA, is designed to enhance protein digestion, thereby potentially restoring the pool of essential amino acids. Essential amino acids play a critical role in the expression of several genes important to neurological function and serve as precursors to key neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. Safe Harbor This press release includes both historical facts and forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the development of Curemark, LLC's lead drug candidate, CM-AT, for autism and its potential to serve medical needs. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "may," "will," "should," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "estimate," "predict," "potential," the negative of such words, variations of such words and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: (i) uncertainties inherent in research and development; (ii) the ability to meet anticipated clinical trial commencement and completion dates and regulatory submission dates; (iii) the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results, including unfavorable new clinical data and additional analyses of existing clinical data; (iv) whether and when any marketing applications may be filed with any jurisdiction for CM-AT; (v) whether and when any such applications may be approved by regulatory authorities, which will depend on the assessment by such regulatory authorities of the benefit-risk profile suggested by the totality of the efficacy and safety information submitted; (vi) decisions by regulatory authorities regarding labeling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of CM-AT; and (vii) competitive developments. Readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are based on Curemark, LLC's current expectations of future events and speak only as of the date they are made. Except as may be required by law, Curemark, LLC undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect any change in Curemark, LLC's expectations or any change in information, events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. SOURCE Curemark, LLC Related Links http://www.curemark.com IRVING, Texas, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE: DAR) (the "Company") today announced that management will participate in two upcoming investor conferences. Randall C. Stuewe, Darling's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled to present at the Citi 2019 Global Energy and Utilities Conference in Boston, May 14-15, 2019. Management will share the stage with Valero management on May 14, 2019 at 8 am ET to discuss their Diamond Green Diesel joint. Additionally, Mr. Stuewe will present at the BMO 14th Annual Farm to Market Conference in New York City, May 15-16, 2019. Mr. Stuewe is scheduled to present on Wednesday, May 15th, at 1:30 pm ET and will host one-on-one meetings throughout the day. Mr. Stuewe will be joined by Brad Phillips, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Melissa Gaither, Vice President Investor Relations and Global Communications. The investor presentation will be webcast and accessible via the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at http://www.darlingii.com. About Darling Darling Ingredients Inc. is a global developer and producer of sustainable natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients, creating a wide range of ingredients and customized specialty solutions for customers in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food, pet food, feed, industrial, fuel, bioenergy and fertilizer industries. With operations on five continents, the Company collects and transforms all aspects of animal by-product streams into useable and specialty ingredients, such as gelatin, edible fats, feed-grade fats, animal proteins and meals, plasma, pet food ingredients, organic fertilizers, yellow grease, fuel feedstocks, green energy, natural casings and hides. The Company also recovers and converts recycled oils (used cooking oil and animal fats) into valuable feed and fuel ingredients and collects and processes residual bakery products into feed ingredients. In addition, the Company provides environmental services, such as grease trap collection and disposal services to food service establishments and disposal services for waste solids from the wastewater treatment systems of industrial food processing plants. The Company sells its products domestically and internationally and operates within three industry segments: Feed Ingredients, Food Ingredients and Fuel Ingredients. For additional information, visit the Company's website at http://www.darlingii.com. For More Information, contact: Melissa A. Gaither, V.P. Investor Relations and Global Communications Email: [email protected] 251 O'Connor Ridge Blvd., Suite 300 Irving, Texas 75038 Phone: 972-717-0300 SOURCE Darling Ingredients Inc. Related Links http://www.darlingii.com REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Last Thursday, May 2, 2019, the U.S District Court for the District of Delaware denied Hologic's request for the Court to halt all sales of Minerva's Endometrial Ablation product. As a result, Minerva will remain free to continue selling its product going forward. Hologic brought a two patent infringement lawsuit against Minerva in Delaware District Court. Following the trial in 2018, Hologic asked the Court to halt Minerva's sales based solely on its first patent. However, last Thursday the District Court denied Hologic's motion because on April 19th, a panel of three Judges at the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. unanimously affirmed the U.S. Patent Office Decision that all the claims in Hologic's first patent were unpatentable. The Federal Court of Appeals also ordered Hologic to pay Minerva's costs for the appeal. The Delaware District Court noted in last Thursday's ruling that: "It is not likely that the Federal Circuit will reconsider its decision or that the Supreme court will grant certiorari", i.e. further review. As for the second patent, the Delaware District Court awarded damages to Hologic based on Minerva's sales only up until the date that the patent expired on November 19, 2018. Because this second patent expired last November, and their first patent has been ruled invalid, Hologic is not entitled to any damages after November 2018 regardless of the outcome of any appeal. As for the amounts awarded by the Delaware Courtwhich are for past damages onlyMinerva intends to appeal that award, and unequivocally maintains its position that the second expired patent was never infringed by Minerva and should have been held invalid as well. No damages, if any, will be due to Hologic until the appeal process is concluded. About Minerva Surgical: Minerva Surgical is an innovative medical technology company focused on improving women's health by developing treatments for excessive menstrual bleeding. Minerva and Minerva ES, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Minerva Surgical in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks, registered trademarks, and product names are the property of their respective owners. Important Safety Information: Minerva endometrial ablation is for premenopausal women with heavy periods due to benign causes who are finished childbearing. Pregnancy following the Minerva procedure can be dangerous. The Minerva procedure is not for those who have or suspect uterine cancer; have an active genital, urinary or pelvic infection; or an IUD. Minerva endometrial ablation is not a sterilization procedure. Rare but serious risks include, but are not limited to, thermal injury, perforation and infection. Temporary side effects may include cramping, nausea, vomiting, discharge and spotting. For detailed benefit and risk information, please consult the IFU. For more information on the Minerva procedure and full product labeling, visit: www.MinervaSurgical.com SOURCE Minerva Surgical Related Links http://www.MinervaSurgical.com LONDON, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- During an event held recently at Dubai's One&Only Royal Mirage Hotel, Caribbean hotel developers GEMS Holdings Limited presented The Residences at Secret Bay, a Caribbean citizenship by investment (CBI) opportunity offering completed villas within the confines of Dominica's first five-star luxury resort - Secret Bay. The event also welcomed the appointment of Youssef Eldessouky as the Regional Business Development Director of GEMS' new office in Dubai, and covered partnership prospects available through Dominica's CBI Programme. This comes after The Residences at Secret Bay had been approved by the government of Dominica as an investment option under the CBI Programme. Named "The World's Best Boutique Hotel" and ranked the fourth best resort in the Caribbean by Conde Nast Traveler, the 42 villas and amenities will occupy only 7% of the 33-acre territory. As a very low-density project, some of its unique selling points are the intimacy it offers to visitors and being "built within nature, rather than on nature," as noted in a recent press release issued by GEMS. These efforts mirror Dominica's commitment to become the "world's first climate resilient nation," as pledged by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. The premier has previously highlighted how the resort would enhance Dominicans' lives and the island's tourism offering. "At completion, [Secret Bay] will provide direct, permanent, sustainable jobs for 120 Dominicans," he noted, adding that the island "will see one of the best, if not the best, resorts in the Western Hemisphere here in Dominica." Dominica's CBI Programme was introduced in 1993 with the premise of offering global individuals and their families a means of acquiring second citizenship through either an economic contribution to a government-held fund or an investment into pre-approved real estate. In turn, Dominica channels these funds into ecotourism and the island's socio-economic advancement. The Programme has enabled Dominica to launch and support eco-friendly initiatives, such as the ambitious 'Housing Revolution' which aims to build affordable, weather-resistant homes for a large portion of the population. Dominica's CBI Programme has also been internationally praised for its efficiency, affordability and robust due diligence standards by specialists at the Financial Times' PWM magazine. Investors, particularly in the Middle East, where demand for CBI is rapidly increasing, continue to choose Dominica, with the island's programme hailed as the world's best offering for citizenship by investment. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE CS Global Partners Related Links https://csglobalpartners.com Now through May 24, 2019 at DaysInn.com/Suntern , Days Inn welcomes applicants 21 years and older with a passion for international travel, an eye for photography and a love of written storytelling to jet set overseas this summer as the brand's "Suntern," chronicling sunlit experiences in an official travel guide to be featured on the hotel's website and social channels. For many Americans, bucket-list trips like the Days Inn Sunternship are purely aspirational, especially when student loan debt is at an all-time high and can impede travel budgets. According to the U.S. Federal Reserve, there are more than 44 million borrowers who collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt in the U.S. alone. Days Inn is here to help. In addition to paid hotel and air accommodations, this year's Suntern will receive a $150 daily travel stipend plus $10,000. "We're continually dreaming up ways to brighten guests' stays at our hotels, fueling their days when they're with us and their wanderlusts when they leave us," said Patrick Breen, vice president, Brand Operations, Days Inn by Wyndham. "We believe everyone deserves a cultured, overseas experience without deferring or prolonging student loans and this mindset was the very inspiration behind this year's global Sunternship program." While the 2018 Sunternship program focused on travel to some of the sunniest cities in the U.S., this year's post lets the recipient hand-select their journey under the sun think London, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, and beyond staying at some of Days Inn's more than 1,700 locations along the way. About the Role: This customizable, two week-long dream job entails journaling and snapping sunny photos throughout an international jaunt in destinations with Days Inn locations, such as the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America and Asia. What's more, the selected Suntern will get major street cred. Photos and travel insight captured will be featured on the brand's website, DaysInn.com , and its social media channels, in the form of a digital travel guide. Responsibilities: Travel to an international destination(s) for two weeks this summer. Document your adventures in a travel journal and share your top things to do and see. Capture as many sun-inspired photos as your camera roll can hold. Qualifications: A bright, creative, aspiring writer and photographer. At least 21 years old. U.S. resident with a valid passport. Open to new experiences, has a passion for travel and enjoys exploring new cultures. The ability to travel abroad for two consecutive weeks in August 2019 . The Perks: $10,000 payday. payday. Paid hotel and economy air accommodations. A $150 daily travel stipend, allowing you to explore your sunny destination(s) to the fullest. daily travel stipend, allowing you to explore your sunny destination(s) to the fullest. Photos and journal excerpts featured on the brand's website and social media channels. Wyndham Rewards Diamond membership. Diamond membership. A glowing recommendation from a Days Inn by Wyndham executive upon successful completion of the Sunternship. How to Apply: Visit DaysInn.com/Suntern by May 24, 2019 to submit an original sun-filled photo, as well as a 300-word entry describing your dream destination and why you belong there this summer. We'll assess applicants' photography and storytelling skills, and select the brightest person for the job. For more information, or to see trip highlights and photos taken by last year's Suntern, visit DaysInn.com/Suntern . About Days Inn by Wyndham With more than 1,700 locations across 25 countries, Days Inn by Wyndham is one of the largest, most well-recognized hotel brands in the world. Welcoming guests with a warm smile and a clean, inviting room, most locations offer fast, free Wi-Fi; an energizing continental breakfast; swimming pool or fitness center; and more. Whether it's small town or downtown, a trip with family or a getaway with friends, count on Days Inn by Wyndham for a great stay paired with a little extra sunshine along the way. Seize the days and book your next stay at www.daysinn.com. You can also like and follow us on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and YouTube. About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world's largest hotel franchising company, with approximately 9,200 hotels across more than 80 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 812,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 20 hotel brands, including Super 8, Days Inn, Ramada, Microtel Inn & Suites, La Quinta, Wingate, AmericInn, Hawthorn Suites, The Trademark Collection, and Wyndham. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is also a leading provider of hotel management services, with more than 400 properties under management. The Company's award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers over 75 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at tens of thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com. SOURCE Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Related Links http://www.wyndhamworldwide.com JACKSON, Miss., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- EastGroup Properties (NYSE: EGP) announced today that it will be added to the S&P MidCap 400. The Company will be removed from its current membership in the S&P SmallCap 600 and added to the S&P MidCap 400 effective at the open of trading on Tuesday, May 7, 2019. "While growth for growth's sake is never one of our goals, we are gratified by our addition to the S&P MidCap 400 Index. This inclusion is a reflection of our creation of shareholder value and increase in liquidity," said Marshall Loeb, Chief Executive Officer. "As an S&P MidCap 400 member, we look forward to continuing what got us here creating shareholder value and prudent capital allocation while maintaining a strong and flexible balance sheet." EastGroup Properties, Inc. is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. EastGroup's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes 42.6 million square feet. EastGroup Properties, Inc. press releases are available at www.eastgroup.net . SOURCE EastGroup Properties Related Links http://www.eastgroup.net SCHAUMBURG, Ill., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from the Emergency Nurses Association and the Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative explores emergency nurses' perceptions on their ability to care for geriatric patients in an emergency department. The study, scheduled to be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Emergency Nursing, found that there are significant deficits in geriatric emergency care in the United States. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 15.6 percent of ED visits in 2015 were by patients who were 65 years and older a population expected to grow by 112 percent over the next 40 years. Emergency Nurses' Perception of Geriatric Readiness in the ED Setting: A Mixed-Methods Study was the result of a General Assembly resolution to describe the current state of emergency nursing readiness for the care of an increasing patient population. A total of 1,610 emergency nurses completed a quantitative survey and another 23 participated in qualitative focus groups to identify deficits in education, screenings, accommodations and communications with outside agencies, as well as inconsistent use of early screening for frailty and a lack of resources to intervene appropriately. "Treating geriatric patients in the emergency department can be a challenge due to their unique health needs," said ENA President Patricia Kunz Howard, PhD, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, NE-BC, FAEN, FAAN. "This study brings those challenges to light and gives health care providers an opportunity to identify their weaknesses and start turning them into strengths in the name of improved patient care." Because older adults often present atypically with vague descriptions to their medical and psychosocial issues, managing these patients takes collaboration from medicine, nursing, social work and case management. Emergency nurses play the important role of initial identification and have the opportunity to improve care for older adults by advocating for geriatric specific interventions. A significant barrier discussed by study participants was the level of training an emergency nurse might have. They reported that newer nurses without certified nurse assistant training had lower comfort levels with older patients. "Emergency nursing managers, directors and staff nurses can use the findings from this study to demonstrate the gaps between the guidelines and the current state of their EDs, and obtain the resources they need to care for this growing population," said lead researcher and Director of ENA's Institute for Emergency Nursing Research Lisa Wolf, PhD, RN, CEN, FAEN. The Journal of Emergency Nursing is the profession's peer-reviewed research publication dedicated to researching practice and professional issues. For more information on ENA's resources for geriatric care, please visit the geriatric practice resource library. About the Emergency Nurses Association The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With more than 43,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency healthcare public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org. ENA Media Contact: Dan Campana Senior Manager, PR & Communications 847-460-4017 [email protected] SOURCE Emergency Nurses Association Related Links https://www.ena.org "We are very excited to have Shawn on board. He's an accomplished executive with a track record of successfully leading businesses to new markets. With his marketing acumen, industry expertise, and executive experience at SAP, Shawn is an important addition to our leadership team at this time of fast growth for enosiX," said D.Wayne 'DP' Poole, CEO, enosiX. Reynolds held multiple leadership positions while with SAP, leading marketing for several of the company's most valuable solutions. As a member of the global marketing executive team, Reynolds was instrumental in the development of go-to-market strategy for new solutions. For ten years he led marketing for SAP's IoT, global service, and their cloud businesses. Most recently, Reynolds was the CMO for Telit, a public company and global leader in IoT enablement, headquartered in London. "I'm honored to lead enosiX's global marketing organization. This is a world class team, led by some of the best in the industry, and supported by an incredible Board of Directors," commented Reynolds. "SAP customers are quickly learning that enosiX is the best integration solution for their complex systems, and the secret weapon that can accelerate their digital transformation. We plan to build on that reputation to take this company to the next level." Reynolds will be working from enosiX company headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. About enosiX enosiX, founded in 2014, provides integration solutions between front-end platforms and complex SAP systems to unlock data and surface business process without the use of traditional middleware or ETL tools. Our products were created by former SAP executives who had a vision for a smarter integration. Our framework integrates and automates complex business processes across boundaries resulting in accelerated implementation and immediate value for the enterprise. SOURCE enosiX Blue Light Cystoscopy for the Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer Dr. Badrinath Konety , University of Minnesota Dr. , Surgical Techniques: Tips & Tricks: Oncology Dr. Yair Lotan , UTSW, presented on BLC with Cysview for surveillance Dr. Yair Lotan M.D., Professor of Urology, UT Southwestern Medical Center and the lead author on a new Consensus paper for use of BLC with Cysview in the office setting said, "Reaching a broad consensus on the optimal use of BLC with Cysview is a significant milestone. There is considerable, high-quality data that supports the use of BLC with Cysview, and the Consensus Statement provides practical information on incorporating flexible BLC into practice." He went on to say, "Recurrence is often found during surveillance cystoscopies which are typically done using a flexible cystoscope, so it is significant that there is consensus on how to use Cysview in that setting. We expect this advancement will enhance detection in the outpatient setting and improve patient management." There was also a poster presentation of data from the Nordic Blue Light Flexible Cystoscopy registry that showed BLC in the clinic (outpatient) setting may reduce the need for an operating room (OR) visit for a follow-up transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). Poster highlights include: 75% of patients reported that BLC with Cysview added value to their disease maintenance 27% cited the main advantage of the procedure as "stronger confidence in confirming/refuting a suspicious lesion" 95% said they preferred the outpatient procedure over a TURBT in the operating room Overall, there was high interest in Blue Light Cystoscopy (BLC) with Cysview at the Photocure booth and the adjacent KARL STORZ booth. Of the over 16,500 attendees at this year's AUA Meeting, there were many urologists interested in this state-of-the-art drug/device technology for the detection and management of bladder cancer. "To date, over a half million bladder cancer patients worldwide have been diagnosed or treated using BLC with Cysview," says Dan Schneider, President and CEO of Photocure. "We're proud to have impacted so many lives so far. In the U.S. alone, last year's 45% increase in the number of medical facilities that offer BLC with Cysview demonstrates our commitment to improving access for both urologists and bladder cancer patients." To learn more about Cysview and see video case studies of it in action, visit BLC with Cysview Video Case Studies About Bladder Cancer Bladder cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the US and is the fourth most common cancer found in men in the US.(1,2) It is estimated that there will be 80,470 new cases of bladder cancer and 17,670 deaths due to bladder cancer in 2019.(3) Risk factors for bladder cancer include advancing age, cigarette smoking, occupational exposure to dyes, tar, rubber and solvent, and chronic bladder irritation and infections.(4) Bladder cancer is one of the most expensive cancers to manage. It is estimated that upwards of $5.71 billion will be spent on bladder cancer in the US in the year 2020.(5) Bladder cancer is classified into two types, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), depending on the depth of invasion in the bladder wall.(4) NMIBC is in the inner layer of cells.(3) These cancers are the most common (75%) of all bladder cancer cases and include the subtypes carcinoma in situ (CIS), Ta and T1 lesions.(5) MIBC is when the cancer has grown into deeper layers of the bladder wall.(2) These cancers, including subtypes T2, T3 and T4, are more likely to spread and are harder to treat.(6) About Hexvix/Cysview (hexaminolevulinate HCl) Hexvix/Cysview is a drug that is selectively taken up by tumor cells in the bladder making them glow bright pink during Blue Light Cystoscopy (BLC). BLC with Hexvix/Cysview improves the detection of tumors and leads to more complete resection, fewer residual tumors and better management decisions. Cysview is the tradename in the US and Canada, Hexvix is the tradename in all other markets. Photocure is commercializing Cysview/Hexvix directly in the US and the Nordic region and has strategic partnerships for the commercialization of Hexvix/Cysview in Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Please refer to Commercial Partners for further information on our commercial partners. All trademarks mentioned in this release are protected by law and are registered trademarks of Photocure ASA. About Photocure ASA Photocure: The Bladder Cancer Company delivers transformative solutions to improve the lives of bladder cancer patients. Our unique technology, which makes cancer cells glow bright pink, has led to better health outcomes for patients worldwide. Photocure is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE: PHO). For more information, please visit us at www.photocure.com, www.hexvix.com or www.cysview.com. For more information, please contact: Dan Schneider President and CEO Photocure ASA Tel: + 1-609 759-6515 Email: [email protected] Erik Dahl CFO Photocure ASA Tel: +4745055000 Email: [email protected] National Cancer Institute. SEER Stat Facts: Bladder Cancer 2017. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/urinb.html. Accessed on January 25, 2019 . American Cancer Society's (ACS) publication. Cancer Facts and Figures 2017: Special Section Rare Cancers in Adults, and the ACS website. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2017/cancer-facts-and-figures-2017.pdf. Accessed on March 25, 2019 . American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Bladder Cancer 2019. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bladder-cancer/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed on March 25, 2019 . American Cancer Society. Bladder Cancer. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/bladdercancer/detailedguide/bladder-cancer-additional. Accessed on March 25, 2019 . Mariotto AB, Yabroff KR, Shao Y, Feuer EJ, Brown ML. Projections of the cost of cancer care in the United States : 2010-2020. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2011;103(2):117-28. Pulver D, Schoenberg M, Pulver F. Bladder Cancer: A Patient-Friendly Guide to Understanding Your Diagnosis and Treatment Options. Patient-Friendly Publishing; 2017. SOURCE Photocure Related Links http://www.photocure.com ROCKVILLE, Md., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT) invites you to listen to a live audio webcast of its 2019 Investor Day Presentation on Thursday, May 9th, 2019. The presentation is expected to begin at approximately 1:25PM ET. Following the live event, the webcast will be available for replay and the presentation posted on the investor relations section of the Company's website. Event: Federal Realty Investor Day 2019 When: Approximately 1:25 PM ET, Thursday, May 9, 2019 Live Webcast: Federal Realty Investor Day 2019 or www.federalrealty.com. For the corresponding presentations and additional information, please visit our Investor Day webpage. Webcast Archive: Investor Relations page under Webcasts & Presentations About Federal Realty Federal Realty is a recognized leader in the ownership, operation and redevelopment of high-quality retail based properties located primarily in major coastal markets from Washington, D.C. to Boston as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles. Founded in 1962, Federal Realty's mission is to deliver long term, sustainable growth through investing in densely populated, affluent communities where retail demand exceeds supply. Its expertise includes creating urban, mixed-use neighborhoods like Santana Row in San Jose, California, Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland and Assembly Row in Somerville, Massachusetts. These unique and vibrant environments that combine shopping, dining, living and working provide a destination experience valued by their respective communities. Federal Realty's 105 properties include approximately 3,000 tenants, in 24 million square feet, and over 2,600 residential units. Federal Realty has increased its quarterly dividends to its shareholders for 51 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an S&P 500 index member and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT. For additional information about Federal Realty and its properties, visit www.FederalRealty.com. Investor Inquires: Media Inquiries: Leah Andress Brady Brenda Pomar Investor Relations Manager Corporate Communications Manager 301.998.8265 301.998.8316 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Federal Realty Investment Trust Related Links http://www.federalrealty.com LONDON, May, 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Fineqia International Inc. (the "Company" or "Fineqia") (CSE: FNQ) (OTC: FNQQF) (Frankfurt: FNQA) is pleased to announce its U.K. subsidiary Fineqia Limited ("Fineqia Ltd") has successfully arranged for the issuance and subscription of a bond against assets of loan receivables. Fineqia U.K. placed the bond issued by the PremFina Ltd ("PremFina") and subscribed to by global venture capital firm, Wavemaker Genesis Master Fund ("Wave"), a unit of Wave Financial Group. PremFina created and authorised the issue of an aggregate ten 3.5% Secured Loan Notes (the "Instrument") with an aggregate nominal amount of $100,000. The bond is issued in and subscribed to in U.S. dollars, backed by assets in the form of U.K. loan receivables from premium finance loans. This bond has a six-month maturity term. "This bond issuance represents a great opportunity for Fineqia Ltd to arrange issuance and subscriptions of high-quality debt instruments," said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fineqia, Bundeep Singh Rangar. "This should pave the way for more such issuances in the future." PremFina generates loans from the financing of insurance premiums in the U.K., making insurance more affordable for customers. Premium finance is considered high quality debt with U.K. industry loan losses at less than 0.30%. It involves paying the cost of an insurance premium to an insurance company upfront, on behalf on an insured company or person, who then repays the same amount on a monthly instalment basis, along with a finance fee. Fineqia owns a minority stake in PremFina, which it made to establish a strategic relationship with the debt originator. Fineqia's co-shareholders in PremFina include Japan's Rakuten Capital, the U.K.'s Draper Esprit Plc, a U.K. affiliate of Silicon Valley Bitcoin investor Tim Draper, Thomvest Ventures Inc, the investment firm of Canada's Peter Thomson, Emery Capital, Rubicon Venture Capital and Talis Capital. Founded by CEO David Siemer, Wave is one of the world's leading venture capital firms in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. Wave was a first-round backer in EOS and Ethereum and have an investment portfolio of more than 25 projects worldwide. "We are excited to welcome Fineqia as a partner to further our mission of providing institutional investors with the right infrastructure and tools to gain exposure to the growing Digital Asset space," said David Siemer, CEO. "We look forward to continuing this partnership and pioneering a new path together." About Fineqia International Inc. Fineqia International Inc. is a listed entity in Canada (CSE: FNQ), US (OTC: FNQQF) and Europe (Frankfurt: FNQA). Fineqia International outlines the Company's corporate governance, culture, processes and relations by which the Company and its subsidiaries and investments are controlled, directed and governed. Fineqia International oversees and ensures the overall success, planning and growth of the Company and all of its subsidiaries. For more information visit https://investors.fineqia.com/news. About Fineqia Limited Fineqia Limited acts as broker bringing an issuing company's securities to the market, distributing and marketing them as well as transparently highlighting the risks and objectively outlining opportunities involved. For more information visit www.fineqia.com. About Wave Financial Group Wave Financial is a leading diversified digital asset management company, offering early-stage investment, treasury management and asset management strategies & indices to further the growth of the digital asset ecosystem. Led by CEO, David Siemer and President & Managing Partner, Benjamin Tsai, the Wave Financial team is pioneering the bridge between traditional asset management within a new paradigm of digital assets. Risk Warning Investing in start-ups and early stage businesses involves risks, including illiquidity, lack of dividends, loss of investment and dilution, and it should be done only as part of a diversified portfolio. Fineqia Ltd is targeted exclusively at investors who are sufficiently sophisticated to understand these risks and make their own investment decisions. You will only be able to invest via Fineqia Ltd once you are registered as sufficiently sophisticated. Fineqia Ltd, is an appointed representative of Kession Capital Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Investment are not offers of guaranteed returns and investments can only be made by members via Fineqia Ltd on the basis of information provided in the pitches by the companies concerned. Fineqia Ltd takes no responsibility for this information or for any recommendations or opinions made by the companies. Your capital is at risk. Forward Looking Statements Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information (as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws) ("forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that Fineqia (the "Company") believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the failure to obtain sufficient financing, and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. Fineqia Limited (FRN: 757772) is an appointed representative of Kession Capital Limited (FRN: 582160), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK. SOURCE Fineqia International Inc. Related Links https://www.fineqia.com WASHINGTON, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, outlined five (more) reasons to reject any increase in the airport tax, also known as the Passengers Facility Charge (PFC). Some airport executives, despite sitting on record revenues, want American families to pay more every time they fly. Right now there's an effort to double or more the PFC, the tax that air passengers pay on top of airfare, for every leg of their flight. A4A previously outlined five reasons to be against this tax increase. Here are five more: Don't rob Peter to pay Paul. Paul's already loaded: Did you know airports have their own trust fund? Last year the Aviation Trust Fund brought in $15.7 billion , but airports didn't use all of it. There's currently a $7 BILLION surplus in the Trust Fund. With this much unobligated money in the bank, why are airports lobbying Congress to tax everyday travelers even more? Don't get left holding the bag: Buying four airline tickets means paying four times the airport tax. When the average family of four travels, they can currently pay $72 in airport taxes (or PFCs), a cost that airports are happy to hide in ticket prices. If a cap on the tax is doubled, as some have suggested, families will have to dole out $144 just to cover the cost of the PFC on a round trip, one-stop ticket. That's money families would rather be spending at Disney or the beach, not filling airports' coffers with their hard-earned cash. Airports are sitting on billions of dollars: Airports would have you believe they are hurting for cash. Hardly. Though PFC tax collections just reached a new all-time high of $3.5 billion last year, they are just one piece of the airport revenue puzzle. Airports also have access to capital through other taxes, private-public partnerships with airlines and city governments, vendor rent and concessions, and parking fees. They have $14.5 billion in cash on hand, not to mention they raked in a record $30 billion in revenues. It's the economy, stupid: Raising taxes on everyone who flies will have a ripple effect that goes beyond the airlines and airports. Hotels and restaurants will take a hit. Local tourist attractions will take a hit, too. Businesses and their employees who make their livings from the traveling public will feel it the hardest. Travelers going to and from smaller and rural areas will pay more: It's important to note that airport taxes, PFCs, are tacked on each time a passenger boards an aircraft during their travel. Travelers flying to smaller rural communities, which require a layover more often than not, will suffer a disproportionate amount of PFC increases in comparison to the rest of the traveling public who frequently has access to direct flights. To learn more about the PFC, visit www.stopairtaxnow.com. ABOUT A4A Annually, commercial aviation helps drive $1.5 trillion in U.S. economic activity and more than 10 million U.S. jobs. U.S. airlines fly 2.4 million passengers and more than 58,000 tons of cargo each day. Airlines for America (A4A) advocates on behalf of the American airline industry as a model of safety, customer service and environmental responsibility and as the indispensable network that drives our nation's economy and global competitiveness. A4A works collaboratively with the airlines, labor groups, Congress and the Administration to improve air travel for everyone. For more information about the airline industry, visit our website airlines.org and our blog, A Better Flight Plan, at airlines.org/blog. Follow us on Twitter: @airlinesdotorg. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/AirlinesforAmerica. Join us on Instagram: instagram.com/AirlinesforAmerica. SOURCE Airlines for America Related Links http://www.airlines.org BOSTON, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FogPharma today announced the appointment of Howard Stern, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Stern brings over 15 years of experience as an accomplished scientific leader working at the interface of research and clinical development within the biotechnology industry. In addition, FogPharma also announced the appointment of Peter Fekkes, Ph.D., as Vice President of Discovery Bioscience. "Howard brings a penetrating, adventurous intellect and exceptional knowledge in drug discovery across multiple modalities and disease areas, plus outstanding expertise in translational science and experimental medicine. His insights and leadership will be critical as we drive a succession of innovative, first-in-class drugs to the clinic, targeting proteins that have never been drugged before," said Dr. Gregory Verdine, Chairman, President and CEO, FogPharma. "Peter brings tremendous depth and breadth of skill in progressing targets to clinical candidates, and he will serve a crucial role in our R&D organization, as we write the playbook for efficient discovery of cell-penetrating miniprotein medicines. The addition of Howard and Peter to our team represents a quantum leap forward for FogPharma as a mature, powerful and effective new modality drug discovery organization." "I'm pleased to join the FogPharma team at a time when pioneering new discovery and development approaches are increasingly important to combat intracellular disease drivers," said Dr. Stern. "I look forward to applying my oncology and immunotherapy expertise to exploit the promise of cell-penetrating miniproteins that have the potential to drug the undruggable." Dr. Fekkes added, "It is an exciting time to join FogPharma where the applicability of my experience in developing and implementing strategies to identify potent, selective and effective modulators against a broad range of targets will be imperative." Prior to joining FogPharma, Dr. Stern was Vice President of Translational Sciences at Juno Therapeutics where he managed teams responsible for correlative studies and pharmacology of CAR-T cell candidates such as liso-cel and JCARH125. Before turning to engineered cellular therapy, Dr. Stern was Head of Translational Science at Infinity Pharmaceuticals where he directed biomarker teams for multiple small molecule drugs including the immunotherapy candidate IPI-549 and the FDA-approved drug duvelisib. Dr. Stern started his career as a scientist/pathologist at Genentech where he developed biomarker assays for programs targeting the ERBB family, PI3K pathway, and extrinsic apoptotic pathway. He also conducted preclinical research on trastuzumab resistance and genomic alterations in cancer. He has published over 50 articles and contributed to drug development programs across varied therapeutic modalities including small molecules, antibodies, and engineered cellular therapies. Dr. Stern earned an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Chemistry from Pomona College. As part of his post-doctoral training, Dr. Stern completed a residency in Anatomic Pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, and a post-doctoral research fellowship in the laboratory of Leonard Zon at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Peter Fekkes is a seasoned drug hunter with 18 years of industry experience in company environments ranging from major global pharmaceuticals to well-established biotechs to start-ups. Prior to joining FogPharma, Dr. Fekkes held roles of increasing responsibility at Novartis and H3 Biomedicine. Most recently, he headed the New Target Platform at HotSpot Therapeutics, where he applied artificial intelligence approaches to the identification of targets with suitable pockets that are functionally involved in allosteric regulation. Dr. Fekkes also guided the drug discovery efforts on the early target portfolio. Before that, he successfully built the Biochemistry and Lead Discovery Group at H3 Biomedicine and supported the entry of molecules into the clinic for three different programs, all starting from a well-defined mode-of-action hypothesis. A signature accomplishment at H3 was the pivotal role he played in elucidating the mode of action of a novel spliceosome modulator now in Phase I clinical development. Dr. Fekkes earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Diego. About FogPharma FogPharma was born from the scientific and entrepreneurial vision of founder Dr. Gregory Verdine, a pioneer in the discovery and development of new drug classes that "drug the undruggable." FogPharma's cell-penetrating miniproteins are a broad new class of medicines that can drug targets beyond the reach of conventional therapeutics. Together with world-leading experts and collaborators in translational medicine, the FogPharma team is building a drug discovery platform to develop fundamentally new treatments for cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Co-founded in 2015 by serial life science entrepreneur, pioneering scientist and innovator, university educator, venture capitalist and successful biotech company-builder Dr. Verdine, FogPharma is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. and has raised $77 million in funding as of May 2018. For more information on FogPharma please visit www.fogpharma.com. SOURCE FogPharma Related Links http://www.fogpharma.com ROCKVILLE, Md., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year during the first full week of May, Goodwill organizations across the United States and Canada celebrate Goodwill Industries Week to highlight the Goodwill mission transforming lives through the power of work. This year, Goodwill Industries Week runs May 5 11. Throughout the week, local Goodwill organizations will host events like job fairs, tours of career centers, awards ceremonies, retail store promotions, and other donor and customer appreciation events. While the U.S. unemployment rate has recently hit record lows, many communities still struggle with poverty, homelessness and lack of access to good-paying jobs. Goodwill has a long history of helping people acquire the skills and training they need to find meaningful employment so they can support their families and contribute to their communities. "Despite the strong employment market, many people do not have the skills or the access to benefit from it," said Steven C. Preston, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "About 7 million jobs are currently unfilled, while many Americans remain underemployed or in low-paying jobs. Goodwill works alongside individuals to give them a vision for a better future as well as the tools and support to achieve it. Goodwill Industries Week is a time to shine a light on the success of those individuals, and on the local Goodwill organizations, community partners and employers who work together to support them." Local Goodwill organizations first celebrated Goodwill Industries Week in May 1951 as a way to educate people about the Goodwill mission, defined at that time as, "helping people with disabilities help themselves." Today, Goodwill serves anyone facing challenges to finding employment, including people with disabilities and disadvantages, older workers, youth, veterans and military families, and people reintegrating back into society from the justice system. Goodwill helps anyone, regardless of educational level or economic background, reach their full potential through learning and the power of work. Goodwill sells donated items in more than 3,300 stores in the United States and Canada and online at shopgoodwill.com. The revenue creates job placement and training programs to help people earn paychecks and build their careers. Eighty-seven cents of every dollar a consumer spends at Goodwill goes back into local communities to help people build careers of significance and lives of meaning. Every 25 seconds of every business day, a person served by Goodwill earns a good job. ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL Goodwill Industries International (GII) is a network of 160 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. GII is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is recognized by GuideStar with its Platinum Seal of Approval, the organization's highest rating for charities. For the past three years, Goodwill was ranked in the top five brands that inspired consumers the most with its mission in the World Value Index, commissioned by the creative agency, enso. Goodwill has been on Forbes' list of top 20 most inspiring companies for three consecutive years, the only nonprofit featured on that list. Local Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that offer job placement and training services, and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,300 stores collectively and online at shopgoodwill.com. Goodwill helps people facing challenges to finding employment, including people with disabilities, veterans and military families, youth and young adults, older workers, people reintegrating into society, and others working to advance their careers. Local Goodwill organizations build revenues and expand employment opportunities by contracting with commercial, state, government and non-government organizations to provide a wide range of business services, including janitorial and grounds maintenance, flexible staffing, food service, manufacturing and contracts packaging, reverse logistics, document imaging and shredding, and laundry services. Last year, local Goodwill organizations collectively placed more than 288,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 36 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills, and more than two million people received in-person services. Goodwill is both an icon and accessible neighbor: more than 82 percent of the U.S. population resides within 10 miles of a Goodwill location. For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, visit goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube: GoodwillIntl. SOURCE Goodwill Industries International Related Links https://www.goodwill.org ST. LOUIS, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products and provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, has been named a Top Workplace in the state of South Carolina by Integrated Media Publishing. "We are incredibly honored to be recognized as a top workplace in South Carolina," said David Bender, Atlanta District Vice President. "Graybar is celebrating 150 years in business this year and has been an employee-owned company for 90 years. We pride ourselves on creating an environment where our people can grow and thrive in their workplace and community." The Top Workplaces are determined based solely on employee feedback collected through a third-party survey conducted by Energage, LLC, a leading research and consulting firm. The anonymous survey measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, and connection. In March, Graybar was named a Top Workplace in Atlanta for the sixth consecutive year. In January, Fortune listed Graybar as one of their "World's Most Admired Companies." To learn more about career opportunities at Graybar, visit www.graybar.com/careers . Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of 289 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency. For more information, visit www.graybar.com or call 1-800-GRAYBAR. Media Contact: Tim Sommer (314) 578-7672 [email protected] Alex Vietor (314) 573-5108 [email protected] SOURCE Graybar Related Links https://www.graybar.com EDISON, N.J., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive and integrated health network, announced the appointments of Sol J. Barer, Ph.D., as chair of the Board of Directors and David S. Perlin, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer at the Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI). These world-renowned biomedical veterans will advance the mission of the CDI, which seeks to translate current innovations in science to improve clinical outcomes for patients with cancer and other life-threatening and disabling conditions. The CDI, housed in a newly renovated state-of-the-art facility that formerly was home to the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, offers world-class researchers a support infrastructure and culture of discovery that promotes science innovation and translation to the clinic. "The Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation is bringing together the greatest minds in science and medicine to make significant breakthroughs in cancer, infectious diseases and regenerative medicine research,'' said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. "With Dr. Barer as chair of the Board of Directors and Dr. Perlin as chief scientific officer, CDI will continue to push the boundaries of medicine forward." Dr. Barer was named chair of the Board of Directors for CDI. He is a biotechnology industry veteran, and the founder and former chairman, president, COO and CEO of Celgene Corporation. He serves as chair of the Board of Directors of Teva Pharmaceuticals. He is also managing partner at SJ Barer Consulting and advisor to the Israel Biotech Fund. In addition, Dr. Barer serves as board chair of Aevi Genomics and Centrexion Therapeutics, as well as on the Board of Directors of Contrafect as lead director. "The Center for Discovery and Innovation encourages critical advances in medicine by bringing together today's best and brightest to enhance patient outcomes," said Dr. Barer. "As chair of the Board of Directors, I look forward to transforming biomedical research by empowering innovation." Dr. Perlin is the founding chief scientific officer and senior vice president at CDI. He is a highly accomplished biomedical researcher and administrator, and widely recognized as a global leader in antifungal drug resistance, molecular diagnostics and drug discovery. Dr. Perlin is the former executive director of the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School's Public Health Research Institute (PHRI) and former director of the Rutgers Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, one of 13 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-designated national centers for pathogen research. "This is an incredible time to be in the field of science, where diseases that were once considered untreatable are now curable," said Dr. Perlin. "The Center for Discovery and Innovation is accelerating the timeline from discovery to treatment. In my role as chief scientific officer, I am excited to work with top researchers in the field to develop innovative therapies to treat some of the world's most difficult diseases." CDI offers leading scientists and researchers an opportunity to advance their work and enable Hackensack Meridian Health and its hospitals to better serve their communities. Research innovation developed at CDI will lead to the development of opportunities for out-licensing and commercial partnerships. The goal of CDI is to encourage the development of intellectual property with the intent of developing downstream products or technologies that will improve patient care. "The Center for Discovery and Innovation is leading the way in research and innovation," said Andrew Pecora, M.D., president, Physician Services and chief innovation officer at Hackensack Meridian Health. "Dr. Barer and Dr. Perlin are two of the most influential medical minds of our time, and through their visionary leadership we will transform patient care through groundbreaking research and clinical expertise." CDI is an academic-based entrepreneurial center that harnesses innovation from a new renaissance in biomedical sciences to restore patient health. CDI is comprised of three specialty areas: The Institute for Cancer and Infectious Diseases (iCID) , where new ways to treat life-threatening infections and cancer at the molecular level are being developed , where new ways to treat life-threatening infections and cancer at the molecular level are being developed The Institute for Multiple Myeloma (iMM) , which will build on the network's program, one of the world's largest with more than 2,000 patients on active therapy , which will build on the network's program, one of the world's largest with more than 2,000 patients on active therapy The Institute for Regenerative Medicine (iRG), where revolutionary therapies will help diseased and damaged tissue heal itself The iRG is slated to open later this month. ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 17 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children's hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune; nine community hospitals Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, and Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin; a behavioral health hospital Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead; and two rehabilitation hospitals - JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick. Additionally, the network has more than 500 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers and physician practice locations. Hackensack Meridian Health has more than 34,100 team members, and 6,500 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves. The network's notable distinctions include having four hospitals among the top 10 in New Jersey by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and being named to Becker's Healthcare's "150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare/2018" list. The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years, welcomed its first class of students in 2018 to its On3 campus in Nutley and Clifton. Additionally, the network partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to find more cures for cancer faster while ensuring that patients have access to the highest quality, most individualized cancer care when and where they need it. Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies. For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org SOURCE Hackensack Meridian Health Related Links http://www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org The annual event, held at SOLVE's home base at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA, attracts more than 500 prominent cross-sector leaders as well as members of the MIT community. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the featured speaker at the 2018 annual meeting. Mr. Ali will be attending the event as a member of the Healthy Cities Leadership Group, one of four focus areas in SOLVE's 2019 Global Challenge. Submissions are currently being invited for solutions to designing and living in environments that promote physical and mental health. Entries are also invited in the three other Global Challenge areas of focus: Community-Driven Innovation, Early Childhood Development and Circular Economy. At the request of Hamilton Group CEO Pina Albo, who attended SOLVE's 2018 Global Challenge event, Mr. Ali has represented Hamilton at SOLVE since 2018 when he was a member of the Coastal Communities Leadership Group. "The work that SOLVE does is meaningful from a number of perspectives," said Mr. Ali. "Seeking purposeful solutions to global issues that have a direct impact on improving the lives of underprivileged individuals is important to me and should be important to all of us. In that regard, I'm proud to support SOLVE's work in any way I can. "I'm also proud that Hamilton was the first insurance company to become a member of SOLVE. Our focus on technology aligns well with SOLVE's mission. Our membership is tangible evidence of our belief that data science and analytics can fundamentally transform underwriting and enhance the manner in which we provide risk protection to the underserved." About Hamilton Re and Hamilton Insurance Group Hamilton Re is the Bermuda-based platform for Hamilton Insurance Group, the Bermuda-based holding company for property and casualty insurance and reinsurance operations in Bermuda and at Lloyd's. The Company leverages analytics and research to create underwriting and investment value for its clients and shareholders. For more information, please visit www.hamiltongroup.com | Twitter: @HamiltonInsures | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hamilton-insurance-group Media contact: Wendy Davis Johnson Chief Communications & Culture Officer [email protected] +1 441 707-5240 SOURCE Hamilton Insurance Group Related Links http://www.hamiltongroup.com Highly regarded occupier services specialist becomes Principal, will focus on assisting financial institutions with occupancy requirements LOS ANGELES, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Christopher Cooper, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company's Southern California region, announced today the strategic hiring of Hayden Eaves in downtown Los Angeles. Effective immediately, Eaves becomes a Principal of Avison Young and will continue to focus on his specialty of assisting local and regional financial institutions with meeting their occupancy requirements, as well as representing landlords in the leasing and disposition of commercial property. Eaves brings 33 years of commercial real estate experience to Avison Young, most recently as a senior vice-president with Colliers International in Los Angeles. "We believe Hayden will be an optimal brand builder," comments Cooper. "Hayden is a highly regarded occupier services specialist and has a long history of market leadership throughout the Greater Los Angeles area, as well as in the national corporate services arena. We couldn't be more thrilled that he has chosen to join Avison Young. He will be a strategic addition to our enterprise solutions and corporate occupancy practices as we expand our full-service platform around the world." Eaves has provided real estate services to such notable clients as Bank of Hope, Pacific Alliance Bank, South Bay Credit Union, Thinkwise Credit Union, US Metro Bank, ILWU CU, Umpqua Bank, USC Credit Union, Dow Credit Union, and County Schools Credit Union. For the past several years at Colliers, Eaves worked closely with the Maling-Barnes team, which joined Avison Young in January 2019 and includes Chris Maling, his brother David Maling and Patrick Barnes. The Maling-Barnes team focuses on expanding the firm's Southern California and national retail, office and industrial investment sales practices. Prior to joining Colliers for a second stint in 2013, Eaves held senior vice-president and vice-president positions with Coldwell Banker Commercial and Cushman & Wakefield. "I'm very excited to join the Avison Young family," says Eaves. "The firm's culture fosters a collaborative partnership that is unique in the real estate industry. Furthermore, Avison Young's encouragement of an entrepreneurial approach to client service and solutions is unique in our industry and will allow me to serve my clients at a very high level. I am also looking forward to furthering my working partnership with the Maling-Barnes team as we expand our practices throughout the country." Eaves holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from the University of Redlands. Also joining Avison Young from Colliers are Kristen Sullivan (associate), who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational management from the University of La Verne, and Sue Vannasing (marketing coordinator), who will work as a team with Eaves. Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its Principals. Founded in 1978, with legacies dating back more than 200 years, the company comprises approximately 5,000 real estate professionals in 120 offices in 20 countries. The firm's experts provide value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management and financing services to clients across the office, retail, industrial, multi-family and hospitality sectors. For further information/comment/photos: Sherry Quan , Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959 , Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: cell: Christopher Cooper , Managing Director, Southern California , Avison Young: 213.935.7435 , Managing Director, , Avison Young: Hayden Eaves , Principal, Avison Young: 213.471.7318 , Principal, Avison Young: Mark Rose , Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028 , Chair and CEO, Avison Young: Earl Webb , President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young: 312.957.7610 www.avisonyoung.com Avison Young is a 2019 winner of the Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation, having retained its Best Managed designation for eight consecutive years. Follow Avison Young on Twitter: For industry news, press releases and market reports: www.twitter.com/avisonyoung For Avison Young listings and deals: www.twitter.com/AYListingsDeals Follow Avison Young Bloggers: http://blog.avisonyoung.com Follow Avison Young on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/avison-young-commercial-real-estate Follow Avison Young on YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/AvisonYoungRE Follow Avison Young on Instagram: www.instagram.com/avison_young_global Editors/Reporters: Please click on link to view and download photo of Hayden Eaves: https://www.avisonyoung.com/documents/20342/2631393/HaydenEaves.jpg SOURCE Avison Young Related Links www.avisonyoung.com PITTSBURGH, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that on Wednesday, May 8, 2019, about 200 locked-out workers from the ABI aluminum smelter in Becancour, Quebec, will demonstrate outside Alcoa's (NYSE: AA) annual shareholders meeting at the Hotel Fairmont Pittsburgh. ABI, a joint venture between majority-owner Alcoa and Rio Tinto, locked out some 1,030 members of USW Local 9700 on Jan. 11, 2018. The union will send proxy-holding delegates into the meeting to raise questions about the 16-month lockout with the company's shareholders and top executives. The group will assemble at USW international headquarters before marching to the Fairmont for the rally at 9:30 a.m., where the union will hold a short news conference for reporters at 9:40 a.m. Later Wednesday morning, the locked-out workers also will demonstrate at Alcoa and Arconic headquarters in Pittsburgh. Attention Assignment/Editors: Speakers, Interviews & Photo Opportunities WHO: About 200 locked-out USW Local 9700 members from Alcoa's ABI aluminum smelter in Becancour, Quebec; local and international union leaders WHAT: March from USW headquarters to rally outside Alcoa's annual shareholders meeting WHEN: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 - Rally from 9:30 until 10 a.m., news briefing at 9:40 a.m. WHERE: Hotel Fairmont Pittsburgh, 510 Market Street, Pittsburgh More information, contact: Clairandree Cauchy, (Montreal), 514-774-4001, [email protected] Tony Montana (Pittsburgh), 412-562-2592, [email protected] Bob Gallagher (Toronto), 416-544-5966, [email protected] SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW) Related Links http://www.usw.org NEW YORK and TORONTO, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. ("iAnthus" or the "Company") (CSE: IAN,OTCQX: ITHUF), which owns, operates, and partners with best-in-class regulated cannabis operations across the United States, is pleased to announce that its management will be speaking at the Canaccord Genuity 3rd Annual Cannabis Conference. The iAnthus presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 14 at 10am ET. The presentation will be available via webcast. To register for the webcast, please visit: http://wsw.com/webcast/canaccord34/ithuf/. The webcast will be available on the investor page of the Company's website for 90 days following the presentation. The Canaccord Genuity Cannabis Conference provides attendees the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the rapidly-developing cannabis industry from some of the industry's leading experts. The full-day event will feature industry leaders sharing their perspectives on the exciting opportunities and challenges experienced within the industry. Investors interested in arranging a one-to-one meeting at the conference should contact their Canaccord representative. About iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. owns and operates best-in-class licensed cannabis cultivation, processing and dispensary facilities throughout the United States, providing investors diversified exposure to the U.S. regulated cannabis industry. Founded by entrepreneurs with decades of experience in operations, investment banking, corporate finance, law and health care services, iAnthus provides a unique combination of capital and hands-on operating and management expertise. iAnthus currently has operations in 11 states, and operates 21 dispensaries (AZ-4, MA-1, MD-3, FL-3, NY-2, CO-1, VT-1 and NM-6 where iAnthus has minority ownership). For more information, visit www.iAnthus.com. SOURCE iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. Related Links https://www.ianthuscapital.com/ South Africa: Make your X for accountability, responsibility Science and Technology Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has urged all eligible voters -- particularly the youth -- to exercise their constitutional right and cast their votes on Wednesday. The participation of voters is central to a well-functioning democracy and renewed hope, Kubayi-Ngubane said on Monday. The Minister said this after casting her special vote at Khuthala Primary School in Protea North, Soweto. She was one of the 774 094 citizens who have been approved to cast their special votes on Monday and Tuesday, while the rest of the country will take to the polls on Wednesday. The Minister went on to reflect on the 25 years of democracy, saying government has consistently worked on improving the lives of all South Africans. If you compare Soweto now to 25 years ago, huge improvements have been made. No longer do we have no malls, tared streets and lights. Today we have all these. As the Minister of Science and Technology, [I have seen] many young black South Africans are becoming engineers. Many young black South Africans are becoming global players and these are the opportunities brought by a democratic government. The doors of democracy, the Minister said, have also opened for youth, who are now technology developers, competing globally. She highlighted the draft White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), which was unveiled last September, as one of the achievements of democracy. The draft White Paper sets out government's long-term policy approach to the science sector and readies the country for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Government developed a new STI White Paper to enable the country to respond fully to the coming global technological, demographic and environmental changes, taking into account the megatrends spanning the geopolitical, economic, social, technological and environmental spheres. This is intended to address South Africas socio-economic challenges and modernise existing industries such as agriculture and mining, and develop emerging industries such as those linked to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The White Paper will also allow the country to exploit new sources of economic growth such as green industries, improve the quality of life of South Africans, particularly in poor communities, through improved educational and health outcomes, and promote environmental custodianship to safeguard the future. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. HOUSTON, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovapptive, a leading connected workforce platform for asset-intensive industries, announced today the launch of its new corporate brand identity, redesigned logo, and website. These changes come at a time when the company is evolving its service offerings and expanding its global reach. The debut of Innovapptive's new website and the new branding is a concerted step forward for the company in delivering to its customers the best experience possible, while also providing an interactive view into the full breadth of Innovapptive's Connected Workforce Platform. "In the last few years, Innovapptive has successfully expanded its global footprint and grown its Connected Workforce Platform offering. With our recent investment of $16.3 million led by Tiger Global Management, Innovapptive is poised to achieve further growth and recruit high caliber individuals," said Sundeep Ravande, Innovapptive's CEO and Co-founder. "Our new website and brand identity better reflects our market-leading position and demonstrates the comprehensive portfolio of solutions we bring to our clients across the globe." Designed to work effortlessly across digital and physical channels, the new logo evokes a feeling of inspiration and growth and the representation of hands signify support, commitment and value. The emphasis on the check mark signifies Innovapptive's ability to deliver as the right business partner. The newly redesigned website features easy-to-navigate pages and updated, simplified messaging. The visual design was developed to showcase the breadth of Innovapptive's more platform-centric industry-leading product collection, highlighting the brand's diverse array of maintenance and field service, inspections, inventory management, asset tracking, approvals, and analytics & dashboard options. "While our name remains the same, our logo and website have changed to better represent who Innovapptive is and what we bring to the market and for our clients," commented Sri Karthik, SVP of Business Development and Value Engineering at Innovapptive. "Our new identity is innovative, modern and functional words we would use to describe not only our image but also the solutions we provide to companies and our clients who are looking to transform their industrial workers' digital experience." Innovapptive will debut its new brand as a Diamond-level sponsor in booth number 1926 at the SAP SAPPHIRE NOW conference May 7-9, 2019 in Orlando, FL. About Innovapptive Innovapptive is a global leader for industrial connected worker solutions with a purpose to help improve people's lives with the next generation Connected Workforce Platform. The platform digitally connects the entire industrial workforce, executives and back office to minimize plant outages and improve operational excellence. By engineering a platform that fuels innovation and collaboration, Innovapptive is transforming the experience of the industrial worker to increase revenues and margins for its customers. Innovapptive is headquartered in Houston, Texas with offices in Australia, Netherlands, and India. Learn more at www.innovapptive.com Media Contact: Rich Witmer [email protected] (713) 275-1804 SOURCE Innovapptive Inc. Related Links http://www.innovapptive.com LEHI, Utah, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Geneva Rock Products and Clyde Properties announce the recent approval by Lehi City to develop a new transit-oriented development (TOD) on the site of a former gravel pit. The proposal by Geneva Rock and Clyde Properties required annexation into Lehi City boundaries and approval of the conceptual site plan by the city council, which approved the project on Tuesday, April 23, by a 4-0 vote in favor. The former gravel pit will be transformed into a mixed-use TOD project, that will include 300 luxury apartments and 100 townhome units. The project is designed to accommodate pedestrian and bicycle uses with access to nearby existing and future trail systems. One highlight of the project will be the integration of the upcoming Lehi Rail Trail, which will weave through the site. The project also includes potential commercial office and retail space and a religious church building site. Geneva Rock will be donating approximately eight acres of land to Lehi City to accommodate a future UTA transit station and parking lot. "This site will become a model transit and pedestrian-oriented community in the heart of Silicon Slopes," said Brandon Henrie, General Manager of Clyde Properties. "We are confident that this community will attract tech employees that are looking for housing options near work with access to transit." "This development is the first site at Geneva's Point of the Mountain gravel operation to be retired and transformed into another use," said Jim Golding, President of Geneva Rock. "Mining at Point of the Mountain is being done in a way to plan for future land use, and this property will become a great example of that final use." Clyde Properties hopes to begin site work on the project later this year. About Geneva Rock Products & Clyde Properties Geneva Rock Products and Clyde Properties are subsidiaries of Clyde Companies, Inc., based in Orem, Utah. SOURCE Geneva Rock Products, Inc. ATLANTA, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jemstep, a leading digital advice solutions provider, today announced the launch of the Jemstep Advisor Pro App on Salesforce AppExchange, the world's leading enterprise cloud marketplace. Jemstep serves banks, credit unions, broker dealers, insurance companies, and RIAs. The App is available today to all financial advisory firms using Jemstep Advisor Pro, Jemstep's configurable, white-label digital advice platform. It is also configured for Lightning and Financial Services Cloud, as well as Sales and Service Clouds. The rising tide of digital adoption The rising tide of digital adoption is reshaping investor expectations. To meet these expectations, wealth management firms are transforming their businesses to provide investors with personalized service and the convenience of 24/7 access. The new Advisor Pro App demonstrates Jemstep's commitment to supporting its enterprise customers using Salesforce to meaningfully engage with their clients and prospects. "Jemstep embraces collaborations to unify the digital advice experience for banks, broker-dealers, insurers and RIAs," said Simon Roy, Jemstep President and CEO. "Combining the modern, goal-based investing experience of Jemstep Advisor Pro with Salesforce's extensive CRM capabilities results in an intelligent and scalable enterprise class digital platform for advisors supporting personalized solutions for investors." A digital partner for personalized, goal-based advice Jemstep Advisor Pro is an end-to-end digital advice platform that integrates a client's investment experience with Salesforce on AppExchange. The App integrates investor goals, risk profiles and suitability, current and held-away assets, and mapped investment models to Salesforce users in real-time. It also reduces the integration setup and administration costs and supports functionality updates. Jemstep Advisor Pro guides clients and prospects through the investment experience, from initial profiling to identifying financial goals, discovering assets to help achieve those goals, and tracking each goal's progress. The Advisor Pro App enables advisors and home offices to support their clients and digitally transform their businesses in several ways: Grow AUM. For prospects and existing clients, Jemstep Advisor Pro provides a goal-based experience that encourages a more complete view of investor assets. With greater visibility into an investor's financial profile and goals through the Salesforce integration, advisors can structure conversations to build and reinforce trust. Opportunities to digitally engage retail banking clients in wealth management solutions are easier to discover and can result in deeper and more enduring client household relationships. The App also enables a more targeted and scalable approach to prospecting, segmentation, and outreach prioritization. For prospects and existing clients, Jemstep Advisor Pro provides a goal-based experience that encourages a more complete view of investor assets. With greater visibility into an investor's financial profile and goals through the Salesforce integration, advisors can structure conversations to build and reinforce trust. Opportunities to digitally engage retail banking clients in wealth management solutions are easier to discover and can result in deeper and more enduring client household relationships. The App also enables a more targeted and scalable approach to prospecting, segmentation, and outreach prioritization. Reduce the cost to serve clients. Capable of tailoring advice and investment models by client segment, Jemstep Advisor Pro allows firms to configure human and digital guidance to match client segment economics and preferences. Jemstep Advisor Pro drives efficiencies by making it easier for clients to self-onboard with paperless account opening and 24x7 self-service using an intuitive client dashboard. The platform maps investment solutions to client needs with a consistent approach informed by a firm's compliance standards, and the App enables firms to make that data accessible to their advisors, middle and back office teams. Capable of tailoring advice and investment models by client segment, Jemstep Advisor Pro allows firms to configure human and digital guidance to match client segment economics and preferences. Jemstep Advisor Pro drives efficiencies by making it easier for clients to self-onboard with paperless account opening and 24x7 self-service using an intuitive client dashboard. The platform maps investment solutions to client needs with a consistent approach informed by a firm's compliance standards, and the App enables firms to make that data accessible to their advisors, middle and back office teams. Create an enhanced experience. With Jemstep, clients onboard in 10 minutes or less. Straight-through processing and deep custodian integrations make it easy for advisors and investors to open and manage accounts. Real-time data from Jemstep Advisor Pro enriches the advisor experience on Salesforce, and can facilitate deeper, more informed client relationships and more efficient middle and back office services. "We are excited to welcome Jemstep to Salesforce AppExchange and into the Financial Services Cloud ecosystem," said Rohit Mahna, SVP and GM, Financial Services at Salesforce. "We look forward to watching Jemstep continue to build innovative solutions that empower financial advisors to deliver the best client experience." As one of the leaders in digital advice, Jemstep provides a modern solution to offering goal-based investing to clients. Over the past year, Jemstep has gained significant momentum and expanded its reach into the US banking sector, giving banks and other financial services firms a way to bring a superior digital investing experience to life for their advisors and clients. About Salesforce AppExchange Salesforce AppExchange, the world's leading enterprise cloud marketplace, empowers companies to sell, service, market and engage in entirely new ways. With more than 5,000 solutions, 6 million customer installs and 80,000 peer reviews, it is the most comprehensive source of cloud, mobile, social, IoT, analytics and artificial intelligence technologies for businesses. Additional Resources Like Salesforce on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/salesforce Follow Salesforce on Twitter: https://twitter.com/salesforce Salesforce, AppExchange, Financial Services Cloud, Sales Cloud, Service Cloud and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. About Jemstep Founded in 2008, Jemstep is a Silicon Valley-based financial technology firm that transforms the way banks and other financial institutions deliver digital advice. Jemstep's Advisor Pro is an end-to-end digital wealth solution that provides clients and advisors with a superior digital investing experience. It can also help firms grow their book of business, lower costs to serve, increase operational efficiencies, and reduce complexities. Advisor Pro gives clients easy and convenient access to their investments, with help when and where they need it. Jemstep's parent company, Invesco, a global asset manager, provides support and deep resources to help meet customer's complex needs now and in the future. Learn more about Jemstep's capabilities at Jemstep.com and Twitter. About Invesco Invesco is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life.NYSE: IVZ; www.invesco.com Jemstep, Inc. provides a digital solution for investment advisors. Jemstep is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Invesco, Ltd. SOURCE Jemstep Related Links http://www.jemstep.com MIDDLEBROOK, Va., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA) , the preeminent provider of Public Relations, Marketing and Event Planning services for the tech and telecom industries, and founder and host of the C-Level networking event series the Telecom Exchange (TEX) , announces today City of Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and Dr. Kevin Ryan of the Stevens Institute of Technology are the keynote speakers for the company's upcoming TEX NYC event, taking place May 14-15 at the W Hoboken. The keynote presentation will occur on Wednesday, May 15 at 9:30 AM, following the event's opening remarks from JSA Founder and CEO, Jaymie Scotto Cutaia . Ravi S. Bhalla was elected Hoboken's 39th Mayor on November 7, 2017. Born and raised in New Jersey, Mayor Bhalla is an 18-year resident of Hoboken and an 8-year member of the Hoboken City Council. As TEX NYC's Keynote Speaker, Mayor Bhalla will address the latest in smart city developments, focusing on the Tri State Area, paying particular attention to the connectivity gateway between New York and New Jersey. Dr. Kevin Ryan, Teaching Professor and Program Director of the Network and Communications Management Services for Stevens Institute of Technology, will follow Mayor Bhalla to discuss in Q&A format the challenges and opportunities the tech and telecom industries face in raising and incubating young talent for next-generation network infrastructure, a key component for smart city development. Stevens Institute of Technology is an integral partner of the City of Hoboken, extending its expertise in areas of science, technology, business, and engineering to generate far-reaching impact in Hoboken. Through meaningful and sustained partnerships with local technology organizations, businesses, and government, Stevens shares research, knowledge capital, and resources to benefit economic growth, policy and innovation. Hoboken is one of five communities statewide that was awarded $100,000 innovation grant by the state Economic Development Authority (NJEDA). The city, in partnership with Propelify, Stevens Institute of Technology and the Hoboken Library, is utilizing the funds to create a coworking innovation center. "We are honored to welcome these esteemed gentlemen as our keynote speakers at our ninth consecutive Telecom Exchange New York event, right here in Hoboken, a city leading in the development of innovation and technology," comments Scotto Cutaia. "Additionally, and as we have heard quarterly at Telecom Exchange events across North America this year, their keynote conversations will directly address our TEX manifesto items and the industry's developing for incubating and recruiting a strong, diverse and younger workforce and the local government support needed for exponential network infrastructure growth." Telecom Exchange (TEX) is a decision maker networking community, that provides unparalleled collaboration, education, and one-on-one engagement with the industry's top executives, CEO Roundtables, offering discussion and collaboration on the industry's hottest topics from a stellar speaker line-up. To secure your company's executive participation with a TEX 2019 Annual sponsorship or for registration information, subject to board approval, please visit www.TheTelecomExchange.com . About Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA) Celebrating more than 14 years of success, Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA) is the preeminent provider of Public Relations, Marketing and Event Planning services to the tech and telecom industries. Awarded 'Most Outstanding Telecoms PR Agency' by LiveWire for two years in a row, our success is attributed to our skilled JSA team, innovative tools, and established media and industry relationships, allowing us to deliver the finest outreach and brand awareness services available with measurable return on investment. Our clients enjoy 'insider access' to the top journalists, bloggers, analysts and thought leaders shaping tech and telecom as well as critical networking opportunities, including JSA's own industry networking event series, the Telecom Exchange (TEX). We also feature client and marketplace news via JSA WalkOuts (3D-like interactive video), JSA TV (our video newsroom on YouTube), JSA Radio (our podcast channel on iHeartRadio), Virtual CEO Roundtables (our monthly panel discussions with top industry thought leaders), Telecom News & Trends (our newsletter to 26K+ subscribers) and Tech and Telecom News Now (our industry blog with 156K+ readers). To learn more about how JSA can elevate your brand, visit www.jsa.net . Join the conversation: Follow JSA on LinkedIn and Twitter . For media inquiries, please contact: Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA) +1 866.695.3629 ext. 6 [email protected] SOURCE Jaymie Scotto & Associates, LLC Related Links http://www.jsa.net OAKLAND, Calif., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest nonprofit, integrated health system, is launching Thrive Local, the most comprehensive, far-reaching social health network of its kind. Kaiser Permanente is partnering with Unite Us to connect health care and social services providers to address the pressing social needs including housing, food, safety, utilities and more for millions of people across the United States. With an ambitious timeline, the new Thrive Local network will start rolling out summer 2019. Within three years, it will be available to all of Kaiser Permanente's 12.3 million members and the 68 million people in the communities Kaiser Permanente serves. These communities' health care providers and caregivers will now have unparalleled capabilities to seamlessly match an individual's social needs with the appropriate services from within a robust network of nonprofit, public and private resources. "Kaiser Permanente has long understood that total health can only be achieved through a combination of physical, mental and social care," said Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson. "In order to thrive, people need access to the things that are vital to health such as secure housing and nutritious food. Our unique mission to improve not only the health of our members, but also that of our communities, drives us to undertake impactful initiatives like Thrive Local to connect our communities with the services they need. This is one of our bold moves." Recent data indicates that in certain regions, up to 29% of Kaiser Permanente's members that have the greatest medical challenges are dealing with food insecurity, and as many as 23% have concerns about housing stability critical issues that are among the types of challenges that Thrive Local will address. In addition to being integrated into Kaiser Permanente's electronic health record system to comprehensively serve its members, Thrive Local's network of resources will also be made available to community-based organizations to efficiently reach the broadest possible group of those in need. "Where and how people live, work and play drive more than half of health outcomes. To address total health, we, as physicians, need systems and networks that address our patients' social needs," said Imelda Dacones, MD, president and chief executive officer, Northwest Permanente. "Health care in this country must continue to evolve from acute episodic care, to an integrated coordinated system focused on prevention and coordinated care management. This tool will accelerate our evolution as a sector to next-generation care delivery a community-integrated model that connects physicians, our patients and health care systems to community resources that address our patients' socioeconomic needs." The network will track community partner referrals and service outcomes to measure the degree to which participants' needs are met gathering data to continuously improve service delivery and better address community conditions for health. Kaiser Permanente is partnering with and investing in Unite Us, a social care coordination platform to build and power this transformative network. "By integrating this network into our clinical care, our members with unmet social needs will be connected to community services more efficiently," said Bechara Choucair, MD, chief community health officer, Kaiser Permanente. "In addition, Thrive Local will be open to community health centers and community-based organizations to improve social health access for the entire community." About Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12.3 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/ For more information, contact: Marc Brown, [email protected], 510-271-6328 SOURCE Kaiser Permanente Related Links http://www.kaiserpermanente.org Abdul-Jabbar is best known for his dominant career in the NBA, where he won six championships, was named MVP six times, and was a 19-time All-Star while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. He remains the NBA record-holder for most career points scored and games won. Off the court, Abdul-Jabbar's wide range of pursuits has led to a towering and enduring legacy as a celebrated filmmaker, author, and educational ambassador. He has written or co-authored more than a dozen books, including memoirs, nonfiction, young adult fiction, and graphic novels, several of them best-sellers. As an activist, and columnist for TIME magazine, he's tackled racism, gun control, police violence, religious intolerance and misogyny, among other topics. In 2011, Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Double Helix Medal for his work in raising awareness for cancer research. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named Abdul-Jabbar a cultural ambassador for the United States in 2012, and in 2016 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor by President Obama. The university announced that Maria Salinas '87, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, will speak at LMU's graduate Commencement Exercises. In August 2018, Salinas became the first woman and Latina to lead the L.A. Area Chamber in its 130-year history. The Chamber serves more than 1,600 member companies and the interests of more than 235,000 businesses across the L.A. region. Salinas, an accomplished community leader and entrepreneur, previously founded Salinas Consulting, a finance and accounting consultancy firm. Prior to that, she held financial leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company. She began her career in public accounting with Ernst & Young and Kenneth Leventhal & Company. She earned her Bachelor of Science in accounting from LMU and is chair of the university's Board of Regents. Salinas has served numerous esteemed civic and nonprofit organizations and has been recognized for her leadership and community service. More than 1,600 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees will be conferred at the Saturday ceremony, and more than 700 graduate degrees will be conferred on Sunday. LMU graduates in the class of 2019 come from 43 U.S. states and 30 countries. Both commencement ceremonies will be streamed live at www.lmu.edu/commencement. Contact: Mason Stockstill, 1-310-338-5133, [email protected] SOURCE Loyola Marymount University Related Links http://www.lmu.edu "Our solid third quarter financial results reflect continued growth of our core business," said Tim Crew, chief executive officer of Lannett. "Excluding sales of Levothyroxine, net sales have progressed from $101 million to $105 million to $118 million in the first, second and third quarters, respectively, representing 17% growth from the first to the third quarter. This growth has largely been fueled by the launch of new products, while maintaining our base business. "We remain quite positive about our progress and outlook. During March, we purchased approximately $24 million of our Term Loans in open market transactions, and still had more than $200 million in cash at quarter end. Our cost reduction program is nearly complete and we expect to enter fiscal 2020 positioned with a cost structure approximately $33 million lower than the recent past. And, with our ongoing investment in product development, combined with our product acquisition efforts, we expect to continue to both augment our offering and replenish our pipeline. Our ongoing goal is to add approximately $75 million of new product revenues annually." For the fiscal 2019 third quarter, on a GAAP basis, net sales were $172.8 million compared with $174.4 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2018. Gross profit was $65.3 million, or 38% of total net sales, compared with $67.1 million, or 38% of total net sales. Research and development (R&D) expenses were $9.8 million compared with $2.7 million for the fiscal 2018 third quarter. Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $21.6 million compared with $14.1 million. Restructuring expenses were $0.5 million compared with $1.4 million. Operating income was $33.4 million compared with $33.3 million. Interest expense decreased to $21.5 million from $22.8 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2018. Net income was $10.6 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, compared with $12.8 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, for the fiscal 2018 third quarter. For the fiscal 2019 third quarter reported on a Non-GAAP basis, net sales were $172.8 million compared with $174.4 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2018. Adjusted gross profit was $77.0 million, or 45% of adjusted net sales, compared with $76.7 million, or 44% of adjusted net sales, for the prior-year third quarter. Adjusted R&D expenses were $9.1 million compared with $2.7 million. Adjusted SG&A expenses were $17.5 million compared with $14.1 million. Adjusted operating income was $50.4 million compared with $59.8 million for the prior-year third quarter. Adjusted interest expense was $17.0 million compared with $16.2 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2018. Adjusted net income was $26.6 million, or $0.68 per diluted share, compared with $30.5 million, or $0.80 per diluted share, for the fiscal 2018 third quarter. Guidance for Fiscal 2019 Based on its current outlook, the company has raised its estimates, as follows: GAAP Adjusted Net sales $640 million to $645 million, up from $615 million to $635 million $640 million to $645 million, up from $615 million to $635 million Gross margin % Approximately 37%, changed from 37% to 38% Approximately 44%, changed from 44% to 45% R&D expense $37 million to $38 million, up from $35 million to $37 million $35 million to $36 million, up from $33 million to $35 million SG&A expense $82 million to $84 million, up from $78 million to $81 million $70 million to $71 million, up from $66 million to $69 million Restructuring expense $2 million to $3 million, down from $3 million to $4 million $ -- Asset impairment charges $369 million, unchanged $ -- Interest and other $84 million to $85 million, down from $84 million to $86 million $65 million to $66 million, down from $66 million to $68 million Effective tax rate Approximately 22%, changed from 22% to 23% Approximately 23%, changed from 22% to 23% Capital expenditures $28 million to $31 million, down from $30 million to $35 million $28 million to $31 million, down from $30 million to $35 million Conference Call Information and Forward-Looking Statements Later today, the company will host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET to review its results of operations for its fiscal 2019 third quarter ended March 31, 2019. The conference call will be available to interested parties by dialing 877-261-8992 from the U.S. or Canada, or 847-619-6548 from international locations, passcode 48589492. The call will be broadcast via the Internet at www.lannett.com. Listeners are encouraged to visit the website at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the scheduled presentation to register, download and install any necessary audio software. A playback of the call will be archived and accessible on the same website for at least three months. Discussion during the conference call may include forward-looking statements regarding such topics as, but not limited to, the company's financial status and performance, regulatory and operational developments, and any comments the company may make about its future plans or prospects in response to questions from participants on the conference call. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures This news release contains references to Non-GAAP financial measures, which are financial measures that are not prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP). Management uses these measures internally for evaluating its operating performance. The Company's management believes that the presentation of Non-GAAP financial measures provides useful supplementary information regarding operational performance, because it enhances an investor's overall understanding of the financial results for the Company's core business. Additionally, it provides a basis for the comparison of the financial results for the Company's core business between current, past and future periods. Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered only as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for or as a superior measure to, financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Detailed reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included with this release. Non-GAAP financial measures exclude, among others, the effects of (1) amortization of purchased intangibles and other purchase accounting entries, (2) acquisition and integration-related expenses, (3) non-cash interest expense, as well as (4) certain other items considered unusual or non-recurring in nature. About Lannett Company, Inc.: Lannett Company, founded in 1942, develops, manufactures, packages, markets and distributes generic pharmaceutical products for a wide range of medical indications see financial schedule below for net sales by medical indication. For more information, visit the company's website at www.lannett.com. This news release contains certain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events or future business performance. Any such statements, including, but not limited to, successfully launching and commercializing recently acquired and previously approved products, adding approximately $75 million of new revenues annually, achieving expected savings from the cost reduction program, successfully consummating transactions with new and existing alliance partners and successfully launching and commercializing products included therein, and achieving the financial metrics stated in the company's guidance for fiscal 2019, whether expressed or implied, are subject to risks and uncertainties which can cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors which include, but are not limited to, the difficulty in predicting the timing or outcome of FDA or other regulatory approvals or actions, the ability to successfully commercialize products upon approval, including acquired products, and Lannett's estimated or anticipated future financial results, future inventory levels, future competition or pricing, future levels of operating expenses, product development efforts or performance, and other risk factors discussed in the company's Form 10-K and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These forward-looking statements represent the company's judgment as of the date of this news release. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. FINANCIAL SCHEDULES FOLLOW LANNETT COMPANY, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except share and per share data) (Unaudited) March 31, 2019 June 30, 2018 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 205,207 $ 98,586 Accounts receivable, net 151,804 252,651 Inventories 136,352 141,635 Prepaid income taxes 101 15,159 Assets held for sale 14,644 13,976 Other current assets 7,246 4,863 Total current assets 515,354 526,870 Property, plant and equipment, net 193,121 233,247 Intangible assets, net 401,973 424,425 Goodwill - 339,566 Deferred tax assets 102,541 22,063 Other assets 18,620 29,133 TOTAL ASSETS $ 1,231,609 $ 1,575,304 LIABILITIES Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 31,564 $ 56,767 Accrued expenses 8,423 7,425 Accrued payroll and payroll-related expenses 18,677 7,819 Rebates payable 41,873 49,400 Royalties payable 10,423 5,955 Restructuring liability 270 6,706 Liabilities held for sale 847 - Short-term borrowings and current portion of long-term debt 66,845 66,845 Total current liabilities 178,922 200,917 Long-term debt, net 711,341 772,425 Other liabilities 2,046 3,047 TOTAL LIABILITIES 892,309 976,389 STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Common stock ($0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; 38,858,670 and 38,256,839 shares issued; 37,908,587 and 37,380,517 shares outstanding at March 31, 2019 and June 30, 2018, respectively) 39 38 Additional paid-in capital 314,591 306,817 Retained earnings 39,661 306,464 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (571) (515) Treasury stock(950,083 and 876,322 shares at March 31, 2019 and June 30, 2018, respectively) (14,420) (13,889) Total stockholders' equity 339,300 598,915 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 1,231,609 $ 1,575,304 LANNETT COMPANY, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED) (In thousands, except share and per share data) Three months ended Nine months ended March 31, March 31, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Net sales $ 172,794 $ 174,386 $ 521,566 $ 513,652 Cost of sales 99,571 99,036 303,012 267,503 Amortization of intangibles 7,906 8,293 24,286 23,971 Gross profit 65,317 67,057 194,268 222,178 Operating expenses: Research and development expenses 9,838 2,730 29,371 20,861 Selling, general and administrative expenses 21,649 14,112 65,434 61,643 Acquisition and integration-related expenses - - - 83 Restructuring expenses 452 1,421 1,687 2,983 Loss on sale of intangible asset - 15,514 - 15,514 Asset impairment charges - - 369,499 - Total operating expenses 31,939 33,777 465,991 101,084 Operating income (loss) 33,378 33,280 (271,723) 121,094 Other income (loss): Investment income 925 719 1,860 4,208 Interest expense (21,485) (22,842) (64,430) (64,440) Loss on extinguishment of debt (413) - (413) - Other (401) (662) (1,409) 2,473 Total other loss (21,374) (22,785) (64,392) (57,759) Income (loss) before income tax 12,004 10,495 (336,115) 63,335 Income tax expense (benefit) 1,359 (2,275) (71,594) 23,286 Net income (loss) $ 10,645 $ 12,770 $ (264,521) $ 40,049 Earnings (loss) per common share: Basic $ 0.28 $ 0.34 $ (7.01) $ 1.08 Diluted $ 0.27 $ 0.33 $ (7.01) $ 1.05 Weighted average common shares outstanding: Basic 37,842,224 37,136,945 37,729,099 37,064,781 Diluted 39,330,847 38,287,005 37,729,099 38,112,193 LANNETT COMPANY, INC. RECONCILIATION OF GAAP REPORTED TO NON-GAAP ADJUSTED INFORMATION (UNAUDITED) (In thousands, except percentages, share and per share data) Three months ended March 31, 2019 Net sales Cost of sales Amortization of intangibles Gross Profit Gross Margin % R&D expenses SG&A expenses Restructuring expenses Operating income Other income (loss) Income before income tax Income tax expense Net income Diluted earnings per share (k) GAAP Reported $172,794 $ 99,571 $ 7,906 $ 65,317 38% $ 9,838 $ 21,649 $ 452 $ 33,378 $ (21,374) $ 12,004 $ 1,359 $ 10,645 $ 0.27 Adjustments: Amortization of intangibles (a) - - (7,906) 7,906 - - - 7,906 - 7,906 - 7,906 Cody API business Held for Sale (b) - (1,342) - 1,342 (775) (979) - 3,096 - 3,096 - 3,096 Depreciation on capitalized software costs (c) - - - - - (1,058) - 1,058 - 1,058 - 1,058 Legal and financial advisory costs (d) - - - - - (961) - 961 - 961 - 961 Decommissioning of Philadelphia sites (e) - (1,760) - 1,760 - - - 1,760 - 1,760 - 1,760 Restructuring expenses (f) - - - - - - (452) 452 - 452 - 452 Non-cash interest (g) - - - - - - - - 4,514 4,514 - 4,514 Loss on extinguishment of debt (h) - - - - - - - - 413 413 - 413 Other (i) - (625) - 625 - (1,188) - 1,813 352 2,165 - 2,165 Tax adjustments (j) - - - - - - - - - - 6,363 (6,363) Non-GAAP Adjusted $ 172,794 $ 95,844 $ - $ 76,950 45% $ 9,063 $ 17,463 $ - $ 50,424 $ (16,095) $ 34,329 $ 7,722 $ 26,607 $ 0.68 (a) To exclude amortization of purchased intangible assets primarily related to the acquisitions of KUPI and Silarx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (b) To exclude the operating results of the Cody API business Held for Sale which was classified as Held for Sale as of September 30, 2018 (c) To exclude depreciation on previously capitalized software integration costs associated with the KUPI acquisition (d) To exclude legal and financial advisory costs primarily related to exploring and evaluating debt and capital structure alternatives (e) To exclude the costs associated with the decommissioning and shutdown of the Philadelphia manufacturing and distribution sites (f) To exclude expenses associated with the 2016 Restructuring Plan as well as the Cody Restructuring Plan (g) To exclude non-cash interest expense associated with debt issuance costs (h) To exclude the loss on extinguishment of debt related to open market repurchases of Term Loans (i) To primarily exclude separation costs related to the Company's cost reduction plan, a reversal of indemnified unrecognized tax benefits due to expirations in the statute of limitations, as well as a write-down of certain assets related to the Company's foreign subsidiary (j) To exclude the tax effect of the pre-tax adjustments included above at applicable tax rates (k) The weighted average share number for the three months ended March 31, 2019 is 39,330,847 for both the GAAP and the non-GAAP earnings per share calculations LANNETT COMPANY, INC. RECONCILIATION OF GAAP REPORTED TO NON-GAAP ADJUSTED INFORMATION (UNAUDITED) (In thousands, except percentages, share and per share data) Nine months ended March 31, 2019 Net sales Cost of sales Amortization of intangibles Gross Profit Gross Margin % R&D expenses SG&A expenses Restructuring expenses Asset impairment charges Operating income (loss) Other income (loss) Income before income tax (loss) Income tax expense (benefit) Net income (loss) Diluted earnings (loss) per share (m) GAAP Reported $ 521,566 $ 303,012 $ 24,286 $ 194,268 37% $ 29,371 $65,434 $ 1,687 $ 369,499 $ (271,723) $ (64,392) $(336,115) $ (71,594) $ (264,521) $ (7.01) Adjustments: Depreciation of fixed assets step-up (a) - (2,459) - 2,459 - - - - 2,459 - 2,459 - 2,459 Amortization of intangibles (b) - - (24,286) 24,286 - - - - 24,286 - 24,286 - 24,286 Cody API business Held for Sale (c) - (4,828) - 4,828 (1,637) (945) - - 7,410 - 7,410 - 7,410 Depreciation on capitalized software costs (d) - - - - - (3,175) - - 3,175 - 3,175 - 3,175 Legal and financial advisory costs (e) - - - - - (3,389) - - 3,389 - 3,389 - 3,389 Decommissioning of Philadelphia sites (f) - (4,025) - 4,025 - - - - 4,025 583 4,608 - 4,608 Restructuring expenses (g) - - - - - - (1,687) - 1,687 - 1,687 - 1,687 Asset impairment charges (h) - - - - - - - (369,499) 369,499 369,499 - 369,499 Non-cash interest (i) - - - - - - - - - 13,448 13,448 - 13,448 Loss on extinguishment of debt (j) - - - - - - - - - 413 413 - 413 Other (k) - (1,751) - 1,751 (210) (3,789) - - 5,750 637 6,387 - 6,387 Tax adjustments (l) - - - - - - - - - - - 95,066 (95,066) Non-GAAP Adjusted $ 521,566 $ 289,949 $ - $ 231,617 44% $ 27,524 $ 54,136 $ - $ - $ 149,957 $ (49,311) $ 100,646 $ 23,472 $ 77,174 $ 1.98 (a) To exclude depreciation of a fair value step-up in property, plant and equipment related to the acquisition of Kremers Urban Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("KUPI") (b) To exclude amortization of purchased intangible assets primarily related to the acquisitions of KUPI and Silarx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (c) To exclude the operating results of the Cody API business Held for Sale which was classified as Held for Sale as of September 30, 2018 (d) To exclude depreciation on previously capitalized software integration costs associated with the KUPI acquisition (e) To exclude legal and financial advisory costs primarily related to exploring and evaluating debt and capital structure alternatives, including the December 2018 amendment to our Credit Agreement (f) To exclude the costs associated with the decommissioning and shutdown of the Philadelphia manufacturing and distribution sites (g) To exclude expenses associated with the 2016 Restructuring Plan as well as the Cody Restructuring Plan (h) To exclude asset impairment charges related to goodwill and other long-lived assets (i) To exclude non-cash interest expense associated with debt issuance costs (j) To exclude the loss on extinguishment of debt related to open market repurchases of Term Loans (k) To primarily exclude separation costs related to the Company's cost reduction plan, a special recognition incentive payment, as well as reversals of indemnified unrecognized tax benefits due to expirations in the statute of limitations (l) To exclude the tax effect of the pre-tax adjustments included above at applicable tax rates (m) The weighted average share number for the nine months ended March 31, 2019 is 37,729,099 for GAAP and 39,066,670 for the non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share calculations LANNETT COMPANY, INC. RECONCILIATION OF GAAP REPORTED TO NON-GAAP ADJUSTED INFORMATION (UNAUDITED) (In thousands, except percentages, share and per share data) Three months ended March 31, 2018 Net sales Cost of sales Amortization of intangibles Gross Profit Gross Margin % R&D expense SG&A expense Acquisition and integration- related expenses Restructuring expenses Loss on sale of intangible asset Operating income Other income (loss) Income before income tax Income tax expense (benefit) Net income Diluted earnings per share (g) GAAP Reported $ 174,386 $99,036 $ 8,293 $ 67,057 38% $ 2,730 $ 14,112 $ - $ 1,421 15,514 $ 33,280 $ (22,785) $ 10,495 $ (2,275) $ 12,770 $ 0.33 Adjustments: Depreciation of Fixed Assets step-up (a) - (1,335) - 1,335 - - - - - 1,335 - 1,335 - 1,335 Amortization of intangibles (b) - - (8,293) 8,293 - - - - - 8,293 - 8,293 - 8,293 Restructuring expenses (c) - - - - - - - (1,421) - 1,421 - 1,421 - 1,421 Loss on sale of intangible asset (d) - - - - - - - - (15,514) 15,514 15,514 - 15,514 Non-cash interest (e) - - - - - - - - - - 6,642 6,642 - 6,642 Tax adjustments (f) - - - - - - - - - - - - 15,508 (15,508) Non-GAAP Adjusted $ 174,386 $ 97,701 $ - $ 76,685 44% $ 2,730 $ 14,112 $ - $ - $ - $ 59,843 $ (16,143) $ 43,700 $ 13,233 $ 30,467 $ 0.80 (a) Relates to depreciation of a fair value step-up in property, plant and equipment related to the acquisition of Kremers Urban Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("KUPI") (b) Relates to amortization of purchased intangible assets primarily related to the acquisitions of KUPI and Silarx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (c) To exclude expenses associated with the 2016 Restructuring Plan (d) To exclude a loss realized on a sale of an intangible asset (e) To exclude non-cash interest expense primarily associated with debt issuance costs (f) To exclude the impact of the revaluation of net long term deferred tax assets related to the Tax Cut and Jobs Act legislation ("2017 Tax Reform"), partially offset by the tax effect of the pre-tax adjustments included at applicable tax rates (g) The weighted average share number for the three months ended March 31, 2018 is 38,287,005 for both the GAAP and the non-GAAP earnings per share calculations LANNETT COMPANY, INC. RECONCILIATION OF GAAP REPORTED TO NON-GAAP ADJUSTED INFORMATION (UNAUDITED) (In thousands, except percentages, share and per share data) Nine months ended March 31, 2018 Net sales Cost of sales Amortization of intangibles Gross Profit Gross Margin % R&D expense SG&A expense Acquisition and integration- related expenses Restructuring expenses Loss on sale of intangible asset Operating income Other income (loss) Income before income tax Income tax expense Net income Diluted earnings per share (j) GAAP Reported $ 513,652 $267,503 $ 23,971 $222,178 43% $ 20,861 $ 61,643 $ 83 $ 2,983 $ 15,514 $121,094 $ (57,759) $ 63,335 $ 23,286 $ 40,049 $ 1.05 Adjustments: Depreciation of Fixed Assets step-up (a) - (4,005) - 4,005 - - - - - 4,005 - 4,005 - 4,005 Amortization of intangibles (b) - - (23,971) 23,971 - (582) - - - 24,553 - 24,553 - 24,553 Acquisition and integration-related expenses (c) - - - - - - (83) - - 83 - 83 - 83 Restructuring expenses (d) - - - - - - - (2,983) - 2,983 - 2,983 - 2,983 Loss on sale of intangible asset (e) - - - - - - - - (15,514) 15,514 15,514 - 15,514 Non-cash interest (f) - - - - - - - - - - 15,656 15,656 - 15,656 Litigation settlement gain (g) - - - - - - - - - - (3,500) (3,500) - (3,500) Other (h) - - - - - (7,405) - - - 7,405 - 7,405 - 7,405 Tax adjustments (i) - - - - - - - - - - - - 12,978 (12,978) Non-GAAP Adjusted $ 513,652 $263,498 $ - $ 250,154 49% $ 20,861 $ 53,656 $ - $ - $ - $ 175,637 $ (45,603) $ 130,034 $ 36,264 $ 93,770 $ 2.46 (a) Relates to depreciation of a fair value step-up in property, plant and equipment related to the acquisition of Kremers Urban Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("KUPI") (b) Relates to amortization of purchased intangible assets primarily related to the acquisitions of KUPI and Silarx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (c) Relates to acquisition and integration-related expenses primarily related to the acquisition of KUPI (d) To exclude expenses associated with the 2016 Restructuring Plan (e) To exclude a loss realized on a sale of an intangible asset (f) To exclude non-cash interest expense primarily associated with debt issuance costs (g) To exclude a settlement gain associated with patent litigation (h) To exclude separation benefits associated with the former Chief Executive Officer as well as a reversal of indemnified unrecognized tax benefits due to expirations in the statute of limitations, related to the KUPI acquisition (i) To exclude the impact of the revaluation of net long term deferred tax assets related to the Tax Cut and Jobs Act legislation ("2017 Tax Reform"), partially offset by the tax effect of the pre-tax adjustments included at applicable tax rates as well as the reversal of indemnified unrecognized tax benefits related to the KUPI acquisition (j) The weighted average share number for the nine months ended March 31, 2018 is 38,112,193 for both the GAAP and the non-GAAP earnings per share calculations LANNETT COMPANY, INC. RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP ADJUSTED INFORMATION (UNAUDITED) ($ in millions) Fiscal Year 2019 Guidance Non-GAAP GAAP Adjustments Adjusted Net sales $640 - $645 - $640 - $645 Gross margin percentage approx. 37% 7% (a) approx. 44% R&D expense $37 - $38 ($2) (b) $35 - $36 SG&A expense $82 - $84 ($12 - $13) (c) $70 - $71 Restructuring expense $2 - $3 ($2 - $3) (d) - Asset impairment charges $369 ($369) (e) - Interest and other $84 - $85 ($19) (f) $65 - $66 Effective tax rate approx. 22% 1% (g) approx. 23% Capital expenditures $28 - $31 - $28 - $31 (a) The adjustment primarily reflects amortization of purchased intangible assets related to the acquisition of Kremers Urban Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("KUPI") and, to a lesser extent, the cost of sales associated with the Cody API business which was classified as Held For Sale as of September 30, 2018 (b) To exclude R&D expense associated with the Cody API business (c) To exclude various expenses associated with the Company's overall cost savings initiatives, which includes the Cody API business; legal and financial advisory costs; as well as nonrecurring compensation-related expenses. In addition, it also excludes depreciation on previously capitalized software integration costs associated with the KUPI acquisition (d) To exclude expenses associated with the 2016 Restructuring Plan and Cody Restructuring Plan (e) To exclude asset impairment charges related to goodwill and other long-lived assets (f) The adjustment primarily reflects non-cash interest expense associated with debt issuance costs and the loss on extinguishment of debt related to open market repurchases of Term Loans (g) The adjustment reflects the impact of tax credits and deductions relative to expected annual pre-tax income LANNETT COMPANY, INC. NET SALES BY MEDICAL INDICATION Three months ended Nine months ended (in thousands) March 31, March 31, Medical Indication 2019 2018 2019 2018 Antibiotic $ 3,789 $ 3,801 $ 12,066 $ 10,701 Anti-Psychosis 20,616 9,336 45,540 47,127 Cardiovascular 22,783 18,514 70,233 39,955 Central Nervous System 9,424 8,395 22,808 24,137 Gallstone 3,041 3,828 7,744 15,674 Gastrointestinal 11,735 16,562 36,783 46,171 Glaucoma 659 875 1,719 5,706 Migraine 9,846 12,888 32,134 43,387 Muscle Relaxant 3,238 3,299 9,538 10,309 Pain Management 5,856 6,594 19,771 18,483 Respiratory 498 2,324 2,676 6,200 Thyroid Deficiency 55,210 69,975 197,564 185,983 Urinary 2,105 33 5,262 5,870 Other 16,062 12,376 37,230 38,178 Contract Manufacturing revenue 7,932 5,586 20,498 15,771 Net Sales $ 172,794 $ 174,386 $ 521,566 $ 513,652 Contact: Robert Jaffe Robert Jaffe Co., LLC (424) 288-4098 SOURCE Lannett Company, Inc. Related Links https://www.lannett.com CANTON, Mass., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Registered nurses throughout the Commonwealth report that quality of care in Massachusetts hospitals is suffering as nurses have less time to spend with patients who are getting sicker each year, according to the 2019 "State of Nursing in Massachusetts," a survey released annually during National Nurses Week. For the first time since 2014, nearly twice as many nurses say the overall quality of care in Massachusetts hospitals has gotten worse (39%) rather than better (21%). A record-high number of nurses now believe that the quality of care is getting worse. The staffing situation is not improving: a record-high 44% says staffing has gotten worse in the past four years, and a similar number say it has worsened since October. Two-thirds of nurses (65%) believe nurses at acute care hospitals are assigned too many patients to care for at one time. Just a third report that management typically adjusts patient assignments when they become unsafe. There is widespread awareness of specific negative patient outcomes arising from unsafe patient assignments. Two-thirds of nurses have seen medical complications (65%), re-admission (65%), and medical errors (65%) stemming from unsafe patient loads. The randomized survey of Massachusetts RNs conducted April 2-18 by Boston-based Beacon Research shows that almost every nurse supports legislation to independently study nursing and patient care following the Question 1 ballot campaign, in which hospital executives used "inappropriate" political tactics to misinform voters about Safe Patient Limits. "Nurses are crying out for help to care for the sickest, most vulnerable members of our communities," said RN and Massachusetts Nurses Association President Donna Kelly-Williams. "When a nurse has too many patients too care for at one time, and hospital executives do nothing about it, the quality of care suffers." Click here for a copy of the executive summary of the survey. For the first time since 2014, nearly twice as many nurses say the overall quality of care in Massachusetts hospitals has gotten worse (39%) rather than better (21%). A record-high number of nurses now believe that the quality of care is getting worse. Nurses are also grappling with sicker patients. Nearly nine-in-ten (88%) think patients today are sicker than patients a decade ago, up seven points from last year. Fully six-in-ten nurses (61%) think patients are much sicker now. Patient Assignments and Hospital Non-Responsiveness The staffing situation is not improving: a record-high 44% says staffing has gotten worse in the past four years, and a similar number say it has worsened since October. Two-thirds of nurses (65%) believe nurses at acute care hospitals are assigned too many patients to care for at one time. Just a third report that management typically adjusts patient assignments when they become unsafe. "Patient care conditions have actually grown worse since last year, when the hospital industry pledged to address this problem after misleading the public about the evidence supporting Safe Patient Limits," Kelly Williams said. "Executives have not only failed to follow-through on addressing unsafe staffing, they have not even requested a meeting with the nurses and other coalition members behind Question 1." Surveyed nurses report similar inaction: A record-high 44% of nurses find that hospital administrators are not responsive to feedback from RNs regarding patient loads and nurse staffing levels. Nearly six-in-ten (57%) report that management does not consistently adjust patient assignments when needed. Patients at Risk Faced with this industry-created crisis, nurses have filed thousands of unsafe staffing reports with administrators at hospitals across Massachusetts. These reports document instances where nurses were forced to take excessive patient assignments that "poses a serious threat to the safety and well-being of my patients." "Objection and Documentation of Unsafe Staffing" forms, as they are called, are used by nurses in all MNA-represented hospitals, which is 73 percent of acute care hospitals. They are a tool for nurses to document, in real time, any situation where they come on their shift and are given an assignment that is unsafe for their patients, and that prevents them from delivering the quality care those patients require. "The State of Nursing in Massachusetts" demonstrates that registered nurses both union and non-union believe such unsafe staffing conditions put patients at significant risk. Six-in-ten feel patient over-assignment decreases the quality of care they can provide, including 50% who say unsafe patient assignments greatly decreases the quality of care. There is widespread awareness of specific negative patient outcomes arising from unsafe patient assignments. Two-thirds of nurses have seen medical complications (65%), re-admission (65%), and medical errors (65%) stemming from unsafe patient loads. Hospital Industry Misinformation and a Call for Independent Fact-Finding During the 2018 campaign for Safe Patient Limits, hospital executives distributed materials opposing the initiative to patients, and also mailed opposition materials to patients' homes. More than two-thirds of nurses (68%) feel these campaign activities were inappropriate. "It is clear from the severity of this problem and from the misinformation spread by hospital executives why nurses who care for patients in all types of settings back legislation to provide more independent studies about our nursing workforce and the patient care environment," Kelly-Williams said. Nearly all nurses (93%) support the creation of an independent legislative commission to conduct studies on the state of nursing in Massachusetts. The Workforce Development and Patient Safety Act (S. 1255/H. 2004) is sponsored by Senator Diana DiZoglio and Representative Dan Ryan. The bill would: Examine the makeup of the current nursing workforce. Determine the nursing needs for the Commonwealth over the next several decades. Provide an independent, evidence-based analysis of issues affecting the RN workforce, including but not limited to workplace staffing, violence, injuries and quality of life. Use the results of these studies to determine the path forward for setting safe patient limits in MA acute care hospitals to ensure optimum patient care. Survey Background "The State of Nursing in Massachusetts" was commissioned by the Massachusetts Nurses Association and conducted April 2-18, 2019 by Beacon Research. It utilized gold-standard interviewing practices as outlined by the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). Respondents were randomly selected from a complete file of the 100,000 nurses registered with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, and geographic quotas were used to ensure accurate representation across all regions of the state. A total of 501 Interviews were conducted on landlines and cellphones by trained, professional interviewers; the average length of a completed interview was 20 minutes. A majority (60%) of RNs interviewed were not MNA members. Many questions were split-sampled (asked of half the sample), with a sample size of approximately 250. Questions asked of the full sample have a margin of error of 4; split-sampled questions have a margin of error of 6 (both at the 95% confidence level). MassNurses.org Facebook.com/MassNurses Twitter.com/MassNurses Instagram.com/MassNurses Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public. SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association Related Links http://www.massnurses.org NEW YORK, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Scope: The scope of the report includes liquid biopsy technologies, applications, industry subsegments, biomarker technologies, major funding initiatives, NIPT methods, patents for both liquid biopsy and NIPT, and company profiles. The market sizes for liquid biopsy diagnostics with emphasis on NIPT are given for the years 2017, 2018 (estimated) and 2023 (forecasted). Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05774031/?utm_source=PRN This report reviews liquid biopsy biomarkers and technologies and provides background on why liquid biopsy is increasingly viewed as a replacement for, or a companion to, tissue biopsy.It then discusses several of the significant large-scale research initiatives that are contributing to liquid biopsy development. Market-driving forces are also discussed. In addition to this, the report examines the markets by NIPT methods, high-risk and low-risk pregnancies and geography.The end-user segment of this market is based on disease area and healthcare setting. Disease areas include trisomy 21, 18 and 13 and Turner syndrome (a sex chromosome aneuploidy).Healthcare settings include diagnostic laboratories and hospitals. Market dynamics such as drivers and restraints for the NIPT market are also discussed. The structure of several important industry subsectors was reviewed. The industry subsectors that are analyzed include next-generation sequencing (NGS) instruments, droplet digital PCR, target enrichment and amplification, single-cell DNA polymerase, prenatal screening, liquid biopsy, direct to consumer, and clinical laboratory. The market for liquid biopsy diagnostics is analyzed by application (cancer, reproductive health, transplant), biomarker type (nucleic acids, cells, extracellular vesicles, proteins), analysis platform (microarray, NGS, PCR, proteomics and others), analysis purpose (screening/early detection, diagnosis, therapy guidance, monitoring) and geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Rest of World). Similarly, the market size of non-cancer applications of liquid biopsy, NIPT, is analyzed based on risk-type, analysis purpose, biomarker class, analysis method, NIPT methods, high- and low-risk pregnancies, and geography. Market data cover the years 2017, 2018 (estimated) and 2023 (forecasted). More than 165 companies in the liquid biopsy industry are profiled in this report. Nearly 18 companies in the NIPT market have been profiled in detail. BCC Research provides a summary of the main industry acquisitions and strategic alliances from January 2016 until December 2018, including key alliance trends. Report Includes: - 45 data tables and 94 additional tables - An overview of liquid biopsy and non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) market - Analyses of global market trends with data from 2017, 2018 and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2023 - Country specific data and analysis for China, Japan, India, South Korea, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and USA - Comparative study of liquid biopsy with conventional biopsy and coverage of their respective biomarkers - Snapshot of key liquid biopsy research and development programs - Information on NIPT available in market such as NIFTY, Verifi prenatal test, Harmony prenatal test, Panorama, MaterniT21 and IONA test - Description of chromosomal diseases where NIPT plays a vital role in detection and screening i.e. Down's Syndrome, Edwards Syndrome (Trisomy 18), Patau syndrome (Trisomy 13) and Turner syndrome - Comprehensive company profiles of major players, including Agilent Technologies, Illumina, Natera, Oxford Nanopore, QIAGEN, and Thermo Fisher Summary Liquid biopsy is an attractive option as a supplement or alternative to doing a tissue biopsy for applications in reproductive health, cancer and transplant medicine. Ongoing advances in sensitive molecular technologies such as next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) and digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) enable the detection of biomarkers that are present in fluids at very low concentrations. The biomarker types garnering the most interest include cell-free DNA (cfDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and exosomes. When compared with conventional tissue biopsy, liquid biopsy tests address a significant medical need for a biopsy that is noninvasive and has little or no risk of medical complications.The validation of this testing platform and the demonstration of clinical utility first occurred in the high-risk pregnancy segment of the NIPT industry, resulting in high market penetration. Substantial progress is being made in the average-risk pregnancy NIPT market segment and in some applications in cancer and transplant medicine. Reasons for Doing This Study Traditional biopsy methods are often invasive, uncomfortable and carry risks of side effects.Liquid biopsy addresses these issues because it is noninvasive and carries little, if any, risks of side effects. Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is a liquid biopsy approach that has revolutionized medical genetics.NIPT is a blood test that detects with remarkable accuracy the risk of a fetus developing chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome or Patau syndrome, as well as abnormalities with the X and Y sex chromosomes. NIPT involves a simple blood draw, unlike invasive methods such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, each of which also has a small chance of miscarriage. NIPT comes with no risk of miscarriage. In the age of genomics and personalized medicine, it is critical for clinicians to have diagnostic tools that can be used on a regular basis to screen, monitor, conduct surveillance, guide treatment or otherwise give valuable genomic information about a disease.Liquid biopsy provides this capability and thus is of high interest to the medical community. NIPT is used as a first screen for identifying high-risk pregnancies and will, in the future, be used for low-risk pregnancies as well. Liquid-biopsy-enabling technologies are coming to the forefront and provide significant market growth momentum to the industry.Downstream analysis technologies like next-generation sequencing (NGS) and digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are progressing in terms of their capabilities, efficiency and costs. Upstream technologies like microfluidics, cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) capture and isolation, cell capture, and DNA amplification are also making significant progress. The use of nextgeneration sequencing technologies in NIPT opened exciting new market applications. By 2017, the costs of sequencing rapidly reduced to the point where it is now feasible for complex NGS tests to be priced in the range of other multiplex genetic tests. More than 85 clinical laboratories are now offering NGS-based testing services. For many applications, the clinical benefits have been proven. Liquid biopsy is also gaining significant traction with key opinion leaders, medical societies and insurance payers. As a result, liquid biopsy is penetrating into attractive clinical applications, including average-risk noninvasive prenatal testing and cancer therapy guidance and monitoring. Based on these trends, liquid biopsy markets are rapidly emerging and the need for industry and market characterization is great. The outstanding growth potential for liquid biopsy diagnostics and the future growth potential for NIPTNGS diagnostics make the preparation of this updated report particularly timely. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05774031/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com PORTLAND, Oregon, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Luxury Yacht Market by Size (75-120 feet, 121-250 feet and Above 250 feet), Type (Sailing luxury Yacht, Motorized Luxury Yacht, and Others), and Material (FRP/Composites, Metal/Alloys, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20182025." According to the report, the global luxury yacht market garnered $5.70 billion in 2017 and is estimated to reach $10.20 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.8% from 2018 to 2025. Surge in number of individuals with high net worth, chartering of yachts, and increase in yacht tourism facilitate the growth in the global luxury yacht market. On the other hand, strict environmental policies and regulations of government along with surge in maintenance costs restrict the market growth. Contrarily, increase in inclination toward leisure and recreational activities and seamless luxury experience create new pathways in the industry. Request Sample Report at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5249 121-250 feet segment estimated to maintain its leadership position in terms of revenue Based on size, the 121-250 feet segment accounted for nearly half of the total share, and is estimated to maintain its leadership position in terms of revenue throughout the forecast period. This is due to ability to carry out high customizations for target audience. However, the above 250 feet segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 9.4% from 2018 to 2025, owing to ease in handling with implementation of hydraulics and push-button electrics. Motorized luxury yacht segment to maintain its dominance by 2025 Based on type, the motorized luxury yacht segment accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total market share in 2017 and will maintain its dominance by 2025. This segment is expected to register the fastest growth rate with a CAGR of 8.3% from 2018 to 2025. It is a lucrative segment, owing to simpler operation as compared to its counterparts and its ability to cover distance in less time. The research also analyzes sailing luxury yacht and others. For Purchase Enquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/5249 Fiber reinforced polymers/composites segment to be lucrative Based on material, the fiber reinforced polymers/composites segment is lucrative, contributing more than two-thirds of the total share in 2017 and registering the fastest CAGR of 8.5% from 2018 to 2025. This is due to its light weight nature that enables increased speed, increased payload, and lowered of fuel consumption. Moreover, it possesses low stiffness and high corrosion resistance. The research also explores metal/alloys and other materials. Europe to contribute the highest revenue by 2025 Europe held the largest market share in 2017, accounting for more than two-thirds of the total share. This is due to presence of leading manufacturers in European countries such as Italy and the U.K. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to register the highest CAGR of 8.7% from 2018 to 2025, owing to surge in demand, enhanced infrastructure, and ease in availability of raw materials. Leading market players Leading market players analyzed in the research include Alexander Marine Co. Ltd., Azimut Benetti S.p.A., Damen Shipyards Group, FERRETTI S.P.A., Feadship, Princess Yachts International plc, Horizon Yacht USA, Sunseeker International Limited, Sanlorenzo Spa, and Viking Yacht Company. Access KNOWLEDGE TREE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/knowledgetree Knowledge tree is a cloud-based intelligence platform that offers more than 2,000 selective, off-the-shelf reports on niche markets to enable our clients gain deep insights on the latest trends, dynamic technologies, and emerging application areas. Similar Reports: Luxury Goods Market to Reach $429,762 Million, by 2022, Globally The global luxury goods market is anticipated to witness steady demand in developed regions on account of early adoption of premium lifestyle and has a huge growth potential in emerging markets. Rise in disposable income, exposure to social media, urbanization and preference towards investments on personal luxury goods are some of the factors that have propelled the market. Luxury Hotel Market Expected to Reach $20,442 Million, Globally, by 2022 Rise in number of business travelers and change in customer lifestyles have fueled the demand for luxury stays, with an increased trend for various luxury services such as spa and others. North American and European regions dominate the market due to higher number of tourist arrivals. About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com SOURCE Allied Market Research STAMFORD, Conn., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- M2 Media Group, LLC ("M2" or "the Company"), a provider of marketing technology solutions for the youth fundraising industry, announced today it has been awarded a patent from the U. S. Patent Office (Patent No. 10,275,807) titled "Systems and Methods for Generating Customized Avatars and Customized Online Portals." The patent covers valuable aspects the Company's fundraising platform utilizing personalized storefronts and its key avatar technology. M2 is a marketing technology company and leading innovator in the youth fundraising industry, servicing schools, charitable groups and national organizations. The company's proprietary online fundraising platform was the first of its kind when it entered the market nearly a decade ago, replacing paper-based door-to-door fundraising programs with an online environment offering features unique to that medium, which platform has continued to evolve over the past years. Kids raising funds on the platform are able to create an avatar of their likeness that carries throughout their campaign and personalized selling storefront, a feature that has proven to increase funds raised exponentially. M2's patented platform simplifies the entire fundraising campaign and selling process. Groups that have utilized the software have benefitted from higher engagement and participation rates, increased sales and revenue to fund organization initiatives, lower program costs, and ease-of-use for the participants and volunteers leading the campaign efforts. The company is continuing to expand its portfolio of patents in this area as it looks to the future. Michael Borchetta, CEO of M2, stated, "We believe that this patented solution gives us strong competitive positioning in this growing market. The patent award demonstrates the strength and sophistication of our team's efforts in delivering leading edge technology. Our platform has revolutionized the estimated $25 billion youth fundraising industry and we are focused on continuing to develop and deploy solutions that are broadly effective and applicable within this growing market vertical so that we may optimize our opportunities for growth." About M2 Media Group, LLC M2 Media Group is a fast-growing provider of online marketing and technology solutions. It provides marketing and circulation services to the magazine publishing industry, with clients ranging from Meredith, Hearst, and Conde Nast, to other leading publishers. In addition to many high-profile marketing partnerships with major brands such as Groupon, Barnes & Noble, and IHG Hotels and Resorts, the company owns and operates several online properties including Blue Dolphin, Reward Survey, and Mercury Magazines. M2 is also a leading innovator in the fundraising space with its patented avatar platform, working with large non-profit organizations and schools nationwide. The company was recently named to the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies in the U.S. Founded in 2004, M2 is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut with offices located in Pennsylvania and Ohio. SOURCE M2 Media Group WASHINGTON, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger held its second annual Jewish Clergy Justice Mission, during which Jewish leaders from all over the United States came together to learn and engage in anti-hunger advocacy. More than a dozen rabbis and cantors representing multiple denominations convened in Washington, D.C. for intensive advocacy training and in-person meetings with more than 50 congressional offices. Abby J. Leibman, President & CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger , called the Jewish Clergy Justice Mission "a powerful moment for the Jewish community that recalls the civil rights movement and the stirring moments when Jewish leaders convened in Washington to raise their voices for all Americans. Now we unite around the issue of hungera justice issue which impacts each and every one of the communities in which our participants serve. As faith-based leaders, we must represent the experience of community members in the halls of power, and that's why MAZON is so proud to convene this opportunity to do so." The multi-day event included study and discussion about hunger in America through a Jewish lens; advocacy training, issue education and strategy discussions to prepare for meetings with key policy makers; a panel discussion with MAZON's interfaith coalition partners from the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative, Friends Committee on National Legislation, NETWORK Catholic Social Justice Lobby, and Islamic Relief USA; high-level briefings on current issues related to anti-hunger advocacy from experts including Robert Greenstein, President of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Reuben Rotman, President and CEO of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, and David Super, Professor of Law at Georgetown University; and updates from MAZON leadership about the organization's priorities and initiatives. Rabbi Victor Urecki of B'nai Jacob Synagogue in Charleston, West Virginia, said, "I am proud that the Jewish community, led by MAZON, is advocating for the needs of our most vulnerable citizens. It was incredibly moving learning from MAZON about the struggle with hunger in America, particularly for veterans and currently-serving military families." Participants then joined members of the MAZON Board of Directors for meetings with over 50 U.S. Senators and Representatives and their staff. The meetings focused on MAZON's key priority areas including the issue of hunger among currently-serving members of the military and our nation's veterans, as well as urgently-needed funding for Puerto Rico's Nutrition Assistance Program. Members of Congress voiced support for MAZON's work and understanding of the issue of hunger in America. "I'm so grateful to MAZON for their incredible advocacy to end hunger in the United States," said Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, who also sits on the House Agriculture Committee. "Over 10% of Americans struggle with food insecurity. That's not just a problem it's a silent crisis that goes unseen and unnoticed by far too many people, including policymakers in Washington. By bringing awareness to Capitol Hill, MAZON is helping to build the political courage we need to end hunger in this country. I couldn't be more proud to call them a partner and a friend in this struggle." Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) said, "I stand with MAZON in their effort to protect SNAP benefits, aid Puerto Rico, and fight hunger wherever it exists in the United States and Israel. MAZON's activism resonates at local, state, and federal levels to impact positive change." "The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is our country's most important anti-hunger program," said Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08). "SNAP reduces poverty and food insecurity and improves health and economic outcomes for over 40 million hungry Americans, especially children, veterans, and military families. In Maryland, more than 696,000 people benefit from the program. Americans in every single congressional district benefit from SNAP and protecting this program should be a high priority for every Member of Congress." "More than 40 million Americans struggle with hunger every day. Many of them, including nearly 1.5 million veterans, depend on SNAP to put food on the table," said Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12) and a member of the House Agriculture Committee. "In my home state of North Carolina, an estimated 55,000 veterans rely on SNAP to feed their families. This is exactly why we need to keep working to protect SNAP. I thank MAZON for their tireless efforts to defend this vital program for veterans, and all Americans who depend on it." "SNAP benefits are critically important to the nation's nutrition safety net," said Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) and a member of the House Agriculture Committee. "MAZON has been a wonderful partner in our mutual commitment to the nutrition needs of our communities. Efforts to harm the food security of children, seniors, working families, active-duty military, and veterans is needless and wrong." Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) said, "Food insecurity is a daily crisis for so many of our seniors, veterans, and military families. If we are to truly embody the value of tikkun olam, and be repairers of the world, we must do all we can to vanquish hunger from the daily lives of millions of working families, and fight for this same basic nutritional assistance for disaster-stricken areas such as Puerto Rico." "I am pleased to partner with MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, which has been an important organization to me and my family for many years," said Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09). "I am proud of their leadership in calling attention to food insecurity among populations that have long been overlooked and in some cases ignored, including veterans, currently-serving military families, college students, and others. We need to protect federal nutrition assistance programs like SNAP for the millions of Americans who struggle to feed themselves and their families." About MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger Inspired by Jewish values and ideals, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a national advocacy organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. MAZON testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition about hunger and the future of SNAP. Learn more at mazon.org . Contact: Morgan Soloski (424) 208-7208 | [email protected] SOURCE MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger Related Links http://www.mazon.org BOSTON, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boston Architectural College (BAC) and Robert Morris University Illinois (RMU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a collaborative educational partnership. The MoU serves to establish joint efforts to bridge the two Institutions through expanded learning opportunities for students. The purpose of the MoU is to create a new pathway for BAC and RMU students to increase their academic pursuits. Glen LeRoy, president of The Boston Architectural College and Mablene Krueger, president of Robert Morris University Illinois, signed the MoU. In attendance from the BAC were Kenneth Lemanski, vice president of institutional advancement; James Ryan, vice president of enrollment management; Mark Virello, chief financial officer. Those in attendance from RMU included, Paul Gaszak, associate provost; Andy Berger, vice president of admissions and recruitment; Arlene Regnerus, senior vice president and CFO as well as Ann Bresingham, vice president of human resources, and Katie Suhajda, vice president for academic administration. Under the MoU, the BAC and RMU will undertake efforts to strengthen academic pursuits through the promotion of their common missionsproviding excellence in design education that is accessible to diverse communities. In addition, both institutions have a strong focus on facilitating and offering students the opportunity for professional advancement through experiential learning. The MoU ceremony began with a warm welcome as President Krueger received the BAC delegation to RMU and spoke of this new partnership and its benefits to students, faculty, staff, and the betterment of the Colleges' communities. After the welcome address, President LeRoy expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity to work in partnership with RMU, "The BAC looks forward to building on our collaborative efforts with Robert Morris University Illinois, while celebrating our combined goal of connecting theory and practice to maximize career potential for our students," said LeRoy. The BAC and RMU are committed to finding additional ways to grow the partnershipsuch as potential co-teaching opportunities within the Colleges. President Krueger stated, "RMU is excited for this opportunity as our two institutionseach with deep roots in our respective communitieswork together toward expanding professional, work-based education." SOURCE Boston Architectural College (BAC) NEW YORK, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- At its third-annual HR Redefined conference, Namely , a leading HR platform for mid-sized companies, announced it reached more than 1,300 companies now running their people operations on the Namely platform. These organizations employ approximately 250,000 people in 134 countries and all 50 U.S. states and seven territories. Namely's client base now includes a broad range of fast-growing businesses in nearly every industry, including companies like ActiveCampaign, Acorns, Drift, EatStreet, Life is Good, Mizzen + Main, OneLogin, Peerfit, SiriusDecisions, and The Motley Fool, as well as Namely partners such as Jobvite, JazzHR, and Greenhouse. Together, these mid-sized organizations use Namely to manage billions of dollars in payroll, with growth of 300 percent since the first HR Redefined conference in 2017. "We're honored to serve this community of forward-thinking people professionals who understand the critical link between talent dynamics and business success," said Graham Younger, president and chief revenue officer, Namely. "The accelerating pace of growth in our client base is a testament to the value that these companies place on empowering their people and nurturing their culture." As the software at the heart of the employee experience, Namely simplifies people programs such as payroll, benefits, and time management, while delivering unique visibility to drive people strategy and ultimately business success. For example, Namely's platform annually supports over: 900,000 time off requests 175,000 performance reviews 300,000 e-signed agreements 70,000 employee news feed posts, garnering 200,000 comments and 750,000 likes 185,000 employee anniversaries Namely reduces the administrative burden on HR professionals and frees them up to focus on deepening employee engagement and fostering meaningful experiences. Clients consistently recognize the value this delivers to their business across several dimensions: "This is our sixth year with Namely and we are happy for their partnership. Namely's platform is wonderfully flexible and handles most of our HR needs and functions," said Trish Swope , director of human resources at Archer Malmo in Tennessee . , director of human resources at Archer Malmo in . "Namely makes my life so much easier. Not only are the tools, like payroll and benefits, easy and intuitive, but the customer service is outstanding. The people at Namely are friendly, knowledgeable, and always available to help," said Titus Yao , director of human resources and administration at Academic Travel Abroad in Washington, D.C. , director of human resources and administration at Academic Travel Abroad in "Namely is an HR platform that understands the need for other products to integrate effectively. The fact that Namely offers easy connections with other HR and payroll tools makes it a superpower in the industry," said Chantelle Dembowski , senior director of HR at ThreatQuotient in Virginia . , senior director of HR at ThreatQuotient in . "Line up all your people system pain points and Namely mows them down, like a boss," said Colleen Clark , head of optimistic people at Life is Good in Massachusetts . The two-day HR Redefined event at Spring Studios in New York City brings together more than 500 global HR professionals who share a common mission: building better workplaces. Thirty leaders, many from Namely clients such as BounceX, Capital III, EatStreet, LRN, Suzy, TechnologyAdvice, and The Channel Company, will share their expertise with attendees about how to engage employees to drive retention; analyze people data to increase the impact of HR overall; and evolve their HR strategies to stay ahead of the curve. About Namely Namely is the first HR platform that employees actually love to use. Namely's award-winning, powerful, easy-to-use technology allows companies to handle all of their HR, payroll, time management, and benefits in one place. Coupled with best-in-class account support, every Namely client gets the software and service they need to deliver great HR and a strong, engaged company culture. Namely is used by more than 1,300 clients with 250,000 employees globally. Headquartered in New York City, the company is backed by investors including Altimeter Capital, GGV Capital, Matrix Partners, Scale Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, Tenaya Capital, and True Ventures. For more information, visit www.Namely.com . SOURCE Namely Related Links http://www.namely.com WASHINGTON, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is announcing results from their annual membership survey sponsored by Bizwomen. The survey provides transparency on the economic climate from the viewpoint of women business owners, who will continue to be a growing force in our nation's economy for years to come. For 2019, the top three business challenges identified were: finding ways to drive growth (58%), finding time to focus on core business (47%), and finding high-quality employees (28%). "Nearly a third of our members want to hire new employees but struggle to find qualified candidates to fill their empty positions. We must bridge this gap," said Molly Gimmel, NAWBO National Board Chair. "Lawmakers need to look at the workforce and see how we educate the growing unskilled labor force. This problem looms over not only our NAWBO members, but all small business owners across America." "On the bright side, despite the challenges these women face, they continue to remain positive, with 99% planning to either increase or maintain their number of employees or contractors and 45% saying they are optimistic for their business and the economy overall," continued Gimmel. Highlights of this year's survey include: TOP THREE POLICY IMPACTS: 48% are impacted by taxes and regulation, 23% workforce issues, 11% government contracting and disparity studies are impacted by taxes and regulation, workforce issues, government contracting and disparity studies TOP THREE CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ITEMS: 50% Address healthcare costs, 15% Make the tax cuts permanent, 14% Invest in America's infrastructure Address healthcare costs, Make the tax cuts permanent, Invest in America's infrastructure CYBER: 46% have not done anything to prevent or prepare for a cybersecurity incident have not done anything to prevent or prepare for a cybersecurity incident RETIREMENT: 67% are saving for retirement, but 58% have not done any succession planning for their business To view infographics on the survey, click here. On June 4, 2019, NAWBO members from across the country will be gathering in Washington, D.C. to discuss these issues with members of Congress and the Administration on their national Advocacy Day. About NAWBO Founded in 1975, NAWBO is the unified voice of America's more than 11.6 million women-owned businesses representing the fastest growing segment of the economy. NAWBO is the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries. NAWBO develops programs that help navigate women entrepreneurs through the various stages of their business growth. To learn more, please visit www.nawbo.org. SOURCE National Association of Women Business Owners Related Links http://www.nawbo.org ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of National Small Business Week from May 5 - 11, the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) is highlighting the small businesses that work behind-the-scenes to quench the thirst of millions across the countryAmerica's independent beer distributors. "Small businesses are the engines that keep our economy driving forward, and America's beer distributors are critical to this momentum," said Craig Purser, president of NBWA. "Beer distributors are staples within their communities, and their work goes far beyond delivering beer. These companies are local employers, community leaders and philanthropists. They truly embody the very spirit of America's small businesses and entrepreneurs." America's independent beer distribution industry is made up of more than 3,000 small businesses which ensure a wide variety of beer is safely and efficiently transported to more than 640,000 licensed retailers nationwide, including restaurants, local stores and taverns. These family-owned, local businesses have a presence in every community across the United States. Collectively, they employ 141,000 hardworking men and women in small towns and big cities and contribute a total economic impact of $60 billion annually. The jobs they offer provide benefits and opportunities for advancement for their employees, who also happen to be their neighbors. Additionally, beer distributors pay more than $9 billion in federal, state and local taxes. They also invest hundreds of millions of dollars in local economic development and charities from delivering water after disaster strikes to supporting local police departments . "National Small Business Week is a great opportunity to raise a glass to every small business in your communityespecially independent beer distributors who not only ensure you have your favorite beers, but keep your community thriving," Purser added. SOURCE National Beer Wholesalers Association Related Links http://www.nbwa.org FULTON, Md., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Rob Posner, founder and CEO of NewDay USA, the nation's 8th largest VA mortgage lender, announced the company has renewed its warehouse facility with BankUnited for $100 million. The company now has a total of $400 million in warehouse commitments, that also includes Texas Capital Bank and People's United Bank. These warehouse facilities will enable NewDay USA to achieve an expected 150 percent increase in the number of veteran families and military service members that obtain a VA Home Loan to purchase a home. NewDay USA's goal is to become the #1 VA mortgage lenders in the U.S. for veterans and servicemembers. Posner said the company is well on its way toward its goal, with the company projected to serve 11,000 veteran families in 2019. "Through a fintech business model, NewDay relies on proprietary information-based decisioning that focuses on making sure that every veteran may have the opportunity to take advantage of their VA home loan benefit," Posner said. "NewDay is able to qualify more veterans for VA loans and achieve the American Dream. Serving servicemen and women and veterans is all we do!" Through its own training facility called NewDay University, NewDay USA produces a growing team of professionals trained specifically to help military service members and veterans. Posner attributes its Accelerated Underwriting Program and a greater understanding of the background of service members and veterans to the success of Operation Home. About NewDay USA NewDay USA is a nationwide VA mortgage lender focused on helping active military personnel, veterans, and their families achieve their financial and housing goals. NewDay USA is also a Ginnie Mae (GNMA) approved issuer/servicer. The company employs best practices in mortgage lending and career growth for mortgage professionals. Consistent with its mission, NewDay is a philanthropic partner of numerous organizations focused on assisting military veterans and their families in need. The NewDay USA Foundation provides four-year scholarships to the children of fallen and severely disabled military veterans to attend JROTC military high schools across the nation. The company is also a major philanthropic partner of the Medal of Honor Foundation, the USO, Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness, and is a major sponsor of the Military Bowl. Community service and giving back in the form of volunteerism also plays a significant role among the NewDay USA workforce. NewDay USA is a registered trade name of New Day Financial, LLC, which is a key holding of Chrysalis Holdings, LLC, a premier private investment company focused on the financial services industry. For more information about NewDay USA, visit www.newdayusa.com. Press Contacts: Mike Murray Strategic Vantage Marketing & Public Relations [email protected] 240.498.0863 Sam Garcia Strategic Vantage Marketing & Public Relations [email protected] 214.762.4457 SOURCE NewDay USA Related Links http://www.newdayusa.com NEW YORK, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) announced the renewal and expansion of its analytic relationship with Beiersdorf U.S., a trusted global leader within the skin care category. Together, Nielsen and Beiersdorf U.S. are fostering growth in the health and beauty space by accelerating the adoption of cutting edge analytics and technology. With this agreement, Beiersdorf U.S. became the first skin care company to engage with Nielsen's newest technology platform, Nielsen Connect. Building off of a collaborative relationship that has been growing since 2008, Nielsen has helped Beiersdorf U.S. navigate through the health and beauty consumer landscape with speed and precision. Through expanded market coverage, amplified services around omnichannel measurement, more agile analytics and deeper insight into the changing consumer landscape, Nielsen will continue to deliver industry-leading data across Beiersdorf's U.S. brand portfolio, inclusive of NIVEA, Eucerin and Aquaphor. "Nielsen has been a trusted and valued partner of the Beiersdorf U.S. business for many years, delivering quality data services that are meaningful to our business in an informed and responsive manner," said Rodney Waights, VP, Shopper & Customer Marketing, at Beiersdorf U.S. "The adoption of Nielsen Connect is already underway. We believe it will simplify access to data, improve the speed and ability to generate real insights and enable us to be more agile in our decision-making." "Beiersdorf U.S. is setting a new standard in the world of skin care by showing the industry how to embrace new technology and joining a growing roster of companies who are leaning into Nielsen Connect, said Laura McCullough, EVP, U. S. Customer Development, Nielsen. "We are looking forward to supporting the company's future growth as they continue to win through strong retailer collaboration and consumer centricity. Equipped with speed and enhanced data visualization, analytic tools, Beiersdorf U.S. will have a clear view into what's happening in the beauty market, why and what's next." ABOUT BEIERSDORF Beiersdorf AG is a leading provider of innovative, high-quality skin care products, with over 130 years of experience in the marketplace. The Hamburg-based company has around 18,000 employees worldwide and is listed on the DAX, the German benchmark equities index. Beiersdorf generated sales of just under $8 billion in financial year 2016. NIVEA, the world's No. 1 skincare brand, is the cornerstone of the company's brand portfolio, which also includes brands such as Eucerin and Aquaphor, as well as, La Prairie. ABOUT NIELSEN Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global measurement and data analytics company that provides the most complete and trusted view available of consumers and markets worldwide. Our approach marries proprietary Nielsen data with other data sources to help clients around the world understand what's happening now, what's happening next, and how to best act on this knowledge. For more than 90 years Nielsen has provided data and analytics based on scientific rigor and innovation, continually developing new ways to answer the most important questions facing the media, advertising, retail and fast-moving consumer goods industries. An S&P 500 company, Nielsen has operations in over 100 countries, covering more than 90% of the world's population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com. SOURCE Nielsen Related Links http://www.Nielsen.com GAINESVILLE, Fla., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- O2B Kids, a leading provider of early education services for children in the Southeast U.S. and a Spire Capital portfolio company, consummated its acquisition of Brookside Academy. Brookside Academy, founded in 1999, has two locations in Alpharetta and Johns Creek, suburbs of Atlanta, GA. It provides services such as infant and toddler care, preschool, afterschool enrichment programs and summer camp. Brookside Academy has provided high-quality early education services for the past two decades and the O2B Kids team will strive to continue, and improve, Brookside's premium service offering. The transaction establishes O2B Kids' presence in the Atlanta, GA market and increases O2B Kids' facility count from twelve to fourteen. O2B Kids plans to invest capital in both Brookside Academy schools for various facility upgrades. Andy Sherrard, CEO of O2B Kids, commented "The entire O2B Kids team is thrilled to serve the communities of Alpharetta and Johns Creek. We are committed to providing the best possible early education services and look forward to working alongside the Brookside team to accomplish our goals." Dentons US LLP served as legal counsel to O2B Kids. Hinge Brokers acted as exclusive financial advisor to Brookside Academy. About Spire Capital Partners Spire Capital (https://spirecapital.com/) is an active and experienced private equity firm with an investment focus in small market companies within the technology enabled business services, media, communications and education sectors. Spire Capital was founded on the principle of partnering with management teams and founders to help effectuate the next stage of growth for their companies. Spire professionals have a broad array of past operating, investing and advisory experiences they leverage to help portfolio companies accelerate growth, guide strategic direction and execute their business plan. Spire Capital is a New York-based investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. About O2B Kids O2B Kids (http://www.o2bkids.com/) is a leading provider of early education services for children in the Southeast U.S. O2B offers preschool education for children 0 to 5 years old, afterschool enrichment programs for elementary school students, and an unprecedented family membership program for all kids 0 to 13 years old. For one all-inclusive price, O2B provides classes in karate, gymnastics, cheerleading, dance, music, drama, art, science, technology, sports, languages and more. While kids experiment with a rich variety of activities and discover their passions, parents enjoy unrivaled convenience and value. O2B's magical facilities give a safe neighborhood back to kids and deliver valuable enrichment and character-building opportunities to our future generation. Follow O2B on Twitter (@O2BKids) and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all the latest news and events. SOURCE Spire Capital Partners NEW YORK, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE: OUT) announced today that Jeremy Male, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled to present at the 47th Annual J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference in Boston, Massachusetts on Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at 1:20 p.m. Eastern Time. A live and replay audio webcast will be available on the investor relations section of the Company's website at www.OUTFRONTmedia.com. About OUTFRONT Media Inc. OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its ON Smart Media platform, OUTFRONT is implementing digital technology that will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go. SOURCE OUTFRONT Media Inc. Related Links http://www.outfrontmedia.com COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacejet, the leading cloud solution for complete shipping for the mid-market has been accepted on the Microsoft AppSource online application marketplace. To achieve this position, Pacejet had to meet Microsoft's criteria through staging and testing to meet overall quality standards set by Microsoft's Engineering Team. With the Introduction of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, customers now require powerful, born-in-the-cloud shipping solutions that take advantage of SaaS in its fullest. Pacejet Shipping Software leverages hundreds of installations and over a decade in the cloud to bring companies next generation logistics and shipping technology. "Pacejet was fully developed leveraging cloud technology. As we did this, we were able to reimagine shipping software as a fully connected real-time direct carrier network and grew rapidly to ship billions of dollars of products globally," said Bill Knapp, CEO of Pacejet. The mid-market is continually challenged to adapt their business processes to compete and align with fast growing players such as Amazon which mandates flexible and comprehensive tools to grow. Pacejet is an adaptable shipping solution needed to tackle the complex task of how companies ship. Pacejet also brings advanced capabilities for analyzing information and agile decision making, which is core to Microsoft Dynamics 365 strategy. "What we're seeing now is shipping moving from simply a tactical business process to a strategic driver. What once was 3% of spend is now up to 6 to 8% of spend and is critical to growth and customer satisfaction for both consumers and businesses," said Knapp. Who is Pacejet: Pacejet shipping software is an award-winning fully connected platform offering seamless integrations into Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and the other systems businesses rely on to run operations every day. Pacejet offers connectivity to many parcel, freight, and 3PL carriers and provides a RESTful API for additional flexibility. Visit the Microsoft AppSource to learn more about Pacejet Enterprise Shipping for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or call 877-722-3538. Media Contact: Sam Bush (614) 505-7290 [email protected] SOURCE Pacejet Related Links https://www.pacejet.com MONTCLAIR, N.J., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Parentgiving Inc., the country's premier retailer of caregiving products for the aging, announced the launch of their first private label product, Dry Direct Ultimate Underwear, a premium incontinence product designed to provide seniors with the best absorption capacity on the market and caregivers with the best value in premium incontinence. "Premium incontinence products are the fastest growing segment in our caregiving products space," said Parentgiving CEO David Spain, "As caregivers ourselves, we want to provide family caregivers with a better choice for their loved ones - competitively-priced, comfortable, and super-absorbent incontinence underwear." Dry Direct Ultimate Underwear is ten years in the making - Parentgiving has been selling the best caregiving products for its entire history and over the past three years, the company actively prepared for this launch. Employees studied thousands of customer surveys, reviews, and product rating data to prepare the company's own product specifications and attributes. In addition, the company visited every major adult diaper factory in the United States to understand the manufacturing and quality processes. The underwear's exceptional absorbance capacity means less leaks and less changes a day, bringing comfort to aging parents and reassurance to family caregivers. "Dry Direct Ultimate Underwear is engineered to be our best value in premium adult incontinence," Spain added, "The product is feature laden, but our critical metric is absorption capacity under pressure, which best replicates real world application of extended periods of lying down (overnight) or being seated." Dry Direct Ultimate Underwear tests for over 40 ounces of absorption capacity, three times the absorbency of incontinence underwear found at brick and mortar stores and far more than competing premium products. The end result is a premium product designed by caregivers to help people provide better care for their aging parents. Formed in 2008, Parentgiving's mission is to help people provide better care for their aging parents. Every single employee at Parentgiving, from our award-winning customer care team to our management team and even our interns, has been a caregiver, or has personal family experience with the aging process. SOURCE Parentgiving Related Links http://www.parentgiving.com BELLEVUE, Wash., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Gauguin Cruises (www.pgcruises.com), operator of the highest-rated and longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific, the m/s Paul Gauguin, announces a Two-Week Sale on select 2019 and 2020 Tahiti, French Polynesia, and South Pacific voyages. Paul Gauguin Cruises is offering savings of up to $3,650* per person off select luxury voyages aboard The Gauguin when booked between May 6 and 18, 2019. Roundtrip airfare between Los Angeles or San Francisco and Papeete, Tahiti, is also included. On board, guests will enjoy the highest standards of luxury, quality, and all-inclusive value sailing to South Pacific destinations that are the cruise line's specialty. Qualifying voyages are: Society Islands & Tahiti Iti (7 nights): August 31, 2019 now from only $5,495 per person now from only per person December 14, 2019 now from only $4,095 per person now from only per person January 4, 2020 now from only $4,245 per person now from only per person February 8 , 29, 2020 now from only $4,795 per person Tahiti & the Society Islands (7 nights): October 26, 2019 now from only $4,895 per person now from only per person February 22, 2020 now from only $4,795 per person Society Islands & Tuamotus (10 nights): November 13, 2019 now from only $5,095 per person now from only per person January 29, 2020 now from only $5,345 per person On The Gauguin, nearly 70% of suites and staterooms offer balconies. Dining experiences include L'Etoile, which showcases an array of culinary creations expertly prepared each evening. The ship's other two dining venues, La Veranda and Le Grill, serve breakfast and lunch. At night, signature dishes designed by French celebrity chef Jean-Pierre Vigato are offered in La Veranda, and Polynesian specialties are served poolside at Le Grill. Les Gauguines and Les Gauguinsour exclusive troupe of Tahitian entertainersprovide enriching experiences of the destinations throughout each voyage. The Gauguin features expert lecturers on each voyage, and special guests on select sailings conduct presentations on topics ranging from the history of the South Pacific to conservation, culture, marine life, and the wonders of coral reefs. A luxurious spa, fitness center, watersports marina, and expansive outdoor decks with chaise lounges and a pool are also available aboard The Gauguin. One of the highlights of each sailing is exclusive access to Motu Mahana, the cruise line's private islet off the coast of Taha'a where guests can enjoy sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, Polynesian activities, a full-service bar, a floating lagoon bar, and a delicious barbecue. In Bora Bora, guests can enjoy complimentary access to a private, white-sand beach with beach volleyball, sunbathing, snorkeling, paddleboarding, and refreshments. For more information or reservations, contact a professional travel advisor, call 1-800-848-6172, or visit www.pgcruises.com. *All fares are in US dollars, per person, based on double occupancy in lowest stateroom category, and reflect promotional savings, are for new bookings only, are subject to availability, and must be booked by May 18, 2019. Roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles or San Francisco is based on availability in class of service. Offer may be combined with applicable 3rd guest in stateroom offer but may not be combined with other offers. Port, security, and handling charges of $149-$215 per person are additional. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Call for details. For full terms and conditions, visit www.pgcruises.com. About Paul Gauguin Cruises Owned by Pacific Beachcomber S.C., French Polynesia's leading luxury hotel and cruise operator, Paul Gauguin Cruises operates the 5+-star cruise ship, the 332-guest m/s Paul Gauguin, providing a deluxe cruise experience tailored to the unparalleled wonders of Tahiti, French Polynesia, and the South Pacific. Paul Gauguin Cruises has been recognized by notable publications in travel and lifestyle and was voted "#2 Midsize-Ship Ocean Cruise Line" by readers in the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2018**. The line was also recognized as one of the "Top Small Cruise Lines" in the Conde Nast Traveler 2018 Readers' Choice Awards and is honored on the publication's 2018 "Gold List." Paul Gauguin Cruises was also selected as "Best Small-Ship Cruise Line" in Global Traveler's Leisure Lifestyle Awards in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and received top honors as the "#1 Cruise Line for Honeymooners" in BRIDES Magazine's 2017 Honeymoon Awards and was listed in the publication's "Top All-Inclusives" in the 2018 Honeymoon Awards. Media Contact: Vanessa Bloy Paul Gauguin Cruises Director of Public Relations (425) 440-6255 [email protected] **From Travel + Leisure Magazine, August 2018 Time Inc. Affluent Media Group. Used under license. Travel + Leisure and Time Inc. Affluent Media Group are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, Paul Gauguin Cruises. SOURCE Paul Gauguin Cruises Related Links http://www.pgcruises.com CALGARY, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Pembina Pipeline Corporation ("Pembina" or the "Company") (TSX: PPL;NYSE: PBA) reported the voting results from its annual and special meeting of common shareholders held May 3, 2019 in Calgary, Alberta (the "Meeting"). Each of the matters voted upon at the Meeting is discussed in detail in the Company's Management Information Circular dated March 15, 2019 (the "Information Circular") and is available on the Company's website under "Investor Centre Shareholder Information" at www.pembina.com. A total of 332,282,765 common shares representing 65.19 percent of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares were voted in person and by proxy in connection with the Meeting. The voting results for each matter presented at the Meeting are provided below: 1. Election of Directors The following 11 nominees were appointed as directors of Pembina to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Company, or until their successors are elected or appointed: Nominee Votes in Favour Votes Withheld Percentage Number Percentage Number Anne-Marie N. Ainsworth 99.52% 307,250,169 0.48% 1,487,386 Michael H. Dilger 99.66% 307,694,072 0.34% 1,043,483 Randall J. Findlay 98.93% 305,444,347 1.07% 3,293,208 Maureen E. Howe 99.40% 306,886,363 0.60% 1,851,192 Gordon J. Kerr 94.04% 290,323,966 5.96% 18,413,589 David M.B. LeGresley 94.59% 292,046,870 5.41% 16,690,685 Robert B. Michaleski 99.40% 306,898,995 0.60% 1,838,560 Leslie A. O'Donoghue 94.21% 290,868,985 5.79% 17,868,570 Bruce D. Rubin 99.63% 307,608,970 0.37% 1,128,585 Jeffrey T. Smith 98.44% 303,908,620 1.56% 4,828,935 Henry W. Sykes 94.68% 292,323,922 5.32% 16,413,633 2. Appointment of Auditors KPMG LLP, Chartered Accountants, were appointed to serve as the auditors of the Company until the close of the next annual meeting, at remuneration to be fixed by the directors on the recommendation of the Audit Committee. 3. Approval of Company's Shareholder Rights Plan An ordinary resolution to continue Pembina's shareholder rights plan was approved with an approximate 94.55 percent of votes cast in favour. 4. Approval of the Amendment to the Company's Articles A special resolution to amend the Company's articles to increase the limit on the number of Class A preferred shares we are authorized to issue, as described in the Information Circular, was approved with an approximate 94.90 percent of votes cast in favour. 5. Acceptance of Company's Approach to Executive Compensation On an advisory basis and not to diminish the role and responsibility of the board of directors, the approach to executive compensation disclosed in the Information Circular was approved with an approximate 91.67 percent of votes cast in favour. Additional details in respect the Meeting's voting results can be found on Pembina's profile at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov. The meeting of the preferred shareholders held May 3, 2019 in Calgary, Alberta to consider the amendment to the Company's articles was convened and adjourned, without any business considered, due to a lack of quorum and in order provide such shareholders with a further opportunity to vote their preferred shares in favour of the amendment. The adjourned special meeting of the Company's preferred shareholders will be held at 10:30 a.m. (Mountain time) on May 31, 2019 in the Assiniboine Boardroom at the offices of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, located at Suite 3500, Bankers Hall East Tower, 855 2nd Street S.W., Calgary, Alberta. Holders of preferred shares as of the March 15, 2019 record date for the special meeting of preferred shareholders may continue to vote their preferred shares in the same manner as described in the Information Circular. If a preferred shareholder has any questions or needs assistance completing their proxy or voting instruction form, please call Kingsdale Advisors at 1-877-657-5859 or email [email protected]. Pembina may also engage a soliciting dealer group consisting of members of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) to assist in this regard, which arrangement would involve the payment of customary fees to the soliciting dealers for the receipt of votes from preferred shareholders in regards to the special resolution to approve the amendment to the Company's articles. About Pembina Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corporation is a leading transportation and midstream service provider that has been serving North America's energy industry for over 60 years. Pembina owns an integrated system of pipelines that transport various hydrocarbon liquids and natural gas products produced primarily in western Canada. The Company also owns gas gathering and processing facilities and an oil and natural gas liquids infrastructure and logistics business. Pembina's integrated assets and commercial operations along the majority of the hydrocarbon value chain allow it to offer a full spectrum of midstream and marketing services to the energy sector. Pembina is committed to identifying additional opportunities to connect hydrocarbon production to new demand locations through the development of infrastructure that would extend Pembina's service offering even further along the hydrocarbon value chain. These new developments will contribute to ensuring that hydrocarbons produced in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and the other basins where Pembina operates can reach the highest value markets throughout the world. Purpose of Pembina: To be the leader in delivering integrated infrastructure solutions connecting global markets; Customers choose us first for reliable and value-added services; choose us first for reliable and value-added services; Investors receive sustainable industry-leading total returns; receive sustainable industry-leading total returns; Employees say we are the 'employer of choice' and value our safe, respectful, collaborative and fair work culture; and say we are the 'employer of choice' and value our safe, respectful, collaborative and fair work culture; and Communities welcome us and recognize the net positive impact of our social and environmental commitment. Pembina is structured into three Divisions: Pipelines Division, Facilities Division and Marketing & New Ventures Division. Pembina's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under PPL and PBA, respectively. For more information, visit www.pembina.com. SOURCE Pembina Pipeline Corporation Related Links http://www.pembina.com CHICAGO, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PS Principles announced today the public availability of its 8K Certification for professional services operations along with its first certified customer, Quadient Inc. The certification is the first of its kind to set the bar for the operational management and delivery of technology implementation projects. The 8K specification sets a clear standard for project governance, consultant development and customer focus. The 8K Certification program allows customers to identify service providers who use a consistent set of industry best practices to deliver successful customer-facing projects. "After training thousands of consultants in our certification program, executives asked if we could certify companies as well as the consultants," explained Shane Anastasi, CEO & Founder of PS Principles. "As a result, we developed the 8K Certification as the bar for excellence in project delivery. The certification gives the professional services buyer confidence that a series of best practices for increasing the success rate of projects are being used. No sooner had we developed the standard, Quadient Inc. jumped at the chance to certify first." "Professional Services Certification allows Quadient to set ourselves apart from the rest of the market. We have transformed the way our consultants see their role in front of the customer, empowering them to lead our customers to successful outcomes by helping them realize the value of their investment in Customer Experience Management solutions more quickly and efficiently," said Chris Hartigan, General Manager and President. Quadient Inc.'s VP of Professional Services, Greg Park, said, "This achievement is about more than just earning the certificate. The 8K Certification has improved our business operations and made our projects more successful. As a result we've differentiated Quadient as a software company dedicated to customer success." The certification is available to professional services teams within product companies and consulting firms across three main areas of Project Governance, Consultant Development and Trusted Advisor. Service providers can find more details about the program at PS Principles website (www.psprinciples.com/8k) while consumers of project delivery services can also find the specifics of the program at the same link. Any queries about the certification process or pricing can be directed to [email protected] and any queries about Quadient's experience with the certification can be directed to [email protected]. Related Images ps-principles-8k-certification.png Related Links 8K Certification Program Consultant Certification Program SOURCE PS Principles Related Links http://www.psprinciples.com YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) successfully tested a hot fire rocket motor for DARPA's Multi-Azimuth Defense Fast Intercept Round Engagement System, or MAD-FIRES. The MAD-FIRES interceptor is designed to provide a robust and affordable self-defense capability that defeats multiple waves of anti-ship missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as other threats. "The Navy is asking for leading-edge capabilities that can take out rapidly approaching targets, and Raytheon's interceptor for the MAD-FIRES program will deliver," said Dr. Thomas Bussing, Raytheon Advanced Missile Systems vice president. "This test shows Raytheon is right on track to provide an affordable, advanced technology to the fleet." If fielded, this capability will combine the speed, rapid fire and depth of a gun weapon system with the precision and accuracy of guided missiles. About Raytheon Raytheon Company, with 2018 sales of $27 billion and 67,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 97 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter. Media Contact Carri Karuhn +1.520.746-2018 [email protected] SOURCE Raytheon Company Related Links http://www.raytheon.com WALLDORF, Germany, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced the following event: SAPPHIRE NOW 2019 Financial Analyst Conference (Orlando, FL) The Company will host a financial analyst conference in Orlando, FL on May 8th, 2019 starting at 7:30 pm (CET) / 6:30 pm (GMT) / 1:30 pm (EST) / 10:30 am (PST). At this event members of senior management will present on the Company's strategy and financial performance. Questions can be submitted by e-mail during the conference to [email protected] . This event will be webcast live on the Company's Investor Relations website www.sap.com/investor and will be available for replay. Supplementary presentation slides will also be made available. About SAP As the cloud company powered by SAP HANA, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software, helping companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best. Our machine learning, IoT, and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers' businesses into intelligent enterprises. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enable more than 437,000 business and public customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. For more information, visit www.sap.com. Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. 2019 SAP SE. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express permission of SAP SE. The information contained herein may be changed without prior notice. Some software products marketed by SAP SE and its distributors contain proprietary software components of other software vendors. National product specifications may vary. These materials are provided by SAP SE and its affiliated companies ("SAP Group") for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors or omissions with respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. Note to editors: To preview and download broadcast-standard stock footage and press photos digitally, please visit www.sap.com/photos. On this platform, you can find high resolution material for your media channels. To view video stories on diverse topics, visit www.sap-tv.com. From this site, you can embed videos into your own Web pages, share video via e-mail links and subscribe to RSS feeds from SAP TV. Follow SAP Investor Relations on Twitter at @sapinvestor. SOURCE SAP Related Links http://www.sap.com ODESSA, Texas, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Saulsbury announced Chat York, former Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), as President and CEO. York will also join the Board of Directors, effective immediately. "After conducting a thorough executive search and assessing Chat's excellent performance as Interim CEO, the Saulsbury family and the Board of Directors believes that he is the right person to lead us into our next phase of superior project execution, growth and innovation," shared Bubba Saulsbury, EVP, Corporate Strategy, Board Member and Shareholder. "Over the past several months, Chat has demonstrated his ability to unite the Saulsbury team around a common purpose which further solidifies that he is the clear choice to be our next CEO." York is a distinguished leader with a proven track record for leading energy sector businesses through critical transformation and high-growth periods. Most recently, York served as Saulsbury's Chief Financial Officer, a position he held since joining the company in 2015. During this time, he led Saulsbury's finance, accounting and supply chain activities. Chat has more than 30 years of experience in the energy sector spanning multiple disciplines. "I am honored that the Shareholders and Board of Directors have elected me as CEO and I look forward to guiding Saulsbury toward further success," York said. "Saulsbury is an outstanding company and is fortunate to have a talented and passionate team of employees with an unwavering commitment to excellence." The company also announced the appointment of Michael Bridgman to Chief Financial Officer. Formerly Saulsbury's Senior Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, and Treasurer, Michael brings over 23 years of experience in corporate development, investment banking and financial analysis to the role. "I have the utmost respect for Michael's financial and accounting expertise, business acumen and tireless work ethic," York said. "As Saulsbury continues to transform into a best-in-class service provider focused on execution, Michael brings a wealth of experience to help us accelerate growth and innovation and drive the best outcomes for our clients." Blake Young, Chairman of the Saulsbury Board of Directors, notes that, "The Saulsbury brand and reputation are preeminent in the market. The appointments of both Chat York and Michael Bridgman will underpin Saulsbury's continued success and growth and the entire Board of Directors wishes both gentlemen the best in their new roles." About Saulsbury Industries Saulsbury Industries is a full-service engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction company that specializes in building the infrastructure necessary to fuel the future. Saulsbury serves its clients in the energy and heavy industrial sectors by designing and building safe, well executed, capital-efficient projects nationwide. Headquartered in Odessa, Texas, the company's national office footprint includes, Dallas; Houston; Port Arthur; Henderson; Abilene, TX; Farmington, NM; Tulsa, OK; and Denver; Milliken, CO. For more information, please visit www.saulsbury.com or follow Saulsbury on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. For information or inquiries, please contact: Stephanie Gentry Director, Marketing and Communications 2951 E. Interstate 20 Odessa, TX 79766 832-595-4882 [email protected] SOURCE Saulsbury Industries Related Links http://www.saulsbury.com WASHINGTON, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration recognized and awarded this year's Small Business Person of the Year, Jennifer Herbert (CEO) and Jeff Herbert (CSO) of Superstition Meadery, LLC from Arizona, during the 2019 National Small Business Week ceremony in Washington, D.C. "It is my honor to announce that Jennifer and Jeff Herbert of Superstition Meadery, LLC from Arizona are this year's national Small Business Persons of the Year," said Acting SBA Administrator Chris Pilkerton. "Thanks to SBA financial and counseling assistance, this outstanding firm successfully grew their business, increasing their revenue by more than 160% between 2015 and 2017, expanded their staff from nine to 20 employees and extended their reach into international markets. Jennifer and Jeff truly represent the best of our nation's small businesses." Superstition Meadery, based in Prescott, Arizona, has been producing unique meads and cider since 2012. Jeff Herbert got his first taste of the possibilities of creating new flavors of Mead, an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey, after taking a brewery course at Chicago's Seibel Institute. Jeff and Jennifer founded Superstition Meadery in 2012, and that year they produced 300 gallons of mead and cider in a 20 square-foot space. Fruit, herbs, spices and barrel aging are the basics of mead production, a beverage that has been enjoyed across cultures around the world going back 4,000 years. "I am pleased to see how the SBA assisted Jennifer and Jeff to expand on their idea and grow their business in a unique market," Pilkerton said. "Entrepreneurs' skills and creativity not only support their own families, but they also make our neighborhoods and cities vibrant places to live and work. Small businesses fuel our overall economic strength, and the SBA is proud to help empower their success. Congratulations to Jennifer and Jeff, and to our other finalists!" As part of the 2019 National Small Business Week events in Washington, D.C., Acting SBA Administrator Pilkerton recognized and awarded all the state and territorial winners, as well as small business owners and industry leaders for excellence in entrepreneurship, exporting, federal contracting, lending and disaster recovery. In addition to the national Small Business Person of the Year, two runners-up were recognized: First Runner-up Brad Barber (CEO) and Angie Barber (COO) Cabin Coffee, Clear Lake, IA Brad and Angie Barber longed for a place in Clear Lake where the locals could meet, drink a cup of coffee, and enjoy a bagel. In 2001, the couple decided to create such a space. From a single location in 2002, Cabin Coffee has steadily grown from a start-up with no employees to a successful company with a staff of 140, and sales of $5.5 million in 2017. In 2003, Brad and Angie contacted the SBA's Small Business Development Center program for guidance on franchising. An SBA 7(a) loan helped the couple open a second location in Mason City in 2009, and a 504 loan in 2017 covered construction costs for the company's new distribution and franchise support center in Clear Lake. Now there are 15 Cabin Coffee franchises throughout the United States, with more to come. Brad founded two local community organizationsUnited to Serve, and North Iowa Networking. They also support the North Iowa Vocational Center. Second Runner-up Bert Ortiz, Founder/Co-owner, President/CEO AVMAC LLC, Chesapeake, VA A senior aviation management professional with over 40 years of active duty military and business experience, Roberto "Bert" Ortiz's passion is in integrating and managing aviation and maritime logistics and technical support services while assessing new technologies for future employment. In 2009, he founded AVMAC LLC. Since its modest beginnings, Bert has grown AVMAC LLC into a multi-million dollar business with revenues exceeding $34 million in 2018. AVMAC LLC is an SBA certified 8(a) Business Development Program participant and has received a SBA Patriots Express Line of credit and a 20-year SBA 504 debenture loan. Ortiz received assistance from SCORE, SBDC and Veteran Business Outreach Center in Hampton Roads. Over the past few years, AVMAC LLC was recognized as the 2014 SBA Richmond District Subcontractor of the Year, 2016 SBA Region III Prime Contractor of the Year, 2016 Virginia Governor's Award and has been selected by Inside Business for three consecutive years as a "Roaring Twenty" awardee. When he's not growing his business, Ortiz donates his time and money to EquiVets, a riding program for vets with PTSD, homeless veteran housing, Toys for Tots, the Virginia Veterans & Family Support organization, to name a few. Ortiz is currently mentoring three small start-up veteran-owned businesses. To learn more about National Small Business Week and read the bios on all the winners please visit www.sba.gov/nsbw 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: 19-28 SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration Related Links http://www.sba.gov MILWAUKEE, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi & O'Reilly, LLP is investigating the Board of Aquantia, Corp. (NYSE: AQ) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of the law in connection with the sale of AQ to Marvell. Click here to learn how to join the action: http://ademilaw.com/case/aquantia or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you. Ademi & O'Reilly, LLP alleges AQ's financial outlook is improving and yet AQ shareholders will receive the only $13.25 per share. Marvell is purchasing AQ at a substantial discount. The merger agreement unreasonably limits competing bids for AQ by prohibiting solicitation of further bids, and imposing a termination penalty if AQ accepts a superior bid. AQ insiders will receive millions of dollars as part of change of control arrangements. We are investigating on the conduct of AQ's board of directors, and whether they are (i) fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders, and (ii) obtaining a fair and reasonable price for AQ. If you own common stock in AQ and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or http://ademilaw.com/case/aquantia. We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contacts Ademi & O'Reilly, LLP Guri Ademi Toll Free: (866) 264-3995 Fax: (414) 482-8001 SOURCE Ademi & O'Reilly, LLP Related Links http://www.ademilaw.com MILWAUKEE, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi & O'Reilly, LLP is investigating the Board of Chesapeake Lodging Trust (NYSE: CHSP) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of the law in connection with the sale of CHSP to Park Hotels. Click here to learn how to join the action: http://ademilaw.com/case/chesapeake or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you. Ademi & O'Reilly, LLP alleges CHSP financial outlook is improving and yet CHSP shareholders will receive the equivalent of only $31.00 per share. Park Hotels is purchasing CHSP at a substantial discount. The merger agreement unreasonably limits competing bids for CHSP by prohibiting solicitation of further bids, and imposing a termination penalty if CHSP accepts a superior bid. CHSP insiders will receive millions of dollars as part of change of control arrangements. We are investigating on the conduct of CHSP's board of directors, and whether they are (i) fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders, and (ii) obtaining a fair and reasonable price for CHSP. If you own common stock in CHSP and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or http://ademilaw.com/case/chesapeake. We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contacts Ademi & O'Reilly, LLP Guri Ademi Toll Free: (866) 264-3995 Fax: (414) 482-8001 SOURCE Ademi & O'Reilly, LLP Related Links http://www.ademilaw.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Skeena Resources (TSX.V:SKE,OTCQX:SKREF), based in Vancouver, focused on mining exploration in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia, today announced that Kelly Earle, Vice President, Communications, will present live at VirtualInvestorConferences.com on May 9th. DATE: Thursday, May 9th TIME: 12:30 PM 1:00 PM ET LINK: https://tinyurl.com/0509ResourcesVIC This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time - both in the presentation hall as well as the organization's "virtual trade booth." If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event. It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates. Learn more about the event at www.VirtualInvestorConferences.com. Recent Company Highlights 4-million-ounce resource grading 4.5 g/t AuEq recently announced at Eskay Creek, open-pittable Preliminary Economic Assessment on Eskay Creek to be released Q3 2019 About Skeena Resources Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "targets", "estimates", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "could" or "would". Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About Virtual Investor ConferencesSM Virtual Investor Conferences is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly-traded companies to meet and present directly with investors. A real-time solution for investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences is part of OTC Market Group's suite of investor relations services specifically designed for more efficient Investor Access. Replicating the look and feel of on-site investor conferences, Virtual Investor Conferences combine leading-edge conferencing and investor communications capabilities with a comprehensive global investor audience network. SOURCE VirtualInvestorConferences.com "Pitch to Win" is a national, small business competition that delivers big rewards. Nationwide , #1 in Customer Satisfaction with Small Commercial Insurance,* and small business lending company BlueVine , are launching the competition as part of National Small Business Week to give small business owners the chance to compete for cash prizes by presenting a unique and compelling business proposal. Small businesses of all types are encouraged to enter. Business owners can submit their proposals at www.pitchtowinbig.com . The deadline to enter is June 30. Contest rules can also be found on the " Pitch To Win " site. "The backbone of our national economy is built on the ingenuity and innovation of small business owners," said Tony Fenton, vice president of underwriting, product & new product development at Nationwide. "Big ideas win in the marketplace, but capital is critical to success. We're excited to see America's best and brightest business owners pitch their ideas to win the capital to help bring their dreams to life." At the end of the entry period, Nationwide and BlueVine will narrow the list to the small businesses with the best pitches. The finalists will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Nationwide's headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, where they will present their proposal in person to an executive panel of judges. The finalists will also get to meet and consult with experienced business experts. The winning proposal will receive $100,000 from Nationwide and BlueVine. The runner up will get $20,000, with third place receiving $10,000. The awards will be non-dilutive, meaning business owners will not be required to give any ownership of their company. "A 2017 Federal Reserve bank reports that almost half of all U.S. businesses are looking for external capital to scale their company," Fenton said. "The 'Pitch To Win' competition creates a unique and engaging opportunity for small business owners who face this reality every day." "BlueVine is excited to partner with Nationwide to give business owners an opportunity to supercharge their business growth. Growing a business takes hard work, dedication, and often a fair amount of funding, and we hope the contest can highlight that effort and bring business owners one step closer to their dreams," said BlueVine CEO and Founder Eyal Lifshitz. "For us at BlueVine, the contest marks another important step toward a deeper and more meaningful partnership with Nationwide and our joint mission to help small businesses grow." Semifinalists will be announced in August on the Nationwide and BlueVine social media platforms. Winners will be announced in October after the "Pitch To Win" event. Learn more at www.pitchtowinbig.com . About BlueVine BlueVine provides small and medium-sized businesses with fast and simple access to online financing. BlueVine's advanced online platform is intuitive and offers a fast and convenient solution for a business' working capital needs. BlueVine offers a suite of products designed to meet the diverse financial needs of today's business owners. With revolving Line of Credit, business owners can access flexible funds on demand; with Term Loan, business owners can get a lump sum amount to grow their business. With Invoice Factoring, business owners can unlock funds online, from their unpaid invoices. Based in Redwood City, California, BlueVine has provided small and medium-sized businesses with access to nearly $2 billion in financing and is backed by leading private and institutional investors, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, 83North, Citi Ventures, SVB Capital, Rakuten, Nationwide Insurance, and M12 (Microsoft's Venture Arm). All lines of credit and term loan products are issued by Celtic Bank, a Utah-chartered Industrial Bank, Member FDIC. Certain financing may be made or arranged pursuant to California Financing Law-License No. 6054789. Applications are subject to credit approval. Rates and terms may vary based on your creditworthiness and are subject to change. For more information, please visit www.bluevine.com . About Nationwide Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com . Follow us on Facebook and Twitter . Nationwide, Nationwide is on your side and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. 2019 *Nationwide received the highest score in the J.D. Power 2018 Small Commercial Insurance Study of customers' satisfaction with their insurance provider. Visit jdpower.com/awards. Nationwide contact: Jarrett Dunbar (614) 249-1591 [email protected] BlueVine contact: Ali Mapplethorpe (415) 675-1457 [email protected] SOURCE Nationwide Related Links http://www.nationwide.com FAIRFAX, Va., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As the only conference for multicultural marketing leaders developed by multicultural marketing experts, the CMC Annual Summit delivers more top-level content and compelling conversation with its dynamic panel discussions. The Culture Marketing Council: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing will bring together C-suite leaders from top agencies and marketing associations, celebrated creative directors and pop culture experts for a series of powerful panels, taking place June 10-12 at the Statler Hotel in Dallas and covering topics critical to connecting with today's complex and multicultural mainstream. In addition to a powerful panel featuring Wendy Blume, vice president of marketing for Advance Auto Parts, Federico Valiente, senior director of marketing for Pollo Campero, and Isaac Munoz, senior business consultant of customer insights at Southwest Airlines who will discuss best practices from their recent culture marketing efforts, other sessions include: THE CULTURE DRIVEN STORYTELLING In an on-demand world of videos and images, your story matters. How do you connect your brand or service with the multicultural mainstream in an authentic, culturally fluent way? It's all about culture-driven content that is 100% American and 100% Latino. Moderated by Angela Rodriguez , vice president of strategic insights at Alma, this panel features Gil Gastelum , founder of Cosmica , Nuria Santamaria Wolfe , CEO and co-founder of Encantos , and Felix Contreras , host of Alt.Latino , NPR's program about Latin Alternative music and Latino culture. In an on-demand world of videos and images, your story matters. How do you connect your brand or service with the multicultural mainstream in an authentic, culturally fluent way? It's all about culture-driven content that is 100% American and 100% Latino. Moderated by , vice president of strategic insights at Alma, this panel features , , and , NPR's program about Latin Alternative music and Latino culture. AGENCY BUSINESS When it comes to running a marketing business, there are numerous considerationsfrom structure and billing to staffing and knowledge sharing. Moderated by Jorge A. Plasencia , co-founder, chairman & CEO of Republica Havas , this panel represents associations with Marla Kaplowitz , president & CEO of 4A's , independent agencies with Eduardo Perez , partner at PM3 , and agencies that are part of a holding company with Franke Rodriguez , partner & CEO of Anomaly New York and Toronto , discussing how their strategies and approach differ. When it comes to running a marketing business, there are numerous considerationsfrom structure and billing to staffing and knowledge sharing. Moderated by , co-founder, chairman & CEO of , this panel represents associations with , independent agencies with , and agencies that are part of a holding company with , discussing how their strategies and approach differ. LATINAS: POWER OF TRANSFORMATION Latinas are the foundation of Hispanic marketing. While they remain the gatekeepers to the family and one of the most important consumers in the market, the Latina woman has changed in the last ten years, and advertisers need to adapt their strategies and efforts to reach her effectively. Two of the categories that have this important target are healthcare and beauty. This fireside chat, moderated by Salma Gottfried , Principal, Brand Management , Richards /Lerma, features Marie Quintana , SVP of marketing & communications for Tenet Healthcare, who will provide insights and strategies to win the hearts of U.S. Latinas. The CMC Annual Summit features high-caliber content thoughtfully curated by experts rather than sponsorships, breakthrough data and business-building best practices, and networking opportunities with the biggest players in the multicultural marketing industry. With early-bird rates available through May 3, the registration fee is all-inclusive with sessions, awards gala, meals and cocktail hours covered. Register here! For more information, visit culturemarketingcouncil.org and follow the CMC on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @cmchispanic using the conference hashtag #culturedriven. About CMC: Founded in 1996 as the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, the Culture Marketing Council: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing is the national trade organization of all marketing, communications and media firms with trusted Hispanic expertise. SOURCE Culture Marketing Council: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing JOHANNESBURG, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The fourth industrial revolution is upon us and is set to radically transform the way we live and work. The digitization of information, unprecedented access to data, automation, artificial intelligence, robotics and the democratization of knowledge will impact every sector of our economy. As we are surely moving towards a tech-driven economy, higher institutions must evolve in order to prepare our students for the new careers that are being ushered in by these technologies. Set to take place on the 29th May 2019, at the Hilton Hotel, Sandton; the fourth edition of the Education Innovation Summit will focus on exploring emerging educational technology trends and aims to provide solutions to technology challenges within education. Under the theme 'Reshaping Education for a Tech-Driven Future' the summit will bring together local and international experts, policy makers, academics, service providers and EduTech specialists- all sharing their expertise and experiences with emerging technologies in the education sector. The Education Innovation Summit will feature industry tracks and breakaways that will tackle key discussions with a panel of experts on topics such as the introduction of new courses on emerging technologies to the higher education syllabus, as well as how the use of artificial intelligence and robotics will affect human capital. Download the agenda Confirmed speakers for the summit include: Professor Alwyn Louw , President & Academic President, Monash University , President & Academic President, Wynand Espach , Chief Operating Officer, AgriColleges , Chief Operating Officer, AgriColleges Professor Kobus Visser PhD , Emeritus Professor, University of Western Cape , Emeritus Professor, University of Western Cape Dr Corrin Varady , CEO, Ideaonline , CEO, Ideaonline Mark Hayter , Principal Consultant, EdtechInk , Principal Consultant, EdtechInk Jonathan Mundell , CEO, In On Africa , CEO, In On Africa Jon Foster-Pedley , Dean and Director, Henley Business School Africa , Dean and Director, Henley Business School Africa Ravi Srinivasan , Pro-Vice Chancellor & Director, Botho University , Pro-Vice Chancellor & Director, Jonathan Novotny , Co-Founder, CODEJIKA , Co-Founder, CODEJIKA Karen Walstra , Education Consultant, Karen Walstra Consulting , Education Consultant, Karen Walstra Consulting Mmabatho Maboya , CEO, Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation , CEO, Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation Ulysse Baguida , Director, Ulysse Hope Consulting, Belgium , Director, Ulysse Hope Consulting, Professor Osden Jokonya, HOD: Information Systems, University of Western Cape 7 Reasons to attend: Gain the skills knowledge needed to become a digital change agent within your educational institution. Radically re-think the role of technology in Education. Prepare your educational institution for digital transformation. Collaborate with private sector players in advancing innovation in education. Keep up with technology trends to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Meet and interact with senior stakeholders and key decision makers in Education. Learn how to prepare your students for the workplace of tomorrow. 3 ways to participate: To register visit: http://www.educationinnovationsummit.co.za/ To sponsor or exhibit your education technology solutions at the summit visit: http://www.educationinnovationsummit.co.za/sponsor/ To speak at the conference send an email to [email protected] Media Contact: Virginia Motsepe Conference Producer Education Innovation Summit [t]: +27-0110260982 [e]: [email protected] SOURCE IT News Africa Related Links 27114842240 CHICAGO, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Splicing Tapes Market by Resin (Acrylic, Rubber, Silicone), Backing Material (Paper/Tissue, Pet/Polyester, Non-Woven & Others), Application (Paper & Printing, Packaging, Electronics, Labeling), and Region - Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Splicing Tapes Market is projected to grow from USD 527 million in 2018 to USD 593 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 2.37% during the forecast period. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=11550590 Browse in-depth TOC on "Splicing Tapes Market"84 Tables 43 Figures 124 Pages View detailed Table of Content here: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/splicing-tapes-market-11550590.html Acrylic is estimated to be the largest resin segment in the splicing tapes market during the forecast period. The acrylic segment is expected to account for the largest market share during the forecast period because of its better adhesion to a variety of substrates. Acrylic splicing tapes are designed with high or low tack and high or low peel strength. These tapes are permeable to moisture that is measured by the moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR). Acrylic splicing tapes release off from body or skin without leaving adhesive residue. These tapes suit both pulpable and non-repulpable paper production process. Paper/tissue is estimated to be the largest backing material in the splicing tapes market during the forecast period. The paper/tissue is the most popular backing material used in the manufacturing of splicing tapes. Easy availability, flexibility, and a high degree of printability are driving the demand for paper/tissue backing splicing tapes. Also, paper/ tissue backing tape comes with many attractive features such as UV resistance, repulpablity, and others. Repulpable paper/tissue tape line can be recycled without contamination of the broke pulp for use in paper mills, converters, newspapers, and web printers for roll closing/tabbing and splicing. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=11550590 APAC to account for the largest share of the splicing tapes market during the forecast period. The rising demand for paper in various industries from economies such as Japan, India, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, among others is contributing to the growth of the APAC splicing tapes market to. China is expected to lead the production and demand for splicing tape due to the increased paper and film production. It is also reportedly among the largest consumers of splicing tapes in the region. Major vendors in the Splicing Tapes Market include 3M (US), Nitto Denko Corporation (Japan), Avery Dennison Corporation (US), Scapa Group Plc (US), tesa SE (Germany), Intertape Polymer Group, Inc. (Canada), Shurtape Technologies, Llc (US), ECHOtape (US), Orafol Europe Gmbh (Germany), and Adhesive Research, Inc. (US). Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=11550590 Browse Adjacent Markets: Coatings Adhesives Sealants and Elastomers Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Adhesive Tapes Market by Resin Type (Acrylic, rubber, silicone), Technology (Solvent, Water and Hot-Melt-Based), Substrate (PP, Paper, PVC), Application (Packaging, Healthcare, Electrical & Electronics, Automotive), and Region-Global Forecast to 2022 Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tapes Market by Resin type (Acrylic, Rubber, Silicone), Category (Commodity, Specialty), Backing Material (Polypropylene, Paper, PVC), Type, End-Use Industry, and Region - Global forecast to 2022 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/splicing-tapes-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com SOURCE MarketsandMarkets Harvest Health and Recreation, Inc . ( CSE: HARV , OTCQX: HRVSF ) (" Harvest "), is a vertically-integrated cannabis company with one of the largest and deepest footprints in the U.S., that expects to have the rights to operate in more cannabis facilities and more licenses than any other company in the U.S., including 219 cannabis-producing facilities across 17 states and territories following the closings of recently announced definitive agreements to acquire Verano Holdings, CannaPharamacy, Falcon Holdings and Devine Hunter, Inc. White's Keynote will take place on Thursday, May 30th at 10:30 am. In his highly anticipated CWCBExpo address, he will provide a high-level view of the state of the cannabis industry, opportunities for growth and the current investment climate. CWCBExpo NY is the only event in the tri-state area focused on the entire legalized cannabis industry including medical marijuana, adult recreational use and industrial hemp. "Each state presents its own unique opportunities to companies and investors looking to jump into the cannabis industry," said White. "I'm excited to share some of the lessons I've learned and provide an idea of where the industry is headed, which will be shaped in a large part by investors and access to capital." Before launching Harvest in 2011, White worked for two national law firms, and he founded his own boutique firm in 2005. After winning one of the first medical licenses in Arizona and opening Harvest's first dispensary in 2013, White immersed himself in the day-to-day operations and fulfilled orders, performed reception duties and consulted with patients. Harvest currently operates or has rights to operate in cannabis facilities or expects to have rights to acquire licenses following the closings of recently announced acquisitions in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico. White founded and serves on the board of directors for Harvesting Hope, a non-profit organization that supports young children suffering from seizure disorders and is President of the Arizona Dispensary Association as well a founding board member of the Policy Center for Public Health and Safety. He graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State's Honors College and from Washington & Lee University School of Law. Prior to White's opening Keynote at CWCBExpo will be an Industry Update by Vivien Azer, Managing Director, Consumer-Beverage, Cannabis & Tobacco, Cowen Inc. His Keynote will then be followed by the prospect of what is to come in "Cannabis 2030: Back to the Future." CWCBExpo NY's comprehensive conference program also includes more than 35 sessions that encompass all aspects of the legalized medicinal and recreational cannabis market including new tracks on STEMed; Adult Use in the Northeast: Industry & Consumers; and Cannabis, Community & Society as well as Marketing/Branding/Commerce, Banking & Finance, Business Opportunities, Investing, Policy/Compliance/Legal, and Medical & Research. Industry panels, Town Halls, Workshops and the "Conversation with" series rounds-out the educational programming. CWCBExpo NY continues its market leading focus on Hemp with a dedicated educational track, an innovative workshop sponsored by the National Hemp Association on "Hemp: The Dawning of a New Day in the USA," and the return of the show floor Hemp Pavilion. Harvest's President, Steve Gutterman, formerly EVP and COO of E*Trade Bank, will open the Investor Symposium on May 31. The expansive sold-out exhibit floor includes a Technology Pavilion and top suppliers and brands in the industry showcasing cutting-edge products and services to those in the business, entrepreneurs looking to enter the market, cultivators, dispensary owners, medical professionals, investors, and providers of professional services. For more information on the best pricing to attend CWCBExpo NY and to register visit https://www.cwcbexpo.com/attend-registration-nyc/. To sponsor or exhibit at the coast-to-coast CWCBExpo events contact: [email protected] or call 201-580-2050. About Cannabis World Congress & Business Expositions (CWCBExpo) CWCBExpo are the premier business-to-business events for the legalized cannabis industry and are held 3 times per year in the largest business, financial, and media marketsNew York, Los Angeles and Boston. Being launched around these market leading events will be Cannabis Week. Connect on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn: @cwcbexpo. About Harvest Health & Recreation, Inc. Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. is a multi-state cannabis operator (MSO) and vertically-integrated cannabis company. Subject to completion of announced acquisitions, Harvest will have the largest footprint in the U.S., with rights to 219 facilities, of which 142 are retail locations and more than 1,580 employees across 17 states. Since 2011, the company has been committed to aggressively expanding its Harvest House of Cannabis retail and wholesale presence throughout the U.S., acquiring, creating and growing leading brands for patients and consumers nationally and continuing on a path of profitable growth. Harvest's mission is to improve lives through the goodness of cannabis and is focused on its vision to become the most valuable cannabis company in the world. We hope you'll join us on our journey: https://harvestinc.com. Facebook: @HarvestHOC Instagram: @HarvestHOC Twitter: @HarvestHOC Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of Harvest with respect to future business activities. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may," "would," "could," "should," "will," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" or similar expressions and include information regarding: the closing of the acquisitions of Falcon, CannaPharmacy and Verano, including satisfaction of the conditions to closing of such acquisitions; expectations regarding the size of the U.S. cannabis market; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for expansion of Harvest; expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; expectations for future financial performance; expected synergies arising from the Transaction; timing and receipt of the required shareholder, court, stock exchange and regulatory approvals for the Transaction; the timing and ability of Harvest and Verano to satisfy the conditions precedent to completing the Transaction; the anticipated timing for the holding of the Harvest Meeting in respect of the Transaction; and, the anticipated timing to, and the completion of, the closing of the Transaction. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects Harvest management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although Harvest believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Resulting Issuer. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the potential impact of the Transaction on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; failure to achieve expected synergies arising from the Transaction and related integration risk; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; the ability of the Resulting Issuer to raise debt and equity capital in the amounts and at the costs that it expects; adverse changes in the public perception of cannabis; decreases in the prevailing prices for cannabis and cannabis products in the markets that the Company operates in; adverse changes in applicable laws; adverse changes in the application or enforcement of current laws, including those related to taxation; the inability to locate and acquire suitable companies, properties and assets necessary to execute on the Company's business plans; and increasing costs of compliance with extensive government regulation. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Harvest and market conditions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although Harvest has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Harvest does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. CWCBExpo Contacts: Fred Polsinelli, [email protected], 646-306-7413; Annie Scully, [email protected], 201-310-9252 Harvest Health & Recreation Contact: Alex Howe, [email protected], 202-271-7997 SOURCE Cannabis World Congress & Business Expositions CHERRY HILL, N.J., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, today announced two new appointments to its Residential Lending team in New Jersey: William Westdyk as Regional Sales Manager and Robert Nardone as Mortgage Sales Manager. They will be responsible for growing residential loan origination in the state by assembling strong teams of experienced mortgage loan officers. "As we continue to build our presence in New Jersey, we are identifying and investing in the region's top talent to lead our sales teams and loan originators, many of whom have specialized areas of expertise," said Scott Lindner, National Sales Director for TD Bank Mortgage. "Bill and Rob are deeply embedded in their communities and bring unmatched knowledge of the region to our growing mortgage business. They both share our commitment to providing innovative products and creating opportunities to better serve our residential loan customers." Westdyk brings deep industry and local expertise to TD Bank, with more than two decades of residential mortgage sales experience in New Jersey that includes 23 years at Wells Fargo. Most recently, he served as Vice President and Branch Manager for Valley National Bank. Throughout his career, Westdyk has consistently built and led successful sales teams. He has been recognized as an accomplished relationship manager. Westdyk earned a B.A. from Loyola University Maryland and an MBA from St. John's University. At TD Bank, Westdyk will manage the bank's residential lending market strategy in New Jersey. He will be responsible for overseeing regional sales activities including ongoing recruitment and training of the bank's diverse mortgage sales team and deployment of TD's growing portfolio of specialized mortgage and home equity products. Westdyk will also lead the continuous expansion of the bank's network of local partners, realtors and homebuilders. Nardone is also a local industry veteran with more than 27 years serving northern New Jersey. He has held various sales roles with national mortgage lenders including Metlife, Bank of America and Wells Fargo. Nardone has worked extensively with homebuyers in all market cycles and will lead a team of mortgage loan officers in delivering TD's products to customers. He earned a B.A. from the University of Maryland and a J.D. from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School with a focus on real estate law. About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,200 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. SOURCE TD Bank Related Links http://www.TDBank.com FARMINGDALE, N.Y., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Telephonics Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Griffon Corporation (NYSE:GFF), announced today that it has been awarded a $12.6M AN/UPX-40 contract from the United States Air Force. Through a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement, Telephonics will supply its AN/UPX-40 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system to the Royal Saudi Air Force to support the country's E-3 Sentry (AWACS) program. Recognized as an industry leader in the development of IFF technologies, Telephonics' next generation AN/UPX-40 will include Mode 5 capabilities allowing for expanded data handling transmissions without increasing interference. The AN/UPX-40 IFF system was the first interrogator to be All-Mode certified, and can be configured for shipboard, airborne or ground-based applications allowing for mission systems to identify aircraft or ships as friendly or unknown. "We are excited to be supporting the Royal Saudi Air Force through this FMS agreement," said Kevin McSweeney, Telephonics President. "The AN/UPX-40 is part of a family of IFF systems that are ready to meet the demands of the Mode 5 modernization program." For more information about Telephonics and its advanced surveillance capabilities, please contact Kimberly Chernick at [email protected] or visit www.telephonics.com. About Telephonics Telephonics, founded in 1933, is recognized globally as a leading provider of highly sophisticated intelligence, surveillance and communications solutions that are deployed across a wide range of land, sea and air applications. Telephonics designs, develops, manufactures and provides logistical support and lifecycle sustainment services to defense, aerospace and commercial customers worldwide. Visit us at www.telephonics.com or on our social media channels: Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Google+ About Griffon Corporation Griffon is a diversified management and holding company that conducts business through wholly-owned subsidiaries. Griffon oversees the operations of its subsidiaries, allocates resources among them and manages their capital structures. Griffon provides direction and assistance to its subsidiaries in connection with acquisition and growth opportunities as well as in connection with divestitures. In order to further diversify, Griffon also seeks out, evaluates and, when appropriate, will acquire additional businesses that offer potentially attractive returns on capital. Headquartered in New York, N.Y., the Company was founded in 1959 and is incorporated in Delaware. Griffon is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol GFF. Griffon currently conducts its operations through two reportable segments: Home & Building Products segment consists of two companies, The AMES Companies, Inc. ("AMES") and Clopay Building Products Company, Inc. ("CBP"): AMES , founded in 1774, is the leading North American manufacturer and a global provider of branded consumer and professional tools, landscaping products, and outdoor lifestyle solutions. In 2018, we acquired ClosetMaid, a leader in wood and wire closet organization, general living storage and wire garage storage products for homeowners and professionals. , founded in 1774, is the leading North American manufacturer and a global provider of branded consumer and professional tools, landscaping products, and outdoor lifestyle solutions. In 2018, we acquired ClosetMaid, a leader in wood and wire closet organization, general living storage and wire garage storage products for homeowners and professionals. CBP, since 1964, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial garage doors and sells to professional dealers and some of the largest home center retail chains in North America . In 2018, we acquired CornellCookson, a leading U.S. manufacturer and marketer of rolling steel door and grille products designed for commercial, industrial, institutional, and retail use. . In 2018, we acquired CornellCookson, a leading U.S. manufacturer and marketer of rolling steel door and grille products designed for commercial, industrial, institutional, and retail use. Defense Electronics segment consists of Telephonics Corporation, founded in 1933, a globally recognized leading provider of highly sophisticated intelligence, surveillance and communications solutions for defense, aerospace and commercial customers. For more information on Griffon and its operating subsidiaries, please see the Company's website at www.griffon.com. Forward-Looking Statements "Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Certain statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of the company's management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the company's management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Information concerning risks and uncertainties that may impact the company's results and forward-looking statements are set forth in Griffon Corporation's filings with the SEC. The company does not undertake to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. 2019 Telephonics Corporation. 815 Broad Hollow Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735. All trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies. Investor Contact: Company Contact: Michael Callahan Kimberly Chernick ICR, Inc. Telephonics Corporation 203.682.8311 631.755.7583 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Telephonics Corporation Related Links http://www.telephonics.com NEW YORK, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Increasing R&D expenditure by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and the rising demand for synthesized oligos in molecular diagnostics & therapeutics are expected to drive the overall growth of the oligonucleotide synthesis market Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05774026/?utm_source=PRN The global oligonucleotide synthesis market is projected to reach USD 8.2 billion by 2024 from USD 4.3 billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 13.7% during the forecast period. This market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing research activities in the pharma and biotech sectors and the rising demand for innovative diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. The increasing applications of oligos in nucleic acid array-based technologies, library preparation, NGS, genomics, nucleic acid-based detection, cell cultures, diagnostics, therapeutics, human identity testing, cloning, genetic engineering, and synthetic biology are also driving the growth of this market. Hospitals accounted for the largest share of the oligonucleotide synthesis market, by end user, in 2018 Based on end user, the oligonucleotide synthesis market is segmented into academic research institutes, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, diagnostic laboratories, and hospitals. Hospitals held the largest share of the market in 2018 due to the significant number of inpatient and outpatient visits in hospitals and the requirement of oligonucleotide drugs to cater to the demand of the patient pool suffering from diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, and hepatic veno-occlusive disease. Synthesized oligos dominated the oligonucleotide synthesis market, by product, in 2018 Based on product, the market is segmented into synthesized oligos, reagents, and equipment.The synthesized oligos segment held the largest share of the market in 2018 and is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Growth in this segment is attributed to the increasing applications of synthesized oligos in therapeutics, research, and diagnostics. North America to dominate the market during the forecast period Geographically, the oligonucleotide synthesis market is segmented into North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.In 2018, North America was the largest regional market for oligonucleotide synthesis. The North American market is also estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to the growing availability of synthesized oligos, along with an increase in R&D funding and activities in the North American region. The primary interviews conducted for this report can be categorized as follows: By Company Type - Tier 1: 35%, Tier 2: 45%, and Tier 3: 20% By Designation - C-level: 45%, D-level: 35%, and Others: 20% By Region - North America: 45%, Europe: 25%, Asia Pacific: 18%, Latin America: 7%, and Middle East and Africa: 3% List of Companies Profiled in the Report include Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US) ATDBio Ltd. (UK) Bio-Synthesis, Inc. (US) BioAutomation Corporation (US) LGC Biosearch Technologies (US) Eurofins Genomics (Germany) Eurogentec (Belgium) GeneDesign, Inc. (Japan) GE Healthcare (US) GenScript, Inc. (US) Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT, US) Nitto Denko Avecia, Inc. (US) Sarepta Therapeutics (US) Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US) TriLink BioTechnologies (US) Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (US) (a part of Merck KGAA) Research Coverage: This report provides a detailed picture of the global oligonucleotide synthesis market.It aims at estimating the size and future growth potential of the market across different segments, such as product & type, application, end user, and region. The report also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key market players, along with their company profiles, recent developments, and key market strategies. Key Benefits of Buying the Report: The report will help market leaders/new entrants by providing them with the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall oligonucleotide synthesis market and its subsegments.It will also help stakeholders better understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to better position their business and make suitable go-to-market strategies. This report will enable stakeholders to understand the pulse of the market and provide them with information on the key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05774026/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com DUBLIN, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Tire Rubber Chemicals Market 2018: Past-Present-Future" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This tire rubber chemical market analysis covers the period 2011 to 2030. Covering key rubber chemical manufacturers by chemical group and subgroup and detailing tire market drivers, prices, volumes and values. Key manufacturers are discussed by chemical group and subgroup. Chemical groups include: plasticisers, antidegradants, curatives, process aids, coupling agents, bonding agents and reinforcing resins. Subgroup includes chemicals relevant to the main group (e.g. for antidegradants this includes antioxidants, antiozonants and waxes). Tire rubber chemical market drivers include those common to all chemical types such as global megatrends and tire industry growth. Market drivers relevant to individual chemical groups and subgroups are also analysed in detail covering items such as regional developments, legislation and environmental concerns. Market volumes are then provided in detail by rubber chemical group, subgroup and region for 2011 to 2030. This is followed by regional market values based on average weighted pricing for 2017 projected to 2023 and 2029. Forward market volumes and values are derived by combining all the necessary market drivers, including but not limited to: organic growth, regional drivers and technology drivers. RCCL's comprehensive analysis system is outlined in the report. Market volumes have been validated against real life usage patterns from a number of different confidential sources. This report is targeted at tire rubber chemical manufacturers including process oil, resin, antidegradant, curative, process aid, coupling agent and bonding agent manufacturers. The report is also suitable for tire manufacturers and manufacturers of specialist tire materials. The content is suitable for marketing strategies, market research and market insight. Other parties which will find this report valuable include: equipment suppliers, raw material producers, rubber chemical traders and industry consultants. Key Topics Covered: Tire Rubber Chemicals Overview Market Drivers Common to All Chemical Types Plasticisers Antidegradants Curatives Process Aids Coupling Agents Bonding Agents Reinforcing Resins Tire Rubber Chemicals Summary Comparisons Concluding Comments Appendices Additional Documentation Companies Mentioned Addivant Allnex Amino-chem Apar Industries Atul BASF Bridgestone Corporation Calument specialty Products CEPSA China Sunsine Continental Tires CNOOC Cross Oil Dalian JinShi Zinc Oxide DIC Corporation Doubl Vigour Dow Dynasol Ergon Eastman Chemicals Company Emery Oleochemicals Everzinc Evonik ExxonMobil Gazprom Goodyear GP Petroleums H&R Group Hepsen Kimya Hexion Hollyfrontier Hungpai International Waxes IOI Oleochemicals Kemai Chemical Khimprom Khumho Petrochemical Kraton Corporation Lanxess LyondellBassell Merchem Michelin Momentive Nocil Nynas OM Group Oleon Orgkhim Oriental Carbon Paramelt Pertamina Performance Additives Pirelli Polymer Solutions Repsol Rutgers Sasol Performance Chemicals Shepherd Chemicals Shell Shin Etsu Showa Shell Shuguang Silane Sinochem Group Sino Legend Sinopec SI Group Struktol Sumitomo Bakelite Sumitomo Rubber Thai Lube Base Total Umicore Wellbank Global Wilmar International Yokohama ZoChem For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3he9pa About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com The report, prepared by Dean Runyan Associates, found tourism spending grew 5.4 percent in 2018. California continues to experience year-to-year increases, spurring growth in industries touched by tourism, such as retail, food service, entertainment and the arts. This growth creates a ripple effect, supporting local economies across the state. "Tourism continues to play an indispensable role in the California economy," said Visit California President & CEO Caroline Beteta. "In local communities, the tourism industry lifts up businesses and supports job opportunities vital to regional success." The report's findings also illustrate tourism's added value to California taxpayers. In 2018, tourism generated $11.8 billion in state and local tax revenue. This injection of tax dollars into local communities supports essential programs and services, such as public safety, parks, trails, roads and infrastructure. Without tourism, each Californian household would have to pay an additional $890 in taxes each year to make up the difference. In an increasingly competitive global market, Visit California's extensive marketing efforts keep California a top-of-mind travel destination for the world. Visit California oversees several customized campaigns that target audiences in the United States and 13 international markets including China, Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom. The report found that international visitors spent $28.3 billion while in California. "Persistent marketing invigorates the potency of the California brand to travelers around the world. By inspiring new and returning visitors, we unlock the extraordinary potential of increased spending in the state," said Beteta. "Our continued investment in these campaigns is a significant driver for our state's success." The release of the economic impact report coincides with California Tourism Month, which occurs every May following a resolution enacted by the Legislature in 2016. The release also syncs with the launch of Visit California's Travel Matters website, which tells the story of tourism's economic impact in California. This week, California also celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week, when destinations in the Golden State will join communities across the nation to host events that highlight and celebrate the importance of sustaining the travel industry. ABOUT VISIT CALIFORNIA: Visit California is a nonprofit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs in partnership with the state's travel industry that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. According to Visit California, spending by travelers totaled $140.6 billion in 2018 in California, generating nearly 1.2 million jobs in the state and $11.8 billion in state and local tax revenues. For more information about Visit California and for a free California Official State Visitor's Guide, go to www.visitcalifornia.com. For story ideas, media information, downloadable images, video and more, go to media.visitcalifornia.com. SOURCE Visit California Related Links https://www.visitcalifornia.com PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Limited ("TPHL") today announced that the early tender deadline has been extended until 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 10, 2019 (the "Extended Early Tender Deadline") and the withdrawal deadline has been extended until 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 8, 2019 (the "Extended Withdrawal Deadline"), with respect to its previously announced offers to exchange any and all of its outstanding notes, originally issued by Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited ("Petrotrin") for newly issued debt securities of TPHL (the "Exchange Offers"), upon the terms and subject to the conditions described in the Offering Memorandum, dated April 15, 2019 (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offering Memorandum"), and the related letter of transmittal (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Letter of Transmittal"), and to its solicitation of consents to certain proposed amendments to the existing indentures (the "Consent Solicitations"). On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offering Memorandum and TPHL's press release, dated April 15, 2019, Eligible Holders who validly tender Existing Notes at or prior to the Extended Early Tender Deadline will receive, for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Existing Notes accepted for exchange, a combination of a principal amount of New Notes and, if the 2019 New Notes Cap is exceeded, cash, in an amount equal to the Total Consideration (as defined in the Offering Memorandum). TPHL also announced that it has amended the minimum tender condition such that the consummation of the Exchange Offers is conditioned upon, among other things, the valid tender, without subsequent withdrawal, of at least U.S.$150 million aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes (the "Amended Minimum Tender Condition"). TPHL also announced that, in addition to the Total Consideration, Eligible Holders who validly tender Existing Notes at or prior to the Extended Early Tender Deadline will receive an additional U.S.$10 of cash for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2019 Notes and 2022 Notes, respectively, accepted for exchange (the "Additional Early Tender Consideration"); provided that a minimum of U.S.$350 million 2019 Notes are validly tendered in the 2019 Notes Offer. TPHL may, at its sole discretion, waive any conditions that it may assert subject to applicable law. As of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 3, 2019, holders of approximately U.S.$150,730,000 aggregate principal amount of 2019 Notes and approximately U.S.$24,316,500 aggregate principal amount of 2022 Notes (as reduced to factor for amortization payments made, including an upcoming amortization payment on May 8, 2019, which have reduced the outstanding principal amount to 25% of the originally issued principal amount), or a total of approximately U.S.$175,046,500 aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes, representing approximately 16.87% of the outstanding Existing Notes, have validly tendered their Existing Notes. In addition, TPHL announced that the Expiration Date of the Exchange Offers is extended to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 24, 2019, unless extended. Holders of Existing Notes that tender their Existing Notes after the Extended Early Tender Deadline but prior to the Expiration Date will receive the Exchange Consideration but not the Total Consideration or the Additional Early Tender Consideration. All other terms and conditions of the Exchange Offers remain the same. General The issuance of the New Notes will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), the Securities Act Chapter 83:02 of the laws of Trinidad and Tobago (the "Trinidad Securities Act") or any state securities laws. The New Notes are being offered and issued only (1) in the United States to holders of Existing Notes that are (a) "Accredited Investors" as defined in Rule 501 under Regulation D or (b) "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act and (2) outside the United States to holders of Existing Notes that are not U.S. persons in reliance upon Regulation S under the Securities Act (each, an "Eligible Holder" and together, the "Eligible Holders") . Accordingly, the New Notes will be subject to restrictions on transferability and resale and may not be transferred or resold except as permitted under the Securities Act, the Trinidad Securities Act and other applicable securities laws, pursuant to registration or exemption therefrom. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The offering documents will be distributed only to holders of Existing Notes that complete and return a letter of eligibility confirming that they are "Eligible Holders" for the purposes of the Exchange Offers. The website to complete the Eligibility Form is www.dfking.com/ttph. D.F. King & Co., Inc. is acting as the Information Agent and the Exchange Agent for the Exchange Offers. Requests for the offering documents from "Eligible Holders" may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. at (212) 269-5550 (for brokers and banks), (800) 581-3783 (for all others) or email [email protected]. Neither TPHL, its board nor any other person makes any recommendation as to whether the holders of the Existing Notes should exchange their notes, and no one has been authorized to make such a recommendation. Holders of the Existing Notes must make their own decisions as to whether to exchange their notes, and if they decide to do so, the principal amount of the notes to exchange. About Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Limited TPHL is an integrated national oil and gas company in Trinidad and Tobago, established as part of the reorganization of Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited ("Petrotrin"). Petrotrin was historically a major producer and supplier of oil and petroleum products in the Caribbean. In December 2018, Petrotrin underwent a reorganization that resulted in a new corporate structure and a substantially different business. The functional restructuring gave rise to the formation of TPHL, a more streamlined and profitable entity. For more information about TPHL, visit http://trinidadpetroleum.co.tt/. Forward-Looking Statements This release includes certain forward-looking statements and projections of TPHL. We have made every reasonable effort to ensure that the information and assumptions on which these statements and projections are based are current, reasonable, and complete. However, a variety of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed, including, without limitation, our future overall business development and economic performance, including our financing plans, business strategy, competitive position and the effects of competition; changes in the price of crude oil, natural gas and refined products, including the effects of hostilities or further acts of international terrorism on the price and demand for crude oil and natural gas; the global economic climate, including sustained weakness in general global economic conditions and financial markets; cyclical and seasonal fluctuations in our results of operations; uncertainties relating to our drilling projects, including technological limitations, geographical risks and control over non-operated assets; our future earnings, cash flow and liquidity; the success of our joint venture partners in increasing oil and gas production; operational or other system difficulties experiences by our third-party service providers; the effects of technological or other changes on the demand for our products; projections about our reserves and reserves replacements; ability to effectively upgrade our facilities in line with market demand and preferences; the effects of employee strikes and other formal or informal labor-related disruptions; changes in interest rates and foreign currency inflation, including the devaluation of the T.T.$ against the U.S.$ and local inflation; enactment of more stringent environmental regulations (both in Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere); operational and personnel changes resulting from a change in control of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago; changes in safety regulations; changes in quality regulations; changes in taxes, duties, and royalties; and other factors beyond TPHL's control. While the company makes these statements and projections in good faith, neither the company nor its management can guarantee that anticipated future results will be achieved. TPHL assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements made by TPHL, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. SOURCE Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Limited QUEBEC CITY and MYRTLE BEACH, SC, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - TSO3 Inc. (TSX: TOS) ("TSO 3 " or the "Company"), an innovator in sterilization technology for medical devices in healthcare settings, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. Business Highlights TSO 3 's direct sales force continues to increase market adoption of its technology. In the first quarter of 2019, TSO 3 received purchase orders or commitment indications for 14 units of its industry-leading STERIZONE VP4 Sterilizer and shipped nine sterilizers to end-users. The Company ended the quarter with 75 sterilizers installed at end-user locations, seven that have been shipped but not yet installed, and 28 which are under open purchase orders or commitment indications. "The Company is on a record pace with 35 units sold or committed to within the last two quarters. TSO 3 continues to execute on its goal to sell the 230 sterilizers repurchased from our exclusive distributor last year," stated R.M. (Ric) Rumble, President and CEO of TSO 3 . "The Company now has over 450 opportunities in our pipeline and is also investing in contracting efforts with Integrated Delivery Networks (IDN's) and Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO's) to provide further access and credibility with acute care facilities in the USA. We remain singularly focused on commercializing our innovative product and see real signs of progress." 2019 First Quarter Financial Summary Revenues equaled $1.0 million , compared to $0.3 million in the first quarter of 2018. TSO 3 revenues in the first quarter of 2019 reflect sales of sterilizers and related accessories, service and $0.4 million from the sale of consumables directly to end customers. The Company shipped nine sterilizers to hospitals in the first quarter of 2019 as compared to none in the first quarter of 2018. , compared to in the first quarter of 2018. TSO revenues in the first quarter of 2019 reflect sales of sterilizers and related accessories, service and from the sale of consumables directly to end customers. The Company shipped nine sterilizers to hospitals in the first quarter of 2019 as compared to none in the first quarter of 2018. Gross profit was positive $0.4 million , or 39% of revenues, as compared to negative ($0.3) million in the first quarter of 2018. Gross profit in the first quarter of 2019 increased as a result of growth in sterilizers and consumables sales at direct-to-user selling prices rather than the wholesale prices at which the Company sold to its distributor in the first quarter of 2018. , or 39% of revenues, as compared to negative in the first quarter of 2018. Gross profit in the first quarter of 2019 increased as a result of growth in sterilizers and consumables sales at direct-to-user selling prices rather than the wholesale prices at which the Company sold to its distributor in the first quarter of 2018. Research and Development (R&D) expenses amounted to $0.7 million , as compared to $1.7 million in the first quarter of 2018. The Company reduced its research and development expenditures as it focused more of its investments on selling and marketing activities. , as compared to in the first quarter of 2018. The Company reduced its research and development expenditures as it focused more of its investments on selling and marketing activities. Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) includes marketing, sales, service and administrative expenses. SG&A expenses were $2.6 million , which is comparable to the first quarter of 2018. , which is comparable to the first quarter of 2018. Financial expense was $0.5 million as compared to an immaterial amount in the first quarter of 2018. The Company recorded $0.7 million of accrued interest expense in the first quarter of 2019 related to a $20.0 million debt financing it obtained in August 2018 and a non-cash gain of $0.2 million on the revaluation of the embedded derivative within the Convertible Note associated with this financing. as compared to an immaterial amount in the first quarter of 2018. The Company recorded of accrued interest expense in the first quarter of 2019 related to a debt financing it obtained in and a non-cash gain of on the revaluation of the embedded derivative within the Convertible Note associated with this financing. The Company's net loss was $(3.4) million , or $(0.04) per share, as compared to $(4.5) million , or $(0.05) per share in the first quarter of 2018. , or per share, as compared to , or per share in the first quarter of 2018. The Company had $11.3 million in cash and cash equivalents and $18.5 million of debt as of March 31, 2019 , as compared to $13.0 million in cash and cash equivalents and $18.0 million of debt at the end of 2018. The Company used $1.6 million for operating activities in the first quarter of 2019. Supplemental Non-IFRS Financial Measures In addition to IFRS financial measures, management uses non-IFRS financial measures to assess the Company's operational performance. It is likely that the non-IFRS financial measures used by the Company will not be comparable to similar measures reported by other issuers or those used by financial analysts as their measures may have different definitions. The measures used by the Company are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for IFRS financial performance measures. Generally, a non-IFRS financial measure is a numerical measure of an entity's historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that is neither calculated nor recognized under IFRS. Management believes that such non-IFRS financial measures are important as they provide users of the financial statements with a better understanding of the results of the Company's recurring operations and their related trends, while increasing transparency and clarity into its operating results. Management also believes these measures can be useful in assessing the Company's capacity to discharge its financial obligations. Management is assessing its operational performance using supplemental non-IFRS measures which removes significant unusual items that do not reflect the recurring and ongoing operational results and trends. IFRS to Non-IFRS adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation $000's 2019 2018 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Net loss (3,426) (2,676) (2,104) (3,952) (4,512) Financial expenses (income) 479 (1,055) (599) (12) (14) Amortization and depreciation 269 235 270 292 315 Write-down of tangible and intangible assets - 1,026 - - - Share-based compensation expense 356 369 688 627 371 Income taxes 32 7 11 7 - Adjusted EBITDA (2,290) (2,094) (1,734) (3,038) (3,840) Adjusted EBITDA, is adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (Adjusted EBITDA). Adjusted EBITDA adjusts net income for (1) significant realized and unrealized foreign exchange gains or losses, (2) financial expenses (income), (3) amortization and depreciation expenses (4) share-based compensation expense, (5) write-downs of certain tangible and intangible assets, (6) income taxes, and (7) other significant unusual items. Summary of Results Periods ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (Unaudited, IFRS Basis, in thousands of US dollars, except per share amounts) First Quarter 2019 2018 $ $ Revenues 960 255 Cost of sales 583 526 Gross profit 377 (271) Expenses Research and development 710 1,704 Selling, general and administrative 2,582 2,551 Financial expenses (income) 479 (14) Total Expenses 3,771 4,241 Net loss before income taxes (3,394) (4,512) Income taxes 32 - Net loss and comprehensive loss (3,426) (4,512) Weighted average number of outstanding shares (in thousands) 93,465 92,877 Basic and diluted net loss per share (0.04) (0.05) Basic and diluted net comprehensive loss per share (0.04) (0.05) Consolidated Statements of Financial Position (Unaudited, IFRS Basis, in thousands of US dollars) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 $ $ Current Assets Cash and Cash Equivalents 11,268 12,961 Accounts Receivable 944 1,591 Inventories 3,438 3,534 Current Tax Assets - 16 Prepaid Expenses 340 261 15,990 18,363 Non-current Assets Property, Plant and Equipment 2,360 2,039 Intangible Assets 1,793 1,781 4,153 3,820 20,143 22,183 Current Liabilities Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities 1,882 1,858 Warranty Provision 305 273 Current Tax Liabilities 16 - Lease Liabilities 139 - Deferred Revenues 185 103 2,557 2,234 Non-current Liabilities Deferred Tax Liabilities 51 51 Lease Liabilities 250 - Debt 17,453 16,711 Embedded Derivative 1,064 1,319 Deferred Revenues - - 21,345 20,315 Equity Share Capital 111,470 111,470 Reserve Share-based Compensation 8,896 8,540 Deficit (119,856) (116,430) Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (1,712) (1,712) (1,202) 1,868 20,143 22,183 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows As of March 31, 2019 and 2018 (Unaudited, IFRS Basis, in thousands of US dollars) First Quarter 2019 $ 2018 $ Cash flows from operating activities Net loss (3,426) (4,512) Adjustments for: Depreciation and amortization 269 315 Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment 7 - Income tax 32 - Share-based Compensation 356 371 Capitalized interest on long term debt 714 - Gain on re-measurement at fair-value on embedded derivative (255) - Investment income (44) (27) (2,347) (3,853) Changes in non-cash operating working capital items (657) (948) Interest received (44) 35 Cash flows used by operating activities (1,646) (4,766) Cash flows from investing activities Disposal of investments - 2,326 Acquisition of property, plant and equipment (8) (67) Acquisition of intangible assets (71) (41) Proceed from disposal of property, plant and equipment 4 - Cash flows (used) generated by investing activities (75) 2 218 Cash flows from financing activities Financing fee 28 - Options exercised - 25 Cash flows generated by financing activities 28 25 Increase in cash and cash equivalents (1,693) (2,523) Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning 12,961 8,044 Cash and cash equivalents at the end 11,268 5,521 Conference call TSO 3 President and CEO R.M. (Ric) Rumble and CFO Glen Kayll, will host the conference call, followed by a question and answer period. Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2019 Time: 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time Toll-free dial-in number: 1-888-231-8191 International dial-in number: 1-514-807-9895 (Montreal); 1-647-427-7450 (Toronto) Conference ID: 5423529 Analysts and institutional investors are invited to participate on the call. Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact Danielle Ste-Marie at 1-514-465-6701 Other interested parties may listen to the live webcast of the conference call at https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1993850/97C1DC5ABD2F78F31B0550ECA1263AEF which will be available for replay in the Investors section of the Company's website at www.tso3.com. First Quarter of 2019 Results Disclosure The first quarter of 2019 Report is available on TSO 3 's website at www.tso3.com and will shortly be available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). About the STERIZONE VP4 Sterilizer The STERIZONE VP4 Sterilizer is a low-temperature sterilization system that utilizes the dual sterilants of vaporized hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and ozone (O 3 ) to achieve terminal sterilization of heat and moisture-sensitive medical devices. Its single pre-programmed cycle can sterilize a large number and wide range of compatible devices, creating a cost-effective sterilization process with error-free cycle selection. The device's unique Dynamic Sterilant Delivery System automatically adjusts the quantity of injected sterilant based on the load composition, weight and temperature. This capability removes the guesswork and potential for human error, as there is no need to sort instruments and choose the appropriate cycles as with other machines. The STERIZONE VP4 Sterilizer is the only terminal sterilization method that is FDA cleared to sterilize long, multi-channel flexible endoscopes (with a maximum of four channels) of up to 3.5 meters in length - an industry first for any medical device sterilization process. The STERIZONE VP4 Sterilizer is also the only cleared low temperature sterilizer that can process a mixed load consisting of general instruments, single channel flexible endoscopes, and single or double channel rigid endoscopes in the same cycle with load weights of up to 75 lb. The ability to run mixed loads significantly reduces labor costs by minimizing the amount of instrument sorting required, while maximizing the device turns (more productivity from increased throughput capacity). More information about the STERIZONE VP4 Sterilizer is available through TSO 3 's website, under the Products section at www.tso3.com. About TSO 3 Founded in 1998, TSO 3 's activities encompass the sale, production, maintenance, research, development and licensing of sterilization processes, related consumable supplies and accessories for heat-sensitive medical devices. The Company designs products for sterile processing areas in the hospital environment that offer an advantageous replacement solution to other low temperature sterilization processes currently used in hospitals. TSO 3 also offers services related to the maintenance of sterilization equipment and compatibility testing of medical devices with such processes. For more information about TSO 3 , visit the Company's website at www.tso3.com . The statements in this release and oral statements made by representatives of TSO 3 relating to matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks, uncertainties and hypotheses, including, but not limited to, the limited history of sales or distribution of the Company, the evolution in customer demand for the Company's products and services, the plans for sales and marketing including the fact that the Company's customers may not commit to any purchases, the ability of the Company to obtain the required regulatory clearances to market its products, general business and economic conditions, the condition of the financial markets, the ability of TSO 3 to obtain financing on favourable terms and other risks and uncertainties. Although TSO 3 believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The complete versions of the cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements as well as a description of the relevant assumptions and risk factors likely to affect TSO 3 's actual or projected results are included in the Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2018, which is available on the Company's website. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and TSO 3 does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless expressly required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE TSO3 Inc. Related Links http://www.tso3.com The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Nathaniel and Eden Arizona's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C., for four days of recognition events. Nathaniel, a senior at Sunnyslope High School, is a founding board member of a nonprofit organization that has mobilized young people to collect hundreds of thousands of unwanted school supplies, toys and shoes for kids in need in Arizona and five other countries. While visiting a school in Africa in 2012, Nathaniel and his brother, Seamus, were struck by how little its students had in the way of tools to support their education. They were even more shocked after returning home and seeing how many decent school supplies were discarded by classmates at the end of the school year "supplies that would be cherished in the African school," he said. Seeing an obvious opportunity, Nathaniel and his brother began recruiting young volunteers and schools to collect surplus school supplies for African kids, and also for homeless shelters in Arizona. At the end of each school year, this "Re-Pack Project" delivers empty boxes to participating schools to encourage students to donate supplies that would otherwise be thrown away. He and his fellow volunteers then gather, clean and sort the donations, package them in backpacks, and ship them off to local shelters and overseas schools. The initiative collected supplies through seven schools in three states last year, and is now partnering with schools and organizations in Arizona, Mexico, South Africa, Peru, Thailand and Fiji to distribute the donations. In addition to school supplies, the organization has collected toys and shoes for thousands of children in need. "Everything I have discovered through this five-year journey has given me faith in the world, in people, and in their ability to come together and support each other," Nathaniel said. Eden, a member of Girl ScoutsArizona Cactus-Pine Council and an eighth-grader at Stetson Hills Elementary School, assembled nearly 1,000 toiletry bags of soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion collected from local hotels, and then delivered them to a rescue mission that serves the homeless in her community. Her project sprang from an article about a charity that recycles soap from hotels for people living in poverty in other countries. "I thought it was a great idea," said Eden. "I see more and more people who are living on the streets and don't have the basics that we all take for granted, and I wanted to help." She visited the Phoenix Rescue Mission and learned that handing out soap and other hygiene products not only prevents disease, but also is key to creating trust with homeless people and encouraging them to accept other available services. So Eden sent 30 letters to hotels in her city, asking for used bars of soap and empty shampoo bottles. With hardly any response, she made personal visits to each of the hotels on weekends. Finally, three of them agreed to her request. After winning a $500 grant to buy soap-making supplies and shampoo, Eden recruited 18 friends and family members to shred, melt and mold soap bars in her backyard, and fill bottles with shampoo, conditioner and lotion. Over two days, they packaged 965 toiletry bags for the mission to distribute. Eden also provided people experiencing homelessness with 144 toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and deodorant products. "We're impressed and inspired by the way these honorees have identified problems facing their communities and stepped up to the challenge to make a difference," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "It's a privilege to celebrate their leadership and compassion, and we look forward to seeing the great things they accomplish in the future." "These students have not only done important work in support of people in need they've also shown their peers that young people can, and do, create meaningful change," said Christine Handy, president of NASSP. "We commend each of these young volunteers for all they've contributed to their communities." Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn Network. More than 29,000 middle level and high school students nationwide participated in this year's program. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 24 years, the program has honored more than 125,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit. About NASSP The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council. Learn more at www.nassp.org. About Prudential Financial Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com. Editors: For pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions, visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media. For B-roll of Arizona's honorees at the 2019 national recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or [email protected] SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc. Related Links http://www.PRUDENTIAL.com The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Skylar and Feven the District of Columbia's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an engraved silver medallion and an invitation to four days of national recognition events in Washington, D.C. Skylar, a senior at Ballou Senior High School, worked as a summer youth camp counselor and tutor to help children from low-income neighborhoods gain skills that will help them become more successful in school and in life. As a young child, Skylar was invited to participate in Reaching New Heights, a program sponsored by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. "My mentor helped change my life by being there for me when I wasn't focused on school, giving me someone to talk to about adolescent issues other than my mother, and continuously preaching that education is power," said Skylar. Three years ago, Skylar was invited by the police department to come back to the program as a summer camp counselor. Growing up, she saw a lot of kids who were always playing video games, who didn't want to go to school, and who had difficulty completing their homework. "I wanted to change their way of thinking," she said. Her first job as a volunteer was to help the program director conduct an orientation session for parents to explain the program's mission and goals and to get permission for the children to participate. Then, on Saturdays and weekday evenings, Skylar helped young students improve their reading skills, taught them to express themselves through writing, bolstered their vocabulary and math skills, and showed them how much fun science can be. She also assisted them with community service projects and accompanied the group on field trips. "I wanted these kids to know and believe there is hope for a positive future, and that I am here to help them achieve their dreams," said Skylar. Feven, a seventh-grader at St. Augustine Catholic School, is a dedicated volunteer who gives back to her community and beyond in many ways, including packing food for people in need, teaching Sunday school at her church, and traveling to Ethiopia to aid people living in poverty and teach English. Feven said her older sister is her primary inspiration for serving others. "Ever since I was little, I have looked up to my sister because I always saw her helping others in some way," said Feven. She soon discovered that volunteering was its own reward. "It gives me a happy feeling inside," she said. When she was about 7 years old, Feven started following in her sister's footsteps by selling chocolates at her church to raise money for her school. Then she offered to help struggling students with their homework, and assisted teachers in sprucing up their classrooms. Gradually, she increased her commitment to helping others and began teaching the Bible to children at her church, distributing holiday cards at a senior citizens home, and packing food to give to the poor in her community. Last summer, Feven, her sister and a friend traveled to Ethiopia to feed people in need and teach English to children there. "Teaching children who are eager to learn always gives me an overflow of joy," said Feven. "Every time I teach a student, I believe that I am helping prepare that child for the real world and helping them to become great citizens and a great asset to their community." "We're impressed and inspired by the way these honorees have identified problems facing their communities and stepped up to the challenge to make a difference," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "It's a privilege to celebrate their leadership and compassion, and we look forward to seeing the great things they accomplish in the future." "These students have not only done important work in support of people in need they've also shown their peers that young people can, and do, create meaningful change," said Christine Handy, president of NASSP. "We commend each of these young volunteers for all they've contributed to their communities." Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn Network. More than 29,000 middle level and high school students nationwide participated in this year's program. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 24 years, the program has honored more than 125,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit . About NASSP The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council. Learn more at www.nassp.org. About Prudential Financial Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com. Editors: For pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions, visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media . For B-roll of the District of Columbia's honorees at the 2019 national recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or [email protected] . SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc. Related Links http://www.PRUDENTIAL.com The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Emily and Emma Michigan's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C., for four days of recognition events. Emily, a senior at Dowagiac Union High School, is actively involved in numerous projects to enhance the welfare of her Native American tribe, and has served as a volunteer counselor at a youth camp during each of the past several summers. Emily's grandmother was her main connection to the Potowatomi tribe, and when she died, "I wanted to know more about where I came from and the teachings of Native traditions," said Emily. That led to her joining the tribe's youth council in 2016, which has enabled her to play a leading role in addressing several tribal issues. For example, she coordinated a project to provide most of the newborns in the tribe with a new handmade blanket, gave up Saturdays to clean a highway that the tribe adopted, and promoted sustainable farm land management and healthy eating choices among tribal members. "I feel my tribe has given me so much as a person and I want to give back to my community," said Emily. She also has been volunteering as a camp counselor for three weeks every summer, serving as a leader, mentor and role model for girls 7-14 years old. On duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Emily supervised group projects such as crafts and rope activities, and worked with her campers one-on-one to tackle challenges from overcoming homesickness to tying shoelaces. When Emily was a young camper at the summer camp years ago, she was inspired and encouraged by her counselors to be a better person and try new things, she said. "I feel like it was my duty to pass this along to the campers that are now attending." Emma, a seventh-grader at Endeavour Middle School, has been helping her older brother feed Detroit's homeless and hungry once a week since she was 5 years old and, noticing that many had pets, started her own project to make sure that they, too, get a healthy meal. The pair started volunteering when a friend of their grandmother asked if they would hand out warm blankets at a homeless shelter. The siblings were so saddened by what they saw, they knew they had to do more. Before long, they were delivering food, toiletries and clothing every week. One day Emma, who wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up, noticed three adults sitting in front of a tent. "They had the biggest Rottweiler dog I had ever seen," she said. "The owners said they tried to give him some of the food we share with them, but they sometimes didn't eat for days. He asked if I had any dog food." That's when Emma decided to take care of homeless animals, too. With the help of family, she and her brother started The Eimers Foundation. In the beginning, they used birthday and Christmas money and did chores to buy what they could, but soon they were fundraising on their website and through social and news media. Once a week, they shop for groceries, pet food, toiletries and outerwear. They then put together packages to hand out to people in need and cook a meal, which they transport an hour each way to the inner city. On an average week, they serve about 200 people and their pets. Since they began, they have raised more than $90,000 through donations and award money. In addition to feeding people living in poverty, their foundation has paid for life-saving surgeries for sick animals, donated to animal shelters and the Detroit Mounted Police Horses, helped homeless people find housing, and started an annual scholarship for a homeless high school senior. "We're impressed and inspired by the way these honorees have identified problems facing their communities and stepped up to the challenge to make a difference," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "It's a privilege to celebrate their leadership and compassion, and we look forward to seeing the great things they accomplish in the future." "These students have not only done important work in support of people in need they've also shown their peers that young people can, and do, create meaningful change," said Christine Handy, president of NASSP. "We commend each of these young volunteers for all they've contributed to their communities." Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn Network. More than 29,000 middle level and high school students nationwide participated in this year's program. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to and recognize people for outstanding volunteer service and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 24 years, the program has honored more than 125,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit . About NASSP The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council. Learn more at www.nassp.org. About Prudential Financial Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com. Editors: For pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions, visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media . For B-roll of Michigan's honorees at the 2019 national recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or [email protected]. SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc. Related Links http://www.PRUDENTIAL.com The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Kyla and Karlee Montana's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C., for four days of recognition events. Kyla, a senior at Columbia Falls High School, is dedicated to using her love of reading to promote the social and educational development of other students in her community. For Kyla's independent study class this year, she had an opportunity to develop and execute her own community service project. Knowing that there were Spanish-speaking students at her school struggling to communicate with their teachers and classmates, she decided to create a bilingual story hour and homework help session for students just learning English "so that they feel welcome and supported," she said. Kyla got right to work, building a curriculum and working with her school's Spanish teacher to bring her idea to life. But when her venue fell through, she decided to take her reading initiative in another direction. Kyla had heard through church about her neighboring town's community dinners, which were attended by families with young children. "One of my favorite things as a child was being read to, and I would like to share this tradition with them," she said. Kyla now attends the dinners each month and reads to the children after they're done eating. She also brings them new books so they can add to or establish their own home libraries, and is working on raising money for more books and helping kids keep up with their reading in the summer. "I would also like to bring in a few younger high schoolers, in hopes that reading at community dinners will continue," Kyla said. Karlee, a sixth-grader at Castle Rock Middle School, has raised nearly $20,000 over the past six years to buy anonymous Christmas gifts for struggling families and individuals, by painting nails at school events and community venues. When she was in the first grade, Karlee saw a TV commercial about "being the change you wish to see." She and her mother considered many possible ways she could make a difference in her community before Karlee came up with the idea of painting nails at her school's craft fair and using the proceeds to "adopt" students and families on the school's Christmas Giving Tree. "I felt it was important to help those less fortunate people who couldn't afford Christmas," she said. Shortly afterward, Karlee's grandfather, who always loved Christmastime, died on Christmas Eve, so Karlee decided to continue "as a way to carry on his memory," she said. She began painting nails at various community events and locations, charging $3 per customer. She also started receiving donations of money, gift cards and nail polish as word of her project spread and people learned about her GoFundMe page. With money in hand, Karlee spends a lot of time shopping for presents, and wraps them all with the help of a Boy Scout troop and other volunteers. So far, she has given Christmas gifts anonymously to more than 250 people. "My dream would be that someday, everybody everywhere has a Christmas present under their tree and feels loved and blessed," said Karlee. "We're impressed and inspired by the way these honorees have identified problems facing their communities and stepped up to the challenge to make a difference," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "It's a privilege to celebrate their leadership and compassion, and we look forward to seeing the great things they accomplish in the future." "These students have not only done important work in support of people in need they've also shown their peers that young people can, and do, create meaningful change," said Christine Handy, president of NASSP. "We commend each of these young volunteers for all they've contributed to their communities." Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn Network. More than 29,000 middle level and high school students nationwide participated in this year's program. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 24 years, the program has honored more than 125,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit . About NASSP The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council. Learn more at www.nassp.org. About Prudential Financial Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com. Editors: For pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions, visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media . For B-roll of Montana's honorees at the 2019 national recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or [email protected] . SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc. Related Links http://www.PRUDENTIAL.com The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Peyton and Jackson Nevada's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C., for four days of recognition events. Peyton, a junior at The Meadows School, helps children who have been traumatized by the death of a parent or sibling to express their feelings and learn coping skills, through her work at a grief counseling center in Las Vegas. Sadly, Peyton can relate to what these children are going through because she lost her own father to a heart attack when she was 9. "My mom knew that I needed more support than what I was receiving at school, so she enrolled me in a peer grief support group," said Peyton. "That group changed my life." For two years, Peyton and her brother participated in peer group counseling at Adam's Place, "the one place where I felt safe," she said. Five years ago, Peyton wanted to give back to the place that had helped her, so she approached the founder of the center to see if she could be a group facilitator. After training, Peyton became the first teenage facilitator at Adam's Place, meeting every other week with children 5-8 years old to do fun activities that helped them understand their loss, its impact on their families, and ways they can begin to put their lives back together. The work is hard, she said, and often makes her relive the pain of her father's death, but it is "incredibly rewarding." When a lack of funds threatened to close the center, Peyton testified at the state capital in support of a bill that now provides additional annual funding to keep Adam's Place open and allow it to serve more children and families. She has also raised more than $5,000 by persuading businesses to donate goods and services for an annual silent auction. Currently, Peyton is lead facilitator for a group of children ages 9-12. She is also working to pass a bill in Nevada that would require eight hours of trauma training every two years to help teachers support students in crisis. Jackson, a sixth-grader at Somerset Academy Lone Mountain, conducted a food and toiletry drive at his school to benefit service members returning from combat, and then held a raffle that raised funds to buy toilet paper for veterans in need. With Nellis Air Force Base near his hometown, Jackson said he is accustomed to seeing veterans in his community. But an encounter last August with one vet really made him sad. He was standing in 115-degree heat outside a gas station when Jackson offered him bottled water and a wet washcloth. "He was very kind," said Jackson. "He told me he had a kid and a family but lost everything once he returned from Afghanistan." Jackson knew he wanted to help, not only this man, but others, too. "I hurt to think about veterans losing their dignity to beg when they've risked their life for our freedom," he said. Jackson contacted a local American Legion post to find out what items veterans needed most. He then got his principal's permission to run a five-day food and toiletry drive at his school, as well as a fundraising raffle at an annual Halloween party. Then he recruited volunteers to help him make signs and figure out the details, and used his own allowance to pay for fliers to send home with students. Jackson also made a video and posted it on Facebook. His food and toiletry drive collected 358 items, while the raffle raised $800, which he used to buy 2,000 rolls of toilet paper, the item the American Legion advised was most in demand. The items were donated to local organizations that help veterans in crisis and provide housing for those receiving medical treatment. "My efforts are a drop in the sea of what needs to be done to help our local veterans," said Jackson. "There are hundreds and hundreds in need of basic help and supplies." "We're impressed and inspired by the way these honorees have identified problems facing their communities and stepped up to the challenge to make a difference," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "It's a privilege to celebrate their leadership and compassion, and we look forward to seeing the great things they accomplish in the future." "These students have not only done important work in support of people in need they've also shown their peers that young people can, and do, create meaningful change," said Christine Handy, president of NASSP. "We commend each of these young volunteers for all they've contributed to their communities." Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn Network. More than 29,000 middle level and high school students nationwide participated in this year's program. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 24 years, the program has honored more than 125,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit . About NASSP The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council. Learn more at www.nassp.org. About Prudential Financial Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com. Editors: For pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions, visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media . For B-roll of Nevada's honorees at the 2019 national recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or [email protected] . SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc. Related Links http://www.PRUDENTIAL.com The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Bryan and Tanya Ohio's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C., for four days of recognition events. Bryan, a senior at St. Xavier High School, formed a nonprofit organization that recruits volunteers to provide academic and other kinds of assistance to local children who are being raised by their non-biological parents. Because Bryan's mother teaches at an inner-city school, he has been very aware that some students live in foster or group homes because their parents are addicted to opioids. "Mom worries about her students even after work," he said. "She tells me frequently how much her students need and deserve support." So, as a freshman in high school, Bryan began volunteering at a ministry serving people who need help. But when he realized how many children were affected by the opioid epidemic, he decided to organize an effort specifically to address that crisis. Over the past three years, Bryan has recruited more than 50 volunteers from local high schools, the University of Cincinnati, companies and organizations to lend individualized support three times a week to kids living with non-biological parents. They provide academic assistance, mentoring and extracurricular activities at various locations, including libraries, group homes and food banks. More than 900 kids have benefited so far, and of those who have received academic help, over 80 percent have significantly improved their school grades. Bryan's organization also has sponsored two youth symposia to connect young people to mental health services, job opportunities, college admissions personnel, GED programs and other resources; organized an annual summer camp for 88 elementary and middle level students in need; and distributed printed materials at city events to raise awareness of the impact of drug addiction on children. "I truly believe all children should have the opportunities to achieve their fullest potential regardless of family circumstances," said Bryan. Tanya, an eighth-grader at Mason Middle School, built a website to raise awareness of the poverty she had witnessed in the slums of India, and hosted an event that brought in $1,000 to cover a full year of education expenses for 40 Indian children. Before Tanya visited several slums on a family trip to India, she had no idea that some people lived in such poverty. "The people were living without proper schools, roads, houses, food, electricity, and opportunity," she said. "It was so sad." Then, she added, "I realized that I had all the resources I needed to make a difference. I knew I had to help them." Upon returning home, Tanya founded a nonprofit organization called "Realize to Act," and created a website describing her experience in India with words, photos and videos. Afterward, she decided to host a "giving event" to further increase awareness of poverty in India, and to raise money for the education of children there. With help from her parents, Tanya designed promotional fliers, secured sponsors, booked a venue, lined up multiple speakers, sold tickets and served as master of ceremonies. Proceeds from the event were donated to an organization that works to educate Indian children in need and break the cycle of poverty. "What is the point of life?" Tanya asks. "I believe it is to help our world. If we all work together to make the world a little bit better, imagine how beautiful it could be." "We're impressed and inspired by the way these honorees have identified problems facing their communities and stepped up to the challenge to make a difference," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "It's a privilege to celebrate their leadership and compassion, and we look forward to seeing the great things they accomplish in the future." "These students have not only done important work in support of people in need they've also shown their peers that young people can, and do, create meaningful change," said Christine Handy, president of NASSP. "We commend each of these young volunteers for all they've contributed to their communities." Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn Network. More than 29,000 middle level and high school students nationwide participated in this year's program. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 24 years, the program has honored more than 125,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit . About NASSP The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council. Learn more at www.nassp.org. About Prudential Financial Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com. Editors: For pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions, visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media . For B-roll of Ohio's honorees at the 2019 national recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or [email protected] . SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc. Related Links http://www.PRUDENTIAL.com The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Kennedy and Courtney Tennessee's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C., for four days of recognition events. Kennedy, a senior at Hillsboro High School, plans and coordinates semi-monthly meetings and other activities at her school to provide encouragement and support to fellow black students who are enrolled, or planning to enroll, in the challenging International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Over the course of Kennedy's time at Hillsboro High, the number of African-American students in her class pursuing an IB diploma dropped dramatically, with only four set to graduate this year. "This wasn't because of how challenging the classes were," she said. Rather, it stemmed from a perception that IB courses are primarily for white students, and "an implicit bias that sets lower expectations for black students and discourages them from pursuing advanced academics." Though Kennedy, too, found her involvement in the IB program isolating and mentally draining, she persevered and felt an obligation to assist others. "I did not want them to experience the isolation and questioning of self-worth that I had experienced," she said. Kennedy conceived a program called "IB Achievers," and hosted a four-hour orientation session to explain it to black students and their parents. Then she began conducting meetings twice a month to encourage the pursuit of an IB diploma, deal with hardships faced by minority students, and celebrate the students' accomplishments. For one of the meetings each month, Kennedy invites black professionals to speak about how they overcame barriers to become successful. The other meeting addresses topics such as study skills, time management, building relationships with teachers, preparing for exams, and planning for college. Kennedy also organizes quarterly social activities to promote balance between studies and fun. "IB Achievers is more than just a program," said Kennedy. "It's a sign of hope that our generation has a light that will not be dimmed and a voice that will be heard." Courtney, a sixth-grader at Innovation Academy, started collecting food for families tending to their hospitalized children when she was 3 years old, and recently began using her story of surviving an extremely premature birth to help the Children's Miracle Network (CMN) raise money for sick kids. Courtney weighed only 1 1/2 pounds when she was born 15 weeks prematurely. She spent the first four months of her life in a neonatal intensive care unit, and had to return to the hospital a few more times in the following years. Courtney recalled how her family had to spend Christmas in the hospital with her one year, and wanted to do something for other families in a similar situation. With her parents' help, she came up with a plan for "Courtney's Food Wagon," and began collecting food donations so that families don't have to leave the hospital to eat. To promote her project, Courtney handed out fliers, participated in a parade, got her school involved and hosted a Facebook page. Every Christmas since, she has delivered pre-packaged food to the family kitchen of the pediatrics unit and NICU at the hospital where she was born. Because of her charitable work and her birth story, Courtney was selected to be a CMN ambassador last year. In that role, she has spoken at press conferences, appeared in advertisements and participated in fundraising events. In addition, her face has been featured throughout 22 Walmart stores, which have raised more than $220,000 for CMN. "I love that my story is helping to raise money for sick children," said Courtney. "I hope that families with sick children can see how healthy I am now and it will give them hope." "We're impressed and inspired by the way these honorees have identified problems facing their communities and stepped up to the challenge to make a difference," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "It's a privilege to celebrate their leadership and compassion, and we look forward to seeing the great things they accomplish in the future." "These students have not only done important work in support of people in need they've also shown their peers that young people can, and do, create meaningful change," said Christine Handy, president of NASSP. "We commend each of these young volunteers for all they've contributed to their communities." Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn Network. More than 29,000 middle level and high school students nationwide participated in this year's program. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 24 years, the program has honored more than 125,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit . About NASSP The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council. Learn more at www.nassp.org. About Prudential Financial Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com. Editors: For pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions, visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media . For B-roll of Tennessee's honorees at the 2019 national recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or [email protected] . SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc. Related Links http://www.PRUDENTIAL.com CHICAGO, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Unmanned Composites Market by Application (Interior, Exterior), Platform (UAV, USV, UGV, AUV, ROV, Passenger Drones, Autonomous Ships), Type (CFRP, GFRP, AFRP, BFRP), Subtype (Fiber, Matrix) and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Unmanned Composites Market is projected to grow from USD 1.1 billion in 2019 to USD 2.7 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 15.52% from 2019 to 2025. Factors such as increased reliability and durability of composites and rise in demand composite materials to provide lightweight structures in unmanned systems are expected to fuel the growth of the unmanned composites market. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=242948844 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) composites market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on platform, the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) composite segment is expected to lead the unmanned composites market during the forecast period. This segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. AUV is a programmable autonomous robot utilized for underwater survey missions that include detecting and mapping submerged wrecks, rocks, and obstructions. Unmanned Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites market of the market to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period Based on type, the unmanned Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites segment of the unmanned composites market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. There is an increase in demand for lightweight and cost-effective unmanned system components from OEMs around the world. The carbon fiber is a combination of carbon atoms that are aligned parallel to the main axis of the filament, which provides durability to the structure and is convenient to use for all commercial applications. These factors are driving the growth of the CFRP segment. Europe expected to be the fastest-growing market for unmanned composites during the forecast period Europe is estimated to lead the unmanned composites market during the forecast period. The market growth in Europe is supported by an increase in deliveries of unmanned systems and a rise in demand for composite materials to provide a lightweight structure to unmanned systems. Also, the huge presence of composite manufacturers providing composites to the manufacturers of unmanned systems is driving the demand for unmanned composites in Europe. Browse in-depth TOC on "Unmanned Composites Market" 72 Tables 42 Figures 162 Pages Request Sample pages of the Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=242948844 Some of the major players in the unmanned composites market include Gurit (Switzerland), Hexcel Corporation (US), Materion Corporation (US), Mitsubishi Rayon (Japan), Owens Corning (US), Renegade Materials Corporation (US), Solvay (Belgium), Stratasys (US), Teijin Limited (Japan), Teledyne (US), and Toray Industries (Japan). Please Explore Relevant Reports: Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) Market by Application (Military (ISR, EOD, Combat Support, Transportation), Commercial (Firefighting, CBRN, Physical Security, Oil & Gas)), Mobility, Size, System, Mode of Operation, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) Market by Type (Remotely Operated Vehicle & Autonomous Underwater Vehicle), ROV & AUV Market by Application, Product, Propulsion System, Payload, and Region - Global Forecasts to 2022 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/unmanned-system-composite-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com SOURCE MarketsandMarkets MUMBAI, India, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vakrangee Ltd. today announced that it has received an update on the Inspection report from Ministry of Corporate Affairs which clearly states that pursuant to Inspection of Books of Accounts of the company for the last three years, there are no irregularities and there is no further action pending pertaining to it with respect to the below mentioned matters. Earlier in September 2018, the Ministry of Corporate affairs (MCA) had ordered the Inspection of Books of Accounts for a period of three financial years to be conducted in terms of Section 206(5) of the Companies Act 2013. The scope, inter alia, included:- Resignation of Price Water House and Co Chartered Accountants LLP as Statutory Auditors of the Company Abnormal trading of the Company stock and consequent action taken by the Stock Exchanges Income Tax Assessment order and Tax Audit report for the last 5 years Shareholding structure of the Company The Ministry of Corporate Affairs finds no irregularities and there is no further action pending pertaining to Vakrangee with respect to the above mentioned matters. The MCA has however asked for certain routine explanatory information regarding the Amount collected from the Franchisee's and with regard to disclosure requirement of Other Assets & Liabilities. About Vakrangee Limited: (BSE Code: 511431) (NSE Code: VAKRANGEE) Incorporated in 1990, Vakrangee is the unique technology driven company focused on building India's largest network of last-mile retail outlets to deliver real-time Banking & Financial Services, ATM, insurance, e-governance, e-commerce and logistics services to the unserved rural, semi-urban and urban markets. The Assisted Digital Convenience stores are called as 'Vakrangee Kendra' which acts as the 'One-stop shop' for availing various services and products. Vakrangee has been at the forefront in financial inclusion space in India. It has signed 'Common BC' and 'National BC' agreements with various public sector banks for offering real-time banking to unserved and underserved rurban population. Banking at 'Vakrangee Kendra' outlets is a unique experience with disruptive technology like APS, e-KYC, inter-operability and real-time transactions. In addition to banking 'Vakrangee Kendra' outlets also provide insurance products, e-governance services and e-commerce products. Media Contact: Ammeet Sabarwal Chief Corporate Communications & Strategy Officer [email protected] Vakrangee Limited www.vakrangee.in SOURCE Vakrangee Limited Related Links http://www.vakrangeesoftwares.com/ in Shanghai . The show ran for three days after a grand kickoff ceremony on April 25 th. Brands and Media Coalesced at CVS CVS has experienced 16 successful runs, and is the most recognized fair in the self-service and new retail industry in Asia. It's the most representative of what's trending in the industry, and is the bellwether in star-building and cross-border integration platforms. CVS 2019 attracted more than 300 exhibitors and 100 media partners in 20,000 square meters of exhibition space, and hosted more than 20,000 professional visitors. Well-known corporate brands were present, but the exhibition also gathered many industry rookies as vendors. CVS Makes a Giant Leap with Quality of Exhibitors and Products Game-changing brands and companies like WeChat Pay, Fuji Bingshan, Evoca, Baixue, Aucma, Yile, Midea, Deepblue, Zhongya, SUZOHAPP, CPI and many others brought their latest products and best sellers to CVS, highlighting the future of intelligent self-service consumption. These industry leaders are shaping a new trend in domestic "Unmanned" field, while bringing the retail game to a whole new level. Automated vending machines, facial recognition tech, smart unmanned store, AR, 3D food printing and many other fresh tech results were presented and open for visitors' experience. High-end forum, industry experts preaching business doubts The Shanghai International Unmanned Business Forum on April 25th 27th attracted academics, practical schools, capitalists, leading retailers, community service providers, and academic institutions. Namely, WeChat Pay, Carrefour, Suning, Hema Fresh, Lawson, Kylin Business School, Ju'ang Tech, Hangzhou Blackstone, Zai Louxia, Wanke, Japan Vending Machine Manufacture Association, Russian National Vending Machine Association and over 40 other industry giants gathered at the forum. Insightful discussions on unmanned business development, deep integration between new retail and unmanned retail, as well as industry disciplines and regulations concluded with constructional guidance for all attendees and the entire industry. Looking Forward CVS aims to support young business and startups, to act on opportunities for partners, and to move forward in innovation and development. CVS is dedicated to building the frontline information for industry experts and elites at home and abroad, and to explore platforms for industry trends. Stay tuned and join us in our future endeavors! Click to see our photo gallery from CVS2019: https://gallery.vphotos.cn/vphotosgallery/index.html?vphotowechatid=4953A88F243F36D2AAFD244686A3DDD6#/gallerypc SOURCE UBM Sinoexpo SAN FRANCISCO, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans for Common Ground, a 501c4 founded to create bipartisan solutions to our most pressing political problems, announced today the launch of Vice.run, a national political initiative to reclaim the rights of American voters to democratically elect the vice-presidential candidates. Vice.run begins its national 50-state campaign today, collecting signature pledges from voters who support a change in the current party ballot process. The mission: reclaim our constitutional right to democratically elect the vice president by creating separate ballot lines for vice presidential candidates in the 2020 election, as per the 12th Amendment. Vice.run will secure signature pledges to use standing ballot access laws in each state to initiate this change. "For too long, Americans have lived under the misperception that presidential nominees have the right to handpick their running mates. That's simply not the case," said Vice.run co-founder David Blake. "Neither the nominees nor the parties have any constitutional claim to the vice presidency. The 12th Amendment makes it clear: that right belongs to We the People and calls for a 'distinct list' and a 'distinct ballot' for the election of the vice president. Vice.run will restore the people's right to the vice presidency." In a national poll of registered voters, 53% said they would prefer a more democratic approach to choosing the vice president, allowing the public to vote for the VP on a separate line from the president. Put another way, a majority of Americans are unhappy with the status quo, which leaves the choice in the hands of the presidential nominees alone. "We elect only two people at the national level: the president and vice president. It is simply unacceptable that Americans have lost the right to choose 50% of our national leadership," said Blake. "This solution has been hiding in plain sight. Our initiative works within existing law to reclaim one of our constitutional rights and put the power back in the hands of the people." How it works: Our goal: 865,000 signatures. Each state requires a certain number of signatures to put an independent presidential candidate on its ballot. In 2016, those state signature requirements added up to roughly 865,000 nationwide. We're using that number to guide our signature pledge goals in each state. Once we reach our goal, we will engage with secretaries of state to create a vice presidential ballot line. Visit the map on our homepage to view your state's vote threshold. Each state requires a certain number of signatures to put an independent presidential candidate on its ballot. In 2016, those state signature requirements added up to roughly 865,000 nationwide. We're using that number to guide our signature pledge goals in each state. Once we reach our goal, we will engage with secretaries of state to create a vice presidential ballot line. Visit the map on our homepage to view your state's vote threshold. Updating our ballots: Currently, voters see a single ballot line for president and vice presidential candidates on Election Day. When voters check the box for their presidential candidate of choice, his or her running mate is simply listed alongside as a package deal. The Vice.run initiative will correct for party ballot traditions to follow political process as it is outlined in the 12 th Amendmentgiving voters a separate and distinct vote for President and for Vice President. Currently, voters see a single ballot line for president and vice presidential candidates on Election Day. When voters check the box for their presidential candidate of choice, his or her running mate is simply listed alongside as a package deal. The Vice.run initiative will correct for party ballot traditions to follow political process as it is outlined in the 12 Amendmentgiving voters a separate and distinct vote for President and for Vice President. Pledge your signature today: Voters can sign the online pledge for their home state (where they are registered to vote), to add their name to the cause and help amass the necessary number of signatures. Voters can sign the online pledge for their home state (where they are registered to vote), to add their name to the cause and help amass the necessary number of signatures. Join our grassroots efforts: Vice.run will be launching a national tour this Summer to build public support, traveling state by state to gather signatures and get out the word about the initiative. The tour will be focusing on college campuses across the U.S., expanding out to the swing states throughout the summer months. Why this matters now In times of divided government, the office of the vice president matters. Vice President Mike Pence has cast a historic number of tie-breaking votes in the Senatemore than any other vice president since 1841. He is the deciding factor in policies that impact the lives of every American. It doesn't stand to reason that the vice president holds enormous power and influence over our democracy, yet the job is not subject to democratic input. "The vice president is uniquely suited to be a solution for our era of divided government," Blake added. "With a hand in both the executive and legislative branches, the vice president checks the powers of each. But this balancing role only holds if the vice president is a democratically elected official representing the will of the people. It's time to elect the VP." Utah Hits State Signature Pledge Threshold; All 50 States Pledging Vice.run is pleased to announce that as the national grassroots campaign begins, our initiative has already secured enough pledged signatures in the state of Utah to begin our work towards ballot access in 2020. Since the launch of the Vice.run site, we are proud to announce that we have secured online signature pledges from voters in all 50 states. To learn more about the Vice.run initiative and add your signature pledge please visit https://vice.run. Vice.run in the News CBS News The San Francisco Chronicle CNBC Yahoo Finance About Vice.Run Vice.run is a national political advocacy initiative seeking to secure independent ballot access for the vice presidency in the 2020 election. This 50-state effort is rooted in the fundamental right bestowed upon American voters by the 12th Amendment to elect their president and vice president. Through the collection of signature pledges from registered voters that support a more democratic process, Vice.run will help Americans reclaim their rights at the ballots on Election Day. About Americans for Common Ground Americans for Common Ground is a 501c4 non-profit organization founded by David and Mikel Blake to help solve the partisan crisis in politics. The mission of Americans for Common Ground is to help create bipartisan solutions to our biggest problems. SOURCE Vice.run Related Links https://vice.run AUSTIN, Texas, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- VolitionRx Limited (NYSE American: VNRX) today announced it will host a conference call on Thursday, May 9 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time to discuss its financial and operating results for the first quarter of 2019 in addition to providing a business update. Event: VolitionRx Limited First Quarter 2019 Earnings and Business Update Conference Call Date: Thursday, May 9, 2019 Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern time U.S. & Canada Dial-in: 1-855-327-6837 (toll free) U.K. Dial-in: 0 808-101-2791 (toll free) Toll/International: 1-631-891-4304 Conference ID: 10006803 Cameron Reynolds, President and Chief Executive Officer of Volition, will host the call along with David Vanston, Chief Financial Officer and Scott Powell, Executive Vice President, Investor Relations. The call will provide an update on recent developments and Volition's activities, including details of new and ongoing clinical trials, important events that have taken place in the first quarter of 2019, and milestones for the remainder of 2019 and beyond. A live audio webcast of the conference call will also be available on the investor relations page of Volition's corporate website at http://ir.volitionrx.com. In addition, a telephone replay of the call will be available until May 23, 2019. The replay dial-in numbers are 1-844-512-2921 (toll-free) in the U.S. and Canada and 1-412-317-6671 (toll) internationally. Please use replay pin number 10006803. About Volition Volition is a multi-national life sciences company developing simple, easy to use, cost effective blood tests to help diagnose a range of cancers and other diseases. Early diagnosis has the potential to not only prolong the life of patients, but also to improve their quality of life. The tests are based on the science of NucleosomicsTM, which is the practice of identifying and measuring nucleosomes in the bloodstream or other bodily fluid - an indication that disease is present. Volition's research and development activities are currently centered in Belgium, with additional offices in Texas, London and Singapore, as the company focuses on bringing its diagnostic products to market. Nucleosomics is a trademark of Volition and its subsidiaries. For more information about Volition, visit Volition's website (http://www.volitionrx.com) or connect with us via: Twitter: https://twitter.com/volitionrx LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/volitionrx Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VolitionRx/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/VolitionRx The contents found at Volition's website address, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube are not incorporated by reference into this document and should not be considered part of this document. The addresses for Volition's website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube are included in this document as inactive textual references only. Media / Investor Contacts SOURCE VolitionRx Ltd The company's primary technology in clinical development uses low-intensity collimated ultrasound (LICU ) to image and ablate heart tissue that causes atrial fibrillation, a common cardiac condition in which the heart's upper chambers beat rapidly in an uncontrolled manner. An estimated five million cases of atrial fibrillationalso referred to as AF and AFibare diagnosed each year worldwide. The disease is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, dementia and stroke. Vytronus is developing the only treatment option for AF that uses LICU. Unlike other approaches for AF ablation, the LICU catheter inherently does not require contact with the tissue and is capable of both 3D anatomical mapping and ablation. Featuring a robotic catheter tip, the Vytronus LICU system can quickly and precisely generate high-resolution 3D anatomical images. Utilizing the same catheter, the system can also deliver ultrasound energy for therapy along a user-specified lesion path. "We frequently hear from electrophysiologists that there is a clear need for a non-contact energy source to perform versatile lesion patterns and for tailored energy delivery in a manner that reduces dependence on operator skill," said John Pavlidis, president and chief executive officer of Vytronus. "Our booth at HRS will feature a demonstration of the system. We look forward to showing clinicians attending the meeting how our investigational technology using LICU enables highly automated, continuous, flexible lesion sets." The Vytronus LICU system has been submitted for CE Mark as a treatment for paroxysmal AF and is not commercially available anywhere in the world. It is only approved for investigational use in Europe and is not approved for use in the United States. The 40th annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society will be held in San Francisco and be attended by thousands of electrophysiologists, the medical specialists who treat patients with cardiac arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation. The Vytronus booth at Heart Rhythm 2019 is #2427 and will be open during regular exhibit hall hours from May 810. About Vytronus Headquartered in California's Silicon Valley, Vytronus, Inc. was formed in 2006 to harness the imaging and therapeutic capabilities of ultrasound energy to treat cardiac arrhythmias, starting with atrial fibrillation. We believe that a new energy source, such as collimated ultrasound, is amenable to automation and capable of both imaging and ablating, thus shifting the treatment paradigm to more predictable outcomes. We strive to make a complicated procedure simple. Ease of use guides every aspect of our design philosophy. At Vytronus, patient safety is always our first priority and improved efficacy is our mission. We look forward to obtaining regulatory approvals and making our products available to doctors and their patients in the near future. CONTACT: Joe McGrath +1 (612) 819-6421 [email protected] SOURCE Vytronus, Inc. Related Links http://www.vytronus.com DUBLIN, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Retail POS/mPOS Software" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report looks at the overall Retail POS Software Market Worldwide. Who are the real leaders? What are the real rankings? Who are the leaders in the Retail POS Software market? Which vendors are leading in sales, innovation, market reach and can implement a complete Unified Commerce approach with a single view of the customer? It's all here. Companies are encouraged to use these charts in discussions with their vendor partners. It is the intent that they provide unique insights into vendor strategy and provide thought-provoking questions as we all move though and prosper in the Era of Intentional Innovation. The Market View series of research studies build upon all this knowledge and add analyst insight to graphically display vendor positioning, drive for innovation and projected growth. The goal of this report is to provide the retail community with the most detailed and complete picture imaginable of the retail technology landscape. Readers of this research will get a forecast for POS Software in total and then by key segments. Breakouts are included for Food/Drug/Mass Merchants/Warehouse Clubs, For Department/Specialty Softgoods, Specialty Hardgoods, and then Hospitality which is inclusive of Fast Food/QSR/Quick Casual, Bars/Restaurants, Lodging, Casinos, Cruises, Theaters, Theme Parks, Museums, Stadiums and other formats. The Market View Map then positions vendors against each other in a 3-dimensional quadrant view. The upper right quadrant shows someone who is a leader in market strength and also in growth, innovation, and unified commerce coverage. What is unique about the approach is we also add a further dimension of market share scale so you can not only see who is in what quadrant, but how strong they are as well. This is ideal as executives review their market position and consider competitors and acquisition candidates. Finally, we provide market profiles on the top 15 software providers by revenue. Each profile includes total revenues, revenues by hardware, software, SaaS, and services, revenues by region, and revenues by Line of Business Category. In addition, the profiles include merger and acquisition information as well as key clients. The data, forecasts, and positioning maps are provided Worldwide as well as a deep dive on North America. What makes this research different and more rigorous is that it is based on a very sophisticated and highly objective research model. It allows vendors, retailers and analysts to see who are the real leaders in retail software, true software market rankings, who is leading in the fast growing software-as-a-service market, and which vendors are leading in sales, innovation, market reach and can implement a complete unified commerce approach to retail. Key Topics Covered: Market Definition and Overview What's Included Key Definitions Regions Segments Tiers Trends, Drivers, and Barriers Worldwide Forecasts and Market Sizing Total POS Software Spend (Licenses, SaaS, Maintenance) POS Software Forecast By Segment Food/Drug/Mass Merchants/Warehouse Clubs Department/Specialty Softgoods Specialty Hardgoods Convenience/Gas Hospitality North American Forecasts and Market Sizing Total POS Software Spend (Licenses, SaaS, Maintenance) POS Software Forecast By Segment Food/Drug/Mass Merchants/Warehouse Clubs Department/Specialty Softgoods Specialty Hardgoods Convenience/Gas Hospitality Market View Vendor Positioning Maps Total POS Software POS Software Forecast By Segment Food/Drug/Mass Merchants/Warehouse Clubs Department/Specialty Softgoods Specialty Hardgoods Convenience/Gas Hospitality Vendor Profiles Companies Mentioned Aptos Cegid Group Diebold Nixdorf Extenda Extenda First Data Fujitsu GK Software Gilbarco HTEC Ingenico Intuit Lightspeed Retail Microsoft NCR Oracle PCMS Datafit ParTech Pay Anywhere Paypal Revel Systems Revention SAP ShopKeep Shopify Square Toshiba Global Commerce Uakari Software Veirfone Vend HQ Veras Retail For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hfp3f0 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com 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 Lucknow, May 6 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday cast his vote here in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections and appealed voters to vote with great enthusiasm. The Home Minister, who is again the Lucknow BJP candidate cast his vote at polling booth 333 in Scholars' Home School, along side his wife Savitri and son Pankaj. Speaking to reporters immediately after, Singh said: "I leave everything on the voters here." He is pitted against SP-BSP star candidate Poonam Sinha, wife of former BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, and Congress candidate Acharya Pramod Krishnam "Today is the polling for 51 Lok Sabha seats including Lucknow... I urge all the voters to cast their valuable votes with great enthusiasm and vote in large numbers," Singh tweeted earlier. Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. Polling here began at 7 a.m. along with 13 other Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. While Poonam Sinha is making her political debut, self-styled spiritual guru Krishnam had unsuccessfully contested Sambhal in 2014 and got just 1.52 per cent of the votes. Singh, who is a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (2000-2002), has a huge chance of winning the seat considered a BJP stronghold, once held by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2014, Rajnath Singh had trounced Congress' Rita Bahuguna Joshi by a margin of 2.72 lakh votes, the highest margin in electoral history of the city. The BJP has held the seat since 1991. Vajpayee, when he became the Prime Minister, won the seat by a margin of 2.16 lakh votes in 1998. Canberra, May 6 : Top Australian DJ Adam Sky has died while reportedly rushing to the aid of a woman who fell from a villa in the Indonesian resort island of Bali, authorities confirmed on Monday. The 42-year-old DJ, whose real name is Adam Neat, crashed through a glass door in the incident on Saturday. Indonesian media reports said he severed a major artery in his arm, causing serious blood loss, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. It is believed his female friend had fallen several metres from their private terrace in the villa and suffered broken bones. Bali police are still investigating the circumstances of his death. A post on Neat's official Facebook page, which has more than 900,000 followers, confirmed his death on Sunday night. "Relatives and friends of Adam are travelling to Bali today and handling all arrangements," the post said. "We ask you to respect the families privacy at this moment while we all come to terms with our tragic loss." Neat was an internationally recognised DJ, having supported well-known artists including Fat Boy Slim, David Guetta and The Scissor Sisters. Originally from Melbourne, Neat was based in Singapore and was described as a "rising Aussie superstar DJ" by JUICE Magazine Asia. Amethi, May 6 : Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday accused the Congress of booth capturing here in Uttar Pradesh. "I tweeted an alert to administration and Election Commission (alleging booth capturing in Amethi), hope they take action," Irani told the media here. "People of the country have to decide whether this kind of politics of Rahul Gandhi should be punished or not." Earlier she tweeted: "Alert @ECISVEEP Congress President @RahulGandhi ensuring booth capturing." This was after a BJP worker tweeted a video of an elderly woman, who claimed that she was forced to vote for the Congress' symbol even though she had planned to press the "lotus". Congress President Rahul Gandhi is seeking a re-election from Amethi against BJP's Irani, who lost the 2014 polls by just over a lakh votes. Lucknow, May 6 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that he is confident of his victory in Lucknow, even as Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said it was the SP-BSP alliance that would win maximum seats and play a crucial role in formation of the next government. Both the leaders were talking to reporters after casting their votes in Lucknow. Rajnath Singh, who cast his vote with his family, said that the BJP would get a clear majority in the elections while the NDA would get two-thirds majority. Mayawati said that the Modi government would be voted out and appealed to her voters to vote for the alliance. Meanwhile, voters queued up to cast their votes even before 7.a.m. when polling began to escape the heat wave conditions. Till 9 a.m. close to 10 per cent polling was reported in the 14 seats that went to poll in the fifth phase in the state. This phase too, was again marked by EVM malfunctioning. In Lucknow, polling began after almost an hour's delay due to EVM malfunction in Ramadhin Inter College and Singar Nagar polling booths. Reports of EVM malfunction were pouring in from Barabanki, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, Gonda, Banda and Dhaurhara. Poor light inside polling booths was reported from several polling stations in Sitapur where the polling officials had to use their mobile torch to search names of voters. San Francisco, May 6 : Tesla Founder and CEO Elon Musk could not hold his displeasure over Warren Buffett's remarks that selling insurance is not Tesla's cup of tea, leading to a couple of tweets related to the billionaire investor. The Berkshire Founder and CEO Buffett, during the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting last week, said insurance is not an easy business. "The success of the auto companies getting into the insurance business is probably as likely as the success of the insurance companies getting into the auto business," he told shareholders. In an earnings call with analysts in April, Musk revealed his plans to launch an insurance product later in May. "I'd bet against any company in the auto business" getting into insurance, CNBC quoted Buffett as saying. This led Musk to issue a series of tweets on Sunday. The Tesla CEO first tweeted a link, asking his followers to order Tesla Model 3, which is cheaper than a Honda Accord. He then sent a playful tweet, claiming that Tesla is "also 1,000 more fun" than a Honda Accord. The third tweet said: "That's a direct quote from Warren Buffett." Buffett, 88, has lately been critical of Musk. In an interview with Yahoo Finance in April, he said that Musk who is known for creating controversies via tweets has "room for improvement". "I think he has room for improvement, and he would say the same thing. "It's just, some people have a talent for interesting quotes and others have a little bit more of a blocker up there that says 'this could get me into problems'," Buffett was quoted as saying. "I just don't see the necessity to communicate (on Twitter)," he said. Buffett, however, added that Musk is "a remarkable guy". The Berkshire Founder and CEO announced last week that his firm bought its first Amazon shares. The stake in Amazon is a first for the investment conglomerate. Buffett has repeatedly praised Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos in the past. Washington, May 6 : The White House has announced that the US was sending an aircraft carrier strike group and Air Force bombers to the Middle East because of "troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" related to Iran. A statement from US National Security Adviser John Bolton on Sunday, said: "In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the US is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on US interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," CNN reported. "The US is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces." The announcement did not give any further information on the reasons for the commitment of military forces. An American military official told The News York Times on Sunday night that whatever threat Bolton cited had most likely emerged in the previous 24 to 48 hours because as of late Friday, military analysts were not tracking any new, imminent or clearly defined Iranian or Iranian-backed threats against Americans in Iraq or the region. When asked by reporters about Bolton's statement on a flight to Finland, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: "It's something we've been working on for a little while. "It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians, and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests. "If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that." Department of Defence spokesman Chris Sherwood confirmed the deployment in a statement to CNN: "I can confirm that the Department of Defence is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region." The carrier group heading to the Persian Gulf is that of the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been in the Mediterranean Sea. There is no carrier strike group currently in the Persian Gulf, but such groups often transit through those waters since the Suez Canal is in the region. At the end of April, the Abraham Lincoln and its fleet of accompanying ships trained alongside other American vessels and military units from the UK, Spain and France. Sunday's announcement comes after President Donald Trump's administration has already taken a series of hard-line policies against Iran. A year ago, Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal that world powers had reached with Iran in 2015, and he has since imposed harsh sanctions. Earlier last month, the Trump administration designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. The move imposes economic penalties and travel restrictions on members of the group, and anyone else who deals with it. In response, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on April 30 signed a bill into law that declared all American troops in the Middle East terrorists and labelled the US government a state sponsor of terrorism. Mumbai, May 5 : Away from hectic shooting schedules and the prying eyes of the paparazzi, actress Kriti Sanon took a fulfilling vacation in Goa with two of her friends, whom she calls soul sisters. "My soul sisters! Time just flies when I'm with you both... A much much needed getaway," she wrote on Instagram, tagging her friends Ayushi Tayal and Kriti Baveja. "Celebration, endless conversations, nostalgic music, getting ready in the same room, borrowing each other's stuff, capturing every moment, walking on the beach, and then randomly lying down to look up at the stars, kiddish games in the pool to terribly failed boomerangs, sunset with Mimosa and not to forget..awesome food!! Life's good," added the actress. Image Source: https://www.instagram.com/kritisanon/ Her post suggested how she enjoys soaking in the normal joys of life. "I love how we can just chat and chat and chat and also are comfortable being silent just listening to our favorite songs mixed with the sound of the waves... That's what I'll miss the most! Until next time girls. Love you both." Recently seen in a "Kalank" song, Kriti's upcoming projects include "Arjun Patiala", "Housefull 4" and "Panipat". Kriti Sanon enjoys Goa vacation with 'soul sisters'.Take a look at the video ! -- With inputs from IANS Jaipur, May 6 : Rajasthan recorded 14.05 per cent voter turnout on Monday in the first three hours of polling to the state's 12 constituencies in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, according to officials. Voting began at 7 a.m. for the Shri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli Dholpur, Dausa and Nagaur seats. As of 10 a.m., the highest voter turnout was recorded Shri Ganganagar with 15.40 per cent followed by Dausa 14.79 per cent and Jaipur Rural 14.53 per cent. Jhunjhunu witnessed the lowest turnout with 12.79 per cent. Technical glitches in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) delayed voting at several centres. In Jaipur, voting started half an hour late due to a technical fault in the EVMs at the Bajoriya and the Saraswati Schools. EVM malfunctioning was also reported at a booth in Jaipur's Mansarovar area, said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state control room in-charge, Nirmal Nahta. BJP state president Madanlal Saini cast his vote in Sikar with his wife, while Union Minister Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore, who is the sitting BJP MP from Jaipur Rural, voted in Vaishali Nagar. Rathore, an Olympian silver medallist and a two-time Commonwealth gold medallist in shooting, is pittied against Congress' Krishna Poonia, who is herself a 2010 Commonwealth gold medallist discus thrower. Shortly after voting began, Anand Kumar, the state's Chief Electoral Officer, cast his ballot with his son and wife. Director General of Police Kapil Garg voted in Jaipur. While awaiting his turn at a queue outside a polling booth here, Congress state President Sachin Pilot told the media: "Congress is all set to touch 'Mission 25' in the state. Voters have seen the BJP and Congress working and they shall definitely vote for Congress to ensure party is voted to power." A total of 134 candidates are in fray on these seats which include 12 women while around 2.30 crore voters are using their right to vote. Jaipur has the highest number of candidates, while the lowest was reported in the Dausa parliamentary seat. Polling will end at 6 p.m. Srinagar, May 6 : After a six month-long recess, the Civil Secretariat offices in Srinagar reopened on Monday. Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Satya Pal Malik was given a ceremonial guard of honour by a contingent of the state's armed police upon his arrival at the secretariat. Malik also spoke to the media on the occasion. Regarding the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in the state, the Governor said it was the Election Commission of India that has the authority to decide on when these polls should be held. Replying TO another question on the killing of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Anantnag district by militants on Friday, Malik said security of political workers in the state was being reviewed. He said an inquiry is also being held on whether there was a security lapse that led to the killing. Following an over 170 year-old practice set up by the autocratic Dogra Maharajas of the state, all top offices including those of the Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers, senior bureaucrats and others shuttle on a six-monthly basis between the twin capitals of Jammu and Srinagar. The shifting of the civil secretariat offices is called the 'Darbar move' which is reminiscent of the Maharajas' royal court that spent six months at each of the two capitals. Hyderabad, May 6 : Polling was underway for the first phase of rural body elections in Telangana on Monday amid tight security, officials said. Voting is underway to for 2,097 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MTPCs) and 195 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs). Candidates for 69 MPTCs and two ZPTCs were elected unopposed. The Election Commission officials said that polling through ballot paper began at 7 a.m. and will continue till 5 p.m. In Maoist-infested areas in five districts, polling will end at 4 p.m. Officials said separate ballot papers are being given to voters for MTPCs and ZPTCs. To avoid any confusion, every voter will be first given MTPC ballot paper and after casting the same in the ballot box, he/she will get a ZPTC ballot paper. Elections to the rural local bodies are being held for the first time since the formation of Telangana state in 2014. Following massive victory in Assembly elections held in December and sweeping gram panchayat polls in January, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is aiming at another electoral victory while it is also confident of making clean sweep of Lok Sabha elections held on April 10. For ZPTC elections, a total of 882 candidates are in the fray. TRS and opposition Congress party are contesting on 195 and 190 seats, respectively. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also fielded 171 candidates. According to the Election Commission, 7,072 candidates are in fray for MPTC polls. The state poll panel has deployed over 1.5 lakh personnel for smooth conduct of the elections. Security arrangements were also made to ensure peaceful polls. The second and third phase of the elections will be held on May 10 and 14. State Election Commissioner V. Nagi Reddy said over 1.56 crore voters are eligible to cast their franchise in the elections to 5,817 MPTCs and 538 ZPTCs over all the three phases. Counting of votes will take place on May 27. Mumbai, May 6 : Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has strongly condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modis utterances on late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, saying the "country will not forgive him for the remarks". Referring to Modi's statement that Rajiv Gandhi was called "Mr. Clean" by his courtiers but died as "Bhrashtachari No. 1", Thackeray said on Sunday: "Hatred, endless lying and absolutely no qualms in transgressing the decorum of public life are the three characteristics that mark the term of Narendra Modi. "This stands intensified with his latest statements against the late Rajiv Gandhi and the nation will definitely not pardon it," said Thackeray. Thackeray joins the ranks of several prominent opposition leaders across the country who criticized Modi's statements on Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated by a Sri Lankan Tamil suicide bomber on May 21, 1991. Last year in July, Thackeray had come out in support of Congress President Rahul Gandhi's famous 'hug' to Modi in Parliament and termed it a 'perfect' one. This time, the MNS chief addressed nearly a dozen political rallies in Maharashtra campaigning against Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah though his own party MNS is not contesting any seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Thiruvananthapuram, May 6 : A probe ordered by Kerala Police chief Loknath Behra suspects foul play in the postal ballots of police officials who were deployed outside their home districts. Kerala voted on April 23 to pick 20 Lok Sabha members. The intelligence wing conducted the probe after allegations were levelled that the CPI-M backed office bearers of the Kerala Police Association had committed foul play. Behra ordered the probe after an audio clip of two police officials speaking on the postal ballots surfaced in the media. A four-page report submitted to Behra points at foul play and has recommended action against two police officials besides recommending a comprehensive probe, according to sources in the know of things. The association consists of 58,000 police officials and is led by those said to be close to the CPI-M. Mumbai, May 6 : Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, has invested in domestic ride-sharing company Ola's newly-launched electric vehicle (EV) arm Ola Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd (OEMPL) as part of its Series A round of funding, the cab aggregator announced on Monday. A leading investor in startups, Tata was also an early investor in Ola's parent company ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd. "The electric vehicle ecosystem is evolving dramatically every day, and I believe Ola Electric will play a key role in its growth and development. I have always admired the vision of Bhavish Aggarwal and I'm confident that this will be part of yet another important strategic move into this new business area," Tata said in a statement. OEMPL is currently running several pilots involving charging solutions, battery swapping stations, and deploying vehicles across two, three and four-wheeler segments. "Mr. Tata has been an inspiration and a mentor to me personally in shaping Ola's journey over the years. I'm very excited to welcome him on board Ola Electric as an investor and a mentor in our mission of building sustainable mobility for everyone on our planet," said Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-founder and CEO, Ola. "He is a visionary who has inspired a generation of entrepreneurs and we are privileged to have his guidance and support once again, as we work towards our goal of a million electric vehicles in India by 2021." OEMPL has raised Rs 400 crore, led by several of Ola's early investors, including Tiger Global and Matrix India, as part of its first round of investment. In 2018, the company announced "Mission: Electric" to bring 1 million EVs on Indian roads by 2021. The company was initially established to enable Ola's electric mobility pilot program in Nagpur. Tata's investment in OEMPL is a significant endorsement of the company's approach to developing an EV ecosystem, including innovations in charging infrastructure, swapping models, and market-appropriate products. New Delhi, May 6 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal was trying to be "over smart" while trying to forge an alliance with the Congress and this election will show "what his real position is in Delhi", senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has said. The former Lok Sabha member from Delhi's Chandni Chowk constituency said that the alliance would have helped both the Congress and the AAP if it were "limited" for Delhi. "But he (Kejriwal) was not interested. Basically, this whole maneuvering was done to expand his base beyond Delhi. That's the political objective. We can't fall prey to that. This election will show what his real position in Delhi," Sibal, a former Union Minister, told IANS. He said the AAP was "trying to be over smart. They wanted to link alliance in other states with alliance in Delhi." Sibal was responding when asked how important it would have been for the Congress if it had forged a pre-poll alliance with the AAP, which is ruling Delhi after winning 67 out of 70 Assembly seats in 2015. The two parties were in talks for a possible alliance for long despite divisions in the Congress. Significantly, the AAP appeared to be more keen than the Congress to have the alliance and its leader and Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi after it could not fructify. Sibal said that the Congress was willing to have 4-3 seat-sharing adjustment in Delhi where 7 Lok Sabha seats are at stake. "And then they talked about Punjab, Goa. Then they gave up Goa and Punjab and stuck to Haryana," he said. "They have no presence in Haryana. Why should we agree with them in Haryana? They had alliance with new party JJP (Jannayak Janata Party)... This is trying to be over smart, trying to be clever by half," the Congress leader said. Sibal, who had earlier expressed his interest in contesting again from Chandni Chowk constituency from where the party has fielded former three-time Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, was asked why he was not in the fray. He reasoned: "I have a Rajya Sabha seat for next 3 years and if I won the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress can't get back that Rajya Sabha seat and numbers in Rajya Sabha are very important." He went on to add: "Reason number 2: I am doing a lot of cases which are taking place in the Supreme Court even today. So I would not be able to attend those cases... If I am unable to attend, lawyers would have to be changed. These are matters which are ongoing." As reason "number 3", he said: "I am going to other states (for campaigning). I went to Gujarat, I went to Mumbai and am going to other places. So I am saddled with those responsibilities... I can't do all that. So I told them (party leadership), I am ready to fight but it is for you to decide." Leh/Srinagar, May 6 : A dismal voter turnout of 1.5 per cent was recorded till 12 noon in the third and final phase of polling in the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency on Monday while nearly 30 per cent had voted in the Ladakh seat by noon. Hardly any voters approached the polling stations in Shopian, Wachi, Rajpora, Pulwama and Tral segments of Anantnag. Militants added to the tension by hurling a grenade at the Rohmoo polling station which exploded but without causing any damage. But it sparked fear among those who may have ventured out to vote. A mysterious explosion also occurred outside a polling station in Tral. Police said they were investigating. The maximum voting in Anantnag till noon was recorded in Shopian (3.1 per cent), followed by Pampore (2.6), Wachi (1.4), Rajpora (0.9), Tral (0.5) and Pulwama (0.4 per cent). Officials said the overall voter turnout in Ladakh and Anantnag constituencies till 12 noon was 8.4 per cent. This was because of the brisk 29.5 per cent voting in Ladakh constituency. There are 522,530 voters in the districts of Shopian and Pulwama who are eligible to vote on Monday as part of the Anantnag constituency while the total electorate is 174,618 in Ladakh, spread over the two districts of Leh and Kargil. Most polling stations in Shopian and Pulwama wore a deserted look. Separatists have called for an election boycott and a shutdown in Shopian and Pulwama districts. Although polling began at the same time in both the Lok Sabha seats, it will end at 4 p.m. in Anantnag and 6 p.m. in Ladakh. There are 18 candidates in the race in Anantnag but the main contest is between Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Congress and Justice (retired) Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference. In the hilly Shahdab Karewa village of Shopian, voters came out in good numbers. In Ladakh, the contest is four-cornered involving Jamyang Tsering Namgyal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rigzin Spalbar of the Congress and two independents, Haji Asgar Ali Karbalai and Sajjad Hussain. Mumbai, May 5 : 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. This picture of Salman Khan and Sudeep is setting the cyberspace on fire. Watch the video ! "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. -- With inputs from IANS Lucknow, May 6 : Former Congress MP Pramod Tiwari has condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and said he will serve a legal notice to him. Tiwari said that the Prime Minister had already accepted his defeat in the elections by making uncalled for statements. "He is crossing the limits of political propriety and dignity. Victory and defeat are a part of elections but one should not stoop to conquer," Tiwari told this correspondent. Tiwari, who had worked with the late Rajiv Gandhi, said that he was "deeply pained" to hear such an allegation against the former Prime Minister who was assassinated by a Sri Lankan Tamil suicide bomber in May 1991. "I will soon send a legal notice to Modi on this issue," he added. The Congress has already sought an unconditional apology from the Prime Minister. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, the Prime Minister had lashed pout at Congress President Rahul Gandhi saying, "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers but when he died he was 'Bhrashtachari No.1'." Colombo, May 6 : Radicalization of moderate Muslims should be avoided in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, Minister of City Planning Rauff Hakeem has said as he blamed "a cult" within the community for the carnage. Hakeem told the media on Sunday that although Muslims support the security forces and police in carrying out search operations following the April 21 killings of over 250 people, there have been a few incidents of "concern" during such raids. "Some people have suffered social stigma as a result of some minor happenings (during search operations)... One must not get carried away if Islamic literature written in Arabic or in Tamil is found in a house. It may not be terrorist literature. "There may be anti-(Osama) Bin Laden or anti-extremist literature with some people. The security forces could get help from the Department of Muslim Affairs to interpret such literature," the Minister was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror on Monday. According to Hakeem, these incidents should be avoided as these could lead to radicalization of moderate Muslims in Sri Lanka. He also said that the bombings had been carried out by a cult living among the Muslims which earlier attacked the "mainstream mosques in certain Middle Eastern countries". "We as Muslims had warned the authorities of certain activities such as speeches made by certain people promoting extremism, which is against Islam, by certain groups from time to time. Asked about the weapons found in some mosques, Hakeem said places of worship should not be used to keep arms and added that "terrorist activities and ordinary crimes should not be mixed up". New Delhi, May 6 : Actress Tara Sutaria, who is all set to step into Bollywood with "Student Of The Year 2", does not mind vigilance on her private life. Instead, she finds it flattering that people want to know about her. Talking about actors' private lives being under constant watch, Tara told IANS here: "We were completely expecting this to be a part of our journey. We have just begun... it is very new for us. But I think sometimes it is fun to read these things... It's flattering in a way that people care and want to know about us." Link-up rumours are a part and parcel of being under the spotlight. It has been no different for Tara, who is rumoured to be dating actor Sidharth Malhotra. Asked about how she plans to tackle such rumours she said: "I don't think you need to tackle it. I think your work will speak and this will always happen... I think we (Ananya and Tara) are ready for that." Tara, who ventured into showbiz in 2010 with "Big Bada Boom", is set to make her Bollywood debut alongside actor Chunky Panday's daughter Ananya Panday, and actor Tiger Shroff in "Student Of The Year 2". The Dharma Productions film, directed by Punit Malhotra, is set to release on May 10. Was she nervous to star alongside names who have been famous way before their debut? "There wasn't any fear in any sense at all. I think I have really been fortunate to be doing what I have done before 'Student Of the Year 2'... For most of my life, I have been performing and I have been an ambassador for Disney. I have been a part of this line of work for a while," she said. Before her film debut, Tara was seen in shows like "The Suite Life of Karan & Kabir", "Best of Luck Nikki" and "Oye Jassie". She said she is "quite accustomed", and "nothing comes as much of a surprise or shock". Does she agree that the acting profession comes with a lot of insecurities? "It is very easy to feel insecure and it is very normal and natural, especially in our line of work where everything depends on how you look and behave. One is constantly under the scanner, and it's very easy to feel that. "I feel like I am accustomed to all of these things, so I don't think it is something new for me. I am trying to take in every moment as possible... So, many firsts going on for us that there are no time to focus on the insecurities." Lucknow, May 6 : The presiding officer of booth no 316 in Gauriganj in Amethi has been replaced after a video of a woman complaining that she was forced to vote for the Congress by the official went viral. Union Minister Smriti Irani, the BJP candidate, complained about booth capturing by the Congress and demanded action. She blamed Rahul Gandhi, the Congress candidate. District Magistrate and Returning Officer Ram Mohan Misra said that the presiding officer had been removed on the complaint and an inquiry had been ordered into the incident. Meanwhile, the woman whose video had gone viral remained untraceable even as media persons tried to locate her. New Delhi, May 6 : Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, who was with the Shiv Sena earlier, has targeted his erstwhile party colleague and predecessor Manohar Joshi, saying he was a "weak" Chief Minister because of which the party could not deliver on its promises in four years of government in 1995. Rane, who succeeded Joshi as Chief Minister from February 1999, also insisted that Balasaheb Thackeray never wanted a 'remote-control sarkaar' (government) and that the late Shiv Sena supremo never stopped him from taking any decision which were even slightly beneficial for the state. Rane entered politics by joining the Shiv Sena under the leadership of Balasaheb Thackeray. He was expelled from the party in July 2005 after he publicly criticised party working President Udhav Thackeray and questioned his administrative abilities. He later joined Congress and was made Maharashtra's Revenue Minister. In September 2017, Rane ended his decade-long association with the Congress and floated his own party, the Maharashtra Swabhiman Party (MSP). He was elected unopposed as a Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra as a BJP candidate last year. He has given a glimpse of many phases of his political career in his memoir 'No Holes Barred: My Years in Politics', which was released on Monday. The 208-page book has been published by HarperCollins India. Writing about Joshi, Rane said, "The Sena (Shiv Sena) failed to deliver on its promises in the first four years of our government because Manohar Joshi was a weak Chief Minister." He said Joshi, who headed a coalition government of the Shiv Sena and the BJP from March 1995, did not know how to rein in his own cabinet or the bureaucrats. "The officers did not fear him as he didn't hold them accountable, and everyone acted in their own interests instead of as a united force," Rane wrote about the first non-Congress Chief Minister of the state. "Even when they failed him (Joshi) miserably, he did not reprimand them for not implementing policies which Saheb (Balasaheb Thackeray) and the party had envisioned for the state." Talking about Bal Thackeray, Rane said, "He always followed my activities closely, even when I was the Chief Minister and rang me up often to praise me and motivate me to keep going." In the book Rane said that "he (Bal Thackeray) never, as far as my memory serves me, stopped me from executing any policies or decisions which were for the benefit of government and the people". "He (Bal Thackeray) gave me an absolute free hand to act in the best interests of people of Maharashtra, regardless of caste, creed and political or social status," he wrote. Praising the late Shiv Sena supremo, Rane said, "I also want to set the record straight for those who believe that Saheb had said he wanted a 'remote control sarkaar', he indulged in illicit activities which were harmful to the state or the government. This is absolutely false. "In fact, there were times when important people brought proposals to me which I felt were not good for the government. I would consult him and he would immediately, without second thoughts, back me and say, 'don't ever pass any proposal which is not in the best interests of the state'." Rane also recalled that, at the same time, "he (Bal Thackeray) never ever stopped me from going forward with any decisions which were even slightly beneficial to Maharashtra. But that was Balasaheb. They just don't make leaders like him any more." 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. Beijing, May 6 : China on Monday said that its trade delegation is still readying to go Washington after US President Donald Trump abruptly announced to crank up tariffs from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on Chinese imports worth $200 billion. Trump's Sunday announcement is new a twist in the ongoing US-China trade spat that seemed to be easing until last week as he claimed that a deal could be in the offing. Following Trump's new tariff threat, some media reports said China could cancel trade talks in Washington this week which is to be attended by its top trade envoy Liu He. But the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that their delegation was still preparing to go the US for the parleys. "We are trying to get more information on (Trump's announcement.) What I can tell you is that the Chinese team is preparing to go to the US for the trade talks," Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said here. Asked if Liu will attend the trade talks, Geng was non-committal. "As to the threat of the US increasing tariff is concerned, such a situation has appeared many times before. China's position is clear-cut and the US knows that clearly," he said. "The trade consultation between the US and China have made positive progress. We hope that the US and China will work together to reach a mutually beneficial treaty on the basis of mutual respect. This is not only in the interest of the US and China but also in the interest of the international community." The two largest economies have been locked in a bruising trade war since July last year after Trump slapped an additional 25 per cent on an initial $50 billion of Chinese goods. The US President followed it through with another 10 per cent on an additional $200 billion in products in September. It is the levies imposed in September last year that Trump has now threatened to increase to 25 per cent from Friday. This may scuttle the progress both sides have claimed to make in preventing the spat to worsen, a scenario that could impede the world's economic recovery. Colombo, May 6 : Sri Lankan authorities on Monday lifted a temporary ban on social media platforms which was imposed following violence in Negombo, site of one of the Easter Sunday bombings. Restrictions were imposed after fighting between Sinhalese and Muslims in Negombo, reports say. The clash broke out over a personal dispute and later mobs stoned Muslim-owned shops and vandalized vehicles. Authorities had also imposed a curfew following the incident and restricted access to the social media to stop the circulation of videos and images related to the Negombo incident. The announcement of lifting of the ban was made by the Information Department, the Daily Mirror reported. This is the second time social media access was restricted in the island nation following the April 21 attacks which killed over 250 and injured hundreds. Meanwhile, state schools in Sri Lanka resumed classes on Monday amid tight security. Lucknow, May 6 : In the midst of Lok Sabha elections, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally on Monday claimed to have walked out of the Yogi Adityanth government. Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar told reporters in Ballia that he has resigned from the Yogi Adityanath government. "I gave my resignation from the post of Cabinet Minister on April 13. The BJP has not accepted it as yet. I have nothing to do with the government now," he said. The SBSP chief had earlier alleged the BJP was misusing his party's name and flag in the elections. "Even during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's road show, the BJP used my photographs. I have filed a complaint in this regard with the Election Commission," he said. Rajbhar has been one of BJP's most troublesome allies in Uttar Pradesh and has often criticised the state's Yogi government. Last month, he said his party will contest the Lok Sabha elections in the state alone and announced candidates on 39 seats, after the BJP refused to give him seats in the ongoing elections. Rajbhar said on Monday that the SP-BSP-RLD alliance would win more seats than the BJP in the state. The BJP was worried over Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's continuous attacks on it, he stated. The Rajbhar community constitutes about 20 per cent of the population in eastern Uttar Pradesh and is regarded as the second-most politically dominant community after Yadavs. This region will go to polls in the sixth and seventh phases of parliamentary elections. The SBSP had won four seats in 2017 UP Assembly elections and Om Prakash Rajbhar was appointed Cabinet Minister. Srinagar, May 6 : A Kashmiri student who went missing nearly five months back from a university in Noida in Uttar Pradesh is languishing in a Pakistani jail, his family said on Monday. Syed Wahid, 23, went missing on December 12 from a private university in Noida. Syed's father has told police that he recently received a call from Pakistan and an inmate released from the Pakistan jail informed him that his son was lodged in the jail. Police sources here said they were verifying the veracity of the claim. The family belonging to north Kashmir had lodged a complaint with the police in Noida. New Delhi, May 6 : The Supreme Court on Monday said that "no coercive action" would be taken against the Volkswagen Group till the German automaker's plea challenging the Rs 500 crore penalty imposed on it by the NGT was heard by it. Passing its direction - which virtually indicates a stay on the fine - after hearing the petition filed by Volkswagen Group challenging the penalty, a bench of Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer also issued notice. Volkswagen had moved the apex court against the fine imposed on it by NGT Bench of Chairperson, Justice A.K. Goel in March this year. The tribunal had found the car carmaker guilty of deploying "cheat devices" in its diesel cars, which caused an immense amount of damage to the environment. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Volkswagen, told the bench that initially the fine on the carmaker was Rs 100 crore, but it was increased five fold to Rs 500 crore. In January 2019, the NGT imposed a fine of RS 100 crore on the carmaker, which challenged it in the Supreme Court. The top court found out four errors, and sent the case back to the tribunal, which, in March, passed an order increasing the fine to Rs 500 crore. Singhvi told the court that the NGT did not consider its own committee report, which had found no violations on Volkswagen's part. He also contended that the carmaker should not be treated an isolated case, as there are many other car manufacturers indulging in much greater violations of many norms. The case against the German carmaker originates from the 2015 cheat devices scandal where Volkswagen was held guilty by the US' Environmental Protection Agency. The agency had found that the carmaker had intentionally programmed its TDI diesel engines to activate their emissions control only during laboratory emissions testing, which allowed the emission of the polluting nitrogen oxide well over the prescribed pollution emission standards. The Automotive Research Association of India, in the same year, found that the tested Volkswagen vehicles' emissions were many times over the permitted levels. A group of private petitioners moved the green tribunal, seeking a ban on the vehicles by the German carmaker for allegedly flouting the emissions norms. The NGT appointed committee recommended a penalty of Rs 171.34 crore on the carmaker for causing air pollution due to flouting the emission norms. Hyderabad, May 6 : In a move to intensify his efforts to give a concrete shape to his proposed Federal Front, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao will meet DMK President M.K. Stalin in Chennai on May 13. "Both the leaders are likely to discuss the current political scenario in the contest of ongoing parliamentary elections," said the Chief Minister's Office. An announcement to this effect was made on Monday even as Rao reached Thiruvananthapuram to meet his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan. On knowing about Rao's visit to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had a telephonic talk with him on Monday, the CMO said. With his Kerala visit, the Telengana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief will be resuming his efforts for formation of a non-BJP, non-Congress government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, will discuss the latest political developments with the Communist Party of India-Marxist leader. He will also visit the 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 the Lok Sabha elections began on April 10. With the Lok Sabha election results expected on May 23, KCR is planning meetings with leaders of various parties to prepare the 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 Congress, has met leaders of the Trinamool Congress, Biju Janta Dal, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (S) and DMK. He also invited YSR Congress Party to join the proposed front. The TRS chief is confident that non-BJP, non-Congress parties would form the next government at the Centre. New Delhi, May 6 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded re-polling in West Bengal's Barrackpore parliamentary constituency, alleging that the Trinamool Congress had resorted to rigging and violence to win the elections. Amid attacks on two BJP candidates - Arjun Singh and Locket Chatterjee - and cases of intimidation, violence, bombings and EVM glitches, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said "goons" of the Trinamool Congress were terrorizing people to vote in favour of its candidates. "Trinamool Congress cannot win elections by votes so it has resorted to rigging and violence in entire West Bengal. The voters who do not support it are being terrorized by its goons," Javadekar told reporters here. "We demand the Election Commission to hold re-polling in Barrackpore." Violence erupted in North 24 Parganas' Barrackpore earlier in the day where former Railway Minister and sitting Trinamool MP Dinesh Trivedi is taking on his erstwhile "election-manager" Arjun Singh of the BJP. San Francisco, May 6 : US President Donald Trump became the butt of Twitter jokes when he misspelled the word 'stolen' as 'stollen' -- which is a type of fruit bread served in Germany on Christmas. Twitter went ablaze with memes immediately after Trump made the typo while complaining about his Presidency tenure on Sunday. "Despite the tremendous success that I have had as a President, including perhaps the greatest economy and most successful first two years of any President in history, they have stollen two years of my Presidency that we will never be able to get back," Trump tweeted, only to delete the post and re-post it with the typo-correction later. By then it was too late and tweets were already flooding the micro-blogging site. "Stolen is what you've done to our democracy by obstructing America's checks and balance system of government. The crime should be punished, not rewarded. Stollen is bread," wrote a Twitterati. The word 'stollen' along with images of the German fruit bread have been trending on Twitter ever since. "Remember when you spelled 'stolen' wrong as 'stollen' and people made fun of you and then you deleted it? That was fun," another user tweeted. Trump had earlier also deleted a tweet where he had misspelled 'Kentucky' as 'Kentuky' while blaming Kentucky Derby result on "political correctness". "On the next Presidential election, let's make sure the Presidential candidate can actually spell and not just claim they are a stable genius. From 'Kentuky' to 'Stollen', these are words that even a fourth grader knows how to spell," a user tweeted. Guwahati, May 6 : The arrival of an Amur falcon in the northeast as it heads back from Africa to its breeding grounds in northern China and Mongolia has cheered conservationists and other animal-lovers in the region. Hundreds of people in India's northeastern states, particularly in Nagaland, have rejoiced to hear the news of 'Longleng', one of the satellite-tagged long distance migratory birds entering the region and are anxiously waiting for it to reach its roosting site in Nagaland. Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India's senior scientist Suresh Kumar on Monday said that Longleng had reached a remote location of Manipur on Sunday evening. "Female Amur falcon, Longleng, was satellite-tagged in October 2016 from the roost site in Yaongyimchen Community Reserve in Longleng district of Nagaland and it is the is the only falcon that is currently being tracked. "Longleng started on its migration from Somalia to India on April 29. Upon leaving the African continent, it made a four-day, non-stop flight over the Arabian Sea, skirting the coastline of the Arabian peninsula and then flew along the coast of Gujarat and enter India over Surat town," Suresh Kumar said. On May 2, Longleng made its first stop in a forested tract in the Gadchiroli Forest Reserve in eastern Maharashtra, after covering a distance of close to 4,800 km. During the two years of tracking since 2016 on its return from Africa, Longleng, entering the Maharashtra coastline, would fly down to southern Karnataka close to Bengaluru or Mysuryu and after a stop-over of a few days, head back along the east coast to northeast India and then beyond. "However, this year, Longleng interestingly headed straight across Maharashtra and almost straight in the direction of cyclone Fani that was moving up along the Bay of Bengal coast. Being a terrestrial bird, the open sea crossing poses a challenge and as a result, Amur falcons make non-stop flights of three to five days or maybe more. Longleng's arrival in India now marks its sixth successful crossing of the Arabian Sea and it is expected to arrive in the next few days in Nagaland once again," he said. Nuklu Phom, a conservation activist of Yaongyimchen village, said: "The arrival of Longleng and other migratory birds in this part of the country is a much waited event every year. It is one of the most successful conservation success stories of the world. "Till 2012, there have been reports of hunting of birds. But from 2013, not a single bird was killed due to the conservation effort made by the entire citizens of Yaongyimchen village in Longleng district." Phpm said that the entire community under Yaongyimchen, Alayong and Sanglu have joined hands in creating a huge forest as a community biodiversity area and giving asylum to Amur falcons and other species which are growing in numbers year by year. "The community has been giving their best effort towards the Biodiversity Conservation initiatives and this is a huge contribution to the world in the area of protecting many endangered species," he said. The Nagaland government, particularly its Forest Department's Wildlife Wing, has been undertaking several measures to create awareness among Naga people to ensure a safe passage to falcons as they pass through the state. New Delhi, May 6 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalism is fake and urged traders not to fall in his trap again. Addressing the media here, Kejriwal also said that "tax terrorism" had destroyed business in the country. He urged Delhi's traders to give all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to end sealing. "When we talk to traders, they say Modi government has ruined them but some of them say there is a dilemma. They still want to go with Modi due to nationalism. I want to tell them Modi's nationalism is fake and it is a deception. "Modi's nationalism is pseudo nationalism based on an illusion. I want to tell the traders that you are educated and responsible. Do not fall for this illusionary trap. Come out of it and see the reality." He said in Delhi, traders have been ruined by sealing. He also said during the last few days he met several traders and their organisations from across Delhi. "They have been telling me that throughout their lives, they have been with the BJP and have consistently voted for the BJP." But now the traders were unhappy and hurt the way the Modi government had treated them and broken the backbone of the country's economy with demonetization and GST. Kejriwal said the Central government had unleashed terror on traders. "On the one hand, the Modi government has let loose its agencies on political opponents, whether it is me, Mamata Banerjee, Chandrababu Naidu and others," he said, adding that on the other hand it has unleashed IT and ED on traders across India. "Income Tax and ED notices are going to all traders across the country. Thousands and lakhs of notices are going. This is all done to extort money. In one way, there is tax terrorism in the country and it has destroyed business and financial system of the country. "Go after the corrupt, don't send notice to every trader and create an atmosphere as if all traders are corrupt. 99 per cent people want to work with honesty, but the system makes them helpless. The system has to be improved," he said. He said in Delhi sealing had led to closure of many shops and factories, caused numerous job losses and heaped misery on traders. "I'll stop sealing. Make our hands strong in the central government, we will help Delhi's traders," Kejriwal said. "You supported Modi till now, what did you get? Now build a relationship with Kejriwal, he will honour the relationship with you till his last breath." He again said that the attack on him was done as he questions the Prime Minister's Pakistan policy. "Modi has secret and deep relationship with Pakistan. When questions are raised about it, Modi gets the Chief Minister attacked. How can a Prime Minister who gets an elected Chief Minister attacked be a nationalist?" he asked. On Saturday evening, Kejriwal was slapped during a road show in Moti Nagar. The AAP has alleged that BJP and Modi were behind the attack. Delhi Police had said that the accused had been a supporter of AAP, which has been denied by the AAP. Delhi is to vote on May 12. New Delhi, May 6 : The Supreme Court appointed three-judge in-house committee probing the allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi on Monday gave a clean chit to the CJI in the matter. A statement issued by the top court said: "The in-house committee has found no substance in the allegations contained in the complaint dated April 19, 2019, of a former employee of the Supreme Court of India." The in-house panel comprised Justice S.A. Bobde, the second most senior judge in the apex court, Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Indu Malhotra. The committee submitted its report on May 5, in accordance with the "in-house procedure to the next senior most judge competent to receive the report and also sent a copy of the report to the judge concerned, namely the Chief Justice India." The court also said that the "in-house procedure was not liable to be made public." On Sunday, the apex court had issued a statement declining that Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Rohinton Nariman had met Justice Bobde, who was heading the panel probing the sexual harassment allegations against Gogoi. It was claimed that Chandrachud and Nariman had met the members of the in-house committee on the evening of May 3 to register their concerns over continuing with the probe against the CJI in the absence of the complainant. In a press release issued on Sunday, SC Secretary General Sanjeev Kalgaonkar said: "This is wholly incorrect. The in-house committee which is deliberating on the issue concerning the honourable Chief Justice of India deliberates on its own without any input from any other honourable judge of this court." On April 30, the former employee of the Supreme Court, who had accused the CJI of sexually harassing her, had said that she would no longer appear before the in-house panel set up by the apex court to probe her charges as she felt that she was "not likely to get justice". The woman said she felt "quite intimidated and nervous" in the presence of the three Supreme Court judges. In a statement to the media, she had expressed serious reservations over the functioning of the panel, saying it was "an in-house committee of sitting judges junior to the CJI and not an external committee as I had requested..." The woman said that during the panel's hearing on April 26, the judges told her that it was neither an in-house committee proceeding nor a proceeding under the Vishakha Guidelines and that it was an informal proceeding. "I was asked to narrate my account, which I did to the best of my ability even though I felt quite intimidated and nervous in the presence of three Hon'ble Judges of the Supreme Court and without having a lawyer or support person with me," she said. The committee was formed after the woman on April 19 levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice Gogoi, reportedly in a letter addressed to 22 judges of the Supreme Court. Patna, May 6 : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday said while there was a Narendra Modi wave in 2014 polls, there is a tsunami of Modi in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Sushil Modi said Modi is considered as the Prime Minister who worked best for the, country. Modi is first choice of 70 of 100 people of the country despite being in power for five years. "In 2014, the BJP-led government was only in six states, but in 2019 BJP-led governments are in 16 states. There were only 1 crore members of BJP in 2014 and now there are 10 crore members of the party. BJP is the largest and strongest party day, thanks to Modi," he said. One thing is certain, Modi will become Prime Minister once again after May 23 result of polls, he stressed. New Delhi, May 6 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday did not turn up in his parliamentary constituency Amethi where polling was on along with 50 other Lok Sabh seats across seven states in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi was busy in a public rally in Haryana's Bhiwani while voting was on in his own constituency which has sent him to the Lok Sabha thrice before -- in 2004, 2009 and 2014. The Congress President is scheduled to participate in a public meeting in Delhi's Sadar Bazar area in the evening. This is for the fourth time that Gandhi is contesting from Amethi, which was among the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh that went to the polls in the fifth phase on Monday. Justifying Gandhi's absence, a Congress member said on condition of anonymity that Gandhi was first the President of the party before being an MP from Amethi, and that he was responsible for major party activities across the country. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani, who has been pitted against Gandhi from Amethi, called the Congress President "laapata sansad" (missing MP), pointing out that the sitting MP did not visit the constituency even on polling day. She told reporters that Gandhi has cheated the people of Amethi on election day. "I didn't know that he (Gandhi) could be so arrogant that he won't turn up in Amethi even on the polling day." She also alleged booth capturing in her constituency. Gandhi and Irani are locked in a direct contest after the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance did not field a candidate from Amethi. Gandhi is also contesting from Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, which went to the polls in the third phase on April 23. Amethi, a Gandhi family stronghold, witnessed one of the most high-profile contests in 2014 when Gandhi defeated Irani by more than one lakh votes. The Congress President has retained the seat ever since his mother Sonia Gandhi vacated it for him in 2004. Thiruvananthapuram, May 6 : Kerala's State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday told the state's Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena that he is not the competent authority to recommend the disqualification of an elected local body member. After conducting detailed probes about reports of bogus voting that took place at a polling booth in Kasargode Lok Sabha constituency, Meena, on April 29, concluded that three women, including CPI-M local body member N.P. Saleena was been found guilty and she has to resign her post and face a police probe. But on Monday, the SEC, in a release, maintained that the authority to disqualify an elected member vests with it. "The rule states that an elected member will be disqualified, if he/she has been convicted by a court . Moreover the SEC, suo moto, cannot take action against an elected member and the CEO is also not a designated person who can initiate such an action... to recommend to the SEC to take action," it said in the statement. The designated people who can recommend the SEC disqualify an elected member includes a voter in the village council of the member concerned, the secretary of the village council concerned or any official designated by the state government, it said, adding that the CEO was not on this list. "Since Saleena has not been convicted by a court and since the CEO is not a designated official to recommend disqualification, no action can be taken against this elected member," the SEC said. The development comes at a time when the CPI-M-led government's top brass attacked Meena for being partisan and last week the CPI-M's state secretariat, which includes Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, decided to ask the party's national leadership to take legal steps against him. Hajipur (Bihar): Women show their identity cards as they arrive to cast their votes for the fifth phase of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in Bihar's Hajipur on May 6, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Hajipur (Bihar): Voters queue up at a polling station to cast their votes for the fifth phase of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in Bihar's Hajipur on May 6, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Patna, May 6 : Ignoring the scorching heat, 57.86 per cent of the over 87 lakh electorate in Bihar's five constituencies which went to the polls in the fifth phase on Monday cast their vote till 6 p.m., officials said. Voting in Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur and Saran parliamentary constituencies was held amid tight security and passed off without any violence, save some clashes between supporters of rival parties, as per officials at the police headquarters here. Long queues were seen at polling booths in rural as well as urban pockets of these constituencies despite heat wave-like conditions. Women were seen in large numbers outside polling booths in the initial three hours of voting. Among the 82 candidates are in the fray, the prominent include Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) Chandrika Rai, the father-in-law of party supremo Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, in Saran, where he faced former Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In Muzaffarpur, the BJP's sitting MP Ajay Nishad is contesting against Raj Bhushan Choudhary of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), a part of the opposition Grand Alliance. In Hajipur seat, Lok Janshakti Party (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 for the first time in more than four decades. Rebel Congress candidate Shakeel Ahmad made the battle triangular in Madhubani where VIP's Badri Purve faced the BJP's Ashok Kumar Yadav. In Sitamarhi, the ruling Janata Dal-United's Sunil Kumar Pintu was fighting against RJD's Arjun Rai. Colombo, May 6 : Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has said that he believes the Islamic State (IS) terror group chose to target his country to show that "they still exist". The terror group claimed responsibility for the Easter Sunday suicide bombings targeting three luxury hotels, three churches and two other locations which killed over 250 and injured hundreds. "I am shocked and can't understand why they chose Sri Lanka for this attack," Sirisena told the BBC in an interview. "I do question if it is because they do not have the ability to go head to head with the world's powerful nations... So they chose a country that had recently established peace, to make the statement that the Islamic State still exists." Asked about the failure to act on the repeated warnings in the lead up to the killings, the President said: "It's clear that information had been received by those occupying top positions in intelligence services. However, I wasn't appraised of this information. "They neglected their duties which is why I have taken action against them. These people have been removed from their offices and I have appointed a committee to investigate the matter," he added. Amid the public outrage following the bombings, Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara were asked to resign. The President said these men had received prior warnings from state intelligence over possible attacks but had failed to brief him and others. Asked whether he should be considering his own position after the security failure, Sirisena said: "Nowhere in the world have the heads of state resigned or relinquished their duties after bomb blasts. I believe my duty right now is to take the necessary action to face this challenge." Responding to a query that whether the high-profile spat between him and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was a reason behind the failure of the intelligence services to adequately share the information, Sirisena said that contrary to the "rumours", he and the Prime Minister "do not have such serious issues". "To be clear, when it comes to action being taken with regard to matters relating to the national security, political differences and other issues are set aside." Wickremesinghe earlier said he and his Cabinet Ministers had not been informed about the prior threats. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan police on Monday said they have discovered a suspected safe house in Nuwara Eliya city used by the suicide bombers. The safe house located at Blackpool in Nuwara Eliya had been used for training purposes as well, investigations revealed. The police said that detailed maps were among the items found in the two-storey house, Colombo Gazette reported. Also, a sack of gunpowder was discovered by some parents near a school in the city. State schools in Sri Lanka resumed classes on Monday amid tight security. Ranchi, May 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday challenged the Congress to fight the last two phases of polls for the honour of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. "Today I challenge Congress and 'namdar' family from this land to fight the coming Lok Sabha polls of Delhi, Punjab and Bhopal for the honour of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who faced corruption allegations over Boforos (howitzer gun for the Indian Army in the late eighties). "I spoke one word about Rajiv Gandhi, and it appeared to have stung like a scorpion to them," said Modi while addressing a rally at Chaibasa of Jharkhand on Monday. Last week Modi at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh had commented about former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi "ending his life as bhrashtachari (corrupt) number one," triggering an uproar in political circles with Congress President Rahul Gandhi hitting back by saying "karma awaits" Modi. "They do not have respect for the post of Prime Minister. For the last one year, they have been abusing Prime Minister and his family. Their cry will expose them more. The current generation of youth will come to know how one family looted and damaged the country," said the Prime Minister. "Thousands of people died in Bhopal gas tragedy and what was done after the gas tragedy?," Modi asked, adding the Congress should fight Bhopal and Punjab polls for "his (Rajiv Gandhi's) honour". "Fight the election over Bofors allegations," said Modi. "Accept my challenge. Enough lies have been told by the Congress and the adulterated alliance," he said. "This country needs strong and stable government. The country does not need a family-run government. This country needs a clean government," he said. IANS ns/prs Mumbai, May 6 : Apprehending tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs used in the recent Lok Sabha elections in the state, the Maharashtra Congress on Monday asked the Election Commission (EC) to secure all the strongrooms where EVMs were stored. The 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra voted in the first four phases of Lok Sabha elections on April 11, April 18, April 23 and April 29. State Congress President Ashok Chavan said that since there were fears of EVM tinkering through mobile towers or WiFi networks in the vicinity of the strongrooms, each such place should be fitted with jammers. Chavan was addressing the media after leading a delegation of top party leaders, which met Chief Electoral Officer of the state Ashwani Kumar and submitted a memorandum on the issue, demanding jammers in all the strongrooms till the votes were counted on May 23. Chavan said that many people have raised their doubts over the safety of the strongrooms and the possibility of tampering with the EVMs stored there. "If such a thing indeed happens, it would pose a grave risk to democracy. It is necessary that the election process remains neutral, and hence it is imperative for the EC to implement suitable measures to enhance security of the strongrooms," Chavan pointed out. Another demand raised by the Congress pertained to declaring the outcome of each round of counting and only thereafter taking up counting for the next round and to count the votes four times if any EVM was under suspicion. Reiterating its demand for verifying the votes cast with the VVPATs, Chavan said the candidates must be allowed to decide which EVMs should be verified with the voting slips (VVPATs). The delegation comprised former state Ministers Baba Siddique and Naseem Khan, and senior leaders Bhai Jagtap, Rajan Bhosale, Abhijit Sapkal, Ramkishan Ojha and Gajanan Desai. EC sources told IANS that in total there were 48 strongrooms in Maharashtra, one for each Lok Sabha constituency, where thousands of sealed EVMs have been kept in safe custody. "The strongrooms are essentially godowns at a central location in the district or the concerned parliamentary constituency. After transferring all the EVMs there, it is sealed as per EC procedures. Nobody can enter or exit thereafter without following stringent EC protocols. Each strongroom is kept under tight security round the clock," said an EC official, requesting anonymity. Thiruvananthapuram, May 06 : A letter purportedly sent by BJP Kerala unit chief P S Sreedharan Pillai last September to union minister for road transport, shipping and highways Nitin Gadkari to suspend land acquisition in Kerala for construction of a national highway stretch is spiraling into a political row. Kerala finance minister and CPI(M) leader Thomas Isaac the other day put up a facebook post, accusing Mr. Pillai of sabotaging national highway development works in the state out of political vendetta against the CPI(M)-led LDF government in the state. He attached along with his facebook post the letter purportedly sent by Mr. Pillai to union minister Gadkari. In the letter, the BJP Kerala chief calls on the union minister to keep in abeyance land acquisition proceedings on Edappally-Moothakunnam stretch for construction of NH 66 as the area is badly affected by the recent flood. Mr. Pillai had sent the letter on behalf of joint action council of NH 17. Pouncing on the letter, Thomas Isaac charged Pillai with having sabotaged national highway development in the state and called on the people of Kerala to consider Pillai as a public enemy. The national highway authority of India (NHAI) had recently issued an order classifying national highway development works into different priority lists. All NH works in Kerala bar the one in Kasargod district were placed in the second priority list. All the NH development works in priority list II will reportedly be kept suspended until 2021. This has raised suspicion that the order was politically motivated since the CPI(M)-led LDF governments term ends in 2021. The CPI(M) has chosen to read a direct link between the BJP Kerala chiefs letter and the NHAI order placing NH works in the state in the second priority list. Mr. Isaac in his facebook post charges that the NHAI through the order has ensured that no national highway development works will take place in Kerala during the remaining tenure of the LDF government. This belies the Modi governments political vendetta towards Kerala and the BJP Kerala chief has proved a useful tool for the BJP government at the centre to effect vengeance on the state, Isaac writes. However, Sreedharan Pillai shot back at Thomas Isaac, accusing the latter of having misrepresented the contents of his letter to the union minister for road transport and highways. Rejecting the charge that he sabotaged NH development in the state, Mr. Pillai clarified that he had merely called on the union minister to keep in abeyance temporarily the process of acquiring land of those reeling under the August deluge. Taking a swipe at the Kerala finance minister, he sardonically remarked that one need not have a command over the English language just because they had obtained a phD. As BJP state chief, I receive memorandums from several people. I peruse and forward them with a BJP covering letter to the centre or states as the case may be. Thats what happened, Pillai told reporters. Amaravati, May 6 : Re-polling was peaceful in five polling stations in Andhra Pradesh on Monday, officials said. Despite severe heat wave conditions, voters turned out in large numbers to cast their votes in the five polling centres in Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore districts. More than 75 per cent of 5,064 voters exercised their franchise between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi said no untoward incident was reported from any of the places where repolling was held. In one of the booths in Guntur district, 89.23 per cent polling was recorded. While polling for both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections was being held in three booths in Guntur and Prakasam districts, balloting was held only for Lok Sabha elections in two booths in Nellore district. Elections to the state's 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies were held on April 11, in the first of the seven-phase general elections. Following complaints of violence, malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) or other circumstances that prevented voters from exercising their franchise freely, the Election Commission decided to hold re-polls in five booths. The election authorities had made adequate security arrangements at all five booths to prevent any violence. They had also taken extra precautions to ensure that there were no technical glitches in the EVMs. According to Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Ravi Shankar Ayyanar, 1,200 police personnel were deployed to ensure smooth and peaceful re-polling. China will apply a relatively low reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for some small and medium-sized banks starting from May 15, the central bank announced Monday. Chinese currency RMB [File photo: IC] About 1,000 county-level rural commercial banks will enjoy a favorable RRR of 8 percent, unleashing long-term capital of about 280 billion yuan (41.6 billion U.S. dollars), which will be used as loans to private as well as micro and small enterprises (MSEs), the People's Bank of China said in an online statement. The favorable ratio will apply to the rural commercial banks that only operate in its county-level administrative area, or those banks that have branches in other county-level administrative areas but only have asset size within 10 billion yuan, the statement said. The move followed a State Council decision in April to establish a policy framework for applying a fairly low RRR for small and medium-sized banks in a bid to lower financing costs for MSEs. Stock price of small banks surged after the announcement. Qingdao Rural Commercial Bank Corporation once saw its share price jump by the daily limit of 10 percent on the news before falling back to rise about 6 percent as of 10:30 a.m.. New Delhi, May 6 : The 15th Finance Commission will meet the RBI Governor, banks and financial institutions in a two-day meet in Mumbai, from Wednesday to discuss the transfer of central bank's surplus capital to the government, among other issues. The Commission, with N.K. Singh at the helm, will discuss the possible scenarios of the Bimal Jalan Committee Report on surplus capital available with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for transfer to the government, the official statement said. Besides, the RBI's own assessment of the dividends and surpluses that can be transferred to the government during the award period of the Fifteenth Finance Commission (FCXV) will also be discussed. Requirements of recapitalisation of banks and their impact on the cost of borrowings of governments, cost of borrowings of the Centre and the states during the award period of the FCXV will also be discussed. Another topic will be the key macro-economic assumptions for the FCXV, keeping in view the key parameters central to macro-financial stability, and cost of borrowings of the Centre and the states during the award period of the FCXV. Issues in quantifying contingent liabilities of states and off-budget transactions of states and other issues of public financial management and requirements of recapitalisation of banks and their impact on the cost of borrowings of governments will also be taken up. London, May 6 : The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, welcomed a baby boy on Monday, the Buckingham Palace said in an announcement. Prince Harry said they were "absolutely thrilled" about the birth and thanked well-wishers for the support they had shown throughout the pregnancy, adding that the mother and son were doing "incredibly well", the BBC reported. The newborn -- who arrived at 5.26 a.m (local time) -- weighs 7 pounds and 3 ounces. Prince Harry said the royal couple had not yet decided on a name for the boy. The child is seventh in line to the throne and an eighth great-grandchild for the 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth II. "It's been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. But we're both absolutely thrilled," said Prince Harry. The baby is a fourth grandchild for Prince Charles and a first for Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland who is at the royal couple's new residence - Frogmore Cottage - on the Windsor estate, after flying in from her Los Angeles home recently to support her daughter. Speaking after the birth, Prince Harry said the baby's arrival had been "a little overdue" and that he had planned to make another announcement in a couple of days' time. He added that at some stage soon the child would be presented to the public "so everyone can see the baby". Prince Harry has an official visit to the Hague scheduled for Thursday when he is due to launch the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games 2020. He had been due to visit Amsterdam on Wednesday but that was cancelled, leading to speculation the birth was overdue. The couple had announced in April that they had "taken a personal decision" to keep the plans around the arrival their baby private. So, the wait had been a challenge for royal commentators faced with a paucity of facts beyond only that a royal birth was imminent. The couple had made clear there would be no hospital steps photocall with the newborn, as there was with the Duchess of Cambridge and her three children. The baby will be entitled to have dual nationality as the offspring of a British father and American mother. Karimnagar: Voters queue up at a polling station to cast their votes during elections to the first phase of the three-phased Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) across Telangana, in K Image Source: IANS News Karimnagar: TRS MP from Nizamabad, K. Kavitha casts her vote for elections to the first phase of the three-phased Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) across Telangana, in Karimnagar o Image Source: IANS News Hyderabad, May 6 : Over 75 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the first phase of rural body elections in Telangana on Monday amid tight security, officials said. No untoward incident was reported during polling in 2,097 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MTPCs) and 195 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs). The candidates for 69 MPTCs and 2 ZPTCs were elected unopposed. Election Commission officials said that polling through ballot paper began at 7 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. In the Maoist-infested areas in five districts, polling came to an end at 4 p.m. The turnout in these areas was about 70 per cent. Elections to the rural local bodies are being held for the first time since the formation of Telangana in 2014. Following its massive victory in the Assembly elections held in December 2018 and after sweeping the gram panchayat polls in January this year, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is aiming at another electoral victory while it is also confident of making a clean sweep of the Lok Sabha elections held on April 10. For ZPTC elections, a total of 882 candidates are in the fray. TRS and the opposition Congress are contesting 195 and 190 seats, respectively. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also fielded 171 candidates. According to the Election Commission, 7,072 candidates are in fray for the MPTC polls. The state poll panel deployed over 1.5 lakh personnel for the smooth conduct of the elections. Security arrangements were also made to ensure peaceful polling. The second and third phase of the elections will be held on May 10 and 14. State Election Commissioner V. Nagi Reddy said over 1.56 crore voters are eligible to cast their franchise in the elections to 5,817 MPTCs and 538 ZPTCs over all the three phases. The counting of votes will take place on May 27. Amethi, May 6 : As his constituency Amethi went to the polls on Monday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi was conspicuous by his absence, providing a handle to his rival Smriti Irani of the BJP to declare him a "missing MP". Gandhi, a sitting member of the Lok Sabha from this high profile constituency of Uttar Pradesh, is seeking re-election for the fourth time. The constituency, which elected Gandhi in 2004, 2009 and 2014, went to the polls along with 13 others in the state in the fifth phase on Monday. While balloting was underway in his constituency, Gandhi held a rally in Haryana's Bhiwani. On the other hand, Irani, a Union Minister who is making her second bid to wrest from Gandhi his family bastion seat, was active in the constituency through the day. A Congress member, on condition of anonymity, tried to justify the party President's absence in his own constituency during polling, saying that before being an MP, he was the chief of the party and his responsibility included major party activities across the country. Irani called the Congress President "laapata sansad" (missing MP), pointing out that the sitting MP did not visit the constituency even on polling day. She told reporters here that Gandhi had cheated the people of Amethi on election day. "I didn't know that he (Gandhi) could be so arrogant that he won't turn up in Amethi even on the polling day." She also alleged booth capturing in her constituency. Gandhi and Irani are locked in a direct contest as the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance did not field their candidate from Amethi. Gandhi is also contesting from Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, which went to the polls in the third phase on April 23. Amethi, a Gandhi family stronghold, witnessed one of the most high-profile contests in 2014 when Gandhi defeated Irani by more than one lakh votes. The Congress President has retained the seat ever since his mother Sonia Gandhi vacated it for him in 2004. New Delhi, May 6 : Over 62 per cent voters exercised their franchise on Monday in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections in 51 constituencies, with voting percentage marginally higher than 61.75 per cent recorded in 2014 parliamentary elections. The constituencies were spread across seven states. The fifth phase was the smallest of seven-phase elections to elect a new Lok Sabha. The polling percentage was higher compared to 2014 in Hindi heartland of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. "The overall polling percentage was 62.56 per cent in 2019 compared to 61.75 per cent in 2014," Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena told reporters here. He said the figure is expected to go up further once all the votes cast are accounted for. In seven seats in West Bengal, polling percentage was 73.97 per cent compared to 81.37 per cent in 2014. In Uttar Pradesh where 14 seats went to polls on Monday, 57.33 per cent voters had cast their ballot by 6 p.m. The polling percentage was 56.92 per cent in 2014. In five seats of Bihar, the voter turnout was 57.86 per cent compared to 55.69 per cent in 2014. In Jharkhand, where polling was held for four seats, 63.72 per cent electorate had cast their vote by 5 p.m. The polling percentage in these seats was 63.85 per cent in 2014. In Madhya Pradesh, the seven seats that went to the polls on Monsday, recorded a polling percentage of 62.60 per cent compared to 57.86 per cent in 2014. In Ladakh constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, polling was 63.76 per cent by 5 p.m compared to 71.9 per cent in 2014. Polling was completed in Anantnag parliamentary seat on Monday after a three-phase election. The two districts - Shopian and Pulwama - where polling was held on Monday, registered 2.88 per cent and 2.14 per cent polling until 6 p.m. The overall polling percentage in Anantnag is 8.76 per cent which is far less compared to 28.45 per cent registered in 2014. The 12 seats in Rajasthan that went to the polls on Monday saw 63.75 polling compared to 61.80 per cent in 2014. Saxena said 26 states and Union Territories have completed their election with the conclusion of fifth phase. The polling percentage was 69.50 per cent for the first phase, 69.44 in second, 68.40 in third and 65.51 in the fourth phase. He said in the five phases of elections completed until Monday, over six crore additional votes have been cast compared to the last general election. Four places in Rajasthan saw poll boycott due to demands concerning development but voters were later persuaded to vote. New Delhi, May 6 : Tej Bahadur Yadav, thedismissed Border Security Force (BSF) jawan, moved the Supreme Court on Monday challenging rejection of his nomination papers by the Election Commission to contest Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi. Yadav alleged he was deliberately kept out of the contest to ensure an easy win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi. Yadav, in the petition, contended that the Returning Officer "completely failed to appreciate that he had produced the dismissal letter along with his nomination paper." The dismissal letter indicated the reason for his dismissal from the BSF as alleged indiscipline and there was no evidence of indulging in corruption or any act of disloyalty to the state, the petitioner said. Yadav has sought the apex court's direction to set aside the Returning Officer's May 1 order and that he be allowed to contest the election from Varanasi. The candidature of Yadav, supported by the Samajwadi Party, was rejected by the Returning Officer on finding fault with nomination papers. Yadav's nomination was rejected as he could not bring on record that his dismissal was not on corruption charges or due to any integrity issues. "It seems the decision was taken keeping in mind the sensitivity of the contest in Varanasi and to give walkover to the candidate (Modi) of the ruling party (BJP) by disqualifying the petitioner," the petitioner contended. Yadav claimed he was a strong candidate against the prime minister and his popularity was "gaining momentum", and added that's why he was supported by the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party combine. Stating that "the mala fide is apparent," Yadav alleged the Returning Officer had shown haste in deciding on his candidature. The poll official could have at least allowed the Election Commission to respond to his application, he said. Yadav had posted videos on social media in January 2017 complaining about substandard food being served at his BSF camp along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir. He was later dismissed from the force. He had filed his nomination as independent but was later accepted by the Samajwadi Party as candidate from Varanasi. Jaipur, May 6 : Despite Harmanpreet Kaur's valiant 46 off 34, Supernovas suffered a two-run defeat to Trailblazers in the first match of the Women's T20 Challenge at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Monday. Chasing a 141-run target, Supernovas' opener Priya Punia (1 off 6) fell shortly with just six runs on board. Chamari Athapaththu (26 off 34) and Jemimah Rodrigues (24 off 19) then added 49 runs for the second wicket in just 27 balls in quick succession before the latter fell short of the crease while trying to convert a sigle. Only eight runs later, Athapaththu became a victim of Rajeshwari Gayakwad in the 11th over. Gayakwad turned things worse for the Supernovas as she struck again to send back incoming batswomen Natalie Sciver (1 off 4) cheaply with their scorecard reading 74/4. Harmanpreet and Sophie Devine (32 off 22) were then involved in a brisk 48-run partnership as their side approached the target but Sophie Ecclestone cut short the latter's stay, dismissing her in the 13th over. Harmanpreet then single-handedly fought the contest and kept the scoreboard ticking, taking her side on the verge of victory but her side fell short of just a couple of runs. For Supernovas, Rajeshwari and Sophie scalped two wickets each. Earlier, Trailblazers' skipper Smriti Mandhana's brilliant knock of 90, backed by Harleen Deol's 36, helped their side post 140/5 against the Supernovas. Smriti, who repaired the early damage, faced 67 balls and her knock was laced with 10 boundaries and three hits into the stands. Put into bat, Trailblazers lost opener Suzie Bates (1 off 4) early with just 11 runs on the board after 1.3 overs. Anuja Patil accounted for the wicket of the opener. The Supernovas, however, failed to make any further inroads soon as the Trailblazers duo of Smriti and Harleen put up 50 runs for the second wicket in 9.4 overs. The duo then helped their side touch the three-figure mark in style as Smriti smashed leggie Poonam Yadav for a six over extra cover in the 16th over. Pacer Sophie Devine finally came up with the much-needed breakthrough as she dismissed Harleen in the 19th over before Radha Yadav also jolted Trailblazers by sending back a well-settled Smriti in the final over. Dayalan Hemalatha (2*) and Stafanie Taylor (2*) could then only manage to add three runs to the team tally. Brief scores: Trailblazers 140/5 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 90, Harleen Deol 36, Radha Yadav 2/28) beat Supernovas 138/6 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 46, Chamari Athapaththu 26, Sophie Ecclestone 2/11) by 2 runs. Bhopal, May 6 : The Election Commission on Monday banned the exhibition of a documentary film titled "Bhagva Atankvad ka Bhramjal (The Delusion of Saffron Terror)", featuring Malegaon blast accused and BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. The order by the Chief Electoral Officer came on a complaint by the Congress. Social organisation Bharat Vichar Manch has announced that the documentary, made by Mumbai-based Rajeev Pandey, would be launched at a local hotel here on Monday. The film purportedly shows Swami Aseemanand, the accused in the Ajmer shrine and Samjhauta Express blasts, and Thakur in police custody and how the previous Congress-led Central government had sought to "implicate" them in terror cases. The Congress had on Monday afternoon approached the CEO against the film, and the poll panel ordered a ban. Police from the M.P. Nagar police station reached the hotel and stopped the screening. Kolkata, May 6 : BJP's West Bengal President and party's candidate for Midnapore Lok Sabha constituency, Dilip Ghosh has declared assets, including movable and immovable, worth Rs 45.36 lakh, up by nearly 50 per cent from Rs 30.29 lakh declared in 2016, when he contested the Assembly polls. According to his latest affidavit, submitted as part of nomination filing process for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the 54-year-old candidate declared over Rs 13.36 lakh movable assets, which has gone up from only Rs 35,070 shown in 2016. His movable assets include Rs 20,000 cash in hand, bank deposits worth over Rs 11.75 lakh and an LIC policy of Rs 1.40 lakh. Ghosh, who was elected from Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency three years ago, has declared his current source of income as Rs 21,870 a month as MLA allowance. Ghosh has also shown that he inherited agricultural land, valued Rs 30 lakh, in Kuliana village in Jhargram district and possesses a 800 sqft residential establishment worth Rs two lakh in the same village. During the last assembly elections in the state, he had declared overall immovable assets worth Rs 29.94 lakh. The BJP's senior leader has also declared that there are pending criminal against him, but he has not been convicted for any criminal offence. New Delhi, May 7 : Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday attacked the Congress for referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "chor" (thief) but crying hoarse when the Prime Minister called former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi "corrupt". In a tweet, Arun Jaitley asked the Congress if there are two model codes of conduct -- they can call the Prime Minister thief but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cannot call a former PM corrupt. In a tweet on Monday, the Union Finance Minister said: "The Congress and its President can call an honest Prime Minister 'Chor'. No Model Code of Conduct is preventing that. If the PM calls the Congress legacy as 'Corrupt No. 1', the Congress complains that the Model Code of Conduct is violated. Are there two Model Codes of Conduct?" The Congress had on Monday demanded that PM Modi be barred from election campaigning for calling former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi "corrupt". Senior Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Salman Khurshid and Rajeev Shukla had met the Election Commission on Monday evening to lodge a complaint against Modi. "The comments of Prime Minister Modi about Rajiv Gandhiji are serious in nature. The language he used is shameful, which cannot be uttered again," Singhvi told reporters outside the Nirvachan Bhavan, the EC headquarters. "We have asked the Commission officials to bar Modiji from further campaigning this election." 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." Philippines plans to export pork to China The Philippines' Department of Agirculture (DA) is considering exporting pork to China amid a supply glut in the Filipino market, Inquirer.net reported. The move could potentially mitigate the overload at cold-storage facilities in the Philippines and allow local pork's farm-gate price to rise. The DA saw an opportunity in bigger Chinese demand for imports as the country's pork supply was curtailed by an outbreak of African swine fever that had severely impacted its hog sector. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol is planning to travel to China to secure agreements with the Chinese government. While no estimates were provided on the volume of pork the local industry could provide, Pinol said the country's raisers could help China overcome its pork shortfall. "We're just waiting for the guidelines. Once the big players start exporting pork, then our local hog producers would have a breather. I am positive this will stabilise prices," Pinol said. The DA is looking to begin exportation before the end of 2019. It noted that Charoen Pokphand (CP) Foods Philippines Corp., a Thai company based in the Philippines, was already firming up an agreement with China. China-Philippines ties have improved in recent times and this led to the relaxation of China's non-tariff barriers and the signing of numerous agreements involving agriculture. - Inquirer.net Washington, May 7 : Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Charlie Munger has said that the problem of Boeing's 737 Max jet will be fixed well. In an interview with Yahoo Finance, on the question that if he would fly with the model in the future, Munger replied: "Yes, of course. And they will fix it well." The 737 Max jets have been grounded worldwide after two deadly crashes in less than five months, the Xinhua news agency reported. It was Munger's first interview after Berkshire held its annual shareholders meeting Saturday. The Yahoo Finance interview will be aired on Thursday, but a clip was posted on its website Sunday. A 737 Max owned by Ethiopian Airlines crashed in March, killing all 157 people on board. Prior to that, a crash involving the same model happened in October to Indonesia's Lion Air, in which 189 people died. "I don't think it was really all that excusable that they made the mistake," Munger said. "That was a serious mistake." The investigation into what caused the two disasters is ongoing, and Boeing admitted that erroneous data from a sensor responsible for measuring the angle at which the wing slices through the air -- known as the Angle of Attack (AOA) -- played a role in the two tragedies. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said on April 4 that the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was activated in response to the erroneous AOA information, following a preliminary report by the Ethiopian Accident Investigation Bureau that showed the pilots had followed Boeing-recommended procedures, but could not control the flight. Munger said he views the recent failures as "an absolute lapse of being a big bureaucracy," but noted that he believes the damage to the planemaker's reputation will be limited. "Boeing probably has the best safety record in the world if you take 60 years, and this was a very unusual lapse," Munger said. "There may not be another one for 60 years." Berkshire holds stakes in major U.S. airlines including Delta, Southwest, United and American. All of them, except for Delta, have 737 Max jets. The company had no Boeing shares as of Dec. 31, 2018, according to its 13-F filing with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission submitted on February 14. There were 1,472 homes taken to auction across the combined capital cities this week, increasing from 1,026 over the prior week, although still much lower than the 2300 this week last year. CoreLogic's preliminary results put the national clearance rate at 58.8 per cent, up from last weeks final clearance rate of 50.4 per cent. The same time last year saw the clearance rate at 62.1 per cent. "Once final results are collected, the final clearance rate will most likely revise down to the low 50 per cent range," auction analyst Kevin Brogan said. In Melbourne, 678 homes were taken to auction, up from 498 over the previous week. The same week last year saw 1,144 homes taken to auction across the city. Melbourne's preliminary auction clearance rate came in at 60 per cent, up from 53 per cent over the previous week, although lower than this time last year (63 per cent). A South Yarra apartment sold for $1.58 million, as 180,000 over reserve, when offered for the first time since it was built in 1935. The 3/7 Alexandra Avenue offering (below), with Yarra River views, sold through Biggin & Scott agent Tom McCarthy who had five bidders. The Herald Sun reported the successful buyers were from the country who will use it as a bolt hole. The alleged former Pilbara Ponzi scheme queen, Veronica Macpherson, has returned to establish a new property business, according to the ABC. Despite being permanently banned from providing financial services, Ms Macpherson is behind a new cooperative enterprise which aims to develop housing for Pilbara workers. It comes just three years after the collapse of her Macro group of Pilbara property development companies, with the creditors owed more than $285 million. Her latest venture the Pilbara Liveable Cities Cooperative was approved by the WA Government last year, the ABC reported. She has registered a distributing cooperative, meaning profits are dispensed to members. Cooperatives are regulated by state governments and not ASIC. Ms Macpherson told the ABC that the cooperative enterprise would help her deliver her goal of providing liveable cities in the Pilbara. "I am supporting a number of developments who can't raise finance," she said. "Everyone's looking to me for a solution." An ASIC spokesman said she was not allowed to arrange any investment in a cooperative or provide financial advice on making such an investment. ASIC had advised Ms Macpherson of its opinion. Ms Macpherson's bankruptcy also prevents her from being involved with managing a cooperative under WA laws. Ms Macpherson described it as a social enterprise, involving some people who had been involved with Macro. "I will be a member and a service provider marketing and corporate advisory for the businesses and developers that we support until such time as my bankruptcy comes to an end," she said. She has also suggested to Macro investors that the enterprise could help them get their money back, 'with outstanding interest following in the next twelve months," her newsletter said. The disclosure statement outlines the membership structure of her cooperative: "Custodians", who provide property development, management and maintenance services, as well as health and wellbeing services for FIFO workers "Pioneers", who will use these services, and "Champions", who will fund the services. "Custodians" pay $100 a share and have full voting rights, "Pioneers" will pay annual investment fees of between $120 and $12,000 for no voting rights, while "Champions" can buy a Cooperative Capital Unit, a fundraising vehicle, for $1000 and limited voting rights. The ABC went to an Australian expert on cooperatives, Professor Tim Mazzarol of UWA Business School, who said this structure was not in keeping with the spirit of a cooperative. 24 Communications announced today that it has received Gold Hermes Creative Award recognition for the Council on Substance Abuse- NCADDs 2018/19 Opioid Help for Alabama campaign. The campaign includes many resources to promote awareness of opioid use disorder, including a campaign-specific microsite (https://help4al.com), posters for display in local high schools and community centers, a direct mail series, and resources for first responders and medical professionals. We are extremely proud of this national recognition for the #Help4AL campaign, said Jennifer Solt, Principal and Creative Director for 24 Communications. Our team worked hard to provide a dynamic and engaging campaign with tangible resources to help families in Alabama combat the growing opioid crisis, said Solt. Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of traditional materials, marketing and communication programs, and emerging technologies. This years competition included over 6,000 entries from throughout the United States, Canada, and dozens of other countries. Entries are submitted by corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies and freelancers. Hermes Creative Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (http://www.amcpros.com). The international organization consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production and freelance professionals. AMCP oversees awards and recognition programs, provides judges and rewards outstanding achievement and service to the profession. AMCP judges are industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. Winners were selected from 195 categories grouped under advertising, publications, marketing/branding, integrated marketing, public relations/communications, electronic media and pro bona. A list of Platinum and Gold Winners can be found on the Hermes Creative Awards website at http://www.hermesawards.com. About 24 Communications 24 Communications is an award-winning, full-service marketing and advertising agency with locations across the state of Alabama and Georgia. Specializing in brand identity, strategic marketing and advertising, website design, and public relations, 24 Communications has enabled a broad range of business-to- business and business-to-consumer clients effectively leverage the latest technology, open source platforms, social media, and traditional marketing strategies to achieve their unique sales, marketing, and advertising goals. Learn more at http://www.24c.co. About the Council on Substance Abuse-NCADD COSA-NCADD is a private, 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1973 to promote the understanding that alcoholism and other drug dependence are preventable, treatable diseases. COSA-NCADD is the state affiliate of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency (NCADD) and a member of the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of America (CADCA). The funds raised by the PROSHRED community makes a significant impact on the health of millions of Americans PROSHRED Chicago will be celebrating their annual nationwide Shred Cancer event on Saturday June 1, 2019 from 9AM to 12PM in partnership with The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). Community members are invited to bring their personal information to be securely shredded while raising funds for cancer research. The event will be held at PROSHRED Chicagos office location- 7700 Graphics Drive, Tinley Park, IL 60477. Individuals may bring boxes of documents or multimedia to one of PROSHRED Chicagos on-site shredding trucks to safely and securely dispose of unwanted personal information. The event is free to attend and a suggested donation of $5 per box will go directly towards funding AICRs cancer research and education programs. Generous support from millions of individual Americansand not government or industry grantshave allowed AICR to fund emerging research and to continue our programs for educating the public about what practical steps we all can take every day to live in a world with less cancer, said AICR Senior Vice President of Development Mary Beth Healy, The funds raised by the PROSHRED community makes a significant impact on the health of millions of Americans. Rodney Quasny, owner of PROSHRED Chicago, commented, We at PROSHRED Chicago are delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to help AICR any way we can. Their work in cancer research has made such a large impact over the last 30 years. It is our hope that our collective efforts will raise awareness and funds for AICR. We hope to see everyone on June 1 at our office to Shred Cancer." Started in 2014 on National Cancer Survivors Day, the PROSHRED community has contributed over $176, 904.35 to cancer research. This year AICR and PROSHRED Chicago have set a goal to raise $50,000 for research. Event locations and other details are available at http://www.proshred.com/shred-events/ About PROSHRED Chicago PROSHRED Chicago shreds and recycles confidential information and proprietary materials for thousands of customers in the United States in all industry sectors. PROSHRED Chicago is the pioneer of the mobile document destruction and is both ISO 9001 and NAID AAA certified. Find out more at: http://www.proshred.com/chicago Aqua-Tots Swim Schools, the worldwide authority in swim instruction, teaches children of all abilities to swim as early as 4 months old at each of their 100 locations in 14 countries. Aqua-Tots Swim Schools, headquartered in Mesa, Arizona, launched its 100th worldwide swim school location in McKinney, Texas on Monday, April 29, 2019. With locations in 14 countries on three continents, this location brings the global franchise one step closer to its mission of impacting every community with life-saving swimming skills as early as four months old. When we started teaching children to swim 28 years ago, we were simply meeting a need in our community, says Aqua-Tots Swim Schools Co-Founder, Ron Sciarro. There were few places where parents could go that would listen to the goals they had for their children in the water, and we were willing to do that. We still are. Our mission is about far more than swim lessons. Its about propelling lives, one swim lesson at a time, and were proud to have the opportunity to come alongside families in 100 communities to do that. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are over 3,500 deaths due to drowning in the United States each year. That staggering number pales in comparison to the 360,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Drowning is the number one cause of injury-related death among children ages 1-4, says Aqua-Tots Swim Schools Co-Founder Paul Preston. Its important for caregivers to realize that, and its not talked about enough. People do everything they can to keep their children safe. They install the safest car seats, they give them healthy food, they take them to doctor for check ups. Why wouldnt they give them the skills they need to prevent the leading cause of death? And those skills can be learned in swim lessons. Were here to change these numbers. Thats what we strive to do every single day. Swim lessons, in fact, are one of the most effective ways for children to remain safe in and around the water. According to Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, consistency in formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children ages 1-4 years. This is particularly important to note during May, National Drowning Awareness Month, when many people pause to focus on the realities of drowning and what can be done to prevent it. Pool fences and barriers, locked doors and gates, certified life vests, constant adult supervision, CPR training and swim lessons all work in layers to keep children safe in and around the water. About Aqua-Tots Swim Schools Aqua-Tots Swim Schools serves 100 communities worldwide, offering dedicated, year-round, indoor swim instruction, community outreach and drowning prevention education to children of all abilities as early as 4 months old. As the worlds largest swim school franchise, their hand-selected instructors are passionate about teaching children how to remain safe in and around the water, using tried-and-true curriculum, 28 years in the making and trusted worldwide to teach millions of swim lessons annually. https://www.aqua-tots.com We are proud to have helped fuel our U.S. steel industry customers success in 2018 by consistently delivering on the tremendous demand for refractory products and services. Looking ahead, we are continuing to make investments in our business to help ensure our steel customers sustained growth. HarbisonWalker International (HWI), the largest supplier of refractory products and services in North America, is responding to domestic steelmakers increased capacity and solving their refractory challenges through several new initiatives. At Booth #1715 at AISTech, May 6-9, 2019, HWI will detail capital investments, product developments, and refractory digital transformation programs designed to deliver exceptional products, services, and value for steel industry customers. Also at AISTech, Carol R. Jackson, Chairman and CEO, HarbisonWalker International, will join steel leaders to provide industry perspectives as a featured panelist at AISTechs 2019 Town Hall Forum on Wednesday, May 8. We are proud to have helped fuel our U.S. steel industry customers success in 2018 by consistently delivering on the tremendous demand for refractory products and services, said Jackson. We were able to source critical refractory raw materials when others could not. Our teams stepped up in a big way to maximize our supply chain and production capacity to meet the surge in demand. Looking ahead, we are continuing to make investments in our business to help ensure our steel customers sustained growth. HWI Investing Proportionately with U.S. Steelmakers Mirroring its steel customers investments to boost production capabilities and upgrade facilities, HWI is investing to increase capacity by 25 percent in 2019 at key steel refractory facilities. In fact, approximately one-half of HWI's capital investment dollars will have a direct positive impact on its steel industry customers. Much of the investment will be at its White Cloud, Michigan facility, which manufactures refractory products primarily for steelmakers. This is the latest in a series of capital investments that that HWI has made at White Cloud over the past three years. In 2018, HWI integrated new equipment and technologies to modernize the facility. The 2019 investment includes expansion to accommodate new warehouse and shipping space, which is being constructed with American-made steel. Additional manufacturing space will house new production technologies, including a new brick press and packaging line, manufacturing technologies that improve production efficiency and worker safety. The improvements will further optimize production, product quality, and delivery efficiencies for our steel customers, said Jackson. The new press and warehouse increase our capacity to supply our industry-leading products including mag carbon brick for steel ladles, electric arc furnaces (EAF), and basic oxygen furnaces (BOF). The new packaging line allows for increased handling safety and provides quality control benefits associated with our product. One year after announcing its plan to significantly invest in monolithic refractories manufacturing, HWI built and opened a new, state-of-the-art facility in South Point, Ohio in 2018. It is North Americas most technologically advanced refractories plant and one of the top globally. Featuring state-of-the-art processes and technology, the South Point plant is now fully operational and supplying steel industry products. Digital Transformation of Refractories In addition to physical expansion and technology integration in its plants, HWI is evolving the refractory industry for the 21st century by taking a holistic approach to advancing its use of data. HWI is aggressively initiating programs to help customers transition numerous decision-making processes from experienced-based to data-based, through use of various sensor and data acquisition systems, for instance. Through the expertise of its team and strategic partnerships with industry leaders, HWI is employing sensor technologies, such as infrared cameras, and also utilizing three-dimensional laser measurement to make digital twins of physical assets. These technologies, along with edge software that can access datasets from various plant level sources, are helping HWI develop tools to increase product campaign life and improve worker safety. Performance data will also benefit future generations of HWI products. The outcomes for steelmakers include closer collaboration for customized products and continuous improvement, optimizing throughput and analytical insights to find even more significant cost savings. HWI is working to transform data into process improvements and business intelligence that help steel industry customers work safer and smarter, with even better tools for knowledge sharing, noted Jackson. Combining our digital transformation with HWIs proven products and the industry-leading expertise of our field services team, were effectively positioned to deliver for our steel customers today and in the future as our industries evolve together. Industry-Leading Products and Services HWI is the largest domestic manufacturer of refractories for the U.S. iron and steel industry. As the inventors of COMANCHE, the company revolutionized ladle refractory practices and has created the refractory industrys widest, deepest line of solutions. In keeping with its legacy of product leadership, HWIs new BARRICADE line of mag carbon refractories are designed to combat the vertical cracking phenomenon seen in steel ladle refractory linings during service. BARRICADE utilizes special dual carbon formulations that enhance the flexibility of the material system when faced with thermal shock. HWI has also recently innovated and patented new functional product solutions that are helping steel customers further reduce downtime and increase performance. These solutions allow for faster, easier installation with improved ergonomics. In addition to its products, HWI also provides around-the-clock support from the most extensive service team in the U.S. and offers dedicated iron and steel application specialists who provide highly customized solutions. Learn more about HWI solutions for the iron and steel industry: http://thinkhwi.com/industries/iron-steel/. # # # About HarbisonWalker International With more than 150 years of industry leadership, HarbisonWalker International is the largest supplier of refractory products and services in North America. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the companys international network spans North America, Europe, and Asia, with 19 manufacturing plants, 30 global sourcing centers, and technology facilities in both the United States and China. Serving virtually every major industry that requires refractory solutions to enhance production and protect assets, HWI is consistently recognized for its talented experts, industry firsts, and intensely driven excellence. Visit http://thinkhwi.com. "Jamie and I are pleased with the jurys verdict and are proud that we were able to vindicate Ms. Ratzenbeks civil rights." Attorney William Rieser Attorneys Jamie L. Ford and William Rieser from the law firm of Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C. won a unanimous jury verdict in federal court on behalf of Jana Ratzenbek in a pregnancy discrimination and retaliation case against her former employer, OKNA Windows Corporation ("OKNA"). Ms. Ratzenbek was employed by OKNA as a Customer Service Representative. In January 2015, she informed her employer that she was pregnant and that her delivery date would be in late-July. However, OKNA failed to notify Ms. Ratzenbek about her rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act ("FMLA"), or properly designate her maternity leave as FMLA leave. When she returned from her maternity leave in October, Ms. Ratzenbek discovered that she had been replaced by two (2) new employees who were hired in August. Rather than restore Ms. Ratzenbek to her Customer Service Representative position, OKNA demoted her to a Receptionist position. The case was filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, docket number 2:17-cv-04525. After registering multiple complaints of discrimination and requesting to return to her previous position, OKNA terminated Ms. Ratzenbek's employment in January of 2016. The case was heard in Federal Court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania before the Honorable Richard A. Lloret. The jury unanimously found that OKNA interfered with Ms. Ratzenbek's FMLA rights, retaliated against her for exercising her rights under the FMLA, and discriminated against her because of her sex/pregnancy. The jury awarded punitive damages to Ms. Ratzenbek, and the judge presiding over the case will now determine the amount of back wages, front pay, and attorney fees. docket number The allegations can be attributed to Plaintiffs Complaint and her trial testimony, docket number 2:17-cv-04525. Attorneys at the Philadelphia employment law firm of Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C. strive to achieve justice and fairness in employment law matters such as discrimination, sexual harassment, and whistleblower issues as well as civil rights litigation. Pregnancy discrimination is just one of the many forms of employment discrimination that the firms lawyers tackle. To schedule a free and confidential consultation, call 215-569-1999 or visit the firms website. The firm handles cases in Pennsylvania and New Jersey from their offices in Philadelphia and Pennsauken, New Jersey. Visit our Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. The Brenntag North America Personal Care Application & Development Center will further support customers in the United States and Canada who face personal care formulation challenges with technical solutions and inventive ideas. Brenntags Personal Care team provides application assistance, formulation advice, ingredient recommendations, and starting point formulas. The applications center is continuously expanding its formulation library with new and unique formulations. Each year, the center debuts new hair care, skin care, and color cosmetic prototypes at industry trade shows. These prototypes serve to showcase trends in the market, as well as unique uses for ingredients offered by Brenntag. Starting point formulations can be customized to fit customer goals and manufacturing requirements. Furthermore, formulary sheets detailing processing instructions, key ingredients, and benefits are often provided as a resource. Christina Dean, Applications Lab Director, and Terri Winters, Senior Personal Care Chemist, provide over 50 years of formulation experience in color cosmetics, hair care, and skin care. In addition to offering technical guidance, the application center provides our customers with proof of concept formulations showcasing the latest in ingredient technology and industry trends. These formulation prototypes can be used as a starting point for formulators looking to shorten development time or as a guide to using a unique, specialty raw material, states Christina Dean. I am excited the laboratory expansion will allow us to be more innovative in developing new formulations for the hair, skin, and color cosmetics markets and to be a better technical resource for our customers. About Brenntag: Brenntag, the global market leader in chemical distribution, covers all major markets with its extensive product and service portfolio. Headquartered in Essen, Germany, the company operates a global network with more than 580 locations in 73 countries and a workforce of more than 16,600 employees. In 2018, the company generated sales of EUR 12.6 billion (USD 14.8 billion). Brenntag connects chemical manufacturers and chemical users. The company supports its customers and suppliers with tailor-made distribution solutions for industrial and specialty chemicals. With more than 10,000 products and a world-class supplier base, Brenntag offers one-stop-shop solutions to around 195,000 customers. This includes specific application technology, an extensive technical support and value-added services such as just-in-time delivery, product mixing, formulation, repackaging, inventory management and drum return handling. Long-standing experience and local excellence in the individual countries characterize the global market leader for chemical distribution. For more information on Brenntag North America, please visit http://www.brenntagnorthamerica.com. Credits: The Brenntag and ConnectingChemistry logos are registered trademarks of Brenntag AG or its subsidiaries. Any other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. C3 Metrics, the global leader in cross-channel advertising measurement and accountability, today announced that on May 9, 2019, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder Jeff Greenfield will discuss the future of the analytics profession at the Insights Association IMPACT conference. Greenfield will provide insight on how the new technology of unified measurement has revolutionized the analytics role within tomorrows organization, on a panel titled Intention: Using Your Career to Make an Impact. Professionals in attendance will understand the evolving role of analytics and how to create an impact for your team and clients. Greenfield joins a panel of industry professionals who have experienced the changing world of analytics while at companies ranging from Forrester to Staples as their careers have evolved. Moderated by Jacqueline Rousseau-Anderson, Growth Strategist at ScaleHouse and WIRe Boston Lead, panelist include: Caroline Krantz, Senior Director Recruitment and Special Projects at Big Brothers, Big Sisters; Cathy Harrison, Director, Client Services at in4mation insights; and Erica Seidel, Executive Recruiter at The Connective Good. The group will discuss the evolving world of analytics and research, take a deep dive into ways analytics professionals can create an intentional career path in such a fast-moving technology heavy industry and what critical skills and traits are needed to create an impact. With advances in machine learning, this is the most exciting time history to be an analytics professional, said Jeff Greenfield. With insights now available almost immediately at your fingertips, the ability to make an Impact to your organization and your career is unprecedented. This years Insights Association IMPACT Conference invites attendees to take action, discuss how theyve made an impact and learn how other Insights professionals have done the same, with the goal to see how each individuals impact can help one another grow individually and collectively as an industry. I am thrilled to have Jeff join our session at the IMPACT Conference, says moderator Jacqueline Rousseau-Anderson. Jeff has made an impact at every stage of his career and I know he will provide the audience with actionable insights that they can put to use minutes after the panel session concludes. The IMPACT Conference sessions run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Conference Center at Waltham Woods, closing with cocktails until 5 p.m. Learn more about the conference here: http://www.newenglandia.org/2019-spring-conference/ As the leading voice, resource and network of the marketing research and data analytics community, the Insights Association members are the world's leading producers of intelligence, analytics and insights. The New England Chapter has approximately 1,500 members about 65% of which are based in leading research and insights firms while 35% of members are from corporations across New England. About C3 Metrics C3 Metrics is a global leader in cross-channel advertising measurement & accountability. Built by marketers and backed by the former Chairman and CEO of Nielsen, C3 Metrics award-winning Attribution Data Cloud provides independent measurement across all traditional and digital advertising channels to deliver the greatest impact for the next advertising dollar spent. On average, companies using C3 Metrics see +44% increase in return on advertising dollar investment (ROI) and +30% increase in advertising budgets. C3 Metrics can be reached at contact@c3metrics.com or by visiting https://c3metrics.com. China stops pork imports from Canadian companies as diplomatic spat continues Canada's agricultural minister confirmed last week that China has stopped pork imports from two Canadian companies as both nations continue to be embroiled in a diplomatic spat over the arrest of a Chinese executive of telecommunication giant Huawei, Reuters reported. Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said in a Reuters interview that she has not received an official notice from China of the permit suspensions, and would not identify the companies involved. While she was not able to explain the reason for the suspension, she described the matter as "administrative" and could be resolved "easily." However, a document posted to the website of China's General Administration of Customs dated April 30 and reviewed by Reuters showed that imports from Canadian meat producers Olymel LP and Drummond Export have been suspended. "(China) will suspend imports of pork products shipped since April 30 by Canadian companies with codes 270A and 254," the document said, without providing further details. According to China's Certification and Accreditation Administration, 270A and 254 are the codes for Olymel LP and Drummond Export. Olymel LP spokesman Richard Vigneault confirmed that the company's plant in Red Deer, Alberta, has been unlisted for exporting pork to China. He said he did not know the reason behind China's action. Canada-China relations recently took a hit after Canadian authorities arrested Huawei Technologies' chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, on a US warrant. Since then, China has arrested two Canadians and halted canola imports from two Canadian companies. Canada, the world's third-largest pork exporter, has shipped more pork this year to China, where the domestic pig herd has been ravaged by African swine fever (ASF). China bought CAD514 million (US$382.5 million) worth of Canadian pork in 2018. - Reuters QQ Cafe will donate 20% of dine-in, delivery and catering orders placed May 1 - 30. Just mention Summer For The Paws. Funds raised will go directly towards food, supplies, and veterinary bills. QQ Cafe and California Flower Mall are hosting a Dia De Las Madres-Mothers Day Weekend Summer of The Paws fundraiser. Volunteers are staffing a CFM station during the busiest flower holiday of the year to collect donations for animals being mothered in foster care . Pets seeking mothers, and Wolfie the celebrity rescue cat with 248K Instagram followers @Wolfie_smile, are expected to make appearances. Gambas House founder E. Michael Rosales says, "Summer for the Paws is an all-volunteer, grassroots effort to raise much needed funds for two amazing animal rescue groups. We are proud to partner with QQ Cafe and CFM on the Dia De Las Madres - Mother's Day weekend to make this fundraiser a success. Funds raised will go directly towards food, supplies, and veterinary bills. The proceeds will benefit Friends for Life Rescue Network and the REAL Bark. Both are 501(c) (3) nonprofits and both do amazing work on behalf of stray cats and dogs. Jef, who runs the REAL Bark, is a really nice, dedicated man. He has a special relationship with his local LAPD Division. Anytime a dog is out wandering the streets lost and alone, area police officers contact him -- even at 3:00am -- to pick up the doggie so it does not end up at the pound and face an uncertain fate. Summer of the Paws donations can be made anytime by clicking the link to the GoFundMe page https://www.gofundme.com/summer-for-the-paws. Chef Ray Sanchez, owner of the pet friendly, healthy dining QQ Cafe, says 20% of every food order purchase made May 1- May 30, 2019 will be donated to the fund when Summer of the Paws is mentioned. This applies to dine in, delivery and catering orders large and small. People can help these vitally important pet rescue volunteer groups when they host an office party, wedding reception or special event. QQ Cafe is located in the California Flower Mall flower market in Downtown LAs flower district at 824 San Julian St., Los Angeles, CA 90014. Free parking is available in the QQ Cafe lot. Food orders can be made by calling (213) 624-0860 and mentioning Summer of the Paws, or by using any of the popular food delivery apps and adding Summer of The Paws in the note section. We have several healthy and delicious options available, like the classic grilled chicken sandwiches or popular Asian Chicken Salad, you wont be disappointed. About California Flower Mall The California Flower Mall flower market, located at 825 San Pedro Street with parking at the 824 San Julian Street entrance, is one of the largest DIY wholesale flower markets in the expanding twelve block Downtown LA Flower District trade community -- the largest concentration of wholesale flower markets and flower businesses in the U.S. It is located in the LA Fashion District Business Improvement District. CFM is a pet friendly flower market. Customer amenities include an onsite ATM, customer restrooms, on-site parking, and QQ Cafe, the pet-friendly healthy dining courtyard patio restaurant. There is no admission fee or membership badge required for the trade or public to shop at CFM. It is open 7 days a week and holidays. For flower prices and availability contact CFM flower vendors at http://californiaflowermall.com/prices-and-availability/ We all know how FirstLight has proven themselves with their consistent, quality support within the home care industry. Being a tech partner of FirstLight is the evidence that we are moving down the right path with the right sets of strategies & goals, said Manipal Dhariwal, CEO Caresmartz Caresmartz, Inc., a homecare technology company that empowers home care businesses, private-duty agencies and startups through its flagship software CareSmartz360, is now the official technology partner of FirstLight Home Care. Manipal Dhariwal, CEO at Caresmartz, addressed the media post-conference on this association. He said We all know how FirstLight has proven themselves with their consistent, quality support within the home care industry. This strength is something very valuable to us. Being a technology partner of FirstLight is the evidence that we are moving down the right path with the right sets of strategies and goals. We will now be able to help more home care businesses across the country and around the world with solutions that truly meet their needs. FirstLight Home Care is a leading national entrepreneurial owners of non-medical home care. Recently, the company was recognized by Entrepreneur as a top franchise for veterans. In 2018, FirstLight made to the list of Inc. 5000 of fastest-growing, privately held companies, as well as the Franchise Times Top 200+ of the 500 largest franchise companies for the fourth and sixth consecutive times. FirstLight was also featured on Franchise Business Review's Top 100 Franchises for Innovation list. On April 25th through April 27th, FirstLight organized a three-day annual conference in Kansas City where entrepreneurial franchise owners, industry experts, care professionals, and technology partners came together under one roof to discuss everything from the ins and outs of day-to-day business and technology within the industry to staff and caregiver recruitment and ongoing training. The conference provided opportunities to network, learn from real-life scenarios and experiences, and showcase innovative solutions within the home care industry. During the national conference organized by FirstLight, Perry Pruett, Executive Director - Technology Platform Services, spoke about this partnership. He said In my 30 years in the Homecare industry working with RFPs for vendor selection, I have never had a subcommittee reach a unanimous vote for a vendor before. The fact that happened at the end of our one-year rigorous process says a lot about the selection of Caresmartz. We are really impressed with the innovative solution Caresmartz has developed. We are often asked about a product that would help handle the challenges that popup in regards to invoicing, scheduling and client/caregiver management. Were glad that weve finally found a partner to help us address these matters. Caresmartz, Inc. participated in the event, speaking with industry enthusiasts and talking with them about their challenges and what they expect in a technology solution. The representatives had the opportunity to discuss how home care software can help them grow their business by showcasing CareSmartz360, illustrating how their product performs in real-life scenarios. This is just a start, and there will be so many things happening in the future as a result of this partnership. About Caresmartz, Inc. Becoming a leading technology company within the homecare industry, Caresmartz, Inc. has helped hundreds of private-duty home care agencies, caregivers, home care startups, and office staff in their day-to-day operations through their software solutions. Their software, CareSmartz360, is tailored to the needs of their clients, giving them control over their home care business, from scheduling and client management to invoicing and much more. Learn more about the companies by visiting their websites, Caresmartz at https://www.caresmartz360.com/ and FirstLight Home Care at https://www.firstlighthomecare.com. Attorney Mathew T. Siporin, Pullano Law The Elite Lawyer rating service recognizes attorneys who display a high level of competence in their practice and receive acknowledgment from their peers, community, bar, and committees. The Elite Lawyer Award assures each attorney chosen for the directory has been nominated by their peers for excellence in the practice of law. The honor is only given to lawyers who have met or exceeded the criteria of a rigorous, multi-phased selection process. It recognizes top-rated attorneys for their outstanding service in their specific area or areas of practice. Siporin joined Pullano Law in 2005, after receiving his Juris Doctor from the DePaul University College of Law, and previously, his undergraduate degree from Tulane University. Siporin has helped secure millions of dollars for his personal injury clients, including setting a record $2.5 million verdict in his first jury trial, a $3 million verdict for a man who suffered a concussion at work, an $8 million settlement for a man who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in a trucking accident, and a $1 million settlement for a family in a nursing home neglect case. He also played a pivotal role in securing a $14 million record settlement for the victim of a trucking accident who sustained severe spinal cord injuries. He is currently representing numerous people who have suffered severe burns due to lithium-ion batteries in exploding e-cigarettes. Siporins commitment to client service is evidenced by his 10.0 Top Attorney Avvo rating, Super Lawyers recognition every year since 2012, Chicago Magazines Top 40 Under 40, and the Trial Lawyer Excellence Award from Jury Verdict Reporter. Siporin is an active member of the Illinois Bar Association, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Association for Justice. He serves the community in various capacities, including with the Chicago Legal Clinic, which offers skilled legal aid to disadvantaged and underserved residents of the Chicago area. He also regularly speaks to students at his former high school (Libertyville High School) about various legal topics. Designed to assist potential clients in choosing an experienced legal professional to address specific legal needs, the Elite Lawyer tools and resources provide information on distinguished attorneys throughout the United States. Only the most outstanding and experienced attorneys receive the Elite Lawyer Award, which separates recipients from their peers when consumers use the directory to search for an elite-level attorney in their area. The Elite Lawyer Award speaks highly of how well each nominated attorney is perceived by their legal community. For more information about Elite Lawyer, or to become a member of the esteemed directory, visit http://www.elitelawyer.com. About Pullano Law Founded by Attorney Richard L. Pullano in 1987, Pullano Law represents clients in injury cases involving motor vehicle accidents, defective products, medical malpractice, slip and fall accidents, dog attacks, nursing home negligence, workplace accidents, and more. With millions of dollars and settlements and verdicts for its clients, Pullano Law is a trusted name throughout the Chicago area for victims who deserve justice and maximum compensation for their injuries. To learn more, visit https://www.pullanolaw.com or call 312-551-1100 today. Robert J. Krakow, Esq. Public officials have increasingly called for censorship of messages that they find inconvenient. AutismOne today announced that attorney Robert J. Krakow, Esq., will present Who Controls the Public Square? Can Public Officials & Social Media Censor Speech Because They Believe it is Misinformation? This presentation will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2019. With the official hysteria about measles, public officials have advocated censorship of legitimate information about vaccination. Because officials do not agree with vaccine safety advocates well-sourced information, politicians have irresponsibly denounced citizens as liars, in derogation of the First Amendment. In the name of public safety, political leaders have rushed to limit the Constitutional freedoms of American families. Parents honest search for answers to their questions about vaccine safety has been met with an intemperate rebuke by some politicians. Mr. Krakow states: Social media is the platform for most public discussion of controversial issues. Public officials have increasingly called for censorship of messages that they find inconvenient. While private companies like Google and Facebook have not yet been found accountable to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, public officials who call for censorship can be held responsible for illegally curbing free speech. Recently, at least one U.S. Congressman has called for censorship of vaccine safety messaging on social media. In an irresponsible escalation of the assault on free speech, the Mayor of New York City, in the midst of his campaign to force vaccination, is seriously considering criminal prosecution of people who post what he considers misinformation about vaccines. This presentation will discuss the implications of these troubling developments for American Democracy. Robert J. Krakow is a veteran attorney in private practice in New York City. In the 1980s, Mr. Krakow was a New York County prosecutor and Narcotics Bureau Chief. He is an accomplished trial lawyer in civil and criminal matters Federal and State Courts. Among other practice areas, Mr. Krakow specializes in prosecuting vaccine injury cases. Krakow is the attorney for five families in the recent forced MMR vaccination case in New York City. For twenty years, Mr. Krakow has worked to serve thousands of intellectually disabled New Yorkers, fighting to make sure that they each have the respect and resources necessary to lead a good life. The AutismOne 2019 Conference will be held at the beautiful Loews Chicago OHare Hotel in Rosemont, IL, just ten minutes from Chicago OHare International Airport. The conference spans five days: Wednesday, May 22 through Sunday, May 26, 2019. For more information or to register, please visit http://www.autismoneconference.com. Czech Clinical Research Institute (CCRI) is a full-service contract research organization providing tailor-made solutions for clinical trials monitoring, project management and Good Clinical Practice auditing services, operating mainly in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. CCRI also offers a wide-ranging portfolio of life sciences consulting services within the areas of pharmacovigilance, quality control, regulatory affairs consulting, data management and medical writing. CCRI will support the expansion of Clinerions hospital network in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, thereby expanding the coverage of patients in Patient Network Explorer in those countries. CCRI will also offer Patient Network Explorer services and solutions for real-world evidence and accelerating clinical trials to clinical research sponsors and academic researchers. CCRI is a great match for Clinerion in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, traditionally countries with high medical expertise and infrastructure but low trial participation, says Ian Rentsch, CEO of Clinerion. Expanding the coverage of Patient Network Explorer will bring patients in the two countries to greater attention when sponsors are making siting decisions. About Clinerion Clinerion accelerates clinical research and medical access to treatments for patients. We use proprietary technologies for analysis of patient data from our global network of partner hospitals. Clinerion's Patient Network Explorer radically improves the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical trial recruitment by offering data-driven protocol optimization, site feasibility evaluation and real-time patient search and identification to match patients to treatments. Our technology solution provides real-world evidence analytics for medical access. Clinerion facilitates the participation of partner hospitals in leading-edge, industry-sponsored trials and time savings in patient recruitment. We create innovative and disruptive fit-for-purpose solutions which enable pharmaceutical companies to shorten patient recruitment and save costs by streamlining operations and leveraging strategic intelligence. Clinerions proprietary Big Data analytics technologies leverage real-time data from electronic health records which comply with international patient privacy and data security regulations. Clinerion is a global data technology service company headquartered in Switzerland. Clinerion website: http://www.clinerion.com Clinerions Patient Network Explorer: http://www.clinerion.com/index/OverviewOurSolutions/ClinerionPatientNetworkExplorer For more information, please contact: Le Vin Chin Director, Head of Marketing & Communications Clinerion Ltd Elisabethenanlage 11, 4051 Basel, Switzerland Tel.: +41 61 865 60 54 media(at)clinerion.com About Czech Clinical Rearch Institute (CCRI) Czech Clinical Research Institute (CCRI) is a private-owned; fully independent Prague-based (Czech Republic) full-service CRO with a stable team of employees and freelancers. Our teams have managed clinical trials in Central and Eastern Europe, Western Europe and Americas for over 10 years. With a steadily expanding network of highly qualified clinical research professionals, CCRI specializes in Clinical Trials monitoring and management as well as project-based staffing solutions for phases I through IV. CCRI website: http://www.ccri.cz For more information, please contact: Tomas Bernard Managing Director Czech Clinical Rearch Institute (CCRI) Divadelni 1554, 272 01 Kladno. Czech Republic Tel.: +420 605 128 472 tomas.bernard(at)ccri.cz PawnMaster Sales Manager Brent Nocera and Alan Barron of Presta Me Known for more than just software, the staff at PawnMaster is dedicated to provide world-class customer service to their entire customer base. Data Age Business Systems, the developers of PawnMaster, the industry-leading pawn management software, are proud to welcome onboard Presta Me Pawn, a twenty-one store operation servicing Costa Rica and Panama. Alan Barron and his dedicated teams service hundreds of thousands of customers as local, reliable financial institutions. Alan Barron is one of most successful business owners we have ever brought on board, says Len Summa, Data Age CEO. A multi-store operation of this size is impressive, theres no question. When Alan came to us, we knew that our software could accommodate his businesses while keeping them compliant across the map. Since inception, PawnMaster has been developed with a focus on keeping multiple businesses connected. Remote capabilities enable managers and owners to access reports, manage inventory, and perform customer lookups from one central location, without the frustration of having to log into multiple systems. With a team of dedicated data conversion specialists, PawnMaster can quickly and accurately transfer system data from competitive systems, enabling a seamless transition. There was some hesitation at first, because this huge operation was using a competitive software, states Summa. Alan came to our global headquarters here in Clearwater, Florida and we were able to put together a game plan that suited his needs. Once we had a time frame set, we got to work converting years-worth of business data to our system. Our teams are highly skilled at handling and deploying large data sets, and the process went very well. Im looking forward to our continued relationship with the entire Presta Me team. Data Age continues to improve and expand upon their product offering, continuously adding new features to both their cloud and on-premise software solutions. Known for more than just software, the staff at PawnMaster is dedicated to provide world-class customer service to their entire customer base. For more information on PawnMaster or to schedule a demo of the software, please visit https://pawnmaster.com. ________________________________________ About Data Age Business Systems Data Age offers industry leading financial transaction software solutions that enable businesses doing non-traditional lending, buy/sell, check cashing and even traditional retailers to scale their organization, deliver exceptional customer service, capture data quickly and accurately, mitigate risk, adhere to regulatory mandates, manage employee challenges, and drive profitability. Larry Hurtado, CEO of Digital Defense, Inc. Im blessed to be surrounded by some of the most talented cybersecurity and IT talent on the planet, that added to the fact we have industry leading technology and products, makes my role infinitely easier Digital Defense, Inc., a leading security technology provider, today announced that president and CEO, Larry Hurtado, has been selected as one of QuantumShifts Top Entrepreneurs in America for 2019 by KPMG LLPs Private Markets Group and the University of Michigans Ross School of Business. QuantumShift draws an impressive class of founders, owners and CEOs of private, high growth U.S.-based companies to boost their development through an intensive, five-day learning, networking and collaboration program featuring sessions with Ross School of Business faculty and talented industry professionals. Im blessed to be surrounded by some of the most talented cybersecurity and IT talent on the planet, that added to the fact we have industry leading technology and products, makes my role infinitely easier, said Hurtado. "Im always continuing to learn from my staff, my peers, my family and friends and looking forward to being among and gaining knowledge from the other top entrepreneurs at Michigans Ross School of Business. Hurtado and Digital Defense were selected to be part of the QuantumShift 2019 class by the Michigan Ross QuantumShift Admissions Committee having demonstrated a strong track record for revenue growth and future growth potential. This collaborative project between KPMG LLPs Private Markets Group the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm and the University Of Michigans Ross School of Business offers CEOs access to an exclusive peer-to-peer Fellows Network focused on ongoing problem solving, development and mentorship in addition to the intensive program. We are thrilled that Larry Hurtado from Digital Defense is part of a select group of entrepreneurs selected to complete the 2019 QuantumShift program, said Brian Hughes, National Leader, KPMG LLPs Private Markets Group. We welcome him into this exclusive fellowship of high-growth business leaders and believe the week-long program at the University of Michigan will have a long-lasting positive impact on the participating founders and CEOs, and the companies they lead. The QuantumShift program recognizes the achievements of high-growth entrepreneurs who are at the top of their game, and helps them lay a groundwork for the future, said Stewart Thornhill, executive director of the Zell Lurie Institute at the University of Michigans Ross School of Business. Were looking forward to working with Larry and Digital Defense, and we are excited to see what they accomplish. For more information on QuantumShift, visit http://www.quantumshiftus.com and follow conversations using #QuantumShiftUS on Twitter. About KPMG LLP KPMG LLP is the independent U.S. member firm of KPMG International Cooperative (KPMG International). KPMG Internationals independent member firms have 207,000 professionals in 153 countries and territories. Learn more at http://www.kpmg.com/us. About University of Michigan: Ross School of Business The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross School of Business mission is to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society. Housed within Michigan Ross, the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies is a leading center for entrepreneurial thought leadership and engagement. About QuantumShift QuantumShift is a joint program between KPMG LLPs Private Markets Group and the University of Michigans Ross School of Business that is rooted in sustained learning, networking and collaboration. Each year founders, owners and CEOs of private, U.S. companies are vetted through a nomination and application process reviewed by the Michigan Ross QuantumShift Admissions Committee. Candidates with an established revenue base, a strong record of revenue growth and a clear pathway for continued growth are eligible to participate in a week-long program to learn from distinguished Michigan Ross faculty members and a wealth of other talented professionals. Additionally, participants who complete the program gain access to an exclusive peer-to-peer Fellows Network focused on ongoing problem solving, development and mentorship. About Digital Defense, Inc. Serving clients across numerous industries, Digital Defenses innovative and leading-edge technology helps organizations safeguard sensitive data and eases the burdens associated with information security. Frontline.Cloud, the original Security SaaS platform, delivers unparalleled accuracy and efficiencies through multiple systems including Frontline Vulnerability Manager (Frontline VM), Frontline Web Application Scanning (Frontline WAS), Frontline Active Threat Sweep (Frontline ATS) and Frontline Pen Test, while SecurED, the companys security awareness training, promotes employees security-minded behavior. The Digital Defense Frontline suite of products, underpinned by patented technology and complemented with superior service and support, are highly-regarded by industry experts, as illustrated by the companys designation as 2018 Global Vulnerability Management Customer Value Leadership Award, #10 ranking in Black Book Market Research's list of Compliance & Risk Management Solutions, five-star review in SC Magazine, and inclusion in CRNs MSP 500. Contact Digital Defense at 888-273-1412; visit http://www.digitaldefense.com, our blog, LinkedIn, or follow @Digital_Defense on Twitter. Each year, Dutch Bros Coffee honors the memory of its co-founder by donating proceeds from its Drink One for Dane campaign to the MDA to #EndALS Our customers make a massive difference every time they buy a drink and support Drink One for Dane, said Brant Boersma, co-founder Dane Boersma's son and chief culture officer of Dutch Bros. On Friday, May 10, Dutch Bros Coffee will mark its 13th annual Drink One for Dane day by donating proceeds from each drink sold at all locations in seven states to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), the leading non-profit in ALS research and services. Dane Boersma founded Dutch Bros with his brother, Travis, in 1992. Dane passed away from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrigs Disease, in 2009. Dutch Bros and the Boersma family started Drink One for Dane as a way to bring awareness to, and support research to find treatments and cures for, the disease. Our customers make a massive difference every time they buy a drink and support Drink One for Dane, said Brant Boersma, Danes son and chief culture officer of Dutch Bros. This fundraiser is, obviously, close to my heart. Im grateful for the opportunity to be able to look our customers in the eye and thank them personally. Over the last 12 years, Dutch Bros customers have helped the company raise more than $4.8 million for MDA. This year, Dutch Bros is hoping to add $1.5 million to that total. For the first time ever, in addition to raising money at the stand, customers will have the ability to donate directly to the campaign through Dutch Bros website http://www.dutchbros.com. Dane made a huge impact on everyone who was lucky enough to know him. Im honored our company and customers are continuing his legacy, and Im humbled by the response we see each year, said Travis Boersma, CEO and co-founder of Dutch Bros. Much of the money raised since 2007 has gone to support MDAs ALS-designated multidisciplinary care centers for patients, as well as to fund research for a cure. It is because of inspirational partners like Dutch Bros creating community programs such as Drink One for Dane that we are able to fund innovations in science and care for people living with ALS. This critical funding supports vital research for better treatments and will ultimately unlock the cure, says MDA President and CEO Lynn OConnor Vos. We are thankful to the Dutch Bros family for continuing to support our mission and raise awareness for ALS on behalf of Dane. To find a Dutch Bros location near you, visit http://www.dutchbros.com/locations. About Dutch Bros Dutch Bros Coffee is the countrys largest privately held drive-thru coffee company, with more than 330 locations and approximately 10,000 employees in seven states. The company is headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon, where it was founded in 1992 by Dane and Travis Boersma. Dutch Bros serves specialty coffee, smoothies, freezes, teas, a private-label Dutch Bros Blue Rebel energy drink and nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee. Its rich, proprietary coffee blend is handcrafted from start to finish. In addition to its mission of speed, quality and service, Dutch Bros is committed to giving back to the communities it serves. Through its Love Abounds Foundation and local franchisees, Dutch Bros donates several million dollars to causes across the country each year. To learn more about Dutch Bros, visit http://www.dutchbros.com, like Dutch Bros Coffee on Facebook or follow @DutchBrosCoffee on Instagram. Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is committed to transforming the lives of people affected by muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases. We do this through innovations in science and innovations in care. As the largest source of funding for neuromuscular disease research outside of the federal government, MDA has committed more than $1 billion since our inception to accelerate the discovery of therapies and cures. Research we have supported is directly linked to life-changing therapies across multiple neuromuscular diseases. MDAs MOVR is the first and only data hub that aggregates clinical, genetic and patient reported data for multiple neuromuscular diseases to improve health outcomes and accelerate drug development. MDA supports the largest network of multidisciplinary clinics providing best in class care at more than 150 of the nations top medical institutions. Our Resource Center serves the community with one-on-one specialized support, and we offer educational conferences, events, and materials for families and healthcare providers. Each year thousands of children and young adults learn vital life skills and gain independence at summer camp and through recreational programs, at no cost to families. For more information visit mda.org. These newly formulated personal care products developed through our technical collaboration are proof the formulator no longer needs to trade off between performance and sustainability when selecting ingredients. A key challenge for personal care formulators is to create natural and sustainable products that do not compromise the levels of performance and safety demanded by consumers today. Many claims of natural or plant-based content are not supported by certified content, which can make consumers wary of the entire industry. Now, through an innovative collaboration project, we are bringing the ability to create certified, high performing, bio-based content formulations to the personal care market. These newly formulated personal care products developed through our technical collaboration are proof the formulator no longer needs to trade off between performance and sustainability when selecting ingredients, explains Steve Hurff, Vice President of Marketing & Sales at DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products. During the Suppliers Day exhibition on May 7-8 at the Jacob J. Javits Convention Center in New York City, DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products (booth #742), Corbion (booth # 203) and INOLEX (booth #1025) will showcase 15 new certified high bio-based content leave-on and rinse-off finished product formulas to experience firsthand. The formulations were developed and packaged by personal care industry recognized experts, ACT Solutions Corp. Collaboration is in our DNA at Corbion and we are excited to a partner with other world-class bio-based ingredient suppliers to bring these innovative formulas to personal care companies and consumers, adds Lisa Swain, Global Market Director Biochemicals at Corbion. A critical requirement of this collaboration was to have each formula receive USDA BioPreferred product certification, which relies on a quantitative ASTM test method performed by a certified ASTM laboratory to determine bio-based content. This certification has the potential to serve as a new way to quantify the definition of natural ingredients. Consumer demand for natural products is continuously growing and they expect products that perform. The market-ready bio-based formulations developed in this collaboration are a significant step forward in delivering consumer-desired products that are certified for bio-based content, adds Lisa Gandolfi, Director of Marketing at INOLEX. With innovative formulation design and an excellent availability of bio-based ingredients today, we show that it is possible to build a range of USDA Certified Biobased Products at or near 100 percent natural content that rival or surpass the best in terms of aesthetics, stability and performance, explains Mark Chandler, President at ACT Solutions. These ready-made formulations have been tested across a wide range of industry accepted criteria, including stability testing, to ensure they meet the demanding requirements for personal care products. Based on global consumer trends, the increasing need for both high performance and truly natural ingredients is now a mandate for product formulators. In partnership, the companies invite you to learn more about these high performing, high bio-based content personal care product formulations at any of the individual company booths during Suppliers Day or by contacting any one of the companies named in this press release. About DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products is a joint venture between DuPont, a global science company, and Tate & Lyle, a world-leading renewable food and industrial ingredients company. DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products provides natural and renewably sourced ingredients that enhance product performance. For more information on Zemea propanediol, visit http://www.Zemea-performs.com to see the solutions we offer across a wide variety of markets and applications. About Corbion Corbion is the global market leader in lactic acid and lactic acid derivatives, and a leading company in emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, minerals, vitamins and algae ingredients. We develop sustainable ingredient solutions to improve the quality of life for people today and for future generations. For over 100 years, we have been uncompromising in our commitment to safety, quality, innovation and performance. Drawing on our deep application and product knowledge, we work side-by-side with customers to make our cutting edge technologies work for them. Our solutions help differentiate products in markets such as food, home and personal care, animal nutrition, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and bioplastics. For more information on our personal care offerings, visit http://www.corbion.com/biochemicals/personal-care. About INOLEX INOLEX is an independent, global specialty ingredients company focused on providing safe and effective beauty care options for brands around the world. With a deep understanding of lifestyle trends and expertise in green chemistry, we balance lab and nature to create sustainable, life ingredients. The INOLEX innovation platform is guided by the Principles of Green Chemistry and life-cycle thinking. We are recognized for our leading proprietary technologies with an emphasis on natural, plant-based solutions in Alternative Preservation, Silicone Alternatives, Palm Alternatives, Film Formers and Conditioning Agents. INOLEX is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), is RSPO Supply Chain Certified, and offers 100 percent of its palm-derived products as RSPO Mass Balance. INOLEX currently has USDA Biobased certification for 70 of its products in the USDA BioPreferred Program. Visit http://www.inolex.com for more information on our beauty care portfolio. About ACT Solutions Founded by Mark Chandler in 2012, ACT Solutions Corp https://www.ACTSolutionsCorp.com is a formulation design consulting firm with laboratories in Newark, Delaware, and Toledo, Ohio. We serve the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries with the fundamental technologies of ADAPTIVE AESTHETIC DESIGN, ADVANCED EMULSION SOLUTIONS, and FORMULATING FOR EFFICACY. Of special interest is the formulation of 'natural' products that excite, perform and stay together. Visit https://www.actsolutionscorp.com to learn more about our services. # # # 5/6/19 Zemea and the circle logo are registered trademarks of DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Inolex is a registered trademark of Inolex Inc. All rights reserved. For further information contact: DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Chip Stockman +1-302-695-8027 james.stockman(at)dupont.com zemea-performs.com Corbion Lisa Swain +1-302-547-6773 Lisa.Swain(at)corbion.com http://www.corbion.com/personalcare INOLEX Lisa Gandolfi, Ph.D. +1-215-320-1488 lgandolfi(at)inolex.com ACT Solutions Mark Chandler +1-302-525-8110 Mark.Chandler(at)ACTSolutionsCorp.com http://www.ACTSolutionsCorp.com Portugal Day on June 10 celebrates the country and its national literary icon Luis de Camoes. This June 10, Portugals best-known winery, Esporao, plans to mark the day in three major cities around the U.S. via a multi-faceted campaign directed at trade, influencers and consumers. Core activities include simultaneous trade and press luncheon seminars in San Francisco, Austin and New York, featuring new vintages, Esporaos extra virgin olive oil and its Sovina Craft Beer, rounded out by a sample program targeting influencers nationwide, and a wine-food pairing event for consumers at Central Markets in Austin. Portuguese wine exports to the U.S. have doubled in the last 10 years, making it the ninth largest source by value of imported wines in the U.S. The U.S. is now Portugals number one export wine market. The speed of that growth has also accelerated, resulting in a upsurge of 50% within the last five years, with Esporao leading the charge in the U.S. since 1992. Blessed with over 250 indigenous grape varieties, a wine culture dating back millennia, and personality-filled wines at every price point, interest in Portuguese wines is hardly surprising. Esporao has been flying the countrys flag for decades, not only as one of Portugals top wine companies, but also as one of the countrys best-known ambassadors abroad. Esporaos wine offerings range from it Quinta dos Murcas property in the Douro, to its Herdade do Esporao estate in the Alentejo region, as well as Esporao Olive Oil and Sovina Craft Beer. A leader in sustainability practices, agriculture at Esporao is organic, and expected to be all organically certified by 2021. On June 10 Esporao will team up with three Master Sommeliers to host simultaneous luncheon seminars in three major cities: David Glancy, MS, founder of the San Francisco Wine School, at Uma Casa restaurant in San Francisco; Evan Goldstein, MS, President and Chief Education Officer of Full Circle Wine Solutions, at The Bonneville in Austin; Alex LaPratt, MS, restauranteur and ASA's Best Sommelier in America competition winner, at Hearth in New York. In Austin, an ancillary open-to-consumers educational tasting and cooking demo will take place at Central Market. Central Markets cooking school culinary staff will prepare four Portuguese-inspired recipes, each paired with an Esporao wine. About Esporao: Founded in 1973 by Jose Roquette and Joaquim Bandeira, Esporao now sells to 50 countries worldwide, and is one of Portugals leading wine companies, producing 15 million bottles a year. Among its best-known offerings are Esporao Reserva and Monte Velho from its Herdade do Esporao home property in the Alentejo. In 2008, Esporao acquired the historic Quinta dos Murcas estate (founded 1714). Esporaos portfolio also includes estate-produced olive oils and Sovina Craft Beer. The company has been a pioneer in eco-wine tourism and land stewardship, starting in 2008 with its ongoing conversion to organic farming practices. This holistic approach has led to international recognition, including the prestigious Sustainability of the Year Award at the The Drinks Business Green Awards 2013. https://www.esporao.com/en/ By Daily Caller, May 05, 2019 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Saturday clarified remarks he made about China not being an economic threat to the U.S. last week. I dont suggest China is not a problem. Im the guy whos been the toughest on Ive spent more time with Xi Jinping than anybody else, just because the nature of my job, Biden said during a fundraiser at the home of Richard Dick Harpootlian, an attorney and former South Carolina Democratic Party chairman in Columbia, South Carolina. Greg Saylin and Tyson Horrocks Both Greg and Tyson are recognized and valued by their clients for their depth of expertise and pragmatic, business-centric approach. We look forward to collaborating with Greg and Tyson to support our clients employment, litigation, and other needs that may impact their workforce and businesses. Holland & Hart announced the addition of partner Greg Saylin and of counsel Tyson Horrocks to its Labor and Employment practice in the firms Salt Lake City office. They each bring extensive experience representing employers on the full spectrum of issues and challenges they face in efficiently and effectively managing their workforce and culture. I see a great opportunities moving my practice to Holland & Hart, said Saylin. I am pleased to offer my clients the experience of a full-service firm with a longstanding commitment to excellent client service. I am impressed by the firms strategic focus on implementing innovative technology solutions that enhance client partnerships and provide efficiencies in workflow, staffing, and cost-savings. Saylin, who began his career as a litigation associate at Latham & Watkins in California, draws on more than 20 years of employment and commercial litigation experience to counsel clients how to avoid or efficiently handle employment related challenges and liabilities. Clients particularly trust and appreciate his knack for strategizing how to negotiate dangerous waters, with preventative policies and procedures, as well as counseling about employee circumstances when they arise. Saylin also counsels clients how to remain compliant with employment laws and regulations. He provides training for supervisors and employees on a range of HR-related topics to help employers proactively avoid pitfalls and comply with EEOC and state-specific requirements. Holland & Hart is delighted to welcome Greg and Tyson to our sophisticated labor and employment team, said Bryan Benard, the firms Labor and Employment Practice Group Leader. Both Greg and Tyson are recognized and valued by their clients for their depth of expertise and pragmatic, business-centric approach. We look forward to collaborating with Greg and Tyson to support our clients employment, litigation, and other needs that may impact their workforce and businesses. Horrocks leverages his litigation experience to counsel employers how to proactively avoid disputes on matters such as restrictive covenants, wrongful termination, sexual harassment and discrimination, and retaliation. He also provides pragmatic compliance counsel, including audits for Fair Labor Standards Act and other state and federal regulations. Horrocks assists clients to prepare employment-related documents including employment and separation agreements, drug testing policies, and employee handbooks. In commercial litigation matters, he represents commercial clients in business torts, complex disputes, civil fraud, and business valuations. Before joining Holland & Hart, Saylin and Horrocks were shareholders at a large Utah-based firm where Saylin chaired the Employment Practice Group. When Saylin was elected to the firms Board of Directors, Horrocks became chair of the Employment Practice Group. Holland & Harts sophisticated Labor and Employment team provides pragmatic solutions that manage liability risks and protect an employers interests, reputation, and business objectives. We partner with our clients to ensure that best practices are in place and minimize the exposure and liability that can result from non-compliant or simply ineffective processes by designing tailored training programs and conducting voluntary audits. We can quickly and efficiently draw on the expertise of our deep bench of attorneys who have significant experience in virtually every area of labor and employment law. About Holland & Hart Founded in 1947, Holland & Hart is a full-service Am Law 200 firm with offices in eight states and in Washington, D.C. We deliver integrated legal solutions to regional, national, and international clients of all sizes in a diverse range of industries. For more information, visit http://www.hollandhart.com or on Twitter: @HollandHart. Michael Pankow I am incredibly happy and excited to be working with and supporting such a great group of people here in Sacramento market - Michael Pankow. Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation welcomes Michael Pankow as Area Production Manager Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, a top-five independent mortgage company, has hired Michael Pankow (NMLS #220611) as Area Production Manager in northern California. Pankow brings more than 18 years of experience in mortgage retail banking and will work alongside Greg Sandler, Area Manager at Fairway, and other members of the leadership team to co-lead and grow new and existing branches within their footprint. I am incredibly happy and excited to be working with and supporting such a great group of people here in Sacramento market, stated Pankow. Pankow previously served as Branch Manager, General Manager, Senior Vice President and Executive Vice President at other mortgage companies, overseeing and recruiting branches, employees and millions in production annually. Pankows experience at both the street and corporate levels will facilitate and accelerate Fairway in reaching its goal to become the number-one retail mortgage lender in Sacramento and the Central Valley areas. Fairway is actively looking for loan officers and branch managers who share a passion for lending and their communities. To learn more about career opportunities, please visit http://www.fairwayindependentmc.com/careers. About Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation: Founded in 1996 by Steve Jacobson and named by his childhood best friend and colleague, and forever member of the Fairway family, Randy Cross, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation is a mortgage lender headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin and Carrollton, Texas. The company has more than 500 locations and over 7,000 employees nationwide. At Fairway, customer service is a way of life. Not only are we dedicated to finding great loan products and rates for our customers, but we also offer some of the fastest turn times in the industry. Our goal is to act as a trusted advisor, providing highly personalized service and helping clients through every step of the loan process. It's all designed to exceed expectations, guarantee satisfaction and earn trust. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.FairwayIndependentMC.com. PRIMARY PRESS CONTACT Greg Sandler Area Manager NMLS #933107 Direct: 916-727-6444 Email: greg.sandler@fairwaymc.com During the recent Rotary District 6040 Shoes Caravan conducted on April 24-27 throughout North Missouri, members of 56 Rotary Clubs in Missouri collected and donated a total of 18,819 pairs of shoes, 3,744 pairs of socks, 1,578 pairs of shoelaces, and nearly $13,000 for vulnerable children and orphans in the United States, Kenya, Africa, and other countries around the world. This humanitarian aid was collected during the a 20-stop Shoes Caravan, starting in Higginsville, MO on April 24 and ending in Cameron, Missouri on April 27. Missouri Rotary clubs of Rotary District 6040 are the largest single contributing organization to the Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls campaign to date, collecting a total of 339,000 pairs of shoes since the first shoe drive in 2001. Rotary clubs in northern Missouri have really opened their hearts to help children in need, said Rotary leader Larry Lunsford, who has organized the shoe drive since 2001. A simple pair of shoes can make a big difference in the lives of vulnerable children and orphans. Rotary Governor of District 6040, Julie McCoy, noted that Rotary members are people of action. Through projects like our shoe drive, we mobilize our communities and make a difference in the lives of children, both locally and globally. United Parcel Service collaborated with Rotary District 6040 to provide transportation for the collection, from the final caravan stop in Cameron, Missouri to the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid in Dallas,Texas. UPS encourages its employees to volunteer and give back to the community in which we live, said Patrick OConnell, UPS driver, who has helped with this shipment for many years. Since we are a global company, this project not only helps our community, but also the children of many nations. Rachel Wallis, director of the Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls program, said Buckner is extremely grateful for the shoe donation this year, as well as for all of the donations they have received from Rotary District 6040 in the past. Rotarys consistency over 18 years has allowed us to send more shoes to children around the world, and ultimately, opened the door for us to share love and care with more children who otherwise wouldnt receive it, she said. About Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, the largest humanitarian aid project of Buckner International, provides new shoes and socks to orphans and vulnerable children in the United States and throughout the world. Since 1999, Buckner Shoes has collected and distributed nearly 4 million pairs of new shoes, serving children in more than 80 countries. Thirty percent of the shoes benefit children living in the U.S. For more information about organizing a shoe drive and volunteer opportunities, call toll-free 1-866-774-SHOE or visit Buckner.org/Shoes. About Rotary Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the worlds most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 35,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. Visit Rotary.org for more about Rotary. CONTACT: Christopher Ruth, Buckner International 630-536-9139 Larry Lunsford, Rotary 816-960-5255 CO2 Coalition The CO2 Coalition is proud to announce that ecologist Dr. Patrick Moore will serve as Chairman of their Board of Directors. The new leadership will educate the public about the benefits of carbon dioxide, the main building block of life on Earth. They will explain how the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere from human emissions is spurring increased growth of crops, forests and plants. They will also focus on discussing how CO2 is also a very weak greenhouse gas that may have the added benefit of slight warming of the climate. They will highlight the U.S. government data showing that the modest warming, even if caused in part by industrial CO2 has resulted in no increase in extreme weather such as hurricanes and droughts or changes in the rate of sea-level rise. Former chairman Dr. William Happer, an atmospheric physicist, recently left the CO2 Coalition to become a senior director on the National Security Council, where he has proposed a presidential commission to review the science behind claims that climate change threatens national security. Dr. Moore is a co-founder of Greenpeace and served in the leadership for 15 years, including as a Director of Greenpeace International from 1979-1986. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of British Columbia and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from North Carolina State University. Dr. Moore also received the Einstein Societys National Award for Nuclear Science and History in 2009. He recently made news when President Trump re-tweeted Dr. Moores comments during a television appearance criticizing the Green New Deal. Commenting on his new role Dr. Moore stated, We aim to position the CO2 Coalition as the go-to source for information on the benefits of CO2 for the environment and civilization. Human CO2 emissions are causing a greening of the Earth, which will increase agricultural and forestry production, as well as increasing the fertility and abundance of global ecosystems. Additionally, leading climate statistician Dr. Caleb Rossiter will serve as the coalitions Executive Director, where he will manage the organizations daily operations. Dr. Rossiter has a long and distinguished career as a professor of research methods with a focus on the use and misuse of statistics and models in the climate change debate. We're the scientists and economists saving the people of the planet from the people who claim to be 'saving the planet, said Dr. Caleb Rossiter, Executive Director of the CO2 Coalition. Other members of the board include experts such as Jan Breslow, M.D., Bruce Everett, Ph.D., Gordon Fulks, Ph.D., Norman Rogers, Jeffrey Salmon Ph.D., Harrison Schmitt, Ph.D., and Leighton Steward. For additional information, please visit their website at https://co2coalition.org/. Dr. Patrick Moore can be contacted at pmoore@ecosense.me The CO2 Coalition was established in 2015 as a 501(c)(3) for the purpose of educating thought leaders, policy makers, and the public about the important contribution made by carbon dioxide to our lives and the economy. The Coalition seeks to engage in an informed and dispassionate discussion of climate change, humans role in the climate system, the limitations of climate models, and the consequences of mandated reductions in CO2 emissions. 1621 N. KENT STREET * SUITE 603 * ARLINGTON, VA 22209 ### Nicki Zvik, Founder of Green Solar Technologies Operating satellites, space stations, and other orbiting vehicles beyond earths atmosphere poses many technological challenges, not the least of which is implementing adequate, sustainable power sources. NASA s solution to the power issue, with the help of its Advanced Energy: Photovoltaics division, is solar energy. Solar energy is the most effective and efficient means of powering NASAs technological marvels. These orbiting objects, including the International Space Station (ISS) use the same types of photovoltaic (PV) solar panel arrays that we use on Earths surface in our rooftop solar panel systems, to convert the suns energy into enough electricity to sustain their operation for decades. The ISS draws its power from eight huge solar panels, each 114 feet long with 33,000 solar cells. By using this massive solar energy system, the crew members of the ISS are able to operate safely without compromising quality of living. Green Solar Technologies Founder and long-time solar energy advocate, Nicki Zvik, notes that NASAs confidence in solar inspires advocates of renewable energy. He states, NASAs support of solar energy is encouraging, and I, along with others who support the use of clean, renewable energy, are grateful for those at NASA who are diligently working to improve solar technology, both to advance space exploration and to enhance the daily lives of all of us on Earth. Because NASA relies so heavily on solar energy, NASA scientists are continuously looking to improve the technology, making the panels thinner, increasing the capacity of the systems and developing ways to help the panels resist dust and dirt which can reduce their absorption of sunlight. NASA has already found one solution to the dirty panel problemself-cleaning panels. According to an article posted on HowStuffWorks, NASAs self-cleaning panels have a thin, transparent and electrically conductive layer. When embedded sensors detect accumulated dust, a cascading electrical charge is sent through the coating, in effect pushing the dirt off with electromagnetic waves. Nicki Zvik comments, Any advancements in solar technology that NASA develops are advancements that we can eventually begin to use for residential and business solar panel systems. Im eager to see how we can use NASAs development of their self-cleaning panels in the future, especially in sunny, desert climates. NASAs support of the solar industry is certainly encouraging to solar energy advocates like Zvik. If NASA considers solar energy to be its best solution to powering its technology in space, where they are also confident in its ability to work flawlessly and maintenance-free, thats the best endorsement I can imagine to use it to power our homes and business, he states. Nicki Zvik is the founder of Green Solar Technologies, a solar company based in Los Angeles, CA, and Spectrum Properties LLC, a real estate investment company. The Things About France For the first time ever, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy will release a bi-weekly podcast, The Thing About France, in which Benedicte de Montlaur, Cultural Counselor to the United States, will interview distinguished American cultural figures with notable connections to France about their experiences in both countries. As part of the Cultural Services' mission to facilitate exchange between the United States and France, this podcast explores the relationships between French and American artists and institutions, and the long, complex cultural and political relationship between the two countries. Guests like musician Dee Dee Bridgewater, writer David Sedaris, critic and writer Liesl Schillinger, Whitney Museum director Adam Weinberg, and novelist Claire Messud will discuss everything from the politics of race to the funding of cultural institutions, and the challenges and benefits of living and working in another culture and language. Guests also give insider tips on their favorite spots in France. The podcast allows interviewees to speak candidly, sharing personal anecdotes and opinions on the interplay between our two countries. By hearing the personal stories of artists, filmmakers, authors, and other cultural figures, listeners will discover how people in France and the United States influence each other in todays world. Tune in every other Wednesday to hear new, compelling stories about people who have lived and worked in both French and American cultures. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes to stay up to date on the newest releases, and check out our website, http://www.thethingaboutfrance.com, for more information. The Thing About France is available on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Spotify, and at http://www.thethingaboutfrance.com. It takes all of us to combat hunger Jersey City, NJ, AngelaCARES to hold official opening of AngelaCARES Food Pantry" in support of residents in the community. AngelaCARES will hold the official opening of AngelaCARES Food Pantry at AngelaCARES Food Pantry located at 696 Ocean Avenue, Jersey City, NJ on Friday, May 10, 2019 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. The organization will have a special presentation to those who have helped make the food pantry a reality. The ceremony will commence at 2:00pm. AngelaCARES food pantry is a way to help parents, seniors, children and adults get food, eat a balanced meal at home and combat hunger. Thank you! Team AngelaCARES _________________________________ About AngelaCARES AngelaCARES, Inc. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. Our mission is to serve as an advocate and support system for senior citizens, their caregivers, and a mentor to the youth by educating and empowering them to volunteer. We are committed to strengthening communities by enhancing the quality of life through the generations. ### Greater Houston Healthconnect, the regional HIE for Southeast Texas, has grown to one of the largest HIEs in the US, connecting health systems, physician practices, clinics, and most anywhere healthcare is provided. Healthconnect locates and delivers patient health information to hundreds of hospitals and thousands of physician practices better informing decisions made at the point of care, says Nick Bonvino, CEO. With over 600,000 transactions per day, Healthconnect enables interoperability between caregivers disparate systems improving the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care. The result is wherever a patient goes, their health information follows them. Promoting Interoperability is a major focus for the health industry, with several proposed regulations released by CMS and the ONC. Healthconnect has positioned the region to thrive with these new requirements, ultimately aimed at improving care with a single on-ramp for national connectivity. Job one is the proper identification of the patient, and the ability to uniquely find and match patients with all their encounters. Healthconnect has invested heavily in technology, people, and processes to accomplish this necessary step prior to sharing information. This capability is essential to managing the health of populations. Healthconnects hundreds of contracts representing thousands of locations where patients receive care, include the largest area Health Systems: HCA Houston Healthcare, Memorial Hermann, Houston Methodist, CHI St. Lukes TX Division, St. Joseph Medical Center, Harris Health, UTMB, CHRISTUS, MD Anderson and others. Participants also include large physician practices and clinics: UT Physicians, Baylor College of Medicine, and Legacy Community Health, as well as the many small practices and post-acute caregivers. Moreover, Healthconnect uses its platform to deliver additional value-added services, such as: Diagnostic Image Exchange, ADT notifications, Health Services Research, Syndromic Surveillance, and Public Health related services. As Healthconnect continues to grow, we will leverage our base to innovate and expand services to our broad Participant community, says Bonvino. About Greater Houston Healthconnect Greater Houston Healthconnect is an independent, community-based organization responsible for enabling information exchange among healthcare providers in a 24-county region. Healthconnect is tasked with mobilizing healthcare information electronically across organizations to enhance the safety, quality, and efficiency of care and improve information access throughout the region. Key stakeholders include healthcare providers, payers, employers and the community as a whole. For more information, visit http://www.ghhconnect.org/. Tech-enabled home care is a strategic imperative for HouseWorks, and CareAcademy fills a critical gap in providing agencies like HouseWorks with the tools to provide effective and affordable training for their workforce at scale. CareAcademy, the home care industrys first mobile-friendly caregiver training platform, today announced that HouseWorks has selected CareAcademy as their provider of choice for caregiver training and certification. HouseWorks, one of the largest private-pay home care companies in the United States, specializes in providing high-touch, technology-enabled in-home care services that meet the growing needs of their Greater Boston and Philadelphia Area clients. HouseWorks provides ongoing skills-based training to caregivers as part of a comprehensive plan to ensure that clients are receiving the best care. HouseWorks starts by hiring only a small portion of its caregiver applicants. Once a caregiver is hired, HouseWorks engages in continuous evaluation and provides ongoing training and professional development to cultivate skilled and trustworthy caregivers. CareAcademy will serve as the platform to deliver interpersonal and technical skills training in support of HouseWorks' in-home care programs. This partnership helps strengthen HouseWorks' approach to disruptive innovation by investing in the people and systems that will ensure best-in-class service standards, challenge the status quo and deliver the quality care that clients deserve. Roughly two-thirds of the population will be over the age of 65 by 2030, and when you dive into specific communities, the number of seniors age 60 and over will double what it is today. HouseWorks is in a great position to provide differentiated services for seniors to age in place. Were thrilled to be the provider of choice to help HouseWorks scale their recruitment and retention program by training and upskilling caregivers to meet the growing need, says Helen Adeosun, CEO of CareAcademy. Tech-enabled home care is a strategic imperative for HouseWorks, and CareAcademy fills a critical gap in providing agencies like HouseWorks with the tools to provide effective and affordable training for their workforce at scale. CareAcademy will provide HouseWorks with a comprehensive curriculum that combines interpersonal and condition-specific training that is accessible to caregivers on-demand using any device. CareAcademy classes promote active learning, and leverages bite-sized video to aid in caregiver engagement and knowledge retention. Online quizzes, assessments, reminders, and customer support all contribute to a high-class completion rate that averages over 90%. Additionally, agencies can track individual caregiver training progress, certifications, and continuing education to ensure compliance with greater ease. HouseWorks is committed to becoming the employer of choice for caregivers, commented HouseWorks Founder and CEO Andrea Cohen. We are making significant investments to attract and retain the best possible caregivers to serve the needs of our clients. Providing skills-based training to our caregivers enriches their interactions with clients and their families, which ultimately results in better care. We know CareAcademy will continue to be a critical asset in HouseWorks ongoing training and professional development for caregivers. About CareAcademy Founded by caregivers, CareAcademy creates online training that empowers senior care professionals to deliver the highest caliber of service and improve the lives of older adults. Over 32,000 caregivers are learning and growing professionally through CareAcademy. Coupled with its advanced reporting and training management dashboard, CareAcademy is an end-to-end, scalable training solution that transforms home care businesses into efficient industry leaders. To learn more, visit http://www.CareAcademy.com. About HouseWorks HouseWorks is a national leader in innovative, personalized in-home care serving the Greater Boston and Philadelphia Area markets. With private home care at its core, HouseWorks interdisciplinary team takes aging to the next level by developing in-home care solutions that support and engage seniors through every transition. Known for innovation, HouseWorks home safety and falls prevention division empowers seniors to live safely in their homes. Backed by health care investor RAB Ventures, HouseWorks continues to strengthen its ability to support the growing numbers of seniors choosing to age in place. For more information about HouseWorks, please visit http://www.house-works.com Winning team Aerate stands with Startup Showcase judge Bikram Bakshi (full caption in footnote) Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship is pleased to announce the winner of the third annual Startup Challenge, sponsored by Eric Aroesty, C92: Aerate, founded by six Wharton and Penn Engineering undergraduate students. The Showcase was held on May 3, 2019, at the Wharton School on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Aerates novel, patent pending air conditioner functions as a dehumidifier and air cooler up to 20x more efficient than others in the market. Specifically designed for high humidity environments, Aerate plans to bring this climate-friendly product to the Indian market to combat the growing need for cool air. Aerate predicts that by 2050, the global population will purchase 3.3 million new air conditioners. In India, the need is greater than ever, and many expect the country to become the worlds top user of electricity for cooling. CFO and co-founder Ashwin Kishen ENG19, W19, GEN20, was always jarred by the heat when visiting relatives in India. This experience resonated with Kishen and it fueled his entrepreneurial drive at Penn. Along with Kishen, Aerates founders include Spencer Collins, ENG19, GEN19; Jake Fine, ENG19, GEN19; Yann Pfitzer, ENG19, C19, GEN20; Connor Sendel, ENG19, W19; and Sam Weintraub, ENG19, GEN20. Together, they developed their concept while enrolled in Penns Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics program, focusing on technology that could tackle climate change. Aerate also recently won the 2019 Pennvention competition held by Weiss Tech House. The Startup Showcase is the biggest entrepreneurship event of the year at the University of Pennsylvania, showcasing the best and brightest student minds and their ventures. The Eight Finalist teams were selected that morning from nearly 30 Semifinalist teams, after a morning of intense, closed-door pitches to panels of alumni entrepreneurs and investors. The Finalists would go on to pitch in front of a live audience and a panel of judges, competing for over $135,000 in cash and prizes to launch their startups. The Startup Showcase marks an exciting finish to another hallmark year of entrepreneurship across the Penn community. Students engaged in entrepreneurial programs are founding rapidly-scaling companies while the resources available within Penn and the Philadelphia ecosystem continue to grow. Most recently, Penn unveiled plans for Tangen Hall, the Universitys first dedicated space for cross-campus entrepreneurship and innovation activity. Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship is proud to continue to be a leader in entrepreneurship education. In addition to the Startup Challenge, the Showcase featured a room full of incredible student-led ventures, giving them the opportunity to demo their companies for accomplished alumni and the general public. The elevator pitches attracted students from all educational backgrounds, from those with budding ideas to those with fully-developed companies, to pitch investors in a real elevator. Attendees voted for their favorite venture and the Eight Finalists gave rapid-fire pitches to both live and virtual audiences, competing for the Peoples Choice Award. The 2019 Startup Challenges winners are: 1. Perlman Grand Prize: $30,000 + $15,000 in legal, accounting and strategy services to Aerate 2. Runner-up: $15,000 + $15,000 in legal, accounting, and strategy services to Strella Biotechnology 3. Innovation Award: $10,000 + $15,000 in legal, accounting, and strategy services to Minimize 4. Launch Prize: $10,000 + $15,000 in legal, accounting, and strategy services to Halo 5. Frederick H. Gloeckner Award for Best Undergraduate Team: $10,000 to Aerate 6. Robert S. Blank New Venture Collaboration Award: $10,000 to Aerate 7. Social Impact Prize: $10,000 to Text-911 8. Peoples Choice Award: $3,000 to Aerate 9. Crowd Favorite Award: $2,000 to Boost Scooters Previous participants of the Startup Challenge and Showcase include successful startups like Harper Wilde, NeuroFlow, Sanguis, and Twine, which have received millions in venture funding. Startup Challenge Finals judges were: Bikram Bakshi (WG05), Entrepreneur & Innovator; Member, Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship Advisory Board Mona Bijoor (C98, G98, WG05), Partner, Kings Circle Capital; Founder, JOOR Maxine Gowen (WG02), Director, Trevena Sashi Reddi (GRW94), Founder & Managing Partner, SRI Capital; Member, Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship Advisory Board Startup Challenge & Showcase Sponsors: Note on abbreviations: C-Penn College of Arts & Sciences alum (bachelors) ENG-Engineering (bachelors) G-Penn College of Arts & Sciences (masters) GEN-Engineering (masters) GRW-Wharton doctoral alum W-Wharton undergraduate alum WG-Wharton MBA alum About Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship (PWE) is a resource for students across the University of Pennsylvania who are interested in entrepreneurship and innovation. In a rapidly-evolving world, hungry for impactful change, Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship maximizes the ability of the students and alumni to address challenges through entrepreneurship and innovation. Our far-reaching programs impact students across the Penn community, offering educational programming and granting hundreds of thousands of dollars to students developing innovative concepts and engaging them at each step of their entrepreneurial journey. Each year, more than 2,000 students, alumni, faculty, and staff attend and participate in workshops, networking events, mentoring, and competitions led by PWE. Penn Wharton Entrepreneurships disciplined approach challenges concepts, focuses ideas, and provides the knowledge to turn nascent ventures into robust, enduring organizations. For more information, visit http://www.entrepreneurship.wharton.upenn.edu About the Wharton School Founded in 1881 as the worlds first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With a faculty of more than 235 renowned professors, Wharton has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 18,000 professional from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Educations individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 98,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. For more information, visit http://www.wharton.upenn.edu. Footnote: Shown from left to right -- Jake Fine, ENG19, GEN19; Connor Sendel, ENG19, W19; Spencer Collins, ENG19, GEN19; Bikram Bakshi, WG05, Entrepreneur & Innovator; Member, Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship Advisory Board; Yann Pfitzer, ENG19, C19, GEN20; Sam Weintraub, ENG19, GEN20; Ashwin Kishen ENG19, W19, GEN20 By Daily Caller, May 05, 2019 Special counsel Robert Mueller has set a tentative date of May 15 to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, Democratic Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline told Fox News Sunday. Democrats have ramped up calls for Mueller to testify to Congress in the wake of Attorney General William Barrs testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 1 about his interactions with the special counsels office regarding the release of the Russia report. Hyatt Place Las Vegas at Silverton Village WHO: Job Seekers WHAT: Hyatt Place Las Vegas Silverton Village, opening in Summer 2019 will be hosting a Job Fair for all positions inside Veil Pavilion at Silverton Casino Hotel on Monday, May 6 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on Thursday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The open positions include full time and part-time Gallery Host, Breakfast Cook, Housekeeping, Housemen and Night Auditors. Applications will also be accepted for full-time positions including Engineering, a Sales Coordinator and Housekeeping Inspectors during the Job Fair. Applicants should be dressed for on-site interviews and bring two forms of photo identification for background checks, a social security card or passport, a resume or updated online application. All applicants must be 21 years of age or older and if position requires, must be able to obtain a TAM, Health and Non-Gaming cards. WHEN: Monday, May 6 - 1.pm. 4 p.m. and Thursday, May 9 9 a.m. 12 p.m. WHERE: Silverton Casino Hotel Veil Pavilion 3333 Blue Diamond Road Las Vegas, NV 89139 About Hyatt Place Hyatt Place, a brand of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, combines style, innovation, and 24/7 convenience to create a seamless stay with modern comforts. There are more than 285 Hyatt Place locations in Armenia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Honduras, India, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Thailand, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States. For more information, please visit hyattplace.com. Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram and tag photos with #HyattPlace and #WhySettle. The Day Grace Saved Me: an evoking book that tells of a young girls relatable moments of dealing with emotions and thoughts in her first day of school. The Day Grace Saved Me is the creation of published author, Katrina De La Fe, an elementary school educator and writer from South Florida. De La Fe shares, How many times have you let fear take over your day? Have you ever been so afraid of starting something new that all you could think about were the negatives? Instead of all the good that could come from a new experience, all you could think about was everything that could go wrong. Why do we let our fears ruin our day? Why do we let our fears and doubts take away our happiness? Sometimes we can be so focused on the bad that we miss all the good things that God has placed in our lives. Join a young girl on her first day of school in a new town as she is faced with challenges that she cannot overcome on her own. What is supposed to be one of the most exciting days for her quickly turns into a day full of worry, fear, and insecurities. She feels lost, confused, and defeated as she lets all these negative feelings take away her happiness. As soon as she discovers Gods grace working in her life, all those fears leave her. However, she must remember to always hold tight to that faith and that grace that God showed her and be willing to accept it when she is faced with any challenging obstacles. Will she lose her faith? Will she forget all about the amazing grace that God gave her? Sometimes its others actions that show Gods grace to us. We can see it through love, faith, kindness, and the forgiveness of others. How sweet it is to know that with God by our side, feeding our souls with the grace we need, we have nothing to fear. As grace changes the heart and soul of a young girl, the words of God will also speak to you through the pages of this beautiful story of undeserving grace, forgiveness, and unshakeable faith. Sometimes this idea of Gods grace is difficult for young minds to understand. This story, told from the perspective of a child, will help other young minds better understand how Gods grace can work wonders in their lives. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Katrina De La Fes new book puts readers in the viewpoint of a child in the hopes of teaching them lessons that usher wisdom and optimism. View a synopsis of The Day Grace Saved Me on YouTube. Consumers can purchase The Day Grace Saved Me at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Day Grace Saved Me, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. LendingMate, a lender offering an alternative to people who are unable to access mainstream credit in the Canadian market, has launched a new Canadian-targeted affiliate program in partnership with Share Results. LendingMate.ca will leverage Share Results affiliate technology and expertise in the Canadian market to grow its reach in the Canadian lending space. Founded in 2017, LendingMate offers unsecured guarantor loans between $2,000 - $10,000 to Canadians in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec with little or bad credit scores. As a new entrant into the market, the launch of its affiliate program with Share Result serves to build brand awareness and drive customer engagement. In a market where traditional lending institutions do not service individuals with lower credit scores, there is a substantial amount of unmet demand and alternative providers like LendingMate are well poised to address the need. LendingMate.ca is excited to partner with Share Results and their network of established publishers to strategically drive our digital marketing efforts, said Amber Cole, Partnerships Director, of LendingMate. Nicky Senyard, CEO of Share Results, stated, We are pleased to have LendingMate join our growing network of financial products and are excited to offer our affiliate partners a unique product set. We are committed to growing the financial services space in Canada and supporting a healthy affiliate ecosystem through transparency and trust. For more information on this partnership, please contact the team at Share Results at info(at)shareresults.com. ----------------------------------------------------- About LendingMate LendingMate has been operating in Canada since 2017, providing loans to Canadian residents who did not previously have access to credit traditionally provided by mainstream lenders. About Share Results Share Results is performance marketing company specializing in the financial services industry, dedicated to helping financial institutions achieve growth through the affiliate marketing channel. The company provides customizable affiliate marketing solutions, including complete affiliate program management, an extensive targeted network of affiliates and turn-key affiliate tracking and reporting technology. Contact Details Julia Wild, Marketing Director Share Results +1 604 566 8020 juliaw(at)shareresults.com https://www.shareresults.com Amber Cole LendingMate amber.cole(at)lendingmate.ca https://lendingmate.ca/ Live-streaming revenue should reach $7.4 billion in 2018, a 47 percent increase over theprevious year. The primary revenue model for this market is likely to be tipping, wherebyviewers donate money to performers. Deloitte Global predicts that live broadcast and events will generate $545 billion in direct revenue in 2018, a one percent increase over the previous year. 114 The vast majority ($537 billion, or 98.5 percent) of live revenues are forecast to come from traditional sectors (see Figure 14), with the remainder from live streaming and eSports.115 Live broadcasting has remained vibrant despite consumers ever-improving capability to consume content on demand or, in the case of events, to attend remotely. Even in an age in which the mantra for media is often what you want, when you want it, where you want it, the way we want to consume is often now because of the thrill and convenience of live delivery. And in many regards, digital has actually made live content more productive and profitable. Live-streaming revenue should reach $7.4 billion in 2018, a 47 percent increase over the previous year. The primary revenue model for this market is likely to be tipping, whereby viewers donate money to performers. The Chinese model for tipping is likely to be exported to other markets via Chinese-owned companies. According to one analyst, the UpLive app was the number one download in Japan and the second in a dozen other countries. About Uplive (Uplive) Uplive was founded in May 2016, As part of Asia Innovations Group (AIG), Uplive is a live-streaming platform that allows users to broadcast and view real-time videos via their smartphones. Currently Uplive has over 1000,000 broadcasters and 65 million registered users worldwide and is available in over 100 countries, the app currently supports sixteen languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai. with over 500,000 live anchors airing content in all languages and tastes, Uplive is becoming one the of the most successful Chinese applications growing worldwide. On average broadcasters in Uplive earned $2000 dollars a month in 2018 just by streaming an hour a day from their phones. Uplive Website: http://www.asiainnovations.com UpliveUSA: http://www.upliveusa.com Instagram: @Uplive.usa More information about Deloitte Research: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Images/infographics/technologymediatelecommunications/gx-deloitte-tmt-2018-online-world-report.pdf Maison Champy, the oldest winery in Burgundy, proudly unveils its ambitious wine tourism project, that aims to highlight the terroir of Burgundy and Beaune, the capital of Burgundy wines. Maison Champy is the last winery to vinify, age and bottle its wines within the old town of Beaune, and among the diverse range of wine tours on offer in Burgundy, the Maison Champys visit offers a unique insight into the winemaking, history, and culture of winemaking in Beaune. This unique location is situated at 5 rue du Grenier a Sel, next to the Maison Champy boutique, located at 12 place de la Halle, opposite the Hospices. Here, visitors are able to discover the secrets of wine making, and understand the cultural, and historical context of this historic art, within the oldest winery in Burgundy and at the heart of the capital of Burgundian wine tradition. Located among the Climats des vins de Bourgogne a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015 Maison Champy aims to be a decisive player in the promotion of the regions treasures, bringing the territory to life and enhancing its reputation. The Maison Champy site, listed as a Historical Monument since 15 September 2010, is at the heart of the project and visitors can explore five unique spaces at the Maison: 1. The Welcome Area where visitors can see wines being vinified. This space pays tribute to the illustrious figures who have left their prints in the winerys three centuries of history: Edme Champy, its founder; Louis Pasteur, who carried out five years of research at Maison Champy; and Gustave Eiffel, who influenced the architecture of the listed building. 2. History Area 1, from 1720 to the 19th century, via the French Revolution. Here visitors can discover archives of the development of Burgundy and Maison Champy in parallel during this period, highlighting the winerys ties with the city of Beaune. 3. History Area 2, showcasing international development through World Exhibitions. 4. History Area 3, displaying the winerys unique winemaking and craftsmanship know-how. 5. A modular tasting area to host seminars and events. Furthermore, the tour offers the unique opportunity to further understand the Maisons historical significance. This includes an introductory journey woven through the 15th Century cellars of the convent of the Jacobines de Beaune, and the opportunity to visit the cellars unique architectural structure, including the Eiffel-style columns from the end of the 19th century, which extend to the top floor. Two Wine Tourism Packages are Available: 1. A short format, lasting 90 minutes, will include the discovery of the 15th-century cellars followed by a tasting. Prices range from 25 to 55 depending on wines chosen for tasting. 2. A standard format lasting 2h30 and will include a detailed presentation on the five landscaped areas of the historical site, followed by a visit to the cellars and a tasting. Prices range from 40 to 70 depending on the choice of tasting. Additional services on offer include a tour of the vines by car or electric bicycle for 90, and private dining opportunities catering for 6 to 80 people at the Maison. Price on application. The ambitious project was managed by 331 Corniche Architects and the Batisseurs de Memoire - an agency specializing in consulting, museography and history. High resolution and print-ready images are available on request. For further information and images please visit https://www.maisonchampy.com/. About Maison Champy As a vine grower and craftsman, Maison Champy is located in the heart of Beaune, the capital of the Burgundian wine region. Champy is the oldest wine company in Burgundy with its buildings inspired by the Eiffel school of architecture, listed by the historical monuments of Beaune, with the cellars of the Bell from the XVth century which belonged to the Jacobin convent. Today the wine grower and craftsman expertise is revealed in the 21 ha owned on the Cote de Beaune, in particular in Pernand-Vergelesses. Marshall Lambert, President of Renes Van & Storage, has been chosen by the Best of Los Angeles Award community as one of L.A.s 100 most fascinating people, according to Aurora DeRose, award coordinator for the Best of Los Angeles Award community. As someone who is able to say that their business has survived 85 years in Los Angeles, Marshall Lambert has earned a place on L.A.s 100 Most Fascinating People list said DeRose. With over 85 years in the moving and storage industry we had the privilege of coming along for the ride, explains Marshall Lambert, as well as accompanying many of our long-term clients on this journey. We have moved many generations in and out of their homes and now their children are calling us to help them out. The Best of Los Angeles Award community was formed four years ago and consists of over 5,200 professional members living and working in Southern California. It celebrates the best people, places and things in Los Angeles with a slogan No Ads. No B.S. Only the Best. The mission of the community is to celebrate the best of Los Angeles, and allow its community members to connect with other members who share the highest standards of quality and integrity, expresses DeRose. "We're honored to include Marshall Lambert of Renes Van & Storage into our L.A.s 100 most Fascinating List." Renes has several locations including an 88,000 square foot facility in Los Angeles, as well as multiple on-staff installation specialists for high-valued items. We know life can be stressful and at times unpredictable, concludes Lambert, but Renes can make your move as seamless and stress-free as possible. You can count on us with our impeccable attention to detail and white glove service every step of the way. Maverick BankCard Maverick BankCard, Inc. has been selected for the 2019 Best of Calabasas Award in the Credit Card Merchant Services category by the Calabasas Award Program. Being the sixth consecutive year Maverick BankCard has received this award, Maverick has qualified for the 2019 Calabasas Business Hall of Fame. Being awarded the Best of Calabasas in Credit Card Merchant Services is a direct reflection of our commitment to providing white-glove support and technology to merchants and partners while remaining a top provider in our industry across the nation, states Ben Griefer, COO of Maverick. Receiving the award for six consecutive years correlates with our constant improvements and consistency we maintain with providing industry-leading support and services. Each year, the Calabasas Award Program identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Calabasas area a great place to live, work and play. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2019 Calabasas Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Calabasas Award Program and data provided by third parties. About Calabasas Award Program The Calabasas Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Calabasas area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value. The Calabasas Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy. About Maverick BankCard, Inc. Maverick BankCard is an industry-leading, full-service payment processor. Maverick provides merchants across the US with technology-driven payment processing services, such as credit and debit card acceptance in addition to ACH, for mobile merchants, retail brick & mortar businesses, and online eCommerce merchants. Furthermore, Maverick offers lucrative partnership opportunities to ISOs, VARs, ISVs, and Agents. Headquartered in Calabasas, California, Maverick is family owned and operated with management experience exceeding over 30 years in the industry with a focus on providing unmatched 24/7/365 white-glove support supplemented by Maverick's proprietary financial technology. For more information about us, please visit http://www.MaverickBankCard.com or call 800.464.9777. Art & Juice Painting Workshop, part of the Festive Fridays series. Festive Fridays is a free event series open to the public. Our Kids' Club is also free and open to children 12 and under. Southland Mall will host a series of family events this May as part of Festive Fridays and its monthly Kids Club program, but the focus throughout the mall is Mom, with Mothers Day offers throughout Southland Mall. Below is a list of the events for the month. Saturday, May 11, 2 p.m. at the Center Court Dont miss a fun Kids Club Event with a special magic show. Make sure to sign up your kids for our Kids Club, featuring monthly activities for children 12 and under at mysouthlandmall.com. Its free to sign up and participate. Friday, May 24, 6-8 p.m. at the Center Court Bring the kids, as Raquel Torrent will host a special Art & Juice Painting Workshop, where she will teach attendees how to create a themed painting related to Mothers Day, spring, love and friendship. Dont miss this Festive Fridays favorite. Friday, May 31, 6-8 p.m. at the Center Court Make plans to bring the family to see a performance of The Greatest Piano Showman by musician Steve Falk, who returns to the Festive Fridays stage to take the audience through a musical journey of song favorites from throughout the decades. Festive Fridays is a free event series open to the public. Southland Mall is conveniently located on U.S. 1 and S.W. 205th Street, off the Florida Turnpike, Exits 11 or 12. For more information on Southland Mall or to learn about partnership opportunities for future Festive Fridays, please mail inquiries to info(at)bristolpr.com. About Southland Mall Southland Mall, located in South Miami-Dade County, Florida, the densest, most populous county in the southeastern portion of the state of Florida, has over 1 million square feet of gross leasable area. Southland Mall is conveniently located on U.S. 1 and SW 205th Street, off the Florida Turnpike, Exits 11 or 12, and is the only enclosed regional mall servicing South Miami-Dade County down to the Florida Keys. Southland houses over 100 specialty stores, including Macys, Sears, JC Penney, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, a 16-Plex Regal Cinema and diverse Food Court. For more information about Southland Mall, visit mysouthlandmall.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @solandmall, or on Snapchat at southlandmall, Like us on Facebook at southlandmallmiami, or call (305) 235-8880. About Gumberg Asset Management Corp. Gumberg Asset Management Corp., a diversified real estate retail organization with a tradition of uncompromising integrity and unbeatable performance is the manager of Southland Mall. For further information, visit the Companys website at http://www.gumberg.com. Mayshad NYC Launch photo by Florencia Saavedra www.florenciasaavphotography.com Mayshad is where technology meets humanity. Nezha Alaoui, founder of the Mayshad Group with a community of over 1.4 million, has moved to New York City to launch Mayshad's new technology platform that will facilitate intuitive and efficient end-to-end networking, resulting in measurable impact for women's leadership. This multidimensional platform will curate content, business and investment opportunities, and connect relevant causes to its trusted and vetted network of women executives, business owners, and entrepreneurs. With a dual emphasis on digital and face-to-face experiential opportunities, this platform will revolutionize how executive women network, invest, and give back. On May 1st, 2019, Mayshad hosted New York Citys elite female executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders from diverse industries to celebrate the launch of Mayshad NYC. This event is the first in a series of interactive, exclusive, and gender-inclusive monthly events in which Nezha Alaoui will receive influential guests to champion success stories, share leadership practices, learn the latest trends in innovation, and expand their personal and professional networks. Mayshad is a company by women, for women. Now more than ever, women are using their voices to effect change socially, politically, and economically. Mayshad is committed to providing continuous opportunities to empower women via career, lifestyle, and wealth creation. To that end, Mayshads multidimensional platform will be complemented with an Investors Club enabling accredited investors the opportunity to invest in Mayshad, providing the full range of VIP tiered membership benefits plus an equity option. Mayshad believes that economic parity will only be achieved when there is equal opportunity and equal participation in how women spend, save, AND invest. In addition to the Investors Club, Mayshad also partners with corporations committed to corporate social responsibility. Via content distribution, curated membership packages for its female executives, promotional services, and curated matchmaking, Mayshad helps companies grow robust sustainability and diversity and inclusion initiatives. ABOUT NEZHA ALAOUI Nezha Alaoui is a social influencer, innovator, and impact investor. Mayshad, through its media platform, consulting division, lifestyle brands and non-profit foundation, has been nurturing womens development internationally for the past decade. With everything thats going on in womens leadership today, we want to create a solution that curates the best opportunities while also giving visibility to other womens leadership initiatives that deserve to be known," said Nezha Alaoui. "Mayshad is where technology meets humanity. Mason McCamey, MS, LPC Masons experience makes him one of the most sought after psychotherapists in Dallas and the surrounding areas. McCamey Counseling in Dallas Texas Now Offers online psychotherapy to his patients. With a brand new website design, look and feel, Mason McCamey, MS, LPC is looking to provide better service for his patients in and around the Dallas area. Dallas Psychotherapist, Mason McCamey, MS, LPC provides in-office and online therapy to help clients manage many different life issues. He has worked with clients of all agesparticularly those within the ages of 10-25 years oldin a variety of settings since 2012. Whether you are suffering from anxiety, struggling to face the day on a regular basis, constantly fighting with family and loved ones, going through a life transition that you are having a hard time dealing with or struggling to come to terms with certain life events, Mason McCamey can help. Masons specialties include depression, anxiety, life transitions, ADHD, anger management, antisocial personality, behavioral issues, bipolar disorder, borderline personality, coping skills, family conflict, mens issues, opposition defiance, peer relationships, relationship issues, self-esteem, suicidal ideation, teen violence, trauma & PTSD, mood disorders, personality disorders, sexuality struggles and more. Day and evening appointments are available 6 days a week including Saturdays. These sessions can be attended in-person in his Dallas psychotherapy office. Masons license also allows him to see clients spanning the entire state of Texas. So if you are unable to attend sessions in person in Dallas, Mason can still begin to work on your therapy alongside you virtually. Masons experience makes him one of the most sought after psychotherapists in Dallas and the surrounding areas. Put yourself and your loved ones on track to better health by calling (214) 906-4422 to schedule a therapy session with us today. Safety and Transparency are two core principles of the Media.net Marketplace, said Vaibhav Arya, Media.net CEO Media.net, a contextual advertising company emerging as a leader in programmatic, today made a donation of code to the IAB Tech Lab to further the IAB Tech Labs efforts to promote transparency and security in tech supply chains. The donation was announced at the May 6th IAB Tech Lab Innovation Day: Transparency and a Secure Programmatic Supply Chain. Safety and Transparency are two core principles of the Media.net Marketplace, said Vaibhav Arya, Media.net CEO. The IAB Tech Lab has been working hard to help the industry solve both challenges. The release of OpenRTB 3.0 protocol was a step in the right direction. We strongly believe that adoption of this protocol, along with the subsequent rollout of ads.cert will help the industry make collective progress towards safer and more transparent supply chain. We are donating the code for our OpenRTB convertor and ads.cert verification tool in order to accelerate adoption of these important initiatives and support the IAB Tech Lab in pushing the entire industry forward." Developed by Media.nets team of more than 600 engineers, the code includes key features: Transformation from OpenRTB 2.x protocol to 3.0 and vice versa; solves for lack of backward compatibility between the two versions of the protocol More than 400 objects mapped between OpenRTB 2.x protocol to 3.0, ensuring partners can take advantage of the 3.0 protocol benefits Solves for ads.cert Digital Signature Verification, in-memory caching for minimizing latency and sampling capabilities to reduce costs Extendable code to support various business uses and reporting requirements The code is available for download at: https://github.com/InteractiveAdvertisingBureau/openrtb3-converter https://github.com/InteractiveAdvertisingBureau/ads-cert-openrtb3-verifier Sam Tingleff, Chief Technology Officer of the IAB Tech Lab, said, Open source code and tool contributions from our members very tangibly help advance industry adoption of critical new technical standards. We look forward to continued collaboration with Media.net and others to further the deployment of OpenRTB 3.0 and support its objectives around anti-fraud, transparency, and security. About Media.net Media.net has one of the most comprehensive portfolios of advertising technology in the industry across search, native, display, mobile, local, products and video. Its platform and products are licensed by some of the largest publishers, ad networks and other ad tech companies worldwide. By market cap, Media.net is one of the Top 5 largest ad tech companies worldwide. By revenue, Media.net is the second largest contextual advertising business worldwide. Media.net has 1300-plus employees in key operation centers acrossNorth America, Europe and Asia. Media.nets US HQ is based in New York, and Global HQ in Dubai. For more on Media.net, visit http://www.media.net. Media Contact: Andy Morris Code Morris for Media.net andy(dot)morris(at)codemorris(dot)com 917-710-1802 Millennium Trust Company, LLC (Millennium Trust), a leading provider of specialized retirement and institutional custody solutions, began 2019 on a high note with $26.4 billion assets under custody and more than 1.2 million accounts at the end of the first quarter. Millennium Trusts accomplishments are a reflection of its continued investments in state-of-the-art technology, innovative service offerings and people development. Millennium Trust was recognized by two organizations for having an outstanding culture and work environment. The firm earned a spot on the Daily Herald Business Ledgers Best Places to Work in Illinois 2019 list and was also awarded Model Workplace of the Year by the Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce. The organization continues to enhance its people initiatives with the launch of a new MTrust Wellbeing Program, which empowers employees to track and improve their health and wellbeing. Millennium Trust has started the year off strong, and we are committed to goals that create a successful environment for our clients and our employees, said Gary Anetsberger, CEO of Millennium Trust. Our firm has grown at a rapid pace, but I am very proud that we have accomplished that while also focusing on developing a strong culture of service and excellence. Retirement Services celebrated a successful first quarter and is approaching 100,000 agreements with plan sponsors and more than one million rollover individual retirement accounts under administration. The firm has continued to act as a leader in the retirement industry with a consistent focus on addressing the issue of retirement readiness. The business also launched its Workplace Savings Solutions product, which provides small and mid-sized businesses and their employees access to easy, affordable retirement options, like SIMPLE, SEP and Payroll Deducted IRAs. Our main goal is to promote retirement readiness for Americans by reuniting them with their funds and providing them with the tools they need to save for retirement, said Terry Dunne, Managing Director of Retirement Services. One key focus of ours going into 2019 is Workplace Savings Solutions, which can help payroll providers and advisors expand their relationships, while increasing access to retirement savings for millions of Americans that dont have access to a workplace retirement program. Institutional Custody Services ended the first quarter with $13.3 billion in fund assets under custody in more than 450 private and public funds. The firm was honored to be a finalist at LendIt Fintech USA 2019 for the Top Service Provider category, which is awarded to the service provider that demonstrates deep expertise and commitment to clients. Also at LendIt Fintech USA 2019, Millennium Trust launched its new Application Programming Interface (API) product to increase access to investments through Self-Directed IRAs. With the Millennium Trust API, investment platforms and advisor systems can seamlessly integrate with Millennium Trusts custody services and create a streamlined user experience for their clients. Overall, we had a very successful quarter on both the individual and institutional side of our business, said Tom Daley, Managing Director of Custody Services. Our Individual Investor Custody team had its best first quarter since 2011 and the second best quarter in history, and our Fund Custody team built key relationships through new safekeeping accounts and 40 Act funds. Millennium Trust's ongoing commitment to providing unmatched service, secure and easy access to investments and trusted expertise has set the tone for what is expected to be a successful 2019. About Millennium Trust Company Millennium Trust Company is a leading provider of specialized retirement and institutional custody services with over 1.2 million accounts holding over $26 billion in assets. We are committed to the evolving needs of individuals, employers, advisors and retirement services partners and empower clients with trusted expertise, exceptional service and access to a wide range of solutions. Whether clients are managing corporate retirement assets, running a business or wanting choice beyond traditional asset options, we provide flexible and digital solutions to support our clients success. Millennium Trust Company performs the duties of a directed custodian, and as such does not provide due diligence to third parties on prospective investments, platforms, sponsors or service providers and does not sell investments or provide investment, legal, or tax advice. For more information about Millennium Trust Company, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Millennium Trust Company and Above and Beyond Custody are registered trademarks of Millennium Trust Company, LLC in the United States. 2019 Millennium Trust Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Monster Energys Donald Cerrone Wins UFC Fight Night 151 Against Al Iaquinta I would love my next fight to be for a title, but if Conor comes in, lets go - Donald Cerrone Monster Energy congratulates Donald Cowboy Cerrone on his win against Al Iaquinta at UFC 151 in the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Canada. In front of over 10,000 live spectators and viewers on ESPN+ 9, the 36-year-old UFC icon from Denver, Colorado emerged victorious from the nights main event via unanimous decision. As the only Monster Energy fighter on the card in Ottowa, Cerrone added to his record of the most career wins in UFC history (36-11) and has been on a tear since returning to the lightweight division earlier this year. The first round saw Cerrone work his opponent with fierce leg kicks to the body, while Iaquinta kept looking for openings to land punches and score a takedown. The pressure increased in round two as Cerrone kept drawing on his Muay Thai background to punish Iaquinta with heavy body and thigh kicks, but also ended up on the receiving end of a few hard right hands from Raging Al. In round three, Cerrone kept chipping away at his opponent by landing hard kicks followed by quick jabs to the face. The round escalated after Cerrone landed a heavy head kick before taking Iaquinta down with a straight left and working him with ground and pound before the bell. Cerrone dropped Iaquinta again with a head kick in the beginning of the fourth round, but the New Yorker was able to defend and even land several left hooks. Cerrone proceeded to pound him with precise kicks and a brilliant punch combo that left Iaquinta visibly bleeding near the end. In the final round, Iaquinta landed more demolishing rights that would leave many other fighters wobbling, but Cerrone continued the barrage of front and body kicks and was named the winner by unanimous decision once the five-round war ended (49-45, 49-45, 49-46). Following the spectacular bout, both fighters were awarded a $50,000 performance bonus. This latest win is the second in a row since Cerrone returned to the lightweight class his original fighting weight division after a brief stint in welterweight. He landed a dominant victory against Alexander Hernandez at UFC Fight Night 143 in January and is back on his way to UFC dominance. Counting his last match in the welterweight division he finished Mike Perry in the first round Cerrones on a three-fight winning streak and seems more motivated than ever to take it to the next level. Whats next for Cerrone? The Cowboy is still gunning for his first world title, especially after the birth of his son Dacson Danger with whom he celebrated in the cage after Saturday nights victory. But if a title bout against champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is not in the cards any time soon, theres a plan B. Cerrone has been asking for a showdown with Conor McGregor his best shot at becoming the no.1 contender in the division and doubled down with a stern message after the fight: July 4th, Conor McGregor. Lets go, dude, lets go. Whether or not the fight with the Irish superstar will happen at UFC 239 in Las Vegas during International Fight Week 2019 remains to be seen, but Cerrone is ready. I would love my next fight to be for a title, but if Conor comes in, lets go, said Cerrone. Donald Cowboy Cerrone is amongst Monster Energys elite UFC team along with, Jon Jones, Conor The Notorious McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Dominick Dominator Cruz, Chris The All American Weidman, Tyron The Chosen One Woodley, Max Holloway, Yair Rodriquez, T.J. Dillashaw, Jessica-Rose Clark, Li Jingliang, Gokhan Saki, Rose Namajunas, and Cris Cyborg. For more on Cerrone and Monster Energys MMA athletes visit http://www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About Monster Energy: Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer and distributor of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, its the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at http://www.monsterenergy.com. "It's Moosewood's world, we're just eating in it." MOOSEWOOD, INC, the original vegetarian and natural foods trailblazer that has served fresh, local, and sustainable globally-inspired dishes since 1973, announced today that it has teamed up with Graj + Gustavsen (G+G), a full-service strategic and creative branding and licensing agency, and Michael Baru (Baru Consulting & Hospitality), a brand strategy, licensing and food media consultant to the hospitality industry, to refresh the brands identity, develop new licensed product opportunities, and extend its reach to new audiences. Moosewood Restaurant began as a small vegetable-centric community restaurant and from those modest beginnings grew into an international culinary icon named one of the 13 revolutionary restaurants that changed American dining forever (Bon Appetit Magazine). Moosewood's commitment to wholesome ingredients and delicious ethnic recipes has resulted in fourteen cookbooks with over five million in-print and three James Beard awards, setting the table for how Americans want to eat today. For 46 years, Moosewood has inspired three generations of cooks and food lovers who share our passion for discovering exciting and delicious combinations of flavors and ingredients, and then coming together over a great meal, said Moosewood's Wynnie Stein. As we look to the future, we are delighted to work with G+G and Michael Baru developing innovative ways for our fans to experience Moosewood and creating new opportunities to connect with consumers who value the ideals and standards we hold dear. Were honored to work with this iconic and beloved food brand. Moosewoods heritage of creating comforting, healthful, and celebratory meals, underpinned by their support of local community and environmental causes, makes them an ideal trusted brand of choice for todays wellness- and values-driven consumer, said Michael Baru. We see opportunity for Moosewood across multiple demographics and categories including institutional food service, restaurants, food and beverage products, cookware, home, beauty, wellness, and apparel, added Eric Gustavsen. For licensing information, please contact Michael Baru at Michael.baru(at)gmail.com. For media inquiries, please contact Wynnie Stein at Wynniestein(at)hotmail.com. About Moosewood: Moosewood Inc. Natural food pioneers are legendary for their creative, vegetarian cooking and iconic Moosewood Restaurant, in continuous operation for 46 years in Ithaca NY. 14 Moosewood Restaurant Cookbooks receive international acclaim and garner numerous James Beard awards and nominations. The restaurant was honored with a James Beard Foundation Americas Classics award. Website: http://www.Moosewoodcooks.com, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/moosewoodcooks, Twitter: @the moosewood, Instagram: Moosewood_Restaurant. Its Moosewoods world. Were just eating in it. Christine Muhlke, NY Times, April 4, 2017 About Graj + Gustavsen: G+G is a full service strategic and creative think tank and brand consultancy that delivers vision to venture products for brand and business growth in the areas of strategy, positioning, design, brand extension, culture, and consumer experience. Through its teams and process, G+G helps brands clarify their reason for being and flourish in a complex marketplace. For more information visit http://www.GGNY.com. About Baru Consulting & Hospitality (BCH): Baru Consulting & Hospitality is a brand positioning, business strategy, licensing and food media consultant to the Hospitality industry. With over 20 years of Hospitality, concept development, consumer product and food media experience, BCHs expertise resides at the intersection of brand positioning, operations, design, marketing, data analytics and authentic brand storytelling. We are pleased to recognize Dr. Christopher Walsh as a UroLift Center of Excellence for his commitment to providing consistent care to BPH patients using the UroLift System treatment NeoTract, a wholly owned subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated (NYSE:TFX) focused on addressing unmet needs in the field of urology, today announced that Christopher Walsh, MD, Metropolitan Group in Wauwatosa, WI, has been designated as a UroLift Center of Excellence. The designation recognizes that Dr. Walsh has achieved a high level of training and experience with the UroLift System and demonstrated a commitment to exemplary care for men suffering from symptoms associated with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate. Recommended for the treatment of BPH in both the American Urological Association and European Association of Urology clinical guidelines, the FDA-cleared Prostatic Urethral Lift procedure using the UroLift System is a proven, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH. The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. The UroLift Center of Excellence program is designed to highlight urologists who are committed to educating their patients on BPH and the UroLift System as a treatment option and consistently seek to deliver excellent patient outcomes and experiences. We are pleased to recognize Dr. Christopher Walsh as a UroLift Center of Excellence for his commitment to providing consistent care to BPH patients using the UroLift System treatment, said Dave Amerson, president of the Teleflex Interventional Urology business unit. This achievement has helped many patients experience durable, long-term relief from the burdensome symptoms of BPH while preserving sexual function*1,2. Over 40 million men in the United States are affected by BPH, a condition that occurs when the prostate gland that surrounds the male urethra becomes enlarged with advancing age and begins to obstruct the urinary system. Symptoms of BPH often include interrupted sleep and urinary problems and can cause loss of productivity, depression and decreased quality of life. Medication is often the first-line therapy for enlarged prostate, but relief can be inadequate and temporary. Side effects of medication treatment can include sexual dysfunction, dizziness and headaches, prompting many patients to quit using the drugs. For these patients, the classic alternative is surgery that cuts, heats or removes prostate tissue to open the blocked urethra. While current surgical options can be very effective in relieving symptoms, they can also leave patients with permanent side effects such as urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and retrograde ejaculation. About the UroLift System The FDA-cleared UroLift System is a proven, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a minimally invasive transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. Clinical data from a pivotal 206-patient randomized controlled study showed that patients with enlarged prostate receiving UroLift implants reported rapid and durable symptomatic and urinary flow rate improvement without compromising sexual function*1,2. Patients also experienced a significant improvement in quality of life. Over 100,000 men have been treated with the UroLift System in the U.S. Most common adverse events reported include hematuria, dysuria, micturition urgency, pelvic pain, and urge incontinence. Most symptoms were mild to moderate in severity and resolved within two to four weeks after the procedure. The Prostatic Urethral Lift procedure using the UroLift System is recommended for the treatment of BPH in both the American Urological Association and European Association of Urology clinical guidelines. The UroLift System is available in the U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada, Mexico and South Korea. Learn more at http://www.UroLift.com. About NeoTract | Teleflex Interventional Urology A wholly owned subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated, the Interventional Urology Business Unit is dedicated to developing innovative, minimally invasive and clinically effective devices that address unmet needs in the field of urology. Our initial focus is on improving the standard of care for patients with BPH using the UroLift System, a minimally invasive permanent implant system that treats symptoms while preserving normal sexual function*1,2. Learn more at http://www.NeoTract.com. About Teleflex Incorporated Teleflex is a global provider of medical technologies designed to improve the health and quality of peoples lives. We apply purpose driven innovation a relentless pursuit of identifying unmet clinical needs to benefit patients and healthcare providers. Our portfolio is diverse, with solutions in the fields of vascular and interventional access, surgical, anesthesia, cardiac care, urology, emergency medicine and respiratory care. Teleflex employees worldwide are united in the understanding that what we do every day makes a difference. For more information, please visit http://www.teleflex.com. Teleflex is the home of Arrow, Deknatel, Hudson RCI, LMA, Pilling, Rusch, UroLift and Weck trusted brands united by a common sense of purpose # # # For Teleflex Incorporated: Jake Elguicze, 610.948.2836 Treasurer and Vice President, Investor Relations Media: Nicole Osmer, 650.454.0504 nicole@healthandcommerce.com *No instances of new, sustained erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction 1. Roehrborn, J Urology 2013 LIFT Study 2.McVary, J Sex Med 2016 MAC00968-01 Rev A I am a true believer in looking past outer appearances and looking to the heart of each individual. I support the unifying concept of love for all people which inspired me to write this book." - Marian S. Taylor In her latest childrens book, Where There Is LoveWe Are One, author Marian S. Taylor has written a story that allows children to gain a greater understanding of diversity and acceptance. Written in easy to follow rhyme along with beautiful illustrations by artist Amy Duarte that demonstrate diversity and interconnectedness, the book also acts as a conversation starter between parents and children concerning the ways everyone is alike as well as how they differ within the over-riding element of love. Taylor was motivated to write Where There Is LoveWe Are One after a career as an educator as well as preparing elementary teachers and reading specialists at the university level. She wants all individuals to respect each other and to look past the differences and find their commonalities. I am a true believer in looking past outer appearances and looking to the heart of each individual, said Taylor. "I support the unifying concept of love for all people which inspired me to write this book." In a world full of challenges, division, and differences there is one concept that unifies all and this book gives children a very clear look at the ways people might be different, but love is the unifying factor, and each person is responsible to bring love and share love in the world. To learn more please visit, http://www.marianstaylor.com. Where There Is LoveWe Are One By Marian S. Taylor ISBN: 978-1-9822-1082-3 (sc); 978-1-9822-1081-6 (e) Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Balboa Press About the author Marian S. Taylor, EdD, is a retired university professor and author. Her career began at the elementary level where she taught first grade and served as a reading specialist. She was director of the university laboratory school and a chairperson of a university department. She taught undergraduate and graduate classes while at the university and spent many years directing the program for the development of reading specialists. Taylor has been very involved with her family and with church activities. She is the mother of three grown children and is very proud of her grandchildren. Review Copies & Interview Requests: LAVIDGE Phoenix Lauren Dickerson 480-998-2600 LDickerson(at)lavidge.com Gov Carney Speaks at EDGE Grant Announcement Small businesses are the engine that drives Delawares economy, Gov. Carney said. We launched this program because want our hardworking entrepreneurs to know that their government is here to help them. If they succeed, our state succeeds. Up-and-coming Delaware small businesses will now have a potential new source of capital to help them expand. As part of National Small Business Week (May 5 to May 11), the Division of Small Business on Monday launched a competitive, matching grant program to assist Delaware entrepreneurs who want to grow their small businesses. Governor John Carney along with Damian DeStefano, director of the Delaware Division of Small Business, which will administer the program, announced the new grants during a news conference at OConnor Belting International in Newark. EDGE Grants (Encouraging Development, Growth & Expansion) are designed to help newer small businesses level the playing field with larger, more established companies by providing a 3-to-1 match for each dollar the business spends on qualified expenses. Small businesses account for 98 percent of all Delaware businesses and employ 55 percent of Delawares workforce. Helping those businesses find access to capital is a key element of Gov. Carneys strategy for growing Delawares economy. Small businesses are the engine that drives Delawares economy, Gov. Carney said. We launched this program because want our hardworking entrepreneurs to know that their government is here to help them. If they succeed, our state succeeds. As many as ten EDGE grants will be awarded in the first round of funding: five grants of up to $100,000 each for science/research-based businesses (STEM Class) and five grants of up to $50,000 each for all other businesses (Entrepreneur Class). Among other requirements, businesses eligible for EDGE must be less than five years old, with no more than 10 employees and be majority located in Delaware. We are thrilled to start working on this new program, and its fitting we are announcing it during National Small Business Week, said DeStefano. The Division was created two years ago to make sure that more focus was put on assisting our home grown businesses. With this tool we are providing resources that will help these business find long-term success. OConnor Belting International started in 2011 and now employs 23 people. It specializes in the fabrication of lightweight custom conveyer belts. Paul OConnor, Sr., the companys president, said OCBI could have benefitted from a program like this in its first years. A program like this would have been a real benefit to us, OConnor said. This kind of access to money for major purchases or investments could certainly go a long way to maintaining positive cash flow, which is so important to a small business, especially early on. EDGE Grant funds must be spent on expenses that will improve a businesss chances for long-term success and help it rise to the next level. Qualified expenses include: acquiring real estate for use in the business purchasing essential equipment investing in website design investing in marketing and advertising expenses related to prototyping a new product The Council on Development Finance (CDF) is excited for the EDGE Grant program, said Fred Sears, CDF Chair and part of the seven-member panel of small business and economic development experts that will select the grantees. We are always looking for ways to better assist new small businesses. This will make money available to companies at a key stage in their development that will position them to be able to grow and expand their business in Delaware. The money for EDGE Grants comes from a federal government grant. Grant applications are available on the Delaware Division of Small Business website, http://www.delbiz.com, and are due June 14 for the first round of funding. Old Dominion Universitys online programs earned a No. 1 ranking as the Top College in Virginia by OnlineColleges.com. Rankings for OnlineColleges.com are evaluated based on factors such as tuition costs, financial aid, academic services, career services and credit offerings. ODU received a score of 98.13. OnlineColleges.com ranks traditional colleges and universities that offer programs online, as well as institutions without traditional campuses. We are proud to offer Old Dominion Universitys world-class programs to our online learners," said Andy Casiello, associate vice president for Distance Learning. "We strive for excellence in online learning and work hard to maintain consistently high quality in all aspects of our operation. As a result of this team effort between our amazing faculty and staff, our student satisfaction rate is over 95%. OnlineColleges.com also notes that Old Dominion University is a Military Friendly Schools Gold Award recipient. That means certain programs are geared toward credits earned through prior military experience. Through ODUOnline, Old Dominion offers bachelor's, master's and doctorate programs, as well as graduate certificates. Areas of study are diverse, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, nursing and education. Student resources also factor into ODU's top rankings. These include academic program advisors, technical support, tutoring, mentoring, library services and more. To learn more, visit https://www.onlinecolleges.com/top-colleges-tool/virginia.html About Old Dominion University Old Dominion University, located in the coastal city of Norfolk, is Virginia's entrepreneurial-minded doctoral research university and has been delivering distance learning programs for 30 years. We offer more than 100 programs through ODUOnline in a variety of formats, allowing students to complete degree programs across the world. ODU serves more than 24,000 students annually by providing the same rigorous academics online and on-campus. Learn more about ODUOnline's programs by visiting online.odu.edu. Owens Group, a third-generation, family-owned and managed insurance firm, is pleased to announce effective immediately executive leadership changes designed to support its continued long-term strategy growth and perpetuation plans. Bob Owens, 69, will assume the role of CEO, and Joe Ehrlich, 52, has been promoted to President of the firm. Owens Group has been providing corporate and individual clients with insurance solutions since 1957, with a footprint that extends throughout the country and abroad. These leadership changes are the next phase in implementing the inter-generational management progression plan at Owens Group. Joe will focus on the overall long-term strategic direction and success of the company while Bob, who joined Owens Group in 1978, will continue to be actively engaged in all of areas of the firms practice. Throughout our 60-plus-year history we have experienced consistent organic growth, commented Bob, due to our core values of integrity, honesty and transparency, and our client-centric culture of developing long-term personal relationships and partnerships. Joe has been committed to fostering these values since joining Owens Group in 2004 and has been instrumental in the companys growth. In his new role, Joe will continue to position us for success well into the future. We have been a longstanding player on the insurance landscape, protecting the dreams and goals of families, individuals, and businesses. I look forward to continuing our roadmap of success while leveraging technology advances and industry innovations to deliver the kind of quality products, services, expertise and talent synonymous with Owens Group, said Joe. For further information, please visit Owens Group Insurance or email info(at)owensgroup.com. About Owens Group Founded in 1957 by Herbert Owens, Owens Group is a third-generation, family-owned insurance business, with many of its corporate and family clients with the firm since it opened its doors. Owens Group offers professional expertise and personalized attention and provides secure and comprehensive personal and business insurance and employee benefits solutions. Headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Owens Group serves clients throughout the United States and worldwide with many of its corporate clients having operations in South America, Europe, and Asia. https://www.owensgroup.com/ "Small businesses are at the core of our national and local economies and helping them grow will only foster economic independence for these entrepreneurs and equality for the communities they serve. Emilia DiMenco, President and CEO of the Womens Business Development Center (WBDC), a nonprofit organization that supports and accelerates business development and growth for women and other minority groups, released the following statement in honor of Small Business Week, which is held May 5-May 11, 2019: With over 28 million small businesses in the U.S. and more than half of all Americans employed by a small business, small business owners are driving economic growth and innovation. Women are playing a huge role in the growth as one of the fastest growing populations of business owners in the country. Astoundingly, four out of every 10 businesses in the U.S is woman-owned. These companies employ eight percent of the total private sector workforce and contribute $1.8 trillion in total revenue each year. As we kick off Small Business Week, the Womens Business Development Center recognizes and applauds the small business owners who wake up every day and pursue their dreams. This week and every week, we strive to support and accelerate business development and growth for these business owners, especially women, minority, and other diverse business owners who continue to be undervalued and underrepresented. We advocate for economic independence through entrepreneurship and helping small business owners pursue opportunities and bring their dreams to life. "Small businesses are at the core of our national and local economies and helping them grow will only foster economic independence for these entrepreneurs and equality for the communities they serve. Last week, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released their list of Small Business Week Award Winners for Illinois and five of the six recipients were women business owners. WBDC client Rosemary Swierk, owner of Direct Steel was recognized as Illinois Rising Star Small Businesses. On behalf of the entire WBDC team, I congratulate Rosemary, and every other Illinois business recognized by the SBA this year, said DiMenco. These inspiring business owners are passionate about the work they do and it is our greatest honor to support them in achieving their goals. The WBDC is hosting the following events to celebrate Small Business Week: May 7th, 2019: Como empezar mi negocio This free program, offered in Spanish will go over the basics of starting a business, including legal structure, how to create a business plan, and the requirements for obtaining financing. The event will be held from 10am to 12pm at the Little Village Chamber of Commerce in Chicago. May 7th, 2019: Is Certification Right for You? The WBDC will present a free webinar about the benefits of Womens Business Enterprise (WBE) certification and help other women business owners determine if they qualify for certification. May 8th, 2019: Sizing Up Your Business Opportunity This workshop offered in Chicago will focus on market research and how business owners should analyze information on consumers, competitors, location, and pricing. May 9th, 2019: WBE Onboarding This free one-hour webinar for certified WBEs will serve as a refresher about how to leverage WBE certification. May 9th, 2019: Leveraging Your Certification If you are newly certified, the WBDC office in Minneapolis is hosting a workshop to teach business owners how to put their certification to good use. For more information on Small Business Week events or services offered by the WBDC, please visit http://www.wbdc.org or call 312-853-3477. About the WBDC The mission of the Womens Business Development Center (WBDC) is to support and accelerate business development and growth, targeting women and serving all diverse business owners, in order to strengthen their participation in, and impact on, the economy. Media Contact Britt Logan britt.logan(at)hawthornestrategy(dot)com (612)-636-2455 Our commitment to the business community has driven us to finding new solutions that will better serve our customers For companies making the switch from paper to digital conversion, this new service is the perfect solution. The process is easy, affordable, and secure. All files are handled by employees that are part of a firm chain of custody, where the procedure is monitored 24/7 by video surveillance. All documents are stored in a secure area that requires digital authorization to access, and no visitors are allowed on the premises without an escort. PROSHRED PROSCANs customized scanning and document managing process ensures that all data is handled properly. While creating digital copies of a business documents, PROSHRED PROSCAN uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology as a unique filing system which makes for easy search and retrieval of all digital data. There are many benefits to losing a hard copy filing system and going digital. Reducing the amount of paper copies in an office will free up space and is more environmentally friendly. So much time is wasted trying to find and file documents the old fashioned way. With PROSCAN Solutions OCR technology, all information is available from a simple search query, and storing data in its proper place has never been simpler. PROSCAN SOLUTIONS will save space, boost efficiency, and improve the workflow of any San Diego business. Desiree Chiles, the owner of PROSHRED San Diego, says that our commitment to the business community has driven us to finding new solutions that will better serve our customers. Seeing the technological strides of today, the decision to add document scanning and management to our services was obvious. PROSHRED has been a leading paper shredding company for over 30 years, and their ability to adapt to the needs of businesses will ensure a continually prosperous future. Current and potential clients can call for a free, no-obligation consultation at 858-324-1900. Online visitors can find out more about PROSCAN SOLUTIONS and how it can benefit their business at: https://www.proshred.com/san-diego/shredding-services/document-scanning-service/. The Quad Innovation Partnership (QIP), the only higher education partnership of its kind in the United States, is pleased to announce its spring semester innovation consulting teams have finalized recommendations for each of their five clients to be presented at Demo Day today on the campus of Colorado College. QIP is comprised of students, staff and faculty from Colorado College, Pikes Peak Community College, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the US Air Force Academy. This diverse group delivers professional-grade recommendations, tactics and solutions for clients, covering a wide range of initiatives and issues that impact the lives of people in southern Colorado and the nation. Each semester, the QIP facilitates teams of interdisciplinary students, expert faculty and professional staff advancing project-based work to benefit the greater community. Demo Day is opportunity to learn about what pivotal projects have been developed this season. This Demo Day, the QIP team will present findings for: Final recommendations made to the Pikes Peak Community Foundation to sustain the impact and future of the oldest urban farm in Colorado: Venetucci Farm Final recommendations made to El Paso County Public Health to improve healthy food access in Colorado Springs Update on research and analysis completed to date on an affordable housing model for seniors for Innovations in Aging Collaborative Final Augmented Reality market research and analysis for local tech firm Altia Final research and recommendations on how electrification will impact the future of energy in Colorado Springs for Colorado Springs Utilities To learn more about QIP and its projects, please click here. This has been a very exciting semester for our team said Jake Eichengreen, Executive Director. Over a short period of time, the student-led teams have completed thorough research, developed innovative, validated recommendations for our five outstanding clients. Nearly 60 percent of our clients are engaged in their second or third projects with us. I am personally proud of how many of our student-alumni are now using what they learned at the Quad in their careers in Southern Colorado. I expect many of these same success stories for the team of students who will wrap up their work with us at Demo Day. Our rapid success is mirrored by our trajectory to realize financial sustainability by 2020, well ahead of our original business plan. About the Quad Innovation Partnership: In 2014 Colorado College, Pikes Peak Community College, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the United States Air Force Academy announced a joint initiative to deepen the ability of graduates to innovate within professional settings in the Pikes Peak Region. As the only partnership combining the capacities, students and faculty of a private liberal arts college, a regional community college, a state research university and a US service academy in the United States, the Quads value is built on the diversity of institutions it represents. All projects the Quad facilitates leverage the combined capacities of these four institutions in order to work together to discover, validate and initiate solutions for public, private and philanthropic clients. A key highlight from the AeroTech Americas conference was The Hangar, which featured programs that focused on visions of the future of aerospace technology, as well as topics that can be transferred to aerospace engineering practices and application. SAE Internationals 2019 AeroTech Americas conference brought together aerospace professionals from around the world to take part in lively discussions and informative presentations. The event was held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Airport Hotel and Convention Center. Boeing served as Platinum Sponsor. A key highlight from the AeroTech Americas conference was The Hangar, which featured programs that focused on visions of the future of aerospace technology, as well as topics that can be transferred to aerospace engineering practices and application. CLICK HERE to see video highlights of the presentations. In addition, the Flight Deck featured a small theater that gave attendees unprecedented interaction that included a Student Poster Competition, along with two workshops: Introduction to Composites Fabrication and Assembly in Aerospace, Space and Transportation; and "Introduction to Propulsion Simulation Using NPSS." Topics and panel discussions from the conference included: Aerospace Market Forecasts USAF Innovative Technologies and Initiatives Supersonic Commercial Transport Unmanned Systems F-35 Modernization A History of Stealth Flying Cars Will you have one in your garage? The 2020 SAE International AeroTech Americas conference will be held March 17-19, 2020, in Pasadena, Calif. Call for papers for the 2020 event is now open. CLICK HERE for more details. SAE International is a global association committed to advancing mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity. By engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical experts and volunteers, we connect and educate mobility professionals to enable safe, clean, and accessible mobility solutions. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including award-winning programs like A World in Motion and the Collegiate Design Series. -http://www.sae.org - New Nautical Coatings, Inc. today announced the appointment of Heath Moldveen to field sales representative for its New England territory. Based in Middletown, Rhode Island, Heath reports to Tommy Craft, vice president of sales, Sea Hawk Paints. His responsibilities include sales, key account management, technical support, customer training and executing new business development initiatives. As Sea Hawk continues to expand in the premium yacht coatings market, effective field sales operations and growth in the New England market is paramount to achieving our corporate goals, said Erik Norrie, Sea Hawk CEO. Heath brings the proven business skills and interpersonal dynamics to create winning strategies for existing customers and develop new business, Norrie added. Prior to joining New Nautical Coatings, Inc. and the Sea Hawk brand, Heath spearheaded regional sales for AkzoNobel Marine and Protective Coatings Division in the North Eastern U.S. and Canada for eleven years. Prior to that he was Assistant Waterfront Director at State University of New York Maritime College. Heath holds a Bachelor of Science from Drexel University and NACE International Institute CIP Level 2 certification. Additionally, he is a New York State Boating Safety instructor, U.S. Power Boat Instructor and Outdoor Emergency Care Technician (OEC). A trendsetter of marine bottom paints, New Nautical Coatings, Inc. and the Sea Hawk brand was established in 1978 and is dedicated to bringing only the highest quality products and customer satisfaction to todays mariner. New Nautical Coatings is family owned and operated with a commitment to excellence. It provides a wide array of application specific marine coating products that include antifouling systems, primers, solvents, and resins. Now offering innovative products globally, the Sea Hawk brand has enjoyed unprecedented growth and continues to grow as its products become more in demand worldwide. For more information, contact Michael O'Keene at (727) 523-8053 or visit http://www.seahawkpaints.com. National lender Sierra Pacific Mortgage Company, Inc. (Sierra Pacific) recently promoted Angela Sykes and Liz Collins to Vice President - Divisional Manager. Angela now heads up Sierra Pacifics Southern California Division, while Liz is now Divisional Manager of Sierra Pacifics Eastern Region. Their new responsibilities include supporting Sierra Pacifics Retail, Wholesale and Correspondent business divisions. Before this promotion, Angela Sykes managed Sierra Pacifics Orange County Regional Center for 15 years. In her new role, Angela is responsible for supporting Retail, Wholesale and Correspondent business originated and fulfilled in its Orange County Fulfillment Center. Liz Collins graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Economics before joining Baltimore American Mortgage as Production/Operations Manager. She joined Sierra Pacific as the Eastern Regions Retail Manager in 2007 and was promoted to Regional Center Manager in 2010. Sierra Pacific founder and CEO Jim Coffrini: Both Liz and Angela have demonstrated outstanding leadership since joining Sierra Pacific. Im confident that their abilities will support our success in 2019 and beyond." Senior Vice President Jay Promisco is equally enthusiastic: Sierra Pacific continues to build a reputation with homebuyers and the broker community by delivering quality products and superior service. These promotions provide Liz and Angela with new opportunities to share their skills with colleagues, staff, wholesale partners and consumers. About Sierra Pacific Mortgage Sierra Pacific Mortgage Company, Inc. is a privately-held company headquartered in Folsom, California. Founded in 1986 by its sole owner and CEO Jim Coffrini, Sierra Pacific is a direct lender that originates through Retail, Wholesale, and Correspondent channels. The Company delivers consistently competitive pricing and products to its Wholesale brokers, correspondents, loan officers and customers as a result of high company production levels and sophisticated capital markets access. We continue to recruit and reward quality originators throughout the United States. Visit http://www.sierrapacificmortgage.com to learn more. Sally Paull, Regeneron; Tibi Guzman, The Arc Westchester; Dr. Marsha Gordon, The Business Council of Westchester; Nancy Patota, The Arc Westchester Foundation Through our Employment Program, our individuals are able to meet their potential and become full contributors to the Westchester community through employment, internships and volunteering. On Fri., April 26, The Arc Westchester hosted its 31st Annual Employer Recognition Breakfast at The DoubleTree Tarrytown. This yearly celebration honors the 250 business and community partners throughout Westchester County that provide employment opportunities to individuals supported by The Arc Westchester. Today, were proud to salute our employers who exemplify a commitment to inclusion in the work place through the development of meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, as well as the employees who continue to make us proud of your success on the job, said Tibi Guzman, The Arc Westchesters executive director and CEO. Through our Employment Program, our individuals are able to meet their potential and become full contributors to the Westchester community through employment, internships and volunteering. Following remarks from Guzman and Michael Orth, Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health, The Arc Westchester hosted its first employer panel, featuring several of the organizations esteemed business partners. Moderated by Sally Paull, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Regeneron, who accepted the Share of Voice Award for the company at the 2018 Employer Recognition Breakfast, the panel featured: Matt Diana, Plant Manager, Cintas; Helene Godin, Founder & CEO, By the Way Bakery: Polly Peace, Executive Director, Country Childrens Center; Joseph Saccomano, Jr., Esq., Office Managing Principal, Jackson Lewis. After hearing the panels insight into employing individuals supported by The Arc Westchester, the awards portion of the morning began. This years award winners included: Bridge to Employment: Feeding Westchester Continuing Partnership: The Mines Press New Business Partnership: Maier Markey and Justic LLP and Stillman Property Management Promoting Independence: Westchester County District Attorney's Office, Yonkers Bureau One of the ceremony highlights was the presentation of the Anthony Cannata Memorial Employee Awards, which is bestowed each year upon an individual or individuals who have surpassed their job expectations and set an example for all employees. This years honoree was Yaniv Gorodischer, who works at Chartwells at PACE University. The Arc Westchesters employment services focus on helping individuals discover their interests, develop their talents and prepare for meaningful careers. Today, more than 600 individuals are currently in jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities throughout Westchester County. About The Arc Westchester The Arc Westchester, founded in 1949, is the largest agency in Westchester County supporting children, teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including individuals on the autism spectrum, and their families. Over 800 employees provide more than 2,000 individuals throughout the county with a broad range of innovative and effective programs and services designed to foster independence, productivity and participation in community life. The mission of The Arc Westchester is to empower children, teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including individuals on the autism spectrum, to achieve their potential by strengthening families and encouraging personal choices, abilities and interests. The Arc Westchester is a chapter of The Arc and The Arc New York. TriCom Technical Services, an information technology staffing agency with deep roots in Kansas City and a track record of measurable results, is now celebrating their 25th anniversary. Years of superior service and devoted partnerships have earned them a reputation for excellence and recognition from their clients, candidates, peer, and communities. In 1994, TriCom started as a small two-person team, working from co-founder Matt Sharples studio apartment to guide tech professionals and businesses toward their goals. Over time, Matt acquired full ownership of the company, evolved the business along with market demand and the economy, and mobilized a team of exceptional staffing and recruiting professionals. Now, their technical staffing firm boasts a strong presence in Kansas City, the Twin Cities, New Jersey, New York, and other metropolitan areas. Through their proven recruiting formula, their business is on track to earn $23 million in revenue this year with their sights set on greater profits in the future. Moreover, TriCom has won ClearlyRateds Best of Staffing Client and Talent award for seven consecutive years and has been named a Staffing Industry Analyst Best Staffing Company 2019. For years, our goal has been to leave a meaningful legacy by helping our clients, candidates, and communities increase their opportunities for success, said Matt Sharples, Managing Partner at TriCom Technical Services. Weve applied a deliberate approach built on innovation, continuous improvement, and deep connection with people to achieve measurable results. Its true that it matters who you work with. In celebration of their milestone anniversary, TriCom will be hosting an event on Friday, May 24th at the Blue Moon Tap Room at Kauffman Stadium. Up to 200 employees, current consultants, clients, and TriCom alumni will gather for food, drink, and fun as the Kansas City Royals face off against the New York Yankees. Attendees will be shown gratitude for their years of trust and partnership leading to everyones shared success. As part of the team since 2013, Ive been fortunate enough to contribute to TriCom in the midst of growth mode, said Charlie Fossell, COO at TriCom Technical Services. We are grateful for those who have entrusted their careers and workforce solutions to us and look forward to surpassing expectations for years to come. Want to keep up with all of the latest news and insight from TriCom? Check out our blog. Visit our Blog - http://www.tricomts.com/insights About TriCom Technical Services - http://www.tricomts.com/ TriCom Technical Services is a best-in-class IT staffing firm that connects top technical professionals with high performing companies. Using a comprehensive, high-touch approach, the TriCom team provides measurable results that outperform competitors locally and nationally. TriCom has won the Client and Talent Diamond awards for Inaveros Best of Staffing, made Forbes 2017 Best Professional Recruiting Firms list, and continuously finds new ways to provide clients and candidates with a partnership that empowers their goals. TurnKey-managed home in Truckee, California, listed on Homes & Villas by Marriott International "As one of the select property management companies included in the launch of Homes & Villas by Marriott International, we're thrilled that the high quality and consistency of TurnKey homes will be offered to Marriotts guests. T.J. Clark, co-founder and CEO of TurnKey TurnKey Vacation Rentals, a leading national vacation rental property manager for luxury and premier homes, today announced that select rental properties will be available on Homes & Villas by Marriott International starting this week. Marriott Internationals new home rental offering provides members of Marriott Bonvoy and all of its guests more options to choose from when looking to book travel. At launch, Homes & Villas by Marriott International will feature TurnKey homes in approximately 36 markets across the U.S., including Austin, Texas; Destin, Florida; North Lake Tahoe, California; Summit County, Colorado; and Park City, Utah. "As one of the select property management companies included in the launch of Homes & Villas by Marriott International, we're thrilled that the high quality and consistency of TurnKey homes will be offered to Marriotts guests, said T.J. Clark, co-founder and CEO of TurnKey. Weve spent years developing the best collection of high-end homes in the business, and TurnKey will continue to provide leadership by expertly curating and managing homes to be featured in the offering. Before being launched to the platform, a selection of TurnKey rental properties were audited and reviewed by Marriott to meet the companys high standards for regulation, design and amenities. This is really a testament to the quality of our homes and the service the TurnKey team delivers across the country, said John Banczak, co-founder and Executive Chairman of TurnKey. This agreement with Marriott International is a critical point in the evolution of vacation rentals, making them a mainstream lodging option. We couldnt be more pleased to be a part of this pioneering moment. Hallmarks of TurnKeys service include: 24/7 support High speed Wi-Fi Premium bed linens and towels Premium bath amenities ABOUT TURNKEY VACATION RENTALS TurnKey Vacation Rentals is a full-service vacation rental property management company for luxury and premium vacation rental homes in top U.S. travel destinations. As a leading vacation rental hospitality brand, TurnKey provides guests with the consistency and quality of a fine hotel experience, while optimizing the management, marketing and return on investment for vacation rental homeowners. Our proprietary smart home technology digital smart locks, FieldSync housekeeping scheduler, HomeDroid tablet, noise decibel monitors and more integrates with local, in-market teams to ensure extraordinary vacation rental experiences for every home, every stay, every time. TurnKey is based in Austin, Texas, and venture-backed by Adams Street Partners, Silverton Partners, Altos Ventures and institutional and angel investors. To learn more, visit TurnKey Vacation Rentals. By drawing on the data and resources of our coalition of corporate and research partners, as well as city benchmarking participants, we aim to deliver a concrete roadmap to becoming a smart city. ESI ThoughtLab announced today the launch of its 2019 Smart City Research Initiative, Building a Hyperconnected City: Business models, use cases, and benchmarks behind high performance. Given the rapid pace of digital change, urban leaders need an evidence-based playbook to help them identify the technologies and data solutions that will provide the greatest social, economic, and business benefits to citizens and companies. Ultimately, by using technology to transform and interlink key elements of their urban ecosystems, smart cities can promote a virtuous cycle of economic growth and social well-being that will attract more business, talent, and investment. Yet urban leaders face a huge information gap on the economics of smart citiesa gap that is impeding the ability of communities to transform into digitally-empowered, sustainable cities of the future. This ground-breaking follow-up to last years study, Smarter Cities 2025, will fill this void by examining the ROI of smart city programs of 100 leading cities around the world of varying sizes and levels of economic development. Businesses and residents around the world are embracing technological innovation faster than many cities can react. With digital change happening in hyper-speed, urban leaders need to act now to bridge the technology gap between their cities and stakeholders, said Lou Celi, CEO of ESI ThoughtLab. But to make this happen, city leaders need rigorous analysis on the smart investments and practices that will drive the best economic, business, and social outcomes. To provide city leaders with the analysis they need to create digitally-enabled and interlinked urban ecosystems, ESI ThoughtLab has formed a coalition of top companies with expertise in key sectors within cities. This coalition includes Deloitte, Oracle, Eaton Lighting, NTT Group, Stantec, Pennoni, Nokia, Cognizant, and Visa. The coalition also comprises research leaders from the private and public sectors, including the Organization for International Economic Relations (OiER), the Penn Institute of Urban Research, the IESE Business School Cities in Motion, MetroLab Network, Viable Cities, the Smart Cities Council, Renaissance Urbaine, ANBOUND, the Re-Imagining Cities Foundation, and more. Comprehensive evidence-based analysis Working together with the coalition of companies and research partners, ESI ThoughtLabs team of urban experts, economists, and thought leadership specialists will draw on advanced analytics and economic models to conduct this comprehensive research program. The program will include: A rigorous benchmarking study of 100 smart cities of varying sizes, locations, and levels of economic development; Development of a database including data from the smart cities themselves, respected secondary sources, and corporate and research members of the coalition; Analysis of smart city investments and returns in all parts of a citys ecosystem, including mobility and transportation, energy and the environment, IT infrastructure and telecoms, water and waste management, buildings and infrastructure, safety and health, and talent and education; Measurement of performance impacts from the use of emerging technologies, including AI, blockchain, IoT, cloud, open platforms, 5G, data warehouses/lakes, mobile apps, virtual and augmented reality, and drones and robots; Creation of bespoke cost-benefit models quantifying the impact and payback period of smart city investments across the urban ecosystem; and In-depth interviews with key city leaders to gain insight into best practices and proven use cases of smart initiatives, with ROI analysis, in key areas of the urban ecosystem. ESI ThoughtLab will conduct the research over the next eight months and release the results at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona in late November. The program output, which will be provided for free, will include an eBook, executive summary, city benchmarking platform, and a microsite that urban leaders can use to help them drive high performance from their smart city initiatives. By drawing on the data and resources of our coalition of corporate and research partners, as well as city benchmarking participants, we aim to deliver a concrete roadmap to becoming a smart city, said Dr. Daniel Miles, ESI ThoughtLabs Chief Economist and Research Manager for the program. Additional information can be found by visiting: https://econsultsolutions.com/esi-thoughtlab/hyperconnected-city/ For more information, you can also contact: Lou Celi, CEO, ESI ThoughtLab | 917-459-4614 | Lceli(at)esithoughtlab.com Daniel Miles, Ph.D., Chief Economist, ESI ThoughtLab | 215-171-2777 | Dmiles(at)esithoughtlab.com About our research coalition ESI ThoughtLab is an innovative research firm providing fresh ideas and actionable insights through rigorous data analysis. We specialize in assessing the impact of technological, economic, and demographic shifts on companies, industries, and cities. ESI ThoughtLab s team of seasoned economists and thought leaders have many years of experience in conducting urban analysis. Cognizant is a multinational corporation that provides IT and business services, including digital, technology, consulting, and operations services. Cognizants industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax, and advisory services to many of the worlds most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 5,000 private and middle market companies. Our people work across the industry sectors that drive and shape todays marketplace to make an impact that matters delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthy society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Eaton Lighting delivers an industry-leading portfolio of innovative lighting solutions for connected buildings, homes and communities, including reliable indoor and outdoor smart lighting, and control solutions specifically designed to simplify and personalize lighting for consumers, help solve complex business challenges, and leverage data insights to meet customers unique needs. Eaton lighting solutions serve a wide range of customers, including architects, engineers, facility managers, municipal leaders, electrical distributors, and contractors in the commercial, industrial, retail, institutional, residential, utility, and other markets. For more information, visit Eaton.com/lighting Nokia creates the technology to connect the world. Powered by the research and innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, we serve communications service providers, governments, large enterprises, and consumers, with the industrys most complete, end-to-end portfolio of products, services, and licensing. We adhere to the highest ethical business standards as we create technology with social purpose, quality, and integrity. Nokia is enabling the infrastructure for 5G and the Internet of Things to transform the human experience. NTT Group is one of the worlds largest ICT companies with more than $100 billion in sales and business footprints in 88 countries and regions, inheriting our story of innovation for more than 120 years. To learn more about NTTs Smart Platform and how the company is accelerating Smart Cities globally, visit NTTs website (http://www.ntt.co.jp/news2018/1805e/180502a.html) and watch the case study on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVpX57OvWE8&feature=youtu.be). NTT Group accelerates customers digital agenda with full stack, full life cycle capabilities, and world leading research and development, resulting in more than 88 Fortune 100 companies as customers. For more information, visit http://www.ntt-global.com. Oracle offers a complete suite of integrated applications plus highly automated and secure generation 2 infrastructure featuring the Oracle Autonomous Database. With Oracle, customers can modernize their operations and take advantage of emerging technologies to better engage citizens and serve their communities. Visit us at http://www.oracle.com Pennoni is a consulting engineering firm providing services that help communities and private sector clients alike navigate the ever-changing technological advancements available and learn how best to integrate smart solutions into todays built environment. As part of their involvement in the smart city initiative, they utilize and continue to discover new and innovative methods in the delivery of services for smart, sustainable, and resilient solutions for projects across the globe. Across all market sectors, Pennoni works with project owners, end users, stakeholders, and teaming partners to develop solutions that truly make Pennoni Partners For Whats Possible. Stantec designs with community in mind. We care about the communities we servebecause theyre our communities too. This allows us to assess whats needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances, and envision whats never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success. Were designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe. Visa is the worlds leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network -- enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The companys relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network, and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa, https://usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/blog.html and @VisaNews. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (DTTL), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as Deloitte Global) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the Deloitte name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see http://www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms. Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL) sponsored the Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, Inc. (AVDA) Heart of a Woman Luncheon. The annual fundraiser was held on Feb. 28 at the Royal Palm Yacht Club in Boca Raton. The event began at 10:30 a.m. and included speakers, networking, lunch and a luxury raffle. VCGFL is a long-term supporter of AVDAs fundraising events. The work that AVDA does is life-changing for so many who are affected by domestic violence. We are honored to support them. It is critical to continuously raise awareness, says Sandra Lawson, director of operations, Venture Construction Group of Florida, founder of Gemmas Angels Foundation. The event keynote speaker, Tarana Burke, is the founder of the 'me too movement. Burke has more than 25 years of dedication to social justice. The #metoo hashtag campaign became a voice for those who have survived sexual assault and harassment. Burke shared her story on how the international movement began, and how it supports survivors. AVDAs mission is to promote violence-free relationships by offering alternative choices to end the cycle of domestic abuse and violence. AVDA provides a state-certified domestic violence center, 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency and transitional housing, advocacy and counseling to help victims live violence-free and self-sufficient lives. AVDAs philosophy - prevention through education, advocacy and intervention is the ultimate goal. We were honored to have Tarana speak this year. What a powerful story! The me too. movement has helped many who were suffering in silence come out of the woodwork, eliminate their shame and reclaim their voice. We have seen a prominent rise in calls since the movement began. AVDA diligently works throughout the community to help engage and educate. VCGFLs support helps make our mission possible, says Jennifer Rey, program services director, Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse. VCGFL is a major advocate for giving back to the community. Ongoing domestic violence initiatives are encompassed in the companys annual corporate giving campaign. Recent events and sponsorships include the AVDAs 19th Annual Race for Hope in Lake Worth, Kendra Scott Gives Back Party in Boca Raton benefitting AVDA and the Gemmas Angels Foundation, Domestic Violence Awareness Month Ceremony in West Palm Beach, Legal Aid Service of Collier County (LASCC) Take a Stand Against Domestic Violence 5K Run/ Walk in Marco Island, Purple Pajama Party in Stuart to raise funds to support programs to help families in need of secure living environments. About Venture Construction Group of Florida Founded in 1998, Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL) is a licensed general contractor and an award-winning leader in construction, restoration, renovations, roofing, storm damage repairs, and 24/7 emergency services throughout Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas and the Caribbean. Specializing in commercial projects, VCGFL assists property management companies, condo associations, multi-family structures, hi-rises, retail/business plazas, government facilities, hotels and resorts with comprehensive general contractor services, restoration, mitigation, specialty construction, historical restoration, remodels, property repairs and rebuilds due to fire, flood, water, wind, hail, and hurricane damage. VCGFL holds leading industry awards including the Roofing Alliance MVP Award, Coatings Pro Contractor Award, Pro Remodeler Forty Under 40 Award, Qualified Remodeler Top 500 Remodelers Award, Qualified Remodeler Master Design Award, Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association S.T.A.R. Spotlight Trophy for the Advancement of Roofing Awards in Sustainability and Community Service. CEO Stephen Shanton is a proud member of the prestigious Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). Entrepreneur Magazine hails YEC Consists of Some of the Most Well-Respected Minds in Entrepreneurship. With offices in Boca Raton, Ft. Myers, Naples, Orlando, Panama City Beach, Stuart, Tampa, San Juan, and Nassau, VCGFL is committed to operational excellence and exceptional customer service. VCGFL carries the industrys leading accreditations and is an exclusive certified National Storm Damage Center Preferred Contractor, Windstorm Insurance Network WIND Certified Umpire, WIND Certified Appraiser, WIND Certified Fellow, Certified Member of the United Association of Storm Restoration Contractors, Platinum Preferred Certified Contractor with the National Insurance Restoration Council. VCGFL is a proud member of Insurance Appraisal and Umpire Association (IAUA), Restoration Industry Association (RIA), Property Liability and Resource Bureau (PLRB), Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA), Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Industry Members Association (EIMA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). VCGFL is a registered U.S. Federal Government Contractor and holds leading certifications including Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, Mule-Hide Legacy Contractor, Certified CertainTeed Contractor and Duro-Last Certified Contractor status. VCGFL credentials have been vetted and screened through independent third party Global Risk Management Solutions. For more information call 866-459-8351 or visit us online at http://www.VCGFL.com. About Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse (AVDA) AVDA has been a safe haven for thousands of victims of domestic abuse. Adults and children are provided 24-hour, 7 days a week emergency shelter, crisis counseling, food, clothing, individual and group counseling services. AVDA promotes violence-free relationships and social change by offering alternative choices to end violence and domestic abuse. Learn more at http://www.avdaonline.org/. Media Inquiries: Jennifer Greenawalt Elev8 Consulting Group Ph: 386.243.5388 Em: info(at)elev8cg.com Web: http://www.elev8cg.com Mr. Kapres, who is Versatexs sales and marketing VP stated Were thrilled to have both of them on board as Versatex distributors. Theyll make it easier than ever for retail customers to get their hands on our materials. This week Rick Kapres, a spokesman for Versatex Building Products, LLC, welcomed: Klumb Lumber, based in Greenville, Tenn., and Wholesale Millwork, with multiple Mid-Atlantic locations into the Versatex distribution network. Klumb Lumber will distribute Versatex products across eastern Tennessee, southeastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, and western North Carolina. Wholesale Millwork will stock Versatex products at distribution centers in Richmond, Va. (for southern Virginia); in Reading, Pa. (for eastern Pennsylvania); and in Mays Landing, N.J. (for all of New Jersey). Both companies deliver exceptional service to the lumber dealers and building-supply companies within their footprints, said Mr. Kapres, who is Versatexs sales and marketing VP. Were thrilled to have both of them on board as Versatex distributors. Theyll make it easier than ever for retail customers to get their hands on our materials. Serving independent retailers throughout the Mid-Atlantic region since 2003, Wholesale Millwork concentrates on products for custom residential builders and remodelers. According to Wholesales VP of Purchasing, Sean Ellis, We work hard to provide superior design in quality materials and finishes that exceed the standards of most industry manufacturers. Klumb Lumber has been family-owned and -operated for almost 70 years. Philip Humphreys, Klumbs Territory Manager, said, Our paramount concern is the kind of customer service that helps you build your business. Wherever you are, our extensive inventory makes it easier for you to service your contractors in a timely, cost-efficient manner. An innovative manufacturer of maintenance-free, easy-to-install PVC architectural trim since 2004, Versatex is based in Pittsburgh. Were all building-industry professionals, said Mr. Kapres, and we never stop finding ways to inject greater value into our products. But making things well is only half the battle. Were equally focused on smoothing out the supply chain for dealers, lumberyards and home-improvement centers. Collaborating with top-notch distributors like Klumb and Wholesale reinforces our leadership in that direction, every day. About Versatex Weather-resistant, long-lasting VERSATEX trim materials and systems are manufactured by Versatex Building Products, LLC, of Pittsburgh, where state-of-the-art facilities produce cellular PVC extrusion products such as VERSATEX trimboards, sheet, T&G, mouldings, prefabricated corners and one-piece column wraps; the innovative VERSATEX soffit system; dimensionally compatible VERSATEX Max nominal 2-by boards; and the VERSATEX Canvas Series, which pairs the beauty of wood with the durability of PVC. Details are posted at http://www.versatex.com. We want TXTI to be a business win for content creators, for travel brands and for the entire Texas tourism industry. Marla Roe - Chair, VisitDFW As influencer marketing continues its explosive growth in the tourism and travel sectors, VisitDFW today announced the launch of Texas only dedicated annual conference for travel content creators and influencer marketers. The first annual Texas Travel IdeaFest (TXTI) event will be held Friday October 18, 2019 in Arlington, Texas at the brand new Live! by Loews-Arlington hotel. In todays complex travel and tourism marketing ecosystem, travel influencers have emerged as one of the most sought out travel information sources by consumers, explained VisitDFW Chair and Visit Frisco executive director, Marla Roe. TXTI is about building collaborative relationships and best practices between tourism content creators and marketers in an important tourism marketing space thats evolving every day. We want TXTI to be a business win for content creators, for travel brands and for the entire Texas tourism industry. VisitDFWs February 2019 ScreenShot survey revealed that almost 50% of consumers believed that travel influencers and content creators were significantly influential in informing their travel decisions. By comparison, fewer than 10% of consumers perceived that each of web, print, TV and email marketing were significantly influential. With the continued growth of tourism in DFW and the state of Texas, its no surprise that there is a highly active group of travel content creators developing compelling content about Texas for rapidly expanding audiences. said Casey Walker, content creator and Founder at Streets, Beats and Eats. I am thrilled that TXTI is creating a space for new content ideas to be shared and a way for us to most effectively work with travel boards across the state to reach our audiences. This is only the beginning!" Arlington will play host to the inaugural TXTI at the brand new Live! by Loews-Arlington Hotel. Arlington is a perfect location for Travel IdeaFest! We are a top tourism destination at the forefront of rapid, positive development that embodies the nation-leading growth of the DFW metroplex over the last few years, said Arlington CVB CEO Ron Price. "We look forward to welcoming everyone to Arlington! While the program is still being finalized, sessions will be formatted as small workshops where content creators and tourism marketers can collaboratively discuss key topics and best practices in influencer marketing. Recognizing the importance of relationship development between content creators and marketers, there will be ample white space time for networking between sessions as well as at hospitality events provided by sponsors. Influencer marketing has become a cornerstone marketing element for tourism destinations and brands of all sizes, said VisitDFW CEO Bruce MacMillan. The overall objective of the event is to build content creation and influencer marketing excellence through education and collaboration. Content creators looking to develop new relationships and ideas with tourism destinations and visitor experience brands will find new content ideas, networking opportunities with travel brands and insights to perform better. Destinations and travel brands that create/distribute compelling content to engage visitors will find new influencer collaboration opportunities and content marketing insights to enhance marketing results. Registration and content details will be announced in May. ABOUT VISITDFW VisitDFW is a collaborative venture of Dallas Fort Worth-area tourism stakeholders committed to creating and publishing authentic travel stories and content that make visitor travel to DFW remarkable. Established as an IRS 501(C)(6) not-for profit association, VisitDFW stakeholders include all major DFW-area destination marketing organizations as well as key brands and businesses. More information on VisitDFW and TXTI can be found at VisitDFW.com or by contacting Bruce MacMillan (conversations@visitdfw.com). ABOUT TEXAS TRAVEL IDEAFEST Texas Travel IdeaFest (TXTI) is Texas only annual travel content creator and tourism marketer community event dedicated to building influencer marketing excellence through education and collaboration. The primary engagement channels for TXTI are @TravelIdeafest (Instagram) and @Visit_DFW (Twitter). Detailed content and registration information on TXTI can be found at TravelIdeaFest.com. ## Mazen Ghalayini is an entrepreneurial and compassionate leader who has been playing a vital role in advancing West Monroes capabilities and reputation since our early days as a company. West Monroe Partners, a national business and technology consultancy, today announced that the leader of its Customer Experience practice, Mazen Ghalayini, has been named one of Consulting magazines Top 25 Consultants for 2019. Ghalayini, a managing director based in Chicago, earned the Excellence in Leadership award in recognition of his accomplishments in practice and people development. Ghalayini leads West Monroes Customer Experience practice and is a member of the executive team. Ghalayini launched the firms Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capability in 2010 and has guided its growth and evolution through multiple acquisitions. Today, the Customer Experience practice is represented in six West Monroe offices and helps organizations gain competitive advantage through the delivery of a differentiated customer experience to win the battle for customers. Over the course of his career, Ghalayini has personally advised many clients as they navigate the journey to become customer-centric organizations that deliver effective, profitable, and engaged customer experiences. To win this award is such a tremendous honor. More than being a great consultant and subject matter expert, I want to enable the greatness of others, Ghalayini said. By far, the most enjoyable and rewarding aspect of my role is leading and developing people at the firm and at client organizations. That is why I have stayed in the consulting profession. Ghalayini, who joined West Monroe in 2004, has twice received the firms Sequoia Award for leadership and mentorship. Mazen Ghalayini is an entrepreneurial and compassionate leader who has been playing a vital role in advancing West Monroes capabilities and reputation since our early days as a company, said Chief Operating Officer Doug Armstrong. More significantly, he embodies our mission to build the next generation of leaders and has personally guided the growth and development of many others, in multiple practices and offices. Consulting magazine publishes the annual list of the Top 25 Consultants to recognize top professionals in the industry. Ghalayini and the other recipients are featured in the April/May issue of Consulting magazine and will receive their awards at a gala dinner at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City on June 13. About West Monroe Partners West Monroe is a national business and technology consulting firm that partners with dynamic organizations to reimagine, build, and operate their businesses at peak performance. Our team of more than 1,100 professionals is comprised of an uncommon blend of business consultants and deep technologists. This unique combination of expertise enables us to design, develop, implement, and run strategic business and technology solutions that yield a dramatic commercial impact on our clients profitability and performance. For more information, visit http://www.wmp.com. Carrying liability auto insurance is important for every driver. The liability coverage is a driver's first line of defense if he causes an accident, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that explains the advantages offered by liability auto insurance. For more info and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/what-is-liability-auto-insurance/ In most states, liability coverage is the minimum required coverage in order to drive legally. Without this coverage, drivers risk losing their licenses and hefty fines. Causing an accident without carrying liability coverage can make the driver pay enormous bills for the damage they caused. Liability coverage has two main components: Bodily injury liability coverage. It covers others people bodily injuries if a policyholder is at-fault in a car accident. It also provides legal defense if another party involved in the accident decides to sue the policyholder. In general, bodily injury liability covers up to the policyholders limits the following claims: medical expenses of an injured party, loss of income, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering. Property damage liability coverage. It covers property damage caused by the policyholder to another party involved in an accident he caused. Damages done to vehicles, fences, buildings, poles, and many others are covered by this policy. Liability insurance is usually broken into three amounts: limit per person for bodily injury, per accident limit bodily injury, and a property damage limit. For example, 25/50/25 can be read as follow. First number 25, represents $25,000 and is the maximum amount a policy will pay for medical expenses of a single person involved in an accident. Second number 50, represents $50,000 and is the maximum amount a policy will pay for the medical expenses of all injured persons in an incident. The third number 25, represents $25,000 and is the amount of property damage this policy will pay if the policyholder is at fault in an accident. For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. The nonprofit, public and private sectors need to work together to better prepare young adults for the jobs of the future jobs that provide opportunities for advancement and a sense of fulfillment." - Gerald Chertavian, Year Up Founder and CEO The workforce training nonprofit Year Up announced today that its Founder and CEO, Gerald Chertavian, will participate in a panel discussion on The Future of Work: Opportunity, Threat or Both today at 6:30 pm at WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. Joseph E. Aoun, President of Northeastern University and author of "Robot-Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" and Zeynep Ton, Professor at MIT Sloan School of Management, co-founder and president of the nonprofit Good Jobs institute, and author of "The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs & Boost Profits will join Chertavian to discuss the challenges of an equitable and productive workforce in a world of rapidly increasing inequality, automation and education costs. As we think about jobs of the future, we need to begin with company practices of today, said Ton. The companies that will adapt to changing technology and customer expectations are those with systems that maximize the motivation, productivity, and contribution of all of their employees. The panel will examine real life cases, including how Year Ups demand-driven model provides employers with the skilled, motivated talent they need while ensuring young adults can access meaningful careers at top companies. The nonprofit, public and private sectors need to work together to better prepare young adults for the jobs of the future jobs that provide opportunities for advancement and a sense of fulfillment, said Chertavian. President Aoun and Professor Ton have done extensive research into how colleges and companies can innovate to ensure a thriving workforce. Programs like Year Up show that progress is possible and that we can provide economic opportunity for all people in our society. Im glad to have partners in the movement for social and economic justice. Last year, a federally-sponsored evaluation of Year Up showed a 53% increase in initial earnings for young adults randomly assigned to Year Up compared with similar young adults in a control groupthe largest impacts on earnings reported to date for a workforce program tested in a randomized controlled trial. The event is open to the public, with tickets available for purchase here. About Year Up Year Up is an award-winning, national 501(c)3 organization that enables motivated young adults ages 18-24 to move from minimum wage to meaningful careers in just one year by providing the skills, experience, and support they need to reach their full potential. Through a one-year, intensive program, Year Up utilizes a high-expectations, high-support model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, coursework eligible for college credit, and corporate internships at more than 250 top companies. Its holistic approach focuses on students' professional and personal development to enable young adults with a viable path to economic self-sufficiency and meaningful careers. Year Up has served more than 24,000 young adults since its founding in 2000, and will serve more than 4,700 young adults in 2019 across 25 U.S. cities including Arizona, Baltimore, Bay Area, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, the National Capital Region, New York City, Puget Sound, Rhode Island, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Wilmington. Year Up has been voted one of the Best Non-Profits to Work For by The NonProfit Times for eight consecutive years, and rated a 4-star charity by Charity Navigator for twelve consecutive years, placing them in the top 1% of tracked organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.yearup.org, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Zina L. Hassel, CEO, and founder of ZLH Enterprises, a white glove, concierge technology consultancy, was honored by The 17th Annual American Business Awards and received a Bronze Stevie Award in the prestigious Woman of the Year category for the Business Services Industries. The American Business Awards are the premier business awards program in the United States. All organizations operating in the US are eligible to submit nominations public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. This has been an exciting year of transformation for our team as we expanded our reach into evolving levels of technology and accelerated the growth of our business without sacrificing the high standards of customer service delivered to our clients, said Zina L. Hassel, CEO, ZLH Enterprises. While this award may have my name on it, ZLH Enterprises success is a tribute to the dedication and commitment of my entire team and our combined achievements. The Stevie Awards for Woman of the Year in Business Service Industries honors women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run, worldwide. Hailed as the worlds premier business awards, more than 3,800 nominations from organizations of all sizes in virtually every industry. Following a month of judging by over 200 business professionals from around the world, winners were announced on May 1, 2019. As a woman in technology, it has always been my mission and pleasure to continue mentoring young women and to encourage them to join me in the technology industry. I will honor this esteemed award as a platform to present the opportunity for all women. Although the American Business Awards judges are anonymous, one of them made this special note - This is a powerful example of female leadership in action! "The nominations submitted for The 2019 American Business Awards were outstanding. The judges found the competition to be intense, and those recognized as Stevie Award winners should be immensely proud of this accomplishment," said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2019 Stevie winners are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA. About ZLH Enterprises Founded by Zina L. Hassel, ZLH Enterprises began as a telecommunications business solutions provider two decades ago. Since then the business has transformed into a technology consultancy dedicated to assisting small, medium and enterprise customers in navigating the continuous disruption in the technology industries. ZLH Enterprises provides solution evaluation, development, and implementation for a diverse portfolio of VoIP, Connectivity, Security, Cloud Computing, Data Center, and AI products. Customer Service is the number one priority of the entire team resulting in a white glove, concierge service to our clients and earning the role of trusted advisor. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. Press contact: Pati Ross-Concepcion Pati(at)ZLHent(dot)com Premium online access is only available tosubscribers. If you have an active subscription and need to set up or change your password, please click here New to PW? To set up immediate access, click here. NOTE: If you had a previous PW subscription, click here to reactivate your immediate access. PW site license members have access to PWs subscriber-only website content. If working at an office location and you are not "logged in", simply close and relaunch your preferred browser. For off-site access, click here. To find out more about PWs site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com. Louie Giglio has spent more than two decades listening to stories of struggle as the pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, Ga., which draws more than 8,000 people each week. The author of Goliath Must Fall and The Comeback, he has also launched a movement to empower and guide college-age young adults via the annual Passion Conferences, which he founded with his wife, Shelley, in 1997. These experiences have led 60-year-old Giglio to identify an "unmistakable connection" among many of the people he's ministered and the problems they face: broken relationships with their fathers. "That's not to say that all our troubles are traced back to our dads," Giglio says, "but rather that, for better or worse, our fathers leave an undeniable mark on our lives that stays with us and shapes our confidence, our identities, and our picture of what life is supposed to be like." His newest book, Not Forsaken, is the culmination of years of biblical study and teaching others how to view God as a flawless fathera source of love, acceptance, and guidance. "We all have different experiences with our dads, but the craving for our father's approval is the same," he writes in Not Forsaken. "No matter the story [one has] with their earthly father, they are loved sons and daughters of a perfect heavenly father." Adjusting one's perception of God is central to Giglio's message. He envisions neither a "frail, old grandpa type" nor an angry, wrath-filled deity; rather, he advocates for an image of God that reflects what is written in the Bible. "There are lots of other views out there," Giglio says, "but the problem with them all is that a flawed view of God leads to a flawed life." He draws on his complicated but loving relationship with his own late father to explore the lingering effect fathers can have on their children. "It's amazing to see how our interactions with our dads resurface later in our lives," he says. For example, Giglio describes the disapproval and rejection he felt after revealing to his father his intention to become a pastor. The interaction resulted in years of pain from which Giglio is still in the process of healing. "I'm working through my relationship with my dad, too," he says, "making the pilgrimage to discover and relate to God as the perfect version of my earthly dad." The book also addresses deeply negative and even abusive relationships between children and their fathers, as well as the growing number of children who grow up without a father. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one in every four children lives in a fatherless householda statistic that helped spur Giglio to write Not Forsaken. Even with challenging or harmful histories related to one's father, he believes freedom and healing are possible. "The most significant privilege of being a pastor is being invited into people's pain," Giglio says. "Our wounds are deep and our pain is real, and it's not enough that we offer spiritual platitudes to one another." Instead, he says, "we are chosen, loved, prized, wanted, and believed in by a father who is perfect in every way." In addition to founding Passion City and the Passion Conferences, Giglio and his wife own sixstepsrecords, which produces worship music used during church services, Christian events, and at conferences such as Passion and the Passion Global Institute, which offers Christian leadership and biblical studies classes that can be applied to any degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. The next Passion Conference for young adults ages 1825 is taking place from December 31 to January 2 at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium and is expected to be the biggest yet. "Contrary to much of the press we see about the indifferent and declining spiritual climate of this generation," Giglio says, "we'll see tens of thousands of young people choosing to ring in the New Year in worship and prayer." CODE RED, MATT STRIKER, LAX, SABU AND MORE: IMPACT WRESTLING NEWS AND NOTES Add former WWE star and Lucha Underground announcer Matt Striker to the list of those working for Impact Wrestling as a Producer. He worked the TV taping Friday and last night's Cody Red iPPV. He also made appearances as an interviewer. The original plan for last night's Code Red show in NYC main event was Brian Cage defending the Impact title against Sami Callihan, but with Cage injuring his back at the Rebellion PPV, Tommy Dreamer was placed against Callihan. Given New York is his hometown, it made sense and Dreamer did a good job of putting Callihan over, despite being (as he always is) banged up. There's no word on when Cage will return. The big talk of the locker room over the weekend was Sabu's performance at the TV taping this past Saturday in Philly, where he was on fire and worked like it was 1995. There was a moment in the six man tag he worked where Sabu hit an insane DDT and the entire Impact locker room exploded backstage. We are told that Sabu was very emotional backstage after the match as it was in the 2300 Arena and it was the highest profile match he's had in some time. We are told Sabu is not back with Impact full-time but the door is open for future appearances. Last night's iPPV was titled Code Red because the original plan for the United We Stand event last month over Wrestlemania weekend was for The Amazing Red to capture the X in the Ultimate X match and challenge Rich Swann for the title in his home promotion and building. Red announced on 4/1 that he has been advised by doctors that he needed to retire immediately. We are told it's a neck issue. Red was not at the show last night. Johnny Impact ended up with the Ultimate X match win instead. Those at Impact we spoke to last night at Code Red pegged the Friday taping attendance at 350-400 (more than the estimate we received from multiple people) and Saturday at 450-500, which is about the same estimate. Code Red had in the 500-600 range last night. Anthem Wrestling President Ed Nordholm was at all the events over the weekend and is slated for meetings in NYC this week. The company remains very positive on a new potential TV home this fall and are very much playing the long game, working on goals on where they want the company in 2-3 years, as opposed to where it will be a month from now. Among those at the show last night were former WWE NXT star Bull James, who has dropped 30 lbs and looked great coming off his tour of DDT in Japan. The North are really coming along as a working tag team and you can see the potential in them cast as a modern day Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson. If Impact plays their cards right, they can be a legitimate main event team to book against LAX. Speaking of LAX, the push to sign them by Impact to a new, long-term deal continues. It was apparent last night in NYC they were the most popular act on the show and are very much in a position where it's the right time and place for them as given the nuclear arms race to sign talents right now, they will very much be in demand. Last night was very much a homecoming for them and they had a lot of family members in attendance at Code Red. The 6/8 Philadelphia and 6/9 Long Island Impact iPPV and Twitch broadcasts are very much still House of Hardcore shows, with Impact talents appearing and Impact getting the broadcast rights for the show. They remain HOH events officially. 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! Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. OK WASHINGTON Key House lawmakers announced their bill Friday to bar the sale of the F-35 warplane to Turkey if Ankara buys the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system. The bipartisan trio of senior House Armed Services Committee members Reps. Mike Turner, R-Ohio; John Garamendi, D-Calif., and Paul Cook, R-Calif., sponsored the bill, a companion to a bipartisan bill from Sen. James Lankford, R-Kan., and others. Both bills are called the Protecting NATO Skies Act of 2019. A century ago, the United States managed an international crisis over Venezuela. The Venezuelan national assembly has held that the country's 2018 presidential election country was illegal and that Juan Guaido, not Nicolas Maduro, is the lawful president. As a result, Venezuela is undergoing an internal political crisis while also owing significant financial debts to Russia and China. To protect their interests, these rising great powers have deployed military forces to the region and are increasing the number of diplomats and intelligence operatives in Latin America. They are also directly protecting Maduro from his own government and people. As it considers how best to deal with the threat of hostile foreign governments covertly taking control in Venezuela, the Trump administration would be well advised to examine the lessons from the last great Venezuelan crisis over 100 years ago. This article is published as part of the Small Wars Journal and Divergent Options Writing Contest which runs from March 1, 2019 to May 31, 2019. More information about the writing contest can be found here. Sam Canter is an Infantry Officer in the United States Army and has completed an MA in Military History at Norwich University, where his thesis focused on the failures of the Revolution in Military Affairs. Divergent Options content does not contain information of an official nature nor does the content represent the official position of any government any organization, or any group. Title: An Assessment of Population Relocation in 21st Century Counterinsurgencies Date Originally Written: March 28, 2019. Date Originally Published: May 6, 2019. Summary: Despite its endlessly debated efficacy, population relocation represents a frequently employed method of counterinsurgency warfare. Notwithstanding the military usefulness of this technique, its deployment in the 21st century is increasingly tied to questions of human rights and international law. As other methods of counterinsurgency fail, population relocation will continue to hold the fascination of military planners, even as it grows increasingly controversial. Text: No domain of military operations has proven quite as difficult for Western nations to master as counterinsurgency operations (COIN). Many different techniques have been brought to bear in efforts to defeat insurgencies, stabilize governments, and pacify local populations. Historically, one of the most frequently employed techniques in COIN operations is population relocation[1]. Either through brute force or more subtle coercion, this technique entails physically removing a segment of the population from the battlefield, with the purpose of depriving insurgents of their logistical and moral support base. On a fundamental level, this population relocation makes perfect military sense. In a traditional COIN campaign, insurgents and opposing military forces compete for the hearts and minds of a population. For occupying forces, this technique contains a fundamental military flaw: electing to directly engage an enemy in a domain in which they possess an absolute advantage culturally, linguistically, and fraternally. Population relocation, therefore, represents an asymmetric tactic. Rather than engage the enemy in a favorable domain, a conventional force physically alters the military paradigm by changing the human terrain. Relocating the population theoretically allows for more conventional methods of warfare to take place. Regardless of the military wisdom of population relocation as a tactic, broader considerations inevitably come into play. The moral and legal issues associated with population relocation naturally invite condemnation from the larger international community. There are negative connotations both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union practiced forced population relocation with genocidal results. Given the history of population relocation, this practice is unpalatable and unacceptable to the vast majority of Western nations. The United Nations considers forced evictions a violation of human rights, except in rare cases of public interest and general welfare[2]. A COIN campaign might well meet that rare case bar, but it remains an open question if such a policy even well-intended can ever be enacted without force. A recent example of population relocation viewed through a human right lens occurred in Egypt. To combat the Islamic State in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt engaged in concerted efforts to remove the insurgent groups local base of support. However, within the context of a COIN paradigm, Egypts efforts represented a fifty percent solution of sorts. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, Egypt has demolished almost 7,000 buildings in the Sinai, with virtually no efforts made to relocate those displaced, many of whom do not support the Islamic State[3]. In the absence of a practical and humane relocation plan, it is difficult to discern what Egypt hopes to accomplish. While Egypt is not a Western nation and is not necessarily bound by the moral or political consideration that Western democracies are, from a purely practical standpoint their relocation efforts have achieved little other than inviting international condemnation. Even so, given that Egypts efforts took place within the context of a legitimate COIN campaign rather than a wholesale ethnic slaughter as a COIN tactic, such as recently occurred in Myanmar their case is illustrative of the inherent tension in executing population relocation[4]. For Western nations, political tensions largely outweigh purely military considerations. In Afghanistan the proving ground for North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries to execute COIN operations population relocation has proven unviable for many reasons. Certainly, the culture, history, and geography of Afghanistan do nothing to suggest that such a tactic would succeed. Unlike the British experience in Malaya during the 1950s usually cited as the textbook example of successful resettlement attempts to implement population relocation would alienate the Afghan people, in addition to encountering a myriad of practical difficulties[5]. Therefore, the opportunity for Western nations to implement a case study of sorts in Afghanistan did not present itself. The United States instead recalls the failed legacy of the Strategic Hamlet program in Vietnam as its most recent military experience with population relocation[6]. With all this considered, it is quite evident that in the 21st century, population relocation as a COIN tool has been the purview of some less than exemplary militaries and has remained mostly unpracticed by Western nations. However, this does not necessarily forbid its use in a future COIN operation. If population relocation is to prove viable in the future, a series of conditions must be met to make this course of action suitable to the problem at hand, feasible to implement, and acceptable to Western governments and the international community. In pursuit of population relocation efforts that are politically acceptable, first, the population must be amenable to such a move. This scenario will only result from the satisfaction of two sub-conditions. The population selected for relocation must be actively seeking greater security and lack historical ties to the land which they inhabit, factors which may preclude this tactics use in agrarian societies. Only upon meeting this condition can population relocation efforts avoid the condemnation of the international community. Second, before any attempts to implement this program, a site for relocation or integration will already need to exist. Ideally, the move to a new location should also equate to an increased standard of living for those resettled. Last, verifiable forms of identification are vital, as the process of separating insurgents from the general population must remain the central focus. It is crucial that those practicing COIN not underestimate the level of local support for an insurgency, as these techniques only stand a chance of success if the locals primary motivation is one of safety and security rather than cultural loyalty and ideology. These are high standards to meet, but given the bloody history associated with population relocation, they are wholly appropriate. In COIN operations, many analyze the concept of asymmetry from the standpoint of the insurgent, but asymmetric tactics have a role for conventional occupying forces as well. If insurgents possess an absolute advantage in the human domain, then it is merely foolish for counter-insurgents to engage in direct competition. Therefore, and in the absence of other asymmetric practices, population relocation may still have some utility as a 21st century COIN practice, but only in scenarios that favor its use from a combined moral, legal, and practical standpoint. This article appeared originally at Divergent Options. Endnotes: [1] Examples in the 20th century include South Africa, the Philippines, Greece, Malaya, Kenya, Algeria and Vietnam among others. For a cogent examination of the effects of these various campaigns, see Sepp, Kalev I. (1982). Resettlement, Regroupment, Reconcentration: Deliberate Government-Directed Population Relocation in Support of Counter-Insurgency Operations. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Command and General Staff College. [2] United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights. (2014). Forced Evictions (Fact Sheet No. 25/Rev. 1). New York, NY: United Nations. [3] Human Rights Watch. (May 22, 2018). Egypt: Army Intensifies Sinai Home Demolitions. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/05/22/egypt-army-intensifies-sinai-home-demolitions [4] Rowland, Sarah. (2018) The Rohingya Crisis: A Failing Counterinsurgency. Small Wars Journal. Retrieved March 31, 2018, from https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/rohingya-crisis-failing-counterinsurgency [5] For an analysis of Malaya as a prototypical COIN operation, see Hack, Karl. (2009). The Malayan Emergency as counter-insurgency paradigm. Journal of Strategic Studies, 32(3), 383414. [6] Leahy, Peter Francis. (1990). Why Did the Strategic Hamlet Program Fail? Fort Leavenworth, KS: Command and General Staff College. Another well-researched work, Richard Overys The Bombers and the Bombed, draws more distinctions between U.S. and British strategic bombardment to suggest U.S. precision bombing, limited to about 25% of its efforts, had the greatest effect on World War II through the destruction of the German Air Force, oil, and transportation, but these effects largely resulted from attrition due to the sheer scale of its efforts. Also, the Army Air Forces waged its war more effectively because it concerned itself with air superiority, unlike the British, who transitioned toward a strategy of area bombing due to high losses initially. The current scholarly consensus perhaps could be summarized as follows: U.S. strategic bombardment made a reasonably important, albeit inefficient contribution to the wars outcome. As such, it fell short of what airpower zealots had envisioned. This article does not seek to challenge this view; rather, it seeks to examine tensions and potential problems in the conceptualization of strategic bombardment. Rather than viewing the Combined Bomber Offensive in the way that the Air Corps Tactical School or Billy Mitchell did, it is more useful to consider how heavy bombers indirectly provided critical support to the overall theater effort. Heavy bombers may have spent more time attempting to strike tactical targets than strategic ones. As such, the Army Air Forces devoted a far smaller percentage of its resources to waging a true strategic bombardment campaign than is commonly thought. This debate is not just an academic one for several reasons. First, the Air Forces flirtation with strategic attack, beginning anew in the 1990s after Operation Desert Storm, had consequences because it alienated joint partners when some airmen claimed the Air Force won the war largely by itself. This narrative persists even though the Air Forces own survey highlighted the remarkable outcome of attacks against counterland targets in the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations. Second, general understanding of the European Theater of Operations tends to be compartmentalized into a bucket of tactical airpower, associated with close air support and interdiction, and a bucket of strategic airpower, represented by the Combined Bomber Offensive. Yet heavy bombers supported the ground effort in multiple ways, and the Combined Bomber Offensive was as much about destroying German airpowera tactical missionas it was about the allure of strategic attack. The more one introduces artificial seams into historical understandings of airpower, the more one takes away from its vaunted fungibility and flexibility. This is not due to significant or lingering dogmatism or zealotry on the part of airmen; rather, it results from the tendency of airpower historians to focus on two specific airpower roles on different ends of the spectrum: close air support and strategic bombardment. More must be done to view airpower from a seamless theater perspective across the range of all its roles. For this discussion, tactical airpower will be defined as seeking effects to undermine the enemy's fielded forces. Tactical airpower thus includes roles such as air superiority, interdiction, and close air support, among others. This approach stresses how the application of airpower impedes the enemys ability to wage war rather than where the destruction occurs, a delineation airmen began in World War I. The Army Air Force intended to have an outsized effect on the war by efficiently destroying material at the source. But, as has already been shown with reference to Overy, it could not employ force efficiently enough to accomplish this strategic aim according to its pre-war vision. Strategic airpower is understood, by contrast, as affecting a nation and its population writ large, not just its fielded forces. Or, as the Air Force today defines it, it is focused on the adversarys overall system. The British naval blockade of World War I, for example, can be understood as mostly strategic in that it sought to impose such high costs on German society that it could break the nations will to continue fighting. A more tactical blockade, by contrast, would have as its intended effect the interdiction of supplies or products that the military sought to use on the battlefield. In some ways, this approach seeks to add some nuance to Colin Grays helpful ideas about airpower. Gray compellingly insists that all applications of airpower are tactical in the doing. As such, a bomber is not strategic in and of itself by virtue of its platform. Yet Grays suggestion that each and every action in war has some kind of strategic effectwhile theoretically trueleaves something to be desired for practitioners. Similarly, the underpinnings of how strategic airpower can compel the enemy have often been imprecise in seeking vaguely to make a maximum contribution to an enemys defeat. For many airmen, strategic airpower has been viewed as offering a kind of direct line to convince enemy leadership to concede. The ironically-named Air Corps Tactical School, by contrast, focused its inter-war efforts on collapsing an opponents economy. In this way, it lost sight of how the Army Air Forces might use its aircraft more tactically to affect the enemys ability to continue to wage war, as it ended up employing them in World War II more than has been recognized if one challenges early conceptualizations of airpower as flawed. A quick strategic fracturing of the German economy proved impossible given its elastic industry. 1943 United States Army Air Forces strategic bombing raid on the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. (Wikimedia) Verifying North Koreas nuclear stockpile will be a critical part of any future disarmament negotiations. As past experience with other nations demonstrates, it is also a tricky process. North Korea will be expected to supply an inventory of their weapons stockpile, its fissile material and the facilities associated with its nuclear weapons program. So far, North Korea has refused to do this. And besides, even it does, there will still be plenty of scepticism of any such list. The general perception of North Koreas nuclear weapons is an arsenal of nuclear-tipped missiles. There is room for variety in the delivery systems, which could include anything from medium-range missiles designed to hit areas in South Korea, to submarine-launched missiles that could sail most of the way to their targets before they are launched. But we cannot rule out the possibility that North Koreas arsenal could be more diverse. The typical question facing analysts is to ask: how many weapons? Yet the scope needs to be expanded to consider how many different types of nuclear weapons could have been assembled, deployed, or planned. Yongbyon nuclear complex before the cooling tower was demolished in 2008 (Photo: Kyodo News via Getty) The first step in this reasoning is to consider the resources North Korea has invested in its uranium program. To put this in context, North Korea seems to have initially focused on plutonium as its fissile material for its first nuclear tests. But a uranium program has run in parallel for a long time. Why run two distinct programs like this? One explanation could be redundancy, in case one system fails. Thats why, back in the 1940s, the Manhattan Project developed uranium and plutonium bombs in parallel. The scope needs to be expanded to consider how many different types of nuclear weapons could have been assembled, deployed, or planned. But there could be other factors. North Korea has demonstrated the feasibility of its plutonium weapons, which use material from the well-known Yongbyon nuclear complex. But Yongbyon is highly visible, and every attempt to extract plutonium from the reactor attracts a lot of attention. Shutting down the reactor and taking out the fuel would be difficult to hide. But Yongbyon also has a uranium enrichment plant thats been shown to at least one foreign visitor. Uranium enrichment requires a complex array of centrifuges. They are fragile and complex devices. But they can also be operated more discreetly. Rumours spread in strategic journals of other uranium enrichment sites beyond Yongbyon, and that seems highly plausible. So uranium enrichment is one way to produce more fissile material without being observed, or at least, observed less easily. Uranium also offers more chance for discretion in terms of designing and testing some types of nuclear weapon. Plutonium devices need complex detonation systems that really need to be tested before they can be trusted. Early North Korean nuclear tests produced small yields, suggesting that its nuclear boffins were still working out the bugs. Larger yields in later tests suggest those problems have been solved. But the world has also been put on notice about the existence of these weapons and the yield. (It should be noted that one or more of the most recent tests could have used uranium, but we are not sure.) For historical context, again back during the Second World War, the first nuclear detonation at Los Alamos was a plutonium device, which had to be tested before the first plutonium bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The fireball of the first nuclear weapon test, codenamed Trinity, as part of the Manhattan Project (Photo: US Department of Energy/Flickr) Uranium bombs can be made with more simplicity. The same type of implosion detonation system used in plutonium bombs can still be used with uranium, but there is also a simpler approach, called the gun design. This simply rams two pieces of uranium together at high speed to form a critical mass. Its a system relatively easy to design and trust, so that such a weapon can be deployed without even being tested. Thus, the worlds first uranium weapon was dropped on Hiroshima without a previous test. These advantages are worth recapping. Weapons-grade uranium can be produced more discreetly than plutonium. It can also be used to develop weapons that dont need to be tested, and therefore will not be disclosed through test blasts. That makes a uranium program attractive to a covert nuclear weapons plan. But theres another angle that also needs to be considered. The simplest uranium weapon design is flexible. It could allow a greater variety of nuclear weapons to be developed, including some fairly small ones. In the past, the Soviet Union developed suitcase nukes for small demolition tasks in warfare, such as blowing up buildings. North Korea could use this approach to develop small nuclear artillery weapons (also built in the past), or nuclear land mines. Nuclear bombs dropped from aircraft are another option, although there is good reason to be sceptical of this prospect. North Koreas air force is no match for any likely enemies, and would struggle to penetrate the air defences of any nearby countries. North Koreas military suffers from deficiencies in various angles, including the fitness and morale of its conscript army. Nuclear weapons are thus one way to compensate for the problems of the nations conventional forces. This suggests that nuclear weapons could be adapted to be more than just deterrents or large-scale attack options. The North Korean nuclear arsenal could be larger and more diverse than analysts may suspect. This will complicate any future verification strategies. It could also make the prospect of a second Korean War even more dangerous. Tests during Operation UpshotKnothole in Nevada in 1953 (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) Dr. Morris Jones is an Australian space analyst and writer. This article appeared originally at Lowy Institute's the interpreter. IntroductionThe Chinese Quest for Hegemony The most serious long-term national security threat to the U.S. comes from The Peoples Republic of China. Its military forces are being built for information driven high intensity conflict against its neighbors and possibly the United States.[i] China does not assume or plan for a peaceful rise, as its actions in the South China Sea demonstrate.[ii] At a minimum, China seeks hegemony in the Far East and claims sovereignty over Taiwan, and shifting the balance of nuclear power is an important element of Chinas drive to regional hegemony.[iii] Nuclear Weapons and the Chinese Quest for Hegemony To establish hegemony in Asia, China is building an expanding nuclear force. China appears to see nuclear weapons as a critical tool in its quest for hegemony. The political role of Chinas nuclear doctrine is to force its neighbors to acquiesce to Chinas hegemony because they fear Chinas military power and are uncertain about the U.S. extended nuclear deterrent. In the event of a conventional war is Asia, China expects its strategic and theater nuclear capabilities to deter a U.S. effort to defend Taiwan, Japan and its other Pacific allies from a Chinese attack. In short, China is attempting to exploit the U.S. and allied fear of nuclear war to support its goal of hegemony. China is concerned about U.S. conventional capabilities and sees Chinese nuclear weapons as a means of countering them. China would prefer to deter war with the United States or to defeat the U.S. with conventional weapons in the event of a conflict in Asia. But in the event of conflict, if China needs to employ nuclear weapons it will likely do so if the stakes are high.[i] As one Chinese general citing Mao stated, As to whether we will use nuclear weapons first, the above principle can also be followed. If we have been repeatedly attacked, then there should not be a limit for our counter-attack.[ii] A number of Chinese generals have made nuclear first-use threats.[iii] The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review report pointed out, no first use remains Chinese declaratory policy, but its lack of transparency regarding the scope and scale of its nuclear modernization program raises questions regarding its future intent.[iv] The Japanese Kyodo News Agency reported that it has obtained classified Chinese documents which say that China will adjust the nuclear threat policy if a nuclear missile-possessing country carries out a series of air strikes.[v] Chinas Maoist legacy is reflected in its 2004 military White Paper which said China will pay any cost to prevent the independence of Taiwan,[vi] implying nuclear war. Maos China belittled the consequences of nuclear warfare and saw nuclear war as survivable.[vii] Even after the death of Mao, Deng Xiaoping continued the Maoist line that, It is impossible to exterminate the human race by using nuclear weapons.More than two billion people would live on the globe just the same.[viii] Since the 1980s, Chinas nuclear doctrine has been evolving toward more emphasis on nuclear counterforce and warfighting capabilities to deter conventional, theater, and strategic nuclear war, and to control and suppress escalation during a nuclear war.[ix] In 1995, Professor Alastair Johnson wrote China has a deeply rooted realpolitik world view that nuclear weapons buy soft power (international status and influence) and hard power (military operational power).[x] Nuclear Weapons, Active Defense and Chinas Goal of Hegemony According to Chinas 2006 defense White Paper (which supposedly announced Chinese nuclear strategy[xi]), its strategy is called active defense, and included nuclear counter attacks and the second Artillery Force [now the Strategic Missile Force] which aims at progressively improving its force structure of having both nuclear and conventional missiles, and raising its capabilities in strategic deterrence and conventional strike under conditions of informationization.[xii] China appears to believe that limited nuclear strikes are an assassins maceto contain the enemy because nuclear weapons can defeat the strongest conventional forces.[xiii] The 2019 Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report on China Military Power says China characterizes its active defense strategy as strategically defensive but operationally offensive.[xiv] Keep in mind that this is declaratory policy and China is not likely to admit that its strategy is strategically offensive. This report stated that active defense takes advantage of longer range, precision-guided munitions (primarily ballistic and cruise missiles) to keep a potential enemy as far as possible from the economically fast-developing Chinese coastal areas by fighting a noncontact, short, sharp conflict like the Persian Gulf War.[i] Chinas new dual capable missiles clearly have the capability to carry out these strikes if this is necessary. This could include strikes in support of offensive Chinese action. The 2019 DIA report also says that Chinas depiction of its active defense strategy allows conduct of these strikes even if the adversary has not yet conducted offensive military operations.[ii] Chinas Growing Nuclear Capability and Chinese Regional Hegemony China practices extreme secrecy with regard to its nuclear forces.[iii] In 1982, Maos successor, Deng Xiaoping, famously stated that China should hide our capabilities and bide our time. China wants the world to believe that its nuclear strategy is defensive, that its forces are small and that they abide by a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons. Yet, according to the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, China, too, is modernizing and expanding its already considerable nuclear forces.China is pursuing entirely new nuclear capabilities tailored to achieve particular national security objectives while also modernizing its conventional military, challenging traditional U.S. military superiority in the Western Pacific.[iv] Furthermore, the report says China has added new types of nuclear capabilities to their arsenals, increased the salience of nuclear forces in their strategies and plans, and engaged in increasingly aggressive behavior, including in outer space and cyber space.[v] Conclusion The greatest long-term national security threat to the United States comes from China because it seeks hegemony in Asia and assumes it will likely be in conflict with the United States. China is building military forces for information-driven high intensity conflict against its neighbors and is modernizing and expanding its strategic and theater nuclear forces. Nuclear weapons play a major role in Chinese strategy. China sees the political role of its nuclear weapons as coercing its neighbors to accept Chinese hegemony because they fear Chinas military power and are uncertain about the U.S. extended nuclear deterrent. China also sees nuclear forces as an assassins mace able to defeat superior conventional forces if necessary. In light of the Chinese drive for hegemony in Asia, its Taiwan policy, and its incremental seizure by threat of force of the South China Sea, the growth of its nuclear potential and its overall military capability pose a very serious threat to U.S. and allied security. Dr. Mark B. Schneider is a senior analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy and a former senior official in the Defense Department. This article appeared originally at National Institute for Public Policy (NIPP). Notes: [i]. Ibid., p. 3. [ii]. Ibid., p. 23. [iii]. U.S. Department of Defense, FY04 Report to Congress on PRC Military Power Pursuant to the FY2000 National Defense Authorization Act (Washington, D.C. U.S. Department of Defense, 2004), available http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/dod/china_report_2004.pdf.; Defense Intelligence Agency, China Military Power, op. cit., pp. 46-47. [iv]. U.S. Department of Defense, Nuclear Posture Review, op. cit., p. i. [v]. Ibid., p. v. [i]. Gordon Chang, China and Russia Have Set a Nuclear Collision Course with the United States, The Daily Beast, September 4, 2018, available at https://www.thedailybeast.com/china-and-russia-have-set-a-nuclear-collision-course-with-the-united-states. [ii]. Quoted in Mark B. Schneider, The Future of the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent, Comparative Strategy, Vol. 27, No. 4 (2008), pp. 351-352. [iii]. U.S. Department of Defense, Annual Report to Congress Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China 2017 (Washington, D.C.: Department of Defense, 2017), p. 41, available at https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2017_China_Military_Power_Report.PDF. [iv]. U.S. Department of Defense, Nuclear Posture Review (Washington, D.C.: Department of Defense, February 2018), p. 11, available at https://media.defense.gov/2018/Feb/02/2001872886/-1/-1/1/2018-NUCLEAR-POSTURE-REVIEW-FINAL-REPORT.PDF. [v]. China Could Consider Nuclear First Use, Documents Indicate, NTI.org, January 5, 2011, available at https://www.nti.org/gsn/article/china-could-consider-nuclear-first-use-documents-indicate/. [vi]. Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Chinas National Defense in 2004, December 2004, available at http://en.people.cn/whitepaper/defense2004/defense2004.html. [vii]. Alice Langley Hsieh, Communist Chinas Strategy in the Nuclear Era, (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1962), pp. 1-3.: Jung Chang and Jon Halliday, Mao The Unknown Story, (New York: Anchor Books, 2006), pp. 368, 413-415. [viii]. James Mulvenon, Chinese and Mutual Assured Destruction: Is China Getting MAD? in Henry D. Sokolski ed., Getting MAD: Nuclear Mutual Assured Destruction, Its Origins and Practice, (Washington, D.C.: Strategies Studies Institute, National War College, November 2004), p. 248. [ix]. Ibid., pp. 240-241. [x]. Alastair Johnson, Chinas New Old Thinking: The Concept of Limited Deterrence, International Security, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Winter 19951996), p. 5. [xi]. Mark. B. Schneider, The Nuclear Doctrine and Forces of the Peoples Republic of China, (Fairfax, VA: National Institute Press, 2007), p. 9, available at http://www.nipp.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/China-nuclear-final-pub.pdf. [xii]. U.S. Department of Defense, Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China 2012, op. cit. p. iv.; Ministry of National Defense, The Peoples Republic of China, China's National Defense in 2006, (Beijing, China: Information Office of the State Council Peoples Republic of China, 2006), available at http://eng.mod.gov.cn/Database/WhitePapers/2006.htm. [xiii]. Michael Pillsbury, Chinas Military Strategy Toward the U.S. A View from Open Sources, November 2, 2001, p. 14, available at http://www.declarepeace.org.uk/captain/murder_inc/site/strat.pdf. [xiv]. Defense Intelligence Agency, China Military Power (Washington, D.C.: Defense Intelligence Agency, 2019), p. 23, available at https://www.dia.mil/Portals/27/Documents/News/Military%20Power%20Publications/China_Military_Power_FINAL_5MB_20190103.pdf. [i]. U.S. Department of Defense, Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China 2012, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense, 2012), p. iv, available at https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2012_CMPR_Final.pdf. [ii]. Frank Ching, China has all but ended the charade of a peaceful rise, South China Morning Post, August 26, 2016, available at https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2008900/china-has-all-ended-charade-peaceful-rise. [iii]. What's behind the China-Taiwan divide?, BBC, January 2, 2019, available at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34729538. Erica D. Borghard is an Assistant Professor at the Army Cyber Institute at West Point. Shawn W. Lonergan is a U.S. Army Reserve officer assigned to 75th Innovation Command and a Research Scholar at the Army Cyber Institute. You can follow them @eborghard and @Shawn_Lonergan. The views expressed in this article are personal and do not reflect the policy or position of the Army Cyber Institute, U.S. Military Academy, Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or U.S. Government. Last week, the U.S. Defense Innovation Board released a report outlining the risks and opportunities for the United States in the global race to develop 5G. This followed a damning report published by the United Kingdoms Huawei Cyber Security Centre Oversight Board detailing how the Chinese telecom giants 5G products, particularly its software, contained significant vulnerabilities and that the company had failed to remedy persistent poor security practices. 5G network architecture uses high frequency spectrum to enable significantly faster speeds to process larger amounts of data with lower latency and greater device connectivity. While much attention has been paid to economic and espionage implications of a potential Chinese lead in developing and operating 5G infrastructure, there are important military implications that remain largely overlooked. There are economic implications for which entities can secure the greatest global market share of 5G technology. Technological innovation drives economic growth, job creation, and global economic influence. Huawei may have a long-term market advantage over U.S and Western telecoms because the former has been able to offer 5G products at far cheaper rates than the latter. Furthermore, there are also concerns that Chinese-built 5G technology is likely to contain backdoors that could be used to enable Chinese economic or national security espionage. It is unlikely that Beijing would actively monitor all of the content of the data that comes across Huawei owned or operated infrastructure (although it may collect and analyze metadata). However, it is conceivable that Huawei would get a proverbial tap on the shoulder from Beijing to share pertinent information in specific instances. This may include individually targeting senior corporate executives, which is enabled by the millimeter wave frequency that 5G networks employ. The military applications of 5G technology have vital strategic and battlefield implications for the U.S. Historically, the U.S. military has reaped enormous advantages from employing cutting edge technology on the battlefield. 5G technology holds similar innovative potential. Perhaps most obviously, the next generation of telecommunications infrastructure will have a direct impact on improving military communications. However, it will also produce cascading effects on the development of other kinds of military technologies, such as robotics and artificial intelligence. For instance, artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, such as those used in the Department of Defenses Project Maven, could be greatly enhanced when leveraging the data processing speeds made possible through 5G infrastructure. As an era of great power competition emerges between the United States and China, the United States has a compelling strategic interest in being at the forefront of these new technologies. The United States and its allies must also consider the tactical and operational implications on the battlefield of conducting conventional or counterinsurgency operations in an area with Chinese owned or operated 5G infrastructure. This concern stems from the nature of the relationship between Huawei, an ostensibly private company, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). While Huaweis founder and CEO, Ren Zhengfei proclaimed in a February 2019 interview on CBS This Morning that the company never has and never would provide information to the Chinese government, many experts are skeptical. Under Chinas 2017 National Intelligence Law, the CCP has the authority to monitor and investigate domestic and international companies as well as direct organizations to assist with government espionage efforts. As such, it is conceivable that Huawei will be required to hand over its data to the Chinese government for collection and analysis. Due to this reality, the United States must consider and be prepared to conduct overseas contingency or counterterrorism operations in areas where Chinese telecommunications infrastructure is widely proliferated, thus restricting the United States ability to rely on indigenous telecoms. As noted by US AFRICOM Commander General Thomas Waldhauser, this has already become an issue in Africa where Chinese telecommunications companies are poised to dominate. The integrity of U.S. military communications systems that rely on 5G networks could be undermined at key phases of an operation. For example, if the United States is conducting a military operation in an area of interest to China, it is plausible that the Chinese government could leverage Huawei to intercept or even deny military communications. Furthermore, Chinese telecom infrastructure dominance in a theater of operations may limit the U.S. militarys ability to conduct precision targeting that leverages signals intelligence collection on 5G telecommunications networks. The strategic and battlefield implications of who owns and operates 5G infrastructure around the world underscores the national security importance of 5G. The U.S. government and its allies should more systematically assess both the opportunities and risks associated with conducting future military operations in environments that rely on Chinese technology. To date, the U.S. government has devoted significant energy to persuading its allies and partners to follow the United States in prohibiting Chinese telecoms, particularly Huawei, from building and/or operating 5G infrastructure. However, its diplomatic approach has been met with varying degrees of success. While some countries such as Australia and Japan have fallen in line with the U.S. stance on Huawei, many others have not. The European Commissions recent 5G recommendations for member states dismissed a ban on Chinese telecoms. British intelligence has reportedly maintained that the security risks associated with Huawei can be sufficiently managed, and New Zealand, after initially bandwagoning with the United States in December 2018, abruptly reversed course in February 2019. This is concerning for the United States because New Zealand and the UK are members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance. Many allies have refused an outright ban of Huawei because of the companys ability to offer 5G products at far cheaper rates than Western telecoms. It is clear that U.S. diplomatic efforts are not working. The reality is that the bottom line is largely driving decision-making. Therefore, rather than take a purely negative approach, the United States should consider using positive inducements to make its 5G products more appealing. While the United States should not strive to mirror Chinas top-down approach to innovation, it should work with allies to use market incentives to make U.S.- and Western-developed 5G infrastructure and products more competitive. Furthermore, the U.S. military needs to anticipate that its use of native telecommunications infrastructure in a future operating environment may be compromised, limited, or denied. The U.S. military will inevitably need greater bandwidth on the tactical edge and this should be an imperative that drives investment in research and development to address this challenge. Technological innovation was at the crux of the United States comparative military and economic advantage in the twentieth century. In this contemporary great power competition, U.S. failure to innovate at the scientific and technological frontier will have direct (and deleterious) effects for the United States on the distribution of power in the international system over the long term. This article appeared originally at Council on Foreign Relations Blog. Earlier this year, Education Lab visited The Biggest Little City in the World Reno, Nevada to find out why hundreds of teachers each year visit the homes of students and their families. Educators have adopted similar home visit programs in 700 communities across the U.S., and in Reno, teachers praised the approach for helping them build relationships with students and their parents. They often added that the visits have transformed their day-to-day work in the classroom. This essay is part of a RealClearPolicy series centered on the American Project, an initiative of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy. The project looks to the countrys founding principles to respond to our current cultural and political upheaval. It was 3:40 AM when a rattling pager startled me awake. The message read: 38-year-old male with suicidal ideations, please evaluate. I slid on my shoes, tied back my hair, and splashed water on my face, in an effort to hide my fatigue and failed attempt at sleeping between patients. Inside a small, sterile emergency room, Mr. White discussed the recent loss of his parents, his struggles with employment and finances, rejection by his siblings, and resulting homelessness. He was particularly distraught when discussing the loss of his dog: She was the only thing in this world that viewed me as someone worth loving. I sleep in the park, and everyone that walks by thinks I am worse than a stray; I am sub-human. No one cares about you when youre in a situation like mine. Except for her she cared for me, and my whole lifes purpose was to care for her in return. Now shes gone, and I have nothing left in this world. The room filled with the heavy air of despair. I clicked through the familiar suicide assessment template that is part of all psychiatric evaluations. This assessment was chillingly different from most, though: I couldnt identify a single protective factor against suicide in Mr. Whites life. Typically, looming responsibility to parents or children is enough to pull people through hard times. In some instances, a strong relationship with a friend or counselor confers enough support that people can find hope in the bleakest of circumstances. But Mr. White had none of these. His dog was his one remaining protective factor. Still, I attempted to reassure Mr. White that, despite how he felt right now, things would get better. Was this true? As I exited his room, I said a silent prayer that for him it would be. Deaths of Despair Economically, America is more prosperous than it has ever been. We are richer, more connected, electronically, and have more information available to us than ever before. And yet, we are in the midst of a crisis that is claiming thousands of American lives: loneliness. Since the turn of the century, Americans have been dying from suicide, alcohol-related illnesses, and drug overdoses at a rate that has never before been seen. Princeton economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton have aptly named these tragedies Deaths of Despair. In fact, suicide is now the second leading cause of death for American teenagers and the tenth leading cause of death for Americans, overall. The suicide rate has increased more than 30 percent in half of U.S. states since 1999. Equally harrowing, drug overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of fifty. Since 2015, our nations average life expectancy has been declining suggesting that the toll of American despair can no longer be outpaced by technological or medical advancements. In 2017 alone, approximately 47,000 Americans committed suicide, and over 70,000 individuals died of a drug overdose. To put these number into perspective, 40,000 Americans died in motor vehicles accident during that same year, while roughly 58,000 U.S. soldiers died in the Vietnam War as a whole. While the statistics are daunting, the reality is devastating. In every age group, and across every geographic region, alarming numbers of mothers are finding themselves childless, husbands suddenly without their wives, and sisters without their brothers. We are having less sex and fewer children than previous generations another sign of diminished hope. Our material lives may be outwardly prosperous, but our psychological and spiritual lives are in freefall. What is driving us to self-destruction? There are many factors, all with one unifying theme: We are no longer living in community with one another and, consequently, we are lonely. Loneliness in America I recently treated a young woman who intentionally severed her airway and spinal cord with an eight-inch kitchen knife in an attempt to take her own life. She cited as the drivers of her despair the isolation associated with caring for her ill grandmother and the paucity of individuals with whom she could meaningfully discuss such challenges. Unfortunately, I treat patients like her far too often. This kind of loneliness, defined by an absence of meaningful relationships, now plagues nearly half of all Americans. In fact, American loneliness has doubled since 1980: One in five Americans now report having no one to talk to when going through difficult times. Our isolation is so severe that former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recently declared loneliness a public health crisis. As further evidence that loneliness is at the core of our crisis, consider that the three least densely populated states in the country, Wyoming, Alaska, and Montana, had the highest per capita suicide rate in 2012. Conversely, our republics most densely populated regions, such as Washington D.C. and New Jersey, had the lowest suicide rates. No other factor, whether income, family structure, or religious observance, correlates with suicide rates to the same degree. According to Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs, after basic physiologic and safety requirements have been met (i.e. food and shelter), the next greatest human need is social connectedness: to feel that we belong. Without this, Maslow postulated that humans could not successfully pursue higher aspirations such as growth, autonomy, and self-actualization. The death toll that has resulted from Americas lack of connection certainly seems to give credence to Maslows theory. It also suggests that to return to a state of health and prosperity, we must solve the problem of loneliness. Happiness and Human Flourishing To understand how America got here, we must first consider what contributes to happiness and human flourishing. Social scientists have identified various factors or building blocks of human happiness. In his book on loneliness, Them: Why We Hate Each Other and How to Heal, Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) suggests thinking about these building blocks in terms of the following four questions: Do you have family you love, and who love you? Do you have friends you trust and confide in? Do you have work that matters callings that benefit your neighbors? Do you have a worldview that can make sense of suffering and death? Sasse suggests thinking about these as the legs of a chair. When all four are in place, things are sturdy. When one goes missing, your happiness begins to wobble. Unfortunately, over the past several decades, daily life has shifted so dramatically that many Americans can no longer affirmatively answer these questions suggesting that our happiness is very wobbly. 1. Do you have family you love, and who loves you? First, the good news: the American divorce rate has decreased 18 percent in the last decade and teen birth rates are at an all-time low. The not so good news: Over half of American adults are choosing to forego marriage altogether. Rates of nonmarital cohabitation have skyrocketed and 40 percent of American children are now born to unwed parents. Statistically, half of these couples will separate before their child is nine years old, placing the entire family at risk for anxiety, depression, or addiction. Even for traditionally structured families modern life is challenging. American homes have fewer children, but more square footage than ever before. Our quality time together has dropped precipitously: We spend time in separate rooms, doing separate tasks. According to Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam, we spent 43 percent less time at our own family dinner table than we did just 25 years ago. When we do sit down together, technology frequently interferes. Historically, family has been the first society, where children gain social identity and security. But our homes are becoming less stable, less intimate, and, consequently, less formative than ever before. 2. Do you have friends you trust and confide in? Last month, I was able successfully to ween an elderly widow off her antidepressant medication in part by helping her to engage in therapy and to join a line-dancing group. While hesitant to enroll at first, her daily dancing commitment was the perfect prescription for meaningful social engagement, allowing her to connect with people in a way she hadnt experienced since her husband passed away. In an era dominated by technological connection and abounding online friends, the dearth of flesh-and-blood relationships has become devastating. Since the mid-1980s, the average number of friends with whom Americans say they could discuss important matters has dropped from three to just one. Moreover, adolescence is no longer characterized by a growing desire for independence. According to Jean Twenge, the number of teenagers who get together with their friends nearly every day has dropped 40 percent since 2000. One teenager described this phenomenon simply: I think we like our phones more than we like actual people. Not only does this make for more lonely teenagers, it also hinders their social, emotional, and psychological development. A lack of interaction now will make it significantly harder for these young people to begin new relationships, interview for jobs, navigate courtship, and build healthy families in their adult life. 3. Do you have work that matters callings that benefit your neighbors? The 1970s was the era of the Blue Collar Aristocracy. This was a time-period where union jobs were thriving, laborers came to expect annual promotions and raises, and employees tended to develop loyalty to their companies, often expecting to spend their entire career at just one institution. With this security and steady predictability, working-class citizens were able to access the American dream. Such a worker could reasonably hope to own a home with a white picket fence and to support children, with a spouse who had the option to stay home, raise children, and run the household. Today, the employment landscape looks very different. Blue collar workers now receive lower relative wages and enjoy lower social esteem compared to their 1970s counterparts. Globalization and technology contribute to a growing sense that employees are disposable, all the while contract work is on the rise. This creates a culture of transient work and rootlessness, particularly for those without sufficient skills for the knowledge-intensive and service-oriented sectors such as education, health care, and business services. Moreover, while the American unemployment rate is historically low, this antiquated index fails to account for individuals who are not employed but also not looking for work. Since 2000, for every working-age American male who is unemployed and looking for work, there are another three men who are idle, not looking for work. On average idle Americans spend 2,000 hours per year in front of a screen the equivalent of a full time job. Nearly half of this population takes daily pain medication and three-fifths receives disability benefits, providing a potentially long-term alternative to paid employment. Most telling, however, is that these individuals report very low levels of emotional well-being, and say they derive little meaning from their daily activities. With a waning sense of identity and purpose, they frequently fall victim to drug addiction and suicide. 4. Do you have a worldview that can make sense of suffering and death? A Harvard research study followed 89,000 women over a 15-year period in order to understand the relationship between religion and suicide. Results showed that Catholic women who attended Mass weekly had a suicide rate that was half that of the general population. Of the 7,000 women who attended Mass more than once a week, not a single one committed suicide during the 15 years of the study. Why might this be? The horizontal component of faith ties us to a real-life, hold-hands-and-pray-together community. This community is rich with cradle-to-grave relationships founded on a shared biblical appreciation of human nature and its flaws and the importance of forgiveness. Psychiatrist and author M. Scott Peck encapsulated this well: When I am with a group of human beings committed to hanging in there through both the agony and the joy of community, I have a dim sense that I am participating in a phenomenon for which there is only one word: glory. The vertical component of faith is equally important. Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism all have, to varying degrees, teachings on the immorality and prohibitions on suicide. Perhaps more importantly, faith does not promise a life free from suffering. Instead, it offers purpose in and guidance through suffering. Religious faith can instill a sense of meaning and purpose that transcends the present struggle; it allows people to survive anguish and find meaning in suffering. I have seen this first-hand, time and time again, with many of my patients reporting they would have attempted suicide long ago if they did not have faith, which provided them with hope in otherwise hopeless circumstances. But religion can only help combat loneliness if Americans actually practice religion. In roughly the same timeframe that America has experienced an uptick in deaths of despair, active religious affiliations have been declining. Religiously affiliated Americans, on average, are as actively devout as they have always been. The number of religiously affiliated individuals, however, is in sharp decline. As of 2014, for every American that adopted a specific religious affiliation, 4.2 Americans did just the opposite, abandoning their formal religious identity. A Call for Connection As we lose our connectedness to one another, these words of Alexis de Tocqueville no longer serve as a celebration of American life: As soon as several of the inhabitants of the United States have taken up an opinion or a feeling which they wish to promote in the world, they combine. From that moment they are no longer isolated men, but a power seen from afar. If men are to remain civilized or to become so, the art of associating together must grow and improve. In our current moment, we do not stand for embodied ideals and interdependence, but isolation, anger, and despair. Unfortunately, there is now morbid truth to Abraham Lincolns warning that America need only fear itself, as a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. There is no straightforward solution to our current problem, but everyone can play a role in helping America heal. The first step: be present. Close your computer and engage your colleague while waiting for a meeting to start. Re-define FaceTime by opting for a shared coffee instead of a phone call. Check in on the widow down the street. Recognize the sacred space of the home, by designating tech-free spaces. Reclaim the dinner table and engage in religious and other institutions of civic life. In short, re-cultivate the virtues of association and community. Francie Hart Broghammer, MD, is the chief psychiatry resident at UC Irvine Medical Center, where she is doing clinical work and research examining the social, relational, and spiritual determinants of mental health. She serves as an American Psychiatric Association Leadership Fellow and is a member of the UC Irvine Medical Ethics Committee. Francie can be reached at fbrogham@uci.edu. All around the world, Russia is increasingly asserting itself, propping up dictators, and, in some instances, posing a direct challenge to US interests. Russian President Vladimir Putin held his first-ever meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vladivostok on April 25. Kim's visit to Russia, an old ally, came as diplomacy with US President Donald J. Trump has faltered. 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 NASA has released a combination photo of 7,500 separate Hubble exposures after 16 years of observations. The image contains 265,000 galaxies that stretch through 13.3 billion years of time, which is just after our universe's birth in the big bang. A Hubble Space Telescope image representing the largest, most comprehensive "history book" of galaxies in the universe. [Photo: IC] Astronomers made the new deep-field image by weaving together exposures from several previous galaxy "fishing expeditions." The wavelength range stretches from ultraviolet to near-infrared light, capturing all the features of the galaxy's assembly over time. A graphic revealing close-up images of 15 galaxies from the 265,000 galaxies in the Hubble Legacy Field. [Photo: IC] A graphic comparing the dimensions of the Hubble Legacy Field on the sky with the angular size of the Moon. [Photo: IC] This image shows the sizes and locations within the Hubble Legacy Field of the two areas that Hubble first studied in this region, the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey and the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF), along with the deepest image ever taken by Hubble, the eXtreme Deep Field. [Photo: IC] It keeps getting harder every day for the government to drive its narrative that ample jobs are being created. They sound increasingly silly as they try to defend the indefensible, says Mahesh Vyas. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com In the past few years the government has fought a hard battle to control the narrative on jobs. But, the problem is too big to be controlled by the government and its apologists. CMIE surveys regularly show the deteriorating situation on the jobs front. Leaks of government surveys point in the same direction. It keeps getting harder every day for the government to drive its narrative that ample jobs are being created. They sound increasingly silly as they try to defend the indefensible. But, the issue of employment is not merely a subject for statisticians and the government to battle in television studios or in newspaper columns. It is an important issue among voters. And, apparently, people are not fooled. A recent report based on a survey published by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) is revealing. Unlike the household surveys conducted by CMIE or NSSO, the Association for Democratic Reforms conducts a survey of voters. Its sample is therefore selected from parliamentary constituencies. The survey covered 534 out of the 543 constituencies. Its sample is large at 273,487 voters. The survey was conducted from October 2018 to December 2018. Results were published in February 2019. The survey presented 31 issues to the voters and asked them to pick the top five issues that should be the government's priority. Each of these five top priorities had to be ranked in terms of their importance. They had seven specific questions for rural India. These were regarding availability of loans, electricity, water and subsidies; and price realisation, sand and stone quarrying and water pollution. There were five specific issues listed for urbanites - traffic congestion, water and air pollution, noise pollution, facilities for cyclists and mining. The remaining 19 issues were common for rural and urban voters. Of these, three were related to employment. These were - better employment opportunities, reservation for jobs and education, and training for jobs. But, employment as an issue was embedded in several other fairly important issues that voters face in daily life. These included four issues regarding security - terrorism, strong military, law and order, and, security of women. There were four issues listed related to infrastructure such as public transport, roads, electricity, garbage collection and encroachment. There were three on basic services such as health, education and water and another two on food. Eradication of corruption was listed separately as well. Evidently, this was not a survey on employment/unemployment. It was a survey to find the important issues that matter to the voter. And the voter has made clear that the topmost issue in his/her mind today is better employment opportunities. About 46.8 per cent of the respondents listed better employment opportunities as one of the top five issues. The ADR questionnaire asks the respondent to list the top five issues from the list of 31 issues described above. What is also important to note here is that in a similar survey in 2017, better employment opportunities did figure in one of the top five concerns even then. The difference is that in 2017 only 30 per cent of the respondents considered this to be a top priority. Now, nearly 47 per cent believe so. The next most important issue is better health care services which had a distant 34.6 per cent respondents identifying it as one of the top five priorities. The ADR report lists the top 10 issues that figure in the voters top five concerns. This list is revealing in one interesting way. Terrorism or the need for a strong military did not figure in this list. The only security concern that voters had in the top 10 issues was of the need for better law and order and policing. Voters worry about the threat to their own security locally more than the problems from across our national borders. Even this local law and order problem ranked tenth. People need jobs, health services, drinking water, better roads and better public transport. These are the top five concerns of the voters. Voters also believe that the government is handling the jobs problem pretty badly. On a scale of 1-5 where a higher score implies better performance by the government, voters, on an average, ranked the government's performance at 2.15. This is not only below average but is also among the worst on performance compared to other factors. Further, the government's efforts at hiding its own data and rubbishing other data has worked against it. In the 2017 survey, the government's efforts to address the employment problem got a higher score of 3.17. The government needs to worry about employment and about what people think about its record on solving this problem. Obfuscation of data and management of the narrative is evidently counterproductive. Mahesh Vyas is the MD & CEO of CMIE Rahul has singled out Anil Ambani several times for winning the Rafale defence contract from the Narendra Modi government, alleging favouritism and corruption. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com The Anil Ambani group on Sunday took Congress President Rahul Gandhi head on by calling the latters allegations of crony capitalism against its chairman as calumny, disinformation, distortion, and malicious lies. In recent election-eve media interactions and rallies, Rahul has singled out Anil Ambani several times for winning the Rafale defence contract from the Narendra Modi government, alleging favouritism and corruption. In a statement on Sunday, a Reliance Group spokesperson said it was during the 10-year Congress-led United Progressive Alliance regime between 2004 and 2014 that Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group was awarded projects of over Rs 1 trillion across diverse, key nation-building infrastructure sectors such as power, telecom, roads, Metro, by a government led by none other than Rahuls own political party - the Congress. The Reliance group is proud to have made this contribution to our great country - India - creating the much-needed investments and jobs, a critical backbone for a vibrant, strong, and growth-oriented economy, the spokesperson said. 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 his own words, it said. Rahul has accused Prime Minister Modi of giving Rs 30,000 crore of Rafale offset contracts to Anil Ambani at the cost of government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics. The offset contracts were given by Rafale fighter jet maker Dassault Aviation of France in lieu of India buying aircraft worth Rs 1.26 trillion. The spokesperson said Rahul, in his typical cavalier fashion, has continued his campaign and singled out Anil Ambani as allegedly a crony capitalist and dishonest businessman - all obviously patently untrue statements. As is by now, customary for all of (Rahul) Gandhis public statements, he 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, said the statement. We, at the Reliance Group, have chosen to ignore (Rahul) Gandhis 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 Supreme Court, the statement said. The Reliance Group is a proud young Indian group, with over 100,000 employees and over 8 million strong shareholders, the largest in the world and completely dedicated to our great country, the statement said. In recent months, most of the Anil Ambani group companies are facing the heat on the stock market after two of its group companies - Reliance Communications and Reliance Naval - were referred to the National Company Law Tribunal for debt resolution. As the operating companies defaulted on debt, lenders sold shares of Reliance Group entities in the market to recover part of their debt. Bankers said as part of its debt reduction plan, Canadas Brookfield-sponsored India Infrastructure Trust acquired a pipeline for Rs 13,000 crore from East West Pipeline Ltd, an arm of Reliance Industries Holding Private Ltd, and all the liabilities are now off the subsidiarys books. Its not only Reliance Industries, a listed company. Mukesh Ambani's personal companies too are reducing their debt by selling assets and transferring loans. In November last year, rating firm CRISIL warned Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Holding Private Ltd (RIHPL) had a debt of about Rs 22,000 crore as of March 2018, showing relatively high gearing reflected in its adjusted debt and adjusted net worth of about 1.6 times. Unlisted RIHPLs subsidiaries run a large port project in Jamnagar, and 2,200 Mw power projects near RIL facilities in Jamnagar, and Hazira. Till recently, an RIHPL subsidiary owned a gas pipeline connecting the Andhra coast to Bharuch in Gujarat. Bankers said as part of its debt reduction plan, Canadas Brookfield-sponsored India Infrastructure Trust (InvIT) acquired the pipeline for Rs 13,000 crore from East West Pipeline Ltd, an RIHPL subsidiary, and all the liabilities are now off the subsidiarys books. Right-aligned box without an image: The Debt Reduction Plan Sale of pipeline asset Transfer of NCDs to Sikka Port Ramp up power generation Improved profitability margins The INvIT will service the debt of the pipeline company. Besides, in June last year, East West Pipeline had also demerged its investment division to another RIHPL subsidiary - Sikka Ports & Terminals Ltd, which resulted in transfer of another Rs 3,500 crore of non-convertible debentures to the latter. Data submitted to the stock exchanges show that by March this year Sikka Ports & Terminals Ltd had Rs 13,000 crore of debt while Jamnagar Utilities and Power Private Ltd had debt of Rs 7,534 crore taking the total debt to Rs 20,500 crore. An email sent to RIL did not elicit any response till going to press. Interestingly, RIHPL also owns 75.4 crore Reliance Industries shares with a market value of Rs 1.04 trillion as on Friday - giving it the necessary financial muscle to build large scale projects and to raise additional debt, if need be. The debt reduction by RIHPL comes at a time when Reliance Industries is in talks with Saudi Aramco to sell around 25 per cent stake in its refining and petrochemicals businesses for $10-15 billion and use the proceeds to reduce its debt worth Rs 2.87 trillion and invest in its new age digital business. RIL is also in talks with Softbank to part of its stake in its telecom arm, Reliance Jio to raise another $2-3 billion. Going forward, analysts said Sikka Ports & Terminals (SPTL), which operates captive port facilities for receipt, handling, storage and evacuation of crude oil as well as petroleum products of Reliance Industries, is expected to better its performance in fiscal 2019 as compared to the profit of Rs 591 crore reported on March 2018 on revenues of Rs 4,139 crore. At the same time, Jamnagar Utilities & Power Private Ltd, which gets an assured revenue and sufficient cash flow from RIL, will increase its profitability in the fiscal 2019 due to ramp up in electricity generation. In fiscal 2018, the total operating income of the power generation company was up by 48 per cent to Rs 4,209 crore in fiscal 2018 - mainly due to commissioning of three new plants commissioned during FY17. Its net profit was Rs 178 crore in the same fiscal. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters 'Have we finally gotten over the holy cow syndrome?' asks Saisuresh Sivaswamy after watching Aisi Taisi Democracy in action. IMAGE: Aisi Taisi Democracy performers Sanjay Rajoura, Varun Grover and Rahul Ram. Photograph: Kind courtesy, AisiTaisiDemocracy/facebook.com The ongoing election campaign, which has descended into an orgy of name-calling and vitriol, brings to mind the missing art of satire. At a time when the ruling party is in the battle of its life, with the Opposition mounting a better than expected challenge for the throne of Dilli, perhaps it is too much to expect the protagonists to indulge in civility and use a scalpel where they have been swinging the Stormbreaker. Luckily, help is at hand in the form of Aisi Taisi Democracy, in the person of 3-man stand-up comic team of Varun Grover, Sanjay Rajoura and Rahul Ram who have been on a tour of India holding a mirror to the masses, making us laugh at the image we see reflected. It's brutal, it's savage, it's no-holds-barred, and it's all delivered with the deadpan expression and narrative that only stand-up comics can bring to their trade. The bulk of it, of course, is reserved for the ruling party and its chief vote-catcher, also referred to sometimes in the show as Gobiji and at other times by his normal nomenclature. Sometimes it is inferred. Like talking about those losers for whom it is second nature to post horrific, misogynistic messages on social media to take down successful, independent women, they say such men will surely see their follower count go up by 1. But most times the humour and target are direct. Why is there so much brouhaha over the lack of employment? Can anyone deny that in the last 5 years one sector has seen a boom in recruits -- of gau-rakshaks? I first saw the trio a few years ago, when the new, full majority in 30 years government was still in its first glow, at a time when sporadic voices were being raised at the curbing of freedoms, the intolerance, the censoring of free speech, and wondered if those who were protesting had been to the show. After sitting through two hours of brutal satire, aimed at everybody -- including Raj Thackeray and the Shiv Sena -- in the heart of Mumbai, would they still claim that freedoms were being curbed? Like back then, Friday's Mumbai show was also a sellout, with the audience giving the comics a standing ovation at the end. Many of the jibes you couldn't hear clearly for the resounding applause that often interrupted them. That we can laugh at others, and laugh well at that, is well known. Have Indians also finally mastered the art of laughing at themselves, their follies -- and, importantly, at those who we have elected to power? Have we finally gotten over the holy cow syndrome? Speaking of which animal (and without giving too much of the show away), Varun Grover narrates an incident when a cow was found to have parked itself on the runway of the Ahmedabad airport, forcing flights to avoid landing on the airstrip and choosing to fly overhead, or go to other airports, rather than go head-to-head with the bovine. No one wanted to be on the wrong side of the animal, you see, and it took a few hours to get it off the airport and resume normal operations. Just think about it, Grover said, here is an animal we are all so used to seeing sitting docilely at traffic signals, legs and tail tucked in so as not to cause any disruptions, but which suddenly seems to have developed so much confidence that it can occupy an airport runway today. What explains this surge in the animal's confidence? "Arre, even my confidence would get a tremendous boost if you drank my urine, thought it contained medical properties, na? Just imagine, there will be a long line outside my house to get the first flush of the day, with people vying for it. Why, some may even want to drink it right from the source itself, can you imagine!" There was a whole song by Ram, who belts out versions of popular Hindi classics with the lyrics twisted to reflect the zeitgeist (including the toe-tapping Chunav ka Mahina), on the missing data under the government, how greater reliance is placed on RSS data than on NSS data. Special mention is reserved for the teeming ranks of bhakts who use WhatsApp forwards to whitewash anything and everything the government does. Including something as mindless as demonetisation which, from its initial tune of wiping out black money and terrorism, was finally touted as 'good intention, but bad implementation'. "This bhakt showed me a WhatsApp fwd that said Modiji has brought the country to the 4th position, wah Modiji wah. In what, I asked him, but the stupid chap did not know, just that we were in 4th position now. Can you imagine!" So how does the Narendra Damodardas Modi campaign of 2014 differ from that of 2019? Through Tinder screenshots, Grover said the Modi of 2014 had a warm, glowing profile. With a touching profile, courtesy Prasoon Joshi, and a soft-focus DP that showed him as a trustworthy person. Cut to 2019 and the Tinder profile is of -- Vivek Oberoi! "Can you imagine, here is an actor who won't be offered anything on credit by the neighbourhood kirana store in his lane, but who the prime minister is depending on today to win him an election!" The beating scientific thinking and temper have received under the government, "with anything and everything attributed to the Vedas and ancient legends before the Englishman took them away" (actually it was the Muslim invaders who preceded them that took everything away) was not spared, either. "Can you imagine, no less than the prime minister said that ancient India practised the world's first instance of plastic surgery. Just think, we had the ability to transplant a full head, but couldn't find a human one, we had to use an animal head. Was that the best we could do?" Casteism, the unwanted male gaze romanticised as, well, romancing (right from Dev Anand's time), sexual harassment, pollution and Diwali firecrackers -- all our foibles were thrown back at us in a manner that made you laugh at them. And through the loud guffaws and ringing applause, somewhere the thought seeps in that all along, for the two-hour duration, you were only laughing at yourself. Which is a damn better thing to do than crying for yourself. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Monday got a clean chit from the Supreme Court's In-House Inquiry Committee which 'has found no substance' in the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by a former woman employee of the apex court. The 3-member Committee, which completed its task in 14 days, proceeded ex parte as the woman had opted out of the inquiry on April 30 after participating for three days. Immediately after the office of apex court's Secretary General came out with the findings of the committee, the woman issued a press statement saying that she was 'highly disappointed and dejected'. She said 'gross injustice' has been done to her as a woman citizen of India and 'worst fears' have come true, and all hope of justice and redress from the highest court of the land have been shattered. She said that she will consult her lawyer and decide on the next steps. A notice by the office of Supreme Court secretary general said the report of the Committee, headed by Justice S A Bobde, 'is not liable to be made public'. The committee, also comprising two woman judges of the apex court -- Justices Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee -- had on May 1 recorded the statement of the CJI who had appeared before it. 'The In-House Committee has found no substance in the allegations contained in the complaint dated April 19, 2019 of a former employee of the Supreme Court of India. 'Please take note that in case of Indira Jaising vs Supreme Court of India and Anr (2003), it has been held that the report of a committee constituted as a part of the In-House Procedure is not liable to be made public,' the notice said. It further said: 'The In House Committee has submitted its report dated May 5, 2019 in accordance with the In House Procedure, to the next senior judge competent to receive the report and also sent a copy to the judge concerned, namely, the CJI.' The committee submitted its report to Justice Arun Mishra -- number four in seniority. After the CJI, Justice Bobde is the next senior most judge, followed by Justices N V Ramana, Arun Mishra and R F Nariman. The findings of the panel were not submitted to Justice Ramana as he was part of the Committee when it was constituted but recused himself after the former woman employee, who is the complainant, expressed certain reservations over his inclusion. After opting out of the Committee inquiry, she had issued a press statement describing as 'very frightening' the atmosphere of the panel and raised various objections including denial of her lawyer's presence. The panel was constituted on April 23, 2019. On April 25, Justice Ramana recused himself after the complainant expressed her reservations over his inclusion on the ground that he is a close friend of the CJI and a regular visitor to his house. In Justice Ramana's place, Justice Bobde had inducted Justice Malhotra as she had also alleged that the Committee was not formed in accordance with the Vishaka guidelines laid by the top court. In a letter to Justice Bobde, the woman had said that as per the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the Vishaka judgement, for holding inquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment at work place, the committee must have a majority of women. 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." Though there was no time frame to complete the inquiry, Justice Bobde had said the future course of action will depend on "what comes out of the inquiry" which will be 'confidential'. The allegations against the CJI had become public on April 20 when some news web portals had come out with the stories. The woman had sent her affidavit to 22 judges of the apex court about the alleged sexual harassment. Within hours of the allegations coming into public domain, an unprecedented hearing by a bench comprising CJI and Justices Mishra and Sanjiv Khanna had taken place on April 20 which was Saturday. Though the CJI had recused himself midway of the hearing, he had described the allegations against him as 'unbelievable' and had said a larger conspiracy was behind it and he would not stoop so low even to deny these allegations. Later, a fresh bench comprising Justices Mishra, R F Nariman and Deepak Gupta was set up to hear the matter which appointed retired apex court judge, Justice A K Patnaik to inquire into the allegations of larger conspiracy to frame CJI Gogi and fixing of benches in the top court. The allegation was made by a advocate Utsav Singh Bains who had filed an affidavit in this regard. The top court said the inquiry by will not deal with the allegations of sexual harassment against the CJI and added the outcome of the inquiry will not affect the in-house committee which is dealing with the complaint against the CJI. Hours before the information on the submission of the report became public, the apex court agreed to hear a plea seeking direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation to lodge a first information report into the alleged conspiracy to 'fix' Chief Justice of India. The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench comprising Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer by advocate M L Sharma, who claimed that there was a conspiracy to malign the CJI in a 'concocted, false sexual harassment' case. "What is the urgency? You have filed it and it will come up for hearing," the bench said added, "It will be listed in due course," it added. Sri Lankan authorities on Monday lifted an overnight curfew in the western coastal town of Negombo where violence erupted between groups of people over the weekend, days after the Easter bombings by Islamist extremists that killed more than 250 people in the island nation. IMAGE: Security personnel inspect IDs, vehicles and bags of school staff as students return to school as schools re-opened across the country after the Easter attacks. Photograph: Allison Joyce/Getty Images The curfew was imposed on Sunday after a group of miscreants carrying swords attacked some people travelling on a three-wheeler in Porathota area of the town. The vehicle was set on fire. Several people were injured in clashes in Negombo, where St Sebastian's Church was targeted in the Easter attacks carried out by suicide bombers who had pledged support for Islamic State. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said on Monday that Negombo was calm and curfew had ended at 7 am. The government also blocked some social media sites overnight, including Facebook and WhatsApp, in order to control the situation. The block was lifted early Monday. The police said an argument had instigated the clash and it was escalated after a drunken man's intervention. The curfew was imposed in the town as a precaution. Two people have been arrested in connection with the clashes. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, said that it was a personal clash between two groups. "The situation was brought to my notice and we have restored calm," he said. A senior police officer said an investigation was underway into the clashes. Negombo is a majority Christian town where the St Sebastian's church was attacked by a suicide bomber on the Easter Sunday. The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath. Sri Lanka banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 people in connection with the blasts. Meanwhile, schools reopened on Monday after the Easter Sunday blasts. Police and soldiers combed school premises and the surrounding areas to make sure it is safe for children to go back on Monday, a senior police officer said. Armed soldiers were seen guarding all leading schools in the city. However, the normal school traffic was not seen. The education ministry's announcement to reopen schools after security guarantees were received from the military was still debated. Some leading Buddhist prelates had urged the government to delay the re-opening due to further possible attacks from the jihadists. Sri Lanka has a population of 21 million which is a patchwork of ethnicities and religions, dominated by the Sinhalese Buddhist majority. Muslims account for 10 per cent of the population and are the second-largest minority after Hindus. Around seven per cent of Sri Lankans are Christians. With this phase, election will be over in 424 seats and polling in the remaining 118 seats will be held on May 12 and 19. -- INDIA VOTES IMAGE: An elderly woman is carried by a relative near a polling station in Bangaon parliamentary constituency, during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Nadia district of West Bengal. Photograph: PTI Photo Two explosions at polling stations in Pulwama in Kashmir and clashes between Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal were reported during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls on Monday across seven states in which over 62 per cent turnout was recorded. According to the Election Commission, over 57.33 per cent of 2.47 crore eligible people cast their vote in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, where political heavyweights like Congress' Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani were in the fray. IMAGE: Security personnel carry an elderly woman to a polling station to cast vote during the fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, at Hajipur in Vaishali district of Bihar. Photograph: PTI Photo In Rajasthan, 63.78 per cent polling was recorded in 12 seats, while it was 63.88 per cent in seven constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, 57.86 per cent five seats in Bihar and 63.72 in four seats in Jharkhand that went to polls on Monday. The voter turnout was 74.42 in seven seats in West Bengal, where incidents of Trinamool Congress and BJP workers attacking each other, hurling of bombs, injury to a candidate due to lathi charge by central forces, manhandling of a contestant and beating up of a polling agent were reported in Bangaon (SC), Barrackpore, Hooghly and Howrah constituencies. IMAGE: A voter shows her finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote at a polling station during the fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in Nagaur district of Rajasthan. Photograph: PTI Photo In Jammu and Kashmir, 64 per cent polling was recorded in Ladakh but the turnout was barely three per cent in militancy-infested Shopian and Pulwama districts in the final of the three-phase election to Anantnag constituency held amid militant threats and boycott call by separatists in Kashmir. Terrorists lobbed a grenade towards Rohmoo polling station and set off an explosion at another polling booth in Tral in Pulwama but no one was injured in the two incidents. The overall turnout was 8.76 per cent as against 28.54 per cent in 2014 in Anantnag where 18 candidates are in the fray including People's Democratic Party president and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti. WATCH: Conflict erupts between BJP candidate Arjun Singh, TMC workers In the high profile Amethi seat, Union minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani alleged that her rival and Congress president Rahul Gandhi was 'ensuring booth capturing' and also tagged a video on twitter in which an elderly women alleged that her hand was forcibly put on 'panja' (hand) election symbol of the Congress. But the Chief Electoral Officer said the matter was 'examined thoroughly and found baseless'. The turnout was 53 per cent in Amethi, 53.68 per cent in Raebareli and around 53 per cent in Lucknow. The BJP had bagged 12 of the 14 seats in 2014 with the Congress winning Rae Bareli and Amethi. Prominent voters in the state capital Lucknow included Home Minister Singh, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma and BSP general secretary S C Misra. IMAGE: A couple flash their inked fingers in Bikaner after casting their vote. Photograph: PTI Photo In West Bengal, a scuffle between Barrackpore seat's BJP candidate Arjun Singh and personnel of central security forces was reported when the former TMC MLA tried to enter a booth following allegations that voters were not being allowed to exercise their franchise there, the official said. Alleging that the police were not doing anything to stop rigging in some booths of Barrackpore seat, Singh demanded that re-polling be ordered. The maximum number of 'sensitive' booths in Monday's elections were in Barrackpore seat where TMC sitting MP Dinesh Trivedi has been pitted against Singh, who switched over to the BJP recently after he was denied a ticket by party supremo Mamata Banerjee. IMAGE: A voter gets her finger marked with indelible ink before casting vote at a polling station, during the fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in Bikaner. Photograph: PTI Photo In Howrah's Balitikuri, TMC candidate and former India footballer Prasun Bandyopdhayay was 'manhandled' allegedly by central forces when he tried to enter a booth there. A first information report was lodged in this connection, Bandyopadhyay said. Bomb explosions were reported from outside a booth at Hingli in Bangaon constituency following a clash between two groups allegedly owing allegiance to the TMC and the BJP, in which two persons were injured, an official said. There is also a report that a Communist Party of India-Marxist agent was beaten up and driven out of a booth in Arambagh constituency. IMAGE: A security personnel checks the identity card of a woman as she stands in a queue with others to cast their vote at a polling station during the fifth phase of general election in Howrah, on the outskirts of Kolkata. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters A presiding officer at a booth in Tarakeswar was removed after one person, allegedly belonging to TMC, was seen casting votes on behalf of others there. The ruling Trinamool Congress, the BJP, the Congress and Left Front constituent CPI-M are the main contenders in the seven seats where 83 candidates are contesting. In Rajasthan, where polling concluded on Monday, an overall turnout of 66.12 per cent in 25 seats was recorded in the two phases. IMAGE: Voters show their ID cards as they wait in a queue to cast vote at a polling station, during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Ranchi. Photograph: PTI Photo An official said 'minor issues related to EVMs were reported at some places' in Madhya Pradesh 'but they were sorted out'. Barring a few reports of poll boycott and EVM glitches, voting was largely peaceful in Bihar. IMAGE: Jharkhand saw an estimated 12.22 per cent of the 65,87,028 electorate cast their votes till 9 am on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo One person has been taken into custody in Saran for damaging an EVM which was replaced. "The voting process was delayed by around 30 minutes in six polling stations of Saran, two in Madhubani, one each in Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur constituencies due to technical glitches in the EVMs, but the officials have attended to the issues," according to an official. IMAGE: A voter shows her finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote at a polling station during the fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, at Hajipur in Vaishali district in Bihar. Photograph: PTI Photo Over 8.75 crore electors were to decide the fate of 674 candidates in the fifth phase Monday. The Election Commission had set up 96,000 polling booths which included the maximum of 28,072 in Uttar Pradesh. IMAGE: Sadhus stand in a queue outside a polling station to caste their vote in Ayodhya. Photograph: Pawan Kumar/Reuters With this phase, election is over in 424 seats and polling in the remaining 118 seats will be held on May 12 and 19. Election to 542 Lok Sabha seats is being conducted in seven phases between April 11 and May 19. IMAGE: A voter shows his finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote at a polling station in Nagaur. Photograph: PTI Photo Election to Vellore constituency in Tamil Nadu had been cancelled by the EC following excess use of money power. IMAGE: Security personnel assist a wheelchair-bound voter at a polling station, during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Howrah district. Photograph: PTI Photo Results will be declared on May 23. Sacked Border Security Force personnel, Tej Bahadur Yadav, on Monday knocked at the doors of the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission's decision to reject his nomination to contest polls as Samajwadi Party candidate from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. Advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for Tej Bahadur, former head constable in the BSF, mentioned the matter before the Registrar for urgent hearing who said that he will decide on a date for the same. Tej Bahadur through his plea sought direction to allow him to contest the Lok Sabha election from the Varanasi seat. The petition sought direction to quash the May 1 order passed by the Returning Officer of the EC rejecting his nomination paper filed on April 29, on the ground of his failure to furnish a certificate [in view of Section 9 & Section 33 (3) of the Representation of the People Act 1951] to the effect that he has not been dismissed for corruption or disloyalty to the state. "Decision seems to have been taken keeping in mind the sensitivity of the contest in Varanasi constituency and to give walkover to the candidate of the ruling party by disqualifying the petitioner whose candidature was gaining momentum and was therefore also supported by the main opposition alliance of two major political parties in the state," the plea said. "Returning Officer completely failed to appreciate that the petitioner had produced his dismissal letter along with his nomination paper which clearly shows that he was dismissed from service for alleged indiscipline and not for corruption or disloyalty to State," the plea contended. Claiming that the rejection of nomination was unreasonable, Bahadur said, "Rejection of nomination under Section 36 of the Act of 1951 is not only erroneous, arbitrary and malafide but also shows failure of the Election Commission in not invoking the constitutional powers under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, to remedy the present situation, for ensuring free and fair election including equal participation, rather acted unmindful to Rule of Law." Tej Bahadur had posted four videos on the social media in January 2017, which showed him complaining about unpalatable food at his camp along Indo-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir. He was named the Samajwadi Party candidate from Varanasi on April 29 and was set to take on Prime Minister Modi. Earlier, he was in the fray as an independent candidate. The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election witnesses several high-stake battles between the Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition parties, with people from 51 Lok Sabha constituencies across seven states casting their votes today to form the next government. Here's a look at who were among the early voters! -- INDIA VOTES Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni with his daughter Ziva at a polling booth in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Photograph: PTI Photo Congress's Sachin Pilot smiles as he proudly displays his inked finger after casting his vote in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He put up the image on Twitter with the caption 'Voted for a better tomorrow'. Photograph: @SachinPilot/Twitter Home Minister and Lucknow BJP Candidate Rajnath Singh casts his vote at polling booth 333 in Scholars' Home School. I will win in Lucknow Public will decide the margin of victory. I leave it to the people of Lucknow. BJP will get clear majority. NDA might also win 2/3rds majority. I appeal to all voters to come out with family and exercise their right, Singh, who was accompanied by his family members said after casting his vote at 7.30 am. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo Union Minister and BJP candidate from Hazaribagh, Jayant Sinha arrives at a polling booth to cast his vote. Sinha is contesting against Congress's Gopal Sahu and Communist Party of India's Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta from the constituency. Photograph: PTI Photo Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha along with his wife Nilima Sinha arrive at a polling booth in Hazaribagh to cast vote for the Lok Sabha election. While waiting in queue, he said that it was in 2014 that he decided to give up his seat and not contest. "I knew that if I didn't then, I would have faced the same fate as others in my party," he said. Photograph: ANI/Twitter Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati casts her vote at a polling booth in City Montessori Inter College in Lucknow. She appealed to the people to vote. "Right to vote should be used for your own good. I appeal all to come out of homes and vote," the BSP supremo said. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore flashes his finger after casting his vote at a polling station in Jaipur. Confident of BJP's victory in the Lok Sabha elections, union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said that the party will form government on May 23."I am confident that this time like 2014 we will get majority, Rathore said. He urged the people to vote and said that today is the festival of democracy. Photograph: PTI Photo BJP candidate from Bikaner Arjun Ram Meghwal shows the victory sign after casting his vote at a polling station during the fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bikaner. Photograph: PTI Photo A liquefied natural gas tanker leaves the dock after discharge at PetroChina's receiving terminal in Dalian, northeastern China's Liaoning province, July 16, 2018. After years of inaction, Russia has resumed natural gas imports from Turkmenistan, raising the prospect of competitive pressure for one of China's main sources of supply. On April 15, monopoly Gazprom and the Turkmengaz state company confirmed the restart of flows from the isolated Central Asian nation for the first time since Russia stopped imports at the start of 2016. Under a contract with Zurich-based Gazprom Schweiz, an affiliate of Gazprom Export, initial volumes appear to be short-term and relatively small. "In accordance with the contract, in the period through June 30, 2019, there are plans to acquire up to 1.155 billion cubic meters (40 billion cubic feet) of Turkmen natural gas," said a Gazprom statement quoted by the Interfax news agency. Other terms have not been disclosed, and no reason was given for the involvement of Gazprom's subsidiary in Switzerland, which Bloomberg identifies as a private company that "procures and sells Central Asian natural gas to customers in Europe." The timing of the deal during the low-demand period after the winter heating season is one of many curiosities that have yet to be explained. "To (what) extent Gazprom would re-export Turkmen gas or use it in Russia ... is not clear," the Jamestown Foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor said. So far, Gazprom officials have offered no reasons for the deal. Russia's motives prompted head-scratching last October, when Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller visited Ashgabat and described the need for resuming gas imports on Jan. 1 as a "priority" issue. Other topics including Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov's demands for cooperation on gas processing and chemicals could wait, Miller indicated. The supply issue needed to be resolved first, he said. A real puzzler Having missed the target date for the high-demand winter period by more than three months, Gazprom's intentions may be even more of a puzzler now. "I start with the assumption that, by all accounts, Gazprom has over 100 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year of surplus supply capacity for any flows going west. So, there is no need for Turkmen gas in the Gazprom system," said Edward Chow, senior associate for energy and national security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Last year, Gazprom exported 201.8 bcm of gas outside the CIS, capturing 36.7 percent of European gas imports, according to company figures reported by Russia's PRIME Business News Agency. While both Russia and Europe appear to be oversupplied with gas for the time being, analysts see the contract as providing a pretext for Gazprom to revive some version of the 2003 intergovernmental agreement with Turkmenistan, which called for Russia to buy 60-70 bcm annually in 2007-2008 and 70-80 bcm starting in 2009. At the time, the 25-year agreement was seen as a sign that Russia would control Central Asian gas exports for decades. But Gazprom never came close to importing such volumes. When demand waned with the global slump in 2009, the company abruptly clamped down on inflows, causing an explosion on a section of the Soviet-era Central Asia-Center (CAC) pipeline system on Turkmen territory. In 2015, Gazprom sued Turkmengaz for 4 billion euros (U.S. $4.5 billion, 30.2 billion yuan) and sought retroactive price cuts. In 2016, Gazprom declared a "pause" in imports under the inter-governmental agreement, citing changed market conditions. In the meantime, Turkmenistan forged ties with China following the late President Saparmurat Niyazov's breakthrough supply agreement in 2006. China invested heavily to build the 2,000-kilometer (1,242-mile) Central Asia-China Gas Pipeline (CAGP) system through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, financing gas field development in Turkmenistan and effectively ending Russia's dominance over access. In 2017, Turkmen gas exports to China reached some 33 bcm, Trend News Agency reported, representing 35 percent of China's total gas imports. The supplies have been vital to China's effort to reduce reliance on high-polluting coal. Last year, Turkmenistan targeted 38.7 bcm for China, or 31 percent of China's imports, according to customs data. China's combined imports of pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) soared 31.9 percent in 2018 as the government promoted fuel-switching to fight smog in northern cities. Imports covered 44.5 percent of China's gas consumption last year. A worker welds a liquefied natural gas tank at a factory in Nantong, eastern China's Jiangsu province, March 14, 2019. Credit: AFP The top spot But Russia is now poised to challenge Turkmenistan for the top spot among China's suppliers with the opening of its mammoth 4,000-kilometer Power of Siberia gas pipeline in December, which would eventually deliver 38 bcm annually over a 30-year period. The juxtaposition alone should be enough to raise Beijing's suspicions that Russia is seeking to increase its leverage over China's growing market by suddenly finding a need for Turkmen gas. "The Russians always saw Turkmenistan as their main competitor for the Chinese gas market," Chow said. China's gas flows from Turkmenistan have been disrupted for brief periods during the past two winters due to technical problems. Although the Russian restart of Turkmen imports only covers small volumes so far, it could be extended and increased on the basis of the intergovernmental agreement, putting an added strain on China's supplies. The condition of the extensive CAC system may be a factor limiting the volumes of the initial contract with Russia. Sections of the pipeline network have been sitting unused since 2015, and the extent of investments in maintenance and repair is unclear. Last week in a press release, Kazakhstan's pipeline operator KazTransGaz cited "modern technologies and modernization" of the CAC for the ability to resume gas flows quickly, but the statement appeared to credit maintenance on lines through its territory alone. Volumes transiting Kazakhstan were said to be 15 million cubic meters per day. As of May 3, more than 220 million cubic meters of gas had been transported to Russia, the company said. Motivated by greater prospects If the condition of the CAC pipelines is a consideration, the contract to restart Turkmen exports to Russia could be seen as a trial run for larger volumes to come. The forces at work among the three countries are both opaque and complex. The Eurasia Daily Monitor noted that Turkmenistan's larger gas volumes for China probably generate little in the way of earnings because of the cost of Chinese credits. The smaller volumes for Russia may be seen as a source of needed cash. While the restart may create competition for the Chinese market, Chow sees a greater chance that Russia is motivated by prospects that Turkmen gas could flow west from the Caspian Sea. Last August, the five shoreline states signed a landmark convention on the Caspian's legal status, breaking a 25-year deadlock on the division issue and potentially clearing the way for Turkmen resources to reach Western markets without transiting Russia. So far, trans-Caspian flows remain only potential, since the convention leaves room for Russia to raise environmental objections. But Chow suggested there may be greater potential for exports from disputed offshore fields on the Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan median line. "The Russians are likely more concerned about the slowly warming relations between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan," said Chow. "There have been some real deals being negotiated between the two for over a year to bring some offshore Turkmen gas to Azerbaijan, which is short of gas for its domestic market." "Anytime they get close, senior Russians magically show up in Ashgabat," said Chow. "The message is clear: We can help you or hurt you," he said. Whatever the reason for Gazprom's reappearance in Turkmenistan, China should be watching developments closely between its two most important gas suppliers. In the meantime, China has doubled down on Russian gas sources with agreements to invest in the Arctic LNG 2 project with independent developer Novatek. China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) and China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) will each acquire 10 percent shares in the U.S. $25.5-billion (171.7-billion yuan) project in the next two to three months, Novatek said, according to Interfax. CNPC already holds a 20-percent share of Novatek's Yamal LNG project in the Arctic region, while the China Silk Road Fund owns 9.9 percent. Cambodian rights groups and the countrys banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party called on Monday for an investigation into the death in police custody of the son of a CNRP activist, with the CNRP calling the death a new form of political murder. Tith Rorn, 37 and the son of CNRP member Eam Tith, died on April 18 in Kampong Cham province in what police described as a fall in a jail restroom, though his body bore multiple bruises, raising fears he had been killed by jail guards. Cambodian authorities are now trying to evade accountability for the death, the CNRP said, rejecting official explanations of how the young man died and calling on human rights groups and the international community to seek justice for his family. Pressure should now be put on Cambodias ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) to end all forms of persecution of CNRP activists and others politically opposed to the government of long-ruling Prime Minister Hun Sen, the statement said. Cambodias Supreme Court formally dissolved the CNRP in November 2017 following the arrest in September of party president Kem Sokha on charges of treason, paving the way for Prime Minister Hun Sens ruling CPP to win all 125 seats in parliament in a July 2018 election widely seen as unfree and unfair. The CNRP has since reorganized outside the country, with opposition leader Sam Rainsy serving as acting president, and many members remain active at the grassroots level, voicing their political views on social media and in social gatherings. Speaking to RFAs Khmer Service on May 6, National Police Commissariat spokesman Chhay Kim Khoeun said that official investigations into Tith Rorns death have now determined that the young man collapsed in the jail and struck his head due to being addicted to alcohol. Chhay Kim Khoeun rejected CNRP accusations of the cover-up of a deliberate murder, saying, That party always accuses everyone like this. Speaking to RFA, however, Tith Rorns father said that when his sons body was brought home, multiple bruises and injuries including a broken neck were discovered on his body, adding,When my son left home prior to his arrest, there were no bruises or injuries on him, and he wasnt suffering from any illness. Meanwhile, Am Sam Athhead of investigations for the Cambodian rights group Licadhosaid that his organization will now conduct its own investigation to discover the truth of the circumstances leading from Tith Rorns April 15 arrest on a 13-year-old assault charge to the time of his death three days later. We want to know exactly what happened to him at every stage, he said. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Richard Finney. Chinese writer and rights activist Xie Qiang, who signed a 2008 charter calling for sweeping political reform, is incommunicado, believed detained, after receiving an unexpected phone call from police, his friends said. Xie, who is better known by his pen-name Ma Xiao, sent out a social media message on April 26 that read: "They haven't contacted me in 10 years, and suddenly I get a phone call today. What's going on?" Since then, Xie, who hails from the central province Hunan but who is resident in Beijing's Songzhuang Artists' Village, hasn't been in contact with friends or family. "His friends called the Songzhuang police station, but they said there was nobody by that name there," housing rights activist Ni Yulan told RFA on Monday. "That made them even more worried." "Maybe he wrote something that they thought he shouldn't have written, and now he has been summoned to 'drink tea' or 'disappeared'," she said. "It has been 10 days now, and nobody has told his family anything, so everyone is pretty worried right now." Ni said Xie is also a veteran rights activist who has paid close attention to the treatment of China's political prisoners over the years. "He wrote a number of features in recent years about political prisoners," Ni said. "He wanted to improve conditions for them, so he wrote about unfair treatment they received in jail and posted the articles to the relevant websites." "I was one of them," she said. Called to 'drink tea' Sources told RFA that Xie's disappearance came after he was called in to "drink tea" with the state security police, and never reappeared. Beijing artist Wang Peng is a close friend of Xie's. "We were still messaging a couple of weeks ago," Wang told RFA. "He was asking me to find him a job, because he wasn't making any income out of the articles he was writing." "Ma Xiao was always pretty low profile ... he had set up a few websites, and often referred to issues with the ruling Chinese Communist Party," Wang said. "He is kind of a scholarly character." Wang said Xie had previously been targeted by the government's "stability maintenance" machine, which aims to silence and restrict critics of the ruling party, and that his disappearance could be linked to the forthcoming 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre next month. "It's 30 years since the June 4, 1989 [massacre] this year, so it's pretty likely that they'll be detaining people like him," Wang said. Repeated calls to the Songzhuang police station in Beijing's Tongzhou district rang unanswered on Sunday. Repeated attempts to contact Jia Lijun, head of the state security police for Tongzhou district, were also unsuccessful. Called for reform Xie was repeatedly detained and interrogated after signing Charter 08, a 2008 document co-authored by late political prisoner Liu Xiaobo, which called for constitutional government in China. The questioning focused on his involvement with the overseas-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) network, which translates and compiles human-rights reports from groups and individuals in China. Xie had attended a human rights training workshop in Thailand in January 2010, and this was also the focus of what he described at the time as "oppressive" interrogation. Xie, a former civil servant from Hunan's Loudi city, has studied law, and has been an advocate of human rights and democratic reform for many years, according to background information on CHRD's website. He has written for websites including Minzhu Zhongguo and Boxun, and was active in drafting and circulating public letters and petitions on behalf of Liu Xiaobo and other Charter 08 supporters. He is the author of two reports on human rights abuses in China, and has organized support for human rights defenders persecuted by the government, CHRD said. Memorials forbidden The student-led protests in the spring and early summer of 1989 brought central Beijing to a standstill, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to call for greater democracy and an end to official corruption. Public memorials and events marking the anniversary of the bloodshed are forbidden in mainland China, although Hong Kong still holds an annual vigil attended by thousands of people. Rights activists and dissidents are often held under house arrest, taken on enforced "vacations," or placed under surveillance by state security police ahead of the anniversary on June 4. Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Siu-san and Wen Yuqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Office of Development Media Group (DMG), a local Myanmar news organization based in Rakhines capital Sittwe whose reporters were interrogated over a recent report. Myanmars military is investigating the shooting of six detained villagers who died in its custody last week during interrogations about possible ties to rebel forces and has released another 48 of those still held in Myanmars violence-ridden Rakhine state, military spokesmen from both sides said Monday. Government soldiers rounded up 275 men and boys from several villages on April 30 to question them about their connections to the Arakan Army (AA), which is fighting Myanmar forces for greater autonomy in Rakhine state. The Myanmar Army said in an announcement on May 2 that it had shot dead six of the detainees and wounded eight others while four went missing when the villagers launched a coordinated attack on the troops and tried to grab their guns as they were being held in a school compound in Rathedaung townships Kyauktan village. Soldiers responded first by firing warning shots into the air, but resorted to shooting the detainees as a last resort, though eyewitness have disputed that narrative. We released our announcement by asking military officials on ground and villagers who are not involved in the incidents, military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Htun told RFAs Myanmar Service. When we have a conflict, there are two points of views from both sides, he said. Thats why we have formed a military investigation team to find out what differences we have between both sides. Comprised of five military officers, the investigation team has been probing the incident since May 3, a day after the shootings. When asked by RFA if the military will release the results of its investigation to the public, Zaw Min Htun said that the army usually issues information about what it should do in such a case and that soldiers found to have violated military regulations will be subject to punishment. Every soldier is responsible for following all existing laws, and military rules and regulations, he said. If a soldier breaks one of them, we will take action against him according to the law. Myanmar forces released 126 detainees on May 3 and freed another group on Monday, he said. We have released 48 more people who have been cleared of having any connection to the AA, Zaw Min Htun said. We are still investigating the rest, and we will release those who have no ties to the AA. AA spokesman Khine Thukha said all the detainees are local villagers, none of whom have ties to the Arakan force. 'They didn't allow talking' Eyewitness have come forward with additional details calling into question the militarys version of events. Some detainees told RFA on Friday that a mentally ill man among them shouted run, run around 2 a.m. on May 2, when troops opened fire on those who were sleeping in front of the schoolhouse where they were being held. The detainees said they did not even imagine grabbing the soldiers guns because as many as 300 security personnel were guarding them. They [Myanmar soldiers] said we tried to rob their guns. We never did, said one man who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation. After soldiers had made the detainees stand in the torrid sun the entire day, they gave them nothing to eat, he added. We had to stay and sleep on the dusty ground, and we were not allowed to bathe, he said. They didnt even allow talking. Another eyewitness said soldiers showed the detainees a corpse with a bashed skull to frighten them. It terrified the detained villagers, he said. The corpse had a broken skull with brains oozing out. Since fighting between the Myanmar and Arakan armies spiked in early January in Rakhine state, more than 30 civilians have been killed by artillery explosions and improvised explosive devices, over 60 people have been injured, and 10 have died in military custody. Journalists questioned In a related development, the Myanmar military filed a criminal case against employees at the Development Media Group (DMG), a local news organization based in Rakhines capital Sittwe, for allegedly violating Section 17(2) of the countrys Unlawful Associations Act, the journalists said. Chief reporter Nay Win San said he was questioned after plainclothes police officials visited the headquarters of main office of the DMG Sunday night and informed them to report to the station. He and another reporter were questioned again Monday morning, he said, adding that the investigator did not provide clear answers on why they were being charged. DMG reporter Thet Naing said police questioned him Monday about a recent reporting trip he took to look into a Jan. 26 incident in Rathedaung's Thamee Hla village, during which a seven-year-old child was killed by a stray bullet amid fighting between the Myanmar military and the AA. I was questioned about my reports, he said. We had gathered information on the ground when we reported about the incident in Thamee Hla village. They inspected our video footage and questioned whether the information was gathered by myself or if anyone accompanied me, why we published the news, and what our intentions were. Tun Aung Kyaw, general secretary of the Arakan National Party, expressed concern over a recent crackdown on media reporting on the situation in Rakhine state. Those people from the DMG are journalists, he said. How come they are being charged regarding an accusation of having links to an unlawful association? We have to say that it damages press freedom in the country if journalists face actions for doing their jobs, he told RFA. DMG, founded in 2012, is the third organization sued by the military and the military-controlled Home Affairs Ministry this year. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar, Ye Khaung Myint Maung, and Nandar Chann. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Authorities in Vietnam released dissident blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh this week at the end of a five-year term served for posting politically sensitive writings online, sources said on Monday. Vinh, who had been held in pre-trial detention for almost two years before being sentenced on March 23, 2016, for abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state, a vaguely worded provision in Vietnamese law frequently used to silence dissident voices. He was released from Detention Center No. 5 in north-central Vietnams Thanh Hoa province on May 5. Speaking to RFAs Vietnamese Service on May 6, the day after his release, Vinh said that he was thankful for his time in prison, where he had seen a lot, and fought a lot. Thanks to support from my family, and to pressure from the outside and from the media, some changes have been made at Detention Center No. 5, he said. Before he was released, prison authorities had searched his cell for documents. Vinh said, adding that he had filled five notebooks with about a thousand pages of writing while in custody. I wrote every day, Vinh said. I wrote about everything. I also wrote poems. A few days before his prison term ended, two prison officials ordered him to collect everything he had written and put it all in a box and seal it, Vinh said. They said that this would then be sent to the National Security Department of the Ministry of Police, and they gave me a number where I could call them after my release. Challenged to produce an official order for the seizure of his papers, the officials refused, and later ordered the search of his room, Vinh said. 'Everything is in my head' Police had earlier confiscated 78 pages of writing Vinh had hoped to present in evidence at his trial three years before, and had denied access to his writings to his lawyer, Tran Vu Hai, he said. But everything is in my head, Vinh said. When I have time, I will write it all down again, because I want the public to know it all so that it can help other democracy activists in the future, he said. In a case that captured international attention, Vinh was sentenced on March 23, 2016 to five years in prison on for posts on his Ba Sam blog site that were critical of the government. The former police officer better known as Anh Ba Sam was convicted on a charge of abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state under Article 258 of Vietnams penal code. His assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy was given three years in prison on the same charge. The two had been held in prison since their arrests in May 2014. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Viet Ha. Written in English by Richard Finney. Senior officials from the United States, Russia, and other countries bordering the Arctic are opening a two-day meeting in Finland amid growing tensions over how to deal with global warming and access to mineral wealth in the polar region. Thawing ice in the Arctic is beginning to give increased access to much of the planet's remaining undiscovered reserves of oil and natural gas and large deposits of zinc, iron, and rare-earth metals, prompting nearby states as well as world powers such as China to rush and claim territory or boost their presence in the region. The Pentagon warned on May 2 of the risk of Chinese submarines in the Arctic as shipping routes are also opening up due to thawing. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who is due to give a speech at the meeting in the northern Finnish city of Rovaniemi on May 6 -- has rejected a role for China in shaping Arctic policy. Washington and Moscow have announced that Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will discuss "a broad range of issues" on the sidelines of the Arctic Council, including the political crisis in Venezuela. The Arctic Council consists 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. Beijing last year came up with a plan for a "Polar Silk Road." India, South Korea, Singapore, Italy and, Japan also have observer status at the Arctic Council. The Washington Post reported the United States had refused to sign off on a final declaration, disagreeing with the wording on climate change. With reporting by Reuters and AP There will be no mining of uranium in Kyrgyzstan. -- Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov on May 4, 2019 When the people of Kyrgyzstans Tong district confirmed there was a uranium-mining operation in their area, they protested. Then their protest spread to Kyrgyzstans capital, Bishkek, and parliament quickly passed a motion to ban uranium mining in the country. Mining uranium in Kyrgyzstan is a sensitive issue. The country is still trying to clean up several dozen contaminated areas where uranium was mined when Kyrgyzstan was a Soviet republic. The publicity about the work at the Kyzyl-Ompol site in Tong district brought the issue of uranium mining back to the attention of the Kyrgyz public. But it has also become clear that, legally speaking, it is not so easy to close down a mining operation in Kyrgyzstan, and there is more than just one mining site. Tong district is located in Kyrgyzstans northeastern Issyk-Kul Province, the location of Kyrgyzstans -- and some would say Central Asias -- prime tourist location: the huge lake from which the province derives its name. A company called UrAsia in Kyrgyzstan has the license to work the Kyzyl-Ompol field in Tong. The broader Tash-Bulak field where Kyzyl-Ompol is located stretches into the neighboring Kochkor district of Naryn Province. Canadian company Azarga Uranium (previously known as Powertech) holds a 70 percent stake in UrAsia in Kyrgyzstan. RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service, known locally as Azattyk, reported that Russian entrepreneurs own 60 percent of UrAsia in Kyrgyzstan and Kyrgyz partners own the other 40 percent. In November, residents of the Kok-Moynok village in Tong district expressed opposition to the Kyzyl-Ompol mining operation. A village meeting that included district officials was convened. At the time, it became obvious there were several matters that were unclear. The current head of Kok-Moynok, Mayramkul Kydyralieva, said UrAsia was only conducting exploration work; but her predecessor in the post, Taalaybek Kulanbaev, said exploration work started when he was the village chief. The UrAsia website reported that "in 2012, a more extensive exploration program commenced" at the Kyzyl-Ompol site. Recent reports said the license was issued to UrAsia in Kyrgyzstan in 2010. Some provincial and district officials said the project was needed to boost the local economy. They suggested that UrAsia was guaranteeing that the safest and most modern methods would be used to extract uranium from the site. That did not appear to convince many people in Tong district and, on April 19, demonstrations started in the city of Balykchy, on the western shore of Issyk-Kul. Several hundred people demanded that UrAsias mining license be revoked. On April 21, activists in Issyk-Kul Province started collecting signatures on a petition to halt work at Kyzyl-Ompol. The activists hoped to gather at least 10,000 signatures, but they nearly reached that goal in the first 24 hours and by April 29 almost 30,000 people had signed. On April 22, Prime Minister Muhammedkaly Abylgaziev ordered suspension of the work at Kyzyl-Ompol. In Bishkek on April 25, Deputy Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov met with protesters who had come from Tong district to the Kyrgyz capital. Boronov said, "I am stating officially that [Kyzyl-Ompol] is shut. The company has no rights for extraction or even geological exploration. We have withdrawn the license." This contradicts information on the Azarga website that indicated exploration was being conducted in 2012-13, including "17 drill holes...at the Kok Moynok deposit." Investors in the Kyzyl-Ompol mine project held a press conference on April 24 to say that after protests started, UrAsia had suspended work "in the republic until the situation changes." Some people in Kyrgyzstan seem to believe the company more than government officials and fear the tough talk from officials in Bishkek will be forgotten once the controversy around the issue dies down. Hundreds of people continued to gather in Balykchy, some coming from Naryn and Chuy provinces, to join the rallies. On April 26, there was a protest outside the government building in Bishkek. On April 30, two groups demonstrated in Bishkek. The Green Party organized a rally on the central Ala-Too Square (and its leader, Erkin Bulekbaev, was later detained), and protesters from Balykchy rallied on Gorky Square. Kuban Ashyrkulov, a member of the Mineral Resources Committee at the International Business Council, said that under current legislation in Kyrgyzstan it is not so easy to revoke a mining license. "According to the legislation on the mining industry, there is no right to revoke a license," Ashyrkulov, said and told Azattyk that there were only two ways a mining operation might be ordered to close: "If the enterprise is not paying taxes [or] if some violations of the law were discovered and a criminal case was instituted that resulted in a court decision to revoke the license." President Jeenbekovs May 4 statement and parliaments May 3 vote to prohibit exploration and extraction of uranium seem in keeping with the wishes of the population. But banning all surveying in Kyrgyzstan for uranium is not quite so simple. As Ashyrkulov indicated, contracts have already been signed with companies. Deputy Prime Minister Boronov told lawmakers on May 2 that UrAsia understood the concerns the Kyzyl-Ompol mine was causing Kyrgyzstan's public and agreed to cancel the contract "without any [legal] claims." But, according to Azattyk, there are 18 contracts for uranium exploration in Kyrgyzstan. Nine of those contracts are for exploration of uranium and rare earth metals. It is not clear how the hastily approved prohibition on uranium mining might affect mining for rare earth metals and other minerals. So it is possible that Kyrgyzstan will face legal challenges to the ban on uranium mining. The controversy that Kyzyl-Ompol sparked serves as a reminder of the legacy of uranium mining in Kyrgyzstan. UrAsia in Kyrgyzstan did not start an operation at the Kyzyl-Ompol site; the company simply resumed work that began during Soviet times. Such sites exist in many areas of Kyrgyzstan. The 18 contracts the government gave out are for sites in the Chuy, Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abat, Osh, and Batken provinces -- that's five of Kyrgyzstans seven provinces. Many of these operations are simply reopening former Soviet uranium mining sites. Attempts to clean up some of the worst of these sites started soon after 1991 independence. A report in late April noted that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development would be starting remedial work at the Ming-Kush and Shekaftar sites in Kyrgyzstan. The European Union created the Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia in 2015 to help decontaminate seven sites in Central Asia: two in Uzbekistan (Charkesar and Yangiabad), two in Tajikistan (Degmay and Istoklol), and three in Kyrgyzstan. The third site in Kyrgyzstan is Maily-Suu, where a Soviet-era uranium plant is located. Uranium mining started in Maily-Suu in 1946 and some 10,000 tons of uranium was extracted from the site by 1968. Many say the uranium used for the first Soviet nuclear bomb was mined at Maily-Suu. (Others say it was from Tajikistan.) There are 23 uranium-tailing dumps and 13 rock dumps in the Maily-Suu area. The town has been called one of the most contaminated places on the planet. Residents suffer from a range of health problems. It is still unclear how long Kyrgyzstan will prohibit uranium exploration or mining. Several parliamentary deputies have drafted a moratorium on uranium mining that would extend through 2070. Others want a permanent ban. Kyrgyzstan has very few resources to export, and mining -- particularly gold mining -- has proven to be a boon for the economy. However, the Kyrgyz public has regularly shown resistance to any projects that deface the land and threaten the environment, and the government continues to search for a balance that suits everyone. RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service (Azattyk) contributed to this report. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Ankara amid a widening rift between alliance members Turkey and the United States over Turkish plans to purchase a Russian missile system. Stoltenberg said he encouraged the "ongoing dialogue" between Turkey and the United States over Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile system, in an interview on May 5 with Turkish state news agency Anadolu. But he also welcomed "talks about Turkey's possible acquisition of a U.S. Patriot missile system," in an indication that he could get Turkey's leadership to reconsider its stance on the S-400. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said Turkey won't withdraw from the S-400 deal, despite mounting pressure from Washington and NATO. Washington has also warned that Turkey risks being ejected from the F-35 fighter-jet program. Turkey is a member of the consortium involved in the production of the jet and a buyer. "Decisions about military procurement are for nations to make," Stoltenberg told Anadolu when asked about the S-400. "But...interoperability of our armed forces is fundamental to NATO for the conduct of our operations and missions." Based on reporting by dpa and Anadolu The U.S. ambassador to Ukraine is departing her position in May, two months ahead of schedule. A State Department spokesperson said in a statement e-mailed to RFE/RL on May 6 that Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch is concluding her 3-year diplomatic assignment in Kyiv in 2019 as planned. Her confirmed departure date in May aligns with the presidential transition in Ukraine, which elected a new president last month, the spokesperson said. The team at U.S. Embassy Kyiv, and in Washington, continues to work closely with the Ukrainian government and civil society to strengthen our partnership, the spokesperson added. The statement did not provide further details. Earlier in the day, four people familiar with the decision told RFE/RL that Yovanovitch was leaving by the middle of May but gave no indication exactly why she was departing. The four people, who include embassy employees and others, spoke on condition of anonymity. Sections of an e-mail shared with RFE/RL but not yet made public said Yovanovitchs last day would be May 20, and a charge daffaires -- basically an embassy's chief operating officer -- would then be appointed long-term until a new ambassador is nominated and confirmed. Sworn in as ambassador to Kyiv in August 2016, Yovanovitch has been at the forefront of U.S. efforts to help stabilize Ukraine's shaky economy and push reforms to root out endemic corruption. She's also been at the forefront of U.S. backing for Ukraine in its ongoing fight with Moscow over Russia-backed fighters battling Ukrainian government forces in eastern regions since 2014. Yovanovitch drew attention in early March when,weeks before Ukraines March 31 presidential election, she called on Kyiv to fire the country's special anti-corruption prosecutor. The speech was notable not only for its timing but also its bluntness. President Petro Poroshenko, who has been accused of not doing enough to tackle corruption, lost his reelection bid in an April 21 runoff vote against comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Yovanovitch was also the target of an explosive claim in March by Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko, who alleged she had given him "a list of people whom we should not prosecute" during their first in-person meeting. The claim, made in an interview by Washington-based newspaper The Hill, prompted an unusual rebuke by the State Department. "The allegations by the Ukrainian prosecutor-general are not true and are intended to tarnish the reputation of Ambassador Yovanovitch," it said. Lutsenko's claim got further attention later when a tweet about the story was retweeted by President Donald Trump's son. KYIV -- Ukrainian authorities said a reporter has been hospitalized in a coma after a brutal attack, and the assault is now being investigated as attempted murder. Police in the city of Cherkasy said unidentified men attacked Vadym Komarov on May 4 in the center of the city, about 200 kilometers south of Kyiv. He was hospitalized and underwent unspecified surgery, and as of May 6 remained in a coma. Officials did not say whether they believe Komarov may have been targeted for his reporting. However, Oleksandr Radutsky, a member of the city council, said Komarov had repeatedly written about controversial issues including embezzlement of city budget funds and alleged corruption on the city council. He had also investigated the circumstances behind a prison riot at a Cherkasy penal colony. Radutsky told the Ukrainian news site UNIAN that Komarov was shot in an apparent assassination attempt in 2016. Sergey Tomilenko, the head of the Ukrainian Union of Journalists, said in a Facebook post on May 4 that Komarov really annoyed many in Cherkasy, those who have great power and big money. He called on law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the attack. According to the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists, 12 reporters have been killed in Ukraine since 1992; seven of those were specifically murdered for their work. Peace talks between U.S. negotiators and Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar, have been interrupted to mark the beginning of Ramadan. The two sides are apparently at loggerheads over the key sticking point of when foreign forces might leave Afghanistan. The two sides have been involved for much of the past week in a sixth round of negotiations aimed at ending the almost 18-year war -- the United States' longest ever -- but the Taliban says talks have become bogged down. Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen tweeted that the talks were pausing for the first day of the holy month of Ramadan -- when Muslims fast during the day -- but would be resumed "the following day." Shaheen told AFP news agency late on May 5 that talks hit an impasse over when foreign forces would depart Afghanistan. Before agreeing to any withdrawal, Washington is demanding that militants establish security guarantees, a cease-fire, and make other commitments including an "intra-Afghan" dialogue with the Kabul government and other Afghan representatives. The Taliban has said it will not take any of these steps until the United States announces a withdrawal timeline. At the end of a wide-ranging peace gathering in Kabul last week, President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban a cease-fire to begin on the first day of Ramadan, but the militants rejected it. Ghani on May 6 reiterated his call for the Taliban to observe demands from last week's gathering that saw thousands of tribal elders and Afghans meet in Kabul. At least 13 people were killed and dozens more wounded on May 5 after a Taliban suicide bomber and several gunmen attacked a police headquarters in the northern Afghan city of Pul-e Khumri. Based on reporting by AFP and Tolo News Pope Francis urged Bulgarians on Sunday to open their hearts to migrants, arguing that Bulgaria, which is losing so much of its population to emigration, should understand the forces that drive people to seek lives elsewhere. He was in the Balkan nation for a two-day visit. The government has called for the European Union to close its borders to migrants. Richmond-based Hourigan is developing the 1.2 million-square-foot Deepwater Industrial Park that is being marketed for build-to-suit tenants. Hourigan acquired the former Alleghany Warehouse Co. property in South Richmond in 2017 and has been razing the buildings for redevelopment as a new warehousing, distribution and manufacturing complex. What is driving demand for these warehouses? One big reason Amazon came to the Richmond region is because of the logistics talent flowing out of Fort Lee, where the Army Logistics University is located. So one answer is Amazon is here. Amazon also has changed everyones business model over the past two decades, creating a huge change in how industrial warehouses are used across the country. To compete with Amazon and its efficient distribution, retailers and suppliers must be able to get to large city populations quickly. To do that, inventory needs to be stored in buildings close to these populations. So another reason is Richmond has a large population and the new business model requires warehouses close to populations. The Richmond regions residential market remains hot, spurred by high demand and low inventory. Sellers are getting multiple offers, sometimes cash offers, and some homes are selling above asking price. Thats good news for sellers, but its often frustrating for buyers. More homebuyers are returning to an urban environment either in the city of Richmond or in new developments in the suburbs that look like villages of yesteryear. The apartment boom continues. And the Richmond area is seeing a burst of activity in the condo market after it had slowed for years as a result of the housing downturn a decade ago. Baby boomers are looking at moving into a growing number of age-restricted communities that are being built while developers plan and build continuing care and retirement communities. What are the trends driving the residential real estate market in the Richmond region? That is the topic for the next Metro Business Live event on Tuesday, June 25. A panel of experts will discuss the regions strong residential real estate market and the trends that are affecting it now and in the future. The martini is made with Richmond-based Belle Isle Moonshines Honey Habanero. The actress even posted a selfie with the cocktail on Instagram. *** Delivery has launched at The Big Kitchen in Scotts Addition, and the Short Pump location is now open. Big Kitchen Hospitality, the folks behind the Tazza Kitchen restaurants, launched the first The Big Kitchen location in January at 1600 Altamont Ave. in Scotts Addition. The Short Pump location, which is next to the Short Pump Tazza Kitchen at 3332 Pump Road, opened last week. The Big Kitchen serves prepared food such as chicken Alfredo for two ($13.99), buttermilk-brined fried chicken for two ($9.99), build-your-own nachos ($9.99), pizzas, salads, barbecue, sides, desserts, beer and wine, and more. Diners simply order online, select their pickup time, drive-thru (or there) and go (see review below). *** Back door dogs are back at Dutch & Company restaurant in Church Hill. If there was any question about how dedicated LaVigne is to Riverside, those doubts were erased late last year. On Dec. 9, when he was scheduled to work, a snow and ice storm passed through the Tri-Cities region, leaving behind up to 14 inches of snow. I had to get to work, but I couldnt get my vehicle out, LaVigne noted. That didnt stop him. He trudged 2 miles in knee-high snow and reported for duty on time. After working his shift, he volunteered to remain on duty because many other employees couldnt get to work as conditions worsened. I knew it was going to be even harder for the next shift to get in, he said. Officer LaVigne displays drive and perseverance and is a self-starter, said Lt. Lisa Rose, LaVignes supervisor. He uses exceptionally good judgment when analyzing facts and solving problems [and] he stimulates teamwork and has good communication with others. LaVigne appears to excel at everything he does. He achieved academic excellence at Riversides Basic Jailor Academy in March 2017 and was named valedictorian with an academic score of 96.7. More time with students and more opportunity for instruction results in growth, so we want to make sure we have that time with children, said Byron Davis, the principal at Patrick Copeland Elementary School. Hackney, Davis and Malik Wheat, the data and testing specialist at Hopewell High School, led the research process for the proposal. The three said cutting the amount of time students take off in the summer will decrease summer learning loss. The intersession periods, they said, will also give students opportunities they might not otherwise get. Until we adjust our calendar, its going to be very, very difficult to have significant growth and improvement in our school system, Wheat said. The variable of time is critical, and we believe that this calendar and this model can change the variable in a way that we can see improved outcomes for our students. Hackney said it makes more sense for the roughly 4,300-student district to go year-round systemwide rather than pilot at one or two schools because of the divisions size and in consideration of families that have students at more than one school. Calvin Sorrell was the only black male teacher Rodney Robinson had. He taught in King William County for three dozen years and remembers Robinson as knowledgeable, caring and talented. Robinson was shy, though, lacking many teachers who looked like him. The potential was there; he just had to come out a little bit, Sorrell said. I knew he always had the ability. Robinson looked up to the one black male teacher he did have, who taught him how to play the trombone, baritone and tuba. He became a teacher to give students the teacher he had only once, among other reasons. Kids need positive role models, Sorrell said of being a black male teacher. It gives them someone to look up to, and he was no exception. It surprised him when Robinson became a teacher, but knowing Robinson now, a man driven to improve teacher diversity while getting to know his students, Sorrell was not shocked to find out last week that Robinson is the National Teacher of the Year. These days, Robinson has people looking up to him for guidance the same way he looked to Sorrell for inspiration. Taking advantage of the beachhead created by the students, African American women voted to boycott stores whose eating facilities remained segregated. Hundreds signed up to picket in what was called the Campaign for Human Dignity, including Mrs. Lomax, who walked the line outside Thalhimers. By August 1961, six downtown stores had agreed to desegregate. Mrs. Lomax recalled in the 2009 interview getting dressed to eat at Miller & Rhoads Tea Room and looking every bit as important as the white guests. Mrs. Lomax was active in voter registration drives and supported NAACP causes for more than six decades. She was a founding member of the Richmond chapter of Women in the NAACP. She also worked with youths. When Dell came to the NAACP as director of volunteers in the 1980s, Ora had been director of youth for the NAACP since Adam and Eve. She was an institution when I came on board. She also served as college and youth adviser for the state NAACP, which made her a member of the executive committee of the NAACPs Virginia State Conference, according to Mary Easter, a retired state conference office manager. She had a great impact on the youth, Easter said. They all looked up to her. The Virginia attorney generals office is pushing to block Dominion Energy from charging ratepayers $247 million to recover money spent on environmental upgrades at its Chesterfield County power plant, calling the spending imprudent given that it will provide little or no value to customers. Dominion, the states largest utility, said in December that the upgrades to four coal-burning energy units in Chesterfield were needed to meet federal and state environmental regulations. But, in a filing with the state regulator on utility pricing, a consultant with the attorney generals office said Dominion knew or should have known that its coal-burning units would become virtually obsolete, making the upgrades unnecessary. The application Dominion filed in December with the State Corporation Commission, which regulates the utility, would allow the company to recover the cost of the projects, along with a profit of 9.2 percent. Households using roughly 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month would see their bills rise by $2.15 starting in November. If the SCC doesnt approve the increase to ratepayer bills, Dominion will have to absorb most of the costs of the project. In a telephone interview Thursday, Wilson said: The way our party plan works is bottom-up. At the end of the day, it is the local legislative district committee that makes the decision. Wilson said Wyatt supporters have the option to appeal the local committees decision to the 1st Congressional District Republican Committee. That body would have to give seven days notice before its more than 20 voting members could meet to consider the appeal which would delay Saturdays convention. Wyatt supporters say they still want to go forward with the convention Saturday and are promoting the event on Facebook. We believe the convention should and will be held this Saturday at Atlee High School, Wyatts campaign said in a statement Thursday. To change the process now would be like changing an election on election day. All of us know that once election day has arrived there is no turning back. CHARLOTTESVILLE A William Monroe High School graduating senior who also takes classes at Piedmont Virginia Community College has received a $301,480 scholarship to attend Duke University. Kamdon Early of Stanardsville received a prestigious Gates Millennium scholarship. The program is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and aims to increase opportunities for high-achieving minority students with financial need. Early has been dual-enrolled at William Monroe and PVCC, earning a high school diploma and an associates degree simultaneously. He plans to study philosophy and pre-law at Duke and will be on full scholarship. William Monroe has a standing dual-enrollment program with PVCC that has graduated an increasing number of Greene County students with both high school and associates degrees or certificates each year since 2016. Lendes skill is finding details that reanimate the dead on the page. In her obituary of Evelyn Arbuckle, Lende described how the Ohio woman moved to Alaska in 1976 after surviving a plane crash that killed her husband and the pilot. She lived for two days on rainwater and blueberries, singing hymns to ward off bears. After her rescue, she credited God; her son credited her winter coat. Years later, she won first prize at the Alaska State Fair for the wedding dress she sewed for his bride. My own writing about the dead, in essays and books rather than obituaries, grew out of grief. I buried my father and a stillborn baby in my 20s. I was in my 30s when my husband died of AIDS. I was a fledgling personal essayist, but already my subject was dead people. I found not just relief but joy in spending time in my head with the people Id lost and in bringing them to life on the page. The effect of the work on others seemed similarly counterintuitive. Sad, yes, but morbid, no; somehow, life-affirming. While it is not Americas responsibility to dictate to Afghans how to live their lives, Khalilzad should still make it clear to the Taliban that the U.S. expects all Afghans to be treated fairly under the rule of law regardless of ethnicity, gender, sect, tribe or region. Finally, the U.S. negotiators must stress that Washington will remain involved in Afghanistan in pursuit of its own national security interests. While American military personnel will be withdrawn as part of a peace deal, the U.S. will continue to use its diplomatic, economic and political influence in Afghanistan to help the country reintegrate with its neighbors, boost the economic prospects of the Afghan people and limit the pool of possible recruits to terrorist groups, such as ISIS. The Taliban might be amenable to this condition as it transitions from an insurgency into a legitimate political actor in the Afghan political system. If the Taliban assumes that a U.S. military withdrawal means the total and complete withdrawal of the U.S. as a player in Afghanistan, the group will be sorely mistaken. None of this will be easy. Talking, however, is the most efficient way for Afghanistan to begin the transformation into a semi-peaceful society after decades of warfare. The war in Afghanistan is in a perpetual stalemate. Renewed focus on a rational peace effort that promotes these three strategic end-states will finally allow the U.S. to put this 18-year conflict in the rear view mirror. Legal action has ended against East Mental Health Services, a defunct Roanoke company that was the target of employee and government false-billing allegations. Julia Switzer, a former employee, on Friday asked to drop her 2013 whistleblower lawsuit against the company, according to a filing in Roanoke federal court. A separate federal criminal conspiracy prosecution of the company, four former executives and one manager was recently discontinued, according to their lawyers. A provider of outpatient life-skills training for seriously mentally ill people who live on their own, East went out of business in 2017 during the fourth year of a government investigation spawned by the whistleblowers, who included Switzer and three other employees. The company couldnt survive after the Virginia Medicaid program stopped payment on account of the investigation. Christopher Dean East, the owner, filed bankruptcy in January over personal and business debts. The bankruptcy trustee reported last month that there are no funds to pay creditors. Last week, Switzer, a former clinician, signed a request asking to dismiss her civil allegations against the company without prejudice, which would preserve her claims for later adjudication if she chooses. Her suit alleged overbilling and employment-related claims. Switzer had a lawyer and three co-workers as co-plaintiffs when the case was filed, but the co-plaintiffs and the lawyer later left the case. Switzer said Monday that she repeatedly tried to hire a new lawyer but couldnt, and so persevered on her own. The court had scheduled a trial for August. Switzer released a statement by text: Me dropping this case has nothing to do with the merit of the evidence against East Mental Health. Me dropping this case has everything to do with me not wanting to support the negativity any longer that this whistleblower case has brought to my life, my family and my career both personally and professionally. I am moving forward. I sincerely hope everyone involved takes this blessing and moves forward in the same manner. 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. Big Oil goes Big Green By David Wojick Climate alarmists often accuse skeptics, like myself and independent groups like the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow and Heartland Institute, of being in the pay of Big Oil. This is completely false the Big Lie repeated so often that people eventually believe it. We do not receive even a dime from Big Oil. Its part of the green fairy tale that skepticism exists only because the oil companies are funding it. For the record, none of us skeptics climate realists doubt or deny climate change. We all recognize that Earths climate is in nearly constant turmoil and fluctuation, locally, regionally or globally. What we question is assertions that emissions from fossil fuel use have somehow replaced the sun and other powerful natural forces that have driven beneficial, benign, harmful or even hugely destructive climate changes throughout Earth and human history: Changes such as at least five glacial periods that buried much of North America, Europe and Asia under mile-high rivers of ice, warm periods in between that melted those massive glaciers, Roman and Medieval Warm Periods, a Little Ice Age, the century-long Anasazi and Mayan droughts, the Dust Bowl, and countless other major and minor climate and weather changes. The standard refrain is that ExxonMobil gave a cumulative few million dollars to various skeptical groups prior to 2007. But that was many years ago. They got scared off by alarmist pressure groups and havent given climate realists a dime since then. In fact, the situation today is completely the opposite. Big Oil companies now give at least a billion dollars a year to climate alarmists, projects and lobbying, to drive the Manmade Climate Chaos narrative. Why would they do that? Two reasons come to mind. First, typical commercial reasons what some would call corporate greed, or eliminating competition through the laws of the jungle. Feeding climate alarmism helps oil companies kill off dirty coal and position natural gas as being more climate friendly. After all, Big Oil is also Big Gas. Second, public relations and greenwashing portraying themselves as being more green, more socially and environmentally responsible, for supporting environmentalist groups and providing clean (or at least less dirty) alternatives to climate destroying coal. The central vehicle for moving these green billions of dollars goes by a perfectly descriptive name: the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI). If the false accusers were correct, oil and gas would never be connected logically or ethically to climate initiative. But there it is, and it is very big. OGCI members include these well-known Big Oil names: British Petroleum * Chevron * China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) * Eni * Equinor * Exxon Mobil Corporation * Occidental Petroleum * PEMEX (Petroleos Mexicanos) * PETROBRAS (Petroleo Brasileiro) * Repsol * Royal Dutch Shell * Saudi Aramco * Total Collectively, they claim to produce 30% of the worlds oil and gas. Their OGCI website also features a lineup of Big Oil corporate CEOs, just to show how seriously and responsibly green they are. Their latest annual report has a letter from the CEOs, including this little gem: As our ambition grows with the scale of the challenge, we look forward to working closely with policy-makers, regulators and all stakeholders to help develop the levers that can economically and sustainably accelerate the pace of the low carbon transition. You have to wonder whether their list of stakeholders includes families, companies and communities that understand how completely dependent they and all of modern industrialized society are on fossil fuels, especially oil and gas. Just read this list and watch the little embedded video. More to the point, consider its origins. OGCI was launched in 2014, shortly after the infamous Chesapeake Energy scandal, when its CEO got caught giving the Sierra Club millions of dollars to support the environmentalist and Obama Administration war on coal. Ironically, even Club members opposed taking the money, since they consider all fossil fuels to be their enemy and after it had bashed coal into submission, the Club took aim at natural gas, Chesapeakes primary revenue source. What seems to have happened is that the ever-wily Big Oil companies created their own green organization. With its billion bucks in annual funding, Big Oil is now one of the biggest financiers of Big Green, not counting Big Government funding sources. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is also actively engaged with Big Oil, through its EDF+Business arm. In particular, EDF has a huge methane reduction program the Methane Challenge which not surprisingly involves OGCI. The program features prominently in Sustainability Reports of several major oil companies. EDF is even building and launching its own satellite, cleverly called MethaneSAT. EDF is clearly getting a lot of money for this. It claims it gets no money directly from the companies. Instead, the cash comes from unspecified philanthropies. Of course, where these philanthropies get their cash may be a different story; they could easily be laundering Big Oil money. It may be telling that OGCI does not issue a financial report or provide any transparent online information about its financials. Space News actually asked EDF about this funding but got stonewalled. Heres its report: However, EDF has provided few details about how much MethaneSAT will cost or how it will be funded. The project received last year a grant from a new initiative called The Audacious Project, although the size of the award was not disclosed. An EDF spokesman did not respond to an inquiry about the financial status of the project. Having EDF on its side is certainly a big plus for Big Oil. But talk about hypocrisy for both of them. In any case it is clear that Big Oil is spending at least a billion dollars on green stuff, which is a lot of green. (Cold cash, in the form of American greenbacks, is clearly the new Big Green.) There is no evidence that climate skeptics are getting any of this. But if some are getting any, it is trivial in comparison. Meanwhile OGCI and Big Green get billions, and EDF maybe many millions. Another big irony is that the supposed alternative to abundant, reliable, affordable, civilization-enabling fossil fuels is supposedly clean, green, renewable, sustainable, responsible wind, solar and biofuel energy. (Hardcore environmentalists do not approve of nuclear or hydroelectric power, either.) Those alleged alternatives require inconceivably vast amounts of land not just for the wind turbines, solar panels, backup batteries and biofuel farms, but to mine and process the billions of tons of iron, copper, rare earth metals, lithium, cadmium, limestone and other materials needed to make the turbines, panels, batteries, transmission lines, tractors, trucks and other sustainable infrastructure. All that mining, processing, manufacturing and transportation requires fossil fuels. And biofuels emit just as much (plant-fertilizing) carbon dioxide when they are burned as do coal, oil and natural gas. Even more disturbing, many of those raw materials are produced with widespread slave and child labor, under health, safety and environmental rules and conditions that would make Upton Sinclair and other early Twentieth Century reformers think their oppressed workers were living in paradise. When it comes to skepticism, the simple fact is that roughly half of Americans do not accept climate alarmism, right up to the President. Yet no one is paying for this widespread skepticism. As for Big Oil, it is pouring big bucks into Big Green and green climate initiatives. Conservative and climate realist groups have think tanks that do manage to find some funding, but it doesnt come from Big Oil . That Big Oil is responsible for skepticism is just another part of the alarmist fantasy world. David Wojick is an independent analyst specializing in science, logic and human rights in public policy, and author of numerous articles on these topics. Home BLACKSBURG A small cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex was discovered and named by a Virginia Tech paleontologist and a team of collaborators. Tech professor Sterling Nesbitt described newly named dinosaur Suskityrannus hazelae in a paper he co-wrote with a team of scientists in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, published Monday. The carnivorous dinosaur lived in what is present day North America between 90 and 94 million years ago. It weighed between 45 and 90 pounds and was about 3 feet tall at the hip and 9 feet long making it a fraction the size of its larger, iconic cousin. But beyond the more than 90 million year journey the fossils took, the dinosaurs have taken a decadeslong journey to being identified. Two skeletons of the new species were discovered in New Mexico in the late 1990s, one of which was found by a then-16-year-old Nesbitt. Scientists didnt know what they had. I was always hesitant to say I found something new, Nesbitt said. I was being a careful scientist. The project took two decades because when Suskityrannus hazelae was discovered, paleontologists didnt know much about the predators related to Tyrannosaurus rex and they didnt know what fossils they had, he said. Since then, numerous discoveries in Asia have revealed more information about the fossil record of the carnivorous tyrannosauroid dinosaur family, which Nesbitt said gave him confidence in identifying the dinosaur. That carefulness, though, paid off in the paper describing it. The name Suskityrannus comes from the Zuni Native American term Suski, which means coyote and tyrannus meaning king. The coyote moniker was the nickname the scientists gave it before they knew its identity. The Hazelae name is derived from the first name of co-author Douglas Wolfes wife Hazel Wolfe, who has been involved in many digs in the Zuni Basin. The discovery of the carnivorous dinosaurs partial skeletons have framed Nesbitts career as a paleontologist, he said. After finding the second skeleton himself, hes always had it in the back of his mind as he works toward making more discoveries about life millions of years ago. Then-16-year-old Nesbitt found the fossils as part of a team conducting a dig at the Zuni Basin in western New Mexico. Paleontologists have found many fossils in the area. The bones of the partial skeleton sat in the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa, Arizona Nesbitts hometown from 1998 until 2006. Then Nesbitt brought them with him to his various jobs across the country. Theyre now in Blacksburg where the 37-year-old works. To publish the study is incredibly rewarding, Nesbitt said. First finding the bones of an unidentified carnivorous dinosaur fueled his passion in making more discoveries. Nesbitt who recently won a 2019 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Rising Star Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia said hes always had the question of what the bones are in the back of his mind. The scientist mostly studies the ancestors of dinosaurs, researching their links to dinosaurs, and hell devote more time to that work. This project is the end of the beginning of my career, Nesbitt said. Funding for Nesbitt and his teams research into the dinosaur came from the Discovery Channel, the Virginia Tech Department of Geosciences and the American Museum of Natural History. Additional scientists on the team come from the University of Edinburgh, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, the University of Utah, and several more institutions. The driver of a pickup truck that ran off Goodview Road and down a ravine in Bedford County was found dead Sunday afternoon. Virginia State Police believe the crash happened sometime after 1:20 a.m. Sunday. But it was not until about 3:40 p.m. that a resident discovered the wreckage and called police. James J. Kline , 53, of Goodview was pronounced dead at the scene, state police said. A 2006 Ford F-150 pickup truck was headed south on Goodview Road when it ran off the left side of a curve and down a steep embankment. The truck hit several trees and then overturned at the bottom of a ravine about 25 feet below the roadway, police said. The single-vehicle wreck happened near Dickerson Road, south of Stewartsville. 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 many, running a 5K is hard enough. But Brandt Gawor is doing it in his full police uniform, including a bulletproof vest and gun belt. Gawor, a part-time officer with the Rocky Mount Police Department, will take on the challenge at the National Police Week 5K in Washington, D.C., on Saturday as part of a fundraiser for the first responders memorial in the Franklin County seat. Gawor said National Police Week and Rocky Mounts first responders memorial share the same goal of honoring those who died in the line of duty. I thought why not try to tie our hometown cause of trying to raise some funds for the completion of our own first responders memorial to National Police Week? Gawor said. He launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking to raise $3,100. The goal is a reference to the length of the race, at 3.1 miles, and also Gawors badge number from his days with the Franklin County Sheriffs Office, where he previously worked. As of Monday evening, Gawors online campaign had raised $1,140. He has also collected some cash and check donations. Gawor said he doesnt consider himself a runner, but enjoys doing charity runs for causes he believes in. Hes never done a race in full uniform before, but knows hell find motivation by looking at the streets crowded with people showing their support for officers who died in the line of the duty and the loved ones they leave behind. The local memorial commission is working to raise money for things such as landscaping, walkways, lighting and seating around the monument, which was installed on North Main Street in October. It is a joint project by the town of Rocky Mount and Franklin County. Assistant Town Manager Matt Hankins said they hope to raise $130,000 for that work, and have garnered nearly $40,000 so far. Hankins, who also serves as the commissions chairman, said the group is in fundraising mode, and was appreciative when Gawor volunteered to do his part. Were really happy to have Brandt representing Rocky Mount and our memorial in this run, he said. I know this means a lot to police officers around the country and certainly to have some focus brought to our local monument means a lot not just to me, but also to members of our commission. Gawors effort is not the only fundraising drive to support the build out of the memorial. In March, the memorial commission announced it would sell brick walkway pavers honoring all first responders, not just those who died in the line of duty. The deadline for the first round of brick paver purchases closed at the end of April, and Hankins said upward of 150 were sold. Gawor said his wife and daughter purchased one in his name. Once those bricks are produced and installed, there will be a formal dedication for the memorial, which Hankins expects to happen this summer. Hankins said the first round of sales went well, especially given the compressed time frame. There will be additional opportunities to purchase brick pavers in the future, he 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 church leaders are not thrilled with the possibility of Danville taking a gamble on luring in a casino. Most ministers who talked to the 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 Thursday. Danny Campbell, pastor at The Tabernacle, raised the issue of stewardship. 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. It also stipulates that a gaming license be issued only for projects with a minimum capital investment of $200 million in land, facilities, infrastructure, equipment and furnishings. 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 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 a more vital purpose such as supporting ones family, and the revenues are used for building up a community, Goertz said. However, casinos often attract immoral activities such as prostitution, he said. How the casino operators use the profits from gambling should also be considered, Goertz said. Is the money leaving the community to go to an outside company, or is it being invested locally? The Rev. William Avon Keen, pastor at Traynham Grove Baptist Church in Halifax County, sees no benefit from a gambling facility. I dont see how it could help anyone, said Keen, president of the state 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. The Rev. Larry Campbell Jr., co-assistant pastor at Bibleway Cathedral and a city councilman, said citizens should be the ones who decide whether a casino comes to Danville. The city has public education needs that must be funded, including making sure Danville has a strong school system that prepares students for jobs in high-paying industries, he said. Although a Charlottesville Circuit Court judge recently ruled on a major aspect of the 2017 lawsuit over city councils votes to remove two Confederate statues, several issues are still unresolved. As one of the few remaining issues of contention, the decision that the statues are war memorials likely meaning that they are protected under state code was taken by some members of the community to be the nail in the coffin for the defendants arguments. However, Judge Richard Moore has yet to rule on a few motions, one of which an argument that the statues violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment remains on the table, with Moore indicating Wednesday he wished to see the argument fleshed out with further evidence. According to Richard Schragger, a University of Virginia professor of law who focuses on the intersection of constitutional law and local government law, an equal protection defense is fairly straightforward and is intended to prevent any governmental racial discrimination. Before Moores ruling, the defense had also argued that the statues were not monuments to a specific war or veteran, simply to Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson as people, and were therefore not protected by state code. The claim here would be that the motive for putting up the Lee and Jackson statues was white racial superiority, he said. In order to make this argument, the defendants the city, city council and the individual councilors who voted to remove the statues will have to present expert testimony from historians that prove, to Moores satisfaction, that the intention behind the statues was to discriminate against residents of color, Schragger said. By placing one in a whites-only park and a time of Ku Klux Klan resurgence in Charlottesville, the argument could be made that the statues violate the constitutional rights of a protected class, he said. The Jackson statue was unveiled in 1921 at a ceremony that served as the crowning event of the Confederate Reunion of the Grand Camp, United Confederate Veterans and the Virginia Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans, according to a Daily Progress article. That same year, the Progress reported that the Ku Klux Klan organized in Charlottesville. Hundreds of Charlottesvilles leading business and professional men met around the tomb of [Thomas] Jefferson at the midnight hour one night last week and sealed the pledge of chivalry and patriotism with the deepest crimson of red American blood, according to a June 28, 1921, report. The Lee statue followed in 1924. Both were donated by philanthropist Paul Goodloe McIntire. At the Jackson statue ceremony, UVa President Edwin Alderman said McIntire wanted to use the monument to teach to other ages how moving and eternal are the qualities of courage and character, of action and principle, of loyalty and honor, when embodied in one strong, appealing, fascinating personality, the Progress reported. In addition to the equal protection defense, Chief Deputy City Attorney Lisa Robertson who is representing the city, city council and former Councilor Bob Fenwick claims that the city never accepted the 1997 amendment to the state code and is therefore not subject to it. Fenwick, the only individual councilor who opted not to be represented pro bono by the massive law firm Jones Day, has maintained that councilors acted in accordance to the law when they voted to remove the statues. On a website he recently launched, Fenwick outlines his argument, focusing in part on a retroactivity issue settled by Moore early in the case. The Danville Virginia Circuit Court, a court of equal standing if not equal precedent, heard a case which hinged on the retroactive application of this law and said the law DID NOT apply retroactively. The judge also said the law was unsettled, Fenwick wrote. Virginia is a Dillon Rule state and localities have no power except that which the state legislature has specifically granted them. Del. David 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. Although 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. Anthony Bourdain #7 By Michael Moriarty Learning that Mr. Bourdains next visit will be Tanzania, I do, as I usually do when watching this series on Places Unknown, I consult the subject of Tanzania in Wikipedia. The Serengeti National Park There, I learn that 61% of the population is Christian, 39% Islamic and 4% with no specific affiliation of any major kind. Tonys opening declaration about Tanzania is that 99 percent of the population is Muslim. Hmmm Theres going to inevitably be what I call a story-telling conflict of interest. With Tonys lifelong and intensely inferred sympathy for Pakistan over Israel? Something along the story-telling route is going to ring alarm bells. Tonys clear evidence for Tanzania being an Islamic Republic appears to be based upon his admiration for the neatly ordered and impressively clean housing to be seen in Tanzania. The well-taken-care-of architecture in that province. Meanwhile, the Western Civilization, particularly Christians, have apparently picked up a wide and generally bad reputation for messy neighborhoods?! Who actually writes the copy for Places Unknown? The problem of reputation, however, becomes much clearer when we understand that Tony mistakenly described all of Tanzania as 99% Muslim when it is not Tanzania that is so Islamic but the much smaller island of Zanzibar; which also means that this episode should have been titled Zanzibar instead of Tanzania. Oh, well And, indeed, that island just off the coast of Tanzania is listed in Wikipedia as having a population that is 99% Islamic. The cuisine of Zanzibar, as briefly listed so far, has no traditionally Islamic items but that, of course, is only so far. While snacking with a resident of Zanzibar, Tony, following a few revelations about his companions family background, is so puzzled he feels obliged to recite the major events in the history of Zanzibar for the last one thousand years. Around 975 A.D., as Tonys copy recalls it, the Persians first settled there. Then the Portuguese used Zanzibar as a hub for their slave trade. He goes on to include the British as one of the islands list of occupying rulers. 1964? Revolution After overthrowing the mostly Muslim government? Reprisals! Tonys companion then remarks on how many Muslims were slaughtered in the revolution: 3,000. Then it becomes time for lunch; and, of course with Tony, all politics take a backseat to food. While Tony and his program see Zanzibar as Muslim, Tonys black companion on the island sees, quite optimistically, Zanzibar as African. Halfway through the program, we return to Tanzania by plane. Passing Mt. Kilimanjaro, we hurtle our way by truck into the Serengeti National Park. We have a flat tire. After settling into rather surprisingly palatial accommodations in the middle of what appears to be a wildlife reserve, our hero praises the idyllic natural setting and good plumbing! In short? Paradise! The next morning?! African wildlife galore!! The elephant! Will he charge us, asks Tony. If, replies the guide, we piss him off, he will! Zebras, declares Tony, And more Zebras! So many of them, you get bored seeing them! And even more massive herds of wildebeests! Thousands and thousands of wildebeests, on their annual migration, are everywhere stretched out across Tanzania and into Kenya! Its all about water and grass and a good place to make babies! You dont want to get lost here! You dont want to be outside of your car and on foot here! We then gaze upon a lioness! The evidence of this cruel math called survival is everywhere! Start limping? Then come the hyenas! The guide adds, The vultures see them and then start dropping! He goes on, The vultures really need the hyenas to rip open the skin! All this barbarity leads our hero into commenting, I could really go for some pesto right now! They pause for a lunch which is really quite a lunch: penne with pesto, steamed baby corn and snow peas and, yes, indeed, brownies! Hippos start coming ashore. Apparently the most dangerous animal of this wildlifes frequent nightmares. More unpredictably dangerous than any of the other killers in Africas terrifying assortment of four-legged, lethal weapons. Next we are introduced to one of the last great, warrior tribes of the Earth. The Maasai people. Their cattle are everything, even units of currency! The big cat, the lion, appears; and an expert on lions and lionesses, Swedish native, Ingela Jansen, a field biologist, also enters this story. She then drives Tony closer to a small collection of lions and lionesses. No! The two do not get out of their truck. Im pleased to learn that these cats as they are sometimes called sleep almost as much as I do during the day! God bless retirement!!!! Finally, they visit a village of about 400 Maasai. We meet the chief of the tribe, his 4 wives and his 12 children are somewhere in the vicinity doing what they have been raised to do, attend the vitally important cattle. Our chief, quite coincidentally has a son studying in Tonys hometown of New York. The world is getting so small it sometimes terrifies me. Meanwhile our field biologist, Ms. Jansen, grows increasingly more beautiful as the day continues. Actually her face has the unforgettable charisma of a movie star. With the not unattractive male, our Tony, we could be watching the beginning of a Hollywood love story. Well, that romantic sidebar is quickly destroyed by the necessity for our hero to do something that almost makes him throw up: kill the goat that is scheduled to become his dinner. Hes told to suffocate the animal. In short, choke him to death. That manner of execution keeps the blood where it should remain for reasons that are not entirely clear to me. However, I, like Tony, am in no mood to ask or even seek an answer. He ends up eating raw kidney straight out of the corpse and enjoying it. Much better, he says, than when it is cooked! Hmmm The episode ends on a mildly disturbing, meditative note, with our hero looking over a valley of the Serengeti from a hill and wondering what the drastically changing future can possibly hold for the Maasai, or, for that matter, Africa itself. Many aspects of their lifestyle and traditions, says Tony, remain unchanged. This does not mean the Maasai dont have cellphones. As the world and what we need to live in it shrinks every day, who gets to live here? Who or what do we want to see?! Nearly 1.5 billion dollars is spent here every year by people who come wanting to look mostly at beautiful animals. That amount is hard to argue with; and impossible to outrun! With that said, we continue to watch a Maasai warrior racing at a clip fast enough to put him quite noticeably out of breath! Quite visibly into growing exhaustion. As, however, it has already been said, the Maasai have survived for hundreds of years and dozens of so-called civilizations trying to modernize them. Their children now attend colleges in America and will most likely return to Africa. I envy the vast range of experience already given to these young men. Finally, I am certain that most of these children of the Maasai will not dismiss the extraordinary strength they possess within their own impressively strong and resilient Maasai souls. Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@yahoo.com. He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty. Home The Blacksburg Partnership promises a night full of delicious cheese, plentiful wine, delightful tunes and local dishes for the third annual Virginia Cheese Fest Farm to Table Dinner on Friday, June 7. The event will take place under the pavilion at Historic Smithfield Plantation, with a welcome reception at 6:30 p.m. and a four-course dinner to follow. We look forward to our Farm to Table Dinner every year, said Diane Akers, president of The Blacksburg Partnership. It is a great opportunity for the community to come together, celebrate delicious food and support Virginia dairy farms. For $79 per person, guests will enjoy a delicious meal prepared by the Palisades Restaurant in Eggleston. Each course will be paired with wine and feature a cheese from Meadow Creek Dairy, based in Galax. Throughout the evening attendees will learn how the ingredients made it from the farm to their plate and why certain selections were made to bring together the flavors of the dish and the wines. Tickets are on sale now and include tax, gratuity and wine with each course. Seating is limited and has sold out in previous years, so purchase tickets soon to reserve your spot. For complete details and to purchase tickets, visit www.virginiacheesefest.com, call 443-2008, or email info@virginiacheesefest.com. Submitted by Diane Akers CHICAGO Theres no end to the awfulness we heap upon artists it happens to the best of them. Beethoven himself was panned by John Ruskin one of the Victorian eras most famous art critics as composing music that always sounds to me like the upsettings of bags of nails, with here and there an also dropped hammer. Claude Monets impressionist masterpiece Sunrise was trashed by French art critic Louis Leroy thusly: A preliminary drawing for a wallpaper pattern is more finished than this seascape. Look to the story of nearly any genius, trailblazer, big thinker or revolutionary and youre likely to find a number of people gleefully ripping their work, and their very intellect and character, to shreds. It was no different for the master of the meticulously detailed Moby-Dick, according to the exhibit Melville: Finding America At Sea, at the Newberry Library in Chicago. The show details Herman Melvilles failure to rise as a member in good standing of Americas literary canon during his own lifetime, of course. Melville was born a little over a year before an American whaling ship named The Essex was taken down by a giant whale in 1820. As a young man, Melville worked as a clerk, farmhand and teacher before setting off for his first sea voyage on a merchant ship. On his travels, most people will be surprised to know, Melville became something of a political progressive during a time in which rich white people routinely landed on small islands and declared them the property of one or another empire. Melvilles first two books, Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life and Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas, stirred controversy and not just for including details that had been swiped from source materials other than the authors own experiences. His perspective was alarming to the establishment because Melville criticized the Protestant missionaries in the islands for treating the Polynesians as menial servants and acting as agents of colonialism, introducing greed and the worst kinds of vice from their home countries and imposing moral standards with little regard for local practices, according to the exhibit, composed by Will Hansen, the Newberrys Curator of Americana. Reviewers in religious periodicals took great exception, and the controversy set the pattern for Melvilles reception as a somewhat dangerous author for pious readers. Things only devolved from there. Moby-Dick didnt do well. It was neither a critical darling in the United Kingdom, where it was first published, nor a big moneymaker in the U.S. Reviewers, like the one in The London Spectator, remarked that the book provoke[s] wonder at the author rather than terror at the creation; the soliloquies and dialogues of Ahab, in which the author attempts delineating the wild imaginings of monomania, and exhibiting some profoundly speculative views of things in general, induce weariness or skipping. Fair, perhaps. Listen, this is one of my favorite books of all time, but even I can attest that it takes a certain impulse and being an absurd completist to truly relish every word of the whale tale. But what is art without some suffering, even if by the reader? His subsequent books did even worse. Pierre, or, The Ambiguities led even Melvilles more forgiving American critics to suggest the author was crazy and/or morally bankrupt. A snarky post in the satirical paper The Lantern reported a Fatal Occurrence: About ten oclock yesterday, an intelligent young man was observed to [enter a bookstore] and deliberately purchase a copy of Herman Melvilles last work. He has, of course, not since been heard of. And so it went for Melville, who ended up writing magazine articles under a pen name just to make ends meet, had a failed transcontinental lecture tour, resorted to writing sad poems about the Civil War and eventually just gave up, taking up the mantle of civil servitude by becoming a U.S. customs inspector at the port of New York. He did the job for 19 years before retiring, and eventually died in 1891. Melville would surely have been startled by the Chicago exhibits two whole rooms filled with his books, personal correspondence, obsessively catalogued collection of special editions of Moby-Dick in Russian, in graphic novel form, in an Army-pamphlet versions and as colorful comic books as well as a kaleidoscope of colorful visual interpretations of his tome, among other curiosities. And his critics? Dead to history and as devoid of personality and importance as anyone who dismisses something new as bad just because its difficult. Cepeda is a columnist for The Washington Post Writers Group. By the time Angela was brought to Jamestowns muddy shores in 1619, she had survived war and capture in West Africa, a forced march of more than 100 miles to the sea, a miserable Portuguese slave ship packed with 350 other Africans and an attack by pirates during the journey to the Americas. All of that, marveled historian James Horn, president of the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation, before she is put aboard the Treasurer, one of two British privateers that delivered the first Africans to the English colony of Virginia. Now, as the country marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of those first slaves, historians are trying to find out as much as possible about Angela, the first African woman documented in Virginia. They see her as a generative figure in American history a symbol of 246 years of brutal subjugation that would culminate with millions of men, women and children enslaved at the start of the Civil War. Two years ago, researchers launched an archaeological investigation in Jamestown at the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America to find any surviving evidence of Angela. She is listed in the 1624 and 1625 census as living in the household of Capt. William Pierce, first as Angelo a Negar and then as Angela Negro woman in by Treasurer. By then, she had survived two other harrowing events: a Powhatan Indian attack in 1622 that left 347 colonists dead, and the famine that followed. Yet little is known about her beyond those facts. It is presumed she was youngish maybe in her early 20s, said Cassandra Newby-Alexander, a history professor at Norfolk State University and co-author of Black America Series: Portsmouth, Virginia. Angela was her Anglicized name. We dont know what her original name was. If they find the remains, we can know how old she was when she arrived, Newby-Alexander said. Did she have children? What did she die of? We will know more about this person, and we can reclaim her humanity. Violence at sea The transatlantic slave trade was already more than a century old and thriving when the first Africans reached Virginia. The trade is full-blown in 1619, said Daryl Michael Scott, a Howard University history professor. The Portuguese controlled much of the market, transporting huge numbers of Africans taken from what becomes Portuguese Angola. Between 5,000 and 8,000 people from Kongo, Ndongo and other parts of West Africa were being shipped each year to Portuguese and Spanish colonies in the Americas. The total number of Africans captured and transported to the Americas between 1501 and 1867 would eventually grow to more than 12.5 million. Angela was taken captive in 1619 during a war in Kongo. She was forced aboard a slave ship, the San Juan Bautista, in Luanda, then a bustling slave-trading port on the coast of West Africa, according to Jamestown Rediscovery. The ship was headed for Vera Cruz, on the coast of Mexico. The ship was overcrowded, Horn said. It suffered horrible mortality on the voyage to Vera Cruz. More than 120 Africans died en route. In the middle of the passage, the slave ship was attacked by the Treasurer and the White Lion, privateers licensed by England to raid on enemy vessels. The raiders climbed aboard the Bautista, hoping to find a bounty of gold. Instead, they found humans, desperate people. The raiders took 60 or so Africans, splitting them between the White Lion and the Treasurer. Historians surmise that the raiders took the youngest, healthiest captives. Angela was among them. Ive got no evidence that she was young, Horn said. I base it on the general model that slavers would try to take the younger people, including children, women and males they would get the most money for. That is a chilling aspect of the slave trade. People are being treated like livestock. The capability of women to have children was in slavers minds. To survive a journey like that, my own sense is she was young and possibly very young. Where there is no evidence, it is fair to speculate. Weeks later, the White Lion arrived at Point Comfort, near Hampton, Virginia, where its captain traded the enslaved people for food. The arrival of the White Lion was reported by colonist John Rolfe, who is best known for marrying Pocahontas in 1614. He wrote: About the latter end of August, a Dutch man of Warr of the burden of a 160 tunes arrived at Point-Comfort, the Comandors name Capt Jope, his Pilott for the West Indies one Mr Marmaduke an Englishman. He brought not any thing but 20. and odd Negroes, w[hich] the Governo[r] and Cape Merchant bought for victuall[s]. The Treasurer was next to arrive. A number of historical accounts reported that the Treasurer turned around quickly after being anchored near Point Comfort, avoiding an order by the governor to detain the ship and question its captain about his involvement in acts of piracy in the Spanish Indies, according to Horn. The Treasurer, these accounts reported, headed for Bermuda before returning to Virginia. But Horn says new evidence he found in December while researching archives in London show that the Treasurer arrived in Virginia four days after the White Lion with 28 to 30 Africans that had been captured on the Portuguese slave ship. This is the first time documentary evidence shows that the Treasurer did, in fact, leave enslaved Africans in Virginia, Horn said in an interview. There is a lot going on here on the part of the English to obscure how many Africans are taken and how many arrived in Virginia. The Treasurer left two or three Africans in August or the fall of 1619. One of those two or three Africans was Angela, who wound up in the household of Pierce. The majority of the Angolans were acquired by wealthy and well-connected English planters including Governor Sir George Yeardley and the cape, or head, merchant, Abraham Piersey, according to Jamestown Rediscovery. The Africans were sold into bondage despite Virginia having no clear-cut laws sanctioning slavery. But that would change. Democracy paradox Angelas arrival coincided with another milestone in American history: the meeting of the first General Assembly in Jamestowns newly built wooden church. The assembly is billed by Jamestown Rediscovery as the oldest continuous law-making body in the western hemisphere. The legislative body was made up of the governor, his four councilors and 22 burgesses elected by every free white male settler in the colony. Its work from July 30 to Aug. 4, 1619, represented the nations first experiment with democracy, and its 400th anniversary is being marked this year. It is a great irony, Horn said, that American slavery and democracy were created at the same time and place. He said that 1619 gave birth to the great paradox of our nations founding: slavery in the midst of freedom. It marked both the origin of the most important political development in American history, the rise of democracy, and the emergence of what would become one of the nations greatest challenges: the corrosive legacy of racial discrimination and inequality that has afflicted our society since its earliest years. The conditions endured by settlers and enslaved people alike were awful. The colony, which had been established in 1607, stretched from Point Comfort to what is now Richmond. There were plantations scattered for about 100 miles along the banks of the James River. Jamestown itself probably had a population of about 100. The colonists had, at one point, nearly been wiped out. In 1609, they were under siege by the Powhatan and facing starvation that led to cannibalism. Capt. John Smith described that horror in a 1624 letter: October 1609 March 1610, there remained not past sixtie men, women and children, most miserable and poore creatures; and those were preserved for the most part, by roots, herbes, acornes, walnuts, berries, now and then a little fish: they that had startch in these extremities, made no small use of it; yea even the very skinnes of our horses. Nay, so great was our famine, that a Salvage we slew and buried, the poorer sort tooke him up againe and eat him; and so did divers one another boyled and stewed with roots and herbs: And one amongst the rest did kill his wife, powdered [i.e., salted] her, and had eaten part of her before it was knowne; for which hee was executed, as hee well deserved: now whether shee was better roasted, boyled or carbonadod [i.e., grilled], I know not; but of such a dish as powdered wife I never heard of. Angela lived through what is called the Second Starving Time. Many people died during the Second Starving Time, Horn said, when the colonists didnt have enough corn to support the large numbers of settlers who were still arriving. You have a period where food prices, particularly for Indian corn, are astronomical. A lot of poor servants and white indentured servants perished or died of disease. It is a grim period. Angela probably survived because she lived on the plantation of Pierce, one of the wealthiest men in the colony. We know some Africans died during that period, Horn said. We know there were 32 Africans living in the colony in 1620. We know only 23 Africans were living in the colony in 1625. But by 1626, Angela disappears from the census records. Her fate is unknown. Jamestown Rediscovery recently released an illustration depicting Angela, circa 1625, standing on the banks of the James River as ships are anchored in the background. We wanted to provide a setting for Angela that reflected what was going on in Jamestown at the time, Horn said. She would have been living in Jamestown six years around 1625, which is a good date for the drawing. She certainly would have been dressed in English clothing. The dockside, it is quite possible she would have spent time down there, which was a few yards from the Pierce house. Horn said the artist wanted to give Angela a sense of dignity and did not dress her in rags. Her clothing would not have been fancy, Horn said, but everyday working clothing. Essentially, she is dressed in the clothing of a working young woman for the Pierce family. The illustration allows viewers to fill in the gaps in history, paying due to the colonys first documented African woman. I see her not so much as a kind of Eve figure for Africans, Horn said. There were other Africans in the colony in Virginia. I see the significance of Angela being able to put a name to her and identify her in a place. And to remind Americans 400 years later what she managed to survive. The dynamics of the diamond production in 2014-2018. In July this year, the Kimberley Process will release the statistics on the rough diamonds mined and sold by the countries in 2018. Last year, the same 23 countries were in the commercial diamond mining as in the previous years. Without this data at hand, we can estimate rather accurately the actual diamond production as well as the financial results of the global rough diamond trade based on the sum of the major diamond miners performance data in 2018. The dynamics of changes of this performance data is given below (Table 1). Table 1 The worlds major diamond mining companies in 2014-2018 Brief summary Simple calculations based on the averaged share of top five diamond mining companies that equals approximately three-quarters of the actual global diamond production in carats and four-fifths of the rough diamond sales value in dollars show the predicted results. So, in 2018, the global diamond production will be 147 mn carats and the rough diamond sales value will make US$15.7 bn. As compared with 2017, in 2018 there was some decline in the rough diamond output: by 2.5% by volume and by 1% by value. This suggests that the world diamond mining industry has reached its peak level. Given that the global rough diamond market today is sustainable and demand for rough diamonds is high, its hardly possible that any dramatic change in the situation will occur in the diamond mining countries and world diamond trading centres in 2019, so Russia and the ALROSA company will still maintain their lead in diamond production. Yury Danilov, Ph. D., Lead Research Fellow at the Subsoil Use Innovative Economics Laboratory of the North-Eastern Federal University Jewelers of America announced postponement of 2022 GEM Awards Jewelers of America (JA), the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry marketplace, and the GEM Awards Committee have announced the 20th annual GEM Awards, originally scheduled for Friday, January 14, 2022, have been... BlueRock Diamonds restricts operations at Kareevlei due to COVID-19 The management of BlueRock Diamonds decided to restrict operations at Kareevlei until the 3rd of January 2022 due to an outbreak of COVID-19 infections among personnel, the company said in an update announced on Wednesday. The MF Belgium sold diamonds and precious stones for 1.2 million euros More than 1.2 million euros were collected at an auction of diamonds and precious stones organized by FineShop, the center for the sale of movable property of the Belgian Ministry of Finance. UAE Economy Ministry tells gold refineries in country to prove gold is responsibly sourced The United Arab Emirates Economy Ministry has asked all gold refineries across the country to carry out audits that prove bullion deliveries are responsibly sourced, as per a report in Bloomberg Quint. Space exploration, technology, and the possible futures of humanity (Part Two) By Mark Wegierski One of the most prominent settings linking a very gritty future and interstellar space travel, occurs in the extended science fiction/horror film series which began with Alien in 1979. It may be noticed that the setting is one dominated by the mostly nasty future corporations. The state and the military (the Colonial Marines) are shown as being mostly subordinated to the nefarious schemes of the corporations. Language is an extremely vital aspect of human existence. Issues of what will happen to language in the future have been central to many speculations about the future. There have been large numbers of dystopias built around issues of language, most notably, George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four, and Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange. One of J.R.R. Tolkiens main points in his creative endeavor was to contrast the profound beauty of the Elven or Elvish languages he created (out of his study of Latin, Classical Greek, Old Anglo-Saxon, Finnish, and various Celtic and Norse languages) as opposed to the nasty speech of the Orcs and other underlings of Sauron. Today, even as it has become the dominant language of world business and computers, English has to a large extent declined into various impenetrable jargons and crude varieties of slang. Linguistic scholars in many of the Continental European countries have noticed almost unbelievable levels of vulgarity, as well as an accelerating process of ever more anglicisms (especially linguistically pointless ones where perfectly fine native words are being rapidly replaced), in their native languages. In a few decades or centuries, it is possible that very many smaller languages on Earth may almost entirely disappear, and that many people will not have anything beyond various English-derived reductive jargons and varieties of crude slang, in which to express themselves. One may think today of some of the shallower people chattering endlessly about essentially nothing on their ubiquitous cellphones. It could be seen as our consumerist societys semi-comic version of Orwells nightmare in Nineteen Eighty-Four, where the human voice would be emerging from the larynx without any engagement of the brain. The future of religion in human societies is often seen as problematic. While there were a number of science fiction writers and extrapolative scholars who seriously explored the future of traditional human religions, there were others who have been quite happy to consign them (especially the Christian churches) to oblivion or to portray them in grossly caricatured form. We are approaching the situation today so uncannily prophesied in Aldous Huxleys Brave New World dystopian novel -- where any more robust expression of traditional Christianity in the public arena, is seen as virtually obscene, whereas gross porn and horror, as well as vicious derision of Christianity (as in many stand-up comedy routines), is virtually de rigueur in pop-culture. In America and Canada today, the major career prospects of any new, deeply tradition-minded Catholic or fundamentalist Protestant film director, screenwriter, playwright, popular musician, visual artist, screen or theatre actor, fiction writer (especially in so-called high literature and such subgenres as science fiction), or serious opinion journalist, are rather nugatory. The extent of Frances decline today (a country which once, it may be remembered, virtually defined itself by its fervent Roman Catholic faith) is attested by its arid Enlightenment dogma of trying to ban all religious symbols from its public schools presumably because it cannot bring itself to ban head-to-toe female Muslim attire without simultaneously immiserating Christians and Jews. It is possible, however, that Christianity may find in itself an unusual resilience (as indeed it has many times before) and that it will be able to flourish in and make a contribution to major civilizational advance in the planets South, even as it largely disappears from many parts of Europe, Canada, and the United States. The large presence of Christianity in the South such as a humane, saintly African Pope may indeed be the only thing that will prevent the mass-euthanasia of geriatric Western populations, if there ever arrives the baneful point when the West reaches the nadir of its culture-exhaustion. Another issue would be whether some form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) would ever arise, that might be inimical to humans. Two spectacular scenarios of malevolent AI were seen in The Matrix film trilogy, and in the Terminator film series. One thing to be considered is that the threat of the rise of the machines allows one to somewhat downplay the fact that humans have usually been the most ferocious enemies of other humans. Another danger would be the arising of nanotechnology, which might create a nanotech virus or plague which could theoretically extinguish the entire Earth the so-called gray goo scenario. The idea is that the self-replicating nanites would spread over the Earth with immense rapidity, destroying everything in their path. However, the question of out-of-control nanotechnology may be a little remote in regard to other possible serious problems facing humanity, such as biotechnological and genetic manipulation dangers, disastrous climactic change, or general environmental degradation. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home 'SNL' Rips Gay Priests NEWS PROVIDED BY May 6, 2019 NEW YORK, May 6, 2019 / Christian Newswire / -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue (photo) comments on a skit from the May 4th episode of "Saturday Night Live": "SNL" went on a tear against homosexual priests on Saturday. Michael Che Campbell (his father named him after Che Guevara, the Cuban terrorist) made a quip about Pope Francis' warning against the negative aspects of gossip. Campbell asked, "Did you hear what happened to those altar boys?" It is true that heterosexual priests rarely act inappropriately with altar girls, so Campbell is right not to indict straight men for the behavior of homosexuals. But even if homosexual priests are largely responsible for the sexual abuse of minors--they account for more than 80 percent of the cases--it smacks as homophobic to keep bringing this up. Contact Lauren Manasevit, press manager for "SNL": Contact Lauren Manasevit, press manager for "SNL": lauren.manasevit@nbcuni.com SOURCE Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Related Links The times they are a changing By Dr. Robert Owens I now have college students who not only look at the Cold War the way my generation looked at WW II, they see Vietnam the way we saw WWI, and they werent alive on 9-11-01. Theyve been force fed on Al Gores man-made global warming hoax and the glories of the eternally free as outlined by Bernie-style Socialism every day of their legally mandated attendance at public screwals. They dont just say theyre Socialists theyre proud to tell you theyre Socialists. When you ask them what Socialism is after they say, Everybody gets everything for free, a blank stare usually spreads across their self-satisfied face. If you point out that Socialism has never worked anywhere ever they point to Bernie, AOC, and other prominent Democrat fellow-travelers and repeat the mantra about Norway, Sweden, and the Scandinavian Socialist mirage. Their eyes glaze over and they react like Will Robinsons robot when something doesnt compute if you try to tell them that all of the Scandinavian countries have economies thatre more capitalistic than our own. Or, that spending less than one percent of GDP on defense because we defend them frees up money for social spending. A few years ago they were repeating the words of Sean Penn and other Hollywood know-nothings who praised the so-called Socialist miracle in Venezuela. Now that the once fourth richest country in the world has descended into the Socialist end game of living in the dirt and eating leaves the Socialist apologists say its Americas fault the miracle has vanished instead of facing the reality that sooner or later you always run out of other peoples money. Hopefully once these preprogrammed proto-adults mature theyll live out the reality of one of the nuggets of wisdom often attributed to Winston Churchill, If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain. Its easy to think everything should be free when your parents have supplied you with everything for free all your life. Once you have to figure out how to keep a roof over your head and food on the table most people are smart enough to realize there is in fact no free lunch. The unfortunate reality is that all of these dreamy-eyed Kum ba yah kadets may well vote us all into the Gulag before the reality of a work-a-day world has a chance to wring the I want what I want and I want it now! childishness out of their minds. Theres no doubt that the future belongs to the young for theyll be living in it after the old are gone. Its also true that very generation when theyre young act as if youth is some kind of novel invention theyve devised on their own. Today were witnessing the abandonment and rejection of everything that made this country great, its culture, its history, and its heritage. Whether America will still be a shining city on a hill and the last best hope of humanity for freedom once the foundations have been swept away is a question for the future to answer. However, one thing is for sure; the times they are a changing. Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com 2019 Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens or visit Dr. Owens Amazon Page / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home Authorities are searching for two people who fled the scene of a crash that killed two brothers in Highland Park early Sunday, police said. The brothers identified by family members as 25-year-old Benny Felix-Zuniga and 19-year-old Jesse Felix-Zuniga were driving in the 700 block of San Pascual Avenue about 1:15 a.m. when a white Chevy Silverado slammed into their car, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A witness reported seeing the pickup truck traveling between 70 and 90 mph, Det. Jose De Leon told reporters at the scene. Authorities do not suspect the truck was racing despite the speed it was traveling. Video of the crash shows a man who was driving the truck and a passenger run from the vehicle, police said. Advertisement Benny Felix-Zuniga was a recent graduate of Cal State Northridge, where he studied business, according to his family. Jesse Felix-Zuniga was a former track athlete at Franklin High School in Highland Park. Jesse Felix-Zuniga will be missed by his family, friends and the Panther community, the track program said in a tweet. A GoFundMe page set up to cover funeral expenses raised more than $19,000 in less than a day. Its with a heavy heart that we report that one of our former Panther track athletes passed away in a horrible hit and run car crash last night here in Highland Park. Jesse Felix Zuniga will be missed by his family, friends and the Panther community. #RestInPower pic.twitter.com/5KiFHkC5tD FHS Panthers Track (@FHSPantherTrack) May 5, 2019 hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @Hannahnfry The Israeli military lifted protective restrictions on residents in southern Israel on Monday, while the Gaza Strips ruling Hamas militant group reported a cease-fire deal had been reached to end the deadliest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. The escalation had killed 23 on the Gaza side, both militants and civilians, while on the Israeli side four civilians were killed by incoming fire. The Islamic Jihad militant group, which Israel accused of instigating the latest violence, confirmed that a mutual and concurrent truce had been brokered by Egypt. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Egyptian mediators, along with officials from Qatar and the United Nations, helped facilitate the deal. He said Hamas could still use different pressuring tools to get Israel to ease a crippling blockade of Gaza it has enforced along with Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointedly noted that the campaign is not over, and it requires patience and judgment. Advertisement The intense fighting over the last two days came to a halt in the early morning hours and residents on both sides went back to their daily routines. The Israeli military said that as of 7 a.m., all protective restrictions in the home front will be lifted. Schools and roads had been closed, and residents had been encouraged to remain indoors and near bomb shelters as intense rocket fire pounded the area, threatening to devolve into all-out war. Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars and numerous smaller battles since the Islamic militant group seized Gaza in 2007. In the latest fighting, which erupted over the weekend, Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, while the Israeli military responded with airstrikes on about 350 militant targets in Gaza, including weapons storage, attack tunnels and rocket launching and production facilities. An Israeli soldier walks in front of Merkava tanks stationed in southern Israel, near the border with the Gaza Strip. (Jack Guez / AFP/Getty Images) It also deployed tanks and infantry forces to the Gaza frontier and put another brigade on standby. A Hamas commander involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group was killed in an airstrike, in an apparent return to Israels policy of targeted killing of militant leaders. Palestinian medical officials reported 23 deaths, including at least nine militants as well as two pregnant women and two babies. The four Israeli civilians killed were the countrys first fatalities from rocket attacks since the 50-day war in 2014. One was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet antitank missile near the Gaza border. Egyptian mediators had been working with the U.N. to broker a cease-fire. Under past Egyptian-brokered deals, Israel has agreed to ease its joint blockade of Gaza with Egypt in exchange for a halt to rocket fire. The latest fighting broke out after Palestinian militants accused Israel of not honoring a cease-fire deal from March, and opened fire on soldiers in Israel, across the Gaza border. The terms of the latest deal were not known, but recent cease-fires have been short-lived. In weary communities in southern Israel, there was criticism that the latest round of fighting had ended without tangible results and no hope that it would not recur soon. When we have the upper hand, we need once and for all to finish the terror because this will repeat itself and will not stop, said Jacque Mendel, a resident of the coastal city of Ashdod, where a man was killed in his car by a rocket Sunday night. Mourners gather around the bodies of Palestinians who were killed in Israeli strikes the previous day, during a funeral ceremony at a mosque in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip. (Mahmud Hams / AFP/Getty Images) Despite its fierce response, Israel appears to have little appetite for another prolonged conflict. Later this week, the country marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, followed by the festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the popular Eurovision Song Contest and the backdrop of fighting would have probably overshadowed the occasions and deterred foreign tourists. Netanyahu, who recently won reelection thanks in part to the votes of the rocket-battered residents along the Gaza Strip frontier, has traditionally been cautious in his handling of Gaza, for fear of sparking an open-ended war with no clear endgame. But he is under pressure from the same electorate to end its anguish and his perspective coalition partners appear to favor a more hard-line agenda on Gaza. Even within his ruling Likud Party, Netanyahu faced unusual criticism for not going further to quash Gaza militants. Likud lawmaker Gideon Saar wrote on Twitter that the reported cease-fire was not an achievement for Israel. The time frames between these violent attacks on Israel and its citizens are getting shorter and the terror groups in Gaza are getting stronger between them, he wrote. Benny Gantz, Israels emerging opposition leader, also criticized Netanyahu, saying that ending the current round amounted to another surrender to the extortion of Hamas and the terror organizations. In Gaza, a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier against the blockade that has ravaged the economy has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. Still, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said late Sunday that the militant group was not interested in a new war, and the start on Monday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan probably lessened motivation for battle. Signs of normal life slowly returned to Gaza, with banks opening after three days; schools are to reopen Tuesday. In the northern Gaza Strip, residents searched for a man and his wife missing amid the rubble of an apartment building. The upper two floors of the five-story structure in the Sheik Zayed residential complex were hit by an Israeli airstrike and four Palestinians a 12-year-old boy, an infant and her parents were killed. The Trump administration warned China and Russia on Monday that the U.S. wont stand for aggressive moves in the Arctic region, which is rapidly opening up to development and commerce as temperatures warm and sea ice melts. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Finland that the U.S. will compete for influence in the Arctic and counter attempts to make it the strategic preserve of any one or two nations. He said the rule of law must prevail for the Arctic to remain peaceful, and he criticized China and Russia for what he said were coercive practices that would destabilize the high North if allowed. Critics were likely to seize on the speech for being short on scientific specifics, not using the phrase climate change, offering no ideas on mitigating its effects and focusing almost entirely on how to responsibly tap the Arctic in an era of fierce global rivalries. The region has become an arena of global power and competition and the eight Arctic states must adapt to this new future, Pompeo said, one day before he participates in a meeting of foreign ministers from the Arctic Council . Advertisement He said that group had once been able to focus solely on scientific, environmental and cultural issues, but profound changes in the Arctics environment and strategic rivalries made that extremely difficult now. Were entering a new age of strategic engagement in the Arctic, complete with new threats to Arctic interests and its real estate, Pompeo said. For the U.S., he said that means boosting Americas security and diplomatic presence with new military exercises, icebreakers and expanded Coast Guard operations. Pompeo took particular aim at China, which, unlike Russia, does not have any territory or claim in the Arctic but holds observer status in the council. He said Chinas attempts to inject itself into the regions affairs by pushing infrastructure projects and commercial investments must be checked. He rejected Chinas assertion that it is a near-Arctic nation. There are only Arctic states and non-Arctic states, he said. No third category exists and claiming otherwise entitles China to exactly nothing. Pompeo said responsible Chinese investment is welcome in the Arctic but that Chinas history of what he called predatory activities elsewhere are cause for concern. Chinas pattern of aggressive behavior elsewhere will inform how it treats the Arctic, he said. Pompeo noted Chinas increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea, which has alarmed many of its smaller neighbors. Do we want the Arctic Ocean to transform into a new South China Sea, fraught with militarization and competing territorial claims? he asked. Chinas special representative for Arctic affairs, Gao Feng, who is at the council meeting, dismissed Pompeos warnings and said countries should be free do deal with China as they wish. He says its a new era. OK, competition. Lets see who can get more friends, Gao told reporters after Pompeos speech. On the one hand, he can warn. How people react to that is another matter. Pompeo also warned that Russias intentions in the Arctic, where it has embarked on a massive military expansion campaign, may prove destabilizing given its record. We know Russian territorial ambitions can turn violent, he said, pointing to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Just because the Arctic is a place of wilderness does not mean it should become a place of lawlessness. Despite Pompeos warnings and defense of U.S. positions, many council members and observers are equally alarmed by the Trump administrations environmental policies and skepticism of climate change. Many of those critics fear the administration is intent on using Arctic resources with no thought for its consequences or mitigation. The Arctic is changing fast. Global warming will change the environmental and economic landscapes of the region. New sea routes and easier access to natural resources will become a reality, Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini said. One-third of Finland sits above the Arctic Circle. But climate change will go even further. It may impact the inter-state relations and security in our region. The Arctic countries have a special responsibility - and a possibility - to preserve the Arctic as a region of peace and stability, Soini said. Finland has spent its two-year chairmanship of the council focused on addressing climate change effects. Pompeos speech, which ran to 2,400 words, failed to mention climate change. He spoke of steady reductions in sea ice but did not address the cause, focusing instead on the opportunity those reductions present. Arctic sea lanes could become the 21st centurys Suez and Panama Canals, he said. He called the Arctic a frontier of opportunity and abundance with untouched oil and gas reserves, unmined uranium, raw earth minerals, precious metals and gems. Pompeo sought to assuage environmental concerns by committing to safe and responsible development. And he pointed to the U.S. record on reducing greenhouse gas emissions despite President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. Critics argue that those reductions are the result of policies enacted before Trump took office and could be reversed. ___ Associated Press writer Jari Tanner in Helsinki contributed to this report. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. England 175 for 3 (Morgan 57*, Root 47) beat Pakistan 173 for 6 (Babar 65, Haris 50, Archer 2-29) by seven wickets Jofra Archer took another step towards making himself at home in the England line-up while captain Eoin Morgan steered his side in typically cool fashion to a seven-wicket win over Pakistan in their T20I in Cardiff. Having made his long-awaited ODI debut against Ireland on Friday, Archer was playing his first T20I and did not disappoint, claiming 2 for 29 off his four overs to be the pick of the England bowlers as well as completing a sharp run-out as the hosts restricted No. 1-ranked Pakistan to 173 for 6. Morgan scored an unbeaten half-century and was well supported by Joe Root and a neat cameo from Joe Denly in taking England past the target with four balls to spare. Ben Duckett also made his T20I debut, opening alongside James Vince, the pair added to the England squad in the wake of Alex Hales' axing. Duckett got his chance after Dawid Malan injured his groin while batting against Ireland but, after a bright start, he was dismissed for just 9, smacking Shaheen Afridi to Imad Wasim at mid-off. Vince looked nonplussed when he was given out, caught behind off Imad, having added a fluent 36 off 27 balls. He called for a review and, while Ultra Edge showed a small amount of noise, it was nigh on impossible to determine whether it came from the bat brushing the ball or the ground and the decision was upheld. With England 66 for 2, Root and Morgan found some scintillating white-ball touch, having managed scores of just 7 and 0 respectively against Ireland. By the time Root was caught behind for 47 off 42 balls, trying to ramp Hasan Ali, England were neck-and-neck with Pakistan, needing 43 off 27. Morgan held course and shared a 44-run partnership off 24 balls with Denly, to guide his side home, having scored 57 off 29 balls. With England needing five runs off the last five deliveries, Morgan smashed a six to seal the result Earlier, after Pakistan chose to bat, Tom Curran struck in his first over, dismissing Fakhar Zaman to a superb one-handed catch from Morgan, who leapt high at cover to pluck the ball from the air. David Willey avoided what could have been a serious mishap on the next ball when he put his foot through the cover of an underground storage box as he was running in to bowl. Fortunately he was not hurt and a replacement cover was found. Archer entered the attack in the fifth over with devastating effect, a sharp bouncer catching debutant Imam-ul-Haq by surprise and hitting the glove on the way through to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, also winning his first cap in T20Is. After a shaky start in which Pakistan fell to 31 for 2, Babar Azam and Haris Sohail provided just what their side needed, combining for a 103-run partnership to put a par score within sight. Archer had other ideas, however, accounting for both in a pivotal over. Having reached his half-century off 36 balls, Haris lofted Archer high towards deep midwicket where Willey was waiting to take a comfortable catch. Two balls later, Archer gathered off his own bowling to run out Babar. Having hit the ball on to his pad from where it dribbled into the on side, Babar called for a run only to see Archer deviate from his follow-through, collect the ball and turn to throw down the stumps at the non-striker's end with the batsman trying in vain to make his ground. With England having taken the momentum back, Chris Jordan pounced. Jordan juggled what would have been a wonderful caught-and-bowled off Imad that popped out of his hand as he leapt high, but he turned and gathered off the ground to find Asif Ali backing up well out of his crease and hit the stumps directly. Jordan's last over was a mixed bag containing the wicket of Faheem Ashraf, out to a regulation catch by Denly at deep cover but going for 16 runs as Pakistan closed on a better total than their start had indicated. For 12 years, Israel has maintained a blockade over the Gaza Strip, seeking to weaken the territorys militant Hamas rulers. And for 12 years, Hamas has remained firmly in power, developing a thriving homegrown weapons industry along the way. This weekends violence, the worst in a string of flare-ups since a 2014 war, provided the latest illustration of the limitations of the blockade and fueled calls Monday in Israel for a rethinking of the longstanding policy, which many see as ineffective and even counterproductive. Israel, similar to the leaders in Gaza, must look forward. Only an economic solution to the Gaza Strip, and orderly work, will bring quiet and money and dignity, Smadar Peri, a veteran Israeli defense commentator, wrote in the Yediot Ahronot daily. It would be a very good idea, in tandem with the umpteenth talks on a cease-fire, to decide to steer toward a businesslike dialogue. This will be no easy task. Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies that have fought three wars since the Islamic group seized control of Gaza from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in 2007. Advertisement Israel considers Hamas, which seeks Israels destruction, a terrorist group, while Hamas sees Israel as an illegal occupier. They do not speak to one another, communicating through Egyptian, Qatari and U.N. mediators. The Israeli blockade has been a driving factor in the three wars, numerous smaller battles and countless rounds of negotiations over the years as Hamas demands an easing of the closure in exchange for a halt in rocket fire. Israel and Egypt, which borders Gaza to the south, imposed the blockade after the 2007 Hamas takeover, seeking to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons into the territory. Since then, Israel has controlled Gazas airspace and coastline, and restricted the flow of goods and people in and out of the territory. Eitan Dangot, the former commander of COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said Israel has no choice but to enforce the blockade. Because Hamas has refused to accept Israel as a state, refused to move toward disarmament, refused to declare a long-term cease-fire and stop launching rockets, we have all the right to maintain the blockade as long as we can avert a humanitarian crisis, he said. If we open the borders, do you believe that Hamas will disarm itself and not produce new rockets in its factories? he added. He gave no alternative, beyond allowing small-scale goodwill gestures. But the effects of the blockade have been devastating for Gazas civilians. Unemployment has soared above 50%, according to U.N. estimates, and is even higher for younger workers in their 20s and 30s. Gaza suffers from chronic electricity outages. Its water is undrinkable, and the poverty rate is rising. Yet Hamas seems stronger than ever. And despite the Israeli pressure, it possesses a seemingly never-ending supply of rockets, some of which are capable of striking deep inside Israel. Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman, boasted that the group has been able to continue to fight, thanks to its ability to shift to self-reliance and produce weapons locally. While the groups arsenal is no match for the powerful Israeli military, it gives Hamas enough power to greatly disrupt life on the other side of the border whenever it sees the need. In the latest fighting, Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group launched roughly 700 rockets into Israel over two days, while Israel responded with several hundred airstrikes on militant targets in Gaza. Twenty-five Palestinians, including at least 10 militants, and four Israeli civilians were killed before a cease-fire was reached Monday. They were the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 50-day 2014 war. For both sides, it has become a familiar scene. Accusing Israel of violating past understandings, militants fire rockets. Israel retaliates with airstrikes, fighting escalates and another vague cease-fire is reached in which Israel promises to ease the blockade if rocket fire stops. These battles, however, have become increasingly violent and frequent. Israel and Hamas engaged in two rounds of fierce battles in March, following fighting in November and last summer. In addition, Hamas has been orchestrating weekly mass protests against the blockade for over a year along the Israeli border. Some 200 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier have been killed in protest-related violence. Perhaps with this on peoples minds, the cease-fire announcement got a cool reception in Israel. Gideon Saar, a member of Netanyahus Likud party, said the truce was bereft of benefits for Israel. The war hasnt been averted, only postponed, he wrote on Twitter. Yair Lapid, a leader of the opposition Blue and White party, called on the government to use heavier force against militants, but also to show political bravery and help Gazas civilians. Major economic projects in Gaza will cause the civilian population to tell Hamas, stop firing, we have too much to lose, he said. Netanyahu is unlikely to make major policy changes anytime soon. Fresh off an election victory, he is engaged in coalition negotiations with smaller, hard-line parties that will oppose any concessions, even if he wanted to make them. With Muslims marking the holy month of Ramadan and Israel marking its Memorial Day and Independence Day this week and hosting the Eurovision song contest next week, neither side appears eager to return to fighting. That should give international mediators at least a few weeks to shore up the latest cease-fire and try to press ahead on some of Israels deeper pledges, such as expanding Gazas fishing zone, increasing the electricity supply to Gaza and implementing an internationally funded jobs program in Gaza. Broader concessions, however, remain a long way off. Israel will demand disarmament as well as the release of two captive Israeli civilians, and the return of the remains of two Israeli soldiers, held by Hamas as a condition for a wider easing. Still, there seems to be a growing awareness that something must change. Otherwise, its just a matter of time before the next round of violence. I think that Israel is ready to reconsider the whole blockade, or at least to ease it, said Kobi Michael, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank. Its clear that the only way forward is to cooperate with Hamas, Egyptians, Qataris, and find the right mechanisms for Hamas to rule the Gaza Strip effectively, he said. ___ Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem and Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, contributed. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Search and recovery personnel found the body of another worker Sunday in the rubble of a northern Illinois silicone factory that exploded and burst into flames two days earlier, bringing the death toll to three employees with one more body believed to be in the debris, a fire official said. Waukegan Fire Marshal Steve Lenzi told a news conference that the body was found as first responders resumed searching in hazardous conditions in the debris from the AB Specialty Silicones plant in Waukegan, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Chicago. They were searching for the bodies of two of the nine workers who were there when an explosion rocked the building Friday night and left it a shattered skeleton. It took recovery personnel two hours to bring out the body Sunday afternoon, Lenzi said in a statement. The search for the remaining body was called off Sunday evening and will resume on Monday, he said. Advertisement Of the nine employees in the building at the time of the blast, one body was found early Saturday. Four people were taken to the hospital and one of those died later Saturday. The condition of the other three workers in the hospital was not immediately known, Lenzi said. The third confirmed death was the body located Sunday with one other body still to recover. Two other workers did not require treatment at the time. The cause of the explosion hasnt been determined, although Lenzi said it originated in the building where the silicone is produced. Most of the processes that they do are very non-hazardous. Silicone itself, not a hazardous substance, Lenzi said. Something ... this weekend went horrifically wrong. AB Specialty Silicones makes specialty silicone chemical raw materials for products such as adhesives, sealants and coatings. Lenzi said authorities have concluded that the explosion and fire were accidental. We are not looking at foul play. Lenzi said that from information they have gleaned in the preliminary investigation, some of the employees realized something was wrong and alerted others to get out of the building just before the explosion. Lake County Coroner Howard Cooper said that his office would perform autopsies Monday on at least two of the bodies and would announce the names of the victims and preliminary causes of death. Dental records would be used to identify at least one of the deceased, he said. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A Connecticut nursing home is being sued over the strangling death of a 76-year-old patient who police say was killed by her 81-year-old boyfriend in November. The Connecticut Law Tribune reports the lawsuit filed Monday by the estate of Patricia Ann Way says Autumn Lake Healthcare at Bucks Hill in Waterbury should have known about her boyfriends violent history and failed to protect her. The estates lawyer says the lawsuit seeks at least seven figures in damages. Nursing home officials did not respond to messages from the Law Tribune. Ways boyfriend, John Jensen, is charged with murder. He has been declared incompetent to stand trial, but another competency hearing is scheduled for June 25. Advertisement Authorities say Jensen told a nursing home employee Way was evil and had to die. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Intelligent diagnostics via machine learning With customer data streaming in, Isbill and his team began working on how to use C-130J flight data to profile individual parts and predict when they might break insight that could help customers proactively stock the right parts and keep aircraft operational for more life-saving missions. The system uses data from C-130 customers, Lockheed Martin engineers and part vendors to form a central repository on more than 300 aircraft parts. Using machine learning and IoT analytics, the system learns from the collective maintenance history to form a real-time best practice for aircraft maintenance. For example, if a fault code triggers the replacement of a certain part, which is later found to be in good working condition 80% of the time, the system learns from this mistake and next time will recommend more robust troubleshooting before replacement. If the customer rejects this suggestion and takes a different course of action, the system learns from that as well. Lockheed Martin calls this service intelligent diagnostics and believes it has the potential to transform how customers understand and maintain their aircraft. Were seeing a great interest from customers because it reduces their time in getting things done, Isbill says. They know what to work on and when. Theyre not wasting time trying to figure all that out because we can tell them straight up. Monetizing intelligent diagnostics A future growth area that is of particular importance to Lockheed Martin is offering intelligent diagnostics as an add-on service for customers. Were seeing great results with SAS, Isbill says. Were now starting to work with our supply team to improve not only spares for existing customers but how we sell spares to new customers, and position parts throughout the world for faster distribution. One recent project showed promising insights pertaining to the application of intelligent diagnostics related to spare parts optimization. Lockheed Martin worked with one of its largest C-130J operators to track 20 aircraft and 50 parts over three months. Using its predictive maintenance models, Lockheed Martin demonstrated a 1,400 hour reduction in downtime 1,400 hours that could be used as flying time in support of mission requirements. Optimizing aircraft maintenance and production Looking forward, Lockheed Martin wants to expand predictive analytics into other business lines. Of particular interest will be optimizing scheduled maintenance which is the top driver of aircraft downtime and reducing production costs. Our work with SAS has taken us from being a reactive sustainment organization to a proactive organization, Isbill says. We now have insight into the issues that are on the horizon for both us and our customers. By moving analytics into the maintainers hands, we are improving the availability for all our fleets, while continually improving our models using the wealth of data we now receive. Written by ACM *Metz/G7 Environment Ministerial Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- Just a few Days after an Exceptional US House Resolution, backed only by the Democratic Party (Left) on Climate Change and Global Warming, while preparations for the Crucial 2020 US Presidential Elections unfold at Wash. DC., overseas, in an UnPrecedentently Snowy and/or Freezing France of May 2019, at Metz's "G7" Environment Ministerial Summit, its Chairman-in-office, French Minister de Rugy, Questioned by "Eurofora" during a Press-point, Replied, in substance, that, even if the Controversy on Climate perdues, with Most Countries sticking at the Global Warming theory, nevertheless, it's also true that on various Other Areas concerning Environment, Inernational Cooperation with USA develops positively, and, in several cases, it may even contribute to Help Deal also with key parts of Climate Issues, (See Infra). "Eurofora" asked De Rugy whether he would finaly succeed to save the G7 process from becoming Hostage to Internal US Political Disputes, independently of a Legitimate Debate on Climate Change, and if the French "G7" Presidency would seek also Other Ways for USA Cooperation on Natural Environment Worldwide. Francois De Rugy replied that USA s wish to withdraw from the Paris Agreement had Not yet provoked a Breach among the supporters of the latest. In order to Strengthen it, inter ala, he had invited several key Countries, in addition to the "G7" Members, including those who will Host the Next UNO's COP. (Meanwhle, USA's critical posiution might be added in a special addition, separate from the general conclusions, he highlighted). But it's also true that there were several Other Interesting Areas for International Cooperation with the USA on Natural Environment Cooperation, which include even ways to Help Tackle Climate Issues. F.ex. on Oceans, (where there are developments ), on BioDiversity (that France wants Based on Scientific Evidence), etc., including even on interesting concrete Projects to Safeguard Coral Reefs, where both France and USA participate, currently Monitored by Australia, Indonesia and Monaco, presented at Metz's "G7" Ministerial Summit. USA Representative, EPA's Director Andrew Wheeler, speaking briefly Later ToNight to "Eurofora", did Not Confirm yet the addition of a separate US Declaration on the Climate Controversy. Also, he did Not Deny the Cooperation prospects on Oceans, including Coral Reefs, BioDiversity, ReForestation, etc, but found that the Time was Not yet Ripe to Speak about them at this Moment : "Not Now", he prefered to simply say, with a smile, without denying those potentially spositive points. Significantly, Wheeler, together with De Rugy and other Environment Ministers, ostensibly participated, later this Evening, in a Symbolic Collective Event about ReForestation, in a Project supported by Young Kids, presented at Met's superb "Arsenal" Building, with awesome Neo-Classic Orchestra Music, where "Eurofora" and other Journalists had been invited, while Negotiations for the Draft Conclusions of the "G7" Environment Summit were still going on, on the sidelines. A Surprsing Paradox these Days, was, however, the pittoresque Fact that these "G7" "hot" Discussions on persisting Climate controversies about "Global Warming" were going on, unexpectedly, right in the Midde of an UnPrecedented ... "Cooling" Symptom in Metz and most France, with an Exceptionally Cold Weather, Gizzle, even Snow and Historic Records-Breaking Icy Temperatures in several Locations accross the Country, (including even in De Rugis' base at Brittany Region, with a - 2 degrees Temperature, never seen before for at least a Century !) Mutatis-mutandis, a Similarly Exceptional Phenomenon, "Eurofora" had witnessed also back on UNO's Climate Summit in Copenhaguen, Denmark, on 2009 (ie. a Decade ago) : UnPrecedented Heavy Snowfall and Icy Cold Weather had Blocked, then, both Danish and French Airports, (including even Strasbourg's : sHindering Airplanes to Fly, and Obliging to Stay in Other Cities for 2 or 3 More Days !... Meanwhile, even the World-Famous, sympathetic and Symbolic, "Mermaid" Statute at Copenhaguen's SeaPort, had been ...peppered and Covered by Snow (comp."Eurofora"s original Photo, published then, at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/snowstorms.html, http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/copenhageneurope.html, etc)... It's also true that several people have often Speculated about the eventual existence of some High-Tech Inventions, allegedly able to Artificially ...Change the Weather, (spectacularly Pictured, f.ex. at British famous Actor Seen Connery's "Weather Maker" Film). The Chinese spoke about such things as Early as since the Vietnam War, and UNO has already Adopted, at nearby Geneva, an International Convention against Hostile "Modifications of the (Natural) Environment", "EN-MOD", since 1976-1978. So that, IF, perhaps, someone might, eventually, be somehow "playing piano", nowadays too, with such a kind of, let's say : "Artificial Weather Modification Machine, here or there, one thing matters most in real practice : - Please, DO more of such kind of "Cooling" also During this Summer's Heatwaves, all the way up to the forthcoming August 2019 "G7" Summit at Biarritz, France : Otherwise, here, it's really, Too Hot !... (../..) -------------------------- *** (NDLR : "DraftNews", as send to "Eurofora"s Donors/Subscribes, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be publised asap). *** 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. But scientists have now shown that even a brain imaging technique called fMRI, which in theory is much harder to trick, can be beaten by people who use two particular mental countermeasures. The work was led by Drs Chun-Wei Hsu and Giorgio Ganis at the University of Plymouth, in collaboration with the University of Padova, Italy, and published in the journal Human Brain Mapping. This research is the first to explore the effects of mental countermeasures on brain activity in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) -- and it showed that when people used the countermeasures, the test proved to be 20% less accurate. How do concealed information tests work? 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 (e.g. sweating) that reveal their guilt. advertisement 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. What did the study show? In the new 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. advertisement The results showed that these countermeasures lowered the accuracy of the test by about 20% 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. Lead author Dr Chun-Wei Hsu, a researcher in the CogNovo research programme at the University of Plymouth, said: "fMRI tests are not currently used by law enforcement in the same way as polygraph tests, but they have been considered for scientific and criminal use as a way of detecting when someone is concealing information. This study shows that the process can be manipulated if someone associates meaningful memories to the control items, or focuses on the aesthetics, rather than the memory, of the item they're trying to hide. "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. "Deception is a really challenging area of psychology, and the more we can find out about the techniques used to detect it, the better." Dr Ganis is one of the lead researchers at the upcoming Brain Research & Imaging Centre, which will open in 2020 as the most advanced multi-modal brain imaging facility in the South West. The full study, entitled The effect of mental countermeasures on neuroimaging-based concealed information tests, was carried out by the University of Plymouth and the University of Padova, Italy. It is available to view now in the journal Human Brain Mapping (doi: 10.1002/hbm24567). Two-thirds of patients with heart failure have cognitive problems, according to research presented today at EuroHeartCare 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 Heart failure patients who walked further in a six-minute test, which shows better fitness, as well as those who were younger and more highly educated, were significantly less likely to have cognitive impairment. The results suggest that fitter patients have healthier brain function. Study author Professor Ercole Vellone, of the University of Rome "Tor Vergata," Italy, said: "The message for patients with heart failure is to exercise. We don't have direct evidence yet that physical activity improves cognition in heart failure patients, but we know it improves their quality and length of life. In addition, studies in older adults have shown that exercise is associated with improved cognition -- we hope to show the same for heart failure patients in future studies." The cognitive abilities that are particularly damaged in heart failure patients are memory, processing speed (time it takes to understand and react to information), and executive functions (paying attention, planning, setting goals, making decisions, starting tasks). "These areas are important for memorising healthcare information and having the correct understanding and response to the disease process," said Professor Vellone. "For example, heart failure patients with mild cognitive impairment may forget to take medicines and may not comprehend that weight gain is an alarming situation that requires prompt intervention." The study highlights that cognitive dysfunction is a common problem in patients with heart failure -- 67% had at least mild impairment. "Clinicians might need to adapt their educational approach with heart failure patients -- for example involving a family caregiver to oversee patient adherence to the prescribed treatment," said Professor Vellone. The study used data from the HF-Wii study, which enrolled 605 patients with heart failure from six countries. The average age was 67 and 71% were male. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment test was used to measure cognitive function and exercise capacity was measured with the six-minute walk test. Professor Vellone said: "There is a misconception that patients with heart failure should not exercise. That is clearly not the case. Find an activity you enjoy that you can do regularly. It could be walking, swimming, or any number of activities. There is good evidence that it will improve your health and your memory, and make you feel better." The HF-Wii study was led by Professor Tiny Jaarsma and Professor Anna Stromberg from Linkoping University, Sweden. A distinct strain of canine distemper virus, which is a widespread virus of importance to wildlife and domesticated dogs, has been identified in wild animals in New Hampshire and Vermont, according to pathologists with the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at the University of New Hampshire. No virus in this distinct subgroup of canine distemper virus has yet been reported in a domesticated dog. "A distinct strain of canine distemper virus is circulating in multiple wildlife species in two contiguous states in Northern New England," said David Needle, senior veterinary pathologist and assistant clinical professor. "This strain is significantly distinct from the vaccine strains. A member of genus Morbillivirus that includes measles, canine distemper virus is highly contagious and causes severe disease in infected animals." The new strain of canine distemper virus was identified by UNH pathologists in collaboration with colleagues at Cornell University, University of Georgia, Northeast Wildlife Disease Cooperative, N.H. Fish and Game, and Vermont Fish and Game. Over a one-year period, pathologists diagnosed canine distemper virus infection in eight largely carnivorous mammals in southeastern New Hampshire and north central Vermont. The animals included three fishers, two gray foxes, one skunk, one raccoon, and one mink. Pathologists found all animals were infected with a distinct strain of the virus that had been identified only in a single raccoon in Rhode Island in 2004, which was not described in any publication. The eight animal cases also represent the only reports of any canine distemper virus isolated from New Hampshire and Vermont in the GenBank database/. "This can and may already be having an impact on the population of wild mesocarnivores in New Hampshire and New England," said Needle. "These animals are an integral part of the varied ecosystems of wild New Hampshire and New England, filling important niches in predator-prey relationships and pest control. Any decrease in wildlife populations is a loss to the rich wild diversity. The affected species also are furbearing mammals that serve as part of the cultural heritage of the northern sportsman." Canine distemper virus vaccination is part of the core vaccine protocols for domesticated dogs. All dogs should be vaccinated routinely. Canine distemper virus infection in dogs is most often characterized by respiratory disease, oral and nasal discharge, gastroenteritis, and as the disease progresses, neurological disease. This is a severe, highly pathogenic and highly contagious disease, so any suspected infection should be reported immediately to a veterinarian. Any unvaccinated animals should be vaccinated. The results of this case are presented in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. The research is supported by the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station and the State of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab is co-managed by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food and the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station. Since 1970, the lab has provided accessible, timely and accurate diagnostic services for the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, & Food, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, state and local law enforcement agencies, veterinarians, farmers, state, regional, and federal agencies, and individuals. The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. As one of the nation's highest-performing research universities, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, and receives more than $110 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space. Tropical and subtropical fish are taking up residence on shipwrecks and other sunken structures off the North Carolina coast. This pattern may continue or even accelerate in coming years given predictions of warming oceans under climate change, a new study co-led by Duke University scientists suggests. "The artificial reefs created by these structures may be acting as stepping stones for fish that are moving northward and living at the edge of their geographic range, or beyond it, in search of suitable habitat," said Avery B. Paxton, a visiting scholar at the Duke University Marine Laboratory, who was lead author of the study. "Globally, there is broad evidence that many tropical fish species are shifting their ranges poleward and to deeper waters in response to changing ocean conditions, and what we see on these reefs seems to fit that pattern," she said. One of the most surprising findings of the study is that the tropical and subtropical fish observed off North Carolina exhibit a strong preference for hanging out on human-made structures versus natural rocky reefs found nearby, noted J. Christopher Taylor, a research ecologist at NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and a co-author of the study. "It could be that the zooplankton and smaller fish these species eat are more plentiful on artificial reefs. Or it could be that human-made reefs' complex structures give the fish more nooks and crannies where they can evade predators. We're still trying to figure it out," Taylor said. The fishes' preference for artificial habitats suggests networks of the human-made structures -- which are already commonly found up and down the East Coast and in other waters worldwide -- could act as underwater corridors the fish use to reach the habitats they need to survive, said Paxton, who also works with CSS Inc. under contract to NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. advertisement Paxton, Taylor and their colleagues published their peer-reviewed paper May 6 in Nature Communications Biology. To do the study, teams of scuba-diving scientists conducted population and species counts at 30 artificial and natural reefs off the N.C. coast between 2013 and 2015. To track seasonal differences in fish populations, most of the reefs were visited four times a year. Analysis of the data confirmed that the number and diversity of tropical and subtropical fish on deep artificial reefs was far greater than on nearby natural reefs. Common tropical species spotted on the artificial reefs included blue chromis, purple reef fish and bluehead wrasse. Common subtropical species spotted there included vermilion snapper, greater amberjack and bar jack. Temperate fish species such as black sea bass and tautog, on the other hand, were far more prevalent on the area's natural rocky reefs. The depth of the artificial reef mattered hugely, Paxton noted. "We didn't see these patterns on artificial reefs at shallow or intermediate depths, we only saw them on deep reefs, located between 80 to 115 feet below the surface, where water temperatures often experience less seasonal change," she said. The Sino-Tibetan language family includes early literary languages, such as Chinese, Tibetan, and Burmese, and is represented by more than 400 modern languages spoken in China, India, Burma, and Nepal. It is one of the most diverse language families in the world, spoken by 1.4 billion speakers. Although the language family has been studied since the beginning of the 19th century, scholars' knowledge of the origin of these languages is still severely limited. An interdisciplinary study published in PNAS, led by scientists of the Centre des Recherches Linguistiques sur l'Asie Orientale (Paris), the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (Jena), and the Centre de Recherches en Mathematiques de la Decision (Paris), now sheds new light on the place and date of the origin of these languages. Based on a phylogenetic study of 50 ancient and modern Sino-Tibetan languages, the scholars conclude that the Sino-Tibetan languages originated among millet farmers, located in North China, around 7,200 years ago. During the past 10,000 years, two of the world's largest language families emerged, one in the west and one in the east of Eurasia. Together, these families account for nearly 60% of the world's population: Indo-European (3.2 billion speakers), and Sino-Tibetan (1.4 billion). The Sino-Tibetan family comprises about 500 languages spoken across a wide geographic range, from the west coast of the Pacific to Nepal, India, and Pakistan. Speakers of these languages have played a major role in human prehistory, giving rise to early high cultures China, Tibet, Burma, and Nepal. However, while archaeogeneticists, phylogeneticists, and linguists have energetically discussed the origins of the Indo-European language family, the formation of Sino-Tibetan languages has previously received little attention. One of the world's most diverse language families "The Sino-Tibetan language family is one of the most diverse families in the world. It includes all of the different types of morphological systems, ranging from isolating languages, such as Chinese, Burmese, and Tujia, to polysynthetic languages, such as Gyalrongic and Kiranti languages," explains Guillaume Jacques of the Centre des Recherches Linguistiques sur l'Asie Orientale, co-first author of the study. "While our knowledge of how to compare these languages linguistically is improving, important aspects of the development of their sound systems and their grammar remain poorly understood." A database of core words from 50 Sino-Tibetan languages In order to shed light on the complex history of these languages, the scholars assembled a lexical database containing core vocabulary from 50 Sino-Tibetan languages. This database, published here for the first time, includes ancient languages spoken 1000 and more years ago, such as Old Chinese, Old Burmese, and Old Tibetan, as well as modern languages documented by field work. "In order to compare these languages in a transparent way, we developed a specific annotation framework that allows us not only to mark which words we identify as sharing a common origin, but also which sounds in the words we think are related," says Johann-Mattis List of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, who led the study. "A particular problem in identifying the truly related words were the numerous cases where languages borrowed words from each other," mentions Jacques. "Luckily, we know the history of particular languages rather well and could rely on techniques that we developed before to reveal the true history concealed by these borrowings." Evolutionary trees suggest that the language family originated about 7200 years ago Using powerful computational phylogenetic methods, the team inferred the most probable relationships between these languages and then estimated when these languages might have originated in the past. "We find clear evidence for seven major subgroups with a complex pattern of overlapping signals beyond that level," says Simon J. Greenhill of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. "Our estimates suggest that the ancestral language has arisen around 7,200 years ago." An agricultural analysis reveals the most likely origin and expansion scenario of the language family To further resolve the complex pathways of the evolution of the Sino-Tibetan languages, the authors looked at related words describing domesticates, because they may reveal how agricultural knowledge spread through the region. This agricultural analysis suggests an origin of the Sino-Tibetan family in Northern Chinese communities of millet farmers of the Neolithic cultures of late Cishan and early Yangshao. "The most likely expansion scenario of the languages involves an initial separation between an Eastern group, from which the Chinese dialects evolved, and a Western group, which is ancestral to the rest of the Sino-Tibetan languages," summarizes Laurent Sagart of the Centre des Recherches Linguistiques sur l'Asie Orientale, co-first author of the study, who carried out the agricultural analysis. "We are very excited about our findings," says List. "Our approach combines robust, traditional scholarship with cutting-edge computational methods within a computer-assisted framework that allows us to use our knowledge of today's languages as a key to their past." Medical experts are constantly being charged with the finding of new cures and innovative medical treatments that can save lives, yet without the eager participation of everyday patients in clinical trials it can be difficult or even downright impossible to achieve these breakthroughs in a time and cost-effective manner. Physicians who are concerned about the future of the healthcare industry are increasingly waking up and realizing that they need to help guide patients through clinical trials if they want to public to actively participate in the discovery of next-generation medical breakthroughs. Nevertheless, many physicians don't know where to begin when it comes to guiding patients through this arduous and frightening process. Here's how physicians can help guide patients through clinical trials more effectively, and what you can do to ensure the entire thing is a patient-centered affair. Enrollment targets aren't being met Anyone involved in the clinical trials process can tell you that enrollment targets aren't being met around the nation right now as physicians are finding it challenging to lure in enough patients eager enough to go along with the process. There are many reasons that clinical trials struggle to drum up enough patient interest in order to succeed, but recent research has elucidated that there could be some structural barriers that are preventing clinical trials from reaching their full potential. According to researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, modern clinical trials are suffering from lackluster participation rates because structural barriers keep patients away from the process from the very get-go. Their new study argues that researchers who fail to drum up active participation in their clinical trials could see the results of such trials grow to be non-relevant as they fail to produce timely results. The researchers argue that a number of steps must be taken to eradicate these structural barriers, including offering clinical trials in more locations and updating patient criteria to fit modern demographics. Physicians that want to help guide their patients through clinical trials should make themselves readily available whenever those patients are having serious concerns about the process. Medical research can be time-consuming and intimidating, not to mention a little uncomfortable, so trying to personalize the process and remind your patient that they're a valued human being instead of a simple lab rat is important. Doctors and nurses who don't go out of their way to calm patients and be a comforting presence throughout the clinical trials process will seldom see positive results develop over time. You need to make the process patient-centric Making your clinical trials patient-centric may seem obvious, but far too many medical professionals are too absorbed in their research to realize that the human element can't be put on the sidelines if you want to succeed. Despite efforts to automate research or make paid clinical studies as dispassionate and scientific as possible, clinical trials are still fundamentally dependent on the good character of those who volunteer for them, making it important that you don't dehumanize this process. You should review five useful steps for making the process as patient-centric as possible, beginning with the creation of extensive patient profiles that go beyond traditional boundaries to tell you plenty about the emotional profile and personal preferences of the patients in question. You want to develop a serious, real connection to these patients over time, as that's the only effective way to garner meaningful results from your lengthy and complex trials. It's also crucial to make the entire process of informed consent as clear as possible to patients. Physicians who don't thoroughly understand the process of informed consent are likely to have their clinical trials burst into flames before they produce meaningful results that can be legally used, so make sure patients are familiar with their bill of rights before you start probing or poking them with needles. Whatever else you do, don't forget that this process can be frightening and unfamiliar for patients who are foraying into clinical trials for the first time, so try to be a happy and warm person they can reach out to at any moment. Making yourself constantly available and stressing informed consent is the only way that physicians can help guide patients through clinical trials with success. Before long, you'll realize that a patient-centric process is the only surefire way to approach clinical trials. A subject was captured on a home surveillance system burglarizing a residence on Potato House Road. Investigators identify the suspect as a white male with a slender build. It is believed he drives a yellow and black moped. Anyone who has any information is asked to contact investigators at 843-398-4501 or Crime Stoppers of the Pee Dee at 1-888-CRIME-SC or visit p3tips.com. You also can send a tip through the agencys mobile app; text DCSO to 95577 for a link to download. You do not have to reveal your identity to leave information. COLUMBIA, S.C. Students from seven schools in Florence, Darlington and Marion counties took home awards from statewide competition on April 11 in the 14th annual Jobs for Americas Graduates-South Carolina (JAG-SC) Career Development Conference, which drew more than 500 students from 22 schools. The 2019 Executive Directors Award for demonstrating achievement and commitment through JAG went to South Florence High Schools NiRay Nelson, Timmonsville High Schools Deasia Woods, Darlington High Schools Stephanie Witherspoon, Marion High Schools Terek Reaves and Creek Bridge High Schools Miracle Rowell. Wilson High Schools TyRee Matthews took first place in public speaking. A first-place award in Theme Poster went to Creek Bridge High Schools Kierra Craawford for her original poem on The JAG Advantage. The South Florence High School team received second place for its Career Association Chapter display for its visual depiction of the 2019 conference theme of The JAG Advantage as well as third place in the Career Association Chapter Manual category for its visual record of the schools local JAG activities. Bartholme did recommend putting numbers on the Do Not Call registry. Many people, he said, believe the registry is ineffective, but it does what its designed to do to prevent calls from telemarketers who respect the list. The potential scammers, he added, do not respect the list. Another newer tactic is the use of spoofed numbers. Spoofed numbers are made to look like a call coming from a local company or government agency. To decrease the effectiveness of spoofed numbers, the FCC recommends being suspicious of unexpected calls, never giving out personal information to those calls and to use extreme caution if pressured for payment. Its also recommended to report spoofing to local law enforcement. One person recently told the Morning News about an experience she had with a person pretending to be a sheriffs deputy. The person received a call at her office from someone claiming she had missed a federal jury duty and needed to pay a fine to prevent her from getting sent to jail. FLORENCE, S.C. May is National Military Appreciation Month, and the Florence Rotary Club welcomed as its guests on Monday members of the U.S. Coast Guard from Charleston. Guest speaker Capt. John W. Reed, USCG, sector commander, Charleston, brought with him Senior Chief Kody Fraughton, command senior enlisted leader; Commander Matthew Baer, chief of response; Lt. Commander Maureen Hegerich, logistics officer; and Lt. J.B. Zorn, senior investigations officer. Reed, a native of California and a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, said the Coast Guard is the least understood branch of the U.S. Armed Forces because of various responsibilities. The Coast Guard is the United States' maritime first responder. Its major responsibilities are safety, security and stewardship. The Coast Guard is responsible for the safety of maritime vessels and facilitates. It helps facilitate commerce, making sure ships are safe and get in and out of ports on time, said Bear. Its job is protecting the United States from threats at sea, protecting the sea and those who work on the sea, Reed said. My team responds when things go wrong, Baer said. Walmart Inc. said in an SEC filing that its paying the chair of its audit committee $90,000 in extra compensation because of the workload created by the companys ongoing FCPA investigation. Other members of the boards audit committee are being paid $45,000 extra for the FCPA-related work, according to an SEC filing posted last month by FCPA Tracker. Walmart started the practice of paying them more last year. Outside directors at Walmart normally receive an annual cash retainer of $100,000 and an annual stock grant worth $175,000. Theyre also paid an additional $4,000 if attending a board meeting requires intercontinental travel from their home. The company first disclosed the FCPA investigation in December 2011. The investigation has involved allegations of potential FCPA violations in Mexico, Brazil, China, and India, among others, according to Walmarts earlier SEC filings. In November 2017, Walmart said it had reserved $283 million for a possible FCPA resolution with the DOJ and SEC. The company said then that ongoing settlement talks with the agencies had progressed to a point where it could reasonably estimate a probable loss. Walmart said in April the board members extra work related to the FCPA investigation involves communication with internal counsel, outside counsel and other advisors. ____ Heres Walmarts disclosure from its April 23, 2019 Proxy Statement (Schedule 14A) courtesy of FCPA Tracker: Each Outside Director who attends in person a Board meeting held at a location that requires intercontinental travel from his or her residence is paid an additional $4,000 meeting attendance fee. Also, each member of the Audit Committee received an additional fee during fiscal 2019 for his or her time spent with respect to the Audit Committees oversight of the companys internal investigation related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other investigatory matters. This work significantly increases the workload of Audit Committee members related to communication with internal counsel, outside counsel and other advisors. To recognize this additional time commitment, during fiscal 2019, the Audit Committee Chair received an additional fee of $90,000, and the other members of the Audit Committee received an additional fee of $45,000. ____ Richard L. Cassin is editor at large of the FCPA Blog. FLORENCE, S.C. The Florence County Museum was one of nine recipients of the 2019 Elizabeth ONeill Verner Governors Award for the Arts. "It is an incredible honor for the Florence County Museum to receive the Elizabeth ONeill Verner Award, museum director Andrew Stout said. Community supporters, volunteers and staff have worked very hard to ensure the success of the museum. The recognition is proof that we are doing what is best for our community and state." Former Museum Board Chairman Ben Zeigler said there was a nice symmetry to the award. His father, Eugene "Nick", a former state senator, won one of the first Verner awards for his work establishing the South Carolina Arts Commission. Ben Zeigler added the award was a fitting acknowledgement of the museum and that he wished his father could have seen it. Other award winners included artist Tyrone Geter, Kathleen P. Bateson, Simeon A. Warren, the South Carolina African America Heritage Commission, Hampton III Gallery, The Gibbes Museum of Art, the [Columbia] Town Theatre and Cecil Williams. The awards were announced Wednesday at a banquet held at the University of South Carolina Alumni Center in Columbia. And when I was in Korea, thats where I got heavy into Latin dance, she said. Believe it or not, Salsa is king in Korea, Japan, a lot of the Asian countries. So thats where I was first certified as a dance instructor, as a Latin dance instructor, by a Korean dance instructor who owned a dance school. Ellis was born in Hartsville, moved to Darlington when she was 5 and then Florence when she was 8. But when she left Florence, she said she was never coming back. Things were different then. Ellis said she has been able to live overseas and travel to places such as Africa, Australia and Taiwan, among other places. But it was the BahaI community and dance that brought her back to Florence. I feel like to whom much is given, much is expected, Ellis said. You leave and get to have all these experiences, and you want to come back home and give back to your community. So I really wanted to create a space that was different from my experience, that young people of color could come and feel at home and feel loved and accepted. Right now, Aroha Arts Collective focuses mainly on adults. She said she wants to provide a space for couples to have a nice evening together and for single people to be able to meet other single people. FLORENCE, S.C. -- The first step of updating the city of Florences comprehensive plan will be the hiring of a consultant. Recently, Florence City Manager Drew Griffin and Planning Director Jerry Dudley sat down for a conversation about the citys plans to update its comprehensive plan. By South Carolina Code, any city or county that has a planning department must develop a comprehensive plan. The city developed its first comprehensive plan beginning in 2009. On Feb. 14, 2011, the city council approved its comprehensive plan. The plan was then updated in 2017 with changes to the plan and the creation of a pedestrian master plan. In 2018, a study on the U.S. 76 corridor from Francis Marion University to Church Street prepared by collaboration between the county and the city was added to the plan. Now, the city must update its comprehensive plan to stay compliant with state law. Griffin said that the city puts more resources into the creation of a plan than most cities in the state. Still, he added that he was hopeful that the updating of the plan would be easier than the creation of the first plan. FLORENCE, S.C. -- The sale of Carolinas Hospital Systems to MUSC Health in November 2018 came with a name change in 2019. MUSC Health-Florence Medical Center became the hospitals new name in March. We are very excited about MUSCs purchase of the hospital, said Vance Reynolds, MUSC Health-Florence and Marion Medical Center chief executive officer. I see great benefits for the community and Pee Dee region as a whole, he said. One of those benefits is a robust telehealth network, he said. He said the telehealth transplant program will be a significant investment in 2019. Another benefit of the purchase is that it gives MUSC Health-Florence Medical Center patients easier access to second opinions and subspecialists, Reynolds said. He said the hospital looks forward to the collaboration between physicians here and at MUSC in Charleston. Shared electronic medical records is another benefit, Reynolds said. This will allow all of MUSCs hospitals access to the same patient information, he said. Ciara, a Munich, Germany-based provider of a virtual assistant for inside sales reps, raised a seven digit funding round. The round was led by UVC Partners, with participation from Interhyp founders Marcus Wolsdorf and Rober Haselsteiner, as well as entrepreneurs Christian Mangstl (Scout 24) and Felix Haas (Bits & Pretzels, IDnow). The company intends to use the funds for further international development. Co-founded by software entrepreneurs Martin Heibel and Konstantin Krauss, Ciara is a digital assistant, which enables sales representatives to effectively conduct phone conversations without struggling to find the right answers or lose the thread, similarly to the assistants in the consumer market such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home. It provides inside sales teams with interactive guides, proven playbooks, and smart objection handling, to structure their phone conversations and increase success and productivity. FinSMEs 06/05/2019 On May 3, 2019, a federal district court entered a final consent judgment against a broker who was charged with defrauding customers by making unsuitable and unauthorized trades and churning customers' accounts, which enriched the broker at the customers' expense. The SEC's complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that from July 2012 to October 2014, Rocco Roveccio, a New Jersey resident, recommended to seven customers a pattern of high-cost, in-and-out trading without any reasonable basis to believe that his customers could make a profit. Roveccio's recommendations resulted in losses for the customers and gains for Roveccio. Roveccio allegedly also lied to his customers about the potential for the accounts to profit. The complaint also alleges that Roveccio engaged in unauthorized trading and churning. The final judgment permanently enjoins Roveccio from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and orders Roveccio to pay $324,614, consisting of $147,115 in disgorgement, $17,499 in prejudgment interest and a civil penalty of $160,000. Separately, the SEC instituted settled administrative proceedings against Roveccio in which, without admitting or denying the findings, Roveccio consented to a Commission order barring him from the securities industry and penny stock trading. Roveccio was formerly associated with Alexander Capital L.P., a New York-based broker-dealer. In June 2018, the SEC filed settled charges against the broker-dealer and two of its managers, including Roveccio's former supervisor. The SEC also settled with two other former Alexander Capital brokers in September 2017 and March 2019. Since 2017, the SEC has filed five enforcement actions against brokers for excessive and unsuitable trading, and the SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy and Broker-Dealer Task Force has issued an Investor Alert about excessive trading in brokerage accounts. The SEC's investigation has been conducted by David Oliwenstein, David Stoelting, Roseann Daniello, and Steven G. Rawlings, and supervised by Sanjay Wadhwa. Gold Glove first baseman Matt Olson will come off the injured list Tuesday for the As game against the Reds, The Chronicle has learned. Olson, who hit 29 homers and drove in 84 runs last year, broke the hamate bone in his right hand March 21 in the teams second game against the Mariners in Japan. He had surgery to remove the bone the following day. He was 4-for-22 in a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas. He homered Friday and went 4-for-14 in his final three games. With Olsons return, the As are expected to designate first baseman Kendrys Morales for assignment. He was acquired from Toronto at the end of March to play first during Olsons absence. With a three-man bench, the team cant afford to keep a player who doesnt have much versatility, especially with a full-time designated hitter in Khris Davis. If Davis is unable to go Tuesday because of the hip injury he sustained running into the wall in left while making a terrific catch Sunday in Pittsburgh, theres a chance Morales could stay another day or two if the team sends down outfielder Skye Bolt, but Morales isnt likely to stick beyond that. Morales hit .209 (19-for-91) with one homer and seven RBIs in 29 games. He did go 7-for-13 in the three-game series against the Pirates, and he is the As leader in hard-hit ball rate (50.0) and average exit velocity (92.5), so hes likely to be picked up by another team if Oakland cannot work out a trade. Briefly: Closer Blake Treinen, unavailable Saturday and Sunday with what he believed to be elbow tendinitis, is unlikely to require a stint on the injured list. ... Minor-leaguer starter James Kaprielian, acquired in the Sonny Gray deal with New York in 2017, threw three innings at extended spring training Monday and has one more outing before going on an assignment. ... Jharel Cotton, who like Kaprielian is coming back from Tommy John surgery, is likely to go on a rehab assignment soon. ... Minor-league starter A.J. Puk is throwing to hitters at extended spring training. ... Catcher Sean Murphys surgery for torn meniscus in his left knee has not yet been scheduled. Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. A 51-year-old San Mateo man died in a fiery crash Saturday that disabled a charter bus carrying an Alabama collegiate choir and wrecked three other cars, authorities said. The San Mateo County coroners office on Monday identified the victim as Kenneth Dwayne Bishop. He was driving north on Highway 101 in Brisbane when he slammed into the multi-vehicle pileup, authorities said. Three vehicles crashed just south of the Sierra Point Parkway exit around 12:40 a.m. The bus was carrying members of the Oakwood University Aeolians choir and could not stop in time before it slammed into the vehicles, California Highway Patrol spokesman Bert Diaz said. Investigators said Bishop was killed when he rear-ended the bus. Two passengers on the bus and an occupant of another vehicle were taken to San Francisco General Hospital with injuries from the collision, Diaz said. The 18 bus passengers, along with the bus driver, got out of the vehicle before the fire consumed the vehicle and burned their belongings. The Aeolians, an internationally recognized choir, went on to perform Sunday at the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco. 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. All we got off with was what we had on our backs, Vilroy McBean, the groups manager, told The Chronicle before the groups morning performance. He said there was no doubt in our mind that we were going to church. The cause of the crash had not been released as of Monday. Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu 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. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. On 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 Financial markets dropped Monday and anxiety spread after President Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods. Retailers, builders, farmers and other players in Californias trade-dependent economy braced for more uncertainty that could roil their businesses. Trump upended what had appeared to be steady progress toward reaching a trade pact after he threatened Sunday to raise tariffs on some Chinese-made goods to 25% from 10% as soon as Friday, administration officials said unless Beijing moves closer to a deal. Chinese officials had been set to travel to Washington for talks Wednesday that were widely seen as the potential last round before reaching a trade deal. The back and forth on tariff hikes already postponed twice in January and March are particularly worrying for businesses that try to set long-term plans. Last year, as the date for a first round of tariffs drew near, companies hastened to import goods from China, creating congestion at West Coast ports. The Port of Oakland attributed a 5% surge in cargo volume in part to the tariff-avoidance push. What were likely to see right now are a lot of importers of consumer goods calling their suppliers in China and saying, How much can you get on the next boat out? said Jock OConnell, international trade adviser at Beacon Economics, a Los Angeles consultancy. Bob Raymer, technical director at the California Building Industry Association, said the uncertainty was taxing for his organizations members. It places a cloud on everyday operations, he said. On things like when, what and how much to order, and it affects pricing on a product for the long haul. In California, for example, newly built homes after 2020 are mandated to have solar panels, a market China dominates. Builders who import panels from China make arrangements for orders years in advance, and will either have to bear the increased cost or raise prices for home buyers. Threatening tariffs today can create problems a year and half down the road in the supply chain for builders, Raymer said. Everything from trucking, shipping lines, customs, manufacturing, raw materials and labor is put in flux, even if the tariffs arent ultimately imposed, he said. Bay Area retailers such as Restoration Hardware in Corte Madera and home-goods company Williams-Sonoma in San Francisco will be affected. About 40% and 15% of merchandise volume at the two companies, respectively, are exposed to the China tariffs. Williams-Sonoma told investors in a recent earnings call that it planned to seek other manufacturing partners as it moves some production out of China while negotiating better prices with suppliers. The company declined to comment further. Restoration Hardware did not return calls for comment. While the Trump administration has said the tariffs protect American interests and punish China for unfair trade practices, the trade sanctions have hurt American companies. A March study by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Columbia University and Princeton University found that the burden of the tariffs including those on steel, aluminum, solar panels and Chinese imports has fallen on U.S. consumers and businesses who buy imported products. By the end of last year, the study found, they were paying $3 billion a month more and absorbing $1.4 billion a month in lost efficiency. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The Trump administration levied 25% tariffs in June on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports, including machinery and equipment, saying it was moving to protect American intellectual property. Consumer goods were mostly spared. China retaliated with its own tariffs targeting the U.S. agricultural sector. The Trump administration followed in September with tariffs covering $200 billion in Chinese goods, including food, textiles and toys. Products on the September list will see tariffs rise from 10% to 25% if Trump has his way. Policy procedures including hearings and public comments are done, and the administration can enforce the hike whenever it wants. Farmers, who bore the brunt of retaliatory Chinese tariffs, are awaiting an expected retaliation. Julie Adams, vice president of regulatory affairs at the Almond Board of California, said uncertainty is not a friend to business and trade: We already deal with unpredictability in weather conditions, we dont need this level of unknown. Trump also said a new round of $300 billion worth of Chinese goods would be considered for duties. These include goods such as footwear and clothing. Adding these new tariffs would take several weeks to implement. The New York Times contributed to this report. Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika As the passenger van reached the gate of a legal cannabis farm, Lorianna Bender looked for barbed wire and barking Dobermans and saw none. A smiling farmer welcomed the tour group, and the view opened to reveal rows of pot plants baking in the sun. Her fear that pot farms were dangerous, clandestine operations vanished. It was like you had walked up to someones winery in Napa, said Bender, a yoga instructor from Vallejo. Bender is one of a new crop of visitors in California call them cannatourists. With marijuana fully legal in the state, the growers heartland is becoming a cultural destination, with Wine Country as a nearby model. Options for day-trippers bloom in the Emerald Triangle, a three-county Northern California region Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties named for the leafy green plant it grows in abundance. Limo buses bring groups of friends celebrating a birthday, retirement or bride-to-be to visit some of the areas farms. Even a marijuana museum is in the works: Last month, cannabis startup Flow Kana bought 12 acres along Highway 101 in Hopland (Mendocino County). It plans to build a visitor center, featuring grower interviews and demos. San Francisco is also getting in on the action. A once-underground supper club called Cannaisseur Series invites paying guests to share an intimate gourmet meal paired with marijuana joints often in a South of Market warehouse. And some pot shops are adding posh lounges where customers can try the goods. On a typical day at Moe Greens, a new cannabis lounge in the Mid-Market neighborhood, people looking for a legal place to smoke fill the avocado-colored booths. We wanted to create a clean, safe, comfortable environment where people could not only sit and imbibe but also get an experience, owner Nate Haas said. Wine Country is angling for a piece of the business, too, with several Sonoma County operators offering wine-and-weed tours. Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle California took in $345 million in tax revenue from legal cannabis in 2018, the first year for recreational sales. The state has not released data on what portion of sales came from visitors, and travel associations in San Francisco, Sonoma and Mendocino counties said they currently do not track how much visitors spend on cannabis or related activities. Those estimates are hard to get right, with so many buying on the cheaper, tax-free black market. Carmel Angelo, executive officer of Mendocino County, said cannabis has become synonymous with the area. I dont think theres any one of us who doesnt have a friend or a family member who is involved in the cannabis industry, she said. Her office has come to call weed the fourth pillar of tourism, along with wine, waves and wilderness. Someday, she said, tour companies may fly visitors into the countys underused airports to visit a cannabis farm, shop at a dispensary or stay in a bud and breakfast hotel. California may look to states that legalized pot sooner for a glimpse of whats to come. An estimated 6.5 million Colorado visitors together consumed 19 metric tons of cannabis in 2017, according to a report prepared for that states Department of Revenue. Still, in a 2016 survey, only 5% of Colorado visitors called it a motivation for their trip, although 15% said they did some cannabis-related activity. Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle But the demand is there, said Jamie Evans, who runs a cannabis-themed event series. The legal market has made customers of Baby Boomers and first-time users, who want to learn more about the plant in a low-pressure environment, similar to a tasting room at a Napa winery. Cassie Eternal, an activities coordinator at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center, said trips shes booked through Emerald Country Tours have sold out, with 40 seniors participating. Last fall, Evans and a group of friends boarded a van in Sonoma for a half-day Weed & Wine Tour by Happy Travelers Tours. California is known for the best cannabis and the best wine, Evans said. Tour organizers know this. The $139 expedition took them to a cannabis farm, where a grower taught them about the varieties they plant, and on to wineries for (smokeless) tours and tastings. In place of icebreakers, the tour group had a joint-rolling contest. In Mendocino, one of the counties widely seen as part of the pot-growing capital of America, cannatourism seems even more promising. People have been drawn to the area for the cannabis industry for decades, said county executive officer Angelo, though visiting farms back then was a lot more low key. Legal weed has allowed cannabis tour companies to proliferate. Most of the countys 18 dispensaries allow on-site consumption, and sales are higher at pot shops near other major tourist attractions, according to Angelo. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes A museum would be a crowning feature of the regions cannatourism industry. Flow Kana, the San Francisco cannabis producer and distributor, has grand plans for the 12-acre property it just bought for $3.5 million (a figure provided by the county assessors office). For the past few decades, a store called Real Goods has sold solar panels and off-the-grid living supplies there. What Napa and Sonoma counties have become to wine, Mendocino and Humboldt counties are poised to do for cannabis, said Michael Steinmetz, founder and CEO of Flow Kana. John Schaeffer, the 70-year-old owner of Real Goods and operator of a nonprofit called the Solar Living Institute, will work with Flow Kana to build a visitor center and museum that marries the histories of cannabis and solar energy. He said many of his earliest customers were pot growers looking for cover in the hills of Mendocino County. At the new center, visitors will someday wear audio headsets as they tour to hear interviews from the areas growers, according to Schaeffer. They might watch a demo on trimming pot, though he said the visitor center will not grow any cannabis on site, then pick up a jar of Flow Kanas sun-grown marijuana from the dispensary. Steinmetz of Flow Kana said he wants to preserve the centers roots in solar. We dont get this many shots as mankind to bring massive industries to life, he said. Especially one thats as tied as these two movements. Melia Russell is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: melia.russell@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meliarobin Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled the name of Emerald Country Tours. WeWork made cities into hubs of shared office space, growing to become one of the largest tenants in San Francisco. But lately, much of the companys expansion has been in Bay Area suburbs. WeWorks latest deal is a lease for 86,000 square feet at 3001 Bishop Drive in San Ramon. The building is part of the sprawling Bishop Ranch business park that is also the headquarters of Chevron and home to other corporate giants like General Electric, SAP and IBM. The new WeWork co-working facility will open by the end of the year with 1,300 desks. It follows recent WeWork deals in Mill Valley, San Mateo and Sacramento. WeWork maintains headquarters in New York and San Francisco. Bishop Ranch is the largest office campus in the booming Tri-Valley area, which has more than 194,000 jobs after employment grew 35 percent between 2006 to 2016. Existing WeWork customers who live in the East Bay had urged the company to open a Tri-Valley location, said Elton Kwok, WeWork general manager of Northern California. For many, the location was more convenient than driving to Oakland or San Francisco, he said. Its a place where people want to live and work, he said. We want to reduce commute times. Bishop Ranch doesnt have a BART station, but Kwok said it is close enough to the Dublin/Pleasanton Station that it fits WeWorks strategy of being close to transit hubs. We have a robust transit program here, said Alexander Mehran Jr., president of Bishop Ranch developer Sunset Development. He cited bus shuttles to BART and a carpool program through Googles Waze app. Sunset Development has been adding more food and drink elements to the office park to lure tenants. Its largest new addition is the $300 million City Center Bishop Ranch retail center, which opened last year and has trendy shops like Boba Guys and Slanted Door. The retail complex is 75% leased, while Sunset Developments 6.3 million square feet of office space is around 88% leased. Annual asking rents at the building that WeWork leased are $42 per square foot, said Mehran. San Francicos average rent is about twice as much, at over $80 per square foot. We really think this WeWork deal is a validation of everything weve been doing, Mehran said. People want a convenient atmosphere. WeWork wont be the only co-working company at Bishop Ranch. Co-working competitor Regus, a division of IWG PLC, has been a tenant for decades, said Mehran. Bishop Ranch also offers smaller suites under 5,000 square feet to small businesses. Sunset Development also plans to start construction on 2,500 housing units within Bishop Ranch in the next two years. The new housing will make the office space more appealing by giving workers access to shorter commutes, said Mehran. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes We think having a mix of office and retail and housing is really synergistic, he said. WeWork has co-working spaces planned or open in 11 Northern California cities. Its leases a total of 3 million square feet in more than 30 locations in the region. WeWork will continue expanding in San Francisco, with a recent deal at 1455 Market St., the building that houses the headquarters of Uber and Square. Our expansion path is always multipronged, said Kwok. WeWork, also known as the We Co., announced in April that it had filed a confidential draft registration for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission. WeWorks revenue more than doubled last year to $1.8 billion, but it lost $1.9 billion in the same period as it continued to make heavy investments in real estate. Roland Li is a Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office / A 19-year-old Oakland man accused of shooting and injuring several people at a central California beach was arrested Sunday in San Luis Obispo County, authorities said. State Parks officers received calls reporting a shooting around midnight Saturday at Oceano Dunes recreation area, a San Luis Obispo County nature preserve with a beach and sand dunes. Six people were taken to the hospital with injuries, officials said. An Alameda County judge on Monday set a July competency trial date for John Lee Cowell, the alleged killer of Nia Wilson, an 18-year-old woman who was fatally stabbed last summer at the MacArthur BART Station. Cowell is due back in court July 29, when a judge will hear a third doctors report on his mental competency before determining whether Cowell is fit to assist in his defense. The criminal proceedings have been on hold as doctors complete a mental health evaluation of Cowell. A third evaluation should be completed by the week of June 12, prosecutors said. Wilson and her sisters, Letifah and Tashiya, were transferring between BART trains at MacArthur Station on July 22 when Cowell allegedly stabbed Nia and Letifah Wilson in the neck. Cowell ditched his backpack and clothing in the stations parking lot and was arrested a day later at the Pleasant Hill BART station, police said. Defense attorney Christina Moore told Judge James Cramer in December that Cowell suffered from extreme delusion and extreme paranoia, limiting her ability to talk about the case with her client. Cramer suspended criminal proceedings that month to examine Cowells mental state. In court Monday, Cowell wore a red jumpsuit and was silent as the judge settled on the trial date. Wilsons family filled two rows of the gallery Monday morning. In prior hearings, Wilsons family members have expressed dissatisfaction with delays in proceeding to trial, while suggesting Cowell is well aware of the charges he faces. Were irritated; it should be over with, Unieve Wilson, Nia Wilsons older sister, said outside the courtroom Monday. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The Wilson family filed a wrongful death suit against BART in April, which seeks monetary relief and asks a judge to order the transit agency to improve safety measures, including a crackdown on fare evaders and displaying crime statistics at each station. Attorneys are expected to return to court Friday for the defenses motion to limit the third doctors examination of Cowell. If Cowell is found incompetent to stand trial, he will be committed to a psychiatric hospital until competency is restored. Criminal proceedings would then resume. Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu For 10 years, Aldous Lau traveled with his wife, Alice, and son, Aiden, from their home in Hong Kong to Californias San Francisco Bay area to visit Laus mother and siblings. Born and raised in Hong Kong, the Laus decided in 2017 to make the move to the United States. But they did not follow the family to sunny California. They chose Cleveland. Im now an Ohioan, Lau says with pride. The west coast is as hot as Hong Kong and we can not stand beach life anymore. We decided to move to a quieter place, where I can feel all four seasons. Additionally, Alices best friend, and Aidens godmother, live in Northeast Ohio and the Laus chose to live in Solon for its excellent schools. Both Aldous and Alice were journalists in Hong Kongwith Aldous reporting on lifestyle trends. Once in Cleveland, Lao soon picked up on a popular hometown street food that was developing into an international trendHong Kong egg waffles, or "bubble waffles." Made with an egg batter, the bubble waffle produces honeycomb-like spherical puffs with crispy edges and soft, chewy centers. The waffles are either eaten plain or with assorted toppings. Bubble waffles are an up-and-coming food in Korea, Japan, and London, explains Lau. Its very traditional Hong Kong street food and we decided to bring it here. So the Laus decided to take that trend to AsiaTown and on Sunday, April 28, they held the soft opening of Ball Ball Waffle (located in suite 126 of Asia Plaza at 2999 Payne Ave). We are the most authentic bubble waffle shop in Cleveland, says Lau. Lau stresses the difference between a Belgian waffle and a bubble waffle by the fact that Belgian waffles are associated as solely a breakfast food. You can eat a bubble waffle any time, he says. Its an all-day waffle. The shop sells both sweet and savory bubble waffle concoctionslike crushed Oreo or a mozzarella and cheddar cheese varietyas well as crispy waffles. Another authentic treat is the Hong Kong milk tea, a strong caffeinated black tea mixed with condensed milk. Western people sometimes find it bitter, but after you taste it, its very good, assures Lau. You can taste the balance of the milk and the tea. Its normally served hot, but we also serve it cold or iced. Once the new coffee maker arrives, Lau will also serve coffee drinks. And this summer, Lau says he will offer ice cream wrapped in a bubble waffle cone with toppings. While Ball Ball Waffle got its start last year with a booth at the Cleveland Asian Festival, Lau soon met Asia Plaza manager Steve Hom through Cleveland Asian Festival co-founder Lisa Wong and discovered there was a vacancy. Lau jumped at the chance to open his shop. One year later, Ball Ball is open for business. Lau got a lot of help and advice along the way, with everything from setting up an LLC to what type of coffee maker to buy, to simply advice on running a small business. Laus advisors include Jeff Su of Vintage Tea & Coffee; Joyce Huang, director of planning and placemaking at Midtown Cleveland; John Suh of SnowBros Shavery; Katie Van Dyke of the Ohio Small Business Development Center at the Cleveland Heights Library; and Wong. Ball Ball Waffle is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lest We Forget, a large-scale exhibition of 80 or so portraits of Holocaust survivors by Italian photographer Luigi Toscano, is in the Civic Center concourse, where I stopped one morning last week on my way to work. There wereceremonies scheduled at City Hall on Thursday, May 2, Holocaust Remembrance Day, but Id decided I didnt want to hear speeches or absorb anyone elses emotion. It was early in the day; no one else was around. Standing there alone, I felt foolish to find my eyes full of tears, and at the same time, particularly with statistics for hate crimes rising, so glad to have glimpsed those lined faces and to have had the opportunity to consider their lives. I took a few smartphone photos, not doing justice, of course, to the photographers skill. Many of the cards accompanying each portrait tell harrowing stories of surviving camps. Its a much more complicated tale, but German-born Robert Behr was 22 years old when he was assigned, at Theresienstadt, to help transport bodies for burial. Near the end of the war, volunteering to help build a new SS headquarters enabled him to survive. In 1947, he came to the United States, became a citizen and enlisted in the Army, which sent him back to Berlin to interrogate former Nazis. It was the card on another survivors portrait that struck me most. The woman, Anastasija Tschernikowa, was born in 1924 in a place of unknown origin, says her card. Then, Can hardly remember. Does not want to speak about the terrible experiences anymore. The exhibition on view until May 19 has been traveling around the world, and it was brought to San Francisco by the Goethe Institute and the German Consulate, with support from Barbro and Bernard Osher and the Consulates General of Israel and Italy. P.S. The night before, Id attended a screening of Ask Dr. Ruth, Ryan Whites documentary about sex expert Ruth Westheimer. She, too, was a Holocaust survivor, sent by her parents from Germany to Switzerland, so as to protect her during World War II. She was 10 years old when her mother put her on a train that was packed with other kids being rescued. She never saw either parent again. The good doctor, 91 years old, is indomitable. Press release heading that might be useful if you feel yourself tongue-tied at a cocktail party: Lets talk about hazelnuts. As to other conversations, aboard a flight to Boston, James Brzezinski and his seat mate discussed whether the Yiddish (by now Yinglish) word tchotchke (meaning ornamental object) was the origin of the word for the beer-opening tool, church key. (Id vote no.) Meanwhile, Michael Vogel says he keeps getting the same prerecorded telephone call: Hi, Im Grace, a hearing administrator on a recorded line. Can you hear me? Can anyone make sense of this? Oh, the heck with it, lets talk about hazelnuts. Adda Dada, who keeps track of the Facebook group San Francisco Remembered, said theres been discussion there of erecting a statue of the late twins, Marian and Vivian Brown, fashion plates of the Nob Hill/downtown areas. Teacher Anthony Barcellos notes that the asymmetric look is all the rage these days. ... It doesnt matter whether its your shirt or jacket or even pants. The side where you carry your smartphone sags from the weight of the device. Of course, I have to admit that many of my students cleverly avoid the asymmetric look by never putting their phones away. 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. Youve probably been to a show where, during the curtain call, someone steps forward and asks members of the audience to contribute to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. At an annual Easter Bonnet contest, performed onstage, results of a fundraising competition among every Broadway show and touring company are announced. This year, And Peggy, the Hamilton company thats been performing in San Francisco, won the competition, having raised $513,734. This is $183,000 more than the amount raised by the Broadway version of Hamilton. Help is at hand for everyone, no matter what religion: Matt Regan has found a holy card on which is depicted San Judas Tadeo, who may be petitioned that the situation does not get worse. Well, thats something. Letter received from my periodontist (and friend) Kirk Pasquinelli last week: Im sad to see the column go, but I rejoice at all the additional time you will have for flossing. PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING What impressed me about him was he said, It was profoundly impressive, he didnt say awesome. Woman to companion, overheard on the 41-Union bus by Ken Maley Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, 415-777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik 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 understand the forces that drive people to leave their native lands. 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 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 border to Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. But the country is also losing its population at a faster rate 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 center in a former school on the outskirts of Sofia. Radostina Belcheva of the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria said Francis visit will show solidarity with those in need. 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. 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. 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 phenomenon had descended like a curtain of ice on a large part of Europe, the consequence of a diminished confidence in the future. Francis was welcomed at the airport by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, who gave the pope a personal gift during their meeting: a vat of Bulgarian yogurt. Nicole Winfield and Veselin Toshkov are Associated Press writers. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) The Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (PT&T) will put up a national wi-fi service with a Chinese partner. In a disclosure on Monday, the listed telecommunications firm said its chairman Salvador Zamora II signed a $500-million deal with China's CITIC Networks Co. Ltd. to roll out wi-fi internet connection, digital television, and satellite network services covering the whole country. Zamora through his holding company Tranzen Group, Inc. signed the memorandum of understanding with Citic's Luo Ning last month in Beijing, forming part of the over $12-billion business deals fetched during President Rodrigo Duterte's latest visit to the Mainland. READ: 19 business deals signed during Duterte's trip to China The agreement covers building infrastructure for a nationwide wifi network, to be implemented by PT&T. Also signed during the recent China visit is the $5.4-billion investment of China Telecommunications Corp. with Udenna Corp. to develop the Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company as the Philippines' third telco player. PT&T, which provides a full fiber-optic network for Internet services, once vied to be the third player to disrupt the Globe and Smart duopoly in the telecommunications market. CITIC is known as an information technology firm in China. 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. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren unveiled a major proposal last month that promises millions of students free college and promises to wipe out the student loan debt of millions more. While the concept of free anything has true appeal, not everyone is deserving of a large public subsidy. Warrens proposal is simply an inefficient and ineffective use of federal dollars because it does not provide enough financial support for the students who need assistance the most. The cornerstones of Warrens proposal are twofold: Students attending any public institution of higher education community college or four-year university would be offered free tuition (but not room, board and other expenses). And former students with student loan debt could see up to $50,000 of that debt wiped out, no questions asked. Rather than offering free tuition to everyone, why not give larger scholarships to those who need assistance the most? There is no question that many families in our country need help in paying for college, because their own resources are not sufficient. Rather than just promising free tuition, as Warrens proposal does, we need to help these students by providing scholarships to cover not just tuition, but funds for housing, meals, books and the other expenses of attending college as well. Because of these additional expenses beyond tuition, millions of students still face significant financial barriers to attending college, and staying enrolled and earning their degrees once there. And many students from low-income families do not even start college, because they perceive the cost to be too great. Here are two local examples of why scholarships need to cover more than tuition: The poorest students attending UC Berkeley those from families with incomes below $30,000 have to come up with more than $9,000 annually to meet the full cost of attendance, after accounting for the current level of scholarship support. Middle-income families have to pay up to $14,000. At San Francisco State University, these students pay $10,000 and $16,000, respectively. Warrens proposal would funnel more than $10 billion per year to much wealthier students. Data from the U.S. Department of Education show that public institutions enroll more than 1 million traditional age undergraduates across the country those who generally transition directly from high school into college who come from families in the top one-fifth of the income distribution (with annual incomes of more than $150,000 per year). And 20 percent of those come from the top 5 percent of all earners, with incomes above $250,000. Rather than giving free tuition to wealthier students, our society would derive much more benefit from using those funds to provide a true full scholarship one that covers all costs, not just tuition to the poorest students. The promise of a scholarship to cover all of the costs of attendance would induce many low-income students who today opt out of college to enroll, or choose a four-year university rather than a community college. This would increase the odds that they could stay enrolled and complete their degrees in four years. Our nation would benefit by having a more educated workforce, higher levels of tax revenue, and a more productive and competitive economy. Warrens approach of giving public funds to wealthier students would, in contrast, have little to no impact on improving educational attainment in the nation. These students already attend college at the highest rates, and have by far the highest graduation rates. Just as Warrens free college proposal is too broad of an approach, so is her proposal to wipe out student loan debt indiscriminately. Yes, some former students are struggling to pay back their student loans, especially those who started college but were not able to complete their degrees and reap the benefits of a college education. This is particularly true for the many students across the country who attended for-profit colleges that have closed in recent years. We should focus student loan debt relief on the college dropouts, who are truly struggling, not offering to wipe out the debt of millions of students who graduated and have been successfully paying back their loans. The money saved could be used to provide scholarships to the students who dropped out and need that extra assistance to re-enroll and complete their degrees. It is important to remember that there is no such thing as free college; somebody needs to pay the many costs associated with higher education. Warrens two plans would cost American taxpayers $1.25 trillion over 10 years. Tax dollars are finite; we need to ask whether Warrens proposal is the best use of public resources. While well intentioned, her approach will have little impact on helping society create a better educated and more productive workforce. Donald E. Heller is provost and vice president of academic affairs at the University of San Francisco. These views are his own, and do not reflect those of the University of San Francisco. WASHINGTON Its said that everything goes better with wine even legislating in the halls of Congress. Thats the theory, in part, behind the Congressional Wine Caucus. In its 20th year, the under-the-radar, bipartisan coalition of lawmakers works in Washington to promote and address the needs of the wine industry. And, yes, they also drink a little on occasion. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, started the caucus shortly after he arrived in Congress in 1999. The Wine Country congressman is a grape grower himself, and he partnered with wine producer and then-Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, to build the caucus. It grew to more than 300 members at one point in both chambers of Congress. It has since shrunk to just over 115 with time, retirements and seat changes, but Thompson is hoping to replenish its ranks this term. Joining him in that effort is the groups first leader from outside California. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., was announced last week as the new co-chairman. Both grower-lawmakers are oenophiles and happy to talk fine wines. But they said the purpose of the caucus is help raise awareness of wine as a major agricultural industry in the United States one that also faces challenges and could use champions in Washington. It absolutely is an important business in this country, said Newhouse, whose state is the No. 2 producer of wines in the U.S., behind California. Wine grape growers (and) wineries face a lot of the same challenges that other businesses face, whether its trade, tax issues, labor issues certainly in our part of the world, water issues. All of those things that other agricultural products face, we do too in the wine industry. Michael Macor / The Chronicle In a joint interview for The Chronicles Its All Political podcast, Thompson counted an insect as one example of the caucus power. When a disease-carrying bug called the glassy-winged sharpshooter was threatening California vineyards in the early 2000s, the caucus sprang into action. The insects bite can kill grapevines, but poses little threat to the ornamental plant and citrus plants that tend to foster colonies. Thompson said the wine caucus brought together growers and landscaper interests to raise awareness of the grave danger of the insects spread to wine. Caucus lawmakers also helped secure millions of dollars for research of the blight caused by the bug, Pierces disease, in a 2009 agriculture funding bill. We were able to bring all the parties together and figure out some solutions so we could go after this glassy-winged sharpshooter, Thompson said. I think thats probably a textbook-perfect example of how any caucus can help work through problems to find solutions. These days, wine growers are increasingly concerned about other threats including President Trumps trade war. Theyre especially worried about retaliatory Chinese tariffs on American wine. I dont think a day goes by that I dont have agriculture producers come in and talk to me about the challenges they face in the world of trade, Newhouse said. Its a very, very competitive market. Theres wine produced by a lot of countries around the world, good wine, and for us to be able to compete for that shelf space in countries, we need to have trade policies that allow us to compete fairly. Newhouse, a moderate, is far from the only Republican calling out Trumps trade war. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, threatened to kill Trumps trade deal with Mexico unless he pulls back some tariffs. Labor shortages to operate wineries also make immigration reform a priority, the lawmakers agreed, and growers face competition for land and water. The increasing production of cannabis as legalization spreads compounds those challenges. When you introduce a new product or a new agricultural product, theres going to be competition, Thompson said. We have a tough time getting workers, and Dan and I both know the challenges we face with water, and all of this comes into play. On Wednesday, the Wine Caucus co-hosted an event with the Shellfish Caucus the list of active congressional caucuses is more than 60 pages long and served wines and oysters in a Capitol Hill office building to introduce Newhouse and drum up interest in the groups. Thompson, looking to counteract attrition in membership from retirements and flipped seats, encouraged lawmakers enjoying the fare to join the Wine Caucus and asked staffers in attendance to take the word back to their bosses. Past efforts have included hosting tastings or 101-style learning sessions on aspects of the wine business. By the end of their interview with The Chronicle, Thompson had invited Newhouse to a dinner at his house, suggesting they each bring a few colleagues to sample wines and discuss. While Washington and California, both Democratic states, are the biggest wine producers, Thompson and Newhouse said the caucus is not hampered by partisanship. Wine is now made in all 50 states, and lawmakers from Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina have been leaders in the past in getting wine-friendly legislation or policies passed. An all-time great (member) was (Democratic Rep.) Bart Gordon from Tennessee not recognized as a big wine-producing state but one of the smartest wine people Ive ever met, Thompson said. Great palate, great understanding, and that was coupled with his work on the science committee. The first senator to join the caucus, he noted, was Democrat Hillary Clinton, when she represented New York. She was always great to work with, Thompson said. California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer joined soon after, but it wasnt bicameral to start with, he said. Clinton, however, signed on real quick. And, as Thompson likes to say: Every member of Congress represents a big part of the wine community and thats the consumers. For both Newhouse and Thompson, wine is personal. Thompson grows 20 acres of one variety of Sauvignon Blanc grapes on his 30-acre ranch in Lake County, as well as olives and organic oat hay. Newhouse has a 750-acre farm on Snipes Mountain in Washington that largely produces hops for beer, but also has 60 acres for wine grapes and other crops. Newhouse said he tends to favor red wines, but both said theyll enjoy just about anything thats good. Newhouse is fond of the phrase, My favorite wine is the one Im holding in my hand right now. I think occasion means a lot, Thompson said. Im deathly allergic to bad wine, Ill put that out there. But I enjoy wine with food. The time of the year, the place, what youre eating ... theres so many great wines. And sparkling wine, roses have made a huge comeback, different reds, different whites, who youre drinking it with. ... Its all part of the total wine experience. Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Giddy scientists have spotted scores of tiny tadpoles and egg sacs in ponds, creek beds and marshy meadows in Yosemite Valley this spring, the first evidence in a half-century that the rare, sensitive California red-legged frog is breeding after being driven to extinction in the lush meadows of this spectacular park. The discovery of the newborn amphibians coincided with the release Friday of 142 adult frogs raised at the San Francisco Zoo, an event Yosemite officials called a major turning point in the push by park biologists to bring back native wildlife and restore historic habitat for a host of threatened and endangered species. The reddish puddle hoppers were let loose in four wetland ponds under a brilliant blue sky within sight of roaring Yosemite Falls and towering El Capitan some 50 years after the local population was killed off by invasive American bullfrogs, ravenous raccoons and a deadly introduced fungus, all the result of human stupidity or neglect. Putting red-legged frogs back into Yosemite is a pretty big deal, because now that bullfrogs have been eradicated, we sort of had this empty niche, said Rob Grasso, an aquatic biologist for the park, who is in charge of the release program. One of the early milestones to know that it was successful is if you see evidence of breeding, and thats what we did. ... The significance is if we can get the frogs established in Yosemite Valley, hopefully we can use this as a pinch point to start releasing in other known historic localities. Now Playing: Yosemite and San Francisco Zoo officials release red-legged frogs, now breeding after being extinct for 50 years. Video: San Francisco Chronicle Grasso said 20 egg batches have been spotted since March, including eight masses in Cooks Meadow underneath Yosemite Falls, which are clearly the offspring of the 125 frogs released a year ago. That would translate to about 50,000 tadpoles, but he expects there are probably three or four times that many in the park now. That may sound like a lot, he said, but only 1% to 3% of the frogs that are born survive. Still, the appearance of a naturally born generation of polliwogs marks the first time breeding has been documented in Yosemite since biologists began releasing adults in 2017. The reintroduction program is the result of a unique collaboration between the National Park Service, Yosemite Conservancy, San Francisco Zoo, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and NatureBridge. The group established a frog-rearing facility at San Francisco Zoo in 2016 and began raising the species in a former bald-eagle exhibit that was reconfigured for frogs. So far, 4,000 red-legged frog eggs and tadpoles and 500 adult frogs have been released. All of the reintroduced frogs have microchips inserted under their skin, so they can be identified if they die or are captured. As many as 400 more zoo frogs will be released in Yosemite in June, some of them fitted with electronic transmitter bracelets, officials said. The zoo has also been raising pond turtles for release into Yosemite lakes, rivers and meadows. The California red-legged frog, known scientifically as Rana draytonii, is the largest native frog in the Western United States, ranging in size from 2 to 5 inches long. The amphibian, which has distinctive reddish skin with iridescent green patches, was the type of frog Mark Twain was talking about when he wrote the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. Rather than a ribbit sound, the red-legged frog uses a series of short soft underwater grunts, which Grasso said sound like someone rubbing a finger on a balloon. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle The species, which is listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, has undergone a major decline across California, disappearing from 70 percent of its habitat, which once covered the Sierra Nevada, coast range and foothills from north to south. They were harvested for food in the late 1800s and early 1900s, a major reason for their decline. The death toll in Yosemite was particularly precipitous and, experts say, totally avoidable. Once common in the creeks and meadows, the reddish animals first began to disappear in the 1950s when bullfrogs were introduced into a reflection pond at the the Ahwahnee Hotel. The survivors were then attacked by an uncommonly large number of raccoons drawn to Yosemite in the 1970s by open refuse sites, which also attracted crowds of pesky bears. Meanwhile, the frogs were being infected by a worldwide epidemic of a fungal disease, which was also killing local newts, the Yosemite toad and, most of all, their cousins, the endangered yellow-legged frog. Park biologists said lakes and waterways went from thousands of frogs to none in just a few years. The demise of the two frog species was part of what wildlife biologists say is a worldwide collapse of amphibians, which many fear are going the way of the dinosaur. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The terrible trend, though, has been reversed, at least in Yosemite. Park officials have since eradicated the bullfrogs, closed the refuse sites, and restored the shrubby river and stream bank habitat frogs like. Both frog species have been making a comeback the yellow-legged population has increased sevenfold over the past two decades, according to biologists. The seeds for the comeback came in the form of frog eggs found in a small lake on a farm in El Dorado County. The park has also begun reintroduction programs for the other missing frog and toad species. The comeback, Grasso said, is important, because red-legged frogs are a sentinel of land and water quality. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite LONDON In Spain, activists were convicted for social media posts that violated an expanded anti-terrorism law. The Twitter accounts of German citizens were blocked because of rules enacted last year that prohibit hate speech. And a Dutch court determined that Google must remove search results about a doctor punished for poor performance, in compliance with a privacy law. Heralded as the worlds toughest watchdog of Bay Area technology giants, Europe has clamped down on violent content, hate speech and misinformation online through a thicket of new laws and regulations over the last five years. Now there are questions about whether the region is going too far, with the rules leading to accusations of censorship and potentially providing cover to some governments to stifle dissent. The unintended consequences may be compounded as European governments pursue more laws and policies to restrict what communication can be shared online. Last month, Britain proposed appointing an internet regulator who would be empowered to block websites it considers harmful. The European Union is separately debating a law that would require tech companies to quickly remove terrorist-related content. With the growing body of European legislation, there will be a lower standard for protection of freedom of expression, said David Kaye, a UC Irvine law professor whom the United Nations appointed to spotlight government efforts to restrict free speech. He added that Europes rules erode what had been a shared belief among the United States and other Western democracies to avoid censoring social media posts, YouTube videos, discussion forums and other internet content. The debate in Europe illustrates the difficulties that governments face as they try to regulate the most corrosive material on the internet without choking off individual expression. That is set to flare up elsewhere as other countries also move to pass new laws or impose restrictions on online material. In Sri Lanka, authorities shut off access to social media after coordinated terrorist attacks last month left hundreds dead. New Zealand and Australia have put forward restrictions on tech companies after the March massacre of 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand, where the accused gunman used social media to amplify his message. Singapore has also proposed a law to curtail false or misleading information, which critics warned could be used to silence dissent. And India is considering giving itself new powers to suppress digital content. Tech companies themselves are asking for more regulation, rather than delegating enforcement responsibility to their platforms. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg invited Congress in March to set rules for the social network, adding it would be useful to spell out clearly what the responsibilities that we want companies and people and governments to have. On Thursday, Facebook added to the censorship debate when it proactively barred several extremists, including Infowars founder Alex Jones. Dimitris Avramopoulos, a European Commissioner pushing for stricter oversight of the internet, said government intervention is an appropriate response to how social media is being used to glorify terrorism, manipulate elections and spread hateful ideologies. The new battleground is the internet, he said. Ian Russell, who has criticized Instagram and other internet companies for not doing enough to remove self-harm material that he says contributed to his teenage daughters 2017 suicide, said most people will accept reasonable restrictions if it means cleaning up whats most toxic. We would not consider ourselves to be living in a dictatorship and happily abide by rules and laws, said Russell, a Briton who now runs the suicide prevention charity, Molly Rose Foundation. But some Europeans are grappling with the fallout. Jorg Rupp, 53, a social worker and political activist in the eastern German town of Malsch, said he was swept up in Europes new laws. In January 2018, he posted a tweet with altered lyrics to a German song called The Anarchist Pig, adding derisive words about asylum-seekers and Chancellor Angela Merkel. Within three hours, his Twitter account was banned. Germany has one of the worlds strictest hate-speech laws, the Network Enforcement Act, which had recently taken effect when Rupp tweeted. The law mandates that internet companies remove offensive material within 24 hours or face fines of up to about $56 million. Rupp said the tweet was satire, an attempt to use the language of right-wing groups to show their cruelty. Its dangerous at the moment to be ironic, he said. Thats not good for free speech. Rupp, who has more than 2,000 followers on Twitter, said he sent several emails to Twitters help line and pointed to his other tweets in which he voiced support for immigrants. The company rejected his pleas, he said. He then spent about $500 to hire a lawyer to reactivate his account. Now, he said, he is careful about what he shares online. Twitter said Rupps account was blocked for violating its terms of service. After a post like Rupps is flagged by a user, Twitter considers whether it violates internal policies before going through the procedures of the Network Enforcement Act. Last year, the company received more than 500,000 complaints about posts under the German law. It took down about 10%; it doesnt specify how many of the removals were classified as violating Twitters policies versus breaking the law. Wolfgang Schulz, the research director at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society in Berlin, said the German law hasnt led to widespread blocking of online content as some initially feared. But it raises questions about requiring internet companies to moderate speech, rather than courts or other public institutions. In the face of political pressure to clean up their platforms, the easier option is to take content down, he said. In a statement, Twitter said freedom of expression is our fundamental guiding principle. It added, regulation needs to strike an appropriate balance between keeping people safe online and preserving their inalienable human rights, and protecting the nature of a free, open internet. Google and Facebook declined to comment. Rupps experience has been echoed elsewhere, according to watchdog groups. Amnesty International said more than 60 people had been convicted in Spain for what they posted online under an anti-terrorism law that was expanded in 2015 to include social media content. One was Cassandra Vera. She was 21 when she was convicted by Spanish authorities in 2017 over tweets in which she said she was joking about the assassination of a member of Francisco Francos dictatorship. I hadnt done anything bad and yet I was still detained when I was an innocent person, said Vera, whose one-year sentence was ultimately suspended after her case became a flashpoint in Spains free-speech debate. A European privacy standard from 2014, known as the Right to Be Forgotten and which lets people petition Google to remove search results about themselves, has also been criticized for blocking legitimate material. Since 2016, newspapers in Belgium and Italy have removed articles from their archives under the law. Google was also ordered last year to stop listing some search results, including information from 2014 about a Dutch doctor whom the Guardian reported was suspended for poor care of a patient. Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, said the incidents represented a warning. Europes regulatory efforts may Balkanize the internet, in which the content available online changes based on where a person is, he said. Unlike a global resource where were sharing information and knowledge, we end up with something severely crippled, he said. The move to regulate internet services in Europe has been gathering momentum. Last month, the European Parliament passed a law requiring companies to remove terrorist-related content within one hour or risk fines of up to 4% of global revenue. The measure must go through several more legislative steps before being enacted. Critics said the proposed law doesnt clearly define what constitutes objectionable content and delegates too much responsibility to tech companies. In December, U.N. representatives warned the proposed rule may lead to infringements to the right to access information, freedom of opinion, expression, and association, and impact interlinked political and public interest processes. And in Britain, the government last month proposed sweeping new powers to remove harmful content from the internet, including material supporting terrorism, inciting violence, encouraging suicide, disinformation, cyberbullying and inappropriate material accessible to children. Human rights groups warn the public backlash against tech companies is being used as a pretext to censor speech. At least 17 countries including Malaysia, Egypt and Kenya have cited the spread of fake news when adopting or proposing new internet restrictions, according to Freedom House, a pro-democracy group tracking government internet policies. Julie Owono, executive director of Internet Without Borders, a group tracking internet freedom globally, said Europes activities normalize the removal of content. Freedom of expression, she said, relies solely on the possibility your content wont be suppressed arbitrarily. Adam Satariano is a New York Times writer. This article, Amazon fired these 7 pregnant workers. Then came the lawsuits, originally appeared on CNET.com. When Beverly Rosales found out she was pregnant in October, one of the first people she knew she had to tell was her manager at Amazon . Rosales knew she'd have to start taking more restroom breaks, and she was already worried that her bosses at Amazon's Golden State Fulfillment Center would have an issue. During her 10-hour shift as a tote auditor, she would scan items and fill up a bag, and send them along to the next person. She claims those fears were justified. She said her bosses hassled her about how much time she was taking to use the bathroom and how her work pace slowed during her pregnancy. Nearly a week after Amazon's Cyber Monday rush in November, its biggest shopping day ever, the world's largest online retailer fired Rosales, ending her two-year tenure at the 950,000-square-foot San Bernardino, California, facility. Less than two months had passed since she told her managers she was pregnant. Similar to at least a half dozen other women who've worked at Amazon's warehouses, Rosales, who earned $15 an hour, is now suing the tech giant, claiming she was discriminated against because of her pregnancy. CNET reviewed seven lawsuits against Amazon filed by pregnant warehouse workers who were fired over the last eight years and alleged that the company failed to accommodate their needs. The requests included longer bathroom breaks and fewer continuous hours on their feet, according to the lawsuits, but in all of the cases the expectant mothers were fired after telling their managers they were pregnant. Six of the cases were settled out of court. These cases fuel the perception that Amazon and CEO Jeff Bezos have created grueling conditions at their US fulfillment centers in the rush to build the online marketplace for everything. Community activists and unions trying to organize warehouse employees have long raised concerns that the company was pushing employees to work tough jobs and closely monitoring their productivity. A years-long stream of news reports and employee complaints about poor treatment has added to the dim view of these jobs. As the company introduces consumer benefits like cutting Amazon Prime two-day shipping down to a single day, these incidents raise questions about the human cost for such conveniences. "Amazon wants to push out as much product as possible," said Rosales, who filed her suit in January and is due in June. "They need as many people that don't need accommodations to work there. They care more about the numbers than their employees." Rebecca Kolins Givan, an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, echoed that sentiment. She wasn't surprised to hear about pregnant workers being fired at Amazon warehouses, saying those jobs are fast-paced and taxing, and require workers to consistently hit their goals. Amazon has been the subject of multiple lawsuits by workers in its warehouse. The company has settled many of them. Sarah Tew/CNET "The system is designed to not accommodate anything that diminishes your productivity, whether that's pregnancy or anything else," said Givan, who's researched the changing nature of work for the last 20 years. Amazon says it doesn't monitor the length of bathroom breaks, in contrast to employees in multiple lawsuits saying the company did. "It is absolutely not true that Amazon would fire any employee for being pregnant; we are an equal opportunity employer," an Amazon spokeswoman said in a statement. "We work with our employees to accommodate their medical needs including pregnancy-related needs. We also support new parents by offering various maternity and parental leave benefits." Amazon said it wasn't able to discuss the specifics of Rosales' lawsuit or the prior lawsuits. The Seattle-based retail giant has made several efforts in the past year to improve its public image and promote the benefits it offers warehouse employees. In November, it raised its starting pay to $15 an hour and said it'd start advocating for a higher federal minimum wage, which is $7.25. But that hasn't silenced critics who argue that Amazon, an employer of over 600,000 people and one of the world's most valuable companies, with a market cap of almost $1 trillion, still needs to change. Case by case In November 2015, Amber Sargent told her bosses that her doctor warned her against climbing ladders or lifting anything weighing more than 20 pounds. Amazon put her on a working freeze until they could make proper changes and told her to wait for a call, according to her lawsuit. She claims she didn't get paid for more than a month, and every time she called, her managers told her to keep waiting. She returned in December of that year, and found that nothing had changed -- she was still in her same department and required to do everything her doctor said she couldn't do. Another month passed before Amazon fired Sargent, her suit stated. "They need as many people that don't need accommodations to work there. They care more about the numbers than their employees." Beverly Rosales, former Amazon warehouse worker Sargent's story is one of seven lawsuits filed against Amazon in the last four years by pregnant full-time employees for wrongful termination. CNET reviewed the suits and contacted the women's attorneys. Two didn't respond to requests for comment, while the others declined to speak because it'd risk violating their settlements with Amazon. Amazon denies any wrongdoing. "Amazon accommodates work restrictions for pregnant employees within our fulfillment centers; typically, these accommodations vary including based on the employee's particular needs," said a spokeswoman. Yet court records showed Amazon often ignored these requests from pregnant workers despite doctors' notes. When Cathleen Stewart, an Amazon worker in Pennsylvania, told her bosses she was pregnant in 2011, she had a doctor's note saying she needed to use the bathroom more often and, like Sargent, she shouldn't lift anything heavier than 20 pounds. After she was reassigned to a different department, a human resources manager made an off-hand comment to Stewart, disparaging her pregnancy and saying, "I'd like to go to the bathroom a lot, too," court documents said. In another meeting, after a late return from a bathroom break, an Amazon manager told Stewart, "being pregnant is no excuse for being late," according to her settled lawsuit. Trudy Martinez worked at the Amazon fulfillment center in Florence, New Jersey, and had the flu while pregnant in January 2017. Martinez visited the emergency room, where a doctor told her there were difficulties detecting her baby's heartbeat. She was advised to take three days off work to rest. According to the lawsuit, an Amazon human resources manager told her the company "does not accept doctor's notes" and fired her four days later. Brittany Hagman told her bosses she was pregnant in November 2016, offering a note saying she couldn't lift heavy objects or run up and down stairs. She found herself doing exactly that, and was fired two months later, after calling in sick because of a high fever. Hagman is now part of a broader class action suit against Amazon filed by both male and female employees, accusing the company of failing to pay due wages and providing lawfully required breaks during the day. "It is wrong for any employer no matter how large or small to discriminate against pregnant employees," said Gavin Kassel, an employment lawyer who represented four of the women in these pregnancy cases against Amazon. Amazon's track record Amazon is far from the only company to face scrutiny for alleged mistreatment of pregnant employees. While the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act forbids companies from discriminating against pregnant women in hiring, layoffs or job assignments, many major US companies, including Walmart and AT&T , have been accused of unfairly treating their pregnant employees. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2018 registered 2,790 pregnancy discrimination claims and since 2010 has averaged about 3,520 charges a year. In May 2018, two former AT&T workers sued the company in a federal class action lawsuit, alleging they were fired after missing work due to pregnancy-related medical care. The EEOC sued Walmart in September over pregnancy discrimination issues, claiming the retail giant violated federal law for refusing to accommodate workers' pregnancy restrictions. Walmart and AT&T didn't respond to a request for comment. Last May, the GMB union, which organized protests for Amazon warehouse workers in the UK, said it found in a survey a pregnant woman who was forced to stand for 10-hour shifts. "They are telling me to work hard even though they know I am pregnant. I am feeling depressed when I am at work," the woman told GMB, according to The Guardian. "It's been increasing," Yana Rodgers, faculty director of the Rutgers Center for Women and Work, said of EEOC pregnancy discrimination claims. "That being said, there are many women who don't file a lawsuit, because they can't afford a lawyer or they are afraid of retaliation." Amazon's reputation for poor treatment of warehouse workers goes beyond pregnancy cases. In April 2018, an undercover author and whistleblower found that Amazon workers in the UK developed a "toilet bottle" system because they worried about penalties over bathroom breaks. This February, a former Amazon worker in Kentucky sued the company, claiming he was fired for taking frequent trips to the bathroom. The worker said in his lawsuit that he suffered from the digestive disorder Crohn's disease and that the company discriminated against his disability. "That being said, there are many women who don't file a lawsuit, because they can't afford a lawyer or they are afraid of retaliation." Yana Rodgers, faculty director of the Rutgers Center for Women and Work After an Amazon warehouse worker in Staten Island raised concerns about poor working conditions, he was fired in February. Amazon said the worker was fired over a safety violation, not for speaking out against the company. Amazon has touted its "comprehensive benefits package," which includes up to 20 weeks of paid leave, disability insurance and health insurance. It also offers benefits called LeaveShare, which allows employees to share their paid leave with their spouse, and RampBack, which offers new moms several weeks of flexible reduced work hours. It has said it offers employees "a climate controlled, safe workplace" and has invited politicians who've criticized working conditions at its warehouses -- including US Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez -- to visit its facilities. Limited bathroom breaks Several key policies for Amazon workers were repeatedly cited in these lawsuits. The biggest issue is with Amazon's "Time Off Task" policy -- essentially time allowed for staffers to take regular breaks like going to the bathroom or to lunch. While an office worker might have the leisure to go to the bathroom as many times as needed, Amazon warehouse workers are only given a few minutes a day, details from lawsuits show. It's varied across different cases, but they average about 30 minutes a day for 10-hour shifts. There's no federal requirement for meal and rest breaks, but in California, where many of the women who filed the lawsuits worked, employees are mandated a 10-minute rest break every four hours. Amazon workers routinely have to plan when they use the bathroom, often choosing to just hold it rather than risk getting fired, Rosales said. But for pregnant workers like her, that wasn't an option. Workers say they don't have enough time to walk to the bathrooms in Amazon's massive warehouses, like this one in Massachusetts. Ben Fox Rubin/CNET She said she showed her managers a doctor's note that said she'd need to use the bathroom more frequently, but it was ignored. "I said, 'I'm telling you this because I'm going to have to use the bathroom more,' and she said, 'It's still against the rules,'" Rosales said. "We can't control our bladders. If we have to go, we have to go." Rosales said she had 30 minutes of "Time Off Tasks" for the day, which meant only three 10-minute bathroom breaks. It was a five-minute walk to and from the bathrooms in the massive warehouse where she worked, and she couldn't transfer to a part of the warehouse that was closer, she said. By the time she arrived at the bathroom, she would have seconds to use it before she had to rush back to her station, Rosales said. Every time she got back, her boss would confront her. "When I had to go to the restroom, she literally stayed in that spot and waited for me to come back so she could talk to me about it," Rosales said. "After that, I would just hold it towards the end of the day because I didn't want to get fired." Amazon workers also had to make "rate," a term that describes how productive they were. Going to the bathroom, having conversations and not meeting your packing quota for the day would lower your rate. For some, that meant having to pack 125 items an hour to meet Amazon's demands. Amazon would use rate figures to justify firing warehouse workers, lawsuits showed. Pregnant workers often found that their rate would drop, as they were making more trips to the bathroom, and also unable to lift heavy objects like they used to. Rosales was still meeting her daily requirements for Amazon, but managers took issue with her going to the restroom a lot more, she claims. She adds that Amazon was unwilling to make accommodations for her, like transferring her to a different department or allowing for longer breaks. When Amazon fired her, the company told her she had been taking too much time off, without acknowledging her pregnancy, she said. 'Amazon is not understanding' Rosales has seen some colleagues who were pregnant at Amazon warehouses and able to return without any issues. But unlike Rosales, and the many women who've sued Amazon, these colleagues often had managerial roles or supervisory positions. They weren't subject to timed bathroom breaks, and were not judged based on their "rate." Rosales said she didn't have that privilege, and would have liked to continue working at Amazon. Despite the long hours and short breaks, she didn't have any other issues working at the warehouse -- until she was expecting. She wishes that pregnant workers could get an hour of break time instead of the 30 minutes she had for 10 hours of work. She hasn't found a job since Amazon fired her in November. "Nothing was changed," she said. "Amazon never accommodated me. Amazon is not understanding." SUTTER COUNTY, Calif. (KCRA) Three people were killed and an 11-year-old girl was hospitalized after a driver plowed into a parked trailer where a family was sleeping near Knights Landing on Saturday night, the California Highway Patrol said. Ismael Huazo-Jardinez, 33, of Yuba City, is facing charges of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony driving under the influence of alcohol, the CHP said. Huazo-Jardinez was driving a Chevrolet Avalanche "at a high rate of speed" on Highway 113 when he failed to slow down for a curve north of Jennings Court just before 10 p.m. His truck left the road and crashed into the trailer that held the sleeping family, the CHP said. A 38-year-old man, a 34-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy were killed. The 11-year-old girl was flown to UC Davis Medical Center with major injuries. She was listed in critical condition as of Saturday afternoon. "If you add alcohol and speed, it's a recipe for disaster," said CHP spokesman David Hernandez. Landlord Frankie Gonsalves identified the family killed as the Pachecos. "Model family. Two very hardworking parents, farmworkers, well-behaved kids. They are, were, I would say, (among) my top five tenants here. Really good people, pay their rent on time," Gonsalves said. Neighbor John Cooney recalled Sunday how he came to the girl's aid after the crash. "She was trying to move, and I was trying to keep her calm," he said. Huazo-Jardinez was treated for moderate injuries before being booked into the Sutter County Jail. Neighbors said Sunday that there have been other crashes in the area and that they would like a guardrail, or some other form of protection, installed. "I hope they do something about this road. Put some kind of slowdown," said neighbor Jeff Jensen. A 28-year-old San Francisco man was identified as the person killed in a shooting last week in San Franciscos Mission District, authorities said. Jonathan Bello was shot Wednesday afternoon near the intersection of 22nd and Bartlett streets, officials said. Niklas Pohler case : Suspension of investigation shocks Niklas mother Bonn The brutal act caused consternation nationwide in 2016: The pupil Niklas Pohler was beaten up in Bad Godesberg and dies. Now the public prosecutor's office has closed the files. Mother Denise Pohler is stunned. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken For her, the fact that the investigations into the death of her son have been discontinued is a hard blow. "I am still in a state of shock," she said on GA request. Worse still: She learned about the decision of the public prosecutor's office from the media. This had been "so shortly before Niklas third anniversary of his death, again completely free of empathy. The fact that the murder of Niklas remains unpunished for the time being "is unimaginable for me as a mother, but also for most people," says Denise Pohler. "I often ask myself how I have survived this myself until now", but there are infinitely many people "out there" who support her and who would think of her. Justice and lawyers had not been much help in that terrible time. As the only reliable constant she names her pastor, the then Bad Godesberg pastor and today's Bonn city chancellor Wolfgang Picken. "I can only hope that one of the witnesses will break his silence," says Denise Pohler. And mentions the 14,000 Euro reward still offered. "It seems to me as if all this only happened yesterday. Everything is totally present." Public prosecutor's office stops investigations" The perpetrator could not be identified, because the entire environment is adamantly silent," said the Bonn Attorney General Robin Fabender at the request of the German Press Agency. 17-year-old Niklas was beaten to death in May 2016. "We still assume that many people know who did this, but nobody tells us," said Fabender. "In this case, however, we are dependent on the testimony of witnesses. If someday someone should decide to break his silence, the investigation would be resumed, said Fabender. The then 21-year-old Walid S. was accused of alleged perpetrators of assault and battery with fatal consequences. But the trial before the Bonn Regional Court ended with an acquittal for lack of evidence. Walid S. had always denied the accusations. The 23-year-old is known to the police. Among other things, he was suspected of having been involved in several fights. This was also the case during the night of 10 February at Bonn University's main building. A 26-year-old man was attacked so brutally that, according to the police, he had to be admitted to hospital with serious head injuries. A few days later, Walid S. was arrested and has been in custody ever since. The public prosecutor's office in Bonn obtained a warrant for the arrest of the 23-year-old man for dangerous bodily injury. The reason for his arrest: risk of recurring offenses. No statements from possible witnesses At the moment one sees no possibility to "make potential witnesses talk", Fabender said on GA inquiry. He did not want to say anything about the question of how investigators and the public prosecutor's office felt after the investigation had been discontinued. Only this much: It is a special case, one of those cases in which he always asks to only inquire about the emotions of the public prosecutor's office in a few years' time - namely "after my retirement. At the moment, unfortunately, there is only the official point of view. Niklas and his friends had come across a group of men after going to a concert in Bonn-Bad Godesberg. The 17-year-old received a blow to the temple and fell to the ground. Then he was kicked in the head. He died a few days later in hospital. The crime had caused concern nationwide. In the first trailer for Netflix's "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile," Hollywood heartthrob Zac Efron struts around as Ted Bundy, the infamous serial killer responsible for the sexual assaults and deaths of at least 30 women in the 1970s. Bundy is said to have been deceitfully charming, a notion the trailer seizes upon with abandon. Guitar riffs and splashy editing depict him as some sort of action hero, such that when Efron winks at the camera, it's unclear whether his Bundy is meant to dazzle or disarm. The trailer set off a wave of apprehension: Would "Extremely Wicked," directed by veteran documentarian Joe Berlinger, wind up glorifying Bundy? As if to quell fears, Efron said at the Sundance Film Festival in January when the film premiered that he felt a responsibility to make sure it wasn't a "celebration of Ted Bundy . . . But, definitely, a psychological study of who this person was." The second trailer, released last month, noticeably took on a more somber tone. Now that the film has hit Netflix, which picked it up at Sundance, we face a moment of truth. "Extremely Wicked" doesn't glorify Bundy, exactly, but it makes little effort to do the opposite. By primarily focusing on Bundy's charade instead of his psyche, as Efron suggested, Berlinger fails to properly reckon with the brutal crimes Bundy committed. It appears the apprehension was well founded. "Extremely Wicked" purports to tell Bundy's story through the eyes of Liz Kendall (Lily Collins), his longtime girlfriend and a single mother who met him in 1969 on a rare night out. Berlinger doesn't waste much time developing the early stages of their family dynamic and instead depicts the couple through Bundy's arrests, escapes from custody and courtroom visits in the years that follow. Liz attempts to believe in his innocence - "When I feel his love, I feel like I'm on top of the world," she reasons to a friend - until, after they break up, she descends into alcohol-fueled doldrums. Liz isn't the only woman on whom we witness Bundy work his tricks. In addition to the young girls who profess a love for Bundy outside of his televised trial in 1979, we encounter Carole Ann Boone (Kaya Scodelario), Bundy's former colleague who eventually marries him and gives birth to his daughter while he is on death row. Her first scene takes place at a dog pound where Liz and Bundy, still together at this point, swing by one afternoon. After an uncomfortable run-in, Liz steers Bundy away from Carole Ann and toward the dogs, one of which whimpers in fear at the sight of him. The scene oddly implies that the dog can sense Bundy's character more than the women in his life, which, if we are to believe in his trustworthy front, isn't really their fault. (Though this statement might apply to Liz more than Carole Ann, who begins a romantic relationship with Bundy after he has already been charged.) By leaving all but a single murder off screen, the first two acts of "Extremely Wicked" make the case that Liz, ostensibly the film's lens, is unaware of what Bundy does when he isn't by her side. Except Liz isn't entirely unaware of Bundy's crimes. The film's big twist reveals that she is the one who tipped off the cops early on because she noticed that the police sketch resembled her boyfriend. "Extremely Wicked" misses out on the opportunity to explore the origins of the doubts that cripple Liz for years, instead painting her as gullible until the very end. Paired with Bundy mocking the judicial system in courtroom scenes as sensationalized as the television coverage from that era, the heavy focus on Liz's denial contributes to an impression that his film marvels at the serial killer more than it interrogates his actions. When Bundy draws attention to corruption within the sheriff's department in Florida, it feels as though viewers are supposed to root for him over the prosecutors. It's understandable that Berlinger chose not to depict the murders, save for one sanitized scene, whether because of their horrific nature or because he wanted to tell the story from Liz's perspective. But in devoting so much screen time to Bundy's suaveness, "Extremely Wicked" risks downplaying his brutality - especially when it's a dashing Efron whom we see on screen. The film doesn't explicitly discuss Bundy's actions much - those who visit Bundy's Wikipedia page after watching might even be surprised to learn that he was also a necrophile - nor does it adequately acknowledge how harrowing this experience must have been for the victims and their loved ones. In the end, "Extremely Wicked" accomplishes its goal of leaving viewers with a pit in the bottom of their stomachs. But it's difficult to determine whether that's because of Bundy himself, or the depiction of him. Lest We Forget, a large-scale exhibition of 80 or so portraits of Holocaust survivors by Italian photographer Luigi Toscano, is in the Civic Center concourse, where I stopped one morning last week on my way to work. There wereceremonies scheduled at City Hall on Thursday, May 2, Holocaust Remembrance Day, but Id decided I didnt want to hear speeches or absorb anyone elses emotion. It was early in the day; no one else was around. Standing there alone, I felt foolish to find my eyes full of tears, and at the same time, particularly with statistics for hate crimes rising, so glad to have glimpsed those lined faces and to have had the opportunity to consider their lives. I took a few smartphone photos, not doing justice, of course, to the photographers skill. Many of the cards accompanying each portrait tell harrowing stories of surviving camps. Its a much more complicated tale, but German-born Robert Behr was 22 years old when he was assigned, at Theresienstadt, to help transport bodies for burial. Near the end of the war, volunteering to help build a new SS headquarters enabled him to survive. In 1947, he came to the United States, became a citizen and enlisted in the Army, which sent him back to Berlin to interrogate former Nazis. It was the card on another survivors portrait that struck me most. The woman, Anastasija Tschernikowa, was born in 1924 in a place of unknown origin, says her card. Then, Can hardly remember. Does not want to speak about the terrible experiences anymore. The exhibition on view until May 19 has been traveling around the world, and it was brought to San Francisco by the Goethe Institute and the German Consulate, with support from Barbro and Bernard Osher and the Consulates General of Israel and Italy. P.S. The night before, Id attended a screening of Ask Dr. Ruth, Ryan Whites documentary about sex expert Ruth Westheimer. She, too, was a Holocaust survivor, sent by her parents from Germany to Switzerland, so as to protect her during World War II. She was 10 years old when her mother put her on a train that was packed with other kids being rescued. She never saw either parent again. The good doctor, 91 years old, is indomitable. Press release heading that might be useful if you feel yourself tongue-tied at a cocktail party: Lets talk about hazelnuts. As to other conversations, aboard a flight to Boston, James Brzezinski and his seat mate discussed whether the Yiddish (by now Yinglish) word tchotchke (meaning ornamental object) was the origin of the word for the beer-opening tool, church key. (Id vote no.) Meanwhile, Michael Vogel says he keeps getting the same prerecorded telephone call: Hi, Im Grace, a hearing administrator on a recorded line. Can you hear me? Can anyone make sense of this? Oh, the heck with it, lets talk about hazelnuts. Adda Dada, who keeps track of the Facebook group San Francisco Remembered, said theres been discussion there of erecting a statue of the late twins, Marian and Vivian Brown, fashion plates of the Nob Hill/downtown areas. Teacher Anthony Barcellos notes that the asymmetric look is all the rage these days. ... It doesnt matter whether its your shirt or jacket or even pants. The side where you carry your smartphone sags from the weight of the device. Of course, I have to admit that many of my students cleverly avoid the asymmetric look by never putting their phones away. Youve probably been to a show where, during the curtain call, someone steps forward and asks members of the audience to contribute to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. At an annual Easter Bonnet contest, performed onstage, results of a fundraising competition among every Broadway show and touring company are announced. This year, And Peggy, the Hamilton company thats been performing in San Francisco, won the competition, having raised $513,734. This is $183,000 more than the amount raised by the Broadway version of Hamilton. Help is at hand for everyone, no matter what religion: Matt Regan has found a holy card on which is depicted San Judas Tadeo, who may be petitioned that the situation does not get worse. Well, thats something. Letter received from my periodontist (and friend) Kirk Pasquinelli last week: Im sad to see the column go, but I rejoice at all the additional time you will have for flossing. PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING What impressed me about him was he said, It was profoundly impressive, he didnt say awesome. Woman to companion, overheard on the 41-Union bus by Ken Maley Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, 415-777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik NEW YORK Michael Cohen took a last swipe at President Trump as he reported to a federal prison Monday to begin a three-year prison sentence for crimes including tax evasion and campaign finance violations related to hush-money payments made to protect his former boss. I hope that when I return to my family that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country, Cohen said. There still remains much to be told and I look forward to the day where I can share the truth. Cohen, 52, arrived around 11:45 a.m. at the Otisville federal prison, which is about 70 miles northwest of New York City. A little less than two hours earlier, as he left his New York City home, Cohen had stopped to briefly read from what appeared to be a prepared statement to a crush of media outside his apartment. He didnt mention Trump by name, but left little doubt about whom he was referring to as being at the helm of the U.S. Cohen didnt answer shouted questions, stumbling his way to a waiting Cadillac Escalade as journalists jostled around scaffolding and scuffled with his driver. Cohens lawyer and spokesman, Lanny Davis, said Cohen would continue to be available to cooperate with law enforcement, though its unclear how much his cooperation is wanted. Since mid-March, federal prosecutors in New York have rebuffed Cohens repeated offers to provide more information about alleged wrongdoing by Trump and other people in his orbit, Davis said. Michael may be sentenced within the walls of a federal correctional institution. But the truth has no walls, Davis said in a statement. His legal team asked House Democrats last month to intercede after Cohen testified on Capitol Hill, but they were reticent to do so. Cohen is the only person charged with a crime in connection with the hush-money payments to women who allegedly had affairs with Trump. Federal prosecutors have said Trump directed Cohen to arrange the payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 election. Trump denies having trysts with either woman. Cohen also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump Tower project in Moscow, as well as to charges of tax evasion and bank fraud. He was originally scheduled to start his sentence in March, but a judge granted a two-month delay so he could recover from surgery and get his affairs in order. Cohen will undergo medical and mental health screenings and be assigned a job, such as mowing the grounds or cleaning up the visiting room. Hell also get sets of clothing, bedding and towels. Michael R. Sisak and Jim Mustian are Associated Press writers. At the Munich Security Conference in February, the face of the Trump administration was Vice President Mike Pence, who urged long-standing U.S. allies to pull out of a denuclearization deal with Iran. When President Trump needed an emissary to describe his proposed tax overhaul in 2017, Pence was deployed to more than 50 events, meeting with small groups of business owners to promote the bills benefits. And as the president seeks to persuade farmers and manufacturers to get behind his revamped North American Free Trade Agreement, he will dispatch Pence to travel to the industrial Midwest to make the case to voters in moderate districts. More than halfway into Trumps term, he and Pence have developed what aides describe as a rhythm, in which the president lays out the broad contours of policy and then hands off to the vice president to make the granular sales pitch. The vice president is the comforter in chief, said Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group founded with money from the billionaire Koch brothers. He makes people feel better as he explains the administrations policies, even if you disagree with the policy. The Trump administration is often criticized for clumsy policy rollouts, with the president road-testing concepts publicly before they can be properly vetted or developed. Once aides have fleshed out a policy proposal, Trump tends to speak of it in the broadest of strokes. In a White House with a revolving door of top officials and a president focused on his own message, it is often left to Pence to try to clarify the administrations approach on key issues. That has created tense moments with congressional officials, like when the government shut down late last year. Pence made repeated trips to Capitol Hill and hosted lawmakers at the White House as they tried to find a solution to the impasse over the presidents demand for $5 billion for a border wall. Underscoring that Pence does not always help conceive policy before he makes the case for it, Trump publicly rejected a compromise to end the shutdown that Pence had floated to Democrats. The role Pence plays has been a comfort to Republicans, particularly those for whom policy is a vital aspect of conservatism. David McIntosh, president of the anti-tax group Club for Growth, said Pence had been crucial in persuading wavering House members to back Trumps push to repeal the health care law, even though the effort failed in the Senate. It goes back to during the campaign, McIntosh said of Pences ability to bring calm to policy-focused conservatives trying to make sense of an atypical Republican nominee. He said that he and other conservatives decided they could support the Republican ticket once Pence was chosen as Trumps running mate. Outside Republican circles, Pences ability to be the administrations spokesman has been more challenging. At the Munich conference, the assembled world leaders applauded Pence when he said the president was working to strengthen Americas military might and to strengthen the leadership of the free world. But he was greeted with stony, uncomfortable silence when he delivered another line: I bring greetings from the 45th president of the United States of America, President Donald Trump. Maggie Haberman is a New York Times reporter. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) A police chief scolded California lawmakers while honoring an officer whose slaying entered the national immigration debate last year. SEE ALSO: Tent camps for migrants erected at border entries Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson said Monday that policies coming from the Capitol are making things more difficult for officers, though he did not elaborate. His comments came as he praised Cpl. Ronil (row-neel) Singh, an immigrant from Fiji who was fatally shot after Christmas. Authorities say the gunman was in the country illegally and preparing to flee to Mexico. Singh had come to the United States legally. READ MORE: Border Patrol expanding biometric data on migrants President Donald Trump cited Singh's killing in calling for tougher border security. The shooting reignited a debate over California's sanctuary law that limits cooperation by local authorities and federal immigration authorities. Richardson's remarks came during a peace officers' memorial ceremony. Dublin, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Meningitis Vaccines Market" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global market of meningitis vaccine stood at USD 12,783.1 Million in 2018 and is expected to reach USD 27,522.5 Million by the end of 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 8.9% over the forecast period i.e. 2019-2027. The advancements in meningitis vaccine and growing healthcare sector globally is anticipated to further boost the demand for meningitis vaccine in future. Geographically, North America accounted for the largest market share of 41.2% in 2018 in the revenue of meningitis vaccine market globally. The market of North America region is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period on the back of rising demand for efficient disease preventive Vaccine across the region. Robust research and development are going on in healthcare sector to manufacture advanced and cost-effective meningitis Vaccine. The advanced meningitis vaccine further provides precise and accurate dosing with minimalist side effects to the vaccinated population. The adoption of advanced and high end Vaccine is rising in developing regions such as India, China, Japan and others. To gain a competitive edge, different manufacturers of medical equipment have come up with various new Vaccine to effectively aid in the prevention of meningitis. With USD 5,999.9 Million revenue by the end of 2027 in the global market, Asia-Pacific Meningitis Vaccine market is expected to showcase lucrative growth over the forecast period. This growth is primarily attributed on the back of increasing governing regulatory body initiatives in order to reduce the number of deaths caused to meningitis across the region. With the increasing focus of people on healthcare, the Asia-Pacific meningitis vaccine market is expected to witness rapid growth throughout the forecast period. Asia-Pacific market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.4% over the forecast period and expected to contribute a market share of 21.8% in global meningitis vaccine market. Additionally, favorable government initiatives to develop the healthcare infrastructure coupled with increasing healthcare expenditure across the globe is envisioned to bolster the growth of the meningitis Vaccine market robustly over the forecast period. Moreover, Europe is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% over the forecast period contributing a market share of 25.6% in the year 2027 in the global meningitis market. Some of the leading manufacturers in this market are Sanofi Pasteur, GSK, Pfizer, Merck and Essilor among others. Key Topics Covered 1. Introduction 1.1. Market Definition 1.2. Product Overview 1.3. Market Segmentation 1.4. Features by Popular Products Available 2. Assumptions and Acronyms 3. Research Methodology 4. Executive Summary - Global Meningitis Vaccine Market 5. Market Dynamics 5.1. Drivers 5.2. Restraints 5.3. Trends 5.4. Opportunities 6. Risk Analysis 6.1. Demand Risk 6.2. Supply Risk 7. Global Meningitis Vaccine Market Outlook 7.1. Market Size and Forecast, 2018-2027 7.1.1. By Value (USD Million) 7.1.1.1. Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2. Market Share and Forecast, 2018-2027 7.2.1. By Vaccine 7.2.1.1. Meningitis Vaccine Market Share (%), By Vaccine (2018, 2027F) 7.2.1.1.1. Meningococcal Vaccine, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.1.1.1.1. MenB, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.1.1.1.2. MenC, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.1.1.1.3. MenACWY, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.1.1.2. Pneumococcal vaccine, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.1.1.2.1. PCV, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.1.1.2.2. PPV, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.1.1.3. Hib, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.1.2. Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Vaccine 7.2.1.3. Market Contribution and BPS Analysis, 2018 & 2027, By Vaccine 7.2.2. By Composition 7.2.2.1. Meningitis Vaccine Market Share (%), By Composition (2018, 2027F) 7.2.2.1.1. Polysaccharide Vaccine, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.2.1.2. Conjugate Vaccine, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.2.1.3. Others, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.2.2. Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Composition 7.2.2.3. Market Contribution and BPS Analysis, 2018 & 2027, By Composition 7.2.3. By End User 7.2.3.1. Meningitis Vaccine Market Share (%), By End User (2018, 2027F) 7.2.3.1.1. Hospitals, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.3.1.2. Clinics, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.3.1.3. Ambulatory Surgical centers, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.3.1.4. Others, 2018-2027F (USD Million) & Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2019-2027 7.2.3.2. Market Attractiveness Analysis, By End User 7.2.3.3. Market Contribution and BPS Analysis, 2018 & 2027, By End User 7.2.4. By Region 7.2.4.1. Meningitis Vaccine Market Share (%), By Region (2018,2027F) 7.2.4.1.1. North America 7.2.4.1.2. Europe 7.2.4.1.3. Asia Pacific 7.2.4.1.4. Latin America 7.2.4.1.5. Middle East and Africa 8. North America Meningitis Vaccine Market Outlook 9. Europe Meningitis Vaccine Market Outlook 10. Asia Pacific Meningitis Vaccine Market Outlook 11. Latin America Meningitis Vaccine Market Outlook 12. Middle East and Africa Meningitis Vaccine Market Outlook 13. Competitive Landscape 13.1. Competitive Positioning of Major Players in Global Meningitis Vaccine Market 13.2. Company Profiles 13.2.1. GlaxoSmithKline plc 13.2.1.1. Company Overview 13.2.1.2. Business Strategy 13.2.1.2.1. Growth Expansion Strategy 13.2.1.2.2. Distribution Channel Strategy 13.2.1.2.3. Product Strategy 13.2.1.3. Key Product Offerings 13.2.1.4. Financial Performance 13.2.1.5. Key Performance Indicators 13.2.1.6. Risk Analysis 13.2.1.7. Recent Development 13.2.1.8. Regional Presence 13.2.1.9. SWOT Analysis 13.2.2. Pfizer Inc. 13.2.3. Sanofi Pasteur SA 13.2.4. Merck & Co., Inc. 13.2.5. Janssen 13.2.6. Panacea 13.2.7. Hualan Biological Engineering Inc. 13.2.8. Serum Institute of India Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/in8tz6 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Dublin, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Electrostatic discharge (ESD) Protection Devices - Global Market Outlook (2017-2026)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Electrostatic discharge (ESD) Protection Devices market accounted for $2712.10 million in 2017 and is expected to reach $4292.11 million by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period. A growing number of data centers, increasing usage of mobile devices and rising adoption of IoT are the boosting factors for market growth. However, factors such as competition among local vendors and design issues are hindering the market growth. An ESD protection device protects electrical equipment from electrostatic discharges.ESD protection devices channelize an electrostatic surge to the ground in order to protect the device. An ESD protection device is any component which can be damaged by common static charges which build up on people, tools, and other non-conductors or semiconductors. ESD Protection Devices are employed at all points where electrical devices are likely to come in contact with a person or an object. ESD is the transfer of energy between any two objects that are differently charged, which can otherwise be hazardous to the electronic device as well as the user. Based on End User, the Consumer Electronics segment held significant growth during the forecast period due to increasing smartphone penetration in developing economies and an increase in the purchase of smart wearables. Consumer electronics is a huge potential area for the Internet of Things (IoT) which fuels the demand for (ESD) Protection Devices. By geography, Asia Pacific holds the largest market share during the forecast period due to the growth of the manufacturing sector. What the report offers: Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments Strategic recommendations for the new entrants Market forecasts for a minimum of 9 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations) Strategic analysis: Drivers and Constraints, Product/Technology Analysis, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis etc. Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements Companies Mentioned ROHM Semiconductor Semtech Corporation Littelfuse, Inc. Texas Instruments Incorporated Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Infineon Technologies AG Nexperia ON Semiconductor Corporation Bourns, Inc. STMicroelectronics N.V. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rwpdzj About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. WINNEMUCCA, Nev., May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. (NYSE American: PZG) ("Paramount or the Company) announced today that the Company has received acceptance of the Noise Baseline Data Report (BDR) as complete from the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI). The purpose of the Noise BDR is to document the existing noise levels at several locations near the proposed Grassy Mountain Mine, along the access road and at a nearby campground prior to the commencement of mining operations. Paramount President and CEO, Glen Van Treek commented, We continue to have a positive working relationship with the DOGAMI. We are in the process of completing revisions to the Geochemistry, Groundwater, Cultural and Wildlife final BDRs. Our goal remains to file both the Consolidated Permit Application to the DOGAMI and the updated Plan of Operation with the Bureau of Land Management in mid-2019. Additionally, HDR Inc. who are contracted by the BLM to conduct the Environmental Impact Statement have initiated their review of the project including all completed baseline data reports in coordination with the DOGAMI. A summary of all baseline data reports for Grassy Mountain are as follows: 18 of the 23 baseline data reports have been reviewed and accepted by the Technical Review Team (TRT); 4 additional reports have been submitted and revisions are in progress, prior to acceptance by the TRT; The Mined Land Reclamation BDR, the final report, will be filed with the Consolidated Permit Application. To stay informed of future press releases, subscribe to our E-Alerts Program and to learn more about our projects visit the projects section of our website . About Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. Paramount Gold Nevada is a U.S. based precious metals exploration and development company. Paramounts strategy is to create shareholder value through exploring and developing its mineral properties and to realize this value for its shareholders in three ways: by selling its assets to established producers; entering into joint ventures with producers for construction and operation; or constructing and operating mines for its own account. Paramount owns 100% of the Grassy Mountain Gold Project which consists of approximately 11,000 acres located on private and BLM land in Malheur County, Oregon. The Grassy Mountain Gold Project contains a gold-silver deposit (100% located on private land) for which results of a positive PFS have been released and key permitting milestones accomplished (see press release dated May 24, 2018). Additionally, Paramount owns a 100% interest in the Sleeper Gold Project located in Northern Nevada. The Sleeper Gold Project, which includes the former producing Sleeper mine, totals 2,322 unpatented mining claims (approximately 60 square miles or 15,500 hectares). Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements This release and related documents may include "forward-looking statements" and forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements) pursuant to applicable United States and Canadian securities laws. Paramounts future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or prospects constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable securities laws. Words such as "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although these words may not be present in all forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements included in this news release include, without limitation, statements with respect to: production estimates and assumptions, including production rate and grade per tonne; revenue, cash flow and cost estimates and assumptions; statements with respect to future events or future performance; anticipated exploration, development, permitting and other activities on the Grassy Mountain project; the economics of the Grassy Mountain project, including the potential for improving project economics and finding more ore to extend mine life; and mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analyses and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Management believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: the conclusions made in the PFS; the quantity and grade of resources included in resource estimates; the accuracy and achievability of projections included in the PFS; Paramounts ability to carry on exploration and development activities, including construction; the timely receipt of required approvals and permits; the price of silver, gold and other metals; prices for key mining supplies, including labor costs and consumables, remaining consistent with current expectations; work meeting expectations and being consistent with estimates and plant, equipment and processes operating as anticipated. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: uncertainties involving interpretation of drilling results; environmental matters; the ability to obtain required permitting; equipment breakdown or disruptions; additional financing requirements; the completion of a definitive feasibility study for the Grassy Mountain project; discrepancies between actual and estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources, between actual and estimated development and operating costs and between estimated and actual production; and the other factors described in Paramounts disclosures as filed with the SEC and the Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta Securities Commissions. Except as required by applicable law, Paramount disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this document. Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. Glen Van Treek, President, CEO and Director Christos Theodossiou, Director of Corporate Communications 866-481-2233 Twitter: @ParamountNV DUBLIN (BCN) Alameda County Fire Department firefighters will be taking live fire training Monday at Camp Parks in Dublin, near the intersection of Dougherty Road and Scarlett Drive, and smoke from that training may be visible throughout the day, according to fire officials. The training is scheduled to run from approximately 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Anyone in that area Monday who sees smoke and isn't sure where it's coming from should call 911. 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. Portland, OR, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global Bone Grafts and Substitutes Market was valued at $2.69 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $3.91 billion by 2025, registering the CAGR of 4.8% during the period, 2018-2025. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the top winning strategies, industry dynamics, market size & estimations, key market segments, and competitive landscape. Request Report Sample at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1774 Factors such as rapid growth of novel bone grafts materials such as biocompatible synthetic bone grafts and rise in prevalence of bone and joint disorders boost the growth of the global market. However, high cost of surgeries and several ethical issues associated with bone grafting procedures act as impediments for the market growth. On the other hand, increasing inclination of key market players toward R&D activities and surge in demand for orthopedic procedures among geriatric population are likely to create lucrative opportunities for the market growth. The cell-based matrices segment is likely to grow at the fastest CAGR of 6.1% through 2025. This is because they offer better reproducibility and cost-effectiveness than other product types available in the market. However, the bone grafts substitutes segment would dominate the market through 2025, capturing more than half of the total market revenue during the study period. Among applications, the spinal fusion segment dominated the global market in 2017 and is likely to grab the largest market share through 2025. Nevertheless, the joint reconstruction segment would witness the fastest CAGR of 6.2% through 2025. This is due to growing demand for joint reconstruction among patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and other joint disorders. Among regions, the market in North America contributed over half of the market share. This is due to favorable reimbursement rates and rise in the incidence of orthopedic disorders. Nonetheless, Asia-Pacific would grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.3% during the study period. The report also analyzes other regions such as Europe and Latin America, Middle East and Africa (LAMEA). Do Purchase Enquiry at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/1774 A detailed analysis of the major players in the bone grafts and substitutes market is offered in the report. The players listed include Medtronic plc, DePuy Synthes, Wright Medical Group N.V., Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc. (Bacterin), Baxter International Inc., Stryker Corporation, Integra Lifesciences Holdings Corporation, Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., Arthrex, Inc., and Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation (MTF). About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business -consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) San Francisco's new fire chief, Jeanine Nicholson, was sworn in on Monday by Mayor London Breed. Nicholson, a 25-year veteran of the fire department, is the first openly LGBT person to hold the department's top position. She is also the second woman to serve as fire chief after the retirement of her predecessor, Joanne Hayes-White. "I am honored and humbled to have been chosen by Mayor Breed for this role and I am excited to serve the city in this new capacity," said Nicholson in a statement. "I look forward to ensuring that our department remains prepared to respond to any emergencies facing the city, and to working proactively with other city departments help our homeless population get the care they need." Mayor Breed said the city was "in good hands" with Nicholson leading the fire department. "Yes, she has made history, and will continue to be a role model for so many women, for so many brothers and sisters in our LGBT community." Nicholson has held positions in the fire department including deputy chief of administration, firefighter, paramedic, lieutenant, captain and a battalion chief. During her career, Nicholson has survived second-degree burns at 2009 arson fire, which injured five other firefighters, as well as breast cancer. She has since become a proponent of efforts to prevent cancer among firefighters. "Firefighters nationwide get cancer in higher rates than the general population," Nicholson said at the ceremony. "We understand that we signed up for a dangerous job. We love our jobs. It's just that now, we are more likely to die from cancer than anything else." "We will continue to work to provide the best service we possibly can," said Nicholson. "We will continue the mission of the San Francisco Fire Department, and to work towards the priorities of this mayoral administration." Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. OAKLAND (BCN) A judge on Monday scheduled a trial to begin July 29 on the mental competency of a transient who's charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Nia Wilson at the MacArthur BART station in Oakland last July. At a brief hearing, Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Cramer also turned over some of John Lee Cowell's psychiatric records to the prosecution. The prosecution wants its expert, Dr. Jason Roof, to be able to review the records before he examines John Lee Cowell, 28, for three to four hours on May 30 at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where Cowell is being held without bail for the stabbing at the MacArthur station at about 9:36 p.m. on July 22. At Cowell's previous hearing on April 24 Cramer ordered Cowell to cooperate with the examination by Ruth, who is an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of California Davis Medical Center and has been qualified as an expert witness and testified about mental disorders, sanity and competence to stand trial. Cramer suspended the criminal proceedings against Cowell on Dec. 27, saying there is "substantial evidence" that he's mentally incompetent to stand trial. Cramer appointed two psychiatrists to examine Cowell and submit reports to the court on their findings about his mental competence but their conclusions differed. One expert said he believes Cowell is incompetent to stand trial but the other expert said he was unable to arrive at a conclusion about Cowell's competency. Although Cramer is allowing Ruth to examine Cowell and review his psychiatric records, he said anything that Cowell says to the psychiatrist can only be used at his competency trial and can't be used at a potential criminal trial if he ultimately is found to be competent. Cowell is charged with murder and attempted murder for allegedly stabbing Wilson and her sister, 26-year-old Letifah Wilson, as well as a special circumstance allegation that he killed Wilson while lying in wait, an allegation that could result in the death penalty or life in prison without parole if he's convicted. Cowell is scheduled to return to court on Friday for a hearing on a motion by his lawyers to bar Roof from conducting one of the tests he wants to perform on Cowell. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is opening its recently remodeled Oakland temple for a media tour on Monday morning for the first time in its 55-year history, according to church officials. The tour is for working news media only. Media won't be allowed to take photos of the interior due to the temple's sacredness, per church officials, but will provide high-resolution multimedia of the interior after a 10 a.m. news conference. Photos of the interior of the church will be available at http://www.newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. The temple is located at 4770 Lincoln Ave., Oakland. A 19-year-old Oakland man was in jail Sunday night in San Luis Obispo County, facing an attempted murder charge after six people were hospitalized - five with gunshot wounds - following a skirmish on Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area about 10 miles south of San Luis Obispo, law enforcement officials said. Francisco Orozco was arrested early Sunday morning after San Luis Obispo Sheriff's deputies interviewed people part of a "large gathering" at Oceano Dunes following the shootings, said Grace Norris, a spokeswoman for the San Luis Obispo sheriff. Norris said it wasn't clear what prompted the shootings, and that sheriff's detectives were still working Sunday night to answer that and other questions. As of Sunday night, Orozco faced just one count of suspicion of attempted murder, and remained in jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. It was unclear when his arraignment will take place. Fights involving as many as 70 people in parking lots of the Sunvalley Shopping Center and an adjacent grocery store Saturday night drew response from police in Concord and Pleasant Hill, as well as Contra Costa County Sheriff's Deputies. One police officer and a mall security officer were treated at the scene for exposure to pepper spray but were not seriously hurt, said Concord police Cpl. Mike Jaime. Police were called to the mall parking lot at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday on a report of at least 30 juveniles fighting. Police arrived to find as many as 70 people in the parking lot in front of the mall itself, between Interstate Highway 680 and Contra Costa Boulevard in Concord, and the nearby Safeway store north of the mall, just over the Pleasant Hill city line. No arrests were made, Jaime said, as the crowd dispersed pretty quickly after police and sheriff's deputies arrived. No one other than the two officers was treated for any injuries. A 48-year-old man was killed Sunday evening in a solo motorcycle crash on East 18th Street near Terrace Drive near Lake Alhambra, Antioch police said. The accident was reported about 5:25 p.m. Antioch officers found an extensively damaged motorcycle on the sidewalk, the driver having been ejected. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Preliminary investigation indicates excessive speed as the most likely cause of the accident, police said. His name and city of residence were not being released Sunday night. The National Park Service, in cooperation with the Presidio Trust and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, will hold an open house June 1 to field feedback, comment and ideas for how to improve Crissy Field in San Francisco and make it more useable and useful to the greater community. This open house is the next event in an ongoing effort to gather input about what improvements and activities park users most want to see at this onetime military airstrip. More than 600 people gathered there in October 2018 for Crissy Field Day, both to celebrate the park and to offer ideas as to what improvements or changes people want over the next several years. The open house will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that Saturday at East Beach. Two people were injured Saturday morning when a tree fell on them at Marina Park in San Leandro during a fundraising walk event, the Alameda County Fire Department said. Firefighters were called about 9:52 a.m. to the park, where a 40-foot-tall cottonwood tree had fallen on two adults taking part in the 2019 FESCO Shuffle, a fundraising walk to benefit the Family Emergency Shelter Coalition, or FESCO, an agency that works to help the homeless by providing and linking to various social services. The two people injured were taken to a local hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to an Alameda County Fire Department social media post. It wasn't known why the tree fell, though many trees around the Bay Area have toppled this spring after heavier than usual rains this winter. Two runways at Watsonville Municipal Airport will be closed for construction from Thursday through May 15, and travelers are asked to make alternative plans. The construction effort will repair linear fissures and cracks in the tarmac, as well as upgrade lighting for arriving and departing flights. The primary 4,501-foot runway and the crosswind 3,998-foot runway intersect, so both paths will be closed for the repairs. Airport officials said the last time the runways were fully repaved was in 1986, and a 2013 review showed significant signs of aging. The Federal Aviation Administration awarded a $1.2 million grant to improve the airport last August. Neighbors have been notified of the construction project, which will run 24 hours each day. 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. BERKELEY (BCN) A pedestrian was seriously injured Sunday evening after being struck by a vehicle in Berkeley, police said. The accident, at the intersection of Sacramento and Oregon streets, was reported at 5:56 p.m., said Berkeley police Lt. Dave Lindenau. The victim was taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland with what Lindenau described as serious injuries. The driver stopped and is cooperating with police, who were still at the scene investigating as of 8:45 p.m. Sunday. No other information was immediately available Sunday night. 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 FRANCISCO (BCN) Police are warning residents to be on the alert for calls from scammers, sometimes using caller ID spoofing to display the San Francisco Police Department's number or other official-looking number, demanding payment for a outstanding warrant or other fine. Authorities urge residents to be suspicious of strangers calling for money to pay fines, which is not the official procedure. Anyone who receives such a call should hang up and not engage the caller. And never give out personal information, police said. Anyone who has received such a call and provided either personal identification information (such Social Security or driver's license numbers) or given payment should file a police report. 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. A 51-year-old man killed in a pileup involving a tour bus that closed U.S. Highway 101 in Brisbane for nearly eight hours Saturday morning has been identified as Kenneth Dwayne Bishop, according to the San Mateo County coroner's office. The crash was reported around 12:45 a.m. Saturday, just south of Sierra Point Parkway in Brisbane. The fatal crash involved at least four vehicles, including a charter bus carrying a famed choir known as the Aeolians of Oakwood University. The bus was operated by Peninsula Tours, and carrying 18 passengers at the time. Several of them suffered minor injuries, but the choir still managed to perform a free concert Sunday evening at the Third Street Baptist Church of San Francisco. The Oakwood choir was founded by the late Eva B. Dykes in 1946 at a historically black university in Huntsville Alabama. It's known for a wide range of performance styles from Negro spirituals to contemporary gospel. Bishop, a San Mateo resident, was in one of the other vehicles involved in the crash. Officials with the California Highway Patrol were not immediately available to provide additional information about the cause of the crash. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The show was set to go on Sunday in San Francisco for members of a famed choir who escaped serious injury when their bus was involved in a fatal crash a day earlier in San Mateo. The Aeolians of Oakwood University choir will perform the free concert as scheduled at 5 p.m. Sunday at Third Baptist Church, 1399 McAllister St., tour organizers announced. Several members of the choir suffered minor injuries in the crash involving four vehicles at 12:43 a.m. Saturday on U.S. Highway 101 just south of Sierra Point in Brisbane in San Mateo County. The fatal crash victim was a driver or passenger of one of the four vehicles involved in the crash, according to the California Highway Patrol. The cause of the crash is under investigation. There were 18 passengers on the bus operated by Peninsula Tours, according to the CHP. "The choir, which was fortunate to escape serious injury in the fatal car crash, lost all of its belongings and clothes in the resulting fire that destroyed their bus and their possessions," according to a news release. The award-winning choir was organized in 1946 at Oakwood, a historically black Seventh-day Adventist institution of higher learning in Huntsville, Alabama, by the late Dr. Eva B. Dykes. The California Highway Patrol is seeking witnesses to a collision late Saturday night between a black Dodge Charger and a silver Honda Civic on Interstate Highway 80 in San Pablo that resulted in gunfire left a man injured. Units from the Oakland Area CHP responded to calls about 11:20 p.m. about the collision near the San Pablo Dam Road overpass and a possibly related pedestrian walking west in the eastbound lanes. An officer found a man "lying on top of the concrete center divider," the agency said in a post on its Facebook account, "who was injured as a result of being struck by one or more vehicles." The injured man, identified as a Hayward resident, told officers "he had been chased by another vehicle while he was driving his black Dodge Charger" and that "both vehicles were traveling on I-80 eastbound and were traveling recklessly, in and out of traffic." The man said his car collided with the Honda at the San Pablo Dam Road overpass and that he drove another quarter-mile eastbound before getting out of the car and walking westbound. He said the driver of the Honda got out and fired three to four shots, with one or two striking him in the leg. The injured man was hospitalized and is expected to make a full recovery, the agency said. 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. 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. Santa Clara County officials say people who visited a Milpitas shooting range and/or a nearby 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. Berkeley city officials are trying to stem what has become an annual ritual of University of California at Berkeley students moving out at the end of the semester and leaving unwanted furniture and other items at curbside. An appeal is being made to tenants and landlords to properly discard of items no longer needed. "Dumping mattresses and other items on the sidewalk doesn't lead to re-use," the city said in an advisory. "It creates a mess." Tenants should use a building's trash bin. If those are full, properties with one to four units can schedule a free bulk waste pickup. Another option is purchasing City of Berkeley prepaid trash bags that can be left at the curb for pickup by the city's Zero Waste Division. Pre-paid bags, bulk waste pickup or scheduling of a short-term Dumpster or extra pickup are available by calling 311 or (510) 981-2489. Items left at curbside in garbage bags will not be collected. The city advises planning ahead. "Don't wait until the last minute and then throw everything in the garbage or our streets," it said in the advisory. Items can also be taken directly to the city Transfer Station at 1201 Second St. 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. A wrong-way driver was killed when he collided with a vehicle on Interstate Highway 505 north of Vacaville late Sunday night, the California Highway Patrol said. The male driver of a 2009 Toyota Camry was traveling south on I-505 in the No. 1 northbound lane south of Allendale Road around 11 p.m. when he struck a 2008 Honda Civic head-on the No. 1 northbound lane, the CHP said. Two Vacaville residents in the Honda suffered major injuries and were taken to Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center, the CHP said. The Toyota driver died at the scene, and alcohol and, or drugs are suspected as a contributing factor in the fatal collision, the CHP said. The Solano County coroner's office has not identified the Toyota driver. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. OAKLAND (BCN) Wells Fargo will be giving a $2 million grant to Oakland-based small business lender on Monday morning, according to bank officials. The donation to Main Street Launch, described as a Community Development Financial Institution - will be announced at a 9 a.m. news conference at a small business in Oakland - McMullen Boutique - at 2257 Broadway in Oakland. Sherri McMullen, the boutique owner, will speak about the importance of small business loans, and her experience as a Main Street Launch Client. "An investment in a small business, like McMullen, is an investment in someone's dream and in the growth of the local economy," she said in a statement. 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. Manila (CNN Philippines Life) I still remember in 2008 when we found out that Anthony Bourdain was coming to Manila for the first time. There was a hum around the city, our culinary glitterati sent into a tailspin. Where will he eat? Will he like the food? He definitely has to try lechon. Can you imagine Tony eating isaw? We can call him Tito Tony! Will he be too mean? Will he be mean enough? It was something of an event, the arrival of the food worlds preeminent chef, the spotlight shone on what is arguably a forgotten food city, the prodigal child of Southeast Asia. The patron saint of food television was finally on his way to lay his blessed, calloused feet on our parched soil, giving our ulam and merienda his benediction. Christ was coming and we werent ready. What were we getting ready for exactly, though? Was it the global spotlight that Filipinos crave so much, which Bourdain would undoubtedly bring with him? Did we want a mere glimpse of representation, the kind of attention the pale-skinned, rosy-cheeked domestic goddesses and barefoot contessas of the Food Network received on a regular basis? Or did we seek approval from our taskmasters? Were we so unsure of the inherent joys of our food complex and wrought with history that we needed to hear those sitting on their handsome mid-century furniture sing the praises of adobo, lumpia, and pancit themselves? The answers, as is always the case with this sort of thing, are rather complicated. Historically speaking, we dont have to look too far down to understand exactly why the Western gaze and the Filipino consciousness are so deeply entwined. Centuries of colonization by Caucasian forces have left an indelible mark on the Filipino psyche, and even the most radicalized of us cannot immediately cut the cord between themselves and the monolith that is the Western (see: American) media machine. There is no denying that American media is almost Filipino in the way that it persists in local conversation. Such is also true, funnily enough, with the way we eat. Beloved food historian Doreen Fernandez wrote in her book Palayok: Philippine Food Through Time, on Site, in The Pot that contemporary Filipino food is so profoundly influenced by America, that if you cross your eyes it may seem impossible to see a difference between the two. It is no wonder, therefore, she writes, that if one watches T.V. today and reads the advertisements in the newspapers and magazines, one might conclude that all Philippine food is American: hamburgers, fried chicken, steak, sandwiches, junk food, fast food. The Filipino eater, it seems, is almost as much American as they are of this land, which explains exactly why we crave for our food to be seen beyond our borders, for it to be deemed delicious and understood by those who are oceans away from us. This explains the amount of online vitriol aimed by Filipino twitter users towards Cornell University political science instructor Tom Pepinsky when he objectively ranked Southeast Asias many cuisines in a tweet, placing Filipino food last, followed up by Jakarta-based feminist activist Kate Waltons bold refrain that Filipino food is the worst. Both users are white foreigners who have travelled throughout the region. They are familiar with the food they speak of but they are ultimately outsiders. They can be considered a symptom of a wider sentiment of white Westerners viewing the food of the other (in this case, Southeast Asians) as something that is meant to be discovered and therefore exoticized while altogether ignoring the respective food cultures long histories and complex relationships with their eaters. What just so happened to get caught in the crossfire was Filipino food. When compared to other Southeast Asian cuisines, Filipino food with its lack of spice, use of unorthodox ingredients such as offal, and focus on sourness and linamnam may be deemed by these outsiders as not exotic enough to be worth their interest, as being both too alien and too bland. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I must admit, there is a certain thrill to having dishes you grew up with described with such beauty and adoration by some of the best American food writers. When Jonathan Gold, the legendary LA Times food critic and as close to a food writing god as you can get, describes the arroz caldo at Los Angeles Sari Sari Store as rice seethed into a loose, hot porridge, fragrant with ginger and fried garlic, thick with chewy mushrooms and little cubes of pork, you cant help but take notice. But, it is key to remember that while Western staples like fried chicken and spaghetti dominate here, they are, in their DNA coated thick in banana ketchup and shreds of cheddar cheese still very much our own and, more importantly, not anyone elses. While food is inherently joyous and is meant to be shared with an open hand, it is also important to note that the joy and pride that we take when we speak the language of our food must not hinge on those who were not meant to understand it. On the contrary, we must grab the intangible heritage of our cuisine and see that its beauty can be found in its unique capacity to tell the story of our struggles and how exactly we as a people rose up to overcome them. In that vein, Eddy Alegre in his book Sarap: Essays on Philippine Food says that eating is language that speaks of the nuances of what we are. Eating is making alive the various and variegated conjugations of our lives. Strangely enough, in a twist of fate, Bourdain chosen one, the rarest of tourists unlike all others, a perpetual foreigner who was always aware of his white privilege, and a genuine lover of all things deeply delicious wherever they are from might have put into words exactly what few outsiders could only dream of understanding about Filipino food. During one of his final visits to Manila, eating at of all places Jollibee, he called the almost cloyingly sweet spaghetti deranged, yet strangely alluring. And in that moment, he captured the spirit of what makes Filipino food our food so glorious. New York, NY, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Richard J. Miller, Jr. and Sean R. Weissbart have joined the Firm as Partners, along with additional professional staff, in its Tax, Benefits, and Private Client group. They are based in the Firms New York office, which relocated last week to 1271 Avenue of the Americas after 40 years in the Chrysler Building. The group joins from one of New Yorks oldest law firms, Morris & McVeigh LLP, where Rich previously served as managing partner. Morris & McVeigh, which will wind down, was formed in 1862 under the name of Henry Lewis Morris. Originally, the firm was primarily engaged in managing the real estate interests of the Morris family, which owned large portions of Morrisania, and it also represented prominent New York families. It gradually enlarged its practice through the years, offering comprehensive legal services to individual and corporate clients, both foreign and domestic, and various nonprofit organizations and foundations. Rich and Sean bring extensive experience in estate planning services, including probate and estate administration; trust administration; estate and trust litigation; nonprofit matters; matrimonial matters; and domestic and cross-border income, estate, and gift taxation. We are thrilled to welcome Rich, Sean, and the team to our Firm, said Grant S. Palmer, Blank Romes Managing Partner and CEO. They have built strong reputations as respected trusts and estates attorneys who clients turn to again and again. Rich and Sean bring tremendous depth to our team, and their arrival continues our substantial growth across our Firms offices and practices in 2019. For years, Rich and Sean have been providing meticulous and tailored advice to clients in need of sophisticated tax and legal counsel, stated Joseph T. Gulant, Co-Chair of Blank Romes Business Department. Together, they bring valuable experience to not only our Tax, Benefits, and Private Client group, but also to our Business Department as a whole, offering tremendous legal talent across numerous growing practice areas. Rich and Sean are a terrific addition to our national trusts and estates team, added Lawrence S. Chane, Co-Chair of Blank Romes Tax, Benefits, and Private Client group, and head of the Firms Private Client team. Their combined, extensive experience will further enhance our teams top-tier counsel to clients on all aspects of estate planning, including business planning, estate and trust administration, and tax litigation, and allow us to further expand on our well-established service offerings and capabilities. Rich focuses his practice on trusts and estates planning, tax, and the administration, litigation, and representation of cultural institutions. His practice encompasses all matters of sophisticated wealth transfer tax planning and administration for individuals, families, and organizations. In addition to his practice, Rich is active in the legal community, frequently lecturing on tax and estate-related matters. He is a member of numerous bar associations and committees, including the Surrogates Court Advisory Committee, and has been an adjunct professor of law at Albany Law School as well as a member of the Judicial Screening Committee for the Third Department. He is also a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a nonprofit association of trusts and estates lawyers peer-elected to membership based upon contributions to the field of trusts and estates law. Outside of his legal work, Rich is the President of the Metropolitan Opera Guild and an Advisory Director of the Metropolitan Opera. He also serves on numerous volunteer boards and organizations, including the Bagby Foundation for the Musical Arts, Inc., and the International Festival of Aix-en-Provence, and is a former Board Member of the Emma Willard School and the American Associates of the Royal Academy. In 1998, Rich was appointed Chairman of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Corporation by Governor Pataki, and is a former Commissioner of the New York State Canal Recreationway Commission. Blank Rome has an extraordinary reputation, particularly in areas that will be of tremendous benefit to our clients, like matrimonial and family law, tax, and white collar defense, said Rich. In addition, it is exciting to see the Firms ongoing strategic expansion in New York and across the country. This growing national platform and deep bench of accomplished attorneys from coast to coast will help us expand our practices in significant ways. Sean practices in the areas of trusts and estates and tax-exempt organizations, with a focus on domestic and international estate planning, the administration of trusts and estates, and representation of beneficiaries and fiduciaries in contested matters in Surrogate's Court. He counsels tax-exempt organizations on matters ranging from formation and obtaining of tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service to complying with state and federal tax-exemption laws and the avoidance of excise taxes and the unrelated business income tax. He has also litigated against the Internal Revenue Service in the United States Court of Federal Claims. Sean is also an adjunct professor of law at both New York University School of Law, where he teaches Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates, and Fordham University School of Law, where he teaches Trusts and Estates Drafting. Additionally, he is a regular faculty member of major trusts and estates conferences, including the Hawaii Tax Institute, the New York State Bar Associations Spring and Fall Meetings, and the Notre Dame Tax and Estate Planning Institute. Sean publishes scholarly and practice-driven articles in leading journals, and is slated to co-author a law school textbook on Subchapter J of the Internal Revenue Code. He serves on the boards of various philanthropic organizations, including as General Counsel to the Ment'or BKB Foundation, an organization that sponsors the American team at the Bocuse d'Or (a biannual culinary competition in France), and as Chair of the NextGen Trusts and Estates Committee of the UJA Federation of New York. Sean has been awarded the "Justice Award" by MFY Legal Services for his contributions to pro bono legal services in New York City. Since January 1, 2019, Blank Romes New York office has added Mitchell M. Brand and Harris J. Diamond as partners in the Finance, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy group; Michael Peskowitz and Lauren Scarantino as partners and Michael Denci as an associate in the Real Estate group; Jeffrey Cohen as a partner in the Corporate group; Mara Levin as a partner in the Labor and Employment group; and Rachel Cohn as an associate in the Corporate Litigation group. About Blank Rome LLPBlank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 13 offices and more than 600 attorneys and principals who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries, and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. Since our inception in 1946, Blank Romes culture has been dedicated to providing top-level service to all of our clients, and has been rooted in the strength of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, please visit blankrome.com. ### Attachments TORONTO, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE: MUX) (TSX: MUX) is pleased to announce two new management appointments. Meri Verli, PhD, CA, CPA, will be joining as the new Chief Financial Officer, replacing Andrew Elinesky who is departing the Company effective today; and Jack Henris will be joining as General Manager for Nevada effective today. Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner, commented: Im pleased to welcome these two experienced and accomplished individuals to the team at McEwen Mining. We are moving forward with a strong management team, who is focused on operational excellence. Meri Verli Meri has extensive experience as a senior financial executive, having held several management roles in the gold mining sector, including most recently as the CFO of PPX Mining Corp since October 2017, Senior VP Finance and Treasury at Kirkland Lake Gold until July 2017 and VP Finance at Lake Shore Gold for 9 years. At Kirkland Lake Gold, Meri was part of the team that executed the transformational merger between Kirkland and Newmarket Gold creating a new +500,000 ounce per year gold producer in 2017. During her tenure at Kirkland Lake, Meri was instrumental in integrating the finance and treasury teams, policies and practices for the various acquired entities. Meri was VP Finance at Lake Shore Gold until September 2016, where she provided senior financial planning and analysis support. She played a key role in cost reduction initiatives and in building the finance department and policies as Lake Shore Gold transitioned from a junior exploration company to a commercial gold producer with more than 600 employees and contractors. Meri is a Chartered Professional Accountant, holds a PhD in Economic Sciences, a Bachelor of Geology and Engineering and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Tirana, Albania. Jack Henris Jack is a senior executive with deep hands-on experience in the mining industry. He has a successful track record of driving cost reduction, increased production and safety improvement. Jack brings over 30 years of experience, most recently as the Vice President of Mining and Geotechnical for Goldcorp. He has extensive experience in Nevada having worked at Newmont for 12 years and Barrick for 9 years. Prior to joining Goldcorp from 2013 to 2017, Jack held the position of General Manager at two large Newmont operations in Nevada, the Carlin Operation and Cripple Creek. Jack holds a BSc in Geological Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. ABOUT MCEWEN MINING McEwen has the goal to qualify for inclusion in the S&P 500 Index by creating a profitable gold and silver producer focused in the Americas. McEwen's principal assets consist of: the San Jose mine in Santa Cruz, Argentina (49% interest); the Black Fox mine in Timmins, Canada; the Fenix Project in Mexico; the Gold Bar mine in Nevada; and the large Los Azules copper project in Argentina, advancing towards development. McEwen has approximately 360 million shares outstanding. Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner, owns 22% of the shares. CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, including "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements and information expressed, as at the date of this news release, McEwen Mining Inc.'s (the "Company") estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to future events and results. Forward-looking statements and information are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies, and there can be no assurance that such statements and information will prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and information. Risks and uncertainties that could cause results or future events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, factors associated with fluctuations in the market price of precious metals, mining industry risks, political, economic, social and security risks associated with foreign operations, the ability of the corporation to receive or receive in a timely manner permits or other approvals required in connection with operations, risks associated with the construction of mining operations and commencement of production and the projected costs thereof, risks related to litigation, the state of the capital markets, environmental risks and hazards, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral resources and reserves, and other risks. The Companys dividend policy will be reviewed periodically by the Board of Directors and is subject to change based on certain factors such as the capital needs of the Company and its future operating results. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information included herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. See McEwen Mining's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the caption "Risk Factors", for additional information on risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the forward-looking statements and information regarding the Company. All forward-looking statements and information made in this news release are qualified by this cautionary statement. The NYSE and TSX have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release, which has been prepared by management of McEwen Mining Inc. PERTH, Western Australia, May 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perseus Mining Limited (Perseus or the Company) (TSX & ASX: PRU) is pleased to announce that it has strengthened its board of Directors with the appointment of Mr Daniel Lougher to the role of non-executive director. In addition to this role, Dan will also serve as Chair of the Boards Technical Committee. Dans appointment brings the total number of directors serving on Perseuss Board to six, including four independent, non-executive directors. With professional qualifications including a Bachelor of Science (Honours) of Mining Geology, a Graduate Diploma in Engineering (Mining) and a Master of Science (Engineering), Dan also holds a First Class Mine Managers Certificate of Competency (WA) and is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. He is currently the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the successful Australian nickel miner, Western Areas Ltd, having held this role since February 2012. In total, Dans professional career spans more than 35 years involving a range of exploration, feasibility, development, operations, and corporate roles with Australian and international mining companies including a period of eighteen years spent in Africa with BHP Billiton, Impala Plats, Anglo American and Genmin. Perseuss Chairman, Mr Sean Harvey said: It is a real pleasure to welcome a person of the calibre of Dan Lougher to the role of non-executive director on Perseuss Board. Dan has a huge amount of relevant work experience gained over many years in the international mining business and with first class professional qualifications to match, his skills set and his knowledge perfectly complement those of the other members of our Board. I know I speak for all Directors in sincerely welcoming Dan to Perseus and we look forward to receiving his guidance and benefitting from his wealth of technical knowledge and experience as we continue our journey to transform Perseus into a highly credible, mid-tier gold producer, developer and explorer. For further information, please contact: RADNOR, Pa., May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against BrightView Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BV) (BrightView) on behalf of those who purchased or otherwise acquired BrightView common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the initial public offering completed on or around July 2, 2018 (the IPO). Important Deadline: Investors who purchased BrightView securities pursuant and/or traceable to the IPO may, no later than June 14, 2019 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation please visit www.ktmc.com/brightview-bv-securities-class-action . According to the complaint, BrightView provides commercial landscaping services in the United States, operating through two segments: Maintenance Services and Development Services. On July 2, 2018, BrightView completed its IPO. The shares sold in the offering were registered pursuant to BrightViews Registration Statement on a Form S-1 (the Registration Statement), which was declared effective by the SEC on June 27, 2018. BrightView additionally filed its final prospectus dated June 27, 2018 on a Form 424B4 with the SEC on June 29, 2018 (the Prospectus). The Registration Statement and Prospectus are collectively referred to as the Offering Documents. The complaint alleges that, on August 8, 2018, after market-close, BrightView issued a press release announcing its financial and operating results for the third quarter of 2018. Despite reporting strong third quarter results and record revenues, BrightView reported that [r]evenues from the Development Services segment declined 5.7% compared to the prior year due to winding down production on certain large projects that reached substantial completion during the quarter, coupled with the timing of commencing work on new projects. Then, on August 9, 2018, BrightView filed its quarterly report for the same period with the SEC, reiterating the results previously announced in its earlier press release. Therein, BrightView disclosed that its Maintenance Services revenue was negatively impacted by its Managed Exit strategy. The Managed Exit strategy was BrightViews purported corporate strategy to allow certain underperforming contracts to expire upon maturity or renegotiate the contracts to provide BrightView with more favorable terms. Following this news, BrightViews common stock price fell $2.30 per share, or over 10%, to close at $19.90 per share on August 9, 2018. On February 7, 2019, BrightView issued a press release announcing its financial and operating results for the first quarter 2019. The press release attributed BrightViews disappointing financial and operating results to, inter alia, its strategic Managed Exit initiative and other operating conditions. Additionally, in its quarterly report filed with the SEC that same day, BrightView advised investors that the underperforming contracts part of the Managed Exit strategy accounted for a year-over-year quarterly decline of $10.8 million in landscape services revenues. Following this news, BrightViews common stock price declined $1.51 per share, or over 10%, to close at $13.23 per share on February 7, 2019, representing a decline of nearly 40% from the IPO price. The complaint alleges that the defendants made materially false and misleading statements in the Offering Documents and/or failed to disclose that: (i) a material portion of BrightViews contracts were underperforming and/or represented undesirable costs to BrightView; (ii) as a result of the foregoing, BrightView would implement a Managed Exit strategy to end its low margin and non-profitable contracts with customers; (iii) this Managed Exit strategy would negatively impact BrightViews future revenue throughout 2018, and would continue to do so well into fiscal year 2019; and (iv) as a result, the Offering Documents were materially false and/or misleading and failed to state information required to be stated therein. If you wish to discuss this securities fraud class action lawsuit or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests with respect to this litigation, please contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check (James Maro, Jr., Esq. or Adrienne Bell, Esq.) at (888) 2997706 (toll free) or (610) 6677706, or via e-mail at info@ktmc.com . BrightView investors may, no later than June 14, 2019 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed as a lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class members claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country involving securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties and other violations of state and federal law. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors from the United States and around the world. The firm represents investors, consumers and whistleblowers (private citizens who report fraudulent practices against the government and share in the recovery of government dollars). The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, please visit www.ktmc.com . CONTACT: Description GIS - 06 May, 2019: The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) has launched, today, a five-day regional workshop on Advancing Gender Equality in Customs Administration at the World Customs Organisation Regional Training Centre (WCO-RTC) in Mer Rouge. The Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Local Government and Outer Islands, Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo, was the Chief Guest on that occasion. The workshop, held from 06 to 10 May 2019, is the second workshop on Advancing Gender Equality in Customs Administrations and is being sponsored by the WCO through the financial support of the Finland ESA Project II. It is a follow up of the one held in Pretoria, South Africa from 28 May to 01 June 2019 and comprises a delegation of three resource persons including the Programme Manager of the Finland East and Southern Africa (ESA). Participants from nine different countries namely Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe are also attending. In her keynote address, the Vice Prime Minister lauded the initiative of the WCO and the MRA for hosting this workshop and expressed confidence that foreign participants will shed light on good practices within the customs department of their respective countries. The MRA, she added, is playing a keyrole in advancing gender equality through this workshop, thus showing that the country is moving beyond theory to action in the pursuit of gender equality. Speaking about women empowerment, Mrs Jeewa Daureeawoo underlined that gender equality cannot be achieved if institutions do not fully assume their responsibilities with regards to upholding the principal of equality between men and women and if commitments are not turned into concrete measures. She further said that an opportunity to boost gender equality was provided since the adoption of goal five of the Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015, hence, making this workshop very strategic as a process for empowering women for the attainment of gender equality. The Vice Prime Minister dwelt on the importance of understanding that gender issues are not women issues alone but rather, it is about the unequal power relation between men and women. Therefore, she stated that it is important that men play a bigger role during the workshop by doing away with patriarchal norms as well as gender insensitive laws, policies and programmes to the detriment of women. As regards gender gaps, Mrs Jeewa-Daureeawoo highlighted the need to synergise efforts and work together to identify gender gaps in terms of policies, practices and institutional framework and to come up with appropriate actions to address shortcomings. They include: the role of women as leaders; less exposure and lack of opportunities to participate significantly to policy making and; under representation of women in decision-making. The Vice Prime Minister expressed confidence that women empowerment will prevail if womens abilities are acknowledged, women are given access to opportunities and resources and women are included in decision making and are provided with the ability to effect change within the customs sector. She urged the participants to maximise their contribution in the workshop so as to promote a gender equal based platform within the customs department. For his part, the Director General of the MRA, Mr Sudhamo Lal, stated that the hosting of this five-day workshop aims to develop practical guidance and solutions for an effective and efficient adoption of the WCO toolkit for Gender Equality in Customs with the ESA Region. He highlighted that with the advent of the Equal Opportunity Act of 2008, the MRA has, as required by the law, formulated an Equal Opportunity Policy with a view to expressing its engagement to minimise discrimination and promote recruitment, training, selection and employment on the basis of merit. UPDATE: Antonio Anderson was a 33-year-old black man who died May 6 from a gunshot wound at 7225 Edmont Lane, Houston. ORIGINAL STORY: A man was found dead with a gunshot wound early Monday outside a group home on the northwest side, according to Houston police. Police said they don't have any witnesses or suspects. Investigators believe the man ran the group home at Edmont and Montgomery, where police say five to six people were staying at the time of the shooting. The residents said they didn't hear any gunshots, but did hear someone kicking at the side door around 2:45 a.m. They thought someone was trying to break in. They looked out the window and saw the man lying on the ground outside, police said. The man was unresponsive when the residents checked on him. A neighbor called police, and firefighters pronounced him dead on the scene. Police are asking anyone with information about the suspect to call Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submit information online at www.crime-stoppers.org. Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. Description GIS 06 May, 2019: The safety and the security of the population, which play an important role in the enhancement of the quality of life, remain Governments priority. Much investment in this regard is being made to improve the quality of services offered to the public. The Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, was speaking on Saturday 4 May 2019 at the inauguration ceremony of the new Camp Diable Police Station. The Commissioner Police, Mr Mario Nobin, and other personalities were also present. In his address, the Prime Minister highlighted that since 2015, new Police Stations have been constructed at La Gaulette, Moka, Poudre dOr, Saint Pierre, Camp Diable and, Petit Gabriel, in Rodrigues. A modern police infrastructure is currently being constructed at Abercrombie, and construction of new Police Stations are planned at Cent Gaulettes, Vallee Pitot and Phoenix, he stated. Renovation works for Police Stations at Rose-Belle, Rose-Hill, Camp de Masque, Terre-Rouge and Grand-Bassin are also in the pipeline, he added. All these facilities, said Prime Minister Jugnauth, will help improve the working conditions of Police Officers so that they can offer better services to the population. Police Officers as well as Prison Officers and Fire Fighters, must benefit from continuous and adequate professional training so as to be familiar with new techniques and equipment available and therefore meet the standards expected from every citizen of the country, he emphasised. Speaking about the Safe City project which is to be completed by the end of 2019, the Prime Minister recalled that more than 4 000 surveillance cameras will be installed in different locations across Mauritius. This, he observed, will help to reduce the occurrence of crime, fight drug trafficking and decrease the number of road accidents, ultimately enabling every Mauritian to live in security. He further dwelt on Governments determination to combat drug trafficking and the new law on immigration, before issuing a strong warning against those who hinder the course of justice and unity in the country. For his part, the Commissioner of Police stated that Camp Diable is the fifth region where massive investment has been made in police infrastructure during the past four years. The setting up of Police Stations in different parts of the island is attributed to Governments vision and commitment of rendering Mauritius safer through a police de proximite, he pointed out. The new Camp Diable Police Station, said Mr Nobin, which is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment such as CCTV and good communication infrastructure, sets out the stage for enhanced customer service and police-community interaction. Description GIS - 06 May, 2019: The second High Level Policy Dialogue on Gender was held, today, at the Municipal Council of Port-Louis with the objective of taking stock of the compiled inputs of ministries with regard to the Joint Monitoring Framework on the implementation of Mauritius-European Union (EU) Gender Action Plan. The second High Level Policy Dialogue on Gender was held, today, at the Municipal Council of Port-Louis with the objective of taking stock of the compiled inputs of ministries with regard to the Joint Monitoring Framework on the implementation of Mauritius-European Union (EU) Gender Action Plan. The meeting was co-chaired by the Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Local Government and Outer Islands, Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo and the Ambassador of the EU to Mauritius, Mrs Marjaana Sall. Representatives from different ministries attended the event and presented their inputs relating to the Framework. In her address, the Vice-Prime Minister underlined that the Joint Monitoring Framework has been instrumental in triggering a number of actions by different ministries for the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment. Performance indicators relating to the promotion of gender equality, elimination of gender-based violence and economic empowerment of women, are now being more effectively monitored, she pointed out. She recalled that the second technical committee on the Policy Dialogue on Gender was held in February this year to review contributions of different ministries and take note of corresponding indicators in the Joint Monitoring Framework signed in 2018. The Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare in collaboration with the EU is working on a number of projects geared towards ensuring Sustainable Development Goal 5 which is Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, she added. Vice-Prime Minister Jeewa-Daureeawoo commended the EUs support in raising awareness and providing technical assistance in key areas such as capacity development for gender analysis and strengthening of national capacity; preparation of the Gender Equality Bill; and the revision and finalisation of the Childrens Bill. She also spoke of the Rise and Shine Campaign which was launched by the EU with a view to promote women empowerment and gender equity, as well as eliminate gender-based violence and human rights. For her part, Ambassador Sall reiterated that gender equality and women empowerment remains a top priority for the EU and that the latter is extending all necessary support to Government for the wellbeing of women in the society. The event, she said, is part of the many activities that will be held in the context of the Europe Week. She said that each and everyone has a common responsibility towards respecting the rights of all without any form of discrimination. She stated that the EU with the support of different ministries is working towards bringing real and tangible progress of girls and women. The Rise and Shine movement, she pointed out, is a means to encourage individuals especially women to voice out and stand up against inequality, injustice, domestic violence and discrimination. Jinger, one of the older daughters of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, together with her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, have pulled up stakes and left Laredo, TX, in their rear view mirror. They've migrated to Southern California, so Jeremy can pursue his studies to become a minister. "In recent days, God has made it overwhelmingly clear to us that he is leading us out of Laredo," the couple said in a statement to People magazine. "Through much prayer and counsel, the next step for our family is to relocate to Los Angeles to attend Grace Community Church as Jeremy pursues graduate studies at The Masters Seminary." Jinger and Jeremy are likely to be in for a bit of sticker shock in their journey to Los Angeles. Their lovely four-bedroom ranch home in Texas is a roomy 1,475 square feet and currently on the market for $199,900. In order to find something comparable in California, they'll need a bigger budget. The couple also have a baby daughter, Felicity Nicole, who was born last July. And since the young family is on the move, we decided to put our housing expertise to positive use and find a few places on the market in Southern California that might make a wonderful new home for the Vuolo family. For a few hints, we first turned to Jinger's Instagram feed. On a recent visit to their new area, the couple checked out the art at the Getty Center, and visited the Huntington Library and Steeple Coffee, the in-house coffee hangout for Grace Community Church. That gave us a few hints about their interests and the neighborhoods they were checking out. So between the location of their new church, their preferred destinations on their scouting trip, and a few clues from the house they're leaving behind, we've picked out three perfect properties for Jinger, Jeremy, and Felicity as they embark on their L.A. story. Price: $625,000 Why it works: This four-bedroom home is about the size of their Laredo home, measuring in at nearly 1,600 square feet. It's been updated inside with a new kitchen and hardwood floors. Outside, there's plenty of yard where Felicity can frolic. There are even solar panels on the roof for green living. Best of all? It's just a nine-minute commute to Grace Community. 9073 Ilex Ave. Sun Valley, CA realtor.com Price: $474,800 Why it works: Yes, this two-bedroom, 2.5-bath condo is smallwith only 970 square feet. However, it does have everything a young family needs, with a little balcony for outdoor fun, newer kitchen and bathroom fixtures, and a less than 20-minute commute to their church. 14727 Magnolia Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA realtor.com Price: $625,000 Why it works: Stylish and roomy, this two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo has more than 1,200 square feet of living space. It's chock-full of upgrades, from the fireplace in the living area to brand-new plank floors, appliances, and carpets. The main bedroom has a large, ensuite bath and walk-in closet. The complex also has a pool and spa, ideal for soaking up the SoCal sun. 14960 Dickens St., Sherman Oaks, CA realtor.com The post Duggar Watch: 3 Hand-Picked Homes for Jinger's New Life in Los Angeles appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. 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 Monday that the curfew was lifted after the violence was brought under control and two people were arrested. Gunasekara also said 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. Rizwan Jeffry, a gem-seller, 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. Most of Sri Lankas majority ethnic Sinhalese are Buddhists, but Negombo has a majority Sinhalese Catholic community. Eranga Jayawardena is an Associated Press writer. ISTANBUL Turkeys electoral authorities on Monday ordered a rerun of the election for the mayor of Istanbul, annulling a crushing defeat for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but raising the prospect that the highly contentious decision would usher in social unrest and a new economic crisis. The opposition Republican Peoples Party had denounced demands for a new election as a bid by Erdogan and his party to undo the will of the voters, who handed a narrow victory to the opposition candidate, Ekrem Imamoglu, during March 31 local elections. Au Cheval lands in Tribeca. Photo: Scott Heins I made my one visit to Chicagos famous bar and burger destination, Au Cheval, a few years back in the most Chicago kind of way near midnight on a rainy evening after a Cubs game. When we were finally seated, it was at the bar, near the pass, surrounded by crowds of revelers calling for servings of roasted marrow bones, platters of Montreal-style eggs and potato hash poured with duck-heart gravy, and the famous house double cheeseburger, which was stuck, like at a Viking banquet, with a great gleaming steak knife. Being in a bit of a Viking lather ourselves, we ordered all of those things, along with other hearty nose-to-tail specialties, and as we devoured them one by one (yes, the burger lived up to its formidable reputation), we got the feeling one gets at certain restaurants that manage to tap into the spirit of a certain moment that we were experiencing a kind of culinary happening in real time. But fashions change, of course, and time marches on. These days, a lighter, more inclusive, less, umm, aggressive brand of cooking seems to be all the rage in enlightened dining circles around the USA. Many of the most sophisticated burger connoisseurs I know spend more time swapping veggie-burger recipes than discussing the intricacies of the old-fashioned double-decker beef model. More than a few of the boisterous, high-profile kitchen-slave revolutionaries who helped create and define the kind of macho meat-heavy culture that the original Au Cheval was designed to embody have been replaced on the national culinary stage by a more diverse, eclectic, internationalist group of young chefs and cooks with their own tastes and agendas in mind. All of which may be why the new, eagerly awaited New York outlet of Au Cheval, which opened a couple months back in a great boxy space down in Tribeca, feels less like a culinary happening than the arrival of a storied franchise, like some formerly trendy, hipster version of Applebees, say, or the first-ever Chick-fil-A to open in midtown. Unlike the original, intimate Chicago operation (the name refers to a French kitchen term for with a fried egg on top), or the gilded little beef parlor 4 Charles Prime Rib, which Au Chevals parent hospitality group Hogsalt opened in the Village a couple years back, this new venture has clearly been designed with volume in mind. There are various crowd-control ramps and standing areas at the front of the long brick-walled dining room, along with a grim limbo-land bar area downstairs where customers are encouraged to power down various happy-hour-style concoctions (we opted for the frozen-coconut Painkillers) while waiting for tables to clear. That wait was reputed to be three hours or even more when the joint first opened, but after the initial frantic bull rush, the crowds seem to have tapered off a little. On my first visit, our little dining party which admittedly contained a recognizable VIP or two spent a mercifully short time sipping frozen drinks from tiny plastic glasses down in this dispiriting limbo zone before being ushered to the Viking-size banquet hall above. All of the tables we passed on the long way to our moon-shaped booth seemed to contain crowds of people framing Instagram posts of the signature house burger stuck with the familiar steak knife, and after a cursory look at the one-page menu, which seemed smaller and less various than the one I remembered from my Chicago visit, we couldnt resist the zombie impulse to order our Au Cheval burger, too. How does this great burger icon stand up to the populist franchise treatment? Im on record as saying that the burger at 4 Charles Prime Rib might actually be worth a three-hour wait, but the shiny brioche bun had an edge of staleness to it here, and after a bite of my messily constructed hors doeuvre portion of fried egg, bacon, and overcooked, oversalted beef (yes, we portioned it out with our Viking knife), I pushed it aside. Ditto the cartoonishly large fried-bologna sandwich, which was much more fun to photograph than it was to attempt to eat, and an Applebees-quality mash-up experiment called General Janes Honey Fried Chicken, which combined rock-hard chunks of General Tsosstyle bone-in chicken with a sticky sweet sauce overwhelmed by the bitter taste of a thousand old orange peels. In fairness, the Hogsalt group isnt after originality here its after profits and not everyone experienced the same sense of jaded ennui as your dutiful, overfed critic. This things killer, one young innocent declared, on a different visit, after his first-ever taste of the burger, and one or two dishes (the opulent Montreal-style scrambled eggs with foie gras, the hash browns with duck-heart gravy, the mailbox-size mille-feuille pastry for dessert) manage to conjure up a sense of the old two-fisted grandeur this kind of cooking used to inspire. But those moments are few and far between, and as the platters of what someone described as really heavy brown food clattered relentlessly down on the table, even the grizzled old carnivores found themselves pining for a decent piece of fish (theres a bedraggled broiled salmon option on the menu) or a shred of green spring vegetables. Au Cheval | 65 (out of 100)* | Not Terrible 33 Cortlandt Alley, nr. Walker St.; 917-710-6039; auchevaldiner.com Open: Lunch and dinner daily. Prices: $10 to $50. Ideal Meal: Foie gras with scrambled eggs and/or potato hash with duck-heart gravy, mille-feuille with plenty of chocolate sauce. Note: The restaurant now takes reservations, although if you plan to walk in, the best hours are during lunch and in the afternoon, before the crowds arrive. Scratchpad: The combination of the kind of uneven, sometimes slapdash execution you often see in franchise restaurants and a loud, occasionally chaotic vibe adds up to a not terrible 65. *The rating scale of 0 to 100 reflects our editors appraisals of all the tangible and intangible factors that make a restaurant or bar great or terrible regardless of price. See The Thousand Best for 999 more great places to eat and drink. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Across Staten Island, primary care providers are finding that the battle against opioid dependence must be fought as a team effort. In fact, treatment methods have changed so drastically in recent months in an effort to prevent new opioid dependence and steer currently dependent patients to the proper treatment, that several members of a physicians staff now play a role. Before prescribing pain medication, detailed background questionnaires are being administered, blood samples taken, and the law requires a national data base of prescription history be consulted. It is time consuming, said Efrat LaMandre, a family nurse practitioner who owns in her own private practice in New Springville. But it doesnt all fall on the doctor. You share it. Its time management. New York state law requires that most prescribers consult the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) registry through the Health Commerce System before prescribing a controlled substance to a patient. The states I-STOP Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) Registry has existed since 2013 and continues to grow, currently providing prescribers and pharmacists access to substance histories of patients in 27 states and Washington, D.C. through a secure online portal. WHAT ARE OPIOIDS? Opioids are a class of drugs that include illegal heroin, and synthetic opioids, which are controlled substances, and include fentanyl and other pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, morphine and others. LaMandre has used the PMP since opening her practice five years ago, but just started using another tool, the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT), within the past year. The tool is questionnaire, shared by the Staten Island Performing Provider System, that assesses patients risk factors. Those factors could be anything from other current medications to symptoms of depression. In her practice, she conducts the ORT conversation herself, while her tech staff conducts the drug screening and the front desk consults the PMP, any time I even consider prescribing something, she said. Visits involving pain medications now take significantly more time. But, LaMandre believes its worth it. Were doing right by the patient and by the community, she said. The buck has to stop somewhere. Doing right means exploring other avenues before considering opioid prescriptions, a change from just a few years ago, when OxyContin and Vicodin were readily prescribed for pain. FRONTLINE CHANGE The frontline of medication has changed, she said. We really try to go for over-the-counter medication or other treatments. Sometimes the patient needs physical therapy. Sometimes the patient needs psychological therapy to manage chronic, everyday pain. LaMandre, whose practice focuses on adult and family primary care, said drug seekers with chronic pain are being referred to pain management specialists these days, a change from just a few years ago. Sarah Onyenwe, a nurse practitioner at Richmond University Medical Centers Medical and Behavioral health clinics, echoed LaMandres comments. In her role in primary care, she prefers prescribing over-the-counter pain medications, like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, and muscle relaxers like Lyrica and Flexeril to her patients, most of whom are struggling with opioid use disorder. The results are usually good, she said. They dont come back to me telling me it isnt working, said Onyenwe, who often prescribes a higher dose 500 milligrams of Tylenol (acedaminophen) for back and joint pain with good results. There are really other ways to treat pain without going straight to opioids. You can start slow and move up, based on how the patient is tolerating it. LOCAL SAFE PRESCRIBER PLEDGE Locally, a push for safer prescribing is in full force, led by the PPS. On April 10, its Safe Prescriber Pledge kickoff attracted nearly 300 Island providers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, social workers and physical therapists, said Dr. Salvatore Volpe, a specialist in internal medicine, pediatrics and geriatrics affiliated with Staten Island University Hospital and the PPSs chief medical officer. At the event, also attended by state, city and national representatives, most signed the pledge, agreeing to a set of protocol related to managing pain and reducing risk of addiction. The recommendations implore safe prescribing, storage and disposal of highly-addictive pain medications. They acknowledged that its worth the extra time, Volpe said of the providers, who stayed at the event for three hours on a weeknight. It takes more time. No doubt, he said of the new prescriber protocol. It takes time because youre talking to patients, but this is important time. This particular medication is associated with long-term use disorder and overdose and now theres been a declining number of people who would use opioids as their first line of treatment. ENCOURAGING NATIONAL NEWS On the national level, the effort is showing promising results, said Dr. Patrice Harris, American Medical Association president-elect and chairwoman of its Opioid Task Force. Its progress report, released last year, was encouraging, she said. Between 2013 and 2017, the number of opioid prescriptions decreased by more than 55 million a 22.2 percent decrease nationally -- the progress report stated. All 50 states have seen a decrease in opioid prescriptions over the last five years, it said. We see progress, Harris said. Prescriptions are declining, physicians are enhancing their education and the CDC recently reported that theres been a plateau in the number of deaths. There is still an unacceptably high number, but this is not a one-size-fits-all quick fix. The Task Force encourages use of PMPs to prevent drug overprescribing and misuse. It also connects doctors with continuing education about substance abuse disorders, challenges stigmas surrounding the disorders and encourages increased access to overdose antidote medications, such as naloxone, which can block the effects of opioids, reversing a narcotic overdose, to patients who are receiving an opioid prescription for chronic pain. Staten Island PPS also recommends co-prescribing naloxone to patients on long-term doses for chronic conditions. Nationally, the number of naloxone prescriptions more than doubled in 2017, according to the AMA. The number jumped from 3,500 in 2016 to 8,000 that year, the AMA reported. And more prescribers are using the PMP registry across the nation, Harris said, noting that there were 471,000 queries in 2014. In 2017, that number was more 1.5 million, she said. Also, in 2017, more than 549,000 physicians participated in education programs centered around opioid prescribing, she said. MORE WORK TO BE DONE Yet the opioid crisis is two-pronged, involving both legal and illicit sources. Though critics point out the risk of pushing drug seekers toward illicit sources and say opioid use disorder is merely a symptom of much great societal problems, there are those who express optimism. With this progress report we can see theres hope, Harris said. But, we still need to stay the course and we know its going to take time, but the bottom line is, there is hope. Volpe predicts usage will continue to drop as more prescribers join the effort and word spreads as prescribers share their experiences with the Safe Prescriber Pledge with their peers. Were asking them to be our champions, Volpe said, noting that prescribers can access the pledge registration form online, and their names will soon be listed there. I believe there will be less in the community as more and more discussion goes on, Volpe said, adding that he expects fewer patients will be asking for opioids as awareness spreads. This program didnt end on April 10, he said. Were going to all the practices. If theres a practice with 10 and eight signed on, were going to get the other two. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. So it seems that Mayor Bill de Blasio is going to take the plunge and run for president. Why shouldnt he? Every other Democrat in the country is jumping in the pool. Laugh if you want, but Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama and Donald Trump came out of pretty much nowhere and became president. While all were known quantities to varying degrees, none were given a shot of actually winning. Like de Blasio. The point being, stuff happens in presidential races. It depends on what voters are really looking for. It depends on what that final autumn matchup is. The person who gets the nomination isnt always the presumed favorite or an early front-runner. Howard Dean could tell you that. So could Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz. And Hillary Clinton back in 2008. Pundits, pollsters and prognosticators make up their minds early. Actual voters decide much, much later. De Blasio should be a good fit for a Democratic Party racing ever leftward. His progressive bona fides are in order. Hes an anti-Trumper. He oversees a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants. Hes down with the Green New Deal. He wants to legalize weed for recreational use. Hes been accused of being anti-police. Policywise, De Blasio has put pre-K and 3-K for all programs in place, and that was a big get. He can point to successes in his Vision Zero traffic safety program too, even if the numbers arent always as glowing as de Blasio claims. De Blasio has been accused of being soft on crime, but New York overall remains one of the safest big cities in America. Even if there are disturbing flareups occasionally. And even if criminal justice reform too often looks like just blindly favoring the rights of criminals over those of their victims. So, de Blasio has a stump speech. There are things hes done as a chief executive. Hes got a record to run on. There are folks in Congress running for president who cant say the same. Theres a flip-side, of course. De Blasios handling of the city Housing Authority and its crumbling, lead-filled, vermin-infested buildings has been a true scandal. It makes you wonder how much de Blasio really feels for the underclass. The homeless crisis has deepened on de Blasios watch. But how much of that can be laid exclusively at de Blasios feet? Part of the problem is that New York is an expensive city to live in. Part of it is the fact that the homeless are treated as a monolithic population when a big part of the problem is the mentally ill and drug-addicted among them. Its a hydra-headed situation. But, and heres where de Blasio comes in, part of it is also a progressive administration and generous social service programs that tolerate the situation out of sympathy for the homeless and encourage more people to come here and take advantage. Uber-progressive cities like San Francisco, Denver and Seattle are having similar homeless crises. De Blasio has also been too cozy with developers and others who have raised money for him. The stink of pay-to-play continues to cling to him. Count on New Yorks tabloid watchdogs to keep a close eye on just who funds de Blasios presidential bid, and how many of them have business in front of the city. And then theres the de Blasio personality itself. Hes been slammed for being interested only in what interests de Blasio. Lawmakers and other officials have complained that its hard to get the mayors attention on issues that arent already part of his agenda. That doesnt give you confidence that this is the guy who can answer that 3 a.m. phone call. A presidential campaign is the perfect venture for a guy who has already been a frequent flyer out of New York City. I wonder if de Blasio knows that were not going to miss him while hes gone? STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Over the past three months, five NYPD officers on Staten Island detained an alleged serial burglar, seized a loaded handgun tied to an alleged shootout and saved the life of a man trapped under his vehicle. Officers credited with the extraordinary police work were honored Monday at the Cop of the Month award ceremony, co-hosted by the Staten Island Advance and NYPD at the Advances Grasmere offices. Handing out the awards was Assistant Chief Kenneth Corey, the NYPD borough commander, who expressed gratitude toward the officers for a drop in crime. When you hear some of the stories today, it will come as no surprise to you when I tell you that major crime on Staten Island is down more than 18% this year, compared to this time last year." Heres a look at the award winners: JANUARY A burglary pattern on the South Shore in which a suspect allegedly smashed through the ceiling of a pharmacy and the side door of a deli was put to an end in January by an officer with a keen eye. Officer Christopher Gonzalez was conducting surveillance in the Rossville area in connection with the burglary pattern when he spotted a man enter a fenced backyard. Police said the suspect was acting nervous and appeared to be dressed in the same outfit as seen in surveillance video from previous incidents. Gonzalez investigated further, and found the man in possession of two hammers. The suspect was charged with possession of burglary tools and trespassing, and later linked to the burglary pattern, police said. Those are people who didnt come home and find their home broken into, or their business broken into," said Corey. Currently a member of the 123rd Precincts anti-crime unit, Gonzalez has been an officer with the NYPD for three years and effected 45 arrests. FEBRUARY Twice in less than a week, two officers with the 120th Precinct confiscated loaded firearms during traffic stops on the North Shore, one of which was linked to a report of shots fired, police said. According to the NYPD, officers Geovani Sanchez and Matthew Giacalone conducted a lawful stop of an Uber car just after 8 p.m. on Feb. 5. As they approached the vehicle, they observed a passenger in the rear of the vehicle with a lit marijuana joint, at which point they searched the passenger and discovered a loaded 9 mm Glock 17 firearm, police said. Four days later, they pulled a man over for using a cell phone while he was driving, smelled burnt marijuana and spotted an open container of alcohol upon their approach, which led to the seizure of a loaded .45 caliber handgun reported stolen from Tennessee, according to police. The firearm was linked to a report of shots fired hours earlier on Staten Island, police said. Sanchez has been a member of the department for 11 years. Hes credited with 284 arrests and has received Cop of the Month awards on three separate occasions. Giacalone has been a member of the department for four years, and effected 129 arrests. MARCH For two NYPD officers on the South Shore, a routine patrol turned into a life-or-death situation for a man involved in a crash. On the afternoon of March 25, 123rd Precinct officers Anna Legare and Angela Tanzillo came upon a crash involving an overturned vehicle near the intersection of Hylan Boulevard and Bayview Avenue in Princes Bay. When they discovered the drivers arm was trapped under the vehicle and bleeding profusely, they grabbed the inverted vehicles roof and used their weight to upright the car and push the vehicle off the mans arm, preventing further damage. Legare has been a member of the department for 11 years and effected 68 arrests. Tanzillo has been a member of the department for 2 1/2 years and effected 27 arrests. The NYPD also gave a special award to Det. Benjamin Colecchia and his K-9 partner, Timoshenko, for their help with several high-profile murder investigations on Staten Island this year. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- More than half of college students in the United States have experienced housing challenges, and nearly half have experienced hunger, according to a report released last month. The #RealCollege survey from Temple Universitys Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice was released on April 30. The report was based on research conducted with 86,000 students from 123 colleges and universities across the United States in 2018. Students from City Universities of New York, including the College of Staten Island, participated in the survey study. The survey is the nations largest annual assessment of basic needs security among college students specifically evaluating access to affordable food and housing. Here are some key findings from the report: 45 percent of respondents were food insecure in the prior 30 days 56 percent of respondents were housing insecure in the previous year 17 percent of respondents were homeless in the previous year Food insecurity is the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, or the ability to acquire this food in a socially acceptable manner. Housing insecurity includes a broad set of challenges, including the inability to pay rent or utilities, or the need to move frequently. Study results suggest that students are more likely to suffer some form of housing insecurity than to have all their needs met during college. Homelessness was described as a person who doesnt have stable place to live. Students were identified as homeless if they responded affirmatively to a question asking if they had been homeless or they identified living conditions that are considered signs of homelessness. While college students are eligible for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is a monthly supplement for purchasing nutritious food, and housing assistance, the report found that many students arent aware these programs exist or are an option. The center made several recommendations for legislators, administrators and others interested in highlighting the issues from the survey report. These recommendations include: Appoint a director of student wellness and basic needs. Engage community organizations and the private sector in proactive, rather than reactive, support. Develop and expand an emergency aid program. According to a report last October, there were 2,900 Staten Island students in elementary, middle and high schools who were, or had been, homeless. The New York State Technical and Education Assistance Center for Homeless Students, a project of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), released the new data of students identified as homeless in New York State and NYC during the 2017-2018 school year. According to the report, Island schools enrolled 2,909 homeless students during the 2017-2018 school year. Thats 2.5 percent of the total number of homeless students in schools across the five boroughs. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND -- Mayor Bill de Blasio has made it official: 44 Victory Blvd. will be the site of the 200-family homeless shelter. Borough President James Oddo and Rep. Max Rose had been in active discussions with the Salvation Army about giving the city a portion of the former Bayley Seton Hospital campus as an alternative site to 44 Victory Blvd. for the shelter. But the Department of Homeless Services decided to change course after a meeting last month at Borough Hall. If the Salvation Army agrees to give a part of its property to the city, City Hall said it will consider using the site for the other homeless shelters it wants to open around the Island in the future. New Yorkers deserve to live in the communities theyve always called home thats why every borough must have enough a shelter for its homeless neighbors, said mayoral spokesperson Freddi Goldstein. In search of the best spot, we looked at several possible options, including the site at Bayley Seton two years ago. At the time, there was no support for the site, which led us to the WIN proposal for 44 Victory Boulevard. Weve spent significant time discussing 44 Victory Boulevard with the surrounding community and are moving forward as planned to provide shelter for Staten Island families. Plans for the 200-family shelter and a 22-bed all-female shelter at Mount Loretto on a site owned by Catholic Charities were confirmed by the city in January. And the city is looking for additional sites around the Island for more shelters. When plans for the first round of Island homeless shelters were unveiled earlier this year, according to the plans obtained by the Advance, the Department of Homeless Services had said it planned to look for additional sites for 300 more beds over the course of our plan, in the Mid-Island and South Shore areas. The department later said it would expand its search all around the Island. City Hall said it is still looking for other sites around the Island and if Bayley Seton becomes available in the future it would be open to using it as another site eventually. OPPOSITION TO THE SITE The 44 Victory Blvd. site has been a major cause of contention in the North Shore community. Island elected officials say the city left them in the dark about its shelter plans, while residents have expressed outrage that the city is planning to bring such a massive site to an overcrowded and notoriously crime and drug ridden area set to be revitalized through the Bay Street Corridor rezoning. The mayor and the Department of Homeless Services had previously said they would be willing to work with Staten Island elected officials on considering alternative sites for the 200-family shelter, which is expected to bring as many as 500 mostly women and children. But after an all hands meeting at Borough Hall last month to discuss alternative sites for the 200-family shelter, including the possibility of using the Bayley Seton Hospital campus, DHS told the Advance it was moving forward with 44 Victory Blvd. for its shelter. Because homeless shelters are considered emergency resources, the city does not have to go through the typical Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process to open them. All the city needs is an operating certificate from the state and can then open homeless shelters when and where they want. The city is only required to give a community 30 days notice to voice any potential concerns about a site. DHS said the goal of the program is to move the citys homeless to their home boroughs and that there are about 1,300 homeless New Yorkers from Staten Island in shelters citywide. Staten Islands Downtown Alliance has agreed to sue the city at the request of he North Shores Community Board 1 to try to stop the city from opening the shelter at 44 Victory Blvd. They plan to file an injunction against the city in the coming weeks. Staten Islanders opened their hearts and worked to find the best possible site for our neighbors struggling with homelessness. This could have been a model, and instead the Mayor told us to drop dead," Rep. Rose said. "Cant wait to see how this works in Iowa. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. 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The Advance previously reported that police were searching for three males in connection with the incident. While it was initially thought that the victim was stabbed in the left arm, an NYPD spokesman said that the male was stabbed on the left side of his torso and back. The victim was transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton in stable condition just after 11 p.m. on Saturday, a police spokesman said. The NYPD spokesman said that police are searching for three unidentified Hispanic males, who reportedly fled eastbound on Castleton Avenue, in connection with the stabbing. The investigation is ongoing. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police allege that they found a loaded gun, cocaine and pot during the raid of an apartment occupied by a man and woman in Port Richmond. Police armed with a search warrant entered the home of Joshua Williams, 34, and Tania Sebastian, 30, on Park Avenue on Wednesday in connection with a Narcotics Borough Staten Island investigation, according to the criminal complaint. Officers allegedly found a loaded .40-caliber Ruger pistol on a shelf. Inside a safe were two plastic bags of cocaine, 45 plastic bags of marijuana and two scales with cocaine residue, according to the complaint. In an incident in March, Sebastian sold marijuana to an undercover police officer in the vicinity of Park Avenue, the complaint alleges. Williams was convicted of criminal possession of a firearm on Jan. 23, 2018, according to the complaint. He is being held at Rikers Island in lieu of bond set at $200,000/$100,000 cash. He has several other cases working their way through Criminal and Supreme courts, where he stands accused of drug, weapon, perjury, assault and other offenses, according to public records. Sebastian has been released on her own recognizance. Both suspects were arrested on Wednesday and are due back in Criminal Court on Monday. They are charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana and criminally using drug paraphernalia. Sebastian also is charged with criminal sale of marijuana. Attorneys for the suspects did not immediately respond to requests for comment. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Dozens of Staten Islanders, along with elected officials and religious leaders, braved the rain and gathered at the Staten Island Mall plaza for a vigil honoring the victims of the Chabad of Poway shooting in California which killed one and injured three others. The shooting, which took place on the last day of Passover during Synagogue services -- when Jewish worshippers are typically remembering departed family members -- prompted borough residents to gather and show unity in the face of hate crimes. As Americans we cannot cower in the face of the senseless hate that is anti-Semitism, we need to confront it, said Mendy Katzman, the Associate Director of Chabad of Staten Island in Meiers Corners. Every step back can and must become the impetus for a giant leap forward," Katzman said. Katzman, along with other religious leaders present at the vigil, expressed that the acts of anti-Semitism that fueled the recent attack, along with the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting which killed 11 people, was not the real America. We are humbled by the broad support so many people in the community have shared with us in Staten Island," Katzman said, This is the real America, not those who divide and hate. Congressman Max Rose said that he was deeply touched by the impressive turnout at the vigil, despite the gloomy weather that persisted Sunday evening. It speaks to the seriousness of the issues we face today, Rose said, but it should also give us incredible hope. Hope and faith that as Americans, as New Yorkers, we take great pride in the cultural mosaic that is our community, our country, Rose said. This is not the time for politics, not the time for divisiveness, not the time for hate, Rose added, "this is certainly the time for unity. Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis said that vigils like the one held on Sunday are happening all too often. And that is something that should be frightening to all of us, Malliotakis said. Malliotakis stressed the importance of denouncing hate, anti-Semitism and divisive rhetoric in the wake of hate crimes, but also expressed sadness over the violence that occurred in California. My thoughts, my prayers are with the Chabot of Poway, and also with every jewish individual in our nation and Israel, but also any person who values this nation because of our freedom of religion, Malliotakis added. Representatives from the office of Senator Andrew Lanza and Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon were also present at the vigil. Earlier this year, McMahon, along with top-Island law enforcement officials, vowed to vigorously pursue allegations of hate-crimes on Staten Island. Garry Squire, pastor for Messiah Lutheran Church in Annadale, attended the vigil to show interfaith support. I think its important that we show our support to our brothers and sisters for all faiths, Squire said. The lutheran church stands behind them, he said. Other religious leaders who attended and spoke at the vigil expressed the same sentiment of cross-faith support. Imam Dr. Tahir Kukaj of the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center in Tompkinsville said that as much as an honor it is to be here, it is my duty to be here, to be with my jewish brothers and sisters. The Albanian Islamic Cultural Center has been a mosqueand a place of worship whether for muslims, Jews, Christians and even for those who choose to have a different faith, Kukaj said. We continue that tradition of standing by jewish people, he added. On Friday, Rabbi Michael Howald of Temple Israel in Randall Manor and members of his congregation attended prayers at the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center at noon, before Imam Kukaj and members of his Mosque attended Temple Services only a few hours later as part of a campaign called #TriStateAgainstHate. The campaign, which paired synagogues and mosques across the Tri-State area, encourages synagogue members to attend Friday afternoon prayers at a mosque, and for mosque members to join a synagogue for Friday night services in light of the California attack. A statement from Bishop John OHara, of the Archdiocese of New York, said that My heart is broken and filed with sorrow as we come together once again in vigil to mourn the loss of life in another senseless act of violence. We are confronted with a searing tragedy rooted in hate, bigotry and appalling ignorance, the statement continued; Our coming together tonight each in our own faith tradition and our various walks of life shines light in the darkness that seems to deepen and increase day-by-day. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With a Staten Island city councilman vying for his seat, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is calling for city charter revisions that would give the office more power. In testimony given Thursday before the New York City Charter Revision Commission, Williams called for changes in charter language that would grant the office, which is first in the mayoral line of succession, control over its own budget, full subpoena power, and clarify its ability to file lawsuits. As the second highest ranking elected official in the city, however, my ability to fully serve New Yorkers is currently impaired by the present language in the New York City Charter, Williams said in his testimony. While the Charter is a living document that has grown and changed, just as our city has grown and changed, the language governing the Public Advocates abilities has not kept pace. Currently, the offices budget is determined by the mayor and city council, city agencies have no legal obligation to comply with its investigative requests, and the Law Department decides which legal cases the office can pursue. In its April preliminary staff report, the commission recommended the public advocate be granted subpoena power or another legal mechanism to ensure agencies answer its questions. While it did not explicitly support an independent budget, the commissions report suggested a guaranteed budget could protect the office from punitive funding cuts. Williams wrote in a tweet that his proposed changes would make the public advocate more effective. The Public Advocates office is an incredible tool as a watchdog over government and the voice of the people. We can strengthen that voice with a few reforms to our citys charter as I testified this evening to @CityCharterNYC. Read my testimony here:https://t.co/2jvQflArlg pic.twitter.com/uEcrMZoUbE Jumaane Williams (@JumaaneWilliams) May 3, 2019 In addition to those changes, Williams voiced his support for City Council proposals that would give the public advocate appointments to several city boards and commissions. He also called for an exploration of having the New York City Independent Budget Office report to the public advocate, and turning the office into a central resource for community boards across the city. City Councilman Joseph Borelli (R-South Shore) announced his candidacy for public advocate in early April after receiving support from the citys five borough Republican Party chairmen. His early campaign has focused on the need to bring real power to, or abolish the office that has long been viewed as a political stepping stone to higher positions. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and New York Attorney General Letitia James were the last two people elected to the position before Williams. The first thing Ill do as your Public Advocate is cut its staff down to a skeleton crew. Ill always fight for the forgotten taxpayer, Borelli wrote in a tweet. Right now the job has almost no purpose, & Ill work every day to either change that or scrap the position. The 1st thing Ill do as your Public Advocate is cut its staff down to a skeleton crew. Ill always fight for the forgotten taxpayer. Right now the job has almost no purpose, & Ill work every day to either change that or scrap the position. Help me out: https://t.co/v9SCROZW1K pic.twitter.com/eZVVF0pqlD Joe Borelli (@JoeBorelliNYC) May 1, 2019 In a statement issued Monday, Borelli said he agreed with the move to grant subpoena power to the office, but felt more needed to be done pointing to his proposal to put the New York City Department of Investigation under the purview of the public advocate. He said the move would instantly make the office worth its weight to the taxpayers and insulate it from executive-branch interference, something I thought progressives cared about. Department of Investigation spokeswoman Diane Struzzi said in a statement issued April 18 that the city deserves an independent oversight agency run by a commissioner who is an attorney with substantial experience in law enforcement. It is noteworthy that this proposed bill that makes the Public Advocate the Commissioner of Investigation is being sponsored by someone who is running for the office of Public Advocate, she said. Borelli also offered skepticism about the merits of granting the public advocate control over its own budget. The only reason one would want an independent budget would be to increase it; one can independently cut the staff immediately to rein in the budget, the majority of the fifty staffers at the public advocates office do a duplicative job to 311, which handles 39 million calls per year fairly efficiently in comparison, he said. Williams beat 16 other candidates in a February special election for the position that was left vacant after James won the attorney general election in November. Borelli has previously supported legislation that would abolish the position of the public advocate. Both men could face primaries in June before the general election in November. 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! The makers of the famous Penfolds wine brand have secured a victory against a group of counterfeiters who were passing off inferior wines as top shelf drops, including its Bin series, in China using fake labels. The copycat wine scheme led to the market in China flooded with $800,000 worth of some of Penfolds' internationally acclaimed wines last year, a court has found. Penfolds Grange is all the rage in China, but not all of it is the real deal. Credit:Tamara Dean Treasury Wines Estates obtained a summary judgment from the Federal Court on Monday. The company had alleged its intellectual property for Penfolds in China was breached by a little known wine outfit in Adelaide, Australian Rush Rich Winery. She was among the most high-profile stars of their 2019 season, but Rebel Wilson will no longer be gracing the stage for the Sydney Theatre Company. The 39-year-old comedienne was slated to star as Maureen Folan in the November production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane, but on Monday the theatre company announced Wilson had withdrawn. "Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, Rebel Wilson has withdrawn from Sydney Theatre Companys production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane. New casting for the Martin McDonagh comedy will be announced in the coming weeks," the STC said in a statement. No details have been revealed as to what is so pressing that Wilson is unable to fulfil her commitment, however she has two projects listed on IMDB in the earliest stages of production. Developers, miners and farmers might sometimes regard any attempt to reverse these trends as middle-class meddling. The UN biodiversity report warned that close to a million species around the world face extinction, many within decades. Of course, species come and go just like the dinosaurs but the UN says the current rate of extinction is tens to thousands of times faster than at any other time in history. Australia derives so much of its identity from its unique flora and fauna that it should take special interest in a damning report by the United Nations released on Monday on the global crisis of extinctions. Yet increasingly they are out of step with public opinion. The Herald reported on Monday on a poll of 28 countries attitudes to environmental issues which found that Australians are not so worried about air or water pollution, thanks to our generally clean environment, but they are much more concerned than most other countries about wildlife conservation and climate change. Even though Australians now mostly live in cities, contact with nature remains spiritually important to many people from all walks of life. Material wealth will not compensate for the news that the koala population has declined by 33 per cent in the past 20 years and the next generation of children may never hope to see one of them in the wild. The UN report points out the collapse of biodiversity is not just about feeling nice. It could also have economic consequences. In Europe and North America the destruction of native forests is killing the insects which are needed to pollinate crops. Marine stocks are collapsing as Australia has seen in the mass fish kills along the Darling River. Both major political parties have proposed action to stem the tide of extinctions of native flora and fauna but they are reluctant to take the hard decisions. Last Friday Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledged $12 million to research and create sanctuaries for a few species including koalas, WAs black cockatoos, Bruny Islands eastern quolls and Kangaroo Islands endangered dunnart. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) A teachers group on Monday urged officials to scrap the 5 percent tax on poll workers' honoraria for the upcoming elections. Members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) trooped to the Bureau of Internal Revenue asking authorities to remove the 5 percent withholding tax on election workers allowance. They said the deduction already amounts to 300 per person. Malaking bagay yung 300 pesos sa hanay namin lalo na't kapos talaga sa sweldo yung mga pampublikong guro, said ACT member Nestor Reyes. [Translation: 300 pesos is a big amount for us because our salary is not even sufficient for us public teachers.] The group added that the teachers election duties are not covered by their work as educators. Ang basehan ng withholding tax, ay ginamit mo yung propesyon mo. Kaya kung nagkaroon ng income, so taxable 'yun. Kasi dito sa pagsisilbi sa election, di naman kami nagturo eh, Reyes added. [Translation: The basis for withholding tax is that youre practicing your profession. Thats why you have your income, so that's taxable. But then we're not teaching when we are on election duty.] The BIR first imposed the withholding tax on poll workers allowances in the 2018 barangay elections. ACT filed a petition last year, but has yet to receive action from the agency. READ: Teachers urge Duterte to hike pay as promised CNN Philippines Correspondent AC Nicholls contributed to this report. When it's pointed out to Penny Wong that she is the fourth most recognised politician on the front bench of either major party according to a new poll, her response is to say that she's the only Asian among them. In other words, no big deal. But there is more to Wong. Yes, the uniqueness among frontbenchers of her Chinese name and features may well make her more recognisable than Christopher Pyne, Josh Frydenberg, Tanya Plibersek or Chris Bowen as the Australia Institute poll finds. Senator Penny Wong speaking at the launch of Labor's federal election campaign. Credit:AAP But it does not explain her ranking as the most "believable" politician in Australia. The so-called Believability Index published last week by Ogilvy PR found that the three most credible of Australia's federal legislators are women. Wong, Julie Bishop and Tanya Plibersek all rated well ahead of the two party leaders. And all the other blokes. "Am I being too self-deprecating?" laughs Wong. Yes, you are. And the self-deprecation is real. In the last decade, perhaps the greatest single malfunction of federal politics has been the overweening egoism of the people who insist on their right to be prime minister. Urgently. But when I ask Wong this week if she would ever consider moving from the Senate to the House of Representatives, she shoots back an emphatic "no". In other words, she's not interested in contesting to be leader. Wong manages her ego, rather than the other way around. A record number of Victorian students are completing year 12 without an ATAR amid a rise in alternative ways to enter university and growing concerns about the stress of sitting exams. Last year more than one in 25 students finished school without receiving an ATAR, almost double the number of VCE students who decided against sitting exams in 2014. The rise of alternative pathways into university, skepticism about the value of an ATAR and mental health issues have fuelled an increase in students finishing Year 12 without doing final exams, known as undertaking an unscored VCE. Last year, 2072 students or 4.1 per cent of the VCE population finished school without receiving an ATAR. Grace Learmonth decided to embark on the unscored VCE after realising she didnt want to go to university and had no use for an ATAR. A Hamilton Hill man faces a string of charges in a Perth court on Tuesday after he allegedly car-jacked a university student in Burswood. WA Police said the 32-year-old was erratic and jumping on cars on Great Eastern Highway near the Graham Farmer Freeway about 8am on Monday, before he ordered the female student from her silver Toyota Echo and drove off, colliding with other vehicles in the process. A man has been charged after a carjacking in Burswood on Monday morning. Credit:Nine News Perth The accused then crashed into a power pole on Acton Avenue in Rivervale, with footage from Nine News Perth showing the car being driven wildly on suburban streets. Several police attended the scene and arrested the man, who was escorted by police and sedated on arrival at Royal Perth Hospital, where he will remain overnight until his court appearance. Awestruck maybe but multiple rail issues remain The frequency of a train every four minutes is remarkable, and credit is due to the Premier and Transport Minister (Awestruck Premier turns day tripper with Metros builders, May 6). Could they now upgrade the existing Sydney Trains network which often breaks down during heavy rain and hot weather? - Peter Mahoney, Oatley I see that Gladys Berejiklian is awestruck by the new train. When the Metro is fully operational, and two-thirds of passengers have nowhere to sit, many will not be so much awestruck as dumbstruck that the government promotes this as the best train model for long-distance suburban travel. - Doug Walker, Baulkham Hills Amazing to hear that the trains were loaded with water to simulate passenger loads. What happened after the test? Was it trained up to towns that have run out of water? Or was it just water under the bridge? - Deni McKenzie, Armidale With $500 million of the annual Sydney Trains operating deficit being paid by regional and remote residents many of whom enjoy no public transport perhaps apologists for the status quo could ask themselves how theyd justify it to a dairy farmer from Bega or a single mother from Dubbo. The Sydney Trains subsidy copies communist states where underpricing public services led to massive economic distortions which contributed significantly to their demise. Pricing Sydney transport to reflect true costs would engage the hip pocket nerves of commuters and help drive decentralisation a more efficient and reliable driver than government fiat. - Michael Britt, MacMasters Beach It is a pity the system was not built to heavy rail standards to allow for the future possibility it could be used by heavy rail rolling stock and that it could be connected to the Richmond Line. The cost factor of an extra 30 centimetres tunnelling width, when compared with the extravagance of the stadium rebuild, does not meet the pub test. - Hugh Darling, Castle Hill The Premier says the driverless Metro will be a game changer. Sure will. Half as many seats as Sydneysiders are used to. - Ian Ferrier, Paddington Vancouvers driverless Skytrains run every half to a minute and one can see the next train not far behind. - Ron Field, Bermagui Oh to travel at 80km/h (Letters, May 6). What luxury! The average speed of the XPT out to Orange is 68km/h. Only on the flat out near Geurie does it creep up into the 70s. - Chris ORourke, Bathurst Labors positive message a relief Bill Shortens low rating as the preferred prime minister in the various opinion polls is due to the sad fact that he hasnt got the oomph required (Shift to Shorten, May 6). It is not his fault. It is something you grow up with. Nevertheless, one has to give him full credit for his hard work and keeping the Labor Party united. I am confident he will get there. - Bala Superamaniam, Queenscliff Congratulations Labor on the positive personalities and message of your official campaign launch (Rallying call over tax breaks, jobs and crackdown on multinationals, May 6). Nice to see familiar, still fresh faces, Gillard, Rudd and Keating together again. Your backing for royal commissions into child abuse and financial institutions were top-notch, needed and gave positive results. As consumer spending drives job creation the commitment to a living wage for all is welcome. - Jimmy Gaudin, Tempe Surely the Coalition would do themselves and all of us a favour by going into Opposition for a while. Instead of the shrill chaotic messaging dominated by negativity about Labors policies, they could, over time, come up with some clarity and cohesion about the logic of their own position on the key issues that need to be grappled with, notably climate change, the environment, our quality of life, and a vision for the future. Labor has clearly benefited from its period in the wilderness, now it is the Coalitions turn. - Rosemary McDonald, Beecroft Shorten may be on to something. When you believe you are in danger of dying you dont ask how much it will cost to get better. You just get on with it. So it may be with the politics of climate change. - George Fishman, Vaucluse Many political leaders and groups are speaking loudly about climate change. However, I have noticed one factor that has been overlooked an expanding population. A larger population results in more resources being exploited and a larger national carbon footprint. - John Bear, Maroubra End campaign pain I dont understand why people are craving vision and policies from any of the political parties (Letters, May 6). As soon as any particular vision is expressed, or policy announced, roughly half the population agree with it and half do not, Labors franking credits policy being a perfect example. Perhaps the answer is no campaigning whatsoever, and votes cast based on past performance. -Kristina Vingis, Church Point I belong to a group of craftswomen who are all retired and all of whom derive some of their income from franking credits. With this money we buy wool to knit and crochet for various charities. The wool is not cheap. When the franking credits go so does our ability to buy as much wool as we now do. There will be fewer knitted and crocheted articles to donate to the charities. This is but one of the unintended consequences of Labors tax proposals. - Margaret Ryerson, St Ives PM is vision impaired When a $5 million boost to the Australian Made campaign constitutes a major election announcement for Scott Morrison and commands a double-page headline you know that ScoMo and his mob has little to offer in the way of vision and plans for our future (Morrison pledges revamped Australian Made campaign, May 6). - Mark Pearce, Richmond The folly of putting an ad man in charge of the government is now becoming clear. The thing about these spruikers is that they have a short memory. Cant he remember he was part of governments that drove out car manufacturing and actively discouraged the development of a renewable energy industry right here in our own land. What else do we have left to sell except one of Morrisons previous promotions, girls in bikinis on the Gold Coast? - Chris Moe, Bensville Bottomless pit of money Both parties are, not surprisingly, splashing a lot of money around. Contrary to what the LNP would have us believe, it is all money paid by us, the taxpayer. The Back in Black 2019-20 budget was announced on April 2 and just over a week later, on April 11, the election was called. What has me puzzled is where is all that extra money for the LNP election promises coming from and how is it going to affect the current deficit and promised surplus? Does the LNP have a secret stash that they excised from the budget, or am I missing something? - Jennie Lindbergh, Darlington Will the message ever get through that less is more when it comes to the deciding on what exposure the political parties will have in the lead-up to elections. I would imagine that, like my wife and I, we are all campaigned out and no matter what else they promise it will fall on uninterested ears. It is also impossible to continually update the amount of money the parties are promising and when it will be utilised as a large amount is on the never never. What party would be game enough to change election advertising regulations to limit exposure? - Bob Kellick, Avalon Beach End of an era Perhaps what our caretaker Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, really laments is that the era of getting away with not actually representing your constituents views is ending (Era of safe seats is now ending, says Frydenberg, May 6). - Alex Stitt, Wahroonga Yin and yang of politics Liberals tend to communicate through relationships and emotion, focusing on the past; yang characteristics. On the other side Labor tends to communicate through logic and principle focusing on the future; yin characteristics. So what can we usefully make of that? Well first, under the laws of complementary attraction, it is unsurprising that Labor more easily attracts female candidates than their opponents. More importantly, our democracy thrives on the flow of the yin and yang tides of political fortune. - Robert Dawson, Penshurst Out of the ordinary The modern habit of over-using and misusing the word ordinary knows no bounds. I see your headline writers have jumped on board (Nadal remains confident despite ordinary start to clay-court season, May 6). On the contrary: an ordinary start to the clay-court season for Nadal has him winning nearly everything. - David Mansford, Concord West Preaching tolerance So refreshing to read Brandon Jacks opinion (A Swans song for Folau: unite, dont divide, May 6). His younger perspective outlines simply the duty of representing your sport as an ambassador and bringing people together, not preaching divisive hatred. The Golden Rule of Christianity is Live and Let Live and Confuciuss Ethic of Reciprocity means tolerance of others differences. It makes me wonder how this all changes when it comes to the legal arguments and $4 million. -Noelene Jensen-Wolf, Wentworth Falls If Rugby Australia succeeds in banishing Israel Folau from Australian sport, religious views which contravene accepted norms will become further ghettoised. Such religious communities, Christian and otherwise, already self-segregate to varying extents. Its pertinent to recall that western Sydney accounted for 12 of the 17 electorates that voted no to same-sex marriage. Instead of assuaging the path towards integration, exiling Folau could encourage further self-segregation. As these communities and individuals are increasingly belittled for their beliefs, they are likely to become more recalcitrant in their views. - Michael Berriman, Auckland (NZ) Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has extended a moratorium on the death penalty to incoming legislation prohibiting gay sex, seeking to temper a global backlash led by celebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John. The small Southeast Asian country sparked an outcry when it rolled out its interpretation of Islamic laws, or sharia, on April 3, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with death, including by stoning. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah introduced the penalty of death by stoning for sex between people of the same gender. Credit:EPA Brunei 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. However, in a rare response to criticism aimed at the oil-rich state, the sultan said the death penalty would not be imposed in the implementation of the Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO). A war of cities-Stalingrad, Leningrad, Odessa, Sebastopol, Cassino, Brest, Warsaw and other cities, whose streets were turned into trenches and forts; of London, of Berlin, which was shattered to a shell A war underground between quisling armies of resistance, and a war of psychology, In which the Four Freedoms and the Atlantic Charter were used to combat Nazi ideology A war fought in the extremes of weather and terrain, from Africa to the biting cold Arctic, in the world's wont bogs and steaming jungles and the most in-accessible mountains. Search lights create a flare of light over Melbourne to celebrate the victory in Europe. Credit:Argus Collection RobombsRockets This war saw the dreadful advent of the flying bomb, which killed indiscriminately. It unfolded many different rocket weapons, the blockbuster, rapid-firing guns, which made artillery barrages more intense than ever; mass mobility of tanks, and a hundred-and-one other types of vehiclesthe airborne army, the flying battleship, amphibious invasions on a grander scale than could have been imagined. It all started about 3 o'clock on the morning of September 1, 1939, when the German armies invaded Poland. Despising the Poles too much to declare war formally, Hitler announced only that he was answering "force with force." With smug conceit he declared: "I am putting on the uniform (the field-grey of the German army), and I shall take it off only in victory or death." Hitler planned a blitzkriega lightning warand probably never expected that England and France would do more than wage a token war when they saw the uselessness of trying to save their ally. Great Britain and France served an ultimatum on Germany on September 1, and declared war on Sunday, September 3. London hastily evacuated her children and waited breathlessly for the bombs to fall. None fell. This was the "phoney war." On September 3 the French announced that their army had come in contact with the Germans, but the French preferred to have the Germans throw themselves on the Maginot Line, and struck into German territory only for a few thousand yards near Saarbrucken. Their "offensive" never developed. On April 9, 1940 the "phoney war" ended. Hitler's troops slipped into Denmark and invaded Norway by sea and air. A few goose-stepping soldiers and a military band marched in and took Oslo. Soldiers hidden in the holds of previously arrived ships seized Narvik, Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim and other coastal points. The British landed a few thousand Allied troops on both sides of Trondheim, and later at Narvik, but were forced to withdraw in the face of great odds. On April 30 Hitler proclaimed a complete victory, and within a short time Allied troops had withdrawn entirely. Women and children buying victory badges in Melbourne. Credit:Argus Collection Blow In the West On May 10 the great blow in the west fell on Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Swarms of parachutists descended on the airports near Rotterdam, the Hague and Amsterdam, seized the bridge at Moordijk, south of Rotterdam. The Dutch "water line" proved ineffectual. Holland fell in four days. Nazis overwhelmed the Belgian fort, Eben Emael, and rushed their columns across the Albert Canal near Maastricht. In three days German tanks surprised the French, seized Sedan and were racing for the English Channel, with fleets of motor cyclists spreading fire and terror ahead of the armoured detachments. The Germans reached Abbevine an May 21. King Leopold announced the surrender of his 300,000 man Belgian army on May 28. Dunkirk, a glorious British epic of the war, in which a strange armada of 900 war ships, skiffs, tugs and yachts rescued an army of 337,000 men from the beaches, was over by June 4. For four years the Kaiser's armies had in 1914-18 fought to win control of the Channel ports. Hitler got them in less than a month. Turning south on June 6, Hitler brushed aside the French Army. The Maginot Line was turned. The French Government evacuated Paris on June 10. That same day Mussolini committed his "stab in the back" and sent troops into the border area of France. Taking over the French Government, Marshal Petain announced, on June 17, that he had been compelled to ask Hitler for an armistice. The high point of the warfor Hitlercame at Compiegne on June 21 in the railway car where Marshal Foch had dictated peace terms to Germany in 1918, and France signed an armistice. Grandly, pleased by this revenge for the "dictates of Versailles, Hitler visited the tomb of Napoleon. Man in Melbourne climbs on lamp post in celebration of the victory in Europe. Credit:Argus Collection The most popular song in Germany was Were Sailing Against England. Britain seemed to be up against fearful odds. She had lost all but a few score guns and tanks. The R.A.F. was outnumbered. She fell back on the hastily organised Rome Guard to fight from hay stacks and hedge-rows. Hastily importing hunting rifles, old tanks and old calibre guns from America, Britain's Prime Minister (Mr. Churchill) hunched his head between his great shoulders and declared, We will fight on the beaches and the landing grounds, in the fields, in the streets, on the hills. We will never surrender." It was Britain's time for "blood, and sweat, and tears." Grimly, 700 Spitfires and Hurricanes opposed the entire German Air Force. British fighting planes mounting eight guns, and radar, which gave warning of coming raids, probably saved the British in the aerial battle that lasted from August, 1940 through to May, 1941, when Britain gained control of the skies. But 50,000 Britons died from bombs. September 15, 1940, when the Germans lost 185 planes and were forced to switch to night bombing, has been called one of the decisive battles of the war. In September and October the Germans were assembling their invasion fleet of 3000 barges and 4,000,000 tons of ships. Not until 1944 did Mr. Churchill disclose 'the reason why the Germans never invaded Englandthe invasion fleet was smashed by the R.A.F. Bomber Command before, it could leave port. Mussolini believed the Greek generals had been bought off. He invaded Greece from Albania on October 28, 1940, three hours after an ultimatum, and thereupon came one of the big surprises of the war. Instead of wilting, the Greeks fought. Not merely did they ambush and slaughter thousands of Italians a few miles inside Greek territory, but they captured Corriza and other strongholds in a counter invasion. Hitler, who had not been in-formed of Mussolini's plans, let his partner sweat in his trouble through the winter. One by one, Hungary, Roumania and Bulgaria had fallen to Hitler's wiles. Now pressure was put on Yugoslavia. But an uprising upset the Yugoslav pact with Hitler, and on Sunday morning, April 8, the German dictator launched his Balkan campaign with a ferocious bombing of Belgrade. Striking from Bulgaria the Germans in three days had broken across the Vardar Valley, severing the links between Greece and Yugoslavia, and had reached the Aegean, seizing Salonika. Nazi mechanised divisions marched into Athens on April 27. The swastika had floated over the Acropolis only about three weeks when Hitler struck his most audacious airborne blow, invading Crete on May 20. Ten days later the island fell to the enemy. Italian Marshal Rudolfo Grazlani began an attack on Egypt on August 8, 1940, simultaneously with an invasion of British Somaliland. He got no farther than Sidi Barrani, where the British, under General Wavell, started a lightning comeback in December, which reached beyond Benghazi. But the British fell back in the spring because they were forced to send troops to Greece. Again, in November, 1941, the British launched an offensive which relieved Tobruk shortly before the last Italian stronghold In Ethiopia surrendered. Not long thereafter came Pearl Harbor, and Hitler declared war on the United States. His ultimate extirpation began to loom on the horizon then, for he had turned the spigot which was to produce a flood of Allied war material and men. But there were, many more black days in store for the Allies and Sunday, June 21, 1942 ranks with the blackest of them all. Women banging pails and ringing bells in Melbourne to celebrate victory in Europe. Credit:Argus Collection On that day Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps took Tobruk in a surprise thrust which carried him to within 60 miles of Alexandria. A junction of German and Japanese forces on the shores of the Indian Ocean was threatened. The Germans were preparing the summer offensive, which might break the Soviet Union, and which was to take them from Kharkov to Stalingrad. The Allies had lost Singapore, the Philippines, Burma, the Dutch East Indies and parts of the Aleutians. Australia still was menaced, despite two Japanese air-sea defeats in the Coral Sea and at Midway in May and June. Almost the brightest spot in the Allied pictureonly three weeks before the British had carried out their first 1000-bomber raid against Cologne. Air and tank forces rushed to Africa eventually turned the tide, permitting Field-Marshal Montgomery's Eighth Army to score its great victory at El Alamein, in Egypt, on October 23, 1942, and begin its long march to meet the American and British forces of General Dwight Eisenhower, which landed in Morocco and Algeria on November 7. Trapped on Cap Bon, in Tunisia, the Germans and Italians finally surrendered on May 12, 1943, ending the battle of Africa, snd the stage was set for the invasion of Italy. Axis casualties in Tunisia were placed at 341,000. Russian Gamble Until Sunday morning, June 22, 1941, everything went well with Hitler's war. That was the day he began the invasion of Russia. Joined by Finland, Roumania, Hungary and Italy, Hitler boasted of the greatest front in history 2000 miles, from the Arctic to the Black Sea. Stories from Berlin said the Nazis believed they would crush Russia in three to six weeks. Swiftly the German armies sliced through Russian-annexed territories of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Karelia, Bessarabia, swept across White Russia and the Ukraine. Before the summer campaign was done Hitler had trapped masses of Soviet soldiers, thrown an iron ring about Leningrad, reached the suburbs of Moscow and captured Kharkov. "Russia never again will rise," he declared in October, launching a "final assault" on Moscow. Another assault was ordered in November. Moscow did not fall. Then, at the right time, the Russian counter-offensive was launched. The Germans were caught in the Red Army grip, and the retreat along the Napoleonic road to disaster was begun. New York: Meghan Markle's estranged father has said he hopes his grandson will "serve with dignity", as he sent his best wishes to his daughter. Thomas Markle is a regular on British breakfast television. Thomas Markle, 74, congratulated his daughter with a statement issued from his coastal retirement bungalow near the Mexican city of Tijuana. He was not named on the official list of those informed of the birth by the Royal couple. He learnt of the Duchess of Sussex's pregnancy via a radio report while he was stuck in a traffic jam. "I am proud that my new grandson is born into the British Royal family and I am sure that he will grow up to serve the Crown and the people of Britain with grace, dignity, and honour," said Markle yesterday. Washington: China is considering delaying a trip by its top trade negotiators to Washington this week, according to people familiar with the matter, after US president Donald Trump threatened the country with steeper tariffs in retaliation for the slow pace of trade talks. Trump on Sunday raised pressure on Beijing to strike a trade deal by announcing he would increase tariffs on $US200 billion ($286 billion) of Chinese imports from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, starting this Friday. He also floated the possibility of extending a new 25 per cent duty to $US325 billion in imports that are not now covered. Shipping containers bound for China are loaded in Savannah, Georgia. World trade was again thrown into chaos after Donald Trump's tweeted threats. Credit:AP "Risks of a full blown trade war are escalating," said Chua Hak Bin, a senior economist at Maybank Kim Eng Research in Singapore. "Trump's threat may backfire as China will not want to negotiate with a gun pointing at their heads." PHILIPSBURG:--- On Sunday, May 5th at approximately 03.00 p.m. members of the Alpha Team stationed at the Princess Juliana International Airport were called on board of a Delta Airline aircraft which was preparing to depart to Atlanta Georgia, to intervene in a matter involving a passenger that was behaving very aggressive. On the scene, the officers located the male suspect identified with initials A.S. (36) of American nationality. The captain of the aircraft refused to allow the suspect to take that flight to Atlanta requested his removal from the aircraft. The suspect was severely under the influence of alcohol and refused to disembark at which time he was removed by the officers using minimal force. The suspect was taken to the Philipsburg Police Head Quarters to sober-up. The suspect was given a fine of U.S. $500,- and is waiting until arrangements are made for his deportation. Passenger accidentally open the emergency door On Sunday, May 5th at approximately 06.00 pm the Alpha Team at the Princess Juliana International Airport was called to intervene in a matter involving a male passenger on board of an aircraft operated by Winair. According to the report suspect accidentally opened the emergency exit door while changing seats. The man was removed from the aircraft and taken to the office where he was spoken to regarding this situation. No official complaint was filed against this man and he was not arrested. KPSM Press Release. Caribbean countries have taken important steps toward upgrading and diversifying their tourism sector. Efforts have also focused on diversification, with the development of new product niches in areas such as eco and nature tourism, health, sports, and culinary tourism, while new opportunities have been sought by penetrating markets in Latin America and even China. These are some of the main findings that emerged during an expert group meeting organized and hosted by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) subregional headquarters for the Caribbean. Held at ECLAC Caribbean headquarters in Port of Spain on 3 May 2019, the meeting brought together key experts from the Ministries of Tourism, Tourism Boards, Chambers of Industry and Commerce, as well as hoteliers. Discussions during the meeting centred on the findings of an upcoming study by ECLAC Caribbean. Entitled Industrial Upgrading and diversification to address the competitiveness challenges in the Caribbean: the case of tourism, the study analyzed upgrading and diversification of tourism products and services in The Bahamas, Belize and Saint Kitts and Nevis. The three countries were chosen because they span the profile of the industry in the region; The Bahamas being a well-established mature destination. Belize, a relatively new destination, boasts a wider product mix, including eco-tourism and nature tourism alongside sun, sea, and sand, while Saint Kitts and Nevis is a small twin-island destination that recently won the World Trade Organizations prize as the worlds best destination for sustainable tourism. The experts recognized efforts at upgrading undertaken by these countries, including investment in better-quality rooms at hotels and a wider array of amenities such as spa and wellness treatments. Nevertheless, it was argued that the countries still have a long way to go in optimizing the use of disruptive technologies such as Big data and Artificial Intelligence, which are proving transformative in this sector. In a similar vein, product diversification will require better research on what product bundles are best suited for each country to invest in and what would be required to deliver a high-quality experience in these areas. It was also suggested that market diversification will require targeted investments in language training, facilitating airlift and establishing business to business contacts with leading marketing firms in prospective new destinations. The experts concluded that the tourism landscape in the Caribbean is one of both opportunity and challenge, and with carefully crafted strategy and targeted actions, these countries could significantly enhance their tourism product, bringing increased economic benefit and improved living conditions for their people. PHILIPSBURG:---The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce & Industry (COCI) is reminding the business community to register for an interactive webinar that will take place on Thursday, May 9 concerning the reconstruction of the country via the Trust Fund managed by the World Bank. The Sint Maarten National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB), the World Bank and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) will be providing information about Tenders and Procurement Rules of the World Bank. Those interested should register by Wednesday, May 8 by visiting the website: www.nrpbsxm.org/register The virtual presentation will take place at the Convention Room of Simpson Bay Resort & Marina on Thursday, May 9 from 8.30am to 11.30am. The Government of the Netherlands along with the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, are hosting a series of information sessions. COCI is assisting by encouraging the Sint Maarten business community to participate in the webinar and learn more about the reconstruction opportunities that exists for construction companies, engineer bureaus, building material suppliers, environmental and management consultants and other types of businesses. The programme on Thursday entails on-site attendance registration 8.30am to 9.00am; Opening words by Erwin Arkenbout 9.00am to 9.05am; Presentations World Bank, RVO and NRPB 9.05am to 10.15am; Questions & Answers 10.15am to 10.45am; Closure of the Webinar and Announcement follow-up 10.45am. The presentations by the World Bank, RVO and NRPB will cover the following subjects: Functioning of the World Bank; Tender process (timeframe, size, formats and whats expected from participating companies); Procurement rules; Collaboration and possible opportunities to form joint ventures; Practical information; and Information sources. COCI believes that this is a great opportunity for the Sint Maarten business community to participate in the medium to long-term reconstruction of the country and encourages the business community to register for the webinar in order to learn more about the opportunities. Beverly Kennedy, right, and Vicki Bourus. Bourus is retiring from her role as director of Georgetown's Family Justice Center. (Hedgeweek) The European Energy Exchange (EEX) increased volumes on its power derivatives markets by 35 per cent to 331.9 TWh in April (April 2018: 246.6 TWh). In particular, volumes traded in the German Phelix-DE product (232.2 TWh, +82 per cent) contributed to this growth. To read this article: Harald McPike signed up in 2013 to be a customer for Space Adventures' proposed circumlunar mission, but later sued to get his deposit back. WASHINGTON Space tourism company Space Adventures has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought nearly two years ago by a man who signed up for the company's proposed mission around the moon but later sought a refund of his deposit. The suit, filed by Harald McPike, was formally dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia April 18, according to court filings. That dismissal came after the two sides reached a settlement in a March 28 meeting with a judge. The filings do not state the terms of the settlement. A spokesperson for Space Adventures confirmed April 26 that the company had settled the suit, but declined further comment. The law firm of Clare Locke LLP, which represented McPike in the suit, did not respond to a request for comment. Related: Space Adventures and Russia to Fly 2 Tourists in 2021 McPike, an Austrian businessman and adventurer who lives in the Bahamas, filed the original suit in May 2017, seeking the return of a $7 million deposit he paid to Space Adventures for a $150 million seat on a Soyuz mission that would go around the moon, and additional damages. The defendants in the suit included Space Adventures; Tom Shelley, the company's president; and Eric Anderson, the company's chairman and chief executive. According to McPike's suit, he contacted Space Adventures in July 2012 about the possibility of flying on a mission around the moon that the company had been promoting for several years. In March 2013, he signed an agreement committing to participate in such a mission, and paid an initial deposit of $7 million towards the $150 million total price with the expectation that the mission would take place within six years. McPike was scheduled to make a second deposit of $8 million one year after contract signing, but he postponed that because of concerns he had regarding the limited progress on developing the mission, including lack of information from the Russian companies and agencies that would carry out it. Space Adventures terminated the agreement in March 2015 after McPike failed to make that payment and retained his $7 million deposit. According to his suit, McPike later contacted the Russian space agency Roscosmos directly, and was informed that, contrary to the contract he signed, there was no formal relationship between the agency and Space Adventures for a circumlunar mission, that that the proposed mission was only in the "preliminary planning phase" along with several other future projects. McPike filed suit on several counts, including breach of contract, fraud, and breach of contractual warranty under state law in Virginia, where Space Adventures is based. Some counts in the original suit, including unjust enrichment, were dismissed by the court in late 2017. The case was tied up in court for months with pre-trial motions about admissibility of evidence. In one example, the defendants moved to exclude testimony from an expert witness for McPike who claimed that a circumlunar mission like the one Space Adventures had proposed could not be carried out before 2030. Related: Photos: The First Space Tourists McPike's lawyers, meanwhile, sought to exclude evidence about his personal and business life. "The only conceivable purpose of presenting such evidence and argument to the jury," they wrote in one motion, "would be to exploit the jury's lack of expertise in complex international tax and labor laws and play on the jury's emotions by vilifying Plaintiff as an unsympathetic tax-evading, model-chasing, foreign billionaire." In a March 14 order, Judge T.S. Ellis III denied motions for summary judgments by both the plaintiff and defendant, saying that the question of whether there was a breach of warranty in the agreement would need to be settled by a jury. The judge, though, appeared to be sympathetic to McPike's argument that there had been a breach of warranty because of a lack of a formal agreement between Space Adventures, abbreviated as "SA" in the document, and Roscosmos for a circumlunar mission. "Plaintiff is correct that, standing alone, the written agreements and memoranda of understanding between SA and Roscosmos do not demonstrate that SA owned the right to provide the circumlunar mission as warranted," he wrote. However, he said pre-trial depositions by Anderson and Shelley suggested that the company could have the right to such a mission "though a series of written and oral agreements" and that it should be left to a jury to determine if that evidence was sufficient. "Although it is a close call, plaintiff's motion for a summary judgment must be denied," he concluded. At the time of that order, the case was headed towards a jury trial scheduled to begin April 9. Judge Ellis, though, urged both sides, who had "felled forests (and not incidentally spent a small fortune)" in the legal proceedings, to settle. "This matter cries out for a sensible commercial resolution based on a well-reasoned assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each side's case," he wrote. Two weeks later, the two sides reached a settlement. Lunar tourism difficulties Space Adventures continues to offer a trip around the moon on its website , but has not disclosed when such a mission would take place, or if it has any customers currently. McPike's suit claims he was told that Anousheh Ansari, who flew to the International Space Station as a customer of Space Adventures in 2006, had also signed up for the circumlunar mission, but neither the company nor Ansari has publicly stated she was a customer. Early in the decade, prior to McPike's agreement, the company had claimed it sold one seat on the flight. "Because we've sold the first seat, and the second seat is very close to being sold, we plan to have it launch before the 50th anniversary of the start of the Apollo program," Anderson said in a February 2012 video . He defined the start of the Apollo program as the originally scheduled launch date of Apollo 1 of February 1967. That mission, though, ended in tragedy when a fire consumed the spacecraft during a January 1967 pad test, killing the three astronauts on board. "I can think of no better way for the private spaceflight industry to honor the fallen ones on Apollo 1 than by reigniting that spirit of exploration and circumnavigating the moon, purely as a private project," he said in that 2012 video. Other ventures that have proposed sending humans around the moon, or to the lunar surface, have also struggled . In 2004, Constellation Services International proposed circumlunar missions using Soyuz spacecraft, but failed to make progress before disbanding. Golden Spike Company announced plans in 2012 for commercial human landings on the moon, for both national space agencies and tourists, but the company faded away after a few years without making substantial technical or financial progress. In February 2017, SpaceX announced it would send two people around the moon in late 2018 on a Crew Dragon spacecraft launched on a Falcon Heavy. Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX, said the company had two customers signed up, but declined to identify them. Less than a year later, though, SpaceX backed away from those plans , saying around the time of the inaugural launch of the Falcon Heavy that the company had no plans to human-rate the launch vehicle. Musk said the company was focusing instead on its next-generation launch vehicle, then known as Big Falcon Rocket. Last September, SpaceX announced it would fly Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa around the moon using that vehicle, now called Starship. Maezawa, who made an unspecified but "non-trivial" down payment for the flight, plans to take six to eight artists with him as part of a project called "#dearMoon." That flight is scheduled for 2023, pending progress on the development of Starship and its Super Heavy booster stage. A SpaceX Dragon cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) today (May 6) to deliver nearly 3 tons of NASA supplies to the orbiting laboratory. Astronauts on the station captured the uncrewed Dragon cargo ship with a robotic arm at 7:01 a.m. EDT (1101 GMT) as both spacecraft sailed 254 miles (408 kilometers) above the north Atlantic Ocean. The spacecraft is carrying about 5,500 lbs. ( 2,495 kilograms) of experiments and other supplies for the station's six-person Expedition 59 crew. "We welcome to ISS the Dragon spacecraft as part of the SpaceX-17 cargo mission," station astronaut David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency radioed Mission Control making the catch with the station's Canadian-built Canadarm2 robot arm. Related: See the Evolution of SpaceX's Rockets in Pictures "As a Canadian, I'm proud every time we use Canadarm2 for free-flyer capture," Saint-Jacques added. "My crew and I are proud to be part of this today, representing the dedicated teams of talented people who every day make the seemingly impossible a reality." By 9:32 a.m. EDT (1332 GMT), flight controllers on Earth had used the station's robotic arm to attach Dragon to an available berth on the station so astronauts can begin unloading supplies. Image 1 of 8 A SpaceX Dragon cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station on Monday, May 6, 2019 to deliver 5,500 lbs. of supplies. (Image credit: NASA TV) Image 2 of 8 Mottled clouds and a shoreline form a spectacular background for SpaceX's Dragon cargo ship arrival. (Image credit: NASA TV) Image 3 of 8 SpaceX's Dragon soars over a desert region on Earth just before arriving at the International Space Station on May 6, 2019. (Image credit: NASA TV) Image 4 of 8 SpaceX's Dragon is seen in darkness in this nighttime view from the International Space Station during rendezvous activities on May 6, 2019. SpaceX Dragons have red and green indicator lights. (Image credit: NASA TV) Image 5 of 8 Sunrise is coming as the Earth's limb shines blue while SpaceX's Dragon is bathed in light. Space station astronauts waited until sunrise for a better view of the Dragon capture. (Image credit: NASA TV) Image 6 of 8 A stunning view of Dragon and Earth's clouds painted different colors by an orbital sunrise. (Image credit: NASA TV) Image 7 of 8 This close-up of the SpaceX-17 Dragon cargo ship shows its lineage. The International Space Station emblem visible just under the "P" in the SpaceX logo indicates it has flown to the station before on the 2017 SpaceX-12 mission. (Image credit: NASA TV) Image 8 of 8 Capture! Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques captured the Dragon spacecraft with the station's Canadarm2 at 7:01 a.m. EDT (1101 GMT) on May 6, 2019. (Image credit: NASA TV) SpaceX launched the Dragon cargo ship early Saturday (May 4) atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida following just over a week of delays. As the spacecraft neared the station today, astronauts spotted a small cable on the craft that was supposed to detach during launch, but it posed no problem for docking, NASA officials said. "It's noteworthy that this is the second flight of this particular capsule, which flew the SpaceX-12 mission," Saint-Jacques said. The spacecraft has a small space station emblem on its side indicating that previous flight in 2017. Dragon's current delivery mission is called CRS-17 by NASA and SpaceX-17 by the company. As that name suggests, it is the seventeenth cargo run for NASA by SpaceX since commercial resupply flights began in 2012. The spacecraft is carrying a host of new science payloads for use inside and outside the International Space Station. Among those experiments are NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3, an instrument to be installed on the station's exterior to track carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere. The spacecraft is also carrying so-called "tissue chips" to simulate the behavior or human organs in space, as well series of student-designed Genes in Space experiments to study you yeast DNA repairs itself in space. Dragon will stay linked to the station for about a month before being packed up with experiment samples and other gear and returning to Earth. The spacecraft has a heat shield and parachutes that allow it to survive reentry. SpaceX is also developing a crewed version of the Dragon spacecraft. The company launched its first Crew Dragon capsule test flight earlier this year and hopes to begin astronaut flights by the end of 2019. But before those crewed flights can begin, SpaceX must complete an investigation into why its Crew Dragon spacecraft exploded during a ground test of its emergency abort system last month. The April 20 test at a SpaceX landing pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was uncrewed and no injuries were reported. Once SpaceX completes that investigation, the Hawthorne, California-based company also plans to launch an in-flight abort test of an uncrewed Crew Dragon spacecraft before attempting its first astronaut mission test flight for NASA. Scientists finally have an explanation for the weird celestial phenomenon called STEVE , which looks and behaves a lot like an aurora but has key differences. A typical aurora sometimes called the northern lights or the southern lights, depending on the hemisphere in which it's located occurs when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's oxygen and nitrogen molecules. This interaction excites the molecules and causes them to glow. But STEVE, formally known as Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement, is different. In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is visible from areas farther south than a typical aurora, and it looks like a ribbon of pink or mauve light. Sometimes, STEVE even has a "picket fence" appearance, with green columns of light passing through the ribbon. Auroras, by contrast, usually are shimmering green ribbons. Related: Help NASA Study 'Steve,' a Newfound Aurora Type Now, new research on the phenomenon suggests that the picket-fence aspect of STEVE is caused by a similar mechanism as the process that results in an aurora. STEVE's mauve streaks occur when charged particles are heated up high in the atmosphere, further south than typical auroras. "This occurs outside the auroral zone, so it's indeed unique," Bea Gallardo-Lacourt, a space physicist at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, and co-author of the new research, said in a statement released by the American Geophysical Union, which published the new research. For a while, STEVE's origins were elusive. The phenomenon was discovered in 2016 by citizen scientists in western Canada. A 2018 study showed that its glow, unlike one leading hypothesis had proposed, does not result from charged particles falling into the atmosphere. The authors also pointed out that STEVE can show up at the same time as an aurora does, which makes it even harder to figure out which is which. The new study examined satellite data gathered above STEVE events in April 2008 and May 2016. The measurements included information about Earth's magnetic and electrical fields in the magnetosphere , the region of Earth's atmosphere where the planet's magnetic field is stronger than any influence coming from the sun. Then, scientists compared the satellites' findings with amateur photos of STEVE taken from the ground at the same time. When STEVE was on display, the study authors realized, energetic electrons were pouring into Earth's ionosphere, the layer of the planet's atmosphere where atoms lose electrons due to solar and cosmic radiation. The friction that flood creates heats particles, which creates the pinkish glow, almost like an incandescent light bulb. Satellite information further revealed how the "picket fence" aspect of STEVE develops. The data revealed waves moving from Earth's magnetosphere to the ionosphere. In this region, the waves can both energize electrons and move them out of the magnetosphere, creating the picket-fence appearance, which happens simultaneously in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The science team said the new results will help them learn how to predict the paths of particles flowing through the ionosphere. It's an important field of study for scientists to better understand how these particles may interfere with radio communications and GPS signals . And it turns out, the public can help, as citizen scientists did by providing STEVE photographs for this research. "As commercial cameras become more sensitive and increased excitement about the aurora spreads via social media, citizen scientists can act as a 'mobile sensor network,' and we are grateful to them for giving us data to analyze," lead author Toshi Nishimura, a space physicist at Boston University, said in the same statement. A study based on the research was published April 16 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Sandra Olson, an aerospace engineer at NASA's Glenn Research Center, demonstrates just how fire acts differently in space through her art. She overlaid three separate microgravity flame images in this artwork. This image won first place in the 2011 Combustion Art Competition, held at the 7th U.S. National Combustion Meeting. Fire in space is a critical matter; a serious fire on the Mir space station in the 1990s almost caused the crew to evacuate. Complicating matters is that typical fire extinguishers may not be as effective in space, given the weird behavior of fire in microgravity . Enter a solution: a new fire extinguisher made for space, designed by researchers at the Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan. It's called the Vacuum Extinguish Method, or VEM for short. A typical fire extinguisher works by spraying carbon dioxide foam, which, if operated properly and quickly, will damp down any flames. In a statement , researchers working on the new extinguisher said this classic design is not an ideal solution for space, for at least two reasons. First, using carbon dioxide in a small space will increase concentration of the toxic gas in the spacecraft. That means astronauts need to quickly don oxygen masks to use it. In a fire, when seconds count, that could be a problem. Related: Astronauts Relive Their 'Secret Space Escapes' at NY Comic Con A test of the Vacuum Extinguish Method, created by researchers at Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan, shows that material generated by the flame such as soot as well as the burning source are pulled into a suction box. (Image credit: Toyohashi University of Technology) The other issue is what happens when the fire is extinguished by spraying in microgravity. All of the combustion products, as well as the carbon dioxide from the fire extinguisher, float everywhere. Although spacecraft are typically equipped with filters for waste products, it's a time-consuming procedure to clean everything up, the researchers said. VEM instead sucks the flames into a separate vacuum chamber, along with whatever caused the combustion. The researchers say this process would be helpful for any enclosed environment, including spacecraft and submarines. That's because VEM will "prevent or suppress spreading [of] the harmful combustion products such as fume, particulate matters, [or] toxic gas component across the entire enclosed cabin," researchers said in the statement. Should the fire continue in the vacuum chamber, it at least gives those at risk a bit more time to follow more typical fire-extinguishing protocols, including donning oxygen masks, the researchers added. Using VEM would also reduce the damage to any air filters from particulate matter generated in the fire. The innovative technology has not been accepted yet for space, added study leader Yuji Nakamura, a professor at Toyohashi. "At present, space agencies are wary to introduce this concept because no such device was developed and tested by them," he said in the statement. "It is understandable that their decision-making is frequently based on safety so that older technologies which are well-distributed and reassuring are approved," he added. "However, it does not mean that the new concept has no possibility of being considered We will continue to refine and present the concept." A paper based on the research was published online April 16 in a special issue of the journal Fire Technology. It's one thing to talk about the possibility of an asteroid striking Earth and what humanity could do about it. It's a very different thing to see an angry red slash crossing a huge swath of the planet from Hawaii, over the continental United States and through Africa, marking where a large, albeit hypothetical, asteroid could fall. That's precisely what confronted a roomful of asteroid scientists, planetary-defense experts, decision makers and emergency management personnel at the International Academy of Astronautics' Planetary Defense Conference , held in College Park, Maryland, last week. "It was really an interesting and fun opportunity to participate in the simulation exercise," Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Sciences Division, told Space.com. "I said it was fun because it was great to see so many people really thinking through all the various angles of how we would, as a society, an international human society, how we would try to deal with a potential threat to the planet." Related: This Scientist Is Creating Fictional Asteroids to Save Humanity from Armageddon That exercise spanned nearly the entire timeline of such a crisis, with scientists spotting the hypothetical asteroid in March 2019, visiting it with a flyby reconnaissance spacecraft, attempting to deflect it , realizing that the attempt had failed and determining that a small fragment would obliterate most of Manhattan in just 10 days. (None of these events is real.) The fictional asteroid was carefully constructed by Paul Chodas, a real scientist at NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies , who has been designing asteroid scenarios since the 1990s. But there's a lot of value in looking at the many different types of havoc an asteroid could wreak, he said. "As we get to more fidelity on these [simulations], it raises issues I never thought of," Chodas told Space.com. "We're bringing in new people working on the problem. Frankly, we're getting lots of great ideas from new faces." Such exercises also give the planetary defense community the subset of asteroid scientists and spacecraft designers who are thinking about how to find and avert threatening asteroids a chance to hear from experts in other fields, like emergency response. And while an asteroid may be an exotic type of emergency, it's not exotic enough to faze those experts. "We really approach disaster from an all-hazards perspective," Damon Penn, an assistant administrator at the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, told Space.com. "So, not so much interest in what caused the disaster, but [instead in] what are the outcomes and what is the population that needs to be served." Unlike many more-conventional emergencies, with an asteroid, there's a chance that scientists could offer years of warning. During the conference's scenario, the hypothetical asteroid was spotted eight years before impact . But there was plenty of information that attendees were forced to go without during the main decision-making period, held on April 30. That's when Glaze acted as the head of a task force assembled to determine the U.S. response after hearing from representatives of groups, like astronomers observing the object, mission designers and the public. (In the scenario, this task force meeting took place at the end of July.) Related: Huge Asteroid Apophis Flies by Earth on Friday the 13th in 2029 That response, backed by a hypothetical $2 billion, included reaching out to the United Nations, organizing a campaign to get better data on the object from the ground, putting together a reconnaissance spacecraft and designing missions that could deflect the space rock. As Glaze presented that plan to the conference attendees, she was clearly living in the scenario, laughingly referencing that she was speaking off 20 minutes of briefings and 30 seconds of thought. But she said the exercise gave her real perspective into the planetary defense aspects of her department and the larger context it fits into. "Some aspects of it are similar to my job in that I have to rely on a lot of subject matter experts that are out there that bring me their best recommendations and then I try to make the best decisions possible," Glaze said. "Being at the conference and watching those scenarios playing out in real time really helps my perspective and my genuine understanding of that full breadth of what planetary defense means within my organization." She said dealing with the uncertainty was the biggest struggle in the exercise. "We know we have to move quickly if we're going to respond in time and yet knowing that by moving out quickly one would be committing lots of funding, lots of money, lots of effort and activities before we really know it's needed," she said. That, too, is a situation that emergency management experts have to be comfortable navigating. "Sometimes, you have a high level of confidence. Sometimes you don't," Penn said. "Same thing when we're dealing with NOAA [the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] and we're dealing with hurricanes. They're very, very good at predicting and telling us what the impacts will be, but they're also very good at telling us when it's too early to pinpoint things exactly or the situation is such that the models aren't coming together." During the scenario, attendees experienced that sense of early uncertainty first hand, after their initial decision to try to deflect the asteroid was only partially successful and ended up relocating the impact site from Denver to New York City. "If you act too quickly and this is the real art part of what I do if you act too quickly you potentially put things into the impacted area or put people, worse, into the impacted area," Penn said. "If you act too late, then you don't have enough time to get people and things out of the impacted area. So the timing is the biggest part of that." The simulation serves as a safe space for planetary defense experts to build connections with other types of experts and to think through some of these challenges without the real-life pressure of an actual impending impact. And that's important, said Glaze, Chodas and Penn. "This is not too big to have discussions on. It is not too out-of-this-world to be thinking about," Penn said. "It's all part of us being prepared as a nation." The Anti-Environment Party AfD Hopes to Win Votes by Opposing Climate Protection German populists are adopting climate change denialism as a new campaign strategy. The far-right Alternative for Germany party has begun directing its unscientific claims at global warming activists like 16-year-old Greta Thunberg and says it wants to be the party that "saves diesel." Katie contends with finding a work-life balance this week, while Greg contends with two lying teenagers! Katie is at school when she finds herself dodging the principal's request of chaperoning a field trip. Usually, she comes up with some outrageous lie (malaria, hip replacement, etc), but this time she realizes that she has an actual excuse. She has work! At home that night, Katie sits down to play with Anna-Kat and realizes that she's beginning to lose touch with her. She doesn't even know the names of most of her toy ponies! In bed, Katie talks to Greg about it, who mentions that not only does he know the names of the ponies, but he's chaperoning the field trip tomorrow. Katie starts to wonder if she's spending too much time working. The next morning, Katie and Greg get ready to head out when they're met with a "sick" Taylor, which isn't very surprising. She fakes sick every chance she gets. What is surprising is that Oliver is apparently "sick" as well. Oliver never misses school, so they're convinced they must actually be sick. (Besides, they did drink the expired smoothie, even if it was in the buffer zone!) Taylor and Oliver assure Katie and Greg they can take care of each other and the two leave for the day. And just like that - their plan to skip school and go to the amusement park with Trip and Cooper seems to be working! At "second breakfast," Katie talks to Doris and Angela about becoming distant from Anna-Kat, and realizes that maybe chaperoning the field trip is the way to reconnect with her. She's only got ten minutes before the bus leaves, so she speeds over to the school, parks her car right in front of the bus, and literally throws Greg off of it! And they're off to the farm. Katie tries to start up one of her and Anna-Kat's favorite activities - a bus sing-a-long, only to discover that Anna-Kat's not as fond of belting out 80s pop ballads in front of her whole class as she once was. Once at the farm, Katie starts playing one of Anna-Kat's old favorite games, "First Day on Earth," where they pretend like it's their first day on earth and ask stupid questions. And just like with the bus sing-a-long, Anna-Kat isn't interested. In fact, she's downright embarrassed. With Katie on the field trip, Greg heads home to take care of a "sick" Oliver and Taylor, who are just about to leave for the amusement park. They quickly stash Trip and Cooper and throw their pajamas back on, hoping to fool Greg and convince him to leave. But Greg's quite insistent on staying home and taking care of them, so much so that he even gets "advice" from his doctor friend about how to flush the toxins out of their systems. That advice - sweat it out and coat themselves with homemade "salve" (turmeric, garlic, and mustard)! So, Greg sticks the two in the bathroom with the shower running and their winter coats on and whips up a batch of "salve." At the farm, Katie calls Greg to tell him about how bad things are going with Anna-Kat and Greg says that maybe she's trying too hard. After-all, she knows what Anna-Kat likes. This gives Katie an idea - a really bad one. She lets Beverly the skittish pony out of her coral and marches her over to Anna-Kat and her friends, determined to make Anna-Kat's make-believe pony game come to life. Of course, Anna-Kat is humiliated, and the principal and farm owner are terrified to see Beverly out of her coral. Ignoring the warnings of the two of them, Katie gives Beverly a nice firm pat on the rear and off she goes - taking the gazebo Katie's tied her to with her! They fan out to search for Beverly and when Katie says that she came on the field trip because she felt bad about working so much, Anna-Kat says Katie is just trying to force having fun with her. Katie responds that she's just trying to do things she likes. Anna-Kat says that she likes different stuff now, and even though she still likes a few of the same things, like playing ponies, she'd prefer her friends not know about it, as it would be embarrassing. Beverly is finally found, and is safely "back in her corral sleeping under four weighted blankets." At home, Greg continues the "healing process" by having the kids stick scallions in their ears. As they begrudgingly comply, he takes a picture of them and finally reveals his trick. Greg knows their whole game! When he came home, he found Trip and Cooper and got the whole story out of them. Everything he's done since then has just been to teach them a lesson about taking advantage of the "nice parent." He says if they ever try anything similar again, he will post the picture he took of them all over town! On the way home from the field-trip, Anna-Kat and Katie sing Mickey, proving Anna-Kat hasn't completely changed. Anna-Kat tells Katie that she can chaperone another field trip, as long as she behaves. That's not gonna be a problem though, as Katie' been banned from ever going on a field trip again! Random Thoughts: -Principal Ablin's blazer plus overalls combo was hilarious, as was his attempt at "revenge" via ding-dong-ditching at the end. -Guess I'm not the only one who's been raised to think that expiration dates are a "suggestion!" -The funniest line goes to Katie after Anna-Kat talks about her new favorite fruits. "Gotta love Westport. The closet I got to fresh fruit as a kid was Wild Cherry cough-drops." What did you think of Katie's attempts to bond with Anna-Kat? Will Taylor and Oliver ever try to skip again? Let me know below! *NOTE- This review contains spoilers. There many qualities a good manager has. They know when to let a valued and talented employee have the freedom to do the job they were hired to do. But they also know when to tug on the reins and pull that employee in when it appears they're veering from their assigned task. In the latest intense episode of Killing Eve, "Desperate Measures" (2.04) Both Konstantin (Kim Bodnia) and Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) illustrate why they are two of the best managers out there in the spy world. Despite the entire Operation Mandalay mission appearing to be in complete chaos, Carolyn reassures her boss, the wonderful Zoe Wannamaker in a memorable guest shot, that everything is going to plan. In doing so, she demonstrates why Carolyn is so good at HER job, appearing calm on the outside while inside she may be panicking. All she needs to do after leaving her boss's office is start gently tugging on the reins to get the mission back on track. And she's very successful at it, as Eve and her team quickly focus on the mission at hand, capturing the Ghost and solving the murder of internet magnate, Alistar Peel. She even goes so far as to intercept a postcard for Eve from Villanelle in an effort to get Eve back on track.While Carolyn is busy refocusing Eve's attention away from Villanelle, Konstantin has taken Villanelle to Amsterdam for the first assignment of their new partnership. And he knows just how to motivate her. He uses Eve Polastri. He tells Villanelle that he believes that her obsession with Eve has made her soft and that she needs to complete their assignment as a way of showing Eve what she's missing. He knows just the right buttons to push. He is a master at Villanelle. Their relationship is almost a bizarre father/childlike one. In fact, at one point in the episode, he calls her child-like. When you look at it, Villanelle IS childlike, but she's a very dangerous and deadly child. She's easily bored, her emotions are often on edge and she's easily manipulated at times. The result of Konstantin's manipulation in this episode results in a tour-de-force performance from Jodie Comer.Comer's Villanelle has always been a standout of the show matching series star Sandra Oh scene for scene. However, in Season Two she has been on fire and her performance in "Desperate Times" is of the kind that wins awards. First, she plots her next assassination while sitting stylishly by the river while stalking her prey. This leads to a soon to be classic encounter by a vapid passerby who asks if she can take Villanelle's picture for Instagram. Comer's delivery of "No! No, of course not. Don't be pathetic, get a real life!" is so on point and almost comes across as a pointed commentary on today's society. Let's not forget she does this while sitting there in an amazingly gorgeous pink outfit and writing a postcard to Eve.Can we just here for a moment to say how fabulous the wardrobes used this season of Killing Eve have been? Kudos to the fashion designer for the series, the clothes have been amazing, well except maybe for Konstantin's questionable choice of shirts on the bridge. Even Villanelle had issues with that one. Konstantin's shirt aside, the show has been a showcase of style and fashion and the show's wardrobe department has nailed distinctive styles for each character.Villanelle then stages her most flamboyant and essentially disturbing assassination of her career by literally almost completely gutting a man in front of an audience as he hangs in a window of one of Amsterdam's famous red-light district shops. Her actions made even more bizarre by the fact she's wearing an elaborate pig-head and costume while doing it. Surely this will get Eve's attention and bring her back to her.But things don't go exactly as planned. 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 it's not Eve that's been sent. 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 isn't Eve Polastri. Finally, shock gives way to despair and then anger when she realizes that Eve isn't coming. And she does all of this in just a matter of seconds on screen.Then, like a petulant child not getting her way, Villanelle acts out. She stalks angrily to an underground club, scores and takes drugs, then almost chokes a woman to death in the ladies' room when the woman cuts in line. She's saved from committing that murder by Konstantin who arrives like a dutiful father, even cementing that role when she wakes up the next morning, hung-over and finds him asleep on the floor by her bedside, watching over her.Meanwhile, Eve has been reacting just as Carolyn wants her to by putting the piece together to determine the style and identity of the Ghost. She's forming a solid partnership with Jess (Nina Sosanya) while investigating all the deaths around the sale of the Peel company. She's impressing Hugo (Edward Bluemel) with her deductive skills in figuring out who the Ghost is and bonds with him over fried chicken. And then she cleverly confronts the Ghost and arrests her at her children's school.Even as Oh remains masterful as Eve, this episode, hands down, belongs to Jodie Comer. New show-runner and writer Emerald Fennell is doing a masterful job at adding layer upon layer to one of television's most unique characters and Comer is taking everything Fennell throws at her and is running with it. Between Oh, Comer, and Fennell they have become a team creating some of television's most compelling hours. They're building again this season to the inevitable confrontation between Eve and Villanelle.What are your thoughts about Desperate Times? Share them in the comments below. STAMFORD A Massachusetts man set up a sculpture of a skeleton he made from nearly 300 empty pill bottles outside Purde Pharma headquarters on Tresser Boulevard Monday to bring awareness of the addictive properties of the drug makers products. Worcester resident Frank Huntley, 51, said he came to Stamford to, Save lives and open eyes. Huntley said he was hooked on OxyContin, which is made by Purdue, for a decade-and-a-half. The bottles in his Pillman sculpture were from his own prescriptions. Look, this was me for 15 years, he said, pointing to the sculpture of bottles with a plastic skull on top. This drug controlled me every day, and every minute of my day, OK? For the last six years I have been trying to save myself. Huntley said he was going try to say in front of the building all day long, and hoped people noticed he was there. Police showed up at about 8:35 a.m., a few minutes after he arrived, and told him that if he didnt obstruct others from walking while remaining on the sidewalk he would be able to stay. That was not the case in June 2018 when a colossal spoon, created by Massachusetts artist Domenic Esposito as a symbol of heroin addicts hooked by prescription opioids, was set in front of Purdue. The spoon was seized by Stamford police, who arrested Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery, owner of a gallery in Stamford, who installed the spoon outside Purdue. He eventually was allowed to enter a court diversionary program and the 800-pound spoon was returned. Many cities and states, including Connecticut, have sued Purdue over alleged deceptive marketing of its drugs, which many believe directly fueled the nationwide opioid addiction epidemic. Huntley said he was a painter and wallpaperer 15 years ago when he injured his shoulder and back. After two surgeries in 1998 he was prescribed OxyContin and quickly became addicted. This could happen to any one of us and this is happening to us, thousands of us, he said. After a year of being on the pill a doctor began prescribing him methadone so he could get through the night without withdrawals, Huntley said. Purdue spokesman Bob Josephson in an email Monday said, We share Mr. Huntleys concerns about the opioid addiction crisis, and respect his right to peacefully express himself. Purdue is committed to working collaboratively with those affected by this public health crisis on meaningful solutions to help stem the tide of opioid-related overdose deaths. He said his company is leading efforts to combat prescription drug abuse, which includes collaborating with law enforcement, funding enhancements to state prescription drug monitoring programs and directing health care professionals to the Centers for Disease Controls Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. Purdue, members of its owning Sackler family, and several executives, have been accused in many lawsuits of purposely hiding the risks posed by the companys pain drugs, and agressively pushing their sale. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com Iltalehti on Saturday wrote that the group that is supportive of the idea of ruling for another four years consists primarily of young lawmakers who are not burdened by the policies introduced by the government of Prime Minister Juha Sipila (Centre). The names mentioned by the tabloid daily include Katri Kulmuni, Jouni Ovaska and Hilkka Kemppi. MOST MEMBERS of the Centre Parliamentary Group are leaning towards joining the next government, reports Iltalehti. Antti Rinne, the chairperson of the Social Democrats, dropped his strongest hint yet about his preference for the coalition composition in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat on Friday. He stressed to the newspaper that it is important to ensure not a single small party ends up in a position where it alone guarantees a majority for the government. Ive set my sights on a clear majority government, said Rinne. The Centre Party has previously announced it is most likely heading to the opposition to lick its wounds after suffering its worst result in the parliamentary elections in over a hundred years. Media speculation, as a result, has focused primarily on a coalition formed by the Social Democrats, National Coalition, Green League and Swedish Peoples Party. The coalition you mentioned would have 108 seats [out of the total of 200 in the Finnish Parliament]. The popular front would have 117 seats when strengthened by the Swedish Peoples Party, Rinne said to Helsingin Sanomat. The so-called popular front consists of the Social Democrats, Centre Party, Green League and Left Alliance. Antti Kaikkonen, the chairperson of the Centre Parliamentary Group, told Helsingin Sanomat that the Centre is keeping the door to the government five centimetres ajar. We evaluated after the elections that the opposition is our number-one option. This is a position that hasnt changed. Weve kept the door to the government roughly five centimetres ajar in case it becomes difficult to form a functioning government, he said. Aleksi Teivainen HT Source: Uusi Suomi 3 1 of 3 U.S. Coast Guard photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 U.S Coast Guard photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The Coast Guard has suspended a search for a possible missing person after a unmanned paddleboard was found floating in Long Island Sound on Sunday. The 12-foot, blue and white paddleboard and was found south of Stamford Harbor between Greenwich Point and Shippan Point. STAMFORD - Citing diminishing crowds and the ongoing renovation of Veterans Memorial Park, the city has canceled this years Memorial Day parade. In its place officials have scheduled a 5K run in Cummings Park followed by a ceremony to honor the war dead. Officials said they hope the race will boost citizen participation in the holiday, but some veterans predict the move will create hard feelings. There already are hard feelings, said Archie Elam, a member of the Stamford Veterans Council who served in the Gulf War. Turnout for the parade has declined for years, and the city hopes the 5K will draw people, said Mark McGrath, director of the Office of Operations, which organizes parades. Veterans will be in Cummings Park, where there is a flag and a memorial, to meet people, said McGrath, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Because Veterans Park is closed for construction, we are trying something different, McGrath said. There has been less observance of the holiday, and we want to get more people involved. The event begins at 8 a.m. on the holiday, May 27, with a check-in for runners. The race, which winds through Cummings Park, into the Shippan neighborhood and back, starts at 8:30 a.m. A remembrance ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m., followed by a reception for veterans from noon to 2 p.m. The decision to substitute the race for the downtown parade was made over several meetings of the Patriotic and Special Events Commission that included some veterans, McGrath said. Elam, a state officer with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said Vietnam veteran Alan Sosnowitz attended the meetings and tried the best he could to present the views of the Stamford Veterans Council. But veterans were invited to the table late, Elam said. We heard this was in progress after the decision was made, he said. We made a couple of appeals to the Patriotic and Special Events Commission and drafted a letter to them, but at the end of the day it went nowhere. Steve Fischer, commander of the Stamford Veterans Council, which includes representatives from the Catholic War Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Marine Corps League, Jewish War Veterans, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans, said members oppose the 5K run. They requested that the parade take place, Fischer said. Elam said he agrees with city officials that a race is good for younger veterans, and that the Memorial Day ceremony had to be moved because Veterans Memorial Park on Atlantic Street is in the middle of a renovation. But it was no reason to cancel the parade, he said. It did not have to be an either-or choice. It could have been both-and, Elam said. You can have a parade into the park, do the run, then have a ceremony. But they did not start the decision process with asking us what we thought. If you want buy-in, thats not how you start. McGrath said low parade turnout and the temporary loss of Veterans Memorial Park as the endpoint begs for us to try something new this year. With payment to bands and overtime for police officers, the Memorial Day parade costs about $25,000, he said. The 5K run will cost less because there are no bands and fewer officers are needed, since only a small portion of the race will take place on city streets, he said. Elam said parade turnout has been waning, but its because the city failed to advertise it. McGrath has been in his post only about six months, Elam said, but in the past the city has not gotten word out about the Memorial Day parade. Every year after we march I would get folks saying, If I had known about this, Id have been there, Elam said. There are 40,000 veterans in Fairfield County. The city has not been good about involving veterans organizations in the planning process. Communications, marketing, outreach lagged. Thats why the numbers look the way they do. Tony Pavia, former history teacher, Stamford High School principal and author of one book about Stamford residents who served in World War II and, with his son, Matt Pavia, a second one about residents who served in Vietnam, said veterans contacted him when they heard the parade was canceled. Its not a good move for the city, Pavia said. I think Memorial Day is probably the most important of all federal holidays because it recognizes everyone throughout history who gave their lives for the country, Pavia said. I spent years studying the price Stamford paid in all the wars. Stamford lost its citizens to the French and Indian War, going all the way back to 1754. Stamford has a great story to tell. Its beneath the city to not have a parade. If the criteria now is to create an event that will bring a crowd, I dont understand that, Pavia said. McGrath said there has been no decision to end the Memorial Day parade forever. Were trying the 5K because with the parade we were doing the same thing over and over and getting the same result, he said. So far 100 people have signed up for the run. There will be a Veterans Day parade in November, when the renovated Veterans Memorial Park is set to open, McGrath said. Elam said hes afraid the Memorial Day parade will be forgotten. Were not good at remembering, he said. I dont know that it wont just go away. acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296. 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. WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is sending an aircraft carrier and a bomber task force to the Middle East, the White House said Sunday, in a show of force aimed at Iran. "In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," national security adviser John Bolton said in a statement. "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces," the statement said. A defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, said there were indications "that Iranian forces and proxies were making preparations to possibly attack U.S. forces in the region." But neither Bolton nor the Defense Department identified what actions Iran may have taken that would prompt an increased U.S. military presence in the region. The United States has significant naval, air and ground forces already deployed in the Middle East. Asked about the announcement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters traveling with him en route to Finland that "it's something we've been working on for a little while." Repeating Bolton's statement about undefined "escalatory" actions" by Iran, he said "we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests." "If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that," he said. Asked whether the United States had communicated the message directly to Iran, Pompeo said "the Iranians understand exactly what our view is of the threats they are posing to U.S. interests around the world. I can't say anything more about that." At a meeting of the Arctic Council in Finland, Pompeo plans to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Among other things, their talks are expected to focus on Venezuela, where the administration says that Russian economic and military support - as well as backing from Iran and Cuba - is keeping President Nicolas Maduro in power. The administration blames Iran for fueling instability across the Middle East, and Bolton has been a longtime advocate of using military force against the government in Tehran. The statement, issued in Bolton's name, was released late Sunday evening without elaboration. Iran gave no immediate response to the White House statement. Earlier Sunday, Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said that the United States had adopted "psychological warfare" against Iran and that U.S. actions in the region were part of a political struggle with other superpowers, according to Iran's Mehr News Agency. The United States, Larijani said, "wants to keep the Persian Gulf for itself." The U.S. move follows actions by the administration designed to increase "maximum pressure" on Iran. On Friday, the State Department announced new restrictions on Iran's civil nuclear program, saying it would not fully renew sanction waivers that allowed other countries to participate in nonproliferation projects there as part of the Iran nuclear deal. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal last year, and he has gradually increased pressure on other signatories, including Britain, France and Germany, to do the same. They have refused, and late Saturday issued a sharply worded statement emphasizing their "continued commitment" to the agreement, and noting Iran's "continued compliance" with its terms. Late last month, U.S. waivers were canceled that had allowed eight countries to gradually phase out their purchase of Iranian oil since sanctions on Iranian exports were reimposed in November. In early April, the administration designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group, the first time that such action has been taken against an official arm of a foreign government. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps designation had stoked fears that Iran might retaliate against U.S. personnel or interests in the region, possibly via one of an array of armed proxy groups that include Lebanese Hezbollah and Shiite militias in Iraq. Thousands of U.S. service members are stationed at large bases in Bahrain, Qatar and other locations in the area, while troops in Iraq and Syria continue to conduct operations targeting the Islamic State group. The Nimitz-class Lincoln left the port of Norfolk, Virginia, earlier this spring. NORWALK School administrators say a new schedule for Kendall Elementary School could improve test scores and help to close the achievement gap. But many parents and teachers are wondering at what costs those developments might come. The year-round school model, the concept for which was first discussed by the Board of Education in August 2018, was presented to Kendall parents Thursday night in the schools cafeteria by Superintendent of Schools Steven J. Adamowski, Chief of Digital Learning and Development Ralph Valenzisi and Kendall Principal Zakiyyah Baker. Over the course of two sessions the first in Spanish the administrators sought to explain the rationale behind the schedule change, which would add five days of schooling, shift the timing of school breaks and limit their duration to no more than three weeks and extend the school day. The result would be an additional 300 hours of educational time per year. We have a couple pieces of research that we made this decision off of. One is specifically if students are in school for an additional 300 hours a year, just in school, actually aligned to their academics, with those additional 300 hours, we actually see an increase in their academic achievement, Valensizi told the crowd, which seemed to oscillate between genuine intrigue, confusion and anger during the course of the roughly 45-minute presentation. Aside from concerns about how their elementary-aged students would handle an extra hour of school, or how the new configuration of time off might impact child care, family vacations and summer camp attendance, several parents alleged that the process of implementation was opaque. We shouldve been told about this and parents shouldve had a little more input before its implemented and (then) thats just the way its going to be, said Dana Ross, whose daughter is in third grade. If approved, the schedule change would go into effect for the 2020-2021 school year. But Ross and other parents were expressing a sense that they were being invited to join the conversation too far along in the process. Adamowski first informed the Board of Education last summer that investors were interested in funding the year-round model. In December, Adamowski named Kendall, Jefferson and Brookside as three finalists for the model, based on their large number of high-needs and free- and reduced-lunch students. He named the Grossman Foundation of Greenwich and the Heidenreich Family Foundation of Stamford as interested donors willing to fit the bill, which Adamowski said would cost roughly $5 million over a three-year rollout. After the three-year period, the cost would shift back to the city. On Thursday, parents were told that Kendall was now the sole finalist for the year-round model, though many didnt realize they had been competing for the distinction. This is an unusual situation for our school system, because normally when we do something, we involve everybody, we ask their opinion, and people come up with something thats very close to their comfort zone, because they know what they know and theyre used to doing what theyre doing, Adamowski said. This is a more significant change and it is not about adult involvement or adult convenience, its really about raising student achievement to a much higher level that would ever occur if we dont do these things. I would expect, like any change issue, that there are going to be adults who are not going to like this, or are going to see themselves in a more traditional setting which they would have the option to pursue, Adamowski added, referring to teachers who feel the year-round mode would not work with their schedules. Hes said they will have an option to transfer elsewhere in the district. In fact, a vast majority of teachers have weighed in on the issue and have confirmed Adamowskis expectation. According to Mary Yordon, president of the Norwalk Federation of Teachers, more than 80 percent of teachers responded that they had reservations about the shift on a survey administered by the union. Yordon said the survey was presented to Adamowski in March. This has not been a collaborative process, Yordon said. There are many teachers who have arranged their personal lives and their careers around this schedule that currently exists and it appears about ready to be changed. So it is upsetting to have to find a new job if your circumstances dont allow you to work year round. Some in the crowd Thursday felt Adamowski was evasive when pressed about teachers opinions. The question was asked, what do the teachers think of it, and you didnt give us an answer. The teachers are the ones who teach our children. Whats their input? said Scott Mccoy, whose grandson is in fourth grade, prompting a response from Baker. Right now, as a team were mixed in our thoughts, not just with certified staff, with our non certified staff. Change is hard. I think thats why our superintendent went to, What do the kids need first, Baker began, before Mccoy interjected. But the students you talk about are our children. We should have a say from the start, not when its just about implemented. And that didnt happen. We got informed yesterday, Mccoy said. Several parents expressed having only found out about the meeting by chance. Ross said she happened to run into a Kendall parent at the grocery store earlier this week, who informed her of the meeting and proposed change. Tory Ferrara, who has a son in kindergarten and two younger children who she expects will attend Kendall and whose husband, Tony, is a member of the School Governance Council, complained that the meeting was hidden in a Kendall newsletter under the heading Above the Bar Grant the name given to the pledged investment and that many missed it. Tony Ferrera said the School Governance Council was never given an opportunity to vote on the plan and expressed similarly that the school and district has been slow to provide information. Valenzisi said a parent survey would be distributed by the end of May. The whole tone is, Yes, were doing this, no matter what the input is, Ferrara said, following the meeting. It almost feels like theyre doing an experiment with the school. Weve already shown improvement. If its not broke, dont fix it. We love this school. We live a quarter mile away. Our son loves it, Ferrara said. We would be very sad to transfer. justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586 R amadan starts this weekend, which means many Muslims in London and around the world will be fasting no food, no water from sunrise until sunset for a whole 30 days. Thats no easy undertaking particularly for Londons foodies. When the sun goes down, fasting folks are going to need a hearty halal meal ready to go on that dining table. Restaurants across the capital are coming to the aid of hungry Ramadan-observers by taking measures to make your iftar the name given to the meal which breaks fast even more welcome. From free dates to five-course dinners, mocktails to macarons, these are the places in London to head to to break your fast. Ramadan 2019: Why Im fasting Honey & Smoke Patricia Niven The grills are being fired up just before sundown at Middle Eastern restaurant Honey & Smoke, the second spot from the acclaimed Honey & Co team. To break fast, diners will be offered a handful of almonds and three medjool dates (the food with which the Quran says Prophet Muhammad would always break his fast), before guests are served a special iftar mezze menu. Flat breads come ready for dipping in the likes of za-atar-infused olive oil and hummus with tatbilla, and for scooping up aubergine and tomato salad, falafel with tahini, vegetable fritters and labneh topped with spring greens. 216 Great Portland Street, W1W 5QW, honeyandco.co.uk Dishoom Bombay-style Irani cafe Dishoom is throwing quite the iftar party. May 22 will see the Kings Cross location spill out into the nearby West Handyside Canopy, where a communal feast will be held featuring some of the restaurants most popular dishes. All food and drink is included in the 12 ticket price, and guests will be welcomed with live music and thali plates filled with dates and fresh fruit. A call to prayer will be given at 8.59pm, followed by surahs, verses and Maghreb prayers. In keeping with the Muslim pillar of zakat the act of giving to charity proceeds from the dinner will go towards Akshaya Patra, an Indian charity that provides free school meals to children in need. Mamounia Lounge Mamounia Lounge is offering you the chance to break your fast in style with a five-course iftar meal at its Knightsbridge restaurant. The 40-per-person menu will start traditionally with medjool dates and either a juice or a glass of leben (a fermented milk drink) alongside lentil, harira or chorba soup. Guests can then tuck into a mezze sharing board for the table, before choosing a main dish from lamb kafta skewers, chicken breast shish taouk, or tagines filled either with fish or seasonal vegetables. The meal rounds up with a selection of baklawa and maghrebine pastries, accompanied by Moroccan mint tea. 136 Brompton Road, SW3 1HY, mamounialounge.com The Lebanese Bakery This Holborn bakery specialises in cooking up a manoushesh, a type of traditional Lebanese flatbread that comes topped with all manner of treats. This Ramadan, the Lebanese Bakery which has a sibling site in Beirut will be extending its delivery and catering service until midnight to satisfy late night appetites. It will also be baking maamouls a traditional date biscuit and decorating the premises with fanous lanterns, which represent hope during the holy month. 34-43 Russell Street, WC2B 5HA, thelebanesebakery.com Laduree French macaron maestro Laduree will be turning its tastebuds to Middle Eastern flavours in celebration of Ramadan, producing sweet treats to enjoy at Iftar. The bakery will be producing a special Ramadan cake made with avocado diplomat cream, date and nut paste and sweet pastry. Alternatively, sugary cravings can be satisfied with a date and fig-flavoured version of Ladurees famous macarons. InterContinental Park Lane From May 6, the Wellington Lounge at the InterContinental Hotel in Park Lane will host a changing feasting menu for every night of Ramadan, starting sittings at 9pm. The four-course menu costs 49 per person, with discounts for children. Dinner begins with a shorba cause of braised beef with white beans and chilli oil, followed by a mezze platter and mains including fava bean falafel, meat kibbeh, lamb tagine and chilli garlic king prawns. The menu will finish with dessert, and will be served with the option of adding botanical mocktails. The hotel will also host a Prayer Room on its mezzanine floor. One Hamilton Place, Park Lane, W1J 7QY, parklane.intercontinental.com Dominique Ansel Bakery Dominique Ansel Bakery, the London home of the Insta-famous cronut, will be opened until 11pm from May 6 and throughout the month of Ramadan thats quite a leap considering it usually closes at 8pm. Special offerings will include larger sharing versions of some of Ansels most popular bakes, including an eight-person edition of the signature Mini-Me cake, made with four textures of chocolate cake and topped with miniature meringues. 17-21 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9RP, dominiqueansellondon.com RTP Open Iftar Ramadan Tent Project, a community institution which promotes the understanding of Islams holy month, hosts an Open Iftar on every one of the 30 nights. The first 20 nights will be hosted at Tavistock Square in Bloomsbury, before moving to locations across the capital for the following 10. People of all faiths and none are invited to the meal, which is accompanied by guest speakers, the chance to ask Imams one-on-one questions, a call to prayer followed by Taraweeh prayers. Tinseltown American-style diner Tinseltown has five locations across London, and all of them will be offering snacks to help out any hungry Iftar diners while they for their main order. Anyone who has been fasting that day will be offered free portions of dates, nachos and a milk drink to tide them over before they tuck into an all-halal main event, with options including barbecue cheese burgers, New York-style buffalo wings and Philly cheesesteaks. Maison du Mezze If find yourself super central, Lebanese restaurant Maison du Mezze is serving up iftar feasts at its Leicester Square location. A four-course dinner is on offer for just 25, starting with either lentil and mushroom soup, followed by hot or cold mezze platters, main courses including chicken freekeh and fish tajen and desserts of either atayef or rice pudding. The restaurant will also serve special Ramadan drinks, including Tamar Hindi made with Indian dates and lemon and jallab, made with grape molasses and rose water. 14 Leicester Square, WC2H 7NG, maisondumezze.com The Meat Co Westfield London steakhouse The Meat Co has its roots in South Africa, but also boasts five restaurants across the Middle East. Halal steaks are on the menu for hungry meat-eaters, and all iftar meals at the Shepherds Bush restaurant start with free dates, water and yoghurt, which is offered to diners five to 10 minutes before their fast is broken. 1026 Westfield, Ariel Way, W12 7GA, themeatco.com A teenage boy has been charged with the murder of 17-year-old Ellie Gould. Wiltshire Police said the 17-year-old suspect, who was from the Calne area and was known to Ellie, was remanded in custody ahead of a court appearance at Salisbury Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. Ellie, a Year 12 pupil at Hardenhuish School, was pronounced dead after emergency services were called to a house in Springfield Drive at 3.15pm on Friday. Police detained the suspect in the nearby town of Chippenham later that afternoon. Police officers on Springfield Drive, Calne / PA Inspector Don Pocock said: "I would like to again thank the communities of Calne and Chippenham for the support and patience they have shown so far to our officers as they have carried out inquiries as part of this murder investigation. "A case like this takes time and will understandably have an impact on the local community - so thank you for your help and understanding. "Over the past few days, people living in Calne and Chippenham would have seen an increased police presence which I appreciate can add more anxiety and upset to what is already a tragic situation. "However, I want to reassure everyone that the officers and detectives involved have been working hard to carry out their duties as swiftly as possible to minimise the impact on those living and working here. "Inevitably there has been a lot of interest and discussion into this case on social media and the like - however, now that a person has been charged and court proceedings have started, please be mindful not to speculate or comment publicly on anything to do with the investigation." Police officer on Springfield Drive, Calne / PA Lisa Percy, head teacher of Hardenhuish School, said: "I would like to thank everyone for all of the messages of support that we have received from past, present and future parents, colleagues and other members of the community. "We would like to express our thanks to all partner agencies who have supported us too. "The students, staff and parents have found comfort in being together and paying their respects to Ellie and our thoughts remain with her family and friends at this time." Anyone with information is asked to contact Wiltshire Police on 101, quoting log number 176 on May 3. T wo teenagers were last night left fighting for their lives in hospital after two "linked" knife attacks in north London, Scotland Yard has said. Police and paramedics scrambled to Fairbridge Road, Islington, at araound 5.35pm to reports of a stabbing. A teenager, thought to be 17, was found suffering from stab injuries, police said. Around 10 minutes later, a second teenager, thought to be 18, was found with stab injuries in nearby Sussex Close. Both teenagers were rushed to hospital in a life-threatening condition. Police later confirmed that the 17-year-old was in a serious but stable condition, and that the second victim's condition was no longer believed to be life-threatening. A spokesman for Metropolitan Police said: Enquiries are underway, led by detectives from the Central North Command Unit, to establish the full circumstances. At present, both stabbings are being treated as linked. Police said there will be an increased number of officers in the area and that a Section 60 order - which allows officers to stop and search anyone - has been authorised for the borough of Islington until 7am on Tuesday. There have been no arrests and enquiries continue. A suspect arrested over the abduction and rape of three women is under investigation over further attacks around the country involving nine other victims. Joseph McCann, 34, was arrested in Congleton, Cheshire, in the early hours of Monday after two 14-year-old girls were abducted in the town. Since his arrest police have said he is now being investigated over separate attacks on victims aged between 11 and 71 in Cheshire, Manchester and Lancashire in addition to the ones in London and Hertfordshire. Detectives have said there were believed to be nine further victims following the attacks in the capital and Hertfordshire and urged any other potential victims to come forward. Officers described the attacks as grotesque and horrifying. The attacks involved a total of 12 victims, one of which was an 11-year-old boy, the Metropolitan Police said. McCann is suspected to have been involved in a number of attacks which occurred between April 21 and on Sunday. Police hunting McCann first confirmed they had arrested a man after a standoff with officers overnight, but did not immediately confirm it was the suspect. The arrested man was reported to have climbed a tree and refused to come down when cornered by police in the countryside outside Congleton late on Sunday. Negotiators along with paramedics were sent to the scene and he was eventually taken into custody in the early hours of Monday. Scotland Yard later confirmed the arrested man was McCann. DCI Katherine Goodwin from the Mets Homicide and Major Crime Command said: At this early stage, there are believed to be nine further victims following the attacks in Hertfordshire and London. These attacks were grotesque and horrifying. These victims are now being supported by specialist officers. Further details concerning specific offences will become clearer in due course. I would urge any other victims to come forward. We also need to hear from anyone who has been approached or been in contact with McCann between February and May. The first incident occurred in Watford, at 3.30am on Sunday, April 21. A woman, aged in her twenties, was abducted and raped in a residential address. The second incident took place in Chingford, London on Thursday, April 25 at about 12.30am when a woman, aged in her twenties, was abducted and raped in a car. At 12:15pm on the same day, in Edgware, London, a woman, aged in her twenties, was abducted and raped in a car. On Sunday, at around 8am, a woman aged in her thirties was falsely imprisoned at a location in Haslingden, Lancashire. In the same incident a teenage girl and an 11-year-old boy were raped. On the same day, at around 1.30pm, a woman aged 71 was abducted and raped in Bury, Manchester. At around 3.30pm in Heywood. Manchester, two 13-year-old boys and a 13-year-old girl were abducted. The 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted. And at about 6.30pm, two 14-year-old girls were forced into a car in Congleton, Cheshire. They were not sexually assaulted. McCann is being investigated over all of these offences. R adical hate preacher Anjem Choudary has returned to his family home in east London after being released from a bail hostel. Choudary, 52, was today pictured by the Daily Telegraph posing outside a shop after buying sweets and loading cash onto an electricity top-up card. He was released from prison in October last year and subsequently spent six months in a bail hostel in north London. It was part of a five-and-a-half year sentence for inviting support for the Islamic State. But Choudary is now back on the streets on an electronic tag and under heavy supervision, days after MI5 boss Andrew Parker warned of the startling Islamic State terror threat to Britain. Radical preacher Anjem Choudary leaves Belmarsh Prison in October last year (PA) / PA Archive/PA Images Choudary has been blamed by police for radicalising many of Britains worst terrorists during a decades-long career of extremist preaching. He led an outlawed extremist group, al-Muhajiroun, and the Telegraph reported how there has been increased activity among his followers. Supporters of the group carried out attacks such as the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in 2013 and the London Bridge atrocity in 2017. But amid Choudarys return to the streets, a security service source told the paper: The group remains a threat to national security but the disruptions have been very effective. It added: 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 said: Public protection is our overriding priority when deciding whether an offender should be allowed to relocate from an approved premises. A n east London father today told how his "miracle" deaf son with cerebral palsy defied the odds to walk and talk. Kurran Doal, 15, was born two months premature and spent the first two years of his life in hospital. He contracted a severe bowel infection, necroticising entercolitis, and was forced to undergo three life-saving operations. Kurrans parents were dealt another blow when they discovered their son, who has mild cerebral palsy and developmental delay, was profoundly deaf. But the "remarkable" teen from Chigwell has since learnt to sit, swallow, walk and talk and is looking to apply for college next year. Kurran speaking at an AVUK event / Auditory Verbal UK / Doal family Cerebral palsy is a group of conditions which affect movement and co-ordination. It can lead to delays in reaching development milestones and other problems including with speech and vision. Kurran's dad Avy Doal told the Standard: We had to rebuild him we had to teach him to sit, swallow and walk as well but it has been an incredible journey. He added that Kurran's early time in hospital was "tough". "He was born premature," he said. "Which was fine, but then he contracted a bowel infection. It should have been relatively simple but he just didnt recover. He was taken to the Royal London Hospital and the doctor said it was one of the worst cases of the infection hed ever seen, he said hed be surprised if Kurran came back from it. Kurran with (L-R) dad Avy, sister Demica and mum Kulvinder at the Houses of Parliament / Auditory Verbal UK / Doal family It was a miracle that he survived, but Kurran means fighter in Punjabi." Mr Doal added: After hed pulled through from that, he was having a lot of speech and language therapy and we could tell something was wrong. We didnt even comprehend that the strong drugs he was on could have caused hearing loss. He was given hearing aids but they werent helping, and eventually they found out he was profoundly deaf, as well as being unable to walk, talk or eat he was fed through a nasal tube. We just had to carry on, we didnt know else to do. I felt helpless for the first time in my life and I was probably at my lowest ebb. Kurran was fitted with cochlear implants aged four. Mr Doal said: When they switched the implants on, it was so emotional, you could just see his eyes light up. Kurran in hospital at just six months old / Doal family It was so funny, it was amazing my wife cried her eyes out and even thinking about it blows my mind. They then told us that we would have to actually teach him how to hear, and thats how we found Auditory Verbal UK. Kurran had been picking up noises, but he couldnt understand a conversation. Jacqueline Stokes, its founder, taught him how to speak she was so confident in her approach, it was unbelievable. We took him for therapy in Oxford and within four or five sessions we could see the change in him. Jacqueline used role play to teach him and eventually he started talking, he went from strength to strength. Kurran aged eight / Doal family Six months later, Kurran said mummy for the first time, and two years later he was able to pick out words from books and had the basics of conversation. Despite having to leave AVUK when Kurran turned seven, the family continued to take the charitys advice, swapping their TV at home for conversation at the dinner table. Mr Doal said: Kurran is now nearly 16 and although things tailed off a bit and plateaued, hes got those conversation skills sometimes we cant get him to stop talking. Hes thinking about college now and theres nothing he cant explain, like feelings and his life goals, its remarkable. Talking to him is like talking to a ten-year-old is probably the best way of putting it. He said things would have been so different without AVUK, adding: You cant build on sand but they had it right and helped us get the basics without it crumbling. We would have got there eventually but they were a massive help. Its important to remember his speech and language were just one small part of what went wrong. We had to rebuild him we had to teach him to sit, swallow and walk as well but it has been an incredible journey. Kurran has now been shortlisted in the Most Inspiring Young Person category at the Asian Voice awards. Anita Grover, CEO at Auditory Verbal UK, said: Kurran has demonstrated that his hearing loss and additional needs are no barrier to achieving success and inspiring others. R oyal fans have descended on Windsor town centre and Buckingham Palace to celebrate the birth of Harry and Meghans baby boy. Town Cryer Chris Brown, 51, proclaimed the news in the shadow of Windsor Castle surrounded by dozens of people who were eager to hear him announce the newborns arrival. Pictures from the town centre showed tourists and locals gathered there as Mr Brown bellowed out details of the news that the baby had been born. Other royal fans were seen outside the gates of Buckingham Palace in London, with many taking pictures of an easel in the palace's forecourt to formally announce the birth of a baby boy. Royal baby: well-wishers flock to Buckingham Palace and Windsor 1 /14 Royal baby: well-wishers flock to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Well-wishers gather outside the gates of Buckingham Palace after the news that Harry and Meghan's baby was announced AP Royal fans celebrate outside Windsor Castle PA People gather outside Buckingham Palace AP Tourists and members of the public gather at the gates of Buckingham Palace AFP/Getty Images Visitors walk outside the Long Walk entrance to Windsor Castle in Windsor following the announcement AFP/Getty Images Members of the media gather outside Windsor Castle AP Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead official Town Crier Chris Brown announces the news of the birth of the royal baby AP People gather outside Buckingham Palace to take pictures on their mobile phones of the notice placed on an easel in the palace's forecourt to formally announce the birth AP Well-wishers gather outside Windsor Castle AP People gather outside Buckingham Palace PA A man dressed as a town crier outside Windsor Castle in Berkshire following the news of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new baby boy PA Royal fans gather outside the gates of Buckingham Palace following the announcement / AP Speaking in Windsor, Mr Brown told the crowds: "On behalf of his worshipful the mayor, the corporation and the people of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, it is my honour to congratulate the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of a baby boy. "We welcome this new addition to our Windsor family and wish him long life, health and above all happiness. "God save the Queen. Mr Brown said afterwards: "It's another wonderful day, we've got a royal family that's growing and they are a Windsor family." Royal fan Anne Daley, 63, from Cardiff, was carrying two novelty balloons to celebrate the birth, one in the shape of a pram and the other an inflatable mixed race baby. Buckingham Palace places easel in forecourt announcing Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son She said: "I thought the baby might arrive today and we got here very early on and we are elated and over the moon. "It's just amazing, I didn't think we would be here in Windsor for the royal wedding and then almost a year later be celebrating the birth of Harry and Megan's baby - it's just tremendous." It's a boy! Town Crier Chris Brown proclaimed the news in Windsor / AP She predicted the couple might choose an American name for their son suggesting Marvin, after the Motown legend Marvin Gaye. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Baby Announcement - In pictures 1 /26 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Baby Announcement - In pictures Prince Harry in front of the horses, apparently named George and Sir John, as he announces the birth PA A framed notice of birth was placed outside Buckingham Palace AFP/Getty Images Royal fans celebrate outside Windsor Castle PA the Instagram account of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, reads "It's a Boy !". AFP/Getty Images Television crews at work outside Windsor Castle following the news of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new baby boy PA People gather outside Buckingham Palace to take pictures on their mobile phones of the notice placed on an easel in the palace's forecourt in London to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex PA Prince Harry speaks after the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a baby boy Reuters The moment Prince Harry thanks the horses People celebrate outside Windsor Castle after Britain's Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a boy Reuters A television journalist (L) works as Royal wellwishers celebrate outside of near Windsor Castle in Windsor, AFP/Getty Images Town crier Tony Appleton announces the birth of baby boy to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex, outside Windsor Castle EPA Reuters Britain's Prince Harry speaks after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a baby boy, at Windsor Castle Reuters Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson bring out the easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in London to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex PA Memorabilia is pictured as people celebrate outside Windsor Castle after Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a boy Reuters Pedestrians walk past Windsor Castle AFP/Getty Images People gather outside Buckingham Palace to take pictures on their mobile phones of the notice placed on an easel in the palace's forecourt in London to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex PA A sign is placed outside the Prince Harry pub after the announcement of the birth of a baby boy to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex in Windsor EPA The BT Tower displays a message in celebration of the birth of Prince Harry, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex's new baby boy AP Iconic London landmark known as the London Eye is seen illuminated in red, white and blue to celebrate the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy Getty Images Fellow monarchy fan John Loughrey, 64, Has been camping on the streets of Windsor in just a sleeping bag since May 1, waiting for news of the royal birth. He said: "We've been drinking champagne to celebrate the royal baby's arrival, I'm going to have fish and chips followed by American apple pie T he wait is over as after weeks of frenzied anticipation from royal fans the Duchess of Sussex has given birth to a baby boy, weighing 7lbs 3oz. Meghan and Harry have said they will not pose for pictures with their first child until they have had time to celebrate his arrival privately. But as the world eagerly waits for the first glimpse of the new royal, heres everything we know about him so far... When and where was the royal baby born? The Duchess of Sussex is believed to have revived a royal tradition by having her baby at home, but this has not been confirmed. Meghan went into labour in the early hours of Monday morning, it was confirmed in a statement shortly after 2pm. In an announcement in Windsor later in the afternoon, Prince Harry confirmed the couple have had a baby boy. Harry was by his wifes side for the birth. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Baby Announcement - In pictures 1 /26 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Baby Announcement - In pictures Prince Harry in front of the horses, apparently named George and Sir John, as he announces the birth PA A framed notice of birth was placed outside Buckingham Palace AFP/Getty Images Royal fans celebrate outside Windsor Castle PA the Instagram account of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, reads "It's a Boy !". AFP/Getty Images Television crews at work outside Windsor Castle following the news of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new baby boy PA People gather outside Buckingham Palace to take pictures on their mobile phones of the notice placed on an easel in the palace's forecourt in London to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex PA Prince Harry speaks after the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a baby boy Reuters The moment Prince Harry thanks the horses People celebrate outside Windsor Castle after Britain's Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a boy Reuters A television journalist (L) works as Royal wellwishers celebrate outside of near Windsor Castle in Windsor, AFP/Getty Images Town crier Tony Appleton announces the birth of baby boy to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex, outside Windsor Castle EPA Reuters Britain's Prince Harry speaks after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a baby boy, at Windsor Castle Reuters Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson bring out the easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in London to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex PA Memorabilia is pictured as people celebrate outside Windsor Castle after Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a boy Reuters Pedestrians walk past Windsor Castle AFP/Getty Images People gather outside Buckingham Palace to take pictures on their mobile phones of the notice placed on an easel in the palace's forecourt in London to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex PA A sign is placed outside the Prince Harry pub after the announcement of the birth of a baby boy to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex in Windsor EPA The BT Tower displays a message in celebration of the birth of Prince Harry, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex's new baby boy AP Iconic London landmark known as the London Eye is seen illuminated in red, white and blue to celebrate the birth of Harry and Meghan's baby boy Getty Images Meghan and Harry (Getty Images file photo) / Getty Images The new royal baby, just like his grandfather the Prince of Wales and great-grandmother the Queen, is not believed to have been born in hospital. Unlike the Duchess of Cambridge, who had all three of her children at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, Meghan is thought to have given birth in the comfort of her newly-renovated home Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are keeping details of the birth private for now, but the place of birth is likely to be revealed on the birth certificate. Royal babies were traditionally born at home, usually in royal palaces. Prince Harry speaks after the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a baby boy / Reuters Has the child been named? Royal fans are eagerly waiting to see what the royal couple are going to name their new baby. While a name has not yet been given, there has been much speculation. Bookmakers have revealed the favourites for what they think Harry and Meghan will name him, with James, Alexander and Arthur being the favourites. Royal fans celebrate outside Windsor Castle / PA What have the new parents said following the birth? A delighted Prince Harry, speaking in Windsor, said: "I am very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a baby boy early this morning. A very healthy boy." "Mother and baby are doing incredibly well. It's been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined." "How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. We're both absolutely thrilled and so grateful to all the love and support from everybody out there. "It's been amazing, so we just want to share this with everybody." "We are still thinking about names. The baby's a little bit overdue, so we've had a little bit of time to think about it, but that's the next bit. "We will be seeing you guys in two days' time as planned, as a family, to share it with you guys so everyone can see the baby. Duke of Sussex 'absolutely thrilled' at birth of baby boy The Duke, who couldn't stop grinning as he gave his statement, joked: "I haven't been at many births! This is definitely my first birth. It was amazing, absolutely incredible. "As I said, I am so incredibly proud of my wife. As every father or parent would say, your baby is absolutely amazing. But this little thing is absolutely to die for, so I am just over the moon." Harry: I am just over the moon / Reuters How have other royals and Meghans family reacted? The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer were informed and were said to be "delighted" with the news. A statement from Buckingham Palace said: "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex was safely delivered of a son at 0526hrs. The baby weighs 7lbs 3oz. "The Duke of Sussex was present for the birth." The Duchesss mother, Doria Ragland, who is "overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild" is with Their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage. Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are now expected to visit the couple and their new baby at the weekend after returning from an official visit to Germany. Where does the baby fall in the line of succession for the throne? He is seventh in line to the throne, behind the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and his children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - and Prince Harry. Will he be a prince? It will be The Queens decision whether the baby will be a prince, although Harry and Meghan of course will have an input. A royal decree issued by King George V in 1917 limits the number of grand royal titles in a way that would make Harry and Meghan's baby known as a Lord as the child of a Duke rather than as a prince. Queen Elizabeth II issued new Letters Patent on December 31, 2012 declaring that all of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges children will have the title of Royal Highness and be styled Princes and Princesses. The document states, The Queen has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 31 December 2012 to declare that all the children of the eldest son of The Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of Royal Highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their Christian names or with such other titles of honour. Royal baby first appearances through the years The Queens Letters Patent revised King George Vs 1917 decree that only the eldest son of the Prince of Waless eldest son was entitled to be styled His Royal Highness and a Prince. According to this document, the daughters and younger sons of the Prince of Waless eldest son were to be styled as children of a Duke. These ducal titles would change to royal titles once the Prince of Wales succeeded to the throne. The Queens decree ensured that if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges eldest child was a daughter, she would be styled a Princess rather than a Lady. She could intervene again in this case and do the same for Harry and Meghan's offspring, but Her Majestys position on that subject have not been made public. It is also possible that Harry and Meghan could decide they don't want the special designation for the baby, in order to give their child a more normal upbringing. T he father of the Duchess of Sussex has said he is delighted at the birth of his grandson and spoke of his pride that the child would serve the British royal family with honour. Thomas Markle, who has had a tumultuous relationship with his daughter Meghan, on Monday offered his congratulations to the royal couple, who have announced the birth of their first child. Mr Markle told The Sun: I am proud that my new grandson is born into the British royal family and I am sure that he will grow up to serve the crown and the people of Britain with grace, dignity and honour. God bless the child and I wish him health and happiness, and my congratulations to my lovely daughter Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry, and God Save the Queen. Harry and Meghans first child, who is seventh in line to the throne, is Mr Markles sixth grandchild. Thomas Markle grabs a takeaway in Rosarito, Mexico last week / SplashNews.com The former Hollywood lighting director has reportedly not spoken to the Duchess of Sussex since just after the royal wedding last May, which he did not attend due to his health. In February, friends of the Duchess revealed she wrote a letter to her estranged father telling him to stop victimising her so the pair could repair their relationship. Meghan Markle and Thomas Markle / PA/Reuters In an interview with People Magazine, friends of the royal said Mr Markle knows how to get in touch with her and has his daughter's number but has not tried to mend their rift. Loading.... Her friends claimed the Duchess wrote to her father after the wedding to Prince Harry to ask him to stop speaking to the media but that he replied asking for a photo opportunity. Mr Markle claimed he has made dozens of attempts to reach his daughter via texts and letters and even sent a handwritten note to her via his ex-wife and Meghans mother Doria Ragland. Thrilled Prince Harry after the birth of his son 1 /14 Thrilled Prince Harry after the birth of his son Prince Harry was visibly delighted after Meghan gave birth Harry said it was a "very healthy boy" He said: "Mother and baby are doing incredibly well" The baby was born at 5.26am today Prince Harry said the experience was "amazing" Harry walks out to tell the press about the birth AFP/Getty Images Beaming Prince Harry was visibly thrilled at the birth of his son PA Harry said: "It was amazing, absolutely incredible." AFP/Getty Images "I am so incredibly proud of my wife," said Prince Harry REUTERS Prince Harry said he was 'over the moon' after the baby was born weighing 7lbs 3oz AFP/Getty Images Harry clasps his hands together as he tells the waiting media the news of the Duchess of Sussex giving birth Reuters Mr Markles statement comes amid silence from Meghans outspoken half-sister Samantha Grant. Ms Grant has previously hit out at the Duchess, saying that she has turned her back on the family. U p to 13 people are feared dead after a private jet travelling from Las Vegas crashed in Mexico, according to reports. Officials in the north of the country launched a search and rescue mission after the aircraft disappeared from radar. The remains of the private executive plane that disappeared en route to Monterrey in northern Mexico have since been found, a state government official later said. A Mexican transport ministry spokesman had said it was not yet clear if any of the passengers survived. But according to multiple reports in Mexican media, 14 people were feared dead in the crash. The jet left Las Vegas Sunday afternoon and had been expected on Sunday evening in Monterrey. Local media reported that some passengers were returning from a weekend trip that included seeing the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez fight in Las Vegas. Media had reported first that 14 people were feared dead but the suspected death toll was later revised to 13. Flight controllers lost contact with the plane over the northern state of Coahuila. P assengers who managed to escape the fireball crash of a Russian Aeroflot passenger plane in which 41 people died have blamed a "lightning strike" on causing the tragedy. Survivor Pyotr Egorov told a Russian newspaper: "We took off and then lightning struck the plane. "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. The plane burns on the tarmac in shocking footage (Getty Images) / AFP/Getty Images Passengers were also accused of delaying the evacuation of the burning plane by reaching into the overhead compartments to retrieve their belongings. Passengers said they thought the plane was hit by lightning / AFP/Getty Images 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. Interfax also cited a source as saying the plane had only succeeded making an emergency landing on the second attempt and that some of the aircraft's systems had then failed. Russian officials said today that both flight recorders were recovered from the plane. Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said investigators are looking into three main possibilities behind the cause of the disaster - insufficient pilot qualifications, equipment failure, and weather. Video on Russian TV showed the Aeroflot plane's underside bursting into flames and spewing black smoke after making a hard landing at Sheremetyevo Airport on Sunday night. Moscow plane fire - In pictures 1 /9 Moscow plane fire - In pictures @artempetrovich via AP Smoke rises from a fire on a plane at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport Riccardo Dalla Francesca via AP A fire engulfed a Russian-made Superjet-100 at Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow AFP PHOTO / RUSSIAN INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE Black smoke pours from a plane on fire at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday Mikhail Norenko/Twitter via AP REUTERS/Nadezhda Polomoshnova REUTERS/Nadezhda Polomoshnova TWITTER @JUSTIN GOSLIN/AP Those who escaped leapt out of the Sukhoi SSJ100 airliner down inflatable emergency slides and ran across the tarmac. Storms were passing through the Moscow area when the jet caught fire during the emergency landing, after it turned back for unspecified reasons during an internal flight to Murmansk. Meanwhile, Russian transport minister Yevgeny Dietrich said 41 bodies have been recovered from the burned wreckage. He also told reporters in a briefing on Monday that six people who survived the disaster on Sunday night are being treated in hospital. Shocking footage showed the Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash bouncing along the tarmac at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport before the rear part of the plane suddenly burst into flames. Russian state TV broadcast mobile phone footage shot by another passenger in which people could be heard screaming. It was claimed that passengers on board were trying to retrieve their bags / Riccardo Dalla Francesca via AP 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. Svetlana Petrenko, a spokeswoman for Russia's 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. 41 people died in the crash / AFP/Getty Images An investigation has been opened and is looking into whether the pilots had breached air safety rules. President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed their condolences and ordered investigators to establish what had happened. Russian news agencies reported that injured passengers were being treated in hospitals. 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 plane's 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 aircraft's 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 world's 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 country's fledgling civil aircraft industry. The plane is built in Russia's 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 aircraft's 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. T op scientists are set to warn one million species of plants and animals are at risk of going extinct. In a grim United Nations report on the state of the worlds biodiversity, scientists will say nature is in more trouble now than at any time in human history. The report, set for publication on Monday afternoon, will warn governments, companies and individuals need to take action in order to save Earth. It will say species are being lost at a rate of tens or hundreds of times faster than in the past. The world's oceans are at risk / AFP/Getty Images More than half a million species on land lack sufficient habitat for long-term survival and are likely to go extinct, possibly within decades. The oceans are not any better off, the authors will warn. Ahead of the reports release, George Mason University biologist Thomas Lovejoy, who has been hailed the godfather of biodiversity for his research, but was not part of the study, said: Humanity unwittingly is attempting to throttle the living planet and humanity's own future. "The biological diversity of this planet has been really hammered, and this is really our last chance to address all of that. Conservation scientists from around the world are convening in Paris to issue the report, which will exceed 1,000 pages. Top scientists will tell the world on Monday how bad a state Mother Nature is in / AFP/Getty Images The Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) included more than 450 researchers. The report's summary had to be approved by representatives of all 109 nations. Some nations will be hit harder by the losses, such as small island countries. Others, such as the United States, were cautious in the language they used. But it agreed "we're in trouble," said Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist for the World Wildlife Fund. "This is the strongest call we've seen for reversing the trends on the loss of nature," she said. The report's 39-page summary highlighted five ways people are reducing biodiversity: Turning forests, grasslands and other areas into farms, cities and other developments Overfishing the world's oceans Permitting climate change from the burning of fossil fuels to make it too hot, wet or dry for some species to survive Polluting land and water Allowing invasive species to crowd out native plants and animals Fighting climate change and saving species are equally important, the report will say. Both problems exacerbate each other because a warmer world means fewer species, and a less biodiverse world means fewer trees and plants to remove heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the air. G ame of Thrones is fast approaching its conclusion, with only two episodes left before we find out who will claim the Iron Throne. A teaser ahead of the penultimate episode dropped seconds after The Last Stark aired in the early hours of this morning and fans need to prepare for battle. The 50 second preview, doesnt give much away, but it does tease the next big fight, with The Golden Company mercenaries seen marching as others prepare to launch spears. A smug Cersei Lannister is seen looking out over Kings Landing as Jon Snow and his army arrive outside the walls of the Red Keep where Missandei was beheaded by Mountain in front of Daenerys Targaryen. Euron Greyjoy, who killed Rhaegal in episode four, is shown on-board one of his ships looking up to the sky in panic at what could be an impending onslaught by Dany. Game of Thrones: First look at Season 8, Episode 5 1 /80 Game of Thrones: First look at Season 8, Episode 5 Liam Cunnigham as Davos Seaworth with Kit Harington as Jon Snow HBO Maisie Williams as Ayra Stark HBO Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm HBO Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister and Conleth Hill as Lord Varys Kit Harington as Jon Snow & Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen Lena Headley as Cersei Lannister HBO Kit Harington as Jon Snow & Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm & Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth HBO Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister HBO Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister Maisie Williams as Ayra Stark Pilou Asbk as Euron Greyjoy HBO Emilia Clarke as Daenrys Targaryen HBO HBO Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm HBO HBO Marc Rissmann as Harry Strickland HBO Pilou Asbk as Euron Greyjoy HBO Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister HBO Lena Headley as Cersei Lannister HBO Kit Harington as Jon Snow HBO Pilou Asbk as Euron Greyjoy HBO HBO Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister HBO HBO Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm HBO HBO Maisie Williams as Ayra Stark HBO Maisie Williams as Ayra Stark HBO Liam Cunnigham as Davos Seaworth with Kit Harington as Jon Snow HBO HBO HBO Rory McCann as Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane HBO Lena Headley as Cersei Lannister HBO HBO Anton Lesser as Qyburn HBO HBO HBO HBO Rory McCann as Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane HBO Pilou Asbk as Euron Greyjoy HBO Rory McCann as Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane HBO Lena Headley as Cersei Lannister HBO HBO Marc Rissmann as Harry Strickland HBO HBO HBO Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister HBO Marc Rissmann as Harry Strickland HBO HBO Emilia Clarke as Daenrys Targaryen HBO Liam Cunnigham as Davos Seaworth HBO Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister HBO HBO Emilia Clarke as Daenrys Targaryen HBO Conleth Hill as Lord Varys HBO Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister HBO HBO Emilia Clarke as Daenrys Targaryen HBO Conleth Hill as Lord Varys HBO W hen youre living and working in London, it can be difficult to find the time to schedule in beauty appointments alongside work, socialising and the all-important sleep. But now, thanks to Ruuby - the beauty concierge app which allows you to book a haircut or massage to your home at the press of a button - you can. To find out what its like running an app start-up, we caught up with Venetia Archer, founder and CEO of Ruuby, and named on the Forbes' 30 under 30 list for retail and ecommerce. What you need to know about Venetia Archer, the brains behind Ruuby For Archer, what makes Ruuby great is the quality of the beauty services on offer. Instead of ordering a generic blow dry, with Ruuby we will connect you with an amazing hair stylist. We will tell you about their past work and images of what theyve done because we truly believe that beauty is personal and you want to know who is coming to perform the service. Born in Australia, Archer moved to the UK when she was 12. And sespite working as a journalist in East Africa following her degree at Cambridge, she always knew she was going to work for herself. My parents are both entrepreneurs and I couldnt really imagine it being any another way," she says. Ive always wanted to build my own brand and run my own company. Its this passion for entrepreneurship that led Archer to set up Ruuby. After loving similar on-demand economy apps like Uber and Deliveroo, Archer couldnt understand why there wasnt something similar for beauty. I remember saying to all my friends, what about this app, what about this idea, will someone do it? But no one did so I thought; ok Im going to try it. And it all went from there. Archer launched Ruuby despite not having a background in technology / Ruuby Launching a start-up from scratch Despite not having a background in tech, Archer says that her journalism experience taught her she could always find the answer to things she didnt know. I built up a really strong network of advisers and people around me. I knocked on as many doors as I could and asked for advice about how one might start doing something like this. She interviewed as many people as she could to find the right team of developers and pursued quotes from expensive agencies so she could understand the scope of the work. As well, she applied for a Virgin Startup loan in order to get the minimum viable product ready for Ruuby. After this was ready, Archer set about pitching for fundraising, raising money from the likes of Francesco Trapani, the former boss of luxury goods giant Bulgari. In the early days, before we really had much success, fundraising was very much speaking to a vision, Archer says. I love doing it and I believe in the company from the bottom of my heart. But it requires an energy. You have to learn how to take the Nos and brush them aside and be confident that the Yes is around the corner. As well as pitching for fundraising and managing her team, one of Archers roles at Ruuby is ensuring the app is full of the newest and coolest innovative beauty trends, such as mesotherapy when small amounts of serum are injected into the skin, as well as micro needling. Archer doesn't see herself as the founder of a tech company or a beauty company, but somewhere in the middle / Ruuby Tech and beauty: a whole new world Ruuby is a start-up that treads the fine line between being a tech company and a beauty company. One of the benefits of the app for the 300 beauticians on its books is that it allows freelancers to manage their diaries and days. As well as plans to pursue international expansion (Paris and Dubai), Archer also sees a future in expanding out Ruuby as a SaaS model (software as a service). On the customer-facing side, they see a beauty business. But on the other side, we have a network of 300 people who rely on us and our technology to help them manage their professional diaries and that has been a side product of what weve built, says Archer. As a result, Archer doesnt see herself as a tech founder or a beauty founder. I see the tech enabling the service; developing and creating a whole new business model that never really existed before. Considering the tech/beauty model, it makes sense that Archer would look to fellow tech and beauty/fashion entrepreneurs like Emily Weiss of Glossier for inspiration, as well as Net-A-Porters founder Natalie Massenet. She was an innovator, among the first people to do an online e-commerce platform and she was brave with it because so many said it wouldnt work. Thanks to the growth in new technologies, the future of Ruuby isnt confined to just a smartphone. Archer says she is obsessed with her Amazon Echo and its artificial intelligent (AI) assistant, Alexa. Im so interested in how they will infiltrate everyones living rooms, she says. As soon as I go it, I thought we need to do Alexa, book me a manicure at 7pm. That would just be perfected for Ruuby in the future. Its not easy running your own company though. Archer says she has a great team behind her at Ruuby but still does two hours of work every morning when shes on holiday. A 69-year-old Gering man is listed in critical condition at Regional West Medical Center after being injured in a car vs. pedestrian collision in Gering Saturday. Donald Wimberley suffered significant injuries in the crash and has been hospitalized since being transported to Regional West Medical Center after the collision, which occurred at about 6:11 p.m. Saturday. A report from the Nebraska Department of Transportation states Wimberley was transported to Regional West Medical Center by Valley Ambulance. According to the report, Wimberley had stopped his vehicle in the southbound lane of Seventh Street and was standing on the drivers side of the vehicle, a 1981 Chevrolet K10 pickup, near the tire area of trailer being hauled by Wimberley. Cole Russell, 25, driving a 2002 Dodge truck, traveling southbound, struck the trail and the man. The collision occurred on Seventh Street, about 540 feet south of Morrison Road, according to the report. The report states that a citation against Russell is pending. Capt. Jason Rogers of the Gering Police Department said that the investigation has been referred to the Scotts Bluff County Attorneys Office. The Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs Office conducted an accident reconstruction as part of the investigation. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! 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The Spanish energy company, which tried to do an IPO of the unit in 2017, owns a 52.45 percent stake in Neoenergia, the second-largest electric utility in Brazil. Neoenergias board has scheduled a special shareholders meeting on Monday in Rio de Janeiro to approve, among other things, an IPO. The plan prepared by Iberdrola, which is led by chairman and CEO Ignacio Sanchez Galan, to list Neoenergia shares on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange without giving up voting control was bolstered by state-owned Banco do Brasil, which has a 9.34 percent interest in the power company and agreed to sell all its stock in the IPO. The third partner in Neoenergia is Previ, the Banco do Brasil employee pension fund, which has a 38.21 percent stake in the utility company and has expressed interest in the IPO. Previ, however, has not decided whether it will keep its current position or sell some stock. Banco do Brasil, for its part, made it clear in a statement sent to securities regulators on April 23 that it planned to sell its entire Neoenergia stake as part of a broader asset divestment effort by the new management team. The banks new officers were appointed by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who took office on Jan. 1 vowing to implement market-friendly reforms and reduce the states role in the economy via the privatization of all interests in non-strategic industries. Banco do Brasil, the largest bank in this South American nation, said the share sale would depend on favorable financial market conditions domestically and internationally. In late 2017, Neoenergia scrapped an IPO after Banco do Brasil and Previ refused to accept the price range set by underwriters, arguing that the sale would generate proceeds that were below their expectations. Last week, Sanchez Galan said during a meeting with analysts that Iberdrola did not want to lose voting control over Neoenergia, but it would sell some shares in the IPO. Iberdrola owned stakes in Neoenergia and Elektro, which merged in June 2017, creating Latin Americas largest electric utility in terms of customers at 13.6 million. In June 2018, Iberdrola lost a battle with Italys Enel for control of Eletropaulo, one of the largest electric utilities in Brazil with 7 million customers and No. 1 in terms of revenues. The deal allowed Enel to reach 17 million customers in Brazil and knock Neoenergia out of the No. 1 spot as the power company with the largest ratepayer base in Brazil. Neoenergia operates in 16 of Brazils 27 states and owns electricity generation, transmission, distribution and marketing units. Bradley Dewayn Potter, misdemeanor probation violation, probation extended 12 months. John Talbott, second degree trespass, credit for one day served. The following cases were heard in Iredell County District Court on April 23 by Judge Christine Underwood. Gregory Allen Hafford, misdemeanor probation violation, probation extended 12 months. Latoya Kirkpatrick, misdemeanor food nutrition fraud, 24 months supervised probation. Anna K. Laster, possession of marijuana between ounce to 1 ounces, six months unsupervised probation, 20 hours community service in 120 days. Ashlie Ann Natali, possession of a controlled substance on prison or jail premises, credit for 45 days served. Christopher D. Summers, simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance consolidated with carrying a concealed weapon, credit for 21 days served. Tynan Jemale Tucker, possession of marijuana up to ounce, six months unsupervised probation. Frank R. Schwantes, panhandling, credit for one day served. Nicole Merchant said she was in bed watching Netflix when she and her husband heard a loud bang early Sunday morning. They live in Mooresville Station apartments off of Plaza Drive. She thought it was a gunshot while her husband thought it was a blown transformer. It could have been tied to the suspect in the shooting and killing of a Mooresville Police Department officer. Mooresville Police Chief Damon Williams said Officer Jordan Sheldon had made a traffic stop and was shot Saturday night. He died around 11 p.m. The shooter fled the scene in a vehicle. The suspect is 28-year-old Michael Yovany Aldana returned to his apartment at building 144 and shot himself, Williams said. Merchant said she heard a loud banging on her door and was nervous to open it. Police identified themselves through the door and told the Merchants to leave the apartment building. Merchant said she was scared and shaking. Trying to keep it cool because of my son. 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According to the cited source, between 1 January and 31 March 2019 the average length of stay was 1.9 days for Romanian tourists and two days for foreign tourists.Of the total number of foreign tourist arrivals in tourist accommodation units, tourists from Europe accounted for the highest share, 74 percent, with 82.5 percent of this category hailed from EU states.Overnight stays in tourist accommodation establishments totaled 4.48 million in the first three months of the year, up by 8.7 percent y-o-y. Of the total overnight stays in tourist accommodation units, Romanian tourists accounted for 80.1 percent, while overnight stays of foreign tourists were 19.9 percent. Visitors from Europe account for the highest share of foreign tourists' overnight stays (72.9 percent of the total foreign tourists) and of these, visitors from EU countries represented 80.8 percent.The net occupancy rate of accommodation units in Q1 2019 was 24.5 percent overall, up 1.8 percent from the previous year's first three months.Of the total number of foreign tourists who checked in with Romanian tourist accommodation establishments most came from Italy (44,800), Germany (44,700), Israel (43,100), France (27,500), United Kingdom (26,000) and the USA (24,200).There were 2.227 ml incoming foreign visitors registered at border checkpoints in Q1 2019, up 4.7 percent compared to the year before, with road and air transport being the most used, accounting for 73.8 percent, 24.1 percent, respectively from the overall number of arrivals.According to INS data, only in March 2019 as compared to March 2018 arrivals in tourist accommodation units totaled 800,400, up by 5.1 percent, and overnight stays amounted to 1.519 million (+ 6.7 percent). The average length of stay in March this year was 1.9 days for Romanian tourists and two days for foreign tourists. More than 60 children from the EU, tens of experts in human rights, high European officials and representatives of the civil society are attending in Bucharest the international conference "Children's Participation in Decision-Making and Policy-Making at National and EU Levels" on May 6-7, informs the Labour Ministry in a press release. The event sets the ground for the mechanism of consultation of children in the EU decisions concerning them through the adoption of the "Bucharest EU Children's Declaration on Child Participation in Decision-Making at National and EU levels." The conference is organised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Justice, through the National Authority for the Protection of Child Rights and Adoption, with the support of UNICEF Romania and is part of the official agenda of Romania at the presidency of the Council of the European Union. "When we speak about the future of Europe, children's right to participate must become a priority and a reality. Their participation will shape the future of the European Union in a sustainable way. I am proud that Romania put the participation of children on the European agenda and I count on the support of the future presidencies, too, to take action in this respect," Deputy PM for the implementation of Romania's strategic partnerships Ana Birchall said. According to statistics, one of five European citizens is a child or very young person. In this context, the Labour Minister, Marius Budai, specified that the right to participate is one of the fundamental rights of children and it's adults' duty to observe this right. "Bucharest EU Children's Declaration on Child Participation in Decision-Making at National and EU levels" was drafted by a Board of Romanian children especially created for this, and disseminated in Europe through the networks of UNICEF, Eurochild, Save the Children, the Federation of NGOs Active in Child Protection, European associations of high schoolers, in order to get feedback from the numerous and diverse categories of children. The document was the result of an ample consultation process that involved both international experts and representatives of the European institutions active in the child rights field. It represents an instrument that can mobilize the European institutions and member states to establish some official structures and mechanisms meant to promote children's right to participate, according to the provisions of the EU Recommendation "Invest in Children," the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. "Children and adolescents are a key resource for the future of the European Union. By increasing their level of familiarization with the EU issues, their active involvement in the European actions and by stimulating their creativity and accountability within the decision-making and policy-making processes at EU level we are setting the ground for a stronger Europe," stated Pieter Bult, the UNICEF representative in Romania. The "Bucharest EU Children's Declaration on Child Participation in Decision-Making at National and EU levels" will be presented by the representatives of the ministries and central authorities in charge with children rights in the 28 member states, experts in children's rights and also specialists from the European institutions and the European Parliament. AGERPRES The roughly 400 union workers of the Satu Mare-based Electrolux plant entered on Monday the 10th week of strike; the unionists announced a new round of negotiations with the plant's management. "Today, May 6, we have a meeting scheduled with the [plant management] and hope that we will only leave when we succeed in finalising something. We are holding hopes, but we cannot tell that everything will be sorted out today. We'll do our best, we will try," Cartel Alfa Satu Mare secretary Vasile Darle told the workers gathered in front of the plant.The Electrolux strike began on March 4, for an indefinite period. The workers demand a salary increase of 350 lei, or 2 lei per hour.Electrolux has 930 workers who are covered by the collective bargaining agreement. Isaura Margarita Porras was born blind and with Down Syndrome in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Doctors were clear with her parents from the very start: she would not talk, walk or be able to learn anything. Today, however, she is an international concert pianist. She has offered three concerts in Costa Rice and has a musical repertoire that includes pieces by Mozart, Schumann and Chopin, as well as iconic pieces from Mexican culture such as Cielito lindo, by composer Quirino Mendoza y Cortes. Her mother, Imelda Cruz, told EFE that she made a considerable effort to ensure that her daughter, who is now 34, could achieve her dream. Isaura has Trisomy 21, a chromosome anomaly that causes Down Syndrome in more than 90 percent of the cases where it appears. When she was very small, her father bought her a keyboard and she played it with two fingers. We came to Cuautla, in Morelos state, and began to look for a teacher to see if they could continue giving her classes to see if she could learn to play, her mother said. Many years later, after knocking fruitlessly on many doors to see if her daughter could learn to play, the family met concert pianist Nadia Arce, whose playing fascinated them, when she was giving a recital at a shopping mall. They decided to ask her if she could teach Isaura to play the piano. She agreed and the girl began working with a teacher who significantly changed her life and charted her career. She gives classes up until the present day. She doesnt live here and (gives the classes) via Skype, said Imelda. In an interview with EFE, Nadia Arce said that it was fantastic to be able to teach Isaura because I never took courses in musical pedagogy. Since there was no Braille music reading system, they had to make accommodations and invent a way that Isaura could feel the texture and identify the musical notes. Arce said that love and passion for what theyre doing is essential in helping children with difficulties achieve their dreams. Above all, they have to have love inside themselves, she said. Ive had marvelous experiences with children: epileptic attacks, a deaf-mute boy; Ive had students with different special characteristics, she said. Although no precise figures exist, in Mexico there is approximately one case of Down Syndrome per 650 births, but among women over 50 the figure is one per 42 births. Imelda said that her daughter has exceeded all expectations that one can have. Isaura graduated with a degree in music from the Autonomous University of Morelos and in August she will travel to Colombia to perform in the first Pianothon, scheduled for Aug. 22-23 in the city of Medellin. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Romania (FCER) - Mosaic Cult conveys in a press release remitted to AGERPRES Sunday evening, solidarity with Israel following "the escalation of the violent outbreaks of Hamas terrorist organizations and the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, that fired over 430 rockets on southern Israel." "The Jews in Romania, just as those in the other countries of the world, have learned with sorrow, revolt and concern about the escalation of the violent outbreaks of Hamas terrorist organizations and the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, that have fired over 430 missiles against southern Israel. It is not the first time that Israel is in a position to use its inalienable right as sovereign state to defend its citizens and territory and, on behalf of the Jews in Romania, we affirm that no country in the world would assist passively to the missiles fired at it by an officially recognized enemy, worldwide, as a terrorist organization, an enemy that has repeatedly taken its own citizens hostages and used them as human shields," reads the above-mentioned release, also signed by the Jewish Community Bucharest, the Association of Romania's Jewish Holocaust Victims and B'nai B'rith Romania.At the same time, the Romanian Jews convey condolences to the family of the Israeli citizen victim of the missiles."Unfortunately, these actions cause suffering and even the death of civilians in the conflict zone. We convey condolences to the family of Israeli citizen Moshe Agadi, be his memory blessed, the first victim of the new wave of missiles fired by the Islamic Jihad and Hamas over Israeli territory. We wish swift recovery to all those injured by the missile fire and to the Israeli soldiers wounded by the snipers in Gaza," the release says.The document also calls on the Romanian authorities, the EU and other world organizations to morally support Israel in the fight against terrorist organizations."The Jews in Bucharest, gathered in the General Assembly for elections, those all over Romania, appeal to the Romanian authorities and to the European Union, to all leaders of some world organizations such as the United Nations, to morally support Israel in its fair fight against terrorist organizations, being known that terrorism does not have borders and spreads rapidly on all the meridians," says the press release. National CAF Correspondents from the European Public Administration Network - EUPAN on Monday met at the Parliament Palace, the event being organised in the context in which Romania is currently holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. CAF (the Common Assessment Framework on public institutions) is a quality management instrument used in the public sector in Europe to improve organisations' activity and also an important result of cooperation within EUPAN. Participating in the meeting were 50 specialists in public administration, with the main topics discussed being the progress made so far in the implementation of CAF in the public sector and further steps to be made in improving the existing CAF model to create a new version - CAF 2020 - which will keep all the features of the present version as provided by the CAF implementation guide. "What we are trying to do, through the thematic meetings organised under the aegis of the Romanian presidency of the Council of Europe, is to capitalize on the efforts that were already made and make new progresses in promoting a modern public administration, able to facilitate socio-economic cooperation through competitive public services, investments and quality regulations," stated the coordinator of the events of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union at MDRAP level, secretary of state Virgil-Alin Chirila, in a press release. EUPAN is an informal network of the DGs responsible for public administration in the Member States of the European Union, the European Commission (EC) and observer countries, with a significant impact on the initiatives taken by the public administrations in every country. The network is organised around such main domains, which include human resources management and organisational development, service innovation and delivery, but is also open to further areas of public administration, such as public administration reform implementation, open governance etc. The Executive Bureau of the opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) will be convening in Sibiu on Wednesday, the party's chairman, Ludovic Orban, said on Monday. "We have convened the PNL Executive Bureau for May 8 at 16:00hrs. It is an honour for this meeting of the PNL Executive Bureau, entirely dedicated to the debate of the European agenda for the next five years, to be also attended by European People's Party (EPP) Chairman Joseph Daul and EPP Secretary General Antonio Lopez Isturiz White," Orban said after a meeting on Monday of the PNL leadership. Asked if President Klaus Iohannis will attend this meeting as well, he replied that he had sent the President invitations to some important events, and that it would be up to the president to decide whether or not to participate. Orban also confirmed that Iohannis was invited to participate in the PNL electoral rallies that will be held this month in Iasi and Bucharest. "We want him to be present and offer the opportunity for him to support the referendum he has launched and to send messages to all Romanian citizens about the need to participate in this referendum and the need to vote in favour of this referendum," added Orban. He said that PNL wants to stage a rally in Bucharest's Piata Victoriei. "It is the most appropriate venue. We have submitted a request to the Bucharest City Hall, in compliance with the law; we are expecting the special board that approves events to give us a reply," said Orban, pointing out that it will certainly be a great rally. AGERPRES The organizers of the Government internship program - now at its seventh edition, acting under the coordination of Secretary of State Oana-Elena Pintilei, will travel Monday through Thursday to the Iasi, Suceava, Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara university centers to inform the youth about the enrollment procedure, but also about the novelties of this edition. According to a government release, registrations for the 2019 edition of the government's official internship program started on April 10 and will end on May 19; in this interval the interested youth can apply by creating an account on the platform www.internship.gov.ro and filling out an application aimed at highlighting their ability to innovate.The Government's internship program will run from July 15 to September 13 and is a good opportunity for the participants to get to know the way the central public administration works and to put into practice the knowledge acquired during the years of study.The period of internship is considered length of service and in specialty studies, and interns will receive a monthly internship salary of 2,080 lei gross.At the end of the term, the interns will receive an internship certificate from the Government's Secretariat general.Between April 15 - 18, the organizing team presented the Government internship program to the students of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, the University of Bucharest, the National School of Political and Administrative Studies. The legislation in force is an obstacle, it is a measure that prevents you from investing and accessing investment funds, it does not encourage you, Dragos Manolescu, deputy general manager of OTP Asset Management told a conference at the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), mentioning that Romania has reached the area of over-regulation and has not adapted to the current technology. "A change in legislation is needed. If you want to invest in a mutual fund directly, let's say on a platform, we are stuck in a legislation that is lagging behind by 15-20 years. You therefore have to exchange letters whereas today, if you want to buy Bitcoin, you log in with your phone. (...) It is about legislation. The current legislation is an obstacle, it is a measure that prevents you from investing in and accessing investment funds, it does not encourage you. Somehow we have reached the over-regulation area and we have not adapted to the current technology," Dragos Manolescu said.In his turn, Ovidiu Dumitrescu, deputy general manager of Tradeville, said that the legislator should take into account the fact that Romania needs the development of the market and we should not go with the strictest regulation.The BVB and the Fund Administrators'Association organized on Monday a debate on the evolution of equity funds with exposure to the Bucharest Stock Exchange in the first quarter, after the Government Emergency Ordinance 114. Passenger traffic reached 2.99 million on the Bucharest airports in the first three months of the year and 32,098 aircraft movements (landings and take-offs), according to a press release of the National Company Bucharest Airports (CNAB). "The National Company Bucharest Airports recorded 2.99 million passengers and 32,098 aircraft movements (landings and take-offs) in the first quarter of 2019 on the Henri Coanda International Airport in Bucharest and the Aurel Vlaicu Bucharest-Baneasa International Airport. The Henri Coanda International Airport recorded 2,990,429 passengers, up 8.5 per cent from the same period last year, and 27,079 aircraft movements respectively, up 3.6 per cent against the first quarter of 2018," said the same source. The Aurel Vlaicu Bucharest-Baneasa International Airport welcomed 6,149 passengers, up 49 per cent compared with the same interval of 2018 with 5,019 aircraft movements, by 89.1 per cent more. The Henri Coanda International Airport currently works with 57 airlines carrying passengers to 128 destinations. The Aurel Vlaicu Bucharest-Baneasa International Airport started its activity on February 5, 2019, ensuring the operational coordination and the management of the two airports in the Capital City. CNAB was set up by merger of the companies managing the Bucharest airports: The Henri Coanda International Airport and the Aurel Vlaicu Bucharest-Baneasa International Airport. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Monday sent a message on the beginning of the month of Ramadan fasting, in which she wished all Muslims in Romania "joy and to stay in good health," while underscoring they are "a community that is fully integrated with our society, actively contributing to the common good and the development of religious pluralism." "In the beginning of the month of Ramadan fasting I want to wish all Muslims in our country joy and to stay in good health. Ramadan is a time for strengthening the existing connection between the family members, a moment of solidarity at community level, of dialogue and generosity showed to the ones in need, and also a time for rediscovering one's own faith fundamentals, for rediscovering identities and communities. I believe that, in a society as the one we live in today, marked by all sorts of challenges, knowledge is the best instrument for restoring faith and social balance. Romania will remain a country in which every citizen will be free to keep his/her faith, and respect and good understanding will unite us for the common good. Muslims are a community that is fully integrated with our society, actively contributing to the common good and the development of religious pluralism. Be it so that this Ramadan only brings joy, peace and prosperity to everyone!," said Dancila in her message sent by the Government. Romania's Prime Minister Viorica Dancila had a meeting at Victoria Palace on Monday with chairman of the EUROPALIA International Steering Committee Count Georges Jacobs de Hagen, saying that 2019 may be considered "the year of Romania in Brussels." According to a governmental press statement, the meeting took place as Romania is a special guest of the EUROPALIA International Festival, this year in its 50th edition, and offered an opportunity to evaluate the latest developments in the preparations for this event.Dancila congratulated EUROPALIA International team on the long and rich tradition of the festival and "gave assurances that Romania will give due importance to its participation in the festival."She added that 2019 could be considered the year of Romania in Brussels after the series of activities carried out under the umbrella of the rotating Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union and their continuation with the projects at the EUROPALIA Festival. Among these projects, Premier Dancila mentioned a Constantin Brancusi central exhibition, the first exhibition exclusively devoted to the Romanian sculptor in almost 25 years.EUROPALIA is the largest cultural event in Belgium, organised once every two years under the patronage of the Royal Family of Belgium in Belgium and neighbouring countries - France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany, and the United Kingdom."This year, Romania is a guest of the 50th edition of the festival. For four months, from October 2019 to January 2020, a series of artistic events will highlight, under a multidisciplinary programme, the cultural diversity of Romania. The Romanian government has supported the smooth organisation of this festival by allocating the necessary funds, given the importance of promoting Romania's values internationally." Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila welcomed at the Government House on Monday the "Bucharest EU Children's Declaration on Child Participation in Decision-Making," underlining that the responsibility of current European politicians is to bequest to the future generations a European Union that is "stable and strong." "I am pleased to see the interest of children and adolescents in the future of the European Union. (...) Romania's presidency of the Council of the EU has been built around unity, cohesion, as reflected in our motto: Cohesion, a common European value.' What does cohesion mean? Cohesion means freedom; you cannot be free, if others are not. Cohesion means solidarity and reciprocity - you do not feel good if the person next to you feels bad. It also means equality of treatment, non-discriminatory access to material, social and cultural goods. These are fundamental values that we all have to resonate with. Children are the future of a nation and one in five European citizens is a child or a young person. Therefore, you, the children, represent the future of the EU; it is on your shoulders that the European project, its consolidation and its adaptation to your requirements and new living conditions continue. We are still responsible for letting future generations have a stable and strong European Union, and the first step we need to do in that direction is to strengthen the European project and to regain the trust of citizens in its institutions," said Dancila at a meeting with children and adolescents who were involved in drafting the "Bucharest EU Children's Declaration on Child Participation in Decision-Making." The prime minister added that in order to achieve these goals, bringing the citizens closer to the European institutions and their involvement in decision-making plays a key role. She pointed out that in the case of the rotating presidency, co-operation between the Romanian government and the important institutions that promote the rights of the children placed special emphasis on the right to participate in decision-making processes. PNL (National Liberal Party) leader Ludovic Orban on Monday stated that the Liberals will support the revision of Constitution in Parliament, in the sense of the "No Convicts on Public Offices" initiative. "PNL at its Executive Bureau meeting decided, after seeing the CCR's explanatory in respect to the "No Convicts in Public Offices" initiative, to support the amendment of the Constitution in this respect, since it's also similar with PNL's legislative proposals regarding integrity in public office, currently pending debate in Parliament," Orban said at the meeting of the PNL leadership. On April 9, Romania's Constitutional Court established that the citizens' initiative to revise the fundamental law so that the persons convicted by definitive court decisions will no longer be allowed to hold public offices is constitutional. The constitutional judges specified in their explanatory that the ban to be established through the modification of the Constitution "will depend on the legislator's appreciation and will refer to a limited number of criminal convictions." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has dismissed the disqualification case filed against former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and his wife Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano. In a resolution released Monday, the Comelec said Alan did not commit any false material representation when he registered a different address from Lani in his certificate of candidacy. Alan is running as representative for 1st congressional district of Taguig-Pateros, while his wife of 14 years is running for 2nd District representative to replace her sister-in-law. Alan earlier said he has President Rodrigo Duterte's support in vying for House Speaker. READ: Cayetano eyes House Speakership In Alan's COC, he declared he was a resident of Barangay Bagumbayan, Taguig, which is part of the 1st District. Lani, although still married to Alan, declared her residence as Two Serendra in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. Citing previous Supreme Court rulings, the Comelec said one's domicile, and not actual residence, is used to determine residency qualifications for election purposes. "A person may live and maintain residences in different places, but it does not result [in] loss of domicile," the poll body said. "The respondent and his wife established their conjugal dwelling or marital domicile in a place other than respondent's domicile is of no moment and has no effect whatsoever to respondent's domicile absent any intention to abandon the same," the Comelec said. The disqualification case was filed in November last year by Taguig resident Leonides Buac Jr., who asked the poll body to deny due course and/or cancel the Cayetanos' certificates of candidacy for claiming they are residents of two different Taguig districts. "A married couple can only maintain one legal residence at any given time," the petition said. The petitioner pointed out the couple is obliged to live together under the Family Code. The petitioner added there was a "deliberate" mutual agreement between the married couple to "misrepresent" where they truly live. Under the Article VI, Section 6 of the 1987 Constitution, it states that an elected member of the House of Representative must be a resident of the district for at least one year. Uruguay and China on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding seeking to improve air connections between the two countries in both the commercial and tourist sectors, official sources said. The Uruguayan Foreign Ministry reported in a communique that Foreign Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa held a meeting in Montevideo with Chinas top Civil Aviation Administration official, Feng Zhenglin, within the framework of Uruguays participation in the second Belt and Road Forum in the Asian giant. Both men emphasized the importance of greater cooperation in creating closer air links given that such connections are vital for the more fluid transport of goods and passengers. In addition, the two sides emphasized that greater dynamism in aerial connectivity would be very positive for the development of areas in which Uruguay has a significant interest - such as tourism - and where the two governments feel that there is great potential for growth. This agreement seeks to create the appropriate framework for Chinese airlines - in the future - to be able to operate at Uruguayan airports both ... to distribute Chinese passengers in the (South American) region, as well as to transport cargo, taking into account that Uruguay is already able to export frozen meat and fresh fruits to China, the communique said. The South American country is taking part in the ambitious Chinese Belt and Road initiative, the multibillion global plan promoted by Beijing since 2013 to create infrastructure and provide investment. Uruguay - which has China as an important trade partner, just as does Chile - was the first Latin American country to officially join the New Silk Road initiative in early 2018, just a year after China became the main destination for Uruguayan exports with sales totalling $2.55 billion in 2017. The Belt and Road Initiative is a development strategy being implemented by the Chinese government involving infrastructure development and investments in 152 countries and international organizations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa. The belt element refers to the overland routes for road and rail transportation, called the Silk Road Economic Belt, while road refers to the sea routes, or the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Beijing has said that the initiative is a bid to enhance regional connectivity and embrace a brighter future but some observers see it as a push for dominance in global affairs with a trading network managed from and by China. President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on Sunday to the Muslim community in Romania on the occasion of the beginning of the Ramadan, saying that this is "a period of reflection on the revealed message of the Koran, emphasizing the values of tolerance, generosity and respect for diversity as the foundation of good coexistence." "The Ramadan is a period of reflection on the revealed message of the Koran, which emphasizes the values of tolerance, generosity and respect for diversity as the foundation of good cohabitation. I strongly believe that the inter-confessional and interethnic dialogue in Romania have a significant contribution to the consolidation of the democratic path of our society, inspiring us to build a better future together with the young generation in prosperity and mutual understanding," is the message conveyed by President Iohannis, according to a press release from the Presidential Administration issued for AGERPRES on Sunday.Members of the Muslim community in Romania celebrate on 6 May the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan, a period when believers are forbidden to eat and drink from sunrise to sunset, informs the Head of the Muslim Cult from Romania, Mufti Muurat Iusuf. A simple motion against the finance minister called "Eugen Teodorovici, Romanians are asking you to resign!" initiated by 38 senators of the opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR) was defeated on Monday in a plenary session of the Senate. The motion lost 27 to 70 and nine abstentions. The vote was cast by electronic ballot. Two servicemen from the 300th "St. Andrew" Force Protection Battalion, on mission in Afghanistan, were wounded on Monday, at around 2:35 am, Romania's time, while on a patrolling mission inside the Kandahar Air Base, informs the Ministry of National Defence. According to the quoted source, while on mission, the MRAP-type combat vehicle in which the servicemen were overturned.The cause of the incident is being investigated by a commission set up at the unit level.The two servicemen, Laurentiu Bogatu and Ionut Burlacu, received first aid and were evacuated to the ROL III Military Hospital in Kandahar Air Base. Their health condition is stable, with Bogatu already released from hospital and back to the Romanian camp, where he remains under the supervision of the medical team of the detachment, the Defence Ministry informs. Paul Christopher, head of global market strategy for Wells Fargo Investment Institute, views Trumps threat as a negotiating tactic. This could be a sign that theyre getting close and the president is trying to push them across the finish line faster, he said. If the threat is carried out, Christopher adds, it would have far-reaching effects on the global economy. Chinas growth would slow, and emerging markets that depend on sales to China would suffer. The U.S. dollar could strengthen. One number that seems resistant to tariffs is the U.S. trade deficit, a measure Trump has repeatedly used to justify his trade war. U.S. imports from China grew 7 percent last year and our bilateral trade deficit grew to $419 billion from $376 billion. The U.S. trade deficit with the world also widened. Youd think there would be a lesson there, said Simon Lester, a trade expert at the Cato Institute. Trade deficits are not the problem, and if they were, tariffs are not the solution. Trump, a self-described tariff man, hasnt learned that lesson. When the art of the deal becomes the art of the threat, it creates uncertainty thats bad for everyone. 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. Kraft Heinz Co., which has now received two subpoenas related to its procurement practices, says it plans to restate earnings for 2016, 2017 and part of 2018, adding it found evidence of employee misconduct that increased the cost of products sold. The effects of the restatements are expected to be less than 2 percent in each year on adjusted earnings per share, the packaged-food giant said in a regulatory filing Monday. The company said it didn't find any evidence of misconduct by senior managers in its investigation, which is now complete. It delayed filing its annual report earlier this year because of the probe, and said it would do so as soon as practicable. Kraft Heinz said it is taking remedial steps, including personnel actions and changing some internal controls, to prevent such misconduct in the future. Shareholder Warren Buffett, who helped finance the merger that created Kraft Heinz, said Monday that he's confident in the company. "During the course of a thorough internal investigation, some discrepancies were uncovered which affected the way earnings were calculated between periods," Kraft Heinz said in the filing. The new owner of an 1867 structure built to provide housing for new immigrants to St. Louis is an immigrant himself. Local physician Dr. Wahied Gendi purchased the Mullanphy Emigrant Home at 1609 North 14th Street for $130,000 late last year. It had been owned by an affiliate of the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, which cared for the property and kept it from being demolished in 2006. Gendi estimates the structure needs $4 million in repairs, and hes taking feedback from the neighborhood on how the building could be used. I will do everything I can to preserve the history of this iconic building so that we can bring something valuable to this community, Gendi said in a statement. Whether it serves as a health facility or as residential housing, I will work hard to restore it back to its original glory in a way that best serves the residents of this area. In recent history more Muslims have lost their lives in attacks perpetrated by terrorists who profess to follow Islam, the faith that has clearly stated that taking the life of one innocent human being is tantamount to killing the whole of humanity. This verse in the Quran does not specify people belonging to any specific faith; it applies to all human beings. Sadly I have learned that we cannot persuade or sway terrorists, no matter what their ideologies are religious, racial or ethnic. They want to get attention and control the narratives. Assumptions about these terrorists being disenfranchised young males have proven to be wrong. We have seen well educated, well-to-do and, at times, females taking part in these wars. I am heartbroken looking at the mass funerals. I am also alarmed by a few grieving people talking about revenge against Muslims. This is exactly what the terrorists want; enmity among people of different faiths, ethnic origins or nationalities. If each attack is retaliation against another group, where will it end? We have to be vigilant to fight against these fanatics, but we should not start fearing our next door neighbors with whom we have lived for years. The noise pollution created by ship and boat motors is literally deafening for whales along the coast of Chile, where half the worlds sightings of the cetaceans take place - it damages their hearing, which in turn leads to communication problems in the pod and even causes them to run aground on beaches. The ocean is an acoustic medium. Sound travels much faster in the water than through the air, and all marine fauna have evolved to communicate in a specific way, British oceanographer Susannah Buchan, who has implemented robot submarines to detect whales so as to protect them, told EFE. Buchan took her doctorate at the University of Concepcion, 515 kilometers (320 miles) south of Santiago, where she is making a pioneering study in Latin America to locate in real time the cetaceans in Chilean waters, in order to warn nearby boats to lower the speed of their motors. Another of the projects purposes is to avoid the collision of whales with vessels, which causes so many fatalities among these giant sea mammals that it is second only to their being unintentionally caught in commercial fishing nets. Noise stresses out the whales, reduces their distance of communication and can even cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. When blasted with really loud sounds, such as those from navy ships, they can run aground on the coast, Buchan said. The oceanographer said that high sound volumes are being injected into the marine environment without any awareness of the impact they have on the creatures that depend on sound waves to communicate. For that reason, Buchan imported from the United States two robot submarines to submerge in waters of the Pacific Ocean, and which surface every two hours to send the sounds recorded with two hydrophones - underwater microphones - that are currently being tested in the Gulf of Corcovado. The researcher receives the data on her computer and in that way can know, almost in real time, where the cetaceans are swimming, of what species they are, and report the information to the authorities. Up to now we did something cheaper and simpler, which was to put a hydrophone at a place on the sea bottom, collect the data and make a study based on the conclusions two years later. The acoustic monitoring in real time is much stronger because it allows you to take instant decisions, Buchan said. The expert brought to Chile this technology that had already been used in ports like Boston in the United States. For the moment weve seen that it works here. The next step is to distribute the information to users of the service on ships at sea, as is done in Boston, where whale conservation is a problem, Buchan said. Every time they detect them, they send an e-mail or text message so the boats lower their speed, maritime construction projects are interrupted and even military exercises are stopped, the researcher said. Whales are the sea creatures that suffer most from noise pollution, but it has been shown that other mammals like dolphins and even fish and crustaceans are also affected. In addition, according to Yacqueline Montecinos, head of marine biodiversity for WWF Chile, cetaceans play a very important role in the ecosystem. Whales are mammals with bioindicators that show changes in the environment, They also fertilize the oceans and mitigate climate change. We cant afford to lose these populations for environmental reasons, Montecinos said. The WWF representative said that now they need to join forces with users of the service at sea and governments to make all responsible for maintaining these robots so they can operate along the entire Chilean coastline. This system, which should be funded in part by the government, also requires time for implementation to raise awareness of those who work at sea about the importance of being guided by the messages they receive. Its a whole process and we hope that in 10 years or so, Chile will be the first country in Latin America to have a system that detects whales and makes all the vessels in the nations maritime space reduce their speed in the presence of whales, Montecinos said. The other $5,000 contributions are from JoAnns Greenhouse, a Perryville retail plant grower and distributor, and Richard Buchheit, the son of the greenhouse owners. Dudney said he began scoping out potential locations more than a year ago, before one of his partners, Jason Buchheit, alerted him to his aunt and uncles commercial greenhouse in Perryville. They were interested in at least trying to explore the opportunity to cultivate medical cannabis, Dudney said. My interest is in the science of it. That fits my background very well. He said the investor group comprises five St. Louis-area physicians who are interested in using cannabis to treat illnesses. They also are partnering with Mid-America Capital, an investment firm run by Jim and John Muller, who have experience in cultivation and retail operations in Nevada and California. Missouri voters legalized medical marijuana in November, starting a stampede of business owners looking to capitalize on the new market. By 2025, sales of the various forms of the product are expected to top $100 million. Better Together has long said that its proposal made such sweeping changes consolidating courts and police departments, for instance that it required an amendment to the Missouri Constitution and a statewide vote. But many residents and municipal officials considered that component a deliberate scheme to overpower local voters. Even Better Together board members raised the issue. Essentially, I think its time to pause, to think about the process going forward, board member Will Ross, associate dean for diversity at Washington University School of Medicine, told the Post-Dispatch before a Better Together board meeting last week. The process of unification is so important, we just dont want to do this wrong. Its becoming too divisive. The Better Together board met Wednesday. Spokesman Ed Rhode said nothing newsworthy happened. But Ross said before the meeting that he would present his concerns to members, predicting not all would be happy to hear them. Afterward, Ross said there would indeed be major new developments in the merger initiative, though he wasnt sure if it was real, systemic change. He declined to further discuss the matter. No consensus She and others chalked it up to the latest round of contentious politics in University City. According to Patch, which first wrote about the shake-up, foundation leaders have been outspoken critics of a planned taxpayer-funded development near Olive Boulevard and Interstate 170. The fair was started and supported during the time when Shelley Welsch was mayor. She did not seek reelection in 2018. The fact that politics even becomes an issue of concern demonstrates the lack of public confidence in our government, said Rose, who became city manager in December 2017. But he said the structure of University City government which has a city council and manager is supposed to minimize that sentiment. Rose said the city wasnt motivated by politics but rather by a desire to be a good steward of taxpayer funds. The concern was more that if taxpayer funds are going to be used for supporting Fair U City then the taxpayers should be reimbursed for those funds, he said. In it, theyll talk about their five keys to success: show up, find your cheerleader, always be kind, work hard and never give up. For me (the speech) is validation, Colleen Murphy said. I always believed that she would be OK. Its a matter of time, and shell be doing this on her own. As a result of her injuries, Lauren has global aphasia, the most severe form of language impairment caused by brain damage. She takes 19 medications daily in an effort to control seizures and treat her cognitive deficits, including memory loss. Every day, she looks at a sign taped to her mirror that reads I will get my words back. Lauren can still stumble over words or struggle to follow a conversation, but she has become a leader in her group sessions at Fontbonnes Eardley Family Clinic for Speech, Language and Hearing. After intensive training, she has also returned to running, completing more than two dozen 5K races since the accident. Hundreds of former Justice Department officials said in an open letter released Monday that President Donald Trump would be facing multiple felony charges stemming from the Russia investigation if he were not President. The letter posted online by Justice Department alumni, who served under presidents from both parties, said the report from special counsel Robert Mueller contained repeated instances of Trump committing obstruction of justice, and that he would have been charged with obstruction if he was not protected as President by an opinion from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel that Mueller cited. "We believe strongly that, but for the OLC memo, the overwhelming weight of professional judgment would come down in favor of prosecution for the conduct outlined in the Mueller Report," the letter read. The letter was posted to Medium and said it was being updated by the group Protect Democracy, a nonprofit group that has combated the Trump administration. CNN has reached out to Protect Democracy regarding the letter. A police officer was fatally shot during a routine traffic stop in Mooresville, North Carolina, late Saturday, and the suspect later killed himself, the police department said. K-9 Officer Jordan Harris Sheldon, 32, was transported to a hospital, but died from his injuries, Mooresville Police Chief Damon Williams said at a news conference. The suspect, 28-year-old Michael Aldana, fled and was later found in an apartment near where the shooting happened. By the time police entered the apartment, the suspect was dead from a "self-inflicted gunshot wound," Williams said. Aldana, a Mooresville resident, was known to the police, but had no violent history, Williams said. Williams didn't give any further details on the suspect or why Sheldon had made the stop Saturday night. Sheldon was wearing a body camera, and investigators are reviewing the film, Williams said. Sheldon's police dog, Ramone, was with him at the time of the shooting, the police chief said. Sheldon had been with the police department for six years. CNN's Rebekah Riess contributed to this report. Lewis sees a historical parallel with a North Korean promise to declare a moratorium on long range missile tests in the early 2000s that lasted for several years. When Pyongyang broke that moratorium in 2006, they started with a short range missile test that technically did not break the agreement. "But it was a warning," Lewis said. "Then as now, talks were deadlocked. They did a short-range missile test and in July they did a big one," using the long range Taepodong 2 missile. "This is a pretty classic move from them to start small and work their way up. It's a warning that there's more to come." Despite the prospect of escalating tensions, Pompeo defended the President's negotiating tactics on ABC, saying "this is the President who has put on the toughest sanctions in the world on North Korea" and that "the US continues to apply pressure." He said the US has to "play out every diplomatic effort we have" to achieve denuclearization and do that "without the use of force." "We continue to work toward that," Pompeo said. Land leveling. Leveling the land with bulldozers has removed even the slightest undulations. Those undulations once held rainwater and snowmelt. Their elimination means water all too frequently has nowhere to go but into the Missouri and its tributaries. Tiling. The drainage tiles under so much Midwestern farmland capture runoff and then direct it toward the Missouri. Deforestation. Trees are natural reservoirs. They hold water in their leaves, branches, trunks and roots. Trees and their leaf litter also slow surface runoff. Since the late 1840s, farmers in the valley between Sioux City, Iowa, and St. Joseph, Mo., have been destroying the valleys forests to increase their crop acreage. A period of major deforestation occurred south of Sioux City between the mid-1950s and 1980. The consequence of felling the Missouri Valleys forests, and the forests along its tributaries, has been higher flood flows. Herbicides. Herbicides kill unwanted plants in corn and soybean fields. Clean crop rows might boost the number of bushels harvested per acre, but they also increase runoff. The winning never seems to stop for rural supporters of President Donald Trump. His effort to sabotage the Affordable Care Act has had devastating effects on rural health care. Opioid addiction rates are reaching acute levels. And the stresses of Trumps trade wars are causing serious mental health issues for farming families. Trumps weekend threat to renew his trade war with China roiled international markets and no doubt prompted particular anguish for Midwestern farmers as soybean and corn futures continued to take a beating. Soybean sales to China, by far the Midwests biggest export customer, declined by more than 57 percent as of January, according to federal government figures. Ongoing heavy floods add to the bleak financial prospects. Farmers who have a front-row seat on the effects of climate change need to question the wisdom of supporting a president who refuses to acknowledge theres a problem. And as they watch their financial fortunes collapse amid Trumps trade war, they should be asking themselves: How much more of this winning can we take? Iran is back at the oil smuggling game and earlier this year there was embarrassing evidence of it. In January a storm hit the Syrian coast and an Indian tanker (Tour 2) that had just delivered Iranian oil to Syria went to sea despite, or perhaps because of, the bad weather. As the ship was leaving the storm drove the tanker ashore. Tugs did not arrive until April to pull the tanker off the beach near the Syrian port of Latakia. It soon became clear what had happened here. During late December 2018, Tour 2 loaded its oil cargo in an Iranian port and after it exited the Suez Canal it turned off its AIS (Automated Identification System), which allows ship owners and their customers to track the progress of large ships. With the Indian shipping company exposed as illegally smuggling oil to Syria, the ensuing greater scrutiny of ships making deliveries to Syria there meant there have been no more illegal oil tanker visits to Syria this year and there is a very visible oil shortage in most of the country. Iran has resorted to smuggling oil in via truck from Iran to Syria but this is not sufficient to make up for the deliveries via seagoing tankers. All this is happening because once more Iranian oil exports are hobbled by sanctions and Iran is reviving its usual array of deceptions to try and hide illegal exports to customers willing to risk discovery and punishment when the Iranian deceptions fail. The last time (2012-2015) Iran got hit by an oil export ban shipments dropped from 2.6 million barrels per day to a million barrels per day. As the sanctions were once more imposed in late 2018 Iranian exports quickly fell from 2.8 million barrels per day to 1.8 million barrels. By April 2019 legal shipments had declined to under a million barrels per day. The decline delay was caused by exemptions given to eight export customers who needed time to shift to another supplier. Some of the exemptions are permanent which is why the exports never hit zero. There are plenty of other suppliers because there has been a world oil glut since 2010 because of fracking in North America (and now elsewhere). The OPEC oil cartel has restricted production to try and drive the oil price up but that only worked for a while and only partially. Even before Iranian oil sanctions were revived the oil price was declining again. So there are plenty of oil producers willing and able to replace Iranian exports. Illegal Iranian oil exports are sold at a lower price because of the risk (financial costs if caught) and that also contributes to keeping oil prices low. But if scrutiny is too intense the smugglers find they cannot reach many customers. Iran is not only reviving its efforts to hide ship movements but expanding them. One reason the oil sanctions returned was that after most sanctions were lifted in 2015 Iran continued to smuggle weapons by sea, using the same deceptions it employed to try and get around the oil export ban. The difference was that most of the ships Iran used for the arms smuggling were small enough (under 300 tons) that they were not legally required to carry an electronic beacon. But some larger Iranian weapons smuggling ships illegally turned off their beacon and, as the saying goes, ran dark. It was this continued smuggling and other unfriendly activity that brought back the oil embargo. The primary technical deception these days is having ships carrying contraband turn off their AIS transponder. AIS was originally developed to make it easier to track ships at sea and was rapidly adopted by most large commercial vessels in the 1990s. AIS is essentially an automatic radio beacon (transponder) that, when it receives a signal from a nearby AIS equipped ship, responds with the ship's identity, course, and speed. This is meant to enable AIS ships to avoid collisions with each other. The original AIS only had a range of 20-35 kilometers but by 2006 space satellites were developed that could track AIS transmissions worldwide. Commercial ships have become very dependent on AIS, which has greatly reduced collisions (and crew anxiety) at sea. After 2000 international agreements mandated that ships larger than 300 tons, and all passenger ships, carry and use AIS at all times. While this made it practical to track all high seas commercial traffic, it was also exploited by smugglers and pirates. Some ships traveled (in violation of international law) with its AIS and other trackers turned off. Usually, only criminals turned these devices off, and this was often discovered when navies spotted one of these silent (AIS not broadcasting) ships at sea. It didnt take long for some intelligence agencies (those with ocean surveillance space satellites and lots of ships and subs at sea) to exploit the silent AIS ploy to create better ways to track smugglers by noting when some ships turn off their trackers and then turn them on again as they are about to enter a port (or some other area where AIS use is mandatory). Some nations, like Iran and North Korea, have tankers and cargo ships that are often found running dark. Naturally, intelligence agencies developed methods to take advantage of this and a growing number of smugglers, usually North Korean, are detected and tracked because of AIS manipulation. Iran had an easier time concealing arms smuggling because they could use smaller ships. Actually, for getting arms to Shia rebels in Yemen Iran used a lot of small ships that are not required to use AIS. These could be, and were, tracked by satellite but it was more difficult. Oil smuggling is another matter as large ships (tankers) are used and they are easier to spot from orbital space (or by recon aircraft and UAVs). AIS monitoring has been combined with analyzing the thousands of satellite photos available each day from commercial satellites. Using software that can scan these digital photos and match ship position data with current AIS data it easier to identify who is misbehaving and go after them. This has been bad news for Iranian oil smuggling efforts and so far the Iranians have not come up with effective countermeasures. Before AIS came along most large ships carried (and still carry) INMARSAT, which enables shipping companies to keep track of their vessels, no matter where they are on the planet. INMARSAT became available in the 1980s and uses a system of satellites which transmit AIS-like signals to anywhere on the oceans. It only costs a few cents to send an INMARSAT signal to one of your ships, and a few cents more to receive a reply. The trackers and satellite-based navigation systems in general soon proved invaluable by preventing collisions or running into reefs, rocks, or (in bad weather) coastline. The smugglers soon responded to intel agency tracking of AIS activity with new tricks. Back in 2012, Iran was caught hacking AIS signals. Iran was sending false AIS signals to assist its smuggling operations. After 2012 security researchers found even more ways to hack AIS and is calling for changes in the AIS software to make more difficult to spoof. Iran is expected to try this again, despite the increased security measures in the AIS software. Iran has been working for some time to come up with ways to confuse the international ship tracking system, mainly to support their arms smuggling activities. These maritime security technologies were developed as a safety feature and have proved valuable in other ways as well by providing the positions of ships caught in storms or taken by pirates. All ships now use GPS coordinates to record location and constantly report that back to the home office. Iran exploited this by having two of its ships trade INMARSAT IDs while they are near each other, leaving the U.S., or anyone else checking INMARSAT data, unable to track ships that have been switched. Well, for a while at least. Once the intel people caught onto this scam the developed ways to counter it. This is very much a matter of move and counter move when it comes to exploiting or creating AIS vulnerabilities. Because these tracking systems were, after 2000, required by law (international agreements) for all seagoing vessels, this new tech was particularly useful in counter-terror operations. Coast Guards the world over have also found the systems a big help. But apparently pirates in some areas have gained access to the systems (via bribes or theft) and a large number of pirate attacks appear to have been helped by technology meant to safeguard ships at sea. But overall the tracking systems have done far more good than bad. By 2012 as counter-piracy operations improved and better security inside the AIS operation made it much more difficult to be a pirate via stolen AIS data. Iranian abuse of the AIS system was not appreciated by the shipping companies and ship crews. The Iranians have been found moving tankers around the Persian Gulf with AIS turned off. The Iranians do this in other parts of the world where there is a lot of ship traffic. This puts ships of many nations at risk and despite Iranian denials, there are enough ships reporting encounters with Iranian ships running dark to confirm what Iran is doing. All this outlaw activity turned more and more former allies, or neutrals, against Iran. 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. Monday Devotional: A Student in the Classroom of Life The Fellowship | May 6, 2019 Close up of hand pointing to text in the Torah. Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. Genesis 23:1 Every Friday at the Sabbath meal, it is the Jewish tradition for the husband to sing the words from Proverbs 31:1031 to his wife, praising her as an eishet chayil, a woman of valor. It is the highest compliment one can bestow upon a mother, a wife, a daughter. But what constitutes a woman of valor? During this month as we celebrate the women in our lives, enjoy these devotions from the timeless teachings of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein on what it means to be an eishet chayil. Share our newest quiz, Which Woman of Valor Are You?, to celebrate all women of valor. Sarah lived to be 127 years old, and the Jewish sages comment that every single one of those years was good. But how can that be? Doesnt every life have ups and downs, good years and not-so-good ones? Sarahs life clearly did. For most of her adult years, Sarah was barren, she was kidnapped twice, and she had to deal with the difficult personalities of Hagar and Ishmael in her home. So how can the sages make such an outrageous claim? What makes any year a good one? Is it the one in which we earn the most money? Or when we enjoy a wonderful vacation? The sages teach there is only one criterion for judging any year, or any day, for that matter: How much did we grow? Life is about changing and improving. Its about learning and growing. Easy or hard, fun or boring, every day is measured by the degree to which we are different than the day before. Sarah was a prized student in the classroom of life. She knew how to learn from everything and everyone who came her way. Thats why the sages call her life good. By the truest standards of living, Sarah met the highest standard possible. I once visited a woman who is an art professor in New York City. I couldnt help but notice a very unusual piece among her drawings and paintings. The work of art was a single cigarette butt, mounted onto a piece of black velvet and enclosed in a beautiful golden frame. When I asked the woman what inspired the art piece, she chuckled and explained that it was to teach her students about the value of a frame. Anything can become beautiful even an ugly cigarette butt when placed in the right surroundings. What the art professor said about art also is true about life. How we judge the content of our life is determined by how we frame it. Do we view our lives in the context of how much we grow? Or do we see it in terms of how much we gain? The context we give our lives will determine how we see its contents. Try this: Reframe your life. Try to see everything that has happened so far and everything that you hope for the future in terms of how much you have learned and how much you will continue to grow. Then, like Sarah, you can count all your days as good. Share our newest quiz, Which Woman of Valor Are You?, to celebrate all women of valor. Speed limits on the most dangerous roads could drop to 80km per hour as the government seeks to combat the high number of road deaths. Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter says the government's Vision Zero road safety plan seeks to drop the number of road deaths by half in the next decade. One way to do that will be by reducing the speed limit on some roads, and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is already working to identify which roads should have lower speed limits. "In the government policy statement, we identified rolling out the safe and appropriate speeds as identified in the speed management guide," Julie Anne says. "We wouldn't have a blanket reduction. What is important is that we're going to focus on the most dangerous roads, revising them to have a safe and appropriate speed limit, and making it easier for local councils to get a safe and appropriate speed limit. "At the moment, they have to go through a lot of bureaucratic hoops to get the speed limit changed. It should be easy, straightforward, and quick to change it to an appropriate speed limit." Julie Anne spoke to RNZ about the international Road Safety Week which begins today, and discussed ways the government hopes to make roads safer. She says roads will be improved with better safety features. "We're already making progress on this in terms of investing in cost effective safety upgrades right around the country," Julie Anne says. "We have the $1.4 billion work programme, which is all about median barriers, side barriers, wider shoulders, wider centre lines, rumble strips, all things which are proven to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes. "That will cover thousands of kilometres of our road network over the next three years." But Julie Anne says it is "no secret that many of the posted speed limits are not a safe speed limit to travel at" on New Zealand roads. Julie Anne Genter. Photo: RNZ. As of last night, 144 people had died on the roads this year, a number that is tracking higher than the 377 who died on the road last year. Asked if lowering speed limits would be a brave move, Julie Anne says people will understand. "I have a slightly different view. I actually think there are lots of New Zealanders and a lot of visitors to New Zealand who are driving around on our roads who would be much happier with a more appropriate speed limit," she says. "It's actually less stressful to drive on a road when you're able to travel at a safe speed limit and not be under pressure to travel at a faster speed. "There will be a percentage of the population, a minority, who aren't happy with this. But I actually think there'll be a silent majority who are quite in favour and say, actually, it's the right thing to do." Julie Anne says the NZTA is reviewing the speed limit on many roads, and has already signed off on a number of speed limit reviews. She says it would only be on the "most dangerous roads where it is going to save lives". -RNZ/Ben_Strang Taurangas Bayfair Shopping Centre is one of six centres to adopt the living wage. From July 1, AMP Capital, the manager of six shopping centres will have cleaning and security providers, who are their largest contractors, paying all their employees the living wage. Employees will be paid a minimum of $20.55 per hour. Workers who are employed through suppliers will receive a pay rise at Bayfair in Tauranga, Centre City in New Plymouth, Botany Town Centre and Manukau Supa Centre in Auckland, and Christchurchs Merivale Mall and The Palms. Its understood AMP Capital will be the first shopping centre manager in New Zealand to facilitate the payment of the living wage. Cleaning and security comprise AMP Capitals two largest supply contracts, employing a total of 131 people across the six centres. The living wage is $2.85 per hour above minimum wage for New Zealand workers. AMP Capital is aligning itself with more than 120 national organisations who recognise the value of the fairer remuneration standard for workers, the economy and their business. AMP Capital asset manager Emma Smith says the organisation is committed to helping improve New Zealands financial position and they want to lead by example. We believe this new policy will benefit those employed by these providers and their families. A living wage enables workers to live with dignity and to participate as active citizens in society. It is good to see the move towards the living wage gaining momentum in New Zealand. By ensuring AMP Capitals contractors are paid the living wage, we hope to be able to inspire other businesses to look into adopting the same approach. It is early days and we will be looking at what we can do to encourage other service providers to join the movement. Australian-owned company Assetlink has worked with AMP Capitals real estate management team in Australia since 2016, and was appointed to provide cleaning services for an additional six assets in New Zealand earlier this year. Assetlinks General Manager of People and Culture Martha Travis says they welcomed AMP Capitals recommendation to incorporate a living wage for all workers under the new contract. The New Zealand industrial landscape is different to how we work in Australia, which has various awards and penalty rates which bump up hourly rates for workers, and to know we can come into New Zealand for the first time and offer all our workers at least the living wage as a decent and fair wage for their work is certainly very important to us. We are passionate about people and sustainability, both environmental and financial, and we are thrilled to be able to help push forward the living wage movement as we come into the country. Most rewarding of all though, is the difference we are making to the lives of the people we are employing who will be receiving a pay rise from July 1 this year. Along with Assetlink, AMP Capital have engaged security services provider Red Badge Group who has also committed to providing a living wage for its employees contracted to AMP Capital managed shopping centres throughout the country. The upcoming Fiddler on the Roof musical at Baycourt will be a particularly poignant show for one Aquinas College family. Thats because Year 13 student Michael Graham, who plays the lead role in Aquinas Colleges biennial musical, is the fourth and final child in his family to be on stage in an Aquinas musical. And its not his first time. He was Bugsy in the colleges production of Bugsy Malone in 2017, and the Artful Dodger in Oliver in 2015. Michael was joined in the Oliver production by big brother, Sam, who played Fagin. In fact, the Graham family children have been involved in all Aquinas musicals. Rachel was on stage in Joseph and The Pirates of Penzance; Rachel, Joel and Sam were involved in Cinderella Enchanted (Joel in the orchestra pit on clarinet), and Joel and Sam had key roles in The Sound of Music. Their parents Fraser and Katie are Aquinas College teachers who have also pitched in to support the school productions. Katie has been head of wardrobe for the last four productions, and part of the wardrobe team the previous one, while Fraser has been stage manager for the last four productions. Michael says the arts has always been an integral part of his familys identity. Many of us live to create and entertain, and this is the reason that theatre has enticed us in the way it has. It provides an outlet for us to thrive and create a sense of enjoyment for ourselves and others. Michael, Sam and their dad have also been involved in a number of Tauranga Musical Theatre shows, with Katie joining in the fun by making numerous show costumes. Summer Shakespeare has also benefitted from Graham family talent. Fiddler on the Roof, Aquinas style, involves 70 students taking on cast and crew responsibilities, is being directed by Toni Henderson, and will run from May 9 until May 11, including a matinee performance on the Saturday. The crowd-pleasing show contains many well-known songs including Tradition, If I were a Rich Man, Miracle of Miracles, and Do You Love Me? Its a show about life, love, and tradition within a Jewish community in 1905 Russia. A poor milkman, determined to find good husbands for his five daughters, consults the traditional matchmaker - and also has a word with God. Tickets for the shows can be purchased from Baycourt Ticketek on 577 7188 or through Ticketek. Bay of Plenty We are looking for a storeman with an OSH forklift license. You will need to be physically for as the job is about 70% forklift... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz Two women brought to New Zealand from Asia to work as cleaners at a Bay of Plenty retreat instead became sexual playthings for the resort's owner, a jury has been told. Former director of the Mahaereko Bay Retreat, Pihi Hei, is on trial in the Tauranga District Court on 26 charges of sexual offending, including rape, 15 charges of indecent assault and one charge of stupefying. The charges relate to alleged offending against two different women - one in 2013 and one in 2017. Hei has pleaded not guilty to the charges, with his lawyer Russell Fairbrother QC telling the jury that any sex between his client and the two women was consensual. It was also not to the extent the witnesses alleged. But prosecutor Heidi Wrigley said the women's accounts of sexual violation while working at the retreat, situated between Te Kaha and Waihau Bay in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, were too similar to be ignored. She said the women, one of Chinese-descent and the other Japanese, had been selected by Hei to work at the remote retreat getting free food and accommodation in exchange for about four hours work a day. "The defendant took advantage of their nature, their vulnerability and the power imbalance between them to force sexual advances despite being well aware it was not wanted," Wrigley said. The Japanese witness alleges she was raped by Hei the same night she was picked up at the airport to start work in 2017. Wrigley said she had responded to an overseas advertisement looking for cleaners. Hei collected her from the airport and insisted she kiss him. "He told her it was part of Maori culture," Wrigley said. "He turned his head so the kiss landed on his lips." Hei drove her to a Hamilton motel where he had booked them into the same suite. After dinner, and a few drinks, it is alleged he forced himself on her, raping her and forcing her to perform oral sex. Unsure what to do and isolated in a new country, Wrigley told the jury that the woman went with Hei to the remote Maraehako Bay Retreat to start work, assuming there would be others there to protect her. She was placed in a bedroom opposite Hei's. Sometimes when she went into her room Hei was inside, half-naked and expecting a massage. After one of these incidents she called her mother for advice, not revealing every detail, and confronted Hei. "She confronted him and made it clear that what he had done to her was wrong," Wrigley said. She told him she came to work as a cleaner, not a prostitute. But Hei allegedly blamed her for misleading him as she'd told him she was single. Hei told her the massages were part of her job. Indecent assaults followed several of the massages. One evening it is alleged Hei forced the witness to drink more than 10 glasses of wine, causing her to black out for almost two days with no recollection of what happened. "She cannot remember what happened as she blacked out," Wrigley said. When she recovered she fled to Auckland, sought medical advice and reported the assaults to police. Police made contact with other exchange workers who had worked at the Mahareko Bay Resort. They discovered a woman of Chinese-descent who alleged she was the victim of similar offending in 2013. The second witness alleges Hei requested massages and acted inappropriately towards her before things escalated to rape. One evening Hei started touching the woman, pulling her into a room and locking the door. "She was scared of what might happen if she ran away," Wrigley said. After the alleged rape the victim went into her room had a shower and tried to go to sleep. "When she awoke the defendant was laying beside her," Wrigley said. "He had gotten into her room despite it being locked. He then raped her again." She arranged travel with a group of Chinese visitors, but left her passport behind in her rush to leave. Wrigley said Hei was old enough to be the womens' father and they had never wanted any sexual connection with him. She urged the jury to consider the similarities between the two womens' stories when assessing the evidence. The prosecution will call 18 witnesses in the case expected to last more than one week with the first witness still under examination. Lake Wagner rolled Easter eggs across the White House lawn when he was a kid. He chased eggs with a spoon. The boy also sat with other kids in front of First Lady Barbara Bush and, later, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. The first lady, she always reads a childrens book for all the children that are there, said Wagner, now 31. These journeys to the White House became an annual tradition for the Wagner clan. A couple of years ago, Wagner returned to the White House with his fiancee, Laurie Street, and he went back going from Washington County, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. to represent the Virginia Egg Council and the American Egg Board at the White House Easter Egg Roll. Today, Wagner is general manager of the Abingdon-based Dutt & Wagner, a wholesale food distribution company and egg producer, whose affiliated businesses include Green Valley Poultry Farm in Washington County at Wyndale plus another egg farm in North Carolina. Dutt & Wagner can trace its history to 1926. And Im pretty proud of that for keeping our business going as long as it has, Wagner said. Its definitely a hard line of work. This year, while Wagners upcoming wedding plans have forced him to cancel a trip to the White House for the Easter event on April 22, three members of his family business are heading that way. Wagner is also happy to report that his aunts stepdaughter, Chloe Campbell, an 11-year-old student at High Point Elementary School in Bristol, Virginia, has submitted an Easter egg design, using an art called quilling and a letter noting the family farm. The White House Easter Egg Roll features a commemorative egg designed by children of egg producers including Chloe Campbell. My mom, Lori Wagner Campbell, likes hens. In fact, she has about a million, who like to lay eggs lots and lots of eggs, Chloe wrote as part of an egg decorating contest. She and my Uncle Rodney and Cousin Lake have an egg business called Green Valley Poultry Farm, so we have plenty of eggs whenever we want them. All total, Wagners companies including the Green Valley Poultry Farm on the outskirts of Abingdon can produce 550 million eggs each year, Wagner said. And all those ovals are in big demand right now with Easter. This is a hectic time for the egg business, Wagner noted as he talked about sales to grocery store chains advertising the incredible edible egg. Stores run advertisements offering eggs at deep discounts as Easter approaches, and that drives up demand, Wagner said. Its really a huge egg holiday, Wagner said. Everyone just kind of puts ads in at the same time. Last year turned into a price war, with some stores selling eggs below cost, Wagner said, and really driving demand that way. Wagner has found that to be a bit less of the case this year. Most of the major retailers have made the decision not to be so aggressive with their pricing. Still, demand is there for boiling, poaching, frying and dying eggs. Wagner has found the highest egg consumption is typically toward the winter months and leading to spring. Easter is kind of our last big push before the summer, said. Summer is actually kind of slow for eggs, Wagner said. People dont eat as many during warmer months, he added. Theyre home less. Theyre on vacation. Theyre cooking less. The program began with a 2017 discussion between Mike Stollings, the companys vice president of human relations, and school Superintendent Keith Perrigan. When we sat down with Mike and his team, he let us know they were looking for people who had the CPT credential. We found out we could offer that, but we had to change our curriculum, Perrigan said. We changed our curriculum, changed the credentialing test, and now we have this partnership that allows our students to take the class, and, if they pass the credentialing test, Electro-Mechanical has guaranteed them a job right out of high school. The program helps students prepare for the workforce and offers employment opportunities that keep people living in the community, Perrigan said. This is a great opportunity and partnership. Hopefully, well have more kids in the class next year and continue to move forward. I think when this first group goes through and kids see what a great opportunity this is, I think our rolls will increase, well have more kids leaving with that credential, the superintendent said. The certificate sends a clear message to prospective employers that the holder is better prepared to begin work, Stollings said. Stanley also works to keep learning to better serve citizens. In 2014, she became a certified municipal clerk. Then, she went on a few years later to earn the designation of Master Municipal Clerk. To receive that title, she undertook on-the-job training and about 120 hours of education. During that training, the students were required to read the book Hidden Figures, which details the story of Katherine Johnson, who once taught in Marion but went on to serve as a mathematician for NASA. Stanley was proud to note Johnsons ties to the community she now serves. A suspect in an April 18 armed robbery in Marion has been taken into custody in West Virginia. In the morning hours of Thursday, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents along with Marion Police Department Det. Wes Thomas executed a search warrant in the 700 block of Raven Way in Newport, Tennessee, on the residence of Travis W. Day. Authorities describe Day as the primary suspect in the armed robbery that occurred at the Valero Fas-Mart in Marion. During the incident, an armed suspect entered the store with a firearm and removed cash from the register. As a result of information obtained during the search warrant, the 47-year-old Day was located by ATF agents in Morgantown, West Virginia, and was taken into custody Thursday without incident. He was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence in relation to his alleged armed robbery of the Valero station. NEW YORK (AP) U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling on the Centers for Disease Control to declare an emergency and unlock special funding to stem a potentially deadly drug-resistant fungus that's been spreading at health care facilities. Schumer, the Senate Democratic Leader, says declaring an emergency over the Candida Auris fungus could make his home state of New York eligible for potentially millions of dollars in public health crisis response funding. More than half of the 613 confirmed cases in the U.S. have been in New York. Illinois has had 156 confirmed cases of the fungus. New Jersey has had 106. The CDC has declared public health emergencies over Zika, Ebola and H1N1. Schumer says the extra funding could be used to boost testing for Candida Auris and raise public awareness. Mourning the Israelis Killed This Weekend Stand for Israel | May 6, 2019 Moshe Feder, killed when his car was struck by a terrorist missile As we pray for the swift and full recovery of the dozens of Israelis who were wounded in this weekends barrage of rocket attacks, our hearts break for the loved ones of the four Israelis who were killed. The Times of Israels Jacob Magid tells us about the four a 47-year-old factory worker, a 68-year-old driving his car, a 58-year-old whose home was hit, and a man in his 20s who was running for cover: An Israeli man killed on Sunday afternoon in a rocket attack on the southern city of Ashkelon was identified as Ziad al-Hamamda, 47, and a second victim killed earlier in the day when an anti-tank missile fired from the Gaza Strip struck his car was named as 68-year-old Moshe Feder. The two were among the four Israelis killed in the latest round of violence, which has seen over 650 rockets fired at Israel over the weekend by Gaza terror groups and the Israel Defense Forces responding with strikes against some 300 targets throughout the Palestinian coastal enclave. Al-Hamamda was killed when a rocket directly hit a factory in the southern city of Ashkelon. A Bedouin Israeli resident of the Negev, he is survived by his wife and seven children, according to Hebrew reports, and was buried on Sunday night. Feder, a Kfar Saba resident, was survived by two children and his partner Iris Eden. Eden lost her first husband, Yashish Eden, in a deadly helicopter crash in 1997. Known as the helicopter disaster, that incident saw 73 IDF servicemen lose their lives when two aircraft collided near the northern border with Lebanon Two other Israelis were killed on Sunday and at least 10 others were injured by shrapnel from rockets, missiles and mortar shells from the Gaza Strip, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service. Fifty-eight year-old father of four Moshe Agadi was the first fatality after being rushed to Barzilai Medical Center with shrapnel wounds he sustained when the rocket hit his home in the city at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday. On Sunday evening, Pinchas Menachem Prezuazman, said to be in his early twenties, was killed after being struck by rocket shrapnel while running for cover in the coastal city of Ashdod Just before (Sandy) Alex G walked out on stage, Life Is A Highway by Rascall Flatts blasted over the PA system. The country song best known for appearing in the hit Disney Pixar movie, Cars, clashed in the most beautiful way with the nights angsty and sad indie rock. The crowd belted out the chorus. (Sandy) Alex G joined Central New York music fans at The Haunt on May 5 for a night of self-affected indie rock. He brought along Sarah Beth Tomberlin, known musically by her last name, to open. Since her last show at The Haunt in January of this year, Sarah Beth Tomberlin notably played on The Jimmy Kimmel Show in March. It was just her and an acoustic guitar in January, but tonight, she brought out a keyboard to play Tornado, the first song she wrote that inspired her to share her music. She also brought her friend Andrew Boylan as a second acoustic guitarist and keyboardist for select songs. The crowd was much more attentive, too. When she played with WHY?, a bunch of attendees migrated to the back of the room and chatted at the bar. While there were a few who went there or to the patio, significantly more people actually watched her perform. Im gonna play some songs for you, Tomberlin said. Its nice if youre quiet while that happens. Later, she said, Thanks for being so quiet, by the way, yall are getting it. Tomberlin, like most of the crowd, is also a (Sandy) Alex G fan. I had to drive 2 hours with my older sister to see a show once, because thats how far I had to drive for shows. She thanked him for inviting her, and mentioned that Ithaca was her last stop on the tour. Later this month, she leaves for several dates in Europe. Big clap, much rock, much roll, she said, mimicking the Doge memes. Before the last song, she thanked everyone again for listening, especially as her career has gained more traction recently. I hadnt even played in a venue until last May, she said. (Sandy) Alex Gs music was much heavier and harder than Tomberlins creating a nice contrast. The mastermind behind the music, Alex Giannascoli, played on Frank Oceans records since dropping out of Temple University in 2012 to pursue music. Some of his earliest songwriting influences included Built to Spill and Elliott Smith. Those late 90s and early 00s influences shone so bright that it almost felt like stepping back in time. Heavy bass guitar and slow drumlines hit in sync with each other, while low rhythym guitar backed a repeating riff. As a huge Death Cab for Cutie fan, I personally heard a lot of their early tracks in (Sandy) Alex Gs set. He played most of the songs with his back to the audience, facing forward mostly to sing into the microphone. When he wasnt singing, he turned around and faced his drummer or his second guitarist. It almost created an outsider-looking-in perspective for the audience, almost like it was watching his band practice or bedroom recording sessions. Tomberlin also came back out to sing a few songs. One was Bobby during the regular set, and the other was Brite Boy during the encore. Speaking of which, the band never left the stage for the encore, as is concert tradition. That was the end of our set, and now were gonna do our encore, Alex said nonchalantly after the last song in his set. For the encore, he took audience requests and played a sampler of several fan favorites, including mis, Harvey and Change. They also took a second to thank their unusual sound guy for the night. Several years ago, the guitarist said, the band played at The Haunt. After the show, they went outside to the deck and saw a very drunk man skinny dipping in the creek. Hes actually doing sound for us, he said. Everyone cheered. When the band hit the last chords and walked off the stage, Life is a Highway blasted again on the speakers as people trickled out of the venue. Communities along Lake Ontarios southern and eastern shores are continuing in a worst-case scenario mode this week, piling up sandbags and taking other preventative measures in anticipation of flooding that could come as early as this weekend. Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that a recent meeting with the International Joint Commission about the lakes high water levels was unsatisfactory. The governor remained critical of the bi-national agencys handling of the situation and its Plan 2014 management plan for handling the lakes water levels. He also criticized the IJCs failure to appoint former state Assemblywoman Jane Corwin to represent New Yorks interests on the panel. At this point, the lake level is at 247.77 feet, about 5 inches below this date in 2017 when waters kept rising and extensive flooding resulted afterward. As far as water releases at the Moses-Saunders Dam on the St. Lawrence River, which controls the lakes water level, at 1 a.m. today it was increased to 7,000 cubic meters per second. Its been ramping up gradually since April 26 when it was 5,600 cubic meters per second, said Frank Bevacqua, an IJC spokesman. Yesterday it was 6,800 cubic meters per second. Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is predicting that Lake Ontario could rise as much as 11 inches in the next month, according to a May 3 report. Is that a certainty? Not really. Its a best guess estimate based on several factors the biggest being the amount of precipation in the Great Lakes, the Lake Ontario and the Ottawa River watersheds in the coming month, according to Andrew Kornacki, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Historical data of rainfall for this time of year is also considered. The amount of rainfall in the Great Lakes and Lake Ontario watersheds will determine how much water will pour into the lake. Precipitation levels in the Ottawa River Watershed will play a big part in how much water can be released at the Moses-Saunders Dam on the St. Lawrence River so has not to further negatively affect the Canadian communities downstream (particularly Montreal,) which are already experiencing flooding. Community leaders in the Lake Ontario shoreline communities are doing everything right by preparing for the worst-case scenario, Kornacki said. Fair Haven Mayor James Basile said the lake level appears to be creeping up. People here have been picking up sandbags all weekend, doing what they need to do to protect their property, he said. Were also trying to get a list together of people arent physically able to pile sandbags so we can get them help. Over in the village of Sodus Point in Wayne County, Mayor David McDowell said things are going well in regard to preparations for flooding. We have state prisoners and the National Guard here today laying down sandbags, he said. Both mayors noted that as the water continues to rise, a prevailing northwest wind on lake the will push water against the south and eastern shorelines. The resulting high waves can raise the water level along the shore in those areas a foot or two. When that happens here, youre get lots of erosion and flooding in peoples yards, McDowell said. Tuesday (May 7), the governor said the state has supplied the eight counties along the southern shore with more than 800,000 empty sandbags , nearly 47,000 filled sandbags, 15 sandbaggers, hundreds of pumps and 920 feet of aquadams -- with a promise of more if needed. In addition, state Department of Environmental Conservation spill experts are inspecting marinas and near-shore facilities to ensure fuel storage tanks and other infrastructure are "safely secured and these facilities are prepared for high water. The New York National Guard also activated 100 members Sunday to support preparedness measures. Finally, a general permit from the state Department of Environmental Conservation remains in effect to speed up repairs or to take preventative measures by shoreline property owners. In regard to Cuomos criticism of the IJC, Bevacqua responded that Cuomos dissatisfaction with what he said was the IJCs failure to appoint Corwin to the U.S./Canadian panel was misplaced. That decision will be taken by the U.S. Senate, he said. In addition, Bevacqua said, its misleading (for the governor to say) that better management of the outflows (at the Moses-Saunders Dam) could have averted the high water conditions this year. Cuomo, in describing his meeting with the IJC, said they listened, they were polite, but they didnt commit to anything. He did say, though, that IJC officials are going to look into 24-hour monitoring of the lake, better communications with the state about the lakes conditions and increasing the release of water, adding, and they have made some small progress in that regard. Syracuse, N.Y. -- U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer on Monday called for passage of a new federal law to stop unwanted and often illegal robocalls like the ones that targeted many Central New Yorkers last week. These robocalls are one big pain in the neck, Schumer, D-N.Y., said while standing in front of the James M. Hanley Federal Building. No one deserves to have a 3 a.m. robocall as their alarm clock." He pushed for passage of the TRACED (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence) Act recently introduced by Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and John Thune, R-S.D. The law would give federal agencies more power to trace, prosecute and enforce fines against robocall scammers. It also would require carriers to deploy call authentication technology to filter out robocalls before they reach the phones of potential scam victims. Robocallers often use spoofing technology to falsify their real phone numbers and locations, making it difficult for spam filters to block them or for authorities to track them down. Call authentication technology can help phone companies identify and block such calls, but only if the carrier on both ends of the call use the technology. Robocalls are calls made via automated dialing. Many are made by overseas operators running scams such as the one ring calls made to people in the 315 area code in Central New York last week from Africa and other countries. According to the Federal Communication Commission, anyone returning the calls could find themselves hit with costly international calling charges, most of which would go to the scammers. Johnnie Jones, a retired teacher from Holland Patent in Oneida County, said he and his wife, Christine, frequently get multiple robocalls a day. We dont answer them, but its still a disruption, said Jones, who attended Schumers press conference Monday. The TRACED Act would: Give the FCC the ability to fine robocall perpetrators $10,000 per call. Increase the time frame under which the FCC could find and prosecute robocall schemes from one to three years after a call is placed. Require federal agencies to recommend to Congress ways to further combat robocalls. Require telecommunications companies to implement call authentication technology. Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- City lawmakers have delayed a decision on whether to allow Verizon blanket authority to install a high-speed 5G data network in Syracuse. Common Councilor Bryn Lovejoy-Grinnell objected to a planned vote on the item Monday afternoon. That objection automatically tables the item for two weeks. Last month, Verizon and City Hall drafted an agreement that would allow Verizon to install hundreds of small cell towers on city-owned light poles. Those towers would have the capacity to carry a 5G network, which allows for increased connectivity across wireless devices, including cell phones. Syracuse would be one of the first 5G cities in America. But the plan has run into intense scrutiny from the Common Council, whose members have repeatedly raised concerns over health and safety issues, labor agreements with Verizon and federal policies that dictate 5G deployment. Councilor Lovejoy-Grinnell said she had unanswered questions about the agreement and that waiting another two weeks wouldnt mean the city loses out on the new technology. Since the proposal came in the midst of the councils lengthy budget review, there hasnt been enough time to address all the councils questions, she said. Mayor Ben Walsh said 5G is an important part of the future of Syracuses economy. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said his administration will not stop pushing to make it happen. I am disappointed, but Im also undeterred, Walsh said. We feel like we went above and beyond in terms of trying to answer the questions raised both by our constituents and the councilors, but clearly some questions remain so well focus on addressing those as well. During a study session Monday, Lovejoy-Grinnell pressed a city attorney for answers about labor standards in the proposed agreement. She wanted to know if the city could require Verizon to reveal the subcontractors it used to install the small cell towers, and whether the city could include labor standards for those contractors. Joseph Barry, 1st assistant corporation counsel, said he didnt believe federal law would allow for that. He also said new federal rules wouldnt let Syracuse impose labor standards in the agreement, because that would be considered an impediment to 5G deployment. Lovejoy-Grinnell and Councilor Khalid Bey were skeptical of Barrys answers. I would not want us to vote on your guess about what the law requires or allows us to do, Lovejoy-Grinnell said. Do you think you could use additional time...or are you certain about your answer?" In my opinion, this is an area the council cannot regulate, Barry replied. Lovejoy-Grinnell wasnt satisfied with his assurance. She said answers Barry gave in a previous hearing about 5G werent completely accurate and she wasnt convinced his opinion Monday was accurate either. Im certain with my opinion, and thats kind of my final opinion, Barry concluded. Youre always welcome to get a second opinion." Also raised was the issue of whether the city could legally ban 5G. Other cities, such as Portland, Oregon, have passed laws attempting to stymy 5G installation. The Portland council demanded the Federal Communications Commission update its research on the health impacts of 5G before installation could begin. Some cities have tried to ban 5G. Barry said he didnt believe those bans would hold up in court, since the FCC has limited a citys ability to regulate or slow-walk 5G deployment. A vote on the Syracuse 5G agreement will be tabled until at last May 20, when the council meets next. Katkos choice: Obeisance to Trump or obedience to the Constitution To the Editor: We have come to another troubling day in this presidency. We know that the president has not been exonerated from the charge of obstruction of justice, but we have merely the interpretation of his chosen messenger, Attorney General William Barr, to tell us. In the cloud of that ambiguous determination, the administration now attacks the investigators, not seeking vindication, but punishment of those who properly, under the law, investigated his actions. (Isnt this what they do in Venezuela?) We know what to expect from the gaggle of sycophants on Pennsylvania Avenue, but we also know what we deserve from Capitol Hill. We know what Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chairmen Jerrold Nadler and Adam Schiff will do, but what will our Congressman, John Katko, former United States Attorney, champion of the rule of law, oath of office taker, pledger to the Constitution and laws, do? He appears before an editorial board shouting defiance about snatching children at the border and now, releasing the Mueller report, followed by silence. We need to see and hear him now, not just in photo ops, but in substantive actions to preserve and further our democracy. We need him to speak up for that same editorial board, because it is not the enemy of the people. We need him to pledge again to the Constitution and laws and articulate and champion truth. Not only are we in trouble here, but he is too. He must choose between the opposing claims of bipartisanship and partisanship, between obeisance to his party or obedience to the Constitution. Obeisance to the machinations of a scandal-ridden administration, or oversight of that administration by a representative of the people of four counties in Central New York. We, his constituents, ask for representation. Harris Lindenfeld Manlius Katko says he works across aisle, but GOP wont To the Editor: I just finished reading Congressman John Katkos letter (Rep. Katko: House Democrats should dump lefts fringe ideas, April 30, 2019) and cannot believe what I read. He states that Medicare for all will bankrupt the global economy while dozens of other countries have it and are not bankrupt. He states that Democrats are not willing to work with his side of the aisle on health care reform while everyone knows that from day one of the Affordable Care Act, Sen. Mitch McConnell and the GOP have wanted nothing more than to eliminate it in its entirety. It needed tweaking from day one and everyone knew it -- but they have refused to work across the aisle on this issue. He states that the Democrats will not cooperate regarding border security. No, they wont spend billions of dollars on a wall -- they are willing to spend money on more border security guards, more legal officers to work with the immigrants --- but that stupid wall, that monument to the current White House resident, is all they see or are willing to discuss. All of this misinformation is easily fact-checked -- so dont buy into Katkos theory. Its full of more holes than a slice of swiss cheese. Check it out for yourselves. Karen Gooley Liverpool Climate change an urgent problem Katko wont touch To the Editor: Rep. John Katko says urgent problems call for bold, bipartisan solutions (Rep. Katko: House Democrats should dump lefts fringe ideas, April 30, 2019). The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the recent National Climate Assessment both tell us that the most urgent problem we face is climate change. Katko is on record since 2015 as supporting bipartisan climate action by Congress. But he recently voted against staying in the Paris climate accord, and he seems to think there are no ideas within the Green New Deal proposals worth supporting. That leaves me wondering: What strong climate action will he support in Congress? Marines Piney Letkiewicz Syracuse Syracuse, N.Y. New York would have the nations toughest law against robocalls if lawmakers approve proposed legislation in Albany, experts say. If passed, advocates say the proposal could begin to address a problem in New York that has grown to be the No. 1 complaint nationwide from consumers to the Federal Trade Commission. More than 65 percent of complaints deal with robocalls, Consumer Reports magazine reported in its May issue. I think this is a very widespread experience, said Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, who is sponsoring the bill in the New York State Senate. Just 15 minutes ago, I was sitting with my husband and he received his third robocall of the day, Hoylman said during a mid-afternoon phone call to discuss the proposal. The proposal would build on an existing national law, which already requires companies making automated or pre-recorded calls to cell phone numbers to get customers consent before calling. But too often, legal experts say, companies make these robocalls without any prior consent from customers. That means most of the 47.8 billion automated or pre-recorded calls made nationwide to cell phones last year were actually illegal, according to advocates of tougher laws. Yes. Thats part of the problem, said Margot Saunders, a lawyer with the National Consumer Law Center. Most of them are illegal. Hoylmans proposal intends to give more power to cell phone and land lines users over the callers. At the same time, it would require cellular companies to provide a free service to help screen and block automated calls. This is one of those areas where New York has to lead, said Richard Berkeley of New Yorks Utility Project, a group that advocates for low-income utility users in the state. New York, California and Florida receive the most robocalls, he said, in part because of large senior populations. The calls are more than nuisances, Berkeley said. The annoyance is encouraging people to ignore incoming calls and that could be a public safety issue. You get trained not to answer those phone calls, he said. To be clear, this legislation would tackle robocalls multiple calls or texts that can target a swath of phone users without a human being dialing each number. Those calls often include recorded messages from telemarketers hawking a variety of products, from vacation packages to insurance deals. The New York legislation would allow for exemptions for certain automated, non-commercial calls, such as from a childs school, a pharmacy or a medical provider. It would not block emergency calls. But it aims to block all other automated calls or texts no matter the content to both cell phones and land lines owned by New Yorkers. Calls from real people, whether they are selling a cruise package or campaigning for a politician, would continue to be allowed. The proposed legislation aims to curb robocalls in three main ways: One, the legislation would better define an automated robocall or text and make it clear that companies should get consent from all phone users whether they are using a cell phone or a land line. It would also give phone users the ability to rescind consent at any time. Two, the proposal would require telephone companies to provide a free service, such as an app, to help New York cellphone users better screen and block incoming calls. Three, it would give the states attorney general the authority to fine companies that skirt the law. Under the current proposal, anyone who violated the law would face as much as $2,000 per illegal robocall. That penalty would be capped at $20,000 during a 72-hour period. Hoylmans office said the enforcement provisions and the requirement for phone companies to provide call-blocking technology free to consumers would be the toughest rules aimed at robocalls of any state in the nation. Its unclear, however, how successful the proposal would be at stopping everyone including those who make calls from overseas who already skirt the law. I have call blocking software on my phone, Berkeley said. But it doesnt block everything. I got 12 calls last week from something called the department of social security administration, he said. The message said his social security number had been canceled, and that he needed to call and provide it. Now I know better. But not everybody does. The problem hit home in Central New York last week with a widespread robocall phone scam in which local residents received calls on their cell phones in the middle of the night that appeared to originate in the African nation of Mauritania. The one-ring wireless phone scam entices recipients to call back the overseas number. Innocent callers are hit with international calling charges, most of which goes to those running the scam. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, alarmed by the scam, plans to visit Syracuse today to draw attention to a bill in Congress that would give federal agencies new authority to trace, prosecute and enforce fines against those responsible for robocall scams. In New Yorks Legislature, Hoylman is working with Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, D-Manhattan, on the state legislation. Sen. Rachel May, D-Syracuse, is a co-sponsor. The bill, so far, has made it through a Senate committee. Telemarketers say the bill is filled with good intentions but will likely fail to accomplish anything in the end. The industry says those responsible for illegal robocalls will continue to break the law without consequences, especially those based overseas who are almost impossible to track down. Im afraid the New York law could put a burden on legitimate businesses but do nothing to stop the calls they are trying to stop, said Stuart Discount, CEO of the Professional Association for Customer Engagement. The trade group, which represents about 250 corporate members with almost 1 million employees, views the solution as a call authentication system that will be rolled out within the next year by phone providers like AT&T. The system will automatically block robocalls and identify the source of such calls even when the phone number is spoofed to look like a legitimate local number or business. Hoylman tried similar legislation last session; it never made it beyond a Senate committee. This year, the reception is better. In the Senate, the bill has been cleared for a full vote. The Assembly version is still in committee. Hoylman said he believes the idea has a shot. Hes also worked with service providers, such as the phone companies, he said. We dont want any unintended consequences, he said. But he hasnt heard from any robocallers or the companies who hired them. We havent heard from the bad actors, he said. They are acting outside of the law. Staff writer Mark Weiner contributed to this report. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A judge has ordered a first-time Common Council candidate removed from the Democratic ballot line, citing more than two dozen fraudulent petition signatures. Jay Subedi, a former Bhutanese refugee who is challenging incumbent Joe Carni for the councils 1st district seat, was ruled ineligible. He is appealing the decision in a Rochester appeals court later this month. Judge Scott DelConte, a state Supreme Court justice in Oswego County, issued the ruling Friday. The decision came in response to a challenge from Carni and Janet Burman. Subedi will still appear on the ballot with the Working Families Party and could be reinstalled if the appeals court overturns DelContes decision. Heres what happened: The Onondaga County Democratic Committee nominated Subedi as its candidate earlier this year. Subedi and his supporters needed to collect 249 valid petition signatures to appear on the ballot. To get on the ballot in New York State, candidates must collect signatures from registered voters in the territory they aim to represent. There are strict rules for those signatures, and irregularities are often challenged. Signees must be enrolled voters who live at the address listed on the petition, for example. One of the cardinal petition rules says a person must print and sign his or her own name on the petition form. A wife cant sign for her husband, for example, even if hes standing right next to her and approves it. In Subedis case, 30 names were written by someone else in the household. Subedi approved those petitions, agreeing to a statement saying each voter personally signed in his presence. Voiding those 30 signatures alone wouldnt be enough to get Subedi removed from the ballot. However, state election law holds candidates to a higher standard than non-candidates. Because Subedi witnessed the 30 fraudulent signatures himself, his entire petition was deemed invalid. Subedi argued the entire petition should not be thrown out, since the fraud was not nefarious and there were no similar errors with other signatures. I did not do it the way it should have been done, but there was no intentional fraud, Subedi said Monday morning. He said the signatures came from people who were new citizens and first-time voters. Some werent sure how to write their name in English, so a family member wrote it, he said. The Onondaga County Board of Elections did not take a position on the case, since it was settled in court. Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny called Subedis actions an honest mistake from a first-time candidate. Subedi is appealing the case in the state appellate court in Rochester in an effort to remain on the Democratic line. He has a hearing on May 23. He expects to win and said he will carry on his campaign either way. Im a community guy, he said. I dont care about all the politics. 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. Dearing said the death does not appear suspicious, but few details about the incident were released. Police were working to notify the mans relatives Saturday night. Dearing could not be immediately reached for comment by the Times Union Sunday. Times Union, Albany, N.Y. NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) The Maid of the Mist boats that bring tourists to the base of Niagara Falls are going electric. The company on Friday announced plans to launch two zero-emission passenger vessels during the coming tourist season. The boats will be powered by high-capacity battery packs. The boats are the first of their kind to be built in the U.S., and are currently under construction by the Burger Boat Company in Manitowoc, Wisc, according to the Governors office. The new vessels are expected to go into service in mid-September and replace the existing diesel-engine vessels that will operate on the lower Niagara River until then. The Swiss technology company ABB is supplying the lithium-ion battery packs and an onshore charging system. The batteries will be recharged for seven minutes after each trip. The Maid of the Mist first launched in 1846. COHOES -- The city is opening up Cohoes Music Hall Sunday night for an American Idol watch party as city resident 17-year-old Madison VanDenburg vies to become an Idol champion on May 19. VanDenburg, who attends Shaker High School, has made it to the top 6 on the ABC show. This week, Idol's top six contestants are performing songs that inspire them, mentored by Grammy award-winning Christian pop artist Lauren Daigle, who tried out for the show twice. VanDenburg auditioned in October and was one of 40 contestants invited to Los Angeles for the show. The show's celebrity judges -- Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry -- have consistently praised her powerful voice and vocal range. She is currently in Los Angeles as the pre-taped segment of "American Idol" has now given way to live performances and audience voting before the 'Idol' is crowned on May 19. The 17-year-old told the Times Union last week that "no matter what happens, I'm really happy with what I've achieved...It would be OK if I didn't win. Everything I've gotten out of the show has been incredible." The music hall at 58 Remsen Street will open at 7 p.m. Sunday night, ahead of the show's 8 p.m. start time. There are no tickets and the event is free, so seating for up to 400 people is first-come, first-served. Voting to see who makes it to the next round opens at 8 p.m. and closes during the shows last commercial break. Find out how to vote here. Times Union, Albany, N.Y. Posted on Friday, May 03, 2019 Theatre students have two plays coming in the next two weeks. This weekend, they will perform The Library by Scott Z. Burns. They will have three performances, at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 3-4 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5. All three will be in The Little Theatre and admission will be $5. Partly inspired by the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado, The Library tells the story of Caitlin Gabriel who survive a deadly shooting at her high school. She struggles to tell her story to her parents, the authorities and anyone who will listen. But, there are other narratives that gain purchase in the media and paint her in a different light. The second theatre offering is J.T. Canales: Texas-Mexican which will be at The Little Theatre, Monday through Wednesday, May 6-8 at 7:30 p.m. each night. Admission is free. In 1919, J.T. Canales was the only Mexican-American in the Texas Legislature. From this position, he forced into public view the numerous murders of Mexican-Americans in South Texas committed by the Texas Rangers of that era. In J.T. Canales: Texas-Mexican, these events are brought to life. From the violent chaos along the U.S.-Mexican border that led to the crimes to Canales accusations made on the floor of the Texas House, this play carries the audience back to the South Texas of a century ago. It does so with the audience sitting on the stage with the actors and by using the actual speeches and writings of those involved. I was skeptical about Hisenses move to array backlighting for its 2019 H8F 4K UHD TV series. Just last year, even the companys second-tier H9E was side-lit, and first forays into technology dont always turn out so great. Well, the H8F may not be greatthats $2,000 LG E8 and Samsung Q9 territorybut for just $500, you get the high-quality color, blacks, and HDR of a much more expensive TV. In fact, after 15 minutes with the H8F, I double-checked the price list just to make sure I hadnt confused it with something else. I was that impressed. Design and specs The H8F is a 4K UHD TV available in the 55-inch flavor reviewed here as well as 50- and 65-inch SKUs. The 55-inch model weighs about 30 pounds and measures 48.4 inches wide, by 28.1 inches high, by 2.4 inches at its deepest point. Add another 2.5 or so inches in height for the stand. Its handsome, with a thin-bezel, and offers the first solution to a problem I ran into myself not so long agostand feet that are too widely spaced for the surface I wanted to set the TV on. What Hisense did was simply add two additional mount points closer to the centerline to accommodate narrower platforms. Of course, this provides less lateral stability, but its generally longitudinal stability thats worrisome with TVs. Hisense provides caps to cover the unused holes. The H8F is also wall-mountable via a 300mm x 200mm mount point using M6 screws. The electronics and ports are housed in the usual plastic gluteus maximus, which you can see in the side-angle image below. Hisense The H8Fs design is handsome and thin in all the right places. Electronics and ports are found in the lower portion, as they are on most TVs. The port array consists of a single coax connector for antennas and cable, four HDMI 2.0a ports (ARC and CEC are supported), one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 port, RCA composite video and stereo audio outputs, optical S/PDIF audio out, and a headphone jack. Theres also 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 on board as well as 10/100Mbps ethernet. The H8F also supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Theres also a channel list, but no program guide. Remote and interface The remote is on the large size, but is more logically laid out and focused than many, and its easy to use. Its not universal, but I actually like it better than the remotes that ship with Sonys high-end TVs. Thats more of a comment on Sony than Hisense. Hisense The H8F remote is nothing special, but its cleanly and efficiently laid out. The H8F runs Android, and Hisense delivers a nice, uncluttered homepage, unlike some Android implementations Ive seen. Everything works better if you sign on with Google, of course; something I dont like to do because I dont like the companys privacy policies. But dont let that stop you. Hisense The H8F punches way above its weight class when it comes to color, brightness, and HDR, but it could use some work on finer footwork such as eliminating shimmer and moire in highly detailed pans and motion. There are separate settings menus, which are generally easy to use, although I have one minor quibble: the cursor always highlights the uppermost setting in the list which is generally off, as opposed to the setting currently in use, which is the standard behavior. It took me quite a while to get used to. It also caused more button use as I generally wanted to choose the next lower or higher setting, not turn a function off. This behavior got aggravating there for a minute, but I did not throw the remote. Thats because as much as I disliked all the cursor movement, I liked that adjustments could be performed in-line, i.e., you dont need to press enter before you start adjusting, you just hit the right or left edge of the rocker control. Yin and yang. I am, of course, being picky. Should you be the same (picky, that is) about color matching and the like, there are a plethora of tweaking settings if the defaults and brightness, color, and tint controls dont cut it for you. Its rare these days for a TV to come from the factory with poorly adjusted color, and the H8Fs wasnt, but if you want to have at it, by all means. Performance Ive already confessed that I wasnt expecting such a good picture for so little cash. The H8Fs color is accurate (90 percent of DCI) and nicely saturated; general large-object motion is smooth for a 60Hz display (when you choose the smooth setting under motion compensation); and I measured 600 nits of peak brightness. Hisense claims 700, but our meter generally reads a bit low. But even 600 was enough to make HDR pop reasonably well. The H8F supports Dolby Vision as well as HDR10, and it rendered both types without issue. To make a long story short, this years H8F does HDR way better than last years far more expensive H9E. The blacks were far better than I expected, and there were no array backlighting defects, such as blockiness that I could spot. For general viewing, I was quite enamored. Alas, where the H8F stumbled was with detailed backgrounds and patterns in motion, which generally produced a large amount of shimmer and moire. This diminished greatly when I reduced the sharpness of the image, but that of course also resulted in a corresponding loss of detail. Youre kind of picking your poison with this aspect, though theres not a lot of material that will force the choice. Hisense Im not sure if this is an actual photo of an H8F display, but its the one the company sent, its colorful and breaks up the discussion about performance nicely. There were also the occasional very minor stutters with pans of any type when I was playing videos from a USB stick. This could be poor handling of different frame-rate conversion, but it also hints at a rendering engine (i.e., CPU and memory) working at its absolute limits. The effect varied by material and I wouldnt call it a major issue, just an imperfection youd expect at this price point. Other signs of somewhat slow processing is the very slow channel search and somewhat laggy channel changes. Screen uniformity was one other area where the H8F I tested was a tad lacking. There were some noticeable cloudy areas, especially in the corners. I say noticeable, but thats under scrutiny with the very bright singl- color backgrounds I use to spot such things. During everyday viewing with everyday material, the imperfections are barely visible. All these flaws are minor, but are also things you need to be aware of. Reliability Consumer Reports recently called Hisense TV reliability into question. I talked with Hisense about this, and while its representatives didnt argue with CRs findings, they did wonder what time period the publication was talking about. The implication being that more recent Hisense TVs deliver better craftsmanship than older models. That could also be construed as a confession, but we should appreciate the candor. Its rare in the TV biz. The H8Fs fit and finish are very good, but as with any TV, I cant vouch for the electronics inside. I will say that Hisense seems bent on competing with the big boys, so Im guessing quality is a running concern and has been improved. A very good TV for not a lot of money All told, this years H8F is far superior to last years, and more importantly, to any other $500 55-inch TV Ive seen. Hisense has definitely raised its technology game and consumers are the beneficiaries. If youre shopping in the budget category, this one is a must-see. Note: This article was amended to replace H9F with H9E, the actual model designation from last year. Since 1946, Klipsch has made highly regarded speakers in the USA. Of course, all companies must keep up with the times, so Klipsch has expanded its product offerings to include tabletop lifestyle speakers offer Bluetooth connectivity and stream audio from online sources. Among those products is The Three, which was introduced in 2017 as part of the companys Heritage Wireless line. Late last year, The Three was updated to include Google Assistant voice control. The build quality is top notch, and the sound is quite good overall, except that its a bit boxy. Features The Three with Google Assistant is a handsome unit, evoking a mid-century modern aesthetic with genuine wood (walnut, in this case) panels on the top and bottom and a rough-woven linen grille cloth. Its also quite hefty, measuring 13.7 x 7.0 x 8.0 inches (WxDxH) and weighing 10.32 pounds. Klipsch The Klipsch Three exudes a mid-century modern aesthetic with high build quality. A single 5.25-inch subwoofer handles the low frequencies, while two 2.25-inch drivers take care of the mids and highs; all three are mounted on the front of the sealed enclosure. Two 5.25-inch passive radiators on the sides enhance the bass, leading to a specified frequency response from 45Hz to 20kHz (-3dB). The total power available for the active drivers is 60 watts continuous (<1% THD), with up to 80W for short-term peaks. As with the original version of The Three, the new model accepts Bluetooth wireless audio. It implements Bluetooth version 4.1 and supports the A2DP profile. It does not support the aptX codec. Unlike the original, the new model has no physical inputs at all. Perhaps the most important new feature is Google Assistant voice control. Two microphones on the top of the unit listen for commands. You can use Google Assistant to access streaming music from Google Play Music, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, and Deezer, with other providers coming on board all the time. It also lets you assemble a multi-room system with other Google Assistant-enabled speakers and control compatible smart-home devices, such as thermostats and lights. You can even ask Google Assistant about things like sports, the weather, and much more. Klipsch On the front of The Three, a 5.25-inch subwoofer is flanked by two 2.25-inch full-range drivers that deliver the mids and highs. A 5.25-inch passive radiator is mounted on each side of the cabinet. This rendering depicts the original Three, but the driver complement is identical with that of The Three with Google Assistant. Joining Google Assistant is Google Chromecast built in, which lets you stream audio from a Chromecast-compatible smartphone, tablet, or computer. This opens up the potential for high-resolution audio from providers such as Tidal, which is no problem for The Threeit can decode high-res audio up to 192kHz/24 bits. Google Assistant-based whole-home networks are currently limited to conveying 96kHz/24-bit audio, though that is a software limitation, not hardware, so the maximum audio resolution can be increased in the future. User interface and setup All but one of The Threes onboard controls and indicators are located on the top of the unit. They include a microphone-mute button, Bluetooth-pairing button, four LEDs that indicate the status of Bluetooth/volume/Google Assistant, Google Assistant button (in case you dont want to say the wake-up phrase Hey Google), and a volume dial that also acts as a play/pause button when you push it straight down. A reset button on the back performswhat else?a factory reset. The controls all have the feel of high-quality components. Setting up The Three with the Google Home app on my iPhone 6 went without a hitch. After setup, I asked Google Assistant to play some jazz, and it started playing a jazz station from Google Play Music. When I asked it to play Joni Mitchell, it informed me that her music was available only to Google Play Music subscribers, but then it suggested a Joni Mitchell station, which it started with no further ado. Also, I ran into no problems pairing The Three to my iPad via Bluetooth. Once that was done, I started listening to various tracks to see how this speaker sounds. For comparison, I switched between The Three and the JBL Xtreme 2 portable Bluetooth speaker I reviewed on TechHive earlier. I realize they arent in exactly the same product category, but the Xtreme 2 is the closest thing I had on hand. Klipsch All onboard controls and indicators are located on the top of The Three. They include a microphone-mute button, Bluetooth-pairing button, four LEDs that indicate Bluetooth/volume/Google Assistant status, two microphones, Google Assistant button, and volume dial that also acts as a play/pause button when you push it straight down. Performance Starting with world music, the instruments on El Helwa Di from Yuval Rons album Under the Olive Tree include oud, zither, Middle Eastern percussion, ney flute, synthesizer, and a female vocal solo. All were rendered faithfully with good, deep bass in the synth pads. The sound, however, had a distinct character of coming from a box, and the soundfield did not extend beyond the boundaries of the cabinet. The Xtreme 2 sounded remarkably close in sound quality with a bit more bass and a slightly veiled sound. Next, I played Iberian Sunrise from Travels by the Rhythm Future Quartet, which includes two acoustic guitars, violin, and acoustic bass. This tune evokes the hot-jazz era in 1920s Paris. On The Three, the sound was detailed and full, with accurate renditions of each instrument, though again, it was a bit closed in. The JBL sounded just a bit congested, though it was more open with bigger bass. Klipsch The Klipsch Three is one of the prettiest Bluetooth speakers weve encountered. Moving on to more mainstream popular music, I listened to Dark Horses from the Yellowjackets album The Spin. The Three had a nice, full sound with good reproduction of the instruments and rich bass that wasnt overpowering. Again, the Xtreme 2 sounded remarkably similar, though a bit thinner with more energized bass, and its sound was more open than The Threes. Van Morrisons Crazy Love as performed by Michael Buble on his album of the same name is a great showcase for Bubles voice, which was rendered beautifully on The Three. The overall sound was full, rich, and powerful with excellent bass, though it still sounded like it was coming from a box. The Xtreme 2 sounded lighter and more open. Turning to classical music, I listened to Three Ballads from the Catskills: I. The Lass of Glenshee by Norman Cazden as performed by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Ivan Buketoff. The orchestra was well balanced across the frequency range with good renditions of solo instruments and instrumental sections, and the dynamic range was excellent. The Xtreme 2 was a bit thinner and more open, but otherwise surprisingly similar. Next up was Act I: Plauso! Voci Di Gioia; Sin La Tomba e a Me Negata! from Donizettis opera Belisario performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under Carlo Felice Cillario with soprano Monserrat Caballe on the album Presenting Monserrat Caballe. As before, the dynamic range was excellent, and the rendition of the solo voice and orchestra were both very good. The Three plays classical music with authority, more so than the Xtreme 2, which sounded a bit thinnerbut again, more open. Klipsch Other than a receptacle for the AC power cord, the back provides no physical connections at all. A lonely reset button performs a factory reset. Bottom line Overall, I am quite impressed with the sound quality of The Three. It has a clean, rich, well-balanced sound, though the soundfield does not extend beyond the cabinet. In addition, the sound seems to be coming from a box, giving it a slightly closed-in quality. The sound is, in fact, coming from a box, but this is not as obvious with some other speakers Ive heard. The build quality is top notch, with a solid-feeling cabinet and controls. And Google Assistant works like a charm, responding to my voice even with music playing fairly loud. Finally, it can join a wireless whole-home audio network with other Google Assistant-enabled speakers and other devices. Is it worth $500? Yes, but not exceptionally so. Id be more enthusiastic if it didnt exhibit that slightly boxy sound quality. Still, its a handsome piece of mid-century modern design, and its sound is quite good otherwise. If you like to use Google Assistant and it fits into your decor, The Three will make a good addition to your musical lifestyle. Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more Apple and Qualcomm on Tuesday unexpectedly announced a settlement as their case entered the second day of a hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Diego. In related news, Intel on Tuesday announced it was getting out of the 5G smartphone chip business. The Apple-Qualcomm settlement provides the following: An unspecified one-time payment from Apple to Qualcomm; A six-year licensing arrangement, effective April 1, 2019, under which Apple will source chipsets directly from Qualcomm instead of having its OEMs do so. This agreement has a two-year extension option; and Apples agreement to pay royalties to Qualcomm. The settlement will free Apple to enter the 5G smartphone competition, where it has been outstripped by Android device manufacturers. Barriers to 5G Removed At least 10 companies including Apple arch-rival Samsung and LG Electronics, as well as Huawei, Oppo and other Chinese smartphone makers are producing 5G smartphones or have announced them. Apple reportedly planned to delay offering a 5G smartphone until 2020 or later. That would have hit it hard. Even in 4G, Apple is up to two years behind Android devices, noted Chris Taylor, a research director at Strategy Analytics. It looks like they were going to be behind in 5G as well, he told TechNewsWorld. Apple had agreed to source 5G smartphone chips from Intel. However, it was behind on Apples requirement for chips, and Apple had a commitment for a 2020 5G release, remarked Ray Wang, principal analyst at Constellation Research. Qualcomm has stayed very innovative and, at the end of the day, has the better chip, he told TechNewsWorld. Further, Qualcomm has outgeneraled Apple: A D V E R T I S E M E N T It is producing, or plans to produce, 5G chipsets including the Snapdragon Automotive Platform announced at MWC in February; It Demonstrated at MWC 18 an industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) 5G application using industrial equipment from Siemens; At MWC 19, it demonstrated how it can reach 99.9999 percent reliability in its 5G over-the-air test network in San Diego. At Messe 2019 in April, Hannover Messe selected Qualcomm and Nokia as the technology partners to provide 5G OTA connectivity for research collaboration with Bosch on features in the next 5G standard release 3GPP Rel-16; Also at Hannover Messe 2019, Qualcomm announced partnerships with Gosch, IFAK, Siemens, Zeiss and other key industrial players to develop 5G IIOT applications; and Earlier this month, it announced commercial 5G services in Europe with Swisscoms 5G network in Switzerland as well as a number of device makers, including LG Electronics, Opportunities and Askey. Troublesome Docs Introduced in Court Apple, which had battled Qualcomm fiercely for years alleging that it had overcharged for its chips and was leveraging its monopoly apparently folded in the face of evidence of deception that emerged in court on Monday. The opening remarks in the latest action in San Diego detailed documentation from Apple indicating [it] had been acting disingenuously and had embarked on a five-year plan to destroy Qualcomm, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. Both Apple and Intel were caught stealing IP from Qualcomm, which could have resulted in criminal charges, Enderle told TechNewsWorld. Folks do get jail time for IP theft, and the result would have opened up Apple to other IP theft charges that would have been far more difficult to defend. Further, the disclosure of the documents would turn the regulatory agencies that Apple had fooled dramatically against it and that may still happen, Enderle said. This had the potential to put Apple out of business. Germany and China banned sales of some iPhone models because of the litigation. To top things off, Apple faces an antitrust challenge in the EU that could spread to the United States and China, Enderle noted. With all these factors adding up, this simply became a fight [Apple] could no longer afford, he said. Intels Weakness Apples selection of Intel as its 5G chip supplier posed yet another problem. Intel just makes the transceiver and baseband process, and that works with the Apple applications processor, so its basically two digital processors in the iPhone, Strategy Analytics Taylor said. Everybody else in the world puts these both together in an SoC, which is what the Snapdragon is. That gives Intel a very limited market. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Further, Intel decided to use what it knows best the x86 architecture, Taylor said. Everybody else uses ARM-based processors for smartphones because they draw very little power. Also, Intels 5G technology was tied to the theft of IP from Qualcomm, Enderle pointed out. That cloud will likely hang over Intel for some time. Repercussions from IP theft have, in the past, knocked companies out of industries. Intel admitted this was likely to happen to them, and, effectively, it did. Winners and Losers The industry as a whole won with the settlement of the litigation, Taylor suggested. A lot of people in the industry were concerned because Apple was refusing to pay for the use of Qualcomms IP, and it looks like that principle is saved. Apple can argue that it was overcharged, but thats a contractual matter between it and Qualcomm, he said. Refusing to pay that seems pretty low. Apple, Qualcomm and Intel all win, Enderle said. Long term, win or lose, Apple would be weakened by the fight and the chance of a monumental settlement would have cratered their stock. Intel had taken its eyes off its core business and was being carved up by AMD, he added. Qualcomm was badly damaged by the litigation, Enderle noted. The settlement will allow it to recover, and they were vindicated by this. Something to look forward to: UK citizens can look forward to an easier online payment experience as the government adds support for Apple Pay and Google Pay, allowing approval of transactions with fingerprints or facial recognition. Four services are supported initially with a wider roll out expected in the future. The gov.uk website is now accepting mobile payments for a few services aimed primarily at traveling UK citizens. The roll out for Apple Pay and Google Pay support for official services online is an effort from the Ministry as part of a trial service that is expected to spread across other UK institutions later this year. The services include Global Entry Service for expedited entry to the US, Registered Traveller Services for frequent travelers to the UK from non-EU countries, Electronic Visa Waiver Services for travelers from four Middle Eastern countries visiting the UK, and basic online disclosure and barring service (DBS) checks for people looking to work in certain job types. "Allowing people to pay for Government services through Apple Pay and Google Pay means they won't have to enter their credit or debit card information when making payments," said Till Wirth, lead product manager of gov.uk Pay. "This innovation will increase the convenience and security of gov.uk Pay for users and hopefully make their experience online a lot easier," he added. The UK saw the arrival of mobile payments in 2015 with Apple Pay supported by eight participating banks enabling users to securely store bank details on their devices and pay instantly. Governments globally are usually cautious with adopting new technologies in their infrastructure but this development is likely to be welcomed by Brits and encourage other governments to follow suit. Highlighting this capability, Oliver Dowden, the minister for implementation said: "We're focused on making access to Government services as easy as possible. And introduce mobile payment to gov.uk Pay will also make transactions more secure" in what enables them in "working smarter as a Government - improving services for people as well as reducing fraud and costs." The ministry further plans to integrate this facility with local government, police and the National Health Service later his year. What just happened? Cyberattacks arent a new type of weapon of warfare, but weve just seen the first instance of a military responding to one with physical force in real-time. On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it prevented an attempted cyberattack by Hamas. It retaliated by launching air strikes against a building in the Gaza strip that it claimed housed Hamas cyber operatives. We dont know the exact target of the cyberattack, but The Times of Israel reports that its purpose was to harm the quality of life of Israeli citizens. The IDF said the attack was not particularly advanced. We were a step ahead of them the whole time, said Brigadier General D., the head of the IDF's cyber defense division. "The moment they tried to do something, they failed." The IDF released a video showing a building where it says the attack was launched being destroyed. "At this point in time, Hamas has no cyber operational capabilities," said IDF spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manlis. Here is the video released by the IDF showing the air-strike against the building housing Hamas cyber forces. pic.twitter.com/uHm2ZYa4AP Catalin Cimpanu (@campuscodi) May 5, 2019 The US responded with force to a cyberattack back in 2015 when it used a drone strike to kill an ISIS operative who leaked US service record details online. But unlike the IDF response, that retaliatory act wasnt immediate. The incident came amid a weekend of violence that saw Hamas launch over 600 rockets into Israel. The IDF said it attacked 320 targets belonging to Gaza militant groups. According to Reuters, four civilians in Israel have been killed by rockets and missiles, while Israeli strikes killed 19 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians. Questions are now being asked as to whether the IDFs response was a proportional one, especially as it halted the cyberattack before any damage was done. Forward-looking: Now that weve had shrunken bezels, notches, and hole-punch cameras, where does smartphone design go next? For Samsung, it might soon look like a device with a perfect full screen, i.e., a 100 percent screen-to-body ratio. According to the South Korean media (via MyDrivers) Samsung is already working on a new phone with such a screen. It achieves this by embedding the selfie cam beneath the display itself, much like an in-screen fingerprint reader. Samsung already has a device that offers a full-screen experiencethe mid-range Galaxy A80, which uses as a flip-up, rotating camera array. By placing the camera beneath the screen, however, users wont have to worry about any pop-up mechanism getting damaged. Samsung has talked about integrating selfie cameras under the display in the past, but it could experience the same problems it faced with in-display fingerprint readers. There was talk of the technology debuting as far back as the Galaxy Note 8, but various issues meant it didnt arrive in a Samsung device until the Galaxy S10. Exactly when we might see an in-display selfie cam in a Galaxy phone is unclear, but it wont be in the upcoming Note 10. Whether it arrives in 2020s Galaxy S11 is also debatable, though it might be a new feature for the Note 11. In brief: Microsoft said ElectionGuard isnt mean to replace paper ballots but rather, supplement and improve systems that rely on them. It also isnt designed to support Internet voting, so theres some reassurance there for those that arent yet convinced of such technologies. Microsoft is expanding its Defending Democracy Program with a new product called ElectionGuard. Announced at Build 2019 today, ElectionGuard is a free, open source SDK that Microsoft is developing in partnership with Portland-based Galois that is designed to boost the security and public verifiability of elections. ElectionGuard isnt a standalone voting system but rather, an add-on of sorts for existing systems. According to Microsoft, itll enable end-to-end verification of elections, allow individual voters to confirm their votes were correctly counted and open results to third-party organizations for validation. TechCrunch provides additional insight into how the system will work: The platform would sit underneath existing voting systems, and when a voter casts their ballot, the data would be entered in the ordinary fashion in a states election systems, but also in ElectionGuard. The voter would then be given a tracking code that lets them see that their vote has been, say, recorded locally at the correct polling place, or perhaps that it has been sent on to state authorities for auditing. Critically, this is done without the voting administration or Microsoft knowing how any individual actually voted through a cryptographic process called homomorphic encryption that allows mathematical processes like counting to be done on data that is still encrypted. Senior cryptographer Josh Benaloh has been pioneering Microsofts use of homomorphic encryption in election systems, the company said. Microsoft has partnered with several leading election technology providers to pilot the service and will make the ElectionGuard SDK available on GitHub this summer. Theyre also working to build a reference voting system to showcase ElectionGuards capabilities. The SDKs reference implementation will additionally provide guidance on how to set up a system on a Windows 10 platform for maximum security. Itll even include an application for integrating an Xbox Adaptive Controller to improve accessibility for those with disabilities. Researchers in China have turned to a winged but flightless dinosaur to understand how early animals first learned how to fly. In a study featured in the journal PLOS Computational Biology, scientists at Tsinghua University in Beijing examined the behavior of an early dinosaur known as the Caudipteryx to help explain how prehistoric creatures developed the ability to fly. Despite having wings, the Caudipteryx was not able to fly during its time, some 125 million years ago. However, it was a very fast runner, known to reach speeds of about 2.5 to 5.8 meters per second. The dinosaur's running gait generated forced vibrations that were sent throughout its body and caused its wing-like appendages to flap. This motion is what the research believes may have served as a precursor to flight for ancient animals. Winged Dinosaurs: Flapping Or Gliding? Scientists have long debated whether early animals were able to flap their wings to fly, or they merely used them to glide through the air. Previous studies have suggested that some early dinosaurs, such as the Microraptor, launched themselves into the air with the help of their wings, light bodies, and powerful hind legs. Meanwhile, some primitive birds, such as the Archaeopteryx, were first thought to be gliders because the feathers on their wings did not seem to be strong enough for flapping. However, recent findings have shown that the animals actually had powerful arm bones that allowed them to flap their wings in short bursts of active flight. To help settle this argument, Jing-Shan Zhao, a mechanical engineer at Tsinghua, led his colleagues in studying the flightless Caudipteryx. Much like modern-day emus or ostriches, the Caudipteryx had wing-like forelimbs that were too small to carry its large body during flight. This winged dinosaur may not have been able to fly but it made up for it by being an exceptional runner. The animal's running gait and the resulting involuntarily flapping of its wings might have led to actual flight, if only it had larger and stronger appendages. Building A Robo-Caudipteryx And Artificial Ostrich Wings The researchers built a robotic version of the Caudipteryx. They then tested it on a treadmill to see how its body would behave while running. They also outfitted several young ostriches, which were comparable in weight to middling Caudipteryx, with artificial wings in different sizes of feathers. They added sensors to the devices so that they could measure the various forces in play during the birds' running motion. Zhai said the experiments helped them validate the results of earlier simulations. They showed that the Caudipteryx would have indeed flapped its wings whenever it ran. The artificial ostrich wings, on the other hand, revealed that the longer the feathers on the devices were, the greater lift the birds would have gotten. However, the force was not enough to launch the animals into the air. The findings suggest that the passive wing flapping practiced by the Caudipteryx may have been an early version of active wing flapping seen in modern-day animals, according to the researchers. Despite these results, some scientists are not convinced that the dinosaur's behavior directly led to the development of flight in animals. Early species of birds, such as the Archaeopteryx, already knew how to fly some 25 million years before the first Caudipteryx existed. Italian vertebrate paleontologist Andrea Cau pointed out that the winged dinosaur's morphology cannot be used as a 100 percent valid model when determining the ancestry of birds. However, Cau admitted that it would be interesting to see if the model used in the Chinese study could be applied to a large sample of feathered dinosaurs as well. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Food and Drug Administration decided not to ban the sale of textured implants yet. This is despite recognizing that they may increase the risks of cancer and autoimmune conditions among women. In its press release on May 2, Thursday, the agency said it needed more concrete scientific evidence linking these implants to the diseases. It also revealed that textured breast implants, which are the likely cause of these conditions, account for only a small percentage of the total implant sales in the United States. "At this time, the FDA does not believe that, on the basis of all available data and information, the device meets the banning standard set forth in the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act," it said. Other countries where textured implant market shares are high have already banned or restricted their distribution. In 2015, Brazil suspended the production and sale of Silimed products after failing to pass the inspection. Stronger Breast Implant Risk Warnings The FDA, however, plans to undertake numerous steps to improve patient information and educate healthcare providers about the dangers of these breast implants. Most of these proposals stemmed from a two-day public advisory committee meeting last March. It wants to provide more information about the risks of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma and systemic symptoms that can include chronic fatigue, joint pain, and cognitive problems. It also wants to change the labeling of the products, which may mention the product ingredient and include a boxed warning. It will work with other stakeholders such as patient groups to create the ideal format and content for these labels. The education will also extend to healthcare providers and pathologists who need to learn how to test breast-implant-related lymphoma. Changes In Medical Device Reports The issue of breast implant risks will also change the way manufacturers file their medical device reports. Before, they submitted a summary report of any issues or concerns encountered by the users, but they didn't include adverse events such as BIA-ALCL. Today, the FDA mandates them to provide individual medical device report, which the public can access through the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database. In the coming weeks, the agency plans to terminate all forms of alternative summary reporting for the rest of the medical devices. The agency, however, issued a caveat, saying the public cannot use the number of the reports to determine the frequency of these adverse events. It also doesn't verify the accuracy or the timeliness of these data. These steps have been commended by some, including Madris Tomes, who created a tool to search these adverse events in the FDA database, calling it a step in the right direction. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Iron Ox, a start-up based in Silicon Valley that focuses on robotic farming, have started selling lettuce and fresh greens in a California grocery. In October 2018, Iron Ox opened its fully automated farm in San Carlos, California. With the entire farm process redesigned around robotics, the company said its hydroponic system can produce up to 30 times more yield per acre of land compared to traditional farms. Fresh From The Robot Farm Iron Ox now sells three types of greens Genovese basil, red-veined sorrel, and baby head lettuce at the family-owned grocery Bianchini's Market in San Carlos. It supplies the store with five to 10 cases of produce from its robot farm each week, and the greens are consistently sold out. The prices of leafy greens from Iron Ox are not too exorbitant but a bit pricey. A 2-ounce box of red-veined sorrel costs $2.49, a 2-ounce box of Genevieve basil is priced at $2.99, and four heads of baby lettuce will sell for $4.99. These prices are said to be at par with Whole Foods, which offers artisanal lettuce and greens. Farmed By Robots The farm has a fully autonomous 1,000-pound robot that navigates the farm. The company uses a combination of robotic picking arms, hydroponic vats, and self-driving porters to grow the leafy vegetables. The robot can perform tasks such as fetching growth modules when the plant needs an operation such as watering and harvesting. Using hydroponics allows us to grow year-round, allows us to grow where theres no arable land. Even here in California where were spoiled in fresh produce, theres a lot of produce they cannot get year-round. Especially when it comes to things like herbs, like basil where they have to import it or not even able to get it ... We see definitely see this as absolutely scalable to cities not just in the United States, but all over," said Brandon Alexander, CEO of Iron Ox. The distance from the robot farm to Bianchini's store is only 0.6 miles, and this ensures the freshness of the produce. This also translates to lower transportation costs and fewer food miles. Iron Ox said the greens it is producing for Bianchini's have a lesser physical footprint and less environmental impact than a typical head of lettuce. Plant Science Team Agricultural robots "automate" the slow and repetitive tasks in farming. According to the Robotics Industries Association, agricultural robots are increasing production yields for farmers in different ways. From drones to autonomous tractors to robotic arms, the technology is being deployed in creative and innovative applications. Robots are often used in harvesting and picking, weed control, pruning, spraying and thinning, sorting, and other utility platforms. However, humans are still needed for a lot of the work at the Iron Ox robot farm. To address this concern, the company hired a Plant Science team to lead the growing process and provide human oversight to the robot farm. The robots just tend the plants while they're growing. Human laborers are tasked with planting the seedlings and packing the produce for delivery. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Several high ranking officials at drug maker Insys Therapeutics have been found guilty of racketeering conspiracy by a Boston court on Wednesday. Company founder John Kapoor was one of five defendants accused by the federal government of operating a nationwide bribery scheme related to opioid use. Kapoor and his cohorts purportedly paid several doctors to prescribe Insys' opioid medication to patients. They then misled insurance companies about the company's fentanyl-based painkiller to make sure that the drug would be covered. Their scam ran from 2012 to 2015. The verdict is expected to help strengthen other government cases against drug makers implicated in the going opioid crisis in the United States. "Today's convictions mark the first successful prosecution of top pharmaceutical executives for crimes related to the illicit marketing and prescribing of opioids," said Andrew E. Lelling, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. "Just as we would street-level drug dealers, we will hold pharmaceutical executives responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic by recklessly and illegally distributing these drugs, especially while conspiring to commit racketeering along the way." Bribing Doctors To Prescribe Opioids During the hearing, federal prosecutors alleged that money was the main motivator behind the Insys bribery scam, and that the defendants were willing to put patients' lives at risk if it meant improving the company's bottomline. The government claimed that Kapoor and his associates followed a two-step approach to help improve the sale of company's opioid painkiller, Subsys. Insys would first pay doctors to prescribe Subsys to their patients. The drug maker would then mislead insurance companies so that they would still cover the fentanyl-based painkiller. The defendants specifically targeted doctors who already had a history of prescribing opioids to their patients liberally. The company would invite these physicians to take part in its "speakers program," where they would reportedly be paid handsomely for prescribing Subsys to as many attendees as they could. This scheme resulted in patients being prescribed the opioid drug even though they did not really need it, according to prosecutors The drug maker also established a call center, where Insys employees would pretend to be representatives from doctors' offices. They would report fake diagnoses to make sure that insurance firms would include Insys' opioid drug in their coverage, which could cost tens of thousands of dollars to use every month. In all, the government presented 39 witnesses to support its case. Meanwhile, the defense team managed to produce only a few witnesses to counter the prosecution. One of the witnesses was a patient who vouched for the effectiveness of Subsys. He said the drug helped reduce his pain following a vehicular accident. Kapoor's Defense Defense attorneys highlighted Kapoor's personal story, where they claimed that he was motivated to develop the opioid medication after seeing his now-deceased wife, Editha Kapoor, suffer from severe pain. They argued that Kapoor was not aware of any of the illegal schemes, instead placing the blame on former Insys employees including ex-Vice President of Sales Alec Burlakoff. Burlakoff and other former company execs had already pleaded guilty to the accusations. They testified for the government in exchange for more leniency in their sentencing. The defense team emphasized Burlakoff's tendency to lie in his statements, as well as his apparent hatred for Kapoor, which government investigators were able to catch on tape. Kapoor is one of the highest-ranking pharma execs to be tried in relation to the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United Staes. In 2018, Insys Therapeutics announced that it has reached a $150 million settlement with the Justice Department to end an investigation regarding the inappropriate sales of opioid painkillers by former company employees. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. German Health Minister Jens Spahn starts an initiative obliging parents to vaccinate their children against measles. Based on the legislation filed by Spahn, those who do not get their child vaccinated will have to pay up to 2,500 or about $2,800. Get A Jab Or Pay The Fine Spahn's proposal to fine parents of school-aged children who do not have measles vaccination aims to boost measles vaccination rate amid rising concerns that the highly contagious viral disease could make a comeback in the country. "I want to eradicate measles," Spahn told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. The official further said that anyone going to a kindergarten or school should be vaccinated against measles. This effort will help protect younger children and those who are medically unable to receive measles immunization such as organ recipients or people suffering from leukemia. Elementary education is mandated in Germany so parents who refuse to vaccinate their kids will have no choice but to pay the fine. By July 2020, parents who will sign up their children for kindergartens or schools would need to provide proof that their children have been vaccinated. Mandatory vaccination will also apply to employees of hospitals and private medical facilities. The draft measure is now under deliberation in the Cabinet. Spahn believes that the ruling coalition of Chancellor Angela Merkel and the left-leaning Social Democrats will support the proposal. If adopted this year, the measure will be enacted in March 2020. Measles Cases In Germany And Europe In Europe, a total of 82,596 cases of measles were recorded in 2018 with 72 measles-related deaths. Majority of the infections, or 53,218, were from Ukraine. In the first 10 weeks of 2019, Germany had a total of 203 reported cases of measles, which is more than twice as in the same period last year. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, from March 2018 to February 2019, both France and Italy documented more than 2,400 measles cases each. Greece had more than 1,400 measles cases, and Britain reported over 900 in the same period. France, Poland, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Belgium had the highest counts of reported measles cases. Notable increases were observed in France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Ireland. According to ECDPC, cases of measles in Europe mainly occur in unvaccinated populations in both adults and children. Large outbreaks with cases of deaths happen in countries that have previously eliminated measles or have interrupted endemic transmission. At least 19 countries and territories worldwide are intensifying national immunization program activities in order to update or complete vaccination schedules in children. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Public health officials in Arizona have reported a continued increase in the number of hepatitis A cases since November last year. While the infectious disease has been detected all over the state, most of the cases have been recorded in Tucson and in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Among those most at risk of infection are homeless people and those living in makeshift houses. Individuals who use illegal drugs have also been shown to be vulnerable to the disease. Hepatitis A In Arizona As many as 212 hepatitis A cases have been confirmed in Arizona since the start of 2019. The number is higher than any statewide total recorded over the past 10 years, based on state statistics. However, public health officials are concerned that infection cases might continue to rise. Homeless people are said to be the most susceptible to the infection. The disease can easily spread among those with poor hygiene and those who do not wash their hands properly after using the restroom. Paula Mandel, deputy director of the Pima County Health Department, said majority of the hepatitis A cases in the state have been detected in the Tucson area. Meanwhile, in Phoenix, health workers are already working to administer vaccines for the disease, especially to those who are most at risk, according to Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, director for disease control at Maricopa County's Public Health Department. Sunenshine pointed out that as much as 90 percent of infected cases in their county have resulted in hospitalization for victims. She said among the people who have contracted hepatitis A in Maricopa County are those who have recently been jailed, those who do not have permanent homes, and those who have been using illicit drugs. Health providers are giving out vaccines in two separate doses, which are administered six months apart. Booster shots for hepatitis A have been available since the 1990s. In fact, the vaccine is part of the recommended inoculation plan for children. In Maricopa County, preschool-aged children are required to be vaccinated against the infectious disease. However, this does not include those who are already in grades K-12. What Is Hepatitis A? Hepatitis A is a communicable disease caused by the hepatitis A virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is known to target mostly the liver of infected people. The illness is often transmitted from person-to-person through consumption of food or water contaminated with HAV. While hepatitis A is considered an infectious disease, it is self-limited and does not trigger chronic infection in patients. Symptoms of HAV infection in adults include the following: Fatigue Low appetite Stomach pain Nausea Jaundice Adults infected with hepatitis A develop symptoms of the disease, but these mostly go away within two months. However, most children below 6 years old do not experience any symptoms of the infection, or are left with unrecognized illness. People who have contracted the infection previously often have a stronger resistance to reinfection. This is due to the fact that the antibodies produced in response to hepatitis A last for the entirety of a person's life. However, health experts still advise people to get vaccinated since it is still the best option to prevent infection. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. One of the state's top health officials says he's concerned about the growing number of Louisianians rejecting vaccinations for their children in light of a recent resurgence of measles cases around the country. Dr. Alexander Billioux, assistant secretary of health for the state's Department of Health, on Monday told members of the Baton Rouge Press Club there haven't yet been any measles cases reported in Louisiana connected to a global outbreak that has fostered related cases in more than 22 other states. But, he said, that could change given an uptick in the number of exemptions that parents are filing for their kids because they fear negative side effects from vaccinations. "If these trends continue, we're not just worrying about New York and Washington where we're seen the outbreak happening, I'm worried about what could happen in our state," Billioux said. Billioux's advocacy in defense of vaccinations Monday came a week after State Sen. John Milkovich, (D-Shreveport), went on an anti-vaccinations rant during floor discussions on a bill that would expand a voluntary statewide immunization database. Milkovich claimed the presence of aluminum and mercury in vaccinations is dangerous and caused autism, going on to to tell legislators that "autism did not exist" when he was a child and that "tissue from aborted babies is now used in vaccines." Louisiana senator links vaccines, autism on Senate floor; officials say 'myth' causes measles resurgence A sitting Louisiana legislator linked vaccines to autism on the floor of the State Senate Monday, perpetuating a long-debunked theory on which The state Health Department is increasing its campaign to debunk claims like Milkovich's which he asserted there is little to no scientific evidence to support, Billioux said. "They're welcome to have these concerns but the data is clear: (Vaccinations) are safe and effective, and critically important," he said. But despite the clear evidence they are safe and effective, Billioux said, a small group of people continue to reject having their kids vaccinated. 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 Children in Louisiana are required to receive vaccinations before entering daycare or school, which Billioux said puts Louisiana near the top of lists that chart the levels of vaccinated school-aged kids. However, parents can request that their children be exempted from being vaccinated for medical or religious/philosophical reasons. According to the LDHH, the state's exemption rate rose 0.3 percent between the 2016-17 and 2017-'18 school year. In the 2016-17 school year, 54 exemptions were granted to parents and/or legal guardians citing medical reasons, while 396 chose not to vaccinate their children for religious or philosophical reasons. The number of medical exemptions filed in the 2017-18 school term rose slightly to 61 while exemptions for religious/philosophical reasons jumped to 601 that same term. Billioux sought to debunk myths surrounding vaccinations, calling attention to how the vaccination for measles led to the Centers for Disease Control's 2000 declaration the highly contagious disease had been eliminated. He also said the vaccination, for measles in particular, has improved and "gotten better" over time and that multiple studies have found there is "no legitimate link between vaccinates and autism." The CDC recently revealed the number of reported measles cases in the country has grown to more than 700 so far this year. The current outbreak was transmitted stateside from people who came from countries with their own challenges in dealing with measles outbreaks, Billioux said. So far, cases related to the current outbreak have been reported in larger, more densely populated, metropolitan areas, he added. "The last major outbreak we had was in 1994 when we had 965 contract the disease before we eliminated it," he said. "We're behind in protecting ourselves. (Young children) are the most vulnerable and that's where we need to get our numbers up and our message out." GONZALES An ill-fated chain of events that ended with a damaging crane barge crash into the Sunshine Bridge began two hours earlier when the towering vessel was unmoored from a dock in Convent sooner than the captain of the tugboat Kristin Alexis expected, the mariner in charge of the tug testified Monday. "It was chaos," former Marquette Transportation Master Capt. Desmond Smith said of the early steps taken to get the massive crane barge moving on the Mississippi River. Smith acknowledged before a federal investigative panel that he never did calculate how much space existed under the Mississippi River bridge upriver near Donaldsonville during high water conditions last fall. He also didnt use his authority to stop work to reassess what was happening and, not long afterward, handed control over to a less experienced pilot just starting his shift 30 to 40 minutes after midnight Oct. 12, according to testimony at a public hearing being conducted by federal investigators. The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board have been looking into the crash through formal marine casualty probe for months and opened a week-long public hearing Monday at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center near Gonzales. Capt. Eugene Picquet III, the former second in command on the Kristin Aleixs, ended up running the Cooper Consolidated barge crane into the lower, western span of the bridge about 1:50 am. Oct. 12, critically damaging major support beams and disrupting cross river traffic flows for months, according to testimony. +27 Photos, videos: See close-up images showing 'twisted' steel of damaged Sunshine Bridge Governor John Bel Edwards got up close and personal with the damaged Sunshine Bridge on Wednesday morning. He rode in a crew boat and up a cra Commuters and commerce using the bridge daily went from a 10-minute trip to a more than hourlong detour during a shutdown that stretched on for a month-and-a-half. Smith and two other witnesses in the daylong hearing Monday were pressed over the details of the events leading up the crash as well as their training, understanding and application of Marquettes safety policies. Coast Guard and NTSB investigators as well as lawyers for Marquette and Cooper all asked the witnesses questions. +4 What happened with the Sunshine Bridge crash? Feds to press for answers in public hearings GONZALES A monumental miscalculation happened somehow in the early morning darkness along the Mississippi River just southeast of Donaldsonv Questioned by a Marquette lawyer, Smith testified he was distracted and became focused on a visual obstruction on the crane barge a large bucket that he could not get Cooper employees to remove before Picquet took control near the bridges western side. The captains were supposed to be taking the crane barge to Cooper Consolidateds fleeting area near Darrow, upstream of the bridge. Smith said he didnt discuss the bridge height with Picquet in a safety meeting before handing off control but focused on removal of the bucket. That was mostly .. thats what we talked about, Smith said. We were discussing everything revolving around that bucket. Former Kristin Alexis mate Blaise Rudolph testified he and another deckhand on shift with Picquet early on Oct. 12 had to stand lookout with radios on the bow of crane barge while they tried to pass under the bridge because of the bucket and other visual obstructions on the barge. +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 Smith told the investigative panel that he had pushed the Mr. Ervin under the bridge's main span once before safely but didn't calculate if he had enough room during high water conditions on the morning of Oct. 12. Smith testified someone with Cooper Consolidated had told him previously that the height of the crane was 130 feet high, but said he never checked with Marquettes port captain or a Cooper dispatcher for a more exact figure. He also said he never recorded a height on a Marquette voyage plan to which Picquet could have referred. 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 In cross examination, Cooper attorneys questioned Smith about the 130-foot figure and whether it reflected the height of the barge and crane together or just the crane itself. If the latter was the case, the attorneys pointed out, the cranes height actually could be 6 to 7 feet higher based on the draft of the barge. According to map and river gauge data, the alternative western channel Picquet used is about 24 feet lower than that main channel that Smith said he had used successfully previously. The space under the side channel was about 128 feet above the water at the time of the crash. The Sunshine Bridge has an arch built into it, so the sides are lower than the center, where the main channel is located. In explaining the distracting events leading up to Picquets assumption of control of the barge, Smith and Marquette deckhand Brandon Payne told investigators that workers at the Convent Marine Terminal on the east bank of the river men they believed worked for Cooper let loose some of the lines to the barge before Smith was able to properly attach the front of his tug to the back of the barge. Smith testified that he was hurriedly trying to get his tug in the rear of the barge, which was drifting from the dock, and keep it from running into a large arm hanging from the dock. In that haste, he testified, he failed to notice initially that the large crane bucket wasnt in the normal spot and obstructed his view, which was already limited by other parts of the crane and other buckets. It was like a chain reaction thing," Smith said. "Like my attention wasnt even on the bucket. I was more trying to get faced up and stopped from hitting that arm. He continued, It was chaos. Put it that way. We were faced with things and, at that time, I hadnt even noticed the bucket yet. Once he got control, Smith testified, his focus turned to trying to get Cooper employees to reposition the bucket. But he and Payne said they refused. Smith testified that he overheard Cooper Consolidated employees say on the radio they weren't "moving the ... bucket. They didn't care if we ran aground or whatever." Smith said he reported the problem to a Cooper dispatcher and eventually Cooper officials agreed to return to his towboat in a crew boat and move the bucket. Smith ended up repositioning the barge to the west bank of the river to get it out of way of down river traffic while they waited for a crew boat with Cooper workers, Smith testified. Thats when Smith handed off control to Picquet. At the same time, Smith acknowledged he didn't specifically tell Picquet to wait for the Cooper crew to arrive and Picquet ended up heading under the bridge with the bucket still an obstruction and lookouts on the barges bow. Picquet is expected to testify Tuesday morning when the Coast Guard and NTSB panel resume taking testimony. Can't see video below? Click here. President Donald Trump will travel to Louisiana next week to highlight domestic job creation and energy infrastructure in the state's booming southwest industrial hub. The White House confirmed Monday that Trump plans to visit the $10 billion Cameron LNG export facility in Cameron Parish to spotlight liquefied natural gas and jobs when he visits May 14. It will be Trump's third trip to Louisiana since his 2017 inauguration. Sempra Energy announced last month that the Hackberry export terminal Phase One of the Cameron LNG project had begun feeding natural gas to the first liquefaction unit ahead of ramping up production. Gas flows to Cameron LNG unit toward start of production at Hackberry export terminal Cameron LNG has begun feeding natural gas to the first liquefaction unit built at its Hackberry export terminal in preparation for LNG product In April, Trump issued a pair of executive orders aimed at rolling back regulations on energy production and promoting fossil fuel development. The Cameron site is expected to create 10,000 construction jobs as the build-out continues. U.S. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, is expected to join Trump for the trip. "In Louisiana, with our vast oil and gas resources, were fortunate to have a partner in the White House who is leading the charge for American energy dominance," said Scalise, who has been a close ally of the president. "Unleashing this potential will grow our economy, create thousands more high-paying jobs, strengthen our national security, and lower energy costs for hard-working families. U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy, said the trip is a sign of Trump's support for Louisiana's crucial energy industry one of the state's top sectors. Under Republicans watch, weve seen new investment in projects from the well head to the export facilitybringing billions to our state and creating good-paying jobs for Louisiana workers," said Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge. "Liquefied natural gas is a booming industry in Louisiana thats creating countless jobs and meeting energy demands around the world," echoed U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville. "We have an exciting story to tell. Cameron Parish cannot wait to welcome President Trump to Louisiana. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who is seeking re-election this year, also cited the Republican president's visit as a sign of an upswing in the state's oil and gas industry. Our abundance of affordable natural gas and outstanding ports and infrastructure puts Louisiana at the leading edge of this industry, home to the first LNG exports to leave the continental United States," he said. "Cameron Parish is the epicenter of the ongoing energy revolution and is the best place for President Trump to visit to discuss this important industry." Trump, who received more than 58 percent of the vote in Louisiana in 2016, was last in the state in January, when he addressed the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual gathering in New Orleans. He has remained politically popular among Louisiana voters, with polls generally tracking his approval rating well above 50 percent. The latest trip coincides with a high-dollar fundraiser that Trump will attend in New Orleans that evening. That dinner will cost Trump supporters a minimum of $2,800 apiece to attend. Those willing to shell out $100,000 per person will get "roundtable" access, and couples can pay $35,000 for a photo with the president at the May 14 event. Shipbuilder Boysie Bollinger and developer Joe Canizaro, Trump's finance co-chairs for Louisiana, are listed as the event's hosts, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by The Advocate. Other featured guests will include Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, RNC Co-Chair Tommy Hicks Jr. and Trump Victory Finance Chair Todd Rickets. $2,800 ticket minimum: President Trump plans second visit this year with New Orleans fundraiser WASHINGTON President Donald Trump will have a dinner fundraiser in New Orleans next month that will cost supporters a minimum of $2,800 apiece. In a new twist, public school teachers would get pay raises of $1,200 this year, rather than $1,000, and pay for support workers would rise by $600 under a revamped spending plan approved Monday by the Louisiana House Appropriations Committee. The same panel rejected a bid to boost state aid for public schools by $39 million on a 3-17 vote. The powerful committee later approved the proposed $30 billion spending plan and sent it to the full House, which will debate the measure Thursday. The Republican-dominated panel approved spending an additional $119 million available to it because of higher revenue collections recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference last month. The budget proposal must go through several more steps and is likely to be changed multiple times before becoming law. The larger raises for teachers, instead of the additional $39 million for public schools, was the most significant difference between the Republican lawmakers on the committee and Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration. State Rep. Walt Leger III, D-New Orleans, said his proposed spending plan, which is in line with the governors, was about 90% identical to the proposal that was ultimately approved by the committee. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, made the motion to spend another $20 million on teachers for the $1,200 increases. His proposed changes to the budget passed without much controversy, aside from the debate over teacher pay and public school spending. My preference is to give teachers the biggest pay raise we possibly can, Henry said. The action means that, if the Legislature is unable to agree on a school spending plan, teachers could still salvage a one-time, $1,200 pay raise. The governor and teachers want any increase placed in the school funding formula called the Minimum Foundation Program so it would be recurring. Louisiana public school aid battle sparking new rift between Gov. John Bel Edwards, Senate vs. House In a repeat of budget battles, Gov. John Bel Edwards and the state Senate are lining up against the Louisiana House on whether public schools Edwards told reporters Monday afternoon that he has already planned to raise teacher pay this year and again if he is reelected, but he did not say directly whether he supports the bigger raise proposed by the House committee. The governor did not appear enthused about the changes, however, as he called the block grant funding of $39 million to schools very important and pointed out the plan must line up with the Board of Elementary and Secondary Educations formula for school funding. It would be a very hollow victory for a teacher to get a raise on the one hand and a layoff notice on the other, he said. The latest flurry means Edwards, a Senate committee and BESE are behind one plan pay raises of $1,000 for teachers, $500 for support workers and a $39 million boost for public schools and House leaders another. Henrys draft of the budget also provides some of the money sought by disability advocates for intermediate care facilities and community-based programs; fully funds the popular Taylor Opportunity Program for Students scholarships; and gives an extra $13 million in state general fund dollars to corrections. Higher education, including the TOPS funding, would get an extra $36 million compared with the original budget bill, which was for the most part a standstill budget compared with last year. The bill approved Monday morning also includes $8.8 million for early childhood education for 4-year-olds, which would replace an expiring federal grant. The plan will give the Department of Children and Family Services about $10 million of the $13 million it was seeking to keep from cutting the food stamps program, though that partly depends on a supplemental bill being passed Tuesday. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Two key House committees have now turned down the $39 million boost for schools, which would be the second of its kind in the past decade. Last month, the House Education Committee voted to return the school funding plan to BESE and for that panel to remove the $39 million. Without that action, committee leaders said, the state might not have enough funds to raise teacher pay. BESE is set to meet on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. to tackle the issue. The Legislature can only accept or reject BESEs proposal but cannot change it. Leger made the motion to add the $39 million for public schools to the operating budget blueprint. He said sending more money to public schools would lessen chances teachers would have to spend their own money for supplies. The state has about 50,000 public school teachers and they are paid an average of $50,000 per year. The governor has said current pay is about $2,200 below the average set by the Southern Regional Education Board. The spending plan approved by the committee funds state services starting July 1. It is House Bill 105. Traditionally, the budget is considered as House Bill 1, but House Speaker Taylor Barras held up the states revenue projection for months, preventing lawmakers from moving forward with the traditional budget process. Instead, the committee has been holding hearings based on a standstill budget from last year, plus an additional $26 million in revenue that was not yet recognized. Last month, Barras, R-New Iberia, finally gave in and agreed to recognize additional revenue for the state to spend. The House Appropriations Committees version of the budget also cut out about $700 million in excess budget authority. The move is aimed at bringing the budget projections in line with the amount of money agencies will actually spend. The committee also cut a proposed $11.6 million increase in spending on legislative agencies before approving the Legislatures $96 million budget plan. The Legislature has been sitting on a pot of $85 million in surplus cash, The Associated Press reported, even though it does not have any immediate plans for the money. The Louisiana Senate rejected a bill to let the public vote on whether to abolish the death penalty, dealing another blow to an ongoing effort to end capital punishment in the state. State Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, had implored senators to support his legislation because the death penalty has been a costly and inefficient program, and because it cheapens life. While no one spoke out against the legislation on the floor of the Senate Monday, members voted it down on a 13-25 vote, well short of the two-thirds support it needed to pass. I was a prosecutor once upon a time. I participated in the process, Claitor said. I was a real believer in the death penalty. Ive had a conversion as weve gone through this process. Effort to abolish Louisiana's death penalty begins again in State Capitol As the death chamber sits idle at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, the states executioners starved for nearly a decade of the drug Louisiana has only put three people to death in the past two decades and none since 2010, when the state executed a convicted Livingston Parish child killer who'd hastened his death by voluntarily waiving his appeals. The state Department of Corrections in recent years has been unable to acquire the drugs needed for lethal injections, the only method of execution allowed in the state, as pharmaceutical manufacturers have refused to sell the drugs for use in executions. Some of the death penalty's opponents, including Claitor, have cited its high cost. Public defenders alone have spent more than $100 million since 2008 on death penalty cases and a recent study put its total cost to taxpayers over that period at more than $15.6 million per year. Cost of Louisiana's death penalty is $15.6 million per year, new study says A new analysis on the cost of the death penalty in Louisiana puts the total price for taxpayers over the past decade at a minimum of $15.6 mil Claitor called the punishment inefficient as a government program and morally wrong while asking his colleagues to put its future use to a public vote. State Sen. J.P. Morrell, a New Orleans Democrat who testified in support of Claitors bill in committee, also spoke out in support Monday, arguing the fallibility of government should make support of capital punishment untenable. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Supporters of the death penalty, including district attorneys and relatives of the victims of killers on death row, have argued it's the only just punishment for particularly heinous crimes. They've urged lawmakers to find ways to resume executions in the state. One such proposal, sponsored by state Rep. Nicholas Muscarello, would cloak the source of the state's execution in secrecy, a step the Hammond Republican has argued would make it easier for prison officials to obtain a cocktail of deadly drugs from specialty compounding pharmacies. Louisiana lawmakers seek to mask sources for execution drugs in secrecy in bid to jump start death penalty Death penalty supporters in the Louisiana Legislature are trying to shroud the source of the state's execution drugs in secrecy, a move intend State Rep. Terry Landry, a New Iberia Democrat and former State Police superintendent, has worked with Claitor for several years on legislation to abolish the death penalty, to no avail. Landry is again bringing a bill to change Louisiana law to end the practice, a different tactic than Claitors constitutional amendment that put it to a vote of the people. Landry on Friday said his bill will be heard in committee next week. The constitutional amendment proposed by Claitor would have been on ballots during next years presidential election. Voting to abolish the death penalty (13): Sens. Barrow, Bishop, Boudreaux, Carter, Claitor, Colomb, Cortez, LaFleur, Mills, Morrell, Morrish, Peterson and Price. Voting against SB12 (25): President Alario and Sens. Allain, Appel, Chabert, Donahue, Erdey, Fannin, Gatti, Hensgens, Hewitt, Johns, Lambert, Long, Martiny, Milkovich, Mizell, Peacock, Riser, G. Smith, J. Smith., Tarver, Thompson, Walsworth, Ward and White. Not Voting (1): Sen. Luneau. Advocate staff writer Bryn Stole contributed to this report. Milk made from almonds, oats, soy and other veggies wont be able call itself milk should the legislation the Louisiana Senate approved Monday become law. Senate Bill 39 would require beverages to remove milk from their label unless they are a dairy product. The Senate voted 36-2 to advance SB39 to the House for consideration. The legislation must be approved before the Legislature adjourns on June 6. Sen. Francis Thompson, D-Delhi, said he has no issues with the other beverages created for people with allergies or for health concerns. Were not looking for things to shut people down. Those products are fine, he said. Those products are mislabeled. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Louisiana Senate unanimously approves bill targeting veggie meat and cauliflower rice The Louisiana Senate on Monday unanimously approved a bill that would ban food sellers from labeling their products things like veggie "meat" Thompson said similar bills are being approved around the country. Louisiana would fall in line with the definitions written by federal authorities and other states. That definition doesnt jive with those products that are mislabeled. Louisiana is down to about 80 dairies and the industry is endangered, he said. The dairy farmers asked for the legislation. At Justine, Justin and Mia Devilliers new showstopper of a French Quarter restaurant, a neon pink sign welcomes guests. Inside, a DJ plays next to a marble- and zinc-topped bar where a statue of a woman stands over a crew of busy bar staff. Beyond them, a dining room outfitted with smoked mirrors unfolds, and a woman dressed like a burlesque dancer swans past tables, ruffling bright fuchsia ostrich feather fans at curious and bashful diners. Galatoires this is not. And yet, its hard not to feel a familiar spirit of revelry, albeit a more unbuttoned one. Like other French Quarter spots of this caliber, the menu is expensive, at times prohibitively so. A towering seafood plateau is $165, and theres a 40-ounce cote de boeuf for $135, which the menu recommends be shared by two or three diners. The sprawling Chartres Street restaurant is the third from the husband and wife team, who also run the Magazine Street charmer La Petite Grocery and downtowns stylish gastrotavern, Balise. Longtime Emeril's employee and Meril chef Will Avelar has departed to run family tortilla biz Longtime Emerils employee Will Avelar has left Meril (424 Girod St.), the trendy Warehouse District restaurant where he has been chef de cuis Pink tiles frame an open kitchen, where executive chef Daniel Causgrove oversees a cadre of cooks that turn out a menu of mostly classic French brasserie dishes. French onion soup is served with a cap of melted cheese, oysters swim in a creamy parsley-packed sauce with preserved lemon, and steak tartare though dainty in portion is a perfect rendition of the dish. While there is no grand reinvention, some of the seafood starters stray from traditional Francophone fare. Lobster tartine and octopus vinaigrette fall into this category and both are excellent. Lobster meat is piled high on a crusty piece of brioche on a plate decorated with dabs of tarragon emulsion. Dollops of caviar add a salty pop that tempers anise-heavy undertones. Chilled octopus is fresh and the dish bursts with citrus. Roasted red peppers, fresh mint and dill liven up the soft, almost sweet character of the octopus. Among the traditional French entrees is a boeuf gras section of the menu, including a prime rib-eye entrecote served with a dark and flavorful crust topped with herb-packed maitre dhotel butter. The Justine burger is classic Devillier a delicious peppercorn-crusted beef patty with sharp Emmental cheese on a buttery brioche bun served with decadent cognac cream jus, for dipping. Gulf fish amandine is classic New Orleans, served with crisp almond slivers, a deeply bronzed brown butter sauce and snappy haricots verts. La Petite Grocery was my introduction to New Orleans dining scene. I was living in New York at the time and visited New Orleans. I still remember dining on rabbit tucked under a brown butter sauce popping with capers and lemon. I fell hard for both the city and the restaurant. Overnight, the restaurant became my association with a city that not long after I was fortunate to call home. Years later, I get a similar feeling at Justine. Its a different restaurant, but one that feels welcoming in the way that a raucous Friday lunch can in a town with a seductive spirit of revelry. Justine is colorful, bold, lively, loud and ultimately, a lot of fun. what Justine where 225 Chartres St., (504) 218-8533; www.justinenola.com when lunch Tue.-Fri., dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. how much expensive what works lobster tartine, Justine burger what doesnt the menu gets pricey check please French Quarter brasserie exudes extravagance Review: At Sofia in the Warehouse District, chef Talia Diele presents lighter Italian fare In a city with no shortage of Italian dining, Sofia, a new restaurant in the Warehouse District, offers a slightly different take on the cuisine. Alex and Maribeth del Castillo launched their taco-peddling food truck Taceaux Loceaux (@TLNola) in 2010. This month, the couple will open their first brick and mortar restaurant of the same name at 737 Octavia St. A pioneer in the local food truck scene, Taceaux Loceaux garnered a following in part because of the couples use of social media. Alex del Castillo spoke with Gambit about the food truck and the restaurant. Gambit: Tell us about your restaurant. Del Castillo: Its going to be all the basics from the truck, but expanded. A lot of the things that we used to do as specials well do more often. Weve also got a trompo a vertical spit (often used to make al pastor). Well have all the main tacos and the avocado fries. Someday Ill probably own an avocado grove if all things go well because we can never stop selling those things. G: What have you learned about running a food truck? DC: The main thing is knowing to have everything you need once you pull up. You also learn every pothole in a neighborhood, and you actually change your route just to find better roads. I remember when they were still legitimizing the trucks, everyone was talking about how it was so much easier for food trucks (to operate), and I think thats not true. Theres another layer of complexity. You have to maintain two kitchens, and (during the summer) its hot. You cant effectively air condition a food truck thats cooking food, or it would take a ridiculous amount of energy to do it more than you could bring on a truck. Sometimes lunch isnt the best idea. On a hot New Orleans day, nobody wants to get out of their office and have to take a shower when they come back from lunch. Its going to be exciting to work in an air-conditioned space and serve people that would never have eaten from a truck or dont want to stand on the side of a bar to get food. And it will be nice to serve our own margaritas. 3-Course interview: Akhtar Nawab, chef/owner of Otra Vez in the Warehouse District Chef and restaurateur Akhtar Nawab (www.akhtarnawab.com) has restaurants in New York City and Birmingham, Alabama. Last month, he opened a Mex G: Your business was one of the pioneers in New Orleans when it came to advertising your location through social media. What was that learning curve like? DC: That was very much the key to our success. This was right when Twitter was coming out, and Im not saying that I invented taking pictures of your food or tweeting them, but I did (push) the Twitter thing. I got a Facebook page and started teasing it a little bit before we open (the restaurant). Its like anything else with social media you have to be honest. People can tell if its you or if its paid marketing. I think Instagram is probably the main go-to for food now. A lot of it has to do with who you follow, and its hard to do it well if youre not personally involved. (Chicago chef/restaurateur) Rick Bayless did his own stuff. A lot of local (restaurants) do their own thing, and I think it matters. You need to have some kind of a presence if you want to grow. Its more cost-efficient than advertising. Social media was really disruptive in that way, but it will never (relieve) you of having a good product, because if you screw up, everybody is going to know about it in five minutes. New Orleans along with Baton Rouge and Louisiana as a whole has consistently led the country in the number of HIV cases relative to its population. Total HIV cases continue to rise in the New Orleans area, but the number of new cases has declined in recent years due in part, doctors say, to a preventative medication and increased services. According to the New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council (NORAPC), the total new HIV diagnoses in the New Orleans metropolitan area in 2013 were 523. In 2017, that number was down to 354, with decreases each year. Dr. Jason Halperin, a physician at New Orleans health clinic CrescentCare, says as long as the number of new diagnoses are going down, rising total cases are actually a positive thing. Since HIV is treatable but not curable, the numbers are evidence people with the virus are living longer. People living with HIV can take antiviral medications and live just as long as people without the virus. Those living with HIV actually have gone up in a good way, Halperin says. People aren't dying of AIDS. Halperin attributes a major part of the decline in new cases to the development of a preventative drug - pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012. When taken consistently, PrEP can reduce the likelihood of contracting HIV by more than 90 percent, making it more effective at preventing the virus than condoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vincenzo Pasquantonio, who heads City Halls equity office, says taking the preventative drug has changed the way he interacts with others. What that has done is that has made us as people better people, because I'm no longer afraid of loving people and connecting with people, he says. Pull Quote Those living with HIV actually have gone up in a good way. People aren't dying of AIDS. Dr. Jason Halperin, a physician at New Orleans health clinic CrescentCare. But only a small fraction of those who engage in behaviors that put them at a higher risk of contracting HIV are regularly using PrEP also known by its brand name Truvada. A 2015 CDC report estimated 1.2 million people were at a high risk for contracting HIV, yet only around 77,000 used PrEP in 2016. That usage is nearly nine times what it was in 2012 but still less than one-tenth of what experts say it should be. Furthermore, disparities exist between the communities most likely to contract HIV and those on PrEP with the most disparity among black people, people living in the South, young people and women. While more than half of new cases were diagnosed in the South in 2016, only 30 percent of PrEP users live in the South, according to AIDSVu, an online HIV mapping tool. The racial disparities are even starker. Black people living in Louisiana are more than six times more likely to be diagnosed with the virus than whites, according to a 2016 report by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH). Halperin says this represents a demographic shift in the populations most likely to contract HIV since the 1980s, when the public first became aware of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. I think many people [think of] the white gay male in San Francisco, that kind of population that was at most risk over a decade ago, he says. We are not seeing that any more. Black people accounted for nearly three-fourths of newly diagnosed cases in the state, despite making up less than a third of the states population. Pasquantonio says this racial imbalance constitutes an emergency in the city. "The house is on fire, he says. City Hall's new Office of Human Rights and Equity to address racial, LGBT disparities Mayor LaToya Cantrell established the equity office March 20, which will house the existing Human Relations Commission and LGBTQ+ Task Force. This major gap exists even though studies show black people are less likely to engage in behaviors that increase the likelihood of contracting HIV (unprotected sex, high number of sexual partners and drug use). Instead, systemic barriers tied to racism cause the discrepancy, the 2016 report says. Those barriers include a lack of access to health care in general and inequitable treatment when they are able to access it. Just increasing insurance is not enough to ensure access in the African-American community, Halperin says. There is a long history of the medical system not being very welcoming to the African-American community. To combat some of those obstacles, Halperin says CrescentCare is committed to hiring black people in its facilities and has an advisory committee to critique racial biases existing in the organization.As a result, the clinic has increased the number of PrEP users at its facilities who are black to just under 25 percent double the national rate. But Halperin says it is still appalling to him how low that percentage is compared to the percentage of black people at risk of contracting HIV in the city. Young people also are disproportionately at risk of contracting HIV. Residents between the ages of 13 and 24 have made up one of the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses in the city in recent years, and rates are far higher for young black men. To lower these rates, Halperin says its important to look at avenues for HIV testing that exist outside the medical system, like testing in bars and at home parties. Another reason for PrEPs underuse is its $1,600-a-month price tag. However, between Truvada owner Gileads co-pay coupon cards and the states 2016 Medicaid expansion, there are several avenues to help make the medication more affordable for those who cant shovel out the nearly $20,000 a year it costs out of pocket. Medicaid covers the medication, doctor visits and lab work for the initial and subsequent HIV tests, which doctors recommend every three months after beginning PrEP. But Halperin says some insurance companies do not cover the full price of the lab work, which can cost up to $600 to $700 per HIV test and for which there are fewer payment assistance options. That's a huge gap right now, and I'm not aware of any programs that are able to address that, says Brandi Bowen, program director of the planning council. Pasquantonio says when speaking to residents living with HIV, they mentioned the stigma long associated with the virus as one of their biggest hurdles. Studies show that bias and misperceptions about HIV can cause people not to get tested due to fear of testing positive or not to seek treatment once diagnosed. For black residents, the effects of stigmas associated with the LGBT and HIV communities are only compounded by existing racial stigmas. This isn't like, Oh, everybody get along, sing Kumbaya and love one another, Pasquantonio says. Stigma kills people. It's had a very psychologically damaging effect on our residents having this fear of others and this fear of people being a vector of disease. One effort to end the stigma associated with HIV is the Undetectable Equals Untransmittable (U=U) campaign, which the CDC endorsed in 2017. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of research showing that people living with HIV can take medication and maintain an undetectable viral load meaning they have no risk of transmitting the virus to a sexual partner or to their children. Louisiana Secretary of Health Rebekah Gee signed onto the campaign in March, along with Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, making Louisiana the first southern state to do so, according to DeAnn Gruber, director of the health departments Bureau for Infectious Diseases. James Berman says making this information public will change lives. He remembers when he tried to enlist in the Navy in 1987 and was diagnosed with HIV. He was told he was unfit for service because he would be dead in two years. Now, 32 years later, he lives in Algiers with his wife and two children, all of whom are HIV negative. The one thing you thought you could never have children we now have, Berman says. It brings hope to a whole population that for decades hasnt had any hope at all. Another component in decreasing new cases in the city is treating the virus as quickly as possible so it doesnt spread. A CrescentCare initiative called Rapid Start guarantees the clinic will start newly diagnosed patients with HIV on medication within 72 hours, if not the same day. Additionally, a drug called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can be used in emergency situations and must be started within 72 hours of possible exposure to HIV. But one potential new threat to progress is the opioid epidemic, which has caused a spike in HIV rates in other parts of the country. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), one of every 10 new HIV cases occur among people who inject drugs. Halperin says since HIV is spread through sexual networks and needle-sharing networks, the populations most at risk for HIV and the populations most affected by the opioid crisis (who tend to be white and transient) have not yet overlapped in New Orleans. Interestingly, we have not seen the case rates increase in those who inject drugs, he says. I think it is inevitable that it will happen, and it will be very, very concerning when it does. Expanding access to PrEP, HIV testing and clean needles through needle exchange programs is essential to preventing this overlap, he says. The Washington Post reports that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is currently reviewing the national governments part of the drugs patent, which Gilead argues is invalid. If the #BreakThePatent movement succeeds, it would pave the way for generic forms of the drug to become available in the U.S. potentially lowering costs dramatically. In some countries, a one-month supply of the generic form costs around $6, 250 times less than Truvada costs domestically. President Donald Trumps 2020 budget proposal sought $291 million to end the HIV epidemic with a goal of decreasing new cases of HIV by 90 percent in 10 years. Meanwhile, the budget would drastically cut funding for global HIV programs by over $1 billion, earning it mixed reactions among HIV/AIDS groups. New Orleans is one of many cities that have joined the Fast-Track Cities initiative aimed at ending HIV by 2030 by getting 90 percent of people living with HIV diagnosed, on medication and virally suppressed so they have no chance of spreading the virus. For those who have worked to lower HIV/AIDS rates for decades, PrEP and the increase of programs at the local, state and federal levels make ending the epidemic seem within reach. For somebody who's been working in this field for 30 years, certainly [I] never thought that we would be at this point, Gruber, the health department official, says. I think that our numbers are really starting to demonstrate the effectiveness of all of these things and everybody coming together." Correction: An earlier draft of this story did not emphasize that post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) drugs are designed only to be used in emergencies and must be started within 72 hours of possible exposure to HIV. New Orleans native Lil Wayne and Blink-182 gave the world a mash-up it probably didn't see coming, and in doing so announced a joint tour that's hitting 34 cities nationwide. But of those cities, New Orleans is nowhere on the list. The tour begins on June 27 in Columbus, Ohio and includes stops in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Tampa, Florida. The tour eventually lands in Jacksonville, Houston, Austin and Dallas. Along with the tour announcement, the 36-year-old rapper and the 3-piece rock group collaborated on a mash-up of A Milli off of Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III album and What's My Age Again?, the band's 1999 smash hit. Can't see the video? Click here. Lil Wayne released the long-awaited The Carter V in September. Blink-182, meanwhile, has teased an upcoming album. The band is made up of bassist and vocalist Matt Skiba, guitarist and vocalist Tom Delonge and drummer Travis Barker. Lil Wayne, whose given name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., grew up in New Orleans and often invokes the city's name in his lyrics. He was in Champion's Square in August for his 4th annual Lil WeezyAna Fest. It's unclear whether the event will continue for a fifth year. No listings appear for the event on Champion Square's website -- where the 2018 event was held -- or on ticket-selling platforms. The new tour, though, carries West Coast dates of Tuesday Aug. 27 and Friday Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 2. Past versions of the music fest have been held in late August, though an 18-day gap between tour stops could allow for the event earlier in the month. Five of the tour dates don't include Lil Wayne, according to the announcement. Pop punk band Neck Deep is also listed on the tour. More info on the tour, dates and tickets can be found here. The city of New Orleans crumbling infrastructure will receive an infusion of tens of millions of dollars under a deal announced Monday by Gov. John Bel Edwards and Mayor LaToya Cantrell after weeks of hard-fought negotiations between their aides and the citys powerful hospitality industry. The deal would provide $50 million in coming weeks to the Sewerage & Water Board, which has warned that its drainage system does not have enough cash to finish out the year. The money would come from a combination of unspent state disaster money and funding from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Just as critically for Cantrell, it also would provide up to $26 million a year in new, recurring revenue that could be used for S&WB needs or other infrastructure projects. That money will largely come from higher taxes on hotels and short-term rentals, rededicated money that would be freed up by merging two tourism marketing agencies, and higher property taxes in the Central Business District. Finally, the state will delay $17.5 million in payments it had expected from the city for five years. The citys potholed streets and ancient drainage system would receive the money with the passage of three legislative bills that will go before the full House on Wednesday. New Orleans voters will then have to approve one of them. The fight for more tax dollars devoted to infrastructure has been a central tenet of Cantrells fair share campaign since she took office a year ago this week. Should the deal successfully make its way through the Legislature, she can claim a victory where other mayors fell short. Still, tourism leaders managed to hold onto nearly all of their $120 million in annual hotel tax revenue, and they also appear much closer now to gaining approval for a controversial $558 million, 1,200-room Convention Center hotel that taxpayers would help subsidize Its a win-win-win across the board, Cantrell said at a triumphant press conference with Edwards by her side and 12 New Orleans delegation legislators and two hospitality leaders arrayed behind them. This is a step in the right direction for sustainable infrastructure for the city of New Orleans. For Edwards, successfully brokering the agreement offers an opportunity to cement his support in New Orleans, where he needs a big turnout and a large margin of victory as he runs for re-election this fall. Meanwhile, Stephen Perry, head of the convention-marketing group New Orleans & Co. and a leader in the citys tourism lobby, appears to have expanded his agencys role, as the deal calls for the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp., a separate city entity, to now effectively fall under his groups control. Fridays rupture of a 114-year-old water main under South Claiborne Avenue, which prompted a boil-water advisory for a large swath of Uptown and for a time caused worries that it would disrupt patient care at Childrens Hospital, added urgency to getting everyone on the same page, Cantrell and Edwards said. Give and take Since last fall, Cantrell has been seeking $75 million in one-time money and $40 million in annual recurring revenue for infrastructure repairs, while tourism leaders, who parried similar requests in the past, initially offered much less. But the dire financial state of the Sewerage & Water Board, a desire not to be cross-ways with the mayor and the political exigency of trying to win approval for the controversial hotel next to the Convention Center appeared to bring hospitality leaders around. The agreement gives both Cantrell and the hospitality industry something they wanted, but each side had to give up something. Cantrell accepted $25 million less in one-time money and at least $14 million less in recurring revenue than she initially requested. She also agreed that a tax on short-term rentals should be split with hospitality groups rather than being used to build affordable housing, a concession that is certain to draw ire from housing advocates. The City Council has also been eyeing the short-term rental tax as a way to fund more affordable housing. Council members could not be reached for comment on the new deal Monday. But privately, council members have been raising concerns about redirecting that money, both because they argue it is needed for housing and because they worry that making infrastructure funding dependent on short-term rentals could undermine their efforts to rein in that phenomenon in New Orleans. While receiving less than she sought, Cantrell did win agreement from Convention Center officials that the hotel if constructed will give money to the city in lieu of paying property taxes. That issue has been in dispute with Erroll Williams, the assessor, saying the hotel would have to pay property taxes, and Convention Center officials saying it wouldnt. Under the agreement, the center also would have to pay money in lieu of property taxes when it develops other parcels of vacant land adjoining the proposed hotel. Cantrell won other concessions from the Convention Center. It will now have to present its budget to the City Council for discussion every year. It also will need to meet requirements for disadvantaged business enterprises for the hotel, although the RFP sent out for the development already required that. Of the $50 million in one-time dollars for the city, $28 million would come from the cash-rich Convention Center: $20 million from its reserves of $235 million and $8 million that was meant for other projects but wasnt spent. The other $22 million in one-time dollars would come from state Hazard Mitigation Grant Program money that wasnt spent after previous disasters and from a revolver loan fund in the Division of Administration from Hurricane Katrina. Of the $50 million in one-time money, $36 million would go for past-due invoices owed by the Sewerage & Water Board; the rest would pay for urgent upgrades, including making Turbine 6 available for use during cold weather to help power the agency's pumps. The specifics 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 Three bills will enact most of the particulars of the deal. House Bill 589, sponsored by state Rep. Walt Leger III, D-New Orleans, will authorize the Convention Center hotel. But center officials have yet to finalize negotiations with the hotel's proposed developers and financiers. Joe Jaeger, who was supposed to develop the hotel with developer Darryl Berger, complicated matters by pulling out of the deal 10 days ago over an unrelated dispute. House Bill 522 would increase the tax on hotel guests by 1 percentage point and raise $12 million per year. Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, is the sponsor. HB522 has passed the House Ways and Means Committee. The hotel tax increase has been pushed by the Bureau of Governmental Research, a nonpartisan New Orleans think tank that has called for rededicating some taxes away from agencies focused on issues like tourism and toward more pressing city priorities. BGR President and CEO Amy Glovinsky praised the deal Monday for including that element as well as for taking money from the Convention Centers reserves, another topic the group has frequently said needs to be addressed. Can't see video below? Click here. Passage of HB522 would require a simple majority in the House and Senate, not a two-thirds majority, as previously reported, because it would reinstate a tax known as the lost penny that previously collected by New Orleans, rather than institute a new tax. House Bill 43 would increase the tax on Airbnb and other short-term rentals by up to 6.75 percent to equalize the rate with the hotel tax rate. HB43 passed the Ways and Means Committee last week. The sponsor is Rep. Jimmy Harris, D-New Orleans. If it is approved by the Legislature, the City Council would put that measure on the October ballot, and New Orleans voters would have to approve it. The tax would raise as much as $10.5 million per year, with 75 percent of that going to infrastructure and 25 percent to marketing efforts in New Orleans. The tax would raise less if the City Council approves a measure to be offered by Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer on May 16 that would limit the availability of short-term rentals in New Orleans. The mayor has been pushing for more infrastructure dollars since last fall, and her office and Edwards' office thought they had a deal last week. But Abramson insisted that they smooth out the language first in HB589. Negotiators worked that out over the weekend in a series of 10 conference calls. For hospitality leaders, Mondays announcement ends a disagreement with Cantrell that broke into the open at times when the mayor and Perry, the industrys point person in the talks, traded words over earlier proposals by the mayor that sought to claim tax revenue that has gone for tourism marketing. At Mondays announcement, Perry tried to put those disputes behind him. He hailed Cantrell and her lead negotiator, Chief of Staff John Pourciau. Cantrell: not done yet In the end, the hospitality industry didnt give up any net tax revenue to the city, but it did accept the tax increase of 1 percentage point on hotel guests. But it also won higher taxes on Airbnb and other competitors among short-term rental companies. The hospitality industry also won approval to merge the New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corp. into New Orleans & Co., something Perry has sought. Mark Romig, the well-regarded head of the Marketing Corp., will become a senior vice president for New Orleans & Co. The merger idea has raised concerns at some council offices, in part because New Orleans & Co. is subject to fewer requirements that can guarantee transparency about its actions than the agency it is absorbing. Melvin Rodrigue, the Convention Centers board chairman, also blessed the overall deal. The $17.5 million in delayed city payments to the state would come by delaying repayments of $3.5 million per year for five years that the city owes the state for GO Zone payments. The city now will have to begin making those payments in 2026. In her statement with the governor by her side, and in comments earlier to the Ways and Means Committee, Cantrell indicated that she will want still more money for infrastructure. Im committed, as mayor, to filling the gaps, she said, adding in an interview that she still plans to seek voter approval for a stormwater management fee that would be charged on all property owners in the city. But she said she is unlikely to seek to have that vote on the October ballot. An owner of the popular Bourbon Street bar Tropical Isle says she is in mourning after a longtime employee was killed at his home over the weekend in St. Bernard Parish. A Facebook post on Monday from Pam Fortner, who owns Tropical Isle with Earl Bernhardt, identified Larry Hill as the man who was fatally shot about 8:30 p.m. Saturday in the 3600 block of Shangri-La Drive in Chalmette. The Sheriffs Office has not released the name of the victim. The agency has also not publicly discussed any possible suspects or a potential motive in the case. Fortners Facebook post said Hill is from New Jersey and joined Tropical Isles staff after moving to the city roughly three decades ago. Larry is well-known to the French Quarter and had become Earls right hand man and very important to our businesses, the post said. Larry was a gentleman and would help folks who needed help and he was jovial (and) said hi to friends up and down the streets of the French Quarter. 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 Fortner said Hills funeral would be in his New Jersey hometown and that she would release details when they were finalized. I am sad that Larry will not be around any more with his smile, said the post from Fortner, whose Tropical Isle started at the 1984 Worlds Fair in New Orleans and has added a string of related bars and music venues along Bourbon. Online public records indicate Hill would have turned 57 next month. Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward. Update, May 6, 2019: A suspect was arrested in the murder of Hill. In addition to Apple CEO Tim Cook, who will give the keynote address, Tulane University will be honoring a star-studded lineup at the school's 2019 spring graduation this month. Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet, Emmy and Tony-winning actress Blythe Danner and civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis will also receive honorary degrees during the event, officials announced Monday. These individuals embody and exemplify Tulanes values of achievement, innovation and compassion, Tulane President Mike Fitts said. They inspire us all by having attained the greatest success in their chosen fields while enriching and empowering the lives of others. Baquet has been executive editor of The New York Times since 2014. He served first as the paper's Washington bureau chief from 2007 to 2011 and then as managing editor. He also did a stint at the Los Angeles Times, where he was managing editor. A native of New Orleans and a graduate of St. Augustine High School, Baquet started his career at The Times-Picayune. He also worked for The Chicago Tribune, where he was associate metro editor for investigations. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 when he led a three-member team in documenting corruption on the Chicago City Council. He has won numerous other awards. Danner made her Broadway debut in "Cyrano de Bergerac" in 1968 and won a Theatre World Award for her performance in the 1969 production of "The Miser." She won a Tony for Best Featured Actress in "Butterflies Are Free" and garnered Emmy Awards for her performances on Huff and Will & Grace. Danner is on the boards of Environmental Advocates of New York and the Environmental Media Association. After the death of her husband, producer Bruce Paltrow, Danner founded the Bruce Paltrow Oral Cancer Fund. She and Bruce Paltrow were the parents of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and director Jake Paltrow. 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 Lewis was one of the nationally acclaimed "Big Six" leaders of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. He was also one of the original Freedom Riders who traveled on interstate buses to challenge segregation across the South. He helped spearhead the march against violence on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965, during which he was severely beaten and arrested. In 1981, he was elected to the Atlanta City Council, and in 1986 to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he has represented Georgias 5th Congressional District for the past 33 years. Lewis has received the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize, the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Tulane officials announced in February that Cook, who replaced Steve Jobs as Apple's chief executive in 2011, would be the ceremony's keynote speaker. While at the helm of Apple, Cook has overseen the introduction of innovative products and has sought to champion inclusion, officials said. He has given millions to the American Red Cross and other organizations and has become the largest corporate donor to (RED), a nonprofit that raises funds to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. He has also equipped the company's global facilities with 100 percent renewable energy and has received numerous honors, including the Newseums Free Speech Award. Tulane's graduation is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 18 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. It will feature approximately 3,000 graduates and live music by Dr. Michael White and the Original Liberty Jazz Band. Westpac has wrapped up one of the most disappointing bank profit seasons in decades, but there is no time for collective breath catching. Tuesday may herald a new challenge, if prophecies by many economists that the Reserve Bank will cut interest rates are borne out. The RBA may hold off another month or two but a near term cut is an odds on bet. Westpac chief executive officer Brian Hartzer in Sydney on Monday. Credit:AAP The latest round of bank results demonstrated that the banks own goals, which have created an enormous regulatory and remediation burden, and a consumer and business borrowers strike, have combined to weaken profits. Westpac was the last of the three banks reporting half-year results over the past week. And it had the misfortune to do so in the hours after US president Donald Trump spooked world markets with a fresh battle cry on China trade wars. Billionaire investor Alex Waislitz has backed a company using robots in an attempt to slash power bills even as its former chairman James Baillieu claimed he was ousted from the company by "secret schemes". BidEnergy, the former penny stock energy tech that became the ASXs best performer in 2018, secured the backing of Mr Waislitz despite Mr Baillieu making allegations against the companys current board and its members. Alex Waislitz has been described as the 'Warren Buffett' of Australian investment. Credit:Luis Ascui On Friday, Mr Waislitzs fund TIGA Trading took a 5.85 per cent stake in BidEnergy, making it the third largest shareholder in the company. At the close of Monday trading, the value of his investment had risen by almost 22 per cent as the company's market capitalisation topped $100 million. Mr Waislitz was approached for comment. Shares in goat milk infant formula company Bubs Australia surged 11.3 per cent on Monday, even as the wider market fell, on news it would start selling cow milk infant formula. The jump added $76.4 million to the company's value, pushing its market capitalisation to $751.6 million and more than double its level of April 17. Shares in Bubs Australia surged on Monday, despite a falling market. Credit: Shares closed at $1.475, a level four times greater than its one-year low of just 37 cents. A massive volume of shares were traded, 45.6 million, compared to a daily average of just 3.74 million. But while Bubs jumped, shares in infant formula competitor Bellamy's Organic went into reverse, falling 7 per cent to $9.72. Mining magnate and leading philanthropist Andrew Forrest has encouraged wealthy people across the Asia Pacific to donate more money to charity, rather than buying "another luxury good, or piece of land, or a yacht". Mr Forrest said the wealthy could make a greater difference and gain more satisfaction by donating funds to communities and societies in need. Philanthropists Andrew Forrest and his wife Nicola. Credit:Andrew Meares Mr Forrest, chairman and co-founder of iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group, made the comments as it was revealed that he and his wife Nicola have, over the past six months, donated a further $655 million to charitable causes around the globe including the fight against cancer. "If you have an ability to create and implement capital, then use that ability to make a huge difference for others. Because there's only so much which you need yourself. Small businesses have been told to prepare for a possible extension of super guarantee payments for workers earning less than $450 a month with the impact expected to be significant. Superannuation experts warn payment compliance will be a key issue this year and say a Labor party policy to remove the threshold at which employers have to start paying super is not well known in the business community. Small businesses may face new super payment requirements under a new government. "Its going to have a reasonably significant impact. With someone that earns $449 a month, you're talking close to a nine per cent pay increase," BDO superannuation partner Mark Wilkinson says. Labor's policy is designed to help battle the superannuation pay gap that sees men retire with significantly more savings than women. Tommy McIntosh, co-founder of catering business Tommy Collins by Atlantic Group, is cautiously welcoming Labor's new job tax cut for small business, announced on Sunday. "Everything is great on paper, but how it rolls out is another thing," Mr McIntosh said. "The idea for most businesses is they want to employ the best person for the job." Tommy McIntosh, left, and Ben Avramides of Tommy Collins. Credit:Wayne Taylor With less than $10 million in annual turnover, Tommy Collins falls within the parameters of Labor's tax cuts for businesses taking on new employees who are under 25, over 55 or carers returning to the workforce. Small businesses would claim a 30 per cent tax deduction for up to five new workers' salaries for their first year of employment, capped at $50,000 per company. The new employees would need to have been unemployed for three months or longer. Vicki Van Hout, a dancer, choreographer and writer of Wiradjuri and Dutch descent, plays with dual identities. Her personas include Ms Light Tan, a woman who wonders out loud how much people might pay for her Indigeneity. The performer auctions off dance steps. In Van Hout's latest show, crisis ensues because a Welcome to Country dancer has double-booked gigs and fails to show up to begin proceedings. The show's title includes the words "plenty serious" in lower case, to signal a tongue planted firmly in cheek, and "TALK TALK" repeated in pidgin style. Vicki Van Hout's thought-provoking works draw a mixed response from critics. Credit:Janie Barrett "I've been looking at commodification and bartering, and authenticity being tied up in how much something is worth," says the Wollongong-born Van Hout, drinking peppermint tea outside a cafe near her home in Sydney's inner-western Annandale. Several years ago, Van Hout first saw the satirical potential of itemising solemn cultural ceremony. "People go, Right, if you're going to have dances it's going to cost this much'. Some people have a job, and it's called Welcome to Country. Not that there's anything wrong with that. As Macquarie Media and Alan Jones inch towards the finale of their protracted contract negotiations, one element of Jones' history on radio has come into focus. Over the past decade, the shock jock has had more complaints upheld by the communications watchdog than any other radio presenter. Jones and his top-rating breakfast show broke the radio industry's code of practice on 12 occasions over the past 10 years, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority. The most recent finding, handed down in March, was over an August 2018 broadcast in which the 78-year-old used the N-word live on air. Jones apologised to listeners shortly after the incident and was later found to have breached standards of decency. A conservative Christian lobby group is campaigning with Muslims in Labor-held seats to "stop the godless from making sweeping changes" to religious freedoms. The Australian Christian Alliance has held two NSW rallies in federal Labor seats in the past month, joined by hundreds of Muslim supporters. It plans to hold another rally in the seat of Fowler before the May 18 election. Australian Christian Alliance rally in Sydney in May. The alliance's founder, Vic Meli, said the group's members were all Christian but they "worked with and welcomed Muslims and Buddhists and anyone with a common adversity". "We are determined to stop senior people in Labor who are godless from making sweeping changes to our rights," said Mr Meli, whose group was formed during the same sex plebiscite. "You could say we have joined forces and are working with all faiths." My children will tell you how I hectored them the year before they turned 18. Enrol to vote. This is the most important thing you will ever do. A couple of years ago, I gave the same mum chat to a class of 1100 students. If there is a word to describe so many young people collectively rolling their eyes, please let me know. Heres the thing. Voting is sacred, such a valuable act, by the people, for the people, yet far too many of us are throwing away our vote by voting early. According to the folks at the Australian Electoral Commission, our pre-poll voting is at record highs. Well over half a million people have already voted at booths across the country and thats nearly double the number of those who pre-polled at the same stage for the 2016 election. People casting their ballots at a central Sydney voting centre on the first day of prepoll voting for the federal election. Credit:AAP Some of those early votes may as well be in the bin, at least in terms of first preferences. Over 3000 people had already cast their votes in the seat of Melbourne by close of business last Friday. Say, one-third of those would have put No. 1 against the name of Luke Creasey, Labor's then candidate for that seat, who withdrew late on Friday after his previous misogyny and bigotry came to light. His votes will go to second preferences; how many of his voters gave much thought when they filled out their ballots to their second choice? 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." Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt spent $750,000 on staff travel in 18 months, including $108,000 in a year on an adviser subject to bullying claims who said she has a "special relationship" with the senior frontbencher. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday dug in behind his minister, who is battling to retain his marginal West Australian seat of Hasluck, after The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age published damaging testimony of staff who accused the minister of having "enabled" his senior adviser, Paula Gelo, to create a toxic work environment by bullying and intimidating others. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is standing by his Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt who is facing allegations his office was a toxic workplace. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The bullying inquiry was ordered by the office of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull but its findings slipped through the cracks after the leadership change. Mr Wyatt has refused to release the report or say what changes he has made in his office as a result of the review. Mr Turnbull's successor, Scott Morrison, who has had to fend off accusations of bullying within his party, defended Mr Wyatt's handling of the matter saying the matter was resolved "by the normal administrative process". Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen has questioned government approval of Brookfield's $4.4 billion foreign takeover of Australia's largest private hospital operator, Healthscope, over the Canadian investment giant's use of the controversial Cayman Islands tax haven. In a move that could signal tougher scrutiny of offshore takeover bids under a Labor government, Mr Bowen wrote to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Monday asking if the Foreign Investment Review Board's approval of the deal in March included appropriate consideration of tax, transparency and competition issues. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and shadow treasurer Chris Bowen had a debate at the National Press Club on Monday. Credit:AAP Brookfield, like many local and multi-national companies, uses tax havens such as the Caymans to legally minimise the amount of tax it pays in Australia. Mr Bowen in his letter claims neither Brookfield nor its parent entity in the Cayman Islands paid company tax in Australia based on "publicly available corporate tax transparency data". The amount of tax large foreign companies pay in local jurisdictions has become a major political issue with US tech companies such as Google and Facebook forced to defend their tax minimisation practices. Investment companies such as Brookfield have attracted less scrutiny but Mr Bowen's letter suggests a Labor government could take a more interventionist approach over tax across other industries. One Nation has issued split preference tickets in a string of key marginal seats through Queensland and Western Australia that could turn the result of the federal election. How-to-vote cards for One Nation candidates in a series of electorates where preferences will be crucial show it has delivered the ALP an electoral lifeline. Prime Minister Scott Morrison ruled out a preference deal with One Nation following revelations the far-right party had sought foreign donations in a bid to water down the nation's gun laws. How-to-vote cards for One Nation candidates in some key marginal seats have split preferences between the Labor and Liberal parties Credit:AAP But the National Party has vowed to do deals with One Nation, with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack saying his party's views were "more aligned" with One Nation than the Greens or Labor. In the adjoining electorate of Hinkler, further north, One Nation's primary vote in 2016 was 19.2 per cent - second only to Wright, around the Gold Coast hinterland, with 20.9 per cent. Hinkler is also the poorest seat in the country. It has the nation's lowest median household income, $947 a week, about 40 per cent of highest-earning electorate, Sydney's Warringah. For the record, crime in Gympie is not dramatically higher than it was in the early 2000s. Queensland Police statistics show offences have climbed from an average of about 2500 to 3000 a year over that period. Pauline Hanson's billboards scatter the Bruce Highway in Central Queensland. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Queensland, Hanson's home state, has always been One Nation's heartland. And yet it goes into this election in incredibly poor form: rocked by bad polls, embarrassed by candidate scandals and overshadowed by the big-spending minor party juggernaut of Clive Palmer. Keith Pitt, the LNP MP for Hinkler, believes Hanson's vote will collapse on May 18 - not just because of the party's own goals, but because of economic improvements in the area. Unemployment is down and youth unemployment is back under 20 per cent from horrific highs of almost 28 per cent. A federal government "regional deal" for Bundaberg and the Hervey Bay region is under way, as is - controversially - a cashless debit card trial for social security recipients. Hinkler MP Keith Pitt believes One Nation will expire as a political force without Pauline Hanson. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Pitt admits regional voters often feel overlooked by the major parties and many genuinely like Hanson, but he says One Nation's appeal has a time limit. "When she retires, I think their brand will diminish substantially. I think it's unlikely that One Nation will get a Senate spot [at this election] and I'm hopeful that's the case." Last week Pitt took issue with his own leader, Michael McCormack, over the suggestion One Nation's policy interests were closely aligned with the Nationals. Pitt says he doesn't like Hanson's policies or her politics. And yet, he is putting One Nation above Labor on his how-to-vote cards - a decision he says was about appeasing local party members. One Nation candidates can be difficult to pin down. In Hinkler, Damian Huxham refused an interview but asked for questions to be emailed to him. He then dismissed the questions as irrelevant to Hinkler and refused to answer them. At a pre-poll booth in Bundaberg, a One Nation volunteer, Max, was very happy to talk. But then he received a phone call from another volunteer standing just metres away, who told him not to speak to journalists. "We might say the wrong thing," Max sighed. Hanson also declined an interview. Her right-hand-man James Ashby explained she is sick of negative press coverage and has decided to only deal with trusted journalists. Besides, she can reach an audience of a million people through her own Facebook page, Ashby said. "I cop all this shit and I'm sick of it": One Nation leader Pauline Hanson on A Current Affair. Credit:Nine On Facebook, Malcolm Roberts - the party's number one Senate candidate in Queensland - rails against "the lame stream media" and "fake news". He also defends axed Senate candidate Steve Dickson - not only over his strip club hijinks but over his trip with Ashby to meet representatives of the US gun lobby. It is difficult to gauge how those scandals will affect One Nation's vote. A News Corp poll suggested the party's vote had halved, with those voters appearing to flock to Clive Palmer. Monday's Ipsos poll for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age put One Nation's primary vote on 5 per cent and Mr Palmer's on 3 per cent. But many voters remain loyal to Hanson. One Nation voter Karen Lindsay, in Bundaberg, says Pauline Hanson says what everyone is thinking. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer In Bundaberg, nurse Karen Lindsay describes herself as a "very strong" Hanson supporter because "she says what everyone else is thinking but isn't game enough to say". It's almost a carbon copy of Hanson's own signage up and down the Bruce Highway, which proclaims: "I've got the guts to say what you're thinking." Ina Wagner, 57, shows off her Australia tattoo. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Lindsay's good opinion of One Nation was unchanged by any of Dickson's exploits. "It didn't concern me too much because everyone's human and if you're a known person they put you under the microscope a lot more," she says. She feels people often try to "bait" Hanson. The One Nation leader fosters this victim complex masterfully, including in her teary A Current Affair appearance last week when she lamented: "I cop shit all the time and I'm sick of it." Roberts labelled interviewer Tracy Grimshaw "rude". But Hanson saw fit to promote the video on her Facebook page, alongside the caption: "I'm sorry for getting so emotional." Its been a busy three years since Paul Sergeant stepped down from his role leading the then-named Etihad Stadium, striking out with a number of former colleagues under his own Paul Sergeant Events business running stadium events internationally. But the business is no longer, after entering voluntary liquidation in late March, owing more than $1.3 million to creditors including a slew of former colleagues, player agents and some of the AFLs biggest names. While he might have been outside Etihads retractable tent for almost four years, a glance at the creditors list shows the connections at the Docklands stadium (the House of Mouse, AKA Marvel) run deep. Of the 14 creditors, the biggest is major stadium manager PMY Group, headed by former high profile player agent Paul Yeomans, and staffed by AFL greats including Nick Riewoldt and Matthew Pavlich. Also on the team? Sergeants former colleague and former Etihad Stadium CFO Chris Charleson who is now doing the same role at PMY. Rupert Murdoch's The Daily Telegraph has launched an appeal against a judgment awarding actor Geoffrey Rush $850,000 in damages for defamation, as the Sydney newspaper braces for a second damages bill for millions of dollars in financial loss. Nationwide News, the publisher of the Telegraph, filed a notice of appeal in the Federal Court on May 1. Geoffrey Rush and his wife Jane Menelaus leave the Federal Court in Sydney after his defamation win. Credit:James Brickwood The publisher says the trial miscarried because the conduct of the proceedings by Federal Court Justice Michael Wigney "gave rise to an apprehension of bias". It does not accuse Justice Wigney of actual bias, but says the way he conducted the hearings created an appearance that he was biased. Charmain Williams of Forster likes the idea of the "Politeness Manual" distributed on the Paris Metro (C8): "If only we were as civilised as the French. Here, a 'quiet carriage' immediately attracts, like a magnet: crying children, groups of teens who talk loudly or have head-phones emitting sounds like rats chewing on aluminium foil, or mobile phones ringing. You are considered a nark if you request some shush. Passengers choose these carriages for peace and quiet to read or relax. Viva La France!" "With elections looming I've decided the 'democracy sausage' dates as far back as Federation," thinks George Manojlovic of Mangerton. "In 1893 a political meeting was held in the delightful border town of Corowa to discuss a proposed federation of the Australian colonies. Corowa's main drag is Sanger Street." And while we're on the hustings, Glynn Stiller of Bowral says: "With the amount of election fatigue (C8) I am feeling, I agree more and more with Billy Connolly when he said that the desire to be a politician should automatically debar a person from that high office." George Zivkovic of Northmead notes that "a horse at Oaklawn, Arkansas, named Tiddly, had a win during the week. Should be bred with Winx and the foal would be named ... say it with me ... Tiddly Winx!" All jokes aside, it might not be a bad idea. Granny had a look at Tiddly's bloodlines and observed that he's related to the mighty Secretariat. A problem could arise, however, if the My Little Pony character Tiddlywink has registered her name. Some worthy recognition from Allan Gibson of Cherrybrook: "In case it didn't show on your smart phone calendar, Saturday May 4 was St Florian's Day and International Firefighters' Day. What's the connection? Florian is the Patron Saint of Firefighters, arising from his legendary effort in saving an entire village engulfed in flames using just a single bucket of water! Apart from firefighters the good Saint protects chimney sweeps and soap makers. Thanks to our firefighters." A retired pensioner charged with a number of bank heists from over 40 years ago will appear again in court on Tuesday, after police laid an additional charge in relation to the historical robberies. Ross Oliver McCarty, from Edgecliff in Sydney's inner east, was first arrested in December last year following a police investigation into a series of Sydney bank robberies in the late 1970s. The man was first arrested in Edgecliff on December 20, 2018. Credit:Police Media The 69-year-old is alleged to have handed threatening notes to bank tellers before stealing cash at eight banks across the CBD and Chatswood between June 1977 and March 1978. Police will on Tuesday allege at Central Local Court that Mr McCarty robbed another bank, on the corner of George and Liverpool streets, in Sydney on May 12, 1977. A father grabbed his baby from his Mercedes-Benz before a gun-wielding robber stole the car overnight. Police said the carjacker had crashed another car in Ascot earlier in the evening before threatening a man at gunpoint to hand over his keys in nearby Yabba Street. The carjacker has a tattoo across his throat, two black circle earrings, a partially-shaved head and a rats tail. Credit:Queensland Police Service That man refused, saying he didn't have his keys on him. The gunman then threatened a second man on nearby Kitchener Road about 7.40pm. Traffic has eased after more than 30 kilometres of delays cruelled long weekend holidaymakers' hopes of an easy return to Brisbane. A south-facing traffic camera shows the Bruce Highway congestion through Beerburrum earlier on Monday. Credit:Department of Transport and Main Roads After extensive congestion, the Bruce Highway heading back from the Sunshine Coast was delay free by 5.45pm. Fifteen minutes later, the M1 had improved dramatically but was still heavy from the NSW border north to Elanora on the Gold Coast. Earlier, the Bruce Highway and M1 were clogged with more than 30 kilometres of congestion on Monday afternoon as long weekend escapees headed back towards Brisbane. A serious outbreak of influenza could easily overwhelm our health system, a leading disaster management and emergency medicine expert has warned. Ahead of a major international conference of disaster medicine experts in Brisbane this week, Queensland University of Technology public health expert Professor Gerard Fitzgerald said the possibility of a pandemic kept him up at night. An expert has warned of the risk a flu outbreak could pose to emergency departments. Credit:SHUTTERSTOCK But he warned it would not take a full-scale disease disaster to stretch hospitals to breaking point. We have a pretty good health system. Especially compared to other parts of the world its pretty good, Dr Fitzgerald said. A sea of colour and a wall of noise stretched through Brisbane's CBD on Monday as what was supposedly the largest Labour Day parade in the city's history marched through its heart. An estimated 40,000 people from more than 30 organisations created a swarm of vibrant flags, banners and placards, which ended with battle cries at the RNA Showgrounds. Brisbane's largest-ever Labour Day march as 40,000 people pound the city streets. Credit:Toby Crockford Young and old, with their pets, flooded the city streets armed with anti-LNP and pro-union chants, fuelled by sound systems attached to trucks and hand-held megaphones. A mixture of bagpipes, drums and bands sent a chorus of music echoing off the office buildings, including a rash of Beatles songs and The Proclaimers' I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles). Warning: This story contains images that may distress some readers. An anonymous couple have come up with a $25,000 reward for the return of a mobile phone full of irreplaceable photos of a little girl who died days after it was stolen. Grieving parents Jay and Dee Windross, from Boronia, launched a public appeal after the Samsung Galaxy X was snatched from the toilets at Chadstone Shopping Centre on the Easter long weekend. Days later their 11-month-old daughter Amiyah died at Monash Children's Hospital from a neurological condition she had been battling since birth. Dozens of state government IT workers will lose their jobs under a push to adopt new technologies that require fewer employees. About 140 jobs in the Cenitex agency will be slashed or reduced as part of a restructure that began last year. The union representing the affected workers has slammed the move, saying valuable IT expertise will be lost because of the changes. Cenitex provides computer services to other government departments, including IT networking, security and cloud services. Police last night escorted the Vice-chancellor of Melbourne University (Dr. D. Derham) past 200 demonstrating students who had barricaded him in the university administration building for more than seven hours. First published in The Age on May 8, 1974 The police removed a concrete and wooden barrier from the front of the building before they released Dr. Derham. He was taken to a police car and driven from the campus. The barricading began when a group of about 15 students, mainly women, took chairs from the nearby Union buildings and stacked them against the glass door of the administration building. This was organised after Dr. Derham refused to see a delegation of five students led by Mr. Harry van Moorst. The delegation wanted to discuss day-care facilities for students with children. Melbourne could have trains and trams running at least every 10 minutes on every line seven days a week for a fraction of the cost of the North East Link. Transport at that frequency would cost $2.1 billion over a decade, one eighth of the price to build Andrews government's signature toll road project. The independent analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office has been released just three weeks ahead of the state budget. Before the 2018 state election the Greens promised to run 10-minute train and tram services from 6am to 9pm, seven days a week, a policy not matched by the Andrews government or the opposition. An annual estimate of $214 million includes the cost of more drivers and maintenance staff, comprising $173 million for trains and $41 million for trams annually. WA mining magnate Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest and wife Nicola on Monday made the largest living donation by any philanthropist in Australian history, announcing a contribution of $655 million to their Minderoo Foundation. The donation brings the couple's total givings to the charity to $1.5 billion, and will go towards causes such as stopping plastic entering the oceans, eliminating modern slavery, fighting cancer, and - closer to home - helping with early childhood development in regional WA. Philanthropists Andrew and Nicola Forrest. Credit:Andrew Meares Asked what motivates them to donate so much of their earnings to charitable causes, Ms Forrest said she believed as country people, it was "part of their DNA" to help where they could. "We both grew up in the country, and we both grew up where communities pulled together when there was any hardship," she said. It is one of the citys most magnificent river red gums at least 300 years old, the height of a seven-storey building and pre-dating white settlement of Victoria. Soon, it may be cut down to make way for the North East Link toll road. The magnificent river red gum stands proud in front of a Caltex service station in Bulleen. Credit:Joe Armao And yet the tree growing for more than a century before Melbourne was even settled in 1835 hardly stands amid pristine, untouched nature: it is at the entrance to a Caltex service station on one of Bulleen's busiest roads. This tree is a survivor in an industrial wasteland, said Felicity Watson from the National Trust, which has nominated the tree among 10 finalists vying for its 2019 Victorian tree of the year. By Moon Of Alabama May 06, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - 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: Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter 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. This article was originally published by " Moon Of Alabama " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy Denpasar: The owners of the former Sari Club site and the Bali Peace Park association have struck a $4.9 million deal to build a memorial to the people murdered in the 2002 terror attacks. Association chairman David Napoli flew in from Perth to meet Lila Tania, a representative of the site owner, in Denpasar on Monday. The Sari Club site in Kuta. Credit:Amilia Rosa Made Badra, the head of Badung tourism office, confirmed on Monday that a deal had been done that set the price of the land at about 7 billion rupiah per 100 square metres, or about $700,000. That means the total price will be about $4.9 million for the 700 square metre site. Alegiers: Much of the capital is boiling over with stifled anger at 20 years of police-state repression. But the Casbah, in the heart of Algiers, is strangely quiet, the ancient stone alleys empty in the glare of the sun. The Casbah district of Algiers. A plan to restore the Ottoman-era district offended some for inviting help from the French, former colonisers. But the famed warren continues to decay. Credit:The New York Times There is no need for demonstrations in the historic district to underscore the dead hand of the state. It is evident all around. Ruins punctuate the beguiling maze of whitewashed buildings that cascade down the slope to the Mediterranean, where Renoir said he had "discovered whiteness," and Guy de Maupassant found a "city of snow under dazzling light." Even before revolution convulsed Algeria this year, a new plan to save the Casbah from its creeping decline was in trouble, offending some for its invitation to the French, the former colonisers, for help in saving the Ottoman-era district. Washington: Congressional Democrats moved closer on Monday to citing Attorney-General William Barr for contempt of Congress over his failure to hand over an unredacted version of the Mueller report, escalating a showdown with the White House. The Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee issued a report citing Barr, an appointee of President Donald Trump, for contempt of Congress after the expiration at 9am local time (11pm AEST) of a second deadline to produce the full report. Barr missed an initial deadline last week from the committee, which wants to see the entire report from special counsel Robert Mueller on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. "Attorney-General Barr failed to comply with the committee's request for these documents and thereby has hindered the committee's constitutional, oversight and legislative functions," the committee's contempt report said. But the timing of the Lavrov-Arreaza meeting is, if not surprising, at least conspicuous. Guaido declared himself interim president of Venezuela in January and is recognised as the country's legitimate leader by several nations, including the United States. 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. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza shake hands after their joint news conference following the talks in Moscow. Credit:AP 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. US President Donald Trump. Credit:AP "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." "On Venezuela, Tucker Airs Anti-Trump Ideas While Maddow Wants John Bolton To Be More Hawkish" By Caitlin Johnstone May 06, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - Rachel Maddow doesnt think John Bolton is being hawkish enough. John. Fucking. Bolton. On a recent segment about Donald Trumps controversial phone call with Vladimir Putin, Maddow expressed concern for the way the White Houses mustachioed Thanos wannabe has been unable to push back against Russian interests in Venezuela with sufficient aggression. She discussed Trumps nonsensical claim that Russia isnt active in the affairs of its ally Venezuela (which propaganda mouthpieces like Maddow are calling interfering now), then went on a rambling tirade about how this impedes Boltons bloodthirsty instincts as though thats a bad thing. Hey, John Bolton, hey, Mike Pompeo, are you guys enjoying your jobs right now? Maddow asked. You each thought your job this week was to name and shame and threaten and counter Russian government involvement in Venezuela while sabre-rattling about how everyone better get out of the way because the US is really mad about it. Guys, turns out your actual job is figuring out why you work for a president who says whatever Vladimir Putin tells him. I mean, just to be clear here, how do you come to work anymore if youre John Bolton? Regardless of what you thought of John Bolton before this, and his whole career and his track record, Maddow continued, waving her hand dismissively as if to suggest that John Boltons murderous track record is somehow irrelevant or unimportant. Just think of John Bolton as a human being. This is what John Bolton, human being, thought his job was this week. (I should interrupt my transcribing here to note that under no circumstances should anyone ever think of John We know where your kids live Bolton as a human being. No good can come of it.) I mean John Bolton, God bless you, Maddow continued after running a clip of Boltons previous hawkish rhetoric toward Russia and Venezuela. Good luck delicately and carefully shaving around that impressive mustache when you have to look at yourself in the mirror in coming days, Mister National Security Advisor. I mean, this is who youre working for. You thought your job was to push Russia back because of what theyre doing in Venezuela. The president spent an hour on the phone with Vladimir Putin today; Putin told him hes not in Venezuela, so now the new position of the US government is that Putins not in Venezuela. Whats your job? Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter Thats right, the host of MSNBCs top show dedicated a segment to hang-wringing over the notion that John Bolton wants to escalate tensions with Russia and Venezuela worse than they already are, but Trump wont let him and it makes him sad. Rachel Maddow opposed the Iraq invasion, which John Bolton played a fundamental role in manufacturing support for. She was elevated on MSNBC by Keith Olbermann, who himself made his name railing against the warmongering insanity of the Bush administration and is himself now just as much of a demented McCarthyite Russia hawk as Maddow. Its actually amazing how many journalists and pundits secured left-wing credibility by opposing the Iraq war, then spent the rest of their careers leveraging that left-wing credibility to circulate the exact same toxic imperialist mind viruses which led to the Iraq war. The Guardians George Monbiot for example once attempted to make a citizens arrest of John Bolton for war crimes committed during the Iraq invasion; now he spends his time circulating war propaganda about Syria and Russia. The Intercepts Mehdi Hasan often writes angrily about the Iraq invasion to this day, and youll see him using that fact to justify the way he always scrambles to condemn whatever world leader the US war machine happens to have in its crosshairs, including Maduro and Assad. Contrast Maddows Trump is making John Bolton act too nice monologue with a recent segment on Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight, conducted in the aftermath of last weeks attempt at a military coup by opposition leader Juan Guaido. Journalist Anya Parampil appeared on the show and delivered a scathing criticism of the Trump administrations heinous actions in Venezuela based on her findings during her recent visit to that country. She was allowed to speak uninhibited and without attack, even bringing up the Center for Economic and Policy Research study which found Trump administration sanctions responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 Venezuelans, a story that has gone completely ignored by western mainstream media. Carlson introduced the interview with a clip from an earlier talk hed had with Florida Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, who supports direct military action to overthrow Maduro and whose arguments Carlson had attacked on the basis that it would cost American lives and cause a refugee crisis. Parampil said the media is lying about whats happening in Venezuela and compared Guaidos coup attempt to a scenario in which Hillary Clinton had refused to cede the election, banded together 24 US soldiers and attempted to take the White House by force. I was there for a month earlier this year, Parampil said. The opposition has no popular support. Juan Guaido proved today, once again, that he will only ride in to power on the back of a US tank. And whats more, we hear about a humanitarian crisis there, Tucker, but what we never hear is that is the intended result of US sanctions that have targeted Venezuelans since 2015, sanctions which according to a report that was released just last week by the Center for Economic and Policy Research has led to the deaths of 40,000 Venezuelans, and will lead to the death of thousands more if these sanctions arent overturned. President Trump, if he truly cared for the Venezuelan people, and the American people for that matter, he would end this disastrous policy. He would end the sanctions, and he would look into John Boltons eyes, into Elliott Abrams eyes, into Mike Pompeos eyes, and say you are fired. You are leading me down a disastrous path, another war for oil. Something the president saidhe was celebrated by the American people when he said Iraq was a mistake, and now hes willing to do it again. I believe in an open debate, Carlson responded. And Im not sure I agree with everything youve said, but Im glad that you could say it here. And you were just there, and I dont think youd be allowed on any other show to say that. No I certainly dont, Parampil replied. And I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity, because President Trump promised to drain the swamp, and he flooded his national security team with that exact swamp. Well I agree with that actually, said Carlson, who had a heated exchange with Bolton last year immediately before his appointment as National Security Advisor. Some people are going to twist this article into Hurr, Caitlin loves Tucker Carlson!, and theres ultimately nothing I can do about that because this is the internet and people are morons. But for the record my point here is not that Tucker Carlson is awesome, its that its outrageous that in order to hear dissident views about Venezuela on American mainstream media, you have to turn on Tucker fucking Carlson. Unlike Rachel Maddow, Carlson was wrong about the Iraq invasion and supported it up until 2004. He plays into Americas idiotic culture wars, frequently on the more idiotic side of each issue, and hes said hawkish things about Venezuela in the past. Its absolutely horrifying that this is the closest thing that America has to a platform for sanity in the mainstream media. Americas political landscape has restructured itself so much and the need to propagandize the masses has grown so severe that the liberal pundits are attacking the foreign policy of a widely reviled president for being insufficiently hawkish, and the only pundit with a foot anywhere near the brake pedal works on the news media network which was most aggressive in selling the American public on the Iraq invasion. Trumps ostensible opposition are not just letting his worst foreign policy impulses run unchecked, but are actually egging him on, and the only ones asking meaningful questions about it are the leftists and antiwar voices who are aggressively silenced, and Tucker motherfucking Carlson. This is insane, and it needs to end. Caitlin's articles are entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking her on Facebook, following her antics on Twitter, checking out her podcast, throwing some money into her hat on Patreon or Paypal, or buying her book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. https://caitlinjohnstone.com Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy Another area of positive emotions being explored is a set of traits known as mature defenses. First identified in Harvards longstanding studies of adult life and behavior, these traits are not displayed by everyone and can vary over a lifespan. They include altruism, future-mindedness, humor and the ability to delay gratification. The study found that mature defenses are closely linked with joy, high income and living to a vigorous old age. The Harvard study also has demonstrated how good relationships with others protect your brain. In addition to positively affecting physical and emotional health, good relationships have the power to sharpen your memory. People who are in relationships where they feel they can count on their partner in times of need have demonstrated a sharper, longer-lasting ability to remember things. All the same, those who were in a relationship where they felt they could not count on their partner experienced memory decline. February 25, 1927 - April 29, 2019 Charles Joseph Carson, Sr., 92, died peacefully Monday, April 29, 2019 after a brief admittance to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, College Station. A memorial graveside service will be at 1:30 pm, Monday, May 6, 2019, at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas. Cremation services are in the care of Callaway-Jones Funeral and Cremation Centers, Bryan-College Station. Charles was born in Moundsville, West Virginia, February 25, 1927 to his parents, William and Mary Carson. He served in the U.S. Army following W.W.II as a finance clerk rising to Corporal. Moving to Dallas in 1962, he attended Metropolitan Technical Institute, the first major business school in Dallas. He was subsequently employed by Taylor Publishing Co. as an Account Executive. A later interest in clock and watch repair led to establishing Carson Watch Service of Dallas. He was a life-long reader and avid Bible student. While a resident of Waldenbrooke Estates, in Bryan he faithfully taught a Bible Study/Sunday School class. He and his wife, Aleta, were members of First Baptist Church of Bryan as well as the First Church of the Nazarene in Dallas. Rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel, in Gaza, on May 5, 2019. (Reuters/Mohammed Salem) 2020 Democrat Contenders Silent on Gaza Attacks Of the leading 2020 Democratic candidates, not one of them posted on Twitter about the barrage of nearly 700 rockets fired by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad from the Gaza Strip against Israel, a review of their accounts shows. A ceasefire on May 6 was agreed upon after two days of rocket blasts and air-raid sirens. The dawn deal restored relative calm after the barrage that marked the most serious outbreak of violence between Palestinian terrorists and Israel for months. Four Israelis were killed amid the onslaught. Hamas has been designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since 1997, according to the State Department. It is an Iranian-backed Palestinian terrorist organization that seeks the destruction of Israel, according to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Hamas controls the Gaza strip where they launch their attacks against Israel. As the rockets were unleashed over the weekend, all the major Democratic candidates remained silent on the situation. The Epoch Times reviewed the Twitter profiles of the leading 2020 candidates based on an average of polling data aggregated by Real Clear Politics, including former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, and more. Former New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat, first brought up the absence of comments. In a post on Twitter, he lambasted the field of Democratic contenders, saying they should feel ashamed for their silence. After more than FIVE HUNDRED rockets were fired by Hamas terrorists at Israel, KILLING 4, not a single Democratic candidate for president has issued a statement or said a word on it, he said on May 5. Shame on @thedemocrats! The whole lot of them! After more than FIVE HUNDRED rockets were fired by Hamas terrorists at Israel, KILLING 4, not a single Democratic candidate for president has issued a statement or said a word on it. Shame on @thedemocrats! The whole lot of them! pic.twitter.com/Rn9r1k0AM3 Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) May 5, 2019 Breitbart reported that none of the more than 20 candidates had mentioned the Gaza attacks. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump and his administration provided a stark contrast to the Democrats in their rhetoric. On May 5, the president offered full support to Israel and their military defense actions. 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, he wrote on Twitter. He also made a plea to the people of Gaza, warning that the terrorists continued attacks against Israel will bring nothing but suffering. To the Gazan peoplethese terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. END the violence and work towards peace it can happen! he said in a subsequent post. The Hamas terrorist group seized control of Gaza in 2007, two years after Israel pulled its troops and settlers out of the small Palestinian coastal enclave. Since then, the two sides have waged three wars and engaged in repeated tit-for-tat barrages. Between the period of May to November 2018, Palestinian terrorists fired some 1,100 rockets and missiles from Gaza into Israel, according to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The United States has said it 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. 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. Reuters contributed to this report. 22-Year-Old New York Woman Falls Five Stories After Taking Photos With Friends, Reports Say A 22-year-old New York woman is in critical condition after plunging five stories from a rooftop at her apartment building while she was taking photos with friends, said police. Reilly Hamilton fell from the roof of her building on E. 25th St. near Third Avenue in Manhattan at around 8 p.m. local time, said the New York City Police Department. According to the New York Daily News, she landed in an outdoor space near her apartment complex. I heard a massive crash and then I heard screaming from the top of the building, said neighbor Dayo Adebanjo, 22. Reilly Hamilton, 22, plunged from the roof of her Kips Bay apartment building, landing in a cramped courtyard, officials said. Posted by New York Daily News on Sunday, May 5, 2019 She added: I kind of thought that someone fell but I was like, No way. After the crash, there was a period of silence before several women came running down, Adebanjo told the Daily News. Reilly, oh my God, oh my God, Reilly, Reilly, is she dead? Is she dead? she recalled the women saying. When she peered out her window, Adebanjo saw Hamilton stricken on the ground in a small space between her building and the one next door, the Daily News reported. She reportedly tumbled five stories, hit the AC unit and landed in the trash area. Posted by New York Post on Sunday, May 5, 2019 It was really, really obviously horrible to witness, she told the paper. I heard her crying as her friends screamed that she was going to be okay. The woman was conscious as her friends moved her, Adebanjo recalled. Hamilton was rushed to Bellevue Hospital with a fractured pelvis, broken right ankle, and broken right arm, it was reported. She was in critical but stable condition as of May 5. Another neighbor told the New York Post that Hamilton was taking pictures when she fell. Apparently she hit the AC unit and landed in the trash area, which is like, horrendous, the person told the outlet. Horrible. Im just completely shocked. Paramedics had to carry the woman through a neighbors apartment to get her out, the Post reported. The neighbor said Hamilton and her roommates liked to party and had access to the roof. They actually made a lot of noise up there. We were always telling them, Please keep it down, keep it down. They threw a lot of parties, the person told the newspaper. Another resident said they were partying when she fell. The place is one nonstop party, the man told the Post. Its a bunch of recent college grads who basically transplanted their sorority up here and kept the party going. He added: One [party] had been going all weekend longjust loud music, loud voices, all day and all night. Id hear it every time I walked out of my apartment. Hamilton, who is originally from West Virginia, is a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority and graduated from the University of Kentucky last year. I went upstairs because I know these girls. It was just a bunch of girls in the roomall were cryingand a bunch of cops, another neighbor told the Post. Theyve lived here for seven months already. They moved in at like the end of the summer. Its horrible. She was expected to graduate in May. Posted by New York Post on Monday, April 15, 2019 Several weeks ago, Fordham University senior Sydney Monfries, 22, dropped 40 feet to her death inside the Bronx campus Keating Hall tower. Its like a senior thing to go on the most popular building on campus, said Priscilla Morales, a psychology student, told the New York Times of climbing the tower. Recently people heard the door was open or found a passageway. They usually go late at night at around 1 or 2 a.m. to drink and see the view. In the United States this year, several people have died while taking selfies, including an Israeli teen who plunged about 600 feet Yosemite National Park in April. 3-Year-Old Girl Dies After Being Left in Locked Burning Car on New York Streets A 3-year-old girl has died after being left in a locked burning car on the streets of New York, according to reports that claim the doors were chained shut. Zoey Pereira, who lived in Queens, was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital, the police said, according to The New York Times. Her father had fled the scene in flames, dousing himself in a nearby pond where first responders found him, pulled him out, and and took him to hospital under police custody as a person of interest. The girl was pulled from the burning Audi Quattro on May 5 around 9 p.m. at an intersection near JFK airport, and rushed to Jamaica Hospital where she was pronounced dead, according to reports. A 3-year-old girl died in a Queens car fire. Cops are questioning a person of interest. Posted by New York Daily News on Sunday, May 5, 2019 Officials had been called to a car stopped in the middle of Baisley Boulevard, at the intersection with 155th Street, according to the New York Post. They found the car burning, with the windows shut, and saw one gas canister in the street and another on the back seat, according to sources cited by the Post. According to both the Post and Pix11, sources said that the back doors of the cars were chained shut. Chains were also found in car, according to an ABC7 report, which said that the role of these chains was unclear. The heat from the fire had melted the handle and released the latch, allowing firefighters to open the door and pull the girl out. Police say a child is dead after being found in a burning car in Queens and law enforcement sources say her father is in custody. Posted by NBC New York on Sunday, May 5, 2019 I heard a boom, like something explode. When I came out, I saw smoke, said Lisa Silvera, 50, a witness, told the NY Daily News. Another eyewitness said she saw a man running from the scene engulfed in flames, who ran to a nearby pond to put out the fire, before first-responders found him. He was on a stretcher, hes burned, Silvera told the Post. He looked white. So burned. With a mask on his face. A young girl died after a vehicle caught fire in Queens, New York, just north of JFK airport https://t.co/OCC1t7Xb5P The New York Times (@nytimes) May 6, 2019 Law enforcement sources said the man and the girls mother were engaged in a custody dispute over the girl, according to the Daily News. The source said they do not live together and have a limited history of domestic violence. According to the Post, the man sustained second- and third-degree burns and was reportedly in a stable condition the following morning. By John W. Whitehead Sexual predation by police officers happens far more often than people in the business are willing to admit.Former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper May 06, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - How could this be happening right under our noses? Thats what readers wanted to know after my column went viral about the extent to which young children are being bought and sold for sex in America. Where are the police when these childrensome as young as 9 years oldare being raped repeatedly? For that matter, what is the Trump Administration doing about the fact that adults purchase children for sex at least 2.5 million times a year in suburbs, cities and towns across this nation? Ill tell you what the government is doing: little to nothing. While Americas children are being menaced by sexual predators, the Trump Administration and its congressional cohorts continue to wage endless wars, run up the national debt, and distract the populace with vitriol and kabuki political theater. The police are not much better. In too many instances, the cops are worse. Indeed, while there are certainly many good cops in this countryand Ive had the honor of working with a number of themthe bad cops have become symptomatic of a criminal justice system that is deeply rotten through and through. We can no longer count on police to save us from the worst in our society. In many cases, rather than being part of the solution, Americas police forcesriddled with corruption, brutality, sexual misconduct and drug abusehave largely become part of the problem. As the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, Hundreds of police officers across the country have turned from protectors to predators, using the power of their badge to extort sex. Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter Lets start with sex trafficking. In a number of cases, victims of sex trafficking report that police are among those buying young girls and women for sex. In other words, as a recent study by the State Commission on the Status of Women and Arizona State University makes clear, victims are being exploited by the very people who are supposed to protect them: police officers. In New York, seven NYPD copsthree sergeants, two detectives and two officerswere accused of running brothels that sold 15-minute sexual encounters, raking in more than $2 million over the course of 13 months. Two of the cops, brothers, were charged with holding a bachelor party at one of the brothels where they got the place for nothing and they used the prostitutes. In California, a police sergeanta 16-year veteran of the police forcewas arrested for raping a 16-year-old girl who was being held captive and sold for sex in a home in an upscale neighborhood. A week-long sting in Florida ended with 277 arrests of individuals accused of sex trafficking, including doctors, pharmacists and police officers. Sex trafficking victims in Hawaii described cops asking for sexual favors to more coercive situations like I'll let you go if you do X, Y, or Z for me. One study found that over 14 percent of sex workers said that they had been threatened with arrest unless they had sex with a police officer. In many states, its actually legal for police to have sex with prostitutes during the course of sting operations. While the problem of cops engaged in sex trafficking is part of the American police states seedy underbelly that doesnt get addressed enough, equally alarming is the number of cops who commit sex crimes against those they encounter as part of their job duties, a largely underreported number given the blue wall of silence that shields police misconduct. Former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper describes cases in which cops fondled prisoners, made false traffic stops of attractive women, traded sexual favors for freedom, had sex with teenagers and raped children. Young girls are particularly vulnerable to these predators in blue. Former police officer Phil Stinson estimates that half of the victims of police sex crimes are minors under the age of eighteen. According to The Washington Post, a national study found that 40 percent of reported cases of police sexual misconduct involved teens. One young woman was assaulted during a "ride along" with an officer, who said in a taped confession: The badge gets you the p---y and the p---y gets your badge, you know? For example, a Pennsylvania police chief and his friend were arrested for allegedly raping a young girl hundreds of timesorally, vaginally, and anally several times a weekover the course of seven years, starting when she was 4 years old. In 2017, two NYPD cops were accused of arresting a teenager, handcuffing her, and driving her in an unmarked van to a nearby parking lot, where they raped her and forced her to perform oral sex on them, then dropped her off on a nearby street corner. The New York Times reports that a sheriffs deputy in San Antonio was charged with sexually assaulting the 4-year-old daughter of an undocumented Guatemalan woman and threatening to have her deported if she reported the abuse. One young girl, J.E., was kidnapped by a Border Patrol agent when she was 14 years old, taken to his apartment and raped. In the apartment, there were two beds on top of the other, childrens bunk beds, and ropes there, too. They were shoelaces. For my wrists and my feet. My mind was blank, recalls J.E. I was trying to understand everything. I didnt know what to do. My feet were tied up. I would look at him and he had a gun. And that frightened me. I asked him why, and he answered me that he was doing this to me because I was the prettiest one of the three. Two teenage girls accused a Customs and Border Protection officer of forcing them to strip, fondling them, then trying to get them to stop crying by offering chocolates, potato chips and a blanket. The government settled the case for $125,000. Mind you, this is the same government that has been separating immigrant children from their parents and locking them up in detention centers, where they are easy prey for sexual predators. So far, the government has received more than 4500 complaints about sexual abuse at those child detention facilities. This is also the same government that lost almost 1500 migrant children. Who knows how many of those children ended up in the hands of traffickers? The police states sexual assaults of children are sickening enough, but when you add sex crimes against grown women into the mix, the picture becomes even more sordid. According to The Washington Post, research on police sexual misconducta term used to describe actions from sexual harassment and extortion to forcible rape by officersoverwhelmingly concludes that it is a systemic problem. Investigative journalist Andrea Ritchie has tracked national patterns of sexual violence by police officers during traffic stops, in addition to heightened risk from minor offenses, drug arrests and police interactions with teenagers. Victims of domestic abuse, women of color, transgender women, women who use drugs or alcohol, and women involved in the sex trade are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault by police. One Oklahoma City police officer allegedly sexually assaulted at least seven women while on duty over the course of four months, including a 57-year-old grandmother who says she was forced to give the cop oral sex after he pulled her over. A Philadelphia state trooper, eventually convicted of assaulting six women and teenagers, once visited the hospital bedside of a pregnant woman who had attempted suicide, and groped her breasts and masturbated. These arent isolated incidents. According to research from Bowling Green State University, police officers in the U.S. were charged with more than 400 rapes over a 9-year period. During that same time period, 600 police officers were arrested for forcible fondling; 219 were charged with forcible sodomy; 186 were arrested for statutory rape; 58 for sexual assault with an object; and 98 with indecent exposure. Sexual assault is believed to be the second-most reported form of misconduct against police officers after the use of excessive force, making up more than 9% of all complaints. Even so, these crimes are believed to be largely underreported so much so that sex crimes may in fact be the number one form of misconduct among police officers. So why are the numbers underreported? The women are terrified. Who are they going to call? It's the police who are abusing them, said Penny Harrington, the former police chief of Portland, Ore. One Philadelphia cop threatened to arrest a teenager for carjacking unless she had sex with him. He had all the power. I had no choice, testified the girl. Who was I? He had his badge. This is the danger of a police state that invests its henchmen with so much power that they dont even need to use handcuffs or a gun to get what they want. Making matters worse, most police departments do little to identify the offenders, and even less to stop them. Unlike other types of police misconduct, the abuse of police power to coerce sex is little addressed in training, and rarely tracked by police disciplinary systems, conclude Nancy Phillips and Craig R. McCoy writing for the Philadelphia Inquirer. This official neglect makes it easier for predators to escape punishment and find new victims. Unfortunately, this is a problem that is hiding in plain sight, covered up by government agencies that are failing in their constitutional duties to serve and protect we the people. That thin blue line of knee-jerk adulation and absolute loyalty to police above and beyond what the law requiresa line frequently pushed by President Trumpis creating a menace to society that cannot be ignored. An investigative report into police misconduct illustrates the pervasiveness of the problem when police go rogue. According to USA Today: At least 85,000 law enforcement officers across the USA have been investigated or disciplined for misconduct over the past decade... Officers have beaten members of the public, planted evidence and used their badges to harass women. They have lied, stolen, dealt drugs, driven drunk and abused their spouses. Despite their role as public servants, the men and women who swear an oath to keep communities safe can generally avoid public scrutiny for their misdeeds. The records of their misconduct are filed away, rarely seen by anyone outside their departments. Police unions and their political allies have worked to put special protections in place ensuring some records are shielded from public view, or even destroyed. Obtained from thousands of state agencies, prosecutors, police departments and sheriffs, the records detail at least 200,000 incidents of alleged misconduct, much of it previously unreported They include 22,924 investigations of officers using excessive force, 3,145 allegations of rape, child molestation and other sexual misconduct and 2,307 cases of domestic violence by officers. As researcher Jonathan Blanks notes, The system is rigged to protect police officers from outside accountability. The worst cops are going to get the most protection. Hyped up on the power of the badge and their weaponry, protected from charges of wrongdoing by police unions and government agencies, and empowered by rapidly advancing toolstechnological and otherwisethat make it all too easy to identify, track and take advantage of vulnerable members of society, predators on the nations police forces are growing in number. It can start with a police officer punching a woman's license plate into a police computer - not to see whether a car is stolen, but to check out her picture, warns investigative journalists Nancy Phillips and Craig R. McCoy. If they are not caught, or left unpunished, the abusers tend to keep going, and get worse, experts say. So where does this leave us? The courts, by allowing the governments desire for unregulated, unaccountable, expansive power to trump justice and the rule of law, have turned away from this menace. Politicians, eager for the support of the powerful police unions, have turned away from this menace. Religious leaders who should know better but instead have silenced their moral conscience in order to cozy up to political power have turned away from this menace. Distracted by political theater, divided by politics, disenfranchised by a legislative and judicial system that renders us powerless in the face of the police states many abuses, we the people have also turned a blind eye to this menace. We must stop turning away from this menace in our midst. For starters, police should not be expectedor allowedto police themselves. Misconduct by local police has become a national problem. Therefore, the response to this national problem must start at the local level. This is no longer a matter of a few bad apples. The entire system has become corrupted and must be reformed. Greater oversight is needed, yes, but also greater accountability and more significant consequences for assaults. Andrea Ritchies piece in The Washington Post provides some practical suggestions for reform ranging from small steps to structural changes (greater surveillance of police movements, heightened scrutiny of police interactions and traffic stops, and more civilian oversight boards), but as she acknowledges, these efforts still dont strike at the root of the problem: a criminal justice system that protects abusers and encourages abuse. Its difficult to say whether modern-day policing with its deep-seated corruption, immunity from accountability, and authoritarian approach to law enforcement attracts this kind of deviant behavior or cultivates it, but empowering police to view themselves as the best, or even the only, solution to the publics problems, while failing to hold them accountable for misconduct, will only deepen the policing crisis that grows deadlier and more menacing by the day. Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute . His new book www.amazon.com Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy Workers walk next to a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane parked at Boeing Field, in Seattle, on March 14, 2019. (Ted S. Warren/File via AP) Boeing Didnt Tell Airlines That Safety Alert Wasnt On 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 didnt 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 planes nose. But within months of the planes 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. Pilots were unable to regain control of either plane, and both crashed, killing 346 people. It is not clear whether having the warning light would have prevented either the Lion Air crash or the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max near Addis Ababa. Boeings disclosure on Sunday, however, raised fresh questions about the companys candor with regulators and airline customers. Boeing said again that the plane was safe to fly without the sensor alert, called an angle-of-attack disagree light. Other gauges tell pilots enough about the planes speed, altitude, engine performance, and other factors to fly safely, the company said. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said the agency was notified of the non-working warning light in November, after a Lion Air 737 Max crashed on Oct. 29 in Indonesia. He said FAA experts determined that the non-working cockpit indicator presented a low risk. However, Boeings timely or earlier communication with (airlines) would have helped to reduce or eliminate possible confusion, the spokesman said in an emailed statement. He declined to give more details. In manuals that Boeing gave to Southwest Airlines, the biggest operator of both the Max and 737s in general, the warning light was depicted as a standard feature just as it is on older 737s, according to Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King. After the Lion Air crash, King said, Boeing notified Southwest that it had discovered the lights didnt work without the optional angle-of-attack indicators, so Southwest began adding the optional feature too. That allowed the airline to activate the sensor-disagree warning lights on its 34 Max jets earlier this year, she said. King described both features as supplemental and advisory to other information provided to pilots during flights. The indicator was supposed to tell pilots when sensors that measure the pitch of the planes nose appear to conflict, a sign that the sensor information is unreliable. Boeing told airlines that the warning light was standard equipment on all Max jets. Boeing engineers quickly learned, however, that the warning light only worked if airlines also bought an optional gauge that told pilots how the planes nose was aimed in relation to the onrushing air. Boeing said the problem stemmed from software delivered to the company. A Boeing spokesman declined to name the software vendor. Boeing said Sunday that because in-house experts decided that the non-working light didnt affect safety, the company decided to fix the problem by disconnecting the alert from the optional indicators at the next planned update of cockpit display software. Boeing didnt tell airlines or the FAA about this decision. Boeing hopes to win approval from the FAA and foreign regulators to get the Max flying again before summer is over. When it does, the company said, the sensor warning light will be standard. Nearly 400 Max jets were grounded at airlines worldwide in mid-March after the Ethiopia crash. Boeing is working to fix the software that pitched the planes noses down based on faulty sensor readings, and to provide pilots with more information about the planes automation. The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into whether Boeing misled regulators about features on the plane including flight-control software at the heart of the crash investigations. The company is also under scrutiny by congressional committees and the Transportation Departments inspector general, and it faces a growing number of lawsuits by families of the dead passengers. By David Koenig Carrier Strike Group Deployment a Response to Credible Threat by Iran, Pentagon Chief Says The Trump administrations deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East is a response to a credible threat by Iran, said acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan. He wrote on Twitter on May 6 that he approved the deployment on May 5, calling it a prudent repositioning of assets in response to indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces. 1 of 2: Last nights announced deployment of the @CVN_72 and a @USAirForce bomber task force to the @CENTCOM area of responsibility, which I approved yesterday, represents a prudent repositioning of assets in response to indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces. Acting SecDef Pat Shanahan (@ActingSecDef) May 6, 2019 We call on the Iranian regime to cease all provocation, he added in a following tweet. We will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests. 2 of 2: We call on the Iranian regime to cease all provocation. We will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests. Acting SecDef Pat Shanahan (@ActingSecDef) May 6, 2019 The administration declined to specify what prompted the deployment, but tensions between the two countries have been rising as the United States applies pressure on other countries to comply with sanctions on the Islamic regime. The deployment was first announced on May 5 by national security adviser John Bolton, who said the intention was to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force. The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces, he said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told media on May 6 that it is absolutely the case that weve seen escalatory action from the Iranians, but he also said he couldnt be more explicit. I dont want to talk about what underlays it, but make no mistake. We have good reason to want to communicate clearly about how the Iranians should understand how we will respond to actions that they may take, he said. He did clarify, though, that the reason is separate from the recent rocket attack on Israel from the Gaza strip. The strike group, headed by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, departed on April 1 from Norfolk, Virginia, and was on its way to transition from the Atlantic to the Pacific fleet, which means it would have eventually ended up passing through the Middle East anyway. Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on timing of the strike group deployment. Its not clear whether the administration hastened or modified the planned deployment. Last year, the administration dropped the previously permanent carrier deployment to the Persian Gulf, only sending a strike group intermittently, the Military Times reported. The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group just left the Middle Eastern region in April, joining the Abraham Lincoln Strike Group for operations in the Mediterranean Sea. Stennis is on its way to Norfolk, switching home ports with Lincoln, which heads for San Diego. Bolton also spoke of a bomber task force deployment which suggested the Pentagon is deploying land-based bomber aircraft somewhere in the region, perhaps on the Arabian Peninsula, said the Military Times. Pressure Up President Donald Trump has been increasing pressure on Irans leaders, especially since he quit the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and gradually reimposed sanctions on the country in an effort force the Islamic regime to change a plethora of activities the administration finds unacceptable. The administration demands that Iran halts not only its nuclear technology development, which the Obama administrations nuclear deal attempted to delay, but also its ballistic missile program, support for terrorists and militias in the region, and other destabilizing activities. In April, Trump announced he would designate Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organizationthe first time the United States has marked a branch of a foreign countrys military as such. Trump also announced in April that the government wont renew waivers from the sanctions for countries importing Iranian oil in an effort to completely shut down Iranian oil exports, which are a lifeline of the regime. Threats Iran says its missile program is only defensive, but has repeatedly threatened to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz if the United States tries to throttle Iranian oil exports. The strait is a major choke point between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which about a fifth of the worlds oil shipments passes. In November 2018, an IRGC commander threatened that U.S. bases in Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, and U.S. aircraft carriers in the Gulf were within range of Iranian missiles. In July 2018, Saudi state oil company Aramco stated that two of its tankers had been attacked by Yemen-based Houthi militia, who are backed by Iran and suppressed by the Saudi military. Pompeo made clear that the United States will hold Iranian leadership directly accountable for attacks on American interests by Iranian proxies, be it the Houthis, a Shia militia group, or the Lebanese Hezbollah. Update: The article has been updated with additional information about the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group deployment. Dozens of people hold Chinese flags along Flushing's Main Street just before the start of the Lunar New Year Parade in Flushing, New York City on Feb. 9, 2019. (The Epoch Times) China Has Military Programs to Warp Foreign Perceptions, Says Pentagon Report The Chinese regime is using influence operations in the United States to warp public perceptions and alter decisions on business and politics. According to a new Pentagon report, China does this to achieve outcomes favorable to its security and military strategy objectives. The 2019 annual report to Congress from the Department of Defense, released on May 2, has a special section on the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) influence operations. It gives a general overview of the types of operations the CCP is running to alter public perception and explains how government and military agencies are involved. The short section begins with a brief overview of the CCPs Three Warfares strategy, which has been in military operation since at least 2003. The Three Warfares are psychological warfare, to alter the way a target interprets information; public opinion warfare, also referred to as media warfare, to control information released to the public; and legal warfare, to manipulate international and domestic law. According to the report, the CCP uses the strategy alongside its cyber and military operations. It says the Chinese military likely seeks to use online influence activities to support its Three Warfares strategy and to undermine an adversarys resolve in a contingency or conflict. Alongside the strategy for its military, the CCP has programs to influence news outlets, businesses, academics, and circles that make political policy in the United States. The report states, China conducts influence operations against cultural institutions, media organizations, and the business, academic, and policy communities of the United States, other countries, and international institutions. It says the purpose of these programs is to achieve outcomes favorable to its security and military strategy objectives. The CCP seeks to condition domestic, foreign, and multilateral political establishments and public opinion to accept Chinas narrative surrounding its priorities, it states, noting examples such as the CCPs territory grab in the South China Sea and its One Belt, One Road international development initiative. The report mentions the CCPs infamous United Front Department, which received little public attention until recently: Chinese influence operations are coordinated at a high level and executed by a range of actors, such as the United Front Work Department, the Propaganda Ministry, and the Ministry of State Security. The United Front Department works to extend the CCPs political power into foreign countries, by establishing a united front of Chinese living abroad. The CCP branch works through Chinese consulates, which in turn manage tongs (Chinese fraternal and hometown associations), the triads (Chinese mafia organizations that operate under some tongs), the Chinese Student and Scholar Associations (CSSAs), and Confucius Institutes. The CCP uses this network to control overseas Chinese communities and to subvert foreign societies. China also sometimes uses coercion or blackmail to manipulate overseas Chinese citizens to conduct influence operations on behalf of China, such as threatening ethnic Uighurs living in the United States with imprisonment of their family members, it says. Chinese intelligence services often facilitate these operations. It notes that under programs such as the Thousand Talents Programs, the CCP uses this network for economic theft. Through this, the regime prioritizes recruiting people of Chinese descent or recent Chinese emigrants whose recruitment the Chinese government views as necessary to Chinas scientific and technical modernization, especially with regard to defense technology. The CCP also uses this network to harnesses academia and educational institutions, think tanks, and state-run media to advance its soft power campaign in support of Chinas security interests. As examples, the report notes that Chinese students abroad and academic organizations are used to spread the Partys narrative on Tibet and the Dalai Lama. It says the CSSAs and Confucius Institutes organize events to support Chinas sovereignty claims and lodge complaints and organize protests against academic institutions that conduct activities which differ from Chinas policies. In addition, it notes that as of 2018, the CCPs main state-run news agency, Xinhua, has ignored a Department of Justice request to have its U.S. staff register as foreign agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. As the report properly assesses, Chinas leaders probably consider open democracies as susceptible to influence operations, including the United States. As The Epoch Times has reported previously, the strategy at play is the CCP slogan to strangle you with your own institutions, using the idea that the open nature of Western societies makes them easy to manipulate. The CCPs influence operations are mainly focused on establishing and maintaining power brokers within a foreign government, the report states. It uses this to promote policies that China believes will facilitate Chinas rise, despite Chinas stated position of not interfering in foreign countries internal affairs. In order to accomplish this, it notes, the CCP directs its operations on diplomacy to build personal rapport with influential people, to provide assistance, and to offer programs on trade and diplomacy under the guise of win-win deals. The report says, This approach allows China to offer expedited, small-scale accomplishments for partners abroad, often in exchange for seemingly symbolic gestures that support Chinas long-term strategic goals. A Long March 2F rocket carrying the country's first space laboratory module Tiangong-1 lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on September 29, 2011 in Jiuquan, Gansu province of China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) China Is Branding Anti-Satellite Weapons as Scavenger Satellites News Analysis Rumors have been circulating for years that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has developed small satellites with robotic arms that could be used as anti-satellite weapons. A recently declassified Chinese report details these systems but brands them as research tools. Since 2008, the CCP has been developing the weapons, which have dual uses for both military and scientific purposes. The weapons also include artificial intelligence, according to South China Morning Post. It notes some of the smaller satellites are lighter than 22 pounds, yet have a triple-eye sensor to gauge the shapes of targets and can adjust their speed and rotation, allowing them to grab objects within a distance of six inches, using a single robotic arm. The scavenger satellite then fires up thrusters and steers the junk so that it can burn up while plunging through the atmosphere, it states. In military scenarios, they could remain attached to debris to avoid being tracked from the ground. It refers to the anti-satellite weapons as scavenger satellites and says the CCP has launched at least 10 of them over the past 10 years. Given the CCPs track record of using disinformation, the public numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, but the fact that the regime is acknowledging the existence of such controversial weapons is significant. Its possible that the CCP is releasing information on these weapons at a time when the United States under President Donald Trump is beginning to take space warfare more seriously and is weighing the launch of a new Space Force as a new military branch. Releasing the information allows the CCP to frame the perceptions around itand so far, the reporting shows the regime is trying to brand its space weapons program as having peaceful intentions and as being similar to those of other nations. The existence of the CCPs anti-satellite scavenger satellite weapons was confirmed by Chinese researchers last month, notes South China Morning Post. It attributes the confirmation to Luo Jianjun, deputy director of the National Laboratory of Space Flight Dynamics Technology at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xian, Shaanxi Province. It adds that while the CCP partly declassified the program recently, most details remained secret because of the technologys potential military applications. It quotes Luo stating, We prefer not to talk about it publicly. Assassins Mace The CCP has been testing anti-satellite weapons since at least 2005, yet made headlines in 2007 when, without warning, it destroyed its Feng Yun I-C weather satellite with a missile. The action sent more than 3,000 pieces of debris barreling through low-earth orbit. The CCP was then barred from working with NASA. The details in the new report suggest the CCP began working on more subtle anti-satellite weapons after its controversial 2007 test. Rather than destroy satellites in orbit and create debris that can damage other assets in orbit, it created systems with robotic arms that can latch onto and destroy targeted satellites. For the CCP, space weapons like these play a major role in its military strategies against the United States. Theyre part of its so-called Assassins Mace, or Trump Card, program, which is designed to destroy the systems at the backbone of the U.S. military, such as satellites for GPS, communications systems, and weapons targeting. These modern Trump Card and Assassins Mace weapons will permit Chinas low-technology forces to prevail over U.S. high-technology forces in a localized conflict, states a 2011 report from the National Ground Intelligence Center. In addition to these systems, the CCP has operated secret military bases for anti-satellite weapons and electromagnetic pulse systems. Retired Indian Army Col. Vinayak Bhat, who specializes in satellite image analysis focused on China, recently published his discovery of satellite images showing several of these bases in China. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Workers walk by the perimeter fence of what is officially known as a vocational skills education center in Dabancheng in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China on Sept. 4, 2018. (Thomas Peter/Reuters) China Putting Minority Muslims in Concentration Camps, US Says WASHINGTONThe United States accused China on May 3 of putting well more than a million minority Muslims in concentration camps, in some of the strongest U.S. condemnation to date of what it calls Beijings mass detention of mostly Muslim Uyghur minority and other Muslim groups. The comments by Randall Schriver, who leads Asia policy at the U.S. Defense Department, are likely to increase tension with Beijing, which is sensitive to international criticism and describes the sites as vocational education training centers aimed at stemming the threat of Islamic extremism. Former detainees have described to Reuters being tortured during interrogation at the camps, living in crowded cells and being subjected to a brutal daily regimen of communist party indoctrination that drove some people to suicide. Some of the sprawling facilities are ringed with razor wire and watch towers. The (Chinese) Communist Party is using the security forces for mass imprisonment of Chinese Muslims in concentration camps, Schriver told a Pentagon briefing during a broader discussion about Chinas military, estimating that the number of detained Muslims could be closer to 3 million citizens. Schriver, an assistant secretary of defense, defended his use of a term normally associated with Nazi Germany as appropriate, under the circumstances. When asked by a reporter why he used the term, Schriver said that it was justified given what we understand to be the magnitude of the detention, at least a million but likely closer to 3 million citizens out of a population of about 10 million. So a very significant portion of the population, (given) whats happening there, what the goals are of the Chinese government and their own public comments make that a very, I think, appropriate description, he said. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday used the term re-education camps to describe the sites and said Chinese activity was reminiscent of the 1930s. The U.S. government has weighed sanctions against senior Chinese officials in Xinjiang, a vast region bordering central Asia that is home to millions of Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities. China has warned that it would retaliate in proportion against any U.S. sanctions. U.S. officials have said China has made criminal many aspects of religious practice and culture in Xinjiang, including punishment for teaching Muslim texts to children and bans on parents giving their children Uyghur names. Academics and journalists have documented grid-style police checkpoints across Xinjiang and mass DNA collection, and human rights advocates have decried martial law-type conditions there. By Phil Stewart An employee walks past an ASML logo, a Dutch company which is currently the largest supplier in the world of semiconductor manufacturing machines, at the company's headquarters in Veldhoven on April 17, 2018. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) Chinese-Founded US Tech Firm Found Guilty of IP Theft A lawsuit between two tech companies in the United States highlighted an unlikely way for China to steal intellectual property: through an American company. ASML, a leading manufacturer of chip-making equipment based in the Netherlands, announced via a press release on May 4 that the Santa Clara County Superior Court ruled in favor of ASML in its lawsuit against XTAL, a California-based company founded by two Chinese engineers. XTAL was founded by two former ASML employees in 2014, both originally from China. Dutch media also previously reported XTALs ties with the Chinese government. 30-Month-Long Lawsuit According to court documents, ASML filed a lawsuit against XTAL on Nov. 5, 2016, alleging intellectual property theft. After 30 months of litigation, the California court ruled that XTAL should pay ASML $845 million in compensation. As XTAL is filing for bankruptcy, ASML cannot collect the monetary reward, but will make a settlement agreement in which it seeks to own all of XTALs intellectual property (IP). The agreement is still pending. The jury found that XTALs actions were malicious in nature, aiding and abetting six former ASML employees to steal trade secrets from ASML, according to the court judgment. XTAL filed for bankruptcy on Dec. 17, 2018, according to court documents. XTAL has sought to sell its IP after going bankrupt. The court issued an injunction, ordering XTAL not to conduct any software development activities on the products that ASML alleged are contaminated with ASMLs IP; granting ASML explicit permission to reach out to actual or potential XTAL customers informing them about the results of the lawsuit; and banning XTAL from the same field of business for a certain period of time. Companys Connection to Chinese Regime Yu Zongchang, CEO of XTAL, and Li Jiangwei, CTO of XTAL, founded XTAL in San Jose, California, in 2014. It is not known whether they are Chinese nationals with some sort of visa, permanent residency, or naturalized U.S. citizens. According to Yus LinkedIn page, he studied at the Harbin Institute of Technology in China. In 1995, he started to work in the United States, including at Brion, a U.S. company that was acquired by ASML in 2007. Yu left ASML in February 2012. Li graduated from the University of Science and Technology of China. According to Crunchbase, a companies database, Li started his career in the United States after graduating from Stanford University, and also worked for Brion and then ASML until 2012. According to records on a public U.S. patents database, Lis name is listed as a co-inventor for not just patents belonging to Brion and ASML, but also China Telecom, a Chinese state-run telecommunications giant, and ZTE, a Chinese telecom supplier, most known for violating U.S. sanctions on North Korea and Iran, and thus fined by U.S. authorities. XTAL is also in part financed by entities in China: It raised $5.3 million from Hong Kong investors before March 2016, according to Crunchbase data. In April, Dutch newspaper Financieele Dagblad (FD) went so far as to claim in an April 11 report that XTALs parent company was actually the Beijing-based Dongfang Jingyuan, a semiconductor and software manufacturer. The Dutch outlet said its findings were based on research and California court documents. Based on a confidential company report obtained by FD, the outlet reported that Dongfang Jingyuan in turn had close ties to Chinas Ministry of Science and Technology. The ministry provided subsidies to XTAL as part of the Chinese regimes support for Chinas chip machinery industry, in which ASML is a leader in the global market. With support from the Chinese ministry, ASMLs former employees stole source codes, software, price strategies, and secret user manuals from ASML and transferred them to XTAL, the FD report claimed. In 2015, one year after it was founded, XTAL began to lure away ASMLs clients, including Samsung. Neither XTAL nor Dongfang Jingyuan has commented on the case. The two companies didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. A policeman gestures as he works on a street in heavy smog in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on Oct. 21, 2013. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Former Chinese Prosecutor Found Guilty of Running a Family Criminal Syndicate A former Chinese municipal prosecutor has been found guilty of a litany of corruption crimes. What the Chinese authorities failed to reveal was his involvement in human rights abuses. Liu Li, the former deputy chief of the municipal procuratorate at Jixi City in northern Chinas Heilongjiang Province, was found guilty of organizing, participating, and protecting his familys criminal organization, according to a May 5 announcement released by the Heilongjiang Commission for Discipline Inspection, an anti-corruption party organ that investigates and punishes misbehaving Chinese Communist Party members. Liu has a long list of crimes to his name, including using drugs, accepting bribes, paying off bribes to people with influence, abusing power, exchanging money for power, and extortion. The brief announcement did not elaborate on the details of his crimes. As punishment, the commission stripped Liu of his Party membership, canceled his retirement benefits, and confiscated all his illicit earnings. Additionally, Lius case would now be prosecuted and brought to court. Liu had a long political tenure in Jixi. He started his career at the prosecutors office in Jiguan District in Jixi City, where he was eventually named deputy chief in 2000 and then chief in 2003. He eventually moved to the Jixi prosecutors office in 2008 and was named the deputy in 2010, before he retired in July 2014, at the age of 49. It is not known what prompted his retirement, at a relatively early age for Party officials. Hints of trouble came in October 2018 when the Heilongjiang commission announced that Liu had been placed under investigation for serious violation of the Partys discipline and lawan oft-used euphemism for corruption. The following month, a state-run news site based in Heilongjiang reported that local authorities had taken down a criminal group headed by Liu and his brothers Liu Gang and Liu Qiang. The article listed a phone number and email address for the local police in Jiamusi City in Heilongjiang, asking people to provide evidence for their crimes. Chinas state-run newspaper The Beijing News reported that Liu once forced local mines to make him a shareholder. For one of them, Liu did not invest any money in it but was awarded 10 million yuan (about $1.5 million) annually for an unknown period of time. Human Rights Abuses Neither the Chinese state-run media nor Chinese authorities pointed out Lius most serious crimeshis involvement in the persecution of Chinese citizens who are adherents of the spiritual practice Falun Gong. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual practice based on meditative exercises and moral teachings of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The groups enormous popularityofficial estimates placed the number of practitioners in China at 70 million to 100 million by the late 1990swas viewed by then-Party leader Jiang Zemin as a threat to his rule. In July 1999, Jiang launched a country-wide persecution to round up practitioners and throw them into prisons, brainwashing centers, labor camps, and psychiatric wardsin an effort to force them to abandon their faith. Since then, many Chinese officials have supported Jiangs campaign, in a bid to climb up the Partys political ladder. Lius involvement in the persecution came in the form of prosecuting innocent Falun Gong adherents, especially during the time when he worked at the Jiguan District, according to Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website dedicated to documenting the persecution of Falun Gong in China. The website documented one particular example when Liu began working at the Jixi prosecutors office. On May 14, 2009, local police in Jixi raided and ransacked the home of Liu Xuegang (no relation to Liu) and his wife Zhong Li, who were subsequently taken away by the police and then held at a detention center. According to Minghui.org, a trial was eventually held for the couple at a court in Jiguan District on Nov. 10, 2009. The trial allegedly took place without due process; there was no cross-examination of evidence presented by the prosecutor. In addition, the police only granted Zhong the right to use the toilet after she agreed to give a testimony. The couple was eventually each sentenced to eight years in prison on an unknown date. Zhong reportedly was abused while confined at a womens prison in Harbin City, the capital of Heilongjiang. According to a 2011 report by Minghui.org, Zhong was subjected to different tortures, such as being forced to sit on a small stool for an extended period of time, and not being allowed to use the toilet. At the same time, some prison inmates were instructed by prison guards to abuse Zhong. Actress Allison Mack exits the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York following a status conference, June 12, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Former Members Set to Testify Against NXIVMs Leader Former members of the purported self-help organization NXIVM are set to testify for the first time against their former leader Keith Raniere over egregious sex-trafficking charges involving a master-slave society within the group. The members will break their silence by testifying against Raniere on May 7 at a federal court in Brooklyn. Prosecutors have not revealed any details on who will testify about the society called DOS, or The Vow, founded by Raniere. A spokesperson for the district court did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Of the six NXIVM defendants named in a superseding indictment last year, all but the groups leader have since pleaded guilty to an array of charges including forced labor, and extortion. Raniere will now face a jury by himself. The guilty pleas come after prosecutors added child exploitation charges against Raniere based on evidence he had sex with a 15-year-old girl. There is speculation that some of the co-defendants in the case could take the witness stand against Raniere, 58, including TV actress Allison Mack, a slave recruiter, and Lauren Salzman, the daughter of the groups president. DOS was created around 2015 and is believed to be an acronym for the Latin term dominus obsequious sororium, translated loosely to master over the slave women. Other defendants in the case include former NXIVM President Nancy Salzman, an accountant for the group named Kathy Russell, and Seagram billionaire heiress Clare Bronfman. U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis has yet to rule on a request by prosecutors to protect the privacy of some alleged victims, referred to as Jane Does in court papers, by only using their first names, nicknames or pseudonyms while they testifymeasures needed to protect them from potential harassment and undue embarrassment. Raniere has pleaded not guilty to sex-trafficking and other charges. His lawyers have opposed what they call unusual and dubious protections that would violate his constitutional right to confront his accusers. They add it would unfairly signal to the jury that, in the courts view, the witness is a victim of a sex crime who is in danger. The Fall The case has resulted in a dramatic downfall for Raniere from a time when he was known as Vanguard by devotees in the United States and Mexico. Prosecutors say Raniere was styled as the highest master of DOS and that he forced other members, all women, to have sex with him. Many of the DOS members were also branded with a cauterizing pen during a process that took 20 to 30 minutes. According to court documents, the secret society allegedly operated as a pyramid scheme, with levels of slaves headed by masters; slaves were then expected to recruit their own slaves, thus becoming masters themselves. The society allegedly recruited members on the condition that they would give up personal, often embarrassing, information about themselves, including compromising images or videos, as collateral. Once inside, members were regularly required to provide additional collateral to ensure they kept the groups activities secret. Bronfman, the latest defendant to plead guilty last month, admitted to harboring a woman brought to the United States on a fake work visa so she could use the womans labor for her own and the groups benefit. Bronfman also said she committed fraud on behalf of Raniere by using a deceased womans credit card. Lauren Salzman meanwhile admitted in court to conspiracy charges and to harboring her own personal slave. She said she threatened her slave with deportation and kept her imprisoned in a room between March 2010 and April 2012. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Georgia Governor To Sign Pro-Life Bill Into Law Tomorrow On Tuesday morning, May 7, the Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp will sign a pro-life law, known as the Heartbeat Bill which will ban all abortions at the first sign of a fetal heartbeat, about six weeks into a pregnancy. It was first reported by Channel 2 Action News reporter Richard Elliot, who had confirmed that the Governor intends to sign the bill at the State Capitol tomorrow. #Breaking Gov. Brian Kemp will sign the controversial Heartbeat Bill tomorrow morning, the Governors Office confirms. Developing Richard Elliot (@RElliotWSB) May 6, 2019 Throughout his campaign for governor, Kemp vowed to create and sign a strict abortion bill once it passed the states legislature. On March 29, the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act (HB 481) passed the General Assembly with a vote of 92 to 78. Those who support the governor and advocate for the bill believe it will send a strong pro-life message across the country. The legislation states: No abortion is authorized or shall be performed if the unborn child has been determined to have a human heartbeat. The bill will also allow unborn children to receive citizenship and pregnant mothers to then collect child support payments from the fathers, reported Channel 2 Action News. The original author of the bill, Republican representative Ed Setzler, had remarked that abortion is a barbaric procedure, reported WRAL. The bill was adopted as a commonsense measure, after the governor chose Setzlers version over his own, reported Channel 2 Action News. The bill also faced opposition from pro-choice advocates who protested in front of the Capitol. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has threatened lawsuits to challenge the constitutionality of the law after it is signed by the governor. The ACLU statement is as follows: If this abortion ban bill becomes law, we will see you in court, adding that A womans constitutional right to legal abortion has been settled law for nearly 50 years. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled repeatedly in support of women and their right to make these decisions. The Epoch Times reported that in the aftermath of the bills passage, a list of almost fifty actors signed a letter started by Alyssa Milano which threatened to effectively boycott the state of Georgia. The letter stated that: We cannot in good conscience continue to recommend our industry remain in Georgia if H.B. 481 becomes law, warning that: We cant imagine being elected officials who had to say to their constituents, I enacted a law that was so evil, it chased billions of dollars out of our states economy. Its not the most effective campaign slogan, but rest assured well make it yours should it come to pass. However, there are also prominent defenders of the bill who responded, such as Ashley Bratcher. She stars in Unplanned, a movie about a Planned Parenthood director who became an anti-abortion activist. Bratcher wrote a letter to Milano, Deadline reported, from Mother to mother which says: Hollywood may be silent on womens rights but Georgia, the new home of the movie industry, is making its voice heard loud and clear. Im incredibly proud of my home state for taking a stand in the fight for life amidst backlash and dubious threats. Alyssa, let me make something very clear to you. In Georgia, we care just as much about being pro-life as being pro-film. We dont believe in putting a price tag on the value of a human life, she added. Any US attempt to topple Maduro through force would bring grave consequences, Lavrov reportedly warned. Washington and Moscow traded barbs over Venezuela on Sunday with Russias foreign minister urging the United States to abandon its irresponsible plan to depose Nicolas Maduro and his US counterpart slamming Russian meddling in the South American country. Sergey Lavrov made the comments during a visit to Moscow by Venezuelas foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza an apparent bid to stress international support for Maduro following last weeks abortive uprising against him in Caracas. Attempts to stage a violent upheaval in Caracas have nothing to do with democratic process, and only disrupt any prospects of political settlement, Lavrov said, according to the Moscow-backed broadcaster RT. Any US attempt to topple Maduro through force would bring grave consequences, Lavrov reportedly warned. Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter Earlier, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, urged Russia which, alongside China, is one of Maduros two key international backers to stop interfering in Venezuela. We want [Venezuela] to be an autonomous, independent sovereign state, with democratic elected officials. This is what we desire for the Venezuelan people, Pompeo, who is due to meet Lavrov in Finland on Monday, told Fox News. We dont want anyone messing around with Venezuela. The exchange came after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a 90-minute phone call on Friday, after which Trump claimed Putin was not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela, other than hed like to see something positive happen. Five days after Tuesdays dramatic predawn attempt to remove Maduro, an uneasy calm has returned to the streets of Venezuelas capital. The only reminders of the failed revolt are stretches of scorched asphalt outside the La Carlota airbase beside which it began and a handful of graffitied messages left by protesters on a nearby overpass. Freedom! Freedom! No more bullets! reads one. On Saturday, Venezuelas opposition held a series of anti-Maduro protests designed to maintain the pressure. But attendance was far short of the massive demonstrations held since Juan Guaido the man most western governments now recognize as Venezuelas legitimate interim president launched his US-backed challenge to Maduro in January. This article was originally published by " The Guardian " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== 3 Killed In Ambush on Venezuelan Military : An attack on military commission left three troops dead in Venezuela. An unrecognized group of heavily armed people ambushed a mixed military commission early this Saturday morning. Bolton, Shanahan, Pompeo meet at Pentagon to discuss military options in Venezuela; Military action is possible, Pompeo told Fox. If thats whats required, thats what the United States will do. Pompeo won't promise to consult Congress about potential military intervention in Venezuela The number of Russian military specialists in Venezuela could be boosted, according to Venezuelan FM Pompeo To Tell Lavrov 'Russians Must Get Out' Of Venezuela Russia's Lavrov, after Pompeo talks, warns against U.S. military action in Venezuela Venezuela Will Defend Itself From Any Foreign Invasion: Arreaza: We are creating alternate routes with Russia, China and other friends in order to face this economic blockade. " Where Is Guaido? Coup Leader Doesn't Show Up To Own Protest: Following the failed coup attempt against the legitimate President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, several supporters of the opposition held a demonstration in which its own leader Juan Guaido was absent from. Guaido's Bluff: Coup Leader Admits Failure After Embarrassing Attempt To Overthrow Government Watch: Max Blumenthal; At the Venezuelan embassy, where @SecretService has sanctioned a right-wing riot. Am going to ask some officers why they wont protect the embassy right now. ? Trump, Putin discussed Venezuela, Mueller during hour-long call At the Venezuelan embassy, where @SecretService has sanctioned a right-wing riot. Am going to ask some officers why they wont protect the embassy right now. https://t.co/pJwvcbFyj5 Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) May 4, 2019 Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy Gunman at Large After Shooting Officer Dead in Front of Mississippi Police Station Police are hunting for a suspect who shot and killed an officer outside the headquarters of a Mississippi police department. The identity of the suspect is unknown, according to local reports, and the officers name has not yet been released. The officer was in uniform, but off-duty, in the parking lot of the building when a gunman approached and shot him multiple times before fleeing, reported WLOX. The suspect, who is still at large, is described as a thin man between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10 tall, wearing high-top sneakers with red caps, blue navy shorts, a black T-shirt, and a rolled up skull beanie. Police have released images of the suspect. According to The Associated Press, a law enforcement helicopter has been flying over Biloxi in search of the suspect. The officer was rushed to hospital after the shooting, but was pronounced dead in the emergency room. According to AJC, the shooting occurred around 10:30 p.m. on May 5, outside the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center on Porter Avenue, where the headquarters for the Biloxi Police Department is located. According to USA Today, last year 144 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in the United States. Another officer was shot and killed over the weekend in Mooresville, North Carolina. K9 Officer Jordan Harris Sheldon, 32, was shot during a routine traffic stop on May 4, according to a police statement, and later died from his injuries. In the wake of the loss of Officer Sheldon, we'd like to salute his K-9 partner, Ramon. Ramon is a two-year-old Belgium Malinois and served with Officer Sheldon at the Mooresville Police Department. Posted by Mooresville Police Department on Sunday, May 5, 2019 The suspect fled the scene and was tracked down to a nearby apartment, where police said they found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a police report. The gunman was identified as 28-year-old Michael Aldana of Mooresville. He had been known to police, but not for any violent acts, reported The Associated Press. This isnt a number for us. This is a real person. And were heartbroken. The pain and sorrow that we feel iscant express it, Mayor Miles Atkins said. Mooresville is a town about 30 miles north of Charlotte. We're very grateful for the support we've been shown during this difficult time. Thank you to everyone who has stopped Posted by Mooresville Police Department on Sunday, May 5, 2019 The police department posted pictures of floral tributes to the fallen officer, placed on top of a patrol car after a procession to the fallen officer. Were very grateful for the support weve been shown during this difficult time, wrote the department in a Facebook message. Thank you to everyone who has stopped by and paid their respects. Rockets are fired from Gaza toward Israel on May 5, 2019. (Reuters/Mohammed Salem) Hamas Wants Ceasefire After More Than 600 Rockets Fired Into Israel Palestinian officials said that a ceasefire, mediated by Egypt, was reached between Israel and terrorist groups on May 6 at 4:30 a.m. local time to end a recent surge of violence in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip. But no official confirmation of such a ceasefire deal has come from Israel nor its military. Israel has been at the receiving end of more than 600 rockets since May 3 by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) from the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire understanding will begin Monday 04:30, a Palestinian official familiar with the agreement said, according to Reuters. A second Palestinian official confirmed that a deal had reached, as well as a TV station belonging to the Hamas terrorist group, according to Reuters. Reports of the ceasefire came after a two-hour window of no rockets being fired into Israel, The Times of Israel reported. Despite ceasefire reports, Israeli authorities have decided to keep schools in southern Israelwithin a 40-kilometer (25-mile) radius of Gazaclosed for the day, according to The Times of Israel. An Islamic Jihad official told news source AFP that the ceasefire was based on Israel easing restrictions on the Gaza strip, including easing limits on fishing and improvements in Gazas electricity and fuel situation. Israel said its blockade is necessary to stop weapons from 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. The Times of Israel reported that shortly after midnight on May 6, terrorist groups threatened more fighting unless Israel succumbed to their demands and acknowledged the understanding reached. The battle will not end until the occupation responds affirmatively to our peoples demands, the Joint Command Center of Armed Palestinian factions in Gaza said in a statement early May 6. We will not allow the settlers to leave their shelters as long as the enemys leadership denies its understandings with the resistance. Early May 5, Hamas and PIJ had threatened to increase the range of their rocket fire, according to The Jerusalem Post. The two terrorist groups said in a joint statement that they were considering firing rockets to cities more than 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Gaza strip. More than 600 Rockets Israels military, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said that more than 600 rockets and other projectiles had been fired at southern Israeli cities and villages since May 3. More than 150 of them were intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system. IDF said it had fired at about 320 targets in the Gaza Strip belonging to various terrorist groups. Four Israeli civilians have been killed since the rocket attacks began on May 3. Air strikes directed at Hamas and extremist facilities from Israels military in response to the barrage of rockets have killed 19 Palestinians, more than half of whom have been civilians, according to Reuters. In this footage posted by the Hamas-affiliated Shehab News Agency, you can see and hear some of the 600 rockets that have been launched from #Gaza at Israel in the last 36 hours. We will continue to protect and defend Israeli civilians. pic.twitter.com/helZ2wa7nj Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 5, 2019 Egypt and the United Nations, which have served as brokers in the past, had been trying to mediate a truce. Terror target civilians. Israel targets terror. Terror target civilians. Israel targets terror. Terror target civilians. Israel targets terror. pic.twitter.com/vuXqFMHU5K Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 5, 2019 On May 5, U.S. President Donald Trump posted words in support of Israel. Once again, Israel faces a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, he wrote. 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! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2019 Trump also wrote a message on Twitter to those living in Gaza. To the Gazan people these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery, he wrote. END the violence and work towards peace it can happen! Vice President Mike Pence wrote in a tweet, 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. 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. Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) May 5, 2019 Reuters contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Updates to come. From NTD.com Attorney General William Barr testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "the Justice Department's investigation of Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election" on Capitol Hill in Washington, on May 1, 2019. (Aaron Bernstein/Reuters) House Judiciary Committee Schedules Vote to Hold AG Barr in Contempt The House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a vote for Wednesday, May 8, to decide whether to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for not turning over a fully unredacted version of special counsel Robert Muellers report on Russias meddling in the 2016 elections. The committees announcement comes during a rift between House Democrats and the attorney general regarding the handling of the Mueller report and Barrs decision not to appear for a scheduled hearing before the committee, prompting questions about how much information the Justice Department is required to provide to Congress. In response to Barrs refusal to comply with Democrats demands, Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) imposed a deadline last week of 9 a.m. May 6 for Barr to provide the committee with a version of the report without redactions. Even in redacted form, the Special Counsels report offers disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels, Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said in a statement on May 6. Congress must see the full report and underlying evidence to determine how to best move forward with oversight, legislation, and other constitutional responsibilities. The Attorney Generals failure to comply with our subpoena, after extensive accommodation efforts, leaves us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings in order to enforce the subpoena and access the full, unredacted report. House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) May 6, 2019 The Attorney Generals failure to comply with our subpoena, after extensive accommodation efforts, leaves us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings in order to enforce the subpoena and access the full, unredacted report, Nadler added. He said that if the Justice Department agrees to comply with Nadlers request by providing the full report, he would postpone the vote. The vote is expected to occur at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. During a congressional contempt proceeding, the contempt resolution and report will be debated and voted on by committee members. If the vote passes, the resolution and report would move to the floor for a full vote in the House to authorize legal proceedings. In response to Nadlers announcement, Committee Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-Ga.) called the Democrats move illogical and disingenuous. Chairman Nadler knows full subpoena compliance requires Attorney General Barr to break the law. Yet, instead of introducing legislation allowing the attorney general to provide Congress grand jury material, Democrats move to hold him in contempt, Collins said in a statement. They know the Justice Department is working to negotiate even as they pursue contempt charges, making their move today illogical and disingenuous. Democrats have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general when their anger actually lies with the president and the special counsel, who found neither conspiracy nor obstruction. Democrats have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general when their anger actually lies with the president and the special counsel, who found neither conspiracy nor obstruction. Full statement below pic.twitter.com/BgCWMqRJW4 Rep. Doug Collins (@RepDougCollins) May 6, 2019 Moreover, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd sent Nadler a five-page letter on May 1 explaining the reasons for not releasing the full unredacted report, according to USA Today. Boyd wrote another letter to Nadler on May 6 offering to have a meeting to negotiate an accommodation that meets the legitimate interests of each of our coequal branches of government. The letter was made public by Collins. I appreciate the respect Attorney General Barr is showing our committee by responding to a deluge of perverse demands. So far, he has honored Congress by being faithful to the laws we have enacted, and I look forward to a productive, bipartisan meeting this Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/lKdQHkvGBU Rep. Doug Collins (@RepDougCollins) May 6, 2019 Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec told the news website that Barr had already taken extraordinary steps to accommodate the House, but Nadler has refused to reciprocate. The department remains willing to accommodate Congresss legitimate needs, but must do so consistent with the law, Kupec said, reported the news website. Democrats Demands Democrats have criticized Barr for weeks since the attorney generals release of an initial four-page memo that provided the bottom line conclusions of the special counsels findings. Muellers report was eventually released on April 18, concluding that neither the Trump campaign, nor anyone associated with it, conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Moreover, on the issue of obstruction of justice, Barr said the special counsel did not provide a prosecutorial judgment, nor did it provide enough evidence to substantiate that the president obstructed justice. House Democrats have refused to accept the findings of the Mueller report and have launched hearings and investigations into the obstruction of justice claims that many of them have openly admitted they hoped would lead to the impeachment of President Donald Trump. They have also criticized Barr for his handling of the release of the report, accusing him of siding with the president, while repeatedly calling for the full unredacted report despite knowing that compliance would result in Barr violating the law. Barr previously said the redactions are required to protect grand jury secrecy or to comply with judicial orders aimed at protecting the release of sensitive discovery information. They are also necessary to prevent the disclosure of information related to ongoing investigations and criminal proceedings including the Internet Research Agency and Roger Stone cases. In order to accommodate with Congress members requests, Barr had offered a less-redacted version of Muellers report to select members of Congress, which Nadler and other Senate and House Democrats have rejected because it would not permit them to discuss it with other Members of Congress who all have top security clearances. House Democrats also criticized Barr for failing to appear at the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Muellers report on May 2. Barr refused to attend after disagreements in the format of the hearing, where Democrats wanted to have committee staff lawyers directly participate in the questioning. Barr said questioning witnesses before congressional committees is the responsibility of elected senators and representatives. The House committee has tentatively scheduled a hearing for May 15 to allow Mueller to testify before the panel, reported Fox News. Silhouettes of mobile users are seen next to a screen projection of Instagram logo in this photo illustration taken on March 28, 2018. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters) Instagram Couple Criticized for Photo Outside Moving Train in Sri Lanka Another couple with hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers was criticized after posting a risky photo near train tracks in Sri Lanka. Jean and Camille of BackpackDiariez posted the photo to their 169,000 followers. They wrote that the photo describes their relationship: Madly in love Living on the edge (sometimes a bit too much) Usually on the run. But a number of people werent impressed with the shot, which shows the two precariously hanging off the side of a train over a cliff. Another Instagram couple slammed for stupid photo shoot on moving train: Are you really ready to die for a pic?' by NEPAL VENTURE https://t.co/PCVddXib1z pic.twitter.com/LQXczffbtY Nepal Venture (@nepal_venture) May 6, 2019 Never ever do this people, wrote one person. Its hard to live your best life when youre dead This is stupid & dangerous, wrote another person. Another simply said, Idiots. Are you really ready to die for a pic ???????? said another, Fox News reported. Seeing your other photos, you dont need to risk your lives to get a shot. Not worth it, another warned. Another couple, Raquel and Miguel, from Portugal, posted a similar photo on the same train. View this post on Instagram A post shared by RAQUEL & MIGUEL (@explorerssaurus_) on Feb 19, 2019 at 10:08am PST At the time, the couple responded to criticism of the picture, saying the train was moving super slow and added that they respect everyones opinions, but its not risky. It also doesnt matter how slow the train is going if you fall. I have seen far too many accidents because people are attempting to take this type of shot, and my suggestion was to please dont encourage it, one person told the two in March. He added: Although my comment is critical, it wasnt meant to be hurtful. I only wanted you think about this particular shot be cause of the danger that others will try to copy it, and subjugating the females model, which you didnt need for this shot. Why youre taking such a risk for a post only! another person exclaimed. 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. Lawyers Phone, Laptop Confiscated Because He Didnt Share Passwords With Canada Border Security: Report A lawyer had his phone and laptop seized by Canada border officials after he refused to give up the passwords to the devices. Nick Wright is a business lawyer based in Toronto and elected bencher with the Ontario Law Society. He arrived back in his home country on April 10 after a four-month trip to Guatemala and Colombia, where he was studying Spanish and working remotely, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Wright told the CBC that he was picked for additional inspection at Torontos Pearson Airport. An officer searched his bags and then asked for his passwords to inspect his phone and laptop. He refused and explained that both devices had confidential information from his clients, which is protected by solicitor-client privilege. "The policy's outrageous," said Toronto business lawyer, Nick Wright. "I think that it's a breach of our constitutional rights." https://t.co/W6TojzBJUD CBC Toronto (@CBCToronto) May 5, 2019 The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer proceeded to confiscate the items and said that a government lab would try to crack the passwords and inspect the devices. Wright expressed concern over how border security in Canada was able to search devices and luggage without a warrant. The policys outrageous, he told the Canadian broadcaster. I think that its a breach of our constitutional rights. The CBC reported that Wright has spent about C$3,000 ($2,227) to replace the devices while he awaits from his confiscated items to be returned to him. He also submitted a complaint to the CBSA, and demanded that his phone and laptop be returned as well as compensation for his being forced to temporarily replace them. Canadas Laws on Border Inspection, Privacy According to Subsection 99(1) of the Canadas Customs Act, CBSA officers can search any items being imported into Canadafor no apparent reason. Furthermore, the term goods means any documents in any form, according to subjection 2(1) of the Customs Act. Straight.com reported that in June 2015, the CBSA issued an operational bulletin defining digital devices as goodsand holds that it can examine goods under the Customs Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The CBSAs Operational Bulletin has imposed some limits on its searches of phones and computers at the border, but according to Mondaq.com, these are not legally enforceable by third parties (such as travelers) in court. CBSAs Operational Bulletin OB PRG-2015-31 states that officers should exercise respect for the travelers privacy as much as possible when conducting checks on their digital devices, and that they must also be able to explain their reasoning when they ask to check the devices. Section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms says that everyone has the right to be protected against unreasonable search or seizure. In my view, seizing devices when someone exercises their constitutional right is an affront to civil liberty, Wright told the CBC. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada states: At border controls, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers have widespread powers to stop and search people, and examine their baggage and other possessions including devices such as laptops and smartphones. These activities are carried out under the authority of Canadas Customs Act; a warrant is not required. However, it continues: The Canadian courts have not yet ruled on whether a border officer can compel a person to turn over their password and on what grounds, so that their electronic device may be searched at a border crossing. While the law is unsettled, CBSA policy Footnote 1 states that examinations of personal devices should not be conducted as a matter of routine; such searches may be conducted only if there are grounds or indications that evidence of contraventions may be found on the digital device or media. A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told CBC in an email 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. But Wright asserted that he wasnt given a reason when the officer demanded to check his device. There were no factors that Im aware of that would justify the searchers, he told the CBC. From NTD.com Mall Brawl! Taekwondo Versus Wushu, And the Winner Is A fight erupted in a mall between two martial arts groups over a territorial dispute. 15 people were detained, and no one suffered serious injuries, according to Pear Videos, a major Chinese short-video news outlet. The brawl occurred on May 2 when the Taekwondo group passed out advertising fliers near the Wushu school, which operates out of a mall in Jiangsu Province, China. Limited footage captured by mall-goers with their cellphones suggests that the Wushu School won the battle, as one image shows six members of the Taekwondo school lying on the ground. The Changshu City police released a statement on May 3 that said seven people were injuredone with minor injuries, and six with slight injuries. The police detained 15 people for disorderly behavior. The Mall Fight The fight broke out at about 5:45 in the evening in front of a store for new mothers and their babies. Footage shows the Taekwondo practitioners in white uniforms, and black belts. The Wushu practitioners wore navy blue polo shirts and track pants. Both groups huddle together, opposite each other, with a row of shops on one side, and a glass-railed drop-off on the other. Due to lack of footage, its unclear who initiated the first attack. The few seconds of footage shared on Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter, show the Taekwondo group kicking at the Wushu practitioners. One of the larger Wushu practitioners dodges the kicks, grabs the uniform, and assaults them with punches. After the fight progresses, six Taekwondo practitioners are seen lying on the tile floor. For unclear reasons, though, the Wushu practitioners have backed away from the fight. Other fighters in white still approach the ongoing brawl, while some record the incident. When the police arrived, 15 of the fighters were taken into custody, all for disorderly behavior. Several mainland Chinese media sites misreported that the Wushu combatants were employees of the baby store. Michigan Is Third State to Head to Supreme Court Over Gerrymandering Allegations Before 2020 Elections A prominent constitutional law professor says the Supreme Court is obliged to hear a new legal challenge to a federal courts determination that congressional districts in Michigan were unlawfully gerrymandered and will have to be redrawn before elections in November 2020. Michigan lawmakers and congressional Republicans filed an emergency appeal May 3 with the Supreme Court to set aside a ruling by a panel of three federal judges in Detroit that ordered the states electoral map be redrawn because of what the judges unanimously called an unconstitutional political gerrymander of historical proportions that caused severe constitutional violations. A wide breadth of statistical evidence suggests partisan bias that gave Republicans a strong advantage over Democrats, the ruling stated, according to The Detroit News. The officials also are expected to ask the high court to stay enforcement of the judges ruling until that court rules on gerrymandering cases related to Maryland and North Carolina. The redistricting in the Wolverine State was approved by the GOP-controlled state legislature in 2011 and signed into law by the then-Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, in time for the 2012 elections. The judges found the redrawn boundaries ran afoul of the First and 14th Amendment rights of the voters who initiated the legal action, and directed state officials to again redraw at least 34 state House, Senate and congressional districts. This is one of the small class of cases where the appeal to the Supreme Court is in the mandatory jurisdiction of the court, Samuel Bagenstos, a University of Michigan law professor, told MLive Media Group. They have to at least take the case and issue some kind of judgment on it. Bagenstos said Michigan Republicans probably will reiterate arguments they already made in the U.S. District Court that they expect will resonate with the justices of the high court. The first thing I think Republicans will say is this just isnt a matter for the courts, Bagenstos said. I think theyll also make the argument that the plaintiffs here waited too long to sue. I dont expect youll see any new arguments from them. Traditionally, conservative members of the Supreme Court tend to favor treating redistricting as a political question that should be left to lawmakers who have been elected to make this kind of decision. Liberal justices tend to be more open to intervening in the map-drawing process to correct perceived injustices. But the Supreme Court is likely to hold off on taking up the Michigan case until after it hands down decisions in two pending gerrymandering cases, according to Bagenstos. In oral arguments in two cases heard March 26, the Supreme Court appeared divided about separate legal challenges to the state electoral maps of North Carolina and Maryland, which partisans on both sides in those states say are unfairly tilted to their opponents. The Supreme Court reportedly has never struck down an entire state map for gerrymanderingthe partisan manipulation of the boundaries of electoral districts to favor one party or groupbut it has ordered the redrawing of congressional districts. In the cases before the court, in the presidential battleground state of North Carolina, the legislature redrew the map in 2016, giving Republicans a 10 to 3 advantage over Democrats in the delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislature had to act because, at the urging of left-wing activist groups, a U.S. District Court found the 2011 map amounted to an unconstitutional race-based gerrymander. A legislative committee made the new map based on seven criteria, including politics and race. In the Maryland case, the map also was redesigned, handing Democrats a 7 to 1 advantage over Republicans in the liberal bastions congressional delegation. Gerald Tschura, a constitutional law professor at Western Michigan Universitys Cooley Law School, told MLive the court-ordered redistricting in Michigan would likely survive further legal scrutiny because the evidence was pretty strong that the boundary-drafters were trying to gerrymander the electoral districts. If I were a betting man, I would say there is a strong likelihood that the Michigan case would be upheld, Tschura said. A Miami Air International charter plane sits at the end of a runway in a river at Jacksonville, Fla., on May 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough) Missing Pets Involved in Jacksonville Plane Crash Found, Says US Navy U.S. military officers have found pets that went missing after a chartered jet crashed in northern Florida on May 3. The Naval Air Station (NAS) at Jacksonville confirmed that the bodies of a dog and two cats owned by a military family were recovered from the aircraft floating on St. Johns River. Every possible avenue to rescue these animals was pursued following the incident. One animal that traveled in the cabin was safely removed by its owner, NAS Jacksonville said in a Facebook post dated May 5. The station described the recovery effort as a sad task conducted in the most dignified way possible with the base veterinarian on site to ensure all protocols were followed. The animals will be cremated through a local company, NAS Jacksonville said. Update on the pets aboard the aircraft: A dog and two cats belonging to a military family have been recovered from the Posted by NAS Jacksonville on Sunday, May 5, 2019 The station was unable to rescue the animals earlier because it could not guarantee the safety of rescue crew members. 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, NAS Jacksonville said in a Facebook post dated May 4. Our hearts and prayers go out to those pet owners during this terrible incident. Many people are asking about the pets aboard the aircraft that skidded off the runway into the St. Johns River last Posted by NAS Jacksonville on Saturday, May 4, 2019 The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sent a team of investigators to inspect the partially submerged aircraft. Rescuers searched in the cargo area but saw no crates and heard no animal noises. They also did not see any pet carriers above water. The station confirmed that all humans aboard the plane had walked away from the crash without critical injuries, with only a 3-month-old baby being sent to hospital as a precaution. I think it is a miracle, NAS Jacksonville Captain Michael Connor told AP. We could be talking about a different story this evening. Investigators will continue to examine the aircraft for any potential environmental and human factors that could have caused the plane to roll into the river. One factor, which has been widely reported, is that the pavement on the runway was not grooved. ***Plane incident update***At approximately 9:40 p.m. today, a Boeing 737 arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Posted by NAS Jacksonville on Friday, May 3, 2019 The plane took on from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba with 136 passengers and seven crew members. It was a regular charter run by Miami Air International, which has many military contracts to run weekly flights between Guantanamo Bay, Jacksonville, and Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The aircraft had no prior history of accidents, according to NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg. Survivor Cheryl Bormann described the chaotic landing as bouncing. 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 said. The pilot was trying to control it but couldnt and then, all of a sudden, it smashed into something. No passengers screamed because flight staff worked quickly to give directions, according to Bormann, who works as a defense attorney. The passengers included military personnel, their family members, and civilians. Connor was unable to confirm if heavy rain had impacted the flight. I was at home when this happened and there were thunderstorms and lightning, he said. The plane was due to return to Cuba on May 4 to carry other members of the military, lawyers, and others to Andrews. Crews have already begun containing jet fuel leaks and the plane is unlikely to float away because the landing gear appears to be resting on the riverbed, according to Connor. Were obviously very concerned about the environment and were doing everything we can to contain it, he said. Once we were assured that personnel were safe, our next priority effort was to contain any type of fuel. There has been no time frame provided for when the plane will be removed from the river. We have challenges because bottom half of fuselage is covered with water [sic], Landsberg said. NAS Jacksonville, Fla. At approximately 9:40 p.m. today, a Boeing 737 arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Posted by NAS Jacksonville on Friday, May 3, 2019 Associated Press contributed to this report. Delaware Man Charged With Rape After Posing as Ride-Share Driver: Police A man has been charged with rape after he allegedly lured a young woman into his truck on the streets of Delaware by posing as a ride-share driver before he threatened her with a knife. A 21-year-old woman reported being sexually assaulted at knife-point in a silver pick-up truck after climbing in near the University of Delaware in Newark in the early hours of May 4, according to a police statement. Police were able to identify the vehicle from CCTV footage, and tracked it down to Roberto Rodriguez, 41, of Newark. Rodriguez was arrested when he left his residence on May 5, with a knife in his possession, according to a later police statement. He has been charged with first-degree rape, possession of a deadly weapon, unlawful sexual conduct, theft under $1,500, and malicious interference with emergency communications. The theft and malicious interference charges are the result of Rodriguez taking the victims phone from her to prevent her from calling the police, said police. Rodriguez allegedly pulled over in his GMC pick-up and told the woman that he was he was driving for a ride-share service and offered her a ride home on May 4 at around 1 a.m. The victim had not called for a ride, said a police statement. The victim got into the vehicle and the driver began to drive northbound on North Chapel Street. At one point in the drive, while at an undetermined area, the driver pulled over and produced a knife. Brandishing the knife, he told her to perform a sexual act with him, which she did. He then continued to drive until she was able to exit the truck and call 911 from a nearby residence, said police. She was taken a local hospital where she was treated for minor injuries. The victim initially described the rapist as being around 40, of medium build, with short hair, and said that he spoke in broken English with an accent. Rodriguez was ordered to be held on $63,000 cash bail. Killed After Getting in the Wrong Car In March, a student at a North Carolina university was killed after apparently getting into the wrong car after hailing an Uber ride during a night out. Surveillance footage shows the moment murdered 21-year-old student Samantha Josephson hopped down the curb and into her alleged killers car outside a South Carolina bar, as she apparently mistook it for her Uber ride home. Nathaniel Rowland was charged with her murder and kidnapping after police tracked down his car, inside which they found Josephsons cellphone and her blood. The footage shows the University of South Carolina student getting into a black Chevrolet Impala shortly after 2 a.m. on March 29. Police believe she thought it was her Uber ride, which arrived moments later outside the Five Points bar in Columbia. Her body was found later that day, in the woods off a dirt road in Clarendon County. on Sept. 19, 2016 Rowland, 24, was arrested early the next day after a police officer noticed the make and color of his car matched the CCTV records. Rowland tried to run, but the officer was able to catch up to him, Holbrook said. When they returned to the car, he said, the officer saw what appeared to be blood in the car, along with bleach, window cleaner, and cleaning wipes. This article was updated to reflect the fact that the alleged rape occurred in Newark, Delaware, not New Jersey as incorrectly stated in the original. Nurse Allegedly Takes Photos of Patients Unclothed, Sends Them to Former Co-Worker A nurse in western Pennsylvania is accused of taking explicit and private photos of patients and sharing them with an ex-co-worker, the police said. The Allegheny County police said 30-year-old Ashley Ann Smith took inappropriate pictures of 17 elderly patients, some of them unclothed, between May 2017 and August 2018, at a nursing home in Allegheny County, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Smith, who was working as a practical nurse at the Kane McKeesport Community Living Center at that time, was charged on May 3 with 30 crimes, including invasion of privacy and abuse of care, said the criminal complaint. Police charge former Kane McKeesport nurse with taking nude photos of elderly patients https://t.co/1MsUaKug97 pic.twitter.com/fcSrSalCSO Popular Crime (@popular_crime) May 4, 2019 The pictures showed elderly patients in various unclothed states and some photos were of patients in need of immediate care and private situations. Police also found on Smiths cellphone a video of a naked patient undertaking a medical process. The images are explicit and private, and some have the sole purpose to humiliate the patients, the complaint said. Smith sent the photos to a former co-worker, 36-year-old Ron Whittaker, who reported the matter to the centers management, who alerted the police. Smith was suspended from her job without pay when the pictures were discovered on May 1. The accused also faces child pornography charges because when the police checked her phone they also found two nude photos of a 2-year-old girl. I havent read the complaint yet, and I will be better able to talk about it when I speak to my client, Smiths attorney, Frank Walker, told the Post-Gazette. Right now, the Constitution affords her the presumption of innocence, and she stands firmly on that, he said. Dennis Biondo, executive director of Kane Community Living Centers said the elderly victims and their families were notified about the photos. Smith and Whittaker were a couple until November 2018 and both filed for protection from abuse orders from each other on Nov. 7, reported TRIB Live. The duo is involved in a custody battle for their daughter. Whittaker was arrested and charged with assaulting Smith on Oct. 24, 2018, and that case is currently pending. He said that Smith had threatened multiple times to kill me and my other daughter, according to TRIB Live. RN took photos of elderly patients & one toddler patient. Investigators called the images explicit & private, and some have the sole purpose to humiliate the patients, She faces a total of 30 charges, 11 are felonies.https://t.co/KdlAKKb4f2 NYC EMS Watch (@NYCEMSwatch) May 4, 2019 Smith had written in her Protection From Abuse (PFA) complaint that she sent him those pictures as revenge for leaving her. In a similar case, a Pennsylvania woman sued a hospital where she once worked after they took photos of her while she was on the operating table. Sheila Harosky, 45, sued Washington Hospital, its chief executive, and the doctor performing the surgery, Dennis Brown. She alleged that they committed medical malpractice and an invasion of privacy when they took photos of her while she was nude. Sheila Harosky is suing the Pennsylvania hospital where she was formerly an employee after she says that https://t.co/iZCQV4I6OY We Are Woman (@WeAreWomanUS) January 1, 2018 I trusted my medical personnel, Harosky told CBS Pittsburgh. Thats what hurts so bad. The hospital, in a statement, said the photos were taken as an extension of a practical joke that she had participated in by placing fake intestines on her body before the surgery, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. She admitted to playing a joke on the doctor, but she didnt give permission for the photos to be taken. She showed me four to six photos of me unconscious in the operating room being prepped for surgery, said Harosky, adding that a nurse allegedly showed the photos to others. There was my private parts. There was everything, everything that you see in the operating room. Harosky said that a similar incident happened and involved at least one other patient at the hospital. 45-year-old Sheila Harosky has sued Washington hospital, its chief executive, and the doctor performing her surgery, after the discovering nude photos had been taken of her on the operating table. #9Todayhttps://t.co/nhiv7EnT25 The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) December 30, 2017 In the lawsuit, according to the Observer-Reporter, the hospital failed to protect her from an increasingly hostile and abusive work environment. CBS Pittsburgh reported that the Health Department confirms the hospital was cited for violating the Pennsylvania state policy on cellphone use in a sterile environment. Epoch Newsroom contributed to this report. By Dan Williams May 06, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a March speech that anti-Zionism - opposition to Israels 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 Departments 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. Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter Carr declined to cite specific countries or leaders, or to elaborate on what actions the Trump administration might take. 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. 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 administrations 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. Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky This article was originally published by " Reuters " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio holds up a copy of 'One NYC 2050' as he speaks at Hunters Point South Park in the Queens borough of New York City on April 22, 2019. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio to Announce Presidential Bid: Report New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to announce his presidential bid sometime this week, four people with knowledge of the plan told the New York Daily News. De Blasio is the latest to launch a longshot bid in a crowded field of 2020 Democratic candidates. Two sources told the outlet his presidential campaign could start as early as his birthday on May 8, when he will turn 58 years old. De Blasio himself said on May 2 that he would announce this month if he was running. When asked at a press conference about the details of his possible run, the mayor took an optimistic tone. His office didnt respond to a request for comment by press time on the details of his expected run. I have never run for anything without intending to win, he said on May 2. And you can look at my track record. I was an underdog in everything Ive ever been near. Im not saying that with any hubris. I think this is extraordinarily rich field and complex, dynamic, ever-changing. De Blasio, who has been described by The New York Times as a young leftist in his earlier days, recently launched his own version of the controversial Green New Deal that recently was presented to Congress. His progressive plan aims to cut emissions from the citys high rises and ban the classic glass and steel skyscrapers that make up the Big Apples skyline. A Quinnipiac University Poll last month found that an overwhelming majority, 76 percent of New York City voters, believe de Blasio shouldnt run for president. Meanwhile, only 18 percent said he should. Mayor Bill de Blasios flirtation with a 2020 White House bid is prompting a rare moment of unity among New Yorkers. Three-quarters of them say, Mr. Mayor: Dont do it,' said Mary Snow, a polling analyst for the Quinnipiac University Poll. In March, the mayor of the Big Apple implemented a Meatless Monday school program that would provide students in the citys 1,800 public schools an all-vegetarian breakfast and lunch menus every Monday, which he said would improve New Yorkers health and reduce their environmental impact on the planet. In January, he announced a health care plan to cover an estimated 600,000 residents, including illegal immigrants. The mayor touted the program as a step toward universal health care. De Blasio, in his 2019 State of the City speech, also touted the redistribution of wealth. Brothers and sisters, theres plenty of money in the world. Theres plenty of money in this city. Its just in the wrong hands, he said. You deserve a city that gives you the share of prosperity that you have earned. According to the Associated Press, de Blasio is running mainly to raise his profile and to secure a position in another Democrats administration. Bill de Blasio has had a fair amount of big, progressive achievements as mayor of New York City, said Rebecca Katz, a former adviser who isnt working on de Blasios possible presidential campaign. I dont want to get in his head too much, but my guess is he wants the world to see it, understand it, and thank him for it. De Blasio has traveled to key early voting primary states over the past few months in order to lay the groundwork for his campaign. New Brunswick potato farmer Henk Tepper checks on his field, at his farm in Drummond, N.B. on June 26, 2012 . (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) Ottawa Worried About Fallout From Jailing of Farmer in Beirut, Documents Show FREDERICTONDocuments 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 didnt 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 Teppers 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 Teppers 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. Documentsincluding government emailsdisclosed 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 Quebechad 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. Teppers detention and possible extradiction to Algeria generated a lot of public and media attention, and according to the documents filed with the courta lot of discussion among government and consular officials. Notes from one meeting of consular staff read given Teppers 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. Teppers 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 Teppers 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. Young girls, whose families were displaced by floods, sit on a makeshift bed, as they take shelter on higher ground in Thatta, Pakistan on Aug. 29, 2010. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images) Pakistan Busts Prostitution Ring That Sent Young Women to China LAHORE, PakistanPakistani authorities have arrested 12 suspected members of prostitution ring taking young Pakistani women to China, part of a growing human trafficking problem often based on fake marriages, officials said on May 6. Those arrested included eight Chinese nationals and four Pakistanis, said Jameel Ahmad, a top official at Pakistans Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which deals with human trafficking. We busted the gang after the FIA received information about increasing smuggling of Pakistani woman to China where they are thrown into prostitution, Ahmad told Reuters. He said several gangs were believed to be operating, mainly targeting members of Pakistans Christian minority. The arrests came a week after Human Rights Watch said Pakistan should be alarmed by recent reports of trafficking of women and girls to China. It said the allegations were disturbingly similar to the pattern of trafficking of brides to China from at least five other Asian countries. The Chinese embassy in Islamabad has also raised the alarm over illegal, cross-border matchmaking services that are often a front for human trafficking. Last month the embassy said China was cooperating with Pakistani law enforcement agencies to crack down on illegal matchmaking. It denied reports that the women were being trafficked for the sale of their organs. Ahmad said a police raid he led on a wedding ceremony last week in the eastern city of Faisalabad was a major breakthrough in the investigation. He said a man and a woman from China and a fake priest were arrested at the ceremony where a Christian girl was to be married. The gang members confessed that they have sent at least 36 Pakistani girls to China where they are being used for prostitution, he said. The majority were Christians from different districts in eastern Punjab province, he said. By Mubasher Bukhari Pennsylvania State Lawmaker Receives Backlash for Allegedly Harassing Elderly Anti-Abortion Protester A Pennsylvania State lawmaker has been criticized for allegedly harassing an elderly female pro-life protestor outside a southeastern Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood clinic last week. Democratic Rep. Brian Sims filmed and posted a video of himself confronting and repeatedly taunting a woman for nearly 9 minutes. The woman, who was holding rosary beads and a bag of pamphlets, appeared to be quietly praying on the sidewalk when Sims approached. WATCH: Pennsylvania State Representative @BrianSimsPA harasses an elderly woman who is peacefully advocating for the lives of preborn human beings and women who are considering abortion. This is shameful. https://t.co/Xb9pkFZSXC Live Action (@LiveAction) May 5, 2019 Todays protester, now she is an old white lady who is going to try to avoid showing you her face, Sims said in the video, which was titled Push back against Planned Parenthood protestors [sic], PLEASE! They prey on young women, they use white privilege, & shame. Theyre racist, classist, bigots who NEED & DESERVE our righteous opposition. Push back, please. But the same laws, luckily, that protect her from being out here also protect me from showing you who she is. And so my hope is that youll donate $100 for every extra hour that this woman is out here telling people what is right for their bodies, Sims continued as the woman tried to avoid a confrontation with the lawmaker. Whod have thought that an old lady would be outside a Planned Parenthood telling people what is right for their bodies. Shame on you. Shame on you for hiding your face at the same time that youre shaming other people, he said. Again the same laws that protect me, protect you. Thats okay. Youre allowed to be out here. But that doesnt mean you have a moral right to be out here. Shame on you. What you are doing here is disgusting. This is wrong. You have no business being out here, he added. The state lawmaker then continued to allegedly follow and harass the woman, telling her shame on you for standing outside the clinic, while trying to film her face. He also mocked her about her Christian faith. Shame on you! Shame! Shame! Theres no faith that tells you are right and everybody else is wrong, he said. The woman could be seen trying to move away from Sims as he continued to follow and film her. At one point, she told the lawmaker to get out of my way and get your camera out of my face when Sims became too close to her vicinity. Although Sims claimed that the woman was talking to everyone walking into the clinic and shaming other people, there was no video evidence presented of her doing that. Sims video, which was posted on May 2, was viewed more than 300,000 times as of May 6. He has since received backlash for the alleged harassment, with many people describing his behavior as bullying. Why isnt this banned as hate speech and racial discrimination @tedcruz? documentary filmmaker Mike Cernovich wrote. Pennsylvania State Representative Brian Sims targeted a protester for her race and gender. An old white lady. Why isnt this banned as hate speech and racial discrimination @tedcruz? @LiveAction pic.twitter.com/FksE2o7dnV Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) May 5, 2019 Democrat state lawmaker Brian Sims (PA) harasses an elderly woman for her Christian faith, tells her not protest Planned Parenthood in public, calls her racist, asks for her address so he can show up to her home as an elected official and harass her, Ryan Saavedra, reporter for the Daily Wire, wrote on Twitter. Democrat state lawmaker Brian Sims (PA) harasses an elderly woman for her Christian faith, tells her not protest Planned Parenthood in public, calls her racist, asks for her address so he can show up to her home as an elected official and harass her https://t.co/vJPDQz3YwY Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 5, 2019 Planned Parenthood director turned pro-life advocate Abby Johnson also called out Sims for his behavior. This man is a state rep!!! I seriously cant believe the way these democratic legislators are showing their hands right now. Ive never seen a group of people more desperate to kill children. Im so proud of the restraint this woman showed and so disgusted by @BrianSimsPA, Johnson wrote. This man is a state rep!!! I seriously cant believe the way these democratic legislators are showing their hands right now. Ive never seen a group of people more desperate to kill children. Im so proud of the restraint this woman showed and so disgusted by @BrianSimsPA. https://t.co/pmGIggtAF0 Abby Johnson (@AbbyJohnson) May 6, 2019 Dr. Monique Ruberu, a prominent Pennsylvania pro-life advocate, said in a statement that Sims should not be representing anyone as he is obviously only capable of defending those that go along with his beliefs. This poor woman who wanted to do nothing but stand, pray, and hand out blessing bags was verbally assaulted and badgered by a state rep, Ruberu said. [W]e have loving, kind, peaceful, prayerful sidewalk servants trying to cover every hour that these places are open. We stand there pray for the women, children, workers, and escorts we offer help, hope, resources so that the men and women know that someone wants to help them. In the blessing bags we give a card that tells the woman she is strong, beautiful, and awesome and we want to walk with her, we offer free pregnancy tests and ultrasound, we give a pamphlet that has info on the pregnancy centers, abortion pill reversal, post-abortion healing, etc, etc we dont yell, scream, degrade, or belittle but we are persecuted, she also wrote. It is unclear whether the woman has reported the incident to authorities. According to the Pennsylvania code, part of the definition of harassment states: A person commits the crime of harassment when, with intent to harass, annoy, or alarm another, the person (2) follows the other person in or about a public place or places. A boat navigates among calved icebergs from the nearby Twin Glaciers in Qaqortoq, Greenland, on July 21, 2013. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Pentagon Report Warns of Chinese Ambition in Arctic Ahead of Pompeos Europe Visit In an annual report to Congress on Chinas military, the Pentagon identified one particular region that the Chinese regime is keenly interested to dominatethe Arctic. Since it gained observer status in the Arctic Council in 2013, China has increased activity and engagement in the region, according to the Pentagon report. The Council consists of eight countries: Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States, which holds sovereignty over the lands within the Arctic Circle. Meanwhile, being an observer grants China permission to attend meetings hosted by the council, as well as to propose projects. Pentagon Paper China has sent research icebreaker vessels through the Arctic and has proposed a satellite ground station in Greenland. But the Pentagon warned of Beijings intentions with what are seemingly civilian projects. Civilian research could support a strengthened Chinese military presence in the Arctic Ocean, which could include deploying submarines to the region as a deterrent against nuclear attacks. Arctic nations, including Denmark, have raised concerns about Chinas expanding capabilities and interest in the region, the report added. Beijings ambitions in the Arctic officially were laid out in a white paper titled Chinas Arctic Policy released in January 2018, where it claimed that it was a Near Arctic State, and would be able to participate in the governance of the region. Additionally, Beijing has openly spoken of its desire to create a trade route through the Arcticcalled the Northern Sea Route by Beijingas part of its foreign policy project, One Belt, One Road (OBOR, also known as Belt and Road). At the same time, Beijing is quickly building up its submarine fleet. According to the Pentagon report, Beijing currently operates four nuclear-powered ballistic missiles submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines, and 50 conventionally powered attack submarines. By 2020, the fleet could grow to 65 to 70 submarines, the report predicted. Additionally, China is to build a new advanced guided-missile nuclear attack submarine (Type 093B), a variant of its existing SHANG-class (Type 093), that could enhance the Chinese navys anti-surface warfare capability and could provide a more clandestine land-attack option. While speaking at a press briefing on the Pentagon report, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall G. Schriver explained that the United States will watch very closely Chinas Arctic interests, including the possibility of it hosting ballistic-missile-carrying submarines in the area. [original] Pompeos Upcoming Visit Ahead of an upcoming trip to Europe by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, department officials expressed concerns about Chinas increased involvement in the Arctic. Observers have interests, but we know for example that China sometimes refers to itself as a near-Arctic state and there is no such definition in the councils lexicon, an unnamed official said during a May 2 State Department briefing on Pompeos trip. The eight Arctic states conduct governance of the Arctic region and we reject attempts by non-Arctic states to claim a role in this process, the official added. Pompeo is scheduled to arrive in Rovaniemi, a city in northern Finlands Lapland Province on May 6, where he will take part in the 11th Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council, according to the State Department. The Secretary of State is scheduled to deliver a speech on U.S. Arctic policy. After traveling to Berlin and London, Pompeo will visit Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, on May 9, when he is to meet with Greenlands premier and foreign minister, as well as the Danish foreign minister, to discuss shared priorities in the Arctic. Greenland is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark. Previously, in February, Pompeo had raised concerns about the geopolitical situation in the Arctic, in an interview with the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. If America is not engaged [in the Arctic], if we pull back, folks will fill the vacuum, and the Russians and the Chinese see that and use every opportunity they can, and we think that presents risk to freedom-loving nations like Iceland and freedom-loving nations like America. Chinas Agenda in the Arctic Chinas claim of being a near Arctic state also was challenged by U.S. Navy Captain Tuan N. Pham, who is also the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence and Information Operations to the Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces in Japan. In a March 2019 paper published by Maryland-based nonprofit military association The United States Naval Institute, Pham stated that Beijings claims to join the Arctic dialogue, on grounds such as geographic proximity and the effect of climate change on China due to the melting Arctic ice sheets, are tenuous and flimsy. The U.S. Navy captain also questioned the white papers claim that China would use Arctic resources in a lawful and rational matter. He explained that Beijing was quite explicit and emphatic in the white paper about intending to use these resources to pursue its own national interests much as it does in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Be mindful of the Polar Silk Road, Pham wrote in his suggestions to U.S. policymakers. Polar Silk Road is another name for the Northern Sea Route, which would reduce the time and cost of shipping goods from Chinese ports to Europe, compared to traditional routes through the Suez Canal. Beyond giving China access to strategic infrastructures and resources in the Arctic, the real danger lies in the accumulated economic leverage that could be used for political gain, Pham wrote. China has invested heavily in Arctic countries over the years. According to a 2017 report by Arlington, Virginia-based nonprofit research and analysis organization CNA, China was estimated to have invested over $1.4 trillion in the Arctic nations, including Finland and Sweden, from 2005 to 2017. One of the reasons China managed to secure observer status is by strengthening bilateral ties with members of the Council, especially smaller countries like Iceland, stated a 2013 article by South Korea-based news magazine International Policy Digest. Countries seeking observer status apply to the Council, which then decides whether to accept. In 2013, Iceland became the first country in Europe to sign a free trade agreement with China. In Greenland, Chinese interests last year in funding local airport projects received pushback from Denmark. According to a March 2019 article by English-language weekly newspaper The Copenhagen Post, the Danish government has agreed to become co-owners of two new international airports in Nuuk and Ilulissat. We dont want a communist dictatorship in our own backyard, said Michael Aastrup Jensen, the foreign policy spokesperson for the main Venstre party in the Danish coalition government, in an interview with BBC in December last year. Homero Capatti enjoyed Shen Yun at Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, Hawaii, on May 5, 2019. (Sally Sun/The Epoch Times) HONOLULUPianist Homero Capatti was enthralled by both the music and dance presented by Shen Yun Performing Arts in Honolulu, Hawaii. Its [a] very astonishing production, and its worth to see, he said. Capatti saw the performance at Blaisdell Concert Hall on May 5. The classical Chinese dance company is currently on tour, bringing back traditional Chinese culture for modern audiences around the world. Through music and dance, New York-based Shen Yun takes audience members on a tour through 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Capatti, formerly a music professor at a conservatory of music in Brazil, said he paid particular attention to the dancing, and how it compared to Western ballet as he had also previously been a dancer. I find some differences in between the Chinese traditional [dance], and occidental balletlike the foot[work], he said. Its very beautiful. The hands, and the arms, and everything is a little bit different, so I loved it very much. Capatti was also able to pick up on another element of the dance, a deeper meaning revealed behind the movements. I felt much more of the spiritual side of the dance, than the technique, he said, adding that while he appreciated the outstanding technique he was uplifted by the spirit he felt from the dancers. As to what exactly he perceived, Capatti said there was something transcendental about the dance. Its difficult to say but I like the fact that it was in two different worlds, the earth and the celestial world, Capatti said. And there could be this communication in between the two worlds, and I felt that like its very comforting to know. Classical Chinese dance is an ancient art form that not only has a comprehensive set of movements and expressions, but also involves a metaphysical component known as yun or bearing. This element focuses on the dancers being able to transmit their inner world through their external expressions. Thus, many Shen Yun dancers focus on improving their moral quality to ensure they communicate a positive and uplifting feeling on stage. The pianist also appreciated the music by Shen Yuns live orchestra, which is composed of both classical Eastern and Western instruments. The orchestra too, was perfect, Capatti said. Besides enjoying hearing the oriental sounds lead the melody on top of a classical Western orchestra, the musician also particularly liked the erhu player and vocal soloist. The erhu is a two-stringed Chinese instrument that is able to convey a range of tones said to reflect wide array of feelings. The lyrics of the song sung by the vocalist delved into belief in the divine, and also made reference to the Creator, which stems from an ancient Chinese belief that the Creator would one day descend to Earth to save humankind. Speaking of the reference, the pianist said, I loved it very much. With reporting by Sally Sun. 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. President Trump: Time to Get Back to Business After Costly and Time Consuming Investigations President Trump posted a series of Twitter statements on May 2, suggesting that it is time that the nation move on from the Mueller investigation, calling on Republicans and Democrats to come together for the good of the American people. Trump stated that its time to get back to business after each party trying their best to make the other party look as bad as possible pleading for no more costly and time consuming investigations. OK, so after two years of hard work and each party trying their best to make the other party look as bad as possible, its time to get back to business. The Mueller Report strongly stated that there was No Collusion with Russia (of course) and, in fact, they were rebuffed.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2019 at every turn in attempts to gain access. But now Republicans and Democrats must come together for the good of the American people. No more costly & time consuming investigations. Lets do Immigration (Border), Infrastructure, much lower drug prices & much more and do it now! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2019 Now, Trump is pushing Congress to finally focus and prioritize on what that the public actually cares about, including immigration issues and border security, investing in infrastructure reform, and pushing down prices on prescription drugs. Earlier this week, Trump met at the White House with Congressional Democrats to discuss negotiations on investment in infrastructure. Last week, the president and first lady attended the Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit, where Trump talked about the administrations efforts to deal with the opioid epidemic as well as cracking down on the flow of narcotrafficking across the U.S. southern border. This issue of illegal immigration and border security has become particularly more polarizing, ever since Trump voiced concerns about its impacts on the country while on the campaign trail. The recent longest-ever government shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019, was due in part to the inability of both parties in Congress to agree on funding for border security and reach a solution on immigration reform. Trump posted the above statements following an interview with Fox News correspondent Catherine Herridge, during which Trump talked about his Attorney Generals testimony before the Senate, stating that the administration has acted in total transparency during the Mueller investigation as well other probes in Congress. Trump, therefore insisted that Congressional Democrats stop engaging in investigating him or his administration, declaring: Its done reported Fox News. The Presidents statement is significant as it comes with a fresh restart to his administration, after the end of the 22-month long Russia investigation. Trump reiterated the conclusions of the Mueller report, saying it strongly stated that there was No Collusion with Russia (of course) and, in fact, they were rebuffed at every turn in attempts to gain access. This statement was also made almost 2 years since the Mueller investigation was launched on May 17, 2017, and almost exactly 3 years since Trump secured the Republication nomination on May 3, 2016. During that time three years ago, the focus was first and foremost on Trumps agenda and there was no press coverage on Russian interference. Most experts believed that Trump had no chance in the general election. The Three Character Classic, or San Zi Jing, is the best-known classic Chinese text for children. Written by Wang Yinlian (12231296) during the Song Dynasty, it has been memorized by generations of Chinese people, young and old. Until the 1800s, the Three Character Classic was the first text that every child would study. The texts short, simple, and rhythmic three-character verses allowed for easy reading and reciting, while the content covered a broad range of topics. It not only helped children learn common Chinese characters, grammar structures, and lessons from Chinese history but also, above all, enabled them to develop an understanding of traditional Chinese culture and the upright ways of conducting themselves as good people. The very first lesson in the Three Character Classic teaches children about their original pure nature: People at birth Are good by nature. Their natures are much the same, Their habits become widely different. In other words, people are born innately good. Infants may vary in their personality, but by and large, they share similar qualities of innocence and purity. However, as the young grow up and are influenced by different people, environments, and experiences, they develop priorities and habits that can lead them to become very different individuals. For example, some learn to value family and filial piety as being of the highest importance; others learn to cherish money above all things. Some find gratification through material gains; others find meaning in spiritual pursuit. Same Background, Different Values The following anecdote illustrates how two people who grew up together can turn out very differently. A Chinese writer relates how her father, a carpenter named Jing, was a kind, honest, and respectful man who was well liked by everyone in his village for his good character. Jing had an old classmate and friend named Wang. One day, Wang invited Jing to his house for dinner. As they were chatting, Jing saw that an old man who looked like a servant was cooking for them and serving them tea and wine. He asked Wang, Who is this elderly man? When Wang replied, Thats my father, Jing was shocked. Jing jumped up and said to Wangs father, Uncle, please sit down. He helped the elderly man into his seat, poured him a glass of wine, and respectfully said, Uncle, please forgive my rudeness. Then, turning to Wang, Jing said, I am no longer your friend. You dont know how to respect your elders. He picked up his tools and walked out the door. Jing had learned from a young age that one must be respectful to ones elders and teachers. Wang, on the other hand, never learned to take this principle seriously. Despite growing up as old friends, the two had developed widely different characters and values. Kou Zhun Receives a Lesson Beyond the Grave So what makes a person become like Jing instead of Wang? The answer lies in the next stanza of the Three Character Classic: If foolishly there is no teaching, The nature will deteriorate. The right way in teaching Is to attach the utmost importance in thoroughness. A persons innately good nature is maintained through teaching and guidance throughout ones life. Without guidance, however, this good nature can become corrupted. The story of Kou Zhun, a prime minister who lived during Chinas Northern Song Dynasty, offers an example. Kou was born into a family of intellectuals. However, his father died when Kou was young, and he was raised by his mother, who wove fabric to help them get by. Despite their poverty, Kous mother taught and urged Kou to work hard so that he could one day make great contributions to society. Kou proved to be extremely intelligent, and at 18, he passed the national examinations with outstanding results. He was thus among the few to be selected by the emperor to become a government official. The good news spread to Kous mother, who was seriously ill at the time. As she lay dying, she gave a faithful servant a painting she had made. Kou Zhun will one day become a government official, she whispered. If his character starts to go astray, please give him this painting. Tempering Extravagance Kou Zhun eventually became prime minister, but fame and luxury began to go to his head. To show off his wealth and status, he decided to host an extravagant birthday celebration, replete with a banquet and opera performances. Noticing that the time had come, the servant presented Kou with his mothers painting. Kou saw that it was a painting of himself reading a book under an oil lamp, with his mother weaving cloth by his side. Written next to the image were these words: Watching you endure the hardship of studying under a dim light, I hope you will become a good person and benefit many others in the future. Your devoted mother has taught you the virtue of thrift, In times of wealth, never forget those who are poor, like we once were. Reading his mothers words, Kou burst into tears. It was clear he had not lived up to her expectations. He called off the banquet. The reminder from Kous mother beyond the grave saved him from a downward spiral toward greed and corruption. From then on, Kou lived frugally, treated others generously, and carried out his official duties with high morals and integrity. He eventually became one of the most famous and beloved prime ministers of the Song Dynasty. This story not only illustrates that guidance and teaching are necessary for grooming ones character, but it also carries a deeper message: As people are innately good, even those who have gone astray can rediscover their good nature and return to their original true selves. As long as they realize their mistakes and are determined to change, its never too late. Kate and Gerry McCann pose with an artist's impression of how their daughter might look at the age of 9 in London on May 2, 2012. (AFP/Getty Images) Report: German Child Killer Isnt Suspect in Madeleine McCann Case A German national who was convicted of killing three children isnt the new suspect in the kidnapping of British child Madeleine McCann, who went missing more than a decade ago, according to media reports. Martin Ney, 48, was named as a person of interest by police in Portugal after a tip came in from Scotland Yard, reported the Daily Mail. Madeleine was 3 years old when she vanished while vacation with her parents in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007. JUST IN: Police are making huge steps in the hunt for this 'German triple child killer' Daily Mail Ney is believed to have visited the Algarve and traveled in Portugal in the 1990s. But a tabloid reported that he wasnt the new suspect who is currently being investigated in the disappearance of Madeleine. A German paedophile, serving life for the murder of three children and the sexual abuse of dozens more youngsters, was named by the British press as a Madeleine McCann suspect, the tabloid, Correio da Manha, reported. However this is not the new suspect that the Policia Judiciaria in Porto is investigating, said the report, as the Mail said. New details reveal the convicted paedophile's whereabouts at the time of Maddie McCann's abduction. Yahoo News Australia The Correio de Manha claimed last week that detectives investigating the long-running case are exploring a new clue and a new suspect, The Sun reported. The daily newspaper also stated that Portuguese police said they are nearer to knowing what happened to the missing child. In a statement to the Mail, Portugals PJ (Policia Judiciaria) said, The PJ does not feel it is appropriate to make any further clarifications in the interests of the investigation. Ney was previously interviewed by detectives investigating the girls disappearance. Hes denied any involvement. A serial child killer dubbed the masked man has emerged as a key suspect in the search for missing child Madeleine McCann. Sunrise Clarence Mitchell, a spokesperson for the McCann family, said the man was questioned about the girl. It might be him and he fits the profile, he is a known predatory paedophile and hes a foreigner, he was quoted as saying by The Independent. It is quite possible and plausible police are looking at him again but it could be someone else. Mitchell added: Ney has been previously interviewed by detectives over Madeleines abduction, and denied it. He is in a German jail now. Parents Wont Give Up Gerry and Kate McCann, the parent of Madeleine, recently said they would persist in trying to figure out what happened to their daughter. In a statement on May 3, they said, The months and years roll by too quickly, Madeleine will be 16 this month, according to The Independent. Its impossible to put into words just how that makes us feel. There is comfort and reassurance though in knowing that the investigation continues and many people around the world remain vigilant. Thank you to everyone who continues to support us and for your ongoing hope and belief, they said. Ney was imprisoned for life in 2012 for the slayings of three children along with the abuse of dozens of others. A former resort worker told The Mirror over the weekend that they had spotted Ney in Portugal when the girl vanished. The person then said, I have a very good memory for faces. I remember his looking at us intently. Epoch Times reporter Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. Fourteen people are dead after a plane leaving Las Vegas crashed in northern Mexico, according to reports. (Google Maps) Reports: 14 Dead After Plane Going From Las Vegas to Mexico Crashes Fourteen people are dead after a plane leaving Las Vegas crashed in northern Mexico, according to reports. The plane was heading from Las Vegas to Monterrey, Mexico, Reuters reported. The wreckage of the plane has been found, said a government official. Local news outlets have reported that 11 passengers and three crew members died in the crash. Fernando Orta of Coahuila states emergency services department told Reuters that the plane was located 129 miles northwest of Monclova. It went missing about 90 minutes after departing Vegas on May 5. The land is rather mountainous so theyre going to take a while longer to arrive, Orta said, adding that officials have not yet arrived on the scene of the crash. The passengers, who were between the ages of 19 and 57, were reportedly in Las Vegas to watch the boxers Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs fight. It is believed that the victims are Mexican nationals. #ULTIMAHORA Circula en redes imagen del accidente del avion Bombardier Challenger 601, matricula N601VH, cerca de #Monclova, reportado como desaparecido desde el domingo y cubria la ruta Las Vegas-Monterrey. pic.twitter.com/HxNlQZfA3U Cesar Cepeda (@cesarmty) May 6, 2019 Coahuila Governor Miguel Riquelme said on May 6 that a search operation for the plane was ordered, saying We still do not know what happened, KTNV reported. Photos of what appears to be the wreckage were posted on social media on May 6. According to CNN Wire, reports said the plane model was the Canadair Challenger 600, and it has a total capacity of up to 20 people. Coahuila: gobernador Miguel Riquelme habla de la busqueda de la aeronave. pic.twitter.com/YnvQl6Trqi Azteca Noticias (@AztecaNoticias) May 6, 2019 FlightAware said the plane went to 37,000 feet for a while before it went up and down before climbing to 40,000 feet before it wasnt tracked any longer, it was reported. According to the Daily Mail, local reports said a strong storm was in the area. A Radio Centro correspondent stated: The Secretariat of Public Security of Coahuila and authorities of Nuevo Leon have begun searches for the private Jet Bombardier Challenger 601 plane, registration N601VH, that flew from Las Vegas to Monterrey, with which contact was lost on Sunday afternoon. Plane Catches on Fire in Russia Reports of the Mexican crash come just a day after Russian airliner burst into flames while making an emergency landing at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport Sunday evening, and at least 40 people died, officials said, as reported by The Associated Press. 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 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. 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 Associated Press contributed to this story. Rachel OConor booted up her slides and began posing questions to six older adults sitting around a table: How should primary care physicians support patients and caregivers after a diagnosis of dementia? And what stands in the way of getting adequate support? Please speak louder and go slower, suggested Susanne Smith, a 75-year-old with early-stage Alzheimers disease. Smith belongs to the Bureau of Sages, a group of vulnerable seniors who advise researchers about what matters to older adults, how to involve them in research about aging, and how to communicate with them effectively while doing so. Its a groundbreaking program: Traditionally, ill, disabled and cognitively challenged older adults have been excluded from research and assumed to be too compromised to offer useful insights. The recognition that this population has something meaningful to contributethats really unique, said Robyn Stone, a former adviser to the Sages and senior vice president of research at LeadingAge, a national organization of nonprofit providers that focus on aging. Everyone who works with older adults would do well to pay attention. Sages groups are housed at several locations. At the Lieberman Center for Health and Rehabilitation, a nursing home in Skokie, a Chicago suburb, nearly a dozen residents meet every two weeks to discuss academic studies, issues they encounter in their daily lives and potential research projects. A similarly sized group of frail, homebound seniors in Chicagos northern suburbs gets together virtually, via the internet. At Northwestern Universitys downtown medical campus, seven adults with dementia gather every couple of months at the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimers Disease to offer feedback to researchers. On this sunny day in mid-April, Jim Butler, 70, acknowledged it took him 18 months to accept a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and to speak openly about it. Karen Finesilver, 68, who has Lewy body dementia, stressed the importance of bringing someone along to doctors appointments. When I hear something that makes me nervous, I dont retain it, she explained. And Smith spoke of how important it is to feel heard by her physician: One of the best things is when he actually listens to what Im saying because a lot of times doctors may know whats going on but they do not listen. OConor, an assistant professor at Northwesterns Feinberg School of Medicine, had started the conversation by asking about problems that patients and caregivers face. After the discussion, she said she would focus more on what helps people build on their strengths because the resilience and positivity of people really stood out today. The Bureau of Sages has received two rounds of funding totaling $500,000 from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), an organization that sponsors innovative projects that include patients in setting research priorities, designing research studies, and evaluating their impact. Unlike occasional surveys or focus groups, a standing group like the Sages can provide valuable ongoing context about individuals lives that sharpens research and makes it more relevant, said Kristin Carman, PCORIs director of public and patient engagement. At the Lieberman nursing home, on another April afternoon, two researchersa physician and a biomechanical engineerpresented a project theyre working on to nine seniors, most in wheelchairs. Their prototype device would help people with compromised mobility stand up from a sitting position, a task that requires a surprising amount of coordination and strength. Would I be able to use this [device] if I cant straighten my leg out all the way? asked Sharon Koretsky, 73, who has diabetes and severe osteoarthritis and can no longer stand on her own. If your muscles are atrophied, would this help improve your condition? wondered Fern Netzsky, 76, who has had multiple sclerosis for 35 years and can no longer stand or walk. Both women use whats known as a sit-to-stand lifta clunky device that helps people transfer from a bed to a chair or from a chair to a toilet seat and that requires two aides to maneuver it. Another commonly used device is a Hoyer lift, which uses a sling to help people rise. I hate the Hoyer: They pull it between your legs and you lay there like a big sack of potatoes with your butt hanging out, Koretsky said. Anything that someone could strap on themselves and that could help people get up more easily with only one aides help would be a wonderful idea, she added. As other Lieberman residents chimed in, it became clear they wanted help with walking, not just with standing. They wanted to be able to use the device outdoors, as well as inside the facility. And safety was essential. I would be willing to try this if I was assured I would not fall and if there was enough protection around me, Netzsky said. The researchers, who asked not to be identified because they are working on this project outside of their full-time jobs, said they found many of the comments helpful. Older adults are often assumed to be resistant to using technology but this group seemed quite open to technology that could improve their quality of life. After the meeting, Nancy Weinberg, 96, another participant, described a communication gap between researchers and nursing home residents when the Bureau of Sages began. They were speaking researchese, and I didnt have any idea what they were talking about. Now they understand we dont want to hear jargon, and they speak our language. With characteristic bluntness, Koretsky said she loved the Sages meetings, observing, Its the only time people here talk to you like you have a brain left. The Lieberman Sages are now trying to persuade researchers at Northwestern to investigate the shortage of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and the need to better train CNAsproblems faced by nursing homes across the nation. Amy Eisenstein, director of the Leonard Schanfield Research Institute at CJE SeniorLife in Chicago and the projects principal investigator, is working to expand the program to other locations, including Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and the University of Massachusetts Boston. CJE SeniorLife, sponsored by Chicagos Council for Jewish Elderly, provides a variety of services to seniors and is the Bureau of Sages original sponsor. Materials that can help any organization launch a Bureau of Sages are available at the Council for Jewish Elderlys website, under the Resources section. I think that all research on aging needs to include the voices of older adults, Eisenstein said. They are experts about their lives, and we need to incorporate their perspectives to make research better. Judith Graham is a writer for Kaiser Health News, which originally published this article. KHNs coverage of these topics is supported by the John A. Hartford Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and The SCAN Foundation. Bobby Walls was arrested on several charges while wearing a "hideous" wig ((Brevard County Sheriff's Office)) Sheriffs Advice to Hideous Wig-Wearing Florida Man Goes Viral A Florida man was arrested last week while wearing a blonde wig while trying to bike away from police. Robert Bobby Walls was arrested after he attempted to pedal past a perimeter that police set up where he had been staying, said the Brevard County Sheriffs Office. Apparently, he tried to disguise himself by wearing a blonde wig. Police were not fooled by the disguise and took him into custody. SERIOUSLYYOU THOUGHT THAT WIG WOULD KEEP THE GAME OVER TASK FORCE FROM RECOGNIZING YOU?Earlier today members of Posted by Brevard County Sheriff's Office, Florida (Official) on Thursday, May 2, 2019 Walls told officials that he knew he was wanted by deputies and attempted to elude officers by using the wig, said officials. SERIOUSLYYOU THOUGHT THAT WIG WOULD KEEP THE GAME OVER TASK FORCE FROM RECOGNIZING YOU? Sheriff Wayne Ivey wrote on Facebook. He added that Walls was the subject of a significant investigation that led to the arrest of about 100 other people. Before his capture and not being fooled by this incredible disguise (insert sarcasm), Agents followed the subject and eventually caught up to him on Range Rd, said Ivey, Once the Agents stopped the subject, they determined it was Walls wearing a long blonde wig and took him into custody without incident. The office then offered Walls a piece of advice. Dont try to hide from Law Enforcement if you have a warrant, and above all else DO NOT wear a hideous wig while trying to run from the Po/Po on a bicycle. I mean come on man have a little dignity!! Ivey concluded. Woman Arrested After Commenting on Facebook Post A Pennsylvania woman was arrested after she taunted authorities on a Facebook post about her being a Most Wanted fugitive. "Ms. Chloe Jones and her witty comments are taking a hiatus from our Facebook comments section due to the jail not having internet for her to use." Posted by WDTV 5 News on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 But her attempt to taunt them backfired when she was arrested after her message revealed her location. Chloe Jones was placed on the Greene County Sheriffs Office Top Ten Most Wanted List, on March 27 after she didnt appear in court on assault charges. WDTV reported that she commented on the offices Facebook post about the listing, asking, Do you do pick up or delivery?? According to the report, she then began arguing with other commenters on Facebook and mentioned she was in Morgantown, adding that she was in Ruby Memorial Hospital. Residents in Greene County and Monongalia County gave tips to officers, who later found her, according to the report. Ms. Chloe Jones and her witty comments are taking a hiatus from our Facebook comments section due to the jail not having internet for her to use, said the sheriffs department on April 8. It also said thank you to Greene and Monongalia counties for the tips. Those tips, it added, led to her arrest. A border patrol vehicle patrols along a recently constructed section of the border fence expansion between Yuma, Ariz., and Calexico, Calif., on March 14, 2009. (David McNew/Getty Images) Sheriffs Department Finds Way to Communicate With ICE Without Violating Sanctuary State Law The Orange County Sheriffs Department has complained that Californias Sanctuary State Law, SB54, has made it difficult to enforce the law and comply with federal authorities. Among other restrictions, the law stipulates that state and local law enforcement are prohibited from holding illegal aliens on the basis of federal immigration detainers or transferring them into federal custody. It also prohibits state and local law enforcement from asking anyone about their immigration status or sharing any information with federal authorities. The Orange County Sheriffs Department has found a way to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without technically violating SB54. This is because the law, while prohibiting communication with ICE on certain offenses, does allow for information to be shared if it is made publicly available. Beginning in March 2018, the Orange County Sheriffs Department decided to publicly release all inmate release dates, thus allowing ICE to be able to know when criminals would be released from custody. Between January and December 2018, the Orange County Sheriffs Department transferred 717 inmates to ICE upon the completion of their local sentence. In 2018, a total of 1,823 Orange County inmates had ICE detainers, meaning ICE requested that the Orange County sheriff notify them when the inmates were released. In an April press release, newly elected Sheriff Don Barnes spoke openly about his opposition to SB54, saying it hinders law enforcement from properly ensuring law and order. Open communication among law enforcement partners is a best practice for public safety agencies, said Barnes. SB 54 hinders this communication and puts the community at risk. In October 2018, nine members of a drug ring based out of Santa Ana were arrested for trafficking methamphetamine. These individuals were working for Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzmans Sinaloa cartel. The smugglers disguised the methamphetamine as decorative Aztec calendar stones and statues to ship to Hawaii. The group had been sending the meth through various FedEx stores throughout Orange County in bags of ground coffee and other decorative items, and authorities were able to seize all shipments. In August 2018, 20 individuals in the Orange County and Los Angeles regions were arrested for smuggling drugs into the United States from Mexico. These smugglers, also working for the Sinaloa cartel, were caught with about 850 pounds of methamphetamine, nearly 1 ton of cocaine, 93 pounds of heroin, nearly 50 pounds of marijuana, and $1.42 million in U.S. currency. In November 2017, a drug bust was coordinated by the Orange, Riverside, and Los Angeles county sheriffs departments that resulted in the arrest of 47 individuals tied with the Mexican Mafia on weapons and drug charges, seven of which were in Orange County. Along with the arrests, 36 weapons including assault rifles, 20 pounds of marijuana, 60 pounds of cocaine, and 12 pounds of methamphetamine were seized by law enforcement. The number of the individuals in these cases who had ICE detainers and were released back into the community is unclear. However, Barnes said criminals in Orange County have been released due to the sanctuary law. The outcome of SB 54 has resulted in the release of criminals back into the community, said Barnes. We have an obligation to protect all members of the communities we serve, and that includes preventing those who have committed crimes from returning to the neighborhoods they prey upon. Supreme Court Shoots Down Request to Delay Challenge to NYC Gun Law WASHINGTONThe Supreme Court on April 29 denied a request by New York City to indefinitely suspend a pending constitutional challenge to its uniquely restrictive gun laws. In the case known as New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. City of New York, the city claimed it needed the appeal to be placed on hold indefinitely because it was in the process of amending its peculiarly onerous law that prevents lawful gun permit holders from transporting their unloaded, locked-up weapons outside city limits. The city filed a motion on April 12 that sought on speculative grounds to place the briefing schedule in abeyance in Supreme Court parlance. The motion indicated that the New York Police Department published a Notice of Public Hearing and Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Rule, which could lead to a future change in licensing regulations after a public comment period and a public hearing. This change applies only to legal gun owners who have already gone through a strenuous background verification process, police Commissioner James ONeill said. The NYPDs focus will always be on criminals who wield illegal guns, and those who would use guns to cause violence on our streets. Reasonably accommodating the interests of licensed gun owners in transporting their firearms to a legal shooting range or second home strikes a responsible balance between individual interests and public safety. The new regulation would have changed elements of the law that gun-rights activists say are unconstitutional by allowing handgun owners to transport their guns to vacation homes, shooting ranges, and shooting contests outside the city. The motion was denied April 29 by the Supreme Court justices without comment and so the 6-year-old case will continue. The City of New York did not respect its citizens Second Amendment rights before the Supreme Court granted review in this case and it will not respect them going forward, said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action. We are confident that the Court will reject New Yorks desperate attempt to avoid review of its blatantly unconstitutional laws. The Supreme Court decided on Jan. 22 to review a ruling by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals that upholds the city law that prevents lawful gun permit holders from transporting their unloaded, locked-up weapons outside city limits. The city residents who launched the lawsuit wanted to practice shooting at target ranges outside the city or transport their firearms to second homes elsewhere in the state, but the city wouldnt let them do what they wanted with their property. The city claims the transport ban promotes public safety by limiting handguns on city streets, but the petitioning gun owners say the city has provided no evidence that the regulation contributes to public safety. Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement has urged the high court to expand on the constitutional gun rights it articulated in District of Columbia v. Heller (2010), which protects an individuals right to possess a firearm, and McDonald v. Chicago (2012), which holds the right of an individual to keep and bear arms is constitutionally incorporated, or made applicable, to the states. Clement said the case is a perfect vehicle to reaffirm that those decisions and the constitutional text have consequences. Seventeen states back the lawsuit and have urged the Supreme Court to overturn the New York City law. The petitioners brief on the merits of the case is due May 7. A response is due from the city on Aug. 5. The court has not yet scheduled oral arguments in the case, which are expected to take place in the fall. Teacher Reveals Why He Is Quitting Toxic Profession After 20 Years A Florida social studies teacher has had enough of what the classroom has become after a 20-year career in what he calls a toxic profession. In a social media post, Jonathan Carroll, a teacher at South Lake High School in Groveland, compiled a brutally honest list of things that impacted his decision to leave a profession that he once loved. I am leaving the field of education. I have had so many wonderful memories. But it has become a toxic profession, Carroll began in his post. So I guess this is it. I have made a decision with the support of my wife TeamDana Carroll and family. I am leaving the Posted by Jonathan Carroll on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 The 46-year-old teacher once believed he would be opening minds, debating history, inspiring the next generation to reach higher and learn from the past, but instead he said education has become something else. I think of all the things I did not sign up for, Carroll wrote, listing out his grievances, like micromanaging administrators, mental health counseling, blueprints with no freedom or flexibility (even though you can not enforce planning), not being considered an expert in my chosen field even though I have a graduate degree. Students overdosing on drugs and collapsing in my classroom when they get back from the bathroom. Active shooter drills. Teachers being armed. Knowing where it is safe to hide in my classroom. Feeding and clothing my students. Buying my own supplies. Being told I should be thankful I have a job and to get over myself. I am tired of the constant testing. We have testing coordinators at each school. Being told that if a student fails it is my fault not their fault. I am tired. Tired of everyone else knowing better and being chastised if I dare ask questions or challenge leadership. So this May, I am walking away, he added. He told Yahoo Lifestyle that when he started teaching, he was excited by making an impact on children. He said, I loved every minute of my job. But two months ago, the father-of-two said he started to feel disillusioned by the state of his profession, where teachers across the country held strikes against overcrowded classrooms and low wages. He said his other grievances about his profession include: overly-digitized classrooms, high-stakes test scores, burnt out students, and a yearly salary of $48,000, according to the news website. So I guess this is it I am leaving the field of education. I have had so many wonderful memories. But it has become Posted by The Art of Learning on Saturday, May 4, 2019 He explained to the news website that educators are now trained to deal with an active shooter situation where they learn how to hide children in designated areas in the classroom, practice running drills, and follow a Run, hide, and fight if needed. But he said teaching is not law enforcement. Its a direct response to Stoneman Douglas High School, Carroll said, referring to the mass shooting at another Florida high school last year that claimed the lives of 17 people. The Florida House of Representatives also passed a bill on May 1 that allows teachers to carry guns in the classrooms in response to that incident, reported Reuters. Moreover, Carroll said standardized testing is making students burn out and teachers anxious about whether the students scores would impact their employment. Lots of districts only care about school-wide growth. So children are pressured to succeed without factoring in their personal development, Carroll told Yahoo Lifestyle. The teacher has received a lot of support from other teachers and social media users after making his post. So awesome!!! As a Teacher of 19 years I feel ya!!! Seriously considering walking away from teaching in its entirety! Flipping burgers sounds amazing at this point! Your reflection just may have just what I needed to make a real change in my life! Thank you Sir for your sincerity and your boldness!!! one teacher wrote. Your words are soooooo true and I am struggling with this too! Just gotta find a way to pay the rent- but Im not happy, another teacher wrote. Well said. You have articulated what many of us feel and go through daily. It is demoralizing to be a cog in this Orwellian system. You are brave and your leaving the profession is a loss. Many are doing the same, another wrote. Carroll said after retiring, he plans to stay at home for a while and take care of his two children, while his wife, Dana, a nurse, will support the family in the meantime, reported Yahoo Lifestyle. I am going to stay home for a while (thank you Dana) and start a new chapter. Honestly, Ill break even if I become a bankteller with no experience. But the truth is I will not miss what education has become, he said. A soulless industrial education complex where admin cares more about the test scores than their faculty or students. I have loved teaching many of you. But it is time to ride into the sunset. Start enjoying life. And find happiness again, he added. Aerial view of the Miami Air International Boeing 737-800 that overran the runway at NAS Jacksonville and came to rest in the St Johns River in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 4, 2019. (NTSB/Handout via Reuters) Thrust Reverser Broken on Plane That Slid Into Florida River A component meant to slow an aircraft on landing was inoperative on the Boeing jetliner that slid off a runway into a river at a Florida military base, injuring 22 people, investigators said on Sunday, May 5. The failure of the left-hand thrust reverser on the Boeing 737-800 was one of the factors investigators were looking at, as well as a request by the pilots to change runways, said National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg. The plane chartered by the U.S. military landed during a thunderstorm at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Friday night and was arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba with 136 passengers and seven crew members. It slid off the end of the runway into shallow water and sank up to its wings, forcing passengers to walk along the wings to safety. The aircraft had been in maintenance and the maintenance log noted that the left-hand thrust reverser was inoperative, Landsberg told a press conference, explaining that the component slowed an aircraft by diverting thrust from an engine. Several dogs and cats traveling in crates in the submerged forward hold of the plane are presumed dead and the U.S. Navy has arranged to have divers remove them from the aircraft, said Landsberg. Shortly before landing, the pilots asked to change to a runway that had equipment set up on it, reducing the length of available landing space to 7,800 feet from a total runway length of 9,000 feet, Landsberg said. We dont know what they were thinking or why that was their choice, said Landsberg of their decision. The aircraft, chartered from Miami Air International, landed at a speed of 163 knots (188 mph) with a tail wind of 15 knots (17 mph) that increased its ground speed to 178 knots (205 mph) on landing, Landsberg said. Asked to confirm that the speed appeared excessive, Landsberg declined to comment. The cockpit voice recorder is in the submerged tail of the plane and investigators will not be able to recover it until the aircraft is drained of fuel and lifted out of the water. JSO Marine Unit was called to assist NAS JAX in reference to a Miami Air passenger airplane in shallow water in the St Johns River. The plane was not submerged. Every person is alive and accounted for. Posted by Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on Friday, May 3, 2019 By Andrew Hay Crew members aboard the fishing boat "Outer Limits" load crab pots onto their boat at Pier 45 in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 30, 2007. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Trump Administration to Issue Additional 30,000 Visas for Temporary Workers The Trump administration announced on May 6 that it plans to make 30,000 additional visas available for foreign workers who wish to work in the United States temporarily under the H-2B program for the 2019 fiscal year. The plan would benefit oyster shucking companies, fisheries, loggers, and seasonal hotels, all of which use the visas to hire temporary workers for jobs they say Americans wont do. The additional visas will only be granted to only returning works who previously held an H-2B visa during the last three fiscal years, according to a joint statement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Labor (DOL). Officials say these workers have already been vetted and are trusted, are not likely to stay past their visa, and can have their visas approved more rapidly given their known history. The strong economy has made it increasingly difficult for employers to find labor and the visas are meant to help businesses who would suffer irreparable harm without the extra workers. DHS Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan said the new measure is a temporary fix to the problem but requires a long-term legislative fix by Congress. The truth is that Congress is in the best position to establish the appropriate number of H-2B visas that American businesses should be allocated without harming U.S. workers. Therefore, Congressnot DHSshould be responsible for determining whether the annual numerical limitations for H-2B workers set by Congress need to be modified and by how much, and for setting parameters to ensure that enough workers are available to meet employers temporary needs throughout the year, McAleenan said in the statement. Currently, the number of seasonal work visa issued under the H-2B program is capped at 66,000 annuallywith 33,000 visas issued for the first half of the fiscal year and 33,000 more for the second half of the year. USCIS has received enough petitions to reach H-2B cap for FY 2017. https://go.usa.gov/xXTYU Posted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Thursday, March 16, 2017 But these numbers are quickly exhausted each year due to the high demand for workers. The H-2B visa program has generated debate in Congress, with two bipartisan groups sending letters to Homeland Security, one urging an increase in the number of temporary visas and one expressing concern over a possible increase. President Donald Trump previously said during his State of the Union speech this year that he wanted people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever, but they have to come in legally. We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens. This includes our obligation to the millions of immigrants living here today, who followed the rules and respected our laws. Legal immigrants enrich our nation and strengthen our society in countless ways. I want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever, but they have to come in legally, the president said. The DHS and DOL rule is expected to be published on May 8. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Flavien Prat on Country House (L) races against Luis Saez on Maximum Security, third from left, during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on,May 4, 2019. (John Minchillo/AP Photo) Trump Calls out Kentucky Derby Decision to Disqualify Winner For the first time in the 145-year history of the Kentucky Derby, the winning horse was disqualified for interference. President Donald Trump did not agree with the stewards decision. The Kentucky Derby decision was not a good one, Trump wrote on twitter. It was a rough & 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 Derbynot even close! The Kentucky Derby decision was not a good one. It was a rough & 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! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2019 The horse, Maximum Security, was disqualified after a 22-minute debate between the three stewards, who eventually came to a unanimous decision to designate the second place horse, Country House, as the winner after reviewing the replay from different angles. Horse racing journalist and equestrian Kevin Blake also took to twitter to voice his opinion: Tough decision in the Kentucky Derby, but would it be as disputed if the incident had led to War Of Will falling and causing carnage? Tough decision in the Kentucky Derby, but would it be as disputed if the incident had led to War Of Will falling and causing carnage? Allowing the best horse to get away with serious interference creates dangerous situations, as we often see here. pic.twitter.com/zlwobAwHTK Kevin Blake (@kevinblake2011) May 5, 2019 In an interview with the Associated Press, the owner of Maximum Security, Gary West, said he may pursue an appeal. I think this is the most egregious disqualification in the history of horse racing, and not just because its our horse, said West. According to the Kentucky Derby website, the first Derby winner to be disqualified was in 1968 for testing positive for illegal medication following the race. This was the first disqualification for interference. From NTD News President Donald Trump signs a document reinstating sanctions against Iran after announcing the US withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear deal, in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington, on May 8, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) Trumps Risky Iran Strategy Stopping Iranian aggression knits China and Saudi Arabia together As the Trump administration seeks to achieve its goals on Mideast peace, nuclear security and other objectives involving Iran and beyond, some policy objectives may actually be working at cross purposes with one another. The sanctions against Iran are only a small part of a very complex ballet of power and diplomacy between the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and China. Trumps Iran Policy: Risky But Necessary Irans intention is to become the dominant player in the Middle East. To the mullahs in Tehran, that means acquiring nuclear weapons. It also means eliminating Irans two main adversaries in the regionIsrael and Saudi Arabiaboth of which are allies of the U.S. Of course, neither of these outcomes are even thinkable, much less acceptable, to the United States or the targeted nations. Therefore, the Trump policy is to contain Iran is a very necessary one to stop a wider Middle East war from erupting. This involves reducing Irans influence through its proxy fighters Hezbollah and Hamas as well as thwarting Irans nuclear ambitions. It also involves heavy sanctions. Its no secret that civil unrest in Iran is rising. The people are fed up living in a pariah state with no future for the younger generation. Economic sanctions, painful for the masses, only add to that unrest. You may recall that the Obama administration dropped the sanctions against Iran as a bargaining chip in the Iranian nuclear deal. Supposedly, this was Barack Obamas top foreign policy achievement. But in light of Irans repeated violations of the conditions of the agreement, the Trump administration withdrew from it and re-applied the trade sanctions in November of 2018. However, certain waivers to the sanctions were granted to specific countries that relied on Iranian oil. Those waivers expired this week. Trumps decision not to renew them will make it more difficult for Iran to sell its oil and for its customers to buy it from them. Violators could face punitive consequences against their dollar-based assets and banking transactions. China is one of those countries, as well as the European Union. China, Saudi Arabia, and the Petro Dollar Thats where things get complicated. Irans biggest oil customer is China. And, with U.S. tariffs against China already in place, U.S. oil exports to China have all but dried up. Whats more, with Chinas oil imports from Iran falling 25 percent from March of 2018 to March of 2019, China must find oil from other suppliers. Enter Saudi Arabia. The top importer of Saudi Arabian oil is also China. At the same time, the United States has become the worlds top producer of oil equivalents, outpacing even Saudi Arabias production. In fact, the recent explosion in U.S. oil and gas production has led to a substantial challenge to OPEC, the energy cartel that has dominated the world fossil energy market since the 1970s. As a result, Saudi Arabias economy is on a much weaker footing than it was even a few years ago. But its not only a decline in U.S. imports of Saudi oil thats posing a direct threat to Saudi Arabias economy. The growing support in the U.S. Congress for NOPEC (No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act) legislation that would apply U.S. anti-cartel laws to the OPEC cartel has led Saudi policy makers and their OPEC partners to consider abandoning the petrodollar. Thats a very big deal. For the first time since the mid-1970s, OPEC is considering accepting other currencies in place of the U.S. dollar for their oil sales. If that happened though not yet likely the U.S. dollar could lose its status as the worlds reserve currency. That could potentially lead to the devaluation of dollar-denominated assets around the world and a crisis in the American economy. That may well explain Trump sticking by Saudi Arabia in the wake of the brutal and notorious killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trumps Deal of the Century Mideast Peace Plan With all the focus on the Russia collusion hearings, Trumps peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians has been developing for the past two years. Reports are that the so-called, deal of the century involves some very creative ideas and is expected to be announced in June after the Islamic observance of Ramadan. Saudi Arabia has reportedly offered Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas $10 billion to accept Trumps plan, which may call for the Arabs living in the Palestinian territory to return to their original home countries. But there will also be a security and military component for Israel that will potentially involve cooperation with Saudi Arabia. This triangulation seems sensible and beneficial for all sides. Saudi Arabia wants Israeli intelligence, military, and technological support in addition to that of the United States to counter Irans efforts against them. As for Israel, it would welcome the Saudis as an ally in the region. Saudi Arabia Pivots to China This set up leaves China in a very strategic position. Last year saw a 32 percent rise in trade between China and Saudi Arabia in areas such as commerce, security, and defense. And earlier this year, President Xi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmon signed 12 new agreements for cooperation. In other words, both countries see that a big part of both their futures involves deepening their relationship on both a commercial and a strategic level. Therefore, as the United States continues its trade war with China, as well as its Iranian containment policy, its key ally in the Arab world for both of those objectives, as well as a major factor in Trumps Mideast peace plan, is turning eastward to China. China, therefore, will seek to leverage its growing relationship with Saudi Arabia to its own advantage against the United States to serve their greater objective of supplanting America as the global hegemonic power. There are several opportunities and areas in which to do so. For example, would China encourage and support the Saudis in abandoning the petrodollar? At some point, most certainly. Would Saudi Arabia be vulnerable to China buying oil from another provider? Absolutely. But does China have an interest in seeing Trumps peace plan fail? If it meant further chaos, a defeat for American prestige and influence in the region, as well as the potential for access to Israels newly discovered oil and natural gas reserves, the answer is yes. History shows the rise of competing powers leads to the rise of multi-polarity and its inherent instability. Our times are no exception and one can imagine some very negative outcomes. As President Trump is finding out, containing Iran is just the beginning of a long chain or possible scenarios. James Gorrie is a writer based in Texas. He is the author of The China Crisis. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Warships and fighter jets of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy take part in a military display in the South China Sea on April 12, 2018. (Reuters) Two US Warships Sail in Disputed South China Sea WASHINGTONThe U.S. military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on May 6, a move that angered Beijing at a time of tense ties between the worlds two biggest economies. The busy waterway is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which also include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and Taiwan. President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal by threatening to hike U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and soon target hundreds of billions more. The U.S. guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung Hoon traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, a U.S. military spokesman told Reuters. Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the Seventh Fleet, said the innocent passage aimed to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law. The operation was first reported by Reuters. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the U.S. ships entered the waters near the islets without the Chinese regimes permission, and the Chinese navy warned them to leave. The U.S. military has a long-standing position that its operations are carried out throughout the world, including areas claimed by allies, and that they are separate from political considerations. The operation was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijings efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate. China claims almost all of the strategic South China Sea and frequently lambasts the United States and its allies over naval operations near Chinese-occupied islands. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims in the region. China and the United States have repeatedly traded barbs in the past over what Washington says is Beijings militarization of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs. Last month, Chinas navy chief said freedom of navigation should not be used to infringe upon the rights of other nations. The freedom of navigation operation comes weeks after a major naval parade marking 70 years since the founding of the Chinese navy. The United States sent only a low-level delegation to the Chinese navy anniversary events. By Idrees Ali Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks on Arctic policy at the Lappi Areena in Rovaniemi, Finland on May 6, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) US Countering China and Russia in Arctic The United States on May 6 responded to aggressive ambitions by China and Russia in the Arctic by warning the two nations against further militarization of the region and announcing measures to deter a military threat. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told members of the Arctic Council in Finland that the region has become an arena for power and for competition. In less than five years, Russia has renovated Cold-War era military bases in the region and constructed 475 new military sites, Pompeo said. Meanwhile, China has engaged in a campaign of strategic influence which threatens to transform the Arctic into a new South China Sea, Pompeo said. In response to the developments, Pompeo said that the United States is ramping up its military presence in the region and hosting military exercises. Washington is also rebuilding its icebreaker fleet, expanding Coast Guard funding, and creating a new senior-level military post for Arctic affairs. Were entering a new age of strategic engagement in the Arctic, complete with new threats to the Arctic and its real estate and to all of our interests in that region, Pompeo told representatives of the Arctic Council members, including Russia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Just because the Arctic is the place of wilderness does not mean that it should become the place of lawlessness, Pompeo added. It need not be the case and we stand ready to ensure that it does not become so. China Beijing was granted observer status in the Arctic Council in 2013, which enabled it to attend council meetings. The communist regime invested $90 billion in the region from 2012 to 2017, according to Pompeo. In addition to direct investment, Beijing has pumped an estimated $1.4 trillion in investments into Arctic nations, including Finland and Sweden, from 2005 to 2017, according to a 2017 report by CNA Analysis and Solutions. Ahead of the Arctic Council meeting, the Pentagon released a report warning that Chinas civilian ambitions in the region could serve as a foil for the development of a military presence, including the deployment of submarines as a deterrent against a nuclear attack. China is planning to build infrastructure across the region and developing shipping lanes in the Arctic Ocean. In April, Russia agreed to link its Northern Sea route to Chinas Maritime Silk Road. This is part of a very familiar pattern. Beijing attempts to develop critical infrastructure, using Chinese money, Chinese companies, and Chinese workers in some cases, to establish a permanent Chinese security presence, alluding to the communist regimes global campaign to supplant the hegemony of the United States. Chinas pattern of aggressive behavior elsewhere should inform what we do and how it might treat the Arctic, Pompeo said, pointing to Beijings use of debt to ensnare Sri Lanka and Malaysia and the crumbling Chinese-built infrastructure in Ethiopia, as well as the militarization of the South China Sea. Pompeo emphasized that China isnt an Arctic state and that its observer status is contingent upon its respect for the sovereignty of the permanent member nations. Russia While Chinas ambitions havent been realized in a tangible threat in the Arctic, Russia has expanded its military presence in the region at a dramatic pace. Moscow announced its intention to increase its military presence in the region in 2014 upon reopening a Cold-War era military base. Since then, Russia has used its large fleet of icebreakers to create hundreds of military sites and 16 deep-water ports. Moscow protects its assets in the region with missile defense systems and anti-ship missiles. Pompeo accused Russia of breaking maritime laws by requiring foreign ships traveling through international waters in the Arctic to ask for permission before proceeding and demands that Russian maritime pilots be present aboard transiting vessels. Russia has threatened to sink ships that dont comply with its orders, according to Pompeo. While other nations have competing claims in the region, Pompeo noted that Russia represents a unique threat, due to the sheer scope of its activity in the region. The secretary of state also suggested that Moscows aggressive territorial claims elsewhere suggest it may do the same in the Arctic. Russias ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to the deaths of 13,000 people, Pompeo noted. We cant have one side cooperate and the other side derogate its duties, Pompeo said. In 2018, the United States and its NATO allies conducted the largest military exercises in the Arctic since the Cold War. The exercises, codenamed Trident Juncture, involved 50,000 people, 10,000 vehicles, 250 aircraft, and 65 ships. Watchdog Group Says Ensuring Integrity in Californias Elections Crucial for 2020 As the most populous state with the largest congressional representation, California also has the most voters in the nation. This allows the state to have a powerful hand in national elections. During the last decade, the Golden State has gradually lowered the threshold for voters to register and get their ballots to the ballot box. Compounding on the Motor Voter Act of 1993 that allowed states to register voters at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), former Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law the subsequent New Motor Voter Act of 2015, which automatically registers citizens to vote when visiting the DMV. Two years earlier in 2013, the state passed AB 60, which grants illegal aliens the right to drivers licenses. With these two laws in effect, it led to concerns that illegal immigrants could accidentally be registered to vote automatically. This was followed by the introduction of legal ballot harvesting with AB1921 in 2016. Previously, only a family member or someone living in the same household was permitted to drop off ballots for another voter, but AB1921 allows anyone to collect and return ballots to a voting precinct. Irregularities in 2018s elections in California continue to surface. Various groups across the state are moving to have these questionable occurrences investigated. One of these groups, the Election Integrity Project, an election monitoring organization founded in 2010, released a report covering eight counties that cited the gross irregularities that took place in the 2018 midterms in California. The report, compiled by election observers across the state revealed that thousands of vote-by-mail (VBM) voters didnt receive their ballots. State law disallows voters from voting in person if they have registered vote by mail, in order to avoid double voting. If they wish to vote in person, they must surrender their VBM ballot to election officials. Due to these voters not having received their VBM ballots, they were forced to vote provisionally. Due to Californias 2015 New Motor Voter Act, thousands of voters across the state had their voter status changed from poll voter to VBM without their knowledge of consent. This was a result of the Department of Motor Vehicles enacting automatic voter registration for voters across the state. It was also reported that, as a result of the number of voters forced to vote provisionally, there was a 222 percent increase in provisional ballots than the previous midterm in 2014. The Epoch Times spoke with Ellen Swensen, chief analyst of the Election Integrity Project, on the reports findings and how to address these issues for 2020. When asked about the direct cause of the irregularities, Swensen said, When we speak about irregularities, were talking about people who didnt receive their ballot. In that case, we do not know what happened. We questioned the counties involved in the report and only one county, San Bernardino, got back to us and told us there was a problem. Other counties either did not respond or said that there was no problem. In San Bernardino County, Swenson explained that the county office had a vendor glitch and about 1,000 voters requested a vote by mail close to the deadline of Oct. 30. Roughly 1,000 ballots that were requested late did not go out. Around 40 percent of those people came to the polls and voted instead, and 60 percent didnt vote at all, she said. That shows you the magnitude of the problem when someone expecting a vote-by mail-ballot doesnt get one. It could lead to a large number of people not showing up. Swensen pointed out that a huge reason why people had their ballots switched from standard to vote by mail was due to DMV registration system issues. We know the DMV has a lot of problems with the registration system. [They are switching] people over to vote by mail without their knowledge, she said. Swensen also mentioned that there is no way to verify someones legal status via voter rolls, so many people still have concerns regarding whether AB 60, coupled with the 2015 Motor Voter Act, may inadvertently register an illegal alien to vote. Ballot harvesting has also proven to severely complicate the voter rolls, according to Swensen. We are very concerned about the legal ability for anyone to go pick up ballots. We worry about security. That chain between the voter and the registrar is broken. Swensen also expressed concern that voters could also be coerced or bribed and is especially concerned since, starting in 2020, more than 50 percent of voters will be automatically signed up for vote-by-mail. A lot of counties are coming on board this new voter center model, including L.A. and Orange County. In January, the Election Integrity Project and Judicial Watch, a legal watchdog organization, won a lawsuit against Los Angeles County and the state of California that would mandate as many as 1.5 million inactive voters be removed from the voter rolls. An expansion on this move is what the Election Integrity Project is hoping to enact for the 2020 elections. We think the secretary of state should stop the DMV voter registration, at least until such time that the software glitches are fixed, Swensen said. We also need to look into the reason why so many people across the state did not receive their ballots. Was there a massive systemic problem? Were there security violations? These are the questions that need to be answered because our state is moving fast to become 100 percent vote-by-mail. If you combine people relying on vote-by-mail and they dont get their ballot with ballot harvesting, its going to be a fiasco. Both the Election Integrity Project and Judicial Watch are expected to launch further legal efforts to address the election and registration irregularities in the state. Woman Begs For Free Fourth Abortion, Threatens Doctor After Surgery A woman begged the doctors at a hospital to give her a free abortion after claiming that her boyfriend abandoned her. After the doctors agreed to her requests, the woman demanded financial compensation and a baby from the female doctor-in-charge. The police removed her from the scene after she made threats, according to mainland Chinese media. The woman, surnamed Li, 20, said that she had previously had three abortions at the same hospital. She came begging for a fourth abortion after her boyfriend and family abandoned her on April 28, according to the Guizhou Broadcast Channel. After the abortion, Li demanded money and a baby as compensation from the doctor who performed the surgery, Zeng Aifeng. Zeng is the doctor-in-charge at the Retired Doctors Hospital in Guizhou Province, China. Pleading on Her Knees Much of the drama played out in the doctors office, where three doctors shared a table. Li walked into the office barefoot with her shoes in hand. She immediately knelt in front of Zeng. I am pleading you to help me, I really have no other option, Li said as she knelt before Zeng. Im pregnant, the guy doesnt want the baby, so he abandoned me. I dont know what to do now. Im begging you to give me an abortion. Zeng asked Li to sit, and then discussed the situation with her. Li had previously had many different boyfriends, and had received three abortions from the same hospital, the first in 2017, according to KNews, a major short-video news outlet in China. Li had been abandoned by her boyfriend, and Zeng was moved by her tearful plea. Her face was covered in tears as she talked to me. She asked me to save her, Zeng told the Guizhou Broadcasting Channel. Shed had several boyfriends before, and had been abandoned each time, and had several abortions too, Zeng told the Guizhou Broadcasting Channel. But this time, all of her family was saddened [by the pregnancy], and they all abandoned her. Since there were no relatives willing to sign paperwork, the hospital was reluctant to give Li an abortion. I am not signing, and I dont care about her, Lis father said in a phone interview with KNews. Its like I dont even have this daughter. The following day, Li came to the hospital once more and repeated the process of kneeling on the ground and pleading for a free abortion. Li said that whenever she tried to call her boyfriend, he wouldnt pick up her calls, according to the Guizhou Broadcasting Channel. Even if she tried calling with another number, she said he hangs up right when he hears her voice. He says he doesnt acknowledge this child, Li said. Im 20, so Im mature, so I can sign for myself, and I can take on all the responsibility, Li said to the Guizhou Broadcasting Channel. Even though I dont have money right now, Ill make sure to work hard to repay all of the money later. The doctors then decided to give Li an abortion after hearing her pleas. A Change of Heart After the surgery, Li was expected to rest in the hospital ward. However, she returned to the doctors office where she had previously begged for an abortion, but her tone had completely changed. Now Li was demanding that Zeng loan her money to cover her living expenses. When Zeng refused Lis request, she began making a tearful scene. An argument erupted between the two, as Li demanded Zeng to give her money and even a baby as compensation for the abortion. Li threatened to come every day, or to find the doctor after work until her demands were met. Its fine if you dont let me stay here today, Ill just wait for you to get off work another day, Li said, indirectly threatening Zeng. You just do whatever. Li walks out of the office after making the dismissive comment. She said if I hadnt given her the abortion, she wouldnt be like this right now, Zeng said in the security footage. Youre harassing me! Zeng shouted, as Li sat outside of the office. Ive offended you? So how have I really wronged you? The staff couldnt put up with Lis behavior and reported her to the police. Then Li ran into a side room and grabbed a knife that the staff uses to prepare food. She pointed it at the guard who followed her into the room and said: Who told you to call the police? Dont move, and put the knife down, a security guard said in the video. Put the knife down. Im not putting it down, Li said. But the guard quickly grabbed the knife from her hand. Move, get outside, the guard said to her. I wont go! Li yelled, as she backed herself into the corner near the water cooler. When the police arrived, they took Li away from the hospital. The reports did not say if she was detained or arrested. BALTIMORE U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos told a room full of 500 education journalists and others on Monday that the results produced by the nations traditional K-12 system are unfair to too many students. During an hour-long keynote and question-and-answer session at the National Education Writers Association seminar, DeVos also touched on vouchers, school safety, affirmative action and teacher salaries. At one point, she said that great teachers perhaps should be making half as much as Randi Weingarten, referring to the president of the American Federation of Teachers and frequent critic of the secretary. Later, Weingarten, in a written statement, said: Its great that Betsy finally thinks higher teacher salaries are important. We could do this if Betsy worked with us to revoke tax cuts for rich people, Weingarten said. She also was at the EWA conference. She wont even have to give up the summer homes and the yachts. In discussing the expected uphill battle of her departments Education Freedom Scholarship plan to provide federal tax credits for donations to state-based scholarship programs, DeVos said she wasnt forcing anyone to do anything and that it is up to states to craft their own approach. The needs in North Dakota may be very, very different than Connecticut, for instance, DeVos said. Invited to the seminar each year since she took office in February 2017, this was DeVos first time accepting and addressing the largest gathering of education reporters in the nation. In its 72-year history, DeVos becomes the 11th education secretary to address the group, according to Caroline Hendrie, executive director of the organization. DeVos told them she doesnt like being click-bait. I dont enjoy the publicity that comes with my position, she told them. I dont love being up on stage or on any kind of platform. Im an introvert. She said it should surprise no one that she is a commonsense conservative with a healthy distrust of centralized government. Thats a freedom philosophy, she said, adding later, A one-size-fits-all system and approach doesnt work. DeVos said her goal is to empower families. She stood firm on her support of President Donald Trump, his initiatives and the law, especially when it came to topics like affirmative action and protecting the rights of all students. I am not going to overstep and make law where there isnt law, she said. DeVos went further, blaming the rollback of several Obama presidency initiatives on overreach by that administration in several instances. Most questions to DeVos came from Erica Green, a New York Times education reporter, in a question-and-answer format. Green asked DeVos what chances she thought her scholarship plan had. DeVos said it has appeal among a broad range of people, but acknowledged it would not win approval overnight. This is an opportunity, she said. Asked about teacher walkouts, DeVos criticized them as hurting students. DeVos said the recent college admissions scandal in which rich parents bribed their children into elite colleges underscores the need for all institutions to be transparent, regardless of tax status alluding to unfairness she sees in scrutiny of for-profit colleges. Many of those have high drop-out rates and high student loan default rates. Of for-profit charter schools, DeVos said there should not be any fraudulent activity, but that it is up for states to develop programs for charter schools, controlling how they operate and dealing with violations. On school safety, Devos defended her decision to rescind Obama administration guidance designed to make sure minority students arent disciplined or suspended more than white students. What about a move by Tennessee to exclude undocumented children from some school choice options? DeVos asked if that actually happened. When told it didnt, she said, I cant comment on (a) hypothetical. Pressed, DeVos said immigration is a difficult issue that Congress ought to finally settle. DeVos was introduced at the outset as one of Trumps longest-lasting cabinet members. The description drew a laugh. When asked if she would sign on for four more years if Trump served a second term, DeVos said she is not sure her husband would be happy if she did. lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeck GREENWICH A Greenwich employee who took and shared photos of the body of a murder victim found in town will be allowed to return to work following completion of an investigation into his conduct. James Clifford, a foreman for the Greenwich Department of Public Works, will not face any criminal charges but will face punishment from his employer, including demotion from his position as foreman for a minimum of six months, suspension without pay for five days and loss of five vacation days, according to a statement issued by officials Wednesday. Clifford also must complete a sensitivity training program. Clifford was disciplined for taking and sharing images of the body of Valerie Reyes, a 24-year-old resident of New Rochelle. Her body was found on Feb. 5 inside a suitcase that had been left in Glenville. Another town employee found the body and Clifford responded to the scene. His attorney, Lindy Urso, has called Cliffords actions an error in judgment but said his client had no ill will or bad intention and tried to assist police with their investigation. He said Clifford had been stunned and devastated by what he encountered that morning near Glenville Road. On Wednesday, Urso expressed surprise that the town announced the sanctions against Clifford, who has worked for Greenwich for more than 26 years. Although Mr. Clifford likely did not violate any town policies, he agreed in good faith to certain sanctions, which will remain confidential, to avoid a protracted legal battle and to get back to work, Urso said. I am surprised at the towns interpretation of those sanctions and I am frankly stunned that they think it is appropriate, or even legal, to publicly disclose personnel information when it knows full well that Mr. Clifford has already been identified in the press. Its wrong on every level. In the statement, town officials said the DPW worker admitted taking the photos, but it was determined has actions did not involve any criminality. The town never released Cliffords name, but Greenwich Time independently confirmed he was the employee. He has been on paid suspension while the town Department of Human Resources conducted the investigation. On Wednesday, First Selectman Peter Tesei said the statement spoke for itself and he did not add to it. In February, Tesei said, this thoughtless and insensitive behavior by an employee is inexcusable. Javier Da Silva, a former boyfriend of Reyes, was arrested last month in connection with her death, and charged with kidnapping resulting in death. When her body was found in Greenwich, her hands and feet were reportedly constrained with tape and twine and she had suffered a severe injury to her head. Da Silva told police Reyes fell to the floor and hit her head, after which he panicked, according to court documents. He faces the possibility of life in prison or even the death penalty if convicted of the crime. Da Silva has not yet entered a plea in answer to the charge. A hearing in federal court in White Plains was postponed last week. He has not yet been given a new court date. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com Zoe Saldana is frequently seen on the big screen saving the fate of the universe in major franchises like Star Trek, Avatar and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But last year she stepped into an entirely new role as the founder, CEO and editor-in-chief of BESE, a digital media platform dedicated to fighting the lack of diversity in mainstream media and creating a space for untold stories, particularly for Latinx youth. This month, Saldana is joining forces with Chivas Venture as a judge for the Chivas Venture Global Final competition at the TNW Conference in Amsterdam. Saldana and her fellow judges will hear pitches from 20 social entrepreneurs and ultimately award $1 million divided among 5 winners. Saldana shared her takeaways from her first year in business, stressing the importance of using your voice to help others find theirs. Related: (Podcast) Simpsons' Star Yeardley Smith Shares Why You Should Never Let the Pursuit of Perfection Get in the Way of Enjoying the Ride On the biggest challenge in starting her business Raising money. Its challenging because there is a lot of work that goes into it -- to have to go sit down with a lot of people, talk about your idea, and compel them to want to invest in the mission and not primarily in the business. Its challenging, but I wouldnt have become an entrepreneur to not build a blended business with a strong mission. On her advice for social entrepreneurs looking to make an impact My most practical advice is, figure out your mission, define it and make it scalable, because you cant expect a VC to only back your mission; they have to respond to their investors [and the numbers]. But if it is a successful company, the frosting on the cake is the betterment of the world. You want to make sure that your mission is scalable. If not, keep building it out. Related: Kristen Bell and Her Cofounders Built a Company to Save Lives. But Growing It Wasn't So Simple. On shining a light on underrepresented stories A year ago I launched my own business. It doesn't exist without a mission, and that mission is to tell underrepresented storiesBecause it is my duty, as an American. Mainstream media doesnt represent what America looks like. [Not only media], but all industries -- art and leisure, business, science, tech... Its on the American public to tell stories that represent and reflect what America is. Related: How Culture Saved Our Company After Nearly Killing It In Memoriam: Dave Goldberg, Entrepreneurial Inspiration and the Nicest Guy I Ever Knew 5 Tips on How to Transform from a Sole Proprietor to a Business Leader Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Few among us are in the market for a $950 hand-blown glass bong. Or a pair of $900 Balenciaga high-top sneakers. But if youre someone who absolutely must have both, I have fantastic news. Youll find each of these items within twenty feet of each other on the fifth floor of Barneys New York in Beverly Hills. As cannabis moves beyond its hippie roots and stoner/slacker stereotypes, the retail world has shown a willingness -- and even an eagerness -- to serve its customers needs in non-traditional ways. So when Barneys Creative Director Matt Mazzucca and Beboe co-founder Scott Campbell put together a plan to join forces, the idea was far from half-baked. Related: Is Social-Dosing the New Microdosing? Our brand is really about acknowledging cultural shifts and creating dialogues, Mazzucca says. Theres a lot of controversy about cannabis, and also a growing acceptance, so we wanted to find a way to tell an elevated story and bring it to life within our doors." How it came to be Surprisingly, there wasnt much resistance in the Barneys boardroom when Mazzucca first shared the idea -- just a bit of head-turning. Mazzucca describes it as the shock of the new. And yet it all fits in seamlessly; the product may be novel, but the presentation still screams Barneys. The cannabis store-within-a-store is fittingly called "The High End." It isnt so much a dispensary as it is a luxury, 300-square foot head shop offering the finest paraphernalia and CBD-infused beauty products. Theres no THC on the premises, but it is for sale. Just place your order, either in-store or online, and theyll deliver it to you, often in under 30 minutes. Related: Planet 13 Is The Largest Dispensary In the Known Galaxy Brand partner Beboe offers a line of pens, candies and elixirs designed for the wellness set, not the wake-and-bakers. As Mazzucca puts it, We dont want to market to kids. This is a higher-tier, luxury customer, and we wanted to provide the product that would resonate with that in mind. With its sterling silver grinders and $7000 leaf-drop earrings, Barneys may seem like it's out of most people's budget. But you dont need Maserati money to be a customer. You can find lip balm, body wash and 24K gold rolling papers for not much more than the price of a sandwich. I dont know if "The High End" is a sign of where cannabis is going, but its definitely a sign of how far its come. Related: Mr. Sherbinski Goes to Beverly Hills Related: Beverly Hills Pot: Inside Barneys Posh Cannabis Store Retail Robots: 4 Ways they are revolutionizing in-store shopping This Start-up is Endeavouring to Transform the Nightmare of Retailers Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved A Florida woman pulled an alligator out of her yoga pants during a traffic stop Monday morning in Punta Gorda. The gator appeared after deputies asked the 26-year-old woman, "Do you have anything else?" Nebraskans are invited to join Gov. Ricketts at his upcoming town hall in Grand Island, said Taylor Gage, the governors director of strategic communications. This is a great opportunity to hear an update on how our state is growing, and also to make your voice heard. The governor looks forward to hearing your thoughts on how we can move our state forward together. The Times coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is clearly pro-Palestinian. In its news stories, editorials and columns, the paper often portrays Israel as the obstacle to peace because it wont surrender to Palestinian demands to forfeit more land and support a two-state solution, by which the Palestinian leadership means a one-state solution achieved by the eradication of the Jewish state. There are more subtle jabs at Israel and Jewish people in the newspapers stories. The list could fill several columns, but heres a sample. In 2015, the Times published a chart labeling Democratic lawmakers opposed to the Obama administrations nuclear deal with Iran as Jewish? or not. The chart was removed from its online version after an outcry. In 2013, the Times published the obituary of a woman whose three sons died in attacks against Israel. The headline read, Mariam Farhat, 64, the Mother of Martyrs. As Clay Waters of the Media Research Center noted, The text box couched the terrorism in passive terms: A woman who took unusual pride in how three of her sons died. The word terrorism didnt even appear in the obituary by William Yardley, who also called the murderous part of Hamas the military wing. In November of 2016, a Darfuri man named Ameen, his wife, Aarya, and their daughter were referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for resettlement to the United States. That welcome news came after more than a decade of persecution and hardship for the family, first in Sudan, where the Janjaweed militia were systematically killing Darfuris, and later in Jordan, where they fled. In the past, such a referral generally meant that a refugee could hope to be resettled fairly quickly. But Ameen and his family are still waiting in Jordan as a result of a marked shift in U.S. refugee policy. In recent weeks, a lot has been written about President Donald Trumps xenophobic attacks on people seeking asylum at U.S. borders. But we should remember that the administration has also gutted and radically reshaped the other primary way people fleeing persecution come to the United States: the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. EDITORS NOTE: In commemoration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing (Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969), this is the second of a two-part series on space-related student organizations at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). Part 1 focuses on Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) while Part 2 focuses on Cougar Rockets. EDWARDSVILLE With the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing coming up on July 20, a new student organization at SIUE is doing its part to honor the spirit of Apollo 11. Cougar Rockets, which was formed last fall, is dedicated to designing, building and flying rockets. On Nov. 8, the group successfully launched its first high-powered rocket on SIUEs campus near Korte Stadium. Another SIUE organization, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), collaborated with Cougar Rockets on the launch. Last summer, a few of the students got together because they felt a rocket club at SIUE was something that was really lacking, said Dr. Michael Denn, an instructor of mechanical engineering at SIUE and the faculty advisor for Cougar Rockets. They approached me because I have had experience in the aerospace industry prior to being an instructor here. The long-term goal for Cougar Rockets is to participate in the 2020 Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), which is held every year in New Mexico. It is also known as the Spaceport America Cup. Rockets are interesting, but there the students were a little uncertain as to what they wanted to do, said Denn, who worked for Boeing for 18 years. You are usually most successful if you have a goal and we found out about the intercollegiate rocket competition. For at least the next couple of years, thats our primary goal for our organization. The rocket launch that we had last semester was the first step. The November launch for Cougar Rockets was a 63-inch rocket that reached 5,000 feet before its parachute deployed and it landed safely. The IREC competition consists of launching a rocket with an 8.8-pound payload and target altitudes of 10,000 to 30,000 feet above ground level. That is considered high-powered rocketry (HPR), which is defined by the size and the thrust of the rockets. Some of the Cougar Rocket team members will earn National Association of Rocketry certifications in order to purchase HPR motors and ensure they are complying with safety codes. Our objective is to make our own rocket and engineer our own rocket, Denn said. The first rocket was a large kit, but it was still a kit. The objective is to pick up more and more of our own technology to take to the competition. Charter members of Cougar Rockets included 33 students studying mechanical engineering, civil engineering, industrial engineering and physics. The organization is open to all SIUE students. This year we also have somebody from chemistry, and when we start doing things with fuels, were going to want people like that to be part of the club, Denn said. It really has a broad appeal and thats the objective. Egemen Erten, the founding president of Cougar Rockets, obtained a bachelors degree in industrial engineering last year and is now working on a masters degree in mechanical engineering. Aviation and the aerospace industry have always been my passion and I felt there was something missing regarding that field at SIUE, Erten said. We made our first high-powered launch last semester in November, which was a really short time period. All of our members have great passion and theyre really dedicated. The practical experience gained by the members of Cougar Rockets goes beyond designing and launching rockets. Ive always said that Cougar Rockets is kind of like a start-up, but the only difference is I dont invest any money into it, Erten said. Its more than an engineering organization because were learning management organization skills, finance, marketing and other things. Denn currently has some students in his senior design class who are working on a modular rocket concept with solid-fuel or liquid-fuel engines that can be swapped in and out of the same rocket. A diagram on the board in Denns office depicts the path that Cougar Rockets will take to prepare for the IREC event in 2020. What we did in November was a demonstration launch, so the next step for this semester is to take the same rocket and put a little oomph to it with bigger engine charges, and get certification so we can go to the competition. Meanwhile, the group wants to test some of the smaller rockets with altimetry (measurement of altitude), GoPro (action cameras) and high-altitude parachute deployment, telemetry (measurement transmission of data) and other technologies. Instead of risking a big rocket, well use a little rocket, and then when you demonstrate on that, we want to roll it the technologies into a rocket with what we call a modular engine for the senior design project, Denn said. Well test that with a couple levels of technology and take those lessons to the next step, which is the competitive rocket. Andrew Patterson, who will graduate this spring with a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering, is the lead designer for Cougar Rockets. The large red rocket was our first step and we needed to test the waters in terms of our design philosophies, Patterson said. We took a high-powered rocket thats capable of flying up to two miles with the appropriate hardware, but we scaled that down a little bit because were not going to launch that high yet. We have to get certified to launch that high by the FAA and a couple other external organizations. They dont like people launching that high that dont know what theyre doing. Theres a different safety protocol for large rockets like this compared to the smaller rockets you can get at a hobby store. Pattersons senior design group likes the versatility that is offered by a modular rocket. The way rockets are usually built is that the engineers develop a motor and then they build the rocket around it, Patterson said. By having a modular rocket engine bay, it adds a constraint to the design process, but you dont have to build a new rocket every time and that saves money. The scale of the Cougars Rockets first high-powered launch, or even the IREC rockets, is tiny compared to a NASA mission, but the dedication of its participants is much the same. Since Apollo 11 first landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, and the final lunar landing, Apollo 17 on Dec. 11, 1972, there has been an ebb and flow of interest in the U.S. space program. Denn hopes that some students involved in Cougar Rockets could help provide the spark that leads to a resurgence of interest in space. Were seeing a transition from an exclusively government-run space program where everybody is subcontracted (to NASA) to having companies like SpaceX who are doing a lot more on their own, Denn said. I think that can only help the space industry because it broadens the base and its not quite so tied to government policy or NASAs budget allocations. For the second straight semester, Denn is teaching an engineering course with a recurring theme the Apollo project. The reason is that Apollo is an exemplary example of systems engineering, Denn said. Its big, its bold and its complex and it was done on a schedule. Back in 1961, President Kennedy said were going to the moon by the end of the decade and we did it. I was young then, but I was alive and remember it generated so much excitement. The Apollo program still resonates and its still an outstanding example of engineering that can be perpetuated for generations to come. For Denn and his students, it doesnt take too big a leap of imagination to picture a rocket launch on the SIUE campus as a small step toward a future mission to Mars or a return to the moon. If you look back over the past several presidential administrations, almost all of them at some point have tried to reignite the space program to go to Mars, but and it really hasnt gone anywhere, Denn said. As soon as we as a society decide we want to go to Mars, 10 years later, we will be there. We clearly had the will to do that back in the 1960s and the consensus with Apollo to go to the Moon. We can do that again, but we have to get to that point. Reach reporter Scott Marion at smarion@edwpub.net Last week, I found a time capsule of sorts stashed away in the loft of a barn. I climbed up into the loft on what had been my wifes parents acreage. It was a salvage mission. I was looking for things to keep before we sold the land. I loaded an old wheelbarrow, a spade and a couple of old gasoline cans into the back of my pickup. And then I came across an old suitcase covered with dust and bird droppings stashed away in a corner amid rusting sickles, saws and farm implements. It looked like a piece of luggage from the 1940s with a brass lock and leather trim. My wife calls it the Indiana Jones suitcase. I popped the lock open and found myself staring at a Chicago Daily News headline: BURY KENNEDY TODAY; OSWALD SHOT, KILLED. Thats right. Kennedys dead, Oswald, too, and so is the Daily News. I reached into the case and found it was filled with newspapers from that fateful week. Someone back in 1963 knew history was unfolding and wanted it to be saved for perpetuity. Journalism is the first draft of history; or so the cliche goes that professors drive into the idealistic minds of would-be reporters and editors. As I looked into the suitcase, history felt tangible. I took the newspapers home and showed them to my 10-year-old daughter, Anna. She had just finished a report on John F. Kennedy and the yellowing broadsheets made what she learned in school come alive. My wifes family was hardly unusual in saving back these fragments of history. My grandmother, Eva Reeder, had a similar stash of newspapers and magazines from that same week. Knowing that I was heading into journalism, she gave them to me several decades ago. And I have my own cache from 9/11. When I was a kid, I had the Galesburg Register-Mail headline Nixon Decides to Quit thumb-tacked to my bedroom bulletin board. Even at age 10, I could sense this was history. Ive learned in my years as a reporter and an editor that newspaper readers are far less tolerant of graphic images than television viewers. The best reason I can come up with for this is that newspapers have more permanence. On television, its a fleeting image. But when its in the newspaper folks can keep coming back to it again and again. A couple of years ago, I was visiting a woman whose daughters murder I covered decades before. She took me to a chest where she kept old report cards, school pictures, toys and, yes, newspapers. She would unfold each newspaper with the care a rabbi might give a sacred scroll. On each page Id see my name or that of my fellow journalists: Rod, Linda, Ed, Jennifer. Its doubtful it ever occurred to any of us 20-something reporters pounding stories out on deadline that our work would be stashed away for decades by a mother trying to hang on to every memory of a long-dead daughter. Of course, death and memories go hand-in-hand. After my father died, my sister and I waded through boxes of memories and newspaper clipping: Our parents 1954 wedding announcement, a 1964 business story on the construction of my Dads new veterinary clinic, a feature on my teenage sister heading to Germany, an obituary for my brother. It seems just about every family has a cache of yellowed newspaper clippings like this. As much as I hated writing obituaries as a summer intern in the 1980s, I imagine those are the only articles of mine that are tucked away in family Bibles. As newspapers make the transition from print to online, Im left wondering what future caches will look like. I suppose folks could print things off the internet and save them. But it seems hard to imagine they will conjure up the same nostalgia as lead on newsprint. Looking at that suitcase full of memories, Im left wondering what the future has in store for an industry I love and what future moments of history will be saved for perpetuity. Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse journalist and a freelance reporter. He can be reached at ScottReeder1965@gmail.com. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Budi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta 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 Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Lara Rizka and Emmy Nirmalasari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 6, 2019 During the presidential candidate debates, the notion of a preventive and promotive program for healthy lifestyles was raised many times. Prabowo Subianto and vice presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno promised to embark on a healthy lifestyle campaign by promoting 22 minutes of exercise daily, while incumbent President Joko Jokowi Widodo and his VP candidate Maruf Amin promoted a program that focuses on health promotion. Both presidential candidates shared the same view about the importance of a preventive program to decrease the incidence of disease because the sustainability of universal health coverage also depends on disease prevention and health promotion. Indonesias approach to disease prevention and health promotion was highlighted in 2017, under Presidential Instruction No. 1 on the Peoples Movement for Healthy Lifestyle, better known as Germas. The presidential instruction was issued to strengthen multi-sectoral efforts for health promotion. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France Mon, May 6, 2019 07:02 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873632f29 2 Environment UN,United-Nations,biodiversity,environment,climate Free Diplomats and scientists from 132 nations wrapped up six days of negotiations in Paris Saturday over the wording of a landmark report on the dire state of Nature and its impact on humanity, a UN official told AFP. The bombshell 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 -- will be unveiled Monday. Drafts of both documents obtained by AFP leave no doubt that the final Summary for Policymakers will paint a picture of widespread destruction wrought by man, some of it irreparable. The report is likely to reveal that up to one million of Earth's estimated eight million species face extinction, many within decades. Many scientists have concluded that the planet has already entered a period of so-called "mass extinction," the first since the demise of non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago, and only the sixth in half-a-billion years. Read also: UN report to highlight urgent need for Nature rescue plan The draft reports also details the ways in which humanity's growing footprint and appetites have deeply compromised Earth's capacity to renew resources upon which civilisation depends, beginning with fresh water, breathable air, productive soil and the natural pollination of food crops. "The evidence is incontestable," Robert Watson, chair of the chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), told delegates as the meeting got underway. "Our destruction of biodiversity and ecosystem services has reached levels that threaten our well-being at least as much as human-induced climate change." The heavily negotiated text does not make explicit policy recommendations, but will serve "as a basis for redefining our objectives" ahead of a key meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in China next Fall, said co-author Yunne Jai Shin, a researcher at the Research Institute for Development in Marseilles. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Ghina Ghaliya and Ary Hermawan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 6, 2019 09:13 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87363d346 2 Politics #2019GeneralElections,KPU,e-voting-system Free 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. The proposal, however, remains controversial, with lawmakers saying that even after so many election-related deaths, e-voting still seems like a distant dream. The controversy revolves around the question of whether Indonesia an archipelago with a population of more than 250 million people is ready for e-voting and whether the technology is the right solution to election problems. Lawmakers, election organizers, election observers and election engineers have given different answers. Infrastructure, voters not ready House of Representatives speaker Bambang Soesatyo has called on members of the House Commission II overseeing home affairs to consider e-voting in a revision to the 2017 Election Law. The commission, however, said it was unlikely that e-voting would be used in 2024. Indonesian voters, particularly those living in remote and underdeveloped areas with no internet connection, are not ready for digital elections, said commission chairman and Golkar Party lawmaker Zainuddin Amali. General Elections Commission (KPU) Arief Budiman previously said that the lack of infrastructure in some areas would hinder the application of e-voting. If data from one polling station could not be included in the national vote tally, the KPU could not determine the election results, he said as quoted by online news portal detik.com. He added that e-voting machines would also be costly. One polling station, he said, might need at least five e-voting machines, including two back-ups, while some 800,000 polling stations were involved in the last elections. An e-voting machine costs around US$3,000. The KPU has proposed that Indonesia use digital technology to count, not cast, the ballots. The counting process is where most problems occur. The officers become exhausted from counting, not serving the voters at polling stations, said KPU commissioner Viryan Azis. Voters ready, but elites are not? The engineer tasked with developing an e-voting system at the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) disagreed with the House and the KPU, saying that technology-wise and culture-wise, Indonesian voters are ready to vote digitally, but the political elites are still reluctant to depart from the manual system. It actually depends on the readiness of our elites, Andrari Grahitandaru, the head of the e-voting program at BPPT, told The Jakarta Post recently. Digital elections using e-voting machines developed by the BPPT had been successfully implemented in 981 village head elections in 18 regencies across the country, she said, adding that some of the villages were considered remote or even backward. Among the remotest regions are Musi Rawas in South Sumatra and Bantaeng in South Sulawesi. In areas with no electricity, the BPPT used car batteries as a power source for the e-voting machines, according to Michael Andreas Purwo, head of the agencys information technology and communication center. According to the BPPT, the state might need to spend up to Rp 50 million ($3,500) per polling station in a digital election. It is still cheaper, Michael argued, as the machines could later be rented and used multiple times. The BPPT can always update and develop the technology, he said. That said, Andrari argued that whether or not Indonesia was ready to implement e-voting in 2024 depended on the political will of the government and the House to reform the nations election system, not the voters. A departure from a manual to a digital system would change the business side of elections and political leaders must be willing to change it, she said. Is e-voting really a solution? But the problem is not just about readiness. Many are not convinced that e-voting is a solution at all. The Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), for example, is skeptical about e-voting, saying that the technology has credibility problems. Learning from the experience of other countries that have implemented e-voting is the right way to go, said Perludem chairman Titi Anggraini. The election watchdog highlighted that the Netherlands pulled the plug on e-voting in 2007 following a challenge by a group called We Dont Trust Voting Computers. The challenge was triggered by the failure of election organizers to hold a revote in regions that had implemented e-voting. Australia, it said, also no longer used e-voting for its federal elections and used it only for overseas and disabled voters. Germany, meanwhile, banned e-voting in 2009 as the system lacks transparency, could not be audited and is too complicated. Perludem called on the government to focus on what it is trying to solve instead of what kind of election technology it wishes to have. The use of technology could lead to new problems if it is not based on efforts to provide solutions to the real problems, Titi said. Zainuddin echoed Titis sentiment, saying there was no evidence e-voting could prevent election fraud. Technology is prone to misuse, including by hackers. Some developed countries no longer apply the technology. It is still a long way to go for us. The BPPT, however, said Indonesia should look to India where it claimed e-voting had been a success. India is the country that should be seen as the best practice model, as it always updates its election technology, Michael said. The agency claimed to have updated its e-voting machines to address concerns about its credibility by providing tally receipts, log files and barcoded receipts. It depends on our mentality. If we contest the election, we have to be ready to accept defeat. If not, distrust will always prevail, whatever the system may be, Andrari said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) South Kuta, Bali Mon, May 6, 2019 10:22 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873641d45 1 National DJ,Australia,bali,death Free Australian DJ Adam Sky died in Bali on Saturday. He was 42 years old. The Singapore-based DJ, whose real name was Adam Gary Neat, was found dead at a luxury villa resort in Ungasan, South Kuta. He had a severe wound in his right arm. He had only one wound, but it affected his artery. He likely died from losing too much blood, said South Kuta Police chief Comr. Doddy Monza. Neat reportedly crashed into a glass door while trying to rescue his personal assistant, Zoia Lukiantceva, from falling off their private terrace. Police believe the incident occurred on Friday evening, but Neats body was discovered on Saturday morning after hotel staff found Lukiantceva in some bushes with a fractured leg. Lukiantceva survived and has been taken to the hospital. However, [Neat] was already dead when he was found, Doddy said. Neats death was confirmed through his official Instagram and Facebook page. 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 traveling 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, the post reads. Had a chance to work and met Adam couple of times, great guy and so much passion. You will be missed Adam. My condolences to Adam and family, one of his Facebook followers commented. Topics : DJ Australia bali death Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano (The Jakarta Post) JAKARTA Mon, May 6, 2019 The relocation of the capital city from Jakarta should be carefully planned as it will have a major impact not only on the state budget but also on business activities, the government has been told. Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) vice chairwoman for international relations Shinta Kamdani said a thorough assessment should be undertaken by the government that must take into account inputs from businesses. This assessment, she argued, was needed because the plan to relocate the capital would also separate the seat of government from the countrys major business center. The government should undertake a thorough assessment that should also involve the private sector with regards to separating the center of government from the business center, said Shinta, suggesting that the government should provide a detailed plan of its policy agenda. 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 Mon, May 6, 2019 10:25 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8736427c2 4 Business Indonesia-Eximbank,growth,loan,Q1 Free State-owned lender Indonesia Eximbank has disbursed Rp 103.38 trillion (US$7.22 billion) as of March, up by only 1.45 percent year on year (yoy) as the company continues to struggle to achieve higher growth, an official has said. In the early period of this year, financing was still insignificant as the market is still waiting for the election result, Indonesia Eximbank corporate secretary Emalia Tisnamisastra said as quoted by kontan.co.id on Sunday. Companies and our customers are still in the wait-and-see stance and we hope to see a recovery in the second quarter. She added that global market conditions had discouraged bank customers from expanding their businesses because most were involved with commodities, the global prices of which significantly dropped last year, like crude palm oil (CPO). The exports [we have financed] rely on commodities that were affected by global prices. If the price trend declines and export demand also declines, we also suffer from the decline, Emalia added. She further revealed that foreign exchange financing had also declined this year as people preferred to use the rupiah. Therefore, Indonesia Eximbank has targeted a modest 2 percent growth in loan disbursement throughout 2019, a far cry from the 7.8 percent it achieved in 2018, she added She explained that the lender would be focusing on financing sectors with high social functions and penetrating markets in non-traditional countries. (mai/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 6, 2019 17:43 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87365a4f5 1 Business express-taxi,shareholders-meeting,conversion,bonds,shares Free Shareholders of publicly listed PT Express Transindo Utama, which operates Express Taxi, agreed to convert bonds worth Rp 1 trillion (US$69.87 million) into shares during an extraordinary shareholders meeting on Monday. The corporate secretary of Express, Megawati Affan told reporters after the meeting that the bonds would be converted into 10 billion shares. We will execute the decisions agreed during the meeting, Megawati said, adding that the meeting meet the quorum as it was attended by 53.52 percent of the companys shareholders. She said the conversion would be done in stages. In the first phase, Rp 400 billion worth of shares would be converted into 4 billion shares. The conversion will start on May 15 and the new shares will be listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) on May 23. On Dec. 31, 2020, Rp 600 billion worth bonds will be converted into 6 million shares. Mondays extraordinary shareholders meeting was the third held to discuss the matter. The two previous meetings failed to reach a quorum. Apart from agreeing on the conversion of bonds into shares, the shareholders of the company, which is part of Rajawali Group, also agreed to sell all or part of the companys assets to repay debts. The Rp 1 trillion worth of bonds were issued on June 25, 2014 and mature on June 24 this year. (mai/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Imanuddin Razak (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 6 2019 While all interested stakeholders are welcome to cooperate in the preservation of national parks, the central government should maintain its authority over the management of these protected areas, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar has stated. The ministers statement follows a proposal by the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) governor for the Environment and Forestry Ministry to hand over the development rights for Komodo National Park. The minister described the proposal as groundless. The conservation of national parks, such as Komodo National Park, is completely under the authority of the central government and cannot be decentralized to a lower level of government, Siti Nurbaya told The Jakarta Post in a recent written interview. 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 Mon, May 6, 2019 08:24 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87363ab80 4 Business hajj-fund,investment,return,2018 Free The Haj Fund Management Agency (BPKH) has announced it has collected Rp 6 trillion (US$422.47 million) in returns from its investments in 2018, a 28 percent increase from its returns in 2017 of Rp 4.7 trillion, according to a press release from the agency. The agency said it would allocate the funds for people on the haj waiting list and to cover the agencys operational costs. Rp 500 billion has been distributed to those on the waiting list, the agency said as reported by tempo.co.id on Saturday, adding that 4.1 million people were on the waiting list. The distribution of funds in February was the first of two distribution phases, the agency said, adding that the amount of funds in the second distribution would based on an audit by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK). Those on the haj waiting list received investment returns on their initial Rp 25 million deposit. The returns will be used to cover their travel costs while in Mecca. The prospective haj pilgrims, who have already paid the Rp 25 million deposit, can see the value of their investment at BPKHs website bpkh.co.id, the agency said. Meanwhile, National Commission on Haj and Umrah head Mustolih Siradj said many people on the waiting list were not aware that the investment returns from their funds had already been deposited in their bank accounts. This is because of limited information, [...], it is not in line with the principle of accountability in the management of public funds, he added. (mai/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 6, 2019 17:26 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873659c79 1 Business Masela-block,Royal-Dutch-Shell,sale,denial Free Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (SKKMigas) chairman Dwi Soetjipto says that Royal Dutch Shell is denying speculative reports that claim the company is about to sell its stake in the Abadi liquefied natural gas (LNG) project from gas rich Masela Block. Informally, Shell has told us that theres no plan to sell their stake and if I am not mistaken, the company promised to issue an official statement about it today, Dwi told the press that Monday. Meanwhile, Shell Indonesia spokeswoman Rhea Sianipar did not confirm nor deny the report, saying that the company would not comment on any rumor or market speculation. Currently, we only focus and keep working together with Inpex as the lead operator, in the process to complete the projects plan of development [PoD], she told The Jakarta Post on Monday. On Friday, Reuters published an article quoting industry and banking sources saying that Shell would sell its 35 percent stake in the US$15 billion Abadi LNG project in Masela Block. Furthermore, the report said that Shell wanted to sell its stake to raise about $1 billion to help finance its $54 billion purchase of a British energy firm, the BG Group, in 2015. A series of policy changes, such as switching emphasis from off-shore to on-shore facilities, in recent years had affected the project. The onstream date was initially to be 2018, but it was delayed to 2027, one year before the Masela Blocks contract was to end. Based on recent data from SKKMigas, the Abadi field LNG project is to go onstream in the second quarter of 2027 with an estimated LNG annual output of 9.5 million tons and 150 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd). Dwi said if Shell really wanted to exit from the project, there would be no significant affect to it because the lead party was Japans Inpex corp, the official added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 6, 2019 16:16 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873657fb2 4 Business Link-Aja,launching,delay,membership,business,expansion Free The ceremony to launch LinkAja, a financial platform established by a number of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), has been delayed until after the Idul Fitri holiday in June. It was initially planned to have been launched this month. The launch will be implemented after Lebaran [Idul Fitri]. It is not because of our lack of readiness, but we want to launch it in a gala event, said state-owned lender PT Bank Mandiri's corporate secretary, Rohan Hafas, on Sunday as quoted by kontan.co.id. Bank Mandiri was one of the leading initiators behind LinkAja. He said LinkAja had been in operation since February and already had some 5 million users. Meanwhile, Bank Mandiri president director Kartika Wirjoatmodjo, who is also chairman of the State-Owned Lenders Association (Himbara), said the launch would be held in the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta. Meanwhile, the SOEs Ministry's undersecretary for financial service business, survey and consultancy services, Gatot Trihargo, said more SOEs like flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, toll road operator PT Jasa Marga and state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) planned to participate in the application, which is operated by PT Fintek Karya Nusantara (Finarya). We will open the door for other SOEs to contribute by injecting capital [into PT Finarya], said Gatot on Sunday. Currently, the shares of PT Finarya are fully owned by PT Telkomsel, a subsidiary of state-owned telecommunications company PT Telkom Indonesia. Initially, only PT Bank Mandiri, PT Bank Negara Indonesia, PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia, PT Pertamina, PT Bank Tabungan Negara and PT Asuransi Jiwasraya had expressed a commitment to own shares of the company. Kartika said LinkAja also planned to expand its business to become a platform for peer to peer (P2P) lending. He explained that currently PT Finarya only had a permit issued by Bank Indonesia to issue electronic money (e-money). To become a P2P lending platform, the company needed to obtain a permit from the Financial Services Authority (OJK). The P2P lending service is a long-term plan. It could operate in the second half of 2020, Kartka added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 6, 2019 11:40 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873645a94 4 Business garlic,imports,permits,revocation,Agriculture-Ministry,Amran-Sulaiman Free Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaeman has threatened to blacklist garlic importers whom he suspected of playing with the prices of the commodity, which caused them to skyrocket prior to the fasting month of Ramadan. He said all importers had the responsibility to decrease garlic prices from Rp 46,000 (US$3.24) per kilogram to less than Rp 25,000 per kilogram. If they make no commitment, [...] we will blacklist them. They will be prohibited from importing garlic, Amran said in Jakarta on Sunday, adding that 14 garlic importers had signed an agreement to maintain garlic prices under Rp 25,000. Tempo.co reported that the prices of garlic at traditional markets in Jakarta were between Rp 70,000 and Rp 100,000 on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Jakarta city administration reported through its official website that the average price of garlic was nearly Rp 60,000 as of Saturday. It was among 37 commodities that had prices increase between Rp 8,000 and Rp 10,000. We call on every importer who has signed an accord [with the ministry] to take responsibility to keep the prices down. [] Otherwise, we will issue a blacklist, Amran said. On Sunday, Amran had also visited Kramat Jati Market in East Java to supply it with nearly 116 tons of garlic in a bid to push prices back down to Rp 25,000 per kg. Since last year, Amran said, that the Agriculture Ministry had blacklisted 56 importers for manipulating garlic prices. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi and Benny Mawel (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Jayapura Mon, May 6, 2019 18:05 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87365b800 1 National #Papua,#separatism,West-Papua-Liberation-Army,death-penalty,killing,TNI,police Free The National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB) has lambasted the government for demanding the death penalty for a TPNPB member arrested over the killing of military personnel. The armed group demanded that the prosecution retract the death penalty demand, as Yogor Telenggen was a political defendant, not a criminal one. The shooting happened in a conflict area, military against military. It was not murder of a civilian, TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sembom said in a press release made available on Monday. He is a political defendant, not a criminal one, he said. Yogor was a fighter of the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) that had been fighting for Papuans right to self-determination, Sebby went on. On Friday, prosecutors at the Manokwari District Court had demanded the death sentence against Yonggor for premeditated murder in violation of Article 340 of the Criminal Code. He stands accused of killing Indonesian Military (TNI) member First Pvt. Sandi Novian at Sinak Market in February. Yogors lawyer, Christian Warinusi, told The Jakarta Post on Monday that his client also stood accused of four other shootings, but Yogor only admitted guilt on the shooting of a Trigana plane in Mulia in Puncak Jaya, Papua, on orders of the armed group. The lawyer said that, contrary to the accusation, Yogor had not shot Sandi. Rather, Yogors friend had borrowed his weapon and used it to shoot the soldier, before snatching Sandis weapon. The weapon is one of the pieces of evidence put forward against Yogor in the case. The lawyer also said Yogor was a political defendant. He is a combatant, so he should not be charged under the Criminal Code. Yogor shot someone who was armed, the enemy, Christian went on. He raised questions about the punishment of Indonesian Military personnel who shot unarmed civilians. Several Papuan activists have accused the TNI of hurting civilians in their attempt to eradicate the rebels. The 30 year-old suspect had been sentenced to life imprisonment in another case in 2013 for alleged involvement in various lethal attacks against TNI and police personnel. In January 2016, he escaped from Abepura prison and was rearrested in May last year, according to the TPNPB. The group said police had shot Yogor in the knee during the arrest last year. He was later detained at the Polices Mobile Brigade building in Jayapura and sent to Manokwari for the trial in January, TPNPB said. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Lara Rizka and Emmy Nirmalasari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, May 6 2019 During the presidential candidate debates, the notion of a preventive and promotive program for healthy lifestyles was raised many times. Prabowo Subianto and vice presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno promised to embark on a healthy lifestyle campaign by promoting 22 minutes of exercise daily, while incumbent President Joko Jokowi Widodo and his VP candidate Maruf Amin promoted a program that focuses on health promotion. Both presidential candidates shared the same view about the importance of a preventive program to decrease the incidence of disease because the sustainability of universal health coverage also depends on disease prevention and health promotion. Indonesias approach to disease prevention and health promotion was highlighted in 2017, under Presidential Instruction No. 1 on the Peoples Movement for Healthy Lifestyle, better known as Germas. The presidential instruction was issued to strengthen multi-sectoral efforts for health promotion. 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 Catherine Marciano and Vessela Sergueva (Agence France-Presse) Sofia, Bulgaria Mon, May 6, 2019 22:40 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873660b3e 2 World #Bulgaria,#PopeFrancis,syrian,Iraqi,refugees,humanitarian Free Pope Francis told Syrian and Iraqi refugees at a camp in Bulgaria that their experiences were "a cross for humanity" as he continued his visit to the Balkans on Monday. Arriving in Bulgaria on Sunday, Francis begun his three-day tour by urging his hosts to open their hearts to refugees, in a country where public opinion has generally been negative towards migrants. On Monday, he visited the Vrazhdebna refugee camp on the outskirts of the capital Sofia, which has a capacity of more than 300 but currently hosts around 50 asylum seekers. "Today the world of migrants and refugees is a little like a cross for humanity, a cross suffered by so many people," Pope Francis said. He spoke of the "horrors" they had suffered in "leaving their own country and seeking to integrate themselves in another". In April 2018, the Council of Europe rights group voiced concern about Bulgarian efforts to integrate Middle Eastern refugees, with most relying on help from volunteers and NGOs. A small but energetic choir of refugee children welcomed Francis with two songs in Bulgarian before presenting him with brightly-coloured drawings, after which he greeted the other refugees at the camp individually. Iraqi refugee Soad, who has seven children and whose husband is sick, said her life was all the more difficult due to a lack of a defined immigration status and that relations with Iraqi Kurdish refugees were sometimes tense. "The pope can do everything and change everything, because he helps everyone and especially refugees," she said. "We will stay in Bulgaria, the children think it's their country now," she added. While President Ruman Radev assured the pope on Sunday that "Bulgarian society does not tolerate racism", the idea of accepting refugees from Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East is rejected on both the right and left of Bulgaria's political spectrum. The country's Orthodox Church has also called such migration a "threat to the stability of the state" and to "ethnic balance" and the entire 274-kilometre (170-mile) Bulgarian-Turkish border is blocked by a barbed-wire fence. 'Day full of emotion' After the visit to the refugee camp, Francis headed to the town of Rakovski in the centre of the country, one of the centres of Bulgaria's tiny Catholic community, which numbers around 44,000 out of a population of some seven million. Several hundred worshippers packed into one of the town's churches, with thousands more outside, for a service in which Francis gave 245 local children their first holy communion -- the first time he has done this on a foreign trip. One of them was the daughter of local resident Venelin Delgiyanski who described the event as "a great honour". "Its a day full of emotion. Everyone is very excited as this is also a big event for our small town," Delgiyanski said. Later on Monday Pope Francis will return to Sofia to take part in an inter-faith "meeting for peace" to which the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has refused to send priests. The Orthodox Church is instead sending a children's choir to the 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. Pope Francis's trip also takes in North Macedonia, where he will attend a commemoration of Mother Teresa, the most famous native of the Macedonian capital Skopje. Francis, whose papacy has been marred by a wave of child sex abuse allegations against clergy, has made improving interfaith dialogue -- including with Orthodox churches -- a priority. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Oslo, Norway Mon, May 6, 2019 14:34 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87364f291 2 Business #norway,#Malaysia,Axiata,Telenor,telecomunication,companies,Merger Free Norwegian telecom operator Telenor said Monday it has entered into talks with Malaysian telecoms group Axiata about a potential merger of the companies' Asian operations. The deal would see the two companies combine their telecom and infrastructure assets into a new company, of which Telenor would own 56.5 percent and Axiata the remaining 43.5 percent, Telenor said in a statement, adding that these figures were subject to change. According to Telenor, which operates in the Nordic nations as well as Eastern Europe and Asia, the combined businesses would have close 300 million customers in nine different countries, making it one of the largest mobile infrastructure companies operating in Asia. Telenor said it wants the new company to take an "active role in accelerating technology transformation and digitalisation" across Asia. "Together, we aim to create a leading and well-diversified pan-Asian telecom and infrastructure company with substantial synergy potential and strong regional operations," Gunn Waersted, chair of Telenor Group, said in a statement. Telenor currently operates in Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar, while Axiata has operating companies in Malaysia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, however Axiata's mobile business in Bangladesh, Robi, would be excluded from the deal and independently managed by Axiata. The two companies hope the agreement, which needs both regulatory and shareholder approval, can be finalised within the third quarter of this year. The new company would have its operational headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and was planned to be listed on an international stock exchange as well as on Bursa Malaysia. Axiata's share price rose 2.3 percent following the announcement on Monday. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (China Daily/Asia News Network) Tue, May 7, 2019 03:08 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873663306 2 News Guangdong,China,travel,destination,tourism,visa-free,Visa Free Guangdong province in South China will allow overseas travelers from 53 nations and regions to enjoy a 144-hour visa-free visit starting in May, with an aim to further promote the provinces tourism industry. Lin Weixiong, deputy director general of the Guangdong Department of Public Security, said foreign passengers can visit all of Guangdongs 21 prefecture-level cities when they have entered the province. In addition to the international airports, foreigners can enter and leave Guangdong through the four railways, the eight land and 15 water ports in the province, Lin said at a news conference in the Guangdong provincial capital of Guangzhou on April 30. The new visa-free policy will play a very active role in promoting regional economic construction in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and advancing cooperation between Guangdong and the neighboring Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions in the following years, Lin said. The entry and exit and customs departments have now established special channels in airports, rail, land and water ports and are preparing to help foreign travelers through the procedures for 144-hour visa-free stays in Guangdong, he added. Zhang Yimin, deputy director general of the Guangdong Department of Culture and Tourism, said the 144-hour visa-free policy will help make Guangdong, window of the countrys reform and opening-up, one of the major destinations for tourists from around the world. Read also: Uzbekistan gives visa-free entry to visitors from 45 countries He urged travel agencies and related units in the province to introduce more special tourist routes with local features and offer even better services to foreign visitors. He suggested more foreign tourists tour and enjoy the rich Lingnan (South China) culture, cuisines and scenic spots. Guangdong earned 1.36 trillion yuan ($203 billion) from tourism in 2018, a year-on-year increase of 13.5 percent. The province attracted more than 37.47 million tourists who stayed in the province at least one night in the previous year, up 2.8 percent compared to the year before. Qi Yaoming, a senior executive from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, said the 144-hour visa-free policy will help attract more international passengers in the months to come and fortify its status as one of the major international aviation hubs in the world. The airport, one of the busiest in the mainland, handled more than 70 million passenger visits last year. The figure is expected to reach more than 80 million in 2020. More than 80 airlines from around the world have opened 222 domestic and international flights to link the southern metropolis with the rest of the country and around the world. Topics : This article appeared on the China Daily newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Valli de Vries (The Jakarta Post) Dhaka Mon, May 6, 2019 14:04 963 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87364d88e 3 Destinations Wakatobi,Sulawesi,marine-environment,marine-park,travel,local-destination,biodiversity,destination Free Indonesia is a country where acronyms abound, so when I was informed I was traveling with a group of friends to Wakatobi, I assumed it was just to one island by that name. It was only later that it dawned on me that Wakatobi was also an acronym. Wakatobi is an abbreviation of the collective names for a string of islands that lie southeast of Sulawesi, which are Wangi Wangi Island, Kaledupa Island, Tomia Island and Binongko Island. It is also referred to as the Tukang Besi Islands. Sulawesi itself forms part of the archipelago of Indonesia. It lies toward its eastern fringes and is said to be shaped like an orchid. Sulawesi holds within it endemic flora and fauna that are unique and different from the rest of Indonesia. The seas surrounding it also abound in unique and beautiful sea life and colorful coral. These characteristics are also reflected around the Wakatobi Islands. Wakatobi is a marine national park. It forms a barrier reef second only to Australias Great Barrier Reef. The clear and clean seawater that surrounds the islands hold the highest number of reef and fish species in the world. The islands are also home to diverse habitat of wetlands, mangroves and forests. Going to Wakatobi means island hopping is a must, although it requires depending on ferry services that are not always reliable and on the vagaries of weather and ocean currents. For us the first stop was Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. From there we took a flight to Kendari, a city on the mainland of Sulawesi. From Kendari onwards it was a case of traveling through a series of places with beautiful and exotic names. From Kendari we flew to the first island, Wangi-Wangi, which literally translates into "nice smell-nice smell". Here we stayed at the Patuno Bay resort; a large hotel straddling the beach and the Flores Sea. The resort itself had become run down since we last visited it, but it was still OK for just two nights. As a bird enthusiast and photographer, I was thrilled to see many wading birds like golden plover, beach thick-knee, grey-tailed tattler, Eurasian whimbrel and the great-billed heron. The tall trees around the resort were home to the colorful black-naped fruit dove, bright yellow black-naped oriole, island monarch, white-breasted wood swallow, Sulawesi triller and the tiny and colorful grey-sided flowerpecker. Read also: Garuda Indonesia opens direct flight to reach Wakatobi from Ambon From Patuno Bay resort we took a boat to Kambode Island. Here a full day was spent snorkeling, diving and bird watching. Wakatobi is blessed with beautifully colored live coral that is in good condition. Its a barrier reef, with varied soft corals, hard corals and fan corals on walls. The clear, clean waters shelter a variety of marine life, some being rare and unusual, like the pygmy sea horse, pygmy pipe horse, skeleton shrimp, frogfish and the endearing clownfish, as well as a variety of nudibranches. As its a protected site fish tend to be large and plentiful like schools of big-eye trevelley, black-tipped sharks, bump-head parrotfish and barracuda. To be seen are also the Napolean wrass and the green and hawksbill turtles. The next day we rented cars and motorbikes and went around the island visiting a Bajo or Sea Gypsy village, a seaweed farm, a traditional cloth weaving place and a colonial fort -- all the while taking in the scenic views of the island. Next stop was Hoga Island, which is adjacent to Kaledupa Island: the KA of Wakatobi. Again, we had a boat ride on a clear blue sea. Along the way, the bird watchers were thrilled to see various sea birds, notably the red-footed booby, the brown booby and several terns. Occasionally dolphins would emerge and frolic along the boat. From Hoga Island, we did more snorkeling, diving or just enjoying the nature and fresh sea breeze. Also included was a visit to another Bajo village in Kaledupa. This was a very marginalized and poor community. The amenities in the villages were basic, but the people were friendly and welcoming. The sea gypsy community are an ancient nomadic people, whose main livelihood has been fishing using traditional methods and plying small wooden boats. They live in far-flung islands in Indonesia and other surrounding countries. In the 21st century they still rely on fishing but live in permanent settlements, where houses are built on wooden stilts in the sea. It must be noted that the way of life of this ancient people is under threat. The younger generations prefer to leave the villages, seeking better lives, while in the long run, their parents cannot compete with commercial fishing that is creeping into the area. The crowning part of Kaledupa was a visit to Lake Sembano where the adventurous could swim among hundreds of little red shrimps that live in the lake. A little sea snake was sighted in here too. After two days on Hoga Island, we needed to get to Tomea Island, which forms the To of Wakatobi. The ferry from here was unreliable so we had to charter a private boat. Getting into the boat with our bags and baggage from the jetty was a hairy experience. As the jetty lacked a functional stairway, a makeshift ladder was connected to the boat and some of us literally went on our bottoms into it. After a few hours' ride on a choppy sea, we arrived at Tomea. This island too was surrounded by spectacular coral reefs and marine life, as well as beautiful birds both at sea and on land. As bird watchers, we were charmed by the beady-eyed lemon-bellied white-eye and the bright red-breasted grey-sided flowerpecker, which has been recently classified as endemic to Wakatobi. On all the islands we were surrounded by the bluest of blue seas and saw spectacular sunrises and sunsets. From Tomea Island we made our way back by ferry to Wangi-Wangi and then by air to our respective countries and places. Binongko Island forms the Bi of Wakatobi but we kept that one for another visit. Wakatobi requires a lot of traveling often under basic conditions, but to quote Jacques Cousteau, it is an "underwater nirvana" and for me above the water too. (kes) *** Valli-Kanapathipillai de Vries is a writer and photographer of wildlife and landscapes. She lived in Indonesia for many years and is now based in Bangladesh where she contributes travelogues to the Daily Star newspaper. Contact her at info@vallidevries.com. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. May 06 2019 5:06 pm Thousands from around the globe on the 3rd of Iyur (Tuesday night) will be visiting the Tzion of Reb Shayele Kerestir (Steiner) on his Yahrtzeit. Reb Shayele, who was Niftar is 1925, was known as tremendous Baal Mofes during his lifetime, and as a big Poel Yeshuos even after his Petirah. A Kerestir local tells TLS over 25,000 are expected this year at the Tzion. Hachnosas Orchim at Kerestir works around the clock to serve fresh hot food to the thousands of visitors just like they do year-round for the constant flow of visitors. There are hundreds of stories reported by ordinary people who have seen open Nissim with the Tzadik, who is buried in Hungary. See below a clip from last year at the Tzion. A Yahrtzeit Seudah will be held in Lakewood Tuesday night. 9 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 Crowd oil instead of crude oil: building-integrated compact plants for the decentralized production of liquid fuels could cover a large part of the demand (Graphic: Nature Communications) Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Toronto have proposed a method enabling air conditioning and ventilation systems to produce synthetic fuels from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water from the ambient air. Compact plants are to separate CO2 from the ambient air directly in buildings and produce synthetic hydrocarbons which can then be used as renewable synthetic oil. The team now presents this "crowd oil" concept in Nature Communications. (DOI: 10,1038/s41467-019-09685-x). To prevent the disastrous effects of global climate change, man-made greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to zero over the next three decades. This is clear from the current special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The necessary transformation poses a huge challenge to the global community: entire sectors such as power generation, mobility, or building management must be redesigned. In a future climate-friendly energy system, synthetic energy sources could represent an essential building block: If we use renewable wind and solar power as well as carbon dioxide directly from the ambient air to produce fuels, large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions can be avoided," says Professor Roland Dittmeyer from the Institute for Micro Process Engineering (IMVT) at KIT. Due to the low CO2 concentration in the ambient air today, the proportion is 0.038 percent - large quantities of air have to be treated in large filter systems in order to produce significant quantities of synthetic energy sources. A research team led by Dittmeyer and Professor Geoffrey Ozin from the University of Toronto (UoT) in Canada now proposes to decentralize the production of synthetic energy sources in the future and to link them to existing ventilation and air conditioning systems in buildings. According to Professor Dittmeyer, the necessary technologies are essentially available, and the thermal and material integration of the individual process stages is expected to enable a high level of carbon utilization and a high energy efficiency. "We want to use the synergies between ventilation and air-conditioning technology on the one hand and energy and heating technology on the other to reduce the costs and energy losses in synthesis. In addition, 'crowd oil' could mobilize many new actors for the energy transition. Private photovoltaic systems have shown how well this can work." However, the conversion of CO2 would require large amounts of electrical power to produce hydrogen or synthesis gas. This electricity must be CO2-free, i.e. it must not come from fossil sources. An accelerated expansion of renewable power generation, including through building-integrated photovoltaics, is therefore necessary, says Dittmeyer. In a joint publication in the journal Nature Communications, the scientists led by Roland Dittmeyer from KIT and Geoffrey Ozin from UoT use quantitative analyses of office buildings, supermarkets and energy-saving houses to demonstrate the CO2 saving potential of their vision of decentralized conversion plants coupled to building infrastructure. They reckon that a significant proportion of the fossil fuels used for mobility in Germany could be replaced by "crowd oil". According to the team's calculations, for example, the amount of CO2 that could potentially be captured in the ventilation systems of the approximately 25,000 supermarkets of Germany's three largest food retailers alone would be sufficient to cover about 30 percent of Germany's kerosene demand or about eight percent of its diesel demand. In addition, the energy sources produced could be used in the chemical industry as universal synthesis building blocks. The team can rely on preliminary investigations of the individual process steps and process simulations, among others from the Kopernikus project P2X of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. On this basis, the scientists expect an energy efficiency - i.e. the proportion of electrical energy used that can be converted into chemical energy - of around 50 to 60 percent. In addition, they expect carbon efficiency - i.e. the proportion of spent carbon atoms found in the fuel produced - to range from around 90 to almost 100 percent. In order to confirm these simulation results, IMVT researchers and project partners are currently building up the fully integrated process at KIT, with a planned CO2 turnover of 1.25 kilograms per hour. At the same time, however, the scientists have found that the proposed concept - even if it were introduced all over Germany - would not be able to fully meet today's demand for crude oil products. Reducing the demand for liquid fuels, for example through new mobility concepts and the expansion of local public transport, remains a necessity. Although the components of the proposed technology, such as the plants for CO2 capture and the synthesis of energy sources, are already commercially available in some cases, the researchers believe that major research and development efforts and an adaptation of the legal and social framework conditions are still required in order to put this vision into practice. Original publication: Roland Dittmeyer, Michael Klumpp, Paul Kant, Geoffrey Ozin: 'Crowd oil not crude oil. Nature Communications, 2019. (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09685-x) More about the KIT Energy Center: http://www.energy.kit.edu Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,600 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 23,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence. His Majesty the King to grant audiences in Bangkok THAILAND: His Majesty the King is scheduled to grant audiences to religious leaders, commercial representatives, the general public and members of the international diplomatic corps this afternoon (May 6) as part of the Royal Coronation. Monday 6 May 2019, 09:00AM Chakri Maha Prasad Throne Hall. Photo: Guenter Eger His Majesty will grant an audience to religious leaders and commercial representatives at Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall, while a grand public audience will take place on a balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall to receive the good wishes of the people. When Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall was constructed on the front wall of the Grand Palace in the reign of King Rama I, it was in the form of a wooden pavilion with four gable ends. King Rama III commanded the restoration of the pavilion, which was then turned into a hall. Today, this building is used for public audiences on various occasions. Representatives of the diplomatic and consular corps accredited to Thailand, and a representative of international organisations in Thailand, will be granted an audience with His Majesty the King at Chakri Maha Prasad Throne Hall this evening. Chakri Maha Prasad Throne Hall is a large throne hall that harmoniously blends Eastern and Western architectural styles. It was built by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) between 1876 and 1882. This throne hall is used to host dinners and receptions for foreign dignitaries and to perform various royal functions. In the previous reign, it was the venue where the King received the credentials of newly arrived foreign ambassadors to Thailand. Phuket holds mass cleanup in honour HM The King PHUKET: Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana led a mass cleanup along the Bang Yai Canal in Phuket Town this morning (May 6) in honour of the Royal Coronation ceremonies conducted this weekend. culturepollutionenvironment By The Phuket News Monday 6 May 2019, 02:33PM The mass cleanup in Phuket this morning (May 6), which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Photo: PR Dept The mass cleanup in Phuket this morning (May 6), which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Photo: PR Dept The mass cleanup in Phuket this morning (May 6), which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Photo: PR Dept The mass cleanup in Phuket this morning (May 6), which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Photo: PR Dept The mass cleanup in Phuket this morning (May 6), which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Photo: PR Dept The mass cleanup in Phuket this morning (May 6), which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Photo: PR Dept The mass cleanup in Phuket this morning (May 6), which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Photo: PR Dept The mass cleanup in Phuket this morning (May 6), which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Photo: PR Dept The mass cleanup in Phuket this morning (May 6), which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Photo: PR Dept The mass cleanup in Phuket this morning (May 6), which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Photo: PR Dept The mass cleanup in Phuket this morning (May 6), which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Photo: PR Dept The mass cleanup, which saw more than 1,000 people take part, was conducted under the Royal Project called We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts initiated by His Majesty The King. Governor Phakphong presided over the official launch of the cleanup, which started at 8am at the 4,000-seat gymnasium at Saphan Hin. His Majesty is concerned about and is considerate of the well-being of the people and is determined to make the nation stable and make peoples lives better, Governor Phakphong said. In accordance with His Majestys principles to alleviate suffering and nourishing the people to develop the country to progress, His Majesty has created his Royal initiative. Therefore, in honour of the auspicious Royal Coronation, Phuket Province [the Phuket Provincial Office] has organised volunteer activities in accordance with the We Do Good Deeds with Our Hearts Royal project to develop, rehabilitate and develop our canal waterways in order to protect the environment and improve peoples quality of life. By this activity, we have more than 1,000 volunteers taking part, including officials from government agencies, police officers, officers from local administrative organisations, subdistrict headmen, and members of the public from all walks of life, all gathered together to rotect the environment and improve the quality of life of Phuket residents with an atmosphere of happiness, smiles and harmony, he said. When Boeing began delivering its 737 Max to customers in 2017, the company believed that a key cockpit warning light was a standard feature in all the new jets. But months after the planes were flying, company engineers realized that the warning light worked only on planes whose customers had bought a different, optional indicator. In essence, that meant a safety feature that Boeing thought was standard was actually a premium add-on. Boeing detailed its initial confusion about the warning light in a statement released Sunday, adding new details to what was already known about the flawed design and introduction of the 737 Max, its bestselling jetliner. The initial lack of knowledge about the features functionality, along with the delayed disclosure, add to the concern about Boeings management of the Maxs design. The revelations add to Boeings mounting problems, which include frayed relations with airlines and customers, multiple federal investigations, growing financial costs and the remaining work to get the Max flying again. The warning light notifies pilots of a disagreement in the sensors that measure which direction the plane is pointed, a potential sign of a malfunction. This light could have provided critical information to the pilots on two flights that crashed shortly after takeoff in recent months. In both doomed flights Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 preliminary investigations suggest there were problems with these angle of attack sensors early in the flights, activating new anti-stall software that sent the planes into unrecoverable nosedives. But the disagree alert worked only on planes with an optional indicator that displays the readings from the angle of attack sensors, Boeing said Sunday. Because only 20 per cent of customers had purchased the optional indicator, the warning light was not working on most of Boeings new jets. Neither Lion Air nor Ethiopian had the indicator. After discovering the lapse in 2017, Boeing performed an internal review and determined that the lack of a working warning light did not adversely impact airplane safety or operation, it said in its statement. As a result, Boeing said it did not inform airlines or the Federal Aviation Administration about the mistake for a year. Only after the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 in October did Boeing discuss the matter with the FAA. The company then conducted another review and again found the missing alert did not pose a safety threat, and told the FAA as much. Boeing and the FAA put out public updates late last year that described the warning light as available only if the optional indicator had been purchased as well. But neither statement made it clear that Boeing had intended for the disagree alert to be standard in all planes. The FAA said Sunday that Boeing briefed it on the confusion in November, and that it deemed the issue to be low risk. However, Boeings timely or earlier communication with the operators would have helped to reduce or eliminate possible confusion, the FAA 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 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 AOA 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. 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. A Boeing spokesman confirmed this, stressing that the disagree alert does not work on the ground, and thus could not have alerted the Lion Air pilots to a faulty sensor before takeoff. Tajer said Boeing seemed to have provided information that was not accurate and said the pilots have asked for clarification from the company. Tajer, who is also a 737 pilot, said he was concerned that Boeing did not seem to fully grasp how every aspect of the Max worked. You better start knowing things about the airplane youre building and selling because my life and the passengers that I carry safely across the globe depends on it, Tajer said. The Lion Air crash also spurred Boeing to notify Southwest pilots about the disagree light. We thought it worked, said Jon Weaks, president of the Southwest Pilots Association. If they knew it in 2017, why did we get to nearly the end of 2018 until the manual was changed? In the months after the Lion Air crash, Boeing quietly worked to appease some customers, according to a person briefed on the matter. In several instances, it activated the angle of attack indicator for free, which then turned on the disagree alert. The 737 Max has been grounded for more than a month, after the Ethiopian Airlines crash. Boeing is working on a software fix that it plans to submit to the FAA soon, in hopes that the Max can return to flight this summer. The update will make the anti-stall system less powerful and reliant on both sensors. Boeing is also developing a separate software update that will unlink the disagree alert from the angle of attack indicators, which will also be installed before the Max can fly again. Read more about: Dara Khosrowshahi had a problem. His name was Travis Kalanick. That, of course, was nothing new. When Khosrowshahi took over as chief executive of Uber in 2017, he became the best-compensated janitor in Silicon Valley, with a mandate to clean up the mess left by the companys exiled founder. But this time, in mid-April, Khosrowshahi faced a Travis headache that lay in the future. Uber was just weeks away from its initial public offering. After years of scandal, infighting and user revolt, this was supposed to be a $91 billion moment of triumph, when employees would become wealthy and the public could buy a piece of an indisputably world-changing company. The problem for Khosrowshahi, according to two people briefed on the matter, was that Kalanick wanted to be there. As a former CEO and current board member, Kalanick had asked to take part in the hallowed New York Stock Exchange tradition of ringing the opening bell on May 10, the day Uber shares are slated to begin trading. He also wanted to bring his father, Donald Kalanick. It would be close to the second anniversary of the accidental death of Travis Kalanicks mother, and of the dramatic boardroom coup that ousted him as boss. His presence on the exchanges iconic balcony could make both Kalanick and the corporation appear resilient. Khosrowshahi wasnt having it. The original plan was to fill the rafters with Ubers earliest employees and longest tenured drivers. Moreover, some people at the top of the company felt that Kalanick was still a toxic liability and that Uber should keep him at maximum distance as it tried to convince constituents that employees truly abided by a new motto: Do the right thing. Period. Kalanicks appearance would unavoidably rekindle public memories of just how much of a disaster his final year was. Besides, Khosrowshahi had bigger things to worry about than IPO pageantry. Uber is losing billions of dollars annually, and he needs to convince investors that it is a promising, long-term company even if it wont be turning a profit anytime soon. He didnt need the distraction at Ubers financial coming-out party. On Thursday evening, after The New York Times approached Uber for comment on this article, Khosrowshahi decided that Kalanick wasnt welcome on the balcony, according to an Uber executive briefed on the plans. The CEO wants to prove that the startup has evolved past Kalanicks raucous, tech-bro culture and his strategy of setting barrels of money aflame in the pursuit of growth above all else. But Ubers past, to state the obvious about a company that is only a decade old, is simply not that far gone. Almost every instance of Kalanicks bare-knuckled approach to capitalism illuminates something about Ubers viability as a business today. (Citing the quiet period before an IPO, representatives for Uber, Khosrowshahi and Kalanick all declined to comment.) The company has little good will with consumers or regulators in multiple jurisdictions. And Uber still loses money on nearly every fare, using venture capital to subsidize rides, invest in new areas and beat back a set of global competitors that offer an essentially identical service. Kalanicks heavy reliance on venture funding could be problematic for a public Uber in at least two ways. Arguably, it instilled habits of indiscipline, because executives could simply ask for more money whenever they wanted it, like rich kids with no cap on their allowance. Second, and more troubling for retail investors, the bulk of investment returns might have already been realized. Uber acknowledged in a recent filing that its growth is slowing, fuelling concern that venture firms, private equity shops, sovereign-wealth funds and other elite insiders have not left much upside for mom-and-pop investors. The last big beneficiary of Ubers private-market gains might have been SoftBank. The Japanese mega-conglomerate bought existing shares from Uber investors at a nadir, when the company was valued at roughly $42 billion. Just months later, as Uber recovered from its string of scandals, those shares had nearly doubled in value. All IPOs are by nature unpredictable, but with Uber the possible outcomes seem especially extreme. Is it a juggernaut that, like Amazon before it, will someday flip the switch to profitability? Or is it something more like eBay, a well-known but puttering giant with its best growth long since behind it? For now, Khosrowshahis job is to execute a drama-free public offering. He was able to use the chaotic events of Kalanicks departure and his own hiring to secure a lucrative incentive. If he is able to attain a valuation of more than $120 billion for Uber over a period of 90 consecutive days, according to two people familiar with the matter and language included in Ubers IPO prospectus, Khosrowshahi will personally net stock bonuses of more than $100 million. I really dont know how you got this job Going public comes with additional scrutiny and financial reporting requirements something Uber may have a tough time adjusting to. In the beginning, investors poured billions into the company while asking for little in return, trusting that the charismatic Kalanick knew what he was doing. When the startup was founded in 2009, venture capitalists were looking everywhere to fund the next Larry Page of Google or Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook the newest brilliant mind who might put a multibillion-dollar dent in the universe. Investors valued an entrepreneurs zeal almost as much as the business plan he or she was selling. And nobody was more zealous than Kalanick. In his mind, historians would one day mention Uber in the same breath as titans like Apple and Google, world-changing corporations that shaped the way billions of people used technology in their daily lives. Investors liked the idea of disrupting the taxi industry and public transportation, but they liked Kalanick even more. Despite a little salt and pepper in his hair born in 1976, he was practically middle-aged for Silicon Valley Kalanick was trim and boyish, with an excess of kinetic energy. When he was dangling a chance at Uber equity in front of VCs, he was a force of nature, combining the oracular skills of Steve Jobs with the aggression of Alec Baldwins salesman character in Glengarry Glen Ross. Typically, startups go to venture firms offices to make their pitches. At its peak, Uber was in such demand that it flipped the power dynamic, making investors come to its San Francisco headquarters. Kalanick created a system based on scarcity. For one week, he would hold just three meetings per day with potential backers, forcing them to compete for slots. (He called the method the homeshow, in contrast with the travelling roadshow that pre-IPO companies conduct.) Venture capitalists didnt care that Uber was awash in red ink, as long as the user numbers kept climbing. By the end of 2016, Uber was valued at nearly $70 billion. But abruptly, by the middle of 2017, investors started to worry in earnest that their stakes were in jeopardy of shrinking to zero. A pileup of scandals among Uber employees from sexual harassment charges to systematically evading law enforcement all seemed to reflect Kalanicks personality and disregard for outsiders, and they cast his business choices in a new light. Ubers billions in losses could be interpreted as savvy investments, keeping competitors at bay in what would evolve into a winner-take-all market. Or they could be the heedless spending of someone who cared more about winning in the moment than building a long-term company. One way Uber got to a position of dominance in cities was by throwing incentives at drivers and lowering barriers to entry so low that people who might have been prevented from driving in the official taxi industry could easily work for Uber. That included predators. Over time, the company received such a volume of sexual misconduct allegations that to keep track of them, it had to create its own taxonomy of 21 different kinds of misbehaviour and assault. (The taxonomy was developed and made public in an open source approach, a move the company has said is an effort to improve safety across the ride-hailing industry.) All of a sudden, Ubers sense of ubiquity and inevitability seemed to be much less of a sure thing. Over a whirlwind weekend in August 2017, Khosrowshahi was elected to replace Kalanick as CEO. He was a relative outsider to the Bay Area Expedia, the company hed been running, was based in Seattle and he was not a household name. But he had a good reputation, a warm appearance and, to some, one more big advantage: He wasnt Travis Kalanick. In the fall of 2017, not long after Khosrowshahi started his new job, six of Ubers board members received calls from Barry Diller, the chairman and senior executive of InterActive Corp. and a longtime mentor of Khosrowshahi. Diller was being protective of his protege and wanted to know how, exactly, he had secured one of the most formidable CEO positions in all of tech. Later, Diller called Khosrowshahi with his findings: Hed been elected almost accidentally, the result of warring factions on the board vying for two different candidates and finally settling on a third. That ended up being Khosrowshahi. I really dont know how you got this job, Diller told Khosrowshahi, describing the level of chaos and utter dysfunction at the very top of Uber. No one even voted for you. The Dekalanickization of Uber Some 20 months later, many of Ubers most important stakeholders consider Khosrowshahis appointment a stroke of luck. After parachuting into a profoundly fractured board, the CEO has managed to make a kind of peace among the companys directors, a group that includes Kalanick. Leaks about internal issues have largely stopped flowing to the press. Backbiting among executives has subsided. And Khosrowshahi has refrained from extravagances like booking Beyonce to perform at private company functions, as Kalanick did in 2015, at a cost of $6 million in restricted stock units. Khosrowshahis admirers say the calm is a result of his long experience with corporate distress. After years of running InterActive Corp.s mergers, acquisitions and finance divisions, Khosrowshahi was tapped to lead Expedia as chief executive in 2012 a time of intense political drama inside the online travel company. Khosrowshahi stabilized some of the internal tumult, according to Neha Parikh, the president of Hotwire, who worked alongside Khosrowshahi at the time. No matter who you are, she said, Dara makes you feel heard. (From May 2015 until September 2017, Khosrowshahi was on The New York Times board.) At Uber, Khosrowshahi hired a slew of lawyers to plumb and correct years of the companys legal deficiencies. He also edited Kalanicks list of 14 cultural values. Ranging from Always Be Hustlin to Super Pumped, they read like Amazons leadership principles run through a bro-speak translation engine; now they have been made into a blander set of eight platitudes. (Among them: We persevere.) Investors who had billions riding on Ubers success have been happy to see a constant stream of negative headlines shrink to a trickle. While Khosrowshahi has seemed to successfully reform many of Ubers cultural issues, skeptics note that the companys business fundamentals remain much the same. Uber lost nearly $2 billion in 2018, the first full year under Khosrowshahis leadership. That comes even after a retreat from a number of costly battles with ride-hailing competitors in China, Russia and Southeast Asia. On Ubers roadshow to pitch itself to institutional investors (theres no homeshow this time around), Khosrowshahi has broken with Kalanicks worldview that Uber is competing in a winner-take-all market. Ride-sharing will be a winner-take-most game, as Khosrowshahi puts it, according to people familiar with his presentation. He has also embraced the idea that his company is like Amazon a logistics giant in the making. His pitch casts Ubers sustained losses as both an attempt to defend its existing market share from competitors while simultaneously investing in Ubers future growth. That story seeks to frame Uber as a technology platform. Ride-hailing, the thinking goes, is a mere jumping-off point for other markets, like bikes and scooters, food delivery, long-haul trucking even flying cars. Just like Amazon sells third-party goods, we are going to also offer third-party transportation services, Khosrowshahi said in an interview last year. Still, Uber has no clear path to turning a profit in the next few years, and the risks section of its registration statement runs to 48 pages, out of 285 total. Shares of Lyft, its nearest competitor, have fallen some 26 per cent since their March debut. Ubers bankers seem to have internalized the doubts. After initially targeting an IPO opening range of roughly $48 to $55 per share, Uber reduced expectations to roughly $44 to $50 per share at a valuation of $80 billion to $91 billion significantly lower than the $90 billion to $100 billion range it originally sought. Despite all Khosrowshahi has done to distance Uber from its founder, Kalanick remains intimately connected to the company he built. He remains on Ubers board, and Khosrowshahi has shown no signs of agitating for a shakeup of the group in the months following an IPO, as some had expected he would. Friends of Kalanick say that he feels unfairly targeted by Ubers IPO paperwork and its implicit criticisms of his leadership. And every time Khosrowshahi uses the word culture, Kalanick considers it a thinly veiled synonym for his reign, according to people familiar with his thinking. They add that Kalanick hopes that his successor will use the IPO to bury the hatchet between the two men and mark a new chapter in Ubers history. Even former enemies on the board, like Matt Cohler of Benchmark, have spoken in favour of Kalanicks involvement, according to a report from Axios. No matter where he stands when Uber shares begin to trade Kalanick could watch from the stock exchange floor, or skip the event entirely he will have the consolation of making on paper several billion dollars. That is 600 times what Khosrowshahis stake will be worth. Not that hes one to let that bother him. Hes like Teflon. You cant scratch him, said Avid Larizadeh Duggan, Khosrowshahis cousin and the chief operating officer of Kobalt, a music startup. But its a positive way, not robotic. Thats why hes such a good choice for this role, because you have to be especially from where he started. Read more about: LONDONIn Spain, activists were convicted for social media posts that violated an expanded anti-terrorism law. The Twitter accounts of German citizens were blocked because of rules enacted last year that prohibit hate speech. And a Dutch court determined Google must remove search results about a doctor punished for poor performance, in compliance with a privacy law. Heralded as the worlds toughest watchdog of Silicon Valley technology giants, Europe has clamped down on violent content, hate speech and misinformation online through a thicket of new laws and regulations over the last five years. Now there are questions about whether the region is going too far, with the rules leading to accusations of censorship and potentially providing cover to some governments to stifle dissent. The unintended consequences may be compounded as European governments pursue more laws and policies to restrict what communication can be shared online. Last month, Britain proposed appointing an internet regulator who would be empowered to block websites it considers harmful. The European Union is separately debating a law that would require tech companies to quickly remove terrorist-related content online. With the growing body of European legislation, there will be a lower standard for protection of freedom of expression, said David Kaye, a University of California, Irvine, law professor who the United Nations appointed to spotlight government efforts to restrict free speech. He added that Europes rules erode what had been a shared belief among the United States and other Western democracies to avoid censoring social media posts, YouTube videos, discussion forums and other internet content. The debate in Europe illustrates the difficulties that governments face as they try to regulate the most corrosive material on the internet without choking off individual expression. That is set to flare up elsewhere as other countries also move to pass new laws or impose restrictions on online material. In Sri Lanka, authorities shut off access to social media sites after co-ordinated terrorist attacks last month left hundreds dead. New Zealand and Australia have put forward restrictions on tech companies after the March massacre of 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand, where the accused gunman used social media to amplify his message. Singapore has also proposed a law to curtail false or misleading information, which critics warned could be used to silence dissent. And India is considering giving itself new powers to suppress digital content. Tech companies themselves are asking for more regulation, rather than delegating enforcement responsibility to their platforms. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive officer, invited Congress in March to set rules for the social network, adding it would be useful to spell out clearly what the responsibilities that we want companies and people and governments to have. On Thursday, Facebook added to the censorship debate when it proactively barred several extremists, including Infowars founder Alex Jones, from its platform. Dimitris Avramopoulos, a European Commissioner pushing for stricter oversight of the internet, said government intervention was an appropriate response to how social media was being used to glorify terrorism, manipulate elections and spread hateful ideologies. The new battleground is the internet, he said. But some Europeans are grappling with the fallout. Jorg Rupp, 53, a social worker and political activist in the eastern German town of Malsch, said he was swept up in Europes new laws. In January 2018, he posted a tweet with altered lyrics to a German song called The Anarchist Pig, adding derisive words about asylum-seekers and Chancellor Angela Merkel. Within three hours, his Twitter account was banned. Germany has one of the worlds strictest hate-speech laws, the Network Enforcement Act, which had recently taken effect when Rupp tweeted. The law mandates that internet companies remove offensive material within 24 hours or face fines of up to 50 million euros, or about $56 million. Rupp said the tweet was satire, an attempt to use the language of right-wing groups to show their cruelty. Its dangerous at the moment to be ironic, he said. Thats not good for free speech. Rupp, who has more than 2,000 followers on Twitter, said he sent several emails to Twitters help line and pointed to his other tweets in which he voiced support for immigrants. The company rejected his pleas, he said. He then spent 450 euros, about $500, to hire a lawyer to reactivate his account. Now, he said, he is careful about what he shares online. Twitter said Rupps account was blocked for violating its terms of service. After a post like Rupps is flagged by a user, Twitter considers whether it violates internal policies before going through the procedures of the Network Enforcement Act. Last year, the company received more than 500,000 complaints about posts under the German law. It took down about 10%; it doesnt specify how many of the removals were classified as violating Twitters policies versus breaking the law. Wolfgang Schulz, the research director at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society in Berlin, said the German law hasnt led to widespread blocking of online content as some initially feared. But it raises questions about requiring internet companies to moderate speech, rather than courts or other public institutions. In the face of political pressure to clean up their platforms, the easier option is to take content down, he said. In a statement, Twitter said freedom of expression is our fundamental guiding principle. It added, regulation needs to strike an appropriate balance between keeping people safe online and preserving their inalienable human rights, and protecting the nature of a free, open internet. Google and Facebook declined to comment. Rupps experience has been echoed elsewhere, according to watchdog groups. Amnesty International said more than 60 people had been convicted in Spain for what they posted online under an anti-terrorism law that was expanded in 2015 to include social media content. One was Cassandra Vera. She was 21 when she was convicted by Spanish authorities in 2017 over tweets in which she said she was joking about the assassination of a member of Francisco Francos dictatorship. I hadnt done anything bad and yet I was still detained when I was an innocent person, said Vera, whose one-year sentence was ultimately suspended after her case became a flashpoint in Spains free-speech debate. A European privacy standard from 2014, known as the Right to Be Forgotten and which lets people petition Google to remove search results about themselves, has also been criticized for blocking legitimate material. Since 2016, newspapers in Belgium and Italy have removed articles from their archives under the law. Google was also ordered last year to stop listing some search results, including information from 2014 about a Dutch doctor who The Guardian reported was suspended for poor care of a patient. Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, said the incidents represented a warning. Europes regulatory efforts may Balkanize the internet, in which the content available online changes based on where a person is, he said. Unlike a global resource where were sharing information and knowledge, we end up with something severely crippled, he said. The move to regulate internet platforms in Europe has been gathering momentum. Last month, the European Parliament passed a law requiring companies to remove terrorist-related content within one hour or risk fines of up to 4% of global revenue. The measure must go through several more legislative steps before being enacted. Critics said the proposed law doesnt clearly define what constitutes objectionable content and delegates too much responsibility to tech companies. In December, U.N. representatives warned the proposed rule may lead to infringements to the right to access information, freedom of opinion, expression, and association, and impact interlinked political and public interest processes. Read more about: Investing in companies or organizations that make a positive change on society can be a bit like indulging in a vice: A lot of people might enjoy it privately, but theyre not comfortable talking about it publicly. When asked about this strategy, known as impact investing, investors typically give a lukewarm response or sidestep the topic altogether, researchers have found. A common refrain is to raise concerns about an investments influence and how any trade-offs with returns are measured. But recent research geared toward individual investors, financial advisers and fund managers has found that impact investing is more broadly popular than advisers believed and that this may be a golden age for measuring the financial and social returns on such investments. Nearly three-quarters of Americans have moderate to high interest in sustainable investing, according to new research by the financial services firm Morningstar. That interest, the study found, is broad and deep. It also runs contrary to a common belief among advisers that interest in this type of investing is confined to millennials and women. The study used a technique from experimental economics called revealed preferences, said Ray Sin, a senior behavioral scientist at Morningstar who conducted the study with Ryan O. Murphy, head of decision sciences at the firm. Most surveys that study impact investing rely on stated preferences: You answer the question youre asked. The Morningstar survey gave people either/or choices between two stocks with varying differences of the financial returns and sustainability ratings of each stock. Youre inferring their preferences through trade-offs, Sin said. In doing that, were able to tell how much theyre willing to trade off, and then we tied it back to the question: Do people care about sustainable investing? The answer, overwhelmingly, was yes. That opened up a second line of inquiry: Are the investments having an impact and still generating a solid return? That is a difficult question to answer in a meaningful way. Many organizations offer metrics for measuring an investments impact, but they are generally not all measuring the same thing. The best ones, though, are at least evaluating all the investments using the same criteria. Theres been a pretty significant proliferation of metrics and data in the last 20 years, said Lily Trager, director of investing with impact at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. She said that what had started as a way of avoiding risk caused by the actions of companies had evolved into a more complicated assessment of positive performance. Yet putting that information together in a meaningful way has proved to be complicated. Youre seeking to define the most useful of material factors, Trager said. That is nuanced and challenging for clients to understand. Here is a look at four metrics that either are being introduced or have been overhauled in an effort to simplify the process for investors. Hoping to be a one-stop shop The Global Impact Investment Network, a nonprofit advocacy group, has operated the IRIS rating system for the past decade. It has contributed to metrics that evaluate impact investments, with the intention of creating a commonly used method, similar to the generally accepted accounting principles used by the Securities and Exchange Commission. IRIS is set to be reintroduced this month. The new version, IRIS Plus, is meant to translate impact investing goals like gender equity, climate change and affordable housing into results, said Amit Bouri, the chief executive of GIIN. He said the new system would help investors know exactly which metrics to track if they hoped, for example, to bring clean energy to rural areas. The revised IRIS system is also an acknowledgment that impact investors want more ratings they can act on, he said. Before, the people doing impact investing were do-gooder organizations by design, Bouri said. When I fast-forward to today, and I have a conversation with the chief investment officer of an investment fund or the chief executive of an asset manager, they all want to talk about impact investing. But they want to know how they can best understand their performance. Bouri hopes that IRIS Plus can serve as a one-stop shop for investors seeking to understand how a particular goal can, or cannot, be accomplished through a particular investment. Retooling ratings on an aspirational scale The Global Impact Investment Rating System was created a decade ago to apply sustainability criteria to private investments made through venture capital and private equity funds. It was the brainchild of B Lab, a nonprofit organization that strives to redefine business success and administers the B Corp certification. GIIRS (pronounced gears) was meant to evaluate both the investments themselves and the overall quality of the funds. It focused on the impact of a business model, the impact of a companys policies and the intent of the fund to make an impact. The system is now being retooled to bring it more in line with the B Corp system of rating companies themselves. That system measures a company on social and environmental metrics as they relate to its business and employees, and then assigns a score from 0 to 200 points. A company needs a score of at least 80 to receive the B Corp designation. As GIIRS has evolved, the organizations leaders realized that investors were interested in analytical data, said Andrew Kassoy, a co-founder and the managing partner of B Lab. So impact investments will now be put through an analytical screening process and assigned a series of scores in areas like the effect on the environment or treatment of workers as well as a total score, the way companies seeking B Corp certification are scored. Kassoy said that applying this methodology to impact investments would help them strive for constant improvement. The whole idea of the 200-point scale is aspirational, he said. Its easy to identify things that can be done quickly and easily as well as things that would take more time with a plan for improvement. That leads to really important conversations with investors. Using accounting standards as a model The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board was modelled on the Financial Accounting Standards Board with the goal of doing for sustainable investing what FASB has done for accounting. Last fall, after seven years of work, the organization released its framework for analyzing 77 industries along a consistent range of environmental, social and governance metrics. The groups overarching goal is to focus on sustainabilitys financial impact on a company and what that means to investors. General financial information for most companies is available online, but the same cannot be said for a companys approach to using environmental, social and governance measurements, said Bryan Esterly, the sustainability boards director of standards research. Even companies that provide their own sustainability reports do not do so in a standardized way as they do with accounting measures. What we produce are standards, Esterly said. We dont produce ratings. Our view is, the ratings could be more accurate and robust if there was a market standard out there. One drawback: So far, only about 60 companies have used the boards standards. Swapping numbers for a heat map Erika Karp, the chief executive of Cornerstone Capital, which manages money for wealthy people, came to impact investing through equity research at top global investment banks. She said she saw environmental, social and governance analysis as a critical investment discipline, akin to quantitative or fundamental research. But assessing an investments impact has been difficult to do in a way that is meaningful and understandable to the high-net-worth clients she serves. Using the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals, Cornerstone created the Access Impact Framework to apply those goals to companies in different sectors. The end result for investors is a heat map that shows in colours from pale to deep blue how their money measures up to their goals, whether it is invested in individual companies, funds or the portfolio overall. Were sorting through a lot of data and noise and getting to a signal for regular human beings not quants, not financial experts, Karp said. With the heat map, clients who want to improve access to education in the world can see if their investments are actually doing that. They can also screen managers to see, for example, which ones are invested in opportunities that provide access to clean water. Karp said the company purposely avoided using a numerical scale because she hoped the heat map would reach people on a more human level. Its so easy to be bummed out when you think of the damage thats been baked into the climate, she said. We really have to get going now, and if youre going to get going now it has to be visceral. Numbers dont let things be visceral. HOUSTONOccidental Petroleum Corp. moved a step closer to sealing its proposed $38 billion acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum Corp. after it sweetened its offer and agreed to sell assets owned by the target company. Occidental increased the cash portion of its bid to 78 per cent from 50 per cent on Sunday. It also pledged to cover the $1 billion breakup fee Anadarko would have to pay for abandoning an already-agreed to deal with Chevron Corp., and said Occidental shareholders wont be required to vote on the takeover. Clarity of closing was the lower-cost option over raising the offer, Occidental chief executive officer Vicki Hollub said on a conference call Monday. Our objective in doing this was not at all to avoid the shareholder vote. It was to ensure that we had a reasonable chance to make this happen. The heftier buyout proposal came just hours after French energy giant Total SA agreed to buy operations in four African nations for $8.8 billion, contingent upon Occidental completing a takeover of Anadarko. Texas-based Anadarkos board is likely to determine Monday that Occidentals offer is superior to Chevrons, people familiar with the matter told CNBC. The Total agreement augments billionaire Warren Buffetts $10 billion commitment to Occidental, which has faced investor criticism for its unsolicited April 24 offer to best Chevrons takeover of Anadarko. While Occidental is a storied name in American oil and operates across three continents, its just one-fifth Chevrons market value and its pursuit of Anadarko was seen by some as quixotic. Occidental shares dropped as much as 1.7 per cent Monday, signalling confidence about the deals prospects. Anadarko rose 2.7 per cent to $74.66. Chevron climbed 0.3 per cent. Hollub, who has been pursuing Anadarko for almost two years, has grown frustrated at the companys unwillingness to acquiesce to her advances. We remain perplexed at your apparent resistance to obtaining far more value for Anadarko shareholders which has been expressed clearly through our interactions over the last week, Hollub said in a letter to Anadarkos board dated Sunday. Anadarko said in a statement that it will review the revised offer and reaffirmed its existing recommendation to shareholders to accept the Chevron deal. The Total agreement may ameliorate concerns that Occidental would take on too much debt and shorten the amount of time the company would be out of the market for share buybacks, said Bill Nygren, chief investment officer of Harris Associates LP, which manages $120 billion and owns about 3 per cent of Anadarko. An Occidental-Anadarko accord would be a stunning rebuff for Chevron CEO Mike Wirth just 15 months into his tenure at the head of the worlds third-largest oil explorer by market value. Sundays emergence of Total as an Occidental ally pits two of the worlds supermayor oil drillers on opposite sides of the industrys biggest takeover battle in years. Hollub has pursued Anadarko amid on-and-off talks since late 2017, to no avail. In an apparent acknowledgment that more was needed to get the deal across the line, Hollub flew to Omaha, Nebraska, on April 28 to visit Buffett. The legendary investor announced two days later he had agreed to pay $10 billion in exchange for a slug of Occidental preferred stock and warrants, contingent on a successful takeover of Anadarko. With the OXY deal looking safer for APC to accept, Id say this may force CVX to match the OXY bid or lose out on these terrific assets, Nygren said in an email, referring to the stock tickers of the suitors and target. At the heart of the tug-of-war over Anadarko is a fight for supremacy in the Permian Basin, the worlds largest oilpatch. Chevron announced an ambitious, multibillion-dollar plan earlier this year to boost its fracking activities in the region, and buying Anadarko would turbo-boost its Permian growth. For Occidental, the deal is about securing its position as the dominant producer in the basin. Buying Anadarko would be the biggest oil industry deal in four years and mark an end to an era of austerity among explorers chastened by a decline in crude prices and chastised by investors for poor returns. The pressure on Occidental and Chevron shares in the past two weeks showed investors were worried the industry was returning to the old ways, when profligate spending and bold deals were de rigueur. Indeed, the controversy stirred up by Occidentals bid appears to have attracted another interloper. Billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn has built a small stake in the company, people familiar with the matter said on May 3. Anadarko doesnt just operate in the Permian, and both bidders face being saddled with unwanted assets Chevron has also said it will sell off billions of dollars of operations post merger. The Total deal means the French company will take on oil operations in Ghana, Algeria and South Africa, as well as a massive liquefied natural gas project in Mozambique. Total is already a major player in LNG while Occidental has no current involvement in that market and had already indicated that it was looking to sell the facility. Investors now await a decision from the Anadarko board. Having previously rebuffed proposals from Occidental for more than a year, Anadarko agreed to start negotiations with the company even before the cash portion was lifted late Sunday. If Anadarko recommends a merger with Occidental, Chevron will have four days to make a counter-offer or walk away. Working life wasnt always easy for Geraldine Pennie and her husband. Work as a tool and die maker was well paying, but intermittent, for her husband, Doug. For Pennie, there was a series of contracts in social welfare, including running subisidized housing. Neither spouse was in a job that had a private pension. Still, they were delighted to discover they could easily afford to buy a home, take summer camping trips with their son and daughter, and even enjoy the odd vacation in Florida. Now 74, Pennie looks back and sees a good life one where if you worked hard, you could count on a decent income. It wasnt always stable, but we always had hope we could find something else. And when money came in, you could pay stuff off, said Pennie. Today, she lives in a clean, bright apartment in the east end of Toronto. Shes not wealthy, she says, but she doesnt want for anything. Shes comfortable. Its a life she worries her childrens generation might not be able to achieve. And new data shows shes probably right. According to a study being released Monday by the United Way of Greater Toronto, seniors once the lowest rung on the income ladder have caught up with and then surpassed young adults over the past few decades. The study, titled Rebalancing the Opportunity Equation to which the Star was given exclusive advance access found that between 1980 and 2015, seniors in Toronto saw their average annual income surge by 54 per cent, from $32,000 to $49,400. At the same time, young adults, ages 25 to 34, saw their incomes stagnate and fall from $42,300 to $41,800. People in middle age defined by the study as being 35 to 64 remained at the top of the income pile. For seniors, there has been a clear and signficant shift away from the bottom this analysis shows that young adults have become relatively poorer over time, while the economic prospects for seniors have improved, the report notes. My dad was a cop, then worked for Hydro. My mother was a teacher. When they retired, they both had half-decent pensions. People of my stepkids generation just dont have the same opportunities, said report author Michelynn Lafleche in an interview. Read more: Report reveals alarming and growing racialized income divide in GTA Federal budget promises help for seniors, homebuyers and workers Save Ontarios basic income pilot, advocates urge Ottawa Its a trend decades in the making, said Malcolm Hamilton, a pension industry consultant and former actuary at human resources consulting giant Mercer. And the reasons, Hamilton says, range from the gig economy faced by millennials, to the increasing number of women collecting Canada Pension Plan cheques and baby boomers drawing income from their RRSPs. This has been changing for a long time. And there is never just one explanation for something like this, said Hamilton. The main reason is that seniors are getting more money from the government than ever before. While the benefits paid by the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (paid to low-income seniors) have stayed largely the same, today a much higher proportion of seniors are collecting them, Hamilton said. With baby boomers in retirement, were now seeing more women collecting CPP than a generation ago, because there were more women working. Its not so much that the program has gotten more generous as it is that more people are using it, said Hamilton. In the 1970s, a retiring woman would have little work history. Despite the dramatic improvement in income levels for seniors, theyre still actively courted by politicians, who continue to offer up tax breaks and benefits. Thats because theyre one of the demographic groups who most reliably show up at the polls, said Hamilton. Long after seniors ceased to be poorer, there would be campaign after campaign with freebies for seniors, when the people who have it tough are younger, working adults. Politicians arent the only ones playing to seniors, said Hamilton. So, too, are financial institutions that keep telling people to invest more in their registered retirement savings plans. While having money coming in during retirement is crucial, a typical retirees income level doesnt need to be as high as it was when the person was working, because the mortage is usually paid off, the kids are gone and its no longer necessary to save for retirement. We have exaggerated the amount of money seniors need to live comfortably. The idea that you need to be getting 70 per cent of your pre-retirement income is fiction. (Financial institutions) have an obviously vested interest in getting people to save more, even when they dont need to, said Hamilton. Collecting from their workplace pensions has also helped propel the baby boomers earnings in retirement, Lafleche said. The government support has lifted people above the very low levels they were before. At the other end of the economic spectrum, there are baby boomers who have had the benefit of good job opportunities and are starting to collect their pensions in many cases, defined-benefit pensions, said Lafleche, vice-president of research, strategy and policy for the United Way of Greater Toronto. On the flipside, young adults living in Toronto have seen their incomes drop over the last few decades, as the opportunities for full-time work have diminished. With globalization shifting more jobs overseas and many of the remaining ones now being automated, the manufacturing sector, once a source of reliable, well-paying middle class jobs, has shrunk dramatically in North America. Pensions? Home ownership? For many millennials, theyre a distant dream. Maame Debrah, who recently graduated with a degree in social work, considers herself fortunate to have landed a full-time, permanent job at the age of 29. Its been a long time coming, said Debrah, a former community outreach worker with United Way in Peel Region. Now that Ive got a full-time job, Im at the point where Im starting to think about owning a home. But thats so far removed, especially in Toronto. Many of her peers, said Debrah, face a struggle finding work. In addition to a lack of full-time jobs generally, young people particularly those of colour face another obstacle: fewer on-the-job mentors and fewer networking opportunities. Theres a myth that if you work hard and do a good job, everything will be OK. But thats not really true. If you dont have the right network and support, its not good, said Debrah. Younger adults also face the perception that theyre entitled, dont work hard enough, and spend their money on frivolous things (avocado toast, anyone?). Those perceptions arentt fair, Debrah said. Theres a myth about millennials, that we dont work as hard. Were actually really resilient and hard-working, Debrah said. That millennials would face that perception from baby boomers is particularly ironic, said Hamilton. The stereotypes never change. Baby boomers heard all these things 30 or 40 years ago: that they were lazy, they were entitled, that they spent too much money on frivolous things. It was all BS then, and Im confident its mostly BS now. 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. MONTREALA coalition composed of unions, Indigenous groups, environmentalists and celebrities called on Canada Monday to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 as part of a proposed Pact for a Green New Deal. Members of the wide-ranging, 60-group coalition spoke at events held in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, decrying the lack of political action and calling for everyone to adhere to the pact that calls for the emissions cut, the creation of a million sustainable jobs and recognition of Indigenous rights. The pan-Canadian group, which also includes scientists, health professionals, students and artists, denounced what it called the inertia of governments at all levels in taking tougher measures to fight climate change. The movement said the scientific findings are indisputable that all efforts must be made to cut Canadas greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. We need to act immediately, and continue acting forever, or at least until we learn how to live on this planet in a way that respects each other and the ecosystems that support us, said Damon Matthews, a geography professor at Concordia University in Montreal. Matthews said the reality is that current pledges wont meet the objectives outlined in the Paris climate-change agreement signed in 2015, and many jurisdictions in Canada are rolling back environmental efforts. At the current rate with emissions increasing, a warming of 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels will be reached in less than 15 years, and by the turn of the century it will be three degrees, he said. Recent flooding across Quebec as well as droughts and forest fires in Western Canada are examples of a climate in crisis and impossible to ignore, he added. Climate change is and will and continue to touch everybody, and we really have no historical precedent for what three or four degrees of global warning will actually mean. The name of the project is a nod to the Green New Deal introduced last February by Democrats in the United States. It is also linked to a 2018 environmental pact signed by francophone celebrities in Quebec who committed to reducing their ecological footprints. Members of the coalition include the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs and singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. The proposed pact goes beyond the environment and includes a fight against social and economic injustice, aiming for accessibility to housing, the sustainability of work and the eradication of racism. The coalition plan to hold a series of town hall meetings in the coming weeks in order to lay the foundations for their demands and prepare public policy proposals. Matthews said there has been progress despite a lack of political leadership, and Canada could position itself as a leader if it stopped arguing over pipelines. We could chose to show the world that even a solidly resource-based economy could find another way forward to a low-carbon future, he said. In Paris on Monday, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna did not jump at the chance to endorse the idea of a Green New Deal. Were always happy to have good ideas, but, I mean we have a climate plan that was negotiated by Canadians for Canadians, she said. We spent one year negotiating with provinces and territories and Indigenous peoples, and we are holding provinces to account for their commitments that they made. She said that plan has all the key elements including action to cut emissions, such as phasing out coal, and measures to support workers whose jobs are at stake in the transition away from fossil fuels. Read more about: The richness of life on Earth will be decimated, with more than a million species at risk of going extinct, unless radical action is taken to reverse an acute, accelerating and entirely human-caused biodiversity crisis, according to a landmark global assessment released Monday. Ending the annihilation is possible, the authors of the report say. But only by overhauling the global economic system, along with most other political and social institutions. Weve applied Band-Aids to all sorts of wounds. But we havent addressed the knife, says Kai Chan, a co-ordinating lead author of the assessment and a professor at the University of British Columbias Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability. The message is one of hope, because we are good at solving problems when we understand them. And I would argue now we actually understand this problem. The report, issued by the UN-backed Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), is a vastly comprehensive appraisal of the health of plant and animal life on this planet. One hundred and forty-five authors from 50 countries spent three years examining more than 15,000 sources of evidence. A summary was approved for release at a meeting in Paris on Saturday. Human actions have driven at least 680 vertebrate species to extinction since 1500 from the golden toad, a diaphanous jewel of the Costa Rican cloud forest that succumbed to human-spread fungus and drying habitat, to Schomburgks deer, hunted for its spectacular antlers and displaced by rice fields in Thailands swampy central plain. Read more: Opinion | Global biodiversity crisis demands conservation action that is both effective and equitable Opinion | To save nature, world leaders should look to Canadas leadership Editorial | Canada must protect its biodiversity The authors found that the pace of extinctions has rocketed so sharply above the normal background rate it is currently tens to hundreds of times above the average of the last 10 million years that up to a million species could be eliminated from the planet, some within mere decades. Earth hosts eight million species. Some wildlife is faring worse than others. The average proportion of species at risk of extinction in each plant and animal group the authors studied is about 25 per cent. But more than a third of marine mammals are facing annihilation, almost a third of reef-forming corals, almost a third of sharks and their relatives, and more than 40 per cent of amphibians. (The rate for insects is a key uncertainty: it is estimated at 10 per cent, but they are harder to assess and make up 75 per cent of Earths total species.) The biodiversity crisis is intrinsically bad for nature. But its bad for us, too, since nature provides so many benefits to humans, sometimes known as ecosystem services. The report notes that three-quarters of food crop types, including fruits and vegetables as well as coffee, cocoa and almonds, rely on pollinators like bumblebees and honeybees, meaning hundreds of billions of dollars in crop yields are vulnerable. Coral reefs that buffered floods are disappearing. Oceans and forests that sequester carbon, dampening the effects of climate change, are being degraded. And then there are the cultural, spiritual and quality-of-life benefits we derive from nature. The report notes that these benefits are intangible and hard to measure. But in this country, polling has shown that Canadians broadly support the protection of nature and their top reason is to protect wildlife and natural beauty, above any ways they plan to enjoy or use those places. Gains and losses, the authors note, are not distributed evenly. Richer people are more likely to draw from the Earths bounty, while the destruction of ecosystem services is more likely to be borne by the poor and vulnerable. Indigenous people are also disproportionately affected, says the report, because of their strong ties to the land the losses interfering with not only their livelihoods and cultures but also their ability to protect biodiversity for the benefit of all. In a rare positive finding, the authors note that lands and waters managed by Indigenous people are often healthier than other areas even some formally protected areas, like national parks. Research conducted in Canada suggests that is the case, too. At least a quarter of the globe is owned, managed, used or occupied by Indigenous peoples. But Indigenous territory is under pressure too, the authors warn, from resource extraction, mining, energy infrastructure and more. Valerie Courtois, director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, highlighted a sobering finding from the report: 85 per cent of the worlds wetlands have been wiped out. But a quarter of whats left sits in Canadas boreal forests, she notes, much of it on Indigenous land, including First Nations that have some of the worst socioeconomic conditions in the country. Its really thanks to the wise management of the relationship between land and Indigenous people that those areas still exist. There is a desire generally by Indigenous people to recognize the contributions of nature to our survival, and to conserve that. The authors explicitly call on policy-makers to recognize and respect Indigenous institutions, values, innovations, practices and knowledge, and to engage with and consider Indigenous communities, something they note is currently sorely lacking. Courtois agrees, calling this directive both a responsibility and an opportunity. My people, the Innu, survived in the Arctic for 10,000 years by being in balance with nature. Surely we have something to offer. What is compelling the catalogue of destruction? The assessment found that globally, changes in land and sea use, especially agriculture, are the No. 1 driver, and direct exploitation of organisms, like fishing and logging, is the next. Pollution and invasive species are also causing significant harm. But climate change, which exacerbates these stressors everywhere, is especially consequential in high latitudes like Canada. In polar, subpolar and boreal regions eco-zones that make up the majority of Canada the biodiversity within oceans and on land are projected to decline mostly because of global warming and its related effects, such as sea-ice loss. Canada is warming at twice the global rate. Many species are unable to cope. The authors say the continued existence of species threatened by climate change will depend on their ability to move to new, suitable environmental pockets as they chase conditions they require to thrive. Often, but not always, those pockets are to the north. It is not too late to halt the biodiversity catastrophe, the report highlights. Nature needs to be set aside and protected. Canada is a signatory to the Convention of Biodiversity, which laid out a series of goals known as Aichi targets, including protecting 17 per cent of terrestrial lands and 10 per cent of oceans by 2020. Canada lags far behind other Group of 7 countries, though the Liberal government has hurried to catch up in recent years and created a $1.3-billion Nature Fund in the last federal budget. Courtois called the investment a good start, and noted that a recent call for proposals under the Nature Fund was swamped with pitches for Indigenous-led conservation. The IPBES global assessment, warning that the Aichi targets likely wont be achieved, is also sure to provide a foundation for much more ambitious targets 30 per cent or more when the parties meet again in China next year. Some of Canadas least-protected areas are the most important for at-risk species, and the most important for carbon storage, says Emily Giles, senior specialist for species conservation at WWF-Canada. This report shows that we are not on track to a sustainable future. But we can be, if we demand from our governments and policy-makers big transformative change. Chan, the co-ordinating lead author of the reports Pathways Towards a Sustainable Future chapter, said that individuals are already doing the most they can the scale of change now requires us to pressure political systems and other institutions to overhaul national and global economies. Nature isnt broken. But you could say that our institutions are not fit for purpose, says Chan. Really what we need to do is fix them. Read more about: Council members from across the GTA came to Toronto City Hall on Monday to reject changes to the planning process proposed by Premier Doug Fords government. A year ago we led the charge together to abolish the Ontario Municipal Board, which was an unaccountable, unelected and anti-democratic body that had the last say, the final say, in planning matters not only in the City of Toronto but across our province, said Councillor Josh Matlow, who represents a provincially-designated growth area in Ward 12 St. Pauls. Premier Ford has handed over the development process to the development industry and their lobbyists. The provincial government announced last Thursday that along with other changes it will revive the rules of the OMB at the newly-named Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, which was created by the former government and was meant to act more like a true appeals body in simply reviewing council decisions, giving more deference to local decision-making. Matlow said that councils like Torontos consider the compounding impact of developments on communities, including concerns like child-care and school capacity for current and future residents as well as hard infrastructure like water and sewer main capacity. Under OMB rules, those cumulative issues were not properly considered, he said. Those gathered at city hall Monday asked the province to put the bill on hold, with just 30 days planned for official comments. Read more: Opinion | Christopher Hume: Booze, speed and dangerous cuts is this what Ontarians want? Toronto mayor declares war on Ford governments ill-advised budget cutbacks Editorial | Fords cuts are falling heaviest on Toronto Matlows neighbouring council colleague Mike Colle (Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence), who returned to city hall after years as the local MPP at Queens Park, put it this way: Developers just won the lottery with Bill 108. Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas, who chaired an OMB reform working group that submitted detailed recommendations during the previous consultation period leading to the end of the more than 100-year-old tribunal, noted that shift received unanimous support at Queens Park. All parties recognized that local governments should have the authority to uphold their provincially-approved official plans and to uphold their community-driven planning, Mrakas said. This bill is a reversal of that hard-fought recognition. Matlow said Torontos council has shown they are already open to increasing supply, approving laneway housing and recently relaxing restrictions on secondary suites. Were not anti-development, he said, noting the government has failed to enact any policy that would actually guarantee more affordable housing, not just more housing. Earlier, the government got rid of rent control for newly-built units. Its going to make Toronto and other places a playground for the rich and that people who are struggling to make ends meet are going to have no place in Toronto or the GTA. At Queens Park on Monday, Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark reiterated the governments plan is to make big changes in terms of housing supply. Were proposing changes to the LPAT that would make sure they have all the necessary information to make a decision. We want to ensure that they have the powers and the resources that are available to make those timely decisions, Clark said in the legislature. I think were taking the best of the OMB and LPAT to move forward. With a file from Robert Benzie Read more about: Toronto Mayor John Tory has declared war on Premier Doug Fords funding cuts, escalating a political war and criticizing a potentially expensive Ford campaign promise on alcohol availability. Tory used an annual luncheon speech Monday to the Scarborough Business Association to lay into the Ford governments budget cuts set to cost Toronto hundreds of millions of dollars per year. The speech followed morning pleas from public health officials from Peterborough and the Kingston area who came to Toronto City Hall in solidarity with opposition to cuts roiling local governments across Ontario, many facing retroactive funding clawbacks for budgets already set for 2019. The mayor told a sold-out hotel Kennedy Ave. ballroom that Fords damaging cuts to provincial transfers for public health, child care, transit operations and more threaten to hurt Torontos most vulnerable residents as well as the economies of the city, Ontario and even Canada. Over the weekend and into Monday, other groups also challenged the governments plans. The association representing Ontarios 2 million students said there are gaps between their education priorities and the governments, especially when it comes to bigger class sizes and online courses in high school. Families of children with disabilities argued they are being ignored by the provincial government and the Mayors And Regional Chairs of Ontario (MARCO) spoke out against proposed cuts to public health. Youll see me standing up for our city when the provincial government risks stalling out the economic engine of Ontario just to save less than one-tenth of one half of one percentage point of the provincial budget, Torontos mayor said, vowing to lobby Fords MPPs ward by ward, door to door. I will not let this city be pushed backwards. That vow to fight the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, a party he once led, triggered applause from audience members in a part of Toronto considered friendly to Ford. Audience members gave Tory a standing ovation when he finished, although some told the Star they support both leaders and hope the hostilities end soon. Read more: Opinion | Christopher Hume: Booze, speed and dangerous cuts is this what Ontarians want? Editorial | Fords cuts are falling heaviest on Toronto GTA councillors call for halt to provincial proposal to bring back OMB Tory later told reporters he considered his broadside a strong invitation to Ford to reverse the cuts and sit down with the city to figure out how Ontario can erase its deficit in a less damaging way. But he hit the former Etobicoke councillor and one-time mayoral rival hard. He said Fords child care cuts amount to $84.8 million and will make a successful but increasingly unaffordable city more difficult for lower-income residents, keeping some parents at home rather in the workforce. For public health cuts that Toronto pegs at eventually costing the city $100 million a year Fords government argues the city is inflating the size of the cuts Tory raised the spectre of SARS, the 2003 epidemic that killed 44 people, sickened many more and hammered Torontos economy. He pointedly wondered why the Ford government is making the cut deeper for Toronto than for any other Ontario town or city, and urged the audience to ask PC MPPs about that. The mayor said of Ford clawing back an extra share of gas tax granted to Ontario municipalities by the former Liberal government, after it refused to let Toronto toll highways: Premier Ford and the PC party specifically promised during the election campaign that that commitment would be honoured. That makes the cancellation of that funding a huge broken promise for people and communities across Ontario, that will cost Toronto an estimated $100 million per year. While much of that was an escalation of past criticisms, Tory opened a new front by linking Fords cornerstone campaign promise to get beer and alcohol into corner stores to his budget cuts. The Star has reported it could cost Ontario taxpayers $1 billion or more for the Ford government to break a complex 10-year deal signed by the previous Liberal government with major breweries that operate The Beer Store. Where is the sense in that? Tory asked the audience. Cutting public health programs and daycare programs so as to find the extra money ... potentially hundreds of millions of dollars ... to pay The Beer Store to change their contract? What does that say about our priorities? Cutting public health and child care but funding a greater supply of alcohol in corner stores? The mayor also targeted Ford directly, saying hes had positive working relationships with two prime ministers and the former premier but from the current premier he gets just unilateral retroactive letters, emails and phone calls not the behaviour you would expect from partners. Ford, whose government has accused Toronto officials of fear-mongering and dishonesty over the cuts, fired back in a news release that made it clear he has no plans to back down. His government has to tackle a mountain of debt left behind by Wynne, the statement said, and the public health cuts amount to one-third of a percentage point of the citys annual budget. This is the same city budget that spends millions of dollars to water dead tree stumps and hundreds of thousands of dollars on car fleets that collect dust ..., Ford said, referencing a recent city audit. Instead of irresponsibly wading into provincial issues he is neither involved in or understands, perhaps Mayor Tory should find time to sit down with his Auditor General and find some value for taxpayers dollars. Toronto Public Health should find efficiencies to avoid any cuts to services, Ford added. Earlier Monday, the Torontos board of health voted to use its own advertising locations to warn residents of the health risks if provincial funding cuts proceed as planned. This is now a province-wide controversy, said Cressy, referring to public health departments and other agencies speaking out against the cuts, after a city hall news conference featuring visiting public health officials also fighting the cuts. Our task is going to be impossible without significant layoffs and drastic measures like closing our remote offices, said Dennis Doyle, mayor of Frontenac Islands and chair of the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington board of health. Coupled with proposed paramedic changes, which would result in closing small rural paramedic stations, we will end up with many ghost towns across rural Ontario, as people will not want to live there with all these service reductions. Kerri Davies, vice-chair of Peterboroughs health board, said: We need to work together to ensure that public health in Ontario is maintained and that we dont waste all of the good work that weve done over the years to get a good return on our investment in public health. Back in Scarborough, after hearing Torys speech, Shawn Allen, founder of Matrix Mortgage Global, said both the mayor and the premier, who he likes, have mandates to fulfil. Its rather difficult to say (who is right) but I do think at the end of the day people do support the mayor he won two elections and people in the room support him, Allen said. Michael MacChesney, a realtor based in the Don Mills Rd. and Highway 401 area, said in an interview he didnt agree with everything Tory said, but he didnt begrudge the tough words, adding he personally doesnt understand the urgent need to get alcohol into corner stores. I do wish Mr. Ford and his people will find a way to sit down at the table with Mr. Tory and his people because all of us are suffering when theyre not at the same table, MacChesney said. With files from Francine Kopun David Rider is the Stars City Hall bureau chief and a reporter covering Toronto politics. Follow him on Twitter: @dmrider Read more about: A community is in shock after an 18-year-old high school student in York Region has been identified as the victim of a fatal shooting at a crowded house party early Friday morning in Whitchurch-Stouffville. Shortly after 4 a.m., York Region police said they responded to a residence at 6336 Bloomington Rd. E. for a weapons call. They found Rizwaan Abookbabar Wadee, of Vaughan, with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Wadee was a student of Maple High School, said York Region District School Board spokesperson Licinio Miguelo. Police believed more than 200 people attended the party at the home, that was rented for the occasion. They wouldnt confirm whether the shooting took place at an after-prom party. Investigators have interviewed many of the attendees that were at the party, York police said in a news release. They are still looking for witnesses who may have been there and have not yet spoken to police. Safi Habib, a close friend of Wadees family and the organizer of a local hockey league for youth in the Muslim community, said Wadee had begun playing the sport from a very young age when he discovered his talent. They were just a normal family that loved hockey, he said. Habib described Wadee as a very good kid. Hes only just attending a party to celebrate his high school graduation, then his life being taken like that, he said. It was an absolute shock. In a message posted online, Louise Sirisko, director of education of the York board, said the board was saddened to learn of Wadees death. Our thoughts are with the students family and friends, and with all of those who are affected by this loss and act of violence, she said. A tragedy like this deeply affects our communities. Sirisko also said in the letter that the board has sent mental health professionals to the regions 33 secondary schools to provide support to students who may require help. Understandably, some parents may be asking about safety in our schools and school events, she noted. I want to reassure you that our schools are safe spaces for children. We have caring and dedicated staff at all schools whose first priority is student safety. Sirisko also noted that as a sign of respect for the victim of this tragedy, flags are being lowered at Maple H.S. and York Region District School Board offices. About half an hour after the shooting, two teens were arrested after they were found in the bushes at a nearby home on Bethesda Rd. Police said they had information the pair were knocking on doors looking for someone to call them a taxi. Officers found a handgun near where the pair was arrested. York police later charged them with firearms offences, according to a news release. A 16-year-old male from Richmond Hill and a 17-year-old male from Newmarket are each facing five charges. The pair cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Police werent sure whether the two incidents are connected, however, given the close proximity of the two calls, there is a strong possibility they may be linked, police spokesperson Const. Andy Pattenden said at the time. With files from Temur Durrani WARNING: This article contains graphic content. The city of Toronto has never seen anything like this, then-Det.-Sgt. Hank Idsinga told a crush of reporters and a bank of TV cameras jammed into the Toronto police headquarters media gallery. It was a frigid morning in late-January 2018, 11 days after police arrested a 66-year-old landscaper in the murders of Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman, two men from the citys Gay Village. There was a major development in the case police had charged Bruce McArthur with three new counts of first-degree murder. A veteran homicide cop, Idsinga had been monitoring Project Prism since its inception. But he became actively involved in November, after the special task-force found traces of Kinsmans blood in McArthurs old van, making him a suspect in that killing. Idsinga, who towered over the podium with a buzzed head and low, authoritative voice, was fast becoming the public face of an unprecedented investigation. He also brought knowledge of Project Houston, another special task-force that he led for a time. It had investigated three earlier disappearances from the Village before dissolving in 2014 without finding evidence of a crime. Prism had now identified five alleged victims, Idsinga said, putting on glasses to spell out their names for reporters. Among the three new victims, one was a man many in the Village would remember from Houston. Two others they were hearing about for the first time. There would be more. We have no idea how many more there are going to be, Idsinga said. What follows is the most-complete account yet of the Toronto police investigation and community efforts that caught serial killer Bruce McArthur. It is based on more than two dozen interviews with investigators including Det. David Dickinson and Insp. Hank Idsinga witnesses and community members, victim impact statements, and thousands of pages of court filings. The majority of the documents are police affidavits filed to obtain warrants, which outline evidence theyve collected, witness interviews theyve conducted and investigators theories. In part four: With McArthur in jail, the Village confronts the full scale of his crimes. *** In the frenetic days that followed McArthurs sudden arrest on Jan. 18, the Prism officers began poring over his apartment scouring every surface and piece of furniture inch by inch, seeking hair, blood, fingerprints, fibres or any other evidence. Meanwhile, the review of McArthurs digital files continued and investigators found yet another major piece of evidence on his phone: a photo of 58-year-old Majeed (Hamid) Kayhan, one of the Project Houston men who disappeared in 2012, that appeared to have been taken after his death. The image resembled other post-mortem images McArthur had taken of Esen and two men the officers didnt yet recognize. All of them appeared to have been killed and then staged with a fur hat or the fur coat that McArthur had also asked other, still living, men to wear. The evidence suggested McArthur had killed Kayhan on Oct. 18, 2012, a week before he was reported missing by his son. A mural on the side of a hairdressing salon on Wellesley St. E. at Church St. Richard Lautens/Toronto Star It was more difficult to identify the other faces in McArthurs photo collection who had not already been on Prisms radar. An officer from the forces forensic identification section used facial-recognition software to compare one photo with the Toronto police database. It returned a match with a 43-year-old man with two distinctive moles on his lower right cheek. Dean Lisowick was a familiar and friendly face in the Village and a frequent user of the citys shelter system. He was never reported missing, but police had his photo in their records and a relative of Lisowick later confirmed the match. Data from the image told police McArthur had killed him on or about April 23, 2016, two days after he was last seen leaving the Scott Mission, near College St. and Spadina Ave. Det. Keri Fernandes, who was assisting Prism from the sex crimes unit, found another match among current Toronto police missing-person reports. Soroush Mahmudi was reported missing by his son-in-law on Aug. 22, 2015. The 50-year-old had not been at his job for seven days and he left behind a bag he normally took with him to work. Mahmudi had disappeared before, but this was the first time his family had reported him missing. They gave police a photo showing the mans short hair, broad cheeks and neat goatee. It matched the one from McArthurs computer. McArthur killed Mahmudi, police said, on or about Aug. 15, 2015, the last day he attended work. Those were the five at the time of Idsingas news conference: Kinsman, Esen, Kayhan, Lisowick and Mahmudi, killed between October 2012 and June 2017. But the Prism team knew McArthur had killed at least once more they had recovered an image of another still-unknown dead man among McArthurs photos. There were also several sets of unidentified human remains recovered from 53 Mallory Cres., the Leaside home where McArthur tended the yard and stored his landscaping equipment. And police had reason to suspect the landscaper had also killed Skandaraj Navaratnam and Abdulbasir Faizi, the other two men from Project Houston. That task force had linked McArthur to both men, though Prism officers hadnt yet found any direct evidence he had killed them. *** At 53 Mallory, the Prism investigators tried using heaters to thaw the frozen backyard. A team from the Ontario Provincial Police had used ground-penetrating radar to scan the backyard and detect any disturbances in the soil. They found eight areas that needed further searching but it was too cold and the heaters couldnt sufficiently thaw the earth to start digging. Police opted to come back with the warmer weather. Investigators sift through soil looking for human remains in the ravine behind 53 Mallory in July 2018. Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star An extensive search was also taking place inside the home. Owners Karen Fraser and Ron Smith had been extremely co-operative, one officer noted in a court affidavit, and theyd showed genuine surprise about their landscapers crimes. But police had to search everywhere. Theyd given him a key to their house. For 22 days, Fraser and Smith relied on friends and neighbours for shelter. They regularly saw their home as the backdrop of the evening news, but couldnt return. The couple worried especially about how to take care of their rescued cats. Their pets couldnt be left in the house, so all but one moved to a temporary home with the couples accommodating friends. The remaining cat, Purrfect, had escaped to the basement when the police arrived and she had hidden amongst the storage ever since. Fraser and Smith asked the police to look out for her, and received updates by text. I checked on Purr, an officer texted in early February. She is eating and drinking. Saw her for a minute then she went into hiding. Officers thoroughly searched the homes garage, finding a suitcase containing a vibrator, plastic gloves and surgical mask; rope and duct tape; two large knives and four hacksaws; a hard drive and a camcorder, according to a police affidavit. The Prism team was also reaching out to the men who had been attacked by McArthur and survived. They included the man whod called 911 in 2016 after McArthur tried to strangle him in the van, the one he attacked on Halloween 2001 and two others. In an interview after McArthurs arrest, Peter Sgromo told police that hed gone out for dinner in the Village with McArthur, a longtime friend, in the spring of 2017. During the meal, McArthur talked about his travels in Italy and, later, they hooked up in his van. That was where the killer forcefully grabbed Sgromo by the neck, he told police. He held onto McArthurs elbow and escaped the van. He hadnt spoken to McArthur since. In another interview, Sean Cribbin told police he and McArthur had hooked up in the summer of 2017 after meeting on a dating app. On one occasion, Cribbin said, they went back to McArthurs apartment, where McArthur showed him some of his bondage equipment. The men had sex but Cribbin said he felt uncomfortable and cut the encounter short. Prism investigators found photos of Cribbin handcuffed in McArthurs bed and being choked with a bar. Cribbin hadnt known McArthur was taking pictures. At least four males have come forward to say that McArthur attacked them without provocation and they all feared for their lives, Det.-Const. Joel Manherz wrote in a court affidavit. Meanwhile, pathologists at the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service were working to identify the remains from the planters. Officials can use various methods to identify a body, including fingerprints, dental records and DNA, each one progressively more difficult. By mid-February, Michael Pollanen, Ontarios chief forensic pathologist began reporting matches: the remains of Kinsman and Mahmoudi had been recovered. His pathologists had also found the remains of a new victim: Navaratnam, the first of the three Project Houston men to go missing from the Village, in 2010. It was the first piece of direct evidence incriminating McArthur in Navaratnams murder. On Feb. 23, investigators charged McArthur with a sixth count of first-degree murder. Three of the faces of the Toronto police investigation into the Gay Village serial killings prior to a February news conference. From left: Chief Mark Saunders, Det.-Sgt. David Dickinson and Insp. Hank Idsinga. Andrew Francis Wallace *** By early March, police had reason to call another press conference. Prism had hit a wall trying to identify the last man found in McArthurs collection of post-mortem photographs. In an exceedingly rare move, Idsinga told reporters investigators were reluctantly releasing the picture of the dead man in the hope he might be identified by a member of the public. The photo showed a dark-skinned man with black hair and a beard seen from the neck up, his mouth slightly open and his eyes closed. Idsinga said the photo had been cleaned up to remove some artifacts. We need to put a name to this face and bring closure to this mans loved ones, Idsinga said. As the photo circulated, the pathologists continued their work. On Feb. 28, Pollanen sent police an email indicating his pathologists believed the planters contained the remains of at least seven different people. By the end of March, theyd identified two more sets of remains: those of Lisowick and, importantly, of Faizi, the Afghan immigrant who disappeared in 2010. Faizis remains were critical new evidence. Unlike most of the others, police hadnt found original images of Faizi on McArthurs computer. But forensic pathologists were able to use a single tooth from one set of remains to match Faizis DNA. Police charged McArthur with a seventh count of first-degree murder in early April. McArthur was now charged with the murders of all three men whose disappearances were the focus of Project Houston. Just five days later, yet another charge. Police had identified the man in the picture. In 2010, Kirushnakumar Kanagaratnam was among hundreds of Tamil asylum seekers whod come to Canada from Sri Lanka on the MV Sun Sea. During the migrant ships 100-day journey hed collected rainwater for tea and made rice soup from sea water. Kanagaratnams family hadnt heard from him since 2016, but his refugee claim had been denied, so theyd assumed hed gone underground. The 37-year-old was never reported missing. McArthur was now charged with murdering eight men in killings that spanned 2010 to 2017. It was the worst serial killing in the citys history. *** As July heat scorched the city, police returned to 53 Mallory for a final search. Seven of McArthurs victims had been identified among the remains found inside planters seized and taken to the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service. They wanted to find the eighth. With the ground now warm enough to resume the dig, investigators started excavating the steep, forested ravine slanting down to a CP rail line behind the home. McArthur had used the slope as a compost pile, filling it with leaves, soil and brush. A dozen investigators worked with Dr. Kathy Gruspier, the forensic anthropologist, removing buckets of soil then carrying them down the hill to sifting tables. Looking around, Dickinson saw a yard nature had transformed since the winter search; leaves had filled the maple and poplar trees and the hedges had grown in. It was completely secluded. Just hours into the excavation, they found human remains. They called the coroners office. Over the nine-day excavation, they located remains virtually every day. The pathologists identified the remains of Kayhan, killed in 2012. He was the only victim whose body had not yet been recovered. Police had already charged McArthur in Kayhans murder, but the discovery brought closure. It also established that McArthur, whod worked on dozens of properties all across the GTA, had chosen one place for his victims. A few months later, officials relinquished the remains. After months or years of uncertainty about their loved ones whereabouts, the mens families were at last able to mark their deaths. Haran Vijayanathan had already committed to helping relatives claim the remains. He knew distance and language might be barriers to the families of the men. Vijayanathan, the executive director of the Alliance for South Asian Aids Prevention, started co-ordinating with grieving families locally and in London, Sri Lanka and Dubai. Vijayanathan, an outspoken advocate with a neat short beard and dark hair, was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka Kanagaratnams hometown. He had been sitting in his Carleton St. office planning the year ahead when he heard about McArthurs arrest on the radio. Only a month earlier, hed listened as Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders responded to the communitys long-held concerns about a serial killer by telling a news conference police had no evidence the Village disappearances were connected. At the time, hed taken Saunders word at face value; McArthurs arrest made his blood boil. Saunders has since stressed that at the time of his comments, police only had tangible evidence for a single homicide Kinsmans. As the investigation continued to evolve, and accelerate at an incredibly fast pace in a short period of time, it exploded into multiple victims. So, when I made that comment we had a person that we were interested in, Saunders said. He was a suspect for a homicide, not for a serial killer. As the head of an organization dedicated to LGBTQ and HIV-positive South Asians and Middle Easterners, Vijayanathan felt a responsibility to ask why it took the disappearance of Kinsman a white man to find a killer who had, for years, preyed on racialized men. Yes, Kinsman had written down the name Bruce in his calendar, but Faizi had also identified the killer, Vijayanathan noted hed scribbled McArthurs email user name in his notebook six years before. Even before the full scale of McArthurs killings was known, Vijayanathan had drafted a letter on behalf of ASAAPs board urging city officials to call an independent inquiry. It was imperative to examine how a serial killer went undetected for so long, even as the LGBTQ community repeatedly raised the alarm. The revelation that Project Houston investigators let McArthur go, after linking him to all three missing men, has deepened Vijaynathans belief that the missing-person investigations were inadequate. ASAAP has alleged that racism, homophobia and classism played a significant role in police failure to thoroughly probe the disappearances. In March 2018, with the support of Saunders, the Toronto police board launched an independent inquiry into the forces handling of missing-person investigations. The retired judge leading the review has since vowed to examine whether systemic bias or discrimination impacted the initial investigations into McArthurs early victims. In July, Toronto police launched a dedicated missing-persons unit, an initiative aimed at helping investigators quickly pick up on the patterns in the thousands of disappearances reported each year. Co-ordinating some of the memorials wove Vijaynathan closer into the victims lives and illuminated similarities to his own. At Kanagaratnams funeral last fall, he watched as mourners swarmed the flower-topped casket, some collapsing onto it. Kanagaratnams mother sat in a chair immediately next to her dead son, despondent. Vijayanathan imagined his own mother. In the year since McArthurs arrest, Vijayanathan has organized community healing circles and attended all but one of McArthurs court dates, picking up and dropping off relatives so they could be there, too. I wanted to be at those places as well, to say, there are people of colour who give a damn about this situation, he said. It took an emotional toll. Vijayanathan took the holidays to process. People line up outside the courthouse at 361 University Ave. for Bruce McArthur's sentencing hearings in February. Steve Russell/Toronto Star Vijayanathan is now sitting, as a citizen, on the independent reviews advisory committee. Hes repeatedly heard how racialized, LGBTQ and underhoused people feel unsafe to approach police officers, or feel they arent taken seriously when they do. He hopes the review can change that and begin to close the space between police and the many communities angered by the McArthur case. The divide is still there and I dont think the gap is going to close any time soon. That wedge is so deep its going to take a while to get it out. *** For years, members of the LGBTQ community believed that they were being targeted by a killer, Crown prosecutor Michael Cantlon told a vast and packed downtown Toronto courtroom in early February this year. They were right. Just over a year since McArthurs arrest and nearly a decade since his murderous spree began, the sprawling case had come to a sudden end. Hunched, expressionless and noticeably thinner since his arrest, McArthur stood up in court and said guilty to each of the eight counts of first-degree murder. He had waived his preliminary hearing, then entered his plea early. There would be no trial. The serial killer had spent much of the last year inside the Toronto South Detention Centres special handling unit, a segregated area of just four cells. Immediately after his arrest, he was on suicide watch. A few months later, he was joined in the unit by Alek Minassian, the alleged murderer behind the Yonge St. van attack. McArthur was allowed out of his cell for four hours a day. He sometimes struck up conversations with the officer standing guard about books, old movies and the Leafs. He could have been mistaken for any regular adult, said one jail employee, and could never have been suspected of what he did. When McArthur was escorted to court or professional appointments, other inmates would hurl threats and insults; for his protection, jail guards were advised to stop walking other prisoners in the halls at the same time. The concern was warranted. McArthur has since been sent to hospital following an assault inside a federal prison. During the serial killers three-day sentencing hearing, court heard McArthur kept mementos of his victims, including Navaratnams silver bracelet and Esens notebook. Data from his computer showed he revisited the photos hed taken of his victims staged after death. Most of the mens remains were decomposed, and forensic officials could only determine the cause of death for McArthurs last victims, Kinsman and Esen both killed by ligature strangulation. Kinsmans DNA was found on the tape-wrapped metal bar police found next to McArthurs bed during their secret entry; the photographs on his computer show he likely used the bar to tighten a cord around their necks. On the computer, Prism investigators found a folder containing nine subfolders of photos one for each of his eight victims and a ninth, labelled John, the man officers found tied up inside McArthurs apartment on the day he was arrested. Were it not for police intervention, Ontario Superior Court Justice John McMahon said he had no hesitation concluding John would have been McArthurs next victim. A small team of investigators has been reviewing old cold cases, looking for any possible connection to McArthur, but none have been found. Since his arrest, McArthur had shown no remorse and given the chance to address the court he said nothing. Still, his guilty plea had averted a lengthy trial and that saved his victims families, friends, court staff and the larger community a nightmare of having to endure months of gruesome evidence, McMahon said. Some details may nonetheless be seared into the minds of those present in court. Faizis two young daughters still bring photos of their dad into bed at night, his wife said. Navaratnam used to send daily texts just to say have a good day, said a friend. Kinsman loved to bake. He left snacks for his neighbour when she was working on her dissertation. All eight men led lives of success and challenge. People loved them. McArthurs actions were pure evil, McMahon said he was a sexual predator and killer who exploited the vulnerabilities of his victims, men who had immigration or mental-health challenges, or were living a double life because of their sexual orientation. His crimes had devastated immigrant and racialized populations and made the citys LGBTQ community feel endangered in the place where theyd once felt most safe. A conviction, McMahon acknowledged, can only go so far. Each family member, each loved one, and the members of the community will live with this nightmare forever. The judge sentenced McArthur to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years, when he would be 91 although the nature of his crimes makes it highly unlikely it would ever be granted. Now 67 and diagnosed with diabetes, McArthur is already in ill health. He will almost certainly die in jail. Part one: Inside the investigation that caught serial killer Bruce McArthur Part two: How the smallest of traces tied Bruce McArthur to the murder of Andrew Kinsman Part three: How the careful plan to arrest Bruce McArthur came undone in minutes Edited by Ed Tubb, with files from Kenyon Wallace and the Star archive The frying pan was the only thing out of place. It lay in the middle of the kitchen floor, apparently knocked from the stove where Andrew Kinsman, a skilled but clumsy cook, could often be heard banging about. Two days had passed since his neighbours heard the sounds of his cooking, or his familiar footfall on the stairs heavy and stiff from knee replacements due to cancer. He hadnt returned text messages or emails. The garbage wasnt put out, the first time Kinsman, the diligent superintendent of a charming eight-unit building at Metcalfe and Winchester Sts., had ever missed pickup without arranging for a stand-in. And so, a trio of neighbours used a spare key to go into Kinsmans apartment at dinner time, two days after the 49-year-old last left his home on the late-June Monday after Pride. On his way out, sporting his usual cargo shorts and shoulder bag, he stopped to return keys a tenant had forgotten in her mailbox, and they chatted about the weekends celebrations. Inside the apartment, the neighbours found Oom, Kinsmans elderly cat. Through a shared wall, Kinsmans next-door neighbour could regularly hear the gruff-but-kind man shower his pet with adoring baby talk, and hed always relied on a close friend to catsit. But Kinsman hadnt called in that favour, and Oom had no food or water. One of Kinsmans downstairs neighbours placed the frying pan back on the stove, wondering if the cat had knocked it off looking for something to eat. What they dreaded was now plainly evident. Andrew Kinsman was missing. It was time to call police. For months that summer, investigators went in and out, sealing and resealing Kinsmans apartment door with police tape. They seized and searched his iPad. They took a toothbrush for forensic testing. They conducted a bright-light search for blood and other fluids. They took notebooks, USB keys, papers with passwords written on them, old cells phones, SD cards and two Nikon cameras. Inside his closet, they found two boxes containing $130,000. The cash, a likely product of Kinsmans longtime distrust of banks, was a strong signal he hadnt left by choice. On a Friday in mid-August, 53 days since Kinsman was last home, Toronto police Det.-Const. Charles Coffey noticed a calendar on his fridge. In it, Kinsman had marked his appointments for massages and physio to treat a neck injury. There, written in all-caps on the day he disappeared, June 26, 2017, Kinsman had left himself two reminders. Pay Fido and, in a smaller print for either 2 or 3 p.m., Bruce. A dedicated task force of officers would later recognize that note for what it was: a critical breakthrough in what would become the largest forensic investigation in Toronto police history, a probe that would reach back through eight years of pain and fear in the citys Gay Village. Over the next few months, the note would set off a chain of discoveries, each building off the last, exposing a tragedy of unthinkable scale that raised urgent questions about how a killer went undetected for so long. But on the day Coffey found the calendar, the team of officers probing a series of mysterious disappearances from the Village considered it through a clinical lens, as another piece of potential evidence to test or discount. Bruce did not yet hold any significance though this was not Toronto police investigators first opportunity to connect the name to the Villages missing men. No ceremony marked its discovery. The "Bruce" note found in Andrew Kinsman's calendar -- seen written on June 26 above "PAY FIDO" -- became a crucial piece of evidence in the largest investigation in Toronto police history. Twitter There are few a-ha moments in real-life investigations. Under the highly proscribed and procedural investigative system used by Ontario police services in complex probes, officers take a methodical approach to test a possible lead until it is eliminated as irrelevant. They added the name Bruce to a list of potential evidence. They would follow where it took them. What follows is the most-complete account yet of the Toronto police investigation and community efforts that caught serial killer Bruce McArthur. It is based on more than two dozen interviews with investigators, including Det. David Dickinson and Insp. Hank Idsinga, witnesses and community members, victim impact statements, and thousands of pages of court filings. The majority of the documents are police affidavits filed to obtain warrants, which outline evidence theyve collected, witness interviews theyve conducted and investigators theories. In part one: Another man vanishes from the Village. *** One week after Kinsmans disorienting disappearance, a search party met up at Jet Fuel, a busy Parliament St. coffee shop, before heading out into the July afternoon. An ever-growing contingent of friends, family and community members had assembled to plaster posters around town and publicize Kinsmans case, and his face. The posters showed him smiling behind glasses, a big beard and moustache. Hes tall, they said, with short hair and several tattoos Queer was inked onto his right arm. Dozens of searchers had been scouring the city. That afternoon, Greg Downer, a friend of Kinsmans, set out on the first of 500 kilometres he would trek searching that summer, with his dog Zoe by his side, according to a statement Downer sent to the media earlier this year. Fellow searchers caught him up on what they knew about Kinsmans disappearance and they talked about the others. Just two months before Kinsman disappeared, an adventurous 44-year-old Turkish man named Selim Esen sent a text to his ex-partner and was never heard from again Im tired and I need money, he wrote. Esen, who was in treatment for drug addiction, had still been in daily contact with his former boyfriend. After two weeks with no response, his ex reported his disappearance to police and they put out a press release. But Esen and Kinsman were only the most recent men to disappear from the Village. Downer and the others discussed the list. The first was Skandaraj Navaratnam, a lively 40-year-old Sri Lankan with a wide circle of friends and a dog he adored. He was last seen leaving Zipperz, a since-closed Village institution, nearly seven years earlier on Sept. 6, 2010. He was reported missing by his close friend. Three months after him, 42-year-old Abdulbasir Faizi left his job at a Mississauga printing company and was never seen again. Faizi, who was closeted, was adored by his two girls, aged 6 and 10. He told his wife he was spending time with a friend after his shift and that night he grabbed food in the Village, where he was a regular at the Black Eagle bar a popular hangout for middle-aged gay men. His 2002 Nissan Sentra was found abandoned in the city, locked, with no signs of foul play. And in October 2012, 58-year-old Majeed Kayhan was reported missing by his son after he stopped returning his calls. Kayhan, originally from Afghanistan, was a regular at Zipperz, the Black Eagle and Woodys, another gay bar. His birds were found dead inside his home on Alexander St., in the heart of the Village. In the 18 months after Kayhan went missing, the Village watched as Toronto police launched, investigated and then closed a special task force into those first three disappearances. They dubbed it Project Houston as in, Houston, we have a problem. It had interviewed dozens of witnesses, conducted canvasses and ground and water searches, checked shelters and hospitals and sought new evidence through court applications. But the efforts failed to return any criminal evidence. The project closed in April 2014. A missing-person poster for Andrew Kinsman seen in the Gay Village on January 18, 2018, several months after he vanished. Richard Lautens/Toronto Star Some of the posters never came down, and the Villages fears lingered. And after Downers first day of searching, he was convinced by the undeniable similarities in all five cases: all were middle-aged men with beards or stubble, and with the exception of Kinsman, all had brown skin. They were familiar faces in Village streets and bars that people just stopped seeing, Downer said. The searchers knew we had a serial killer on our hands, Downer recalled in his statement. He created a Facebook group for the Kinsman search, then another for missing people from Torontos LGBTQ community. On Aug. 1, Downer and about two hundred people packed inside The 519, an LGBTQ community centre on Church St., to air their concerns and press police for answers. There representing police was Insp. Peter Code, then the second-in-command of 51 Division, the downtown detachment that includes the Village. He told the crowd there would be a new task force: Toronto police had assembled a team of officers who would be taken off other caseloads to exclusively probe Kinsman and Esens disappearances. He urged everyone in the room to continue sharing information. But for now, he said, there were few answers. We do not have a lot of information for you, Code said. I understand how frustrating that must be. *** The new task force was dubbed Project Prism. It assembled inside 51 Division, housed in a refurbished heritage building on Parliament St., a 30-minute walk south of the Village. It was 13 days after the town hall at The 519, nearly two months since Kinsman had gone missing and four months since Esens disappearance. The team had nine officers pulled from within the division and throughout the force. Two investigators Dets. Barry Radford and Henry Dyck had taken the lead from the early days of Kinsman and Esens disappearances. Three others Coffey and Det.-Consts. Josh McKenzie and Patrick Platte had been involved in the Project Houston investigation. They were led by Det. David Dickinson, on loan from the forces homicide squad. A mural outside the 519 Community Centre on Church St. Richard Lautens/Toronto Star His involvement didnt mean police thought Kinsman and Esen had been murdered. Homicide detectives are occasionally tapped to head complex cases outside of death probes, because of their experience with whats known as major case management, a strict organizational system that is employed during investigations into homicides, sexual assaults, some missing persons cases and more. The provincial system was created after a review of police handling of Paul Bernardo, the serial killer and rapist who terrorized Scarborough and later St. Catharines for nearly six years starting in the late 1980s. At one point in its sprawling investigation, Metro Toronto police interviewed Bernardo and submitted samples for forensic DNA testing. Those samples werent processed until February 1993, more than 25 months later; during that time, he raped four young women and murdered two others. The review found problems with coordination and communication and recommended a province-wide computerized system that would collect and organize vast amounts of information about a crime, including officer notes, names and locations, witness statements and more. Dickinson, lean, and in the homicide cop tradition, permanently wearing a suit, would be the primary investigator. It would be his job to assign the team and keep the investigation moving and organized. The 38-year-old was an officer by the age of 20. He spent some of his formative policing years at 51 Division, became a detective and joined the homicide squad in 2014. But Dickinsons success in laying murder charges had come with mounting court obligations, and he had been taken out of the rotation for new homicide cases. That made him available to manage and direct Prism when he wasnt in court, and his history with the division meant he already knew some on the team. During the first meeting, Dickinson laid out the plan. He would designate the officers tasks. They would come back for weekly round tables to provide updates and determine next steps. Detail-oriented and driven, he would read every report to ensure work progressed even while he was in court. McKenzie brought the team up to speed on Project Houston although Prism officers were not reinvestigating the Houston cases, they needed to know about the three men whod disappeared years earlier. We had to keep them in the back of the mind, and be aware of what they were all about, should there be overlap, Dickinson said. Dyck and Radford also shared what they knew about Kinsman and Esens disappearances. Det.-Const. Joel Manherz, who was new to the case, saw the hurdles ahead. A veteran of the forces sex crimes unit, Manherz had extensive experience conducting online investigations. In 2013, he was named Torontos Officer of the Year for solving a child sex abuse case that dated back more than five decades, recovering the largest cache of self-made child pornography in Canadian history. Hearing the other officers speak, he noted there was little to link Esen and Kinsmans cases, and no evident launching pad. It was hard to feel optimistic, Manherz recalled in an email to the Star. There were no obvious leads, (the investigators) were not all familiar with each other and we really needed to find a jumping off point. Something we could sink our teeth into. *** Mario Wong, the general sales manager at Downtown Chrysler on Front St. E. at the lip of the Don Valley Parkway, was working on a warm late-August day when he noticed something unusual. Two uniformed Toronto police officers were walking toward him. Coffey and Det.-Const. Jeff Weatherbee gave few details. They told him they needed help with a case and he saw it, matter-of-factly, as his duty to help. The officers took out a pixelated picture of a red van. It was a still from surveillance video taken across the street from 71 Winchester. After Kinsman disappeared, police had quickly secured any footage from nearby, before it could be overwritten. Weatherbee had spotted something in the top-right corner of one video showing the street in front of Kinsmans building. The camera didnt show the entrance, but it did capture the sidewalk out front. There, at 2:49 p.m. on the June afternoon Kinsman disappeared, a red van could be seen coming to a stop in front of his home. A still from security-camera footage taken outside Andrew Kinsman's home the day he disappeared. Toronto police managed to traces images of the red van stopped here back to its owner. Ontario Superior Court Exhibit The driver parked and waited. At 3:06 p.m., a man wearing a dark green shirt, beige shorts and sandals walked towards the van, then went out of frame. One minute later, a different camera captured him getting into the vans passenger door. Police believed it was Kinsman. But the video didnt show his face, nor the drivers. Crucially, it also didnt show the vans license plate. But the vehicle looked like a Dodge Caravan. A salesperson might know more. Wong looked at the pixelated image. Some models look similar, making it difficult to determine a year. But he saw a unique appearance package. The van had distinctive chrome side trim and no fog lights. Wong recognized it right away. That van is a 2004 anniversary edition, Wong told them. They only make that van in that year. It was a head start the team had a van and could start trying to find the driver. They wouldnt have to pull vehicle registry information for an untold number of Ontario drivers with red vans. They could narrow it to one year. Still, out of caution, Dickinson asked the provinces Ministry of Transportation for ownership information for Ontario Dodge Caravans made between 2003 to 2006. Meanwhile, investigators continued to search Kinsmans apartment and obtained search warrants for his accounts with dating apps. They acquired Kinsmans user names and passwords including for the gay dating site Squirt, and logged on. You were active 3 hours ago, are you okay l?!? a confused user messaged on Aug. 10, after Coffey signed onto Kinsmans account. The ownership records landed on a USB key on the last day of August. Dickinson was in court, but eager to get home to comb through them and find any leads the team could chase the next day. He pulled up the Excel spreadsheet at his dining room table around 10 p.m. It revealed 6,181 registered owners. The first thing Dickinson did was search for Bruce. Just five owners had that name. Of those, just one had a 20th-anniversary edition Dodge Caravan from 2004. That owner was a 66-year-old man named Bruce McArthur. Dickinson immediately ran the Bruces through the Toronto police internal database. McArthurs name was the only one to return a recent run-in with police: an occurrence report from June 20, 2016. In it, a man alleged McArthur had attempted to strangle him during a sexual encounter inside his van. Dickinson paused. This wasnt a speeding ticket, or jaywalking, or theft. The report established that McArthur was likely a gay man, someone who had been accused of committing a violent assault, in the back of his van. A van that matched one parked outside Kinsmans home the day he was last seen alive. It was a big moment for me, Dickinson recalled. *** The 911 dispatcher had barely said a word before the man interrupted. Yeah, someone just tried to strangle me. The man was calling through his in-car speakerphone, from his vehicle parked in a Tim Hortons lot at Bathurst. St. and Finch Ave. W. Off in the distance, in the evening summer light, a red Dodge Caravan was careening down Bathurst, haphazardly heading into oncoming traffic before swerving into a southbound lane. The caller wanted police to catch the van, and he urgently rattled off its location to the dispatcher. Then he pulled out of the lot to chase it himself. OK. Tell me what happened, the dispatcher said calmly. Just get somebody here ... the man responded. I need to know what happened she said. He tried to strangle me to death, the man interrupted. Who did? the dispatcher asked. Who did? The caller the Star is not naming him because he is a victim of an alleged sexual assault only knew him as Bruce. Theyd met, the man told the Star, about five years before after Bruce contacted him on silverdaddies.com, a gay dating site. The man didnt even have a number for Bruce, who had usually called from a pay phone. The men spent little time together outside of sexual encounters. The man who says he was assaulted by Bruce McArthur touches his neck as he recounts how he says he was choked in the back of McArthur's van. Steve Russell/Toronto Star Once in about 2014, he said, Bruce invited him over for dinner at a swanky home he was house-sitting. Bruce had made him a rich, creamy pasta dish and made an odd request. He pulled a brown fur coat out of the closet and asked the man to put it on he wanted to take pictures. The man thought it was weird. He hadnt wanted to. But he gave in. More recently, he said, Bruce had begun dropping by unannounced. He showed up at the mans home, one time still wearing the costume he wore during holiday shifts as Santa Claus at Scarboroughs Agincourt Mall. And hed twice shown up at the mans work. Hed never gone inside, but instead left notes under the windshield wipers of the mans truck. On June 20, 2016, Bruce was there waiting when the man got home from work. Hungry and in need of a shower, he was annoyed at the surprise. Nonetheless, he said he invited Bruce to come inside, but he declined. He wanted to hook up in the van he was insistent on it, the man said. They agreed to meet up at the Tim Hortons, and the man took the time to take a shower. Bruces red van was parked on the side of the lot, adjacent to the sidewalk. It was far from secluded, but the vans windows were dark and reflective so it would be difficult to see inside. The man said he parked a couple spots away, then walked over. Bruce wanted to get into the van immediately. There was construction material inside, but he had taken out a bench to make space to lie down. Bruce had also put down a tarp and, on top of it, that same fur coat from two years earlier. Bruce didnt want him to get dirty, the man remembered thinking. He said they had only been kissing for about a minute when Bruce asked him to put his arm behind his back. I wanna do something, the man remembered hearing. Then, suddenly and with unexpected force, he said Bruce slammed his hand onto his throat. One arm pressed firmly onto his neck, the other holding his arm, he said Bruces hefty bulk pinned his 140-pound body down. Without warning, he said, he was fighting to live. The man felt his vision closing in with dark spots. In flashes, he said, he could see a terrifying determination and disgust in Bruces eyes looking back as though he were a piece of garbage. Without air, Bruces pressure steady and sustained on his back, the man said he felt his eyes bulging out of his head. As his heart raced, he thought of his mother and made a decision. She wasnt going to bury him. With every ounce of energy he had left, the man said, he leveraged his body against the ground and pushed himself up, throwing Bruce off. He scrambled out of the van. The first gasp of air was the sweetest hed ever taken. Within a minute, he was back in his truck, chasing Bruce down Bathurst. The 911 dispatcher convinced him to stop his pursuit, and he pulled over to the side of the road. An ambulance showed up. He was OK, even if he wouldnt be able to swallow properly for days. Officers from Toronto polices 32 Division arrived. They conducted an interview on the spot, and the man said he told them he never wanted Bruce to contact him again. Tell Bruce to stay away from me, he told them. Ill kill him. Just before 9 p.m., Bruce turned himself in to a Scarborough police station. He told the officers his name was Bruce McArthur, the man in the altercation at Bathurst and Finch, and that there had been a misunderstanding. They drove him back to the 32 Division station in North York. During a videotaped interview, McArthur said the man had asked him to pinch his penis, and he thought that meant he wanted it rough, according to court affidavits. It escalated to strangling, but McArthur claimed it was because he misread the mans desires. To investigating officer Det. Paul Gauthier, McArthur appeared genuine and credible, the affidavits state. McArthur was not charged. He was released unconditionally. Gauthier has since been charged with professional misconduct in connection to the case. He denies any wrongdoing. Part two: How the smallest of traces tied Bruce McArthur to the murder of Andrew Kinsman Part three: How the careful plan to arrest Bruce McArthur came undone in minutes Part four: Inside the final days of the largest forensic investigation in Toronto police history Editors note Mar. 1, 2021: This article was edited. Edited by Ed Tubb, with files from Kenyon Wallace and the Star archive Seven years after massive protests over Ottawas refugee reforms and health-care cuts, lawyers and doctors are joining forces for another battle, this time against Ontarios cuts to legal aid for immigrants and refugees. On Tuesday, members of the legal and health-care sectors will renew their joint political activism by staging a protest in their black robes and white coats at Queens Park, demanding that Premier Doug Fords Progressive Conservative government reverse its $45 million cut to immigration and refugee services part of a 30 per cent or $133 million overall budget reduction to Legal Aid Ontario. We have a new bully in town and we will be fighting that, said Mac Scott, a Toronto paralegal, migrants advocate and protest organizer, referring to Ontarios PC government. Ford must ask himself how much disruption he is willing to deal with. In 2012, reforms by the then-Stephen Harper government slashing health care for refugees and restricting asylum claims from so-called safe countries, galvanized frontline doctors and lawyers to protest at MPs offices and government buildings. Many of those reforms have since been successfully challenged and reversed by the Federal Court. Since April 15, Legal Aid Ontario has stopped funding humanitarian applications and detention reviews as well as appeals and Federal Court reviews of negative and allegedly wrongful decisions in asylum and deportation cases. It currently only funds the preparation of forms for asylum claims. Read more: Opinion | Legal aid helps Doug Fords little guy and it needs his help Legal Aid Ontario to cut jobs, impose hiring freeze after provincial budget cutbacks Opinion | Provincial legal aid cuts are senseless economic and social policy Toronto psychiatrist Dr. Michaela Beder, who had been active in fighting Harpers cuts, said legal aid no longer funds mental and physical health assessments for refugee claimants to document torture scars and trauma a critical component to a successful refugee claim. What do you think? She said many marginalized groups are being used as pawns in political battles and that the legal aid cuts have the most direct and damaging impact on access to justice. Legal representation is desperately needed for refugees, she said, adding the asylum system is complex and hard to navigate as it is. Beder, who has had patients who have survived torture and violence, is pushing for the cuts to be reversed. Toronto lawyer Annie ODell said the cuts mean refugee claimants are not represented at asylum hearings or do not get help in collecting relevant evidence and translating documents to support their cases. This is going to have a devastating and irreversible impact on an already marginalized community. It can be a life and death situation for claimants and family separation for others, said ODell, adding a previous study by York Universitys Osgoode Hall Law School found that claimants with lawyers and consultants had a much higher acceptance rate than those who were represented themselves in their proceedings. An online petition launched by the legal community against the cuts to legal aid funding for immigrants and refugees has already collected almost 15,000 signatures. Read more about: If you were a Black man living in Toronto in 1980, you were probably making about the same income as your white neighbour. But today, its a dramatically different story. Average incomes of racialized people in the Toronto region have stagnated or dropped over the past 35 years while incomes of non-racialized residents have soared, according to alarming new research by United Way Greater Toronto. The earnings gap was barely noticeable in 1980. But by 2015, for every dollar earned by non-racialized Torontonians, racialized residents made an average of just 52.1 cents, says the agency in a report being released Monday. The growth of income inequality is undermining the promise that diversity is our strength and thats a problem, said United Way president Daniele Zanotti. We know that in a less equal society, circumstances that are beyond your control like the colour of your skin, the postal code you are growing up in are now having a greater influence on your outcome, he added. For a region to be great, it needs to be great for everyone. The report, based on micro-data from the latest census, reinforces other Canadian research, the agency says. But it shows for the first time how income inequality impacts racialized people in the Toronto region to a much greater degree than in the rest of the country. And the findings are the same regardless of whether they are newcomers, longtime immigrants or Canadian-born. Read more: Torontos seniors are now more financially secure than young adults. What changed? Toronto is segregated by race and income. And the numbers are ugly Toronto region becoming more divided along income lines There are lots of other reports that say the same thing, but we didnt really expect to see it so dramatically, said Michelynn Lafleche, the United Ways vice-president of research and policy. This one really shocked me. Language and education are often blamed for the disparity, Lafleche notes, but other studies refute that explanation. There is something else going on in the labour market that can only come down to discrimination and exclusion, she said. The United Way uses Statistics Canadas definition of visible minority to describe racialized people, who in many neighbourhoods in the Toronto area make up the majority of residents. They include people who describe themselves in the census as South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean or Japanese. The report, titled Rebalancing the Opportunity Equation, is the third instalment in the United Ways research on how effort and access to opportunity result in varying degrees of success for residents. Mondays report, which examines the impact of racial identity, immigration status, age and gender, shows these factors increasingly have become barriers. Coupled with the United Ways 2017 report on the growing polarization of the regions high- and low-income neighbourhoods, the latest report paints a troubling picture, Lafleche said. We end up with a segregated society at many levels all coming together in this compounding effect of income, race and immigration status and creating what we called last year segregated islands of wealth and poverty, she said. What does that mean for us as a society? she asks. Its bad news. It means people no longer have a sense of collective identity. They lose this kind of trust and reciprocity that was so much more common in the past and which are the foundations for a strong, cohesive society. While average incomes of immigrants across the country, regardless of their residency in Canada, havent improved since 1980, the report shows the divide is worse in the Toronto region, where incomes have dropped in some areas. Age, immigration status, gender, racial identity and even postal code increasingly have become barriers to success in Greater Toronto, Zanotti said. In Peel Region, for example, average incomes of longtime immigrants dropped to $46,600 in 2015 from the equivalent of $50,100 in 1980, according to the report. Meanwhile, average incomes for Canadian-born residents in that region rose from $52,800 to $61,100 in constant dollars during that time. The report shows similar income drops among immigrants in York Region and Toronto. In all three regions, the average income gap between immigrants and Canadian-born residents was most pronounced for people in permanent, full-time jobs. And for racialized and immigrant women, the disparity was even greater, the report found. The gap demonstrated here is so extreme and significant, that it demands action and it demands a collective discussion, both across the country and the GTA on multiple strategies to address it, Zanotti said. Shaunette Tomlinson, a 34-year-old Etobicoke mother of two who immigrated to Canada from Jamaica at age 16, has struggled to climb out of poverty-level employment for most of her adult life. And that is despite earning two college diplomas. She contrasts her work experience with that of her father, a truck driver in Jamaica who came to Canada in the 1980s and immediately found work in his field. Within a short time, he was able to buy a home and support a wife and six children on his earnings, Tomlinson said. He currently runs a fleet of four trucks and continues to thrive. I look at his life at age 34 and my own and I wonder why it is so hard today, she said. After more than a decade of part-time and dead-end jobs, Tomlinson has finally landed a career-track position in finance and administration at the Birchmount Bluffs Neighbourhood Centre in Scarborough. For the first time in my life I love to get up in the morning and go to work even though its a long commute, said Tomlinson, whose next goal is to save for a condo. Gurpreet Malhotra, executive director for Indus Community Services, sees people like Tomlinson every day in his large multi-service agency with branches in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville. One of his agencys biggest challenges is helping people move from survival jobs into career-focused employment. The large number of temp agencies operating in our area and their need to maintain a temp pool (of workers) isnt helping people advance, he said. Indus is part of the Peel Community Benefits Network, a group of agencies working to ensure the Hurontario LRT transit project hires local talent. Community benefits agreements are just one way local agencies are trying to address the challenging findings in the United Way report, he added. It really is harder today than it was for me in the 1980s, said Malhotra, whose parents moved from India to England, where he was born. The family immigrated to Canada when he was 11. After studying public policy administration at York University, Malhotra landed a job at age 24 as executive director for a small neighbourhood agency, earning almost $60,000 in todays dollars. Ive been impacted by the colour of my skin and racism but it was much easier for me than for someone with an accent and who didnt go to school here, he said. Today, many newcomers his agency serves have been in Canada for a decade or more, but still have not mastered English because their communities and workplaces are filled with immigrants like themselves. It puts these workers at a double disadvantage during layoffs, Malhotra said. Such demographic and geographic inequities lead to an increasingly divided society where different groups of people have distinct life experiences and trajectories, and where many people have little opportunity to meaningfully interact with anyone from outside their group, the report notes. In Toronto, more than half of people had little or no interaction with friends from a visibly different ethnic group in the last month, while 60 per cent interacted almost exclusively with people who spoke the same mother tongue, according to the report. These divisions wear on the foundations of our communities, it says. It means the most vulnerable among us are more likely to find themselves socially isolated, with few connections, networks and resources to rely on for support. It makes it harder to build trust between different groups and fuels the seeds of division, driving negative attitudes and stereotypes, the report says. The United Way makes 12 recommendations under three broad headings: ensuring everyone can participate in society; enabling people to get ahead; and making life more affordable. And it starts with a national conversation, president Zanotti says. Ultimately, unless we address the discriminatory attitudes, like racism and xenophobia, that underlie the opportunity equation, income and social inequality trends will not improve, the report says. Together, we can redefine what it means to be Canadian in this increasingly polarized world. The United Way is urging government, unions, community and private sectors to develop data-informed strategies to combat systemic discrimination. And it wants to strengthen the community services sector to better meet the growing demand for services that help promote inclusion and level the playing field. The report suggests targeted investments to help young adults, immigrants, racialized people, and women overcome the multiple barriers they often face in finding secure jobs with a future. It recommends improving job quality and security, and updating and improving employment standards legislation and employment insurance. The report also calls on the federal government to beef up the Canada Worker Benefit and urges all levels of government to create more affordable housing, public transportation and child care to support all workers, but especially groups whose incomes have stagnated. We are at a critical juncture the policies, practices, and programs that have made us a country and city-region celebrated for its prosperity and inclusion are not the same policies, practices, and programs that will get us to where we need to go now, says the report. The future of our city-region depends on the choices we make today. Toronto police are looking for a suspect after a man in his 70s was assaulted at a Danforth coffee shop Sunday. Shortly after 5 p.m., police were called to a Starbucks on Danforth Ave. and Gough Ave. after the man was assaulted. Police said the suspect began to yell and swear at the man just as he was exiting the store. The man was then punched by the suspect, causing him to fall and hit his head. The suspect fled the scene after the incident. Police said arent sure if the incident was random, as the suspect and man may have shared an exchange prior to the assault. The victim who has not been identified remains in hospital with serious injuries. Police said he has severe facial bruishing, but his condition has since stabilized. The suspect is described as a white, 6-ft-2, medium-to-heavy build in his late 50s or early 60s. He was seen carrying a beige backpack and wearing a blue, zip-up jacket with black Nike shoes and glasses. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5500. Temur Durrani is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @temurdur Read more about: Members of the Canadian Armed Forces stationed in Mississauga spent the past week helping save people, pets and homes ravaged and displaced by massive flooding in Bracebridge and Ottawa. Toronto Scottish Regiment commanding officer Lt.-Col. Graham Walsh said he and roughly 30 of his troops from Mississauga arrived in Bracebridge on April 27. Were called the Toronto Scottish Regiment, but despite our name were actually based in Mississauga/Etobicoke, said Walsh, who also works for the City of Mississauga as part of its legal team. We were part of a group of about 300 from the Toronto area that were sent to Bracebridge in relief of the flood efforts. Read more: Armed forces in Bracebridge, Ont., to help battle rising floodwaters Water to stay high in Ottawa but second round of floods not expected, says Goodale Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith told members of the media on Friday he expected the number of properties affected to exceed the more than 1,100 seen in severe flooding six years ago. I know in Bracebridge, they had a big flood in 2013. That was the last one they had (and) they certainly well exceeded the flood totals there, Walsh said. We were in Bracebridge filling sand bags the next day in less than 24 hours, which was great. The focus immediately was, we have some very, very high water levels right away, particularly where Muskoka Lake meets the Muskoka River. We were filling sandbags, delivering them, stacking walls really trying to save peoples homes. As many as we could, he added. The soldiers also lent a hand in community relief and rescue efforts, saving several residents and pets stranded by the quickly rising waters. In some areas, the roadways were flooded out and the roads were closed because it was too dangerous. The local municipalities didnt have vehicles that could actually get through there, whereas we did. So, we were helping with types of operations. We evacuated a couple of families who had been holed up for five or six days, so we went out and retrieved them and their pets, he said. Walsh added he was inspired by the positivity and strong community spirit of the people of Bracebridge and other communities affected in the face of the unfolding disaster and extensive damage to their communities. According to Walsh, most of the troops sent to Bracebridge were reservists, while regular army mostly handled the flooding situations near Ottawa and in Quebec. His unit was the lead team in Bracebridge, and Walsh was sent to take over the lead for operations in the Ottawa area on Saturday. He described the scene in Ottawa as a much larger operation than hed just seen in Central Ontario. I get the impression the story in Bracebridge was a much more positive one, in the sense that we had a fighting chance to save some homes and we did. Here, I just feel when you fly over you can sort of see, theres not much they can really do to save a lot of these places, he said of Ottawa. Walsh, who touched down in the Ottawa area Saturday, said he expected most of his unit to follow shortly to help out there as well. Graeme Frisque is a reporter for Mississauga News and Brampton Guardian. Reach him via email: gfrisque@metroland.com Read more about: WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump was only days into office in January 2017 when he first began considering a move with the potential to ignite a firestorm in the Middle East: designating the Muslim Brotherhood, a sprawling group that reaches from Morocco to Malaysia, a terrorist organization. Trumps hard-line national security adviser at the time, Michael Flynn, started a review of whether the United States should impose sweeping sanctions on millions of people across the Middle East. But only weeks later, after Flynn was fired, the proposal was quashed by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the next national security adviser. Government lawyers had warned that the Muslim Brotherhood did not meet the legal criteria to be designated a terrorist organization. And in a volatile region where U.S. troops were already battling Islamic extremists, the three men believed, taking on the Brotherhood was one fight too many. Those men are now gone. So when President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, a strongman who views the Muslim Brotherhood as a source of political opposition, visited the White House on April 9 to renew his long-standing calls for Trump to target his foes, he found himself pushing on an open door. The Trump administration has resurrected the proposal to brand the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, prompting a fierce debate between the governments political appointees and its career experts. The designation would impose wide-ranging U.S. economic and travel sanctions on companies and individuals who interact with the loose-knit Islamist movement that was founded in Egypt and is recognized as a legitimate political entity in many Muslim-majority governments. Read more: US weighs designating Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group Islamist financier, 6 others get life sentences in Egypt Egypt court sends 75 to death, 47 to life over 2013 protest It is the presidents latest major foreign policy decision that appears to have been heavily influenced by autocratic leaders without first being fully vetted by career U.S. government officials. At the same time that he was meeting with Egypts president, a senior administration official said, Trump and his son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, were being prodded by leaders in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who also revile the Muslim Brotherhood as a political opponent. Trump spoke by telephone with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia on April 9, the same day he met with el-Sissi. Three days earlier, Trump had spoken with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi, the de facto leader of the United Arab Emirates. They talked again April 18. After that series of conversations, the White House also announced another reversal of U.S. foreign policy: In a statement April 19, Trump publicly endorsed Khalifa Hifter, an aspiring strongman in Libya, in his battle to depose the United Nations-backed government in Tripoli. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all support Hifter as someone they believe will stabilize Libya, in part by keeping Islamist political parties from gaining power. In Washington, the renewed campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood is far from assured. A half-dozen current and former U.S. officials and foreign diplomats familiar with the push discussed it on the condition of anonymity, several of whom said it faced legal and policy hurdles and could take weeks to resolve. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, the current national security adviser, were already on board with the proposed terrorist designation for the Brotherhood before el-Sissis visit to the White House, the officials said. Victoria Coates, senior director of Middle East policy on the National Security Council whose team is leading an interagency process to explore the policy shift, also supports the designation. She is a historian of European art who was hired at the White House after serving as a foreign policy adviser to Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican with hard-line views on Middle East issues. It is not clear where the acting defense secretary, Patrick M. Shanahan, stands on the Brotherhood. On Friday, he told reporters that he planned to discuss the issue with Pompeo before he expresses his views. But, Shanahan said, concerns about U.S. troops in states where the Muslim Brotherhood is viewed favourably are important points. The Pentagon has relied heavily on partnerships with Qatar and Turkey to fight the Islamic State group or take on other military priorities in the region. Both governments are the regions strongest supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood. Opposing the terrorist designation are U.S. counterterrorism, intelligence and defense officials, who worry it would divert resources from demonstrated terrorist threats, including Daesh (also known as the Islamic State) and al-Qaida, and roil U.S. relations in the Middle East. Administration lawyers have argued strongly that federal courts would overturn the designation and that the criteria for designating a terrorist organization are not a good fit for the Muslim Brotherhood, given that its members call for a society in accordance with Islamic law and generally do not advocate for violence. Beyond Turkey and Qatar, the Brotherhood or offshoots are also a recognized political party or represented in governments in Morocco, Mauritania, Tunisia, Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait. Branding it a terrorist organization would not only jeopardize diplomatic or military relations with any of those nations, but also politicize the designation process, which would undercut the strength of actual designations against terrorist groups, said Andrew Miller, a former State Department official now at the Project on Middle East Democracy, a research group in Washington. But some former Muslim Brotherhood members and offshoots most notably Hamas, the Palestinian group whose stated goal is the destruction of Israel have carried out attacks. The United States designated Hamas a terrorist organization in 1997. And some advisers to Trump have for years viewed the Brotherhood as a radical faction that is secretly infiltrating the United States to promote extremist Islamic law. They see the proposed terrorist designation as an opportunity to finally take action against the movement. In its frenetic first weeks, the Trump administration had weighed whether to issue the terrorist designation against both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, an arm of Irans military. But the proposals lost steam after career government officials objected, and against a fierce public backlash to Trumps travel ban on visitors from several predominantly Muslim countries and other brazen early policies. One former U.S. official said the State Department has found no new evidence over the last two years that would make the Muslim Brotherhood a stronger candidate for the designation. Career diplomats and longtime foreign policy officials within the State Department do not favor making the designation, the official said. Officials in the Obama administration had also looked at the potential for designating the Muslim Brotherhood, but found no basis for it. The State Department controls the list of designated terrorist organizations and, as a matter of policy, Pompeo can override government lawyers and the recommendations of other agencies. The State Department declined to comment on the continuing review of the proposed Muslim Brotherhood designation. On April 8, the day before el-Sissi visited the White House, Pompeo abruptly pushed through the terrorist designation and sanctions against the Revolutionary Guards in Iran. A senior Trump administration official said the designation for the Revolutionary Guards had fuelled the White House effort to brand the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. But, the official acknowledged, the move against the Brotherhood was an expansion of how administrations have traditionally used the terrorist designation process. The official described the internal debate as an extremely unglamorous process, but insisted it was a high priority for Trump that ultimately would be accomplished. Administration officials are also considering whether a narrower designation could survive a legal challenge. One option would be to impose the terrorist designation against only the main Muslim Brotherhood group in Egypt, since that is the one of greatest concern to el-Sissi. But even that would be problematic, officials argued, since there have been splits in the group and defining it is not easy. And unlike the Islamic State or al-Qaida, there is no evidence that the Egyptian group has called for, or directed, terrorist attacks against American interests. Under another option, Trump would issue an executive order against the Muslim Brotherhood using his presidential emergency powers. It would not declare a new emergency like the one Trump is trying to use to spend more on building barriers along the border with Mexico than Congress has authorized but the order would be attached to an existing terrorism-related emergency. That way, one official said, the president could declare the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization without going through the State Department. A group of Republican politicians in Washington has for years demanded that the U.S. government designate the Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization. In 2017, Cruz pushed legislation to order the State Department to examine whether both the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and the Muslim Brotherhood should receive the designation. In late 2015, Pompeo, then a congressman from Kansas, joined other Republican lawmakers on a measure to put the Muslim Brotherhood on the list of foreign terrorist groups. Critics have seized on that to accuse Pompeo of anti-Islamic views, which he has denied. Hussein Ibish, a senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said some Muslim Brotherhood groups in the Middle East no longer cling to the movements dogmatic and transnational roots. He said designating the group a terrorist organization would almost in a sense penalize them for the reforms. Its very odd. Its an anachronistic idea, Ibish said. It doesnt seem to recognize the big changes that have gone on. Siyabonga Matlala is unequivocal about who hell support in South Africas May 8 election: the same party hes backed since apartheid ended a quarter century ago. I will always vote African National Congress, the 49-year-old farm laborer said in an interview in Fisantekraal, a shantytown on Cape Towns outskirts. There is no reason to change now. The unwavering loyalty of voters like Matlala has underpinned the ANCs grip on power. Thats helped it weather a succession of scandals under its former leader, Jacob Zuma, and mounting public anger over rampant unemployment and sub-standard government services. Opinion polls show the party is on course to secure a sixth five-year mandate, although with a marginally smaller share of the vote than the 62 per cent it won in 2014. Analysts at banks ranging from Goldman Sachs to Standard Bank say an ANC win of around 60 per cent will give President Cyril Ramaphosa the support needed to introduce reforms to ignite investment and economic growth, spurring a rally in the rand, stocks and bonds. Losing its majority or even a narrow victory may spark capital outflows. There are manifold reasons why Africas oldest political movement remains so popular: - The ANC is still revered by many South Africans for the leading role it played in bringing an end to white-minority rule. - Millions of state welfare recipients credit the party for ensuring they get their monthly stipends. - Its campaign budget eclipses that of all opponents combined, as evidenced by the tens of thousands of its posters that adorn walls and lampposts in towns and villages countrywide. We sit in a country where the ANC still represents hope for many South Africans, said Sethulego Matebesi, a political analyst at the University of the Free State in the central town of Bloemfontein. If it was based on policies, then we would have a different situation. I dont think your typical South African voter will even compare the manifestos of the political parties. Its all about emotions. The ANCs final campaign push illustrated its dominance. On Saturday it staged rallies in six towns, and on Sunday it packed out Johannesburgs 62,567-seat Ellis Park stadium and screened the proceedings to thousands of other supporters who couldnt get in and were accommodated in a nearby venue. A gathering staged by the Economic Freedom Fighters, the third-largest party, at the Orlando stadium in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg, on Sunday drew about 40,000 people. The main opposition Democratic Alliance filled the nearby 24,000-seat Dobsonville stadium for its final campaign event on Saturday. The ANCs roots date back to 1912, when a group of prominent black businessmen, clerics, tribal chiefs, journalists and lawyers founded the South African Native National Congress in a kindergarten classroom adjacent to the Waaihoek Wesleyan church in Bloemfontein. The movement changed its name to the ANC in 1923 and waged an 82-year struggle for political rights for black citizens before sweeping to power under Nelson Mandela in the first multiracial elections in 1994. The ANC can point to progress since then millions of people have gained access to electricity, potable water and housing, and almost a third of the population of 57.7 million receive welfare grants. But 27 per cent of the workforce is unemployed, inequality levels are among the worlds highest, and appalling standards at public schools and hospitals have sparked sometimes-violent protests. The ANCs reputation took a hammering during Zumas nine-year presidency. Testimony at judicial inquiries suggest billions of rands were looted from state companies and government coffers with his tacit consent, and several top-ranking ANC officials have been implicated in taking bribes. Nedbank, South Africas fourth-largest lender, estimates that corruption, maladministration and bad policies shaved 470 billion rand ($44 billion) off the nations gross domestic product during Zumas final four years in office. Although he denied wrongdoing, the ANC forced Zuma to step down in February last year to stem a loss of support. Kevin Francis, 32, who works as a barber in Sandton, Johannesburgs financial district, isnt convinced the ANC has the electorates best interests at heart, but doesnt see a viable alternative.This election is a throwaway, its a waste, he said. The ruling party admits it could have done more to better the lives of the poor and tackle graft, and has sought to convince the electorate that it has put itself back on track since Ramaphosa took the helm of the party in December 2017. The ANC acknowledges that we made mistakes and veered off course, the party said in its election manifesto. We have shown the capacity to self-correct. The ANCs attempts at renewal have been undermined by the inclusion of several people whove faced accusations of criminal or unethical behaviour on its list of candidate lawmakers, according to Robert Schrire, a politics professor at the University of Cape Town. In South Africa, the empty slogan Innocent until proved guilty enables the criminals to retain their positions almost indefinitely, he said. Computer systems analyst Tsoanelo Modise, 37, sees the election as an opportunity for the ANC to clean up its act and appoint officials with the skills to run the government. This is the time for them to show that they can be more than merely liberators and they can lead a country properly, he said. In my view, it is their last chance. RIO DE JANEIRO - Police swept into the Mare shantytown in Rio de Janeiro for an anti-crime operation Monday, and eight people were killed, authorities said. The civil police said there was no immediate information on the identities of those killed. Officials said details on what happened would be released later. Police killings in Rio hit a record high in the first three months of 2019. Official statistics say police killed 434 people January through March, which was an 18% increase from 368 killed during the same period last year. Rio de Janeiro state Gov. Wilson Witzel took office in January after campaigning on a promise to implement shoot-to-kill policing tactics. On Saturday, Witzel posted a video of himself in a helicopter flying with police officers aiming rifles at residential areas below. MEXICO CITY - A private executive jet flying from Las Vegas with three crew members and 10 passengers crashed in northern Mexico over the weekend and there did not appear to be any survivors, authorities said Monday. An air search located the planes wreckage in a remote mountainous area in the municipality of Ocampo on Monday, the Coahuila state government said in a statement. There were no survivors seen, the statement said. Personnel from the public safety department and prosecutors office were making their way to the site. The cause of the crash was under investigation. The jet left Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon and had been expected that evening in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey, but it never arrived, prompting a search. Flight controllers lost contact with the plane over Coahuila. Officials did not release the identities of those aboard. Local media reported that the passengers were returning from a weekend trip that included seeing the Saul Canelo Alvarez fight on the Las Vegas Strip. Mexicos civil aviation authority said it and other agencies had begun recovering bodies and what remained of the plane Monday. The plane was registered to Utah-based TVPX, listed as an insurance, customs and trust company. The company declined to comment on who was operating the plane. PANAMA CITY - The Latest on Panama (all times local): 11:00 a.m. Panamas Electoral Court has declared opposition candidate Laurentino Cortizo the winner of the countrys presidential elections. The court says Cortizo of the Democratic Revolutionary Party won 33%, with 95% of votes counted. It says the cattle rancher will formally be named president-elect on Thursday. Cortizo said just after midnight Monday that he was calling on Panamanians to join in a national effort to correct the countrys path, rescue the country, and get the economy on the right track. Second-place candidate and businessman Romulo Roux won 31% of the vote but has refused to concede defeat. ___ 7:20 a.m. Cattle rancher Laurentino Cortizo is holding on to his narrow lead in Panamas presidential election with the vote count nearing an end. With 95% of the votes counted, Cortizo has a lead of just over 2 percentage points over businessman Romulo Roux Monday morning. Cortizos lead amounts to nearly 41,000 votes out of almost 2 million votes cast. Panamas Electoral Court expects the national vote-counting board to confirm Cortizo, of the opposition Democratic Revolutionary Party, as the winner after a final recount of the vote. ___ 3:15 a.m. Panamas Electoral Court expects the National Scrutiny Board to confirm the opposition candidate, Laurentino Cortizo of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, as the winner of the presidential election after a final recount of the vote. The Electoral Court announced late Sunday that Cortizo was the virtual winner of the election with 92% of the ballot boxes counted, after a tight race between the countrys two most important rival political forces. Presidential candidate Romulo Roux rejected those preliminary results, which put him in second place. According to the early results, Cortizo won 33% of the votes versus 31% for Roux, who is from former President Ricardo Martinellis Democratic Change party. ___ 2:55 a.m. Presidential candidate Romulo Roux of Panama has rejected the preliminary results announced by the countrys Electoral Court that put him in second place. The Court declared opposition candidate, Laurentino Cortizo as the virtual winner of Sundays presidential race by a narrow lead of 2 percentage points pending the final recount. Roux claimed, without offering immediate proof, that his campaign had been hindered by irregularities in the vote. According to the early results, Cortizo of the Democratic Revolutionary Party had won 33% of the votes versus 31% for Roux, who is from former President Ricardo Martinellis Democratic Change party. There is no presidential runoff in Panama, so the top vote-getter in the field of seven mostly business-friendly candidates wins outright and takes office July 1 for a five-year term. ___ 2 a.m. Panamas Electoral Court has declared opposition candidate Laurentino Cortizo the virtual winner in the countrys tight presidential election late Sunday. The vote followed a campaign focused on corruption and slowing economic growth in this Central America trade and financial hub and turned into the tightest presidential contest in recent years. After scrutinizing the results from 92% of polling stations, electoral court magistrate Heriberto Arauz said in a televised announcement shortly before midnight that Cortizo had a narrow lead of 2 percentage points over businessman Romulo Roux. The unexpectedly close race pitted the candidates of the countrys two most important opposition political forces. Cortizo, of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, had 33% of the votes versus 31% for Roux, from former President Ricardo Martinellis Democratic Change party. There is no runoff in Panama, so the top vote-getter in the field of seven mostly business-friendly candidates wins outright and takes office July 1 for a five-year term. Before the magistrates announcement, Roux vowed not to concede defeat, saying the results were too close and suggesting that the race was marred by irregularities. NEW YORK - A former Goldman Sachs executive accused in the alleged multibillion-dollar ransacking of a Malaysian state investment fund was extradited to the U.S. and had his initial court appearance Monday in New York City. Roger Ng, who was arrested in Malaysia in November, pleaded not guilty was ordered released on $1 million cash bail. The court ordered him placed on home detention and electronic monitoring while he awaits trial. Malaysian and U.S. prosecutors allege that bond sales organized by Goldman Sachs for the 1MDB investment fund provided a way for associates of Malaysian ex-leader Najib Razak to steal and launder billions over several years. Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009, ostensibly to accelerate Malaysias economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the U.S. and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering. Embezzlement from the fund became a political scandal in Malaysia, with money spent on jewels, art and other luxury items, and to finance the 2013 Leonardo DiCaprio film The Wolf of Wall Street and other Hollywood productions. Ng has been charged in both countries. His former supervisor at Goldman Sachs, Tim Leissner, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiring to violate foreign bribery laws. Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, identified by the U.S. as a mastermind of the 1MDB fraud, has also been charged but remains at large. Malaysias attorney general, Tommy Thomas, said in a statement that following negotiations, Malaysia agreed to surrender Ng to the U.S. on May 3 for 10 months so that the U.S. prosecution can proceed first. Thomas said Ng will be returned to Malaysia to face charges as soon as the U.S. proceedings are over. The period of temporary surrender may be extended upon mutual agreement by Malaysia and the U.S., Thomas added. The scandal helped precipitate Najibs ouster in a historic election defeat last May. Najib himself is facing corruption charges linked to 1MDB but denies any wrongdoing. Malaysias current government has also filed criminal charges against Goldman Sachs, Ng and another former executive, Tim Leissner, and is seeking $7.5 billion in compensation from the bank. SRINAGAR, India - Shortly before Indias mammoth elections began in April, New Delhi did something unprecedented: It banned civilian traffic on the only major highway connecting the heart of disputed Kashmir with the rest of the country. The government cited unspecified security threats for the twice weekly ban, but the move is indicative of the approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist party have taken to the disputed Himalayan region since taking power in 2014. Gone are the carrot-and-stick methods of previous governments that saw at least attempting to win hearts and minds as a key part of maintaining security in the Muslim-majority region also claimed by Pakistan. Modis government instead has given the military carte-blanche to counter resistance to Indian rule, which means it has taken aim not just at armed militants but also the regular people increasingly supporting their cause. While deeply unpopular in Kashmir, the campaign has resonated in much of the country, where few issues reach as broad a consensus as that Kashmir must remain a part of India at any cost. Modi has capitalized on a February attack on Indian paramilitary forces in Kashmir and his response of bombing militant positions inside Pakistan to bolster his campaign-slogan claim to being Indias chowkidar, Hindi for watchman. And when the first phase of voting in Indias five week election kicked off in Kashmir on April 11, it came amid a sweeping crackdown with police arresting hundreds of Kashmiri leaders and activists. Among the districts voting in Indias fifth phase on Monday are Pulwama and Shopian in southern Kashmir. The election concludes May 23. The crackdown has been good optics for Modis Bharatiya Janata Party base, and he hasnt had to worry about losing votes in Kashmir. In addition to there being just six seats in the state, turn-out for Indias general elections in the region have historically been low, with separatists calling them an illegitimate exercise under military occupation. Modi and his party have waged a war against people in Kashmir, said Nazir Ahmed, a trader in the outskirts of the regions main city of Srinagar. This election doesnt matter in Kashmir. But Kashmir matters for election in India. Modi repeatedly cites the airstrikes that followed the February attack, when a self-described Kashmiri member of the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed detonated a bomb in the middle of an Indian military convoy, as evidence of his tough, uncompromising stance on Indias archrival. India has quit the policy of being scared of Pakistani threats, Modi said at a recent election rally. Further efforts to project Modi and the BJP as Indias protectors were made in billboards that went up across the country featuring the prime minister and party president Amit Shah with Indian Air Force pilot Wing Cmdr. Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan during the February skirmish and given a heros welcome when Pakistani forces returned him to India two days later. Indias Election Commission took the unusual step of asking parties not to use photographs of soldiers in campaign material. Optics matter a lot to Modi and his BJP. Be it surgical strikes, or killing militants or jailing separatists or clamping down on resistance groups, they are more of a well-oiled PR machine. They wont do anything quietly even if doing so has proven to be effective in the past for other parties, said Amit Kumar, a political historian in Srinagar, Kashmirs main city. BJP leaders say the party has been pursuing national objectives and refuted being unfairly tough on Kashmir. If you want peace in Kashmir, the army needs to have a free hand, said Kavinder Gupta, a BJP leader in the regions Jammu city. Once theres peace, soldiers will be back to barracks, but remember Pakistan is out there with its agents in Kashmir to create chaos. Opposition parties have consistently said that Modi and his party are using Kashmir to pivot away from his economic record and other issues such as youth unemployment and farmer suicides. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan but has been claimed by both in its entirety since the two nations gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947 and immediately started fighting over the territory. Initially, the anti-India movement in the Indian-controlled portion of the territory was largely peaceful, but after a series of political blunders, broken promises and a crackdown on dissent, Kashmiris launched a full-blown armed revolt in 1989, seeking unification with Islamabad or complete independence for the entire region. The territory continues to be one of the most militarized regions in the world and most residents favour and end to Indian rule. At least 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict in last three decades. Militarization has only increased under Modi, and soldiers now fire shotgun blasts that routinely maim and blind protesters and blow up residential homes with explosives during counterinsurgency operations. Kashmir has been so central to Modis strongman narrative that even unpopular economic policies have been justified by his government as necessary for national security. Modi introduced demonetization to take 1,000 and 500 rupee notes out of circulation, disrupting business and forcing millions of people to stand in lines to change out their suddenly-worthless bills, as a measure to curb black market money. The Central Bank later said the measure had mostly injured Indias poor. But Modi and his Cabinet colleagues defended it as a way to stop terror funds reaching Kashmir separatists. While campaigning Modi and other BJP leaders have also cast their party as the antithesis of their main opposition, Congress, which ruled India for about half a century starting from independence. Modi repeatedly accuses Congress of being soft on Pakistan, soft on terror, pandering to Muslims for votes and pampering Kashmiri separatists. But experts say Congress statecraft had carefully calibrated ways to keep dissent in check through a strict surveillance regime, while maintaining an air of democracy working in Kashmir. Once in power BJP realized that those gaps were actually deliberately placed safety valves allowed to give vent to Kashmiris. With nothing else to show, they are going after these safety valves one after another, said Kumar, the historian. Theyve little time to bother for the long-term consequences of their muscular approach on Kashmir as long as it helps them consolidate power nationally in (the) short term, he said. ___ Follow Aijaz Hussain on Twitter at twitter.com/hussain_aijaz KARACHI, Pakistan - Pakistani police say a court will allow a doctor with HIV and AIDS to remain in police custody for two more days to determine whether he knowingly spread HIV to over 150 people, mostly children, by using contaminated syringes. Local police chief Wasim Raja Soomro said Monday that Dr. Muzaffar Ghangharo was detained last week, and has denied the charges. Soomro said the initial investigation indicates the doctor had intentionally spread HIV since early April while treating patients for the common cold, diarrhea and other diseases. He said the outbreak was detected when patients with HIV symptoms began coming to a state-run hospital in the southern town of Larkana. Pakistans Health Ministry has registered over 23,000 HIV cases. ROME - Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was discharged from a Milan hospital on Monday, six days after intestinal surgery and vowed to continue his campaign for a seat in the European Parliament. Berlusconi, 82, told reporters outside San Raffaele Hospital he had some fear when he was hospitalized last week for abdominal pain, which led to a diagnosis of an intestinal blockage. This made me think I had reached the end of the line. Instead, I made a formidable comeback, he said. Berlusconi said he would rest for a while and not lead any election rallies but would campaign for a seat in the European Union legislature on TV, radio and other media. Hes running in this months election for Forza Italia, the party the media mogul founded a quarter-century ago when he jumped into politics. I still feel useful for the future of Italians, Europeans and of the West, Berlusconi said. After getting out of the hospital, he didnt waste time blasting the populist coalition now governing Italy, saying the two coalition partners can only do one thing, squabble. One of the governing parties is the right-wing, anti-migrant League party, which was a key ally in Berlusconis own coalition governments as premier in three stints. Led by hard-line Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, the party has seen soaring popularity in opinion polls and tension with its governing partner, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement. Berlusconi said he hopes Forza Italia will be a linchpin of a majority centre-right alliance in the European Parliament that could keep nationalist forces at bay. He laid out a vision for a trans-European centre-right partnership, including perhaps Salvini and that crazy head of Orban, a reference to right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Salvini has been wooing Orban for a different political alliance, and the two bonded in Hungary last week over their determination to keep migrants and asylum-seekers out of Europe. He has been working with far-right movements in France, Germany and other northern countries to create a strong populist group in the European Parliament, with the aim of completely reshaping the continents policies. Berlusconi said he wants to see the European Union become a world power on a military level and to assume the role of unifying the West, which today is divided. If elected to a seat in the European Parliament, it would be Berlusconis first public office since he was forced to give up his Italian Senate seat due to a ban from a 2012 tax fraud conviction. Citing his good conduct, a court last year ruled that Berlusconi could be a political candidate again. ___ Frances DEmilio is on twitter at www.twitter.com/fdemilio . ATHENS, Greece - A Greek appeals court has reduced from life to 21 years and five months imprisonment the sentences imposed on two men convicted of the fatal racist stabbing of a Pakistani migrant in 2013. Mondays Athens court ruling took into account the two Greek mens good conduct after the stabbing. Appeals court judges upheld the lower courts decision that there was a racist motive in the murder of Shehzad Luqman, 27, who was attacked as he cycled to work before dawn in Athens. The defendants were riding a motorbike and claimed the killing followed an argument over who had the right of way. JERUSALEM - For 12 years, Israel has maintained a blockade over the Gaza Strip, seeking to weaken the territorys militant Hamas rulers. And for 12 years, Hamas has remained firmly in power, developing a thriving homegrown weapons industry along the way. This weekends violence, the worst in a string of flare-ups since a 2014 war, provided the latest illustration of the limitations of the blockade and fueled calls Monday in Israel for a rethinking of the longstanding policy, which many see as ineffective and even counterproductive. Israel, similar to the leaders in Gaza, must look forward. Only an economic solution to the Gaza Strip, and orderly work, will bring quiet and money and dignity, Smadar Peri, a veteran Israeli defence commentator, wrote in the Yediot Ahronot daily. It would be a very good idea, in tandem with the umpteenth talks on a cease-fire, to decide to steer toward a businesslike dialogue. This will be no easy task. Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies that have fought three wars since the Islamic group seized control of Gaza from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in 2007. Israel considers Hamas, which seeks Israels destruction, a terrorist group, while Hamas sees Israel as an illegal occupier. They do not speak to one another, communicating through Egyptian, Qatari and U.N. mediators. The Israeli blockade has been a driving factor in the three wars, numerous smaller battles and countless rounds of negotiations over the years as Hamas demands an easing of the closure in exchange for a halt in rocket fire. Israel and Egypt, which borders Gaza to the south, imposed the blockade after the 2007 Hamas takeover, seeking to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons into the territory. Since then, Israel has controlled Gazas airspace and coastline, and restricted the flow of goods and people in and out of the territory. Eitan Dangot, the former commander of COGAT, the Israeli defence body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said Israel has no choice but to enforce the blockade. Because Hamas has refused to accept Israel as a state, refused to move toward disarmament, refused to declare a long-term cease-fire and stop launching rockets, we have all the right to maintain the blockade as long as we can avert a humanitarian crisis, he said. If we open the borders, do you believe that Hamas will disarm itself and not produce new rockets in its factories? he added. He gave no alternative, beyond allowing small-scale goodwill gestures. But the effects of the blockade have been devastating for Gazas civilians. Unemployment has soared above 50%, according to U.N. estimates, and is even higher for younger workers in their 20s and 30s. Gaza suffers from chronic electricity outages. Its water is undrinkable, and the poverty rate is rising. Yet Hamas seems stronger than ever. And despite the Israeli pressure, it possesses a seemingly never-ending supply of rockets, some of which are capable of striking deep inside Israel. Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman, boasted that the group has been able to continue to fight, thanks to its ability to shift to self-reliance and produce weapons locally. While the groups arsenal is no match for the powerful Israeli military, it gives Hamas enough power to greatly disrupt life on the other side of the border whenever it sees the need. In the latest fighting, Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group launched roughly 700 rockets into Israel over two days, while Israel responded with several hundred airstrikes on militant targets in Gaza. Twenty-five Palestinians, including at least 10 militants, and four Israeli civilians were killed before a cease-fire was reached Monday. They were the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 50-day 2014 war. For both sides, it has become a familiar scene. Accusing Israel of violating past understandings, militants fire rockets. Israel retaliates with airstrikes, fighting escalates and another vague cease-fire is reached in which Israel promises to ease the blockade if rocket fire stops. These battles, however, have become increasingly violent and frequent. Israel and Hamas engaged in two rounds of fierce battles in March, following fighting in November and last summer. In addition, Hamas has been orchestrating weekly mass protests against the blockade for over a year along the Israeli border. Some 200 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier have been killed in protest-related violence. Perhaps with this on peoples minds, the cease-fire announcement got a cool reception in Israel. Gideon Saar, a member of Netanyahus Likud party, said the truce was bereft of benefits for Israel. The war hasnt been averted, only postponed, he wrote on Twitter. Yair Lapid, a leader of the opposition Blue and White party, called on the government to use heavier force against militants, but also to show political bravery and help Gazas civilians. Major economic projects in Gaza will cause the civilian population to tell Hamas, stop firing, we have too much to lose, he said. Netanyahu is unlikely to make major policy changes anytime soon. Fresh off an election victory, he is engaged in coalition negotiations with smaller, hard-line parties that will oppose any concessions, even if he wanted to make them. With Muslims marking the holy month of Ramadan and Israel marking its Memorial Day and Independence Day this week and hosting the Eurovision song contest next week, neither side appears eager to return to fighting. That should give international mediators at least a few weeks to shore up the latest cease-fire and try to press ahead on some of Israels deeper pledges, such as expanding Gazas fishing zone, increasing the electricity supply to Gaza and implementing an internationally funded jobs program in Gaza. Broader concessions, however, remain a long way off. Israel will demand disarmament as well as the release of two captive Israeli civilians, and the return of the remains of two Israeli soldiers, held by Hamas as a condition for a wider easing. Still, there seems to be a growing awareness that something must change. Otherwise, its just a matter of time before the next round of violence. I think that Israel is ready to reconsider the whole blockade, or at least to ease it, said Kobi Michael, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies, a Tel Aviv think-tank . Its clear that the only way forward is to co-operate with Hamas, Egyptians, Qataris, and find the right mechanisms for Hamas to rule the Gaza Strip effectively, he said. ___ Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem and Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, contributed. ISTANBULSyrian government and allied Russian warplanes on Monday intensified a week-long bombardment of Idlib province, targeting hospitals and other civilian infrastructure as tens of thousands of residents fled toward the border with Turkey, activists and monitors in the rebel-held region said. The aerial campaign has killed about 100 civilians and put at least 10 hospitals out of service. It has raised fears that Syrian government forces, supported by Russia and Iranian-backed fighters, are preparing an all-out offensive in Idlib the last area in the country controlled by rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. The airstrikes represent the latest and fiercest challenge to a pact brokered by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last year that was designed to avert all-out conflict in the northwestern province. On Monday, government helicopters dropped 13 barrel bombs in southern areas of Idlib and northern pockets of neighboring Hama province while Russian jets carried out at least 33 airstrikes in the region, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The uptick in hostilities has prompted an exodus toward the sealed Turkish border of about 200,000 of Idlibs 3 million residents that the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, a U.S.-based aid group, has described as the beginning of an Apocalyptic scenario. The southern countryside of Idlib is almost empty because of the destructive shelling that targeted the whole area, said a 38-year-old activist from Idlib, who asked to be identified by the nickname Abu Muhammad. It is brutal what is happening. Abu Muhammad and others in the sprawling province said they expect the government and allied Iranian militias to launch a ground assault soon, which would mark the beginning of the final and largest battle by Assad to wrest back territory lost to rebels since the start of Syrias civil war. It would also spell the breakdown of the Russian-Turkish agreement that took hold in October. The cease-fire called for a nine-mile demilitarized zone in Idlib. It has been repeatedly violated by both sides, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has described the latest escalation as the fiercest. The European Union and the United Nations last week called on Russia and Turkey to preserve the cease-fire, while the State Department issued a statement warning that the situation threatens to destabilize the region. We call on all parties, including Russia and the Syrian regime, to abide by their commitments to avoid large scale military offensives, return to a de-escalation of violence in the area, and allow for unhindered humanitarian access to address the humanitarian disaster created by the ongoing violence, State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus said in the statement. Syrian officials quoted in state media have said the operations in Idlib are in response to attacks by al-Qaida-linked militants that killed 22 government troops and allied militiamen late last month. Idlib province is dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, a hard-line group affiliated until recently with al-Qaida. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels in Idlib said the intensifying airstrikes are probably tied to a growing economic crisis in government-controlled areas, driven by U.S. and European Union sanctions. According to rebels interviewed by Reuters, Assad and Russia are keen to reclaim two key highways that link Idlib to major cities controlled by the government and serve as vital commercial routes between Syrias borders with Jordan in the south and Turkey in the north. Abu Muhammad, the activist in Idlib, said harsh economic conditions including fuel shortages in Damascus, the capital are provoking Assad and Russia to project strength through military action. Regime areas are suffering from a huge economic crisis, he said. Civilians in regime-controlled areas have started to complain about it. So the regime wants to distract everyone with this battle. Read more about: ANKARA, Turkey - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted Tuesday that rerunning the Istanbul mayoral vote that was won by the opposition will only strengthen democracy, while critics called the decision an outrageous move to eliminate dissent against his government. Ruling in favour of Erdogans governing party, Turkeys top electoral body on Monday annulled the results of the March 31 vote in Istanbul, which opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu narrowly won, and scheduled a re-run for June 23. The will of the people has been trampled on, said Meral Aksener, leader of a nationalist party in Turkey that had backed Imamoglu. The loss of Istanbul and the capital of Ankara in Turkeys local elections were sharp blows to Erdogan and his conservative, Islamic-based Justice and Development Party, or AKP. AKP had challenged the results of the vote, claiming it was marred by irregularities. Critics accuse the AKP of trying to cling to power in Istanbul, a city of 15 million people that is Turkeys cultural and commercial hub, and of exerting heavy pressure on the countrys electoral body to cancel the outcome of the March 31 vote. The controversial decision has increased concerns over democracy and the rule of law in Turkey, a NATO member that is still formally a candidate to join the European Union. Turkey is also a key Western ally in the fight against terrorism and in stemming of the flow of refugees to Europe. The move is raising questions about whether Erdogan, who has consolidated power throughout his 16 years in power and is increasingly accused of authoritarianism, would ever accept any electoral defeat or relinquish power. This outrageous decision highlights how Erdogans Turkey is drifting toward a dictatorship, Guy Verhofstadt, a European Parliament lawmaker and the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, said on Twitter. Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, described the decision on Istanbul as a seismic event in Turkish history. Turkey has been holding free and fair elections since the 1950s, he told The Associated Press. Never before has a party refused to accept the outcome of the election... This goes against 70 years of accepted tradition. (Erdogan) is saying lets vote until the governing party wins, he added. Manfred Weber, the leading conservative candidate seeking to head the European Unions executive branch, told n-tv television in his native Germany that hed end EU membership negotiations with Turkey if hes elected later this month. Weber, the centre-right European Peoples Party candidate and front-runner to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission, said Turkeys decision on the Istanbul vote was incomprehensible for many of us in Europe. In the past years, Turkey has unfortunately alienated itself from the values of Europe, he said. For me, that means ending the accession talks between Turkey and the European Union. Turkish opposition newspaper Birgun branded the decision a coup and argued that justice in the country has been suspended. The redo of the Istanbul vote also threatens to further de-stabilize the Turkish economy, which has entered a recession. The Turkish lira crashed spectacularly last summer over investor concerns about Erdogans policies. It has been sliding again in recent weeks and on Tuesday it hit its lowest level since October. Europes top human rights and democracy watchdog also expressed concerns about reports of pressure exerted by Erdogans government on the electoral body. We face the repeat elections in Istanbul with great concern and urge Turkish authorities to do their utmost to restore the safeguards of the electoral process, said Anders Knape, president of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Delivering a speech in Parliament on Tuesday, Erdogan reiterated that the vote was sullied by irregularities we could not ignore. He rejected opposition accusations that his party was trying to win back a key election that it had lost. He said violations included the alleged improper entering of election data and the fact that thousands of officials overseeing the vote at ballot stations were bankers or teachers and not civil servants, as required by law. We see this decision as an important step in strengthening our democracy, which will enable the removal of the shadow cast over the Istanbul election, Erdogan said. The opposition, however, has complained about irregularities at Turkish elections in the past years, but their objections have been ignored. Imamoglu arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for emergency talks with senior members of the opposition Republican Peoples Party, or CHP. Despite media reports about a possible boycott, CHP made clear that Imamoglu would run again in the Istanbul race. We extend our hand to all our citizens, the party said. We wholeheartedly believe that this extended hand will be held strong on 23 June, that it will strengthen our democratic struggle and that we will achieve a greater victory than on March 31. On the other side, Erdogan told reporters that former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim would again run as the ruling partys candidate for mayor. Also Tuesday, the Interior Ministry appointed Istanbuls governor Ali Yerlikaya as acting mayor of the city. The Istanbul municipality immediately deleted all tweets posted by Imamoglu during his 20 days in office as mayor. __ David Rising in Berlin contributed. WASHINGTON - The Latest on the United States and Iran (all times local): 10:25 p.m. A U.S. defence official says the deployments of an aircraft carrier strike group and land-based bombers to the Middle East are in response to indications that Iran and its proxy forces were preparing to possibly attack U.S. forces in the region. The defence official tells The Associated Press that the Pentagon approved the deployments of the USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft. The official says U.S. forces at sea and on land were thought to be the potential targets. The official wasnt authorized to discuss the matter publicly and requested anonymity. A White House statement says the military resources were deployed to send a message to Iran that unrelenting force will meet any attack on U.S. interests or those of its allies. ___ 9:40 p.m. A White House statement about deploying additional military resources to send a message to Iran suggests those resources are headed to the Mideast. White House national security adviser John Bolton said Sunday that the U.S. is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region. The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have been operating in the Mediterranean Sea recently. Boltons reference to the Central Command area would mean the Lincoln is headed east to the Red Sea and perhaps then to the Arabian Sea or the Persian Gulf. The U.S. Navy currently has no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. Boltons statement suggests land-based bomber aircraft are being deployed somewhere in the region, perhaps on the Arabian Peninsula. ___ 9:30 p.m. The White House says the U.S. is deploying additional military resources to send a message to Iran. White House national security adviser John Bolton said Sunday that the U.S. is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region. That area includes the Middle East. Bolton says the move is in response to what he calls a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings. He isnt providing details, but says the U.S. wants to send a message that unrelenting force will meet any attack on U.S. interests or those of its allies. He says the U.S. isnt looking to go to war with Iran but that its fully prepared to respond to any attack. JUNEAU, Alaska - More than 800 people toured the newest Alaska state ferry, even as the entire Alaska Marine Highway System faces an uncertain future. The Tazlina is the newest ferry for the system, and was designed to operate in the rough waters of Lynn Canal, the Juneau Empire reported Monday. The ferry is scheduled to make its maiden voyage Tuesday. According to the Department of Transportations website, the 280-foot (85-meter) ferry can carry up to 300 passengers and up to 53 vehicles. The Tazlina will make day runs, beginning by going from Juneau to Haines. It then will go from Haines to Skagway and back. The ferry will overnight in Haines. The following day, it sails to Skagway, back to Haines and then to Juneau. It will repeat this cycle three times a week. There are no crew quarters aboard the Tazlina, so it can only sail in 12-hour increments. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavys administration plans to weigh an overhaul of the entire state ferry system aimed at limiting state support. No ferry reservations are being taken beyond Oct. 1. The state Senate has proposed limited winter service to keep the ferries running. Mary Siroky, the transportation departments deputy director, said under the Senates plan, the runs that make the most money would get the most service this winter. She said the most lucrative runs are the ones from Bellingham, Washington, while the ferry runs to smaller Alaska coastal communities are at the opposite end. Frankly, the village runs dont make a lot of money, so those communities will probably see a little less service, Siroky said. The administration has contracted for a study with Northern Economics to determine the best way forward for the ferry system. The new ferry is impressive, but Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, said she couldnt help but worry about the future of the marine highway system. Its something new and sparkly, so thats great, Hannan said, and making sure we continue to have great service up Lynn Canal. Thats great, but there are mixed emotions around the long-term planning and what were going to do and how were going to serve the region. Christopher Coutu of Juneau toured the ferry Sunday with his wife and children. He said Sundays event serves as an example to lawmakers of how vital the boats are to those who live in coastal, roadless areas of the state. At a time where they keep talking about budget cuts and budget cuts for the ferries, its really good to see investment in the marine highway system, Coutu said. Its important, and I think the turnout today shows how important it is. The Tazlina is the first of two Alaska Class ferries for the system. The second, the Hubbard, will operate out of Prince William Sound, also as a day boat. It will begin service in summer 2020, said transportation department spokeswoman Aurah Landau. ___ Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com Less than two years after being exonerated of a 1985 rape in a case that made international headlines, the same Massachusetts man, George Perrot, now reportedly stands charged with raping an unconscious woman. Perrot, 50, who spent roughly 30 years in prison on the wrongful conviction, is accused of raping a woman on a sidewalk in Lawrence, Massachusetts, where late on Jan. 4 police found both him and the woman unconscious and partially clothed, as the newspaper the Republican first reported Friday. The woman was overdosing on heroin, and after being revived with Narcan, she told police she last remembered Perrot offering her a powdery substance and encouraging her to snort it, according to a police report cited by the Republican. She said she knew she did not consent to sex. A spokesperson for the Essex District Attorneys Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Sunday, but an officer at the Middleton House of Correction confirmed to The Washington Post that Perrot is in custody. An attorney for Perrot could not be located, though the Republican reported he pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing in January. An arraignment is scheduled for Monday. Amid waves of wrongful convictions based on flawed science in an age of evolving DNA technology, Perrots case represents an unusual outlier: a defendant returned to jail on the same or similar serious charges but in a separate case, as most famously happened in the case of Steven Avery in the Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer. Perrots arrest comes three years after a judge threw out his conviction in the 1985 rape of an elderly woman, in large part because the FBI had offered seriously flawed analysis of a single microscopic hair found on her bedsheet, leading to his conviction. The ruling was described at the time by justice groups such as the Innocence Project and other forensics watchdogs as groundbreaking, reportedly among the first cases in which a judge recognized this specific type of hair analysis as junk science while granting a person a new trial. Prosecutors appealed the judges ruling, but ultimately dropped the charges in October 2017, ending Perrots decades-long legal saga. Todays milestone is a vindication of George Perrot, Kirsten Mayer, partner at Ropes & Gray LLP who worked with the Innocence Project to help free Perrot, said of the development then. That our team could secure his release and bring a sense of resolution is humbling. The Boston Globe reported that when Perrot was first released from prison in February 2016, he leaped from his chair in court and hugged his mom. She told me I better not go back in there, Perrot later said. Perrot had been accused of breaking into a 78-year-old womans home at 4 a.m. and raping her on the floor of her bedroom before stealing her change purse, a crime for which he maintained his innocence from the start, according to court documents. He was convicted of the rape twice, first in 1987 and again after winning a new trial for different reasons in 1992, and was sentenced to life in prison both times. In the hearing releasing Perrot from prison on bond in 2016, Superior Court Judge Robert J. Kane said he was reasonably certain that George Perrot did not commit those grave offenses, the Boston Globe reported. But following the Republicans report Friday about the new rape charge, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni appeared to suggest he was guilty all along. Originally sentenced to life in prison, for a horrific Springfield rape, which was negated in 2016 by a superior court judge granting a new trial. He just re-offended in Lawrence, Gulluni wrote on Facebook. He told the Globe that his office never stopped believing that Perrot committed several heinous offenses on elderly female victims in the 1980s. Regrettably, there is another victim who has now allegedly suffered at his hands, three decades later, Gulluni said. At the time Perrot was arrested in 1985, he was 17, with a history of multiple burglary arrests already on his record. Perrot had admitted to some of them and also signed a written statement confessing to breaking into the rape victims home, according to Kanes ruling. But his defense counsel later argued that he was high on drugs and sleep-deprived when he signed the statement, which did not include a confession to the rape. Perrot later said he had no memory admitting to the break-in, asserting it was forged. The victim in the case also did not identify Perrot as her rapist, saying in court that she was certain the man who raped her looked nothing like Perrot, according to court documents. She had always maintained the rapist was clean-shaven and had short hair. Perrot had a beard and wild curly hair. How can I say it was [him] when this man has a mustache and beard? she said, when asked in court whether Perrot was the perpetrator. This fellow didnt have any beard. He didnt have any mustache. She also disputed the prosecutions physical evidence in the case. In addition to the hair, prosecutors and the FBI also pointed to a blood stain on the bed that had characteristics consistent with Perrots blood. The victim questioned why, if she was raped on the floor, there would be any blood on her bed and said the small blood stain was left by her sick uncle 14 or 15 years earlier. Prosecutors blamed the victims failure to identify Perrot on the fact that she was old and perhaps couldnt remember. Still, the rape victims testimony alone was not enough to reverse a conviction. The new evidence that Perrot needed emerged in 2012, when the FBI began reviewing hair-analysis testimony from its agents in criminal cases spanning decades. Perrots case was one of them. The FBIs audit found that its experts, including in Perrots case, routinely exceeded the limits of science by overstating the conclusions that may appropriately be drawn from a positive association between hair found at the scene and taken as a sample from a suspects head. The probe ultimately found that nearly every analyst overstated the significance of the evidence in a light favoring prosecutors in more than 95 percent of the cases, calling into question hundreds of cases. Kane ruled that the FBI analyst who testified for the prosecution in Perrots case overstated the evidence as well, pointing to seven errors and seven other problematic statements. In one, he compared his ability to analyze and distinguish peoples hairs to peoples ability to recognize faces in a crowd. He said the hair found on the bed matched characteristics of Perrots hair, although many people can share the same characteristics of hair. Vacating Perrots conviction, Kane said, was not a close call. At the hearing where he released Perrot from prison, Kane reminded Perrot that prisoners who are released will have to choose the type of path they want to take as they reset their lives, the Globe reported then. Ultimately, it will be up to George Perrot, the judge said. Perrot filed a federal lawsuit in Boston against the FBI agents who worked on his case, the Springfield police and individual officers and prosecutors involved in the original 1985 investigation, alleging that they violated his civil rights. Since his Jan. 4 arrest on the new rape charges, his attorneys moved to begin mediation and to work toward a settlement in the case. On Thursday, a federal magistrate reported that those talks have failed. Perrot is seeking an unspecified amount of damages. His attorneys on that civil case did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 56F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 28F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is still pulling numbers out of thin air on the economy. Trump repeatedly asserted that the U.S. economy is perhaps the best ever and insisted that last quarters gross domestic product was the highest in 14 years. Neither claim is true. The president bragged the U.S. has more people working than ever before, skimming over the fact that the raw numbers are due to population increases. The misstatements came as the no-collusion chorus also sang loudly this past week, led by Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin chiming in. That gave rise to substantial misrepresentations of what the special counsels Russia investigation actually found. In the Democratic presidential campaign, Joe Biden went beyond the facts on Trumps tax cuts, claiming falsely that all of it went to folks at the top. A look at the claims: ECONOMY TRUMP: We have more people working right now than ever in the history of our country. interview Thursday with Fox News. THE FACTS: Its true that more people are working now, but that is driven by population growth. A more relevant measure is the proportion of Americans with jobs, and that is still far below record highs. According to Labor Department data, 60.6 per cent of people in the United States 16 years and older were working in April. Thats below the all-time high of 64.7 per cent in April 2000, though higher than the 59.9 per cent when Trump was inaugurated in January 2017. On Friday, the Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate dropped last month to 3.6% from 3.8%. That drop reflected a healthy economy for sure, but also an increase in the number of Americans who stopped looking for work. ___ TRUMP: I think we have the best economy weve ever had. interview Thursday with Fox News. TRUMP: Its probably the best economy weve ever had. interview Wednesday with Fox Business News. TRUMP: Fact is, every economic aspect of our Country is the best it has ever been! tweet on April 29. THE FACTS: The economy is solid but not one of the best in history. The economy expanded at an annual rate of 3.2 per cent in the first quarter of this year. That growth was the highest in just four years for the first quarter. In the late 1990s, growth topped 4 per cent for four straight years, a level it has not yet reached on an annual basis under Trump. Growth even reached 7.2 per cent in 1984. While the economy has shown strength, it grew 2.9% in 2018 - the same pace it reached in 2015 and simply hasnt hit historically high growth rates. The economic expansion began under President Barack Obama in mid-2009. ___ TRUMP: We just did 3.2 ... 3.2 is a number that they havent hit in 14 years. interview Wednesday with Fox Business News. THE FACTS: First-quarter growth of 3.2% in the gross domestic product is nowhere close to the best in 14 years, by any measure. Its only the best since last year, surpassed in the second and third quarters with rates of 4.2% and 3.4% respectively. Perhaps he meant to say it was the best first-quarter growth in 14 years. But thats not right, either. Its the best in four years. The economy grew by 3.3% in the first quarter of 2015. So Obama has a better first-quarter record than Trump to date. ___ TRUMP: Wages are rising fastest for the lowest-income Americans. Wisconsin rally on April 27. THE FACTS: This is true, though hes claiming credit for a trend that predates his presidency. Some of the gains also reflect higher minimum wages passed at the state and local level; the Trump administration opposes an increase to the federal minimum wage. With the unemployment rate at 3.6 %, the lowest since December 1969, employers are struggling to fill jobs. Despite all the talk of robots and automation, thousands of restaurants, warehouses, and retail stores still need workers. They are offering higher wages and have pushed up pay for the lowest-paid one-quarter of workers more quickly than for everyone else since 2015. In March, the poorest 25% saw their paychecks increase 4.4% from a year earlier, compared with 3% for the richest one quarter. ___ BIDEN ON TAX CUTS BIDEN: Theres a $2 trillion tax cut last year. Did you feel it? Did you get anything from it? Of course not. Of course not. All of it went to folks at the top and corporations that pay no taxes. Pittsburgh rally on April 29. THE FACTS: Not true. While Trumps tax cut did skew to the wealthy, most middle-income taxpayers saw a tax cut this year, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. The average taxpayer received a tax cut of about $1,600 in 2018, the centre calculates, with two-thirds of U.S. taxpayers getting a cut and about 6 per cent paying more. ___ RUSSIA INVESTIGATION PUTIN on special counsel Robert Muellers investigation: A mountain gave birth to a mouse. remarks Tuesday, echoed in a phone call with Trump on Friday. THE FACTS: Some might say this is a mouse that roared. The investigation produced charges against nearly three dozen people, among them senior Trump campaign operatives and 25 Russians, as it shed light on a brazen Russian assault on the American political system. The investigation did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia and it reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. Yet it described his campaign as eager to exploit the release of hacked Democratic emails to hurt rival Hillary Clinton and it exposed lies by Trump aides aimed at covering up their Russia-related contacts. The Russians caught up in the investigation were charged either with hacking into Democratic accounts or orchestrating a social media campaign to spread disinformation on the internet. ___ TRUMP on Democrats: Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? tweet Sunday. TRUMP: The Mueller Report strongly stated that there was No Collusion with Russia (of course) and, in fact, they were rebuffed ... at every turn in attempts to gain access. tweets Thursday. ATTORNEY GENERAL WILLIAM 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. SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee: Mr. Mueller and his team concluded there was no collusion. Senate hearing. THE FACTS: This refrain about the Mueller report stating there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign is wrong. Trumps assertion that his campaign denied all access to Russians is false. The Mueller report and other scrutiny revealed a multitude of meetings with Russians. Among them: Donald Trump Jr.s meeting with a Russian lawyer who had promised dirt on Clinton. 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 noted some Trump campaign officials had declined to testify under the Fifth 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 investigations findings. ___ BARR, speaking of Trump: He fully co-operated. Senate hearing. THE FACTS: Its highly questionable to say Trump was fully co-operative in the Russia investigation. Trump declined to sit for an interview with Muellers team, gave written answers that investigators described as inadequate and incomplete, said more than 30 times that he could not remember something he was asked about in writing, and according to the report tried to get aides to fire Mueller or otherwise shut or limit the inquiry. In the end, the Mueller report found no criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia but left open the question of whether Trump obstructed justice. ___ 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 Trumps efforts to undermine the special counsels Russia investigation had obstructed justice. According to the report, Muellers team declined to make a prosecutorial judgment on whether to charge partly because of a Justice Department legal opinion that said sitting presidents shouldnt 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. Barr wrote in a March 24 letter that he ultimately 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 whether Mueller agreed with him. ___ VENEZUELA TRUMP says Putin is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela, other than hed like to see something positive happen for Venezuela. remarks to reporters Friday after speaking with Putin on the phone. THE FACTS: Putin is already deeply involved in Venezuela as U.S.-supported Juan Guaido, opposition leader of the National Assembly, challenges President Nicolas Maduros embattled government. Russia has a political, military and economic alliance with Venezuela over many years and is helping to support Maduros hold on power. The Russians have provided Venezuela with substantial assistance, including an air defence system and help circumventing U.S. sanctions on its oil industry. Russia is now so deeply invested in the Maduro regime that the only realistic option is to double down, said Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Moscow Center. ___ NATO TRUMP: Were getting ripped off on military, NATO. Im all for NATO. But you know, were paying for almost 100 per cent of defending Europe. Wisconsin rally on April 27. THE FACTS: The U.S. is not paying almost 100 per cent the cost of defending Europe. NATO does have a shared budget to which each member makes contributions based on the size of its economy. The United States, with the biggest economy, pays the biggest share, about 22 per cent. Four European members Germany, France, Britain and Italy combined pay nearly 44 per cent of the total. The money, about $3 billion, runs NATOs headquarters and covers certain other civilian and military costs. Defending Europe involves far more than that fund. The primary cost of doing so would come from each member countrys military budget, as the alliance operates under a mutual defence treaty. The U.S. is the largest military spender but others in the alliance obviously have armed forces, too. The notion that almost all costs would fall to the U.S. is false. In fact, NATOs Article 5, calling for allies to act if one is attacked, has only been invoked once, and it was on behalf of the U.S., after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. ___ Associated Press writers Christopher Rugaber, Eric Tucker, Lolita C. Baldor and Lynn Berry contributed to this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck EDITORS NOTE _ A look at the veracity of claims by political figures SILVERTON, Colo. - A Colorado tourist railroad has commenced service, bringing hope to businesses that have been isolated by weather events. The Durango Herald reports that the first Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad engine of 2019 arrived Saturday in Silverton, depositing dozens of tourists in the mountain town. Business owners in the community 324 miles (521 kilometres) southwest of Denver have suffered the economic consequences of winter avalanches that closed access along U.S. Route 550 for weeks. That followed a month-and-a-half of train cancellations caused by the 416 Fire, a wildfire that burned 54,000 acres north of Durango beginning in June 2018. Hundreds of people were evacuated. The fire caused tens of thousands of train reservation cancellations, with at least one Silverton business owner reporting sales were down 70%. ___ Information from: Durango Herald, http://www.durangoherald.com ELIZABETH, N.J. - Attorneys for a man seeking to force New Jerseys five Roman Catholic dioceses to release their complete clergy abuse records issued their own list Monday of more than 300 priests accused of child sexual abuse. More than 100 of the names released by attorney Jeff Anderson Monday were not on the lists of credibly accused priests distributed by New Jerseys dioceses in February. The Minnesota-based Anderson said his release includes religious order priests such as Jesuits as well as priests who are the subject of pending lawsuits, many of whom were not named by the dioceses. Anderson represents Edward Hanratty, who alleges he was abused decades ago by a priest he said Monday was still working at a church until last year. His lawsuit seeks to force the dioceses to release all files on accused priests, including where they worked and what they are alleged to have done. Hanratty said he came forward last August after reading a grand jury report in Pennsylvania that detailed allegations against more than 300 priests involving more than 1,000 victims. I published my story and instantly my inbox was flooded with names I hadnt heard of in 30 years, he said. They said everything from I had my suspicions and I support you, to It happened to me and the way you described it is exactly what I lived with and I still have nightmares. Hanrattys wife and others searched for the priest and found he was working at a church in Jersey City. They also researched why he had been dismissed from the parish where Hanratty attended church in the mid-1990s. They knew the circumstances of why he left; why werent my parents and all the other parent informed at the time? Hanratty said. If I was abducted by a stranger I would have gotten grief counselling, but we were taught to trust people that we were supposed to trust and there was no handbook for what to do when that trust was violated. The lawsuit is similar to others Anderson has filed in Minnesota, Illinois, California and New York that seek the disclosure of all diocesan files on priests credibly accused of sexual abuse. In Minnesota, Anderson said, a suit forced the release of 10,000 pages of documents and nearly 60 additional priests names after an original release of 33 names. Lawsuits in the other states are pending. On the heels of Pennsylvanias grand jury report, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal formed a task force last fall to conduct a criminal investigation into sexual abuse by clergy in the state. In an emailed statement, the Archdiocese of Newark said Monday it continues to focus on transparency and accountability and to reinforcing established reporting and prevention policies and programs to protect minors and support victims in our parishes, schools and ministries. Our full and proactive collaboration with state and local law enforcement officials and with the Attorney Generals office continues and remains a priority, the statement said. FULTON, Mo. - A letter from the Prince of Wales highlights the 50th anniversary of a mid-Missouri museum honouring Winston Churchill. Members of the families of Churchill and President Harry Truman were among the hundreds of people attending weekend activities at Americas National Churchill Museum on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton. The museum honours the place where Churchill delivered his famous Iron Curtain speech in 1946. The museum opened May 7, 1969, after the London church St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury was moved stone-by-stone to Fulton. The phrase Iron Curtain described the separation of Eastern Europe that was under Soviet Union rule. Prince Charles, in a letter read at a gala on Saturday, noted the museum as the remarkable and highly appropriate memorial for the famous speech. MISSOULA, Mont. - A New York man pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges in Montana that he lied to authorities about discussions he had about joining ISIS and attacking random people to avenge shootings at two New Zealand mosques. Fabjan Alameti also pleaded not guilty to a firearm charge during his arraignment Monday in U.S. District Court in Missoula. The charges carry a combined maximum penalty of 18 years in prison $500,000 in fines if he is convicted. Alameti, 21, is being held in Missoula County jail. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah Lynch scheduled a hearing next week on whether he should continue to be detained. Authorities said Alameti used electronic communications to tell others, including an informant working for the FBI, that he wanted to fight for ISIS overseas, that he was willing to carry out an attack in the U.S. and that he wanted revenge for Muslims killed in New Zealand. Alameti was travelling to Montana by bus on March 15 when a gunman killed 50 people in Christchurch. Alameti told the informant that he would, attack random people to avenge the blood, FBI Special Agent Matthew Duermeier said in a sworn statement to the court. Alameti said he was travelling from New York to Montana where it was easier to buy a gun, an indictment filed earlier this month said. Alameti told an FBI agent that he never made those comments, prompting the charge of making false statements to a federal officer in a matter involving terrorism, according to the indictment. Alameti spoke with an informant about plotting an attack in the U.S. against a military facility, government building, gay club or Jewish temple, according to Duermeier. But Alameti later said he would not carry out an attack on U.S. soil because the country had granted him citizenship, and that he moved from his home in the Bronx to Bozeman because he was having family issues and he had a job interview in Montana, according to the FBI agents statement. Alameti was born in Albania. He was arrested last month after showing up at a Bozeman firing range and paying $35 to rent an M1A rifle. Authorities said he was under the influence of marijuana at the range, which led to a charge of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. NEW YORK - Michael Cohen took a last swipe at President Donald Trump while reporting to federal prison Monday to start a three-year sentence for crimes including tax evasion and campaign finance violations related to hush-money payments made to protect his former boss. Cohen, who turned on Trump last summer after a decade as his personal lawyer, fixer and take a bullet loyalist, didnt mention the president by name, but he left little doubt about whom he blamed for his incarceration. I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country, Cohen told reporters outside his Manhattan apartment. There still remains much to be told, and I look forward to the day where I can share the truth. Cohen, 52, then stumbled through a crush of media, ignoring shouted questions, and got into a waiting Cadillac Escalade, which drove him to jail 70 miles (115 kilometres) northwest of New York City. He got a slight jump on his prison sentence, arriving at the Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, at around 11:45 a.m., more than two hours before a court-imposed deadline. The prison has a minimum-security camp thats become known for the white collar criminals it houses and the amenities including tennis courts, bocce ball and rugelach in the commissary that it affords them. Cohen officially Inmate No. 86067-054 took off the blue blazer he wore on the ride up and left it with his driver before walking into prison, where he was to be provided with a khaki uniform. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirmed Cohen was in its custody but declined to provide details of his confinement, citing privacy and security rules. At Otisville, officials took extra measures to deal with the intense media interest in Cohens arrival. They put up concrete barriers along the two-lane road leading to the facility and deployed cones and caution tape to keep about two dozen reporters and photographers from getting too close. Cohen had fought to delay or reduce his sentence but failed in a last-ditch effort to convince federal prosecutors that his co-operation in various investigations related to Trump warranted leniency. Cohens lawyer and spokesman, Lanny Davis, said Cohen would continue to be available to co-operate with law enforcement, though its unclear how much his co-operation is wanted. Since mid-March, federal prosecutors in New York have rebuffed Cohens repeated offers to provide more information about alleged wrongdoing by Trump and other people in his orbit, Davis said. His legal team asked House Democrats last month to intercede with prosecutors after Cohen testified on Capitol Hill in February and March, but they were reticent to do so. Michael may be sentenced within the walls of a federal correctional institution. But the truth has no walls, Davis said in a statement Monday. In an essay published Sunday, a Trump Organization executive wrote that Cohen was a bluffing, boasting New Yorker who overstated his role at the company and that he only had himself to blame for going to prison. Cohen had no real decision-making authority and was rather a lone wolf constantly seeking the bosss approval and fearing others would take his credit, George Sorial wrote in The Wall Street Journal. Cohen is the only person charged with a crime in connection with the hush-money payments to women who allegedly had affairs with Trump. Federal prosecutors have said Trump directed Cohen to arrange the payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 election. Trump denies having trysts with either woman. Cohen also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump Tower project in Moscow, to bank fraud, and to tax evasion charges that stemmed, not from his dealings with Trump, but from his failure to report income from other business interests. At Cohens sentencing last December, his lawyer requested that he be placed at Otisville, which Forbes once ranked as one of Americas 10 Cushiest Prisons. He was originally scheduled to start his sentence in March, but a judge granted a two-month delay so he could recover from surgery and get his affairs in order. Cohen will spend the first few weeks of his sentence in admission and orientation. Hell undergo medical and mental health screenings and be assigned a job, such as mowing the grounds or cleaning up the visiting room. If he wants to work on a tell-all, hell have to skip sleep or exercise to do so. Theres no free time to work on your book, or whatever, said former Otisville employee Don Drewett. Cohens fellow inmates include Jersey Shore star Mike The Situation Sorrentino, who wraps up an eight-month tax fraud sentence in September. But Cohen should avoid acting like hes still in spotlight, said Jack Donson, a former Otisville case manager who advises white-collar criminals on what to expect in prison. You assume the role of an inmate, said Donson. Youre cordial to everybody. Youre respectful to everybody. You do your time. You ask for nothing from staff. Nothing from inmates. You accept nothing from inmates. Youre nobody. Seriously. If Cohen cant adjust, Donson said, his time is going to be miserable. ST. PAUL, Minn. - Authorities say a 4-year-old Minnesota boy died after his father left him in a hot SUV for hours while he worked. The father, 26-year-old Kristopher Taylor of Apple Valley, is charged with second-degree manslaughter. The boy died Saturday in St. Paul. Authorities say Taylor left the child in the vehicle for hours while he worked the Grillfest event at CHS Field. Taylor returned to the SUV at about 5:15 p.m. to find the boy was stiff. The temperature reached 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the criminal complaint says the boy was in the sun. According to the complaint, Taylor told police he left the window open a crack and gave the boy a hand-held video game. It isnt clear whether Taylor has an attorney to comment on his behalf. SAUSALITO, Calif. - Marine mammal experts are concerned about the death of a grey whale that washed ashore in San Francisco. The whale found Monday on Ocean Beach was the ninth discovered in the San Francisco Bay Area since March. The Marine Mammal Center plans a necropsy to determine what killed the animal. The centre says four previous whales died from malnutrition and three were struck by ships. The cause of death for another hasnt been determined. But the centre says biologists have spotted grey whales in poor condition during this years annual migration from Mexico to Alaska. They suspect some are having trouble finding enough to eat as warming ocean conditions cause changes to their food supplies, which can range from krill and small shrimp-like animals to small fish. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio is seeking to stay an order requiring a new congressional map be drawn by next month after a court ruling found its Republican-drawn congressional districts unconstitutional. An appeal was filed Monday on behalf of GOP Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Republican legislative leaders. A panel of federal judges issued their ruling Friday and ordered the state to draw a new map in time for the 2020 elections. The judges two nominated by Democratic presidents, one by a Republican ordered a proposed new map by June 14 The ruling, if it stands, could be an important victory for Democrats in a key battleground state. They hope redrawn boundaries help them pick up House seats and deliver the states delegates for a Democratic presidential nominee in 2020. JUNEAU, Alaska - Juneau police have released the name of a man found dead last month in the Mendenhall River. Public safety manager Erann Kalwara says the dead man was 40-year-old Jeremy Christian Brinker. She says Brinker previously lived in California but police do not know his hometown. Brinkers body was discovered April 10. A man told police he saw a coat in the river about 15 feet (4.5 metres) from the bank. The man waded into the water and discovered a body in the coat. The body was wedged on a rock. Emergency responders retrieved the body. Police in April said they did not see obvious signs of significant trauma to the mans body. The state medical examiner planned an autopsy. Researchers develop better way to determine coastal flooding risk CORVALLIS, Ore. - Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new methodology for building computer models that paves the way to better understanding the flood risks faced by coastal communities. That's important because towns along the coast are often situated near estuaries, which makes them vulnerable to both storm tide inundation and river flooding. Estuaries occur where rivers flow into the ocean, meaning the rivers are influenced by tidal flooding and also experience frequent, periodic changes in salinity, sunlight and oxygen. The study site for this research was Washington state's Grays Harbor, but the methodology can be applied to any area subject to estuarine flooding. "Flooding in areas like the Pacific Northwest is complicated since many processes contribute, such as tides, large waves and river flow," said Kai Parker, corresponding author of the study published in Coastal Engineering. "We need to be able to predict water levels on several time scales." In the short term - i.e., flooding from a particular storm - predictions can inform decisions about actions like evacuations and road closures. And it's also critical to understand how flooding occurs across longer time scales - for example, so planners can have more information when deciding whether or not to develop a low-lying parcel of land. The new computer model involves "emulation" and uses statistical techniques, as opposed to traditional models that try to directly reproduce the wide collection of physical processes at play when estuaries flood. That direct reproduction, Parker noted requires a lot of time and processing power. "The computational expense makes it difficult to study flooding at long time scales," he said. "The key question we wanted to answer in this study is, 'is there a better way to handle long simulation times for computationally expensive flooding models?'" The research was part of Parker's Ph.D. program at OSU under professors David Hill of the College of and Engineering and Peter Ruggiero of the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. Also among the collaborators was Katy Serafin, an Oregon State alumnus soon to be on the faculty at the University of Florida. "We reduced the complexity of the model by using statistical methods," said Parker, now a Fulbright scholar at Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria in Chile. "Once the statistical model, or emulator, is built - once we create a training dataset and train the emulator - additional use of it comes at essentially zero cost. It's nearly instantaneous." The emulator performed well reproducing the extreme water levels of recent flooding events in Grays Harbor, Parker said. Roughly 140 miles northwest of Portland, Oregon, Grays Harbor is a shallow bay - average depth: roughly 5 meters - with a deep-water navigation channel maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Grays Harbor covers 235 square kilometers, is fed by five rivers that drain a watershed of greater than 7,000 square kilometers and is "subject to an energetic storm and wave climate," Parker said, providing a solid test for the model. "Our model is very useful since we can use it to explore an infinite variety of future flooding scenarios," Parker said. "This allows us to better understand the risk of flooding in coastal communities as well as how this risk will change moving into the future." ### The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration supported this research, as did the Quinault Treaty Area tribal governments. This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) Another town has been placed under the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) control as violence mars the campaign ahead of the May 13 midterm elections. COMELEC Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said Monday the municipality of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental was placed under its control on Monday. This comes moments after the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it recommended the town's inclusion in the list. P/Gen. Oscar Albayalde, PNP chief, cited intense political rivalry in the area. Intense political rivalry is one of the grounds for declaring an area under COMELEC Control according to Resolution 10481. Other grounds include violence by private armed groups, a previous COMELEC control declaration, armed threats posed by rebel groups and use of loose firearms by unqualified individuals. On April 25, Moises Padilla town councilor Michael Garcia, who was seeking another term, and his uncle Mark Garcia were attacked and killed by 20 armed men in Negros Occidental. Mark is also the brother of Moises Padilla Vice Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo, who is running for mayor. Daraga town in Albay and Cotabato City also remain under COMELEC control. COMELEC earlier said the declaration was due to violent events that took place such as the killing of AKO BICOL Party-list Representative Rodel Batocabe, who was running for Daraga mayor, and a mall blast in Cotabato on New Years Eve. BEIJING - Global stock markets were mixed Tuesday after China said its economy czar will go to Washington for trade talks despite U.S. President Donald Trumps threat to escalate their tariff war. Chinas main stock index rose 0.7% and most other Asian markets also rebounded, while shares in Europe fell and Wall Street appeared headed for a lower open. The Chinese government said Vice Premier Liu He will go to Washington as planned despite fears he might cancel after Trump threatened to escalate a fight over Beijings technology ambitions. That might help to keep alive hopes that the battle, which threatens to drag on global economic growth, could be settled as early as this week. The base case still remains we see a framework agreement reached, but the market is still repricing in the risk, Edward Moya of Oanda said in a report. In midday trading in Europe, Londons FTSE 100 was down more than 1% to 7,303, and Frances CAC 40 fell more than 0.7% to 5,442. Germanys DAX didnt fare much better, declining 0.6% to 12,212. On Wall Street, futures for the Standard & Poors 500 index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were each down about 0.6%. Tokyos Nikkei 225 plunged 1.5% to 21,923.72 as trading resumed following a weeklong holiday. The Shanghai Composite Index closed at 2,926.39 and Hong Kongs Hang Seng added 0.5% to 29,363.02. Sydneys S&P-ASX 200 picked up 0.2% to 6,295.70 and benchmarks in New Zealand, Taiwan and Singapore advanced. Indias Sensex was off 26 points at 38,580.44. Trumps threat on Sunday revived jitters that had been largely put to rest by statements from both sides that negotiations were making progress. The American president accused Beijing of backtracking on commitments made in the rapid-fire negotiations. Trump threatened to raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25% from 10%, effective Friday. He said he would impose increases on an additional $325 billion of imports, covering everything China sells to the United States. Beijing is not a big fan of hostage situations, said Vishnu Varathan of Mizuho Bank in a report. The tight deadline alongside threats of widening the tariff net may not play out favourably for prospects of an imminent deal. ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude lost 62 cents to $61.63 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained 31 cents on Monday to close at $62.25. Brent crude, used to price international oils, shed 89 cents to $70.35 per barrel in London. It rose 39 cents the previous session to $71.24. CURRENCY: The dollar edged down to 110.63 yen from Mondays 110.72 yen. The euro was little-changed at 1.1200. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Latest on the charter plane travelling from Cuba to north Florida that ended up in a river at ends of runaway (all times local): 4:35 p.m. The operator of a chartered jet that ran into a river at a Florida military base is offering $2,500 to each passenger as a goodwill gesture. Miami Air International made the offer to the 136 passengers on Monday in an open letter from the airlines CEO expressing regret for what happened. None of the passengers, nor the seven crew members, had serious injuries from the flight, which departed Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Friday and skidded into the St. Johns River hours later after landing at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. The airline says passengers luggage is still in the cargo hold of the airplane, which was partially submerged in the river. The airline says once federal investigators give the green light, airline workers will retrieve the bags, clean them and notify owners. ___ 10:05 a.m. Authorities say deceased pets have been recovered from a chartered jet that ran into a river at a Florida military base. Naval Air Station Jacksonville said in a statement late Sunday that a dog and two cats were recovered in their carriers from the Boeing 737 that skidded into the St. Johns River after landing at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. None of the 143 human passengers and crew members had serious injuries from the landing Friday night. Despite trying twice, rescuers were unable to remove the pets from the cargo area immediately after the landing because that section of the plane was underwater. Divers were sent in Sunday to retrieve the animals. Base officials say another cat that flew in the planes cabin was safely removed by the cats owner. WASHINGTON - The Latest on the United States and Iran (all times local): 3 p.m. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Trump administration is intensifying pressure to get Iran to behave like a normal nation. Pompeo spoke to reporters Monday in Finland following the administrations decision to move an aircraft carrier group ahead of schedule to the Middle East from the Mediterranean in response to what it said were threats of a possible attack on U.S. or allied interests by Iran. The larger pressure campaign has included withdrawing from an Obama-era nuclear deal, reimposing sanctions and designating the Irans Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. The secretary said the measures are intended to stop Iran from a range of activities that include sponsoring terrorist organizations that launch missile attacks on Israel or building missile systems in Yemen to assist rebels in that countrys civil war. Our objective is to get the Islamic Republic of Iran to behave like a normal nation, he said. When they do that, we will welcome them back. __ 2:30 p.m. Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan says the accelerated deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier group and some bombers to the Middle East is prudent repositioning of assets in response to what he said were indications of a credible threat from Iran. Shanahan says in a tweet Monday that the U.S. will hold Tehran accountable for any attacks on U.S. forces or interests. And he is calling on Iran to cease all provocation. The U.S. has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to move to the Middle East about two weeks ahead of schedule. The ships have been in the Mediterranean Sea and had planned to stop for a port visit in Croatia, but that has been cancelled. National security adviser John Bolton said Sunday night that the U.S. was deploying the ships and a bomber task force to the region, intending to send a message that unrelenting force will meet any attack on American forces or allies. __ 12:45 p.m. The U.S. is rushing an aircraft carrier and other military resources to the Middle East after seeing Iranian troops and proxy forces making preparations for attacks against U.S. forces and interests in the region, a defence official told The Associated Press. At the White House, National Security Adviser John Bolton said Sunday night that the U.S. was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region, an area that includes the Middle East. In a statement, he said the move was in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, but did not provide more details. The request would get the ships into the region two weeks earlier than initially planned, according to the defence official, who wasnt authorized to speak publicly so spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have been operating in the Mediterranean Sea recently. Boltons reference to the Central Command area would mean the Lincoln is headed east to the Red Sea and perhaps then to the Arabian Sea or the Persian Gulf, which would take several days. ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The Latest on a former FBI translator charged with making false statements after prosecutors say he altered transcripts of a message left on his own voicemail by a terrorism suspect (all times local): 2:50 p.m. A judge has ordered an ex-FBI translator to be freed on bail while he awaits trial on charges he doctored transcripts in which his own name appeared on an intercepted call from a terrorism suspect. Sixty-six-year-old Abdirizak Wehelie (wuh-HEEL-ee) of Burke, Virginia, made an initial appearance Monday in federal court in Alexandria on charges of making false statements and obstructing an investigation. Prosecutors did not object to his release on $20,000 unsecured bail. According to an indictment, Wehelie was tasked in 2012 with translating calls made by a terrorism suspect. It turned out that one of the calls was placed to Wehelie himself. The indictment alleges that Wehelie marked himself down as unidentified male even though he knew he was the recipient of the call. ___ 10 a.m. Federal authorities have charged a former FBI translator with making false statements after they say he altered transcripts of calls in which his own voice was caught on intercepts with terrorism suspects. Abdirizak Wehelie (wuh-HEEL-ee) was arrested Saturday. The 66-year-old former contract translator for the federal agency faces an initial appearance Monday in federal court in Alexandria. Wehelie and his family live in Virginia. A son, Yusuf Wehelie, is serving 10 years in prison for transporting weapons in a case where he spoke with an undercover witness about his desire to shoot up a military recruitment centre on behalf of the Islamic State group. Another son, Yahya, was barred from returning to the U.S. in 2010 on an overseas trip until he successfully overturned his status on the no-fly list. NEW ORLEANS - In a story May 6 about President Trumps planned trip to Louisiana, The Associated Press reported erroneously that trains are used to bring in liquefied natural gas. Sempra spokeswoman Patty Mitchell says the facility uses pipelines to move natural gas. A corrected version of the story is below: Trump plans to talk energy jobs in May 14 trip to Louisiana President Donald Trump plans to visit Louisiana next week to highlight job growth related to energy President Donald Trump plans to visit Louisiana next week to highlight job growth related to energy. The White House said Monday that Trump is scheduled to travel May 14 to Hackberry, an unincorporated Louisiana community on the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Houston. The president plans to tour a shipping facility that uses pipelines to bring in liquefied natural gas for export overseas. The White House says Trump will discuss how energy infrastructure projects such as Sempras Cameron LNG Export Facility in Louisiana are creating American jobs. The visit will be Trumps third trip to Louisiana since he took office in 2017. The foreboding letter was signed by a man calling himself Alessio Don De Grande. Pointedly referencing his membership in a shadowy criminal enterprise, he demanded $250,000 (U.S.) in cash within 15 days. The couple in eastern Washington state who found the typed, two-page missive on their car windshield on Feb. 28 were informed they would be killed and their property would be seized if they didnt pay up. Their daughter and her family in California could expect a none too friendly visit, too, the note said. It was one of several threatening letters that members of a right-wing militia group in Stevens County, Washington, would report receiving that month. De Grande, whose name was signed at the bottom of each, claimed to be involved with a mysterious group based outside the United States, and heavily insinuated that it was a Mexican cartel. But in reality, authorities now say, the sender was actually James Russell Bolton, the militias own leader. On the groups website, he had once warned that murderous cartels were infiltrating the United States, just another example of the subversive political insurgency that threatened to overtake the country. In recent months, Bolton allegedly tried to take advantage of the fears that he had stoked. Officials believe that he posed as a made-up cartel boss himself so that he could extort vast sums of money from his followers. The Stevens County Sheriffs Office, which Bolton once sought to lead, is now on the lookout for him. Though a nationwide warrant for his arrest was approved on April 22, the Spokesman-Review reported last Thursday, the 51-year-old is still at large. Back in 2010, Bolton had mounted an unsuccessful write-in campaign to be elected sheriff of Stevens County, in the rural northeastern corner of Washington state, bordering Canada. At the time, he described himself as a Marine Corps veteran and the owner of a custom woodworking business. Vowing that protecting citizens liberties and freedom would be his first priority, he gained the endorsement of Richard Mack, the former sheriff of Graham County, Arizona, and a leader of the constitutional sheriffs movement, whose adherents pledge not to enforce federal laws they believe are unconstitutional. Ultimately, Bolton came last in a four-way primary with about 13 per cent of the vote. Its unclear when Bolton became the leader of the Stevens County Assembly, a militia that described itself on its now-defunct website as a volunteer corps of God-fearing American citizens seeking to secure real American communities during the present insurgent political and social change. Nearly all of the writings available on archived versions of the site are attributed to him, and date from 2015 to 2017. He appears to have frequently railed against same-sex marriage, socialism, the media, President Barack Obama, Islam, federal regulation of land used for grazing cattle, and sanctuary cities, while also repeating far-right conspiracy theories. We cannot think that we are going to win our nation back, but (must) be content to win a portion of it back as our contribution to our restoration and preservation, he wrote in one undated article. The groups schedule of events, last updated in 2016, consisted of bimonthly prayer meetings and a film screening at a senior centre. Bolton apparently wanted the group to get bigger. According court records obtained by the Chewelah Independent, people interviewed by police mentioned that Bolton told them that they needed to grow the militias membership and collect more donations, or else he would have to relocate. At the end of February, militia members began receiving mysterious letters, according to the Spokesman-Review. One man found a note taped to a gate at his girlfriends house near the small city of Deer Park, Washington. That same day, a woman down the road found an identical letter attached to a tree on her property. Both were told that their families would be hurt if they didnt pay $10,000 in cash in exchange for protection. Two days later, a couple in the small community of Rice found a manila envelope on their car containing the letter that asked for a whopping $250,000. Initially, the Deer Park couple tried to track down the perpetrator. Told to leave the money in their mailbox, they instead filled an envelope with a powder that would turn skin purple, according to police. They also set up a hidden camera. When someone stopped by to pick up the envelope, it captured a blurry picture of a white SUV. The couple tried to chase the car but had no luck, the Spokesman-Review reported. It wasnt until mid-March that the Rice couple notified the Stevens County Sheriffs Office, according to the paper. Visibly unnerved, they insisted that the door be shut before puling out the ransom note. They told detectives that they had placed a red ribbon on their flagpole to confirm they had received the letter, as its mysterious sender had requested, and had met with their stockbroker to see if they could afford the payment. The male victim had started carrying his gun everywhere, and asked about getting a bulletproof vest. I could see that they were scared, Undersheriff Loren Erdman wrote in his report. According to KXLY, the man told police that Bolton had mentioned getting threats, too. When detectives called the militia leader, he claimed he and his wife had received menacing phone calls, but he had shaken it off because it was common in his line of work. Asked if someone could be targeting the group for financial reasons, Bolton reportedly responded that the Stevens County Assembly only had about $900 in its bank account. The mystery was still unsolved in late March, when Bolton called the sheriffs office to say he had started getting threatening emails. He also told detectives that a red Ford pickup truck had followed him home, and the passengers had yelled at him and run him off the road, the Chewelah Independent reported. Investigators were unable to confirm his story. Asked to see the emails, Bolton claimed his computer had been hacked. He also said that he hadnt been able to write down the red trucks license plate number because it was covered up with cardboard. Then, in mid-April, a tipster told detectives that Bolton had lost his mind and tried to kill another militia member, KXLY reported. A police report filed in nearby Spokane alleged that Bolton had gone over to the mans house and pushed him down the stairs, causing him to hit his head on the floor and bleed heavily. When the man got up, police wrote, Bolton punched him in the nose and tried to suffocate him with a plastic bag. Eventually, the station reported, Bolton stopped and explained to the wounded man that his wife had been kidnapped. He needed $100,000 for her release, he claimed. The bloodied victim believed his story, and initially lied to both hospital workers and the police about how he had gotten hurt. Later, he told authorities he had been prepared to give the militia leader most of his life savings. Then he started getting strange emails from Bolton, who now claimed that his wife was free but the kidnappers still wanted the ransom. At that point, the man started to question whether the story had been made up. Emails allegedly sent to the victim by Bolton display a far-reaching paranoia. We are witnessing the end of the U.S. as we have known it, he wrote in one message, according to KXLY. The militia leader allegedly told the man to change his email and phone number, and not tell anyone about what had happened because they were being monitored and needed to go dark. Meanwhile, in an email sent to the militias entire listserv, Bolton reportedly claimed that the group was being tracked by three mysterious men. WA state is being overrun by socialist/liberals and there doesnt seem to be any organized force who will stop them, he wrote. After additional interviews prompted authorities to take a closer look at Bolton, the Independent reported, detectives found that he had a 2013 white Ford Edge SUV, which resembled the car captured on a hidden surveillance camera. In an arrest warrant, they wrote that there was probable cause to conclude that Bolton had been behind the letters demanding money, and had also made up a fake story about his wifes kidnapping to steal another $100,000. Bolton faces five counts of extortion in the first degree and one count of attempted theft in the first degree. Its not yet clear if he will also be facing charges in Spokane County. WASHINGTON - The U.S. is sending an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East ahead of schedule and warning that Iran and its proxy forces are showing troubling and escalatory indications of a possible attack on American forces in the region. Exactly what prompted the action was unclear, but it marked a further step in sharply rising tensions between the Trump administration and the Islamic Republic. National security adviser John Bolton said Sunday night the U.S. was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the Middle East, intending to send a message that unrelenting force will meet any attack on American forces or allies. The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or regular Iranian forces, Bolton said. Neither Bolton nor other officials would provide any details about the supposed threat, which comes as the Trump administration wages a campaign of intensifying pressure against Iran and nearly a year after it withdrew from an Obama-era nuclear deal with Tehran. In Iran, the semi-official ISNA news agency on Monday quoted an anonymous official as saying that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani planned a broadcast address Wednesday and might discuss counteractions Tehran will take over Americas withdrawal from the international nuclear deal. The agreement limited Irans enrichment of uranium amid Western concerns that Tehrans program could allow it to build nuclear weapons. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes. With its pressure campaign, the U.S. administration is trying to get Iran to halt activities such as supporting militant activities that destabilize the Middle East and threaten U.S. allies, including Israel, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. Our objective is to get the Islamic Republic of Iran to behave like a normal nation, Pompeo told reporters during a visit to Finland. When they do that, we will welcome them back. The order to the carrier group would get the Abraham Lincoln into the Middle East about two weeks earlier than initially planned following exercises in the Mediterranean region, according to a U.S. defence official who wasnt authorized to speak publicly, so spoke on the condition of anonymity. It forces the ships to cancel a planned stop in Croatia. For years, the U.S. maintained a carrier presence in the Persian Gulf and Middle East region. During the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there were two carriers in the area, but that was reduced to one. Last year the administration decided to end the continuous carrier presence, and send a strike group only intermittently into the region. The U.S. Navy currently has no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. Bolton said the U.S. wants to send a message that unrelenting force will meet any attack on U.S. interests or those of Americas allies. Jon Alterman, senior vice-president at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, questioned whether the U.S. adequately understands Iranian motivations and actions, and whether the military move was warranted. I dont think we should let the Iranians pull our chain at the time and place of their choosing, he said. You can communicate seriousness to the Iranians without moving a lot of assets around, because moving assets is expensive and keeps assets from being in other places. He added, however, that Iran has the capability to harm Americans, but its difficult to assess the situation without knowing more about the intelligence that prompted the move. Mark Dubowitz, who studies Iran for the Washington-based policy institute Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said a credible threat of overwhelming force will make war less likely. If past is prologue, the regime will always move aggressively forward when it senses American weakness and recoil when it sensed American strength, Dubowitz said. Along with the Lincoln, Bolton mentioned a bomber task force, which suggested the Pentagon is deploying land-based bomber aircraft somewhere in the region, perhaps on the Arabian Peninsula. Pompeo said the actions undertaken by the U.S. have been in the works for a while. The request for the accelerated move came over the weekend from the militarys U.S. Central Command after reviewing various intelligence reports for some time, according to the U.S. official. Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved the request on Sunday. It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests, Pompeo said. If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that. Asked about escalatory actions, Pompeo replied, I dont want to talk about what underlays it, but make no mistake, we have good reason to want to communicate clearly about how the Iranians should understand how we will respond to actions they may take. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Monday that the carrier move sends an important message to Iran but the administration needs to give Congress more information. I worry that it could be misinterpreted, Blumenthal said. Im trusting that it isnt meant as a provocative act, but I need to know what the thought process and justifications are. Asked if the Iranian action was related to the deadly events in Gaza and Israel militants fired rockets into Israel on Sunday and Israel responded with airstrikes Pompeo said, It is separate from that. The Trump administration has been intensifying its pressure campaign against Iran. Last month, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would no longer exempt any countries from U.S. sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, a decision that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and U.S. treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey. The U.S. also recently designated Irans Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group, the first ever for an entire division of another government. Trump withdrew from the Obama administrations landmark nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and, in the months that followed, reimposed punishing sanctions including those targeting Irans oil, shipping and banking sectors. ___ Associated Press writers Robert Burns and Matthew Lee contributed to this report. COAL BASIN, Colo. - The family that owns Walmart Inc. plans to construct public trails on their private land in Colorado. The Aspen Times reports that members of the Walton family expect to begin construction this summer on more than four miles of trails on their property in Coal Basin. The project is expected to be completed in 2020. The family-owned Crystal Basin Holdings LLC gained approval from Pitkin County commissioners in October to build a trail network designed for mountain bikers but also open to runners and hikers. Coal Basin is part of 221 acres (89 hectares) owned by the Waltons about 186 miles (299 kilometres) west of Denver. The property is the last private land once owned by Mid-Continent Resources coal mining company. The remainder was transferred to White River National Forest. ___ Information from: The Aspen Times, http://www.aspentimes.com/ BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Prosecutors say a Connecticut woman who was imprisoned for mailing cookies laced with rat poison to Supreme Court justices and others has pleaded guilty to escaping from federal custody. Seventy-three-year-old Barbara March signed out of a halfway house in Washington, D.C., where she was completing her sentence in April 2018 and did not return as scheduled. She was arrested in Bridgeport in October. In October 2006 she was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sending the poisoned baked goods to judges, FBI officials and military leaders. Prosecutors say March pleaded guilty Friday to escaping from federal custody in federal court in Bridgeport. She faces a maximum prison term of five years. In his crusade to protect Albertas oilsands from what he calls a predatory federal government, Premier Jason Kenney is fighting a losing battle. He is losing not because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is fated to win next Octobers federal election. The Liberals, along with their complicated plan to marry economic and environmental goals, might well be ousted from power. Rather Kenney will ultimately lose because, in the long run, the oilsands are unlikely to survive economically. At a time when cheaper shale oil is readily available and renewable energy increasingly less costly, Alberta bitumen is simply too expensive to mine. Existing bitumen mines will continue to produce heavy oil. The marginal cost of producing a barrel of oil from an existing operation is low enough in most cases to justify exploitation. But new investment is falling fast. Figures from the National Energy Board show that new investment in the oilsands dropped from a peak of $34 billion in 2014 to $11 billion last year. Read more: Opinion | Martin Regg Cohn: Move over, Doug Ford. Jason Kenney is Canadas new disruptor Premier Doug Ford hosts Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in love-in for carbon crusaders Ottawa can impose carbon pricing on provinces, Saskatchewan court rules One of the worlds biggest petroleum companies, Royal Dutch Shell, has pulled out of the Alberta oilsands almost completely. The reasons are simple and have little to do with the usual bogeymen cited by Kenney including lack of pipeline capacity, interference by foreign-funded environmentalists and an uncaring federal government. Investment is drying up because it is just too risky to sink billions of dollars upfront into an energy project that can take 10 years to come into production. Shale oil is easier and cheaper to produce. A shale oil project can be quickly shut down if the world oil price drops and just as quickly restarted if that price rises again. Whats more, shale oil is lighter than bitumen and liable to cause less environmental damage in the event of a spill. Thanks to its shale oil resources, the U.S. has become the worlds number one petroleum producer, surpassing even Saudi Arabia. Among other things, this means the U.S. is no longer as dependent on Alberta oil, heavy or otherwise. So thats the first reason for the provinces woes: compared to other sources of petroleum, its bitumen is expensive to produce. The second is that renewable energy is becoming cheaper. As the Globe and Mail has reported, the cost of solar and wind-generated energy has dropped in parts of the U.S. to below that of conventional sources, such as coal. As a result, investment in renewable energy is soaring. The Wall Street Journal reports that in 2016, global investment in renewable energy reached $297 billion, more than double the amount spent on conventional electrical generating plants powered by coal, nuclear material, gas and fuel oil. This is the reality facing Alberta and the rest of Canada. Ownership of oil reserves, particularly heavy oil reserves, no longer guarantees prosperity. Kenney can rage against the federal governments Bill C-69. But that bill, which among other things would rework the national energy regulation process to bring it into line with recent court decisions, is not the cause of Albertas distress. Nor is the lack of pipelines the source of all evil. Writing in the National Observer, energy analyst Ross Belot argues convincingly that existing and approved pipelines are more than sufficient to handle the expected output of bitumen from the tar sands. Indeed, one major producer, Suncor, is already using this existing pipeline capacity to ship refined gasoline and diesel fuel to the lucrative British Columbia market. Albertas core problem is simpler. The province has bet the farm on the oilsands. Its a bet that, for reasons that have nothing to do with either Trudeau or Kenney, is no longer paying off. Read more about: Ontario students are opposed to bigger class sizes and mandatory online credits because such changes will harm achievement, says the Ontario Student Trustees Association, which is now calling on the Ford government to nix plans for both. The group, which advocates for the provinces 2 million students and consults extensively with them on an ongoing basis, says in a report to be released Monday that it strongly recommends that the provincial government reverse its class size increases, and maintain within the (education grants) the 2018-19 class size average of 22 pupils in Grades 9-12. And while advocating for a more modern, 21st-century learning, students dont want one that includes mandatory e-learning, the report says, advising the government to drop plans for four online credits in order to graduate due to the severe equity issues, incomparable experiences students have with in-person classes and lack of research that proves it is beneficial for teens. The vision document, which is being released at the start of Education Week, also calls for better funding of schools in Northern Ontario which have said they will be particularly hard-hit by bigger classes safer school buses, maximum commute times for students, and more nonrepayable grants for teens from middle- and low-income homes so they can attend post-secondary. The Ontario government has introduced a number of reforms that will improve and modernize the education system and put student achievement first, Education Minister Lisa Thompson has said. But not all the changes have the support of the Ontario Student Trustees Association, which represents students in all four systems public and Catholic, English and French and comprises teens who are themselves elected to sit on school boards as non-voting members. Read more: Ford government hikes education spending, chops support for school boards with needy students Ontario school boards issue surplus notices amid NDP warnings of chaos in schools Students at Peel high school told to reselect Grade 12 courses Our concern right now is how are these things going to negatively impact students? said president Amal Qayum, a student at Westlane Secondary in Niagara Falls. We are hearing from students, we are hearing through student trustees, that school boards across the province are giving layoff notices to teachers and the courses they are seeing impacted the most right now are specialized classes. Although classes like math and English are important, the others are where students learn transferable life skills and are often the courses students show up to school for. The province is phasing out 3,500 teaching positions over the next four years as it boosts class sizes from Grades 4 to 8 by an average of one student, and by an average of six students in high school, going from 22 to 28. The mandatory elearning classes, for which details are still being worked out, will have an average of 35 students. Many estimates peg the teacher losses much higher up to 10,000 but the government has pledged $1.6 billion for an attrition fund for school boards to make sure no one is laid off if retirements and resignations arent enough. However, the move has already caused chaos in schools, given high school students have already chosen their courses for next year. With the loss of teachers, schools must now make adjustments. One less teacher means six fewer courses or sections, so in many cases, teens must now go back to square one and choose their credits for the fall again from amongst fewer choices. At least one teacher took to social media last week to show long, early morning lineups of frustrated students waiting outside the guidance office. Some parent councils, like the one at Mayfield Secondary in Caledon, shared a document on social media, noting the Peel board has issued 193 potential layoff notices for this fall to high school teachers. Seven teachers are leaving Mayfield, it notes. Staffing will drop from 113 to 106, resulting in 42 courses or sections that will not be available for our students next year. Some courses were cancelled, while others will continue to run in the 2019-20 school year, but with a reduced number of sections available to students, and with significantly larger class sizes. This was done to preserve pathways for students to enable them to accumulate enough credits to graduate. It then lists all the courses cancelled or reduced. Those cancelled include, the well-regarded jazz choir, computer science (college level, Grades 11 and 12), Grade 12 math (college level) and Grade 12 physics (college level) and some auto shop. Those reduced include Grade 12 university-level courses such as international law, computer science, advanced functions, biology, chemistry, earth and space science and physics. In testimonials, one student said that they were already in a math class that had upwards of 35 students and had a lot of difficulty because of a lack of time for one-on-one help from the teacher, Qayum said. That student eventually dropped to the more hands-on applied math, which is not accepted by universities. Its stories like that that we are worried about with larger classes larger classes mean less one-on-one time that students need, she added. Qayum also said the associations survey of 8,000 of students last year showed that three-quarters prefer the classroom experience to online learning. Once implemented, Ontario would be the only jurisdiction known to mandate four online courses; a handful of U.S. states require one for graduation, or strongly encourage it. Because the province funds based on averages, classes can get much bigger to offset smaller, specialized ones. The Halton public board has warned of classes as large as 46 students. Other boards have warned of the loss of tech and specialized courses. When we lost specialized courses, we are losing student engagement, said Qayum. And technology and trades courses things like construction, refrigeration hands-on tech courses where theres a huge job market might be gone, she added. We need more people working in those fields, but those course are very expensive to run, you have specialized teachers and you cant have 35 kids in an auto class. Its dangerous to have upwards of 15. Thompson has said students need to build resiliency, and need more group work opportunities. Shes also said that larger classes prepare teens for the realities of post-secondary studies, where sections can have hundreds of students. Thats not something Qayum agrees with. High school and public education is meant to provide you the framework for post-secondary, she said. You cant do that in larger classes high school students needs the support for building the skill set that needs to be built, beforehand. Read more about: Economic Development Minister Todd Smith is defending the secrecy around his trade mission to India last week, saying he didnt want to disrupt the election in the worlds largest democracy by becoming a media spectacle. We went direct to business and heard from them and also shared the news that Ontario is open for business, a jet-lagged Smith told reporters Monday after returning from the jaunt, news of which was not revealed until after he touched down overseas. The big reason was because theres a federal election underway in India right now and we didnt want to interfere, he said. Theres 900 million people voting in India right now. Smiths rationale for keeping the trip under the radar was quickly rejected by the opposition, who noted previous governments have telegraphed such trade missions to India, China, the Middle East and elsewhere well in advance, and lined up delegations of businesses to seal deals bringing jobs to Ontario. I guess the minister must be a rock star in India, quipped interim Liberal leader John Fraser. Ill have to check to see if hes doing any Bollywood cameos in the next few months. Read more: Gandhis hope to keep seats in 5th phase of Indias elections Modi flexes muscles in Kashmir to woo Indias Hindu voters Latest round of Indias national election marred by violence If there were some concerns about the election, then why not wait until after the election to go on the trip? asked Green Leader Mike Schreiner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has met previously with former PC leader Patrick Brown, and also with former premier Kathleen Wynne on one of her trade missions is running against India National Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi, whose father, grandmother and great-grandfather were prime ministers. Five weeks of voting across India are scheduled to end May 19, with results to be released four days later. Smith acknowledged no deals were signed and characterized his visits to 50 companies as groundwork and making connections for Premier Doug Fords Progressive Conservative government, which has frozen the minimum wage at $14 and promised to cut red tape for businesses. This was about the changes weve made in Ontario so far. He would not detail how many staff members went with him, other than to describe them as less than a handful, and said expenses will be filed in due course. I encourage you all to get those expenses, find out who went, and then compare it to the Liberals who went on this trip a couple of years ago and you will say, Man, this was very responsible. An official in Smiths office later clarified that Smith took four staff members, compared with the previous Liberal mission that included 23 staff and government officials along with then-premier Kathleen Wynne and a number of cabinet ministers. New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath said the veil of secrecy around Smiths trip was troubling and suspicious. Its simply about being open and transparent, something this government used to complain about the previous government when they were in opposition. Weve gone from bad to worse. Now were not even getting information about trade missions, Horwath added. She suggested Smith may have missed some leads by excluding Canadian companies with Indian connections from the venture. The Indian business community here at home, Im sure they would have been interested to know that the government was going, she said. Perhaps there were some possibilities of communications to relatives and friends in the business community that might have helped the minister on his trip. Smith said he met with companies including the giant Tata conglomerate, e-commerce firm PayTM and information technology giant Infosys, which has a Canadian office in Mississauga. We know that there will be hundreds of new jobs created at PayTM here in the coming months, he added, noting Infosys is interested in expanding their footprint here in Ontario. Read more about: VANCOUVERTonye Aganaba is worried about the future of the cannabis industry. For the 33-year-old U.K.-born Vancouver woman, the profound changes brought on by last Octobers federal legalization are not only profound, theyre personal. Once a recreational cannabis user, Aganaba quit six years ago as part of a more general decision about sobriety. That all changed three years later, when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) a chronic, progressive autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms of MS range widely; Aganabas include neuropathic pain, seizures, muscle spasms, cognitive impairment, trigeminal neuralgia, which is like the worlds worst cluster-headache-slash-migraine, and MS hug a painful restriction of the chest. The disease has no cure, and Aganaba, an interdisciplinary artist and musician, suddenly found herself contemplating a future in which the music and art that define her life would disappear, replaced by a grim refrain of chronic pain, prescription drugs and increasingly severe disability. Until she rediscovered cannabis. But this time, it was as medicine. It keeps my symptoms under control in a way that allows me to show up in my life with my mental and, to a certain point, my physical faculties, Aganaba said. From a program including a dozen heavy-duty pharmaceutical prescriptions, ranging from muscle relaxants to painkillers and antispasmodics, Aganaba says she was able to transition to a cannabis-only regime that delivered results of an entirely different order than the drugs shed initially been prescribed. This transition was only possible, she says, through the goodness and graciousness of the people in Vancouvers dispensary culture. With storefronts able to provide immediate access to a wide range of cannabis products, from edibles to concentrates to raw and dried flower, Aganaba says she was able to experiment in small doses with a number of delivery methods to find a treatment that functionally controlled the vast majority of her symptoms. She says the staff helped her narrow down which combinations of which strain would let her find relief. This has to do with the culture of education promoted by local dispensaries, she says. Aganaba says in her experience dispensary staff understood how each strains particular combination of cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD, a non-psychoactive compound thought to aid in treatment for ailments such as pain, osteoarthritis, epilepsy and cancer), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the compound responsible for the cannabis high) and terpenes (responsible for cannabis flavour and aroma, as well as for influencing the effects of cannabinoids) interact to produce specific effects a phenomenon known as the entourage effect. Where once Aganaba walked with a cane and was in a state of constant concern over whether her she could afford or stomach the side effects of her prescription medications, she now bounces into a room, a smile stretching across her face. Aganabas experience is arguably a unique product of the Vancouver cannabis space, where so-called grey market dispensaries flourished in the lead up to federal legalization last October. Between 2013 and 2015, the number of these dispensaries doubled each year, according to the City of Vancouver, increasing from 60 to 100 storefronts in the first six months of 2015. The brick and mortar stores, illegal under federal law, sold and continue to sell cannabis obtained from sources not vetted by any regulatory body. The cannabis and related products in those dispensaries often come from smaller, local growers, many of whom have been producing for years. None of these growers are licensed to sell to a retail outlet. While many cities across the province and country chose to crack down on such dispensaries, Vancouver took a decidedly different tack. In April 2016, the city introduced a temporary licensing scheme known as the medical marijuana-related use (MMRU) model to which all dispensaries were required to adhere, in an effort to put the brakes on the their proliferation. The plan included a limit on the number of dispensaries that could exist within a certain distance of one another, and on their proximity to schools or other areas where children congregate. The changes were followed by the voluntary closure of 71 stores, according to the city. Some, however, decided to stay open through legalization either while attempting to land a coveted provincial retail licence or in spite of their ineligibility to do so. And while some of those are currently involved in appealing a December B.C. Supreme Court decision ordering their closure, the rest roughly a dozen are at risk of legal action by the city. Only a few dispensaries remain open. Aganaba says that shift has been deeply felt by her and people like her. Whereas she was once able to point to a half-dozen stores in her east Vancouver neighbourhood that provided knowledgeable service on a huge range of products, shes had to start looking further and further afield for a store which can serve her needs. Now, most of the dispensaries I relied on are gone, she says. In their place have begun to emerge recreational cannabis shops, though only very slowly, and with a radically different mandate than the citys former dispensaries. While close to 500 B.C. completed retail cannabis licence applications are currently pending, only 21 have been approved, according to the province, and only three legal cannabis shops are currently open in Vancouver. None of them are located anywhere close to Aganabas Hastings-Sunrise home. But aside from the dearth of legal storefronts, Aganaba says the provinces supply scheme which makes the government the sole arbiter of which recreational cannabis products are available online or in person, provincewide means none of the products she relies on are accessible through legal channels. Furthermore, retail staff are prohibited from talking about the cannabis products in their stores or from making personal recommendations due to concern over unqualified workers directing individual use of a controlled substance. Ehren Richardson is a cannabis consultant and director of a dispensary known as Sunrise Wellness Foundation, a former grey market cannabis store now closed to make the move to provincially-licensed recreational outlet. Richardson likewise pointed to the loss of the advisory capacity of grey market dispensary staff as a casualty of legalization. I realize that a lot of this advisory has been partly subjective in nature, and also based anecdotally on user experiences. But we can't discount that, Richardson said in an interview People have legitimate experiences with different forms of cannabis, he said, and that community expertise should be available to others who may seeking help. This grassroots knowledge is especially valuable right now, while the scientific study of cannabis is still developing. What we need is just more science involved so that were not relying on anecdotal user experience. And thats coming ... Its just going to take a little time. For Aganaba, this cannabis culture is completely unrecognizable from the one that brought her hope for normalcy in the face of a crushing diagnosis. The online, federally controlled medical cannabis sector is scarcely better, she says, with long waits for delivery and few of the products shes come to rely on. Storefront dispensaries also offer an opportunity for a customer to see, smell and examine, a product, and then purchase in small amounts. In this way, says Aganaba, different products can be personally vetted and tried without significant upfront investment. Nor, she adds, are credit cards necessary for purchase. The need to possess a credit card for online purchases is a particular concern for people living on a fixed income, she says, such as those who find themselves unable to work because of a disability a situation she herself has faced because of her disease. Aganaba says shes aware there are legitimate safety concerns associated with an illicit, grey market cannabis industry. The vast majority of the products she currently buys have not been evaluated for heavy metals, pesticides or microbial infections, for which licensed producers are required to test. The city, meanwhile, has long echoed the federal governments message emphasizing the risks associated with allowing an unregulated cannabis market to proliferate. If left unregulated, illegal dispensaries can pose a significant risk to public health and safety, particularly in youth, the city said in a December news release. But the regulatory focus on the potential for cannabis to drive crime and misuse, Aganaba says, is the very reason people like her are being left without hope for transparent, informed access to quality product in affordable amounts. Canada's drug policy is prehistoric. That is the long and short of it, she said. Until we start approaching all social problems from a public health perspective instead of a policing perspective, none of this will change. I really believe that. And a choice between reliable, affordable access to technically illicit medicines that effectively treat her disease and a legal market that leaves her with few choices and multiple barriers, she says, is no choice at all. Should the last dispensaries in Vancouver disappear, Aganaba says she fears what the future might hold without reforms that would permit B.C.s long-established community of smaller, craft growers to provide low-barrier access to medical cannabis patients. I can't even tell you what my future will look like, she says, adding one thing she does know is reduced access to cannabis will begin a negative feedback loop of worsening symptoms fed by increased anxiety and stress. If my anxiety and stress go up, my symptoms become more pronounced. If my symptoms become more pronounced, the disability becomes more permanent. If it becomes more permanent, I'm in a wheelchair. Read more about: VANCOUVERA plan to shift Canadas entire economy to battle climate change has been launched in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. The proposed Green New Deal is being endorsed by David Suzuki and 60 signatories including the largest unions, youth leaders, Indigenous groups and environmental economists. Its been inspired by some U.S. Democrats call to shift jobs and the economy from fossil fuels to renewable energy and infrastructure. And just as that American version has been called unworkable, unrealistic and even socialist by conservatives there, Canadas nascent iteration will likely come under attack in the months leading up to this falls federal election. That doesnt deter Nayeli Jimenez, 28, a Vancouver-based member of the youth-led national climate group Our Time. We cant afford not to do this, the art director for a publishing house told Star Vancouver ahead of the plans unveiling Monday. Read more: Majority of Canadians support a Green New Deal, poll finds Jason Kenneys Alberta election vow will not derail national carbon tax, says environment minister Canada warming faster than the rest of the world, says Environment Canada Were feeling an intense sense of emergency and anxiety because our futures are on the line. The Pact for a Green New Deal, according to its founding document, aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions dramatically by half in the next decade. Its creators insist that by shifting spending and by protecting and retraining workers, governments can create a million jobs. Details will be hammered out after a nationwide series of town halls, but four pillars have been set out for the framework: that it apply science in meeting the scale and urgency of the climate crisis; that it focus on job creation and ensure workers in oil-and-gas sectors receive retraining; that it ensure the transition is socially just and doesnt hurt those at the bottom of the economic ladder; and that it respects Indigenous rights. The essence of the plan is to focus on job creation, clean infrastructure such as transit systems, renovating buildings and boosting green technology development. Were not asking for something radical were asking for something thats actually very rational, Jimenez said. Its about moving investments from fossil fuels into clean infrastructure that will create far more jobs. The federal government estimates that Albertas oilsands employ 400,000 people directly and indirectly. And the countrys entire energy sector employs more than double that, or roughly 900,000 direct and indirect jobs. Asked about concerns such a dramatic industrial proposal is unrealistic, Jimenez said it will actually save the country billions. You question how youre going to pay for it, how youre going to be able to pull it off, she replied. Its a really valid question but why arent we asking how much our inaction is going to cost us? According to energy economist Marc Eliesen former president and CEO of Ontario Hydro (now Hydro One), BC Hydro and Manitoba Hydro moving away from fossil fuels is both inevitable, and already happening amongst investors. But, he warned in an interview Sunday, while the transition has to take place, it has to be more than slogans. During his time as Ontarios deputy minister of energy, Eliesen also sat on the board of director of Calgary-based Suncor Energy Inc., Canadas largest oil company which also runs the countrys largest biofuels plant and produces 111 megawatts of wind power. He said when it comes to renewable energy, the first to call the tune on this are investors themselves, not governments. When told of the Canadian Green New Deals aims, he agreed its essential that workers be protected as the economy shifts. No one from economics green school or investors in the oil industry are suggesting we stop producing what were producing, Eliesen told the Star. The transition is clearly not going to come immediately youve got an oil worker whos been working for decades, the retraining process for someone like that is going to take time, lets be honest about that. There must be some support mechanisms for people undergoing retraining for new areas of generation electricity or transportation. The Green New Deals plan to substantially achieve that workforce shift, while investing billions in renewable energy and green infrastructure, is quite frankly the only way to go, Eliesen believes, as the oil sector heads toward what he called an era of strangled investments despite billions in government subsidies. In my judgment its not a cost, its an investment, he explained. Any efforts with regard to retraining or going into new areas of renewables can only be good, both from an economic point of view, and an environmental point of view. More and more banks and other institutions are switching towards renewable areas for their future energy development, and in the last three or four years major companies are pulling out of the oilsands. That trend is taking place everywhere. The original Pact for a Green New Deal has been championed by some Democrats south of the border, including Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has been a lightning rod for conservatives. The plan takes its title from U.S. president Franklin Roosevelts 1930s New Deal legislation, which lifted the country from the Great Depression through massive public works projects, employment programs and stricter financial controls. While Canadas version will undoubtedly be controversial, many appear sympathetic to the ideas behind it. A poll last month by Abacus Data found that 61 per cent of the surveys 1,000 respondents said they either support or somewhat support such a proposal, described as a massive government jobs program and investment in clean energy, green technology, and electrification. In another Abacus Data poll released Friday, 87 per cent of 15-to-30-year-olds said solving climate change was a serious issue four-in-10 extremely serious. The May 2 survey of 1,000 young people found the concern about the issue was consistent across age, gender, education and income. But the survey also found that six in 10 young people believe they dont have a say in what the government does, 18 per cent of them believing that strongly. The older the youth, Abacus found, the much more likely to feel disenfranchised. (The survey used online panels and had a margin of error equivalent to 3.1 per cent). Still, the deal might well be dismissed by politicians or many Canadians. Thats what happened with Canadas earlier Leap Manifesto. Backed by prominent activists and academics and debated, though not adopted by the federal NDP due to intense internal divisions it was one of the most controversial environmental proposals in the past decade and called for a complete revolution in Canadas economy away from fossil fuels. The Leap Manifesto website has endorsed the proposed Green New Deal. More than its American namesake, the Canadian deals bigger inspiration is Quebecs Le Pacte, organizers said a manifesto which has gathered 270,000 signatures to date. Le Pacte calls for a 50 per cent emissions cut by 2030, and requiring that all levels of government legislation pass a test of their climate impacts. Even in some resource-dependent ridings of B.C., the green new deal catchphrase has seen buy-in from politicians. For instance, after Revelstoke, B.C., saw students join climate protests, Kootenay-Columbia MP Wayne Stetski, with the NDP, praised the youths message. We need a bold plan that reduces emissions while creating sustainable jobs for workers, Stetski said on Friday in the House of Commons. We can do this by committing to renewable energy, retrofitting homes, expanding public transit and investing in clean manufacturing. According to analysis of Hansard debate transcripts by the Star Vancouver, so far this year the phrases climate change, greenhouse gases or global warming have been uttered in the House of Commons by 103 members of Parliament, half of them Liberals, and nearly one-third by New Democrats. By contrast, just 15 Conservative MPs have uttered any of those phrases this year so far but over the same four months four times that amount, 60 Tory lawmakers, used the words carbon tax. (Three New Democrats and the Greens Elizabeth May used the phrase, but Liberals entirely avoided it). The only MPs who have spoken of a green new deal in Parliament have been three from the NDP. May unsurprisingly joined the call for such a transformative plan. The federal Liberal government maintains Canada will meet its target under the Paris Agreement to fight climate change, which is to reduce national emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. As of 2017, Canadas emissions were two per cent below what they were in 2005, according to the national tally submitted this week to the United Nations. To close that gap, Ottawa enforced a minimum carbon price across the country this year, which will rise from $20 per tonne of emissions to $50 per tonne in 2022. The federal government is also phasing out coal-fired electricity by 2030, when it aims for 90 per cent of electricity in Canada to come from emissions-free sources. At the same time, the Liberal government has earmarked millions for green technology and infrastructure. Earlier this month, federal scientists released a report that said Canada is warming at twice the global average because of climate change, and that action to reduce emissions can only mitigate the severity of the consequences, which are likely to include disappearing Arctic ice and permafrost, rising sea levels in coastal cities and more frequent floods, heat waves, summer water shortages and wildfires. For Jimenez, who is originally from Mexico, climate change is more than an environmental issue, but one that will cause devastating damage to the worlds economy, harming the poor in the Southern Hemisphere the most. The effects of climate change dont care if you can vote or not, she said. This election is so critical, because if we are to meet the target of cutting carbon emissions by half in 11 years, the people in power for the next four years will be in charge when that needs to happen. This election could be our last chance. Otherwise we wont make it. We need to make sure it happens. With files from Alex Ballingall David P. Ball is a Vancouver-based reporter covering democracy and politics. Email him or follow him on Twitter: @davidpball Read more about: By Dong Sun-hwa A B-list actor has been convicted of arranging undocumented foreign women for prostitution. Cheongju District Court said Sunday it had sentenced the actor, 31, to six months' jail suspended for two years for violating the Anti-Prostitution Act. He was also fined 1 million won ($855) and placed on probation. According to court documents, the man hired two undocumented female migrants from Thailand and sold them for prostitution for five days in August 2018. The women were paid 80,000-130,000 won ($68-111) for each assignment, with the actor pocketing half as a brokerage fee. He made 1 million won in the five days, according to the court. "The ruling was made after taking into account that he admitted his wrongdoing and had no criminal record," Judge Ryu Yeon-joong said. Juliet the Maniac By Juliet Escoria Melville House. 336 pp. $16.99 --- I struggled to write this review. Not because "Juliet the Maniac" is undeserving of praise. But how to honor the glimmering beauty of its teenage voice, sharpened by pain, without amplifying the siren calls of self-harm and suicidal ideation that fell over author Juliet Escoria during the onset of bipolar disorder, which she fictionalized for her debut novel? "I no longer slept. It was so loud all the time. Each day I was assaulted by ringings and whispers, my heart pounding out the center of the chaos like a metronome, the order of the days splintering, popping apart." In "Juliet the Maniac," Escoria chooses autofiction - memoir framed through fiction - to deliver titled, lyric fragments of the fraught adolescence of her namesake narrator Juliet, "some random girl, a stranger ... I do not own her, or know her, but she both owns and knows me." Escoria mines her early years for their truths, made more urgent by Juliet's headlong bipolar impulse toward sex, drugs and self-destruction. The unsteady orbit of her disintegrating psyche plays out in treacherous episodes of mania and paranoia that intensify, leaving devastation in their wake as she bounces from high school to high school, trying to find an environment she can tolerate. Describing her symptoms with estranged glamour - "I would have been alarmed but everything was glistening and pulsing and alive" - Escoria depicts Juliet's descent into self-harm with ruthless precision. Juliet cuts herself to refocus away from her emotional torment and toward physical pain, even while suffering a prescribed, numbing fog. Her checkered medication history is a chronicle of psychiatry's steep, ongoing learning curve, evidenced by her suicide attempt scant weeks after transitioning to a new antidepressant, a perilous time for juvenile patients. Escoria interrupts Juliet's trials and "seemingly endless, remorseless" guilt with earned wisdom in letters from an older, authorial narrator. Her sustained consideration of this troubled version of herself becomes a form of kindness and self-care when seen through the lens of Simone Weil's definition of attention as the "purest form of generosity." In "Juliet the Maniac," written half a lifetime after Escoria's dangerous adolescence, the need to find reasons to live is tinged with powerful helplessness that ricochets between Juliet, her parents and the reader. What to tell a frantic teenager "who couldn't stand the simple act of being herself," teetering on medications in a haphazard and heavy rotation, desiring "to be a void, not a person?" Few words suffice. There is nothing lyric about waking up intubated in a hospital bed. Nothing lyric about keeping a razor handy. Nothing lyric about the contagions of cutting and suicide. And yet suicide is a philosophical lodestone worthy of a literary lineage that extends to Greco-Roman times, magnetizing the greatest thinkers of many centuries, including Albert Camus, who believed it "the fundamental question," Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who called suicide "an event of human nature" that "in every epoch must be discussed anew," and William Shakespeare, who portrayed an unlikely reconciliation through dual suicide in "Romeo and Juliet." Literatures of mental illness and self-harm reveal our common drive to devise solutions to the trauma of living. Of special note in the recent canon are Miriam Toews' "All My Puny Sorrows" and Kathleen Glasgow's "Girl in Pieces," whose cover and form presaged "Juliet the Maniac." Below a photo of Escoria's December 1998 hospital bracelet, dated to when she was 15, she writes, "There are so many things to learn after an attempted suicide. Here is one: the most embarrassing feeling in the world is waking up in the hospital after a botched attempt." Escoria survived, saddled with the shock of what Sylvia Plath deemed a "theatrical/ Comeback in broad day/ To the same place, the same face." Steeped in the inglorious impulses of youth, with bright aches in her skin and a repeatedly emptied stomach, Juliet fakes her way toward a real recovery during months of involuntary inpatient treatment in group homes, plane rides away from her grieving parents. There, she meets teenagers capable of lasting ruin and staff members fleeing crimes and their own demons. Among them are institutional allies and friends who cycle through these fraught places with cruel rapidity, arriving and departing with unexplained, rumored drama. "We were told nothing. I wasn't even allowed to write her. And just like that, my best friend was gone. Just like that, I was alone." Grappling with sobriety, psychic isolation and the companionship of aggressors, Juliet pretends to believe in the worth of her own life, which she threatens at unheralded moments after quotidian conflicts. Ambivalence kills. Exploring despair and its relief in poetry ("Witch Hunt"), short stories ("Black Cloud"), essays and short videos, Escoria's work provokes both recoil and re-examination of what we deem safe to discuss. Silence does not protect those who are suffering. Writing coaxed Escoria toward fragile truths whose strengths have grown with each telling. "You're sensitive. And that means extra pain, extra loneliness, extra sadness," a night shift attendant tells her. "But it also means extra joy." Escoria endured to adulthood and accessed her vitality in unflagging prose, a gift to any reader who has ever lost control, sighted a horizon and began moving toward it. Our private reckonings, in their complex formulations, are as fascinating, repulsive and affirming as her fractured narrative of self-harm and eventual healing, "the pale shoots deepening into a rich green as they widened and grew." Novels that consider the unflinching question of whether to die often bend toward showing us how to live. To read "Juliet the Maniac" is to confront our shared faith in the flawed logic of life's meaning, and by so doing, become worthier of our humanity. --- Young is the author of "Subduction," a novel forthcoming from Red Hen Press on April 14, 2020. Tanya Selvaratnam got the news around 7 p.m. on May 7, 2018, while at a dinner party. It came in the form of a text message from David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker, saying: The story is up. Selvaratnam immediately turned to her friend Julia Chaplin. "I think I need to leave," she said. Selvaratnam - a 47-year-old author, film producer and actor - knew the story was coming, but she wasn't sure exactly when. She'd been bracing herself for days. She'd taken her name off her mailbox, packed her things and left her large, stately apartment building on the Lower East Side, relocating temporarily to the loft of Catherine Gund, a friend and collaborator. She'd scrubbed her social media accounts, put an auto away message on her email and purchased a burner phone. She'd bought a ticket to London; getting out of the country, she figured, might be the best thing to do. All day, Selvaratnam had been wondering whether she should go to the dinner party that night - a benefit for Yaddo, an artist's retreat in Upstate New York - at a private Chelsea social club surrounded by her professional peers. Chaplin had convinced her not to let the possibility of the story's publication upend her plans. Selvaratnam's phone buzzed again and again - and then seemed to explode with alerts and notifications. At any moment, she felt sure, other people at the party would see the news. She had decided to share something intimate, and incredibly painful, with the world - and, with that decision, risked the chance that the people around her might never look at her the same way again. Now that it was online, she needed to get out of there, back to Gund's house, where she felt safer. Selvaratnam wasn't yet ready to read the piece, so Chaplin, a journalist and designer who had been a friend of Selvaratnam's for over 20 years, offered to do it for her. Chaplin quickly reported back that Selvaratnam had no reason to hide or be ashamed. Chaplin knew Selvaratnam as a characteristically poised and strong person, but that night, "she was really nervous," Chaplin recalls. She wasn't exactly freaking out - Selvaratnam doesn't freak out, Chaplin says - "but she was as close as she goes." It wasn't until hours later, after she had left the party and was back at her friend's house, that Selvaratnam finally worked up the courage to read the article, which was headlined: "Four Women Accuse New York's Attorney General of Physical Abuse." The investigation, by Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow, detailed allegations of physical and verbal abuse against Eric Schneiderman made by Selvaratnam and another former romantic partner, Michelle Manning Barish, along with two other women who hadn't been named. Selvaratnam had shared some of the most traumatic details of her life: that over the course of their relationship, Schneiderman, fueled by alcohol, had hit her, spit at her and choked her non-consensually during sex, and that it was part of a pattern of emotional abuse that she said included criticizing her looks and threatening to kill her if they broke up. Waves of emotion washed over her: The pain of seeing her personal trauma reported in a news piece. The shock of recognition from the other women's accounts. The wish, however belated, that she hadn't used her name, or that more people had gone on the record, leaving her less exposed. Gratitude to the reporters for doing the story justice. Then, something else: The realization that, while she felt incredibly exposed and vulnerable, she was one of countless women who'd survived abuse within a relationship. Over email and text, messages were pouring in from friends and strangers, thanking her for her courage and saying that they'd been through similar experiences. It's been a year since Selvaratnam went public, and the intervening months have been both painful and empowering. In the immediate wake of the story and Schneiderman's resignation, Selvaratnam traveled and took solace in her friends and work. But her experiences have stayed with her - in terrifying nightmares, in trembling that arrives unbidden, in the shame that comes from being in an abusive relationship and having that made public. She didn't have to tell her story. "I could've just gone on with my life," she says. "But the trauma and the guilt I would have felt would have been psychologically worse." The stories of sexual harassment and assault that have come out over the past year and a half represent the best of what journalism can do: hold powerful people to account for their abuses of authority. They are a critical repositioning of the voices we choose to listen to and value. But their focus - perhaps by necessity - is primarily on the misdeeds of men. We rarely see what happens after the news cycle is over, or consider the full stories of the survivors, who come forward at huge personal and professional risk - after deciding it's worth the possibility that they might forever be known as a footnote in someone else's story. It's not a choice any woman expects to have to make. Selvaratnam didn't. When she first met Eric Schneiderman at the Democratic National Convention in July 2016, she found a lot to like. He was a politician with a seemingly bright future. Like her, he spoke Mandarin. He was interested in meditation and Buddhist philosophy, and he cared about many of the same progressive causes that were important to her. Selvaratnam was a force in her own right. Born in Sri Lanka, she emigrated with her mother as a baby, joining her father in southern California. "My parents tried their best, but they had an incredibly unhappy marriage, so I witnessed a lot of domestic violence when I was a kid," she says on a rainy day in April. "That took a big toll on me. Looking back, I can't believe what we had to watch." Introverted by nature and fiercely intelligent, she found solace in her studies. She attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and later got undergraduate and master's degrees in Chinese from Harvard University. As a producer of theater productions and films, she built a career collaborating with big-name artists like Carrie Mae Weems and Laurie Anderson; she also acted in experimental theater productions that toured the world. In 2008, she got married and tried to start a family. Three pregnancies ended in miscarriages. As she started infertility treatments, her doctors discovered that she had cancer, which was removed during surgery. Her marriage dissolved, and these experiences became the subject of her first book, "The Big Lie: Motherhood, Feminism, and the Reality of the Biological Clock," a nonfiction account that marshals reporting and research to argue for better access to fertility education and against the common line that there's always time to have a baby later in life. --- She met Schneiderman "at a time in my life where I was open to meeting somebody," she says. He made an effort, coming to her neighborhood for lunch and calling regularly when she was out of town. By the time they spent Labor Day weekend together, she was hooked. Not long after, though, she began to experience dramatic swings in their relationship. Schneiderman could be romantic and loving, everything she was looking for in a partner. "I kept hoping that that adoring, appreciative hero was the one that was the dominant" side of him, she says. "And he was, for a while." According to Selvaratnam, he was also increasingly moody - getting angry with her for working at the dining room table or on the couch, as though she was bothering him just by taking up space. Alcohol intensified the bouts of darkness, she says. When Schneiderman drank, he became unhinged, criticizing her appearance and telling her she needed to see a plastic surgeon about the scars from her cancer surgery. He began slapping her across the face with increasing force and frequency while they were having sex, choking her, and calling her his "brown slave." Selvaratnam thought she recognized and understood domestic violence: She'd seen it growing up and was sure that it would never happen to her. When it started, she found it disorienting. It was taking place in the context of their sexual relationship and didn't look like what she'd seen before. She speaks of the abuse in general terms, but it's clear she's describing a dynamic she's familiar with: "It often happens in the flash of an eye," she says. "They aren't asking for your consent. There's no agreement being struck. They make you think their behavior is OK, and if you don't agree, you're depriving them of their needs. That was very much my experience." Intimate partner violence "is a very confusing subset of domestic violence because it's dark. You're naked. They make it seem like it's a game. They make it seem like they need it to get off," Selvaratnam says. "And I can't tell you how many women have told me they'd been in that situation. There's no question about whether or not you're feeling any pleasure. It's really about breaking the woman down." The abuse seemed to worsen after Donald Trump was elected, she says, as Schneiderman began burnishing his reputation as one of the president-elect's primary antagonists. "I was seeing behind the scenes that it was kind of smoke and mirrors, his ability to actually take down the president," she recalls. "I was disillusioned on many levels - with him as a person and as a politician." The trauma of the Trump era felt both personal and political. "People would literally be coming up to him and saying: Save us," she says. "I witnessed this time and time again. In the back of my mind, I'd think, Do they have any idea what he does to me at home?" In September 2017, Selvaratnam was in Los Angeles, filming an interview with the actress Nicole Kidman for Glamour magazine's Women of the Year Awards (an event Selvaratnam video-produced). Earlier in the year, Kidman had co-starred alongside Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley in "Big Little Lies," an HBO series in which Kidman plays a wealthy, outwardly privileged woman who's the victim of intimate partner violence at the hands of her husband. The show's depictions of domestic violence were difficult for many to watch - as were the therapy sessions, in which Kidman's character struggles with her own feelings of complicity and denial. That day, during the interview, something strange happened: As soon as Kidman said the words "domestic violence," Selvaratnam felt her phone buzz. The caller ID said "UNKNOWN" - a sign that it was Schneiderman. "It was a terrifying moment," Selvaratnam says. "It was also incredibly crystallizing." The universe has sent me this sign, she remembers thinking. The universe had already sent some major signs by that point: Her friends had started to comment that she seemed withdrawn and thinner than usual. They took note when Schneiderman made disparaging comments about Selvaratnam and demanded she go home early during her birthday celebration. She had begun, tentatively, to let friends in on her private hell. "I started to piece together that no matter how much he said that he was depressed, and times are turbulent, and he was going to get help, it was actually an endless spiral," Selvaratnam says. She met with Jennifer Friedman, a lawyer with years of experience helping domestic violence survivors. Selvaratnam found reasons to be out of town, a way of distancing herself from the relationship, and finally, on Oct. 1, after a little more than a year together, Schneiderman called and said that it seemed like she was avoiding him. "I said, 'I just need time,' " she remembers. They agreed to end their relationship. Four days later, the accusations of sexual abuse against producer Harvey Weinstein broke in the New York Times. When the story came out, Selvaratnam was in the Glamour office; the news felt stomach-churning. A few days after that, the New Yorker published Farrow's lengthy, damning investigation in which several women accused Weinstein of assault. That same day, Schneiderman emailed Selvaratnam. "I think we should talk," he wrote. "I want to continue to support your good work." Selvaratnam replied: "I continue to feel that communication doesn't work for either one of us. I hope you will respect my wishes." A few weeks later, she went with a friend to his apartment to pick up her things. Selvaratnam still thought she was alone in having suffered from his abuse, and that the pressures of the Trump win had been, in part, to blame. But the friend who escorted her, Jennifer Gonnerman, a staff writer at the New Yorker, said she bet there were other women with similar experiences. Within 24 hours, Gonnerman texted to say she'd heard from a mutual friend of another of Schneiderman's exes that he had abused her, too. --- Selvaratnam didn't plan to come forward at first. "She was pretty clear about not wanting to go public about it," Julia Chaplin says. Her first concern was protecting herself. "I was genuinely scared," Selvaratnam says. "I had had enough friends who have dated powerful men who still live in mortal fear of them. You cannot anticipate how far someone will go, or when they will stop - especially if they're an addict." But the knowledge of what he'd done, and what she feared he might do to other women, weighed on her. She connected with the lawyer Robbie Kaplan - who in January 2018 co-founded the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund to provide resources to women who have been sexually harassed in the workplace - to discuss her options. Selvaratnam wondered if something could be done privately, negotiated through legal representatives, to make sure that Schneiderman wouldn't hurt anyone else. But the legal system is still lagging far behind the broader culture when it comes to sexual violence; she realized her legal options were extremely limited, at best. She felt certain that whatever the lawyers could negotiate wouldn't compel him to step aside or get help. Still, she was deeply torn. Initially she thought she just wanted to get out and move on; it was easier to contemplate as a private trauma, rather than one she'd share with the whole world. "Several of her good friends were urging her not to go public," says her therapist, Buddhist author and psychologist Mark Epstein. "They were like, 'Why are you doing this? You're going to bring a lot of stuff onto yourself, and to what end?' I was sort of in that camp. As her therapist, I'm reluctant to be too prescriptive for what she should do, although I did say [to] get out of the relationship. When she asked what I thought [about her coming forward], I said, 'I think you should take care of yourself more than submitting yourself to the press.' " But, he says, "when she found out that it wasn't just her - what other people had experienced with him - she felt like it was her responsibility." Selvaratnam traveled to Portland, Oregon, where she holed up in a house she owns, writing down what happened. She has always been a prodigious note taker; now, she went through the contemporaneous notes she'd written during her relationship with Schneiderman and compiled them into one account. She read her notes and weighed what it would mean to share it with reporters. When she came back, she'd decided she felt ready to start having a discussion about taking her story public. Cindi Leive, the former editor in chief of Glamour magazine, connected Selvaratnam with the New Yorker's David Remnick. Their discussions began as off-the-record phone calls and in-person meetings. "We had many conversations, and I didn't want to unduly push her because this is a decision she had to make," Remnick says. His interactions with Selvaratnam throughout the process made a deep impression on him. "I admire her more than I can say. She is an extremely impressive person and has had to endure a lot - to come forward like that and then to be so unfailingly patient with the process that is journalism. It was not easy." In February 2018, she met with another of Schneiderman's exes after being connected by a mutual friend. (Selvaratnam is spotty with the details because the woman hasn't shared her account publicly.) "I was very nervous," she says. "I had no idea how it would go. But as soon as we met, I felt connected to her, and it was one of those earth-shattering moments, where you hear somebody tell your story. Except it's theirs." "That was the moment when I felt like I had to figure out what to do," she says. "I was convinced that no one should have the memories that either of us had." It took time for the investigation to begin in earnest. On her birthday, in March, she gave the New Yorker her first on-the-record interview. "I felt like I was risking everything," she says, "but I also knew that my conscience would not have felt right if I didn't." The day after the story broke, Selvaratnam stayed in her room at her friend's house, reading the notes she'd received. Some were from women she'd known for years; some were from ones she admired from afar. Many were from complete strangers. Not all were from women. They identified themselves as survivors, shared their own private stories of abuse, told her they were proud of her for speaking out: "As a survivor, I have some sense of how insane and surreal the experience is . . ." "I couldn't even share the details with my friends because I was so ashamed by what I would need to admit to having been treated . . ." "I wanted to add my voice to the choir thanking you for your tremendous bravery . . ." Her friends rallied around her. "She was very strong," says artist Hank Willis Thomas, a frequent collaborator of Selvaratnam's. Her boss at a new multi-arts center where she was about to start working called to let her know they were still on; another organization she'd worked with sent flowers. Interview requests poured in, too, but she had decided long in advance not to answer them. "She was very clearly not vindictive," Gund says. Schneiderman, denying he had abused or harassed anyone, had resigned three hours after the story broke; she didn't want to do anything to seem like she was reveling in it. A few days later, Selvaratnam flew to London, where she felt like no one would care about the story, or her role in it. She focused on grounding herself in the things that comforted and sustained her: She went to a wedding, visited members of her family, wandered around museums and bookstores. While she was there, she sent an email to the people who had reached out to her: "Your notes of support have sustained me over the last week. I am sorry not to respond to each note individually. "Before the story ran, I moved out of my apartment, and I am now out of the country, in a place where I feel safe. "I am sorry I didn't tell most of my friends and collaborators what was going on. I am sorry they had to find out through the article. "Every day over the last many months, I asked myself, 'Am I doing the right thing?' "And I told myself, 'Don't be afraid. Don't be ashamed. Don't be impatient.' "I am partially relieved that I don't have to keep this secret any more. . . . "If you write back to this email, please forgive me for not responding. "I am overwhelmed, but I am well, free, and looking forward to the future. "Peace and love, "Tanya" When she got back, she immediately flew to Mexico to meet Chaplin. She finally returned to New York in June to start a job producing performances and live events. Yet she was still thinking about all the people she'd heard from who had been in similar situations but hadn't been able to speak out - and from the women she hadn't heard from, who were experiencing abuse in that moment or would go through it in the future. When she searched for books online about intimate partner violence, she didn't find much. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if she should write something to help other survivors. She broached the idea with her close friend and literary agent, Meg Thompson. Initially, Thompson hesitated. "I was able to separate being a literary agent from being a friend, and I was sort of like, 'I'm concerned for your safety,' " she says. "I was the one maybe saying that the most. I had been through something similar, and I just didn't want her to get hurt in any way." But as Selvaratnam talked with friends who'd also experienced abuse, she became convinced that a book was necessary. "None of us were talking about it with each other, because it's so embarrassing," she says. "It's humiliating. It's disgusting. That's what I want people to get more educated about. It's not the kind of thing that they prepare you for." Thompson shared Selvaratnam's written account of what happened to her with several trusted editors, and Libby Burton, a senior editor at Henry Holt, bought the book before it went to auction. Toward the end of last year, Selvaratnam went back to Portland to outline her project - a combination of reporting and research about intimate partner violence along with personal narrative about her own experiences. The book's blueprint is "the most brilliant and ambitious, high-level outlining I've ever seen an author do of a book," Burton says. It relied heavily on the notes she took during the relationship and included the quotes she planned to use, which characters would be involved and plans on narration - it was just short of a first draft. "It was amazing," says Burton. But it also came at a serious personal cost. In Portland, Selvaratnam went through her nearly 300 pages of notes. She was pushing herself forward, throwing herself into her work, and thinking, "I'm in a good place. I can do this. Let me see what's there," she recalls. But, she says, "The experience came back in a very palpable way. I felt like I had been hit by a cannonball." For two weeks, she isolated herself, sinking into a depression. Then, she did something uncharacteristic: She sent an email to six of her closest friends, asking for help. "I've been very very very down to be honest. The past 2 years finally caught up with me. But I think just admitting this is good." "It's the first time, ever since I've known Tanya, that I've heard her admit that she's not doing well," Chaplin recalls. "She never, ever says that." The very act of writing the book has meant reliving those terrible experiences, Selvaratnam says, but she believes it has been worth it. "Every time I'm writing a chapter it brings me to a very dark place," she says. "The stories are dark. But every time I finish a chapter, I feel excited, too, because I think it will help." In many ways, says Burton, Selvaratnam had better resources than other survivors of domestic violence: a strong group of friends, a supportive professional network, contacts in the media world, people who could connect her to domestic violence experts to help her navigate the process. "But what I've seen unfold is that, even when you have this support system in place, it's still terrible, and life-altering, and it makes me think that there are so many women" - Burton pauses, then apologizes for choking up - "who don't have a support system of professionals. I can't even begin to comprehend how challenging it would be to navigate a situation like this if you don't have [that]. It makes me feel immense, deep sympathy for women who have gone through this." By coming forward, Weems says, Selvaratnam "has challenged herself to take on something quite extraordinary and unexpected in terms of social justice, not only for herself, but for others. It's a huge step forward for her." There have been bigger changes since she and the other women came forward, too: After Schneiderman's resignation, New York voters elected Letitia James, the first black attorney general and the first woman elected to that role in the state. This spring, lawmakers in Albany, New York, announced they were moving forward with legislation against sexual violence that they say was directly inspired by Schneiderman's accusers. (Through a spokesperson, Schneiderman declined to comment on the record for this story. He denied the allegations when the New Yorker story first published, saying, "In the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity. I have not assaulted anyone." After a special prosecutor assigned to investigate announced in November that no charges would be filed against him, Schneiderman issued a statement saying that he had been in rehab and recognized that the "decision not to prosecute does not mean I have done nothing wrong." He apologized to his accusers, adding, "I accept full responsibility for my conduct in my relationships with my accusers, and for the impact it had on them.") Selvaratnam doesn't regret coming forward, she tells me. She says she regrets only one thing: "getting into the relationship in the first place." And then, in her clear-eyed, matter-of-fact way, she adds: "But I feel like, somehow, the universe meant for me to be in that position. To end the cycle." Country House won the 145th edition of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday after the horse that crossed the line first was disqualified. But the real winner -- and it's the same every year -- was the Duchossois family, the biggest individual shareholder of Churchill Downs Inc. Known as "the greatest two minutes in sports," the race generates as much as 20 percent of Churchill Downs's annual revenue, which topped $1 billion last year, fueled in part by the 127,000 mint juleps served over the weekend and hundreds of millions in gambling wagers on Derby day. Dick Duchossois, a 97-year-old Chicago native known affectionately in racing circles as Mr. D, began to build his fortune in earnest in 1952, when he became president of a railroad freight car manufacturer. Today, he and his family control 9 percent of Louisville, Kentucky-based Churchill Downs, whose shares have more than tripled in the past five years, pushing its market value to $4 billion. The holding represents just a fraction of the family's assets, which exceed $2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Duchossoises, who declined to comment for this story, also own such varied interests as rail-car leasing, ophthalmology and companies that make garage-door openers and gate-operating systems. His son Craig is chief executive officer of the Duchossois Group, which holds most of the family's assets, and daughter Kimberly is chairman of the Duchossois Family Foundation. The clan's fortune can be traced back to Thrall Car Manufacturing Co., where Dick Duchossois became president at age 30. In 1983, a few years after the death of his wife Beverly, the Duchossoises bought out the Thrall family and renamed the firm Duchossois Industries Inc. It was the same year that Dick took his first trip to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, he recounted in a 2014 interview with BloodHorse. "I just wanted to see what it was like," he said, though "not because of a love of horses, not because of a love of racing." During that trip he met two executives from Arlington International Racecourse in Illinois, who were looking for someone to buy their track, according to a 2017 Chicago Tribune profile of Duchossois. "I said no, but after the fifth race I said, 'I'll take 10 percent,'" Duchossois told the newspaper. A month later he got a phone call. "Nobody else had any money, so we ended up buying the whole thing." Two years later it burned to the ground, but Duchossois, a decorated World War II veteran who commanded a tank battalion during the invasion of Normandy, was undaunted. "As it was burning, I visualized it would be rebuilt" he told BloodHorse. "There was never any question in my mind." He invested $200 million in Arlington's reconstruction and it reopened in 1989. Then, in 2000, Churchill Downs acquired Arlington in a $71.5 million all-stock deal, and the Duchossois family has been the largest individual shareholder ever since. (Adds winning horse in first paragraph.) --With assistance from David Papadopoulos. To contact the reporter on this story: Sophie Alexander in New York at salexander82@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Pierre Paulden at ppaulden@bloomberg.net, Peter Eichenbaum, Steven Crabill For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Joe Biden has vaulted to the front of the Democratic 2020 field by touting his electability. Now his rivals for the nomination want the party's voters to know that they, too, have the chops to beat President Donald Trump. The other 21 Democrats in the field have been moving to adjust their strategy since Biden's entry into the race on April 25 and are making the case directly to voters that they can take on the Republican president. Biden, who has taken an early lead in the polls, was asked Saturday in a television interview in South Carolina why his third presidential campaign would be different from his failed bids in 1988 and 2008. He answered with two words: "President Trump." The other Democratic contenders have caught on. Speaking to the NAACP in Detroit on Sunday night, Sen. Kamala Harris took aim at the "conversation by pundits about 'electability.'" She said such discussions were "short-sighed" and leave out "people in this room who helped build cities like Detroit." In a reference to Biden, Harris added: "We cannot get dragged into simplistic narratives or yesterday's politics." On Saturday, Biden's closest rival, Bernie Sanders, sought to assuage concerns about his electability, insisting he can expand the electorate and turn out disaffected voters. "You're going to hear a lot of attacks on me. That's the way it is. And one of the arguments is, 'Sanders can't beat Trump,'" the Vermont senator said In Perry, Iowa. "We can defeat Trump because we're going to get more and more people involved in the campaign, including a lot of young people and working people, and get them to come vote." Sanders received applause when he said his internal polls show him leading Trump in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, states that were key to Trump's 2016 win over Hillary Clinton. The electability question has made it hard for any Democrat who isn't named Biden or Sanders to break through. It has forced them to address the issue head-on and look for other ways to stay in the minds of voters. A striking 56 percent of Democrats said Biden had the best chance of defeating Trump in 2020, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released on April 30. Sanders was a distant second, with 12 percent. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg had just 4 percent, while Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker and former congressman Beto O'Rourke had 3 percent. Harris had 2 percent. Conversations with dozens of voters in Iowa, which holds the first-in-the-nation nominating contest, indicated a broad array of opinions about electability. Many see Biden as the top choice -- that includes women who worry that the U.S. isn't ready to elect a female president, and Democrats who believe the more liberal candidates cannot win. Holli Kinstle, a teacher and caretaker based in Ames, plans to support Sanders after seeing him and Warren at Iowa State University over the weekend. Warren is a strong and serious candidate, she said, "but I really want a winner and I have a feeling people might not get behind her at this time." Kinstle said she's "pretty sure" Americans aren't ready to elect a woman president. "There's a lot of backlash against female candidates," she said. "There's a lot of energy behind Donald Trump. We need to combat that with the same vehemence." After speaking at Iowa State University, Warren was asked by a reporter what she'd say to women who worry that she cannot win. "I remember when people said that Barack Obama couldn't be elected. I remember when people said Donald Trump couldn't be elected. And look where we are today," Warren said. "We are 10 months out; we're going to stay in this fight." Despite the leads of Sanders and Biden, it remains far from a two-person race. A recent CNN national survey of hypothetical match-ups found Biden and Sanders leading Trump by 6 points, just outside the margin of error. O'Rourke held a 10-point lead over Trump, while Buttigieg, Harris and Warren were statistically tied with the president. Some voters said Biden is weaker than he looks and that the party needs a political outsider to beat Trump. Yet others say electability shouldn't be an issue because recent history has proved that it's an impossible quality to pin down. Anne Kinzel, a 63-year-old who plans to caucus for Warren in Iowa, said the electability argument is "absurd." "Nobody knows who's electable. Nobody knew Donald Trump was electable," she said. Dave Peterson, a political science professor at Iowa State, had a similar view. "We don't know what electability means," he said, adding that he's leaning toward caucusing for Harris because he wants someone younger and who isn't a white man. Antonia Felix, an author and researcher who attended a Warren event Friday in Iowa Falls, said Biden has too much baggage due to his "insensitivity around women" and his decision to side with credit card companies on bankruptcy legislation. "Why not go for a candidate without that baggage with the same progressive strength?" said Felix, who plans to support Warren. Modern U.S. history supports her point. The last presidential candidate seen as a Washington insider to win was George H.W. Bush in 1988. Since then, establishment figures like Bob Dole, Al Gore, John Kerry, John McCain and Hillary Clinton all lost general elections, either to a perceived outsider or an incumbent president. Other voters say a Democrat will crush Trump as long as the election is fair. "Any Democrat, as long as the vote is fair and counted, will beat Trump," said Tom Shearman, who is retired and lives on a farm near Jefferson, Iowa. "Give us a fair and legal vote and he doesn't stand a chance. It'll be a tsunami." - - - Bloomberg's Jennifer Epstein contributed. EDWARDSVILLE A license plate reader camera system installed on the Clark Bridge in 2018 has been quietly expanded throughout Madison County. The system alerts police when specific vehicles pass by and was set up because of concerns about criminals coming over from Missouri, and stolen vehicles being taken across the river. Since then additional cameras have been quietly installed at several locations around the county and more are planned, according to Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons. Gibbons mentioned the expansion of the system at the Madison County Boards Judiciary Committee meeting Friday. We are participating with local police agencies and in coordination with the DEA to expand the network of license plate readers around Madison County, he said after the meeting. Weve targeted and identified major corridors for drug trafficking and other criminal activity, and are strategically working to place those cameras on bridges and on major thoroughfares where we think those things are happening. He said the States Attorneys Office is budgeting $50,000 from drug forfeiture funds this year for the expansion. Were using that money to support construction efforts, he said. The DEA is donating the cameras and IT infrastructure. The goal is to eventually have all the bridges and major highways covered. It allows to track flow of drug traffickers across state lines, through our county and on our interstates, he said. It gives us a better tool to push back on the tide of drugs that are flowing through Madison County. We have a heroin highway, but now it carries methamphetamine and fentanyl. The St. Louis region has long been known as a major intersection in drug trafficking, and over the years local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have routinely found drugs and cash being transported through the area. Gibbons noted that the cameras on the Clark Bridge have been very successful. We found in several of our murder cases the ability to pinpoint a specific vehicle and a person in a specific vehicle at a specific time on the bridge has allowed us to create a timeline and weve used that in trials, he said. Its been extremely helpful. Part of the expanded system is in place. We have two of the bridges covered, we have multiple truck stops covered already, he said. There are a whole bunch of projects in different stages of planning. He declined to go into specifics about locations. We want the public to know this is something were doing to help protect them, but we dont want to be too specific because we dont want to tell the criminals everything, Gibbons said. When our goal is reached it will be virtually impossible to mule drugs and drug cash through Madison county without being spotted. He also noted that the same restrictions in place for use of the Clark Bridge cameras will apply to the others. It doesnt tie in to registrations, it doesnt observe traffic violations, he said. These are for your high-end, serious crimes. But it does trigger on stolen vehicle alerts. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. VIEQUES, Puerto Rico - Sylvia Velez woke up at 4 a.m. one day in February to catch the ferry from this isolated island community to a hospital on the main island of Puerto Rico. But when she arrived at the dock, Velez, 64, discovered the boat was already filled. There wasn't space for her on the next ferry, either, or the one after that. The cancer patient waited 32 straight hours - sleeping in her car, snacking on chips and soda from the vending machine, going to the bathroom off the side of the road - before securing a spot on the ferry that took her across the water and then to her doctor in San Juan. Velez's struggle to secure medical treatment reflects one of the many ways residents of Vieques, and Puerto Rico more broadly, have been frustrated with the pace of federal disaster recovery and its implications for their health. More than 19 months after Hurricane Maria hit in September 2017, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has not decided whether to reconstruct Vieques's only hospital amid conflicting estimates about how much the federal government is required to rebuild. Reconstruction experts say it often takes FEMA months or years to decide how to reconstruct facilities damaged by natural disasters, noting similarly long deliberations slowed efforts to rebuild hospitals and other infrastructure after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. Additionally, there is no evidence the Trump administration's attempts to restrict the amount of money going to Puerto Rico has slowed the reconstruction of the Vieques hospital. But the delay has drawn sharp criticism from congressional Democrats and Puerto Rican officials, who say FEMA is taking too long to get critical infrastructure repaired on the island, highlighting Vieques and its hospital as what they call a particularly egregious example. "FEMA's excessive bureaucracy and callousness in Vieques borders on the criminal," said Luis Vega Ramos, a lawmaker in Puerto Rico's House of Representatives. "Puerto Rico has got the short end of the stick from FEMA. Vieques has got the short end of the short end." In a statement, a spokeswoman for FEMA pointed out that the agency set up a temporary hospital for island residents soon after the hurricane hit. Several residents on the island and two academics said in interviews that the temporary facility still lacks the ability to safely perform key medical procedures. FEMA also set up several "mobile" dialysis treatment centers for island residents. Previously, Vieques residents on dialysis were airlifted sometimes several times a week to the main island, prompting several news articles documenting patients' frustrations. FEMA's spokeswoman also said the agency has not decided whether the hospital needs to be rebuilt and is still awaiting an evaluation for a separate group of experts. "Long-term recovery is never easy," FEMA's statement said. "With the massive devastation throughout Puerto Rico, getting the right cost estimates, scope of work and individuals to do the projects can always cause delays." Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, said the committee would be probing FEMA's handling of the hospital. "They are walking away from their responsibility to build a new hospital," said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., who said she has discussed the hospital with FEMA. "It's a disaster." The uproar over the Vieques hospital serves as a microcosm of the broader political fight over Puerto Rico. President Donald Trump has been convinced that too much taxpayer money is flowing to the island, and officials in the Office of Management and Budget have ordered a review of federal dollars to ensure money that is not being wasted, according to senior administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal affairs. The Department of Housing and Urban Development was recently accused by the agency's watchdog of delaying emails and other records related to HUD's handling of hurricane relief. (FEMA is under the Department of Homeland Security, a separate federal agency.) Hurricane Maria caused thousands of deaths and an estimated $90 billion in damage to Puerto Rico. Vieques was among the hardest hit. The island, seven miles east off the main island of Puerto Rico, has already suffered from cancer rates close to 30 percent higher than the rest of Puerto Rico, according to the Atlantic. Experts say Vieques's unusually high cancer rate stems from the U.S. Navy using it as a military testing ground for more than a half-century. Residents of Vieques protested three months after the hurricane after the ferries critical for supplies stopped running. Puerto Rico's governor repeatedly called the National Guard in for emergency deliveries of food, gas and medical supplies to Vieques amid recurring shortfalls. This weekend, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello called the National Guard to help after ferries responsible for taking cargo from the main island to Vieques were temporarily shut down. The problem was fixed quickly, according to a spokesman for the governor, adding that the government is looking into "longer-term solutions," such as buying a new ship. "It's the colony within the colony," said Jorge Colon, a professor at the University of Puerto Rico who studies health issues on the island. The temporary hospital set up by FEMA is not certified for childbirth, and the mobile dialysis suffers from a lack of adequate water filtration, which makes it dangerous to use, said Cruz Maria Nazario, a professor at the University of Puerto Rico's Graduate School of Public Health. Its new telemedicine unit has also not been working, she said. "The people of Vieques don't feel comfortable going there. It's not fulfilling the health needs of the citizens of Vieques," Nazario said. Eight dialysis patients also died while waiting for the restoration of treatment on the island, according to the Renal Council, a nonprofit health-care agency in Puerto Rico. "For over 18 months, thousands of Americans in need have been desperately waiting for medical services in Vieques," said Anthony Maceira, secretary of public affairs for Rossello. "We have worked tirelessly to provide FEMA any and all necessary information to rectify this urgent need, only to be met with delay and bureaucracy again and again." Part of the frustration from Puerto Rican officials stems from their belief that they had secured a commitment from FEMA more than a year ago to rebuild the hospital. An August 2018 report about the hospital, signed by a FEMA caseworker, says: "On a previous date, FEMA personnel determined that this project qualified for the FEMA 50 percent rule, or a building replacement," which would require the federal government to tear down the hospital and build a new one. "The whole time - the whole time - they told us they were going to destroy the old hospital and build a new one," said Daisy Cruz, the deputy mayor of Vieques, who was the town's acting mayor in 2018. "People are asking for a hospital where they can get help. It's infuriating." A later report found the hospital required only repairs, rather than a full reconstruction. FEMA is in the process of finalizing a third assessment about the hospital. Experts say these kinds of frustrations are not unique to Puerto Rico's reconstruction. FEMA's inspector general issued several reports after previous hurricanes and disasters faulting FEMA for being too generous in its damage estimates, which can cause agency officials to be skittish about doling out federal funding too quickly, said W. Craig Fugate, a former FEMA administrator under President Barack Obama. "FEMA starts getting antsy about their decisions, and then start to work to prevent an adverse finding by the [inspector general] later," Fugate said. "Initially, information often gets presented saying the damage was far worse than it was." Elizabeth Zimmerman, former associate administrator at the Office of Response and Recovery at FEMA, added: "This can be a very lengthy process. . . . There are a number of communities trying to recover, but they're in limbo until they get that final approval to go forward with their projects." But as the delays continue, frustrations among Vieques residents are mounting. Norma Torres, 72, recently traveled for the first time to the makeshift emergency room after her husband's blood pressure rose sharply. Torres was stunned by the lack of equipment in the facility, particularly for pregnant women who may not be able to fly to the island in time. Diane Rivera, 61, who takes the ferry for chemotherapy treatments to Puerto Rico very week, lamented the death of her neighbor - Edgardo Felix, 42, a young father. "He was young, like a son to me," Rivera said. "I think if we had the right facility in Vieques, he may not have had to be transported and may have had survived." Velez, the cancer patient who waited 32 hours for the ferry, said her son served in the U.S. military for two years in Afghanistan, and her father spent years working for the U.S. military as well. She taught physical education to kindergarten students before retiring a few years ago, but is despairing from the weekly trips, which exacerbates her scleroderma, a disease that causes pain throughout the body. "This is killing us," Velez said. "They are killing our community." - - - The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey contributed to this report. Scenes from MBC drama "Different Dreams" / Courtesy of MBC By Park Jin-hai MBC's new blockbuster period spy thriller "Different Dreams," focused on the life of legendary independence fighter Kim Won-bong, kicked off on Saturday. The 20 billion won-budget spy action series is designed to commemorate the centennial of the March 1 Independence Movement and establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai. The drama revolves around Kim, who organized a group of Korean independence fighters, called Uiyeoldan, at the age of 22 and led an armed resistance against the Japanese imperialists. The drama, starring Yoo Ji-tae as Kim Won-bong and Lee Yo-won as Lee Young-jin, debuted receiving fairly good ratings of over 7 percent. The first four episodes, each 30-minutes long, aired Saturday and the drama's fast-paced plot successfully encompassed various walks of life in the history of independence movement under Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945). The young, militant, patriotic members of Uiyeoldan, led by Kim Won-bong, in a secret meeting recite the Declaration of Joseon Revolution, written by Sin Chae-ho in 1923, and swear to sacrifice themselves for the independence of the country. Meanwhile, Park Hyuk (played by Heo Ji-won), a long-time Uiyeoldan member, turns his back and tries to buy his future in Japan by passing critical information about a Korean spy to the Japanese police. Faced with Kim, who came to kill the betrayer, Park asks back, "Do we have a nation? What has the country given to me? It only gave me starvation and oppression. The King brought in foreign armies to kill its own people, while high ranking officials only care about fattening their own pockets. What kind of a nation is this?" he retorts. Kim Nam-ok (Cho Bok-rae), another Uiyeoldan member on his mission to kill his former comrade and betrayer Park, hesitates and fails to kill his target. The drama also featured freedom fighters with different ideologies and values but the same goal of achieving independence. The female lead character Lee Young-jin, played by actress Lee, is a Korean who was adopted by a Japanese couple and grew up to be a doctor. She later turned out to be a spy for the Provisional Government, working under the code name of "Blue Bird." On a ferry heading to Shanghai, Lee meets Kim Won-bong. Regarding the death of her close friend and fellow doctor Esther Park, who gets shot after her failed attempt to inject poison into the Japanese officer responsible for killing her entire village including her parents, Kim Won-bong says, "What she has done, whether it was personal revenge or by order of the Provisional Government, was the right decision." But Lee retorted, "Is 'blood for blood' right?" The key points of the upcoming episodes will be how Kim and Lee, both with different visions, can cooperate in Shanghai and work towards independence. Also anticipated are more adrenaline-pumping action scenes in the spy period drama. The drama's first episode ended, showing black-and-white photos of the real patriotic figures who inspired the TV series, including Esther Park, the first female Korean physician and independence fighter; Ji Cheong-cheon, superintendent of the Sinheung Military Academy where new leaders of the Korean forces were being trained; and Ji's second daughter and freedom fighter Ji Bok-young. No one denies Kim Won-bong's selfless and relentless fight for national independence before liberation in 1945. Along with Uiyeoldan, he also organized the Korean Volunteers Army in 1938 and later served as the deputy commander of the Korean Liberation Army. However Kim Won-bong's patriotic deeds have mostly been ignored, because he went to the North in 1948 and is alleged to have become a statesman who contributed to establishment of the regime there. But Kim Il-sung purged him in 1958. Viewers left mixed comments like "Seeing the ending photos, I wanted to get to know more about those real-life patriotic figures, in particular Esther Park," and "Now we have the right drama to show Kim Won-bong's life and explain what forced him to go to the North," while conservative viewers said "Don't beautify the communist." BLUFFS Village board members are looking a options for a new water tower. Bill Sleeman, representing Benton and Associates in Jacksonville, told board members there are two funding possibilities for such a project. The first is an Illinois Commerce Economic Opportunity grant. The grant money can only be used for construction such as a contractor or engineering. The village must have everything ready for the project when it applies for the grant. The second option Sleeman presented was borrowing from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agencys low-interest loan program. He said it may be possible the village could get up to 75% forgiveness on the loan but the village would have to do a $25,000 planning report, which will become part of the loan. Some board members and village employees will form a committee to further discuss the funding issue. In other business, new board member, Aaron Sharrow, took the seat of former board member Chuck Pine. Marquis Energy decided to look for land for its ethanol plant in other states, according to Mayor Linda Sapp. The company let its two-year option to buy land contract near Bluffs expire. The village received a new squad car. The new car cost $29,285. Grant money has covered the cost except for $85. The Bluffs Market will be held on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. There will be several stands selling crafts, clothing, food, flea market items and fresh flowers. Job Title: Administrative Assistant Organization: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Duty Station: Uganda Reports to: Head of Office About US: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral and independent international humanitarian organisation, which assists and protects victims of armed conflicts and other situations of violence. The ICRC Tracing team, in cooperation with Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), provides services to people separated by conflicts and other situations of violence in order to search for their family members and re-establish contact between them, especially unaccompanied children. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Financial Management Ensures the implementation of the ICRC Uganda Financial Rules. according to the guidelines. Explains financial procedures to staff members and implements themaccording to the guidelines. of office. Ensures a daily funds report from the accounting system to the Headof office. approvals by Head of office. Participates in the closure of the monthly accounting and ensuresapprovals by Head of office. Cash and Bank handling Ensures that the office has enough funds to run the operations at any time. Handles all cash and bank transactions in relation with the office.Ensures that the office has enough funds to run the operations at anytime. Handles bank reconciliations and funds request from Yumbe office measures and explains any discrepancies or specific administrative financial issues to the Head of office. Analyses certain expenses, ensures follow up and proposes correctivemeasures and explains any discrepancies or specific administrativefinancial issues to the Head of office. Handles minor purchases. Human Resources shares information with all staff Ensures respect of employment conditions and rules at all times andshares information with all staff workers at all times. Ensures respect of employment conditions for daily/ temporaryworkers at all times. Supervises the support staff for the office and residences. Premises Management electricity and water. Ensures that the office and the residences have the necessaryelectricity and water. when needed. Ensures maintenance of premises and the replenishment of equipmentwhen needed. Supervises renovation/ maintenance works and service providers Supervises the performance of the security companies. Carries inventories for equipment and furniture regularly. Travel and Accommodation Organises accommodation for new comers and visitors Handles the reception of visitors events Organises the necessary facilitation to support planned field andevents Others the functionality of ICT infrastructure. ICT relay in the field, updating the ICT department in Kampala onthe functionality of ICT infrastructure. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: Assistant should preferably hold a University degree in Business Administration The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) AdministrativeAssistant should preferably hold a University degree in BusinessAdministration At least two years of work experience in a similar field Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English and local language Very good computer skills Good planning and organisation skills Discrete and reliable person, trustful and rigorous Available for immediate deployment How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates should submit their application, updated CV and copies of only academic certificates/transcripts to: kam_hrrecruitment_services@icrc.org Please attach your documents as a single file/document. Deadline: Friday, 17th May 2019. For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Job Title: Tax Administration Specialist Organization: Chemonics International Inc. Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda About US: Chemonics International is a private international development company that works for bilateral and multilateral donors and the private sector to manage projects in developing countries. About USAID Project: Chemonics International is implementing the USAID Domestic Revenue Mobilization for Development (DRM4D) activity in Uganda. This five-year project will help Uganda strengthen the tax culture, increase voluntary compliance, and sustainably increase domestic revenue mobilization, thereby creating the fiscal space for public spending and investments in service delivery in priority sectors such as health, education, and agriculture. This activity will work with Government of Uganda institutions to conduct policy analysis, evaluation and communicate the impact of tax reforms, and formulate sound tax and non-tax revenue policies. It will advance the efforts of key government agencies to operationalize these policies to efficiently, effectively and transparently collect tax and non-tax revenue. DRM4D will also build private sector and civil society capacity to contribute to an informed dialogue on taxation. Key Duties and Responsibilities: regulatory and capacity-building issues that result in demonstrable improvements in tax administration, compliance, and revenue mobilization Provide technical leadership on legal, institutional, procedural,regulatory and capacity-building issues that result in demonstrableimprovements in tax administration, compliance, and revenue mobilization and strategic partners Build and maintain relationships with USAID, country counterparts,and strategic partners Qualifications, Skills and Experience: Specialist job must hold a Masters degree in economics, business, public finance, public administration, law, or related field The ideal candidate for the USAID DRM4D Project Tax AdministrationSpecialist job must hold a Masters degree in economics, business, publicfinance, public administration, law, or related field including extensive experience in technical assistance, capacity building, and tax administration modernization Substantial professional experience in revenue administration,including extensive experience in technical assistance, capacity building,and tax administration modernization administration agencies, and related institutions Direct experience working with finance ministries, tax andadministration agencies, and related institutions environments and achieve development outcomes and business results Demonstrated ability to work in dynamic and unpredictable workenvironments and achieve development outcomes and business results Experience in Uganda or East Africa preferred Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity How to Apply: All candidates should upload an electronic version of your CV, cover letter, and contact information at the link below Click Here For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline 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 By Lee Gyu-lee In yet another pre-release achievement for a Korean movie, "The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil" starring Ma Dong-seok will be remade in the United States. Kiwi Media Group, the crime-action movie's domestic distributor, said Monday it had signed a contract with Hollywood-based Balboa Productions, founded by actor Sylvester Stallone, for the remake. "The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil" is due for domestic release on May 15. Distribution rights for the movie, directed by Lee Won-tae, have been sold to 104 countries including France, Canada, Germany and China. The movie has also been offered a screening at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. The movie is about a gang boss collaborating with a police officer to catch a serial killer trying to kill him. Ma plays the boss. Ma will also play the leading role in the remake, according to Kiwi. He will also be co-producer of the remake with two counterparts from Balboa Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood. "The concept of a gangster-cop duo teaming up to catch a killer is fascinating enough to attract global audiences," Aftergood said in a statement. Ma starred in the award-winning zombie apocalypse movie "Train to Busan" (2016). Bridgepoint Education, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides postsecondary education services in the United States. Its academic institutions, Ashford University and University of the Rockies, offer associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in the disciplines of business, education, psychology, social sciences, and health sciences. The company offers its programs primarily through online; and at its campuses. As of December 31, 2017, its institutions offered approximately 1,200 courses and 80 degree programs; and had 45,730 students enrolled. The company was formerly known as TeleUniversity, Inc. and changed its name to Bridgepoint Education, Inc. in February 2004. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Read More The Boeing Co. is an aerospace company, which engages in the manufacture of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space and Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital. The Commercial Airplanes segment includes the development, production, and market of commercial jet aircraft and provides fleet support services, principally to the commercial airline industry worldwide. The Defense, Space and Security segment refers to the research, development, production and modification of manned and unmanned military aircraft and weapons systems for global strike, including fighter and combat rotorcraft aircraft and missile systems; global mobility, including tanker, rotorcraft and tilt-rotor aircraft; and airborne surveillance and reconnaissance, including command and control, battle management and airborne anti-submarine aircraft. The Global Services segment provides services to commercial and defense customers. The Boeing Capital segment seeks to ensure that Boeing customers have the financing they need to buy and take delivery of their Boeing product and manages overall financing exposure. T Read More By Kim Bo-eun Individual investors are fretting over the unexpected fall of prices and trading value of Samsung Electronics shares after the company split its stocks in January 2018. The tech giant split its stocks to make shares more affordable for individual investors and boost their trading but the value has fallen due to a surge in the number of shares coupled with worsening earnings. After its 50:1 stock split in January, the firm resumed trading on May 4 the same year. As a result, Samsung Electronics held about 6 billion shares, making it number one on the main bourse in terms of the total number of listed shares. The stock split slashed down the price per share from 2.6 million won to 53,000 won but the price has never surpassed 53,000 won even once. As expected, the number of shareholders surged. The number grew from 158,000 from the end of 2017 to 788,000 in 2018. This was evident at the conglomerate's general shareholder meeting held in March which was crowded with attendees. Among them, minority shareholders grew by 5.47 times, from 137,873 to 754,705. The percentage of Samsung Electronics stocks held by minority shareholders stood at 5.76 percent as of the end of last year, which is a 2.89 percentage point growth from 2.87 percent in 2017. The spike in the number of shareholders resulted in an increase in the average number of daily transactions, which grew from 250,000 to 11.62 million over the past year. However, according to data from Korea Exchange, the average daily trading value after a year stood at 525.6 billion won, down from 618.8 billion won in average daily transaction value a year before the stock split. Price per share has never exceeded the base price of 53,000 won. In June last year, the price of Samsung Electronics shares fell below 50,000 won, and in December it fell below 40,000 won. As of Friday, the price was 45,300 won, which is down 13 percent from the base price. This is due to the downturn in the semiconductor industry. Reflecting the slump in memory chips and displays, the IT conglomerate's net profit for the first quarter of the year plunged 57 percent from a year earlier. Its 5.04 trillion won in net profit was the lowest since the third quarter of 2016. "Samsung Electronics' earnings fell since the third quarter of last year, and prices of shares and transaction value has dropped accordingly," Lee Su-bin, an analyst at Daeshin Securities, said. Yet analysts forecast the prices of Samsung Electronics' shares to rise in the latter half of the year. "Based on a recovering chip demand, the circumstances of the semiconductor industry are expected to improve," Lee said. Moody's Investors Service said in a report it expects demand for memory chips to rebound in the second half, when data centers finish inventory adjustments. When Samsung Electronics' board of directors decided to carry out the stock split, they stated expectations for the split to add liquidity and marketability to the company's shares. Toyota Motor Corp. engages in the manufacture and sale of motor vehicles and parts. It operates through the following segments: Automotive, Financial Services, and All Other. The Automotive segment designs, manufactures, assembles and sells passenger cars, minivans, trucks, and related vehicle parts and accessories. It is also involved in the development of intelligent transport systems. The Financial Services segment offers purchase or lease financing to Toyota vehicle dealers and customers. It also provides retail leasing through lease contracts purchase by dealers. The All Others segment deals with the design and manufacture and sale of housing, telecommunications and other businesses. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda on August 28, 1937 and is headquartered in Toyota, Japan. Read More Novan, Inc., a clinical development-stage biotechnology company, provides nitric oxide-based therapies to treat dermatological and oncovirus-mediated diseases. Its clinical stage dermatology drug candidates include SB204, a topical monotherapy for the treatment of acne vulgaris; SB206, a topical anti-viral gel for the treatment of viral skin infections; SB208, a topical broad-spectrum anti-fungal gel for the treatment of fungal infections of the skin and nails, including athlete's foot and fungal nail infections; and SB414, a topical cream-based gel product candidate for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. The company also develops SB207, an anti-viral product candidate for the treatment of external genital warts; WH602, a nitric oxide-containing intravaginal gel to treat high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV); WH504, a non-gel formulation product candidate to treat high-risk HPV; and SB019 for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Novan, Inc. has a license agreement with Sato Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; and a strategic alliance with Orion Corporation. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. Read More By Kim Bo-eun Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance has made an investment in Canopius, one of the top 10 insurers in Lloyd's of London, the non-life insurance unit of Samsung Group, said Monday. Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is an insurance and reinsurance market located in London. The Korean firm said that Samsung's property and casualty (P&C) insurance unit invested $150 million (170 billion won) in Fortuna Topco, which owns Canopius, on May 2. The investment, subject to regulatory consents, is set to close in the third quarter of this year. Through the transaction, the Korean firm will become a member of Canopius' board, taking part in the company's management. Canopius is a Switzerland-based global specialty insurer and reinsurer. "Samsung's unrivalled financial security and extensive license network complements that which we enjoy at Lloyd's," Canopius Chairman Michael Watson said in a statement. "Together we can offer innovative customer-focused insurance solutions across the globe," Samsung Fire and Marine CEO Choi Young-moo said. "We plan to work closely with the management of Canopius and share in their in-depth knowledge of the Lloyd's market. This is a significant step forward for SFMI's long-term strategy and will allow us to thoroughly prepare to become a competitive, world-class P&C insurance business." Canopius is set to become a top five player in Lloyd's, through its acquisition of U.S. P&C insurer AmTrust's Lloyd's business. COLONIE Before coming to Sen. Charles E. Schumer's press conference Monday on the scourge of robocalls, Mckenzie Pope said she had received 15 such calls already, with 12 using the attempted lure of the Capital Region's 518 area code. That put the mother of two well above average for vexation caused by the automated calls: The average person in the 518 received nearly nine such calls in April, reflecting a total of more than 11.7 million calls in that 17-county area code for the month, according to the online tracking site robocallindex.com. Appearing before a crowd of seniors at the Colonie Senior Service Center, Schumer touted proposed federal legislation designed to stem a rising tide of automated calls that range from unwanted commercial pitches to outright fraud. The so-called Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED) would require telecommunications companies to adopt technology that would authenticate a call's originating number as it moved from one phone network to another. That tracking would allow recipients to understand where a call is coming from, and ignore it if they wished. "They might say leaving the phone off at night can address it, but I cannot afford to do that," said Pope, an Albany resident. Schumer called the legislation, backed by both Democrats and Republicans, as "just the antidote we need" against a surging tide of autodial harassment. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission logged more than 3.7 million complaint about the calls, making it the agency's single most common complaint. In New York last month, there were more than 290 million reported robocalls, a figure dwarfed by the more than 5.2 billion such calls received nationwide for March. The measure would also broaden federal fines for illegal robocallers of up to $10,000 per call; allow enforcement to go back three years, rather than the current one year; and require agencies to report to Congress on stepped-up efforts to trace and squelch the calls. This month, FCC officials warned consumers of the latest robocall fraud: so-called "one-ring" calls that hit both New York state and Arizona. Such calls rang only once, in the middle of the night, leaving recipients concerned over a missed call that could reflect an emergency. But by calling back the seemingly local number, the call was instead routed overseas, incurring excessive connection and per-minute charges. The one-ring calls that hit New York, according to a report in USA Today, used the "222" country code of the West African nation of Mauritania. According to the article, the scam is also known as "Wangiri," which means "one ring and done" in Japanese; the scam originated in Japan years ago. State lawmakers are pursuing their own path to address the estimated 3 billion unwanted calls New Yorkers received last year. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The key element of legislation that began making its way though the committee process in the state Capitol is a requirement that telecommunication companies provide New Yorkers with a free service that can filter unwanted calls. Consumer Reports estimates that 40 percent of robocalls are scams that generate more than $350 million in annual losses. Many of the scam companies rely on so-called "spoofing" software that disguises the true origin of the calls by making it appear that a person is receiving a call from a number in their area. Many of the companies operate from overseas boiler rooms, making it harder for regulators to crack down on the illegal practice. Unlike the proposal in Albany, the FCC is not pushing to make the call-blocking services free for consumers. The federal legislation was introduced in November by U.S. Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and John Thune, R-South Dakota. Schumer is a co-sponsor. Last year, the FCC levied its largest fine ever $120 million against a Florida-based company for unleashing 96 million such calls aimed at selling timeshares and travel packages. Some complaints came from a medical paging service that said its lines were disrupted by the scam, compromising communications between doctors and hospitals. bnearing@timesunion.com - 518.454.5094 - @bnearing10 David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87 "Sunset" was shot in an interesting way, but it's not an interesting movie. Everything about it is intentional, and occasionally it's visually impressive, but nothing about the visuals seems connected to the story's drama, which is fairly nonexistent. It's a cold and rather opaque piece that tries an audience's patience. It's a Hungarian film, the second effort of director Laszlo Nemes, who won the best foreign film Oscar for "Son of Saul" a few years ago. Like "Son of Saul," "Sunset" is a historical film, and like "Saul" it adopts the strategy of following the protagonist in close-ups and medium shots. As a visual strategy, that worked for "Saul," which was set in the Auschwitz death camp. But here the choice seems arbitrary and more and more frustrating. It takes place in Budapest in 1913, a year before the World War I, which resulted in the dismantling of the Austro-Hungarian empire. We meet Iris (Juli Jakab), who travels to her birthplace after being away since early childhood in the hope of getting a job at a high-end hat-making store. Her parents started the company, which still bears their name, but they were killed in a fire when Iris was two. The business was sold, and Iris was sent to live with a family in Trieste. As a character, Iris is a virtual test pattern. She rarely changes expression, but instead looks out at the world with an aggressive blankness. She is desperate to know everything about her family, but every time she asks someone a question, they look at her as if she should know the answer, but isn't saying. At a certain point, all the unanswered questions they don't stop until the finish stop being irritating and become borderline laughable. Iris has heard she has a brother and wants to know everything about him. But every time she mentions his name, people react as though she just broke the first and second rules of "Fight Club." They scowl or look contemptuous and ignore her. Now, if having read the above paragraph ... Hold it, what do you mean you skipped it? Go back and read it, I'll wait ... OK, if having read the above paragraph, you are possessed by curiosity if you're thinking, wow, what could be the source of this hostility; what do they know and what are they hiding? then "Sunset" might of interest to you. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. But most viewers will be nonplussed by the filmmaker's expectation that we should care about the family history of an empty, colorless character. Not only does he expect us to care; he expects us to care for two hours and 20 long minutes. Ten would have been a stretch. By the way, the title suggests the sunset of an empire and a way of being that would soon be ushered away by war. But if Nemes were concerned with this larger story, then why lock his camera onto a single actress and never let go? "Sunset" is not only set in 1913's Budapest, but it's largely about 1913's Budapest. Instead of having to look at Juli Jakab's back as she walks along streets we never see, it would have been nice to see Budapest. A New York Army National Guard officer from Saratoga Springs has been cast. No, Capt. Kevin Vilardo is not about to become a movie star. But he can literally claim he's is a model soldier. Vilardo is about to become an artifact of sorts in an exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir, Va., set to open next year. He has been cast as a life-sized figure, a combat photographer during the D-Day Normandy Invasion, in the museum exhibit. Vilardo was one of six New York Army National Guard soldiers who were selected to serve as models for life-sized soldier figures that will be part of an exhibit in the museum. There will be a total of 63 figures populating exhibits when construction on the museum finishes. Vilardo, who works full-time at New York National Guard Headquarters in Latham and also serves as a troop commander in the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry in Niagara Falls, posed for a figure during a visit to a Brooklyn company that specializes in making museum-quality figures and sculptures. Studio EIS specializes in making these museum exhibit figures. EIS would normally hire actors or professional models as templates for figures, said Paul Morando, the chief of exhibits for the museum. "But real soldiers are better," he said. "Having real soldiers gives the figures a level of authenticity to the scene. They know where their hands should be on the weapons. They know how far apart their feet should be when they are standing. They know how to carry their equipment." Actual soldiers can also share some insights with the people making the figures, Morando added. When completed, you'll be able to see Vilardo depicting a World War II combat photographer. The museum is under construction. The Army Historical Foundation is leading a $200 million dollar campaign and constructing the 185,000-square-foot building through private donations. The Army is providing the 84-acre site, constructing the roads, the infrastructure, and the interior exhibit elements that transform a building into a museum. The museum will tell the story of more than 240 years of Army history through stories of American soldiers. The figures of the six New York National Guard solders Vilardo, Maj. Robert Freed, Chaplain (Maj.) James Kim, 2nd Lt. Sam Gerdt, Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Morrison, and Sgt. 1st Class Nick Archibald will populate two exhibits from two different eras. Vilardo served as the model for a World War II Army combat camera photographer on D-Day, the invasion of France in 1944. His figure will be standing in a landing craft taking a photo of soldiers climbing down a cargo net into the craft. The photography portion of this process was the most unnerving part for him, Vilardo said. "I'm not one to like my picture being taken, and to have really close photography of your face and hands was a new experience," he said. "It was fast; it was professional. They had a vision of what they want the exhibit to look like." Next, a model of his face was made. A special silicone-based material was used for the cast. The model's nostrils were kept clear so he could breathe. The soldiers were told what their character was supposed to be doing and thinking and asked to make the appropriate facial gestures. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "It was funny because I have a scar over my lip, and when they did the cast you could see the scar," Vilardo said. "It would be fun to go to the museum and look and see if the scar is still over the lip of the soldier." Once the facial casts were done, the Studio EIS experts cast the rest of the models' bodies. The soldiers put on tight shorts and stockings, smeared themselves with Vaseline and posed in the positions needed. Props helped them maintain the position for the 20 to 30 minutes it takes for the casting material to set. Next, the artists sculpt sections into a complete figure, dress and accessorize, and paint precise details on the face and skin, crafting it to humanistic and historical perfection. These lifelike soldier figures will help visitors understand what it looked like on D-Day, Morando said. The Museum is expected to open in 2020; admission will be free. For information, visit www.thenmusa.org. Vilardo wasn't always an Army soldier. He first served as a Marine for four years. In 1998 he joined the New York Army National Guard as an infantryman in the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry. In 2011 he made the jump from noncommissioned officer to officer. He went from being a sergeant first class to second lieutenant upon commissioning. News of your soldiers and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com. Rochester man acquitted in triple killing shot dead ROCHESTER A man who was suspected but ultimately acquitted in a triple killing in Rochester was himself shot and killed, and police warned the public not to jump to conclusions or retaliation as investigators searched Sunday for suspects in his death. Jalen Everett of Rochester was shot about 8 p.m. Saturday while riding in a car on Dewey Avenue near Magee Avenue. The 24-year-old was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police haven't determined a motive for the shooting, which came more than two years after Everett was acquitted in his second trial related to the killings outside the Rochester Boys and Girls Club in 2015. Associated Press De Blasio accused of underfunding programs NEW YORK CITY Mayor Bill de Blasio is underfunding programs meant to help New Yorkers get better jobs, skills and education, four City Council members are charging. The lawmakers are calling on de Blasio to commit $70 million this year toward so-called "bridge programs," which are designed to prepare low-skill and low-education job seekers for entry-level work and middle-skill job training. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The de Blasio administration said in a 2014 report that the city would put up $60 million in funding for bridge programs by 2020. But the mayor's latest budget proposals only set aside $20 million for the programs, advocates complain. New York Daily News COXSACKIE Inmate populations are falling. So why do we keep building jails? Schoharie and Herkimer counties are constructing new jails expected to open next year, and Greene County is about to break ground on a similarly costly mistake. The rural county to the south of Albany is ready to spend $47 million, not including interest, on a jail that will largely sit empty and burden taxpayers for decades to come. The building, planned for Route 9W in Coxsackie, is a white elephant in the making. In part, that's because attitudes toward jails and prisons are changing, with conservatives and liberals alike concluding it's financially and morally absurd for the United States, the supposed land of the free, to have the world's highest incarceration rate. We're realizing that long sentences for nonviolent criminals do much more harm than good; that putting so many people in prison further destabilizes poor neighborhoods and families; that prison often turns nonviolent offenders into hardened criminals; and that prison sentences often have more to do with the wealth and race of the perpetrator than the seriousness of the crime. The shift in mindset is evident in laws enacted around the country, including the First Step Act recently signed into law by President Donald Trump, which eases some punitive federal prison sentences. New York's state Legislature has been tackling criminal justice reform, too. Its recently enacted bail reform is the change most relevant to the jails being built in Schoharie, Herkimer and Greene counties. By one estimate, the population of the Greene county jail, for example, could fall to an average of 20 inmates per day meaning much of the 72-bed facility will sit empty. Even supporters of the project don't expect the number of inmates to approach the building's capacity. Opponents of the project, who cite the new bail laws, held a rally Sunday in Catskill as part of a last-minute push to make their case. Though officials say they are nearly ready to break ground, opponents want the county to pause and consider potential alternatives. Building a smaller jail would cut costs. Not building one at all is an even better approach. The county has been without a jail since early in 2018, when Sheriff George Seeley shuttered its embarrassingly decrepit facility in Catskill. Ever since, Greene has been shipping its inmates to adjoining counties, including Albany, where it currently has 19 inmates at the jail in Colonie. Schoharie County, without a jail since Tropical Storm Irene struck in 2011, is housing 19 inmates at the Albany County Jail, which has been half-empty in recent years and filling beds (and making money) by housing federal immigration detainees. Why wouldn't Schoharie and Greene counties, which both have declining populations, choose to use Albany instead of building new jails? Why don't the counties save money by sharing a regional facility with each other or other rural counties? The answer is partly about jobs. More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at cchurchill@timesunion.com or 518-454-5442. See More Collapse Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Jails are infamous generators of county patronage jobs. And in many upstate towns, jails and prisons alike are one of the few reliable employers after decades of economic decline. In Greene County, where the new jail would be built near Coxsackie's two state prisons, Sheriff Seeley has been forthright about not wanting to share a jail with a neighboring county because doing so would force him to lay off the nearly 30 correctional officers his department employs. You can sympathize with the impulse at least until your tax bill arrives. But it's increasingly foolhardy (and morally problematic) for upstate towns to rely on the arrival of downstate prisoners to keep their economies afloat. The prison population has fallen by about 10,000 to 47,000 inmates since Andrew Cuomo took office in 2011, according to the Democrat & Chronicle in Rochester. Twenty-four prison and juvenile detention centers have closed under the governor's watch, and he recently proposed shuttering two more. "I'm not going rationalize locking up people as an economic development tool," Cuomo said. Nationally, the incarceration rate is at a 20-year low and is expected to keep falling as laws are rewritten to discourage jail time for drug crimes and other nonviolent offenses. Attitudes about incarceration are changing for the better. Yet despite the trends, Greene, Schoharie and Herkimer counties will together spend $100 million on jails. Why keep building them when so many existing cells will be empty? cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill By Park Hyong-ki The finance ministry said Monday that it will extend a cut on fuel taxes by Aug. 31, but it will be lowered to 7 percent from 15 percent, beginning May 7. This is part of its phase-out program to normalize the prices of gasoline and diesel. The 7 percent cut is expected to raise gasoline prices by 65 won per liter, and diesel prices by 46 won. The Cabinet endorsed the cut on April 30. "We will work with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the state-run Korea National Oil Corp. to make sure the prices remain stable," the finance ministry said in a press statement. On Nov. 6 last year, the finance ministry cut fuel taxes by 15 percent for six months to help ease the financial burden on low- and middle-income earners and small businesses. The fuel tax is the sum of transportation, energy, environment, mileage, regional and value-added taxes. Each one serves its own purpose, with the government collecting taxes from fuel consumption mainly to develop and maintain roads and improve the environment. The local gasoline price has been increasing for 10 consecutive weeks, surpassing 1,500 won per liter. This was in line with the benchmark Dubai crude, which reached $74 per barrel as of the end of April, and is currently hovering around $70, after $52 in January. Korea reduced the tax rate by 10 percent in March 2008 for nine months to spur private spending. The average gasoline price rose instead then by 3 percent during that period. Nobody knows who threw the first punch, or cocktail glass, high-heel shoe, or beer bottle that sparked the Stonewall Riots, a series of protests seen as the catalyst for the modern LGBTQ rights movement. But in the early hours of June 28, 1969, after a police raid at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, the long-marginalized gay community decided to fight back. For six violent nights, trans women of color, homeless LGBTQ youth, lesbians, drag queens, gay men and their allies rioted, protested, got arrested and changed the course of history. Though not the community's first act of defiance or the last the Stonewall uprising became the defining moment in the fight for gay rights. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the riots, the New-York Historical Society is taking a look at its legacy and what those blood-shedding nights in Manhattan's West Village meant in the battle for LGBTQ acceptance in New York City, the U.S., and beyond. On view from May 24 to Sept. 22, "Stonewall 50 at New-York Historical Society" will feature exhibitions to highlight how the LGBTQ movement fits into New York history. Dr. Louise Mirrer, the society's president and CEO, hopes to show "the critical role played by Stonewall in helping our nation towards a more perfect union," she said. And that path was forged in some of the unlikeliest places. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "Nightlife spaces, whether, they're bars, restaurants, dance halls, or performance venues, have always enabled members of the LGBTQ community to meet, mingle and socialize outside of their homes, their jobs or on the streets," said Ken Lustbader of the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. Lustbader worked as a consultant in "Letting Loose and Fighting Back: LGBTQ Nightlife Before and After Stonewall." The exhibit explores how nightlife has shaped the community's identity and strengthened its activism. Legendary lesbian activist and Harlem Renaissance dancer Mabel Hampton is featured in "By the Force of Our Presence: Highlights from the Lesbian Herstory Archives," which deals specifically with women and their contributions to the larger LGBTQ community. The exhibit wraps up with a timeline: "Say It Loud, Out and Proud: Fifty Years of Pride." Albany Local teacher unions through the collective bargaining process should have greater control over how their members are evaluated going forward. That's because lawmakers added provisions to a new law that permanently halted the mandatory link between student exam scores and teacher evaluations. The new law goes beyond what the Board of Regents did in placing a moratorium on the exam-based evaluations. And it illustrates the political power that teacher unions like New York State United Teachers, a major political donor, hold in the legislature. That may have increased a notch this year, since the union backed Democratic candidates for the state Senate, which is now under Democratic control for the first time in years. NYSUT officials before the November elections said ending the mandatory testing-evaluation link was a priority, since Senate Republicans last year had been unable to do that. Union officials are pleased with the new law. We view this law as a strong step in the right direction, said Jolene DiBrango, a NYSUT vice president. Its no secret that we were lobbying heavily to get that done, she added. Others simply say they want to make sure that students are getting the kind of teachers they need. As the state and school districts look to implement the new law, we should remember that teachers are the most important in-school determinant of student success, said Ian Rosenblum, executive director of the Education Trust-NY, which pushes for educational equity. The question everyone should be asking is how to ensure that all students and especially those who have been historically under-served by our education system have access to strong teachers. The new law covers several aspects of testing and teacher evaluations. While tests of some kind are needed in the evaluation process, theres no longer a requirement that evaluations be tied to the states standardized grade 3-8 math and English assessments. Schools can devise their own tests or purchase them from vendors. The assessments do need approval by the Education Department, however. The law also removed a major penalty for teachers whose students do badly on their exams and other student performance measures. Previously, too many did poorly, the teacher or a principal, could have been rated as ineffective on a part of their evaluation. That provision was deleted entirely, said Alex Trikalinos, director of the Education Departments Office of Educator Quality and Professional Development. The evaluation plan also applies to school principals. They are rated on a four-point scale of Highly Effective, Effective, Developing or Ineffective. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Additionally, rather than adhering to a statistically based growth model that laid out how much students should progress on exams, the new system has teachers devise learning objectives that they can set out for each class. One unanswered question centered on the timing of the changes. Essentially, if a school district and its union cant agree on new evaluation plans, they would stay with the existing plan until a new one is worked into a new contract. The debate over testing and evaluations dates back more than five years. It took center stage when Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed through plans that would have closely tied teacher evaluations to student test scores, so much so that teachers might have lost tenure if their students turned in low scores. More for you New York lawmakers to end mandatory test-evaluation link That provoked a backlash among teachers and it quickly became a priority for NYSUT. Last year, the Democratic-led Assembly passed the bill that would have voided the testing-evaluation link. But it didnt get through the Senate until this year. DiBrango noted that NYSUT is still looking to change the 3-8 assessments which they believe, in some instances, are too advanced for the ages of the students taking them. We want the benchmarks changed, she said. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518-454-5758 @RickKarlinTU New York After Hurricane Sandy devastated New York in 2012, city officials considered some drastic responses to storm surges, like long concrete sea walls and tall earthen berms. But as the seventh hurricane season since then approaches, the city is relying on something more modest as the first line of defense against another inundation of Manhattan: a row of glorified sandbags. In the next few months, the city's Office of Emergency Management plans to oversee the installation of 4-foot-tall sacks of soil along the East River esplanade, from Wall Street to just north of the Brooklyn Bridge. For up to five years, they essentially would form the only barrier to keep water from again rushing into the low-lying neighborhoods around the South Street Seaport. City officials say they are a temporary step while permanent solutions to New York's vulnerability to big storms are still being planned and debated. But the barriers have already provoked derision. "Six years of studying it and you come up with sandbags? Really?" said Marco Pasanella, whose family owns a 180-year-old building with a wine shop that faces the river on South Street. He said he felt no less vulnerable than he did on the night that Sandy flooded his shop and left the district without power for two weeks. Along with the doubts about their effectiveness, the barriers have also been panned as unsightly interlopers along a stretch of waterfront popular with pedestrians and bicyclists one woman called them "atrocities." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. They will cover only about one mile of the waterfront, leaving the area below Wall Street unprotected, possibly for another decade or longer. Officials have admitted that they do not have a plan for protecting much of the financial district, which is home to about 100,000 people and accounts for one of every 10 jobs in the city. They have concluded that Lower Manhattan is simply too congested, with 18 subway lines and a tangle of utilities running beneath its warren of narrow streets, for land-based defenses like fences that flip up from the ground. Instead, they have a more ambitious vision and have begun planning to extend the shoreline of the island into the water to serve as a bulwark against rising sea levels and storm surges. ALBANY - What would happen if money spent on war was used for healthcare and education? New York taxpayers have paid nearly $432 billion on military spending since 2001, according to the Nobel Peace Prize-nominated non-profit National Priorities Project. Last year alone, they contributed $62.4 billion to the federal defense budget. Advocates in Albany argue those billions could have paid for 78 million adults receiving healthcare, 16 million college scholarships and 41 million slots in the Head Start preschool program. State Assemblyman Phil Steck, a Democrat from Loudonville, rallied on the steps of the Legislative Office Building on Monday with a small crowd from the Women Against War grassroots group started to protest the Iraq War. Around 15 protesters, all grey-haired and dressed in black with green scarves, sang: "There's always enough for war but never enough for the poor." More than half of the federal budget goes to military spending. The U.S. spends more on defense than the next seven countries combined, the National Priorities Project reported. Steck, whose father was a World War II veteran, said more spent on military infrastructure means less state aid and higher local taxes. "We used to get a tremendous amount of aid for infrastructure from the federal government and that got cut off. What happens is that the state has a choice of whether to raise taxes or not repair infrastructure," he said. The New York state comptroller's office reported that in fiscal year 2017, the state sent an estimated $24.1 billion more in tax payments to Washington than it received in federal spending. The federal government returned 90 cents of every tax dollar paid by the state less than the $1.19 average nationwide. The state did receive higher percentages of federal social services. The costs of war have added trillions to the deficit, said Maureen Aumand, one of the organizers of Monday's protest and a member of Women Against War. "Year after year it injects and consumes bigger pieces of the pie," Aumand said. "Year after year it is bipartisanly approved, even as it becomes its own driving force ensuring there will be more, ever more war." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican from Glens Falls who has advocated against military cuts to protect Fort Drum, did not respond to a request for comment about the scale of the military budget and how it is used. Steck said he was disappointed with members of his own party on the national level who vote for massive increases in military spending. "This is the most comprehensive and critical issue facing all people of the world," he said. Protesters planned to leaflet and lobby legislators to raise awareness and push back against the federal defense budget before being introduced from the Assembly floor by Steck Monday afternoon. This article has been corrected to show that Steck's father served in World War II, not the Vietnam War. TROY Rensselaer County arrested 19 people in a welfare fraud sweep and is looking for seven others, county officials said Monday. Fraud sweeps act as a deterrent to some who may be thinking of committing fraud, Theresa Beaudoin, the county's social services commissioner, said at a press conference at the Rensselaer County Jail. The investigations involved cases in which a total of more than $56,000 was allegedly stolen in public assistance benefits, Beaudoin said. Department investigators worked with other law enforcement in the county to make the arrests, she said. This money is our money it is taxpayers money thats being funneled to those who dont deserve it," District Attorney Mary Pat Donnell said. "We need to reserve that money for people who do deserve it, because here in Rensselaer County we want to help our own. Sheriff Patrick Russo said the sheriffs office will work other county law enforcement agencies to crack down on welfare fraud. The suspects face felony grand larceny charges when the amount stolen totals more than $1,000 for fourth-degree grand larceny and more than $3,000 for third-degree grand larceny. County Executive Steve McLaughlin said the county will roll out various ways for people to report suspected fraud beginning Tuesday with renscofraudtips@dfa.state.ny.us. In 18 cases, those arrested were charged with felonies, while in one case a person faces only a misdemeanor. Those arrested include: Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Roderick Edmundson, 45, of Troy, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing. Katrina Rivera, 37, of Troy, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing $2,622 in public assistance benefits. Tiffany R. Franklin, 47, of Troy, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing $1,593 in public assistance benefits. Takeah Harris, 35, of Troy, fourth-degree welfare fraud, fourth-degree grand larceny and first-degree offering a false instrument for filing for allegedly stealing $8,389.52 in medical assistance benefits. Tiffany Smith, 29, of Troy, third-degree welfare fraud, third-degree grand larceny, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing for allegedly stealing $4,066.50 in public assistance benefits. Raheem Shabezz, 65, of Troy, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing $2,922 in public assistance benefits. Lori Emery, 52, of Troy, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing $1,412 in public assistance benefits. Robert Simpson, 48, of Troy, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing $2,743 in public assistance benefits. Shameia Hall, 27, of Troy, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing to allegedly fraudulently obtain public assistance. Mercedes Thomas, 27, of Nassau, third-degree welfare fraud and third-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing $4,729 in public assistance benefits. Alexander Girgenti, 29, of Nassau, third-degree welfare fraud and third-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing $4,729 in public assistance benefits. Rebbecca Grogan, 42, of Mechanicville, first degree offering a false instrument for filing to allegedly fraudulently obtain public assistance. Angeline Dugan, 30, of Rensselaer, offering a false instrument for filing to allegedly fraudulently obtain public assistance. Jessica Kelly, 31, of Troy, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing $2,865 in public assistance benefits. Steven Williams, 47, of Troy, misdemeanor misuse of food stamps. Andrea Giles, 35, of Troy, third-degree welfare fraud, third-degree grand larceny and first-degree offering a false instrument for filing for allegedly stealing $5,767 in public assistance funds. Laalyce Johnson, 41, of Troy, offering a false instrument for filing to allegedly fraudulently obtain public assistance. Catrina Bunting, 41, of Troy, third-degree welfare fraud and third-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing $3,620 in public assistance benefits. Alexander Cole of Troy, third-degree welfare fraud, third-degree grand larceny and first-degree offering a false instrument for filing. The seven individuals still wanted are: 3 1 of 3 CINDY SCHULTZ Show More Show Less 2 of 3 John Carl D'Annibale Show More Show Less 3 of 3 TROY The executive director of the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region will leave her post to start a new job as a deputy commissioner at the state Civil Service Department, the YWCA-GCR Board of Directors announced. Daquetta Jones has led the YWCA-GCR since her December 2013 appointment. She will continue to head the organization until May 31, the board said. Jones will start as deputy commissioner for administration at state civil service on June 10. In this Feb. 2, 2018, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with North Korean defectors where he talked with reporters about allowing the release of a secret memo on the FBI's role in the Russia inquiry. AP-Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul, Yi Whan-woo Despite North Korea's decision to launch what appeared to be short-range missiles into the sea off its eastern coast on the weekend, officials in the United States and political analysts have ruled out the possibility that this could end Washington's joint diplomatic efforts to get Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program. Cheong Wa Dae said Monday that it had no new information on the North's provocative action, such as the launch method or exact type of missiles used; while the U.S. is apparently reacting to the firing in a "thoughtful manner." Early Monday (KST), U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the launches "didn't present a threat to the United States" and its allies, nor will it derail the Trump administration's attempts to reach a denuclearization deal. "We still believe there is a path forward where Chairman Kim can denuclearize without resort to anything beyond diplomacy," Pompeo said. He added the missiles were short-range and therefore didn't violate the agreed-upon moratorium on launches. The chief U.S. nuclear negotiator added the moratorium only concerned intercontinental missiles. "At no point was there every any international boundary crossed. They landed in the water east of North Korea and didn't present a threat to the United States or to South Korea or Japan. We still believe that there's an opportunity to get a negotiated outcome where we get fully verified denuclearization," Pomepo said on ABC's This Week. The remarks were interpreted as Washington's willingness to pursue its updated version of "strategic patience" in resolving the nuclear issue by standing together with Seoul and Tokyo, according to analysts. "Instead of matching North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's aggressive moves, Trump is showing restraint and he won't get baited in any way. Trump is trying to reassure Kim that he is still willing and able to find a diplomatic solution to the dispute over denuclearization," said Harry J. Kazianis, director of Korean Studies at the U.S. Center for the National Interest. The senior analyst added North Korea has been asking for security assurances and economic benefits and stressed for Washington to use President Moon Jae-in "more effectively" given the unique position he holds in acting as not only a facilitator of talks, but as the only party both Washington and Pyongyang can trust. A poster showing U.S. President Donald Trump and demanding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korea Peninsula is displayed on a street in Seoul, May 4. AP-Yonhap [May 05, 2019] 8S Capital Holdings Announces Voluntary Conditional Cash Offer for 800 Super Holdings 8S Capital Holdings Pte. Ltd. (the "Offeror") today announced its intention to make a voluntary conditional cash offer (the "Offer") for all the issued and paid-up ordinary shares (the "Shares") of 800 Super Holdings Limited (SGX: 5TG) ("800 Super" or the "Company") other than those Shares held by the Offeror as at the date of the Offer (the "Offer Shares"). The Offeror intends to offer S$0.90 in cash per Offer Share (the "Offer Price"). This represents: A premium of 30.6% to 800 Super's 1-month volume weighted average price (" VWAP ") to 26 April 2019, the last full market day 1 on which the Shares were transacted prior to the announcement of the Offer ") to 26 April 2019, the last full market day on which the Shares were transacted prior to the announcement of the Offer A premium of 31.2% to 800 Super's 3-month VWAP to 26 April 2019 A premium of 25.3% to 800 Super's 6-month VWAP to 26 April 20192 The Offeror does not intend to increase the Offer Price. Lee Koh Yong, a Director of the Offeror, commented, "The Offer represents an opportunity for shareholders to realise their entire investment in the Shares at a premium to historical trading prices. It also provides shareholders with a means for a clean cash exit that would otherwise not be available given the low trading liquidity of the Shares. At the same time, privatising will enable 800 Super to save on expenses relating to the maintenance of a listed status and allow the Company to focus its resources on operational matters amidst the competitive business landscape." Lee Koh Yong is also the Executive Chairman of 800 Super. The Offer will be conditional upon the Offeror having received not less than 90% of the total number of issued Shares as at the close of the Offer3. As at the date of this announcement, Lee Koh Yong and five of his siblings (collectively, the "Lee Family Members"), as well as a vehicle wholly-owned by the Lee Family Members ("YSI"), who together hold approximately 77.6% of the Shares, have provided irrevocable undertakings to accept the Offer and roll all of their Shares into the Offeror by subscribing for ordinary shares in the Offeror4 (the "Subscription"). Following the Subscription, the Lee Family Members and YSI will own all of the ordinary shares of the Offeror5. If the Offeror succeeds in garnering acceptances exceeding 90% of the total number of issued Shares, it intends to delist the Company. Leading global investment firm KKR intends to fund the Offer by providing a hybrid combination of debt and structured equity financing to the Offeror, primarily from pools of capital including KKR's Private Credit Opportunities II fund and proprietary investment vehicles. Lee Cheng Chye, a Director of the Offeror, said, "Our family welcomes the financing solution provided by KKR. The innovative structure of the deal enables us to continue owning the Company and we look forward to go on working with the Company's existing management team and employees in partnership with KKR." Lee Cheng Chye is also an Executive Director and the Chief Executive Officer of 800 Super. Ashish Shastry, Member & CEO of KKR Southeast Asia, said, "KKR's primary goal in this region is to work with great entrepreneurs and the founding families of homegrown businesses. We are very flexible on the type of support we provide - in this case, the Lee family required a credit-oriented solution, but we are also working with family groups by making majority or minority equity investments. We are looking forward to doing more with the Lee family and other great entrepreneurial families in Singapore and across Southeast Asia." "We are excited to work with the Lee family on a landmark credit deal for KKR in Singapore," added Brian Dillard, Managing Director & Head of KKR Asia Credit. "This is a prime example of how our team looks to work with leading businesses to provide unique and flexible capital solutions that meet the objectives of our business partners. We hope to continue to leverage our alternative investment franchise and credit capabilities to provide well-tailored financing solutions for other family and business groups in the region." An offer document setting out the terms and conditions of the Offer and enclosing the relevant form(s) of acceptance will be despatched to shareholders not earlier than 14 days and not later than 21 days from today. RHB Securities Singapore Pte. Ltd. ("RHBSEC") is the financial adviser to the Offeror in connection with the Offer, while WongPartnership LLP is the legal adviser to the Offeror in connection with the Offer. **** About 800 Super Holdings Limited 800 Super is an established environmental solutions provider for both the public and private sectors in Singapore. The Company's and its subsidiaries' environmental services include waste management and waste treatment, cleaning and conservancy, horticultural services and industrial laundry processing. About KKR KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate and credit, with strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter (News - Alert) @KKR_Co. Responsibility Statement The directors of the Offeror (including those who may have delegated detailed supervision of this Media Release) have taken all reasonable care to ensure that the facts stated and opinions expressed in this Media Release are fair and accurate and that there are no other material facts not contained in this Media Release, the omission of which would make any statement in this Media Release misleading. Where any information has been extracted or reproduced from published or otherwise publicly available sources or obtained from the Company, the sole responsibility of the directors of the Offeror has been to ensure, through reasonable enquiries, that such information is accurately extracted from such sources or, as the case may be, reflected or reproduced in this Media Release. The directors of the Offeror jointly and severally accept responsibility accordingly. Forward-Looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Media Release are or may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include but are not limited to those using words such as "aim", "seek", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "project", "plan", "strategy", "forecast", "target" and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "will", "would", "should", "could", "may" and "might". These statements reflect the Offeror's current expectations, beliefs, hopes, intentions or strategies regarding the future and assumptions in light of currently available information. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, actual results may differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements. Shareholders and investors should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, and neither the Offeror nor RHBSEC undertakes any obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements. This media release should be read in conjunction with the full text of the announcement in relation to the Offer dated 6 May 2019 ("Offer Announcement"). A copy of the Offer Announcement is available on www.sgx.com. _________________________________ 1 For the purposes of this media release, "market day" means a day on which the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the "SGX-ST") is open for the trading of securities 2 The figures set out above are based on data extracted from Bloomberg (News - Alert) as at the last full market day on which the Shares were transacted immediately prior to the announcement of the Offer 3 i.e. Having received, by the close of the Offer, valid acceptances in respect of such number of Offer Shares which, together with the Shares owned, controlled or agreed to be acquired by the Offeror and parties acting in concert with it either before or during the Offer and pursuant to the Offer or otherwise, will result in the Offeror and parties acting in concert with it holding such number of Shares carrying not less than 90% of the total voting rights attributable to the Shares as at the close of the Offer 4 After the successful close of the offer and completion of the compulsory acquisition process 5 Save for 100 ordinary shares held by KKR and prior to the conversion of the convertible preference shares which will be subscribed for by KKR and which will be equivalent to a minority stake in the Offeror on an as-converted and fully diluted basis View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190505005049/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] AuctionTime.com & Auction Flex to Host Auctioneer Forums in Indiana & Texas LINCOLN, Neb., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandhills Global, the tech company behind AuctionTime.com, Auction Flex, HiBid.com, and Equipmentfacts, will host two auctioneer forums and training seminars in the coming weeks. The first of these forums will be held May 14th and 15th in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The second will be held June 5th in Waco, Texas. Both of these events will offer attendees industry insights into a number of online and live auction platforms, auction management solutions, online bidder software, and other resources that simplify auction management, equipment valuation, advertising, bidding, and payment processing. Each of these forums will cover auction management solutions, including insights into using technology to automate cataloging, clerking, cashiering, accounting, mailing list management, and more. Both forums will include coverage of online-only and simulcast auction technology, bidding and bidder management solutions, and asset valuation resources, as well as financing, payment processing, and integrated e-commerce platforms. Each event will also focus on streamlining auction maagement, and will include in-depth coverage of Auction Flex and the services with which it integrates. The first day of the Fort Wayne forum will conclude with a reception event, and the one-day Waco forum will conclude with a reception, as well. "These forums offer networking and learning opportunities that auctioneers can use to harness the ever-changing technology landscape reshaping the industry. The more efficient and more agile we can make our customers, the better they can grow their business," said Auction Flex's Kris Kennedy. "We do this by teaching efficiency improvements in auction management along with all the new integrations we can offer, such as payment processing on email invoices, e-commerce sites, and quicker ways to get auctions out to the online audience. These forums provide an inviting and approachable format that can directly impact your bottom line." Interested in attending either of the upcoming auctioneer forums? Contact [email protected] or call (352) 414-1947 or your AuctionTime.com sales representative to register. About AuctionTime.com Powered by Machinery Trader, CraneTrader, ForestryTrader, LiftsToday, Truck Paper, TractorHouse, and MarketBook, AuctionTime.com is a product of Sandhills Globalan information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. AuctionTime equipment listings appear both online and in print across Sandhills' trade publications and corresponding websites to reach buyers around the world in the trucking, agriculture, construction, and heavy equipment industries. About Auction Flex & HiBid Auction Flex is the market-leader in auction software for live auctions, with capabilities that include cataloging, clerking, cashiering, accounting, mailing list management, inventory management, multi-parcel, and more. Auction Flex also provides a seamless solution that enables auction houses to upload auction catalogs online and accept internet absentee bids, conduct internet-only auctions, or offer webcast live internet bidding through its integrated web service and internet bidding solutionHiBid (both a private-label solution and a portal). Auction Flex and HiBid were built from the ground up to function together seamlessly. Contact AuctionTime and Auction Flex (352) 414-1947 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/auctiontimecom--auction-flex-to-host-auctioneer-forums-in-indiana--texas-300844373.html SOURCE AuctionTime.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Bradesco Announces the Acquisition of BAC Florida Bank in the U.S. SAO PAULO, May 6, 2019 /CNW/ -- Bradesco announces its entry into an agreement to acquire BAC Florida Bank ("BAC Florida"), a Florida-state licensed bank specializing in providing financial services in the U.S., especially to non-resident high net worth individuals. With this transaction, Bradesco reiterates its commitment to creating long-term value for its shareholders and clients, by strengthening its operations in different markets. The value of the transaction is approximately US$500 million and the transaction is subject to the approval of the competent regulatory authorities in Brazil and the U.S. With assets of US$2.2 billion and shareholders' equity of US$206 million, BAC Florida operates in different business segments, including Private Banking & Wealth Management, Corporate & Institutional Banking, and Real Estate Financing. It also offers Personal, Business and Digital Banking, with clients in 49 U.S. states and operates a broker dealer. "Expanding our product and service offerings through BAC Florida is a way of being the preferred wealth management bank for our clients, who have increasingly demanded more diversification and greater access to global solutions," says Octavio de Lazari, Chief Executive Officer of Bradesco. For Bradesco the acquisition has a strategic importance, as it will expand the offering of investments in the U.S. to Bradesco's affluent and high net worth clients, as well as othe banking services, such as checking account, credit card and real estate financing. Bradesco will also have the opportunity to expand business related to corporate and institutional clients. "We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Bradesco. We believe the transaction will continue to contribute to the success of our clients and the professional and personal development of BAC Florida team members," said Carlos Pellas, Co-Chairman of BAC Florida. Banco Bradesco BBI S.A. acted as financial advisor and Shearman & Sterling LLP acted as outside legal counsel to Bradesco in connection with the transaction. Sandler O'Neill & Partners, L.P. served as financial advisor to BAC Florida and its controlling shareholders. Hughes Hubbard & Reed and Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Ferri, LLP (ARHMF) served as legal advisor to BAC Florida shareholders and BAC Florida, respectively. About BAC Florida With 45 years of banking expertise, BAC Florida is headquartered in Coral Gables, Miami, U.S. It is part of Grupo Pellas, a business conglomerate with over 140 years of history and operations in 10 countries. As of December 31st, 2018, BAC Florida posted total assets of US$2,235 million, shareholders' equity of US$205.9 million and net income of US$29.4 million. It currently has approximately 10,000 clients. BAC Florida operates primarily in the following business areas: Private Banking & Wealth Management, Corporate & Institutional Banking and Real Estate Financing. It also provides Domestic Personal, Commercial and Digital Banking and operates a Broker Dealer. The North American bank has clients in the domestic and international markets. In addition, it has strong relationships with high net worth foreign nationals, to whom it provides financial services including Real Estate Financing. For further information: Bradesco Public Relations Department 55 11 36845899/ 55 11 36842776 [email protected] Bradesco Investor Relations Department www.bradescori.com.br View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bradesco-announces-the-acquisition-of-bac-florida-bank-in-the-us-300844300.html SOURCE Banco Bradesco S.A. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] CenLand launches CenHomes, a technological platform of real estate, aimed at international customers and investors HANOI, Vietnam, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CenHomes (belonging to Century Land Joint Stock Company - CenLand) helps international customers and investors verify pieces of information to guarantee safe transparent transactions. This website plays the role of an information "filter" for both buyers and sellers in the real estate market, provides sufficient information on legal issues, construction status, and real price of every project. Before being uploaded on cenhomes.vn, every project must be under strict measurement, supervision, and appraisal of the CenHomes team. Furthermore, in order to create new experiences and optimize searching process for users at CenHomes, this website is integrated with the key technologies of Industrial Revolution 4.0 such as AI, Bigdata, etc. to help exploit information, record market trends, and give 24/7 support to valued customers. One prominent achievement by this website is the virtual reality (VR) technology to produce lively visual experiences for international customers and investors. The real 3D images of every project as well as its neighborhood is directly taken from reality and enclosed with real estate information. In addition to technologies, CenHomes also makes definitely significant investment in human resources. The professional consultants are always there to support international customers and investors in dealing with legal procedures, and making quick accurate ransactions as well. According to Mr. Le Xuan Nga, General Director of CenHomes, "CenHomes has made a plan to globalize the system of real estate marketing and distribution. This plan will help many international customers and investors well understand market trends, find it easier to search and transact real estate in Vietnam. Moreover, via a prestigious intermediary like CenHomes, international customers and investors can easily sell their real property or make it hired when they don't need to use it any more". CenHomes is a new realty business platform, developed by CenLand - one of the leading realty enterprises in Vietnam. This platform is a combination between the modern technologies, expert knowledge of the market, and the absolute desire for customers' best experiences. By the message "New style of real estate transactions", CenHomes would like to change customers' mindset, help them switch from traditional passive transactions to easier and more active ones. In the world, there are many countries who have been proactive in applying e-commerce to real estate transactions, and gained optimistic achievements. Some typical ones are Rightmove in the UK, Zillow in the USA, or PropertyGuru in Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, etc. Such organizations have completely changed the transaction habit of local people, become a useful tool to help international investors easily learn about and transact real estate at these countries. In Vietnam, CenHomes is a pioneer e-commerce platform of real estate that keeps up with the above trend to thoroughly solve hardships for international customers and investors when they invest in Vietnam's real properties, encourage them to learn about the local market and boost investment activities. On May 10, 2019, CenHomes will make its official debut in Vietnam through an exhibition of real estate technologies in Ha Noi. At the show, customers are not only updated with the latest trends of real estate market, but they can also directly experience new innovations in real estate transactions from CenHomes. For further details, please visit https://cenhomes.vn/ For any support, please contact: - Hotline: 18006268 - Email: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cenland-launches-cenhomes-a-technological-platform-of-real-estate-aimed-at-international-customers-and-investors-300844079.html SOURCE CenHomes [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] ClickSoftware to Discuss the Value of AI and Analytics for the 5G Telecom Customer Experience at the Big 5G Event BURLINGTON, Mass., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ClickSoftware , the leading provider of field service management software, is participating in the Big 5G Event , North America's largest 5G conference, to be held in Denver, Colorado May 6-8, 2019. On Tuesday, May 7, ClickSoftware's VP of Strategic Communications, Scott Chrismer, will be a panelist for the session "Does AI and Analytics Improve Customer Experience in a 5G World?" , hosted by James Crawshaw of Heavy Reading. The panel will explore use cases for AI-enhanced analytics that can support 5G service assurance and customer experience management strategies. In his role at ClickSoftware, Scott works with the largest, most complex telecommunications companies in North America on their Field Service Workforce Management initiatives. WHO: Scott Chrismer, VP of strategic communications, ClickSoftware WHAT: Panelist, "Does AI and Analytics Improve Customer Experience in a 5G World?" WHERE: Big 5G Event Colorado Convention Center Denver, Colorado WHEN: Tuesday, May 7, 2019, 2:30 p.m.-3:15 p.m. MDT About ClickSoftware ClickSoftware is a global leader in field service management solutions, delivering value through improved efficiency, effectiveness, and enhancing customer experiences. ClickSoftware blends unparalleled industry expertise and state-of-the-art computer science to deliver meaningful, measurable business valueoptimizing critical business processes and delighting customers. Click Field Service Edge arms field service leaders with the smartest technologies and best practices from around the globe to deliver real-world results, real-time recommendations, and real operational intelligence. For more information, please visit www.clicksoftware.com . Stay up to date with Click by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter . Click. Actual intelligence. At work. Media Inquiries: Jill Rosenthal InkHouse for ClickSoftware [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/clicksoftware-to-discuss-the-value-of-ai-and-analytics-for-the-5g-telecom-customer-experience-at-the-big-5g-event-300843594.html SOURCE ClickSoftware [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] eMoney Advisor Celebrates Grand Opening of State-of-the-Art Office in Providence, R.I. eMoney Advisor (eMoney), a leading provider of technology solutions and services that help people talk about money, is pleased to announce the grand opening of its newly expanded office located on the sixth floor of 100 Westminster in downtown Providence. Rhode Island Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, members of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and local community officials will join eMoney CEO Ed O'Brien and members of the eMoney leadership team for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. today, May 6. In March of 2017, eMoney selected Providence as the home to its third office and promised to bring 100 full-time jobs to Rhode Island by 2020. The company exceeded this goal in under two years, hiring 110 employees in various departments, including the initially targeted technical areas of user interface and experience design, software testing and quality engineering; plus product management, marketing, human resources, client services, legal and finance. "Two years ago, eMoney opened its doors in Providence with ambitious growth goals," said Ed O'Brien, CEO of eMoney Advisor. "Today, we've exceeded those goals, which is a testament to the talent in this area and the resources made available to us through the Rhode Island Commerce Committee and other government-funded organizations focused on developing the local tech community. We're excited to be a part of this vibrant community and remain committed to producing more job opportunities in technology and many of the other business functions that contribute to eMoney's success." eMoney's initial office was located on the 11th floor of 100 Westminster, which is owned and managed by Paolino Properties. Rather than change its location completely, eMoney chose to stay in the same building and partner with local companies Elaine Construction and Vision 3 Architects to design a new space fromscratch. At 23,000 square feet - triple the size of the former office - the new space is designed with vibrant and airy colors in a modern, open floor plan inspired by eMoney's brand values of collaboration, innovation and fun. It can accommodate more than 200 employees using open seating, collaborative workspaces and remote work options. Additionally, the space houses 21 huddle rooms for both informal or formal meetings, each named after a different neighborhood in Providence; a kitchen area with counter and table seating; 20 flat-screen TVs, which can be used as monitors; and a game area with ping pong and video gaming. To further enhance the aesthetics, local art adorns the walls thanks to an ongoing partnership with the Rhode Island Council of the Arts. The focal point is a custom eMoney mural designed by artist Lizzie $our, a freshman at Rhode Island School of Design. Painted by hand using acrylic paints, the bold design with eMoney's logo at center creatively reflects eMoney's brand and culture. eMoney employees moved into the space in early April while the finishing touches were added over the past few weeks. Gov. Raimondo will offer opening remarks at today's ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially commemorate the space. "I'm thrilled that eMoney now has this beautiful, permanent office space in our capital city," said Gov. Raimondo. "Since they opened their original office at 100 Westminster less than two years ago, they've exceeded their hiring goals and currently employ more than 100 workers. I look forward to their continued growth and success in Providence." In addition to Providence, eMoney has two other offices - its headquarters just outside of Philadelphia in Radnor, Pa., and its West Coast office in San Diego. It currently employs more than 700 full-time, noncontract workers at its three locations in addition to many remote employees throughout the U.S. To learn more about eMoney or see job openings, visit the eMoney careers site. About eMoney Advisor, LLC eMoney Advisor, LLC ("eMoney") provides technology solutions and services that help people talk about money. Rooted in comprehensive financial planning, eMoney's solutions strengthen client relationships, streamline business operations, enhance business development and drive overall growth. As of March 31, 2019, more than 60,000 financial professionals across firms of all sizes use the eMoney platform to serve 4.4 million households throughout the U.S. For more information, please visit: www.emoneyadvisor.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005410/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Girls Across Canada to Solve Community Problems with Technology Solutions for National Girls Learning Code Day TORONTO, May 6, 2019 /CNW/ - Girls across Canada will take part in the 6th annual National Girls Learning Code Day on May 11 and learn how to use technology to solve problems in their community. The daytime interactive coding workshops for girls aged 9-12 will be hosted in over 35 communities and feature leading tech sector role models as mentors. This year's theme for #glcCodeDay is innovation and entrepreneurship. "As technology will only increasingly power the way we solve problems and share ideas with one another, it is crucial we introduce young girls to coding and empower them to be a part of Canada's digital future," said Melissa Sarrifodeen, CEO of Canada Learning Code. Girls will be challenged to think about problems they want to solve, experiences or products they wish existed, and learn to use code to build their own websites for their solutions. They will be joined by their parents or guardians for a fun-filled day of discovery and development. Closing The Gender Gap In addition to learning technical skills, a focus on entrepreneurship is important to help young girls develop the skills needed to be successful including: effective problem solving, learning from failure, allowing kids to make decisions, fostering creativity, and fostering leadership. These are important to develop at an early age as the gender gap persists today in the fast-growing tech sector. Female founders only received 2.2 per cent of $130 billion in venture capital (VC) funding in 2018. The number of deals completed by female founders is growing, though the percentage of mone going to these companies remains stagnant as the total amount of VC investment increases (PitchBook). Media are welcome to come be a part of Girls Learning Code Day all across Canada and learn more about the importance of learning digital skills at an early age while being wowed by what girls can build in a day. Visit http://girlslearningcodeday.com to learn more. A word from Scotiabank "Young people are our future leaders and Scotiabank's goal is to help ensure that they have the guidance, confidence and tools they need to achieve their dreams and reach their infinite potential," said Jacquie Ryan, Vice President Social Enterprise at Scotiabank. "As an organization we know that how we support young people today can prepare them for tomorrow, and that's why Scotiabank is a proud sponsor of Girls Learning Code Day. Investing in young people is the pathway to community prosperity and Scotiabank and its employees are committed to helping to enrich the lives of young people and their communities." A word from Sun Life Financial "At Sun Life, we're committed to attracting more women in technology to support diversity in the workplace," said Alice Thomas, Chief Digital Technology Officer at Sun Life Financial. "We're proud to sponsor events such as Girls Learning Code Day that align with that focus, and introduce young girls to the exciting possibilities that a career in tech can bring." About Canada Learning Code Canada Learning Code is a leading national charity championing digital literacy education, working nation-wide and across all sectors to equip Canadians with technical skills. To date, the organization has taught over 260,000 learners through an in-person experience, which are offered in over 35 cities across the country. Technical skills are a tool of empowerment, and it is the organization's mission to ensure that all Canadians - particularly those who are currently underrepresented in the tech sector - have access to learn these critical skills and be active participants in the digital age. Twitter: @learningcode Instagram: @learningcode Facebook: @canadalearningcode CanadaLearningCode.ca SOURCE Canada Learning Code [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Glance Technologies Amends and Completes Transaction With Fobisuite and Announces Joint Venture With Kinect VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glance Technologies Inc. (Glance or the Company) (CSE:GET) (OTCQB:GLNNF) (FKT:GJT) today announced it has amended and completed its previously announced transaction with Fobisuite Technologies Inc. and entered into a joint venture with Kinect Technology Inc. (Kinect). Amended and Restated Agreement Glance previously announced an agreement with Fobisuite which included the grant of a license from Glance and Fobisuite to a newly-created company Fobi Pay Technologies Inc. (Fobi Pay). The terms of that agreement were amended to substitute a new entity, Converge MobiSolutions Inc. (Converge), for Fobi Pay. As part of the amended agreement, Glance has entered into a license and distribution agreement with Converge pursuant to which Converge has the right to sell Glances technology. Converge has also entered into a separate license and distribution agreement pursuant to which it has the right to sell certain other technology that has been licensed to Kinect. As explained further below, Converge will be focused on marketing and selling technology to certain types of merchants such as casinos, hotels, restaurants and nightclubs and will target certain geographies including Las Vegas. Glance owns 49% of the common shares of Converge and Kinect owns the remaining 51% of Converge. Fobisuite Transaction Pursuant to the terms of the agreement with Fobisuite, Fobisuite has granted Glance a non-exclusive licence to use Fobisuites technology which allows for the digitization of receipts for data collection and the ability to customize and append receipts with advertisements, deals and coupons for merchants in the hospitality industry. Fobisuites technology platform will allow us to bypass traditional integrations with POS systems to access order & payment information, especially improving our offering to both consumers and merchants in situations where integrations may not be feasible, says Glance CEO Desmond Griffin, Additionally, this opens up further revenue opportunities from real-time targeted consumer advertising and increased data analytics. We believe this is complementary to our current Glance Pay platform and are excited to begin implementing this technology. The following are the material terms of the agreement between Glance and Fobisuite: Fobisuite has granted Glance a non-exclusive licence that will be for an initial term of ten years with perpetual subsequent one-year renewal terms. This device allows for the digitization of receipts for data collection and the ability to customize and append receipts with advertisements, deals and coupons for merchants in the hospitality industry. The remaining $250,000 and the 250,000 shares of Glance were released from escrow to Fobisuite on closing of the transaction. Glance has also entered into a arketing and business development agreement with Rob Anson, CEO of Fobisuite to grow the current Glance distribution network by making introductions to Fobisuite's current technology partners. Pursuant to this agreement, Mr. Anson was granted incentive stock options. The stock options vest upon the achievement of certain performance business development milestones and are subject to the terms of the companys stock option plan and regulatory approval. Joint Venture with Kinect Glance has also entered into a joint venture with Kinect to form Converge and granted it a license to sell Glances products. Converge will initially be focused on selling Glances products in destination cities around the world, commencing in Las Vegas and Hawaii, with an aim to increase market share in APAC Region. Glance will own 20,000,000 shares in Converge and Kinect will own 20,500,000 shares. "We have a vision for digitally transforming how cities and commerce intersect as we aim to bring together partners that share our passion for advanced digital technology, smart living, and connectivity in the community with tech-enabled, human-centric services to transform the physical world," says Kinects CEO, Reo Kobayashi, "We believe that collaborative efforts that work towards embracing technology and embedding it in the very infrastructure of cities is at the core of improving city experiences." Glance has also entered into an advisory agreement with Reo Kobayashi, CEO of Kinect, pursuant to which Mr. Kobayashi has been granted incentive stock options to purchase common shares of Glance. About Glance Technologies Inc. Glance Technologies is the owner of Glance Pay and Glance PayMe, a pair of complementary smartphone payment applications that enable merchants to provide their customers with quick secure payments, digital rewards, and better experiences. Glance offers targeted in-app marketing, geo-targeted digital coupons, customer feedback, in-merchant messaging, custom rewards programs, digital receipts, and digital deals. For more information about Glance, please go to www.glance.tech . Desmond Griffin, CEO Investor questions: (833) 338-0299 [email protected] Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: may, "believe", thinks, "expect", exploring, expand, could, "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", plan, pursue, "potentially", projected, should, will and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. These forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to, among other things, the discussion of Glances business strategies and its expectations concerning future operations. Although Glance considers these forward-looking statements to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among other things, risks that Glances software and applications may contain security problems, security vulnerabilities, or defects in design or manufacture, including bugs and other problems that could interfere with the intended operation of its software, risks related to the volatility of customer demand for Glances products, and the possibility that the expected benefits from the launch of new features will not be realized. The forward-looking information in this press release is also based on certain estimates, forecasts and projections, as well as expectations, beliefs and assumptions, including, among other things, that Glance will be able to achieve its business and technology development objectives. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this press release, see the section entitled Risk Factors in the most recent Annual Information Form and Prospectus of Glance, which may be accessed through Glance's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Glance cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by Glance is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking information, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] IBM Launches New Services to Advance Enterprise Transformations with SAP S/4HANA ARMONK, N.Y., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today introduced IBM Rapid Move for SAP S/4HANA, a new approach designed to provide a smarter and faster way to digital transformations. Businesses across industries can look to accelerate the process of migrating existing SAP systems to SAP S/4HANA, enabling them to speed up the reinvention of core business processes and integration of new technology. Arauco, a manufacturer of sustainable forest product solutions in Chile, is one of the first companies to benefit from the new capabilities. IBM Services is working to upgrade and transform Arauco's existing SAP systems across the company's financial, procurement and production activities. By deploying IBM Rapid Move for SAP S/4HANA, Arauco anticipates achieving a reduction in time of up to 50% for certain activities during the project based on their specific environment and configurations, such as unicode conversion, generating significant time savings for the overall project. "As we prepare for future growth, we needed to implement a digital platform that will streamline our processes through business transformation, including converting our existing SAP systems to SAP S/4HANA. Speed of deployment has been key to ensuring we experience the benefits of digital technology faster," said Leandro San Miguel, CIO Arauco. "The IBM Rapid Move for SAP S/4HANA approach can help accelerate our modernization of processes, allowing us to deploy an integrated and consolidated financial reporting system across the business with SAP S/4HANA." Companies in every industry are reinventing their processes and operations with digital strategies enabled by new technologies, such as AI, automation and blockchain. SAP S/4HANA allows companies to simplify complex business processes while upgrading their technology infrastructure and enterprise systems resulting in greater efficiency and improved business outcomes. "Businesses working to transform themselves amid ongoing market disruption must consider how to convert and extend their existing investments, while at the same time capitalizing on the digital reinvention imperative," said Mark Foster, Senior Vice President, IBM Global Business Services and IBM Services. "With IBM Rapid Move for SAP S/4HANA, we've introduced an approach that helps simplify migration, enabling our clients to safely and securely move to the future at pace." Since forming the Digital Transformation partnership three years ago, IBM Services and SAP have worked together to provide services and capabilities that help accelerate how customers around the world modernize their systems and processes on their path to becoming an intellient enterprise. The two companies continue to deliver new solutions that address rapidly changing market needs, including SAP Model Company services combined with enhanced industry specific pre-configured IBM Impact accelerators, which are designed to simplify the change process, speed-up innovation enabled by SAP S/4HANA and unlock business benefits faster. As announced late last year, IBM Services completed more than 100 SAP S/4HANA implementations. IBM Rapid Move for SAP S/4HANA, complete with integrated delivery framework from SAP, including the SAP Value Assurance program and SAP Model Company service, helps accelerate migration to the SAP S/4HANA platform with minimal risk. This agile transformation approach offers more design and build flexibility that can deliver an enhanced user experience and automated business processes. By taking advantage of IBM Rapid Move, businesses can also leverage and transform existing SAP investments without the need to fully redesign their legacy systems. "The partnership between SAP and IBM continues to grow. With IBM Rapid Move for SAP S/4HANA, IBM is delivering an innovative way to give customers a major head start on their digital transformation projects and provide their clients with the ability to realize value from their deployments with even greater speed and agility," said Michael Kleinemeier, member of the Executive Board and head of the SAP Digital Business Services organization, SAP SE. IBM Services teamed up with transformation software company SNP to create a highly automated migration that combines the SAP management and technical expertise of the two companies. IBM Rapid Move for SAP S/4HANA incorporates a hybrid transition approach to target process redesign and standardization, only where it is needed. IBM has embedded automation into the process leveraging "digital workers" that execute SAP S/4HANA configuration, code remediation and data reconciliation to reduce the complexity of implementation. "Almost every company deals with SAP S/4HANA and wants to tap into the opportunities of digital transformation," says Dr. Andreas Schneider-Neureither, CEO SNP. "Working with IBM Services, we can now offer a simpler and faster way to take advantage of SAP S/4HANA. With the rapid adoption of SAP S/4HANA, companies accelerate their digital transformation and take advantage of the platform earlier than with traditional methods. This includes improving performance in complex and time-critical business processes such as real-time planning, execution, reporting, analytics and forecasting based on live data, as well as a personalized and simplified user experience across all business units, tasks and devices." About IBM For more information about IBM Services, visit https://www.ibm.com/services. For more information about IBM's SAP services, visit https://www.ibm.com/services/sap. IBM will be exhibiting and speaking at SAP SAPPHIRE NOW & ASUG Annual Conference, May 7 9, 2019 | Orlando, FL | Booth #711 About SNP SNP supports organizations in adapting their business models and using new technologies. SNP software and services make it easy to implement business or technical modifications to business applications. CrystalBridge and SNP Transformation Backbone with SAP LT is the world's leading software suite for data transformations that automatically analyzes, implements and tracks changes to IT systems. As a result, they offer clear qualitative advantages, while significantly reducing the time and expense involved in transformation projects. The SNP Group has over 1,300 employees worldwide. Headquartered in Heidelberg, the company generated provisional revenue of 131 million euros in the 2018 fiscal year. SNP's customers are global corporations from all industries. SNP was founded in 1994 and has been publicly traded since 2000. As of August 2014, the company is listed on the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN DE0007203705). Since 2017, the company has operated as a European stock corporation (Societas Europaea/SE) SAP, SAP S/4HANA and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Please see http://www.sap.com/trademark for additional trademark information and notices. SAP Forward-looking Statement Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. Media Contact: Marisa Conway IBM Media Relations [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ibm-launches-new-services-to-advance-enterprise-transformations-with-sap-s4hana-300844196.html SOURCE IBM [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The arrival hall of Incheon International Airport is crowded with travelers returning from overseas on the last day of the long weekend, Monday. As Children's Day fell on Sunday, Monday was declared a replacement holiday. / Yonhap [May 05, 2019] Kaspersky Lab signs on Dicker Data to boost security offerings in ANZ Channel SYDNEY, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For a year now, Margrith Appleby has been the General Manager of Kaspersky Lab operations in Australia and New Zealand, dedicated to growing the local business. Appleby says, "I'm truly excited by this partnership, Dicker Data is Australia's largest value-added distributor with extensive local market reach and knowledge that will help drive Kaspersky's world class technology into Mid-Market, SMB and Enterprise customer segments across ANZ. The global cybersecurity firm protects over 400 million users worldwide and Dicker Data will gain access to a portfolio spanning threat intelligence, endpoint protection and next-generation security solutions. This partnership als gives rise to Kaspersky Lab joining forces with a leading distributor housing in excess of 5000 partners, including value added resellers, system integrators and managed service providers. Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab Asia Pacific, Stephan Neumeier, adds, "I am delighted to welcome Dicker Data on board. We will see this partnership grow businesses together and secure new customers within Australia and New Zealand." Dicker Data Chairman and CEO, David Dicker, said, "I'm pleased to be announcing our new partnership with Kaspersky Lab in Australia and New Zealand. As the threat landscape continues to evolve and change each day, security has remained a top priority for our partners and their end-users alike. The addition of Kaspersky Lab will enable our partners to provide a range of cybersecurity protection and threat intelligence capabilities to secure their customers." About Kaspersky Lab Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company, which has been operating in the market for over 21 years. Kaspersky Lab's deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into next-generation security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company's comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.au. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190503/2455361-1 SOURCE Kaspersky Lab [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Kevin Crough Appointed to Lead Centiro's Continued North America Expansion BORAS, Sweden, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Centiro, a leading innovator in cloud-based delivery management and supply chain networking solutions, has appointed Kevin Crough to SVP North America, to help retailers, brands, manufacturers, and logistics providers connect their supply chain and distribution networks in the cloud to drive innovation, improve visibility and business performance in the field of e-commerce, omnichannel, and final-mile. "It's a very exciting time to turn up intensity and focus in North America, and a pleasure to welcome Kevin onboard to lead that effort, building on our North America success. He carries a well-respected name in industry and a firm understanding of how Centiro technology and innovation capability can help our customers speed up and address key market needs," says Niklas Hedin, CEO. Kevin Crough brings more than 30 years of international supply chain expertise to Centiro. He spent the last three years at Infor asVice President Supply Chain. Prior to Infor, Kevin spent eleven years at GT Nexus (TradeCard) in various sales executive roles across the US. "I'm honored to be a part of the next generation Centiro family. The company culture, innovative solutions and customer centric values have been key to the company success and will continue to be the cornerstone of our operations in North America. Our seamless sales and service delivery model is refreshingly unique and a real competitive advantage for us and our customers. Satisfying customer requirements to deliver for their customers should never go out of style," says Kevin Crough, SVP. Kevin will expand Centiro's presence in North America from its US headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. About Centiro Centiro is a Swedish software company, a leading innovator in cloud-based transportation and delivery management solutions. Centiro's products empower companies and finer supply chains in over 125 countries. Headquartered in Boras, Sweden with offices in Boston, London and Pune, our list of clients is impressive and includes iconic brands renowned for supply-chain innovation and effectiveness. The company has won several awards and accolades over the years and is ranked as one of the best places to work in Europe by Great Place to Work. For further information, please visit www.centiro.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kevin-crough-appointed-to-lead-centiros-continued-north-america-expansion-300843591.html SOURCE Centiro [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Maura Smith Joins Family Law Offices of Edward Nusbaum Maura Smith recently joined the Law Offices of Edward Nusbaum P.C. as a partner. Smith is involved with the full spectrum of client representation, trials, drafting and prosecution of pre- and post-judgment motions, conducting and managing discovery and depositions, negotiation and drafting of separation agreements, and other agreements submitted to the court. The Law Offices of Edward Nusbaum is a Westport-based family law firm dedicated solely to the practice of family law. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005089/en/ Prior to joining the firm, Smith founded her own law firm in 2016 after a 35-year career in private practice and as the general counsel of several large public companies. Smith's law firm, with offices in New York City and New Canaan, Conn., focused on commercial and matrimonial matters. Her firm acted as national claims and settlement counsel for a national retailer, and advised several public companies on compliance and governance matters. Smith also represented individuals in employment discrimination matters, and served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association on its national roster of commercial arbitrators. In her matrimonial practice, she used her knowledge of corporate law and executive compensation, as well as her financial training, to achieve outstanding results for her clients. She also served as co-counsel in cases with large marital estates, including non-U.S. assets, privately-owned businesses and complex financial instruments. In 2018, she became a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, and a member of the American Academy of Financial Litigators, New York Chapter. Early in her career, Smith was a partner in the law firm of Baker McKenzie, one of the largest international firms in the world. While in private practice, Smith epresented individuals in family matters, as well as banks and small businesses. Smith left private practice to become general counsel of GE Plastics. She was appointed a GE officer in 1993, then one of a handful of women officers. She left GE in 1998 to become senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Owens Corning (News - Alert). In addition to her legal responsibilities, Smith served as Owens Corning's chief restructuring officer and was elected to its board of directors. She achieved national recognition for her innovative efforts to resolve asbestos litigation, testifying before Congress to urge the enactment of legislation that would permit companies to pay injured workers in privately negotiated settlement programs like the one she implemented for Owens Corning. In 2003, Smith returned to Connecticut, joining International Paper as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary. Smith relocated to Memphis, Tenn. when the Stamford, Conn.-based company moved its headquarters there in 2005. In addition to overseeing a 100-person global legal department, she sponsored and participated in pro bono initiatives in the community, and was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to serve on its Access to Justice Commission. Smith moved to New Canaan, Conn. in 2011 to become chief legal officer of PepsiCo. In 2013, she accepted an ex-patriate assignment in Brussels, Belgium, to become executive vice president, general counsel, and general secretary of Delhaize Group, now Ahold Delhaize, one of the world's largest food retail groups. She was a member of its six-person executive committee before returning to the U.S. at the end of 2014. As general counsel, Smith led large legal organizations and advised boards and CEOs on a wide range of corporate transactions and governance matters. She also represented her clients in significant litigation matters before the U.S. Supreme Court, federal appeals courts, and various district and state courts throughout the country, including nationwide product liability class action lawsuits, personal injury lawsuits, antitrust and trade secret theft cases, employment discrimination, environmental and other regulatory matters. Smith graduated from Vassar College with highest honors and highest distinction in her major, economics, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and was among the first women to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. As a Rhodes Scholar, she attended the University of Oxford, earning her master of philosophy degree in economics, and then attended the University of Miami School of Law as a John M. Olin Fellow in Law & Economics, receiving her J.D. with honors in 1982. "We are pleased to welcome Maura to our practice," said Edward Nusbaum, the firm's founding partner and principal. "Maura's insights and experience will afford clients an invaluable perspective, further complementing our firm's culture of service and dedication to the exceptional representation of our clients. She will also continue to represent clients who reside in New York in divorce and other family law matters, and will continue her work as an arbitrator." Smith is admitted to the bars of Connecticut, New York, Tennessee, Florida, and the Supreme Court of the United States. She is a member of various state and local bar associations, including the Connecticut Bar Association, and its Family Law Section, the New York Bar Association, and its Family Law Section, and the American Bar Association. The Law Offices of Edward Nusbaum P.C., located at 212 Post Road West, represents individuals with substantial assets in all areas of family law matters, including divorce, alimony, child support, property division, child custody and relocation cases. A significant portion of the firm's work is concentrated in Fairfield County, although it also represents clients who reside in other counties, and those who have assets or business interests in other states or countries. For additional information on the Law Offices of Edward Nusbaum P.C., please visit its website at http://www.nusbaumfamilylaw.com/ or call 203-226-8181. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005089/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Meketa Investment Group Expands Employee Ownership Team Meketa Investment Group (Meketa), a global investment consulting and advisory firm, is pleased to announce it has expanded its employee ownership to include 13 new shareholders. Lisa Bacon, Sarah Bernstein, Colin Bebee, Gustavo Bikkesbakker, Brandon Colon, Aaron Lally, Ryan Lobdell, Rita McCusker, Paola Nealon, Ethan Samson, David Sancewich, Brad Walker and Eric White, have joined the firm's ownership group. Allan Emkin, Kay Ceserani, Judy Chambers, Tad Fergusson, Christy Fields and Neil Rue, who joined Meketa earlier this year as part of the firm's combination with Pension Consulting Alliance (PCA), were also named as shareholders in conjunction with the formal completion of the merger in March. Today's announcement brings the total number of Meketa shareholders to 57. As a firm that is entirely employee-owned, these new shareholders will continue Meketa's tradition of extending ownership to the firm's best and brightest. "We are very pleased to expand our employee ownership group to include these talented and accomplished individuals," said Stephen McCourt, Co-CEO, Meketa. "At Meketa, we recognize the hard work, talent, and dedication that these men and women have shown throughout their careers and believe that as shareholders, they will help continue to strengthen the leadership at Meketa for years to come." "Each of these individuals, whether at Meketa or PCA, has been a long-time valued contributor, and their appointment as a shareholder is well-earned and much deserved," said Peter Woolley, Co-CEO, Meketa. "Having such a large number join our ownership group is evidence of our firm's very deep team of senior professionals and of our continued commitment to remaining a fully employee-owned, full service investment and advisory firm." New Meketa Shareholders Lisa Bacon, CAIA, works in the Private Markets Group specializing in real assets. She is a member of the firm's ESG Investment and Private Markets Research Committees. Ms. Bacon received her Master of Science in Finance with honors from Pace University's Lubin School of Business, a Master of Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley, and her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Duke University. Sarah Bernstein, PhD, serves as a consultant and is a member of the firm's ESG Investment and Corporate Responsibility Committees. She joined the firm as part of the combination of Meketa and PCA. Ms. Bernstein received a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from the New School for Social Research and her bachelor's degree in Politics from the University of California. Colin Bebee, CFA, who joined Meketa from PCA, serves as a consultant to public funds. He is a member of the firm's Strategic Asset Allocation & Risk Management Committee. Mr. Bebee received a bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, in Economics and Finance from Linfield College. Gustavo Bikkesbakker is a consultant and oversees the operations of Meketa's Miami office and the firm's private markets efforts in Latin America. He is a member of the firm's ESG Investment and Corporate Responsibility Committees. Mr. Bikkesbakker received an MS in Finance from the Carroll Graduate School of Management at Boston College, an MBA from the Arthur D. Little School of Management, and an Analista de Sistemas degree from the Fundacion BankBoston School of Information Science in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Brandon Colon serves as a consultant and Deputy Director of Marketable Alternatives. He is also a member of the firm's Marketing Committee. Mr. Colon received a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Bates College and is currently an MBA candidate at the Yale School of Management. Aaron Lally, CFA, CAIA, CIPM, serves as a consultant on non-profits, public funds and multi-employer clients. He is a member of the firm's Emerging & Diverse Managers and Marketing Committees. Mr. Lally received a bachelor's degree in Economics from Boston College. Ryan Lobdell, CAIA, is a consultant and serves public funds, foundations and 529 College Savings plans. He joined the firm from PCA. He is a member of the firm's Strategic Asset Allocation & Risk Management Committee. Mr. Lobdell received his bachelor's degree in Finance with a minor in Economics from Linfield College. Rita McCusker is the Director of Client Service and is responsible for coordinating and leading firm-wide business development and client service as a member of the firm's management team. She is also the Chair of the firm's Marketing Committee. Ms. McCusker received her MBA from Boston University and a bachelor's degree in Finance and Accounting from Tulane University. Paola Nealon serves as a consultant for public and private funds, in addition to Taft-Hartley plans. She is a member of the firm's Global Macroeconomic/Tactical Asset Allocation Committee. Ms. Nealon received her MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University with a major in Global Finance and her bachelor's degree in Spanish with a Minor in Economics from Colgate University. Ethan Samson serves as a private markets consultant as well as private markets counsel. He joined the firm from PCA. He is a member of the firm's Compliance Committee. Mr. Samson received his bachelor's degree from Hobart College and his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Lewis & Clark Law School. David Sancewich serves as a consultant to public funds and Taft-Hartley clients. He joined the firm from PCA. He is a member of the firm's Marketable Securities Investment and Marketing Committees. Mr. Sancewich received an MBA and a bachelor's degree in Finance and Business from Washington State University. Brad Walker serves as the Manager of IT Operations and is responsible for overseeing Meketa's overall technology infrastructure and IT support function. Mr. Walker received a Master's degree in Computer Information Systems with a concentration in Project Management from Boston University. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Western Governors University. Eric White, CFA, serves as a consultant and serves public pension, defined contribution, and 529 College Savings plans. He joined the firm from PCA. He is a member of the firm's Global Macroeconomic/Tactical Asset Allocation, Defined Contribution, and Profit Sharing Plan Committees. Mr. White received his Master of Arts in Economics from the University of San Francisco and his bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Oregon. About Meketa Founded in 1978, Meketa is an employee-owned, full service investment consulting and advisory firm. As an independent fiduciary, the firm serves institutional investors in non-discretionary and discretionary capacities. Meketa's collective client assets under advisement represent approximately $1.8 trillion, including over $100 billion in private markets and real estate assets. For more information, please visit www.meketagroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005037/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] MjLink.com Announces CannabisNewsWire as Official Newswire Sponsor for MjMicro Conference NEW YORK, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MjLink.com Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Social Life Networks Inc. (OTCQB: WDLF) , today announces CannabisNewsWire ("CNW") as the official newswire sponsor for the MjMicro Conference taking place June 25, 2019, at the Westin Grand Central in New York City. Billed as The next level in cannabis investment, the MjMicro Conference is an invitational networking forum produced by MjLink.com, designed to unite publicly traded cannabis companies with high-net-worth investors looking for greater returns. MjMicros one-day conference provides an exceptional opportunity to connect capital investment with cannabis-related public entities that are part of the phenomenal growth underway in the cannabis space. All presenting companies are carefully vetted for proof of concept, revenue streams, audited financials and valuations justified by public markets. We are excited to be on board with MjLink and its upcoming MjMicro Conference in New York City, said Christopher Johnson, Director of Syndicated Communications for CannabisNewsWire, a multifaced publishing and news company. This is truly an excellent platform to showcase the robust nature of the cannabis industry and the vital role investors hold in moving this groundbreaking industry forward into mainstream boardrooms and beyond. A short few months ago, there were over 400 cannabis-related public companies with hundreds more expected to list in the next 12-18 months, according to event organizers. In the next decade, analysts project that total cannabis industry sales could reach as high as $130 billion. Viridian Capital Advisors, a leading cannabis investment bank, estimates that $13.8 billion was raised by cannabis firms in 2018, marking a 4-fold increase over the year prior. MjMicro delivers the next level of investment capital that publicly traded companies need. This conference offers an unparalleled chance for C-level executives from presenting firms to meet one-on-one with next-level investors and share insight on growth plans and discuss structured investments. We are very pleased that CannabisNewsWire will be our official newswire and media sponsor, said MjLink President George Jage. The momentum of the cannabis movement has created huge opportunities for investors and public companies alike. CNWs impressive ability to raise the visibility of the cannabis industry and its many players will provide an invaluable service to our conference goers, presenters and sponsors. MjMicro helps investors sift through the fluff to determine the best opportunities while maximizing return on valuable time. To learn more about MjMicro Conference, or to request an invitation to attend, sponsor or present, please visit: https://www.mjmicro.com . About CannabisNewsWire (CNW) CannabisNewWire (CNW) is a specialized information service that (1) aggregates cannabis news, (2) provides CannabisNewsBreaks that quickly updates investors in the space, (3) enhances corporate press releases, (4) helps companies with distribution and optimization of social media, and (5) delivers comprehensive corporate communication solutions. CNW is uniquely positioned in the cannabis market with a strong team of journalists and writers who can help private and public companies reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public through our ever-growing dissemination network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets. CNW is bringing unparalleled visibility, recognition and content to the cannabis industry. For more information, please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com . Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer About MjLink.com Inc. Social Life Network, a cloud-based social media and social network technology company based in Denver, Colorado, announced on September 25, 2018, the Company had spun its cannabis technology division out of the parent company and incorporated MjLink.com Inc., a Delaware Corporation, as its wholly owned subsidiary. MjLink operates as a multinational cannabis technology and media organization with two separate social networks: WeedLife.com, a consumer-to-consumer network and MjLink.com, a business-to-business social network. On April 4th of this year, the president of MjLink, George Jage, announced the launch of a new division of the company that is focused on providing the industry with best-in-class Financial, B2B and B2C cannabis centric events that complement their global social networks. For more information about Social Life Network and to download the MjLink Investor Deck, visit https://social-life-network.com Disclaimer This news release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to achieving corporate objectives, developing additional project interests, the company's analysis of opportunities in the acquisition and development of various project interests and certain other matters. No information in this press release should be construed as any indication whatsoever of the Company's or MjLink's future financial results, revenues or stock price. There are no assurances that the Company will successfully take MjLink.com, Inc public. These statements are made under the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements contained herein. Contact: Investor Relations [email protected] 855-933-3277 Corporate Communications: CannabisNewsWire (CNW) Denver, Colorado www.CannabisNewsWire.com 303.498.7722 Office [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] My Sun Life HK App Wins Two Awards for its Excellence HONG KONG, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- My Sun Life HK, a mobile application of Sun Life Hong Kong Limited ("Sun Life" or "the Company") for its individual insurance clients, has won Silver Award for Best App -- Insurance Services and Bronze Award for Best App -- Financial Services at the Mob-Ex Awards 2019, in recognition of its excellent interface, functionality and content, as well as contributions to enhancing the Company's brand proposition and customer engagement. To offer further convenience, My Sun Life HK has launched a new feature called Policy eContract to enable clients[1] to receive and view the electronic version of their policy contracts upon policy issurance. Clients can acknowledge receipt of their policy contracts via the app without hassle anytime anywhere. Janey Leung, Chief Client Officer, Sun Life Hong Kong Limited, said, "We're thrilled to have received two honors at the Mob-Ex Awards 2019 in Hong Kong. My Sun Life HK is one of the key strategic initiatives in Sun Life's multi-year digital transformation journey. Committed to putting clients at the centre of everything we do, we have built and designed the app based on this client strategy. Our vision is to offer a mobile solution that is truly about helping end users ie our clients, by empowering them to manage their finances anywhere, anytime and to do so with confidence and transparency. The awards recognize our efforts in providing excellent client experience with the help of technology." The eClaims feature launched in December 2018 demonstrates how My Sun Life HK creates values with its client-centric design. As claiming insurance could be a critical yet time-consuming process to clients, the eClaims feature of My Sun Life HK enables individual insurance clients to submit hospitalization and accident claims through the app[2]. With the Company's Straight-Through-Processing system and the Faster Payment System infrastructure by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Sun Life will be able to settle and pay accident claims submitted through My Sun Life HK within 24 hours at the earliest[3], much faster than with paper-based claim processes. The solution provided by DBS in Hong Kong to support the eClaims feature has been awarded Best Payment and Collection Solution at The Asset Triple A Treasury, Trade, Supply Chain and Risk Management Awards 2019. For more, please click: https://www.theasset.com/awards-single/treasury-trade-risk-management. "Sun Life's digital strategy focuses on delivering truly client-centric experiences by making insurance more accessible at key moments, providing personalized and proactive service, and empowering clients to make decisions for a brighter future for themselves and their families. Going forward, My Sun Life HK will continue to enhance its functionality to create more values for clients," Janey Leung added. Since its inception by Marketing in 2012, the Mob-Ex Awards have been giving recognition to brilliant mobile marketing projects in Hong Kong and the region. For more information about the Mob-Ex Awards, please visit its official website: https://www.marketing-interactive.com/mob-ex-awards/hk/. About Sun Life Financial Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life Financial has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2018, Sun Life Financial had total assets under management of CDN$951 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. Notes to editors: 1. Applicable to clients of individual insurance policies who are non-Mainland China residents. 2. Individual accident benefits do not include group health benefits and group life insurance. 3. Only for Individual accident benefits. Documents and information provided shall be complete and valid, and submitted via My Sun Life HK app; clients have selected to receive claim payments via Hong Kong Monetary Authority's Faster Payment System ("FPS"). Subject to terms and conditions of FPS and My Sun Life HK app. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190506/2456721-1-a SOURCE Sun Life Financial [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] PAR Technology Corporation Announces 2019 First Quarter Results PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE: PAR) today announced its results of operations for its first quarter ended March 31, 2019. Summary of Fiscal 2019 First Quarter Financial Results Revenues were reported at $44.7 million in the first quarter of 2019, compared to $55.7 million in the same period in 2018, a 19.7% decrease. GAAP net loss in the first quarter of 2019 was $2.7 million, or $0.17 loss per diluted share, a decrease from the GAAP net income of $0.1 million, or $0.00 earnings per diluted share reported in the same period in 2018. Non-GAAP net loss in the first quarter of 2019 was $1.8 million, or $0.11 loss per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net income of $0.6 million, or $0.04 earnings per diluted share, in the same period in 2018. A reconciliation and description of non-GAAP financial measures to their comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the tables at the end of this press release. "In the first quarter we continued the ongoing transition of our business. I am pleased with our progress in the quarter. I am also particularly proud of our employees' continued efforts to focus on growing our business by serving our customers, delivering excellent products and adding new Brink bookings and recurring revenue streams on a consistent basis," said Savneet Singh, CEO & President PAR Technology Corporation. "We continue to invest in product development and focus our business development efforts on identifying new opportunities for our cloud solutions. Our strategy remains to rapidly accelerate our recurring revenue growth through providing a comprehensive portfolio of products and services to our restaurant customer base. We are also seeking out opportunities to increase monthly fees and subscription prices through strategic partnerships." Highlights of the First Quarter 2019: -- Brink ARR* at end of Q1 '19 now totals $15.8 million - an increase of $5.5 million from end of Q1 '18 -- Active Brink sites at end of Q1 '19 - now total 8,000 restaurants -- Brink bookings in Q1 '19 719 restaurants -- Brink bookings in Q1 '19 ASP** = $200 per month *ARR - Run rate of annual recurring revenues - SaaS (News - Alert) and support revenues **ASP - Average selling price SaaS and support revenues Mr. Singh added, "During the past three months, PAR has undergone a significant transition. Our Company has new leadership, we've released new versions of our products, reduced costs and improved our cash position. We are now poised to actually take advantage of the large and fast growing market in front of us. We have made the tough choices in the Company; those are now behind us, so we can focus our energies on building a great business. Our passionate focus on return on capital has led us to discovering new revenue streams and sharpened our awareness on customer satisfaction." Conference Call. There will be a conference call at 4:30 p.m. (Eastern) on May 6, 2019, during which the Company's management will discuss the financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. To participate in the call, please call 844-419-5412, approximately 10 minutes in advance. No passcode is required to participate in the live call or to listen to the replay version. Individual & Institutional Investors will have the opportunity to listen to the conference call/event over the internet by visiting the Company's website at www.partech.com. Alternatively, listeners may access an archived version of the presentation call after 7:30 p.m. on May 6, 2019 through May 13, 2019 by dialing 855-859-2056 and using conference ID 1338389. About PAR Technology Corporation. PAR Technology Corporation's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "PAR". PAR's Restaurant / Retail segment has been a leading provider of restaurant and retail technology for more than 35 years. PAR offers management technology solutions for the full spectrum of restaurant operations, from large chain and independent table service restaurants to international quick service chains. Products from PAR also can be found in retailers, cinemas, cruise lines, stadiums, and food service companies. PAR's Government segment is a leader in providing computer-based system design, engineering and technical services to the Department of Defense and various federal agencies. For more information visit http://www.partech.com or connect with us on Facebook (News - Alert) and Twitter . Forward-Looking Statements. This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements appear throughout this press release, including express or implied forward-looking statements relating to our expectations regarding anticipated financial performance, customer and product opportunities, and assumptions as to future events. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, include: delays in new product development and/or product introduction; changes in customer base, or in product and service demands from our customers, particularly as to the two restaurant chain customers and the U.S. Department of Defense, each of which represent a significant portion of our revenue; risks associated with the internal investigation into conduct at our China and Singapore offices, including sanctions and fines that may be imposed by governmental authorities; and the other factors discussed in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC (News - Alert)). The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities law. PAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands, except share and per share amounts) (Unaudited) Assets March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 4,142 $ 3,485 Accounts receivable-net 29,311 26,219 Inventories-net 22,639 22,737 Other current assets 5,099 3,251 Total current assets 61,191 55,692 Property, plant and equipment - net 13,169 12,575 Goodwill 11,051 11,051 Intangible assets - net 11,176 10,859 Operating leases right-of-use assets 3,697 - Other assets 4,764 4,504 Total Assets $ 105,048 $ 94,681 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity Current liabilities: Borrowings of line of credit $ 16,139 $ 7,819 Accounts payable 14,794 12,644 Accrued salaries and benefits 5,145 5,940 Accrued expenses 2,223 2,113 Customer deposits and deferred service revenue 11,540 9,851 Operating lease liabilities - current portion 1,540 - Other current liabilities - 2,550 Total current liabilities 51,381 40,917 Deferred revenue 4,807 4,407 Operating lease liabilities - net of current portion 2,177 - Other long-term liabilities 3,198 3,411 Total liabilities 61,563 48,735 Commitments and contingencies Shareholders' Equity: Preferred stock, $.02 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized - - Common stock, $.02 par value, 29,000,000 shares authorized; 17,956,318 and 17,879,761 shares issued, 16,248,209 and 16,171,652 outstanding at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively 357 357 Capital in excess of par value 50,529 50,251 Retained earnings 2,698 5,427 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (4,263 ) (4,253 ) Treasury stock, at cost, 1,708,109 shares (5,836 ) (5,836 ) Total shareholders' equity 43,485 45,946 Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity $ 105,048 $ 94,681 PAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Net revenues: Product $ 15,517 $ 26,324 Service 14,043 13,196 Contract 15,122 16,141 44,682 55,661 Costs of sales: Product 11,241 19,440 Service 10,027 9,547 Contract 13,650 14,827 34,918 43,814 Gross margin 9,764 11,847 Operating expenses: Selling, general and administrative 8,564 8,600 Research and development 3,060 2,868 Amortization of identifiable intangible assets 241 241 11,865 11,709 Operating (loss) income (2,101 ) 138 Other (expense) income, net (430 ) 49 Interest expense, net (146 ) (41 ) (Loss) income before provision for income taxes (2,677 ) 146 Provision for income taxes (52 ) (78 ) Net (loss) income $ (2,729 ) $ 68 Basic Earnings per Share: Net (loss) income $ (0.17 ) $ - Diluted Earnings per Share: Net (loss) income $ (0.17 ) $ - Weighted average shares outstanding Basic 16,044 15,948 Diluted 16,044 16,286 PAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL RESULTS (in thousands, except per share and per share data) (Unaudited) For the three months ended March 31, 2019 For the three months ended March 31, 2018 Reported basis (GAAP) Adjustments Comparable basis (Non- GAAP) Reported basis (GAAP) Adjustments Comparable basis (Non- GAAP) Net revenues $ 44,682 $ - $ 44,682 $ 55,661 $ - $ 55,661 Costs of sales 34,918 143 34,775 43,814 - 43,814 Gross margin 9,764 143 9,907 11,847 - 11,847 Operating Expenses: Selling, general and administrative 8,564 755 7,809 8,600 478 8,122 Research and development 3,060 108 2,952 2,868 - 2,868 Acquisition amortization 241 241 - 241 241 - Total operating expenses 11,865 1,104 10,761 11,709 719 10,990 Operating (loss) income (2,101 ) 1,247 (854 ) 138 719 857 Other (expense) income, net (430 ) - (430 ) 49 - 49 Interest expense, net (146 ) - (146 ) (41 ) - (41 ) (Loss) income before provision for income taxes (2,677 ) 1,247 (1,430 ) 146 719 865 Provision for income taxes (52 ) (299 ) (351 ) (78 ) (173 ) (251 ) Net (loss) income (2,729 ) (1,781 ) 68 614 (Loss) income per diluted share (0.17 ) (0.11 ) 0.00 0.04 About Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company reports its financial results in accordance with GAAP. However, non-GAAP adjusted financial measures, as set forth in the reconciliation table above, are provided because management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in evaluating the results of the Company's continuing operations and believes this information provides investors supplemental insight into underlying business trends and operating results. These non-GAAP financial measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures should be read in conjunction with the Company's financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. The Company's results of operations are impacted by certain non-recurring charges, including equity based compensation, acquisition related expenditures, expense relating to the internal investigation into conduct in China and Singapore and the SEC document subpoena, and other non-recurring charges that may not be indicative of the Company's financial performance. Management believes that adjusting its operating expenses, operating loss, net loss and diluted loss per share to remove non-recurring charges provides a useful perspective with respect to our operating results and provides supplemental information to both management and investors by removing items that are difficult to predict and are often unanticipated. While the Company believes the adjustments provide a useful comparison, the reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to corresponding GAAP measures should be carefully evaluated. During the first quarter of 2019, the Company recorded $568,000 of severance expenses, of which $143,000 are included in costs of sales, $317,000 are included in selling, general and administrative expenses and $108,000 are included in research and development expenses. The Company recorded $190,000 of expenses related to the Company's internal investigation into conduct at its China and Singapore offices and the SEC document subpoena. Additionally, $248,000 of equity based compensation charges were recorded during the first quarter of 2019. The Company recognized amortization of acquired intangible assets of $241,000 related to the Company's 2014 acquisition of Brink Software, Inc. (the "Brink Acquisition"). The provision for income tax line above is netted down by a 24%, or $299,000 tax impact from non-GAAP adjustments. During the first quarter of 2018, the Company recorded $297,000 of expenses related to the Company's internal investigation and the SEC document subpoena. Additionally, $181,000 of equity based compensation charges were recorded during the first quarter of 2018. The Company recognized amortization of acquired intangible assets of $241,000 related to the Company's 2014 Brink Acquisition. The provision for income tax line above is netted down by a 24% or $173,000 tax impact from non-GAAP adjustments. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005720/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Protalix BioTherapeutics Reports 2019 First Quarter Results and Provides Corporate Update CARMIEL, Israel, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American:PLX) (TASE:PLX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins expressed through its proprietary plant cell-based expression system, ProCellEx, today announced its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and provided a corporate update. In the first three months of 2019, we have continued to execute on enrollment in our PRX-102 studies and have worked to prepare ourselves for a potential accelerated approval path, said Mr. Moshe Manor, Protalixs President and Chief Executive Officer. In addition, we are encouraged by the initial pharmacokinetic (PK) data from our BRIGHT study, which were presented at the 15th Annual WORLDSymposiumTM 2019 in February 2019, that demonstrate the potential for PRX-102 to be infused once-monthly, compared to the current treatment regimen of every two weeks. First Quarter 2019 and Recent Clinical and Corporate Highlights The Companys BRIGHT phase III clinical trial of pegunigalsidase alfa, or PRX-102, for the treatment of Fabry disease is currently one patient away from completion of enrollment. The Companys BALANCE phase III clinical trial of pegunigalsidase alfa for the treatment of Fabry disease is currently eleven patients away from completion of enrollment. The Company presented results from the BRIGHT Study at the 15 th Annual WORLD Symposium showing that infusion of pegunigalsidase alfa every 4 weeks results in the presence of continuous active enzyme throughout the entire infusion interval. Annual WORLD Symposium showing that infusion of pegunigalsidase alfa every 4 weeks results in the presence of continuous active enzyme throughout the entire infusion interval. The Company is scheduled to present three posters during the 6 th Update on Fabry Disease international conference being held in Prague, Czech Republic, on May 26-28, 2019. Update on Fabry Disease international conference being held in Prague, Czech Republic, on May 26-28, 2019. To date, more than 40 patients are being treated in the Companys various extension studies after opting to continue treatment with pegunigalsidase alfa after they completed an initial study. The Company plans to meet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a follow up meeting during the second quarter of 2019 in connection with the potential accelerated approval filing path for pegunigalsidase alfa. First Quarter 2019 Financial Results The Company recorded total revenues of $10.4 million during the three months ended March 31, 2019, compared to $6.7 million for the same period of 2018. The increase is primary attributable to the recognition of $6.9 million of license revenues in the three months ended on March 31, 2019 compared to the recognition of $2.2 million in the same period of 2018. Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2019, were $11.7 million, compared to $7.3 million for the same period in 2018. Selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2019 were $2.2 million, compared to $2.5 million incurred during the same period in 2018. Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $7.3 million compared to $7.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018. On March 31, 2019, the Company had $30.4 million of cash and cash equivalents, compared to $37.8 million at March 31, 2018, which is currently projected to fund operations into mid-2020. As of March 31, 2019, the Company had outstanding $57.9 million of its 7.50% convertible promissory notes due November 2021. Conference Call and Webcast Information The Company will host a conference call on Monday, May 6, 2019, at 8:30 am ET to review the clinical, corporate and financial highlights. To participate in the conference call, please dial the following numbers prior to the start of the call: United States: +1-844-358-6760; International: +1-478-219-0004. Conference ID number 6169584. The conference call will also be broadcast live and available for replay for two weeks on the Company's website, www.protalix.com , in the Events Calendar of the Investors section. Please access the Company's website at least 15 minutes ahead of the conference to register, download, and install any necessary audio software. About Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. Protalix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins expressed through its proprietary plant cell-based expression system, ProCellEx. Protalixs unique expression system presents a proprietary method for developing recombinant proteins in a cost-effective, industrial-scale manner. Protalixs first product manufactured by ProCellEx, taliglucerase alfa, was approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2012 and, subsequently, by the regulatory authorities of other countries. Protalix has licensed to Pfizer Inc. the worldwide development and commercialization rights for taliglucerase alfa, excluding Brazil, where Protalix retains full rights. Protalixs development pipeline includes the following product candidates: pegunigalsidase alfa, a modified version of the recombinant human alpha-GAL-A protein for the treatment of Fabry disease; OPRX-106, an orally-delivered anti-inflammatory treatment; alidornase alfa for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis; and others. Protalix has partnered with Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., both in the United States and outside the United States, for the development and commercialization of pegunigalsidase alfa. Forward-Looking Statements To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, all such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The terms expect, anticipate, believe, estimate, project, plan, should and intend and other words or phrases of similar import are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future experience and results to differ materially from the statements made. These statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations as to such future outcomes. Drug discovery and development involve a high degree of risk and the final results of a clinical trial may be different than the preliminary findings for the clinical trial. Factors that might cause material differences include, among others: failure or delay in the commencement or completion of our preclinical and clinical trials which may be caused by several factors, including: risks that the FDA will not accept an application for accelerated approval of PRX-102 with the data generated to date or will request additional data or other conditions of our submission of any application for accelerated approval of PRX-102; slower than expected rates of patient recruitment; unforeseen safety issues; determination of dosing issues; lack of effectiveness during clinical trials; inability to monitor patients adequately during or after treatment; inability or unwillingness of medical investigators and institutional review boards to follow our clinical protocols; and lack of sufficient funding to finance clinical trials; the risk that the results of the clinical trials of our product candidates will not support our claims of superiority, safety or efficacy, that our product candidates will not have the desired effects or will be associated with undesirable side effects or other unexpected characteristics; risks related to our ability to maintain and manage our relationship with Chiesi Farmaceutici and any other collaborator, distributor or partner; risks related to the amount and sufficiency of our cash and cash equivalents; risks related to the ultimate purchase by Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz of alfataliglicerase pursuant to the stated purchase intentions of the Brazilian Ministry of Health of the stated amounts, if at all; risks related to the successful conclusion of our negotiations with the Brazilian Ministry of Health regarding the purchase of alfataliglicerase generally; risks related to our commercialization efforts for alfataliglicerase in Brazil; risks relating to the compliance by Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz with its purchase obligations and related milestones under our supply and technology transfer agreement; risks related to the amount and sufficiency of our cash and cash equivalents; risks related to the amount of our future revenues, operations and expenditures; the risk that despite the FDAs grant of fast track designation for pegunigalsidase alfa for the treatment of Fabry disease, we may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to applications considered for approval under conventional FDA procedures; risks related to the FDAs ability to withdraw the fast track designation at any time; risks relating to our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on or to refinance our outstanding notes or any other indebtedness; our dependence on performance by third party providers of services and supplies, including without limitation, clinical trial services; delays in our preparation and filing of applications for regulatory approval; delays in the approval or potential rejection of any applications we file with the FDA or other health regulatory authorities, and other risks relating to the review process; our ability to identify suitable product candidates and to complete preclinical studies of such product candidates; the inherent risks and uncertainties in developing drug platforms and products of the type we are developing; the impact of development of competing therapies and/or technologies by other companies and institutions; potential product liability risks, and risks of securing adequate levels of product liability and other necessary insurance coverage; and other factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The statements in this press release are valid only as of the date hereof and we disclaim any obligation to update this information, except as may be required by law. Investor Contact Marcy Nanus, Managing Director Solebury Trout 646-378-2927 [email protected] PROTALIX BIOTHERAPEUTICS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (U.S. dollars in thousands) March 31, 2019 (Unaudited) December 31, 2018 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS: Cash and cash equivalents $ 30,363 $ 37,808 Accounts receivable Trade 8,565 4,729 Other assets 1,706 1,877 Inventories 6,707 8,569 Total current assets . $ 47,341 $ 52,983 FUNDS IN RESPECT OF EMPLOYEE RIGHTS UPON RETIREMENT $ 1,801 $ 1,758 PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET 6,058 6,390 OPERATING LEASE RIGHT OF USE ASSETS 5,844 - Total assets $ 61,044 $ 61,131 LIABILITIES NET OF CAPITAL DEFICIENCY CURRENT LIABILITIES: Accounts payable and accruals: Trade $ 5,870 $ 5,211 Other 10,480 10,274 Operating lease liabilities 1,257 Contracts liability 9,429 9,868 Total current liabilities $ 27,036 $ 25,353 LONG TERM LIABILITIES: Convertible notes $ 48,670 $ 47,966 Contracts liability 32,979 33,027 Liability for employee rights upon retirement 2,426 2,374 Operating lease liabilities 4,498 Other long term liabilities 5,290 5,292 Total long term liabilities $ 93,863 $ 88,659 Total liabilities $ 120,899 $ 114,012 COMMITMENTS CAPITAL DEFICIENCY (59,855 ) (52,881 ) Total liabilities net of capital deficiency $ 61,044 $ 61,131 PROTALIX BIOTHERAPEUTICS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (U.S. dollars in thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018 REVENUES FROM SELLING GOODS $ 3,530 $ 4,553 REVENUES FROM LICENSE AND R&D SERVICES 6,909 2,161 COST OF GOODS SOLD (2,045 ) (2,924 ) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES (1) (11,701 ) (7,286 ) Less grants 3 843 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES, NET (11,698 ) (6,443 ) SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES (2) (2,230 ) (2,498 ) OPERATING LOSS (5,534 ) (5,151 ) FINANCIAL EXPENSES (1,920 ) (2,220 ) FINANCIAL INCOME 190 132 FINANCIAL EXPENSES, NET (1,730 ) (2,088 ) LOSS FOR THE PERIOD $ (7,264 ) $ (7,239 ) NET LOSS PER SHARE OF COMMON STOCK BASIC AND DILUTED $ (0.05 ) $ (0.05 ) WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK USED IN COMPUTING LOSS PER SHARE-BASIC AND DILUTED 148,382,299 145,305,982 (1) Includes share-based compensation $ 178 $ 42 (2) Includes share-based compensation $ 112 $ 20 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Ricoh Canada named ENERGY STAR Canada Manufacturer of the Year for Electronics Company honored for efforts promoting sustainability in products and in practice MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 6, 2019 /CNW/ - Ricoh Canada, Inc. is proud to announce that it has received the 2019 ENERGY STAR Canada Manufacturer of the Year Award for Electronics for its excellence in the arena of advancing market transformation on energy efficiency in Canada. This latest recognition acknowledges Ricoh's hard work to promote environmental sustainability, through both manufacturing energy-efficient products and advocating sustainable practices in and outside the organization. Ricoh's accomplishments will be recognized by Natural Resources Canada at a ceremony in Camsell Hall in Ottawa, May 14, with awards presented by Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Natural Resources. "For decades, ethical responsibility to our society and our planet have been central to Ricoh's identity," said Glenn Laverty, President and CEO of Ricoh Canada, Inc. and Senior Vice President, Strategy Office, Ricoh North America. "All of our activities, from product design to customer interactions, are infused with hat spirit. As a global company with millions of electricity-dependent devices that empower digital workplaces, Ricoh is committed to doing our part to keep sustainability top of mind in design, development and day-to-day operations and interactions." Along with manufacturing ENERGY STAR-certified products, Ricoh has worked hard to encourage sustainable practices through internal programs, customer communications via direct and dealer channels, and special programs. One example of this is the use of electrical vehicles by service technicians within major metropolitan areas. Another is a Toner Management Gauge on Ricoh devices. This gauge helps reduce early removal of toner cartridges by users, minimizing waste and packaging. With this feature, a lock icon will appear next to the toner icons on the user interface, helping encourage workers to not remove the toner until the time is right. Additionally, Ricoh conducted multiple internal training courses to help employees understand how they can help the company and its customers do more for the environment. Furthermore, 2018 marked Ricoh's 11th year partnering with Bullfrog Power to leverage clean, renewable electricity for its distribution centre in Concord, Ontario, and head office in Mississauga. On a global level, Ricoh was the first Japanese company to join the RE100, pledging to source 100% of energy from renewable sources by 2050, with an interim goal of at least 30% renewable energy by 2030. "Energy efficiency in our homes and buildings helps Canadians save money, creates jobs, reduces pollution and contributes to our clean energy future," said the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources. "I congratulate Ricoh Canada for their ongoing leadership in improving energy efficiency in Canada." To learn more about the ENERGY STAR Canada Awards, visit https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/products/for-participants/awards/21900. | About Ricoh | Ricoh is empowering digital workplaces using innovative technologies and services enabling individuals to work smarter. For more than 80 years, Ricoh has been driving innovation and is a leading provider of document management solutions, IT services, commercial and industrial printing, digital cameras, and industrial systems. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in approximately 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ended March 2018, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,063 billion yen (approx. 19.4 billion USD). 2019 Ricoh Canada, Inc. All rights reserved. All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies. SOURCE Ricoh Canada Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Robbins Geller and Labaton Sucharow Announce $73 Million Fund to Be Distributed to DHB Class Members with Recognized Claims Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP and Labaton Sucharow LLP ("Co-Lead Counsel") are pleased to announce the upcoming distribution of a fund of more than $73 million to DHB Class Members with previously recognized claims in In re DHB Industries, Inc. Class Action Litigation. This amount represents more than 89.5% of the $81,540,718.81 in recognized claims in the original class action settlement, approved almost 11 years ago. Co-Lead Counsel estimate that distribution of those funds, which are more than double the original cash settlement benefit, will begin in July, after the funds are transferred by the Government and Class Members with recognized claims have had an opportunity to confirm or update their contact and address information. This case, which is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, originally settled in 2008. That settlement created a cash settlement fund of $34.9 million, less attorneys' fees and expenses, plus 3,184,713 shares of DHB common stock for the benefit of the Class. A series of unanticipated events, however, threatened the viability of the original settlement and prevented its implementation. Those events included an appeal in a companion shareholder derivative action, DHB's bankruptcy filing, and the criminal prosecution of company founder David H. Brooks and other senior executives. These events resulted in disagreements among the settling parties and numerous ancillary lawsuits and proceedings that interfered with the original settlement. In the many ensuing years, Co-Lead Counsel, with the assistance of bankruptcy counsel at Lowenstein Sandler LLP, have worked diligently to protect the interests of Class Members and preserve and even improve the original settlement. On August 18, 2015, the Court approved a proposed supplemental settlement agreement (the "Supplemental Settlement"). The Supplemental Settlement resolved many of the material disputes among key parties to the original settlement and the DHB bankruptcy estate and created a mechanism for sharing any additional future funds that might become available to either the Class or the DHB bankruptcy estate, which as deemed to be a victim of David Brooks' fraud. Even then there were major obstacles to the completion of the settlement. Although Brooks was not a party to the Supplemental Settlement, and was serving a 17-year sentence in federal prison for securities fraud and other offenses, he filed an appeal of the order approving the Supplemental Settlement in September 2015. His estate continued to prosecute that appeal after Brooks died in prison in October 2016 and agreed to voluntarily dismiss it only in June 2017. Later that same year, the principal stakeholders with a claim to Brooks' assets restrained in connection with the federal criminal proceeding, including Co-Lead Counsel on behalf of the Class, came together in an effort to achieve a global settlement. That effort culminated in a Global Settlement Agreement on October 25, 2018. To be able to receive its share of the funds negotiated and made available through the Global Settlement Agreement, the Class, through Co-Lead Counsel, petitioned the Department of Justice for a "remission" award from the assets restrained by the Government and ultimately forfeited for the benefit of victims. That remission award was approved in an amount of $73,089,224.23. This amount, less only a cost reserve of $71,581 for the claims administrator's estimated costs to distribute the fund (as approved by the Government), will be awarded to Class Members, on a pro rata basis, who submitted valid, recognized claims in the Class Action on or before January 26, 2018.1 "We are pleased to announce this outstanding result for the Class," said Samuel H. Rudman of Robbins Geller. "Through hard work and perseverance over the course of more than a decade, we were able get investors a remarkable 90% of their recognized losses." Added Ira A. Schochet of Labaton Sucharow: "This result became possible only through the unrelenting efforts of Co-Lead Counsel and bankruptcy counsel on behalf of the Class." Because eligible Class Members have already been found to be entitled to a settlement award, they do not need to take any further action to receive their share, but may wish to update or confirm their contact information on file with the claims administrator, including their mailing address. To do so, they should email the claims administrator at [email protected] no later than Monday, July 8, 2019. When contacting the Claims Administrator, each Class Member should provide as much information as possible, including the member's claim number(s) if available, the name and mailing address listed on the member's claim(s), and the member's current mailing address. If any Class Member is requesting a change of the claimant name originally listed on a claim for payment purposes, the member should also provide supporting documentation for that request. Class Members with questions about the case should contact Robbins Geller at 800-449-4900 or Labaton Sucharow at 888-219-6877 (or [email protected]). Co-Lead Counsel represent lead plaintiffs George Baciu and the NECA-IBEW Pension Fund, as well as the certified Class, in the litigation, which is pending before the Honorable Joanna Seybert. In re DHB Industries, Inc. Class Action Litigation, Inc., No. 2:05-cv-04296-JS (E.D.N.Y.). Robbins Geller Attorneys Samuel H. Rudman Mark T. Millkey Labaton Sucharow Attorneys Ira A. Schochet Nicole M. Zeiss Practice Areas Securities Fraud 1 There are 50 eligible Class Members who have tax or other financial obligations to the Government. After the deduction of those liabilities, the Government will distribute any remaining awards directly to those 50 Class Members. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005641/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) second division canceled the certificate of candidacy (COC) of actor and San Juan City congressional bet Edu Manzano since he was not a Filipino citizen when he filed his Congress bid. A copy of the divisions ruling released Monday said the COMELEC denied the COC due course because Manzano committed false material representation on his citizenship. Manzano had earlier argued he did not lose his natural-born Filipino citizenship when he rendered services for the United States Armed Forces from 1973 to 1977. At the time of his birth, Manzano held dual citizenship. But the COMELEC cited Section 1 (4) Commonwealth Act No. 63, which states that a Filipino citizen may lose his citizenship by rendering services to, or accepting commission in, the armed forces of a foreign country. It is undisputed that Respondent served in the US Armed Forces, the Comelec ruling read. Respondent, however, argues that he served in the US Armed Forces as a US citizen and at the same time retained his status as a natural born Filipino citizen. We do not agree. The Comelec division also ruled Manzano failed to reacquire his Philippine citizenship under Republic Act 2630, which states that Filipinos who have lost their citizenship to rendering services or accepting commission in the armed forces of other countries may take an oath of allegiance to the Philippine Republic which is registered with the local civil registry. It argued Manzano failed to show the COMELEC division direct proof of his oath of allegiance being registered. In fact, Respondent impliedly admitted that no oath of allegiance was taken when he argued that there is no need to take the same because he served in the United States Armed Forces as an American citizen without losing his Philippine citizenship, it said. The petition was filed by Sophia Patricia Gil. Manzano, meanwhile, was represented by lawyer and former COMELEC Chairperson Sixto Brillanes Jr., and laywer Melvin Malabanan. Calls grow to ease regulations on forced hospitalization of mental patients. Courtesy of Gettyimagebank By Kim Hyun-bin There are growing calls for the government to ease the regulations on forced hospitalization on mental health grounds amid recent prominent homicide and assault cases by mentally ill outpatients. The government has launched a review on implementing "judicial hospitalization," ordered by courts if deemed necessary, to admit mental patients to a hospital at the request of relatives or partners. Currently, there are three types of compulsory hospitalization emergency, administrative and protective. Emergency hospitalization is decided by a doctor or the police, while administrative is ordered by a local government head, while protective can be requested by a parent or guardian. On May 2, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a "mental patient management system and general inspection plan," which will review the implementation of judicial hospitalization. The move comes as eight people have been killed by patients suffering from schizophrenia, a serious mental illness, over the past three weeks. On April 17, five people were killed and six others injured by a schizophrenic man surnamed Ahn who set fire to his apartment and attempted to stab anyone trying to leave the premises. Among the dead were a young girl and a 73-year-old man, all neighbors of the assailant. A week later, an 18-year-old suffering from the same condition killed his 74-year-old neighbor in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. Also, a 58-year-old patient killed his older sister in Busan April 27. Last Dec. 31, Lim Se-won, a psychiatrist at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Seoul, was stabbed to death by one of his patients who had bipolar disease. Schizophrenia does not necessarily lead to violent behavior if treated properly, but Ahn had no record of treatment since July 2016, according to police. However, out of the 60,000 reported cases in 2017, only 6,445 patients were committed under emergency hospitalization regulations, while protective hospitalization was limited only to close relatives or a spouse of the patient. Under the current law, a person "responsible for protective custody or care" is either a guardian or someone obligated to provide support. A patient can be forcibly hospitalized against their will at the request of two or more people "responsible for protective custody or care" and if two or more medical specialists from different psychiatric hospitals approve. A committee at a psychiatric hospital deliberates on the need for forced hospitalization. Due to the complex procedure, many families give up. A few days before Ahn went on a killing spree, his older brother tried to register him under protective hospitalization, but failed to meet the requirements. On April 19, the health ministry said it would review whether to expand the budget for emergency and administrative hospitalization. But many experts point out the problem is not monetary. Rather, distorted views and prejudice against psychiatric patients prevent people from seeking proper medication and treatment and this results in more serious social problems. If judicial hospitalization is implemented, it will be up to the courts to decide. For years, the medical community has been urging the government to take responsibility for hospitalizing patients with serious mental illnesses and have them receive the appropriate medical treatment. [May 06, 2019] U.S. Senator Doug Jones Joins FICO at Free Consumer Financial Education Event in Birmingham BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading analytics software firm FICO (NYSE: FICO), will host a free consumer financial education event in Birmingham on May 11, 2019. Senator Doug Jones will be a special guest at the event to talk about the importance of financial education and health for the community. "Financial literacy is crucial to navigating today's complex economy and to the success of our communities here in Alabama. I hope folks take advantage of this opportunity for free financial education, and I look forward to seeing everyone there," said Senator Jones. The Birmingham event is part of FICO's "Score A Better Future" program which focuses on helping consumers improve their understanding of their credit and overall financial health. Consumers will learn from credit experts the key ingredients that make up the FICO Score, and the myths and facts about FICO Scores. The FICO Score is used in more than 90 percent of lending decisions (Mercator Advisory Group Analyst Report 2018). Additionally, credit counselors from Operation HOPE, a non-profit organization providing financial literacy, empowerment and economic education; Gateway, Birmingham's oldest nonprofit in mental health, financial counseling, and foster care services; and Birmingham Urban League, a community based organization dedicated to empowering communities in education, jobs, housing, and health; will be at the event to provide one-on-one credit counseling and help attendees develop a plan to address their financial goals. Other partners for the event include National Consumers League, National Urban League, Consumer Action, and the and the Regions Institute for Financial Educaton at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. More information about Score A Better Future can be found at https://www.fico.com/en/sabf. To register for the event visit http://www.scoreabetterfuture.com/birmingham. Who: FICO and credit counselors from Operation HOPE, Gateway and Birmingham Urban League What: Score A Better Future is a free community education and financial empowerment program by FICO in partnership with local and national nonprofits. When: Saturday, May 11, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Central Where: Collat School of Business - University of Alabama at Birmingham 710 13th Street South Birmingham, AL Free parking available About FICO FICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956 and based in Silicon Valley, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 190 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 100 countries do everything from protecting 2.6 billion payment cards from fraud, to helping people get credit, to ensuring that millions of airplanes and rental cars are in the right place at the right time. Learn more at http://www.fico.com. Join the conversation at https://twitter.com/fico, https://www.facebook.com/FICODecisions/ and https://www.instagram.com/FICOscores/. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-senator-doug-jones-joins-fico-at-free-consumer-financial-education-event-in-birmingham-300843872.html SOURCE FICO [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Wolters Kluwer Announces SAP as Star Sponsor for CCH Tagetik In Touch Conference STAMFORD, Connecticut and LUCCA, Italy, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CCH Tagetik, part of Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting and a global provider of market-leading software solutions and information services for finance professionals, will highlight key content from Star sponsor SAP in the CCH Tagetik In Touch conference 2019. With the theme "Mining your Gold," and held in the historic city of Lucca, Italy, May 15-17. A plenary session on May 16 titled Welcome to the CPM Revolution: Explore the Power of CCH Tagetik and SAP HANA is presented by Erica Lailhacar, Vice President, ISV Global Business Development at SAP and Bani Brandolini, Vice President Strategic Partners at CCH Tagetik. The session will explore how customers have transformed massive volumes of data into actionable insights. On May 17 there will be a breakout sponsor session titled CCH Tagetik on SAP HANA powered by SAP Analytics Cloud with speakers Bertrand Patigny, OEM EMEA Senior Sales Consultant at SAP; Claus Koppensteiner, Managing Director at CCH Tagetik DACH; and Timo Barth, Solution Architect at CCH Tagetik DACH. This session will focus on how to get ultimate performance and innovation for consolidation, planning, reporting and analysis. Specific sessions will be dedicated to CCH Tagetik running on SAP HANA through demo and customer stories: attendees will learn how to leverage CCH Tagetik on SAP HANA, and SAP Analytics Cloud to shorten financial processes with high-speed, real-time data wile improving the quality and breadth of the information delivered to finance departments. The overall agenda consists of four main tracks: Budgeting and Planning, Consolidation, Reporting and The Modernization of Finance. Each track includes customer testimonials, product demonstrations, presentations from CCH Tagetik experts, sponsor sessions and one-on-one meetings. Industry experts among the sponsors will be on hand with actionable advice on how to sharpen the competitive edge by looking beyond CPM and modernizing the Office of Finance. You can check the full agenda here Registration is open at this link. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the healthcare; tax and accounting; governance, risk and compliance; and legal and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2018 annual revenues of 4.3 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY). For more information about our solutions and organization, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. SAP, SAP HANA and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Please see http://www.sap.com/trademark for additional trademark information and notices. Media Contacts: Greta Bartoli CCH Tagetik +39-058396811 office [email protected] Jonathan Roberts Pryor Roberts +44(0)7960-716573 [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/492891/Tagetik_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Yello Mobile's "Dayli Blockchain" Participates in MOLIT's Smart City Challenge Bucheon participates in "Smart City Challenge" with a goal to use sharing platforms to solve urban problems Planned operation of integrated service portal, building of blockchain platform and node management Promotes synergy between a range of fields including fine-dust measures and drone control projects SEOUL, South Korea, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Yello Mobile (CEO Sanghyuk Lee)'s smart city solution company Dayli Blockchain (CEO Namjin Kim) is participating in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MOLIT)'s "Smart City Challenge." The Smart City Challenge supports collaboration between local governments and private corporations to solve transportation, environmental and other urban issues and the creation of new business models. On May 2, MOLIT selected six local governments to participate in the challenge this year, including Daejeon, Incheon, Gwangju, Suwon-Bucheon in Gyeonggi-do, and Changwon, in Gyeongsangnam-do. Dayli Blockchain will use its blockchain technology to build a solution to solve the city of Bucheon's parking space problem as part of the challenge. Dayli Blockchain will provide a service portal that can comprehensively manage individual servces, including sharing information about parking lots, information about kick-board and electricity car recharging spots, and valet parking, and the company will work together with other companies in a consortium to build a blockchain-based IoT platform and manage a blockchain node. The company plans to share data through a blockchain API with collaborating companies. Dayli Blockchain aims to use this as a basis to promote synergy across a range of different fields related to smart cities, including fine-dust measures and drone control. "We will strengthen the security and transparency of each platform through blockchain technology and expand connected services even more," said Dayli Blockchain's CEO, Namjin Kim. "In the future, we will launch a sustainable smart city solution that can solve various urban issues." Meanwhile, Dayli Blockchain has taken over the business management of Carelabs recently and become the company's largest shareholder, and plans to launch a new smart healthcare platform based on blockchain technology. About Dayli Blockchain Dayli Blockchain is a smart city solution company that provides urban information systems, including transportation, security and control, and financial transactions. With many years of experience in smart city construction and infrastructure technology, the company is working on a wide range of smart city projects, and is conducting blockchain technological development and investment with an aim to build new kinds of smart cities that incorporate blockchain technology. About Yello Mobile Yello Mobile is an integrated digital platform provider of optimized B2C service in the digital environment and customized B2B solution with state-of-the-art technology brought by the Digital Transformation including Blockchain, Big Data, AI. It was established in 2012 with the aim of delivering service innovation with maximizing values of blockchain in its core business areas such as FinTech, AdTech, healthcare, O2O, and media commerce. Since its foundation, Yello Mobile has been leading innovation, keeping pace with the paradigms of the new era, and aspiring to become the pioneers of groundbreaking technology that can lead the Digital Transformation. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yello-mobiles-dayli-blockchain-participates-in-molits-smart-city-challenge-300844033.html SOURCE Yello Mobile [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 05, 2019] Gaw Capital Partners Selects Yardi Voyager to Manage Hong Kong Shopping Centers Acquisition of 12 community malls prompts the adoption of Yardi's comprehensive property and asset management platform HONG KONG, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Real estate private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners will adopt Yardi Voyager Commercial and products from the Yardi Commercial Suite for property management, accounting, asset and facility management. After acquiring a new retail portfolio comprising 12 shopping malls in Hong Kong in March 2019, Gaw Capital Partners is adopting a visionary and creative approach for the malls. The goal is to deliver quality service for tenants and create engaging community hubs for locals and visitors. To achieve those goals, Gaw Capital Partners adopted Yardi Voyager to handle its property management and accounting needs in a single database. Yrdi Voyager automates workflows and provides system-wide transparency that enables asset managers to work more productively and collaboratively on operations, leasing and analysis. "The ability to easily access reliable operational and financial data is essential to making the malls a productive part of our portfolio. Adopting the Yardi Commercial Suite allows us to have better control, more efficient processes and more reliable reporting that enables our asset managers to better leverage the data for asset management," said Goodwin Gaw, chairman and founder of Gaw Capital Partners. "We are delighted that Gaw Capital Partners adopted Yardi Voyager for these 12 properties. The Yardi platform is a dynamic way to improve asset performance and reporting for a newly acquired portfolio," said Neal Gemassmer, vice president of international for Yardi. Learn more about the success that Yardi clients in Asia have achieved in these regional client testimonials. About Gaw Capital Partners Gaw Capital Partners is a uniquely positioned private equity fund management company focusing on real estate markets in greater China and other high barrier-to-entry markets globally. Specializing in adding strategic value to under-utilized real estate through redesign and repositioning, Gaw Capital runs an integrated business model with its own in-house asset management operating platforms in retail, hospitality, property development and logistics. The firm's investments span the entire spectrum of real estate sectors, including residential development, offices, retail malls, hospitality and logistics warehouses. For more information, visit gawcapital.com About Yardi Yardi develops and supports industry-leading investment and property management software for all types and sizes of real estate companies. Established in 1984, Yardi is based in Santa Barbara, Calif., and serves clients worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. For more information, visit yardi.com/asia. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/737275/Yardi_Logo.jpg SOURCE Yardi [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Avalara Announces 17 Newly Certified Integrations into Business Applications Avalara, Inc. (NYSE:AVLR), a leading provider of cloud-based tax compliance automation for businesses of all sizes, today announced the release of 17 newly certified integrations with accounting, ERP, ecommerce, point-of-sale, mobile commerce, and CRM software applications. Avalara has been a partner-centric company since its founding in 2004, with a concerted focus on integrating with technology solutions already in use by existing and future customers. Avalara Certified integration partners have met criteria developed by Avalara to guarantee each integration's performance and reliability. Certified integrations are built to ensure customers enjoy a fast, reliable, and easy process for embedding Avalara's automated tax management into existing systems. Additionally, these integrations enable customers of Avalara partner solutions to benefit from Avalara's real-time calculation of applicable taxes, fees, and surcharges for billing line items. Avalara software reduces the tedium and complexity of determining taxes for millions of products and services across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and other international jurisdictions, giving customers more time to focus on driving their own business success. The latest group of Avalara Certified integrations includes: 1stdibs is the premier online luxury marketplace for rare and desirable objects in furniture, fashion, fine art, and jewelry. is the premier online luxury marketplace for rare and desirable objects in furniture, fashion, fine art, and jewelry. Acclamare (by TKO Software, Inc.) offers the ultimate value in wholesale distribution software, with leading-edge technology, deep distribution-specific functionality, and intimate business-to-business relationships. offers the ultimate value in wholesale distribution software, with leading-edge technology, deep distribution-specific functionality, and intimate business-to-business relationships. Accounting Seed is a full accrual accounting and ERP solution that tracks financial data through the entire business lifecycle. is a full accrual accounting and ERP solution that tracks financial data through the entire business lifecycle. CommentSold is a social commerce platform that modernizes the way retailers connect to online shoppers, including hosting live sales events and managing day-to-day reail operations, with automated invoicing, sales analytics, customer data, and inventory and order management. is a social commerce platform that modernizes the way retailers connect to online shoppers, including hosting live sales events and managing day-to-day reail operations, with automated invoicing, sales analytics, customer data, and inventory and order management. GOAT is an online marketplace for men's and women's collectible and used sneakers. is an online marketplace for men's and women's collectible and used sneakers. Integral (by Party Plan Solutions) is a cloud-based software application specifically for the direct selling party plan market. is a cloud-based software application specifically for the direct selling party plan market. INxSQL is a fully integrated ERP system designed specifically for wholesalers, distributors, manufacturer's representatives, and industrial resellers. is a fully integrated ERP system designed specifically for wholesalers, distributors, manufacturer's representatives, and industrial resellers. MACH (News - Alert) Software is a robust order management solution, including order processing, inventory control/management, warehouse management, accounting, purchasing, point of sale, and more. is a robust order management solution, including order processing, inventory control/management, warehouse management, accounting, purchasing, point of sale, and more. Poshmark is a leading social commerce platform for the next generation of retailers and shoppers. is a leading social commerce platform for the next generation of retailers and shoppers. Retail Pro International is a global leader in retail management software that is recognized worldwide for rich functionality, multinational capabilities, and unparalleled flexibility. is a global leader in retail management software that is recognized worldwide for rich functionality, multinational capabilities, and unparalleled flexibility. Reverb is an online marketplace where anyone can buy and sell new, used, and vintage musical instruments. is an online marketplace where anyone can buy and sell new, used, and vintage musical instruments. Sitecore Experience Commerce (by XCentium) is a secure, enterprise-grade commerce solution that delivers a personalized experience throughout the customer lifecycle. is a secure, enterprise-grade commerce solution that delivers a personalized experience throughout the customer lifecycle. Sunsoft Cloud ERP (TRX) is a foodservice software solution that increases businesses efficiency by simplifying and streamlining workflow. is a foodservice software solution that increases businesses efficiency by simplifying and streamlining workflow. Synergy (News - Alert) International is a leading software solution that makes managing business easier with top catering, rental, hospitality, and staff scheduling functionality. is a leading software solution that makes managing business easier with top catering, rental, hospitality, and staff scheduling functionality. Teamwork Retail POS (by Retail Cloud Technologies) delivers the power of totally mobile, tablet-driven cloud computing to midsize retailers seeking to transform how they do business. delivers the power of totally mobile, tablet-driven cloud computing to midsize retailers seeking to transform how they do business. UltraCart is a platform providing state-of-the-art tools to manage every aspect of ecommerce, from shopping cart, payment processing, and marketing and affiliate management, to shipping systems, product fulfillment, and accounting systems. is a platform providing state-of-the-art tools to manage every aspect of ecommerce, from shopping cart, payment processing, and marketing and affiliate management, to shipping systems, product fulfillment, and accounting systems. Zoey eCommerce is a premium platform for B2B and B2C merchants, featuring drag-and-drop design tools allowing merchants to create fully customized designs without writing any code. avalara.com/integrations. For any business application not already certified, or for a custom solution, Avalara offers an API for each of its products, making customer integrations simple for nearly any developer or business to build. About Avalara, Inc. Avalara helps businesses of all sizes get tax compliance right. In partnership with leading ERP, accounting, ecommerce, and other financial management system providers, Avalara delivers cloud-based compliance solutions for various transaction taxes, including sales and use, VAT, GST (News - Alert), excise, communications, lodging, and other indirect tax types. Headquartered in Seattle, Avalara has offices across the U.S. and around the world in Canada, the U.K., Belgium, Brazil, and India. More information at www.avalara.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005242/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Samsung SDS Partners with MobiChord Mobile Management to Enhance Its Managed Mobility Services Samsung (News - Alert) SDS America today announced a strategic partnership with MobiChord Inc. to enhance its Managed Mobility Services (MMS) Suite of Offerings. MobiChord, a SaaS (News - Alert) company that specializes in Technology Expense Management software on the ServiceNow platform, will underpin and strengthen the expense, usage, asset management experience for Samsung SDS enterprise mobility customers. Samsung SDS and MobiChord are set to provide an early glimpse into the partnership during ServiceNow's (News - Alert) Knowledge 2019 on May 7, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The partnership is an important step towards Samsung SDS' strategic objective to streamline the customer experience and enhance its global reverse and forward logistic capabilities. MobiChord offers the only Technology Expense Management solutions native to the ServiceNow platform, a global leading enterprise IT platform utilized by roughly 75% of Fortune 500 companies. Adaptable and flexible, MobiChord's global technology platform is vendor, device, and carrier agnostic and easily integrates into a customers' existing IT infrastructure and workflows. In addition to bringing B2B, B2C and B2BC Expense/Asset/Usage Management capabilities for both smartphone/tablet devices and wearables, the partnership adds value for SamsungSDS enterprise mobility customers via a suite of professional and managed services and implementation support. Already, enterprise customers are experiencing the benefits of the partnership. In an initial customer pilot program, Samsung SDS and MobiChord together tailored the platform to meet the customer's specific requirements and fit within a highly regulated industry. Pilot programs have had meaningful results, including driving significant cost savings and workflow optimization throughout the enterprise as well as improving the end-user experience. "With its highly flexible and multi-vendor platform, MobiChord is a natural fit to bolster our Managed Mobility Services. The platform can be easily customized to address the complex nature of enterprise-level managed mobility," said Mingu Lee, Senior Vice President, Mobile B2B, Samsung SDS America. "Additionally, MobiChord's connection to the ServiceNow ecosystem enables us to further simplify the implementation process for our customers, doing away with unnecessary system integrations, and allows us to fit seamlessly into their global IT strategy." Herbert Uhl, Co-founder and CEO, MobiChord, said, "We're thrilled that Samsung SDS has chosen MobiChord to enhance its Managed Mobility Services. Our experience has been that global enterprise mobility management requires an agile and flexible approach that is customized to the client's IT environment and particular business objectives. Working with Samsung in early pilots has proven that this collaboration is a perfect fit. We're looking forward to launching the partnership during ServiceNow's Knowledge 2019." About Samsung SDS America Samsung SDS America (SDSA) is the U.S. subsidiary of Samsung SDS, a $9 billion global leader in digital transformation and innovation solutions. SDSA helps organizations optimize their productivity, make smarter business decisions, and improve their competitive positions in a hyper-connected economy using our enterprise software solutions for secure mobility, retail, DOOH, advanced analytics, and contextual marketing. About MobiChord MobiChord Inc. is a leading provider of Technology Expense Management software and services. MobiChord integrates internal and external Service Providers with ServiceNow to create a single, business-facing solution to digitize the management of voice and network, mobility and cloud. MobiChord's solutions transform the way cross-departmental work is managed, unlocking unbridled productivity, giving enterprises full control of their technology environment, and greatly decreasing technology provider expenses. Companies of all sizes, across the globe benefit from telecom service management. MobiChord is based in Salt Lake City, Utah and has offices in North America, EMEA and APAC. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005016/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Xi'an Announces New Foreign Investment Policy, Creating a Level Playing Field For International Business Restrictions on external equity, shareholdings, and investment to be lifted A new ordinance introduced to safeguard investments and intellectual property rights International business to be invited to invest and operate in partial previously restricted 'core industries ' XI'AN, China, May 6, 2019 /CNW/ -- The city of Xi'an in China's Shaanxi province has released a series of new policies aimed at boosting foreign investment in manufacturing, retail, finance and internet technology. Echoing the central government's reform and opening up policy, the incentives aim to provide easier access and equal treatment to domestic and international companies and are designed to boost investment and modernization of the local economy. The new policies set in motion a wide-ranging adjustment in foreign investment restrictions: Removal of external equity ratios in designing and manufacturing of new energy vehicles, aircraft, helicopter, drones and aerostats by 2020 Removal of restrictions on the number of projects operated by international business entities in retail branches and gas stations. Removal of limits on the total shareholdings of foreign investors in Chinese commercial banks and joint-venure banks to be removed Adjustment of equity ratios in foreign financial assets management up to 51 percent An end to restrictions on foreign investment in Internet services places Xi'an and the further opening up of our economy, " said Yuhui Huang , from Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Investment Cooperation . "We are implementing a new policy for foreign investment that combines fair treatment of Chinese and foreign companies, to create a level playing field which can support an advanced free trade and investment environment in Xi'an and China ." Launched in conjunction with the international policy initiatives was a new 100 billion CNY (14.83 billion USD) industrial development fund for high-tech companies aimed at welcoming investment into previously restricted 'core industries' in the region for the first time. The new fund will offer cash support of up to 5 million CNY (740 thousand USD) to entities in operating in the high-tech, advanced manufacturing, creative, tourism, trade and logistics industries. Funding and incentives will also be made available to foreign companies to deliver critical projects, establish headquarters, research and development centers and partner with regional institutions and universities. In addition, international organizations whose projects have received national and provincial science and technology awards will be granted the same funding and policy support from the government as domestic businesses. Focused on safeguarding investments, Xi'an also announced new ordinances to protect the intellectual property rights of and to solve operational problems that ensure fair and equal treatment to international companies. For more information, please visit http://en.xa.gov.cn/ About Xi'an The capital of China's western Shaanxi province, Xi'an was the starting point of the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes established during China's Han Dynasty that linked the East and the West in commerce. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xian-announces-new-foreign-investment-policy-creating-a-level-playing-field-for-international-business-300844023.html SOURCE Xi'an Municipal Government [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Photobucket Hits Eighth Consecutive Month Of Double-Digit Growth Under New Leadership DENVER, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Photobucket, the one-stop-shop for digital content owners seeking an easy-to-use, yet powerful platform to store, edit, share and host their photos is steadily growing it's website traffic and paid membership base by converting legacy free users and attracting new customers, far exceeding company expectations. As a result of its customer-first vision, a greatly improved product that offers more value than competitors solutions and a new experienced leadership team firmly in place, Photobucket has seen new daily subscription sales grow by 200%, year over year. The company, which originally launched in 2003 as the pioneer in digital photo storage and inventor of photo hosting, is averaging over six-million unique monthly visitors and has experienced eight consecutive months of growth due in part to the recent unveiling of its low-cost pricing model and in a dedicated effort to earn back consumer trust and loyalty, a newly released "Bill of Rights" promising to always put the members first and never delte a customer's photographs. "We believe in the inherent importance of images and the memories they represent which is why we have made a promise to our members to keep them safe and secure forever," said Photobucket CEO Ted Leonard. "Our Bill of Rights is a direct, uncompromising statement of commitment that is proving to have a positive impact on our business as we're seeing an increase in subscriptions and an improved level of overall customer satisfaction." Recently, Photobucket solicited feedback and suggestions from its 90 million plus users in an effort to improve the experience and, as a result, the company now offers incomparable services including automatic image formatting for 3rd party sites including forums, online stores, blogs and apps; an unlimited bandwidth option for hosting; image optimization for any device; the option of a free storage plan and free trials for hosting services; a 10x increased performance with faster load times; and a greatly enhanced mobile web experience. Photobucket, which launches its newly enhanced website today, will continue to release product enhancements with additional features and plans to relaunch a new version of their mobile app later this year. "We're returning Photobucket to its innovative roots with a relentless focus on the customer and we now offer the best value and greatest simplicity amongst our competitors," explained Leonard. "The Company is laser focused with the tools in place to regain our leadership position in the marketplace and be a trusted and reliable long-term solution for many years to come. Our new website is more than just that, it's emblematic of an entirely new Photobucket experience." About Photobucket Photobucket established the photo sharing market 16 years ago and now provides a one-stop destination for nearly 90 million users to easily host, store, edit and share over 15 billion digital images. We offer the simplest, most cost-effective options for hosting, storing, editing and sharing high-resolution images. Our diverse range of subscription plans and prices are designed for everyone from memory savers to forum and blog owners and contributors to online merchants. Contact: Adam Schiff, CultureSpeed Communications, 917-701-7800, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/photobucket-hits-eighth-consecutive-month-of-double-digit-growth-under-new-leadership-300843765.html SOURCE Photobucket [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Diamanti Launches Bare-Metal Container Solution with Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform Integration and Support BOSTON, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RED HAT SUMMIT - Diamanti, the industry leader in bare-metal container and Kubernetes infrastructure, today announced a new version of its D20 appliance that will be delivered with full integration and support for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform. The Diamanti D20 RH for Red Hat OpenShift is Red Hat Hardware Certified , and pairs Diamantis best-in-class container infrastructure with Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Containers have revolutionized how applications are architected, developed, and deployed, but legacy infrastructure isn't architected for the way containers use storage and network resources. Enterprises waste time and resources trying to leverage outdated infrastructure to support containerized applications usually without success. The result is slower time to market, rising personnel and equipment costs, and growing frustration between developers and IT operations. The combination of Diamanti and OpenShift Container Platform enables enterprises to gain the improved agility and enhanced performance of containers - from development through to production-scale deployment with a simpler path to bare-metal deployment for cloud-native application development. Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform customers receive one-stop support from Diamanti, through the Connect for Business Partner Program. OpenShift Container Platform has become a leading Kubernetes platform for enterprises focused on cloud-native workloads and multi-tenant deployments, said Tom Barton, CEO at Diamanti. Now, Diamanti gives you container infrastructure in minutes. For any enterprise that is seeking the agility and performance of bare-metal containers, Diamanti with OpenShift Container Platform delivers the performance, simplicity, efficiency and enerprise features that users need to run stateful containerized applications in production. Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform pairs the innovation of Kubernetes with the improved stability and enhanced security that businesses need to run production applications across the hybrid cloud, said Julio Tapia, director, Cloud Platforms Partners Ecosystem, Red Hat. Were pleased to collaborate with Diamanti to bring OpenShift Container Platform to their D20 appliance, making it easier for our customers to launch and maintain enterprise Kubernetes deployments on bare metal. The solution fully leverages Diamantis intelligent storage architecture which gives users per-container quality-of-service (QoS), along with snapshot-based data protection. Users can also take advantage of Diamantis multi-zone clustering capabilities to enhance infrastructure fault tolerance. The Diamanti D20 RH for Red Hat OpenShift is available now. About Diamanti Diamanti is the technology leader in bare-metal container and Kubernetes infrastructure. Purpose-built for modern cloud and open-source environments, Diamanti gives infrastructure architects, IT operations, and application owners the performance, simplicity, efficiency, and enterprise-class features they need to run containers in production. Based in San Jose, California, Diamanti is backed by venture investors CRV, DFJ, GSR Ventures, Northgate Capital, Translink Capital, and Goldman Sachs. For more information visit www.diamanti.com or follow @DiamantiCom. Diamanti has been named a Gartner Cool Vendor for its bare-metal container platform. It was named the winner of the 2018 Container Trailblazer award by Tech Trailblazers. Database Trends and Applications named Diamanti a 2018 Trend-Setting Product in Data Management . Other product accolades for Diamanti include being named one of CRNs 10 Coolest Cloud Storage Startups and being included in Forbes 10 New Product Categories Created Exclusively for the Container Era . For more information visit www.diamanti.com or follow @diamanticom. Red Hat, Red Hat Enterprise Linux and OpenShift are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. Editorial Contact Lonn Johnston +1 650.219.7764 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Top science and research prizes celebrate Canadian discoveries and put Canada on the world stage Canada's top prize awarded to science leader whose work on ancient water is shaping the search for life on other planets OTTAWA, May 6, 2019 /CNW/ - Canada proudly supports the science and innovations that further our knowledge of the universe and the world in which we live. Our researchers, from PhD students just embarking on their careers to seasoned scientists making internationally recognized discoveries are some of the best and brightest in the world. They also serve as an inspiration to the next generation and illustrate that diversity is what brings new dimensions to science and research. Today, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, and Dr. Digvir S. Jayas, Interim President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), will honour 28 of Canada's top scientists and seven industry partners at an awards ceremony at Rideau Hall. The researchers will receive six NSERC prizes for a range of research including creating new safety enhancements for hospital beds, developing biodegradable plastics for disposable coffee pods and commercializing the first-ever non-military infra-red camera. Dr. Barbara Sherwood Lollar will be awarded NSERC's most prestigious award, the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering, worth $1 million. As one of Canada's most renowned earth scientists, Dr. Sherwood Lollar's insights about the nature of water and life on our planet have shown us that there is still much to discover about the origins and evolution of Earth. Her discoveries and expertise on ancient water are helping shape space exploration and the search for life on other planets. Dr. Douglas Stephan is receiving this year's John C. Polanyi Award for redesigning a 100-year-old chemistry process to make it cheaper, more efficient and environmentally friendly. His discovery allows researchers to perform chemistry that was previously beyond their grasp, leading to advancements in areas such as drug development and green chemistry. Quotes "I am honoured to celebrate Canada's leading researchers for their ground-breaking contributions to science and engineering. Their dedication and discoveries are helping us overcome challenges we face today, and are making our health, environment and communities thrive. These researchers, some of Canada's best and brightest, are exactly why Canada has a reputation for being a world-leader in science and discovery." The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport "NSERC is pleased to honour these early career and established researchers for their significant accomplishments. These exceptional individuals are prime examples of the talent that NSERC supports to push forward the limits of knowledge and explore innovative research avenues." Dr. Digvir Jayas, Interim President of NSERC "I am honoured to receive this year's NSERC Herzberg Gold Medal. When you look at the winners who have come before, it's an enormously humbling experience. It's exciting for me, but also for the team I've worked with throughout my careerthe students in my lab, and my colleagues around the world. The work being done in Canada to understand the subsurface of our planet is helping to shed light on possible ways to both sustain the earth's water resources, but also to explore other planets and the extraterrestrial real estate." Dr. Barbara Sherwood Lollar, University Professor of Earth Sciences and Director of the Stable Isotope Laboratory, University of Toronto Quick facts The six NSERC prize categories, totalling $3.71 million are as follows: Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and EngineeringOne prize valued at $1 million for Science and EngineeringOne prize valued at Brockhouse Canada Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and EngineeringOne prize for a team of researchers valued at $250,000 John C. Polanyi AwardOne prize valued at $250,000 E.W.R. Steacie Memorial FellowshipsSix prizes valued at $250,000 each each Synergy Awards for InnovationThree prizes valued at $200,000 ; one valued at $100,000 ; one valued at Gilles Brassard Doctoral Prize for Interdisciplinary ResearchOne prize valued at $10,000 Associated links Full list of NSERC prizes, this year's winners and their profiles For Canadian Science news, follow @CDNScience on social media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on Twitter: @ISED_CA Follow Canada's three granting agencies on Twitter: @CIHR_IRSC, @NSERC_CRSNG , @SSHRC_CRSH NSERC invests over $1.2 billion each year in natural sciences and engineering research in Canada. Our investments deliver discoveriesvaluable world firsts in knowledge claimed by a brain trust of over 11,000 professors. Our investments enable partnerships and collaborations that connect the makers and users of discoveries. Research partnerships established by NSERC help inform research and development and solve scale-up challenges. NSERC also provides scholarships and hands-on training experience for more than 30,000 post-secondary students and post-doctoral fellows. These young researchers will be the next generation of science and engineering leaders in Canada. SOURCE NSERC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers a speech as new Emperor Naruhito attends a ritual after succeeding his father Akihito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Wednesday. / AP-Yonhap By Park Ji-won The Japanese government plans to hire more specialists handling international disputes, in what political analysts in Seoul said is a move to prepare for legal tussles with the South Korean government over historical disputes. "Tokyo may file more lawsuits against Seoul over historical documents in major international courts such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as the country is on track to hire more such specialists," a Japanese source with knowledge of the situation said, Monday. Data released last year by the Japanese government has shown its foreign ministry has begun nurturing archivists and advisers on diplomatic documents relating to territorial and historical disputes with its neighboring countries in East Asia, which includes China and Russia as well as South Korea. Observers said the move is interpreted as a "necessary step" in preparation for possible legal battles with the South Korean government by using the ministry's diplomatic documents, especially when dealing with historic issues over wartime sex slavery and forced labor. Seoul and Tokyo have been involved in territorial and historical disputes after the South's ruling last October in favor of South Korean forced laborers who had worked during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation. The highest court in South Korea ordered certain Japanese firms active here to compensate those victims. Since the ruling, bilateral relations have been worsening. Seoul has remained positive but passive in addressing such growing tussles with Tokyo, although Japan said it was looking for ways to file a lawsuit with the ICJ disputing the ruling by claiming the court ruling from Seoul is against the standards of international law. However, experts anticipate that Tokyo's strategic move may not be effective under the current atmosphere prioritizing human rights. "The Japanese government may think the international organization is their ally, but it might be wrong. There is a possibility the country may lose the suits due to the human rights-friendly atmosphere in the global community," another source familiar with the matter said wishing to remain anonymous. The disagreement over the forced labor ruling is just one of a number of legal battles between the two countries. Just last month, Japan lost a lawsuit filed by Korea at the World Trade Organization over a dispute related to food contamination concerns due to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Japan also withdrew from the International Whaling Commission last year. Meanwhile, South Korean experts suggested that Seoul file a suit with the ICJ as it stands a high chance of winning. "Filing a lawsuit with the ICJ will be a peaceful way to resolve the diplomatic disputes between Seoul and Tokyo as there will be fewer conflicts between the two countries before the court decision, which will take three to four years from the beginning of the lawsuit. Also, the two can agree to suspend the court orders," Lee Won-deok, an expert on Japan at Kookmin University, said during a parliamentary seminar on Korea-Japan relations last month. "It is an important move to admit an individual as a subject under the current international law, meaning the individual has rights and obligations," said Shin Woo-jung, judge at the Cheongju District Court. [May 06, 2019] BrightEdge Instant Is an Industry First: Taking Research and Content Optimization Real-Time FOSTER CITY, Calif., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- BrightEdge, the global leader in organic search and content performance, today unveiled BrightEdge Instant, a revolutionary set of innovations that transforms how search marketers drive performance at scale. BrightEdge Instant is the industry's first and most powerful real-time SEO solution that empowers marketers to utilize real-time insights and take action to optimize content all within one unified platform. This is something that has been never done before. "Leading brands realize the importance of organic search as the key to digital portfolio success and have been asking for technology that can truly help them produce real, tangible business outcomes 'right here and right now,'" said Jim Yu, CEO of BrightEdge. "At BrightEdge we take great pride in adding new capabilities in lockstep with both technological innovation and investment in the success of our customers. I am so excited to see how brands will maximize revenue lift with BrightEdge Instant." The final shift from multiple SEO point solutions to a single-platform experience According to BrightEdge market research a typical organic search practitioner uses an average of 6 tools and can spend up to 4 hours a day on research, reporting and analysis. In the past it was difficult for search marketers to truly understand the customer journey as it happens and, in turn, maximize revenue. BrightEdge Instant ensures that this is no longer a problem. "Having the capability to conduct real-time research and optimize content all within one platform is game-changing for search, content and digital marketers," said Carlos Spallarossa, director of SEO, L'Oreal. "Marketers no longer have to deal with the inaccuracy of data silos and the inflexibility of point solutions, while at the same time they save vital resources and time in order to focus on highly impactful revenue-based increental revenue opportunities." Real-time insights how and when marketers want and need it BrightEdge Instant is set to transform the search industry rapidly. Key capabilities enable marketers to: Research on Demand: Utilize real-time research to answer questions and uncover opportunities as they happen. BrightEdge Instant gives marketers access to real-time, on-demand data, which allows them to ask specific questions and discover quantitative, data-driven answers with rapid speed, ease and accuracy. Marketers for the first time can take action on the voice opportunity with a data-driven approach to conversational search. Rankings in Real-time: Understand in real-time how content is performing across any search engine and any device across 37,000 locations and 46 languages. Real-Time Rank Checker allows marketers to optimize at the speed of Google through analysis of video (YouTube) and image SERP rankings. Amazon Rank Checker enables marketers to protect their brand on Amazon. Recommendations and Page Speed Performance: Take action on instantly identified content opportunities, page insights and link recommendations through an integrated approach to page speed analysis and data insights. Page Speed Performance allows marketers to understand, at scale, desktop and mobile site speed performance while comparing and contrasting against the competition. According to Tanu Javeri, global SEO strategist at IBM, "Responding to changes in the customer journey with speed and agility begins with identifying and understanding even the most subtle shifts in search patterns in real-time and optimizing accordingly." You can learn more about BrightEdge Instant here About BrightEdge BrightEdge, the global leader in enterprise organic search and content performance, empowers marketers to transform online content into business results such as traffic, conversions and revenue. The BrightEdge platform is powered by a sophisticated deep learning engine and is the only company capable of web-wide, real-time measurement of content engagement across all digital channels, including search, social and mobile. BrightEdge's 1,700+ customers include global brands, such as Microsoft and Adobe as well as 57 of the Fortune 100. The company has eight offices worldwide and is headquartered in Foster City, California. Visit our website: www.brightedge.com Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/brightedge Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightedge Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/seoplatform View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brightedge-instant-is-an-industry-first-taking-research-and-content-optimization-real-time-300843047.html SOURCE BrightEdge [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Globalstar Satellites Powering Communications for Recon Powerline Wildfire Prediction and Warning Platform SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Globalstar, Inc. (NYSE American: GSAT) announced today that the company has entered a long-term strategic relationship with Seattle-based Recon Powerline allowing the company to use Globalstar's satellite and multi-radio modems to help address the growing issue of wildfire risk management. "The agreement between Recon Powerline and Globalstar will help stop catastrophic wildland fires before they start by providing firefighters with advanced warning and the ability to predict fire ignition factors on utility infrastructure," said Katy Richey, Chief Commercial Officer at Recon Powerline. "Globalstar's network allows us to provide first responders and utilities with reliable and affordable monitoring in both remote regions with little to no cellular connectivity and the Wildland-Urban Interface. Importantly, Globalstar's satellite network will enable monitoring and rapid response without interfering in emergency-response cellular communications." With the integration of Globalstar connectivity into their Powerline Monitoring System, Recon will create the most reliable platform in the industry enabling communications in remote regions with little to no cellular coverage and the Wildland-Urban Interface. "Joining forces with Recon Powerline is a natural progression for both companies," said David Kagan, Chief Executive Officer of Globalstar. "For more than ten years, Globalstar has been developing IoT/M2M products to meet the needs of our customers with critical data monitoring and remote asset management needs. Together with our valued partner Recon, Globalstar will now leverage those products to help prevent and mitigate the damage caused by wilfires." Globalstar offers a suite of life-saving and IoT products for those that need reliable connectivity everywhere. Helping to provide faster response time for wildfires aligns both with Globalstar's MSS ability and corporate mission. This exclusive partnership is an integral component of Recon Powerline's response to California Governor Gavin Newsom's Request for Innovative Ideas (RFI2) announced by Executive Order. The Executive Order gives the State of California a new path to address issues like the wildland fire crisis through innovative technology solutions for monitoring and prevention. About Globalstar, Inc. Globalstar is a leading provider of customizable satellite IoT solutions for customers around the world in industries such as government, oil and gas, emergency management, transportation, maritime and outdoor recreation. As a pioneer of mobile satellite voice and data services, Globalstar allows businesses to streamline operations via the Globalstar Satellite Network by connecting people to their devices, supplying personal safety and communication and automating data to more easily monitor and manage mobile assets. The Company's product portfolio includes the industry-acclaimed SmartOne asset tracking products, Commercial IoT satellite transmitters and Duplex satellite data modems, the innovative Sat-Fi2 satellite wireless IP hotspot and the SPOT product line of personal safety, asset and communication devices, all offered with a variety of data service plans. Learn more at Globalstar.com About Recon Powerline Recon Powerline is a fully owned subsidiary of Recon Dynamics. Recon Dynamics was founded in 2009, and funded by wireless industry pioneer Craig McCaw's Eagle River Partners. Recon's operational Intelligence platform leverages advanced IoT solutions to provide insights into the operations of a large number of industries. Recon has developed a broad portfolio of patented technology focused on the transmission of data over long distances with extremely low power consumption. CONTACT: Austin Hicks, Recon Powerline (206) 282-1990 [email protected] Marcy O'Leary, Globalstar, Inc. (985) 335-1609 [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/globalstar-satellites-powering-communications-for-recon-powerline-wildfire-prediction-and-warning-platform-300843860.html SOURCE Globalstar, Inc.; Recon Powerline [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Wildflower's Acquisition of City Cannabis to Include One of the First Licenses on Vancouver Island VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NetworkWire -- Wildflower Brands Inc. (CSE: SUN , OTC: WLDFF ) (the Company) is excited to announce that a cannabis store application in Comox has been granted Approval In Principle (AIP) by the Provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch. Wildflower recently announced a letter of intent to acquire City Cannabis Co. With the AIP from the Province and the City of Comoxs Letter of Recommendation to the Provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch, all City Cannabis needs to be fully licensed is a final inspection. City Cannabis is on track for the opening of its fourth BC location with a target opening in Summer 2019. This announcement solidifies City Cannabis as the largest legal cannabis retailer in the province. Located in the heart of Downtown Comox, this location will be the first licensed store to support the whole Comox Valley area that holds a population of 68,000 residents with an average household income of $86,328. In the summer this population grows significantly with Vancouver Island being named a top North American vacation destination. This sector is supported by businesses providing accommodation, food services, transportation, retail, arts and culture as well as recreation. This significant local and transient population represents a substantial retail trade opportunity in BC. William MacLean, CEO of Wildflower Brands, says, City Cannabis is no doubt the fastest growing multiple location cannabis retailer in BC. The team has demonstrated their ability to find the best locations, but more importantly, the knowledge and ability to work with regulators at all level has meant success in licensing that is unmatched. We look forward to completing the acquisition and bringing together two phenomenal companies. ABOUT CITY CANNABIS CO. City Cannabis is a cannabis retailer holding two of the three City of Vancouver licenses to sell cannabis and the only company with multiple licenses in the Province of B.C. City Cannabis has been profitably operating various dispensaries in Vancouver since Vancouver commenced licensing cannabis retailers. ABOUT WILDFLOWER BRANDS INC. Wildflower Brands is a Vancouver-based company developing and designing brands that focus on plant-based health and wellness products. All of our brands work in synergy, toward becoming a global wellness leader. Investor Relations Contact: Will Elston, Investor Relations [email protected] 1-604-559-0420 Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements and information are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "appear", "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "approximate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe", "would" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with the marijuana industry in general such as operational risks in growing; competition; incorrect assessment of the value and potential benefits of various transactions; ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; failure to obtain required regulatory and other approvals and changes in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws and government regulations. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, timelines and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws or the Canadian Securities Exchange. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The Canadian Securities Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. Corporate Communications: NetworkWire (NW) New York, New York www.NetworkNewsWire.com 212.418.1217 Office [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Cognitive Systems to Advance Leading-Edge WiFi Motion Technology with Support from the Strategic Innovation Fund Cognitive Systems Corp. today unveiled its plans for a $7.3 million investment from the Canadian government, via the Strategic Innovation Fund. This fund is designed to support Canadian companies that are breaking new ground in various industries. With this funding, Cognitive Systems will further the implementation of its patented WiFi (News - Alert) Motion technology, particularly algorithm refinement, for further advancements in motion localization. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005408/en/ Cognitive Systems' Co-Founders Taj Manku (CEO) and Oleksiy Kravets (CTO) together with Navdeep Bains, Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Mike Lazaridis, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Quantum (News - Alert) Valley Investments. (Photo: Business Wire) Cognitive Systems' WiFi Motion is a disruptive technology at the forefront of the smart home market. When incorporated into routers and gateways, the technology monitors wireless sinals within an existing WiFi environment to alert users of motion and apply predictive analytics and learning patterns over time for a fully automated and customized user experience. WiFi Motion's algorithms use advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and localization capabilities to classify these signals and provide context around when and where motion has occurred. The technology accommodates the fact that there is no standard home, as every space experiences different signal interference, devices competing for bandwidth, expected motion and user preferences. With 37 patents granted to date and more than 140 pending, Cognitive Systems owns the largest and most relevant patent portfolio in the motion detection space. By using the WiFi technology that is found in nearly every home, and requiring no additional hardware, WiFi Motion is a highly affordable monitoring solution for end users. With this investment from the Canadian government, Cognitive Systems will advance WiFi Motion's AI engines and drive additional benefits to users, including more advanced motion localization and wellness monitoring features. Cognitive Systems will also use WiFi Motion to optimize energy management in the connected home. This will allow for automatic prediction and response to user behaviour such as turning off and on energy-draining devices, like lights and heating systems, based on when people are detected in the home. Cognitive Systems will hire additional team members to continue expansion efforts in other markets. "Cognitive Systems is honoured to be recognized by the Canadian government through the Strategic Innovation Fund," said Taj Manku, CEO and co-founder of Cognitive Systems. "This investment confirms our commitment to driving change in the smart home space. We've made significant strides in the security market with our recent partnerships and we look forward to expanding our market portfolio into smart home and wellness markets with this fund. Cognitive Systems is poised to continue leading the industry with advanced algorithms and motion sensing capabilities that will be embedded into third-party hardware. This will help us to achieve our vision of the fully connected, cognitive smart home." For more information, visit https://www.cognitivesystems.com/. About Cognitive Systems Cognitive Systems Corp., is on a mission to transform the way WiFi networks are used. Its flagship technology, WiFi Motion, uses wireless signals to detect motion in the home. WiFi Motion harnesses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to reliably identify and localize motion for the smart home, security and wellness monitoring markets. This patented technology is layered onto existing WiFi networks without additional hardware to enhance service provider and router manufacturer offerings. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005408/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Equisoft Receives a New Distinction as a Member of the Circle of the Most Important Internship Employers of the ETS MONTREAL, May 6, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Equisoft proudly announced that it was honored as member of the Circle of the Most Important Internship Employers of the ETS for the year 2018, during the Grants and Internships Celebration which took place in Montreal on April 16. "In every semester for the past several years now, we have welcomed close to 20 interns and part-time students, the majority of whom are software engineering students from the ETS," said Annie Mongrain, Vice President of Human Resources at quisoft. "Equisoft is considered a partner of choice by more than 50 financial institutions in some 15 countries. One of our key competitive advantages is the quality of our resources, and the potential of the interns coming from the ETS certainly contribute to that." Equisoft now has close to 250 employees in its Montreal and Quebec offices, out of more than 375 professionals located on four continents. A reputed employer in its sector, the company was also honored to receive a Coup de Coeur Award at the Gala des Prix Createurs d'emploi du Quebec last October. This new distinction further recognizes Equisoft's active contribution to creating and maintaining employment in the technology sector in Quebec. About Equisoft Founded in 1994, Equisoft is a global provider of advanced digital solutions in life insurance and wealth management. Recognized as a valued partner by over 50 of the world's leading financial institutions in 15 countries, Equisoft offers innovative front-end applications, extensive back office services and a unique data migration expertise. The firm's industry-leading products include CRM, financial needs analysis, asset allocation, quotes and illustrations, electronic application, agency management systems, as well as customer, agent and broker portals. Equisoft is also Oracle's main global partner for the Oracle Insurance Policy Administration platform. With its business-driven approach, deep industry knowledge, state-of-the-art technology, and a growing team of over 375 specialized resources based in the USA, Canada, Latin America, South Africa and India, Equisoft helps financial institutions tackle any challenge in this new era of digital disruption. Website: equisoft.com SOURCE Equisoft [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Sentons Names Jess Lee as CEO; Announces Appointment of NEA's Forest Baskett to Board of Directors SAN JOSE, Calif., May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sentons Inc., the global leader revolutionizing the world of touch and force sensing beyond the screen and beyond glass, today announced that it has named Jess Lee as its new President & CEO. Mr. Lee joins the company with more than 25 years of advanced sensor engineering and executive leadership from InVisage, Apple, OmniVision, and Silicon Graphics. In addition, the company announced that Forest Baskett, PhD., a general partner at global venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA) will join the Board of Directors. Dr. Baskett brings over 35 years of leadership and experience in the computing and semiconductor markets. "We're excited to welcome both Jess and Forest to the team," said Sam Sheng, co-founder and CTO of Sentons. "Jess brings invaluable direct knowledge and operational experience in the advanced sensing and semiconductor industries. This, along with Forest's incredible depth from his successful investment portfolio and background in the computing world he helped establish, puts us in a strong position to capture the market. Having both Forest (former CTO of SGI) and Greg Papadopoulos (Venture Partner at NEA and former CTO of Sun) represented on the board is huge for us. We are thrilled to have them all on the team!" "I'm joining Sentons at a very exciting time," said Mr. Lee. "Every device surfacemetal or glass, flat or curvedis an opportunity for us to add interactivity for users and take the human machine interface to the next level. I'm looking forward to making a huge impact with our groundbreaking products." "Sentons expansive user interface technology is truly a remarkable achievementa huge technological leap forward that I am sure will have a lasting impact on how users interact with intelligent devices for decades to come," said Dr. Baskett. Prior to Sentons, Mr. Lee served as President and CEO of InVisage Technologies, where he established a new category of high performance cameras and image sensors powered by designer quantum dot films. Jess led InVisage from its neonatal R&D stage to product adoption and revenue with Tier 1s, more than $100M of capital raises, and ultimately its successful exit to Apple, where he drove M&A integration into undisclosed projects. His previous companies include OmniVision Technologies where, as VP & GM of its Mainstream Business Unit, he drove their growth from $50M in annual sales to more than $500M in less than four years. As a general partner at NEA, Dr. Baskett has partnered with many technology companies, many of which have had successful exits including Tableau Software (IPO), Atheros Communications (IPO), Audience (IPO), Fusion-io (IPO), and Data Domain (IPO). Dr. Baskett joined NEA as a Venture Partner in 1999 and became General Partner in 2004. Prior to becoming a venture capitalist, he worked in the tech world as Senior Vice President of R&D and CTO of Silicon Graphics Inc., and was a Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. About Sentons, Inc. Sentons, Inc. is venture-backed and the world leader in advanced touch and force sensing solutions. Sentons' market defining technology utilizes a combination of ultrasound and direct force sensors, to enable unprecedented ways for users to interact with their personal devices. The result is stunning and intuitive user experiences that extend interactivity to all physical surfaces of a device, beyond the touchscreen. Sentons works with leading OEMs to implement this technology into the next generation of mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic products. Founded in 2011, Sentons is venture funded by New Enterprise Associates and Northern Light Venture Capital. More information is available at www.sentons.com. About NEA New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) is a global venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors and geographies. With more than $20 billion in cumulative committed capital since the firm's founding in 1977, NEA invests in technology and healthcare companies at all stages in a company's lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. The firm's long track record of successful investing includes more than 225 portfolio company IPOs and more than 375 acquisitions. For additional information, visit www.nea.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sentons-names-jess-lee-as-ceo-announces-appointment-of-neas-forest-baskett-to-board-of-directors-300843893.html SOURCE NEA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Southern Exposure: Dynasty Financial Partners Launches Atlanta-Based Regent Peak Wealth Advisors Leading wealth advisor Craig Robson today announced that he and his team have partnered with Dynasty Financial Partners to form an independent wealth management firm called Regent Peak Wealth Advisors. Mr. Robson managed $450 million in client assets at his previous firm. Mr. Robson joined Merrill Lynch in 1994 and was most recently a Wealth Management Advisor in the firm's Atlanta office. He is ranked in Barron's 2018 'America's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State' - for the state of Georgia. He holds the following designations: CFP (CFP), CIMA (News - Alert) (CIMA) and CPFA. Based in Atlanta, Mr. Robson is the Founding Principal and Managing Director of Regent Peak Wealth Advisors. The firm has a total staff of five professionals, and joining Mr. Robson from Merrill Lynch are the following individuals: Kevin Manning, CFP (CFP). - Chief Financial Officer, Regent Peak Wealth Advisors; previously Analyst, Relationship Management Nathan Hoyt, CFP (CFP). - Chief Investment Officer, Regent Peak Wealth Advisors; previously Analyst, Investments Carmen Laster - Chief Compliance Officer, Regent Peak Wealth Advisors; previously Registered Senior Client Associate Emily Raymond - Chief Operating Officer of Regent Peak Wealth Advisors; previously Registered Client Associate Regent Peak Wealth Advisors is a registered independent advisory firm dedicated to advising creators of significant wealth, including corporate executives, successful business owners, multi-generational families looking to leave a legacy, pre-retirees, entrepreneurs, and trustees and board directors. The firm provides its clients with objective advice in simplifying the complexities of their financial affairs. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors applies a comprehensive approach that considers both sides of the balance sheet, organizing an effective road map and implementing integrated solutions that alleviate the anxiety of financial decision-making. "We are excited to launch Regent Peak Wealth Advisors because we believe we are able to better serve our client relationships within an independent advisory offering. Leveraging Dynasty's capabilities will allow us to market ourselves to new opportunities, such as expanding our offerings to corporate executives," said Mr. Robson. "By offering a more comprehensive range of advisory services, we will expand growth opportunities within our firm. As an independent firm, we are looking forward to having more capabilities for our clients, gving our employees a great business culture, and growing our business both organically and inorganically over time as other advisors seek to join a truly independent advisory firm in the greater Atlanta area." Regent Peak Wealth Advisors plans to provide corporate executives detailed advice and counsel specific to their deferred and/or equity compensation plans within their employers total compensation offerings. In addition, the firm plans to source lending solutions to assist a business owner in their growth initiatives, which may include working capital, acquisition financing, equipment loans, etc. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors also plans to expand their footprint via strategic acquisitions with like-minded advisors. "2019 is shaping up to be yet another banner year for advisors choosing independence. We are excited to be leaders in helping advisors navigate the transition to independence and are often the first call for advisors considering independence. We believe this long-term trend has now become a movement that will not only continue but also accelerate," said Shirl Penney, CEO of Dynasty Financial Partners. "We are particularly proud to partner with a high-caliber advisor like Craig and his team, and we welcome them to our Network of independent advisors. If you are a high-net-worth investor in the Atlanta region, you now have another great option from which to get independent advice, delivered separately from where products are manufactured and sold. We believe Regent Peak will quickly become leaders in delivering fiduciary-based advice in their market." Regent Peak Wealth Advisors has partnered with Dynasty Financial Partners to leverage Dynasty's wealth management services, people, leading technology, and capital support. The firm will be using Dynasty's award-winning integrated Core Services platform for independent advisors and the firm's turn key asset management platform (TAMP). They will have access to leading technology, including Dynasty's proprietary advisor desktop, in-house specialists, home office support, and will benefit from the firm's significant scale in the industry. Among its other resource partners, Regent Peak Wealth Advisors has selected Schwab to provide custody services for its clients' assets and Black Diamond for consolidated asset and performance reporting. For more information, please visit www.regentpeakwealth.com About Dynasty Financial Partners Dynasty Financial Partners is known for assisting advisors of integrity to better service their clients, run their businesses more profitably, grow faster, and enhance the enterprise value of the advisor's firm. Dynasty does this by developing, sourcing and integrating management capabilities for some of the industry's leading independent investment advisory firms. Dynasty's award-winning integrated platform services delivery chassis offers a customized, open-architecture wealth management solutions and technology platform supporting advisors as they protect and grow their clients' wealth. Dynasty hosts numerous events to allow the community to come together and allow top RIA firms to be independent but not alone. Dynasty also offers access to capital to help advisors expand, scale and grow their business. Dynasty's core principle is "objectivity without compromise," and the firm is committed to crafting solutions that allow investment advisors to act as true fiduciaries to their clients. Also visit Dynasty on social media: LinkedIn (News - Alert):https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynasty-financial-partners Twitter (News - Alert):@DynastyFP Youtube:http://bit.ly/1MKXhC8 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005025/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] US and Canada Clinical Laboratories to Strike the 100 Billion Market Cap Labs must demonstrate agility and adaptability in preparing for reimbursement headwinds while taking advantage of growth opportunities, finds Frost & Sullivan SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 6, 2019 /CNW/ -- The growing trend of decentralization has expanded the scope of testing beyond the traditional laboratory environment. The $78.34 billion U.S. clinical laboratory market is expected to grow to $91.31 billion by 2022, driven by strong merger and acquisition activity and the consequent integration of services. In response to the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) reimbursement cuts, laboratories are expanding their revenue streams by collaborating with retail clinics and e-commerce channels to gain access to new customers. Meanwhile, the Canada clinical laboratory market is expected to grow to $13.30 billion by 2022, bolstered by funding from the Ministry of Health (MoH). "Laboratories will look to offer highly connected and integrated systems by leveraging outreach relationships and aiding development," said Divyaa Ravishankar, Industry Principal, Transformational Health. "Next-generation labs will be able to streamline physician office workflow orders and receive and report results in real time through electronic health record (EHR) systems. Therefore, it is important to ensure connectivity with provider and payer systems." Frost & Sullivan's recent analysis, Growth Opportunities in the North American Clinical Laboratory Services Market, Forecast to 2022, covers hospital-based laboratories, independent laboratories, physician office labs (POLs), and other laboratories in the United States and Canada. Also, the study examines new business models and alternate revenue channels, as well as recommendsstrategies for clinical labs to combat reimbursement pressure. For further information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/3es. "Canada's diagnostics testing revenue is generated by hospital labs, private labs, physicians' offices, and public labs. By 2022, most of the private labs are expected to be integrated with hospital labs to provide an integrated facility for laboratory services," noted Ravishankar. "There is still a substantial amount of tests outsourced to the U.S., especially the NGS-based tests that add to the national expenditure. This provides scope for several U.S. labs to harbor a commercial laboratory operation in Canada." For clinical laboratories to navigate the changing marketplace, they must make the most of the growth opportunities presented by: Consumer preference for higher deductible plans : They are opting for lower annual premiums and higher out-of-pocket expenses, which bodes well for small laboratories, where patients can purchase services themselves. : They are opting for lower annual premiums and higher out-of-pocket expenses, which bodes well for small laboratories, where patients can purchase services themselves. Combining imaging and genomic data : Integrated diagnostics services that combine genomic data , imaging data , and pathologic data will be in high demand among both patients and physicians. : that combine , , and will be in high demand among both patients and physicians. Exploring alternate business models such as direct-to-consumer testing , acquisition of outsourcing business, and addition of specialty portfolio to testing. , acquisition of outsourcing business, and addition of to testing. Expanding their test menu to include preventive and chronic care testing : Labs can create a network of integrated and coordinated lab services across the continuum of care. : Labs can create a network of integrated and coordinated lab services across the continuum of care. Developing the infrastructure required to serve critically ill patients who need access to care periodically in locations accessible to them as well as in an ambulatory environment. Growth Opportunities in the North American Clinical Laboratory Services Market, Forecast to 2022 is part of Frost & Sullivan's global Digital Health Growth Partnership Service program. About Frost & Sullivan For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Growth Opportunities in the North American Clinical Laboratory Services Market, Forecast to 2022 K335-48 Contact: Mariana Fernandez Corporate Communications T: +1 210 348 10 12 T: +54 11 4778 3540 E: [email protected] http://ww2.frost.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-and-canada-clinical-laboratories-to-strike-the-100-billion-market-cap-300844361.html SOURCE Frost & Sullivan [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] KeyedIn Answers the Question, 'You're in Services, So Why Are You Selling?' at Technology Services World 2019 Conference MINNEAPOLIS, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KeyedIn today announced that the Operations and Program Manager for Community Brands, Chana Lewis, and KeyedIns own Vice President of Customer Experience, Tim Short, will speak on Youre in Services, so Why Are You Selling? at the Technology Services World (TSW) 2019 conference , held May 6-8, 2019, in San Diego. KeyedIn helps Embedded Services Organizations (ESOs) boost utilization, increase margins and improve forecast accuracy wit a complete bid-to-bill cloud solution. In the session, Tim and Chana will highlight the dual role services leaders are required to fill as both a trusted advisor for customers and a significant revenue driver for the company two concepts that seem contradictory but dont have to be. At TSW 2019, the session on Youre in Services, So Why Are You Selling, will be held Tuesday, May 7, from 3:10-3:50pm in Harbor H, Level 2 of the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. About KeyedIn KeyedIn helps organizations simplify business processes, improve performance and drive results through its innovative SaaS-based business solutions. The companys flagship product, KeyedIn Projects, is a cloud-based project and portfolio management (PPM) solution that enables project management offices (PMOs) and professional services teams to double productivity, cut reporting costs in half and save tens of thousands of dollars in operating expense. Headquartered in Minneapolis, KeyedIn has hundreds of customers worldwide, including Walgreens Boots Alliance, LexisNexis and OfficeDepot. For more information, visit www.keyedin.com , or contact 866-662-6820. For more media information, contact: Lisa Hendrickson/LCH Communications for KeyedIn 516-767-8390 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Intelligent Wearable Medical Device for Compartment Syndrome Diagnosis Wins at INVEST Pitch Perfect Contest SAN DIEGO, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Odin Technologies (Odin) was announced as the winner of the diagnostics startup track at the Pitch Perfect Contest that took place during the MedCity INVEST Conference in Chicago on April 23-24. Invetech, a leader in healthcare product development, custom automation and contract manufacturing, sponsored the competition track. Odin, a Chicago-based startup, has developed an intelligent wearable medical device that is able to detect and track tissue perfusion, enabling non-invasive diagnosing of acute compartment syndrome. The syndrome, which is a complication arising from an increase in muscle pressure typically caused by internal bleeding following trauma, is challenging to detect and if diagnosed too late, can cause patients to lose their limb or their life. The wearable medical device eliminates the need to subject patients to needle injections and evaluations, providing a multifactorial diagnostic tool that will accurately measure patients at risk of developing compartment syndrome over long periods of time. Odin's Co-Founder and CEO Steven Hansen, ATC, MSc delivered the winning pitch. Mr. Hansen said, "The current standard is a needle injection that monitors tissue pressure, whereas we use optics to non-invasively monitor blood flow. We revolutionized the paradigm for diagnosing compartment syndrome because we are no longer looking at compartment syndrome as a pressure related injury but as a perfusion related injury." Cmpetition sponsor Invetech is providing in-kind support in the form of diagnostic product commercialization services to Odin. Invetech's President Andres Knaack said, "Odin's intelligent wearable is a fantastic example of the disruptive innovation startups can bring into the healthcare sector. In developing their device, Odin took the time to understand the pain points of their end-users in this case both the patients and caregivers and came up with a unique product that is going to transform the way compartment syndrome is diagnosed, thus ultimately reducing healthcare costs." Applied directly on a patient's skin, the wearable medical device communicates wirelessly with a computing hub where the data is analyzed using an artificial intelligence engine, allowing for a precise measuring of symptoms continuously and in real-time. Mr. Hansen said, "Combining our optical tools with new-age wearable computers and machine learning, we are able to provide meaningful metrics on compartment syndrome as it develops; something that could not have been accomplished 10 years ago." Of the many potential applications for Odin's device, the Department of Defense has expressed strong interest in utilizing the diagnostic device for prolonged field care. Combat injuries resulting in fasciotomies are common in the field, and the Department estimates that almost 85% of their total fasciotomies are unnecessary. The wearable medical device is expected to be available in the market by mid-2020. About Odin Technologies Odin Technologies is a Chicago-based startup that is developing a non-invasive tool for diagnosing and monitoring compartment syndrome in trauma patients. odinhealthtech.com About Invetech Invetech has created breakthrough products and custom automation systems for more than 30 years. With experience drawn from more than 5,000 projects globally, Invetech partners with global leaders in industry to deliver product design and development, contract manufacturing and custom automation services. The company has experience in a broad range of market sectors including point of care diagnostics, laboratory diagnostics, life sciences and cell and advanced therapy automated production systems. invetechgroup.com Media contacts Odin Technologies: Steven Hansen CEO and Co-Founder Phone: +1 408 309-1925 [email protected] Invetech: Eeva Routio Marketing Manager, Brand and Thought Leadership Phone: +1 858 768-3204/ 858 688-1736 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/intelligent-wearable-medical-device-for-compartment-syndrome-diagnosis-wins-at-invest-pitch-perfect-contest-300843846.html SOURCE Invetech [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] By Yi Whan-woo Josette Altmann Borbon Former Costa Rican first lady Josette Altmann Borbon, who serves as the secretary general of the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO), visited Korea last month, according to Costa Rican Embassy in Korea. It said it held a working meeting with Embassy of Brunei in Korea when a senior Bruneian diplomat assigned to Latin America division visited Seoul. These were part of the embassy's activities in April, including meetings with Korean representatives from the construction, health, renewable energy and green growth sectors. "In the framework of promoting greater knowledge between the Latin American region and Korea, academic actions play a fundamental role," the embassy said, adding it thanks Altmann for helping Latin America to project "more decisively" in Korea. FLACSO is an intergovernmental organization aimed at promoting academic research, fostering graduate courses and training specialists in social sciences among the universities of its 18 member countries Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam and Uruguay plus an observer, Spain. It is also aimed at sharing its knowledge including research findings with governments, parliaments, NGOs and civic societies. Its programs cover a wide range of fields including politics, sociology, economics and culture. Serving as first lady of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998, Altmann was the first FLACSO secretary general to visit Korea in October 2018 after it was set up in 1957. "We're proud that a distinguished Costa Rican academic contributes her knowledge to enrich the formulation of Korean public policies regarding Latin America," the embassy said. Costa Rican Ambassador to Korea Rodolfo Solano Quiro held a working meeting with Bruneian embassy officials during a visit by Muhd Husaini Pengiran Alauddin, the director general of the Division of the Americas and Europe at Brunei's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The embassy assessed the meeting was "valuable to review the progress of the bilateral agenda that both countries promote in the fields of politics, cooperation, trade and investment." This year mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. To bolster Korean investment on transport infrastructure in Costa Rica, the embassy invited International Contractors Association of Korea (ICAK) head Lee Kun-hi and ICAK executives. The ICAK is supported by the Korean government and has leading construction companies as members. Lee led an ICAK delegation recently to Costa Rica. The embassy invited representatives from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) to promote medical tourism in Costa Rica led by the Costa Rican Chamber of Health (PROMED). The embassy said it has been stepping up efforts to help KHIDI and PROMED "to move forward" in their aim at signing an agreement and facilitating exchanges. Embassy officials also met with senior members of the Organizing Committee of the 8th International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) 2019. The conference will be held in Seoul in October. The embassy underscored Costa Rica's clean electricity matrix "has the capacity to generate energy from renewable sources," mainly from hydroelectric, geothermal and wind power plants, and that it will be an "importance reference" at the conference. The ambassador thanked the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), a global organization aimed at promoting sustainable development, for coopering with Costa Rica with "great willingness." [May 06, 2019] VIPKid Joins BrandZ's Top 100 Most Valuable Chinese Brands Five Years After Its Founding VIPKid, a global education technology company, is proud to announce it was chosen as the 94th most valuable brand in the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Chinese Brands report released by WPP and Kantar. VIPKid is joined by other globally recognized brands such as Alibaba, Tencent and JD.com. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005592/en/ VIPKid Founder and CEO Cindy Mi spoke on a CEO panel at BrandZ's summit in Beijing on May 6, 2019. (Photo: Business Wire) The BrandZ ranking measures value based on a deep understanding of what motivates consumers, how to fulfill their expectations and how to build powerful and valuable brands that consumers and investors love. David Roth of WPP explained, "The threshold to enter the BrandZ China Top 100 has more than doubled in 2019, demonstrating the continued pace of growth for Chinese brands increasingly recognized as leading the way in innovation. Against a backdrop of heightened competition and disruption, building stronger brands is what it takes to stay in the game." "It's an honor to be included on this list of outstanding brands," said VIPKid Founder and CEO Cindy Mi. "To be recognized after only five years in the marketplace is a testament to the dedication of our team to our mission and vision of building a global classroom." Ms. Mi was also invited to speak on a roundtable at BrandZs summit on May 6th in Beijing. Joined by other CEOs and leaders, including Haier President and Vice Chairman Yunjie Zhou and Kantar CEO Eric Salama, and speaking to an audience of over 1,000 executives, government officials, investors and media, Ms. Mi explained how VIPKid has maintained a global mindset while scaling quickly in a competitive and evolving market. Doreen Wang, Global Head of BrandZ at Kantar, added, "Whether going abroad or expanding domestically, the potential for brand growth is huge for China's most valuable brands. But realizing it requires the knowledge and expertise needed to surmount new challenges. This report highlights the importance for Chinese brands to build difference in the domestic and global marketplace." First launched in 2011, the report combines rigorously analyzed market data from Bloomberg (News - Alert) with extensive consumer insights from over 3.7 million consumers around the world, including opinions from nearly 290,000 Chinese consumers on over 1,100 brands. Notably, the total value of the top 100 brands in China increased 30% this year, the highest annual rise since the ranking was launched. The full BrandZ report along with charts and videos can be found here. About VIPKid VIPKid is a global education technology company that connects children with the world's best teachers for real-time online English immersion learning. VIPKid's mission is to inspire and empower every child for the future. VIPKid envisions a global classroom that empowers students and teachers through personalized learning, connects cultures across the world and ignites a passion for lifelong learning. It believes that education is not one-size-fits-all, rather, all students are unique and the world is within their reach when connected with great teachers capable of personalizing learning and sparking curiosity. Founded in 2013 and formally launched in 2014, VIPKid has become China's market-leading online education startup, attracting investment from Tencent, Coatue Management, Sequoia Capital (News - Alert), Sinovation Ventures, Yunfeng Capital, Matrix Partners, Learn Capital, Northern Light VC and Bryant Stibel, among others. The VIPKid platform currently connects over 600,000 paying students with over 70,000 teachers in the US and Canada. About Kantar Kantar is the world's leading data, insights and consulting company. We understand more about how people think, feel, shop, share, vote and view than anyone else. Combining our expertise in human understanding with advanced technologies, Kantar's 30,000 people help the world's leading organisations succeed and grow. About WPP WPP is a creative transformation company. We build better futures for our clients through an integrated offer of communications, experience, commerce and technology. For more information, visit www.wpp.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005592/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Tauriga Sciences Inc. to Present at the 9th Annual LD Micro Invitational Conference on June 5, 2019 at the Luxe Sunset Hotel (Bel Air, California) Los Angeles, CA, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: TAUG) (Tauriga or the Company), a revenue generating Company that operates through the development, distribution, and licensing of proprietary products as well as the evaluation of potential acquisition opportunities and equity investments, today announced that it has been invited to present at the 9th Annual LD Micro Invitational Conference (the LD Micro Conference) on Wednesday, June 5, 2019 at the Luxe Sunset Hotel Bel Air, California. Conference Info Link: https://www.ldmicro.com/events Presenting on behalf of Tauriga Sciences Inc. will be its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Seth M. Shaw. The Company also plans to meet with a number of potential Los Angeles (LA) Area based Distributors and retail customers, as part of this event. As previously mentioned, the Company plans to present at a number of investor conferences, both domestic and international, over the course of the remainder of 2019. The Company believes that its flagship product Tauri-Gum - CBD Infused Chewing Gum - may represent a high quality/low risk opportunity for potential customers to enter the CBD space. ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES INC. Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (TAUG) is a revenue generating Company that operates through the development, distribution, and licensing of proprietary products as well as the evaluation of potential acquisition opportunities. One such opportunity on which the Company has acted, involves the Company having entered into the cannabidiol (or CBD) infused chewing gum product business, as more fully described above and in prior press releases. This CBD infused chewing gum product has been branded under the following name: Tauri-Gum . <>See also our periodic reports filed by us with the SEC for a more complete description of our business and material agreements that we have entered into. Further, the Company continues to identify and evaluate additional potential opportunities to generate revenue, as well as shareholder value, and leverage its resources and expertise to build a diversified and sustainable business model. Please visit our corporate website at www.tauriga.com . In addition, on March 11, 2019, the Company announced the official launch of its E-Commerce site - as part of its Tauri-Gum commercialization strategy. This site can be accessed by visiting the following URL address: www.taurigum.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent managements beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are often indicated by using words such as may, will, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, believes, or plans, and may include statements regarding corporate objectives as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones. Forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on managements present beliefs with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences or timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, such as are not guarantees of general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Many of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in the Risk Factors section of Taurigas Form 10-K and other filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. CONTACT INFORMATION Tauriga Sciences, Inc. 555 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor New York, NY 10022 Chief Executive Officer Mr. Seth M. Shaw Email: [email protected] cell # (917) 796 9926 Corp. Website: www.tauriga.com E-Commerce Website: www.taurigum.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Uniserve Announces 20,000,000 Unit Private Placement at $0.08 per Unit VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Uniserve Communications Corporation (Uniserve) wishes to announce that it has agreed to a private placement up to 20,000,000 Units at $0.08 per Unit to raise $1,600,000 for general working capital. Each unit will consist of one common share and one transferable 2 year share purchase warrant. One warrant will be exercisable for one additional common share at $0.12 per share during year one, and $0.15 per share during year two. There will be no finders fees or commission paid pursuant to this placement and the same is subject to Exchange approval. About Uniserve Uniserve Communications Corporation is a 2018 TSX Venture top 50 performance company. Uniserve is a unified communications company which has been in business for 30 years, combining voice, data and media services all into one seamless solution, one bill and one point of contct. Uniserve prides itself on world class customer service based in Canada. When all else is equal, clients can trust Uniserve to have a great price, a great experience and to be a company that customers enjoy working with we call it ONE click, call, connect. This news release was prepared on behalf of the Board of Directors, which accepts full responsibility for its contents. Learn more at www.uniserve.com or at www.sedar.com . Michael C. Scholz Chairman of the Board For more information please call 604-395-3961 or email [email protected] . Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Management has prepared this release and no regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. The statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements. Such statements are based on managements estimates, assumptions and projections using available information. Uniserve cautions that actual financial results could differ materially from the current expectations due to a number of factors. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Advanced Manufacturing Firm Expands in Prince William Mu-Del Electronics LLC, a leading manufacturer of high-performance radio frequency and microwave based systems, has relocated to a custom-built operations center in Prince William County. The new 19,358 sq. ft. facility is a $5 million investment that could spur a doubling of the company's local workforce. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005626/en/ Mu-Del Electronics LLC, a leading manufacturer of high performance RF and microwave based systems has relocated to a custom-built operations center in Prince William County, Va. (Photo: Business Wire) Mu-Del Electronics LLC, primarily designs and manufacturers its systems for national defense purposes of intelligence collection, telemetry, radar signal processing and communication, in airborne, ground-based and naval platforms. The company's new location in Merritt I-66 Business Park at 7430 Merritt Park Drive in Manassas, Prince William County, Va., is within a Federal Hub Zone, which provides easy access to I-66 and U.S. Route 234 Bypass, just 28 miles west of Washington, D.C. It now employs 30 at the new site, with the goal of hiring 30 more workers by 2020. "We look forward to attaining new business milestones as we continue to diversify our portfolio and expand our operations. Information communications technology is a tremendous growth sector and an industry in which Prince William County provides limitless advantages and opportunities," said Sami Antrazi, President, Mu-Del Electronics. "Prince William County's strength of its workforce is bringing to bear high-tech expertise industry sectors from information communications technology to life sciences, logistics and destination breweries," said Chris M. Price, Prince William County Deputy County Executive and Interim Executive Director, Department of Economic Development. "We are delighted to continue our commitment and help give rise to sophisticated technology driven enterprise, with brand leaders like Mu-Del." "We have been located in the Manassas area for the past 20 years and look forward to continuing our business in Prince William County," said Trey Middleton, Director of Operations, Mu-Del Electronics in an earlier Merritt properties press release. "As we looked at real estate options in the area, we recognized the unprecedented and significant value in teaming with Merritt Properties." "The new facility includes expanded areas for clean manufacturing, machine shop operations and testing labs," added Middleton. New and existing businesses in Prince William County benefit from a dynamic and diverse workforce; strong educational assets with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); close proximity to the nation's capital, dense consumer markets, key national institutes and federal agencies; robust power and fiber networks; while providing the largest and most affordable development sites in the region. Want more Prince William County? Check out our latest video, sign-up for newsletters or visit us at: www.PWCEconDev.org or @PWCDED. About Mu-Del Electronics LLC Founded in 1967, Mu-Del Electronics LLC, a holding company of IronWave Technologies LLC, designs and manufactures radio frequency and microwave sub-systems and components primarily for national defense purposes of intelligence collection, telemetry, radar signal processing and communication, in airborne, ground based and naval platforms. The company goes from strength-to-strength through its business strategy that includes both organic growth and growth by acquisition. It continues to expand its product offerings, with some of the new offerings launched into multi-year, Department of Defense (DoD) programs. To learn more visit: www.mu-del.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005626/en/ [May 06, 2019] Adtalem Global Education and Northeastern University Form Strategic Partnership Adtalem Global Education, a global educator and workforce solutions provider (NYSE: ATGE), and Northeastern University's (News - Alert) D'Amore-McKim School of Business, a thought leader in navigating the complexities of digital convergence and Artificial Intelligence (AI), have signed a strategic alliance agreement. Through their partnership, Adtalem and D'Amore-McKim will bring new products and services to the marketplace, leveraging subject matter expertise and content from Northeastern, and global distribution channels and financial services education and certification expertise from Adtalem. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005041/en/ The first offering to launch under the partnership is a certificate course on AI for Financial Services. AI thought leaders and expert finance and technology practitioners will design and teach the course to provide financial services professionals with a solid understanding of AI and its applications in financial services. The course will also give business professionals the ability to assess AI readiness within their organization and the tools to become AI champions capable of addressing specific business needs. Available in summer of 2019, the course will launch in online, on-demand, self-paced options and is designed to be completed within 8-10 hours over 2-4 weeks, culminating in a certificate of completion. The course also can be tailored to corporate clients with facilitated sessions and expert faculty members. "The Artificial Intelligence for Financial Services course is a unique professional education offering in the U.S. market," said Lisa Wardell, president and CEO of Adtalem. "We are pleased to partner with Northeastern University as a major thought leader consistently at the forefront of AI, and to expand this partnership into other academic areas and industries." "Through our deep relationships with leaders in the financial services industry, we know there is a profound need, not only for foundational knowledge of AI, but also its applications and capabilities in daily business operations," said Mehul Patel, group president, professional education at Adtalem. "The Artificial Intelligence for Financial Services course will provide the knowledge necessary for organizational decision makers to make informed choices about their use of AI and the efficiencies it can bring." The banking and financial services industry is at the forefront of AI adoption, using AI to improve the accuracy of credit scoring, fraud detection, personal budgeting and algorithmic stock trading and giving rise to robo-advisers, chat-bots, and machine underwriters. As automation continues to drive efficiencies in quantitative functions, companies and organizations will look to reskill employees into higher value, more qualitative roles. "Breakthrough technologies, including artificial intelligence, offer the promise of higher productivity, enhanced efficiencies, and economic growth," says Raj Echambadi, the D'Amore-McKim Dunton Family Dean at Northeastern University. "They are changing the way e live, learn, produce, and consume content, as well as how employees and enterprises work across all industries. Advanced business education will be a critical component in helping people and industries navigate challenges with digital convergence and turn them into opportunities." Adtalem's financial services portfolio currently consists of several organizations with a range of professional education products and services, including: the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS), its CAMS certification is one of the most widely recognized anti-money laundering certifications among compliance professionals worldwide; Becker Professional Education, which offers programs in CPA Exam Review and continuing professional education courses; and EduPristine, one of India's leading training providers in accounting, finance and digital marketing. The course will be available through Becker Professional Education and ACAMS, which will issue certificates of completion in partnership with the D'Amore-McKim School of Business. For more information on the AI for Financial Services certificate, please email [email protected]. About Adtalem Global Education The purpose of Adtalem Global Education is to empower students to achieve their goals, find success, and make inspiring contributions to our global community. Adtalem Global Education Inc. (NYSE: ATGE; member S&P MidCap 400 Index) is a leading global education provider and the parent organization of Adtalem Educacional do Brasil (IBMEC, Damasio and Wyden institutions), American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, Becker Professional Education, Chamberlain University, EduPristine, Ross University School of Medicine and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. For more information, please visit adtalem.com and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) (@adtalemglobal) and LinkedIn. About the D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University Through use-inspired research and teaching, Northeastern's D'Amore-McKim School of Business strives to help people and industries navigate the demands presented by an increasing emphasis on digital transformation. The school embraces the opportunities that arise from this ever-changing, technologically-driven world by discovering, designing, and delivering the competencies required for thriving in this future. Founded in 1922, D'Amore-McKim offers a unique model of business education that purposely blends innovative classroom learning with real-world business application, driven by its rich portfolio of cooperative education opportunities. The main campus is situated in the heart of Boston, a vibrant hub of business and technology, with university satellite campuses in Silicon Valley, Seattle, Toronto, and Charlotte. The school is committed to enabling lifelong learning and embedding an entrepreneurial and global mindset into these programs and its community. For more information about D'Amore-McKim, visit http://www.damore-mckim.northeastern.edu and follow the school on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and our [email protected] thought-leadership blog. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005041/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] 2019 Private Boards of the Year Award Winners Announced Six private company boards will be honored for their business governance excellence at the upcoming 2019 Private Company Governance Summit on June 6, 2019 in Washington, D.C. The boards of these companies were selected for recognition: Gold Eagle Co. Southworth International Group, Inc. Herschend Enterprises DAI Global, LLC Vermeer Corporation Graybar (News - Alert) Electric Company, Inc. Six private companies are being honored for governance excellence demonstrated by their fiduciary or advisory boards. The awards - to be presented at the upcoming 2019 Private Company Governance Summit on June 6th in Washington, D.C., honor private company boards that best serve their stakeholders - owners, shareholders, employees and community - with best practices in their structure and performance. The awards were created to recognize private companies that go above and beyond legal governance requirements and commit to the highest levels of governance, whether through fiduciary or advisory boards. The awards honor the performance of the board as a whole. The six award-winning boards represent: Gold Eagle Co., Southworth International Group, Inc., Herschend Enterprises, DAI Global, LLC, Vermeer Corporation and Graybar Electric (News - Alert) Company, Inc. The fourth annual Private Company Board of the Year awards are presented by Private Company Director, Directors and Boards and Family Business magazines. The awards recognize fiduciary boards (those tasked with protecting shareholders, with the authority to vote on decisions that are binding for company management) as well as advisory boards (more informal boards that have no binding regulatory role, but often a significant strategic role). Fiduciary board awards were broken down by company revenues and ownership type. The Private Company Governance Summit - now in its seventh year, is the only national conference focused on the unique governance challenges for owners, shareholders, directors and advisory board members of closely held, family-owned and private equity-owned companies. Dozens of private boards of directors were nominated for the 2019 Private Boards of the Year award, but six stood out for their diligence, standards and outcomes. Gold Eagle Co. Chicago, IL Type of Private Board: Advisory Approximate Annual Company Revenues: under $100 million Company Ownership: Family-owned Governance highlights include: Board advised owners to bring in a third-party consultant to help with succession, and actively assisted with the succession. Seven independent members from all disciplines, including marketing, consumer products, science andmanufacturing consultants. Board mediates differences of opinions between G2 (News - Alert) and G3. NextGen advisory board with seven to eight members 20- to 30-year-olds recruited from local colleges. Board members are not paid but have opted to meet four times a year. The NextGen (News - Alert) board is used to keep the business leaders up to date on fast changes in business while giving the members experience in sitting on a board. Southworth International Group, Inc. Portland, ME Type of Private Board: Fiduciary Approximate Annual Company Revenues: $100 million-$350 million Company Ownership: Family-owned Governance highlights include: Majority independent board with increasing gender diversity. Four standing committees (audit and risk, human resources oversight, innovation and technology, and governance) which are all chaired by independent directors with formal charters. In-depth onboarding process for directors, including orientation, a full day of training with management to orient the board to Southworth's products, processes, financial status and more. Annual review of the strategic plan facilitated by an outside consulted and led by the executive management team. Guided, both quantitatively and qualitatively, by shareholder objectives the board requested. Herschend Enterprises Peachtree Corners, GA Type of Private Board: Fiduciary Approximate Annual Company Revenues: $350 million-$1 billion Company Ownership: Family-owned Governance highlights include: Majority independent board. An "evergreen" search for quality board members rather than waiting for a director to announce they are stepping down. Three committees (governance, compensation and audit) that are able to pivot when issues change e.g. shifting from ride safety at parks to active shooter drills and possible terror threats. Multifaceted self-evaluations that allow directors to rate themselves and other directors. Also, 360 evaluations every few years that allow shareholders and management to weigh in. Deliberate director onboarding, giving new directors a chance to get "the lay of the land" before being put on the spot at a meeting. DAI Global, LLC Bethesda, MD Type of Private Board: Fiduciary Approximate Annual Company Revenues: $350 million-$1 billion Company Ownership: Closely held or Employee-owned Governance highlights include: The "Board of the Future" initiative launched shortly after Boomgard became CEO in 2009 culminated in an action plan that includes refreshing the board more routinely and bringing in fresh leadership. Six of the seven board members are independent. Formally chartered committees are chaired by independent members. The board holds "brown bags" with employees to answer any questions they may have. Vermeer Corporation Pella, IA Type of Private Board: Fiduciary Approximate Annual Company Revenues: More than $1 billion Company Ownership: Family-owned Governance highlights include: Majority independent board. Attention to enterprise risk management that predicts and plans for challenges the company may face. Mandatory retirement from the board at age 70. A chair that is encouraged to challenge the board's agenda. A detailed, written shareholder director qualification and development process for potential interested shareholders. Graybar Electric Company, Inc. Philadelphia, PA Type of Private Board: Fiduciary Approximate Annual Company Revenues: More than $1 billion Company Ownership: Closely held or Employee-owned Governance highlights include: An annual board evaluation with assistance of third-party consultant that evaluates the board as a whole as well as individual members. Board members must complete continuing education outside the organization (e.g., Harvard, Kellogg, KMPG, American Management Association, NYSE) at least every other year. The board adopted part of the New York statute called the constituency statute. The board must take into consideration what's in the best interest of five constituencies: employees, shareholders, customers, suppliers and the communities in which the company operates. Each director is expected to visit at least 10 of the company's branches each year to stay in touch with operations and understand the scope of the business. About MLR Media MLR Media publishes Directors & Boards, Family Business and Private Company Director magazines, and produces the Private Company Governance Summit, along with the Transitions Conferences (Spring and Fall) and Family Business Generational Wealth. mlrmedia.com @privatecodir, @directorsboards, @fambizmagazine. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005632/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] EverQuote Announces First Quarter 2019 Financial Results Revenue Increased 28% Year-Over-Year to $52.2 Million Automotive Revenue Grew 25% Year-Over-Year to $45.0 Million Home and Life Revenue Grew 50% Year-Over-Year to $7.2 Million CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EverQuote, Inc. (EverQuote or the Company), a leading online insurance marketplace in the U.S. connecting consumers with insurance providers, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. EverQuote continues to grow and thrive, capitalizing on the secular shift of insurance online. During the first quarter we delivered revenue growth of 28% year-over-year with excellent growth across verticals, said Seth Birnbaum, CEO and Co-Founder of EverQuote. We grew our insurance shopping consumer volume, expanded our insurance provider network, and continued to scale our newest verticals while increasing consumer-provider engagement with additional partial provider partner integrations. Growth in consumer demand and insurance provider spend in our marketplace was broad-based in the quarter, we exceeded expectations while making investments in improving the consumer experience and performance for providers. As we look ahead to the balance of 2019, I am excited by the opportunities to drive growth as we continue to build our business while expanding and evolving our consumer and provider offerings. Were executing well against our major growth levers and key initiatives and we are confident that our strong first quarter sets us on a path for an excellent year. Were excited that the industry trends continue as expected and we are well positioned for the future of insurance, concluded Mr. Birnbaum. First Quarter 2019 Financial Highlights: (All comparisons are relative to the first quarter of 2018 unless otherwise stated): Total revenue of $52.2 million, an increase of 28% driven by strength in both consumer quote request volume and monetization. Automotive insurance vertical revenue of $45.0 million, an increase of 25%. Home and life insurance verticals revenue of $7.2 million, an increase of 50%. Variable Marketing Margin of $13.9 million, an increase of 25%. GAAP net loss of $4.4 million, compared to $1.3 million in the first quarter of 2018. Adjusted EBITDA of $(1.3) million, compared to $(0.4) million in the first quarter of 2018. First Quarter 2019 Business Highlights: (All comparisons are relative to the first quarter of 2018 unless otherwise stated): The Companys direct business increased to 93% of revenue. 7 of the Companys top 10 providers expanded spend over the prior year. EverQuote added 6 new and 14 expanded partial technology integrations with providers. The Companys distribution growth and traffic optimization initiatives led to revenue per quote request increasing by 8%. Second Quarter and Full-Year 2019 Guidance: EverQuote anticipates Revenue, Variable Marketing Margin and Adjusted EBITDA to be in the following ranges: Second quarter 2019: Revenue of $49.5 - $51.5 million. Variable Marketing Margin of $14.0 - $15.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $(1.1) - $0.2 million. Full year 2019 Revenue of $197.0 - $203.0 million, an increase from our previous range of $189.0 - $197.0 million. Variable Marketing Margin of $55.5 - $58.5 million, an increase from our previous range of $54.0 - $58.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $(3.0) - $(1.0) million, an improvement to our previous range of $(4.0) - $(2.0) million. With respect to the Companys expectations under "Second Quarter and Full Year 2019 Guidance" above, the Company has not reconciled the non-GAAP measure adjusted EBITDA to the GAAP measure net loss in this press release because the Company does not provide guidance for stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization expense, interest income and expense, and the provision for (benefit from) income taxes on a consistent basis as the Company is unable to quantify these amounts without unreasonable efforts, which would be required to include a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to GAAP net loss. In addition, the Company believes such a reconciliation would imply a degree of precision that could be confusing or misleading to investors. Conference Call and Webcast Information EverQuote will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss its first quarter 2019 financial results at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time today, May 6, 2019. To access the conference call, dial (877) 273-5005 for the U.S. or Canada, or (647) 689-5410 for international callers and provide conference ID 1973297. The webcast will be available live on the Investors section of the Company's website at https://investors.everquote.com. An audio replay of the call will also be available to investors beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time on May 6, 2019, until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 13, 2019, by dialing (800) 585-8367 for the U.S. or Canada, or (416) 621-4642 for international callers, and entering passcode 1973297. In addition, an archived webcast will be available on the Investors section of the Company's website at: https://investors.everquote.com. Safe Harbor Statement Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for EverQuote, Inc. (EverQuote or the Company), including statements about future results of operations or the future financial position of the Company, including financial targets, business strategy, plans and objectives for future operations and other statements containing the words anticipates, believes, expects, plans, and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: (1) the Companys ability to attract and retain consumers and insurance providers using the Companys marketplace; (2) the Companys ability to maintain or increase the amount providers spend per quote request; (3) the effectiveness of the Companys growth strategies and its ability to effectively manage growth; (4) the Companys ability to maintain and build its brand; (5) the Companys reliance on its third-party service providers; (6) the Companys ability to develop new and enhanced products and services to attract and retain consumers and insurance providers, and the Companys ability to successfully monetize them; (7) the impact of competition in the Companys industry and innovation by the Companys competitors; (8) the Companys expected use of proceeds from its initial public offering; and (9) other factors discussed in the Risk Factors section of the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Companys views as of the date of this press release. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the Companys views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Companys views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. About EverQuote EverQuote operates a leading online insurance marketplace in the U.S., connecting consumers with insurance providers. The company's data & technology platform matches and connects consumers seeking to purchase insurance with relevant options from the company's broad direct network of insurance providers, saving consumers and providers time and money. EverQuote was founded with the vision of applying a scientific, data-driven approach to help consumers find the best price and coverage for their individual insurance needs. EVERQUOTE, INC. STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 (in thousands except per share) Revenue $ 52,233 $ 40,730 Cost and operating expenses(1): Cost of revenue 3,666 2,615 Sales and marketing 44,622 35,023 Research and development 4,685 2,614 General and administrative 3,826 1,713 Total cost and operating expenses 56,799 41,965 Loss from operations (4,566 ) (1,235 ) Other income (expense): Interest expense (93 ) Interest income 184 Total other income (expense), net 184 (93 ) Net loss (4,382 ) (1,328 ) Accretion of redeemable convertible preferred stock to redemption value (11,013 ) Net loss attributable to common stockholders $ (4,382 ) $ (12,341 ) Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted $ (0.17 ) $ (1.42 ) Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted 25,294 8,707 (1) Amounts include stock-based compensation expense, as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 (in thousands) Cost of revenue $ $ 7 Sales and marketing 794 270 Research and development 874 124 General and administrative 1,082 166 $ 2,750 $ 567 EVERQUOTE, INC. BALANCE SHEET DATA March 31, December 31, 2019 2018 (in thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 37,719 $ 41,634 Working capital 37,607 39,185 Total assets 70,255 65,746 Total liabilities 28,469 22,562 Total stockholders' equity 41,786 43,184 EVERQUOTE, INC. STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 (in thousands) Cash flows from operating activities: Net loss $ (4,382 ) $ (1,328 ) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 481 294 Stock-based compensation expense 2,750 567 Noncash interest expense 14 Deferred rent 6 148 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable (8,396 ) (5,483 ) Prepaid expenses and other current assets 158 (285 ) Accounts payable 4,631 2,611 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 1,040 2,475 Deferred revenue 230 144 Net cash used in operating activities (3,482 ) (843 ) Cash flows from investing activities: Acquisition of property and equipment, including costs capitalized for development of internal-use software (667 ) (654 ) Net cash used in investing activities (667 ) (654 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from exercise of stock options 234 568 Proceeds from borrowings on line of credit 12,729 Repayments of borrowings on line of credit (8,955 ) Repayments of term loan (2,625 ) Payments of initial public offering costs (4 ) Net cash provided by financing activities 234 1,713 Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (3,915 ) 216 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 41,884 2,613 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 37,969 $ 2,829 EVERQUOTE, INC. FINANCIAL AND OPERATING METRICS Revenue by vertical: Three Months Ended March 31, Change 2019 2018 % (in thousands) Automotive $ 45,014 $ 35,925 25.3 % Home and Life 7,219 4,805 50.2 % Total Revenue $ 52,233 $ 40,730 28.2 % Three Months Ended March 31, Change 2019 2018 % (in thousands) Loss from operations $ (4,566 ) $ (1,235 ) 269.7 % Net loss $ (4,382 ) $ (1,328 ) 230.0 % Quote requests 4,113 3,457 19.0 % Variable Marketing Margin(1) $ 13,866 $ 11,138 24.5 % Adjusted EBITDA(2) $ (1,335 ) $ (374 ) 257.0 % (1) Beginning in the first quarter of 2019, we revised our definition of variable marketing margin, or VMM, as revenue, as reported in our statements of operations and comprehensive loss, less advertising costs (a component of sales and marketing expense, as reported in our statements of operations and comprehensive loss). We use VMM to measure the efficiency of individual advertising and consumer acquisition sources and to make trade-off decisions to manage our return on advertising. Under our previous definition of VMM, our VMM for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was $11.7 million as advertising costs used in our previously defined VMM calculation excluded advertising costs related to our EverDrive app and advertising costs not related to obtaining quote requests. (2) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. Please see EverQuote, Inc. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to GAAP below for more information. EVERQUOTE, INC. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES To supplement the Companys financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP and to provide investors with additional information regarding EverQuotes financial results, the Company has presented adjusted EBITDA as a non-GAAP financial measure. This non-GAAP financial measure is not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. The Company defines adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss), excluding the impact of stock-based compensation expense; depreciation and amortization expense; interest income and interest expense; and the provision for (benefit from) income taxes. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is net income (loss). The Company monitors and presents adjusted EBITDA because it is a key measure used by management and the board of directors to understand and evaluate operating performance, to establish budgets and to develop operational goals for managing EverQuotes business. In particular, the Company believes that excluding the impact of these items in calculating adjusted EBITDA can provide a useful measure for period-to-period comparisons of EverQuotes core operating performance. The Company uses adjusted EBITDA to evaluate EverQuotes operating performance and trends and make planning decisions. The Company believes that this non-GAAP financial measure helps identify underlying trends in EverQuotes business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of the items that the Company excludes in the calculations of adjusted EBITDA. Accordingly, the Company believes that this financial measure provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating EverQuotes operating results, enhancing the overall understanding of the Companys past performance and future prospects. The Companys non-GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered in isolation of, or as an alternative to, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. There are a number of limitations related to the use of adjusted EBITDA rather than net income (loss), which is the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. In addition, other companies may use other measures to evaluate their performance, which could reduce the usefulness of the Companys non-GAAP financial measures as tools for comparison. The following table reconciles adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. EVERQUOTE, INC. RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES TO GAAP Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 (in thousands) Net loss $ (4,382 ) $ (1,328 ) Stock-based compensation 2,750 567 Depreciation and amortization 481 294 Interest (income) expense, net (184 ) 93 Adjusted EBITDA $ (1,335 ) $ (374 ) Investor Relations Contact: Allise Furlani The Blueshirt Group 212-331-8433 [email protected] SOURCE: EverQuote, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Golden Gate Global Wins IIUSA Regional Center of the Year Award in Washington, D.C. Golden Gate Global, one of the West Coast's largest and most successful regional centers, won the 2019 IIUSA Regional Center of the Year Award, announced at the IIUSA Industry Awards Banquet on May 5, 2019 in Washington, D.C. The award was received by Directors at the company: Eren Cicekdagi, Mine Ekim, and David Cervantes. "Tonight's nominees exemplify the best of what the EB-5 Program is and can be and we are proud to honor them" wrote IIUSA Executive Director, Aaron Grau, in the Awards banquet literature. "Regional Centers are the cornerstone of the EB-5 industry, and this award recognizes a member Regional Center who has demonstrated excellence as it relates to the core values of IIUSA: collaboration, ethics and strategic thinking. This center has served as a leader and example for all Regional Centers throughout the past year." Golden Gate Global was nominated for the award along with 11 of the nation's top regional centers. Eren Cicekdagi, Managing Director of Operations at Golden Gate Global, expressed the team's gratitude for the win: "We re thrilled to be recognized for this award and are humbled by the support shown by our fellow members who continually inspire us to achieve what is best for the EB-5 program, to advocate for the American jobs it creates, and to serve our immigrant investor families in the most upstanding way." Golden Gate Global is participating in the 12th annual IIUSA EB-5 Advocacy Awards Conference in Washington D.C. through May 7, 2019 to continue the EB-5 Regional Center Program's pursuit of economic development and American job creation with fellow members and industry partners from around the world. About IIUSA Founded in 2005, Invest in the USA (IIUSA) is the national membership-based 501(c)(6) not-for-profit industry trade association for the EB-5 Regional Center Program (the "Program"). Our members account for a vast majority of capital formation and job creation in the U.S. resulting from the Program. About Golden Gate Global Golden Gate Global is a leading EB-5 immigrant investment regional center based in San Francisco, and is licensed by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to help facilitate EB-5 immigrant investment into high-economic-impact projects in multiple regions in the United States. The company is founded upon its distinguished executive leadership, successful project partners with demonstrated records, and noteworthy projects with exceptional economic opportunity and return. www.3gfund.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005784/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 06, 2019] Anthem Announces Appearances at Upcoming Events in May Anthem, Inc. (NYSE: ANTM) announced today that senior management will be meeting with investors at several events in May. Deutsche Bank 44 th Annual Health Care Conference on May 8, 2019 Annual Health Care Conference on May 8, 2019 UBS Global Healthcare Conference on May 22, 2019 J.P. Morgan Spring Healthcare Executive Call Series on May 24, 2019 Barclays High Grade Healthcare Credit Conference on May 29, 2019 Bernstein 35th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference on May 30, 2019 Senior management is scheduled to present at the UBS Global Healthcare Conference on May 22, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and the Bernstein 35th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference on May 30, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. All interested parties are invited to listen to a webcast of the presentation by visiting www.antheminc.com and selecting the "Investors" link. Following the presentation, a webcast replay will be available for two weeks. To listen to the live webcast, please visit Anthem's website at least 15 minutes early to download and install any necessary audio software. Individuals who listen to the presentations will be presumed to have read Anthem's most recent filings with the SEC (News - Alert), including but not limited to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2019. About Anthem, Inc. Anthem is a leading health benefits company dedicated to improving lives and communities, and making healthcare simpler. Through its affiliated companies, Anthem serves more than 78 million people, including over 40 million within its family of health plans. We aim to be the most innovative, valuable and inclusive partner. For more information, please visit www.antheminc.com or follow @AnthemInc on Twitter (News - Alert). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005796/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] By Yi Whan-woo Mongolia and Korea discussed cooperation on a railway network, in line with President Moon Jae-in's vision to connect the two Koreas and other neighboring countries, according to the Korea Rail Network Authority (KRNA) last week. Proposed in August 2018, the so-called East Asian Railway Initiative aims to lay the foundation for cross-border reconciliation as well as boosting economies and security in the region. The targeted countries are the two Koreas, Mongolia, China, Russia and Japan. KRNA said its chairman and CEO Kim Sang-gyun met President Khaltmaagiin Battulga and other top Mongolian officials, to talk about the "realization" of Moon's initiative. Kim's meetings with Mongolian leaders were part of his two-nation trip, including Russia, from April 19 to 26. "Mongolia, located at the heart of the Eurasian continent, is a core partner country of the New Northern Policy," Kim said. "It is expected that a further step toward the realization of the East Asian Railway Initiative will be made soon and a wide range of exchanges of railway technology between the two countries will be incorporated in the coming months." Kim also met Minister of Mongolian Road and Transport Enk Amgalan and Mongolian Railways President Senggel Volt. Kim agreed to form a working-level committee to strengthen cooperation with Amgalan, while signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Volt. The MOU includes construction and engineering of the Mongolian Railway Development Master Plan established in 2010, and exchanges of railway technology and personnel. Accordingly, KRNA will help build the 247-kilometer Tavan Tolgoi-Gashuun Sukhait Railway and the 414.6-kilometer Tavan Tolgoi-Zuunbayan Railway. KRNA will also co-host the Mongolian Railway Academy with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) to train railway experts in Mongolia. Kim took a trial ride on a Trans-Mongolian Railway train and a Trans-Siberian Railway train. On his way home, he stopped at Khasan and Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. In August 2018, President Moon said the railroad community would lead to greater cooperation among the concerned nations, comparing it to the European Coal and Steel Community that laid the foundations for the European Union. He reiterated his visions for improving inter-Korean ties and economic cooperation, saying that improving inter-Korean relations was a "catalyst for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." In the waning days of the 2019 session, the conservative Republicans controlling the Kansas Legislature made one thing clear to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and her allies: They were ready for a fight against Medicaid expansion. The issue commanded the four-month session, which ended in the wee hours Sunday. Kansas City's Park System Is 125 Years Old - How Do We Make It Last Another 125? When George Kessler drafted plans in 1893 for a parks and boulevard system in Kansas City, he created a model for cities throughout the world. From Mexico City to Denver and Indianapolis, Kessler had a hand in hundreds of projects. Realistically . . . Most locals don't care about upkeep, budgeting, maintenance and the fight against crime that really contributes to the working order of parks . . . The real debate is over naming and turf rights. Here's a more upbeat perspective: Designed to compete against the 2020 Kia Soul and the 2019 Nissan Kicks, the 2020 Hyundai Venue is only available with a single four-cylinder engine thats not overly powerful. However, the crossover offers substantial value for the money through numerous standard features, modern technology, and plenty of options usually available with more upscale vehicles. Lets find out more about it in the review below. The 2020 Hyundai Venue is the companys smallest and most affordable crossover yet. Introduced at the 2019 New York Auto Show, it slots right under the 2018 Hyundai Kona, but it sports a boxier design inspired by the full-size 2020 Hyundai Palisade. 2020 Hyundai Venue Exterior Familiar design features Looks like a baby Palisade Chromed grille Split headlamps Boxy rear end Subcompact size Optional 17-inch wheels Eight color options Two-tone paint options Slightly smaller than the Kona The Venue is a miniature version of the full-size Palisade Although it slots under the Kona, the Venue looks a bit more massive than Hyundais already familiar crossover. Thats because the Venue has a boxier design. While the Kona is a sporty looking SUV with a coupe-style roof, the Venue is a miniature version of the full-size Palisade. And similarities to the large SUV dont stop here. The Venue also borrows the front grille from the Palisade. Granted, all Hyundai vehicles share the same hexagonal design, but the Venues grille is closely related to the Palisade, and its only missing the thick chrome frame. The headlamp arrangement is also similar, with thin lights at the top of the fascia and larger lights below, on each side of the grille. But these lower lights are horizontal, just like on the Kona, whereas the Palisades are vertical. All told, the Venues front fascia is a mix of features seen across the Hyundai lineup, and this gives the crossover a unique look. Even though it's not as sporty as the coupe-style Kona, the Venue has a muscular beltline and beefed-up fenders The Venues profile is as boxy as it gets. But even though its not as sporty as the coupe-style Kona, it has a muscular beltline and beefed-up fenders. These are nice features for a crossover this small. The intricate design of the 17-inch wheels is appealing as well, but these rollers are optional. The standard wheels are smaller at 15 inches and look rather generic. The glasshouse sits well above the beltline, and it become increasingly smaller toward the C-pillars. Like most small crossovers, the Venue doesnt have quarter windows, and the C-pillars are thick. Although boxy overall, the tailgate has a noticeable angle, setting the Venue apart from the Kia Soul for example. While the front fascia reminds me of other production Hyundais, the rear end takes inspiration from the Carlino concept. It has small, rectangular taillights, a clean tailgate, design with a dented center section, and a simple rear bumper with a big, hexagonal license plate recess. An aluminum-like insert in the lower bumper simulates a diffuser and adds sportiness to the design. Hyundai is offering a two-tone paint option with a contrasting roof, mirror caps, and trim In order to make the Venue appealing to young customers, Hyundai is offering a two-tone paint option with a contrasting roof, mirror caps, and trim. You can choose between eight exterior colors, including Ceramic White, Black Noir, Stellar Silver, Galactic Gray, Scarlet Red, Intense Blue, Green Apple, and Denim. As mentioned in the beginning, the Venue is only marginally smaller than the Kona. Specifically, its only 5.1 inches shorter at 158.9 inches in length and only 1.2 narrower at 69.7 inches wide. Its wheelbase measures 99.2 inches, which means its only 3.2 inches shorter than the Konas. Due to the boxy design, it stands 0.6 inches taller than the sportier Kona. The EcoSport is the only rival that's actually a bit smaller than the Venue The Venue is also smaller than the Kia Soul. Also a boxy crossover, the Soul is around six inches longer, 1.2 inches wider, and 1.4 inches taller. The Souls wheelbase is also 3.2 inches longer. The Soul is essentially as big as the Kona, but the latter has a notably different design. The Venue is just as boxy as the Soul, so its a better option than the Kona if you want a tall mini SUV with good headroom for rear-seat passengers (or if you simply like the design). The Venue is also smaller than the Kicks, which is 10.2 inches longer and has a 3.8-inch longer wheelbase. However, the Kicks is almost an inch narrower. The EcoSport is the only rival thats actually a bit smaller than the Venue. The Korean crossover is 0.8 inches longer and 0.2 inches wider. On the other hand, their wheelbases are identical, while the EcoSport is 3.6 inches taller. 2020 Hyundai Venue vs. Hyundai Kona exterior dimensions Venue Kona Difference Overall Length 158.9 164.0 (5.1) Overall Width 69.7 70.9 (1.2) Overall Height 61.6 61.0 0.6 Wheelbase 99.2 102.4 (3.2) 2020 Hyundai Venue Interior Simple and clean Similar to Kona Far from fancy Eight-inch infotainment screen Two-tone layout No leather upholstery Trunk is smaller than the competition Doesnt look very cheap Many elements are taken from the Kona, with the lower center stack layout, the A/C vents, and the steering wheel being identical Not surprisingly, the Venues interior looks very familiar. When developing affordable vehicles, automakers usually source components from existing model, and thats exactly what Hyundai did here. Many elements are taken from the Kona, with the lower center stack layout, the A/C vents, and the steering wheel being identical to its subcompact sibling. Changes start to appears as we move toward the dashboard, with revised control panels for the air conditioning and infotainment systems. While the Kona has all these controls gathered in a single console, the Venue has them split into two different sections. The A/C knobs are placed just above the center console, where the Kona has all of its controls, but the radio and infotainment access buttons sit just below the display. The central dashboard is also different, with the eight-inch display slapped over the main A/C vents. Im not a big fan of this design, but it makes sense in an affordable vehicle. Hyundai used porous plastic for the dashboard, so it doesn't look as cheap as the pricing might suggest The dashboard is far from fancy. While the Kona has a two-tier layout with the upper section pushed toward the windshield, the Venue has a block-type dash separated from the lower section by only a storage compartment on the passenger side. This storage compartment isnt very stylish either, as it was designed as a simple "dent" above the glove compartment. The good news is that Hyundai used porous plastic for the dashboard, so it doesnt look as cheap as the pricing might suggest. The steering wheel and the instrument cluster seem to be borrowed from the Kona, including the tiny display between the analog gauges. The door panels are different, but remain familiar with the speakers, buttons, and handles placed in the same areas. Overall, the Venues cabin looks clean and simple; just as an affordable vehicle should. The eight-inch infotainment display is large enough for this segment and provides access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Tech-wise, the Venue has plenty to offer. The eight-inch infotainment display is large enough for this segment and provides access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You also get Bluetooth hands-free, dual USB ports (one for fast charging and one for data reading), and Blue Link integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Opt for the Remote Start feature, and it will add Climate Control with a rear defroster and heated side mirrors. The latter is also an option, along with heated front seats and Rear View Monitor. The navigation system is obviously optional, but it includes Real-Time Traffic by HERE and free map updates via Hyundai MapCare for three years. Given the price range, the Venues interior comes wrapped in cloth as standard, but you can opt for fake leather, also known as leatherette, inserts. You can pick between two colors, gray or black, but you can also have two-tone dashboard and door panels, as seen in the presentation photos. When it comes to trunk capacity, the Venue can swallow up to 18.7 cubic foot of luggage When it comes to utility, the Venue is almost as practical as the Kona. The total interior volume is rated at 110.6 cubic feet, a mild 2.7-cubic-foot decrease from the Kona, while passenger volume is rated at 91.9 cubic feet, a 2.2-cubic-foot reduction. The mini SUV has a 60/40 split and folding rear bench, so you can transport long items. The trunk includes a rear covering shelf as standard and a two-level setup. The latter allows you to set the floor of the cargo area at the same level with the folded rear seats or at a lower position to accommodate taller cargo. When it comes to trunk capacity, the Venue can swallow up to 18.7 cubic foot of luggage. Thats a minor 0.5 cubic foot decrease from the Kona. With the rear seats folded flat, storage capacity increases to 31.9 cubic feet. Thats a notable 13.9-pound-foot reduction compared to the Kona, which offers up to 45.8 cubic feet of space. But how does the Venue compared to its rivals? Well, this little crossover falls short in every department. Although only marginally bigger, the Soul provides 23.8 cubic feet of luggage room with the rear seats up and a whopping 62.1 cubic feet with the seats folded flat. The Nissan Kicks provides notably more room as well thanks to a capacity of 25.3 and 53.1 cubic feet, respectively. The Venue fairs a bit better when compared to the Ford EcoSport, although it still falls behind by 2.2 cubic feet with the rear seats in place. Also, the EcoSport provides an extra 18.1 cubic feet of room with the rear seats folded flat at a total of 50 cubic feet. Needless to say, the Venue isnt your best choice if luggage room is a priority. 2020 Hyundai Venue vs. Hyundai Kona interior dimensions Venue Kona Difference Total Interior Volume 110.6 113.3 (2.7) Passenger Interior Volume 91.9 94.1 (2.2) Cargo Capacity, Rear Seats Up 18.7 19.2 (0.5) Cargo Capacity, Rear Seats Down 31.9 45.8 (13.9) 2020 Hyundai Venue Drivetrain 1.6-liter four-cylinder 121 horsepower 113 pound-feet of torque Six-speed manual standard Optional IVT transmission Less powerful than some of the competition Needs a higher performance option No all-wheel drive Returns up to 33 mpg combined The naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder generates only 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque Although the Venue has plenty of room for the 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul, the Korean automaker opted to offer the 1.6-liter Gamma engine instead. But this four-cylinder isnt the same four-banger available with the Kona, as it doesnt have a turbocharger. Naturally, this all-motor mill is notably less powerful. Rated at 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of twist, it generates 54 horsepower and 82 pound-feet less than the turbocharged unit in the Kona. Its also less powerful than the 2.0-liter engine thats rated at 147 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque. 2019 Hyundai Kona drivetrain specifications Engine 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder 2.0-liter four-cylinder Horsepower 175 HP 147 HP Torque 195 LB-FT @ 1,500 RPM 132 LB-FT @ 4,500 RPM Transmission six-speed automatic six-speed automatic 0 to 60 mph 7.5 seconds 10 seconds Top Speed 130 mph 130 mph But is it powerful enough for the competition? Well, it depends on what were comparing it to. The Kia Soul features the same engines as the Kona, so this crossover is notably more powerful. On the other hand, the Nissan Kicks is sold with the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder as the Versa, meaning it comes with 125 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque on tap. Thats only four horses and one pound-foot more than the Venue, and it wont make a difference performance-wise. The Ford EcoSports turbo 1.0-liter three-cylinder delivers similar power at 123 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque. However, Ford offers a more powerful option in the form of a 2.0-liter four-banger rated at 166 horses and 149 pound-feet. So why is Hyundai offering just one modest engine and no option for a higher performance unit? Its a sacrifice the brand had to make in order to keep the Venue affordable. This doesnt mean that it wont get a turbocharged option in the future, but for the time being, Hyundai is keeping the Venues pricing low with a simple engine with a low output. Hyundai offers two gearboxes, including a brand new Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) This doesnt mean that Hyundai simply sourced the 1.6-liter from existing vehicles. The Koreans optimized the port and valve, reduced the surface-to-volume ratio, and revised the injectors and spray targeting. It also added a High Ignition Energy EGR system with an external EGR cooler to expand the EGR-operated region for improved fuel economy. Hyundai says the engine will return up to 33 mpg combined, a figure that puts it on par with the Nissan Kicks. Based on this number, the Venue should return up to 31 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. While you have access to only one engine, Hyundai offers a choice of two transmissions. The standard unit is a six-speed manual, but you can opt for the optional Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). The companys first in-house built IVT; it enhances shift response through a continuous range of gear ratios. It has the ability to match a gear ratio with engine operating conditions, which provides smooth transition of engine operating speeds and improves fuel efficiency. In other parts of the world, the Venue is available with a few more engines. In India, for instance, Hyundai offers a 1.2-liter four-cylinder with 83 horsepower and 85 pound-feet of torque and a turbocharged, 1.0-liter three-cylinder rated at 120 horses and 127 pound-feet of torque. Theres also a 1.4-liter diesel that cranks out 90 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of twist. 2020 Hyundai Venue drivetrain specifications Type Gamma II 1.6 MPI Materials Aluminum block and head Bore & stroke (mm) 75.6 x 89.0 Compression ratio 11.2 :1 Displacement 1.6 liters / 1598cc Horsepower 121 HP @ 6,300 RPM (est.) Torque (lb-ft.) 113 LB-FT @ 4,500 RPM (est.) Transmission 6-speed manual 2020 Hyundai Venue Safety Technology The Venue may be Hyundais most affordable SUV, but this doesnt mean that it wont provide safety for its passengers. The crossover comes with a suite of safety technology as standard, but you can add more from the options list. Highlights include Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, which uses the cars front-facing camera to help detect an imminent collision and avoid impact or minimize damage by braking, and Lane Keeping Assist, which helps prevent accidental lane departure by sensing road markings and steering the car if necessary. The Venue also features Blind-Spot Collision Warning to detect approaching vehicles and Driver Attention Warning to monitors and detect driver fatigue. Theres also a Rear Collision Cross-Traffic Warning system that helps detect when a vehicle may have entered a cars rearward path and a Snow mode for improved traction in snowy and slippery conditions. 2020 Hyundai Venue Pricing Although its only marginally smaller than the Kona, the Venue slots below in terms of pricing. Hyundais goal with this nameplate is to offer an even more affordable crossover, likely priced well below the Konas $19,240 sticker. Hyundai is likely aiming at the Ford EcoSport and Nissan Kicks, so the Venue should fetch less than $18,000 in base trim. My bet is on a $17,500 sticker. 2020 Hyundai Venue Competition Introduced for the 2017 model year, the Kicks completely replaced the Juke for 2019. Essentially a smaller Qashqai (or Rogue Sport in the U.S.) but with some unique features, the Kicks moves away from the Jukes strange but bold design language. The Kicks is Nissans most affordable SUV, but its far from cheap inside the cabin. Even the entry-level model comes with decent materials, while options include leather and modern technology. The only engine available is the familiar 1.6-liter four-cylinder, shared with the Versa, rated at 125 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. Yes, the Kicks falls behind the competition in the performance department, but it offers good fuel economy in return. The four-cylinder is rated at 36 mpg on the highway and 31 mpg in the city. Pricing starts from $18,540, which is a bit more expensive than what the Venue is expected to fetch. Read our full review of the 2019 Nissan Kicks Although it exists since 2004, the EcoSport nameplate didnt arrive in the U.S. until 2017, when a facelifted version of the second-generation crossover was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The current-generation EcoSport is already seven years old as of 2019, but the extensive facelift, which added a new front fascia and new tech, will keep the mini SUV fresh for a few more years. The EcoSport is available with a selection of two gasoline engines, starting with a turbocharged, 1.0-liter three-cylinder rated at 123 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque. The second option is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that cranks out 166 horses and 149 pound-feet of twist. The EcoSport is the most expensive SUV in this comparison, coming in at $19,995 in base trim. Read our full story on the 2018 Ford EcoSport The second-generation Soul, introduced for the 2020 model year, retains the boxy design of its predecessor, but it adopted Kias latest design language. Modern and fresh, the new Soul boasts slim headlamps and a massive trapezoidal grille up front and an SUV-style rear end. The interior is actually similar to the outgoing Soul, but theres a lot of new tech to talk about, including an optional 10.25-inch touchscreen, an eight-inch head-up display, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. Engine options are similar to the Venue. But while the 2.0-liter four-cylinder cranks out the same 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, the turbo 1.6-liter unit is a bit more powerful at 201 horses and 195 pound-feet. Pricing for the Soul starts from $17,490. Read our full story on the 2020 Kia Soul. Final Thoughts The Venue is an interesting venture from Hyundai, a company thats already doing pretty good in the compact and subcompact segments. But the Kona wasnt enough apparently, and the Korean brand is going even lower in this segment. It may have something to do that it didnt have an alternative to the Kia Soul built by its sister company, but the Venue might be a good shot at the sizable market the Nissan Kicks and the Ford EcoSport competes in. Boxy SUVs are rare in the subcompact market, and there are plenty of customers looking for a "big" crossover in a small package. If youre a fan of Hyundais bold design and want a baby Palisade, the Venue is the right vehicle for you. Its also a solid option if youre in the market for a high-riding vehicle, but you dont necessarily need the utility. Because if you do, the Venue will disappoint you due to its small trunk. Another thing to consider is that the Venue doesnt have all-wheel drive, not even on the options list Love it Cool design Modern interior Fuel-efficient drivetrain Affordable Leave it Solid competition Needs a more powerful engine No AWD Very small trunk Further reading Read our full review on the 2018 Hyundai Kona. Read our full review on the 2018 Hyundai Kona Electric. Read our full review on the 2019 Hyundai Tucson. Read our full review on the 2020 Hyundai Palisade. Tourexpi, turizm haberleri, Reiseburos, tourism news, noticias de turismo, Tourismus Nachrichten, , travel tourism news, international tourism news, Urlaub, urlaub in der turkei, , holidays in Turkey, , global tourism news, dunya turizm, dunya turizm haberleri, Seyahat Acentas, This site is best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+, at a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768. Tourists can witness it firsthand, thanks to Intrepid Travel's partnership with a local NGO. Intrepid Travel, the world's largest adventure travel company, has earned global recognition for its efforts to make travel more sustainable. A certified B corp and signatory of the UN Global Compact, it has offered over 1,000 climate neutral tours since 2010 and now has an ambitious goal to become climate-positive by next year. Less well-known, however, is its involvement with social justice projects. A division of Intrepid, Urban Adventures, runs a series of shorter tours called In Focus. These partner with NGOs, non-profits, and social enterprises to reveal and explain local issues to visitors. These issues could be things we've heard about on the news and wish to understand in greater depth, or they could be situations we'd never know about unless they were explained to us. Either way, the In Focus tours offer fascinating insight into a foreign city's inner workings, not to mention the face-to-face cross-cultural interactions that make travel so meaningful. I had the pleasure of participating in an In Focus tour while visiting Istanbul, Turkey. I joined a group of five other travellers, led by Jen Hartin, Intrepid's Destination Manager for the Middle East, and we went to the Olive Tree, a resettlement center for Syrian refugees. The Olive Tree is run by Small Projects Istanbul (SPI), a local NGO that was formed in response to the refugee crisis of the past five years. Turkey has received four million Syrian refugees thus far, with roughly one million settling in Istanbul. As the European Union's aid money dries up, Turkey's own economy lags, and its citizens feel growing resentment toward the newcomers, it has been a struggle to integrate Syrians into their new home. Enter SPI and its inspiring work. The five-storey center in the bustling Capa neighbourhood includes a daycare, where children can play while their mothers are trained to work in a social enterprise upstairs. The women produce silk-screened t-shirts, hand-dyed embroidered scarves, cotton tote bags, and, most notably, beautiful handmade earrings as part of the 'Drop Earrings, Not Bombs' campaign. By learning handicraft skills, the women are employed and better positioned to support their families. K Martinko Handcrafted earrings made by the Syrian women at Small Projects Istanbul (April 2019) The center assists more than 150 Syrian families with learning Turkish and English, developing computer skills, improving Arabic literacy, offering counselling services, hosting a homework club and gathering point for teens, as well as organizing field trips for the kids to get acquainted with their new city. Our tour lasted 4 hours. Together, we took public transit and walked through the colorful Tuesday market to get to the center. A delicious Syrian dinner awaited us upon arrival platters loaded with bulgur pilaf, lemony parsley salad, hummus, pickled vegetables, flatbreads, and shakriya (lamb stewed in yogurt). As we ate, Jen and Emre, finance manager for the center, spoke about the impact SPI's efforts are having on refugees' lives. Our meal was followed by a tour of the facility and an opportunity to purchase any of the handicrafts. K Martinko Sitting down to a Syrian meal with other participants in the Urban Adventures Olive Tree tour (April 2019) This tour was of personal interest to me because I've spent the past four years fundraising and assisting 20 refugees from Syria and Congo to resettle in Ontario, Canada. I have been curious about how other countries are coping with the same influx, particularly those that don't have an ocean and continent separating them from the conflict. Unsurprisingly, many of the issues we face here in Canada are the same ones encountered in Turkey limited budgets, donor fatigue, lack of housing and employment opportunities, a disengaged public. And yet, the success stories are comfortingly familiar people who have lost everything and overcome the odds to reconstruct their lives and give their children stability once again. K Martinko Directions for making tote bags and newly screened tees are on display at the center. Did the tour feel voyeuristic in any way? Not at all. This is learning at its best, talking with educated individuals who are on the ground, able to explain, answer questions, and dispel myths. The Syrian families themselves were not present, as the tour occurred after business hours, and that alleviated any sense of awkwardness that either side visitor or visited may have felt. I returned from the tour feeling better informed about the refugee situation in Turkey and encouraged by the good work I'd seen. Urban Adventures runs this tour once per week and donates all proceeds back to SPI; even our guide Jen's time was donated. If you find yourself in Istanbul, I urge you to check it out. (You may ask: Why is this featured on an environmental news website? Because it's all interconnected. A world in which people lack housing, food, and education is not a place where anyone will have time or energy to give thought to environment stewardship.) By Yi Whan-woo Ernest Bethell For British journalist Ernest Bethell, setting up a newspaper here to adovocate Korea's independence posed an extra challenge on top of confronting Japan. This was when Great Britain and Japan, after signing their first Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Alliance in January 1902, had been assisting one another in safeguarding their respective interests in China and Korea. Bethell initially came to Korea in 1904 to report on the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War, after joining his family's business in Japan. And although not intended, he stood in Great Britain's way when he disclosed Japan's schemes to take away Korea's freedom and independence bit by bit. Bethell still pushed ahead with what he believed was right. When Japan forced Korea to sign the Eulsa Treaty in 1905 to deny Korea's diplomatic sovereignty, Bethell called the treaty void. He also published an article about King Gojong's secret letter to German Emperor Wilhelm II appealing for help after the signing of the Eulsa Treaty. Bethell died of cardiomegaly on May 1, 1909. He was just 36. "Even though I die, the Korea Daily News must live forever to save the Korean nation," he said reportedly with his last breath, referring to the English-language newspaper he founded. He also founded the Korean-language newspaper Daehan Maeil Shinbo, the predecessor of Seoul Shinmun. His spirit inspired Koreans during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and thereafter. British Ambassador to Korea Simon Smith poses with a monument on the site of late British journalist Ernest Bethell?s house in Korea. / British Embassy "The time he spent in Korea between his arrival in 1904 and his death in 1909 was little more than five years in total," British Ambassador to Korea Simon Smith said in a speech. "But it is fair to say that in that relatively short time he made a considerable impact in nurturing the spirit of Korean independence." Nik Mehta, deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Seoul, delivered Smith's speech during the 110th anniversary ceremony of Bethell's death on May 1 at Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery in Hapjeong-dong, Seoul. More than 200 people joined the ceremony, including Vice Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Lee Byeong-goo and Seoul Shinmun executives. The 110th anniversary of Bethell's death coincided with the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement, a series of demonstrations to proclaim Korea's independence from Japan's colonial rule. Ambassador Smith said the British journalist, through his newspapers, "inspired Korean readers to believe that resistance to colonial rule was just, and to hope that one day it would succeed in bringing back Korea's independence." The ambassador also referred to friction between Bethell and Great Britain, which along with other imperial powers was competing for colonies. "His writings in Korea indicate strongly that he understood, as many of us do today, that the empires of the 19th and early 20th centuries were intrinsically unjust: based on the subjugation of the weak by the strong, and on the use of technical and industrial advancement to exploit less-developed communities and to gain military and commercial dominance," Smith said. "Against this background, it was perhaps inevitable that Bethell would be seen by the British government representatives in Korea at the time as a troublemaker, not a hero." Japan persistently pressed the British government to deport Bethell and force the discontinuation of his newspapers. The British government put Bethell on trial in Seoul twice. According to Ambassador Smith, the judge called Bethell "a foreign guest in this country ... who owed a duty of quiet and orderly conduct" to its government. "I hope that in the 21st century it would seem more natural to a British government official to recognize even in politically difficult circumstances the fundamental importance of press freedom," the envoy said. "But it appears that the judge in Bethell's second trial put a higher priority on quiet and orderly conduct than on freedom of expression." Smith described Bethell as a person "ready to put his life and health at risk" to ensure the truth was told about conditions on the peninsula. "As such he deserves to be remembered as a champion of press freedom and a champion of Korean independence," Smith said. Nik Mehta, right, deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Seoul, delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the 110th anniversary of the death of British journalist Ernest Bethell. The ceremony was held on May 1 at Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery in Hapjeong-dong, Seoul. / British Embassy Noting World Press Freedom Day was on May 3, Mehta, in a separate speech, noted that last year was the worst on record for attacks on journalists, with 80 killed and 348 imprisoned. He said this made May 3 "a day to pay tribute to journalists like Bethell who have had their freedom curtailed as a result of their profession." Mehta added, "While Bethell did not live to see Korea's liberation, few would question the legacy he left behind. His commitment to free speech and the impact that he had could never be overestimated." Mehta referred to Bethell as "a man who did not shy away from fighting injustice." "Bethell defended Korea's interests on the peninsula and gave a voice to those who were unable to speak out."Metha said. "Bethell has left an indelible mark on Korea's history, one that will never be forgotten, and he has done as much as anyone to contribute to the strong bonds between our two countries." Mehta said he hoped Korea would join the first ministerial-level conference on media freedom in London in July. The U.K. and Canadian governments will host the conference to help protect press freedom. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Our Correspondent Lalru, May 5 The charred body of an unidentified man, suspected to be in his mid 30s, was was found near a scrap dealers shop here this morning. The police said prima facie, it appeared to be a case of murder. The police recovered a locked cycle, two slippers and a liquor bottle from the spot. The body appeared to have been set afire. It seems the victim was murdered and his body set on fire to eliminate evidence of the gruesome act. The police also recovered a blood-stained brick at some distance from the crime spot. The police received information around 7 am that a burnt body was lying near a scarp dealers shop at Lalru. The police sent an alert to all police stations to respond if the available details matched with any missing case. However, no such information was received till late in the evening. A case under Section 302 of the IPC has been registered at the Lalru police station in this connection. Sources said the police were looking for CCTV footage of nearby spots to identify the killers. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 5 Despite directions from the Chief Architect and the recommendation of the Standing Committee of the UT Administrators Advisory Council on Environment, the departments concerned have failed to check laying of concrete and paver blocks around trees in the city, resulting in drying up of several trees. The Chief Architect had strongly recommended to the Municipal Corporation that the use of paver blocks should be discouraged in the city and sufficient space should be left around trees when paver blocks are laid on any footpath, parking area or road to allow air and water into the roots. However, the guidelines have not been followed in several parts of the city. In many parking areas of markets, no space has been left around trees while laying the paver blocks. In the parking area of Sector 37-C, almost all trees have been covered with paver blocks. RL Budania, a social worker from Sector 36, said not only the market area, the violation could also be seen in the reserved forest area behind the lake. He said the Administration had recently constructed a wall along the road behind the lake, but no space had been left around trees. He said the area was a protected forest and concrete had been laid around trees without anybody noticing it. Rahul Mahajan, a social activist, said with pavers around, trees in the city were dying an unnatural death. He said pavers and tiles blocked aeration of trees and plants. We will ensure that no contractor violates the guidelines in the future. Directions have been issued to start a fresh survey to check violations. Manoj Kumar Bansal, Chief Engineer, MC ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Women leave rally venue midway BJP national president Amit Shah addressed a workers meet at the Sector 27 Ramlila ground in Chandigarh on Sunday. The saffron party boss urged voters to elect local MP Kirron Kher and help Narendra Modi form the government again so that they could remove Article 370. He said development was taking place and only Modi could secure the nation. While Amit Shah was addressing the crowd, a block occupied by women suddenly got empty. Empty chairs were seen behind the media enclosure as lensmen ran to click pictures. Later, BJP leaders tried to make people waiting outside sit in that block. However, since it was meant for women, they were not allowed. Managers of the rally reasoned that since the event went on till 8 pm, women, who had to cook and take care of household chores, had to leave, while other blocks were packed to capacity. Railgate raked Almost all Bharatiya Janata Party office-bearers and councillors aggressively raised the Railgate issue, involving former Railway Minister and Congress candidate from the city Pawan Kumar Bansal during their address at the party event. A song played by the BJP at the venue had lyrics related to mama-bhanja. 2 poll code violation complaints Chandigarh: The city Congress filed two complaints of poll code violation at the rally of BJP president Amit Shah in Sector 27 here on Sunday. Pankaj Chandgothia, advocate of the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee, filed the complaints. The first complaint was regarding the use of religious symbols and slogans at the rally venue. The entrance had a big gate displaying Jai Shri Ram and photos of Lord Hanuman. Poll observer Pradeep Kumar reached the spot and asked BJP workers to remove or cover the symbols. The BJP leaders covered the posters. The observer later submitted his report for further action by the Election Commission. Another complaint was regarding the misuse of permission, which was meant for the workers meet. However, they organised a large public rally in which the entire police force and government machinery was used. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 5 Two tipsy thieves, who committed a theft at a dispensary in a gurdwara in Sector 38 (West), were caught after they fell asleep and were nabbed by sewadars of the gurdwara in the morning. The police said the sewadars reached the dispensary around 6 am on Saturday. They found the door locks broken and the dispensary ransacked. While the gurdwara staff were checking the loss, they saw two persons sleeping in one of the rooms at the dispensary. The police were informed, who rounded up the two suspects. The footage of CCTV cameras installed at the dispensary revealed that the miscreants entered it by breaking the locks of the main door at 2.05 am on the intervening night of May 3 and 4. They turned on the lights and started looking for valuables. The security guard, who was present at the gurdwara, did not come to know about the theft. Sources said the thieves, who were already drunk, packed the material and then slept in one of the rooms. Before the miscreants could wake up, they were caught sleeping one on a chair and the other on a bed after which the police were informed, the sources said. The thieves were identified as Daljit Singh and Jagdeep Singh, both residents of Samrala in Ludhiana. A case against the duo has been registered at the Maloya police station. Broke locks at 2.05 am The footage of CCTV cameras installed at the dispensary revealed that the miscreants entered it by breaking the locks of the main door at 2.05 am on the intervening night of May 3 and 4. The security guard, who was present at the gurdwara, did not come to know about the theft. The thieves, who were already drunk, packed the material and then slept in one of the rooms. . Rahul Bedi Rahul Bedi Senior journalist The politicisation of Indias 3.5 million-strong military is a fiercely debated subject today. But in this passionate and largely irresolvable argument, the uniforms culpability in pleasing the politician is rarely dwelt upon. This is because it has become an axiom that the military remains sacrosanct, commits no wrong and its behaviour is unchallengeable and beyond reproach. Inversely, the services also wallow in the portrayal of themselves as the politicians hapless handmaidens. But in recent years, they have conveniently tailored many of their operational postures and missions to meet the ruling administrations political demands, regardless of the situational requirement. This perilous penchant has degenerated into a symbiotic, and mostly accepted, relationship between military officers and politicians: the latter use service personnel, especially from the Indian Army, for political profit, while the soldier pursues career betterment and re-employment after retirement. This cosy relationship is further cemented by the soldier and politician jointly inventing triumph and manufacturing success through an increasingly pliable media. Doubtlessly, this furthers their respective interests, but ends up insulating public opinion from insider reality. In the process, the Army, in particular, has been turned into an instrument for permanent crisis management, deployed to contain insurgencies in the North-East, Kashmir and earlier in Punjab. Its role has been reduced to that of a better-trained, -equipped, -disciplined and more feared constabulary in olive green. It continually substitutes the vast state police forces and federally managed paramilitaries that collectively outnumber the Army twice over but have proven woefully inadequate in ensuring security. And though the Army considers its employment in counter-insurgency and related hybrid warfare operations to be an indicator of operational flexibility, many insiders concur that this law- enforcement role detracts majorly from its primary function as a military force. Over decades, the lament of senior officers also is that the militarys standards and value systems have irrevocably plummeted, in keeping with the overall societal deterioration in probity and ethics. Handily, this decline is explained away as a harsh fait accompli, an inescapable reflection of the national decline in norms and ideals. But the Indian society in general, confronted with an apocalyptic and irreversible decay in political, official and public standards, still somehow expects better from its soldiery. It continues to desperately seek some form of uniformed noblesse oblige, which unfortunately is now a distant mirage. Till the eighties, military officers were considered upright, respected in society and eagerly sought after by girls. Retired soldiers talk nostalgically of the days when a mere note from the commanding officer on behalf of any jawan to the local authorities back in his village, carried weight and ended up resolving niggling administrative complications. Those were times when the esprit d corps in the apolitical services was strong and invitations to riotous and swinging regimental officers messes, much sought after. Salaries were low, but the lifestyle lavish and large-hearted in what was largely a gentlemans army, rive with regimental tradition and chutzpah. Hoary colonial traditions, too, contributed to this environment, making military service even more attractive in a swiftly changing social milieu, particularly after Independence. In reality, many officers were eager and enthusiastic lads trapped inside grown bodies, all of who were seeking to indulge passions like shikar, riding, polo and outdoor living and danger at state expense. And, much like Freemasons officers, rarely, if at all, discussed politics and religion and if passed over for promotion retired gracefully, confident of their assured status in society. Promotions were merit-based, with undeserving candidates adhering to the Peter Principle and rarely ever crossing their limits of incompetence. Service chiefs and senior commanders brooked no political interference in operational matters and were listened to with respect by the ruling establishment. The flamboyance, bravery and tactical brilliance of all ranks in the first three wars with Pakistan is well recorded and the subject of study in combat institutions around the world. It is rarely acknowledged, even at home, that in 1971, Indias military single-handedly achieved what even the US, with all its weaponry and hi-tech wizardry, has not managed since World War II: it created a nation Bangladesh. The fabled Sam Manekshaw amply vindicated the militarys and the soldiers' operational independence. After touring the teeming refugee camps in East Bengal in early 1971, crammed with Bengalis fleeing the Pakistan armys pogrom in East Pakistan, General Manekshaw (later Field Marshal) was asked by an agitated PM Indira Gandhi what the Army would do to control the situation. Nothing, quipped Manekshaw, to the horror of Gandhis entourage of civil servants and ministers, as no one had ever dared to respond so brusquely to the despotic leader. The level-headed Manekshaw then unwearyingly informed her that it would take at least 10 months before his force would be ready for combat for an assortment of tactical and strategic reasons. To her credit, Gandhi listened and Bangladesh came into being. The disastrous 1962 war with China, however, in which India came off worse and one that heaped ignominy on the country and scarred the Army, was widely acknowledged as a political and diplomatic catastrophe. Over half a century later, the reality behind this rout remains secreted in the inquiry report authored by Major Gen TB Henderson Brooks and Brigadier PS Bhagat, which even Prime Minister Narendra Modis brash and macho BJP government has shirked from disclosing. But after the 1971 victory, Indias military enjoyed an exalted status. But it was one it would gradually lose due in large measure to its internal dynamics, which today are studiously ignored. In its single-mindedness in seeking parity with their civilian counterparts, the services professionalism and apolitical stance began to gradually unravel under successive cadre reviews in 1979, 1984 and 2001-02 executed to enhance career prospects. One of the major casualties was that operational and command and control responsibilities for officers were reduced. It perpetuated a situation where one and two-star officers discharged duties and responsibilities previously performed by junior and mid-ranking personnel. Pressure on promotions, too, created a situation in which many senior ranks served 12-18 months on their posts, leaving them little time to effect any meaningful changes. Alongside, internal shenanigans in the Army in the late 1990s spawned a caste system that effectively Mandalised the force, further fuelling resentment and diluting standards. This new complex policy of quotas for combat and support arms upset decades of established practice, whereby merit was the sole criterion for promotion. This enduring Mandalisation further depreciated the flagging officer morale, creating unnecessary rifts and frustrations within the Army and prompting competent and independent-minded officers to quit service after becoming eligible for their pension. The Army is imminently undergoing another seismic restructuring but that, as they say, is a far longer and complex saga. editorial@tribune.com Nitish Sharma Tribune News Service Kurukshetra, May 5 With campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections entering the last leg, senior leaders of political parties and their respective candidates are sweating it out to make an impact on voters in Kurukshetra. From getting selfies clicked to slamming their opponents, candidates have been making efforts to woo the voters. They are also making the most of the social media to reach out to the electors. They have been keeping their supporters updated about their schedule on Facebook. Saffron party candidate Nayab Singh Saini started his campaign early and has covered over 50 per cent of the constituency. He has been covering nearly 12 to 13 villages a day. While the BJP is focusing on rallies and public meetings, the INLD, Congress and the JJP-AAP candidates who entered the fray a little late have to make extra efforts to cover the entire constituency. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has held a vijay sankalp rally and corner meetings for Saini. Besides the Chief Minister, sitting MLAs of Thanesar, Ladwa and Shahabad constituencies have also been campaigning for Saini. On the other hand, Congress candidate Nirmal Singh is getting support of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former MP Naveen Jindal, and AICC spokesman Randeep Surjewala. Chitra Sarwara, Nirmals daughter and All-India Mahila Congress general secretary, is also holding corner meetings for her father. Nirmal, while holding public meetings, recalled his bond with the people of the constituency. Meanwhile, INLDs Arjun Chautala, who is contesting his first election, is trying to make a personal contact with the voters. In addition to holding routine meetings in villages, he visits stadiums and parks to interact with youngsters and old people. Having a farming background, Arjun strikes an emotional connection with farmers. Besides INLD leaders, Arjuns mother Kanta Chautala and aunts have also been campaigning for him. DD Sharma, JJP-AAP candidate, is not far behind. He is going village to village, addressing people and seeking their support. JJP leader Dushyant Chautala and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also held a roadshow in Kurukshetra for him. While the BJPs campaign seems to be losing enthusiasm owing to the fact it was started early, the campaigns of other parties is gaining momentum. A rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to make the last impact. All-out efforts editorial@tribune.com Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service Hisar, May 5 In a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leader and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said, Modi is leading an army of trolls to fight the elections and has turned the democracy into troll-cracy in the country. Addressing a public meeting in favour of Congress candidate Bhavya Bishnoi at Multani Chowk here today, Sidhu, who is often targeted by BJP supporters for his stand on various national issues, said, Modi troll army se ladta hai aur loktantra ka gunda tantra, troll tantra, danda tantra aur bhaya tantra bana diya. (Modi leads an army of trolls which has turned the democracy in troll-cracy and unleashed a reign of terror). But I am in the court of people. Its time to turn the tables and overthrow the Mod-led BJP government in the country. Sidhu said, The PM has not fulfilled even a single pre-poll promise in the past five years. I am speaking against the BJP so that the next generation doesnt say Sidhu was silent when the country was falling into ruin. Modis promises are like bamboo reeds, very long but hollow. People with empty stomachs are being told to do yoga. Their pockets are empty but theyre being asked to open bank accounts. While they have no food to eat, toilets are being constructed. All companies are videshi, but they talk of swadeshi, he said, while terming Modi as Feku Number One. Adampur MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi and former minister Savitri Jindal also addressed the public meeting and sought support for Bhavya in the Lok Sabha elections. Sidhus rally comes two days before Priyanka Gandhi Vadras show of strength in the constituency. Vadra is scheduled to address a rally in Hisar on May 7. BJP halted development: Hooda Sonepat: Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday alleged that the BJP government in the state had put the brakes on all development projects sanctioned during the Congress regime. He pointed out that work on Rajiv Gandhi Education City in Rai, Industrial Model Township in Kharkhoda, Indian Institute of Information Technology near Sonepat and International Fruits and Vegetable Market in Gannaur had come to a standstill. He was addressing poll meetings during a roadshow in Rai and Gannaur Assembly segments of Sonepat. He alleged that the BJP did not have the intention of bringing development. OC Aggarwals ignored in ticket allotment, says beopar mandal Kaithal: Political parties have ignored the Aggarwal community in ticket allotment despite collecting funds from them. This was claimed by Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal president Bajrang Dass Garg here on Sunday. He was speaking during the state-level Aggarwal Pratinidhi Sammelan. He warned political parties against ignoring the community as it wielded enough influence to unseat governments. He said traders contributed to 70 per cent of tax collection. OC Ahead of elections, police, BSF take out flag march in Rohtak Rohtak: In view of the general elections, the Rohtak police and the BSF took out a joint flag march through the rural belt of the district on Sunday. Rohtak SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said two platoons of the district police and one platoon of the BSF participated in the march. The flag march started from the local Police Lines. The local residents were advised to maintain peace and order and warned against taking law into their hands. TNS There are 3,913 unoccupied decrepit homes in Seoul, according to the Seoul Institute. / Yonhap By Kim Jae-heun More than 3,900 old homes in Seoul have been left empty for over a year, a report revealed, Monday, raising concerns that they may be used for crime. According to the Seoul Institute, there are 3,913 unoccupied decrepit homes in the capital. The number was reached using data from the Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corp., based on the consumption of electricity and water. The study showed Seongbuk-gu, northeastern Seoul, has the most empty homes with 391, followed by Jongno-gu and Yongsan-gu, both of which are located in central Seoul. In particular, many unoccupied homes belong to areas that are not benefiting from the Seoul Metropolitan Government's urban regeneration projects, with many of them needing repairs. The institute said 76 percent of 188 empty homes in the areas are safety hazards, while 79 percent of them have been left unoccupied for long periods of time. "When a district is excluded from the local government's redevelopment project, people leave their homes for a long time and they eventually become deserted, which aggravates the residential environment and attracts crime," a Seoul Institute official said. However, some say it is not easy to figure out the current status of housing vacancies. According to Korea Statistics' 2016 data, a total 95,000 homes in Seoul were uninhabited, but the number also included newly built homes that people had yet to occupy. However, if the institute narrows down the scope of empty homes to those older than 30 years, the number of deserted homes declined to 11,000, most of which are concentrated in Mapo-gu and its neighborhood Ahyeon-dong which is undergoing massive redevelopment, as well as Eunpyeong-gu, all of which are in western Seoul. Among them, about 2,000 to 3,000 homes are estimated to have been vacant for over one year. Seoul City has been conducting a complete enumeration survey since last November to find the exact number of unoccupied homes in the city. The Seoul Institute advises the local government to carry out the survey on a regular basis, while urging it to focus more on areas with high concentrations of abandoned housing and redevelop them first. It also suggests launching a platform to provide information about vacant homes for people to sell and buy. In response, Seoul City plans to come up with a comprehensive plan to maintain old homes by the end of the year. laxmi@tribune.com Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 5 Ankit Hooda (20), from Assan village in Rohtak district of Haryana, is among five Indians who have been abducted from the ship they were working on as sailors, and taken hostage by pirates in Nigeria. With no government help allegedly forthcoming, Ankits cousin Bharat Deshwal and uncle Bhupender Gulia have also taken up the matter with Pakistan human and civil rights activist Ansar Burney, who helped secure the release of six Indian sailors in 2011 when Egyptian merchant ship MV Suez they were working on was held captive by Somali pirates for over a year. Since the whereabouts of Ankits father are not known for the past eight years and he is the only support for his 45-year-old mother Usha Hooda, his family has been knocking at every possible door for the past two weeks. Ankit, who did his graduation from Rohtak, was working as Ordinary Seaman (OS) on Nigerian merchant ship MT Apecus when pirates struck the ship on the outer anchorage of Bonny island of Nigeria on April 19. The captain of the ship and six other crew members were taken hostage. Five of them are from India the others being Sudeep Kumar Choudhry from Odisha, Chirag Jadhav from Kalyan (Maharashtra), PS Avinash and Moogu Ravi (whose residence details are not known to Ankits family). We have tried our best to meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, visiting six times, but every time, we were told she is out of Delhi We are clueless whom to approach, said Deshwal. Sampa Arya, a Rohtak resident whose husband Ravinder Gulia was one of the six Indian sailors held captive by Somali pirates for over a year in 2011, has been helping Ankits family. Meanwhile, Deshwal said that responding to an SOS by Sudeep Choudhrys wife, the Indian High Commission responded that the mission was in constant touch with the Nigerian authorities. Initial contact made, caution is of utmost importance for everyones safety," the High Commission had responded through a tweet. editorial@tribune.com Bijendra Ahlawat Tribune News Service Faridabad, May 5 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Sunday addressed a meeting here in support of BJP candidate Krishan Pal Gurjar. The Vijay Sankalp Sabha was organised with the support of the Garhwal Sabha, Faridabad. Gurjar was not present during the meeting. Listing the work done by Narendra Modi government, Rawat said the Prime Minister had raised the honour of the country at the international level through various moves and achievements. He said the government deserved a second term as only Modi-led government was capable of resolving serious issues pending for years, adding that a strong government at the Centre was the need of the hour. The surgical strike, airstrikes and free hand to defence forces for action against terrorism have been instrumental in raising the image of the country at the global level, he said. Rawat alleged that opposition parties did not have any vision for the countrys development. He claimed that some parties had united just to stop Modi from becoming Prime Minister again. Cleanliness and good roads in the city indicate towards adequate development work done during the past five years in the constituency, he said. He said the BJP had launched several schemes for the poor and the common man which had improved the economic condition of a large section of society. Ensure that Modi government remains in power on May 12, Rawat said. Commenting upon Nyay scheme of the Congress, he said it was an attempt at capturing power. Blaming the Congress for poverty, he said had the party done something, this situation would not have emerged. Badkhal MLA Seema Trikha and district BJP chief Gopal Sharma also spoke. Webcast monitoring Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Rajeev Ranjan on Sunday said teams had been constituted for webcast monitoring at critical and highly sensitive polling stations. He was presiding over a meeting with district election officers. He said teams set up for webcast should inform the returning officer regarding running, stopping and disturbance to webcast. He directed district election officers to install GPS systems in all vehicles. He said mock poll would be held one hour before polling and all polling stations should have proper arrangements for power supply, drinking water and security. TNS pardeepdhull@gmail.com TORONTO: Scientists have developed a radar system that can wirelessly monitor the vital signs of patients, eliminating the need to hook them up to any machines. Housed in a device smaller than a cellphone, the new technology records heart and breathing rates using sensitive radar waves that are analysed by sophisticated algorithms embedded in an onboard digital signal processing unit. Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada developed the system to monitor sleep apnea patients by detecting subtle chest movements instead of connecting them to equipment in labs via numerous cumbersome wires. We take the whole complex process and make it completely wireless, said George Shaker, an engineering professor at Waterloo. And instead of a clinic, it could be done in the comfort of your own bed and run daily for continuous monitoring, Shaker said in a statement. The radar unit was mounted to the ceiling over the bed of more than 50 volunteers as they slept normally in a model long-term care apartment. The system, which collects and analyses data from radar waves that are reflected back to the unit from the bodies of patients, achieved results over 90 per cent as accurate as standard hard-wired equipment. This is the first time radar has been used for heart sensing with this degree of accuracy and in such an uncontrolled environment, said Mostafa Alizadeh, a research associate who led the study. Our subjects slept unobstructed, in any position, for up to eight hours, Alizadeh said. Researchers are also exploring use of the technology to monitor activity levels and falls by residents of long-term care homes, and in hospitals for routine monitoring of heart and breathing rates of all kinds of patients. Advantages of the system for apnea monitoring include complete privacy since no cameras are used, much improved comfort and potential use in homes rather than special sleep clinics. With traditional systems involving wires and appointments booked weeks in advance, you cant sleep as you normally do in your own bed at home, making the common sleep study an unpleasant experience, said Shaker. In addition to sleep apnea, which involves breathing that repeatedly stops and starts, the system can monitor conditions such as periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome and seizures. PTI editorial@tribune.com Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, May 5 Security has been strengthened in the militancy-hit districts of Shopian and Pulwama to ensure peaceful elections on Monday. Over 150 additional companies of the Central Armed Police Forces and armed police have been deployed in the volatile districts for the peaceful polling. The police have also constituted nearly 100 quick reactions teams headed by officers of the rank of deputy superintendents of police and inspectors to respond to any emerging situation, officials said. Due to volatile situation in some pockets, the government airlifted over a dozen poll teams along with EVMs to Zainpora and Imam Saheb in Shopian. Pulwama and Shopian comprising six Assembly segments of the Anantnag parliamentary constituency are going to the polls on May 6. It is for the first time in the electoral history that the elections to a single Lok Sabha constituency are being held in three phases due to security concerns. Every phase of the election has its own difficulties. Pulwama and Shopian are more challenging, but all of us will make conduct the process properly, J&Ks Chief Electoral Officer Shailendra Kumar told The Tribune. Former Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Congress Ghulam Ahmed Mir and National Conferences Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi, BJPs Sofi Yousuf are among 18 candidates, whose fate would be sealed in the EVMs on Monday. Ahead of the elections, the authorities have detained dozens of youth from the two districts and it has created fear among the people. There is a possibility that these districts may witness low turnout. Separatist leaders in the Valley have called for a boycott of the elections and given a shutdown call in both districts on Monday. Voting in Ladakh too Jammu: The stage is set for the polling in Ladakh the countrys geographically largest parliamentary seat on Monday. Over 1.74 lakh electors will decide the fate of four candidates in the seat, wh ich is going to the polls in the fifth and final phase of elections in the state. Freezing cold in snow-bound areas and inaccessible areas are a challenge for the election authorities to ensure good turnout and hold hassle-free elections. The Returning Officer of the Ladakh seat, Avny Lavasa, who is also District Election Officer (DEO), Leh, dispatched 172 polling parties along with EVMs and VVPAT machines to their designated booths on Sunday. The Election Commission has set up 559 polling stations across the constituency. Lavasa said the polling staff for 122 polling stations was already dispatched and included eight cut-off polling stations of Dipling, Skyumpatta, Skyumpatta Gongma, Jingchen, Lingshet, Kartse, Nyaraks and Yulchung, where the polling staff were sent through helicopters well in advance. In Kargil, the polling parties were dispatched by DEO Baseer ul Haq Choudhary. Arteev Sharma rchopra@tribunemail.com Srinagar, May 6 After a six-month-long recess, the Civil Secretariat offices in Srinagar reopened on Monday. Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik was given a ceremonial guard of honour by a contingent of the states armed police upon his arrival at the secretariat. Malik also spoke to the media on the occasion. Regarding the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in the state, the Governor said it was the Election Commission that had the authority to decide on when these polls should be held. Replying to another question on the killing of a BJP leader in Anantnag district by militants on Friday, Malik said the security of political workers in the state was being reviewed. He said an inquiry is also being held on whether there was a security lapse that led to the killing. Following the over 170-year-old practice set up by the Dogra Maharajas of the state, all top offices, including those of the Chief Minister, cabinet ministers, senior bureaucrats and others, shuttle on a six-monthly basis between the twin capitals of Jammu and Srinagar. The shifting of the civil secretariat offices is called the Darbar move which is reminiscent of the Maharajas royal court that spent six months at each of the two capitals. IANS editorial@tribune.com Arun Joshi Euphoria has its own share of amnesia. It can prove crippling too, as it has an inherent tendency to hide failures of the past and challenges that the future holds. The declaration of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UNSC sanctions committee 1267 on May 1, an outcome that India had waited for many years, has its dark side too. It is not about the omission of references to the Pulwama terror attack and Kashmir in the UNSC statement, but the gaps that exist in the internal system of investigations and taking the trials to their logical conclusion. Masood Azhar, an ideologue of militant groups with pronounced Pan-Islamic orientation, had visited Kashmir to motivate youths to fight for the liberation of Kashmir as a religious duty. He was arrested in April 1994, and set free in December 1999 in the most humiliating circumstances for the nation. The high-profile terrorist was escorted to his destination by Indian Foreign Minister of the times Jaswant Singh. In the celebrations over his designation as global terrorist, we are skipping the critically important questions: why the trial against Masood Azhar could not be completed for five years, and why he could not be convicted of the crime he was charged with. There was shameless lethargy that led to the freedom of Masood Azhar. His smirk at the crack of dawn on December 31, 1999, mocked at the system as neither he could be kept in jail or convicted. And Indians, we have no right to celebrate it because his group Jaish-e-Mohammad killed so many of our people and soldiers for we were the ones who pressurised the government to succumb to the pressure of the hijackers who had threatened to kill 165 passengers and crew members of IC-814 parked in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The history will not judge this bargain against the scales of our commitment to fight against terrorism in bright light. Worse is that these fault lines have not been repaired till date. There are so many cases where the terrorists have not been convicted. Lets admit it that the threats that Masood Azhar, his followers and patrons pose to the national security have not diminished. Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attacks, is also a designated global terrorist, but the bloodletting in which he was engaged in Kashmir is continuing. And it should also be acknowledged that Masood has been designated a global terrorist because the Western powers came together to do so. The Western countries have had their own share of tragedies inflicted by terrorists. The USAs 21st century history is shaped by 9/11. The London bombing of July 2005 and some of the recent incidents close to Westminster have made UKs residential enclaves a new hub of radicalisation. France was riddled with terror attacks from Paris to Nice. They know what terrorism means, and its growth in any part of the world, howsoever, distant it may be from their own political and geographical maps, is a looming threat forever, especially in the modern-day world where social media scales boundaries with impunity. This grim reality presents only one choice fast-track trial of terrorists and punishing them before they become too big to be handled at our own level. editorial@tribune.com Tribune Reporters Srinagar/Anantnag, May 5 Even as Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday ordered a probe into the killings of political activists, the family of a slain BJP leader has accused the police of leaving him vulnerable to attacks as he had been stripped of his security recently. GulMuhammad Mir (60), BJP vice-president for Anantnag, was killed inside his house in the Verinag area of Anantnag district at 9.30 pm on Saturday. A day after his killing, the Governor ordered an inquiry into the killing of political activists in the state in the last few months. The Governor also asked Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam to identify any lapses in ensuring security to political activists, an official spokesman said. Governor Malik also condemned the killing of Mir. The spokesman said Malik directed Adviser K Vijay Kumar to ensure early arrest of those responsible for the killings and spare no one who tries to create fear and panic among the people. Meanwhile, locals attended the funeral of the slain leader on Sunday. His family members alleged that the police dilly-dallied on restoring the security cover to Mir after he, along with many other leaders, was stripped of it. The security of many leaders was taken away. While others got it, my father was denied it, Zahoor Ahmad, Mirs son told mediapersons in Verinag. He accused the police of not restoring his fathers security. The SSP, Ananatnag, asked for a letter from the party high command, which we provided. Then he dilly-dallied over the report, leaving my father vulnerable and as a result he was killed, Zahoor said. He also said no one, including members of the BJP, had called the family. Anantnag Senior Superintendent of Police Altaf Khan said the security was given according to the threat perception. Proper guidelines have to be followed, including a field report and many other things, Altaf said. He did not, however, comment on the charges made by the family. The Governors administration had withdrawn or downgraded the security of scores of political leaders and activists following a review of the threat perception by the state security review coordination committee. Ensure security: Malik to Chief Secy editorial@tribune.com Srinagar, May 5 A day after a senior BJP leader was shot dead in Anantnag, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Sunday criticised the withdrawal of security of political workers as a foolish decision. Not long ago, senior BJP leaders were bragging about how security of undeserving people was withdrawn in J&K. I had warned against the decision then and yesterdays assassination of Gul Mohammad Mir only confirms what I had feared, he said. The security cover of several political leaders and workers was withdrawn in March as the state administration headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik ordered a revision in the aftermath of the Pulwama suicide blast. In a series of tweets, the former CMsaid, questions need to be asked about the decision to withdraw the security. But they cant be answered by the person who was responsible for the actual order to withdraw the security. It had been opposed by the state and Central intelligence agencies so who overruled them and went ahead regardless? he said. Omar also released a letter sent by NC leader Ali Sagar to the Election Commission in which he had flagged the issue and the risks it posed for the election process. TNS editorial@tribune.com Manpriya Singh Backpacking or cruising; how you travel speaks volumes about where you come from and what you are seeking. Since each season those travelling are as diverse as the destinations they are bound for, we take stock of this very diversity and find out all thats new in the world of travel and tourism. Loan for travel? Thats millennials for you. Or gen X or gen Y or the Xennials, whatever the term is, the truth is what may have sounded horrific at a traditional bank, may have takers in the era of dotcom and start-ups. Id say its the emergence of leisure consciousness across Indias younger generation thats led to increased travel even if that comprises financing it, Gaurav Chopra, founder of one such new age lending platform, IndiaLends, throws figures our way. A lot of such travel plans can also be attributed to long weekends and last-minute holiday planning and we have witnessed a 55 per cent growth in personal loans for travel purposes and 85 per cent of these loan seekers are millennials seeking loans in the range of up to Rs 2,50,000. Nods Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox & Kings, This year, more number of travelers are seeking easy EMI options, especially for international holidays. Financing help is making the dream of overseas vacation come true for many middle-class Indian families. Easy EMI, kitchen tours, child-friendly spots are what are trending the most for the summer of 2019, he summarizes whats latest in the world of travel, before elaborating. There is also a demand for 100% veg kitchen group tours from vegetarian travellers. The tours offer tasty vegetarian food varieties prepared by specially appointed chef. New apps, newer places Ever since the apps broke out on the scene, DIY travel plans became easier and novel by the day. Right from renting cars for self-drive to even renting locals for company, its all available for download. And the destinations? They are slightly unheard of. Well-heeled travellers are showing keen interest in exotic destinations like Cambodia, Greece, Turkey, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania, adds Karan Anand. Europe stays right there among the list of most popular destinations. Hello, concierge services? Because luxury never did and never will go out of fashion. Getting popular with each passing year, your travel concierge will ensure there are no hiccups by taking care of essential and time-consuming tasks 24X7 while you are on the go. From last-minute private jet services to front row seats at the next fashion week to wanting to try the new Michelin star restaurant, VIP access at events or getting an entry into the most uptown nightclub, we make them all happen, says Hardik Jhanb, founder of the luxury travel concierge Utopiic. The exclusive members only service is just another offshoot of six digit salaries and lesser time. For those who dont necessarily want access into world of luxury, there are a few players in the field where your travel concierge comprises the local person. Who is ready to open his home, show his city and reveal its true character. Go global & then remotely local Sightseeing, where you are likely to go rub shoulders with other tourists and possibly a lot of other Indians too, takes a backseat. And with that we hope the selfies at London Eye, Statue of Liberty, Petronas Twin Towers etc, too. Even for those chasing social media glory through their travel pics, its the local food, a walk-in tour or an experience with the local community that fetches everyones nod of approval or the envious glances. It could be a walk-in tour or a local event. Its about wanting to eat where the locals eat and experience what they do. mapriya@tribunemail.com Sumit Paul Sumit Paul Stereotyping countries and their people is common and when it comes to Pakistan, fixed opinions are all the more difficult to be dislodged. That Pakistan has a large number of vegetarians (Khushwant Singh, 2012) is a statement that doesnt find many takers in India, until you visit the country and see it for yourself. Even I doubted the veracity of this claim. But I saw this on my innumerable visits to Pakistan as an advanced research scholar of Islamic theology, Hadith and Persian mysticism. Non-vegetarian and vegetarian restaurants are almost in equal numbers. Visit Karachis posh Clifton Road or Airport Road, Islamabad, pure vegetarian eateries are juxtaposed with non-vegetarian restaurants. Benazir Bhuttos husband Asif Ali Zardari has always been a strict vegetarian. So was Benazir Bhutto's dad Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Despite being born into a Sindhi-Muslim household and having been educated at Oxford and Berkeley, ZA Bhutto turned a complete vegetarian at the age of 16. He surprised Indira Gandhi during his visit to India in 1972 for the Simla Agreement. Imran Khans cousin and stylish batsman Majid Khan was a vegetarian and had not even tried eggs in his entire life. I remember interviewing legendary ghazal maestro Mehdi Hassan for a British Urdu daily in 2009. I knew that he was a vegetarian. I asked him, Janaab ke gosht na khaane ka koi khaas sabab? (Is there any specific reason for not eating non-veg)? His calm reply has stayed with me: Mausiqi ibadat-e-Parvardigaar se kam nahin aur bandagi-e-sadiq mein khoon-kharaba humein gavara nahin (Music is no less than worshipping the Almighty and true worship doesnt allow any sort of bloodshed). Many male vocalists of India and Pakistan have been vegetarians and that should be a matter of serious research. Ustad Amir Khan, composer-vocalist Firoz Nizami, Ustad Rahmatullah Khan, Talat Mahmood, Mohammed Rafi and many more didnt eat non-veg food, though Rafi relished it till the age of 25. Meat supposedly roughens vocal chords. Even Frank Sinatra turned a vegetarian when spiritual guru Jiddu Krishnamurti hinted that non-veg food might interfere with the realisation of his full potential. He stopped and after a month, recorded the great hit, My Way. Coming back to Pakistan, popular Urdu poet Parvin Shakir was an avowed vegetarian. So were Pakistani Air Chief Marshal Noor Khan and Air Marshal Asghar Khan. A vegetarian myself, I relished the best fare at the eateries there. I can never forget the mouth-watering dishes at Sargodha in Pakistans Punjab. My teacher and mentor, Dr Zaifa Ashraf, who hailed originally from Karachi, never had non-veg food in her entire life, for it would make her nauseous! Its time to get our ingrained perceptions right in this age of increasing hatred and bad blood. By Yi Whan-woo President Moon Jae-in's approval rating inched up close to 50 percent, according to a survey released Monday. In a Realmeter poll conducted from April 29 to 30 and May 2 to 3, 49.1 percent of 2,018 respondents said they support Moon's job performance, up from 47.4 percent when the last survey was taken from April 22 to 26. This puts Moon's approval rating in the high 40-percent range for the seventh consecutive week. Moon's disapproval rating came in at 46 percent, down 2.4 percentage points. The remaining respondents said they were undecided about the President's job performance. Analysts said the polls show a sign that conservative and liberal voters are polarizing under their rival parties, in the wake of the fast-tracking of reform bills and Moon's struggle to salvage dialogue with North Korea. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) received the support of 40.1 percent, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) 33 percent, the Justice Party 10 percent, the Bareunmirae Party 5.2 percent and the Party for Democracy and Peace 2.3 percent. The DPK's approval rating rose 2.1 percentage points, continuing the upward trend for the third consecutive week and making the 40-pecernt range for the first time in 10 weeks. The LKP's approval rating rose by 1.5 percentage points. The 33 percent support is also the highest the party has received since President Moon took office in May 2017. "It can be said the partisan rift over the fast-tracking of bills had an impact on the rise of support for the ruling and main opposition parties," Realmeter said. The poll had a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points. Moon's vision for a peace-driven economy is being put to the test, amid a high unemployment rate and stalled nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea. rchopra@tribunemail.com Aizawl, May 6 Twelve suspected Rohingyas from Bangladesh were arrested in Mizoram for entering the state without valid travel documents, a police officer said on Monday. Eight women and four boys from Bangladesh were taken from a house to Bawngkawn police station here on Sunday, Deputy Inspector of Police (Northern Range) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte said. It is suspected that they were victims of human trafficking. Khiangte said the arrested people had some mobile phones without sim cards in their possession. Investigation is on to find out their identities. The 12 people were found in the residence of a woman who claimed that her cousin who lived at Tahan in Myanmar had asked her favour to keep the guests before being taken to the neighbouring country. In late April, eight Rohingya women were detained at India-Myanmar border Vairengte town for trying to enter Mizoram illegally and were pushed back. They had claimed that they were from Kutupalong refugee camp at Sabulara in Bangladesh and were kidnapped by a group of men on April 19 and brought to Mizoram by truck. More than 7 lakh Rohingya Muslims fled from Myanmars Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August 2017 after a military crackdown, triggering a massive refugee crisis. PTI monicakchauhan@gmail.com Patna, May 6 A total of 20 polling personnel were suspended by the Election Commission on Monday in connection with electoral malpractices in Munger Lok Sabha constituency during the fourth phase of polling on April 29. The Election Commission will always take action against those who are found involved in electoral malpractices and tampering with the EVMs, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar, H R Srinivasa, said. "Twenty polling personnel, including presiding officers, polling officers, magistrates and police personnel, were suspended for their involvement in electoral malpractices at two polling booths," Srinivasa said, adding, they had also assaulted a journalist covering the elections there on that day. The Election Commission had received complaints from the journalist and others in this regard after which it had ordered an inquiry into the alleged incident, Srinivasa said. Repolling is being held at both the booths on Monday, a statement issued by the Bihar CEO's office said. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi, May 6 A Delhi court on Monday extended till May 30 the interim protection from arrest granted to former Union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti in the Aircel-Maxis cases by the CBI and ED. Special Judge OP Saini extended the protection after senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for the Chidambarams, made a request in this regard. The request was made after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the agencies, sought more time to complete the probe. The case relates to alleged irregularities in grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval in the Aircel-Maxis deal. PTI laxmi@tribune.com Bhubaneswar, May 5 The Odisha Government on Sunday confirmed that 29 deaths have been reported so far after Cyclone Fani hit the coastal state on Friday. Chief Secretary AP Padhi said that 21 persons have died in Puri while eight deaths were reported from other affected districts. We are still collecting information and the actual figure can be confirmed only after all the assessment has been done, he said. Cyclone Fani has severely devastated Puri and parts of Khurdha district. While thousands of trees were uprooted and several houses destroyed, the cyclone also damaged the electricity and communication facilities in the affected areas. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who took a review meeting here, said that 70 per cent of water connection in Puri and 40 per cent in Bhubaneswar has already been restored. The CM also announced a special package for cyclone-affected people. All families covered under the National Food Security Act will get 50 kg of rice, Rs 2,000 and polythene sheets. The state government has accelerated massive restoration work across 10,000 villages and 52 urban areas affected by the cyclonic storm. The office of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said massive relief and restoration work was underway to provide basic facilities electricity, water supply and mobile connectivity to the people. More than 30 lakh electricity consumers in the state were affected, said SRC Bishnupada Sethi. According to preliminary reports, cyclone Fani damaged power infrastructure worth more than Rs 1,200 crore. Electricity to emergency services will be restored by Sunday evening, said Energy Secretary Hemanta Sharma. It will take at least five to seven days to restore normalcy in power supply in Bhubaneswar. However, it may take a bit longer for Puri where the devastation to power structures is maximum, he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Odisha on Monday to take stock of the situation. IANS RELIEF POURS IN Chhattisgarh Rs 11 crore Maharashtra Rs 10 crore Uttar Pradesh Rs 10 crore Gujarat Rs 5 crore Impact in North-East One person was feared drowned while four others swam to safety when a country boat capsized, due to the impact of Fani at Kamrup district in Assam One person was injured and many houses were damaged in Meghalayas East Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills districts when Fani was passing through the area How IMD tracked cyclone The IMD got help from the Ministry of Earth Sciences in predicting development of Cyclone Fani. The data collected was run through 10 specialised weather models Satellites provided data and images on clouds in oceanic area for monitoring low pressure systems, while 20 buoys in Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea gave data on rainfall, temperatures, wind speed Data was processed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology & National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting Minor damage to Jagannath Temple Puri: The 12th century Shree Jagannath temple here has suffered minor damages due to Cyclone Fani that ripped apart the holy town on Friday, officials said Sunday. Yes, there have been minor damages to the temple, but the main structure remains unaffected. We will request the Archaeological Survey of India (undertaking repairs at the temple) to inspect the shrine, said PK Mohapatra, the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA). PTI gspannu7@gmail.com New Delhi, May 6 Highly disappointed and dejected, said the former Supreme Court employee who levelled sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, after the In-House Inquiry Committee gave him a clean chit on Monday. She said gross injustice has been done to her as a woman citizen of India and her worst fears have come true shattering all hope of justice and redress from the highest court of the land. The woman, who issued a press statement, said that she will consult her lawyer and decide on the next steps. Today, I am at the verge of losing faith in the capacity of our system to deliver justice to the weak and vulnerable who are pitted against the powerful within the system itself, she said, adding that the panel refused her plea to allow her to accompany a lawyer and video record the proceedings. Further, she said she learnt from media that the CJI appeared before the committee to record his statement but she does not have any knowledge whether other persons who were aware of the allegations were called before the panel or not. Immediately after the office of the apex courts Secretary General came out with the findings of the three-member Committee headed by Justice S A Bobde that has found no substance in the allegations of sexual harassment, the woman in a statement, said she was extremely scared and terrified because the In- House Committee, has not given her justice or protection and said nothing about the absolutely mala fide dismissals and suspensions. I, the woman complainant, a former Supreme Court employee, am not just highly disappointed and dejected to learn that the In-House Committee has found no substance in my complaint, but feel that gross injustice has been done to me as a woman citizen of India. I am now extremely scared and terrified because the In- House Committee, despite having all material placed before them, has given me no justice or protection and said nothing about the absolutely mala fide dismissals and suspensions, indignities and humiliations suffered by me and my family. I and my family members remain vulnerable to the ongoing reprisals and attack, she said in a press statement. The woman further said that the complaint in the form of an affidavit was sent by her to the Justices of the top court on April 19, 2019 and she was alarmed at the conclusion arrived at by the In House Committee, as her accusation of sexual harassment at the workplace and the consequent relentless victimization and reprisals against her and her family, are substantiated by documents and are verifiable. She said that on April 26, 2019, she had joined the proceedings of the committee and from the very beginning expressed serious concerns and reservations that the manner in which the proceedings were being conducted would not mitigate the stark asymmetry of power between her and the CJI. PTI editorial@tribune.com Islamabad, May 5 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. In February, the PM, at a joint sitting of Parliament convened in the wake of the heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the Pulwama terror attack, lauded Sultans 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 Mysores silk industry. He is considered a pioneer in the use of rocket artillery. Former President APJ Abdul Kalam, in his Tipu Sultan Shaheed Memorial Lecture in Bangalore in 1991, called Sultan the innovator of the worlds first war rocket. PTI War of words in Karnataka Dear Siddaramaiah, time for you to hug Imranji and Bajwaji - @sherryontopp! Thats quickest way to become Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhis favourite! Just Do It. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP MP His jibe was aimed at Siddaramaiahs reverence for Tipu. Siddaramaiah had started the tradition of celebrating Tipu Jayanti as then CM three years ago. Rajeev, Think before you tweet. I am not like your Narendra Modi to eat biryani with the PM of our enemy country & also not like you to compromise on ethics to please your bosses. Siddaramaiah former CM The Congress leaders attack was in reference to PM Narendra Modis surprise visit to Nawaz Sharif, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, in Lahore in 2017. gspannu7@gmail.com Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, May 6 Days after the end of polling for the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has begun preparations for the assembly elections which are due to be held at the end of this year. For most of last week, Pawar toured the drought-affected region of Marathwada where he met with representatives of farmers and local party leaders in order to assess the relief work undertaken by the Maharashtra Government. The opposition MLAs have prepared a memorandum on the drought situation which has been presented to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, party spokesman Nawab Malik said. Over the weekend, Pawar met with the NCPs MPs and MLAs in Mumbai and sought their views on the partys expected performance during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Malik said the elected representatives of the party also presented details of the drought situation in their respective constituencies and picked holes in the relief programme of the Devendra Fadnavis government. We have come out with a plan to corner the government on the drought-relief issue, Malik told this reporter. At the meeting of the partys elected representatives, Pawar pointed out that the government had budgeted a meagre Rs 90 for each head of cattle which was not enough to provide water and fodder for a single animal. The NCP leader said the government should come up with a relief package for students from drought-affected areas who were pursuing higher education and ensure that they were provided at least two meals a day apart from financial assistance. The NCP leader also demanded that the government kick-start the Employment Guarantee Scheme to provide employment to people in drought-hit areas. The other demand by the party was that crop loans of farmers in drought-affected areas be waived and recovery of all government dues here be stopped. Sources in the NCP say Pawar wants the party to turn the governments poor response to drought relief into an issue during the assembly elections. laxmi@tribune.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 5 The Army has handed loss of seniority by six months to Major Leetul Gogoi as punishment for fraternising with a local woman in Srinagar last year and for being away from the place of duty while in an operational area. He will also be posted out of Kashmir as his 30-month tenure with Rashtriya Rifles has ended. Maj Gogoi had hit the headlines after he tied a man in front of a jeep, purportedly as a shield against stone-pelters, during polling for the Srinagar Lok Sabha byelection on April 9, 2017. The court martial proceedings against Maj Gogoi were completed in March and the punishment needed to be ratified by the Army headquarters, which has been done now, sources said. The punishment is classified as severe reprimand. The six-month loss of seniority will apply for life. As this period will not be counted towards his service, he will now get lesser pension on retirement. He will not get the next rank of Lt Colonel as per schedule on completing 13 years in service. This will happen six months later and he will, in turn, become the juniormost officer in his batch. Maj Gogoi was posted with the RR in March 2016 and posted out in October 2018. Since then, he had been attached with the Srinagar headquartered Victor Force, pending inquiry. The Major was detained by the J&K Police on May 23 last year from a Srinagar hotel along with a local woman and another soldier. The detained woman was 19 years old and had gone with the officer of her own volition, Jammu and Kashmir Police had said. Hence, no police case was made out. However, the Army rules did not allow Maj Gogoi to be let off without punishment. During the court martial proceedings, the woman expressed her unwillingness to depose. The court martial process against Maj Gogois driver Sameer Malla, who was facing charges of unauthorised absence from the unit, has been completed. He has been given a severe reprimand. Immediately after the incident came to light last year, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had said exemplary punishment would be given to Maj Gogoi if he was found guilty of any offence. amansharma@tribunemail.com Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 6 The Supreme Courts in-house inquiry which probed into allegations of sexual harassment levelled by a dismissed woman employee against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has given clean chit to him, saying there was no substance in the allegations. The In-House Committee has found no substance in the allegations contained in the complaint dated 19.4.2019 of a former employee of the Supreme Court of India, Supreme Court Secretary General Sanjeev S. Kalgaonkar said in a release uploaded on the top courts website. Citing the top courts verdict in Indira Jaising versus Supreme Court of India and Another (2003), the Secretary General said the panels report will not be made public. The top court had in that case held that the report of a committee constituted as a part of the In-House Procedure was not liable to be made public. The In-House Committee submitted its report dated May 5 in accordance with the In-House Procedure, to the next senior judge competent to receive the report, the release said, adding, a copy had also been sent to the judge concerned, namely, the CJI. The committee which also included Justice Indu Malhotra and Justice Indira Banerjeewent ahead with the unprecedented inquiry and submitted its report despite the complainant withdrawing from the proceedings. After the In-House Committee submitted its report, another panel headed by Justice (retd) AK Patnaik is expected to commence its probe into allegations of a conspiracy to implicate CJI Gogoi in a false sexual harassment case. The dismissed employee whose allegations created a storm in legal circles on April 20 when four online portals published details of her affidavit sent to 22 judges of the Supreme Court had opted herself out of the inquiry, expressing serious concerns and reservations about its functioning over not being allowed to be accompanied by lawyer and lack of video recording of proceedings. She had appeared before the panel for three days. I felt I was not likely to get justice from this committee and so I am no longer participating in the 3-Judge Committee proceedings, she had said in her statement. The panel started its proceedings late last month and had held several closed-door sittings in which the complainant had appeared to record her testimony. The CJI himself had on Wednesday last appeared before it. Ever since it was constituted, the panel has been hitting headlines. On Sunday, the Supreme Court had denied reports that Justice RF Nariman and Justice DY Chandrachud met Justice SA Bobde and suggested that the panel should not go ahead with the proceeding ex-parte after the complainant withdrew from the proceedings. Later, it was reported that Justice Chandrachud had written to the panel and requested it not to proceed with the inquiry ex-parte after the complainant withdrew as it would undermine the courts credibility. He had reportedly suggested that at least one retired woman judge of the Supreme Court should be there on the panel and that she should be allowed to take assistance of a lawyer. Cho Kuk, left, a senior presidential secretary for civil affairs and Kang Gi-jung, a presidential secretary for political affairs before having a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. / Yonhap By Park Ji-won Cheong Wa Dae's senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Cho Kuk said Monday that it was National Assembly's decision on whether to give more power to the police. Citing the possibility of revising a fast-tracked bill on repurposing investigative rights between the police and prosecution before it is passed, Cho said; "It is the Assembly's job to deal with this when reviewing the bill." "The prosecution and police can each submit opinion letters, during the legislative process. But the Assembly holds authority for a final decision, which must be respected. The prosecution, police and Cheong Wa Dae cannot overturn the Assembly's decision," Cho wrote on Facebook, Monday afternoon. Cho made it clear that he recognizes concerns on the matter. "Of course, there are certain ways for the prosecution to oversee the authority of the police. But any worries about this should be eliminated, and President Moon's voice should be properly reflected." The remarks came after Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il openly condemned the Assembly's move to fast-track reform bills, last week, especially on giving the police the authority to launch initial fact-finding missions into alleged misconduct by high-ranking government officials. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) joined forces with three minor opposition parties to fast-track the reform bills which will increase the number of proportional representation seats in the Assembly, establish a special investigative unit to look into alleged corruption by high-ranking government officials, and expand the police's independent investigative authority. The pending bills were processed by the DPK-led alliance move to fast track them, however, they can be revised through an agreement between the political parties before being put to a vote at a regular Assembly session. If there is no bipartisan agreement on this, the original bills will be legislated into law. Prosecutor-General Moon opposed the move due to prosecutors worrying about losing power. Meanwhile, Cho, who is also one of the top confidants of President Moon, defended the readjusting of investigative authority as it is designed to create checks and balances. "The Moon Jae-in administration's reform drive being imposed on the governmental organizations is not made to represent any specific institution. The bills are designed to ensure a system of checks and balances for the prosecution, police and the new investigative body." "I hope the fast-tracked bills can be passed this year." editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service (Ghanaur) Patiala, May 5 Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today visited Gurcharan Singh Tohras family, who had rejoined the SAD last month, and also addressed a rally in support of party candidate Surjit Singh Rakhra. He attacked the Congress over Operation Blue Star, ignoring the state and for its anti-Sikh stand. I still recall when Jawaharlal Nehru became Prime Minister. He opposed the formation of the Punjabi suba, while Indira Gandhi attacked the Golden Temple, Badal said. On Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singhs statement of reinstating IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh after the elections and action against the Akalis, Badal said, The CMs stance is ample proof of vendetta politics against us. Earlier too he had got cases registered against me, my wife and son. I am not afraid as the Congress had kept me in jail for 15 years. I am again willing to go to any jail which the Chief Minister names, he said. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Badal said when Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, it became one of the top growing states in the country and when he became the Prime Minister, the entire world was talking about India. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 5 Chief Minister Capt 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. He alleged that the aim was to defame the Congress government in the state ahead of the elections. 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 4,00,000 bags 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 Centre in depriving the state of much-needed supply of gunny bags, Capt Amarinder said. It was aimed at messing up the procurement process at the behest of the SAD, its ally in Punjab, he added. On the other hand, the BJP government in Haryana was getting additional bags to handle excess production of wheat this year, he claimed, 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. 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, he added. harinder@tribunemail.com Parvesh Sharma Tribune News Service Sangrur, May 5 In a huge embarrassment for Sangrur Congress, cane farmers have been chasing party supporters away in various villages and raising slogans against the Punjab Government for allegedly not helping them get their dues of Rs 74.46 crore from a private sugar mill of Dhuri. Meanwhile, Congress leaders have informed Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh about the issue. Since our repeated meetings with the Sangrur administration have failed to get our dues released, we have started protests against Congress government in Sangrur from today. We will oppose Congress candidate Kewal Singh Dhillon across the constituency, said Sarbjit Singh Alal, president of Lok Sangharsh Committee. Cane farmers first protested on the Sangrur-Barnala road near Bahadurpur village for around an hour. Later, they reached Ubhawal village, where a Congress function was going on. The farmers started raising slogans, forcing the party leaders to leave. They then chased them to Bahadurpur village and later raised slogans during a function in Duggan too. We have been left with no other option but to launch a protest against the Congress government. We are demanding our money and not seeking any debt waiver, said Harjeet Singh Bugra, president of cane growers committee. Harman Bajwa, secretary of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, said their dues were to be paid by a private mill and government had no role in it. The administration is ready to get a case registered against the mill owner but farmers are unwilling to do so. Now, they are playing into the hands of our political opponents. We have informed the CM, Bajwa said. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 5 Barring exceptions, nearly all 278 candidates in the fray for the Lok Sabha polls in Punjab have not filed the required affidavits, including those related to their criminal antecedents, which has been made mandatory following the directions of the Supreme Court. Candidates are now required to provide relevant information in form 26, along with the nomination papers, to make the public more informed before casting their ballot. The amendment was aimed at getting information on assets, liabilities, educational qualifications, criminal antecedents (convictions and all pending cases) and public dues, if any, of all candidates. Talking to The Tribune, Chief Electoral officer (CEO) S Karuna Raju said, It is now mandatory for every candidate to provide complete information regarding their criminal cases through print as well as electronic media. We have reminded them about the stipulated requirement between April 22 and May 17. Candidates and political parties are required to get the declaration published in newspapers in a particular region thrice and the same telecast four times in electronic media. Candidates who furnish wrong information stand to face criminal proceedings under Section 123 (4) of the Representation of the People Act. The candidates and political parties are required to furnish the requisite information in forms C-4 and C-5 to the District Election Officers. Candidates who fail to fill the forms may face a case for contempt of court. amansharma@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 6 Acting on a petition demanding action against SAD president and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday disposed of the petition by asking the Election Commission to take a decision on this matter in three days. The direction by the Bench of Justice Daya Chaudhary and Justice Sudhir Mittal came on a petition filed by Balwant Singh Khera against the Election Commission of India and other respondents. The petitioner alleged that Sukhbir urged the voters to cast vote after mentioning the Panth. The petitioner told the Court that he had complained to the Election Commission on April 26, but it had so far not taken a decision on his complaint. He, as such, demanded initiation of action against Sukhbir. In a related matter, the Bench of Justice Daya Chaudhary and Justice Sudhir Mittal disposed of another petition filed against AAP candidate for Bathinda parliamentary constituency Baljinder Kaur with a direction to the deputy commissioner concerned to look within three days into allegations against her. The direction came on a petition filed by Harmilap Singh Grewal against the District Election Officer-cum-Bathinda Deputy Commissioner and another respondent. He had alleged that she had mentioned her biological fathers name in the vote, instead of her father by adoption. Grewal has all along been saying that as per Hindu Adoption Act, once a person was adopted by anyone, he or she could not go back to their biological father without following a lengthy legal process. editorial@tribune.com Amritsar, May 5 The Akal Takht has taken note of the alleged discrimination meted out to Sikh youth hailing from hilly areas at the time of recruitment in the Army. It has sought intervention of the SGPC into the matter. Akal Takhts acting Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said turbaned Sikhs living in the foothills of Hoshiarpur, Mukerian, Tanda and Ropar had been subjected to discrimination in terms of relaxation in height criteria during recruitment in the defence services. We have received complaints that Sikhs who support turbans have not been given a special certificate of height relaxation by the authorities. Also, the certificate used to be issued under the name of Dogra certificate, which has now been changed to Hindu Dogra certificate. This is also objectionable. This discrimination needs urgent attention and the SGPC has been directed to carry out a probe and take action, he said. Meanwhile, Haryana Jannayak Janata Partys state president and former MLA Nishan Singh appeared before the Akal Takht to seek an apology. He had equated the Dera Sirsa cult with Guru Gobind Singh in a video clip that went viral recently. Since he has submitted a written apology, he has been directed to hold Akhand Path for atonement. TNS gspannu7@gmail.com Tribune News Service Khatkar Kalan, May 6 The farmers of Punjab will be allowed to sow paddy a week earlier from the scheduled date of June 20, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced on Monday. The farmers will be allowed to sow paddy from June 13, the chief minister announced at a rally here in support of Congress candidate from Sri Anandpur Sahib. Capt Amarinder also announced that the Electricity Board will pay compensation to those farmers whose crop had been damaged due to electrical sparking from the main lines during the recent unseasonal rains. Pointing out that a special girdawari was already under way to assess crop damage due to the rains, the chief minister said losses due to fires caused by any other reasons will be compensated from his own relief fund. We will compensate each and every farmer, he promised. Kick-starting his campaign for the Lok Sabha elections in the state from this land of martyrs, Capt Amarinder reiterated that his government would build a memorial for all Punjabis who had laid down their lives during the independence struggle, many of whom still remained unknown. On the issues of farmers, the chief minister made it clear that his government would not allow any value cut on MSP by the Central Government. He had already written to the prime minister on this issue and would pursue it personally, he said. Even as he came down heavily on the Centre for failing to support the state governments farm debt waiver scheme, the chief minister lashed out at the Modi government for diverting 4 lakh gunny bags (16,000 bales) to Haryana to create problems for Punjab, which was expecting a bumper wheat crop this season. They should be ashamed of themselves for penalising the poor farmers for their political ends, he declared. Capt Amarinder once again lambasted Narendra Modi for trying to take personal credit for the Balakot air strikes, saying the prime minister had not done anything. Was he there in 1965, 1975 or Kargil,? asked the chief minister, pointing out that it was Indira Gandhi who did tukdas of Pakistan by breaking it into two pieces in 1971 and gave full credit to the Indian Army and Field Marshal Manekshaw. Indira had attributed the victory to the valour of the Army, which is what Modi should have done now, he added. Surgical strikes, he said, was just a new jargon (a jumla like others the BJP had come out with) for the cross-border raids which had been happening since the last 70 years. Modi was simply trying to usurp the courageous acts of the defence services of the country, said the chief minister, adding that it was Indias Army and nobodys personal possession. Flaying the Akalis over the spate of sacrilege cases in the state during their rule, Capt Amarinder vowed, amid slogans of Jo Bole So Nihal, that he would not spare anyone found guilty of such shameful acts. They will have to pay for their misdeeds, he warned. The chief minister lashed out at the Akalis for their total failure on all fronts, noting that his government filled up 40,000 vacancies that the previous government had failed to fill. In two years, as many as 8.25 lakh jobs had been given, averaging more than 1000 jobs a day, he announced, explaining that it was not possible to give government jobs to everyone and, hence, many youngsters were being facilitated in getting employment in private sector. Asserting that his government still had three more years to go, Capt Amarinder said every single promise made by him and his party would be fulfilled, and Punjab would once again be back in the top league of Indias states. sanjiv@tribunemail.com MR. Sidney Webb in his minute to the report of the Select Committee on National Expenditure in England writes:The efficiency of the Civil Service can be affected only by bringing authoritatively to bear on each office the criticism and suggestions emanating from some source superior to itself in expertise, in knowledge of official technique, and in acquaintance with what is being achieved elsewere. The remedy is a permanent Board of Efficiency and Economy which would have an expert staff. Up to the latest dodge is efficiency records methods of comparison of results, and the application of the principles of Scientific Management to office and factories. On this an Anglo-Indian contemporary says this principle needs enforcing in India even more than in England. It says: The whole administration machinery wants to be speeded up. And if Government knows no better way of effecting the reform, which sooner or later will have to be made, it must consider the possibility of applying here the remedy which Mr. Webb has proposed for England. sanjiv@tribunemail.com The Leader writes:We strongly support the hon. Mr. Shafis earnest, friendly appeal to Mr. Gandhi to abandon the Satyagraha movement. The Committee of the All-India Moderate Conference arrived at the same conclusion as Mr. Shafi at their meeting held in Calcutta on 27th April. No one of us yields to any other in his respect for Mr. Gandhi, but this is now answer to the formidable objections there are to a renewal of campaign after all that has happened during the month. To revive it will indeed be a disastrous blunder, and we do hope and trust Mr. Gandhi will not think of it. amansharma@tribunemail.com Washington, May 6 US President Donald Trump once again became the butt of Twitter jokes when he misspelled the word stolen as stollen, days after committing a major faux pas by tweeting that 138 million people were killed in a series of blasts in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. Trump has said on Twitter that Special Counsel Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress. The US president has previously said he would not block Mueller from testifying and leave the final decision to Attorney General William Barr. The 448-page Mueller Report found no evidence of collusion between Russia and Trumps 2016 election campaign. His testimony, however, may give Congress access to new information otherwise hidden by redactions. Despite the tremendous success that I have had as President, including perhaps the greatest ECONOMY and most successful first two years of any President in history, they have stollen two years of my (our) Presidency (Collusion Delusion) that we will never be able to get back....., Trump added in a later tweet. Trump later corrected his spelling, saying that two years of his presidency had been stolen. According to Cambridge dictionary, stollen a German cake containing dried fruit and marzipan, usually eaten at Christmas. On April 21, President Trump offered heartfelt condolences to the people of Sri Lanka after the countrys worst terror attack killed over 250 people. The US leader, however, erroneously wrote that 138 million people were killed in the attacks. Heartfelt condolences from the people of the United States to the people of Sri Lanka on the horrible terrorist attacks on churches and hotels that have killed at least 138 million people and badly injured 600 more. We stand ready to help! Trump said in a tweet which was taken down after more than 20 minutes. Trumps remarks did not go unnoticed as the agile twitterati started poking fun at the appalling tweet. Sri Lanka has a total population of around 21.7 million. PTI Financial Services Commission Vice Chairman Kim Yong-beom, right, speaks at a taskforce meeting on regulatory reform and innovation at the Government Complex in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap By Park Hyong-ki The Financial Services Commission (FSC) will shift toward a "negative regulatory system" this year in order to create an ecosystem where fintech startups are freer to try innovative ideas. To that end, the country's financial regulator plans to come up with comprehensive reform measures to spur innovation in finance through technology by June. In a taskforce meeting with industry executives, Friday, FSC Vice Chairman Kim Yong-beom said the regulator will relax and abolish about 1,000 rules and administrative guidelines governing the financial sector. The comprehensive regulatory reforms, enabling financial companies to invest directly in fintech startups and big data companies, are included in this initiative, he added. "These are part of our efforts to adopt a negative regulatory system beginning in the second half, and let private companies self-govern and lead in innovation," the vice chairman said. Under a negative system, companies will face fewer preconditions and regulations when it comes to investing in and launching new fintech services. But they will face stronger penalties if they cheat their customers and abuse the system. In contrast, a positive system works in an opposite manner: All new businesses and services must first comply with a long list of regulations before their introduction. For instance, under a positive system with laws governing financial and nonfinancial companies, financial companies such as banks had been forbidden from acquiring or investing directly in assets beyond their sector. This meant they could not invest in tech companies, except indirectly through a fund or a startup program. Given fintech startups had been considered more as nonfinancial companies rather than conventional financial companies, it has been difficult for banks to acquire them. Analysts say the country is making "positive incremental steps" toward overhauling the positive regulatory environment into a negative one. The FSC is moving to give more authority to financial companies in investing in fintech assets and launching new services through a collaborative ecosystem as part of these efforts, they said. "Revisions to boost internet banking and the introduction of a regulatory sandbox to encourage new digital services are one step toward the negative system," said Oh Se-kyung, a researcher at the Korea Finance Institute. This change will require companies to strengthen their internal risk management amid the "unbundling" of services and freer flow of data, Oh added. Unbundling refers to companies offering services separately that had been "bundled" or tied together previously. Banks, for example, used to be the only kind of company that provided deposit, loan and money transfer services altogether as a single package. But digital technology has enabled the emergence of new companies and applications to provide them separately in accordance with customers' needs. There are now peer-to-peer loan, overseas wire transfer, QR code payment and automated asset management apps. "We will ensure the people will start to feel the changes in the regulatory system," FSC Vice Chairman Kim said. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Gaza/Jerusalem, May 5 Rockets from Gaza killed three persons in an Israeli city while five Palestinian militants died on Sunday in surging cross-border fighting that included a return by Israel to singling out enemy commanders for attack. 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 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, 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. 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. A UN envoy said it was working with Egypt to try to end the fighting. Israeli bombings in Gaza destroyed two 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. Some 2 million Palestinians live in Gaza, whose economy has suffered years of Israeli and Egyptian blockades as well as recent foreign aid cuts and sanctions by the Palestinian Authority, Hamass West Bank-based rival. Unemployment in Gaza stands at 52 per cent, as per 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, two years after Israel withdrew its settlers and troops from the area. Reuters Netanyahu orders major offensive This morning I instructed the Israel defence forces to continue with massive strikes against terrorists in Gaza and I also instructed that forces around Gaza be stepped up with tank, artillery and infantry forces. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli PM 450 rockets fired from Gaza, many intercepted by Israels anti-missile system 220 targets some belonging to Gaza militant groups, attacked in response by Israeli military US backs right to self-defence The US said it stood with Israel and fully supported its right to self-defence against these abhorrent attacks. We call on those responsible for the violence to cease this aggression immediately. The US strongly condemns the ongoing barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas and Palestinian jihadists from Gaza upon innocent civilians across Israel, said Morgan Ortagus, State Department spokeswoman. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Washington, May 6 The US is deploying an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force in the Middle East to send a clear and unmistakable message to Iran that any attack on American interests or its allies will be met with unrelenting force, National Security Adviser John Bolton has warned. Bolton said on Sunday the decision to deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region in the Middle East was in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings from Iran. The deployment of the strike group and bomber task force comes after US President Donald Trump last month refused to give waivers to countries like India from buying oil from Iran, in an attempt to reduce Irans oil exports to zero. After coming to power, Trump withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal last year and has imposed stringent sanctions against what he describes as the authoritarian Iranian regime. In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force, Bolton said. The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces, he said in a statement. The US is seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran to counter what the White House perceives to be a potential threat. Last month, the US designated Irans Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organisation, the first time the designation has been applied to a government entity. The designation categorises Irans military alongside groups like ISIS, al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas. Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who controls the elite military force, called the designation a vicious move and a mistake. The Trump administration insists that it is not seeking to topple Irans Islamist regime, but that it only seeks to push the government to stop supporting proxy militias and terrorist groups and otherwise change its behaviour. Some of the administrations critics, however, fear that its actions and rhetoric could provoke the Iranians in a manner that may lead to a military confrontation. Boltons remarks also came as new violence erupts between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. The group Islamic Jihad, which has a foothold in Gaza, is seen as an Iranian proxy. Trump recently tweeted about the violent situation in southern Israel and Gaza. We support Israel 100 per cent in its defense of its citizens, Trump said. 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! he said. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Washington, May 6 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed on 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 Venezuelas 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 televisions This Week. Im going to meet with Foreign Minister Lavrov in recent days. Its very clear, we want the Russians out, we want the Iranians out, we want the Cubans out. Its very clear. Trump undercut Pompeos position on Friday, telling reporters that Putin had assured him he is not looking to get involved in Venezuela other than hed like to see something positive happen for Venezuela. And I feel the same way, Trump added. Asked about those comments, Pompeo said: I didnt 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 the anti-Maduro military uprising. Guaido, who is recognised by more than 50 countries including the US as Venezuelas 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 prosecutors 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 cant feel good. Hes ruling for the moment but he cant govern, he said. This is someone who cannot be part of Venezuelas 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. AFP ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Houston: 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, founded in 1927, renamed its Engineering Research Building after Durga D Agrawal and Sushila, long-time Houstonians. The USD 51-million building, which opened in 2017, had earlier named a floor after the couple. PTI Germany mulls fines to boost measles vaccination Berlin: Germanys health minister is proposing fines for parents of school-age children who havent been vaccinated for measles. Minister Jens Spahn said parents who cant prove their children have been vaccinated for the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease should have to pay up to 2,500 euros (USD 2,790). 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. AP Backlash, Brunei wont enforce gay sex death penalty Bandar Seri Begawan: Bruneis Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on Sunday extended a moratorium on death penalty to incoming legislation prohibiting gay sex, seeking to temper a global backlash led by celebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John. The small Southeast Asian country sparked an outcry when it rolled out its interpretation of Islamic laws on April 3, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with death, including by stoning. reuters 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. By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS Attempting to revive political links with Russia, endeavoring to break the "Big Brother" syndrome with China, and seeking diplomatic standing after its failed summit with the U.S., North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un met with Vladimir Putin on April 26. The meeting in the gritty Far Eastern port of Vladivostok was Pyongyang's attempt to re-establish formerly close ties with Moscow and to counterbalance Beijing's powerful grip on North Korean policy. Historically Imperial Russia, then the former Soviet Union, and now Putin's revived Russia maintained close ties with and clearly wider policy aspirations toward Korea. During the 19th century, Russian influence grew in the northern part of the peninsula and calibrated its East Asian policies to counterbalance a rising Japan as well as China.Yet it was Japan that would control Korea for a generation. But the end of World War II saw the Korean map arbitrarily redrawn as a divided nation. Following Japan's surrender, the Soviet army occupied what is now North Korea while a full month later American forces under General John Hodge's XXIV Corps moved into the South. Korea was thus occupied by the Russians and the U.S. until two separate states were established in 1948. Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of the current ruler Kim Jong-un, was after all, selected by Stalin to lead what became the quaintly titled "Democratic People's Republic of Korea," or DPRK. In the period after the 1950-53 Korean War, both the Soviet Union and People's China vied for the allegiance of the North Korean state. Correspondingly, Kim Il-sung played both communist giants off against each other to gain support for the fledgling DPRK. By the 1980s North Korea was much closer to the Soviets than it was to Deng Xiaoping's reformist China. Thus the revived Russian links are logical politically and ideologically as much as a natural move by Kim to curry favor with a neighboring country. Soviet weapons and aid poured into the DPRK until the collapse of the USSR. China's historic "big brother" attitude toward Korea and Beijing's powerful business status in both North and South Korea has largely checkmated any direct Russian role. Nonetheless, both China and Russia as veto holding members of the U.N. Security Council hold decisive cards over the divided peninsula, especially as geopolitical arbiters. North Korea's nuclear proliferation has turned the former "hermit kingdom" into a rogue nation on the global stage. While China has cautiously maintained "comradely" ties with the DPRK and still serves as a conduit for 93 percent of its trade, Xi Jinping is nonetheless nervous about any clash between a bellicose Kim Jong-un and the U.S. Beijing knows that any regional conflict sparked by Kim would cause devastating collateral damage to China. Thus Big Brother in Beijing has didactically lectured Kim to negotiate with the U.S. to defuse the looming nuclear confrontation. Significantly the summits between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim in Singapore and Hanoi were the first steps to serious negotiations; they stopped the clock on North Korean nuclear testing and missile launches. With Kim feeling miffed by China and spurned by the U.S., enter Vladimir Putin to perhaps play the role of dealmaker or spoiler. Kim's armored train rolled into Vladivostok for his first ever meeting with his Russian counterpart. Indeed both leaders, facing ostracism and economic sanctions, looked to the summit as a diplomatic breakthrough. Kim Jong-un told Putin he hoped his trip would "further solidify relations between the two countries with a long history and tradition of friendship." Clearly Putin's Russia holds a certain ideological provenance for North Korea. Currently Russian trade and aid to North Korea are minimal given tough U.N. sanctions; it's highly unlikely that Moscow is able to legally expand commercial ties. Nonetheless North Korea's suffocating economic sanctions could be loosened through Moscow's lobbying. Vladimir Putin told Kim, "We welcome your efforts to develop an inter-Korean dialogue and normalize North Korea's relations with the United States." Undeniably the Russian leader was posturing to be viewed as a serious player in East Asian policy. Putin added that the DPRK's nuclear disarmament needs international guarantees and cited a multilateral diplomatic process. Still the Vladivostok summit reflected style over substance; high-profile bear hugs and bonhomie but little serious breakthroughs. Though the Russians favor reviving the moribund six-party talks in which the two Korean states, China, Russia, the U.S. and Japan would negotiate a disarmament deal with the DPRK, there's likely more momentum now for a comprehensive South Korean/U.S. settlement with the North. That's of course presuming Pyongyang accepts serious overtures. John J. Metzler (jjmcolumn@earthlink.net) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism: The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China." For unto us a child is born, unto us, a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. It is Christmas Day and I am certain many families are coming together in whatever way that is possible, even with the pandemic. I trust whatever you are doing, to the best of your ability keep in mind we are still in a pandemic. Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, devotion and worship for individuals abiding by the Muslim faith. There is a good chance you have encountered, in previous years, a friend, co-worker, or neighbour that diligently observed the period's traditions, doing all sorts of activities. But what is the significance of the meaningful and reflective Muslim holy month? Why do people fast during this period? A boy praying during the holy month of Ramadan. Photo: @Abdullah Ghatasheh Source: UGC The holy month, which Muslims anticipate every year globally, is a great moment to respect Islam's five pillars. These are Salah (prayer), Shahada (profession of faith), Zakat (charity), Hajj (pilgrimage) and Sawn (fasting). So, prepare yourself for the holiest period of Ramadan by knowing the history, rules and regulation of the month. History of Ramadan Muslims believe that the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan month when he was visited by the archangel Gabriel. The name stems from the Arabic root ar-ramad, which means scorching heat. The month of Ramadan is considered the Best of times among Muslims. The first revelation occurs on Laylat al- Qadr (The night of power), which is among the odd five nights among the last 10 days of Ramadan. The Islam hadith states that Holy Scripture was sent during Ramadan. These include the Torah's tablets, The Ibrahim, The Psalms, The Quran and The Gospel. The dates are as follows: The Ibrahim sent on the 1st day of Ramadan. The Torah sent on the 6th day of Ramadan. The Psalms sent on the 12th day of Ramadan. The Gospel sent on the 13th day of Ramadan. The Quran sent on the 24th day of Ramadan. According to Muslim historical text, Ramadan started during 610 AD when angel Gabriel appeared to Prophet Muhammad and revealed the Quran, the Islamic holy book. At that time, Prophet Muhammad was forty years old only and had a habit of spending time alone or in isolation in a cave at Al-Hira mountain. Muslims commemorate that day by fasting and observing other rituals that abide by the Muslim faith. According to the Muslim religion, the month of Ramadan is the holiest in the Islamic calendar. The primary and the main motive of Ramadan is to allow a person to experience one-time spiritual and physical nourishment, self-reflection and also to have self-discipline again. The period of Ramadan incorporates Eid al-Fitr and Layat al Qadr. Before Ramadan ends, Muslims pay respect to the Laylat al-Qadr by holding prayers all night on the odd days of the last 10 days. Muslims believe that at that night, all sins are forgiven as the almighty Allah showers his blessing and shows mercy. After the Ramadan month ends, Eid- al- Fitr immediately starts, which means the fasting period. Muslim people gather together with their friends, families and relatives and eat and donate food to needy people. Ramadan facts Photo: @SHAHBAZ AKRAM Source: UGC Muslims consider Ramadan as the perfect moment of getting close to Allah. The holy month mainly lasts for twenty-nine to thirty days, according to the crescent moon's visibility. Fasting during the Ramadan month is considered a character-building time for Muslim people. During this period, believers who follow the tradition can gain personal values like patience, self-control, self-discipline, purification of the soul, obedience towards God, and much more. On top of this, Muslims become more aware and explore all the elements of Islam religion. This is very important for the wealthy people who become conscious of the underprivileged plight and learn to appreciate them more. How long is Ramadan? There is no fixed period for observing Ramadan rituals. However, it ordinarily falls within a specific time every year, just like Easter for Christians. It may take 29 days, 30 days or maybe 31 if the circumstances determining its end dictate so. It entirely depends upon the visibility of the crescent moon. When are Muslims celebrating Ramadan in 2021? When does Ramadan start in 2021, and when is the most probable time for the holy month's conclusion? The potential time for the beginning of Ramadan in 2021 is on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, and ends on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. Therefore, if you are looking to begin your Ramadan fasting, better start preparing early for the holy month and arrange your affairs appropriately to stay fit and healthy. Ramadan rules and regulations A boy reading the Quran during Ramadan. Photo: @Mukhtar Shuaib Mukhtar Source: UGC Though the fasting period's commencement and conclusion vary every year, the rules and regulations remain the same. One ought to familiarize with Ramadan rules and regulations for sawn (fasting) and anything else associated with the holy month. The following are some of the most integral Ramadan rules: Eating guidelines: One cannot eat between sunrise and sunset, and it is only after this time that they can consume whatever food they desire. Water consumption: This one of the strictest rules during the holy month. Since you cannot eat anything during the fasting period, you cannot drink. Sexual intercourse during Ramadan: Between the fasting period (sunrise to sunset), one cannot engage in any sexual activity, which also includes having sexual thoughts in mind. You will break your fast if your sexual thoughts lead to the secretion of semen. Taking medicine: If one is under medication, they can take medicines according to their timetable that would not void the fasting rules. Who cannot fast? The ill or women who are in the menstruation period or who are breastfeeding or have other serious health issues should not fast, and they should not tempt another person who is fasting. Working during the Ramadan period: You can work during Ramadan if you do your fasting properly and pray as recommended. Dressing: Try not to wear any tight or revealing clothes. One should dress conservatively and modestly. Behaviour and thoughts: In the holy month of Ramadan, one should have only pure thoughts and should show appropriate behaviour. People should have control over their thoughts and avoid backbiting and fighting. State of Janaabah/Junub: This is an impurity state due to unlawful or lawful sexual act, semen secretion and pleasing oneself. Though Junub is an offensive behaviour during Ramadan, if one purifies themselves, they can continue fasting. What can non-Muslims do? Anyone can join in the Iftar and Suhar because it is open for all. It is the only time for sharing good thoughts and praying together to the Almighty Allah without isolation. The Ramadan religion significance is perfectly reflected in the above rules that everyone observing the month ought to abide by. What does Kaffarah mean? Are you wondering what Kaffarah means? This is a penalty or penance instituted as a remedy for intentional violation of fasting during Ramadan. People that intentionally go against the sawn rules have to face severe consequences for their adverse action. In this case, they ought to fast for sixty days or provide two meals to the needy and underprivileged people. Ramadan wishes A lady eating after breaking fast during the holy mont h of Ramadan. Photo: @RODNAE Productions Source: UGC Ramadan is the holiest period in the Islamic calendar and has two most commonly used greetings. These are Ramadan Kareem and Ramadan Mubarak. Ramadan Kareem This Ramadan greeting means generous Ramadan. There have emerged some conflict regarding the use of Ramadan Kareem as a greeting during the holy month. Some say that it is against Islam to say Ramadan to be generous with you as Ramadan cannot be generous. However, some believers say that it is okay to use the phrase to show that Allah is showering blessings. It is upon you to use the famous greeting or not based on what you want to put across. Ramadan Mubarak This greeting means happy Ramadan or blessed Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak is the most common greeting as Prophet Muhammad himself used it. Dua for Ramadan Dua is the essence of worship in the Muslim faith and an act of supplication. What is the ideal Duas for the holy month of Ramadan? You can choose the most preferred for the different Ashras (stages) that last ten days. For instance, you can have the following for sighting the crescent moon: Allahuakbar! Allahumma, ahillahu alaina bil-amni wal-imani was-salamati wal-Islami wat-taufiqi lima tuhibbu wa tardu. Rabbuna wa rabbukallah. The above translates to: Allah is the greatest! O Allah, let the crescent moon loom above us in safety, faith, peace and Islam and bless us with the ability to succeed in all that you love and are pleased with. Our Lord and your Lord is Allah. Ramadan timetable Ramadan dates vary each year as Muslims follow the lunar calendar for Ramadan rituals. A lunar calendar has 29.3 days in a month, whereas the solar calendar has 30 or 31 days every month, except for February. This way, Ramadan always occurs 11 days earlier compared to the previous year. During Ramadan, countries situated in the northern hemisphere experience scorching sun and long days, while those in the southern hemisphere experience shorter days and less heat. The first day of Ramadan and the ending date do not remain the same for every country as the new moon varies. Also, the Kenyan Ramadan timetable for diverse regions is different. For example, if Suhur time for Nairobi is 5.30 am, maybe Mombasa suhur time could be 5.15 am. Therefore, familiarize yourself with the appropriate timetable for your region to be on time with Ramadan decorations during the breaking of the fast times. Ramadan is one of the most significant moments for Muslims whereby people experience a renewed sense of spirituality. However, the spirituality elements don't end when Ramadan is over, but it carries into the rest of the year. Are you wondering what you can and cannot eat during the holy month of Ramadan? Tuko.co.ke featured an interesting piece highlighting the rules of eating during Ramadan and how one can adjust. One of the most important things to note during this period is that people eat different foods before and after fasting. This way, one is well-nourished during the fasting period. Source: TUKO.co.ke - In 2017, Boeing said the AOA Disagree alert that was missing in the fleet had no capacity to cause a crash - It had also said the missing alert system was optional and airlines could acquire them at will - Following the Lion Air and Ethiopian crashes, Boeing said the MAX fleet will be fitted with the AOA Disagree alert before the planes are cleared to operate Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has admitted that it knew its fleet of MAX 737 was faulty before the Lion Air crash that ended lives of 189 people in October 2018. In a statement, the manufacturer said it had identified that the 737 MAX display system software did not correctly meet the (Angel of Attack) AOA Disagree alert requirements. READ ALSO: Rais Museveni atoa mchango wa KSh 8 milioni kwa kanisa lilotabiri kuanguka kwa chama chake Boeing has admitted that it knew its fleet of Max 737 were faulty before the Lion Air crash. Photo: Boeing Source: Twitter READ ALSO: Section of Jubilee MPs push for ruling party's merger with ODM ahead of 2022 The Disagree alert system informs pilots if stall sensors are relaying inaccurate or contradicting AOA information to flight computers. "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," Boeing said on Sunday, May 5. READ ALSO: Education CS George Magoha suspends setting up of new public Universities According to Boeing, pilots could only know if the the sensors were malfunctioning if their airlines acquired AOA indicator. It, however, ruled that absence of AOA indicator didn't pose any safety threats and it was an option system update. "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 Boeings standard process that the issue did not adversely impact airplane safety or operation," the statement further read. After the Sunday, March 10, Ethiopian crash that killed 157, the manufacturer grounded all the MAX 737 fleet word wide. Pilots in the ill fated plane also reported difficulty in controlling the aircraft just like those who were at the helm of the ill fated Lion Air. Pilots in the ill fated Ethiopian plane also reported difficulty in controlling the aircraft just like those who were at the helm of Lion Air. Photo: UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: Rais Museveni atoa mchango wa KSh 8 milioni kwa kanisa lilotabiri kuanguka kwa chama chake The planes kept flying in a nose down position until they lost control and crashed. Due to the developments, Boeing has said it will be issuing a display system software update on MAX planes before they are reinstated. New planes will also be fitted with the system before they are sold to airlines. "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," the statement said. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. The girl with a hole in her heart. Source: TUKO.co.ke Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) Authorities are not yet looking into allegations made by "Bikoy," the anonymous man in a series of online videos linking the President's family members to a supposed drug syndicate. Justice Undersecretary and Spokesperson Markk Perete said that while the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is currently going after the unidentified man and has captured Rodel Jayme, who is said to have shared the "Ang Totoong Narcolist" videos on his website, they are "not yet" investigating the truth behind these accusations. Perete said this was because the context of the expose was questionable. "'Bikoy' used anonymity. If he is not credible, any investigation and prosecution would have to deal with credibility. If the person is not credible and if the person does not even want to surface, how do you conduct a thorough investigation? Would it not be a waste of government resources?," Perete told CNN Philippines' The Source. Asked if the Department of Justice will go after the personalities tagged by "Bikoy," Perete said: "If the evidence would suggest that it is worth pursuing, then it has to be pursued." "Given the initial phase of the investigation, it's too early to tell," he added. READ: PNP to probe 'Bikoy' videos tagging Bong Go, Paolo Duterte in illegal drug trade Through the video series, "Bikoy" tagged President Rodrigo Duterte's common-law wife Honeylet Avancena and their 13-year-old daughter Veronica "Kitty" Duterte, his son Paolo Duterte, son-in-law Manases Carpio, and presidential aide and senatorial bet Christopher "Bong" Go to a supposedly massive illegal drug trade. Meanwhile, NBI operatives arrested Jayme last week, who is said to have posted the uploaded YouTube videos on his website MetroBalita.com. He then said that he was ready to tell all and turn state witness, with the claim that he received payment to put up the website. "Bikoy" claimed the President's kin received payoffs from a drug personality. The videos also tagged other personalities into the alleged drug links, including businessmen and politicians. Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra should look into the allegations of "Bikoy" and disprove the hooded man's allegations before going after him. "The Secretary during his press statement said that this is just an initial investigation and wherever evidence leads, then we'll verify and we will prosecute," Perete added. "That doesnt discount the possibility that those possible individuals who if there is any truth to the allegations, may face prosecution as well." For now, Jayme is facing an inciting to sedition complaint. Perete said a three-member panel will determine if there's probable cause to pursue the case. Authorities should work to address 'ghost children' problem People celebrated the 95th Children's Day on Sunday, commemorating it as a national holiday. Most children must have enjoyed the special day for them; but we cannot say that every child has the same level of happiness. The day left something to think about sincerely, namely their rights. Accidents that harm children still take place one after another. Cases of child abuse and violence against the children by parents or teachers at nurseries frequently make headlines. Recently, a 12-year-old middle school girl was killed by her stepfather with the connivance of her biological mother. Many children from poor families are suffering from poverty and malnutrition. The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child signed in 1989 requires that the ratifying states must act in the best interests of the child. It makes clear that every child has basic rights, including the right to life, to their own name and identity, to be raised by their parents within a family or cultural grouping, and to have a relationship with both parents, even if they are separated. First of all, the rights of children stem from legal protections. Once a child is born, he or she must be registered publicly to benefit from programs for livelihood, education and medical care. The solidarity of nonprofit organizations finds about 300 babies to be "ghost children" every year. Since their parents do not register their births, they cannot fully enjoy legal protection. They have no chance to enter school and can become victims of human trafficking. The National Assembly ratified the U.N. convention in 1991. As a ratifying state, the government and the Assembly have to rewrite laws related to birth registration, so that any new births are registered automatically. In particular, the government needs to provide the children of international refugees born here with humanitarian aid according to the U.N. convention. Customers who had waited more than four months for a grocery store in the Crystal City Shopping Center celebrated Monday. Save More Food Market opened its doors at 8 a.m. at 4229 Southwest Blvd. A Save-A-Lot grocery store that had operated at the same location closed in late December. Investment group Honor Capital had run the store for about three years. Im sorry it took so long, but Im glad were finally here, new owner Scott Campbell told a patron. The 14,500-square-foot market will employ about 30 full- and part-time workers and feature fresh produce and an on-site butcher. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Campbell, who got his start in the industry as a 16-year-old bagger for Safeway, owns another store on the other side of town. Part of it is the need for the area, he said of his impetus for investing. I like being able to provide the low price for budget-conscious customers. I like that concept. A retired librarian, Suzy Prather said Monday she had been doing much of her shopping at an ALDI in Sand Springs. Limestone Technology Academy teacher Whitney Sanders was among 27 Oklahoma teachers selected for a summer fellowship by Fund For Teachers. Sanders will enroll in The child first: Montessori, Reggio Emilia System and contemporary approaches to preschool education seminar in Florence, Italy, then observe play-based learning approaches employed by schools in Italy, Greece and Spain. Visiting Greece and Spain has been on my bucket list for years so Im excited to visit those countries. Theres a specific school in Greece that follows the Reggio Emilia approach to learning that Im especially excited to visit, Sanders said. Teachers in America are constantly under pressure to make learning more rigorous and to push children into meeting developmentally inappropriate standards. I am hoping to observe and learn how these schools in Greece and Spain encourage growth in their students while still allowing them to be kids. The city of Tulsa will hold its third town hall meeting Tuesday on the proposed $597 million Improve Our Tulsa renewal package. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Jewish Federation of Tulsa Sylvan Auditorium, 2021 E. 71st St. The six-year Improve Our Tulsa II package would be funded with $427 million in bonds, financed with property taxes and $170 million in sales tax. The proposal does not call for tax increases. It builds on the $883 million Improve Our Tulsa package approved by voters in 2013. That program also focused on streets and other basic city infrastructure needs. Tulsa has vital, core components, which we all use and collectively fund: our neighborhood and major streets; the equipment thats used to spread salt or rush to calls for help; the facilities where kids play, employees work and treasured works of art are displayed, City Council Chairman Phil Lakin said in a news release issued by the city. Renewing Improve Our Tulsa is essential in maintaining these basic, yet critical, elements of our city, to improve our quality of life and allow Tulsa to continue to grow and thrive. I encourage folks to come to our public meetings and help us prioritize how we invest our funds to better our Tulsa. A Nowata County jailer has been arrested and fired after a female inmate reported a sexual assault in the jail, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation reported. Cody Lowen, 30, was booked into the Washington County jail on Friday on complaints of first-degree forcible sodomy and rape by instrumentation, according to the release. He reportedly had been fired as a jailer on April 29. Nowata County Sheriff Myrta Hallet requested the OSBIs assistance Thursday after the inmate reported that Lowen assaulted her, according to the release. The OSBI investigation is ongoing. Stetson Payne 918-732-8135 stetson.payne@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @stetson__payne Krystal Reyes, who has worked on equality and social justice issues in New York City for more than a decade, has been named the city of Tulsas new chief resilience officer. Reyes, 36, begins work Monday. She succeeds DeVon Douglass, who left the Mayors Office in February to take a position in Houston. With my background, Ive always worked on addressing equity for communities that have been historically under-resourced, Reyes said. And what is really exciting about this job is that racial equity and addressing disparities in health, economics, justice, it is something that is happening at a citywide level. Mayor G.T. Bynum said the chief resilience officer must be someone who is good at community engagement, project management and policy development, and that Reyes has proven herself up to that task in Americas largest city. I think it says a lot about the importance of the work that we are doing in this space in Tulsa (that it) is not just important in Tulsa, Bynum said. It has national importance, and that has allowed us to attract national-level talent to focus on this work in Tulsa. The dreariness which constitutes a major part of new buildings, he said during a 1964 interview with the Tulsa Tribune, is unequaled in history. Ironically, suburbia was just getting started. Oral Roberts University and Saint Francis Hospital sat basically on the edge of town, with only sporadic development farther south, judging from aerial photos in the archives at Tulsa Central Library. Bixby was still a mostly rural farming community. And Woodland Hills Mall didnt open until 1976, when it was still surrounded by plenty of open pastures. In building suburban Tulsa, developers cared mostly about cost analysis, ease of construction and return on investment, Jones complained. Property owners focused on the particular, he said, instead of the total, either not realizing or not understanding how each new piece of construction contributed to building a wider community. And the public seemed oblivious to the mediocrity of the newly built areas, either not caring about aesthetic principles or not understanding them, Jones said. He died last year at age 93. But what would Jones say about more recent suburban developments? Probably what he said back then. Turned out, said Metcalf, what they smelled were exploding shells. They just didnt know it then. Metcalf laughs heartily at these memories. Another one that cracks him up is the time he saw the cow up in a tree. Riding along in a truck, he couldnt believe what he was seeing and I grabbed the guy next to me and made him look. His companion confirmed it: There, cradled in the branches of a tree off the road, was a cow. The force of an exploding shell must have blown it up there, they decided. Mixed in among these memories are images Metcalf would like to forget. Worst thing I ever saw, he said, was a blown-up American tank with the bodies still inside. Metcalf counts himself fortunate that he didnt see more. Despite being part of five major campaigns Normandy, Rhineland, Northern France, Central Europe and Battle of the Bulge he was spared the sight of much of the wars violence, he said. Only once did the enemy get so close that his crew had to abandon its gun. As they were leaving, Metcalf, per official protocol, grabbed their guns sight. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Bill Knight Automotive An Owasso teen was among two people who were killed in a three-car crash in the Texas Panhandle early Monday. Jacob Frogge, 18, of Owasso died at the scene in Gray County, about 2 miles west of McLean, and Collin Lovelace, also 18 and of Owasso, was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Fungisai Banda, a 33-year-old woman from Bentonville, Arkansas, was also killed, and a 2-year-old boy in her car was taken to a hospital. His condition was stable. A tractor-trailer driver told Texas Highway Patrol troopers he was driving east on Interstate 40 when he saw a single headlight of a vehicle heading toward him in his lane about 1 a.m., the report states. The truck driver said he drove onto the shoulder to avoid hitting the car, driven by Lovelace and carrying Frogge, but the car behind him, which held Banda and the 2-year-old child, tried to pass him at the same time. The two cars struck head-on, and the car carrying Banda and the child was thrown into the trucks path. The truck struck the car on its drivers side, according to the report. In 2018, teachers across Oklahoma walked out of their classrooms to persuade lawmakers to pass legislation for better pay and quality resources for students. Teachers from West Virginia, Kentucky, Arizona and Colorado also felt they had no other choice but to protest. Many have tried to politicize the teacher actions and the education system as a whole. In fact, several incumbent Oklahoma politicians, who did not support a teacher raise were voted out of office. I think Oklahomans, and many from other states, have come to believe that education is not simply a conservative or liberal issue. In an interview with reporters, a local teacher said it best, Education is a human issue. It is a civil right for those who live in the United States. Issues associated with education must be looked at critically to better understand how to help students from all backgrounds learn subject matter and to succeed in their future endeavors and to help them become more well-informed citizens. Prosecution should change to serve people better The prosecution runs the risk of tarnishing its image, as it attempts to defy the government-initiated reform aimed at curtailing its unrestricted investigative authority. At the vanguard of the resistance is Prosecutor-General Moon Moo-il. He criticized reform bills that have been fast-tracked at the National Assembly, as they rearrange investigative rights between the prosecution and the police, and create a new agency to investigate corruption among high-ranking officials and their families. While on a business trip on May 1, Moon said in a statement released by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office that the bills run counter to the democratic principle of checks and balances. He even cut short his four-country trip and returned home Saturday to make clear his opposition to the bills. Moon's firm stance against investigative rights reform is somewhat understandable. Few prosecutors are in favor of such reform that will force the prosecution to hand over a considerable part of its authority to the police. But we have to ask a question: Do the reform bills really run afoul of democratic checks and balances? The answer is negative rather than positive. The prosecution has had little respect for valued principles as it serves as the handmaiden of political power. It has a bad track record of repressing opposition politicians, student and civic activists, union leaders, and dissidents under the dictatorships of the 1970s and 80s. The prosecution has not changed at all even though the country transitioned to democracy in the 1990s. It has continued to curry favor with the political elite. It has refused to give up its monopolized investigative power, and it has been engrossed in protecting its vested interests by forming a corrupt symbiotic relationship with political inner circles. For these reasons, it is hard to expect the prosecution to accept the reform package and change itself. If history is any guide, reforming the prosecution stands little chance of success due to strong resistance from recalcitrant prosecutors. This explains why President Moon Jae-in has pushed for prosecution reform since his May 2017 inauguration. At the core of this reform is depriving the prosecution of its right to oversee police investigations. If the bills get approval from the Assembly, the police will have greater autonomy in investigating most criminal cases. It is right for the police to have the power to initiate and close cases without being controlled by the prosecution. It is also necessary for the new investigative body to deal with corruption cases of high-ranking officials. Yet the prosecution can still monopolize its indictment power and the right to request arrest and search warrants for suspects. Of course, there are some concerns about the police having excessive power, abusing their authority, colluding with suspects and covering up cases, especially politically sensitive ones. But these worries can be addressed by improving their transparency and accountability. The country can no longer delay the reform of law enforcement agencies. The prosecution should accept the reform bills and try to serve the people better. And it must transform itself into a champion of the rule of law in a true sense. 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. Barcelona lead 3-0 after last week's first leg in Spain Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino out for the home team Liverpool 13 unbeaten at home in Champions League Barca have lost one in ten away in Champions League Spurs or Ajax await winners in Madrid final on 1 June PLAY FANTASY FOOTBALL UEFA.com reporters' views First leg: Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool Matthew Howarth, Liverpool: It would be doing Jurgen Klopp's side a major disservice to claim that their hopes of reaching the final rested on the recovery of Mohamed Salah, but the absence of both the Egyptian and Roberto Firmino through injury makes what was already a difficult task even more challenging. The Anfield crowd will be a key factor, though. If Barcelona fail to silence the home fans early on it could be an uncomfortable evening for the Liga champions. Graham Hunter, Barcelona: After last week's game, players trooped into the post-match interview area at the Camp Nou, Liverpool's a little bewildered but definitely not broken, Barcelona's proud but definitely not thinking the job was done. Ernesto Valverde's side are hard-working and pragmatic, so it's tough to see them not edging their way through this Anfield test, probably with four in midfield. Take it from me, they arrive in Liverpool very much believing that they will need to score and with their perpetual intention to win. Watch all Messi's goals against English clubs prior to this tie Possible line-ups Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Milner, Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Henderson; Mane, Origi Out: Firmino (groin), Keita (groin), Lallana (muscular), Salah (head) Doubtful: None Barcelona v Liverpool: previous #UCL meetings Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Roberto, Rakitic, Busquets, Vidal; Suarez, Messi Out: Dembele (hamstring), Rafinha (knee) Doubtful: none Key battle Sadio Mane v Marc-Andre ter Stegen: With Salah and Firmino absent, Mane's goalscoring and dynamism take on even more importance for Liverpool. The Senegal forward boasts 11 goals in his last 11 Anfield outings and, having witnessed him at close quarters last week, Ter Stegen knows what he's dealing with. The German produced a string of excellent saves at the start of the second period to preserve Barcelona's first-leg lead; how he stands up to the anticipated early barrage on Merseyside will go a long way to deciding the second leg. Where to watch Great second-leg comebacks Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here. Form guide Liverpool Last game: Newcastle United 2-3 Liverpool (Saturday) Form: WLWWWWWWWW Barcelona Last game: Celta Vigo 2-0 Barcelona (Saturday) Form: LWWWWWDWWD Philippe Coutinho in training at Anfield Getty Images Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool manager The situation with the 3-0 is obviously not the situation we want to have before the second leg. Two of the world's best strikers are not available for tomorrow and we have to score four goals to go through. It doesn't make life easier, but as long as we have 11 players on the pitch we will try. You have to be perfect to beat them. It's possible that this will be the last Champions League game of the campaign, so let's celebrate it. Ernesto Valverde , Barcelona coach If we think about last week's result it would be an error. We have to play it as if it was a final. It's going to be difficult because we know their fans will get behind them. They have fast players. Sometimes you are put in situations that are uncomfortable. We want to have the feeling that we're in control. They're going to attack us, there's no doubt about that. But we have to focus on ourselves. Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman will pay an official visit to Slovakia on Tuesday, April 16, the Government portal reports. "We are grateful for the ongoing cooperation and for the support. Currently we are on the front line in the fight for democracy. It is important for us to restore control over our borders. And our task is to do everything possible to use the key to return peace to Ukraine, Groysman stated in an interview with Slovak media on the eve of his visit. The prime minister stressed that the main topic of his talks with the Slovak government will be political dialogue, deepening of economic and border cooperation. iy Russia deliberately creates artificial conflicts on ethnic grounds in order to discredit Ukraine in the world. "Ethnic conflicts are not typical of Ukraine. However, in the 21st century we face the problem of creating artificial conflicts, and, unfortunately, this is an external intervention of the Russian Federation. This has become a tactic and one of the separate directions of the hybrid war that has been going on in Ukraine for more than five years," Deputy Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Viktor Kononenko said at the Kyiv Jewish Forum. According to Kononenko, the goal is understood: to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the world and to create artificial grounds for an open military invasion of Ukraine. As the deputy chief noted, the SBU has faced the creation of artificial conflicts with the aim of forming new autonomies since 2014. In particular, there was an attempt to create the so-called Bessarabian autonomy, artificial stirring of the Hungarian conflict, attempts to create a separate territory in Zakarpattia region, and so on. There were also issues related to anti-Semitism, in particular, a group of people was detected in Cherkasy region that had committed nine crimes, including two against Jews, on request of the Russian Federation. The group was arrested and they gave evidence that the conflict had been bankrolled. Another group committed an anti-Semitic crime in Sumy. The criminals gave testimonies, saying they were paid $1,600. "Russia is trying to present Ukraine as a country where fascism is reviving," Kononenko summed up. ol Secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksandr Turchynov has congratulated infantry soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on their professional holiday, Infantry Day, which is marked in Ukraine for the first time today, May 6. The greeting message has been posted on the NSDC official website. You [infantrymen] are the embodiment of the most powerful component of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on which the strength and confidence of every citizen of Ukraine in the guaranteed security of sovereignty, inviolability and freedom of expression of will are based, Turchynov wrote. He also stressed that the best qualities of human and military nature were clearly demonstrated in times of repelling Russia's aggression. The NSDC secretary paid tribute to all infantry soldiers who gave their lives for the peaceful future of Ukraine and also thanked the veterans who faithfully convey the gained experience to the young generation. A total of 2,973 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed during the Russian aggression against Ukraine in Donbas. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stated this while speaking to the servicemen of the Joint Forces on the occasion of Infantry Day during his working visit to Donetsk region, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "In total, we have lost 2,973 Ukrainian soldiers during the Russian aggression in Donbas," the head of state said. Poroshenko also stressed that Russia had not abandoned its aggressive intentions regarding Ukraine. ish By Mahmood Elahi By receiving North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vladivostok, Russian President Vladimir Putin might have joined South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the mediation to bring about eventual denuclearization of North Korea. Putin's move to get involved stems mainly from his interest to develop trade and infrastructure with South Korea via the North to diversify Russia's economic relations from its extreme dependence on China. In recent years, Russia has become seriously concerned about China's increasing dominance in its economy. Heavily dependent on lopsided exports of energy, mining and forest products to China, in exchange for Chinese manufactured goods, Russia now resembles a poor Third World country beside the industrial and financial powerhouse of China. Despite the growing strategic relations between the two neighbors, Russia's nervousness about a dominant China is evident. Russia is not only dependent on China, it is also extremely vulnerable to any economic slowdown there. Facing an almost parasitic dependence on China, Putin must have been looking for a new trading partner to diversify trade and investment. As a highly industrial nation, South Korea provides such an alternate source for Russia. Putin also realizes that the biggest obstacle to any expansion of Russia-South Korea relations remains the nuclear-armed North Korea. As long as North Korea remains a threat to South Korea, Putin's dream of establishing a trading corridor through the North to the South will remain a dream. This is why he might have opened a new pathway to prod Kim to agree to a phased denuclearization and normalization of relations with South Korea. Seen in this light, Putin's insertion as a mediator adds to Moon's mediation efforts to bring NK leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump together. Russia's interests may be to supplement Moon's own mediation to prod Kim to a phased denuclearization in exchange for incremental lifting of sanctions. President Moon seems to understand President Putin's own reasons to press Kim to denuclearize. Russia will also be a beneficiary if North Korea abandons its nuclear arsenal, opening up new opportunities for a Russia living under China's shadow. In a statement, President Moon said he hoped that the Kim-Putin summit would lead to further talks between Trump and Kim. And he invited Putin to visit South Korea. The dialogue initiated by Moon seems to be moving in the right direction. Mahmood Elahi (omega51@sympatico.ca) is a freelance writer in Ottawa. Russia wants to start a new gas war with Ukraine, and everyone - from the Ukrainian president and ministries to Naftogaz - must act to foil these plans, Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev has said in an interview with the Voice of America international broadcaster. While on a visit to Washington, Kobolyev tries to enlist U.S. support in the matter of talks with Russia, as well as in relation to Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas project. "Our main message concerns primarily the uneasy situation surrounding the agreement on gas transit through Ukraine after 2019. Our agreement is expiring and, as you probably know, the Russian side Gazprom holds an unclear position at the talks. We believe that they are delaying time," Kobolyev said. Russia wants to create an artificial gas crisis in Ukraine, the official said. "Their goal is to create an artificial crisis after 2019, starting on January 1, as was the case in 2009, that is, ten years ago, and try to make a crisis that would allow them to promote their own interests. The crisis I'm talking about, which may happen in January 2020, can be called a gas war, and I believe a probability of it happening is very high," Kobolyev said. Kobolyev said in Brussels on March 29 that Naftogaz was considering a complete halt to Russian gas transit through Ukraine and was preparing for measures that, in the wake of such developments, should ensure Ukraine's energy security. According to him, there is a proposal to create additional gas storage facilities in Ukraine. Work is also underway to increase the capacity to import natural gas from the EU and to ensure that Ukrainian liquefied gas terminals could be capable of completely replacing Russian gas. op Ukraine strongly condemns a wave of rocket fire into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip in recent days, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has stated. It is unacceptable when the civilian population becomes a hostage of those forces in the Gaza Strip who continue the wave of violence and terror, thereby endangering both the people of Israel and their own citizens. The people of Israel and Palestine must live in peace, the comment reads. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation of the situation. It is a shame that that the shelling occurred after Holocaust Remembrance Day and on the eve of the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the ministry noted. As reported, militants in Gaza and Israeli forces engaged in a bloody and spiralling clash over the weekend, with Palestinian factions launching hundreds of rockets towards towns and cities in Israel, which retaliated with more than 250 strikes. ish U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr during his stay in Kyiv will address the Kyiv Jewish Forum and meet with representatives of the Ukrainian government and Jewish community. The Embassy of the United States of America in Ukraine wrote this on Twitter. We warmly welcome Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr to Kyiv. During his visit Special Envoy Carr will speak at the Kyiv Jewish Forum and meet with Ukrainian government officials and Jewish community representatives, reads the report. The Kyiv Jewish Forum kicked off in the Ukrainian capital on May 6. During the forum, prominent Jewish leaders and friends from business, politics and media will discuss the future of Ukrainian and international Jewry. The event will last till May 7. iy | By Mary T. Phelan Reflecting on the many ways the school is meeting nursing needs in the state, nationally, and even globally, University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) Dean Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, delivered her 2019 State of the School address on April 11, in Baltimore, with a repeat performance at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) on April 23. Front row, from left: Donald B. Tobin; Jane M. Kirschling; Jay A. Perman; and E. Albert Reece. Back row, from left: Thomas J. Sullivan; Mark A. Reynolds; Richard P. Barth; Roger J. Ward; Peter J. Murray; and Bruce Jarrell. I wrote recently in my column for the spring 2019 issue of our Nursing For/um magazine that we often think of ourselves as the quintessential Maryland institution, given our role within the University of Maryland System, UMB, and the state of Maryland. But we are also part of a vibrant national and international nursing community and that brings its own set of responsibilities," Kirschling said, addressing an audience of University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) leadership, UMSON faculty, staff, students, and other invited guests gathered in the UMSON auditorium. Kirschling welcomed UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, and her fellow deans: Bruce Jarrell, MD, FACS, dean of the University of Maryland Graduate School and executive vice president and provost, UMB; E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, and executive vice president for medical affairs, UMB; Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, dean of the University of Maryland School of Social Work; Mark A. Reynolds, DDS, PhD, MA, dean of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry; and Donald B. Tobin, JD, dean of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. The event started off with a virtual tour video created to attract the 440 entry-level students the school admits each academic year. This years address also featured a series of short videos highlighting research projects, academic programs, student support and success, and initiatives that are addressing the often-cited 2010 Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which, Kirschling said, has substantially reshaped the landscape of nursing education and all aspects of the profession, in Maryland, regionally, and nationally. The School of Nursing not only responds to Marylands needs, but as a program ranked in the top tier of all schools with masters and doctoral programs, we have a special obligation to help lead the way in responding to national needs, she said. Kirschling said UMSON is responding to the needs: to increase the percentage of nurses with baccalaureate degrees or higher to 80 percent of nurses by 2020, to ensure a workforce equipped to deal with the growing complexity of care; to double the number of nurses with doctoral degrees, so that nurses are prepared for advanced practice, teaching, research, and scholarship; to increase the diversity of the nursing workforce to make it more reflective of the population it serves and better equipped to provide culturally competent care; and to increase interprofessional education. Among other highlights of the annual review of the schools accomplishments, 742 new degrees and certificates will have been conferred this academic year. UMSONs increasing presence at USG is a reminder of the importance of USG in providing access to nursing education for students from the capital region and Western Maryland, Kirschling said. The State of the School also highlighted: the Debra L. Spunt Simulation Laboratories, which celebrated their 20th anniversary in December 2018; the Doctor of Nursing Practice Neonatal Nurse Practitioner specialty; Dual-admission partnership programs with 13 community colleges to transition students earning an Associate Degree in Nursing to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree; the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center led by Rebecca Wiseman, PhD, RN, chair of UMSON at USG and an associate professor; chair of UMSON at USG and an associate professor; the increasing number of diverse students changing the face of nursing; the 2020 U.S. News and World Report rankings of graduate nursing programs, which ranks UMSONs Nursing Informatics masters specialty No. 1, as it has since U.S. News first ranked nursing informatics programs five years ago. For other highlights and the full UMSON State of the School address, watch the video below. UNHCR/Yorgos Kyvernitis UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is participating this year at the 16th International Book Fair in Thessaloniki (TBF), with a series of activities and discussions to bring forward refugee voices and stories, their artistic expression and contribution to our common cultural heritage. These include a roundtable on the link between literary creation and the refugee experience, as well as interactive and theatre workshops for children and adults inspired by publications on refugees and human rights, in cooperation with the Hellenic Theatre/Drama and Education Network (TENet-Gr). UNHCR will also be present at Kiosk 13, Stand 84, to inform and discuss with the public on refugee-related issues. These activities are part of TBFs feature Imagine all the People, which is dedicated to refugees, and will take place from 9 to 12 May 2019, at the International Exhibition and Congress Centre of Thessaloniki (TIF-Helexpo). Thursday 9 May, 18:00-19:00 | Roundtable Refugee experience as a source of inspiration and literary creation In a roundtable titled Refugee experience as a source of inspiration and literary creation, UNHCR Representative in Greece Philippe Leclerc, Iraqi novelist Ali Bader, and Swedish writer Aris Fioretos will explore how being uprooted from ones homeland can trigger creativity: can writing function as a strategy of survival and does literary creation have an origin? The discussion, which will be held in English and Greek, will be moderated by Dora Avgeri, journalist. Organized by: UNHCR, Hellenic Foundation for Culture Room: Don Quixote, Kiosk 15 Thursday 9 May, 10:00-12:00 | Workshop Monologues across the Aegean Sea The workshop is based on the publication Monologues across the Aegean, a collection of testimonies from unaccompanied children living in Greece. The publication is the result of a series of theatre workshops organized in two PRAKSIS shelters for unaccompanied children by TENet-Gr and UNHCR within the project It could be me It could be you. For: Children aged 12-18 Organized by: TENet-Gr, UNHCR Room: Monokeros, Kiosk 14 |See more here. Friday 10 May, 09:00-11:00 | Workshop Tough Nut Based on the book Tough Nut (Sklyro Karydi) by the author Eleni Svoronou (Kaleidoscope publications, in cooperation with UNHCR), this theatre workshop follows the story of Aisah, a nine-year-old girl from Afghanistan talking with courage about her life in Greece, her relations with her classmates, her brother and friends. For: Children aged 8-13 Organized by: TENet-Gr, UNHCR Room: Monokeros, Kiosk 14 |See more here. Saturday 11 May, 12:00-13:00 | Workshop Creative writing on the refugee experience From refugee experience to creativity, this workshop approaches refugee issues with experiential learning techniques through a childs story. The workshop is based on the digital material Politropi Glossa about teaching language in secondary education, which is approved by the Institute of Education Policy and is available at the website of the Centre for the Greek Language. For: Teachers, 18+ Organized by: TENet-Gr, UNHCR, Group for Creative Writing Room: Monokeros, Kiosk 14 | See more here. Sunday 12 May, 12:00-13:00 | Workshop We read together Young children with their parents read together in Greek, German, Arabic and Farsi during this creative reading workshop based on the book Little I-Am-Me by Mira Lobe (Topos Books). For: Children aged 5-8, with their parents or guardians Organized by: TENet-Gr, UNHCR, Centre for Research on Womens Issues Diotima Supported by: Topos Books Room: Monokeros, Kiosk 14 | See more here. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter It is noon and the heat is stifling in El Juncal, a small town located in the mountainous province of Imbabura in northern Ecuador. With the help of two Venezuelan women, Carmen Cercelen washes the kitchenware in her hostel. In the backyard, about 20 other Venezuelans talk and eat plantains. Some are just passing through. Others, encouraged by Carmens generosity, have opted to stay in town. Carmen, 48, has spent most of her life selling fruit, but a dozen years ago she opened a hostel as another small source of income. At first, it was a convenient stop for tourists. Since the beginning of 2018, however, most of the guests are not travelling for fun, nor do they pay for their stay they are fleeing Venezuela. Carmen knows what Venezuelans are going through. I grew up in the streets, she says, describing her difficult youth. They are good people, mothers and fathers. They are engineers, workers, carpenters. They are people like us. Over 3.7 million Venezuelans have left their country in recent years amid a political and economic crisis. More than 240,000 of them have found a new home in Ecuador. When dozens of Venezuelans started showing up walking along the road, pulling suitcases, pushing strollers and carrying babies on their way to other cities in Ecuador or Peru, Carmen decided to open the doors of her hostel and take them in. Now this lady is like our mom. According to protection monitoring activities carried out by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, at the end of 2018, at least 3 out of 10 Venezuelans arriving in Ecuador had completed at least part of their journey on foot. They often arrive dehydrated, sick and extremely exhausted. During the journey, they are exposed to great risks robbery, violence and trafficking networks. Carmens hostel has become a safe space for those who need to recover their strength before continuing their journey. Here they can sleep, eat, have a shower and wash their clothes for free. About 20 people sleep in Carmens hostel every night, but in certain peak periods more than 70 people have knocked on her door and been welcomed. She estimates that, in total, about 8,000 Venezuelans have slept under her roof collectively more than three times the local population of 2,500. They usually stay for one or two nights, but those who have special needs such as women who are pregnant or people who are sick tend to stay a few longer. Venezuelan children travelling through Ecuador on foot with their families get some rest at Carmen's hostel in El Juncal. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo Jonathan is a carpenter from Venezuela who now lives in El Juncal. Carmen referred him to the town church to build 30 benches. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo Glenda Moreno, 33, Joselyn Gonzalez, 7 months, and Glennys Gelvez, 14, from Venezuela during their stay at Carmen's hostel in El Juncal, Ecuador. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo Gabriel Arana, 31, and Nereyda Camejo, 28, from Venezuela during their stay at Carmen's hostel in El Juncal, Ecuador. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo Carmen at the hostel she owns in El Juncal, Ecuador and offers free accommodation to Venezuelan refugees and migrants. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo Carmens hostel, which is also her home, is very cozy. The rooms are simple and the walls are painted in bright colours: blue, orange and green. Paintings and religious figurines add to the ambiance. On a wall in the living room, Carmen proudly displays photos of her eight children. They are all men, she says. Carmen offers more than just a roof to Venezuelan refugees and migrants: she gives advice and connects them with UNHCR, so they can learn more about access to refugee status and services available in Ecuador. Sometimes Carmen recommends them for jobs in the area. For example Jonathan, who is an excellent carpenter, she says. I struggled to get him a contract to build 30 benches for the church. Now he has a job and brought two more fellows to help him. Won over by Carmens hospitality, many Venezuelans have decided to stay in El Juncal. This is the case of Daniel, 34, who is a mechanic and a chef. In August 2018, he left Venezuela with some friends and neighbours hoping to reach Guayaquil, an Ecuadorian city where they had heard there were good job opportunities. "They are engineers, workers, carpenters. They are people like us. In Venezuela I didnt have any food for my children. I had to hit the streets every day and see what I could get for them, and that led me to leave the country, he says. Daniel quit his job and sold his car to pay for a bus ticket to the border. After entering Colombia, he had to continue the journey on foot for eight days. We hitchhiked, we slept in the open several times, he recalls. It was very hard. When he arrived in El Juncal, where the majority of the population are from African-Ecuadorian descent, some women who were selling fruit on the street gave him something to eat and told him about Carmen. Daniel and his companions decided to go to the hostel to rest. Now this lady is like our mom, he says, smiling. Thanks to Carmens help, the young man got a job as a field labourer and now he is renting a room a few metres from the hostel. Daniel remembers that, when he moved, several people from the town gave him a mattress, clothes and food. The generosity and kindness he encountered in El Juncal led him to stay. Six months on, he thinks of the town as his new home, and he hopes to be able to bring his family soon from Venezuela. See also: Venezuelans living in the streets find safety at new reception centre in Colombia Carmen sees each person who crosses her doorstep as a new member of her family. When we sit down, we talk and laugh, she says. I like to watch them dance and sing. Every day they greet me. Its as if weve known each other all our lives. She is excited to keep in touch with them, and she often receives photos and messages of gratitude from those who have moved on to Peru, Chile or Argentina. Mama Carmen, were fine, we have a job, says one of the text messages. In 2018, for the first time, Carmen celebrated her birthday surrounded by Venezuelans. My family organized a party on Saturday, but they came on Thursday, the day of my birthday, she recalls. They sang a Venezuelan song that is very funny, and they brought me a cake. I couldnt have asked for more. In my house there will be no more private parties. Everyone who comes is welcome. Now, one of her wishes is to buy a small television so guests can watch the news together in the backyard of her hostel. Carmen is constantly looking for bakery courses and other types of skills trainings, so that those who have not found a job yet can sign up and learn. Carmen hopes that one day the Venezuelan people will no longer be forced to leave their country and that she will again be able to offer her hostel to tourists passing through. She says she has learned a great deal from this experience, and hopes that this gesture will inspire her children to be generous and better people: Thats the only thing that matters in life. Countering xenophobia Carmens hospitality is a shining example of solidarity in her country. Over the past 30 years, more than 66,000 people of 70 nationalities have been recognized as refugees in Ecuador, the highest number in Latin America. However, in Ecuador and elsewhere in Latin America, there has been a rise of discriminatory rhethoric and negative stereotypes about people on the move. To counter such attitudes, United Nations teams in Ecuador have launched Abrazos que unen (Uniting Hugs), an awareness campaign that seeks to influence public perceptions about refugees and migrants in the country. Find more stories like this at www.abrazosqueunen.com. Zaporizhia-based ZAZ puts its property up for sale 10:42, 06.05.19 39270 The property includes a mechanical workshop, a tool room, a repair shop and other facilities, as well as an administrative building. Ukrainian Deputy PM says what will help Ukraine strengthen position in gas talks with Russia 12:21, 06.05.19 3011 It is critically important to make a decision before the end of the parliament's spring session, the official said. Rzeczpospolita: Ukraine getting closer to gas independence 23:30, 06.05.19 3872 To confidently get off the import hook, Ukraine needs investment. Naftogaz files complaint to European Commission over Gazprom's abuses of dominance in EU markets 20:30, 06.05.19 4436 This is a new front of confrontation, Naftogaz CCO says. An official transmits images filmed by drones at a construction site in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, to Hyundai Construction Equipment's office in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, and an exhibition hall in Munich during a demonstration conducted jointly by SK Telecom, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Hyundai Construction Equipment in Baumam, April 8. / Courtesy of SK Telecom By Jun Ji-hye SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus are actively utilizing drones as a means of expanding their newly launched fifth-generation (5G) network services and to fuel future growth engines, officials said Thursday. Drones have a variety of uses such as in disaster management and rainmaking. The global drone market is currently dominated by Chinese companies such as DJI. Officials here said drones can create many more opportunities when they are connected to a 5G network that offer super-fast wireless connection speeds and low latency as well as the ability to connect many devices. Though mobile carriers here need to do a lot of work, including complying with regulations, before offering drone services, they have already been carrying out various projects utilizing them. SK Telecom has recently completed the development of automatic control technology aimed at remotely monitoring construction sites, in cooperation with Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Hyundai Construction Equipment. The nation's top mobile carrier said it installed its real-time video control system T Live Caster on drones designed for construction sites, noting that the technology will open a new era of "smart construction" in which communication between head offices and construction sites will be significantly improved. "Once the 5G infrastructure is expanded, drone technology will be able to be applied to more diverse industries," said Choi Nak-hoon who heads the 5GX IoT and data group at SK Telecom. KT signed a business agreement with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), April 26, to jointly develop 5G-powered technologies for acrobatic drones. Under the agreement, the two parties will join hands in vitalizing 5G-based drone use and setting up a big data analytics system. They will also work on technology convergence between the 5G networks and the aviation sector. "Beginning with the development of 5G-based drone flying techniques, we will continue to cooperate with KARI so drones can be utilized in various areas such as improving rescue operations and transportation," said Yun Hye-jeong, executive vice president who heads a big data business support unit at KT. The telecom firm has also developed the Skyship disaster and safety management platform. The Skyship platform, designed to reduce the response time for search and rescue operations in the early stages, comprises an unmanned airship, called Skyship, and a C3 (command, control and communication) station as well as drones and robots. KT's unmanned airship, Skyship, demonstrates how it would respond to a marine accident. / Courtesy of KT LG Uplus has been also active in carrying out drone projects in cooperation with local drone companies such as Usis and We Make Drone. On April 17, the mobile carrier and the Army's 31st Infantry Division demonstrated a smart drone developed for military purposes in waters off the southern city of Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. During maritime training, the U+ Smart Drone powered by 5G networks was used to search the seashore and respond to emergencies in real time. An LG Uplus smart drone developed for military purposes is used in maritime training in seas off the southern city of Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, April 16. / Courtesy of LG Uplus Ukrtransnafta says ready to resume oil transit to EU 22:00, 06.05.19 1986 Hugh quality oil began to flow into the Druzhba pipeline system in the Ukrainian direction. Romanenko says it is necessary to conduct an all-for-all swap and hold further talks on Donbas' future. Former deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lt Gen (Reserve) Ihor Romanenko has said fighting in Donbas can be stopped within a year, but restoring Ukrainian sovereignty in those territories may take years. "The return of Donbas can be interpreted as the end of the war. This is quite a long way. [For example,] Russia and Japan are still in a state of legal war, territorial claims have not been resolved yet. There are quite a lot of countries in the world that are in such a state," the expert said, commenting on the statement by advisor to Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky Ivan Aparshyn that Donbas could be returned to Ukraine within five years, according to the Ukrainian online news outlet Obozrevatel. Read alsoExpert says Russians ready to launch large-scale military actions this year According to Romanenko, it is necessary to conduct an all-for-all swap and stop the hostilities to hold further talks on Donbas' future. "As for ceasing the fire, I think this is a realistic task for this year if we are engaged in negotiations and progress. But we see the story with Russian passports in Donbas that Putin has begun, economic pressure, a halt to oil shipments. They say one thing, do another thing, but think something completely different, unfortunately," he said. Commenting on the likelihood of the return of Donbas with the use of force, the general said: "It's not a question to prepare a plan, and if we're well prepared, we can reach the border within a month. But Russia under Putin will not stop. They will start counter-actions resulting in territorial losses, etc. The question is not to temporarily put the flag either 10 km from the contact line, or even at the border, but to resolve the issue for the restoration of sovereignty. And it is not quite easy." Romanenko did not rule out the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission to Donbas. "If negotiations begin, the UN mission can be involved. But if we positively advance in the negotiations, the issue can be resolved without the UN mission. If only they [peacekeepers] agree, they will study the issue, conduct reconnaissance, and assess the situation this year. At best, they may appear there in a year," he explained. At the same time, Klimkin did not specify what would happen if Zelensky did not accept his resignation. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin says his probable resignation is in line with his political plans. Read alsoKlimkin ready to discuss possible cooperation with Zelensky "No one will dismiss me because there must be political culture. The new president will be allowed to choose those with whom he should work in such areas as foreign policy and defense. That is, of course, I will have to tender my resignation to the new president and I'll certainly do this. I have already said that I have my own plans, including political ones. This [resignation] is also in line with my plans," Klimkin told Ukrainian Pryamiy TV Channel, according to the Ukrainian news outlet Glavred. At the same time, Klimkin did not specify what would happen if Zelensky did not accept his resignation. As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine's President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky said a date for his inauguration would become known at a meeting in parliament on May 14. Lutsenko claims he "worked in an honest way and has quite good achievements as head of the entire law enforcement system." Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko has said he sees no legal or moral grounds to tender his resignation. Read alsoUkraine's Deputy Prosecutor General Enin resigns "This job isn't easy, but I do it honestly. At the moment, I see no legal or moral grounds to submit a letter of resignation, and the law on the prosecutor's office provides for a change of the prosecutor general only in two cases when he wants to leave or when parliament wants him to leave. I do not see any legal or moral grounds for my resignation," he told journalists during the Kyiv Jewish Forum, an UNIAN correspondent reports. Lutsenko claims he "worked in an honest way and has quite good achievements as head of the entire law enforcement system." At the same time, according to Lutsenko, if the parliament expresses no confidence in him, he will accept this. "I am ready for this," he said. "I know the consequences, the collection of signatures for my resignation was initiated, and it has already started. According to data for the week, about 19 signatures have been collected. Let's talk when there are 150 [signatures]," he added, noting he is ready to report in parliament and will accept any decision it will take. As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said his probable resignation was in line with his political plans. Poroshenko must come to the PGO's Main Investigation Department on Borysohlibska Street in Kyiv at 10:00 on May 7. Chief of the Special Investigations Department of the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) of Ukraine Serhiy Horbatiuk has said incumbent Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was summoned to the PGO for interrogation as a witness in the Maidan case. Read alsoProsecutor snaps back at Poroshenko following criticism, says president "created problems" in Maidan probe According to him, Poroshenko must come to the PGO's Main Investigation Department on Borysohlibska Street in Kyiv at 10:00 on May 7. Poroshenko must sign an interrogation report of 2016, as well as answer a number of questions relating to the investigation of criminal cases about crimes against participants in the Revolution of Dignity, Horbatiuk said. Horbatiuk explained why the interrogation report of 2016 had not been signed yet. According to him, the interrogation was recorded on video then, and later it was transcribed, but since 2016, the investigators have not managed to meet with Poroshenko so that he could sign the protocol with the transcribed interview. The prosecutor also said he did not know whether Poroshenko would come tomorrow or not. It is reported that the diplomat set out for Washington for consultations. Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the United States of America to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch will wrap up her deployment in the country on May 20. That's according to a report by ZN.UA citing the publication's sources in the U.S. diplomatic circles. Yovanovitch has set off for Washington for consultations, the report says. It is alleged that on Saturday, May 11, the ambassador is to return to Ukraine only to step down officially on May 20, of which the embassy staff were informed today, May 6. Read alsoU.S. Ambassador Yovanovitch names three main things for cooperation with new Ukrainian president Prior to the appointment of a new head of the diplomatic mission in Ukraine, the ambassador's duties will be performed by a charge d'affaires, who is yet to be nominated. Yovanovitch has served as U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine since 2016. As UNIAN reported earlier, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko, in an interview with Hill.TV, said that, after Yovanovitch was appointed to the post, she allegedly gave him a so-called do-not-prosecute list. In addition, Lutsenko complained that his agency never received $4 million of promised U.S. assistance. Later, in an interview with TheBabel online publication, Lutsenko stepped back on the list of untouchables statement, providing more details of his meeting with Yovanovitch. The U.S. embassy has refuted Lutsenko's statement on the do-not-prosecute list. Turchynov says Ukraine's foreign partners highly appreciate infantry soldiers' participation in international peacekeeping operations. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov has greeted infantry soldiers on their professional day. "Glorious infantrymen! I sincerely congratulate you on the holiday! You are the embodiment of the most powerful component of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on which the strength and confidence of every citizen of Ukraine in the guaranteed security of sovereignty, inviolability and freedom of expression of will are based," he said in a greeting address, the NSDC's press service reports. Read alsoTurchynov: Putins decree on Russian passports in Donbas creates pretext for invasion According to Turchynov, Ukraine's foreign partners highly appreciate infantry soldiers' participation in international peacekeeping operations. "Sincere gratitude to all the infantry for service, courage and heroism, expressed in the struggle for freedom, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine! Ukrainian people are proud of their sons! You are an example of the best qualities of human and military nature, valor and courage that were clearly manifested in times of repelling Russia's aggression. During all wars, the greatest burden, the most difficult ordeals lie on the shoulders of infantrymen, and it is the infantry that always bears the gravest losses," he said. "On this day, we bow our heads to the bright memory of the infantry soldiers who gave their lives for the peaceful future of Ukraine. May the memory and respect for fallen heroes live forever! Sincere gratitude to the veterans who faithfully convey the gained experience to the young generation!" Turchynov said. The ship will stay in Odesa for three days. The HMS Echo (H87) reconnaissance ship of the British Royal Navy arrived at the Odesa seaport on the morning of May 6. The ship will stay in Odesa for three days, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Read alsoU.S. Navy destroyer enters Black Sea, monitored by Russian ships (Photo) Joint exercises with the Ukrainian Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are planned on the high seas. As UNIAN reported earlier, the HMS Echo (H87) reconnaissance ship was the first NATO warship that paid a visit to the Black Sea on December 19, 2018, with a direct statement of the purpose of visit related to the Azov crisis. UNIAN memo. HMS Echo (H87) is a modern ship, designed to conduct hydrographic survey operations in support of submarines or amphibious operations. She can provide almost real-time tailored environmental information, and also has a secondary role as a mine countermeasure tasking authority platform, for which she is capable of embarking a dedicated mine counter measures command team. Lustenko says Prosecutor Kulyk who pushed forward suspicion papers is yet to face a disciplinary probe. Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko has described the move of his subordinate, Kostyantyn Kulyk, to announce suspicion notices to incumbent President Petro Poroshenko's entourage as "political campaign statements" that have nothing to do with legal procedure. Speaking at a Jewish Forum in Kyiv on Monday, Lutsenko said: "If you want my assessment of the developments initiated by Prosecutor Kulyk, I consider them purely political campaign statements that have nothing to do with legal procedure. I have spoken with Mr. Kulyk on more than one occasion. My position is clear if there is evidence sufficient to announce suspicion to any citizen of Ukraine within the framework of the PGO jurisdiction, it's the prosecutors' right and duty to do so. If there is no such evidence, then I regard such steps as illegal," an UNIAN correspondent reports. According to Lutsenko, Prosecutor Kulyk violated, among other things, the "suspicion announcement protocol", and therefore these suspicion notices were later withdrawn from the Unified Registry. "It [the protocol] was completely breached, and he will undergo a disciplinary probe by the Qualification Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors," said the prosecutor general. As UNIAN reported earlier, on March 28, Lutsenko said the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) had completed an investigation into the wrongdoings of Ukrainian oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko. Kurchenko is suspected of being part of ex-president Viktor Yanukovych's criminal organization and complicit in committing grave crimes against the State of Ukraine. Read alsoProsecutor Kulyk denies Poroshenko's accusations of working for oligarch Kolomoisky (Video) A total of 98 persons, including 12 senior officials of ministries and departments, as well as the National Bank, and six heads of regional state administrations and 14 senior managers of SOEs have been served with charge papers within the framework of investigations into the crimes of former President Viktor Yanukovych's allies. On the same day, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Department of International Legal Cooperation, Head of the Criminal Procedural Management Department Kostiantyn Kulyk named among probe targets in the Kurchenko case, who had been announced suspicion, former head of the Presidential Administration Boris Lozhkin, former Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Valeriya Gontareva, former Ecology Minister Mykola Zlochevskiy, Deputy Head of Presidential Administration Oleksiy Filatov, and other top officials. The corresponding statement by Kulyk was handed over to 1+1 TV Channel's journalists and voiced on the air of a Pravo na Vladu panel show. Later, the PGO said suspicion notices to Lozhkin, Gontareva, and Filatov had been called off. On April 22, summons were published on the PGO website issued to Lozhkin, Filatov, and Gontareva obliging them to report to the PGO office on April 23 and April 25 to be handed suspicion notices in the case launched January 31, 2013. The case investigates the creation by Viktor Yanukovych of a criminal organization and crimes committed in fuel, energy, banking, taxation, and other sectors. One of the episodes probed is embezzlement in procurement procedures for the so-called "Boyko drilling rigs" purchased for over US$400 million. Another episode covers shady schemes by a fugitive oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko. The incumbent president says the new JF chief was nominated by the defense ministry and the general staff. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has appointed new Commander of the Joint Forces Lieutenant-General Oleksandr Syrskiy as part of rotation. Speaking at his Monday meeting with the Army officers in the town of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Poroshenko said: "I'd like to inform you that, at the suggestion of Minister of Defense of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Viktor Muzhenko, it was decided to carry out a rotation of the Joint Forces Operation leadership and appoint Lieutenant-General Oleksandr Syrskiy to the position of Joint Forces Commander." Read alsoNayev: Ukraine's armed forces not much different from NATO armies today The video with the relevant statement was broadcast on Poroshenko's Facebook page. As UNIAN reported earlier, on March 16, 2018, Poroshenko appointed Lieutenant-General Serhiy Nayev to the post of JF Commander. On April 30 of the same year, the President signed a decree on the completion of the Anti-Terrorist Operation and the order of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the start of the Joint Forces Operation. LG Uplus engineers check a 5G base station at a building near Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Monday. / Courtesy of LG Uplus By Baek Byung-yeul LG Uplus will build 25,000 more fifth-generation (5G) base stations nationwide by June to increase the total number up to 50,000 to deliver stable and high-quality coverage of the super-fast network service, the firm said Monday. The country's third-largest mobile carrier plans to secure a total of 80,000 5G base stations across the country by the end of this year to ensure over 90 percent of the population will benefit from the 5G network service. The telecom firms here began their 5G mobile network service on April 3 but consumers have complained about the poor network coverage as their 5G network coverage has been concentrated on Seoul, its neighboring areas and a few major cities. LG Uplus said the lack of service in areas outside the metropolitan shadow stems from difficulties in securing more 5G network equipment. To offer high-density network coverage, it will solve the imbalance of supply and demand of 5G network equipment in cooperation with network suppliers and increase manpower for base station installation. The firm said it will expand its coverage to Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon and Ulsan by June and 85 cities by the end of 2019. The firm currently has secured about 20,000 base stations throughout the country. "LG Uplus is accelerating the establishment of infrastructure for 5G network services by operating a task force team that supervises every process ranging from contracts for network equipment to installation," said Choi Taek-jin, vice president of the firm. "By securing dense network coverage with 80,000 5G base stations, customers will be able to experience distinguished 5G services." For Seoul and its neighboring areas where the firm already installed more than 10,000 5G base stations, the firm will install additional 7,800 networks to beef up its 5G service in highly populated areas such as apartment complexes and commercial districts. To cut installation time, the firm has applied multiplexer technology to build a 5G infrastructure using the existing wireless network for LTE. It also contracted an increased number of infrastructure construction companies two to three times more than earlier this year to boost the installation of 5G base stations. The mobile carrier added it will join forces with other telecommunications firms SK Telecom and KT to co-build 5G network infrastructure for public locations including subway stations, high-speed trains such as the KTX and SRT, airports, department stores and hotels, starting in the second half of 2019. Russians recruited a Ukrainian serviceman working at the site threatening to hurt his family living in the occupied part of Donbas. Russian special services were preparing a terror attack at one of the Ukrainian arsenals, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported Monday. "The SBUs military counterintelligence operatives foiled a terror plot by Russian intelligence at one of the arsenals of the Ukrainian Armed Forces hosting strategic stocks of the latest missiles and ammunition," the report said. According to the SBU, in early 2019, the Russian intelligence recruited an arsenal employee using psychological influence and pressure, "threatening to hurt the employees family living in the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas." Read alsoMassive fire at Ukraine's ammo depot result of sabotage prosecutors "The arsenal worker was tasked with collecting and handing over information about the military facility, in particular, security measures, weapons stocks and their movement. The aggressor state planned to use this information to carry out an act of sabotage at the strategic military facility to undermine Ukraines defense capability," SBU said. The recruited Ukrainian was promised material assistance and Russian citizenship, along with a pension. He was also provided with communication means and electronic channels for data transfer. "The curators supported and coordinated his activities from the territory of the Russian Federation via the Internet. Thanks to the timely response of the military counterintelligence operatives, the SBU was able to prevent the Ukrainian citizen from being engaged in illegal activities to the detriment of Ukraines national interests," the SBU emphasized. No Ukrainian army casualties were reported over the period under review. Russia's hybrid military forces on May 5 mounted 11 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas. Read alsoDonbas war update: 1 WIA reported as enemy mortars Ukraine positions using banned calibers "No Ukrainian army casualties were reported in the past day. According to intelligence reports, one invader was killed and another five were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on May 6, 2019. During the period under review, Russian occupation forces opened fire from 120mm mortars, weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, anti-tank missile systems, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms to attack the Ukrainian positions near the town of Avdiyivka, and the villages of Talakivka, Pavlopil, Lebedynske, Bohdanivka, Pyshchevyk, Novozvanivka, Novo-Oleksandrivka, and Krymske. "Since Monday midnight, Russian-led forces haven't attacked Ukrainian positions yet," the report said. Pushilin has been summoned over pending "serious changes related to the possible appointment of Babich as a supervisor in that area." "Head" of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") Denis Pushilin has been urgently summoned to Moscow. Read alsoSo-called "DPR leader" mocked as old photo emerges "Denis Pushilin is currently in Moscow. If [former Russian ambassador to Belarus Mikhail] Babich was in the 'LPR/DPR,' the current leader of one of the Donbas republics would hardly have allowed himself to leave just like that. Most likely Pushilin has been invited to consult on the latest developments in the Kremlin. However, the details of these consultations are still unknown," as reported by the WarGonzo Telegram channel. It is reported Pushilin has been summoned over pending "serious changes related to the possible appointment of Babich as a supervisor in that area." Earlier, a number of media outlets reported current supervisor of terrorist organizations in Donbas Vladislav Surkov would be replaced by former Russian ambassador to Belarus Mikhail Babich. The attitude of local residents to the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been improving, the president says. President of Ukraine, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Petro Poroshenko is convinced of the effectiveness of the decision to change the format of the antiterrorist operation in the east of Ukraine for the Joint Forces Operation. During the meeting with the officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Head of State reminded that the JFO lasted more than a year in full compliance with the law on the peculiarities of the state policy on ensuring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in the territory of Luhansk and Donetsk regions. "This law changed the format of the antiterrorist operation. Life and this year have clearly demonstrated the correctness of the decision," Petro Poroshenko said, according to his press service. Read alsoNew Commander of Ukraine's Joint Forces in Donbas appointed According to the president, in the framework of the JFO, without violating the Minsk agreements, 24 square kilometers of Ukrainian land was regained, in particular, three settlements Vilnyi, Pivdenne, and Shumy. The Head of State also notes that the format of the JFO provides for the implementation of law-enforcement, civil-humanitarian, and other complex projects on the restoration of integrated infrastructure, and creation of conditions for the restoration of peaceful life in the region. "And I am pleased that during my last two arrivals, we clearly observed the improvement of the attitude of local residents to the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the president stressed. Separately, the president noted the work on mine clearance and legislative provision of these efforts. He also reminded that in the framework of the "Help East" initiative, medical institutions in Donetsk and Luhansk regions received medical assets in the amount of almost six million hryvnias. In this context, Petro Poroshenko noted the effective interaction of the JFO Command with the Military Civil Administration of Donetsk region. The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, whose marriage last year brought historic change to Britains royal family, on Monday welcomed a son. This is the first interracial baby in the monarchys recent history, The New York Times reports. The newborn is seventh in line to the British throne, behind his father, Prince Harry. It is not clear whether the child will receive a royal title, like those bestowed on the three children of Prince William, Harrys older brother, and Williams wife, Catherine. "The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives," reads a statement published on the Duke and Dutchess's Instagram page. More details will be shared in the forthcoming days, the statement concludes. The baby is sure to be the object of uncommon fascination, adored and criticized as a symbol of the modernization of Britains royal family, NYT wrote. By Kwak Yeon-soo Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin will attend the opening ceremony of Lotte Chemical's ethylene cracker complex (ECC) in the U.S., the group said, Monday. His attendance shows the chairman's determination to make the group's chemical unit the world's leading chemical company and speed up his group-wide globalization drive. Shin will deliver a speech at the opening ceremony scheduled on May 9, while many high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, will attend to celebrate the completion of Lotte's ECC factory. According to Lotte's petrochemical business unit, the ECC plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana, will go into commercial operation starting June 9. The company is keen to take advantage of the new plant in the U.S. Lotte Chemical has invested 4 trillion won, or 90 percent of the plant's financing, over five years. The ESS plant holds great significance since this is the first time Korea has ever announced such a large-scale investment in a joint project with Axiall Corporation in North America. When the plant becomes fully operational, it can produce 1 million tons of ethylene and 700,000 tons of ethylene glycol per year using shale gas. Lotte Chemical will also become the first Asian petrochemical company to enter the shale gas ethane cracker business in North America. Industry analysts say that the U.S. plant will likely boost Lotte Chemical's annual sales and operating profit by 1 trillion won and 200 billion won, respectively. "We expect to take a step closer to strengthening global competitiveness by increasing the use of low-cost natural gas, while reducing dependence on naphtha. We will also diversify our production bases," a Lotte Group official said. "The upcoming opening ceremony has a special meaning to Chairman Shin as he plans to increase Lotte's global footprint." Chairman Shin said the company would invest 20 trillion won in the chemical and construction sector by 2023. Last December, Lotte Group invested around $3.5 billion in Indonesia's petrochemical plant, which is expected to become the largest plant in Southeast Asia. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the President of Indias Catholic bishops and Maulana Mahmood A. Madani, the General Secretary Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, have jointly condemned Sri Lankas terror attacks. By Robin Gomes The Catholic Church of India and a leading Islamic organization of the country have issued a joint statement vehemently condemning the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka. They also plan to send an inter-faith delegation as a gesture of their condolence and solidarity with the victims. We, the undersigned, condemn unequivocally these dastardly acts. The persons and the groups responsible for the serials blasts are anti-human, anti-civilization and anti-God, said the statement signed by Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) and Maulana Mahmood A. Madani, the General Secretary Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, an Islamic scholars organization. The coordinated bombings of April 21 by a group of Sri Lankan nationals linked to the Islamic State group, targeted 3 churches and 4 hotels that killed more than 250 people, including foreigners, and injured over 500. Describing the perpetrators of the attacks as the incarnation of the most heinous forces on the earth, the two leaders said, to associate them with any faith would be most sacrilegious to the faith itself. Card. Gracias, the Archbishop of Bombay, and Madani called on all faiths to disown and condemn such barbarous individuals and groups. The terrorist attacks become all the more gruesome if launched under the garb of religion and holy mission, they wrote, calling on people of all faiths to disown and condemn such barbarous individuals and groups. It is our duty, they wrote, to expose them and banish them from civilized society. Noting that the attacks on religious places during religious festivals such as at Easter are perpetrated to create a divide between people of various faiths and communities, the two leaders expressed their closeness with Christians everywhere, sharing their sorrows and pains. The CBCI and Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind also proposed to send a high-level delegation of various faiths to Sri Lanka to explore the possibilities of cooperation and also to offer their condolence to the bereaved families. Their message with an appeal to everyone irrespective of their religion, caste and creed to come forward to save humanity and to maintain social harmony and peace. Model, adult film actress and social media influencer Toochi Kash hosted a late-night Cinco de Beauty bash at Crazy Horse 3 last night in Las Vegas (Pictured: Toochi Kash and BBB Love Photo credit: Joe Fury). Photo credit: Joe Fury Kash arrived at the award-winning gentlemens club in a bodycon royal blue dress, turning heads with a deep neckline and rhinestone jewels across her chest. Kash posed on the red carpet with friends, including Jen Harley from Jersey Shore and popular social media influencer, BBB Love, before settling into Crazy Horse 3s lush VIP area, where she was presented with oversized cutouts of her head and an extravagant bottle service presentation. Photo credit: Joe Fury The group snacked on Crazy Horse 3s new 24/7 menu items, sampling quesadillas, sliders and steak tacos throughout the night, paired with the clubs craft cocktails. Harley was spotted being hand-fed slices of pizza by Kash late into the evening. Kash raved about the Pink Lady cocktail, made with Grey Goose Vodka, Hendricks Gin, Cointreau, grapefruit and bitters, and lost count of how many she had throughout the evening. Kash enthusiastically welcomed lap dances from a few Crazy Horse 3s busty CH3 girls, tucking single bills into the dancers lingerie. Harley and Kash sprayed their favorite entertainers with Crazy Horse 3s money gun, cheering each other on late into the night. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) The Justice department said there is no investigation on the supposed plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte involving journalists and lawyers. Justice department spokesperson Markk Perete told CNN Philippines The Source on Monday that the National Bureau of Investigation has not been tasked to conduct an investigation on the so-called Oust Duterte matrix. Perete added, however, that they will probe the alleged plot if evidence indicates the need for an investigation. But he also acknowledged that the matrix is under scrutiny. I think the providence is being questioned at the moment, Perete said. READ: Still no evidence to back up alleged ouster plot vs. Duterte VERA Files The Philippine National Police earlier said that it will investigate the alleged ouster plot. This, even if security officials have denied having knowledge of any ploy to unseat the Duterte. The supposed ploy to kick Duterte out of Malacanang was first published in an article on The Manila Times, penned by Dante Ang, the papers chairman emeritus and the Presidents special envoy for international public relations. READ: Manila Times managing editor resigns over 'Oust Duterte plot' matrix publication The Palace released the same matrix on the same day the story was published. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that the information came from the President himself. Panelo later said that the matrix came from an unknown number. He would again clarify that he stuck to his original story that the information came from Duterte, but added he assumed that the unknown number was from a staff in the Office of the President. The personalities tagged in the alleged plot have denied any involvement. Non-profit news organization VERA Files, among those in the matrix, pointed out that Malacanang has not come up with evidence to back up its claim. In response, Panelo said it is totally unnecessary for them to prove their own allegation. He also denied that the Duterte administration is silencing those who express dissent through the publication of the matrix. The matrix was released following the publication of a series of reports by the Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism on the Duterte familys wealth. It found that the President, his daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte had submitted "token or opaque data" on their business interests which they are required to reveal in their Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth. READ: Duterte slams investigative journalists for probe into family's wealth: 'Pera-pera lang 'yan' Duterte has upped the ante and signaled that he will go to absurd lengths to stifle the independent and critical media, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said. For instance, if we intend exporting banana plantain, bitter gourd, brinjal and drumstick, we have to send them a basic document with the picture of all the products available with us for export. We must also mention the details of size and price at which we are prepared to offer. The importer may respond either positively or negatively with some changes regarding price or size. If it is not acceptable, we must negotiate further and take it forward. To cite an example, the Kamaludeen had recently received an order from Doha in Qatar. He had quoted Rs.1.716 US$, 1.624 US$, 1.856 US$ to the importer for which the importer had mentioned 1.5US$ (Rs.108/-) for all vegetables. The author analysed the same taking into consideration the size of the order and the various expenses he had incurred for procurement of the order. Obviously, he would buy time to calculate and confirm whether he has sufficient margin of profit. If it is viable, he would go ahead making a sales agreement; else, he would drop it. These are all basic documents. Next is Commercial Invoice under the category of Mother Documents and this is an important document. Next comes Packing List in which we have to mention net weight (bare weight of the product), gross weight (including the outer packing) as per importers preference. Bayern Munich confirmed that veteran French star Franck Ribery will end his 12-year spell at the club at the end of this season. (Tobias SCHWARZ/AFP) In a statement on their website on Sunday (May 5), the Bundesliga club announced that the Frenchman would not extend his contract beyond June 2019. "When I came to Bayern it was a dream come true," said Ribery, 36, who joined in 2008 and has won eight Bundesliga titles in the 12 years since. "It won't be easy to leave, but we must never forget what we have achieved together." Robben, 35, confirmed his impending departure at the end of last year, and it was widely expected that Ribery would follow suit, as Bayern prepare for a squad overhaul ahead of next season. The two wingers have been defining stars in a dominant decade for Bayern, winning the Champions League in 2013 as well as a host of domestic titles. Bayern announced that they would organise a "big farewell game" for both Ribery and Robben, to be held in 2020. "Franck and Arjen are great players, and Bayern Munich have a lot to thank them for," said club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. "They helped shape the most successful decade in the history of the club." Robben made an emotional return from injury and Ribery scored in a 3-1 win over Hanover on Saturday. The win lifted Bayern four points clear of title rivals Borussia Dortmund, and put them on the brink of a seventh successive Bundesliga title. Halong-Van Don Expressway is expected to help transform Van Don in particular into an upscale tourism destination Creating a distinction in the provinces appeal and providing an unforgettable experience for visitors is an urgent and essential task for Quang Ninh, according to Pham Ngoc Thuy, director of the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism in a recent meeting with local press. Last year, Quang Ninh welcomed 12.2 million visitor arrivals, up 24 per cent on-year, with more than 5.2 million coming from overseas. The tourism sector contributed 9.3 per cent of the provinces GDP. The province also played host, for the second time, of National Tourism Year. As a result, a number of highly-connected events were held, leaving lasting impressions on both domestic and international visitors. The opening ceremony featured music and light on a stunning stage, with more than 10,000 visitors and locals attending. Importantly, Quang Ninh successfully hosted more than 50 different events for tourism promotion throughout the last year. Consequently, the number of visitors setting foot in the province in 2018 rose sharply, beating the target noted in the provinces tourism development master plan for 2020. In what was a busy year in 2018, Quang Ninh also put into operation many vital infrastructure and tourism facilities, enhancing its status on the global destination map. Earlier this year, Quang Ninh was chosen to become host location of the ASEAN Tourism Forum, which attracted about 2,000 delegates. Attendees included representatives from tourism agencies of ASEAN member states, the United Nations World Tourism Organization, and other international organisations, business associations, and top tourism media agencies. The event attested to Quang Ninhs improving image as a thriving and hospitable destination to the international community. Thuy of the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism said, These factors have provided the bedrock underpinning the provincial tourism sectors vigorous development in the years ahead. This year, Quang Ninh strives to greet 14 million visitors, with six million to come from overseas, generating about VND27 trillion ($1.17 million) in tourism revenue. Thuy added that next year, the province seeks to welcome 15-16 million visitors, increasing to 30 million visitors by 2030, with half of them to come from overseas. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AS A HIGHLIGHT In a recent forum on the countrys human resources in tourism, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc pointed out the three Cs (in Vietnamese) to turn the country into a more appealing tourism paradise, referencing con nguoi (humanity), co so ha tang (infrastructure), and chien luoc (strategy). As a result, the provinces tourism sector is taking concrete actions focusing on the three factors in order to further development. According to associate professor Tran Dinh Thien, a member of the economic advisory group to the prime minister, turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector and the province into a global tourism brand is of paramount importance. He noted, however, that it will also take great time and effort in order to reach that target. Towards this goal, maximising the potential and advantages of the province as a whole and its every location to turn services into an important sector is a must, in parallel to accelerating the implementation of modern tourism infrastructure and services projects, striving to put into use new tourism venues of global significance besides current Halong tourism hub. To solicit more and more groups of higher-spending visitors, Quang Ninh has paid due heed to presenting open policies and mechanisms, willing to accompany investors journey to remove difficulties in a timely manner, and focusing on attracting high-profile investors. New capital inflows are being sought to help Quang Ninh turn its Van Don area into a destination for upscale tourism and services revenue with casino that adopts state-of-the art technology, providing a fulcrum for the provinces development. The areas of Co To, Vinh Trung, and Vinh Thuc in Mong Cai city will be turned into a premier resort destination, with an airport and port to serve higher-spending tourist groups, alongside developing spiritual tours in suitable areas such as Uong Bi, Dong Trieu, and Quang Yen. HITTING THE GLOBAL TRAVEL MAP The Smiles of Halong programme, launched at the end of 2014, has succeeded in leaving good impressions on visitors to Quang Ninh in the past couples of years. It aimed to encourage locals to become ambassadors for the area, ensuring that the province gained a reputation as a friendly and hospitable destination for all. Le Tuan Anh, director of the Tourism Information Centre and former deputy head of the Department of International Co-operation under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, noted that the branding of a destination is what is conceived in the target markets mindset, reflecting the core values and characteristics of the location. Cultivating the branding for Quang Ninhs tourism in the upcoming time, therefore, needs to redefine the provinces core values at present and in the near future, and also that branding must be linking to emotional factors. Branding is more than just a simple slogan. Redefining and building up Quang Ninh tourisms brand must follow prudent steps and be well-planned, as it links to the tourism sectors construction and development plan as well as the provinces social and economic development. The province will learn how to create international brands from several eminent examples globally, noted Thuy of the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism. Today, Quang Ninh is one of the localities trailblazing in pushing up a smart city model with heritage values and innovative reforms, but in terms of tourism development little progress has been made. Le Quoc Vinh, chairman cum CEO of media group Le Bros, recently provided recommendations to Quang Ninh on how to develop a distinctive tourism brand. Accordingly, instead of introducing diverse natural attractions, local specialties, or cuisine, it is important to focus on promoting the soul through individualised tourism products. That is also what many countries have applied in order to promote their tourism, Vinh noted. In a seminar last month on Quang Ninhs tourism development, experts and industry entrepreneurs provided ideas on how to build up a distinct brand for the provinces tourism over the next three decades. Finding the answer to just what the province stands for, as well as raising resources to increase exposure to the international community effectively look set to be the major issues going forward in transforming the province into one of Vietnams leading tourism hubs of the future. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Duc Trung chairing the meeting on the draft law on PPP The draft law on Public-Private Partnership proposes to establish a fund for PPP projects to manage and operate state capital, as well as providing government guarantee to PPP projects (a contentious topic that drew support from seven out of 14 ministries) or set up a budget using mid-term public investment capital (which is approved by five of 14 ministries and agencies). Explaining the proposal, Nguyen Dang Truong, director general of the MPIs Public Procurement Agency, said that the current regulations are not flexible enough to allocate such a budget due to incongruities between PPP and public investment projects. State capital in PPP projects is mainly allocated from public investment capital, so all procurements must comply with the Law on Public Investment. The draft law on PPP also proposes government guarantees for PPP projects, which is not stipulated in the current regulations on PPP (Decree No.63/2018/ND-CP). Accordingly, the prime minister will decide whether to provide government guarantee for each project on a case-by-case basis. The draft proposed that in case revenue is less than the revenue necessary to break even, the government will guarantee 75 per cent of the break even revenue for the first five years of operation, and 65 per cent in the next five years. In case the revenue is far more than expected, the amount surpassing 125 per cent of the revenue to break even in the first five years of operation, and 135 per cent in the next five years will be collected by the state. However, at the second meeting of the Drafting Committee and the Editorial Team of the Law on PPP on May 4, 2019 at the headquarters of the MPI, representatives were largely divided about the issues of setting up the fund for PPP projects and the government guarantee. The representative of the Ministry of Transport spoke in favour of the fund and the guarantee, proposing changes to the ratios of the guarantee and replacing the government by third-party in the guarantee scheme. Meanwhile, deputy director general of the Department of General Economics of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed balancing the rights, responsibilities, and benefits of both sides (public and private), which would mean the government guarantee for PPP projects would not be necessary, because both benefits and risks should be shared by the two sides. The representative of the State Bank of Vietnam highlighted foreign exchange guarantee, saying that it needs to be considered carefully, according to a representative of the State Bank of Vietnam. The representatives of ministries and agencies provided a great number of comments on the Draft Law on PPP, which includes 12 chapters and 113 articles focusing on the classification of PPP projects, setting up a state-level appraisal council, state budget allocation for PPP projects, government guarantees, BT (build-transfer) contracts, and post-checking, among others. PPP is a very complex legal area, involving numerous legal provisions that the new Law on PPP needs to align with. A lot of PPP projects have been deployed and reported good performance with several achievements, especially in transport, contributing to improving the countrys infrastructure. However, some shortcomings have been detected over the last three years. Related to measures on investment attraction, lessons from the success of some countries like South Korea, India, and the Philippines shows that the government should build a national strategy on specific support policies for PPP projects in addition to the usual tax and land incentive in the early period of PPP projects. Accordingly, these countries have established some mechanisms such as funds for offsetting financial shortages, contingency funds for government guarantees, and guarantees for minimum revenue. According to CZ Slovakia Vietnams general director, Nguyen Trong Mai Lam, the investors hard work and efforts are coming to fruition with the construction progress on track for the grand opening in April 2020 to offer a flexible, modern, and exceptional working environment in the prestigious location of Ho Chi Minh City. Attracting a client such as The Executive Centre only underlines the commitment to deliver top quality office buildings, Lam said. Friendship Tower delivers 13,700sq.m of leasable office space at a prime location in Ho Chi Minh City As a premium flexible workspace provider in the Asia-Pacific, The Executive Centre is proud to secure our 2nd location in Ho Chi Minh City with a reputable international property developer, CZ Slovakia. Given the tight supply situation in Ho Chi Minh City and the lack of premium Grade A buildings, we are excited to see the completion of Friendship Tower, said Yvonne Lim, managing director Southeast Asia of The Executive Centre. Overlooking the US and French consulates from its 21 above-ground floors with four basements housing building technology and offering parking for tenants, the building has 18 floors dedicated to office functions, while it also provides a conference centre and F&B outlets. With its corporate-oriented yet vibrant architectural design and prominent location, Friendship Tower is going to be an iconic element of the city centre skyline. The Executive Centre always takes our members feedback into consideration when fitting out a new centre. We factor in the wellness and comfort of our members at the same time, keeping our premium fit-out together with our experienced and dedicated team, we are confident to set a new benchmark in the flexible workspace environment with the opening of Friendship Tower, added Yvonne Lim. Moreover, Tu Thi Hong An, associate director and head of commercial leasing at Savills Vietnam, commented that Savills was pleased to become an exclusive leasing agency with CZ Slovakia to introduce Friendship Tower to customers. We are very happy to congratulate The Executive Centre for becoming the first tenant in Friendship Tower which has a strategic location, good quality space and facilities, said An. Established in 1993 CZ Slovakia is mainly engaged in real estate development in the Slovakian and foreign real estate markets. CZ Slovakias portfolio of activities includes the implementation of office buildings, residential complexes, shopping zones, as well as industrial complexes. The CZ Slovakia brand has had several successful investments. The experience the company has acquired throughout the years of its existence provides it with a reliable basis for continuous expansion. Currently, the company is implementing several real estate projects in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. The Executive Centre opened its doors in Hong Kong in 1994 and today boasts over 130+ centres in 32 cities and 14 countries. It is the third largest serviced office business in Asia with the annual turnover in excess of $200 million. The Executive Centre caters to ambitious professionals and industry leaders looking for more than just an office space they are looking for a place for their organisation to thrive It has cultivated an environment designed for success with a global network spanning Greater China, Southeast Asia, North Asia, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and Australia, with sights to go further and grow faster. Each Executive Centre offers a prestigious address with the advanced infrastructure to pre-empt, meet, and exceed the needs of its members. Walking with members through every milestone and achievement, The Executive Centre empowers ambitious professionals and organisations to succeed. Privately-owned and headquartered in Hong Kong, TEC provides first class Private and Shared Workspaces, Business Concierge Services, and Meeting & Conference facilities to suit any business' needs. For more information, please visit : executivecentre.com. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during a dialogue with laborers in the central region Besides, this will also be an opportunity for trade union members and workers to receive the message sent by the Government to laborers nationwide on the occasion of the 2019 Workers Month. The meeting once again shows the care of the Government, employers and the social community for workers, affirming that trade union organizations always stand side by side and ensure better welfares for laborers in the context of the Party, State and Government striving to improve the quality of human resources, especially high-skilled human resources, to meet new development requirements. With the theme High-tech workers a driving force for national development, the forum will focus on five major issues, including enterprises policies for high-tech workers, localities policies in developing highly skilled human resources, proposals of workers and high-tech laborers to the Government in issuing policies to motivate their development, what normal laborers should do to become high-tech workers, and aspirations of highly skilled workers in order to further contribute to the development of businesses, localities and the country. The May 2 session of Vietnam Private Sector Economic Forum 2019 on tourism Private sector considers visa a roadblock to tourism In the morning on May 2, at the session about tourism in the Vietnam Private Sector Economic Forum 2019, travel enterprises and functional authorities have discussed the barriers to development to attract 17-20 million international visitors by 2020. During the discussion, visa emerged as one of the major roadblocks to private sector representatives. In his keynote opening speech for the session, Ngo Van Tuan, vice chairman of the Central Economic Commission, affirmed that 99 per cent of travel enterprises are from the private sector. Tourism is a wide economic sector and needs to be developed as a key economic sector to boost the development of each region. Truong Tan Son, representative from Saigontourist, said that to develop tourism in Vietnam, the country should extend its visa exemption policy to more countries or even consider individuals. Vietnam should have a clear orientation to become a resting or shopping heaven. "We can also actively issue 5-10 year visas for some special markets or high-income people and their relatives who travel frequently, said Truong Tan Son. Sharing the idea, Pham Ha, director of Luxury Travel Vietnam Co., Ltd., also suggested that Vietnam should extend visa exemption from the current 15 to 30 days or longer. "I suggest giving visa exemptions to as many countries as possible. Indonesia has given up visa for 169 countries. Vietnam is a peaceful and friendly country, but has yet to give up visas," Ha said. Bringing the example of South Koreas visa policy, Dinh Viet Phuong, deputy general director of Vietjet, said that the number of Vietnamese people travelling to Korea has increased sharply after Korea began giving out five-year visas to Vietnamese nationals. Response from government authorities Vietnam currently gives exemption to 13 nations, including the Russian Federation, Japan, Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Belarus, and for members of the Board of Secretary of the ASEAN, as well as allows e-visa applications for citizens of 80 countries. However, according to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung, even as 10 million Vietnamese people travel abroad each year, they still face many difficulties in applying for visa, even in countries that enjoy visa exemption when entering Vietnam. "Therefore, when developing a visa-related policy, we have to ensure the rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens," Dung said. Nguyen Thi Huong Lan, deputy director of the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed that visa exemption is not the linchpin of the Vietnamese tourism market. Huong Lan also quoted that according to a report from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the growth rate of visitors from countries like the US or Canada is higher than countries that enjoy visa exemption. She also rejected the idea that Vietnam's visa ranking affects the competitiveness of its tourism industry. Huong Lan also said that visa is one of the criteria to assess openness to the world, but does not fully decide the competitiveness of a country. For example, countries such as Spain, Japan or the US have high competitiveness in tourism, although their visa policies are not too open. Nguyen Van Thong, deputy director of the National Web Portal on Immigration under the Ministry of Public Security, agreed with Nguyen Thi Huong Lan and said that visa is not a major criteria for tourists to choose on a holiday destination. Van Thong also affirmed that visa application procedures in Vietnam are simple and only take three days. Along with that, the National Web Portal on Immigration would consult with the Ministry of Public Security to amend and supplement some articles in immigration law No.47/2014/QH13 to create more conditions for foreigners to enter Vietnam. Arguing about visa exemption The tourism session at the Vietnam Private Sector Economic Forum 2019 continued with prolonged arguments from other private sector representatives. Luong Hoai Nam, deputy CEO of Vietstar Airlines Multirole Corporation (VSA), a member of the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), gave the example that Thailand welcomed a million Vietnamese tourists in 2018. If Thailand did not provide visa exemption, how many Vietnamese people would have gone to Thailand? Nam said, making a case for visa being an important part of the travel policies of major countries. According to Nam, the group of rich customers, who are not from the 13 countries enjoying visa exemption in Vietnam, asked why Vietnam does not extend its policy to them when countries like Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia have already done so. In addition, Kenneth Atkinson, chairman of Grant Thornton Vietnam, said that the government need to make information related to visa more transparent. He thought that websites and policies disseminating information are hard to find. Visitors to Vietnam find it difficult to seek out information and the result of their visa application. To balance ideas at the session, Nguyen Quoc Ky, CEO of Vietravel, proposed that Vietnam needs a flexible visa policy. Ky also pointed out the disadvantages in exempting visa for 13 countries, saying, Some of the countries which enjoy visa exemption provide hardly any visitors or the exemption has not increased their tourism market share. While other countries that already show good growth without visa exemption could be accelerated even further. Therefore, it is necessary to amend the visa policy. Acknowledging the recommendations from private travel and airline enterprises, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung affirmed that the ministry will always stand on the side of the tourism industry, continue to listen and build new policies, creating favourable conditions for international tourists to enter Vietnam. With a planned vision towards 2030, Quang Ninh authorities have set out a strategy to become the most developed tourism hotspot in all of Southeast Asia Quang Ninh has been viewed as a massive construction site, with hundreds of traffic facility projects being deployed. Dozens of milllions of US dollars have been poured into particular ventures, contributing to the strong breakthrough socio-economic development of the northeastern region. The most significant of those are three critical transport initiatives with total investment over VND20 trillion ($869.56 million) which commenced last year. These consist of the Van Don International Airport, Halong International Cruise Port, and Halong-Van Don Highway. The three modern large-scale developments, with investment from outside the national budget under the public-private partnership model, are bringing positive effects to the appearance of Quang Ninhs transport infrastructure. Continuing the momentum of development, this month Quang Ninh commenced Van Don-Mong Cai Highway project with the total investment of VND11.2 trillion (nearly $487 million). The route will join the highway expanding through Halong, Haiphong, Hanoi, and Lao Cai, reaching the Mong Cai border gate and forming the road network connecting Vietnams northern provinces to the Chinese provinces. Nguyen Duc Long, Chairman of the Quang Ninh Peoples Committee, said modern transport facilities consisting of standardised road, sea, and air systems have brought Quang Ninh a new appearance and development potential. The province currently has the Halong-Van Don and Van Don-Mong Cai highways in development, and Van Don International Airport is already being in operation, thus ensuring the province will soon become the first in Vietnam to enjoy world-class and modern standardised tourism facilities. This is also the foundation for Quang Ninh to further develop into an international tourism centre, and become the most developed tourism hotspot in the country and the Southeast Asian region, as proposed in the master plan for tourism development of Quang Ninh until 2020, with a vision towards 2030. Long said, By 2030, Quang Ninh will have finished investing in almost 200 kilometres of highways, contributing to a tenth of the countrys total length of highways. Along with investing into transport facilities connecting industrial zones, economic zones, and border gates, Quang Ninh will also develop the inner provincial infrastructure utilities, providing the foundation to connect and develop the economy of the whole northern region of Vietnam. CONFIDENT INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION With several recent international events being organised in Quang Ninh, the province has established itself worthy as a destination to reside in. The APEC Senior Policy about Sustainable Tourism Conference in 2017 and the ASEAN Tourism Forum emphasised the importance of heritage connection. At the forum this year, Nguyen Trung Khanh, general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, noted that Quang Ninh is and will be developing quickly with several critical facility projects in the pipeline. Aside from that, there are several investment incentive policies attracting many big corporations, changing the appearance of the province. Specifically, by successfully hosting two other major events of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 and the Closing Ceremony of National Tourism Year 2018, Quang Ninh has proved its position among delegates and international visitors. In the foreseeable future, Quang Ninh needs to take advantage of this potential to enhance its tourism, to prove itself to be a worthy destination for living, and becoming one of the top tourist attractions of Asia. 2018 marked huge successes for the National Tourism Year of Halong-Quang Ninh. Last years statistics are clear proof of that development. The total number of tourists to Quang Ninh in 2018 was 12.2 million, around 102 per cent higher than expectations, and up 24 per cent on-year. Among those, 5.2 million were international tourists, a 22.1 per cent compared to the previous year. The total revenue from tourism was VND23.6 trillion (over $1 billion), up 28.1 per cent on-year. Meanwhile, the budget of the province received VND2.75 trillion ($119.56 million), accounting for 9 per cent of domestic receivables of Quang Ninh. Particularly, at the end of December last year, Quang Ninh welcomed its 15 millionth tourist on the five-star Celebrity Millennium Cruise of Royal Caribbean at Halong International Cruise Port. With the tremendous potential from the surrounding nature, Quang Ninh has a huge advantage for tourism, being an international class destination. Aside from the already famous Halong Bay, other destinations in Quang Ninh such as Dong Trieu, Uong Bi, Van Don, Co To, and Mong Cai are also considered as part of the momentum-building for tourism development of the province. These areas still have the potential to creating more value and retain tourists in the region for longer, and consequently encourage tourism revenue. In its plan of sustainable and effective tourism development, Quang Ninh has determined to boost the value chain connection in tourism products. Focus is placed on developing local products in seaside and island tourism, spiritual tourism, biodiversity, recreational activities, local workshops and integrated conferences, forums, and team-building events. Several new projects with high investment volume have been launched, including the Halong Sun World Park complex, the Sun Carnival Plaza seaside square, the Sun Premier Village seaside resort. Also available to travellers are the provincial marketplace, exhibition, cultural museum and library complex, Tuan Chau International Cruise Port, and the 5,000-seater venue inside the Northeastern Sport Centre. All of these facilities have contributed to a new style of tourism for Quang Ninh thanks to their world-class recreational products and services. Along with the standardised development of facilities and launch of many hotel chains, world-class resorts, and parks, there is a huge opportunity for the development of tourism in Quang Ninh. According to Pham Ngoc Thuy, director of the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism, the province needs to continue pushing for strategic development in the tourism industry of the region, focussing on the potential markets with high spend such as Japan, South Korea, Russia, Europe, and China. At the same time, the province must innovate and improve delivery of the provinces image to international visitors with modern technology and professional execution, creating a brand of Quang Ninhs tourism centred on Halong Bay. It must also focus on improving human resources to respond to the high demand in the near future. Quang Ninh is now the destination for world-class events, said Thuy. Over the past few years, the province has welcomed many domestic and international businesses, investors, and visitors. This proves the professionalism in organisation, the efficiency of the transport system, and shows that other facilities are more than adequate enough to host global events. With a strong track record in choosing investors with both potential and responsibility, Quang Ninh is confident that its tourism can become and remain an international destination, stepping into a new cycle of success. Dang Tuyet Dung, country manager for Visa Vietnam and Laos Why did you choose university students as the target audience of your financial literacy education programme? Visa believes the most important financial tool is not a product it is knowledge. That is why Visa has been developing financial literacy programmes that teach individuals, especially university students. The first reason is that we consider students as the ambassadors of change, and a key factor that will make a lasting impact on the programmes development in Vietnam. These are the people that will shape the country over the coming years, and as such, it is vital that they learn these skills. Second, the growth of electronic payments is exciting because it benefits everyone by giving them access to faster, more convenient, and more secure ways to pay. Especially, there is huge enthusiasm amongst the Vietnamese youth about technology, and many are shopping online regularly. We expect that, by the time 2020 rolls around, they will already be well accustomed to using electronic payments in their everyday lives. Our Practical Money Skills takes a holistic approach to teaching students about budgeting, saving, and spending, and within this approach we help them understand the various financial tools that are at their disposal. Students, the young generation, are the pioneers who are willing to study, explore, and experiment with the new. With their open mind, they are always ready to experience and share their knowledge with the community. Through the programme, we look forward to seeing students creativity in coming up with ways to spread knowledge and skills widely. The resources for the programme, therefore, are intended not only for university students, but also parents, teachers, students, and consumers of all ages. The materials have the capacity to provide spill-over effects throughout families, workplaces, and educational institutions. Why did you choose this year to expand the topics that the programme touches on? While many of the fundamentals of financial management do not change, new challenges are always emerging that can trip up even the most financially-savvy consumers. The way people conduct commerce has changed substantially over the last few years, with the rise of e-commerce and mobile commerce, mobile wallets, and so on. With so many young people going online to do their shopping, this year, we have added some new subjects to the programme, like staying safe when shopping online and navigating contracts. It is important that they have the skills to manage their finances and spending in all of Vietnams increasingly diverse commercial scenarios. This change is particularly noticeable in Vietnam, where many have transitioned from only using cash straight into using their smartphones to pay for online purchases, and card payments play a larger role in the day-to-day lives of consumers. The fact is, many high school students now own smartphones and are engaging in digital commerce by the time they graduate. This means they are using sensitive details online in the process of purchasing things. We are in a world now where young people need to concern themselves with more than just knowing how to budget and save, and as such, we wanted the programme to reflect these changes. The Vietnamese government is stressing the need to empower younger Vietnamese generations with the necessary financial knowledge as part of its drive to build out a cashless economy. The initiative has drawn in major private sector players, such as Visa whose much-enlarged financial literacy programme for university students entered its eighth edition this year. Does the government support Visa in this advocacy for students? How can you evaluate the practical and effective impacts of the programme? The Central Committee of Vietnam Student Association (CCVSA) is a government organisation, so the government does support this work on a very direct basis. Accordingly, Visa partnering with the CCVSA launched the financial literacy programme to educate students and prevent their money from burning a hole in their pockets. Our 2019 Practical Money Skills programme was expanded in scope to include new topics that address the economic challenges faced by young people today. We have also had government representatives attend many of our events, such as the State Bank of Vietnam. We are incredibly grateful for the support that we have been shown with this programme. Furthermore, at Visa, we are consistently working with the government, our banking partners, merchants, and the public to provide useful education about banking, electronic payments, and spending wisely. What are the underlying motivations of Visa in running the financial literacy programme for eight consecutive years now? Visa believes that the ability to manage ones personal finances is one of the most important skills a person can learn. Visa is committed to advancing financial literacy in local communities, with the assistance and support of financial institutions, NGOs, and policymakers. Ultimately, Visa seeks to provide education that will assist people to achieve sustainable financial stability and security. What kind of activities can the students take part in to promote financial literacy? Students are free to use their creativity with virtually any medium or method to promote financial literacy. In the past we have seen students create videos, develop posters, run forums and debates, and incorporate music there are so many ways to approach the topic, and we look forward to seeing how students work with the subject matter. This years programme the eighth annual installment specifically focuses on addressing frivolous spending, under the theme chay tui (literally, wallet on fire, similar to the English phrase money burns a hole in my pocket). In addition to the core areas of responsible budgeting, saving, and spending, this years programme also addresses some emerging areas of concern like ensuring security while shopping online, what to be aware of when signing contracts, and managing credit to avoid unsustainable debt. The format of the programme this year sees teams of three students across the country develop plans to help promote financial literacy among their peers. Teams are encouraged to engage the help of advisors, such as lecturers, business people or student leaders, in the development and execution of their programme. In the second round of the programme, the seven best teams with the best proposals will receive funding to put their plans into action. Teams will record the results of their activities, and the top five teams will be chosen to present them at a grand finale held in Hanoi, for the chance to win a number of attractive prizes. The programmes launch coincides with the release of an online Chay Tui Prevention Toolkit, which the students can draw on for inspiration for their projects. The kit includes eight useful tools such as: the Impulse Extinguisher to be sprayed in case of reckless spending; the Lie-Spotting Flashlight to help you be contract-savvy; and the Privacy Mask to help protect personal information when making online transactions, to name a few. A range of programme resources are available on the programmes Facebook page, Instagram, and YouTube to teach students the basic concepts of spending responsibly while learning to save and budget wisely. So if I can give advice to the students, it would be this: while creativity is obviously great, they need to make sure that their ideas are also practical and can reach large numbers of people. How does this programme help the government in achieving its 2020 goal preparing the society to substantially reduce cash usage? In Vietnam, the main barriers to going cashless are awareness and acceptance. As cash is still prevalent, not all people are used to new payment methods. Vietnam cannot become a cashless society if the Vietnamese people are not ready. The most important thing that we can do is to equip students and the general population with the knowledge needed to navigate the changing economy and manage their finances accordingly. Visa is the worlds leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable, and secure payment network enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive. Our companys relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. In Vietnam, we are committed to working with our banking clients, merchants, and the government to expand access to electronic payments and introduce new payment technologies that will benefit all Vietnamese people. In addition, as the government plans to turn Vietnam into a cashless society, financial literacy is becoming more and more critical. Visas investment in the programme including our long-term partnership with the CCVSA demonstrates the companys commitment to further enhancing the financial literacy of the Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese stock market was hit strongly in Monday morning's trade as financial stocks, especially insurers, suffered from profit-taking pressure. The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange dipped 1.34 per cent to close at 961.09 points. The VN-Index fell total 0.56 per cent last week. More than 86.7 million shares were traded on the southern bourse, worth VND1.7 trillion (US$73.4 million). Market trading condition was negative with 234 declining stocks versus 55 gainers. Financial and banking firms were the major factor that pulled the market down. Insurance companies were the worst-performing stocks as Bao Viet Holdings (BVH) lost 5.3 per cent, sending the sector index down 4.5 per cent, data on vietstock.vn showed. Securities firms and banks contributed to dragging the two sector indices down 2.3 per cent and 0.9 per cent, respectively. Other industries that also saw shares declined strongly included petroleum, food and beverage, retail, plastics and chemicals. Large-cap stocks in the VN30 basket also underperformed, pulling the large-cap index down 1.50 per cent to 882.00 points. Twenty-seven of the 30 largest stocks by market capitalisaton in the VN30 basket declined while only one advanced. On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index fell 1.09 per cent to end at 105.71 points. The HNX-Index dropped 0.55 per cent last week. Nearly 30 million shares were traded on the northern market, worth VND320 billion. The afternoon trading session starts at 1pm. Cambodian journalist Aun Pheap used to be a dedicated reporter. He would chase stories for The Cambodia Daily, a local independent paper, and write articles that government officials, businessmen and other powerful players would rather not see published. Things radically changed in May 2017 when he and his Canadian colleague, Zsombor Peter, an associate editor at the paper, went to Ratanakkiri in the kingdom's north to report on the only commune in the province in which the opposition party had won a commune chief position in 2012. They wanted to assess whether and how the situation had changed, and find out whether villagers would most likely vote for the opposition party again during the commune elections in June 2017. While they were reporting, though, authorities ordered them to leave, saying the two lacked permission to be there. Insisting on their right of press freedom, the two continued to do their job. 'Just exercising our rights' "We [were] just exercising our rights. We are reporters, so we are not required to submit our letter with the authorities," Aun Pheap told VOA. Aun Pheap said he suspected that local authorities had long been unhappy with stories he reported about illegal logging. Aun Pheap and Peter had won the 2017 Excellence in Investigative Reporting award from the Society of Publishers for an investigation into the military's involvement in illegal trade. In August 2017, they were charged with incitement. Aun Pheap left the country a few weeks later and has not returned. Seeking asylum in US After spending five months in Thailand, where the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, recognized him as a refugee, Aun Pheap went to the United States. His asylum application is pending, he said. Reflecting on press freedom in Cambodia, Aun Pheap described the situation in the country as dire. "If someone criticizes the government, then they use a trick. They say, 'Oh, this newspaper has no professional [attitude],' then they shut it down. So now there is not any independent newspaper in Cambodia," he said. The Cambodia Daily was forced to shut down. Its rival, The Phnom Penh Post, was sold to an investor with ties to the government. Additionally, more than 30 radio stations went off the air, and journalists were arrested. In the World Press Freedom Index, the country fell to a rank of 143 out of 180 countries. Many commentators attributed what they termed a crackdown on the free press to national elections held last July, and Aun Pheap said not much has changed since then. "The government still puts pressure, still intimidates the local people if they want to give opinions," he said. Asked how he foresaw developments over the next few years, Aun Pheap said he didn't believe the situation would improve. "Worse. It's going [to become] worse. Worse and worse," he said. "I don't think it's going [to be] better, because the prime minister, Hun Sen, right now, he's still running the government. And after he becomes old, he plans to transfer the power to his son. So if the power is going to his son, nothing changes. ... I have no hope that Cambodia is going to be better in the future." Huy Vannak, a government official at the Interior Ministry and head of the Union of Journalist Federations of Cambodia, said journalists enjoyed press freedom as long as they remained professional. "[For example], they keep using the word, when they refer to the royal government of Cambodia, they call it, 'Hun Sen regime,' " he said. "It is rude. ... For Cambodian culture, it is immoral, it is hate speech and it is incitement." 'Clampdown' on journalism The Committee to Protect Journalists' Southeast Asia representative, Shawn Crispin, described the charges against Aun Pheap in the context of an "ongoing clampdown on free media and independent journalists." In an email to VOA, Crispin said, "The incitement charges filed against him and his colleague aimed to stifle reporting on the now-banned political opposition. The charges are bogus and underscore the lack of judicial independence under Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party." Huy Vannak rejected the accusations and said it was merely a matter of respecting other people's rights. "Your freedom has a border. I don't think you can use your freedom to violate dignity," he said. By way of example, he said that calling Hun Sen, who lost an eye in a battle during the 1970s, a "one-eyed prime minister" was "immoral" and did not fall under press freedom. On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, an English news website was launched Friday to help revive the stifled independent media landscape in Cambodia. "[We] established [it] because we saw the lack of independent media platforms in Cambodia that provide very independent information to the people living outside Cambodia, especially the international community," said Nop Vy, director of the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, or CCIM. Until recently, Voice of Democracy's news website was written in the Cambodian language, Khmer. VOD, which published a few articles recently, hopes to fill in the gap left behind by independent news outlets that were forced to close or were sold over the past few years, Nop Vy added. Independent newspaper The Cambodia Daily was forced to shut down in September 2017 when faced with a tax bill of $6.3 million. Additionally, Radio Free Asia closed its doors in Phnom Penh, citing pressure from the government, 30 radio stations were taken off air, and the last English independent daily newspaper, The Phnom Penh Post, was sold in May of last year. With a new team of five to seven people, including reporters and editors, Nop Vy said he hoped the website could play "the role as the watchdog in order to monitor the actions of the government" that had previously been performed by other outlets. This, he said, would contribute to good governance and democracy in the country. Nop Vy said he aimed to generate income for the Khmer website and activities of CCIM in general, to which VOD belongs.Shawn Crispin, Southeast Asia representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists, welcomed the creation of the English website. "Cambodia's press freedom situation has deteriorated significantly in recent years due to government harassment and threats," he said in an email. "[Cambodian Prime Minister] Hun Sen's government clearly sees free media as a threat to his consolidation of an unchallenged one-party state." 'Immoral' articles Government official Huy Vannak, who simultaneously serves as undersecretary of state at the Interior Ministry and head of the Union of Journalist Federations of Cambodia, denied the accusation. He said press freedom was "open and wide" and that journalists who complained about a lack thereof misunderstood the concept of freedom of expression. "I think they want to use freedom for hate speech; they want to use freedom for incitement," he said. Journalists who said they felt they could not report freely often wrote "immoral" articles, he said, by harming other people's or government officials' dignity such as calling Cambodia's government the "Hun Sen regime." "If they have good intentions, and if they practice professionalism, they can do whatever [they want to do]," he said. "But the point is people misunderstand how to exercise their freedom." 'Huge gap' filled Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, echoed CPJ's assessment. He said that while the new program "really fills a huge gap in reporting," this was likely not a permanent solution. "Sadly, the big question is not if but rather when the Cambodian government decides to go after VOD and its reporters," Robertson told VOA by email. "Freedom of the press is still an endangered species in Hun Sen's Cambodia. Diplomats should be telling the Cambodian government to respect media freedom and end the persecution of RFA, VOD, and other independent media," Robertson added. The CCIM's Nop Vy said his organization attempted to prevent this from happening by building a "mutual understanding between the government and the independent journalists." Hippos are helping to rejuvenate African rivers and lakes. Scientists say the animal's nutrient-rich dung makes them vital to the health of the aquatic ecosystem. But the researchers also warn that the dwindling hippo population could prove harmful to those waterways. VOAs Deborah Block takes us to Kenya where the scientists did their latest research. Coffee and a pastry covered in chocolate, honey and almonds or a savory bean stew sandwich with juice or a fizzy drink. What you have for breakfast has come to symbolize the divisions in Libya where regions, tribes, armed groups and towns with different traditions have been vying for power since Moammar Gadhafi was toppled in 2011. An assault by eastern forces allied to Khalifa Haftar on Tripoli last month has all but wrecked U.N.-backed efforts for a peace deal between the rival factions. And the breakfast choice has become part of the language of the conflict, and such an inflammatory subject that several cafes in Tripoli would not allow Reuters to discuss it with clients. The capital's urban elites love a pastry called "baryoush" some people say the word is related to "brioche" which the Italian colonial rulers introduced with coffee and cappuccinos. The cosmopolitan crowd looks down on the bean dish called "fasouliyah," favored by easterners. It is sometimes served with egg and is similar to breakfast dishes in other Arab countries. "Baryoush stands for Tripoli, for sophisticated life," said Tripoli accountant Mohamad Salah. "We are urban, in the east tribes dominate, their cloth is different." The easterners refer to the Tripoli residents as "baryoush," or urban softies who are poor fighters. "I visit Tripoli regularly for work. ... When we discuss politics and someone feels he is losing the argument he starts provoking me with fasouliya," said Omar al-Zaiyani, a resident of the eastern city of Benghazi. "I often hit back using baryoush." At an anti-Haftar rally last month in Tripoli, several protesters waved croissant in the air as they chanted. One protester, university lecturer Abdulmalik Essofrani, said the baryoush showed that locals were "sophisticated, cafe-goers ... strong and united in their resolve to fight and drive back the attacking force." A spokesman for Haftar's Libyan National army mocked the demonstrators in a news conference afterward. "A baryoush. Is that now the most important thing?" Ahmed Mismari said, describing the person distributing the pastries as a "terrorist." The easterners also complain that the reference reminds them of the years of Gaddafi, who they say created jobs in the west but punished the east for dissent with neglect. Mary Fitzgerald, who has researched Libya since 2011, said although it was a "tongue in cheek" issue, it symbolized the battle lines in the conflict. "It reflects how the polarization caused by years of conflict has deepened ideas of identity along city or regional lines," said Fitzgerald. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. He departs on Sunday just hours after President Donald Trump threatened to boost tariffs on Chinese imports amid the slow pace of trade negotiations. Despite an apparent internal administration disconnect over Russia's role in the crisis in Venezuela, Pompeo plans to make Moscow's support for embattled President Nicolas Maduro a major theme of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday in Finland, where they will both attend a meeting of the Arctic Council. "I'll certainly bring up Venezuela," Pompeo said Sunday. "It will be one of many topics that Foreign Minister Lavrov and I speak about. Whether there is a particular deal that can be reached, only time will tell." The Arctic Council meeting itself is likely to be dominated by concerns about the Trump administration's climate policies that many believe are focused solely on exploiting its resources and pushing back on Russia and China for strategic and security reasons at the expense of the region's delicate environment. Huawei Expansion At his next stops in Germany and Britain, officials said Pompeo would sound the alarm over Chinese tech giant Huawei's efforts to expand into Europe, reiterating U.S. concerns that China's government could use the firm to get access to private personal and commercial data and compromise NATO and allied intelligence operations. In Berlin in meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, the officials said he would again highlight opposition to Germany's support for the Russian-backed NordStream 2 gas pipeline that Washington believes will increase Europe's energy dependence on Russia. In London, where British Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt are struggling to grapple with an impasse over Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, Pompeo plans to deliver a speech extolling the virtues of the "special relationship" between the U.S. and the U.K. Officials said he would also be laying the groundwork for Trump's state visit to Britain this summer and renewing America's interest in sealing a U.S.-U.K. trade agreement once Brexit has been completed. Involvement in Venezuela Pompeo will see Lavrov in Rovaniemi, Finland on Monday, following a week in which he and Trump national security adviser John Bolton ramped up criticism of Russia and Cuba for propping up Maduro in the face of a U.S.-backed challenge to his leadership from opposition leader Juan Guaido. But the meeting also comes just three days after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a lengthy telephone call about the state of relations following the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Trump has rejected any suggestion that his campaign colluded with Russia or tried to obstruct the investigation. But he also dialed back on Pompeo and Bolton's Venezuela complaints, saying Putin didn't want to get involved in Venezuela. Pompeo disputed the apparent discrepancy in interviews with three morning television talk shows on Sunday, saying that both Cuba and Russia both need to leave Venezuela. "No, no difference. No difference. The President has said ... that the Russians must leave Venezuela," he told CBS's "Face the Nation." "We want everyone out, so that the Venezuelan people can get the democracy they deserve. That includes Mr. Maduro leaving." Other than Venezuela, U.S. officials said Pompeo would also raise with Lavrov Russia's intervention in Syria and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, subjects of perennial discussion with Moscow. Climate and the Arctic Council On the Arctic, officials said Pompeo would stress the administration's insistence on using the forum to promote U.S. economic growth despite risks to the region. Trump announced his intention to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate accord in one of his first foreign policy decisions as president and Pompeo acknowledged to ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that American negotiators had fought to remove references to the Paris agreement from the Arctic Council's final communique that is to be released on Tuesday. Officials said Pompeo would laud U.S. reductions in greenhouse gas emissions despite leaving the Paris agreement, although critics argue those reductions are the result of policies enacted before Trump took office and could be reversed. At the same time, officials said Pompeo would reject Chinese attempts to play any kind of decision-making role in the Arctic Council, a group that includes as full members only the eight nations that border the region. Chinese officials have recently begun referring to their country as a "near Arctic'' state, a term that has alarmed Americans and others. Arctic policy will also be a focus of Pompeo's final stop of the trip, Greenland, where he will meet U.S.-funded scientists and others engaged in studying the impact of climate change in the region. China says its negotiators are preparing to travel to the United States for their next round of trade talks this week, even after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened higher tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese goods after he complained the process is taking too long. Trump's comments about the new tariffs on Twitter on Sunday sent Asian stocks and U.S. futures tumbling Monday and added uncertainty over the figure of U.S.-China trade negotiations. Despite the market drop, China's official media stayed silent on Trump's comments all morning. Hours later, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that China is "trying to get more information" about Trump's comments about new tariffs but stressed that Beijing's negotiating team is still preparing to travel to the U.S. for talks this week. "The tweet is a big wrench in China's foreign trade policy," Nick Marro, aalyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU) told VOA. "There were a lot of expectations that at least the groundwork for a deal will be finalized this week," he said, explaining why Beijing should be upset by the new threat. Tweet with teeth In his tweet issued on Sunday, Trump said he would increase tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent on Friday. This would mark a reversal of a decision Washington took last February to keep it at 10 percent in the midst of trade talks. "The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!," Trump said expressing dissatisfaction about the pace of trade negotiations and what he considers Chinese attempt to renegotiate some aspects of the proposed deal. WATCH: Trade talks U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Monday confirmed that tariffs will be imposed Friday. He and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters Trump had learned over the weekend that Chinese officials "were trying to go back on some of the language'' that had been negotiated in 10 earlier rounds of talks. They did not offer details. Trump also said that his policy of hiking taxes on Chinese goods had paid dividends. "These payments are partially responsible for our great economic results," he said. He went further saying another $325 billion of Chinese goods which "remain untaxed" will be taxed at 25 percent. He did not specify a timeline for making this change. Unaffected stance In its response Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed hope there is no change in the situation and the two countries will continue to strive for an end to the trade war. "What is of vital importance is that we still hope the United States can work hard with China to meet each other half way, and strive to reach a mutually beneficial, win-win agreement on the basis of mutual respect," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng said. What the ministry did not clarify is whether China would send the same envoy, Vice Premier Liu He, as head of the official delegation as originally planned. Echoing China's confidence that trade talks would not be disrupted by Trump's tweet, Shanghai based expert Shen Dingli said, "China and the U.S. have big and overlapping stakes in bilateral trade. They will overcome any difficulties for a successful outcome of the trade talks." The tweet has also made it difficult for Chinese President Xi to make a proposed China-U.S. deal acceptable to his domestic audience. Xi does not want to be seen as being bulled into accepting a deal by the U.S., Nick Marro said. "It has shattered the potential optics around the deal. The tweet makes the deal look like China has no choice but to listen to the U.S." Dingli sees nothing odd about Trump's use of tweet as a foreign policy instrument although this aspect has been widely criticized in some circles. "America does not have a propaganda department like the Chinese government. Therefore, Trump has invented something that is good for him," Dingli said. "A competent propaganda department has made China powerful. My President does not need to use his own account in WeChat [Chinese social media app] to communicate," he said. Washington and Beijing have engaged in reciprocal tariff hikes over the last year while negotiators have engaged in lengthy trade talks, alternating negotiations between the two capitals. Despite an initial goal of finishing by March 1, the two countries have continued to debate several issues, but have yet to complete a deal. Both sides, representing the world's two biggest economies, have said progress is being made. The two countries have been trying to resolve disputes over intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers. It is not clear whether the tariffs both countries have imposed will remain in place if an agreement is reached. China objected Monday to the passage of two U.S. warships near disputed islands in the South China Sea. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the warships entered the waters without Chinese permission. He said the warships had violated China's sovereignty, while also harming peace, security "and good order in the relevant seas." China has expanded its control over much of the South China Sea in recent years, building military bases and airstrips on tiny islands and reefs. The United States and its allies have responded with freedom of navigation exercises near Beijing's disputed claims to ensure that China does not block sea and air traffic Reuters quoted a U.S. military spokesman saying the vessels were involved in an "innocent passage" to challenge "excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways." New Delhi : Voting began Monday for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha election in 51 constituencies spread across seven states with many political bigwigs, including Rajnath Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani, being in the fray. About 8.75 crore people will decide the fate of 674 candidates in the fifth of the seven-phase elections. The Election Commission has set up 94,000 polling stations/booths and made elaborate security arrangements. Polling will be held in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Rajasthan, seven seats each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar and four in Jharkhand. In Jammu and Kashmir, polling will take place in Ladakh constituency and Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag seat. The stakes are high for the ruling BJP and its allies as it had swept 40 of these seats in 2014, leaving just two for the Congress and the rest for other opposition parties such as the Trinamool Congress (seven). With this phase, election will be over in 424 seats and polling in the remaining 118 seats will be held on May 12 and 19. The fifth phase of polling in 14 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh will see a clash of titans, including Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The BJP had bagged 12 of these seats in 2014 with the Congress winning Sonia Gandhi's Rae Bareli and Rahul Gandhi's Amethi -- the only two constituencies where the Congress succeeded out of the 80 in the entire state. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting on five seats, while its ally Samajwadi Party (SP) is fighting on seven seats. In Amethi and Rae Bareli, the SP-BSP alliance has not put up any candidate, leaving the two constituencies for the Congress. PTI U.S.-educated political veteran Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo won Panama's presidential election in a close race on Sunday, with the electoral tribunal declaring him winner by just over two percentage points. In his victory speech, Cortizo called for national unity, after winning 33.2 percent of the vote with the Central American country divided about its choice in the one-round election. "Panama won today, and today more than ever, Panama needs to join forces," the former agriculture minister told cheering supporters in the midnight speech at his campaign hotel. During the election campaign Cortizo vowed to clean up politics after the isthmus nation's image was tarnished by a corruption scandal involving Brazilian engineering firm Odebrecht, and the Panama Papers leak of millions of documents detailing tax evasion by the rich and powerful. "Panamanians don't want, or merit, and won't put up with more of the same," Cortizo added. "The chaos is over. Public funds belong to the public, and they are sacred." Cortizo takes office on July 1 and has signaled his desire to balance relations with Washington and Beijing. His nearest rival Romulo Roux received a sliver over 31 percent of the vote according to preliminary results from the electoral tribunal, with five other candidates taking the rest. Roux was reluctant to concede defeat on Sunday, saying he had found some irregularities in ballots in some voting areas. "We're really upset by the situation," Roux said, but stopped short of saying he had won. By Monday morning other countries were congratulating Cortizo for his victory, including the Mexican government. The 66-year-old's children have U.S. passports and Cortizo flies to Austin each year to watch college football team the Texas Longhorns. His daughter said her father had long dreamed of being president. Cortizo told Reuters on Sunday he was eager to improve relations with Washington. Juan Carlos Varela, the outgoing president, rankled the United States by formally establishing diplomatic ties with China, the second-largest client of the Panama Canal. Varela, who was barred by law from seeking immediate re-election, congratulated Cortizo in a call broadcast live in an apparent bid to show stability after the tight result. No election in Panama has produced such a finely-balanced outcome since the 1989 restoration of democracy that followed the U.S. invasion to topple dictator Manuel Noriega. The atmosphere was tense at the hotel where Cortizo supporters gathered to await their candidate, holding his Democratic Revolution Party's (PRD) red, white and blue flags. They broke into cheers of "Nito, Nito, Nito!" after the electoral tribunal called with the news. Roux, 54, who worked at the authority that governs the canal and was foreign minister under former president Ricardo Martinelli, posted on Twitter shots of ballot tallies he said were miscounted, as evidence of irregularities. He said he wanted to see all the tallies before accepting a result. Opinion polls ahead of the May 5 election had made Cortizo a strong favorite, but both Roux and anti-establishment candidate Ricardo Lombana performed better than forecast. Cortizo and Roux represent established parties. "In part, it's been a surprise, but in the end, the Panamanian people have made the right decision," said Tomas Vega, a PRD candidate for Congress. Iraq is expected to make a formal request to Paris for financial support for the incarceration of French Islamic State suspects sent to Baghdad from Kurdish-controlled camps in northern Syria, say diplomats. Fourteen alleged French jihadists have been sent to Baghdad for trial they are likely to be joined by dozens of other French detainees. Other Western countries are also expected to take up the option to have their nationals, currently held by U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces, sent to Iraq, thus avoiding having to repatriate them. The Iraqi government hopes to get up to $2 billion in compensation from Western countries for trying their nationals, say analysts. An estimated 1,000 Western fighters are thought to be in the custody of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who have been urging, along with U.S. officials, for Western states to repatriate them and to put them on trial in their home countries. French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged more political and financial assistance to Iraq. The French leader announced a new strategic roadmap after meeting Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi at the Elysee Palace, saying at a press conference Friday that France is ready to assist Iraq in reconstruction. The French development agency will soon set up in Baghdad with increased resources to help you, Macron announced. Financial compensation request expected Macron did not address publicly the issue of foreign IS fighters, but French officials say Abdul-Mahdi and the French president did discuss them. Baghdad has not yet submitted a financial compensation request but is expected to do shortly, acknowledge French officials. More than 3,000 foreign IS wives and their children are also being held by the Kurds, including U.S.-born Hoda Muthana, who has been barred from returning to the United States on the grounds that she has no right to American citizenship. According to the State Department, her Yemeni father held diplomatic status when she was born, a claim denied by the girls family. As many as 1,700 French nationals are estimated by French authorities as having fought alongside jihadists. About 300 are thought to have died in combat. The question of what to do with surviving foreign IS recruits especially IS brides, many of whom were teenagers when recruited has become a major international crisis, prompting diplomatic rifts amid rising concerns the recruits and their wives represent a collective security risk if left in Syria, but also individual security threats if returned to their home countries. Western governments say putting them on trial will be difficult as prosecutors will not be able to gather sufficient evidence for convictions. The Kurds have warned they cannot keep the recruits much longer. U.S. officials say there is a high risk they will escape from refugee camps and detention facilities in northeast Syria and pose a greater threat unsupervised. IS foreign recruits on trial But rights groups are alarmed by the trials of foreign IS recruits that have started to get underway in Iraq. They say the trials depend too much on circumstantial evidence and sometimes on confessions secured under torture. Meanwhile, the families of Islamic State recruits in several Western states are campaigning for their IS relatives to be repatriated to their home countries and either prosecuted or placed in a de-radicalization programs. Last month, German relatives of IS recruits demonstrated outside the foreign ministry, urging Berlin to repatriate at least the wives and children of fighters held by the Kurds. They brandished banners reading: Children are not responsible and Innocent German children will die. But last month, a legal tribunal in France dismissed appeals by families for their relatives to be re-admitted. The lawyer for one of the families seeking a Council of State ruling denounced the decision as a denial of justice. Frances interior minister, Christophe Castaner, has said there will be no communal repatriation," but French authorities will study case-by-case whether the children of French jihadist recruits should be allowed to be repatriated. Issue of children In December, a Belgian judge issued an order for the repatriation of half a dozen children under the age of six and their Belgian mothers from a Kurdish-controlled camp in northeast Syria. An estimated 160 children of Belgian origin are in Kurdish-controlled camps. There's little sympathy in their home countries for the plight of IS recruits held in northern Syria even for IS brides. The predicament of surviving young foreign IS recruits especially of the women, most of whom left as schoolgirls without family approval or prior parental knowledge has sparked a ferocious moral, political and legal debate in Britain about repatriation. Rights groups say most of the women who left Europe to join the militant groups in the Levant should be seen as victims rather than criminals, arguing many were misguided or groomed. Malaysia's attorney general said Monday that former Goldman Sachs executive Roger Ng has been temporarily extradited to the U.S. to face criminal charges linked to the alleged multibillion-dollar ransacking of state investment fund 1MDB. Ng, who was arrested in Malaysia in November, has been charged both in the U.S. and Malaysia. Attorney General Tommy Thomas said in a statement that following negotiations, Malaysia agreed to surrender Ng to the U.S. on May 3 for 10 months so that the U.S. prosecution can proceed first. Thomas said Ng will be returned to Malaysia to face charges as soon as the U.S. proceedings are over. "The period of temporary surrender may be extended upon mutual agreement by Malaysia and the U.S.," Thomas added. Malaysian and U.S. prosecutors allege that bond sales organized by Goldman Sachs for 1MDB provided a way for associates of Malaysian ex-leader Najib Razak to steal and launder billions over several years. Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009, ostensibly to accelerate Malaysia's economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the U.S. and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering. The scandal helped precipitate Najib's ouster in a historic election defeat last May. Najib himself is facing corruption charges linked to 1MDB but denies any wrongdoing. Malaysia's current government has also filed criminal charges against Goldman Sachs, Ng and another former executive, Tim Leissner, and is seeking $7.5 billion in compensation from the bank. Ng, Leissner and Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, identified by the U.S. as a mastermind of the 1MDB fraud, have also been charged in the United States. Leissner has pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiring to violate foreign bribery laws. Low, who is also wanted in Malaysia, remains at large. Palestinian officials say a cease-fire with Israel has been agreed to by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The agreement, reached with the help of Egyptian mediation, was to take effect at 01:30 UTC. So far the cease-fire seems to be holding. An exchange of rocket fire and airstrikes has killed four Israeli civilians and at least 20 Palestinians since Friday. These are the first Israeli civilian deaths from cross-border fighting since 2014. President Donald Trump says the United States supports Israel 100% as it defends its citizens from Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza. "To the Gazan people -- these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. End the violence and work toward peace -- it can happen," Trump tweeted Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the army to keep up "massive strikes" against Hamas targets in Gaza in the deadliest fighting along the border in five years. Palestinian deaths include a 14-month-old baby and her aunt killed by what Hamas calls an Israeli strike. Israeli intelligence says a misfired Palestinian rocket killed them. Neither claim could be verified. WATCH: Gaza violence Palestinian militants have shot more than 600 rockets and other missiles into Israel since Friday. Israel says the smaller military group Islamic Jihad fired the rockets, but it holds Hamas, which controls Gaza, responsible. The Israeli military says Palestinian militants have shot nearly 700 rockets from Gaza since Friday, and that Israeli forces have carried out strikes targeting 350 sites used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Israel says the smaller military group Islamic Jihad fired the rockets, but it holds Hamas, which controls Gaza, responsible. An Israeli airstrike also killed a Hamas commander, who Israel says was responsible for funneling money from Iran to the militants. The current fighting was apparently sparked when an Islamic Jihad sniper wounded two Israeli soldiers Friday. The Palestinians accuse Israel of failing to implement an Egyptian-brokered agreement to ease its blockade of Gaza in exchange for a halt in rocket attacks. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement late Sunday saying his militant group is "not interested in a new war" and says he is ready "to return to the state of calm" if Israel "immediately starts implementing understandings about a dignified life." Israeli analyst Neri Zibler told I24 News that Netanyahu does not want a war with Hamas either. "The greater good is to avoid needless wars. A war that you get into, you do not know how you will get out of it. A war that you go into and will most likely reach a conclusion and bring us back to the exact point we are in at the moment," he said. A 50-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2014 killed more than 2,200 Palestinians and left entire neighborhoods in ruins. The latest fighting comes on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and as Israel gets ready for Independence Day celebrations later this week. Israel also hosts the eagerly awaited annual Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv later this month. The newly appointed managing director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Airline (Iran Air) is on the U.S. sanctions list. Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh replaced state-owned Iran Airs first female director Farzaneh Sharafbafi on Sunday. Previously, Zanganeh was the CEO of Meraj Airline, which was established in 2010. The airline and its manager were sanctioned by the United States in 2018. According to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin those sanctioned had helped IRGC Quds Force and the Iranian regime in airlifting weapons, money and troops to help Tehrans agents in the region, including the Lebanese Hezbollah as well as Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime. Zanganeh is a retired Iranian army pilot who has served with the Iranian Air Force at Mehrabad airport for several years. Former Iran Air Manager Sharafbafi held a Ph.D. in aerospace science and led Iran Airs Training Department for many years during the 20 years she served the airline. The influential Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa, the oldest newspaper in Nicaragua, reported on Sunday that its website is suffering a large-scale cyber attack, which it described as "a direct attack on freedom of press and freedom of expression." "More than 11,000 bots per second have tried to enter the La Prensa website, in a new cyber attack to make it collapse," that newspaper, founded on 2 March 1926, said on their social networks. The massive attack began at 6:00 pm (00:00 GMT) on Friday and "after more than 24 hours of attempts the site www.laprensa.com.ni continues to operate, but slowly," the newspaper said. According to the computer manager of La Prensa, Genaro Aguilar, it is "a massive attack that is known as DDOS" and consists of generating thousands of robots or fake users who try to enter the attacked page, to block the entry to legitimate users and collapse the site. "It's an excessive amount of attempts to enter La Prensa, they are more than 11,000 requests per second, which causes that it operates slowly and cannot upload fresh news," he said. That type of attack is carried out by "paid hackers" who generate thousands of "bots" and direct them in this case to the La Prensa server, the IT manager added. For his part, the editor of the La Prensa publishing group, Jaime Chamorro Cardenal, described the cyber attack as "a direct attack on press freedom and freedom of expression." Chamorro Cardenal recalled that the government presided by the Sandinista Daniel Ortega has withheld 92 tons of paper, ink, plates, rubber, developer, and spare parts for the press, which has put the circulation of the printed version of the newspaper in danger. According to La Prensa, the Sandinista government intends that independent printed media stop circulating in Nicaragua. The retention of raw material to La Prensa in Nicaragua comes amid a sociopolitical crisis that, since April 2018, has left hundreds dead, disappeared, and imprisoned, as well as tens of thousands of exiles, mostly after protesting against President Ortega. During the crisis, several television programs disappeared, one television channel went off the air, and the National Police remained in the same place, and at least two radio stations in the city of Leon were sabotaged several times. Additionally, the famous newspaper Q'Hubo disappeared from the streets, while El Nuevo Diario, La Prensa, Metro, and Hoy reduced the number of its pages. As a result of the violence and siege by the police and pro-government fanatics, at least 68 journalists have had to leave the country, according to the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation, which between April 2018 and March 2019 also records at least 1,080 cases of violation of press freedom, including assaults, censorship, threats, and murder, among other transgressions. Nicaragua is going through a severe crisis that has left 325 dead since April 2018, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), although some groups raise to 568 the fatalities, while the Executive only recognizes 199 and decries a coup attempt. SOURCE: Panama City ACAN-EFE in Spanish, an Independent Central American press agency that is a joint concern of Panama City ACAN (Agencia Centroamericana de Noticias) and Madrid EFE Family, hundreds of friends and a military honor guard on Sunday remembered a North Carolina college student credited with saving classmates by rushing a gunman firing inside their lecture hall. Riley Howell, 21, was fatally shot Tuesday while tackling the gunman accused of killing Howell and one other person and wounding four more at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Howell has been called a hero. "A man I never knew is now a man I'll never forget," the Rev. Robert Blackburn remembered one young man's sign reading as Howell's body was returned earlier this week to his hometown in the Blue Ridge Mountains. His memorial service was held Sunday at a 1,900-seat auditorium on the grounds of a Methodist retreat on Lake Junaluska. Blackburn opened the service by asking participants to remember the horror of the shooting, pray for the other victims, and offer compassion for the family of the man arrested in the case, Trystan Andrew Terrell. Terrell, a 22-year-old former UNC-Charlotte student, has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder and other offenses in connection with the attack. A military honor guard outside the auditorium stood at attention as a trumpeter played through open doors. Howell had been enrolled in a second semester of college ROTC courses at UNC-Charlotte, though he wasn't among those pursuing a career as a military officer, said Lt. Col. Chunka Smith, who runs the school's Army ROTC program. Howell's mother received a folded American flag from a military honor guard, which came on stage during the memorial. Howell was a big-hearted, affectionate person with an adventurous streak who loved Star Wars and superhero tales, his siblings recounted. Riley "unapologetically lived as who he was" and set an example to be "bigger than the small things this world wants us to be hung up on," said his sister Iris. "My superhero doesn't wear a cape, he wears Tevas," said his brother Teddy. Before the bluegrass band Balsam Range played "I'll Fly Away," the father of Howell's high school sweetheart of five years wondered whether the young man had died saving college classmates who may have lives of high purpose. "I choose to believe that Riley knew that some things were bigger than he was, and he was right where he was supposed to be. Maybe it was to show all of us in the world that selflessness is not gone. We just don't see it enough," said Kevin Westmoreland. Young activists pressuring U.S. lawmakers to aggressively tackle climate change and reject fossil fuel company donations got their first major financial boost Monday from a foundation that wants to "amplify" the Green New Deal movement ahead of the 2020 presidential election. The Wallace Global Fund, a nonprofit that supports social movements, has given the Sunrise Movement $250,000 and committed $750,000 in grants in 2019 to Sunrise partner groups to advance the goals of the Green New Deal, a congressional resolution introduced this year by progressive Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey that has reignited the U.S. debate around climate change. The Sunrise Movement, formed in 2017, has been at the forefront of the Green New Deal movement, which calls for a 10-year, government-driven mobilization to decarbonize the economy through investments in clean energy, buildings and transportation, as well as job-retraining and social and economic justice programs. It has become a political target of President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress who call the plan socialist and radical. "They have a smart strategy around building power with the audacity of their vision," said Ellen Dorsey, executive director of the fund. "Critics belittle them and question their authenticity but they are brave and are doubling down." The WGF said it is one of the few funders to publicly back groups advocating for the Green New Deal and is working to rally others to support the youth-led activism that is putting lawmakers on notice globally. While the Sunrise Movement has been central in putting the Green New Deal in the national spotlight, young people in Europe have staged school strikes and launched civil disobedience campaigns to demand action on climate change. Dorsey said the Green New Deal follows in the footsteps of the New Deal, a sweeping public works and financial reform program created by President Franklin Roosevelt to lift the United States out of the Great Depression in the 1930s. Wallace Global Fund namesake Henry Wallace was Roosevelt's vice president. Growing the Sunrise Movement The Sunrise Movement first made waves after the 2018 midterm elections by holding a sit-in with Ocasio-Cortez outside the office of incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, demanding that Congress adopt a Green New Deal. Since then its activists have been a presence on the presidential campaign trail. "A large part of our strategy is to make sure that every candidate hears us wherever they go," said Varshini Prakash, president of the Sunrise Movement. More than half of the crowded field of Democratic contenders, including Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, Cory Booker, Jay Inslee and Pete Buttigieg said they back the resolution. Prakash said the group will use the funds to train activists around the country and partner with environmental justice, Native American and other groups. She said the group has already been effective in pressuring candidates to change their positions. Last week former Texas congressman O'Rourke announced he will no longer accept donations from fossil fuel companies or executives after months of pressure from Sunrise activists. The group's next target is likely to be former Vice President Joe Biden, who entered the presidential race in late April. Prakash said Biden has only mentioned Obama-era measures like entering the Paris Climate Agreement as climate change solutions. "We are ready and willing to call out the insufficiency of policies like that," she said. "We deserve a leader who understands the urgency of climate change." Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's one-time personal attorney and political fixer, headed to prison Monday to begin a three-year sentence, in part for helping pay off two women to keep quiet before the 2016 election about affairs they allegedly had with Trump a decade before he ran for the White House. The 52-year-old Cohen, now disbarred as a lawyer, is reporting to a minimum-security Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, 120 kilometers northwest of New York City, where he worked for Trump for more than a decade. As he left New York City, Cohen unleashed a parting shot at Trump, saying he hoped that once he completes his sentence, "the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the head of our country. There still remains much to be told. And I look forward to the day that I can share the truth." Cohen was the in-house lawyer for the Trump Organization, the real estate mogul's global business empire. After Trump entered politics, he was a regular on cable television news shows brashly defending his boss whom he once said he would "take a bullet" for. But that life fell apart as special counsel Robert Mueller and other federal prosecutors started investigating Trump and his campaign's links to Russia and whether Trump, as president, obstructed justice by trying to thwart Mueller's probe. Mueller has cleared Trump and his aides of colluding with Russia, although the prosecutor did not reach a conclusion on obstruction, even as Attorney General William Barr decided there was not enough evidence to warrant obstruction charges against the president. Cohen was mentioned in Mueller's report more than 800 times. Cohen pleaded guilty to financial crimes, allegations that he facilitated a combined $280,000 in hush money payments to two women, and also for lying to Congress about the length of time Trump was trying to reach a deal in Moscow to build a skyscraper there. Trump has long denied sexual encounters with the women. Five men in Trump's orbit have pleaded guilty or been convicted of an array of offenses and another faces a trial later this year. Among the Trump aides, Cohen's three-year term is second only to the 7.5-year sentence handed out to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was convicted of several financial crimes. For awhile after Cohen's New York offices and the hotel where he was staying were raided by federal authorities in April 2018, Trump stayed in contact with Cohen, saying he did not believe he would flip in his loyalty to Trump and turn against him. Trump called Cohen a "fine person with a wonderful family." But within months, Cohen declared that his first loyalty was to his family and his country, not Trump. Their relationship turned distinctly icy after Cohen told a congressional panel early this year that he came to realize that his long efforts putting the best light on Trump's actions and life were misguided. "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trumps illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience, Cohen testified. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat. Trump in turn called Cohen "weak" and a "rat." Washington pundits had once suggested that Trump would eventually pardon Cohen to free him from his prison term. But as Cohen headed to prison Monday, Trump, who comments on issues large and small throughout the day on Twitter, made no mention of his one-time aide. Authorities in Pakistan have arrested a group of 10 Chinese nationals for allegedly arranging fake marriages with young Pakistani girls before forcing them into prostitution in China. A senior official at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Lahore, capital of Punjab province, told reporters Monday its anti-human trafficking cell has also rounded up four Pakistani partners in the prostitution ring. Jameel Ahmed Khan said the detained foreigners, with the help of local facilitators, were primarily trapping women from poverty-stricken families of the minority Christian community in phony marriages between Chinese men and Pakistani women. The FIA officer said a female Chinese national and a fake Pakistani priest were also among the detainees. Forced into prostitution Khan noted that some members of the ring told interrogators they have sent dozens of Pakistani girls to China where they are forced into prostitution. The Chinese embassy in Islamabad has said it is cooperating with Pakistani authorities to curb the illegal activity. Chinese media reported authorities have also recently arrested some members of the network in China. Zhao Lijian, the deputy chief of the diplomatic mission, said, "And not only Chinese, there are also Pakistanis involved in this business." Lijian told local media the Chinese government has sent a task force and it is currently in Pakistan working with the Ministry of Interior as well as the FIA to try to resolve this issue. Human Rights Watch Last week, the New York-based Human Rights Watch urged Pakistan and China to take seriously increasing evidence that Pakistani women and girls are at risk of sexual slavery in China and take effective measures to end bride trafficking. The number of Chinese visiting Pakistan has dramatically increased since the launch of the bilateral multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) five years ago. The flagship pilot project of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has brought $19 billion in much-needed Chinese investment to Pakistan. Matchmaking center A mainstream Pakistani television station last month aired images of an illegal matchmaking center in Lahore housing several Chinese men and six Pakistani women, including two teenage girls, awaiting transit to China as brides. The victims told the ARY News channel their families received about $3,000 and were promised about $280 a month in future payments as well as a Chinese visa for a male family member. Americas Iran Plans Suffer from a Double-Bind The Triangle Drama of the United States, Iran, and China Starting in May, the White House hopes to extinguish Irans oil exports. However, any destabilization may prove counter-productive and cause long-term damage to the United States, the region and global prospects. For three years, the nuclear accord (JCPOA) offered Iran relief from the multilateral sanctions on energy, financial, shipping, automotive and other sectors. The shift in the U.S. policy began in late 2016, when the Congress extended the Iran Sanctions Act for a decade. That emboldened Trump's unipolar stance. But what are the immediate economic and strategic implications? Implications of three-step destabilization Regionally, Trumps stance leans on Saudi Arabia for economic and geopolitical support, as evidenced by the $110 billion arms deal with Riyadh in 2017, and reinforced security ties with Israel. The increasing convergence of the U.S., Saudi and Israeli interests in the Middle East reflects a quest for regional primacy. Initially, John Bolton, Trumps neoconservative national security advisor, urged Trump to bury the JCPOA and push for a regime change before February 2019; the 50th anniversary of the Iranian revolution. The new timeline is more flexible, but the old objectives remain. The three-step destabilization was started with the rejection of JCPOA (juridical pressure), which was followed by sanctions (to cause economic pain) that would provide the pretext for regime change (military intervention in the name of peace and democracy). Despite deficiencies, data on Irans crude oil indicates some trends. According to OPEC, Irans crude oil production remained around 3.8 million barrels per day until the 2012 sanctions, which caused the capacity to plunge to 3 million. Following the JCPOA, Irans production soared rapidly back to 4 million barrels. With Trumps electoral triumph and the concerted effort at regime change, the capacity has steadily decreased to less than 3.7 million barrels (Figure 1). Figure 1 Irans Crude Oil Production, 2009-2019 (000s b/d) If Irans production capacity takes a hit, that will penalize particularly its biggest importers; that is, China, India, South Korea and Turkey which accounted for two-thirds of all Iranian exports in 2017, along with Japan, Turkey, Europe (Italy, France), and UAE (Figure 2). Consequently, the strategic responses to U.S. sanctions by Irans major export destinations matter. Available data on oil purchases in the past 6-12 months indicate that China, India and Turkey have reduced their buys by about 25%, respectively; Japan by 20% and South Korea almost entirely. Yet, the role of unknown sources in Irans oil exports has quadrupled. Figure 2 Irans Oil Exports by Countries, 2017 (% share of total) Conversely, import diversification tells something about their degree of reliance on Iran. Last year, Chinas largest crude oil importer was Russia, followed by Saudi Arabia, Angola and Iraq. These top-4 suppliers accounted for half of Chinas total oil imports. Among them, Iran ranked seventh accounting for 6.3% of the Chinese total. In turn, Indias largest suppliers featured Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and Nigeria, which accounted some 60 percent of the total. Among these, Iran was third, accounting for 11% of the total - that is, twice as much as to China in relative terms (Figure 3). Figure 3 Key Oil Importers of China and India, 2018 (% share of total) Last year, global purchases of imported crude oil totaled $1.2 trillion reflecting robust demand from 129 countries. Asian countries accounted for more than half of the total. The largest oil importer was China (20.2% of total crude oil importers), followed by the U.S. (13.8%), India (9.7%) and Japan (6.8%) (Figure 5). Figure 4 Worlds Leading Oil Importers, 2018 ($ billion, % of total) Obstacles to the regime change ploy In May 2018, Trump had the U.S. withdraw from the JCPOA, while pledging to reimpose U.S. secondary sanctions by November 2018. The reinstatement drove Irans economy into mild recession as major companies exited the Iranian economy rather than risk being penalized by the U.S. Irans oil exports have decreased significantly, and the value of Irans currency has declined sharply. The EU and some other countries are trying to sustain the economic benefits of the JCPOA flowing to Iran hoping to keep Tehran in the accord. From Irans viewpoint, these efforts have been promising, but remain far from adequate. Geopolitically, the destabilization of Iran is designed to foster the regional supremacy of Americas key allies in the region, particularly Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. Strategically, the Iran sanctions serve major oil exporters which just happen to be among the key suppliers of both China and India, respectively - that is, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the Gulf (Oman, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar). Nevertheless, the Trump hawks' Iran plans are based on misguided assumptions. Saudi Arabia and UAE can boost higher production levels some of the time, but not all of the time. A protracted effort could destabilize markets further. More importantly, Saudi Arabia (and the U.S.) can offer mainly "light crude oil," but not heavy oil, which many countries need for refined oil products - and which Iran can offer. Furthermore, China and Turkey, which oppose U.S. unilateralism, along with possibly India and some EU allies, will try to work around U.S. sanctions for economic, geopolitical and development reasons. While China is not critically reliant on Iranian oil, it vehemently opposes unipolar bullying. There is also the last-resort scenario. If the White House will push Iran against the wall, it could close the Strait of Hormuz - which none of oil exporters and importers want. The Trump administration believes that Americas military superiority, economic clout and energy dominance suffice to undermine the JCPOA and achieve regime change. Yet, U.S. shale oil is not adequate to dictate unipolar terms to the rest of the international community. Moreover, most Americans see U.S. involvement against Iran as an unnecessary risk. Finally, U.S. economic power is overshadowed by its $22 trillion sovereign debt and the end of the expansionary cycle. Global repercussions The JCPOA fostered Irans economic development, which would have had a constructive effect on its regional role. U.S. efforts at regime change have not played out expectedly even in Venezuela; and Iran is far more capable and determined to defend its rights in the international arena, with the support of much of the international community. Economically, sanctions against any major oil exporter will diminish total capacity worldwide and boost crude prices. Before the 2008 global crisis, oil prices soared to almost $150 per barrel. After a severe plunge to $40, they returned to $100 in the early 2010s. As the Feds rate hikes caused the U.S. dollar to strengthen, oil prices, which remain denominated in dollars, plunged to mid-$20s. Since then, Fed hikes have normalized and U.S. dollar steadied, which supports rising prices (Figure 6). Figure 5 Oil Prices, 2000-2019 Until the late 1960s, America was still an oil exporter. In the past half a century, it has been an importer, which has constrained its geopolitical aspirations. That is now changing. To President Trump, Americas energy dominance means not just economic, but geopolitical muscle. That explains much of recent U.S. assertiveness and regime change plans in Iran (and Venezuela). Yet, U.S. production accounts for barely 15% of global output, which limits its ability to move global oil markets. Despite its vocal threats, the Trump White House is in a double-bind. If it does not deliver regime change in Iran, it will be seen as a paper tiger, which will further erode U.S. credibility in the Middle East. If it executes its violent plans, the result could be years of violent turmoil, destabilized region, derailed global prospects - and oil prices exposed to new supply shocks. Dr Steinbock is the founder of the Difference Group and has served as the research director at the India, China, and America Institute (USA) and a visiting fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more information, see http://www.differencegroup.net/ 2019 Copyright Dan Steinbock - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. Dan Steinbock Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Pope Francis said on Monday the plight of suffering immigrants and refugees was "the cross of humanity," taking up their case for the second day of a visit to Bulgaria that has put him at odds with the government. Bulgaria's center-right coalition government, which includes three nationalist anti-migrant parties, wants the European Union to close external borders and set up refugee centers outside the bloc. It has built a fence along its border with Turkey and stepped up controls on its border with Greece to help block any repeat of the massive migrant influx that gripped Europe in 2015 and stoked support for far-right anti-immigrant parties. Francis began his second day in Bulgaria with a visit to a refugee center in Sofia, where he met with about 50 people and their children who are helped by a Catholic charity. "Today, the world of migrants and refugees is a bit like a cross, the cross of humanity, a cross that many people suffer," he told them in improvised remarks after hearing some of their stories and listening to children singing. The center, housed in a former school building, helps migrants mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Taha Saber Ismael, a refugee from Iraq, gave the pope a printed note in imperfect English asking him to help his and six other Iraqi families obtain residency permits because they were "hoping having good and safe country to live in." An organizer at the refugee center told the pope that people of all faiths, including many Muslims, had volunteered to help the migrants, in a sign of inter-religious dialogue. Orthodox church shuns prayer meeting But the difficulty of that dialogue at institutional level was illustrated at an evening prayer service - led by the pope with Jewish, Muslims and Protestant leaders - which the Bulgarian Orthodox Church declined to attend. Orthodox leaders have taken a hardline stance against prayer with Catholics and rebuffed the Vatican's push for unity between the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity that split in 1054. Less than one percent of Bulgarians are Roman Catholic and Francis ministered to them earlier on Monday when he flew to Rakovski, a predominantly Roman Catholic town in southern Bulgaria. There, he gave 245 children from all over Bulgaria their first communion. Shortly after arrival in Bulgaria on Sunday, Francis, who has made the defense of migrants a key plank of his pontificate, urged government leaders to "not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands, in accordance with your best tradition, to those who knock at your door." Bulgaria, the EU's poorest country, has taken an anti-immigrant stance even though it has a rapidly aging population and a low birth rate. More than two million Bulgarians have left the country since the fall of communism in 1989 in search of better opportunities in western Europe and beyond. General dissatisfaction over slow growth, security threats posed by Islamist militants and a backlash against migration across open EU borders have boosted support for euroskeptic nationalists in many member states ahead of elections to the European Parliament later this month. Francis heads to North Macedonia for the final leg of the trip on Tuesday. Haitis social and economic crisis has taken a toll on the countrys journalists. Senator Youri Latortue, a member of the Senate Ethics Committee of Parliament who represents the Artibonite agricultural region, says privately-owned media and the government should work together to allow the press to fulfill its mission without constraints. "Compared to how things were under the dictatorships of the past, I think journalists have it easier [today] in terms of being able to say whatever they want to say with regards to the governments actions. But there is also a grave danger," the senator told VOA Creole. Latortue says journalism as a profession is undervalued and the press is not adequately compensated for its work. "Today we get the impression that the powers that be are spending money on advertisements, theyre buying the journalists words - in the past theyd pressure them into doing their bidding. Today theyre spending money. So I think that if we want to really have press freedom, we must take a hard look at how journalists are living, we have to offer them social benefits, so they can maintain their independence," he said. Senator Latortue said the present day situation is "as bad as it was in the past" when journalists were systematically repressed under the Duvalier dictatorship. Money talks Journalists VOA Creole spoke to in Port-au-Prince echoed the senators concerns. "The media depends on advertisements to make a living, which is a huge limitation because there are citizens, there are institutions that are off limits to you because it could be your boss or even if its not your boss - you cant say anything about it," Edlene Vernal, who works for Radio Pacific told VOA Creole. She added that often reporters cant even do a story on a politician who is supportive of the press because of the possible pitfalls. "So you cant talk about him, you have to be complimentary because he is considered to be 'useful' to the institution you are working for," she said. Luckson Saint-Vil, a reporter for Radio Metropole said the job becomes even more difficult if you want to report on corruption. "Working conditions are very difficult for journalists in Haiti," Saint-Vil told VOA Creole. "Thats why some journalists end up getting mixed up with corruption, accepting bribes and also its why they are not free to report on what they think, what theyve seen, what they know." Access to information, disrespect Another obstacle is access to information. "When you go out to report a story, it can be hard to find all the information you need. This reminds me of our colleague Vladjimir Legagneur who went out to Grand Ravine [a gang plagued neighborhood of the capital] to gather information for a story he was working on and never returned [home]." Saint-Vil said. "How were treated is another issue," reporter Romanes Samedi of Radio Mega said. "At our place of work we have no [institutional] support. We have no guarantees that when we go out into situations where we could be killed or injured that well be adequately compensated." Training, work standards "We dont have adequate training either so we dont know how to report certain things," Radio Pacific reporter Vernal said. "So were left to speculate, make mistakes over and over again until we finally get it right. So when youre working in such conditions you cant really say youre a journalist because there is no set standard to follow." Haiti ranks 62nd on Reporters Without Borders 2019 World Press Freedom Index. Jamaica is the highest ranking Caribbean nation this year - listed at number 8 out of 180 countries. Haitis ranking is lower this year than last due to the issues outlined in this story. In addition, Reporters Without Borders says natural disasters have also had a negative effect on broadcasters and their journalists. Advice from a veteran Overall, veteran journalist and comedian Anthony Pascal, known by his fans as "Konpe Filo" says things have improved. "Ten - 15 years ago, press freedom meant you could insult people - theyd insult your mother - we were all in the same boat, we didnt know what it [press freedom] meant - we would watch over each other. There were people who would keep an eye out, when you wrote something, because you could wind up dead. It wasnt a question of free press - you could die," he said. Konpe Filo cited the names of several former colleagues who were killed on the job and added "you couldnt say anything you wanted to say, you had to measure your words and keep working." Praise vs. reality Haitian President Jovenel Moise tweeted a congratulatory message to local journalists Friday morning. "I congratulate the work of the press on international Press Freedom Day today, May 3. I urge members of the press corps to respect the rules of ethics and to be more responsible while fulfilling their noble mission." The U.S. Embassy in Haiti also tweeted a message to reporters today about the important role they play. "A free press is a key element of any true democracy. As members of the press, you all have a critical role to play in making Haitis democracy work. It is an incredible responsibility and one that should make you proud." Ambassador Michele Sison said. But the sobering reality for journalists VOA Creole spoke to is that for them, the concept of press freedom is still a dream. 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. 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. Prison Term Starts Monday 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 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. 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. Congressional Testimony 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. South Africa's top three political parties sprinted towards the finish line before Wednesday's poll, with the leaders of each party giving impassioned pleas to a deeply divided, conflicted electorate of 26.7 million people. The ruling ANC, the established Democratic Alliance (DA) and upstart Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) parties held their final rallies over the weekend in Johannesburg, the nation's economic hub. The long-ruling ANC leads the 48 parties contesting this year. The party has held power since 1994, but has weathered harsh criticism this year for a slew of government corruption scandals. The head of the ANC, President Cyril Ramaphosa, acknowledged that during the party's final rally. "We admit that we have made mistakes and we put ourselves before our people and say, Yes, we have made mistakes, but it is only those who are doing nothing who don't make mistakes,'" he said to a full stadium in Johannesburg. But analysts, like Ivor Sarakinsky of the University of the Witwatersrand, say the top parties' biggest enemies may be themselves. "A lot of voters are conflicted," he told VOA. "I don't think there's a clear choice because the main parties, and even some of the smaller parties, are bringing enormous baggage into this election in terms of their own internal dynamics," he added. "We focus on the ANC's baggage and dynamics, but all the parties have their own baggage. The DA and the controversies in terms of internal leadership, the EFF in terms of internal leadership and questions about financial flows into the party. There's controversy around all of them." He says the drama around corruption and internal leadership struggles notably within the ANC have distracted from real issues like the economy and the fact that the nation remains deeply divided, socially and economically, a quarter-century after the end of apartheid. "It's about identifying a party that has a manifesto that meets most of your needs, interests and concerns in terms of where the country is going in the future," he said. "And that's a tough ask, because the manifestos don't deal with what many people know are the real issues, and the politics and the emotion and the symbolism and the political tactics has distorted how many parties are marketing themselves. So it's a tough choice for voters at the moment, in this election." Those conflicted or apathetic voters are exactly what the upstart, far-left EFF party is trying to mop up. Party leader Julius Malema, a one-time ANC stalwart, urged voters not to stay on the sidelines. "Comrades, I want to say to all who are saying they are not going to vote because they don't see how the vote helps them, you are committing a suicide, because by not voting you are giving the ANC power," he told supporters at his party's final rally. The leading opposition DA is also hot on the ANC's tail, with leader Mmusi Maimane urging voters not to vote based on appearances or personalities. "I need your vote!" he told supporters. "My fellow South Africans, this is not a popularity contest. This is not about who looks like what, and whether you like this person. I'm not asking you to marry me." Beijing has declared a moratorium on fishing in about half the heavily disputed South China Sea every year since 1995. And every year other countries with competing sovereignty claims keep letting their own fishing fleets do as they wish. The Chinese coast guard says the ban that took effect May 1 this year will be enforced, but people who follow the South China Sea politics expect the authorities to catch only Chinese-registered boats that violate the ban. China would go easier on boats from the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam because it wants to build relations in Asia and avoid a stronger U.S. role in the maritime dispute, those analysts believe. U.S. allies Taiwan and the Philippines call all or some of the moratorium tract their own. Vietnam makes a similar claim and has grown closer to Washington since 2016. China is telling other countries about the three-month moratorium largely to remind them of its sovereignty claim, analysts say. To date, we havent really seen serious enforcement on their part, especially against other countries, said Jay Batongbacal, international maritime affairs professor at University of the Philippines. The minimum, I think, is to create a record of supposed exercises of jurisdiction over the entire South China Sea. Annual moratorium South China Sea waters above the 12th parallel north of the equator, along with other waterways under Chinese control, will be monitored 24 hours a day and any violation will be dealt with in time, Chinas official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the national coast guard. Xinhua says the summer fishing ban will help promote sustainable marine fishery development and improve marine ecology. The sea is considered heavily overfished, especially by vessels that can process and refrigerate their catches before reaching land, said Termsak Chalermpalanupap, Southeast Asia-specialized fellow with the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. The 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea stretching from the island of Borneo north to Hong Kong yields 16.6 million tons of fish every year and the fishing industry employs about 3.7 million people across nationalities, according to National Geographic data. Claimant countries prize the sea as well for its marine shipping lanes and undersea reserves of gas and oil. Harmonizing with Chinas fishing bans Other countries are accustomed to Chinas annual moratoriums. In years past some have quietly told their own fishing fleets how to work the sea without upsetting China though without renouncing sovereignty claims. That trend is expected to continue this year despite the threat of tough enforcement. Taiwan notified its own vessels about the Chinese moratorium this year, said Shih Chin-yi, division chief under the Fisheries Agency. The agency cares about the regeneration of fisheries near its coastlines, including the South China Sea to its southwest, Shih said. Weve also made notifications in the past to let fishermen know that during this period mainland China bans fishing as long its north of the 12th parallel into the Yellow Sea and Bohai Bay, Shih said. China also claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan, making any territorial dispute extra-sensitive. Each side normally observes sea boundaries set by the other, and Taiwan has its own moratorium zones. Vietnam, the country most outspoken about Chinas activity in the disputed sea, protested the moratorium on Sunday. A foreign ministry spokeswoman in Hanoi said the ban violates Vietnams sovereignty over the seas Paracel Islands and goes against United Nations maritime convention, according to the news website Hanoi Times. The Philippines generally gives no formal advice to its fishing boats to avoid either inflaming China or conceding that China has a right to call a ban, political scholars in the country have said. The two countries have gotten along since 2016, with China reportedly accommodating some Filipino boats in disputed waters. I think they just live and let live and just hope they wont be rammed or arrested, said Chalermpalanupap, referring to ships from any country. Neighbor relations, US role Brunei and Malaysia also claim parts of the sea, but south of 12th parallel. All militarily weaker than Beijing, the Southeast Asian claimants resent Chinas maritime landfill work and follow-up militarization since 2010. Island-building facilitates construction of aircraft hangars and radar systems as well as support for fishing and oil exploration. Their resentment prompts the U.S. Navy to send ships regularly into the South China Sea, upsetting China. Washington claims no part of the sea. Beijing hopes to build relations with Asian governments to counter U.S. influence, said Yun Sun, East Asia Program senior associate with the Stimson Center think tank in Washington, D.C. To build those ties, Beijing is talking now with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes four claimant states, about signing a South China Sea code of conduct as early as 2020 to help head off mishaps between ships. SpaceX shipment arrives at International Space Station following weekend launchA SpaceX shipment arrived at the International Space Station on Monday with a cosmic catch by a pair of Canadians. The Dragon capsule delivered 5,500 pounds (2,500 kilograms) of equipment and experiments. Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques used the station's big robot arm also made in Canada to capture the Dragon approximately 250 miles (400 kilometers) above the North Atlantic Ocean. An external cable that normally comes off during launch dangled from the capsule, but it did not interfere with the grappling. Welcome on board, Dragon, Saint-Jacques radioed. He congratulated ground teams for their help, in both English and French. Saint-Jacques later told Canadian schoolchildren it was a big moment of pride to grab the Dragon using the station's 58-foot (18-meter) robot arm Canada's main contribution to the space station. He became the first Canadian to use it to grab a visiting spacecraft a cosmic catch, in the words of the Canadian Space Agency. To be at the controls myself, after all these years of training, it was a very, very special moment and, fortunately, it all went well, Saint-Jacques told the schoolchildren later in the day. It's the second station visit for this recycled Dragon, which was launched by SpaceX on Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It also flew in 2017. This is SpaceX's 17th delivery to the space station; the first was in 2012. Northrop Grumman is NASA's other shipper; its Cygnus cargo ship arrived just two weeks ago. The Dragon will remain about a month, being filled with science samples for return to Earth. It's the only cargo ship capable of coming back intact. Besides one Canadian, the space station is home to three Americans and two Russians. Madrid is increasingly taking center stage in Venezuela's crisis as talks to get president Nicolas Maduro to resign appeared to collapse and its embassy in Caracas gives refuge to Leopoldo Lopez, the opposition leader who escaped house arrest and led an abortive military rebellion last week. Involving Spain in schemes to manipulate Maduro into stepping down may have prompted what some analysts say was a premature revolt by regime opponent backed by soldiers who believed Maduro's defense minister and other key aides were ready to abandon him. "The armed forces are dividing, it's the worst scenario" said Spanish foreign minister Josep Borrel when a group of armed national guardsmen protecting Lopez and parliamentary leader Juan Guadio appeared in front of a military base in Caracas calling for an uprising against the government. Statements that Lopez gave to the press from the Spanish embassy, saying that there were negotiations with the "highest echelons of the regime" to ditch Maduro, drew criticism from Spanish leftists. Conservatives, on the other hand, said Spain had a "duty" to protect Lopez, whose father is a Spanish national running for the European parliament on the Popular Party ticket. Spain has been split on Venezuela since Juan Guaido challenged the legitimacy of president Maduro last February, calling on the army to withdraw support from a government installed through elections widely denounced as fraudulent. Prime Minister Sanchez took almost two weeks to follow President Donald Trump in recognizing Guaido, holding back the rest of the European Union where Spain is the government of reference on Venezuela due to its extensive commercial and cultural ties with its one time colony where more than 175,000 Spanish nationals reside. Sanchez backed the formation of a contact group composed of EU and some Latin American governments to seek Maduro's agreement on holding new elections.This riled relations with the United States and the Venezuelan opposition who say that free elections are impossible with Maduro in power. Despite these differences, U.S. Special envoy for Venezuela Eliott Abrams has tried to use Spain's influence with the Venezuelan government to bring about the bloodless collapse of Maduro's rule, among other things by getting Spain to receive Maduro allies who opt to leave Venezuela as part of a transition. Abrams visited Madrid in April to ask the Spanish government to arrange safe haven for officials accused of human rights violations and massive corruption as part of a negotiating strategy to secure Maduro's ouster without requiring a military intervention, which the Spanish government opposes and the Trump administration seeks to avoid. "We believe that when Maduro falls, some members of his regime, of the military, will probably want to go into exile", said Abrams in a news conference at the U.S. embassy in Madrid.He stated that EU countries could contribute to the transition to democracy by "offering them a place to go." Abrams met with several top Spanish officials, including Borrel the director of the Spanish foreign ministry's Latin American section and a chief aide to Prime Minister Sanchez.U.S. sanctions affecting Spanish oil investments in Venezuela were also discussed, according to Abrams. Trump's special envoy told the newspaper ABC that he was talking with 22 of 33 members of Maduro's ruling circle considered vital to the regime. They included Defense Minister Vladimiro Padrino as well as heads of military intelligence, the police, Supreme Court judges, and even leaders of paramilitary "colectivos" according to Spanish diplomatic sources. Venezuela's ex-spy master, Gen. Hugo Carvajal, escaped to Spain after supporting Guaido when the parliamentary leader first challenged Maduro last February. Carvajal's arrest in mid April at his son's apartment in Madrid on drug charges filed by U.S. law enforcement agencies almost 10 years ago may have caused a billiard effect on Maduro officials, according to some analysts. Dr Evan Ellis, a Latin America specialist at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, says the arrest may have driven other members of Maduro's team to try cutting their own deals in confused talks that triggered last week's coup attempt. "Carvajal's chavista colleagues probably suspected that he would talk, and thus probably had a price on his head ... so now that he's out of their reach, and probably cooperating to save his skin. Many of them must be very worried about what he knows about their personal activities and money laundering schemes, " he told VOA. Spain has been the destination for billions of dollars funneled out of Venezuela by corrupt officials who have laundered the money into major real estate purchases in Madrid and the luxury beach resort of Marbella, according to Spanish government investigators. Sudans ruling Transitional Military Council has said it will publish its own suggested constitutional draft after disagreeing with some points in the opposition's draft. A revised constitution is part of negotiated efforts between the military and protest groups to form a joint military-civilian council before elections. But protesters remain skeptical. Sudans Transitional Military Council is to publish its own draft constitution on Monday, after disagreeing with parts of one proposed by an alliance of activists and opposition groups. Spokesman for the TMC Shams El-Din Kabashi at a news conference Sunday said while there was some dispute, there was still room for negotiation. He said, "for us it's a good draft, it has many points we agree on it. With them (protesters), there are a lot of points of disagreement. And that can be handled with negotiations between us and them." The Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces alliance sent the draft on Thursday to the military. Sudans protesters have been camped-out at the Defense Ministry since April 6, demanding a return to civilian rule after three decades under President Omar al-Bashir. The military ousted Bashir on April 11 and declared a Transitional Military Council was in control for up to two years before elections. But protesters like Muttaz Wali are skeptical that the TMC is willing to hand over power. He said that the TMC doesnt understand that its role is to deliver power. Instead, its starting to act like a real transitional government, says Wali. The TMC is speaking about enacting laws while the constitution is disabled, he said. The military council agreed with opposition groups last month to form a joint council to lead a two-year transition period to elections. But, the two sides disagree about which should have a majority on the council the military or civilians. Sudans demonstrations erupted in December over the high price of bread and fuel, then quickly morphed into calls for Bashir to step down. The military says it put Bashir in federal prison and he will face justice at home not at the International Criminal Court where he is wanted for alleged war crimes in Sudans Darfur region. Sudans prosecutor general said Bashir was questioned on Sunday over suspected money laundering and financing terrorism after large sums of foreign currency were found in suitcases in his home. Thailand wraps up three days of elaborate and carefully choreographed ceremonies Monday consecrating a new king who has wasted little time making his mark on the monarchy. Thousands of well-wishers wearing uniform yellow shirts lined the streets of Bangkok's old quarter Sunday afternoon to catch a glimpse of King Maha Vajiralongkorn on his 7 km loop from the Grand Palace to a trio of Buddhist temples where he paid his respects. A royal retinue of hundreds in colorful dress marched in lock step down the route as the king rode a gilded palanquin to the tunes of a marching band. The main coronation events, estimated to cost upwards of $30 million, began Saturday when the king was showered and purified with waters gathered from across the country before donning the full royal regalia, replete with sword, scepter and diamond-capped crown. A mix of Buddhist and Hindu Brahmin rituals, the rights of passage are meant to transform the king into a divine embodiment of the gods. Monday he greeted the public from the balcony of the Grand Palace and granted an audience with foreign dignitaries. The coronation is the first for Thailand in 69 years and consecrates the reign of the new king also known as Rama X, the tenth king of the Chakri dynasty who ascended the throne in late 2016 after the death of his widely revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Wannaruch Sookmaung came out for Sunday's procession to wish the king a long life, and because it would likely be the only coronation in her lifetime. "I believe King Bhumibol [was a] good person and very kind. I think King X also [has a] heart like King IX," she said. "If [the] king can [be] patient, he can take care [of the] people of Thailand." "I think he [is] like a center, like a heart of Thailand," said Aan Tan, who felt compelled to see the king in the flesh. She said she hoped he would help heal the country's deep political divide, which has pitted pro-democracy forces against a military and business elite that has aligned itself with the monarchy. Later this week, official results from a March 24 election will decide whether pro-democracy parties have enough legislative seats to push the leaders of a 2014 coup out of power. "When they have fight [with] each other, the king will help," Aan said, "because they also respect him, so they will listen to him, [because they] have to look [out] for the people, not their own things that they want." Though the monarchy is meant to refrain from the country's politics, it is rarely far from the fray. And while strict lese-majeste laws keep a tight lid on what is said about the king in Thailand, reverence for the royal family does run broad and deep. Over several turbulent decades, King Bhumibol came to be seen as a stabilizing force who helped oversee the transformation of the country's economy, now the second largest in Southeast Asia. But Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, said King Vajiralongkorn was inheriting the crown in very different times. "His Majesty takes over the throne under vastly different circumstances than his late father, whose reign coincided with Thailand's Cold War decades and the need to thwart communism and buil[d] a nation. This reign will be about Thailand's challenges in the 21st century, [in] particular its protracted political conflict," he said. "His father also had to rebuild the monarchy whereas His Majesty has inherited a strong kingship at the apex of society," he added. King Vajiralongkorn, 66, has already made bold moves to assert that strength and further consolidate his control of royal affairs. He held off on promulgating a new constitution the junta drafted until it agreed to concessions that tighten his grip on the Crown Property Bureau, estimated to be worth at least $30 billion. They also let the king, who spends much of his time in Germany, where he has a home, travel abroad without having to name a regent in his stead. The junta also granted the king the authority to appoint the Sangha Supreme Council, the governing body of Thai Buddhism, as well as a new chief monk, which he soon used. "He's demonstrated that he is a much more direct and proactive leader than his father," said Paul Chambers, a political analyst and lecturer at northern Thailand's Naresuan University, citing also the transfer of some military units, including the 1st Infantry Division of the king's guard, under direct palace control in April 2017. Chambers said the ex-generals the king has also appointed to the Privy Council hail from a faction of the military traditionally opposed to the one that dominates the present junta, and that he was likely to keep appointing members more loyal to him than to the junta or his father. "You're going to see people on the Privy Council that are very loyal to the new king. And those people, same people, are not going to be close to the current junta. Basically this new king is going to try to remake the Thai political-military leviathan in a way that reflects his own interests and his own people," he said. "So more changes are going to happen." The leader of Turkey's militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, has met his lawyers for the first time in eight years, one of them said on Monday. "This is the first meeting with the lawyers since 2011. The meeting lasted approximately one hour" on May 2, Rezan Sarica told an Istanbul press conference. Some 3,000 Kurdish prisoners have been holding hunger strikes since November to protest his isolation, and eight have killed themselves over the issue, according to the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party. Nevroz Uysal, another of Ocalan's lawyers, read out a message from the imprisoned leader for the hunger strikers to limit their protests. "We respect the resistance of our friends inside and outside prisons but want them not to carry this to a dimension that will threaten their health or result in death," Ocalan said, according to Uysal. Ocalan's message also addressed the situation in neighboring Syria where a US-backed Kurdish militia branded as "terrorists" by Ankara controls some areas in the north. "We believe that problems in Syria should be resolved by avoiding the culture of conflict," Ocalan said according to the lawyer. He said the Syrian Kurds should have constitutional guarantees, while respecting "Syria's integrity." "In this regard, Turkey's sensitivities should be taken into account," he added. Ankara says the Kurdish YPG a key US ally in the fight against Islamic State jihadists is a Syrian offshoot of the PKK, and the issue is a major source of friction in Turkish-US ties. Turkey captured Ocalan, then public number enemy one, in February 1999 and imprisoned him on the heavily fortified island of Imrali off Istanbul where he has been kept for 20 years. "It is not yet clear if the meetings with lawyers will continue periodically," added Sarica, who met Ocalan with Uysal. "Only two lawyers were allowed to meet him although four lawyers applied," he added. The PKK is listed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies. The Kurdish insurgency in Turkey has claimed more than 40,000 lives since 1984. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hardened his rhetoric towards Kurdish rebels since the last ceasefire broke down in 2015, reducing the odds of a political solution to the long-running conflict. Ocalan's brother, Mehmet, was permitted to visit him in prison in January for the first time since 2016. The rebel leader was born into a poor peasant family in the village of Omerli in Turkey's southeast. His official birthdate is April 4, 1949. He was sentenced to death for treason after his capture by Turkish agents in Kenya, but this was commuted to life imprisonment when Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2002, when it appeared close to securing membership in the European Union. Earth vs. The Human Amoeba A few days ago, I received a video of an April 22 (Earth Day) lecture by my longtime friend Nate Hagens. Nate and I both owe a lot concerning our view and understanding of the world to Jay Hanson, who tragically died about a month ago on a diving trip in Indonesia. Many people have written and thought about issues of energy, or economics, or ecology; Jay brought it all together and, crucially, added the human brain and genetic properties to the mix. Teaching at the University of Minnesota, Nate has greatly expanded on this big picture, and produces -among other things- a lot of video material for his students. Lucky them: a view with so much breadth and depth at the same time is exceedingly rare. What most people dont get is that you can say: we can do so-and-so, but its mostly just in theory. In practice, our brains make us react much different from the theory. Because its not our rational brain that drives us, its our amoeba brain. We have to work very hard, and be very self-critical, to escape the trap, that, as Nate formulates it, dictates that: Thermodynamics, expressed through genetics, creates beings incapable of not maximizing energy consumption. We can even wonder if we can escape it at all. Nates position on this is more positive than mine. So I guess if you follow the theoreticals, youll be more inclined to listen to him than to me. Because theres more dopamine to be gotten there. And denial is our main engine. Two pics from the video of Nates lecture which you can find below give an idea of what is our problem, at least the energy part of it: One man with a chainsaw (powered by fossil fuels) can do the work of 100 men. Which means that with about 5 billion of us in the global work force, our present day consumption of fossil fuels provides us with the labor subsidy of the equivalent of some 500 billion people. A lot more of Nates video material can be found here and here (5 hours). You can also visit Nates new site, Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future. And here are a few of his quotes: Things that cant continue usually stop too late. Each time history repeats itself, the price goes up. While it digs its own grave, all the mind can do is entertain fantasies and create excuses. Meaning comes from understanding why we can understand there is no meaning. Thermodynamics, expressed through genetics, creates beings incapable of not maximizing energy consumption. All 8 billion of us owe our existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact it rains; 6 billion of us also owe our existence to nitrogen fertilizer created from natural gas by Haber-Bosch factories. Dr. Nathan John Hagens worked on Wall Street at Lehman Brothers and Salomon Brothers and closed his own hedge fund in 2003 to pursue interdisciplinary knowledge about the bigger picture of modern society. Nate was the lead editor of the online web portal theoildrum.com, and is currently President of the Bottleneck Foundation and on the Boards of the Post Carbon Institute, Institute for Energy and Our Future, and IIER. Nate teaches at the University of Minnesota. Nate Hagens: Earth Day Talk, Stockholm Wisconsin, April 22, 2019 This is a story about our culture, arriving at a period I refer to as The Great Simplification. This story explains why things in the environment and social sphere are getting worse not better, and why we wont en masse do anything meaningful until we get emotional cues to do so. Obviously this is a bit of a buzzkill to hear about especially on a nice spring day but imo we have to understand the current game board and rules if were to make good game moves as future events arrive. The more people who are aware of and start to engage on the choreography of these issues in their communities and in their own lives, the higher the chances of a networked, creative response will be. My hope with these and other videos is to change the initial conditions of these future events in a positive way. Because we have a lot to lose -and also gain. By Raul Ilargi Meijer Website: http://theautomaticearth.com (provides unique analysis of economics, finance, politics and social dynamics in the context of Complexity Theory) 2019 Copyright Raul I Meijer - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. Raul Ilargi Meijer Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Pipeline operator Ukrtransnafta said on Monday that clean Russian oil had started flowing from Belarus towards Ukraine and it was ready to resume oil exports to the European Union following a transit hiatus over contaminated crude. Flows through the Druzhba pipeline were suspended in late April because tainted crude had entered the system, sending shocks through global oil markets and damaging Russia's image as a reliable supplier of energy. The southern spur of the Druzhba pipeline passes from Belarus through Ukraine to Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. It was not immediately clear if clean supplies were also flowing on the northern spur, which runs directly between Belarus and Poland and Germany. "The oil with the quality, which is in line with the standard, has started to flow...to the Druzhba pipelines system in the direction of Ukraine for further transportation to the EU countries," Ukrtransnafta said. It said that the deliveries of clean oil started at 1417 Kiev time (1117 GMT). The Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft did not reply to a request for comment. The Energy Ministry in Moscow said on Saturday that clean Russian oil had arrived at the Mozyr hub in southeast Belarus, where the Druzhba pipeline splits to the north and the south. However, earlier on Monday, sources at Belarusian state oil firm Belneftekhim and in the trading sector said that Belarus had no idea when clean Russian oil flows would resume. The section of the pipeline inside Belarus is controlled by a local firm, Gomeltransneft Druzhba. The clean oil is backed up behind millions of barrels of contaminated crude in the pipeline system and there is no clear plan yet on how to discharge the tainted supply, traders and industry sources have said. The Soviet-built Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline normally transports around 1 million barrels per day of crude, which accounts for some 1 percent of global oil trade. Transmission via the pipeline was halted due to high levels of organic chloride, a chemical compound used to boost oil extraction by cleaning wells and accelerating the flow of crude. Options for disposing of the contaminated oil include selling it at a heavy discount or storing it in tanks. But customers are not keen and there is insufficient storage capacity, trading sources say. Some crude that reaches Mozyr is fed into a refinery there. The Mozyr plant has yet to resume crude processing and is still cleaning tainted equipment, the Belneftekhim source said. Separately, the Russian Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, which is linked to Druzhba, is still loading contaminated oil onto tankers, trading sources said. It was hard to find a buyer for this oil, they added. The Russian Energy Ministry has said clean oil was expected to arrive at the port on May 7. Cameroon needs a rapid and deep-rooted effort to tackle a crisis of violence that has erupted in several areas of the country, U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Monday at the end of a visit to the West African country. Violence has spilled over Cameroon's borders from Nigeria, Chad and Central African Republic, while crackdowns on separatists in the southwest and Islamists in the northeast have caused long-running tensions to flare up, the U.N. has said. Bachelet said the situation could spiral out of control and the challenges are immense, with ten or more separatist movements. "I believe there is a clear if possibly short window of opportunity to arrest the crises that have led to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people, as well as the killings and brutal human rights violations and abuses that have affected the northern and western areas of the country," she said in a statement. "It will take significant actions on the part of the government, and substantial and sustained support from the international community including us in the U.N., Bachelet said. Cameroon was among the most settled countries in the region until a few years ago, but now villages have been burned, civilians killed and mutilated, with children abducted and forced to join armed groups or used as unwitting suicide bombers. Bachelet took part in three days of talks in Yaounde, including an in-depth discussion with President Paul Biya, and offered to help ensure that military operations respect human rights, which the statement said would help to win popular trust. "If they fail to do that, they will not defeat an enemy that thrives on civilian mistrust of the authorities," Bachelet said. "In the meantime, the civilians trapped between these two powerful, if asymmetric, opposing forces are increasingly vulnerable to lethal abuses and violations by both sides." She said the government had told her about steps to ensure that crimes committed by the armed forces are punished. "This particular issue is damaging Cameroon's international standing and undermining international support for efforts to combat the armed groups operating on its territory," she said. The chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee is set to meet Tuesday with officials from the Department of Justice as the two sides work to resolve a dispute regarding access to an unredacted copy of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on his investigation into Russian election meddling. "It remains vital that the Committee obtain access to the full, unredacted report and the underlying materials," Rep. Jerrold Nadler said in a statement late Monday. "The Committee remains committed to finding a reasonable accommodation." The committee moved Monday to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over an unredacted copy of Mueller's report, with Nadler setting a vote on the contempt citation for Wednesday. The action marks a new escalation of the rancor between the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives and President Donald Trump, a Republican, and his administration that Democrats are trying to investigate. Barr last month released a redacted copy of the 448-page report, with Mueller concluding that neither Trump nor his campaign colluded with Russia to help him win the White House, but reached no conclusion whether Trump, as president, obstructed justice by trying to thwart the prosecutor's 22-month investigation. Barr decided on his own that the findings did not warrant obstruction charges against the president. In a statement Monday, more than 370 former federal prosecutors who worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations rebuked Barr, saying that the evidence Mueller uncovered would have resulted in obstruction charges against Trump, were it not for the long-standing Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be charged with a criminal offense. The former prosecutors said that each of them "believes that the conduct of President Trump," absent the Justice Department policy, would "result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice." They said that to suggest a prosecutor could not win such an obstruction case against Trump "runs counter to logic and our experience." The redacted report Barr released included dozens of instances of missing material, information he said dealt with secret grand jury testimony and other sensitive material. One analysis found that about 7% of the report was redacted, with the most material deleted about Russian attempts to influence the election in Trump's favor by posting false and misleading material on American social media accounts and Russia's role in hacking top Democrats's emails and releasing them to the public. Nadler says his committee is entitled to see what was redacted, but the Justice Department, the agency headed by Barr as the country's top law enforcement official, said last week the panel's request for the information was "not legitimate oversight" and an "overbroad and extraordinarily burdensome" request. If the Democrat-controlled Judiciary Committee approves the contempt citation, it would be taken up by the full House of Representatives. In theory, someone held in contempt could eventually be tried and, if convicted, face up to a year in prison. The Justice Department rarely pursues such referrals from Congress. The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Congressman Doug Collins, condemned Nadler's move to hold Barr in contempt. "They know the Justice Department is working to negotiate even as they pursue contempt charges, making their move today illogical and disingenuous," Collins said. "Democrats have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general when their anger actually lies with the president and the special counsel, who found neither conspiracy nor obstruction." Barr last week testified before a Senate committee about his role in overseeing the last stages of the Mueller investigation, but refused to testify before Nadler's panel in a dispute over whether the committee's staff attorneys would be allowed to question him. Barr said he had no objection to letting Mueller testify before Congress about his investigation. But Trump on Sunday changed his mind, saying, "Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!" The U.S. military is training Cameroons military on first aid techniques and medical evacuation in order to reduce battlefield deaths. Cameroon estimates that one-fourth of all soldiers killed fighting separatists and Boko Haram terrorists could have been saved with better care. Twenty-nine-year-old soldier Poumje Amidou has been getting treatment for fractures since last October at the military hospital in Yaounde. Amidou said he barely escaped death when separatist fighters attacked his base, leaving one of his colleagues dead and two others wounded. He said what he remembers is that he bled profusely and had serious wounds on his left leg, stomach and right arm. Amidous life was saved when a Cameroon military helicopter rushed him to the hospital. But others were not so lucky. In recent years, about 117 soldiers have died from wounds that would not have been fatal had they received the correct first aid, according to Cameroon's military. That's about one-fourth of all Cameroonian military deaths in the battles against English-speaking separatists and the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram. Better care for the wounded U.S. military advisers are working to prevent future deaths by training soldiers to provide better care for the wounded. Major Mommearts, who did not give his first name, is one of the U.S. trainers. He said the course on MEDEVAC - medical evacuation - includes evacuating casualties by air, known as CASEVAC. "We talked about the different levels of CASEVAC, so you have your own legs, you can move the patient yourself, you have different pack bones that they can use. Make sure they are not bleeding while they are being transported." In February, the U.S. announced it was cutting some security assistance to Cameroon following allegations that Cameroons military was committing human rights violations. The U.S. says despite the reduction in military aid, relations between the two countries are good. The director of Cameroons military health, Colonel Abeng Mbozoo, said those ties are shown by the U.S. medical training. He said the training is an indication that military cooperation between the U.S. and Cameroon is excellent. That is the reason the U.S. military has come to train their Cameroonian peers, said, Mbozoo, to save lives and prevent deaths in different battle grounds. Thirty Cameroonian military staff received the U.S. training this week and will pass on the knowledge to their colleagues. Carla Babb at the Pentagon and Anjana Pasricha in New Delhi contributed to this report. WHITE HOUSE The United States is speeding up the arrival of a naval aircraft carrier strike group to the Arabian Sea after concerns Iran may be planning an attack against American or allied targets. The USS Abraham Lincoln "aircraft carrier is currently operating in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility (AOR), but will expedite its arrival into the U.S. Central Command AOR in order to defend American forces and interests in the region," a defense official told VOA. "We have continued to see activity that leads us to believe that there's escalation that may be taking place, and so we're taking all the appropriate actions, both from a security perspective as well as our ability to make sure the president has a wide range of options in the event that something should actually take place," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters Monday in Finland. An Israeli journalist, Barak Ravid, reports the Mossad intelligence agency alerted the United States that Iranian elements may be preparing to strike American or allied targets in the Gulf region. "It is still unclear to us what the Iranians are trying to do and how they are planning to do it," Ravid quotes an Israeli intelligence officer as saying. "But it is clear to us that the Iranian temperature is on the rise as a result of the growing U.S. pressure campaign against them and they are considering retaliating against U.S. interests in the Gulf." Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, on Twitter, stated that the deployment of a naval carrier strike group and an air force bomber task force to the area "represents a prudent repositioning of assets in response to indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces." Shanahan added: "We call on the Iranian regime to cease all provocation. We will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests." The comments follow an unusual and aggressive Sunday evening statement issued in the name of the U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton. A "number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" linked to Iran prompted the United States to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group and bomber task force to the Middle East, Bolton said in the statement. The dispatch of the carrier strike group and the bomber task force is intended to "send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," added Bolton. In addition to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, the strike group included fighter jets, helicopters, destroyers and more than 6,000 sailors when it left its U.S. port in the state of Virginia in early April. The Nimitz-class carrier was in the Adriatic Sea as of May 1 when Albania's president, Ilir Meta, visited the 333-meter-long vessel. Bolton's statement said the United States "is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces." New America Foundation Fellow Ned Price says recent actions to sanction the IRGC and end sanctions waivers for some of the country's biggest oil buyers make it seem like the Trump administration "seems intent on driving the Iranians into a corner." "The concern with Bolton's threat coming in the midst of a series of escalations from the Trump administration underscores the concern that the administration is trying to goad the Iranians into an unwise and ill-considered reaction," Price, a former spokesman for the Obama-era National Security Council, told VOA. The Trump administration has been working to apply what it calls a "maximum pressure campaign" against Iran to try to get the country to change its behavior, including its sponsorship of terror groups and what the White House alleges is a ballistic missile program that threatens the United States. In response to last month's U.S. designation of the IRGC as a terrorist group, Iran responded by declaring the United States a state sponsor of terrorism and its forces in the Middle East as terror groups. Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities, a research group that advocates that America maintain a strong, dynamic military but wants it to try to avoid being deployed in overseas wars. DePetris says that while Iran is meddlesome, the threats it poses can best be addressed with deterrence and diplomacy. "Maximum pressure will fail to change the regime's behavior, but it will ratchet up tensions between the U.S. and Iran, possibly inciting a crisis or war, something Trump promised to avoid during his campaign," DePetris told VOA. "This is more evidence of a troublesome disconnect between the president and the people who ostensibly work under him. The Iranians are meddlesome actors, but they're far from a threat to the U.S., the world's only superpower." The vice president of the Heritage Foundation's Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy praises the U.S. move. "The U.S. is a global power with global interests and responsibilities," James Jay Carafano told VOA. "It's a powerful statement to demonstrate the U.S. is not distracted by a host of challenges in Venezuela, by provocations from North Korea, and yet, the U.S. has the resolve and capacity to show it can stand strong in the Middle East, as well." Bolton's statement is raising concern in other countries. India, whose economy is largely fueled by imported crude much of it from Middle East countries such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia is worried about the security of sea lanes through which its energy supplies flow. "If you have a situation where Iran and America are actually entering into a confrontationist mode, then that will not only impact the two countries but the larger region," said security analyst Harsh Pant at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. "The question of what happens to the larger region, what happens to the sea lanes of communication, I think that is going to be a challenge if this results in something bigger. ... India will wait and watch and see how far it goes." India, which has friendly relations with Iran and a growing strategic partnership with the United States, is also under pressure to slash oil imports from Iran. Except for saying that there will be additional supplies from other oil-producing countries, New Delhi has not stated clearly whether it plans to bring down its imports from Iran to zero as the United States wants. There has been no immediate reaction from Iran to Bolton's statement. One week ago, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Bolton and others, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of "designing confrontation," but added that he did not "think military confrontation will happen." Speaking to CBS News, Zarif accused the U.S. administration of "putting things in place for accidents to happen. And there has to be extreme vigilance, so that people who are planning this type of accident would not have their way." Aimed at countering China and Russia's expansion in the Arctic, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday the United States will increase its military presence in the polar region. "We are hosting military exercises, strengthening our force presence, rebuilding our icebreaker fleet, expanding Coast Guard funding, and creating a new senior military post for Arctic Affairs inside our own military," said Pompeo after arriving in Rovaniemi, Finland, for a meeting of the Arctic Council. "The region has become an area of global power and competition," he said. The top U.S. diplomat's warning comes days after a Pentagon report said China could use its civilian research presence in the Arctic to strengthen its military presence. In Beijing, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Geng Shuang pushed back Monday, saying China has been adhering to the path of "peaceful development" and asked the United States to abandon "the outdated concept of Cold War mentality and the zero-sum game." With the steady reductions in sea ice in the polar region, new naval passageways and trade opportunities are seen to be opening up. Last month, Russia announced plans to connect the Northern Sea Route with China's Maritime "Silk Road," a move seen as developing a new shipping channel from Asia to northern Europe. Meanwhile, China's interest in the Arctic has been on the rise in recent years. Beijing's Arctic policy says "China hopes to work with all parties to build a Polar Silk Road through developing the Arctic shipping routes." Sounding the alarm on China's ambition, Pompeo rejected interference by non-Arctic countries in the polar region. "There are only Arctic States and non-Arctic States. No third category exists," said Pompeo during his speech in Finland Monday. The Arctic Council consists of the eight Arctic states: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Chinese officials attending the Arctic Council meeting as observers said China is a near-Arctic state, a definition refuted by the U.S. I have no earthly idea what they mean when they say theyre a near-Arctic country. Perhaps they can provide a definition, Pompeo told the media later on Monday. Some experts said a competitive U.S. military posture for the Arctic should also come with diplomatic engagement with the Arctic nations. The increasingly challenged global commons require not just able U.S. military capacity, but a diplomatic strategy to find a balance of interests and new norms, rules and codes of conduct, Atlantic Councils senior fellow Robert Manning told VOA on Monday. Chinese officials said Beijings investments in the Arctic region, seen as an extension of Chinese President Xi Jinpings signature Belt and Road Initiative, are open, inclusive and transparent. But U.S. officials argued Chinas Belt and Road Initiative is about using government power to achieve national security objectives. The United States and Arctic nations welcome transparent Chinese investment that reflects economic interests, not national security ambitions, said Pompeo. Military officials from Russia and China said both countries intended to regularly conduct joint war games, following last September's massive Vostok (East) 2018 military exercises that spanned extensive regions of Siberia, Russia's Far East, the Arctic, and the Pacific Oceans. China was invited for the first time to join the drill. In May of 2013, China became an "observer state" of the Arctic Council with the help of Iceland. Last year, a China-Iceland joint Arctic Research Observatory was established in Karholl, Iceland. The Arctic houses 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil, 30 percent of its undiscovered gas, and an abundance of resources, including uranium, rare earth minerals, and millions of square miles of untapped fisheries. After two days of heaving fighting, a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza was in effect Monday. At least 24 Palestinians and 4 Israelis were killed in the latest round of fighting. Before the ceasefire took hold, Israel had warned of further "massive" strikes on the Palestinian coastal strip. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports. Last years winner, Israels Netta Barzilai. Per Eurovision rules, that means Israel, controversially, will host this years competition this month. Photo: Francisco Leong /AFP/Getty Images The Eurovision Song Contest is one of the worlds most-watched televised events. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the worlds least-understood geopolitical dilemmas. This month, the two will collide. How thatll play out is anyones guess, but this is almost certainly going to be one of the most controversial and tense installments of the event in its history. Heres the short version: Despite being founded in 1956 as a cultural endeavor to promote European unity, Eurovision a competition in which various countries nominate local musical acts to contend with one another for a prize and fame has, over the past 63 years, expanded to include entrants from countries outside the Continent. Since 1973, one such country has been Israel. The Jewish state won the competition in 2018 and, per the rules, will host it this year, in Tel Aviv, beginning on May 14. Israel is eternally controversial in the international community, and various people and groups have come together to urge viewers and participants (as well as Madonna, who is slated to perform as a tie-in to the competition) to boycott the event this year. The basis of the boycotters complaint is Israels abuses of the rights of the indigenous Palestinian Arab population. It would hopelessly bog us down to get into all the specifics of the clash, which extends back to Jewish settlers arrival to the region in the late-19th century and runs through the establishment of the state in 1948; the capturing of the Palestinian-majority territories known as the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem during the 1967 war; two major conflagrations beginning in 1987 and 2000, respectively; and up to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus racist, expansionist, and successful reelection campaign this year. This wont be the first time that the Jewish state has hosted the competition it did so in 1979 and 1999 as well. But, back then, there were no major worldwide boycott efforts. So whats changed? The answer is twofold: the rise of the Israel-criticizing Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign and Israels slide to the right. Lets start with that first item. Launched by Palestinians in 2005, the BDS movement seeks to nonviolently accomplish three goals: an end to the occupation and blockade, fully realized rights for Palestinians in Israel, and the return of Palestinian refugees. In order to achieve those aims, BDS urges individuals, corporations, organizations, and governments to divest from Israel; support international sanctions against the country; and boycott Israeli businesses, academic engagements, and cultural events like, for example, this years Eurovision among other things. Its hard to say exactly how successful BDS has been. It hasnt changed much in the way of Israeli policy other than to become a motivating force for anti-BDS efforts on the governments part. However, it has become incredibly effective as a point of discussion , causing countless people to think for the first time about Israels transgressions. On the artistic front, it appears that BDS activity on social media played a role in pressuring performers such as Lorde and Lana Del Rey to not play in Israel, and theres a growing stigma for any artist who opts to do an Israeli gig. As such, its natural that BDSs latest campaign is targeting this years Eurovision contest. There is something big here, Tzahi Gavrieli, head of the Israeli governments anti-BDS task force, told Reuters. [Eurovision] is a major brand, and there is definitely an attempt under way by the other side to take it down. The task force is now cracking down on Twitter bots associated with a boycott; Twitter confirmed it has suspended a small group of accounts for violating [its] regular spam rules, in line with [its] commitment to improving healthy conversations on the service. This years competition will also arrive in the immediate wake of Netanyahus electoral victory, and that brings us to the second cause for increasing backlash: Israels lurch to the right. The countrys left wing was massively discredited after the major liberal party, Labor, made a failed peace attempt at the turn of the millennium and a vicious miniature war erupted for nearly five years. Since then, the Israeli electorate has become increasingly expansionist and anti-Palestinian. Given all that, its little surprise that left-leaning people in Eurovision-participating countries like Ireland, Iceland, Belgium, and France would sign on to the boycott effort. An array of artists, including past Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan, signed an open letter, published in the Guardian, endorsing the boycott. Musicians Brian Eno and Roger Waters both of them longtime critics of Israel have boosted the signal. So far, its hard to see a fundamental impact on the competition, insofar as no artists have pulled out and no one is refusing to broadcast it. However, the proof may be in the pudding. Icelands entrants in the competition, a band called Hatari, have already said they plan to stage some kind of protest during their performance, though it remains to be seen whether theyll do it. Israels bracing for any potential demonstration either way; Reuters reports that costs for security at the event on the part of the TV network that will air and host it Israels public broadcaster, Kan are unsually high. Meanwhile, more than 100 artists from various disciplines including Stephen Fry, Marina Abramovic, and Scooter Braun have signed an open letter denouncing the boycott; and Israels winning artist from last year, Netta Barzilai, has said Eurovision is a festival of light and that for people to boycott light is spreading darkness. And, of course, social media will be a complete shitshow with all the fighting between pro- and anti-Israel fanatics. Boycott supporters arent holding out much hope that their efforts will shut down Eurovision, but its not unreasonable to think itll raise awareness for their cause. Eurovision was designed to demonstrate that you can contend for national pride without having to fire a bullet. As such, perhaps this nonviolent effort is, in a curious way, within the spirit of the competition its seeking to disrupt. Photo: Mark Ganzon/Getty Images Once upon a time (2011) in a galaxy far, far away (Northern Ireland), a farmer dared to suggest that Rihanna wear more clothing. That farmer became a local councillor, and that local councillor has just lost his seat. (As Rihanna herself memorably tweeted, Every tongue that rises up against me shall fall!!!!!!) Per the Belfast Telegraph, Alan Graham, a councillor on Ards and North Down Council for several terms lost his seat Saturday morning to Alliance Party representative Scott Wilson. Graham, known for his conservative politics, made headlines several years ago when he criticized Rihannas outfit when she was filming the music video for We Found Love on his property. At the time, Graham said that he did not believe young ladies should have to take their clothes off to entertain. I do not speak for Rihanna, but I do not believe Graham should share such opinions. Good luck with bookin that stage u speak of! In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com On 6-8 May, Cuba will host for the first time an international event on the life and ideas of Russian revolutionary, Leon Trotsky. The academic event reflects the growing interest in the ideas of Trotsky on the island since the collapse of the Soviet Union. We are pleased to announce that the Centro de Estudios Socialistas Carlos Marx (the Spanish language publication house of the International Marxist Tendency) will participate in this historic event, where we will present a new edition of Revolution Betrayed, which has been jointly published with the Leon Trotsky House-Museum in Mexico. Alan Woods was asked to participate with a video conference on the life and ideas of Trotsky, which is available here (in Spanish). The first time it happened, Carole Fergusson was a new Robinson resident, and she was not sure how sewage had backed up into her homes toilet, causing it to overflow. The next time, Fergusson was more prepared after researching the reason behind her toilet not flushing and sewage spewing out of her shower stall. She contacted the city about the sewage invading her home, but officials told her it would take time and money to fix. Robinson Director of Utility Services Greg Hobbs said the city is working to update the aging infrastructure in the subdivision where Fergusson lives, near Old Robinson Road, as funding allows. We are addressing the problem, he said Friday. The problem is not isolated to the city of Robinson. The American Society of Civil Engineers has regularly rated the U.S. and state infrastructure systems since the 1980s. In its 2017 Texas report, the ASCE gave the state a D grade for wastewater infrastructure, dropped from a C- in 2012. The third graders reaction to the basket by Kathleen Fitzpatrick a teacher at Holy Trinity School in Georgetown has been a salve across the Internet. The kids werent just celebrating that their teacher impressively sunk a shot across the court. There was something in it for them, too. Law enforcement authorities have linked anonymous U.S. shell companies to many crimes. Viktor Bout, a Russian arms trafficker serving a 25-year federal prison sentence for illegal weapons sales, used U.S. shell companies in his dealings, according to the Treasury Department. Federal officials say they think the Sinaloa cartel has used U.S. shell companies for its narcotics trafficking. And in 2013 a federal judge found that an anonymous New York company that owned part of an office tower was acting as a front for Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions. Democrats have said obtaining the tax returns is necessary for them to perform their oversight duties, but Mnuchin has said repeatedly that their request for these records could be an invasion of Trumps privacy and become a fishing expedition. In April, Mnuchin revealed that Treasury officials had conferred with White House lawyers about Trumps tax returns before Democrats sent their formal request to the Internal Revenue Service. At the time, Mnuchin said he had not discussed the matter personally with the president. Directed by Dome Karukoski (Tom of Finland) from a serviceable screenplay by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford, the film jumps back and forth between World War I France, where Tolkien served as an officer before being diagnosed with trench fever and sent home and the aspiring authors school days at King Edwards and Oxford. Between all the intercutting, Tolkien leans heavily on a single point: Imagination served as an escape from what Tolkiens sickly mother calls the impecunious circumstances of his youth; his adolescence as an orphan, under the care of a priest (Colm Meaney); and, later, the horrors of war. Some of the battle scenes are staged as if Karukoski were channeling Peter Jackson: Smoke, fire and enemy combatants resemble hallucinatory dragons and ringwraiths, in Tolkiens imagination. The genesis of the WSO program was: How can we offer a cooperative partnership with jurisdictions that reside in states that have local or state policies that limit cooperation with ICE? said Matthew Bourke, an ICE spokesman. In devising the program, ICE realized it could also be useful to rural areas and counties that want to support federal immigration enforcement but lack the resources to send their deputies to lengthy training courses. My mission was to reset CBS News, Zirinsky said in an interview Monday afternoon. She took over the news network two months ago facing a difficult task. Her biggest star, Gayle King, was being wooed by other networks and was a flight risk. King was consulting with her good friend Oprah Winfrey, who recently told the Hollywood Reporter that she advised King: Get what you want. Get exactly what you want, because nows the time. And if you dont get what you want, then make the next right move. According to the FlightAware website, flight 1910 left Dulles at 7:11 p.m. and landed there at 8:25 p.m. The website indicated that it reached central West Virginia before turning back to Dulles. Over time, word of Dismukes artistic talent started circulating in the agencys upper echelons. She drew a portrait of George J. Methlie II, a deceased officer, that was hung in a training center named after him. Then, in 2009 or 2010, she made a painting that appeared on a holiday card sent out by Leon Panetta, the CIAs director at the time, to every employee around the world. When Panetta summoned her to his office, he told her, Youre going to be famous one day, she said. DeVos had little to say about improving traditional public schools. Instead, she explained her proposed tax credit is meant to encourage individuals and corporations to donate money to state-run scholarship programs, which would help pay tuition and other expenses for children who want to attend private schools or another alternative. The tax credit would essentially reimburse taxpayers for these donations by offering a dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax liability. Wonder How He Likes His Pina Coladas Anyone who runs a kite store is expected to have a little whimsy, but who could have expected Chuck Bernstein of the Kite Site to crave pineapple pizza? He takes a can of the fruit (crushed in heavy syrup, with two cans for a large pizza) every time he goes to Geppettos, and asks them to add it to his prosciutto or green pepper pizza. Around those parts he is now known as the Pineapple Man. Police had been searching for the suspect since shortly after Skylars death. Authorities said he had gone to the hospital with paramedics but left a short time later and didnt return. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Harvard and other universities recruited greater numbers of African American students and faculty members and set up departments of black studies. Dr. Kilson, who helped launch the field, soon grew disenchanted with the direction of some of those programs. He was concerned that academic standards were being lowered and he disparaged campus militants as dilettantes jumping on the bandwagon and acting out all the trappings of something new and exciting. The plaintiffs have been held in solitary about 22 to 24 hours a day for between two and nearly 24 years, according to the lawsuit. The cells are about the size of a parking space, and the lights are constantly on, according to the lawsuit. The inmates have suffered what is described as severe physical and mental health damage. The ACLU estimates hundreds have been through the programs since they were created in 2011. Yohannes, her boyfriend, had been a soccer star at West Springfield High School and earned a sports scholarship to the University of Mary Washington in 2012. He left to attend Northern Virginia Community College, also taking jobs with a moving company and at a restaurant, while having aspirations of opening his own business, his family said after his death. The search warrant application says Skylars mother left the G Street residence about 5 p.m. on March 16, leaving the infant and another child with Holton. The warrant says Skylar was in good health then. The mother told police that she and Holton had a video chat about 7 p.m. and that Skylar appeared fine. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) The Department of Justice found probable cause to charge Rodel Jayme, the owner of the website which first shared the "Ang Totoong Narcolist" videos. State prosecutors announced that they found Jayme "liable for inciting to sedition," senior assistant state prosecutor JP Navera said Monday afternoon. Jayme, who was arrested by authorities May 2, is the creator of the MetroBalita website that shared the series of videos of an anonymous man "Bikoy" that linked President Rodrigo Duterte's family members to a drug syndicate. "The law punishes circulation. Circulation itself is a felony, so that act itself places him under the ambit of inciting to sedition," Navera said. The prosecutor added that the case against Jayme will be filed Tuesday, and the panel recommended bail worth 36,000. The charges stem from the provisions of the Cybercrime Prevention Act. READ: Man claiming to be Bikoy surfaces, eyes suit vs drug syndicate The National Bureau of Investigation arrested Jayme and seized his laptop and cell phone last week. Jayme has admitted to owning the website, saying he received payment for its creation. "The videos and the libelous statements were already picked up by the media and almost everybody. Based on our evaluation, it can continuously engage people to run against the government kaya we found probable cause for inciting to sedition," added senior assistant state prosecutor Anna Noreen Devanadera. The panel also ruled that Jayme's arrest is valid, calling it a case of "hot pursuit." "What inciting to sedition punishes is the fact that... the posting of the videos would tend to stir up the people's dissatisfaction with the government," Devanadera said. "In that way, they are inciting people for disloyalty." She added that the panel's recommendation would mean conducting further investigation into Jayme's acts. If convicted, Jayme could face up to a 12 years in jail. Detectives continue to investigate how she lost control of her 2016 Chevrolet Malibu and careened into a pole as the car traveled southbound on South Capitol Street. Wehelies family, of Somali origin, has been in the crosshairs of counterterrorism investigators before. His son Yusuf Wehelie was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being caught in a sting operation moving guns for cash. During a year of surveillance, he had talked to an undercover FBI agent about attacking military recruits in Northern Virginia. He and his older brother, Yahya Wehelie, were held and interrogated in Egypt in 2010 on a trip back from Yemen. Yahya Wehelie was told that he was on a no fly list. Ginsberg, who also represented Yusuf Wehelie, said at his sentencing in 2017 that he was dealing with undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder from having been tortured by Egyptian police. Otterberg said he almost wondered what he was doing with his own life, grinding out a degree in college in Oklahoma City, when he heard Brooks mention he had just returned from a weekend trip in New Mexicos backcountry with a smile on his face and $800 in pay plus $200 in tips in his wallet. But Brooks wouldnt be bragging, Otterberg said, because he was humble about what he did, the car he drove and the way he dressed. But he loved what he did and the place he grew up. Is there probable cause to believe that violations of Virginia law were committed by one or more persons in the submission of election petitions for Shaun Brown? Caldwell wrote in a statement issued Monday afternoon. Based upon the facts that have been developed at this point in time, the answer to this question is clearly yes. Big Johnstone Lake began forming in the 1940s, Pelto wrote, as the glacier started to retreat from the small strip of forest that separates it from the north Pacific Ocean. Three images taken by NASA and the U.S. Geological Surveys Landsat satellites over the past 24 years plainly show how Excelsiors demise has accelerated significantly since then. Excelsior Glacier has retreated from the sea by nearly three miles since 1994, Pelto wrote. This is roughly double the melt rate seen between 1941 and 1994, he wrote, and the glacier has since lost about 30 percent of its length in just 24 years. A possible exception: Instead of dilating your eyes during a routine exam, a high-tech camera can produce a magnified image of the back of your eye. (The test can cost $20 to $40.) Its a reasonable option for people at low risk of eye disease who dont want to deal with a few hours of blurry vision, Gordon says. But an exam with dilation is considered more thorough and accurate, and is recommended for people at risk for or diagnosed with eye disease. Ariz. sees hepatitis outbreak: Arizona is seeing a surge in hepatitis A cases, mostly in the Tucson area but also in metro Phoenix, health officials say. The outbreak of the viral disease that affects the liver began in November and cases have continued to rise since then despite efforts to step up vaccinations. The Arizona Republic reported that the outbreak could take months to rein in. Many cases have been reported among homeless people, individuals with precarious housing situations and those who use illicit drugs. Although there have been no Arizona deaths from the disease this year, public health officials say many of those infected had to be hospitalized. A 25-minute video that city and police officials released in March consisting of surveillance and police dash cam footage shows Starks instructing Blackshire to exit the parked vehicle. Instead, Blackshire begins to slowly drive away, bumping Starks, who fires into the windshield four times. The car briefly stops and Starks maneuvers onto the hood of the vehicle, shooting at least 11 more times as the car continues to move. Starks stops shooting when a second officer arrives and crashes into Blackshires vehicle. 2 French tourists feared abducted in Benin: Two French tourists are feared kidnapped in the West African nation of Benin after they did not return from a game drive in a wildlife reserve near the northern border with Burkina Faso, authorities said. There are fears they could have been abducted by Islamist extremists, who have become increasingly active over the border in Burkina Faso. The tourists were last seen with their driver on Wednesday when they went into the Pendjari National Park, said the group overseeing the reserve. The pair have been bestowed with multiple honors and awards over their investigation into a massacre of Rohingya Muslims, the story they were working on at the time of their arrest. These include the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, which they won in April. The Cold War contest with the Soviet Union provided a unifying theme not only to U.S. foreign policy but also to domestic politics. Facing a threat that was seemingly both eternal and mortal, American political leaders muted, compromised or, at times, suppressed their countrys internal conflicts above all, those between the two parties lest divisions render the United States vulnerable to the Soviets. There were many exceptions to this rule, of course, but generally, the vaunted two-party system kept a giant, diverse nation together through a long, twilight struggle. So why not highlight infrastructure, health care, and education and leave foreign affairs by the wayside? Because the survey also found that foreign policy is a genuine vulnerability for President Trump. While voters narrowly (50 percent to 48 percent) approved of the presidents handling of the economy, a large majority (57 percent to 40 percent) disapproved of his handling of foreign policy. Just 31 percent of voters said that the United States is more respected in the world because of President Trumps leadership, while 62 percent picked the other option: Under President Trump, America is losing respect around the world and alienating historic allies. In fact, some of the four instances where Mueller found substantial evidence of obstruction do not actually appear difficult at all. For example, the report asserts that in June 2017, Trump met one-on-one with former aide Corey Lewandowski and instructed him to tell then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he would have to unrecuse himself to take charge of the Russia investigation and mandate that it would be limited to future election interference only. Trump allegedly directed Lewandowski to instruct Sessions to declare that Sessions knew for a fact that there were no Russians involved with the campaign because he was there. And Trump ordered Lewandowski to direct Sessions to explain that Trump should not be subjected to an investigation because he hasnt done anything wrong. Lewandowski declined to make these requests, instead passing them to a current White House aide, who also declined. This is not a hard case. The conduct is more aggravated than that recorded on the smoking gun tape: Nixons 1972 direction that the CIA director tell the FBI that the Watergate investigation involved important national security matters and should not be pursued. Anything less than a great deal will subject the president to relentless criticism from the Charles E. Schumer and Bernie Sanders wings of the Democratic Party. In addition, Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) might use it to get to the right of Trump on China potentially setting up a later primary challenge. For these reasons, the presidents best political option is not to surrender, but rather to double down on the tariffs they have been highly effective in pressuring the Chinese without harming the U.S. economy. Trump has sent liberals into a panic over something that is not only a fantasy there is no mechanism to add two years to a presidents term beyond a constitutional amendment but a pointless distraction given that the election is still 18 months away. And all of this undermines trust in our institutions, which may be the biggest danger of all. He looks forward to defending President Trump and his policies against any anti-Trump activist who chooses to enter the race, Blanchat said in a statement that made no mention of Tucker by name. Senator Tillis looks forward to continuing to work with President Trump and Vice President Pence in securing our border and keeping our economy growing at a record setting pace. My work on gun violence, health care, and many other issues is just starting, she said in another tweet, attaching a photograph of her and her son. And yes as a woman of color I am proud to be part of the most diverse class in American history. My experiences drive the work I am doing for my constituents. And nobody can take that away from me. Our humanity must override our instinct for self-preservation. We need radical change and redistribution, because the real scandal in this country is that millions of black South Africans are essentially homeless in their own country. What my friends and I say is we need to end apartheid a second time. All white people have to fear is equality. Home to fewer than a half-million people, the tiny sultanate on the island of Borneo was not a comfortable place for the LGBT community even before the laws took effect. Homosexuality was punishable by jail terms of up to a decade, for example. Many in the community say it has been hard for them to express their concerns over the new rules for fear that they could be charged with apostasy. The coronation tied Vajiralongkorn closer to his late father. He wore the same gold-embroidered black hat that his father did when he ascended to the throne. The balcony in the Grand Palace was also where Bhumibol greeted the public for the first time after his coronation. He would appear on the balcony annually on his birthday, Dec. 5, until his health declined. His last appearance was in December 2012, when he delivered a speech calling for compassion during the political crisis at the time. Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcomed a baby boy on Monday. Prince Harry said, Im just over the moon! The global media said, Show us the baby! The couple has sought to keep the delivery more private than the public issues of Harrys brother, Prince William, probably a future king. A beaming Harry, standing beside a horse stable near his home in Windsor, told the press: We will be seeing you guys in probably two days time, as planned, as a family, to be able to share it with you guys, and so that everyone can see the baby. Baby Sussex is seventh in line to the British throne and Queen Elizabeth IIs eighth great-grandchild. In terms of the monarchy, his birth is not especially consequential. But there is widespread fascination with this first child born to Britains popular prince and his unusually outspoken American wife. Meghan, a California native, remains a U.S. citizen while waiting for her British citizenship to be approved. And so the baby is half-American and may choose to hold dual nationality. The baby is also getting attention as Britains first multiracial royal offspring in centuries. Meghans father is white and her mother is African American. Buckingham Palace said the baby arrived at first light, at 5:26 a.m., and weighs a satisfying 7 pounds, 3 ounces. There was first an announcement on Instagram, and later a placard presented on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace by a pair of courtiers dressed in tails and red vests. Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson set up an easel announcing the birth of a son to Britains Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. (Yui Mok/AFP/Getty Images) Harry told reporters that the baby had been a bit overdue and that the couple was still thinking about names. British oddsmakers said that James and Alexander are the favorites. But, then again, the bookies predicted the baby would be a girl. The queen will decide whether the latest member of the royal family will be awarded the title prince. [Meghan and Harrys baby will not automatically be a prince. Heres why.] No matter, Harry endeared himself to mums everywhere when he gushed: Its been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. The palace reported that he was at Meghans side during the delivery. Harrys wonder at the miracle of birth and the great effort involved stood in contrast to how Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have played it. Kate is famous for appearing just hours after birth outside the maternity wing in London. She always looks great, by the way. But many have said her turn before the cameras presents a slightly skewed version of what happens behind the scenes. [Yes, Duchess Kate looked flawless after giving birth. No, this isnt normal.] The British press is especially eager to know whether Baby Sussex was born at home at Frogmore Cottage, the mini-mansion on the Windsor grounds where the threesome plus staff will reside. Royal correspondents have reported and tut-tutted that the headstrong American Meghan wished to have a more naturalistic birth, with help from a midwife, vs. being surrounded by men in suits. It is fair to say, too, there is mild curiosity in Britain about the babys appearance. Known mixed-race British royals are rare enough that one must travel back to before the American Revolution to find a candidate. Some historians believe Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, was of African descent. Meghan has addressed the issue herself, saying that when she was young, she was not sure what box to tick. While my mixed heritage may have created a gray area surrounding my self-identification, keeping me with a foot on both sides of the fence, I have come to embrace that, she wrote in Elle magazine in 2016. To say who I am, to share where Im from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman. When the couple was first reported to be romantically involved, Harry issued an extraordinary palace statement condemning what he saw as the racial undertones of the coverage and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments. Meghan is estranged from her father. But her mother, Doria Ragland, was there for the birth on Monday. The palace said Ragland is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild. Royal watchers had expected the birth to have happened sooner and camera crews and super fans had been staked out in Windsor town, outside the castle walls, awaiting the arrival. Royal fans await the baby outside Windsor Castle. (Will Oliver/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) Last week, Buckingham Palace said Prince Harry was planning a two-day trip to the Netherlands on May 8 and 9. On Friday, the palace revised the plan to say he is postponing Wednesdays scheduled official visit to Amsterdam but will still attend an Invictus Games event in The Hague on Thursday. Interpreting what all this meant for the due date was not easy. Meghan might be thankful she wasnt producing heirs in a previous era, when the birthing room for a royal baby was a decidedly more crowded place. Before Prince Charless birth, royal births were attended by the British home secretary. When Queen Elizabeth II was born in 1926, then-Home Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks took a break from the political crisis of the day to witness her birth. At the time, she wasnt even expected to become queen. But the tradition of courtiers and people such as the home secretary and the archbishop of Canterbury attending the births of royal babies has since been scrapped. Harry and Meghan met in 2016 when she was an actress on the legal drama Suits, filmed in Toronto, where Markle had been living. In a BBC interview shortly after their engagement, Harry said that on meeting Meghan, he thought to himself, Im really going to have to up my game here. Their wedding last year at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor was a global event, with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, George and Amal Clooney, and Serena Williams in attendance. Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, watch children playing football during a trip to Morocco earlier this year. (Facundo Arrizabalaga/AP) Read more Harry and Meghan are silent, but the British media have plenty to say Royal wedding 2018: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle marry British voters with Brexit on their minds punish main parties in local elections Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Israels military said that of the 690 rockets and mortars fired toward its territory over the weekend, at least 90 failed to make it across the border. Of those that did, 240 were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, which assesses whether a rocket is likely to strike open ground or needs to be intercepted. The system had 87 percent accuracy on attempted interceptions, with 35 rockets striking urban areas. It would also spell the breakdown of the Russian-Turkish agreement that took hold in October. The cease-fire called for a nine-mile demilitarized zone in Idlib. It has been repeatedly violated by both sides, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has described the latest escalation as the fiercest. Hamas officials said they escalated the violence to push Israel to stick to the terms it had agreed to after another such flare-up in March, when rocket fire had caused Netanyahu to cut short a trip to Washington. Hamas accused Israel of reneging on the deal to allow in cash assistance of $30 million a month from Qatar, expand fishing rights and ease the restrictions on imports and exports that have choked Gazas economy. Another possible option, said Dennis A. Ross, who participated in U.S. negotiations in the Middle East through a number of administrations, would be to enrich a small amount of uranium to 20 percent more than five times the level allowable under the agreement to provide fuel for a research reactor that the United States has now sanctioned. It would be a technical violation of the agreement, Ross said, but the Iranians would present it as, We havent been left any choice. In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force, national security adviser John Bolton said in a statement. I was just laying down the data set and also urging all those nations that truly want free and open navigation, who want market systems to work, who want the private sector to dominate, create success and wealth and security and free passage in the Arctic, all those nations who are prepared to come together and work on that, we welcome, he said. Cohen is the only person within the Trump organization to be prosecuted for crimes committed at the direction of and for the benefit of Mr. Trump, Davis said. Michael may be sentenced within the walls of a federal correctional institution. But the truth has no walls. Michael will continue to be accessible to congress and to federal, state, and local law enforcement. Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Googles parent company, Alphabet, said the reason it had not shared the proposal was that it was still being debated. But it was a tough look for a company that has come under fire over a lack of transparency around its business model and over the question of who would own and govern the data and intellectual property at the heart of its proposal. To begin with, it was not clear that the new vote if free and fair would alter the result. Imamoglu and other successful challengers nationwide had benefited from voter dissatisfaction with Turkeys faltering economy, as well as a rare show of unity by the normally fractured political opposition. And Erdogans aggressive effort to invalidate the vote in Istanbul will probably further alienate people, especially young, middle-class voters already frustrated with his leadership style, said Gonul Tol, director of the Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute in Washington. "That is capitalism." Two years ago at the same meeting, he bluntly said, "I'm afraid a capitalist system will always hurt some people." Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Credit:AP In some ways, Buffett may be misunderstood. He is often looked to by his supporters as the conscience of capitalism. And in many ways he is - railing against hedge fund fees and private equity and raising questions about what he considers the ills of business. But at his core, he believes that the pursuit of capitalism is fundamentally moral - that it creates and produces prosperity and progress even when there are immoral actors and even when it creates inequality. Asked about the backlash against capitalism, Buffett and his partner, Charlie Munger, went so far as to dismiss the growing movement among investors and policymakers to fix it by focusing on environmental, social and governance initiatives - known as ESG. Buffett appeared to suggest that the movement is largely virtue-signaling and ultimately counterproductive. "We are not going to tie up resources doing things just because it is the standard procedure in corporate America," Buffett said. Loading Munger added: "When it comes to so-called best corporate practices, I think the people that talk about them don't really know what the best practices are. They determine that on what will sell, not what will work." He added: "I like our way of doing things better than theirs and I hope to God we never follow their best practices." In its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Berkshire explicitly states that it does not consider diversity when hiring board members: "Berkshire does not have a policy regarding the consideration of diversity in identifying nominees for director. In identifying director nominees, the Governance Committee does not seek diversity, however defined. Instead, as previously discussed, the Governance Committee looks for individuals who have very high integrity, business-savvy, an owner-oriented attitude and a deep genuine interest in the company." (Buffett did say that Berkshire's energy business was focused on generating 100 percent of its energy in Iowa from wind energy, but it was also clear that was a business decision, not one made for moral or public relations reasons.) He even backed companies and executives that have fallen into disrepute. He said Wells Fargo, one of Berkshire's largest holdings, had made "mistakes" but defended its former chief executive, Tim Sloan, and contended he was unfairly sacrificed for political reasons. Sloan was pushed out as regulators cracked down on the bank after a series of scandals. Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, the vice-chairman of Berkshire, took the stage for more than five hours at the companys annual meeting in downtown Omaha. Credit:Nati Harnik/AP Some people will read those comments as a setback for those who are trying to push business to be more progressive, inclusive and diverse. And to some extent, it is a genuine setback that he doesn't use his soapbox in such a way. But there is also an underlying truth to many of Buffett's words - ones that even the do-gooders among us may heed. For example, Buffett made a persuasive argument that the obsession among corporate governance experts with appointing so-called independent directors to company boards was one of the great hoaxes perpetrated on public investors. "The independent directors in many cases are the least independent," Buffett said. He explained that many independent directors need the money that comes with being a director, usually an annual fee of about $US250,000. "They aren't going to upset the apple cart," he said, explaining that these independent directors get put on the compensation committee because they can be controlled. Loading "How in the world is that independent?" Buffett exclaimed. "You don't get invited to be on your boards if you belch too often at the dinner table." One prominent chief executive I spoke with after the meeting said he wished he could speak as bluntly as Buffett. He said in this politically sensitive climate, he often has to tiptoe around controversial topics and at least nod at the societal concern of the moment. Therein lies the truth of the particular moment that the business community faces and one that, at least so far, Buffett, at age 88, may be immune from. 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. A bookkeeper working for Silversea Cruises has been accused of stealing $3.5 million from the ultra-luxury cruise company in an allegedly "deliberate and calculated fraud" said to have been perpetrated over four years in its Sydney office. Adding to the cruise company's pain, her husband then convinced a judge that, because he didn't know about it, the company could recover just under $2000 from him. Perven and Mary Ann Abellanoza. Ms Abellanoza has been accused of defrauding her employer, Silversea Cruises, of $3.5 million over four years. Credit:Facebook As part of her $88,000 employment package, Mary Ann Abellanoza received a free voyage each year on one of the companys lavish vessels, which boast complimentary caviar and a 24-hour butler for each guest. But the 53-year-old mother from Plumpton, in Sydney's west, has been charged with 98 fraud offences, including deliberately obtaining a financial advantage by deception and dealing with the proceeds of crime. If you're getting a cheap deal on solar, don't assume the installer has bothered to calculate the best panel layout for your roof. If you've been holding out on putting solar panels on your roof to curb your power bills, this might be the year to take the leap, depending on what happens after the Federal election. Right now there's a Federal rebate along with various state rebates, which combined can more than halve the cost of a home solar installation. Installers should be able to offer you a full report on your roof's shade situation. Credit:Glenn Hunt After the Federal rebate, you'll find that solar installation costs tend to vary between about $5000 and $10,000. That's a big difference, driven in part by the quality of the components and whether "optimisers" or "micro-inverters" are used to ensure your panels are delivering the best bang for your buck. From my experience, the price also tends to dictate the quality of advice you get when planning your installation. Denpasar: The family of dead Australian DJ Adam Gary Neat have declined an autopsy request from Indonesian authorities, according to South Kuta police chief Doddy Monza. And police are not treating the death, which took place Saturday morning, as suspicious. The glass window that Australian DJ Adam Gary Neat, also known as DJ Adam Sky, went through and died over the weekend. Credit:Amilia Rosa The 42-year-old, who is originally from Melbourne but was based in Singapore and performed under the name DJ Adam Sky, died while attempting to help his personal assistant Zoia Lukiantceva. Ms Lukiantceva reportedly fell about ten metres and Mr Neat rushed to her aid. Denpasar: The owners of the site where the Sari Club once stood are demanding $14 million, including $9 million in compensation, before they hand over land for the construction of a Bali Peace Park. The demand for additional compensation, which comes in the middle of the federal election, potentially puts extra pressure on Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten both of whom have quietly promised the Bali Peace Park Association millions of dollars of taxpayers' money to help purchase the land, which was the site of the 2002 Bali bombings. The Bali Peace Park association has campaigned for the site to be turned into a memorial park. Credit:Amilia Rosa The new demand for compensation from the owners of the site, which has stood vacant since the 2002 attack by the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group, has threatened to derail a deal that is close to being clinched after more than a decade of negotiations. The owners recently revealed they planned to construct a five-storey restaurant on the site, which would include a monument on top floor to those who died. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) President Rodrigo Duterte visited the wake of his former political rival, ex-House Speaker Prospero Nograles, on Sunday at the Heritage Park in Taguig City. This is Duterte's first public appearance since he was last seen on April 28 at the opening ceremony of the Palarong Pambansa in Davao City. On May 4, a photo of Duterte watching a show on Netflix at home on Saturday broke what would have been a six-day absence from the public eye that fueled speculation about his health. Nograles died at the age of 71 after succumbing to respiratory failure, secondary to pneumonia, his family said on May 4. Nograles previously tried but failed to take leadership of Davao City as he ran against then mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the 1990s and against Sara Duterte in 2010. In 2015, Nograles ended the long-time political rivalry and supported then mayor Duterte's presidential bid. President Duterte appointed Nograles' son to the Cabinet in 2018. On Tuesday, there will be necrological services at the House of Representatives in honor of the former Speaker. From the Batasang Pambansa, his remains will be flown to Davao. MILFORD The Connecticut Chiefs of Police Association and the Milford Police Department want to help make this summer a memorable one for several Milford youths! Over the next few weeks Milford Police Department will be looking for donations to send as many Milford youths, ages 8-13, as possible to Channel 3 Kids Camp the week of July 21-26, 2019. WESTPORT Violent, visceral, personal, new all words that can describe the pop-up art exhibit at 1 Main St. Among the many reactionary pieces in the show titled Uncovered: What She Hides are photos by Barbara Ringer of a discombobulated mannequin with figurines falling out of its neck. Another, a ghastly depiction of a childlike doll that seems to be preyed on by an older, disportionate and distorted male figure. Westport, although it has a rich art history, has become very safe art, artist Darcy Hicks said on Thursday. We felt like we needed to just be risky. The exhibit was led by Hicks, Amy Kaplan, Liz Leggett and art adviser Julie Gannon, and features some of their work along with other female artists in the area. According to Hicks, the show has art that largely responds to the 2018 political climate: after the hearing of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, footage released of President Donald Trumps grab them by the pussy remarks, subsequent protests and the #MeToo movement. Additionally, the show includes pieces on often stigmatized topics like mental health, sexual abuse, boredom, loneliness, addiction, aging, motherhood, isolation of suburbia and everyday difficulties Westport women face. Both Hicks and Kaplan said they are cognizant of the wealth in Westports community and how it allows them many more privileges than most in some of these situations. Despite that, Kaplan said the topics are universal and privilege doesnt shield from all of them. The show features artists from different age groups and backgrounds, one of them being Chloe Blythe, a 20-year-old who spent some time in Westport after fleeing a domestic violence situation. Blythe said her art includes scraps of documents she retrieved from her lawyer regarding the abuse, a depiction of her face after her assault, and experiences with drug addiction. Like many revolutionary collaborations, the idea for the art show started over coffee. A few months ago, the women who met by chance at art exhibits and protests, began having conversations not only about the art they made for the public and for themselves, but the kind that helped them through what Hicks called a demeaning time period in history. She recalled finding herself in her studio often making two different artworks, one to frame and share and the other that was often stowed away. One of Hicks hidden pieces was Wash, a painting in which she despicts herself as a young newlywed doing laundry with passages of feminist classics forged into her dress. Hicks said the piece was a reflection of her struggle with feeling like an empowered woman after going to the all-girls Smith College, where she read female empowerment novels by authors like Jane Austen. I think I imagined I was going to be stronger than I was, she said. I was confused about my role as a mother, wife feeling so invincible then washing underpants. Both Hicks and Kaplan describe their art as being cathartic. During the Kavanaugh hearing, I learned what trigger meant, Kaplan said. As a sexual assault survivor, Kaplan said she has integrated the experience into her identity. However, after the Kavanaugh hearing, where details described by Christine Blasey Ford had been very similar to her assault, Kaplan began to fume. Hearing Trumps comments, she said. It really brought me back. Kaplan kept her story mostly hidden for the last 30 years. Then she made art. Even then, she was still unsure if she wanted to share such intimate information with the world, especially with the lingering shame that is common among many assault survivors. These feelings are reflected in her piece Whyididntreport. But through the years, Kaplan learned she shouldnt feel ashamed of an act perpetrated on her. Although she doesnt expect her art to be something hung in a living room, Kaplan noted it was important to show other women they are not alone. The artists will be continuing the dialogue at the shows next event Coffee and Conversation on May 7 and until the exhibit ends in June. Although the exhibit explores raw and vulnerable topics, Hicks said she wanted the show to be a conversation, where people can come together and not only talk about hard subjects, but also to laugh. mfespinal10@gmail.com 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. Williamson, WV (25661) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 56F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 56F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. A UN report that concludes a million species are threatened with extinction and that "fundamental, structural change" is required to halt a steep decline in the natural environment has lessons for Canada, says one of its authors. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A couple walks through a forest with the Frankfurt skyline in background near Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 21, 2018. Development that's led to loss of habitat, climate change, overfishing, pollution and invasive species is causing a biodiversity crisis, scientists say in a new United Nations science report released Monday, May 6, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Michael Probst A UN report that concludes a million species are threatened with extinction and that "fundamental, structural change" is required to halt a steep decline in the natural environment has lessons for Canada, says one of its authors. "The current fight that we're having between provinces and the feds around oilsands, pipelines, climate change and local environmental impacts ... is not actually a fight that we should be having," said Kai Chan, a University of British Columbia professor, who helped write the report from the International Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. That report was released Monday after a three-year effort by hundreds of scientists from 50 countries. "The fact that we are faced with such a stark choice is actually the product of a broken 20th-century economy that's not fit for purpose in the 21st century." The UN report is full of scary numbers compiled from more than 15,000 papers. It says the current extinction rate is tens to hundreds of times higher than the 10-million-year average. Ocean plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1990, affecting nearly half of all seabird and marine mammals. Since 1970, human population has doubled and the global economy increased four times, which has driven up energy demand and consumption. Climate change is now the third-largest driver of environmental change around the globe. There are plenty of Canadian examples, said Chan. Southern resident killer whales off the British Columbia coast are vanishing, as are some caribou herds. Melting Arctic permafrost could release huge amounts of greenhouse gases. Just as worrisome is the declining ability of the environment to clean water, mitigate floods, nourish crops and sustain fisheries. The report concludes 14 out of 18 ways in which human communities depend on the environment are declining. We now understand the magnitude of the challenge, said federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said from a G7 environment ministers meeting in France. Canadians believe their country is much more environmentally conscious than it is, Chan said. University studies using international standards consistently rank Canada near the bottom of wealthy industrialized nations for environmental policy. "Our institutions don't generally do a good job of thinking about the long term neither our political institutions, nor our businesses," Chan said. McKenna defended the governments support for resource development infrastructure such as the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. It will not go ahead unless its done in the right way, she said. Proposed legislation to overhaul environmental assessments would ensure good projects can proceed without harming nature or climate, she said. The UN report offers policy solutions including an end to production subsidies, widening the circle of economic decision-making, preventative action and tougher legislation. Those are all useful, said Scott McFatridge of the Smart Prosperity Institute. So is the report's focus on moving past narrow economic measures such as gross domestic product. "We recognize that GDP is important, but we want to move to new frameworks that take a more holistic picture," he said. "We're very much in agreement with the report on that." He also supports its call for working landscapes that include farming, mining and aquaculture but still leave space for nature. Dan Kraus, biologist for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, said the report does a good job summing up recent science on how the benefits provided by nature are deteriorating. He echoed its call for new thinking. "We need to understand that the environment is the foundation of our economy and our well-being. When we start pulling cards out, that affects everything else and we need to be increasingly cautious about which cards we're pulling." 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. Federal Conservative environment critic Ed Fast declined to comment. Chan points to global environmental success stories from the resurgent peregrine falcon to the end of widescale acid rain. "Yes, nature is declining," he said. "Yes, there is something we can do about it." What we really need, he said, is to think differently. "We need to think seriously about the structure of our economy." Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960 JUNEAU, Alaska - More than 800 people toured the newest Alaska state ferry, even as the entire Alaska Marine Highway System faces an uncertain future. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Capt. Michael Schlechter, right, speaks with members of the public on the ferry Tazlina on Sunday, May 5, 2019, in Juneau, Alaska. More than 800 people toured the newest Alaska state ferry Sunday, even though the entire Alaska Marine Highway System faces an uncertain future. (Alex McCarthy/Juneau Empire via AP) JUNEAU, Alaska - More than 800 people toured the newest Alaska state ferry, even as the entire Alaska Marine Highway System faces an uncertain future. The Tazlina is the newest ferry for the system, and was designed to operate in the rough waters of Lynn Canal, the Juneau Empire reported Monday. The ferry is scheduled to make its maiden voyage Tuesday. According to the Department of Transportation's website, the 280-foot (85-meter) ferry can carry up to 300 passengers and up to 53 vehicles. The Tazlina will make day runs, beginning by going from Juneau to Haines. It then will go from Haines to Skagway and back. The ferry will overnight in Haines. The following day, it sails to Skagway, back to Haines and then to Juneau. It will repeat this cycle three times a week. There are no crew quarters aboard the Tazlina, so it can only sail in 12-hour increments. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy's administration plans to weigh an overhaul of the entire state ferry system aimed at limiting state support. No ferry reservations are being taken beyond Oct. 1. The state Senate has proposed limited winter service to keep the ferries running. Mary Siroky, the transportation department's deputy director, said under the Senate's plan, the runs that make the most money would get the most service this winter. She said the most lucrative runs are the ones from Bellingham, Washington, while the ferry runs to smaller Alaska coastal communities are at the opposite end. "Frankly, the village runs don't make a lot of money, so those communities will probably see a little less service," Siroky said. The administration has contracted for a study with Northern Economics to determine the best way forward for the ferry system. The new ferry is impressive, but Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, said she couldn't help but worry about the future of the marine highway system. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "It's something new and sparkly, so that's great," Hannan said, "and making sure we continue to have great service up Lynn Canal. That's great, but there are mixed emotions around the long-term planning and what we're going to do and how we're going to serve the region." Christopher Coutu of Juneau toured the ferry Sunday with his wife and children. He said Sunday's event serves as an example to lawmakers of how vital the boats are to those who live in coastal, roadless areas of the state. "At a time where they keep talking about budget cuts and budget cuts for the ferries, it's really good to see investment in the marine highway system," Coutu said. "It's important, and I think the turnout today shows how important it is." The Tazlina is the first of two Alaska Class ferries for the system. The second, the Hubbard, will operate out of Prince William Sound, also as a day boat. It will begin service in summer 2020, said transportation department spokeswoman Aurah Landau. ___ Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com Hudson's Bay Co. may sell its Lord and Taylor business as it embarks on a review of strategic alternatives for the U.S.-based department store chain. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Hudson's Bay Co. says it is pursuing strategic alternatives for its Lord and Taylor business, including a possible sale or merger. Hudson's Bay Co. holds its annual meeting of shareholders in Toronto on June 3, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov Hudson's Bay Co. may sell its Lord and Taylor business as it embarks on a review of strategic alternatives for the U.S.-based department store chain. The review "is another example of how we are exploring options to position HBC for long-term success," said HBC's chief executive Helena Foulkes in a statement. The company hired a financial adviser for the review and is "committed to working through it as efficiently as possible". It could result in a sale or merger, the company said. Lord and Taylor, which operates more than 40 stores south of the border, had $1.4 billion in annual revenue in 2018. It also runs an online business, which sells clothing and accessories. The chain remains committed to serving its customers throughout the review, Foulkes said. HBC has been working to simplify its organization, strengthen its retail operations and unlock the value of its real estate assets, the company said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. It announced in February that its Canadian retail banner, Home Outfitters, will be discontinued and its 37 locations will be closed this year. The closure would help it reduce costs and improve overall profitability, it said. The retailer also said about 20 Saks Off Fifth locations will be closed in the United States. HBC later announced its president, Alison Coville, would step down as of March 1. She had started in the position in June 2017 and as part of her duties oversaw the Home Outfitters brand. Canada's oldest retailer has struggled in recent years with disappointing earnings reports and a battle with activist investor Land and Buildings Investment Management LLC. Follow @AleksSagan on Twitter. Companies in this story: (TSX:HBC) TOPEKA, Kan. - U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran is putting pressure on Amtrak to commit to the continued operation of the Southwest Chief passenger rail service that connects Chicago to Los Angeles with stops in Kansas. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TOPEKA, Kan. - U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran is putting pressure on Amtrak to commit to the continued operation of the Southwest Chief passenger rail service that connects Chicago to Los Angeles with stops in Kansas. Moran recently delayed confirming three nominees to Amtrak's board of directors in an effort to push the national rail carrier to offer assurances that the line will operate for at least another year, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported. Amtrak's president, Richard Anderson, agreed to meet with Moran and other lawmakers about the rail service's future later this month. Amtrak officials considered suspending rail service from Dodge City to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and transitioning to buses last year. The idea stemmed from the cost of repairs needed along a portion of the route. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Republican senator was behind a federal budget compromise approved by Congress in February that provides an additional $50 million to go toward maintenance and safety improvements of the Southwest Chief line. Discussions in Congress about extending funding are ongoing. "As the divide between urban communities and rural communities in America continues to expand, passenger rail services, like the Southwest Chief, are necessary in connecting Kansans to the rest of the country," Moran said. "I am continuing to seek assurances from Amtrak that it will uphold its commitment to repair, improve and continue the Southwest Chief rail line." Moran and a group of lawmakers also sent Amtrak officials a letter requesting information about the route. Last year's ridership information hasn't been made available yet. More than 52,000 passengers boarded the Southwest Chief line in Kansas in 2017, which was an increase of 2,700 people from the previous year. ___ Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.com OTTAWA - Canada's claim over the Northwest Passage is "illegitimate," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday in a major speech to the Arctic Council that Canadian experts called both provocative and frequently inaccurate. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talks to the media on the sidelines of the Arctic Council ministers' working dinner at the Arktikum museum in Rovaniemi, Finland, Monday, May 6, 2019. Pompeo is calling Canada's claim over the Northwest Passage "illegitimate" in a major speech that is being criticized for being provocative and inaccurate. (Mandel Ngan/Pool Photo via AP) OTTAWA - Canada's claim over the Northwest Passage is "illegitimate," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday in a major speech to the Arctic Council that Canadian experts called both provocative and frequently inaccurate. Pompeo offered his characterization during a wide-ranging speech in Finland in which he also warned against China's increased Arctic presence, saying it threatens North American security and could be harmful to the environment. Pompeo reiterated long-held concerns about Russia's military build-up in the Arctic and how that, too, is viewed as being counter to American security interests. "No one denies Russia has significant Arctic interests," Pompeo said in a transcript of remarks circulated by the U.S. State Department. "We recognize that Russia is not the only nation making illegitimate claims. The U.S. has a long-contested feud with Canada over sovereign claims through the Northwest Passage." Pompeo's branding of a longtime disagreement on Arctic policy between the Canada and the U.S. is a "stunning rebuke" of the 1988 Arctic Co-operation agreement between the two countries, said Fen Hampson, the head of the international-security program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont. "It underscores the 'upset-every-applecart' approach by the Trump administration to Canada-U.S. relations," said Hampson, the author of a recent book on the foreign policy of former prime minister Brian Mulroney. The routes between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans run between Canadian islands but the two countries disagree about whether that makes them internal Canadian waters or international waters that have Canadian territory nearby. The disagreement matters more now that melting Arctic sea ice means the Northwest Passage is getting closer to being a viable commercial shipping route. The agreement reached by Mulroney and then-president Ronald Reagan allows the U.S. to designate the Northwest Passage as an international waterway while allowing Canada to say that it is a part of Canadian sovereign territory. The treaty recognizes the "close and friendly relations between their two countries, the uniqueness of ice-covered maritime areas, the opportunity to increase their knowledge of the marine environment of the Arctic through research conducted during icebreaker voyages, and their shared interest in safe, effective icebreaker navigation off their Arctic coasts." The Canadian government pointed to that agreement in responding to Pompeo's speech. "Canada and the U.S. have differing views regarding the status of the Northwest Passage under international law," said Guillaume Berube, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs. "The situation is well managed, including through the 1988 Arctic Co-operation Agreement, according to which the U.S. government seeks Canada's consent for its icebreakers to navigate the waterways. Canada remains committed to exercising the full extent of its rights and sovereignty over its territory and its Arctic waters, including the various waterways commonly referred to as the Northwest Passage. Those waterways are part of the internal waters of Canada." Hampson said the treaty was a "neighbourly understanding to agree to disagree about Canada's territorial claims over the Northwest Passage, whereby the U.S. would seek Canada's permission about transit through these straits." There is little that Canada can do if the U.S. sends a ship through the passage without prior notification, he said. "We can remind them, though, that if they are worried about a growing Chinese and Russian presence in the North and aspirations to create a circumpolar Silk Road, they might want to work more closely with their NORAD partner and refrain from challenging our sovereignty," said Hampson. "This isn't the time to be throwing snowballs." Michael Byers, an Arctic expert at the University of British Columbia, said Pompeo's characterization of the Canadian position as illegitimate is actually factually correct, but it is "the only accurate and rational statement in the speech." The federal government should be worried that the top diplomat from one of its key Arctic allies got his facts so wrong, Byers said. One of the most glaring of several mistakes, said Byers, is Pompeo's assertion that China is trying to build infrastructure in the Canadian Far North. China is "planning to build infrastructure from Canada, to the Northwest Territories, to Siberia," Pompeo said. "This is part of a very familiar pattern. Beijing attempts to develop critical infrastructure using Chinese money, Chinese companies, and Chinese workers in some cases, to establish a permanent Chinese security presence." China's signature international infrastructure project, the multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, aims to expand trade by building roads, ports and other facilities to connect Asia through Africa and the Middle East to Europe. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The U.S. opposes what it sees as an aggressive push by China to assert its influence by lending money to less developed countries and creating what is known as a "debt trap." A Chinese state-owned company ended up in possession of a port in Sri Lanka when that country couldn't pay off loans, for instance. "I have not heard of any Chinese plans to build infrastructure in the Canadian Arctic," said Byers. "There's no factual basis, certainly not in the public domain, and that would also require the full involvement of the Canadian government. It's just flat-out wrong." (Byers did note that northern Quebec has a Chinese-owned lithium mine.) A senior government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Pompeo did not appear to refer to specific Chinese projects in Canada related to the Belt and Road Initiative and may have been speculating. The official added: "There are no investments here, nor are there any contemplated." Berube, the spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Department, said Canada "welcomes continued discussions with China on Arctic issues," which the two countries can have through existing two-way and multinational mechanisms. OTTAWA The federal government has fined a Winnipeg charity for misusing the temporary foreign worker program. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The federal government has fined a Winnipeg charity for misusing the temporary foreign worker program. The World Mission Good Seed church was fined $2,000 on April 8 for providing misleading information, and hiring someone who "was not actively engaged in the business that the temporary worker was hired to work for," the federal registry said. The charity serves Winnipegs French-language immigrant community, primarily those from West Africa. It received donations ranging from $24,150 to $84,900 from 2013 to 2017. World Mission Good Seed is registered at 7 Tudor Cres., the address of Sherwood Park Lutheran Church though the Lutheran pastor said he'd never heard of the charity before. World Missions Patrick Mpinga did not explain the details of the infraction in a short voicemail message to the Free Press. Since then, the Free Press has not been able to establish contact with Mpinga. Erik Parker, the pastor of Sherwood Park, said his church has no connection to Mpinga's group, which he'd first learned of through this article. "I am not sure how or why they would use our address for their charity," Parker wrote Monday morning. "We do have a Congolese congregation that rents our church for their services, but if they are the group affiliated with World Mission Good Seed, this would cause us to re-evaluate their rental relationship with us." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The case marks the second time this year fines were imposed for the misuse of the temporary foreign worker program. In February, the federal government fined Sky Convenience, an Exchange District store at 25 Amy St., $1,750 for failing to file the right paperwork and wrongly describing the job involved. The store manager who was involved in the hiring did not respond to an interview request. Since 2016, Ottawa has imposed 152 sanctions against employers for breaching the terms of the program. Penalties can reach tens of thousands of dollars, and a two-year ban on using the program. The program was the source of controversy in 2013 when media revealed the Royal Bank of Canada used it to bring in technology workers from India. Employees in Canada trained them before being laid off. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Winnipeg city halls version of Dragons' Den is no more. The three-year experiment in which staff pitched supposedly innovative ideas at a public meeting for funding outside the normal budget process is being replaced with a dedicated department that will vet staff ideas going forward, looking for "transformative" projects, rather than the conventional operational proposals that had received funding. The innovation committee awarded $135,000 for the purchase and installion of 15 solar-powered, sidewalk-based compacting trash receptacles. (Supplied) "In the past, when we did some of these calls for (innovative) ideas, we got lots of ideas, but many of them were very operational in nature they werent transformative," Glen Cottick, the citys acting chief innovation officer, told councillors on the innovation committee Monday. Progressive or plain? In 2015, Winnipeg council approved a proposal from then-councillor Marty Morantz to create an annual fund for "innovative" ideas that could save the city money or improve service delivery, or both. Initially, the fund was set at $1 million but by 2018, it was reduced to $500,000. click to read more In 2015, Winnipeg council approved a proposal from then-councillor Marty Morantz to create an annual fund for "innovative" ideas that could save the city money or improve service delivery, or both. Initially, the fund was set at $1 million but by 2018, it was reduced to $500,000. By 2018, even Morantz, who did not run for re-election that year, was questioning the innovative value of the projects being funded. At a public meeting, Morantz said too many departments viewed the innovation fund as a way around the traditional budget process. The point of the program was to make investments that would save taxpayers dollars and make the city more efficient, he said. Here are some of the department projects approved through the innovation fund: 2016 $51,360 To install digital video displays at 12 civic-managed arenas, in an effort to generate advertising revenues. $5,000 To explore how city hall can assist the federal-provincial Grain Innovation Hub concept established in 2014 aimed at Manitoba becoming a leader in grain research. $70,000 For the purchase of up to four automatic CPR devices. The machines were touted by the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service as a better way to deliver CPR to heart attack victims. $31,720 To the WFPS for the purchase of two aerial drones and a thermal-imaging camera, to assist in evaluating active fires and river rescue searches. $80,160 For the purchase of an enhanced vehicle monitoring system for the Winnipeg Parking Authority. The system was touted to increase ticket revenues by $68,000 annually. $32,000 For the purchase and installation of mobile/tablet charging stations at the Millennium Library and the 19 branch libraries. $33,000 To reduce manual paper work associated with the preparation of department budgets and year-end reporting. $40,000 Purchase of mobile labs for the Winnipeg Public Library system to help members of the public pursue creative projects. 2017 $300,000 12-month pilot program for free WiFi on 12 Winnipeg Transit buses. 2018 $135,000 Purchase and install 15 solar-powered, sidewalk-based compacting trash receptacles. $350,000 Purchase of a proprietary paperless invoice approval process. $71,760 Digitization of the now-disbanded Board of Commissioners records (1972-99). $15,540 Pilot project to test the merits of fire suppression devices that claim to dramatically lower the temperature of a room. $13,000 Purchase of a firefighter virtual reality training system. $12,500 Pilot project to provide training to two selected Winnipeg business representatives so they can measure and reduce the carbon footprints of their firms in a cost-effective manner. Close "We give special consideration to those ideas that are truly disruptive or transformational. They can drive a foundational change in how you approach a service delivery for the citizens." The Dragons' Den-style model (a nod to the long-running CBC inventor/investment show) was based on a proposal from then-councillor Marty Morantz, in which council set aside $1 million annually for ideas that could demonstrate either a dollar savings or improve service delivery or a combination of both. What ended happening more times than not were projects that couldnt get funding through the normal budget process were shuttled to the innovation committee seeking a share of the $1 million. With the 2019 budget, the innovation division was promoted to its own department, with a bigger budget and more staff. The original $1-million pool is now being handled by the new department. The innovation committee will receive monthly briefings on the status of the projects and other department initiatives. The innovation division worked with departments in the past year on understanding the concept of innovation, and then sent out another call for ideas in late 2018 that generated 23 proposals: nine are currently being acted on; eight were sent back for further refinement; and six were rejected because of a perceived low benefits, Cottick said. "The whole innovation strategy program is meant to find quick wins and to deploy quickly," he said, adding all projects are measured against innovation industry best practices. He cautioned while not every idea will work out, the failures will also be identified quickly with minimal cost. "When we fail, we will fail fast. Were going to fail cheap and were going to learn from that experience not just within that one project but within the innovation network. Were going to be sharing the learnings of what happened." Among the projects being worked on is an electronic voting system for council meetings, which will generate a public, permanent record in real time on council votes as motions are dealt with. Each project initially gets up to $75,000 and three months to demonstrate its effectiveness on a small scale, Cottick said. "With that amount of money and in that amount of time, we need to be able to verify the benefits that were brought forward and are actually happening in that small-scale deployment We do a prototype. We show it to the user community (the affected civic departments); they validate that its meeting their needs. We try to validate the benefits at that point," Cottick said. "If something is taking beyond three months, it means that the seed hasnt been successful." If a project passes the first stage, it gets additional funding up to $250,000 and 12 months to scale it out. If the project is successful at the second stage, then it becomes eligible for scaling out to full size, with funding through citys regular budgeting process, which Cottick said could take another 12 to 24 months. aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca A Sunday morning barn fire at a farm in the Rural Municipality of Hanover killed an estimated 27,000 chickens. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Sunday morning barn fire at a farm in the Rural Municipality of Hanover killed an estimated 27,000 chickens. 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. Local emergency services were called a farm southwest of Blumenort at about 3:40 a.m., said Hanover fire chief Paul Wiebe on Monday. More than 50 firefighters from New Bothwell, Kleefeld, Blumenort and Grunthal attended, as well as a water tanker from Steinfeld. Paul Wiebe Photo The fire was contained by about 6 a.m. Sunday morning and one crew stayed in the area until the afternoon. "We didn't enter the structure to fight the fire, so we fought it from the outside, which presents some challenges because these barns are covered in metal, so to get to the seat of the fire is difficult," said Wiebe. The fire was contained by about 6 a.m. Sunday morning and one crew stayed in the area until the afternoon, Wiebe said. Despite the loss of tens of thousands of chickens, Wiebe said roughly an equal number were saved from the fire. "These were free-range chickens that laid eggs... It's unfortunate, but most of the time these birds will die of smoke inhalation before they suffer burns." The fire commissioner's office is investigating the cause of the fire. WINNIPEG - A longtime former Manitoba NDP cabinet minister and leadership contender is being barred from running for the party again in the next election, a supporter says. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Steve Ashton, a former Manitoba NDP cabinet minister and leadership contender, is being barred from running for the party again in the upcoming election, a supporter says. (Steve Lambert / The Canadian Press files) WINNIPEG - A longtime former Manitoba NDP cabinet minister and leadership contender is being barred from running for the party again in the next election, a supporter says. Steve Ashton, who held the Thompson legislature seat for 35 years and ran unsuccessfully for leader three times, has been rejected as a candidate for the party's nomination this time around, said Blair Hudson, one of the Thompson representatives on the NDP's provincial council. The council is the party's governing body. "I can tell you that I'm very frustrated that the party out of Winnipeg is dictating how we in Thompson are going to select our candidate," Hudson said Monday. "For the party to bar our (legislative member) of 35 years from running, there's something amiss here." Hudson said he believes Ashton is being barred partly because he was the lone challenger to Wab Kinew in the 2017 leadership race, which Kinew won by nearly a 3-1 ratio. The race became bitter at one point as details of Kinew's brushes with the law were leaked to the media, and some Kinew supporters accused Ashton of being behind the leaks. Ashton has been rejected by the party's candidate selection committee, Hudson said, but has an appeal before the party executive Tuesday. 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. Ashton has not returned repeated requests for comment in recent days via phone, text and social media messages. Officials at party headquarters refused to comment in detail, and would only say candidate selection is not done by party staff, caucus or the leader. "Prospective candidates applying for the Manitoba NDP must undergo an arm's-length, candidate-approval process that includes vetting and a candidate interview," Tim Johnson, the NDP's provincial secretary, wrote in an email. "To ensure the integrity of this process and to respect the privacy of prospective candidates, the Manitoba NDP will not provide comment on any application it receives." Ashton, the father of Churchill MP Niki Ashton, was first elected in 1981 and served in a variety of cabinet portfolios over his career, including transportation and emergency measures. He ran for leadership in 2009, 2015 and 2017. His leadership bids did not attract much support from fellow cabinet ministers and he inevitably found himself up against a candidate backed by more members of the party establishment. He lost his bid for re-election in 2016, as Thompson was one of several NDP strongholds picked up by the Progressive Conservatives that formed the biggest majority government in Manitoba in a century. Canada is celebrating a milestone: the 40th anniversary of Canadas private refugee-sponsorship regime, which has resettled 327,000 refugees. But there are clouds on the horizon. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Canada is celebrating a milestone: the 40th anniversary of Canadas private refugee-sponsorship regime, which has resettled 327,000 refugees. But there are clouds on the horizon. Canadians most recently helped resettle thousands of Syrian refugees. Indeed, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has welcomed refugees at our airports and the government promoted Syrian resettlement with the hashtag #refugeeswelcome. This celebration is in stark contrast to the federal governments omnibus budget bill tabled recently. Embedded in the 392-page document are troubling changes to our inland refugee-determination system. Significantly, a new ground of ineligibility for protection is added to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act: claimants who have made a claim for refugee protection in another country will be ineligible to make a claim in Canada. That means many refugee claimants will be denied access to Canada without having an opportunity to tell their story and without having their claim heard by Canadas Immigration and Refugee Board. Some people may never be heard. Canada has an obligation under the Refugee Convention and the Convention against Torture to not only treat all refugee claimants equally, but to hear them out. The Supreme Court of Canada held in the 1985 Singh decision that every refugee claimant has the right to be heard in an oral hearing. We celebrated this decision on its April 4 anniversary, now marked as Refugee Rights Day in Canada. Less than a week later, the government introduced a budget bill that tries to strip away that right. The government says we should be comforted by the fact that claimants will have access to a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA), which examines whether someone would be returned to a situation of torture or other risk. But this isnt the same as a full hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board. PRRA applications are paper-based and an immigration officer conducts an interview only if the officer deems it necessary. And not all claimants will be told about the PRRA. Some people approaching our official ports of entry only get a PRRA when they ask for it. And even if they do know about it and get one, the acceptance rate is extremely low; 97 per cent of all PRRA applications in 2018 were rejected. All Canadians would agree that we need to manage the border and the influx of migrants crossing it. But we shouldnt do that by slamming the door shut, violating peoples charter and international rights, hoping that this will deter people. People are going to come to our borders no matter what the law says. Managing the border in an efficient and humanitarian way means allowing people to come to official ports of entry to be processed. We have a well-oiled system. Why turn our backs on it now? Our refugee-determination system through the Immigration and Refugee Board is considered the gold standard all over the world. Lets use it. The government wants to turn back people who enter from "safe" countries such as the United States. But the U.S. refugee determination system is very different from Canadas. 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. Former U.S. attorney general Jeff Sessions issued a decision foreclosing people from making refugee claims based on domestic violence or gender-related persecution, for example. This denies protection to many people who would obtain protection in Canada. Children were separated from parents and put into detention in the U.S. People are being prosecuted for entering the U.S. outside of official ports of entry and are being detained while they wait for their refugee claims to be assessed. Why do we want to delegate our refugee determinations to a country that isnt respecting basic human rights of refugee claimants? We cant allow the Canadian government to use joyful images of "deserving" refugees arriving at airports and 40th anniversary celebrations to imply that only resettled refugees are legitimate. Doing good deeds through the resettlement program should not provide us with moral comfort in slackening our commitment to refugees who come across our borders. We should not focus on the route by which refugees come to us or how they ask us for protection. A refugee is a refugee. Jamie Liew is a refugee lawyer and an associate law professor at the University of Ottawa. Shauna Labman is an assistant law professor at the University of Manitoba. Troy Media If you have ever put money in a Salvation Army Christmas kettle, you have participated in crowdfunding. Social media has just made that kettle collection into a worldwide affair on Kickstarter, GoFundMe or a host of similar platforms. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion If you have ever put money in a Salvation Army Christmas kettle, you have participated in "crowdfunding." Social media has just made that kettle collection into a worldwide affair on Kickstarter, GoFundMe or a host of similar platforms. The latest variant is the birthday fundraiser, escalating the (free) "Happy Birthday" that Facebook reminds you to send your friends into a donation to their favourite charity. For every crowdfunder that succeeds, of course, many never reach their target. But crowdfunding opens up an internet avenue for people to contribute to a cause that otherwise they would never have noticed. For the tragedy surrounding the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, for example, more than $15 million was raised in a matter of days. I was thinking about crowdfunding the other day as I drove to work. Despite my best efforts at rush-hour slalom driving, I hit more potholes than ever. Perhaps the best way to end the "Battle of the Brians" would be to give Mayor Brian Bowman and Premier Brian Pallister each a shovel and a trailer full of hot asphalt to drag around the city to fix the roads themselves. If I were NDP Leader Wab Kinew, however, I would create a campaign ad featuring someone driving around the city with a GoPro camera on their dash every time the car hits a pothole, the driver would angrily mutter "Pallister!" It might make the premier think twice about calling a snap spring election. Shifting the scene to Ontario, where the budget antics of Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford are in the news daily, I thought about the advantages of crowdfunding as a tool for citizen democracy. At present, people elect governments for indeterminate reasons. We dont know why each person voted the way they did, we just see the results. The elected officials, however, interpret these results as a divine mandate. Whatever they choose to do must be right, because they have been given the power. Yet, even assuming all the people who voted for the current Manitoba government last time still support its decisions, this translates into 53 per cent of the 57 per cent of eligible voters who cast a ballot. In other words, 30 per cent of adult Manitobans gave Pallister his majority leaving the other 70 per cent twisting in the wind. Similarly, whatever reasons people had for voting PC in Ontario, I doubt a majority of voters supporting Doug Ford wanted poor kids to go hungry to school because cancelling the breakfast program would save some money. Nor was cancelling a tree-planting initiative an obvious cut. For that matter, neither was cancelling green-power initiatives, which will cost the government millions in penalties before the lawsuits even start. The list goes on. Ford does it because he can not a comforting thought for the rest of Ontario, at the mercy of the leaders buck-a-beer whims for years to come. But what if, instead, some of our tax dollars were spent through a crowdfunding platform? You could designate a portion of your income taxes, lets say, to the things you wanted the government to fund. For once, the elite rich few who pride themselves on paying no taxes would have no say. At least some of our tax dollars would go where the average person felt they should, no politics attached. Want to keep open the Concordia ER? Forget the lawn signs designate your taxes. Want those potholes fixed? Dont wait for some Brian to win fill them up on PotHoles.com. Think that $25 a month to support welfare recipients finding work is more important than spending money on government advertising about a PST cut? Make it so. Want electric buses? Ditto. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. It could be a next step in real democracy people making crowdfunding choices on a daily basis about what they think is important, rather than a minority electing a leader every four (or three) years to rule with impunity, regardless of what anyone else thinks or wants. It would also be a far more effective democratic tool than random telephone opinion surveys to find out "what Manitobans want," because everyone who had a stake in the decision could (literally) vote with their wallets. On Manitobas climate (in)action file, crowdfunding green initiatives with tax dollars would tap into the anxiety that Manitobans have about the kind of world the next generation will inherit. It would give the rest of us the chance to do what our politicians wont. Mind you, perhaps only people who have small children should be allowed to vote on initiatives that shape or deny a sustainable future. As Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg reminds us, our current political dithering robs children everywhere of their future. Their issues are not on the ballot, nor can they vote. But their parents can. And should. Peter Denton is a Winnipeg-area sustainability activist, author and consultant. JERUSALEM - The Israeli military lifted protective restrictions on residents in the south on Monday, while Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group reported a cease-fire deal had been reached to end the deadliest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. 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) JERUSALEM - The Israeli military lifted protective restrictions on residents in the south on Monday, while Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group reported a cease-fire deal had been reached to end the deadliest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. The escalation had killed 25 on the Gaza side, both militants and civilians, while on the Israeli side four civilians were killed by incoming fire. The Islamic Jihad militant group, which Israel accused of instigating the latest violence, confirmed that a "mutual and concurrent" truce had been brokered by Egypt. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Egyptian mediators, along with officials from Qatar and the U.N., helped reach the deal. He said Hamas could still use "different pressuring tools" to get Israel to ease a crippling blockade of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointedly noted that "the campaign is not over, and it requires patience and judgment." The intense fighting over the past two days came to a halt early Monday and residents on both sides went back to their daily routines. Schools and roads had been closed, and Israelis had been urged to remain indoors and near bomb shelters as intense rocket fire pounded the area. An Israeli soldier stands at a gathering point in Israel Gaza Border, Monday, May 6, 2019. The Israeli army on Monday lifted protective restrictions on residents in southern Israel, while the Hamas militant group's radio station in the Gaza Strip reported a cease-fire, signaling a deal had been reached to end the bloodiest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars and numerous smaller battles since the Islamic militant group seized Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian forces in 2007. In the latest fighting, which erupted over the weekend, Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, while the Israeli military responded with airstrikes on some 350 militant targets inside 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. A Hamas commander allegedly involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group was killed in an airstrike, in an apparent return to Israel's policy of targeting militant leaders. Palestinian medical officials reported 25 deaths, including at least 10 militants as well as three women, two of them pregnant, and two babies. The four Israeli civilians killed were the first Israeli fatalities from rocket attacks since the 50-day war in 2014. One was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile near the Gaza border. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on an airstrike that killed six civilians, including a 12-year-old boy and an infant, when it destroyed a five-story apartment block in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya. The Gaza public works ministry said 130 housing units were destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. Egyptian mediators had been working with the U.N. to broker a cease-fire. Under past Egyptian-brokered deals, Israel has agreed to ease its joint blockade of Gaza with Egypt in exchange for a halt to rocket fire. Palestinians inspect a damaged bedroom following a late night Israeli missile strike on a building in town of Beit Lahiya, Northern Gaza Strip, Monday, May. 6, 2019. The Israeli military has lifted protective restrictions on residents in southern Israel while Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group reported a cease-fire deal had been reached to end the deadliest fighting between the two sides since a 2014 war. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) The latest fighting broke out after Palestinian militants accused Israel of not honouring an earlier cease-fire deal from March and opened fire on soldiers on the Israeli side of the Gaza frontier. The terms of the latest deal were not known, but recent cease-fires have been short-lived. In weary communities in southern Israel, there was criticism that the latest round of fighting had ended without tangible results and no hope that it would not recur soon. "When we have the upper hand, we need once and for all to finish the terror because this will repeat itself and will not stop," said Jacque Mendel, a resident of the coastal city of Ashdod, where a man was killed in his car by a rocket Sunday night. Israel appears to have little appetite for another prolonged conflict. Later this week, the country marks Memorial Day, one of the most solemn days of the year, followed by the festive Independence Day. Next week, Israel is to host the popular Eurovision song contest, and the fighting could have deterred visitors. Netanyahu, who recently secured re-election in part thanks to the votes of the rocket-battered residents along the Gaza Strip frontier, has traditionally been cautious in his handling of Gaza, for fear of sparking an open-ended war with no clear endgame. But he is under pressure from the same electorate and his potential coalition partners appear to favour a more hard-line approach to Gaza. Even within his own ruling Likud Party, Netanyahu faced unusual criticism for not going further to quash Gaza militants. Likud lawmaker Gideon Saar wrote on Twitter that the reported cease-fire was not an achievement for Israel. "The timeframes between these violent attacks on Israel and its citizens are getting shorter and the terror groups in Gaza are getting stronger between them," he wrote. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Benny Gantz, Israel's emerging opposition leader, also criticized Netanyahu, saying that ending the current round amounted to "another surrender to the extortion of Hamas and the terror organizations." In Gaza, a year of Hamas-led protests along the Israeli frontier against the blockade that has ravaged the economy has yielded no tangible benefits. In March, Hamas faced several days of street protests over the dire conditions. Still, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said late Sunday that the militant group was "not interested in a new war," and the start on Monday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan likely lessened motivation for battle. Signs of normal life slowly returned to Gaza, with banks opening after three days. Schools are to reopen on Tuesday. ___ Akram reported from Gaza City, Gaza Strip. MOSCOW Forty-one people, including at least two children and one crew member, died on Sunday after an Aeroflot plane made an emergency landing and burst into flames at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport, investigators said. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This image taken from a video distributed by Russian Investigative Committee on Sunday, May 5, 2019, shows the Sukhoi SSJ100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines on fire, at Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia. At least 40 people died when an Aeroflot airliner burst into flames while making an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, officials said early Monday. (The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation via AP) MOSCOW Forty-one people, including at least two children and one crew member, died on Sunday after an Aeroflot plane made an emergency landing and burst into flames at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport, investigators said. The death toll was significantly higher than an earlier figure of 13, but authorities gave no reason for the jump, which was announced hours after the fire was put out. Dramatic footage of the incident showed the tail of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 bursting into flames and continuing down the runway before coming to a halt and passengers fleeing down emergency slides. According to investigators, the fuel tank burst on landing. Of the 78 people onboard, 37 survived, including four crew members. Several people were severely injured in the fire, according to emergency services. Aeroflot said flight SU1492 from Moscow to Murmansk, in northwestern Russia, had been forced to return to the capitals airport for "technical reasons." "An investigation has been launched into the incident, and Aeroflot has activated its crisis response team," it added in a statement. The airline also published a list of 33 survivors, including five whom it said were hospitalized. The list was incomplete, it said, and would be updated as soon as information became available. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full probe into the incident and expressed his sympathy to the victims. "Clear outcomes on the reasons and circumstances of the aviation accident will be presented after a thorough investigation based on the data," Svetlana Petrenko of the states investigative committee said. The planes pilot sent at least one distress signal shortly after takeoff due to technical problems, according to local media. Other reports said the plane had been struck by lightning. Panic broke out on board the plane, according to videos that were published online, showing the right wing of the plane had caught fire. Dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene and many of the survivors were treated for smoke inhalation. Other planes were rerouted to different airports. Aviation authorities sent experts to the airport to establish whether safety standards had been adhered to. Criminal investigators were also sent. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 involved in the crash is the pride of the Russian aviation industry. It is the first new Russian aircraft design since the end of the Soviet Union and was approved for flight in 2011. The state-owned airline Aeroflot announced the purchase of a further 100 jets of the type late in 2018. However, there have been numerous reports of technical failures and other incidents and sales have been slow. Forty-five people were killed in Indonesia in 2012 during a demonstration flight. The aircraft involved in Sundays incident had been in service since 2017 and had last been inspected in April, the news agency Tass reported, citing aviation authorities. In February 2018, 71 people died when a Russian Antonov An-148 passenger jet crashed in a field southeast of Moscow. DPA WASHINGTON - A House committee is poised to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress the opening salvo in what could be a lengthy, acrimonious court battle between House Democrats and President Donald Trump's administration over special counsel Robert Mueller's report . Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/5/2019 (963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this March 24, 2019, file photo, special counsel Robert Mueller departs St. John's Episcopal Church, across from the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) WASHINGTON - A House committee is poised to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress the opening salvo in what could be a lengthy, acrimonious court battle between House Democrats and President Donald Trump's administration over special counsel Robert Mueller's report . House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler scheduled a Wednesday vote to hold Barr in contempt of Congress, citing the Justice Department's failure to provide the full text of Mueller's report by the Monday morning deadline. Nadler, D-N.Y., said Barr's failure to comply with a subpoena left them with "no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings." The movement to hold Barr in contempt reflects the deepening rift between Democrats and Barr, whom they accuse of spinning the results of Mueller's investigation to Trump's benefit. Barr, in a memo summarizing Mueller's investigation, said there was insufficient evidence that Trump obstructed justice a conclusion Democrats fiercely dispute. Nadler said the version of Mueller's report that has already been released to the public offered "disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels." Now, he said, lawmakers need the full version and the underlying evidence "to determine how to best move forward with oversight, legislation and other constitutional responsibilities." The letter special counsel Robert Mueller sent to Attorney General William Barr on March 27, 2019 in Washington. (AP Photo/Wayne Partlow) The committee said contempt proceedings could be postponed if the attorney general makes a "good faith" effort to comply with the committee. In a possible thaw, Nadler said Monday evening that the Justice Department had agreed to meet with his staff Tuesday, adding that he hopes to make "concrete progress" toward resolving the dispute. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said earlier that the department has "taken extraordinary steps to accommodate the House Judiciary Committee's requests for information" regarding Mueller's report, but that Nadler had not reciprocated. She noted that Democrats have refused to read a version of Mueller's report with fewer redactions that has already been provided to Congress. Kupec said officials were continuing to engage with the committee, and Nadler's staff had been invited to the department "to discuss a mutually acceptable accommodation." If the committee approves the contempt resolution against Barr, as expected, it would head to the full House for final approval. But that step is unlikely to lead to criminal charges. A House vote 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. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., joined at right by Rep. Doug Collins, R-Georgia, the ranking member, waits to start a hearing on the Mueller report without witness Attorney General William Barr who refused to appear, escalating an already acrimonious battle between Democrats and the Justice Department, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 2, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Yet by pursuing contempt, Democrats hope to send a message to the Trump administration about their willingness to invoke congressional powers in the majority. Beyond Mueller's report, House Democrats have, so far mostly unsuccessfully, subpoenaed administration witnesses and made efforts to gain access to Trump's personal and business financial records. Trump has said he will block those efforts, declaring he will "fight all the subpoenas." Democratic House leaders could file a civil lawsuit against the Justice Department to obtain the Mueller report an option that could take months or even years to resolve. Some committee members have suggested they also could fine Barr as he withholds the information. They could also open impeachment proceedings against Trump, though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she's not interested in doing that, for now. Republicans have lambasted the Democratic tactics as overreach and defended Barr. The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, said "Democrats have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general" when their anger actually lies with the president. There is precedent for sitting attorneys general to be held in contempt of Congress. In 2012, the House held then-Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt over a botched gun-tracking operation known as Fast and Furious. Republicans cited the Justice Department's failure to turn over, without any preconditions, documents related to the risky operation. The Justice Department took no action to prosecute the attorney general. Mueller's report now a bestseller even in redacted form states that his investigation could not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump team and Russia. However, it did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. Mueller didn't charge Trump but wrote that he couldn't exonerate him, either. 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. House Judiciary Democrats say Congress is "the only body able to hold the president to account" since the Justice Department has a policy against indicting a sitting president. They say they need the full report and the evidence that it cites, including witness interviews and "items such as contemporaneous notes." Nadler also wants every member of Congress to be able to read the full report. As the fight with Barr has escalated, Democrats have been in negotiations to hear from Mueller himself. Trump complicated those talks Sunday by tweeting that he would oppose Mueller's testimony, reversing from his earlier position of leaving it up to Barr. As long as Mueller remains a Justice Department employee, Trump or Barr could block him from appearing. Trump did not indicate if he would take steps to do so. It's unclear when Mueller will leave the department or whether he would want to testify in his own capacity when he does. Nadler said last week the committee was "firming up the date" for Mueller's testimony and hoping it would be May 15. The Justice Department declined to comment. ___ Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report. Winona Senior High School Culinary Arts students competed in a classroom chili cook-off competition on Thursday, April 18. The array of chilis included Chicken Chili, Chili Mac and Cheese, Pepperoni Pizza Chili, Cherry Coke Chili, Mexican Black Bean Chili and Chilli Mac Chili. The Pepperoni Pizza Chili took first place by majority, with the Chili Mac and Cheese coming into second. At the beginning of the unit, students were assigned with selecting a chili recipe to cook from scratch for the competition. Students were introduced to basic culinary skills which include safety and sanitation, knife skills, adapting recipes, and food preparation. They explored textures and flavors as they put the final touches on their dishes. Each group was judged on the most colorful, most aromatic, sweetest chili, most unusual ingredient, most unique, most satisfactory heat and best aftertaste balance. As the judges moved from station to station, students were asked what inspired them to select their recipe, what was their secret ingredient and what they liked the most about their final dish. Cail Behrens, Anna Engen, Samantha Kaiser, Ella Mueller and Kaitlyn Rollinger prepared the winning recipe of Pepperoni Pizza Chili. Upcoming units include creating chicken stock for chicken noodle soup, mastering culinary knife skills, braising and stewing and how to use herbs and spices to ramp up dishes for enhanced flavor. Lauri Oliver, family and consumer science teacher at WSHS said, When students leave my class, they are prepared to make just about anything. They have learned to do shop floor math, work in a team environment, master all of the cooking methods, and practice professional culinary knife skills. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A project that would connect Winona to Buffalo County and the Great River Trail system took another step forward recently as the Buffalo County Board approved a $150,000 pledge to serve as a lead gift toward a $1.2 million capital campaign. The Winona Connector Bridge project, with proposed construction to start in 2019 to 2020, also had been awarded a $2.3 million federal grant which will link Wisconsin and Minnesota. It is seen as the first step in a larger $21 million Flyway Trail project, which would create a multi-use off-highway trail through Buffalo County between Nelson, Wis., and Winona along the Mississippi River. The county has been navigating the complicated process of laying the groundwork for what we believe will be an important recreational economic development tool for the region, Buffalo County administrative coordinator Sonya Hansen said in a news release. Since Flyway Trail will eventually flow through much of the county, staff and the Board of Supervisors felt it is imperative to show Buffalo Countys support for the private fundraising campaign for this first phase of the total trail. The campaign will be managed by Crescendo Fundraising Professionals. Founder Ellen Hongerholt said the campaign strategy is based on positive results from the Winona and western Wisconsin philanthropic community which determined $1.2 million in private funding was attainable for the first portion of the trail. During that study donors suggested a lead gift from Buffalo County would best set the stage to reach the goal. The firm prepared its recommendations based on responses from potential major donors and regional leaders and input from an online survey. The first part of the trail will connect Winona to Wisconsin by way of the Old Wagon Bridge in Aghaming Park on Latsch Island. It will require the construction of a railroad overpass. When complete, work on the rest of the project will continue. Flyway Trail would have huge economic, health and quality of life benefits as a human powered trail, said Eric Barnard, Winona State University Outdoor Education & Recreation Center director. The Winona and Buffalo County region is growing as an Upper Midwest outdoor recreation destination. Flyway Trail will serve as the crown jewel for visitors and locals residents alike. Barnard believes the Winona connector and future full 54-mile trail will have a major positive impact to Winona and western Wisconsin and will be widely supported by the outdoor recreation community. The Winona and Buffalo County region is growing as an Upper Midwest outdoor recreation destination. Flyway Trail will serve as the crown jewel for visitors and locals residents alike. Eric Barnard, WSU Outdoor Education & Recreation Center director. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Winona Police Friday 3:35 p.m. A Winona resident reported a black and gold Giant brand mountain bike stolen from the 370 block of West Mark Street. 6:16 p.m. A Winona woman reported her black and purple polka-dot purse stolen while at a garage sale on Otis Street. The wallet contained $60 cash and assorted credit and bank cards. Saturday 1:40 a.m. A 19-year-old New Richmond, Wis., man was cited for underage drinking and driving after he was stopped near Broadway and Huff streets for speeding. His blood-alcohol concentration was 0.05 percent. 7:03 p.m. Joshua Kyle Crews, 26, Stewartville, Minn., was cited for shoplifting from Fleet Farm. 11:45 p.m. A Milford, Iowa, man was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after he was stopped for texting and driving near the intersection of Wabasha and Drury Court. His blood-alcohol concentration was 0.12 percent. Sunday 10:52 p.m. Dennis Lyle Johnson, 42, Winona, was arrested on an outstanding warrant and referred for obstructing the legal process after police found him fishing on the east side of Lake Winona near the 950 block of Huff Street. During arrest, officers were forced to use a stun gun after Johnson refused to comply with officers orders and threw a small baggy containing trace amounts of what field tested positive for methamphetamine and a hypodermic needle into the lake. Winona Sheriff Friday 3 p.m. An abandoned home in St. Charles burned down after an ember sparked a fire on the roof during a controlled burn. The building was uninsured and hadnt been occupied for several years. Firefighters allowed the building to burn to the ground. Saturday 11:46 a.m. A rural Winona County man reported that his hunting shack had been broken into and rifled through. The man reported that nothing appeared to be missing. Sunday 4:22 a.m. A 31-year-old Winona woman was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after she was stopped in the Kwik Trip parking lot near the intersection Mankato Avenue and Hwy. 61. She was released pending the results of a urine test. 11:30 a.m. Richard John Gallien, 87, was cited for cows running at large after six of his animals were discovered in a neighbors property. 7:21 p.m. Deputies responded to a report of illegal dumping in the area of Lone Pine Drive and Hwy. 248. Deputies discovered several TVs dumped in a ditch. 9:06 p.m. A rural Winona County resident reported that someone was stealing boards from a collapsed barn on a neighbors property. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Lynda B. Stephens was heading north on Hwy. 43 on a 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and attempted a low-speed left turn to go west on Hwy. 16. There had been a diesel fuel spill in the intersection, which caused Stephens to lose control of the motorcycle. Stephens and the bike slid to a final rest a short distance later. She was taken to Winona Health by the Rushford Community Ambulance Service with non-life-threatening injuries. Between 2011 and 2017, six different national surveys by the Pew Research Center produced similar results. Democratic voters said they liked elected officials who would compromise with opponents. Republican voters said they preferred officials who wouldnt compromise. As recently as July 2017, the contrast was stark. Among Democrats, 69% said they liked officials who compromised. Among Republicans, only 46% did a 23-point gap. Between July 2017 and March 2018, a time-lapse approximation of Donald Trumps first year as president, Democratic support for compromise plummeted. In the 2018 Pew poll, only 46% of Democrats said they supported officials who compromise, roughly equal to the 43% of Republicans who said so. Former Vice President Joseph Biden launched his presidential campaign with an appeal to the shrinking ranks of Democrats who can imagine a Republican Party capable, and worthy, of compromise. In announcing that we are in the battle for the soul of this nation, Biden established political time as Before Trump and After Trump. Before, America was a land of decency. After, Nazis were called very fine people from the highest office in the land. If Trump is re-elected, Biden warned, He will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. The myth that Trump has single-handedly degraded the nation is a comforting one. If the U.S. survives his sustained assault on democratic law, norms and culture Trumps thuggish calls to arrest his political opponents are now standard presidential rhetoric that myth may even become necessary as the nation attempts to stitch democratic life back together. In that case, the news media will pretend, as Biden does, that Trump was an aberration from, rather than a culmination of, Republican politics. Republicans will pretend their support for Trump was qualified and their criticism of him was vocal and constructive. And to help the nation move on, some Democrats (surely not all) will pretend to believe it all. This is a highly unlikely course of events; Biden surely understands that. He was in the White House when Republicans decided, quite consciously, that they would prefer a second Great Depression to a successful economic intervention by President Barack Obama. He was there when Republicans manufactured bogus scandals to achieve purely partisan ends Benghazi to undermine Hillary Clintons electoral prospects and the two-fer of the Internal Revenue Service imbroglio, which successfully shielded conservative political groups from oversight while battering the federal tax bureaucracy. And Biden was there when Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell decided that, with the balance of the court on the line, Supreme Court justices shall be named by Republican presidents only. Along the low road from Newt Gingrich to Bush v. Gore, from birtherism to the white-power programming on Fox News, the GOP concluded that the nation was moving faster than it could successfully adapt. The party could sustain white Christian dominance or it could sustain democracy. In 2016 the GOP made its decision. Millions of white cultural conservatives, the Trumpist base, will vehemently resist a course correction: There will be no compromise with Biden or any other Democratic president. The greatest challenge for the Democratic presidential field is not choosing Medicare for some or all. It is figuring out how to chart a viable national path in a fractured nation. What is the proper course of democratic politics when vengeance is destructive, compromise is unobtainable, and political power, at least in the near future, will rest on narrow, and likely unstable, majorities? What agenda can overcome obstruction without negating, and further radicalizing, the obstructionists? All of this, of course, presumes that the wounds inflicted on democracy by a vicious presidency are not fatal. On the hustings, many of Bidens opponents skip forward to a time when Democrats have the power to overwhelm Republican opposition. Democratic Congresses will pass their legislation, and they will sign it into law. Yet even under that scenario plausible enough once the Senate filibuster has been eliminated a Republican Supreme Court majority, itself the product of democratic norm-breaking, may blockade democratic action. Instead of skipping forward, Biden skips back. He will find a constituency among Democrats of goodwill who wish to follow him back to an era of compromise, calm and bipartisan comity. Its an appealing, sentimental journey, and millions would love to take it. But it ends in the smoldering ruins of a 20th century Pompeii. Francis Wilkinson writes editorials on politics and U.S. domestic policy for Bloomberg Opinion. He was executive editor of the Week. He was previously a writer for Rolling Stone, a communications consultant and a political media strategist. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An investigation into whether the president of the United States committed treason has devolved into a squabble over Attorney General Bill Barrs brief letter saying that he didnt. Weve gone from Donald Trump allegedly betraying the nation to Bill Barr allegedly betraying the nation, from potential Trump impeachment to potential Barr impeachment. Barrs offense, of course, is writing a quick letter summarizing the top-line conclusions of the Mueller report. Ever since, hes been the focus of conspiracy theories and the target of smears. The anti-Barr fury reached a new level with the news that Robert Mueller wrote him a letter complaining about the summary. Not since the Zimmermann telegram has a missive so exercised Washington, at least the segment of it thats been in a perpetual lather of outrage since November 2016. Lets be clear: If Barr wanted to cover for Trump, he could have crimped the Mueller probe, sat on the report or redacted the report into meaninglessness. He did none of the above. No one can claim his summary of findings was inaccurate. According to Barr, even Mueller conceded as much in a phone call. Mueller instead complained about the press coverage of the Barr summary, which isnt, strictly speaking, the attorney generals responsibility. Barrs conduct is defensible on its own terms. He wanted to get the basic verdict out because the investigation had so roiled our national life, especially the possibility that there was collusion with the Russians. When Mueller came back to him with a request for release of the summaries from the report, Barr declined because he didnt want to get into piecemeal releases when the full report would soon be available. Thats what makes the controversy so nonsensical. Barr went further than required by the regulations to release the entirety of the report, letting everyone decide for themselves. What else was he supposed to do? Of course, Barrs summary letter inevitably lacked the narrative force and details of the 400-page report, but we know that ... because he released the report. The notion that Barr was deceptive in congressional testimony is similarly absurd. In an exchange with Sen. Chris Van Hollen last month, he was asked if Mueller supported his conclusion, meaning his judgment that the president didnt obstruct justice. Barr accurately said he didnt know. Rep. Charlie Crist asked Barr if he knew what Mueller officials anonymously complaining about his letter were referring to. Barr said he didnt (he presumably hadnt talked to these anonymous officials), but volunteered that they probably wanted more information out. Ultimately, the firestorm over Barrs letter is a misdirection, and hes a scapegoat. If Robert Mueller wanted to recommend charging Trump with obstruction of justice, he could have done so. Instead, he punted, and now he or people around him is upset that the Barr letter accurately stated his convoluted not-guilty/not-exonerated bottom line. As for the Democrats, if they disagree with Barrs conclusion that Trump didnt commit a chargeable crime, it is fully within their power to impeach the president for abuse of power. Democrats still want someone else to do their work for them. First, they wanted Mueller to blow Trump out of the water, and now they want Barr to adopt a frankly adversarial posture toward the president. Barr is not the one distorting procedure or norms here. Its the Mueller team that declined to make a call on whether Trump had committed a crime or not (the job we ordinarily ask prosecutors to do), yet cataloged his conduct in a quasi-indictment written for public consumption (which prosecutors arent supposed to do) and, now we know, cared very much about the media narrative around its report (a public relations or partisan question, not a legal one). That Barr and his letter are the focus of such political and media ire is a symptom of the lunacy of this era, rather than anything rotten in his Department of Justice. Rich Lowry can be reached via e-mail: comments.lowry@ nationalreview.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 HORICON A migration celebration starts Thursday as the 22nd annual Horicon Marsh Bird Festival gets underway. Four and a half days of family-friendly adventures await at one of the largest freshwater marshes in the United States. Liz Herzmann, DNR wildlife conservation educator, expects 1,000 to 1,500 people to attend the event, which is the oldest bird festival in Wisconsin. The festival is for people of all ages and birding levels from beginners to experts, said Herzmann. We have a packed schedule with many free activities and a small cost for others. The vast wetland is both a State Wildlife Area and a National Wildlife Refuge. Originally established as habitat for migrating and nesting ducks, it has since become a stopover for Canada Geese. Today, the Horicon Marsh is increasingly recognized and managed as a wetland ecosystem for all of its plants and animals. It has been designated as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention and a Global Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy. The original contract has Foxconn building whats called a Generation 10.5 facility. But Foxconn now plans to build a Generation 6 plant, which will make smaller display screens for cellphones and other devices. Opponents have said that wording referring to a Generation 10.5 plant puts the entire contract in jeopardy if Foxconn builds a different-sized factory. To his credit, Evers discounted that possibility: I think that were past that point and I dont think anybody would have ever called them out and say were going to negate this deal because of that, he said in an interview. The tax incentives in the Foxconn deal dont kick in unless the Taiwanese manufacturing giant reaches certain benchmarks. In 2018, Foxconn came up well short of its first-year target of 260 jobs, costing it $9.5 million in tax credits, the Associated Press reported. The 2019 jobs goal has doubled to 520, and the 2020 goal when Foxconn says production will begin is nearly 2,000 jobs. Starting in 2027, it must have at least 10,400 workers to qualify. We dont want to be leaders in compensation, but we dont want to be laggards either, he said. We want to be competitive in the middle. The deputies have been working under the terms of a one-year contract ratified in 2017. The deputies are the only county employees who are represented by a union. Act 10, the 2011 state law that curtailed most collective bargaining rights for most public employees, included exceptions for public safety workers. Most of Columbia Countys 500-plus employees have their compensation established by a pay-grade system designed to be based on the responsibilities, requirements and risks for each county job position. Committee member Barry Pufahl of Pardeeville said most county employees got a 1 percent across-the-board pay increase as part of the 2019 budget. But some employees also qualify for longevity-based step increases of about 2.5 percent, in effect, giving them a 3.5 percent pay increase, Ruf said. All told, Lynch said, there were more than 400 participants registered for the run-walk. The event raised $35,000 for the Carbone Cancer Center not quite up to last years record-breaking total of $40,000, but enough to provide substantial seed money for research leading to the goal of stomping out cancer. My husband was at my side. When I told Jay I was signing up for the Bulldog Stomp, he said, Im coming, too. We were a team of two: Lyns Lymphoma Journey. And, it was an occasion for a long-overdue reunion. The Rev. Keith Tomlinson of Kaukauna was my pastor 39 years ago, when I belonged to Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake, Iowa, the community where I landed my first of six newspaper gigs, with the weekly Mirror-Reporter. Pastor Keith became an avid runner when he retired in 2009, after his most recent ministry, as chaplain of a northeast Iowa nursing home, showed him the importance of staying active as long as possible. He is also, by the way, a 16-year cancer survivor. Keith and his wife, Ginny, greeted Jay and me at the end of the walk, because hed gotten to the finish line way before us, as the winner of the 5K run for his division, men age 70 and older. There is not enough analysis data for Pacific Health Care Organization. 4.5 Community Rank Outperform Votes Pacific Health Care Organization has received 101 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Pacific Health Care Organization has received 49 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Pacific Health Care Organization has received 67.33% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Pacific Health Care Organization and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe PFHO will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe PFHO will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, national, and international news to professionals through desktop terminals, media organizations, and industry events, as well as directly to consumers. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited. Read More The Williams Cos., Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company, which explores, produces, transports, sells and processes natural gas and petroleum products. It operates through the following segments: Transmission and Gulf of Mexico; Northeast G&P; and West. The Transmission and Gulf of Mexico segment comprises of interstate natural gas pipelines, Transco and Northwest Pipeline, as well as natural gas gathering and processing and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region. The Northeast G&P segment includes midstream gathering, processing, and fractionation businesses in the Marcellus Shale region primarily in Pennsylvania and New York, and the Utica Shale region of eastern Ohio. The West segment consists of gas gathering, processing, and treating operations in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and Wyoming, the Barnett Shale region of north-central Texas, the Eagle Ford Shale region of south Texas, the Haynesville Shale region of northwest Louisiana, and the Mid-Continent region which includes the Anadarko, Arkoma, and Permian basins. The company was founded by David Williams and Miller Williams in 1908 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Read More Kinder Morgan, Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company. The firm engages in the operation of pipelines and terminals that transport natural gas, gasoline, crude oil, carbon dioxide (CO2) and other products and stores petroleum products chemicals and handles bulk materials like ethanol, coal, petroleum coke and steel. It operates through the following segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, CO2, Terminals, Product Pipelines and Kinder Morgan Canada. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment engages in the ownership and operation of major interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline and storage systems, natural gas and crude oil gathering systems and natural gas processing and treating facilities. The CO2 segment focuses on the production, transportation and marketing of CO2 to oil fields that use CO2 as a flooding medium for recovering crude oil from mature oil fields to increase production. The Terminals segment consists of the ownership and operation of liquids and bulk terminal facilities located throughout the U.S. and portions of Canada that trans load and store refined petroleum products, crude oil, chemicals, ethanol and bulk products, including coal, petroleum coke, fertilizer, Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Brady: AIO Acquisition Inc., Accidental Health & Safety Pty Ltd, B.I. (UK) Limited, Bakee Metal Manufactory Company Limited, Balkhausen GmbH, Brady (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Brady (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Brady (Xiamen) Co. Ltd., Brady A/S, Brady AB, Brady AS, Brady Asia Holding Pte. Ltd., Brady Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Brady Australia Holdings Pty. Ltd., Brady Australia Pty. Ltd., Brady B.V., Brady Company India Private Limited, Brady Corporation Asia Pte. Ltd., Brady Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Brady Corporation Limited, Brady Etiket ve Isaretleme Ticaret Ltd. Sirketi, Brady European Holdings Limited, Brady Finance B.V., Brady Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Brady GmbH, Brady Groupe S.A.S., Brady Holdings Mexico LLC, Brady ID Solutions SRL, Brady IDS Korea LLC, Brady Identificacion S.L.U., Brady International Co., Brady Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Brady Italia S.r.l., Brady LLC, Brady Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Brady Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Brady Middle East FZE, Brady Philippines Direct Marketing Inc., Brady Printing (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Brady S.a.r.l., Brady Signapore Pte. Ltd., Brady Sweden Holding AB, Brady Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Brady Technology SDN. BHD., Brady Worldwide Inc., Brady s.r.o., Brandon International Inc., Braton Europe S.A.R.L., Carroll Australasia Pty. Ltd., Clement Communications, Code Corporation, Code Corporation B.V., Comprehensive Identification Products Inc., Cortex Pte. Ltd., Daewon Industry Corp, Data Recognition Inc., Dawg Inc., EMED Co, Electromark Co, Eset GmbH, Grafo Wiremarkers Pty. Ltd., ID Warehouse, IDenticard Systems, Idem Indemnity Inc., JAM PLASTICS INC., Magicard, Magicard Holdings Limited, Magicard Limited, Magicard US Inc., Modernotecnica SpA, Nippon Brady K.K., Nordic ID GMBH, Nordic ID Iberia S.L., Nordic ID Inc., Nordic ID Oyj, Nordic ID Oyj, Personnel Concepts Inc., Pervaco AS, Precision Converters Inc., Precision Dynamics Corporation, Precision Dynamics Europe Sprl, RAJA Workplace, STICKOLOR Industria e Comercio de Auto Adesivos Ltda, STOPware Inc, Safety Signs Service, Scafftag, Securimed S.A.S., Securimed SAS, Signs & Labels Ltd, Sorbent Products Co. Inc., StrandWare Inc., TISCOR Inc., TachyonIQ LLC, Temtec Inc., Texit AS, The Code Corporation, Tradex Converting (Langfang), Trafalgar First Aid Pty Ltd., Transposafe Systems Belgium NV/SA, Transposafe Systems Polska Sp. Z.o.o., Tricor Direct Inc., TruMed Technologies Inc., W.H. Brady N.V., W.H. Brady S. de R.L. de C.V., W.H.B. Identification Solutions Inc., W.H.B. do Brasil Ltda., Wiremarkers Africa Pty. Ltd., and Worldmark of Wisconsin Inc.. Farinas backs Marcos' Senate bid despite recommendation of charges Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) Days after he withdrew from the Ilocos Norte gubernatorial race, Ilocos Norte First District Representative Rudy Farinas expressed his support for senatorial candidate Imee Marcos. "Of course. Shes the governor of our province, the first district of which I represent in Congress," he said on Monday. Although Farinas and fellow members of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability (COGGPA) recommended the filing of charges against Marcos in 2018 for the alleged misuse of the province's share of tobacco excise taxes, he said her possible victory in the Senate will be a win for their province. "The House investigation was concluded last year and the COGGPA had made its report. She is the governor of our province, a position that I previously held for 10 years. Since she is running for the Senate, her victory would bring honor to our province," he said. The former House Majority Leader said he is only showing her the same support he showed when Marcos' brother, Bongbong, ran for vice president in 2016. Farinas on May 2 withdrew his candidacy for the Ilocos Norte gubernatorial race. Matthew Marcos Manotoc, Imee's son, is now running unopposed. Matthew is a substitute for his grandmother Imelda Marcos after the former first lady was convicted of seven counts of graft by the Sandiganbayan in November 2018. Dunelm Group plc engages in the retail of homewares in the United Kingdom. The company offers furniture for bedroom, living room, dining room, and office; sofas and chairs; bean bags; bed frames, mattresses, divan beds and bases, and headboards, as well as kids beds; and bedding products, such as bed linens, duvets, pillows, protectors, and baby and kids beddings. It also provides curtains, and poles and tracks; blinds; rugs, runners, and door mats; mirrors; cushion pads, covers; throws; seat pads; pictures and frames, wallpapers, and accessories; lighting products, including ceiling and wall lights, lamp shades, floor and table lamps, and outdoor lights; kitchen products, such as cooking, dining, utility, and electrical products; and storage products for home, clothes, and kitchen, as well as travel and luggage products. In addition, the company offers towels and bathmats, bathroom accessories, and bathroom furniture; kids accessories and toys, and nursery furniture and products, as well as travel, safety, and wellbeing products; garden furniture and storage, and garden dAcor products; and Christmas trees and lights, wreaths and garlands, baubles and tree decoration, and novelty products. It operates 173 superstores and 2 distribution centers, as well as sells its products through an online store at dunelm.com. Dunelm Group plc was founded in 1979 and is based in Syston, the United Kingdom. Read More Anadarko Petroleum Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of oil and gas properties. It operates through three segments: Exploration and Production, WES Midstream, and Other Midstream. The company explores for and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). It is also involved in gathering, processing, treating, and transporting oil, natural-gas, and NGLs production, as well as the gathering and disposal of produced water. The company's oil and natural gas properties are located in the United States onshore and deepwater Gulf of Mexico; and Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Colombia, Peru, and other countries. As of December 31, 2018, it had approximately 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. 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 Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Asia, Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; And Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment provides mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, group retirement and savings products, and institutional asset management services through agents and brokers affiliated with the company, securities brokerage firms, and financial advisors pension plan consultants and banks. The Insurance and Annuity Products segment offers deposit and credit products; individual life, and individual and group long-term care insurance; and guaranteed and partially guaranteed annuity products through insurance agents, brokers, banks, financial planners, and direct marketing. The Corporate and Other segment is involved in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance businesses; and run-off reinsurance operations, including variable annuities, and accident and health. It also manages timberland and agricultural portfolios; and engages in insurance agency, portfolio and mutual fund management, mutual fund dealer, life and financial reinsurance, and fund management businesses. Additionally, the company holds and manages oil and gas properties; holds oil and gas royalties, and foreign bonds and equities; and provides investment management, counseling, advisory, and dealer services. Manulife Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1887 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More Fielmann Aktiengesellschaft engages in the investment in and operation of optical and hearing aid businesses. The company manufactures and sells visual aids and other optical products, including glasses, frames, lenses, sunglasses, contact lenses and accessories, and various merchandise, as well as hearing aids and accessories. As of December 31, 2020, it operated 870 stores, including 605 in Germany, 43 in Switzerland, 38 Austria, 3 in Luxembourg, 33 in Italy, 25 in Poland, 80 in Spain, 28 in Slovenia, and 15 in the rest of Europe. The company also 79 smaller locations in Eastern Europe. Fielmann Aktiengesellschaft also offers its products through online stores. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Fielmann Aktiengesellschaft is a subsidiary of Korva SE. Read More iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF's stock was trading at $37.46 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EEM stock has increased by 30.1% and is now trading at $48.72. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. There is not enough analysis data for Northstar Realty Europe. 4.5 Community Rank Outperform Votes Northstar Realty Europe has received 195 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Northstar Realty Europe has received 89 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Northstar Realty Europe has received 68.66% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Northstar Realty Europe and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe NRE will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe NRE will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Pengrowth Energy Corporation, a resource company, explores for, develops, and produces oil and natural gas assets in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia provinces in Canada. The company explores for crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, shale gas, and natural gas liquids. Its principal producing properties are the Lindbergh thermal property covering an area of 20,800 net acres located in Alberta; and Groundbirch property totaling an area of 12,536 net acres located to the south west of Fort St. John, British Columbia. As of December 31, 2018, the company had 269 net producing oil and natural gas wells; and 586 net non-producing wells, as well as total proved plus probable reserves of 446.6 millions of barrels of oil equivalent. Pengrowth Energy Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of PPG Industries: AIPCF V Texstars Blocker Inc., AkzoNobel, Alermac Inversiones S.A. de C.V., Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, Alpha Coatings Inc., Broad Range Development Limited, Brown Brothers Distribution Limited, CG Holdings Manufacturing Co., Centro de Investigacion en Polimeros S.A. de C.V., Chemfil Canada Limited, Chorlton Trade Paints Limited, Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Comex, Comex Industrial Coatings S.A. de C.V., Consorcio Comex S.A. de C.V., Cristacol S.A., Cuming Microwave Corporation, Deutek SA, Dexmet Corporation, Dexmet Holding Corporation, Distribuidora Kroma S.A. de C.V., EPIC Insurance Co. Ltd., Eberle Design Inc., Empresa Aga S.A. de C.V., Ennis Canadian Holding Company, Ennis Flint Soluciones Seguras Para Trafico, Ennis Highway Traffic Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Ennis Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Ennis Paint Australia Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis Paint Boya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Ennis Paint Canada ULC, Ennis Paint Germany GmbH, Ennis Paint Netherlands Holdings LLC, Ennis Paint U.K. Holding Company Limited, Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions Pty Ltd, Ennis Flint Mexico, Ennis Flint New Zealand, Ennis Flint New Zealand Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis-Flint, Ennis-Flint Africa (Pty) Ltd, Ennis-Flint Inc., Foshan Bairun Chemicals Co. Ltd., Fpu Industrial S.A. de C.V., Grupo Comex S.A. de C.V., Hemmelrath Automotive Coatings (Jilin) Co. Ltd., Hodij Coatings B.V., Homax Products, Industria Chimica Reggiana I.C.R. SPA, Johnstones Paints Limited, Kalon Investment Company Limited, Kalon South Africa Proprietary Limited, Manchester Thermoplastics LLC, Masterwork Paint, MetoKote Canada Limited, MetoKote Corporation, MetoKote Mexico Holding Inc., MetoKote UK Limited, MetoKote de Mexico S. de RL de CV, PPG AC - France SA, PPG ALESCO Automotive Finishes Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PPG AP Resinas S.A. de C.V., PPG Aerospace Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Architectural Coatings (Puerto Rico) Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Canada Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Ireland Limited, PPG Architectural Coatings Italy S.r.l., PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, PPG Architectural Finishes Inc., PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., PPG COATINGS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., PPG Canada Inc., PPG Cieszyn S.A., PPG Coatings (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, PPG Coatings (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., PPG Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Thailand) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Wuhu) Company Ltd., PPG Coatings (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings B.V., PPG Coatings Belgium BV, PPG Coatings Danmark A/S, PPG Coatings Deutschland GmbH, PPG Coatings Europe B.V., PPG Coatings Manufacturing SARL, PPG Coatings Nederland BV, PPG Coatings S.A., PPG Coatings South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PPG DYRUP S.A., PPG Deco Czech a.s., PPG Deco Polska sp. z.o.o., PPG Deco Slovakia s.r.o., PPG Deutschland Business Support GmbH, PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbH, PPG Distribution S.A.S., PPG Europe B.V., PPG Finance B.V., PPG France Business Support S.A.S., PPG France Manufacturing S.A.S., PPG Guadeloupe SAS, PPG Hellas S.A., PPG Hemmelrath Coatings Inc., PPG Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Holdco SAS, PPG Holdings (U.K.) Limited, PPG Holdings Argentina USA LLC, PPG Holdings Latin America USA LLC, PPG Iberica S.A., PPG Iberica Sales & Services S.L., PPG Industrial Coatings B.V., PPG Industrial do Brasil - Tintas E. Vernizes - Ltda., PPG Industries (Korea) Ltd., PPG Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Industries (UK) Ltd, PPG Industries Argentina S.R.L., PPG Industries Australia PTY Limited A.C.N. 055 500 939, PPG Industries Colombia Ltda., PPG Industries Czech Republic s.r.o., PPG Industries Delfzijl B.V., PPG Industries Europe Sarl, PPG Industries France S.A.S., PPG Industries International Inc., PPG Industries Italia S.r.l., PPG Industries Kimya a Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, PPG Industries LLC, PPG Industries Lipetsk LLC, PPG Industries Middle East FZE, PPG Industries Netherlands B.V., PPG Industries New Zealand Limited, PPG Industries Ohio Inc., PPG Industries Poland Sp. Z.o.o., PPG Industries Securities LLC, PPG Industries de Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Italia Business Support S.r.l., PPG Italia Sales & Services S.r.l., PPG Japan Ltd., PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes Canada LP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.K. LLP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.S. LLC, PPG Luxembourg Finance S.aR.L., PPG Luxembourg Holdings S.aR.L., PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Packaging Coatings (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Performance Coatings (Hong Kong) Limited, PPG Powder Coatings (Shanghai) Limited, PPG Romania S.A., PPG SSC Co. Ltd., PPG Switzerland GmbH, PPG Trilak Kft., PPG Vietnam Co. Ltd., PRC-DeSoto Australia Pty Ltd., PRC-DeSoto International Inc., PT. PPG Coatings Indonesia, Painter's Supply, Paintzen, Peintures de Paris SAS, Plasticos Envolventes S.A. de C.V., Polymeric Systems Inc., Prismo Road Markings Limited, ProCoatings B.V., ProCoatings BV, Protec Pty Ltd. A.C.N. 007 857 392, Reno A&E LLC, Revocoat France SAS, Revocoat Holding SAS, Revocoat Iberica SLU, Revocoat S.A.S, Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings Inc., SEM Products Inc., Sealants Europe SAS, Sierracin Corporation, Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation, Sigma Marine & Protective Coatings Holding B.V., SigmaKalon (BC) UK Limited, SigmaKalon Group, SigmaKalon Middle East B.V., Sikar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Spraylat International Ltd, Texstars LLC, The Crown Group Co., The Crown Group Inc, The Homax Group, Tikkurila Group, Traffic Safety Intermediate LLC, Traffic Safety Parent LLC, United International Business NV, Vanex Inc., Vernisol S.p.A., Versaflex, Viasa S.A. de C.V., Whitford, Whitford B.V., Whitford Corporation, Whitford Jiangmen Ltd., Whitford Ltd. (HK), Whitford Ltd. (UK), Whitford Pte. Ltd., Whitford S.r.l., Whitford Worldwide Company LLC, Worwag Coatings, and Zaganite Industries Pty Ltd. The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III (Scots) L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Campus Drive LLC, Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DHFL PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (Ireland) L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (US) L.P., Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sweden Resi I GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA Mission LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd., LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PEREF II PV S.r.l, PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM (Australia) Pty Ltd, PGIM (Hong Kong) Ltd., PGIM (Scots) Limited, PGIM (Shanghai) Company Ltd., PGIM (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Agricultural Investors LP, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management (Feeder) VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital (Ireland) Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate (Japan) Ltd., PGIM Real Estate (UK) Limited, PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings (UK) Limited, PIM KF Blocker Holdings LLC, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Mexico Residential Manager I LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Limited Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Red LP, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP (SCOTS FEEDER) LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRECO ACCOUNT III LLC, PRECO ACCOUNT PARTNERSHIP III LP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited, Pramerica (Luxembourg) CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica (Scots) CP GP LLP, Pramerica Business Consulting (Shanghai) Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica General Partner LLP, Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Insurance Agency (China) Company Ltd., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate (Scots) LP, Pramerica Property Partners Fund (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Netherlands) GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica SGR S.p.A, Pramerica Systems Ireland Limited, Preco III (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Customer Solutions LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd., Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Industrial Properties LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Life Insurance Company of Taiwan Inc., Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Securities Structured Assets Inc., Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, QMA LLC, QMA Wadhwani LLP, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. (Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service), Senior Housing Partners IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy (US) Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, Times Square Center Associates, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I (Ireland) L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I (US) L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC. KKR & Co. Inc. pays an annual dividend of $0.58 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 0.78%. KKR & Co. Inc. has been increasing its dividend for 2 consecutive year(s), indicating that it does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio of KKR & Co. Inc. is 6.47%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, KKR & Co. Inc. will have a dividend payout ratio of 14.50% next year. This indicates that KKR & Co. Inc. will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. View KKR & Co. Inc.'s dividend history. Aggreko Plc supplies modular, mobile power, heating, cooling, and related services in North America, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia Pacific, and Latin America. The company operates in three segments: Rental Solutions, Power Solutions Industrial, and Power Solutions Utility. It offers power generation products, including diesel generators, G3+ generators, and gas generators, as well as heavy fuel oil and hybrid power plants; cooling systems, such as cooling towers, chillers, heat exchangers, and air handlers and conditioners; and desiccant and refrigerated dehumidifiers to prevent metal corrosion, aid processes, preserve equipment on cold stacked offshore rigs, reduce mold and mildew growth during production processes, and dry out water-damaged buildings, as well as to reduce drying times for concrete, insulation, and fireproofing. The company also provides electric heaters, indirect fired heaters, and heat exchangers; and load banks that are used to test generators and turbines, uninterrupted power systems, electrical distribution panels and systems, data center power systems, combined heat and power systems, and simulation of heat loads. In addition, it offers battery storage solutions; and power to national utility customers. The company operates 182 sales and service centers. It serves the agriculture, construction, contracting, data centers, event power, facilities management, food and beverage, government, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, petrochemical and refining, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, shipping, telecommunications, and utility power sectors. Aggreko Plc was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Glasgow, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Sonoco Products: 2103393 Ontario Inc., AMGH, APEI UK Limited, APEI Unlimited IOM, Associated Packaging Technologies Inc., Beteiligungen Sonoco Deutschland Vermogensverwaltungsgesellschaft mbh, CP Acquisition LLC, Can Packaging, Can Packaging SAS, Cap Liners Limited, Capseals Limited, Capseals Liners Limited, Cascades Sonoco Inc. (fka Cascades Conversion Inc), Clear Lam Flexible Films (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Clear Lam Packaging Inc., Clear Pack Co., Clear Pack Company, Colombiana P.M. LLC, Conitex Sonoco (BVI) Ltd., Conitex Sonoco (Mexico) S. de R.L. de C.V., Conitex Sonoco Hellas S.A., Conitex Sonoco Holding B.V., Conitex Sonoco Inc., Conitex Sonoco India Pvt. Ltd., Conitex Sonoco N.V., Conitex Sonoco Shanghai Ltd., Conitex Sonoco Suzhou Co. Ltd., Conitex Sonoco Taiwan Ltd., Conitex Sonoco USA Inc., Convex Mold Inc., Corenso Holdings America Inc., Corenso North America, Corenso Richmond LLC, Corepak Limited, CorrFlex Graphics LLC, Demolli Industria Cartaria S.p.A., Engraph Inc., Engraph Puerto Rico Inc., Fair Lawn Packaging Services LLC, Friarsgate Studio Limited, Graffo Paranaense De Embalagens S.A., Graffo Paranaense de Embalagens S/A, Grove Mill Paper Company Limited, Gunther of America Inc., Hartsville Corrugating LLC, Hayes Manufacturing Group, Heathfield Reels Limited, Highland Packaging Solutions, Highland Packaging Solutions LLC, Industrial Machine Co. Inc., Inversiones Sonoco Limitada, Italtubetti SpA, Laminar Medica, Laminar Medica (CE) s.r.o., Laminar Medica Limited, Manufacturas Sonoco S.A. de C.V., Matrix Packaging Inc., Nathaniel Lloyd & Company Limited, OOO Sonoco Alcore (fka ZAO Sonoco Alcore), PT Conitex Sonoco, PT Papcor Asia Pacific, PT Papertech Indonesia, PT Sonoco Indonesia, Packaging Holdings Inc., Papcor (Dezhou) Packaging Material Co. Ltd., Papertech Dezhou Co. Ltd., Papertech SL, PenPack LLC, Peninsula Packaging Company, Peninsula Packaging LLC, Penpack S. de R.L. de C.V., Phoenix Packaging Corp., Plastique Holdings LTD, SAS Du Lagon, SCI Lagon Quest, SMB GmbH, SPC Capital Management Inc., SPC Liquidation LLC, SPC Management LLC, SPC Resources Inc., SR Holdings of the Carolinas LLC, Sebro Plastics Inc., Sonoco (Shanghai) Co., Sonoco (Taicang) Packaging Co., Sonoco (Weifang) Packaging Company Ltd., Sonoco Absorbent Technologies LLC, Sonoco Absorbent Technologies Limited, Sonoco Alcore - Demolli S.r.l., Sonoco Alcore AB, Sonoco Alcore GmbH, Sonoco Alcore N.V., Sonoco Alcore Nederland B.V., Sonoco Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Sonoco Asia Holding S.a.r.l., Sonoco Asia L.L.C., Sonoco Asia Management Company L.L.C., Sonoco Australia Pty Ltd, Sonoco Board Mills Limited, Sonoco Bonmati S.A.U., Sonoco Canada Corporation, Sonoco Capseals Liners Limited, Sonoco Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Sonoco Consumer Products Dordrecht B.V. (fka Dorpak B.V.), Sonoco Consumer Products Europe GmbH (fka Weidenhammer Packaging Group GmbH), Sonoco Consumer Products Hellas S.A. (fka Weidenhammer Hellas S.A.), Sonoco Consumer Products Limited, Sonoco Consumer Products Mechelen BVBA (fka Weidenhammer Belgium BVBA), Sonoco Consumer Products Montanay SAS (fka Neuvibox SAS), Sonoco Consumer Products Poland Sp. Z.O.O., Sonoco Consumer Products SAS, Sonoco Consumer Products South Africa (PTY) Ltd., Sonoco Consumer Products Zwenkau GmbH (fka fka Weidenhammer Plastice Packaging GmbH), Sonoco Cores and Paper Limited, Sonoco D & P LLC, Sonoco D and P York LLC, Sonoco Deutschland GmbH, Sonoco Deutschland Holdings GmbH, Sonoco Development Inc., Sonoco Display and Packaging LLC, Sonoco Elk Grove Inc., Sonoco Embalagens Ltda. (fka Sonoco Embalagens S.A.), Sonoco Europe Limited, Sonoco Flexible Packaging Canada Corporation, Sonoco Flexible Packaging Co. Inc., Sonoco Graphics India Private Limited, Sonoco Hickory Inc., Sonoco Holdings Inc., Sonoco Holdings UK Limited, Sonoco Hutchinson LLC, Sonoco IPD France SAS, Sonoco Iberia S.L.U., Sonoco International Holdings GmbH, Sonoco JV GmbH & Co. KG, Sonoco Kaiping Packaging Co. Ltd., Sonoco Limited, Sonoco Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Sonoco Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sonoco Milnrow, Sonoco Netherlands Holding II BV, Sonoco Netherlands Holding III BV, Sonoco New Zealand Limited, Sonoco Operadora S. de R.L. de C.V., Sonoco Packaging Limited, Sonoco Packaging Tapes Limited, Sonoco Paper Mill & IPD Hellas SA, Sonoco Paperboard Group LLC, Sonoco Partitions Inc., Sonoco Phoenix LLC, Sonoco Pina S.A.U., Sonoco Plastics B.V., Sonoco Plastics Canada ULC, Sonoco Plastics Germany GmbH, Sonoco Plastics Inc., Sonoco Poland Holdings B.V., Sonoco Polysack A/S Inc., Sonoco Polysack Limited, Sonoco Products Company UK, Sonoco Products Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Sonoco Protective Solutions Inc., Sonoco Recycling - International Trade Group LLC (fka Reparco USA Inc.), Sonoco Recycling LLC, Sonoco Reels Limited, Sonoco Retail Packaging S. de R.L. de C.V., Sonoco S.A. de C.V., Sonoco SAS, Sonoco Saudi Limited Company, Sonoco Services LLC, Sonoco Singapore Pte. Ltd., Sonoco TEQ Holdings Ltd, Sonoco TEQ LLC, Sonoco TEQ Ltd, Sonoco TEQ Sp. Z.o.o, Sonoco Taiwan Ltd, Sonoco Thailand Ltd, Sonoco UK Leasing Limited, Sonoco Venezolana C.A., Sonoco Venture International Holdings GmbH, Sonoco Ventures UK Limited, Sonoco Wisconsin Rapids Core Plant LLC, Sonoco Wisconsin Rapids Inc., Sonoco Wisconsin Rapids Paper Mill LLC, Sonoco Yatai Pinghu Packaging Co Ltd, Sonoco de Colombia Ltda, Sonoco do Brasil Participacoes Ltda, Sonoco do Brazil Ltda, Sonoco of Puerto Rico Inc., Sonoco-Alcore AS, Sonoco-Alcore Ou, Sonoco-Alcore Oy, Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l., Sonoco-Alcore Sp. Z.O.O., Sonoco-Engraph Puerto Rico Inc., TPT Board Mills Limited, TPT Limited, Tegrant Alloyd Brands Inc., Tegrant Corporation, Tegrant International Inc., Tegrant Property Holdings LLC, Tegrant de Mexico S.A. de C.V., ThermoSafe Brands Asia PTE LTD., ThermoSafe Brands Europe Ltd., Thermoform Engineered Quality LLC, Trident Graphics Canada Corporation, Trident Graphics NA LLC, U.S. Paper Mills Corp., Unit Reels & Drums Limited, Weidenhammer Chile Ltda., Weidenhammer Packaging Group, Weidenhammer UK Ltd., and Wisenberg U.S. Inc.. German parents who fail to vaccinate their children against measles could face fines of up to 2,500 ($2,800), as part of draft legislation from the country's health minister. "I want to eradicate measles," Health Minister Jens Spahn told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag on Sunday, according to a transcript of the interview published by the Health Ministry. "Anyone going to a kindergarten or school should be vaccinated against measles," he said, adding that parents would need to show proof of vaccination or could face fines and exclusion from daycare. The proposal comes as Germany reported one of the highest numbers of measles cases in Europe between March 2018 and February this year, at 651, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Topping the list was Italy, with 2,498 reported cases. The latest proposal comes amid a resurgence of the disease across the globe -- ranging from high-income countries in the Americas and Europe to low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa -- fueled in part by fear of and lack of access to vaccines, and complacency. A UNICEF study published last week found measles killed 110,000 people globally in 2017, mostly children. That's up 22% from the year before. The report concluded that the rise is due to 20 million children a year missing the first dose of the measles vaccine. Germany is not the first place to propose fines for unvaccinated children. Last month, New York City declared that those who live in the neighborhoods where there is an ongoing outbreak and who had not received their vaccination or did not have evidence of immunity, could be fined $1,000. The crackdown was in response to a measles outbreak affecting the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, and unvaccinated people living in select ZIP codes will now be required to receive the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as MMR, to curtail the outbreak and protect others. It takes two doses of the vaccine to protect children from measles. While 97% of German children had their first dose, this dropped to 93% for the second dose, the World Health Organization said for 2017. Experts say there must be at least 95% vaccination to make communities immune to the disease. Among high-income countries, the United States topped the list of children not vaccinated with the first dose, according to the WHO, with measles cases reaching their highest number since the disease was declared eliminated there in 2000. Experts blame the rise on misinformation about the virus and the vaccine that has led some parents to refuse to vaccinate their children. Spahn's proposal comes just days after the UK's health secretary, Matt Hancock, said anti-vaccination campaigners were "morally reprehensible, deeply irresponsible" and had "blood on their hands," in an interview with The Times. COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) - More than 200 mayors and other municipal officials are gathering in upstate New York to discuss what they say is a rising crisis in transportation infrastructure funding. The New York State Conference of Mayors is holding its annual meeting Sunday through Tuesday in the Otsego County village of Cooperstown. About 250 officials plan to discuss issues facing their communities, with repairing local roads and bridges among the top items on the agenda. The mayors' group is calling on state lawmakers in Albany to enact a supplemental capital budget to boost funding for infrastructure projects handled on the local level. The group says the programs that aren't being adequately funded include the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program, known as CHIPS, which hasn't seen an increase in seven years. (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) UTICA, N.Y. -- A man is recovering from his injuries after being shot in Utica Saturday. Around 1:30 a.m., Utica police responded to the 800 block of Mohawk Street after a reported shots fired incident. When they arrived at the scene, they found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound in the upper back. The investigation showed that a fight allegedly broke out prior to the shooting, and while the crowd of people was dispersing -- someone began firing a gun. The victim was hit, and the was treated by the Utica Fire Department before being sent to a local hospital. His injuries are not considered to be life-threatening. The investigation is ongoing, but UPD is asking anyone with information to call 315-223-3510. All calls will be kept confidential. LONDON (AP) - The Latest on the newest royal baby in Britain (all times local): 4:05 p.m. Congratulations are flowing in from across the U.K. after Prince Harry announced that his American wife, Meghan, had given birth to a healthy baby boy. Kind words poured in from Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, Harry's uncle, Prince Andrew, and opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland also sent her good wishes. ___ 3:35 p.m. British Prime Minister Theresa May has congratulated Prince Harry and his wife Meghan on the birth of their son. May tweeted: "Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the arrival of their baby boy. Wishing you all the best at this happy time." The baby was born at 5:26 a.m. and weighs 7 pounds, 3 ounces. ___ 2:55 p.m. A beaming Prince Harry says he and his wife Meghan have a healthy baby boy. Harry says he's "incredibly proud" of his wife after she gave birth early Monday morning. The baby weighs 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and palace officials say he was born at 5:26 a.m. Monday. The infant, now the seventh in line to the British throne, has not yet been named. The prince says he is "over the moon" about the birth of their first child and said more details will be shared in the coming days. He spoke Monday before TV cameras. Officials say senior royals including Queen Elizabeth II have been informed of the birth, as has the family of his late mother, Princess Diana. ___ 2:45 p.m. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are the proud parents of a new baby boy. The baby, who has not yet been named, is seventh in line for the British throne and is Queen Elizabeth II's eighth great-grandchild. It is the first child for Harry and Meghan, who married a year ago. Harry spoke before cameras on Monday afternoon. The duchess is a 37-year-old retired American actress formerly known as Meghan Markle. The 34-year-old prince is the son of Prince Charles - next in line for the throne - and Princess Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997. Harry has long spoken of his desire to start a family. ___ Read all Associated Press coverage of the latest royal baby at https://www.apnews.com/RoyalBaby (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) SYRACUSE - U.S. Senator Charles Schumer is calling for the passage of new legislation called the TRACED Act after the flood of robocalls from the African country of Mauritania plagued Central New Yorkers last week. At a press conference Monday, Schumer said the legislation would give federal agencies new tools and authority to trace, prosecute and enforce fines against robocall scammers fines which could reach $10,000 per call. "Robocalls at all hours of the day and night and spoofing scams annoy and rip-off countless Central New Yorkers, and the TRACED Act will arm federal agencies with new tools and authority to trace, prosecute, and enforce fines against robocall scammers. It will also set new call authentication requirements designed to filter out robocalls before they reach the phones of unsuspecting New Yorkers, said Schumer Monday morning. Those living within the 315 area code received more than 60 million scam calls in the first four months of this year. Schumer says the calls are getting worse by the day. Despite the existing Do Not Call registry, robocalls remain a serious problem across the country, making these harassing calls nearly unavoidable. Its a plague that weve got to cure - whether its the landline or cell phone, no one should be woken up in the dead of night by multiple robocalls. Fortunately, the TRACED Act is just the antidote we need, which is why Im urging Congress to pass this landmark legislation ASAP to give the feds new powers to track, prosecute and fine these nasty robocall scammers and bolster caller identification technology across the nation. The Federal Trade Commission says 99% of robocalls are illegitimate or fraudulent. UPDATE- New York State Troopers said Kirstine Schreckenstein has been located. She's healthy and safe. STOCKBRIDGE, N.Y. -- State police in Oneida are searching for 67-year-old Kristine Schreckenstein. She was reported missing by family members on April 23, 2019 from a home on Mosquito Point Road in Stockbridge. Kristine Schreckenstein is described as 5 feet tall, 130 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes. She may be operating a red 2001 Audi TT with NY registration EBG-8474. She is being considered a vulnerable adult. If anyone knows where Kristine is, you're asked to contact the New York State Police in Oneida, at (315) 366-6000. MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has urged Ball State University graduates to strive but fail, pursue careers that provide passion and stay in Indiana. The Republican, a Hanover College graduate who married a Ball State alumna, delivered the "favors" during the commencement address Saturday at the Muncie school. He says the state "wants every single one of you." As for failing, he says, you can learn more from it than succeeding. The (Muncie) Star Press reports Holcomb was the first sitting governor to address Ball State graduates during a commencement. Ball State alumnus, comedian and talk show icon Dave Letterman delivered a video message shown before the ceremony. Letterman joked he was 100 years old, just like his alma mater, and earned numerous undergraduate, master's and doctorate degrees as a student. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) Purdue University is celebrating its official 150th birthday Monday with the release of a new history book. On May 6, 1869, the governor signed a bill creating the state's land grant college. If you ask Purdue historian John Norberg, he'll tell you the campus has grown since then, but the spirit of Purdue is the same now as it was then. John Norberg. Author, "Ever True: 150 Years at Purdue University" John Norberg. Author, "Ever True: 150 Years at Purdue University" "Everything that has ever been done at this university still exists today," Norberg said. In celebration of the university's "Founders' Day," he's compiled all the greatest stories over the past 150 years. "What was it like to be a student here in the 1890s? What was it like to be a student here after World War II? What was it like to be a student here in the late 1960s? That was a very interesting time." All of those are questions Norberg will answer in his new book: "Ever True: 150 years of Giant Leaps at Purdue University." "Purdue history, putting it all into one book is like trying to fill a thimble full of water gushing out of a fire hydrant." In the book, he debunks a few tall tales: "The Chocolate Shop was never a speakeasy," Norberg listed off. "John Purdue really didn't intend for the university to be built in the town of Chauncey, he actually was going to put it in Battle Ground. Purdue had the first public medical school in Indianapolis and gave it to IU, basically. [Former Purdue President] Edward C. Elliott swore, literally, that he would not spend one penny on music at Purdue. He ended up spending 100 million pennies to build a hall of music." Norberg wants people to know that the story, then and now, is all about Purdue people, and their "Giant Leaps." "This university, everything it has ever done, has been accomplished by people just like them. What we are doing today is going to be looked back upon 150 years from now and I believe they will be just as proud of what we're doing as we are proud of what people did before us." The book is one of many highlights celebrating Purdues Sesquicentennial, 150 Years of Giant Leaps. This yearlong celebration is highlighting Purdues history, while focusing on what giant leaps Purdue can take to address the worlds problems. On Monday, Purdue turns 150! We'll be celebrating with 50% off our two new books on the history of Purdue! Make sure to check back in on May 6, so you don't miss this one-day sale!#TakeGiantLeaps #Purdue150 #ReadUP More about the books: https://t.co/YgV96MQWW3 pic.twitter.com/PCzAoprhYM Purdue University Press (@PurduePress) May 3, 2019 The 496 page book goes on sale Monday. The book is selling for $44.95. Click here to purchase. Another book, "Purdue at 150: A Visual History of Student Life," was also released Monday. It contains some of the greatest pictures over the past 150 years. Click here to purchase. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indianapolis police say they have two suspects they're searching for in connection with the shootings of two southern Indiana judges attending a judicial conference in Indiana's capital. Police on Friday released surveillance video showing the two suspects getting out of an SUV outside a downtown restaurant where the shootings of Clark Circuit Judges Bradley Jacobs and Andrew Adams occurred early Wednesday. Police asked for the public's help in identifying the two suspects. Police say an argument between the suspects and the judges escalated to the shootings. They say they've found no evidence to suggest the judges were targeted because they're judges Clark County Presiding Judge Vicki Carmichael says both Jacobs and Adams remain hospitalized in stable condition. Clark County lies along the Ohio River just north of Louisville, Kentucky. DELPHI, Ind. (WLFI) Indiana State Police on Monday issued a statement on the number of tips that have been received in the Abby and Libby homicide investigation. According to ISP, the Multi-Agency Task Force has received over 2,200 emails, 400 calls, and an additional 135 calls and or walk-ins to local police departments and state police posts around the state since the April 22 press conference. They have received 42,000 since the start of the email and tip line. Delphi Homicide Coverage A new sketch, video and more audio of who police believe is the suspect in the Delphi double homicide was released on April 22, 2019. Provided by Indiana State Police A new sketch, video and more audio of who police believe is the suspect in the Delphi double homicide was released on April 22, 2019. Provided by Indiana State Police Police would like to remind people they are looking for information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who committed this crime. Be specific as possible to a description Name and age if possible A connection to Delphi and that persons location or address at this time Leaving information on how we can contact you for possible clarification of your tip is helpful but not required Tips can remain anonymous If you have a tip, no matter how insignificant you feel it might be, contact us by email at abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com or phone at 844-459-5786. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. The Gambia is a country in West Africa that is bordered on all sides by Senegal except for coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. The country has an estimated population of 2,051,363 and experiences a tropical climate. Additionally, with an area of 11,295 km2, The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa. Despite its small size, the country features a variety of habitats that contain a great diversity of flora and fauna, both terrestrial and marine. The Gambia has three national parks and other protected areas that help preserve its wildlife. 4. Kiang West National Park Kiang West National Park encompasses a large area of 19,526 hectares along the south bank of the Gambia River, within the Lower River Division of the Kiang West District. The park was established in 1987 and is currently managed by the Gambia Department of Parks and Wildlife Management. Kiang West National Parks varying habitats include mangrove creeks, tidal flats, savanna, and dry deciduous woodlands. The protected area is inhabited by numerous fauna, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. Mammals include the African clawless otter, common duiker, spotted hyena, warthogs, and bushbuck, while reptiles such as the African python, venomous spitting cobra, puff adder, Bells hinged tortoise, Nile monitor, and West African crocodile are known to inhabit the park. Additionally, the 300 species of birds that reside in the park include many birds of prey, such as vultures, hawks, eagles, and parrots. Despite its potential, Kiang West National Park has developed as a popular tourist destination in The Gambia. 3. Niumi National Park hahahNiumi National Park is located on the northern coast of The Gambia, at the southern tip of the Sine-Saloum Delta. Established in 1986, the park has an area of 4,940 hectares and features a range of wetlands, including sand spits, brackish lagoons, mangroves, and freshwater marsh. At least 293 species of birds inhabit the park and thrive in its mudflat and swamp habitats. Other notable fauna in Niumi National Park include the patas monkey, spotted hyena, vervet monkey, and desert warthog. Additionally, the park helps protect several threatened species, such as the humpback dolphin, red colobus, and manatees. 2. River Gambia National Park The River Gambia National Park is one of three national parks in The Gambia. Established in 1978, the park has an area of 585 hectares and is located on the left bank of the Gambia River, within the Niamina East district of the Central River Division, and also includes the Baboon Islands archipelago. River Gambia National Park is part of a chimpanzee reintroduction project introduced in 1979, which protects chimpanzees confiscated from the illegal animal trade. Given the aggressive nature of chimpanzees, the park is closed to public visitation. In addition to chimpanzees, many other primate species inhabit the park, including the western red colobus, marmosets, and Guinea baboon. Hippopotamuses, serval, honey badgers, West African manatees, several types of antelopes also live in River Gambia National Park. 1. Other Important Protected Areas in The Gambia In addition to its three national parks, wildlife and biodiversity in The Gambia is protected through various nature reserves. For example, these reserves include Abuko Nature Reserve, Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve, Tanbi Wetland Complex, and Tanji Bird Reserve. Bahia is the fourth most populous and the fifth-largest of the 26 states of Brazil. It is located in the northeast part of the country. Bahia is irregularly-shaped and therefore shares boundaries with many other states including Alagoas, Pernambuco, Piaui, Sergipe, Tocantins, Goias, Minas Gerais, and Espirito Santo. The state is known for its high crime level, hosting four of the most violent cities in the country. The capital of Bahia state is Sao Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos locally known as Salvador. The city's population of 2.9 million people makes it the largest metropolitan in the northeast and the fourth largest in the country. Salvador, The Capital Of Bahia Salvador was founded in 1549 by the Portuguese to serve as the first capital city of Brazil. It is among the oldest colonial cities in South America. The lower town of the city is divided from the upper town by a 279ft escarpment that requires an elevator to move people between the towns. The city was one of the earliest slave ports in the Americas making it a center of Afro-Brazilian culture. Salvador is the economic hub of the agriculturally productive region of Reconcavo, a maritime and industrial district, and a major port. Demographics Of Salvador Salvador is inhabited by 2.9 million people. The city's population is a result of hundreds of years of interracial marriage between Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans. A DNA study conducted in 2015 revealed that it was 50.5% African, making it the most African city outside the African continent. Brazil is a Christian dominated country, and so is the city as Catholics account for 51.55% while the Protestants account for 19.59%. However, secularism is gaining popularity with 17.6% of the population not relating to any religion. The Economy Of Salvador The city has played an important economic role throughout the country's history. It served as the countrys gateway during the colonial era and allowed the Portuguese to establish commercial ties with Asia and Africa. It was also the country's capital until Rio de Janeiro replaced it in 1763. The modern city is different from ancient town but not to mean that ancient architecture was destroyed. Some new commercial building share blocks with colonial-era housing. Improved infrastructure such as the airport and the harbor has seen the growth of industries including the construction of an oil refinery. Salvador is among the most visited cities in the country alongside Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Last Friday, protestors in Sydney were addressed by John Shipton, Julian Assanges father, Socialist Equality Party election candidate Oscar Grenfell, barrister Greg Barns and other speakers. Shipton insisted that the Australian government immediately secure the release of the WikiLeaks publisher, journalist and Australian citizen. The Sydney demonstration, outside the US embassy in Martin Place and then the nearby Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade building, was held two days after Assange was sentenced in a British court to 50 weeks jail on bogus bail violation charges. It was organised by the Support Assange and WikiLeaks Coalition, and was one of a number of protests around the world defending Assange on World Press Freedom Day. John Shipton John Shipton, Assanges biological father, told protestors that Ecuador had sold his son in exchange for a multi-billion dollar International Monetary Fund loan. Julian was being persecuted, he said, for exposing the grand narrative of every heinous crime committed by the US and other countries. The consequence of WikiLeaks revealing these crimes, the destruction of Iraq, the destruction of Afghanistan, the destruction of Syria, the destruction of Libya, millions killed, is they want their vindictive revenge, Shipton said. Assanges father described his sons jailing as an outrage and called on the government to intervene and secure his release. Australia, we [must] work together to bring Julian home to his family, to his children and to give the Australian government the courage to stop assisting this by doing nothing. Oscar Grenfell, the Socialist Equality Partys federal election candidate in Parramatta, said the defence of Assange was a decisive political question for the working class. What is being prepared, he said, is an extraordinary rendition operation, with a pseudo-judicial fig-leaf which will set a precedent for the abolition of freedom of the press. This is aimed at sending a clear message to the working class: if you take social and political action that challenges the powers that be, you will face state repression. Oscar Grenfell Grenfell said these anti-democratic attacks were made possible because of the complicity of successive Australian governments. Beginning with the Greens-backed Labor government of Julia Gillard, every Australian government has participated in the US-led vendetta against Assange. They have refused to defend a persecuted journalist and Australian citizen. Its not just the major parties. None of the other parties are raising the defence of Julian as a central issue in this election. By their active support for the attacks against him, or their silent complicity, the parliamentary parties are signalling that they are pro-imperialist organisations, committed to US wars and to the repression of those who expose them. The Australian media has likewise played a shameful role. Grenfell said it was necessary to mobilise the international working class which was now entering into major social and political struggles against austerity, war and authoritarianism. Assange is rightly viewed by millions of workers and young people as a hero, Grenfell added. Its our task to forge these sentiments into a mass political movement that will compel the Australian government to use all its legal discretion and diplomatic powers to secure Assanges return to Australia, with a guarantee against extradition to the US. Mary Kostakidis Mary Kostakidis, a popular former Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) television news presenter and journalist, told the rally that society owed a great debt to people such as Assange, Chelsea Manning and others who are prepared to risk their freedom and their lives so that important information can be made public. Kostakidis noted the escalating government attacks on freedom of the press, journalists and whistleblowers, and praised Assange for establishing WikiLeaks. Digital technology has democratised the flow of information, she said, and undermined the ability of the traditional gatekeepers of information to decide what is appropriate and palatable for the public to see and hear. The battle today, she continued, is for the publics right to know in a 21st century communications environment. Governments are sending the message that if you publish our secrets, well lock you up for life. You try to protect your sources and we will go after you. Kostakidis called on other journalists to defend Assange: To my colleagues in the mainstream media: Dont be distracted by inconsequential issues like the perceived personality issue. All this is to detract from the all-important issues at stake here If wrongdoing remains hidden and hidden in perpetuity then it weakens the press and its ability to hold the powerful to account. It sabotages our democracy. Lissa Johnson Lissa Johnson, a Sydney clinical psychologist who has written extensively in defence of Assange, told the rally that the psychology profession owes Assange a huge debt of gratitude over WikiLeaks publication of the Guantanamo Files in 2011. This previously secret information, she said, exposed the collaboration of American Psychological Association members with the US armys torture of prisoners at the notorious prison and at secret CIA sites around the world. Johnson denounced the mainstream media for its attacks on Assange and for the trivialising and sanitising of atrocity and the waging of psychological war on Julian Assange, with baseless, vicious smears. She referenced CIA director Mike Pompeos threat in 2017 to take down WikiLeaks and pursue with great vigour other small media platforms. This, Johnson said, was part of Washingtons war against all genuine reporting and free speech. Others addressing the rally included former Green Senator Scott Ludlum, Greg Barns, Assanges chief Australian-based lawyer, and Paul Gregoire, a writer for Sydney Criminal Lawyers website. Part of the rally Ludlum was a Greens Senator during Prime Minister Julia Gillards Labor-Greens minority government between 2010 and 2013. Gillard falsely claimed WikiLeakss activities were illegal and endorsed Washingtons persecution of Assange. Ludlum and the Greens refused to break from the de facto coalition over Gillards outrageous attack. Ludlum, who writes occasionally for the Guardian, has said little about Assange in the past two years. The former Greens Senator made some pro-forma comments about Assanges imprisonment and possible extradition to the US and told protestors it would be a long struggle. He made no demands on the Australian government or the Labor Party and did not even mention the Greens. Greg Barns Greg Barns referred to the mass protests which forced Canberra to secure the release of Australian citizen David Hicks who was subjected to extraordinary rendition by the US and illegally imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay between 2002 and 2007. If Assange is extradited from the UK, he will be taken to the United States in the same way that Hicks was, and subjected to torture and cruel and unusual punishment. The Australian government had an obligation to bring David Hicks back to Australia. It has an obligation to bring Julian Assange back to Australia, Barns said. Whoever wins government on May 18, whether it be Morrison or Shorten, this matter will not go away. It needs to be dealt with as an urgent priority. We will not be silenced. Authorised by James Cogan for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000. On Thursday, Facebook banned the social media accounts of right-wing InfoWars publisher Alex Jones, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, the alt-right figures Paul Joseph Watson and Milo Yiannopolous, right-wing nationalist Laura Loomer and self-described pro-white neo-Nazi candidate Paul Nehlen. The scrubbing of these individuals from both the Facebook and Instagram platforms was confirmed in a company statement to the media. Weve always banned individuals or organizations that promote or engage in violence and hate, regardless of ideology. The process for evaluating potential violators is extensive and it is what led us to our decision to remove these accounts today. A Facebook spokesperson also told CNN Business that the decision to shut down the accounts was the product of a process of determining that an individual or organization is dangerous. According to the CNN report, among the factors Facebook considers are whether the person or organization has ever called for violence against individuals based on race, ethnicity, or national origin; whether the person has been identified with a hateful ideology; whether they use hate speech or slurs in their about section on their social media profiles; and whether they have had pages or groups removed from Facebook for violating hate speech rules. On a social media platform that has 2.4 billion active users worldwide, how is it possible that unknown and unnamed Facebook employees are empowered to decide who is dangerous or what is hateful ideology or who is engaged in violence? There is no process by which an individual user or organization can object or challenge their labeling by Facebook as extreme or question the process by which their account has been deleted. Facebook is restricting others from expressing praise or supporting a banned person or organization, the CNN report said. Facebook will also remove groups, pages and accounts created to represent the banned individuals when it knows the individual is participating in the effort. Meanwhile, this policy may not apply to any or all of the people banned Thursday, however. Far-right organizations have support from powerful factions of the statea fact demonstrated by the President Trumps denunciation of Facebooks decision on Twitter over the weekend. On the other hand, all factions of the political establishment are united in their support for censorship of the left, for which Facebooks actions establish another precedent. The latest justifications given for Facebook censorship are a departure from those provided beginning last August. At that time, Facebook and the other social media platforms such as Twitter and YouTube used the charge of inauthentic behavior and Russian- or Iranian-backed influence campaigns to shut down accounts that were, for the most part, left-wing or oppositional to US government policies. The move to ban right-wing and extreme nationalist social media publishers is a new stage in the campaign launched against fake news and Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential elections. In the aftermath of the release of the report by special counsel Robert Mueller, an aspect of the Democratic Partys neo-McCarthyite campaign against Donald Trump is the lie that social unrest and class conflict in America are the products of Russian trolls on social media. The coverage of the latest Facebook censorship by the media is virtually universal in accepting the attack on free speech. One example is the May 3 column by Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune entitled, Facebook is right to boot abusers such as Farrakhan, Jones and Yiannopolous. In it, Page argues that the digital age has brought a new normal in which the social media monopolies have not only a right but an obligation to censor. The shift to silencing high-profile right-wing, anti-Semitic and fascistic elements on social media is in no way a deviation from the Internet censorship that has been underway for the past two years. It is part of the preparations by the ruling elites to put a halt to the utilization of the Internet and social media platforms to coordinate and organize the expanding class struggle that is underway and growing internationally. The actions taken by the social media corporations against people like Jones and Farrakhan, whose odious views are opposed by the vast majority of the public, are not because of their racism, anti-Semitism and extreme nationalism. The new round of censorship is a test by the tech monopoliesin cooperation with the surveillance and intelligence apparatus of the statefor the suppression of mass political struggle against the capitalist system. The implementation of link-banning, whereby anyone and everyone who shares the views of those who have been identified as dangerous can be shut down without justification, is a warning to all workers and young people. The social media corporations like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube (Google) and others are working with the state to catalog every conversation, every shared link and every comment being made on these platforms to identify those who are interested in political ideas opposed to imperialism and the profit system. As was shown in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 300 peoplewhere the government rapidly blocked public access to all social media platformsthe state is experimenting with techniques for shutting down the online discussions and political and organizational activity of the insurgent working class. The threat of extreme right-wing and fascist political forces is real. While there is currently no mass fascist movement, the ruling class is encouraging such groups in response to the growth of anticapitalist sentiment. The struggle to defeat fascism must be conducted by the working class on the basis of the political program of socialist revolution, not appeals to the corporations or the state to silence or stop them. US president Trump has threatened to impose more tariffs on Chinese goods imported into the US ahead of talks between the top-level representatives of the two sides that start in Washington on Wednesday. The talks, following discussions in Beijing last week, had been widely touted as putting the final touches on an agreement, so that Trump and Chinas president Xi Jinping could sign off on a deal later this month or in June. But tweets issued by Trump on Sunday have cast considerable doubt on that scenario, indicating that what was to have been the final round of negotiations has run into major obstacles. Trump threatened that the 10 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods would rise to 25 percent on Friday, and that an additional $325 billion worth of Chinese goods currently untaxed would shortly be subject to tariffs of 25 percent. The trade deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!, Trump wrote. The threat to escalate tariffs, which if carried out would end any prospect of a trade deal, marks a sharp turn in the rhetoric from the US administration. As recently as Friday, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said the administration was heartened to see progress with China, although some issues still needed to be resolved. Trump himself kept to script of the past several months, telling reporters that the deal itself is going pretty well. I would even say very well. He indicated that signing a deal with Beijing could be weeks away. It is not entirely clear what prompted the sudden shift on the part of Trump, but reports on the talks have indicated that one of the major conflicts is over whether, and how fast, existing tariffs imposed by the US would be removed in the event of a deal. The American side, headed by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, has insisted that the tariffs should remain in place and only start to be removed once the US considers China is abiding by the agreement. The US has also maintained the right to impose tariffs, without retaliation from the Chinese side, if it considers China is abrogating the deal, and that such measures are crucial for any enforcement mechanism. The Chinese negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, whom Lighthizer considers to be among the reformers in the Chinese regime ready to reach an agreement with the US, has offered concessions. But any deal that allows the US to impose what Beijing regards as unequal treaties is a bridge too far. China has insisted that any enforcement mechanism must be a two-way street. At the very least, Beijing maintains that the US must start to roll back some of the tariffs it has imposed, as part of any agreement. Another factor in Trumps about-turn could be intensifying pressure from anti-China hawks both within the administration and in the Republican and Democratic parties who are ready to denounce any agreement they regard as being weak. On Friday, the head of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, said Trump risked reaching an inferior agreement if it did not include the use of state subsidies to Chinese industry. This is a key demand of the anti-China hawks. They insist that the issues go far beyond trade and that Chinas efforts to move up the value chain in key areas of industrial production and technology constitute an existential threat to the global dominance of the US. In an interview with the Financial Times, Trumka said he had not seen anything very earth shattering or very helpful in what had emerged from negotiations so far. He said the Chinese circumvent comparative advantage by underwriting the cost of their uncompetitive industries or by targeting an industry and subsidising [it]. That has to come to a screeching halt. If the agreement doesnt do that, and give us a way to enforce it, then it will be an inferior agreement, he said. Repeating the right-wing nationalist populism which is one of the hallmarks of the pro-imperialist union bureaucracy, Trumka said it would be a colossal mistake if the deal favoured billionaires and went on the side of Wall Street. It will continue to hurt our economy and our ability to be a world power, because we are losing that capacity. The leading Democrat left Bernie Sanders has also joined in, attacking former Vice President Joe Biden for downplaying the economic threat posed by China, saying it was wrong to pretend that China is not one of our major economic competitors. When we are in the White House we will win that competition by fixing our trade policies, he said (see: Bernie Sanders attacks Biden from the right on China trade). Former Trump adviser, the ultra-rightwing nationalist Steve Bannon, who maintains a close connection with both Lighthizer and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, said right now the hawks on both sides are winning. He cited Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan as one of those in Beijing who dont think China should submit to American terms. Both sides emerged from last weeks discussions in Beijing saying they had been productive. But an article in Chinas nationalist Global Times warned that the two sides may have hit an impasse in tough talks. Trumps tweets are no doubt aimed at putting intense pressure on Chinese negotiators when they sit down with Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday. But they could have the effect of completely blowing up the talks. China expert Eswar Prasad, economics professor at Cornell University and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told the Wall Street Journal the latest Trump threats would further complicate the negotiations and heighten distrust. Trump has upped the ante yet again, blindsiding the Chinese who thought they were negotiating towards a pullback of existing tariffs, not fending off new ones, he said. The stakes are now even higher for Chinese negotiators who risk being seen as cravenly caving in to US demands in the face of Trumps blustery threats. It is not clear how financial markets will react, but there could be a major response. The Financial Times reported that US business groups, which had mostly been pushing for an agreement, reacted to Trumps threat of a new escalation with dismay. Rick Helfenbein, president of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, said: We urge the president to refrain from imposing these additional tariffs and instead focus on negotiating the trade deal with China. In a note to investors, Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist as MFUG Union Bank in New York, said markets have been lulled to sleep on the expectation that a trade deal was in the making and had put the trade war in the rear vision mirror as they reached near-record highs. This has all the makings of a complete disaster and that could lead to the stock market crater, he said in response to the latest Trump threat. On Friday, thousands of students and youth around Australia took part in a national day of action against climate change. Rallies were held in regional centres and capital cities across the country. The events followed worldwide March 15 protests, in which tens of thousands of young people throughout Australia participated. Since then, the Greens, the unions, and environmental groups, such as Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) have intensified their efforts to subordinate the emerging movement of young people to the election of a Greens-backed Labor government. Part of the Melbourne rally The organisers divided young people up by staging dozens of smaller protests outside the offices of individual parliamentarians on Friday. This was tied to their bankrupt claims that big business politicians, who are responsible for environmental destruction, could be pressured to take action to stem climate change. Expressing the widespread skepticism among students towards this perspective, Fridays protests were far smaller than previous rallies. Campaigners for the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), the youth wing of the Socialist Equality Party, explained that climate change could not be halted within the framework of the capitalist market that had caused it. They said that what was required was a turn to the working class, and the development of a revolutionary movement aimed at abolishing the profit system and replacing it with socialism: a global society based on social need and scientific planning. Mia IYSSE campaigners placed the danger of environmental catastrophe in the context of the deepening crisis of capitalism, expressed in the drive to war, mounting social inequality, and the attacks on Julian Assange and democratic rights. Students responded warmly, with many taking copies of the SEPs 2019 federal election statement. In Melbourne, high school student Mia, said: I think its good that children are getting out there. It shows that its an actual problem and it needs to be dealt with. Asked if she thought the major parties would act on climate change, Mia responded: I think theyre all in it for themselves, for their own profit. I feel like they have things that they deem more important than the futures of their children and their grandchildren on their minds. Whatever is going to make them the most money is what they deem most important. Theo In response to the program of the IYSSE, Theoa year nine student from inner Melbournesaid: Creating an international organization of the youth that will take action on climate change is a really good idea because there is a lot of us and we are all really passionate and we will get it done. Katerina and Georgia, journalism students at Melbournes La Trobe University, initially attended the rally as part of an assignment. However, Katerina explained: I knew what it was about and the causes. It blew my mind to see so many children with nothing to lose protesting today. I think the politicians need to listen. She agreed that none of the major parties would do anything about climate change, saying if you look at their track records, theyve all gone back on their word. They might win us over with election promises, but no doubt this will keep going. Georgia and Katerina with SEP candidate Tessa Pietsch (right) They were buoyed to hear of the SEPs campaign putting forward a socialist alternative to the capitalist profit system and were excited to meet SEP Victorian senate candidate, Tessa Pietschwhose statement they were readingat the rally. Year 11 students Zara, Heyma and Saskia took part in the rally in the regional New South Wales city of Newcastle, attended by around 200 students. Heyma said that students were protesting because we thought it was important to voice our views about climate change and the lack of government action. This is a pressing issue, and the world is waking up to it. People are beginning to realise that they need to get involved in this. We need to get involved in strikes like this, get involved in politics and make sure were informed. Zara, Heyma and Saskia Zara explained she thinks governments havent taken any steps to resolve climate change because its an economic issue. The government just wants the rich to make heaps of money, they dont care about the environment that theyre leaving behind for us, the younger generation. They only care about making profits. They only think about the short-term gains. We want to spread awareness that were ready to fight for this, Saskia added. Were fighting to protect the environment and our future. The whole of society needs to change, not just particular policies. The fact that this movement is international is importantit also shows the power of social media, in spreading movements like these and uniting young people, who are thinking about these things and want to take action. Aiden and Jackson Aiden and Jackson, also in Newcastle, said that the organisers of the rallies controlled these protests as well. We werent allowed to go into the main streets, we werent allowed to actually make an impact, and just then at the end, we were pushed even off that small road. We were only allowed to go up one street and then had to stop. They said that the promotion of Labor and the Greens was another attempt to keep us in our place and concluded I agree with everything you've said, were already socialists, actually! Kyle Kyle, a year 10 student who attended the inner-Sydney Marrickville protest said he thinks climate change is one of the most important issues we face seeing as it involves the whole planet. Im anti-capitalism in general. A lot of people say that you have to make changes in yourself, but there is a big problem with the way companies are working. They are not changing what they are doing. They are telling us that we can change, but they need to change what they are doing in a big way. Authorised by James Cogan for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000. In the suburb of Saline, Michigan, south of Detroit sprawls the Faurecia auto parts plant, which manufactures seating components and emission controls for Ford. The plant employs approximately 1,100, some driving from as far away as Flint. Their paltry wages and miserable conditions recall an earlier era. Members of the United Auto Workers, Faurecia workers contract expires later this month under conditions of a total news blackout by the union. As the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter has previously reported, conditions in the plant are deplorable. Two deaths occurred in the factory in 2018, at least one of them potentially preventable had medical staff been on duty. Employees regularly report to the Newsletter on their safety concerns and the unsanitary conditions in the plant, as well as the harsh treatment by company supervisors. A Faurecia worker we will call Bill said that although he enjoys his work, the management is bad. According to Bill, who has been at Faurecia for six years, when the company took over the plant from Automotive Components Holdings (ACH) in 2012, workers were told the plant would be updated, that it would be clean and high-tech. But it isnt clean or high-tech, he said, and its getting worse. One problem Bill pointed to is safety. The hydraulic presses leak, he said. Instead of shutting them down and fixing them, they just want to patch them up. Like other Faurecia workers the Autoworker Newsletter has spoken to, Bill noted the lack of concern on the part of management for safety and sanitation in the factory, saying it is left to the workers to clean the foul bathrooms and inspect the lines. They want to put safety on us. It should be the companys responsibility to make a safe environment for the workers. Another worker we will call Don said, Things are getting worse. Theyre increasing the line speed. They just want to get as much labor out of us as they can. Bill said that he does not take such matters sitting down, but that complaining to supervisors rarely helps. Their first thing is to attack you, to write you up. Asked if there is any protection from such unfair treatment, he said, We do have due process, but if it comes to someone they dont like it goes out the window. And they dont like me. Im a strong individual. I read my handbook. So they call me an angry black man and a monkey. When I went to H.R. they swept it under the table, and when I went back they said they lost my file. Such behavior on the part of management at Faurecia is deliberate. It serves to foster divisions among workers as well as to maintain a hostile, adversarial relationship between workers and low-level supervisors, a relationship similar to that between prisoners and guards. They fire the good supervisors that get along with the workers, Bill noted. They dont want us on the same side. Like the vast majority of auto and parts workers the Autoworker Newsletter has spoken with, Bill rejects the divide-and-conquer strategy of management and the UAW. When asked about the strikes conducted by over 70,000 workers in Matamoros, Mexico, earlier this year, he said, I wish I could go down there and support them. They have the same rights as we do. He sees through the attempt to blame layoffs and plant closings in the US on Mexican workers. Of the striking Matamoros workers he said, If they can do it, we can do it. Thats what they [the bosses] are scared of. When Bill started at Faurecia in 2013, he made $11 an hour. Six years later he is paid $19.70 an hour, a high wage by Faurecia standards. Low wages are typical. Reflecting the general lack of decent-paying jobs, one newer worker encountered by the Autoworker Newsletter said he felt lucky making $13 an hour. To make ends meet, many Faurecia workers put in seven 12s, 12-hour shifts seven days a week. These workers sacrifice time for themselves, time with their families as well as their physical and mental health in order to provide the basics for themselves and their loved ones. With 84 hours a week under hostile supervision in a dangerous work environment with unsanitary bathrooms, Faurecia offers up echoes of 19th and early 20th century sweatshops. It is an open question how far back in American history one would have to look to find human beings, let alone union workers, treated this way by a major industrial employer. The Saline plants current contract with the UAW expires late this month, but so far the union has shared no information with workers about its demands or the status of any negotiations that may be underway. Im a mechanic, Don said. It took years for me to learn my job. I have a right to know about my money. Trust in the union is low among Faurecia workers. When asked whether they believed the UAW would represent their interests in this years negotiations, a group of three Faurecia workers just laughed. We spoke with Bill shortly after the news broke of UAW Vice President Norwood Jewells indictment on charges of receiving tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from Fiat Chrysler during contract negotiations in 2015. He was disgusted but not surprised by the news. If you rely on your union, you may as well take off your life vest and sink with the boat, he said. In June 2015, Faurecia workers were prepared to walk out on strike. The grievance that triggered the move to strike was a new policy by management forbidding earbuds on the factory floor. It was the straw that broke the camels back. Sitting with their jackets on, waiting for midnight and the expiration of their contract, the workers were approached by a UAW representative and told that an agreement had been reached with management and that they were not to strike. The workers returned to their lines, to their unsafe conditions and to their seven-12s. Autoworkers realize that Faurecia is not an aberration, not an isolated instance of industrial abuse in a remote parts plant. They face deteriorating conditions in their own factories. They see emerging safety issues, unreasonable line speeds, and union representation that is opposed to the interests of workers. In the hated tier system, the employment of temporary part-time workers, and the collapse of their pay scale, autoworkers see the future standard in the auto industry in the United States and around the world. The answer to this crisis, for workers at Faurecia and throughout the auto industry, is the formation of rank-and-file committees independent of the crooked UAW. To this end, the Autoworker Newsletter, the World Socialist Web Site and the Socialist Equality Party have initiated the Steering Committee of the Coalition of Rank-and-File Committees, which will join and coordinate efforts by workers across all industries with the express aim of orchestrating a general strike. Only through such independent and coordinated action can workers oppose the forces of capitalism, reaction and war. Just days after being sworn into Israels new parliament following the victory of his far-right bloc in last months elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorised a massive aerial assault on Gazas defenceless population, targeting at least 150 sites over the weekend. In addition, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the most powerful military force in the region, used artillery fire to shell 200 sites in the tiny Palestinian enclave, including residential buildings, mosques, shops and media institutions, in a campaign that is set to continue for days. According to Gazas health ministry, the victims among the 16 Palestinians killed included a pregnant mother and her 14-month-old baby, as well as at least eight militants. A further 70 Palestinians were wounded in the attacks. Israel has admitted to carrying out a targeted assassination, saying its forces killed Hamas commander Hamed al-Khoudary with an air strike on his car. Three others were injured in the attack. The Israeli government claimed that the 34-year-old leader was responsible for transferring money from Iran to terrorist organizations in Gaza. This was the first admission of a targeted murder since 2014. It takes place under conditions where Interior Minister Gilad Erdan is calling for a return to the policy of targeted assassinations. One of the sites in Gaza City targeted by Israeli forces is a building housing Anadolu, Turkey's state-run news agency. Although the building was badly damaged by at least five Israeli rockets, following the firing of warning shots, there were no reports of deaths or injuries. Turkish President Erdogan denounced the attack, which is likely to exacerbate the already tense relations between Israel and Turkey. Last month, Erdogan called Netanyahu a tyrant after the Israeli prime minister referred to him as a dictator and a joke. Erdogan tweeted Sunday: We strongly condemn Israels attack against Anadolu Agencys office in Gaza. Turkey and Anadolu Agency will continue to tell the world about Israeli terrorism and atrocities in Gaza and other parts of Palestine despite such attacks. Presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin accused Israel of striking Anadolu Agency to cover up its new crimes. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted: Targeting of Anadolu Agency Gaza office is new example of Israels unrestrained aggression. Israeli violence against innocent people without distinction is a crime against humanity. Those who encourage Israel are also guilty. We will keep defending the Palestinian cause, even if alone. Netanyahu, who also holds the defence portfolio, said that the military would keep up its massive strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip in response to hundreds of rocket attacks into southern Israel from the Palestinian territory. He 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 forces. He added, 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. Netanyahus statement has stoked fears of a ground invasion. According to Israeli media, senior defense sources say they expect the fighting to last for some time. As usual, Israels patron, the United States, stood four-square behind Israel, condemning Gazas rocket attacks on Israel and declaring its full support for Israels right to self-defence against these abhorrent attacks. The European Union for its part blamed the Palestinians and called for an immediate de-escalation, backing the attempts of Egypt and the United Nations to bring the Palestinians to heel. EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said, The rocket fire from Gaza towards Israel must stop immediately. A de-escalation of this dangerous situation is urgently needed to ensure that civilians lives are protected. She added cynically, Israelis and Palestinians both have the right to live in peace, security and dignity. The Arab regimes long ago made their peace, whether formally or de facto, with Israel, which they view as a key ally in the line-up against Iran. This latest escalation of Israeli brutality against Gaza comes after Israeli forces killed four Palestinians in two separate incidents and injured at least 50 people taking part in last Fridays protests near the Gaza-Israel border, which have been ongoing for more than a year. The protests are demanding the Palestinian refugees right of return to their homes in what is now Israel and the lifting of Israels criminal and inhuman blockade on Gaza. The twelve-year siegea collective punishment, which is banned under international lawhas turned the enclave into an open-air prison for its two million inhabitants and deprived them of the most basic essentials of everyday life, including clean water, sanitation and electricity. This, as well as Israels three murderous wars on Gaza, which have destroyed much of its infrastructure, has wrecked the territorys economy and made it almost uninhabitable. With the ending of US aid to the Palestinians via the UN Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (UNRRA), more than 50 percent of the population is unemployed and poverty is rampant. Gazas health ministry reported that the IDF shot two people dead and killed two Hamas fighters in an air strike. The IDF said this was in response to a shooting incident on the border that left two Israeli soldiers wounded. The IDF has killed at least 267 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since March 30 last year and injured 29,000 more, while Israel has lost just two soldiers. Many of the Palestinians are disabled for life. The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry that investigated Israels actions in Gaza during the protests stated that they may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity, as snipers intentionally shot civilians, including children, journalists and the disabled. Tensions have also been rising because of Israels failure to honour the terms of a deal brokered by Egypt, which Hamas, the bourgeois clerical group that has controlled Gaza since winning elections in 2006, had hoped would lead to an easing of Israel and Egypts blockade on the territory, in place since 2007. According to Hamas, there had been some relaxation in maritime controls, increasing the fishing limit from six to 15 nautical miles, but Israel reduced the limit again last Tuesday after a rocket was fired from Gaza, without causing any damage. Hamas has also accused Israel of delaying the transfer of Qatari money to pay salaries for Gazas cash-strapped public institutions and of failing to ease the enclaves crippling power shortage. On Thursday, Israel struck a Hamas military compound after it claimed that balloons carrying firebombs and explosives had been launched across the borderagain without incident. The deaths, the self-evident futility of trying to reach any accommodation with Israel, and Israels constant provocations prompted Palestinian militants to fire rockets at Israel, breaking the month-long truce that followed Israels savage bombardment of Gaza last March. While the Israeli military said its Iron Dome defence system had intercepted dozens of the rockets, some got through, killing three Israeli civiliansthe first civilians to die from Gaza rocket fire since the 2014 war with Hamasand wounding several others. As hostilities escalated over the weekend, another Israeli was killed by rocket fire. While the Israeli media made much of the 83 Israelis requiring hospital treatment, at least 62 were treated for panic attacks. With this latest brutal attack on the Palestinians, Netanyahu is seeking to demonstrate to his far-right allies that he is the most ardent defender of Israels security, including that of Israels settlements in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan. It puts paid to any notion that Israel seeks peace or even a modus vivendi with the Palestinians. At the same time, Netanyahu is seeking to deflect social tensions within Israel outwards. Israel is among the most economically unequal advanced economies in the world and has the highest poverty rate of any country in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It has seen a growing wave of working class strikes and demonstrations against the soaring cost of living, as well as a mass protest of thousands of people demanding an investigation into the fatal police shooting of a mentally unstable Ethiopian-Israeli. Socialism haunts the American ruling class, commented the World Socialist Web Site in early April. The same applies to Germany. Since the beginning of April, as tens of thousands have demonstrated in Berlin against high rents and for the expropriation of the stinking-rich hedge funds and real estate sharks, the official parties and media have become obsessed with the spectre of socialism. Expropriations are really socialist ideas and have nothing to do with bourgeois politics, said Christian Social Union (CSU) leader Markus Soder at that time. Deputy Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Chairman Thomas Strobl spoke of a completely unsuitable instrument. The deep red spectre of expropriation was scaring off investors. The CDU Economic Council ranted about grasping for a relic of socialism. After publication of an interview with the Juso (Young Socialist) chairman Kevin Kuhnert in the current issue of Die Zeit, headlined What does socialism mean for you? the campaign has reached a new peak. Although Kuhnerts utopia of socialism, as he himself states, means nothing more than the restoration of the welfare state promises of the seventies, eighties in an updated form, the media, leading politicians in government and opposition, as well as the trade unions, have responded with raging anti-communist tirades. A spectre returns, ran the headline of an editorial in Die Welt. In it, Karl-Heinz Paque, CEO of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, which is close to the Free Democratic Party (FDP), warns against falling back into the grey past of Marxist ideology. In a letter to Kuhnert, Bild tabloid rails, In the versions of Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot to Castro, Ceausescu or Honecker [all Stalinist regimes that had nothing to do with socialism] what once has been comprehensively and quite bloodily refuted, needs no new test. New FDP Secretary General Linda Teuteberg announced in Bild, Free Democrats will defend the social market economy against such socialist excesses. And the Green Party and the unions also opposed Kuhnerts timid nationalization plans. A collectivization or nationalization of the auto industry solves none of the problems, the parliamentary group leader of the Greens told Spiegel Online. And the head of the BMW general works council, Manfred Schoch (a member of the IG Metall union), rumbled in business weekly Wirtschaftswoche, For workers of German enterprises this SPD is no longer electable. In fact, Kuhnert is being attacked most aggressively within his own party. What gross nonsense. What has he been smoking? It cant be legal, tweeted Johannes Kahrs, spokesman for the right-wing Seeheimer Circle. The president of the SPD Economic Forum, Michael Frenzel, demanded, There is only one reaction: expulsion from the party. The co-founder of the SPD in the former East Germany and former deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, Stephan Hilsberg, said, Whoever dreams of this [socialism] ends up in hell. In her statement, Alice Weidel, parliamentary leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), made clear the fascist winds blowing in the ruling class 86 years after the transfer of power to the Nazis. The Christian Democrats would be laughing at a fine coalition partner, she sneered. It was not the first time that the Young Socialists had distinguished themselves with a frontal attack on the central values and legal principles of our constitution and legal system. Slowly but surely Kevin Kuhnert and the Jusos will become a case for the secret service. The threat to suppress socialist propaganda with the help of the state apparatus must be taken seriously. The current annual report of the secret service already bears the handwriting of the AfD. While it only mentions the AfD and its right-wing extremist periphery as victims of supposed left-wing extremists, any opposition to capitalism, nationalism, imperialism and militarism is criminalized as left-wing extremist and anti-constitutional. The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) is taking legal action against being placed under surveillance by the secret service. What drives the ruling class in its war against socialism is not the somewhat innocuous demands of Kuhnert and his supporters in sections of the Left Party, whose loyalty to bourgeois rule is beyond question. They talk about socialism to prevent a truly socialist programme, as advocated by the SGP, from gaining influence. What the ruling class fears is the growing social and political opposition of workers and young people, which is breaking out in Germany, Europe and around the world. Significantly, in one of its recent editions, Die Zeit took the power of the streets as its title theme, stating, All the great revolutions of history began on the street. It is the place where the dissatisfaction of the people shows itself; on the street, citizens demand what they miss in politics. And now, the people seem to be missing a lot. Almost everywhere in Europe, and also in Germany. The paper referred, among other things, to the recent mass protests against internet censorship and for climate action, in which several hundred thousand people participated. The protests are getting bigger and their numbers are increasing, it cautioned. In 2008, there were 2,345 demonstrations registered in Berlin, and there were already 4,446 in 2018, the article states. In Frankfurt, too, the number of demonstrations has doubled, and even tripled in Cologne. Above all, what concerns Die Zeit is that the protests are developing outside the control of the establishment parties and the trade unions, and are being organized primarily through social media. The new protesters do not draw their strength primarily from traditional camps or alliances, parties or unions. They organize themselves in WhatsApp groups, mobilize friends and classmates via Instagram or YouTube. With apprehension, the paper adds, Demonstrations are often the first signs that something new is coming. The new coming is the growing support for socialism around the world. Since the end of World War II, never has the entire social and economic system been more hated by masses of workers and young people. Capitalism is seen for what it is: the cause of screaming social inequality and the return of fascism and war. Thirty years after German reunification and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, celebrated by the ruling elite as the end of Marxismalthough, in reality, it meant the collapse of Stalinismsocialist ideas are regaining mass support. A representative survey at the beginning of the year conducted by polling agency Civey, on behalf of Tagesspiegel , found that 54.8 percent of respondents supported expropriations. As early as 2016, a YouGov survey revealed that in Germany significantly more people have a positive opinion of socialism than of capitalism. The polling institute writes, 45 percent of respondents in Germany have a positive opinion on socialism, 26 percent a negative one. Regarding capitalism, the situation is the other way round: one in four (26 percent) has a positive opinion, and just under half (47 percent) of respondents have a negative opinion. The SGP provides these sentiments and the evolving struggles with a clear socialist programme. It is the German section of the Fourth International, founded by Leon Trotsky in 1938, which defended the Marxist programme of international socialism against Stalinism and social democracy. Unlike left windbags such as Kevin Kuhnert, Jeremy Corbyn, Bernie Sanders, Alexis Tsipras and their pseudo-left adherents, we insist that socialism can only be built by an independent, international movement of the working class. Our statement on the European elections says, We are not trying to alleviate the symptoms of a diseased system but advocate the overthrow of capitalism. ... Humanity is once again faced with the alternative formulated by Rosa Luxemburg in the midst of the First World War: Socialism or barbarism. Only if the working class unites all over Europe and fights for the United Socialist States of Europe can disaster be prevented. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is set to face heavy criticism from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, aiding the Conservative government in shifting blame from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and other guilty corporate parties. The official Grenfell inquiry is preparing its final first phase report on the events of the night of the inferno which cost 72 lives for publication in June. The Daily Telegraph reports that letters are being sent out by inquiry head, Justice Martin Moore-Bick, to those people and organisations being criticised as part of a process known as Maxwellisationto enable them to respond to findings before the complete report is issued. One such letter is being sent to fire chiefs, warning them they face withering criticism over their handling of the Grenfell Tower disaster. The LFB has come under immense pressure since the inquiry began, with a concerted campaign by the ruling elite to shift responsibility for Grenfell away from the negligence of the council, its Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, and various corporations that turned a safe building into a death trap during a refurbishment. June is being cited as the tentative date for the end of the first phase, but the Telegraph felt obliged to note, The legal process can take many monthsit is suggested the Maxwellisation letters in the Chilcott Inquiry into the Iraq War took yearsmeaning the Grenfell report risks being delayed by several months. To set the stage to heap blame on firefighters for the deaths, the media has focused on comments made to the inquiry by LFB Commissioner Dany Cotton. Cotton said she would not change anything we did on the night. To make clear that she was referring to the extraordinary circumstances confronted by firefighters, she added, I wouldnt develop a training package for a space shuttle to land in front of the Shard [a famous London landmark]. The LFB does have questions it must answer. Cottons statement refers to the impact the installation of flammable cladding had on turning a small kitchen fire into an inferno that engulfed the entire building. And though firefighters may not have been aware of the dangers posed on the night, the dangers were known years in advanceincluding by the LFB. In 2009, the first warning of the tragedy to come was at Lakanal House in Camberwell, London, in which six people were killed. Responding to Cotton, Grenfell United, which represents many of the victims, wrote, To not prepare for a repeat of Lakanal House and say chances are like a space ship on the Shard is flippant and disrespectful. But to focus exclusively on alleged LFB management failings ignores numerous factors that contributed to it being unprepared for a fire, the scale of which was unlike anything London firefighters had ever dealt with before. In the first instance, the LFB was overstretched due to underfunding and cost cutting. Since 2008, funding cuts made the situation facing LFB a ticking time bomb, with then Conservative Mayor of London Boris Johnson slashing 29 million in 2013 alone. As a result, it was no longer even policy to send, as routine, an aerial ladder to high-rise fires. At a protest that year at City Hall, a firefighter demanded of Johnson, Will you accept responsibility in a criminal court when people die as a result of your cuts? The following year, 10 fire stations were closed in the capital and nearly 600 firefighters jobs lost. Secondly, during the initial firefighting operation at Grenfell, the LFB used the standard stay put policybased on the premise that high-rise buildings such as Grenfell Tower are built to be compartmentalized as a series of concrete boxes that, if correctly constructed and maintained, are isolated from each other, preventing the spread of fire. However, this principle had been fatally compromised in Grenfell Tower because of the application of the highly flammable cladding and insulation on its exterior. The cladding acted as fuel, spreading the fire across multiple floors so that the building was rapidly engulfed. Moreover, the interior of the building was unsafe, including having just one stairwell that rapidly became filled with toxic, deadly smoke. Grenfell Tower was so dangerously compromised that a catastrophic event was only a matter of time, as the Grenfell Action Group warned RBKC just months earlier. Yet, in February for example, Channel Four aired a documentary, Grenfell: Did the Fire Brigade Fail? that started from the flawed premise of Moore-Bicks inquiry that an informed judgment can be made based solely on an examination of what happened on the night of the fire. It concluded that 55 out of the 72 who died did so because they got the wrong advice from the LFB. This conceals the fact that all the main factors that ensured such a horrific loss of life were present long before June 14, 2017. So blatant is the scapegoating of firefighters that Fire Brigades Union General Secretary Matt Wrackwho has so far co-operated to the hilt with Moore-Bicks inquirystated ahead of the documentarys airing, The views I am expressing are being expressed more bluntly in fire stations, that this is in danger of turning into a stitch-up of firefighters the only thing they did on the night was turn up to put a fire out and yet they are the people that have come under most scrutiny so far. He added, The stark, staring obvious problem is how can you wrap a building in flammable material like that? Everyone asked that within hours and yet we wont even look at that in three years and before they [the inquiry] start to reach conclusions on it, it could quite easily be 2021. This was a reference to the fact that Moore-Bicks inquiry has been halted on the basis that before the second phase begins, hundreds of thousands of documents need to be scrutinized by all parties. The second phase, dealing with the construction and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower and the circumstances and decisions leading up to the disaster, will not even begin to take evidence until 2020 and it could then last years. Proceeding along the same glacial pace, the Metropolitan Police announced, as the first phase of the inquiry ended, that it could take years, not months to conclude its own investigation. The Met has not yet arrested anyone in relation to the social murder of 72 people and said in March that no-one will be even be considered for arrest, possibly for years hence, as the police investigation must take into account any findings or reports produced by the [Grenfell Tower] Inquiry, including its final report . [emphasis added] Only then and only if the police investigation concludes there is sufficient evidence to consider criminal charges would the Met submit a file to the CPS for its consideration. The Socialist Equality Party and Grenfell Fire Forum demand that those responsible for social murder at Grenfell Tower be arrested and charged. * Justice for Grenfell means no cover-up and no inquiry whitewash! * Arrest the political and corporate criminals responsible! * Stop scapegoating the firefighters! * Quality public housing is a social right! * For an emergency multibillion-pound public works programme to build schools, hospitals, public housing and all the infrastructure required in the 21st century! For further details visit: facebook.com/Grenfellforum The author recommends: London Metropolitan Police cite Grenfell Inquiry to justify not pressing criminal charges: End collaboration with the inquiry now! [9 March 2019] One hundred years ago on May 4, 1919, thousands of students from 13 colleges and universities gathered in what is today Tiananmen Square in central Beijing to protest the outcome of the peace talks in Versailles following the end of World War I. They were outraged at the horse-trading between the major powers that handed Shandong Province to Japan and kept in place the unequal treaties forced on China. These had created British, French and International concessions, or enclaves, in cities like Shanghai. The demonstration was the outcome of intense discussions and meetings throughout the previous day and night. These brought forward an already planned protest, following news about the complicity of the warlord government in Beijing in the outcome of the talks. Students handed out copies of a passionate Manifesto of All Students of Peking that called on the nation to rise up to secure our sovereignty in foreign affairs and to get rid of the traitors at home: This is the last chance for China in her life and death struggle. Today we swear two solemn oaths with all our fellow countrymen: (1) Chinas territory may be conquered but it cannot be given away; (2) the Chinese people may be massacred but they will not surrender. Our country is about to be annihilated. Up brethren! [1] The students marched through the streets chanting anti-imperialist slogans such as China has been sentenced to death [at the Paris Conference], Refuse to sign the Peace Treaty, Boycott Japanese goods and China belongs to the Chinese. They denounced pro-Japanese traitors who were government ministers. Beijing students protesting the Treaty of Versailles on May 4 One account described the public reaction: The people of Beijing were deeply impressed by the demonstrators. Many spectators were so touched that they wept as they stood silently on the streets and listened carefully to the students shout their slogans. Many Western spectators greeted them with ovations and by taking off or waving their hats Boy scouts and students from elementary schools joined in and distributed leaflets. [2] Prevented by police from entering the Legation Quarter to appeal to foreign representatives for justice for China, the students proceeded to the residence of one of the three pro-Japanese traitors. Students broke into the house and beat up several occupants. Clashes broke out with police. A number of students were injured, one later dying in hospital, and 32 were arrested and imprisoned in police headquarters. The protest triggered a broad anti-imperialist movement, initially of students, which also drew in the working class and layers of intellectuals, merchants and the urban poor, triggering strikes, protests and a boycott of Japanese goods. Police repression and arrests only provoked greater resistance. In early June, the government launched a massive crackdown on groups of students campaigning in the streets, handing out leaflets and urging people to buy Chinese rather than Japanese goods. After the first arrests on June 2, thousands of students took to the streets on the following days, some with bedding strapped to their back in preparation for jail. By the end of June 4, over a thousand were being held in makeshift prisons in the buildings of Peking University, surrounded by troops. Protesters on May 4 The mass arrests in early June provoked indignation throughout China. On June 5, a commercial strike paralysed Chinas main industrial centreShanghaiin support of some 13,000 striking students. Strikes by workers spread throughout the city over the next days, with estimates of up to 90,000 workers involved. From Shanghai, the protests and strikes extended to other major cities. Brought to its knees by the strike movement, the Beijing government first tried to conciliate with the students. The police and troops were withdrawn from the campuses, but the students refused to leave their campus prisons until their demands were met. The government and the police were compelled to apologise. Finally, students marched out of their prisons on June 8 amid firecrackers and cheers to a fervent mass meeting and parade of welcome given by their fellow students and the citizenry. [3] On June 10, as the strikes and protests continued, the government announced the resignation of the three pro-Japanese ministers. However, the key demandthat China not sign the Versailles Treatyremained unmet. On June 24, the government instructed the Chinese delegation, even if its protestations to the major powers failed, to sign the document regardless. Faced with an outpouring of angry protest, the president was compelled to reverse the decision the following day. On June 28, Chinas representatives refused to join the major powers in signing the peace treaty with Germany. May 4 demonstrators after their release from prison The demonstrations and strikes were part of a broader intellectual and political ferment. The students who came onto the streets on May 4 had been influenced by the ideas of the New Culture movement, which asserted that ending Chinas subjugation required the modernisation of all aspects of society on the basis of democratic ideals and the scientific advances in Europe and the United States. What was involved was a revolt against traditional Chinese ethics, customs, literary forms, philosophy and social and political institutions. The chief target was ossified Confucianism, which had the status of a quasi-state religion. It provided the ideological underpinning for Chinas elites by insisting on the unquestioning obedience of the ruled to the rulers, women to their husbands and sons to their fathers. The New Culture movement had many diverse strands. However, in the wake of the MayJune protest movement, a layer of intellectuals and youth turned decisively toward socialism, and, under the impact of the October Revolution in Russia, to Marxism and Bolshevism. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded in July 1921, little more than two years after the first Beijing protest. Many of the founding members were youth who had been radicalised by the May 4 movement. The CCPs first chairman, Chen Duxiu, was a man in his early 40s who commanded respect inside and outside the party as a revolutionary and the chief intellectual leader of the New Culture movement. One hundred years on, the CCP has long abandoned the socialist and internationalist principles on which it was founded and is resurrecting the stifling Chinese traditions against which the intellectuals and students had rebelled in the early 20th century. Today the CCP bureaucracy uses its police state apparatus to suppress any criticism or independent thought in schools and on university campuses, and is locking up students from Peking University and other campuses for the crime of supporting workers struggles. Whatever ceremonies are organised by the CCP to mark May 4 will, above all, be designed to cover up and deny the crucial political lessons the anniversary holds for youth and workers today. The roots of the May 4 movement The roots of the May 4 movement lay in the failure of the 1911 Chinese Revolution, led by Sun Yat-sen. The movement overthrew the decrepit Manchu dynasty but could not implement its own aimsnational unity and independence, a democratic republic and social welfare for the people, including land for the peasants. Sun Yat-sen The outcome demonstrated the organic inability of the class that Sun representedthe emerging Chinese bourgeoisieto fulfil its historic tasks, tied as it was to the landlords in the countryside and subordinated to the imperialist powers on the world arena. Chinese society had been wracked by crisis for well over a century, compounded by the corrosive influence of foreign invasions. Britain and France fought two Opium Wars, in 1842 and 1858, against the waning Manchu dynasty, which had attempted to block their huge sales of opium into China that were designed to ensure a permanent trade surplus in their favour. The European powers also established the treaty ports and the concessions, where extraterritoriality applied and foreigners were exempt from Chinese law and the payment of Chinese taxes. The response of the Manchu court to these defeats and foreign exactions was to impose new burdens, chiefly on the peasantry that formed the vast bulk of the population and underpinned Chinas economy. The ruination of the countryside was compounded by a flood of cheap foreign goods, which all but destroyed the local handicraft industries. Oppressive conditions sparked rural revolts, including the Taiping Rebellion, which grew out of an obscure neo-Christian cult in 1850 into a storm that swept the country and was only finally crushed in 1865 with the assistance of foreign troops. The defeat of China at the hands of Japanese imperialism in 1895 came as a shock. It intensified the debate over how to resist the foreign carve-up and subjugation of the country. However, attempts to reform the decrepit Manchu dynasty and transform the archaic machinery of government came to nothing. The so-called Hundred Days of reform in 1898, under the young Emperor Guangxu, was abruptly ended by the Dowager Empress Cixi. She imprisoned her nephew and executed or jailed his reformist advisers. Boxer rebels in 1900 The days of the Manchu dynasty were numbered. At the turn of the century, the dowager empress attempted to manipulate a new revolt by a Chinese secret organisation, known as the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists, that erupted in northern China, and direct it against the foreign powers. The Boxer Rebellion was suppressed by foreign troops and new impositions were made on China by the victors. Sun Yat-sen came to prominence in the wake of the failure of all attempts to reform the Manchu dynasty. While advocating revolution, however, he made no attempt to build a mass political movement, and engaged in conspiratorial activities involving small armed putsches or terrorist actions against individual Manchu officials. In 1911, the Manchu dynasty virtually imploded. The imperial government was on the brink of bankruptcy after decades of plundering by the major powers. Politically, it was thoroughly discredited, as a result of the foreign annexation of Chinese territory in the form of colonies, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the extra-territorial concessions. When the Manchu dynasty finally promised constitutional reform, it was too late. Significant sections of the Chinese bourgeoisie, bureaucracy and military had turned to Sun Yat-sen. On October 10, 1911, thousands of troops in Wuchang in Hubei province staged a rebellion and proclaimed a republic. The revolt rapidly spread across many Chinese provinces, but the lack of any genuine mass movement left vested interests untouched. Sun was proclaimed the provisional president of a loosely federated Republic of China but, lacking any significant social base of his own, compromised with the old military-bureaucratic apparatus. Under pressure from the imperialist powers, he handed the presidency to the last prime minister of the Manchu dynasty, Yuan Shikai, who scrapped the constitution and dissolved the parliament. The New Culture movement In May 1915, Yuan provoked a wave of protests and opposition when his government accepted Japans humiliating 21 demands that gave it effective control of large swathes of China, including Manchuria and Inner Mongolia. Public hostility only intensified when, in December 1915, he had himself elected as emperor of China by his puppet National Peoples Assembly. Most of Chinas southern provinces under the leadership of Sun Yat-sen declared their independence from the Beijing government and, as his supporters deserted, Yuan expressed his intention of abandoning monarchism. He died in June 1916, leaving a fractured China ruled by rival warlords, each backed by competing foreign powers. Chen Duxiu (left) In 1915, amid the political turmoil, Chen Duxiu, who had been active in the 1911 revolution and in a revolt in 1913 against Yuans regime, returned to Shanghai from exile in Japan. He established the New Youth magazine, which proved to be a powerful magnet for the new generation of students. It was one of the pioneer publications in vernacular Chinese, rather than in the scholarly classical Chinese that was largely inaccessible to the population. New Youth sounded a clarion call. Chen proclaimed that the task of the new generation was to fight Confucianism, the old tradition of virtue and rituals, the old ethics and the old politics the old learning and the old literature. Mr Confucius, Chen declared, had to be replaced by Mr Democracy and Mr Science. The extensive rural revolts in Chinaincluding the Taiping and Boxer rebellionshad been based largely on superstition, religious cults and secret societies. Sun Yat-sen espoused the ideals of a democratic republic, but exploited Han Chinese racialism against the Manchu, or Manchurian rulers. However, Chen drew his intellectual inspiration from the European Enlightenment and the democratic traditions embodied in the 18th century revolutions in France and the United States. He wrote in New Youth in 1915: We must break down the old prejudices, the old way of believing in things as they are, before we can begin to hope for social progress. We must discard our old ways. We must merge the ideas of the great thinkers of history, old and new, with our own experience, build up new ideas in politics, morality, and economic life. [4] In his seminal work, The Tragedy of the Chinese Revolution, Harold Isaacs described Chens appeal to youth as the opening manifesto of the era of the second Chinese revolutionthe political upheavals and ferment that began with the protest and strike movement of 1919 and led to the nation-wide revolutionary upsurge in 1925, only to be tragically betrayed in 1927. Isaacs explained the impact of New Youth: Chens magazine was eagerly snatched up by students in every school and college in the country. When it was published, wrote one student, it came to us like a clap of thunder which awakened us in the midst of a restless dream I dont know how many times this first issue was reprinted, but I am sure that more than 200,000 copies were sold. It nourished the impulsive iconoclasm of the young people. It gave direction to the mood of unease and unsettlement that pervaded all classes in the population. It was a call to action that awakened an immediate response. [5] Li Dazhao In late 1916, facing growing popular opposition, the government appointed the noted liberal educator, Cai Yuanpei, as chancellor of Peking University. Cai transformed the university from a bastion of conservative tradition into a hotbed of progressive intellectual thought and debate. Early the following year, he brought Chen to the university as dean of the School of Letters. Other intellectual leaders joined him, including Li Dazhao, who was appointed chief librarian in February 1918 and became a close collaborator of Chen. Mao Zedong, 25, was one of Lis assistants. Chen and Li helped to foster a group of students who produced their own monthly magazine, New Tide, which first appeared in January 1919. Many were to become prominent student leaders in the protests that erupted on May 4. New Tide groups were influenced by many intellectual currents, but the Russian Revolution was already making its presence felt. One contributor to the first issue, Lo Chia-lun, declared that the October 1917 Revolution was the new world tide of the 20th century. With the end of World War I in November 1918, all eyes were on the Versailles Peace Conference, which would decide the terms of the peace with Germany. In the first year of the war, Japan had seized Shandong Province from Germany, which had held the area since 1898 on a 99-year lease. Japans representatives in Paris made clear that Tokyo not only wanted to retain Shandong indefinitely but to extend its presence, as outlined in the 21 Demands that had been accepted by the Beijing government in May 1915. China had a seat at the table as one of the victorious allies. At least 140,000 Chinese labourers had supported the British and French war efforts, as part of the Chinese Labour Corps, with estimates of the number of deaths as high as 20,000. On November 17, 1918, a huge demonstration in Beijing of some 60,000 people had celebrated the end of the war. The speeches reflected the widespread optimism that the Allies represented democracy over despotism and would restore Shandong to China. When the Versailles Peace conference opened in January 1919, however, those illusions were shattered. Japan announced that Britain, France and Italy had signed secret treaties with Japan that supported its claims to Shandong. Woodrow Wilson Great hopes remained, however, that the United States would prevail. In his speech to the US Congress on January 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson had outlined, in 14 points, the aims of the US in entering the war against Germany. The speech was, above all, aimed at countering the appeals of the Bolshevik leaders, Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, to the international working class to put an end to the war through socialist revolution. Wilson called for the abolition of secret treaties, an adjustment of colonial claims in the interests of the native peoples, as well as of the colonial powers, and, most significantly from the standpoint of China, a League of Nations that would guarantee the political independence and territorial integrity [of] great and small states alike. The outcome of the Peace Conference in May 1919 came as a huge blow to Chinese intellectuals, students and the broader population. Their anger was not only directed against Japan and its immediate alliesBritain, France and Italyand pro-Japanese ministers in the Beijing government, but also against the US and its president. A graduate at Peking University later recalled: When the news of the Paris Peace Conference finally reached us, we were greatly shocked. We at once awoke to the fact that foreign nations were still selfish and militaristic and they were all great liars We had nothing to do with our government, that we knew very well, and at the same time we could no longer depend on the principles of any so-called great leader like Woodrow Wilson, for example. Looking at our people and at the pitiful ignorant masses, we couldnt help but feel we must struggle.[6] The protests and strikes that began on May 4, 1919 were accompanied by a feverish intellectual and political debate over the way forward. It included a multitude of contendersliberals and anarchists, democrats, syndicalists and socialists of different types. The American philosopher John Dewey arrived in China, literally on the eve of the May 4 protest, and developed a following, through his lectures and articles, over the next two years. The British philosopher Bertrand Russell also won followers after he was invited to lecture in China and remained for nearly a year from October 1920. John Dewey (front right) in Shanghai, 1919 Marxism, however, had no strong established presence in China. It was identified with the Second International, which had been divided over the preoccupation of Chinese intellectualshow to end colonial domination. At the Internationals 1907 Stuttgart congress, which discussed the issue at length, some delegates openly expressed chauvinist attitudes, including toward the yellow race. The outbreak of World War I, an imperialist war for the division and revision of the world, precipitated the collapse of the Second International, as most parties and leaders sided with their own bourgeois governments and their predatory war aims. Lenin and Trotsky, who had both opposed the betrayal of the Second International, expressed unambiguous opposition to colonialism and support for the struggles of the oppressed peoples of the colonies. In the wake of the October 1917 Russian Revolution, that message reverberated around the world. The manifesto of the founding congress of the Third International in March 1919 declared: Colonial slaves of Africa and Asia: the hour of proletarian dictatorship will also be the hour of your liberation. In one of his first actions as Peoples Commissar of Foreign Affairs, Trotsky seized and published the secret treaties and papers of the Tsarist and Provisional governments, in order to expose the intrigues of the major powers. In July 1919, Leo Karakhan, acting for the Peoples Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, issued a declaration abrogating all previous secret and unequal treaties between the Tsarist regime and China, and relinquishing Russian claims in China, without seeking compensation. When news of that declaration finally reached China in March 1920, it had a profound impact. It stood in stark contrast to the determination of the imperialist powers to maintain their colonial possessions and enclaves in China. Some 30 major organisations publicly expressed their gratitude to the Soviet government. Most newspapers demanded that the Beijing government, which had continued to recognise the Tsarist officials of the Russian legation, establish diplomatic relations with the Soviet government. One of the first Chinese intellectuals to recognise the significance of the Russian Revolution was Chen Duxius close collaborator, Li Dazhao. In an essay published in New Youth in 1918, entitled The Victory of Bolshevism, he hailed the October Revolution as the beginning of a new era: Although the word Bolshevism was created by the Russians, its spirit expresses the common sentiments of 20th century mankind. Thus, the victory of Bolshevism is the victory of the spirit of all mankind. [7] Inspired by Trotskys work, War and the International, Li declared that World War I marked the beginning of the class war between the world proletarian masses and the world capitalists. The Bolshevik revolution was only the first step toward the destruction of the presently existing national boundaries which are barriers to socialism and the destruction of the capitalist monopoly-profit system of production. [8] Societies for the Study of Socialism had proliferated following the protest movement of MayJune 1919. However, in March 1919, inspired by Li, students from Peking University established a Society for the Study of Marxist Theory. Early in 1920, the Third International or Comintern, which had closely followed the events of 1919 in China, sent Gregori Voitinsky from the Far Eastern Secretariat to Beijing to make contacts. He met with Li, who sent him to meet Chen in Shanghai. Representatives of the Chinese Communist Youth League in Paris in 1924 Chen, who had been influenced by the philosophical pragmatism and democratic idealism of Dewey, was slower to embrace Marxism than Li. However, in the wake of the MayJune protest movement, his political attitudes shifted rapidly. He had been arrested for his activities during the protests, and following his release, later in 1919, left for Shanghai, where he found layers of workers and youth who had been radicalised. By one account: When Chen returned there, he immediately attracted a group of active intellectuals who joined him in Marxist study and activities Chen himself became active in promoting the labour movement, often making fiery speeches to the workers that reflected his Marxist thinking. [9] When Voitinsky met with Chen in Shanghai the result was a decision to amalgamate a number of groups, which would form the basis for the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, initially created in secret in May 1920. A draft party constitution was passed and a provisional central organisation based in Shanghai. Chen was elected as its first secretary. The party was formally established in July 1921, which is usually taken as the official date. [10] The Chinese Communist Party today A hundred years on, the Chinese Communist Party completely distorts the significance of the May 4, 1919 events. It has long repudiated the democratic principles of the New Culture movement and the socialist internationalism upon which the party was founded. The last thing that the CCP bureaucrats in Beijing want is for young workers and students today to draw inspiration from the youthful rebellion of 1919 by mounting their own revolt against the CCPs police-state apparatus and the stultifying intellectual climate it engenders. Xi Jinping Chinese President Xi Jinping used his speech this week to mark the May 4 movement to hail the virtues of nationalism and patriotism. Xi, who rests on a vast repressive apparatus, insisted that young people must avoid mistaken thoughts and obey the party. Significantly, students from Peking University and other elite institutions have been detained since last year for the crime of assisting workers from Jasic Technology, in Shenzhen, in their struggle to form an independent trade union. The Marxist Society on the campus was threatened with closure, then taken over by CCP stooges. And this took place at the university that was at the very centre of the intellectual ferment of the New Culture movement, and whose students initiated the protest of May 4, 1919. The CCP cannot tolerate the study of genuine Marxism because it raises far too many questions about its own history and practices. Its socialism with Chinese characteristics is an absurd formula, used to justify the processes of capitalist restoration, over which it has presided since 1978. The result has led to staggering disparities between the wealth and privileges of the CCP leaders and the super-rich oligarchs they represent, and the vast majority of working people. Incapable of making any appeal based on socialist principles, the regime has relied on whipping up Chinese nationalism and resurrecting backward Chinese traditions and superstitions. This is epitomised by the CCPs revival of Confucianismthe chief target of the New Culture movement. It is promoted in schools, universities and through the fostering of Confucius Institutes in countries around the world. In a speech to an international conference in 2014, marking the 2,565th anniversary of the birth of Confucius, President Xi declared that the Chinese Communist Party is the successor to and promoter of fine traditional Chinese culture. Undoubtedly, the rigid hierarchical view of society to be found in Confucianism dovetails with the bureaucratic outlook of the CCP apparatus. The CCP long ago abandoned the socialist and internationalist principles embodied in Marxism and in the October 1917 Russian Revolution. The CCP bureaucrats today are not heirs of that tradition, but of the Stalinist bureaucracy in Moscow that usurped power from the working class under the reactionary nationalist banner of Socialism in One Country. Shortly after the CCPs formation, Stalin shackled it to the bourgeois Kuomintang (KMT), leading to a disastrous series of defeats of the Chinese working class in the revolutionary upheavals of 192527. Mao with Stalin Once again, the figure of Chen Duxiu looms large. He opposed the betrayal of the Chinese revolution in the 1920s, and sided with Leon Trotsky, who had warned that Stalins policies in China would lead to a catastrophe for the working class. Chen became the first chairman of the unified Chinese Left Opposition. Formed in 1931, it waged a courageous struggle for the founding principles of the CCP, despite being hounded and persecuted on all sides, including by the Stalinists. In China, as internationally, the first stirrings of the working class are emerging in opposition to the oppressive conditions of work and life, and to the CCPs police-state apparatus, which seeks to suppress any form of opposition and independent thought. As in 1919, the main question that confronts Chinese workers and youth is on what basis a political fight can be waged against the CCP and the oligarchs that it represents. The chief lesson from the May 4 movement is that the answers to these questions are not to be found in Chinain particular, in reviving the Chinese variant of Stalinism represented by Mao Zedong. In 1969, on the 50th anniversary of the May 4 events, Mao exploited and perverted the memories of that movement to justify the unleashing of gangs of Red Guards against the so-called capitalist roaders in the misnamed Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. In fact, Mao proved to be the capitalist roader in chief. No sooner had he set the Red Guards against his factional opponents, than the working class appeared on the scene, with the establishment of the Shanghai Peoples Commune in 1967. Maos response was to call out the army to bring the situation under control. By 1969, the disoriented youth in the Red Guards had become simply pawns in the factional struggles in Beijing. Mao Zedong and Richard Nixon, 1972 The Cultural Revolution, however, could not and did not resolve the underlying economic and strategic crisis produced by the reactionary nationalist perspective of socialism in one country. There was no national solution: the only choices were world socialist revolution or reintegration in world capitalism. Having abandoned the former decades before, Mao reached a rapprochement with US imperialism in 1972 that opened the door for wholesale capitalist restoration. Today, workers and youth in China confront the social catastrophe created by capitalist restoration, and the danger of war with the US, for which the CCP has no answer, other than an arms race that will inevitably end in catastrophe. As in 1919, the way out, again, is to be found on the international political and theoretical plane. What is necessary is a return to the strategy of world socialist revolution and to build a Chinese section of the international party that fights for itthe world Trotskyist movement, today represented by the International Committee of the Fourth International. It alone embodies the necessary political lessons of the strategic experiences of the 20th century in the fight against Stalinism, including the courageous struggles of Chen Duxiu and the Chinese Trotskyists. Footnotes 1. Chow Tse-tsung, The May Fourth Movement: Intellectual Revolution in Modern China, Stanford University Press, 1967, pp 1067. 2. ibid, pp 109. 3. ibid, p 160. 4. Harold R. Isaacs, The Tragedy of the Chinese Revolution, Stanford University Press, second revised edition, 1961, p 53. 5. ibid, p 54. 6. Chow Tse-tsung, The May Fourth Movement (Intellectual Revolution in Modern China), Stanford University Press, 1967, p 93. 7. Benjamin I. Schwartz, Chinese Communism and the Rise of Mao, Harper & Row, 1967, p 14. 8. Maurice Meisner, Li Ta-chao and the Origins of Chinese Marxism , Harvard University Press, 1967, p 68. 9. Thomas C. Kuo, Chen Tu-hsiu (1879-1942) and the Chinese Com munist Movement, Seton Hall University Press, 1975, p 79. 10. Chow, op cit, p 248. More than 1,400 teachers and school employees in Nashville, Tennessee, participated in a sick-out Friday to protest the Democratic mayors school budget, which provided less than half the increase proposed by the school board and no increases in real wages for school employees, who would receive nothing but a three percent cost of living adjustment. The school board had requested a $76.7 million increase and teachers demanded a 10 percent pay increase, but Mayor David Briley offered an increase of only $28.2 million in the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The Tennessean newspaper reported that 18 elementary, middle and high schools reported teacher and staff absences of at least low double digits while McGavock High School reported the largest with 123 teachers and staff reported absent. It was also reported that the sickout may continue today. Teachers were denied a 2.5 percent raise last year and face increasing class sizes and program cuts. Like their counterparts everywhere, Nashville teachers confront all the problems associated with underfunding and must pay for many supplies out of their own pockets. In a town where the Nashville Business Journal (NBJ) reported it takes $84,000 a year to live comfortably, teachers start at a little over $43,000 a year and school aides, para-professionals, make only about $20,000 a year. The sickouts appear to have been initiated by rank-and-file teachers and all of the unions looked to disassociate themselves from the job action. The Associated Press reported that Erick Huth, president of the Metro Nashville Education Association, quickly distanced himself and his teacher organization from the sick-out. This is a wildcat action as far as were concerned, Hurth said. Lauren Sorensen, an organizer with a new teacher coalition called TN Teachers United, which has close ties to the union, said her group did not organize the sick-out and she didnt know who did. It seems to be organic. It seems to have kind of come from teachers across Nashville who are tired of putting up with the nonsense, Sorensen said. A local representative of the National Education Associations (NEA) Wear Red for Ed said her group had not sanctioned the action. Like many other states where teachers have rebelled, it is illegal in Tennessee for teachers to strike. Well aware of seething anger among educators across the US and, in fact, the world, the Tennessean wrote that the Nashville protest continues a wave of teacher activism that began last year in West Virginia and has spread to other states. Earlier this week, teachers in North Carolina rallied at the Capitol asking for Medicaid expansion, extra pay for masters degrees and a $15 minimum wage for support staff. Teachers in South Carolina also converged on their statehouse this week, demanding money to reduce classroom sizes, solve a teacher shortage, hire counselors and raise pay. And in Oregon teachers were planning a walkout next week. In neighboring Kentucky, Gov. Matt Bevin has been harshly critical of teacher rallies at the Capitol. His administration issued subpoenas seeking the names of teachers who might have used sick days to attend rallies, causing some districts to cancel classes. While Nashville schools have been starved of funds, politicians from both parties on the city and state level cannot shovel enough money to giant corporations and the wealthy. NBJ recently reported that a newly mandated state report revealed that Tennessee owed to corporations almost $1 billion in tax credits and other incentives. The actual amount is about $974 million, but with the $102 million pledged to Amazon, the total exceeds one billion dollars. Prior to the Amazon deal, the Wall Street investment firm of AllianceBernstein will likely receive $17 million to move its headquarters to Nashville by 2020. The City Council previously agreed in 2017 to almost $14 million in tax incentives for a $90 million hotel-guests only water park at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, north of downtown. City officials also simply steal from teachers and students to pay the rich. A television investigation by CBS affiliate NewsChannel5 revealed that city officials have taken more than $1 million from school funds to cover its Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program. The city withdrew a total $1.5 million from the school budget to pay companies even though schools were running out of paper and teachers were being denied a paltry 2.5 percent raise. While union officials and Democrats are quick to focus all the blame on the right-wing Republican-controlled state legislature, the death from a thousand cuts for schools and free, public education is taking place in Nashville, a Blue Oasis i.e., Democratic Party stronghold. The initiative taken by Nashville teachers is a welcome development. They must depend on themselves to fight for public education and not the Democratic Party or the unions, which have shown their true colors in the betrayal of one strike after another. Nashville teachers will have to link up their struggles with teachers and other workers across the state, the US and beyond, in a common fight to defend the right to high quality public education. In the initial stages of the 2020 campaign, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has made a significant shift to the right. He has demonstratively embraced economic nationalism and sought to make it a keystone of his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. This is deeply reactionary and demonstrates the unbridgeable gulf between Sanders, who calls himself a democratic socialist, and genuine socialism, which is unshakably committed to the international unity of the working class. Karl Marx, the founder of scientific socialism, proclaimed long ago that the working man has no country. But Bernie Sanders takes the opposite stance. He defends the national interests of US imperialism. His country is that of Wall Street, the Pentagon, the CIA and corporate America. Last week, Sanders attacked former Vice President Joe Biden, one of his principal opponents for the Democratic presidential nomination, denouncing his suggestion that the United States need not be unduly concerned about the prospect of Chinese companies defeating American companies in the world market. Theyre not bad folks, Biden said. But guess what, theyre not competition for us. Biden was espousing a slightly different version of the reactionary chauvinism that is a hallmark of American capitalist politics. Dont worry, we can beat them easily, was his boast. Sanders objected, saying in a tweet, Since the China trade deal [in 2000] I voted against, America has lost over 3 million manufacturing jobs. Its wrong to pretend that China isnt one of our major economic competitors. When we are in the White House we will win that competition by fixing our trade policies. Sanders thus postures as the defender of American workers in a conflict with Chinese workers over manufacturing jobs. The so-called socialist has gone so far as to criticize President Trump at an April 13 rally for supposedly taking too soft a line with China in the current trade talks. For once in your life, Sanders said, keep your campaign promises go back to the drawing board. On April 29, Sanders released his trade platform, calling for renegotiation of all US trade agreements and demanding that China be labeled a currency manipulator, something that successive US administrations have threatened, including Trumps, but always pulled back from carrying out, in large measure because China is the largest holder of US government bonds. After releasing his trade plan, Sanders said: We need a president who will actually fight for American workers, keep their promises, and stand up to the giant corporations who close down plants to send jobs overseas. These words could have been said by Trump himself. Sanders has always been an economic nationalist, opposing NAFTA and other trade agreements from the standpoint of the trade union bureaucracy, which seeks to convince American workers that Mexican workers are their enemies, stealing jobs from them. In this way, capitalist politicians and union executives seek to split the working class along national lines, pitting workers in the United States against those in Canada and Mexico, as well as in China, Japan and Europe, and inciting a never-ending race to the bottom, as workers are browbeaten into accepting cuts in wages and benefits and ever more onerous working conditions with the claim that this is the only way to keep the employers from moving overseas. The only alternative to this is the struggle to unite the working class on an international basis, in a common struggle against the multinational corporations, the various capitalist states and global capitalism as a whole. In that struggle, the Chinese proletariat, the largest in the world, is objectively a great ally of the American working class, engaged in bitter struggles against some of the same transnational corporate giants that exploit American workers. In the 2020 campaign, Sanders espousal of economic nationalism is part of a systematic effort on his part to demonstrate to the ruling class that he is a reliable instrument for its imperialist and neocolonialist foreign policy, helping to promote an anti-China fever and lining up (with minor reservations) behind Trumps regime-change operation in Venezuela. A recent profile in the New Yorker documented Sanders recruitment of a group of foreign policy advisers drawn from the world of imperialist think tanks, for the most part individuals chastened by the failure of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, and therefore more cautious about overseas military deployment. These include Robert Malley, who coordinated Middle East policy for the National Security Council in the Obama administration; Suzanne DiMaggio, from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Vali Nasr, dean of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced Studies at Johns Hopkins (and scion of a family closely connected to the Shah of Iran). The New Yorker profile observes shrewdly: Perhaps a half-dozen people, maybe fewer, can realistically imagine themselves as the next President of the United States, and Sanders has as strong a case as anyone except the incumbent. For the moment, the pressures of power seem to be working on him; the fiery-sermonizer figure is in retreat, and he is sounding notes of caution. In just the past nine months, the World Socialist Web Site has noted Sanders praise of warhawk John McCain; his celebration of the decision by Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world, to pay Amazon workers a miserable $15 an hour (in many cases a pay cut because of the loss of other compensation); his support for US provocations against Venezuela; his boasting of being the best builder of the Democratic Party; his chiming in alongside of Trump in declaring his opposition to open borders and warning that an influx of impoverished refugees would threaten the living standards of American workers; and his criminal public silence on the British police seizure of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who now faces extradition to the United States and possible capital charges of espionage and conspiracy. Sanders nationalism and his support for the foreign policy of the American ruling class expose the fraudulent character of his supposed socialism. It is impossible to oppose the billionaire class at home while supporting its policy abroad. Warand this is the logical extension of Sanders demands for an aggressive economic policy against Chinais inevitably accompanied by domestic repression and social reaction. The Democratic Socialists of America, Jacobin magazine, Socialist Alternative and the rest of the pseudo-left acolytes of Sanders hail his candidacy as the basis for reviving the left in Americai.e., reviving the Democratic Party by giving it a left coat of paint. The Socialist Equality Party warns workers and youth that the Sanders campaign of 2020, like its precursor four years ago, is aimed at trapping the movement of the working class within the confines of this right-wing capitalist party and blocking the emergence of a genuine, independent mass political movement of working people, fighting on a socialist and antiwar program. Red Joan tells the story of Joan Stanley, a retired British librarian in her 80s who is suddenly confronted by Scotland Yard officers and arrested in her suburban living room, accused of having spied for the Soviet Union more than five decades earlier. The film is adapted from a novel of the same name by Jennie Rooney, which in turn is loosely based on the story of Melita Norwood, arrested in 1999 at the age of 87 and accused of passing classified information to the USSR for four decades. The authorities decided not to charge Norwood, citing her advanced age. She died in 2005 at the age of 93. The film, directed by Trevor Nunn, formerly the artistic director for the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre in the UK, and, currently, the Theatre Royal Haymarket, utilizes flashbacks in which the elderly Joan (Judi Dench), under interrogation by detectives, begins discussing her youth, which is then depicted on screen. The great bulk of the movie consists of the life of the young Joan (Sophie Cookson), portrayed from her undergraduate days at Cambridge University in 1938 through the immediate postwar years. Red Joan Joan, who is studying physics, meets two Russian-born students at Cambridge: Sonya (Tereza Srbova) and Leo (Tom Hughes). Through them she begins attending some student political meetings. This is the period of the Spanish Civil War, and the Stalinist activists of the British Communist Party are vociferously promoting the Popular Front line of support for the liberal bourgeoisie as the key to defeating fascism. In one revealing and historically quite plausible scene, several of the CP students read aloud, at a campus meeting, excerpts of the fraudulent confessions of Russian Bolsheviks Grigori Zinoviev and Lev Kamenev, from the first of the infamous Moscow Trials, in 1936. Joan, though attracted by the struggle in Spain and the growing danger of war, resists joining the Stalinists. She sharply questions how the grotesque staged confessions by lifelong revolutionaries to such monstrous crimes could possibly be true. Here and elsewhere, Red Joan is factually accurate and grippingly evokes the period leading up to the Second World War. Joan, a standout student, graduates and goes to work at Tube Alloys, the code-named firm that is engaged in a British version of the US Manhattan Project, as the wartime allies pursue, at least for the moment, independent efforts to develop nuclear weapons. In one scene, Labour leader Clement Attlee, the future prime ministerreflecting the tension between the allies as Washington makes its dominance clear after entering the warvoices his concern that the Yanks will control everything unless the scientists working under the direction of the British authorities make their own progress. Sophie Cookson in Red Joan In a pivotal turning point, Leo, with whom Joan has meanwhile become romantically involved, tries to enlist her in espionage activity. He returns to the subject on numerous occasions. She repeatedly and with increasing vehemence resists his entreaties. Later, after a number of other plot twists, including another romance, comes the news of the atom bombings of Hiroshima and then of Nagasaki in August 1945. Joan, hearing the reports on the wireless, draws an almost immediate conclusion: the time has come for her to assist the Soviet Union, not because of any ideological adherence to communism or to the Stalinist regime, but because no great power should have a monopoly of the atom bomb. More than fifty years later, admitting her role in passing classified information, Joan reads a statement to the assembled media outside her home, explaining and defending her actions by saying that the horror of another world war had to be averted. Her lawyer son Nick (Ben Miles), who is stupefied and enraged by the revelations about his mother, in the end stands by her side, as her attorney, as she reads her statement. The film ends with the information, conveyed on screen, that Joan Stanley was not prosecuted. Red Joan raises very crucial and complex historical problems. More precisely, it avoids many of them. Its strength is in conveying Joans antiwar feelings and her obvious revulsion at the mass killing of helpless civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Judi Dench, in a small but important role, is enormously effective as the haunted elderly woman who finds the strength to explain and defend herself. Sophie Cookson, in the role of the young Joan, also gives a very capable performance. Ben Miles and Judi Dench in Red Joan Joans insistence that knowledge of nuclear weapon should be shared, as she explains it, calls to mind the attitude of both J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who is among those credited with being the father of the atomic bomb, and Albert Einstein, the Nobel Prize-winning genius of modern physics. Both men opposed the use of atomic weapons. Oppenheimer, recently the subject of John Adams opera Doctor Atomic, was viciously attacked because of his left-wing background and sympathies, and later lost his security clearance. Hiroshima and Nagasaki did not simply mark the ending of World War II. They were aimed as a warning to the USSR and paved the way for the Cold War, officially inaugurated in Winston Churchills Iron Curtain speech of the following year. Red Joan brings up other issues and deals with them less successfully. The book on which it is based took many liberties with the story of Melita Norwood in turning it into a novel. Norwood was a committed Stalinist whose violation of the Official Secrets Act took place over a period of about four decades. The story was changed to turn Joan Stanley into a patriotic Briton, despite her pacifist feelingssomeone seen as more palatable to a liberal audience today. Sophie Cookson Norwood mistakenly saw the Stalinist regime as the defender of socialism, rather than its gravedigger. She was a victim of Stalinist miseducation, which disoriented many thousands of workers (and intellectuals) in Britain, and millions around the world. Red Joan evades all of these difficult and complex historical questions by converting the spy into a more sympathetic character, and making the issue one of mitigating circumstances in betraying ones country, rather than forthright internationalist opposition to imperialist war. This is bound up with the films version of British life itself. While Joans Communist friends, especially Sonja, are depicted cynically and unsympathetically, the secret service can do no wrong. British imperialism, its hands dripping with blood from generations of colonial rule as well as in the class struggle at home, is portrayed in Red Joan as well-mannered and democratic. Despite these glaring weaknesses, the appearance of Red Joan has some significance. Towards the beginning of her interrogation, Joan Stanley comments, The world was so different then, you have no idea. Many of her generation, those who have put their left-wing past behind them, would agree with that brief comment. Increasingly, however, millions, young and old alike, are coming to realize that the world is not so different after all, 75 years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Donald Trump announced three months ago that the US would withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia, further igniting a new nuclear arms race. His Democratic Party opponents, far from opposing this, are attacking the fascistic occupant of the White House as soft on Russia! The issues that motivated the fictional Joan Stanley are all too real in the 21st century, and the lessons of the two world wars and the rise of fascism need be studied and assimilated today. 25 years ago: Channel Tunnel opens, connecting Britain and France Workers outside the Channel Tunnel On May 6, 1994, the Channel Tunnel officially opened, connecting for the first time the United Kingdom with the European mainland from Kent, England, to Pas-de-Calais, France. While the first full public service did not occur until several months later, an opening ceremony was held in Calais with Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterrand traveling in trains between the two countries. The half-hour train ride spanning 31 miles beneath the English Channel was the first land link between England and the Continent since the Ice Age. The American Society of Civil Engineers elected the tunnel as one of the seven modern wonders of the world. A major geological and engineering feat, the $15 billion project was compared to the completion of the Suez and Panama Canals, transforming travel and transportation, further integrating international economies and connecting the working class. The idea of a tunnel linking the UK to the rest of Europe had been discussed for nearly 200 years. The first ever proposal put forward for such a project was by French mining engineer Albert Mathieu-Favier in 1802. Ambitious for its time, the first geological and hydrographical surveys were not conducted until 1839. A formal proposal was presented to Napoleon III in 1856, but nothing ever came of it. The project was discussed and stalled further throughout the first half of the 20th century, until France and England came to a mutual agreement in 1964. A second agreement and initial construction talks took until 1973, and in 1975 the newly elected Labour Party in Britain canceled it again. It was not until 1979 that it was taken up by the Conservative government, with Margaret Thatcher agreeing to a privately-funded project. Construction began in December 1987, with a projected $7 billion in cost. At the peak of construction, 15,000 workers were employed, and 10 died during construction between 1987 and 1993. Leading spokesmen for imperialism expressed the hope that the Channel Tunnel presaged the peaceful integration of Europe on a capitalist basis, with the New York Times writing, The tunnel is also a reflection in steel and concrete of the recent crumbling frontiers in Europe, beginning with the collapse of Communism and continuing with closer political ties within the European Union. But as the current crisis over Brexit demonstrates, the genuine unification of Europe, however feasible from a technical standpoint, is impossible within the framework of capitalism and the nation-state system. 50 years ago: Battle of Hamburger Hill US troops at Hamburger Hill On May 10 US forces in Vietnam began a 10-day assault on Hill 937, which was heavily defended by the North Vietnams Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN). The location was later nicknamed Hamburger Hill by American soldiers because they were chewed up when trying to storm its defenses. The battle, while technically ended in a victory for the US, saw an extremely high number of casualties, with 72 Americans killed in the battle and at least 370 wounded. PAVN casualties numbered around 1,500 killed or wounded. The hill had essentially no strategic value for the US other than being occupied by enemy soldiers. The North Vietnamese defenses on Hamburger Hill were highly organized. The American 101st Airborne division found themselves fighting against the experienced Vietnamese 29th regiment who had earned themselves the nickname the Pride of Ho Chi Minh. The natural terrain was highly dense with vegetation and made it difficult for US helicopters to land and provide reinforcements and supplies. The forested area also allowed the Northern soldiers to successfully conceal their anti-aircraft weapons without being spotted. The US attacks on the hill were poorly coordinated. Command was decentralized and at times organized solely on a platoon to platoon basis. There were five instances of US air attacks firing on their own soldiers by mistake. These attacks killed seven and wounded 53 American soldiers. One 19-year-old American soldier being interviewed about the battle told one war reporter, Ill take a court martial before I go up that goddam thing again. Its suicide. Eventually, through continual bombardment of the hill with napalm, all the vegetation that was hiding the North Vietnamese bunkers was burnt away. Still the PAVN held the position until May 20 when they retreated into Laos. With no real reason for keeping the hill under their guard, the US abandoned the now-barren Hamburger Hill just two weeks later. In the US the battle added to growing anti-war sentiment. The high casualty number in a strategically meaningless battle led many Americans to the conclusion that the war was being waged with total disregard not just of the lives of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians but of US solders as well. 75 years ago: Soviet offensive clears Axis forces from Crimea Map shows Soviet Army movements into Crimea During this week in 1944, Soviet military forces completed the destruction of the Axis bastion in Crimea, capturing the key port city of Sevastopol on May 12, 1944, while a handful of transport ships escaped, loaded with German and Romanian soldiers fleeing the shrinking pocket. The Soviet Army had cut off the Crimea in late 1943 as part of its westward counteroffensive across Ukraine, with the Wehrmachts 17th Army forced to withdraw from a small bridgehead on the Kuban side of the Kerch Strait in October 1943, and the land-based connection through the Isthmus of Perekop cut in November 1943. German troops were able to hold out in Crimea because they could be resupplied by sea, where Germany and its ally Romania were dominant. Maintaining this position was considered imperative by the Nazi hierarchy, because from airfields in Crimea, Russian warplanes would be able to hit Romanian oilfields that were the key supplier of fuel to the Wehrmacht. In early April, the Soviet 4th Ukrainian Front began an assault across the Perekop isthmus, forcing their way through against heavy German resistance, capturing Kerch on April 11 and Simferopol on April 13. German forces were forced back into the city of Sevastopol, where they had their backs to the Black Sea. The beleaguered German forces were unable to match the record of the Soviet troops who had held Sevastopol against a Nazi siege in 1941-42 for eight months, from November 1941 until July 1942. They held their ground for barely three weeks, giving time only for sea evacuation efforts that were carried out under constant air attack. More than 30,000 German soldiers surrendered in Sevastopol, while 18,000 Soviet soldiers gave their lives to liberate the peninsula. As one historian has written, By mid-May the 120,000 men formally organized as the 17th German Army had been crushed. Only a small proportion was evacuated; there was no long siege as in 1941-42. The Soviet victory and Axis defeat in the Crimea was one of the most complete, if least known, of the war. Politically as well as strategically, the Crimean defeat was a disaster. Romanian fascist dictator Antonescu had pleaded with Hitler to allow the withdrawal of the Romanian forces trapped there, nearly equal in numbers to the German, so that Romania could better meet the impeding Soviet offensive into the Balkans, but the Nazi leader rebuffed him, and allowed the isolated armies to be overrun, leaving Romania doubly exposed to the ensuing Soviet attack. 100 years ago: Race riots and martial law in Charleston, South Carolina A white gang hunting African Americans during the Chicago Race Riot of Late July, 1919 On May 10, 1919, hundreds of white sailors serving in the US Navy rioted in the port of Charleston, South Carolina, attacking African-Americans and destroying property. The riot allegedly broke out when a sailor was shot at by a black man in a poolhall. Sailors poured out of the naval base, armed themselves with rifles, and pulled blacks from streetcars and beat them. The sailors demolished a black barbershop and destroyed much of the downtown area. Other black businesses and residences were damaged. Civilian authorities were helpless to control the situation, and marines and naval police were called out, and martial law declared. Six African-Americans were killed, 17 injured seriously and 35 hospitalized. Several sailors were injured and admitted to the hospital as well. By the early morning of May 11, sailors were restricted to the naval instillation and naval troops were posted in the city. Nearly 50 men, black and white, were arrested, but charges were dropped on most. Three sailors were court-martialed and two were sentenced to prison for a year. The riot is significant for beginning what was to be known as the Red Summer, a series of riots and racial attacks on African-Americans across the United States in the spring and summer of 1919, notably in Chicago in late July and early August, when 23 blacks and 15 whites were killed. The Red Summer was a result of the increasing social tensions in the aftermath of the war, as thousands of black and white soldiers were demobilized, and millions of blacks had moved to the northern cities to take industrial jobs and escape Jim Crow segregation and lynching in the South. Also at work were Democratic and Republican politicians who were terrified of any unity of the working class in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution two years earlier and the foundation of the Communist movement in the United States. One historian notes that Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, who initiated the Red Scare and the Palmer raids against socialist and anarchist immigrants later in 1919, was particularly concerned about Communist recruitment of blacks. He adds: President Wilson was predisposed to such a connection. That March [of 1919], he remarked to his doctor that the American Negro returning from abroad would be our greatest medium in conveying bolshevism to America. Black American soldiers were being treated as equals by the French, he worried, and it has gone to their heads. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) Days after the Supreme Court (SC) granted a bid of a lawyers group for protection from President Rodrigo Duterte and other officials, more rights organizations sought security from them amid alleged harassment and red-tagging. Rights group KARAPATAN, religious group Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, and womens rights group Gabriela filed a petition before the SC for a protective writ from the government officials. The petitioners argued that their rights to life, liberty and security are being violated and continue to be violated. They also claimed they have been constantly threatened and harassed, connected to and maliciously terrorist-labeled only because of their advocacies in various fields of human rights work. The groups sought for a writ of amparo which is a legal remedy for protection from threats, and a writ of habeas data which orders the respondents to produce and destroy information about the petitioners if needed. KARAPATAN alleged it became the subject of defamatory propaganda materials posted in public places in Metro Manila. It added that President Duterte has repeatedly alleged that the organization is a legal front of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New Peoples Army (NPA). RMP, on the other hand, claimed its religious and missionary work have been arbitrarily branded as terrorist activities. Gabriela also alleged its national office is constantly under heavy surveillance by unidentified men, whom it claims to be members of the military. Among the respondents in the petition are Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, and Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. Any citizen can head to any court and ask for a writ of amparo, which, if granted, would give court protection from threats to the person's life, liberty and security committed by government actors. Any persons whose right to privacy in life, liberty or security has been violated by government actors may head to the SC, the Court of Appeals or the Sandiganbayan to seek a writ of habeas data which would order relief including the deletion, destruction or correction of data gathered about the petitioner. In issuing the writs, the SC also ordered Duterte and the other respondents to make a verified return of the writ of amparo and habeas data, and to comment on the petition of the National Union of People's Laywer before May 8. [May 06, 2019] Announcing Yotpo's Destination:D2C, A Full-Day Summit for Brands at the Forefront of Direct-to-Consumer Relationships and Experiences NEW YORK, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Yotpo, the leading commerce marketing platform, has announced the launch of its inaugural conference Destination:D2C (DSTN), designed to advance brands in their shared mission to develop effective, enduring relationships with their customers. Geared to marketing, digital, and eCommerce leaders, DSTN is a full-day experience taking place Thursday, September 12, in New York City. Counting the most renowned D2C brands such as MVMT, Glossier, UNTUCKit, Allbirds, ThirdLove, Quip, and thousands more as its customers, Yotpo is launching Destination:D2C to establish a network among its growing community of brands and industry leaders who champion exceptional direct-to-consumer experiences. "Today's consumers prefer brands they can trust and relate to, that reflect their values ad engage them in creative, breakthrough ways. Destination:D2C brings together the top minds and architects behind beloved brands to spark new ideas, partnerships, and pathways to authentic relationships. We'll take brands on a journey that empowers them to win over customers time and again," said Tomer Tagrin, CEO & Cofounder, Yotpo. Destination:D2C will feature brand-led workshops, interactive experiences, and unfiltered main-stage conversations with founders, operators, investors and ecosystem players including: Steve Silverman , President, Global E-Commerce, Steve Madden on the iconic company's digital transformation , President, Global E-Commerce, on the iconic company's digital transformation Jake Kassan , President & Co-Founder, MVMT on the next chapter post-acquisition , President & Co-Founder, MVMT on the next chapter post-acquisition Magdalena Kala , VP Consumer Investing, Bain Capital, on investing trends and predictions Destination:D2C will be held September 12, 9:30am - 5:00pm, at Union West in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City (525 W. 28th Street). Discounted tickets are available until June 16. To purchase, and for the latest updates on the program and speakers, visit http://destination.yotpo.com. About Yotpo Yotpo's suite of integrated solutions for user-generated content marketing, loyalty, and referrals helps commerce companies accelerate growth by enabling advocacy and maximizing customer lifetime value. With Yotpo, brands can effectively leverage social proof to increase trust and sales, cultivate loyal customer advocates, and make better business decisions based on customer feedback. Yotpo proudly serves thousands of brands including Away Travel, Glossier, and MVMT. An official partner to Google, Facebook and Shopify, Yotpo has raised $101 million in funding and employs over 300 employees globally. For media inquiries contact: Cristina Dinozo | [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/announcing-yotpos-destinationd2c-a-full-day-summit-for-brands-at-the-forefront-of-direct-to-consumer-relationships-and-experiences-300844302.html SOURCE Yotpo [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com/wimax's Homepage ] [Editors note: The following post contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame.] One of the biggest surprises in Avengers: Endgame is what has become referred to online as fat Thor. When the movie jumps ahead five years following Thanos beheading, Thor is introduced living as an unhealthy drunk in New Asgard what appears to be a colony for the Asgardian refugees in Norway. Chris Hemsworth wore a prosthetic stomach so Thor appeared heavier, and the characters larger look is played for laughs at first (Rocket says Thor looks like melted ice cream) but eventually is used to break down his depressive state in the aftermath of Thanos victory. Speaking to Vulture, Endgame screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely discussed their intent for Thors new look. Related stories Marvel Fans Troll James Cameron as 'Avengers: Endgame' Threatens 'Avatar' Box Office Record 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' Trailer: Peter Parker Fights to Overcome 'Endgame' Twists We were discussing, after this five-year jump, what is the evolution for each character? Markus said. Thor had been on a mission of vengeance in the last movie, so we couldnt put him on that. What is the end result of a guy who has lost so much and just blatantly failed? We wondered, Okay, well, what if he does become a sort of depressive alcoholic? And the weight gain was just part and parcel of that state of mind. Because of the initial humor that is created out of seeing a larger Thor, some have criticized Endgame for being fat-phobic. Markus said the plan was never to make Thor larger in order to be funny. As Markus pointed out, Thors arc in the film is about pushing forward emotionally and not obsessing over his weight or even working to lose it. We leave him in that state at the end of the movie, Markus said. Even though hes emotionally resolved. We fix his problem, and its not his weight. I know some people are sensitive about some of the humor that comes from it, which I understand. But our issue that we wanted him to deal with was his emotional state that his mom addresses. And I think he is the ideal Thor at the end of the movie, and hes carrying some weight. Story continues Another huge surprise in Endgame is the climactic moment when Captain America wields Thors hammer, Mjolnir. The twist has led many Marvel fans to wonder why Captain American could finally pick up the hammer after failing to do so during the opening of Avengers: Age of Ultron. McFeely said there are two possible answers, one of which is that Steve could have been bluffing in Ultron as to not upset Thor (this is an answer shared by director Joe Russo). A second answer deals with Captain Americas guilt. Another interesting version which we did not really consider, but Ill go with, which is, at that time, in Ultron, hes holding on to a secret about Tony Starks parents, McFeely said. Hes withholding this thing from Tony, that his parents were murdered by his friend, Bucky. Or he likely knew that. And so, only when that is released, only when he tells the truth to Tony in Civil War,is he worthy to wield the hammer. That comes from the internet. Thats not necessarily what we were thinking, but I kinda like it. Avengers: Endgame is now playing in theaters nationwide. Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Avett Brothers return with Sun, Flood, or Drought, an optimistic new track composed for the documentary film The Biggest Little Farm, which will be released in select theaters on May 10th. With the delicately melodic folk tune, the Americana mainstays follow the persevering theme of the film, about a couple that trades the hustle of city life to transform a barren 200-acre plot of land outside Los Angeles into a thriving farm. Ushered in by pastoral banjo rolls, brothers Scott and Seth Avett call back the intimate, minimalist style of their The Gleam EP, as they gently harmonize the opening line, What we are a part of is bigger than we know, and the height of our ability is further than we go. Lyrically, the song continues with the sentiment about beating the odds, while in an accompanying video, snapshots of the hard work and ultimate rewards of the lengthy back-to-the-land efforts depicted in the film unfold. Related stories Avett Brothers Musical 'Swept Away' Planned for 2020 The Avett Brothers Cover Randy Travis' 'Forever and Ever, Amen' Directed by John Chester, The Biggest Little Farm has been making the rounds on the film festival circuit, with screenings at Sundance and the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was second runner-up for the Peoples Choice Award for Documentaries. The Avett Brothers released the new song Neapolitan Sky back in February. The band next performs at Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, Texas, with Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real on May 10th. Sign up for Rolling Stones Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Bruce Springsteen was partway through his introduction to Dancing in the Dark on Sunday night at the kickoff event to Netflixs Emmy campaign space when he acknowledged that he was in what was, for him, foreign territory.In language taken from his acclaimed show, Springsteen on Broadway, Springsteen was talking about how hed tried to keep the faith with his audience over the course of his career. And then he chuckled and added, Despite the fact that Im here fing begging complete strangers for their votes!Well, yes, he was: Springsteens appearance, which included performances of two songs, clips from the Netflix special taken from his Broadway show, and a lengthy conversation with Martin Scorsese, was designed to remind Emmy voters that Springsteen on Broadway will be eligible in several Emmy categories this year.Also Read: 'Blinded by the Light' Film Review: Joyous Indie Musical Soars to Songs of Bruce SpringsteenAnd it was the opening night for Netflixs FYSee space at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, where the company will stage events and conversations throughout May on behalf of its many Emmy contenders.But a night with Springsteen and Scorsese was obviously something special. Their conversation rambled through film, music, inspiration, redemption and Catholicism, focusing on Springsteen on Broadway, but also including the news that even though Springsteen will release a solo album, Western Stars, next month, hes written new material for his longtime group, the E Street Band, and envisions a tour.I spent about seven years without writing anything for the band, said Springsteen, whose upcoming album was made with different musicians. And then about a month ago, I wrote almost an albums worth of material for the band.Also Read: Watch Bruce Springsteen Perform on Broadway in Netflix Special First Look (Video)The writing, he said, came in a two-week burst. I had these little daily visitations, he said. And it makes you so happy: Im not fed! There will be another tour!'Of course, that tour could be well off, considering that the E Street Band album has yet to be recorded and Springsteen has been known to sit on material for years. So Sunday focused on Springsteen on Broadway, director Thom Zimnys document of the Broadway show that ran for more than a year before ending last December on the same day that the Netflix special aired.The program, which took place before an audience of Emmy voters and guests, began with a screening of a 45-minute section from the second half of the special, including the songs Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, with its lengthy spoken tribute to his late saxophone player, Clarence Clemons; Tougher Than the Rest and Brilliant Disguise with Springsteens wife, Patti Scialfa; Long Time Coming, a song that showcases a touching story about Springsteens father, and one that was added to the Broadway show for the Netflix taping; and The Ghost of Tom Joad and The Rising, the moment in the show in which Springsteen gets political and decries the ugliness he sees in todays America.Then an admittedly nervous Netflix chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, introduced Springsteen and Scorsese, who rambled through a low-key conversation about their work.Also Read: All 14 Tony Awards Musical Performances, From Springsteen to the Parkland Students' 'Seasons of Love' (Videos)The two, who first met in 1975 when Scorsese and Robert De Niro caught Springsteen shows in New York and Los Angeles, found lots of common ground: Scorsese mentioned the line they wind up wounded, not even dead from Springsteens song Jungleland, and Springsteen quickly said, That was Mean Streets.'And one element of Scorseses work clearly impacted Springsteen. The influence of Catholicism, for an altar boy like myself, it was deadly, he said.The two also talked about their mutual affinity for writer Flannery OConnor, and their attraction to the darker side in their work.If youre an artist, that darkness is always more interesting than the light, Springsteen said. I wanted to base my work on the dark side of things, so you have to earn the light. And the artists that are interesting to me Hank Williams, Elvis, Bob Dylan, Marty Scorsese you see it and think, Whats bothering that guy?'A lot, Scorsese said with a laugh.Springsteen and Scorsese also made connections between Springsteen on Broadway and Scorseses concert film, The Last Waltz, a document of the Bands 1976 farewell concert in San Francisco in which the cameras never focused on the audience.I said, We have seen enough of the audience in Woodstock what if we just stay on the stage?' Scorsese said of his attitude going into The Last Waltz. Whats it like to be part of the band?Springsteen said the plan for the filming of Springsteen on Broadway was to never show the audience, to the point where the specials original braintrust himself, Zimny and manager Jon Landau originally considered not only never showing the audience, but filming the show without one, in an empty theater.For a while, it was, There shouldnt be an audience we should just be on the stage,' he said. And I said, Whos gonna laugh at my jokes? That wont work.'Instead, the special was shot over two nights, though Springsteen said he was far too conscious of the cameras on the first night and had to tell himself to up his game on the second night.Youve got to make your internal life available, he said of his goal in the show. And youve got to look into the camera, which is unforgiving and frightening.As long as youre making your emotional inner life available, its watchable, he added. Because thats death-defying. But if you dont do that, its an old guy with an acoustic guitar thats the show, ladies and gentlemen.At the end of the conversation, Scorsese left but Springsteen stuck around, grabbing a guitar and performing a section of the Broadway show that includes the songs Dancing in the Dark and Land of Hope and Dreams.As a way to beg for votes, lets just say that it was pretty damn effective.Read original story Bruce Springsteen Begs for Votes at Netflix Emmy Event At TheWrap Bruce Springsteen was partway through his introduction to Dancing in the Dark on Sunday night at the kickoff event to Netflixs Emmy campaign space when he acknowledged that he was in what was, for him, foreign territory. In language taken from his acclaimed show, Springsteen on Broadway, Springsteen was talking about how hed tried to keep the faith with his audience over the course of his career. And then he chuckled and added, Despite the fact that Im here fing begging complete strangers for their votes! Well, yes, he was: Springsteens appearance, which included performances of two songs, clips from the Netflix special taken from his Broadway show, and a lengthy conversation with Martin Scorsese, was designed to remind Emmy voters that Springsteen on Broadway will be eligible in several Emmy categories this year. Also Read: 'Blinded by the Light' Film Review: Joyous Indie Musical Soars to Songs of Bruce Springsteen And it was the opening night for Netflixs FYSee space at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, where the company will stage events and conversations throughout May on behalf of its many Emmy contenders. But a night with Springsteen and Scorsese was obviously something special. Their conversation rambled through film, music, inspiration, redemption and Catholicism, focusing on Springsteen on Broadway, but also including the news that even though Springsteen will release a solo album, Western Stars, next month, hes written new material for his longtime group, the E Street Band, and envisions a tour. I spent about seven years without writing anything for the band, said Springsteen, whose upcoming album was made with different musicians. And then about a month ago, I wrote almost an albums worth of material for the band. Also Read: Watch Bruce Springsteen Perform on Broadway in Netflix Special First Look (Video) The writing, he said, came in a two-week burst. I had these little daily visitations, he said. And it makes you so happy: Im not fed! There will be another tour!' Story continues Of course, that tour could be well off, considering that the E Street Band album has yet to be recorded and Springsteen has been known to sit on material for years. So Sunday focused on Springsteen on Broadway, director Thom Zimnys document of the Broadway show that ran for more than a year before ending last December on the same day that the Netflix special aired. The program, which took place before an audience of Emmy voters and guests, began with a screening of a 45-minute section from the second half of the special, including the songs Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, with its lengthy spoken tribute to his late saxophone player, Clarence Clemons; Tougher Than the Rest and Brilliant Disguise with Springsteens wife, Patti Scialfa; Long Time Coming, a song that showcases a touching story about Springsteens father, and one that was added to the Broadway show for the Netflix taping; and The Ghost of Tom Joad and The Rising, the moment in the show in which Springsteen gets political and decries the ugliness he sees in todays America. Then an admittedly nervous Netflix chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, introduced Springsteen and Scorsese, who rambled through a low-key conversation about their work. Also Read: All 14 Tony Awards Musical Performances, From Springsteen to the Parkland Students' 'Seasons of Love' (Videos) The two, who first met in 1975 when Scorsese and Robert De Niro caught Springsteen shows in New York and Los Angeles, found lots of common ground: Scorsese mentioned the line they wind up wounded, not even dead from Springsteens song Jungleland, and Springsteen quickly said, That was Mean Streets.' And one element of Scorseses work clearly impacted Springsteen. The influence of Catholicism, for an altar boy like myself, it was deadly, he said. The two also talked about their mutual affinity for writer Flannery OConnor, and their attraction to the darker side in their work. If youre an artist, that darkness is always more interesting than the light, Springsteen said. I wanted to base my work on the dark side of things, so you have to earn the light. And the artists that are interesting to me Hank Williams, Elvis, Bob Dylan, Marty Scorsese you see it and think, Whats bothering that guy?' A lot, Scorsese said with a laugh. Springsteen and Scorsese also made connections between Springsteen on Broadway and Scorseses concert film, The Last Waltz, a document of the Bands 1976 farewell concert in San Francisco in which the cameras never focused on the audience. I said, We have seen enough of the audience in Woodstock what if we just stay on the stage?' Scorsese said of his attitude going into The Last Waltz. Whats it like to be part of the band? Springsteen said the plan for the filming of Springsteen on Broadway was to never show the audience, to the point where the specials original braintrust himself, Zimny and manager Jon Landau originally considered not only never showing the audience, but filming the show without one, in an empty theater. For a while, it was, There shouldnt be an audience we should just be on the stage,' he said. And I said, Whos gonna laugh at my jokes? That wont work.' Instead, the special was shot over two nights, though Springsteen said he was far too conscious of the cameras on the first night and had to tell himself to up his game on the second night. Youve got to make your internal life available, he said of his goal in the show. And youve got to look into the camera, which is unforgiving and frightening. As long as youre making your emotional inner life available, its watchable, he added. Because thats death-defying. But if you dont do that, its an old guy with an acoustic guitar thats the show, ladies and gentlemen. At the end of the conversation, Scorsese left but Springsteen stuck around, grabbing a guitar and performing a section of the Broadway show that includes the songs Dancing in the Dark and Land of Hope and Dreams. As a way to beg for votes, lets just say that it was pretty damn effective. Read original story Bruce Springsteen Begs for Votes at Netflix Emmy Event At TheWrap The late Sandra Bland was an activist primed for the social media age. In a series of videos that attracted a significant following, the telegenic young African-American woman spoke out on thorny issues of race and injustice in America, and supported the aspirations of an audience she addressed directly as my kings and queens. What led to her death at age 28 seems, in a disturbing way, almost inescapableto be caught up, arguably, in the very machinery of racial bias that she had called out in life. Related stories Matt Tyranuer Discusses Emmy-Contending Doc On Scotty Bowers, She was educated, she was passionate about issues. She wanted to make an impact, declares David Heilbroner, co-director with Kate Davis of the HBO documentary Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland, now in contention for Emmy nominations. We came to think of her almost like a Rosa Parks. She wouldnt go to the back of the bus. In her videos, which she dubbed Sandy Speaks, Bland expressed dismay over the case of Walter Scott, an unarmed black man who was shot to death by a police officer after a traffic stop in North Charleston, South Carolina, and she defended the Black Lives Matter movement. But she would become emblematic of that movement herself after a fateful traffic stop in Prairie View, Texas in July 2015. Bland, a Chicago native who had just taken a job in Prairie View, was pulled over by trooper Brian Encinia for failing to signal a lane change. What began as a routine stop turned heated, after the trooper made several pointed comments that could be interpreted as trying to provoke Bland. He was picking a fight, Heilbroner maintains. And Sandra resisted for awhile, [but] he got her. You know, she took the bait. The argument between Encinia and Bland escalated, in part over a lit cigarette in the car that the trooper wanted her to extinguish. He threatened to light her up with a Taser. In the end Bland wound up face down in the dirt with another officer on top of her, the arrest captured on video by a bystander. Story continues She was charged with a felony of assaulting a police officer, even though theres absolutely no visual evidence of that, the director insists. In fact, there is evidence of trooper Encinia slapping her face in the car, which we were able to zoom in on the dash cam video and show what happened. So then she was slapped with a $5,000 bail, and held in solitary confinement. That was Friday, July 10. On the morning of Monday, July 13, she was found dead in her cell, hanging from a noose fashioned from a plastic trash bag. Mystery over what happenedwhether Bland became distraught and took her own life, or someone killed herpersists to this day. The Waller County coroner ruled the death a suicide. Some days [Im] convinced she had to have been murdered, Heilbroner tells Deadline. There were too many weird, suspicious facts, like the noose that she was found hanging from didnt have her DNA on it. This was not an air-conditioned cell. Were talking about Texas in July. You would think it would have her sweat on it, which would have her DNA. That just didnt seem to make any sense. The jail logs were falsified. Why would you do that? Why would you put her in a cell with no camera? But there are other factors that suggest a different possibility. You dont see anybody come in and out of her cell. She had suffered from mild, very mild depression. And you could imagine just feeling like the system has got you beat. And youre going to be charged with a felony. Youre not going to get this new job you had, your lifes going to fall apartAnd on top of which youre in solitary confinement, which as anyone knows is just extremely, extremely harmful mentally. And shed been beaten up. The bottom line for Heilbroner is this: One way or another, he states, she was lynched. And thats sort of where I come down. Blands death triggered protests in Waller County and around the country. At rallies, activists often chanted Say her name: Sandra Bland, a collective expression of the will to keep her memoryand what happened to heralive. Co-directors Heilbroner and Davis followed Blands mother and sisters as they tried to get answers about her death. The family hired an attorney who eventually filed a wrongful death suit against Waller County and the Texas Department of Public Safety that was settled for $1.9 million. Trooper Encinia was fired and indicted for perjury, a charge that was later dropped. No jail personnel were charged in Blands death. The filmmakers interviewed the Waller County district attorney, who defended the integrity of the investigation. They also sat down with Sheriff R. Glenn Smith, who was in charge of the jail. He insisted Bland took her own life, but conceded jailers held moral responsibility for her death because their job was to keep her alive until her court appearance. We let her down, the sheriff acknowledges in Say Her Name. Davis and Heilbroner earned an Oscar nomination for their 2017 short film Traffic Stop, which documented a different violent arrest of a young African-American woman pulled over by police. Emmy Awards recognition for Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland would be consequential on several levels, Heilbroner says. It would mean the world to us, the director comments. But what matters more than that is that [the film] has hit a nerve in the public. And its been seen by millions on HBO, and Sandys family, and the audiences weve shown it to, have given it their stamp of approval. Ultimately, the family made this film to make a statement, and hopefully to move the dial a bit in our country. And to me thats the biggest reward. Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana. Father and 6-Month-Old Daughter Share Sweet Heartbeat Ritual as She Recovers from Rare Illness Father and Daughter with Rare Illness Share Heartbeat Ritual Josh Trimble and his 6-month-old daughter Opal share a very special bond that has only strengthened since she was diagnosed with a rare illness. Opal is hospitalized at the Childrens Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Bethany, Oklahoma, with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare, polio-like condition that affects a persons nervous system and causes weakness in the arms or legs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A video shared last month on Facebook by the Oklahoma Blood Institute showed Trimble and Opal doing their goodbye ritual, with Trimble pounding on his chest and little Opal mimicking the gesture. That moment of me beating on my chest was actually Opal and I sharing a heartbeat, Trimble told Good Morning America. I was letting her know that even though we may not be there physically together, we share a heartbeat. Trimble and Opal, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, share the sweet gesture whenever he has to leave the hospital to care for her siblings. Trimble shares a 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter with wife Gretchen Trimble, according to GMA. RELATED: Boy Paralyzed by Polio-Like Illness Walks Again After Nerve Transplant Surgery: Its Amazing The video has been viewed more than 25,000 times. Just look at this sweet video of Opal Rose, a blood recipient, and her daddy, the caption alongside the video reads. Opal is recovering from acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare illness that affects children. Dad, Josh, tells us this is his way of showing Opal hes always with her and there for her, and that they share a hearbeat. Oklahoma Blood Institute Opal was diagnosed with AFM when she was 4 months old after initially being diagnosed with the flu, according to GMA. She was immobile for several weeks as she underwent treatment at a local hospital, so the gesture serves to mark the little girls progress. We had just finished some hard days of physical therapy for Opal, and her physical therapist had been trying to get her to reach out for things, Gretchen Trimble told GMA of the day the video was taken. We were just so encouraged because the fact that she was mimicking him told us she knew what she wanted to do and she did it. Story continues The family shares updates about Opals condition on a Facebook page titled Opals FightTeam Trimble. In a recent update, Gretchen wrote that Opal is steadily improving. The past few days have such good days for Opal Rose, the doting mom wrote. Its just so incredibly good to see her normal, happy self. Less than one to two in a million children in the United States will get AFM every year, according to the CDC. From August 2014 through August 2018, a total of 362 cases of AFM from across the U.S. have been identified by the CDC. In rare cases, AFM can result in death. Following the Sultan of Bruneis decision to back down on death penalty laws for those engaging in gay sexual acts, George Clooney, who has been a pivotal part of the global outcry against the countrys acerbic and inhumane legal codes, issued a statement today in response to the countrys reversal. This is a huge step forward after a giant leap backwards. It promises that the citizens of Brunei wont be executed for being gay. It also sends a very crucial message to countries like Indonesia and Malaysia that there is a cost for enacting these laws. And the cost isnt folks boycotting their hotels. The cost is that corporations and big banks wont do business with you. The financial institutions stepping up had a huge impact. Having said that, the law to stone their citizens is still in place. Meaning that as soon as the pressure dies down they could simply start the process of carrying out executions. So in reference to the boycott everyone should do what they feel is correct. For my family and me we simply cant walk away until this draconian law is no longer on the books, said Clooney. Related stories Sultan Of Brunei Rescinds Death Sentence For LGBTQ Community In Response To Backlash & Boycott Of Beverly Hills Hotel Clooney, together with Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres and big corps such as JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank called for a boycott of the Sultans nine luxury hotels that he owns around the globe after he announced severe new punishments against the LGBTQ community. In the case of the financial institutions, they told their staffs to avoid the Sultans hotels. Two-time Oscar winner Clooney put a horrifying face on the potential made possible by the Syariah Penal Code Order in two guest columns written exclusively for Deadline. Wrote Clooney: The 5th richest country in the world would take a young woman who is found to be gay, bury her up to her neck and have 25 men throw stones at her head until she is dead Story continues The Sultans office went to the unusual step of releasing his comments in English, his first on the matter, on the roll back of the Syariah Penal Code Order saying We are conscious of the fact that misperceptions may cause apprehension. However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident. It has also been reported that Brunei will also ratify the U.N. Convention Against Torture to show its commitment to human rights. Both the common law and the Shariah law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country. They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the public as well as respecting the privacy of individuals, the Sultan added. Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on Monday praised the moratorium on the death penalty but also urged Brunei to revoke other harsh punishments such as the amputations and floggings. Brunei is a member of the Commonwealth. Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. George Clooney took a small victory lap on Monday following a decision by the Sultan of Brunei to halt executions for people convicted of adultery and gay sex in the Islamic nation, but the actor said he will continue his boycott of hotels owned by the Sultan until the execution laws are completely off the books. This is a huge step forward after a giant leap backwards. It promises that the citizens of Brunei wont be executed for being gay, Clooney said in a statement. Having said that, the law to stone their citizens is still in place. Meaning that as soon as the pressure dies down they could simply start the process of carrying out executions. So in reference to the boycott everyone should do what they feel is correct. For my family and me we simply cant walk away until this draconian law is no longer on the books. On Sunday, the New York Times reported that Brunei had declared a moratorium on executing people who committed adultery or practiced gay sex. Also Read: Elton John Supports Boycott of Sultan of Brunei's Hotels Over Cruel Anti-Gay Laws Under a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, the stoning to death of those convicted of those crimes were codified into law last month, leading to widespread international protest. The sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, said that the country would continue a moratorium on the death penalty as he says has been practiced for decades. However, the newly enacted laws still remain on the books. In a column in Deadline in March, Clooney called for a boycott of hotels owned by the sultan of Brunei, including the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Clooneys call was answered by celebrities such as Elton John and Ellen DeGeneres. See Clooneys full statement below: This is a huge step forward after a giant leap backwards. It promises that the citizens of Brunei wont be executed for being gay. It also sends a very crucial message to countries like Indonesia and Malaysia that there is a cost for enacting these laws. And the cost isnt folks boycotting their hotels. The cost is that corporations and big banks wont do business with you. The financial institutions stepping up had a huge impact. Having said that, the law to stone their citizens is still in place. Meaning that as soon as the pressure dies down they could simply start the process of carrying out executions. So in reference to the boycott everyone should do what they feel is correct. For my family and me we simply cant walk away until this draconian law is no longer on the books. Read original story George Clooney to Continue Boycott on Sultan of Bruneis Hotels Despite Execution Moratorium At TheWrap Photo credit: U.S. Navy - Getty Images From Esquire The Seattle Times has been doing some fine reporting on the quality control questions at Boeing that have arisen since its new 737 MAX airplanes started falling out of the sky. The latest story to come out of this deadly mess turns out to be about how Boeing reportedly gamed the FAA to rush the new design into production. In 2016, as Boeing raced to get the 737 MAX certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a senior company engineer whose job was to act on behalf of the FAA balked at Boeing management demands for less stringent testing of the fire-suppression system around the jets new LEAP engines. That June he convened a meeting of all the certification engineers in his unit, who collectively agreed with his assessment. Management initially rejected their position, and only after another senior engineer from outside the MAX program intervened did managers finally agree to beef up the testing to a level the engineer could accept, according to two people familiar with the matter. But his insistence on a higher level of safety scrutiny cost Boeing time and money. Less than a month after his peers had backed him, Boeing abruptly removed him from the program even before conducting the testing hed advocated. This, according to the Times, has been an ongoing problem. 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. The ARs have nobody supporting them. Nobody has their backs, said one former Authorized Representative who worked on the 737 MAX and who provided details of the engineers removal from the program. The system is absolutely broken. Story continues Photo credit: Jim Young - Getty Images I guess this was an attempt to remove the spiked jackboot of burdensome regulations or something. You may recall that Boeing moved operations from Seattle to South Carolina because greedy unions are as bad as burdensome regulations. The production problems seem to have travelled with them. Who'd have predicted that? From The New York Times: Since September, the agency has investigated and confirmed three safety complaints made by employees who detailed problems with planes in the final stages of production, according to an F.A.A. official and an internal agency email. The regulator is also looking into a claim that an employee faced pressure to sign off on work related to the airworthiness of a jet during the last week of March. In recent years, the F.A.A. has subjected the North Charleston factory to a high level of oversight, a sign that the agency has had concerns. As part of that added oversight, the agency has forced employees to take extra steps to demonstrate that they are complying with federal regulations, according to an internal F.A.A. memo reviewed by The New York Times. From June 2013 to October 2014, the agency did not allow employees from the plant to certify aircraft, instead requiring that F.A.A. personnel directly sign off on all jets made there, the memo said. Typically, the agency relies on the manufacturers employees to help certify the aircraft. Even today, the agency is visiting the plant every other week to ensure that tools are not being lost, an extra level of vigilance by the regulator. Things are looking up. But that may be because you never know what can be coming down. Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here. ('You Might Also Like',) Photo credit: Kathryn Wirsing From Esquire Photo credit: Kathryn Wirsing Omari Hardwick is surrounded by velvet curtains in the dressing room of Dapper Dans Harlem atelier, hidden from view but still easy to hear when he shouts his first impression of the suit hes wearing for his debut appearance at the Met Gala. Dap! This is incredible! Hes got a point. The suit-a gleaming three-piece custom-made from jacquard fabric by Gucci-truly is something to behold. In fact, its almost as entrancing as sitting down with Hardwick and Dap himself last week and watching the two men play against each other: riffing on ideas, interjecting with anecdotes, and talking about the cultural significance of the event theyre both attending Monday evening. Photo credit: Kathryn Wirsing Its Hardwicks first time attending the Met Gala (at Daps invitation), and he sums up his feelings on the matter the way a lot of us probably would before stepping onto one of the biggest red carpets in the world: Crazy. The actor grew up in Decatur, Georgia, and slept in cars or couch-surfed his way through Los Angeles and New York before landing the role of Ghost in the Starz drama Power in 2014. Since then, hes become more and more visible. My life has been that journey: a lot of pain, a lot of joy, he says. And this has been one of the most poignant moments of that joy column for me. Its been a joy, a pleasure getting to know Dapper Dan. Hardwick has a lot of names for the legendary Harlem designer: King Dap, uncle, friend. But ultimately, he feels like a kindred spirit to the man born Daniel Day, who famously outfitted a whole era of hip-hop stars and gangsters in high-fashion designs that generously used the logos of luxury brands-without their permission. Photo credit: Kathryn Wirsing That practice ultimately led to the closing of his shop in 1992, but he came roaring back in 2017 when Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele walked a piece that looked a whole lot like Daps down the runway. Social media exploded, and instead of circling the wagons, Gucci decided to partner with the man it was accused of copying without credit. By 2018, a new Dapper Dan atelier was open on Lenox Avenue. Story continues Its an incident that feels a little too close to something else that happened with Gucci recently: In February of this year, the brand released a balaclava jumper with a pair of exaggerated red lips around a mouth cutout. It looked, frankly, like blackface. Social media once again exploded, and once again Gucci repented. It pulled the item from stores, apologized, and announced a new commitment to education and diversity in its organization. Dapper Dan was among the most vocal critics, writing, There cannot be inclusivity without accountability. I will hold everyone accountable. Photo credit: Kathryn Wirsing Since then, Dap has held a town hall with Gucci leadership and community leaders in Harlem, and things seem to be moving in the right direction. Still, neither Hardwick nor Dap are unaware of the specter looming over this Met Gala. When he invited me, I thought, Well, damn. I gotta wear his clothes, says Hardwick, citing his respect for Dapper Dans designs, but also his stature in the black community. Gucci made some mistakes as a brand, but I would be nothing if I wasnt about growth. They [Gucci] were going into a community because within fashion they made a mistake, he continues. But within the reality of learning this community, youre going to walk around and get an education that you wouldnt have otherwise had. Photo credit: Courtesy You know how proud I am to have him at the table, man? With me? Dap asks. You know how big this moment-this is a huge moment, man. And I wanted to be in there with somebody who has confidence in himself and understands, on a lot of levels, what this moment means. Theres a controversy going on! Not one time did he say, Hold up, man. Whats going on around here? He is his own man, for real. He said, Im with you man. Lets do this. Im always going to be with him, Hardwick says. Photo credit: Neilson Barnard - Getty Images Theyre of different generations, and both men acknowledge that they sometimes see things differently and react accordingly. Still, they also see this Met Gala-a platform with the eyes of the world firmly fixed on it-as a chance to make a statement. Theyre planting a flag for their community and declaring its place at the table, both literally and figuratively. Its a great moment, not for just he and I, but for Harlem as a community and black people globally, says Dap. Right now, were piercing the shield. And Im so happy that this is happening while Anna Wintour is still at the helm. Thats very important to me. I dont want it to be a change of administration to pass this hill. I want it to be a coming of age. Anna Wintour being at the head of the Met and saying, No. This aint got nothing to do with no hand-me-downs or pass-me-overs. This needed to happen, were going to make it happen. Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images Its an interesting movement, and moment, Hardwick says. Hes keenly away, just as Dap is, what this Met Gala can mean not just personally but for a whole generation of people watching from the outside in. I get to be with a friend, and play dress up, he says. But to get the ultimate costume designer of all, who looks like me? To be able to go to the Met Gala with himand to be able to forgive a company or be in the process of that, and make sure they take care of my community? Its pretty freaking dope, man. ('You Might Also Like',) Country X is occupied by Country Y, so how do citizens of these two very different nations cope, relate, converse and otherwise interact with each other? Thats the subject of Christopher Chens provocative new play, Passage, which opened Sunday at Off Broadways Soho Rep.The playwrights use of letters extends beyond these two undefined countries. The many characters have names that range from B to S, with one actor (Howard W. Overshown, wisely underplaying each role) multicast as characters named D, J, S, the Gecko and the Mosquito. All these letters sounds confusing, but shortly after youve figured out that Country Y isnt Country Why, it begins to make sense.Passage could be about China and Tibet, or Russia and Crimea, or maybe even the United States and Guam. Chens use of the letters X and Y gives him enormous freedom, and he uses it to powerful effect. Thats also true of the dozen lettered characters on stage that costume designer Toni-Leslie James has color-coded (per the instructions in Chens script) so that the citizens of X and Y, not to mention the Gecko and the Mosquito, are easily distinguished.Also Read: Tony Award Nominations: 7 Biggest Snubs and Surprises, From Glenda Jackson to 'To Kill a Mockingbird'Saheem Alis fluid direction and use of Arnulfo Maldonados unique turntable set also help to clarify. In a stunning coup dteatre, the actors sometimes perform as stagehands to spin Maldonados set as their actor colleagues stand or walk on the moving platform. Amith Chandrashakers lighting adds to the movement and often charges the space with dramatic foreboding.The first half of Passages moves briskly through a number of brief confrontations set in Country X: An X woman (Purva Bedi) believes that one of her X friends (David Ryan Smith) is too complicit with the Y government; a new Y emigre (Andrea Abello) soon discovers that her Y fiance (Yair Ben-Dor), a longtime resident of Country X, has changed and not for the better; a well-known X doctor (K.K. Moggie) deals effectively but warily with various Y citizens (Howard W. Overshown and Linda Powell) living and working in her own country; and so on.Its a credit to Chens powers as a writer that each of these encounters immediately engages, and in under an hour, he establishes a wide panorama of a society under siege but still functioning. Except for the occasional protest, civility reigns.Also Read: Tony Award Nominations 2019: The Complete List, From 'Hadestown' to 'Tootsie'This meandering but captivating plot quickly comes together in the second half of Passage. It involves an explosive incident at a holy site in Country X when the X doctor takes the Y emigre on a tour of some caves. The actor Lizan Mitchell has been the plays host and narrator, a.k.a. G, and she tells us that this episode may recall A Passage to India, by E.M. Forster, but adds, This isnt his story but our story.Indeed, Chen has lifted from Forster not only the caves but the title Passage but goes to a very different place.Too often in todays theater, playwrights promote a culture of victimization, with everybody racing to claim his or her group as the most persecuted. The first half of Passage leads us to believe that Chens play will be another one of those. The second half completely turns those expectations upside down.Much credit here goes to the very understated but immensely empathetic performances delivered by Powell and Moggie. Equally wonderful is the work of Mitchell. She begins as our host and narrator. By plays end, she has become the evenings shaman.Read original story Passage Theater Review: Provocative Drama Asks If the Cultural Divide Can Ever Be Bridged At TheWrap Country X is occupied by Country Y, so how do citizens of these two very different nations cope, relate, converse and otherwise interact with each other? Thats the subject of Christopher Chens provocative new play, Passage, which opened Sunday at Off Broadways Soho Rep. The playwrights use of letters extends beyond these two undefined countries. The many characters have names that range from B to S, with one actor (Howard W. Overshown, wisely underplaying each role) multicast as characters named D, J, S, the Gecko and the Mosquito. All these letters sounds confusing, but shortly after youve figured out that Country Y isnt Country Why, it begins to make sense. Passage could be about China and Tibet, or Russia and Crimea, or maybe even the United States and Guam. Chens use of the letters X and Y gives him enormous freedom, and he uses it to powerful effect. Thats also true of the dozen lettered characters on stage that costume designer Toni-Leslie James has color-coded (per the instructions in Chens script) so that the citizens of X and Y, not to mention the Gecko and the Mosquito, are easily distinguished. Also Read: Tony Award Nominations: 7 Biggest Snubs and Surprises, From Glenda Jackson to 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Saheem Alis fluid direction and use of Arnulfo Maldonados unique turntable set also help to clarify. In a stunning coup dteatre, the actors sometimes perform as stagehands to spin Maldonados set as their actor colleagues stand or walk on the moving platform. Amith Chandrashakers lighting adds to the movement and often charges the space with dramatic foreboding. The first half of Passages moves briskly through a number of brief confrontations set in Country X: An X woman (Purva Bedi) believes that one of her X friends (David Ryan Smith) is too complicit with the Y government; a new Y emigre (Andrea Abello) soon discovers that her Y fiance (Yair Ben-Dor), a longtime resident of Country X, has changed and not for the better; a well-known X doctor (K.K. Moggie) deals effectively but warily with various Y citizens (Howard W. Overshown and Linda Powell) living and working in her own country; and so on. Story continues Its a credit to Chens powers as a writer that each of these encounters immediately engages, and in under an hour, he establishes a wide panorama of a society under siege but still functioning. Except for the occasional protest, civility reigns. Also Read: Tony Award Nominations 2019: The Complete List, From 'Hadestown' to 'Tootsie' This meandering but captivating plot quickly comes together in the second half of Passage. It involves an explosive incident at a holy site in Country X when the X doctor takes the Y emigre on a tour of some caves. The actor Lizan Mitchell has been the plays host and narrator, a.k.a. G, and she tells us that this episode may recall A Passage to India, by E.M. Forster, but adds, This isnt his story but our story. Indeed, Chen has lifted from Forster not only the caves but the title Passage but goes to a very different place. Too often in todays theater, playwrights promote a culture of victimization, with everybody racing to claim his or her group as the most persecuted. The first half of Passage leads us to believe that Chens play will be another one of those. The second half completely turns those expectations upside down. Much credit here goes to the very understated but immensely empathetic performances delivered by Powell and Moggie. Equally wonderful is the work of Mitchell. She begins as our host and narrator. By plays end, she has become the evenings shaman. Read original story Passage Theater Review: Provocative Drama Asks If the Cultural Divide Can Ever Be Bridged At TheWrap Memphis rapper Young Dolph recently teamed up with Tennessee rap royalty for his "By Mistake" remix, adding verses from Project Pat and Juicy J. Now, they're giving the remix another push with the release of a lavish video of each of them enjoying the finer things in life. Starting with an opening that sets up a story of a dealer going through it (you'll recognize the woman from the original "By Mistake" video), it quickly transitions to the three rappers as they're relaxing around a pool. With the weather improving, "By Mistake" highlights how great the song will sound this summer. The recent video for the Snoop Dogg-featuring "I Think I Can Fly" track paid tribute to the 1989 Eddie Murphy movie Harlem Nights, with both Dolph and Snoop Dogg gambling in the '30s-set video. The visual for the "By Mistake" remix, however, gets more straight-to-the-point. Check it out up top. Dolph's 2018 album Role Model peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and featured assists from the likes of Offset, Key Glock, and Kash Doll, among others. Health 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 0503_Jim-Cummings-3 Winnie the Pooh star Jim Cummings and his ex-wifes legal battle has been so volatile, that law enforcement, including officials with child protective services in three different states, have been investigating the couple for years. According to court records obtained by The Blast, the Disney voice actor claims there have been 16 reports related to child protective services getting involved in Utah, Colorado and California, due to Stephanie Cummings living and with the couples two children in different states. Stephanie claims Jim has been harassing her nonstop, and Jim says the same thing since their divorce in 2011, and law enforcement has also been called at least 10 times. It appears many of those calls were made by Stephanie, and Jim claims it has been a waste of police resources. One of those calls came in shortly after the Borderline bar shooting, and Jim, who was living in Thousand Oaks, wrote in documents that, Police are mad, said they literally left Borderline for this call and would like to not be used as spies. I agree. Documents also reveal that investigators from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services have visited the school of the Cummings daughters in the last few months to question ongoing issues with Jim and Stephanie. Stephanie claims the situation is so desperate, she wrote a letter to her childrens school that was also sent to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The letter, obtained by The Blast, reads, I have reached out to everyone for help. I am a concerned mother who was living peacefully in St. George, Utah when my child was kidnapped. I am a survivor of rape, and emotional abuse at the hands of Jim Cummings. Getty As we reported, Stephanie claims Jim has sexually assaulted her multiple times since their divorce. The tumultuous relationship between the former couple has been laid out during an ongoing custody issue and open court testimony the two have been participating in. Story continues In Stephanies letter to the archdiocese, she wrote, I have depleted my savings defending myself against baseless accusations by Mr. Cummings. Jim has the financesI have nothing left. I am sending this to the archdiocese legal department at your request. NO mother deserves this. Doing nothing is not an option. My girls love me, I am their Mommy. They are being raised by a call girl, and a sexual deviant who has a little bit of fame. What these people have done is pure evil, no priest can help. The letter was also sent to officials at the #MeToo Movement, and to womens rights attorney, Gloria Allred. According to the documents, Jim claims the authorities are on his side, and calls the statements Stephanie has made to CPS, False. The voice of Tigger and Darkwing Duck claims all the allegations against him have been unfounded, and is adamant he never raped or sexually assaulted Stephanie. He also says CPS has refused to investigate calls due to the same allegations being made over and over. Jim and Stephanie will be back in court this week continuing to argue over custody and support. Calls to Disney have remained unanswered. Disney The post Winnie the Pooh Actor Jim Cummings and Ex-Wife Investigated by Child Protective Services appeared first on The Blast. Woody Allens film A Rainy Day in New York will receive an international release in Italy from distributor Lucky Red on Oct. 3, 2019, a Lucky Red representative told TheWrap. Allens film was blocked for release in the U.S. after distributor Amazon Studios terminated its four-picture deal with the director following renewed #MeToo accusations of sexual misconduct from his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow. Local Italian news reports first detailed news of the films international release, adding that the film will most likely see be shown in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, where Allens production company Gravier Productions already has distribution agreements in place. Lucky Red does not know of release dates in other international territories. Also Read: Amazon Fires Back at Woody Allen Over Breach of Contract Lawsuit A Rainy Day in New York stars Elle Fanning and Timothee Chalamet as two young people who arrive in New York and encounter rain and a series of unfortunate adventures. It also stars Rebecca Hall, Selena Gomez, Jude Law, Suki Waterhouse, Liev Schreiber and Diego Luna. Many of the stars of the film, including Chalamet and Hall, agreed to donate their salaries made on the film to Times Up and other LGBT charities. In February, Allen filed a $68 million lawsuit against Amazon Studios, claiming breach of contract after the accusations resurfaced, which Allen has repeatedly denied. In April, Amazon pushed back on the lawsuit in hopes to have it dismissed, saying they were justified in terminating the contract. Allen had also announced plans to shoot another film with the backing of Barcelona-based financing conglomerate Mediapro, who previously helped fund Vicky Christina Barcelona and Midnight in Paris. Read original story Woody Allens A Rainy Day in New York to Get Fall Release in Italy At TheWrap State gives grant for Farmstead Park restoration in Upper Moreland Township Disney's private island bar serves up the most Instagramable drinks Disney's private island bar serves up the most Instagramable drinks originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com On a private island in the Bahamas, there's a bar where they serve up drinks that seem like they were created for Instagram. The Heads Up Bar on Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay island gives you a gorgeous backdrop to complement your cocktail. From coconut cups to vessels that look like Olaf and Sven, the drinks are as pretty as they are delicious. PHOTO: Instagrammable drinks on Castaway Cay. (ABC News ) "You can get unforgettable photos here," Miro Popovic, assistant beverage service manager for Disney Cruise Line, told "Good Morning America." Pixar Pier's 6 most Instagramable spots PHOTO: Drinks are served in coconut cups on Castaway Cay. (ABC News ) His favorite is a Pelican Mule -- a twist on the Moscow Mule with vodka, Ciroc, pineapple juice and ginger beer. (MORE: Italy's 11 best beach towns) PHOTO: Olaf cups are available at the Heads Up Bar on Castaway Cay. (ABC News ) "Heads Up Bar is one of my favorite spots. It's a beautiful spot and in the background our Disney ship. This is the most beautiful view on the island and a peaceful spot," he said. Disney Cruise Line showed "GMA" how several of the most popular drinks are made. One of the most requested is the Conch Cooler, a twist on a pina colada made with dark and light rum, orange juice and passion fruit. Story continues For a non-alcoholic option, the Let it Go, served in an Olaf cup, is made with strawberry, mango and orange juice. Popovic said that despite all the fruit, "it's not too sweet -- the strawberries give it some acidity." Drinks at Heads Up bar are an additional cost, but there is a free BBQ lunch buffet and soft drinks for all guests. Every Disney ship sailing in the Bahamas calls on Castaway Cay. Sailings range between three and seven nights. The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News. Suspect arrested after police officer gunned down outside Mississippi station originally appeared on abcnews.go.com An arrest has been made in the murder of an on-duty police officer who was gunned down in front of his police station. Officer Robert McKeithen, a veteran of the Biloxi Police Department, was killed in an ambush shooting outside the Biloxi, Mississippi, police headquarters Sunday night. After shooting McKeithen multiple times, the suspect escaped the area, said Biloxi Police Chief John Miller. On Monday night, authorities identified and arrested the suspect in the shooting, 19-year-old Darian Atkinson, on a charge of capital murder. We can confirm we just now received the warrant for the arrest. Press Conference is starting shortly. pic.twitter.com/UMinipQkeK Gulfport Police Dept (@GulfportPolice) May 6, 2019 A Biloxi officer on their way home spotted Atkinson on the street in Wiggins. The officer notified Wiggins police, who took Atkinson into custody, police said. McKeithen, who was on the force for 24 years, was planning to retire at the end of this year, officials said Monday. A memorial service for him will be held Tuesday evening. PHOTO: Officer Robert McKeithen of the Biloxi Police Department is pictured in an undated handout photo. (City of Biloxi) Gulfport, Mississippi, Police Chief Leonard Papania, whose agency is leading the investigation, said McKeithen was in uniform when the gunman approached him in the parking lot at about 10 p.m. on Sunday and opened fire. Investigators released surveillance photos showing the male suspect, described as thin, 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-10, and wearing a black T-shirt, navy shorts and a red skull cap, as well as a video of the suspected shooter casually walking into police headquarters and appearing to smile at an officer in the lobby. PHOTO: Police are looking for a man matching this description for his potential role in the shooting of an officer late Sunday. (Gulfport Police Department) Updated video of the suspect from last nights murder of Biloxi Officer McKeithen. Please call if you recognize him please contact us at 228-868-5959 (audio is unrelated) pic.twitter.com/2zmAVCuTyd Gulfport Police Dept (@GulfportPolice) May 6, 2019 A $5,000 reward has been offered by Crime Stoppers for any information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the gunman. Story continues The mortally wounded McKeithen was taken to Merit Heath hospital in Biloxi, where he died. (MORE: North Carolina K-9 police officer fatally shot during traffic stop; suspect kills himself, police say) Chief Miller said it was not immediately clear if the killer randomly selected McKeithen or if he specifically targeted the officer. "We just don't know right now," Miller said. Miller noted that prior to the shooting, the gunman entered the police headquarters, but he declined to say if he made any contact with officers inside the building Papania said the Harrison County Sheriff's Department and state and federal law enforcement agencies were also working to help capture the killer. (MORE: 'I got shot in the face!': Police officer shot at traffic stop, suspect in custody) "Most importantly, we need our community to help us on this one," Papania said. "Anytime you have this kind of deliberate and violent attack on a police officer, especially right in front of a police station, it should cause everybody great concern." McKeithen joined the Biloxi Police Department in August 1995 and was former member of the U.S. Air Force. "Robert was planning on retiring at the end of the year," Miller said. (MORE: Milwaukee police officer killed marking the city's 3rd officer death in 8 months) He said McKeithen leaves behind a wife, a daughter, two stepsons, and a stepdaughter. "Robert was an unbelievably fine policeman. He did a great job," Miller said. "He was a wonderful family man. That's where he spent all of his time, with his family. He was a gentleman for a policeman. He was very gentle. He treated people with respect and dignity and we're going to miss him sorely." PHOTO: Biloxi Police Chief John Miller identified the officer shot to death as Robert McKeithen, May 6, 2019, in Biloxi, Miss. (WLOX) McKeithen was one of four Biloxi officers awarded a medal of valor for saving the lives of four children with special needs trapped in a flooded residence during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he said. "That's the kind of guy he was," Miller said. "It was a horrible, horrible event that he had to go through, but he went through it anyway and they saved those children who undoubtedly would have perished." (MORE: 'She was just an absolute star': 22-year-old police officer shot and killed responding to accident in California) Miller added that the shooting case was turned over to the Gulfport police to investigate because "it's one of our own people." "We would prefer that another agency from the outside handle this so it doesn't appear that we've done anything wrong," Miller said. "Besides that is not healthy for our officers, our investigators to try to investigate something that they're so close to, a person that they're so close to." ABC News' Matt Foster contributed to this report. Florida Parents Lose Custody of 3-Year-Old Son After Stopping Cancer Treatment Noah McAdams' mom and dad fled the state in search of alternative treatments for his leukemia. That's when a judge stepped in. Towfiqu Photography/Getty Images May 6, 2019 When your child is sick, all you want is for them to get better. But when parents and doctors don't agree on the best course of treatment, things can get complicated quickly, and it's the child who gets caught in the middle. This is the case for Noah McAdams, a 3-year-old boy in Florida whose parents lost custody after refusing to continue with his scheduled chemotherapy. Per the Tampa Bay Times, Joshua McAdams and Taylor Bland-Ball decided to treat Noah's acute lymphoblastic leukemia with natural remedies and fled the state in search of alternative treatments with fewer side effects. Noah was diagnosed with cancer in early April and went through two rounds of chemotherapy. When he didn't show up for a third scheduled chemotherapy treatment last Monday at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, authorities issued an endangered child alert. Hours later, Noah was found with McAdams and Bland-Ball in a motel room in Kentucky. The parents were ordered to return Noah to Florida, and he was checked into the same hospital where he had been scheduled to continue chemotherapy. On Thursday, a judge ordered Noah to go home with his maternal grandparentsnot his mom and dadafter doctors release him. It will then be up to the judge to decide whether McAdams and Bland-Ball are within their rights to decline chemotherapy. "This is not about whether we're choosing alternative therapiesnatural therapies," Bland-Ball told ABC News. "This is about...our rights as parents to seek other options." Noah's parents said that further testing showed he was technically cancer-free after the first two rounds of chemo, and because of the side effects, they wished to find an alternative treatment moving forward. But experts warn these blood tests don't show the full picture. "We have no way of saying that he is cured of leukemia this early in therapy," Bijal Shah, M.D., the head of the Moffitt Cancer Center's Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Program in Tampa, Florida, told ABC News. "We cannot assume cure because we see remission." Story continues Dr. Shah, who is not treating Noah, told the Tampa Bay Times that when patients stop chemotherapy early, the cancer almost always returns. But Michael Minardi, the attorney for Noah's parents, argues alternative treatments could be just as effective as chemotherapy. "We have to get over that fallacy that chemotherapy is the only treatment for people with cancer at this point, especially in Florida we have medical cannabis CBD, both of those are viable options," he told Fox 13. He also says outside parties shouldn't be allowed to meddle in. "These situations are difficult enough for parents, and the state should not be involved with their ability to make decisions for the well-being of their child," Minardi told Parents.com. "The hospital, state, and doctor also are not willing to take responsibility for the harm it does to the child, if he suffers severe permanent side effects, dies as a result of the chemotherapy, or gets additional cancer in the future as a result of his current treatment." Noah will remain in his grandparents' custody until a judge determines the best course of treatment. His parents will be allowed visitation, and they will continue to seek alternative treatments to chemotherapy. Katie Holmes and Her Three Sisters Share the Exact Same Smile Theres family resemblance, and then theres Katie Holmess sibling crew. The actress (and artist?) logged some family bonding time over the weekend while she visited her hometown of Toledo, Ohio to deliver the commencement address at her alma mater, University of Toledo. During her trip, she and her three sisters (Holly, Tamera, and Nancy), as well as mom Kathleen Stothers-Holmes, learned about glass blowing at the Toledo Museum of Art. Katie, the youngest of five (including brother Martin Jr.), bears an almost jarring resemblance to her big sisters and mom. In a rare photo the Dawsons Creek alum shared on Saturday, Katie and the rest of her clan are all smiling wide a near identical grin rippling through the party of five. Brace yourself: Early Monday morning, Michael Cohen got into a black car for the two-hour journey from Manhattan to Otisville, a federal minimum-security prison in upstate New York where he will remain behind bars for the next three years of his life. He spent his last night of freedom in Trump Park Avenue, a building bearing the name of his now estranged benefactor, Donald Trump, who still faces no meaningful consequences for his role in the crimes Cohen committed. On his doorstep, Cohen briefly addressed a scrum of assembled reporters. I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends, the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice, and lies at the helm of our country, said the president's longtime personal attorney, who pleaded guilty late last year to tax evasion; lying to Congress about his role in the Trump Tower Moscow project; and a pair of felony campaign violations related to the Stormy Daniels hush-money affair. There still remains much to be told, and I look forward to the day that I can share the truth. There is a strange incompleteness to Cohen's departure from public life, because several of the crimes for which he's being punished necessarily implicate another party. It's true that Cohen facilitated an unlawful campaign contribution in order to conceal a bombshell story about his boss's extramarital affairs, but he did so at the request of Trump, a "candidate for federal office" euphemistically referred to in the charging documents as "Individual-1," and for the specific purpose of influencing the 2016 election. Cohen concedes he lied to lawmakers on Capitol Hill about a lucrative real estate deal with a hostile foreign actor, but only because the president commanded it. Part of this disparity in treatment, as special counsel Robert Mueller made clear in his report, stems from the fact that indicting a sitting president is, according to the legal precedent that he feels binds him, a dubious proposition. But Cohen's plight is typical of how the American justice system often treats the misconduct of powerful people: by finding clever ways to assign culpability not to a wrongdoer, but to a wrongdoer's enablers, associates, and hangers-on instead. Story continues This is not an accident. Powerful people designed the system to their advantage. Qualified immunity sharply limits the scope of what counts as criminal for government officials. Conspiracy doctrine allows courts to judge one person guilty, even if his co-conspirators are not. Executive privilege can shield critical evidence from public discovery. And unindicted presidents and governors can use their pardon power to reward any indicted allies who take the fall for schemes gone awry. In 2013, then New Jersey governor Chris Christie ordered a sudden partial closure of the Fort Lee entrance to the George Washington Bridge in order to retaliate against Fort Lee mayor Mark Sokolich, a Democrat who had withheld his support from Christie in the most recent gubernatorial election. This petty, unconscionable stunt snarled Manhattan-bound traffic, and a woman died after her ambulance was unable to escape the gridlock. Some five years later, Bill Baronia former Port Authority official appointed by Christiewas sentenced to 18 months for his role in the scandal. Last Wednesday, a judge handed out 13 months to Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff. Her tearful words from the courthouse steps bear a remarkable resemblance to Cohen's. "Mr. Christie, you are a bully, and the days of you calling me a liar and destroying my life are over," she said. "The truth will be heardand for the former governor, that truth will be unescapable." Christie's political career never recovered from Bridgegate, and he left office in 2019 as one of the most reviled governors in recent memory. But although at least one judge found that Christie "had knowledge of the traffic problems in Fort Lee" and "orchestrated" them to punish a political opponent, Bergen County prosecutors declined on multiple occasions to charge the governor with criminal misconduct. While his underlings prepare for incarceration, Christie remains free to lounge on his home state's public beaches for as long as he likes. Political history is littered with these sort of dutiful scapegoats, who end up answering both for their own conduct and also for the conduct of their just-above-the-fray superiors: Scooter Libby for Dick Cheney in the Plame affair; Susan McDougal for Bill Clinton in Whitewater; Caspar Weinberger and Elliott Abrams for Ronald Reagan in Iran-Contra. When given a choice between extracting a pound of flesh from a powerful person and extracting a pound of flesh from a less powerful person, risk-averse prosecutors gravitate toward the latter option first, extending their deference and respect for an office to officeholders who do not deserve it. Officials charged 69 people in connection with Watergate and obtained 48 convictions. Yet even though Richard Nixon's role in the scandal was never in doubt, and even though it cost him his presidency, he received a "full, free, and absolute pardon" from President Ford just a month after resigning in disgrace. This phenomenon is not the only way in which courts insulate the most privileged people from facing the consequences of their actions. Norgiven the mass incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders, or the recent diversion of federal resources from white-collar crime to immigration offenses, among many other examplesis it the most morally objectionable. Michael Cohen, a millionaire taxicab-medallion investor and former Trump Organization executive who once warned a reporter to "tread very fucking lightly" or he would do "fucking disgusting" things to silence him, only cuts a semi-sympathetic figure when he stands directly next to Donald Trump. But Cohen's fate is another reminder, as Kelly asserted after her sentencing last week, that "justice is not blind." And the more powerful a wrongdoer is, the likelier they are to ensure that the buck stops somewhere comfortably beneath them. Welcome to Want/Need, a weekly roundup of the things our Deputy Editor, Emily Popp, is currently coveting. It might be a pair of pink leather loafers that make her feel like shes got her s*#t together, or a pool float in the shape of an avocado (because shes not over the novelty pool float trend). Or maybe its as random as, like, dryer sheets. Basically this is all the stuff shes obsessed with. Poppys picks, if you will. Big Gay Ice Cream Pints Big Gay Ice Cream When I lived in NYC, my apartment was around the corner from Big Gay Ice Cream, one of my favorite spots to get a sweet treat. There isnt an LA outpost, but now to my delight, they are coming out with pints of ice cream available in select grocery stores in the Northeast and California. Along with their ice cream being available in stores now, they also have three brand new flavors: Banana-o-Graham, Fluffernutter and Spicy Choco-Lit. Our team here at HG was lucky enough to sample these flavors during an office ice cream social the other week, and lets just say spirits were high. It was like we were a bunch of kids let loose in a candy shop. Every flavor got high marks, but of the new flavors the Banana-o-Graham was the biggest surprise hit. Its like that old school banana pudding with wafers that I hadnt had in yearsonly better. Ive been having an INTENSE sweet tooth lately. Its bad. Ive been craving sweets all the time. And these dramatically delicious flavors hit the spot. J.Hannah Jewelry Akoya Nail Polish J.Hannah Jewelry This nail polish line from jewelry designer J.Hannah is totally unlike most nail polish brands Ive seen. All the colors are unusual for polish shades; no reds or pinks in sight. Instead there are hues like artichoke or marzipan. I feel like its the nail polish a cool AF NYC art gallery curator would wear. My favorite color from the line is Akoya, which is a beautiful shade of luminous oyster shell. Its gorgeous, and its not a shade youll find in the beauty aisle at the pharmacy, lets put it that way. Story continues Sabatier 12-Piece Knife Set Amazon The last time I bought a knife set I made the grave mistake of choosing the cheapest one on Amazon. It was like cutting something with a bar of soap. The quality of the knives just werent good, but I somehow managed to use them for years(!) before realizing Ive got to upgrade my knife situation. Finally I got rid of those ratty old knives, and I was like, how was I living like this?! I would highly recommend this 12-piece set from Sabatier, which at under $100 is pretty reasonable for a 12-piece, high quality set of kitchen knives. It has the Amazons Choice stamp of approval, which I find is a reliable way to decide between stuff on Amazon. For the most part, Ive had really good luck with the Amazons Choice items. Artifact Uprising Brass Easel & Calendar Artifact Uprising Time to kick it into high gear if you havent bought a Mothers Day gift, yall. Its right around ze corner. The favorite gifts I give my mom always involve a photo or some type of memory keepsake. I could just print her out pictures of my Instagram, and she would be happy. She doesnt have an Instagram account, and always complains about wishing she could see my photos. I love the look of this brass easel calendar that you can personalize with 12 of your own photossuch a simple but lovely gift idea. Zoe Alexandria Stone and Tag Gold Rose Quartz Necklace Zoe Alexandria Im not a big jewelry-wearer, so I dont feature jewelry all that oftenbut I do love an understated necklace. I like my jewelry to be dainty; you wont find me in a statement necklace or chunky bangles. Ive recently gotten into the whole crystals craze, and so I love this rose quartz pendant from Zoe Alexandria. Bonus: you can get it personalized with your initials. Golden Road Brewing Spiked Agua Fresca Sampler Pack Golden Road Brewing I love agua fresca, and I always order it whenever Im at a Mexican restaurant. I had never heard of canned aqua fresca until I tried Golden Road Brewerys spiked versionwhich is like regular agua fresca but way better. Its only 4% alcohol and low-calorie, which I likebut its still got a zing to it and its ultra refreshing and doesnt leave me with beer bloat. By Sinead Carew NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street's indexes and bond yields ended down but well above their session lows while oil futures settled higher as investors bet that U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to raise tariffs on China would not materialize. Trump tweeted on Sunday that the United States would raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week, causing investors to seek safety and flee from risky assets. On Monday, Trump sharply criticized China. But as Monday's session wore on, the initial shock from the threats appeared to wear off. U.S. Treasury yields pared some of their declines. Oil futures reversed course to settle slightly higher after a volatile day as rising tensions between the United States and Iran helped buoy prices. The futures had earlier touched a one-month low due to Trump's tweets. [O/R] In stocks, the S&P 500 closed down 0.4% after falling as much as 1.6% during the session. "Investors are warming up to the idea that its more of a negotiation tactic than it is a petulant child screaming bloody murder," said Paul Nolte, portfolio manager at Kingsview Asset Management in Chicago. Fears about trade war escalation were also calmed somewhat by a statement from China's foreign ministry on Monday that a Chinese delegation was still preparing to go to United States for trade talks. "Right now the contingent from China is still coming. If that changes, then the market narrative and the market reaction might also change," said Nolte. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 66.47 points, or 0.25%, to 26,438.48, the S&P 500 lost 13.17 points, or 0.45%, to 2,932.47 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 40.71 points, or 0.5%, to 8,123.29. The pan-European STOXX 600 index lost 0.88% and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe shed 0.65%. In comparison, the Shanghai SE Composite had closed up 5.6% in its biggest one-day percentage drop since February 2016. Story continues BOND PRICES, OIL FUTURES RISE The U.S. dollar slipped to a five-week low against the yen and fell versus other currencies on Monday after Trump said he would sharply raise tariffs on Chinese goods this week, risking the derailment of the trade talks between Washington and Beijing. Volume, though, was thin overall with London and Tokyo markets closed for holidays. The dollar weakened 0.30% versus the yen to 110.89 per dollar. The dollar index rose 0.01%, with the euro unchanged at $1.12. Benchmark 10-year Treasury notes last rose 9/32 in price to yield 2.4998%, from 2.53% late on Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled up 31 cents, or 0.5%, at $62.25 a barrel. Brent crude futures settled up 39 cents, or 0.55%, at $71.24 a barrel. (Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 - http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh) (Additional reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Richard Leong and Stephanie Kelly in New York, Amy Caren Daniel and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru, Saikat Chatterjee and Virginia Furness in London; Editing by Larry King and Dan Grebler) (Reuters) - A century after their hopes of statehood were thwarted, Kurds in the Middle East are still hampered by regional hostility. Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran have large Kurdish minorities seeking varying degrees of autonomy from central governments after decades of repression. This is an overview of their status. HISTORY The Kurdish ethnic minority, mainly Sunni Muslims, speaks a language related to Farsi and lives mostly in a mountainous region straddling the borders of Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey. Kurdish nationalism stirred in the 1890s when the Ottoman Empire was on its last legs. The 1920 Treaty of Sevres, which imposed a settlement and colonial carve-up of Turkey after World War One, promised them independence. Three years later, Turkish leader Kemal Ataturk tore up that accord. The Treaty of Lausanne, ratified in 1924, divided the Kurds among the new nations of the Middle East. SYRIA Before Syria's popular uprising erupted in 2011, Kurds formed 8-10 percent of the population. The Baathist state, championing Arab nationalism, had deprived thousands of Kurds of citizenship rights, banned their language and clamped down on Kurdish political activity. During the war, President Bashar al-Assad focused on crushing mainly Sunni Arab rebels with the help of Russia and Iran, turning a blind eye as Kurdish fighters carved out self-rule across the north and east. Kurdish forces have emerged among the biggest winners, controlling about a quarter of the country -- territory rich in oil, water and farmland. It is the biggest chunk of Syria not in state hands, now with its own forces and bureaucracy. Assad has said he will recover the northeast but the two sides have kept some channels open. The Kurdish YPG militia's power grew after joining forces with U.S. troops to seize territory from Islamic State. While the U.S. deployment provided a security umbrella that helped Kurdish influence expand, Washington opposes the autonomy plans. Their fate will rely heavily on how long the U.S. ally stays. Syrian Kurdish leaders say they do not seek partition but rather regional autonomy as part of Syria. They also fear an offensive from Turkey which deems the YPG a threat along its border. TURKEY Kurds form about 20 percent of the population. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) took up arms against the state in 1984 waging an insurgency for autonomy in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast. Since then, more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan was captured in 1999, tried and sentenced to death. That was later reduced to life in prison after Turkey abolished the death penalty. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has removed restrictions on using the Kurdish language. The government held talks with Ocalan, who is in jail on an island near Istanbul, in 2012, though the conflict has sputtered on. The United States, the European Union and Turkey classify the PKK as a terrorist organization. Turkey's military has often struck targets in Iraq's Kurdish region near the PKK's stronghold in the Qandil mountains. Erdogan has said he will crush Syria's YPG, which Ankara sees as a branch of the PKK, and has sent troops into northern Syria to mount offensives rolling back the Kurdish fighters. IRAQ Kurds form 15-20 percent of the population, mainly inhabiting the three northern provinces of Iraqi Kurdistan. Late President Saddam Hussein's rule targeted Iraqi Kurds in the late 1980s when chemical gas was used, villages were razed and thousands of Kurds were forced into camps. Their region has been semi-autonomous since 1991, has its own regional government and armed forces, but still relies on the Baghdad central government for its budget. When Islamic State militants swept through much of northern Iraq in 2014, Kurdish fighters exploited the collapse of central authority to take control of Kirkuk, the oil city they regard as their ancient regional capital, as well as other territory disputed by Baghdad and the Kurdish north. Iraqi government forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, with U.S. backing, defeated Islamic State which had overrun swathes of northern Iraq. Iraq's Kurds held a referendum on independence in September 2017, which backfired and triggered a regional crisis in the face of opposition from Baghdad and regional powers. The vote prompted military and economic retaliation from Baghdad, which retook the territory seized by Kurdish forces since 2014. Ties have since improved, but tensions remain over oil exports and revenue-sharing. IRAN Kurds form about 10 percent of the population. In 2011, Iran pledged to step up military action against the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan, a PKK offshoot that has sought greater autonomy for Kurds in Iran. Rights groups say Kurds, along with other religious and ethnic minorities, face discrimination under the ruling clerical establishment. The elite Revolutionary Guards have put down unrest in the Kurdish community for decades, and the country's judiciary has sentenced many activists to long jail terms or death. Iran's armed forces have demanded authorities in Iraq hand over separatist Kurdish dissidents stationed there and close their bases. (Compiled by Ellen Francis in Beirut, additional reporting by Raya Jalabi in Iraq, Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, and Dominic Evans in Istanbul, Editing by Timothy Heritage) (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would raise tariffs to 25 percent from 10 percent on $200 billion (152 billion pounds) 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 aluminium, 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, aluminium, coffee, ketchup and bourbon whiskey in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium. 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 aluminium. Targeted U.S. products include Harley-Davidson motorcycles, bourbon, peanuts, blue jeans, steel and aluminium. 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) Andrew Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor who last November lost a close race to become Floridas governor, sharply criticized new restrictions placed on voting by people with felony convictions at a congressional hearing on Monday. He said the new restrictions, passed last Friday by the Florida state legislature, amounted to a poll tax, one of the measures historically used in Southern states to prevent African-Americans from voting. The unfortunate thing about Florida, Gillum said, was that we almost look directly at how we disenfranchise as many people as we possibly can, citing alleged attempts to close polling sites and dismiss absentee ballots. Gillum made his comments at a Monday hearing of the Committee on House Administration devoted to voting rights in Florida. Gillum, a Democrat who lost in November to Rep. Ron DeSantis, now runs Bring It Home Florida, a group that seeks to register a million voters ahead of the 2020 presidential race, in which Florida will almost certainly play a critical role. Gillum was one of several witnesses at the hearing, which was held in Fort Lauderdale. They described a variety of efforts by the states Republicans to disenfranchise people of color, whose share of Floridas population has substantially increased. Democrats say the state is still living with the aftermath of the hanging chad fiasco of the 2000 presidential election, when the Supreme Court halted a recount, handing George W. Bush the presidency by fewer than 1,000 votes. If we call ourselves a democracy, we need to act like it, said Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, the committee chair. Gillum made his poll tax comments in response to a measure passed by the Republican-controlled Florida state legislature last week, weakening Amendment 4, a ballot initiative to allow former prisoners who have completed their sentences to vote in the state. The amendment, which would affect some 1.5 million ex-felons, passed with 65 percent of the vote in November. Story continues Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum. (Photo: Wilfredo Lee/AP) The measure approved by the legislature requires ex-convicts to pay court costs, fines and victim restitution in order to return to the voting rolls, although according to the Miami Herald, a judge could waive some of these charges, or allow community service as an alternative. An official in the communications department of the governors office said he was unsure of whether DeSantis would sign the bill. DeSantis has previously been critical of efforts to restore voting rights for people with felony convictions. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., the former head of the Democratic National Committee, said she believed the legislatures actions to have been illegal. She then asked Gillum if he thought the measure amounted to a poll tax, and whether its intention was sowing fear and confusion among voters. Gillum answered affirmatively to both questions. He speculated that Republicans in the state legislature had felt a little bit of a scare earlier in the year, when Gillum and his organization urged people of color to go out in droves to regain their right to vote. What theyve done at the Florida legislature sends an extremely chilling effect to peoples ability to participate in the process of voting, Gillum said. The audience clapped in response, something almost never done at hearings held on Capitol Hill. Gillum and Stacey Abrams, who lost her race for governor of Georgia last year, have portrayed what they call Republican voter suppression efforts in starkly racial terms that harken back to the civil rights era. She called the man who defeated her, Republican Brian Kemp, who at the time was Georgias secretary of state, an architect of voter suppression that spent the last eight years knitting together a system of voter suppression that is unparalleled in America. (Both Gillum and Abrams are African-American.) Abrams formed a group after the election, Fair Fight Action, that filed a lawsuit against Kemp alleging he created an obstacle course of bureaucratic and procedural hurdles to voting that disproportionately affected the poor and people of color. Attorneys for Georgias current secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, argued in federal court last week that the suit should be dismissed. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who is running for president partly on a message of racial and social justice, recently said that without voter suppression, Stacey Abrams would be the governor of Georgia; Andrew Gillum is the governor of Florida. Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would make Election Day a federal holiday and expand ballot box access in other ways. The bill is not supported by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. President Trump, meanwhile, has regularly claimed that voter fraud is widespread and systematic, despite bountiful evidence to the contrary. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Ashkelon (Israel) (AFP) - After a weekend of deadly Palestinian fire on the Israeli city of Ashkelon, the underground bunker where public officials studied CCTV and incoming rockets from Gaza was hushed Monday after a tentative ceasefire. Half-drained coffee cups and unfinished sandwiches still sat on desks, but opposite city hall the car park of a local mall was packed as people went back to business as usual. Earlier in the day, Palestinian leaders in Gaza announced a ceasefire with Israel, ending a sharp escalation of violence that threatened another war between them. There was, as in previous truces, no confirmation from the Israeli side but there were no reports of rocket launches or retaliatory Israeli strikes during the day. Civilians on both side of the Gaza border, just four kilometres (2.5 miles) from Ashkelon's city limits, said they were unhappy with the absence of a long-term solution and feared it would not be long before the bloodletting resumed. The latest flareup began Saturday with massive rocket fire from blockaded Gaza, drawing waves of Israeli retaliatory strikes that continued throughout Sunday. At least 25 Palestinians, including at least nine militants, were killed. Four Israeli civilians were also killed -- two of them in Ashkelon and a third nearby. Nissim Dadon, a resident of the nearby Israeli town of Sderot, accused Israel's government of being too soft on Hamas. "We are too nice with them, like suckers," he told AFP. "We need to make a thorough clean-up there with a firm hand and without mercy, and to be over with this situation once and for all." In Gaza City, where the funerals of Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes were taking place, the truce was welcomed. It coincided with the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when believers fast during daylight hours. "We are happy that there is a truce agreement but we need peace and calm for all the month of Ramadan," Rami Abu Azzam, 30, told AFP. Story continues "This morning I rushed to the market early to buy all we need for Ramadan out of fear that the airstrikes would start again. We didnt buy anything in the three days before fasting started." - 'In seconds' - Sitting in his blast-proof office, Ashkelon's municipal chief of emergency services and security, Yossi Greenfeld, said the first rocket fired from Gaza into his city was in the year after Israel's 2005 pullout from the Gaza Strip. The fire intensified, he said, after Islamist movement Hamas seized power in Gaza from the administration of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in 2007. "People here, in going about their daily lives, take into account the possibility of rocket fire," he told AFP. "Every resident is aware that he can find himself going from routine to a state of emergency in seconds." Israel said some 690 rockets were fired from Gaza in total and it hit some 350 militant targets in the strip in retaliation. The Gaza 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 the deaths were due to errant Hamas fire. 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. "There are many martyrs and injured and dozens of homes destroyed. How will they spend Ramadan?" asked Wafa abu Sayf, 20, from Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. On the Israeli side of the border in Sderot, resident Amir Plut said: "We don't want war, where all sides only lose." "We want peace with the Arabs, who are human beings like us." Emerging from the Ashkelon bunker, Greenfeld pointed to a patch in the road outside, where a rocket crater from a previous attack had been filled in. "You see that in many places around the city," he said, then gestured to the walls of neighbouring buildings, pockmarked by shrapnel. "It's like living in a Wild West town. You need to know how to survive." PANAMA CITY (AP) A cattleman held on to a narrow lead over a businessman late Sunday as returns came in from Panama's 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 Panama's former military government, lost the last two presidential contests. Shortly before Cortizo's 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, it's in doubt," Roux said, without providing any evidence of election tampering. The electoral commission said it would be prudent to count more votes, given Roux's 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 country's reputation on the world stage. The trove of secret financial documents showed how some of the world's richest people hid their money using shell companies in Panama and other countries. Story continues 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 Panama's 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 Panama's economy grew only 3.8% last year, versus a 10.7% expansion in 2012, when Martinelli was president. Roux's 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 citizen's movement several years ago that questioned impunity and corruption in the country. Lombana had nearly 20% of the vote. Lombana's campaign focused on drumming up support via social media, rather than through the costly television spots favored by candidates from Panama's 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 country's 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 doesn't favor 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 China's 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 Panama's strategic relationship with the U.S. 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. By Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK (Reuters) - 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. 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. 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. "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. Traditionally uttered after a king is crowned, the king's first command serves to capture the essence of his reign. The king's command was similar to that of his father's. Late in the afternoon, the king was carried in a royal palanquin in a procession from the Grand Palace to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, where yellow-clad Thais awaited his arrival, repeatedly chanting, "Long live the king." After 80 Buddhist monks chanted, the king proclaimed himself the Royal Patron of Buddhism: "I will rightfully protect Buddhism forever." Later, King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida will perform a private housewarming ritual at the royal residence in the Grand Palace where they will stay the night, as previous kings have done, ending the first of the three-day coronation ceremonies. In his first speech earlier on Saturday to members of the royal family, the Privy Council, and top government officials, among others, the king called for national unity. "I invite everyone here and all Thai people to share my determination and work together, each according to his status and duty, with the nation's prosperity and the people's happiness as the ultimate goals," he said. Military junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, the speaker of the army-appointed parliament and the chairman of the Supreme Court - representing the three branches of government - also spoke to express "gratitude" to the king. Prayuth is seeking to stay on as an elected prime minister after the first elections since the military seized power five years ago. Final results of the March 24 vote will be announced after the coronation. DIVINE MONARCH Thai 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. Saturday's rituals were about transforming him into a "Devaraja", or a divine embodiment of the gods. The king received 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. He also received and put on five articles of the royal regalia from the chief Brahmin. The high-reaching crown, which weighs 7.3 kg (16 lb) symbolizes the summit of Mount Meru, the Hindu god Indra's heavenly abode, and its weight represents the monarch's royal burden. King Vajiralongkorn put the crown on his head himself with the help of court officials, and adjusted it several times during the ceremony. Before the crowning ritual, he appeared dressed in white robes as he underwent a purification ritual, sitting under a canopied fountain that poured consecrated waters over his head. The country's Buddhist Supreme Patriarch also poured sacred waters over the king, followed by Brahmin priests and royal family members. During the ceremonies, the king gave alms to saffron-robed, barefoot monks. The monarch also granted Queen Suthida, a former Thai Airways flight attendant and head of his personal bodyguard regiment, her full royal title. Outside the palace walls, people in yellow polo shirts sat on roadsides, holding up portraits of the king and the national flag as 19th-century cannons fired to announce the new reign. Yellow is the color of Monday, the day the king was born, and the color of the sun, which represents the monarch in the cosmos, according to Thai culture. One onlooker, Kanjana Malaithong, told local media she had traveled since 1 a.m. from northern Thailand to witness the ceremony, shown live on big screens outside the palace. "I'm so overjoyed ... There'll never be another chance like this, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event," she said. 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. 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. (Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Kay Johnson, Stephen Coates and Ros Russell) 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. By Tom Polansek (Reuters) - Tyson Foods Inc said on Monday that the U.S. meat processing industry could reap significant financial gains from a global shortfall in pork as an incurable hog disease spreads rapidly across Asia. Tyson projected its U.S. pork, chicken and beef units could all benefit from increased demand linked to outbreaks of African swine fever, after the Arkansas company reported quarterly profits above analysts' estimates. The disease, which is fatal to pigs but harmless to humans, has been detected in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa and parts of Europe. With African swine fever in China, the world's top hog producer, about 5 percent of the global protein supply has disappeared as demand is rising, Tyson Chief Executive Noel White said. China is expected to import more protein to make up for its hog deaths, which White estimated at 150 million to 200 million pigs. The losses could help Tyson by pushing up pork prices and prompting consumers to buy more chicken and beef as alternatives, he said. "African swine fever has the potential to impact the global protein industry on a level that we have never experienced," White said. Tyson shares rose 2.6 percent at $77.05 in afternoon trading and reached their highest price since early 2018. The company could start benefiting from African swine fever outbreaks late in fiscal year 2019, White said. The disease is already boosting U.S. pork and beef exports and tightening domestic supplies, chicken producer Pilgrim's Pride Corp said last week. So far, though, U.S. hog prices have climbed faster than those for pork on expectations for increased Chinese demand, crimping processors' margins. The potential for African swine fever to enter the United States represents a risk to Tyson and its rivals, such as WH Group Ltd's Smithfield Foods. U.S. cases would kill hogs and reduce exports. "The rate in which it has spread over the course of the last 12 months makes it very plausible that it could come to the United States," White said. Story continues African swine fever also could hurt Tyson by raising input costs for pork used in prepared food products. Tyson tempered an annual outlook for its prepared foods unit to a range of 10 percent to 12 percent return on sales, from closer to 12 percent previously. The company plans to raise prices for prepared foods over the next six months to compensate for more expensive raw materials, White said. He said higher meat costs will reduce demand among some consumers. Last year, sales in Tyson's prepared foods segment reached about $8.7 billion, compared with $4.9 billion in pork, $12 billion in chicken and $15.5 billion in beef. "We do not yet understand how pork and prepared food margins will be anything but impaired under the weight of higher hog costs," J.P. Morgan analyst Ken Goldman said. Profits in the quarter ended March 30 benefited from higher sales in beef and prepared foods. Excluding certain items, Tyson earned $1.20 per share, beating the average analyst estimate of $1.14. Quarterly sales were $10.44 billion, above expectations for $10.29 billion. (Reporting by Tom Polansek in Chicago; Additional reporting by Nivedita Balu and Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Trott and Lisa Shumaker) Washington (AFP) - The US State Department said Monday it was "gravely concerned" about human rights in North Korea, including its detention of an estimated 100,000 people in political prison camps, two days after President Donald Trump again praised leader Kim Jong Un. Trump is seeking a potentially landmark accord with North Korea on ending its nuclear program, with human rights on the backburner during his two summits with Kim. But in a statement to mark an annual week of advocacy in Washington over North Korea's rights record, the State Department hailed defectors and other activists who "shine a light on the dire human rights situation" in the totalitarian state. "We remain gravely concerned and deeply troubled by these abuses," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. "We continue to work with the international community to raise awareness, highlight abuses and violations, enhance access to independent information and promote respect for human rights in North Korea," she said. She estimated that 100,000 North Koreans are jailed in political prison camps, including family members of those accused of violations, and said that those who tried to flee "are often tortured or killed" when caught. Trump on Saturday defended Kim and his own diplomacy as North Korea said that Kim oversaw a test of a rocket and "tactical guided weapons." Trump tweeted that Kim knew of the "great economic potential" of North Korea -- a prospect dangled by the United States as it looks to make a deal. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" Trump tweeted. Trump has repeatedly boasted that his diplomacy has stopped North Korea from testing missiles. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also played down the latest test by saying that the rockets did not cross any international boundary. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under criticism Monday for agreeing to a ceasefire with the militant factions in the Gaza Strip, ending days of heavy rocket fire on southern and central communities. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter An agreement brokered by Egyptian mediators in Cairo brought an end to this latest round of violence between Gazan militants and Israel. The terms of the agreement are unclear, and there has been no formal Israeli confirmation that a deal is in place. IDF tanks on the Gaza border (Photo: Reuters) Opposition inside Netanyahu's Likud party came in the form of a tweet by Likud political rival Gideon Sa'ar, who said that Israel gained nothing from this reported ceasefire, while the Palestinian organizations are increasing their attacks of Israel. 700 , -4 - - . , , . - Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) May 6, 2019 Blue and White leader Benny Gantz also tweeted his disapproval, calling the agreement a capitulation that would only lead to more fighting. "Almost 700 rockets, many injured, four killed, all as a result of Israel's loss of deterrence. Israel once again is capitulating to terrorists demands while the government lays out the next round at our door," he wrote. Blue and White leader Benny Gantz (Photo: Roee Idan) Labor Party leader Avi Gabbay, meanwhile, told Ynet that a ceasefire only served to empower Islamic Jihad. "After 20 years of Netanyahu propping up Hamas, Israel is now propping up Islamic Jihad, who was at the table as an equal partner to (truce) talks in Cairo." Benjamin Netanyahu presides over a cabinet meeting on the security situation (Photo: EPA) Gabbay added that without a long-term political solution, the next round of violence in Gaza is just a matter of time Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi, whose residents were under constant fire from Gaza during this last round of violence, also warned that Israel has lost its deterrence in Gaza. "We are in a serious bind because our values are being confused," he said. "This round began after an IDF officer was shot, not because of rocket launches. "It is important to remember that soldiers are meant to be on the front line and not civilians. No one can look our residents in the eye and say deterrence has been restored." Hamas said on Monday that if Israel will not commit to lifting the Gaza blockade, the next round of border violence is only a matter of time. eNote, Underwriting, and Compliance Products; Non-QM and Ginnie Securities Update Welcome to May 6th, the anniversary of the first tequila hangover. (Yes, for those of you who wrote, I know that May 5 is not Mexican Independence Day, which is in September.) Much of Northern Mexico is arid, and in the U.S. the Southwest encompasses some of the countrys most arid territory with annual precipitation of less than eight inches per year. Yet it has always been one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S. Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas: For every decade between 1950 and 2010, the growth rate of the Desert Southwest was at least twice as great as that for the United States as a whole. And in three of those periods, the growth rate in the region was at least triple the U.S. growth rate, and in fact, in each of those decades, the growth rate of the Desert Southwest exceeded 40 percent. Four counties were among the five most populous in both 1950 and 2016: Maricopa (Phoenix) & Pima (Tucson), and in California Riverside & San Bernardino. Lender Products and Services As our entire industry heads toward digital adoption, eNotes have become a very important part of the digital mortgage process. In fact, MERS member institutions registered almost 19,000 eNotes during the first three months of 2019 versus 17,000 eNotes for all of 2018. If youd like to learn how they can expand your business, then join Tom Gillis, TMS SVP of Correspondent Sales, and MERS for an informative webinar, Implementing eNotes: A How-To Conversation with TMS and MERSCORP Holdings on May 8 at 2 pm EST. Simplify your underwriting process with Loan Product Advisor asset and income modeler (AIM). Through the expertise of third-party service providers, AIM automates the manual processes of assessing borrower assets and income. AIM reduces the burden of traditional documentation, speeds up the loan origination process and helps you close loans faster. Freddie Mac is working hard to bring you solutions that create efficiencies for your business and improve the borrower experience - giving you a competitive edge. These capabilities are available now. Gain greater efficiency in your underwriting processes with AIM- get The Freddie EdgeSM. From traditional lenders with online lending processes to fintech companies popping up virtually every day, technology is fast becoming commonplace even when it comes to compliance. Strategic Compliance Partners (SCP), a leader in mortgage compliance management, has a proven track record of helping lenders stay CFPB-compliant with technology-driven solutions that save time, money and headaches, including SCPs compliance platform ASTRO, ShareDiligence Vendor Management and SocialEyes for Lenders. How can technology help you stay compliant? Call us today at 646.418.6635 to discuss which technology solution is right for you. The MBA Secondary is just two weeks away and NewRez Correspondent is ready to meet you in the big apple! Lisa Schreiber, SVP Correspondent Division, is excited to share how lenders can expand their capacity with speed and ease through NewRez! I look forward to meeting with both existing and potential clients to share exciting developments in our product line-up, technology partnerships and process enhancements. We have a lot of things happening in Non-QM, LoanNEX product & pricing, and more to announce coming soon! says Schreiber. Send Lisa a note to set up an appointment today. Hey Loan Officers! Ability to Repay is a HOT topic these days! Are you having Ability to Repay challenges with underwriting? Well, did you know that The Rule Tool outlines the CFPB Ability to Repay guidance for 134 rules? Yes, you read that right! In addition to this, The Rule Tool hosts jumbo QM guidelines for major investors. And if you cant find the answers you need in the apps database, The Rule Tools knowledge experts are just a click away, ready to help. With this handy tool, built with YOU in mind, you can navigate all this and more like the savvy Loan Officer you are! Stop wasting your time by hunting down all the guidelines and answers yourself and sign up with The Rule Tool today! Visit our page to learn more today! At Thrive Mortgage, we like to say the V in Thrive stands for Vested, stated Erin Dee, Chief Strategy Officer. To us, this means that we go to great lengths to invest in the resources, technology, and skills of our people. Last year, Dee managed the release of Thrives groundbreaking Intelligent Mortgage Platform in partnership with CloudVirga. Known as iThrive, the Texas-based lender is now set to implement its third phase of the platform full-force by the end of Q2. iThrive provides a vastly superior client experience through simplicity and convenience, Dee continued. By the time the Loan Officer first accesses the file, the tasks of pulling credit, verifying assets, and documentation uploads have already been completed. Running AUS is one-click to return dual results from both DU and LPA. To learn more about available opportunities to join our team, please visit us. Mortgage Lending is what we do, but its not the sole determinant of who we are. Community is the best descriptor of our people. Capital Markets Banks and credit unions are perfectly happy to sit on their jumbo loans, and not spend the money or hassle securitizing them. What about loans with high DTIs or on non-warrantable condos? It was a busy 1Q for non-qualified mortgages (non-QM) securitization, with roughly $5.7 billion in UPB of non-QM securitized in 1Q19, the most active quarter in the market since the first transaction was priced in 2015. That brings cumulative securitized non-QM volume to over $19 billion over the last four years. Mortgage REITs have grown their presence in non-QM over the last year. Four REITs have sponsored non-QM securitizations, including NRZ, STWD, EFC and RWT (about 29% of Redwood's Choice collateral was non-QM through mid-2018). Other companies like WMC and MFA are each currently carrying over $1 billion of non-QM loans on balance sheet, currently financed mostly with repo. JP Morgan announced the offering of its inaugural non-QM transaction (CHASE 2019-ATR1), consisting of 542 loans carrying mostly fixed rates, with aggregate UPB of $440.5M, average FICO of 772, and an LTV of 72%. The coupon on the loans of only 4.6% is noticeably lower than the average for other non-QM deals. The loans in the pool satisfy guidelines under the ability to repay (ATR) rule but were coded as non-QM due primarily to the use of tax transcripts in lieu of signed tax returns. Originators know that Non-QM loans are loans that don't meet the CFPB's definition of a qualified mortgage, which include the borrower having a debt-to-income ratio below 43%, as well as the loan being fully amortizing and not having any interest-only, negative amortization, or balloon features, among other criteria. Non-QM loans are not subprime loans. In fact, the LTV of most non-QM are around 70%, and FICO scores are usually above 700. However, the note rate to borrowers around 6.5% for the deals completed to date is typically higher than it is for QM, partially in order to compensate lenders for higher underwriting costs and fewer legal protections in the case of default. Some believe that FHA loans, mostly destined for Ginnie Mae securities, are the new subprime while others value the program as an integral part of the residential lending landscape. In March 2019 the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (NY Fed) Open Market Trading Desk began a process to streamline the administration of some of the Ginnie Mae-issued mortgage-backed securities held in the System Open Market Account through a service offered by Ginnie Mae called CUSIP aggregation. This consolidates existing agency MBS with similar characteristics into larger pass-through securities and was previously been used by the New York Fed to consolidate existing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac MBS holdings. A good thing for lenders and in turn borrowers, the Ginnie Mae CUSIP aggregation process will further reduce the number of individual agency MBS CUSIPs held by the Federal Reserve, and the administrative costs and operational complexity associated with managing the MBS portfolio. The SOMA currently holds approximately 37,000 individual agency MBS CUSIPs, which will be reduced to about 29,000. The payments on the underlying agency MBS flow through to the aggregated CUSIPs, keeping the aggregation process from affecting the size or characteristics of the SOMA portfolio. The New York Fed will publish detailed data on all settled SOMA agency MBS holdings on its public website on a weekly basis including a listing of the individual agency MBS CUSIPs underlying each aggregated CUSIP, and Ginnie Mae provides information about aggregated CUSIPs on its public website. In the last year or so, higher coupon GNMAs (composed primarily of FHA & VA loans), have seen increased scrutiny against churning by VA servicers. As GNMA began to crack down on why speeds on higher coupon multi pools spiked so quickly, the Task Force set out to ensure proper standards were being followed when veterans were refinanced into a new loan. As a result, a variety of new regulations, including a minimum age limit, a net tangible benefit test, and consequences of being removed from the multi issuer pools (such as Freedom and New Day VA loans) if the churning activity were not addressed led to significant improvement in the prepay projections for the new production pools. Investors felt more confident in predicting prepays for higher coupons, resulting in outperformance, especially for the G2 4.5s and 5s which had had severe spikes in speeds past the 6th months. Rates are down even more this morning, but U.S. Treasuries ended last week on a slight rally responding to U.S. employment data that showed the usual better than expected headline payroll growth but a weaker than expected increase in average hourly earnings. We also saw the ISM Non-Manufacturing Index for April at the lowest level of expansion for the index since August 2017. Internationally, Eurozone's April CPI and Core CPI beat expectations; U.K.'s April Services PMI increased; and local elections in the U.K. produced big losses for Conservatives and Labour while Liberal Democrats gained the most seats. This week's economic calendar, which sees monetary policy decisions from Australia and New Zealand, in addition to further U.S. / China trade discussions, kicked off with Chicago Fed President Evans. Later this morning, Philadelphia's Harker will deliver remarks on economic outlook, while the only domestic release of the day sees the Employment Trends Index for April out at 10:00am. Tomorrow, things pick back up with March JOLTS (Job Openings) and March Consumer Credit before Wednesday brings the usual Weekly MBA mortgage application data. Thursday is the busiest day of the week with weekly Jobless Claims, April PPI, March Trade Balance, and March Wholesale Inventories. The week closes on Friday with April CPI and core CPI. Due to trade issues with China potentially slowing our economy we begin today with Agency MBS prices better .125-.250 and the 10-year yielding 2.49%. Employment and Transitions Nations Lending Corporation, a privately-owned mortgage lender headquartered in Independence, Ohio, has announced the edition of Don Riggs, Area Sales Manager headquartered out of Denver, Colorado. We are very excited to bring Don onboard, and expect big things from him, said Corey Caster, Nations Lendings EVP of National Production. Don is a proven leader, and were eager to have him contribute to our growth in the Mountain Region. Riggs has nearly two decades in the mortgage business, and prior to joining Nations Lending, Riggs was an Area Manager for Envoy Mortgage, overseeing branches in Colorado, Kansas, and Arizona. Nations Lending is a well-established, Agency/Government Servicer, licensed in 47 states. We are proud to service 100% of the Agency loans we originate. For more information and opportunity on how to join our growing organization, please visit the company's website, or contact Corey Caster. Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation welcomes its newest Area Production Manager to the Sacramento California market. Michael Pankow, with more than 18 years of experience in mortgage retail banking, will work alongside Greg Sandler and other members of the leadership team to co-lead and grow existing and new branches within their footprint. Michaels experience at both the street and corporate levels, will facilitate and accelerate Fairway Mortgage Corporations goal to be the number one retail mortgage banker in Sacramento and the Central Valley. Michael Pankow stated, I am incredibly happy and excited to be working with and supporting such a great group of people here in Sacramento market. Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation is the fourth largest Independent Mortgage Banker in the country and is actively looking for loan officers and branch managers who share a passion for lending and their communities. As a reminder, mortgage industry analyst, author and investment banker Christopher Whalen is now a Senior Advisor at J.V.B. Financial Group in New York, a unit of Cohen & Company (NYSE:COHN), continuing to focus on MSRs and M&A transactions with respect to banks and non-banks in the mortgage finance sector and remaining Chairman of Whalen Global Advisors. JVB Financial provides mortgage originators with innovative alternative funding solutions to finance their mortgage pipelines: Wet Funding, Construction Lending, Jumbo and Non-QM Pipeline Financing as well as Whole Loan Trading capabilities and J.V.B. has a full-service loan and securities Repo program. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday the current round up of border violence in Gaza isnt over despite the reports from Palestinian sources about a ceasefire. "Over the past two days Hamas and Islamic Jihad were struck with powerful blows We attacked more than 350 targets in Gaza, Netanyahu said. The goal was and remains to ensure the security of the residents of southern Israel. I send my condolences to the families of those killed and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded." An Israeli woman who lost her husband in a military helicopter crash 22 years ago, lost her partner of 17 years after an anti-tank missile fired by Gaza militants hit his car. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter In the latest round of cross-border fighting, which erupted over the weekend, Palestinian militants fired more than 700 rockets into Israel, killing four Israeli civilians, the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since 2014 Operation Protective Edge. Iris Eden with Moshe Feder (Photo: Courtesy) Iris Edens husband, Lieutenant Yashish Eden died in 1997 when two Israeli Air Force helicopters carrying IDF soldiers collided mid-air, killing all 73 passengers on board. On Sunday, 68-year-old Moshe Feder (whom Iris calls the second love of her life) was tragically killed as well. Its a horrible tragedy, said Iris. Me and Moshe were together for 17 happy years. For me and for my three sons he was a powerful male figure to rely on he was a wonderful father and a proud grandfather. Iris Eden (Photo: Jonathan Bloom) Life threw many obstacles my way after my husband died, and I would not have been able to overcome them without Moshe, she said. The two loves of my life both went up in flames, one in a helicopter and the other in a car. The couple met five years after the death of Iriss first husband, a reserve IAF pilot. Im not wondering Why me? Im just grateful for the wonderful years weve had together and for the memories they left me with, she said. In a 2017 interview, Iris talked about the connection Moshe had with her three children from the previous marriage. "The three boys lost a father figure and I, as a mother, never tried to take his place, and I also never looked for someone to replace him, she said. A woman can find herself another partner, but the children can never find another dad. Moshe with his children - Amit and Hadar (Photo: Courtesy of) The reason why Moshe was successful in connecting with the children is because he never attempted to take Yashishs place. Feder, a Kfar Saba resident, left behind two children of his own - Amit, 35, and Nimrod, 34. Many Muslims around the world began fasting Monday to mark the start of the holy month of Ramadan. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter This means waking up before dawn to eat, hydrate and pray. Once the sun rises, Muslims abstain from food and drink, including water, until sunset. They repeat the grueling routine every day for a month. Here are some questions and answers about Islam's holiest month and how it's observed. Palestinian woman in Gaza prays during Ramadan WHY DO MUSLIMS FAST? Fasting is meant to bring worshippers closer to God through steady remembrance, reflection and sacrifice. Daily fasting, combined with five daily prayers and extended evening prayers, challenges worshippers to focus on their actions, deeds and thoughts, rather than on material desires and instant gratification. Fasting is a requirement in Islam - a reset for the mind, body and soul. Muslims are expected to show self-control and deeper spirituality during Ramadan. It's also a month of gratitude. By abstaining from food and water during the day, the faithful are reminded of those less fortunate. Each night during Ramadan, mosques and aid organizations set up tents and tables to serve free evening meals for the poor. HOW DO MUSLIMS FAST? Muslims must abstain from all eating, drinking or smoking from dawn to dusk each day for the entire lunar month, around 30 days. A single sip of water or coffee, or a puff of a cigarette, is enough to invalidate the fast. Ramadan decorations at a street market in Jordan (Photo: EPA) Sexual intercourse is also forbidden during the daylong fast, and Muslims are encouraged to avoid gossip, arguments and idle time. To prepare for the fast, Muslims wake for a pre-dawn meal called "suhoor." Often the small meal will include vegetables and fruits, tea, yogurt, dates and power foods such as beans and lentils. In many cities in the Muslim world, volunteers wake the faithful for suhoor by marching through the streets chanting and beating drums. HOW DO MUSLIMS BREAK THEIR FAST? Muslims traditionally break their fast like the Prophet Muhammad did some 1,400 years ago, with a sip of water and some dates at sunset. After sunset prayers, a large feast known as "iftar" is shared with family and friends. Iftar is a social event as much as it is a gastronomical adventure. Across the Arab world, apricot juice is an iftar staple. In South Asia and Turkey, yogurt-based drinks are popular. CAN MUSLIMS BE EXEMPTED FROM FASTING? Children, the elderly and the ill are exempt, as well as women who are pregnant, nursing or menstruating. Travelers, including athletes taking part in tournaments away from home, are also exempt from fasting. Muslims living in countries with excessively long daylight hours are advised by religious scholars to adhere to the fasting times of the nearest Muslim-majority country. Ramadan decorations HOW DO MUSLIM-MAJORITY COUNTRIES OBSERVE RAMADAN? Many Muslim-majority countries curb the sale of alcohol during the month of Ramadan, limiting when it can be sold and to whom. In some countries, people who eat in public during the day can be fined or even jailed, although adherence to Ramadan etiquette by non-Muslims is often a personal choice and not enforced by police. In the United Arab Emirates, which has large Western expatriate populations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, restaurants use curtains to conceal customers who eat during the day. In Saudi Arabia, restaurants simply close during the day. WHAT ARE SOME RAMADAN TRADITIONS? Once the start of the holy month is declared, Muslims share holiday greetings such as "Ramadan Mubarak," or "blessed Ramadan," via text messages, calls and emails to family and friends. Another hallmark of Ramadan is nightly prayer at the mosque among Sunni Muslims called "taraweeh." Egyptians follow the tradition of the "fanoos," a Ramadan lantern that is often the centerpiece at an iftar table or seen hanging in shop windows and from balconies. Increasingly common are Ramadan tents in five-star hotels that offer lavish and pricey meals throughout the evening. While Ramadan is a boon for retailers in the Middle East and South Asia, critics say the holy month is increasingly becoming commercialized. Ramadan prayers in a mosque in Holland Scholars have also been disturbed by the proliferation of evening television shows during Ramadan. In the Arab world, monthlong soap operas rake in millions of dollars in advertising. HOW DO MUSLIMS MARK THE END OF RAMADAN? The end of Ramadan is marked by intense worship as Muslims ask to have their prayers answered during "Laylat al-Qadr" or "the Night of Destiny." Muslims believe that on this occasion, which is usually observed on the 27th day of Ramadan, God sent the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed the first verses of the Quran. After these intense nights of prayer, the end of Ramadan is met with a holiday called Eid al-Fitr. Children often receive new clothes, gifts and cash. Muslims attend early morning Eid prayers the day after Ramadan. Families typically spend the day at parks, eating in the sunshine for the first time in a month. This round of fighting ended, for the first time since the 2014 conflict with Gaza, with Israel achieving its objectives. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter This is evident by the fact that Hamas begged for a ceasefire, for a full 24 hours, before Israel agreed to one. This will be one lessoned well remembered, by the Palestinian factions. Gaza under Israeli attack (Photo: AP) The Israeli objective in this round was to reinstate Israel's deterrence in the eyes of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. It appears this objective was achieved. Hamas needed a ceasefire in place before the start of Ramadan and that, was the catalyst for an agreement, and not any Israeli need to protect the Eurovision song contest. aftermath of Israeli bombing in Raffah (Photo: AFP) Israel preserved the legitimacy of its actions in Gaza by targeting military objectives even when bombing homes of Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders. The political and military arms in Israel worked in complete unison and without leaking to the media, in stark contradiction to earlier rounds of fighting. Deterrence is a fleeting commodity. It can only be tested over time and it would be wrong to assume Israel's problems from Gaza are over, but it seems Israel's military may have weakened some of the appetite, on the part of the terrorists, to resume shelling in a matter of weeks. In this round of fighting, the IDF came prepared with a list of high-quality targets. It also had a planned schedule of escalation, to respond to the militants' actions, including attacking their cyber capabilities and hitting their attack drones. Some of IDF's actions are still under wraps. It is safe to say the IDF was in control of the pace and extent of the escalation of fighting. That gave the IDF the upper hand in dictating events. But there was also a preparedness to pinpoint targets with lethal force. Military commanders did not hesitate to hit terror leaders and their immediate surroundings. Targeted killing in Gaza (Photo: EPA) . There had been criticism of the IDF in the past, for bombing empty buildings and bases and avoiding causing fatalities. This time it appears, any restrictions the IDF may have operated under, were lifted. The fact that the Israeli air force targeted the homes of terror commanders, was also a factor in Israel's superiority, at the end of this last round. Though the commanders themselves, were underground, and their families were given ample time to escape, the homes, themselves, were considered by Israel, military targets. This was evident for Hamas and Islamic Jihad to see, and making the terrorists and their families, homeless, was considered an added bonus. Israel also changed its earlier tactic, this time around, by targeting Islamic Jihad militants regardless of how Hamas might react. The Iranian backed organization payed a heavy price, sending a clear message to its leadership. Rocket falls just meters from car X Israel on its part should have evacuated residents from border settlements, to safety. Civilian movement should have been restricted, to prevent casualties. There is no shame in these steps. Lives could have been saved. More Iron Dome batteries should have been deployed. The terrorists fired scores of rockets at once, which ensured some would make it through the defense system, resulting in direct hits and civilian casualties. Iron Dome intercepts a rocket from Gaza (Photo: AFP) And finally, it must be said that even if a deterrence has been restored, to some degree, the Gaza situation is set to blow up in our faces if it is not addressed. Hamas must be removed and replaced by a leadership focused on its people's needs and not obsessed with the destruction of Israel and this remains the ultimate objective that must be achieved. WASHINGTON -- The U.S. is dispatching an aircraft carrier and other military resources to the Middle East following "clear indications" that Iran and its proxy forces were preparing to possibly attack U.S. forces in the region, a defense official told The Associated Press. At the White House, national security adviser John Bolton said Sunday night that the U.S. is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region, an area that includes the Middle East. In a statement, he said the move was in response to "a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings," but did not provide more details. U.S. forces at sea and on land were thought to be the potential targets, and the Pentagon approved the deployments in response to those indications, according to the defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to speak publicly. The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have been operating in the Mediterranean Sea recently. Bolton's reference to the Central Command area would mean the Lincoln is headed east to the Red Sea and perhaps then to the Arabian Sea or the Persian Gulf, which would take several days. The U.S. Navy currently has no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. Israel's Supreme Court has ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow 176 Palestinians from the West Bank to enter Israel and attend a joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony in Tel Aviv this week. The court upheld an appeal on Monday against Netanyahu's refusal, as Israel's defense minister, to grant entry to Palestinians for Tuesday's event. The judges note they rejected a similar move last year to bar Palestinians from attending the Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Ceremony, which aims to "acknowledge the pain of those living on the 'other side.'" Israel's annual Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism begins Tuesday evening and is marked with mournful ceremonies and visits to cemeteries by bereaved. Last year's commemorations were marred by then-defense minister Avigdor Lieberman's dispute with the event's organizers. Netanyahu and the right are weak. It bears mentioning, because we have all been brainwashed to believe that the opposite is true. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter So I'll say it again: Netanyahu and the right are weak. The Israeli prime minister is the weak right. Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Emil Salman) No impressive baritone, nor magnificent mushroom clouds rising from bombarded buildings in Gaza, nor the raucous pronouncements of right-wing spokesmen can disguise the truth from us and the entire world: Our very own Benjamin Netanyahu is weak. No one in Gaza is afraid of him, and rightly so. When fighting terrorism, everything is psychological. When fighting terrorism, emotion and perception determine the end result, not facts. The word terror literally means great fear, and this is the secret of its power - not the ability to overcome the enemy, but the ability to sow great fear. Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar (left) and Ismail Haniyeh at a Gaza protest As such, in confronting Hamas, psychology is much more important than the disparity between army strength. Thus the organization of several thousand fighters without armor, without an air force, without intelligence capabilities and with rockets built from irrigation pipes, has managed to madden one of the strongest countries in the world for more than 10 years. There is a wonderful Arabic saying that goes something like this: "We asked for the shame, but the shame did not want us." This is what happened to Netanyahu and the weak Likud. The prime minister of Israel asked, pleaded Hamas to keep accepting the tribute that he pays the terror group every month. Gaza civl servants receive salaries from Qatari aid money in the Gaza Strip (Photo: Reuters) This tribute comes in the form of tens of millions of dollars in cash, delivered every month in suitcases from the rich uncle in Qatar to keep the Hamas regime alive. Netanyahu needed quiet in Gaza to win the elections last month, form a right-wing government that will protect him from his corruption indictments, and pass the weeks until the Eurovision Song Contest and Ramadan are over. But Hamas does not work for Netanyahu, and was only willing to go along with this routine until the elections. Hamas had a clear interest in Netanyahu being elected, and so kept quiet until that happened. But now that he has been elected, the terror group is no longer willing to play his game. A former GOC Southern Command and commander of the Gaza Division out it quite plainly: "The residents of the south have complaints, but 90 percent voted for the same government that did nothing for them for 11 years, so don't gripe about the situation in the Gaza border communities. Say how happy you are, including during the current round of violence," Dr. Yom-Tov Samia, a fierce fighter and general who knows the Gaza Strip and its residents like the back of his hand, said Saturday in an interview with Ynet. Residents of Gaza border communuties protest at the Knesset over the truce deal with Hamas (Photo: Amit Shabi) Samia outlined what he would have done, and they are precisely the steps Netanyahu will never take - instructing the IDF to root out Hamas from Gaza and return it to Palestinian Authority control. But Netanyahu, like all the weak right, wants to deepen the split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Why? So that he can continue claiming that there is no one on the Palestinian side to talk to, thereby avoiding any peace arrangement that would require the return of territories and the evacuation of settlements. Netanyahu is trying to undermine the Palestinian Authority, which both strengthens and emboldens Hamas. But whoever lays down with Hamas cannot weep when he gets up with wounded and dead Israelis in the south. L-R: Rocket victims Moshe Feder, Pinchas Menachem Prezuazman, Ziad Alhamamda and Moshe Agadi I do not think Netanyahu is really a coward. He is a brave and determined man. But he is afraid of a ground conflict with Hamas almost as much as he fears a prison sentence. Why? Because after we allowed Hamas to grow and entrench itself for more than a decade, the cost of ousting it from the Gaza Strip once and for all could be hundreds of dead soldiers. IDF troops on the Gaza border (Photo: Reuters) These soldiers are our children, and Netanyahu knows that in Israel, even after wars in which they are victorious, the prime minister is replaced. That's what happened to Golda and Begin and Olmert, and that's what might happen to him when his base turns its back on him. When confronted with his inaction, Netanyahu says: "What do you want from me? The army is reluctant to enter into a ground battle, and they tell me to improve the conditions in Gaza so that the Gazans have something to lose, and that's what I do." But that's just spin, not to mention a lie. When there is calm in Gaza, Netanyahu does not take initiative to really improves the situation there. Instead, he leaves it the Qatari uncle, while he focuses on weakening the PA as much as he can and dragging his feet on every initiative aimed at bringing about real economic change in the Strip. For Netanyahu, like all the weak right, has no strategy other than to do nothing and hope nothing comes of anything. I don't know what Netanyahu will decide to do next, but I know what he won't do. The man who made the phrase "We will topple the Hamas regime" into his own personal slogan will never actually do it. After a few rounds of fire and mushroom clouds, his hand will keep feeding the organization that has been biting him - and us - for more than ten years. Netanyahu and the right are weak against Hamas. A video showing children speaking in Arabic about sacrifice and chopping off heads wasn't vetted before being posted on the Facebook page for the Muslim American Society's Philadelphia chapter, and it does not represent their values, the executive director of the national group said Sunday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Executive Director Ayman Hammous said the Muslim American Society learned of the content of the video after the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) posted a translation Friday. The society issued a statement calling the video "disturbing" and condemning the words used in it. Youngsters at Muslim American Society Islamic Center In the two-minute video from an April event, two young girls are shown reading. One says, "We will sacrifice our souls without hesitation, we will chop off their heads" and liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Children recite hateful lyrics Tensions erupted in late February over Israel's closure of one of the gates at the flashpoint Jerusalem holy site , revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The walled compound, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the golden Dome of the Rock, the holiest site of Judaism and the third-holiest site in Islam. The video also shows children gesticulating to a song known as the "revolutionaries' anthem," often played by Islamist groups. The song says "those who do not accept oppression should assert themselves" and "the path to Al-Aqsa calls us." Hammous emphasized that the Muslim American Society has no organizational link to international groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist movement whose supporters sometimes advocate for violence. The Philadelphia chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Anti-Defamation League also condemned the words used in the video. Iftekhar Hussain, chairman of the council chapter, said Islamic tradition "categorically rejects either speech or actions that harm in any way our Jewish brothers and sisters." The school that organized last month's event is a separate entity that rents space, Hammous said. He said he couldn't immediately recall the school's name, referring to it as a local leaders' academy. The Muslim American Society asked the school board to dismiss the person in charge of the program, which it did, Hammous said. He said he's "evaluating" the leadership of the Philadelphia chapter because they failed to provide proper oversight, but could not say yet whether anyone would be removed. Hammous said he's also reviewing the organization's social media policies, which the posting of the video violated, and bolstering training in Philadelphia. Future events at the Philadelphia chapter will have strict oversight by the Muslim American Society, even when they're organized by another entity, he added. The IDF will impose a general curfew on the West Bank beginning Monday night ahead of the national holidays of Memorial and Independence Day this week. The closure also applies to the Gaza crossings. Only medical and humanitarian cases will be allowed through checkpoints. The curfew is set to end at midnight on Thursday. The U.S. is dispatching an aircraft carrier and other military resources to the Middle East following "clear indications" that Iran and its proxy forces were preparing to possibly attack U.S. forces in the region, a defense official told The Associated Press. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter At the White House, national security adviser John Bolton said Sunday night that the U.S. is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region, an area that includes the Middle East. In a statement, he said the move was in response to "a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings," but did not provide more details. A fighter jet lands on the USS Abraham Lincoln The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have been operating in the Mediterranean Sea recently. Bolton's reference to the Central Command area would mean the Lincoln is headed east to the Red Sea and perhaps then to the Arabian Sea or the Persian Gulf, which would take several days. The U.S. Navy currently has no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. John Bolton Bolton said the U.S. wants to send a message that "unrelenting force" will meet any attack on U.S. interests or those of its allies. "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces," he said. Along with the Lincoln, Bolton mentioned "a bomber task force," which suggested the Pentagon is deploying land-based bomber aircraft somewhere in the region, perhaps on the Arabian Peninsula. F/A 18 Superhornets flying over the USS Abraham Lincoln Speaking to reporters while flying to Europe, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the actions undertaken by the U.S. had been in the works for a little while. "It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests," Pompeo said. "If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that." Asked about "escalatory actions," Pompeo replied, "I don't want to talk about what underlays it, but make no mistake, we have good reason to want to communicate clearly about how the Iranians should understand how we will respond to actions they may take." Asked if the Iranian action were related to the deadly events in Gaza and Israel -- militants fired rockets into Israel on Sunday and Israel responded with airstrikes -- Pompeo said, "It is separate from that." Navy shore crew hauls in lines of the USS Abraham Lincoln at Norfolk VA The Trump administration has been intensifying a pressure campaign against Iran. Last month, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will no longer exempt any countries from U.S. sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, a decision that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and U.S. treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey. The U.S. also recently designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group, the first ever for an entire division of another government. Trump withdrew from the Obama administration's landmark nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and in the months that followed, reimposed punishing sanctions including those targeting Iran's oil, shipping and banking sectors. Bolton and Pompeo have in recent months spoken stridently about Iran and its malign activities in the region. Iran will on Wednesday announce "reciprocal actions" on the one-year anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from world powers' 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Monday, quoting knowledgeable sources. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The Islamic Republic itself is not planning to pull out of the landmark nuclear agreement, the report noted, without spelling out what action Tehran intended to take. Iranian FM Zarif (Photo: Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. pullout on May 8 last year and subsequently reimposed tough sanctions on Iran, including on its lifeblood oil exports with the stated intent of reducing them to zero and starving Iran's economy. Trump, who was not in office when the nuclear deal was negotiated, said it was flawed in Iran's favor for doing nothing to curb its ballistic missile program or its support of proxy forces in several Middle East wars. Iran has said its development of ballistic missiles has nothing to do with its nuclear activity and is wholly defensive in nature, and that its support for allies around the Middle East is not Washington's business. Revolutionary Guard (Photo: AFP) Under the 2015 deal, Iran restricted the capacity of its uranium enrichment program - widely seen as a route to developing a nuclear weapon - in exchange for a lifting of most international sanctions. U.N. nuclear inspectors have repeatedly verified Iranian compliance with the accord. The other signatories to the deal - European powers Germany, France and Britain - and Russia and China remain committed to it. The EU has been looking into ways of preserving its economic benefits that Iran says must stay or it could abandon the deal. The Trump administration is now deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling indications and warnings from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with unrelenting force to any attack, U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday. USS Abraham Lincoln Bolton - who has spearheaded an increasingly hawkish U.S. policy on Iran - said the decision, which could exacerbate tensions between the two countries, was meant to send a clear and unmistakable message of U.S. resolve to Tehran. Though he cited no specific Iranian activities that have raised new concerns, Iran has recently warned it would block the Strait of Hormuz if it was barred from using the strategic waterway. About a fifth of the oil consumed globally passes through the strait. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also issued a warning to the Islamic Republic on Sunday. It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests Pompeo told reporters aboard a flight en route to an Arctic Council meeting in Finland. If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that. AT FAR LEFT, Gogebic County Circuit Court Judge Michael Pope continues to hold his arm up after shooting his starter gun for the fourth annual DOVE Color Run/Walk around Wakefield's Sunday Lake on Saturday morning. Standing to the right of Pope is announcer Luke Penrose, while a couple of "Star Wars" characters stand between them amidst the crowd. By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - The fourth annual DOVE Color Run/Walk had a sunny, warm welcome with Saturday temperatures that grew from the 50s to nearly 70 degrees. "It's just awesome," said Jeanine Winkowski, executive director of Domestic Violence Escape, Inc., a women's shelter in Ironwood. The fundraiser, which was based at Wakefield's VFW Post 9084, featured untimed runs or walks around Sunday Lake, as well as prizes, a 50/50 raffle and a pancake breakfast. The event lived up to its name in that participants were given packets of nontoxic colored powders that th... Expert Advice with Tyron Hyde In this months QS corner - The Tax Man has a warning At this time of year it seems the Australian Taxation Offices Public Relations team issues a statement warning property investors to get there affairs in order. Im sure many people normally shrug these warnings off - but this year it seems different. This year, the ATO is ramping up its enforcement activities and will undertake 4,500 audits of taxpayers it considers to be "high risk." Investors who overclaim or don't declare income relating to rental properties will be targeted. The ATO says it recently completed investigations of 300 rental property claims and found errors in almost nine out of 10. I find this quantum quite staggering. The Assistant Commissioner of Taxation, Adam Kendrick, has stated In the past we have not had a really big presence around rentals, but we are really ramping it up now. The timing would make sense to me due to the significant changes to tax deductions relating to property investors. With the recent overhaul in relation to the deductions available on previously used plant and equipment and the reduction in travel allowances, the ATOs timing is impeccable! Now would be a good time to get a professionally prepared depreciation schedule by a reputable firm. Health News Washington, DC - A recently recognized brain disorder that mimics clinical features of Alzheimers disease has for the first time been defined with recommended diagnostic criteria and other guidelines for advancing and catalyzing future research. Scientists from several National Institutes of Health-funded institutions, in collaboration with international peers, described the newly-named pathway to dementia, Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy, or LATE, in a report published on April 30, 2019, in the journal Brain. While weve certainly been making advances in Alzheimers disease research such as new biomarker and genetic discoverieswe are still at times asking, When is Alzheimers disease not Alzheimers disease in older adults? said Richard J. Hodes, M.D., director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the NIH. The guidance provided in this report, including the definition of LATE, is a crucial step toward increasing awareness and advancing research for both this disease and Alzheimers as well. Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia, which is the loss of cognitive functions thinking, remembering, and reasoning and every-day behavioral abilities. In the past, Alzheimers and dementia were often considered to be the same. Now there is rising appreciation that a variety of diseases and disease processes contribute to dementia. Each of these diseases appear differently when a brain sample is examined at autopsy. However, it has been increasingly clear that in advanced age, a large number of people had symptoms of dementia without the telltale signs in their brain at autopsy. Emerging research seems to indicate that the protein TDP-43 though not a stand-alone explanation contributes to that phenomenon. What is TDP-43? TDP-43 (transactive response DNA binding protein of 43 kDa) is a protein that normally helps to regulate gene expression in the brain and other tissues. Prior studies found that unusually misfolded TDP-43 has a causative role in most cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. However, these are relatively uncommon diseases. A significant new development seen in recent research is that misfolded TDP-43 protein is very common in older adults. Roughly 25 percent of individuals over 85 years of age have enough misfolded TDP-43 protein to affect their memory and/or thinking abilities. TDP-43 pathology is also commonly associated with hippocampal sclerosis, the severe shrinkage of the hippocampal region of the brainthe part of the brain that deals with learning and memory. Hippocampal sclerosis and its clinical symptoms of cognitive impairment can be very similar to the effects of Alzheimers. Recent research and clinical trials in Alzheimers disease have taught us two things: First, not all of the people we thought had Alzheimers have it; second, it is very important to understand the other contributors to dementia, said Nina Silverberg, Ph.D., director of the Alzheimer's Disease Centers Program at NIA. In the past many people who enrolled in clinical trials likely were not positive for amyloid. Noting the trend in research implicating TDP-43 as a possible Alzheimers mimic, a group of experts convened a workshop to provide a starting point for further research that will advance our understanding of another contributor to late life brain changes, Silverberg explained. In addition to U.S. scientists, experts included researchers from Australia, Austria, Sweden, Japan, and the United Kingdom with expertise in clinical diagnosis, neuropathology, genetics, neuropsychology and brain imaging. Supported by NIA, the workshop was held Oct. 17 and 18, 2018, in Atlanta, and co-chaired by Dr. Silverberg and Peter Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, the lead author on the paper. As published in the report, outcomes included classification guidelines for diagnosis and staging of LATE as well as recommendations for future research directions. LATE: A new research priority The authors wrote that LATE is an under-recognized condition with a very large impact on public health. They emphasized that the oldest-old are at greatest risk and importantly, they believe that the public health impact of LATE is at least as large as Alzheimers in this group. The clinical and neurocognitive features of LATE affect multiple areas of cognition, ultimately impairing activities of daily life. Additionally, based on existing research, the authors suggested that LATE progresses more gradually than Alzheimers. However, LATE combined with Alzheimerswhich is common for these two highly prevalent brain diseasesappears to cause a more rapid decline than either would alone. It is important to note that the disease itself is not new. LATE has been there all along, but we hope this report will enable more rapid advancement in research to help us better understand the causes and open new opportunities for treatment, said Dr. Silverberg. LATE and TDP-43 also were featured as emerging scientific topics at the recent Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias Summit 2019, at which presenters foreshadowed research priorities covered in the Brain report. Laying groundwork for LATE A key recommendation was for routine autopsy evaluation and classification of LATE. The researchers suggest the autopsy diagnosis be in three stages, according to where in the brain TDP-43 is detected: Stage 1: amygdala only Stage 2: amygdala and hippocampus Stage 3: amygdala, hippocampus and middle frontal gyrus Additional recommendations include highlighting the great need for the development of biomarkers, further pathological studies, and the generation of new animal models. Suggestions were provided for possible strategies to help guide future therapeutic interventions, including the importance of removing subjects with LATE from other clinical trials, which could significantly improve the chances of successful Alzheimers breakthroughs. The researchers also discussed the importance of more epidemiological, clinical, neuroimaging and genetic studies to better characterize LATE, and the need for research in diverse populations. It cant be emphasized enough that this research wouldnt have gotten this far and cant go further without those who are willing to donate brain tissue after death, said Dr. Hodes. We are grateful for organ donors and their families, as well as all clinical trial participants, who truly are crucial to furthering discoveries that can lead to treatments and cures. Today A few passing clouds. Low 48F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low 48F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tomorrow Mostly cloudy. High 66F. Winds light and variable. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. New Delhi: He may be the newest action star in Bollywood but Tiger Shroff says his latest film "Student of the Year 2" was a breather from the death-defying stunts routine of his past films. The actor, who is looking to recreate the success of his last release, "Baaghi 2" in the "SOTY 2", said playing Rohan, a regular college boy in the film, "humanised" him. "This is the most different film I've ever done till date. It's a different world, it's a different me. Working on this one was like being stripped off of my powers. So, if someone will punch me, I'll bleed. "I like the fact that the film has humanised me. He's a normal college going boy, he is not a one-man army. He's not someone who is fighting for the nation or saving someone. He is sort of saving himself. It was refreshing," Tiger told PTI in an interview. The 29-year-old actor described his character as a happy-go-lucky person, who cares a lot for his friends. "There comes a time in the film when he decides to put himself ahead and follows his dreams... 'You bully me or pick on me', but that doesn't mean he'll not bite back eventually," he added. Tiger was at the centre of social media memes and trolls frenzy the day the film's trailer dropped. The movie also features debutantes Ananya Pandey and Tara Sutaria. Asked about handling criticism, the actor said, "I've been getting trolls and memes since my first film released. It means nothing to me. But I guess, any sort of PR is good PR." After "SOTY 2", he will return to his action avatar as he gets ready for the upcoming action film "Baaghi 3" and an untitled project with Hrithik Roshan. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the movie also stars Vaani Kapoor. Tiger told PTI that the movie, which is a Yash Raj Films production, will hit the theatres in October, whereas "Baaghi 3" is likely to debut in February 2020. Directed by Punit Malhotra, "SOTY 2" is slated to be released Friday. New Delhi: Ola Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd (Ola Electric) on Monday announced that Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, has invested in the company as part of its Series A round of funding. Tata is also an early investor in ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd, Olas parent company. His investment in Ola Electric will bring his deep experience and mentorship to the companys ambitions to make electric mobility viable at scale, the company said in a statement. Ola Electric is currently running several pilots involving charging solutions, battery swapping stations, and deploying vehicles across two, three and four-wheeler segments, the company said. Ratan Tata, said, The electric vehicle ecosystem is evolving dramatically every day, and I believe Ola Electric will play a key role in its growth and development. I have always admired the vision of Bhavish Aggarwal and Im confident that this will be part of yet another important strategic move into this new business area. Tata has been an inspiration and a mentor to me personally in shaping Olas journey over the years. Im very excited to welcome him on board Ola Electric as an investor and a mentor in our mission of building sustainable mobility for everyone on our planet. He is a visionary who has inspired a generation of entrepreneurs and we are privileged to have his guidance and support once again, as we work towards our goal of a million electric vehicles in India by 2021, Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-founder & CEO, Ola said. Ola Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd raised a sum of Rs 400 crores led by several of Olas early investors, Tiger Global and Matrix India and others, as part of its first round of investment. The company was initially established to enable Olas electric mobility pilot program in Nagpur. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) Malacanang on Monday said authorities will investigate reports that some Chinese-run restaurants allegedly refuse Filipino customers. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, in his media briefing, said the Palace will ask the Labor Department to verify complaints against supposed exclusive Chinese businesses. We have to investigate first to the truth of the report. We will ask (Labor) Secretary (Silvestre) Bello to conduct an investigation on the same, Panelo told reporters. This comes amid Senator Panfilo Lacsons call urging government agencies to shut down establishments exclusive to Chinese nationals. We have to investigate that if that is true. We cannot allow that to happen. They cannot be discriminating against Filipinos, Panelo added. It's a public business, therefore it should cater to all. He said Filipinos having gone through this experience can file a complaint with the concerned local government unit. The better step or thing to do is to file a complaint. You engage the owner or force yourself ay you will only trigger a fight, Panelo said. Some residents of Boracay, Aklan have called for action against Chinese-run businesses which they said prioritize their nationals and only post signages in Chinese. The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force earlier said authorities will look into the permits and licenses of such establishments. READ: Chinese nationals top ordinance violators in Boracay officials New Delhi: The Air Force on Monday paid rich tributes to five bravehearts to fly fighter planes during World War One. The five pilots - Lt HS Malik, Lt Indra Lal Roy DFC, 2nd Lt SG Welingkar, Lt ESC Sen, Lt Naoroji - were the first and only Indians to fly with Royal Flying Corps. Hailed as the 'Magnificent Five', these heroic pilots set a high benchmark and played contributed in a big way in World War One. They were the only Indians to fly with the Royal Flying Corps. One became the first Indian to be awarded the 'DFC', three laid down their lives in action. Lt HS Malik, Lt Indra Lal Roy DFC, 2nd Lt SG Welingkar, Lt ESC Sen, Lt Naoroji: they truly were the 'Magnificent Five'. pic.twitter.com/3XUrOdyU18 Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) May 6, 2019 At a time when India was still under colonial rule and Indians were mostly looked down upon, these flying warriors set the path for generations of fighter pilots in the country. They also received numerous bravery awards and medals for their skill and valour. Among them, Lt Indra Lal Roy laid down his life and attained martyrdom in 1918 while engaged in a dogfight with the enemy. Their achievements remain a source of inspiration for current and future generations of Indian Air Force pilots and ground personnel. Dehradun: The Char Dham pilgrimage will begin on Tuesday with Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines in Uttarakhand being opened to the public on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. The doors of Kedarnath will open on Thursday, followed by those of Badrinath a day later. The Gangotri shrine will open at 11.30 am on Tuesday and the Yamunotri at 1.15 pm. The idol of goddess Ganga has been moved out of her winter abode in Mukhba to be reinstalled at her original abode in Gangotri, Gangotri Mandir Samiti president Suresh Semwal said. The idol of goddess Yamuna will leave Kharsali for the Yamunotri shrine on Tuesday morning, Yamunotri temple commitee president Kriteshwar Uniyal said. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said the government would ensure the pilgrims' safety. "With the opening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri temples on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya tomorrow, the char dham yatra will begin. Uttarakhand is ready to welcome the yatris. We will ensure their convenience and safety," Rawat said in a statement. Tourism secretary Dilip Jawalkar said despite heavy snowfall in Kedarnath, efforts were being made on a war footing to put in place all arrangements before pilgrims begin arriving at the shrine. Around 3000 pilgrims can stay in Kedarnath together, Jawalkar said. Char Dham pilgrimage, which attracts devotees from across the country and world, is considered the backbone of the economy of Garhwal Himalayas, where it is the main source of people's livelihood. The portals of the four Himalayan shrines in Uttarkhand are closed in October-November every year because of being snow and are reopened in April-May. New Delhi: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on Monday said that he will donate his year's salary to help victims of Cyclone Fani that hit the state last week. Patnaik said that his salary for the entire year would be given to the CM's Relief Fund. Odisha bore the brunt of Cyclone Fani that hit the eastern coastline of the country last week. At least 34 people were killed and hundreds injured in the state after the cyclone made landfall on Friday. The extremely severe cyclonic storm unleashed copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 200 kmph, blowing away thatched roofs of houses, swamping towns and villages in Odisha. There has been massive damage to property and the cost is currently in the process of being estimated. The state machinery reportedly worked overtime to ensure that the death toll is kept to a minimum. Lakhs of people were evacuated to safer locations even as teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Odisha State Disaster Management Authority - along with Indian Navy and Coast Guard - continue to work round the clock to provide relief. PM Narendra Modi too is learned to have kept a close watch on the situation, assuring Odisha government of assistance. On Monday, he said that while Rs 381 crore had been issued for relief work previously, an additional Rs 1000 crore will be given as well. He also praised CM Patnaik for his efforts in trying to limit damage to life and property. "Naveen babu did good planning. The Government of India will be with him in carrying forward the work," he said as he toured some of the cyclone-affected districts in the state. Help has been pouring in for Odisha from across the country with millions of people helping with financial aid as well as with relief materials. A number of CMs and political parties too have announced monetary assistance for Odisha. ICSE Class 10 result, ISC Class 12 result 2019: The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will announce the ICSE Class 10 and ISC Class 12 results 2019 on Tuesday. The results will be announced at 3 pm on the board's official website cisce.org. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) on its website said: "The Results for the ICSE & ISC 2019 Examinations will be declared on Tuesday, 7th May 2019 at 3:00 PM." Along with the official website, the results of the ICSE Class 10 and ISC Class 2019 examinations will also be made available through the CAREERS portal of the Council and through SMS. The schools can access the results by logging into the CAREERS Portal of the Council using the Principal's login ID and password. Steps to be followed for accessing results: 1 Login to the CAREERS portal, click on the tile 'Examination System'. 2 On the Menu Bar click on 'ICSE' for accessing the ICSE 2019 Examination Results or on 'ISC' for accessing the ISC 2019 Examination Results. 3 From ICSE/ISC menu, click on 'Reports'. 4 Click on 'Result Tabulation' to View/Print the School's Result Tabulation. 5 You may also click on the 'Comparison Table' to View/Print the same. In case of any doubt, the schools can contact the CISCE helpdesk at ciscehelpdeskorioninc.com or call 022-67226106. Individual candidates can access the results by logging into the Council's website - cisce.orq or results.cisce.orq Here's how to access the results: 1 Log on to the Council's website, click on the link 'Results 2019'. 2 For accessing the ICSE / ISC 2019 Examination results, a candidate may select ISC or ICSE, as applicable, from the Course option. 3 For accessing the ICSE 2019 Examination Results, the candidate needs to enter his/her Unique ID, index No. and CAPTCHA as shown on the screen. 4 For accessing the ISC 2019 Examination Results, the candidate needs to enter his/her Unique ID, Index No. and CAPTCHA as shown on the screen. 5 Follow the instructions as provided on the results web page. Candidate can also check their results via SMS. 1. To receive the ICSE 2019 Examination Results through SMS, the candidate needs to type his/her Unique ID in the following way, in the 'New Message' box: ICSE 1234567 (Seven Digit Unique ID) 2. Similarly, to receive the ISC 2019 results, the candidate needs to enter his/her Unique ID in the following way in the 'New Message' box: ISC 1234567 (Seven Digit Unique ID) 3. Send the message to the number: 09248082883 4. The result will be displayed in the following format: SHASHANK TIWARI ENG-98, HIN-87, HCG-95, MAT-98, SCI-90, CTA-100, SUPW-A, PCA Live TV The candidates can apply for rechecking directly through the Council's website cisce.orq. In addition, the provision of applying for a recheck of the results by the Head of the School through the CAREERS Portal is also available. The online module for submitting the request for a recheck of the results will remain open for ONLY SEVEN DAYS from the day of the declaration of the results. (From 7th May 2019 till 13th May 2019). The results can also be accessed on DigiLocker. The Council shall make the digitally signed copies of the Statement of Marks and Pass Certificate available for the candidates taking the ICSE and ISC Examinations through the DigiLocker facility established by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), Government of India. In addition, candidates taking the ISC Examination will also be provided with digitally signed copies of the Migration Certificate. The digitally signed documents shall be available after 48 hours of the Publication of Results through the DigiLocker. To sign up for DigiLocker (digilocker.gov.in), all you need is a mobile number. The mobile number will be authenticated by sending an OTP (one-time password) followed by selecting a username and password. This will create the DigiLocker account. After the DigiLocker account is successfully created, one can download the digitally signed documents issued by the CISCE. NEW DELHI: In a major boost for the underwater capability of the Indian Navy, INS Vela, a Scorpene class submarine, is set to be rolled out on Monday. Navy officials said that Secretary (Defence Production) will launch the submarine for further trials at Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL) on Monday. It is to be noted that INS Vela is the fourth of the six Scorpene submarine that has completed its out fittings at MDL. The two other submarines in the country`s Scorpene Submarine programme are Vagir and Vagsheer and they are currently in the advanced stages of manufacturing at MDL. In 2005, French firm DCNS had signed a contract with MDL under Indian Navy`s Project-75 for the supply of six submarines. The first submarine INS Kalvari was commissioned in December last year while INS Khanderi and INS Karanj are in the advanced stages to join the fleet of Indian Navy. Experts maintain that at least 24 submarines are required by Indian Navy to meet the 30 year submarine building plan, which was approved in 1999 by then Cabinet Committee on Security. It is to be noted that the plan was approved after Kargil war. The Scorpene submarines are capable of undertaking different types of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and area surveillance. These submarines are capable of operating in all theatres and they are equipped to ensure interoperability with other components of Navy. (with ANI inputs) NEW DELHI: An in-house Supreme Court panel on Monday dismissed the allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi levelled by a former woman employee of the apex court. The SC committee had submitted its report dated 5 May to the CJI. The committee has found no substance in the allegations made against the CJI. It has also been held that since the report is part of a committee constituted as per the in-house procedure, it is not liable to be made public. The CJI had last week appeared before the in-house inquiry committee over the allegations against him making it the first time in history of Indian judiciary that a CJI appeared before a committee over allegations of sexual harassment, the source said. "A letter of request was issued to the Chief Justice of India asking him to meet the committee and he responded it and he met the committee on this issue," the source told PTI. Live TV The in-house inquiry committee looking into the allegations was headed by Justice SA Bobde, who is the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court after the CJI, and two other women judges of the apex court - justices Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee. The woman, who levelled the allegations, had walked out of the inquiry committee last week, raising objections over various issues, including denial of her lawyer's presence. HYDERABAD: Slamming Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao over the alleged goof-up in the intermediate exam results, the opposition parties in the state have decided to stage a protest on Saturday over the matter. It is learnt that affected students and their parents will also join the opposition during the anti-government protest. CPI State Secretary Chada Venkat Reddy told media on Sunday that the government must be held responsible for the injustice meted out to students of the state. "It's been more than 18 days since the results goof-up took place and still the government is not responding to the issue in a proper way. The TRS government did not even assure anything to the families whose children committed suicide and neither got the guilty officers arrested who are behind this," ANI quoted Reddy as saying. Live TV Telangana Janasamathi state President Kodandaram also echoed similar feelings and demanded that the government must accept the demand of affected students and re-evaluate all the answer sheets. He added that officials who are responsible for the goof-up must face strict action and Education Minister Jagadeeshwar Reddy should be suspended. Reddy said that families whose children committed suicide due to the bungle must be given ex gratia by TRS government. TPCC state main secretary MLG Vinod Reddy said, "We are demanding interrogation on government for giving a contract of Rs 4.34 crores to Global arena while last year intermediate exams conducting contract was given for only Rs 74 lakhs." It is to be noted that over three lakh students failed in the intermediate exams conducted by the BIE in Telangana. The announcement of the results sparked massive protests across the state with students and parents alleging discrepancies in the evaluation process. (with ANI inputs) New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday said no coercive action will be taken against German auto major Volkswagen against whom the National Green Tribunal has imposed a fine of Rs 500 crore for damaging the environment through use of "cheat device" in its diesel cars in India. A bench headed by Justice S A Bobde virtually stayed the imposition of fine for the time being against the multinational automobile company. The apex green tribunal had on March 7 slapped a fine of Rs 500 crore on Volkswagen and directed the car maker to deposit the amount within two months. The green panel on November 16, 2018 had said use of 'cheat device' by Volkswagen in diesel cars in India led to the inference of environmental damage and had directed it to deposit an interim amount of Rs 100 crore with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). New Delhi: As two constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh and Anantnag go to polling in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha election on Monday, sporadic violence was reported from several parts of Kashmir in the wee hours today. Violence was reported in Shopian and Pulwama districts in Jammu and Kashmir. Zee News quoting a source said that some stone-pelting youths clashed with security forces and reportedly damaged and torched some vehicles carrying the poll staff. However, there was no official confirmation on the poll staff suffering any injury. Following the incident, at least 38 election officials were lifted from Shopian. According to polling officials, mob damaged as many as 23 vehicles carrying poll staff to Tral town in Pulwama. In Pulwama, an unruly mob attacked and pelted stones on the security forces. Both Pulwama and Shopian are parts of Anantnag where the voting for the last leg of the three-phase election is underway. According to PTI, the Election Commission has set up 450 and 245 polling stations in Pulwama and Shopian, respectively. The Election Commission has curtailed the polling duration for Anantnag constituency by two hours till 4 pm, following a request from the state police. Peoples Democratic Party president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, Congress state president Ghulam Ahmad Mir, former Jammu and Kashmir High Court judge and National Conference candidate Hasnain Masood, BJP's Sofi Yousuf and Zaffar Ali of the People's Conference are among the 18 candidates in fray from the seat. The results of the Kerala Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) Class 10 board examination are likely to be released at 2 pm on Monday, May 6. The Kerala SSLC results 2019 once released will be available on the Kerala Board of Secondary Education's (KBSE) official website Dhsekerala.gov.in, Kerala.gov.in and Keralaresults.nic.in. The Kerala government education department had on Sunday said that Education Minister C Raveendranath will hold a press conference at 2 pm in Thiruvananthapuram to announce the details of the results. Live TV The Kerala SSLC Class 10 board exams were held from March 13 to 28. Over 4.35 lakh students across 2,923 centres in the state had appeared for the exam. Nine centres each in Lakshadweep and Gulf countries had also been set up for the students to take the Kerala SSLC Class 10 board exams. The Kerala government had set up 54 centralised camps for the valuation of the answer sheets of the Kerala SSLC Class 10 board exams. The evaluation process had started on April 5 and ended on May 2. Here is how to check Kerala SSLC Class 10 Result 2019 1. Log on to official websites of the Kerala Board of Secondary Education (KBSE) at dhsekerala.gov.in, kerala.gov.in 2. Fill the required details like the hall number, roll number as required and click submit. 3. The Kerala SSLC Class 10 board marsheet will appear on the screen. 4. Download the result and the marksheet and keep a print-out for future use How to get the Kerala SSLC Result 2019 via SMS Students should send an SMS writing [KERALA10REGISTRATION NUMBER] and send it to 56263. Among the total number of students who appeared for the Kerala SSLC Class 10 board exams, 2,12,615 were girls. New Delhi: 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. Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday cast his vote at a polling booth in Lucknow, nearly half-an-hour after voting began in the fifth phase of ongoing Lok Sabha election 2019. In Lucknow, Singh is up against Samajwadi Party candidate Poonam Sinha, who is the wife of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha. After casting his vote, Singh posed for the cameras and showed his inked finger. "I can't predict anything," said the Union Minister when media asked him about the outcome of the Lok Sabha election. Live TV "I leave the decision to the voters in Lucknow. The people have the full right to choose who they want... In any case, Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi will become PM again," he added. It is to be noted that Singh is seeking re-election from Lucknow. The seat is widely regarded as a stronghold of the BJP as it has been with the saffron party since 1991. BJP's Atal Bihari Vajpayee held Lucknow Lok Sabha seat from 1991 to 2009. Singh, who won from Ghaziabad in 2004 Lok Sabha, contested from Lucknow in 2014 for the first time and defeated Congress' Rita Bahuguna Joshi by a margin of over 2 lakh votes. Voting for the fifth phase started at 7 AM in 51 seats across 7 states on Monday. The states where voting will be held on Monday are - Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. A total of 8.75 crore voters will decide the fate of 674 candidates in the fifth phase. Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted requesting all those voting in the fifth phase to exercise their franchise in large numbers. PM Modi said that a vote is the most effective way to strengthen democracy and build a better future of the country. In his tweet, the prime minister once again appealed the young voters to cast their votes in record numbers. NEW DELHI: Congress on Sunday demanded that Election Commission must take action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for violating Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by calling late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi 'Bhrashtachari number 1' (Corrupt number 1). On Saturday, while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh PM Modi had launched a direct attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi by saying that his father Rajiv Gandhi died as 'Bhrashtachari number 1'. "Your father was termed `Mr Clean` by his courtiers, but his life ended as `Bhrashtachari No 1,` PM Modi had said. Reacting to PM's statement,Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee on Sunday wrote a letter to the EC, saying, "The statement by Prime Minister is not only the violation of Model Code of Conduct but also an insult of Bharat Ratna awardee martyr. Hence, we appeal the EC to take action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by barring him from speaking at public rallies." Live TV PM Modi made the remarks in reference to Bofors scam, in which Rajiv Gandhi was accused of receiving kickbacks from Swedish company Bofors for the sale of artillery guns to India. Modi's remark has been criticised by leaders across different political parties. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she was shocked at the "the audacity of such a statement". "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," she said. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav also attacked PM Modi saying, "Election or not, this is basic humanity" to respect the martyred. The statement by the PM indicates levels to which people can stoop for the sake of clinging to power". Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also criticised PM Modi. She said "Rajiv Gandhi lost his life serving our country. He was a true patriot who certainly doesn't need a certificate from those who lynch in the name of religion". New Delhi: A Congress delegation on Monday met with Election Commission of India officials and demanded action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent remarks on former PM Rajiv Gandhi. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who was part of the Congress delegation, said that PM Modi had stopped to a new low and that he should be penalised for his remarks on Rajiv Gandhi. "PM Modi's language is so derogatory that to even repeat it does not seem correct. We have registered a complaint against him with the Election Commission and want action against him," he said. "There are barely 14 days left for the election and therefore, we have asked for immediate action." BJP and Congress have been exchanging fiery accusations throughout the course of Lok Sabha election 2019. Recently, PM Modi at a rally called Rajiv Gandhi as 'Brashtachari (Corrupt) No. 1'. It prompted a scathing attack from several Congress leaders who said it was deplorable for the current PM to speak ill of a former PM who gave his life for the country. Rahul Gandhi, the Congress president and son of Rajiv Gandhi, tweeted in reaction to the remark. "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," he wrote on the micro-blogging site. While Congress has now approached EC against the said remark, this is not the first time that a complaint has been lodged by them against PM Modi. Congress has previously charged PM Modi for violating the Model Code of Conduct during his different electoral rallies although the EC has given clean chits to him so far. Shopian/Pulwama: Deserted roads leading to polling booths and overbearing presence of security forces were dominant scenes on Monday in Pulwama and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir where voting ended for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat with only three per cent of the electorate exercising their franchise and over 25 per cent polling stations not recording any vote. At some places people were seen in groups discussing the security situation and the elections and they were quite vocal about their non-participation in the political process. Pulwama and Shopian, which form part of South Kashmir, have seen maximum number of encounters last year as well as this year. The number of terrorists killed in encounters in 2018 was above 80 and it stands at 40 as of now this year. Officials at several polling stations were idling around, while security forces maintained a vigil against possible disruption by miscreants or an attack by terrorists, who could have surprised in view of thick vegetation and apple trees dotting the area. Not a single vote was cast in 320 of the 1,250 polling booths in the two districts, they said. Giving details, they said that Pulwama recorded a polling percentage of 0.8 per cent as only 652 out of 84,775 people cast their ballots. In neighbouring Rajpora assembly seat, 1.6 per cent polling was recorded at the end of the day. Tral, which has also been witness to numerous encounters, accounted for 1.1 per cent polling. Live TV Moderate polling could be seen at some polling stations in Pampore Assembly segment, the hometown of National Conference candidate and former High Court judge Hasnain Masoodi. This area recorded a polling percentage of 5.1 per cent. In neighbouring Shopian district, 4.3 per cent votes were polled and at adjacent Wachi 2.5 per cent was recorded. Total number of votes polled were 15,500, out of an electorate of 5,21,989. This includes 2,249 votes polled by Kashmir Pandit migrants in Jammu and Delhi. The polling for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat is being held over three legs in view of security threats and the election authorities have clubbed many polling stations at one location to ensure minimal dispersion of security forces in Shopian and Pulwama districts. Polling for Anantnag constituency ended at 4 pm, two hours before the scheduled ending for other constituencies and the final count was three per cent which included the migrant votes in the six Assembly segments spread across the two districts, the officials said. Main thoroughfares crisscrossing through Pulwama and Shopian districts were deserted with only security forces vehicles and mediapersons moving around as they discharged their duties. Shareefabad village of Burhan Wani, posterboy of Hizbul Mujahideen who was killed in 2016, Noorabad village of Zakir Musa, so-called chief of Ansar-Gazawat-ul-Hind terror group, Beighpora village of the present commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Riyaz Naikoo and Sheikhpora village from where Mudassir Khan, mastermind of February 14 terror strike, saw zero per cent voting. However, 15 votes were polled from Gundibagh, a village that hit the international headlines after one of its resident Adil Dar became a suicide bomber for Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group and triggered an explosive-laden car near a CRPF convoy killing 40 personnel. There are 350 votes in this village. The threat perception to poll process in these districts was not unfounded as terrorist lobbed a locally assembled grenade at a polling station but there was no damage to life or property in the attack. A police official said the explosive was a "socket grenade", a crude bomb manufactured locally with explosive material fitted in a pipe. Incidents of pelting of stones by miscreants were reported from many places in the twin districts. Shattered pieces of windscreens could be seen at some places, highlighting the dangers of moving between places in the poll-bound areas. Pulwama and Shopian districts have witnessed low key campaigning both due to security reasons and general disinterest among people in the elections. No wall, street or building is festooned with colourful flags and banners of the parties. 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. Pulwama, known as the "Anand (delight) of Kashmir" for its congenial climate, innumerable springs and waterfalls, 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. 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. Dismissed BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav on Monday filed a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) challenging rejection of his nomination as Samajwadi Party candidate from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. Well-known SC advocate Prashant Bhushan is appearing for Yadav. Tej Bahadur Yadav's nomination was rejected on Wednesday over "discrepancies" in the two nominations filed by him. Yadav had claimed that his nomination papers were cancelled at the behest of the BJP-led government at the Centre, adding that he had replied to the Election Commission's giving a thorough explanation over the difference in reasons. "My nomination has been rejected wrongly. I was asked to produce the evidence at 6.15 pm on Tuesday. We produced the evidence, still my nomination was rejected. We will go to the Supreme Court. We have been told that we did not produce the evidence that was asked from us before 11 am. Whereas, we had produced the evidence," he had said. Live TV On Tuesday, the EC had issued a notice to Yadav because he had given different reasons for leaving his job in the two sets of nomination papers filed -- one as an independent and the second as SP candidate. "We had submitted the evidence that was asked from us. Still, the nomination was declared invalid. We will go to the Supreme Court," Yadav's lawyer Rajesh Gupta had said. It is to be noted that Yadav SP-BSP-RLD had named Yadav as the alliance's candidate for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat against PM Modi. In 2014, Modi had won from Varanasi after defeating Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal by 3.71 lakh votes. Modi had bagged 5,81,022 votes, while Kejriwal got 2,09,238 votes. Congress' Ajai Rai had garnered just 75,614 votes. This year, Congress had once again fielded Rai amid speculation that the grand old party may field Priyanka Vadra Gandhi from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had lashed out at the BJP after the cancellation of Yadav's nomination and had said that the SP would support Yadav's decision to approach the apex court to appeal against his rejected nomination. New Delhi: Terrorists on Monday lobbed a grenade near a polling station in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir where voting is underway for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha election. The grenade was lobbed towards the Rohmoo polling station in Pulwama. However, there was no report of any casualty in the blast. Following the incident, the security forces cordoned off the area. In Shopian, two school buildings, that were designated as polling booths, were set on fire reportedly by an unruly mob. Voting for the fifth and the last phase of Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir is being held in two constituencies - Ladakh and Anantnag. In Anantnag, polling is underway in Shopian and Pulwama districts amidst stringent security arrangements. The twin districts of Pulwama and Shopian are spread over six assembly segments comprising Tral, Pampore, Pulwama, Rajpora, Wachi and Shopian. Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency is spread over four districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama with 16 assembly segments. The Lok Sabha polls to this constituency are being held in three phases due to security reasons. Anantnag district went to polls on 23 April, while voting in Kulgam district took place on 29 April. The Ladakh Parliamentary constituency comprises two districts of Leh and Kargil. The Kargil district consists of two assembly segments Kargil and Zanskar while Leh district includes Nubra and Leh assembly segments, the officials said. Hyderabad: In a move to intensify his efforts to give a concrete shape to his proposed Federal Front, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao will meet DMK President M.K. Stalin in Chennai on May 13. "Both the leaders are likely to discuss the current political scenario in the contest of ongoing parliamentary elections," said the Chief Minister`s Office. An announcement to this effect was made on Monday even as Rao reached Thiruvananthapuram to meet his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan. On knowing about Rao`s visit to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had a telephonic talk with him on Monday, the CMO said. With his Kerala visit, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief will be resuming his efforts for the formation of a non-BJP, non-Congress government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, will discuss the latest political developments with the Communist Party of India-Marxist leader. He will also visit the 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 the Lok Sabha elections began on April 10. With the Lok Sabha election results expected on May 23, KCR is planning meetings with leaders of various parties to prepare the ground for the 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 Congress, has met leaders of the Trinamool Congress, Biju Janta Dal, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (S) and DMK. He also invited YSR Congress Party to join the proposed front. The TRS chief is confident that non-BJP, non-Congress parties would form the next government at the Centre. New Delhi: Five phases of Lok Sabha election 2019 are complete and just two more are left before the counting of votes on May 23. A total of 118 constituencies in the country will vote over the course of the next two weeks with seven of these in the capital city. Delhi is indeed likely to take center stage as political parties get set to woo voters here ahead of election day on May 12 (Sunday). The Bharatiya Janata Party has already rolled up its sleeve and is keeping Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a fulcrum on which the election plank of the party will be balanced on. Appealing to Delhi voters with the catchphrase 'Dilli ke dil me hai josh, Dilli ke dil me hai Modi', the party is looking at highlighting the development and welfare work done by the NDA in the past five years. Here, however, the party would have to strike a delicate balance between local issues and issues of national importance if it is to connect with the masses. Congress too plans to leave no stone unturned in reaching out to people in Delhi. The party has not found much favour among locals in the past few years but now seems determined to impress upon voters here with local as well as national leaders descending for campaigning. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has a packed campaigning schedule for Delhi this Wednesday when she will hold rallies in the North-East Delhi seat and South Delhi seat. Rahul Gandhi already addressed an election rally here on Monday while local party leaders have been joined by Congress leaders from across the country during their respective rallies. Then there is the Aam Aadmi Party which has always looked to bring down its bigger rivals. CM Arvind Kejriwal has already begun campaigning for party candidates and although nothing came of talks with Congress for an alliance, he is confident of a favourable result. The bulk of AAP's campaign revolves around getting statehood for Delhi. And while reaching out to voters, Kejriwal has launched scathing attacks on PM Modi as well as the Congress for having ignored locals and their needs. All seven constituencies in Delhi will vote on Sunday with all three main political rivals fancying their chances and gearing up for what could be intense days of campaigning through this week. New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee hit back at PM Narendra Modi on Monday for not answering his calls on Cyclone Fani and asked where was the Prime Minister when the people of Bengal needed him last time during the floods. Further elaborating, Mamata said, "I went twice to the Prime Minister but he didn't give a penny. PM Modi is an 'expiry' Prime Minister and people don't need his support. We don't want his sympathy." Live TV Responding to BJP's allegations that she did not answer PM Modi's calls, Mamata said that she didn't answer phone calls from Prime Minister's Office as she was busy campaigning for election. Calling him an 'expiry Prime Minister', Mamata said that Modi holds no right to call the review meet over Cyclone Fani. Earlier today, PM Modi, while addressing a rally in Tamluk in West Bengal, accused Mamata of pursuing cheap politics over Cyclone Fani and claimed that "her pride stopped her from speaking to him even when his office tried to contact her not once but twice, to speak about the calamity". Modi also criticised Mamata for not hailing the designation of Masood Azhar as a 'global terrorist' by the UN saying that "Did was afraid that it might affect her vote bank politics". "Didi is so arrogant that she didn't speak to me. I waited for her call but she didn't get back to me. The 'speed breaker' Didi was more interested in doing politics. I wanted to speak to the state officials but the state government did not allow that to happen," Modi said today. His comments came in the backdrop of Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal accusing the Prime Minister of not speaking to Mamata Banerjee and instead calling Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to inquire about the ground situation in the wake of Cyclone Fani. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday tweeted requesting all those voting in the fifth phase of ongoing Lok Sabha poll to exercise their franchise in large numbers. PM Modi said that a vote is the most effective way to strengthen democracy and build a better future of the country. In his tweet, the prime minister once again appealed the young voters to cast their votes in record numbers. "Requesting all those voting in todays fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to do so in large numbers. A vote is the most effective way to enrich our democracy and contribute to Indias better future. I hope my young friends turnout in record numbers," tweeted PM Modi. Requesting all those voting in todays fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to do so in large numbers. A vote is the most effective way to enrich our democracy and contribute to Indias better future. I hope my young friends turnout in record numbers. Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 6, 2019 Voting for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha election 2019 began at 7 AM in 51 seats across 7 states on Monday. The states where voting will be held on Monday are - Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. A total of 8.75 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the fifth phase. There is a massive security deployment at over 96,000 polling stations to ensure that the election is fair and peaceful. Of the 51 seats where voting in currently underway, 14 are in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Rajasthan, seven each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar, four in Jharkhand and two in Jammu and Kashmir, including Anantnag. Live TV In 2014 Lok Sabha poll, the BJP had won 39 of these 51 seats -- all 12 in Rajasthan, 12 of 14 in Uttar Pradesh, all seven in Madhya Pradesh, three of five in Bihar, all four in Jharkhand and one of two in Jammu and Kashmir. In West Bengal, all seven seats were won by the Trinamool Congress, in Bihar, one was won by Lok Janshakti Party and one by Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, and in Jammu and Kashmir, one seat was won by the Peoples Democratic Party. The Congress had only won Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. It is to be noted that the fifth phase has the highest percentage of women candidates so far in Lok Sabha election 2019 - 12 per cent. The fifth phase will witness some intense clashes, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi vs BJP leader Smriti Irani in Amethi, Rajnath Singh (BJP) vs Poonam Sinha (SP) in Lucknow and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (BJP) vs Krishna Punia (Congress) in Jaipur Rural. NEW DELHI: In a scathing attack on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) national spokesman Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Sunday said that the late Congress leader was India's 'biggest mob lyncher'. The senior SAD leader supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'bhrashtachari no 1' remark against Rajiv Gandhi and said that he will always be remembered as a prime minister who organised largest mob lynching against a particular community. "Prime minister Modi is right in saying that Rajiv Gandhi was corrupt number one, but he was also India's biggest mob lyncher," Sirsa said. The SAD leder also accused Rajiv Gandhi of encouraging genocide against Sikhs and rewarding those who were involved in the brutal killings of Sikhs. Live TV Sirsa said that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi must accept that his party was guilty of organising 1984 anti-Sikh riots which broke out across India after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The SAD leader also asked Rahul Gandhi why has he not expressed sympathy with the families of 1984 riots victims. On Saturday, PM Modi had attacked the former prime minister while targeting Rahul Gandhi by saying, "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1." Meanwhile, Congress on Sunday demanded that Election Commission must take action against PM Modi for violating Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by calling late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi 'Bhrashtachari number 1' (Corrupt number 1). Reacting to PM's statement,Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee on Sunday wrote a letter to the EC, saying, "The statement by Prime Minister is not only the violation of Model Code of Conduct but also an insult of Bharat Ratna awardee martyr. Hence, we appeal the EC to take action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by barring him from speaking at public rallies." Modi's remark has been criticised by leaders across different political parties. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she was shocked at the "the audacity of such a statement". "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," she said. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav also attacked PM Modi saying, "Election or not, this is basic humanity" to respect the martyred. The statement by the PM indicates levels to which people can stoop for the sake of clinging to power". Accusing Rahul Gandhi of having betrayed Amethi after the Congress president cancelled his visit here on Monday, Smriti Irani said that the people in the constituency will give a befitting reply to the snub. Rahul was scheduled to visit Amethi on Monday but he cancelled his plans by the afternoon. Smriti Irani, who is the BJP candidate from here once again and is taking on Rahul, said that the Congress president is making it a habit to snub the people of Amethi. "Today, on the day of voting, Rahul has once again betrayed the people of Amethi. I did not know that he is so arrogant that he would not come here even on the day of voting. What was the need for such a big insult," she said. The verbal duel between Smriti and Rahul has been intense, bordering on outright bitter. The Congress president had defeated Smriti in the last edition of Lok Sabha election but had had to face a spirited challenge. This year too, Smriti has been vocal in her attack against her opponent. Amethi cast its vote in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha election 2019 on Monday and Smriti accused Congress of trying to steal votes here. The BJP also asked EC to take strong action in the matter. Amethi is considered a Gandhi stronghold and Rahul has managed to win from here in each Lok Sabha election since 2003. Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Monday condemned the latest attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said there should not be any lapse in his security. The BJP also ally said the Kejriwal-led AAP government has done some good work in the fields of education and health. Kejriwal was slapped by a man during a roadshow in Delhi last week. The CM was on an open jeep when the man wearing a red T-shirt jumped onto the vehicle and slapped him. In its mouthpiece `Saamana', the Sena said, "Political and social intolerance is growing in India. But acts such as throwing ink or hurling shoes (at politicians) is not going to solve problems." It looks like the Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader has set a record of sorts in facing such assaults after becoming the chief minister of the city-state, the Marathi daily said. He has faced nearly a dozen such attacks, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said. "Such acts of insulting senior politicians in the country should be stopped at once," said the saffron party. Kejriwal is not ready to accept the fact that New Delhi, being the national capital, has been put under Union Home Ministry as far as security matters are concerned, it said. The local government can not have its own security force, it read. Kejriwal's government has done some good work in education and health, which has been lauded widely. But in the meantime, the AAP leader also started dreaming about becoming the prime minister and making false claims and allegations, the Sena said. "We do not agree with such acts. There should not be any lapse in Kejriwal's security," said the party. This was the second time bureaucrat-turned-politician has been slapped in a public rally. He had also been attacked with ink and spices earlier. New Delhi: Several clashes between supporters of BJP and Trinamool Congress have been reported from various place in seven constituencies of West Bengal on Monday where polling for the fifth phase is currently underway. BJP's candidate from Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency Arjun Singh alleged that he was attacked by the supporters of Trinamool Congress and suffered injuries. "I was attacked by Trinamool Congress goons while I was trying to talk with voters. It was a planned attack and I will report the matter to the Election Commission. Trinamool's hooligans are running unchecked in the state. My bleeding mouth is a proof of it," news agency ANI quoted him saying. Singh, who suffered a minor injury on his face, said that the goons were arranged by the Trinamool Congress from outside to scare the voters away. As per the report, Arjun Singh reached a polling booth in Barrackpore where people complained to him that they were no allowed to cast their votes. The locals also alleged that BJP polling agent was not allowed to sit in the booth. Singh alleged that when he tried to intervene, he got heckled by the goons. In another incident, Trinamool Congress workers allegedly thrashed a BJP polling agent at polling booth number 261 in Howrah. The report said that the polling agent was bleeding profusely and was rushed to a local hospital where he was given a treatment. Here's the visuals of the scuffle: Voting in West Bengal is being held at seven out of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies. Hooghly, Sreerampore, Arambagh, Howrah Uluberia, Barrackpore and Bongaoan are voting in the fifth phase. These constituencies are spread across three districts of south Bengal -- Hooghly, Howrah and North 24 Parganas. Polling has already been held in 18 seats of the state in the past four phases. Bhopal: Polling was underway on Monday in seven Lok Sabha seats of Madhya Pradesh with minor EVM glitches being reported at some booths, an official said. Long queues were seen at some booths after the polling began at 7 am, he said. This is the second phase of polling in Madhya Pradesh, the first phase having been held on April 29. "Polling is going on peacefully across the seven constituencies. Minor issues related to EVMs were reported at some places but they were sorted out," state's chief electoral officer V L Kantha Rao told PTI. 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. All these seats located in the state's Bundelkhand region are currently held by the BJP. Union minister Virendra Singh Khatik and BJP MP Prahlad Patel are among the 110 candidates in the fray. Of the 110 nominees, 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. Lok Sabha elections for 29 seats in the state 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. Aizawl: A total of 12 suspected Rohingyas from Bangladesh were arrested in Mizoram for entering the state without valid travel documents, a police officer said on Monday. Eight women and four boys from Bangladesh were taken from a house to Bawngkawn police station here on Sunday, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Northern Range) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte said. It is suspected that they were victims of human trafficking. Khiangte said the arrested people had some mobile phones without sim cards in their possession. Investigation is on to find out their identities. The 12 people were found in the residence of a woman who claimed that her cousin who lives at Tahan in Myanmar had asked for her a favour to keep the 'guests' before they were taken to the neighbouring country. In late April, eight Rohingya women were detained at India-Myanmar border Vairengte town for trying to enter Mizoram illegally and were pushed back. They had claimed that they were from Kutupalong refugee camp at Sabulara in Bangladesh and were abducted on April 19 by a group of men who brought them to Mizoram by truck. More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August 2017 after a military crackdown, triggering a massive refugee crisis. New Delhi: Actress Amy Jackson, who announced her pregnancy a few days ago, has officially got engaged to her longtime boyfriend George Panayiotou. The couple threw an engagement bash in London, which was attended by their close friends and family. George looked dapper in an all-white suit while Amy looked super chic in a monochrome dress. A few pictures and videos from their bash have gone viral on social media. Earlier, Amy took to her Instagram to announce the arrival of their first child. She wrote, "Ive been waiting to shout it from the rooftops, and today, being Mothers Day couldnt be more perfect I already love you more than anything in this world, the purest most honest love. We cant wait to meet you our little Libra one. (sic) Amy Jackson has featured mostly in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi film industry and has proved her mettle as an actress. She was seen in Evadu, which had Ram Charan Tej in lead role and Allu Arjun in a cameo. After 2.O, she hasnt signed for any films and looks like she will be taking a break from films for some time from now. New Delhi: The absolute head-turner Disha Patani has never failed to impress her fans with her pictures and videos on Instagram. The actress, who is a complete fitness freak, took to social media to post yet another smoldering picture in sultry lingerie. The actress flaunted her well-toned body along with her Calvin Klein lingerie. The actress is a rage on social media and has over 19 million followers on Instagram. Her fan following seems to be increasing with every passing day and Disha keeps her followers hooked by regularly sharing snippets from her personal and professional life. Disha will soon set the silver screen ablaze with her presence in 'Bharat'. The film is helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar and has an ensemble star cast including Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Tabu, Sunil Grover, Nora Fatehi, Varun Dhawan to name a few. 'Bharat' will release on June 5 and has been high on the buzzword ever since it was announced. Disha will play a trapeze artist in the film and recently, the song titled 'Slow Motion' was unveiled in which the actress set the temperature soaring in a yellow saree. New Delhi: Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra's mother Madhu Chopra has revealed the reason behind son Siddharth Chopra and Ishita Kumar's split. She had earlier confirmed that the wedding was mutually called off. Talking about the wedding to Spotboye, Madhu said, "My son Siddharth said he was not ready for marriage yet. He explained he needed more time. As per reports, Siddharth and Ishita's wedding was supposed to take place on April 30. The reports claimed that Priyanka had flown from the US to attend her brother's wedding. Just in February 2019, the roka ceremony of Sidharth and Ishita took place. The event was attended by all the close family members, PeeCee and her husband Nick Jonas. Priyanka even welcomed Ishita to her family by sharing a heartfelt note on Instagram. She had written, "So proud of my baby brother. Ishita welcome to the family...you are so beautiful together...I wish you both the best for the future! Happy Roka!! @ishittaakumar @siddharthchopra89 ." Initially, it was being speculated that Siddharth's wedding was postponed due to Ishita's emergency surgery. However, Ishita's cryptic post on Instagram suggesting 'new beginnings' gave rise to suspicion. Ishita even went ahead and deleted all her pictures with Sidharth including her roka ceremony pictures and unfollowed Priyanka and Nick. By Len Suzio If you detest the new tax burden that will be imposed by the Legislature if they pass toll legislation, you will absolutely hate Governor Lamonts proposed budget. Although I did not vote for Governor Lamont, I had hoped with his business background he would bring some commonsense budgeting to Hartford. But the Governors proposed budget dispelled me of that delusion. Facing a $3.7 billion projected deficit for the biennium budget, the Governor disdained spending cuts and chose to balance the budget with record-breaking tax increases and cost shifting, with only a smattering of spending cuts (which may turn out to be unrealistic because they require state employee union approval which is not likely). As I reviewed the Office of Fiscal Analysis Synopsis of the Governors proposed budget, I discovered 57 tax increases! Thats right, 57 tax increases are in the proposed budget. The increases come in various shapes and sizes. Seniors and retired folks will be disappointed to learn that the Governor has proposed eliminating the scheduled changes to exemption thresholds that would have reduced seniors state income tax burden. Likewise, the Governor proposed eliminating the increased income exemptions for retired teachers. This column has a limited number of words, so I cant list all 57 tax increases, but I will highlight a few here. This short list is taken from the complete list in the Office of Fiscal Analysis Synopsis of the Governors proposed budget: Repeal expansion of the Income Tax exemption for Social Security income Repeal new income tax exemption for pension and annuity income exemption Permanently cap at 25% teachers pension exemption from state income tax Expand the sales tax to include legal and accounting services Expand the sales tax to include veterinary services Expand the sales tax to include real estate services (i.e. real estate commissions) Repeal the sales tax exemption on non-prescription drugs Repeal the sales tax exemption for newspapers and magazines Eliminate the sales tax-free week Repeal the sales tax exemption for vehicular trade-ins New 10 surcharge on plastic bags New 1.5 per ounce sugar-sweetened beverages Maintain the Health Care provider tax on hospitals Some of the foregoing are nickels and dimes taxes, but others are serious tax increases. For example, the elimination of the sales tax exemption on automobile trade-ins can mean more than $1,000 of extra sales tax to be paid by someone purchasing a car. And anyone selling their home also will see a big tax imposed on their real estate commissions fee (a house sold for $250,000 will likely result in almost $1,000 sales tax on the real estate commission). The foregoing tax increases do not include the proposed paid-sick-leave payroll tax that will take an extra 0.5% from your paycheck. If you are making $60,000 per year that will be another $300 you will pay in taxes annually. Double-income couples will pay even more. Based on my review of the OFA synopsis and adding in the paid-sick-leave payroll tax the average annual tax burden of taxpayers would be increased by almost $1,000. Aside from the 57 tax increases and the paid sick leave payroll tax, the tolls will be another added burden to Connecticut families. So, add that to your annual tax burden proposed by Governor Lamont. But thats not the end of the story. When we look at the Governors proposed spending cuts it becomes evident that much of the spending cuts are really cost shifting that will be passed on to taxpayers indirectly. For example, the Governor has proposed shifting 25% of the normal cost of teachers retirement obligations to cities and towns. This means Meriden, Cheshire, and Middlefield will be forced to pick up that spending cut that is really another cost-shifting shell game gimmick. And who do you think will pay that added cost? Another example is the Governors interception of automobile taxes intended to be transferred to the Special Transportation Fund. For the biennium that will save about $267 million in the General Fund, but it accelerates the forecasted bankruptcy of the Special Transportation Fund which is why the Governor says we need tolls! If the foregoing isnt enough to depress Connecticut taxpayers, the stunning truth is that if all these tax increases are passed, we still are projected to be staring at deficits as far as the eye can see two years from now. The day of reckoning for decades of foolish tax-and-spend politics in Connecticut is at hand. Taxpayers are at the breaking point and the Governors proposed budget only adds to the unsustainable taxpayer burden. Elections have consequences and the consequences for Connecticut are indeed dire. The state is broke and the only answer from the Governor and the Legislature is to spend more and tax more. Wait till taxpayers find out! Len Suzio is a former state senator. New Delhi: The government on Monday refuted reports in media pertaining to reduction in numbers of Income Tax Returns (ITR) e-filed during Financial Year(F.Y.) 2018-19 as compared to F.Y. 2017-18. An official release said that the media report are factually untrue, because the figures for F.Y. 2017-18 and F.Y. 2018-19 are not directly comparable. It is stated that during F.Y. 2017-18, out of a total of 6.74 crore ITRs which were e-filed, 5.47 crore ITRs were filed for Assessment Year(A.Y.) 2017-18 (the current year). In comparison, during F.Y. 2018-19, a total of 6.68 crore ITRs were e-filed which included 6.49 crore ITRs of current A.Y. 2018-19 marking an increase of almost 19%. This would imply that substantially larger number of taxpayers filed their ITRs electronically in the F.Y. 2018-19 as compared to F.Y. 2017-18, a government release said. Furthermore, during F.Y. 2017-18, apart from the returns for the A.Y. 2017-18, nearly 1.21 crore ITRs were filed for A.Y. 2016-17. The balance number of ITRs filed for A.Y. 2015-16 and prior A.Ys is 0.06 crore. In comparison, during F.Y. 2018-19 only 0.14 crore ITRs for A.Y. 2017-18 were filed. Thus, the apparent decrease in the number of ITRs filed during F.Y. 2018-19 pertaining to earlier years was due to an amendment in Section 139(5) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 brought in vide Finance Act, 2017, w.e.f. 01.04.2018, which mandated that a revised return could be furnished only upto the end of the relevant Assessment Year. As a result, only 0.14 crore ITRs pertaining to A.Y. 2017-18 were filed during F.Y. 2018-19 as these were the revised ITRs for the relevant A.Y. which could only be filed due to change in law and no other ITR of any earlier A.Y. could be filed in view of the amended provisions of law, it added. It is also stated that the number of paper ITRs for A.Y. 2017-18 was only 9.2 lakh (1.5% of total ITRs filed) and the number of paper ITRs for A.Y. 2018-19 is 4.8 lakh (0.6% of total ITRs filed). As per the above details, it is evident that most of the taxpayers have steadily switched to e-filing which is clear from the dwindling numbers of paper returns filed for A.Y. 2018-19 compared to earlier years, the release added. New Delhi: Accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal of unleashing 'violence' on its voters, the BJP on Monday demanded a repoll in Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency. Union minister Prakash Javadekar accused Trinamool Congress "goons" of booth-capturing and not letting BJP voters cast their votes by resorting to threats and violence. At a press conference, he also alleged that the Election Commission had not done enough to make the polls free and fair in the state despite the BJP approaching it a number of times. "The TMC wants to win elections by rigging as it cannot win by votes. We demand a repoll in the entire Barrackpore constituency," he said, alleging that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was behind the violence. The BJP candidate from the seat, Arjun Singh, has been badly beaten by TMC workers, Javadekar alleged and added that ruling party workers were accompanying voters in the booth and casting votes at their behest. A scuffle between Arjun Singh and central forces was reported when the former TMC MLA tried to enter a booth following allegations that voters were not being allowed to exercise their franchise there, officials said. "Our agents were not allowed inside booths. People were not allowed to vote properly and I went there to have a look. I have the right to enter booths but police stopped me and hit me," Singh told PTI. Alleging that the police are not doing anything to stop rigging in some booths of Barrackpore seat, Singh demanded that polling be stopped and re-polling ordered. Barrackpore has become a prestige battle for Banerjee as Arjun Singh, a local strongman and MLA, was in the TMC before he switched over to the BJP ahead of the general election. He is up against the incumbent MP and TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi. New Delhi: The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government on Monday refused to hold a review meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Fani. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who conducted an aerial view of Odisha and took stock of the situation, wanted to visit Bengal and visit the areas hit by the Cyclone. The PMO had even written to the West Bengal government about the planned review meeting. Live TV However, the West Bengal government replied that since the government officials are busy with election duty, the review meeting should not be held. "For the purpose of supervision of elections arrangement, the Chief Secretary, West Bengal and State Home Secretary will have to be stationed in the headquarters from morning till the end of elections on 06.05.2019. Hence it will not be possible for Chief Secretary, West Bengal, Home Secretary and other senior officers of the Government of West Bengal to be away from headquarters on 06.05.2019," the letter to the Union Home Ministry from the West Bengal`s Department of Disaster Management and Civil Defence stated. Earlier today, Modi, along with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Governor Ganeshi Lal and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, conducted an aerial survey and assessed the damage caused by Cyclone Fani. Earlier, a political blame game was witnessed between Trinamool Congress-ruled government and Centre over Cyclone Fani. The TMC alleged that PM Modi called Odisha CM Patnaik and West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi but did not speak to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Centre rubbished the claims saying that PMO had made attempts to connect PM Modi to Mamata twice over the telephone but failed. They said that on both occasions, PMO was told by the Mamata's office that she was on tour and the calls would be returned once she was back. PM Modi, who addressed a rally in Tamluk today, said, "Mamata did not speak to me when I called her up to talk about cyclone Fani. 'Speedbreaker' Didi is more interested in doing politics. Her pride stopped her from speaking to me." Modi added that when Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar was designated as a global terrorist, the entire nation showed its excitement but Didi never hailed the development. The Centre had earlier released Rs 1,000 crore to Odisha and other states, including West Bengal, to deal with the devastation caused by Cyclone Fani. Already bearing the brunt of their ire for Pakistan's crumbling economy, the Imran Khan government in the country had to face even more onslaught from rival parties after fuel prices here were hiked substantially over the weekend. Petrol prices in the country have been hiked by Pakistani Rs 9.14 per litre while diesel prices per litre have gone up by Pakistani Rs 4.89. This is a 12 per cent and 17 per cent hike, respectively and has led to an angry outburst from not just people at large but the country's political parties in the opposition as well. Several members of the Opposition demonstrated outside the country's National Assembly. Among them were many who held placards calling for a rollback and questioning PM Imran Khan. The main accusations made against the government is that Imran Khan had vowed to fight poverty and take care of the country's middle class but is now trying to extract the maximum amount possible from them. It is argued that a hike in fuel prices will lead to rise in transport costs which would in turn lead to essential commodities becoming pricier. The decision of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to hike petrol prices has also been challenged in the Lahore High Court. A series of hikes in the last several months has led to angst among common people as well as given an excuse to opposition parties to target Imran Khan with. LAHORE: Pakistani authorities have arrested 12 suspected members of prostitution ring taking young Pakistani women to China, part of a growing human trafficking problem often based on fake marriages, officials said on Monday. Those arrested included eight Chinese nationals and four Pakistanis, said Jameel Ahmad, a top official at Pakistan`s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which deals with human trafficking. "We busted the gang after the FIA received information about increasing smuggling of Pakistani woman to China where they are thrown into prostitution," Ahmad told Reuters. He said several gangs were believed to be operating, mainly targeting members of Pakistan`s Christian minority. The arrests came a week after Human Rights Watch said Pakistan should be alarmed by recent reports of trafficking of women and girls to China. It said the allegations were disturbingly similar to the pattern of trafficking of "brides" to China from at least five other Asian countries. The Chinese embassy in Islamabad has also raised the alarm over illegal, cross-border matchmaking services that are often a front for human trafficking. Last month the embassy said China was cooperating with Pakistani law enforcement agencies to crack down on illegal matchmaking. It denied reports that the women were being trafficked for the sale of their organs as "misleading and groundless". Ahmad said a police raid he led on a wedding ceremony last week the eastern city of Faisalabad was a major breakthrough in the investigation. He said a man and a woman from China and a fake priest were arrested at the ceremony where a Christian girl was to be married. "The gang members confessed that they have sent at least 36 Pakistani girls to China where they are being used for prostitution," he said. The majority were Christians from different districts in eastern Punjab province, he said. WASHINGTON: The US military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Monday, a move that angered Beijing at a time of tense ties between the world`s two biggest economies. The busy waterway is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the US-China relationship, which also include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and Taiwan. President Donald Trump dramatically increased pressure on China to reach a trade deal by threatening to hike U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and soon target hundreds of billions more. The US guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung Hoon traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, a US military spokesman told Reuters. Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the Seventh Fleet, said the "innocent passage" aimed "to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law". The operation was first reported by Reuters. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the U.S. ships entered the waters near the islets without the Chinese government`s permission, and the Chinese navy warned them to leave. "The relevant moves by the U.S. ships infringed upon Chinese sovereignty, and damaged the peace, security and good order of the relevant seas. China is strongly dissatisfied with this and resolutely opposed to it," he told a daily news briefing. "China urges the United States to stop such provocative actions," Geng said, adding that China would continue to take the necessary steps to defend its sovereignty and security. The US military has a long-standing position that its operations are carried out throughout the world, including areas claimed by allies, and that they are separate from political considerations. The operation was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing`s efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate. China claims almost all of the strategic South China Sea and frequently lambasts the United States and its allies over naval operations near Chinese-occupied islands. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims in the region. China and the United States have repeatedly traded barbs in the past over what Washington says is Beijing`s militarization of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs. China defends its construction as necessary for self-defense and says the United States is responsible for ratcheting up tension in the region by sending warships and military planes close to islands Beijing claims. Last month, China`s navy chief said freedom of navigation should not be used to infringe upon the rights of other nations. The freedom of navigation operation comes weeks after a major naval parade marking 70 years since the founding of the Chinese navy. The United States sent only a low-level delegation to the Chinese navy anniversary events. Regional Assam Muslims call bandh on May 8 GUWAHATI, MAY 6 (AGENCIES) | Publish Date: 5/6/2019 11:40:50 AM IST At a time when the Gauhati High Court has issued a blanket ban on bandhs, a lesser known organization under name and style of Assam Muslim Autonomous Council Demand Committee has called for a state-wide bandh on May 8 next. According to Northeast Now, the organization has raised several issues as its reasons behind calling for the shutdown. These incidents include the Biswanath incident where a beef seller was allegedly beaten up, some latest statements by legislator Prasanta Phukan and the various inflammatory comments made by BJP legislator of Hojai Shiladitya Dev in recent times. The organization leadership addressed the media announcing their decision to call for the bandh at the Dispur Press Club in Guwahati on Monday. The press interaction was addressed by former legislator and the president of the organization Rashidul Hoque Bahadur. The BJP has failed to rein in Shiladitya Dev because of which the Biswanath incident took place. We believe RSS and BJP are involved in the heinous incident, Hoque said. Hoque Bahadur also expressed apprehension that the saffron brigade might unleash a reign of terror over the Muslim population if the BJP does not fair well the parliamentary elections after the results in May 23 next. Hoque further alleged that the recent statement from Prasanta Phukan is an indication to this very fact. He further urged the State Government to take serious note of this and in this regard the bandh call has been made. Jayanta Roy Chowdhury By Express News Service NEW DELHI: As Akshaya Tritiya festival draws closer, the number of people logging in to buy digital gold via apps and physical gold from online portals is going up. The digital space is witnessing a battle through apps such as Paytm, PhonePe and NovoPe between two players - Mumbai-based Augmont and MMTC-PAMP, a joint venture between state-run MMTC and Swiss bullion refiner PAMP. Its a huge space where people buy even Rs 1 worth of gold or maybe invest lakhs to mark the auspicious occasion. We had 20 million customers last financial year and sold digital receipts equivalent of about 5 tonnes, said Vibha Sarin Prabhakar, chief operating officer (digital and retail), MMTC-PAMP. Overall, the market saw digital gold sales growing by 200-250 per cent over last year. Much of the business is being driven by young investors from smaller cities. Paytm, which pioneered the app-based sale concept in April 2017, has naturally become the market leader, say analysts. Through these platforms, customers can buy 24-carat gold online for any denomination starting from Rs 1, sell their accumulated gold at the latest prices, or physically redeem their digital gold units, subject to a minimum of 1 gram. The gold purchased is set aside in an allocated enclosure within the MMTC-PAMP vault with full insurance cover and security, said Prabhakar. Digital gold possibly became a popular asset class in India as buyers wanted to tap the movement in the bullion market. However, because of cultural factors, they wanted to back up their digital gold with actual physical gold, instead of just investing in bullion derivatives, said Amit Bannerjee, an independent fund manager. Sale of physical gold - coins and bars - are also booming. A World Gold Council report last week says in the first quarter of calendar year 2019, bars and coins sold amounted to 33.6 tonnes - online and retail sales combined - 4 per cent more than the same period last year. Here, the battle fought on online platforms like Amazon and Flipkart is between a larger number of players ranging from Kundan Refiners, RSBL, MMTC-PAMP as well as its mother concern MMTC itself. Its not just a shift in gold purchase from a store to online, but also a shift in favour of certified coins with up to 999 purity, as more aware younger buyers are demanding international standards, said Prabhakar. MMTC-PAMP claims it sold 1 million gold coins last year. MC Vaijayanti By Express News Service MUMBAI: Mirae Asset Mutual Fund has introduced a Focused Fund that will invest in select 30-stocks without a theme or cap bias. Gaurav Mishra, Senior Fund Manager, speaks about the fund and also the current market conditions. The idea behind a focused multi-cap fund? In a multi-cap fund, we have flexibility to have whatever weights and stocks, etc, from across market caps according to the opportunity at any given time, and the focused fund will have maximum 30 stocks. It is not a theme-based or sector-heavy fund. We want it to be sectorally divergent, at 10-12 sectors. It is appropriate for those who are already familiar with equity as an asset class and probably have some core in equity mutual fund space, large-caps or such offering. But the benchmark here is a wider NSE 200. At one extreme, one can have a portfolio that mimics the benchmark. It will be like setting up an index fund, where the portfolio will behave how the benchmark behaves. There will be no additional volatility on account of individual stocks, because they are all in line with the weights of the benchmark. At the same time, there will be no alpha created. Whereas in this, we will be cutting down to only 30, and weights that are going to be different; our conviction calls will be at play, so that the chances of satisfactory returns are very much here, above the benchmark. What about the timing? This kind of offering is appropriate for investors who have a long time horizon. We are ideally going to be picking up stocks, constructing a portfolio with a three-year horizon. Structurally, I am confident that over a long horizon, markets will give satisfactory returns; actually, much better than the alternate asset classes. Should investors in general be worried about entering the market now? Markets arent overheated. There is hopefully a correction that has already started, but it is not at a bad level. It is conceivable that after elections, volatility levels are slightly lower or higher. As far as we are concerned, focus should be on individual stocks; that is what matters and not the markets. Economic indicators and the current market pace dont seem to be in sync? Short-term, there will always be noise and volatility with the high-frequency economic indicators. In the recent past, auto sales, personal vehicles and two-wheelers have been volatile, weak and sluggish. Yet, there can be other indicators like steel consumption, cement consumption, price hikes in cement and some other data that suggest activity is still apace. While World Bank and International Monetary Fund might have slashed GDP by a few basis points, that doesnt change the picture per se. As a fund manager, we have to live with short-term volatility. My decisions are actually made on long-term. Is there hope for consumption-based ideas? There has been some sense of slowdown in some categories. It is not uniform. Post GST, we are seeing enough categories where demand outlook is very robust in segments where shift has happened from unorganised to organised. For instance, jewellery and organised players like Titan are doing well. In segments like ceramics, there is reasonable traction. Staples might be doing decent; white goods might have had a slow down. Consumption is going to remain reasonably decent growth-driver for many sectors. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that all power supply contracts secured by electricity distribution firms should go through competitive bidding. Voting 10-2, the high court struck down a series of decisions made by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) which postponed the competitive selection process (CSPs) for deals between power plants and distribution utilities. SC arrived at the decision during a special en banc session on Friday, May 3, for a case lodged by consumer group Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Inc. against the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the biggest power distributor in the country. In 2016, the consumer group asked the high court to stop the ERC from approving a 20-year power supply deal between Meralco and seven power plants, saying these were entered into via negotiated deals rather than competitive bidding. In a statement sent Monday, the court ruled that the ERC "committed grave abuse of discretion" for delaying the implementation of public bidding for power supply agreements (PSAs) despite existing guidelines. The court said the CSP requirement is provided in the implementing rules of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 "for the protection of the consuming public." A circular issued by the Department of Energy (DOE) mandates all electricity distribution companies to go through public bidding before signing supply deals, which is meant to result in the lowest cost of power. This should have taken effect June 30, 2015. However, the ERC postponed its implementation by nearly a year, having issued two resolutions which pushed back its effectivity to April 30, 2016. By then, the court said 90 PSAs have been submitted before the regulator, including long-term deals beyond 20 years. "The ERCs delegated authority is limited to implementing or executing competitive selection process in accordance with the 2015 DOE Circular, not postponing CSP so as to freeze CSP for at least 20 years, effectively suspending CSP for one entire generation of Filipinos," read the decision penned by Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. With the ruling, the SC said all PSA applications filed by electricity firms with the ERC on June 30, 2015 or later are "required to comply with the CSP." "Thereafter, the Supreme Court further ordered that the power purchase cost after compliance with the CSP shall retroact to the date of the effectivity of the PSA, but in no case earlier than 30 June 2015, for purposes of passing the purchase cost to the consumers," it added. Bayan Muna party-list submitted a subsequent request to nullify the Meralco supply contracts, calling them "sweetheart deals" given that the generation companies which will supply over 3,500 megawatts are its sister firms. These are the Central Luzon Premiere Power Corporation, St. Raphael Power Generation Corporation, Panay Energy Development Corporation, Mariveles Power Generation Corporation, Global Luzon Energy Development Corporation, Atimonan One Energy Inc., Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc., which were tagged as respondents. Prof P K Sarkar By Express News Service Located 80 km from Ahmedabad, Dholera Smart City is envisaged to create 8 lakh employment opportunities and house 20 lakh people by 2042. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visioned the smart city to be double the size of Delhi. Proposed to commence operations in September 2019 in an area of 22.5 sq km in the first phase of development, the smart city, according to plans, will extend operations to 920 sq km by 2042. With a physical footprint larger than that of Singapore, the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) is a part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, which is committed to transform Indias manufacturing and service base by developing a number of smart, sustainable and industrial cities along the 1,483-km long Delhi-Mumbai corridor. It is in close proximity to Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad industrial cities. The DSIR will house world-class infrastructure, a Mass Rapid Transit System connecting it to Ahmedabad with a dedicated international airport and an expressway. The city will offer provisions such as storm water drainage, water supply, sewerage, power, telecommunications and gas through an underground network using smart technology. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant opines the key challenge for India is to grow at rates of 8-9 per cent or more annually for three decades to uplift the vast segment of population presently below the poverty line and to grow at rates of 15-16 per cent annually for the next three decades. Gujarat has taken this opportunity to meet the challenges by developing DSIR, he says. The Gujarat government has handed over 1,178.95 hectares of land to the Dholera Industrial City Development Limited (DICDL), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the project. The construction of roads and underground utilities are likely to be completed soon with a total investment to the tune of $18,086 million. Salient features of the DSIR include,, empowered mechanism for administration autonomy in operations, freedom in planning, commitment to adopt best practices, full potential for private sector participation and fully developed environment and framework for PPP (Public-Private Partnership). The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Ltd (DMICDC) has entrusted AECOM, a consulting firm, with the responsibility of implementing all trunk infrastructure proposals, including roads, drainage system, water supply, recycle water, sewerage, power, Information Communications Technology (ICT) and gas. Dholera would be Indias first Platinum-Certificate Green City due to its planning design and execution, says the DMICDC CMD. The DMICDC has already taken the initiative to invite manufacturers in the field of aviation, defense, electronics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, heavy engineering, etc., to set up shop, offering early-bird incentives, including heavy discounts on land prices and financial grants and waivers. Dholera will be the largest of the eight industrial smart cities being developed in the first phase of the $100 billion DMIC project on a PPP model, for which the government is committed to develop the trunk infrastructure on its own. The DMIC Trust and the Government of Gujarat formed the DICDL to administer the special investment region. Anchor tenants (usually the first, and the leading, tenants in a shopping centre whose prestige and name recognition attracts other tenants and, it is hoped, shoppers) are being allocated land plots from five hectares to 100 hectares in contiguous land parcels in Dholera. DMICDC Logistics Data Service centres have already become operational at 13 ports, 22 port terminals, 120 Container Freight Stations- Inland Container Depots (CFS-ICDs) and 25 toll plazas across India. Dholera is expected to become one of the best Indian world-class industrial smart cities by 2042. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit on Sunday condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making a personal attack on the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. READ | Your father's life ended as 'Corrupt No 1': Prime Minister Modi to Rahul Gandhi In the history of Indian politics, no rival leader without any proof has made such baseless allegations against a highly respected and revered leader of any other political party like Modi did in his attack against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, she said. Modis objectional language does not suit the image of a Prime Minister and it has only lowered his reputation among the people, she said at a press conference at the DPCC office. Modis 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, Dikshit said. Such statement not only lowers the image of the post he holds, but also hurts the people of the country, the former Delhi chief minister added. Nobody talks ill of our late, revered leaders. READ | 'Your Karma awaits you': Rahul on Modi's remarks about Rajiv Gandhi The Congress leaders never use disparaging language against Opposition leaders-past or present- in their political discourse but PM Modi has stooped low to use condemnable language does not suit the high office he holds, she asserted. It clearly shows up the sick mindset and thinking of the top BJP leadership. The insult heaped on Rajiv Gandhi, who sacrificed his life for the society and the country, was not just an insult on the Congress party, but on the people of the country, she added. Dikshit urged the people to give a befitting reply to Modi and the BJP in the polls. By Express News Service KOCHI: Steps will be initiated for the construction of a boat terminal for the Water Metro project with the state government issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to hand over 123 cents of land at Vytttila Mobility Hub to Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) for the project. The KMRL is expected to float the tenders soon for the construction of an advanced boat terminal at Vyttila Hub, the major integration point of various modes of transport including road, rail and water. The state government had earlier issued the order and instructed the agency to follow the guidelines and conditions put forth by the government. KMRL is the agency which will be implementing the phase-II development of Vyttila Mobility Hub. The agency had asked for 1.23 acres of land at Vyttila Hub for the development of a boat terminal. The meeting convened by the Chief Secretary has recommended the allotment of land. The government has analysed the proposal. After assessing that the agency has put forth the request for the land as per the DPR, it was decided to transfer the land, read the government order. Vyttila Mobility Hub is the special purpose vehicle (SPV) floated for the management of the Vyttila Hub project. The SPV now owns 26.53 acres of land at Vyttila. The KMRL will construct the biggest terminal of the water metro project at the Vyttila Mobility Hub, which will spread over 40,000 sq ft. Another ferry terminal will come up at Fort Kochi. The designs for the terminals were selected through a competition organised by KMRL. The design submitted by a team comprising Rajiv Babu and Ameena Hamza from Chalakkudy was selected for the Vyttila Terminal while the design by Studio Homosapiens, based at Panampilly Nagar, will be used for the Fort Kochi terminal. Under the R747-crore Water Metro project, a total of 78 boats will ply on 15 routes covering a distance of 76 km through Kochi backwaters. The VHMS, with the support of KMRL, is planning a R590-crore development for Vyttila Hub in the second phase. The French agency - Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) will lend R472 crore on a long term loan basis. The existing bus terminal at Vyttila will be converted into an advanced mobility hub, interconnecting various modes of transport. 78 boats will ply on 15 routes covering a distance of 76 km through Kochi backwaters By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will be visiting Polavaram project on May 6 as announced earlier and on May 7, he will go to New Delhi before his two-day visit to West Bengal on May 8 and 9. Addressing a press conference in Undavalli on Sunday, the Chief Minister said there is nothing wrong in visiting the Polavaram project or for that matter reviewing an ongoing project. He pointed out that in Telangana, the Chief Minister is reviewing Kaleswaram Project and Mallanna Sagar and the Prime Minister is also reviewing programmes every day. Beyond election duties and officers on elections, they (EC) cannot interfere in regular administration, that is none of their business, he observed. The purpose of his visit to New Delhi is to hold discussions with other stakeholders (parties) as the review petition on VVPAT will be coming up for hearing in the Supreme Court. The TDP chief will also visit West Bengal, which also suffered due to rains. On the proposed Cabinet meeting, he said it would be held next week. We will review the drought situation, damage due to the cyclone and preparedness for Kharif. This time, owing to canal bund works in Krishna and Godavari deltas, the sowing for Kharif crop will commence by mid-June, he said. The TDP chief condemned the comments of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election rally in Ramnagar in Bihar on AP bifurcation and failure in administering it properly and at the same time claiming that harmony exists between Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand which were formed during the NDA regime. Modi forgot that the case of Andhra Pradesh is different. The region (Telangana) where the capital city was located, demanded separate state and not Andhra Pradesh. He should clarify as to how many times he negotiated between two States to settle the issues between them. Was he not the one who forgot to fulfil the promises made to Andhra Pradesh? he asked. Lashing out at Modis support to the YSRC, he pointed out that during the election campaign in Visakhapatnam last year, Modi said the BJP will never enter into a tie-up with the YSR Congress party. I visited New Delhi 29 times seeking fulfilment of State bifurcation assurances. Modi, instead of supporting our cause, started criticising us by saying that how it is possible to fulfil all the assurances within five years, he said. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Naidu claimed that the Modi government resorted to harassing the TDP leaders in the name of Income tax and ED raids after the TDP ended its alliance with the saffron party. The Modi government released `450 crore towards backward regions of Telangana and took back the amount of `350 crore released to AP. Modi has been resorting to cheap criticism for political mileage, he said Modi has no moral right to comment on AP until he sanctions special category status to AP, he said and blamed the Prime Minister for the deteriorating Centre-States relations. He said Modis comment that 40 MLAs of West Bengal are in touch with him sends a wrong signal. Condemning the attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, he said the BJP, which used institutions to target its opponents, is now resorting to physical attacks. Exuding confidence that TDP would win elections in the State, he observed that the YSRC is playing mind games understanding that it will be on the losing side. On JC Diwakar Reddys comments that many people have not recognised Chandrababu Naidus efforts in development and welfare of the State, the TDP chief said if the people did, the elections would have been a one-sided affair like the one in Singapore. He said there is still time for their getting results, like Singapore government. While blaming Narendra Modi, Jagan Mohan Reddy and KCR for corrupt practices during the elections, he said he respects Kerala people, who, according to him, look down upon those who offer or take money for vote. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: Around 82,000 students from the State appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Examination (NEET) at 100 centres in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Kurnool, Nellore and Tirupati. One of toughest challenges the candidates had to face was severe heat conditions as many reached their respective centres around 11.30 am. However, as Group-2 examinations were being conducted at some of the centres, the candidates were allowed to get in only after 12.30 pm. Their entry was restricted after 1.30 pm and the examination kicked off at 2 pm.The test consisted of 180 objective type questions of Physics, Chemistry and Biology. A good number of aspirants in Vijayawada found the Chemistry part to be the hardest, and said that Physics questions consumed most of their time. Restrictions imposed on the dress code by the conducting authority, the National Testing Agency, also subjected the candidates to face some difficulty. Many were asked to remove jewellery items, and those wearing full-sleeve shirts and shoes were frisked thoroughly. The official key is expected to be released in a weeks time; aspirants will be able to challenge it. Results are likely to be out on June 5. As two major entrance exams (Group-2 exams and NEET) were conducted on the same day, many locations in Vijayawada experienced traffic jam. To be eligible for admissions into MBBS and BDS courses, aspirants must secure a minimum of 50 percentile in the test. For those from SC/ST/OBC sections, 40 percentile is required. Four marks will be awarded for every correct answer and one mark would be deducted for every wrong one. By Express News Service After announcing the multi-starrer project Bhuj: The Pride of India, production house Select Media Holdings LLP has green-lit another film based on the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Tentatively titled 155 Hours, the film follows a young commando soldier of the Sikh Regiment, Baldev Singh, who was stranded in the jungles of Pakistan and suffered bullet injuries in both legs and one arm. All he had for company was the corpse of another soldier, his best friend. Baldev Singh survived for 155 hours without any food or water. Parallely, the film also tracks the story of Commander Karam Singh Virk, whose mission was to raid the jungles and rescue Baldev Singh. The action-less war film will be written and directed by Vinod Kapri (of Pihu fame) and produced by Ginny Khanuja and Vajir Singh. The names of the lead cast and collaborators will announced soon. Sajin Shrijith By Express News Service In a career that spans over two decades, director VM Vinu has worked with some of the biggest names in Malayalam cinema, including Mohanlal, Mammootty, Jayaram, and Sreenivasan. After directing Sreenivasan in two successful films Makante Achan and Yes Your Honour Vinu has once again collaborated with the actor in Kuttymama. In the film, Sreenivasan plays a retired army man named Shekaran Kutty a.k.a Kuttymama. Meera Vasudevan plays his better half. While Dhyan Sreenivasan portrays Sreenivasans younger self, Durga Krishna portrays Meeras. Vinu has previously directed Dhyans elder brother Vineeth Sreenivasan in Makante Achan. Vinu tells us that Shekarankutty is a comical character who constantly boasts about his daring military escapades to the folks in his hometown. He is the sort of person who, once he catches you, will make it near impossible to escape from his clutches. All your activities for that day will be stalled. His thallal becomes so unbearable for people that they decide to run away whenever they see him coming from a mile away. A tea shop employee will escape through the back door when he sees Shekarankutty approaching (laughs). We see characters like this everywhere. They pay no need to the listener. The funny thing is, theyre not aware of the fact that theyre being a nuisance to others. For them, its normal. As to the veracity of his stories, some stunning revelations are made in the films latter portions, which is the surprise factor. Meeras character plays a big part in the film as the revelations are being made through her. Vinu promises that Kuttymama is a proper entertainer with a 2-hour duration. It has satire, romance, sadness, fights, and lots of humour. The film is, in a way, a reflection of the present society. So I guess that makes it sort of relevant. You look around and all you see is people boasting about this and that with no actual results. It continues to such an extent that we have no clue where things are going to end up. The director adds that its a film that can be viewed with ones family without worrying about encountering distasteful humour. The quality of humour in Malayalam cinema has gone down considerably over the years, he observes. Its saddening to see what is being presented to audiences in the form of humour these days. There is a dearth of good content. Todays humour is crude, vulgar, and tasteless filled with smutty double meanings and cannot be watched in the presence of your family. The actors are laughing on screen, but not the audiences. Lets not forget that we grew up in the era of Sreenivasan, Priyadarshan, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Sankaradi, and Jagathy all masters of subtle and classy humour. When asked if he has modified his filmmaking style to suit the tastes of new generation audiences, he says that even though cinema has gone through several changes, there is still a demand for commercial entertainers. New gen is a big word, and we loosely throw that around these days. The real new gen cinema was made many years ago. A leading pioneer of new gen cinema, in my eyes, is KG George. We have also seen filmmakers like Padmarajan, Bharathan, IV Sasi, Hariharan, and Sathyan Anthikkad explore fresh and pathbreaking themes. As a writer and director, Sreenivasan has also presented ideas which were way ahead of their time. Sandesham, Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala, and Vadakkunokki Yanthram are unforgettable examples. I personally dont believe in depicting life in its raw form through art. My primary aim is to entertain. This means being a little more imaginative and poetic with my scripts. I believe that cinema should entertain instead of making someone think a lot or mend their ways. I dont think we can create awareness through cinema it can neither corrupt nor turn someone good. We cant go to a podium and expect our speech to change the way someone thinks. However, I do try to address some issues through some of my work in a way that I see fit. Vinu clarifies that he enjoys films like Parava, Sudani from Nigeria and Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum but there is also space for other kinds of cinema. If we only get realistic films with natural acting throughout the year, then we will get bored of them too. Its why people still line up to see the films of superstars and its why films like Lucifer and Madhuraraja are hits, he says. Kuttymamas dubbing session was a deeply distressing time for Vinu because, on the second day, Sreenivasan had to be hospitalised after experiencing acute breathlessness. It brought back memories of another dark chapter in his life. I went through a similar experience while I was in the middle of filming Balettan with Mohanlal. I had just finished filming the scene where Mohanlals character gets very emotional after his father passes away. Immediately after, I got a call from my wife informing me of my own fathers demise. I was devastated. When Sreenivasan was taken to the hospital, it worried me not because it would delay the dubbing process, but because I was so afraid of losing him. So I made arrangements to make sure that he gets medical help as quickly as possible without any obstacles standing in his way. Fortunately, he came back, strong as ever. He is such a bold, positive and confident man, and thats the secret of his success, recalls Vinu. Another highlight of Kuttymama, Vinu points out, is the fact that two father-son duos have worked on the film apart from Sreenivasan and Dhyan. Vinus son Varun, a graduate of LV Prasad Film and TV Academy, is the director of photography. The directors daughter, Varsha, has sung a track with Vineeth Sreenivasan. The music is by Achu Rajamani, son of veteran composer Rajamani. Kuttymama is hitting theatres on May 17. By PTI CHANDIGARH: 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. READ| Nation's security supreme priority for BJP: Amit Shah 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. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE 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. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: In a sharp reaction to PM Modis remark on a SP-Congress tacit understanding without the knowledge of BSP chief Mayawati, both Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati on Sunday claimed that the Prime Ministers comments are smacking of his losing grip after four phases of election. While Samajwadi Party chief Yadav claimed that the PM had changed his tone as he had realised that the BJP was lagging much behind after four phases of Lok Sabha elections, BSP chief Mayawati termed it as the divide and rule policy of the PM to confuse 'Gathbandhan' voters. While addressing a rally in Pratapgarh on Saturday, Modi, referring to Congress general-secretary Priyanka Gandhis participation in a meeting of Samajwadi Party workers in Rae Bareli on Friday, said that the Congress and SP had ties keeping BSP chief in dark. He also claimed that SP, under the guise of a grand alliance, has used Mayawati. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Attacking the Prime Minister, Akhilesh on Sunday said, Their arithmetic has gone wrong. They know they wont be able to form government. BJP can see no other way. Theyre not talking about development, farmers income. The Prime Minister just wants to mislead people. SP-BSP-RLD will decide who will form government and be the PM. Meanwhile, Mayawati on Sunday appealed to SP and BSP workers to vote for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli on Monday. READ| Will issue advisory post May 23 in view of SP-BSP clashes: UP CM Yogi Adityanath 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. She claimed that the BJP was disturbed because of the reverses BJP had suffered and the support the alliance had got in four phases so far. On May 23, India will be liberated from autocratic and egoistic rule," she added. By Express News Service PATNA: BJP chief Amit Shah said the article 370 that accords autonomy to J&K will be abolished if the BJP-led NDA is voted to power for the second term. Speaking at a poll rally in Bihar's Sheohar district, which will go to poll on May 12, in favour of party's candidate and sitting MP Rama Devi on Monday, Shah said: "No power on the earth can disintegrate J&K from India as long as even a single worker of BJP remains alive. And, if the BJP-led NDA government is voted again for the second term, that is as sure as the rising sun in the east, the move would be taken up to abolish the Article 370 in J&K", he said. Lashing out at opposition vehemently, he asked why the Congress party feels dejected whenever action or operation against the terror is carried out? FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE He cautioned the people of Bihar, in particular, to remain alert as opposition, led by RJD, is leaving no stone unturned to take Bihar back in the age of lantern and lumpenism. After choppering across the state,he said he has seen massive electoral enthusiasm amongst the people for continuing PM Narendra Modi for the second term. After Sheohar, Shah flew to address another poll rallies in Siwan, West and East Champaran by his chopper. RTHK: Iran plays down US carrier threat Iran on Monday dismissed as old news a US announcement it is sending a naval strike group to the Middle East in order to deliver the Islamic republic a message, Tasnim news agency reported. US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Sunday that the United States was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force as a "clear and unmistakeable message" that it will retaliate against any attack on its interests or its allies' by Iran. "Bolton's statement is a clumsy use of an out-of-date event for psychological warfare," Iran's supreme national security council spokesman Keyvan Khosravi said, quoted by Tasnim. According to the spokesman, Iranian armed forces had observed the carrier entering the Mediterranean Sea 21 days ago. Bolton "lacks military and security understanding and his remarks are mostly meant to draw attention to himself," Khosravi added. The USS Abraham Lincoln has previously been deployed to the Gulf, including during the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. The US statement did not specifically state why the deployment was taking place now. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-05-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. (CNN) Researchers in the UK have found traces of illicit drugs, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides in samples of freshwater shrimp. A study carried out by scientists from King's College London and the University of Suffolk tested the exposure of wildlife like freshwater shrimp to different micropollutants at 15 different sites in the county of Suffolk. Scientists were surprised to find illicit drugs in samples in rural England, with cocaine found in all samples tested and ketamine also widespread. "Such regular occurrence of illicit drugs in wildlife was surprising," Leon Barron from King's College London said in a press release. "We might expect to see these in urban areas such as London, but not in smaller and more rural catchments." Researchers also found traces of fenuron, a pesticide that has long been banned in the UK, added Barron, who said that the sources of the chemical are not clear. The full results of the study were published in the journal Environment International. "Although concentrations were low, we were able to identify compounds that might be of concern to the environment and crucially, which might pose a risk to wildlife," said Thomas Miller from King's College London. Researchers claim that while public concern over environmental health has emphasized microplastics and climate change, there are other areas that merit consideration. "The impact of 'invisible' chemical pollution (such as drugs) on wildlife health needs more focus in the UK as policy can often be informed by studies such as these," said Nic Bury from the University of Suffolk. High levels of benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite of cocaine, have previously been detected in wastewater in London. Microplastics are also a concern, with the tiny plastic particles being found inside fish, sea turtles and even flying insects. And scientists have found evidence that they are entering the human body, with microplastics in human stools for the first time in 2018. By PTI NEW DELHI: 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. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE 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. Saeed Naqvi By IANS If Indira Gandhi had won the 1977 general elections, it would have been a popular endorsement of her Emergency regime. Why would Narendra Modi's return after the elections be seen differently from Indira Gandhi's after the Emergency? There is a list of failures - the economy, rural distress, record unemployment, the nightmare of demonetization, GST, throttling of institutions. It must be put down to the effective polarization by Modi that an even more formidable list of misdemeanours is less talked about - lynching by vigilante mobs for trumped-up charges of cow slaughter, public lynching of Dalits, harassment of Muslims and Dalits on charges of love jihad, hundreds of Muslims in jail without trial. These nasty ingredients like "revenge" and hate" were not part of the impulse which led to the Emergency. In fact, Indira Gandhi was being buffeted by East-West ideological currents, externally and internally. Remember the 70s were going badly for the West. Against that global backdrop, Indira Gandhi had split the Congress, then clasped the Soviet hand tightly for the liberation of Bangladesh. CPI leader Sripad Amit Dange, Mohan Kumaramanglam, a Communist inclined Union Minister, Left-leaning P.N. Haksar as her Principal Secretary were her advisers. The global right and its Indian sympathizers clustered around Jayaprakash Narayan's Bihar movement in 1974. Senior RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh was the master strategist for this movement. What Indira Gandhi called the Jute press was stacked against her. Concerted pressure was beginning to unnerve her when the Allahabad High Court judgement, unseating her from Parliament caused her to impose the Emergency. However, Indira Gandhi appeared to have been chastened into Hinduism once she returned to power in 1980. A touch of Hindu majoritarianism dictated her offensive on Sikh extremism. This was very much on her mind when she fought the 1982 Jammu election on a patently communal platform. Operation Blue Star was launched in this mood, which eventually led to her assassination. Followed by the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984. When Rajiv Gandhi won the 1984 election with 414 seats in a house of 543, the party extracted two conclusions from the outcome. First, it was a sympathy wave because of Indira Gandhi's murder. Second, it was also Hindu consolidation against minority communalism. I learnt this first hand in 1985 from V.N. Gadgil, Secretary in the Congress Working Committee and a good friend. "The feeling among Hindus is growing that Muslims are appeased." How appeased the Muslims became clear in the Sachar Committee report of 2005 on the dismal socio-economic condition of Indian Muslims. The Congress leadership nevertheless began to strategize on the basis that Hindu sentiment had to be respected. Opening of the temple locks, permitting the brick laying ceremony for the Ram temple, promising Ram Rajya if Congress won the 1989 elections and so on were dictated by this thinking. So, Rahul's temple hopping has antecedents. The BJP, smarting under the fact that it had been reduced to two seats in 1984, began to worry more when it saw the Congress stealing its "Hindu" platform. By way of damage control, the party elected L.K. Advani its President in 1986. For the 1989 elections, Prime Minister V.P. Singh implemented the Mandal Commission report reserving government jobs for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). This aggravated the intra-Hindu caste conflict. The Hindu caste pyramid was in a state of high agitation when Advani undertook the journey on a Hindu chariot to Ayodhya to highlight the urgency of Rama's temple being built. This was to neutralize the effects of Mandal. Ram Janmbhoomi-Babari Masjid evolved as Hindu-Muslim conflict no doubt, but its purpose was more complex. Hindu consolidation, with Muslims as the Other, would, over a period of time, mobilize Hindus on the lower rungs of the caste hierarchy against the Muslim "other". Instead of weakening the Hindu structure by falling prey to caste politics, the lower castes were being accorded a place of honour as Hindu foot soldiers, a powerful infantry of the Hindutva brigade. Communalism, in other words, was to be a strategy to stabilize the caste pyramid. Vigorous social engineering towards this end was launched by an energetic RSS functionary K.N. Govindacharya in the 90s. At the leadership level, Narendra Modi, Kalyan Singh, President Ram Nath Kovind, Bangaru Laxman, Uma Bharti, are all a function of the party's sensitivity to the lower castes in its midst. Much more impressive was the way it went flat out on its "reclamation" and "ghar wapsi" programmes. This is what Congress has set itself up against sans any social engineering. They both have a Muslim policy, equally harmful to the community but one's approach is quite distinct from the other. The BJP is on a no holds barred anti-Muslim mobilization spree. The Congress, scared to lose Hindu votes, keeps Muslims out of the frame. "Willing to wound and yet afraid to strike". Thinking on its feet mostly, the Congress imagines it is reinventing itself as an upper caste party which once had under its canopy Muslims and Dalits too. Dalits, of course, now have their own caste parties. Muslims have been shuttling between caste parties or those candidates who are likely to defeat the BJP. Only when they are wriggling against the wall, totally cornered, will they willy nilly vote for the Congress. It is instructive for the Congress to realize that Indira Gandhi's Emergency was an aberration in a settled world order. It embarrassed Gandhi herself, which is why she called for elections. Modi's excesses are in a world order upto its waist in fascism. Will he fit into this order? Unlikely, because he has to grapple with India's infinite variety. Geert Wilders can dream a future in fascism for tiny Netherlands. But Modi has to dream unrealistically of imposing a uniformity on a multi-lingual, multi-regional, multi-religious sub-continent, not yet a classical nation state. That is why the dream of the Indian middle class that India is about to become a two-party system, both parties representing upper castes, will remain just that - a dream. India will survive and thrive in its strong federal framework. (The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the article belong solely to political and diplomatic affairs commentator Saeed Naqvi, and not necessarily to organization, committee or other group or individual.) By PTI CHAIBASA(JHARKHAND): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday threw a challenge at the Congress, asking it to contest the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha elections in the name of Rajiv Gandhi, who he recently dubbed as "bhrashtachari no.1". ALSO READ| Modi a much mellowed man on Twitter this election season He also dared the Congress to a debate on the Bofors scandal and other issues ahead of the last two phases of the polling. "A few days ago I had called a member of the naamdar parivar (dynasty) as 'bhrashtachari (corrupt) no.1' and some people got such a severe stomach ache that they started crying aloud. The more they cry, the more will today's generation come to know of the old truths. How a family looted the country in the 20th century, destroyed it - the youth of the country should know. I am challenging the Congress from this dais that when polling takes place in the remaining phases in Punjab, Delhi and in Bhopal let it fight the elections in the name of Rajiv Gandhi. I am hopeful that the Congress will accept this challenge," he told an election rally. ALSO READ| Will chant 'Jai Shri Ram,' arrest me, Modi dares Mamata Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been repeatedly daring Modi to debate on issues of national security, especially the Rafale fighter jet deal, asserting that when it happens, the truth will be out in the open. ALSO READ| Only have love for Modi who insulted a martyr: Rahul Gandhi Responding to Modi's comments that his father Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as "Bhrashtachari No 1," Rahul Gandhi had on Sunday 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" 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) 5 May 2019 Modi, without naming anyone, said, "A member of the 'naamdar parivar' is abusing the prime minister for the last one year, without caring for the dignity (of the chair). You do not have respect for the PM's post". Claiming that the 'Mahamilawati' (a motley group of opposition parties) have surrendered after four phases of polling and are floundering during the fifth phase on Monday, the prime minister said, "Let the Congress and its allies take the challenge to fight over Bofors issue in the remaining phases. "Don't run away, this is a democracy. Where did the ex-PM take the country?" he said. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Alleging that the Congress had done "injustice" to the country over the past 70 years, Modi said he cannot claim to have completely negated it in five years. "But I have cleaned it up to the maximum extent," said Modi. Accusing the Congress of making an independent MLA (Madhu Koda), who was convicted in a coal scam case and is now on bail, the chief minister of Jharkhand, Modi said now the Congress has given ticket to a member of his family (Gita Koda) to contest from Singhbhum. "This is shameful," he said. Modi also mentioned Congress' alliance with Lalu Prasad's RJD in this context. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Sunday rejected a plea to reschedule the commencement of polls during the last three phases of the Lok Sabha elections to 5 am instead of 7 am due to Ramzan. Ramzan, the month of fasting in Islam, will begin from May 7 (Tuesday). The Supreme Court had on Thursday directed the Election Commission to take a call on a plea seeking to advance the voting timing to 5 am for the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha election due to heat waves and Ramzan. The petition was filed by advocates Mohammed Nizamuddin Pasha and Asad Hayat, who mentioned it for urgent hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. The bench had asked the counsel appearing for the poll body to take a decision on the issue. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE In a letter to Pasha, the poll panel said, "The polling hours are long enough (11) hours against the statutory eight hours for the convenience of all sections of the society. The Commission does not find it feasible to alter the existing hours for poll for the 5th, 6th and 7th phase." While the fifth phase is on Monday, the sixth phase is on May 12 and the last phase on May 19. The EC had set up a committee of officers to hear out the petitioner and take a call. A functionary said besides being tiring for poll staff, such a move was not practical. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Police on Sunday said a Kashmiri youth who was affiliated with Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, had given up violence and returned home. A police official said that a youth from restive Pulwama in south Kashmir who was part of JeM, shunned the path of violence and returned to the mainstream following efforts by his family and police. He said the identity of the youth was being protected. This is the second instance in a week of a Kashmiri militant giving up violence and returning home. On April 30, a militant from Pulwama had shunned the path of violence and returned home, following efforts by community members and police. A security official said it was good that local youths who had joined militancy were realising the futility of violence and returning to their homes. Top police, CRPF and Army officials had recently urged Kashmiri youths who had joined militancy to give up violence and return home. The General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Armys Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt. Gen. K J S Dhillon, had stated that some surrenders had happened during the last few months. He had requested local militants to lay down arms and assured complete security and safety to those who surrendered. Security officials said there had been a considerable drop in Kashmiri youth joining militancy and militant recruitment continued to be down. The militant recruitment continues to be low and it is a healthy sign, the GoC had said. By PTI HYDERABAD: Stepping up efforts to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties, Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has lined up meetings with his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan and DMK president M K Stalin. While Rao will meet Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday evening, he will call on Stalin at his residence in Chennai later this week on May 13, a statement by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. JD (S) leader and Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has also reached out to the Telangana chief minister. According to a statement issued by the CMO, Rao and Vijayan, who heads the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala, will discuss "contemporary politics". "In view of the Parliamentary elections, both the CMs will discuss contemporary politics," it said. Rao will visit the Rameshwaram and Srirangam temples before returning home, the statement said. Discussing the Rao-Stalin meeting, it said, "Both the leaders are likely to discuss current political scenario in the context of ongoing Parliamentary elections." Learning about his visits to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Kumaraswamy also had a telephonic talk with Rao, the statement said. The chief minister's daughter and sitting Nizamabad Lok Sabha member K Kavitha told PTI recently that regional parties not aligned with the Congress and the BJP will get 120-plus seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, and may hold the key to government formation. She said the TRS is in touch with various parties not part of the BJP-led NDA and Congress-anchored UPA in its efforts to forge a federal front of regional outfits. A federal front will take good shape after the Lok Sabha election results are out, Kavitha said. By PTI GWALIOR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 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. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE "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. 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. ALSO READ| 'Mahamilawati' people have used power to multiply wealth: PM Modi "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 politics 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. ALSO READ| 850 Indians freed from Saudi jails on my request: PM Narendra Modi 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. By Express News Service BHOPAL: Two of the four seats of central Madhya Pradesh will vote on Monday along with three seats in Bundelkhand region and two seats in Vindhya region. The Betul seat one of six seats reserved for tribal candidates will witness a battle between two first-timers, advocate-turned-Congress politician Ramu Tekam and teacher-turned-BJP candidate Durga Das Uikey. In adjoining Hoshangabad constituency, first-time politician and Congress candidate Shailendra Diwan is taking on two-time sitting MP and BJP candidate Udai Pratap Singh. According to political watchers, the BJP candidate seems to have an upper hand in the Hoshangabad seat, particularly as the party won six out of the eight assembly segments of the parliamentary constituency in the 2018 Assembly elections. If the results of the Assembly polls are factored in, then the BJP is ahead by around 70,000 votes. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE The Hoshangabad constituency spread across Hoshangabad, Narsinghpur and Raisen districts has elected BJP MPs seven times out of eight elections held since 1989. While the seat was won five times by ex-Union and MP Minister Sartaj Singh (who is now with the Congress), former CM Sunderlal Patwa won from the seat in 1999. Present MP Udai Pratap Singh won for the first time in 2009 as a Congress candidate but joined the BJP before the 2014 polls and retained the seat by around 3.90 lakh votes, largely riding on the Modi wave. While the BJP candidate is eyeing to increase his 2014 victory margin, the Congress candidate is banking on the power of the Lodhi community, which dominates two assembly segments. But with all senior Congress leaders of the region, including former Union minister Suresh Pachouri and ex-MP Rameshwar Neekhra, staying away from campaigning, the Congress candidate isnt finding enough star power to bolster his poll prospects. Importantly, both PM Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed rallies on the same day in separate assembly segments of Hoshangabad recently, but the major issues of the agriculturally rich region, including lack of agro-industries despite the region being rich in wheat and sugarcane production, rampant sand mining in Narmada and absence of proper health facilities, seem to have been overshadowed by the battle between BJPs nationalism plank and Congress minimum income guarantee scheme. In neighbouring Betul, a tough contest seems to be on the cards. Both first-time candidates, Congress Ramu Tekam and BJPs DD Uike are popular owing to their grassroots connect, but the BJP candidate is compelled to carry the baggage of anti-incumbency left by two-time sitting BJP MP Jyoti Dhurve, who has been found to have contested last two LS polls on the basis of fake Scheduled Tribes certificate. Despite having an RSS connect, Uike is facing opposition from people, particularly due to the unpopularity of the outgoing MP. On the other hand, the young Congress candidate Ramu Tekam is promising to solve the problem of water scarcity in Betul. Women and children have to walk up to eight km to get water. My priority after winning the poll will be to address the issue, said Tekam. His prospects have got a fillip as CM Kamal Nath has been campaigning extensively in the constituency, which borders his pocket-borough Chhindwara. Spread across three tribal-dominated districts Betul, Harda and Khandwa the seat has been a BJP bastion since 1996, but the Congress had led in all eight assembly segments of the constituency in the 2018 Assembly polls. Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Army has severely reprimanded Major Leetul Gogoi, who will also suffer loss of seniority of six months for pension only, after a court martial found him guilty of fraternising with a Kashmiri woman and being away from his place of duty in 2018. Major Gogoi first made news after he tied a man to an Army jeep purportedly as a shield against a stone-throwing mob during a bypoll in Budgam in April 2017. In May 2018, he was caught with a local woman in a Srinagar hotel. The Army headquarters confirmed court martial proceedings against Major Gogoi and his driver Sameer Malla, who were held 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 operational area. Sources said that loss of seniority will not affect Major Gogois promotion prospects. It will only lead to a reduction in his pension. The decision of the military court will lead to the lifting of the disciplinary vigilance ban on him, enabling his normal posting. Clarifying on media reports of Major Gogoi being shunted out, the Army has said that he is not being shunted out as some media is reporting. Major Gogoi got posted to a Rashtriya Rifles unit in March 2016 and was posting out in October 2018. But he was attached to the Victor Force, an anti- terrorist formation, for additional time pending the inquiry and action. Sana Shakil By Express News Service DHANURI (JHUNJHUNU): The dilemma for Jhunjhunus Dhanuri village, which sends most of its youth to the armed forces, is quite basic: how to pick its representative when all that the parties are talking about is nationalism in a place where clean water, power supplies and lack of employment is a big concern. People of the Muslim dominated village, also known as Shaheedon ka Gaon (a village of martyrs), also rue how, like many other Muslims, they are at times asked to prove their patriotism when they go to other cities in search of work. Locals said that the village has at least 250 retired and 250 serving personnel in the Indian armed forces. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE There has not been a single war where soldiers from Dhanuri have not fought for the country. We have at least 19 war martyrs, said Siraj Ahmad Khan, adding almost every house in the village has at least one family member in the armed forces. According to 2011 census, Dhanuri had a total population of 3,454, of which 1,644 are men. Communal harmony is evident in the village. Hindus and Muslims work together and live next to each other, unlike most parts of Rajsthan where Hindus and Muslims live in separate mohallas. Fateh Ram, who works at a tailoring shop of Intezar Ali Khan, said, There has never been any communal tension in the village. Just like the Indian army, we live, eat , celebrate festivals together. Khan, added, Lack of job opportunities and dirty water is the biggest problem here. However, he praised BJP candidate Narendra Kumar, the sitting MLA from Madawa, for his accessibility, saying he will vote for him. Retired army personnel Saleh Mohammad Khan, whose son is serving in the Army, said Kumar may be a strong candidate but his party has been threatening the Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb of the country. We dont need lessons on nationalism from them. They are dividing the country on communal lines. I will vote against this. Locals said theres not one structure in the village that stands in tribute to the courage of its martyrs, except a government school recently renamed after the 1971 war hero Major MH Khan. His younger brother Mohammad Hafeez Khan said, My brother, a Vir Chakra awardee, was killed two days after he successfully led a raid and destroyed a target in the Pakistani camp during 1971 War. These days, such raids are called surgical strikes and are politicized. (CNN) The City of Los Angeles has renamed a nearly 4-mile stretch of road from "Rodeo Road" to "Obama Boulevard," in honor of the country's first African-American president. The location is significant, the city said, because Obama held his first campaign rally in Los Angeles on February 20, 2007, at Rancho Cienega Park. The park sits on Rodeo Road, right across from W. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. "For every child who will drive down this street and see the name of the first Black President of our country, this boulevard will serve as a physical reminder that no goal is out of reach and that no dream is too big," tweeted City Council President Herb Wesson after the renaming Saturday. Rodeo Road, which runs through a historic black neighborhood, is not the first strip to be named in honor of former presidents. The district where the road sits is also home to Washington Boulevard, Adams Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard. Wesson introduced the motion to rename the stretch of road back in 2017. Final approval came last August exactly 10 years after Obama made history by officially becoming the Democratic Party's first African-American presidential nominee on August 28, 2008. The City Council voted 15-0 for the name change. "We're thrilled that Angelenos and visitors will forever be reminded of the legacy of President Barack Obama when traveling across L.A," Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted at the time. This story was first published on CNN.com "Los Angeles has renamed a street after former President Obama" By PTI NEW DELHI Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that despite Narendra Modi insulting his father Rajiv Gandhi, he only had love for the prime minister. "He is the prime minister of the country but insults a martyr (Rajiv Gandhi). I told him whatever hatred you have for me, you can belittle me, you can say whatever you say about my father, mother, grandfather, grandmother. Whatever hatred you direct against me, I will only return it with love," Gandhi said. ALSO READ| He took a U-turn: Rahul Gandhi holds Kejriwal responsible for alliance failure Addressing a rally in Chandni Chowk constituency for party's candidate JP Agarwal, Gandhi recalled the moment he hugged Modi in Parliament. "Hatred can only be defeated by love. Remember, the same love will defeat you Narendra Modiji on May 23," said the Congress chief. At a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi had targeted Rajiv Gandhi, while attacking the Congress president. "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1," Modi had said, drawing sharp criticisms from opposition leaders. ALSO READ| Rahul Gandhi missing from Amethi on polling day The prime minister targeted Rajiv Gandhi on Monday as well, daring the Congress to fight the elections in the name of the "Bofors-accused". Attacking Modi over demonetisation and the implementation of GST, Gandhi said even a kid would know that the decisions have not benefited anyone. GST and demonetisation have hurt the traders of Delhi, Gandhi told voters of the constituency, which is mainly dominated by the trading community. ALSO READ| 'Your Karma awaits you': Rahul on Modi's remarks about Rajiv Gandhi Alluding to denial of ticket to veteran BJP leader LK Advani, Gandhi said Modi even "insulted" his guru. "Narendra Modi does not respect 125 crore Indians. The only person he loves is himself. People do not want to listen to his Maan ki Baat," he said, adding that the voice of Delhi is the country's voice. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Taking a dig, he said the prime minister reads from a teleprompter, but it does not tell him that he has to talk about the promises he made to the country's youths and farmers. Gandhi said after coming to power his party will implement the 'Nyay' scheme, which will increase the spending capacity of people and give a boost to the economy. Gandhi also promised to fill up 22 lakh job vacancies in the government sector, one of the main poll plank of the party. By IANS PATNA: Bihar opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday predicted a political earthquake when the results of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls are declared on May 23. "Wait for May 23, there will be a political earthquake," Tejashwi Yadav told the media here. ALSO READ: PM Modi should visit farmers instead of attending celebrity weddings, says Tejashwi The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader claimed that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will resign either on May 23 or shortly after that. Tejashwi Yadav also said that differences between the ruling Janata Dal-United and the Bharatiya Janata Party were growing and will soon lead to a conflict. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE He made the remarks as voting for Bihar's five parliamentary seats of Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur and Saran was on. By Bloomberg Santu Adhikari scavenges with scarred hands through the rubble of a Tata Motors factory where he once hoped to work. But the plant was torn down before it was finished, and the 28-year-old now spends his days among its ruins in this field outside Kolkata, hunting for scrap iron to sell. Adhikari blames his grim predicament on one of Indias most powerful regional politicians: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who triumphed in state polls after leading farmer protests here in the provinces fertile Singur district to drive away from the company a decade ago. Narendra Modi swooped in and brought the factory across the country to his home state of Gujarat, part of an investment push that propelled his Bharatiya Janata Party to victory in Indias 2014 general election. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE She won elections and became chief minister because of Singur, and she will lose because of the condition its in today, Adhikari said. We support the BJP. When the BJP hold a meeting, all the young people go. Modi needs frustrated voters like Adhikari to make gains in Indias fourth-largest state, where his ruling BJP only won two of 42 seats five years ago. Polls show he faces a tough nationwide fight to win re-election on May 23, making it necessary to win in states where the party has previously struggled. Standing in his way is Banerjee, 64, who still dominates this province of nearly 100 million people and is a possible prime minister candidate if a loose alliance of opposition parties can band together and defeat Modi. Her All India Trinamool Congress party won 80 per cent of the states seats in 2014, making her party the strongest opposition force nationally after the Congress Party. ALSO READ | Will chant 'Jai Shri Ram,' arrest me, Modi dares Mamata Banerjee has cultivated an image as a populist street fighter, and a survivor: She lived through an attack by stick-wielding thugs early in her career. To now defend her turf from the BJP, shes turned her campaign into a full-blown assault on Modis record, pointing to policy failures like a 2016 cash ban that hit economic growth. You cancelled our notes, Mr Modi, she shouted out in a recent speech outside Kolkata to a large crowd kept back by bamboo dividers. Now the people of Bengal will cancel your votes and oust you. If Banerjee comes back with a similar number of seats and the national election is close, she could be the most important person in forming an opposition coalition government in New Delhi. Dislodging her seems almost impossible. Even just defending her seat-rich state might be enough to prevent the BJP from cobbling a majority as the ruling party needs to win new territory amid expected losses elsewhere. ALSO READ | Mamata Banerjee politicising cyclone Fani, refused to talk to me: PM Narendra Modi Banerjees most passionate supporters say shes a potential prime ministerial candidate. While thats unlikely partly because the BJP is expected to retain its grip on New Delhi shes already using her influence to rally national opposition to Modi. In January, Banerjee hosted powerful opposition leaders from across India at a high profile meeting. Mamata is leading the anti-Modi brigade, said Mahua Moitra, a former investment banker turned Trinamool state legislator. Banerjee, who didnt respond to interview requests, has had a colorful, and sometimes contentious, career. In 1990, thugs wielding bamboo sticks fractured her skull at a rally. In 1993, police fired into a march she was leading, killing 13 people. She vaulted to greater prominence in 2008, when she united opposition to the West Bengal governments attempts to acquire land for the Tata factory. Shes very quick at picking up issues, said Pradeep Gooptu, secretary of the Kolkata-based Bengal Initiative, a liberal think-tank. She realized the discontent lay in the villages, not in the cities, so she moved over to a rural agenda to accelerate her rise to power. Still, for frustrated Hindus in a state where the BJP is untested, Modis economic promises and nationalist agenda are enticing. After Banerjee chased Tata away, Modi, who then led the western province of Gujarat, burnished his credentials by luring the companys factory there. If the BJP comes to power, there will be development, said Krishna Panda, a 40-year-old farmer, who traveled hours by bus to see Modi speak in Kolkata. In this election, the BJP is drawing criticism elsewhere for failing to create sufficient jobs. Even the Tata factory in Gujarat, which built the worlds cheapest car, looks set to end production of the unpopular Nano this year. But Panda hasnt followed any of that. Meanwhile, the BJP has attempted to argue that Trinamool courts the states roughly 25 million Muslims at the expense of Hindus. Its seized on an important Hindu festival and Banerjees 2017 request that celebrants refrain from submerging idols on one day of a multi-day celebration because it conflicted with an Islamic holiday. That hit the Bengali psyche hard, said Jay Prakash Majumdar, BJP vice-president for West Bengal. Hindus are thinking, If we continue with Trinamool, minorities will slowly take control. But Banerjee has her loyalists, particularly among rural voters attracted to the handouts she given. One program gives free bicycles to students, another guarantee a cash payout for young girls who stay in school and one subsidizes purchases of rice and wheat. We have been given proper roads in last two years, and three new school buildings in the last five years, Amanur Mondal, 32, said while waiting with thousands of supporters to hear Banerjee speak in the village of Charghat. We are here to support and vote for Mamata Banerjee. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Nobody from Shareefabad village, the native place of Burhan Wani, the poster boy of terror group Hizbul Mujahideen, voted Monday. Just 15 voted from the native place of the Pulwama suicide bomber, who nearly brought India and Pakistan to a war. There were more security personnel than voters on Monday in Shopian and Pulwama districts, which recorded the lowest turnout with just 2.81% votes polled. Over 25% stations did not record any polling at all. The family of Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber Aadil Ahmad Dar, did not step out to vote at Gundibagh village, 35 kms from Shopian town. Neither did a single person in that village, as the third-phase voting for Anantnag constituency concluded today. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE How can we vote? It will be a betrayal of the sacrifice of my brother and others, said Aadils brother and a graduate, Arif. My parents and brother have never voted. We never vote, he added. Aadil had rammed an explosive ridden vehicle into a CRPF bus at Lethpora on February 14, killing 40 jawans. Arifs brother Aadil had rammed an explosive ridden vehicle into a CRPF bus in Pulwama on February 14, killing 40 paramilitary personnel. Also, zero polling was witnessed from the villages of other top militant commanders in south Kashmir, the hotbed of militancy in the valley, they said. ALSO READ | Kashmiri Pandits vote in special booths, hope for end of terrorism and return to homeland Also, zero voting was recorded from Noorabad, the village of Zakir Musa, the so-called chief of Ansar-Gazawat-ul-Hind terror group; Beighpora, the village of the incumbent Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo; and Sheikhpora, the village of Mudassir Khan, the mastermind of February 14 terror strike, said the officials. Burhan Wani's killing in an encounter with security forces in 2016 had triggered massive unrest in the valley that left nearly 100 people dead and a thousand others, including security forces, injured. ALSO READ | Grenade attack on polling station in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama The EC held a three-phase poll for Anantnag LS seat spread over four districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama. Militants carried out two grenade and two petrol bomb attacks on polling booths in Shopian and Pulwama on Monday. Pulwama and Shopian recorded the lowest turnout ever with just 2.81% of voters lining up. Officials said not a single vote was cast in over 200 out of 695 polling booths in the two districts. ALSO READ | JeM militant from Pulwama gives up gun, returns home (With PTI inputs) Gurbir Singh By Who will police the policemen? That is the million dollar question being asked in corporate circles after Deloitte Haskins & Sells, one of the big-four accounting firms, has been called out in the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) case for turning a Nelsons eye to the companys debt pile. As the government-appointed board of IL&FS peels off the layers of subterfuge, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs is considering penal action, including a long-term ban on Deloitte. Our regulators and enforcement agencies dont seem to learn from history. It was not so long ago January 2009 when Satyam Computer Services boss B Ramalinga Raju was taken into custody after he manipulated accounts to show excess revenues of over Rs 14,000 crore. It was also revealed that auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) were complicit in this huge cover-up. amit bandre It took the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) nine long years to complete investigations and penalise PwC. The final verdict, given in January 2018, was a let-down: a ban on PwC from providing audit services to listed companies for two years and a disgorgement of `13 crore. EVIDENCE PILES UP In the current IL&FS case, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office has found that in the main IL&FS subsidiaries IL&FS Financial Services (IFIN), IL&FS Transportation Networks Limited (ITNL) and IL&FS Securities Services Ltd (ISSL) the basic principles of auditing were given the go by Deloitte though it charged a handsome audit fee of Rs 13-14 crore and an additional `6-8 crore in advisory/consultancy fees. IL&FS was incorporated in 1987 to promote infrastructure lending. Over the years, it grew into a multi-layered behemoth with over 350 interconnected subsidiaries. By September 2018, the crisis was triggered when IFIN defaulted on its repayments; and there were shock waves when it was found that there may be unpaid loans to the tune of `91,000 crore. The old board has been sacked and a new, government-mandated board headed by Uday Kotak is attempting to put the pieces together. Central to the current investigations now is the deposition of a whistle-blower, who claims he was part of the senior IL&FS management team. He has alleged that it is not just Deloittes failure of due diligence, but its abetment in the fraudulent practices. When audit findings did not show IL&FS in favourable light, the auditor conveniently relied on management explanations and comfort letters and compromised its independent opinion. At times, IL&FS top echelons would meet and coerce Deloitte for a more favourable position or watered down position. The fact is that Deloitte has, over a decade, never once provided an audit report with adverse findings, even for 2017-18 when the loan crisis of IL&FS had ballooned to unmanageable proportions. IT HAPPENS IN THE US TOO An auditors job is to assess a companys financial information and determine if the information is accurate and complete. What we have here is the auditor not only shielding financial wrongdoing, but becoming complicit in the fraud. It does not only happen in India. In case of the US energy major, Enron Corporation, it was found that the company had kept huge debts off the balance sheet and ultimately collapsed in 2001, losing $74 billion of shareholder wealth. Audit firm Arthur Andersen, known as one of the Big-Five was found guilty of having cooked up the accounts and was forced to surrender its license to practice. Though it got a legal reprieve later, Arthur Andersen went into oblivion. Back to IL&FS and India, the government wants to impose severe penalties including a possible five-year ban on Deloitte. However, if the process of investigation takes a decade, as it did for PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Satyam case, the purpose of deterrent punishment will be defeated. Auditors are the eyes and ears of the financial system. If they become part of the loot, the system will collapse. The government has sweeping powers under Section 140 (5) of the Companies Act to force a company to change its auditors if they are found to be engaged in or abetting fraud. It should make use of it effectively. A ban for two-to-three years is not good enough. They should be kept out for good. There must have been smoke if there was a fire. The depth of the rot in IL&FS did not have to hit `91,000 crore before it blew up. And didnt anyone know Deloitte was covering up? As we said, it doesnt happen only in India. Fortune Magazine had named Enron as Americas most innovative company for six years in a row before the st hit the ceiling covering up According to the whistle-blower, when audit findings did not show IL&FS in favourable light, the auditor conveniently relied on management explanations and comfort letters. It is paradoxical that the Supreme Court which always tries to keep a constant check on every other organ/institution/body under the Constitution is being questioned for failing to apply similar methods of disciplining to its own functions. How is a judge appointed in the High Court or elevated to the Supreme Court? How is a judge appointed as the Chief Justice of a High Court? How and when is a judge transferred from one High Court to another High Court? Are the views of the consultee-judges given due weightage by the Collegium? The simple answer is, the public does not know anything about it even after such a mechanism exists for 25 years. The reason: The Supreme Courts double standards towards right to information, despite it preaching about the importance of a citizens right to know about how public institutions are functioning. The ghost of the past has come back to haunt the Supreme Court and has brought around certain scintillating questions about the working of the institution. The chronology of the story starts with a Right to Information application filed by RTI activist Subhash Chandra in 2009 for knowing the reasons for the judicial appointment of former Judges H L Dattu, R M Lodha and A Ganguly prior to other senior High Court judges A P Shah, A K Patnaik and V K Gupta. The Central Information Commissioner (CIC) directed the apex court to reveal the deliberation for appointment of the judges; against which the Apex Court through Central Public information officer (CPIO) filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court, which was dismissed by Justice (Retired) A P Shah in January 2010. Under this scenario, the CPIO filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Delhi HC judgment. However, in November 2010, The Supreme Court Bench of Justices B Sudarshan Reddy (now retired) and S S Nijjar referred the matter to a three-judge Bench, which in turn in August 2016 referred the matter to a Constitutional Bench observing that the questions involved are substantial in nature and require the interpretation of the Constitution. Specific questions raised before the apex court were, Whether the concept of independence of judiciary required and demanded the prohibition of furnishing of information sought? and Whether the information sought for amounts to interference in the functioning of the judiciary? What lies folded under the present case may be a question of judicial inquisitiveness for a legal jurist, but for laymen it is a question of judicial accountability. When an independent body such as the CICestablished for the specific purpose of handling cases of right to informationhas in no short word held the Apex Court obligated to share the information as to the deliberation of appointment, why does the Supreme Court of India need to question to its veracity? And once they have reached a conclusion, it should be respected for all its reasoning. The very scenario that the apex court challenged this ruling of an independent institution (CIC) puts several impenetrable questions onto the minds of the people. The irony of seeing the Supreme Court of India fighting a case against a judicial pronouncement, while itself being a judge in the case, seems way too pungent to digest. The irony of the argument put forward by Attorney General of India that certain information cannot be revealed to the public-at-large, as it has all the potential of deteriorating the independence of judiciary seems to naive to be acceptable on pragmatic grounds. The power of appointment of judges was appropriated by the Supreme Court under the guise of judicial independence, i.e. independence from executive and legislaturebut not independence from accountability. The spirit of independence precisely explained by Lord Woolf, the independence of the Judiciary is not the property of the Judiciary, but a commodity to be held by the Judiciary in trust for the public. On the contrary, the greater transparency in the working of the apex court will foster more respect for the institution. Provided there is nothing to hide or shove under the rug. For way too long the judicial body has been wrapped under the cloak of discreteness. The whole process of judicial appointments has been confined to a sacred ritual whose mystery is confined only to a handful of high priests as Justice P N Bhagwati once described it. This could be a great opportunity for the Supreme Court to decipher its functionality and gain more respect. The fact that Section 8 of the Right to Information Act gives an upper hand to government institutions from exempting themselves from giving information cannot and should not be used by the Supreme Court of India. The Supreme Court of India for long has been a peoples court and has been pronouncing judgments for the betterment of human conditions. At this point it will be surprising to see if it denies information on grounds of judicial independence. It will be a battle fought for all the wrong reasons. Secrecy breeds suspicion and decisions made behind closed doors make people suspicious. We cannot regard judiciary as a Phantom, who works in the dark to bring justice to the poor. It has to be an open book. Yogesh Pratap Singh Registrar, National Law University Odisha Email: registrar@nluo.ac.in Ashit Kumar Srivastava Assistant Professor of Law, National Law University Odisha Express News Service BENGALURU: There was chaos, confusion and anxiety at the NEET examination centres on Sunday. Reason: Students turning up at the wrong centre close to the examination hour.The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exams, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to professional medical courses, were conducted on Sunday. Even when the entry for the three-hour examination closed at 1.30 pm, students were seen rushing to the examination centre beyond time only to be stranded there as they found themselves at the wrong centre. For many students, the public notice put out on May 2 about the change of location of the examination centre due to Lok Sabha polls and other unavoidable reasons went unnoticed. Students reached Presidency School in Yelahanka, unaware of the revised examination centre at Dayananda Sagar University, School of Engineering at Hosur Road. No transport arrangements were made for the students who arrived at the wrong centre at Presidency School from where the exam centre was changed as EVM machines were kept there, said a parent at the centre. About 30 students were rushed out by their parents from Dayananda Sagar Institutions to the centre in Dayananda Sagar University, Hosur Rd, said a shopkeeper. Three students were prohibited from entering the examination centre at Army Public School, Kamaraj Road, for arriving a few minutes beyond 1.30pm. One of them, Supriya K who arrived from Andhra Pradesh, said they went to the wrong Army school in the city, hence the delay,. This, despite she leaving her relatives house as early as 10 am. While the NTA mentioned in its note that students were informed about the changes via SMS, Email and Voice Message, and were advised to download their fresh Admit Card in the notice, the Chief Ministers office alleged lack of proper communication by NTA. Aspirants being forced to remove earring and shoes at 2 respective centres | pics: nagaraja Gadekal Strict dress code catches many off guard Medical aspirants were asked to leave their jewellery and formal shoes before entering the examination centres. It was a testing time for parents who accompanied them. A few of them said that they were unaware of the ban on jewellery in the dress code prescribed by the National Testing Academy. Advocate Siddanna, who was waiting outside the exam centre at Basavanagudi with the gold articles belonging to his daughter, said that they reached Bengaluru from Ballary on Sunday morning and rushed to the examination centre. Suhana who was waiting for her daughter said the headscarf was made to be removed as the pin on it was not permitted. Rules mandated light clothes with half sleeves, but instances of sleeves being chopped off were reported, while colour was not implemented as strictly. Parents wait outside an exam centre at Army Public School on Kamraj Road in the city on Sunday | nagaraja Gadekal NO ARRANGEMENTS, kin have to wait under sun Family members of NEET aspirants chose to while away their time outside exam centres as they waited for children, who were taking the exams. As a result, some settled on main roads and footpaths, while others congregated outside the gates for the entire duration of the three-hour exam in the hot sun. Mr. Gowda, a parent, said, Its been almost five hours since my daughter went in to write the exam. I have no option but to wait here, as I promised I would have lunch with her. Additionally, many cars were parked on the roads along the campuses. Purnesh, a resident of Chickmaglur, had no option but to take a seat on the footpath opposite Army Public School in Kamraj Road. I have been waiting here since 1 pm. I wish there was some arrangement made for us to sit inside,he said, pointing to the closed entry gates of the school. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has offered Rs 10 crore as assistance to Odisha in the wake of cyclonic storm Fani. In a statement, he said the storm caused extensive damage in certain districts, especially Puri. On behalf of the government and people of Tamil Nadu, he conveyed heartfelt condolences to the families which lost loved ones. As a token of support and solidarity with the 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. TN is ready to render any assistance, he said. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Following remarks of CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, that Hindus can be violent, members of the Hindu Sanghatan lodged a complaint against the Communist leader at Saidabad police station on Sunday. K Karuna Sagar, president of the BJP-affiliate organisation, said Yechury was connecting the entire Hindu religion with violence. Mr Yechury wants to insult and annoy Hindus with his derogatory remarks that denounce the sanctity of sacred texts, the complaint letter read. The complaint referred to Yechhurys interview to a TV channel, wherein he said Hindu mythological texts Ramayana and Mahabharata that depicted battles and the violence in them, suggesting that Hindus could be violent. Saidabad police have made a general diary entry based on the complaint. By IANS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei will not impose the death penalty on those convicted of having gay sex, in an apparent bid to temper international condemnation following its rollout of strict new Islamic laws last month. In a televised speech on Sunday, the country's ruler, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, said he would extend a moratorium on capital punishment and ratify the UN Convention Against Torture, CNN reported. The announcement follows a global backlash to the country's announcement in April that it would impose draconian new punishments, including death by stoning, for those convicted of gay sex, adultery and rape. In a high profile campaign, celebrities, including George Clooney and Elton John, joined rights groups in seeking to boycott hotels owned by the sultan, while large companies including JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank told their staff to avoid using Brunei-owned hotels in the wake of new laws. Also read: Brunei sultan calls for 'stronger' Islamic teachings, as sharia laws due to enter force In his speech on Sunday, the Sultan said there had been a number of "misconceptions" about the laws which he acknowledged may have caused "apprehension". "However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident," he said. The Sultan announced the kingdom's long-term moratorium on the death penalty would also extend to the new penal code, although he did not elaborate whether this was a new decision. "For more than two decades, we have practiced 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 Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO)." Despite his announcement on the death penalty, Brunei's leader said on Sunday that he stood by his new penal code overall, CNN reported. "Both the common law and the Shariah law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country. They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the public as well as respecting the privacy of individuals." The tiny oil-rich Asian kingdom became the first East Asian country to introduce Sharia law at a national level in 2014, launching the legislation and associated penalties in stages. In response to the announcement, Human Rights Campaign Director of Global Partnership Jean Freedberg said it was an important step but added the law itself needed to go. "The world has turned its eyes to Brunei in recent months and we urge the countless advocates, activists and organisations who seized this moment to speak out against these human rights abuses to continue to do so." (CNN) A new satellite image obtained by CNN shows the smoke trail of a Friday rocket launch by North Korea that is likely a short-range missile, according to the group that analyzed the picture. "The location of the launch, the thick, smoky appearance of the exhaust and the fact that there is only one rocket trail all suggest this was the short-range ballistic missile that North Korea showed in its propaganda," said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute. The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey provided CNN with two images of the smoke trail. A U.S. official tells CNN that an early analysis says the launches "appear to have been both MLRS (multiple launch rocket systems) and what is being looked at as a possible short range ballistic missile." The missile test, North Korea's first since 2017, serves as a clear warning of leader Kim Jong Un's frustration at the state of talks with the U.S., which have been deadlocked since President Donald Trump walked out of their Vietnam summit early in February. The launch follows a warm meeting between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin less than two weeks ago and likely signals more tests to come, Lewis said. Lewis said the North Koreans began firing a barrage of short-range projectiles beginning at approximately 9:06 a.m. on Saturday (8:06 p.m., ET Friday). Sometime around or after 10 a.m., Pyongyang fired another projectile. The image of that launch and the smoky plume it trailed in its wake was caught by Planet Labs, which works with the Middlebury Institute. "This is a one in a million shot," Lewis told CNN. The missile "was fired right about this time" and the photo would have been taken "within a few seconds, maybe a few minutes." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking on ABC News "This Week," confirmed that the projectile was "relatively short range" and "landed in the water east of North Korea and didn't present a threat to the United States or to South Korea or Japan." The U.S. and North Korea have hit an impasse as Pyongyang is demanding sanctions relief before it begins to denuclearize, while the U.S. insists that Pyongyang relinquish its nuclear weapons before any economic pressure is eased. Pompeo struck a positive note on ABC, saying, "We still believe there's an opportunity" to achieve "verified denuclearization" and that the U.S. side hopes "we can get back to the table and find the path forward." The top U.S. diplomat added that the U.S. is still speaking with representatives of the regime since the failed Hanoi summit. Pompeo and other senior security officials met to discuss the launch on Saturday. The U.S. special representative to North Korea, former Ford auto executive Stephen Biegun, travels to Japan on May 5 for meetings. Kim had pledged not to fire long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles, so the launch doesn't violate the letter of his agreement with Trump, but it does violate an understanding Pyongyang made with Seoul to stop firing missiles as a confidence building measure. Lewis sees a historical parallel with a North Korean promise to declare a moratorium on long range missile tests in the early 2000s that lasted for several years. When Pyongyang broke that moratorium in 2006, they started with a short range missile test that technically did not break the agreement. "But it was a warning," Lewis said. "Then as now, talks were deadlocked. They did a short-range missile test and in July they did a big one," using the long range Taepodong 2 missile. "This is a pretty classic move from them to start small and work their way up. It's a warning that there's more to come." Despite the prospect of escalating tensions, Pompeo defended the President's negotiating tactics on ABC, saying "this is the President who has put on the toughest sanctions in the world on North Korea" and that "the U.S. continues to apply pressure." He said the U.S. has to "play out every diplomatic effort we have" to achieve denuclearization and do that "without the use of force." "We continue to work toward that," Pompeo said. Asked about reports that North Korean negotiators involved in the failed Vietnam summit have been executed, Pompeo said, "I don't have anything to add to that this morning," but acknowledged that he may have to negotiate with other people going forward. This story was first published on CNN.com "Exclusive: Images show North Korea missile launch as Pyongyang tests Trump" By AFP WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump discussed North Korea's weapons test with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, and the latter said the two countries had agreed to coordinate their efforts to seek the North's denuclearization. Trump said the two had also talked about trade, and his only public comment on the discussion was a tweet calling it a "Very good conversation!" Just spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan concerning North Korea and Trade. Very good conversation! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2019 On Saturday, the North conducted multiple rocket launches and a tactical weapons test, raising concerns that it was escalating provocations at a time US nuclear negotiations are deadlocked. The United States seemed to seek a conciliatory tone in response, however, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying Sunday that Washington still saw "a path forward" in the denuclearization process. Abe, speaking to reporters after his phone call Monday with Trump, said their countries will seek complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula by coordinating bilateral efforts "completely." "President Trump and I agreed completely on every aspect of how we should deal with North Korea," Abe told reporters, according to the Kyodo news agency. ALSO READ | UN warns of increased tensions over North Korea weapons test 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 second summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in February ended abruptly with no agreement or even a joint final statement. A return to missile launches would be likely to infuriate Trump, but the North's official KCNA news agency has 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". Abe again said he was willing to meet unconditionally with Kim to resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. By PTI WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States would raise tariffs on USD 200 billion of Chinese goods to 25 per cent 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 USD 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 USD 539.5 billion last year. By AFP MOSCOW: The pilot of a Russian passenger plane that erupted in a ball of fire on the runway of Moscow's busiest airport, killing 41 people, said lightning led to the emergency landing. Investigators were on Monday working to understand the causes of the blaze after the Sukhoi Superjet-100 had to return to Sheremetyevo airport shortly after take-off Sunday evening. But pilot Denis Yevdokimov told Russian media the craft lost communication and needed to switch to emergency control mode "because of lightning" on the Aeroflot flight to the Arctic city of Murmansk. He did not specify if the plane was struck directly. "We managed to restore communication through the emergency frequency on our radio connection. But the link was only for a short time and kept cutting out... it was possible to say only a few words," he told the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper. Videos on social media showed the plane crash-landing and then speeding along the runway with flames pouring from its fuselage. Passengers could be seen leaping onto an inflatable slide at the front and running from the blazing plane as columns of black smoke billowed into the sky. READ| Both flight recorders recovered from burnt Russian plane Another video shot inside the cabin showed roaring flames outside the window and passengers crying out in panic. Evdokimov said he believed the plane burst into flames on landing, most likely because of full fuel tanks. At least two children were among the 41 dead and nine more people were in hospital, three of them seriously injured, authorities said. The aircraft's black boxes have been found and handed over to investigators, a source in the Russian emergency services told news agencies. Several of the 78 people on board said they believed lightning was the cause of the tragedy, which came at the end of several days of public holidays following Workers' Day on May 1. "I saw a flash of white light," Dmitry Khlebushkin told the state RIA news agency. Pyotr Egorov, also on board, told media: "We had just taken off when the plane was hit by lightning... the landing was very hard, we almost passed out from fear. "The plane bounced on the tarmac like a grasshopper and burst into flames on the ground." The jet -- carrying 73 passengers and five crew members -- left Sheremetyevo at 6:02pm (1502 GMT), and the crew issued a distress signal shortly afterwards, officials said. Russia's national carrier Aeroflot was once notorious for its poor safety record but in recent years its image has improved and it has not had a fatal accident in more than a decade. The Russian Sukhoi Superjet-100 however has been dogged with problems since its launch in 2011. In 2012, a Superjet performing at an Indonesian air show slammed into a volcano, killing all 45 people on board. Indonesia blamed the crash on pilot error. 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. The Murmansk region -- where many of those killed or injured are believed to be from -- went into a three-day period of mourning from Monday. Other Aeroflot flights are expected to be affected in the coming days. 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. By Associated Press RAWALPINDI: Until recently, a Pakistani waiter working in a small cafe in the city of Rawalpindi knew nothing about the TV series "Game of Thrones" or its antihero character played by U.S. actor Peter Dinklage. But now, 26-year-old Rozi Khan has customers asking to have selfies taken with him and fields constant questions about his uncanny resemblance to Dinklage, 49. The American actor has played Tyrion Lannister, a witty and wily nobleman, since the series began in 2011. People even stop Khan on the streets, he says, also for selfies. Khan does not only have a similar look, haircut and beard as Dinklage, but the two share a genetic condition that results in small stature. The Pakistani waiter says his height is 1.33 meters, or 4 feet 5 inches. Dinklage's Pakistani doppelganger confesses that he likes his newfound popularity and that he has hopes the resemblance could help pull him out of a life of poverty and maybe even take him to Hollywood. "It is my wish to work with Dinklage in movies," Khan told The Associated Press as customers crowded around him. "For me, it will be a dream come true to meet Dinklage." Besides working as a waiter serving flatbread, mutton and other traditional Kashmiri dishes in the cafe in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and thanks to the striking resemblance to Dinklage Khan has already starred in a commercial for a food delivery service in Pakistan. Khan says the first person to notice and tell him about the resemblance was the restaurant owner's son, Malik Aslam, who shared a photo of Khan on social media about two months ago. That prompted Khan to take a look at some episodes of "Game of Thrones," which is airing on Pakistani cable channels. And although he couldn't read the subtitles he never went to school or learned to read and write he enjoyed watching his look-alike. "God created two similar men, one is a popular actor and the other is a poor waiter," Khan added, recounting how smirks and laughs of strangers and even family members had hurt him in the past. "Those people, passers-by and relatives who used to laugh at me because of my short height now take selfies with me," he said. "I may live and die as a waiter, but I am happy that a person (Dinklage) who looks like me is treated with respect." The American actor has done a lot to help dwarfs everywhere fight against the stigma over their height, Khan also said. "Some men like Dinklage were blessed with fame by God. I am happy over his success." By PTI AHMEDABAD: At least 30 Gujarat fishermen were apprehended early Monday by Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) near the international maritime boundary in the Arabian Sea, a Porbandar-based National Fishworkers' Forum (NFF) official said. NFF secretary Manish Lodhari said the PMSA also seized six fishing boats. "Thirty fishermen on board six boats were apprehended by PMSA near IMBL early today morning alleging that our fishermen had ventured into the Pakistan side during fishing," Lodhari said. "They will now be taken to Karachi port. All these boats had ventured into sea a few days ago from Porbandar harbour" he added. He claimed Pakistani agencies were capturing Indian fishermen at regular intervals near the IMBL. The development comes close on heels of Pakistan's "goodwill gesture" of releasing 100 Indian fishermen, mostly from Gujarat, just last month. By PTI GAZA CITY: 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 in the hours after it was due to take effect, 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 (local time), 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 23 Palestinians, including at least nine militants, were killed.Four Israelis civilians were killed. 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. READ| Israel-Gaza conflict: Death toll surges on both sides It commemorates its 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. Among the steps, he said, were the relaxing of limits on fishing and improvements in Gaza's electricity and fuel situation. Israeli opposition politicians -- and at least one from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own party -- criticised the agreement. Former military chief Benny Gantz, who challenged Netanyahu in Israel's April 9 general elections, called it "another capitulation to blackmail by Hamas and terrorist organisations". 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. Israel said its strikes were in response to Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing some 690 rockets or mortars across the border 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. At least 35 of the rockets fell in urban areas, according to the army. The army said its tanks and planes hit some 350 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, 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. It first identified the woman as the baby's mother, but the family later clarified she was the aunt. Israel strongly disputed the claim, with Conricus saying that based on intelligence 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. 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. Conricus said a Kornet missile had hit a vehicle and killed an Israeli civilian. 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 meanwhile 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. By PTI COLOMBO: Sri Lankan authorities Monday extended by 48 hours the deadline for the public to surrender swords, daggers, sharp weapons and clothing similar to that of military uniforms as part of a crackdown on suspects following the Easter Sunday bombings which killed over 250 people. On Saturday, the Sri Lankan police asked the public to hand over swords and large knives to the nearest police station after a large haul of weapons, including swords, and camouflaged materials were recovered during searches of mosques and houses. "The time period granted to hand in swords, daggers, sharp weapons and clothing similar to that of military uniforms has been extended by 48 hours. The time period set to hand in such objects was to expire at midnight today (Monday)," News 1st channel reported. READ| Sri Lanka blocks social media platforms after Sinhalese-Muslim clashes The police Head Office has taken all necessary steps to inform the police stations across the country about the extension, police media spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said. According to the police, several people including politicians were arrested for possessing sharp-edged weapons like swords since the crackdown began to arrest the suspects and their network, following the April 21 blasts which killed 253 people and injured 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. READ| Curfew in Sri Lanka city as religious tensions rise Sri Lanka has imposed a state of emergency since the attacks and given sweeping powers to soldiers and police to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. House-to-house searches are being carried out across the country looking for explosives and propaganda material of Islamic extremists. By AFP GENEVA: A Swiss court has ruled that a former Uber driver was an employee of the ride-sharing firm, not an independent contractor, in a potentially landmark decision, the driver's lawyer said Monday. The ruling by the labour court in Lausanne, which has not been made public, is the first of its kind in Switzerland, labour lawyer Remy Wyler told AFP. Between April 2015 and December 2016 the driver was logged in to the UberPop app for more than 5,600 hours and completed more than 9,000 trips. UberPop was a version of the application meant for individuals not categorised as professional drivers. It was operated by Dutch-based Uber subsidiary, Rasier Operations B.V.. UberPop was banned in Switzerland in 2017, but UberX, which only uses professional drivers, remains available in the country. After reportedly receiving a host of bad reviews, the driver received a text message in late December 2016 informing him that his log-in had been revoked, Wyler said. In his complaint to the labour court, the driver argued that he had been wrongfully terminated from an employment contract without proper notice, a violation of Swiss law, and demanded back-pay for holidays among other benefits. Rasier, the Uber subsidiary, countered that its agreements establish drivers as independent contractors who only have the right to file grievances with arbitrators in the Netherlands, not labour courts in their home country. In a ruling delivered to the parties last week, the Lausanne court found that it had the right to hear the case and that the driver, whose identity has not been disclosed, suffered a "termination without just cause," Wyler said. Rasier has 30 days to appeal. Wyler said the case could have far-reaching consequences across Switzerland, with all Uber drivers potentially being considered employees entitled to social security protections and proper notice in advance of termination. Uber has already been hit by a series of scandals over executive misconduct, a toxic work atmosphere and potentially unethical competitive practices. The company is also poised to go public and preparing to sell 207 million shares, raising up to $10 billion in a US IPO. By AFP Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is ready to see off any attack from the United States, his foreign minister Jorge Arreaza said Monday in Moscow, after a meeting with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. "We are ready for all scenarios. The first is diplomacy, dialogue, peace," Arreaza told a press conference. But if Washington "opts for the military path, we have an armed force, a people, a national guard that will be able not just to resist and fight, but also to win," he added. The statement comes following a failed, US-backed bid by the Venezuelan opposition to spur a military uprising. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blamed the failure on Russia, a key backer of Maduro. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has meanwhile 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. The tense exchange 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. Arreaza said Caracas was developing "alternatives to financial trading systems" with its Russian and Chinese allies to "get around the American blockade". He also confirmed a Venezuelan delegation would be at an economic forum in Saint Petersburg next month, possibly including Maduro. (CNN) At least 41 people on board a Russian passenger jet were killed, including two children, after the aircraft crash-landed at a Moscow airport on Sunday, bursting into flames on impact. Aeroflot flight SU 1492 skidded down the runway at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, its rear section ablaze and spilling thick, black smoke. Once the plane had come to a halt, passengers escaped using emergency slides from the plane's two forward doors, before running away from the burning aircraft. Initial reports said the Superjet 100 was flying from Moscow to Murmansk, a Russian city in the Arctic circle, when an emergency on board forced it to turn back. Russia's Interfax news agency reported that a "loss of communication" caused by a "lightning strike" had led to the decision to return to Sheremetyevo. No official cause has yet been provided for the disaster. Data from flight tracker Flightradar24 shows the plane took off at just after 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) and was in the air for just under 30 minutes, before making a loop in the skies north of Moscow and heading back to the airport. Shocking video of the incident showed the plane approach the runway at speed before impacting on the ground, causing it to launch back in the air before hitting the runway again and bursting into flames. A total of 78 people were aboard the stricken flight, including five crew members. Thirty-seven people survived, five of whom are currently receiving treatment in hospital, said Elena Markovskaya, a spokeswoman for Russia's Investigative Committee. An American citizen was also killed in the crash, Interfax reported. A passenger in a plane waiting to depart Moscow posted video on Instagram purportedly showing fire crews attending the scene as the aircraft sat in flames on the runway. Aeroflot, Russia's unofficial national carrier, published an "incomplete" list of 33 survivors, including the names of the five passengers hospitalized. In a series of short statements on its website, it said that the aircraft was evacuated in 55 seconds, compared to the "industry norm" of 90 seconds. The flight crew "did everything in its power to save passenger lives and provide emergency assistance to those involved," another short release said. "Tragically, they were unable to save all of those aboard." The captain was the last to leave the burning aircraft, the airline added, and offered its condolences to the passengers and their families. It announced that it would fly relatives of those affected to Moscow without charge. Russian-made jet Sukhoi manufactures military aircraft and is known especially for its fighter jets. Its civilian aircraft, the Sukhoi Superjet 100, is the first post-Soviet commercial airliner to have been designed and built in Russia. The Superjet is a relatively new aircraft, flying its maiden flight in 2008 before entering service in mid-2011. More than 100 planes are in operation around the world, according to the company. The narrow-bodied, dual-class cabin aircraft can transport 100 passengers over regional routes and is "a fusion of Russia's famed aviation design and production skills with the latest systems from leading aerospace suppliers around the world," the aircraft's brochure says. In 2012 a demonstration flight over Indonesia crashed in a remote, mountainous part of the country. Earlier that year, a Superjet 100 operated by Russia's Aeroflot Airlines was forced to abandon its flight to Astrakhan, Russia, and return to Moscow because of problems with the undercarriage, according to RIA Novosti. A similar defect in another Aeroflot-operated Superjet 100 plane had to be fixed in Minsk the previous year. The model achieved the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Type Certificate in 2012, and also holds safety certificates from a number of other aviation authorities. Investigation ordered Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the fiery emergency landing of the Aeroflot jet in Moscow and has ordered a "thorough investigation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency TASS. "All instructions have been given to conduct the most thorough investigation, (to carry out) the necessary orders to find out the cause of this accident," said Peskov, according to TASS. He added that Putin "extends his deep condolences to those who lost their near and dear in this incident." Russia's Investigative Committee has launched a criminal probe into the incident, it said on its website. The committee routinely conducts investigations into major incidents with loss of life. Aeroflot has also activated its rapid response center, headed by CEO Vitaly Saveliev, the airline announced. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Moscow airport plane fire: At least 41 people killed in Aeroflot crash landing." 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. 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. Zimbabwe-born United States-based actress Danai Gurira and American actor Forest Whitaker will join local stars for the upcoming documentary, The Rise of Emmerson Mnangagwa. The film is being produced by Tatenda Gate and directed by Zimbabwe-born United Kingdom-based Kenny Gasa. According to the producer, the film is now on its pre-production and will be shot in Zimbabwe beginning of next month. We are just finalising on the budget and the shootings will begin next month. Danai and Forest will be coming down a week before the shoot. We have Asha Stuart from US, who is a scriptwriter and will be able to help us on research. We also have Gunnar Orn, a film cinematographer, who will lead the film team together with Stefania Vignisdottir. The idea of the film is to capture the attention of black people across the globe and young forward thinking youths, he said. Gate said Zimbabweans should be able to tell their own story. Zimbabwe has a short modern history and so much has happened. Some people dont even know what Rhodesia was. Our story has never been told and we have to be smart on how we tell the story. The feature film is about the fight for independence in Zimbabwe focusing on President Mnangagwas journey from his days as a young man, getting involved in anti-colonial politics through his time as a freedom fighter and evolving into a politician leading Government in a new Zimbabwe, he said. He said the film is inspired by freedom fighters who brought Independence and freedom to Zimbabwe. To understand the history of our country we wish to portray what life was like in Zimbabwe before colonisation and how Europeans raided the country in the late 19th century. We will portray what it was like for the black majority to live under white rule in Rhodesia, he said. Gate said the film structure will encompass pre-colonial Zimbabwe, young Emmerson Mnangagwas life in Rhodesia, his imprisonment and his role in the struggle for Independence to the birth of the Second Republic. The film will also explore EDs fresh mandate and vision for the future. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High -8F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Cloudy. Snow showers developing late. Low -9F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 60%. About one inch of snow expected. (CNN) U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his threat to escalate tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods "shortly" ahead of a critical week of negotiations between the two countries to end a yearlong tit-for-tat trade war. Trump warned Sunday that he would lift tariffs Friday on a bundle of Chinese goods to 25% from the current 10% threshold, reactivating a threat he removed months ago just as it appears the two economic superpowers are on their way to a deal. He also warned he would tax nearly all of Chinese exports to the United States. The President appeared to be reviving an old playbook by threatening to ratchet up tariffs on Beijing in the hopes of applying additional pressure on China to force negotiators to strike a deal as early as this week. Earlier this year, Trump said he was prepared to enact new sanctions, and increase existing ones, if a deal wasn't struck by a hard deadline of March 1, but indefinitely shelved those plans. Chinese negotiators led by Vice Premier Liu He are scheduled to arrive in Washington on Wednesday with a very large delegation, the latest signal that two sides may be nearing the end stage of a comprehensive trade deal that will end a trade impasse that has rattled Wall Street. The fresh comments by the President on Twitter came just days after he expressed cautious optimism over the possibility of brokering a possible trade deal with China soon. The White House has set its sights on wrapping up trade talks by the end of the month. "The deal itself is going along pretty well," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. "I would even say very well, we'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks. We're getting close to a very historic, monumental deal and if it doesn't happen, we'll be fine too, maybe even better." Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin last week said the two countries had "productive meetings" in Beijing with his negotiating counterpart Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. Trade Representative, and that those conversations with continue this week. Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Kevin Hassett also boasted in an interview with CNN's Poppy Harlow on Friday, "The proof will be in the pudding if the China deal is closed soon. What I'm seeing is it's going to be a big positive for the economy." But Trump said in a tweet Sunday that talks between Washington and Beijing were moving "too slowly" and blamed the Chinese for attempting to renegotiate the deal. "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 said. "These payments are partially responsible for our great economic results. The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday. 325 Billion Dollars of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%." It remains unclear how the Chinese will respond to the new threat and Beijing has tried to bypass additional penalties given the harm its brought to its economy. Such pressure by the Trump administration on trade talks, however, has often sparked tumult on Wall Street with major selloffs over jitters the trade war would be long lasting. But investors more recently have been cautiously optimistic the two sides can strike a deal. Trump's comments could rattle markets on Monday after the stock market has been in full swing following surprising first quarter GDP growth and a strong April jobs report. China has already become an issue in the 2020 campaign, with former Vice President Joe Biden sparking controversy last week when he suggested that China is not a threat to the U.S.. On Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted: "Hang tough on China, President @realDonaldTrump. Don't back down. Strength is the only way to win with China." Coming into talks this week, business leaders appeared to be mostly optimistic that talks were near completion with a number of critical issues left to be ironed out, including whether the two countries would agree to remove billions of dollars of tariffs that have been imposed over the past year. "These negotiations have been picking up steam in the last few weeks," said Myron Brilliant, executive vice president and head of international affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to reporters Thursday on a call. "We are certainly in the end game of these negotiations. We have a critical window before us." Both sides have put forth creative solutions to remove tariffs as part of a final deal, but ultimately, that call will need to be made between the two presidents, he said. The Trump administration has been reluctant both privately and publicly to remove tariffs on China as a way to provide leverage that Beijing will keep its promises as part of any negotiation. This story was first published on CNN.com "Trump renews tariff threat ahead of critical Chinese trade talks" The Nigerian army has banned the use of motorcycles in remote areas of seven states in the north over the increasing activities of ban... The Nigerian army has banned the use of motorcycles in remote areas of seven states in the north over the increasing activities of bandits and kidnappers in the region. The states affected by the ban are Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi in the north-west and Niger state in the north-central. Sagir Musa, army spokesman, said the military took the decision after it observed that the culprits use the motorcycles to perpetuate their crimes. He said while the order will cause the people some inconvenience, there is a need to use all means possible to stop the dastardly activities of these bandits across the north-western part of the country. He added that anyone caught using motorcycle in the listed areas will be taken for a bandit. The Nigerian Army (NA) over time has observed the use of motorcycles by armed bandits, kidnappers, criminal elements and their collaborators as enablers to perpetrate their heinous crimes, especially in the states within the North West geopolitical zone of the country, Musa said. This informed the decision and directive to ban the use of motorcycles within the hinterland particularly around the forests where the armed bandits, criminals and kidnappers hibernate and all around where troops are conducting operations alongside other security agencies. The general public, particularly in the North-West and some parts of North-Central in Nigeria where Exercise Harbin Kunama is ongoing, are enjoined to bear with the army as concerted efforts are being made to combat the insecurity menace ongoing within the area. In this wise, it is hereby reiterated that the use of motorcycles remains banned within the forest areas in Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger states. Anyone caught using motorcycles within the named areas will be taken for an armed bandit, criminal and kidnapper with dire consequences. The respective state governments are enjoined to please disseminate the ban on the use of motorcycles in the named areas and enforce the ban in conjunction with the security agencies. Many states in the region have recorded a surge in attacks by bandits and kidnappers. Within a week, gunmen kidnapped the registrar of the Taraba state university, Jalingo and the permanent secretary in the states ministry of water resources. The father-in-law to Mohammed Abubakar, President Muhammadu Buharis aide-de-camp was also kidnapped on May 1. The former Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore has reacted to the controversial statement by Pr... The former Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore has reacted to the controversial statement by President Muhammadu Buhari on Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, losing weight because he was working hard to ensure security in the country. Buhari said this when asked about security challenges across Nigeria and if there would be a different approach in tackling the issue. He was quoted saying: I have just seen the IG, I think hes losing weight, so I think he is working very hard. Buharis statement did not go down well with many Nigerians and has since stirred reactions online. Reacting, Sowore criticised President Buhari for his comments at a period when the increasing heat of insecurity was being felt all over the country. On his official Twitter page, he wrote: I think the President has lost it. Kassim Afegbua, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says President Muhammadu Buhari lacks the capacity to manage the secur... Kassim Afegbua, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says President Muhammadu Buhari lacks the capacity to manage the security crisis in the country. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Afegbua said in the last four years, the country has witnessed poor handling of security. He said the Buhari administration, which prides itself as an anti -corruption government should be reminded the responsibility of every government is the protection of lives and property. The president has no capacity to manage us because he is busy managing himself, Afegbua said. I think what we have witnessed in the last four years is a replay of crass incompetence in the way and manner that the security of this country is being handled. Dont forget that the Constitution (1999 as amended) states clearly that the primary responsibility of any government, particularly a government that prides itself as an anti-corruption government is the protection of lives and properties. And as we speak today, without sounding immodest, you will agree with me that it will be a surprise if tomorrows headline says no killing because almost every day when you read the newspaper it is one killing, too many. However, Femi Adesina, Buharis spokesman, who was also on the programme, said the security challenge is as old as the country. He added that the president had been working of the challenge before he travelled, and he will continue to do so. The security challenge is almost as old as Nigeria. But we know that it spikes at some time and reduces at some time. We have challenges on our hands in different parts of the country, he said. The president had been tackling that even before he travelled. Its going to be a continuation of what he has been doing. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige of resorting to ethnic sentim... The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige of resorting to ethnic sentiments in his bid to keep the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) within his Sole Proprietorship. This was contained in a statement on Sunday signed by the General Secretary of the Congress, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson. It said while the NLC is a pan Nigerian organisation and has carried out its activities without resort to ethnic or religious colouration, it has over the years engaged Ministers of labour on issues relating to workers and their welfare and challenged the Minister to a public television debate on the issue of NSITF in order to set the records straight. The statement recalled that the President had asked him to inaugurate the board of the NSITF, an instruction it said the Minister failed to carry out. The statement reads: our attention has been drawn to a statement published in The Nation of 3rd May 2019, and credited to the FCT Chairman of Ohaneze, Federal Capital Territory, one Odozi Nwodozi, in the defense of the less than honourable conduct of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, over the matter of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF). The facts of what had transpired between Nigerian workers and the Minister of Labour are in the public domain. The issue at stake does not have any tinge of ethnic or religious colouration. We are, therefore, surprised at the recent borrowing of ethnic voices in the defense of the Minister of Labour and Employment. As sad as this new low by the Minister and his hired voice is, we must remind the Minister that gone are the days when a public officer will commit an offence or steal public money and then hide under ethnic or religious banner for protection. The Nigeria Labour Congress is a pan Nigerian organization with a reputation for conducting itself dispassionately and for speaking truth to power. The NLC is populated by workers from all religious and ethnic orientations and can never play the sectarian or ethnic card. The decision to engage the Minister of Labour was taken at the recently held NLCs 12th National Delegates Conference the highest decision-making body of Congress. This was after all efforts including quiet persuasions from the NLC, the advice of the national leadership of the political party to which Dr. Ngige belongs and even a straightforward directive by Mr. President himself failed to make the Minister of Labour see reasons and do the needful. This is not the first time that Organized Labour is engaging less than altruistic Labour Ministers. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole engaged very robustly a former Minister of Labour, Chief Alabo Tonye Graham Douglas over some of the latters anti-labour positions despite the fact that they are from the same geo-political zone. During the time of Comrade Hassan Sunmonu, the then Minister of Labour, J.M. Johnson was engaged robustly on labour issues. Mr. Johnson never resorted to ethnic jingoism for cover. It is most unfortunate that Dr. Chris Ngige is the first Labour Minister to introduce ethnic colouration as an escape route from the smoke of industrial disquiet emanating from a fire entirely stoked by him. Even workers from the village of Dr. Chris Ngige had protested against the stand of the Minister on this matter. We wish to reiterate our deep respect for Ohaneze as a pan Igbo socio-cultural organization. It is, however, unfortunate that somebody in the lower cadre of Ohaneze leadership could be seduced to misuse his position to achieve the narrow objectives of a politician. We urge the national leadership of Ohaneze to be wary of such characters who are wont not only to tarnish, but also to destroy the good image that Ohaneze has built for itself over the years. We wish to candidly advise the Minister to quit using the press to malign the people he should be protecting. The way and manner that Dr. Chris Ngige is going about this NSITF issue clearly shows that he has a lot to hide and there is a lot he is not willing to tell Nigerians. The Minister should stop twisting the truth as most Nigerians are in the know of what he has been doing with the NSITF. We urge the Minister of Labour and Employment to redeem whatever is left of his image by inaugurating the NSITF board under the chairmanship of Chief Frank Kokori without further delay. Finally, for the benefit of Nigerians who are unaware of the intrigues of the Minister of Labour to keep the NSITF under his Sole Proprietorship, we challenge him and other stakeholders to an electronic media debate on this matter so that the truth can be exposed. Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has said that defeating godfathers in Lagos and in the country at large requires having the peo... Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has said that defeating godfathers in Lagos and in the country at large requires having the peoples support, time and hard work. He said he defeated and retired four political godfathers in his state saying the feat could be replicated anywhere, including Lagos State. The governor made this known at an event organised by the Bridge Club in Lagos at the weekend. El-Rufai, who argued that godfathers existed only on paper or in the minds of the people, said the key to defeating them was in going directly to the people. In his main speech, El-Rufai had encouraged the club members, who are businessmen, not to shy away from politics, saying it was more important than making money as bad politics could mess up their businesses. He said Nigeria had permanently remained a country of potential because good and competent people had distanced themselves from politics. El-Rufai said, Godfatherism. This is Lagos. Let me tell you something sir; you know, Kaduna State used to be like that. There were three or four politicians in Kaduna that you could not become anything unless you had them on your side. Those were the godfathers of Kaduna politics and you had to carry them along and you know, the three words, carry them along mean paying them regularly. But we chose a different path and the long and short of it now is that after this election in 2019, we have retired all of them; we had to. El-Rufai added that the fact that only one million out of the six million registered voters in Lagos voted in the last general elections was an opportunity to end godfatherism in the state. He said, Here in Lagos, you have over six million registered voters, only about a million voted (in 2019 general elections); five million did not vote. If I want to run for governor of Lagos, I will start now. I will commission a study to know why those five million registered voters did not vote; where do they go on election day? Then I will start visiting them for the next four years. I will try and get just two million of them to come and vote for me; I will defeat any godfather. The key is to go to the people. The card reader and the biometric register have given us the tools to connect directly with the people. I assure you if you do that for the next four years, connecting with the people; the tin godfather, you will retire him or her permanently. But it is hard work; it requires three to four years of hard work. So, if you want to run in 2023, you should start now. On the question of money, El-Rufai said it would require about N2bn to do the job, which he said the businessmen could provide. 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 anything 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 cannot 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 the greatest sense of responsibility being 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. The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) told President Muhammadu Buhari and the security chiefs to be proactive o... The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) told President Muhammadu Buhari and the security chiefs to be proactive on the recent rising insecurity across the length and breadth of the country. The government should act fast before its too late, the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) and CAN leadership said on Sunday. According to the Christian bodies, the security agencies appear helpless in tackling the increasing kidnapping and killings in the country. They also urged the judiciary and the electoral umpire to be truly independent. The above-formed parts of the communique issued at the end of the 106th Annual Session of the denomination that took place in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, where a vote of confidence was passed on CAN President Dr. Samson Ayokunle, who doubles as the President of the NBC. Acknowledging Ayokunles sterling leadership of the Association, the members also endorsed his second term. The communique issued yesterday reads in part: It is an understatement to say that there are security challenges in Nigeria today. We observed with disappointment the unchecked attack of both Nigerians and foreigners due to terrorist and various criminal activities in the country. The news is filled on daily basis with sad stories of terrorist and other criminal attacks carried out by Boko Haram, herdsmen, bandits and other criminal groups resulting in kidnapping, blood shedding, raping, ritual killings and destruction of properties in all parts of Nigeria. The situation has deteriorated to the extent that our law enforcement agencies appear helpless. As a matter of fact, most areas reportedly captured by military are now being recaptured by Boko Haram and other terrorist groups. But the military insists Boko Haram is not holding any territory. The CAN communique continued: It is unfortunate that despite various promises by the government on the release of Leah Sharibu and other people still being held captive by Boko Haram terrorists, the lady is yet to be released. Premised on the foregoing, we implore the Federal Government to uphold the sanctity of lives and protection of properties of Nigerians. We further urge government to: Be proactive in responding to security challenges and bringing the perpetrators and their sponsors to book. Leave no stone unturned in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency and their sponsors at all levels. Intensify efforts to secure the release of Leah Sharibu and other people in the custody of terrorist groups. Equip and empower our law enforcement agencies to enable them tackle the security challenges in our nation. Provide enough security in various areas under constant threat of terrorist groups attacks in Nigeria. On the just concluded general elections, the NBC noted various allegations from different quarters of the irregularities recorded during the polls which are now subject of litigations before the election petitions tribunals. While we are not oblivious of doubts being expressed on daily basis by concerned Nigerians about the independence of our Judiciary to handle election matters with dispatch, we are also aware that some issues raised touch on the independence of our electoral bodies to free itself from being partisan during elections and be truly independent of government. The NBC stated: Premised on the foregoing, we urge the election tribunals to expeditiously resolve matters pending before them to return confidence in our judicial system. We strongly call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be truly independent and free itself from partisanship in the conduct of future elections in Nigeria. The Baptist Church kicked against the militarisation of the just concluded election and condemns the involvement of soldiers in strong terms and identified the dangers associated with it. We observe with dismay the heavy deployment of Armed Military personnel during the just concluded elections. We recall that the duty of the military, among others, is to monitor countrys external boundaries to ward off external aggressions and definitely not to interfere in the civic duty of police and other para-military personnel during elections. We make bold to say that this is what is obtainable in civilised climes the world over. There is no doubt that the presence of the military at polling units during the just concluded elections created fear in the minds of the electorate and made some voters to stay at home to avoid harassment and embarrassment. In view of the dangers in using military personnel during the conduct of elections, government is strongly advised to stop deploying the military during election period. It should rather create conducive environment during elections and allow the military to concentrate on its primary duty of defending the territorial boundaries of Nigeria against external aggression. The Church also expressed reservation on the failure of the government to tame unemployment and its consequences, saying: Our youths and other victims of unemployment constitute nuisance and menace to the country. There is a need therefore for the government to totally overhaul our school curricular with a view to focusing on entrepreneurial training of our youths and create conducive environment, such as soft loan to young graduates to start business on their own and infrastructural facilities in order to overcome unemployment and reliance on white collar jobs after graduation. The communique, which was signed by the Chairman of the Resolution and Communique Committee, Prof. S. Akinlolu Fagbemi on behalf of other members was circulated to reporters in Abuja by Pastor Oladeji Adebayo, Special Assistant (Media & Communications) to the CAN President. It also condemns the various external influences and undue pressure and meddlesomeness regarding the election of the Ninth National Assemblys leaders without regard to the principle of separation of power, among the three organs of government. The communique stated: We therefore call on both government, especially the executive and other Nigerians, to stop putting undue pressure on members of the National Assembly and allow members to elect their leaders without external influences. We insist that in the election of the principal officers in the National Assembly, the principle of Federal Character and equal representation of major religions in the country should be followed. As CAN prepares for another round of election of its national leadership, the Baptists, who eulogised the leadership style of its President, who also doubles as the CAN President, throw their weight behind the second term bid of Rev Samson Ayokunle and urge all the blocks that make up the Association to support him for the second term. We appreciate God for a successful first term, which is about to finish, in office of our President as CAN President. There is no doubt that the quality of leadership and innovations introduced by our president in the operation of CAN in Nigeria (and still provides) are unprecedented. We particularly note that all the allegations against him by his detractors were unfounded as people making the allegations failed to appear and prove their allegations before the Panel set up by CAN. We are also aware that he is eligible to contest for the second term in office as CAN President. I just saw the IG, I think he is loosing weight. So I think he is working very hard". - President @MBuhari pic.twitter.com/yUkmZvBr... pic.twitter.com/yUkmZvBrS7 I just saw the IG, I think he is loosing weight. So I think he is working very hard". - President @MBuhari 6 May 2019 President Muhammadu Buhari has awarded a pass mark to the efforts of the Acting Inspector General of Police Muhammad Adamu, saying the fact that the IG has been losing weight is evidence that he is working very hard at securing the nation. Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, says nobody can question the achievements ... Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, says nobody can question the achievements of the president. In a piece titled, Buhari: Why and how he won, Shehu said Buharis achievement are there for all to see. He said the Buhari administration has spent four years in office without a major scandal which earned the president the continents anti-corruption champion. President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to office in a seismic political shift that swept out of office 16 years of continuous rule by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP recorded yet another resounding victory to win a second term in office, he said. While campaigning for the 2015 general election, President Buharis All APC made promises to end Boko Haram terrorism and secure the country for it to be efficiently managed; to restructure the economy, halt its downward slide and create jobs and to fight corruption. His climactic victory against the then incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, his strong message on the three issues as listed above, his practical and serious approach helped to awaken a nation misled by characters who placed self above nation for sixteen years and more. The Buhari administration has established for itself an anti-corruption reputation and has been in office nearing four years without a major scandal. The African Union has on account of this, selected the President as the continents anti-corruption champion. The President and his party looked certain of victory from the sea of crowds that attended his political rallies all over the 36 states of the federation. These rallies attracted large crowds, mostly of the poor who are trusting in his impeccable qualities of honesty and integrity, and have bought into the idea that he will quickly push their country onto the top by lifting up the economy, creating jobs, securing the nation and ending the nightmarish corruption which had become the order of the day. The party itself doubled down on President Buhari by zeroing in on his image as a diligent, coolheaded and incorruptible leader. In that enduring appeal, the APC saw a trump card going into the election. Nobody can question President Buharis achievements. They are there for all to see. Listing the achievements of the president, Shehu said the current administration is committed to investing in people. He said the PDP, in its 16 years in power, failed to realise how much the sterling qualities of Buhari meant to ordinary Nigerians. He added that the PDP would have realised now that demonising Buhari during the 2019 presidential campaign didnt work for them. Reforms are being carried out in the justice sector with a number of domestic legislations and international agreements to facilitate the identification, tracing, freezing, recovery and forfeiture of ill-gotten assets, he said. The Buhari administration has also demonstrated a single-minded commitment to upgrading and developing Nigerias transport, power and health infrastructure. Road projects are ongoing across every state of the country, with many of these projects having been abandoned for many years. The Buhari administration has more than doubled power generation capacity. The main opposition to President Buhari, the Peoples Democratic Party failed to realize how much these qualities meant to ordinary Nigerians; they did not reckon with the disillusionment of the citizens with their perceived acts of commission and omission for the 16 years they were in power. They must by now, have realized with a benefit of hindsight, that demonization and denigration of an individual does not bring in poll dividends. In their campaigns, they chose to demonise and denigrate Muhammadu Buhari as President. It did not pay. Before and after this election, there is no face in the opposition who can match President Buharis inspiring character and personality. Mrs Taiwo Obasanjo, wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has alleged that assassins are after her life and that of her son, Olaju... Mrs Taiwo Obasanjo, wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has alleged that assassins are after her life and that of her son, Olajuwon. Speaking with Vanguard yesterday, she claimed that her life and that of her son was under threat for supporting President Muhammadu Buhari during the last presidential election. Mrs Obasanjo said reliable information at her disposal disclosed that former President Obasanjo paid the assassins who are already on her trail with the aim of killing her and Olajuwon. According to her, the assassins plan to make the scene look like that of an armed robbery operation after killing her and her son. She said: I want the world to know that my life and that of my son, Olujonwo is under threat for supporting President Muhammadu Buhari in the last election. A very reliable source have informed me that Baba Obasanjo has sent out assassins to kill me and my son because he is not happy that we supported Buhari to win the last election. They have been paid to kill us and make it look like an armed robbery attack. I am crying out now to let the whole world know who to blame if anything happens to me and my son. Since me and my son expressed our support for Buharis administration and his quest for reelection, Baba Obasanjo has not been happy with us. I am appealing to anyone who knows Baba to please tell him not to kill me and my Son. It should not become a crime that must bring me and my Son death because we are supporting President Buhari. Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has criticised Governor Nasir Elrufai of Kaduna State for begging the Chie... Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has criticised Governor Nasir Elrufai of Kaduna State for begging the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar to save the state from insecurity. In a tweet on Sunday, Omokri claimed that Elrufai rubbished former President, Goodluck Jonathan when he built 165 almajiri schools in the North, adding that the governor was now complaining that Kaduna State was insecure. He wrote: @Elrufai, is begging the chief of Air Staff to save Kaduna from insecurity. When @GEJonathan built 165 almajiri schools in the North, El-Rufai rubbished him. Now he complains that Kaduna is insecure. Why do you think GEJ built those schools? It was to address the insecurity. Recall that El-rufai held meeting with the acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar over security issues in the state and other parts of the north a few days ago. Second republic federal lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, has said that while the All Progressives Congress, APC, had the right to show k... Second republic federal lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, has said that while the All Progressives Congress, APC, had the right to show keen interest in those aspiring to lead the National Assembly, the dictatorial posture of its leaders was a turn-off. Speaking with Sunday Telegraph, Mohammed said the utterances of the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, on the leadership tussle in the National Assembly portrayed him as someone who did not understand party leadership. According to Mohammed, while the party had a right to demand the loyalty of its members elected into the National Assembly, its leaders must learn not to make careless utterances on the matter. He said, I admit that because of what happened last time (2015), the APC wants to make sure it gets it right this time. But it appears that the same carelessness with which they handled the matter last time is also repeating itself. Last time some members of the party felt that they had something called independence or autonomy of the parliament so they can do what they like. But it would have made a lot of sense of they had won the election as independent candidates. It is only then that they can talk about independence of the legislature. However, Oshiomhole has carried over his attitude as a labour unionist and enforcer of strikes into the running of a political party and nobody has called him to order. If he thinks that it is only by bullying members of party in the National Assembly that they would achieve their goal then he must have a rethink. He should never have been the National Chairman of the ruling party or any other party for that matter. We tend to think people will change their character when they occupy certain positions of authority but it doesnt happen that way. It is not possible for leopard to change its spots, he said. Mohammed did not also spare a national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for inadvertently playing roles that could hurt the ruling party in the long run. He said that the fact that both Senator Ahmed Lawan and Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila are perceived as Tinubus candidates had already become a challenge for duo who are seeking to lead the incoming National Assembly. Junaid Mohammed said, It is an open secret that Tinubu had a presidential ambition in 2023 and whatever he does now is perceived as designed to boost his own chances in the future. But how many votes can Lawan mobilise for him in Yobe and the North and how many votes can Gbajabiamila deliver for him in Lagos and the South West? But I dont see how fixing certain people in certain places in the National Assembly can advance his political career. It will not and he needs to very careful, he said. Mohammed urged the ruling party to put their house in order by persuading their members to support their preferred candidates on the basis of merit rather than through coercion or godfatherism. Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2018 governorship election in Osun State has been detained by ... Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2018 governorship election in Osun State has been detained by the Nigeria Police. This was disclosed in a statement on Monday, by his campaign organisation. The lawmaker representing Osun west senatorial district was arrested after he had honoured an invitation by the police In a statement on Monday, the campaign organisation said Adeleke had honoured an invitation at the force headquarters in Abuja before he was detained. Frank Mba, force spokesman, confirmed Adelekes arrest, saying he would be charged to court on Tuesday. We alert the public, diplomatic and democracy community worldwide that the Nigerian Police has arrested and detained Senator Ademola Adeleke on old trumped up charges of certificate and testimonial forgery, the statement read. This is after the school principal and school authority have through affidavits denied any forgery and owned up to the school testimonial issued to Senator Adeleke. Senator Adeleke had this morning honoured police invitation at the force headquarters, Abuja. He arrived at the force headquarters at 9am and was not attended to until later this afternoon when he was informed of fresh charges of testimonial forgery. The distinguished Senator was taken to Maitama Police station with plan to arraign him tomorrow at an undisclosed Magistrate court. The statement said Adeleke is being victimised over his pursuit of the retrieval of the governorship mandate freely conferred on him by the people of Osun state. The election tribunal had declared him duly elected governor but Gboyega Oyetola, the incumbent governor, field an appeal. The appeal court has reserved judgement in the case. Adelekes campaign organisation also accused the police of working for Oyetola and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Yet, the police in connivance with the appellants have decided to unjustly incarcerate and raised trumped up charges which have been clarified by relevant authorities, the statement read. The principal of the secondary school attended by Senator Adeleke testified through affidavit before Bwari High Court that the school indeed issued the testimonial. WAEC equally testified that the Senator sat for the examination. For the Police to revive this old clarified issue confirms political vendetta. We call for urgent intervention of well meaning Nigerians to stop this emerging rape of democracy. The case for which the Police is acting is subjudice. It is sad to note that the Police appears to have become a tool in the hands of enemies of rule of law. Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, has kicked against the decision of the house of representatives to summon President Muhammadu Buh... Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, has kicked against the decision of the house of representatives to summon President Muhammadu Buhari. On Thursday, the lower chamber of the national assembly asked Buhari to appear before it over the high rate of insecurity in the country. That would be the second time of summoning the president within a month. Speaking in an interview with Arise TV on Monday, Shehu said he was of the opinion that Buhari should not honour the invitation. Well, if the president will go or not, you obviously know that he will not sit on the table and ask Garba and say what is my view on this? Shehu said. The likely person will be his attorney-general or his special assistant on matters of the national assembly. If you want my personal opinion, I would say that that shouldnt happen. Kidnapping and banditry have taken a rise across the country. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, governor of Kano state, has relaunched moves to remove Muhammad Sanusi II as the emir of Kano. On Monday, ... Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, governor of Kano state, has relaunched moves to remove Muhammad Sanusi II as the emir of Kano. On Monday, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission reopened investigation into the expenditure of the state emirate council under Sanusi II. Also at Mondays plenary of the house of assembly, Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, the speaker, read a letter from one Ibrahim Salisu and others, seeking the creation of new Kano emirates in Karaye, Bichi, Rano and Gaya. The governor is determined to remove the emir, and if this does not succeed, he will break the emirate into pieces to whittle down Sanusis power, an official of the state government, who asked not to be named, told TheCable on Monday evening. Ironically, Ganjudes move to break the emirate into smaller units will mirror what Abiola Ajimobi, the outgoing governor of Oyo state, did to the olubadan of Ibadan, Saliu Adetunji, whose authority Ajimobi sought to decimate by approving 21 beaded kings for Ibadan. Ganjude and Ajimobi are in-laws. FOREIGN TRIPS Sanusi IIs problem with Ganduje is usually traced to his critical comments in 2017 on the award of contracts to Chinese companies by the state government and on the governors foreign trips. Shortly after the comment, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission alleged the misappropriation of N6billion by the Kano emirate council without the approval of the state government. The probe was halted then but it has now been revived. Sanusi II is believed to have opposed the re-election of Ganjude, who needed a disputed supplementary election to be returned to office in the March 2019 governorship election. In a letter dated May 2, 2019, the state anti-graft commission invited one Isa Bayero to appear before it to shed more light on the payment vouchers from 2013 to 2017 in his name. EMIRATES FUNDS Other officers in the emirate council to be quizzed, according to TheCable sources, include Mohammad Sani Kwaru, the accountant, Mannir Sanusi, the chief of staff, Danburan Mujittafa and Falakin Kano. The letter said the commission was inviting the staff over alleged violation of section 26 of its enabling law in the management of the emirates funds. The letter also stated that the invitation was sequel to the power conferred to it under section 9 and 15 of Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission Law 2008 (as amended). Sanusi II was appointed the 14th emir in 2014 after his suspension from office as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by former president Goodluck Jonathan. Ganduje was the deputy governor to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso when Sanusi II was appointed, but the former governor is no longer on good terms with his successor. Kwankwaso supported his son-in-law, Abba Kabiru Yusuf, to challenge Ganduje, but the incumbent was returned with a score of 1,033,695 a narrow difference of 8,982 votes. Ganjude lost the Kano municipal heavily, leading to rumours that he would come after the emir after the election. Sanusi II is the grandson of Muhammadu Sanusi I, the 11th emir of Kano who was deposed in 1963 after a disagreement with Ahmadu Bello, the sardauna of Sokoto and premier of northern region at the time. The Sokoto State government is to spend N380 million on this years Ramadan feeding programme. Governor Aminu Tambuwal disclosed this o... The Sokoto State government is to spend N380 million on this years Ramadan feeding programme. Governor Aminu Tambuwal disclosed this on Sunday in Sokoto. He said an increase was approved from the previous N300 million for the programme in order to create additional feeding centres in the state. He spoke at the flag off of the distribution of the Sokoto State 2019 Ramadan package charity for the poor at the auditorium of Sultan Muhammad Maccido institute for Quran and General Studies Sokoto. Tambuwal, who was represented by the state Deputy Governor Manir Mohammed Dan-Iya, said over N200 million would be spent for the purchase of Ramadan and Sallah packages under the state zakkat and endowment commission and N175 million on Ramadan package for distribution to Imams, deputy Imams and other religious leaders under the state ministry for religious affairs. The Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from swearing-in acting Chief of Justice of Nigeria, CJN,... The Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from swearing-in acting Chief of Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammed as substantive CJN. The court rejected an ex-parte application for an order stopping the president swearing-in Justice Muhammad as CJN. Muhammad has been acting as the CJN since January when Buhari suspended the former CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen. With Onnoghens resignation and subsequent conviction by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Muhammad is believed to be set to assume the office of the CJN in a substantive capacity. The main suit filed by Malcom Omirhobo Foundation, a group being promoted and represented in court by a lawyer, Mr. Malcom Omirhobo, is challenging Muhammads fitness to hold the office of the CJN. Justice Inyang Ekwo rejected the groups ex-parte application requesting an order stopping Buhari from swearing-in the acting CJN in an acting capacity, in a ruling on Friday. The enrolled order of the court was only sighted by The PUNCH on Monday. Rather than grant the prayers contained in the ex parte application, the judge, in his ruling, directed the applicant to put all the seven defendants on notice. Ex parte applications are characteristically conducted in the absence of the adverse parties. But Justice Ekwo ruled that the prayers sought by the applicant in its ex parte application could not be granted in the defendants absence. After hearing the plaintiffs lawyer, Justice Ekwo ruled, It is hereby ordered as follows: That none of the prayers made on this motion ex parte can be granted in the absence of the defendants. The plaintiff is hereby ordered to put the defendants on notice. The defendants are hereby granted seven days upon being served to appear and show cause why the application of the plaintiff ought not to be granted. Case adjourned till May 13, 2019 for the defendants to show cause. The 1st to the 7th defendants who are to show cause why Muhammad should not be sworn in as the CJN are, the National Judicial Council, the Federal Judicial Service Commission, the Acting CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad; the Federal Government of Nigeria, President Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the National Assembly. Music mogul, Michael Collins Ajereh a.k.a Don Jazzy is one of the influential showbiz personalities in Africa. The Mavin boss w... Don Jazzy is one of the influential showbiz personalities in Africa. Music mogul, Michael Collins Ajereh a.k.aDon Jazzy is one of the influential showbiz personalities in Africa. revealed why he hasnt produced a hit song in years. The Mavin boss who recently announced the expiration of Tiwa Savage contract with Mavin Records which was greeted with diverse comments on social media hasrevealed why he hasnt produced a hit song in years. He made this known during his interview session on Loose Talk Podcast. The celebrated music producer noted that he has been too busy with other things to the point that he hasnt had time to produce songs. I am too busy with other things to the point my creative level has plateaued. At times, I wonder If I am the one who produced some hit songs back then. The industry has changed, people have more options than they used to in the past. Now, the radio cannot force songs on people. If they like it, they will groove to it, If they dont there is nothing you can do. Speaking further, Don Jazzy spoke about the relationship he had with Tiwa Savage while she was signed on the label. Tiwa was more of a partner, we pretty much handled the challenges together. The Ajegunle raised entertainer also recounted the challenges of running a record label, stressing that If he has to sign another female artiste, he would need #40 million. Have you ever heard that I owe someone? I dont thief someones money. I have over 50 members of staff and I dont owe them. There is nobody that came to me and left worse than they came. Don Jazzy also noted that it takes time for some artistes to catch up after they are signed to a label. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 2019 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said he is proud that his party produced the late ... The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 2019 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said he is proud that his party produced the late President Umaru YarAdua. He said this while paying tribute to YarAdua, who died nine years ago. The late former President had died on May 5, 2010, after battling with an undisclosed illness. In a statement he personally signed and posted on his verified Facebook page, the former Vice President described YarAdua as a peaceful and visionary leader, which Nigeria lost. He recalled how the late president initiated the Amnesty program for repentant militants in the Niger Delta region. The statement reads: On May 5, 2010, Nigeria lost a man of peace and a leader with a vision in the person of President Umaru Musa Yaradua. The late President Yaradua was a man I was closely connected to. First, because his late brother, the great Tafida of Katsina, Shehu Musa Yaradua, was my political mentor who taught both myself and Umaru, the ropes in politics. Obviously, with Umaru, the apple did not fall far from the tree. And secondly, because we worked very, very closely when he was the Executive Governor of Katsina state at the time I was Vice President to our leader, President Olusegun Obasanjo. In this period where Nigeria is facing almost unprecedented violence and insecurity, the world will remember that it was President Yaradua who bequeathed peace to the Niger Delta through his futuristic and visionary amnesty and rehabilitation program that saw militants turn their swords to ploughshares. That single action saw an unprecedented improvement in the performance of Nigerias oil and gas industry which led to record-breaking 5% GDP growth. Beyond that, Umaru Musa Yaradua was an advocate and proponent of the Rule of Law and the doctrine of Separation of Powers. His was the only administration that did not suffer from Executive-Legislative tensions in this Fourth Republic. I am proud of what he achieved and the fact that such a decent leader was produced by my political family (the Yaradua political family) and my political party (the Peoples Democratic Party). May the soul of President Umaru Musa Yaradua continue to rest in peace as we mark 9 years of his passing and may Allah (SWT) grant him al-Jannah Firdaus.